Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Volume 2 Chapter 6

Warning: Mention of Rape

Top of Sixth Inning

Banba had stated that he would not work, but he did exactly as he claimed he would. During Yamakasa Banba would not do any killings or any work for the detective office. There were days he would be gone early in the morning, and days he would be sleeping all morning. There were times he would go out after noon or in the evening and come back drunk. He would wear a traditional coat called a happi and a shimekomi nearly half naked and depart exultantly. Just what on earth does he do? According to Genzo the Yamakasa partic.i.p.ants at this time should be busy training to head for Oiyama. But he sure is putting a lot of effort into this festival c.r.a.p. Lin was amazed.

When Lin woke up Banba had already left for today as well. And he left his worn pajamas scattered around. Even when night fell Banba still had not returned. Just as he turned on the television and was going to watch the night news program a guest came to the office.

It was k.u.miko Izuku.

The report of their findings into her affair should be on the 14th. There should still be time until the appointed date, so what does she want? Since Banba was absent he had to deal with her. Lin, while annoyed, brought k.u.miko inside and had her take a seat.

Just as he was pouring her a cup of barley tea, k.u.miko began to speak. "My husband hasn't come home."

"……Ha?"

"At the end of last month, he left saying he had a business trip and hasn't come back. And everyone else at the company has said he has been absent without permission……And they said my husband didn't have a business trip planned to begin with." k.u.miko muttered resentfully. "……It has to be that woman."

"That woman?"

"The woman in the photo. He eloped with that woman." Her expression was filled with malice.

If her husband disappeared shouldn't she be anxious over his well being if he got into a situation first? And yet without any basis for it she immediately suspects he's cheating. What a terrible wife.

"I'll tell you now." Feeling pity for her husband Tadafumi, Lin insisted on his innocence in his place. "Your husband isn't cheating on you. He wasn't a customer at that club. He was working part-time there as a driver."

k.u.miko frowned. "……Part-time?"

"He has a job bringing the girls back to their homes. That picture was from one of those times too."

k.u.miko had her head tilted to the side with an expression as though saying, 'why would he have a part-time job?', so Lin sympathized with him more. Isn't it because you're not making any money? How pathetic. He wanted to say.

"Even though it's for a part-time job, that doesn't mean he isn't cheating." k.u.miko objected.

That's true.

When she mentioned that he could certainly see it. There was the possibility he met a young woman and fell in love with that part-time job. But Lin had already wrapped up the investigation early, having decided her husband was innocent.

k.u.miko persistently suspected he was cheating on her. Is that a wife's intuition? Or does she have a distrusting personality to begin with? She is annoying.

"At any rate, please look for my husband."

"Shouldn't you send in a investigation request to the police?"

"I already am doing that. Do you know how many people go missing everyday? It's not like the police will look for him personally."

Her domineering att.i.tude did not sit well with him, so he thought of refusing. But he could not make the decision on this. He was told from the head that they had to accept any job.

"Can you handle the extra fee?"

"Keep it as cheap as you can."

He told her he would make contact with her once he knew something and sent k.u.miko away. Now he got another needless job.

Alone again in the office, Lin called up a certain person.

An informant for troublesome times.
Enokida was currently near Ca.n.a.l City, so they decided to meet up at a diner in one of the cafeterias.

"This is rare; getting a call from you." When Lin arrived Enokida was already waiting. He asked him while sipping his oolong tea, "where's Banba-san?"

"He's off for the Yamakasa break." He took a seat on the other side of him and answered his question.

"Ah, is that so? It's already that season, huh."

Enokida was eating pork shogayaki. After Lin orders the same meal as him he said in a murmur, "why does he go so far just for some festival."

"It can't be helped. Banba-san is the typical n.o.bosenmon after all."

"n.o.bosenmon?"

"The type of guy who get fired up for festivals or compet.i.tions."

He agreed. He certainly got like that during baseball games too.

"Speaking of Banba-san," Enokida changed the topic. He said in a cheerful tone. "I heard from Gen-san. Seems he's being hunted down by the Kakyuu Group."

