With the power of cash, Kamishiro successfully brought his two friends to Kabukicho—Japan's most infamous "pleasure street."
Staring at the signs plastered with photos of scantily clad women, all three of them gave the knowing smile of true degenerates.
???????‵?
They marched boldly into the fabled "new world"—
…
"So, Kamishiro… where do we go now?" Iori asked with a straight face, staring at a sign in front of him.
If not for the stream of red blood pouring from his nose, someone might actually believe he was a very upright young man.
(???)
"Would you stop staring at the huge boobs on the posters already?! Give it up! Your 50,000 yen won't even get you near that. Can't you take a hint from Kouhei?"
Kamishiro rubbed his temples. He was starting to regret bringing this virgin here—how embarrassing. Although, since it was still daytime, the streets weren't too crowded.
Still, why were all the middle-aged men around them looking at Iori with such contempt?
What right do you guys, who're here visiting brothels, have to look down on him?
Sigh… Kouhei really was the easy one to handle. In the end, hardcore anime nerds are the best.
"Oh? You mean that idiot who's about to be lured into a store?"
"…What do you mean?"
Kamishiro looked in the direction Iori was pointing. There, the supposedly trustworthy Kouhei was following a woman in a cow-print outfit with a dazed expression.
!!!
She's huge.
And she looked totally natural in that outfit.
Wait—this isn't the time to be thinking about that!
Kamishiro rushed over and yanked Kouhei back before it was too late.
It was a close call—the cow lady nearly claimed two victims at once!
Looking at the nosebleeding Kouhei, Kamishiro scolded him, "I thought you weren't into 3D girls? You were this close to being dragged into a graduation!"
"Well… it's just that…"
Kouhei clutched his nose and kept glancing at the shop, "That store is really different!"
Kamishiro followed his gaze. The cow-lady even blew him a kiss. Behind her was a glowing sign that read—
"Monster Girl Review Shop (*￣3￣)╭♡"
"… …"
At that moment, even Kamishiro had the urge to go take a look. That place was dangerously tempting!
And to think it was already open in broad daylight—weren't they basically baiting people into sin?
After a long internal struggle, Kamishiro firmly decided against it. They were still in the middle of a crisis!
Seeing the two still gawking like curious children, he sternly reminded them, "Don't forget why we came here. Of course, if you want to resort to graduating in Kabukicho, I won't stop you."
!
That sobered the two up real fast. Fake-graduating this way would make them a laughingstock.
That's also why even Yamamoto, no matter how desperate, didn't go that route.
Although Kamishiro figured… with someone like Yamamoto, would it even make a difference? It's not like he had any other way to graduate.
"So we're just going to stand around in the street?"
"I'd rather go back and fight to the death!"
Iori's eyes burned with passion. He could resist temptation—but not even getting to look? That was torture!
Coming all the way to legendary Kabukicho only to wander outside?
What a waste!
"Of course not!"
Kamishiro rolled his eyes. "If we just hang around, we'll still get spotted eventually."
(′｀;)?
Iori and Kouhei froze for a moment, then shouted:
"Didn't you say those pervs would never find us here?!"
"Why is your wording changing again?!"
Facing their angry protests, Kamishiro spread his hands helplessly.
"Come on, guys—this is Kabukicho we're talking about. And it's not like I have a personal grudge with the first-years. With all the people coming and going… who knows if some random high schoolers might show up too?"
"Look over there—one of them just graduated."
The two of them followed Shirou Kamashiro's pointing finger and saw a young man stepping shyly out of a store. Dressed in an awkward attempt at a hip-hop style, he looked around nervously, clearly terrified of running into anyone he knew.
But more telling was the look in his eyes—a mixture of relief and satisfaction that couldn't be hidden. It was the look of someone who had just completed something monumental.
He had become a man.
"That bastard!!!"
"We need to expose him! Publicly!"
The two idiots, overwhelmed with jealousy, stared at the boy like starving wolves. Why did he get to graduate when they hadn't even caught a glimpse of what that world was like?
"Sigh… Give it a rest, you two. I don't know if he'll get outed or not, but if you guys try it, you definitely will. (λ?_??)"
Kamashiro Shirou smirked as he pulled out his treasured camera from behind, eyes gleaming mischievously.
"How about it? Want to go try it for yourselves?"
The moment he brandished the camera, the two glared at him furiously. How were they supposed to go now when he was already on standby to blackmail them?
