AREA 01 | Confusion and Order
Confusion and Order 1
What a surprise.
To think that this place is still standing, undemolished…
Ya stopped right in your tracks… Does that mean this is the place?
Such a well-kept buildin’ bein’ in such a dingy neighborhood like this is pretty wild…
So you’ve got people ya know overseas too, huh, HiMERU-kun?
Seems so…? But before, I thought he said he’d never been abroad.
—Correct, HiMERU has no experience abroad.
This residence here is where an acquaintance of HiMERU’s used to live. He would often send photos and insist for HiMERU to stop by if he ever came this way.
By following the address HiMERU was given back then, we’ve made our way here.
Hmm. An acquaintance who lives in such a far-out place like this, huh…
Well, anyhow, this means we won’t have to sleep outside in the chilly air!
Can’t argue with that! And we owe it all to Merumeru…!
A’ight, let’s head in. Sorry for intrudin’—Umm, the doorbell is…
No need to ring the doorbell.
Huh? What do ya mean by that…?
What’re you doin’, HiMERU-kun? Gutters like that are nasty, don’t put your hand in ‘em…
Here it is.
Is that… a key? Wait, is that for this buildin’?
But, why? You don’t have to go outta your way for somethin’ like that to get inside…
…So that’s why we don’t hafta ring the doorbell.
Well, I guess this way’s pretty chill too.
Stop comin’ to conclusions on your own. Tell us so we get it too, will ya?
The answer is simple. Nobody is currently living at this residence.
Like I said, the story I had mentioned is from years ago.
Ohh! It’s a little dusty, but the inside’s pretty fancy, huh!
...
HiMERU-kun? Is something wrong?
No, nothing at all.
(…That’s strange. This safe house should have been abandoned years ago…)
(Sure, I’d brought us here with the faint hope that we could shelter ourselves from the elements at the very least, but…)
(The electricity is still on. How?)
(Judging from the state of the interior and the dust settled on the furniture, it doesn’t appear anyone is living here, but…)
The lights were workin’, so I figured to give it a chance, but… Nope, no luck.
Seems there’s no runnin’ water or gas. Guess this place’s nothin’ more than somewhere to hunker down in for the night.
That’s plenty enough! If we need water, I got this here mineral water I bought to cook with!
Besides, I’ve got the most important thing packed in my carry-on—food♪
Ah, you all gotta be real hungry, right? Lemme whip up somethin’ to eat!
…No, HiMERU will pass.
I pass as well. I ain’t exactly hungry, so…
Actually, weren’t ya eatin’ while we were pickin’ up Rinne-han? You’re seriously eatin’ again, huh.
Nahaha, well I burned up all my energy walkin’ over here!
Oukawa. Where did Amagi go off to?
Oh, Rinne-han honed in on that big bed in the bedroom the moment he saw it, brushed off all the dust and flopped right onto it.
Bet he went through hell today. I reckon the exhaustion finally caught up to him?
In Amagi’s case, there’s nobody to blame for that but himself, but…
Whatever the case, it’s not as if there’s anything else we can do here. We should all get some rest.
You said it. … Now that I’m thinkin’ ‘bout restin’, I can feel the energy drainin’ outta my bones.
I think I’ll be borrowin’ that bed over there. … Well then, good night.
(Now, is there anything I need to do?)
(I don’t believe there’s anything left here that may lead to them, but…)
(There are some discrepencies… Such as the fact the electricity is still on.)
(Before I take any breaks, I think I’ll check if anything catches my eye. And hopefully, there will be nothing.)
(But before that, first…)
This with this looks like it’ll make for a good breakfast!
Ah, but… In the morning, maybe there’ll be some places open somewhere…!
If it’s morning, there might be places open somewhere…!
Shiina. We don’t have a single cent to our name right now.
Oh, right, you’re right! Then these will do for breakfast, then~ ♪
Are you not heading to sleep yet?
Nahaha, I just figured to fill my stomach a bit before bedtime.
There’s nothing worse than getting woken up from a real good sleep by your tummy rumbling~
… Got it.
Maaan, I seriously thought we were cooked for a while there, but you really came and saved the day, HiMERU-kun!
Rinne-kun and I are one thing, but y’know, I’d hate for Kohaku-chan to have to sleep outside.
… Well, if it weren’t for HiMERU dropping his wallet, we all would have made it back to the hotel, though.
Nahaha, but ain’t we as much to blame? Havin’ spent just as much money on ourselves.
I didn’t expect you to have known somebody overseas, though…
Nah, actually, I shouldn’t be surprised, should I? You speak English and everything!
