Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Volume 1 Chapter 3

Warning: Mentions of Rape (Not Explicit)

Top of Third Inning

Nothing was more depressing than coming here. While looking up at the high cla.s.s apartment of the thirty-five floor building standing tall beside the f.u.kuoka Tower, Reiko let out a magnificent sigh.

Getting out of the taxi in front of the entrance decorated in highly colored ornaments, she pa.s.sed through the automatic locking entrance. There were four elevators in the hall. She got on the one for the upper floor and headed to the room on the top floor.

Once she got off the elevator, the door appeared right in front of her. This was that man's room. She was borrowing a duplicate key from Munakata. She opened the door without hitting the intercom. Above the shoe box in the entrance, there was a signed ball of a baseball player. He must have received it from a player that lived on the same floor. While taking off her shoes, she called out with a "I'm coming in." There was no response.

She headed right for the living room. There was one man there. His hair was a two-tone color of black and brown. He was wearing baggy grey sweatpants, and on various places they were soiled in blood.

This man was mayor Harada's only son, Yusuke Harada.

Yusuke was sitting on the expensive looking black leather sofa, watching television with a snack in one hand. It was a stupidly huge television like that of a movie theater screen. He probably bought it with his father's money. It was not just the television. Everything here was thanks to his father's money and influence. Even for this dumb, ill-mannered man to attend a rich national university within the best percentile in f.u.kuoka. Even for him to live in this high cla.s.s apartment where professional baseball players would live in and be able to live here on his own without a part-time job as well. Even for him to be able to spend his time leisurely no matter how many people he killed and without any question to his crimes. Life is unfair, she considered deeply.

"Where is the girl?"

When she asked, Yusuke answered while still looking at the television. "On top of the bed."

She headed to the bedroom as he said. The layout of the room is a 4LDK, but he only used the living room and bedroom. Such a waste.

Opening the bedroom door, Reiko instantly wanted to close her eyes. On top of the bed, a young girl was lying there, dead. She was left in an atrocious state, completely naked with her arms tied back with rope and legs spread wide open.

What does that man think of women? Reiko clicked her tongue. She returned to the living room soon after and offered an exhortation. "You know there's a law that says you can't kill people, right?"

"I don't hate that kind of joke." Yusuke bit into the snack while making crunching sounds. This was always the case, but it seemed he had no interest in taking it seriously.

"Who is that kid?"

"I dunno. A girl who walked around the area."

"Why did you kill her?"

"She was being so noisy, crying and s.h.i.+t."

"Then you can do it with women that wouldn't rub you the wrong way. Hire a pro then."

"I don't really like women who are used to it. Look, eels for instance taste better when they're from nature instead of ones that were cultivated, right?" Yusuke said, providing an incomprehensible example. "Besides, women prost.i.tutes are rather loose? In their heads and their lower parts."

The one who is loose in the head and lower parts is you, Reiko glared down at Yusuke. As a woman, she was always offended at this man's speech and conduct. Each time she saw his smirking face, she felt disgust course through her being. She would think she would kill him sooner or later.

"Don't do this again. It's bothersome."

"I can't do that." He answered immediately. "I can't help myself. It's just sometimes I end up wanting to kill the girls very much."

"You got this? It's fine if you don't want to but end up killing them." It really is not fine though. "Just don't discard them around the area. Like before."

The other day Yusuke had two of the same incidents like this one's, but that time since he left the bodies in the outskirts it was caught by the ma.s.s media and got reported. The plan to have the bodies taken care of by their workers while avoiding public notice was a huge mess, and it was quite the struggle to erase the evidence Yusuke left behind. In the end, they were being treated as an unresolved case.

Yusuke replied back with a cheerful "yeees" like a kindergartner. Does he really get it? I can't trust him.

On the living room's large television screen horrific shaky footage as though it was filmed by an amateur has been playing for a while now.

"What are you watching? Some kind of B movie?"

"Just a bit ago, I was drinking with my circle of friends, and we played the king game. Do you know the rules? For the king game. I'm the king, and I give orders to everyone."

As if there's some kind of king game. Reiko's eyebrows knit together.

"So I made the order for an a.s.sault. On that foreigner that was in the area. This is the video I took at that time. Isn't it funny?"

