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Hidan no Aria - Volume 13 - Chapter 2

Published at 21st of October 2020 06:46:28 AM


Chapter 2

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Volume 13: Kowloon Counter-Attack–Kowloon Reverse, Chapter Two: OZONE–Bridgehead

 

(START TEXT)

It was just after noon, local time, and with the bright sun, it was hard to believe that it was December–

Flight ANA-1711 approached Hong Kong airspace, and began to turn downwind.

As the plane banked, we could see Victoria Bay through the window, dividing the city in half– north and south.

That’s Hong Kong… we’re finally here, overseas.

Despite how much I egged Baskerville on, I’m actually quite nervous.

The plane began its landing approach, almost skimming the tops of the buildings that soared up into the sky. As we passed, I could see the vibrations the plane caused in each of the building’s windows. In Japan they would never allow such an approach.

Then we began the final approach to the runway, and there was a *Screech!* *Screech!*

Touching down softly at Hong Kong International Airport, I heard Riko’s applause and whistles from Business Class.

–The seatbelt warning light blinked out.

Awakened by the jolt of the landing, Aria jumped out of her seat, and while putting her shoes on said:

「Come on! Those of us in First get to debark first, if you drag your feet, you’ll only cause a problem by holding everyone else up.」

With that aristocratic remark, Aria urged me on.

For some reason… as soon as we arrived overseas, Aria became excited.

*************************************************************************

For the end of December… it’s actually quite warm…!

It surprised me as soon as the plane landed.

Still, we are further south than Okinawa, and the temperature is about 20 degrees.

Having finished with the complicated Armed Persons Immigration, Shirayuki, Riko, and Reki collected their luggage from the conveyor belt–

The time we saved by debarking first, however, was taken up by an Immigration Check with Aria (Who, standing on tip-toe to see over the counter, conversed fluently in English with the customs agent who wanted to know why Aria’s hair and eye colour were different from her passport photo), then we met up after clearing Customs.

Aria and Riko walked ahead, pulling their wheeled suitcases through the dimly lit airport lobby, and Reki, expressionless as ever, plodded along with her Zero Halliburton suitcase in one hand.

Her eyes darting around with nervous and suspicious glances–

「Th-This is not good, Kin-chan! All the signs are in Chinese! Everyone around us is foreign!」

「We’re the foreigners here. Hey! Stop glomming on to me.」

Never having been overseas before, of course Shirayuki was clinging to me.

「Ki-kun! Yuki-chan! You had to turn them off during the flight, but have you turned your mobiles back on yet?」

「It would be a problem if we got separated and couldn’t call you. If that happened, you’d never get back to Japan without someone to help you.」

Riko and Aria said, so Shirayuki and I took out our feature phones1 –white and blue, respectively.

「Hmm…Oh! I’m connected! Kin-chan, I’m receiving! Receiving! Receiving!」

Shirayuki reported, holding her mobile in her hand…

I wonder why her saying something like: 『I’m receiving!』 strangely frightens me?2

「–Alright. I’m set as well.」

Powering on my mobile, the international carrier’s『3HK 3G』notification symbol appeared, showing I was connected to the network.

I configured my mobile to deliver mail in real-time… Good.

Now I feel much better.

We cleared Immigration and Customs, have local currency, and are able to communicate. The stand-by screen of my mobile accurately displayed local Hong Kong time (JST-1), and I synced my watch to match.

Now, let’s get moving. Let’s begin the mission to attack our enemy’s base in Hong Kong.

As soon as I looked up, the sound of『Hana no Uchi ni』cut in from my mobile, announcing the arrival of 2 new messages.

They must have been sent while we were in the air, so they were now delivered together.

「……?」

Strange. They weren’t in the inbox I used for Baskerville or the one I used to communicate with Mutou and Fuuma. They weren’t in my junk account either, but they had come straight to my personal inbox.

–The first was from:『Moe Mochizuki』, and the subject was:『I want to be an Armed Detective』 …

–The second was from an unregistered address, and the subject was:『This is Kikuyo. I’m going to try to be a Butei again』 …

*Click!* I closed my mobile to avoid what I did not want to see…

But I can’t ignore this! What the heck!?

And why do I get the weird impression that the two of you are conspiring together!? Moe-san, Kikuyo-san!?

The two of them would never have made plans together to follow me and transfer to Butei High…!

My God! Just as I plan to travel overseas, a domestic issue pops up, but I can’t exactly turn back now in order to deal with it. At first I thought: 『I have to stop them!』, but then I realised that there was nothing I could do to stop them.

So, ignoring them as I had originally planned:

「A…Alright! First of all, let’s go into town, find a family restaurant, and hold a strategy meeting.」

Shifting mental gears, I noticed an information sign hanging from the ceiling that said『To the City』in Chinese–and it had train, bus, and taxi icons printed on it. That way seemed to be the way out to the city–I pointed it out.

As soon as I had done that Riko and Aria began shaking their heads in a『Good grief!』sort of action.

「Ki-kun, you really don’t know a~nything about China. A Chinese tea house is open-air. Unless you want our plans to be discovered, we better meet in secret.」

「Since this is for a bridgehead, I’ve already made reservations. We should go there.」

Saying that, they pointed at a different exit and started walking.

Following after them, we emerged into a carriage porch bathed in sunlight…

There, two gleaming silver Rolls-Royces waited, and uniformed chauffeurs respectfully greeted us–part of Aria’s special arrangements.

************************************************************************

Hong Kong is, quite literally, a port city.3

Although it’s part of China, the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ rule makes the city feel like an independent nation.

Despite being a Socialist state, Trade and Finance flourished in the quasi-Capitalistic city.

This is the first time I’ve seen a city more crowded than Tokyo…

I gazed out the widow at the cityscape as it flowed by.

Skyscrapers were crammed into the small, flat areas with steep, rugged mountains behind them. Even the small spaces between buildings were taken up by a swarming horde of cars, buses, and trams.

Skillfully avoiding the congestion, we rode in the cars to the Kowloon District waterfront–

The area reminded me of Daiba, with blocky buildings lined up in neat rows.

Stopping, we had arrived at a corner below a jade-green skyscraper that thrust upwards into the sky and parked in the building’s over-sized carriage port.

Aria pointed upward with her little finger to a floor that was not visible.

「This is the ICC building. I’ve taken space on the 118th floor to use as our base of operations.4 」

She said, exiting the car. Porters standing ready by the building’s entrance opened her door, and she accepted their service as if it were only natural.

********************************************************************

Pretending to be a tour guide, Riko easily rattled off information about the building. The ICC was 484 metres tall, and although Hong Kong is covered in skyscrapers, it is the tallest.

From the 103rd floor up, it is owned by the high-class luxury Ritz Carlton hotel.

From the glass lobby decked with a Christmas tree, we entered an elevator…

「Aria, wouldn’t you have liked the Peninsula hotel mo~re? They have a more English style.」

「Rampan is sure to have agents in Hong Kong. In such an old institution, our movements would surely be reported. This building has just opened, and Rampan’s influence is sure to be weaker.」

The elevator began to ascend rapidly as Aria and Riko held this conversation. The air pressure changed so rapidly that it took a minute for the insides of my ears to equalise.

