Chapter 83: Concert Tickets
"This is your stop."
A black sedan pulled up in front of an apartment building in a residential district. After stopping the car, Detective Tsukauchi tapped the steering wheel, paused for a moment, and then said with a smile, "Ms. Ishihara, do you remember what I said to you on the way here? Please do not make this incident public."
Normally, if the police wanted to keep something quiet, they would have the person sign a non-disclosure agreement. But Satomi herself was a reporter with a public platform, and in this case, she was the victim. The police couldn't legally force her to keep the matter quiet.
On the way, Tsukauchi hadn't mentioned anything about the criminal self-destructing. He had simply used the excuse that "the criminal may have accomplices," and that for her own safety, the police would not be releasing details of the case, and they hoped she wouldn't either.
Kira remained silent. Satomi Ishihara, not doubting the truth of the officer's words, nodded repeatedly, saying she wouldn't breathe a word to anyone about the attack.
"Goodbye, Kira-kun. And you too, Detective."
Satomi waved at them from outside the car, her gaze lingering on Kira in the passenger seat. She walked up to her building, turning back to look every few steps.
Seeing her go upstairs, Kira made a move to get out of the car as well, but was stopped by the detective.
"Kira-kun, didn't we agree that I would take you home?" Tsukauchi asked, surprised.
"That won't be necessary. I don't like to trouble others. I know this area well; I can get home on my own," Kira said coolly, opening the car door. "If it's possible, could you assign someone to protect Ms. Ishihara? Didn't you say there might be a gang?"
The detective didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The "accomplices" line was just an excuse to placate her; he couldn't reveal the real reason. But since Kira was going along with it, he could only nod.
"I'll have Officer Sansa come by to protect Ms. Ishihara tomorrow," the detective said.
"That's good." Kira nodded and got out of the car.
As the detective's car drove away, Kira glanced up at the lit window of the fifth-floor apartment, silently memorizing the location. Just as he was about to leave, the black sedan turned around and came back.
Detective Tsukauchi pulled up beside him and rolled down the window. After a moment of silence, he said earnestly, "Kira-kun, you're going to be a Pro Hero one day. As for your act of bravery today, once the police have completed their investigation, you will be publicly commended. Please don't be upset that this matter has to be kept under wraps."
Kira understood. The police were asking for his secrecy, but Tsukauchi was worried that he, being young and hot-headed, might hold a grudge against them for not being able to speak about his good deed. He was trying to counsel him.
"Detective Tsukauchi," Kira said, cutting him off gently, "I didn't apply to U.A. because I wanted to become a Pro Hero. I just wanted to help her. That's all."
Tsukauchi was stunned for a moment, then let out a wry laugh. Of course. How could a calm, remarkably observant young man like him care about public opinion? His goal must be to become a true hero, like All Might.
"You have a noble goal. I support you, Kira-kun. No... Kira." The smile vanished from Tsukauchi's face. He raised his right hand solemnly, as if swearing an oath. "You will definitely become a hero. I, Tsukauchi, swear it."
Watching the sedan drive away again, Kira gave a bitter laugh. To have so much faith in me... I'm truly flattered. He pulled a hand from his chest pocket, covered his face with it, and took two deep breaths. He then lowered it, intertwining the fingers of his right hand with those of the severed hand. In Kira's flickering gaze, the severed hand, like a cigarette burning down to its end, disintegrated into specks of dust that scattered in the wind.
It seems... I don't need you anymore... for now.
Even though it was nearly midnight, the streets of the city were still aglow with neon lights, a sleepless metropolis proclaiming its passion and fervor to the world.
Kira rubbed his temples, annoyed. According to his usual routine, he should have already done his stretches and gone to bed. But here he was, standing on the street, listening to the latest electronic dance music blasting from a nightclub with flashing colored lights, a song by America's currently most famous pop star, "Pantyhose Girl"...
It wasn't that Kira disliked music, but he just couldn't stand the sound of various instruments simulated by software. This kind of dance music, created with dazzling synth mixes and kitsch lyrics, might be the current trend, but he still preferred the sound of real, classical instruments.
It was just the stubborn preference of a man from the early 21st century.
"Hello! Welcome! Come on in and have some fun! We have a special event right now! If you can win ten consecutive matches in our Tekken Challenge, you'll win a free ticket to the 'soul' concert the day after tomorrow!"
A man dressed like a circus clown was standing in front of a noisy, all-night arcade, handing out flyers. But very few people seemed interested; most just shook their heads and walked away.
The band 'soul'? Kira had heard of them. It was a band that specialized in playing famous pop songs from the end of the last century—that is, a hundred years ago. They insisted on not using any electronic instruments or auto-tune, just simple guitars, basses, and other classical instruments to recreate the classics.
The band was popular among the elderly and some punk rockers who championed freedom and rebellion, but they were disliked by the general public. People's ears had grown accustomed to the ornate, complex, multi-layered electronic music of the day and could no longer appreciate the simple, monotonous songs performed with basic instruments from a bygone era.
Kira was very interested in this band, but complete records of their music were rare. He had only been lucky enough to hear a few clips online and had been amazed by the accuracy of their covers.
After all, in the great chaos of the past decades, most of the old records had been destroyed. The ones that remained were few and far between. This was one of the reasons why the younger generation disliked that style of rock—they had simply never been exposed to it.
Now that there was a chance to get a ticket to a live concert, Kira didn't want to miss it.
He took a flyer from the clown and walked into the arcade.
Even though it was the middle of the night, the dazzling lights and rhythmic music made the place as noisy as if it were broad daylight.
Though it didn't look like it from the outside, the inside of the arcade was as spacious as a small shopping mall. From the early days of arcade games to the latest, hottest immersive VR games, countless different sections had a place here. It filled Kira with a sense of nostalgia.
He scanned the area and quickly found the event stage in the center of the arcade.
Here, several Tekken machines were lined up. Two back-to-back machines were being used for the tournament. The sounds of button-mashing and joystick-waggling mixed with the cheers of the crowd that had gathered around the contestants.
"Come on! You're the Dragon of Tekken! How can you lose to a little girl!?"
"You're the last hope of this arcade! You have to hold on!"
Amidst the cheers, the silver-haired, pencil-headed young man sitting in the large, comfortable sofa chair was sweating. His hands were still flying across the buttons, but the character he was controlling was clearly at a disadvantage, pinned in a corner by a muscular male character.
In slow-motion replay, a character was shown falling to the ground. Huge, gray letters flashed across the screen. The silver-haired boy slumped dejectedly into the chair.
"He lost... I can't believe even our Dragon of Tekken lost! What kind of monster is that person on the other side!?"
"She's already on a 30-win streak! Is there anyone here who can beat her!?"
A pair of delicate, pale hands appeared from the other machine. A woman in a black, form-fitting suit that exposed all of her curves stood up, stretching lazily. "You're all so weak," she said with a grin. "In that case, the third ticket is mine."
"Damn it! She's just a high school kid, but she's so arrogant!"
The people standing behind the "Dragon of Tekken" said through gritted teeth. But no one stepped forward, because they knew they couldn't punish this girl.
Kira was surprised. He never thought he'd run into an acquaintance here.
The girl's gaze swept across the crowd and stopped when it landed on him. The lazy look on her face was replaced with excitement. She waved her hand vigorously and shouted, " Kira! I see you!"
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