How do you know the guy who lived here? He a cousin, or somethin’?
...
Well, the area here’s a bit rough ‘round the edges, it’s kinda surprising he lived somewhere like this.
HiMERU-kun, could this person ya know actually be pretty bad news?
That’s…
… Hm? Ah! The seal on this has opened up a little! Did I snag it on somethin’ somewhere…?
Hmm… Well, it’s already open, so I might as well have it for my late-night snack!
(He’s not really asking questions for the answer… is he?)
(This is Shiina we’re talking about. The guy who says whatever’s on his mind with little thought behind it.)
You really did buy a lot of things, huh? What is all this…?
Hm? These here are souvenirs for the kids who work part-time at Cinnamon! It’s some candy that’s apparently real popular in the states right now.
These over here are ingredients and seasonings for cooking… And this is a snack I’m givin’ my manager that pairs well with alcohol.
That truly is the perfect snack to go with alcohol.
Come to think of it, HiMERU has never seen you drink, Shiina. You’ve already turned 20, haven’t you?
I know, I know~! HiMERU-kun, you gotta hear me out with this too!
What is it…?
I was planning to start drinking the moment I turned 20, you know!
My manager promised he’d introduce me to some places with good drinks, and so I’ve been doing research and stuff on it.
Y’know, what kinda tasty drinks there are, the kinda snacks that go with them— that kinda stuff! And I was so looking forward to it, but…
— Hey, we’ve been crazy busy from the moment the MEGASPHERE stuff ended!
You’re right about that. The Vice President gleefully packed our schedules full after seeing our streaming activities on the MEGASPHERE bear fruit.
Guess it was kind of a ripple effect~? All sorts of work ended up comin’ my way, too.
And before I had time to kick back and relax, in came MM!
HiMERU sees. He had assumed that Amagi would have taken you out for a drink by now…
No way! There’s no way I’d go have my first drink with Rinne-kun!
I’d actually like to savor the drink, you know!
If I’m gonna go out drinking with someone, I’d rather it be you, HiMERU-kun. You wouldn’t get plastered and pester me the whole rest of the night.
That’s nice of you to say, but…
Hm? …Oh, wait a second, you haven’t turned 20 yet, have you, HiMERU-kun?!
Forget what I said just now! Encouraging minors to drink alcohol is a serious offense! A serious no-no for a chef to do!
…No, please don’t worry about it.
Ahh… In that case, HiMERU-kun, I’ll read up on everything so once you turn 20, I can make sure you only have the best of the best!I’ll find the best places to go for a drink and the best snacks to go with it!
After all, it’s all about first-times, right~ ♪ We gotta make it the best it can be!
— Fufu, alcohol given a seal of approval by Shiina’s discerning palate sounds quite promising.
Aye aye! Leave it to me!
…Anyhow, it’s gotten quite late. Please get some rest after you’ve gotten your fill, Shiina.
There should be a sofa over there you can use.
Confusion and Order 2
Very impressive, Nanashi.1 You’ve saved me a lot of trouble.
Catching a vagrant on the run is easy enough, but I’d rather not waste the energy I have.
— All “I” merely did was my job.
Indeed. That you did.
However, there are far too many things in this world that cannot be “merely done”.
I’m impressed with your work ethic. I’ll be counting on you next time, Nanashi.
... I told you to stop calling me by that name.
I call you that because I have nothing else to call you. I just need something to call you, whether it’s a fitting name or not.
And so I’ve chosen to call you “Nanashi”. I’ve adopted it from the placeholder name reigning from your home country of Japan of “Nameless Gonbei”—“Nanashi no Gonbei.”2
Doesn’t that make for a nice pair? Nameless Gonbei and John Doe.
...
Oh, could it be you would have preferred “Gonbei”? I had the impression it differed from the image you had in mind...
Enough. Let’s keep moving.
It’s that district again. I imagine this area’ll prove to be a difficult one, so how about we bring this one back and take care of him together?
That’ll just be a waste of our time.
Hmm... Well, I’ll call over my lackeys then. Give me a moment—
(— What am I doing in a place like this?)
(Maintaining public order within a slum sounds good on paper, but...)
(In reality, it’s nothing but squeezing pennies out of scumbags in the language this place knows best.)
(And... if our management requires greater force, we procure further manpower accordingly.)
(A city of splendor—and behind it, a heap of outcasts thrown out from it. And my job—to manage the bastards that squat in this dump.)
(I cannot comprehend how these people willingly choose to live in a place like this. These guys continue on living, even if it means crawling along the ground and gulping down muddy water.)