Even with our rapid ascent, it still took a solid minute to reach it–the 103rd floor where international tycoons strolled to check in at the lobby, but the elevator kept going…

「From here we can see practically all of Hong Kong, don’t you think?」

Aria pointed down at the distant cluster of high-rises, as we reached to 118th floor called OZONE.

Inside, there was a flashy Roppongi-style club, and we entered a VIP room.

The room was hidden with a door that was part of the wall. It must be the kind of private room used from time to time by singers and film stars travelling incognito.

Seating herself at a designer brand round-table, Aria spoke:

「I’ve reserved this room for a while.」

As if it were simply a matter of course, Aria plopped herself down in the high-seat, firmly crossing her legs and swollen with pride.

Even when a beautiful Caucasian waitress arrived, carrying a three-tier afternoon tea tray service, her expression remained unchanged.

From both sides of Aria:

「Wha-! Riko wants an egg ta~rt! I’ll order cherry tea for later! Oooh-ooh-ooh! Look, look, Aria! The little cakes have Christmas desi~gns!」

Riko gushed, eyeing the tri-level tray with Western-style confections with glittering eyes.

「…」

While Reki left her disassembled Druganov in its case near the wall and seated herself.

Having graciously placed my own luggage on a baggage rack, Shirayuki sat down as the waitress set out Tiffany tea cups and saucers in front of us.

「Welcome, Kanzaki-sama. Your baggage from Japan has arrived. In accordance with your directions, it has been unpacked and polished. Would you care to inspect our efforts?」

A young woman dressed in an immaculate hotel uniform spoke in Japanese, indicating a corner of the room–

A large, bulky object covered by a velvet cloth stood there.

「Thank-you. Charge the room to my account.」

Aria signed for payment in a flowing cursive script.

It seems that when you’re as rich as Aria, you don’t even need to use your wallet in places like this .

「…What is that!? Don’t tell me you brought an autocannon?」

Curious, I removed the velvet cover to see just what it was…

Oh! It’s a Hover Skirt.

But the colour is different.

The last one was an oxidised silver, but this one is the same pink-gold as Aria’s hair.

「This isn’t the one that crashed on Otome Road the other day, is it?」

「That was the prototype. This is the actual product. It’s name is『YHS/01』–you can see this one has a nameplate with a different designation. Look! Come read it over here.」

「So it’s an updated model, huh? So you’re serious…you really mean to fly that thing from here?」

「That’s right!」

She casually replied.

Aren’t you the least bit scared? We’re about 500 metres up.

「–That’s one of the reasons that I chose this place for our base of operations. Hong Kong is composed of a lot of cramped areas between buildings. If we had to launch an air attack, taking off from here would save the time and effort of having to first gain altitude. I also read up on Son Goku in a picture book. He has some kind of aircraft called the ‘Somersault Cloud’. If so, we’ll need our own flying unit.」

Aria proudly boasted of the information she had gained from the Journey to the West.

「Augh, forget it… Have you drawn up a life insurance policy? Even though I hear that those are expensive for Butei. 」

Shaking my head, I sat down.

**************************************************************************

The VIP room was cleared except for members of Baskerville, and scarfing down raisin cookies coated with cream, Riko started telling us about Rampan.

Back when she was in IU, she learned Kung-Fu and explosives from the Coco sisters (probably Meimei or the fourth Coco), so she knows something about them.

「–It seems that Rampan is an old group, and have been pirates since the Qing Dynasty5 . Because of that, their beliefs resonated with IU’s ideology. They call it Pirate Utopia, or something.」

「So you’re saying you were friendly because you were fellow criminals?」

Taking advantage of the opportunity, I asked while eating an egg tart.

「We definitely had a lot of dealings with them. Whenever IU sailed into the South China Sea, we would often visit to stock up on equipment and advice while docking the ship for repairs. As a mammonist organisation, rank within Rampan is determined by how much money you bring in, which by the way, has to be a lot.」

「–What’s their preferred strategy?」

Aria asked while sipping black tea, handing Riko a sandwich.

「Each branch is separate and has its own headquarters. The Hong Kong branch is structured as a defensive organisation. As soon as we attack, they’d meet us with their own forces. But, because they know that they can’t always be on the defence, Coco transferred from the Shanghai headquarters to Hong Kong. Shanghai’s Rampan is structured for all out offense.」

Hmm…

For a big nation like China, it seems that the make-up of even national criminal organisations have their own regional characteristics.

「Rampan’s secret base… Where was it again? And how much manpower do they have?」

Shirayuki dutifully raised her hand as she asked while holding some steaming oolong tea.

「The location of the secret base is unclear. What is known is that it’s a relic from the pirate era, Rampan’s secret base is some kind of floating institution that drifts on the ocean. It’s towed by tug boats, and frequents the area near Hong Kong island or Kowloon peninsula. As for manpower… if you count them all, it shouldn’t be more than 1 million」

「W-what!?」

I let the tart fall from my hand.

A million people! Just what kind of organisation is this!?

「Besides business and financial circles, Ramapan naturally has associates in educational, judicial and political positions. In that respect, it’s extremely similar to Liberty Mason. Anyone under their influence can join, so their manpower grows to a terrifying number. There are even schools completely funded by Rampan.」

So it was like that… it’s like the Japanese Yakuza, where it was hard to say whether you were『An active member』or not.6

「A million people against 5. Those are tough odds. It’s lucky that the Far East Warfare prohibits anyone besides their representatives from fighting. That saves us the trouble of having to mow our way through a sea of grunts. Still, we have to pay careful attention and move cautiously. Somewhere Rampan won’t notice us. What should we do, Aria?」

I passed the topic to Aria, and with a serious expression she said:

「–Operation Barley7 . We’ll use their vast surveillance network against them!」

Aria declared confidently.

「Since we don’t know where their secret base is, we can’t just attack their soldiers head-on and wipe them out. On top of that, Hong Kong’s Rampan won’t go on the offensive by itself. In this situation, we should leak rumours that we are going to assault their base, asking for a fight in order to lure them out. If we win and they run, then we can find out where their base is by tracking them back.」

「So, you’re saying…?」

Shirayuki tilted her head while thinking,

「Since we don’t need to go out of our way to investigate, and going places that a lot of normal tourists visit is good enough? As if we were on a school trip?」

Yes… I see what she means.

What Aria had called『Operation Barley』was a deception tactic. It was one I had learned in Strategy 101.

Theory aside, it consists of boldly entering hostile enemy territory, then, like bait on a hook, holding out against their attack alone– until the rest of your allies you call for surround the enemy.

In order to prevent each team member from being crushed individually and ensure success of this tactic, 1. There must be confidence that each individual’s firepower is quite high, and 2. Means of communication must be secured beforehand.

–Surveying the room, no one seems opposed to this plan.

In Baskerville, Aria, Shirayuki, Riko, and Reki meet these conditions, but… well, I can’t defy all of them.

This war has a rule that only representative soldiers need to fight. In that case, I don’t think we have to worry about being surrounded by a bunch of small fry, exhausted, and shot full of bullets like something from The War of the Three Kingdoms.

Our communications are also assured via our mobiles. Nowadays, whether in Japan or abroad, mobiles are able to connect to the network by roaming. The reason Aria was so interested that our mobiles were active as soon as we reached the airport was because she had this strategy in mind.

Alright, I guess that’s how it’s going to be. But…

As I sipped my black tea, I glanced over at Aria’s face.