"And despite that he is only thinking about the festival and is drinking every day. ……That guy lacks a sense of danger."

"That's quite like Banba-san. He goes at his own pace."

He wanted to make clear it was not like he cared what would happen to Banba, but he could not do that. He recalled the time he met Banba back in November of last year. At that time, Lin was still a killer under the Kakyuu Group. When his sister was killed he had tried to seek out revenge against the company, but he fell for their trap and found himself in a predicament. The one who had saved him was Banba.

He felt responsibility towards him. The Niwaka Samurai being targeted by the Kakyuu Group was his fault. And so he could not pretend not to see this case involving him.

"I have to do something about it."

He would not let Banba get killed. He planned to fulfill that obligation, and Lin also had his pride. He could not back away from this debt. He decided that no matter what kind of a.s.sa.s.sin came after him he would beat them in turn. However, even if he killed one there would just be another a.s.sa.s.sin to appear. There would be no end to it. After all, the hired killers were limitless for the organization. Preferably he may have to break the chain by killing the one on top.

"……Hey, mushroom." He asked him with a serious expression. "Do you think I could kill Long Fang w.a.n.g?"

Could he face off against the Kakyuu Group the way he was right now; he wanted the informant's objective opinion.

"Wouldn't that be hard?" Enokida's answer was honest. "You should know the force of w.a.n.g's bodyguards yourself, right? Since you used to be one of them."

In general wherever Long Fang w.a.n.g went several guards follow suite. They were incredibly skilled gunmen who used to be killers. The only time w.a.n.g would be alone was when he met with his lovers in a hotel. Naturally even his guards would not be so uncouth as to be in the bedroom with them.

The man Long Fang w.a.n.g liked women to an abnormal degree, making numerous lovers. If he could just make use of that weakness –

Lin recalled the hostess at the club: the woman with the hostess name, Yuri. He had heard that w.a.n.g had taken quite the affection towards her. Does he have a preference for women like that? When he peeked into the VIP room Yuri was unmistakably beautiful. Her hair was neat, and she thoroughly maintained her nails. Her makeup was moderate, and her supple lips coated in a beige lipstick were voluptuous. From what he could see she was not too young. She seemed to be just before her thirties. And so she had a kind of reserved almost cla.s.sy aesthetic to her. He considered her to be a nice looking woman for making good profits.

However, from his perspective he was out of that league. He heard that w.a.n.g went through the hostesses there. If he could get close to him, he probably could get invited over with ease. In actuality w.a.n.g had shown interest in him at that time.

"Ahh, that'd be impossible." Enokida after listening to what Lin had to say shot down his idea readily.

Lin was sullen. "Why's that?"

"Before the two are left alone in a hotel, w.a.n.g's lover has to go through a full body exam. They are stripped down in front of his subordinates, and they pat them down and elaborately check to see if they have any hidden weapons on their person."

"They go that far? ……That's rather extreme."

"There's a reason for that. A female killer in the past thought the same thing as you and had tried to kill w.a.n.g. She seduced him to get his attention and managed to set up a time for them to be together, but during the body check at the hotel they found a knife hidden in her skirt."

"…..And then." He pressed for more. "What happened to her?"

"On top of getting ganged raped by his subordinates they cut out her guts and fed her remains to the pigs."

He was taken aback. He did not know how much of that was true. But for a man that was also the head of the Kakyuu Group it would not be far off for all of it to be true.

"In your case you'll be out as soon as they remove your clothes. And immediately you'd be made into a pig's course." Enokida picked up a slice of the pork shogayaki and stuffed it in his mouth. He laughed while he chewed. "And the pig that would eat you could end up being served to me as a delicious delicacy like this."

Imagining that he felt sick.

"And the chance that Long Fang w.a.n.g is into guys?"

"Probably none. He does dabble with women indiscriminately, but his striking zone is not very wide. And so the killers after w.a.n.g are mainly women. It's easy for them to get close to him."

