Chapter 232 To Tsukishima
In the end, I arrived at the meeting place right on time.
There, the driver, Takashi, who had arrived early due to a miscommunication, was looking sad and absentminded.
“Well, I’ve been doing a lot of inspection work and stuff, but…”
And a little sarcastic.
In a few minutes, they’ll all be here.
Yohisa, Rinne, Tsururi, and of course, Migoto Aizuki.
Rika Asada and a middle-aged man who looks a little like her are here to see her off.
“Hi, sweetheart. My daughter told me about you. It sounds like you’re going through a lot.
His name is Gozo Asada. He’s Rika Asada’s father.
“I knew it…”
Yeah, I don’t remember him at all. No, it’s more like “who’s this old man?”
Okay, well… I hope you feel better soon.
Thank you.
I’d go with you if I could.
No, that’s fine.
He’s busy in his own way.
Gozo-san seems to be here on behalf of the whole community on the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line, and he’s in constant battle with those Akihabara executives.
I don’t know if he was born with it or not, but just looking at his gray hair, you can tell how hard it was for him.
“If there’s a job that only you can do, it’s best to focus on it.”
Yeah, okay.
Gozo nodded his head in agreement, and his daughter opened her mouth.
“The next time I see you, you’ll have your memory back… Right?
Yeah, well…
Then call me “Rika-chan” instead of “Asada-san”. Not “Asada-san,” but “Rika-chan.”
“What? Oh.”
That’s what I used to call you before I lost my memory.
Maybe it’s because my first impression of him was really creepy, but before I knew it, I had already read his last name…
“Don’t do anything too dangerous the rest of the way.”
“… Yeah.”
… But still…
When amnesia comes back, what happens to the memories now?
In the world of the story, you forget everything that happened while you lost your memory… I wonder if it’s based on some kind of medical evidence.
Hmm.
What if I really don’t remember anything anymore?
That’s a little scary.
The engine of the bus starts, drowning out the fear that has suddenly welled up in my heart.
“Sempai.”
Asada-san, the daughter, screamed.
Please be safe!
I give her a silent peace sign, not wanting to worry her unnecessarily.
Somehow I knew it would be the last goodbye I’d ever have.
Well, actually… I think she and I are gonna have to say goodbye to each other for good.
▼ (e.g. when referring to a specific time and place)
The bus leaves the main gate of Akihabara and turns left immediately. The bus runs along the Kanda River ignoring the one-way streets, and comes out on Showa-dori to the Metropolitan Expressway.
Once on the highway, the “zombies” are mostly out of sight, and the occasional abandoned car gets in the way, but it’s an easy ride.
“It’s a relief to get this far… But it’s been a long time since I’ve been on the road.
Takashi used to work as a driver of various large vehicles before the “apocalypse”.
“Really?”
“Mm. By the way, on a normal day, even in heavy traffic, it shouldn’t take more than an hour.”
I see.
But that’s only if we’re not attacked by hostile life forms.
“In any case, I’d try to avoid combat if at all possible.”
“Mm.”
I’ve asked Yagyu-san, who is already ahead of us, to think of a route to go around the herd if he sees one.
“However, it should get easier the closer we get to Tsukishima.”
“Tsukishima… I mean…”
I took a look at the map… I mean, I just looked at the map,
“Ah. There’s a man here who calls himself “The Protector.”
Guardians… I think they’re players sent by the government.
What kind of people are they?
“Have you met her before, Ms. Tsurugiri?”
I happened to be sitting near her and was looking bored, so I turned the conversation over to Tsururi-san,
“What? Uh, yes. I was recruited once by someone claiming to be with the government. But I’m a dependent. I can’t do anything on my own, so I politely declined.”
“I see.”
I’m trying to picture him as some kind of secret agent in a black suit and sunglasses.
“So I guess that means he came to me, too.”
It’s possible… But it seems that before he lost his memory, he was working for the Guild for a while, so it’s possible that he was replaced by someone else.
Hmm.
If you’re as authority-shy as I am… you’ll probably accept the offer just because you’re a government official.
While we are talking, the bus is getting off the expressway, passing the Sumida River, and heading for Tsukishima Station.
“There’s a street lined with monja-yaki restaurants just up ahead…”
I miss it.
I remember once when my grandparents were alive… we talked about eating Tokyo’s specialties. I was about to reminisce.
What? Oh, no.
Takashi-san and Rinne-san raised their voices, and when I turned my head, I saw a crowd of “zombies” all over the monja street that I had pointed out.
“Oh, my God. This is…”
I remember the commuter rush in Ikebukuro when I see it.
Zombies and still getting squashed by crowds of people… It’s hell.
But Rinne seems to think the exact opposite,
I miss this scene. Haku… I remember when you came to save us against that many…
He looks somewhat relieved.
What kind of high school girl makes a face like this when she sees a bunch of zombies?
“It’s a good memory now.”
So, bang, bang, bang, bang, the side of the bus.
I saw that Yagyu had come by.
Rinne, look out the bus window,
I guess I was wrong. I thought we’d have an easier time getting through here, but… Do you want to go around?
I thought about that, but… Take a good look.”
Yagyu is pointing across the crowd of zombies.
If you look hard enough in that direction…
“Oh.”
Everyone in the car noticed it at the same time.
I saw a couple of zombies go flying through the air.
Someone’s fighting… “Someone’s fighting…”
There were, by the looks of it, three… Four.
I saw a glimpse of them… two male and two female teams.
“From the looks of it, you’re holding your own, but…”
The question is, how many are they dealing with?
Imagine a street of about 3-400 meters crammed with “zombies”.
I don’t care if the player is Superman. It’s not a good thing.
“What do we do?”
Yagyu-san was already holding a Chicago typewriter in his hand.
I don’t have to answer that. This guy.
