Chapter 39: Kabukicho

Minamoto Kiyomoto still maintained the habit of reading.

Whether it was Buddhist scriptures, the ‘get off before getting on’ rule of the train, or “The North Wind and the Sun” from “Aesop’s Fables,” they were all of great help to his cultivation.

On May 17th, a warm wind blew across the campus, making one feel refreshed.

At noon, Minamoto Kiyomoto was reading in the school’s study room with Asana, Inaba, and Kishida. He read, “The equal sign is not the answer, but the equal value on both sides,” and thought about the cultivation method of “Great Thunder.”

When he looked up from his book, he could see the lush apricot trees through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

When they were tired of reading, the four of them would chat aimlessly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto talked about his poor travel journey, which was very interesting. He himself found it interesting, after all, it was made up on the spot, and he said whatever came to his mind.

Sometimes he would talk about interesting places, for example:
“The nearest town is an hour and a half away; behind, it’s already two hours from the starting point, and the car broke down in that kind of place.”

“What happened later? Did you call a tow truck company?” Inaba rested her chin on her hand and looked at him with curious eyes.

“Do you know the phone number of a tow truck company?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked in return.

“No,” the three of them shook their heads.

“I don’t know either.”

“Then how did you get back?” Asana asked.

“Did you meet a beautiful woman? And then the beautiful woman helped you tow the car!” Kishida said with great certainty.

“Is that kind of movie plot possible? I pushed it back.”

“Pushed… pushed it back?” The three of them looked at him in disbelief.

“Yes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded. “I fixed the steering wheel with a rope and pushed from behind.”

“How long did that take? Weren’t you tired?”

“It was alright. It’s just that, in my entire life, I have never felt so deeply as I did at that moment—the world is so big.”

“Hahaha!” The three of them burst out laughing.

Inaba clutched her stomach, and Asana covered her mouth. She had just taken a sip of orange juice. Kishida slapped his thigh hard.

“Pushing a car… the world is so big…” Inaba fell on the table, her face buried in her arms, her body twitching with laughter.

At this moment, Minamoto Kiyomoto himself couldn’t help but think: if he really went on a trip like this, it wouldn’t be so bad.

Himemiya Izayoi was wearing fashionable sunglasses and sitting in the driver’s seat. Kamibayashi Miko was sitting in the passenger seat, and he was pushing the car from behind.

The car was moving slower than the ants by his feet. The surroundings were a boundless wilderness. As far as the eye could see, there were rolling fields of cogon grass like the sea.

At this moment, Himemiya Izayoi asked loudly, “Young Master Kiyoshi, what are your thoughts?”

He was pushing the car with his back against the rear of the car, in a way that he was about to fall backwards. Hearing her words, his face was facing the blue sky, and he also replied loudly:
“The world is so big—!”

Would they laugh like Asana and Inaba?

If it weren’t for subjugating yokai, then the little butterfly or Fire Fan, or even Shirako would also be there… if so, he hoped they could come down and push the car together.

Wait, in an uninhabited wilderness, why push a car? They could totally do something else.

For example, push the car with divine power, or carry the car and fly back directly.

Just as Minamoto Kiyomoto was letting his thoughts wander, Kishida suddenly let out a low cry of surprise and looked at the entrance of the study room.

Minamoto Kiyomoto thought that Kasumi Arimura had appeared—ever since he watched “Flying Colors” while preparing for the University of Tokyo entrance exam, Kishida had been a fan of Kasumi Arimura.

The one who walked into the study room was not Kasumi Arimura, but a beautiful girl who was even more eye-catching than Kasumi Arimura. It was Kamibayashi Miko.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was her fan.

“It’s Miss Kamibayashi,” Inada said in a low voice.

“I heard she also took leave before, but it was because someone in her family was sick… she’s coming over! She’s coming over!” Kishida shook Minamoto Kiyomoto’s arm hard.

When Kasumi Arimura saw her fan, because the others were so excited, she would probably show an awkward but polite smile, and then revoke his fan status.

Kamibayashi Miko walked over and came to her fan.

“Are you free this afternoon?” she asked her fan.

“Yes.”

“Come with me.”

“Okay.”

