I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 237 and 238: The Death of Moribe Mamiya

"Kamen Rider?"

Moribe Mamiya looked surprised, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.

It wasn't just because the unfamiliar young man in front of her was also a tokusatsu fan, but also because the word Kamen Rider evoked her past memories.

"Yes." Tosu nods heavily.

Moribe was a Kamen Rider fan, and in his death letter he mentioned that his daughter, Moribe Mamiya, also loved Kamen Rider because of his familiarity with the series.

Kamen Rider can be seen as a bond between Mobe and his daughter.

"I don't know why you'd ask that. Maybe I used to like it, but now I don't like Kamen Rider. In fact, I hate it!"

The complex and strange expression on Moribe Mamiya's face vanished in an instant, his gaze was cold, and he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

"Why?" Tosu Hideo's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out.

"Kamen Rider, tokusatsu shows, are really just fantasies of kids and immature men," Mamiya Moribe said coldly.

"In reality, there's absolutely no way a Kamen Rider could appear in a crisis to punish evil and promote good, be indomitable, and become stronger with each setback. Besides..."

Moribe Mamiya took a sip of his cocktail, gripping the glass tightly until his knuckles turned slightly white.

"I know a man who really loved Kamen Rider, but in the end he gave in to life, abandoned his wife and children, and his whereabouts are still unknown..."

Moribe Mamiya suddenly shut her mouth; she regretted telling the man she had just met her such things.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said this to you. Maybe I've had a bit too much to drink."

Was it the truth coming out after drinking? Or was it this man's character and demeanor that made Mamiya Moribe involuntarily think of her father? It was truly inexplicable; despite the vast difference in their ages and appearances, she couldn't help but connect the two.

"..."

The hero of Tosu was speechless.

Moribe did indeed abandon his wife and daughter, taking his own life in the Aokigahara Forest, but how could an ordinary person bear such betrayal? Moribe may not be a righteous hero like a Kamen Rider, but even if he wasn't his biological son, his paternal love for Moribe Shinji was genuine.

"Miss Mako, you're so young, why are you working at a club? Haven't you ever thought about going to university?"

The Hero of the Birdskin Squad scratched his head and brought up another topic.

One of his goals for the night was to guide the misguided Moribe Mamiya back to the right path from Tobita Shinchi.

Moribe Mamiya's expression turned cold, and a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.

Isn't this man named Tosu being a bit inappropriate, asking such a question on our first meeting?

Yes, occasionally at the club, there are guests who say things like that in a self-righteous way.

However, their tone was condescending, their faces blatantly displaying arrogance and pity. This man, on the other hand, was different; he was actually concerned, rambling on and on, just like a father from the past…

Thinking of this, Moribe Mamiya's cold gaze softened a little.

"Mr. Tosu, I am twenty years old, an adult, and can take responsibility for my choices. I have my reasons for working here," Mamiya Moribe said calmly.

"But I heard you have a child who is three or four years old..." Hideo Tosu said.

"Where did you hear that from?"

As if her sore spot had been touched, Mamiya Moribe's expression changed. She immediately stood up from her seat, her delicate body tense, and she was on high alert.

"Ms. Moribe, please calm down!"

In his panic, Tosu Hideo blurted out Moribe Masamichi's real name.

"How do you know so much, even my real surname? Are you that stalker?!"

Moribe Mamiya's alert level immediately escalated to hostility. She pulled her phone from her handbag and warned sternly:

"I've already filed a report at the police station today! And this is a bar, so don't do anything reckless!"

"No, I didn't..." Tosu Hero was at a loss for words, but he was bad at speaking and couldn't explain himself in time.

"I'll take my leave now."

Moribe Mamiya clearly didn't want to get entangled any longer, and made a move to walk towards the bar's entrance.

"Wait a minute, Ms. Moribe! I'm your father's friend!"

Moribe Mamiya's back froze on the spot. After a long while, he slowly turned around, his eyes flashing with surprise and uncertainty.

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could my dad possibly have friends your age?"

"I really don't know where to begin."

