Wild Adapter 5, 6 and A Drugstore

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Komiya voiceover: After that, in the time before the police could come barging in, someone was fingered from the organization to come and be arrested for the murder. Kubota-san was all ready to raise his hand and say "Yuss, I done it" and I had to put my hand over his mouth fast to stop him. Boss Sanada had told me not to let the police get hold of him, whatever I did.

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Wild Adapter
Dice 05
Kasai: Haven't seen you around here since you were a boy, Makoto
Kubota: And you still don't offer your visitors any cookies.
Kasai: You expect it, asshole?

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Komiya: Lissen, gramps! How many times I gotta tell you we're not involved in this?! How come we gotta hang around here? You got your suspect, right?!
Kasai: Hmph. You give us a straw man to hit at, doesn't do us much good.
F/X Komiya tension?
Kasai: The fact is we don't care who killed him. It's the dead guy we want to know about
Komiya: Yeah well, so do I. What was with that guy, all hairy like an animal?
Kubota: Kasai-san, we'd really never seen him before.

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Kasai: You guys have heard of WA?
F/X shock
Cop: Kasai-san!!?
Komiya: WA? What's that?
Kubota: Ahn. I figured. There's been a lot of police cars patrolling the neighbourhood lately, but there's a clamp-down on information. The cops, and you too, are out wandering the streets. None of you turned a hair when you saw that body even though it looked like a wild animal's. Must mean you're in the middle of case that's like this one, right?

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Cop: Kasai-san! Who the hell is this kid?
Kubota: And then there's the other outfit going on about "We've got hold of this new drug. It's better than the usual stuff.' That guy took this stuff and went berserk right after. And for about a month now the police have been putting muscle into arresting traffickers. Which means this WA is a new variety of drug...
Kubota: Right?
Kasai: Listen you- we're the ones supposed to be doing the investigating here.

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Kasai: However, that's about the size of it. Fact is, even we don't know much more than that. This is the sixth body we've had with these animal characteristics. This time he was shot, but all the others had their guts explode out of them and rip their bodies apart. In the middle of the top secret investigation we were doing on that, the name W.A. came up.
Kasai: You guys in the Izumo outfit split this territory with the Tohjou gang. We could turn you both inside out, but it's not the kind of drug you usually deal in. Meaning it's not the gangs who are pushing it.
Komiya: *I*'ve never heard of it. Cross my heart.
Kasai: Chi- back to the starting post. Well, never mind. Makoto--

(Page)
Kasai: We'll let it go for now. If you ever find yourself getting involved with this drug, let us know at once. Before something worse can happen
Kubota: Ohhkay.
Kasai: And don't make trouble for me.
Kubota: Ohhkay.
Komiya: (thinks) Gramps here sure knows Kubota-san pretty well
Kubota: Ahh-ahn. They could at least have sent us back in a patrol car
Komiya: What kind of yakuza gets taken back to outfit headquarters in a police car?

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Komiya: Kubota-san?
Kubota: Mh?
Komiya: Sorry about that. Getting you mixed up in this weird stuff
Kubota: Don't sweat it. It was my decision to interfere. Oh yeah- your Mom OK?
Komiya: Yeah. She's back at the shop. (J note: shop here means a brothel)
Kubota: I think I might just look into this drug a bit. It's got nothing to do with me, but it worries me kinda...
Komiya: By yourself? I don't think you should get involved, Kubota-san. That cop said so too.
Kubota: Mh

(Page)
Sanada: Getting in?
Kubota: Ah- thanks.
Komiya: Uh, I'm OK. I'll just go by Mom's shop and see how she is.
Komiya: Kubota-san!! Thanks for everything! Be sure to drop by the office tomorrow!

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Sanada: You two get on good.
Kubota: Mh.
Sanada: Only this time it seems you got involved in something a little big for you. Be careful from now on.
Kubota: ...Sanada-san. Why'd you send the police a replacement for me? Komiya's been in the outfit a long time, I understand that. But you'd be losing nothing if I got sent down.

