Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Hana to Yume
1997 vol. 5; episode no. 15
Translation by Yuki-chan

Tsukasa: {-----Yesterday, Takunii really surprised me. He went and brought up a subject that I've never even thought about. ...I don't really know what the emotion called 'love' really is like, and I never really thought of myself as a normal girl, that I'd fall in love with someone, so while he said that, I said nothing and listened. ----But I wonder why... When Takunii said that he'd never allow me to get together with Ryuji... my mouth was open in surprise.....

At school in the morning.

Crack!

"AH!"

Man: "S...Sorry! Are you okay!? You hit my [bullet] protector didn't you? Is your nose broken!? Did you break any teeth!?"

Tsukasa, staggering a bit: "I'm... okay..." She glances up at the man. It's a cop.

Cop: "That's good." He smiles, and pats her on the head. He's rather tall with short, light coloured hair.

Tsukasa: {Why is the police here?} He looks kind of familiar. "...Have I met you somewhere...?"

Cop: "What?" He leans closer to take a look at her face. He turns her face this way and that. "I have this talent for remembering faces I've only seen once, so I can say this with confidence. I've never met you even once!!" He points at her.

Tsukasa goes into dog form with muzzle, ears and tail, cowering in defeat. {That's strange. Is my sense of smell getting worse?"

Cop: "By the way, could you tell me where the staff room is?" [For the visually impaired, the cop's the one who recognized Ryuji at the club where Pandora's Box was trying to sell people off as living art.]

It's the closing ceremony of their school today. [They have opening and closing ceremonies each time at the beginning and end of each term if I'm correct.]

Tsukasa: {What's with that cop... Staff room... maybe he's here to tell the school that we were involved in the people trade...!? But wait a minute. When we were taken in by the police, we told the police our names and addresses, but we didn't mention our school.}

Flashback.

When the police had come to question them, Tsukasa and her brothers told them they wanted money to eat something. They looked really pathetic hanging onto each other with tears in their eyes.

Tsukasa: {It's not like the police are free to check up on all facts or anything either....}

Yabu: "Tsukasa!"

Tsukasa: "Hey! Yabu and Izushi."

Yabu: "Hey, did you see the paper today?" He reaches out and touches her chest.

Tsukasa: "What do you think you're doing?" {Is that the first thing to do when you see a friend!?} She kicked him several times in the face.

Yabu: "I was wondering about those breasts~~~~"

Izushi, pale: {Thank goodness it wasn't me....}

Tsukasa, her arms crossed: {Didn't I tell you it was a special makeup job?} "So, what about the newspaper?"

Izushi: "Yesterday's event was in there as an article...."

Tsukasa: "What!? By any chance were our names mentioned?"

Izushi: "No, no. Not ours..."

Tsukasa notices Ryuji coming towards them. {Ryuji.}

Izushi: "...And... They made it sound like Shirogami-san had a part of the people trade... Huh?" Suddenly, Tsukasa is no longer in front of him. She had gone to go greet Ryuji. {...Tsukasa-kun... And while I was talking....}

Tsukasa, slyly: "I thought you would have been in jail or something." {How soon of you to be out.}

Ryuji: "Hmph. As long as you hand over money, you can get around anything."

Tsukasa: "..... Hmmmmm...." She kind of smiles.{I know a lot of evil people who have used money like that to get around the law. Seeing them made me really angry... But the reason why I can't get mad at Ryuji is probably because... it was our fault that we got him caught....}

He glances at her and starts leaning forward, causing Tsukasa to bend back.

Tsukasa: "W... What..."

Ryuji, whispering: "...Next time you feel like crying, I'll lend you my arms. But only if you're not wearing your protector....."

Tsukasa, red in the face: "Shut up!!" She smacks him, causing his neck to be bent sideways.

Ryuji: "What was that for? That time you were hanging on like some girl."

Tsukasa: "Be quiet!!" {Dammit~~~ I owe him a big favour now~~~ ...That time, I made a big mistake, to cry in front of him like that! But I thought it was really bad, that nobody could do anything... so... when I saw Ryuji's face... I became really relieved...} Flashback to when she cried in his arms. {That was one of the few times that remind me that I'm really a girl.}

She suddenly notices that everyone's whispering and staring in her direction. "...What...? Why's everyone looking at me like that... ...E? Is something wrong with me? Did I do something...?}

In hushed voices: "He's a yakuza..."

"Did you see the papers?"

"Something about he being at the site were people were being sold...?"

