“What do you mean, Todo-san?”
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Toshi then came over and inserted himself between Todo and Kazutaka.
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“We passed each other. I called out your name really loudly, but you completely ignored me. When you focus on something, you can’t see or hear anything else, Ren.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Huh? We passed each other? Really?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yeah. On our way out, Todo-san and I became worried and decided to turn around. When we got back to the hotel, chairs started falling.”
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Yuri joined the group, gracefully wedging himself between Toshi and Kazutaka. Ren felt that the distance between Kazutaka and himself had gotten so much larger. There were now three men between Kazutaka and Ren. “I practically totaled our expensive R.V.”
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“What happened to the R.V.?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I drove it because someone ran away and disappeared, Ren. What were you going to do without a vehicle? You knew Kazutaka-san couldn’t run. Look at what's happened.”
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The R.V. had a large dent on its side, which looked like a gouge made by a large file. The bits and pieces that had rained down while Ren was still in the river must have been pieces of the side mirror and lamps from the R.V.
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“The bad boys freaked out and stopped, so the fact I couldn’t drive the R.V. well actually helped this time. Thanks to my bad driving, we rescued Kazutaka-san.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Toshi had a wry grin on his face.
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“The chief swerved drastically the moment he saw those three men and crashed right into the guardrail. I almost thought that he was trying to run them over.”
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Todo started laughing and clapping his hands.
✦ ✦ ✦
“That’s exactly what I thought, too, runaway R.V., scraping its body against the guardrail with sparks flying all around. One of them got so scared that he jumped into the river.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I wouldn’t use my precious R.V. to run anybody over. I may use it to get someone’s attention, though.”
✦ ✦ ✦
All five of them laughed in unison. “Help me!” Down in the river, the man who couldn’t swim was calling for help. One of his buddies replied.
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“Big bro, we’ll get you a boat.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Get me a life preserver first, idiot,” the big brother yelled back miserably.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Shall we go back? Toshi-kun, it looks like scrap now but can you drive the van?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Sure. But you should take those wet clothes off, Ren. We can’t get the inside of the R.V. all wet.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“All right, all right.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“How is he going to get into the hotel?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuwa placed his arm gently around Kazutaka’s shoulder and answered the question.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Don’t worry. We’ve got some changes of clothes inside the R.V. They may not fit perfectly, though. Well, Kazutaka-san. Please take good care of Ren.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ah, huh?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“As you just saw, Ren tends to get really preoccupied. Once he’s focused on something, he doesn’t see or hear anything else. But he’s sturdy, upright and reliable. He’s a good man for long-lasting relationships. Isn’t that right, Ren?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You think I’m made of stainless steel?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuwa made it sound like a joke but actually he was trying to encourage Kazutaka. Kazutaka, on the other hand, looked blank. Obviously Fuwa’s message hadn’t gotten through.
✦ ✦ ✦
Although the team had lost the replica, they had survived the danger. Ren felt relieved. When Kazutaka had been snatched, Ren had been deadly worried. While Kazutaka dangled in the air, Ren’s heart had ached. All that drama was over now. Ren was happy to be with his friends in the R.V. again. Todo and Toshi had actually gone all the way to the train station. But once there, they'd rented a car and headed back. They must have had a hunch. They saw Kazutaka being abducted right as they got back to the hotel. They'd also seen Ren running after the van and Fuwa driving away in the R.V. without the appropriate license, so they decided to follow them all.
✦ ✦ ✦
Although so gentle in terms of looks and attitude, Fuwa was actually quite bold and daring. All of the lights on the left side of the R.V. were broken. It had a huge dent as well. Bud had purchased the vehicle but Fuwa was willing to sacrifice it.
✦ ✦ ✦
“How’s your hand, Kazutaka?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s all right, Ren. Don’t worry about that.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren clicked his tongue, thinking that there was no way Kazutaka’s hand could be all right. His left wrist had been supporting his whole body. And since Kazutaka had jumped, there had to have been extra strain. Ren might not know much about the strength of human bones but he knew he couldn’t take Kazutaka’s statement at face value.
✦ ✦ ✦
“You may not be feeling any pain right now because you're still in shock. You’d better go see a doctor and get an x-ray. Otherwise, you might feel it when it rains. That’d be horrible, wouldn’t it?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Okay, okay.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I don’t trust such a quick answer. I’ll take you to a doctor myself.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ren, I’m not a child.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren felt that he had some right to worry about Kazutaka’s health and safety. He also felt that he should have some say as well. When the two of them decided to jump, Kazutaka had said, “I love you.” But that had been under special circumstances and Kazutaka might not remember. But to Ren, that statement made Kazutaka as important as himself. Sometimes, Kazutaka’s pain might hurt Ren more than his own.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Weren’t you afraid while you were strangling the driver, Kazutaka?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Oh, I don’t remember. I was desperate.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You hit the other one with the attaché case. Do you think that you knocked him unconscious?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yeah, I think so. He might be still sleeping in that van.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You're quite brave when it comes down to it, huh?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I didn’t want you to fall from a moving car, Ren.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren could see the love in Kazutaka’s eyes. Kazutaka fought his hardest no matter the odds. Although Kazutaka was always smiling, Ren could see how tough his spirit was.
✦ ✦ ✦
“The attaché case came in handy. I guess I didn’t use it for its intended purpose, though.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Shall we keep it as a memento?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Once it’s closed, it won’t open. Once it’s open, it won’t close. This case has been nothing but trouble. But I’ve spent several days with it; it’s kind of grown on me. It’s almost cute, isn’t it?”