Chapter 16

Cover character: Ryuuji Gouda

Scene 16 is the first chapter included in Volume 4 of Urakata!!

## Summary

Ranmaru's family is visiting town as the Art Squad is trying to catch a runaway director who is grieving an idol's lost innocence. Unbeknownst to the Art Squad, Ranmaru's family was actually tracking down the director as well, having taken interest in what Ranmaru was up to. They use the fishing technique of gill-netting to quickly trap their catch. This is the first introduction of Ranmaru's family in the series, giving the members of the Art Squad a shock when they all turn out to be wildly different from how they imagined them to be, based on Ranmaru's descriptions.

## Plot

While the Film Studies Club is in the middle of a shoot, the director, Geiri Masaru suddenly goes missing. The members of the Art Squad visit his apartment, with Ryuuji at the door, ringing the doorbell and Tomu climbing through the window to unlock the door, since they knew Geiri wouldn't answer the door himself. They confront him about the issue, Maasa speculating that he's just too nervous to go on with the shoot. Geiri refutes it, saying it's about "Mamitan." Izumi checks the news on his phone, reporting to the others about the situation. Apparently, Mamitan of the idol group Innocent had suggestive photos leaked on the Internet. As Geiri tries to explain his distress to the ever-logical Ryuuji, Geiri runs away the moment the members begin to discuss matters among themselves. As the Art Squad members worry about the completion of the film before summer vacation is over, Tomu catches the eye of a girl in a lacy dress with a parasol. Ryuuji and Izumi hatch the plan of using his love of other idols to soothe his hurt over Mamitan. Everyone rushes off, following Ryuuji after he exclaims that he knows where Geiri went. Ruka bumps into a mysterious lady wearing a scarf over her head and sunglasses.

The gang ends up in Akihabara, with Ruka, Izumi, and Ryuuji using information about idol events to try to close in on Geiri's location. Ranmaru likens their method to gill-netting, a technique taught to him when he was young, as the son of a fisherman. The method involves tracking a school of fish and placing a net in their projected path.

Recalling a previous conversation where Ranmaru said he was afraid of his family, Ruka asks him what his family is like. He says that his father loves the sea and new things, his mother is intelligent and gutsy, and his sister is a fighter with a unique fashion sense. When Ranmaru describes them, all of the members imagine rather stereotypical depictions of fisher parents and a fighter big sister. Ranmaru worries as he presents his theory that he was abducted by aliens as a child and that is why he is so different from the rest of his family. He cries as he tells the others about how his father always calls him sardine. Meanwhile, Tomu makes eye contact with the Lolita girl again, this time catching Maasa's attention, who is rather dismissive of her. However, Tomu insists that she had a thug's eyes.

The Art Squad visits maid cafes, karaoke places, and other spots where Geiri would frequent. However, at each spot, they were told that someone else was also asking for Geiri, either a gentleman in a hat, a woman in a scarf and sunglasses, or a Lolita girl. The members discuss the fact that someone else is tracking Geiri but is one step ahead of them as they search the concert venue for an idol show. There, they finally find Geiri and chase him down. While pursuing him, Ryuuji scolds him, saying that he owes an explanation to his cast and crew and that Ryuuji wouldn't mind leaving him alone as long as he explains to the others first.

The gentleman in the hat steps out from an alleyway, saying that he will help since he likes the way Ryuuji thinks. The woman in sunglasses joins him, trapping Geiri's escape route. He takes a turn for another alleyway, but the Lolita girl is there. The woman in sunglasses declares that he is caught in their net and he should come quietly, but the Lolita (who addresses the woman as mom) says that she's too soft and that this situation calls for a line and hook as she takes down Geiri with a jumping lariat.

It is revealed that the odd trio are actually Ranmaru's family, his dad, mom, and sister. This leaves the rest of the Art Squad shocked speechless. Far from what they had imagined, his father is actually a Westernophile and a social networker, his mother is a former intelligence agent, and his sister is a former thug turned Lolita. Ranmaru's family then hurry off to their various obligations and events but not before Ranmaru's father calls him a sardine again. While his mother and sister understand the statement as one of love from his father, Ranmaru doesn't understand it as such. As they leave, Ryuuji reassures Ranmaru that he wasn't abducted by aliens and that his entire family was just weird.

## Characters

* Ranmaru Kurisu
* Tomu Tenba
* Maasa Rokubu
* Ruka Enjoji
* Izumi Samura
* Ryuuji Gouda