(... No, as if I’m in any place to speak.)
(I myself broke out into the outside world, unable to accept the world I had previously lived in. ... Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I ran away.)
(Anywhere would have sufficed—anywhere but that place. No reality out there would be more unbearable to face than that one.)
(And so I decided to survive by any means necessary, and... I left into a world where I wanted to live.)
(And here is the result. I stand beside those who oppress the weak, living out my days, one at a time.)
(After all, that’s just how reality is.)
Haah... Even still, it’s far better than being at that place.
The amount here falls short of what we asked of you. And here I’d already granted you an extension and everything...
... That was not a cue for you to make excuses. Must I repeat myself?
Hand over the amount, in full. If you don’t have enough, then rob somebody, or whatever it is you do. You got this money through shady means too, didn’t you? Or... do you intend to make an enemy out of him?
(Wailing, screaming... Grating to the ears as always.)
(Where are you supposed to go if you’re kicked out from here, you ask? … As if we’d give a damn about that.)
(Sigh) This is the only place where you belong, you say?
You don’t actually think saying things like that will get you any mercy from us, do you?
…
Why couldn’t you have gotten the money, in that case?
If this place is the only place where you belong, like you say, then why didn’t you fight for it like your life depended on it?
... Ahh, enough with that. How about you pay us in a different way?
This one will come with us, too. Take him away, and...
— I finally found you~ So you guys are the managers, huh~?
... It’s one thing after another. What is it?
I heard one of my buddies got snatched and so I came running~
(... Strange.)
(He looks a little shabby, but this pipsqueak sticks out like a sore thumb here. Is it because of his age...?)
Hey, Mr. Managers. ... If you need money, could you wait just a little longer?
Lately, turf wars have been real intense here~? So no one’s really been able to do what they need to as easily~
Everyone’s doing their best to get together the money, even at a time like this. So—
— So what?
That is your problem, not ours. Why should we have to make allowance for that?
You’ve got some big ol’ title like “manager”, but you’re pretty small-minded, huh~?
... What did you just call me?
It’s not as if you guys are exactly hurting for money, anyways, you get to live your life as freely without any worries!
We don’t have any choice but to live here. ...That’s the kind place this is~
I’ll put my entire life on the line to fight to protect this place~!
(...)
— That’s enough, there’s no point in listening to this brat. Take him away, and don’t waste time.
Yes, sir. ...And you—don’t put up a fight either. Unless, of course, you’re looking to get hurt...
...John Doe, don’t let your guard down!
...!!
Why you... You’re not getting away...!
Hey, stop it! Don’t you put a hand on my buddy...!
...– Guh!
(!? This brat, he’s getting in the way of my work again...)
(Sigh) ... I’ll go after that man. I’ll leave this matter to you.
You’re not going anywhere...!
... Forget it!
... Gh!?
Nyahaha. ... You’re pretty good, huh~?
But it’s not like I’m gonna throw in the towel, y’know~ I owe that guy a lot~
If you’re gonna get in my way, I’m not gonna go easy on you, y’know~?
—Don’t be ridiculous.
You called that man your “buddy”... But does he think the same about you?
... Huh?
There was not a lick of hesitation in his decision to flee. It was as if... He was sure that someone would come to try to stop us.
You’ve been used by him.
“Used by him”... Something like that’s just impossible... Don’t screw around with me like that~
...I’ll tell you again. Don’t be ridiculous.
Every so often, I’ll come upon people like you. Idiots.
Someone who knows how to use his fists, but someone who’s also easygoing, good-hearted.
People like that—people like you are great to keep around, because... those kinds of people make for good bullet shields in this line of work.
That’s not true...! We help each other...!
That’s just what you want to believe, isn’t it? What was it that was said earlier... Because “this is where you belong”?
If you wield your power, people will flock to your side. ...That must’ve felt good, didn’t it?
Shut your mouth...!
Here, those around you have deceived and taken advantage of you.
—Is that the place where you truly belong?
You’re wrong, you’re wrong... Everything that’s coming out of your mouth is absolute garbage~
And about me— ... And what do you know about me!?
...What a troublesome brat you are.
... Hn-gh!?
... Impressive work. You knocked him unconscious with a single blow...
He seems to have some semblance of skill, but... In the end, he’s still just a kid. I believe he lost control of himself in his anger.
Everything on your end taken care of?
Indeed, I had my lackeys detain him. ... I believe that concludes our work for the day.
I’m quite beat. Let’s make ourselves scarce and head back to the safe house?
...Right.
...
The place where I... truly belong...