Chapter 15: Q-Taro
Shiraki Kei and Akagi Shigeru turned to look at the small old man.
He had a small mustache, thinning hair, and was wearing a plaid suit that was slightly old-fashioned. He leaned on a cane.
He smiled, his eyes crinkling, revealing the wrinkles and bags under them.
"That 'Odd/Even' game just now was brilliant!"
The old man didn't hold back his praise, clapping his hands. He then changed the subject. "But if you want to keep winning money, it's going to be difficult!"
"Even if this is an underground casino, the odds are still stacked in the house's favor."
"Besides, when you're gambling against the house, the more you bet, the more you lose... Am I wrong?"
The old man's eyes narrowed in a friendly smile.
"Ah, my apologies for just striking up a conversation. But I feel the same way—gambling is just more interesting, and more profitable, when it's one-on-one."
"How about it? We're all like-minded people here..."
"..."
The old man rambled on, extending an invitation to Akagi Shigeru and Shiraki Kei for a private game.
Akagi Shigeru didn't answer right away. He kept the cigarette in his mouth and muttered, "There's a strong scent of blood... different from the 'purity' of Kei-kun's fight. This is the scent of pure malice."
He looked up at the old man. "Pardon me, but what was your name?"
"Kokonoe Otarou."
The old man repeated it with a chuckle, adding self-deprecatingly, "It's a mouthful, right? Don't worry, most people just call me Q-Taro."
"Hmm..." Akagi Shigeru turned to Shiraki Kei. "Kei-kun, this is the man you're looking for, isn't he?"
"Oh?" Q-Taro looked slightly surprised.
Shiraki Kei pulled a photo from his pocket, compared it, and nodded.
The "Kokonoe Otarou"—nickname Q-Taro—before him was the very real estate tycoon the Nogi Group had sent him to find.
"A pleasure, old sir." Shiraki Kei took half a step forward. "I was commissioned by the Nogi Group to find you."
"..."
A flicker of thought passed through Q-Taro's eyes, and then he burst out laughing.
"Ka—hahahaha! I see! I saw you looking around, young man, and thought you were just looking for a good bet. I didn't expect you to be looking for me!"
"What a coincidence! And no problem, I'm not the type to skip out on a debt."
Q-Taro was extremely enthusiastic. He suggested, "There are too many eyes and ears here. I have a real estate building nearby. Why don't we go there to talk in detail?"
His attitude was full of sincerity. He didn't seem like a deadbeat at all.
However, as his consciousness went into overdrive, Shiraki Kei remembered. This Q-Taro was no good man. He was a "devil" who loved to lure gamblers to his building and kill them for fun!
—This was an "evil" far deeper and bloodier than any underground casino!
"The Nogi Group really gave me a hell of a job..."
Shiraki Kei didn't blame anyone.
Just as Akimiya Kaede had said, he was the one who had chosen to jump into this inferno.
If he had wanted to make money safely, he could have just signed with a gym. He might have even been able to earn the twenty million within a year.
But Shiraki Kei had a feeling—if he had done that, he would never have seen the phantoms again.
A strength that can only face "good" is a sham.
Only by confronting both "good" and "evil" do you earn the right to seek true strength!
"..."
After a moment of thought, Shiraki Kei had his answer.
But the next person to speak wasn't him. It was Akagi Shigeru, sitting beside him.
"Alright. Let's do that," Akagi Shigeru said with a faint smile.
His sudden words surprised both Q-Taro and Shiraki Kei, who didn't understand what he was agreeing to.
"Hey, hey, why are you all staring at me? Didn't you understand?"
Akagi looked at Q-Taro and said calmly, "I was talking about the gamble. Going to your building, one-on-one. I don't mind having a little game."
Shiraki Kei had no idea what Akagi had been thinking in that brief instant, but he had no reason to stop him.
As for Q-Taro, he was more than happy. It was a rare "buy one, get one free" deal.
The three reached an agreement and were about to get up and leave when another interruption occurred. A young man, reeking of alcohol, stumbled over and forcefully inserted himself into their group.
"Hey, hey! You guys are talking about an interesting game, right?"
The young man threw an arm over Q-Taro's shoulder, grinning wildly. "I heard you! A one-on-one high-stakes game! That's my favorite kind!"
"..."
The three of them looked at the young man, sizing him up.
He had curly, slightly fluffy white hair, large, bright eyes, and a very expressive face. His long eyelashes gave him a unique, model-like quality.
He was a bit slender, wearing a casual pinstripe suit, and reeked of booze.
Behind him, another young man with a black flat-top haircut ran up, his face full of embarrassment. "Baku-san, please don't bother them..."
"It's fine, Kaji-kun! You have to seize your own opportunities!"
The young man called "Baku" paid him no mind. He kept clinging to Q-Taro, even pointing at Akagi and Shiraki Kei as he shamelessly proposed, "I'm really good at gambling. How about you ditch them and we play one-on-one, just you and me?"
"...Haha."
Q-Taro hadn't expected so much "prey" tonight. He was actually a little annoyed.
But Shiraki Kei was "Nogi Group" business, so it was best to deal with him first. As for this "Baku"... he could always be enjoyed later.
Q-Taro feigned helplessness and asked Akagi, "Alas, it seems we've been cornered by a drunk. Should we call security?"
Akagi Shigeru glanced at "Baku-san." Their eyes met for an instant before flicking away.
Akagi chuckled. "Sure. Getting tangled up with a troublesome person is troublesome. I hate trouble..."
"..."
Hearing this, the young man called Baku kept grinning, but he moved his arm from Q-Taro's shoulder to Akagi's.
"Hey, brother... you're lying!"
Baku's breath was heavy with alcohol, but his voice was calm and quiet. "I can tell. You're not the type to hate trouble at all, are you?"
"..."
Akagi, cigarette in his mouth, neither confirmed nor denied.
Baku's gaze shifted from Akagi's face to Shiraki Kei, who was standing nearby.
Their eyes met. Baku couldn't help but laugh again.
—It was a strained laugh.
Why are so many troublesome guys showing up tonight?!
"..."
As for Shiraki Kei, he had already recognized "Baku-san's" face.
His name was "Madarame Baku." His nickname: Usogui!
He was supposed to be the true protagonist of tonight's gamble...
...
...
A few minutes later, the bar counter, where five people had just been gathered, was empty.
A bartender looked confused. "Strange. Where'd that group of people who were just sitting here go?"
"Ah—them?" a nearby customer replied. "They left with that guy... you know, the old man."
The bartender sighed. "That little old man lured more guests away? Seriously. What does he think our casino is?"
"Speaking of which," the customer wondered aloud, "none of the guys that old man leads away are ever seen again, are they? Where do they all go to have 'fun'?"