Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Hana to Yume
1997 vol. 15; episode no. 23
Translation by Yuki-chan

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-----Everyday, I tried to climb the iron wall before me, afraid that it would turn into a wall of sand any minute now-----

Masa: "Takunii, you're going to the bargain sale right?" [Masa calls Taku Takunii just like Tsukasa and her other bros do.]

Taku: "? Yeah."

Masa: "If you go like that you'll get beat up." Taku is dressed in a suit and his hair is done up too.

Taku: "It's okay. Toshi and Sho are going too."

Masa: "Why are you going like that?"

Taku, bending over: "Just in case we spend too much time shopping, we can go straight to work."

Sho: "Takunii~~~~"

Taku: "N?"

Sho, with tears streaming down his face: "Can't we buy Mom and Dad an altar yet?"

Toshi, also with tears in his eyes: "Even a plastic one is okay~~~" Both are sitting in front of their impromptu altar made out of cardboard boxes. [In Japan most households have a family altar, kind of like a shrine to worship/pray for the dead.]

Taku: "...Well...With our income becoming steady and all... Okay, let's buy an altar." Sho and Toshi start dancing with joy. They get ready to leave.

Masa, with his hands behind his head: "If you walk around like that Sunday morning in Roppongi you're going to be kidnapped as a rich guy."

Toshi, Sho and Taku: "....."

Toshi: "Don't worry."

Sho: "We're not kids~~~~"

Taku: "Later Maa-kun (Masashi)."

Some time later.

Sho: "Since we work,"

Toshi: "And we live on what we make,"

Taku: "I've totally forgotten but..."

Sho: "We're,"

Toshi: "Still kids....."

Taku: "...Now that I think about it last summer I was still in high school....."

The three of them are tied up separately with their wrists and ankles bound. They're sitting on what looks like metal beams lined up against a wall in some warehouse or the other.

Their captors: "Oh shut up."

A voice: "What? You caught some kids you can probably make money off of ?"

Their captors: "Right here..."

Taku: "Onda?"

Onda: "Kozuki...!?"

Taku explains to his brothers that he and Onda (last name) were in the same class for grades 9 and 10. Onda ignores Taku though. [For the visually impaired, Onda is about Taku's height, probably same in age too. He has dark hair that's longer in the front than in the back and his bangs cover about half his face. He's dressed in what looks like jeans, a jean jacket and a dark shirt.]

Taku: "...You seemed to have changed...."

Onda, glaring: "You too. Quitting school like that suddenly, we were all wondering what happened to you and here you are dressed like some rich snob."

Taku: "...Not... quite...." {These are borrowed clothes from where I work....}

Onda, in a threatening tone: "Looks like life's been better to you than when we were in school. So how about sharing some of that happiness with me? ...Go ask your parents to bring some money..."

Sho, with tears in his eyes: "Our parents are dead and there's nobody to give us any money!!"

Toshi: "If you need money then why don't you make it yourself!!?"

Onda, pissed: "What would you guys know? Do you know what it's like to have your parents die with a debt, and then have all your relatives ditch you? On top of that to have yakuza coming after you even though you're underaged!!? If I don't hand over 8 million yen today then I'm in really big shit!!!"

Taku, looking up at his friend: "...That must have been rough.... Actually, we have a bit of a debt."

Toshi: {A bit!? Takunii you call 105 million a bit!?}

Taku: "But we're not chased after by the yakuza (because of Sandaime). It must have been hard by yourself..."

Onda slams Taku's head against the wall.

Onda: "...I hate that part of you... The face that says you know nothing that's dirty (illegal). Stop acting like such a goody-goody!!!"

Taku: "-----"

Onda: "---If you're without parents, that makes my life easier. I'll have you turn into 8 million yen."

They get dragged to some place with a gambling table.

Onda: "What's with those eyes!?"

Toshi and Sho are glaring with hatred in their eyes.

Onda: "Do you have a problem!!? Isn't it obvious that in this day and age you sacrifice others so that you can survive!!?"

Taku: ".....But Onda.... I don't think that the 3 of us can make up for 8 million..."

Onda, turning away: "Then I'll kidnap some more!!"

Taku: "Well sure... Any person who's faced with a wall will go and break rules... especially someone like you who's hanging off the edge of a cliff... But...the iron wall in front of people who try to live a straight life crumbles and becomes a wall of sand to bury people who try and find the easy way out ...To just break the wall without climbing it is like breaking a part of yourself ...There's only downfall doing things like this [crime]..."

Onda, turning back to Taku: "I have no choice!! Are you saying..."

Taku, looking very serious: ".....I won't give up... No matter how high the wall is... I'll get over it.!!"

Yakuza: "Okay, it seems he'll buy for 8 million."

Onda: "Really...?"

Yakuza: "Yeah. 2 million." Pointing at Sho. "4 million." Pointing at Toshi. "6 million." Pointing at Taku. "8 million." Pointing at Onda.

Onda: "What!? What's that supposed to mean!?"

Yakuza: "Don't get angry, or your cute face will dissolve. The buyer likes young good looking men. If he tires of you, he'll sell you through the Black Market."

"Wow!! Cool! I lost again!!!"

The man who's to buy them: "Humph! I don't lose to anyone when it comes to gambling!!" The Kozukis were playing cards with the man who's to buy them.

Sho and Toshi: "Kakkoii!!!" [kakkoii = cool] They look up at the man with admiration.