At this time, Asana, who was a little caught off guard, said, “Minamoto-kun, didn’t we agree to go shopping this afternoon?”

“I was free this afternoon, but now I’m not,” the fan replied.

This was the attitude a fan should have. Even if they liked an idol, they had to be dedicated.

Minamoto Kiyomoto closed his book, stood up, greeted the three of them, and followed Kamibayashi Miko.

“The two of them?” Kishida pointed at the two of them and asked Inaba and Asana.

“Asana…” Inaba looked at Asana.

“…I won’t give up!” Asana finished her orange juice in one gulp. The orange juice, which had been sweet just now, was a little sour now.

“What about you, Inaba?” Kishida asked.

“I won’t give up either!” Inaba replied.

“Let’s team up first and defeat this Kamibayashi Miko who came out of nowhere!” Asana’s eyes were firm.

“Yes!” Inaba replied with an equally firm nod.

◇

Minamoto Kiyomoto and Kamibayashi Miko left through the Akamon Gate and walked on the Nakasendo.

A gust of wind blew, carrying the smell of food from the ramen shop across the street.

“How did you know I was in the study room?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked curiously.

“The shikigami in my hair.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto had almost forgotten that he had Kamibayashi Miko’s eyes on him all the time.

“You didn’t peek at me when I was taking a bath, did you?” he suddenly thought.

“Who would stare at someone all the time?”

Kamibayashi Miko, who said this, was constantly stared at by the passers-by who brushed past her.

“If I have something to do or am in danger, how should I notify you?”

“Pat the back of your head, and then, what you’re good at, just call my name.”

“What do you mean, good at? That’s my love for you.”

Kamibayashi Miko did not react to this sentence. After walking two steps, Minamoto Kiyomoto asked again, “What do you need me for?”

“The Onmyo Bureau gave me intelligence that a member of the ninth group of Shintoism is hiding in Shinjuku. Recently, yokai have appeared one after another in various places such as Yamanashi Prefecture, and the Onmyo Bureau is short of manpower. They have assigned others to investigate. I took on the task of investigating this member of the ninth group.”

“Aren’t we going? To subjugate the yokai?”

Whether it was an official cultivator or an unofficial cultivator, besides Konohanasakuya-hime, they had to participate in two ‘battles’ every year.

More than twice, it depended on personal will.

“Kill the leader of the ninth group first,” Kamibayashi Miko replied.

The two of them walked into the station, took the Toei Oedo Line, and after 40 minutes, they came out of the Shinjuku West Exit.

Following the address, after walking for seven or eight minutes, the two of them arrived at Kabukicho.

“Are you sure you want to come here?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“Otherwise, why would I call you?” Kamibayashi Miko handed him a photo and ordered, “Find a way to bring this person to a secluded place.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto took the photo. It was a beautiful girl who looked a little like Kasumi Arimura.

Looking closely, it was not a similarity in appearance, but a similarity in makeup—Japanese women liked to follow magazines for their makeup, so at first glance, they more or less resembled each other.

“I’m going.”

“Yes, be careful.”

“Don’t worry, besides Miss Kamibayashi, I won’t touch any woman!”

“‘I like bad women the most. I want to press my lips against your snow-white neck.'”

“…Didn’t you say you weren’t staring at me all the time?”

Kamibayashi Miko first said kindly and gently, “Silly child, I’m afraid you’ll be killed by a bad woman.”

Then she sneered, “You’re still pursuing me like this? Even if you become a Kosen and pay off all your debts, there’s no hope.”

“…I’ve decided to get a lawyer’s license. I’ll sue you sooner or later,” Minamoto Kiyomoto remembered the address on the back of the photo, tore the photo to pieces, and walked into Kabukicho.

It was still afternoon. There were no people holding signs on the roadside, nor were there any young ladies who would come up and hold a tourist’s arm, using their chests to solicit customers.

When night fell and darkness came, this place would become lively.

It was unknown if there was any saying, but the few that were open during the day were mostly light fuzoku shops.

Minamoto Kiyomoto came to the shop written on the address. There was still a recruitment advertisement hanging in front of the door:

“No need to take off your clothes! You won’t be touched! The work is easy! No experience required!”

