Stories From Tokyo-To

Chapter 20: Up-Set Attack!

The meeting spot was in an alleyway on the far side of town, deep in Noise Tank territory. The kind of place where every shadow and camera felt like it had eyes, watching and waiting. We'd skated through the quieter parts, trying to stay out of sight, until we finally made it to the meeting point. The alleyway was narrow, barely lit, with flickering neon signs casting an eerie glow.

There he was. The buyer.

A stereotypical nerd if I'd ever seen one—scrawny build, glasses slipping down his nose, and an awkward shuffle in his step. He didn't exactly scream "threat," but something about him made my gut twist. Maybe it was the way he nervously fidgeted with his hands, or how his eyes darted around the alley like he was expecting someone else to show up.

"Uh... hi!" he stammered, pushing his glasses up with his index finger. "You're 'xoxo_MissBis_xoxo, right? And... wow, your friend is... uh, really cute too."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, but Mew took it in stride, giving him a polite nod as she handed over the device. "Here's the 'beeper' you wanted. It works as advertised, guaranteed."

He took the device with trembling hands, inspecting it like it was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen. "This... this is amazing! I can't believe you made this! And... wow, you all must be really good friends to help 'Miss Bis' with this!" He glanced over at me with a goofy grin that made me want to slap it right off his face.

"Yeah, well, we're not here to chat," I said, crossing my arms. "You got the cash?"

He fumbled with his bag, pulling out a wad of yen and handing it to Mew, who counted it quickly before stuffing it in her pocket. "Thanks for the business." she said, her tone cool and professional.

The nerd scratched the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish. "Hey, um... y'know, I've got friends too. They're... uh, they don't really like being seen? But they're around. Watching. They always are."

That set off alarms in my head. Benisu shifted uneasily beside me, and even Mew seemed to tense up. The nerd's words were vague, almost like he thought this was going to go south and needed to make himself seem dark and mysterious, which he clearly isn't. But his awkward smile and dorky demeanor made me second-guess myself.

"Right... well, let's get out of here," I said, not wanting to linger any longer than necessary.

Mew and Benisu nodded in agreement, and we started heading back the way we came. But that gut feeling—something was off. I couldn't shake it. Halfway down the street, I stopped in my tracks.

"You two go on ahead," I said, turning back toward the alley. "I'm just gonna check something."

Benisu looked concerned. "You sure? We could wait—"

"No. I won't be long. Just trust me on this." I waved them off, and after a hesitant moment, they skated off into the distance.

I retraced my steps, slipping back into the shadows of the alley. The nerd was gone, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone. I scanned the area, looking for anything out of place. That's when I saw it—spray paint tags on the walls. Noise Tank symbols, all over the place. But that wasn't what caught my eye.

Mixed in with the Noise Tank tags were new, freshly done tags. Poison Jam. My fists clenched instinctively. Those bastards had a reputation—one I knew all too well. But what the hell were their tags doing in Noise Tank territory? And why did that nerd mention "friends"?

The low hum of the manhole beside me spiked my blood pressure. It sounded guttural, like someone or something didn't like me snooping around. Benisu's confrontation on the outskirts and now this tag deep into Benten-cho are anything but coincidental.