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Kubota: If you're expecting to get something by protecting me, sorry. You're barking up the wrong tree. You probably found this out for yourself, but my family doesn't recognize me officially. There's no traces of me there, even.
Sanada: You surprise me. You think the reason I wanted you here was nothing more than that?
Kubota: It isn't? Oh- Lotte's new brand. Want some?

(Page)
(Sanada kisses him)
Kubota: Ah. Thanks.
F/X chewing gum
Kubota: (thinks) Well, I wanted something new. (anh, never mind)
Kubota: The gum was pear, but I was tasting Ark Royal's vanilla flavour.

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1996 January 17 11:52 am
Komiya: Hi, Kubota-san. Where are you now?
Komiya: Oh, so you're alone?
Komiya: About that WA- I followed up that tip that was going around and got hold of some
Komiya: No, I'm serious. I'll head over to the office now. Wait for me
F/X splat
Komiya: Nh-
Komiya: Rain...

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1996. Same day. 5:34
F/X rain falling
Kubota: He's late...

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F/X Komiya falls through door
Kubota: Komiya?
F/X Komiya gasping for breath

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Kubota: Something happened.
Komiya: Sorry.. 'm late. They jumped me on the way here... took the drugs..
Komiya: Probly- they're Tohjoh ga--
F/X spits blood
Kubota: Got you. Don't talk any more
Kubota: I'll go call our doctor--
Kubota: Komiya...

(page)
Komiya: ...san. Kubota-san
Komiya: Kubota-sa...
Kubota: Yeah?
Komiya: (laughs)
Komiya: Kubota-san. You know you can't stay here

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Komiya: You can't go on like this
Komiya: You can't just die in a ditch like I'm doing
Komiya: I want- you-
Komiya: to live

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F/X hemorrhage
Kubota: OK

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1996 January 19 3:15 pm
Sanada: You want to quit?
Kubota: Yes
Sanada: I heard Komiya died

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Sanada: That's why?
Sanada: I never thought you were the type who'd let something like that get to him
Kubota: Yeah. I don't understand it myself
Sanada: You're saying your mind's made up?
Sakaguchi: Lissen, nii-chan. You can say you want to leave, but this place isn't a school after-hours club.
Sakaguchi: You gotta make it up to us when you go. That's just politeness. Right?
Sanada: Sakaguchi---

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Sanada: Well, there is that, after all. In this business there's these old-fashioned customs like cutting off a finger when you leave.
Sanada: Of course I'd prefer to avoid that kind of vulgar practice here
Kubota: OK. Give me what you've got on the top brass of the Tohjou outfit. I don't know any of them by sight.
Sanada: Fine. Get it ready, Sakaguchi
Sakaguchi: Right.

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Sanada: It's too bad
Sanada: I only needed a little more time and you'd have been mine
Kubota: That's true
Sanada: You never change. Still saying what you don't mean. ...We'll meet again.

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Kubota: Good-bye
1996 January 21 10:08 am
Uzaka: Ah. It's me
Uzaka: What happened with that drug?
Sekiya: We're pushing them to hurry up with the analysis. We still can't find out where it comes from. It was a mistake to let that Izumo small-fry get away before making him tell you everything

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Uzaka: Hmph. That's not a problem
Uzaka: If you want to talk big, you'd better have the results to back it, Sekiya. Just be grateful that the boss' boy Nanahikari's given you a seat on the executive
Sekiya: Thank you kindly for the advice.
Sekiya: (thinks) Pig...
Sekiya: (aloud) Where will you be going now, sir?
Uzaka: Sagamihara. One of the golf course board members has a friend who's in the Diet. However many bodies we get on our side, there's never enough. (laughs)
F/X Sekiya rings off

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Sekiya: Look after yourself.
Voice 1: Where's the car?
Uzaka: In the basement.
Voice 1: You're going to Sagamihara? I hear it's a good course.
Uzaka: Umm.
(as elevator door opens) It's big, at any rate. As long as I can get around...

