I never thought that my life would turn out like this.
Living in a crappy apartment with paper-thin walls.
Treated like an absolute moron by my manager, who's younger than me.
Then those punks picked a fight with me, and I somehow ended up apologizing.
I've only had one girlfriend in my entire life, and that was in middle school.
Where the hell did I go wrong?
Huh?
You're kidding.
Huh?
Who the hell is this lame-looking punk?!
It's me! It's me from middle school!
I was so lame!
Man, I'm starving.
I want some katsudon.
What's wrong, Takemichi?
Sorry, I've gotta go.
Huh? Go where?
Yes?
Wait, Hanagaki-kun?
Were you fighting again?
You can't keep getting into fights like that!
Huh?
Wait, are you one of my sister's friends?
Tachibana Naoto...
That's right. In twelve years, he's going to die, too.
On July 1st, twelve years from now...
Your sister's...
going to die.
And that's also when... you're going to die.
July 1st, 2017.
Make sure you remember this date, Naoto.
And protect your sister.
Okay, I will.
J u l y
Tuesday
Please help me.
I know you'll be able to save my sister.
Me? Save Tachibana?
Time travel.
I've observed something about your power.
You jumped from the present, July 4th, 2017, to July 4th, 2005.
Which means you can go back to the same date twelve years ago.
I believe that is your power.
I'm so tired.
There, that's important.
Huh? Uh, right.
Also, there. Did you actually read that part?
R-Right...
And then the next part...
You've gone too far.
Yes, there. Please remember that part, too.
1 Day's Worth of Vitamin C
Mega Eyes Open
For two days since then, I've been locked in Naoto's apartment and haven't slept a wink.
Unamin
You need to pack as much information as possible
about the Tokyo Manji Gang into your head.
Naoto's insane.
He's trying to kill me.
Multiple shell corporations exist, listed
Five days ago on July 1st,
Tachibana Hinata was involved in a dispute among members of the Tokyo Manji Gang and died.
During a festival,
a truck drove in, aiming for some stalls, and she was one of the victims.
She was 26.
In that report,
1 Day's Worth of Vitamin C
you'll find some of what the Tokyo Manji Gang has been up to
that hasn't been reported by the media.
That's information my predecessor risked his life gathering.
That last photo is actually him.
Huh?
He was investigating undercover when he was discovered and killed.
In one of his eye sockets,
they found the media device that fully recorded his murder
in place of his gouged-out eyeball.
I kept requesting transfers
until I finally got assigned to my predecessor's position six months ago.
The death of this investigator is under wraps because they didn't want to cause panic,
though that's only part of the reason.
MPD
The Tokyo Manji Gang was already under Kisaki Tetta's control before it happened.
Naoto is trying to fill my brain
with all of the information there is about the Tokyo Manji Gang.
But is this all necessary to save Tachibana?
If there's one problem with your power,
it's that you can only go back to this date twelve years ago.
But that's just your observation.
You're apparently alive right now, so what happened back then must be real,
but I don't even know if I can go back aga—
If we can go back to the day my sister died
and keep her from going to that festival,
it might be possible to save her.
But since we can't go back to the exact date we want,
we'll do everything we can right now.
You need to go back in time immediately,
to when you were in middle school twelve years ago,
and meet a certain someone.
A certain someone?
Toman has two leaders.
Sano Manjiro and Kisaki Tetta.
Yikes...
Sano and Kisaki...
If these two had never met, the current Tokyo Manji Gang never would've existed.
Which means that my sister wouldn't have to die, either.
I see...
If I go back to being in middle school again and stop those two from meeting...
I-I mean, I get it, but how am I supposed to go to the past again?
Takemichi-kun, you said that when you came back, you shook hands with me.
Huh? Yeah.
That might be the trigger.
A handshake, huh?
You saved me back then.
And because of that, I may have become part of your powers.
I see.
I thought he was a bit crazy,
but Naoto actually believes I can travel through time.
That's why he's so serious.
Takemichi-kun, are you ready?
I want to save Tachibana, too.
Yeah.
Just as much as Naoto!
Sano Manjiro
Shinjuku, Shibuya Roppongi, Ikebukuro
Robert Hasegawa
Contact
Kinoshita Hisayoshi
Sano and Kisaki.
They met in August twelve years ago.
Find one of them, stay by his side, and stop the two of them from meeting.
Yeah, I'll give it a shot.
You're the only one who can save my sister.
Yeah!
Let's do this!
Huh? Where'd Naoto go?
Quit messin' around, you dumbshit!
Hurry up and fight!
Kill him!
Huh?! Hey, wait!
Did you eat good before you came here?!
I'm gettin' tired here, you dumbass!
Huh? What?
Yeah! Go!
Huh?!
Hanagaki, you little shit! I've got a thousand yen ridin' on you!
What?! What the hell is going on?!
Hang on a second!
7/6/2005 (Thurs)
This is twelve years ago today!
Naoto was right!
W-Wait a min—
I really did go back in time again.
