Dressed in their school uniforms, the three of them had a very clear objective. Led by Izumi Shirayuki, they quickly arrived outside a small alley that looked rather gloomy.
The sun was bright outside, but the alley itself felt drafty and sinister, deep and full of branching passageways.
“It looks so scary in here. Do we really have to go in?” Inoue Keiko asked, a little afraid.
Izumi Shirayuki glanced at Inoue Keiko helplessly. Keiko was a Reincarnator; how could she be afraid of a dark environment?
Catching Shirayuki’s look, Inoue Keiko lowered her head, not daring to speak.
“Relax, what could possibly go wrong? Let’s go.” With a wave of her hand, Shirayuki led them into the alley.
Shirayuki had researched the labyrinthine routes of this alley beforehand. After entering, she made a few turns left and right and quickly spotted their target.
Ahead, a strong smell of alcohol wafted toward them, accompanied by loud voices.
Tsukiyomi Ruri looked up to see a group of yankees with neon-dyed hair, trendy clothes, and ear piercings, guzzling drinks from bottles.
But the mood among the yankees seemed off. Though their voices were loud, their tones were despondent, and their drinking looked more like drowning sorrows.
“When is this kind of life ever going to end?” One yankee finished his bottle and smashed it heavily on the ground. His face, flushed red from drinking, was full of grief and indignation.
“I’m about to go crazy. Every night, someone breathes on the back of my neck, but I can never see who it is.” Another yankee had actual tears streaming down his face.
“Ane-go, what are we supposed to do?” a gal-styled member asked their leader.
The Ane-go had been taken away to a mental hospital, but after interrogation and investigation, it was confirmed she was actually innocent, so she was eventually released.
Today was the day she got out. Overjoyed, the Ane-go immediately summoned her underlings, ready to go out and have some fun.
But when her crew gathered, they were all despondent, with prominent dark circles under their eyes, looking extremely odd.
Confused, the Ane-go asked what happened and learned that all her underlings had encountered a Ghost. They were being harassed by it every night and hadn’t had a good sleep in days.
The Ane-go naturally didn’t believe in the existence of any ghosts. She figured her crew might have been targeted by someone in secret. Could it be an attack from yankees in other territories, driven by competition?
“Relax, I will definitely get to the bottom of this and make sure everyone can get some good sleep,” the Ane-go consoled them. But it was clear her words weren’t helping.
The situation left the Ane-go feeling helpless. She didn’t know what to say and began to wonder if her underlings’ mental fortitude was just too weak? She had personally witnessed a murder scene and still remained calm, yet these guys were scared stiff by a ghost that didn’t exist?
Speaking of which, the police had completely dismissed her report about the murder, acting like it never happened, which left her quite frustrated.
She chugged down half a bottle of liquor. As the alcohol rose, the Ane-go’s face reddened slightly. She lifted her gaze, scanning her underlings.
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she looked toward the other end of the alley.
There, three people were peeking around the corner, sneaking glances their way.
The Ane-go immediately stood up and walked over, staggering with each step. The three didn’t flee, so she quickly got a clear look at who they were.
“Oh? Aren’t you lot from Aragaki? What are you doing here?” the Ane-go asked, taking another swig from her bottle.
Looking at the Ane-go, the expressions on Tsukiyomi Ruri’s, Shirayuki’s, and Keiko’s faces varied. After all, she wasn’t a stranger to them anymore; they’d crossed paths both directly and indirectly many times.
But naturally, right now they couldn’t act like they knew her.
“We heard you guys ran into a Ghost. I wanted to find out what happened,” Izumi Shirayuki asked, a serious look on her face. She had already taken out a notebook and pen, ready to jot things down at any moment.
The Ane-go glanced at Shirayuki. “You actually believe in ghosts?”
“Then how do you think the Ghost Legend got started?” Shirayuki’s eyes lit up as she pressed the question.
She loved hearing different opinions, as it usually meant the person had more information.
“It’s definitely rivals trying to muscle in on our turf,” the Ane-go declared loudly, insisting it was some plot by yankees from other areas. Though she had no clue how they were pulling it off.
Chatting as she drank, the Ane-go quickly became tipsy.
She looked at the three girls before her, chuckled, and said, “Hey, you three should join my crew and be my little sisters. I’ll have your backs from now on.”
She had no idea what kind of group she was talking to. Her words were full of confidence, acting as if she was absolutely capable of protecting them.
“No, no, that’s okay.” Izumi Shirayuki quickly refused.
“Don’t be so quick to refuse, man. If you’re my little sisters, I’ll take you guys to collect protection fees,” the Ane-go said, letting out a burp, her breath reeking of alcohol.
Shirayuki pushed her away in disgust. “I said no.”
“Don’t say no, you guys… Huh? Why is there an elementary schooler?” The Ane-go stared fixedly at Tsukiyomi Ruri, as if she’d only just noticed her.
Tsukiyomi Ruri: “…”
She was clearly wearing an Aragaki Girls’ High School uniform. Why would anyone mistake her for an elementary school student?
“Little kids need to study hard. Don’t try to become a yankee. Your application is rejected,” the Ane-go told Ruri in an overly serious tone.
Tsukiyomi Ruri: “…”
When had she ever applied to be a yankee? She certainly didn’t remember doing so.
Then the Ane-go grabbed Shirayuki and Keiko, insisting they join her Yankee Gang. She was resolutely and righteously refused by both of them.
Truly, drunk people are a hassle; it’s best to just not interact with them. Shirayuki struggled for a while before finally extracting herself from the Ane-go and quickly leaving with Ruri and Keiko in tow.
“Whew, we finally got away. That Ane-go is so persistent,” Shirayuki let out a deep breath as they walked out of the alley. Smiling, she added, “But it was still helpful. The Ane-go suspects yankees from other areas. So, the next step is to investigate those other groups.”
