SEVEN STORIES ABOUT "THE BEGINNING"
CHAPTER 4: SHARE HOUSE, BLUE MARINE (KABEI YUKAKO)
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
(List of Chapters)
The living and dining rooms on the first floor were an open space with an open ceiling. The dining room was based on a clean white color palette, and the open kitchen, with its sophisticatedly designed kitchenware and spices, looked like the backdrop for a cooking video. A pure white dining table would be perfect even for a Western-style brunch. A state-of-the-art coffee maker, like the ones you see in a corporate project.
Everything was illuminated by a soft, almost innocuous, glowing light.
Fushimi wanted to find a dark, narrow space.
"Wow, how elegant!"
Hidaka was the one who expressed his thoughts directly. Kamo said, "Oh.", and seemed immediately interested in the kitchen.
Glancing at the living room, he discovered it was inspired by blue. Navy velvet couch were arranged around a low, glass-topped table. Beyond the window that took up almost the entire wall, there was a wooden deck overlooking the sea. A fabric hammock could also be seen facing the sea.
"Is everyone here?"
The thing wrapped in the hammock, like a caterpillar, spoke. Needless to say, the deep voice could be heard through the glass window. The hammock swung like a pendulum, and Munakata landed on the wooden platform. He was wearing teardrop-shaped sunglasses and an open-necked shirt with a strange pattern. He took off his sunglasses and stuffed them into his shirt pocket as he entered.
"Your rooms are on the second floor. The rooms are laid out the same way as the Seiun dormitory."
"Phew! So the captain will also be living with us?"
"Domyoji-san!"
Domyoji's sincere reply was hidden by a panicked Enomoto.
"I also reside in the Seiun dormitory. I need temporary accommodation."
Just yesterday, the Seiun dormitory became unusable. A breakdown in the drainage system caused a sewage backup, resulting in a major disaster. The water flooded the floors. The first floor, where the dining hall is located, was closed. There was no direct damage to the rooms on the second floor or above, but the bathrooms and toilets are unusable, and the living room has a foul odor.
The Seiun Dormitory's facilities were old, and residents had been complaining about them for some time. It was decided to take the opportunity to do a complete renovation while the dormitory was being repaired.
Fushimi had insisted that Munakata at least renew the plumbing and install the air conditioning, but it had taken years of hard work. Maybe five years?
The time had finally come to realize his long-held dream.
The renovation work is scheduled to last about three months. During that time, the dormitory residents had to move into temporary housing, and "Scepter 4" rented several buildings. In the end, each person arrived at the dormitory assigned to the special forces with only a suitcase.
"It's more like a shared house than a dormitory, right?"
Benzai's words made Fushimi think about the term. He thought it was a concept he'd never have to deal with, but now that he mentioned it, it was true.
"Why is temporary accommodation a shared house?"
"We had to quickly arrange accommodation for everyone, and this was one of the ones we were able to rent."
Munakata answered Akiyama's obvious question seriously. With a bright, innocent light in his clear eyes, he said,
"I'm really looking forward to living in a shared house with the special forces."
Where did he hear that? A shared house is a pain.
"Oh, I remember. Last month, I was watching a video about living in a shared house, and the captain was standing behind me and asked me what it was like."
He heard Fuse whisper to Goto, who was standing next to him.
"It's because of Fuse. It can't be helped.", Goto said calmly.
"It can't be helped.", Fushimi said, staring at them and gritting his teeth.
Although he had strong values, this man was strangely open-minded and curious about new things he saw and heard. In the past, team members would often fall for his words: "Oh, what's that?! That's interesting."
"Shall I make something tonight? I'm curious to know what the stove feels like. It's my first time using this kind of stove."
"No, no. It's not my job, and I don't mean to bother you, Kamo-kun. To celebrate the first day living in the share house, let's have a barbecue tonight. The wooden deck is equipped with every amenity."
