Wild Adapter ch 1

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Table of Contents

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Wild Adapter
Dice: 01

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1995 Tokyo
Voices talking...
Voice 1: You find him?
Voice 2: No
Voice 1: Then look for him! He has to be somewhere around here. Do anything you have to, but get him!
F/X footsteps?
Tokitoh: Nh-- pant
F/X train passing on tracks overhead?
F/X dizziness

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Tokitoh: (panting) ...it-- 's not *funny*--
May, Yokohama

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Voice: Wow!! You got that hand again!
Sign: Izumo mahjong
Voice: Unbeatable as ever, Kubota-san
Kubota: You gotta keep *this* in your hand
Sanada: Someone you want me to meet?
Club owner: Yes

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Owner: He comes to our place a lot. He still looks to be in school but he's got real talent. Apparently Kasai taught him
Sanada: Kasai...? The cop?
Mahjong player: Dammit! you used some trick, or you'd never have beaten me like that!
Kubota: Aw 'cmon. Even if it was a trick, you lost cause you didn't catch it. That's the rule in this game, right, Jack?

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Owner: You may think he's got that shallow sophistication a lot of kids do, but you'd be wrong. His talent and concentration are out of the ordinary.
Owner: He's the only one that your young toughs will do what he says, don't ask me why. You may need him in future- or the outfit will...
Sanada: You're saying this is the guy we need to fill the 'opening' that's just come up?
Sanada: Mind telling me his name?

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Kubota: Mhh
Owner: Kubota Makoto

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Kubota: The Izumo outfit? I knew you ran the mahjong parlour, but I've never much felt like joining
Sanada: Of course I knew that when I asked you. But just now we're forming a special junior division to get the young members together. And very opportunely you might say, the leader's position is vacant at the moment.

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Sanada: I don't want it to seem like I'm pushing you
Sanada: but they say you aren't the shy type, and it seems to be true. And I hear the young members do what you tell them to.
Kubota: Umm, well I don't really--
F/X Komiya bounding up
Komiya: Branch Head Sanada!
Komiya: I'm against this! You can't put a feeb like him in an upper position...!
Sanada: Komiya. You're only the second-in-command of the junior division.
F/X Komiya reacting
Sanada: Think carefully whether you're in a position to be making suggestions to me or not.

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Kubota: Anhh- you mind if I go now? I haven't had lunch yet
Sanada: Kubota-kun, they do say you're a tough customer.
Sanada: There's a lot of mahjong players in our business- tough customers, but people in the outside world don't get to see it.
Sanada: How about it? Wouldn't you like to play a round with us?

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Sanada: ...I like that look of yours. You've got a nature for winning.
Sanada: To business. Here are two guns. One's ordinary, but one of them is 'defective'- has a little device attached. Pull the trigger and it explodes.
Sanada: And here-
F/X kicking door open
Yakuza: In here!!
Sanada: -here's the guy who led our youth division until a month ago.
Sanada: Unfortunately we found out he's a spy from our traditional enemies the Tohjou gang.

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Sanada: Seems he's not on anyone's family register. There's nothing to stop you from getting rid of him.
Sanada: Care to show us your ability?
Kubota: So basically- you're telling me to kill him with one of these guns?
Sanada: You've got a 50% chance. Should be enough for you.

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Kubota: A ceremony for the change of leaders? Freaky.
Kubota: I'm not much interested in being one of the guys who runs things here
Kubota: but you can't play mahjong if you don't have the skill.

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F/X sound of shot
Kubota: Yow. I *felt* that.

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Sanada: I see. You're even better than they said, Kubota-kun. Allow us to make use of your ability.
Sanada: From now on you're a member of the Izumo executive. I put you in complete charge of the youth division. You can have as much money and skin as you like.
Kubota: Ah, thanks.
Komiya: That was great... You didn't think twice about killing him. You got guts...

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Kubota: Not really. I was just looking after me.
Komiya: (voice over) That was how I met Kubota-san
Woman: Excuse *me*!!

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Woman: Sanada-san!!? What's *with* this guy!!
Woman: I'm all ready to put out for him and he won't even look at me...
Woman: Is he gay!?
Kubota: Aww c'mon. That's not nice.
Kubota: I knew this guy who got it all chewed up by a woman who had something against him. What do they call it- 'the knife up there'? Scary stuff. It's not that I'm impotent or gay particularly, so don't take it personally.

