Chapter 176: Chapter 175: Politeness is the Foundation of Everything
The elderly, drawn by the scent of fresh humanity, spread out in twos and threes along the street, making their way toward the small shops.
While the pedestrians on the street were just as delicious, dining in public was far too impolite. Besides, they weren’t savage beasts; they couldn’t eat their food raw.
Moreover, it would be terribly impolite to cause a panic in society just to indulge their appetites.
That was why convenience stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and other stores—along with the apartments and single-family homes behind closed doors—were the best targets.
The elderly were all perfectly lucid. The most suitable dining locations had to have cookware and tools for preparation.
Otherwise, it would be easy to make a mess on the floor, and that would be very impolite.
"Mr. Tokugawa, you’re in much better spirits than before. You look as distinguished as the prime minister."
"The same goes for you, Mikiko. You’re so young and beautiful now you could rival any of the top pop idols."
"Oh, stop it. I didn’t realize you were such a smooth-talker, Mr. Shimada... Hee hee hee."
The trio—Mikiko, Tokugawa, and Shimada—chatted as they walked into a convenience store.
They were neatly dressed and moved with agility. Although their eyes were a little red and the veins on their faces stood out, they didn’t attract much notice.
After all, it was normal for the elderly to have a few minor ailments.
The moment the three entered the convenience store, their eyes were drawn to the young clerk at the register. They couldn’t help but slurp, their mouths watering.
’He’s a boy working a part-time job, probably only eighteen or nineteen. So delicious.’
A few people were already in line to pay. The trio, smiling, picked up a few items—kitchen knives, scissors, and the like—and got in line.
"COUGH... COUGH..." Tokugawa was suddenly seized by a coughing fit. He pressed a handkerchief to his mouth, and when he pulled it away, it was stained with a smear of dark blood.
A man in a suit with slicked-back hair, who was also in line, frowned in disgust. He quickly paid for his items and left, covering his nose and mouth.
Soon, only Mikiko, Tokugawa, and Shimada remained.
With a grin, Mikiko went to the entrance, closed the door, and flipped the sign to "CLOSED."
Tokugawa and Shimada turned to the lone clerk.
"Young man, is there any cookware in the store?"
The clerk looked completely bewildered, having no idea what the three elders wanted, but he answered politely nonetheless.
"We only have a pot for boiling noodles, and a restroom..."
Tokugawa and Shimada exchanged a glance, both smiling in satisfaction.
’That’s more than enough...’
...
The man with the slicked-back hair left the convenience store and hailed a taxi.
"To the airport."
’That old man coughing up blood was just nasty.’
’The elderly have no manners these days.’
’Not only are they useless, but they also hinder social progress. East Japan is in this slump precisely because it’s being dragged down by its aging population.’
’And what if he had some infectious disease? The thought alone is nauseating.’
He glanced at the streets on either side and noticed that many shops had closed early or hadn’t opened at all.
’People are getting so lazy... The economy is stagnating, yet everyone acts like it’s not their problem. No one tries to find solutions; they’re all content with the status quo.’
’It’s pathetic that so many stores are still closed at this hour.’
’What happened to the vibrant spirit of the Showa-era man? How did it just vanish?’
’Is this country really going to be left to a bunch of good-for-nothing shut-ins?’
"COUGH... COUGH..." The man with the slicked-back hair suddenly felt a tickle in his throat and coughed lightly.
He glanced at the driver’s face in the rearview mirror and said, "My apologies..."
The driver, an old man with a full head of white hair who looked to be in his sixties or seventies, smiled and replied,
"It’s no problem, sir. The weather’s turning cold. Remember to bundle up."
The man with the slicked-back hair smiled and nodded in thanks.
’He still had a great deal of respect for elders who continued to work hard.’
’Now *that’s* the true Showa spirit!’
About an hour later, the taxi arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The man paid the fare, said goodbye to the driver, and entered the terminal.
The taxi driver coughed lightly as he drove away, muttering to himself,
"Looks like I need to bundle up too... Getting old. The body just isn’t what it used to be..."
The man with the slicked-back hair collected his ticket and proceeded to check-in and security.
’It’s like I was actually infected by that old man who was coughing up blood.’ His throat felt constantly itchy, and his cough grew worse.
Despite this, he felt surprisingly energetic. A faint, fragrant scent filled the air. He wondered if it was some kind of air freshener sprayed at Narita Airport.
Soon, he was through security and boarding the plane to Eagle Country.
There were many people heading to Eagle Country, but the plane was quiet.
The man’s throat was still itchy, and he couldn’t help but cough a few times. He apologized to his seatmate, a woman from Eagle Country, who didn’t seem to mind.
The plane took off, and his throat seemed to feel much better. He put on an eye mask, leaned back against his seat, and went to sleep.
The flight from Haneda Airport to New York would take the better part of a day. The man was used to sleeping on such business trips, often able to sleep straight through until landing.
This time, however, after only three or four hours of sleep, he was jolted awake by an increasingly potent, fragrant aroma.
Drool had apparently trickled from the corner of his mouth, dampening his shirt collar.
’How rude.’
He quickly removed his eye mask and wiped his collar. Following the ever-thickening aroma with his eyes, he couldn’t help but lick his lips.
’The aroma... it seems to be coming from the Eagle Country woman next to me...’
’No, not just her...’
’Everyone on the plane seems to be emitting this strange, fragrant scent, making my mouth water. It’s almost impossible to suppress the urge to eat.’
’So fragrant... It’s just so fragrant...’
’I’m so hungry...’
The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his gaze turning greedy.
The flight attendants began serving meals, but when he looked at the sushi in the container, it seemed like a tasteless lump of plastic.
Only the aroma wafting from the passengers around him was captivating, pushing him to the very edge of his self-control.
’Hungry... I’m so, so hungry...’
’What do I do...? There are too many people here. I can’t be rude. I can’t lose face in front of the Eagle Country people... I have to eat... quietly... secretly...’
The man’s thoughts raced as he formulated a strategy.
A minute later, he had a plan. He straightened his collar and, with a smile, turned to the young woman beside him.
"Hello. This is such a long flight, isn’t it? Would you mind a bit of conversation to pass the time? Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Habu, the supervisor for Fujita Business Company’s North America Region..."
...
"At 8:00 PM New York time, a vicious assault occurred aboard a flight from East Japan’s Haneda International Airport to New York. A male passenger from East Japan attacked his seatmate, a female passenger from Eagle Country, in one of the aircraft’s restrooms. The weapon used was his teeth. The female victim’s body was largely dismembered, and it is suspected the male passenger was under the influence of a new type of narcotic...
...Due to the extremely graphic nature of the footage, it has been censored to avoid viewer discomfort...
...The suspect has been identified as Habu Takuya, a supervisor for Fujita Business Company’s North America Region...
...According to the flight crew and fellow passengers, they had initially assumed the suspect and the victim were a couple, which was why they entered the restroom together. The suspicion of the aircraft’s security officer was only aroused when an excessive amount of time had passed..."