Chapter 141: The Tragic Criminal Organization (Long Chapter)
Chishima Akishin didn't linger at Hachiman's house for long. After having dinner with Hachiman's family, he took his leave.
Hachiman had shown the gold medal to his parents, and even pulled out the Gyokuryu-shi flag to display, though that flag would eventually have to be handed over to the school. Aside from that, there was a portion of the prize money from their victory in the match.
Sobu High would likely be granting them a non-negligible sum of prize money later as well.
Back at Chishimaya, Shizuka had already finished her bath. Dressed in her pajamas, she was sitting comfortably on the sofa watching television—a sofa that had been purchased just a few hours ago, as she wasn't particularly fond of sitting on floor cushions.
"Shizuka-chan, when exactly is that volunteer activity you mentioned going to take place?"
Akishin finished his own bath, dressed in his sleepwear, and walked into the activity room while towel-drying his hair. He naturally took a seat right next to Shizuka.
If someone unaware of the situation saw the two of them in their pajamas, sitting together and watching TV so casually, they would probably mistake them for a long-married couple.
Akishin turned his gaze toward the screen. A movie was playing about the struggles of gang members trying to go straight and become good citizens. The action scenes were flashy, the dialogue was hot-blooded, and it was laced with comedic elements.
It was actually quite decent to watch.
He slowly began to get invested in the film.
The story was set between the late Showa era and the early Heisei era. It was the golden age of Japanese organized crime. After committing various atrocities, they eventually incited the wrath of both the government and the public, leading to a total crackdown by the state.
Members of criminal organizations became pariahs, hated by everyone. They faced a steady decline and eventually had to confront the harsh reality of survival, forcing them to seek a new way out...
This was a unique and relatively recent slice of history that Akishin had known about even before his reincarnation.
The origins of Japan's underworld could be traced back to the abolition of the Samurai class. Many Samurai lost their purpose in life and gradually turned toward violent crime...
Japanese criminal organizations were born from the solitary "Kabukimono" of the past. They wore strange clothes, bore tattoos, behaved eccentrically, and often carried long swords. They intimidated villagers and even killed innocent people indiscriminately.
The vandals, the Ronin, and other emerging forces entering the Japanese market system shared one commonality: they were not accepted by society.
However, in the era immediately following the end of the World War, when chaos was rampant in Japan, these criminal organizations grew rapidly. At their peak, there were over two hundred thousand registered members, not including other violent groups and street thugs.
In the streets of Japan back then, the first ones to settle a dispute weren't the police, but gang members. Each gang was responsible for maintaining order within their own territory.
In a way, this significantly restored order in Japan at the time. Many things that were beyond the government's reach, or things the government simply didn't want to handle itself, were handed over to criminal organizations to deal with.
Perhaps that was the reason why criminal organizations were legalized in Japan.
—In reality, it was an unavoidable situation. At that time, the Japanese government had just suffered defeat in the war; their right to build an army was stripped, society was in shambles, and they were unable to reach the lower tiers of the populace. Being able to maintain the nation's foundation and develop quickly within that chaos was already quite an achievement.
To put it in a single phrase: they had to use violence to suppress violence.
However, as Japan gradually recovered from the war, the power of criminal organizations also reached its zenith. All sorts of heinous things continued to occur—prostitution, gambling, and drugs were just the basics. More disgusting things are difficult to even write down—there were murders in the streets, and they even extended their reach into the financial markets...
During that time, the criminal syndicates in Japanese society, led by the Yamaguchi-gumi, could truly be described as lawless.
During that period, the Japanese public felt a surge of fear just hearing the name of a criminal organization; people were usually too afraid to even leave their homes.
The existence of these criminal groups seriously threatened the stability of Japanese society, hindered social development, kept the public living in fear, and threatened the positions of the government and the conglomerates...
And then...
In 1992, the Japanese government enacted the "Anti-Boryokudan Act." As soon as this law was passed, organized crime suffered a devastating blow.
Every industry under the umbrella of criminal organizations was sealed off. No member of a criminal organization could conduct any business related to the government or banks. They couldn't buy goods at any official store; even if they had money, it was useless.
The places where organization members gathered were constantly raided by police looking for trouble. Dozens, even hundreds of organization leaders were imprisoned, essentially only seeing the light of day again in their old age...
The moment an organization member appeared on the street, the public would immediately report them to the police. It didn't matter if you were committing a crime or not; the police would come and haul you away.
Some unlucky individuals were even arrested multiple times in a single day, leading them to be too terrified to step foot outside for the entire day...
It was arguably more tragic than the plight of marginalized groups in the United States.
Unable to buy goods and unable to afford food, quite a few organization members actually starved to death because they were backed into a corner.
When these members got so hungry that they tried to steal food, they would be beaten mercilessly upon being caught. Those tattoos on their bodies that they used to be so proud of? They didn't dare show them at all...
To put it in a single phrase: the whole world was targeting them.
This wasn't hyperbole; it was a cold, hard fact.
In this situation, the once-mighty Japanese criminal organizations shrank and vanished rapidly. From a peak of two hundred thousand people, they dwindled to about sixty thousand today, half of whom are elderly men over the age of fifty...
