DURARARA!! Vol.6 CHAPTER 5, PART X
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Second Ground, Raira Academy
"So what was the rumpus all about today?"
Asked Yumasaki. After hesitating for a moment where to begin, Kadota sighed and said:
"…Well, we can talk about that over dinner."
The delinquents had fled, and the gang of Toramaru members had broken up on Chikage's orders. Only Kadota's lot remained behind in this place where there had been some forty people fighting until just now. The girls, after running to a safer place, had left as well. They had said that they would alert the police of the kidnapping attempt, so the men lying unconscious beside the fence would probably get taken away soon as well.
"Speaking of which, we'll be in trouble ourselves if we don't leave before the cops get here…should we go to Simon's place?"
"Ah, I think Russian Sushi is closed for this evening."
"What, for real?"
Kadota's shoulders sank slightly. Karisawa suggested:
"Should we go to the Taiwanese place next to Russian Sushi then? The one right above the game center."
"Ah, you mean the one close to the bowling place…? Good idea. Too bad I forgot to ask Chikage to come with us."
Kadota muttered. Just as the decision seemed agreed upon and the conversation about to be finished, Karisawa said something unnecessary.
"Speaking of which, it seems like Dotachin's been nurturing some kind of friendship with that Chikage person after the fight!"
"The way you talk creeps me out. If you're trying to say something, just say it."
"Then I'll just say it! For me it's just one of those 'Thanks for the BL fantasy bait, it was delicious!' moments!"
"…Looks like there are things I'll have to kill you to make you understand."
Kadota sounded like he was trying hard to fight back his indignation. Yumasaki, on the other hand, began to criticize Karisawa's opinion in a loud voice.
"Kariwasa-san…! It's all because of people like Karisawa-san who pair guys up every time they see two guys fight or make friends with each other! You're the reason so many animes are trolled and called fujoshi-pandering shit just because they've got more male characters than female ones! Serious reflection! I demand some serious reflection on your part!"
"Eh - ! But if you really want to, even inanimate objects are shippable with each other - ! Speaking of which, there had been a shitstorm just recently about which one is the OTP between CD x DVD and DVD x CD......"
"Just shut up already! It's not like the flow of your conversation even makes sense!"
For Kadota's lot, life had already returned to normal.
His swollen eye and bleeding mouth were still giving him quite a bit of pain, but Kadota was not looking like he regretted it even in the slightest.
Just as the others gathered to discuss whether the dinner should be on Kadota or if they should split the bill, Yumasaki saw Anri - who was wandering around aimlessly - and called out to her.
"Ah, Anri-chan, you wanna go eat with us?"
Yumasaki had barely finished asking when Karisawa, who had at some point positioned herself behind Anri, put her arms around Anri's body.
"Kyah - !?"
"That reminds me! I have a lot of stuff to ask Anri-chan today!"
Her hands busy exploring different parts of Anri's body, Karisawa grinned.
"Where have you been keeping that katana? Are you really a Flame Haze? Or just a beauty in glasses who happens to enjoy cosplaying? Or a stacked-up anthropomorph of the Demon Blade Muramasa?"
"Hey, cut it out you Sexual Harassment Queen."
Kadota pulled Karisawa away form Anri. Looking at Anri's troubled face, Karisawa chuckled and said:
"Well, if you don't want to tell, you don't have to! Every girl has a secret or two."
"That's so true. Even if Anri-chan is a demon queen planning to take over the world, we're pretty sure we'll continue to treat you just like how we've treated you all along! In fact, I personally would want to get even more intimate with you if you're indeed a demon queen in glasses…!"
Yumasaki's speech was cut off since his mouth was covered by other members' hands. Kadota ignored him and turned towards Anri.
"What's up? Are you looking for something?"
"Ah…I'm sorry…!"
Anri lowered her head in haste and looked around before muttering:
"I…can't find Mikado-kun…"
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On a street beside the Second Ground
"Hey, Rocchi, are you sure your injuries are OK?"
"Ah - , I’m totally fine. Since you fondled them they’re actually already healed, Non."
"Liar. Seriously, Rocchi, I can't wait to see Kiyopuu and the others get mad at you again tomorrow."
Non pouted. Chikage laughed and replied:
“You and Kiyopuu and the others will probably forgive me if I kiss you, won't you?”
