That night, Takashi Kobayashi felt a wave of regret wash over him as he remembered his previous words.
The person who saved them obviously didn't want to have his identity revealed, and if he really was Seigo Harano, then that meant that he had exposed the identity of the person who saved him... Wasn't that the act of an ingrate!?
As a delinquent, Takashi Kobayashi wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue, but he had his own principles as well; he would never sell out someone that had helped him before.
But he already said it out loud without thinking, and the information was forcefully obtained from him by that blonde girl and her overwhelming aura.
Thus, he could only pray that Seigo Harano wasn't the person that she was looking for.
On Monday during classes, he observed Seigo Harano closely for a while, and as a result... he became certain that Seigo Harano was the masked person they were seeking!
He was both shocked and depressed at this.
When the blonde girl called him and asked him about the results of his observation, Takashi Kobayashi told her on purpose that he had been mistaken.
But maybe his acting skills were poor, or the blonde girl just didn't believe him, she still forced him to secretly take a photo of Harano and send it for her to decide.
Takashi Kobayashi could only obey her.
He was only a normal person, after all; if he disobeyed the mafia, there were plenty of ways for them to punish him... And besides, even if he resisted with all his might, it wouldn't be difficult for them to obtain the information they wanted.
He and Kahei Watari were only unimportant characters in the grand scheme of life; they were taken advantage of because they were easy to make use of.
A few seconds after, he sent her a cell phone picture of Seigo Harano, and she subsequently confirmed that Harano was the masked hero.
She could confirm instantly just through a cell phone picture!?
Takashi Kobayashi felt even more afraid as he confirmed how resolute the blonde girl was.
Everything else that happened was only natural: Kobayashi was asked to bring Seigo Harano to the place that she requested, or else the blonde girl would take her goons and wait directly in front of the school.
After consideration... well, there was actually nothing to consider—Kobayashi and Watari could only obey.
"I see." Seiji finished listening to Kobayashi and Watari's explanation.
"I'm so sorry, Harano-san..." Takashi Kobayashi bit his lips regretfully: "If only I didn't say it out loud back then, you wouldn't have..."
"Even if you didn't say it, as long as they seriously searched for me, I would have been discovered sooner or later." Seiji sighed, "Aren't I right, Miss... Kaede Juumonji?"
Light laughter resounded from the direction of the passenger seat.
"Indeed, although it might have taken some time, all you wore was a simple mask, and there were so many videos taken..."
"Did you hear her? There's no need to beat yourself up about it; even though it did give me some trouble, you didn't do it on purpose, so forget about it." Seiji smiled at Kobayashi.
Takashi Kobayashi nodded, but inwardly, he remained ashamed of himself.
"By the way, Kobayashi-san, you're quite perceptive. I've never even talked to you before, and even though I wore a mask that night and tried to speak in a lower voice, you still recognized me." Seiji changed the topic by praising him.
"Er... it's nothing really. I instinctively felt that I'd seen you somewhere before..." Kobayashi scratched his head.
"Takashi often notices the small details." Kahei Watari who had remained silent suddenly spoke up.
"Oh, indeed... you're often together. By the way, what do you guys usually do together?"
Seiji casually changed the topic again in order to relieve their tension as well as to help himself remain composed.
Seiji wondered if they actually weren't delinquents. Going to internet cafes, reading manga in bookstores, and playing games in game centers—these activities caused him to suspect that the duo were otakus!
A delinquent couldn't possibly be an otaku!
Just as Seiji was thinking that to himself, wanting to ask more about this topic, the car slowed down.
"We've arrived," Kaede Juumonji announced.
Seiji and the others got off the car and were greeted by the sight of a majestic wooden door. It was the type that usually belonged to the huge, secluded houses he would often see in mangas.
The door slowly opened from the inside, and it could be seen that there were two rows of men in black suits, lined up neatly to both the left and right of the pathway, creating an imposing atmosphere.
"Please enter," Kaede politely said to Seiji as she led the way.
Seiji followed her.
Kobayashi and Watari walked behind Seiji.
After they walked past the wooden door, they entered a huge courtyard. At the end of the pathway was one of Sakura Island's traditional wooden mansions.
"WELCOME TO THE JUUMONJI GROUP!!!" x2
All the men in black suits on both sides bowed together in synchronized unison, and their shouting echoed loudly in their ears.
Just this scene could probably make ordinary people that lacked courage pee in their pants.
Kobayashi and Watari had extremely tense expressions. As low-level hoodlums, they'd never experienced anything like this before.
If things didn't go well... perhaps... they wouldn't live to see tomorrow.
Both of them had the same thought and reflexively looked at each other as they prepared themselves mentally.
After entering the mansion.
Seiji was invited by Kaede to enter the deeper part of the mansion, while Kobayashi and Watari were blocked by some black-suited men.
"You guys wait here."
That was all they were told.
"Harano-san..." They looked towards Seiji.
Hearing what happened, Seiji turned around.
"...Relax, there's no need to worry." He thought about it, and decided not to have them accompany him, so he just smiled at them and left.
Kobayashi and Watari could only look at each other awkwardly and remain where they were.
Finally, Seiji was brought by Kaede to a room which had a view of the garden.
A middle-aged man wearing the traditional clothing of Sakura Island—to Seiji, it seemed exactly like a Japanese kimono from his previous world—was sitting formally in the seiza position next to a table in the center of the room.
Bookshelves that were crammed with various texts lined the room's walls, and the scent of paper permeated through the air... This seemed like a study.
"Father, he is the one." Kaede only spoke one sentence calmly to the middle-aged man before she smiled at Seiji and left.
Seiji exchanged glances with the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man had neatly combed greying hair. Although wrinkles were already appearing on his face, he could be described as having a clear, handsome face. He was wearing spectacles made of a dark wood, and behind them were a pair of light blue eyes that looked both ordinary and sharp.
Rather than being the leader of a mafia group, he looked more like a college professor, not to mention the type that would be popular with women. That was Seiji's initial impression of him.
"Please have a seat, young man." The middle-aged man indicated to the seat across the table from him.
Seiji looked at the table, then walked over and sat down in the cross-legged position.
He didn't know how to sit on his knees... even though he knew about it from his previous life as well, he thought it was hugely uncomfortable, so he decided to sit Indian style instead as it felt more natural.
"My name happens to be Michirou Juumonji."
After seeing Seiji sit down, the man lowered his head slightly and began talking in a low and steady voice.
"Seigo Harano-san, I deeply apologize for inviting you here in such a manner. My daughter and son have both given you trouble, so I apologize on their behalves as well, and express my gratitude for your generosity in forgiving them."
'...Did I ever mention forgiving them?' Seiji couldn't help but think
Well, forget about it. He didn't want to have a verbal confrontation, so he might as well accept it and be the generous one.
"I'm not exactly all that generous; I just didn't want any trouble." Seiji said calmly, "Michirou Juumonji-san... right? Inviting me here in such a manner… What was it that you wanted to discuss?"