Ch.34Chapter 5. What It Means to Like Someone (6)

The story didn’t take long.

After all, the incident itself was quite simple.

There was no reason for any stories about me and the track team to come up.

Yamashita-san, who I thought would immediately threaten or intimidate the blonde-haired boy right there because of his yakuza image, listened to the story silently without any particular reaction.

Meanwhile, other children’s parents arrived one by one.

The first to arrive after Yamashita-san were the blonde-haired boy’s father and mother.

However they had heard about the situation, the two who initially entered with flushed faces sneered when they saw Kagami.

Then they turned their heads and met eyes with Yamashita-san looking up at them.

“……”

The color drained rapidly from their faces.

The two sat side by side on chairs provided by the police station and listened quietly.

The next to arrive were Miura’s parents.

“Yamashita-san.”

Miura-san, dressed like a high-ranking government official, saw Yamashita-san and extended his hand with a polite attitude.

“Miura-san.”

Yamashita-san stood up and lightly shook his hand with equally courteous manners.

“Meeting you in a place like this—how unfortunate for both of us.”

“Fate doesn’t always roll the way we want it to, does it?”

The two conversed quietly.

High-ranking government official attire… though that was just my impression. What he actually did was somewhat unclear. He was simply wearing a neat suit.

But the atmosphere… it wasn’t just that of an extra’s father. He seemed like someone who would be in a shadowy position if he appeared in a novel.

“…Yuuki?”

In fact, Yuuki seemed to recognize Miura-san, her mouth slightly open as she stared at him.

“Hm?”

“Do you know him?”

“Ah, um… no, not yet.”

Yuuki answered ambiguously.

Miura-san placed his hand lightly on Miura’s shoulder and greeted Fukuda and Yamashita in turn. His medium-low voice, not rough at all, had a calming effect on listeners.

Then he approached us.

“Are you Mako’s friend?”

With a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, he asked us gently, his impression quite different from when he first entered.

“I… actually, we don’t really know each other well.”

Yuuki spoke as if unsure how to address him, or rather, as if slightly nervous.

“I’m her friend.”

At my words, Miura-san’s gaze turned to me.

“So you’re Kurosawa-san.”

Miura-san nodded as if he had heard about me before.

“Mako has told me about you often. Thank you for being friends with my daughter.”

Well…

It was actually the opposite, but it didn’t seem polite to deny it, so I just kept quiet.

“I’m Masao Miura. You have a lovely daughter.”

Miura-san extended his hand to Kagami, who was scrutinizing him.

“Lovely, hardly…”

Kagami said this but still took Miura-san’s hand.

After staring at Kagami for a moment, he turned and stood near Miura.

His atmosphere was different from Yamashita-san’s, which made me a bit anxious. If Yamashita-san gave the impression that he would beat troublemakers to a pulp and throw them into Tokyo Bay without anyone knowing, Miura-san seemed like someone who would know everything but just smile and let it go—someone too high up to care about the affairs of those beneath him.

The curious thing was, if he were truly someone extremely high-ranking and important, the police around here wouldn’t treat him like an ordinary parent.

Wouldn’t they? If he were high up in the police, everyone would recognize him. The same would be true if he were a prosecutor, and needless to say if he were a district representative. I wouldn’t have been surprised at all if they had jumped to attention and saluted.

But the police didn’t seem particularly moved by Miura-san’s appearance. The person who was agitated was rather Yuuki.

After looking at Miura-san for a moment with a displeased expression, Yuuki turned her gaze away.

The next person to arrive was Mr. Fukuda.

This person had an atmosphere similar to Yamashita-san. With skin slightly darker like Fukuda’s, his hair dyed blonde and styled back, he wore a rather flashy purple suit with white stripes.

It’s amazing how well it suits him.

The difference was that rather than Yamashita-san’s dignified atmosphere, he had a slightly frivolous air about him.

“Harumi, are you okay?”

“How can you ask that when you see me like this?”

“Wow, you got beaten up pretty badly? Which bastard did it?”

He bickered with Fukuda, but when he looked at the blonde-haired boy after hearing Fukuda’s words, his expression could have killed with just his eyes.

“Yamashita’s here too, huh? Hey, are you still in that business?”

At the openly provocative voice, Yamashita-san snorted.

“That’s rich coming from someone who lives like a thug.”

“Thug? Hey, I’m a businessman, a businessman. It’s legal, you know? Hey, officer, arrest this guy. You’ll probably get quite a record out of it. What kind of crazy person wears a badge on their clothes and comes to a police station?”

“W-well, that’s…”

At Fukuda’s words, the police officer sitting across the table sweated nervously. Mr. Fukuda saw that expression and just shrugged. He didn’t seem to have expected much.