"I think it would be better if you died once, Rocchi."
The flirtatious dialogue continued as they walked on a small road heading to the Station.
Chikage ordered the Toramaru members to return to Saitama. It seemed that some of them were beaten while trying to avenge the previous defeat at the abandoned factory, but the ones who remained unhurt had brought those men back with them. Chikage told Kadota that they would just call it a day for today.
The couple walked on in an atmosphere in which virtually no trace of the animosity that had been filling the air until a moment ago remained -
From behind them they heard a voice that still sounded somewhat like a little boy's.
"P-Please wait a second!"
"Hm…?"
Chikage and Non turned around to find a boy standing there with his body injured in places, almost out of breath.
"What’s up? Did you need something, kid? You on your way home from a fight or something?"
Chikage couldn’t tell if he was talking to a boy in middle school or high school just by looking at his face. Not knowing what the kid was after, he stopped walking and turned towards the boy.
The boy, on the other hand, looked at Chikage with clearly determined eyes despite his blotched and pale face. Slowly, he opened his mouth.
"…I…I am fully responsible for this."
"Huh? For what?"
Toramaru's leader looked surprised. Mikado was about to continue when -
"Ah, Rocchi! He's the kid I was telling you about! He’s also a Dollars member, yet he tried to save me!"
"…!"
Mikado's mouth closed involuntarily as Non said these words.
"I see…so you were saying that you were responsible for not being able to protect Non? That's not your responsibility at all. Actually, I should thank you for that."
"N-No…that’s not…that’s not what I meant!"
Mikado tightened his abdominals and opened his mouth again with renewed resolve.
"I…I am the founder…of Dollars."
"…Huh?"
"I know what…those Dollars members did to you all…so I'm just here to say that it all started because of me! That's why…I want to let you know that whatever you wish to do to me, I won't complain. Just…don't get Ikebukuro in more trouble, please! Please…!"
At this point, Mikado felt that he couldn't complain even if he was going to get killed.
Literally ready for anything, Mikado was about to kowtow on the side of the road.
Just as Mikado was starting to bend his elbows, Chikage caught his hand and pulled him up.
"Stop that. A man should never get on his knees this easily. It's all the more ridiculous to do that in front of a woman - even if she's my girlfriend."
"…B-But - "
"Besides that, having a kid kowtow to me on the roadside when I'm with a woman is just going to make me look lame, isn't it? …And who would believe that Dollars's leader is someone who uses 'boku' to refer to himself?"
"…"
His words hit home and hurt in Mikado’s heart because they were all true.
Chikage smiled slightly and spoke as Mikado stared silently into the space in front of him.
"I don’t think you’re lying, though."
"T-Then why…"
"But I can't simply go ahead and believe what you said, either."
"Eh…?"
"The one who founded Dollars, in my opinion, would be a filthy bastard who never goes anywhere remotely dangerous…someone who makes the gangs grow just so that he can pit them against each other for the fun of it like it's a game for him or something."
Not entirely sure what Chikage had meant, Mikado fell silent again. But being called a "filthy bastard who does it for the fun like it's a game" shocked him as he wondered if there was indeed a part inside him that was exactly like that.
Chikage placed a hand on Mikado’s shoulder. Slowly and seriously, he began to tell him something.
"There's no way that Dollars's head would have eyes as open and honest as yours."
"…!"
"If - and I mean if - you're really the one who 'began' Dollars…I've got only one piece of advice for you. Let go of Dollars immediately. People like you are way too naive for this kind of burden."
"Wha…"
"You should lead a normal life. It suits you. To live like a normal person is actually more of an accomplishment from our point of view…people like you never take the trouble to come over to our side."
Chikage might not have realized it, or he might have realized it but said these words anyway.
- That to Mikado, these were the very words that put a negative sign before everything he stood for.
Before leaving, Chikage said one last thing to the silent boy:
"If you're still not satisfied, just come to Saitama. I can take on you one-on-one any time if you want…ah, actually, make that any time I'm not with a woman. Either way, make sure you put up some resistance because I don't like beating up guys who don't even fight back…"
Mikado watched them leave. He ended up never giving a reply to the last words Chikage said.
He couldn’t.
That’s because he didn’t understand what the surges of feelings inside himself were.