It's not funny at all. Just how crazy is this guy?

"I really like seeing people suffer. When others around me are suffering, I feel like I can live comfortably, you know?"

In actuality, that was exactly true. This man lived more comfortably than normal people. All thanks to his father.

On the television screen, three university boys were kicking one man. They were hitting him with some sort of metal pipe. It looked like the one filming the event was Yusuke himself. His unique "oo-hyahyahya" disgusting laugh can be heard from the TV.

What a bad taste in footage.

While watching the video Reiko at ends wits sighed at the "oo-hyahyahya" laughing of Yusuke.

"Tell me the names of the friends you were with then. Don't leave any out."

"Okay, but why?"

Reiko answered, irritated. "'Cause I'll eliminate them."

Bottom of Third Inning

After Banba left the Gate's building, he walked to the riverside. Since it was still before eight o'clock at night the amount of pa.s.serby was not very much. Pa.s.sing in front of the Nakasu information desk, right when he was about to turn the next corner he ran into a man. It was a host looking man with a porcupine-like head.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that."

After quickly bowing his head, the host tried to run off immediately. Banba grabbed the man's arm at once.

"Have you gone and lost your touch now? Yamato-kun."

When he called him by his name, the man's eyes widened. "Ah, so it's you, Banba-san."

It was a man he knew. Yamato was a name of the Minamoto clan, and he worked at a host club called Adams in the west side of Nakasu. However, being a host is his side job, and his real job was as a pickpocket.

"Won't you give my wallet back?"

When he pointed to his right hand, Yamato gave a bitter smile. "I got caught, huh."

Banba's wallet which was in his jean's pocket somehow was in Yamato's hand. While smiling frivolously, he handed back the wallet he just s.n.a.t.c.hed. "Seriously now, I'm no match for you."

"I ain't givin' you money even if you're pitchin' a fit."

"More than that, Banba-san," Yamato's smile pulled back. "What is this photo?"

He said and what he showed him was the photo of the mayor he got from s.h.i.+gematsu. He did not realize he pickpocketed the photo as well. He take s that back; apparently he has not lost his touch.

"This boy," What grabbed Yamato's interest was not the mayor but the man in black clothes show behind him. "He was killed."

"Killed?" That was a first. s.h.i.+gematsu did not say anything about the boy.

"Yeah. It seems he died covered in blood in his room with his lover girlfriend. The room was a mess so it seems it was done by a thief, but all the rumors say it was really a hitman that killed him."

"By a hitman?" For his life to be targeted by a killer, he must have done something unsatisfactory. "Why again?"

"This guy seemed to have run away with goods from the store and boasted on how he obtained money to an acquaintance. I heard the store this man worked for, Miroir, is a high-cla.s.s club and a seriously dangerous organization."

"Dangerous organization?"

"Who knows. I don't really know the specifics either."

"Where is this place, Miroir?"

"There's the highest priced tenant building in Nakasu, the Brilliant Nakasu building, right? It's the club the furthest in on the third floor. This room might be that club's VIP room here."

This was rather beneficial information. After Banba gave his thanks, he handed over a few million yen bills from his wallet to Yamato.

Soon after that Banba headed to the Brilliant Nakasu building. Naturally just by being inside the high cla.s.s tenant building, Club. Miroir was an extraordinary shop. It had a black based chic designed upholstery, and a large chandelier was suspended from the ceiling. There was even a piano in the center. They probably enjoyed live performances as well. Just as the name suggested, the walls were all made of mirrors. It was the kind of club with the ambience that it would cost a few million yen just to sit here.

It was another then minutes until the store opens. Inside the shop there were four to five people in black clothes busy getting preparations for the store ready. The boys glared at Banba who suddenly walked into the store disregarding the fact they were in the middle of preparations with suspicious expressions.

"What do you need?" A man seemed to be around his thirties and wore black clothes. He approached Banba. From the prideful demeanor, he was probably this store's manager.

Banba handed over his business card. "Excuse me, let me introduce myself."

On the card the characters "Representative of the Banba Detective Office, Zenji Banba" and the office's address were listed.

"……You're a detective?" The manager became more suspicious.

"Yes. I apologize for coming at a busy time. I have a few things I would like to ask you. The mayor came to this shop previously, correct? What type of people were with him at that time?"

