Volume 3 - CH 3

Here we can see the art supply store that was destroyed by the explosion. It was burned to the ground completely, leaving behind rubble and ash. The store’s main business revolved around selling spray cans to graffiti writers, leaving behind immense losses for the community. At the same time, the number of graffiti seen in town has grown even further, leaving the authorities to believe the two cases might be related.

Bristol is known for its graffiti and art, but the police always state the danger that drawings such as those bring drug trafficking and other illegal businesses with them. The purge of the Bearpit, instigated by the city council, didn’t improve the situation, either. And now that public safety in Bristol is beginning to deteriorate, many voice their complaints at the city council.

The camera on the news showed old murals and other tags, as well as the popular works of Queen Bear’s Revenge and the new graffiti by Sweet Tooth that was used to grow their territory. I knew full well that, on the outside, it all looked the same. Not too long ago, I was just as clueless about it. But now, it is different. I’ve met so many people who are dependent on graffiti. But without anything I could do, I just sighed as I headed for the Bearpit once again. I was worried about the possibility that Sugar’s graffiti had already progressed that far, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case. However, it was just a matter of time, in the end. The frontline for the graffiti had just crossed the nearby River Avon, so it’ll soon start reaching deeper into the center.

The city scenery was always like it was on the edge. As more and more graffiti followed with not enough space, it somehow managed to keep its status quo as a city known for graffiti. However, Sugar and his gang couldn’t care less about the balance. The city was in disarray. The people were furious, anxious, even, as more and more rumors regarding graffiti went around. The number of police cars driving around even went up in number, too. All this surpassed the idea of regular graffiti…it really was like an invasion.

The Bearpit wasn’t off much better, as a stiff atmosphere reigned. The writers stood around, gathering as a group but the silence was painful. And who could blame them? Lara immediately issued an emergency statement, too. JF wanted to be of as much help as possible, as he handed out coffee. That being the case, Peni must have been out somewhere else, as I couldn’t see him. Boudicia stood in the center of this group, smoking her vape. She was looking down at her smartphone during that time.

“Boo-san, um…”

I remembered Sugar’s graffiti from the previous day. How should we even face that head-on? But, I still knew I had to talk with her at least once.

“Yoshi, Lara didn’t contact you, right?”

But before I could say anything, she immediately asked me this with a grave expression.

“What happened?”

“That’s what I wanna know.” Boudicia stomped on the ground.

“I can’t get in contact with Peni either. And he should be with her…” JF handed a writer some more coffee, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Couldn’t this…be pretty bad?”

“JF, do you know where Lara and Peni went?”

“They wanted to overwrite some graffiti at the frontlines. I think it’s across River Avon, but they didn’t tell me the exact place. Maybe they just haven’t seen my messages, but…”

I will make you understand—-Sugar’s ominous words played in the back of my head. Boudicia clicked her tongue, as she stuffed her smartphone in her pocket, and walked away.

“W-Wait for me, Boo-san!”

I grabbed her shoulder in the heat of the moment, but she brushed it off quickly after.

“Who knows what might have happened to them! We have to hurry, or Lara will…”

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t look for them. However, it’s dangerous to walk around alone, and you should know that, right? Let’s look together.”

“…Right. Sorry.”

“I’m worried about that, too, so I understand.”

“Yoshi, look after the Ghost. We’ll look for them, too. Contact me immediately if anything happens.”

“Of course.”

Since even JF said that, I quickly took off my glasses to clean them. Once I saw that they were all clean, I could feel myself having a more rational mind. We walked down Rupert Street, then entered Union Street, heading south. Finally, we reached Castle Park, which was a public park built around some old ruins.

“Boo-san, do you have any idea where they might be?”

Since she kept on walking without hesitation, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Gangs always know the towns they visit, even if it’s not their own. And if they’d cause any trouble, then…”

We finally reached the small Bristol Bridge that went across River Avon. And there, Boudicia suddenly stopped.

“…Here.”

She looked toward the end of the bridge, where I could see a small set of stone stairs. Next to that was a black metal trash bin, with graffiti of Sweet Tooth written on it. Seeing that, I was surprised by two things. First, I was shocked to see the battlefront had progressed this far. And second, this graffiti had been overwritten somewhat leisurely—With the color of beryl green. Boudicia looked at each other, as a cold shiver ran down our spines. We rushed down the black-painted stairs, as we heard a rumbling noise. Ahead of us was a narrow path between a building and the river. Despite it being near the main street of the bridge, it wasn’t visible from the opposite shore, acting like a dead angle. And as we arrived there, we looked around to find several silhouettes, collapsed in the shadows. One belonged to a small but chubby man—

“Hey, Peni! You okay?!” Boudicia crouched down as she called out his name.