He knew that it was bitterness, but he was afraid to accept that fact. He remained without a word as he looked up at the sky in silence.
The actual time that elapsed during Mikado's silence was not even longer than a minute.
But to Mikado, it felt as if several hours - no, days - months - had been compressed into that minute.
If he admitted it, his life would change.
That was how dense his seconds had to be in order for him to just let this realization sink in.
- No…I was not fearing that I would be left behind as Dollars kept changing.
- I was afraid to be left behind by this city.
Mikado walked to the side of the street and put his arm on a close-by telephone pole, burying his face in it silently.
- But…how wrong I was.
Before confronting Chikage, Mikado had checked the newest message from the Dollars mailing list.
It told him that Awakusu-kai members were showing up wherever there was a fight going on and forcibly putting an end to the fights.
Awakusu-kai had probably been informed of what was going on and decided to dispel the gangs before they caused greater trouble in Awakusu-kai's territories. It felt as if they were just driving away a couple of mosquitoes.
The commotion they got embroiled in today ended up being nothing out of ordinary for the people in Awakusu-kai - an organization far more complex than Dollars. For them, it was probably just everyday stuff.
At least that was what Mikado thought.
That was where his thoughts took him.
- That I was being left behind by this city was in itself a delusion.
- I've actually never been able to keep up with the unusual happenings in this city in the first place.
The boy simply stood there alone with tears trickling down his face.
Biting his lips and trying to suppress his sobs back into his throat -
As if determined to swallow every bit of his own sorrow,
the boy simply continued to weep in the city called Ikebukuro.
♂♀
Only one person saw the boy as he stood there weeping.
- Mikado…
Clenching his fist, another male was looking at the boy's back.
It was Kida Masaomi, a boy who looked about the same age as Mikado was.
That he had come here as well was half coincidence and half inevitability.
He had returned to the city named Ikebukuro in order to help Mikado out of the trouble he had gotten into.
After finding out what was going on with Dollars through his acquaintances, he quickly headed to Raira’s Second Ground.
On his way here he saw Mikado confronting Chikage.
He kept his eye on Mikado from his hiding spot on the back side of the street -
But after listening to Mikado's determined words and seeing what happened afterwards, it became impossible for him to go meet Mikado in person.
As he saw Mikado silently rest his arm on the telephone pole, Masaomi knew that he must be weeping.
Mikado's back oozed the same kind of sorrow as he did when he was the leader of the Yellow Turbans.
That was why Masaomi couldn't bring himself to go meet Mikado.
He knew that trying to call out to Mikado would just push Mikado into even deeper sorrow.
Kida Masaomi and Sonohara Anri were probably the last two people Mikado would want to be seen by right now.
Mikado resembled his past self so much that he wanted to go out there right away and try to comfort him, even thinking that he was probably the only one who could do that.
But in the end, he was not able to make that step.
He had no idea what to say now to Mikado, whom he had run away from.
Even if he tried to put on a show for the sole purpose of comforting Mikado, Mikado would probably just end up feeling several times more hurt than he was right now.
- …
- I'm not the place to return to for Mikado right now.
- For him, it should be Sonohara-san or Raira Academy.
Masaomi had come here determined to meet his close friend again -
But he threw even that determination away as he turned his back on Mikado.
- What I can do is just…to talk to him…when he gets back on his feet from all this sadness…
- Dammit, this is wrong. This has to be wrong.
- I just want to…be with him and Anri…like I used to be…
- …Screw it, I…why did I…
As he remembered the sadness he felt in his past -
Masaomi found tears trickling down his own face as well before he even realized it.
That was what happened in that place.
Masaomi ended up never being able to reunite with Mikado.
It was true that had he gone out to meet Mikado, he would probably have ended up hurting him. An even deeper gap would probably separate these friends than before.
But considering what was going to happen from now on, Masaomi should probably have called out to Mikado anyway even if that would mean hurting Mikado and losing him his pride.
As for when Masaomi himself was going to realize that -
That would be a story for a bit later.
CHATROOM
Saika-san has joined the chat.
Saika
No one is here today
Saika
It's lonely here
Saika
I'm sorry I said weird things
Saika
I'm really sorry
Saika-san has left the chat.
No one is in the chatroom right now.
No one is in the chatroom right now.
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