Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Volume 3 Chapter 7

Top of Seventh Inning

"I need money at any cost."

Again? He thought. Everyone and anyone just wanted money. I want money, I need money, money, money, money – As soon as they speak they brought up money. It was annoying to him.

"My daughter has an illness……"

Is that so? How unfortunate. While he etched a smile on his face while in front of his client, he gave a sigh in his mind. So what of it?

He did not care about the reason. He had no interest in the objective as to why they wanted money. Regardless whether it was for a n.o.ble reason or not, there was only one thing to do.

"I don't have time. We need to put her in surgery right away."

Yes, yes, I got it. I will help you in your case. Nitta as always put on a gentle smile for these instances.

The sum and objective would always vary, but the truth was, everyone needed money. And for that they even killed people. That was what human beings were. In this world you could even buy a life with money. Whether someone got to live or die was all dependent on money. The whole world ran on money.

And while he criticized it he did not lament over it either. Presently he was one of those people in such a world. After all, he had been making a living by taking the leftovers of the sum hitmen made.

It was just equivocal and boring. That was what he thought. Although he believed in that, he also continued on with his tedious work without making any attempt to change it.

Until the day he reunited with that man again.

"I want to fight strong guys."

Saruwatari had said that nonchalantly. And with the same expression from that time – the time when he proclaimed "I'll become a pro."

Who knew there was such an idiot out there. In this industry. Nitta could not fathom it.

He's an interesting man, he thought. This was the second time he thought that about him. He did not change at all from their high school days. This man would give it his all without caring for any beneficial merits.

As always he's a strange man. I won't get bored with him.

"I'll make you into the number one killer in f.u.kuoka as a consultant."

Before he had noticed it, those words spilled out of his mouth.

"Let's team up again. The two of us. Like in the past."

So please, entertain me once more.

Bottom of Seventh Inning

"Good morning, Sarucchi."

Saruwatari heard Nitta's voice dazedly among his vague consciousness.

"Although I say that, it is actually late in the evening already."

He could not move; he appeared to be tied up. He was bound by handcuffs behind his back and was seated in a chair. His vision came into clear focus soon after. He could see Nitta in front of him. Next to him was Tony Lau.

Saruwatari turned his head to look around them. There were cardboard boxes stacked up against the walls – it was a familiar place.

This was the Shouwan's warehouse.

The bodies on the floor from earlier were gone, and the floors and walls that were splattered with blood were also cleaned up. It must have been taken care of by the street cleaners.

More than that, Saruwatari recalled. What is this situation? What happened? Why am I here? Saruwatari searched through his memories of what happened until now. He had a meal with Nitta and went to use the restroom. After he came back, he drank his cola beverage. He only remembered up until that point. Immediately following that he felt a sudden, strong sense of drowsiness, and his consciousness pulled away from him.

And now he was in this present situation.

"You were sound asleep. I must have misjudged the amount." Nitta was smiling.

It can't be. The cola was the cause of it? This man drugged me?

Saruwatari's eyes widened for a moment before he glared him down.

"……Nao." Unable to hold in his anger, he said in a lower pitch than usual. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Well, you see," Nitta was calm, which irked Saruwatari.

"It's been decided you're to be handed over to the Kakyuu Group."

"……Ah?" Saruwatari frowned at the unbelievable statement. "What did you say just now?"

"It is unfortunate," Lau scowled. He took out his gun and pointed it to Saruwatari. "But we'll have you die here."

No way in h.e.l.l! Saruwatari gritted his teeth.

"You are alright with this, right? Nitta-san?"

Lau looked over to Nitta.

Nitta did not nod. "Is it alright to not hand him over to the Kakyuu Group alive?"

"It's insurance. The moment we hand him over to the Kakyuu Group, this man will change sides, and we may have more casualties in turn, right?" Lau smirked. "We did plan to hand this killer over to the Kakyuu Group alive. However, he managed to get out of his bonds in the middle of transit and attacked us. So we had to unintentionally kill him. That will be our story."

"However, that wouldn't be true to the contract."

