Part 51: 6/16: Hello Good Sir, Are You In The Mafia?

Part 50: 6/16: Hello Good Sir, Are You In The Mafia?



Anon: Isn’t it a crime?
Anon: It’s fun, so it’s OK.

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)



Now for today’s Train News. Today’s headlines are… “Shady Drug Deals in Shibuya!” Is this the same organization behind both this and the extortions? Alongside the phishing scams that have been on the rise, this may be their source of funding. “Restaurant Factory Fire!” A worker from the restaurant giant Haneruya was arrested for arson. Though he admits to the charges, he claims to not know why he did it. This industry is raising eyebrows.

Jeez, more food service nonsense?

Oh yeah, something weird happened in food service before, right? Some employee cooking naked… With all these extortions and scams… this world’s really messed up.



What was that all about?
I hear her older sister’s involved with the investigation. Maybe she’s just trying to play detective, too.
Are you kidding me? I can’t handle a student council president with no focus. She and the principal can both get lost.

Music: Wicked Plan



There sure are a lot of high schoolers during the day. They must be targeting them somehow.
It will be quite difficult to figure out how given the number of people around though.



Right! We’re gonna grab ‘em by the tail!
As we discussed yesterday, you should head over to Central Street, Maaku.
Sweet, let’s get goin’! Lemme know if you find any shady people!

Music: Disquiet



We might end up running into the mafia. Be ready for anything!



I hope something comes of it. I’ll be counting on you.
Is she following us? Nah, that can’t be.

What.



They appear and disappear as they please… Not only that, but they blend in with normal teenagers...
Stop complaining! If we don’t try getting information, people will say the police are useless! The media are already on our case, and the higher-ups aren’t doing a thing… This is bad for morale...



Move a little further down the street, and we’re automatically pulled into this scene.

We’re having a special sale just over there. How ‘bout you go take a peek?
We ordered way too much, so I have a ton left over. My boss’ll kill me if I go back to him with all these extras. Look, I’ll sell ‘em to you for cheap. Whaddya say?
What should we do?
It depends on the price, wouldn’t you say?




Well that’s disappointing. Come back if you change your mind.
Really? The shop’s right over there. Just go take a look.
It seems like some kind of sale. You probably shouldn’t bother.

Yeah, the sketchiest sale ever.




Hm? Is that supposed to be some kinda password? I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t been here long. Try talking to someone else.



That ain’t so easy… I only know one guy around here… Sometimes I see him in the alley across the way, but I don’t think he’s there today. He might be near the station. Go there if you wanna see him.
Hm, maybe this other person would know something…? Apparently he’s near the train station, so let’s go take a look over there.



Is she keeping an eye on us?
Maybe. I guess she’s curious about all of this.
Well let’s just ignore her if she’s not getting in our way. More importantly, how’re things on your guys’ end?
Nothing so far. I’m going to try staking out the underground walkway.
Then I’ll check around the Inogami Line. I guess I’ll get there from the underground.
I will gather some more intel in the underground shopping mall as well. Please continue on your end, Maaku.
Everyone’s really going about this seriously. They’re definitely worth of being phantom thieves. We can’t fall behind either. Let’s look for that homeless man.




Hm…? You’re trying to find a homeless person? That’s a good idea. They would know a lot about what goes on in this town. I haven’t seen any here, but I would bet there are some in the underground area...
Underground… I don’t like the idea of it, but we should go check it out.



Sure enough, it’s the homeless guy we chat with from time to time.



A part-time job…? You’re not talking about some ordinary job, huh? Take my advice: Don’t do it. They’ll squeeze every last penny out of you with threats and extortion. Some of my friends have fallen victim to their schemes… That mafia is evil, I tell you.



It’s easy to say that, but none of them have places to go… Just don’t go anywhere near that mafia. But just so you know who to avoid, I’ll teach you how to tell them apart from normal people. They use some weird phrases. Code words, you know. That’s how they communicate with each other. Anyway, watch out if you hear any of that stuff. They’ll try to come for you even during the day. They’re relentless when it comes to targeting teens.



