Volume Twenty-Three Manga Summary | |
Shonan Junai Gumi: VOLUME 23 | |
Chapter 198: “Yesterday’s Woman, Today’s Woman” Ryuji and Ayumi exits a bar and Ryuji asks Ayumi if she wants to continue to the next bar. Ryuji is surprised at how easy it is to talk to Ayumi after not seeing her in so long and reveals that he even considered ignoring her if they ever met. However, looking back, he can only remember the good times. They stop in front of a hotel and Ayumi asks him if he wants to go in. Ayumi reveals to a stunned Ryuji that she only left him for his best interests but she can’t forget him. Despite Ryuji telling her that he is already with someone else, Ayumi states that she is okay with being Ryuji’s number two and the two share a kiss. A kettle starts to whistle and Ryuji wakes up. Nagisa asks Ryuji what’s wrong and Ryuji shakes it off as just a dream. He remembers back to the night he saw Ayumi across the street and reveals that Ayumi boarded a bus just as their eyes met. His thoughts are interrupted by Nagisa, who demands that he shares his dream with her. A nervous Ryuji states that he has to go out to buy smokes and leaves the bus. Outside, they are watched by Joey and his gang and Joey tells them to mess Nagisa up. Elsewhere, Ryuji makes up his mind not to go see Ayumi as he is already with Nagisa and he is interrupted by Fumiya, who has brought Ayumi along to meet him. Fumiya leaves to let the two catch up, who exchange awkward chitchat before Ayumi apologises for not talking to Ryuji the other day. Ayumi invites Ryuji back to her room to get out of the cold and a shocked Ryuji wonders if his dream is becoming reality. They are watched from afar by Yosakashita, one of Joey’s DOA. We cut back to the bus where Nagisa wonders if Ryuji was dreaming about Ayumi. She is interrupted by a knock and is shocked to see Joey and his DOA gang instead of Ryuji. Joey receives a call from Yosakashita and Joey tells him to continue tailing Ryuji, stating that Ayumi is valuable bait as well. Nagisa tries to escape using the phone call as distraction and gets knocked back by Joey, who tells her that he will wreck everything Ryuji holds dear. A tearful Nagisa believes that Ryuji will come save her as he have always done in the past. Elsewhere, Ayumi leads Ryuji into her room. |
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Chapter 199: “Room” Ryuji and Ayumi sit with their heads down silently, with only the sounds of their heartbeats distracting their thoughts. Ayumi gets up to get coffee and she reveals that she is staying here temporarily as she can’t stay home after rejecting an arranged marriage. She states that she is now a regular kindergarten teacher and asks Ryuji if he is seeing someone. Ryuji states that he isn’t and knocks coffee on himself. As Ayumi goes to clean up, Ryuji spots a sex toy on the counter. Not wanting to believe Ayumi would use such a toy, he checks her underwear drawer and is shocked to see a kinky pair of underwear, as well as several long plastic fruits and vegetables. Grabbing a shocked Ayumi, he demands to know what made Ayumi change so much over just six months. They are interrupted by the doorbell and a man named Dai enters, who Ryuji decides to be the cause for Ayumi’s change. Ayumi tries to stop Ryuji and a woman walks in and Ayumi introduces her as Yoko, a classmate of Ayumi’s from high school whom she is freeloading at the moment. Ayumi reveals that Yoko is a popular adult film actress who goes by the name of Ohsato Reina and Ryuji realises that the sex toys belonged to Yoko. A nervous Ryuji states that he has to go and Ayumi gives him a bag, stating that she can’t bring herself to throw it away. She tells him to open it later and he leaves. Outside, Ryuji discovers photos of the two inside the bag as Ayumi leans sadly on the other side of the door. Ryuji rides off and calls himself lame for getting his hopes up. We cut back to the bus where Joey and his gang are wrecking Nagisa’ belongings. He tells a confused Nagisa that her prince isn’t coming this time because he doesn’t have the time. He tells his gang to mess Nagisa up bad as she prays for Ryuji to come quickly. |