This was a hand massage shop.

Minamoto Kiyomoto had seen foot massages, but this was the first time he had seen a hand massage. However, he was relieved—if nothing unexpected happened, Miss Kamibayashi should be watching a live broadcast.

The shop was very small, and the corridor was very narrow. Only one person could walk at a time.

A female waitress led Minamoto Kiyomoto into a small room, very small.

In the room, there was only a small bed, and on the small bed was a machine that looked like an iPad. There was nothing else.

“You can specify your favorite girl through the panel,” the waitress introduced in a very gentle voice. “There is a popularity ranking here, whether she is a virgin, and some basic information, but most of the names are pseudonyms.”

“Thank you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto picked up the machine.

“Sir,” the waitress did not leave. She unbuttoned her chest and sat next to Minamoto Kiyomoto. “If you need, I can serve you for free once.”

“No, no, thank you,” although it hurt a woman’s self-esteem a little, Minamoto Kiyomoto still refused very firmly.

The waitress left reluctantly. Seeing her look, if it weren’t for the working hours, she would definitely have pounced on him.

Only Minamoto Kiyomoto was left in the room. He felt his heart beating a little fast.

This experience was too exciting for him.

After calming down a little, he began to flip through the pages. He first looked at the popularity ranking. The first place was a second-year student from a well-known national university.

Clicking in, on the details page, there were also words like ‘big newcomer,’ ‘virgin,’ ‘has a boyfriend,’ and so on.

“A second-year student and still a virgin? I don’t believe it,” Young Master Kiyoshi, who was still a virgin in his third year, said to himself.

A pain as if his hair had been pulled out suddenly came from the back of his head.

“I’m just looking.”

Another sharp pain.

Minamoto Kiyomoto immediately exited the details page and began to search for that anti-human cultivator.

“The enemy is very smart,” he said in a low voice as he searched. “Everyone knows that Shintoism has good benefits and is not short of money. Even if their hobbies are special, they would go to a real fuzoku shop, not this kind of light fuzoku shop.”

That person from Shintoism was ranked third on the popularity list.

Yuka: A student at a famous private university, has a boyfriend of two years.

After specifying, the interface popped up with ‘Please wait, the masseuse is starting to shower’.

In a short while, the door was gently knocked.

“Please come in,” even Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t help but be nervous.

The leader of the ninth group had seen him on the ‘Romancecar.’ Although he didn’t know that he had killed her subordinate, as a member of the ninth group, there was a high possibility that she already knew he was a cultivator.

“Excuse me,” Yuka’s clothes and dress did not have the slightest fuzoku shop atmosphere. Instead, she was very pure.

Her chest was not big or small, her waist was slender, and her legs were a little thick, but not ugly. Her young body was very beautiful.

She was holding a plate, and on the plate was a small wooden basin, a towel, and a bottle that looked like hand sanitizer.

When Yuka saw Minamoto Kiyomoto sitting on the bed, she couldn’t help but be stunned. This was the first time she had seen someone so handsome in this kind of shop.

Most of the customers in the shop were around forty years old.

They had money and had experienced a lot. They didn’t like to charge into battle, but instead came to this kind of shop to enjoy the apricot blossom rain that made one’s clothes want to get wet, and the willow wind that blew on one’s face but was not cold.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Yuka came back to her senses and quickly lowered her head to apologize. “This is the first time I’ve seen such a handsome customer.”

“…Thank you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto let out a sigh of relief. He had subconsciously thought that the other party had recognized him.

The room was narrow. Once the other party made the first move, he would most likely be in a life-and-death crisis.

Fortunately, Kamibayashi Miko was always there.

Yuka gently closed the door, knelt by the bed, and placed the wooden basin by her feet.

“Does the customer like to lie down or stand? Lying down will be more comfortable,” she said in a voice as gentle as ear-picking.

“This is my first time. I’m not used to lying down in front of others. Let’s just stand.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto was thinking that it would be more convenient to fight back while standing.

“First time?” Yuka raised her face and asked in surprise.

“…Yes.”

“I’m so happy!” Yuka clutched her chest. “Really? You’re not lying to me?”