"Wasn't he taking part of the auction...? ...Maybe he was part of the whole operation..."

"How scary~~~... You never know what the yakuza are up to..."

Tsukasa: {What~~~~~?} "Hey, guys..."

Ryuji: "Stop it."

Tsukasa, turning around to face him: "But Ryuji!"

Ryuji: "If you say something, they're going to figure out that you were there too."

Tsukasa: "!"

Ryuji: "Undoubtedly, that would mean expulsion. ...Is that what you want..."

Tsukasa, realizing what he's saying: "NO!!"

Ryuji: "...Then keep quiet."

Tsukasa: "But..." {I don't want to be expelled---!! But I hate having Ryuji take all the blame for saving me too----!!}

Voice: "Shirogami-kun."

Tsukasa turns to see Kiryu, the principal. He looks unhappy. "Shige-chan!"

Kiryu: "...Could you come to the conference room immediately..."

At the Kozuki residence.

Taku: {Off to work I go.} "N?" He stops in midstep. {..Is that... Isahaya-kun?} Isahaya is sumo wrestling with Maa-kun (the bear). Isahaya loses though, and Maa-kun runs around in a victory pose.

Taku: "Isahaya-kun..."

The kid looks up.

Taku: "...What are you doing? Isn't it dangerous. What are you going to do if the scary man and woman come back to kidnap you? Do you know how you important you are?"

Isahaya: "...? Yeah... Um... I'm an elite person who will inherit Grandpa's company."

Taku: {He doesn't really understand... ...But he is still a kid... How sad to have his future chosen for him at such an early age... You can't trust anyone in these big corporations... and that'll probably put him into danger...} ".... Well you shouldn't be playing alone. Where's Masashi-kun?"

Isahaya: "Maa-kun said he wanted to sleep until noon. So I was wrestling with Maa-kun (the bear)."

Taku: "What about other friends?"

Isahaya shakes his head sadly.

Taku: {...I just saw Isahaya-kun as Sandaime...}

Flashback to the conversation Tsukasa had with Taku.

Tsukasa, with a fist clenched: "He was always alone. Even now there are people who are scared of him just because he's a yakuza. There are even people who are afraid to fall under his gaze! But he really doesn't attack or anything unless you provoke him."

Taku: {...Sounds like a beast...} Toshi and Sho were listening in on their conversation, but say nothing.

Tsukasa: "He's been with adult yakuza since he was a kid, so he doesn't know how to treat regular people. I can tell that... because when he's with me, he's just Shirogami Ryuji....." She smiles. "---Takunii... I'm thinking that he and I can become real good friends..."

Taku: {Friends!? Tsukasa, do you know what kind of expression you're wearing while you say that!?}

Tsukasa: "It sounds like you're worried that someday I'm going to fall in love but don't worry. I'll never fall in love with anyone..."

Recalling this gives Taku a headache and he holds his head in his arm. Isahaya is wondering what's wrong.

Taku: {What do you mean 'Don't worry,'? When I mentioned that Sandaime was our parents' enemy you argued back vehemently that he didn't actually do it himself. ...Do you really only see Sandaime as a friend... Or is it just that I'm worrying too much?}

"Hey Isahaya."

Isahaya: "Maa-kun? Weren't you going to sleep until noon?"

Masa: "It's okay, I'm awake now. If you want to play then come on." Isahaya smiles brightly and steps into their apartment.

Taku watches them, still crouched where he was. {...Friends... Whatever... I just wish that... Sandaime wasn't a yakuza..."

Back at school. Toshi starts reading out the newspaper article for Tsukasa. Although Kuryugumi didn't run the auction, their name was mentioned the most.

Sho: "Tsukasa, by any chance are you going to go help Sandaime?"

Tsukasa is seen trying to sneak away like some thief or something.

Asago: "Don't you dare."

Tsukasa: "Asago."

Asago: "Did Ryuji ask for your help?"

Tsukasa: "..... You only move for him if he orders you to?"

Asago: "...Yes. I'm the woman to become Ryuji's wife. The Durga is the husband's shadow. She only moves on her own in desperate situations."

Tsukasa moves to go anyway.

Asago: "! Hey!"

Tsukasa: "...I'm not a gokudo, and I'm not like you (a fiancee) either. I'll do what I want to do."

Toshi and Sho look at each other: "....."

In the conference room.

Kiryu: "...So be honest Shirogami-kun. Were you at the scene just as this article claims?"

Man 1: "Lying or using violence is useless. We're ready to cope with that."

