Saturday, 5/14
Ren sat on his couch, his brain fried from the final day of exams and from the runner who sat next to him on the couch.
"C'mon Renny! Get your head in the game!" Ryuji jeered.
Ren had already lost several games of Super Rash Toes that night, but had good reason.
Makoto hasn't responded. I know that she saw it. I saw the student council members going in for a meeting. Why hasn't she contacted me?
That question repeated in his head throughout the day. Exams that day were actually difficult, and served as a nice distraction. Ryuji asking to hang out was also planned to be a nice distraction, but it had failed. Now Ren had a very loud person sitting next to him, and he was not in the mood for loud. Not even close.
"Sorry, Ryuji. I'll try harder this round." Ren offered lazily.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure you will."
Another round. Another loss.
"That's a W! With how good I'm doing, I could beat Alibaba!"
"Go ahead." Ren said, waving his hand towards the television.
"You sure you don't want to play?" Ryuji asked.
"You gotta be in the mood for Alibaba, you know? Tell him I say hi, though." Ren as set the controller on the table.
"I guess that's true. Alright. Wish me luck!" Ryuji said, pulling up Ren's friends list and selecting Alibaba.
Ren pulled out his phone, hoping to zone out before the shouting match began. He took a second to consider if he was being too cold to Ryuji that night.
I'm feeling shitty, but that's no reason to be a douche to Ryuji. Yeah, he's loud and a bit much at times, but he's Ryuji. He's my friend. Having a friend over to my place and just going on my phone is a dick move.
Ren put his phone away. Ryuji had just finished calling Alibaba.
"Hey, Alibaba. Ready for a whooping?"
"Yeah, whatever. This is Ryuji, right?" Alibaba's encrypted voice spoke from the speakers.
"Yeah, and don't forget it! I'll be the one doing the whooping!"
"Oh, good. I thought I was going to have to try. Ren's been getting good, ya know?"
"Huh?!" Ryuji turned to look at Ren.
Ren just shrugged. He didn't know how Alibaba knew that he was getting better. He hadn't spoken to Alibaba since the last time that Ryuji slept over. The confusion and the compliment from Alibaba did improve Ren's mood.
"Thanks, Alibaba. How do you know that? Speaking of things that you shouldn't know, how'd you find my name?" Ren said calmly.
"A magician never reveals his secrets, mweh heh heh." Alibaba's encrypted voice suffered heavy distortion on the part that Ren believed was a laugh.
"Uh… cool. Have fun playing Ryuji. He's a lot better than me now." Ren said with a smirk, but no sarcasm.
That's my redemption from being a dick all night long.
Ryuji looked at Ren and gave him a genuine smile.
"Sure he is." Alibaba said with a snicker.
Ryuji's face sank into anger, passion, and determination.
"Damn right I am!" Ryuji was getting pumped up.
The game started. Ren didn't pay much attention. He was distracted again, but for a good reason.
Ryuji's been a good friend so far. I never really took the time to appreciate how nice he's been to me compared to the rest of Shujin. And while he may be a little dumb at times, he's still smart. I'm eighty percent sure that he asked me to hang out because he could tell something was wrong. Even if he's not book smart, he's a nice dude.
The screen flashed.
"You lose!" The announcer proclaimed.
Alibaba echoed this in his own voice.
"Ah, shit. How 'bout another match?" Ryuji asked.
He's calmer than he was last time he lost. Did his Alibaba training teach him discipline as well?
"Nah, anime premier is on in twenty. Tell Ren to play next time."
"Uh… how 'bout no. Add me... risettelover1." Ryuji said sheepishly.
I'd be embarrassed by that name, too.
"Okay, Sakamoto." Alibaba said slyly.
"Wha- how do you know my last name?!" Ryuji demanded.
"A magician never reveals his secrets. G'night!" Alibaba said as he disconnected from the game.
"I don't get that guy." Ryuji said flatly.
"Neither do I. That's probably why we can't beat him." Ren suggested.
"Ya think? Maybe we oughta do a little research." Ryuji said with a grin.
"I'm sure that searching the internet for 'Alibaba' will yield results." Ren sarcastically as he leaned back into the couch.
"Good point." Ryuji said, doing the same as Ren.
They sat there for a good minute or two. Ren hadn't focused back in on the negativity yet, but was tired of playing video games. Ryuji also seemed like he was burnt out. Building up your ego all night to have it crushed in a single blow is a bit of a buzzkill. Both Ryuji and Ren were looking up at the ceiling.
"Wanna sleep over?" Ren said out of the blue.
"Sure. Why not."
They still did nothing. Just sat there on the couch. A minute passed. They were still staring upwards.
"Remember that song that Kitagawa played?" Ryuji asked.