"Yes, that is correct. I greatly apologize, Nitta-san, for getting rid of your main source of revenue. So here is this in apology."

He handed Nitta a large duralumin case. From the size, at least a few 10,000,000 yen must be inside it.

"Would you accept this in repayment?" Lau's tone was forced. "If you say that will not suffice, then you will have to just cope with it. It would be better for your own sake to accept the money right now as well."

"You sure have a roundabout way of getting to the point." Nitta smiled bitterly. "You could just say if I don't obey you'll kill me."

"I thought it would be understood without saying." Lau smiled lightly. "And didn't you say it yourself? That killers are just tools for making money. Losing one of them would surely not hinder that, right?"

"……Yes, I suppose so."

Nitta nodded with a smile and took the case.

"It is as you say. He is a tool. I will gratefully accept this money."

Saruwatari could not believe it. He narrowed his eyes. He sold me out.

"And now."

Nitta walked up to beside the bound Saruwatari. He placed his arms around his shoulders from behind and whispered into his ear. "Sorry, Sarucchi."

"……Don't touch me, you s.h.i.t!" Saruwatari glared at him. "I'll kill you."

"How frightening," Nitta stepped back while smiling when Saruwatari threatened him, baring his teeth.

Lau held the gun up in front of him. The next moment when he placed a finger on the trigger, he heard a gunshot go off.

"Welcome." When Lin pulled back the curtains to the food stall Genchan, the owner Genzo greeted him with a smile. "You're alone today? That sure is rare of ya. Banba ain't with you?"

"……Yeah, he isn't," Lin said deceivingly. Genzo must not know that Lin left Banba yet.

Another customer came in as he was slurping his ramen. It was a man wearing a suit; his necktie was undone, and he held his jacket in his right hand. He was in his mid-thirties to forties. Looking at him closer, he was a familiar man – Shigematsu.

When he spotted Lin he raised his voice. "Oh, there you are Lin. Perfect timing. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Talk?" That was rare. Lin put down his chopsticks and turned towards him. "What about?"

"It's about you," Shigematsu worded the question as though it was something difficult to say. "Do you have anyone that has a grudge against you?"

"……Ha? Have a grudge?"

There were so many that no one came to mind. Since he was a killer, he naturally would be hated by someone. That was what he would reply with normally, but right now that man's face appeared in his mind. Along with the memories from six years ago.

"Why would you ask me that so suddenly?"

When he asked for the reason, Shigematsu explained awkwardly.

"Truth is, two men named Noriaki Hayashi were murdered yesterday."

"……Noriaki Hayashi?"

Noriaki Hayashi – the reading of its spelling was different, but it had the same characters as his. It can't be. Is this just a coincidence? Or is it-

"Serial murders of Noriaki Hayashis." Genzo stated jokingly.

"They are identical cases. The method was even the same. Look at this; these are the photos of the victims' faces."

He handed over two photos to Lin. They appeared to be ID photos.

"Do these two look familiar?"

Lin did not recognize them at all. He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I don't know them."

"The weapon was a blade, and both men were struck through the heart. If we consider the culprit hit that vital spot without hesitation, then there is a possibility of it being a pro's work."

"A blade, huh." Genzo groaned, placing his hand to his chin. "What kind do you reckon'?"

"From the autopsy results, it's unknown." Shigematsu drank a non-alcoholic beer, probably because he had to drive. He gulped it down in one go before continuing. "After the culprit stabbed Noriaki Hayashi in the heart, he stabbed them in the left eye."

"Their left eye?"

Lin had an epiphany when Shigematsu mentioned that.

"Then it's……"

If they crushed the eye after killing them, then torturing them was not the objective. The reason they stabbed their left eye – Lin presently had a hunch. "Do you have any photos of the bodies?"

"Sure do. They're important, got it?"

Shigematsu took out the data on the cases from his bag. Photos were piled inside, all taken at the scenes of the crimes. A man was collapsed in the center of the room, bleeding out. Blood dripped from his crushed left eye, and it looked like he was crying.

"This body is-"

Lin swallowed.