She…

Ever since we came abroad and entered this celebrity-like building, she has settled into her role comfortably like a fish to water. Even more so, it shows on her face that she thinks her position as an aristocrat requires her to take us commoners by the hand and lead us.

In a word, she is in a good mood.

…Okay.

Properly speaking, I should be the leader, but here I’m willing to hand over that authority. Aristocrats do handle their workers roughly, but at a time like this it is just easier if someone takes charge and settles things. So I won’t say too much and leave things to this pint-sized empress.

As I was thinking this…

「So then… Once we’re done drinking tea, the operation will begin. Security services in Hong Kong aren’t bad, but watch out for pickpockets in the touristy areas– Oi, Kinji! Are you listening!?」

Almost as if she had read my thoughts, Aria barked like an angry commanding general.

*************************************************************************************************************************

Aria stayed behind at OZONE. If any one was attacked, she would be in charge of providing air support with her YHS.

Leaving most of our luggage at OZONE and going lightly equipped, the four of us: me, Shirayuki, Riko, and Reki… At our chief’s suggestion, immediately split into two-man teams.

When it came to pairing, I said:「How about rock-paper-scissors?」, and Aria threw a macaroon at me.

• First, the close range fighters, Kinji and Riko must be in different teams.

• Kinji is weak against ESP and gets hurt easily. So he needs to be paired with Shirayuki and her healing powers.

• Riko, who is an excellent escape artist, if she meets an enemy can retreat, and Reki can snipe them from a distance.

She explained.

As expected from Aria who has a head for battle strategy, this plan is simply perfect.

To her words, Shirayuki and Riko’s expression said:「I see.」This time they agreed to the plan without the usual fight to tear me in half.

Additionally, at afternoon tea-time the four of us will meet to exchange information and check-in with Aria by phone.

Afterwards, each of us will proceed to solo missions–

According to her e-mailed orders, I am supposed to meet Aria for a short meeting of Baskerville’s leadership in the Ritz Carlton restaurant.

And after enjoying the food and nightscape… if Rampan still hasn’t made their move by then–

In the evening, we are each supposed to wait in our own rooms for an attack. That’s the plan.

That would be the prime opportunity for an enemy to attack, but this plan won’t work unless they do attack. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to catch some sleep.

–Alright, let’s do this. This strange plan of ‘fishing for Rampan’.

****************************************************************

Hong Kong is composed of two parts: the mainland abutting China proper–Kowloon–, and Hong Kong Island floating further south.

Between the two lies a channel called Victoria Bay that can be crossed by either ferry or tunnel.

December 22, 1400 hours. Receiving Aria’s order to commence operations, Shirayuki and I took a taxi and headed toward Nathan Road, Kowloon’s main thoroughfare, and Riko and Reki headed toward Hong Kong Island.

The base rate is only 200 Yen, so it is quite kind to my wallet…

Sitting inside the taxi making its way through the forest of buildings, watching the meter…

…?

Until now Shirayuki had been writing her sightseeing itinerary in her handheld guidebook, but I just noticed that she is looking at me and smiling.

Just watching me. Like a hawk. Like a doting woman, watching me in case I might catch a cold.

And now…

She is saying something I can’t catch. Things like: 「The gods have given me this big chance ! 」and「This is my big chance to make up for lost time.」and「I wonder if I’ll be able to do it this time?」muttering like a field reporter about to cover a football match on their own.

After that, she kept saying:「Chance, chance, chance.」like a skipping CD, so I said:

「Oi, Shirayuki! What’s that? What’s this ‘chance’?」

I asked, slightly put off, as I drew back. Suddenly snapped back to reality, Shirayuki tried to backpedal.

「Th-That…!」

Hiding the lower half of her face with the guidebook that had『Hong Kong』written on it in large characters.

「Well… I don’t have much imagination, so I’ve never dreamed it, but…」

Suddenly I felt the urge to interject a retort.

If you don’t have any powers of imagination, no one does.

「To be with Kin-chan, just the two of us, on a vacation abroad… It’s like a… h-h-h-honeymoon! Isn’t it? I was thinking that, but… ha ha.. no, it’s nothing. I didn’t say anything! Being here with just you, I’m too ashamed and even though I want to, I can’t say what I want to say.. it’s impossible. I’m sorry! 」

With a final squeal, she hid her entire face, but…

Didn’t you just speak out properly like you always do? Though I don’t understand some of it.

Actually, yours is not the habit of『Regretting not saying things you want to say』but rather『Saying things you will regret』.

My urge to snap back was replaced by a feeling of surprise.

My childhood friend Shirayuki is having fun…and I can’t resent that.

She has her own, unique way of expressing herself, but Shirayuki’s feelings are reaching me. I can read their true nature. This heart to heart sort of communication is very understandable.

Besides Kaname, she might be the only girl I can have this kind of understanding with.

At any rate, Shirayuki is very happy for some reason, and I can understand that she is enjoying her time immensely.

And any human being near someone that is having fun, has fun themself…

As I got out of the taxi with Shirayuki in the Jordan Station district, I felt a slight feeling of excitement myself.

I got the impression that Jordan Station is a shopper’s paradise.

It’s packed with buildings like the rest of Hong Kong, but several street vendor stalls are crammed into every gap. The whole area was like a Don Quijote.8 This confusion and Asian bustle, it can’t help but lift your spirits. And the thing that is most interesting to us Japanese tourists–

「Kin-chan, look, look up at all the billboards! They’re all in neon lights!」

Shirayuki said, taking pictures of all the multi-coloured signs.

In Hong Kong, the signs are on all the buildings, stretching up into the sky. And there are a lot of them.

「Yes, they’re flashy like signs for arcades and pachinko parlours, but they’re for normal stores.」

I said as I opened my mobile’s camera to record the the infinite array of billboards signs.

It’s a well-known sight from films, but in Japan, the Outdoor Advertisment Law wouldn’t allow it. Just now, it looked like a double-decker bus’ roof grazed the bottom of that signboard.

Now… the Homebody9 and the Cloistered Girl walking down the street staring at everything around…

「–Huh? Where’s the main road?」

…and immediately got lost.

「Nathan Road runs straight south, and our plan was to cross over to Hong Kong Island. We have to get back to the road.」

「R-Right. Umm…Uhh… We turned this way from that corner, and… Let’s see…」

Shirayuki peered helplessly at a map.

I must not panic.

「–Leave it to me.」

Butei Charter: Article 7:

『Plan with pessimism, act with optimism.』

Even though we are overseas, we don’t need to worry. I’m prepared.

In my hand I have the world’s best, Japanese-made information terminal– a mobile smartphone.

And I am launching my Japanese mobile’s GPS.

…Alright. It is showing me my current position–give or take 50 m.

Since I have an international carrier plan, the charges won’t be that high either.

「Here. Now I know where we are. I know which way to go.」

I showed Shirayuki the Analog Girl my map application.

And while staring at my mobile… *Brush!* *Brush!*

「Thank-you, Kin-chan. You are a-always a reliable friend.」

*Brush!* *Brush!*

What? Your face shows too much respects for me simply using my mobile’s GPS… and the back of your hand brushed against mine.

*Brush!* *Brush!*

Wha!? She did it again.