"Yeah."
"You know what it was called?"
I hadn't actually thought about it. But going back to it, the lyrics that I understood centered around the word 'Runaway.' That's probably the title.
"Maybe Runaway? I heard that a lot in the song." Ren suggested.
"Never had the best ears for English. Too much stuff to remember." Ryuji said as he pulled out his phone.
"I guess."
Another minute passed before the same piano note that had been so enrapturing on Monday played again. Ren turned to look at Ryuji. Ryuji was already looking at Ren.
"Nice," was all that Ren said.
He looked back up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.
Ryuji's probably doing the same.
Ren let the song take him away. While not as incredible as the first time that Ren had heard it, it was still very moving. While he was still in a relatively good mood from Ryuji's with Alibaba, Ren knew that the thoughts of Makoto would eventually return. The song prolonged that, and provided shelter to Ren. When the song ended, Ren opened his eyes. He didn't look over at Ryuji.
"Thanks for playing that Ryuji. Really."
"No problem, man. No problem."
A minute of silence came and went.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Ryuji said blankly.
Ren hadn't considered sharing his thoughts with Ryuji. He had been sure that Ryuji would be of little help, but after thinking about it on the couch, he realized that Ryuji was the person who could relate to him the most. He was the only other teenage boy who would talk to Ren, excluding Mishima and Yusuke, who were both people Ren would not be comfortable sharing his feelings with.
Shit. I still need to remind Mishima to keep his mouth shut about Kawakami.
"Of course, Ryuji. Same for you." Ren replied. "Could I borrow your phone to text Mishima?"
"He's been through enough, I mean…"
"Nah, not to mess with him. We…" Ren hesitated, remembering Kawakami in the maid uniform. "We saw some shit that night. I need to tell him to keep his mouth shut."
"Gonna tell me what you saw, Renny?" Ryuji said as he handed Ren the phone.
"A maid. Thanks."
Ryuji sat back on the couch with a disappointed look on his face.
Ryuji S:
-Hey Mishima! Amamiya here. Keep your mouth shut about what happened last Saturday or face my wrath. Have a good evening!
Ren chuckled to himself at the corniness of 'face my wrath.'
The response was quick.
Yuuki M:
-Yes!
Yes? Is he too scared to type a sentence?
Ren handed the phone back to Ryuji. Ryuji quickly read the message and laughed.
"'Face my wrath.' You sound like a super villain!"
From Mishima's point of view, I probably am. I'll make sure to keep my distance from him for his sake and my sanity.
"Hey, Ryuji?" Ren said, intending to change the subject. "What do you think I should do about Makoto?"
Ryuji's full attention snapped to Ren, a serious look replacing his grin.
Another example of Ryuji being a good guy.
"If I'm bein' honest… just go up and talk to her." Ryuji said.
Not as helpful as I hoped.
"I already tried that. But when I went to find her after school, she was nowhere to be found. Like she vanished."
"Vanished, huh? I'm no detective, but it sounds like she's avoiding you."
Dammit, Ryuji.
"Maybe you should try talking with someone who's friends with Makoto." Ryuji suggested.
I've already tri-
"Like make sure they get a response from Makoto." Ryuji cut off Ren's thoughts.
That's a good idea. Thank you, Ryuji. I already know who to ask.
"I'll try that. Haru will probably help."
"Hell yeah, she will." Ryuji said.
Ren pulled out his own phone.
Ren Amamiya:
-Want to get lunch tomorrow? I'd like to talk about Makoto.
Haru Okumura:
-I would love to!
I don't know if she's referring to getting lunch or talking about Makoto.
Ren Amamiya:
-Where would you like to go?
Haru Okumura:
-I know a place in Kichijoji. Do you know how to get there?
Ren Amamiya:
-No clue.
Haru Okumura:
-That's alright. I'll meet you at Shibuya Station at noon.
Ren Amamiya:
-Sounds good. See you then.
Ren put away his phone to see that Ryuji had switched the television to its normal mode.
"Movie night?" Ryuji asked.
"Movie night." Ren concluded.
Sunday, 5/15
Waking up had been a much more pleasant experience than the last time Ryuji slept over. Instead of the horror that greeted Ren previously, Ryuji was passed out on the couch. Ren went over to the kitchen out of habit. He yawned when he got to the kitchen. That woke Ryuji up.
"G'morning." Ryuji said with a yawn.
"'Sup."
"You goin' somewhere?" Ryuji said as he looked at Ren.
"Yeah. How could you tell?"
Ryuji pointed at the clock next to the TV.
"It's exactly 11:00. You probably had an alarm."
Clever.
"Correct."
