#nisiyama | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

vgckwb · 3 years ago

Text

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 54: Steps-Forwards and Backwards

As Ren left for the train station the next morning, she looked at Morgana. “Did you find anything out?”

Morgana popped his head out. “I heard that there’s a mafia moving something that they’re using kids for, but not much more than that. The conversations I heard devolved into them thinking the kids are choosing this.”

“Hm” Ren huffed. “Well, once this mission is over, they’ll see the light.”

“Right,” Morgana agreed. They headed to school.

As Ren was entering, she heard “Amamiya-chan.” She turned to see Makoto. “In the heat of the moment, I forgot to ask. Could we by chance exchange numbers?” Ren looked at her confused. “If we’re going to be working on the same team, communication is key. So if either of us finds anything we should be able to relay it to the other posthaste.”

“I see,” Ren nodded. “Very well.” She got out her phone and they started to exchange numbers. “By the way, I did find something last night.”

“Really?” Makoto said, shocked.

Ren nodded. “Apparently, the gangsters are using the kids they pressure into moving something, but we aren’t sure what.”

“Oh. Interesting” Makoto said. “As luck would have it, I found something too. I was going to message you, but…” Ren giggled. “Anyways, apparently they’re telling people this is a part-time job worth a lot of money.”

“I see,” Ren said. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Makoto said.

Ren smiled. “You know, you seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Oh, uh, well, I guess it’s a family thing,” Makoto said.

“I see,” Ren said. She decided not to follow up on that just yet. “Well, take care.” She entered school. Makoto followed not too far behind her. Ren messaged everyone the information.

Once school was over, the thieves began their investigation. “Hey” Ann said, turning around to face Ren. “I’m going to ask about possible part time jobs, see if that works.” Ren smiled. The two got up. Ann looked around and found a student. “Hey! Nishiyama!” she said, approaching him. “I’m looking for a part-time job. You wouldn’t happen to know something that could work, would you?”

Nishiyama was a bit confused. “Aren’t you a model?”

“Well, yes,” Ann said, embarrassed. “But I’m kind of looking for something more, ya know?”

Nishiyama was still confused. Morgana popped out. “Lady Ann…”

“Was that a cat just now?” Nishyama asked.

“Er…” Morgana panicked.

“Oh, um, that’s right!” Ann said. “My cat, Mittens, is very sick.”

“She-she has another cat?” Morgana said, dejected.

“I’m not sure that’s real,” Ren whispered.

“I’ve heard rumors that there’s a pretty high-paying gig, but I don’t know where to look” Ann continued.

Nishiyama was now concerned. “What did Iida tell you?”

“Iida?” Ann wonders.

“Errrrrrrrrrrrr” Nishiyama stammered.

“Please! I’d do anything for Mittens!” Ann begged.

“Ummmmmmmmm” Nishiyama continued stuttering.

Ren was awestruck. “Well, that was fruitful.”

“Yeah, but we need to find this Iida guy straight away,” Morgana said. “I’m not sure how long Lady Ann can hold out.”

“Must...resist...hallucination cat guilt…” Nishiyama muttered.

This gave Ren an idea. “Hey Ann? Can you watch my stuff while I go use the bathroom?”

“Huh? Sure” Ann said.

“Thanks,” Ren said. She set her bag and Morgana down by Ann.

“What’s that for?” Morgana wondered.

“You heard him, right?” Ren replied. “Just keep saying things, and that’ll make Nishiyama think he’s guilt tripping. That might give Ann a bit more time.” Ren left.

Morgana was a bit peeved, but he sighed and said “For Lady Ann.”

When Ren was out in the hall, she saw Mishima. “Hey Mishma,” she said, walking up to him.

“Oh, hey” Mishima said.

“Um, this might sound a bit odd…” Ren began.

“Ooooooh! Is this something for...ya know?” Mishima said, excited.

“Yeah,” Ren admitted. “You’ve heard about those gangsters harassing students?”

“Of course!” Mishima said.

“We’re working on dealing with them,” Ren said. “But right now, we’re doing some leg-work to figure things out. Do you know a guy by the name of Iida?”

“No way! Iida’s wrapped up in this?” Mishima said. “Uh, yeah. If he’s here, he’s probably in the library. Unless he’s with Nishiyama.”

Ren shook her head. “Nishiyama is still in the classroom.”

“I see,” Mishima said. “Well, good luck then.” Mishima headed out.

Ren went up to the library and began looking around. She found someone hiding in the back of the library. On a whim, she asked “Iida?”

“Gah!” he said. He sighed. “What do you want?”

Looks like I got it right. Ren thought. “Um, Nishiyama told me you might have some information about a part-time job?”

