#location: kamurocho

[rggcharacterarchive]

Kiwmai CH01CM13: To Dojima's Office

transcription:

[Camera opens on a Kamurocho street. It begins to rain. KIRYU runs into the street from an alley and stops, looking around to get his bearings, then turns and runs down the sidewalk.]

[Fade to black. Cinematic ends.]

previous cinematic // next cinematic

[eremin0109]

Okay but has anyone ever wondered why some of the popular locations that are present on the maps of both Kamurocho and Sotenbori like "Maharaja" disco and "Gandhara" video shop have Indian origin names??

Like Maharaja means "King" or "Emperor" in many Indian languages while Gandhara is an important kingdom in the main plotline of the ancient mythological epic Mahabharata, located near the northwest part of the Indian subcontinent.

So, I wonder what prompted the creators to name these places these very random things? And why these two in particular? Is there a real life connection here as well, as with everything else in Yakuza? Was there an active (and presumably wealthy) Indian community in Japan's nightlife scene in the 80s and 90s? Or is it just to seem worldly and exotic?

I need answers, SEGA. Belonging to perhaps one of the rarest nationalities to play Yakuza, I NEED ANSWERS.

[fabiansociety]

one of the singular pleasures of the like a dragon franchise is seeing kamurocho persist across time. there are so few games that are as devoted to one place as yakuza is—even games in the same series frequently radically change that location between installments: mass effect's citadel is never the same twice, gta's various cities seldom repeat and are built from the ground up with each new game. but kamurocho persists, and persists so comprehensively that it's possible to feel nostalgia for the restaurants and businesses you frequented in earlier decades. I still miss the takoyaki stand at the end of tenkaichi street that got replaced by a gelateria, and finding that shine had closed sometime between yakuza 6 and judgment and been replaced by a member's only hostess club gave me a weird moment. i haven't been to these places—i have no actual experiences to be nostalgic for—and even diagetically these are marginal spaces at best; I doubt kiryu would care that the hostess club he went to every time he was in town shut down, and definitely not the takoyaki stand. but somehow i feel the same dislocation i did driving down broadway after the extended covid isolation and seeing all the new buildings that went up in the meantime. it's a rare magic trick in any medium, but especially in video games.

[falltumn]

💗 Midge ███████, 22, Gold hostess 👑 💗 Main skills - Party, Talk 💗 Looks- Sexy ⭕, Beauty 🔺, Cute 🔺, Funny ⭕

A lover of the nightlife, she's frequently found at clubs and discos on her days off. Heaven's official dancing queen.

To request Midge for your next trip to Heaven, please call 777-███-████ or ask in person at our Kamurocho location.

[humbletaxidriver]

It's Sunday Six! Except, not really? I'm here to post a birthday present for @four-white-trees! Fic below the cut without introduction 'cause... you can't spoil a present, you know?

Kusanagi set down his empty coffee cup into its saucer. The resulting clink seemed to echo in the nearly empty seating area at Cafe Alps. It was his third coffee that day but only the first he'd had sitting here waiting for the man he had been ordered to interview.

Kusanagi glanced at his phone. It was 8:14pm. He had been expecting his guest at 8 o'clock. Kusanagi could understand running a few minutes behind, but this late? He sighed and sat back in his seat, finger tapping on the table. He'd drawn the short straw again, being put in charge of this case that had recently taken a swerve and unearthed such a sensitive suspect. It was a professional courtesy that Kusanagi had accommodated this choice of location for the interview. After all, Kusanagi understood that it wasn't easy being questioned by a fellow detective. Fortunately for his colleague, he was in a good mood today. He was still riding the high of the morning he'd spent with Yukawa, a rare day where he'd gotten to do more with him than grab a quick meal or get schooled in a game of chess. As it turned out, Kusanagi didn't mind being a pawn when it was Yukawa's hands guiding him, his orders he was following.

The bells of the front door jingled as a man walked in just then, his broad body filling the doorway. The bright lights of the cafe seemed to dim in his presence and dark dress. That was his man. Kusanagi waved him over.