"I know, I'm a genius. No need to flatter me." Ryuji said as he fully sat up. "Imma clear out soon."
"Fine by me. Food?"
"Nah, I'll wait for lunch."
With that, Ren got started on his morning routine. By the time he was done, Ryuji was about to leave.
"See ya, dude. Thanks for having me."
"Any time." Ren said with a wave.
Ryuji left. Ren waited a little before leaving for the station.
Going to Kichijoji with Haru felt strange.
I'm going on an excursionwith a girl. Ooh look at me using fancy words! Maybe Yusuke will let me join his Shakespeare club!
Ren refocused himself.
Last time I hung out outside of school with just a girl was Makoto. Gardening with Haru doesn't count because it was technically for Club Day.
Seeing Kichijoji for the first time was like seeing Central Street for the first time. There were shops everywhere, and people were densely packed on the streets. To stop himself from getting overwhelmed, Ren had let Haru take the lead. She led him down the street then took a left into what would've been a typical alleyway if it didn't have shops and places to eat along the sides. Most of the mini-restaurants were packed, but Haru managed to get two seats at a small Ramen shop. They sat down.
"Never knew that heiresses liked ramen." Ren remarked.
Haru made a sound that Ren interpreted as embarrassment. He regretted the comment.
"Sorry. Bad way to start, huh?"
"Oh, pardon me. I didn't mean to react like that. I just wasn't expecting it." Haru said.
She's partially lying. She wasn't expecting me to say it because she didn't think I knew about her last name.
"I'll be more careful next time." Ren said has he inspected the menu.
Haru nodded and did the same. After they had both ordered, Ren got around to the purpose of the meeting.
"So… I was wondering if you could do me a favor." He said awkwardly, not meeting Haru's eyes.
"And the favor is related to Mako-chan?"
"Yeah. Could you tell her that I need to talk to her and explain things? And make sure she has a legitimate response. Don't let her just say 'I'll think about it.'"
"Um, shouldn't you just let her make her dec-"
"No. Please, Haru. Just help me out with this. She refuses to acknowledge my attempts to speak with her." Ren promptly cut her off.
"I'm not sure if this is the best idea, Ren-kun."
"Do you have an alternative?"
"No… but rushing her decision when it's obviously important to her doesn't feel right."
Yeah, but she didn't consider how her lengthy decision making process affects other people.
"Please, Haru. I'll do anything. Just help me out with this." Ren said, looking her in the eyes.
"Anything?" Haru's face had a look of advantageous optimism that concerned Ren.
"Well, maybe not-"
"I want to be completely in the loop between you and Mako-chan!"
"What?" Ren was surprised.
"Once your relationship is repaired, you two will start dating. It's inevitable, really."
"Haru, I don't think that that's gonna happen with how-"
"It will happen, Ren. It will happen. Now, do we have a deal? I speak with Mako-chan for you and in return you promise to keep me updated with what's going on between you and her?" Haru had a determined grin on her face.
"Fine. Deal. You know, I was hoping you'd just do me a favor…" Ren muttered, but that didn't stop Haru from hearing him.
"As you said, Ren: I'm an heiress. I have to know what's good business and what isn't. Favors aren't profitable." Haru said with a warm smile.
Ren chuckled as their food arrived. They both began eating. Between bites, they spoke about things other than Makoto.
"Have you ordered the custom gardening gloves yet?" Haru asked.
"Not yet. Haven't had the time. And I kinda don't know where to get them."
"I know a website that's relatively cheap. I'll send you the link later!" Haru said cheerfully.
"Thanks. Speaking of gardening, it's been a while since the last GRAVY meeting, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has. But it's understandable. There isn't much on the horizon for club related activities. That's because of the park cleanup that's happening soon."
No way am I helping some corrupt adults repair their reputation after the pedophile that they hired destroyed it.
"Wanna find a way to get out of it with the rest of GRAVY? We could spend the day in the city."
"Of course not! We're required to go. It might even be fun." Haru said with a look of disbelief that Ren would even consider ditching.
The chances of a school mandated cleanup being fun are very, very low.
"Yeah, whatever. Maybe I'll go."
"Yes, you will go. That's another one of my demands. You have to promise to go to the park cleanup if you want my help."
"That's the dumb-"
"Ren-kun." Haru said with an authoritative tone.
"Fine. I promise to go to the park cleanup." Ren said begrudgingly.
"Great. Hopefully we're in a group together with the other GRAVY members."
Hopefully not. Haru and Ann would probably get angry at Ryuji and I for doing jack shit. Actually, Ann would probably also do nothing.
"For sure." Ren said instead.
They ate more of their food in silence. Ren's bowl was almost empty, and the same was true for Haru.
"Ren-kun, may I ask you a question?"
