Chapter 742. Memories of a handkerchief

「 Well then, we can’t return without borrowing a car 」

Margo-san said after Nei and Michi left.

The remaining people are Margo-san, Edie, the Takakura sisters, and me.

There’s six of us.

「 I think we should leave Minaho’s Benz here. Besides, we can’t fit six people there 」

We came here with Shou-neechan’s usual American car, Kouzuki SS’ Benz, and Minaho-neesan’s Benz.

「 I think Shou-oneesan or Reika-oneesan will send us off, but Minaho also have to pick up Nei and Michi 」

Margo-san’s right.

「 Give me a second, I’ll go borrow a car for us 」

Margo-san leaves the room and talks to the guard waiting outside.

Minaho-neesan and Shou-neechan are investigating and discussing the aftermath of this incident.

「 Kouzuki-ojiichan’s going to move after it’s confirmed that the Yakuza’s gone from the hotel and the surroundings. And that’s why he’ll stay here for a while, I believe 」

Edie said.

In the paper, the Kansai Yakuza’s defeated, but,

They’re likely to conduct a surprise attack if we loosen our guard.

The other party is the Yakuza after all.

「 Thank you for everything 」

Tsukiko tells me suddenly.

It seems that she finds it easy to talk now that Nei and Margo-san are away.

「 I didn’t do anything 」

That’s right.

In the end.

I didn’t do anything this time.

No.

Even my thoughts on what I could’ve done was shallow.

Jii-chan and Minaho-neesan reminded me that.

I was placed on the same floor as the Yakuza to grant me the awareness of danger, I think.

Instead of being together with Jii-chan and Tsukiko on the glass-walled VIP room from up above,

It was to make me feel the screams of Yamaoka and Haruka’s mother, to breathe the same air and feel the craziness of Takakura Kiyomi.

Shou-neechan and the Kouzuki SS guards were there, and of course, Margo, Michi, and Edie, and maybe even Nei were there to protect me.

I might not be left alive in that room if it wasn’t for their protection.

That fact is etched in my mind.

「 No, Kou-sama came with us, that made us feel at ease 」

「 Me too, Sensei 」

「 Me too, Nii-san 」

The Takakura sisters tell me.

「 We knew that Kou-sama and everyone is in there 」

「 That’s why we endured it 」

「 If not, we might’ve gone crazy from listening to Kiyomi-san’s story 」

The aunt they trusted, killed their parents.

「 We saw not just Nii-san, but Michi-oneechan, Edie-chan, Nei-oneesan. That’s why we endured it 」

「 We know that we’re not alone 」

「 Yes. Everyone came with us sisters to a dangerous place after all 」

Luna, Yomiko, Tsukiko.

「 Darling, it’s not about what you can do for others but how the network of people feels 」

Edie said.

「 Recently, our family has begun to move organically. Each of us shares our own interests, and help out each other 」

「 But, that’s not because of me, that’s thanks to everyone 」

They’re not like me.

They’re smart, skilled, talented.

「 That’s right. But, Darling’s the heart of this family. That’s why Darling can just stand firm. Either way, we’ll be the ones to take care of the troublesome stuff 」

Edie said, but still,

「 The alpha male lion doesn’t need to do anything. All he does is to keep the peace between the group. If the center looks helpless, then it troubles everyone 」

Edie.

「 I love you, Darling. It’s okay, nobody will leave your side, they can’t. Therefore, you don’t have to be afraid 」

Edie hugs me tightly.

「 You should rely on us more, and even if you don’t, we’ll start moving on our own. It’s not just you, Darling, we also treasure this family. 」

Edie’s words seep through my skin and to my heart.

I…

Was I rushing?

Was I scared?

I thought that I should always take the lead for this family.

「 Geez, Sensei! How long are you going to make that face for? 」

Yomiko said.

「 It’s okay, it’s not just Tsukiko-oneesama but also Yomi. Yomi will bear Sensei’s child too!! Yomi is your pregnant slave! 」

「 Ah, me too. But not right away 」

Luna too.

「 This is Kou-sama’s power, you made us your family in just one day 」

Tsukiko.

