Chapter 14
This is an interval story .
An interval story in time .
“I’m Chikage . ……Chikage Rokujo . Nice to meet you . ”
A few minutes after meeting with the young boy Mikado Ryuugamine, the one who appeared in front of Kazane Kinomiya was a young man named Chikage Rokujo .
“Ah……Hello, I’m Kazane Kinomiya . ”
“Kazane-chan? Is it Kazane written as sound of the wind?”
“Yes, though the characters for Kinomiya is a bit complicated though……”
“Then I’ll just call you Kazane-chan . Really, it’s such a nice name, isn’t it?”
Chikage talked in a light manner, but just previously he had knocked several men off their feet . Although Kazane was surprised seeing the young man who faced off several ruffians and remained rather unscathed, no curiosity and wariness arose in her .
This person has a similar ambience to Kadota-san somehow .
She could tell the outward smile of black-hearted people, likely because she had been involve in multiple quarrels in the past, but she felt the young man in front of her was really concerned for her well-being from the bottom of his heart and was not scheming anything .
Although, with him able to smile like this immediately after a fight, she could imagine he was dangerous enough that others would want to avoid fighting with him .
“Really, that was unfortunate . They said something about shark ski-mask guys, but what happened?”
“Ah……Well, I was asking around about the various color gangs in Ikebukuro for an article, but……then it seems I was mistaken as a member of one of those teams……”
Kazne gave back a safely worded answer since she did not know the relation between the “shark ski-mask” team – the Blue Squares – and the man in front of her . The young man then, ever with a cheerful smile, lightly patted Kazane’s shoulder .
“Is that so……You were scared, right? But you have courage, don’t you? Even though you’re younger than me, you go as far as interviewing with color gangs . ”
“You may think it’s too much on my own, but whatever the case, I’ve grown use to it since I was a child……”
Kazane had gotten involved with various troubles while searching for her brother of a different father, but she did not realize the uniqueness of her situation enough for her friends around her to tell her, “that isn’t normal . ” And as per usual, she ended up getting involved in another kind of trouble yet again today, and just as she was attacked she was saved by a strangely strong young man .
Then, the young man mentioned a term Kazane had heard of before .
“In Ikebukuro the Dollars guys are rather big, so you better be careful . I’m serious . ”
“Um……Do you know the Dollars?”
“Hm? Ahh……Well, somewhat . ”
Kazane was unsure whether to further press Chikage feigning ignorance, but before a conclusion came to her, other voices echoed within the area .
“Ahh! There he is! Rocchi! You were here~?!”
“……He’s flirting again . ”
“Whoa, there’s people fallen here!? Rocchi, did you fight again!?”
“Even though Rocchi is such a hardcore partier, he so plays up to the girls . ”
Four girls with each different speech patterns approached them, and upon seeing Chikage and Kazane they started complaining with puffed cheeks . Chikage on the other hand started speaking to them while still keeping that smile towards them .
“Sorry, my bad . I just saw this girl getting in some trouble with these dangerous idiots . ”
“Seriously, you just got up and left from the top of the pedestrian bridge all the sudden . Although I did think it was probably something related to a girl again . ”
“Haha, you’re so sharp, Non . Do you get jealous of every girl I approach twenty-four-seven?”
Chikage pressed a finger against the girl called Non’s forehead, but then she grasped that finger and bent it .
“Ow-ow-ow-ow . It’ll break, it’ll break!”
“It’d be great if it tore off . ”
After such a light mannered exchange, Chikage addressed Kazane again .
“So, who was it you were involved with? Was it those guys related to the Dollars?”
The Dollars – the moment that term came out, Non slightly averted her gaze . While rubbing Non’s shoulders gently, Chikage said to comfort her .
“It’s alright, Non . I won’t let you get into any sort of trouble . ”
“When you say that, you plan on doing something dangerous in exchange . ”
“It’s alright . You know I’m strong, right?”
Non puffed her cheeks as Chikage kept smiling gently at her .
“Though you got beaten up by that Heiwajima guy . ”
“As I said, that guy is just abnormal!”
Kazane’s eyes widened upon hearing that proper noun .
“!? You know Heiwajima-san!?”
“Eh!? Kazane-chan, you know mister Heiwajima!?”
“Ah……Yes, umm, he’s my brother’s friend……”
“Eh!? Is that so? What an amazing coincidence! If it’s your brother, then I bet he’s a cool guy . ”
Maybe because he felt the surprise at the coincidental connection, or he thought of a joke to simply prolong talking with a girl, Chikage mentioned another person’s name .
“……Huh? Now that I think about it, if you’re interviewing places like those Dollars, then do you know of that Kadota guy? He’s pretty famous among the Dollars . Ahh, right, those guys may have called themselves the Dollars, but sir Kadota it a decent guy, so you don’t have to worry, and I think you can interview him . ”
“Ah, yes . I have talked to him before . It seems Kadota-san is also a friend of my brother’s during high school……”
“Seriously? Isn’t your brother amazing?”