"Barbecue party!" Of all the words in the world, "barbecue party" is one Fushimi hates like a caterpillar.
If it's with Munakata, it's a hundred times worse.
"I'm not participating. I'll stay in my room. If they force me to participate, I'll stay at a business hotel."
"Hey, Fushimi-san."
Ignoring the cold voice, he shouldered his luggage and headed for the stairs.
"Anyway, they'll eat all the meat, so there'll only be vegetables left. Hyenas!"
When he spoke out against the "Domyoji Squad", Domyoji pouted and fell silent, and the others seemed to give up and no longer bothered him.
The fragrant smell of roasting meat, along with the smoke rising from the outside wall, drifted in through the cracks in the window, and he stubbornly remained in his room, irritated.
After the bustle outside finally subsided, there was a soft knock on the door.
"Fushimi-san.", came Akiyama's voice. "Are you hungry? I left you some things to eat, why don't you come down?"
He was hungry, and it was too much to resist. He went down to the first floor as Akiyama urged.
Kamo, who was in the open kitchen, brought out a plate and said, "Oh, Fushimi-san. Here you go."
There was only meat, sausage, and corn. He accepted the plate without thanks, uncomfortable knowing that "Fushimi-san would eat something", even though she hadn't explicitly told him so.
These days, he can even eat green peppers. He muttered to himself.
The others were gathered around a low table in the living room. Benzai sat on the floor, clutching the table, while Domyoji, Enomoto, Fuse, Goto, and Hidaka hugged the couch cushions and yelled at him.
Fushimi was fed up and narrowed his eyes, wondering if they would continue playing together without returning to the room.
"Ah, Benzai, no, no, if you take that out, it's dangerous! Here, here. It's safer here."
"Shut up, Domyoji. Let me go at my own pace."
Opposite Benzai, Munakata sat upright. His back and legs formed a perfect right angle. On the low table between them was a wooden tower-shaped toy.
The name of the party game, in which you stack finger-sized blocks and remove them one by one without letting them fall, is...
"Jenga, huh?"
"Fuse brought it over, and everyone was more engrossed than I expected."
Akiyama nodded with a wry smile.
"Have you ever played it, Fushimi-san?"
"Yes."
When he was in Homura, Totsuka brought it over, and everyone was excited.
"I'm a bit clumsy and unprepared for this. Benzai is the best of us. Well, his head is much better than mine."
"That's true."
There's no way Munakata isn't good at it. It's the kind of game that makes the most of his abilities.
In the first round, everyone participated, and Hidaka, who usually makes grand gestures, was the first to collapse and received the penalty of "cleaning the shared house garden".
In the second round, Domyoji, who hadn't focused, also collapsed and received the penalty of "bringing something appropriate for the shared house".
Kamo, who is good at making elaborate decorative cuts in the kitchen, and Akiyama, who is versatile at work, are clumsy with games, and collapsed in the third and fourth rounds, one after the other.
Fuse, who knows the tricks as an owner, was eliminated in the fifth round; Goto mysteriously performed well in the sixth; and Enomoto, who is good at games in general, showed his determination and made it to the seventh round... and so on. As a result, one by one they "lost", and the battle came down to a one-on-one duel between Benzai and Munakata, who remained until the end.
The tower was already quite chipped, and it wouldn't be surprising if it collapsed at any moment.
Benzai, who usually has a cold expression, looked unusually tense, and his silky hair was tied back in a bun like Kamo's, showing his seriousness.
"What's wrong, Benzai-kun? You're taking too long."
Munakata, on the other hand, urged Benzai calmly. Benzai timidly reached for the tower. Just after he pulled out one of the blocks, the tower collapsed and a loud bang hit the table.
"Ahhh."
Domyoji and the others, who were leaning forward on the couch, looked up at the sky and put their hands to their heads. Benzai collapsed and banged his head on the table in frustration.
"The special forces have been wiped out? That's a bit pathetic."
Only Munakata stood up and clapped with a smile.
