Feb 16, 2008

Summary: Arakure (Wild Ones), Vol 2, Chp 8

This chapter opens as the school is preparing for the cultural festival. Everybody is asking Sachie where Igarashi is. She asks why everyone keeps asking her about Igarashi. They tell her that he seems to be at her beckon call -- like a princess ringing a bell. Sachie remarks that he's not a pet and that she's not a princess. Rather she's a yakuza princess and she'd like to clear up that matter. The Film Study's Club shows up and reflexively Sachie yells, "I don't know," and continues on her way wondering why so many people are looking for Igarashi and where in the world he went. As usual, Igarashi comes out of nowhere from behind Sachie, covers her mouth and grabs her. He is dressed in his kendo clothes. He slides down to the ground, his arm around her waist with his other hand still covering her mouth until they are sitting. Sachie is in his lap. Sachie starts to ask what's going on, but Igarashi shushes her. The Film Studies Club girls are looking for him. They reason that he is still at school because his shoes are still in the shoe locker. They continue looking and the president refuses to give up. Finally Sachie is able to speak. She shouts to Igarashi about how everybody is looking for him and asks him what he's doing. Slyly he says he's sneaking a nap. He then starts to drop off to sleep and asks if he can sleep on her shoulder.

Sachie remarks that he fell asleep like flipping an electrical switch. He must be very tired she thinks and then wonders when he will wake up. Sachie then remembers that her mother would cling like this to her when she was tired. "I see. This is what body heat from the skin is like," she thinks. This is the situation she, surely, yearned for. She tells herself to calm down and then dozes off herself. When she awakens, she finds herself in Igarashi's arms and it's now night time. Apparently, they were asleep for quite a while. He remarks that he hasn't been able to sleep this way in a while and that Sachie was very helpful. And then from around the corner comes one of the girls that is looking for Igarashi. She announces that she's found him and then goes to capture him so he can't get away. Igarashi quickly turns around confining Sachie to the wall and leaning in close so it looks like they are kissing. The girl who has found then, excuses herself and Sachie asks what just happened. Igarashi explains that it's the season for mosquitoes and that he suddenly felt like exterminating some.

Onto the Film Studies Club president who is fired up again about Igarashi. "Of course! Nobody has seen the mystery of Igarashi's private life!! We want to see, we want to know. If I can film it, I am guaranteed customers!" she gushes to herself. She decides that she is going to make a movie about his true life. Igarashi sneaks up on the president and tells her that dodging her is inexcusable and that he will grant her an interview. Meanwhile, Sachie is waiting for Igarashi at the shoe lockers. He told her he was going to change. She's wondering what is taking so long. Meanwhile somebody is sorting through a box of video tapes labelled "Igarashi". The Film Studies Club has been filming him, and Igarashi is less than pleased. He tells them that they are being annoying and pulls the tape out of the cassettes, destroying the entire box and making an enemy of the Film Studies Club. The girls agree that Igarashi is a frightful person.

Back at the shoe lockers, Igarashi meets back up with Sachie. He asks if she saw him destroying the tapes and Sachie says has has. "Even though it turned out well, shouldn't you have considered something else?" she asks. He replies, "If I let things be, sooner or later the consequences would affect you. " He continues, "If it's to protect an important person, there is no other way." Igarashi smiles coolly and tells Sachie that it's time to go home. On their way home, they meet up with some of their yakuza "family." Igarashi has a weird look on his face, like he'd rather not to be seen with them or perhaps he wishes they hadn't encountered them. Sachie remembers that she wanted to buy rice since it's cheap (90-kg) and then leaves the yakuza holding the heavy bags of rice and taking Igarashi with her, claiming that there's something else she forgot that she wanted to buy. Meanwhile, the Film Studies Club president is lurking around. She starts filming. Suddenly some guy claims another guy "stole" a picture of them and that the camera in hiding in his suit. The accused guy says he has nothing to do with it and asks what evidence his accuser has. Sachie asks the accuser to further explain the situation and the proof. Meanwhile the yakuza, swoop in and take the camera phone and toss it to Igarashi who confirms that the guy is a known criminal. The guy tries to run and Sachie kicks him to the ground. She takes a picture of the guy with her camera phone and a bunch of bystanders do the same. Finally, the cops come. Igarashi hugs Sachie and says they are leaving. The Film Studies Club president is amazed by Sachie's power.

Back at home, Azuma feels left out as the yakuza relay the exciting story to him. Sachie offers Igarashi some tea. Meanwhile at her own house, the Film Studies Club president is muling over what she witnessed, thinking that perhaps Igarashi is more interesting than she had initially thought. Back to Sachie and Igarashi ... she has given him some home brewed medicine to help alleviate tiredness. Igarashi is grateful and thanks her with a with a warm smile. He is blushing furiously. The final narration reads, "Finally, the cultural festival is going to happen."