Ah, so you’ve grasped something already. As to be expected of someone like you, Maaku.
Why don’t we just go over the intel we’ve gathered so far?
I’ll start. Supposedly some guy near the accessway talking about some kinda “strong drugs.” I’m not counting on anything, but I’ll go check it out.
As for me, I heard about someone soliciting a “high-paying job” in the station plaza. Apparently they’re mostly targeting girls. I’ll go see what it’s about.
On my end, I heard there are people saying strange things in the back alley near the arcade. Something about ice and vegetables, and something about snow tomorrow… I will go observe, just in case. The arcade is on Central Street, correct?
All right, we should do what we can to help them out. I have no idea which of these leads are real. Try going to the most suspicious-sounding place.

Let’s think this through. Despite Ryuji and Ann’s leads sounding more outright suspicious, they don’t have any elements of code words, leading us to conclude it’s almost certainly Yusuke’s lead that’s the correct one. That said, we should at least check out those other two first because they might be funny.



Uhhh… Go down those stairs, then turn left. Be careful, granny.
Oh, Shibuya is so complicated. These bones don’t move like they used to either. How troubling.
Arghhh, c’mon...



Sorry, my lead didn’t end up bein’ anything. That dude at the stairs… Pretty misleadin’, huh? Sheesh… Oh, what about Ann and Yusuke? You should go check on ‘em. Hey, granny, you OK? You’re lookin’ pretty shaky, so I don’t mind givin’ you a hand.



Uh, thanks. I dunno what I’m even doin’ here though…
He said his lead didn’t amount to anything. We should leave this area to him, OK? Come on, let’s go see Lady Ann and Yusuke.



I’ve heard it’s super effective. Even the most barren deserts will become lush forests of hair…
So that’s who Ryuji was talking about. Lush forests… I don’t really want to know. I guess I can see how you’d mistake him for what we want though.




I’ll do whatever! Squat cobbler, you name it!

Huh? You… want to be in one of our videos? I guess I can’t say there’s no demand… but our company only hires girls. Sorry.
...Be in a video? What kind of job is that? Though I guess that doesn’t have anything to do with drugs. It must not be him.



Look, someone’s asking about a video shoot over by the train… but I guess that’s for models? In any case, they’re not here. Go try seeing what Ryuji and Yusuke have.



Arcade…? You’re a high school student, aren’t you? You’d better not be looking for trouble. All kinds of shady activity happens at arcades.
What are you talking about? It’s nothing more than a place you go to play games...



This must be the alley Yusuke was referring to.





Well… you aren’t wrong about that.




It seems we didn’t have to look very hard in the end.
You’re high schoolers, yeah? Don’t you want something more than just your allowances?
Hm… by delivery, do you mean that of suspicious materials?

Um, what are you doing?

Heh, you’re a funny girl.
So you won’t answer me? Then I was right...



What’s up with you anyways? Why’re you asking all these questions, huh?



Oh…



Anyways, I can’t hang. Seeya!
U-Um, if you don’t want to deal with us, we could always go see your boss ourselves.

No seriously, what the hell are you doing?

You’re really gonna say that, knowing who he is? Heh, no way I believe that. Welp, I’m outta here. You guys are annoying me.




I think we should get some proof before we do that. I tried to trick him into saying something, but he dodged all the traps I was laying down.

Yeah, real great attempt there. Not only did you not learn anything, you almost got your ass kicked.

By the way… thanks for standing up for me. I’m going to go now.



No wonder the police are having trouble catching him. Anyway, you have some serious guts. You didn’t back down at all against that hooligan. Though we still didn’t end up with any new information… Let’s stop here for today.



That would be best. We did ask tons of people, so there’s a chance we’re being followed.
Just to be safe, we should refrain from doing anything to make ourselves stand out. The sun will be setting soon, so let us disband for today and report on our findings tomorrow.
Why don’t we meet at karaoke tomorrow? We can talk in private, and it’ll be cheap after school.
Ah, that must be what they call hustle hour.
Dude, it’s muscle hour. Wait, is that wrong too?
Um, hello? Happy hour. Muscle hour just sounds sweaty… Anyway, see you guys at karaoke tomorrow.

Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain-




Thanks. For earlier.



