Chapter 46: 46 The Comet Falls (Tokyo) [40 PS]
"Hey, Boss, what exactly are you trying to do?" Makki Hojou asked, looking up.
It wasn't just him and the members of the Rampaging Angels who were curious.
The Toman members beneath Hojou Kyousuke were also wondering, though they were too embarrassed to ask.
Now that everything was set, Kyousuke no longer felt the urgency he had earlier.
With a happy smile, he turned to Makki and said:
"Watching the comet!"
"Who would've thought our second-in-command is an astronomy enthusiast?" Makki Hojou chuckled, surprised by the clear, joyful tone in Kyousuke's voice, his smile pure and untainted.
The Toman members felt even more awkward, realizing that their entire gang had just been defeated by one person.
Now, they were being used as a makeshift viewing platform.
"Not really. It's just... there's this voice inside me that's been telling me to watch the comet. It sounds kind of forceful, so I didn't want to ignore it," Kyousuke mumbled while staring up at the sky.
"Well, it's a once-in-a-lifetime comet, right?"
"To see something like this in person... It's a real stroke of luck. And the weather's great tonight too—clear enough to see the stars. What a treat," Makki added, glancing up at the sky with him.
Indeed, the weather tonight was unexpectedly clear.
Despite the city's usual cloud cover, the stars were visible, which was almost unthinkable for a bustling area like Shibuya.
The group fell silent as they watched the comet's arrival.
Even the pile of Toman members at Kyousuke's feet looked up in quiet awe.
"It's here!" Eikichi Onizuka shouted with excitement.
"Hey, Ryuuji, quickly make a wish for a girlfriend next year!" one of them called out.
"Oh, right, right! I want two!"
"That's sneaky, I'll ask for three—one a high school girl, one a lady, and one an older sister."
"Hey, you two, quiet down!" Kyousuke yelled, his calm demeanor shattered by an inexplicable unease as the comet finally appeared in the sky.
Something felt off, as though something bad was about to happen.
Standing on the pile of bodies in his black school uniform, Kyousuke placed his hands in his pockets and stared at the blue comet streaking across the vast night sky, its tail trailing like an aurora.
The same familiar yet distant voice appeared in his mind again:
"Hey, what's your name?"
Me? I'm Hojou Kyousuke... who are you?
But there was no answer, and the sense of unease only grew stronger.
Where was this feeling coming from?
He couldn't shake the feeling of melancholy that seemed to be following him.
"Forget it," he muttered to himself, trying to push the thoughts away.
First, he had a strange urge to watch the comet, and now, an unknown voice in his head.
He figured he must have been too tired today.
"Alright, let's head home."
Kyousuke slid down the pile of bodies and spoke to Makki and the others.
"Boss, I cleaned your bamboo sword for you," Kisaki said, walking up with a slight bow.
He no longer made any comments about wanting to take over Toman.
"Thanks, Kisaki," Kyousuke replied, taking the bamboo sword and tossing it aside.
He didn't bother putting it in its sheath; it was secured to his bike with a buckle.
"Hey," Kisaki called out as Kyousuke began walking away.
He hesitated, then said with a sigh, "Boss, how about we go grab some late-night snacks? My treat!"
"Yeah, Boss, you told Kisaki you had stuff to do, but now that it's done, why not grab a bite and go for a drive afterward? I found a new road that's perfect for cruising."
Makki and the others chimed in with their invitation.
"Ha ha, I appreciate the offer, but I've got some things to take care of at home. See you all tomorrow," Hojou Kyousuke said, declining with a smile.
He waved his hand and walked out of the park.
The strange feeling in his chest made him want nothing more than to go home.
"Goodbye, Boss!" the Rampaging Angels members said, bowing as they watched him go.
Riding his bike down the street, the cool evening breeze helped ease some of his irritation, but the comet still bothered him.
Its beauty felt off somehow.
He poured himself a large glass of cold water and chugged it down.
Sitting on the couch, he turned on the TV.
The news anchor was speaking: "And now, let's look at the comet, which has split into two, creating countless meteors…"
Kyousuke didn't want to hear the rest. He set the cup down and rushed to the balcony.
Sure enough, he saw the blue comet above, but there was now a small, fiery red comet splitting off beneath it.
The blue one continued along its original path, but the red comet was falling.
At that moment, the voice from the TV sounded again: "Statistically speaking, the possibility of it landing in a populated area is very low…"
Kyousuke scoffed at the so-called "experts" on TV.
He knew they often hired people who were barely qualified to make such claims, but this time, the sense of foreboding that had lingered in his mind made him want to trust their words.
His unease from earlier returned as he recalled that same feeling when the red comet appeared at the park.
Could the comet be about to hit someone?
He quickly grabbed his phone and opened it, a barrage of messages flooding in.———————————————————————
"Kyousuke, Kyousuke, look at the comet, it's so beautiful!" —Yamauchi Sakura
"Kyousuke, Kyousuke, do you miss me? Let's go shopping in Ikebukuro this weekend!"
"Kyousuke, Kyousuke, there's a super cute senior at school, blonde twin tails! Next time, I'll introduce you to her." —Yamauchi Sakura
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It was clear that Sakura treated Kyousuke's inbox like her personal diary.
She even sent him photos of a fat cat she'd seen at school.
The comet wasn't going to hit Tokyo, and Sakura's school wasn't far from him. So she was safe.
Kyousuke quickly replied to her, agreeing to the weekend shopping trip, then turned to the next message.
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"Kyousuke-kun, my classmates haven't noticed my hearing impairment! I'm so happy." —Nishimiya Shouko
———————————————————————
Kyousuke could almost imagine the pleased, shy smile on Shouko's face.
She was still too shy; he hoped she'd make more friends.———————————————————————
"My chest has grown a whole cup size, but Shouko's grew two! How unfair!" —Ueno Naoka
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Kyousuke opened the photo Ueno had sent, showing her and Shouko laughing together.
Shouko had playfully made a peace sign for the camera, both in their school uniforms.
Ueno had a blue jacket, while Shouko wore just a white blouse.
Kyousuke couldn't help but appreciate Shouko's figure, noting the noticeable change in her chest.
He shook his head.
The school where they studied wasn't far from here, so he didn't need to worry about the comet falling on them.