Chapter Six: Discrepancies in Appearances

6-1

"The International Institute of Science."

Early in the morning, Kaoru came over excitedly holding a flyer, "There's a new gym opening. Do you guys want to go together?"

Miyako and Momoko, engrossed in a fashion magazine and a movie respectively, politely declined Kaoru's invitation.

Ken and Professor, on the other hand, were busy in the workshop repairing our watches and belts, paying no attention to Kaoru.

So she turned to us, "What about you guys?"

Kagami and I were in the middle of a fierce battle in "Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4" on the PS4, and we both chimed in, "Maybe next time!"

Kaoru sighed and headed towards the study, "Shigeru, what about you?"

Shigeru, eyes fixed on his Macbook Air, didn't even turn his head, "I'm busy with a deadline right now. You go ahead."

With that, he locked the door, fully immersed in his writing.

It was then I remembered tomorrow was the deadline. If he didn't submit his manuscript soon, this piece might as well be thrown out. I couldn't help but equate Shigeru's situation with that of a cartoonist chased by the publishing house on the eve of his deadline.

Kaoru muttered under her breath, "You're such a homebody…" "Well, I'll just go by myself then!"

"Remember not to stay out too late!" Momoko and Miyako said in unison.

Kaoru replied, "Okay!" before walking out of the institute on her own.

I laughed and said to Kagami, "Haha, I won!"

Kagami reluctantly stared at the screen, "I lost…"

Suddenly, Miyako said thoughtfully, "Speaking of which, Shigeru seems slimmer compared to other guys his age."

Momoko expressed some pity, "Then Shigeru still has some way to go before he matches Kaoru's ideal type. She really likes muscular guys."

Upon hearing Miyako and Momoko's comments, I found it amusing, "That's not true. It's because you guys only see him dressed up. In reality, that guy has no extra fat at all; he's trained himself to be completely lean. I remember he does thirty thousand push-ups every morning using only his thumbs."

Kagami added, "Before dinner every day, it seems like he also runs thirty kilometers. Sometimes he drags us along too."

Momoko looked astonished, " Thirty thousand push-ups?! Using only his thumbs?!"

Miyako also looked incredulous, "Thirty kilometers?!"

"At the gym,"

Kaoru lifted dumbbells while glancing at the muscular men around her, feeling a bit embarrassed. However, she noticed that many high school or college girls were also using the gym equipment, apparently attracted by these muscular men. There were quite a few girls of her age who seemed to share her fascination.

At that moment, Kaoru didn't notice the muscular men behind her, surrounded by a cloud of black powder, their eyes fixated on her with extreme greed, like hunting dogs targeting their prey.

After a whole day, Shigeru finally finished the remaining manuscript and saved it on a USB drive.

Shigeru closed his Macbook Air, "I'll go to the publishing house and personally hand the manuscript to the editor."

Without informing anyone, Shigeru left the institute, forgetting to take his phone with him.

"The Next Day,"

Kagami and I arrived at the lab again, only to see Momoko and Miyako looking very worried. They sat on the sofa with serious expressions, as if contemplating something deeply.

Seeing their demeanor, I asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Momoko struggled to speak, "Kaoru… she… didn't come home last night… and no one answered her phone…"

Miyako's expression turned anxious too, "Do you think… something happened to her?!"

I began to sense something amiss, "Kagami, Shigeru didn't come back yesterday either, did he?"

Kagami nodded, his expression starting to show concern, "Yeah, I thought he was still working on his manuscript, but when I went to the study, only his laptop and phone were left on the desk."

A bad feeling washed over me upon hearing this, "Where is that gym located?! What about the flyer?!"

"I found it!" Kagami pulled out the flyer from beneath a magazine.

Momoko looked at the address written on it, "Seems like it's in the vicinity of the Nerima !"

Miyako glanced at the photo of the person in charge on the flyer, rubbing her forehead as she tried to remember, "I think I recognize this person from the flyer…"

The three of us immediately turned to Miyako, hoping her recollection might provide some useful clues.