Come to think of it, that’s true. He’s openly wearing something that identifies him as yakuza. Wearing a yakuza badge.

“Miura-san, I regret meeting you in a place like this.”

“Mr. Fukuda. Children never do what we want them to do.”

The previously casual man suddenly became serious upon seeing Miura-san and shook his hand.

“Mako. Are you doing well? Yuu too?”

“Yes, I’m doing fine, thanks to you.”

“……”

Yamashita barely nodded. Since Yamashita-san had entered earlier, Yamashita had kept his head bowed.

“Hm? Who’s this?”

“Ah, that’s Kotone, my friend. And next to her is her mother.”

Fukuda told Mr. Fukuda.

“So you’re Kotone-chan? Cute, very cute. And next to her is—”

Mr. Fukuda looked Kagami up and down and whistled.

“Well, well, what a stunning lady. Is your husband around?”

“Do I look like I have a husband?”

Mr. Fukuda whistled again, a bit frivolously, and turned to Fukuda.

“Hey, Fukuda, how would you feel about getting a non-blood-related little sister? She’s cute, isn’t she? Kotone-chan.”

“Dad, are you crazy?”

Fukuda exclaimed in horror.

“Well, that’s a shame.”

Mr. Fukuda smiled and turned back to Kagami.

“My dear, do drop by sometime. I’ll give you a drink on the house.”

Kagami, with a very familiar and natural movement, took out a business card from her bag and handed it to Mr. Fukuda.

“Oh, nice, very nice. Do you have email?”

“Of course.”

Mr. Fukuda smiled, waved the card around, put it in his suit pocket, and patted it with his palm.

I ran my hand over my face. Yuuki gently patted my knee with a careful touch.

By the way, the more obviously suspicious people entered the police station, the more the faces of the blonde-haired boy and his parents turned pale. When describing someone’s face as turning pale, it’s often metaphorical, but right now, they were ‘literally’ blue. Are they even breathing?

And then—

“Yuka!”

The people who came in shouting like that were Yuuki’s grandfather and father.

The two who were quickly approaching us stopped in their tracks when their eyes met Miura-san’s.

There’s definitely something there.

I don’t know exactly what it is. For now, it’s probably best to pretend not to notice and ask later when the atmosphere is right.

The two resumed their steps after stopping, but then stopped again when they saw Kagami.

My heart beat violently.

Miura-san probably reacted that way because of their relationship, but Kagami… she was probably surprised for a different reason.

Though it seems Yuuki hasn’t yet accurately figured out what kind of being Kagami is.

The two who approached cautiously asked Yuuki:

“Yuuki, are you okay?”

“Please check on Kurosawa first.”

“……”

The two looked at me with my disheveled hair, then turned their gaze back to Kagami.

“What are you looking at?”

“……”

At those words, the two seemed to forget what to say again.

Or perhaps they were observing Kagami more calmly.

“Well, now that all the parents have gathered.”

But before Yuuki’s parents and Kagami could exchange words, the police officer spoke first.

“How about having a conversation?”

His expression clearly showed that he wanted to end this uncomfortable situation quickly.

I felt slightly relieved.

*

From what I heard, the blonde-haired boy’s parents seemed to be quite influential people in Minato.

How influential? Beyond just having money, they seemed to have connections everywhere.

At first, they tried not to be intimidated, defending their son.

But—

“Ha, so what?”

At Kagami’s words, the two’s mouths fell open.

“I don’t care who you know, I can’t give you money. Why should I have to take care of that kid?”

It was such a trashy statement that even I, knowing the situation, was impressed. Honestly, at this point, Kagami’s spirit of sacrifice should be appreciated a little. Who would want to appear this trashy?

“You’re whining disgustingly.”

That was Mr. Fukuda’s comment.

“A man getting beaten by a woman and whining to the police? Have some shame. In my day, even if a woman stabbed me in the stomach, I’d just laugh it off.”

Wouldn’t you die if you just laughed it off?

“Besides, if Yuu hit first, there must have been a reason.”

Yamashita-san said that.

Sitting with his arms crossed in a white suit, he was like a boulder.

But one that moves.

A boulder that might suddenly spring out and punch you if you said the wrong thing.

Moreover, the name Yamashita-kai seemed to be more well-known than expected, as the blonde-haired boy’s parents couldn’t look Yamashita-san in the eye from the moment he entered the police station.

And since Yamashita Yuu was at the very center of the incident, it was impossible to leave that part out.

Miura-san, Yuuki’s grandfather, and father didn’t say much. They just stared at the blonde-haired boy’s group and his parents.

Unable to withstand that pressure, the two who had been shouting with shrill voices at first became completely subdued after about 15 minutes.

“Hey, kid.”

Mr. Fukuda delivered the final blow.