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Sanada: You don't trust anyone, do you.
Kubota: Just my nature to be extra-cautious.
Kubota: I'm not much good in situations like this. Maybe I'm in the wrong line of work?
Sanada: No. This is the one for you.
Sanada: Something I want to leave in your hands.
F/X packets of drugs landing on the mattress

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Sanada: These are the drugs our outfit deals in. I imagine you're not much interested in them. Learn to tell them apart by taste. I'll send you in my place when we have a major deal to close.
Kubota: Hennnh. Bet they taste lousy.
Sign: Office

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Yakuza: Kubota-san hasn't been around lately.
Yakuza 2: Maybe he's got tired of it?
Yakuza 1: Looks like.
Yakuza 2: Tell you the truth, I don't have a clue what goes on in his head.
F/X door slamming open
Kubota: HiYA.
Komiya: K-Kubota-san! Watcha got there?
Kubota: You don't *know*? A Saturn and a Play Station and a Super Family con.

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Komiya: I know what they are...
Kubota: These games I'd been wanting finally came out and I spent three days holed up with them. Finally figured maybe I should put in an appearance here.
Yakuza: (thinks) Yabbut- you don't normally bring that stuff into yakuza headquarters...
Kubota: And so-o-o.... Challenge! If you can beat me even once I'll buy you anything you like.
Yakuza 1: No kidding, Kubota-san!?
Yakuza 2: Me! Me first!!
F/X sounds of enthusiasm

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Komiya: Kubota-san! Oh, you're down there.
Kubota: What's up? You guys finished practising?

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Komiya: Doesn't matter how much we practise, we'll never beat you. We all know that.
Kubota: Mhh- but you can't win just with technique.
Komiya: Hn?
Kubota: They're a simulation. What'll your opponent do next? How'll he respond to your attack? You win by learning his habits and his timing.
Kubota: Mahjong's the same, and cards. You're playing against people. Play against a hundred guys and you'll see a hundred different personalities.

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Kubota: That's why I'm really bad at stuff where you're not playing against somebody, like pachinko
Komiya: Kubota-san, you're-
Komiya: you're really fond of high risk games, right?
Kubota: Yeah, I am. If I'm not dealing with something alive, there are times I don't know whether I'm alive myself or not.

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F/X sound of Kubota kicking his shoe off
Kubota: More or less
F/X shoe falls on ground
Kubota: Tomorrow's supposed to be sunny- I can put my laundry out to dry
Komiya: (thinks) He's a guy who kills people- and he can just stand there and talk casually about the weather.

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Komiya Nobuo

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Wild Adapter Dice 02

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"Those things which are human, those things which are *extraordinarily* human"
"by and large will prove to be like the animals." Akutagawa Ryonosuke, "The Words of a Dwarf" from the Shinchou edition Kasai: Ch'- not this again..

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Shinboku: Kasai-san! Is it another case of the same kind? Kasai: ...yup. This is the fifth body in the same condition Araki: (gags) Kasai: Guess I'm not going to be able to eat grilled meat for a while. You're going to have to stop throwing up every time you see something like this, Shinmai (new + rice= beginner) Araki: That's *Araki*! (new + tree. Tree and rice look very similar.) I'm not used to it. I'm not you, after all.

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Kasai: Starting to get some life in you, I see. Go give them their directions.
Araki: Oh yeah- right. OK, you guys! We got another one. Don't let the reporters anywhere near here. And get in touch with the coroner's office.
Kasai: Hmm. These are really weird corpses, I tell you.

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Shuuji: SHIT!! That bastard had the *nerve*--!
Blond yakuza: You OK, Shuuji? Aak- you lost your two front teeth.
Kubota: Whassup?
Komiya: This girl Shuuji picked up turns out to be the girlfriend of one of the young Tohjou guys. He got serious about her and the guy took him apart.
Kubota: Ahh. Look, I don't know much about this. What's the deal with the Tohjou gang and the Izumo?
Komiya: Our territory goes from Yokohama's main west cross-street to here. The other side is Tohjou. But that's an unofficial agreement

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Komiya: Originally both of us were junior branches of the Tokyo Harbour outfit, that controlled Shinjuku. But the Chinese mafia turned Shinjuku into a place without a boss.
Komiya: After the 'Blue Dragon' sword incident, both outfits were driven into a corner and their territories divided up; or that's the story. (Minekura note: The Blue Dragon sword incident happened at a Chinese restaurant in Kabukichou in August 1994 (ie nine months previous to the action here) where a Chinese man killed and wounded several people with a Chinese sword. J note: 'blue dragon' is the name for a traditional kind of Chinese sword.)
Komiya: You listening to me?
Kubota: I'm listening, I'm listening. Sounds like a messy situation
Shuuji: Shit. I'll kill that bastard, you'll see.
F/X clenching fists
Kubota: Would you cut it out? If you go around taking other guy's things... (Oh hey- it's a lucky day for Virgos.) ...you can't complain if you get chewed up.