His body was covered in blood and bruises. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, rolling him around. Then, we saw bluish-green hair appear from beneath him.

“Ugh…”

“Lara-san!”

Lara groaned, and she didn’t look much better than Peni. Her right eye was so swollen she couldn’t even open it, as parts of her skin turned purple because the inner blood vessels couldn’t keep up anymore. Her beautiful green hair ended up stiff with dried blood. If I had to guess, Peni probably protected her. I knew that he would jump in harm’s way for her any day.

“I’m sorry, we were careless…”

“Stop talking, please!”

I checked Lara’s body. She’s conscious. The blood loss she went through isn’t critical, either. She got beaten up badly, but I don’t see any stab wounds or other grave injuries. That being said, she may have hit her head, so we can’t move her carelessly. As for her neck—And then, my gaze turned toward what was beyond her bloody shoulder. Her white arm turned mid-way, bending. And her right wrist was completely broken that even I could tell. For a split second, I could feel my view turning snow white. However, the worst-case scenario always arrived at the worst possible timing.

“Hey, Yoshi. Peni…he’s not breathing.” Boudicia’s voice quivered.

“Out of the way!” I pushed her aside and placed my head closer to his mouth.

Normally, I should be feeling a faint circulation of wind, but…nothing. I couldn’t even think, as my body moved on its own. I put my hands together, placing it on his collarbone. Then I pressed my body weight onto him. A heart message is supposed to go at a tempo of 100 times per minute to create a BPM of 100. That’s why I envisioned music with that beat and started. I remember having to do this in high school for a first-aid course. I did the same thing back then as I am now. Still, who could have expected that it would come in handy at times like this? And that’s also why I could only think about one song—September by Earth, Wind & Fire.

In my head, this nonchalant and upbeat music played as I kept on pressing my arms on Peni’s chest. Boudicia called the ambulance, and I could hear how she screamed into the phone. Just who said you should think of a song when doing a heart massage like this? The gap between the music and the despair at hand made me want to cry out loud.

“Hey, Boo…Now we’re the same.”

“Shut up!”

After Boudicia finished the call, she ran toward Lara. Her strong and dignified voice now sounded weak, about to snap like an old tree.

“…Sugar is mad. He hurt Peni before me…told him to write. So then, he went to me. But Peni protected me…”

“Sugar again…!”

“…You know, I thought I was the best writer in Bristol at one point. But, that wasn’t the case. I still remember the first time someone overwrote my graffiti. I was moved, I realized I could never beat them. I wondered what kind of person could have written such graffiti…And I wanted to meet them. But imagine my surprise when you turned out to be such a hottie.”

“What are you talking about…You’re a great writer!”

“It’s okay. I know it…I’m not the same caliber.”

“That’s enough. No more talking. The people from the NHS will be here and then they’ll get you all fixed up.”

“No matter how hard I work, or how much I pray to God, there are things I can’t do. Things I can’t have…” Lara moved her uninjured left hand, touching Boudicia’s cheek. “Hey, Boo? Did you know…that you have that? Because you’re gifted. So, please…Protect Bristol’s graffiti.”

“But I don’t know! What am I supposed to do?! Please, just tell me! What should I write?! How can I beat Sugar?! Hey, Lara!”

Lara pushed herself up with her left hand, gently embracing Boudicia.

“I love you. I really do…Just the way you are.”

Her voice was as gentle as always. So much so that you didn’t know who was on the ground, beaten up. And…that’s just like her. Lara will always be Lara. Boudicia’s tears fell down onto Lara’s cheeks, mixing with her tears, only to fall down onto the stone pavement…But Peni still isn’t breathing. Will it all…will it all really end here?

…No, I won’t let that happen. As despair filled every cell of my body, the disco music in my head continued to play louder. Do you remember? The dance we shared on the 21st of September. The golden dream illuminating our days—

“Peni-san, please. Come back. Lara-san is in trouble. If you’re not here, then who will protect her…who will protect Bristol?!”

