Chapter 43 - Brunch 2

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"…In the other news. There has been a recent development in the Nikko City serial murders which has wrapped the city in terror over the past six weeks. More from our field reporter, Morimoto Gin."

"Thank you, anchor. Just a couple of minutes ago, Superintendent Adachi of the Nikko Police Department called for an emergency press conference. Here are his words."

[Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for coming despite the short notice. I have the displeasure to announce another terrible news. Despite the combined efforts of the Nikko Police, our city's Kumagai Clan, and the numerous hero volunteers in patrolling the entire city, the unknown perpetrator only known as the 'Ice Coffin Killer' has claimed its 23rd victim last night.

[On behalf of the Nikki Police Department, the heroes that are assisting with our efforts, and Nikki City's Kumagai Clan, we apologize to the victim and their family.]

"The latest victim, just like the previous ones, was found dead with a layer of black-colored ice covering their body. The coroners found no other injuries from the victim and they therefore concluded that the cause of death, as usual, is multiple organ failure due to extreme hypothermia from the ice, and hypoxia from having his mouth and nose covered with ice."

[We also still have not found the reason as to why Miss Hamasaki cannot read the remaining memories in the bodies our victims, which she herself is baffled by. For now, we are continuing to question a long list of suspects, and we hope that our perpetrator is one of them.]

"That is all the updates on the case. From Nikko City, Morimoto Gin, reporting."

"Thank you, Morimoto-san. Please, be careful out there."

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"Huuuu…" Kotone and Fumio get goosebumps after listening to the report on TV.

"Eugh." Fumio however, shortly gets over the spooky feeling after sipping on his water, and resumes eating.

Kotone, looking at Fumio almost unaffected by the report, shakes her head.

She then looks at Red only to see the man dazedly nibbling on a huge slice of tonkatsu.

"Aren't you two concerned?" She asks the two.

"I am, but what can I do?" Fumio shrugs.

"Like, you really can't do anything?" Kotone raises her brows at him.

"I can do something, but it won't help. I'm following the news of this more than you. I read that two of Kumagai Clan's top members, both top level B-Class Superiori, are already helping. Even the police from Kanuma were lent to Nikko. There is even an A-Class superiori volunteering." Fumio rationalizes.

"What he said." Red rides on Fumio's excuse.

Kotone while suspicious that the two simply cannot be bothered, drops the matter, finding their excuse valid.

*ring* *ring* The three's lunch is interrupted by Fumio's phone ringing.

"Excuse me." Fumio takes out his hpone and, "Hello?", picks up the call.

"Uhuh… An important lunch… Alright. I'll try asking. AGAIN…" As the phone call progressed, he can barely suppress his annoyance to whoever is on the other side of the phone.

"Yes, yes. Why are you so concerned? You don't get cuts from those anyway… uhuh… Let our side take care of that. Yes. Bye." Fumio then quickly wraps up the call.

"Who was that?" Kotone asks, interested at Fumio's reaction to the call.

"NNI Publishing." Fumio says.

"Kichirou-san's publisher?" Kotone's interest drops.

"Well? What do they want?" Red asks.

"They were asking again if you would do a book signing event." Fumio reports.

"Hmmm… Same answer, no." Red waves off the pubisher's request.

"Boss. I just reported it to you this third time. But they've actually been calling once or twice a week since you became a best-seller. I don't think they'll let up." Fumio sighs.

"Why not just do one event? Just enough to shut them up?" He suggests.

"Just tell them I'm an oddball artist." Red chuckles, amused at the situation. "That I'm focused on the next volume or something? And that I don't like distractions?"

"Or you can just ignore them. Kichirou-san has the leverage." Kotone cuts in.

"Yes, you can do that too." Red approves of Kotone's suggestion.

"Right… What's wrong with me? What can they do indeed?" Fumio chuckles.

"They're trying to wave their experience in front of your face, to manipulate you into convincing me into signing the next volume with them." Red guesses.

"But because I didn't bite, they're trying to annoy me?" Fumio asks.

"Maybe. But one thing's for sure, they're desperate and anxious." Red nods.

"Heheh… I still remember their faces when they were signing the contracts. They had this face like they're eating dung." Fumio can barely suppress his smugness.

"They didn't think it'll do well?" Kotone asks.

"Uhn… Especially Shigeo-san's friend in that company that wrote up the publishing deal. I still remember him saying, 'What's Shigeo thinking? A non-superiori world? Alternative history?', like me, boss, and Shigeo-san are insane for bringing boss' manga to them. It makes me mad just thinking that the guy might have gotten huge bonuses. He even got a favor from Shigeo-san by giving boss a premium deal." Fumio shakes his head.

"Just let it go." Red shakes his head. "No one knew it would do well, would it? Even I. The man risked his reputation and position by taking my work in. Just think of him winning a risky gamble."

While he is pleased of Fumio's loyalty, he finds it unpleasant that Fumio loses logic on things that involve him.

"Oh… That's true." Fumio realizes his lack of reason.

"Speaking of Shigeo-san. I think he was trying to tell me to tell you that he needs songs again for Musume46." Kotone reports.

The two men look at her, curious.

"I mean, I did hear once from Fumio that when it comes to your songs, Kichirou-san, Shigeo-san can only talk to Fumio about it. So, I felt weird that he talks about your songs excessively when he chats with me." She explains further.

"Heh. With your songs boss, you made Buck-tuck active and popular again. Looks like Shigeo-san is hungry for more." Fumio scoffs.

"Hmmm… Fumio, how often do pop groups release a song or an album?" Red asks Fumio.

"I'm not sure about others boss, but basing it on Musume 46…" Fumio starts.