"Forget it... Just tell us—should we go or not?" Iori deflated like a balloon, his entire posture slumped in defeat.
"Heh, come on. I know a place no one ever checks. Totally safe."
Seeing that neither of them took the bait, Kamashiro reluctantly put away his camera. Shame. He thought he had another chance to extort some goods.
With their worldly desires crushed, the three quickened their pace.
But as Shirou confidently led the way, Iori and Kohei exchanged puzzled glances. If they remembered correctly… hadn't someone said he'd never been to Kabukicho before?
"Why do you know this place so well?"
"Didn't you say you've never been here?"
Their suspicious eyes zeroed in on Kamashiro, full of implication.
They already had the perfect headline in mind:
"Popular First-Year Kamashiro Shirou Graduated at This Shocking Location—"
(▼皿▼＃)
Kamashiro, ever sharp, saw through their little scheme at once. "I did say I didn't need to come to Kabukicho, okay? Not needing to doesn't mean I never came. Don't forget—I worked as a host."
"..."
Both of them went quiet. Come to think of it, hadn't he mentioned that before?
Honestly, his part-time résumé was too ridiculous. And that high school of his? Practically a breeding ground for urban legends.
"So we're headed to the host club you worked at?"
"You're not gonna make us try out the host lifestyle, are you?"
Kamashiro's eyes lit up. "Actually, not a bad idea. Kohei and I could totally pull off the popular host look. Kitahara, you'd make a decent waiter."
"(?°?д°?) You jerk! That's seriously rude!"
"Well, I mean… Kamashiro's not wrong. Kitahara, you are a bit too plain." Kohei smirked. "Some things you're just born with."
"I suddenly feel the urge to take you both down with me, you bastards."
A vein bulged on Iori's forehead. He honestly couldn't understand how the universe saw fit to give the good looks to a womanizer and a creepy otaku!
"Alright, alright, no need to get caught up in the details. Tell you what, I'll make it up to you. I'll let you try out their service, sound good?"
!!!
Just like that, Iori's face lit up. But years of being scammed had trained his instincts.
He narrowed his eyes. "You're not gonna secretly take a photo and upload it to the Izu University forum, are you?"
(;?＿?)
Kamashiro averted his gaze. "W-What? Of course not. Do I look like that kind of guy?"
"Yes, you do!" ×2
"..."
Stung by their immediate and unanimous answer, Kamashiro looked genuinely wounded.
Ah, the bonds of brotherhood…
"Fine, fine. I swear I won't post anything to the Izu University forum, okay?"
With no choice, Kamashiro raised four fingers in a solemn oath. He never understood why people believed in the power of swearing. Didn't they know that being a playboy meant lying came naturally?
But Iori didn't overthink it. Once he saw Kamashiro swearing, he lit up like a kid on Christmas.
"Come on, hurry up! I can't wait! How much further?!"
(???)
"Quit whining. We're here."
Iori stopped in his tracks and looked up at the pink-toned storefront in front of him.
"Yoshiwara House (?′ 3`)?"
…
"Yoshiwara House? Weird name. Wasn't Yoshiwara from the Edo period?"
Kohei looked at the shop sign curiously. He was expecting something more on-the-nose like "House of Love."
"You know Yoshiwara? I figured you were too much of a slacker to care about history."
Kamashiro raised a brow. He wouldn't have been surprised if it were Iori, given his constant perviness, but Kohei? Wasn't he supposed to be totally disinterested in 3D girls?
"Don't lump me in with idiots. Rarako mentioned Yoshiwara once!"
"..."
Seeing how proud Kohei looked, Kamashiro suddenly felt curious about Rarako. Maybe it was worth checking out that anime after all.
"Whatever. Let's head in!"
Iori practically burst through the doors, clearly eager to step into this "new world."
Kamashiro sighed as he watched his back. He hoped Iori would still be smiling in a few minutes.
This place… he'd never actually been inside. It was a legendary location—off-limits, according to his host senpai.
They called it: A place no man willingly walks into twice.
He supposed Iori was about to find out why.
"So, do they have little sister types? Or cosplay?" Kohei asked.
Kamashiro tilted his head. "Does a kimono count?"
"You tell me…"
"Then nope."
"Fair enough."
Kohei nodded and walked in behind him. Even without cute girls or cosplay, if it involved watching Iori get wrecked, he was in.
After all, if there really were gorgeous babes inside, would that scumbag Kamashiro actually let Iori go first?
