Takezawa's Ghost - Episode 23

“I’m fully recovered. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Oh. Thank goodness. Looks like it was an accident.”

　First time back to work.

　As I bowed respectfully, Aida said to me.

“I heard he got into a fight at a cabaret club and got beaten up by the guys in black suits?”

…..

When Machida was admitted to the hospital, he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to explain things tactfully to my coworkers,” but that wasn’t very tactful at all.

　It probably doesn’t fit my image.

“It was so Takezawa-like that I couldn’t help but laugh.”

　What?

　Does my senior at work think of me as an idiot who causes trouble at cabaret clubs?

　Someone said that it is not up to you to decide a person’s worth, but others.

　Since Aida-san, who represents others, said so, I guess I have some dangerous aspects to me.

　I have to reflect on this.

　For the next day, my coworkers talked nonstop about the cabaret club to me.

“Takezawa! You’re lucky to be alive! The Yakuza were involved, weren’t they? Tell me the full story later!”

“I thought you’d do it eventually.”

“Are you serious? You crushed one of the Yakuza’s eyes?”

“So you’re going to marry that hostess? You’re usually so absent-minded, but you did it.”

　The rumors are spreading.

　To be honest, I’ve never been to a cabaret club.

……….

“Kato Mei. She works as a hostess at a cabaret club.”

　While we were discussing who to take revenge on next,

We talk about cabaret clubs.

　A strange bond is beginning to form.

“When I was eating in the toilet, they would pour water on me from above, write ‘go die’ in pencil on my desk, and I was under a lot of emotional attack.”

　Every time I hear something like this, I wonder if these kinds of bullies are motivated by the targets of bullying.

　Now, to do the kind of bullying that Michi mentioned, some preparation is required.

　To get to the toilet, you have to fill a bucket with water and climb up, and to get to the desk, you have to spend a long time running your pencil over it.

　He will spare no time or effort to punish his opponent.

　She would probably have more fun hanging out with her boyfriend than doing something like that, but they continue to bully her.

　It’s a kind of illness, and without you realizing it, the illness worsens every time the bullying escalates.

　That guy had a good look on his face while crying. No matter how I torture him tomorrow, I won’t be able to stop.

　And if a sick person forgets to control their strength, they can end up killing their target.

　Those who spend their precious student years thinking about such trivial things will not grow up to be decent adults in the future.

I’m saying this as someone who dropped out of high school, spent time in the underworld, and grew up to be a complete idiot. I think it has some persuasive power.

　I don’t think being a cabaret hostess is a bad job.

　It’s probably not a job for someone who has been a bully.

　It’s a job that requires a certain level of communication skills and speaking ability.

“Is she a hostess?”

“There’s no doubt about it. When I was hanging out at that station, I saw Mei Kato in flashy clothes walking hand in hand with a man in his 50s. That must have been an after-party.”

“Hmm.”

　Well, I’ve heard that even if you don’t have the skills, you can get customers by offering sexual favours.

　I wonder if this Kato guy is using similar methods.

　…Let’s not jump to conclusions based on speculation.

　I hated that kind of thing; that’s why I dropped out of high school.

　When I realized that, I blurted out the following.

“Let’s go to a cabaret club for now.”