Toshi: "It's my turn."

Sho: "No! It's my turn again!" The man is clearly enjoying himself being flattered by good looking young men.

Onda, to Taku: "...Hey."

Taku: "Yes?" (^_^)

Onda: "...Didn't you say that you were going to overcome the wall....." {What's with you all of the sudden---after looking at me like that..... With those eyes, you blamed me for being weak. You told me that even if I break my arms and my nails get worn down... that if I'm going towards the same downfall to have the courage to climb the wall rather than get buried in the sand!!}

Taku smiles. Turning to the man who's to buy them. "Sir, how about some real gambling?"

The man: "?" {You're rather pretty too.}

Taku: "I'll bet this body of mine, so why don't you bet 2 million of the 8 million you have there?"

The man: "What!? Not that money. That's the money to buy you guys."

Taku with smiles: "If you win sir then you've got nothing to lose." (^o^)

The man: "Well.. true..."

Taku, looking naive: "Oh! Can we try roulette? I've always wanted to try this."

The man, smiling slyly: "Sure." {In gambling, I'm the best at roulette!!}

Taku: "So... I'll choose rouge 12, and you sir have chosen black 17. Ready?"

The man: "Yeah."

Taku: "Ummm, so I hold this, turn it and drop the ball?" The ball lands in rouge 12.

Onda, with his mouth hanging open: {It went in!! Hey! He just made 2 million!!}

Taku: "Huh? It went in!?"

"Sir, did you just lose!?"

Sho, pulling on the man's sleeve: "You lost!? You lost!?"

Toshi, pulling on the man's other sleeve: "You said you didn't lose to anybody~~"

Toshi and Sho, with huge eyes: "Aren't you going to win and show us how good you're are? That's kakkowarui!"

The man, standing up with his gambler's pride: "One more time-------!!!!"

Toshi and Sho smile slyly to each other.

Taku wins again: "Cool! What a coincidence!!"

The man: "One more time-----!!!"

Onda: {Coincidence? Can coincidences continue that many times?}

The man: "Auuuggghhh!!! One more time-----!!!"

Onda: {Wait... This guy's doing this on purpose!!!}

The man: "Auuuuggghhhh!!!!"

Toshi and Sho with tears in their eyes and dancing: "Yeah!!!! Takunii you're a genius!!!"

Onda, to the yakuza: "2, 4, 6, 8 million. There!! I've returned it!! Do you have a problem!!?"

The yakuza: "No, as long as we have the money."

Onda: "Yes!!"

Taku, holding out his hand: "The IOU."

Yakuza: "!!" He hands it over.

The Kozuki brothers and Onda take off while the man who was to buy them is in shock. There's a picture of the 4 of them breaking down his gambler's pride with huge mallets.

They're walking in the streets.

Toshi ?: "Man~~~ I was worried in the beginning, but it looks like our strategy worked."

Sho ?: "True, while we're normal junior high student during the day."

Toshi: "But at night we're the popular junior hosts at Ginza's gay club 'Luness'!!"

Sho: "It's so easy to understand the psychology behind gambling, especially of adults!!" The two pose. Apparently, they're known as the oyaji killers. [Oyaji = father, literally, or can just mean an older man]

Taku, hitting both of them on the head: "Don't brag about it!! It's illegal for underaged people to work in places like that!!"

Toshi and Sho: "We know~~~~~"

Onda: "...And while you say that you're a dealer at a casino?"

Taku, with his back to Onda: "Placing the ball where I want to... It's dirty [illegal] isn't it... I'll do that on the owner's request any time... I break the rules without thinking..." {Although I've inherited the blood of people (parents) who always lived by the rules/laws} "I'm not the goody-goody you think I am... My hands are not as clean as you think they are....." He looks sad.

Onda: "Let's see." He looks at Taku's hands. "Auugh! They're really dirty---" He slaps the away. "They're sticky with blood!!"

Taku: "....?"

Onda, smiling: ".....Don't worry..... Those hands of yours are overcoming the iron wall....."

Tears fall down Taku's face: "Huh? Why?"

Toshi and Sho: "Takunii, what's wrong? Do your eyes hurt?"

Taku: "I don't think that's it..."

Onda, looking shocked, then smiling sadly: {-----The reason why the tears came is probably because he wanted a friend to understand..... I guess you've been through a lot too..." Onda pats Taku on the head, with tears in his own eyes.

Taku: "What are you crying about?"

Sho: "Takunii~~ Even if we go to the sale now there won't be anything left~~~"

Taku, getting angry: "That's right! It's all your fault Onda!! All because you kidnapped us!!"

Onda: ".....Sorry...." They decide to go buy the altar instead.

Onda: "Altar?"

Taku: "We couldn't buy one until now since we were busy dealing with our debt of 105 million yen."

Onda starts melting: {105 million? And I was about to do what over 8 million?}

Taku: "Hey!! Onda, want to come? It looks like we don't have time until we have to go to work. How about I treat you to something?"

Onda: {-----You're great as always Takuma-----...} "Really? Thanks. From tomorrow, I'll have to live on water. In that case I want a full course French..."

Taku: "Coffee and toast at a cafe."

Onda: "Wait a minute, is that all you mean for 'something'?"

Taku: "We're broke."

Toshi or Sho: "Takunii, if we put our allowances in we could let him eat gratin."

They start walking again.