At most, he'd get offered a doorman job.
…
Inside, they found Iori standing stiffly at the entrance, frozen in place. Before him stood a short-haired, kimono-clad older woman with a sharp, cool beauty that looked anything but Japanese.
A faint scar under her eye did nothing to detract from her looks—in fact, it added a touch of boldness.
She looked like she'd stepped straight out of Kamashiro Shirou's imagination. And yet, his expression was—
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Tsukuyo?!
Kamashiro stared in disbelief at the woman. She looked just like Tsukuyo from Gintama—was this some kind of character crossover?
Was this place really Yoshiwara? Had his senpai not been kidding?
All this time he avoided this place based on their warnings…
What if it backfired and Iori actually got decent service?
That thought hurt.
"Oh? Customers? Are you boys here for the full experience?" the Tsukuyo-lookalike asked, eyeing them with mild amusement. Most of her clientele were desperate middle-aged men or sleazy creeps dragged in off the streets.
Three young guys showing up together? That was new.
"Uh, no, sis. We're just looking for a place to lie low for a bit. Don't worry about us," Kamashiro said smoothly, activating his negotiation skills. No way was he letting his buddy dive in without knowing the full picture.
"Hide out?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
In all her years working here, that was a new one.
Did they even know where they were? This was Kabukicho , not some cosplay café.
"Well—"
Just as she was about to refuse, Kamashiro's pitiful look made her hesitate. For a moment, he reminded her of someone.
Before she could decide, Iori grabbed Kamashiro by the neck.
"You promised! I came here to experience the service! They're not gonna go all the way anyway, right? Let me at least try it out!"
"(′?`) F-Fine! Just let go first!"
With his life in danger, Kamashiro gave in.
Once he was free, he pulled the woman aside and whispered, "Hey, sis, just to be sure… the service here is what I think it is, right?"
She blinked. "What do you think it is?"
"You know. That kind!"
She looked at his urgent face, then at the lecherous glint in Iori's eyes.
She…
She seemed to get it.
These kids—did they think her shop was like those other places in Kabukicho?
Maybe it was their first time. Probably a bunch of virgins.
Still…
She gently lifted Kamashiro's chin and studied his face.
With looks like this, why would he need to come to a place like this?
Something didn't add up. Surely, girls were all over him already...
Even without a girlfriend, a guy like him should have some delinquent girl eyeing him, wanting to force something to happen.
With that face, it'd be a shame if his first time was wasted in a place like Kabukicho.
And in a place like this, these three brats were bound to be disappointed.
"Uh… big sister, I know I'm pretty handsome, but you don't have to stare *that* long. If you're interested, we could chat privately."
Especially with those two beasts watching from behind!
Feeling the heated gazes on his back, Shirou Kamishiro's lips twitched.
What a pair of nuisances!
Hearing this, Tsukuyo snapped out of it, realizing she was still pinching the boy's face. Unfazed, she let go naturally.
"Not bad-looking. Get some surgery, throw on a dress, and you could work in Kabukicho. Just call me Miss Tsukuyo."
"…"
Shirou's smile froze. So you're a sadist too!
That's worse—you're telling me to get *surgery*? What kind?!
"Miss Tsukuyo, you're joking…"
"Not joking. You'd fit right in. Also, this place isn't what you think."
!!!
"This isn't a place to 'cut off desires'? Those blonde jerks lied to me!"
Fury blazed in Shirou's eyes as he imagined his seniors, jealous of his looks, deliberately excluding him from the fun.
Damn it, now Iori can't experience it!
As Shirou pondered how to switch locations, Tsukuyo said oddly, "You're looking for a place to 'cut off desires'?"
"Yeah! I heard this was it, but I got duped!"
"…Sorry, I misunderstood earlier. This *is* that place."
"…"
Meeting Tsukuyo's calm gaze, Shirou opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
What had she misunderstood before?
Wait.
He shouldn't be chatting with her now.
Shirou spun around, flashing Iori a wide grin.
"Kitahara, no problem! My bad earlier. To make up for it, I'll cover this visit!"
Tsukuyo gave Shirou's back a knowing look. She seemed to understand why these boys were here.
Such youth~
If she recalled correctly, though, this place was free…
"Here we are. For safety, please tie on the ropes."
Since they'd decided to proceed, Tsukuyo didn't dawdle, leading the trio to the service area.
It was a circular conveyor belt, identical to a factory one, except the middle was curtained off.
