Categories > Anime/Manga > Yami no Matsuei > Edenic
Kabukicho Spreading
0 reviewsAnna's plan to keep her mission a secret starts to unravel when Tsuzuki won't stop texting her. Jotaro starts to get suspicious.
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Chapter Sixteen: Kabukicho Spreading:
-Kabukicho, 12:45 p.m.-
Ah, Kabukicho. Felt strange to be back here. How long had it been? A year, maybe? Anna shook her head.
"We're here," she said. Jotaro didn't speak. His laser focus only grew stronger.
"Where is this bathhouse?" Anna asked.
"It's downtown," he said. "I have the address here." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Anna took a look.
"Isn't that in a bad neighborhood?" she asked.
"Yes," Jotaro said. He saw the worried look on her face.
"We won't be there long," the boy said. "We'll be careful, I promise."
"Right… Right," Anna said. She tried to look positive.
"You want that lunch now?" Jotaro asked.
"Yes," she said.
"Okay," he said. "Follow me." He led her down the street. They ended up at a small Chinese restaurant. Anna whistled at the red and gold exterior.
"Okay," she said. "Looks nice."
"I came here when I was eleven," Jotaro said. "The food is really good here." He was so sure of himself. The boy walked up to the door and pushed it open.
"After you," he said.
"Oh thank you," Anna said. She went inside. Jotaro followed behind her.
-1:18 p.m.-
Jotaro raised his arms above his head.
"That was a good lunch," he said. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah," Anna said, nodding. "You did good." The waitress came by with the bill. Anna reached for her wallet.
"Ant," Jotaro said. "I got this. I'm treating you, remember?"
"Oh, right," she said. Anna put away her wallet. Jotaro pulled out a handful of cash. Once the tab was paid, the pair left the restaurant.
"Where to now?" Anna asked. Jotaro glanced over his shoulder.
"The bathhouse," he said.
"Of course," she said. Anna put on her brace face. Jotaro took her hand.
"It's okay," he said. "We're so close."
"Yeah. So close," Anna repeated. They resumed their trip to the seedy downtown part of Kabukicho. Anna held her breath.
Buzz.
"What was that?" Jotaro asked.
"Calm down, it's my phone," she said.
"Huh?" he asked. Anna pulled out her phone.
"It's Asato-kun," she said. Jotaro looked so confused.
"What? Your husband?" he asked. Anna looked at his text.
Where are you? Are you okay? Talk to me.
Anna cut off her phone screen. "It's nothing." She forced herself to smile.
"Shall we get going?" she asked. Jotaro gave her a strange look.
"Go on!" Anna said. "Let's go! We have to get moving."
"Right… right…" he said. The boy took the lead again. Anna followed behind. She would need to be more careful. Knowing Tsuzuki, he will keep texting her until she replied. She would have replied back when Jotaro wasn't looking. Anna rubbed her forehead.
"Is something wrong?" the former heir asked.
"No," she lied. "Everything is fine." Jotaro said nothing.
-Ju-Oh-Cho-
Tsuzuki stared at his phone. No answer. He tried not to fear the worst, but his mind couldn't help it.
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki wailed.
"I know," his partner said. The older shinigami sighed, He held his finger over the keys. It felt too early to send the next text. But this felt like an emergency.
"Go on, text her again," Hisoka said. Tsuzuki whipped his head around. The younger shinigami looked so calm.
"It will help us pinpoint her exact location in Kabukicho," he said.
"But what if she's in a dead zone?" Tsuzuki asked.
"It's worth a try," Hisoka said.
"Okay," the older shinigami said. He started typing.
-Kabukicho-
Kabukicho being crowded made things easier. The drill didn't change. Head down and don't stand out. Anna had her phone on silent. One more buzz would put everything in jeopardy.
"Does he know where you are?" Jotaro asked.
"Huh?" Anna asked.
"Your husband. He doesn't, does he?" he asked. The woman thought about it for a moment.
"Kind of…" she said. He whipped his head around, eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?" the boy asked.
"I told him I was running an errand and I would be back soon," Anna said. "It should be fine." All a lie, of course. She still had to sell it for now. Jotaro's face was hard to read.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes," Anna said, nodding. The former heir didn't speak. Instead, he turned his head and walked forwards. The sounds of people and traffic swallowed up the silence. Anna's tightrope became thinner under her feet. When would she fall? She held her breath. Boy, this felt like a long walk. Tsuzuki probably sent her another text by now. At least this walk would help give her time to think about how to get out of this one.
