Chapter 17: The Land of Promise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17: The Land of Promise
Around the same time Tojo Karen, Kishimoto Rika, and Kim Yoo-Sung were in the middle of a shopping spree at the Tokyu Department Store in Shibuya…
Key executives of the Toseikai were gathering one by one at the clan’s grand mansion in Meguro, Tokyo.
A solemn atmosphere filled the conference hall.
Seated at the very head of the table was a middle-aged man, the 6th chairman of the Toseikai, Tojo Naoto.
Also known as Naoto ‘Bloodbath’ (血海).
He stroked the knife scar on the bridge of his nose, his expression serious as he scanned the faces of his executives. Suddenly, he slammed the blade in his hand down onto the floor.
"I think Karen has a boy she likes."
The moment he spoke, a stir went through the executives.
It was only natural. Before being executives of the organization, everyone present at this meeting was an uncle who had watched Tojo Karen grow up.
The one thing everyone gathered here had in common was that they doted on Tojo Karen as if she were their own daughter or granddaughter.
They were men among men, who would give up a finger for the girl who was the apple of their eye without a second thought.
A secret meeting of the Toseikai’s key executives.
That was the official reason for the gathering, but in reality, it was a meeting of the Tojo Karen personal fan club.
And the fan club’s president, member number one, and doting father, Tojo Naoto, scowled, his scarred face twisting menacingly.
"I don't know what kind of good-for-nothing punk he is, but I can't just give my daughter away to any nobody. Sento!"
"Yes, sir!"
The organization's accountant and elite yakuza, Sento Osamu, pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and used a projector to display an image on the white wall of the conference room.
"Name, Sakamoto Ryuji. Born October 7th. His family consists of his archaeologist parents and a younger sister, two years his junior. He is currently enrolled at the private Ichijo Academy. His school grades are mid-tier, and his athletic skills seem to be quite good, as he has attended a karate dojo run by his childhood friend's father since he was young. It's said he recently got into a street fight and put two delinquents in the hospital with injuries that took two weeks to heal."
"Hmm. For a guy with a pretty, girly face, he seems to have some guts."
As Tojo Naoto muttered with his arms crossed, Sento nodded and moved the presentation to the next page.
"According to information from our mole inside Ichijo Academy, it is presumed that the young miss fell for this Sakamoto Ryuji fellow this past Monday. The delinquents I just mentioned are first-year students in the kendo club the young miss belongs to. It seems that the young miss, with her strong sense of justice, went to confront them about the assault and fell for him in the process."
"Damn it! If it weren't for those delinquent bastards!"
"Next slide."
When Sento pressed a button on the remote, photos of Tojo Karen's friends who had recently visited appeared on the screen.
At the sight, Naoto, who had been grinding his teeth, had a change in his eyes.
"That young man in the back… his build is impressive."
"Yes. That is a student named Kim Yoo-Sung, whom the young miss brought over the other day, introducing him as a friend. I investigated him separately, thinking he might be an assassin planted by another organization, but he was just an ordinary student who enjoys working out. He has no particular criminal record and is reportedly an honor student who has never once failed to be at the top of his grade."
"Ho, the more I see him, the more I like him. Alright, I get it. Next."
"The blonde girl next to him is another of the young miss's friends, a student named Kishimoto Rika. Her father is the famous manga artist Kishimoto Sojiro, and her mother is Kishimoto Maria, who currently works as a part-time French instructor at Waseda University's language institute. To be precise, she is an elite who can speak a total of four languages: English, French, Japanese, and Korean. Miss Rika has such an excellent fashion sense that she worked as a reader model for a fashion magazine in her hometown of Shizuoka. It appears she used those skills to teach the young miss how to apply makeup."
Click!
When he displayed a before-and-after comparison on the presentation, all the executives in the room gasped in admiration.
"Ooh! She was always cute, but with makeup, she's even cuter."
"That's our young miss for you. She was special from the start."
"I knew she'd become a beauty when she grew up, but honestly, I never thought she'd become this pretty."
While the executives were each voicing their impressions, only the father, Naoto, stared at the photo with a look of discontent.
"Quiet down. I'm not in a good mood right now."
Seeing his displeased face, the executives quickly shut their mouths.
As a quiet stillness fell over the hall, Sento quickly moved to the next screen.
Attached were photos of various receipts.
"Yesterday, the young miss mentioned for the first time that she wanted to go to a hair salon, so I personally escorted her. This is the receipt from that visit. And just today, new charges appeared on the young miss's card. As you can see, they are all from clothing stores in the Tokyu Department Store."
Murmur, murmur.
