CHAPTER 14: WILD ORANGE DINER

And in an instant, it all came back.

The tapping of numerous footsteps.

The rumbling of car engines.

The chatter of housewives.

The sound of music from a large plasma display overlooking the everyday city life.

All of that which had disappeared in the blink of an eye had returned as if nothing had ever changed.

And in the midst of this ordinary scene full of colour and vitality-

「…I’m back?」

-the boy known as Saito Junichi had found himself on the ground, back on the footpath which he walked only several minutes ago.

『See? I told ya so, partner.』

『-tch. So it wasn’t a dream.』

『H-Hey! I helped you out, didn’t I?』

As a voice eerily similar to his own reverberated wildly in his head, Junichi clicked his tongue, rising to his feet as he brushed off the dirt clinging to his grey trousers.

Though it was then that something stood out as peculiar to the young boy.

What was once an obsidian leather coat and dark slacks had now transformed back into his familiar uniform of crimson, the symbolic scarlet blazer with a bird of golden flames sewn on the shirt pocket.

『…my clothes are back.』

『‘Course they are. The clothes you had earlier won’t appear unless you’re in that grey world.』

『You say world…what does that mean?』

『Do you really have time for question and answers? Don’t you need to be going somewhere?』

As 《Cross》 immediately diverted the topic, Junichi began to walk forward, taking out his phone habitually as his murky green eyes glanced at its clock.

-14:23-

This was the hour which was depicted on the phone’s display.

If this figure was to be believed, time had not moved since Junichi went into that grey world.

And, while one would immediately assume that it was the phone which was mistaken, Junichi’s intuition told him otherwise.

Naturally, the dark-haired youth wanted to ask 《Cross》 about exactly what had just happened. After all, there were many unresolved questions he had surrounding his strange adventure in the colourless world.

…but now was not the time.

For the lackadaisical teenager understood that he was keeping a certain childhood friend waiting.

『…you better explain all this to me when I finish up here.』

『Got it, partner.』

And so, having decided to shelve his misgivings about his otherworldly experience for the time being, Junichi continued to walk the streets in search of a cure to fix what he allowed to be broken.

【Wild Orange Diner】

This is what was on the old wooden sign which hung above the café door.

『Is this the place?』

『…should be.』

Junichi curtly responded, scanning the exterior as he still hadn’t the faintest idea why this sort of place would have the stuff he was asked to obtain.

Nevertheless, seeing that this was where he was sent, the boy spent little time on the matter as he yawned before pushing the door open.

And as the bell which signified his entrance chimed, what appeared before his eyes was a diner appropriately garnished with a vintage theme.

The wooden floor was polished, twinkling with refinement as it possessed a chocolate-coloured gleam. The slightly faded walls aged gracefully, as if they had been painted with a coat of freshly brewed coffee.

As for the tables and chairs which were sprinkled across the establishment, each and every one of them were deliberately arranged as their ornaments housed an unmistakable antique charm.

The diner itself, although small in width, was quite long--or rather, quite deep. Alongside the bar which was located east of the entrance, there were about 5-6 small round tables, lined up opposite the bar in parallel.

As for the business, the store seemed a little quiet, even with the few customers seated.

An elderly couple were sitting together at a table near the front, and a salary man was having his lunch at the far back.

And sitting on top of a barstool was a girl with short, light-green hair, staring at several pieces of paper sprawled across the bar.

(……seriously?)

As his gaze feel briefly upon the girl with sprightly hair, Junichi couldn’t help but allow his eyes to widen in subtle surprise.

Of course, his surprise was not caused by girl’s sloppy manner of slurping her straw dipped into carbonated water.

No. His surprised was instigated by the phoenix crest embroidered on the girl’s scarlet blazer.

(Another one from my school? Why do I keep running into these people?)

Junichi sighed, reminding himself of the two girls whom he had just encountered.

A girl with orange scruffy hair that went by the name of Shizuka Mayumi, or 《Delta》 according to 《Cross》.

A knife-wielding girl who possessed an otherworldly, lavender ponytail. Although he knew not of her identity, from what he could gather, she went by the name of Rin.

It was obvious that these two teenagers knew more about the situation Junichi was in.

And, as if by coincidence, both of them also went to his school: 【Phoenix Gakuen】.

(Should I try to find them after getting the supplies for Shizuka-sensei?)

With a sullen expression on his face, Junichi wondered thus, contemplating whether or not it would be wise to track down these sources of information.

However, before his internal debate could come to a proper resolution-

「Irasshaimase~(1)」

-his train of thought was immediately interrupted by the appearance of a female waitress who walked out of the kitchen and began to address the dark-haired youth.

Upon closer inspection, the waitress’s skin was quite fair, and her dark green hair with a wavy perm that fell to just below her shoulders made her quite attractive.

In addition, the wavy permed girl wore a uniform with a frilly design, possessing a monochromatic black-and-white checker theme as its base.

The gothic uniform that had a skirt which revealed the knees contrasted with the waitress’s droopy black eyes.