Miyako flipped through a newspaper from a few days ago. There was a photo of a suspected criminal in the paper, and the article roughly stated that Yakuza had emerged in Tokyo recently. They specifically targeted young girls, and even engaged in human trafficking, selling some girls as slaves overseas.

We then realized, despite the differences in hairstyles, a closer examination revealed that the photo on the flyer and the one in the newspaper were practically identical!

Kagami suddenly seemed to recall something, "I remember the publishing house Shigeru frequents is also located in the Nerima! Could their simultaneous disappearance be more than a coincidence?!"

I clicked my tongue, "Looks like we've stir up a hornet's nest…!"

Momoko pushed open the door and rushed into the lab, "Professor, are our belts and their watches fixed yet? Kaoru and Shigeru might be in trouble!"

Professor Utonium looked puzzled, "The watches and belts won't be fixed until tomorrow! Trouble? What's going on?!"

So, the four of us roughly explained the situation.

Ken pondered, "We need to call the police now! But we can't be sure if Kaoru and Shigeru's disappearance is directly related to that Yakuza."

Peach looked confused, "What should we do then? Just wait for the police's message?

I made up my mind and turned to Professor Utonium, "Professor, please report to the police. Momoko, Kagami, Miyako, and I will split into two groups and head directly to the Nerima to investigate the clues! Let's depart immediately!"

Kagami, Miyako, and Momoko nodded in unison, "Alright!"

Professor Utonium looked serious, "I'll report to the police immediately. You all be careful!"

So, the four of us split into two groups, rushing out of the institute and heading towards the Nerima

6-2

Let's rewind time back to the early morning in " Nerima, Tokyo."

Shigeru was walking alone on the quiet street, complaining, "Seriously, the editor kept me at the publisher's office to discuss the concept for the next work again, and now I haven't even had dinner yet. I'll go to Yoshinoya for a large beef rice later!"

As he walked, he noticed a phone quietly lying on the ground. He picked it up and saw it was a green Sony Xperia Z3. He looked at the back of the phone, and it said, "Kaoru M."

(Matsuhara Kaoru is pronounced as Kaoru Matsuhara in Japanese)

Shigeru muttered to himself, "The owner of the phone is someone named Kaoru... It couldn't be such a coincidence, right...?"

Suddenly, he heard strange noises coming from the alley. Curiosity drove him to investigate.

He saw a group of muscular men carrying several black burlap bags, loading them onto a truck. It looked like they were transporting goods, but from their expressions, it seemed like they were up to no good.

Suddenly, one of the black burlap bags loosened, revealing its contents. Shigeru recognized the person inside immediately, "That's... Kaoru! What's going on?!" Shigeru was shocked and wanted to take out his usual Sony Xperia Z5 to call the police and Yuzuhiko, only to realize... he had forgotten to bring his phone!

"No way! At a crucial time like this, I forgot my phone!" Shigeru shouted in his mind.

"Damn! If this goes on, I'll lose them!" Seeing the muscular men had finished loading all the black burlap bags and were preparing to drive off, Shigeru made a decision. As the truck started, Shigeru quickly dashed towards it, jumped, and landed on the roof of the truck.

The only witnesses to this scene were a few crows and swallows.

Time rewinds back to the morning...

"I'm sorry, but the lease for this gym ended yesterday. We don't know where their head office is. Please leave."

Momoko and I rushed from Setagaya to Nerima based on the address on the flyer, only to be told this. We were stunned on the spot and were then escorted out by security.

Momoko 's forehead bulged with veins, "This is so strange! Didn't this gym just open recently?!"

I gritted my teeth, "Damn it! Even a fool can see something's wrong!"

Suddenly, my iPhone rang in my pocket. I picked it up; it was a call from Kagami.

" Hikarigaoka, Nerima "

Kagami and Miyako were separately asking passersby if they had seen Kaoru and Shigeru yesterday, but they got no useful information.