Only then did the Toseikai executives realize the gravity of the situation and begin to discuss it amongst themselves.
There was a simple reason for Naoto's foul mood, despite his daughter becoming prettier.
His daughter, who never had any interest in makeup, suddenly learns how to apply it. The girl who only ever used shampoo and rinse suddenly goes to a hair salon for the first time in her life. The child who insisted on wearing either her school uniform or comfortable clothes year-round suddenly goes to a women's clothing store?
All these clues pointed to only one thing.
"It seems the young miss will be going on a date this weekend."
"SAKAMOTOOOOOOO!!"
"Chairman! I understand how you feel, but please, calm down!"
His eyes rolling back in fury, Naoto looked ready to march over to Sakamoto Ryuji and stab him that very instant, but the executives hastily held him back.
After some time, once his excitement had barely subsided, Naoto said, panting heavily.
"Anyone free this weekend, assemble here! Got it?!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Our mission is to follow my daughter's date and stop that Sakamoto punk from trying anything funny!"
"Yes, sir!"
Toseikai 6th Chairman Tojo Naoto and 8 key executives.
All have decided to deploy!
*
"I'm so tired~!"
After a long shopping trip that took about two hours, we had finally managed to pick out all the clothes and accessories Tojo Karen would wear on her date tomorrow.
We were now having a late dinner at a handmade burger joint in the department store's food court.
"I don't even have the energy to chew anymore~"
Despite her words, Kishimoto was stuffing her cheeks like a chipmunk, diligently munching on french fries.
Tojo Karen watched her for a moment before finally, with some difficulty, speaking up.
"Rika, I'm saying this again, but thank you so much."
Rika waved her hand as if it were nothing.
"Hey~ Don't mention it, we're friends. So don't worry about it. I had fun shopping with you, too."
"Yeah, you were like that from the start."
Tojo chuckled at Kishimoto's playful remark, then looked at me and tilted her head.
"Kim Yoo-Sung, are you going to be okay with just one hamburger with a build like yours? This is my treat, so you can eat as much as you want."
Hearing her, I shrugged and replied.
"I had a big lunch, so I'm fine. Besides, I prefer rice to bread."
"If it's not enough, just let me know. Compared to how much you helped me, this is cheap."
At first, I thought she just had a delinquent-like personality, but now that we were closer, I saw she had a surprisingly thoughtful side.
I guess you really can't judge a person until you get to know them.
As I stared at her, Tojo asked, "Is there something on my face?" to which I replied, "Ketchup."
Tojo's face turned red, and she hurriedly wiped her face with a napkin.
Kishimoto, who had been sipping her cola through a straw beside us, suddenly asked.
"By the way, Karen, where are you meeting Sakamoto tomorrow?"
"At the Hachiko statue in front of Shibuya Station, 10 in the morning."
"Have you planned out the date course?"
Tojo nodded and answered.
"We'll go to a cafe for a simple cup of tea, then to the movies, and then grab a bite to eat before parting ways, right?"
At that, Kishimoto, who had been slumped over, suddenly shot up, slamming her hands on the table.
"Weak! For a first date, that's a pathetically careless attitude!"
"Huh? Huh?"
Tojo looked startled by her sudden outburst.
Ignoring her, Kishimoto launched into a passionate speech.
"You can't win someone's heart by just copying what everyone else does! So instead of the movies, how about here!"
As she spoke, Kishimoto showed us her smartphone. On the screen was the aquarium in Ikebukuro's Sunshine City.
It was true that an aquarium was a popular choice for a couple's date course.
It was just a short subway or bus ride away, so meeting in Shibuya and then taking public transport to Sunshine City wasn't a bad idea.
That place was also a comprehensive cultural center, with plenty to do and see, just like Shibuya.
In the end, persuaded by Kishimoto, Tojo added the aquarium to her date itinerary for tomorrow.
After we finished dinner, we parted ways with Tojo at Shibuya Station. As I dragged my tired body onto the subway, Kishimoto, sitting next to me, asked.
"What are you doing tomorrow, Ryu-chan?"
"Probably just reading manga at home."
"Then let's tail Tojo together!"
"What?"
I looked at her, thinking she was making another joke, but seeing her sparkling eyes, I knew she was serious.
"But, it's the weekend… I have the right… to use my free time as I please…"
"You haven't forgotten about Golden Week, have you?"
Ugh!
Faced with a line I couldn't possibly refuse, I meekly surrendered my Saturday.
Just you wait until I get that autograph.
The Kishimoto Rika & Kim Yoo-Sung duo!
Decision to deploy!