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「Is it just yourself today, Okyaku-sama(2)?」

「Ah, actually I’ve come to pick up a delivery for a Shizuka Manami-san(3).」

As the wavy-haired girl about Junichi’s height was about to show him to a table, Junichi responded thusly, noticing that the slurping stopped the moment he spoke Shizuka-sensei’s full name.

「Oh, so you’ve come to pick up Manami-san’s merchandise? Please wait here, Okyaku-sama.」

The waitress grinned naturally, confirming Junichi’s intent before heading back into the kitchen.

Yet, in doing so, the girl’s departure resulted in an inexplicably strained silence to hang mercilessly in the atmosphere of the coffee-coloured diner.

(…well, this is awkward.)

Noticing brief glances directed towards them from the customers present, Junichi and 《Cross》 couldn’t help but sigh unanimously, dawdling about as they were abandoned in the entrance of the café.

Though, in being left alone, the boy’s senses grew sharper, picking up the sounds of slurping which resumed shortly after the wavy-haired waitress withdrew inside.

「?」

Drawn towards the girl of green whose slurping had drawn his attention twice, Junichi narrowed his eyes as he peered over her shoulder.

And from what he could see, various pieces of paper had been sprawled around the teenager, each of them holding black and white blocks with sketches that seemed to represent people in several scenarios.

Each panel depicted passionate battle scenes and comedic conversations.

『A student Mangaka?』

『What’s a Mangaka?』

『A Manga artist.』

Upon being asked such a question by 《Cross》 , the dark-haired youth returned a curt response, summarising his explanation with a single sentence.

『…what’s a Manga?』

『You don’t know?』

『No, so tell me already!』

『Manga is basically a Japanese Comic.』

『…what’s a comic?』

『…really?』

In the face of 《Cross’s》 utter lack of knowledge regarding the world, an exasperated Junichi couldn’t help but sigh, almost falling to the floor at the utter ridiculousness of the matter.

And, while the youth wanted to point out this entity’s ignorance-

『Hey, hold it! Someone’s coming.』

-《Cross》 suddenly cautioned Junichi as a tall, slim middle-aged man walked towards the cash register with a rather bulky leather suitcase.

The slim man had dull silver hair, the subtle shade posing quite a contrast when compared to the young man whom Junichi had encountered mere moments before. And, unlike the roughly-spoken youth, this man’s hair was neatly combed back, displaying a slightly wrinkled forehead which seemed to have aged gracefully.

Usually, the boy wasn’t a one who judged others by their appearance, opting to analyse a person’s character through their actions. Nevertheless, because of his height and grey hair, Junichi couldn’t help but feel an air of maturity emanating from the elderly figure.

「I’m going to clean the tables, dad.」

「Thank you for the help, Miki-chan.」

As the waitress with the wavy perm took a damp cloth, the grey-haired man offered words of gratitude to his daughter before urging the dark-haired youth to approach the cash register.

「So you are the carrier?」

「…I’m just here to pick up this order.」

Having no idea what he was just called, Junichi decided not to pry as, after briefly collecting himself, he handed over the memo which Shizuka-sensei had given him.

「Hm…………Ok, I understand.」

As the man inspected the paper, his eyes continued to remain fixated, as if the man was trying to bore holes through the memo with his eyes. And, while it seemed like he would continue for an eternity, the man’s gaze broke away from the memo as it shortly fell back into Junichi’s hands.

Though at the same time, the leather suitcase which hung on the man’s other arm found itself jerked upwards, flying threw the air before landing gracefully onto the counter.

「Here is the merchandise.」

The man’s voice rang nonchalantly in the boy’s ears, causing him to pause as the youth focused on the thick, bulky suitcase.

No matter what angle he studied it from, the case looked incredibly…suspicious.

「What’s in here, a bomb?」

「Could be…」

(-!? It couldn’t be-!)

As his sarcastic remark was met with an all-too-serious reply, Junichi sharpened his gaze as a drop of sweat rolled down his cheek.

Yet, upon seeing the man smirk in the face of distress, the boy with emerald eyes realised that he was being messed with, deciding to shake away his anxiety as his sense of urgency was completely destroyed.

「Don’t be silly. We use a metal case for bombs.」

「………I hope you’re joking.」

「Be at ease… I can assure you that it only contains the materials on that list in large quantities.」

「Right…well, I’ll be off then.」

「Have a good day, sir.」

Taking the man’s nod as his cue to leave, Junichi grabbed the heavy suitcase before casually strolling towards the exit.

And then, the bell chimed once more.

However, it was at a time when Junichi had yet to approach the door.

A time when a buff man in a black suit entered the humble store.

Boasting about the same height as the man with dull silver hair, the muscular customer possessed a pair of shades which seemed customary with the summer season.

That being said, however, while the sunglasses he wore suited the weather to a tee, the black suit wrapped around his burly frame obviously did not.

『--the hell? Is this guy a part of the Mafia or something?』

『…looks more like a bouncer to me.』

Junichi responded to an astonished 《Cross》, carefully moving to the side as the buff bouncer approached the register.

And then-

「Kurosawa-san?」

「…yes, that is me.」

As the bouncer’s deep voice directed itself towards the bartender, the mature-natured man’s face grew stern, his eyes glazed as he glared ominously through the haze of his anger.

