Unlike the large group of girls heading in the other direction, both Hachiman and Momo walked toward the abandoned factory complex just a few dozen meters from the school entrance.
Behind this abandoned site was the motorbike parking lot, probably the only one in the area. Even today, motorbike riders had bad luck and were discriminated against, whereas with cars you could find parking practically everywhere.
However, Momo was the first to notice that just down the street a couple of pieces of construction equipment were being unloaded from transport trailers.
"Huh?"
They saw that a large caution sign was nailed to the outside wall.
This factory is to be demolished, please keep yourself at safe distance.
There was a construction worker who was writing on a notepad, recording the numbers for the equipment being unloaded.
"Excuse me." Hachiman asked, "This factory's getting demolished?"
Noticing the uniform on the students, the worker looked like he was taken aback in surprise. Indeed, for the average person who recognized the uniform, Shuchiin students could be a little intimidating.
"Yeah, I heard they're going to build a new parking lot here." The man replied with a polite tone.
Hachiman and Momo looked at each other.
The worker was called away by his manager, but when he was about to excuse himself, Hachiman and Momo had already disappeared.
Of course, they both had snuck into the factory area without anyone noticing!
"Looks like starting this new school year we won't be able to go through this factory," Momo said as she skillfully navigated the area full of hazards and obstacles. Her movements were so fluid that it made Hachiman's own firm yet reliable parkour maneuvers look amateur in comparison.
Both of them leapt over a dismantled conveyor belt, then used the wall to bounce themselves to the second floor, landing above a creaking walkway. Indeed, between the age and lack of maintenance, the interior of the factory was beyond saving. Only the building's walls had survived and were usable, but the interior would need to be entirely refurbished.
"On the plus side, that means a parking lot closer to the school," Hachiman said. "No big loss."
That might be one of the few times Hachiman had lied. When Hachiman lied, he wasn't trying to convince anyone.
He was trying to convince himself.
He was actually a bit sad. This factory held quite a few memories for both of them, especially after their first meaningful meeting back then...
Momo and Hachiman jumped through a broken window, stomping the edge to get enough momentum, and then jumped onto the next building as well.
"It's been almost six months since then."
Without traveling through the factory area it would take at least ten minutes walking around to reach the parking lot from the School.
Hachiman never thought that as an elite Shuchiin student he would spend all this time committing misdemeanors by trespassing in prohibited areas!
When they jumped over the rear fence, they immediately arrived at the parking area.
"Alright then, where are we going now?"
"We go to my home to pick a replacement ride for you first while I change my clothes." Momo said, "Then we go to your apartment to change your clothes, and then..."
Hachiman sighed, Momo probably wanted to vent again because her plan to spend the day shopping with Komachi had gone haywire. Though she liked to call it a plan, it was more like impulsive whims. She never calculated the risks of deviation or failure at all.
Hopefully she could learn; she still had a long way until she could be the worthy successor of the Ryuju family.
Well, if it was only for a little bit, Hachiman would like to let her indulge in her whims.
"Sure." He smiled as he threw her a helmet for her to wear.
Momo looked at the helmet and smiled.
Indeed, this helmet too carried a lot of memories.
Hachiman and Momo had been classmates for a year, but in actuality, their friendship was less than six months old.
As Momo climbed to the backseat she reminisced about the first time she and Hachiman had meaningfully talked. It was a fateful encounter in the crowded streets of Tokyo...
やはり, 彼らが望む告白は間違っている.
As expected, the Confession they want is wrong
Original Story by: Watari Wataru and Akasaka Aka
Written by: ZeroXSEED, Co-Writer/Editor: GoukaRyuu
Chapter 10 - Momo wants to ride...
It had been September 2020, the start of the new semester. Ryuju Momo, the daughter of the Ryuju group, followed her usual schedule and was traveling by limo.
To be honest, she had always felt uncomfortable, especially when her father would shove a bunch of underlings inside to guard her.
Generally, these would be the youngest, most promising recruits of the Ryuju group, as well as a senior brother as the supervisor.
Momo had no problem with senior brothers. These old men were all strongly seasoned and had tasted blood and sweat as they climbed the hierarchy of the group. They were professional, calm, aloof, and quiet most of the time. Their presence made Momo feel safer.
But the young ones? The young ones were different.
They were polite in the worst way possible. Sucking up like mosquitoes or trying to get as much positive attention as possible from their future mistress. They were pathetic, annoying, and the all thing seriously sucked. If Momo had her way, she would kick them out of the limo immediately.
