Short Story | Ito's Part-time Job Chronicles ⑥ (Town Planning)

"I only have one day off again this week."
Ito muttered to himself in his room.
It had been two years since he came to this town, and he realized he hadn't stepped outside of it even once. It felt like a waste to just lounge around in his room on his day off, so he thought he might try going as far as the next town today.

He spotted his bicycle, which had been left in front of his apartment, and decided to ride it.
This town was compactly organized, and the outskirts were desolate. He thought that might be one of the reasons why he never felt like leaving the town.
No matter how far he went, the land was just covered in sparse, short, thin grass.
Just as he was about to enter the next town, the usual Yamasaki Bread truck was parked sideways, blocking the road. Then, a man in camouflage stepped out of the truck. Two more people climbed out of the cargo bed.
He was startled.
He had a bad feeling and wanted to run away, but since there was nowhere to hide, he decided to pretend not to notice and pass by.
The man asked, "Ito-kun. What's wrong?" He was a complete stranger.
"I was just thinking of going for a cycle to the next town," he replied.
"You can't use this road," he was told.
There was something unpleasant mixed into the man's voice, so he replied, "Understood. I guess I'll head home for today," and turned on his heel as quickly as possible, hoping the man wouldn't change his mind.
As Ito pedaled his bicycle with all his might, he became convinced that this town was indeed not normal.

From then on, Ito checked the town's borders every time he had a day off. However, he would find trucks blocking the road in the same way, or wire fences like those around Self-Defense Force grounds stretching on forever, or even places with nothing at all, but those places usually had things that looked like surveillance cameras attached to the utility poles.
After that, he became increasingly careful about his actions and words.

On this day, the five of them were at 'Izakaya Hamachan' together for the first time in a while.
Ito tried to sound natural and said, "I haven't really gone on any trips lately."
"Trips? I haven't been on one since the school trip, that's for sure."
"Me neither."
"I haven't either. But I'm not interested. I don't even want to leave this town."
"Ah, I get that. Me too."
"Wait, what? None of you have left town since the school trip?"
"Ah, yeah, I guess so."
"It's not a big deal. Cars cost money to maintain, so there's no benefit to owning one."
"That's true. I'm satisfied just coming to an izakaya like this once in a while."
"And I'm busy with futsal."
They were definitely around my age, meaning about 25 or so, and I remember Nakamura saying he was turning 30 this year. I myself hadn't even thought about going anywhere for a change of pace until recently, and Ito felt keenly that it might not be right to keep wasting his time in this bizarre town during his youth.
For some reason, this town has a mysterious sense of comfort. But lately, after checking the town's borders, I've realized that the people in this town, including myself, are definitely being managed. Since then, I've felt uncomfortable. However, I felt that if I said such things out loud, I would be seen as a crazy conspiracy theorist, so Ito decided to keep quiet.

"Ito-chan."
Nakamura started in a strangely formal tone.
"I'm really sorry, I couldn't tell anyone but you, Ito-chan, but I've decided to give up on taking down Akemi."
No, no. I never intended to take her down in the first place.
"I think I understand your frustration, Ito-chan, and it felt like betraying my friends, so I couldn't say it until now..."
No, no. I told you many times to stop, didn't I?
"So I told Akemi. And then, saying it was a bit late, she offered compensation."
"Wait? Nakamura, you met Akemi directly and collected compensation?"
"That's right."
"Wait, wait. If they're apologizing, there was no need to fight, was there?"
"No, no. That wouldn't settle your feelings, would it, Ito-chan? That's where I stepped in!"
I had told Nakamura many times that I would be happy just getting the compensation. He was so excited that I couldn't tell if he was listening or not.
It seems like he doesn't understand unless I say things clearly, one word at a time.
"I understand. Nakamura, thank you for going to the trouble."
"I've decided to let it go."
"But Agatsuma-chi, Sasayan, and Kato-kun were also victims. Unless they get some kind of compensation for damages, it's hard for me to accept the compensation either."
"No. Itokin... I didn't tell you, Ito-chan, but I already gave compensation to Agatsuma-chi, Sasayan's parents got a trial house in Midorigaoka, and Kato-kun just got a haircut at a salon the other day. Everyone is already satisfied. You're the only one left, Ito-chan."
Now that he mentioned it, Kato did look better groomed than the average girl, and if anything, he even looked attractive.
If the Sasaki family is living in Midorigaoka, their life is ranked much higher than it was before the fire.
As for Agatsuma, he was always missing a screw, so I don't really know how he was satisfied, but anyway, if everyone is satisfied, there's no problem.
However, Ito felt dizzy. It was because Nakamura's perception and his own were so different. Moreover, if things could proceed so smoothly between Akemi and Nakamura, it seemed like a waste that he had stuck his neck out and had his balls crushed in the first place. He thought that if he could go back to the beginning, he would definitely do nothing.
"Nakamura. Maybe I was bad at explaining, but I would have been satisfied if the apology and compensation were cleared up. So, let's end the talk about Akemi here."
I wanted to explain the more detailed circumstances, but I was afraid it would go in a weird direction again, so I tried to keep it brief.
"I see. In that case, take the compensation before I change my mind."
Nakamura handed Ito an envelope containing the compensation.
Ito felt completely exhausted.
"I'm going to the bathroom."

While urinating, Ito reminisced, thinking that this was where his balls had been crushed.
"Ito-kun."
It was a young woman's voice he had never heard before.
But Ito couldn't stop urinating at all. Still, he wondered why girls in this town would enter the men's restroom.
"Ito-kun. It's just as you think. This town is being managed."
The urination stopped.
When he turned around, Kato was standing there.
Ito had turned around first when he should have zipped up his pants, so his private parts were completely exposed.

(To be continued)

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