“WHAT?! What did he say?!” Iida said.

“Huh?” Ren questioned.

“I mean, er, forget it!” Iida said. “I’m not talking to you.” He turned his back to her.

Ren was confused, but left. “Well, that’s something at least.”

Ren returned to the classroom to see Ann barely holding out. “But...Mittens…”

“Lady Ann…” Morgana spoke softly.

Ren smiled. “Thanks for watching my stuff Ann.”

“Oh, yeah” Ann replied.

Ren looked at Nisiyama with a smile. “What do you want?” Nishiyama asked.

“Iida says you might know something…” Ren said.

Nishiyama was nervous. He sighed and said “Fine. I guess I’ll tell you.”

“Oh thank goodness” Ann said, relieved.

“Now, I will say, please don’t” Nishiyama seriously warned. He sighed again. “One day when Iida and I were out, we got approached by these guys. They said they’d pay really well if we just take some envelopes to some drop boxes. Iida was tight on cash, so he agreed to it, while I was a bit more skeptical. I left, but after that day, Iida began acting weird. I don’t know what’s going on, but avoid it if you can.”

Ren nodded. “You have our thanks.” Ren picked up her bag and she and Ann walked out.

“So, what now?” Ann asked.

“Well, we need to get the remaining pieces of the story from Iida,” Ren said. He might be more willing to talk now that we have some more information from Nishiyama.”

“Still, moving envelopes doesn’t sound criminal itself” Morgana said. “I wonder what could be in them.”

“Documents?” Ann proposed.

“Hm, I don’t think so,” Ren said. “Paper trails are usually avoided if they can.”

“But what could be small enough to fit into an envelope?” Ann wondered. They thought about it. “Drugs?”

“That could be it,” Ren said. “Remember, Yusuke overheard the cops say that that was happening.”

“Woah! If they had evidence that these kids were handling drugs…” Morgana said.

“Yeah. That would spell trouble” Ren said. “Let’s go.” They walked with a purpose. They arrived at the library, and found Iida where Ren left him. “Iida.” Iida was still trying to avoid eye contact.

“Nishiyama told us everything,” Ann said.

“He did?” Iiida said, turning around. “Dammit!” He sighed. “Can we at least take this somewhere more private?”

“Of course,” Ren said. The group traveled to the hall before the roof. “Now, what do you have to say?”

“Well, as Nishiyama said, we were approached by some guys,” Iida began. “They offered a lot of money for a job that seemed simple. I could have used some ezra cash, so I thought I’d go for it. But…”

“But what?” Ann wondered.

“I didn’t know what was inside,” Iida admitted.

“Of course,” Ren said. “You didn’t know you became a PIZZA SMUGGLER!”

“What?” Ann said.

“Yeah, you gotta move the pizza REALLY fast to get it there while it’s still hot!” Morgana added, caught up in the moment. “Wait, NO!”

Iiida seemed really confused. “Sorry” Ren apologized, laughing. “I was making a joke to lighten the mood.”

“I see…” Iida said. “Well, I guess it was kind of funny.”

“See? It was worth it” Ren said. “But for real, it’s drugs, right?”

“...Yeah,” Iida admitted.

Ann was confused. “Why did you accept the money once you found out?”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Iida said. “The money was put in automatically, and they told me I had to continue, and if I didn’t, they’d send pictures to the police.”

“I see,” Ren said. “Do you have any idea who they are?”

“Not entirely,” Iida said. “I just know they’re a gang that does a lot of business in Shibuya.”

“Well, thank you anyways,” Ren said.

“Look, I just hope you know to avoid them,” Iida said. “And just be careful in Shibuya.”

“Of course,” Ann said.

“Thanks,” Iida said. He sighed. “I’m glad I finally told someone.”

“Why not the student council?” Ren asked.

“Oh, well, you know…” Iida said. “They’d just judge me. They aren’t in it for us students, ya know.”

“I see,” Ren observed. Ann looked pained. “Well, if you ever want to talk about things, Dr. Maruki is always an option.”

“Huh? Really?” Iida wondered.

“Totally” Ren said. “He’s actually quite helpful.”

“I’ll...think about it,” Iida said. He walked off.

Ann sighed. “Hey” Ren said. “You feeling alright?”

“Yeah” Ann said. “It’s just… What he said about the student council. Niijima-senpai is doing a lot to resolve this, and he’s ignoring them because he doesn’t believe they’re there to help.”

“But didn’t you say something similar when it came to Kamoshida?” Ren asked.

“Yeah,” Ann answered. “And I’m starting to feel a little bad about it. If she’s working hard to do this, maybe she would have if she knew anything about Kamoshida.”

Ren placed her hand on Ann’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll understand.”