Shirayuki wasn’t looking at her hand, and it was so tentative, that I couldn’t tell if it was on purpose or not, but… As soon as I gave a sign that I had noticed, her expression stiffened.

It seems that it was intentional. And this standoff-ish reaction.

What is this?

I tilted my head to the side and Shirayuki had a surprising reaction. *Stick!*

Placing our hands back-to-back… then…

Slowly, like game of cat’s cradle, interlaced her fingers with mine.

What’s this!? Seriously!

「U-u-u-u-uh, Uhm, Kin-chan-sama!」

Finally, she clasped my hand!

Then, she put on an astonished, ‘I can’t believe I’ve been so bold!’ expression as if she had surprised herself.

No way! What is she doing with her hands? I don’t know what this means.

「Uhm, We shouldn’t get separated! Is it alright if we hold hands?」

She said.

Rather… when you asked ‘Is it alright?’ you were already holding my hand tightly.

If I wanted to free my hand, I’d have to use considerable force because you are clenching my hand in a bone-crushing grip.

「…」

–It’s true that it would be bad if we got separated.

Besides, if I told Shirayuki ‘No’ as she is looking up at me expectantly, she’d burst out in tears.

She looks like an innocent defendant facing the death penalty, waiting at the bar for the verdict.

「…」

Well… it’s fine.

Rampan, look on if you want. Laugh at the two of us acting like children if you’re going to. That way I’ll be more motivated to pick you up by the scruff of your necks.

「…Let’s go.」

I took Shirayuki’s hand and with a start of surprise, she made a face like her heart had jumped into her mouth.

Then, with her legs in their perpetual X-shape–

Pulling her along after me, I led the way to Nathan Road.

***************************************************

***************************************************

Once the hand enters, so does the foot.10

Whoever came up with that had it right… Afterwards, Shirayuki kept a hold of my hand.

This is kind of embarrassing, but…

It seems that Shirayuki had taken my assent as permission to hold hands for the rest of the day, and letting go to take pictures, she would immediately clasp hands again.

Each time she grasped my hand, she would turn a shy, embarrassed, happy smile toward me, and…

I can’t bring myself to stop her.

And so that is why Shirayuki and I have been holding hands since then.

…I think this is what you call ‘getting carried away’.

Thinking back, this is like the time Aria and I held hands in Ueno. Although I spent half the time unconscious.

But that time, after she punched me, she didn’t take my hand again.

This is the opposite of Shirayuki who has retaken my hand countless times, here in Hong Kong.

Along those lines…

「Ah! They have a Japanese store here, Kin-chan! A 7-11! A Yoshinoya too! It looks like they’re selling some kind of ramen, and… Oh! There’s a Watami… and even a Genki Sushi…!11 」

Taking pictures for material to use in our reports, Shirayuki and I looked exactly like tourists.

Shirayuki especially, from time to time, peering into her Compass guidebook, it was obvious to see that we were Japanese.

Well, since the plan is to lure out members of Rampan, it doesn’t matter.

「Oh! They’re selling brand name bags here for only 9 dollars! Konayuki would love it. I think I’ll buy it as a souvenir.」

「They’re probably fakes. They’d be confiscated at the airport.」

Shirayuki and I chatted as we walked along the main street.

Whenever I’m alone with a girl, I’m usually at a loss for words, but…

Being overseas is full of new experiences, so my talk with Shirayuki is lively.

To tell the truth… it’s nice, and fun.

Unlike what Shirayuki said earlier about married men and women going on a honeymoon trip that is still a mystery to– the reason has somehow become clear within my own mind.

We are childhood friends, so we’ve always gotten along well together, and I think that our relationship has only improved as we’ve walked along.

Coincidentally–between the two of us–I had slacked off on my English, so I couldn’t speak it, and Shirayuki–despite having the knowledge–was too shy to use it. So at first, shopping was quite hopeless because of the language barrier…

But the two of us quickly realised that if we worked together the difficulty could be overcome.

First, Shirayuki would write on a piece of paper what she wanted to say, and I would read it aloud to the clerk.

Shirayuki listens to the clerk’s reply and translates it into Japanese for me, so we don’t have any problems.

So this is what it’s like to be overseas–

It’s not so bad after all, is it?

At first I was quite nervous, but it isn’t that difficult.

Approaching things with the attitude of『You can do it if you try』that I’ve gained as a result of my daily battles, the rest of the world is easy!

If things keep going this way, Rampan will be quickly defeated.

This overseas trip is going quite well!

*******************************************************************************

Having fully enjoyed our tour of Kowloon, Shirayuki and I got in a taxi and crossed over in undersea tunnel like the Tokyo Bay tunnel, but shorter–and reached Hong Kong Island.

We still have about 15 minutes. We have plans to join up with Riko’s group and get snacks.

The taxi driver didn’t understand English, but by writing the kanji for where we wanted to go, we made ourselves understood.

All the countries within the Sinosphere use kanji . This means of communication is flexible enough to work.

Earlier, Shirayuki entered a Chinese Herbal shop catering to Japanese people, and seeing a caterpillar fungus12 cried『Kyaa!』and without warning, clung to my back in a rehearsed sort of way…

It has some properties in Chinese Herbology that I don’t know, but she had it prepared and bought a lot of it.

「When we get back to Japan, I’ll prepare a tonic for you, alright?」

As we sat in the taxi, Shirayuki smiled at me as she showed me the medicine in the brown paper bag.

Does Shirayuki think I’m sick or something?

…Just what is she trying to make me take?

Slightly uneasy, I said:

「Let me have a look at that.」

And I took the bag from her and read the Japanese usage directions written on the back.

『Vitality Enhancer』… Maybe it gives you energy? If that’s all it does, I don’t care.

『Male Performance Booster』… Hmmm… I don’t understand that… Maybe it makes you beard grow fuller?

『Bless you with many children』…?

What is this? What’s with this description? But for some reason, my basal instincts kicked in, making me uneasy and shooting a chill up my spine.

「…?」

For some unknown reason, beads of sweat broke out on my forehead, and as my eyes met Shirayuki’s:

「Well… we were holding hands, so…」

She replied, muttering softly to herself, turning red and starting to squirm.

Here and there as she spoke more loudly:「They are evidence of our love」「Finishing off the honeymoon」「If we want 7 or 8, we’ll have to have the first soon」, and I caught several other such highly dangerous phrases

This is… that!

Shirayuki and Kaname’s second personality channel, their special ability: Super-Extrapolation. Only they could apply an inscrutable method to misconstrue the slightest everyday occurrence and, in an instant, invent an alternate reality. Her expression has changed.

Her words are a sign that Shirayuki has changed in to Kuroyuki. It’s a Kuroyuki warning.

Within the usually passive Shirayuki, there exists the fearsome ‘Japanese Dragon’–Yamata no Orochi perhaps?13 If it were released, I get the feeling that it’d be able to swallow me up without any trouble. I dare say that I have no idea how terrifying that could be,

I-In that case, it’s a good thing that we have plans to meet up with Riko’s group.

******************************************************************************

In contrast to Kowloon, Hong Kong Island has many building dating from the time of British rule.

As a result of their defeat in the Opium War, this island was the first territory that China was forced to cede to the British. Less than 50 years later, Kowloon was a new territory acquired…

At least that’s what it says in Shirayuki’s guidebook.

