Chapter 1557 Looking After (2)

“Where have you been?”

“Pachinko.”[1]

Shimeji Michihiro chuckled hollowly at that casual reply.

“What the... Did you extort those pitiful Yakuza fellas again? Come on, man. Do it in moderation, will ya? They are also working their asses off to meet their quotas, after all.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Hey, I’m only nagging you like this because the higher-ups are on my case, okay?”

“What the hell... Why do they... Urgh.”

Suzuki Ryuichi’s expression crumpled instantly.

He hadn’t been ripping off pocket change from the Yakuza. No, he had literally gone to a Pachinko parlor and played some games to relieve his frustration. That was all.

But the mere mention of the higher-ups was enough for his blood pressure to spike again.

“Damn it. At this rate, they might even tell us to piss in the direction they designate.”

“Watch what you say, you moron. Before something bad happens.”

“I don’t care. Let it happen. Bloody hell...” Suzuki Ryuichi plopped down on a worn-out old couch and grumbled. “You know what? I would rather have something happen than... than this. Whatever this is. What the hell are we even doing, man?”

The inside of this nondescript office was eerily quiet. Not because no one was here, though. No, the subtly gloomy atmosphere dominating the office had clamped everyone’s mouths shut.

Goddamn it!

Once upon a time, this office was filled with vitality and urgency. That was when this office acted as a branch of the Yamakawa-kai.

Back when the glory of Yamakawa-kai wasn’t merely a bygone memory, this place was full of raucous voices belonging to the workers dealing with various tasks and visitors seeking the organization for one reason or the other.

But now, the name of Yamakawa-kai couldn’t even be used anymore. And...

And it’s quieter than a bloody library in here!

It all happened after the Japanese martial society waged war against Korea’s Martial Assembly and lost spectacularly. No, to be more precise, it was after the Koreans began ruling over Japan with its occupation force. That was when this office lost its vitality.

But that should surprise no one. After all, this office had lost its purpose. It had nothing to do now.

The workers in this office no longer had a purpose after the Japanese martial society was conquered by the Korean martial artists. They had devolved into gophers who periodically received the money the Yakuza had collected to pass it on to the Koreans.

Suzuki Ryuichi grumbled loudly. “Damn... We can’t even train either with all the attention we’re getting.”

Shimeji Michihiro groaned. “Yeah. I heard that a group of us training in secret got taken away to who knows where.”

“Bloody hell, those sons of b*tches! What do they want us to do when we can’t even train like regular martial artists?!”

“You know what those bastards said? Apparently, it’s all for the sake of improving Japan’s primitive martial arts!”

“That’s bullsh*t!”

“Oh, and they added one more thing.”

“What was it?”

“They are merely following our logic. Or so they say.”

“...”

Suzuki Ryuichi clamped his mouth shut. He wasn’t stupid enough not to understand what that implied.

“...Bloody hell. Why are we paying for what our ancestors did a century ago?”

Things like what happened in the past, if the war back then was really for the nation’s glory, and even the question of if the people back then had really done unconscionable things out of sheer avarice... None of that mattered to Suzuki Ryuichi. He had played no part in them whatsoever, after all.

As an individual, he had no reason to apologize on behalf of an entire nation. And he certainly didn’t see a reason to pay for the crimes he hadn’t committed just because he happened to be born in the same country as those criminals from the past.

Unfortunately for him, though, the crimes they had committed were now ruthlessly crushing down on him.

Suzuki Ryuichi covered his face with both hands.

We’re done for.

As far as he could tell, the Japanese martial society didn’t have any hope left.

Humans didn’t despair no matter how cruel and unforgiving their situation was. No, as long as there was a ray of hope showing them a path out of this cruel situation, humans could endure anything.

What mattered wasn’t the present but the future they would create from that moment on, after all.

However, for the Japanese martial society... There was no hope here.

We can’t win against them.

The majority of Japanese martial artists resisting the Korean occupiers either lost their lives or their martial arts.

Then again, this defeat was etched in stone the moment the large-scale expeditionary force, organized by the Yamakawa-kai, got slaughtered by the Koreans. After that crushing defeat, the Koreans entered Japan and destroyed the martial arts of the Japanese warriors daring to resist. That was pretty much the final nail in the coffin, so to speak.

And now, the remaining people in the Japanese martial society were no better than some random riff-raffs, like Suzuki Ryuichi, who aimlessly drifted day-to-day after their capacity for violence got neutered.

Shimeji Michihiro quietly called out. “Hey, Ryuichi...”

“...? What is it?”

“I’ve made up my mind, man.”