「 That’s wrong. It’s not “made,” but “became” Darling didn’t just accept Tsukiko, Yomiko, and Luna, but also changed your heart. You get it, don’t you? It’s amazing. Only darling can do that! 」

「 That’s right. It’s wrong to say that you didn’t do anything, Kou-sama 」

Tsukiko smiles at me.

Yomiko, Luna, and Edie too.

「 Please take care of me 」

「 Please love Yomi okay? 」

「 Me too! Me too! Nii-san 」

「 That includes me as well! 」

Then.

「 What’s this I hear? If we’re talking about that, please take care of me for the years to come as well 」

Rei-chan comes in from the corridor.

She’s with Margo-san.

「 I didn’t get my turn at all today 」

Though she speaks like she’s disappointed, Rei-chan’s smiling.

「 It can’t be helped. Kouzuki SS can’t show their ace in front of the Yakuza after all 」

Margo-san follows up.

「 Reika-oneesan won’t lose to those people, but if you were to appear there, they might try to push their luck 」

「 I think Michi’s whip lashed on them was just right 」

It’s a middle school girl who took down a lot of Yakuza.

「 If Reika-oneesan comes out to a location that’s not a promotion activity for Kyouko-san then it will become a serious fight with the Kouzuki SS 」

Margo-san said.

「 But, I wanted to move my body for a bit 」

「 Oh, I see, then I’ll send Kyoko-san a mail. Rei-chan wants to rampage soon 」

「 No, not that 」

Rei-chan looks troubled.

「 Reika, you don’t like it? 」

「 Not really, but I just want to join in with the fun for a bit 」

「 If I recall, Kyouko-san said that you’ll fight Nikita-san in maid clothing 」

Margo-san grins.

「 What? 」

「 I mean, both allies and enemies would wear maid clothing. The location would be in Sendai. I think it would suit Nikita-san, but I wonder about the minions 」

Could it be that Barbie-san and Ruby-san are going to wear maid clothing too?

「 T-That’s a problem! 」

Rei-chan tries to refuse desperately, but,

「 If that’s the case, you will be fighting Kyouko-san wearing a mascot character costume 」

「 What? 」

「 You see, Kyouko-san said that she wants to eat the Sendai salty beef tongue after a long time not eating one. But you see, in terms of ratings, Reika-oneesan vs. Nikita-san has higher popularity than Kyouko-san. You can’t show off the big boss, Kyouko-san, in Japan that much either. Kyouko-san’s planning to have Reika-oneesan wear a Kimono on the big project in the New Year’s program she calls “A new year hidden arts explosion parade, Chiki Chiki Kyouko Castle, 1 Million yen fighting hunger opportunity” or something 」

「 I don’t know about that 」

「 Yeah, she just told me about it. Also, Kyouko-san has a plan of sending her subordinates one by one while you’re traveling over the US. And it’s called “Ultra Street Fighter comedy, Reika, across America” The final stage is a fight with Kyouko-san on top the Statue of Liberty 」

On top of the statue of liberty?

「 Oh, but before that, you need to fly from America to India and have a match against Dhalsim 」

「 Darushimu? What? 」

Rei-chan asks dumbfoundedly.

「 Dhalsim. Dhalsim’s the son, Gille’s the daughter, and Chris is a penpal 」

「 O-Okay 」

As always, Rei-chan’s nature is to be overserious.

「 Rei-chan, Margo-san’s joking. If you take that seriously, she’ll just find it funny, and she’ll continue to add more stories, don’t mind it 」

I said.

「 But your involvement with Kyouko-san is never a joke. Last time, a man who seems to be Nikita-san’s subordinate suddenly appears while taking a kung-fu pose, and shouted “The Komodo Dragon has come back!! Patalio Lee is my name!!” So I thought, “who’s that guy?” I don’t get what he was talking about, so I knocked him out with my cane 」

「 Sorry, Kyouko-san’s hobbies are too old already that even I don’t get it sometimes. I think Nei knows more about it 」

「 Okay. Anyway, I try to end things I don’t understand in one hit. They’re too noisy if you don’t knock them out after all 」

「 You’re right. Just the other day, there was that one guy who keeps shouting “HEY SAY! HEISEI! HEY SAY! HEISEI” and his face is covered by a screen, I didn’t get it 」

「 Speaking of which, I refused the plans that include me wearing costumes that exposes my skin 」

「 Oh that one, Kyouko-san said that “Reika’s connected, it’s Gyaru Time.” I didn’t know that it was Nei’s idea 」

「 What is “Gyaru Time?” 」

Kyouko-san does as she pleases, doesn’t she?