Ann smiled. “Yeah.”

Ren smiled back. “C’mon, let’s go discuss what we figured out with everyone.” The two headed downstairs.

They ran into Makoto. “Oh, hello you two,” she said. Ann avoided eye contact with her.

“Hey” Ren said. “Isn’t it just our luck? I have some new information.”

“You do?” Makoto said, surprised. “Well, by all means.”

Ren nodded. “Apparently, the gangsters are having students traffic drugs around Shibuya.”

“Oh my!” Makoto said, shocked.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this” Ren said.

“I hope so,” Makoto said. “For your sake and the school’s.”

“Right,” Ren said. “We’re going to meet up to discuss our next move.”

“Great,” Makoto said. “I can’t wait to see what else you can find.” Makoto headed off in one direction, while Ren and Ann headed off in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, Hagiwara was around the corner listening to everything they were discussing. She took notes and dispersed herself.

Ren and Ann met with Ryuji outside by the vending machines. “How’d you do?” Ryuji asked. “I found nothin’.”

“We actually figured out a lot,” Ann replied. They proceeded to explain the results of their investigation.

“For REAL?!” Ryuji said.

“Yeah” Ren answered.

“That’s messed up,” Ryuji said. “So, what now?”

“Well, I’m thinking we give Shibuya itself a look-see,” Ren said.

“Alright then. Let’s go” Ryuji said, excited.

“Wait” Ren said. “I wanna do this as a unit, just to play it safe, ya know. And since Sumire’s at practice now...”

“Ahhhhh” Ryuji said. “Tomorrow then.”

“It works out fine for me,” Ann said. “I’ve got a shoot today.”

“When did this happen?” Ryuji asked.

“Yesterday,” Ann said. “They called with a sudden opening.”

“Gotcha,” Ryuji said.

“I think all that’s left is to message everyone,” Ren said. She got out her phone and did just that. “OK. The plan is to see if we can’t find anything in Shibuya tomorrow” Ren said. “We gotta be careful. I doubt that these people mess around.”

“Right,” Ann said. “Well, seeya then.” She left to go to her modeling gig.

Just as Ryuji was about to leave as well, Ren stopped him. “Hold it. Ramen.”

“Now?” Ryuji said. “Ugh.” He shook himself. “Fine. But only because I can’t say no to ramen.” Ren smiled, and the two went to gorge themselves on ramen. Ren more so to make Ryuji foot the bill. While Ryuji was displeased about the size of the bill, he and Ren overall had a good time.

The next day, during lunch, Makoto was in the student council room when Hagiwara came in. “Makoto-san?” she said

“Ah, Kisa-chan,” Makoto responded. “Did you find anything?”

Kisa gave her a stern look. “I found that we’re not the only ones you’re confiding in.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Makoto asked nervously.

“I saw you talking with two other students about the gangster problem,” Kisa said.

“Oh. That” Makoto said.

“Do you not trust us?” Kisa asked.

“No, of course I trust you,” Makoto said. “It’d just, this is a big problem, and they’re willing to help out, you know?”

“Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Kisa demanded.

“Well…” Makoto floundered, not having a good answer without giving up the identities of the Phantom Thieves.

“I thought we were friends!” Kisa shouted.

“We are!” Makoto pleaded. “Just, please understand that there’s more going on than meets the eye.”

Kisa seemed disenchanted. “I thought you were better than this. But I guess not.” Kisa dashed out of the room, frustrated.

“WAIT!” Makoto shouted. “...Kisa…” She grabbed her head. “GAH! What is wrong with you Makoto?!”

After school, the Thieves met up in Shibuya. “I’m still struck by the fact that we’re investigating the crime the police mentioned when I was packing up stuff at Madarame’s” Yusuke noted. “So, how should we do this?” he asked.

“Hm” Ren wondered. “Maybe we should split up into groups. That way we can cover more ground, while still being at least somewhat safer.”

“I like the sound of that!” Ann said. “Maybe we should pair off!”

“Good idea!” Morgana said.

“Wait, how?” Jose inquired. “There’s seven of us.”

They all thought for a moment. Then all of the humans, or at least human-like members, looked at Morgana. “Wh-What’s that look for?”

“Well…” Ann said.

“No offence, but you DO look like a cat,” Sumire said.

“So, maybe you’d be better going it alone,” Yusuke reasoned.

“WHAT?!” yelped Morgana.

“It makes sense,” Ryuji said.

“How?” Morgana asked.

“You’d be safe,” Ryuji answered. “I mean, I don’t think many gangsters would ask a cat to deliver drugs.”

“Well….that’s true…” Morgana admitted.

“Plus, this way, we can cover even more ground,” Ren added.