It's similar to that time.

"Then it is him."

He confirmed it. It's him. Feilang. It has to be that man's work.

The meaning behind crushing the left eye was devised as a message. Feilang is calling for me.

"Do you know something?"

Ignoring Shigematsu, Lin bolted up from his seat.

I have to go.

"Ah, hey, dontcha eat and run off without payin'!" Genzo yelled at Lin as he took off.

"Heeey, I'll arrest you red handed!" Shigematsu added.

Lin turned to them and replied while waving his right hand, "sorry! I'll pay later!"

He knew where Enokida was. He was in booth 506 in the internet cafe from earlier. After he knocked on the door multiple times, he opened it in haste.

"What's up? How come you're so fl.u.s.tered?" Enokida turned around while taking off his headset. "Ah, that's right. Look at this. This is a new model I made. It's the redback spider telecommunicator. With two of them, we can make-"

"Besides that!"

Lin cut off Enokida.

"I know his target……I know what Feilang is after." After taking in measured breaths, he stated. "Me."

"You?"

"He is looking for me. He may plan to take revenge on me. He has killed two men with names similar to mine."

"Ahh," Enokida nodded. He seemed to have known. He typed on his keyboard and pulled up news article in question. "These ones, right? The serial killing of Noriaki Hayashi. I was intrigued and looked a bit into it."

"Probably another Noriaki Hayashi will be killed. He's trying to bring me out."

Feilang probably would not stop with the murders until he found Lin.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"I'll do as he wishes and go meet up with him." There was no other way in stopping that man.

"But look here," Enokida told him while typing quickly on his keyboard. "I tried finding that Feilang guy, but he isn't anywhere. He doesn't even have a registry for entering the country."

"He's someone who died before. He may have changed his ID and name, and there's the chance that he got into the country illegally." He would not allow himself to be easily found.

"If I kept comparing all the faces shown on the surveillance cameras across f.u.kuoka with Feilang's photo, I think I'd be able to find him eventually." Enokida gave a forced sigh. "Although that would take a lot of time, even for me."

They did not have time to wait around. Another Noriaki Hayashi would be killed in that time. Lin suddenly thought up an idea. They just had to do the opposite. "Even if we don't know where Feilang is, if we can predict where he'd go next, then we may find him."

"I see," Enokida seemed to catch on to Lin's idea. "In other words, we have to guess which Noriaki Hayashi he'd likely go after next and get there before he does."

"Yeah," Lin nodded. "I want you to predict with that brain of yours the next target Feilang will go to kill."

"Profiling is outside my area of expertise though."

He began to type on the keyboard rapidly again.

"First, let's see how many Noriaki Hayashis are in f.u.kuoka City."

After a while –

"……Here they are. Whoa, there are twenty-five of them."

The character "hayashi" was a common last name, and "Noriaki" was not that rare of a name either. There were twenty-five people in total. They had to guess the third victim from them. He was intimidated by it.

"There should be a common thread between the two victims." Enokida said in a murmur.

A common thread. Lin recalled the photos Shigematsu shown him. Neither victims had any similar facial features. One victim had a single-edged eyelids and a glint to his eyes, the other victim had wide eyes. The first one was slim and the other was fat. Lin could not see a consistency. Feilang must have not chosen them based on their physical features.

"How about their ages?"

Lin asked him, and Enokida told him while reading through the news article. "The first victim was seventy-three years old. The other was thirty."

"Their addresses?"

"Central f.u.kuoka and Sawara ward. These are so scattered."

Their families, blood type, birth place and schools were all different. They looked up every bit of information they could think of, but they could not find a common thread.

Just as they were frustrated on the matter, "…….Well now," Enokida put his hands together and cracked his knuckles. "I guess I'll just have to poke around then."

He started hacking into websites. His fingers danced over the keyboard with incredible speed.

"What are you looking into?"

"I'm comparing their credit card transaction records. I may be able to find something from them."

A few minutes later, Enokida had raised his voice. "There it is. I found a common thread between the two. They purchased health foods through the same mail-order firm. It's a company that sells diet food and supplements." He grinned. "This company had a list of patrons that had been leaked some time ago."