He watched as Jun Akuma took ponderous steps toward him, the floorboards creaking beneath his boots. If you asked Kusanagi, Akuma had missed his calling as a sumo wrestler, being of incredible height, weight, and musculature. Good thing he's on our side. Not a guy I would want to take on in a fight, Kusanagi had thought the first time he saw him. Not that he himself was much of a fighter. Akuma lowered himself into the opposite chair, his grunt drowned out by the protest of the wood. Kusanagi noted the chair just barely held him, his sides threatening to overflow the armrests. Alps had wider, sturdier chairs compared to other cafes Kusanagi had frequented. Maybe that's why he chose this place. Kusanagi had to admit he had not considered this before then, when Akuma had insisted on this place despite protocol calling for him to defer to his superior. Even slightly, it put Kusanagi more at ease to drop that suspicion. “So what did you want to know? This place closes at 9,” Akuma rumbled. Straight to business, then. Kusanagi had hoped for an apology for the lateness but let it go. “First off, I want to say that I know it is hard to be asked these questions by another detective. I want to thank you for your cooperation in advance,” Kusanagi said, buying time as the server approached them. She took Akuma's order of coffee and a strawberry parfait and returned behind the counter. Akuma lifted his chin. “Get on with it.” Kusanagi spoke evenly, determined to keep control of the conversation. “I take it you are aware of the death of Hiroki Takahashi, the man whose body was found 10 days ago in the Champion District with deep lacerations to the neck and trunk.” Akuma's mountain of a torso rose and fell with his breath. “Of course. It was all over the news.” Kusanagi nodded. His interviews to this point had proven that the locals were well aware of this death. Crime was rampant in Kamurocho but this stood out to them, partially because the mama of a nearby bar had found the body and raised quite a ruckus before calling the police, and partially because of the unusual wounds inflicted. They resembled claw marks, three sets of four parallel rows dug across the victim's body, each joined by a shorter fifth one. Cause of death was blood loss from a ruptured carotid artery. It was as though he had been mauled by a beast, the mama had cried. That quote had left an impression, and the press and tabloids were quick to capitalize on it, breeding sensational headlines like Are Beasts Among Us? The Mysterious Death of Hiroki Takahashi Under Investigation. “Further questioning has revealed that Takahashi had ties to RK.” Kusanagi knew he did not have to tell Akuma that the involvement of Red Knife, of organized crime in this case made things much more serious, not to mention all the more difficult to solve as the local police's drive to investigate it waned. Another case to close as quickly as possible; whether the truth could be ascertained was of secondary importance. A frown came across Akuma's face. “What kind of ties?” “I'm not at liberty to say exactly, but I have testimony that Takahashi was seen meeting with a known member of RK at Kanrai. Surveillance footage later that day shows the man from RK handing over a concealed package to one Daimu Akutsu.” Akuma blinked. The server returned with his order. He didn't so much as break eye contact with Kusanagi as she did. “Your junior, Suzuki, claims she has seen you with Akutsu. She said you seemed close, even.” Akuma's stare had passed from intense to severe. Kusanagi reached into his jacket pocket and produced his notebook, flipping it open and clicking his pen, all without looking away. “So what I came to ask you today is this: what is the nature of your relationship with Akutsu?”

Kusanagi, get out of there you are in so much dangeeeeerrrr Some notes: Akuma is @four-white-trees' OC! I'm sorry I basically named the victim the equivalent of John Smith pfft I tried to look up if there were certain rules and exceptions related to a detective interviewing another detective in Japan but came up with nothing. I should have looked in Japanese but I wanted to deliver this *somewhat* close to your birthday... So yeah. Happy birthday!!

[overdevelopedglasses]

Sunday Six!

Taking a brief break from finals to post today's writing! Hopefully I'll crack out some more stuff during these next two weeks (finals -> spring break!), but for now it's more Sugiura substory content!

Tagging @mike----wazowski, who got me first, as well as @four-white-trees @passthroughtime @skysquid22 @woundedheartwithin @fire-tempers-steel @danketsuround @jichanxo

“By the way, what kind of business are you planning to open?” Joryu finishes wiping his fists off, noting the various scratches along his knuckles.

Sugiura smiles, “A detective agency. I’m close with a similar agency in Kamurocho, but I want to be able to help the world in my own style.”

Joryu's ears perk up.

“Wait, you were based in Kamurocho?” 

He turns away as to not give away any emotions, as he busies himself with cleaning his glasses.

“Yeah. And it was a fine home. But, all I really did there for a long time… was run away. That’s part of the reason I’m changing locations. I wanted a fresh start, so I don’t fall into old habits.”

Joryu raises an eyebrow, putting on his glasses and turning back around.

“What’s the other?”

“Well, I don’t want to compete with my mentors, after all. They’re masters of their craft.”

“The craft of…?”

“Case hunting.” Sugiura looks wistfully into the distance as Joryu lets out a chuckle.

[yakuzabrainrotlive]

Part 2 of plot progress! We're already back to Kiryu, but rest assured; Ichi's team got some serious gains as well!

The Ichiban section here was very short and there wasn't a whole lot of NEW stuff to do, is all. So.. yeah.

Not gonna lie, I prefer Hawaii over Ijincho as a location, and now that they also nerfed Kamurocho so there's not much to do there... I miss it. I miss Hawaii. It's so much fun.

Needless to say, grinding is kinda paying off right now when it comes to Kiryu.