As if he answered my screams, I could hear a faint cough—as Peni’s heart began beating again. He breathed in like he had been about to drown down in the ocean, as his whole body filled with air again.

“Are you guys okay?!”

I raised my head when I saw JF running at us from the backlight. Behind him, I could see the rescue workers wearing their neon yellow vests. They swiftly placed Peni and Lara on the stretchers, carrying them away. I was worried about how they would handle that narrow path, but there was a slope close by. They then asked me a few questions, turned on the sirens, and drove away. JF had gone with them, as he suddenly vanished without a trace. Only then did I realize that I was completely beside myself in rage. And as the sirens turned more distant, I could hear Boudicia’s disrupted breathing. She had her head turned sideways, looking at something in the distance. The graffiti that was drawn on the wall where we found Peni and Lara collapsed. It was evidently written by Sugar, and it read—Let’s see.

“Shit…”

A spray can had fallen to the ground right there, picked up by Boudicia,, and she pointed it at the wall. I heard the familiar sound of spray being applied, together with the scent drifting toward my nose.

“Shit…Shit, shit, shit!”

But what came out of the spray can wasn’t paint or air. Rage, regret, despair…or possibly everything combined. Either way, it wasn’t even qualified to be called graffiti. It was just a raw emotion slammed onto the wall. After she was done, she threw the spray can at the wall, which fell behind the narrow path.

“This isn’t good enough! Not good at all! I can’t win like this! Why am I…”

She swung her fists around, but I stopped her right before she could hit the wall.

“Please stop, Boo-san!”

“Let me go!”

Her arms flung everywhere, as she hit my face and slapped the glasses off me, but I still held onto her.

“I won’t let go! What good will come from you hurting your hands?!”

“They…they would have been okay with Peni dying! And Lara’s arm, too! Coming this far…it’s all my fault!”

“No, it isn’t!”

“I couldn’t beat Sugar! I couldn’t fight back! Against someone like him…!”

“Please, calm down. It’s okay. Let’s think about it together. We’ll find a way.”

“Peni…Lara…and Bristol…All because of…”

As she began to weep, I gently embraced her. How did things escalate this far? That was all I could think about at that moment. Boudicia, Lara, Peni, JF, and everyone from Queen Bear’s Revenge…They all wrote graffiti, overwrote it, fought over it, and then created something better. Why can’t we just keep living like this? Why can’t I protect anybody? And as all these questions came together to be stirred up inside the pot that was my mind, one thought stuck out. Why is Sugar even going this far? Stabbing Aeon, beating up Lara and Peni…He said he did it to make Bristol his own.

He’ll teach people the truth, he said. Surely, he wasn’t lying when he said that. But, was this really his only goal? I didn’t know, and since I had no clues, that thought quickly returned to nothingness. And as I could feel Boudicia in my arms, the same lyrics of the music replayed in my head.

Do you remember? The dance we shared on the 21st of September. The golden dream illuminating our days—

*

I somehow managed to have Boudicia calm down, and I pulled her to the Bearpit. I just wanted to get her to safety, to a place where we could rest. Surely, my dorm room may have been better, but because of how weak and fragile she was, I feared she wouldn’t leave my room ever again. When I saw JF standing in the Bearpit, I sighed in relief. He sat at a table, staring down at the surface of the coffee he just brewed. I looked around to glance at the other writers, leaving him baffled. Most of them carried some sort of injury. Some had bandages wrapped around their heads, others around their arms. And although I wasn’t too certain about that, it felt like the general number of writers had lessened. It was obvious what had happened. They all got done in by Sugar and the gang.

“…You guys. Well, have some coffee. Though I can’t offer burritos along with that.”

JF saw us and stepped inside the kitchen car, bringing back two cups of coffee. I remembered Peni’s smile when he’d work on his burritos. But with no Peni, there can be no burritos. And this reality weighed down on us.

“JF-san, how are Lara-san and Peni-san…?” I carefully asked.

“The captain’s arm is completely broken. It can be fixed, but they can’t tell if she’ll be able to move it the same way as before. Peni’s got beaten up so bad he has broken bones all over, but his life isn’t in danger.”

“Is that so…”

“It’s because you saved him. Thanks a lot, seriously.”

“I didn’t really…”

Even the usually tall JF looked much smaller for some reason. I couldn’t say that I was glad. Because it was still hard to say if he was fully saved.