"Shoot."
"Well… what is the nature of your relationship with Yoshizawa-san?"
Uh… no comment. Dammit, Ren. You can't just say nothing and expect Haru to leave you alone. You can come up with something better than that.
"Um… she's an acquaintance."
Much better. Flawless. C'est magnifique.
"An… acquaintance. Really?" Haru said with disbelief.
It's not a complete lie. On the surface, she is just an acquaintance. We've spoken only a few times.
"Yeah. We've only spoken a few times and studied together."
"You studied with her? How did it go?" Haru inquired.
Haru, you're getting a little nosy.
"It was fine."
"Just fine?"
"Yes, it was fine. What's going on, Haru?" Ren with frustration.
"Just a question. May I ask another?"
"If it has nothing to do with Yoshizawa-san, yes."
Haru took a deep breath.
"Why did you provoke the volleyball team during Club Day?"
You were literally there. What a waste of a question.
"Haru, you were there during Club Day. They approached us in a threatening way, and proceeded to threaten me."
Haru nervously laughed.
"I suppose you're right…"
"You suppose? I am right. You were sitting ten feet behind me. Haru, what is going on?"
Haru had an embarrassed look on her face.
"I've been caught!" Is what they say in the movies right about now.
"Erm… nothing. Nothing at all. Thank you for the company, Ren-kun, but I must be going. Family business." Haru said as she left money on the counter and stood up.
She's probably not lying about having family business to attend to, but she's hiding something.
"Remember to talk to Makoto! And don't take no for an answer!" Ren called to Haru as she walked away.
She turned back, gave Ren a nod, and then walked away. Ren's attention went back to the unfinished bowl of ramen.
Makoto stood outside of the alleyway that Untouchable called home. A few people grumbled as they passed her. She was standing motionless.
Do I really want to investigate this? Yes. I needto investigate this. I have to make some progress while I'm here in Shibuya. Then I can focus on investigating the information that Shirai left in the suggestion box, she thought.
She stepped into the alleyway. She could feel her palms dampening as she approached the door to Untouchable. The front of the store was shady, to say the least. Makoto had an unspoken rule that she would never enter a building that was even the least bit suspect. That rule only served to build her expectations of Untouchable. Whatever horrors the shop housed would soon be face to face with Makoto. The thought of discovering actual criminal activity and it being related to Ren made Makoto nervous. Very nervous. Her palms were in a full on sweat by the time she reached the door. She extended her hand to the door handle-
Makoto's phone beeped, making her jump. She quickly took a few steps back from the door and pulled out her phone, making sure to wipe her hands on her hip.
Haru Okumura:
-He says that Yoshizawa-san is just an acquaintance, but I don't buy it. He also says that the incident with the volleyball team only began after they approached him in a threatening way. I can confirm that the volleyball team wasn't very nice on Club Day.
Makoto Niijima:
-Thank you, Haru. He didn't mention a relationship between any of the volleyball players?
Haru Okumura:
-No. But with what happened on Club Day, he does know the mother of that boy Takata. He called her and spoke in a suggestive way to her that day. That was why Takata charged Ren.
Ren is interested in older women? I suppose that the maid who went into the apartment looked a little older than usual. What does this mean? Makoto asked herself. Focus, Makoto! What reason would Ren have to call Takata's mother, other than provoking him? No, that's probably what happened. Takata and the volleyball players approach, they threaten Ren and say some rude things, Ren calls Takata's mother, and Takata snaps. That's when I got there.
Makoto Niijima:
-Interesting. Thanks again, Haru. I'll talk to you later.
Haru Okumura:
-You better. Message me when you're home. We need to talk over the phone.
Over the phone? Why? Makoto was confused. I have no reason not to speak to her. It'd be best to agree.
Makoto Niijima:
-I will.
Makoto put away her phone. Her eyes focused on the sign for Untouchable.
You can do this, Makoto, she told herself.
She entered. The walls of the shop were lined with an intimidating array of model guns that looked real enough to fool Makoto for a few seconds. Behind the counter was man. His feet were propped up on the counter, and his cap was tipped over his eyes. He was sleeping. Makoto approached the counter nervously, he feet shuffling, and was about to attempt to wake him up when she saw the tattoo on his neck.
A tattoo… it's obvious placement must mean that it's meant for identification. He could be involved with Yakuza, Makoto thought.
In a moment of what Makoto considered bravery, she decided to wake the man up.
"Ahem."
The owner raised his cap up so that he could see her. He took a few seconds to eye her up before tipping his cap back down.
Well that's rude, Makoto thought.
"Ahem!"
The man raised his cap again.
"I know you're not here to buy anything, so let me nap in peace." The cap went down.