The manager gave an immediate response. "Who knows, I don't remember."

"Though the mayor came, you don't remember anything?"

The manager gave a faint smile. "Our facility is quite famous. Actors, comedians, and even professional baseball players come here. I can't recall what kind of people came with the mayor one by one."

"Is that so." That's a lie, he thought. "……By the way, are there more male guests in this club?"

"Of course. Female guests don't come often."

If a seldom female guest came in, would they normally recall that?

"Do you really not recall anything regarding the mayor?"

The manager was sullen. What a persistent guy. That was the expression he gave of what he wanted to say. "Yes, I do not."

"Is that so."

"Now then, we have to set up the shop, so excuse us."

He was driven away in the middle of it. He did not gain any significant information but leaving some bait is good enough for now.

Now then, guess I should go have some ramen and go home. Banba headed to his favorite shop.

Can I really commit murder?

Saitou was uneasy. While gazing at the data his baseball-loving superior gave him, a simulation played in his mind. His target was a university student by the name Murase. His time limit was until nine o'clock tomorrow night. The most certain method to go about it was to wait for his target to come home to kill him instead of searching around for him. Thinking that, Saitou headed to Murase's apartment.

On the way, he stopped by a twenty-four hour supermarket and bought rubber gloves. Speculating if people may be suspicious of him for only buying rubber gloves and think, "I wonder if this person is going to commit murder if he's buying rubber gloves," so he bought laundry detergent as well. Then he became worried people may be suspicious of him under the impression, "will this person kill someone with a chlorine based poison if he's buying laundry detergent." He knew this was just a persecution complex, and yet that did not matter. His anxiety only heightened.

While placing his items in the shopping bag, his gaze happened to spot a bulletin board above his head. There were various posters hanging there. There was a notification of a kindergarten athletic meet and a photo of a lost dog. There was also a pamphlet for recruiting sports teams, and among them an adult league amateur baseball team poster caught Satiou's eye. On the poster, a pa.s.sage with an odd name read, 'In the middle of recruiting members! Welcoming beginners! In need of a pitcher and shortstop.' After that the representative's name was written. Isn't a baseball team without a pitcher or shortstop like a band without vocals or guitar? How do they play a game, he laughed. He felt his oppressive feelings lighten up just a little bit.

After leaving the supermarket, Saitou headed to the residence of his target. It was a cheap, two floor apartment building. He mustered up his courage and rung the intercom. If someone came to answer he thought to pretend to be a proselyte, but there was no answer. It seemed no one was home. It was a day off from school, so perhaps he went out somewhere.

With the key he borrowed previously, he slipped inside. For a young man living by himself the room was kept fairly clean.

While he was caught off guard coming home, he would attack him from behind and first put him to sleep with his home-made sleeping spray. He decided he would hide himself in the bathtub until his target came back. The moment he step foot into the bathroom Saitou was so frightened he jumped at the his reflection in the mirror. What, it's just me, don't get so surprised, he smiles bitterly. The reflection of him in the mirror has a terrible looking expression. He was pale and had the expression that he was about to die right now. Like this he did not know who would be killed.

In the empty bathtub Saitou shrunk his body and thought about his current situation. Can I really kill a person? But I have to do it. If I miss up again I'll be killed by the company for sure this time. But, wait. No matter how much my life is worth would it really be alright to kill a person who did no wrong? And now a harsh feeling of guilt reared up within him. Feeling his resolve waver, Saitou quickly shook his head. I can't; not this. I have to get myself together.

And suddenly the past came back to his mind. Of the incident of that pitch to the head. At that time Saitou also felt that guilt. That he did something terrible. However, thinking over it thoroughly he thought was it really just him that did something wrong. The opponent's pitcher was a player with bad habits, rumored to drink and smoke. He deserved it. It was divine punishment. His habitual habits were bad so he was met with the consequences. I'm not in the wrong. I'm not bad. Afterwards Saitou thought like that. Actually, it was better said he wanted to be convinced that was it.

Isn't it the same for the man I'll kill? Since he caused trouble making a ruckus in the neighborhood, he ended up going to be killed. He deserves it. Saitou tells himself this. I'm not wrong. At some point, he worked himself up.

