Chapter 1

**Chapter 1** is the first chapter of the *Honto Yajuu* series, written and illustrated by Yamamoto Kotetsuko. The chapters of *Honto Yajuu* lack titles, and are thus known simply by number order.

## Overview

Aki and Ueda first meet due to an underwear thief, and begin to get to know each other in the days that follow.

## Plot

Ueda Tomoharu answers his door at five in the morning to find a loudly dressed yakuza on his doorstep, who rudely lets himself in. Ueda has no idea who this man is, but lets him in anyway.

After inviting himself in, the yakuza introduces himself as Gotouda Aki and, while blushing and saying "Thanks for last night," presents Ueda with an envelope. Ueda is momentarily confused by the mention of "last night," and recalls an incident in which he happened to catch an underwear thief red-handed while on his way home from the mini-mart.

In a flashback, Ueda catches the thief, then calls the police while pinning the criminal to the ground. Immediately upon spotting a pair of red men's boxers, a young man runs up, out of breath, and declares the "pervert" as his "prey." Ueda informs the man that he has already called the authorities, at which point the man expresses annoyance and demands that the criminal be handed over to him rather than to the cops. When Ueda explains that he himself is a police officer - though as he was off-duty, does not have his badge at the moment - the young man snatches up his underwear from the ground and flees, thus taking the evidence shortly before the on-duty officer arrives.

After recalling the incident, Ueda attempts to recall those present at the scene - himself, the thief, ? (the young man), and a crowd of onlookers - but does not remember Gotouda being among them. He removes Gotouda's sun glasses, however, and is able to identify him as "the underwear guy," despite his dramatically changed appearance. Gotouda grows angry at being referred to as "underwear guy" and snatches back his sunglasses, but continues to insist that Ueda take the envelope of money he presented earlier in thanks.

Ueda refuses to take the money, but after Gotouda claims that it would be an insult to his honor, agrees to take the envelope, which includes a hand-written thank-you note from Gotouda. When Ueda attempts to hand back the money, Gotouda sighs and says that "It's no use, I knew it," before confessing that he likes Ueda, that it was love at first sight.

Sometime later, Ueda Is at work, and reflects briefly on his skill at resolving conflicts, and his love of doing so. He is brought out of his reverie by a fellow officer, who mentions that the thief was in fact the son of a doctor, then asks after Ueda's health, as he appears quite tired. Their conversation is interrupted but a woman who has come to report the presence of several strange and scary men loitering near the police box.

The strange men are Gotouda and Takohage, a mob underling, who have come to watch Ueda at work. Gotouda reflects on the similarity of his star-crossed love for Ueda, as a mobster loving a cop, and compares them to the story of Romeo and Juliet (which he incorrectly refers to a Romero and Juliet - Takohage corrects him, and is subsequently beaten up).

Watching the two, Ueda's coworker comments that there's no mistaking the two for anything other than mobsters. He suggests calling the station, but Ueda wishes to speak to them directly first. After recalling his morning, and how he sent Gotouda away with Takohage after suggesting they begin as friends, Ueda approaches and greets Gotouda. When he explains that they are interfering with the neighborhood, Takohage attempts to defend his "waka", and is punched in the face for his troubles. Gotouda believes this has solved the problem, and is enraged when Ueda clarifies that he was referring to Gotouda as well.

Ueda's coworker grows worried at the confrontation, but following a brief stare-down, Gotouda blushes complies, saying it's "what he gets" for falling in love with Ueda. He says he "used to want to hurl at the sight of that [police] uniform" but that Ueda is different and looks cool, throwing this last over his shoulder.

The next day, Gotouda returns with a thick envelope full of money, claiming that he found it, and that someone must have dropped it. Although Ueda's coworker is taken in by the ruse and shocked that someone could lose so much money, Ueda sees through Gotouda and realizes that the money is his, brought as an excuse to visit the police box. Ueda explains that an excuse isn't necessary, and that the local old ladies stop in to chat all the time. Gotouda mentions that he had thought he'd need to shoplift next time in order to meet Ueda, but Ueda is quick to inform him that no, that will not be necessary. Given the excuse he needs, Gotouda begins to visit every day that Ueda is on duty. Due to his repeated visits, both Senpai and the locals get used to Gotouda, and neither are surprised to see him any longer.