"How do you know that?" Makoto said with frustration.
"When you walked up to the counter, your footsteps told me your story. It's your first time here, and you're scared." The man said nonchalantly, not even bothering to raise the cap.
Smart for someone who's sleeping on the job, Makoto mentally remarked.
"I could still be here to buy something. There's a f-first time for everything." Makoto said shakily.
The man let out a hearty laugh. He took his feet down from the counter and sat forward in his chair, lowering his cap.
"Name's Iwai. What can I get for ya?"
Makoto met his eyes, but quickly looked away. The coldness in her eyes scared her, or maybe it was because of her own embarrassment.
"Um… I was hoping I could ask you a few questions."
"Don't ask too many questions. You never know what might happen." Iwai said with a chuckle.
Makoto nervously laughed, praying that he was joking.
"Do you have a customer named Ren Amamiya?"
Iwai shook his head.
"Can't say I do." Iwai said with another chuckle.
"Are you sure? He has messy black hair and glasses." Makoto added.
"Ohhh, you mean the kid? Yeah, I know him. He's supposed to be working for me." Iwai said.
"You didn't know his name? And how is he supposed to be working for you?"
"He probably told me the name. I forget things that aren't important. And he's working for me, but I haven't requested his help yet."
"What will he be helping with?" Makoto asked suspiciously.
Iwai unnervingly chuckled. Makoto's nerves stopped her from looking into Iwai's eyes as he spoke.
"A bit of this, a bit of that. Mostly just cleaning up the shop."
"Mhm. And how did you meet Amamiya?"
"How 'bout you tell me?"
"Hm?"
"Tell me how you met Amamiya. I'm not giving up my employee's personal information without knowing more about the person doing the asking."
That's fair. I shouldn't have just expected to walk in here, ask the questions, and then leave, Makoto thought.
"I-I go to school with him."
"A classmate, huh? The kid have a reputation at your school?" Iwai asked.
That was putting it lightly.
"You could say that." Makoto said.
"Huh. What do people think of him?"
"You'd rather hear about rumors than the truth?" Makoto inquired.
"What is the truth?" Iwai asked, leaning forward more in his chair.
His stare made Makoto more nervous. Her feet shuffled a little, and she wiped her palm on her opposite arm.
"I-I… don't know."
"So you weren't lying."
"Excuse me?"
"When you said you just went to school with him, you weren't lying. If you were more than just a classmate, you would've know the truth."
That hurt. Makoto was overcome by a feeling of failure. Her investigation had yielded little information that could've just been easily gained from speaking to Ren. But it wasn't that easy. How could she face him after being so confident in her decision to walk out that night? Was she even confident then? She definitely wasn't confident in her decision as she stood in front of Iwai.
Is that why the investigation's failing? Because I'm not close enough to Ren? Do I just need to talk to him? Makoto asked herself.
"Struck a nerve, huh? My bad. I'll answer your question. The kid came to me, trying to sell me some alcohol. No clue where he got it."
The alcohol. Now's your chance, Makoto. The investigation can succeed. You can succeed, Makoto thought.
"Did you purchase it?" Makoto's wavering voice asked.
"I did."
Evidence! Ren was involved in a transaction of alcohol as a minor! Now I can finally be done with this, Makoto thought.
"For how much?" She asked, believing that this would be the final question.
"¥1. I wasn't gonna pay more than that for someone who wanted to sell something so desperately."
The fact that the supposed final question raised more questions and invalidated what Makoto had thought was success was demoralizing, to say the least. It took Makoto down from the high that she got when she believed she had succeeded.
I thought that I had finished the investigation and found evidence. But what would I have done if the investigation had ended there? Would I have turned Ren in? Could I have turned Ren in? Do I want to turn Ren in? Makoto asked herself.
She knew the answer to each question. It was the same as what happened on Club Day. She wouldn't have done anything. She wouldn't have made a difference with her newfound revelations because of how useless she was to herself and to others.
Useless. The word echoed through Makoto's head.
Makoto knew that the word held some truth to it. She had failed to stop Kamoshida on her own; she needed Sae to do that. She had failed to even learn about Kamoshida's activities; Ren was the one who alerted her to Kamoshida's wrongdoings. Her uselessness even held her back. Her inability to speak to Ren held her back socially, even academically if you counted the homework assignments that had been turned in as they were due instead of early.
Makoto pulled herself out of her head.
"You said he wanted to sell it desperately?" She asked dejectedly.
Her nerves had been replaced by shame.
"Yeah. Like he needed to get it off his hands. Doesn't matter now. Deal's done." Iwai explained.
He could've wanted to get rid of it because he had been caught, Makoto theorized.