Bun-san and Kamo-san glance around the room, take note of the several policemen stationed around the room.

Bun-san: {To think they bothered to call the police...}

Kamo-san: {That's a lot for such a small room.}

Ryuji glances at one cop in particular. It's the guy who stopped him at the auction, asking him if they'd met before.

The cop: {I thought I've seen him before. But to think that he's that Kuryugumi's kumicho... He's still a student... And to be using his kumi's name to be a part of the auction... I don't like him one bit.}

The cop and Ryuji glare at each other.

Man 1: "So were you there Shirogami-kun?"

Ryuji looks at him coolly, scaring the man. "...I was."

Man 2 (the vice principal): "!"

Kiryu: "...Shirogami-kun... So... were you taking part of the auction...?"

Ryuji: "...I was."

Man 1: "Did you hear that vice principal? This incident may hurt our school image. I'm sure you know that earlier this student... That he used violence to sell drugs to the students."

Tsukasa is now outside the room with her ear to the door. {What!? That was...!} She frowns.

Kiryu: "Wait a minute! That incident had to do with me and Rokuokita's former principal Kaibara. Shirogami-kun had nothing to do with this at all!"

Tsukasa, recognizing the principal's voice: {Shige-chan...} She smiles.

Man 1: "But he did cause a problem!"

Tsukasa frowns.

One of the cops mentions that the shooting was videotaped, and although it wasn't clear, Ryuji was in it.

Man 1: "That's right! Because of this student, Rokuo's image has gotten worse for the past few months. Before something like what happened at Rokuokita happens here, you must punish..."

"If you're going to punish someone, just me is fine."

Ryuji turns his head to see Tsukasa enter.

Tsukasa, looking serious: "He helped me, who was about to be sold off. He wasn't there because he wanted to, and he wasn't a part of the buying because he wanted to either."

The tall, light haired cop: {...Hey... that kid...?}

Man 1: "...Wait a minute... Does that mean you were at the scene too...?"

Tsukasa, kind of dancing: "...Oh yeah.... I was there. I went after hearing about a good job. And when I went to check it out, I was caught~~~"

Ryuji, getting up: "Hey!"

Man 1: "Is that true!!"

Tsukasa, with her hand in the thumbs up position: "It's t.."

Ryuji, putting a hand over her mouth: "Stop it!"

Man 1: "In that case, both of you should be expelled..."

Several voices: "NO------!!!!"

"If you're going to expel these two then expel us instead!" Toshi, Sho, Yabu and Izushi burst into the room and stand in front of Tsukasa and Ryuji, talking at once.

Sho: "We were the ones who heard about the job and went to check it out!"

Toshi: "Tsukasa was caught trying to save us!"

Yabu: "I had my parents lie and say that I was sick but I was there too!"

Izushi: "If Tsukasa-kun didn't come then we may have been sold across seas!"

They pant, all out of breath.

Kiryu: "....."

Man 1: "...Wh..."

Vice principal: "..... Expelling 6 students at once will really hurt our image..." He smiles. "...Let me give you a chance..." Man 1 does not look impressed.

In the hallways.

Yabu: "Just 'As long as none of you cause a problem during the winter holidays'. How easy!"

Izushi: "Thank god that's all we got."

Yabu: "What's wrong?" Toshi and Sho look worried.

Toshi: " Oh~~ nothing..."

Sho: {...What if they find out about our night job...} [At some schools in Japan, it's forbidden for students to be working part time, though I think many do it secretly.]

Toshi and Sho: {And that's not the worst problem...}

"I wonder if Kuryugumi with so many subclans can keep a clean record?"

They all turn. It's the tall light haired cop. "---Well, just be careful of not having another internal dispute." He walks away.

Tsukasa: "What the hell is with that cop?" She sticks her tongue out behind the cop's back.

Ryuji: "..... Why did you come out like that...?"

Tsukasa: "Huh?"

Ryuji: "You could have been expelled." Toshi, Sho, Yabu and Izushi stop to look at them. Ryuji looks her in the eye, and Tsukasa smiles, lightly punching him in the chest.

Tsukasa: "We're friends, remember?"

She turns to her brothers and friends to thank them too.

Tsukasa: "Okay! Let's get through the holidays!"

They all cheer a response except Ryuji.

Seconds later.

Kamo-san, shaking his finger at Ryuji: "What? That's not the answer you expected? Don't be so greedy..."

Ryuji: "....."

Bun-san looks on silently.