Now that he mentioned it, Lin felt like he had seen that article in a newspaper before.

"A temporary worker hired to process accepting orders had the list of names and sold it to someone else. It was then distributed to an underground organization. Immediately following it there was an increase in fake phone calls of fraud and malignant door-to-door selling. It's still on the news occasionally even now."

"So Feilang has gotten that registry too, then?"

And he was killing anyone listed as Noriaki Hayashi residing in f.u.kuoka City from it.

"That possibility is high. As long as you have money, it's easy to obtain. I have one too."

Enokida inserted his USB drive into his laptop and opened a file. Inside were a list of individuals' names and addresses lined out in a row.

"This is a registry of patron names. There are 1,000,000 data in here. So when we search for any Noriaki Hayashi living in f.u.kuoka City……Oh, there are three. Two are the recent victims in the recent cases. Seems we hit the jackpot."

"That means his next target is this last one."

"Noriaki Hayashi, forty-one. His address is in Hakozaki 5-Choume in the eastern ward of f.u.kuoka."

There was the sound of a gunshot which resounded through the vast warehouse. The smell of gunpowder smoke grazed his nostrils.

It was the first time he shot someone with a gun. He always carried one on him, but it was just a small handgun which was used as a means of self-defence. Nonetheless, he felt the recoil of the shock when he pulled the trigger, his arm becoming steadily numb.

The shot Nitta had fired hit Lau in his right hand, making him drop the gun he held far away from him. Blood was trickling down Lau's arm. His face contorted from the sharp pain. He dropped to the ground, groaning.

Saruwatari's eyes were wide open in shock. He looked between Nitta and Lau with a dazed expression. Nitta walked over to Saruwatari. The moment Saruwatari was released from his bonds, he punched Nitta in the face.

"Ow!" Nitta yelped and held his nose. "That hurt, Sarucchi……You hit me real good."

Saruwatari was obviously unpleased. "You betrayed me, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"Didn't I say I'm sorry? Just earlier." He rubbed his nose and corrected himself. "Besides, I didn't betray you. This was part of my plan."

He could not have Saruwatari be in on the act because he was so easy to read. In order to have him play the 'captive killer who was set up by his partner' naturally, he had to keep everything silent from him, but this may have ended with the other losing trust in him.

Right now, he thought to let Lau go though.

"You did give in to your emotions, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d……!"

Lau yelled. He glared at Nitta resentfully.

"Not really, that is not the case."

"Then why did you save him?! You said killers were just tools to you!"

Nitta gave Lau a gentle smile as he raved at him.

"I have a principle of taking care of my tools."

If Saruwatari was a killer working for just for money, he may have abandoned him. However, for only this man would he find it regrettable. Nitta wanted to see how stronger he would get or how far up to the top he would make it.

In the end, they were of the same stripe. I'm an idiot, he ridiculed himself.

"Who's a tool, now?"

Nitta heard the voice dripping with anger. When he turned around, Saruwatari was deeply frowning at him. He had taken out kunai from his jacket. He sliced open Lau's throat for the finishing blow. Lau made a pitiful cry with his last breath.

Saruwatari opened the case with the money inside, and after checking its contents he clicked his tongue.

"There's about 50,000,000 yen in here. You were going to sell me off with this much small change?"

Saruwatari glared at him from the side, but Nitta quickly corrected it.

"I said I didn't. This is a misunderstanding. All of it was just an act. Besides, there's no way I'd actually betray you, right?"

"Hmph."

I wonder about that, Saruwatari snorted. He did not appear to believe him at all.

"It's okay though. Since I turned on him."

"……No it aint'."

Nitta could not change how Saruwatari felt about this. "You'll get twenty percent," Saruwatari had picked up the case and stated that plainly.

"Wha?"

"That's your share. I'll take eighty percent, and you'll take twenty percent."

"Ehhh, isn't that too little? Give me at least thirty percent."

"Then 15.2 percent." He lowered it even further.

"What's with that number? That's a number a clumsy batter would make."

