Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Hana to Yume
1996 vol. 23; episode no. 9
Translation by Yuki-chan

It's December. While some people forget their own birthdays, they never forget that person's. December 25. Christ's birthday. No matter how the generations change, the people and their cities reflect Christmas spirit. There is one such person right here....

Tsukasa: "I'd like to go home." She makes a formal request.

Ryuji is in front of the house shrine and is ignoring her. She's sitting behind him while Bun-san and Kamo-san are sitting nearby.

Tsukasa: "Ummm~~~ Ryuji? Are you listening?"

Ryuji gets up all of the sudden. "There's work to be done tonight, tomorrow and the day after. So that means no day off for you."

Tsukasa: "You!!! You said that last week and the week before that and the week before that and the week before that too!!!! When are you going to keep your promise!!?"

Bun-san, whispering: "Promise? Is she talking about the one where if she lives and works here as Sandaime's bodyguard then she can go home to her brothers on the weekends?"

Kamo-san: "Tsukasa-san is so trusting..." {There's no way that Sandaime would keep such a promise... He doesn't want to let her go home and goes as far as making work for her...} Apparently he's only kept this promise once.

Tsukasa is now shaking Ryuji so that he's swaying. "You promised Ryuji! You promised that I could go home for the weekends!!!" She has tears in her eyes. She wants to go home to spend Christmas with her brothers and Kaya. She keeps on crying and wailing.

Ryuji ignores her at first (for about 5 frames.) "..... Fine. I'll give you the weekend off this time. Go do what you want."

Kamo-san and Bun-san freaking out: {What? He's giving her a break!?}

Tsukasa: "Really?.... Really?"

Ryuji: "...Aaah..."

Tsukasa is overjoyed and starts going hyper. She leaves the room to go home. Bun-san and Kamo-san watch her go. They then turn to look at Ryuji. (-_-;)

Kamo-san: "...Sandaime... If you're going to look like that then you shouldn't have said that..." Although his face hasn't changed much, Kamo-san can tell that he's NOT happy the way things went. Ryuji also has a aura around him telling the world that he's not in a good mood. "Why all of the sudden?"

Ryuji: "..... There's an expression of her's that I want to see..."

Kamo-san: "?" {What kind of face?}

Ryuji remembers the sweet smile Tsukasa had given him after the event with Hizaki Tooya. {I want to see that face again....}

In the car. Ryuji and Kamo-san are discussing ways to get Tsukasa to smile but they reach no conclusion.

Bun-san, all of the sudden: "AAAHHH!! Sandaime!"

Ryuji: "!!"

Kamo-san: "What's wrong?"

Bun-san: "She went into a cake shop!!"

Kamo-san: "What~~~!!? Where did she get the money to waste!?"

Bun-san: "She probably worked without us knowing about it. Aah! She doesn't waste her time ordering either! It looks like she's been planning this for awhile now."

Kamo-san: "...Tomorrow's Christmas Eve so she may have a party with her brothers."

Bun-san: "That's probably right looking at how happy she is."

Ryuji: "....."

Bun-san: "Christmas... The day when you can get away with practically anything..."

Ryuji, softly: "...Christmas... Is there anything good about it?"

Kamo-san and Bun-san freak out.

Kamo-san: {That's right! Nidaime was a strict Japanese man. He hated letters that were written horizontally!!} [Remember, Japanese is usually written vertically, from right to left.]

Bun-san: {Sandaime's never experienced a Christmas party!!!} both of them start worrying.

Bun-san: {...What should I do? I can't just say 'I don't know'. He might shoot and kill me for thinking that he's dumb.}

Kamo-san: {... What should I do?... It's not that I haven't experienced it, but I never thought it was that great either.}

Ryuji: "Hey. She came out."

Kamo-san: {Thank goodness. Thanks Tsukasa-san.}

Tsukasa come out the cake shop all happy. She'd gotten little gingerbread houses for her brothers and Kaya. She remembers past Christmases and starts dancing by herself with the box of cakes balanced on her head.

Kamo-san: "Sandaime, it looks like she's dancing...."

Ryuji: "She's probably thinking about Christmas presents. She was always like that from, jumping with joy over the littlest things."

Kamo-san: "Isn't that what you like about her?" {You watch her well.}

Ryuji: "....." He clears his throat.

