“I’d love to stay and chat, but I have to take my friends to the club right now.”
“Ah, right. I see, I see. So no time to catch up.”
“But I’m glad you seem good! I heard a rumor you’d fought with Harucchi. I was worried you’d be down in the dumps.”
“Ah-ha-ha. It’s cool, it’s cool. We just settle our differences with dance battles! It’s what we do, after all. No worries.”
“Kya-ha-ha! For sure!”
I felt a sharp pain in my chest. After just learning about the strife between Ootsuka and Haruka Gokokuji, I realized that Ootsuka was putting on a brave front right now. Ootsuka’s bright smile and her cheerful acting were all to avoid worrying her old friends… It made me kinda sad.
Being sentimental isn’t like me, though.
After parting ways with the delinquent girls, Ootsuka once again advanced farther down the alley. Along the way, me, Shiika, Akiba, Shibuya, and Komae had all become as meek as kittens.
Well, I mean, it couldn’t be helped. If we let our guards down on a street like this, we might end up being kidnapped by gang members.
“Are you taken aback? It’s something else, this place, huh?”
Ootsuka fell into step alongside me and gave me a smile.
“Looks like the kind of place where they sell illegal drugs.”
“Some people who hang out here do. But they don’t sell it here, like, in the open.”
“You could at least try to deny it!”
“Well, it’s true! I’m not going to lie about it! Anyway, I never touch any of that stuff.”
“So if they don’t sell it here, where do they sell it?”
“Clubs and so on.”
“Huh?! H-hold on. Aren’t we headed to your favorite club right now, Ootsuka?” I screeched.
The reason we opted out of today’s lesson and came here was to experience hip-hop culture firsthand. Through listening to authentic dance music and getting a taste of the atmosphere, we could surely create a track that had a deep understanding behind it.
But I didn’t want to do anything illegal.
If there was any risk of being involved in a crime…then I wanted to run away, right now.
“It’s okay! I wouldn’t take you anyplace dangerous! The club’s run by a reputable person. It’s all totally aboveboard.”
“Well, all right. If you say so.”
But the idea of an aboveboard club in a dingy alley like this…
Ootsuka led us to a building with a flashy purple sign outside.
The steps down to the basement seemed shady, and with each step I took, I felt I was being sucked into a dark and dangerous world. My heart thumped with anxiety.
We descended the dark stairs… The heavy door opened, and…
We were thrown into a storm of lights and sounds.
Electronic bass. A beat you could feel in your stomach. The vibrations causing the capillaries to vibrate, and blood to boil.
For some reason, I had a vision of arriving at the campfire of an unknown tribe.
The audience, dressed in flashy clothes, danced all around the DJ booth and the dancers on the stage.
“Whoa. Talk about party people,” I said.
“Don’t judge based on looks. This is a den of zen and peace! You’re totally safe! ♪” Ootsuka responded.
“Gak… The colors… My head, it’s spinning…”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot your gear.”
“Wah… So dark now…”
“It’s a pair of sunglasses. It’ll mute the colors you see, so you can walk around without staggering.”
“Oh, good.”
Shiika, wearing the glasses, gave me a perky salute, humming to herself.
She looked oddly right at home amid all these hard-core partiers.
“I wonder if I could go and look around for a while.”
“You mean go hit on girls?”
Komae was looking around the club with great interest, while Shibuya rolled her eyes.
“You really think I’d go pick up girls after the harrowing events of today? Can’t you try to have a little more faith in me?”
“Hmm. Well, fine. But I’ll go with you. Mana, what about you?”
“Eh-heh-heh! Clubs are the best place to network! If I can schmooze with some famous celebs and talented producers, it’ll be a one-way ticket to future success!”
You could almost see the yen currency symbol flashing in the pupils of her eyes as she dove into the crowd.
“It’s all about money with her, isn’t it?”
“That’s our Mana. What are your plans, Gakuto, Shiika?”
“Hmm, I guess I’ll stay here. It’d be dangerous for Shiika to walk around wearing sunglasses. We’ll stay seated at the bar and just observe.”
“I see. Then let’s meet up later.”
“Sure.”
“Have fun.”
Shiika and I waved as Komae and Shibuya quickly disappeared onto the dance floor.
Ootsuka was chatting to the bartender. He had the look of a former soldier about him, a shaved head and bulging muscles. He was using a cocktail shaker, making a drink for a customer. He was probably the club owner. If you’ll excuse my prejudiced view, no guy who looked like that would be working a part-time job.
Shiika and I took seats next to Ootsuka.
“…Looks yummy.”
Shiika stared at what Ootsuka was holding.
A glass filled with an oddly colored drink, a mix of blue and red.
Noticing Shiika’s wistful gaze, Ootsuka grinned.
“You two should order something, too! The owner’s cocktails are exquisite!”
“Hey, hold on! Don’t pressure my underage sister to drink!”
“Hey yourself. You think this is alcohol I’m drinking? It’s not. It’s nonalcoholic. NONalcoholic. This club is all aboveboard, I told you.”
“Nonalcoholic cocktails. What should I order?”
“Um. Well, what kind of soft drinks do you like?”
“Cola.”
“Great! Excuse me! Could we have a fruity drink with a cola base?” Ootsuka ordered smoothly, as if nothing could be more exciting.
The owner didn’t give much of an answer, just nodded and grunted, “Yup.” He started pouring different liquids into a shaker, then shook it. He must have been a real pro, to go straight into making a complicated drink from just a simple order.
“What about Shi?”
“Same as Gak.”
“Sure! Another one, over here!”
“Tatsuki, you’re so uncouth, girl. Hey, I’ll give you your drinks for free, as long as you get up on the stage later. It’s been a while,” said the owner.
“Ooh, really? Can I?”
“Sure. A surprise appearance by Ryuzetsuran will really get the crowd pumped. And loosen up their purse strings.”
“All right. Let’s do it!”
Zero thinking time. Ootsuka agreed without hesitating, then downed her cocktail.
“I’m off,” she said breezily, and headed quickly over to the stage.
The audience, dancers, and DJs noticed Ootsuka and broke out cheering.
“““Yeeeeahhhh!””” they yelled, like a tribe welcoming back a decorated warrior huntress.
The electricity in the venue’s air suddenly doubled. The DJ scratched at the decks. A song started playing, and from the audience’s reaction, I guessed it was a popular banger within the subculture.