EPILOGUE
The next day. Shinra’s apartment.
It was the day after the long weekend.
Two of them were copycat offenders; one was a man who claimed to be an OPD fan but was disliked by the fan community, which saw him as a radical. The other was a woman who had attacked OPD relentlessly online and even published several statements addressing the mass media. Seeing the possibility that the woman could have an accomplice in the organisation she had founded, the police were continuing the investigation.
Both had been wounded and absolutely terrified, repeating cryptic things such as, ‘The Headless Rider is the Slugger,’ or, ‘There was a demon,’ and so the police would continue their interrogation while suspecting abuse of dangerous or illegal drugs.
But what stunned the public most was that the original Slugger was also nabbed at the same time.
‘I never thought it would turn out this way in the end.’
“It just means that human jealousy is a scary thing, influence of manga or not.”
“I dunno. Both copycats said they were inspired by the news reports, so they’ll probably return to their senses with the right push and it’ll just blow over, I think? Besides, the anti-OPD leader was one of the Sluggers.”
Shinra smiled at the text Celty had typed, and said,
‘Shinra, if I cheated on you, would you put on a cosplay and try to beat me up?’
Shinra’s countenance had indeed tempered. Celty asked him,
“…Cry; cry like no tomorrow. There’d be a grown man in front of Ikebukuro station bawling and wailing your name in broad daylight.”
As she typed this Celty felt at peace.
Things had been bumpy after their return from their vacation, but she felt that perhaps finally, they had returned to their version of everyday life.
While the TV began to report the details on the nabbing of the Slugger , the internet was in commotion over the appearance of a Dark Owl crowd in front of Ikebukuro Station.
‘I wonder whose doing this was? It must have been a prank, since they escaped once the police arrived without hurting anyone.’
“Eh, it must’ve been Aoba and co, right? You said Blue Square’s been teaming up with an aggregate website, right? Shouldn’t it be related to that?”
‘Wasn’t it a self-proclaimed artistic display by that Underrars group?’
‘Th, there’s no way it’s an alien conspiracy, right?’
—That boy complicated things again; he seems to like scheming.
—Ah well, but Kuon-kun’s cuter than Izaya, at least.
At this point, Celty paled mentally.
“What?”
The peaceful atmosphere from before turned completely, and Celty collapsed onto the sofa gloomily.
‘Aaaaaaah, how do I apologise…’
Raira Academy. After school. Rooftop.
“You look sleepy, Yahiro-kun.”
“You do.”
Yahiro was sitting at the corner of the rooftop as he had this exchange.
“Fu~n… But, how did you know that woman was the Slugger?”
Yahiro had thought she could have been one of the culprits of the fake kidnappings who had discovered his identity and had a grudge against him, or a person who had had a family member hurt by him back in his time in Akita, and wanted revenge.
“In the past there was someone who was glaring like that while throwing a Molotov at me… So I got worried about Yumasaki-san.”
“? Not exactly? It’s more like I was looking at everyone around and found her…”
Himeka asked, stumped.
Yahiro replied frankly. Resigned, Himeka said,
“Yeah.”
“You really are weird.”
“Really.”
“I see… Maybe, I’m weird?”
The instant of killing intent he had experienced when fighting the Slugger—and how he had enjoyed it.
“If you beat me up and murdered me right now, would you enjoy it?”
“And Kuon-kun? And everyone else you’re watching up here on the roof?”
Yahiro answered seriously. Himeka replied,
“Really?”
Although she was expressionless, likely she was truly, with her own brand of seriousness, concerned about Yahiro.
“…I see, thanks. I’ll talk to Kuon, too.”
“Yeah, stuff happened.”
—He said he’d take the day off to see a dentist… I wonder if he’s okay.
Hoping he hadn’t collapsed somewhere because of the injury from Yahiro.
Somewhere in Ikebukuro. A park.
True to expectation, Kuon had collapsed.
He had been punched by a completely different man, and was lying on the ground.
A few minutes ago—
“Yo, Shizuo-san and… Tom-san? Your head injury was pretty bad, huh?”
Shizuo asked, suspiciously, while Tom asked,
“Of course I do. I was the one who encouraged the Slugger and made him attack you.”
Then Kuon proceeded to chatter on about the entire story to Shizuo.
As a result, expectedly, Heiwajima Shizuo exploded.
With this, he would have taken responsibility, in his own way.
And—he would probably never be able to surpass Orihara Izaya like that.
—If this kills me… Sorry, Nee-chan.
In the end, Kuon fell to the ground immediately after that.
Tom had cut in from the side and punched Kuon’s face without mercy.
“Tom-san, why…”
“I was the victim here. So I hit him. Is there a problem?”
Understanding his intent, Shizuo let his anger disperse, and shook his head.
“…No, there’s no problem.”
And so things led to the present.
Tom asked quizzically. Kuon, still lying on his back, replied.
It was not a lie, but Kuon intended it as a full-blown provocation.
He expected Shizuo to grow enraged again at these words that could only be seen as mockingly unserious—
Then Shizuo, after leaving the following words, departed.
“I got it. On that urban legend’s account, I’ll let you off today.”
After the duo had left, Kuon, still sprawled in the middle of the park, rubbed his cheek.
—Well, if Shizuo had punched me I might really have died, so…
At that point, Kuon suddenly realise why Tom had punched him.
Indeed, punching Kuon first might have been the only way to placate Shizuo back in that situation.
“Shit… Damn it… Damn it…”
And, as if scolding his own self, he spoke from his bleeding mouth:
“This is why… I hate humans.”
“…I’m sorry, Tom-san.”
“If I hit him, things might have gotten too serious to talk out of. And now I think of it, it seems he came to take responsibility after Celty talked to him.”
Tom said this with a shrug, and rubbed his knuckles with a grimace.
Tom, examined his hand, sighing, to which Shizuo responded,
“Do you want to see that guy for a check-up again? He has no X-ray, though.”
One hour later. Shinra’s apartment.
When Celty returned home, Shizuo and Tom were just leaving.
‘Sh, Shizuo!’
—Sigh, I’ll just have to straighten up and apologise…
“Thanks. Looks like you’ve been looking out for us.”
Celty was confused. Tom added,
—? ? ?
Patting a clueless Celty’s shoulder, Shizuo and Tom smiled gratefully and left to continue their work.
Celty, who understood nothing of the situation, was left stranded at the doorway.
—What’s going on?!
At the thought that a UFO might have abducted her, she went weak with shock and began crying into Shinra’s chest—
But that is another story.
****CHAPTER END****