Enokida shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, even in the one in a million chance he was interested, it'd be difficult. Even if you were fortunate enough to manage getting alone together, you'd be at a disadvantage. w.a.n.g is a skilled killer as well, and since he has such a muscular body even if you tried to kill him bare handed you wouldn't last a chance against him with your strength."

"Could I use something in the hotel room to kill him?"

"His subordinates would clear out the room for any lethal weapons in advance. Even a razor or a dryer. Even the cord for the TV."

"If I could hide a weapon where they can't find it on my person, then would I be able to?"

"They would find it at every part of your body though?"

Would they go that far? His eyes widened.

"If you were a street performer who could spit out a knife you swallowed freely that'd work."

Just as Enokida said, a.s.sa.s.sinating w.a.n.g would be severely difficult. It seemed he could only be prepared for the a.s.sa.s.sins the Kakyuu Group would send right now.

"You should be worried for yourself and not just Banba-san as well." Enokida suddenly gave him a warning. "It seems killer hunting is abuzz recently."

"Killer hunting?"

"Yeah. I guess there's a freelance killer like you going around killing new killers in the Kitakyushu area. Without being hired to do so."

Carrying out killings without receiving any money. He could not comprehend that. "And why would someone do that?"

"Who knows. Maybe to lessen the amount of rivals or to make his name more known……. Or perhaps he's just a lunatic who loves killing through and through."

"What kind of person is that killer?"

"Some call him the Submarine Ninja. It seems they gave him that name since he throws shuriken with an under throw."

"What a ridiculous killer." After he said that he recalled that there was a more ridiculous killer he was familiar with.

Finishing his food, Enokida moved back to the main topic. "Now then, what did you need from me?"

He had completely forgot what his original objective was. Lin took out a photo and handed it over to Enokida. "Look up this guy's whereabouts. His name is Tadafumi Izuku. An ordinary person."

He took stock. He cleaned. And he said "welcome" cheerfully in greeting. He worked on the register, took the money, and handed back the change and receipt. He bowed his head and said, "thank you very much."

It was a scene that happens everywhere, but to Saitou it was an irreplaceable moment. He wanted to spend his peaceful days in normalcy and tranquility. His job as a convenience store clerk was one Saitou had sought for.

Saitou's part-time job was near Ca.n.a.l City in Nakasu. The store was marked by its blue, white and green design. His shift was from eleven at night until five in the morning. His hourly wage was 900 yen. The pay was three times less than his previous job, but it was far better than the risks involved in trespa.s.sing the law.

There were very few customers in the dead of night at the convenience store. He had a lot of spare time and was often lost in thought. While setting up stock silently, Saitou thought back to his life the year before. Back when he was still an employee of Murder Inc. Saitou had failed his first job at the Tokyo headquarters he belonged to. He was then transferred to f.u.kuoka and had to carry out his next a.s.signment. He was caught by avengers, was almost tortured by them, and then somehow ended up wanted for a series of rape cases and murders by mistake. So now being able to live a normal life like this could only be called a miracle.

There was the chime of a melody, indicating a customer came into the store. Saitou stopped what he was working on and headed to the register. "Welcome."

Saitou immediately took notice of an irregularity with the customer. The person who entered was a man wearing work clothes. He could a.s.sume he was a man from his physique. However, he was wearing a ski mask that kept his face hidden.

No matter how he looked it, it was a robbery.

The man took out a knife and pointed the tip towards Saitou.

"Give me the money!"

Just as he thought, it was a robbery.

He placed a black bag in front of Saitou. "Put all the money from the register in here!"

"Y-yes!" Saitou's shoulders shook, and he answered in less than a moment.

He found it pathetic he was obeying so obediently. However, his life was more important than the store's money. He opened the register and stuffed the cash into the bag.

In that time the robber picked up a basket in one hand and loitered through the store. What is this robber? Saitou kept a watch on him. Does he plan on shopping normally?