Taking out a money clip from his pocket, Mr. Fukuda detached a few 10,000 yen bills and threw them in front of the blonde-haired boy.

“If you’re going to whine, go whine at the hospital.”

“……”

At this action that openly instilled a sense of humiliation in the opponent, the three boys and their parents trembled, but apparently not wanting to be drowned in Tokyo Bay, they picked up the money and hurriedly left.

It was absurd how they glared at me as they left, but quickly fled after receiving Yamashita-san’s gaze.

“Don’t worry.”

Outside the police station, Kagami whispered softly in my ear.

“I’ll make sure they never touch you again. I’ll talk to them.”

“……”

So that’s why she came.

But somehow that “I’ll make sure they never touch you again” made me quite anxious.

“…Don’t kill them.”

“Yes, yes, I won’t kill them. We don’t want trouble either, you know? It’s annoying to get involved with the government.”

Is it just annoying?

No, more importantly.

“…Do you run a bar?”

Seeing Yuuki quickly coming towards me, I hastily changed my speech to formal and asked.

“What business is it of yours what I do for a living? You left to live alone because you didn’t want to see me, right? Pay me back for raising you before you talk.”

“Excuse me…!”

At Kagami’s trashy comment, Yuuki finally exploded, came to my side, and grabbed my arm.

Then she pulled me behind her back to hide me.

“How can someone who abandoned their daughter in such a place say that!?”

“Abandoned? She’s the one who said she wanted to live on her own.”

“That’s not…!”

“Wanting to go to a good school and all that. Saying she wants to live like everyone else. Seems like she can’t see her surroundings.”

Saying this, Kagami took out a cigarette.

She stylishly pulled out one and put it in her mouth, and as she was about to reach into her bag again, perhaps looking for a lighter, Yamashita-san, who had approached without notice, lit her cigarette.

“Ah, thank you.”

Kagami said that and then held out her cigarette pack to Yamashita-san. Yamashita-san took one out, put it in his mouth, shielded it from the wind with one hand, and lit his cigarette.

He’s really like someone from a yakuza movie. Well, he’s a yakuza in a light novel, so maybe that image is emphasized.

“……”

And as I slowly emerged from behind Yuuki, he just stared at me while smoking, exhaled a long stream of smoke, and held the filter between his lips.

Then he reached into his inner suit pocket and took out a leather wallet.

He pulled out several crisp 10,000 yen bills and was about to hand them to me when—

Slap!

Yamashita Yuu knocked away that hand and frowned.

“What are you doing?”

Yamashita blocked in front of me like Yuuki and spoke.

Um, no.

“Didn’t you get involved because of me?”

“…Don’t try to compensate with something like that.”

No, I’m not angry.

That… what is it. Can’t I just accept it as pocket money?

“Can’t I?”

“No.”

I guess not, then.

Well, can’t be helped.

“This… This.”

Yamashita rubbed his eyes with his hands and glared fiercely at his father.

“This time, I’ll repay it with my own strength.”

And then he turned his body quickly and ran.

“…Sigh.”

Yamashita-san took a deep drag of his cigarette, dropped it to the ground, and crushed it with his white shoes that matched his suit.

“…Kagami-san, I’m sorry, but my daughter is in that state, so I need to follow her. Let’s talk later.”

“Yes, see you again.”

Yamashita-san glanced at my face one last time, then turned around and headed in the direction Yamashita had run.

That… no.

Since Yamashita said that much, yes.

“Not the atmosphere for an after-party, right?”

Fukuda said.

“I’ll be going now too. It seems like Dad has something to say.”

“…Okay.”

“And you. Yuuki, was it? You fight well?”

“Oh, yes.”

Yuuki nodded a bit stutteringly to Fukuda who suddenly addressed her.

“Thanks for today? Having numbers is basic in a fight.”

Why do you know that?

I really wanted to ask, but I held back for now.

“And…”

Fukuda looked towards Kagami.

“Auntie.”

“Aun…?”

Kagami’s expression momentarily became genuinely pissed off. This seems real? It doesn’t look like acting.

“Stop bothering your daughter. Aren’t you ashamed? Even my dad treats me well.”

“Nam-i-sa.”

At Kagami’s words, Fukuda’s brow furrowed.

“Well, that’s a shame.”

Mr. Fukuda smiled and turned back to Kagami.

“My dear, do drop by sometime. I’ll give you a drink on the house.”

Kagami, with a very familiar and natural movement, took out a business card from her bag and handed it to Mr. Fukuda.

“Oh, nice, very nice. Do you have email?”

“Of course.”

Mr. Fukuda smiled, waved the card around, put it in his suit pocket, and patted it with his palm.

I ran my hand over my face. Yuuki gently patted my knee with a careful touch.

“Kotone-chan.”