She realized that she was slipping back into her tendency to suspect something. It made sense with Ren at the party to suspect something, but it was getting downright annoying. The tendency itself played into Makoto's awareness of her own social ineptitude.
Is that why I have so few friends? Because I end up suspecting something of all of them? No. It's because I wantto suspect something. This is why you're so fucking lonely, Makoto , she told herself.
"Thanks for the info, Iwai-san." She said as she turned for the door.
"Hold up." Iwai said, prompting Makoto to turn back to the counter. "Why so interested in the kid?"
"I don't know."
It was the most honest Makoto had been with herself, or anyone, in a long time.
Iwai shrugged, and nodded a goodbye. Makoto didn't return it as she left.
Makoto exited Central Street. A feeling of being unwelcome washed over Makoto. She remembered why she had come to Shibuya in the first place.
Make yourself useful and look around for suspicious activity, she told herself.
After her contemplation of her suspicions usually being unfounded, she only felt like she was wasting her time. She walked up and down the street several times, stopping to window shop and look out for something interesting. The most she saw were several buff men standing in front of an alleyway.
There's a gym entrance in that alleyway, right? They're probably just trying to get customers, Makoto concluded.
She passed Big Bang Burger, this time looking through the window. As her eyes perused the inside of the store, they were met by a familiar face.
Short black hair. Dark eyes. But no glasses. And his hair wasn't messy, it was buzzed.
Makoto stared back at Yoshiro Takata.
His mouth stretched into an evil grin, and he got the attention of the other volleyball players sitting near him. He pointed at Makoto. They all turned to look at her. They began laughing. While Makoto couldn't hear the laughs, the sight of them was sickening. There was no humor, no hilarity in the faces as they laughed. Only evil.
How did Makoto know it was evil? Yoshiro was giving her the same look that Kamoshida gave her when she was in his office.
Makoto walked away from Big Bang Burger and immediately went home.
The phone ringing pulled Makoto away from her TV screen. The gritty action movie that was playing was temporary solace for Makoto, but the phone call had taken her away from that. She hoped that the caller had a good reason.
Makoto read the name of the caller. It was Haru.
She wanted to talk to me over the phone rather than just messaging me. It must be important. It's probably related to Ren. That's all Haru talks to me about now. To be fair, it's all I think about now, Makoto thought.
It rang a few more times, and finally stopped.
Haru Okumura:
-I know that you're there. Could you please call me back?
A minute passed
Haru Okumura:
-It's important.
Another.
Haru Okumura:
-Fine. Ren wants you to know that he needs to talk to you to explain things. He's really desperate. He also wanted you to give a legitimate response. That's it.
And another.
Haru Okumura:
-Makoto, I know that you're reading these. It hurts that you're not responding. But if you don't want to hear what I have to say, then I'll keep quiet and stay away.
All you wanna talk about is Ren anyway. And I don't deserve a friend, Makoto thought.
Makoto Niijima:
-Ok.
No response from Haru. Makoto though she was fine with that. She pressed play on the movie. She found no comfort in it.
Monday, 5/16
"Did you find anything, Niijima-senpai?" Eiji asked.
"Cause we got nothing." Noriko said in a lazy imitation of Eiji.
"Do too!"
Noriko snickered.
"Silence. I wasn't able to find anything, but maybe I wasn't looking hard enough. There was nothing suspicious, outside of the occasional shady person. But Shibuya's always had those, so I don't think that it means anything." Makoto said affirmatively.
School and the student council were the only two things in Makoto's life that were under her control. While the student council was constantly bickering like children, mainly Noriko provoking Eiji, they did respect Makoto. With school, she was less sure that she was in control. While her grades were the best in the school, what was the point? That was the only academic related question that Makoto hadn't been able to answer during her time at Shujin.
"Well, get this: I found articles dating from February and March about drug trafficking in Shibuya." Michiko said proudly.
"So it happened back in March. Case closed." Noriko said as she picked at her fingernails.
While Makoto appreciated Noriko's role on the student council, it still stumped her as to how Noriko actually got the position. She didn't seem to care about anything that happened with the council.
"I don't think so, Nori-chan." Michiko said. "The articles were were written by one person: Kayo Murakami."
"So?" Noriko questioned.
"I did a little digging on Murakami. She disappeared off of the face of the earth after the last of the articles were published. Even worse, the articles were deleted. I only found them through an archive."
"Good work, Hora-san." Eiji said, giving a thumbs up. "Niijima-senpai, what do you think about this?"
Makoto took a second to consider all of the information that they had.