I don't know where this spite came from, but GO OFF, TOMIZAWA.

EIJI I TRUSTED YOU. I ADORED YOU. I CHEERED FOR YOU. GO TO HELL.

If I ever see your smug face again, you'll be having a staredown with a modified rocket launcher. Mark my words. It'll be ON SIGHT.

I... Oh wow. That was so abrupt and... I don't know. Hanawa was such a major player in Kiryu's character arc and he didn't even get to say some final words.

From a writing standpoint, I like it. Dying isn't all dramatic and noble, sometimes you just get shot and that's it. No fanfare. As a Hanawa fan, though, I'm devastated.

Ichiban. Sweetheart. The light of my life. Please don't say that. Kiryu does more than enough of this shit, let's not make it generational. You're not a bad person for wanting to see the best in everyone 😭

Can't believe Chitose ended up being the one who canceled Ichiban and exposed Kiryu. I know it was because of blackmail, but I still feel angry for now.

I suddenly have a strong urge to throw my controller at my tv so they both break.

KIRYU KDKDQNSNWKW NO DON'T SAY THAT PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT

RGG Studios. Please stop taking people away from Kiryu, I beg of you 😭 has he not been through enough?? Can you let him have more than 5 consecutive minutes of happiness at some point please

New team members, huh.

*Glances at my team levels and remembers what happened with Saeko*

Uh oh.

Ummm. Zhao? You liked being the resident cheerleader of the team in LAD, right? You did such a great job before so... you're gonna be doing that again. Isn't that great ^_^ you're gonna ACE it again!

......

But hey! You'll have Joon-gi for company this time around! Isn't that nice!!

......

I'm so sorry, Zhao. Joon-gi, too. I have no excuses to offer you.

We seriously need an accessory that lets you grind materials and item drops without gaining lvl and job exp. This is ridiculous.

[crispylilworm]

The real Tokyo sight-seeing: various P5R locations and “Yongen-jaya” Phantom Thieves HQ

Train cars where Shinji has his mental breakdown internal dialogues

Shibuya station where Jogo knocked the shit out of Nanami and Maki

Nighttime “Kamurocho” from the iconic Yakuza 0

[littlevices]

The Cats (Minor Spoilers, I guess)

I love cats.

Truly I do. I own some. They are actually sweethearts (when they wanna be).

So when I found out I was going to be collecting cats for a cat cafe in Yakuza 6 I was over the moon.

All the kitties for my cat cafe.

Then I found out that after a certain early chapter I could not go back to Kamurocho for a while and I would have limited means for cat food.

Cue reloading my game and getting every cat in Kamurocho, stocking up on cat food, then heading to Onomichi.

I regret nothing, but also everything.

These cats are surpisingly realistic; as in they are stubborn, cute, picky, and never around when you actually want them.

Do not do what I did. Collect the cats as you go. Unless you really want them that bad like I did, lol. Please, use a guide for these cats, do not guess. It was hard enough with a guide telling me where they were and what cat food to feed them to keep my collection as efficient as possible (yes, I used a guide for this. No, I am not ashamed to admit it.). It was a pain in the ass to reload these cats in their locations so I could feed them. I have learned my lesson, please do not do what I did. You can get the Kamurocho cats later. Stock up on cat food for Onomichi, but do not kill yourself getting all cats in Kamurocho that early.

Why a guide for the cat food? Can't I just guess the food and keep using the one they like? Why, you may ask?

Because even if you give them one they like it can still take around three or five (or more, it felt like more) visits before they can be collected for the cafe. Yes, that includes the Golden Cat Food which is supposed to be the best and the one every cat likes, but is the most expensive (10,000 yen, if I remember correctly). Some cats also like the same kinds of food as other cats, and you could run out very quickly if you don't know the alternative likes. Remember, Onomichi has limited options once you're there.

It's my own fault really, I can admit that, but don't be me.

I am happy that I have the cats, truly, they're cute, but please for the love of all that is holy do not be me.

(Please note, this does not reflect my feelings for Yakuza 6 as a whole. I have not beaten the game yet. I just had to vent and warn people about the cats, lol.)

[adachimoe]

Persona 5 IRL Stuff

Requested

The entry and exit to each floor of Mementos is based on the appearance of train stations, and the stamps you collect for Jose are seemingly the game's version of train stamps lol.

I'm not sure if this is still true, but train stamps were introduced to me as something that smaller kids will collect when they travel with their families, so it makes sense to me that the NPC associated with them is also a kid. As an adult tourist, I've never bothered with train stamps cause you really have to go out of your way to find some of them and when I'm at a train station my ass is trying to go somewhere lol. I suppose that even in real life, some of those stamp locations must feel like they're random spawns.