Still somewhat skeptical, Masamichi Moribe returned to the bar counter. Hideo Tosu took off his non-prescription glasses and placed them on the table, his expression serious as he carefully considered his words.

"Actually, Moribe doesn't know me."

"So you were lying before!"

"But during my most difficult time, I truly received a favor from Moribe. To me, Moribe is really like a Kamen Rider."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

Masamichi Moribe's voice trembled slightly, her face filled with anxiety and a glimmer of hope: "My father has been missing for four years. Where did you meet him? Is he doing well now?"

Tosu Hideo remained silent for a long while before managing to utter a few words:

"It's difficult to say, but... Moribe-kun has passed away!"

The sudden bad news struck Moribe Masamichi like a thunderbolt.

"I don't believe you!"

"These are two letters from your father, Moribe-kun. I'm delivering them as he instructed." Tosu Hideo took two envelopes from his pocket and placed them on the bar counter.

"One of these letters is for you alone, Ms. Moribe. Moribe-kun hopes you will open it only after you have come of age."

Moribe Mamiya stared in disbelief at the envelope labeled "Death Note," the handwriting on it indeed looked very familiar.

For a long time, Mamiya Moribe believed that her father had disappeared, was either homeless on the streets, or had simply found a place in the countryside to live in seclusion.

This situation is not considered news in Japan.

The vast majority of homeless people on the streets of Japan are people who are in debt, bankrupt, unemployed, or who have lost their ability to work due to disability or old age.

However, there are also those who, due to excessive work and life pressures, suddenly realize one day that the world is so big and they want to see it, thus exiling themselves to the streets to wander, or what could be called choosing a new life as a corporate slave.

With trembling hands, Moribe Mamiya opened the first letter. After only a few glances, her face turned deathly pale.

She gritted her teeth and continued reading, her expression becoming increasingly shaky.

"Ms. Moribe, are you alright?" Hideo Tosu asked with great concern.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

Mamiya Moribe was gone for more than ten minutes. When she returned, her eyes were red and swollen, her light makeup was ruined, and there were tear stains on her face.

She picked up the second unopened letter, the one her father had left for her. The small letter weighed more than a thousand pounds, and Mamiya Moribe tried to open it several times but failed.

In the end, Masamichi Moribe gave up.

"Mr. Tosu, thank you very much for delivering the letter."

Moribe Mamiya gave Tosu Hideo a smile that looked more like a grimace, and struggled to his feet.

"I need to go home and be alone for a while. I'm sorry, I have to go back now."

Although Mamiya Moribe hadn't read the second letter yet, Hideo Tosu knew that bad news was coming one after another: his father's death, his mother's betrayal, and the fact that he wasn't his father's biological daughter.

Masamichi Moribe is currently under immense mental pressure, and may even be on the verge of a breakdown. It's only natural that he would want someone to keep him on track.

"It's so late, do you need me to call you a taxi?" Tosu asked with great concern.

"No need, it's not far from where I live, just a few steps away," Moribe Mamiya refused.

"Ms. Moribe, even an outsider like me can see it. Moribe-kun still loves you. No matter what, he treats you like his own daughter."

"Thank you," Moribe Mamiya replied weakly, then walked heavily outside.

As if remembering something, Tosu Hero jogged a few steps to catch up, took out a piece of paper with a phone number written on it, and handed it over.

"Ms. Moribe, if you have any difficulties or want to know more about Moribe-kun, you can call this number."

Tosu Hero hesitated for a moment before continuing:

"As long as you dial this number, Kamen Rider will definitely come to your side."

"Thanks."

Moribe Mamiya took the note, forced a stiff smile, and walked out of the bar.

Hero Tosu quietly followed.

It was already late at night, and Mamiya Moribe was drunk and in a daze. Like an old father who was worried about his drunken daughter walking alone at night, Tosu Hideo secretly escorted Mamiya Moribe back to her residence.

Unexpectedly, Hideo Tosu noticed that the frequency of police patrols on this section of the road was even higher than in other parts of Osaka.

Perhaps because Tobita Shinchi is a landmark of Osaka Prefecture, attracting tourists from all over the world, both the legitimate and criminal elements have put a lot of effort into maintaining order around this cash cow.