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(Kubota is standing in the door with a gun)

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Kubota's voice: Because that time I wasn't able to.

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1996 January 22 9:05 pm
Assistant: Where're you going, Sakai-san?
Sakai: A gang shootout, probably

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Yokohama office of the Tohjou-gumi, burnt to the ground. Cause appears to be arson.
This is outside our jurisdiction.
Twelve Tohjou members inside the building were killed, including Uzaki Hiroshige (51) and eleven other members of the executive. Cause of death was gunshot wounds or beating to death. Evidently a gang war.
On the same day, Kubota Makoto, the youth section leader of the Izumo-gumi, seems to have disappeared.
Our information on this point is uncertain

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(Kubota passes Komiya's mother, dressed in mourning kimono.)

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Kubota's voice: As for me, nothing much has changed. But I'm still alive.
Kubota: (thinks) Guess I'll have noodles today. Salt ones.
Kubota's voice: I'm still alive
Oh yeah. The other day, just by chance

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Kubota's voice: I picked up this cat

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Kubota's voice: A pretty big stray cat
Who looks like he'll be a lot of trouble
Kubota: (thinks) I never learn, do I? (up you come)
Kubota's voice: This time I think I'll be the one dies first

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Kubota's voice: He was kind of heavy...

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A drugstore

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Koh narrative: My name is Koh. ---or that's the name I go by in /this/ country.
In a corner of Chinatown there's a store called Toukohan ('by the eastern lake.') It sells herbal medicine and 'sundries'. I've been running it for quite a while now.

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Koh narrative: He always just happens by, as if he's picked a time when I'll be at a loose end
Kubota: Hiya
Koh: Hello there.

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Koh: I haven't seen *you* in a while
Koh: It's been about a year since you were here last?
Kubota: Um. I've had this and that keeping me busy.
Koh: Collecting protection money from the shops?
Kubota: Oh- so you know about that.
Koh narrative: His name is Kubota Makoto

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Koh narrative: Back in middle school he used to stay with an uncle called Sakai who lives here in Yokohama
One day- I never did learn the details- he showed up at my store, badly hurt.
He seemed to like it here and came by a lot just to talk
He was just someone to chat with- kind of an unusual boy.
Kubota: Koh-san, you wouldn't have any part-time work here?
Koh: You need money?
Kubota: Not really. It's just I'm always hanging around here taking up your time...

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Kubota: I'll do anything needs doing- as long as it's legal
Koh narrative: Probably he sensed what kind of 'sundries' my store deals in
Koh: I see. Well then, I'll take you up on the offer
Koh: I have to go out for a bit. Can you look after the store for me?
Koh: Oh, and also-
Koh: A customer's due here at five. Please give him this Chinese cooking pot.

(page)
Kubota: Gotcha. See you later
Koh: I'll be back at seven.
Kubota: ...oh, just remembered. Like- my uncle's a cop.
Koh: I know.

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Koh: I deal in information as well.
Koh narrative: After that he helped me in my work occasionally. If I think about it, I wonder why I trusted someone who was really still a child.
I suppose it's because something about him told me I could.
Koh: Are you looking for work again?
Kubota: No. Today I'm a customer

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Kubota: I took in this big cat, see. He seems pretty weak- he's still unconscious.
Kubota: There's reasons why I can't take him to an ordinary hospital. I'd like you to check him over
Koh: That's possible. I have a special fee for medical services, but it's a bit high.
Kubota: It'd be a big help
Koh: However, I'm not licensed.

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Kubota: I know.
Koh: Let's go, then.
Kubota: Oh- and Koh-san-
Kubota: I'd like one of those Chinese cooking pots.
Koh: He always just happens by, as if he's picked a time when I'll be at a loose end

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Tokitoh: nhh

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Tokitoh: ...smells of cigarettes...
Koh: He diverts me, just a little