Chapter 278

## Miss Kaeko and The Free-Swinging Vagrant Boy

**Miss Kaeko and The Free-Swinging Vagrant Boy**, or **Lady Kaeko and... Norabo Lets It All Hang Out** (花枝子お嬢様と ふりちんノラ坊, *Kaeko ojōsama to furi-chin nora bō*) is the 278th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

A naked Sugimoto kicks Tsurumi's gun out of his hand as he threatens the 7th Division soldiers not to lay a finger on Kaneko. As Sugimoto attempts to pick up Tsurumi's gun from the ground, he is tackled by Usami and the two men wrestle in front of a smiling Ogata and a flustered Kaneko who comes face to face with Sugimoto's behind as he pleads her not to look. Yamamura advises Kaneko to flee while Tsukishima tells Ogata to stop grinning and help stop Sugimoto. From the hallway, Kikuta is confused by the turn of events and wonders who the other soldiers are.

As Sugimoto continues to fight with Usami and Tsukishima, Tsurumi compares Sugimoto to a photo of Yuusaku and notes that they are not the same person, much to Ogata's disappointment. Usami then asks Sugimoto who he is as he punches him in the face and Tsukishima kicks him in the side, but Sugimoto smashes a flower vase over Tsukishima's head. Sugimoto then prepares to throw a table at the two soldiers while Tsukishima picks up Tsurumi's gun and fires at him. However, Sugimoto is saved by Kikuta who jumps into the fray and takes the shot for him as he tells Sugimoto to run away. Hamako keeps Ogata preoccupied as she also tells them to run and Sugimoto takes Kaneko's hand to escape as Kikuta follows them out.

Tsurumi tells his men not to follow them, recognizing Kikuta, and realizing that he was actually doing his job after all. In the hallways, Sugimoto and Kaneko runs into Yuusaku as Yuusaku recognizes Sugimoto but shows concerns that he is naked. Kaneko takes Sugimoto around Yuusaku and continues to run while Yuusaku spots Kikuta but Kikuta says he has the wrong person. Safely outside, as Sugimoto puts on a new shirt, he asks Kikuta who Tsurumi and the others were but Kikuta is just as clueless and speculates that there were also others working for Lord Hanazawa. Sugimoto says that he thought they might have been his "plan B" but Kikuta denies it, saying that it would have involved a fake Hanazawa parents, which Sugimoto calls a horrible plan as well.

Sugimoto wonders if the soldiers will come after Kaneko to prevent her from talking about Hiro but Kaneko says that there is no need as she wishes to marry Sugimoto instead. However, Sugimoto says that he has no family or home and that he has nothing to his name, but Kaneko says that it does not matter to her as her family has money. Even so, Sugimoto says that the world they live in just too different and that he should not be in her world. Kaneko continues to argue, saying that he can just get used to living in her world by staying with her and asks that since he has nowhere to stay, what his plans will be. Sugimoto declares that he will join the army so he can at least have some white rice to eat.

Yamamura approaches them, saying that since marriage is a bond between two houses, her family will never allow her to get married to Sugimoto. She continues, saying that despite her intentions and the pressure from those around her, Kaneko is a wonderful woman who does not need a handsome man by her side as decoration to regain her lost sense of self-esteem and that she can prove herself all on her own. Kaneko finally relents and Sugimoto bows to her, apologizing for having deceived her while thanking her for giving a glimpse of a different, gorgeous world.

Kaneko says her farewells, bowing as well and tells Sugimoto to become a truly dashing soldier before parting ways. Afterwards, Kaneko became the talk of the town for becoming romantically entangled with a big name in the world of finance and became called the "Empress". Furthermore, Kaneko joined a women's association where she dedicated her energies to nursing injured soldiers returning from the Russo-Japanese War as well as providing support for war widows.

At the Imperial Academy, Yuusaku and Ogata crosses path for the first time as Ogata stares menacingly back at his half-brother. Elsewhere, Kikuta rubs the shoulder wound he had received from Tsukishima and Sugimoto questions why he would take a shot for some vagrant kid he found on the streets. As Kikuta lights up a cigarette, he says that it was his own fault for getting Sugimoto involved in the Hanazawa mess so it should be fine, but also that it does not matter as he has VIP seats on the train headed for hell. Kikuta tells Sugimoto to forget about him and Yuusaku Hanazawa as well before asking him if he was truly serious about joining the army. He then thanks Sugimoto for all his hard work before requesting for his brother's cap back.

## Character Appearances

* Saichi Sugimoto *(Flashback)*
* Tokushirou Tsurumi *(Flashback)*
* Tokishige Usami *(Flashback)*
* Hyakunosuke Ogata *(Flashback)*
* Kaeko Kaneko *(Flashback)*
* Hamako Yamamura *(Flashback)*
* Hajime Tsukishima *(Flashback)*
* Mokutarou Kikuta *(Flashback)*
* Yuusaku Hanazawa *(Flashback)*