Tokyo Wingman King

"What? A revolution?"

Komaba was stunned for a moment, then covered his upper face, bent over and leaned back, laughing as if a Nika Fruit was awakening inside him.

The sudden laughter quickly attracted the attention of the customers who were queuing up for the breakfast shop to open.

The female office workers and older women around him immediately forgave him upon seeing Komaba's face—it's understandable that an outgoing young man like him is easily excitable. This handsome young man getting up and leaving so early must be an extremely hardworking, perfect-attendance student, right? Hmm, this face doesn't look like someone with an IQ below 140.

The male office workers standing nearby, seeing Komaba's strange laugh, all wore the same uncomfortable expression: "I thought I was eating hair, but it turned out to be half a cockroach."

Asama, who had been relegated to the background by everyone else, waited until Komaba quieted down before asking,
"What's so funny about this?"

The handsome young man opened his arms, tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and said with his smile undiminished,

"Are you finally going to open your heart to everyone? Revolution. Hahahaha, I've always said that being with Teacher Da is like sitting on a giant wave; a life full of ups and downs is inevitable."

Really? Anyone with a modicum of sense would find it strange that someone as meticulous as you, Mr. Da, wouldn't have a long-term plan.
Next week's [Bloody Banquet] is just the first step, right? There's something even bigger coming, isn't there? Everything Teacher Da is doing right now is actually just to lull them into a false sense of security, isn't it?!

"I was just using an analogy, why are you so excited?"

"At least I'm certain now that Takishima fell behind from the very beginning. Although I don't know how Hachiman came to the conclusion that [he can't do it], I believe you're right."

"While you say I'm right, your deduction just now was completely wrong. Your most urgent task is to uninstall those wishful thinking games from Steam, forget about any long-term plans."

Komaba's expression turned serious, and he interrupted,
"Stop, stop, stop. This isn't the place to talk about these things. Teacher Da has been too inconsiderate lately. Even if those people have relaxed their surveillance on you, oh no, their protection, you can't just openly plot things like this."

"."

Who really likes to plot loudly the most?

Asama closed his eyes and mouth at the same time, and said no more.

Komaba was right about one thing—since going to KKIS, the various surveillance agents around him have almost disappeared, like mosquitoes in winter.

As for the reason why there were so many mosquitoes, it was probably because he went to the Konoe family this summer and slapped the heir of the Ichijo family a few times, mistaking him for a mosquito. Instead, he received apologies from both the Ichijo and Konoe families. The last time these two families publicly apologized at the same time was more than 400 years ago in the unofficial history of how they offended [the ruler of the land, Toyotomi Hideyoshi].

Because of this incident, even the elders who held high positions in the Five Regents could feel the terrifying power of this suddenly appearing Imperial Tutor of the Five Regents, let alone the sycophantic minor nobles.

Whether Asama Shizumizu was truly the illegitimate son of the Konoe family and the prospective son-in-law of the Ichijo family remained a mystery to these people. As time went on, their curiosity grew, so it was not surprising that they would send all sorts of family agents and private detectives to investigate.

With a click,

The door under the sign for "[Chinese Breakfast]" opened, and a waiter dressed as a hotel server greeted customers with a Japanese-style smile.

Asama Komaba followed the group, moving forward little by little. It took more than 30 minutes before they finally entered the store.

A distinctive aroma of oil, reminiscent of a hometown morning market, wafts through the air. The breakfast area, roughly 40 square meters, contains eight two-person tables, four four-person tables, and two long tables. All but the long tables are already occupied. Despite the open kitchen design, the space still feels cramped. The L-shaped buffet area is divided into sections for fried foods, steamed foods, staple foods, porridge, side dishes, and pastries. Golden spring rolls are piled high, and fried dough sticks sizzle in the oil in front of the counter.

There were only two staff members working in the kitchen, plus the cashier outside, making a total of three staff members in the store, yet they were able to serve nearly 50 diners at the same time. No wonder it's a breakfast buffet.

The buffet prices are reasonable: 620 yen for a regular buffet, 1420 yen for a deluxe buffet, and 1820 yen for takeout plus packaging fee. It's more expensive than McDonald's breakfast set meal of around 500 yen, but much more cost-effective than the 1600 yen ramen next door.

Four diners who entered from the front of the Asama restaurant were holding their plates and crowding around the empty Mapo Tofu stove, waiting for the Mapo Tofu to be cooked.

I overheard diners saying that this breakfast restaurant's signature dish was Mapo Tofu. Sure enough, every diner had Mapo Tofu on their plate. Some put it on top of fried rice, some mixed it into noodles, and some even mashed it up and stuffed it into fried dough sticks.