At that moment, Miyako had an idea, "Maybe we can... ask them."

Miyako whistled, "Beep!" Many common birds, such as pigeons, sparrows, crows, and swallows, flew over.

Kagami asked curiously, "Miyako... what is this...?"

Miyako let a few swallows perch on her arm and made faint bird calls with her mouth, as if communicating with the birds.

"Is that so? Thank you!" Miyako thanked the bird flock, which then scattered and flew away.

Miyako turned to Kagami, "The crows and swallows told me that it looks like Kaoru was kidnapped. Shigeru followed them and jumped on a truck. That truck seems to be heading toward Shinagawa!"

Kagami nodded, "Okay, I'll notify Yuzuhiko and Momoko immediately!"

"Shinagawa?!" I think I know what these guys are planning!

"Kagami, notify the police to check all suspicious ships in Tokyo Bay. We will meet at the Shinagawa container terminal!" I shouted into the phone.

"Shinagawa container terminal?! Are they planning to sell Kaoru overseas?!" Momoko said, looking incredulous.

"Let's go, or I'm afraid even Shigeru will be sold!"

So Momoko and I rushed from Nerima to Shinagawa again.

"Shinagawa Container Terminal."

"Ugh... where is this...?" Kaoru opened her eyes and found herself chained up, wearing nothing but her undergarments.

Blushing furiously, Kaoru screamed, "What's going on?! Why am I only in my underwear?!"

"Oh... you're awake?" A voice came from beside her ear.

"You are... the gym coach?!" Kaoru suddenly realized that the muscular coach was standing in front of her. Furious, she yelled at him, "What do you plan to do to me?!"

The muscular man smirked lewdly, "What do you think I'll do, now that you're tied up like this?"

Suddenly, the muscular man changed the subject, "You're Kaoru Matsubara, the daughter of Tokio Matsubara, right?"

Kaoru asked in surprise, "You know my dad?!"

The man spoke with great emotion, "Of course I know him. Years ago, I pursued your mother relentlessly, but that bastard Matsubara snatched her away from me! The humiliation and hatred I felt back then, I'll never forget for the rest of my life!"

Kaoru retorted sarcastically, "My mom had good taste, that's why she married my dad. No girl would ever choose a muscle-bound idiot like you! Maybe in your next life!"

The leader, seemingly hit where it hurt, glared at Kaoru with malice, "A father's debt must be repaid by his child. After I've had my way with you, I'll send those lovely photos to your home. Let's see how they react then."

Kaoru felt a chill down her spine, "Let me go, you despicable pervert!"

After confirming that no one was around, Shigeru jumped down from the top of the truck. "Bang!" With one kick, he smashed open the iron door next to the warehouse and sneaked into the headquarters of the Yakuza.

Shigeru crawled along the ceiling, peering through the gaps and saw a group of thugs tying up the girls with iron chains and using drugs to knock them out again. The thugs then started groping the helpless girls. Shigeru scanned the scene again but still didn't see any sign of Kaoru.

Suppressing his urge to vomit, Shigeru muttered, "I can't stand this anymore!" and jumped down from the ceiling.

The noise immediately alerted the thugs, who surrounded Shigeru, at least dozens of them, all muscular and strong.

The leader, who seemed annoyed that Shigeru had interrupted his fun, sneered, "Kid, how do you want to die? I can fulfill your wish!"

Shigeru smirked, "There's no need for that, don't waste time. I need to find my friend! Come at me all at once! It's you guys who are going to get wrecked!"

Just as the leader was about to lay his hands on Kaoru, a subordinate came running in panic, his eyes filled with fear, "Boss, there's an intruder!"

The muscular boss asked nonchalantly, "How many?"

The subordinate reported, "Just one, but...!"

The boss impatiently asked, "But what?!"

The subordinate stammered, "He's already taken down nearly 50 of our men! There's only a few of us and the master left!"

