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Chapter 20: The "Fish-Gutting Maniac"
"This is a freshly caught sea bream that Mom personally bought at the market this afternoon," Sawamura Sayuri said, placing the dish on the table.
"Thank you, Mom, for your hard work!" Eriri replied. After a moment, she asked curiously, "Mom, why are you staring at me? You should eat, too."
Sayuri leaned in and whispered, "Eriri, Mom wants to discuss something with you."
"What is it?"
"How about you call me 'Big Sister' when we're out in public from now on?"
"???" Eriri was baffled. "Mom, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing! It's just that when I went to the market today, I met a boy from your school, Toyonosaki Academy. He said I looked like your older sister."
"And you actually believe that?"
"What? Don't I look the part?" Sayuri narrowed her eyes with a dangerous glint.
Eriri instinctively recoiled. "No, no! Mom looks very young!"
Sayuri's expression brightened instantly. "Exactly! That boy named Ryusei Kiryu really has excellent taste."
"What good taste? He just complimented you a couple of times... Wait a minute!" Eriri froze mid-sentence as the name clicked. "What did you say his name was?"
"Ryusei Kiryu."
Eriri's eyes widened in shock. No way... how did that guy run into Mom?!
Seeing Eriri's mix of disbelief and panic, Sayuri became even more convinced that there was a story here.
"Mom, how did you meet him?"
"I told you, at the market. He was helping out at the fish stall, gutting fish."
"Gutting fish??" Eriri recalled the photo of fried fish Ryusei had sent her yesterday. The guy certainly seemed obsessed with fish.
"Yes," Sayuri continued. "He was very polite. He seemed to be a bit short on money and was working part-time there..."
Eriri was stunned. This didn't fit the image of the mysterious student she had encountered. However, she had to admit he was polite; despite the weird rooftop invitation, he'd prepared food for her and even offered her gum.
"Working at the market... is he really that broke?"
Sayuri looked at her daughter. "As a transfer student, his financial pressure must be high. If he's not from a wealthy family, it's normal to struggle... You didn't know?"
"How would I know?" Eriri huffed.
"I thought you two were close."
"Who is close to him! That guy is just...!"
Sayuri leaned in, her eyes sparkling with gossip. "Just what?"
Eriri sighed, defeated by her mother's intensity. "No, nothing..."
Across town, Katsura Kotonoha finished dinner and called her younger sister, Kokoro, to the table. She kept glancing at her phone with anticipation, but there were no new messages. Ryusei hadn't sent a photo of his dinner tonight.
She felt a pang of disappointment, but quickly rationalized itâmaybe he was just eating late? To stay connected, she took a photo of her own dinner and kept her phone nearby.
After finishing her chores and taking a warm shower, she heard her mother, Katsura Manami, return home.
"Mother, have you eaten?"
"I ate at the office, Kotonoha. Get some rest early."
Returning to her room, Kotonoha tossed and turned, unable to sleep until her phone finally vibrated. It was a simple "Goodnight" message from Ryusei. A joyful smile spread across her face. She quickly replied and, clutching the phone to her chest, fell into a peaceful sleep.
Back in the old apartment building in Beika Town, Ryusei Kiryu lay on his bed. The discomfort from the vision enhancement had faded. His phone buzzed with a message from Eriri.
Eriri: You met my mom today? Ryusei: Yes. Your mother is very beautiful. Eriri: You jerk! I'm warning you! Don't you dare have any ideas about my mom! Ryusei: ??? Your imagination is too wild. I'm an ordinary high school student. What could I possibly have to do with a rich, beautiful lady?
Eriri, lying on her bed, felt her face heat up as she tried to empty her mind of the "rebellious" scenarios her artist's brain was generating.
Eriri: Why are you working at a fish market? Are you really that short on cash? Ryusei: Not as much as you'd think. Eriri: Then why the fish? Ryusei: Honestly? Gutting fish is just a hobby. Eriri: ? Who has a hobby like that! You perverted fish-gutting maniac!
Ryusei chuckled at the screen. A "perverted fish-gutting maniac"? If he could, he'd move on to larger targets like cows to see if they dropped silver coins. Unfortunately, he wasn't at Totsuki Academy, so he had no way of meeting someone like Mito Ikumi to get access to livestock.
Then, his thoughts took a darker turn.
Killing.
If snakes and fish dropped coins, what about people? Ryusei wasn't a monster who would hunt the innocent for power. But this was Beika Townâa place where public safety was more chaotic than Gotham City. In a world full of criminals, the possibilities for "earning" were endless.