It's said that the Yamaguchi-gumi dropped from over seventy thousand members to just over four thousand, becoming so impoverished that they eventually fractured. At their peak, there were more than twenty major organizations, but in the end, only a few remained...
—When an organization can't even afford to feed its members, what young person would ever want to join?
It was only after the government relaxed its pressure that these organizations found a small window to breathe.
Did you think Japanese criminal organizations were actually as "good" as they're promoted to be? It's only because they've been beaten until it hurts and they have no other choice. If they didn't try to go straight, their very existence would likely be in jeopardy right now...
To keep surviving, they did many interesting things—selling milk tea, filming television dramas, doing real estate, opening companies. The most famous example was selling milk tea, which eventually became a viral shop...
Over time, seeing the condition of Japanese criminal organizations in newspapers or the news made people feel a sense of pity for them.
And the television drama Shizuka was watching took place during that period when criminal organizations were being suppressed and forced to find a way to switch professions. The protagonist of the story was a young master from a medium-sized organization.
His name was Arai Haruhiko, a high school student full of passion and ideals.
He was born during the peak of the organization's power, experienced its prosperity, and lived through the "dark" times after the laws were enacted.
Finally, seeing his organization grow more fragile by the day, on the verge of being destroyed and disbanded by reality, he made a decision—he would make the organization thrive again, and he would change everyone's perception of them!
So, the eighteen-year-old young master gathered a few of his good brothers and went out every day to perform good deeds.
For example, several of them would fight over who got to help an elderly grandmother cross the street, which ended up scaring the poor woman so much she had to be hospitalized. They went to the streets to pick up trash, were accused of stealing business by the homeless, got into a fight with said homeless people, and were beaten so badly they ended up in the hospital. They saw a bank on fire and helped extinguish the flames, only to be mistaken for bank robbers by the police and beaten into the hospital once again...
The plot utilized a lot of hyperbolic techniques, presented in a very absurd and, of course, very hilarious manner.
But within it, there were also many segments that were genuinely stirring.
To protect a young girl, Arai Haruhiko fought dozens of thugs. Even as his mouth bled from the beating, he kept pushing forward. When his subordinates were insulted, the young master engaged in a one-on-one duel with the rival boss, taking turns punching each other to see who had more endurance...
The episode currently playing was one that left a fairly deep impression.
They had performed many good deeds, yet they were still not recognized by society because of their status.
They caught a thief on the street, but were instead counter-accused by that very thief.
The public gathered, believing the thief's lies. Arai Haruhiko and his companions were blamed, cursed at, and pelted with rotten vegetables...
—Doing good deeds only to be accused, simply because their status was that of Yakuza.
Arai Haruhiko and his friends wanted to prove they weren't that bad, but society wouldn't even give them a chance to defend themselves. The police arrived shortly after, and they could only flee in total chaos...
Then, the heavens opened up with a torrential downpour.
The rain was immense; it was likely that only the rain on the day Akishin arrived could rival it. It was as if the sky itself was crying out against the injustice they faced.
The mist of the rain obscured their vision, the whole world filled with the heavy sound of falling water, accompanied by the occasional roar of thunder in the midst of a bleak world...
The scene was as follows:
Seven young men in black shirts and black trousers stood on a set of stairs. The grass by the roadside was pressed flat against the ground by the rainwater. The heavy rain soaked their hair, water streaming down everyone's unwilling faces...
"Why? Why!? We've done so much, why can't they see it? Why do they have to believe that guy's words? He's trash! Absolute trash! Why do they believe the words of trash!?"
"I won't accept this! Kill him! Kill him! We have to kill him...!"
"Arai, say something! Are we going to keep doing this or not? What should we do? I can't take this anymore! When have we ever accepted this kind of humiliation!?"
In the middle of the rain, they let out roars of frustrated indignation.
But no matter how loud their voices were, they were drowned out by the heavy rain.
And in the center of these youths sat a young man on the stairs with his head bowed. Rainwater soaked his mid-length hair, then trickled down from the strands. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up, revealing two arms adorned with black dragon tattoos...
"Don't say another word. I understand."
Arai Haruhiko clenched his fist and slammed it against the stairs. Fresh red blood spread, only to be immediately washed away by the rainwater.
He stood up, tilted his head back, and swept his wet hair away from his face, revealing a lean countenance that still carried a hint of boyishness. On his forehead, there was a clear scar from a sword cut.
"...The fact that this happened only goes to show that our Kuroyoru group's reputation is already that bad. That's exactly why we need to keep enduring. I believe that one day, everyone will acknowledge us. As for the man who accused us... contact the group to eliminate him. Even if we've stepped back, we aren't a side that can be insulted by just anyone. Thank you for your hard work, and for putting up with my selfishness..."
"Aniki...!"
His subordinates broke into heavy sobs, tears and rainwater mixing together as they were deeply moved.
The rain began to taper off, and the seven of them bumped fists and encouraged one another.
Just as they were preparing to head back, a small floral umbrella appeared in the distance, swaying back and forth.
