Jul 22, 2008

Summary: Arakure (Wild Ones), Vol 4, Chp 20

It's winter time and Christmas is coming. The yakuza are testing white powder to the horror of Sachie. It turns out that it's just flour that the yakuza are going to use to make goodies that they will sell in vendor stalls for the upcoming Christmas festivities. Meanwhile Igarashi and Azuma and lamenting over having to get dressed up for the festivities. In particular there's a kooky looking reindeer costume. Sachie teases them and Igarashi reminds her that she has to study for her exams -- he will of course be her tutor.

At school, Sachie gets through her tests thanks to Igarashi's help. She free and looking forward to winter break. Sachie's friend is excited about the Christmas party and wants to spend it with Igarashi, which doesn't please Sachie. The class president warns everyone about exceeding the budget. The girls ask Sachie what Igarashi likes and what kind of girls Igarashi likes. Sachie doesn't know. Which sends her mind thinking about presents. After school she decides to go shopping instead of going straight home. She ends up at the place where the yakuza are running the food stalls. They are all dressed in Santa Clause costumes and they welcome Sachie and her friends. Sachie begins to wonder who's who. One is super polite and offers to get her some takoyaki. He reminds her that he told her not to come and Sachie figures out that it's Igarashi. Poor Azuma is in the kooky reindeer outfit. They chat about how it sucks to be in costume and the fact that Igarashi is a pitiful Santa. While they talk, Sachi rubs her hands together and blows on them to try to warm them up. Igarashi notices and puts her hand into his pocket and then remarks that there are advantages to being in disguise. Sachie thinks that this is un-Santa like because Santa is supposed to pat your head and ask what you wish for. Igarashi gets up for a bit to tend to the customers. Sachie for some reason blurts out that she would be happy with anything that Igarashi would give her for Christmas. Igarashi doesn't hear her clearly. He comes back and asks Sachie what she wants for Christmas and she says that she wants to be together with everyone. And off she goes to do her shopping.

At a store she finds some gift (I'm not quite sure what's she's buying. It looks like wrapping paper to me). When she goes to pay for it, she discovers that her wallet is missing. Meanwhile back at the street festival one of the yakuza finds Sachie's wallet and he along with Igarashi decide to go find Sachie while she is still in the area. Sachie is back tracking to find her wallet, when she comes across across a couple of yakuza not in her family who are trying some you-knocked-me-over-now-pay-for-my-injuries scam on a well dressed old man. Sachie protests and says that the yakuza bumped into the man. The yakuza threaten her and Sachie pulls rank on them. Just as one of the thugs was about to hurt Sachie, Igarashi rushes in to the rescue with a big protective face burying hug (he's always trying to shield her eyes from violence). The man thanks Sachie and then pulls out a police badge which shocks everyone -- especially Sachie since she just bragged about being a yakuza princess. She and Igarashi get the hell out of Dodge before the policeman realizes what happened. It seems the policeman is the class president's father. On their way back Igarashi teases Sachie about her wallet and says that bad girls that don't go straight home don't get their wallets back. Sachie calls him devilish and says that she wishes the rest of her classmates could she what a meanie he really is. Igarashi says that only she gets to see this side of him which causes Sachie to blush and her heart to skip a beat.

The next day at school, the class president asks Sachie if they can have the Christmas party at her house because her mansion can accommodate all of the students and to keep within the budget. Sachie looks very nervous. The ending caption reads, "It looks like Christmas is becoming troublesome"