The Japanese obsession with Mapo Tofu is truly legendary.

"Excuse me, are you together? Would you two prefer the standard buffet or the deluxe buffet?"

The cashier pointed to the price list poster at the checkout counter.

"Can I take out?"

"Sure, but there's a charge for takeout."

"Yes, three takeout orders."

“500 yen for a package, 5960 yen for a special benefit~~~”

After collecting the money, the clerk hurriedly led two more customers into the store.

Asama and Komaba took several boxes and an insulated bag from the cashier and went to the stall to get their breakfast.

Fried rice, fried noodles, congee, fried dough sticks, fried eggs, tea eggs, blanched bok choy, and Mapo tofu are all available in unlimited quantities.

Steamed dishes such as crab roe buns, barbecued pork buns, shrimp dumplings, and fresh meat rice noodle rolls are limited to one serving per person.

"Teacher, you didn't give us cups, how are we supposed to make soy milk?"

This breakfast shop doesn't provide disposable paper cups; customers use glass cups from the sterilizing cabinet.

"Why don't you just go back and drink some Coke? There's plenty in the fridge."

"Eating fried dough sticks without soy milk to dip them in, isn't that like losing the soul of the dish?"

"You can also dip fried dough sticks in plain porridge."

"How can that be? Plain porridge should be served with pickled vegetables! I'm a staunch fan of sweet fried dough sticks! They must be soaked in soy milk with added sugar until they're soft before eating."

Asama noticed a middle-aged man, also carrying a takeout food container, making coffee from a glass at the coffee machine, and spoke to Komaba about it.

"You can drink two cups of soy milk here first, and then eat two spoonfuls of white sugar. Store the sweet soy milk in your stomach, and when you go back later, you can eat fried dough sticks first."

"Huh? That's hardly a method at all!!!"

The two of them got their breakfast and came out; it was already broad daylight.

More and more vehicles and pedestrians are appearing on the roadside, and those rushing to catch the subway are hurrying along.

Komaba led Asama down a quieter side path.

"Teacher, can you tell me about your revolutionary plan?"

"Didn't I say that revolution was just a metaphor?"

"So it really is something like [recreating Japan]?"

"Instead of talking about these baseless things, let's talk about our friend Takishima."

"Why are you talking about Takishima again now? Is it a diversionary tactic to relieve the siege of Wei?"

"If you don't know how to use idioms, don't use them."

This guy has clearly played so many historical strategy games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms, yet his idiom knowledge is only at the level of someone sitting at Boqi's table. It's true, different people absorb knowledge at completely different rates in different fields. "Wasn't he perfectly arranged by you? Staying at the Nijou family, three years after three years, three years after three years."

Komaba, who wasn't carrying anything, put his hands behind his head.

Asama covered his forehead. According to his principles of making friends, if he could really arrange things perfectly for someone, then he and that person could never be friends.

"How do you manage to make baseless accusations so confidently?"

"Since you won't tell me, of course I can only guess. Eliminating all possibilities, what remains, however absurd, is the truth. There's only one truth!"

"How did you manage to rule out [all] possibilities when you didn't even have a grasp of the basic evidence?"

"Well, I'm not good at debating. If you want to know anything about Takishima, just ask. First of all, let me clarify that he has just as many secrets as you. To use transparency as an analogy, Daiki is like the glass sea of ​​Semporna, while Takishima is like the Yellow Sea during the Yellow River's high-water season."

"Didn't you say he was acting strangely? I was just answering your question earlier. You were looking terribly worried just a moment ago, how come you're not worried at all now?"

"Haven't you already arranged everything perfectly for him? Since you've already taken care of everything, what am I still worried about?"

"."

Asama had no idea how to cure Komaba and Takishima's overthinking, after all, he had been hiding many things from them.

When a phenomenon cannot be explained, most people are driven by a desire for certainty and anxiety about the unknown, subconsciously trying to fill the gaps with their most familiar perspectives, habitual thinking, and existing knowledge.

However, subjective, emotional reasoning often leads to misinterpreting the surface and the cause. This is why ancient people relied on mystical explanatory paradigms such as the theory of matching form with form, homophonic divination, and the Five Elements and Yin-Yang, and why modern people are obsessed with conspiracy theories (Western pseudo-history), analogical reasoning (the study of entering the pass), and identity politics (nationalism or feminism).

Francis Bacon pointed out in *Novum Organum* that people prefer logically consistent statements, are adept at finding evidence that matches their conclusions, and ignore evidence that contradicts them. This is why, despite losing face and revealing his true intentions so many times, Komaba still believed that Asama Shizusui was playing a grand game with the Five Regents.

There's no point in trying to reason with this guy, or rather, with this group of guys.

