KEISEI STREET
Impossible.
No way it's possible.
No one can get stronger due to something as vague as "love."
I truly love Shizuka!
She's a bit hasty, clumsy, and a bit shy, but she's always kind to everyone.
And most of all, even when things don't go well or times are rough,
she stays true to her "love."
When I see that, it makes me think, "I should try harder, too."
Someone's love strengthens everyone around them.
You're trying to take Shizuka's love away from her!
That means, you're trying to take it from me.
Blah, blah, blah. Shut up already!
Losing something you love...
Compared to that pain...
This doesn't hurt one bit.
- Suzuri-san! - You okay?
Don't worry. Stand back.
What the hell is going on?
They didn't give a crap when their other friends went down.
But they're acting differently for him.
Sheesh.
You really do chatter up a friggin' storm.
But...
what you're mouthing off is superficial,
just like the kind of crap you'd hear in a game.
Thanks.
When you split one cookie among six kids, each one gets only a tiny bit after all.
Hope there won't be any more of us.
It's fine if there's more.
We just need to split it more ways if there's more people.
The only proper meals we got were the school lunches.
When was the last time my stomach felt full?
All the kids in this town are like that.
Leave them alone, and they'll fight over one cookie.
I couldn't stand seeing that.
If that was the case, I would rather have everyone be happy but hungry.
Because thanks to these guys, I don't feel alone.
In hindsight, it's nothing but ignorance.
But I had a vague notion that someday, my world would be happy and bright,
just like the world drawn on a game poster.
However, reality only got worse.
The number of hands that wanted the cookie kept growing,
and the size of each portion kept shrinking.
And one day, I saw the light.
Nobody in this town had the luxury of saving someone else.
Even if I wait, a happy, bright world like in the games would never arrive.
And lamenting that hardship won't fill my stomach.
I'm going to change this f'd up reality.
You're forming a team?
That's right. If we don't do anything, we'll all die like dogs in the streets.
You say that, but...
Even if we gathered up, we have nothing.
There's something. Numbers.
We'll use that as our selling point to get some work.
And no matter what happens, the rewards will be split among every team member.
That will be our one and only rule.
That way, even if someone falls, if someone else can gain, we all thrive.
We're all going to work as one unit.
Please put your trust in me.
And since then, we used numbers as a selling point to do anything.
If we caught wind of teams fighting,
we'd approach both sides and create a bidding war.
If we were asked to find someone,
we'd place people so we could comb the area thoroughly.
As we kept doing so, we got more jobs, and internal squabbles decreased.
This is how it should be. This was the right choice.
It's fine as long as everyone is full, and everyone can get along.
This is how it should be.
Even if we're taking from someone else, this is the only way we can move forward.
In reality, you can't use magic like in games.
And miracles don't happen!
You mentioned something about "the pain of losing something."
Those are words of people who have something to begin with.
I've never had anything to begin with.
So...
You're just jealous of Shizuka.
No matter what you say...
Those who make fun of things that people like usually aren't satisfied with themselves.
It's nothing but noise.
Noise, huh?
Then, why do you look like you're in so much pain?
I think I got you all wrong.
You're shouldering your own pain, too.
I want to get to know you more.
Tell me more about you.
Stop mocking me!
I've never seen Suzuri-san that desperate.
S-Somehow, I feel like the mood...
Yeah.
A fight is a "conversation," Sakura-kun.
I guess that guy can do it, too.
What was that "shouldering pain" BS?
Don't talk like you understand!
People that have things will never understand those with nothing!
We won't understand?
How could we?
You don't know anything about me either, right?
Our conditions are different, and we think differently.
There's no way a person can know everything about someone else, anyway.
But I get that you're having a rough time.
That has nothing to do with your gender or what you were born into.
It has nothing to do with whether or not you have anything.
When things are tough, it's always yourself having the hardest time in the world.
Even so, I can't allow someone else's love to be irrationally taken away.
That's why I gotta take you down.
S-Suzuri-sa—
Stand back!
I can't lose.
If I lose, we go back to those times.
We've come so far, but it will all be for nothing.
Why...
I can't move.
I'm sorry.
What did you say?
I can do what I love now, but that wasn't the case in the past.
I was just like you. I was in so much pain.
But...
there were people who saved me.