"No, Fushimi is still here!"
"Fushimi-san! Defeat the captain!"
Fushimi, who was trying to eat meat in the dining room without getting involved, was chosen.
"No way. Why should I join the party-goers' fun club?"
Fushimi immediately refused.
"Oh, Fushimi-kun, aren't you any good at it?"
"Huh? I'm actually pretty good at it."
When Munakata said that, he responded reflexively.
He knew 100% that he was provoking him. It's his usual tactic. He knew 100%.
"Damn it."
He bit into a piece of meat, abruptly put down his plate, and left the dining room.
"Get out of the way."
He pushed Benzai aside and sat cross-legged across from Munakata.
"I'm counting on you, Fushimi-san!"
"Only Fushimi-san can beat the captain!"
Domyoji and the others cheered irresponsibly around him.
"Hmph. I'll play against you."
When he played with "Homura", the players were basically all rude and careless, so the game didn't last long and wasn't fun. He remembers the looks on the faces of particularly rude guys who knocked down the tower in an instant and got angry.
Munakata didn't mind that.
Benzai rearranged the tower. They faced each other on top of the tower.
"You go first."
Munakata relaxed and conceded the first move. A sudden sense of déjà vu crossed his mind.
"Oh, weren't you good at it?"
Munakata had taunted him with the same words, and had sat across from him like that, remembering the day he had his first serious conversation with him. He was still a boy, about 16 years old.
It was so quiet that even the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
Fushimi held his breath, pushing a block on the center rung of the tower with his fingertips and experimenting with slight movements.
There are only two blocks left on that level. There's only one block left on each level.
Ok. He could do it. Holding both ends of the block with his thumb and middle finger, he suppressed the trembling in his fingers and gently pulled it out parallel to each other.
The tower showed no signs of collapsing.
The people around him, who had been holding their breath, relaxed with relief.
"It's incredible... I mean, the captain, but also Fushimi-san."
Enomoto muttered in a hoarse voice, as if he were the one who was nervous and tired.
Neither side gave in easily, and the battle continued for a long time. Only one or two pieces remained on each level, and the tower remained in a state of absolute balance. The blocks that had been removed piled up on top of the tower, making it taller and thinner, creating a shape that evoked a strong sense of unease.
Fushimi placed the block he had just removed on the top layer. Carefully, so his fingers wouldn't tremble.
As soon as he let go, the tower shook. "Waah!" exclaimed those around him, and they all raised their palms to support the tower as if sending their thoughts.
After a few seconds, the shaking stopped and the tower regained its stability.
Everyone let out a deep breath, but even their breath shook the tower, so they held it quickly.
"Very well. Now it's my turn."
Munakata alone didn't seem to have weakened his nerves even a millimeter.
What the tower's current structure was like (in 360 degrees and its internal structure) and which blocks could be safely removed) it was as if he understood everything perfectly, and without the slightest tremor in his fingers, he extracted one with an easy movement and, just as easily, placed it next to the block Fushimi had stacked on the top row.
The whole time, the tower remained motionless, as if glued.
"You used your power to fix it, didn't you? It's impossible!"
Even though it was so sparsely populated. Even when Fushimi prevented him, Munakata didn't seem bothered and simply said, "No way.", He shrugged playfully.
"Even if I tried, would I have the power to do it?"
Behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed, and a self-loathing expression appeared. A faint wrinkle rarely seen on the thick skin of his mask.
"Huh...?"
A murmur spread through the group.
Since the Dresden Slate was destroyed, the power of their supernatural powers has been gradually weakening.
Munakata's power as King, who even controlled the "Green Lightning" capable of destroying Mihashira Tower, has weakened so much that he can't even hold up a toy tower with a mass only one hundred thousandth of that gigantic tower's.
"Well, I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know. Now it's Fushimi-kun's turn."
In the quiet atmosphere, Munakata calmly urged him.
"Uh, ah... yes."
