I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

The long-awaited weekend had finally arrived.
As always, I woke up at 4 a.m., went out for a light jog, and had breakfast afterward.
If they were like other parents, they might have nagged me with, “The exam’s the day after tomorrow—why aren’t you studying?” But my parents didn’t show any signs of that.

Well, that’s because ever since I entered high school, I had never once missed being top of my year.
But right now, there was something more important to me than exams.
That was the one phone call I had been longing for.

After taking a quick shower, I passed the time by reading a manga I had bought again last weekend while doing dumbbell curls.
Maybe it was because I was feeling good today, but my muscles were getting more stimulation than usual.
About thirty minutes had passed since I started reading.

~♪
The moment my phone rang, I immediately dropped the manga and dumbbells I was holding and quickly answered the call with both hands.
“Yes, yes, just come to the address you put into the navigation. Yes, thank you.”

As soon as the call ended, I immediately began tidying my room.
It was to welcome a very important guest.
I moved the dumbbells and barbell I usually used for warm-ups out to the living room, then vacuumed up all the dust that had piled up in their place.

Next, I opened the window to ventilate the room, and even tidied up the manga books on the bookshelf that I usually didn’t bother organizing.
Ding-dong!
At last, the doorbell rang.

“Yes! I’m coming!”
When I hurriedly opened the door, two men wearing caps labeled “Kaito Health” looked up at me with slightly stunned expressions.
Then, as if they had just come to their senses, they pointed at the long box standing next to the door and said,
“Uh… where should we install this?”

“Right this way!”
I opened the front door wide and led the two men to my room, which I had cleaned in advance.
***

“If you have any problems using it, please contact this number.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After handing me a business card, the two men picked up their toolboxes and left.

I saw them off to the end, then closed the front door and, unable to contain my joy, clenched my fists tightly.
That’s because, using the money I got from Sasha the other day, I had finally completed the home gym I had always dreamed of.
The room had never had much free space to begin with, but now that a large rack was installed, one whole side of my room was completely filled with exercise equipment.

But who cares? I can do heavy squats at home now!
After relocating the barbell and dumbbells I used to use into their new home, I lovingly gazed at the rack now installed in my room.
Looking at it made all the hardship during Golden Week feel like nothing.

“Ah, I shouldn’t be just standing around like this.”
Wanting to test the newly installed rack, I immediately grabbed onto the pull-up bar.
My shoulder and back muscles tightened tautly.

With a joyful heart, I pulled my upper body up.
“Ooh, this feels great.”
I could feel my muscles rejoicing.

If I’d known it’d be this good, I would’ve bought it ages ago.
Feels like I lost half my fitness life.
While I was thoroughly enjoying this date with my new lover (the rack)...

~♪
Suddenly, the phone rang again.
‘What? Who could ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) be calling me?’

Wondering if the guys from earlier had forgotten something, I quickly picked up the call.
But the voice I heard from the speaker wasn’t their gruff tone—it was the lively voice of an active high school girl.
[Ah, Ryu-chan. I’m on my way to pick you up—are you ready?]

“What? What do you mean?”
[Geez, we promised the other day, remember? We were going to have a study group at Karen’s house.]
“I don’t think I ever said I’d join…”

But Rika wasn’t done speaking yet.
[I’m in Sasha’s car right now heading to your place. So if you’re not ready yet, pack up quick, okay? Time is money, you know?]
Click.

Just as I was about to say, “You’re one to talk,” the call ended, and I stared blankly at the now-black screen of my phone.
Saying only what she wanted and then hanging up—she had some serious skills.
Anyway, knowing Rika’s steamroller attitude, it was clear that my participation in the study group was already a done deal, so I quietly decided to pack my things.

I had planned to work out in the morning and study in the afternoon anyway, so I figured I might as well help the others with their studying while I’m at it.
***
“I’m heading out.”