They were often rude to people outside the group, which made maintaining the thin veneer of a friendly business difficult at best.
"Looks like there's a major traffic jam." The new recruit remarked loudly, his voice rang in Momo's ears "Driver, can't you turn back and go elsewhere?"
"It's impossible, Sir. My apologies!"
"Wait." The Senior brother said calmly, "Look."
They saw a student coming out of a restaurant wearing a Shuchiin summer uniform, a wind-proofed vest on top. He was checking a low ride motorbike, a Yamaha Dragstar 250.
Momo recognized him as Hikigaya Hachiman, one of her classmate.
"Park the car in front of that family restaurant, I know him."
"Really?"
"He's a classmate."
Truthfully, Momo had not talked with him all that often, maybe once or twice during a shared group assignment. He was an impure student, coming from an ordinary family at that. The status gap between them was far too large.
There was no reason for them to socialize, let alone become friends...
But if nothing else, it would be easy to curry favor.
The new recruits hurriedly followed out to back-up their young miss. The senior brother came out last to protect her from behind, just in case.
"Yo, Onii-chan, aren't you from Shuchiin?" One of the recruits grinned as he approached the boy, "Would you be willing to lend help to your classmate?"
The boy grimaced, immediately recognizing the man as a Chinpira*. Regardless, he steeled himself and looked in the direction of the people behind the thug.
He saw his classmate.
"Ryuju-san?" He asked.
"Excellent, so you really know her." The young thug patted Hachiman's shoulder, "See, we were caught in this traffic and a limousine simply can't pass. I'd like to call a helicopter but there's no suitable area for landing. But your awesome motorcycle might just be able to squeeze in!"
The man was not wrong, Hachiman looked at the road and noticed that while the cars stopped almost completely by the traffic jam, bicycles and motorbikes moved around slowly but smoothly without a problem.
"Sure." Hachiman said with a faint smile, "Get a helmet and I'll bring you to school."
"HAA?" The young man beside him barked, "Who cares about that?!"
"Get a helmet and you have a deal." Hachiman told him point blank as he wiped off some stray saliva that hit his face.
Momo inspected the boy in front of her. He wasn't fearless, on the contrary, he was fearing for his life. However, there was something off about his conviction.
"What the fuck did you just say?" The thug grabbed his shoulder and put some strength into it, making him wince. "Do you know who we are?"
"You're from the Ryuju group, what about it?"
"Then you should know why already. Nii-chan, are you not afraid?"
"You're wasting your time," Hachiman said, then rummaged his pocket and pulled a key out. "You know what, here's my bike key, get her to school yourself and leave me alone."
The senior brother came forward and then slapped the hand of his young junior to free Hachiman.
The older man calmly asked, "Onii-san, why are you so persistent? We don't need your bike, we just want you to send our Miss to school on time."
"Look, I just got my license recently. I don't give a rat's ass about the bike, but I'm not going to take a mark on my driving record for carrying a passenger without a helmet. Besides, if the police stopped us and gave us a lecture on traffic safety law we'd end up being late anyway, so what's the point?" Hachiman argued.
This boy has a good point, the senior brother decided. While it would be easy to get away with proverbial slap on the wrist, there's no need to create needless hardship out of pride and stubborness. The Senior brother told his younger underlings, "Get a helmet."
"But...alright!"
It looks like the young thug was about to snatch a helmet from a random bike parked in front of the restaurant.
Until Momo interrupted him with a summary kick to the jaw, which threw him into the air for a moment before landing with an audible thud.
Hachiman watched the scene, wide-eyed.
"You piece of shit." Momo berated him, "Stealing random people's belongings, threatening a Shuchiin student in broad daylight...perhaps I should tell father about this."
"Please, have mercy!"
"Miss, please forgive him, he's still young and impulsive!"
Both recruits kneeled in front of Momo, crying for their lives. These imbeciles were supposed to be the most promising of their generation? What a joke.
"Looks like they're in dire need of additional training." The senior brother bowed to Hachiman, "Please forgive him, Onii-san."
For the first time in his life, Hachiman felt ecstatic that he had been the one who decided how much mercy could be spared for a bunch of bullies!
"Okay, but please don't be too hard on him." Hachiman smirked awkwardly, "Also, brush your teeth properly."
The senior brother awkwardly retreated and test his breath and winced. He really had forgotten to brush his teeth today!