「 Well, we can have that conversation next time, Megumi-chan’s waiting for us 」

Margo-san ends the talk.

「 Shou-oneesama and I still have to watch over until Kakka gets home and so we have to be present during the withdrawal. I don’t think I can stay in the mansion tonight, but I’ll be sure to come tomorrow 」

Then, Rei-chan looks at me.

「 Tomorrow night is my time after all 」

Oh, it’s Rei-chan’s turn tomorrow night.

「 Please take care of me 」

「 Yeah got it 」

I replied with a smile.

I’ll do my best in sex.

That’s all I can do after all.

「 Please don’t think that way 」

Tsukiko.

「 Kou-sama, you must enjoy it. It’s you who taught me that having sex is fun 」

Tsukiko reads my mind.

「 Reika, who would you be calling as guests? 」

Edie asks.

My women have the right to call for other women at their time.

「 I thought that it’s been a while since it was just the two of us, but my little sisters have increased, haven’t they? I’ll think about it 」

Rei-chan said and smiled.

Rei-chan’s happy when the family increases, especially when it’s little sisters.

Therefore, she loves calling her little sisters to sex.

But, Rei-chan,

She likes to call me “Onii-chama” and act spoiled when we’re together.

Nei’s like that too, but when we’re alone, her character’s completely different.

「 That’s for tomorrow then. We should be going. Reika-oneesan, thanks a lot 」

Margo-san shows the car keys.

Oh, Rei-chan brought the key to the Kouzuki SS car herself.

「 Thanks, Rei-chan 」

「 Thank you~ 」

Edie and I gave our thanks.

「 It’s okay. I wanted to see everyone before you go anyway, take care 」

Rei-chan doesn’t show the face of the strongest swordswoman holding a cane,

But instead, she sends us off, her family, with a smile.

◇　◇　◇

「 Third floor basement. Our car’s not parked in the hidden parking lot but in the regular one. It’s a car reserved for mobile guards of Kouzuki SS 」

Margo-san says while inside the elevator.

Yeah, you can’t dispatch cars if you’re hiding it inside the wall.

Spare vehicles are prepared in the general parking lot, so they could move in case of an emergency situation.

「 Looks like we can get off there with this elevator 」

Margo-san said, Tsukiko.

「 That’s great. Walking around the lobby on the ground floor sounds… 」

「 Yeah, I was nervous back then, but now it’s embarrassing 」

Luna looked at her clothes and said.

The three are still wearing shrine maiden clothing.

「 I want to go back and change clothes as soon as possible 」

「 Indeed. I don’t want to wear shrine maiden clothing for a while 」

Luna said. Yomiko replies.

The two of them have given up on living as the shrine maiden already.

Tsukiko, who intends to return to Kyoto and stay on the shrine is silent.

「 Sensei, want to have sex after we undress this? 」

Yomiko hugs me.

She’s pushing her loli tits on me.

「 Doesn’t it still hurt? 」

「 It does, but I don’t mind. I feel at ease when Sensei’s penis is inside of me 」

「 Luna wants to do it too 」

These two.

They didn’t turn to perverts nor awakened to sex.

They’re uneasy.

They found the truth about the Miko power, the truth about their parents’ death, and saw Kiyomi-san die.

「 You don’t have to rush that much you know? We will be receiving Kou-sama’s love for longer than you know 」

Tsukiko, the elder sister said.

「 We’ve monopolized Kou-sama for two days already. I feel sorry for everyone if we go further than this 」

「 Oh right. Everyone in that mansion is worried about us too 」

Yomiko said. I

「 Don’t say “That mansion,” That is our home 」

Yomiko.

「 Yes. Everyone’s waiting for us 」

「 Kou-sama. Please don’t mind us tonight, please give priority to Misuzu-sama and the others 」

Tsukiko bows her head.

「 Yeah, play with Agnes-chan and Mao-chan instead of Luna 」

Luna said.

「 No, no, Luna, Agnes aside, Mao-chan can’t have sex yet! 」

Edie smiles wryly.

