Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 34 Who is that woman?!
How did Ah Jian end up getting on the bus?

And he was sitting in the front row!
Was the driver a woman?
Mio Natsume felt as if her heart was being gripped by an invisible hand, and her breathing became rapid.

She had only planned to take a quick look downstairs at his house before going to work at the convenience store; it was something she could do on the way anyway.

But who would have thought that they would witness such a scene!
Who is that woman?!
She looks very mature and her attire is also very professional.

Is Ah Jian a relative?
That's not right. I never heard of A-Jian having any relatives during my three years of high school. He lives alone, otherwise he wouldn't have been so poor before.

Mio Natsume's mind raced, and various possibilities flashed through her thoughts.

But every line of reasoning ultimately points to an answer that she finds unacceptable...

Ah Jian, is it possible that you already have another woman?
There's a reason she has this idea.

In the memory of that dream, Ah Jian got into another woman's car!
The white Toyota slowly made a U-turn, its wheels rolling over the gravel on the side of the road, making a slight sound.

Natsume Mio quickly retreated and hid in the corner.

She watched helplessly as the car drove off towards the main road, a strong sense of powerlessness welling up inside her.

How to do?
Should we chase after them?

How could anyone possibly catch up...?

Even if we catch up, so what?
I...I and him...we actually have no relationship whatsoever...

He has absolutely no right to dictate who he associates with...

Just as she was feeling extremely confused, she noticed that the car didn't drive directly onto the main road, but instead turned into a small alley at the next intersection.

She knows this area very well.

In that dream, she and A-Jian walked countless times in this residential area, hand in hand, exploring every little path.

In a quieter corner of the city park, they even...

It was a moonless, pitch-black night. She covered her mouth, her heart pounding with fear.

Thankfully, no one came over for a full half hour; just thinking about it makes my face flush and my heart race.

Mio Natsume quickly walked into another alley, and after a few turns, she saw the white Toyota slowly driving towards her, clearly looking for somewhere.

It eventually stopped in front of the parking lot of Myo-in Temple and then drove in.

Mio Natsume hid behind a thick tree trunk, secretly observing the situation over there.

……

Ken Sakamoto and Keiko Kaji got out of the car.

A young man in a monk's robe was sweeping nearby. When he saw Ken Sakamoto, he quickly walked over.

"Ah Jian? Long time no see, what brings you to the temple?"

"Daigo." Ken Sakamoto smiled and waved at him. "I have something to do today. This is my editor. Can I use your parking lot for a bit?"

He introduced him to Keiko Kaji: "This is my friend, Daigo, the Daigo of Ultraman Tiga."

"Haha, hello, hello, what a very interesting name," said Keiko Kaji with a smile that curved her eyes.

"Sister actually knows about Ultraman Tiga!" Daigo was slightly surprised.

“Sister also believes in light~” Kaji Keiko put her hands together and bowed slightly to the young monk: “Hello, nice to meet you, I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

Daigo waved his hand, noticing that it was a beautiful older woman who even knew about Ultraman Tiga! He then flicked his bangs and said, "It's alright, it's alright, there are plenty of parking spaces, park wherever you like. Wait a minute? Ken, you just said this person is... the editor?"

Kaji Keiko smiled and introduced herself: "Yes, I am Sakamoto-sensei's editor."

"Huh... is it a publishing house or something?" "Shueisha," Keiko Kaji nodded and said.

"Shueisha?!" Daigo's eyes widened instantly. He looked at Ken Sakamoto in surprise, "Ken, you've debuted as a manga artist?"

Ken Sakamoto nodded: "Yeah, I guess so."

"Has it been published yet? I really need to see your comic!" Daigo said.

"It's currently being serialized on the web, but it will be available in Weekly Shonen Jump the week after next."

"JUMP?!" Daigo's voice rose a few decibels. "Great job! I'll definitely buy it then! By the way, what's the name of the manga?"

"Chainsaw Man," Ken Sakamoto said, "is my pen name, you'll see when you see it."

"Okay! I got it!" Daigo gave Sakamoto Ken a thumbs up. "I knew you'd be amazing someday, Ken!"

Ken Sakamoto waved to him, then turned to Keiko Kaji: "Editor-san, where shall we talk?"

Keiko Kaji thought for a moment and asked, "Mr. Sakamoto, is your home convenient?"

Sakamoto Ken hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "It's not that it's not possible, it's just that the room is a bit run-down, please don't mind."

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Keiko Kaji quickly waved her hand and said, "I just want to talk to you in person about some arrangements for the company, it'll be quick."

“Alright, the apartment is over there.” Sakamoto Ken said, and led the way toward the old apartment building.

The two walked side by side on the quiet path. Kaji Keiko glanced back at the temple with curiosity and casually asked, "Speaking of which, you know the monks at this temple?"

“I’ve known Daigo for several years. He became a monk here after graduating from junior high school.”

"Not going to high school?" Keiko Kaji asked, somewhat surprised.

“This temple was founded by his father. At that time, his father was seriously ill and was in a hurry to bring him back to familiarize himself with the temple’s affairs, so that he could inherit the family business.”

“Oh…” Kaji Keiko nodded. “So, Daiko-san is now the abbot?”

“No.” Ken Sakamoto shook his head. “His father’s illness was cured later.”

"Oh, that's a real pity... Oops, sorry, sorry, I misspoke..." Kaji Keiko realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly covered her mouth, her face showing an embarrassed expression.

Ken Sakamoto couldn't help but laugh: "It's okay, we used to joke with him like that all the time."

Kaji Keiko breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the imposing temple building, she remarked, "This temple looks very old; it was originally founded by his father..."

“His father is 87 years old,” Ken Sakamoto added.

"Huh?" Keiko Kaji was even more surprised. "Then Daiko-san, he's this year..."

“Daigo is the same age as me,” Ken Sakamoto said. “His mother is not even 50 years old this year. She came to the temple to bury her husband’s ashes. She knows Daigo’s father. Isn’t his father impressive?”

"Ha...I see, that's really impressive..." Keiko Kaji's lips twitched slightly, finding it hard to comment. She then asked, "So you two used to play together a lot when you were little?"

“No, I haven’t lived here for more than a few years.” Ken Sakamoto shook his head. “But we’re quite familiar with the place. For a while, I often came to the temple to freeload meals.”

"A free meal?" Keiko Kaji looked at him in confusion.

Ken Sakamoto shrugged and said in a flat tone, "Yeah, we were poor back then, and we were almost starving. Thanks to the Daigo family and the old lady who runs the convenience store next door."

As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the apartment building.

Ken Sakamoto stopped and pointed to the rusty iron sheet building in front of him.

“I live here,” he said, turning to look at Keiko Kaji.

Keiko Kaji carefully examined the house, which was probably twice her age, calmly hummed in agreement, and followed Ken Sakamoto inside.

(End of this chapter)