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Chapter 200: “My Sweet Home” The DOA gang tells Nagisa to shut up and reveals that Ryuji is off with another woman. Nagisa refuses to believe it and the gang proceed to cut off her clothes. They are interrupted by Akutsu, who tells Joey that Nagisa has nothing to do with it as she passes out. Joey demands to know who exactly Nagisa is and asks Akutsu if he wants to play with him. Akutsu glares at Joey, who backs off stating that he was just joking. He states that someone like Akutsu, who wouldn’t think twice about killing someone in his way, would never be able to take Joey to the “Stairway of Heaven” and tells his men to retreat. Before he leaves, he states that if Akutsu gets in his way again, he might retaliate. Elsewhere, Eikichi wanders the streets thinking about Joey’s brother’s words and runs into Ryuji. We cut back to the bus where Akutsu brushes back Nagisa’s hair and smiles to himself. He is interrupted by the sound of a bike engine as Eikichi and Ryuji return to the bus. Eikichi states that he will not be messing with Joey anymore and Ryuji notices the damage to his home. He spots Akutsu and demands to know what happened. Akutsu calls him clueless and asks him what was he doing leaving his woman alone through this ordeal. He walks off and tells Ryuji not to seek revenge if he really cares about Nagisa. Ryuji declares that he will make the person responsible pay and Nagisa regains consciousness. She tells him not to seek revenge and asks him to never leave her side again. He hugs her and promises never to leave her again. Sometime later, Saya tells her gang that they will be riding Route 130 tonight. She spots Eikichi riding by and tells one of her girls, Yoko, to come with her as they will be riding a different route, following Eikichi. |
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Saya & Joey Chapter 201: “Seisho Speed King 1” Saya watches Eikichi as Eikichi calls Sato from a phone booth to come meet him. Saya states that something is definitely going down and tells Katsumi to go in her place to the general meeting as this ain’t a night to miss. At the L-Club, Joey tells Kashiya that his batteries are about to expire and he plans to go after Ayumi. He informs Kashiya that he is doing it for himself, not Kashiya and that Ryuji is his target instead of Eikichi. As long as Ryuji will stake his life on killing him, Joey will atone for that girl. They are interrupted by Joey’s brother, who charges at Joey and stabs him, stating that he will be the one to end Joey’s misery and set him free. Joey declares that his brother understands nothing; he is not scared to die without feeling. He states that the suffering will be atonement. He can’t let himself die without pain and suffering; he has to die writhing in agony in order to go to the place Yoko is. They are interrupted by Eikichi and Joey states that he has been waiting for Eikichi. Eikichi declares that he will teach Joey how scary it is to die. Joey asks if he wants to continue Sicilian Roulette and Eikichi declines, stating that he will teach Joey through a drag race. They are watched from a roof not too far off by Saya and her girls, who state that things are getting crazy. Eikichi tells Joey that they will block off the entrance to the Seisho bypass and the first one to reach the Odawar exit wins. Joey scoffs, stating that a race is child’s play but he will ride a bike over Eikichi’s legs if he wins and Eikichi agrees. Joey asks Kashiya to borrow his ZZR-1100 Turbo, bragging it can reach up to 185mph. He scoffs at Eikichi’s Zephyr 1100 and Eikichi states that he never said he will be riding the Zephyr. They are interrupted by Sato, who arrives with Masaki’s legendary Kawasaki ZII. The onlookers state that there’s no way Eikichi can win with such an outdated model. Eikichi asks Joey if he is scared and Joey retort who does Eikichi take him for. |
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Eikichi & Joey Chapter 202: “Seisho Speed King 2” Traffic piles up as the Seisho bypass gets closed and word spreads around about the ZII/ZZR-1100 race. Saya and her Blaze Dancers watch on and she remarks that Eikichi isn’t just some pervert. As Joey marvels at the boost on Kashiya’ bike, the Blue Rose recall the ZII as Masaki’s legendary bike that obtained the title of fastest in Kanagawa. Kashiya states that his bike has never suffered defeat and one of his men reminds him that the ZII left him in the dust when he was still riding his CB. Joey interjects and states that he is the one riding and he will not lose. Sato updates Eikichi on the changes he made to the ZII, making it leaner than the average ZII but warns that it is still old regardless, requiring