"Thank you for your mercy!" The recruits kneeled to Hachiman and thanked him.
Even in this dangerous time, he was still in the mood to crack jokes? Momo shook her head. But regardless, Hachiman was right. Momo had no time to deal with these imbeciles.
"Stand up, trash."
The two young Yakuza underlings stood up and shout, "Yes, Miss!"
"There's a bike store about thirty meters from here, across the intersection." Hachiman pointed, "Buy the medium size for women. Don't forget the standards of road safety."
"Yes, Aniki!" They shouted at Hachiman, full of awe and respect.
Aniki**?
They hurriedly ran across the road. As the traffic was incredibly slow, it was relatively easy to do. In about five minutes, perhaps six or seven, they returned with a helmet in hand, the price tag still attached even.
They were both sweaty and yet pale like a bunch of scared zombies. It was actually funny and Hachiman snorted.
"Is this one fine, Aniki?"
Hachiman ripped off the tag and gave the helmet to Momo, "We still have about half an hour, but better hurry."
"You two can forget what happened today, and you will not be punished. But if you dare to pull that shit again, I won't let it slide." Momo threateningly made beheading gestures, then looked at the sakura-patterned helmet on her hand. "Now how do I use this..."
Hachiman sighed and then pulled off the hat she was wearing, which made her furious. "What the?"
Hachiman put the helmet on so quick she barely realized it seconds later.
"Snap the chin strap." Hachiman said, shoved the hat to her hands, and then mounted the bike and put in the key, "This is my first time carrying a passenger, so it will be a really awkward ride."
As expected for the first time passenger, Momo sat a little behind which made the bike jerk and wobble as it moved forward. Hachiman wasn't joking, it was really uncomfortable.
And yet.
For the first time in her life, Momo felt a sensation of pure freedom!
So she snuggled forward slightly and held onto his shoulder, making it easier for Hachiman to maneuver in the traffic. Thanks to this, he could go slightly faster than before.
It was really fun! Awkward, but fun!
"Hey, Hikigaya wasn't it?"
"Yes?"
"Aren't you afraid? Those were people who aren't hesitant to kill for less."
"Of course I was afraid, I was about to pee in my pants and faint." Hachiman grimaced, even now, his hands were still shaking as he gripped the steering handle tightly.
"Are you serious?!" Momo balked, "At least face death with dignity!"
Truthfully, Momo could tell, she just wanted to ask out of curiosity. But Hachiman hadn't lied about it. There was no hint of shame in his words.
Hachiman treated it as a matter of fact, not something to hide or bluff about.
Cold sweat poured down his chin, "I mean, I already offered my key, so I'm not sure what else I could do beyond praying to God, Ryuju-san."
Momo was astonished. Even though he had been fearful, his rational mind had still worked in search for a solution that benefited everyone. Indeed, in Hachiman's situation, actually giving the key would be the most rational way to preserve his life.
Fearful, yet possessing unbreakable composure.
Money and goods could be reacquired after you lost them. Once you lost your life, that's the end of it. Hachiman was fully aware of this and that was why he responded to the Yakuza thugs with perfect clarity.
That moment, Momo thought...maybe this guy could understand her for what she is, rather than just looking at her family name and nothing else.
Indeed, ever since that fateful meeting Hachiman grew more comfortable with her and began to stop looking at her with grim respect, but instead, as just another girl he got along with.
Momo taught him not to be submissive in the face of woman's whim... which backfired on her as result.
Hachiman would not hesitate to berate her or hit her with a slipper when she was doing something stupid and absurd. Whenever he angered her, Momo would hit him back, but only as much as it caused him pain, and she would not be willing to hurt him seriously.
This more or less was the start of Hachiman's reputation as someone who was not afraid of a VIP student and regularly got into fights with Momo Ryuju.
Less than a month later, Hachiman was appointed as General Affairs Manager when his best friend, Shirogane Miyuki, won the presidential election.
Because of his relationship with Momo, people accused him of favoritism. However, in the first budget meeting of the semester, Miyuki and Hachiman peacefully solved the argument about the budget distribution fairly and without any sort of bias.
This, in turn, earned Hachiman attention from other VIPs. Hachiman began doing many small tasks as requested, and, as long as it wasn't something stupid or humiliating, he would gladly do it.
Hachiman's reputation rose even more, as someone who had earned the trust of the VIP students.