He praised her brother, Shinra Kishitani, although he had not met or talked with him before . Kazane felt a bit glad about that, but she could not honestly smile . It was because she knew the man Kadota had gotten into a serious predicament .
“It seems Kadota-san……had gotten into a car accident a few days ago……”
“Eh!? Are you serious!?”
Hearing someone he knew had gotten into an accident, Chikage showed a different surprised expression than earlier .
“Right now he’s in the hospital, but I don’t know the extent of his injuries……”
“Ahh……you’re kidding me…… . Do you know where he’s hospitalized?”
“Yes . Kadota’s father sent a group text to the addresses listed in Kadota-san’s cell phone . ……Umm, it is Raira General Hospital . I had planned to go visit the next time I was available but……”
Hearing Kazane’s words, Non spoke up .
“Hey, that Kadota-san was that person, right? He was with you in a sports ground like area in May……”
“Yeah . ”
“Then I’d better go visit him to . ”
“You’re so kind, Non . ”
Chikage shrugged lightly and asked the girls circling them .
“That’s right . How about we all go to Ikebukuro tomorrow, then . Although it’ll look like we’re going on a date for the visit . ”
With no one opposing Chikage’s view, he then said, “I have some things to prepare, so sorry everyone, but could you bring Kazane-chan back?” and went up and left somewhere .
On the other hand, Kazane who was left behind had tilted her head, uncomprehending . Seeing his circumstances until now, she thought for sure he would escort the circle of girls until their houses, but she could not swallow the situation of having the girls escort her back .
“What is all of your relations with Rokujo-san?”
Chikage’s circle answered Kazane’s question back while shrugging .
“I wonder about that . All of us together would be… . . his girlfriends, I guess . ”
“Wouldn’t it be the closest to say we’re his girlfriends rather than girl friends?”
“Wording it that way would lead to a misunderstanding . ”
“I don’t think of it that much . ”
There were various reactions from some of them chuckling to some letting out an exasperated sigh, but they did not seem to think this current situation was unnatural .
Then Non, who saw Kazane’s reaction, began to speak with a bitter smile .
“You know, that Rocchi, he always does his own thing . Even though none of us say “I want to be saved,” he always goes and saves us on his own . He says while smiling, “have you fallen for me again?” He says it like all of it, all of it is a joke . Even when he gets into serious trouble……he has an attitude that it isn’t a big deal . ”
“……”
“We’ve all more or less been saved by Rocchi . But don’t misunderstand, okay? It’s not like we’re with him because we feel indebted to him or anything . We’re always with Rocchi because it’s normally fun to be with him . ”
Seeing Non say that with an innocent smile, Kazane was a bit jealous . If she had lived facing forward like that then she could have stood in front of her brother sooner . Non added more details about the man who ran off and left them with a wry smile on her face .
“But we can’t stop Rocchi’s brashness . This is a bit selfish to say, but I think we also like that rash side of Rocchi . ”
The other girls in the area did not nod along, but they did not particularly rebuttal it either . Seeing their reactions, Kazane assumed everyone had the same feelings as this girl, Non .
And then, as though to prove that, all of them nodded in agreement at Non’s following words .
“When he leaves girls behind and goes off somewhere, Rocchi totally is going to do something rash again . ……It’s for the girls’ sake . ”
“Hey! Over here!”
The one who yelled that was one of the men that cornered Kazane previously . He did not attempt to surround her as he was on guard, but he attempted to run while his comrades were being beaten by Chikage . He managed to come back to the meet up place unscathed and came back with support .
The number of hoodlums he brought were roughly more than ten people and were lavished in a harsh imitating atmosphere as a collective group prowling the city at night .
“Hey, hey, you guys seriously got done in by one guy?”
The man acting as his comrades’ guide answered them, who were half believing and half in doubt .
“Yeah……While we were flustered, everyone just got beaten down one after the other……”
“Tch……How pathetic . This just means it’s time to crush those shark ski-mask guys . ”
He felt their irritation after they tutted and spit, but the man leading them grounded his teeth to not object back .
“Anyway, that guy is seriously bad . While half of us deal with him, the other half should catch the woman and use her as a hosta-……”
The moment the guide spoke such an idea, the man was blown away by an impact from the side before colliding into the fence and losing consciousness .
“H-hey! Are you alright!?”
“Who are you?! You bastard!”
There was a commotion at what just transpired, and the hoodlums raged about to conceal that .
Suddenly before the group, Chikage answered them while cracking his neck .
