Chapter 168 Things change and people change
Chapter 168 Things change and people change
After Kawahara returned to Tokyo, Hikaru Enoda was the first to know the news.
Because the Ultimate Tracker, which had been quietly staying in the laboratory for more than a year, suddenly flew out. Hikaru Enoda was dazed for a long time before he realized that it might be its owner who summoned it.
The second person to know the news was probably Tsubaki Shuichi.
Kawahara went to Kanto Medical University Hospital to find him, intending to get a free physical examination, but after asking around, he found out that Tsubaki Hideichi was not there.
[“Huh? You’re back?!”]
Tsubaki Shuichi, who received the call, was also shocked.
Kawahara, who had borrowed a public telephone booth, responded and asked, "So, you were finally fired?"
[“What?”]
Chun Xiuyi immediately said in dissatisfaction: [“I am attending the seminar with a regular quota! Anyway, it will take at least three months for me to return from Berlin. Is there any emergency over there?”]
Kawahara thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, it's not a very urgent matter. By the way, is Officer Ichijo still in Tokyo?"
[“He has already returned to Nagano Prefecture.”]
*
Although more than a year is not enough to say that everything has changed drastically, it is enough time for the [Joint Search Team for Unidentified Lifeforms] to disband.
Moreover, because of the one-year-long battle with the strange creatures called "unidentified life forms", after the disbandment of the Joint Investigation Department, the detectives of the headquarters' Investigation Section 1 were also dispersed to different areas, and even received a fairly long psychological counseling program before returning to the police department.
As for Kaoru Ichijo, he was a criminal police officer in Nagano Prefecture before his transfer, and after the investigation department was disbanded, he naturally returned to the Nagano Prefectural Police Department.
In addition, Minister Matsukura was promoted and left after that, and the entire Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division was reorganized.
There seems to be a feeling that things are no longer the same as they used to be...
While Kawahara was thinking about these things, after Tsubaki Shuichi explained the changes during this period, a curious voice came from the other side of the phone.
[“More than a year ago, when you disappeared in the port area, someone saw a strange figure, so the investigation department investigated for a while, but in the end it ended in vain.”]
Chun Xiuyi asked with great interest: [“I’m not worried that you’ll die, so where did you go at that time?”]
Kawahara said calmly: "Go save the world."
[“Ha, you’re not going to say we’re going to fight that ‘world-destroying devil’ again?”]
"..."
This guy actually still remembers that incident.
Kawahara couldn't help but laugh and said, "Yes and no, because this time there is a new demon king, the destroyer of the world."
[“That world is really dangerous!”]
Chun Xiuyi sighed without commenting.
Kawahara agreed with this.
Because even if Oma Zi-O and Decade had not visited this world, this world would still be in danger. After all, there is a more terrifying Creator.
……
After learning about the changes over the past year from Tsubaki Shuichi, Kawahara hung up the phone, walked out of the phone booth, and looked at the sunset that was gradually spreading across the horizon.
The pitch-black Ultimate Chaser stopped by the roadside.
But in fact, it was not Kawahara who summoned it.
But just as he returned to this world, the Ultimate Chaser suddenly rushed out and almost flew out with him and Yusuke Godai who were reminiscing about the past.
This guy might actually have some consciousness...
Kawahara raised his hand and gently touched the front of the Ultimate Pursuer, and suddenly thought, is this the first thing he created?
It was given a form using the ultimate dark power, and then perhaps given a will using "telekinesis".
Only these two can "create" it.
After the sky became completely dark, Kawahara, with a confused mind, got on the Ultimate Chaser and drove towards Bunkyo Ward.
……
……
Bunkyo District.
PolePole Cafe.
Familiar signs and familiar warm-toned shops, this place has hardly changed at all, even the drowsy jade store manager sitting behind the bar is the same as always.
"Dingling~"
The wind chime hanging on the door rang, and the jade store manager looked up dazedly: "Sorry, we're closed..."
"It's only seven o'clock and we're closing, manager. You're actually starting to slack off."
“…Eh?” The jade store manager’s eyes widened when he saw the person coming. Then he said in a serious tone, “Because I’m the only one in the store right now!”
Kawahara raised an eyebrow when he heard this: "Isn't Nana helping here?"
The jewelry store manager, who had already sobered up, muttered, "Nana-chan got another movie before the New Year, and she's so busy now that she doesn't have much time to come over here."
From what I heard, it seems that the girl who failed several auditions before has good prospects now.
Kawahara smiled and asked, "Manager, is it convenient for me to continue living here?"
"no problem!"
The jewelry store manager also smiled a little and said, "But you came back so soon. What about Five Days? Are you not together anymore?"
Although it is still unclear how Xun Ichijo explained to the jewelry store manager, the reasons are probably the same.
Kawahara smiled and said, "No, Godai and I have always been adventuring separately. We only met yesterday. I plan to stay in Tokyo from now on."
"That's great! After you and Nana-chan left, only Xiao Minmin would come over to help me occasionally. I'm really super busy all by myself!"
The jade jewelry store manager, who was sighing and inserting some funny jokes, suddenly stopped.
Then he looked at Kawahara with wide eyes again: "Wait, you won't have to go out and look for a job again then, right?"
Kawahara thought about it for a moment and said, "Maybe I'll consider outsourcing some of the work."
After all, he doesn't have much savings now, and he is not like Yusuke Godai who likes to live a life of luxury, so he still needs to enjoy material life to some extent.
The jade store manager's face suddenly fell again.
Kawahara couldn't help but smile when he saw this and said, "Of course, I will stay in the store to help until you find someone else, and I'm grateful for your care over the past year."
The store manager immediately smiled again: "That's no problem. By the way, I'd like you to buy the ingredients for tomorrow!"
At this point the jade store manager turned around and took out a basket of vegetables from behind the bar. It was obvious that he was really having a slump just now and did not go shopping even though the store closed early.
Kawahara took the basket with amusement, not caring that he had just returned. After all, the jewelry store manager was such a straightforward and interesting person.
"Then I'll be back soon~"
The purchase order and funds were placed in the basket. Kawahara looked at the items while walking out of the cafe again. It hadn't been half an hour since he came back.
Not long after he rode the Ultimate Chaser to the market, a girl in a white cotton coat came to the door of the cafe with a newspaper in her hand.
She looked carefully at the sign at the door, and after confirming that it was the same store as advertised in the street newspaper, she pushed the door and walked in.
"Hello, is there anyone?"
The girl looked around the cafe awkwardly.
The jade store manager, who was about to doze off, had to pull himself together and say again, "Sorry, we're closed."
"no……"
The girl with a stern face picked up the street newspaper in her hand and said, "I saw that they were hiring here, so I wanted to come over and give it a try. May I ask..."
The jade store manager was startled again when he heard this.
He nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yeah, that's right! We need employees! When can you start working?"
Girl: “…” So fast?
This made the girl hesitate for a moment. She looked around the cafe again and again to make sure it was a comprehensive restaurant and not some weird place.
The store manager then walked out of the bar and said, "By the way, what's your name? We are really short of staff here! There are so many customers recently that I almost don't have time (or don't want) to buy ingredients for tomorrow."
The girl nodded nervously: "My name is Okamura Kana."
……
(End of this chapter)