「 Oh, right! 」

We laugh together in the elevator.

「 Putting that aside, let’s get in the bath together. Mao-chan can participate if it’s just that. 」

「 Yeah, Yomi and Luna will wash Mao-chan! 」

「 Yeah, we’ll do that Nii-san 」

Then, the elevator arrives on the third-floor underground parking lot.

「 This way 」

Margo-san looks at the note Rei-chan gave her and guided us.

Then.

「 Huh? 」

Luna stopped first.

「 Yes, this is no good 」

Tsukiko said.

「 Yeah, back off everyone 」

Lastly, Edie felt some presence.

「 Who is it? It’s a problem if you don’t show up! 」

Margo-san shouts towards the presence.

「 I finally found you 」

That’s.

Andou Kuzawa.

Yesterday, his looks and hairstyle looked clean, but now,

His clothes are worn out, and his hair is disheveled.

「 It’s my first time meeting you though, does anyone know him? 」

Margo-san asks us.

「 Err, he’s one of the Yakuza under Oodori’s leadership 」

I replied.

「 He’s a guard in Takakura shrine, and so he’s familiar with Tsukiko and the two. That’s why he was sent to Tokyo yesterday, he’s a member of the advance party, but 」

Shou-neechan already destroyed most of the advance party.

「 Oh, I see. He’s not a recent subordinate of Oodori, and so he wasn’t called to the venue earlier 」

Yeah, I didn’t see Andou’s face earlier.

「 Even before that, he wasn’t even on the floor where the four devas were waiting, right? I think they’re still there 」

Margo-san smiles.

「 I-I’m no longer a member of Kansai Raijin Houkai!! 」

Andou speaks in a loathsome tone.

「 Then, what is an end member of the lower branch wants from us? 」

Margo-san says while measuring the distance between them.

「 I think you already heard it, but the deal between Kouzuki-san and the Kansai Yakuza is already over. Shouldn’t you be riding the train to go back home in Kansai? 」

Then, Andou.

「 Don’t fuck with me!!!! 」

His scream echoes in the underground parking lot.

「 Just what the hell happened!? Both boss Oodori and that bastard Satake are to be disposed of, just what the hell happened?! I mean, even all of Oodori’s fellow bosses were beaten up!?! What the hell?! 」

That’s.

「 This is bullshit!! That’s not even a deal!!! What do you think of the lives of us Yakuza?! 」

Margo-san calms down.

「 I wonder? You won’t get anything from complaining to us. Why don’t you ask Kouzuki house or Kouzuki SS instead? 」

「 What did you say?!!! 」

「 I’m not in a position to answer those questions of yours 」

Andou.

「 If that’s the case, hand over Tsukiko-ojousan to me!! 」

What “if that’s the case?”

「 I’ll take Tsukiko-ojousan with me and talk to the boss of Kouzuki directly!! This is all strange!!! This shouldn’t have happened!!! 」

His blood’s rising up in his head.

「 I wonder about that. Even if you take these girls as a hostage, Kouzuki-san won’t grant you an audience though 」

Margo-san speaks to explore further.

「 I won’t know until I try it!!! 」

Andou looks at Tsukiko with bloodshot eyes.

「 Bastards, I won’t hand over Tsukiko-ojousan to people with a rotten personality like you!!! I’ll take them away and run from here 」

R-Run?

「 Come over Ojou-san!!! 」

Andou tries to reach out for Tsukiko.

Tsukiko shakes her head.

「 No, Andou-san, we won’t come with you 」

「 W-W-W-W-W-What are you talking about?! I’m taking you home?! Back to the Takakura shrine!!! 」

Andou desperately tries to convince Tsukiko, but

「 No, not with you, Andou-san 」

Tsukiko cuddles with me.

「 Ojou, what?! 」

「 I already am his woman 」

「 W-W-W-Woman?! 」

「 Yes, he made me a woman. I gave my heart and purity to him 」

Andou snapped.

「 Bastard, I’ll kill you!! 」

At that moment, Edie’s kick hits Andou’s back.

「 Gueeeee!!! 」

Edie erased her presence and went behind his back while Margo-san distracted him.

「 Gugueee!! Gagegegegege!!! 」

Edie kicks on Andou’s abdomen multiple times, but.