All of the sudden, Tsukasa hears the sound of running feet. Turning and jumping, she just missed having her cakes squashed as a guy gets knocked down.

Tsukasa: {Thank goodness... The cakes almost got squished. I've never appreciated my reflexes up until now...}

"Out of my way!!" Tsukasa gets knocked down by some guy.

Kamo-san: "A!" The box falls to the ground on its side. A group of guys trample it to surround the fallen guy. They start beating him up.

Tsukasa looks at the squashed cakes and the vision of a merry Christmas vanishes. Ryuji watches from the car but says nothing. Tsukasa stands up all of the sudden and stands in front of the fallen guy.

"...Who the hell are you?"

"Do you want to die with him?"

Tsukasa, with tears in her eye and a freaky aura behind her: "I'm going to kill you guys!!!" She starts beating them up.

Bun-san: "A-ah! Tsu-bo is mad."

Kamo-san: "Well wouldn't you?"

One of them, probably Kamo-san: "There may be casualties....."

Ryuji: "Go fetch her."

Tsukasa is now in the car with them, breathing heavily. Her face is all scratched up and she still looks pissed.

Ryuji: "You're always so emotional. Shouldn't you be more cool and calm if you want to become a cop?"

Tsukasa: "....." She stares at him.

Ryuji: "What?"

Tsukasa: "...You... Why are you here?"

Kamo-san, while driving: {Is he going to tell her that we were following her... How kakkowarui...} [Kakkowarui = un-cool]

Ryuji: "..... How are you going to explain the scratches on your face? You know she hates fighting." Tsukasa freaks out.

Bun-san: {What a good way to change the subject.}

Tsukasa starts crying and begging that he keeps this a secret. Ryuji just gives her a sly look.

At the Western style mansion where Tsukasa's brothers and Kaya are living. Tsukasa starts singing and dancing to herself while Kamo-san and Bun-san watch on silently. She's singing about herself being the king of fighting. (-_-;)

Tsukasa, pointing a finger at Bun-san: "What's so funny?" {You're making fun of me aren't you!?}

Bun-san: "I'm not laughing." Tears come to her eyes and she falls to her knees crying.

Tsukasa: "I don't want Kaya-san to hate me~~~! I didn't want her to hate me~~~!"

Kamo-san, kneeling down beside her: "There there." {It's like tending a drunk.....}

Tsukasa: "But there's nobody here !!!" She falls face down and wails. Kamo-san and Bun-san say nothing.

Some time later.

Kamo-san: "...Well... I don't know where Kaya-san went but your brothers are at work right? They'll probably be home soon." Tsukasa is pouting, with her face covered in Band-Aids (Bun-san fixed her up). She glares at Ryuji.

Ryuji: "You want to blame me right?"

Tsukasa: "...Not really!!" {If I wait then everyone will come home. Just that half of the fun will be missing.}

Kamo-san turns on the TV. They're showing stuff on Christmas, with interviews of people on the streets. Kamo-san feels that it's not a good idea to change the channel, as if an H scene just appeared on a family drama.

Interviews on TV: "Who are you going to spend Christmas with?"
"The family!!"

Kamo-san drops the TV remote. "Sandaime! You're hungry right? I'll make you something."

Bun-san: "AH! Kamojima-san, I'll do that..."

They both run for the kitchen.

Ryuji: {I'm not really hungry but that's okay.}

The TV drones on: "What are you doing for Christmas Eve?"

"Of course I'm spending it with my boyfriend."

"Christmas Eve is a night for couples to spend together."

Ryuji and Tsukasa can't be bothered to change the channel.

Ryuji: "...Why is Christmas an event for couples? What do they think is someone's birthday about?"

Tsukasa: "... Well it's Christmas." {Are you okay?}

Ryuji: "So? It's Christ's birthday but they don't celebrate his birthday or anything but probably have sex up until dawn. What about Christ's say in this?"

Tsukasa: "Although it's not said aloud, celebrating Christ's birthday just gives an excuse for partying like that. Wouldn't you be happy if a lot of people celebrated your birthday?"

Ryuji: "No... Not really. At my place, the more people there is the more of a hassle it is because of ceremonies and stuff..."

Tsukasa: {I shouldn't have asked...}

Ryuji: "...I kind of get it now... the reason why Christmas is so fun....." {It's like the day when you can do anything and get away with it.}

Tsukasa: "By any chance... Don't tell me you've never celebrated Christmas..."