That hidden section was the heart of the shop's service!
Whether out of boredom or the cash Shirou slipped her, Tsukuyo didn't call out his flimsy lie.
She was curious how these boys would react to the service.
Meanwhile, Iori sat on the conveyor belt, bewildered, already roped up.
And while he was dazed earlier, he felt like he'd pressed a handprint?
It happened so fast, he wasn't sure.
"Wait?!
Why the ropes? And why a conveyor belt?!"
Snapped out of his beauty-induced trance, Iori realized, sitting on the belt, that this service was nothing like he'd imagined!
"Well, Kitahara, I said it's a more… plain service. The ropes are just to keep you from being overwhelmed by inner desires and losing control."
Shirou patted Iori's arm, playing the caring big brother~
"Huh? Really?"
Iori looked blankly at Tsukuyo, hoping for confirmation.
Tsukuyo tilted her head. "Emmm, in a way, yes."
Inner desires? Fear of fleeing was part of that.
(?ˉ??ˉ??)
Oh, okay~
With Tsukuyo's affirmation, Iori relaxed.
If that's the case, it's acceptable, but…
"I'm pretty confident in my self-control. No problem at all!"
Iori said seriously. Being tied up meant he couldn't closely observe or get hands-on.
"No, I don't think so. In a place like Kabukicho, the last thing you trust is a virgin's word."
"You're insulting my character!"
Fuming at Shirou's slander, Iori tried to stand and retort.
But he forgot he was tied, flopping onto the belt.
Just then, Tsukuyo flipped the switch~
*Rumble*
As the belt moved, Iori began to struggle.
"Hey, hey, wait! Hold on! At least let me change positions! This is uncomfortable, and I can't enjoy the service properly!"
Watching Iori wriggle like a caterpillar, Shirou fell silent for two seconds.
As a human, he still had a shred of conscience.
That shred kept him from granting Iori's request.
With sincere eyes, he said, "Trust me, Kitahara, stay like this. You'll thank me later!"
{{{?Д?"}}
Perhaps Shirou's gaze was too earnest, but Iori panicked, an ominous feeling rising.
"What do you mean, you scumbag? Didn't you say it was *that* kind of service?"
Shirou hadn't expected this idiot to catch on. He thought Iori would go in happily.
Sigh, this complicates things.
Torture isn't scary. What's scary is knowing it's coming and being unable to escape. How could a caterpillar outrun a conveyor belt? (λ?_??)
With the jig nearly up, Shirou dropped the act, flashing a villainous grin.
"*That* service? What service is that~
Since you've caught on, no choice—enjoy your *special* service!"
"You bastard!!!"
Iori's face burned with rage, realizing Shirou had tricked him.
Regret!
So much regret!
Why had he settled for just 50,000 yen?!
He shouldn't have had a conscience!!!
"Scum! This is vigilante justice!"
!!
"What are you saying?!"
With his strong legal awareness, Shirou couldn't stand the accusation. He whipped out a paper.
It clearly stated all of Iori Kitahara's actions at "Yoshiwara House" were voluntary, complete with a handprint.
When it came to thoroughness, Shirou was serious~
Seeing the paper, Iori's face fell. He *knew* he'd pressed something!
"Scum, when I get out, we're dueling!"
But Shirou just picked his ear, casually waving goodbye.
If all went as planned, Iori might forget this by the time he emerged.
If not…
Well, his poor childhood friend might need another round~
"AAAAAAHHH!!!"
"Don't come near me!"
"Help!"
As the belt moved, Iori's body was swallowed by the pink-curtained area, his screams echoing.
The chilling cries sent shivers down Kohei's spine. He knew Shirou wasn't *that* kind.
Service?
What good service could there be?!
Eyeing the pink area, Kohei's curiosity sparked. "What's in there?"
"Huh? Kohei, wanna try it? My treat~"
(′-ι_-｀)
"Why would I throw myself into a trap after seeing *that*?"
"Then you're missing out. Hey, Tsukuyo-nee, no harm in sneaking a peek, right?"
Kohei's words piqued Shirou's interest. He was dying to know what it looked like inside.
He'd heard seniors mention it but never seen the real thing.
He only knew about this place and its effects from former coworkers.
Apparently, before Shirou arrived, a good-looking senior had toyed with rich women's hearts.
When exposed, the women teamed up and sent him here.
Rumor was…
After five sessions, that senior joined the Big Bird Spinning Club for good.