[#CreativeAward2024] Honekawa Sujiemon "Chapter 5: The Man Who Doesn't Know Sujiemon" (2400 characters)
Chapter 5 "The Man Who Doesn't Know Sujiemon"
Note Town is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful starry sky, and strangely enough, there is one day a year when the most magnificent galaxy can be seen. On that day, the "Note Town Star Festival" is held, attracting many tourists. A popular souvenir from this festival is a beautiful, small galaxy created by gathering the essence of the Honekawa family's technology. Because these small, glowing galaxies inside capsules can only be obtained in Note Town, they sell out immediately.
Yet, it was said that every tourist who wanted one at this year's Star Festival was able to get their hands on one. Moreover, rumors reached the ears of Honekawa Sujiemon that they were still available even days after the festival had ended.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. However, we have also started receiving complaints from people who were sold fake galaxies."
"That is a grave situation..."
Muttering this, Honekawa Sujiemon jiggled his belly and began his undercover investigation.
"Eek! Sujiemon-sama is going undercover!"
High-pitched voices erupted from the women in the station.
"Alright, I'll do my best too."
The subordinate rushed outside, his eyes shining with respect for Sujiemon.
"The subordinate is leaving through the door, isn't he?"
"Well, obviously."
A senior officer reprimanded the junior with a strangely smug look on his face.
"You bought this from a galaxy vendor?"
"Yes. But look! It's not glowing today!"
A tourist replied to the subordinate's inquiry, filled with rage. Having heard rumors that the famous galaxies were still being sold, many tourists were still staying in Note Town.
"There is a possibility that this galaxy is a fake."
"What! A knockoff? I thought that wouldn't happen in Note Town."
The subordinate told the disappointed tourist with confidence.
"The Note Town Police are currently working with all their might. Please do not make any further purchases."
"Well... if the Note Town Police, with their nearly 0% crime rate, say so..."
The tourist reluctantly agreed.
"By the way, where did you buy this galaxy?"
"From that galaxy vendor over there!"
In the direction the tourist was pointing, there was a clearly suspicious galaxy vendor hurriedly packing up his shop.
"Excuse me..."
The subordinate called out and started running. Leaving a "Thank you!" to the tourist, the subordinate hurriedly gave chase.
"I got to see an arrest in safe Note-cho!"
The tourist was happy for some reason.
"Do you think we'll get caught?"
"Don't be a coward, just polish it."
This is the hideout of the fake galaxy sellers. Several men are silently polishing small stones. The polished stones sparkle. They put them into capsules to make them look like the real thing.
"You guys! Do you think you'll get away with this?!"
The one shouting this is the subordinate who was chasing the suspicious galaxy seller earlier. He had been captured by the fake galaxy seller's accomplices and brought to the hideout.
"If you do things like this, Sujiemon-san will catch you!"
"Huh? Sujiemon? Who's that?"
The boss of the fake galaxy sellers is neither a resident of Note-cho nor an Evil Flower. He was just a tourist who happened to visit Note-cho and found star-shaped pebbles by the river. He thought of picking them up, and when he polished them lightly, they shone like real galaxies, so he came up with the idea of selling fake galaxies.
However, unlike the real ones, these fake galaxies stop glowing the next day. If they were real, they would continue to shine until the "Star Festival" of the following year began, and as the light faded, one would know it was time for the Star Festival.
The man, not knowing this, thought that money was just lying around on the riverbanks of Note-cho, so he brought his local juniors back with him just before the "Star Festival." He then turned them into pebble-polishing staff and sold the fake galaxies to unsuspecting tourists.
"I never thought we'd be sniffed out by the police. I guess they're so peace-addled that I got caught right away."
The subordinate looked frustrated at being told this.
"You're staying here until we make our getaway. 'Honekawa Sujiemon,' my foot! Hah!"
Just as the boss said that and scoffed,
"I won't! Let you get away!"
A voice echoed through the hideout.
"W-who's there!"
"It's Honekawa Sujiemon!"
With that shout, Honekawa Sujiemon leaped in front of the leader with a speed that one would never imagine from his appearance.
"Ho, Honekawa Sujiemon?"
The boss of the fake galaxy sellers was startled to see Honekawa Sujiemon for the first time. Shocked by the discrepancy between the name and the physique, his thoughts came to a halt. He stood there, stunned, with his mouth hanging open.
One of his underlings,
"Huh! Honekawa Sujiemon! What's that?"
he said, standing up aggressively. The moment the underling tried to punch Sujiemon, Sujiemon's body danced into the air.
Whoosh, spin, bounce, thud.
The aggressive underling's eyes rolled back. Sujiemon landed with a thud and looked at the other underlings.
"Oh crap! Run!"
Even as the underlings panicked and scrambled to flee,
whoosh, spin, bounce, thud.
they were knocked down one after another by Sujiemon's astonishing belly attacks. The stunned boss of the fake galaxy sellers snapped out of it and looked for an escape route, but Honekawa Sujiemon was blocking the exit. The boss, panicking and looking around, spotted his tied-up subordinates and ran toward them.
"Ah!"
"Don't come any closer! If you do, this guy's life is over!"
The cowardly man held a sharp blade to his subordinate. The boss of the fake galaxy sellers intended to use his subordinate as a hostage to escape.
"Sujiemon-san! Don't worry about me, take him down!"
"I cannot do that!"
Hearing that conversation, the boss felt relieved and grinned. Our hero, Honekawa Sujiemon, did not miss that moment.
"Opening!"
Whoosh, spin, bounce, thud.
The boss of the fake galaxy sellers was defeated in an instant.
"So there are people other than Evil Flower who do bad things in Note-cho."
"That's right, that is why the crime rate in Note-cho is 'about 0%'."
"That's somehow frustrating."
"However, a young person with a sense of justice like you is growing up. And I never neglect to nip the buds of evil. Therefore, the future is bright."
"Sujiemon-san..."
The subordinate's eyes glinted. Honekawa Sujiemon, his gaze filled with compassion, gently handed over a handkerchief.
Before being released, the fake galaxy peddlers had all thoughts related to their misdeeds erased using the Honekawa family's unique technology, and they were sent back to their hometowns. Seeing them return from Note-cho as good people, the locals whispered to each other, "The rumor that Note-cho purifies the heart must be true."
Thus, the existence of Honekawa Sujiemon was protected.