After awhile the robber took the basket filled with food and drink like onigiri and plastic water bottles to the register and told him, "put these in with it." So on top of stealing money he was stealing the store's products as well. This robber was shameless.

After he put the products into the bag the chime riang again. Another customer walked in. It was a man this time as well. He was wearing a black suit with a necktie neatly tied. He was wearing sungla.s.ses with a sharp design on them like ones a sports player would wear. Even though it was the middle of July, right now this man was wearing a trench coat. He was a customer he was familiar with. He was a regular who only ever buys coffee. He had a characteristic getup, so it left an impression on him.

Even though the customer saw the robbery going on his complexion did not change in the slightest. And without hesitance he walked towards the counter.

"Please move." The regular customer in the trench coat told the robber. It was a low pitched voice with a grimness to it.

"Ah? What did you say?" The robber threatened him.

Ignoring that the customer told Saitou. "Cigarettes please. The 48th one over there."

"You're in the way! Go over there!"

The robber swung the weapon at the customer.

"Likewise," the man grabbed him by the arm. "You're in my way of purchasing my items."

He then twisted his arm, and the robber gave out an uncouth yelp. "Ow-ow-ow-ow." His palm loosened its grip, and the knife dropped to the floor. The customer kicked that away towards the center of the store.

The robber, now unarmed, cursed. "s.h.i.t!" He grabbed the thousand yen bill and onigiri before dashing out of the store. He turned tail and ran.

"Ah, wait."

Saitou quickly grabbed a paintball left at the register and chased after him. The robber was ahead of him by twenty meters. Saitou took his stance and made a pitch at his back. It was a straight pitch thrown with all his might. The paintball hit the robber square in the back and burst open. The paint splattered on his clothes, dying them an orange color. The robber disappeared into a narrow alley shortly after.

"…..U-um." Once Saitou returned to the store he bowed his head to the trench coat man. "Thank you for saving me."

"No, it was nothing."

"What is your name?"

"I'm not someone worthy enough to give a name," the man answered. "……Is what I want to say."

He moved his gaze towards Saitou's chest. His name tag was attached on his left side. The characters Saitou were written on it.

"Though since I know your name, I feel it would be a bit unfair for you not to know mine."

"Ha-haa……" Is that what this is?

"My name is Gondo." The man offered his name. "George Gondo."

What a unique name. Is he half j.a.panese? He pondered in his mind.

"Gondo-san, thank you very much. Is there anything I can -"

"No, it's alright." Gondo said and raised his palms up towards Saitou.

Saitou went to take the coffee he always bought from the refrigerator shelf and handed it over to him with the specified cigarettes he wanted. "Here you go. This is my treat."

Gondo accepted Saitou's courtesy in earnest. "Now then, without further ado."

He put the canned coffee into his pocket, turned over the cuffs of his trench coat and departed in a gallant fashion. Saitou watched him leave for a bit, but then he returned to himself upon recalling. That's right. I encountered a robber. I have to report this to the police.

Bottom of Sixth Inning

Yamamoto had left, cheerfully saying he would go shopping, but two hours later he came back to the car with a disheartened expression.

"Where did you go?"

"I went to a nearby convenience store to withdraw some money……" He handed over a crumbled thousand yen bill and a kombu flavored onigiri to Abe. "Here you go."

For some reason Yamamoto's clothes were dyed an orange color from his back to his rear.

"When you went to withdraw money at the convenience store, how did you get your clothes so dirty?"

"Well, um….." He stuttered.

He asked once more. "Where did you try and withdraw money from?"

"……From the register."

Abe held his head in his hands. "Why are you that much of an idiot."

"But we needed money……"

Actually now thinking about it, this guy used to be a convenience store robber, he recalls. "They didn't see your face, right?"

"……Maybe."