It was then. Suddenly the chime rang, startling Saitou enough to jump.

– Someone came.

Who is it? Did Murase come back? No, that can't be. Calm down. There's no way the person himself would press the intercom to his own home.

Getting out of the bathtub he heads to the entrance, taking silent footsteps. He peered through the peep hole. He saw the forms of two people. One was a muscular man wearing work clothes fitting to that at a construction site. The other was a young elementary school girl with her hair pulled back into two. "He isn't coming. I wonder if no one is in." "How about we wait in the car until he comes back?" "I guess we'll have to." They are having such a conversation.

Wait until he comes back? No, that'll be problematic. Saitou was fl.u.s.tered. He did not know who they were. But what would he do if they come into the room? What would he do if they found him?

At any rate, he had to chase them away before that happens. Saitou decided to open the door. He would pretend to be the person himself or a friend, handle the situation properly and have them go home – was what he thought.

After regulating his breathing, he opens the door. "Yes?"

"Ah, are you Murase-san?" The man asked.

It appeared this man did not know Murase in person.

"Yes." I'm not though. "I am."

"We just moved on the floor below. I'm Tanaka. This isn't anything special but." The man said and pointed to the box of cakes.

What is this, it's just a normal moving greeting? Saitou was relieved. The cold sweat cleared away. "Ahh, hold on just a moment. Thank you."

Unlatching the door chain, it was that moment when he tried to take the cakes. A hand reached out to him. It was the man's hand.

"Ugh, gah" He was grabbed by the collar and he choked.

The door opened wide, and the man entered. He had punched him in a vital point. He had learned in the company's training that since nerves are dense in the kidneys, hitting there was exceptionally effective. I see. That's exactly right. My head has gotten dizzy. My legs are also weak.

Saitou collapsed at the entrance. The girl also quickly entered the room and started to tie Saitou's body with rope. It is strangely efficient. Take that back, I don't have any strength.

Just who are these people? Are they of the same profession (killers)? Even if that was the case for the man in worker clothes, then who is the girl next to him? Looking at her, she is about elementary school age at least. There is no way a young child like this is a killer.

There's no way she's a killer? By chance is that really the case? Actually now thinking about it, Saitou suddenly remembered. He had heard of there being a Chinese mafia that did this sort of work. It seemed they made an abundant amount of money in human trafficking. They purchased young children of poor regions in Asia, and after instilling the fundamentals of killing in them they sold them to terrorists and mafias around the world on top of having them raised as killers or juvenile soldiers. One could say they were disposable weapons. Such minor killers were rotting in this world. There was a veteran juvenile soldier in Murder Inc's Tokyo home branch as well. He was the man who shot the politician Saitou meant to kill with ease.

It has become a crazy world. Saitou thought that as the girl took packing tape out of her knapsack and sealed Saitou's mouth shut. Crimes were overflowing in j.a.pan. It was dangerous all around. However more than half of humans did not know that. They believed this world was peaceful. It was being treated that way. He thought that in itself was more dangerous than anything.

"Are you kidding! What is that amount!"

Lin was furious. He was angry enough to think about killing the man in front of him right away.

Whereas the man in front of him was calm and composed. He was a skinhead man who was plump and wearing a poor taste of a purple suit. His face was round with a large nose like that of a pig. He was a man named Zhang, Lin's employer as well as a subordinate of the Kakyuu group.

Lin's angry voice could be heard throughout Zhang's office in Haruyos.h.i.+ since then. Lin's hair was disheveled, and he tried to get on the desk and grab Zhang, but the underlings at both his sides stopped him and tore him off.

Puffing through his nose, he slammed down on Zhang's desk. "What's the meaning of this?"

Lin disputed with Zhang about his reward. Killing the man and woman was 1,000,000. He knew at least that. The issue was after that. "What's with this three thousand yen? Traveling expenses? Elementary schoolers receive this much for pocket money nowadays."

"It's the appropriate amount." Zhang made an innocent face and reclined back in the black leather chair and smoking a high quality cigarette from Cuba. He got irritated seeing him acting like that again.

"There's no way the reward for killing a detective is three-thousand yen."

"Killing a detective? You didn't even kill him."

"But the target is dead."

"That wasn't your feat. It's not like you carried it out."