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Shuuji: ...bbut...
Yakuza 2: But Kubota-san!!
F/X door closing
Sanada: You seem quite busy here
Yakuza: Sanada-san!! Good-morning!!
Kubota: Hulloo... Oh. (Catches sight of Sanada's dog)

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Sanada: How's it going, Kubota-kun? Beginning to get used to things?
Kubota: Mhh. Not that I'm doing anything much.
Sanada: It's only been two weeks. I'll be giving you a major job to do soon....
Sanada: He's not very friendly with people. You like dogs?
Kubota: I like animals. What's his name?

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Sanada: Arc.
Kubota: Ohh- the brand of cigarettes you smoke?
Sanada: Have I ever smoked in front of you?
Kubota: Arc Royals have a special smell to them. When I was at headquarters that time, I could smell the vanilla.
Sanada: You're as intriguing as I thought
Komiya: Sanada-san, what brings you over here today?

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Sanada: Nothing. I just dropped by to see how things were going. I'll be visiting some of our 'businesses' next. Care to come, Kubota-kun?
Kubota: Please excuse me.
Sanada: As ever. You dislike women?
Kubota: Not specially. I'm just not interested in them.

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Sanada: Then what about men?
Kubota: Not particularly.
Sanada: People?

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Kubota: Not particularly
Komiya: Anh? Kubota-san?
Blond yakuza: He hasn't shown up yet.
Komiya: Shuuji, you look funny. I heard those broken teeth got infected.

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Shuuji: Screw it!! It makes me sick just to be reminded! I can't stand it, I /gotta/ kill those guys.
Komiya: Kubota-san told you to forget about it
Blond yakuza: But Komiya-san, the word is they've started pushing drugs in our territory. We let them get away with beating up Shuuji and now there's no stopping them.
Komiya: That's true. But still--
Yakuza: Wonder why Sanada-san brought an ordinary guy like Kubota-san into the organization?
Shuuji: Huh?
Yakuza: Don't you think it's funny? Putting him on the executive, even if it's just head of the junior division?

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Komiya: It's true... Sanada-san's giving Kubota-san his full support.
Blond yakuza: Kinda suspicious, him saying he's not interested in women
Shuuji: Yuck- that's gross!!
Komiya: Shuddup. Dork.
F/X whacks Shuuji over the head
Guy: Hey, Atsushi-
Atsushi: Yeah?
Guy: I heard you been doing business here lately, in Izumo territory.

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Atsushi: Just pushing a few drugs.
Woman: Isn't that dangerous? There's been a lot of the Izumo youngsters around lately.
Atsushi: They're nothing to worry about. Didn't you hear? The Izumo junior division didn't have enough members so they put an amateur in charge. He doesn't want to do anything and I hear he's kind of dumb.
Atsushi: But forget that. Where we going to drink?
Woman: Are you treating us today, Atsushi-kun?
Guy: Yay--!!
Atsushi: Idiots. Don't go telling me--

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Woman: Atsushi?
Atsushi: Uh--
F/X shock
Atsushi: Who was that? I know he was looking at *me*...
Woman: Atsushi? Ne--
Atsushi: (thinks) I've never seen that before- eyes that seem to rip your heart out

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Atsushi: H-hurry up! Let's go!
Woman: What? Hey, wait. Atsushi!!
Woman: What's the matter Atsushi?
Atsushi: Nothing--
F/X shock at sight of Kubota

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Atsushi: W-what's this all about? Who the hell are you??
Woman: Atsushi?
Atsushi: You got something to say to me??

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Kubota: Animals, you know-- when their territory's invaded they'll rip you apart
Atsushi: You-- you're from the Izumo??
Guy: What?? He's come to pay us back for getting his pal!
Atsushi: Are you *crazy*?? You got no chance of winning against this number--

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F/X Kubota swings Atsushi: !! Wha---
Izumo guy 1: Hey, you heard?

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Member: That Tohjou guy we were talking about. Somebody half-killed him. (And his pals.)
Guy 2: You serious?
Guy 1: Had his nose broken and his nails all ripped out, and it seems he can't talk any more
Kubota: Hmm...
Kubota: Was he chewed up as well?
Kubota: Ah well, that's how it is.
Komiya: (thinks) This guy---

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Kubota: Humans are animals too.
Komiya: (thinks) I always thought this Kubota Makoto was made up of contradictions.
Not interested in anything much, but full of curiosity.
Keeps saying he doesn't care about anything but looks like there's something he really wants
Says 'I'm wonderful' but can be really hard on himself
I think there's things he's attached to, but he doesn't seem to *need* anything
When Chaos and Order get mixed together, they produce nothing except... Nothing

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Komiya: This city's like that, and he's like this city... I sometimes thought.
Tokitoh: Ahhh-hhh I'm huuungry....