Yamamoto's explanation was after that. He kept watch of the convenience store until there was a moment the store employee was alone before proceeding with the robbery. He threatened the store attendant with a knife and had him stuff the bag with money. He then added food to it. And then a strange man wearing a trench coat came in and took away his knife. At a loss, Yamamoto s.n.a.t.c.hed the thousand yen bill and onigiri and ran away at full speed. Once he ran twenty sum meters away he had thought he managed to escape. However, he was. .h.i.t with a paintball by the shop attendant with incredible aim. That is what he told him.

How much of it was true or part of Yamamoto's exaggeration he could not tell. Or how much of it was one of his delusions. He did not know, but he did something outrageous. Going through with robberies and only gain onigiri and a thousand yen was not worth it.

Thinking it was pointless to say anything more to this man, Abe held his tongue. He opened the newspaper while stuffing his face with the stolen onigiri.

"What are you reading?" Yamamoto peeked over.

"Are you stupid enough you can't understand by looking? A newspaper, you got it? A paper that has news on cases and accidents."

"I know at least that much." Yamamoto pouted. "You've been reading the newspaper a lot recently, so I wondered if there is some funny four panel comic or something."

Abe had been checking the newspaper without fail since the day Yamamoto accidentally killed the man and they had thrown him into the sea. He was curious if they had found the body or not.

"Ah," Yamamoto caught a glimpse at the paper from the side and pointed to a certain article. "Here."

What caught Yamamoto's interest was a small article about an ident.i.ty fraud case.

The culprit of it impersonated a member of a male idol group and apparently sent false e-mails to fans which read, 'if I get a substantial reward, I will give worn-out underwear' to try and earn large amounts of cash. The culprit was caught. The underwear the fans paid for and received were from some unsatisfying unemployed male in his fifties. Abe was shocked to see there were people who fell for this fraud. I guess the world is filled with nothing but idiots. And they want underwear that much?

Yamamoto's eyes were alight. "I thought of something good!"

"Something good?" He could not rejoice when Yamamoto said anything 'good.'

"Let's impersonate someone!"

"Ha?"

"We can make a post on the net for jobs. And impersonate as a famous killer. There's that 'Niwaka Samurai,' right? We should get a ton of jobs coming in that way."

There were numerous people who made posts for jobs on underground websites. There were several made in a single day. If they used the famous Niwaka Samurai name they should get clients to take the bait. Since an unemployed old guy could impersonate an idol, they could impersonate the Niwaka Samurai. But even if they get jobs there was one problem.

"Do you think we can handle the jobs the Niwaka Samurai gets?"

"Then we don't do them. We can take only the advance payment and just flee after that."

"That's fraud."

"It is. It's advance pay fraud."

"That's an incredible crime." After he told him this he realized the abnormality in what he said. Am I saying that killing is good and fraud is bad now?

"It's fine. Please leave it to me." Yamamoto took out his smartphone and opened a certain website.

And on the job application forum he wrote, 'Awaiting to accept murder requests for one hundred thousand yen, exact. Niwaka Samurai.'

"……What's with this wording?"

"Isn't it better to say 'await'?"

First they would do exchanges on a free e-mail service with the person who looked at the post and made contact with them. They would decide on a day and time to meet in person and have them prepare the advance money for then. After they took the payment they would delete their address and cover their tracks. That was Yamamoto's plan.

He did not think it would go well, but a few minutes later they got someone interested in Yamamoto's post as the Niwaka Samurai.

"Will you do try-outs for the Kakyuu Group?" Nitta said that to him in the evening. An organization interested in Saruwatari appeared as he was proceeding with the killer hunting. They were a multinational mafia called the Kakyuu Group.

The meeting with the Kakyuu Group was today at ten thirty in the afternoon. The location was at a club in Nakasu called Eve. He took an express train on the Kagoshima Main Line from JR Kokura Station to Araki and from there headed to Hakata. And from there he took a taxi to Nakasu.

When Saruwatari arrived at the facility he was guided into the center room. It appeared to be a private room used as a VIP room and was first-cla.s.s with a sofa and table.