Ryuji nods.

Tsukasa: {What!? A guy that's richer than me has never celebrated Christmas!? Maybe this guy's more unhappy than me...}

Ryuji: "----My father didn't like anything that wasn't Japanese."

Tsukasa: "...No matter how much I look at your place, it looks like a Western style mansion."

Ryuji: "For my last birthday he asked me what I wanted next year so I said a mansion, and then he really had one built here and at the main house too."

Tsukasa: {...I shouldn't have asked... Is this guy really unhappy?}

Ryuji: "...Now that I think about it... He may have known somehow that that he was going to die this year......"

Tsukasa holding her head and crying: "Iyaaaaaa! Talking to this guy makes me more blue----." {You'll make me remember that my parents are dead too----.}

Ryuji looks at her teary eyes. He starts mumbling: "...Sorry... I don't know what to say in situations like this..... If I just sit and say nothing then the people around me start partying.... Damn... What are Kamojima and Shibuya doing?"

Tsukasa: "..." {...What...?} She's trying hard not to laugh and is hugging her knees to cover it. {Is this guy trying to console me!?} She's shaking trying not to laugh. {Ba~ka~ya~ro~~ Why are you so bad with words~~ and this is the same guy that has no difficulty solving problems that has to do with his kumiin~~}

Ryuji puts his hand on her shoulder: "Hey..." {Are you crying?}

Tsukasa, clearing her throat: "...Ryuji... I can say this with confidence. You'd never survive as a normal everyday person." {I'm about the only one who understands you.} She gives him that smile again.

Ryuji is moved.

Tsukasa"A- but it's so boring. Wanna go out again until everyone comes back? Hey Kamo-san--" She walks off leaving Ryuji.

Ryuji is confused as hell.

Text: He did get to see that smile again and he should be happy about it just that he hadn't made her happy or anything. He couldn't figure out what caused the smile. On top of that, he didn't quite understand what she'd just said...

Ryuji: {I hate Christmas.}

Ryuji, Tsukasa, Kamo-san and Bun-san are on the streets again and Tsukasa decides that she wants Ryuji to enjoy the season's festivities too. She wants a Christmas party after all and opts that she and Ryuji could work for the night and earn enough money for at least cakes.

Kamo-san: "Well if you want money for that then we could pay for that." He takes out his wallet.

Tsukasa: "No! There's no point then. ...It's not enough to be given something by others...You have to start from nothing... otherwise it's not as fun. Ryuji, have you ever really enjoyed yourself?"

Ryuji: "-----..." He thinks. Tsukasa drags him off.

They end up working as Santa Claus taking orders for presents from kids. Both Tsukasa and Ryuji are wearing Santa suits with beards included.

Bun-san: "What's he doing to Sandaime?"

Kamo-san: {It kind of suits you Sandaime...}

They're walking down the streets when they are spotted by some kids. "Look! It's Santa!" Some kids come running up. Ryuji turns around and the kids back off and run away.

A gunshot is heard and Tsukasa and Ryuji instinctively move into fighting (and defensive) positions. Kamo-san and Bun-san also come running with their guns drawn.

Tsukasa: "...Nobody's shooting..."

Kamo-san: "I guess it wasn't a sniper."

Bun-san: {Well I doubt that anyone would think that the Santa on the street corner is Sandaime.} Another shot is fired and the three of them move instinctively to protect Ryuji.

Tsukasa then sees a child running. She then notices that a gun is pointed at the kid. "Ryuji!!!" She throws her chain out catching the boy. Ryuji fires, knocking the gun out of the guy's hands. Yanking the chain Tsukasa catches the kid. People on the streets cheer.

The boy: "...They ran away..."

Tsukasa: "Are you okay? Aren't they yakuza? Why are you being chased by yakuza?"

The boy: "Because I wrote 'fxxk you' on their car."

Tsukasa: "...Huh?"

The boy: "I hate the yakuza!!"

The boy asks the two Santas to become bodyguards.

"Masashi!"

The boy: "It's Dad." He runs towards his father, who's with a group of people. Masashi points out Tsukasa and Ryuji, and the people turn. It's Kaya, Toshi and Sho.

Kaya: "Tsukasa..."

Toshi and Sho: "Tsukasa."

The three of them embrace Tsukasa.