"If you don't like it, then I'll kill you."

"That's awful……" Even when he slumped his shoulders, Saruwatari did not budge. There's no helping it then. Nitta reluctantly accepted the deal. There was nothing else he could do to please this man.

"Alright then, what will you do next?" Nitta changed the topic. "You heading back to Kokura?"

"Not yet. I have something I want to finish still."

"Something you want to finish?"

Saruwatari rolled his shoulders back, "I'm going to kill that red-headed b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

He said with a villainous expression more so than usual.

Lin got out at the taxi at the address Enokida had given him and headed into Noriaki Hayashi's home. It was on the second floor of the seven story apartment building in Hakozaki 5-Choume eastern ward. The door was unlocked. Lin had infiltrated countless homes until this point, but he never once felt resistance or hesitation in doing so. And yet, today he felt unusually nervous. Lin turned the doork.n.o.b slowly with shaking fingers.

Without stepping foot into the house he saw a silhouette. A man was collapsed right in front of the entrance. He was dead. He was stabbed in the heart and his left eye was crushed. He was in the same state as the other victims. He must have been the owner of this apartment, Noriaki Hayashi.

I was a step too late.

Lin tutted. Another victim came out of this. But then he suddenly felt another person's presence. He heard someone talking from the living room. It was the sound of the television.

He cautiously headed further inside. He quietly opened the door as to not make a sound.

Someone's here.

There was a man in the room. He was sitting on the sofa, watching the TV. He noticed Lin's presence and turned it off. He got to his feet slowly and turned towards him languidly.

Their eyes met, and the breath was caught in Lin's throat.

"Feilang……!"

The man in front of him was without a doubt Feilang. He grew bigger and gained the facial features of an adult now, but he still had the same features from six years ago. The red burning color that was his hair had remained the same as well.

You really were alive?

Now having him stand in front of him, Lin truly felt the impact head on.

"It's been awhile, Maomei." Feilang spoke.

Maomei was his old name. Lin had not been called that in a long time.

"You finally came." The pitch to his voice was must lower now. "You made me wait for quite some time."

"……So all of them was your handiwork."

It was just as Lin thought: this man was also the one who killed the two other Noriaki Hayashi.

Lin glanced over to the direction the entrance was at and frowned remorsefully. "You killed three people in order to bring me out?"

"Unfortunately, I forgot to exchange numbers with you." Feilang cracked a joke brazenly.

"You should have had other means of reaching out to me. You didn't have to involve innocent peo-"

"And what's wrong with it?"

Feilang interrupted Lin and smirked.

"That won't stop me from achieving my objective. I'll take as many of people's lives as I need to do so. No matter who the person is, I'll kill them without any hesitation. That's what killers are, right? It was what I learned at that place."

And you as well, Feilang narrowed his eyes.

Lin did not have anything he could say back in reply and remained silent.

That was indeed what they had learned at that place – that factory. They had no choice in the matter to pa.s.s the exam. It did not matter that his opponent was his friend; Lin killed him.

At least, he should have killed him.

"……Why are you alive?"

"You want to know?" Feilang tattled on without waiting for Lin's reply. "I'll tell you. What happened to me since then."

Feilang sat down on the sofa again and kicked out his leg.

"I was still alive on that day when you stabbed me. However, the guards that cleaned up the bodies didn't realize that. So I was sold to a specialist along with all the other failures of the exam. It was someone who purchased bodies. And that man brought me, who was at death's door, to an underground doctor."

I see, Lin muttered. Then I really was soft.

"After my wound had healed, the same thing repeated again. I was sold to a wealthy and perverted old man. He bought three children including me, brought us to his home and tortured us. He had that as his hobby."

His expression distorted somewhat.

"The other two couldn't bear with the pain and died. Fortunately, I was immune to the torture. I received training for it after all. I pretended to be afraid to make that s.a.d.i.s.tic b.a.s.t.a.r.d let his guard down. I waited for the opportune moment to make my strike." Feilang glanced over to Lin and shrugged. "I had a harsh life. Thanks to your half-a.s.sed compa.s.sion, I had a taste of h.e.l.l. It would have been better if you had killed me at that time."