“I bet the guys in Southampton got done in just like this. It’s not that they didn’t try to overwrite, they probably couldn’t. Because they’d end up in a world of pain. They don’t just grow their turf, they also break the hearts of those who rebel.”

It was a logical argument. Everybody knew of the dangers this could bring. And they were prepared for this. However, even they must have been surprised at how heartless and cruel this invasion proceeded.

“…Hey, Ghost. I’ve been thinking.” JF called out to Boudicia, who still had her head hanging low. “Ain’t this the perfect time?”

Boudicia’s head shot up.

“They’re too evil. We can’t win against them. So even if the whole city’s full of their graffiti, we can just write on the open spaces. We just gotta stay away from those gang folks. Even if they use this place for drugs or prostitution, it’s not our job to stop them. That’s up to the police. Don’t you agree?”

“JF, what are you…” Boudicia muttered, her voice devoid of any emotion.

“I couldn’t protect the Captain. Same goes for Peni. And I bet everyone here feels the same way.”

Looking around, the other writers were all looking at us.

“No. The one who couldn’t protect anything was me. I let them do that. I couldn’t stop them. That’s it. If I can just overwrite Sugar’s graffiti…”

“I don’t hate you, you know. In fact, I respect you. Everybody knows how talented you are. You opened the future for us back then. You’re the best writer out of all of us, and we accept that…Though we feel bad for making you carry all of this, and honestly, we feel pathetic.” JF played with the cup in his hand, as his cold coffee drew circles. “But…that’s exactly why you should stop here if you have no intention of fighting anymore.”

“Huh? No intention of fighting…?”

“Don’t try to force yourself, Ghost. We know that Sugar’s a senior of yours. And fighting your old allies is too cruel.”

“That’s not the problem here! He and I are…”

“Then, can you beat him?”

“That’s…”

“Do you think you can beat Sugar? Do you really want to protect Bristol?” JF slowly stood up, as he glared down at Boudicia. “Don’t underestimate me. Everyone can tell when looking at your graffiti. You’re not going all out right now.”

“No! I’m not holding back!”

“Then why did your graffiti change?”

“How would I know that?! It’s…I just don’t know what to write!” Boudicia hit her fist into her thigh several times.

Seeing that, JF closed his eyes, sighed, and sat down again.

“…Nobody’s blaming you. But, with the Captain and Peni like that…we gotta decide what we do next. You get that, right?”

Boudicia had her head hanging low, not answering. When overwriting, you have to either make it something harder to accomplish or better looking. It’s the rule that decides victory or defeat with graffiti. But it wasn’t like a sport where you would earn points. But even so, there was a clear differentiation between victory and defeat. And that’s why Boudicia was this hurt. Because Sugar was more talented as a writer…as an artist. It was an undeniable fact.

“How pathetic. Are you even aware that you are shouldering the culture of Bristol?”

And as we were in the pits of despair, an arrogant and confident voice broke the silence. The voice came from the entrance of the Bearpit, immediately changing the air. Everyone looked toward the source of the voice, which turned out to be a white pigeon.

“Gabriel-san! Why are you here?”

His expression remained calm as always, responding with a peaceful tone.

“That is not a good question. Let me return one, instead. Why do you think I’m here?”

Boudicia raised one eyebrow.

“Not to give graffiti the final push over the edge…right?”

“If so, then I’d stay silent about it. Because you’ll get crushed eventually. Through a falling-out with fellow graffiti writers, no less. And such a turf war…As I thought, music was superior, after all.”

“You bastard!”

“Boo-san, calm down!”

My hand that tried to stop her ran into empty air, as she grabbed Gabriel’s collar. On that Christmas day, during the war between music and graffiti, we faced Gabriel. Actually, saying “we” isn’t accurate. Because Nelina and I sided with the music. In the end, the winner or loser ended up vague, but Gabriel accepted the graffiti writers in Bristol. Of course, this included Boudicia, but they still weren’t on the best of terms. And personally, I didn’t like seeing two artists I liked clash like this.

“Ghost, you never change, huh? As wild as always.”

“If I’m wild, then you’re a coward.”

“…I heard about Captain Lara. What a shame, really?”

“…!”

When Gabriel brought up Lara’s name, Boudicia’s grip on his collar loosened. Gabriel rubbed his white neck and then continued.

“I have only one goal. To turn Bristol into a city with cultural value. Though, I had expected you all to understand that already.”