Fukuda said.

“Could I hear more details about what we discussed earlier sometime?”

“…Okay.”

I nodded at Fukuda’s words.

“You have somewhere to stay tonight, right?”

“…It’s not that bad.”

“You live alone, right? That sounds fun. Can I visit sometime?”

Fukuda said that loud enough for Kagami to hear. Kagami just smoked her cigarette with an incredulous expression.

“That’s…”

“Got it? It’s a promise? Here, promise.”

Fukuda forcibly took my hand and linked our pinky fingers.

“See you on Monday!”

And shouting that, he walked away.

In the distance, Mr. Fukuda waved his hand towards us—specifically towards Kagami.

Next to him was a red Lamborghini Murciélago.

They’re really rich.

I wonder if he’ll be shocked when he comes to where I live.

“…Kurosawa.”

Then Miura approached with her father.

“The story we heard earlier…”

“…I’ll tell you at school on Monday.”

When I said that, Miura nodded with a stiff face.

“I’m sorry I didn’t look after you.”

“…No.”

I quickly shook my head.

“It’s not your fault at all.”

But my words seemed to stab Miura’s conscience even more severely.

Miura held my hand tightly with an expression of holding back tears.

Then after staring at me for a while, she forced a bright expression and said:

“Then, see you the day after tomorrow.”

“…Yes.”

I could only answer like that to that face.

“…Yuuki-san, was it?”

“…Just Yuuki is fine.”

“Yuuki.”

Miura nodded, then bowed to Yuuki.

“Eh, eh?”

“Thank you for looking after Kurosawa when I couldn’t. Even though you’re in a different class…”

“No, um, that.”

Yuuki seemed extremely flustered and hurried. Her face turned bright red.

“I just did what a friend should do.”

“Friend.”

Miura nodded.

“That’s right. Because we’re friends.”

“…Kurosawa-san.”

“……”

When Miura looked straight at her, Kagami stared back at Miura’s face.

“I know it’s very unpleasant to interfere in others’ family matters. But… as a mother, couldn’t you have a bit more awareness?”

“…Huh.”

“Kurosawa is trying hard. Even in such circumstances…”

Miura, who had slightly bowed her head, looked up at Kagami again.

Her gaze was intense. Strong enough to be felt through her glasses.

“I-if you don’t leave Kurosawa alone, I’ll somehow—”

“I am leaving her alone.”

But Miura’s words were futilely blocked by Kagami.

“I’m already leaving her alone, what do you want me to do?”

“……”

“She’s attending school properly, and as you said, she’s working hard, right?”

“But—”

“As you said, I find it unpleasant when you interfere in family matters. I’m the head of the household, and I’ll handle it, so would you mind stepping back a bit, friend?”

“……”

Miura trembled but didn’t back down.

I lightly grabbed Miura’s arm.

“It’s okay.”

“…Kurosawa.”

“It’s really okay.”

“……”

Miura bit her lip.

“See you at school the day after tomorrow.”

Only after I said that did Miura nod.

Then with her head bowed, she trudged over to Miura-san who was waiting at a distance.

Miura-san stared at Kagami for a moment, then turned to follow his daughter without saying anything.

And—

“Are you Kurosawa Kagami-san?”

Yuuki’s grandfather approached.

“Kagami, what a good name. The mirror that reflects the gods. How excellent.”

“……”

Kagami turned towards Yuuki’s grandfather.

“So? It’s a common name, isn’t it?”

“It is, but it seems somewhat significant as a name held by someone who believes in a religion that’s popular these days.”

“……”

Kagami put another cigarette in her mouth and stared at Yuuki’s grandfather.

“So?”

“Well, I don’t intend to interfere too much. I understand why it’s unpleasant for a head of household to hear about their family from others. But, Kurosawa-san. Haven’t times changed a lot?”

“……”

“The era of sacrificing children—”

“Hmph.”

Kagami snorted.

“Is that something you should be saying?”

Yuuki gritted her teeth, but Kagami ignored her and continued.

“Let me say it again, I never told that kid who’s supposedly my daughter to do such things. She’s just doing it on her own. I don’t know who told her to, but it wasn’t me.”

This time, Yuuki’s grandfather’s words stopped.

“Well, if you really want to do something with that child, go ahead. It’s not my place to interfere, right?”

“Kurosawa-san—”

“Tsk.”

Kagami clicked her tongue.

“Why would anyone want to protect such a failure?”

Yuuki tried to step forward, but I grabbed her arm.

Seeing me shake my head, Yuuki trembled but held back.

“Do whatever you want, whatever. Just don’t drag me into it. Understood?”

Kagami said that mockingly and turned away.

“……”

Yuuki’s family stared blankly at Kagami’s retreating back for a while, at a loss for words.