Chapter Text
“That day, two high-ranking members of the Tokyo Manji gang were stabbed, if we take the words of the bystanders that is,” Naoto said, reading through his reports, “Leading to one casualty, Ryuguji Ken.”
Takemichi stared at the floor.
There was nothing else he could do.
Not until he went back to the past and changed the horrors of this future.
Then suddenly—
“Two members?”
Naoto hummed, putting the papers down.
“Draken wasn’t the only victim.”
Late July— 2007 (Ten years ago)
Members stepped aside as Mikey and Draken passed, lowering their heads at once.
The atmosphere around Mikey had changed completely.
Takemichi felt anxious.
He was so used to him fooling around that sometimes he forgot who he really was.
Mikey stepped up on the stairs.
But someone was already sitting there.
“…A girl?”
“Oh, you’re already here?” Mikey asked casually.
The girl looked indifferent to the guys around her. Neither did she had the uniform on, apart from the Toma jacket draped over her shoulders.
“I’m on time,” she replied flatly, standing up. “You’d be too if you stopped screwing around.”
Naoto was telling the truth.
The proxy of Toman.
There really was a girl in Toman.
“So she’s the other victim?”
Flashback— The conversation with Naoto
“Very little is known about the gang’s past except that it was started by some 14 year olds.”
Then, he switched on the television.
“Look at this.”
The recording flickered to the news in Shinjuku with hundreds of reporters were crowded outside a hotel.
“We’re here outside the hotel where Kanzaki Miri is currently residing at!” one of them shouted.
Takemichi frowned.
Why was Naoto showing him celebrity news?
The footage turned toward a woman in dark glasses surrounded by bodyguards.
“Kanzaki-san?!”
“Is it true that you’re associated with the Tokyo Manji Gang?!”
“Was this all an act to hide your criminal past?!”
One of the reporters shoved past the bodyguards.
“Hey— Look this way!”
The man grabbed her shoulder and forced her face toward the camera.
Then—
CRACK
The reporter stumbled backward before falling onto the ground.
The woman stood over him, flexing her fingers once.
Even the bodyguards looked confused for a moment.
“Why don’t you try minding your own business?” she said calmly.
Without another glance, she stepped into the car and slammed the door shut behind her.
The broadcast replayed the punch repeatedly.
“Woah,” Takemichi mumbled, “That was one hell of a punch.”
Naoto turned off the screen.
“Takemichi-kun, please go back to the past and find out something if you can,” He said, “I’ll try my best to arrange a meeting with her.”