One day, Gotouda asks Ueda about his motivations for becoming a cop. Ueda says that he likes meeting many kinds of people, as well as helping them, and is forced to agree when Gotouda calls him a meddler. Ueda asks if Gotouda will inherit the group, referring to him as Gotouda-kun, but Gotouda insists on being called Aki. When Ueda agrees and refers to him as Aki for the first time, Aki blushes deeply, and quickly launches into an explanation that, as he is the oldest, he is set to inherit leadership of the family, but that people underestimate him due to his looks. Senpai, in a desperate attempt to plead innocence, attempts to block out the conversation by covering his ears.

Aki ends the conversation by asking Ueda to dinner. Ueda agrees, and Aki leaves, promising to return at 6. Senpai expresses the opinion that it must be hard having such a person cling to you and, when Ueda defends Aki as a good person, reminds Ueda that he is still a member of the yakuza, and that people might think poorly of Ueda himself for hanging out with such a person.

Sometime later, Aki and Ueda are at one of Ueda's favorite restaurants. Aki calls Ueda strange for being unfazed by and unafraid of his mob connections, then complains that Ueda wasn't even fazed when being confessed to, though Ueda insists that he was in fact surprised. Aki asks that, now they've gotten to know each other, Ueda give him a final answer. Ueda asks why Aki likes him at all and, when Aki says it's because Ueda saved him, explains that Aki might be suffering from a "transference effect," in which adrenaline is misinterpreted as a different strong emotion, such as love. Aki grows angry at this belittling of his emotions and causes a scene, insisting that his love has only grown and that if Ueda dislikes him he should just say so bluntly rather than providing "weak-ass reasoning," and storms off.

Ueda fails to immediately follow, and Aki takes this as confirmation of Ueda's dislike for him. While distracted by this thought, a group of thugs headed by the underwear thief surrounds Aki. At that moment, Ueda joins Aki, just in time to be hit in the head with a bat by one of the thugs, while Aki is knocked out with chloroform.

As Ueda slowly comes to, he briefly recalls Senpai telling him that the thief had made bail and been acquitted. He awakes to Aki calling his name, and asks if his brain is sticking out of his skull. Despite his pain, Ueda worries for Aki, who insists they've only thrown water on him. The thief interjects at this point, saying that it is because Aki looks cuter with his hair down, and that his fair skin makes him prettier than a girl, then dismisses his henchmen.

Aki attempts to threaten the thief into letting them go, but the thief claims revenge on both Ueda, for catching him and hurting his arm, and Aki, for refusing to give up his underwear. Aki apologizes to Ueda, saying that he would never have gotten caught up in this if he hadn't chased after someone he didn't even like, but Ueda says if he hadn't been caught up, he would have regretted it.

Aki turns to the thief, asking to be untied so that they can move on to "the good stuff." The thief, taken in, approaches, but just as he is about to kiss Aki, Aki headbutts him in the nose instead.

Sometime later, Aki and Ueda are at Ueda's apartment. Aki inspects the wound on the back of Ueda's head, and apologizes again. Ueda insists that there's no need to apologize, since it was Aki who finished things.

Ueda grows jealous at the thought of the thief touching Aki. Aki tells him that this is probably more transference effect and Ueda agrees, but also feels that this is different, and kisses Aki. After a period of passionate kissing, Aki pulls back and suggests that they have sex. Ueda looks badly ill, and asks Aki to call an ambulance, which Aki takes as an insult to his kissing.

The next day, Ueda returns to work. When Aki visits, Senpai detects a difference in their relationship, particularly in Ueda's "vibe." Aki threatens that if anyone ever tries to hurt Ueda again, he will "rip the head off" the perpetrator, then invites Ueda to his house - his house being the Gotouda group's headquarters - while Senpai continues to avoid listening to the conversation.

## Debut

* Gotouda Aki
* Ueda Tomoharu
* Underwear Thief (name not yet revealed)
* Yamase Yasuyuki (name not yet revealed)
* Takihaze (real name not yet revealed)