East and West are blended on Hong Kong Island, and as we got out of our taxi at Sheung Wan Station​–

「Kii-kun! Yoohoo-! We’ve already started eating!」

「…」

We met Riko and Reki, in the station gallery’s Tim Ho Wan dim sum restaurant.

According to the mail I got from Riko, who is fussy over the food she eats, it appears that they have a casual dining space even though this seemingly well-known place has earned a Michelin star.

Dodging the waitress carrying tea and dim sum and making it to their table, I said:

「–So how did it go? Did you see any signs of the enemy?」

Since I wanted to try authentic ramen, I marked the appropriate box on the Chinese order form where it said:『Noodles』and passed it on to Shirayuki.

Despite my serious question, Riko replied:

「Oh! Sorry. I got mixed up, and we went around tasting all the food, so I don’t know!」

Then stuck her tongue out at me.

You…I thought your stomach was swollen up like you were pregnant.

Even now she’s helping herself to abalone, munching on shumai dumplings, and scarfing down pot-stickers with a vengeance.

She probably wouldn’t notice if she burst at the seams right now.

「…」

Next to her, eating Chinese wolfberry jelly was Reki, who it seems accompanied Riko on her gourmet tour, but… I can’t detect any change in her figure. That stomach of hers must be evidence for the Black Hole Breeding Theory.

Grilling them, this place is the 10th stop on their eating tour. What the heck are you doing!?

「Ki-kun, Yuki-chan what did you eat?」

「Since we didn’t know what kind of places there were and what kind of food they served, we haven’t eaten anything yet.」

With the order sheet and her guidebook side by side for comparison, Shirayuki looked up from her search for an acceptable food item, and–

「Wastefu-l! USELESS! Pointless exercise!」

*Bam!* *Bam!* Riko pounded her fists on the table.

「Cantonese restaurants are known for their food and liquor! What are called ‘Chinese restaraunts’ serve Peking, Shanghai, and Sichuan style food. Those that serve rice gruel and noodles are aimed at the native masses, and Tianjin restaraunts serves sweets!」

Riko explained with her loud complaint.

These two… they’ve probably totally forgotten the original reason for being here.

Well, Shirayuki and I took pictures as we walked, so you could say we forgot our purpose as well.

「Cantonese food, Beijing food, I can’t say I know the difference. No matter which one you eat, Chinese food is Chinese food.」

I countered, but Riko’s glare seemed to reproach my small island opinions.

「Cantonese food is mild, while Shanghai food has a stronger flavour, Sichuan food is spicy, and Beijing food is salty!」

Thank goodness I wasn’t paired with her.

If she had been going on like this, flaunting her knowledge as we walked, I would have punched her to stop her annoying chatter.

「Honestly Ki-kun, why did you even come to Hong Kong?」

So you have forgotten!

「At the very least, it wasn’t to eat! Remember that from now on.」

I said, taking out my mobile–placing a video call to OZONE and our coordinator, Aria.

Immediately, Aria appeared on the other side of the screen, hiding the peach buns she was eating:

『So you managed to meet up, huh? I was worried that Kinji would have trouble using a taxi overseas.』

She declared arrogantly.

「Ridiculous! It was easy. But first I have to inform you that Riko is the one who deserves that treatment.」

I turned the camera on my phone to show Riko’s bulging stomach and cheeks stuffed with food like a chipmunk.

Fearlessly, Riko saluted the camera with both hands, and I heard the object of fear, Aria say:「I’ll put a wind-hole in her later」grinding her teeth.

「–As of now, the monkey has yet to show their tail. That being said, Shirayuki and I walked all around the shopping district while this idiot and Reki were hopping around to their umpteenth restaurant. We were successful in that an appropriately large number of people saw us.」

I reported our situation.

‘Monkey’ was the code we had agreed on beforehand to stand for Rampan.

Because Son Goku was with them.

『OK! Then we’ll move on to phase two of the plan. Split up and wait for the monkey to bite.』

Nodding to Aria, I ended the call.

The next part– acting alone overseas at first seemed difficult, but as soon I started walking, my anxiety was swept away. I have money. I have a mobile. I’m fine.

「Please enjoy.」14

The waitress bringing my order of noodles said.

Alright! Let’s eat. As they say, you can’t fight on an empty stomach.

「…Now, what kind of authentic ramen is this!」

Chopsticks in hand, looking at my plate–

H-Hard yakisoba…!

These are ‘noodles’, but this is not what I pictured! Well then…

Riko pointed and openly laughed at my shocked face.

Hey! Even Shirayuki is giggling and smiling.

Son of a bitch! Even my cheapskate ass should have bought a guidebook!

***************************************************************************************************************

Although not as skilled as Aria, the human translation machine, Riko can speak Chinese, French, and English in addition to Japanese.

Even though it might be halting, she is able to keep up a smooth and fluid conversation with her Chinese counterpart. Chatty by nature and cheerful, she mixes in gestures. As a result, they can communicate.

This is quite different from typical Japanese Shirayuki, who despite having the knowledge, is too afraid to speak.

At Riko’s suggestion, we headed toward the tram station that ran East to West across Hong King Island. The car was a double-decker.

Generously speaking, the tram could be called ‘retro’, but it was really just old. Essentially in form an upright box, I can’t help but feel it is unstable. If Ranbyou gave it a casual flick of the hand, the whole car would fall over.

In accordance with Aria’s current strategy, the four of us will disperse, deliberately giving Rampan an opening to attack in order to lure them in.

So Reki stayed in Sheung Wan while the other three of us took the tram-car.

We headed east on Hong Kong Island, each of us debarking at a different station. Aria will check with each of us in by mobile, waiting for the enemy to make a move.

Because it was a double-decker, Shirayuki, Riko, and I took second storey seats and took pictures…

「Ki-kun! Look! Look! An all gold building! They must have chosen that colour in order to increase their success in business! That’s just like a town that believes in Feng Shui!」

Standing on her knees in her seat like a toddler on a grand adventure, Riko stared at the unique building.

Because the tram was crowded, Shirayuki gave up her seat to an elderly passenger.

「Kin-chan, when you get off the tram, if you’re slow in getting out the 2.3 dollar fare, they’ll rush you. If you aren’t ready, they won’t make change. You should get your coins ready.」

While giving me that bit of travel advice, Shirayuki still had her nose stuck in her guidebook.

Anyway, I have to make sure the two of them don’t miss their stop. Good grief! I’m like a field trip leader!

Once Riko and Shirayuki each got off at their respective stations, Central and Admiralty, safely…

Next… Wan Chai, and that’s where I will get off.

Taking out my wallet, I took out the oddly shaped 2 dollar coin and the circular coins for the 30 cents change. I don’t carry a lot of money with me, so it would be a problem if I didn’t get the change back.

Jostling past other passengers, I descended the narrow stairway, until finally…

–time for me to begin my solo mission.

Because I’m alone, walking in a crowd of people, I have to be alert for pickpockets.

************************************************************************************************

I stepped off into the disorderly alleys of Wan Chai–

I walked through a market lined with household goods, fresh food products, and children’s toys.

It was like the roof had blown off a supermarket, and everything in the building was scattered. The buildings as well carried the stench of daily life. I got the impression that this wasn’t a tourist area, but an area where locals lived their real lives.