Mamiya Moribe's rented room is in an apartment building called Mutsuki, located on the edge of Dotonbori, just a ten-minute walk from Tobita Shinchi.

After watching Mamiya Moribe enter the apartment, Hideo Tosu finally left with peace of mind.

Tosu Hideo returned to Nishinari Ward. This time, he avoided the bustling and brightly lit Tobita Shinchi and instead went to the Airin Slum outside Shin-Imamiya Station in Nishinari Ward.

Nishinari Ward in Osaka Prefecture is known as "Little America," but this is not a compliment. Rather, it describes the ward as having a chaotic security situation and a large number of foreign residents from Southeast Asia and other regions.

The Ai Lin slum is also the poorest, dirtiest, and most chaotic corner of the West Shing district.

Across the street from the glamorous Tobita Shinchi, the Airin slum is filled with a faint smell of urine mixed with the stench of cigarettes and alcohol. The streets are littered with garbage and debris, and you can see a few suspicious homeless people and some burly men who look like members of a yakuza gang.

Someone was secretly watching this uninvited guest who had broken in late at night, but when they saw the muscular and strong physique of the Bird Nest Hero, they withdrew their gaze.

Hideo Tosu casually strolled around Airin Street, the hustle and bustle and laughter of Tobita Shinchi still ringing in his ears. Although they were under the same sky, Tobita Shinchi and Airin slums seemed like two different worlds.

「20、30岁的时候，想要成为男人；40、50岁的时候恨自己没成为男人；60、70岁的时候，只想像男人一样死去。」

Bird Hero stared silently at a sentence on the graffiti wall.

Finally, Tosu found a cheap hotel nearby and spent the night there.

The next day, as Tosu Hideo walked out of the hotel, he was hesitating about whether to go to Mutsuki Apartments when the phone suddenly rang. Only Moribe Mamiya knew the number of the phone card he had just bought in Osaka Prefecture.

"Mr. Tosu...can we meet somewhere to talk? I'd like to know about my father...in the end..."

Masamichi Moribe's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Of course, no problem."

Hideo Tosu quickly agreed and comforted her, "Ms. Moribe, please don't be too sad."

"Yes, thank you..."

After agreeing on a time to meet at a family-run restaurant in Shinsaibashi, Hideo Tosu hung up the phone, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Having finally completed his mission, it seems that Mamiya Moribe understands Moribe's helplessness in leaving without saying goodbye and the pain of parting from his family.

This journey of self-redemption has finally come to an end.

Having shed his psychological burden, Tosu Hero also took advantage of this free time to visit Tennoji Temple, which is famous throughout the country, in Osaka Prefecture.

After obtaining the power of the evil god, Tosu Hideo has decided to find a place to live in anonymity in order to avoid implicating his family. Although he has changed his appearance, he cannot stay in a big city like Osaka for long.

I may never have the chance to stroll leisurely through the streets of Osaka again.

Around noon, Tosu Hero arrived at the agreed-upon family restaurant a little early.

Hero Tosu casually ordered a pork chop curry rice, and then started to worry about things like an old father.

Moribe-kun's remains are still in the Aokigahara Forest. I can go and collect the body and hand it over to Moribe Shinji.

As for why Makoto Moribe works in a nightclub, he must have his own reasons for not being able to talk about it. I was a bit offensive for asking so many questions before.

But Mamiya Moribe's predicament is most likely due to a lack of money. Is there any way I can help her? But I left my savings and bank cards to my wife, and I'm powerless to help her now... Is there any way to get money?

Tosu Hideo waited and waited, but Moribe Masamichi was more than two hours late and still hadn't shown up.

When he called back, no one answered. Tosu Hero was getting a little uneasy. Just then, a news report came on the TV in the family restaurant:

"A young woman fell from the fourth floor of the Mutsuki Apartment in Dotonbori 3-chome this morning."

"He is currently undergoing emergency treatment at the hospital."

"Whether it was suicide or an accident, the police are investigating."

(End of this chapter)