Feilang laughed jokingly, but it made Lin's heart throb all the same. Unable to meet him in the eye, Lin casted his gaze downward.

"……Do you hate me?"

He looked up to examine Feilang's expression.

"No."

He laughed back readily.

"How about we just leave the past behind us? I betrayed you and tried to kill you. You almost killed me. We're even. Although, losing one of my eyes has been a huge liability for me physically."

It was not what he had expected. Lin thought he would resent him to his core. He thought he was looking for him for revenge.

"Then what is your aim?"

There was no way he had called him out here after doing all that just to talk about old memories.

"I came to meet you." Feilang got up and turned to face him. After he gave a small smile, he continued. "Won't you team up with me?"

"Wha-?"

Lin stared wide-eyed wordlessly. However, he quickly frowned.

"……What do you mean?"

Don't be so cautious about it, Feilang smiled bitterly.

"It's true that I continually lied to you. I made you let your guard down. But turn it the other way around, that just meant I respected you. You had great grades for the exams and were talented. I didn't think I'd win against you without deceiving you. Our state of minds weren't good at the time. You understand it right?"

The closed-off atmosphere, the harsh environment, and the brainwashing-like training. That place was abnormal. And everyone in there was mad in some aspect.

"I was serious when I said I wanted to work together with you. I thought we'd be a great team."

Feilang walked over to him and wrapped an arm around Lin. "Hey, Mao."

He got close to his face and whispered in his ear. "Let's work together. How about we go around the world and make easy money? We survived that h.e.l.l, so if we team up we'd be invincible."

That was unfair to say. You'd say that at a time like this? Are you trying to revive that dream from then?

However, it was too late for that.

"……No."

That word fell from his lips unconsciously. He brushed off Feilang's arm and backed away.

"Why?" Feilang frowned. "Because I betrayed you once?"

"No, it's not……That's not it." Lin shook his head and repeated. "I won't team up with you."

If he took Feilang's hand here, then he would never return again.

"You'd be able to live a luxurious life. More than what you have right now."

"Money isn't the issue."

He was surprised at the words that came out of his mouth himself. That's exactly what he mentioned earlier, he smiled bitterly. Money isn't the only thing to tie people down.

"I won't go with you." Lin looked at him dead on and proclaimed strongly. "I don't want to leave this city. I like it here."

"……What did you say?" Feilang frowned at Lin's response. He then laughed. "You like this city? Is that a joke? What are you saying? You're a killer."

"Even a killer has things they like."

"You were taught not to get attached, remember?"

He did not forget. Don't get attached to anything. Don't have meaningless emotions. Those will be your weakness. That was what the instructor had told them.

However, it was already too late for that. He had already developed those meaningless emotions.

"……I've finally been able to find myself thinking that I enjoy it recently."

He learned the rules and improved his skills. He even learned the signs. He also did not hate the uniform he wore.

Besides, if I'm not here then they can't be in any games. They would all be sad about that. I don't want to let that go: my current life.

"Ah? What are you saying?"

Feilang knitted his brows.

"At any rate, I won't team up with you." Lin repeated back with a strong conviction. "Leave here. I don't want to see you in front of me again. Please."

Feilang did not answer. After a few moments of silence, he smiled.

"……This city, huh."

An unsettling premonition arose in him at his suggestive smile.

"If you have lingering affections, then how about I destroy this city? Should I unleash a virus in Hakata Station, or how about I set a bomb in the subway?"

It was not just a threat. This man would do anything to get what he wanted, and Lin knew that most.

"Stop," Lin demanded. "I'll have to kill you right now if you try."

"Kill me? That brings back memories. That sounds fine by me. Do it."

"I don't want to kill you."
Please, he hung his head. Please, don't make me kill you.

"You don't want to kill?" Feilang repeated, not hiding his frustration. "A killer doesn't want to kill? What the h.e.l.l's that? You've downgraded to a coward."

Disappointment was shown on his face.