Morgana sighed. “Fine. I’ll go alone.”

“Alright!” Ann cheered. “With that settled, let’s decide teams. Hmmmmm” she thought. “How about Ren and Sumire as a team?”

“Me and Ren-senpai?” Sumire said, blushing. Ren was too busy blushing herself to notice.

“Yeah!” Ann said. “Things could get scary real fast, and I think Ren makes Sumire the calmest.”

“Well, I guess that’s true…” Sumire admitted.

Ren recovered quickly. “Well then, how about you and Ryuji?” she retorted. “I mean, you two have known each other for a while. I’m sure there’s a strength in that.”

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Ryuji said, bluntly.

“Oh, uh, sure then” Ann said. “I guess that leaves Yusuke and Jose.”

“Hm. Fear not” Yusuke said. “While we are only recently acquainted, we are both creative. Hence, any situation we may find ourselves in, we will creatively find a way out!”

“You said it Yusuke!” Jose cheered.

Ryuji was dumbstruck. “Ummmmm, surrrrrrre…”

“Well, with all that settled, let’s split up, gang!” Ren said. She chuckled. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” The groups started to move around. Before they fully left each other, Ann managed to get Ren’s attention. She winked at her. Ren blushed slightly and rolled her eyes. She knew Ann suggested that team as a ploy to get her and Sumire closer. She returned a wink of her own. Ann was surprised, looked at Ryuji, blushed slightly, and got frustrated. Ren laughed to herself.

As Yusuke and Jose were on the look out for any information or suspicious activity, Jose looked up and asked “So, how’s dorm life treating you?”

“Hmmmm” Yusuke pondered. “Well, there is no doubt that it is better than living with Madarame. Me having my own dorm is helpful, but it is also a bit isolating at times.”

“Well, you’re always welcome to come over to my dorm if you’d like some company,” Jose offered. “Truth be told, while I do have some friends, I’m mostly in the same boat. I don’t mind exactly, because it frees me up for whenever stuff like this happens, but at the same time, it can be pretty rough.”

“I get what you mean,” Yusuke said. “I guess these things take time. Still, despite everything that happened, I did grow close to some of the people who were also under Madarame’s influence. But that was broken by...well...you know… I’m hoping that going forward, the bonds I make aren’t so cruelly shattered.”

“Well, you have us, and that’s a start,” Jose smiled.

“Indeed” Yusuke replied. They kept investigating.

While Ryuji and Ann were investigating, Ryuji was psyched up, while Ann was deep in thought. Ryuji took notice of this. “Yo. What’s up?”

“Huh? OH, I was just thinking…” Ann said. “Maybe we were a bit harsh on Niijima-senpai.”

“How do you figure?” Ryuji said.

“Well,” Ann began, “she’s working really hard to help with this issue. She even brought us into it. Yet we said some mean things to her because we thought she wouldn’t help with Kamoshida.” She sighed.

“Well...” Ryuji began. “We can’t entirely blame ourselves.” Ann was curious. “I mean, before the whole Phantom Thieves thing happened, we were barely on speaking terms due to Kamoshida, and before that we were like two peas in a pod. It couldn’t have been easy to open up to anyone if you and I weren’t talkin’ much.”

Ann was surprised. “You’re right.” She sighed. “I just hope she understands.”

“Eh, I’m sure she will” Ryuji said. “We just gotta talk to her.”

“Yeah” Ann smiled. “You know, when it counts, you know exactly what to say.”

“Thanks” Ryuji said. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘when it counts’?”

Ann giggled. “Don’t worry about it.” Ryuji shrugged it off and they continued investigating.

During Ren and Sumire’s investigation, Ren glanced at Sumire and asked “So, how are you feeling?” Sumire looked at her. “About your upcoming meet, I mean.”

“Oh, that,” Sumire said. “Well, obviously, I’m nervous. I can’t say there has ever been a meet where I haven’t been nervous.” She grew a little more serious. “But this is the first time I’ve had a meet since….the incident…”

“Yeah” Ren said, unsure of how to respond to that. “Well, if you’re having second thoughts, I’m sure Coach Hiraguchi will still let you skip this.”

Sumire became determined. “No. I want to do this. Whether I fall face first to the floor, or pass with flying colors, I feel like this is something I need to do. I want to see what gymnastics is like without Kasumi.”

“Hm. Well, if you’re that determined, I can’t stop you” Ren said. “But I still would like to come watch.”

“Oh, well” Sumire said, getting sort of nervous. “While I did say you didn’t have to, I would like it if you did. But if you have other plans…”

Ren smiled. “Just give me the time and date, and I’ll clear my schedule.”