There were two men in the room already. One was a young man with dreadlocks. He was sitting on the sofa and gulping down a whiskey. He was dressed like a cowboy. His hat had its f.l.a.n.g.es curved and was hanging from his neck, and he had a gun belt around his waist with revolvers on both sides.

The other was a middle-aged man wearing a trench coat even though it was summer. He was standing in the center of the room patiently. He had sungla.s.ses on.

Is this a gathering for the oddb.a.l.l.s now? He wondered. Both of these men were likely killers called in by the Kakyuu Group just like Saruwatari.

Saruwatari sits down with his back against the wall near the entrance of the room.

"…..We still got some time it looks like."

The cowboy-like man suddenly spoke up.

"How about we introduce ourselves to kill time." The man suggested and gave his name. "My name is Riku Makishimo. Have you heard of me? The Two-Hand Gun Ricky?"

He had never heard of him.

Is he really famous? He doesn't look like anyone special, Saruwatari snorted.

"And you?"

Ricky asked Saruwatari. After ignoring it and a few moments of silence he muttered quietly, "You're a boring guy."

As if I'm stupid enough to give information on myself so easily, he a.s.sumed silence, yet the other man kept talking.

"Even though I know your name I feel it would be a bit unfair for you not to know mine." The man in the trench coat also gave his name. "I'm George Gondo. I'm often called G.G."

"What?" Ricky was stunned upon hearing that and his eyes widened. "G.G you say?"

He quickly stood up from his spot and approached the man.

"You serious? Like the legend? Are you really G.G? Whoa, this is the first I've seen of you! I thought you would be more like an old man, but you are surprisingly young! Ah, could I shake your hand?"

– What is this man getting all excited over?

"G.G?" Saruwatari whispered and tilted his head. It was a name he had never heard of before.

At that Ricky's eyes pop out of his head.

"You don't know him? G.G is super famous! He's the strongest killer in f.u.kuoka history! A coelacanth in the killer industry!"

He approaches Saruwatari and peers at his face.

"Are you really one of us if you don't know of G.G? Ah, could it be you're a newcomer?"

It was with a belittling tone. This guy p.i.s.ses me off. When that thought pa.s.sed through his mind it was already too late.

"Shut your trap." His left fist sunk into the man's face.

"He-bu"

Being punched in the face suddenly, Ricky gave an uncouth cry. He then fell backwards and remained unmoving. He seemed to have lost conscious.

At that moment the door to the private room opened and a man in a suit appeared. He was a slim, bespectacled man. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," he says and bows his head.

He spotted the fallen Ricky and asked. "What happened to this person?"

"I did that." Saruwatari answered honestly. "He stopped moving with just one punch."

"Throw him outside." The man ordered the underlings standing in the hallway. "We have no need for a killer who faints from a single punch."

After Ricky was carried outside the man introduced himself. "My apologies. My name is Li. I work as the advisor to the president of the Kakyuu Group."

He immediately started to discuss the job for them.

"At this time, the three of you – no, the two of you gathered here are to kill a certain killer."

"And the certain killer is?"

"The Niwaka Samurai – he is a killer of killers, rumored to be the strongest in Hakata."

Li added more.

"The advance payment is 100,000,000 yen. We will also pay a contingency fee to the one who succeeds in accomplishing this task. If you kill the Niwaka Samurai it will be 200,000,000; if you bring him in alive it will be 500,000,000. And if you wish for more there is the possibility to sign an exclusive contract with the Kakyuu Group."

100,000,000 for just the advance payment is extraordinary conditions.

"More than paying us in advanced for the two of us," Saruwatari chimed in. "Wouldn't it better to have us brawl and give the job to the winner?"

It would save them money that way. And with such a setup he wanted to fight this G.G guy. That was all to it.

Li shook his head to both sides. "What we are searching for is not just strong killers but killers capable of carrying out the job."

He then gave out orders to his subordinates, and they put leg bands on Saruwatari's and G.G's right leg. They resembled the ones put on criminals in foreign countries. They probably featured a GPS in them.

"It would be troublesome to have you just take the advanced payment and run away. Once you complete the job the lock will unlatch, so please rest a.s.sured."