The umbrella was like a tiny boat in the middle of ocean waves, rocking as if it might capsize at any moment, yet it pushed forward with persistence.
When it reached Arai Haruhiko and the six others, the floral umbrella was lifted, revealing a young girl with her hair in a bun underneath.
Despite the umbrella, the bottom of her small skirt was soaking wet, and her arms were mostly drenched, yet she still struggled to protect a bundle wrapped in newspaper in her hands.
The seven men were stunned; this was the girl Arai Haruhiko had protected earlier!
In the rain, Arai Haruhiko crouched down, looked into the girl's eyes, and spoke softly: "Koike, what are you doing out here in rain like this? There are a lot of bad people out, hurry on back home."
Despite being covered in rainwater, Arai Haruhiko was incredibly gentle at that moment, a stark contrast to how he looked when he was fighting... Being handsome, gentle, and wealthy, there's no telling how many "inexperienced" young girls would be charmed.
Koike looked at them with a somewhat tense expression, but after seeing Arai Haruhiko, her smile returned. She tried to use her umbrella to shield Arai Haruhiko from the rain, but her floral umbrella was too small; it could only cover Arai Haruhiko's head in front of her.
Arai Haruhiko and his companions offered friendly smiles.
Koike handed over the newspaper bundle in her hands with a bit of hesitation: "Arai-nii, here, please take this. You haven't eaten yet, right? This... I made it myself. I hope you won't reject it. This... this is my thanks. Thank you for saving me..."
"What's inside?"
Arai Haruhiko accepted the newspaper bundle; it felt warm and had a bit of weight to it, a sharp contrast to the cold rainwater.
Koike said shyly: "It's... it's Onigiri that I made. I... I added pickled plums and seaweed. They're very good, so please don't turn them down..."
Arai Haruhiko went silent for a moment, using his own body to shield the newspaper bundle, then asked softly: "Koike, have you heard about our trouble?"
"Ah!"
Koike was startled for a second, seemingly thinking of something, then shook her head and said: "I've heard. Everyone is talking about it, but I don't believe Arai-nii is a bad person. Arai-nii is definitely a good person. They must be wrong to blame Arai-nii, but they wouldn't listen to what I had to say..."
...
Arai Haruhiko and the six others walked to a place to take shelter from the rain. Koike was called away by her mother, who looked terrified.
Looking at that little floral umbrella that kept trying to peek back, the seven men, despite being soaked like drowned rats, still smiled happily—yes! It wasn't that no one understood them; what they were doing wasn't for nothing. It was just that these results would only become visible slowly...
Arai Haruhiko pulled out the newspaper bundle. Although he had shielded it, a large part of it was still wet. He slowly unwrapped the first layer of newspaper; there were several more layers inside. Seven Onigiri in the innermost layer were still warm. Their shapes weren't neat or pretty, but each Onigiri was wrapped in seaweed...
Finally, the image on the television froze on those seven Onigiri, as if they were supporting each other to save the group, spontaneously making one think of unity and affection...
Except, on the edges of those seven Onigiri, on the newspaper, there was a blurred news print. The headline was "Anti-Boryokudan Act a Massive Success"...
The television drama had only played halfway; there was still another half of the content to go, covering elements of comedy, passion, friendship, unity, romance, struggle, and more. Rumor had it the drama was receiving quite a bit of praise.
At some point, Japanese criminal organizations had started building a positive image for themselves on television, especially regarding delinquent high school students.
They wanted to change the perspective of young people toward the Yakuza. Among the more famous ones were the "Crows Zero" series, "Blue Spring," "High & Low," and others.
Yes, these things were indeed considered the strengths of the Japanese Gokudo; after all, many Gokudo still practiced the spirit of Bushido. But that was only that one point—compared to the chaos spreading under the veil of this spirit, the proportion of positive things wasn't large...
Even though some young people were indeed influenced by these films and dramas, their practical utility wasn't great.
The Japanese government still kept a very close eye on criminal organizations, and once those young people grew up, they just viewed it as a phase of Chuunibyou.
After all, once life gets better, how many people are actually willing to become Gokudo?
...
"Three days from now. I've already made an appointment with the other side."
Shizuka answered. Seeing Akishin drying his soaked hair, she blinked her large eyes, hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the hair dryer and began drying Akishin's hair for him.
Akishin was stunned for a moment; he could feel Shizuka's soft hands tidying his hair.
Shizuka glanced at him with a slightly reddened face, then said in a tone that masked her feelings: "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm drying your hair because I want you to dry mine next time. Every time I finish washing my hair, I have to dry it for so long, and it's such a pain. So really, I'm the one coming out ahead here..."
Akishin agreed with a smile: "Right, right. In that case, I'll dry your hair next time. From now on, I'll always dry it for you..."
Was this a Tsundere? This was definitely a Tsundere. This was absolutely a Tsundere (Smile).
"At least you're self-aware," Shizuka huffed, but then her eyes crinkled into a smile. A mix of playfulness and tenderness blended together. Her fingers felt the warm air from the dryer as she meticulously dried Akishin's hair.
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