"I'm being threatened by people, and so are other students. A group in Shibuya is blackmailing us into working for them, and they're threatening our families if we go to the police. Please help, I'm running out of options." A group of people is doing the blackmailing, not just one person. And several students are being targeted, not just Dai. It's fair to assume that the group only goes after students. The note never detailed what the work is. I could ask Dai about it. Finally, the group is powerful enough to make a valid threat against the families of the students. Could it be Yakuza? If it's the same group that made Murakami disappear, then it's a good guess. But then why did the articles get taken down? Yakuza clans typically don't have connections to news organizations, Makoto thought.
"It's interesting information. But we can't do anything to help yet. We need more information. I'll try going to Central Street again. Hora-san, if you can, please research if there was increased police activity in Shibuya after March. Also, please look more into Murakami. Any connections she had would be useful. Taira-san, please ask around among the students for any relevant information. Tanaka-san, research the history of Yakuza clans in Shibuya."
"Got it. I'll get started tonight." Michiko said.
"I'll start now." Noriko said, seemingly one upping Michiko.
Noriko whipped out her phone and began typing crazily.
"C'mon, Niijima-senpai! Lemme go to Shibuya!" Eiji whined.
"No. We may learn something important from the past." Makoto said flatly.
"Ugh. Fine. But next time, I get to do the field work." Eiji insisted.
"Probably not." Noriko and Makoto said together.
Wednesday, 5/18
Makoto started the day by reading her notes from the past few days.
5/16
Ren Amamiya went straight home today. He left later for work, but I didn't follow. Why am I still writing
5/17
RenAmascrew it Ren went straight home again. I wonder if he's doing alright. Why don't you just ask him, Makoto? Just ask him and it will be okay.
Investigation Agenda
Question Suzui-san - SUCCESS
Question remaining volleyball team members (maybe)
Follow/question Takamaki (strictly investigative purposes)
Follow/question Yoshizawa-san (strictly investigative purposes) - SUCCESS
Ask Haru about any changes in Amamiya's behavior - SUCCESS
Investigate Untouchable - SUCCESS
Question Mishima
Question Maruki
Take a break
Talk to Ren
The lack of a response from Haru or Makoto had been taking its toll on Ren. On Monday he had gone to work, only to ask Sojiro to let him leave early. Sojiro agreed worriedly, but hadn't asked any questions. Tae had texted on Tuesday, asking ren to stop by. He texted back 'No.' and left it at that.
Wednesday was looking to be more of the same. Ryuji approached Ren after class ended.
"Wanna hang out?" He asked with a grin.
"Nah. You gotta be in the mood for that sorta thing, you know?" Ren replied.
"Man, stop being such a bummer. Why do you think I'm asking to hang out? I can tell something's wrong. You don't have to talk about it, but it'd be good to get out of the house." Ryuji said encouragingly.
While Ren was thankful for Ryuji, he didn't show it.
"Fine. Where do you wanna go?"
"Big Bang Burger? It's close to your place so you can go home and sulk if you really, really want to." Ryuji said jokingly
The joke lightened the mood ever so slightly.
"Sulk, huh? Did you start reading books?" Ren remarked.
"Read books? No way. Couldn't be me." Ryuji joked.
They made their way out of Shujin and to the station. They got to Shibuya in a timely manner and quickly made their way to Big Bang Burger. The line was short, so they were able to quickly order. They were just sitting down a when a group of people entered. A group of people wearing Shujin gym outfits.
"Volleyball team. 12:00." Ryuji whispered.
It was evident that Ryuji didn't know what 12:00 meant because they were sitting parallel to the line that the volleyball team was standing in.
"Ryuji, it's 3:00."
"Volleyball team. 3:00." Ryuji said, maintaining his perceived secrecy.
Ren looked over at the volleyball players. He spotted Yoshiro, and Dai. He didn't give a flying fuck about the others.
Shit. I probably should've gotten more out of Ayumi, just to be safe.
Yoshiro caught Ren looking, and tapped Dai on the shoulder. Dai looked over to where Ren and Ryuji were sitting and gave a blank smile.
I'm 90% sure that Dai's head is full of air. I can guarantee it that he only got into Shujin for volleyball.
Dai and Yoshiro got the attention of the other volleyball players, who were just beginning to notice Ren.
"Ren, maybe we should get outta here…" Ryuji muttered out of the corner out of his mouth.
"Nah, they won't fight us in a public restaurant." Ren assured him. "Even if they did, we could take them."
"Bro, it's a six on two. How on earth- Oh! Hello, Takata-san. Funny seeing you here." Ryuji said as Yoshiro and his friends came up behind Ren.
Ren knew Yoshiro and the volleyball team were behind him, but he didn't want to look. It wasn't because he was scared. It was because if he turned to look at Yoshiro, he would have to look upwards. That was a disadvantage.
"You two on a date?" Yoshiro sneered.