-Kabukicho, 12:45 p.m.-
Ah, Kabukicho. Felt strange to be back here. How long had it been? A year, maybe? Anna shook her head.
"We're here," she said. Jotaro didn't speak. His laser focus only grew stronger.
"Where is this bathhouse?" Anna asked.
"It's downtown," he said. "I have the address here." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Anna took a look.
"Isn't that in a bad neighborhood?" she asked.
"Yes," Jotaro said. He saw the worried look on her face.
"We won't be there long," the boy said. "We'll be careful, I promise."
"Right… Right," Anna said. She tried to look positive.
"You want that lunch now?" Jotaro asked.
"Yes," she said.
"Okay," he said. "Follow me." He led her down the street. They ended up at a small Chinese restaurant. Anna whistled at the red and gold exterior.
"Okay," she said. "Looks nice."
"I came here when I was eleven," Jotaro said. "The food is really good here." He was so sure of himself. The boy walked up to the door and pushed it open.
"After you," he said.
"Oh thank you," Anna said. She went inside. Jotaro followed behind her.
-1:18 p.m.-
Jotaro raised his arms above his head.
"That was a good lunch," he said. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah," Anna said, nodding. "You did good." The waitress came by with the bill. Anna reached for her wallet.
"Ant," Jotaro said. "I got this. I'm treating you, remember?"
"Oh, right," she said. Anna put away her wallet. Jotaro pulled out a handful of cash. Once the tab was paid, the pair left the restaurant.
"Where to now?" Anna asked. Jotaro glanced over his shoulder.
"The bathhouse," he said.
"Of course," she said. Anna put on her brace face. Jotaro took her hand.
"It's okay," he said. "We're so close."
"Yeah. So close," Anna repeated. They resumed their trip to the seedy downtown part of Kabukicho. Anna held her breath.
Buzz.
"What was that?" Jotaro asked.
"Calm down, it's my phone," she said.
"Huh?" he asked. Anna pulled out her phone.
"It's Asato-kun," she said. Jotaro looked so confused.
"What? Your husband?" he asked. Anna looked at his text.
Where are you? Are you okay? Talk to me.
Anna cut off her phone screen. "It's nothing." She forced herself to smile.
"Shall we get going?" she asked. Jotaro gave her a strange look.
"Go on!" Anna said. "Let's go! We have to get moving."
"Right… right…" he said. The boy took the lead again. Anna followed behind. She would need to be more careful. Knowing Tsuzuki, he will keep texting her until she replied. She would have replied back when Jotaro wasn't looking. Anna rubbed her forehead.
"Is something wrong?" the former heir asked.
"No," she lied. "Everything is fine." Jotaro said nothing.
-Ju-Oh-Cho-
Tsuzuki stared at his phone. No answer. He tried not to fear the worst, but his mind couldn't help it.
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki wailed.
"I know," his partner said. The older shinigami sighed, He held his finger over the keys. It felt too early to send the next text. But this felt like an emergency.
"Go on, text her again," Hisoka said. Tsuzuki whipped his head around. The younger shinigami looked so calm.
"It will help us pinpoint her exact location in Kabukicho," he said.
"But what if she's in a dead zone?" Tsuzuki asked.
"It's worth a try," Hisoka said.
"Okay," the older shinigami said. He started typing.
-Kabukicho-
Kabukicho being crowded made things easier. The drill didn't change. Head down and don't stand out. Anna had her phone on silent. One more buzz would put everything in jeopardy.
"Does he know where you are?" Jotaro asked.
"Huh?" Anna asked.
"Your husband. He doesn't, does he?" he asked. The woman thought about it for a moment.
"Kind of…" she said. He whipped his head around, eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?" the boy asked.
"I told him I was running an errand and I would be back soon," Anna said. "It should be fine." All a lie, of course. She still had to sell it for now. Jotaro's face was hard to read.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes," Anna said, nodding. The former heir didn't speak. Instead, he turned his head and walked forwards. The sounds of people and traffic swallowed up the silence. Anna's tightrope became thinner under her feet. When would she fall? She held her breath. Boy, this felt like a long walk. Tsuzuki probably sent her another text by now. At least this walk would help give her time to think about how to get out of this one.
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