I am who I am today thanks to those people.
So what? Should I be saying "good for you" or something?
I don't know the reason why you never had anything you really loved.
But I can tell that you're in pain, just like I was.
That's why I want to help you.
I don't care what. Is there anything I can do to help you?
Tsubaki-chan.
Sheesh, that's so like Tsubaki.
Huh? What the...
The pain of having nothing...
If you flip it around, that means you want something, right?
Maybe you had something you loved, or something you wanted to do?
But if there's anything I can do to help, then I'll do it.
Let's do what you want to do together.
How many times do I have to tell you?
All that crap is just naïve!
Even if you were to save me, what will happen to all of them?
No one's gonna offer guys like us any kind of respectable job.
How can someone struggling to eat each day do what they want to do?
Uh...
That reminds me, I think our manager said he wanted a bit more manpower.
That ramen shop over there seems short-staffed, too.
There's a shop on Second Street that's opening soon but still doesn't have enough staff.
I've heard a few guys mention they wanted to expand for a while.
Wh-What?
Don't get us wrong.
It's not like we're forgiving you.
I don't know if I can ever forgive you in the future.
But I understand a little bit about your situation.
There are times when I've had a helping hand when I lost my way.
Just like what Tsubaki is doing for you now.
Kanji.
Sorry, and thank you.
You heard what Kanji said. I'll do anything, too. So please...
Don't give up on what you love.
That's it. I'm done.
What a terrible final boss.
KEISEI STREET
Did he say he's done?
That means...
Suzuri-san lost?
Thank you.
Tsubaki-chan, Kan-chan.
Suo-san.
What do I have to do to shoulder as much as they do?
I don't know the details about Kanji-san.
But I'm sure both of them have overcome tons of hardships.
That's why they're so big, grand, and powerful.
Wait. If you move too suddenly...
I'm Suzuri.
Shuhei Suzuri. And you guys are?
I'm Kanji Nakamura.
I'm Tasuku Tsubakino.
I see.
Nakamura, Tsubakino.
Give me a minute.
I wanna talk to them.
I wanted to change things.
The life where we fight over one cookie...
A life where we could only dream of a beautiful world.
"I don't care as long as everyone eats their fill."
"I don't care what happens to others."
I had you guys go down that path as well.
But I knew that wasn't the correct path.
That's why I killed all my emotions and pretended not to notice.
Because I wasn't able to find another way.
I'm sorry.
But I don't think I can find a different path all by myself.
So, I want to go down the path that they've shown me.
It might sound presumptuous for me to say something like this...
but will you guys join me down this path?
I still want to stay with all of you in the future.
What are you saying?
Suzuri-san, if you weren't around, we all woulda died on the streets.
If you're the one telling us, of course we'll do it.
We're all working as one, right?
We're all going to work as one unit.
Thank you.
But can we really do it?
- What happens if we screw up and— - You idiots!
Nobody is perfect from the beginning.
Newbies are meant to make mistakes.
If a newbie could do everything from the beginning, we'd be out of a job.
Well, if you got that much modesty in you, I'm sure it'll be all right.
Suzuri.
You lied to me.
You don't have anything? That's totally not the case.
Great job out there.
Oh! Thanks to all of you guys, too!
Kan-chan.
Yo. I'm glad you're—
Tsubaki-chan.
You. Do you know what you just did?
You just trampled upon the feelings of everyone here.
H-Hey, Tsubaki—
Kanji. You stay quiet.
I know that you think dearly of Kanji and the others.
I understand your feelings of not wanting to trouble them.
But, just as much as you think of them, Kanji and the others think dearly of you.
They want you to stay here.
They know your feelings of wanting to stay here.
They desperately fought to protect those feelings.
Sakura's group tried their best to answer to the feelings of Kanji's group.
And yet...
you tried to sacrifice yourself.
You made a choice to make everyone here unfortunate.
C-Come on now.
In the end, everything turned out all right.
It's fine, Kan-chan.
It's just as Tsubaki-chan says.
Sakura-kun told me, too, to brace myself.
I hated seeing everyone get hurt.
But it was just me wanting the easy way out.
I didn't have enough resolve to trust everyone,
or the resolve to make my wishes come true.
Everything was half-hearted. I'm the worst.