That said, it was not a welcoming sort of place for a foreigner like me…

Hmm…. Which way was it, again?

I quickly lost my way again. Hong Kong sure is a place that it’s easy to get lost in.

But I’m alright. I’ll get out of this the same way I did with Shirayuki. My mobile’s GPS–the power of science!

Now then…

「…?」

Huh, my mobile… where…?

……

「–!」

G-gone.

It’s not here!

My wallet is missing too!

Thinking I might have dropped them, I cast about anxiously in the alley– then I chided myself.

…I’ve been pickpocketed!

One is possible, but I couldn’t have lost both of them at the same time.

But where? I’ve been careful ever since I got off at Wan Chai.

It must have been earlier. It had to be… on the tram!

If I think back to the tram-car–

I was escorting Shirayuki and Riko, and my attention lapsed,

We were speaking Japanese, using very distinctive Japanese mobiles to take pictures, and I took out my wallet to get money for the fare ready.

They would have clearly seen which pocket I put it into.

Then we went down from the second deck, and there were all those passengers jumbled in the narrow staircase.

That’s when it was taken.

I’ve been had…!

Turning around, I saw the tram-car vanishing into the east.

I thought about contacting Aria immediately, but I don’t have a mobile.

I can’t take a taxi back to the ICC building either because I don’t have any money. Not even a single Hong Kong dollar.

My passport is safely stored at OZONE.’

The only think I have… is my Beretta. This is pretty dangerous.

「..*Tch!*…」

I went to look for the ICC building where Aria is, but buildings were in the way. All I could see was one building after another.

Where… where can I go to get my bearings?

Searching for someplace with a good view, I began wandering…

I had lost all sense of direction, and I couldn’t even retrace my steps back to Wan Chai Station.

Where am I?

Colourful buildings. Various street stalls. Although the scenery differed… I felt like I was walking the same way and turning around in circles.

No matter where I go, I only see walls of buildings. The ground floors are all shops, but the 10 or so floors above are all old condominiums. They seem to go on forever.

I had counted on my GPS, so I didn’t bring a map like Shirayuki. And I can’t suddenly start speaking Cantonese like Riko.

I have an empty can, and desperately the thought occurred to me that if I start singing Japanese songs, maybe I’ll be able to make some change, but I can’t sing as well as Reki either.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that I did raise enough for a call to reach my friends–I don’t even know how to dial a Japanese number from abroad.

I…

I can’t do anything.

Amidst the swarm of people milling around me, there is no one I can turn to for help…

Just roam and walk… walk… walk…

As the day was drawing close to an end, I finally discovered the tram-car tracks, but I don’t know if this is the route I had taken earlier. I don’t even know how many different routes there might be.

But…

If I follow the tracks, I might get back…

I’m not sure, but I don’t have any other clues. I have to bet on this.

I started walking alongside the tracks, and since it began darkening, overhead lights began to light–the multi-coloured neon signs above me shone.

***********************************************************************************

…I’m tired from walking.

It’s already 10 PM, but I still don’t know where I am.

I think following this track might have been a mistake. I’m probably further away from where I want to be than when I started.

Where am I…?

There’s a subway station that according to the sign is called『North Point』, but since I’m not familiar with the geography of Hong Kong Island, it doesn’t help me.

「…」

I’m hungry.

That hard yakisoba, as much as it differed from my expectations, I shouldn’t have left any of it on the plate.

The ramen I originally wanted to eat, roast chicken, manjuu, fresh fruit– the city is full of the smells of every kind of food they are selling by the road.

But despite the feast before my eyes…

I have no money, so I can’t eat anything.

I’m going to faint.

About now, Aria must be enjoying the most delicious food…

Remembering the promise made on the airplane, I could only sigh.

It will look exactly like I stood her up.

Aria… will be angry for sure.

Assailed by sudden fear, I was caught up by a crowd of pedestrians and… pushed down a side street into a back alley.

The main streets of North Point looked tidy enough, but the pavement twisting beneath me now– was dirty and bespoke of poverty.

The streets were narrow, and the paving uneven. All the buildings where people lived looked the same, and they were all decrepit. The concrete was blackened with grime, here and there was a broken window, and inside the buildings there were bare lightbulbs or none at all.

「…」

While I was having fun touring the main streets and eating dim sum, I hadn’t noticed…

There is a stark division between the wealthy and poor here in Hong Kong.

Aria is in a luxurious hotel, staying in a high-class penthouse for the rich–while all the rest of the people are living in this kind of place.

Well, I don’t have a cent on me, so I’m worse off.

This street doesn’t have much traffic, and coming up against the barrier of hunger, I slid down and sat against a wall.

I’m so hungry, I can’t walk anymore. My vision is spinning.

The day was mild, but… the night will be cool. It’s gotten cold.

We are in the last third of December, after all.

「…Bad luck… I’ve had bad luck…」

Exhausted, hugging my legs and lowering my head–I knew my last words were wrong.

This wasn’t just bad luck.

My own weakness and failings brough this on.

In Japan…I thought I had gotten just a little stronger. But that was all talk.

Believing that, I went and attack an enemy on their own ground, but I couldn’t even walk the streets as a tourist safely–just look at me. I’m going to collapse before the battle even starts.

Me… get stronger?

It not just that I can’t speak a foreign language. I haven’t even studied one. I’m so poor that I had to borrow money for a class trip. I don’t even have a redeeming trait to get me out of this mess. I have nothing. I can only fight.

I am not strong.

In terms of basic human ability, I’m weak. Terribly so.

Now that I’ve realised it, it more’s painful than I would have thought.

Is this how I want to be? Now and forever…?

The same weakling I am.

Yes. Thanks to this, I’ve come to face the big question.

But right now, I don’t even have the energy to deal with it.

I was looking forward to enjoying the Million Dollar Nightscape….

But from here, all I can see is a bare lightbulb.

What should I do tonight?

I was planning on staying in a cheap motel, but penniless as I am, they wouldn’t even let me sleep on a dirt floor.

I can’t help it. I had better just sit and lie down right here.

And so, as I started nodding off…

「Oi! Don’t sit in front of my door!」

Someone yelled in Chinese.

Looking up, in a white school uniform–

Hands on her hips, a Chinese girl stared down at me through narrowed eyes.

With lopsided twin-tails bobbing like rosary beads, she was only a slender girl, but…

She looks angry as she stares at me. But as to what she is so angry about, I have no clue.

「…?」

Making a puzzled look with my face–

The girl’s eyebrows drew closer into an inquisitive expression.

She had clearly voiced a command, but it did not look as if I had understood.

In the same instant I had that thought, she must have wordlessly understood–

「…Japawneese?」

Her mouth the shape of a ‘へ’ character, from her pink lips had come–Japanese…!

I didn’t mishear her? It was Japanese

It was mispronounced, but it sounded like that girl had spoken in Japanese.

「Th-That’s right. My money and mobile were stolen… and I can’t understand anyone…」

At that same instant… *Grrrr!* a growl rose from my stomach.

「So it’s a foolish Japanese person, huh?」

She snorted and from a window in the building across the street, an old woman carrying a baby stuck her head out–The girl and her went back and forth about something in Chinese.

With a laugh presumably at my expense, the old woman called to someone further inside the building.

Then, from the space between the buildings…

With large broken sunglasses help together by tape, an old man with a kiseru held in his mouth appeared.