Truth be told, Gabriel and graffiti themselves stood on opposite sides. However, Gabriel understood its cultural value by the end. If not, then graffiti would have probably vanished from Bristol on that Christmas night, even before this whole invasion happened.

“I made a comment on the current situation.”

Gabriel took out his phone and operated it. He must be opening his social media.

“The question I posted online went like this: There is good graffiti and bad graffiti. Do you have the eyes to tell them apart?.” He said and handed me the smartphone.

Shown there was a picture of Queen Bear’s Revenge graffiti, as well as one made by Sweet Tooth, together with Gabriel’s comment. And below that were the comments made by other people.

‘The city council should get rid of these drawings already.’

‘The right one’s awful to look at, but the left one is drawn beautifully.’

‘I just don’t want public safety to take any more of a dip.’

‘Is there going to be more violence?’

‘The right one isn’t from Bristol, right? Must be from the outside.’

‘I didn’t have a problem with the graffiti before, but lately, it’s getting hard to look at.’

‘I was against the purge of the Bearpit.’

‘Just get rid of everything other than Banksy’s stuff.’

‘Graffiti is our culture here. Not just Banksy, we should protect all their works.’

“This is…”

A lot of comments spoke against graffiti in general, but there were two who actually were able to differentiate the graffiti. They could tell that one graffiti didn’t belong to Bristol.

“The citizens of Bristol are sensitive when it comes to that. They hold the power to make their opinions and work towards that. Sometimes, it can get a bit extreme, though.” Gabriel said and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. “And the city council definitely doesn’t like his whole incident. After all, it’s threatening the safety of the citizens. It wouldn’t be weird for them to aggressively go against all and every graffiti.”

Lara anticipated this, too, and it’s an expected answer. Especially from the city council. If the choice is between culture and public safety, it’s easy. And yet, Gabriel continued.

“If more people voice their support for graffiti as a part of Bristol’s culture, it will act as a force to silence the opposition. However, the best they can do is buy time. Do you understand?” He said and looked directly at Boudicia.

“…So what am I supposed to do?”

“I think you should know the answer to that already.”

“But…”

“No buts. This is something only you graffiti writers can do. And it’s not just anybody else’s business. The culture of Bristols rests on your shoulders. No culture can grow in a world ruled by a violent gang like them. Do you think music has any chance to survive when violence and drugs fill the streets?” Gabriel waved his hand about, as he looked into the eyes of every writer present.

Despite them having been enemies not too long ago, they now listened in silence.

“If I could save Bristol with my own hands, then I would have done so already. However, I’m not the one who is fighting right now. It’s you. Who is fighting is not the question…It’s if you will fight. You have two choices. Yes or No. And you are the ones who will decide that. All I can do is say one single word.” Gabriel paused and looked around.

And then, he slowly opened his mouth—

“Please.”

I was utterly baffled to hear Gabriel use these words. To see Gabriel rely on others. It helped me realize how dire the situation was.

“Even I…Even I want to do something about this…But, I don’t know…”

If we can’t stop Sugar, this invasion won’t stop. And as an artist, the only way to stop Sugar is by using graffiti. The city council and police won’t ally with us…Really? Do we really have nobody in this town who will ally with graffiti? A single light lit up in my mind.

“…Let’s stop this.”

“Yoshi?”

“Well, you heard it. Sorry Gabriel, but…”

I saw that Boudicia and JF carried the wrong impression, so I quickly corrected myself.

“You’re wrong. We’re going to stop overwriting. We’ll stop trying to overrule their graffiti.”

“Yoshi, what are you talking about? That’ll just leave them to do as they please. How is that any different from stopping to resist?”

“I actually talked with Sugar-san directly.”

JF looked at me in confusion, blinking several times.

“He’s twisted and rotten.”

“Well, I don’t expect any sane person to pull some insane shit like this.” He sighed and crossed his arms.

“The problem isn’t his nature by any means. Our common sense won’t get through to him. It’s impossible to even converse with him normally. However, he has his own logic…Concept, even.”

“Really? But, he’s having most of the crew going around writing the graffiti for him, as he stays behind, right? His main goal should be to spread their territory, shouldn’t it?”

“The true nature of graffiti is destruction…and the essence of people is to die. That’s why he made it his job to show that to us…That’s what he said, and that’s why he sees himself as an artist. That’s why he’s completely messing up the town.”