I have absolutely bothered with red shrine seals, though. Maybe Persona 6 will have the protagonist collecting those.

Ryuji takes you to a ramen restaurant in Ogikubo. Based on it being in Ogikubo and the appearance of the restaurant in-game, it's modeled after Marufuku Chinese Noodles near Ogikubo Station. The sign in-game just says "Chinese Noodles" without the store name. I'm not sure if this is a famous restaurant or maybe it's just one that Atlus employees like to eat at lol.

Ryuji also takes you to a monjayaki restaurant in Tsukishima during his Confidant. You go to Tsukishima specifically because Tsukishima has a line of restaurants called Monja Street that specializes in, you guessed it, monjayaki.

Akechi introduces you to a jazz bar in Kichijoji called Jazz Jin. The outside appearance seems to be based on Some Time which is also located in Kichijoji. Only the outside resembles what's in-game, though. The inside is different.

Yongenjaya isn't a real place in Tokyo, but it seems to be a renamed version of Sangenjaya - san means 3, yon means 4. I've not been to Sangenjaya, though I've heard that details like the laundromat, even down to the vending machine, looks nearly the same as it does in-game. (If you are interested in doing Persona 5 tourism around Tokyo, I've heard that the Sangenjaya locals do not appreciate Persona 5 tourism or related loitering in this area.)

Shibuya Station is pretty much accurate with how it is IRL. The green train car that you visit Tora at has been moved since the game came out, but the dog statue of Hachiko (or Buchiko as its known in game) is there, the 1000 stairs you climb to get to the Ginza Line, etc, is also all accurate.

When you touch base with Ohya, you unlock Shinjuku. The movie theater in-game is called Cult 9, which is based on an actual movie theater in Shinjuku called Wald 9. The other areas in Shinjuku seem to be a condensed version of Kabukicho (or Kamurocho, if you've played Like a Dragon).

Futaba wants to go shopping in Akihabara and Nakano. Akihabara you've probably already heard about as Nerd Haven. She also talks about visiting Nakano, likely to go shopping at Nakano Broadway which is home to a bunch of Mandarake 2nd hand anime/etc goods stores.

The "huge pancake" that Morgana was talking about is how Tokyo Dome looks from the outside. The pancakes he's comparing it to are the thicc souffle-style fluffy jiggly pancakes that you can get at various restaurants. (Also probably what Akechi thinks of when he hears delicious pancakes lol.)

The other areas and things, I'm really not sure there's much to say about them.

Ann takes you to Harajuku cause she wanted to eat sweets (this is really relatable btw)

Meiji jingu is also real and located near Harajuku

The buffet Ann takes the guys to is the Marble Lounge, but I believe it's since been remodeled

There's multiple museums in Ueno

There's a Catholic church in west Kanda but afaik the inside looks different than in-game

Inokashira Park is real and has swan boats and stuff

Ikebukuro's planetarium is in Sunshine City Mall

Chinatown is real but it's much further than the map makes you think (it's in Yokohama)

Odaiba Seaside Park is another real location

Miura Beach is also real, way down south past Yokohama

Jimbocho is indeed where you'd go to buy books

etc etc etc

[wakabahan]

this isn't news to kimi (hi kimi 👋🏻) but i've been detailing out kyrie's information network as she takes over purgatory. she still uses the homeless like the florist and akame, but there needs to be topside hubs where one, they and drop their information, and two; they can be paid, and three; these hubs can generate their own tips to pass on.

there's locations in all the cities you'll visit throughout the yakuza games; Kamurocho, Sotenbori, Downtown Ryukyu, Tsukimino, Nagasugai, Kineicho, Ijincho, and Waikiki. there's also hubs where my other ocs tend to congregate; NYC, LA, and Chicago.

for now i'm designing them in the sims. i don't really have any spoons or inspiration to draw (tbh im almost sick of it) but that's neither here nor there.

but i'll post them soon. i hope you like my naming theme.

[rggcharacterarchive]

Kiwami CH01CM01: October 1, 1995

transcription:

[opens on rainy, crowded tenkaichi street]

[camera pans north through crowd, pausing on a barker speaking to an uninterested man and a couple of drunk salarymen harassing a couple of highschool girls]

[camera turns into alleyway, where a man is being kicked around by a loan shark. a homeless man on the side looks at the sky, anguished]

[camera cuts to a puddle reflecting the neon lights of kamurocho]

[cinematic ends]

next cinematic

[likeanatlas]

Map detailing the locations of phone card collectibles in Kamurocho circa 1988, one of the primary settings of Yakuza 0. NOTE: this is a big image, meant to be downloaded, zoomed into, and scrolled around.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ffl62ydu305gubwi8q756/kamurocho_card_1988_v1-0.png?rlkey=1rhqsbx796vuuxjxxtnegynef&dl=0