"... A full album? Musume46 only had two in their four-year stint. As for single songs, twice or thrice every year, until the time when you gave them three songs all at once for their single album." He reports.

"I see… Well, I have songs in mind for Musume girls again. I'll give them three this time too." Red says.

"Oh…" Fumio is surprised.

"*Shrug*" Kotone, not so much and she does not care.

"Will they have to change their concept again? While your songs for them were good, but Shigeo-san deciding to suddenly change their concept from youthful, cheerful teen, to a more mature one, just to work around your songs, took a while for me to get used to." Fumio asks.

"A bit, but Shigeo-san and the girls won't have to adjust a lot. It's midway between their original concept and their current concept. The songs this time are all about youth empowerment, youthful dreams and hope, and all of that growing up stuff." Red vaguely explains.

"Ooh… Sounds great already." Fumio is excited.

"Hmmm. By the way. I'm split into what you two will do next…" Red suddenly says, his pondering expression making the other two curious.

"It's either to train you two into taking over Muscle Masters for me, or working for me on my music and manga…"

"Taking over Muscle Master?" The two do not care about Red's side projects.

"Yes. I'm planning on teaching you two the basics of my massage." Red reveals.

"On the other hand, you two can quit the massage shop and just work as my agents or my representatives in my music and manga. That gives you two more time in your training." The two students are stunned of Red's plans and they ponder again.

"I can't even imagine giving a massage. It looks complicated." Fumio is the first one to get his words back.

"True. And even if I can, I don't think I'm strong enough to give massage to the likes of Gorilla-san." Kotone adds.

"You already learned around a quarter, no a third, of what's required to do the massages." Red says, surprising the two.

"The 16 poses. They stretched each and every muscle and tendon in your bodies. That allowed you two to feel, learn, and differentiate individual muscles in your bodies, correct?" He asks, referring to one side-effect of doing the 16 poses.

"Even if you two do not know the names of certain muscles, you know where they are and how they feel when stretched." He adds.

"So…" Fumio gets what Red is saying. "That skill makes it easier for us to visualize the muscles of whoever we're massaging."

"Precisely. And just using the five kneading and stroking techniques I commonly use; you can be my substitute in regular massages like the ones that Musume46 need. The type of massages that office workers like Shigeo and Miss Konno are even easier to do. My massage solutions are also easy to use. Just pour and apply." Red explains.

"That easy, huh. It's doable then." Kotone nods. "I wanna give it a try."

"Me too. It's nice seeing our guests walk out of the massage room happy. Maybe I can give them that too." Fumio is also in.

"Good. Let's finish our food first. We have a long day afternoon." Red says, giving the two forboding.

<>

Hinohara Village, 1PM

Hinohara is a very tiny farming village just a few hours' drive away to the west of the bustling urban parts of Tokyo.

The trio however, did not take hours to travel to the place from Chofu. They have reached Hinohara Village's center in only ten minutes.

"Are you okay?" Fumio asks in half-worry as he tries his best to stop himself from laughing at Kotone who is walking in unstable steps.

"I-I'm okay…" Kotone tries her best to not puke out the massive lunch she had.

"Here you go." Red flares a spiritual healing technique of Kotone, immediately making her feel better.

"Huuu. Thank you, Kichirou-san." Kotone is still dazed however. "Oh my goodness… I felt like one misstep, we were going to crash to our deaths." She sighs in relief.

Over the past five minutes, Red dragged Fumio and Kotone while sprinting at half the speed of sound.

Kotone who already found a bullet train fast, almost cannot breath in fear at the speed they were travelling.

"You two, wear your disguises." Red orders the two while he himself casts an illusion on himself, making him look like a 60-something year old man with salt and pepper hair.

He then leads the two towards the humble building that is Hinohara Village's multipurpose hall.

As the trio enter, Fumio and Kotone cannot help but notice that the building is filled with old people.

"Kazuo-kun!"

"Oh kid, you're here!"

Red also receives enthusiastic greetings from the crowd in the building, surprising Fumio and Kotone.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Red greet them back gracefully.

"Oh? Who are these two young ins?" One old lady notices Fumio and Kotone's presence.

"These two are my students. They will be my assistants today." Red introduces his two students.

"G-good afternoon, everyone. I'm Fukashi, please take care of me." Fumio is quick on his feet and bows to the crowd.

"Good afternoon, everyone, I'm Kotaru." Kotone follows Fumio's example.

"Ohhh. They look lively." The old lady has good impressions of the two.

"Kazuo-san!" A 50 something year-old man, dressed casually in a collared t-shirt and khaki pants, and is carrying a clipboard, approaches Red from the side.

"Ah. Chief Masuda." Red greets the village chief.

"Thank you for coming!" Chief Masuda is pleased to see Red.

"I don't go back on my promises, chief. I can't disappoint them now can I?" Red addresses the crowd, making them smile.

"Is this everyone?" He asks Chief Masuda.

"Yes. Can you handle them? Some of them are willing to pay." Chief Masuda says, embarrassed that more than 50 senior villagers are in attendance today, double the size of the attendees the previous month.

"No. I won't accept a dime. Besides, I expected it already, that's why I brought these two." Red nods.

Chief Masuda give Fumio and Kotone thankful looks, burdening the two.

"Anyways. It's time that is the problem, so let's start right away?" Red asks.

"Yes. Yes." Chief Masuda nods and turns towards the crowd of villagers.

"Everyone. Master Kazuo will be ready to start his work in a few minutes. Please decide amongst yourself the order of who gets the massage." He instructs the villagers.

Kotone and Fumio now realize that this is some sort of a free massage service from Red.

Looking at the crooked backs and frail figures of the senior citizens, they cannot help but be moved by Red's gesture.

"You two. Come with me.." Red's words makes the two eager to help.