...I wanted to apologize. I got a hold of your number without asking you, so… I realize I’m apologizing after the fact, but… It just didn’t feel right, keeping it from you, so… ...That’s all. Bye.



Speaking of, some girl called looking for you around noon. Said she’s the class president. Said she’s got something that belongs to you. She seemed to know you, so I gave her your number.
She must’ve looked up Leblanc’s address trying to contact you. That Niijima sure is thorough! Then again, she called you just to apologize… It’s a bit weird, but maybe she’s not so bad after all.



An employee was arrested, but claims to be unable to recall any details of the crime. When questioned about his motive, the employee insisted he did not know what came over him. Incidents with suspects whose motives are unclear have been happening often in the restaurant industry…
It’s weird that they don’t remember. How is anyone supposed to prevent these weird crimes?



Are you helping out today?

We can finally rank up, so let’s hang out with him.

>Help him out
I’ll teach you how to make good coffee. Its taste all depends on you though.

Music: What’s Going On?



These beans are Colombian, a medium-fine city roast. Oh, and don’t let the water boil too much. ...You’re gonna be fine. I’ll be here the whole time.



...Not bad. Though I guess anyone can do something as simple as just brewing it. Making a blend, on the other hand, is a different story. Mixing beans at random won’t do you any good. That’s because the acidity and the flavor profile all depend on the bean ratio. Pretty deep, huh?




If you’re really that interested, feel free to try out whatever combinations you want to. ...Oh, but hands off the expensive beans, got it? Next up is the curry. There’s something special about its flavor. The truth is, a scientific genius actually came up with the perfect spice combo to complement my coffee.

Suuuuure they did.

Something about the quantification of taste… There’s no formula for flavor, but it IS pretty damn good. Anyhow, we don’t make compromises when it comes to food service. Our stuff’s gotta wow the customers. This is a tiny shop, after all. Self-satisfaction is the only thing that keeps me going.

The front door opens.

Music: Suspicion



Haven’t I already told you I don’t have the money? Look at this place. You see many customers in here?
Oh, no need to hide it, Sakura-san! You must have saved plenty from your time working in the government. Aren’t you taking care of that employee right there too, for nothing more than charity? I wish you’d show me the same kindness you show others.
If you’re not planning on buying anything, can you please leave? I’m expecting a phone call, so I don’t have time to chat with you.
I don’t mind if you take the call in front of me. I can talk to your little friend here in the meantime. So, should we keep talking until your call comes in? Or would that be too inconvenient for you?
Well…
It looks like Sojiro’s in trouble. What should I do…?







They come ‘round pretty often to make sure this guy’s not getting in any trouble. Want me to introduce you?
...Oh, that’s right! I have some business I need to take care of myself! I’ll come back later!

Wonder what all this is about.



*sigh* I guess I should explain what’s going on. He might try and drop by when I’m not around. ...That man is an old acquaintance of mine who’s short on cash right now. Looks pretty friendly, yeah? Don’t let him fool you—It’s all an act. I have to say though… I’m surprised you were quick-witted enough to pull that stuff off.



I feel like my bond with Sojiro is growing deeper...





Curry restores 20 SP for all allies, but you can only make it on certain dates, and it still consumes time. Considering how packed our nights already are, it’s not really worth it, especially once we get those SP Adhesive 3s from Takemi. Also, it counts as a “food” item and can’t be used in battle.

Still… why do you poke around into other people’s troubles? It’s way easier to ignore them. I guess that’s just the kinda person you are though, huh...



*sigh* I’d report him to the cops if he wasn’t related to her...



Oh?

Oh, uh… never mind that. Anyway, that’s it for today. Go… study or something after you close up.
I can see the compassion hidden beneath Sojiro’s actions… I feel my Kindness growing...

Maaku gains Kindness +3.



Anon: ends justify the means…
Anon: Isn’t it a crime?
Anon: get off your high horse
Anon: NO! justice ain’t that simple
Anon: they’re up to something
Anon: NO. They piss me off.

I’ve got a job you could do. Wanna hear more?
Another psychotic breakdown?
Oh, you mean how they’re increasing security in Shibuya?
They’re the scum of society. Hurry up and arrest them...