HSV Battle 6: Gamble

“FINALLY…” Tamiko groaned out inwardly as she, Moriko, Wakana, and Koemi wandered around the village. It had been weeks, WEEKS since she could have tried to help out with trying to find the Mayor.

“It takes someone special to be in for weeks because of a bullet.” She thought to herself as they turned down a corner. Okay, well maybe she was a bit bitter. It was a hollow bullet, and it could have done a lot more damage than she had received.
It had been a gamble. A game of Russian roulette.  Well she had survived this game hadn’t she?

Of course, it didn’t mean that her students were above teasing her repeatedly about it.

“You should have been careful, Wakana.” Tamiko scolded. “Going to the shrine alone. You could have been gunned down.”

“Like you?” Koemi asked with a slight smirk. Tamiko gave a glare but decided not to answer the question.

“ANYWAY, did you three figure out anything while I was out of commission?” Tamiko asked, looking at each of her team’s faces. The three other girls shrugged, which meant a no to some point.

“We got rid of some suspects and gained some more.” Moriko replied.
Figured.

“At least you managed to get rid of some of the suspects.”

“We’re going to the Dango Man’s Shop next…to, you know, ask around.” Wakana chirped and Tamiko inwardly groaned.

Couldn’t they had gone and visited him while she had been in the hospital?

“Oh don’t be such a wet blanket.” Wakana said with a laugh at the older woman’s expression. “He can’t be THAT bad. And you can’t hate dango. There’s just no way.” She argued.

“Not everyone likes dango, Wakana.” Koemi drawled, earning a glare from the turquoise colored hair girl. Moriko and Tamiko, perhaps sensing danger, moved and squeezed themselves in-between the other two. True, it wasn’t likely that the pair would hurt or gun each other down…but with all the madness that was going on, they didn’t need another
It wasn’t that she hated dango. Far from it, she liked it a lot actually. It was the Dango Man she didn’t particularly like. He flirted with girls left and right, not heeding their ages at all. Well maybe a little, but still, the man had no inhibitions of flirting.

“Why hello ladies.” A voice said and a heavyset man said, twirling the end of his mustache said as they entered. Tamiko forced a cheesy smile as Wakana ordered some dango. She began to look around at the shop. There wasn’t a lot of places to hide the mayor here, truth be told.

She turned at the sound of the door’s bell that chimed as it opened. The Dango man called out a greeting. It took her a few moments to recognize the four figures. One sat next to her.

“Aiko-san.”

“Tamiko-san. I see you got out the hospital.” The feminine boy said as he ordered several sticks of dango.

“Why is it that’s the first thing everyone says to me?” Tamiko grumbled.

“Well it ain’t our fault you’re clumsy. If you have beef with it, it’s your own fault.” Aiko teased. Tamiko rolled her eyes, taking a bite out of her own dango.

“So…any leads?” Tamiko asked.

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Not telling. I see your game.”

“Don’t want anyone to double-cross us.” Aiko said coolly.

“We’re after the same thing.” Tamiko argued. The two teachers were silent as their students munched on the dango, while secretively looking around trying to find any clue or hint of the mayor.

“Still. We don’t know who snatched her. There are eyes and ears all over the village, Tamiko-san. I’d best be careful if I were you. Wouldn’t want that hubby to be of yours to meet you at the morgue.”

“Gee, thanks for the advice.” She said dryly. She didn’t hear any threat, nor did she think he was threatening her. Merely warning her to be careful. She glanced up when a young girl walked up to Aiko, shaking her head. Aiko sighed and stood up.

“Be careful.” He said shortly and began to turn around.

“Aiko.” She called out. He turned and looked at her. She bit her lip and then offered a smile. “Don't take any wooden nickels, okay?” She said and he grinned.

“Don’t plan on it.” Aiko said and then bid Tamiko and her students farewell. She then turned and looked at the middle-aged man, and decided to take the gamble.

“So…have you heard anything about the missing Mayor?”