lots of strength and skill to control the wobble on the handlebars from the air compression and high speed. He warns Eikichi that ten minutes at 160mph is the max it can handle before the engine burns itself out. Eikichi reassures Sato, stating that he and the bike get along well and he won’t lose. As Joey and Eikichi ready their bikes, Saya remarks that this race will go down in history. Sato drops his arms to indicate start and the two bikers take off. The two bikes remain neck to neck at first but Joey hits the turbo on his bike and takes the lead. Saya commands her gang to follow Eikichi and Kashiya states that the ZII is no longer the fastest as this is now his era. As Joey dodges a truck in front of him, he shouts out to Eikichi and informs him that legends don’t amount to much except nostalgia. Onlookers notice the racers’ speed approaching 125mph and exclaim that Joey has it in the bag. Joey continues his taunts and Eikichi increases his acceleration and begins to catch up. He surprises onlookers by popping a wheelie and pulls ahead, telling Joey to keep up with him. |
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Eikichi & Joey Chapter 203: “Seisho Speed King 3” Joey recognises the ZII’s lean settings and declares that he despises those who believe in legends. He accelerates and overtakes Eikichi and challenges Eikichi on how long he can last in such wind pressure. With Eikichi well behind and nowhere in sight, Joey slows down and decides to play with his opponent. His bike wobbles uncontrollably all of a sudden and he surmises he must’ve hit a pebble. Before he can gather his thoughts, Eikichi creeps up right behind him and he accelerates with more turbo, stating that he will never let Eikichi overtake him. Despite accelerating, Eikichi is still able to keep up with Joey, who exclaims in disbelief on how such an old model can even break 150mph. He wonders if the ZII has nitrous installed and then realises that Eikichi is able to keep up by gliding on his slipstream. Refusing to lose, Joey accelerates even more and notices a cut on his cheek. Horrified, he realises that a leaf can cut him at such speed. He feels his fairing creaking, his tire compound shredding and everything starts to blur. Realising that even a pebble can be fatal, he asks himself if this is the world of high speed. A droplet trickles down his forehead and Joey realises that he is sweating despite the cold air. He wonders if he is scared and thinks back to when he first met Yoko in hospital, who told him that they were alike. He then sees a flash of a bloody Yoko asking for him to kill her and screams out in frustration. Everything around him is blurred and he can only see the single point in the distance, as if he is in a very long tunnel. He wonders what would happen if he keeps this up as Eikichi pulls into the lead. |
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Eikichi & Joey Chapter 204: “Seisho Speed King 4” Eikichi pulls ahead of a shocked Joey and tells him that he will show Joey what’s on the other side of this tunnel. Elsewhere, Kashiya’s men ask him what he would do if his ZZR loses, which could result in the Blue Rose falling apart and Kashiya reassures them that his bike is the fastest. Word gets to Kashiya that the ZII is currently in the lead and Joey vents his frustration at why he can’t overtake Eikichi despite breaking 175mph. He notices the ZZR’s body bowing and the wind pressure getting ridiculous, realising that a single pebble can send him flying. He realises that both of them will die at the rate they’re going. He remembers Yoko telling him that she loves him and declares that he can’t lose. Despite almost reaching 185mph, he watches Eikichi pulling further away from him. The ZZR begins to lose balance and as his heart beats faster, Joey realises that he is petrified for the first time, stating that Eikichi is ready to die and he’s bringing Joey down with him. The speedometer hits 190mph and Joey sees nothing but pure white light, unable to see or hear anything. He realises that this white light was exactly the same as last time, when he crashed his brother’s R1-Z and wonders if he died. Flashes of his past with Yoko appear before him, promising each other that they will always stay by each other’s side. The two would often sneak out of hospital and spend time with each other. However, Yoko reaches a point where drugs can no longer control her pain. Knowing that her time is up, she asks Joey if she can peacefully die in his arms and tells him that she will never forget him. He screams out for Yoko as his speed reaches over 200mph and he crashes into the railings, flinging both him and the ZZR over the edge of the bridge. |