Sumire blushed. “Hm hm. Thanks.” Ren was startled by Sumire’s cuteness and started to blush as well.

Before anything else could happen, the two were interrupted by a loud “Hey!’ The two girls looked over to see an assortment of shady characters. “You wanna make some easy money?”

The two girls were stunned at the fact that they just stumbled into this. “Um, that almost sounds too good to be true,” Sumire said.

“Relax, it’s all above board” the guy continued. “You just gotta deliver these envelopes to a few places, and you’ll be swimming in Yen.”

“Hm. I see” Ren said. “I can’t say I’m not interested, but I’m a bit cautious. Tell me, who is this all for?”

“Well, uh, that’s on a, uh, need to know basis, ya know?” the guy said, scrambling for an answer.

“Hm, I dunno,” Ren said. “I think I’ll pass.”

“C’mon. It’s easy” the guy kept insisting.

“What is it with people and not taking ’no’ for an answer?” Sumire wondered.

The guys pulled out their knives. “Ya interested now?”

Ren and Sumire were scared. They could run, but that would only take them so far. They needed something to give them an edge. Luckily, that something had heard the commotion and had just arrived.

Jumping from the roof, Morgana landed on the face of the guy talking to them. “GAH!” he said.

“Run!” Morgana shouted. With no hesitation, Ren took Sumire’s hand and ran.

Meanwhile, the gangsters were struggling to get Morgana off the face of one of their own. Morgana clawed his face for a while, but he knew he couldn’t keep at it. He stopped and leapt off the face and scurried around the corner.

He met up with Ren and Sumire. “Thanks for the assist,” Ren said.

“Hah! It’s what I do” Morgana said.

Sumire nodded. “We’re really lucky you managed to find us.”

“Hm. So, were those the guys?” Morgana asked.

“Most likely” Ren said.

“What should we do?” Sumire asked.

Ren thought about it for a moment. “Well I think we can describe them well enough. If we take that information to Makoto, she can maybe do something with it on her end. After all, we’re just a bunch of misfits.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Morgana said.

“Come on, let’s meet up with everyone,” Ren said. The three of them started walking together while contacting the rest of the group.

Back in the alley, the gangsters were recovering from their loss to a cat. “GAH!” the guy who Morgana landed on said. “I’m gonna kill them!”

“Uh, it’s just a cat,” another guy said.

“Yeah, we got bigger things to worry about,” another guy said. A phone rang. “Like that.”

The cat-scratched guy was still mad but took the call. “Hey boss.”

“How are things going?” the voice on the other end asked bluntly.

“Well, uh, ya see, we ran into some trouble” the guy said. The person on the other end growled at him. “Don’t worry, we’ll get more students. Promise.”

The voice on the other end was silent for a bit. “Get back here. NOW!”

“Yes sir!” the guy said, fearful. The boss hung up. The guy sighed. “We're heading back.” The other guys were worried. They all entered their car.

Before they could take off, a picture of their plate was taken. And behind the camera, well cellphone, was none other than Kisa Hagiwara. “Hm. This will prove to Makoto that I can handle this.”

Flashback to when school just ended. Makoto left class quickly to go to the student council room. “Hey” she said, upon entry. She was surprised. “Um, where’s Kisa?”

“She’s not here,” Hiroki answered. “Why?”

“I need to talk to her,” Makoto said.

“But, hey,” Hiroki said. “We’ve found some more information.”

“That’s great,” Makoto said, starting to panic. “But I really need to talk to Kisa. You can just tell me later. OK?”

“Um, sure?” Hiroki said. “Did something happen?”

“Yeah, well, gotta go, bye” Makoto said, leaving as fast as she could. She rushed to Kisa’s classroom, and she wasn’t there. She looked for her up and down the school, but couldn’t find her. Because unbeknownst to her, Kisa was secretly following Ren and her friends on their investigation.

Back in the present, the goons had arrived at a shady strip joint. The guy covered in claw marks sighed. “This isn’t going to go well.” They entered.

Kisa had gotten out of her taxi a little afterwards, and followed them in. She managed to go undetected as she progressed further in. Finally, she caught a glimpse of the goons with their apparent leader. She took out her phone and started recording a video. “Why are you covered in scratches?” the boss asked.

“Well, uh, you see, we almost had those kids in our grasp, but then some alley cat tackled me” the guy explained.

The boss was not amused. “You dipshits! Why should I trust someone who gets thwarted by a simple cat?!”

“I-I promise! We’ll get some more kids! I swear!”

The boss glared at him. “You better…”

Kisa was smiling. She had gotten video of the guy causing trouble in Shibuya. However, her luck ran short, as at the moment, Makoto called her. “Oh no” she said. The goons heard it and started walking over. Kisa tried to hide and answered.