"Hey-" Ryuji began but was cut off by Ren motioning for Ryuji to shut up.
"Not a date. Not yet, at least." Ren corrected Yoshiro. "The date part starts after Ayumi arrives."
"You little shit…" Ren could feel Yoshiro's rage from behind him.
Do it. Assault me. In front of all these people. Ruin your life. Just like me.
"We were actually taking Ayumi here together. We plan on running a train on her later tonight." Ren said with a smirk.
An advantage of Ren's research into English swear words and insults had also led to his discovery of many vulgar phrases. A lot of the phrases didn't translate well into Japanese, so it was unlikely that anyone would understand Ren when he used one. The face Ryuji made told Ren that he didn't get it either.
"What are you talking about?!" Yoshiro was fuming, even though it was obvious that he didn't know what Ren was talking about.
Ren stood up from his chair and turned around to face Yoshiro. They were only a few feet away from each other. The other people in Big Bang Burger had stopped eating, replacing the Shujin students from the last face off.
Ren said nothing to answer Yoshiro. He didn't need to. He had the advantage.
"How 'bout you go back to your gaydening club?!" Dai exclaimed proudly.
Not only was that not funny, that was easily the most douchebag insult I've ever heard. Fuck this guy.
"I might have to. Ryuji and I have a gardening project to work on."
"Oh yeah? What's that?" Dai asked, still believing that he was winning.
Ren reached behind him to the table to grab his drink cup with his left hand. He kept his eyes trained on Yoshiro. He knew that at least one punch would be thrown after what he was about to say.
"It's simple." Ren said, motioning to Yoshiro. "We'll be planting seeds in Ayumi."
Ren was right. A punch was thrown. A very sloppy and telegraphed punch at that.
That joke about Ayumi must've really gotten to him. That punch was fucking terrible.
Ren easily sidestepped Yoshiro, raising his hand with the drink as he did so. He splashed the drink onto Yoshiro's face, causing Yoshiro to close his eyes. His outstretched punching hand landed on Ren's food tray. The pressure on the tray and the lack of friction between the table and the tray resulted in the tray sliding forward. Yoshiro, with nothing to support his weight, fell face first into the table.
That impact won't be enough to injure him. Just enough for a forehead bruise, and more than enough for eternal humiliation.
"Holy shit, you killed him!" Ryuji said in a amazement as he ate a French fry.
"Let's just go, Ryuji." Ren said, motioning for Ryuji to get up.
Yoshiro was starting to get up, but he was still dazed and rubbing his head. Ren began to lead Ryuji away from the war zone, but a shove from Dai ended that. Furiously, Ren turned back, ready to throw a punch.
Careful about who you fight, Ren. You can get back at him in other ways.
"Yeah? Yeah? What ya gonna do?" Dai said tauntingly as he shuffled his feet.
He's ready to fight. Too bad.
"We're gonna leave. We actually have two gardening projects to attend to." Ren remarked, before quickly leading Ryuji out of Big Bang Burger.
Ren quickly began walking towards his apartment, but Ryuji followed him.
"What'd you mean by two gardening projects?" He asked in amazement.
"The first gardening project was Yoshiro's mom, right? So who's someone who's close to Dai?"
"Um… I think I've seen him with that Eiko chick a few times. I've heard a few rumors that they just started dating." Ryuji said, scratching his head as he walked.
"Bingo."
"Bingo? The hell does that mean?"
Ren made a note to not use English expressions when necessary.
"Exactly. It means exactly." Ren explained with a sigh.
"So… you gonna put the moves on Eiko?" Ryuji said, nudging Ren with his elbow.
"I'll do what I must." Ren said solemnly.
"Dude… that was so corny." Ryuji said with a laugh.
I thought it sounded badass…
"My bad." Ren said.
"It's all good. Good luck with Eiko. Hopefully you had fun today. See ya later, Renny." Ryuji said as he turned to go in the other direction.
It wasn't fun. The point where my humiliation of Yoshiro becomes fun rather than a defense mechanism is the day that I fully accept that I am a terrible person.
Ren waved a goodbye. He went back to his apartment for the night.
5/18
Amamiya Ren went to Big Bang Burger with Sakamoto. A few volleyball players, including Takata, entered shortly after. I saw what look like a physical altercation happen inside. Ren and Sakamoto left quickly after. After the look Takata gave me the other day, I can't help but hope he was hurt. Why am I still writing these? Why I am still following him? Why any of this? I don't know. That's your answer for everything, isn't it, Makoto? "I don't know." What do you know, Miss Student Council President?
A/N: Certain parts of the journal entries are supposed to be crossed out, but ffnet won't let me use strikethrough. That's why the journal entries may be weird to read. Thanks for reading!