The way she was happy that it was Minamoto Kiyomoto’s first time had a strong sense of substitution, as if the other party really liked him.

This was only the third. It was unknown what the first was like, Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t help but think.

“Then, let’s begin.”

“Yes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto handed his hand to the other party.

Yuka seemed to be stunned for a moment, then she held Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand with both hands and smiled as she placed her lips on the back of his hand.

“There’s this kind of service too,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“This is special.”

“Does this make money?”

“The customer’s hands are so beautiful,” Yuka couldn’t help but kiss him again, then she put down Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand. “When it’s slow, it’s 5,000 yen a day. When it’s busy, it’s 20,000 yen.”

“I see… what are you doing?!” Minamoto Kiyomoto grabbed Yuka’s outstretched hand, and his vigilance was instantly raised to the highest level.

“That… a massage,” Yuka said, puzzled, then suddenly burst out laughing. “The customer really is a first-timer. I’m so happy! Yuka is so happy!”

“Th-this is…” Minamoto Kiyomoto let go of her hand, pretending to be a virgin who had never seen the world.

Only then did he understand. The so-called hand massage referred to using one’s hands to massage the customer and help them relieve themselves.

“Please relax. I will be very gentle. The customer just needs to enjoy it,” in a soft whisper, Yuka’s hand reached towards Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Ah~” she sighed softly. “It’s so hot. The bottom is so soft. Eh? The top is the complete opposite! Amazing!”

Minamoto Kiyomoto quickly grabbed her again.

Before he could speak, Yuka seemed to have understood something and said gently, “I’m sorry. I’ll be slow and let you enjoy it for a while longer.”

“Let me wash you first,” her hand reached towards Minamoto Kiyomoto’s waist.

“Wait!” Minamoto Kiyomoto grabbed her hands.

“What’s wrong?” Yuka’s voice was very gentle from beginning to end.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s brain spun quickly, and he said, “Can we chat for a while?”

“Okay,” Yuka stood up, pulled Minamoto Kiyomoto to sit by the bed, and gently massaged his arm.

“This is also a special service,” she said softly as she massaged.

“Miss Yuka, why did you enter this line of work?”

“In this world, some people have more money than they can spend, and these people desire young girls and do all sorts of things with them. Someone needs me, and I need money. It’s that simple.”

Yuka said this in a calm tone, already used to this question.

“I see.”

“Yes.”

Yuka seemed to really like Minamoto Kiyomoto’s well-defined hands, and she kneaded them one by one.

She said in a light tone, “If I sold my body, I could of course earn more, but I can’t accept being naked and sleeping with someone I don’t know, so I had to come to this shop.”

“What a pity,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“Hmm?” Yuka tilted her head. “What a pity?”

“I was just thinking, if I offered 30,000 yen, would Miss Yuka be willing to go out with me?”

“I have a boyfriend,” Yuka said with a smile.

Seeing her look, it seemed that many people had said this to her.

“Can’t I?” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her, his voice soft, his eyes full of tenderness and fiery desire.

Yuka lowered her head and unconsciously kneaded Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand.

“Miss Yuka,” Minamoto Kiyomoto called softly.

“…I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t say anything else and called softly again, “Miss Yuka.”

He slightly opened his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Yuka lowered her head and didn’t speak for a long time.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her expression and said in a low voice, “I’ll wait for you at the door.”

He stood up and left the room. Yuka did not stop him.

When he got outside, although he was in the bustling city of Tokyo, and in Kabukicho, Minamoto Kiyomoto still felt that the air was fresher, and he couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

He stood under an advertisement sign and stared at the words ‘Hunan Restaurant, 4th Floor’ for a long time.

The neon sign, which was not lit during the day, looked like the eyes of a dead fish.

After a while, just as he thought the mission had failed, Yuka came out, changed into a different set of clothes, carrying a bag, and wearing a mask.

Thank you to [Tudou Xingchen], [Takasu Kurohitomi], [Lili Caoyuan Haoduo Cao], [Huren Qiumi 1], [Pikachu Hime], [Wo Yongyuan Xihuan Qingye Shen de Tui] for being patrons. Thank you all for your rewards, monthly tickets, and recommendation tickets. Thank you all for your support.

(End of Chapter)