I told my parents, who were working at the restaurant, that I was going to a friend’s house to study, then grabbed my bag and stepped outside—only to find a vehicle parked out front that you almost never see in Japan.
A black cash transport truck straight out of a movie.
Wondering what it was doing here, I peeked curiously, and just then, the back door of the truck opened and a familiar face peeked out.

“You’re here?”
It was Rika.
I greeted her and headed to the back seat, thinking I was supposed to get in there—only to recoil in shock.

“Привет (Hi)”
Sitting next to Sasha was that over-2-meter-tall Russian giant I fought in the middle of Akihabara just two weeks ago, waving his hand at me.
He still had a bandage wrapped around his head, so his wounds from last time hadn’t healed yet.

But Rika, having no idea about my relationship with him, smiled brightly and explained,
“Mister Boris is Sasha’s uncle. He doesn’t speak Japanese, but he’s actually super nice. He even bought me a cola.”
“Oh? Uh-huh.”

Half-listening to Rika’s cheerful explanation, I leaned over and whispered to Sasha.
‘What’s going on?’
‘Boris is my bodyguard. I have to take him with me if I want to go out on my day off.’

If that’s the case, then it really can’t be helped.
As I sat down awkwardly, Boris knocked on the wall toward the driver’s seat.
Bang! Bang!

Then, the vehicle started moving silently.
An odd silence filled the truck.
Thankfully, in moments like this, Rika always played the role of mood maker and was the first to speak.

“So, Mister Boris, what do you do? You don’t look like an average person.”
Sasha glanced at Boris and then gave a vaguely made-up answer.
“My uncle works as a bodyguard. He’s a former soldier, so he’s great at VIP protection.”

“Heh~ I see.”
Rika nodded and looked at Boris again with fresh curiosity.
“Yeah, he does seem like he’d be super reliable to have around.”

Boris, who had been quietly staring at Rika, responded.
“Спасибо”
“Ah, what did Mister Boris just say?”

“It means ‘thank you’ in Russian.”
Even though she didn’t understand the exact meaning, the nuance seemed to get through.
Rika gave a cat-like grin and replied with the same word.

“Spasibo!”
***
The random Russian lesson in the back seat of a cash transport truck ended once we arrived at Karen’s house.

Clunk!
As I opened the bulletproof door and stepped out, I saw the massive samurai-style mansion I had visited once before come into view.
Thankfully, the driver had found the place properly.

Boris also got out after us, and the black cash transport truck quietly drove away as if nothing had happened.
Standing at the mansion gate, we were looking for the doorbell when we saw some people coming out from inside and decided to speak to them.
“Excuse me…”

Startled, the yakuza in black suits took a step back.
“What the—?! Which gang sent you?!”
Hey, I wasn’t even done talking yet.

I was about to try clearing up the misunderstanding when Boris suddenly stepped forward and raised his right arm.
“Давайте поговорим спокойно (Let's talk calmly).”
The yakuza flinched even more and reached into their jackets.

“What? You wanna throw down?!”
…This scene felt oddly familiar somehow.
While I waited with a resigned expression for the inevitable misunderstanding to unfold, Rika suddenly jumped in.

“We’re not suspicious at all! We just came to visit Karen-chan!”
The yakuza began murmuring.
“C-come to think of it, didn’t the young lady say her friends were coming today?”

“Then could it be these guys are her friends?”
“Idiot! What kind of high schoolers look like that?! Don’t be fooled!”
They pointed fingers at me and Boris while saying that, and for some reason it felt really irritating.

As it seemed they still didn’t believe us, Rika fiddled with her smartphone and confidently held it out.
“See? We even took a photo together with Karen!”
The skeptical yakuza seemed to realize Rika was telling the truth, and they quickly bowed in shock.

“W-we’re so sorry! We were terribly rude to the young lady’s friends!”
“Please, come right in!”
The yakuza opened the way obediently.

Thanks to one of them who bowed and apologized profusely, we were comfortably guided into the inner house where Karen lived.
I guess this is why it’s important to look harmless.