[fabiansociety]

i started playing yakuza 0 in August last year, and I've been playing my way through the entire series ever since. it's been a wild ride — a lot of nonsense plot has flowed through and out of my brain, a lot of janky combat, a massive amount of characters i've come to love, and hundreds of warmly empathetic substories that have pressed themselves into my brain. it feels like i've crammed an entire found family into my life, speedrunning through decades of character growth, major triumphs and minor failures. what it all means, in retrospect, i couldn't quite say. the series hasn't had a consistent point of view, except for an increasing melancholy of how life's narrative opportunities narrow with age and poor decisions, of the ways that childhood trauma lives with us forever, the ways that young men are brutalized into something useful for the powerful men at the top—but that's all a shadow passing over the true landscapes of the games, the long period hanging out in arcades or pool halls or drinking in a favorite bar, or singing karaoke alone or with someone. of watching kamurocho and sotenbori shift with the years, of the new cities we've visited and the food we've eaten. i remember the takoyaki place on the corner that got replaced with a gelateria much more than i remember any of the yakuza heavies that have driven the plots of these games, and that may actually be the point?

it's so weird to not have another yakuza game to immediately start playing. i've gotten so used to opening the next game as soon as i finish the previous one that it feels wrong to just be… done, for now? like, what am i to do with myself now? these games have been such a major part of my leisure time this last year. i've still got Ishin, but that's not really the same thing. the faces will be familiar, but the people will be strangers.

it feels right that the man who erased his name was the only one of these that i've actually 100% completed, from achievements to in-game trackers. they've lowered the bar for completion substantially with this latest game, and frankly it feels like an act of grace for people who have played through the entire series. i'm never going to get good at virtua fighter 2, no matter how many times it shows up, so it's nice to not have to get good at everything in order to round everything out. i've already taught myself mahjong for this series, is that not enough? LADG says, yes, it's okay, you've done enough, and i appreciate that tremendously, here at the end of this loooong road.

i spent *50 solid days* this last year doing nothing except playing yakuza games, that's ridiculous. i read every single nero wolfe book in significantly less time than that! this is the problem with doing this sort of run-the-board project for a video game series, it just takes so long to get even a basically thorough experience. running through the entire MCU, including all the D+, Netflix, Hulu, Freeform, and ABC shows, only takes 424 hours, by comparison. you could watch all of it in less time than in took me to get from Y0 to Y4. i read all the nero wolfe books a couple of years back, and i was ripping through those at a book a night. video games are massively more decompressed as a medium, which makes them much harder to approach. i've loved doing this, and really valued the experience, but how do i even begin to recommend someone approach this, when so much of the specific pleasure i get is from seeing these characters and locations grow and change over time? how do you even begin to read a work of that scope? what is even meaningful out of that time to convey to another person? and yet it is meaningful, having lived through it, in the way living in another city is meaningful. i can tell you what i did there, and the important things that happened to me, but the only way to really get it is to move there yourself, and that's a lot to ask of someone.

stats under the cut, if you're curious about just how much time i've spent on each individual game

yakuza 0: 115:45 started 8/10/22, completed 9/7/22

yakuza kiwami: 66:24 started 9/9/22, completed 10/10/22

yakuza kiwami 2: 73:20 started 10/10/22, completed 10/30/22

the majima saga: 2:49 started 10/18/22, completed 10/26/22

yakuza 3: 103:20 started 10/31/22, completed 2/20/23 (with a break from november to february)

yakuza 4: 124:14 started 2/20/23, completed 3/17/23

yakuza 5: 168:17 started 3/18/23, completed 4/27/23

yakuza 6: 76:05 started 4/30/23, completed 5/20/23

judgment: 114:29 started 5/22/23, completed 7/16/23

yakuza like a dragon: 131:31 started 7/16/23, completed 9/2/23

lost judgment: 131:10 (shocking how close this is to YLAD) started 9/17/23, completed 11/4/23

the kaito files: 12:59 started 11/5/23, completed 11/10/23

the man who erased his name: 75:17 started 11/11/23, completed 11/27/23

total time, across the entire series: 1195:40

i benchmarked these against the completionist starts on HowLongToBeat, and i was actually under par that way until about yakuza 4, when my times suddenly got much longer than estimated. what changed? mahjong. i learned how to play mahjong, and that was great (mahjong rules), but it's added dozens of hours to my games, easily, and even with that LADG is the only one of the games where i managed to complete the in-game mahjong objectives. y4 has four separate tournaments you can climb your way to the top of, one for each main character, and i never even got close, but i spent a lot of time trying!