Furthermore, he became equally friendly and close with the daughter of the Minister of the Left, Fujiwara Chika, who served as the Secretary of the Student Council.
Being pitted between two girls of such fine lineage, who would dare to belittle him then?
And thus, with the strong rumors and reputation surrounding him, many nicknames were given. Momo found some of them completely laughable. But, for the most part, it was something Hachiman had earned by being himself.
Someone bitterly honest who people often misunderstood; someone who was simply trying to survive in this cruel and unjust world.
...
Momo's mind returned to the present when they arrived in front of Ryuju headquarters and were greeted by rows upon rows of underlings who simultaneously bowed upon their arrival.
"Welcome home, Ojou-sama." A woman dressed in traditional a kimono elegantly bowed, "And Hikigaya-san"
Hachiman legit want to shit a brick, he would never get accustomed to this kind of scene.
"Kino-san, is there an important meeting?" Momo asked. It was unusual for so many underlings to gather at HQ like this.
"Yes."
"I won't intrude. I just came to change my clothes." Momo said, and she was escorted by a bunch of female bodyguards. "Oh, and exchange the bike I guess."
"Hikigaya-san, would you like to rest in the lobby while waiting for Ojou-sama to came back?"
"That's fine, I just came here to hand this out." Hachiman handed over the key politely, which the woman received.
"We will take care of it." The woman said, and then one of the underlings stepped forward and received the key, before shortly bringing the bike to the underground parking lot. "Would you like something to enjoy as you wait?"
"Just Georgia MAX coffee is fine."
The woman named Kino looked at another low ranked member, which hurriedly scrambled to get what Hachiman wanted. Who could have dreamed that Hachiman would have a low ranked Yakuza running for the vending machines in search for his favored caffeine?
Because of the distance and passengers involved, Hachiman's weedy DragStar 250 simply wouldn't do for a trip to Gunma. As such, he decided to borrow a bike with slightly more kick for highway travel.
He decided to borrow another bike from the Ryuju group instead. Preemptively, he begged them not to give him something tacky, like those assholes in Bosozoku*** and their stupid looking custom motorcycles. He asked for something simple, practical, and elegant at the same time. It also couldn't be larger than 400cc, because his standard license only permited bikes 400cc and under.
His plea was answered, and it was amazing!
Brought from the underground parking lot was a DragStar 400, a larger version of his own bike. The beefyness and weight could be seen from the frame overlay on the massive 400cc engine.
It has the same black and dark gray color as his own bike, however, there was Ryuju group emblem engraved on the fuel tank, and also somewhat gaudy gold trim on some parts. Overall, it doesn't look bad at all, just a little overbearing.
Furthermore, it had a sidecar attached to the left side of the rider, which was useful for carrying an extra passenger. That way Hachiman could bring both Komachi and Momo at the same time.
"Does this one fit to your specifications, Hikigaya-san?"
"It does, thank you very much, Kino-san." Hachiman bowed politely as he received the key and the registration papers inside a plastic pouch, putting the latter inside his wallet.
Hachiman crumpled up the coffee can when he was done, and then, just in time, Momo came out wearing casual clothes. In times like these, one may forget that she was the pureblooded heir to an organized crime group!
She wore a simple set of a light pink blouse and white skirt with blue trim, paired with white leather shoes and her favorite white hat, which delivered a fairly feminine and innocent image. Hachiman had known her for a whole semester, and it still caught him off guard sometimes.
Hachiman always thought that Momo's short, light brown hair could look good in any getup; whether she was being a slob or dressing up nicely.
"So?" Momo demanded. Indeed, she was not like those spineless girls; when she wanted an opinion she wasn't going to be bashful about it.
"Looks good on you." Hachiman smiled lightly, "I'm sure people will be surprised."
"Let's go." Momo nodded happily, her spirit returned and her anger dissipated.
Besides, even if she can't spend time shopping together with Komachi, Momo have the upcoming vacation to look upon. And what's more, she's going to spend good few hours in Hachiman's apartment today waiting for Komachi to come.
When she smiled like this, she didn't look different from any other girl her age.
The result of Today's Battle: Momo's consolation prize!
* Chinpira are low ranked Yakuza members, often very young and crude.
** Aniki means Big brother but often carries a more respectful tone. However, it's also associated with a delinquent/gangster in modern Japan.
*** Bosozoku are bike gang stereotype with a ridiculously modified motorcycle, often with raised handlebar and such.