"……I'll have to remind you of back then."

Feilang moved. He made a sharp kick, taking Lin by surprise. Unable to dodge the attack, he took the hit. The kick sunk into his side, and he was thrown into the wall from the force of it.

"Turn back into the old you."

Relentless attacks fell upon him, but he could not fight back. He did not want to. At this rate, it was a one-sided battle.

Lin took out his knife-pistol, tturned it towards Feilang and pulled the trigger. There was a gunshot, and the bullet pa.s.sed by Feilang's face and hit the window behind him. There was the shattering sound of gla.s.s.

Feilang glanced over to it and laughed, "where on earth were you aiming?"

This will do.

Lin dashed forward and slipped by Feilang. He went for a long jump, and lept through the broken window with his arms raised to protect his head from the shards.

"Ngh."

Numerous fragments of gla.s.s p.r.i.c.ked his legs and arms. Once he jumped down onto the balcony, he jumped over the fence to the ground. However, he did not make a sound landing and twisted his ankle. s.h.i.t, he cursed. A sharp pain ran up his right leg. Lin continued running while limping slightly. He had to get away from that man. He grit his teeth and kept running.

After a while, he had reached his limit.

"……d.a.m.n, that hurts."

Lin collapsed. Above him was a highway.  He rested against the overhead structure and watched his surroundings. There was no one around. Feilang was not coming after him. Lin must have managed to escape.

He spotted a prefab hut with a fence around it at a corner of the girder bridge. It was the best place to hide himself at. The door of the fence and the door to the shop were unlocked. Lin trespa.s.sed inside and decided to rest here for the time being.

Now what should I do?

He took out his phone and turned it on. He had seven voicemails. All of them were from Banba. Noticing he was turning back to him, Lin slipped a wry smile.

"……In the end I ask him for help?"

He pressed the call b.u.t.ton.

"Oh, Banba, welcome." Genzo addressed Banba cheerfully as he pulled back the curtains to the food stall and took his seat as usual. "Lin just came by earlier."

"Lin-chan did?"

It seemed his roommate who had left him a profound note was alright. Banba was worried when he did not pick up any of his calls, but he was unexpectedly nearby still.

"Ah, Banba-san, did I make you wait?"

Enokida showed up just as Banba was slurping down his noodles at the edge seat.

"So this was a meetup now?" Genzo whispered, looking between the two.

Enokida took a seat next to him while Banba gave him the report of events. He told him that when he tailed Suzuki, Saruwatari had appeared and that there was a mutiny which put Li into the sickbed. After that the Kakyuu Group and the Shouwan had made an agreement to exchange their hitmen working for them.

"Huh, looks like it got really interesting."

Enokida said cheerfully as usual.

"I learned a lot on my end too. As you asked, I looked into the Noriaki Hayashi serial murders." Enokida reached for the splittable chopsticks when his ramen was placed in front of him. "Apparently it was the work of an acquaintance Lin-kun knows."

"An acquaintance?"

"Yep."

There was the snap of the chopsticks splitting. Enokida then put his chopsticks in his noodles, stuffed his mouth full and continued with the conversation while chewing on them.

"It was a plan devised by his old friend to call him out. He underwent training when he was younger, right?"

"Training?"

Now that he mentioned it, Banba recalled Lin saying that when he first met him. That he underwent training when he was nine years old.

"There was someone his age that was his roommate at the time."

"Why is he lookin' for Lin-chan now?"

"Maybe for a cla.s.s reunion? This is his best friend. His name is Feilang."

Enokida took out his tablet and showed the image of the man to him.

"This man is-"

Banba recognized him. He had red hair and a scar that ran over his left eye. He was the man who fought with Saruwatari – the killer hired by the Kakyuu Group.

"And where's Lin-chan?"

"He said he'd go to meet with Feilang."

This is bad, Banba frowned worriedly. Feilang had the Kakyuu Group behind him. He would like to say Lin would not fail though.

He took out his cell phone to make contact with Lin when he received an incoming call. It was from Lin himself. Banba pressed the b.u.t.ton to accept the call immediately.

