Totsuka frowned at Kusanagi’s difficult expression as he hung up the phone.
“Kusanagi-san?”
“…Totsuka, don’t go wanderin’ around in deserted places by yourself for a while.” At Kusanagi’s words, Totsuka’s expression clouded.
“Did something happen again?”
“Some of the lower guys got attacked and were carried to the hospital. I’ll go check on ‘em later. Will you come too?”
“Yeah.” Totsuka nodded and looked out the window.
It was raining outside. The sound of raindrops hitting the window resonated in the silent store. Perhaps due to this weather, there weren’t many people walking down the street outside.
“…recently, the security’s been bad, hasn’t it.”
“Yeah.”
“There’s been more and more people who come to rely on Kusanagi-san, hasn’t there.”
“I wonder why they keep comin’ to me. Even though I can’t do anythin’.”
“Even though you say that, Kusanagi-san, you help them without throwing them out, don’t you. You’ve got information, and you’ve got a bunch of acquaintances, and-“
“-And I have Mikoto, yeah.”
As if to take Totsuka’s last words, Kusanagi smiled wryly. Now, Totsuka had become not the only one who called Suou “King”. There were people who, without a hint of teasing, innocently, single-mindedly called Suou King. To the delinquent boys living outside society on the streets, Shizume city, which was dangerous recently, was in a situation where they would constantly be beside danger.
They sought out someone who would protect them. And what reflected in their eyes was Suou, a man who had charisma known as strength. Now, regardless of Suou’s will, halfway naturally a team was being formed around him. “King, huh…” Totsuka said to himself as he leaned on his elbow and watched the rain outside.
A person who could even become a king. The one who said that was Totsuka. He had seriously thought that when he said it, and he had followed the guy around even though it was obviously a pain to him. It wasn’t that he thought think this current situation was his fault. He wasn’t that self-absorbed. But, even then, sometimes when he looked up at Suou who had been raised up into the seat of a king regardless of his own will, Totsuka felt an itch in his heart similar to guilt.
Suddenly, Kusanagi’s hand lightly hit Totsuka on the head. When he turned to see, Kusanagi was smiling wryly, as if troubled.
“Don’t feel down. If you’re feelin’ down, somehow even I feel bad.”
“Sorry.”
Even though they didn’t recall calling themselves that, the team that had formed with Suou at its center had come to be known as Team Homura from the bar’s name, “HOMRA”. After the death of the bar’s previous owner, Kusanagi’s uncle, it had been left to Kusanagi, but now, more than a normal bar it had stronger meaning as the gathering place for Homura.
Homura was in a state where it was barely able to hold on to its form as a team using Suou, its king who had powerful centripetal force, Kusanagi’s strategies, and Totsuka who was the grease who kept the broken up members together.
“At the moment, we should be extra-easy to aim for. Be careful.”
“Okay… what about King?”
When asked, Kusanagi made a face like he had bitten down on a lemon.
“I’ll try and warn him, but… I don’t think he’ll listen.” Totsuka laughed a little at Kusanagi, who mourned this in an over-the-top manner. Kusanagi put his finger on the tip of that smiling face’s nose.
“Totsuka. Smile irresponsibly. That’ll put me most at peace.”
Totsuka, doing as he was told, put on his usual smile, and said his usual phrase.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’ll all work out somehow.”
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