"Then let me ask this." Lin was wearing a suit instead of his woman outfit. It was standard to wear a suit when he visited the office. Once he returned home, he took a shower and removed his makeup. "For instance, I try to kill a certain man, and I attack him. However, the man had a chronic disease to begin with. The man surprised by my a.s.saulting him causing him to have a heart attack and die. Would this also not be my work then? Even if it was not carried out by my hand directly, the man died because of me."

"The detective was hung. You had nothing to do with it."

"He may have been just scared his life was targeted by me and killed himself."

"You're a conceited kid." Zhang shrugged his shoulders back. "Do you seriously think he committed suicide?"

Lin frowned. "……What did you say?"

"That detective was killed."

There's no way. The police said it was a suicide. It was even reported as such on even ma.s.s media. "That's a lie."

"It's not a lie. He was killed. After he was strangled to death he was hung with a rope. If you pay the police they'll clean it up one way or the other."

"What the h.e.l.l is that."

In other words, he was beaten to it? By whom?

"And for you to not even realize that. This is why you're an amateur."

Those were inexcusable words. "Shut up. I'm not an amateur."

"Ahh, that's right. You're below an amateur." Zhang ridiculed while slowly exhaling the white smoke. "You're just a mere kid playing killer."

Lin glared at Zhang. He would not let the provocation pa.s.s. "I'll kill you, you s.h.i.+tty b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"Watch your mouth. If you say something so cheeky you'll be killed by the Niwaka Samurai."

The Niwaka Samurai – In the industry he was an infamous urban legend. It seemed he was a killer who specializes in killing killers, but no one had ever seen him.

"There's no way a Niwaka Samurai exists." Lin said in a manner as though making fun of kids believing in Santa Claus. That sort of threat won't work.

"Here, your next job." Zhang handed over a business card like throwing a frisbee to a dog. "He's an independent detective. It seems he was asking around some strange things at our store today. I don't know what he's sniffing around for, but he's an eyesore."

There was "Representative of the Banba Detective Office, Zenji Banba" on the business card. His residence was also written there.

"Kill him tomorrow."

Lin turned it down. "Nope."

"Ah?"

"Until you pay up I won't work."

He stated as a final word and left the office. He stuffed the detective's business card in his pa.s.s case and placed it in his breast pocket.

Thinking of returning by riding the subway, when walking from Haruyos.h.i.+ to Nakasu he ran into a man on a deserted street. It was a host-like man. "Ah, excuuuse me," he apologized with a drawn out voice.

On top of being in a bad mood in the first place he did not like the man's lighthearted manner of speaking, so Lin gave him a punch to the man's stomach. It was just an outburst of anger.

The man's body dropped to the ground.

"O-ow! What the h.e.l.l was that!"

He grabbed the man's collar, who shouted out why he hit him even though he apologized, and threatened in a low voice. "I could easily kill someone like you."

Taking out his specialized weapon, he turned the point of the blade to the man's forehead. The man paled and ran away at full speed while shouting, "I'll have this avenged, you better remember that!" It was the howl of a loser. That somehow cleared his head a bit.

Lin's home was in the east ward. After taking the subway from Nakasu-Kawabata and transferring at Kaizuka, he got off at Nis.h.i.+tetsu Kas.h.i.+ Station. About a five walk from there behind the JR Kas.h.i.+ Station was the mustard colored two story apartment building that was Lin's residence, bought from the Kakyuu Group. It had seven one room apartments with a kitchen, and the rent was about two to three million. It was a tasteless room with only a pipe bed, television, and a closet set up initially.

As he was about to take off his suit, Lin noticed his wallet was missing. Even though he put it in his pants pocket it cannot be found. Since he paid the train fare with a Nimoca card he did not realize his wallet was missing until just now. Where did I drop it? He thought over the activities over the today. I shouldn't have done anything that would cause me to drop my wallet, but perhaps it was stolen? When? By whom? Actually, the man I ran into at that time. Perhaps that host had pickpocket it? Well, it's not like there was much in the wallet, but even so I can't forgive that. I should have given him a few more punches, Lin laid down on the bed while feeling a bit of regret.

For now, I'll just sleep. I'm strangely tired today. My eyelids are heavy. This time it was not because of the fake eyelashes, but because he felt sleepy.