“That’s so messed up…” JF dropped his arms.

I understand how he must feel. I was the same at first.

“If their graffiti is being overwritten, then he will use the gang to fight back. Then the writers will suffer the same fate as Lara-san or Peni-san. Because the places where the graffiti is written already belong to Sweet Tooth. Fighting there puts us at a severe disadvantage.”

Looking around, the Bearpit was wrapped in silence. The writers that had focussed their gazes on Gabriel looked at me. And, I regretted that I talked this much. I’m an outsider. A stranger. Someone who shouldn’t be here…But, I completely forgot about that.

“…Yoshi, what do you think we should do?”

Boudicia, who had listened in silence so far, now looked at me. And then, I realized. They were waiting for me to say something. So, I closed my eyes and breathed in. At least for now, I decided to forget it all. That I haven’t been living here for long, that I’m not a member of this crew, that I’m not a graffiti writer, that I will return to Japan soon…and everything else, too. Instead, I’ll do what I can for the sake of this town…No, for the people who are with me. I’ve received so much from Bristol and its graffiti culture—So now, it’s time to give back. I opened my eyes and breathed in.

“I don’t think that overwriting is the only method to win. Look at the comments on Gabriel-san’s post. There are many people who just lump all graffiti into one pot, but there were also those who could tell which graffiti belonged to Bristol. They even voiced their concern.”

“That’s true.” JF looked at his smartphone, and so did some of the other crew members.

“Let’s stop trying to overwrite their graffiti. Instead, we write first. The best graffiti this town has seen, and we put it everywhere. We’ll fill this city with graffiti. To make it beautiful again. So that the people living here feel that way.”

“It’s definitely safer than stepping into their turf…” JF looked down at the ground, remembering Peni and Lara, I bet. “But, what if the guys from Sweet Tooth overwrite our graffiti? Won’t it all be meaningless?”

“That’s just fine. It’s important that we show everyone the kind of graffiti we write. Then, they should understand that this wasn’t just any regular beef, but a genuine invasion.”

“Hey, Yoshi…That means…” Boudicia spoke up.

I could immediately guess what she wanted to say.

“Yes. If we fail to make the citizens think that the city was more beautiful with our graffiti, then this whole operation is pointless.”

“And if they just think of it as meddlesome doodles…” JF scratched his beard, as Gabriel answered that question.

“Then it’ll have the opposite effect. If they just see it as more graffiti being everywhere, the citizens’ disgruntlement will explode, and the city council will start moving right away. Granted, Temple Meads station is a bit further away, so they can turn a blind eye, but when crossing River Avon to come here to the center of Bristol, they won’t let people do as they please. Not even them, that is.” Gabriel said what I was thinking.

It’s a bet, in the end. However, the odds aren’t bad.

“…I didn’t know a thing about graffiti before I came here. But, coming into contact with it, I started to like it. I realized that this was a culture worth protecting.”

I still remember the first day I truly looked at graffiti. “…Seriously? You’ve never seen graffiti? No way, right?” she said to me, and I can still hear that reverberate in my ears.

“We will defeat Sugar. But, it’s not a victory brought about by strength…but by beauty.”

It was a pure coincidence that I came to this city. I didn’t have anything to do here in particular. I just ran away from my troubles and happened to stumble into this town. Until she taught me about graffiti, I didn’t know a thing. But now that I’ve learned one fact, it was like an unstoppable slope. The random drawings on the wall…turned into a message. The walls of the town changed into blank canvases. And I…met so many artists. Aeon, JT, Peni, Lara, Gabriel…I even managed to face Nelina. And…I took Boudicia’s hand. The ones who taught me to properly face my problems…as well as myself…were this town and its writers.

“There’s bound to be many people in this town who don’t understand graffiti. And I want to tell those people…that the possibilities of graffiti are limitless…as well as its beauty.”

This town has that sort of power.

“Because this beauty…brought me to today.”

Silence returned to the Bearpit. JF was the first one to move, as he approached me with a scary face. However, when he arrived in front of me, he grinned and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Well said! And if you’re that adamant about it, then we can’t be crying on the floor like this! Ain’t that right, everyone?!”

The other members of Queen Bear’s Revenge raised their voices. I’ve heard this sound many times before. Whenever Lara gave out orders, they would cheer the same way. I knew that it wasn’t because of what I said. It’s because the courage burning inside of them…was started because of Captain Lara, who loved Bristol more than anybody else standing there. And even if she’s not here…her Queen Bear’s Revenge hasn’t disappeared.