Munakata said something strange, and his concentration was broken. He returned his focus to the tower in front of him. He reached out to reach the block he had his eye on, but his fingers trembled, and he couldn't touch it.
"Fufu. If you're getting nervous over a stressful battle like this, Fushimi-kun still has to put in the effort."
"Huh? Did you say that to shake me off?"
As he raised his head, the tip of his fingernail touched the block.
"Ah!"
At that moment,
Ring.
A call rang out from everyone's chest and waist. It was an emergency call.
The shrill screams drowned out the sound of the tower collapsing. No one paid attention to the blocks scattered on the table as everyone took out their own PDA.
"There's been a chain reaction and a fire on the Shuto Expressway. The Strain is out of control."
Akiyama read the report.
"The Strain is still out of control on the Shuto Expressway. It can't seem to control its own speed."
"It's calmed down lately, geez."
"Come on."
"After all, it's work."
Everyone spoke in their own way, and the conversation continued.
Fushimi also reviewed the report that had arrived on his PDA. He concentrated on working at full speed.
"Is Lieutenant Awashima in the girls' dormitory? I'll have her take command at the barracks and go straight to the scene. We'll set up the capture formation while we're in the car. Consult the details with the lieutenant and coordinate."
He jumped to his feet and gave orders without even looking at the toy.
"Captain."
He turned to Munakata.
"Yes."
Munakata stood up and pushed up the bridge of his glasses with his middle finger. His voice was as clear and firm as ever.
"Everyone, put on your uniforms and get ready to go."
"Yes!"
++++++++++
In the end, a week later, Fushimi "returned" to the shared house. It's unknown if it was a coincidence, but there had been a series of out-of-control incidents involving Strain, and special forces had to be sent in to deal with them. There had been a lull lately, and it seemed like it would continue to subside, but it didn't look like that was going to happen.
At the Seiun dormitory, even when they were occupied, they could still shower and take a nap, but the shared house was on the Boso coast, so it was too far to go to the Boumon barracks.
It was easier to stay in the barracks.
"Oh, Fushimi-san. Good work."
"We'll go out again."
Akiyama and Benzai took their places at the entrance.
"I made some snacks for you, so feel free to eat them."
Kamo followed, taking off his apron and putting on his uniform.
"Oh... thanks for your effort."
Fushimi walked past Kamo and into the dining room.
On the counter in the open kitchen, thick rolls covered with plastic wrap were stacked in a neat bundle. Pork soup was also being prepared in a pot.
"Thank you for your effort.", he murmured, once again, with complete sincerity.
A week has passed since the first day of work at the share house.
The atmosphere has changed completely from the first day. Members return one after another and then leave in a hurry.
The hammock on the balcony has been converted into a clothesline, and the dirty clothes they brought are piled on the living room couch.
Maps, documents, and confiscated artifacts from the metropolitan area are scattered all over the low table.
Although "Scepter 4" is moving toward a paperless system, the share house doesn't have the same atmosphere as the barracks, so he is often forced to use paper. Incidentally, the coffee maker seems to be the only thing that works properly.
The sushi roll's ingredients were long-lasting, such as egg, dried pumpkin, and sakura denbu.
If mass food poisoning were to occur from raw food left out during this busy time, it would be no laughing matter.
Fushimi was grateful that all the ingredients were edible, so he bit into the whole sushi roll.
Hidaka was snoring, buried under the dirty linen on the couch. He was still holding the sushi roll he'd been eating.
Footsteps sounded from the top of the stairs, and Enomoto came down with a towel covering his washed hair. Goto also appeared behind him.
"Fushimi-san, are you taking a break too? Hidaka, Goto, and I will be back in about two hours."
"Enomoto, can't we have the same internet environment here as we did back at the barracks? It's a waste of time having to go to the barracks every time to operate it."
"I think it would be difficult to build the same level of security as the barracks. It would make sense if we used it long-term, but it's only for a short time."