The two walked out of the S-shaped alley, and Komaba's apartment appeared across the street.

Asama, carrying a thermal bag, stood with Komaba at the zebra crossing waiting for the green light. Because Asama hadn't answered any questions about the revolution, Komaba wore a bored expression, as if to say—[I'm not an outsider, why can't you tell me the details of the revolutionary plan?]
Asama sighed.

"I can actually guess the reason for Takishima's unusual behavior."

"Didn't Hachiman just say that the abnormal Takishima is the normal Takishima?"

“Unlike before, he is now experiencing anxiety.”

"Regarding his future with Nijo-san? I can tell at a glance that although the head of the Nijo family has not objected to their relationship, the entire Nijo family only sees Takishima as a free male babysitter to take care of Nijo-san's high school life."

“It’s not about this matter. Takishima had already made his judgment and was aware of this long ago.”

"What kind of anxiety is that? Is it sexual repression like yours?"

Asama recalled Takishima's expression that day—Takishima wanted to talk about his past and the topic of world peace—his expression seemed to say, "[Takishima Tetsuya is a useless person who feels powerless in the face of reality]."

It was a feeling of powerlessness towards a distant goal, a feeling that Asama himself had experienced countless times.

He was powerless in the face of those idealistic and abstract questions; he could not answer Takishima, so he refused to answer.

He also understood why Takishima was expecting his answer.

The light turned green, and the two crossed the street. Asama then answered.

"As I mentioned before, Takishima has realized that he lacks the ability to mobilize the masses, but in his mind, you, me, and Daiki all do."

Komaba interrupted Asama again.

"Wait a minute, Takishima isn't the kind of person who gets anxious because 'everyone else has it, but I don't,' right? Besides, when it comes to mobilizing the masses, I, an introverted socially awkward person, don't have that ability either."

"Togami Haruma, Yasaka Seiichiro, Miura Ren, Izayoi Yuya, aren't these the people you're coordinating? Yasaka's list of friends, the private dirt you have, the bot accounts you've created—these are the masses."

"Indeed, the war of public opinion is a necessary part of the revolution. No wonder Takishima called me Pigsy, was it out of jealousy? Does that mean my rank will definitely be higher than Takishima's in the future? For example, I'll be the Commander-in-Chief Sima Yi, Daiki will be the General Zhang Liao, and Takishima will just be the bodyguard Dian Wei?"

"."

Asama, who had been labeled as Emperor Wu of Wei, couldn't help but narrow his eyes, searching for the wolf-like look on Komaba's face.

The handsome young man at the end of the century shook his head again and said to himself.

"No, Takishima and Dianwei don't match. This guy can mobilize the resources of the Nijo family, including informants, thugs, and he has many ambiguous friends in the underworld. He can actually do everything that Daiki and I can do. Why does Master say that he lacks the ability to mobilize the masses?"

"His individual strength is limited, and the forces he can rely on will not become a self-aware masses influenced and led by him."

"That's why he urged you to help him?"

Komaba stroked his chin, pondering,

"What exactly is Takishima up to? Does he want to be your leader? Good heavens, so he's Sima Yi!"

Asama shook his head.
"He wanted change in the country—a hope that was too naive."

"Isn't this what you're doing right now, Mr. Hachiman? You two talked about this last week?"

“We didn’t talk. He asked me some questions about fairness and justice, about democratic republics, about whether benevolence is a facade, and about the possibility of achieving world peace.”

Komaba covered his face, feeling embarrassed for Takishima.

"World peace? Oh my, how old is he? What did Teacher Da answer him?"

"This is a big and abstract question, but it doesn't need a simple and abstract answer. To be precise, this question cannot be solved with a button or a switch, and I can't answer it."

"Takishima's anxiety might just be the answer to not letting him copy your homework!"

What he really wanted wasn't a specific answer, but rather my actions.

"So that's why Teacher Da joined the [Right Night Knight] squad's operation?"

The two walked to the bottom of the apartment building. Asama shrugged and said,
"It's not about the concrete action of justice being carried out, but rather the path and direction that has been explored. In short, Takishima knows what he wants to do, which is a good thing in itself, but I will not intervene in his actions until I understand and agree with what he is doing."

"What does he need to do for you to agree? Can't you just point out the direction? You say he lacks the ability to mobilize the masses, can't you just teach him?"

"Komaba, you may have misunderstood the premise. I only believe in his mind that I have the ability to point out directions and mobilize the masses; in reality..."

"Actually, he hasn't paid his tuition yet, and you've been too lazy to teach him lately, right?"

"."

The two returned to their room, but Takishima wasn't there; he had only left them a note. (End of Chapter)