[parasiticjustice]

[RGG Online Translation] Character Story · Yuya

Summary: Ichiban finds Yuya working as a salaryman on the streets of Kamurocho. After the two get acquainted, they learn that Kazuki, Yuya’s old boss and close friend, has run into money problems. Featured Characters: Ichiban Kasuga (RGGO version), Yuya Spoilers?: This follows up on events from Yakuza 6. It doesn’t go into detail about what happened in the game, but you still might be confused about why Yuya is in the predicament that he is.

On this episode, Yuya’s in the dumps cause Kazuki won’t return his calls.

Yuya and Kazuki were launch characters, and most of the stories from back then are a “where are they now?” sort of deal where RGGO Ichiban will run into some of the old guard in modern day Kamurocho. This made me curious about these two, considering where Y6 left them. Having gone through both stories, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they’re tied into each other. Yuya’s story happens first, but they can be enjoyed in either order. You can find Kazuki’s story here!

Disclaimer: I'm coming at this with little more than crude Japanese knowledge, a machine translation cocktail, and an insatiable desire for more RGG content. This will by no means be a decent translation, but it should at least be serviceable.

Notes:

This is RGGO Ichiban, which means this story is set in 2018 when he’s fighting against the Omi in Kamurocho instead of getting hustled over to Yokohama like in Y7. Which isn’t to say that this can’t be canon to post-Y6 Yuya: later character stories would start phasing out Ichiban so they could more neatly fit into the mainline LAD canon.

------------------ CHAPTER #1 ------------------

Scene #1: Kamurocho · West Taihei Boulevard

Izakaya Owner: That’s enough!

Ichiban: [smoking] Hm?

???: [yell] We need to offload it, even if it’s just one bottle! We have a lot of confidence in this new shochu!

Izakaya Owner: Knock it off! No matter how much new drinks you bring, I’m not putting them in my bar.

Ichiban: (What is this, a liquor sale or something...?)

???: [smile] Well, we also have sake! In fact, I have one to recommend...

Izakaya Owner: I want sake even less! The youngsters don’t drink it much these days.

???: Ah, I have fruity sakes that are easier for younger folk to drink? Like this one...

Izakaya Owner: No, no, no! I won’t let you in either way, so hurry up and get out of here!

???: [frown] Kuh...

Ichiban: (Yeesh, it’s tough being a salesman. That guy looks like he wants to die...)

Ichiban: Hey man, you good?

???: Oh, sorry. I was making a scene.

Ichiban: You trying to make sales? Must be tough being a salaryman.

???: Haha, this is embarrassing...

------------------

Scene #2: Kamurocho · Public Park 3

Ichiban: Wow, so you used to be a host and a manager?

Yuya: Yeah, a place called Stardust on Tenkaichi Street. I worked there for a long time.

Ichiban: That’s a prime location, isn’t it? Why’d you quit?

Yuya: [frown] Well, a lot happened... the club itself is shut down. Until it reopens, I’m stuck doing unfamiliar work like this.

Ichiban: You’re going back to hosting when it reopens?

Yuya: [neutral] Yup. Right now, I know the owner is desperately trying to find a way to get it up and running again. That’s why I’m working hard, in my own way.

Ichiban: I see... It must be tough.

Yuya: Yeah, it’s hard work. It’s the sort of job you can’t do if you don’t understand the customer’s feelings. But that also applies to hosts, which is why I think of it as training all over again.

Ichiban: [smile] Man, that’s great. That Stardust owner had some good subordinates.

Yuya: [smile] Haha, I’m glad to hear you say that.

Thug: Oh shit! It’s him!

Ichiban: ...Hm?

Thug: You’re the idiot who tried to get alcohol into that izakaya. That place is our turf. It’s a problem for us if you try to muscle your way in, so we’re gonna have to make an example outta you. Get ready for a pounding!

Ichiban: I don’t give a damn about your turf, idiot.

Thug: Oh yeah? You a pal of his? Well now that you’ve talked shit, you’re both getting hit!

[Battle]

Thug: Dammit...!

[he runs off]

Yuya: Sorry, you got caught up in my mess...

Ichiban: Don’t worry about it. Well, I hope your club reopens soon.

Yuya: Agreed. I’d really like to find a way to help the owner out... For now, I’ll just have to trust him and wait. Now, if you’ll excuse me...

[he leaves]

Ichiban: (Pretty gutsy guy, wasn’t he? Stardust, huh... I'll have to show my face when it reopens.)

------------------ CHAPTER #2 ------------------

Scene #3: Kamurocho · West Taihei Boulevard

Yuya: Oh? Kasuga?

Ichiban: Huh?

Yuya: Thanks for the other day.

Ichiban: Oh, Yuya. Still working hard in sales after that?

Yuya: Yeah, even though every day is full of issues. I was just heading to that izakaya from the other day. [frown] To be honest, I’m still thinking about Stardust... I haven’t heard back from the owner yet, so I’m a little worried...  [neutral] Hm?