“Kisa! Thank goodness. I was worried” Makoto said.

“Hey” Kisa whispered. “Listen, I’m gonna need to call you back.”

“Huh?” Makoto said.

Kisa hung up, as the gangster found her. “Well well, what do we have here?” They grabbed her, took her phone, and presented her to the boss. “Looks like someone was snooping around.”

The boss was a bit mad. “You mean to tell me you were followed, and didn’t notice?!” The goons were scared. The boss smiled. “Still, this is a nice opportunity.”

“Please don’t kill me!” Kisa begged.

“Ohhhh. You know how to beg. I like that” the boss said. “Relax. I’m not going to kill you.” Kisa sighed. “After all, you’re worth so much more to me alive.” Kisa was now worried. The boss turned to the lady hanging off of him. “Say, how much was that handbag you wanted? The crocodile one?”

“Hmmm, about three million yen,” she answered.

The boss opened a briefcase, took out a stack of cash, and handed it to her. “There you go.”

“Wow! For real?! Thanks!” the woman said.

The boss turned to Kisa. “Heh. I’m angry. And when I get angry, I like to spend money. But not having enough also makes me angry. So it’s up to you to refund that money to me. Ya know, for making me angry in the first place.”

Kisa was frightened. “What makes you think I’ll do it?”

The boss snapped a photo of Kisa. “My my, what a nice picture. A student in a seedy establishment with a bunch of booze. Oh, and I think I got some cigs in there too. It’s be a shame if this went public.”

Kisa was shaking. “I-I have video, you know!”

“Correction” the guy who was covered in cat scratches said. “You HAD video.” He tossed her cellphone back to her.

“Nice work” the boss said. “You just might be worth something after all.” He turned his attention back to Kisa. “Don’t worry, I’m a nice guy. Tell you what: I’m going to give you to the end of the semester to give me that three million. That’s more generous than most people. You should feel lucky. Now run along now. Time IS money.”

Kisa was crushed. The boss, his goons, and the woman were all having a good time. Kisa slowly walked out of the door. Before anything else, she found an alley dumpster to throw up in. Afterwards, she got another call from Makoto. She picked up. “Kisa! Are you alright?!”

“Makoto” Kisa said, her voice hollow.

“Where are you?!” Makoto asked.

Kisa didn’t answer. Instead, she said “Let’s meet up at that ice cream place we always used to go to.”

Makoto was concerned, but felt relieved that she was at least up for that. “Alright. I’ll head on over.” They hung up, and Kisa started walking over.

Eventually, Kisa entered, seeing Makoto sitting at their usual place. “Hey Kisa. I already ordered.” Makoto took noticed of Kisa’s defeated attitude. “What’s wrong?”

Kisa stumbled over to Makoto. “Makoto…” She collapsed into Makoto, wrapping her arms around her. She began crying. “I’m sorry!”

Makoto was surprised. She hugged back. “Kisa. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Kisa sniffed. “OK.” She proceeded to tell Makoto what happened through her tears. While she was explaining it, their ice cream had arrived.

Makoto was absolutely shaken to her core. “Kisa. I’m so sorry.”

Kisa sniffed again. “It’s not your fault.” She took a bite of her ice cream.

“But I called you, and we had that fight…” Makoto said. She sighed. “I’m such a bad leader.”

“No,” Kisa siad. “I’m just selfish. I wanted to be the one to bring down this plot, but I ended up biting more than I can chew.”

Makoto was still doubtful of herself. She grew determined. “Kisa, listen. I have a way out of this, but you need to trust me, OK? I promise I can resolve this, just don’t do anything else reckless.” Kisa nodded. “Good.” She sighed. I feel like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew too. They continued eating their ice cream.

Ren had arrived at Leblanc for the evening. “I think today went alright, don't you?”

“I’ll say,” Morgana said. “I got to show off my power here too.”

Ren giggled. “Right And I can’t thank you enough.” She got out her phone. “I should tell Makoto about this development.”

Before she could, Makoto messaged her.

Makoto: Meeting. Tomorrow. Student council office. Lunchtime.

Ren was stunned. “That can’t be good.”

1 note · View note

countrymadefoods · 6 years ago

Photo

Henokiens

“The Henokiens is an association of companies who have been continuously operating and remain family-owned for 200 years or more, and whose descendants still operate at management level. It derives its name from the biblical patriarch Enoch (Hénoch in French), who lived for 365 years before he was taken by God instead of dying.”

Over 1300 Years Oldest Hotel Runs by 52 Generations of Same Family in Japan!

“The world’s oldest hotel Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is located in Kyoto, Japan. It was established in 705 AD (the 2nd year of the Keiun era) when Fujiwara Mahito founded the inn.”