An anger that clearly displayed just how much he detested the suit-wearing individual before him.

「Do you have the money?」

「…I believe the deadline is still two weeks away.」

「Yes, well, it seems that it’s been changed to today.」

「…rather impatient, are you not?」

「Watch it, old man. You’re the one who’s in skin deep.」

At this line, the buff man exuded an intimidating aura, leaning across the counter as his saliva drenched the barkeeper's face.

And, while the bouncer’s gestures seemed like they were ripped from poor imitations of B-Movie villains, the threat behind his bulging muscles was very real.

--which made Junichi wonder why he hadn’t left the scene as his body silently walked towards the waitress who was cleaning tables at the back of the store.

「Excuse me.」

「Oh, would you like a table after all, Okyaku-sama?」

「No, not that. And you don’t have to be so formal. It’s a little awkward for me.」

As the dark-haired youth habitually rubbed the back of his head, he noticed the waitress’s eyes widening slightly in the face of his proposition.

With that said, after his urging, the atmosphere surrounding the waitress took an abrupt shift, changing from an extremely polite business demeanour to a more liberated and casual attitude.

「If that’s what you want, Okyaku-sama.」

「And quit it with the “Okyaku-sama”. The name’s Junichi.」

「Then, Junichi-kun. Ah, I’m Miki, by the way. So what’s up?」

Choosing to introduce herself after hearing his name, the waitress smiled, perking up slightly as she felt relief upon dropping her formal persona.

And yet, almost immediately after the tension had escaped her-

「…what’s the deal with the guy in the suit?」

-Miki’s features stiffened up once more as Junichi’s question seemed to have hit a sore spot.

「Well, about 2 weeks ago a group of strange men started collecting taxes around the area.」

「……taxes?」

「Silly, isn’t it? Anyway, those who don’t pay these men have their business threatened.」

「Threatened, huh?」

Placing his hand on his chin, Junichi encouraged the waitress to continue her explanation as his complexion took a darker turn.

「Damaging property, scaring away customers, all sorts of shady stuff happens because of these strange men.」

「Seriously? Hasn’t anyone called the cops about this?」

「Some have, but as soon as the police leave, the threats get worse.」

「…some security force.」

Already possessing some experience with 【Sekai City’s】 law enforcement, the youth with unkempt hair was once again appalled as he couldn’t help but see the police as a bunch of incompetent idiots.

Nevertheless, seeing how it wasn’t exactly his place to judge the law, Junichi could do nought but shrug as he proceeded to unravel the current situation a bit more.

「So have you guys been paying?」

「…to be honest, we’re a small business. We have been able to get by somehow but we’re almost unable to make ends meet.」

「………」

「Sorry, it must be troubling witnessing such a thing happen at our store.」

「……no, not really. Besides, that’s not-」

*thud*

Suddenly, a loud sound echoed through the café, cutting off Junichi’s point as all those in the vicinity turned towards its source.

And what they saw was the female student mangaka who was sipping mineral water through a straw only minutes prior, extending her leg as she high-kicked the bouncer into a wall.

「-!? Yoshino!」

「N-Nee-chan?(4) Did you see that?! I got him good!」

As a shocked Miki screamed, the girl in the crimson turned around, her eyes bright as a vivid smile spread across her cheeks.

From her flushed skin and heavy breathing, it would appear that the student mangaka was pumped up on adrenaline, excited as she had vanquished the B-Movie villain who threatened her home.

Though, for better or for worse, the older sister didn’t appear to share the girl’s glee.

「Don’t be silly! What would happen if you got hurt?」

Miki shrieked, scolding her sister as tears began to well up in her droopy black eyes.

And, while a bit more family drama followed thereafter, Junichi cared little as his focus was suddenly snatched by a talkative 《Cross》.

『…you seem to be a real busybody, aren’t ya partner?』

『No comment.』

In the face of the entity’s tease, Junichi simply shrugged, brushing the potent sarcasm aside as if it were an everyday chore.

Strangely enough, despite having only been in each other’s company for a subjective time of 15 minutes, it was clear that a bond of some sort was developing between the youths of similar appearance.

Though perhaps they owed this quick development to the fact that their personalities were quite similar to start with, the dark-haired youth didn’t exactly mind this relationship.

So long as it didn’t affect him negatively, that is.

『But I agree with you. Who do these assholes think they are?』

『…who knows?』

Caring little about the identities of the strange men who were harassing the townsfolk, Junichi’s eyes darted towards the bouncer that was smashed against the wall.

And it was in that moment which the youth was hit with a revelation.

The revelation that this incident was far from over.

「-!?」

As the buff man’s body twitched, he violently rose to his feet, standing strong whilst reaching into his inner jacket pocket and pulling out a silver, L-shaped tool.

Needless to say, this instrument was very familiar to Junichi. After all, he had seen this particular apparatus quite a number of times before not just in manga, anime, and movies, but in person as well.

That’s right. What the bouncer held between his thick, stubby fingers was without a doubt--

---a pistol.