Kaoru was overjoyed yet full of doubt. She was happy that someone had come to rescue her, but puzzled that it was just one person. Who could it be? Who had the ability to take down nearly 50 muscular men in a row?

Shigeru's voice suddenly came from behind, "Hey, Kaoru, I finally found you. Let's go home!"

Kaoru's jaw almost dropped to the ground, "Shigeru, is it you?!" She could hardly believe it, as she had always thought of Shigeru as a weak scholar, but he turned out to be her savior.

The boss sneered, "Kid, are you her boyfriend? You look like a herbivore, weak and fragile."

Shigeru retorted, "I just don't eat poisonous meat."

Kaoru's forehead popped a vein, "Who are you calling poisonous meat?!"

Shigeru then noticed Kaoru's predicament, barely clothed and tied up, and commented, "I didn't know you had this kind of kink..."

Kaoru blushed and shouted, "Of course not!"

The boss, infuriated, swung a fist at Shigeru, "Stop flirting in front of me!"

Shigeru calmly caught the boss's left wrist and said in a steady tone, "Please don't make this difficult for me. I just want to take her back."

The boss immediately pulled away and shouted to his subordinates, "This kid is no joke! Everyone, grab your weapons, and bring the master here!"

A subordinate pointed at the boss's left hand, stammering, "Boss... your hand...!"

The boss then realized that his left wrist had been dislocated by Shigeru's grip.

Shigeru scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, "Sorry, sorry, I accidentally dislocated your wrist out of habit. Don't worry, it's just a dislocation. You can get it fixed at the clinic later."

Kaoru broke into a cold sweat and muttered, "What kind of habit is that?!"

The boss clutched his wrist, his face twisted in pain, "You dislocating monster!"

Shigeru sighed, looking exasperated, "First a herbivore, now a dislocating monster? Isn't that a bit too discourteous? Don't you think so,Kaoru?"

Kaoru was too drained to retort, "…"

A subordinate rushed over, "Boss, the master is here!"

A tall, imposing man wearing a mask slowly approached, standing at least 2.2 meters tall.

Shigeru glanced at the man and exclaimed, "Wow, you're really tall."

Seeing the man,Kaoru became extremely agitated, "He's... the current world wrestling champion, Ultimate Mask! Why is a wrestler involved with the underworld?! Answer me, Ultimate Mask!"

Ultimate Mask replied in a calm tone, "Professional wrestling is just a performance. Making money this way is faster. Honestly, I'm tired of those matches where the outcome is already decided. Here, I can enjoy wealth and luxury!"

Kaoru houted angrily, "How can you betray your fans like this?! You scoundrel! Damn it!"

Shigeru looked at Ultimate Mask with disdain, "The current champion is nothing but a mercenary bought with money. How pathetic."

Ultimate Mask sneered, "You'll see how I tear that mouth of yours apart in a moment!"

Kaoru screamed, "Shigeru, run! You can't beat this guy!"

"I don't want to lose to this big oaf, especially not in front of you." Ignoring Kaoru's warning, Shigeru walked straight towards Ultimate Mask.

6-3

Ultimate Mask taunted, "Are you sure you want to do this? I don't want to break you too quickly."

Shigeru smirked, "Don't worry about me. Just make sure you don't embarrass yourself in front of your underlings."

Kaoru, still bound and barely clothed, could only watch in terror. "Shigeru, please, this isn't a joke! He's the world champion for a reason!"

"Damn brat!" Ultimate Mask swung his fist, the size of a cooking pot, towards Shigeru. Such a deadly punch would surely send an ordinary person's head flying, separated from their body, but...

Shigeru effortlessly caught Ultimate Mask's fist with his slender palm, leaving everyone present dumbfounded.

Wide-eyed, Kaoru exclaimed, "Where did he get this strength from?!"

Seizing the moment while Ultimate Mask was still stunned, Shigeru delivered a powerful punch to his abdomen. Ultimate Mask was immediately sent flying by the tremendous force, crashing into several iron barrels in the warehouse. His subordinates rushed to check on him, only to find Ultimate Mask foaming at the mouth, unconscious.