“From its inception, the Keiunkan onsen has been passed down within the original family through the centuries. The 52 different generations of the same family have cared for and operated the inn, growing the space and modernizing it slowly with each passing epoch.”

“Keiunkan currently holds the Guinness World Record for oldest hotel and is now aiming for another, world’s most productive hot spring, thanks to their new bath that pumps over a thousand liters of naturally heated water per minute.”

(via Over 1300 Years Oldest Hotel Runs by 52 Generations of Same Family in Japan! | Future Entech)

The Oldest Paper Company in Japan

“Genda Shigyo or "Genda Paper Company" is said to have been founded in the year 771, in the latter days of the Nara Period (710-794). When the capital of Japan was moved to Kyoto in 794, marking the beginning of the Heian Period, Genda Shigyo went as well, and it can now be found in the blocks separating Nijo Castle from Kyoto Imperial Palace.”

“The company historically made mizuhiki, decorative, multicolored cords made of twisted paper. Used almost like ribbons...The color, number and arrangement of the cords convey different meanings. Red and white is probably the most common combination for auspicious events, though you'll also find envelopes with gold- or copper-colored cords. On the other hand, black and white, yellow and white, blue and white, silver or completely black cords will be used for inauspicious events, particularly funerals...After World War II, the company did diversify, if ever so slightly. It now makes congratulatory gifts using mizuhiki as well as the mizuhiki themselves.”

(via The Oldest Paper Company in Japan | All About Japan)

Sudo Honke

“Established in 1141 AD, Sudo Honke is presently the oldest kura still actively brewing in all of Japan (based on the oldest written records of brewing). The current president is the 55th generation president of Sudo Honke. The brewing philosophy of Sudo Honke is simple, clean, and natural. Sake, he says, is made from rice. Good rice comes from good soil. Good soil comes from fresh and high-quality water. Such water comes from protecting our trees. Protecting the natural environment makes excellent sake.”

(via Sudo Honke | eSake)

Gekkeikan

“Gekkeikan Sake Company, Ltd. (Gekkeikan Kabushikigaisha) is a Japanese manufacturer of sake and plum wine based in Fushimi, Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1637 by Jiemon Ōkura, in Fushimi, it is one of the world's oldest companies, and is a member of the Henokiens group. The name of the company literally means "laurel wreath".

Ichimojiya Wasuke

“Ichimonjiya Wasuke is a traditional confectionery company located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. It was established in the year 1000 and is operated by 24th generation of the same family. The recent building is about 300 years old and contains many benches and stools around small tables. Local people call the shop "Ichiwa".

“The Company produces and sells wagashi, traditional Japanese confections often served with tea, namely:aburi-mochi - roasted rice cake sweet miso sauce sekihan - rice with red beans green tea, etc...There is another old confectionery called Kazariya (Kasuragi) founded in 1656, but about 200 years ago its owner changed.”

Kikkoman

“Kikkoman Corporation (Kikkōman Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese food manufacturer. Its main products and services include soy sauce, food seasoning and flavoring, mirin, shōchū, and sake, juice and other beverages, pharmaceuticals, and restaurant management services.”

“Kikkoman has production plants and offices in Japan, the U.S., the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, China and Canada. Kikkoman is the most popular brand of soy sauce in Japan and the United States. The village of Sappemeer in Groningen, the Netherlands, is the European headquarters of the company.”

“Founded in 1917, it is based in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is a combination of 8 family-owned businesses founded as early as 1603 by the Mogi and Takanashi families.”

Keio University

“Keio University (Keiō Gijuku Daigaku), abbreviated as Keio or Keidai, is a private university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the oldest institute of modern higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo (now Tokyo). It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa.”

Kiuchi Brewery

“Kiuchi Brewery is a brewery in Naka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1823 by village headman Kiuchi Gihei as a sake and shochu producer.Craft beer production began in 1996 after a change in Japanese law governing micro brewing.”

Kirin Brewery Company Yokohama Factory

“As beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan there are plenty of interesting beers and beer history to discover. Yokohama Factory is one of nine factories of the Kirin Brewery Company, Limited (Chitose, Sendai, Toride, Yokohama, Nagoya, Shiga, Kobe, Okayama, and Fukuoka). Yokohama factory offers free tours that last around 80 minutes...If you are curious about Japanese beer and how it is manufactured, taking a tour at Kirin Beer Village in Yokohama is a very good experience and a lot of fun...Kirin Beer Village in Yokohama is a 7-minute walk from Nama-mugi Station on the Keikyu line.”