“But, Yoshi…You get it, right? If we don’t stop Yoshi, this fighting won’t end. And for that…” JF said with a grave expression.

I knew what he was trying to say. Filling the center of Bristol with graffiti is just a defensive operation. If we don’t have a strong enough offense to pull Sugar away from here, then this invasion will never end.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll handle it.”

The one to answer in my stead was Boudicia. The light had returned to her eyes.

“Ghost…will you be okay?”

“No idea. But, I gotta do something. I can’t be the only one just standing around.”

The crew in the Bearpit gathered and began chanting the name Ghost. Some tapped her on the back, others cheered for her. Our eyes met as she stood in the center of attention, and I smiled. She talked with the people from the crew, as she bashfully fixed her cap. I watched this when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Ah, Gabriel-san.”

He stood next to me, watching Boudicia and the crew, as he spoke up.

“Yoshi, you asked the right question. That’s why you arrived at the correct answer. No matter what the result may be, isn’t it?”

“Thank you…Though nothing has been resolved, I guess.”

Gabriel’s voice was as calm as always, but I felt something deeper within. And it felt like he was trying to figure that out, as he stared at me.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

Of course, there was only one thing that came to my mind.

“That I have no talent in music?”

“Did I really phrase it that way, I wonder. No, I said that you have a talent other than music.”

“Oh, really?”

I must have looked utterly confused because Gabriel started laughing.

“I think I just saw a piece of that.”

“What exactly do you mean by that…?”

He must have expected my half-baked question, as he immediately continued.

“You’ve got an eye for this.”

“An eye…for this?”

“That’s right. If you want to create something new, you first have to walk through the darkness. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes…”

I was painfully aware of that. Because I personally feel like I have been walking through the dark to look for that radiating something to guide my way. I am always lost, no matter what I do. Nothing I desperately want to do, no talent to really surprise people. There is no burning person inside my flame. That’s why I probably came here. To look for that passion that will guide me. That turned out to be Nelina, Gabriel…and Boudicia.

“You have the eye for talents within people that they themselves have not found. You’re like a snake that scans the animals in its sight with infrared rays.”

“That…does not sound like a compliment in the slightest,” I showed a wry smile.

However, Gabriel seemed genuine about this.

“It was the same back then…You felt the passion of the audience…of myself, and even of Nelina. That’s why you managed to play like that. It’s not like your performance was what stood out the most, but because you took that first step, everything after it could shine even brother. Am I clear?”

I nodded.

“The ability to understand the true nature…It is something different from the raw skill that gives birth to something beautiful…But it is an ability nonetheless.”

Now that he mentioned it, I connected a few dots. To me, it was weird that nobody believed Nelina and just badmouthed her. She was such a wonderful singer, and so gifted, too, yet she was shunned. I didn’t understand why that was the case. Gabriel’s talent was already accepted by everyone. However, everybody was a bit confused that he would make rock music. Yet, I didn’t question it once, just playing the guitar as he wanted me to. And, what about Boudicia? If I really have that kind of talent…then what is it that I can do?

“Hey, Yoshi. You got a moment? I have something to ask of you.”

JF interrupted my thoughts. His expression had softened up a lot compared to before.

“Yes?”

“You know about the blog the Captain would always write on, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like you to write on there.”

For a moment, I doubted my ears. And then I replayed what had just happened. He wants me to write something…That, I did grasp, but…

“Me? But, I couldn’t…”

“It’ll be fine, I’ll make sure to check your English.”

“Not you too, Gabriel-san! I’m an outsider, so…”

Another unexpected participant pushed my back, leaving me baffled. I can’t possibly carry this responsibility. And yet, JF continued.

“We’re not too good with writing texts and all that. Though we reap what we sowed because we just left it all to the Captain.” JF laughed and continued. “The folks from Queen Bear’s Revenge agree with that.”

I looked around, seeing the other writers nod.

“I agree with them,” Boudicia said.

“Boo-san…”

“This is something only you can do.”

Her golden hair swayed with the summer breeze. Her mouth moved faintly, but the words coming from that reached my ears. It’s something only I can do. I never would have expected I would find myself in such a situation, not to mention here in Bristol. But seeing her smile, and the expectations of the crew, I was too weak to fight back and gave in.

*