'……h.e.l.lo?' He heard Lin's voice.

"Lin-chan?"

'Yeah.'

Thank goodness, he's alright. He sighed in relief. "Where'd ya wander off to now? Hurry up and come back home."

'I can't move.'

Banba frowned upon hearing his desperate voice. "……What's wrong?"

'I'm hurt. I twisted my ankle and can't walk for a bit. I'm bleeding, so I can't take a taxi or train. ……Come get me.'

"You're bleedin'?" Banba's eyes widened. "What happened there?"

'I got into a bit of a fight. It's nothing too serious. Anyway, hurry up and get me.'

"Guess there's no helpin' it." He sighed. "So where are you?"

'Near Kaizuka Station. I'm beneath the overhead bridge of a highway.'

Banba had the general idea of where he was. "Just wait there. I'm gonna be over as soon as I can."

I'll call you when I get there, Banba told him and hung up.

"What's the matter there?" Genzo leaned forward to listen.

"Lin-chan was attacked by someone." Banba explained the details thoroughly. "He twisted his ankle and can't move, so he asked me to come get him. I'll be headin' over there shortly."

However, it could be an enemy's trap. Feilang, Suzuki and the rest of the Kakyuu Group could be involved. There was room for caution. He considered taking an extra measure just in case. "Old man, I got a favor to ask of ya."

Thirty minutes had pa.s.sed since he called Banba for help. Just as he was wondering when he would show up, he got a call.

'I'm here. Lin-chan, where are ya?' It was Banba's voice.

"In the prefab."

'……Ahh, got it. I see it.'

Lin beared with the pain and stood up. He went outside of the hut and glanced around the area. On the other side of the street, he saw Banba. He was facing towards him with his cell phone pressed to his ear.

"Banba."

Over here, Lin raised his hand to signal him down.

'Oh, I see you.'

Banba noticed Lin and jogged over. But in the next moment there was a gunshot.

Banba came to a stop in an instant. His face grimaced, and he held his side. His white sweater slowly dyed red.

Lin knew right away that he was. .h.i.t by a bullet. Banba was shot. His tall figure slowly slumped forward, and he collapsed.

Lin's eyes widened, and he yelled.

"Ba-Banba!"

He ran over as he limped. Banba was lying on the ground a few meters from him. Banba was face down and bleeding out.

The moment Lin reached a hand towards him to touch him, he heard another man's voice.

"What's this Banba guy to you?"

Lin was taken aback and turned around.

"You-"

Feilang stood there. A thin trail of smoke emitted from the gun he held in his right hand. Lin tutted, s.h.i.t. I was followed?

"Sorry about that. I meant to hit him in the leg, but I accidentally shot him in the torso. I'm not very good with guns. You know that right?" Feilang glanced at Lin and laughed.

"Feilang, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d……!"

Just as he reached for his weapon, a gun was thrust at him "Don't move." Lin immediately stopped where he was and glared at the man in front of him.

Feilang asked him as he focused his attention on him. "Say, Mao. Who is he to you? From the phone conversation, I'd guess he's either your friend or partner. For you to call him for help immediately means you have quite a fair amount of trust in him."

"You don't mean-"

From the phone conversation? So he heard everything? The moment Feilang wrapped an arm around me – did he put a listening device on me? Lin had a realization and looked to his shoulder. A redback spider was clinging to the sleeve of his T-shirt.

Lin tutted. d.a.m.n that mushroom, he cursed. He handed this over to him at some point.

Out of nowhere several men in black attire appeared. They seemed to be Feilang's allies. They surrounded Lin with their guns pointed at him.

"Hey," Feilang pointed to Banba with his chin. "Bring him."

The men obeyed the order. They picked up Banba's senseless form and made their leave.

"Feilang!"

Lin shouted and drew close to Feilang.

"Wait! Where are you taking-"

The next moment, he took a strong impact to the head. Lin collapsed on the spot.

"Don't worry. You'll be taken together." In his hazy consciousness, Lin heard Feilang's laughter.

Notes: Thank you Voissane for editing!