“You don’t understand with the flow just now? I’m that seriously bad guy who beat up your friends that man was going on about . ”
“H-hey……this guy”
It seemed one of the hoodlums had recognized him, and he shook as he pointed to the young man .
“I-it’s Rokujo . From that huge team near the Tobu line……This guy is Toramaru’s Chikage Rokujo!”
“What did you say!?”
The hoodlums looked around the area in haste, but they did not see the reinforcements they were afraid of – the members of Toramaru . Although they were rather relieved upon realizing that truth, one of the hoodlums began to speak while remaining vigilant .
“This doesn’t seem that… . . you’re friends with those shark ski-mask guys . Is it for that woman then?”
“No? I met her just a bit ago . ”
“You……Then why are you getting in our way! This has nothing to do with you!”
“Of course I do . I got her name when I met her . Now we’re friends . This means I’ll beat the ten of you for my friend . ”
In Chikage’s mind this made sense, but to the hoodlums they heard nothing but unreasonable words, and they began to expel killing intent around them .
“What’s that……? What do you gain from that……? You going to show off and die in front of that woman?”
“Not really? Since you came so quietly, it’s not in front of a woman . Well, I may show off though . ”
After cracking his neck a few times more, Chikage further stated as though recalling something .
“Ahh, right, right . It seems it’s bad for the body to crack your neck . It hurts the neck’s blood vessels, and if you’re not careful it could effect the cerebral infarction or cause cerebral apoplexy . ……But I just went and did it anyway . ”
“What the heck are you even saying……!”
Dodging the attack by the man who came to hit him with a metal pipe while saying that, Chikage beat him in the bridge of his nose with a counter attack .
“Ga-bah!?”
“It’s the same as that . I just went and did it . I can’t help it . Maybe it’s an illness . ”
After Chikage shrugged his shoulders scoffing at himself, he began to slowly approach the hoodlums who were in shock that their friend sunk to the ground with one blow .
“Well, it’s just about the same level as cracking your own neck . ”
In front of the hoodlums who come attacking him all together, Chikage yelled with a pleasant smile .
“For delinquents like you who try to kidnap women, I have to beat you all down!”
Kazane had not known what was going on as Chikage was finishing up beating all the delinquents, and while walking over the Kawagoe-Kaido she suddenly thought, “this place is near my brother’s house……”
Her brother was also beside an existence called the Headless Rider . That made Kazane uneasy as well, but since she could not measure her brother’s feelings being by such a dangerous existence she decided to ask the girls one question while understanding it was also rude .
“Don’t you all think……that it’s dangerous to be with Rokujo-san . ”
After Kazane had heard Rokujo’s position being a leader in a local gang, she asked that to the circle of girls .
Then, as though she was used to saying it, Non answered her .
“Yeah . We also don’t think Rokujo will always win . We think there may be a day we’ll get kidnapped . Actually, a few months ago, we were kidnapped once . ”
“Then why……”
“Hmm……When something happens we know Rocchi will put his life down to protect us, so if we can hang out with Rocchi then I guess we’re prepared to meet dangerous situations……”
If this were the words of a simple dreaming girl, then Kazane could conclude that she was way too naïve .
However, Non’s eyes were serious when she said, “we’ve been kidnapped once,” so Kazane could not say anything in the end, as she did not have the qualifications to say a different opinion right now .
Non waved her hand to the side while smiling at the confused face Kazane was making .
“Ahh, don’t make such a face . We know we’re a bit strange in the head too . ”
“But that’s not… . . ”
“It is . ……You know, in the end? What makes someone a bit strange more or less……is probably when they fall in love with someone . ”
After saying that with eyes like a dreaming girl, Non threw back words that were said neither jokingly nor seriously while chuckling .
“Besides, look……the characters for “love” and “change” look very similar . ”
The next day, in front of Raira General Hospital
“I wonder if Rokujo-san already went to visit him……”
She wanted to talk with him and the girls around him a little more . Spurred on by that thought, Kazane managed to work it into her schedule and came to visit Kadota . She was also worried for Kadota’s well-being, but she seemed to also use it as an excuse to see Rokujo and his group . Thus, Kazane headed to the hospital entrance while bearing feelings of guilt .
But her concern and guilt towards Kadota was driven out of her mind at once . It was because a human she never thought to meet was right in front of her .
“Hm… . . ?”
The young man also seemed to have noticed her presence, and after slightly pondering for a moment, his face brightened up .
“Ahh, what a coincidence I meet you at this timing . How many years has it been? Your features haven’t changed in the slightest, so I knew right away . ”
“Why……are you here……?”
In contrast to the man’s cheerful voice, Kazane spoke his name while recalling a strong sense of unease .
“Izaya……Orihara-san . ”
One of the words for love is koi (恋) . The word for change is hen/kawa(ru) (変) . These are the characters Non is referring to .
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