“About what?”

“I’m going to become an ordinary person.”

“Say what?!”

Shimeji Michihiro casually shrugged. “Why the shocked face, man?”

Suzuki Ryuichi sucked in a deep breath. “What do you mean by becoming an ordinary person?”

“So you heard me. Yeah, I’m going to quit.”

Suzuki Ryuichi’s glare locked on his friend grew boiling-hot. “Quit?! Are you thinking of giving up? Is that it?!”

“Eh, well... I think it’s weird to call what I’m doing ‘giving up’, though?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Tell me. What would you call this? What are we doing here?”

“...!”

Shimeji Michihiro smirked derisively. “Do you see what we’re doing as us being tenacious, that we’re not giving up? When all we do in here is nothing but sucking on our thumbs every day? Sorry, but I’m not interested in accompanying you on this stupid journey, friend.”

“Is that right? That’s why you want to run away?!”

“I’m not the one running away, Ryuichi. It’s you. Look around you, man. If this is not running away, I don’t know what is. It’s not like you were thinking of mounting a rebellion against the Koreans, anyway.”

“...”

“It’s over, man. Over. There’s not a damn thing we can do anymore. Our fate is to become NEETs and get paid a pittance every month for doing nothing. All while busy licking the Korean bastards’ boots and wagging our tails, too.”

Suzuki Ryuichi subtly chewed on his lips.

Shimeji Michihiro continued to mutter. “Do you know what I’ve been doing lately?”

“...No.”

“I became a member of this chatroom, you know? And I spend the whole day badmouthing Korea in this community. But... I don’t think I can carry on anymore. The more I badmouth Korea, the more stupid and pathetic I feel for kissing the asses of those losers in the chatroom, okay?”

Suzuki Ryuichi wanted to say something. Something like... How could Shimeji Michihiro give up so easily?

He wanted to stop his friend somehow, even if that meant resorting to insults or snark-filled cynicism. But no word wanted to leave his mouth after he noticed the look in Shimeji Michihiro’s eyes.

All the suppressed emotions had turned Shimeji Michihiro’s eyes bloodshot. Despite his casual tone, his expression proved that he was definitely not saying all these things lightly.

“Honestly... I never imagined things turning out this way. That we’d lose. That we’d be under someone else’s control. And that we’d be crushed and suppressed by a power much greater than ours.”

Suzuki Ryuichi yelled back at his friend. “What are you even on about, you dumbass?! Crap like that happened to us before, right? So what’s different this time?!”

“What’s different? Well, at least the ones doing that to us back then were also Japanese.”

“...!”

“Dammit. If I had known that this would happen, I’d have wrung the little necks of every bastard yapping about the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere nonsense with my own hands. Now I can’t even say it’s unfair, since I’m just as guilty of yapping about that nonsense myself!”

Suzuki Ryuichi sighed deeply while sinking deeper into the couch. “So... That’s why you want to destroy your martial arts and enter normal society?”

“Yeah.”

“Fine. But how long do you think that will last?”

“...”

This time, it was Shimeji Michihiro’s turn to clamp his mouth shut.

Of course he knew. He knew what the Koreans were aiming for.

Those bastards held precisely zero interest in the Japanese martial society. Since they knew eliminating every single Japanese martial artist was impossible, they spared the docile ones and kept them under supervision so that they could act as obedient gophers.

Indeed, what the Koreans wanted was access to Japan’s vast wealth that the Japanese martial society had a monopoly on.

Suzuki Ryuichi coldly growled. “Since we were defeated, the Yakuza will soon become the Koreans’ underlings, too.”

“That already happened.”

“With that, the Koreans will have the power to shake Japan up as much as they want. What I am saying is that even if you give up on being a martial artist and bury your head in the sand, you won’t be able to escape this problem.”

Shimeji Michihiro yelled back in irritation. “Goddamn it, man! What do you want from me, then?! You want me to go out in the street and commit seppuku or something?! While shouting ‘Return our country, you bastards’?!”

Everyone in this office knew such a sacrifice would be pointless. After all, the Koreans were heartless, merciless monsters, now weren’t they?

Monsters like them would never pay attention to a noble warrior’s sorrowful resentment. In fact, they would sneer at the Japanese for choosing a warrior’s way out while saying it was stupid to volunteer for a meaningless death.

Realistically speaking, the Japanese martial artists had no method left to fight the Korean occupiers. What remained of their future was figuring out how they would submit and grovel to the Koreans.

“I’d rather...”

Before Shimeji Michihiro could finish his sentence, the office’s entrance was abruptly shoved open. His co-worker rushed inside while making an urgent face.