All skin and bones, and wearing hemp trousers and a short sleeve shirt, the old man grabbed me.

Without warning, he grabbed a hold of my clothes and stood me up, and started leading me across the alley.

He was saying something loudly… but I couldn’t understand. It was also in Chinese.

This is rather frightening. What is going to happen to me?

But I can’t just push him off me. He is an old man, after all.

Caught behind, as if they were trying to surround me– from between buildings and from inside gates, a lot of people appeared.

A middle-aged man wearing lounging shorts and a stomach band with a beer bottle in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth.

A boy with an oversized shirt and a buzz cut.

An old woman with a pain patch stuck to her neck.

They all laughed away as they chattered back and forth.

No good… this could get ugly.

–But I’m alright.

Everything might have been stolen, but I have on last trump card at my waist–

I have my Beretta.

Worst comes to worse, if I let off a few warning shots, they should run away…!

************************************************************************************

The looks that I had perceived originally as hostile became guarded as I was led along, and we now reached a back alley…rather, the back of the same building opposite the one I had sat in front of.

On the side facing the street, people were still bustling about, selling clothes and fish and calling out to each other,

I was crammed into a corner of what looked like some kind of shop.

The strange shop had a vinyl sheet, tinged grey by exhaust fumes, in place of a door

「…?」

Keeping my guard up, I looked around–and there were a lot of wooden tables.

Nearby, countless numbers of decrepit folding chairs were stacked next to supermarket baskets and used as chairs. Even split logs were being used for seating.

Sitting down, the customers clamoured noisily…

It must be some kind of eating house.

Weaving her way between the seats, a middle-aged woman whose resting expression seemed to be a scowl, was carrying fried rice and instant ramen.

Raising a ruckus as they ate, the men puffed on cigarettes as they gulped sake.

There were even many who were playing with Mahjong tiles.

This place…

It reminds me of Hiriga-san’s home workshop in Shitamachi where as a first-year I picked up the first model of my customised Beretta. But compared to there, this place looks much poorer.

Then, the old man with the broken sunglasses pointed to me, said something in a loud voice, and then everyone turned an looked at me…

Bwah-ha-ha!

And burst out laughing.

Wh-what? I have no clue what is going on.

「? ? ?」

Glancing around, I spotted the girl with the strange twin-tails coming out from the middle of the shop.

With a small grunt, she forced me to take a slightly greasy bowl.

Then, everyone in the shop stood up…

And each one of them took a little food from their bowls and put in mine.

A torn-off piece of manju. A bit of fried egg. A few spoons of rice. A small pice of sausage,

Without looking at me, they all muttered something as they put food into my bowl…

Then, almost as if they were embarrassed, they went back to their seats.

Wh-what’s going on? Is this some kind of hard-sell?

「Oi, Oi! I don’t have any money! Y-you, tell them! Oi! No money.15 」

I said, but before I could ask the girl to refuse for me, there was more maze-don16 than I could eat.

That is to say, it was a jumble of food.

It couldn’t be further from the Chinese fare served at the Ritz Carlton or the the Tim Ho Wan dim sum…

But with my empty stomach, it looked like the most delicious food in the world.

「Not『You』, it’s Yuan Meishi. Here’s a spoon. When you’re done, take it and the bowl to the sink over there and wash them yourself, alright?」

The girl–Yuan-chan said. She stuck a spoon into my bowl.

「I can’t, I’ve been telling you, I don’t…」

I said worriedly, as I swallowed the watering saliva in my mouth.

With her hand, Yuan indicated the old man with broken glasses.

「Chin-san said:『They robbed this Japanese person and left him with nothing. Since the people who committed this crime were Hong Kongers, for the pride of Hong Kong, we will help him 』. In any case–everyone here knows the pain of hunger. That’s why they said『Here you go』as they gave you food.」

She explained what had just happened.

…Ugh…

I’m sorry everyone… even though it looks like it’s hard for all of you to find something to eat… you still helped me.

And you even gave me enough food to fill me up.

Damn! I’m so ashamed. I actually thought about firing a warning shot,

「Th-thank-you…」

Communicating my sincere thanks as I looked around the room, each one of them, smiling, turned away and wouldn’t meet my eyes.

Hesitating just a moment over whether or not to make a Japanese style bow, I lowered my head–

Making my way to a one of the corners of the shop, I sat down and gratefully ate my maze-don.

「…」

They may all seem cold, like they are laughing at you, overbearing, and as if they didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘courtesy’…but they are kind,

Deep within this generosity, is hidden a chivalrous spirit. That might be their national character,

I wonder if all of these people could be tsunderes?

Thinking that while cleaning my bowl and eating until I was full…

「–I knew you were Japanese right way. I could tell from your uniform like those that anime characters wear.」

The girl from before, Yuan, carrying her own food, came to sit with me.

「Are you here all alone?」

「No… My friends are all at the ICC building. Can you tell me how to get there?」

「ICC? From here, you’d take a tram to the ferry, then have to switch to a bus. But none of them are running right now. What are you going to do until the first one starts? Do you have somewhere to sleep?」

「Well… outside.」

「Wait a second! Any town is dangerous at night, you know? There’s no helping it.」

Scolding my inexperience, Yuan furrowed her thin eyebrows and said:

「Alright, you can stay at my place. But you’re gone at first light.」

She kindly offered.

「I couldn’t do that. Staying in a girl’s room…」

「I’m stronger than boys, so I’m fine. If you do anything weird, I’ll throw you out the window. By the way, my room is on the 5th floor.」

Eating her wan tan with noodles, Yuan voiced a typical Aria-like threat. No matter the country, girls are terrifying.

「In exchange, as long as you are awake, you’ll talk to me. In Japanese. It’s my dream to study in Japan. You can probably tell that my Japanese pronunciation is a little strange, right?」

Oh…Oh, I see! If I can repay the favour, I’m more than glad to.

It’s nothing to brag about, but speaking Japanese is the only thing I can do.

Really, it’s nothing to brag about.

**********************************************************************************

The wall I had slumped down against in my hunger was actually a door.

It was markedly different from that in OZONE, but they were both hidden doors.

Yuan’s room was up the stairs on the other side.

No wonder she yelled at me for blocking her door.

Following her up the stairs, while for some reason she undid her twin-tails, past bare concrete covered in peeling labels hanging by a thread…

「There’s only about 3 minutes of hot water a day, I’ll use it for 2 minutes and you can use it for 1.」

Abruptly saying that, Yuan ducked into a recess on the 2nd floor landing.

…What did she say?

Peeking around the corner of the L-shaped space,

「–!」

I-I saw it! Only her back!

Around the corner, there was a space about a metre square covered in tile–It was an ultra-mini shower stall that would put Japanese resorts to shame.

And there, without any warning, Yuan had begun to strip off her uniform…

I saw the white straps of her underwear and the skin of her back. Caught totally by surprise.

Th-thank goodness I learned how to walk noiselessly in INQUESTA…!

I immediately retreated, If she finds out that I saw her, I’ll be thrown out the window.

Then a wicker basket with her shoes, uniform, and underwear in it slid out toward me–

「Now then, are you ready to talk? Whenever I make a mistake, you’ll correct me, right?」

*Hiss!*

The sound of the shower started.