(via Kirin Brewery Company Yokohama Factory | Yokohama Official Visitors’ Guide)

Keeping It in the Family

“The oldest running hotel in operation is not in Paris or London or Rome. It is, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, in Yamanashi, Japan: a hot-spring hotel called Nisiyama Onsen Keiunkan, which has existed since the year 705...Japan is home to the world’s oldest lots of things. Sudo Honke, the world’s oldest sake brewer, has been around since 1141.

Ostensibly, it’s not surprising that an old country with an old economy would be home to so many old businesses. Many of the oldest companies are local and family-owned, such as sake brewers and inns (or ryokan) that were established for traders in the eighth century along the route from Tokyo to Kyoto. Even before it became the first non-Western, non-Christian country to industrialize in the 1870s, Japan boasted a well-developed agricultural economy “with rather sophisticated urban populations”...This semi-elite urban class provided a strong consumer base.”

“But that only explains how the companies were established early on, not necessarily how they have managed to last. One factor was the right of primogeniture...Because the eldest son inherited all of a patriarch’s wealth, companies in Japan could be passed on entirely to a single member of the family.

Even though primogeniture faded with the 20th century, owners still often pass their companies on to a single heir—although keeping business in the family is often aided and abetted by adult adoption, in which the company head legally adopts the right person to run his firm and then passes it on. (These adult adoptions are sometimes facilitated by a marriage between the heir presumptive and the owner’s daughter)... Firms run by adopted heirs, research shows, outperform those run by “blood” heirs—and both adopted and blood heirs outperform non family firms.”

“The infusion of literal new blood into old family businesses ensures that the nation’s ancient firms can keep evolving. The proof is in the pudding: Most of Japan’s oldest companies are family-owned...Perhaps most famously there is Nintendo, which started out as a playing-card maker in the 1800s and managed to metamorphosize into an iconic consumer electronics company while remaining a continuously owned family concern.

“Family-owned enterprises are always going to have a lot more persistence...They continue in the same sense that the name continues.”

(via World’s oldest companies: Why are so many of them in Japan? | The Slate)

Japan's Oldest Businesses Have Survived for More Than 1,000 Years

“Japan[, t]he country is currently home to more than 50,000 businesses that are over 100 years old. Of those, 3,886 have been around for more than 200 years. As a point of comparison, only one in every four U.S. companies founded in 1994 was still operating in 2004, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But in the past decade, some of Japan’s oldest businesses have finally shut their doors. Last month, the roughly 465-year-old seafood seller Minoya Kichibee filed for bankruptcy...The first question to ask about a company...is why it stuck around so long in the first place. For one thing, these companies tend to be clustered in industries that never really go out of style.”

“There’s a pattern...The oldest family businesses often are involved in basic human activities: drink, shipping, construction, food, guns.”

The other reason these companies proliferate in Japan is because of how the country's family-run businesses have been passed down through generations. Japanese business owners typically bequeathed entire companies to their eldest sons...But what fostered corporate longevity was that owners were permitted some leeway if they didn’t trust their offspring to take the helm: They could adopt a son, who would often marry into the family and go on to run the business.

In Japan, a 2011 study found, businesses run by adopted heirs consistently outperformed those run by blood heirs...“You can’t choose your sons, but you can choose your sons-in-law,” goes one Japanese saying.”

“So if they made it 500 or even 1,500 years, why would any of these companies collapse now? The most compelling explanation has to do with how the Japanese government has changed the way it treats struggling companies...Historically...Japanese banks helped out even the most hopeless businesses without a second thought. “Between 1955 and 1990, only something like 72 Japanese companies went bankrupt. The reason was that the banks were supposed to bail them out.”

Then, in 2000, Japan passed its first Chapter-11-like bankruptcy law, and four years later, rewrote 1922 laws concerning corporate liquidation...“Non-performing companies no longer receive help from lenders unless they have a solid plan for change”...These archaic companies—Minoya Kichibee sold salted squid guts using a 350-year-old recipe—used to benefit from the dependability of banks, even if their products weren’t optimized for the modern world.”

“Even if bankruptcy legislation is the most logical theory of why these companies finally folded, it’s not the only plausible one. It’s also worth noting that Japan’s cultural norms have eroded quite a bit in recent decades, which turns out to be a problem for a company selling traditionally-prepared squid guts. “Japanese Millennials are not that interested in really traditional Japanese culture as compared to their grandparents or parents...As the old population dies off, there is just not enough demand that is able to sustain such firms.”

Japan has also started to take a different stance toward marriage, adoption, and inheritance. “It's also likely become harder to recruit young men to enter a small firm under the presumption that they will marry the president's daughter.”

(via Japan's Oldest Businesses Have Survived for More Than 1,000 Years | The Atlantic)

0 notes