I truly am sorry.
Why didn't you tell us?
I knew you were hiding something all this time.
But I didn't think I needed to ask you about it.
I thought that when you were truly in trouble, you would tell us.
If you said something, I would save you at any time.
Please, rely on us when you're suffering!
If you think you're being a nuisance again, you won't hear the end of me.
I love you a whole lot more than you can ever imagine!
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
Thank you, Tsubaki-chan.
I said a lot of things, but enough of this heart-to-heart.
And now...
Why don't you show some appreciation for the guy who stood up for the girl he loves?
Wha? D-Don't be sayin' weird crap!
You two should get together already.
Don't say that. They should go at their own pace.
No, I agree with Tsubaki.
Hurry up and start dating!
You guys make a great couple.
Yes, very!
Hey Sakura-kun, you also...
Huh? Sakura-kun's romance sensor isn't going off.
Really! He usually blushes in times like this. Is this a malfunction?
No way!
I just...
thought about how I don't like how you guys fight.
W-Wait a minute, Sakura-san.
What's gotten into you?
Right, Suo-san?
What do you mean by that? Tell me, Sakura.
You didn't care about winning or losing a fight.
That's what you said.
That even if everyone fell, it's okay as long as you protected the town and that girl.
Yeah. I said that.
In the beginning, I thought, "Such an idea existed? That's amazing."
But I realized something while I was fighting in that battle.
I can't accept my buddies getting beat up and falling.
But that said, I also know that there's no situation where no one will fall.
But I can't help it. I hate what I hate!
I realize that I'm being naïve!
Oh no, that's totally fine. You should keep that spirit.
I mean, it's not a great feeling seeing your buddies fall.
But in order to accomplish what I set out to do, I learned to tune it out.
Indeed, what you said may be naïve.
But if you can make that into reality, then there's nothing better.
You should stay the way you are.
If you're strong and spirited, and you decide to never give up,
you might really be able to make that into reality.
You don't have to tell me that. I'll do it!
Sakura-san! You think of us that dearly?
I'm so glad, Sakura-kun.
You're going to protect me when I'm in danger.
Y-You're the last person I'd expect to get beat up! What're you even sayin'?
Man! So harsh!
So innocent.
Aren't they the best?
Oh, but you better not headhunt them.
No duh. I'm not stupid enough to lay my hands on your favorites.
But I'm looking forward...
to what kind of guy he becomes.
Nakamura.
Yeah? What's up, guys?
Once again, I'm sorry about today.
I'm grateful that you're still willing to extend a helping hand after we trashed the street.
We look forward to working together.
Yeah.
B-But I can't really take all of you on, even though I said that in the moment.
I understand.
In the beginning, those of us who can work will support everyone.
Everything after that is up to us.
And, Shizuka Narita.
I'm really sorry about everything today.
Oh. O-Okay.
On top of that, I'm sure you won't feel well about us working in this town.
I'm sure you'll be scared for a while.
So, if anything happens and you're even slightly uncomfortable
with any of my guys, just let me know.
I will take full responsibility for everything they do.
I swear that you will never see any harm.
As you said, I am scared.
But I understand that you had it tough, too.
And what's more, I'm just like all of you. I was saved by the people of this street.
I have no right to say anything about people reaching out to you,
or you working in this town.
So we should all do our best to repay all the folks of Roppo Ichiza.
Thank you.
In any case, are you guys gonna be okay?
There's some guy out there who put in the request to kidnap Shizuka, right?
Right.
Hey.
It's not gonna be good, right?
It's fine. I'll talk to him and work this out.
Talk it out, huh?
Who's gonna listen to a loser?
You sure did a half-assed job here.
I really don't have an eye for people, do I?
But oh well.
I got one more card to use against Furin.
How'd he know that we're from Furin?
We're not even wearing our uniforms.
Why...
Why the hell are you here?
Shut up. I go wherever I want to go.
I've always been that way, right?
Somewhere more fun and makes me feel better.
Life is only a way to kill time until you die, after all.
SALVATION
Tsubakino-san and Kanji-san really are big and grand.
You think so?
I don't think they're all that big.
I mean, isn't that Hidaka guy bigger than both of 'em?
Oh, I didn't mean it that way.
I'm sorry. It's nothing, really.