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Joey Chapter 205: “Seisho Speed King 5” Fishermen below the bridge spots Joey and the bike flying over the edge and Eikichi stops his bike. As Joey falls down, he notices how beautiful the stars are and states that he has been waiting for this day to finally go to where Yoko has gone. A voice tells him no and he opens his eyes to see Yoko before him. She begs him to remember the ones that truly love him and that she reminds him that she will never forget him. The two share a kiss midair as she begins to fade. Joey opens his eyes and finds himself in a stretcher with paramedics attending to his injuries. He spots Eikichi, who informs him that his brother jumped into the freezing November water to save him. Joey tells Eikichi that he met Yoko in the sky and Eikichi tells him to thank his brother. He asks him if it was a dream and Eikichi states that he doesn’t know. He hears his brother screaming out his name and realises what Yoko meant, He comments on what a beautiful night it is and apologises to Eikichi for all the trouble he caused. He declares that he doesn’t know how long he has left but he is set on living and promises his brother that he will go back to hospital. He tells Eikichi that he will leave the hospital one day and Eikichi tells him that when he does, they will settle things with their fists. Eikichi spots Kashiya staring at him and they exchange glares before Eikichi turns and leaves. Kashiya takes out a smoke and acknowledges Eikichi as the one Masaki dug. Saya stops Eikichi and asks him how he managed to win with the old ZII. Eikichi pats her head and asks her if she wants to go get a drink. An annoyed Saya demands to know if he managed to break 185mph and Eikichi smiles, merely stating so what if he did. |
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Eikichi Chapter 206: “Egg Club, Chick Club” Eikichi struts through the halls of Tsujido High as word of his race spreads throughout the school. Katsuyuki, Yasuo and Tsukai express their frustration at missing such a historic event and Katsuyuki surmises that even Nakajo must be upset about Kashiya’s defeat. He tells Eikichi that Yokosuka is basically all theirs and they can just sweep through and conquer all of Kanagawa at the rate they’re going. Saejima interrupts them, reminding them that all they did was win a tiny race and Eikichi notes that he hasn’t seen much of Saejima lately. He taunts Saejima that the Mad Dog of Kamakura has been reduced to nothing more than comic relief and Saejima declares that he will kill Eikichi. Shinomi comments to a classmate on Eikichi’s stupid behaviour but the classmate tells Shinomi to let Eikichi have his fun as he is the talk of all the other classes. Sometime later, Eikichi struts into Benny’s with Katsuyuki and Yasuo and they are joined by Ryuji and Nagisa. Ryuji congratulates a blushing Eikichi who tells him that he still needs Ryuji as his number two. Ryuji states that ever since Joey’s attack on their bus, he and Nagisa have shut themselves up and started talking about lots of things. Ryuji reveals that it might be time to let Eikichi attack while he defends. Eikichi doesn’t understand and Ryuji explains to a shocked Eikichi that he wants to settle down with Nagisa and have a baby. He tells Eikichi to protect them well and Eikichi asks him if Ryuji is just leaving all the dirty work to him. Ryuji tells him that he wants Eikichi to have a kid of his own someday too and they can go camping together and raise two Oni-baku juniors. He then taunts Eikichi that it might be a bit hard to have a kid by himself and maybe he can have one by human cloning in the future. An angry Eikichi states that it’s not his policy to have a girl states that he can get one anytime. They are interrupted by a girl on a bike, revealed to be Saya. As Ryuji and the others stare at Saya in awe. Saya approaches the group and asks Eikichi to keep her company tonight, much to everyone’s surprise. A smug Eikichi puts his arms around Saya and states that this is nothing. Saya gets up and asks Eikichi to come with her and just do it. She tells him that she’s almost on her period and her body is all hot. |