「 He’s tough!!! 」

Andou’s muscular body doesn’t faint from the attacks.

「 If that’s the case!!! 」

Edie accumulates her Qi.

「 Please wait 」

Tsukiko stopped Edie.

「 I won’t accept this. I’ll never 」

Andou holds down his abdomen and screams while lying down on the concrete floor.

「 I don’t care if it’s Kouzuki house or whatever!!! You’re all looking down on me!!!!! Do you think that the Yakuza’s just an insect?! You believe that you can use your power to crush us down like cockroaches!!!! Don’t fuck with us!! Don’t fuck with us! Don’t fuck with us!!! 」

I see.

The opinion of the Kansai Yakuza on the bottom pile for this case,

It’s something like this.

Even though they went to Tokyo to make a deal,

They were crushed down with overwhelming power.

It’s not just honor that’s lost, Oodori, Satake, and the subordinates present would lose their lives as well.

Jii-chan declared that the Yakuza itself needs purging.

And yet, the five of the big-shots,

They had no choice but to yield to Jii-chan.

They followed Jii-chan’s orders.

「 Do you think you can do anything with that huge power?! Huh?! Do you think you can step down on us like that?! You don’t care about people like us!!! Kouzuki you bastard!!!! 」

Andou screams while spitting blood from his mouth.

Jii-chan’s going to fight this sort of hatred after this.

That’s the reason why he can’t live with us.

「 If you weren’t a Yakuza but an ordinary citizen, then I think you’d understand why 」

Margo-san said.

「 It’s funny to hear a Yakuza who thinks that power is everything, who holds down people using their power. Don’t you solve your problems with power in your world? 」

「 What did you say?!!! 」

「 If you’re complaining about losing to some power, then come back with more!! 」

Kuromori has hypothesized the time when Jii-chan would become hostile to us.

Escape from Japan, live to a place where Kouzuki house can’t afford.

We won’t yield to its power.

If we’re to succumb, we will escape instead.

After all, we all are…

That’s because we’re people who once suffered from someone’s malice.

「 As if you understand how I feel!? Do you know how someone who’s trampled feels?! 」

…I

「 Yeah, I know. I know how it feels to be trampled down 」

I said.

「 We also are fighting every day. We fight for our survival. Me, you, Kouzuki Jii-chan. We’re nothing different, we keep on fighting every day 」

「 What can a rich young man like you know!!!?! 」

Andou won’t understand.

There’s no need to speak to him then.

「 I’m going to expose everything!! To newspapers, mass media! I’ll tell the police!!! I’ll show all of the wounds you’ve caused!!! I’m going to write about you on the internet!!!! 」

「 That kind of wriggling around sounds very Yakuza, but it’s pathetic 」

Margo-san sighs.

「 Should we kill him? 」

I asked.

「 Please wait 」

Tsukiko tells me.

Then, she takes out a handkerchief from her shrine maiden clothes with a nostalgic look and goes to Andou.

「 Huh, Tsukiko? 」

「 It should be okay, Darling 」

Edie tells the worried me.

「 T-Tsukiko, ojou? 」

Out of surprise, Andou kneels.

Tsukiko wipes off the bloodstains on Andou’s face with her handkerchief.

「 Ojou, I 」

「 You don’t have to say anything Andou-san 」

Tsukiko’s finger pokes Andou’s cheek.

「 Thank you. Goodbye 」

「 Huh? 」

Then, Andou fell silent.

「 I’ve erased your memory Andou-san, you won’t remember us sisters anymore 」

I see. Tsukiko,

She kept charging up her Miko power in case this moment happens.

She used her power to erase Andou’s memory.

「 Farewell, Andou-san 」

Tsukiko stares at the handkerchief stained with Andou’s blood.

「 Memories of that first love.

All that remains is a handkerchief.

Yesterday, that handkerchief…

It was gone before I realized.

Now it’s a distant love…

I will never see it again 」

Tsukiko mutters.

「 What is that? 」

I asked, Margo-san

「 A poem 」

「 It’s a poem written by Anatole France 」1

Edie told me.

「 May we never meet again 」

Tsukiko said, and threw the handkerchief on the floor.

Then.

「 Let’s go. Kou-sama 」

She looked at me.