He left with these final words, "there is no time limit. You can take as much time as you need. Just as long as you carry out the job it will suffice." It seemed the discussion was over now.
After Saruwatari left Club.Eve and had a meal at a Tonkotsu Ramen shop, he headed to Hakata Station. He took the normal train heading to Moji Port. He ended up falling asleep at some point as he was leaning against the door while standing.

At one point the train car shook greatly with a loud banging sound. His body was jerked harshly, and Saruwatari immediately woke up. He looked at his current location in haste, thinking he missed his stop. The train had left Chihaya Station and was currently stopped at Kashii Station. He still had more than an hour to Kokura. He closed his eyes thinking of getting more sleep, but recalling what Li had said he no long felt tired.

The Niwaka Samurai – the strongest killer of killers in f.u.kuoka.

How strong is he? He wondered to himself about the formidable enemy yet to be seen. He had no fear for it. He was just antic.i.p.ating it. His whole heart screamed, 'I want to fight soon.'

The time to go through with their advanced payment fraud had come.

Yamamoto took off to do something and returned to the car an hour later.

"Where did you go?"

"I stole this."

He was taken aback seeing what he pulled out of the bag. "What is this?"

"It's the impersonating samurai set." Yamamoto answered proudly. "I shoplifted at Don Quijote."

It was costume goods often used for program banquets. The set consisted of a topknot styled wig, a samurai hakama outfit, a kimono, and a toy j.a.panese sword.

Does he really plan on pretending to be the Niwaka Samurai with these? He thought in exasperation.

Yamamoto put on the 'impersonating samurai set' and proudly asked him. "How is it? Do I look like the Niwaka Samurai?"

"You only look like mister idiot to me."

Glancing at his partner's ridiculous form Abe sighed. This just looks like he's an improvised samurai. There is no way it'll go well like this. Anyone would be suspicious and see through that he's a fake. Only Yamamoto would try something so foolish.

The appointed time was drawing near. Their client was already waiting for them at the meetup place in a narrow alleyway. She was an ordinary woman who did not appear to know anything of the underground.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." He bowed his head and recited phrases suited for a business meeting. "I am the manager, Abe. And he is the killer the Niwaka Samurai."

Please stay quiet, he poked Yamamoto in the side with his elbow to get his meaning across.

From her story the woman wanted the a.s.sa.s.sination of an ordinary person.

"Please kill this woman." She said and pointed to the photo. "She was a hostess working at a club called Eve."

The woman shown in the photo certainly looked like a hostess.

"And the payment for it?"

"I have it prepared. Here you go." She handed over a brown envelope to Abe. He checked its contents and saw the promised 100,000 yen in cash inside. Yamamoto initially suggested to have the amount be 300,000 yen, but Abe turned it down. He told him if the price was too high there was the possibility of them being doubted for fraud. A price that one could pay if they tried a little was just fine.

"Well then," Abe finished their conversation. "When it is finished we will contact you at the usual address."

"Thank you. I leave it to you then." The client bows her head.

They depart from her and got into the car to get away. Starting the car, Abe exhaled.

"……You're kidding me." He could not believe it. "We succeeded."

Without any effort they managed to earn 100,000 yen.

Translation Notes: Submarine – This is a term used to describe a pitch released just above the ground. Though from what I read it usually is not thrown underhanded. Saruwatari could potentially have been inspired by professional baseball player Shunsuke Watanabe, who is known as Mr. Submarine in j.a.pan. He is known for having the world's lowest release point, releasing the ball nearly 2 inches off the ground.
The names are similar too. Shunsuke Watanabe (渡辺 俊介, watanabe shunsuke) and Shunsuke Saruwatari (猿渡俊助, saruwatari shunsuke).  Kombu/konbu – An edible kelp that is widely eaten in East Asia. Don Quijote (ドン・キホーテ ) – A discount chain store in j.a.pan. It is often just referred to as Donki (ドンキ)