In unison, Kaoru and the boss muttered, "How is this possible...?!"

Shigeru calmly dusted off his hands, "Done." Then, ignoring all the Yakuza members, he walked towards Kaoru, "Alright, time to go back. I'm starving!"

"Don't you dare look down on me, brat!" The boss, humiliated and furious, pulled out a gun and aimed it at Shigeru's head.

Kaoru gasped, "A gun?!"

"Bam!" A gunshot rang out, smoke billowing from the barrel!

Once again, everyone's jaws dropped. Shigeru had actually caught the bullet with his teeth, his tone turning angry, "You actually fired... I'm furious!"

"Spit... you people really have no manners. What if you hit innocent people? Looks like I need to teach you a lesson!" Shigeru spat out the bullet and began to roll up his sleeves.

"You... you monster!" The Yakuza members, having lost their usual ferocity, were now trembling with fear, their legs weak and their minds in disarray.

With a smile full of murderous intent, Shigeru said to Kaoru, "Sorry, just wait a little longer for me, Kaoru... just a little longer..."

Then, heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the warehouse. Kaoru, who witnessed everything, turned pale. She couldn't reconcile the terrifying scene before her with the weak scholar who only loved writing.

" Shigeru Kusama... This person is too terrifying!" Kaoru screamed in her mind.

Shigeru shattered the binding iron chains with a swift strike, relieving Kaoru of her burden. "Thanks!" Kaoru said.

With a slightly flushed face, Shigeru handed a set of clothes to Kaoru and turned away, saying, "Quickly put on the clothes!"

It was only then that Kaoru realized she was nearly naked, blushing fiercely as she yelled, "Turn around, don't look!"

When the four of us arrived at the scene, we saw the police and reporters crowding the area. All the members of the Yakuza had been arrested, and the kidnapped girls were all freed.

Momoko and Miyako hugged Kaoru. "Kaoru, are you okay?! They didn't harm you, did they?!"

Kaoru hurriedly reassured her friends, "I'm fine!"

Looking at the dozens of Yakuza members lying on the ground, Kagami couldn't help but exclaim, "How many people did you take down?!"

Seriously, Shigeru actually took down all the Yakuza members. These guys made the four of us run around Tokyo. I was just about to punch someone to vent, couldn't help but complain: "At least leave a few for me?! "

Suddenly, Shigeru's eyes went blank, and he collapsed to the ground, prompting Kaoru to rush to his aid. "Hey! Wake up!" Shigeru's stomach protested with a growl.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're fine after taking down so many people, but hunger got the better of you!"

Shigeru weakly replied, "I didn't sleep last night, missed dinner and breakfast, and exerted so much energy. Even the strongest... yawn..." Shigeru drifted off to sleep before finishing his sentence.

Momoko thought, "This might be a good opportunity!" She turned to Kaoru, "Kaoru, take care of Shigeru, okay?"

"Huh?" Kaoru supported the unconscious Shigeru, puzzled.

I was also confused. "What? He should come back with us, right?"

Momoko glared at me fiercely and whispered, "Shut up!"

Miyako chimed in, "Yeah, Kaoru, Shigeru risked his life to save you. You should show some gratitude, right?"

Before Kagami could say anything, Miyako interrupted with a charming smile, "Don't disturb them, Kagami~"

Miyako's slightly malicious smile gave Kagami goosebumps. "Oh..."

Blushing slightly, Kaoru supported the sleeping Shigeru. "I understand!"

Even Ken and Professor Utonium wore playful smiles as they drove the sleeping Shigeru and Kaoru to the Matsubara family's apartment building.

Kaoru's mother, Michiru Matsubara, rushed forward and embraced Kaoru. "Kaoru, it's such a relief that you're okay!"

Kaoru felt a bit embarrassed and pointed to Shigeru sleeping on her back. "Mom, I'm fine! It's this guy who should be staying over at our place tonight."