"That's true."
He sighed. After the "Jungle" attack, the security level of "Scepter 4" was raised, and access to information from the outside was significantly restricted.
Unless a hacker of Hisui Nagare's caliber reappears, this may be an unfounded concern, and it's likely that such a person will never appear again... probably.
"Where's the captain? In the barracks?"
"Yes. I think he probably hasn't been back even once. He must be disappointed because he was looking forward to living in a share house."
A box of a party game other than Jenga lay unopened in a corner of the living room.
It was Twister (He knew this because Totsuka had brought it earlier). According to Enomoto, it was something Domyoji had bought as a punishment game and that "it would be ideal for a share house".
Then, for some reason, there was a huge stone the size of a man's arms.
"Why a stone...?", Fushimi asked, his face twisted as he looked at him suspiciously.
"Hmm. I bought that. I'm going to bring it back as a souvenir from Chiba."
Goto replied.
"Is that stone a souvenir from Chiba...?"
"It's a Chiba-style stratum. It's just a replica of an ornament. Look, there are little crab and shell fossils buried in the stratum, and they're really pretty."
He ignored him mid-conversation.
"It was a nice share house, but it was a waste for us. I'm starting to miss the Seiun dormitory. I hope the renovations are finished soon."
"The Seiun mentality is ingrained in everyone. What's so great about that dormitory?"
"But isn't the same true for Fushimi-san?"
"The internet environment is a hundred times more comfortable."
"You're not being truthful."
Enomoto chuckled, so he clicked his tongue louder, and he shrugged and said, "Sorry..."
++++++++++
A week later, they returned to the Seiun Dormitory.
After all, many members and staff were eagerly awaiting the prompt reopening of the Seiun Dormitory.
Unable to wait for the planned three-month renovation, they decided to restore only the sewage system and reuse the Seiun Dormitory.
Thus, the Special Forces' "new share house life" ended in just two weeks.
"I feel like I've come home!"
"It would be fine if it weren't for the sewage smell. I usually only go home to sleep."
Domyoji and Hidaka excitedly entered the house.
The first floor, which had flooded above ground level, has been cleaned (though no cleaner than before), and the smell of excrement that filled the building is no longer a problem.
Fushimi asked from behind him, observing the team members at the entrance.
"Are you disappointed?"
He heard a man's voice standing behind him.
"The truth is; I wasn't entirely sure about the renovation at first. I was thinking of simply demolishing the Seiun dormitory... If the Strain group continues to decline, the day will come when we disband "Scepter 4". Before that, I thought it would be refreshing to try living with all of you. I think it's time to start preparing for the end."
Fushimi looked at Munakata for the first time.
"Disbandment?"
"The decline of the remnants of the Dresden Slate's power, the decline of the citizen Strain group, and the decline of my power are all related."
"I bet it's true you can't even hold up a Jenga tower."
"Well. What do you think?"
"What do you mean by that?"
He was about to ask him, annoyed by his vague answer, when Akiyama and Benzai came running down the stairs. They'd left their things in the room and changed into their uniforms.
"Captain, Fushimi-san."
"I have something to attend to, so I'm going to the barracks."
The two hurriedly passed each other and left. Munakata tilted his head in some exasperation and dismissed them.
"Oh, my! I've heard that working hard is no longer considered a virtue these days."
"We take pride in our work, we have a sense of mission, and we do our best. I think that because there are people like that, some can survive without being hard workers. That doesn't mean our boys are envious of those who aren't."
"Oh. I never thought Fushimi-kun would say something I would say."
Munakata gave a mocking or pleased chuckle that could be interpreted either way.
"So, Fushimi-kun, whose side are you on?"
(Don't ask unnecessary questions. Since you're here, you should know.)
"Please offer more benefits."
He let go and deliberately took a few sharp steps as he entered. It was irritating to feel nostalgic for the creaking floor of that house, something he hadn't heard in two weeks.