Rival Club Owner: Ohh! Look who it is... well, well, well, if it isn’t the manager of Stardust. Ah, my mistake, the former manager, hehe...

Yuya: [angry] Ugh...

Ichiban: Who the hell is he?

Yuya: He owned a rival club when Stardust was still open. He’s a nasty guy...

Rival Club Owner: How is the owner? From what I’ve heard, he’s been having a lot of trouble raising money.

Yuya: [surprised] He’s raising money...?

Rival Club Owner: Oh, you didn’t know? It seems like he needed a lot. Something around 30 million yen?

Yuya: 30 million?!

Rival Club Owner: From the looks of things, it’s very unlikely he’ll get it all... hehe.

Yuya: [angry] Kazuki... what’s going on...?

Rival Club Owner: Well, our rival clubs have all disappeared and we’re now the sole victor. So sorry about that.

Ichiban: ...Omi’s not coming to your place to collect?

Rival Club Owner: To fleece us? Hehe, that’s a rude assumption. We get on very well with the Omi.

Ichiban: [surprised] You’re doing well, huh...?

Rival Club Owner: Yes, we are. We pay them and they do their job... They shut down other shops that are an eyesore, or collect sales from them. Yes, the Omi are very good. There’s nothing they can’t get their hands on.

Ichiban: [neutral] ...The blame for that falls on you, too. You know what kind of collections they’re doing.

Rival Club Owner: I don’t give a shit. As long as I get my money, that’s all that matters to me.

Ichiban: You think you can take advantage of them? Well congratulations, you’re a bastard.

Yuya: Kasuga, don’t bother with this guy.

Rival Club Owner: Kasuga...? You’re not Ichiban Kasuga, by any chance?

Ichiban: What’s it to you?

Rival Club Owner: I see. You know, the Omi told me to catch you if I happened to find you.

Yuya: Kasuga, why do they...?

Ichiban: It’s kind of a long story.

Rival Club Owner: Hehe, now the Omi will owe us a favor... Hey! Beat him to an inch of his life!

[Battle]

Rival Club Owner: Dammit... Shit...!

[he runs off, or collapses, one or the other]

Yuya: [angry] ...Kasuga. I’m so frustrated...

Ichiban: You shouldn’t worry about that guy.

Yuya: No, what’s annoying me is... the owner didn’t rely on me.

Ichiban: [eyebrow raise] ...He didn’t want you to worry, did he?

Yuya: ...That sounds like what he’d think. Dammit, at a time like this... I shouldn’t have left him alone! I need to do something too. Sorry, Kasuga, I have to run!

Ichiban: [neutral] No problem.

[Yuya leaves]

Ichiban: From the look on his face, he had some sort of plan. Well, I’ll help him if he needs it.

------------------ CHAPTER #3 ------------------

Scene #4: Kamurocho · Nakamichi Street

Host-looking Man: Yuya, I’m pretty sure he’s not at the club anymore.

Yuya: [frown] I see... Do you have his contact details?

Ichiban: Is that... Yuya?

Host-looking Man: I have his mobile, if that’ll help.

Yuya: [neutral] Please, tell me.

Ichiban: (Is he looking for someone...? I wonder who.)

Yuya: [smile] This is a big help! Sorry for the bother.

Host-looking Man: If it’s what you want, it’s fine. Bye then!

Ichiban: Hey, what’s up?

Yuya: [neutral] Ah, Kasuga. The owner’s having trouble financing Stardust’s reopening, so I thought I’d do some money-raising on my end. Hunt down our old employees and ask for contributions.

Ichiban: That’s a good idea. So, how’s it going?

Yuya: [frown] Not well... We had about 200 employees, so it’s difficult getting in touch with all of them... For the time being, I’ve asked for help from everyone I’ve gotten hold of. [angry] Dammit, I can’t help Kazuki like this...!

Rival Club Owner: It’s been a while! Ex-manager and Kasuga!

Ichiban: Oh, what’s this? It’s the underlings from before.

Rival Club Owner: Hehe... you’ll be paying me back handsomely for humiliating me.

Omi Member: Oh-ho, Kasuga’s really here. Ya did a good job, boss man.

Rival Club Owner: Heheh, thank you. Please get rid of the idiotic-looking one next to him, too.

Yuya: Dammit... Come at us yourself, you little shit!

Ichiban: [smile] Nah, it’s fine, Yuya... He’ll get his turn. [neutral] You just hang on a sec, Mr. Club Owner. After I beat the crap out of these guys, I’m gonna beat the crap out of you.

Rival Club Owner: Wh-What...

Omi Member: Think ya can underestimate me, eh? Then don’t go lettin’ me down!

