Konjiki no Gash!! Chapter 4

**Kiyomaro, Popular Person** (清麿、人気者, *Kiyomaro, Ninkimono*) is the 4th chapter of Makoto Raiku's Konjiki no Gash!!. This chapter was originally released in Japan as part of volume 1 on May 18, 2001.

## Plot

It’s the next day at school, and Kiyomaro’s walking to class as he thinks about the new spell that showed up in the red book; he can’t possibly imagine what kind of powerful attack *Rashirudo* could unleash. His classmates and other students are all in whispers around him, and Gash pops his head out of Kiyomaro’s duffle bag to comment on their behavior. Kiyomaro shoves Gash back in the bag, but starts taking more notice in what his classmates are saying. Rather than their usual judgmental and insulting whispers, they’re looking at him in awe and with respect. Kiyomaro is confused when he overhears a classmate murmur about him that he’s genius who’s making bombs.

Soon after Kiyomaro sits at his desk, another classmate slaps him on the shoulder, commending his bravery. It’s then that Suzume shows up and shows Kiyomaro the newspaper, and he sees that he and Gash are on the front page for having saved everybody at the bank robbery. Kiyomaro prevents Gash from popping out of the bag again, and Suzume asks Kiyomaro if Mariko and his other classmates ask him more about the robbery, to which he agrees and answers all of their questions. This makes Kaneyama angry and he lashes out that it’s a problem Kiyomaro is making bombs, cluing in Kiyomaro on where that rumor started. Gash emerges from the bag and starts wailing on Kaneyama who then exclaims that Gash himself is the bomb. Kiyomaro’s teacher interrupts, questioning Kaneyama’s absurd accusation.

The teacher compliments Kiyomaro, and says Gash can’t stay in the classroom and sends him to the nurse’s office. Kaneyama leaves during lunch. Outside the school, he’s approached by a man standing outside his car; the man asks him if the kid in the newspaper goes to this school. Kaneyama yells at the man that they’re both inside and storms off. The man apologizes for the trouble, and a strange kid can be seen sitting in the car’s backseat. After school, Kiyomaro and Gash are walking home with Suzume, who reflects that it was cool how everyone at school wanted to talk to Kiyomaro, but Kiyomaro tries to excuse their interest for some other reason they must have wanted to talk to him. Gash says that Kiyomaro will make even more friends as they continue the heroics. Suzume formally introduces herself to Gash and tells him that Kiyomaro is way better now thanks to him. Kiyomaro asks what they’re whispering about, but Suzume says it’s a secret and parts ways with them.

Continuing on their walk, Kiyomaro stops Gash to attempt to thank him, but ends up just saying he’ll pay Gash back. They hear a loud voice shout *Gikoru*, and large ice shards slam into the ground before them and they slide down the hill. Kiyomaro tries to get his bearings but they hear another *Gikoru*, and Gash gets struck by the ice shards this time. Kiyomaro frantically looks around and then he spots them: the man who spoke to Kaneyama earlier, and beside him a kid Kiyomaro believes looks just like Gash. What’s more, the man is holding a blue book that looks exactly like Gash’s. The man tells Kiyomaro not to worry, that they just want the kid, Gash.

## Features

### Characters by Appearance

* Gash Bell
* Kiyomaro Takamine
* Hiroshi Yamanaka
* Suzume Mizuno
* Mariko Nakamura
* Suzuki
* Takeshi Kaneyama
* Hidetoshi Nakata
* Hosokawa
* Reycom

### Locations

* Mochinoki City
	+ Mochinoki Middle School

### Spells by Appearance

* Zakeru (Flashback)
* Gikoru (Debut)