Chapter 8: A Ray of Light

Chapter 8: A Ray of Light

“Officer! It’s this person!”

“Come on, what are you saying! I was trying to save him!”

“Liar! I clearly saw you hitting him!”

“When did I ever hit him?”

“The moment I came in, you were hitting him!”

“Nonsense!”

“Actually, yes, this gentleman saved me.”

…

Awkward!

Utterly, painfully awkward!

Never in her sixteen years had Shinobu felt such embarrassment.

The police had actually been called, and upon seeing the man’s face, even they were taken aback.

Fortunately, the person who had been bullied explained the situation.

It truly was a misunderstanding; the police even gave Shinobu a warning.

Walking westward from Jinbocho, you come upon a river called Chidoribuchi, which encircles the famous Budokan.

By the riverside, one can see beautiful greenery and the roof of the Budokan.

But at this moment, Shinobu had no mind to admire the scenery.

She simply found a bench to sit on, then covered her face with her hands.

Secretly, she parted her fingers just enough to glance sideways.

Sitting beside her was the man from earlier—the fierce-looking Iwata Takeshi.

Seeing him like this, Shinobu felt a flicker of amusement.

The man also covered his face, but with only one hand.

…

Awkward!

Utterly, painfully awkward!

Never before had he, Iwata Takeshi, felt such embarrassment.

Though he hadn’t been in this parallel Tokyo for long, he was known as a tough fellow.

Today, feeling good and spotting injustice, he had rushed to help.

Who would have thought he’d end up... like this, thanks to a young girl.

Hmph! That girl’s footwork—though small—really did sting.

Unbelievable!

In hindsight, he shouldn’t have tried to be the good guy.

That girl... she seemed familiar.

Wait, what did she say her name was when the police asked?

Nakayama Shinobu?

No, Mitsuko?

Impossible. Could it really be her?

Though he thought this, the hand shielding his face parted slightly, and their eyes met.

Immediately, both turned away.

It really was like Mitsuko...

This man was fierce and cautious, yet honestly, even if it was Nakayama Shinobu, he wasn’t very familiar with her—just had seen that movie and heard she was Nakayama Miho’s sister. That was about it.

There was no helping it. Nakayama Miho’s fame was overwhelming. She was considered the female counterpart to Kimura, especially in the early ’90s when she held the title of the top beauty in the RB rankings.

That “top beauty” title wasn’t just hype. Even though her singing was mediocre, she sold over a million copies of her album. To put it in perspective, even the current chart-topping singer Akina only sells in the hundreds of thousands.

How did Miho sell so many?

Her looks, of course.

Just like how in later generations, singers who weren’t particularly talented managed to sell millions thanks to voice effects and electronic music. Under the sun, nothing is truly new.

As Shinobu stood and approached him, Iwata Takeshi lowered his hand, intending to intimidate with his fierce expression.

But it had no effect.

The girl stepped closer.

He wanted to ask, “Are you polite?”

Before he could speak, she bowed sincerely and said,

“Sumimasen!”

As the saying goes, you can’t hit a smiling face. Such a polite apology made it hard for Iwata Takeshi to hold a grudge.

She was just a young girl, and besides, it was a misunderstanding.

His anger dissipated considerably, and curiosity got the better of him.

Raising one eyebrow, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

Indeed, looking so fierce, why wasn’t this girl keeping her distance?

Unexpectedly, Shinobu smiled.

“You just saved someone, didn’t you? That means you’re a good person.”

Upon hearing that, an odd feeling swelled inside Iwata.

She was naive, easily trusting others. Me? Of course I’m a good guy!

“Don’t think that just because you call me a good person, I’ll forgive you.”

“Well...”

Shinobu frowned slightly. She had mustered a lot of courage just now.

She admitted her mistake. Usually, an apology would mean forgiveness, right?

But if not... no one had taught her what to do if the other person didn’t forgive.

After some thought, she bit her lip.

“Then, why don’t you kick me once, to make it even?”

With that, she turned decisively and shut her eyes.

Iwata nearly burst out laughing.

This girl had the spirit of the streets—an eye for reciprocity.

He was no longer angry; after all, it was a simple misunderstanding, and the girl’s sincerity meant he had no reason to be petty.

Just as he was about to speak, his nose almost got bent out of shape.

“Come on, Uncle, you go first!”

Uncle?

“Unbelievable! I don’t look like an uncle!”

He had almost forgiven her, and now she called him “Oni no Takeshi Uncle”?

Had she lost her mind?

I just look a little rough, that’s all! How many years older am I than you?

Shinobu realized she might have said the wrong thing.

Turning her head with an innocent expression, she delivered an unexpectedly cutting line.

“If I don’t call you ‘Uncle,’ wouldn’t that be rude?”

Like a thousand arrows piercing his heart, the fierce-faced man was struck.

Unbelievable! This girl was no ordinary person!

As the man known as “Oni no Takeshi” felt his blood pressure rise, a rumble came from Shinobu’s stomach—she had forgotten to eat.

Ahaha...

Iwata didn’t hesitate to mock her mercilessly.

Flushed with embarrassment, Shinobu felt even more awkward than before, but figured this might make up for it.

Just then!

Iwata’s stomach growled too—he had forgotten to eat as well!

They looked at each other...

Pfft!

They couldn’t hold it in anymore. The “uncle” and Shinobu burst into laughter, and whatever had happened before seemed to vanish.

Unexplainably, Iwata felt that Shinobu’s smile was like a ray of light shining into his world.

…

At night in Tokyo, many street food stalls appear—called yatai.

A ramen yatai sells ramen.

Not far from the bench was one such stall. Iwata and Shinobu went over and ordered two bowls, slurping them down.

Was it delicious? That might be an exaggeration.

But it wasn’t bad either.

The yatai ramen’s meat was authentic, slices were large, and the broth was well-prepared.

Many people ate here, especially office workers grabbing a quick meal after overtime—it was comforting.

Ha!

Both were truly hungry, finishing their bowls quickly and savoring the last sips of broth.

They exhaled contentedly in unison.

Then they exchanged glances.

“You didn’t forget your money, did you?”

“Uncle, you’re not going to let a girl pay, are you?”

Iwata pulled out his wallet with a helpless smile.

Unbelievable! What a loss today—having to treat her to dinner at the end.

Though small, the yatai’s owner wouldn’t rush them away.

After finishing, they just sat there.

Shinobu was waiting. After all, she had called the police, who had contacted her family.

That was why she had sat on the bench before—waiting.

But despite the long wait, no one came.

Probably busy, or it was her sister’s matter—her sister was truly very busy.

So why didn’t Iwata leave?

“Uncle, are you afraid something might happen to me?”

Hearing this, Iwata turned his head away.

Being told that hit him hard; a man so fierce should be hard to read.

Then Shinobu said again, smiling:

“Tokyo’s police are useless—they only show up after trouble starts.”

As a yakuza, he felt her words were natural.

Shinobu sensed Iwata was joking. An inexplicable urge welled up inside her; she wanted to confide.

“About what happened earlier... I felt bad. My classmates teased me, so…”

She told him about the karaoke incident.

Curious, Iwata asked, “Can I hear you sing?”

Shinobu hesitated but finally nodded, biting her lip.

They returned to the bench, and Shinobu began to sing.

Then...

Girl! You really shouldn’t be singing!

ps: Truly hoping for votes and support. Also, Japanese entertainment is quite niche; please help spread the word. Thanks a million.

(End of chapter)