[Battle]

Omi Member: Ugh... Shit! I’m outta here!

[he runs off]

Rival Club Owner: What?! W-Wait...!

Ichiban: [smile] Well, sorry to keep you waiting.

Yuya: [neutral] Those sort of guys always reveal their true colors when they’re in a pinch. Didn’t you know that?

Ichiban: [raises fists] Now, best grit your teeth...!

Rival Club Owner: Ah, ahh, ahhhhhhh!

------------------

Scene #5: Kamurocho · Nakamichi Street

Yuya: [frown] Everyone I contacted ain’t coming...

Ichiban: ...

Yuya: I want Stardust to come back... not just to follow my own dream again, but to bring back the Kamurocho I used to know. But I guess it didn’t work... I was useless to the very end...

Ichiban: Idiot. Don’t put yourself down like that. The owner is trying his best to bring back the club so you can all be together again. Are you saying that guy, who trusts you, is a bad judge of character? Don’t be so arrogant.

Yuya: Kasuga...

Ichiban: [smile] Besides, your efforts weren’t in vain. Look over there.

Yuya: [surprised] What...?

Host-looking Man A: Yuya! I saw your email. They all agreed and came with me!

Host-looking Man B: We heard the owner’s in a pinch? Why didn’t you call us sooner?

Yuya: [smile] E-Everyone...

Host-looking Man A: We feel the same way as you, Yuya. We all want to work for the owner again.

Ichiban: [neutral] You did it, Yuya.

Yuya: Yes, but... the most amazing part is still the owner. [neutral] Gathering this many people wouldn’t be possible if he wasn’t so well-liked... [smile] I can’t wait to become a man like him!!

Ichiban: [smile] Heh. You’re already doing well with that.

Yuya: Alright!! I’m gonna go one step further. I’ll use this momentum and collect all the money! Thanks so much, Kasuga. Consider yourself a benefactor to Stardust.

Ichiban: Hey, do your best to collect that cash.

Yuya: Got it! Well then!

[he hurries off]

Ichiban: Heh. Now this is what the real Kamurocho is about.

------END------ ------------------

[ama-ships]

Top 10 things you enjoy doing with your man Majima! Go! ....I mean if you wanna, no pressure! Love yer face! /Super gay lol

Oh, man... A chance to unleash the things I enjoy doing with my beloved mad dog!? I am on it! Also LONG POST! Thank you for sending this ask bb! Love yer face too! Hehehe @cosmic-kaden

10 - Pillow fights! While this may have just started, there's something about pillows and feathers flying with Majima's laughter that makes it super fun!

9 - Cooking together! This is something that I feel always brings us closer together~ Fast food and convenient options used to always be our go-to in the beginning but we learned together that cooking and eating at home is just so much better~

8 - Late night walks wherever we are~ Doesn't matter if we're in Kamurocho, Sotenbori, or Ijincho~ Each location is beautifully lit up BUT shoutouts to the Ferris Wheel in Ijincho cause PERFECT date spot... >////>

7 - Golf - BUT HEAR ME OUT! There's a golf center in Sotenbori and it's honestly so fun! Why is it something I enjoy? Because Majima helped teach me! I personally love the BINGO challenge~ and it always makes me happy when Majima and I try to conquer with ALL the Bingos ~

6 - Arcade Dates! - Arcades are pretty big, so naturally we can go to the arcade for hours of entertainment~ I have a preference for the claw games even tho I'm terrible at them~ So Majima usually is the one who wins the prizes for me~

5 - Going to the Colliseum~ A lot of the time Majima is a competitor and is undefeated~ It's great being in the crowd getting loud when he takes the stage because damn his stage presence is so intense and full of energy, it's wild! And I love to see him win~ BUT when we just go to spectate, we get really into it~ I'm just happy that we're spending time together, even if it's just watching opponents beat the snot out of each other~

4 - Movie nights~ Because sometimes cuddles and popcorn is the best way to spend an evening together~

3 - Silly little shopping trips~ As mundane as it is, being out together getting what we need for the upcoming week to take care of ourselves is a fun venture together~

2 - Working together at Club Sunshine~ Where our romance began~ It's fun to make sure our customers and employees are being taken care of~ Silly? Perhaps~ But we value everything that makes the club successful~ I enjoy it because I really get to play an important role and because Majima felt that I would be good in this setting~

1 - KARAOKE! If you didn't think this was my favourite thing I enjoy doing with Majima, well, this is the time you know! I love Majima being so over the top! He goes all in when he sings, he doesn't try to be perfect or create an illusionary image of himself like he used to. He belts it out off-key and is smiling the whole time, whereas I.. Well, I try my best to give my best performance, even when it's just the two of us 99% of the time~