“Hey, everyone! Have you heard the news yet?”

Suzuki Ryuichi frowned deeply. “What news? And why are you acting like it’s urgent?”

“T-the Martial Assembly! It’s currently recruiting those who wish to go to South Korea!”

“Say what?”

Suzuki Ryuichi’s butt nearly left the couch cushion just then. His eyes widened, while his mouth dried up instantly. That was how shocked he was to hear this news.

“Yeah! Apparently, they’ll select volunteers with the goal of training them! Once the training ends, we can return to Japan!”

“What? What are those crazies trying to do here?”

“They want to nurture executives! Executives!”

Executives! The eyes of everyone in the office powerfully quaked when they heard that term.

The Japanese martial society’s hierarchy and ranking had been disbanded after the Koreans had taken over. Only a handful were given the authority to monitor their fellow countrymen and to act as contacts between two societies, but that was about it. The Koreans didn’t leave anyone who could act as the central figure of the Japanese martial society.

However, they wanted to nurture executives now?

“...Do they want us to wag our tails, too?”

Suzuki Ryuichi bit his lip hard. The intention behind this move seemed obvious to him.

The Koreans most likely wanted to find those who would bow to them, lick their boots, and remain loyal and give them important-sounding titles to oversee Japan!

“Who would fall for a cheap trick like that...!”

Shimeji Michihiro raised his hand. “Oii! Do you know where I am supposed to sign up?”

“...?! Michihiro!” Suzuki Ryuichi shot up to his feet. “What are you doing?! Are you going to participate in that stupid scheme?!”

Shimeji Michihiro shot back. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“Where’s your pride?!”

“Pride? Hah! Hahahaha!” Shimeji Michihiro threw his head back and guffawed. “Pride, you say? Pride! Man, that’s the funniest sh*t I’ve heard in years!”

“Michihiro!”

“Listen, Ryuichi. A defeated dog shouldn’t even care about its pride, okay? If pride means that much to you, why haven’t you gutted yourself open already?”

“What?! You... Eeeeek!”

“If rotting away inside this decrepit office is your idea of pride, then sure, I’ll respect it. But that’s not my idea, okay? No, my pride is...”

The killing intent burned vividly in Shimeji Michihiro’s eyes as he growled.

“Doesn’t matter what I must resort to, I will crawl up higher. I will become stronger, no matter what it takes! Only then would I have the power to overcome this f*cked-up situation! That is my pride, Ryuichi!”

“Utter nonsense!” Suzuki Ryuichi roared back. “All you want to do is lick their boots and move up in the world, isn’t that right?!”

“What’s wrong with that? You don’t like it?”

“Why, you...! You rotting, stinking bastard!”

Suzuki Ryuichi rushed over and grabbed Shimeji Michihiro’s collar before yanking the latter close. Despite the emotion-filled response from Suzuki Ryuichi, however, Shimeji Michihiro smirked back derisively.

“You want to hit me? Go ahead. I don’t care. But know this, Ryuichi. You aren’t reacting like this because of your undying patriotism. No, it’s because of your shallow pride that exists for who knows why.”

“...!”

“A martial artist who used to rip off ordinary people to enjoy a cushy lifestyle is now suddenly worried about Japan’s future? Hahahaha! Don’t make me laugh, Ryuichi!”

Suzuki Ryuichi could only chew his lips in silence.

Shimeji Michihiro narrowed his eyes. “Come with me.”

“...Say what?”

“Only someone with a lot of power in Korea could have cooked up a scheme like this. If you’re so aggrieved and pissed off about this situation, how about spitting in that bastard’s face and dying like a hero? Do that, and at least a handful of people will remember you. Hell, you might even get deified as a martyr in history books when we get Japan back someday.”

“...”

“Come with me, Ryuichi. This might very well be our last chance.”

“...For a man who yapped about giving up on the path of martial arts a minute ago, you sure like to talk a big game, don’t you?”

“Obviously. This is my final shot at continuing on as a martial artist, after all.”

Suzuki Ryuichi shoved Shimeji Michihiro back, then glared in contempt. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“You made the right call.”

“However! Don’t delude yourself. I will never go along with their schemes. I merely want to get a good look at their detestable faces, that’s all!”

“...Sure, that’s not a bad reason, either.”

Suzuki Ryuichi bit his lip again.

A warrior always seeks a good place to die.

And now, it was his turn to find that place. Suzuki Ryuichi began sharpening the blade of determination deep inside his heart.

1. Pachinko is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Thanks, Wikipedia! ☜