Vol. 4 Ch. 1 Ep. 13: The Fox and the Inarizushi

Come get it while it's fresh! Hot inarizushi!

Good afternoon, customer! If you're looking for a meal, can I interest you in some delicious inarizushi?

If you're on the go, this is the meal for you! The deep-fried tofu pockets are rice-filled so YOU'RE filled!

And, luckily for you, I just made a new batch! You'll never find fresher!

Thank you for your business!

The streets are pretty empty today, so I was scared I wouldn't sell anything.

It'd be a real shame to waste all this food.

Well, it's natural with all of the redevelopment efforts starting soon.

Oh, you haven't heard? I thought everyone knew.

Rumor has it they're going to build a new subway station here.

And they're going to build a new shopping center on top of it! Seems like they're going to have to demolish the old plazas first, though.

It's this big old construction company behind it... What was their name again? Hm, they've got the big octopus logo...

Yes, that's it! Kaiser Construction!

Apparently, Kaiser Construction is staking the future of their company in the redevelopment of this area.

But in the process, some residents were rudely ousted from their shops...

Well, at the end of the day I'm just a part-timer so I'll always be able to find a new job.

Purchase another Inarizushi.

Wow! You must really like my inarizushi.

Thank you! I'm pretty proud of my recipe.

My friends and underclassmen used to always say I had the best inarizushi they'd ever tasted!

...My friends from school say that, that is.

Ahem!

Since you bought so much of my Inarizushi, I'll give you some of the hot gossip.

Kaiser Construction hasn't even begun their redevelopment here.

Because, according to another rumor, the entire project might end up just being canceled.

Well, the homeless population around here. I'm sure you've heard of that at least.

Some group of hippies got a hold of a bunch of heavy-duty firearms and they raise all manner of hell whenever Kaiser Construction workers even get close.

To make matters even worse, a group of heavily-armed students are occupying the park now! It seems like even the police have given up on security around here.

With all these unexpected problems, I guess Kaiser Construction is considering just getting out of the whole mess.

Oh! Do you know them?

Ya know, I kind of consider gossip my specialty.

Here, take another inarizushi on the house! Do you know those students at the park? Do tell!

I see. How disappointing.

I see. How disappointing.

Well, I know a thing or two at least.

Apparently they're students from an elite academy.

That's where they got all their high-tech equipment and how they took over the park.

But the thing the rumors haven't addressed is what they're doing living on the streets instead of their academy.

Do you think they got kicked out? Or maybe it's just a silly prank.

Or...maybe they're just dreamers.

Idle dreamers, reaching for their impossible futures. What a wondrous privilege of the sheltered... To dream.

Is it hard, Sensei, leading a group of students who won't come down from the clouds?

Hm?

How so?

...You confound me.

I don't hate the way you see it. Do what you think is best.

Haha, well! I think I'll close up shop. I probably won't be getting any more customers today.

"What's this?"

It's leftover inarizushi.

I wouldn't be able to finish all of it, so here you go.

Refrigerate them for later...

Or I'm sure there are hungry students around that would appreciate them.

Thanks for the chat, Sensei.

Maybe we'll meet again.

H-Halt! Stay back, or I'll shoot!

Hey, open your eyes, crybaby. This is what happens when you're too much of a scaredy-cat to even look at the intruder.

It's just Sensei.

Oh... I-I'm sorry!

Hm. It's just Sensei.

Here I thought another dog had wandered in.

Anyways, why are you here? No one asked you to be.

W-Wait. What is that smell?

Present the inarizushi.

Inarizushi? Miyu, Miyu! A napkin! I'm drooling.

I can't remember the last time I had inarizushi. Well, actually, back at SRT Academy...

I-I don't think you would, but you didn't buy these, d-did you?

...Suspicious.

Saki, inspect it first. You don't know what it could be laced with.

B-But why would you s-spend your hard earned money on us...?

Did you leave it in your fridge and it went bad?

It doesn't seem expired...

Hi Sensei. Is that inarizushi?

How nostalgic. The upperclassmen at SRT used to make and eat inarizushi quite a bit.

I do hope they're doing well.

Thank you, Sensei. Let's eat.

So, the General Student Council refuses to provide any aid and a construction company intends to redevelop this entire area.

While I naturally didn't expect much support from the General Student Council, the situation is more dire than I thought.

And in this situation, all our gear and equipment is damaged from the flood.

Well, we always knew we were fighting against the odds when we took on this mission.

If we run out of bullets, then we still have our hands! They won't stop us.

I-I knew you were gonna say something like that...

But we have no more supplies and no one's g-gonna help us.

They're probably j-just waiting for us to be too weak to f-fight back.

And then we're g-gonna be sold on the black market and t-t-tortured! Noooo!

Deep breaths, Miyu. Sensei is looking after us. And I won't let that happen.

But in reality, we barely have enough firepower to fight off a squirrel, let alone the Public Safety Bureau.

If only we could repair the machine guns and turrets around the park's outskirts...

Heeheehee. Have you silly gooses forgotten about me?

Your resident supplies expert, at your most honorable service.