The st-steam wound its way around the corner–the scent of soap and shampoo reached me.

I couldn’t see her with my eyes, but it felt entirely like I had entered the bath with her. If I walk 3 steps, I could see her naked body.

I could see the droplets of hot water bouncing off her body. But since she has demanded that we talk, unfortunately I can’t run away.

「Oh, yes. Speaking of Japan, I heard that a superhuman came to Hong Kong from Japan.」

「Su-superhuman…?」

「At my school, some of those without familiar…without faculty… Uhm….」

「Without families?」

「That’s it! It’s a place where orphan girls with nothing go. In exchange for tuition, they do small tasks. For now, if we see this superman, we’re supposed to report it at school.」

「A fugitive from Japan came to Hong Kong? That’s…a troubling story. As a fellow Japanese, I apologise.」

「Among the underground these days, he’s known as the『Enabler17 . No matter how badly he’s cornered, he manages to turn the tables on his enemies in the most impossible ways. And my classmate who saw a picture of him said… he’s kind of attractive.」

Talking about the attractive boy, Yuan’s voice became bubbly.

Just like an ordinary girl.

「Oh… Is there really someone like that?」

「Well, they’re certainly not talking about you.」

With a laughing smile, Yuan stuck her head around the corner. With a squeak, the shower turned off–and withdrawing back inside, there was a rustling sound, Taking a towel down, she dried her body.

Then with a *Tap!* *Tap!*

She stepped out! Wearing only a bath towel!

「….Uh….Uh!」

Trying to retreat up the stairs, my feet got caught, and I missed my step.

「Hurry up! There’s only a minute left. I left the soap.」

Then with a *Plop!* she put the basket on my head. Like a beggar priest18.

******************************************************************************

Yuan’s room, in Japanese terms, was about 2 tatami large.19

With 2 people in it, it seems smaller, but as expected it was a normal girl’s room…

The wall was decorated with bunches of fancy keychains, her towelket20 was pink, and her mirror was about the only other thing in her room.

「If you tuck your legs in, you should be able to lie across the floor.」

Yuan said, wearing her pyjamas as she stepped over me to get across to her bed.

…Ugh…

Sleeping here is definitely safer than sleeping outside, but in terms of Hysteria Mode it is more dangerous.

It’s like the time I went up to Moe Mochizuki’s room, above all, this is a girl’s room– filled with this bittersweet and pointlessly pleasant smell. It must be a world-wide phenomenon.

Moreover, in this confined space, the concentration of female pheromones was elevated.

To top it all off, the fresh-out-of-the-bath aroma coming off Yuan…was intense.

–Slashes and bullets can be avoided.

But someone’s smell is unavoidable.

My naturally acute sense of smell allows me to distinguish the girls of Baskerville by their scent. This would be the only thing I feel confident that I could beat the rumoured superman in.

Speaking of my nose, I can’t smear menthol under my nose or spray Febreeze. I don’t have any with me, and it would be rude.

「The floor must be hard enough that it hurts. I’ll lend you a headrest pillow.」

She passed me a murderously fragrant object…!

If I were to shift in my sleep and have my nose pressed deeply into it–my Hysteria Mode would create an international incident!

But I can’t refuse is saying:「It’s too feminine」. And the floor really is hard.

Alright, if that’s the case. I’ll breathe through my mouth, and I’ll stop breathing through my nose. When all the girls invaded my room at Butei High after the Sports Festival, I used this same strategy.

As I engaged with my invisible enemy, Yuan asked:

「Hey, what’s the difference between an『onigiri』and『omusbi』?」

「What’s a『kappa』?」

「How long after selling a『brand new 』product can I call it that?」

After the lights were turned off, she asked me relatively difficult questions about Japanese.

I was up half the night answering them one by one–

「They’re the same thing, but『omusubi』doesn’t have the unlucky sound『kiri』」21

「I’ve never met one, but it’s an original Japanese yokai. They have all green bodies, a bowl-like shape on top of their head, and like cucumbers..」

「There’s no specific limit. However, at Kenchan Ramen, has had a product they’ve called『brand new』for going on 8 years.」

I replied…suprised at her strong willpower and eagerness to learn.

In the current economic development that China is undergoing, I have the impression that learning is intricately linked to success in life and abundance.

The truth is that, if in the future she succeeds in business in Japan, she might just be able to make her own fortune. Then she would be able to escape poverty.

Keep at it, Yuan.

Learning… I think as a person who has run away from studying, should imitate her guts.

Because like me, everyone here, to a different extent, has the perpetual problem of running out of money.

(END CHAPTER)

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1. The word here refers to the distinct Japanese style of phones that are popular only within Japan. They have more features than a simple mobile phone with a touch-pad, but lack the full touchscreen and functionality of a true smartphone.

2. The word used here: ‘dempa’ can mean ‘EM wave/signal’ but it is also used to describe asocial people susceptible to delusions. Similar to chuunibyou-ism, it differs in that it can be a person of any age, and they claim to receive ‘messages’ from a strange outside source. Think Reki and her orders from ‘The Wind’.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denpa

3. The kanji for Hong Kong mean ‘incense/perfume port’.

4. The real building only has 108 levels, but there is a floor 118 because the numbering of the floors skips every number with a 4 in it. This is due to the fact that the word for the number ‘4’ in both Japanese and Chinese sounds a lot like the word for ‘death’ and is considered unlucky.

5. The Qing Dynasty is the last imperial dynasty of China. It lasted from years 1644-1912.

6. In times of crisis, the yakuza count even those with passing ties to the organisation as members so that the whole looks much larger when they give out membership numbers. Unfortunately, this makes government crack-downs often fall on those with, often unwitting, marginal business or social ties to the yakuza.

7. Kanji say ‘Chumming operation’ As in throwing bait into the sea to attract fish/sharks.

8. Chain of discount stores in Japan known for packed shelves and narrow, crammed aisles.

9. North American slang for someone who likes staying at home and doesn’t go out. Not an agoraphobe or hikkikomori, they just like being at home and aren’t adventurous.

10. Japanese proverb similar to: ‘give an inch, take a mile’ or the Bedouin proverb: ‘First the nose in the tent, then the camel’.

11. In case you missed it, these are all common store chains in Japan.

12. This is a parasitic type of fungus that infect caterpillars and feed on them for nutrients. Morbid stuff…

13. Kinji make a pun on the name of Kowloon, which in kanji means: ‘Nine (parted) dragon’ and links the joke to a mythological 8-forked-dragon in Japanese mythology, Yamato no Orochi.

14. This is in Chinese.

15. This last bit is in Engrish.

16. Type of dish that loosely translates to ‘lil’ bit of everything’. It’s a hodgepodge of food all piled together in one bowl.

17. Kanji say ‘he who makes the impossible, possible’

18. Refers to a particular type of Zen monk who wore woven bascinets on their heads and played the flute as part of meditation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komus%C5%8D

19. A tatami is a rectangle of about 1.6529 square meters.

20. A cross between a towel and a blanket

21. The kanji used here is 斬り which means to ‘cut, slay, or kill’. In the word onigiri, the actual kanji is different, but since Japanese is a sound-based language, the sound is similar. In this case the ‘k’ shifts to ‘g’ for ease of pronunciation.

If you are interested as to why the sound changes, look up ‘rendaku’.





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