At that moment, Kaoru's father, Tokio Matsubara, and her brothers, Dai Matsubara and Shou Matsubara, also hurried to the entrance. "Kaoru (sister) is back?!" Tokio exclaimed, curiosity evident in his voice. "Oh, I just realized... this kid is...?"

"Well, you see..." Kaoru explained the whole situation to her family after she had laid Shigeru, who was on her back, onto the bed in the guest room.

Tokio, feeling regretful yet with a hint of anger, said, "I never thought that guy would become the leader of a Yakuza. Fate can be cruel... Your mom and I used to be good friends with him. But to think he would consider kidnapping you, I can't forgive him!" Michiru whispered softly, "Honey, please... Kaoru is safe, that's what matters!"

"But, looking at his frail appearance, can he really take down so many people? I still find it hard to believe!" Dai looked at Shigeru lying on the bed with doubt in his voice.

At that moment, Kaoru seemed to remember something and started to unbutton Shigeru's shirt. "Maybe he's injured somewhere on his body. Let's check just in case!"

Although Shigeru appeared frail, it didn't mean his physique resembled that of a "pretty boy." With a set of eight-pack abs and not an ounce of fat on his entire body, the Matsubara family members wore expressions of disbelief.

Tokio exclaimed in astonishment, "How is this possible...?! His entire body is covered in pink muscles?!"

Shou, curious, asked, "Pink muscles? What's that?"

Dai, standing nearby, supplemented his brother's explanation, "Dad, didn't you tell us before? Generally, the muscles in the human body can be categorized into three types: red muscles, which have strong endurance but lack explosive power; white muscles, which have explosive power but lack endurance; and pink muscles, which possess both explosive power and endurance. Typically, the distribution of these muscles is almost predetermined and difficult to change..."

Tokio continued, with admiration in his tone, "That's under normal circumstances. It's possible to defy convention through special training, but... to achieve a physique where the entire body is covered in pink muscles, one must undergo enduring training akin to hell. Otherwise, it's absolutely impossible to attain!"

At this point, Kaoru's perception of Shigeru's image had completely changed. Looking at his muscular physique, her cheeks couldn't help but flush slightly.

Michiru suddenly remembered something and asked Kaoru, "Kaoru, you haven't introduced him to us yet? What's this kid's name? Is he your boyfriend?"

Kaoru blushed and denied, "No way! This guy is called Shigeru Kusama, he's just an unknown third-rate writer!"

Michiru's eyes lit up with excitement. "You said his name is Shigeru Kusama?! He's not some unknown writer! He's the youngest Naoki Prize winner in recent years! I'm his fan!"

Shou chimed in, "Mom, it's normal for sis not to know. Besides sports-related books, she hardly reads anything else."

Tokio fetched the first aid kit from the cupboard. "Kaoru, there are still some bruises and scratches on him. Can you bandage him up?"

Understanding her husband's intention, Michiru pushed her two precious sons towards the door. "I'll go cook first. Make sure you bandage him up properly." With that said, the four of them left Kaoru alone in the guest room.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Kaoru sighed and brought the first aid kit over. She carefully tended to Shigeru's injuries, applying ointment and bandages with great concentration, resulting in a thorough and impeccable treatment.

As Kaoru was about to leave the bedside, a hand grabbed her wrist. "!"

Kaoru was startled. "Aren't you asleep?!" She looked like a child caught doing something wrong, but she didn't try to pull away from Shigeru's grip.

Shigeru chuckled. "Waking up in a strange bed with your whole family surrounding me, how could I possibly fall asleep again?"

Kaoru quickly changed the subject. "Alright, let's go eat. Aren't you hungry?"

Shigeru held Kaoru's hand as they both got up from the bed. "You must be hungry too, right?"

Growl... Both of their stomachs grumbled simultaneously.

"Hehe...""Haha..." They shared a smile, hand in hand, as they walked out of the guest room, ready to enjoy a well-deserved meal after their ordeal.