Hey, Hanagaki's awake.
Did I... pass out?
Don't go down after one punch, you dumbass.
We're all bettin' money here!
Talk about a lame-ass match.
Match?
Right, Kiyomasa?
That scar on his brow... He's the top delinquent of Shibuya Third Middle School...
Kiyomizu Masataka!
If people stop coming to these fight club matches to bet, there's no point.
Fight club?
Oh, right. People were betting on that fight.
Now I remember. These guys were in charge of that!
For now, teach that piece of trash a lesson.
Hey! Quit makin' like a turtle!
Get up, damn it! So I can teach you a proper lesson!
That's right... I'm their slave!
I did whatever they told me to...
What's with this stupid turtle?
Leave me somewhere to punch, Red.
Holy shit, you're pathetic!
Being forced to fight guys we don't even know...
And if we lose, we get our asses kicked even more.
Day after effing day...
It was Hell on Earth.
And that's why I ran away.
Ow...
I abandoned my friends and even Tachibana, my girlfriend.
Tachibana...
Do better next time. You sucked ass today.
Let's go home.
Should we get some ramen?
Hey...
Wow, you're persistent. Damn, you're actually conscious?
So...
You guys belong to the Tokyo Manji Gang, right?
I'd like to meet one of the leaders. Either Sano or Kisaki...
I was wondering if that'd be possible somehow.
Oh, if not, I understand.
Bring me my bat.
I-I'm sor...
H-Hey... Maybe we should stop him soon.
Uh, yeah...
Kiyomasa! Dude, stop! You're gonna kill him!
Wake your ass up, Hanagaki.
The next time Sano-kun's name comes outta your mouth...
You get it, don't you?
I'll kill you.
He's scary as hell!
What the hell is his problem?! That wasn't even a conversation!
This is impossible! How am I supposed to meet them?
He said he'd kill me if I ever said that name again! I really will die!
Is this guy seriously in middle school?!
Make contact with the head of the Tokyo Manji Gang? A slave like me?
I can't! I can't do this, Naoto!
I forgot...
I'd totally forgotten!
Oh my gosh...
Holy shit...
I'm just me.
Even in my second life, a failure's still going to be a failure.
I should just go home. To the future.
How do I get back, though?
That's right.
The handshake is the trigger.
If I go see Naoto...
Wait, are they not home?
It's definitely Naoto. As long as I shake hands with Naoto,
I can return to the future.
You're the only one who can save my sister.
Am I running away again?
Huh? Hanagaki-kun?
Tachibana! Why are you here?
Why? That's my house.
Oh, right. Uh, duh—
Did you get into a fight again?
Sorry...
You're beat up more than usual today. Are you okay?
Yeah, uh... I'm totally fine!
Why do boys insist on fighting so much?
If only I were a boy, too.
Huh?
If I was,
I'd go... Take that! And protect you!
I know karate, so if I was a guy, I'd be super strong!
In that case,
I'll protect you, too, Hina.
I just called her "Hina."
Okay.
I-I was just going with the flow.
I want you to call me that!
But I'm going to be the one who protects you.
Huh?
Well, you're such a crybaby, Takemichi-kun.
If I were a guy, I'd definitely be stronger than you.
Hey, that's not fair!
I only cried the other day!
Are you sure?
Just forget about it already!
Nope! I'm never going to forget.
Bye-bye! See you tomorrow!
Yeah!
I'm home!
Push-Button Type
Twelve years from now,
Hina and I won't be dating.
Push-Button Type
We hadn't seen each other in years.
I'm not obligated to save Hina.
I'm going to protect you, Hanagaki-kun!
But she's...
She's not supposed to die!
Takemichi!
Hey, Takuya.
How'd you lose to a guy like him? That wasn't like you at all!
Huh? Oh, you're talking about yesterday.
My bad.
Hey.
Got a minute?
They're gonna do their little fight club again.
It's been every day lately.
Today's fighter... is gonna be Takuya.
What?!
Huh?! Ow!
Yamamoto Takuya... He's always been pretty frail.
If I remember right...
He almost died that day.
Takuya can't do this!
He's not good at fighting at all!
Tell that to Kiyomasa-kun.
Well, can you?
I'd love to take his place if I could.
Akkun actually said he'd try to take his place.
It's not like they'd ever listen to what we had to say.
Akkun...
Thanks, Akkun.
I didn't even do anything.
Takemichi...
Huh?
Just watch!
I'll get revenge for you!
When I win, you better treat me to some gyudon.
Takuya...
Shit.
Anyway, just keep believing you can win, Takuya.
Yeah, I know.
You've got this, Taku—
Wash your damn hands, Yamagishi!
Whoops. I almost touched you with my gross hands.
I thought they were lame, but they're actually insanely cool.
I had such amazing friends in middle school.
All right, let's do this!
Yeah!
If you tense up too much, you might fart.
That's just you, dumbass.
Takemichi, hurry up!
Uh, right.
Hello, ladies and gentlemen!
Today's fighters are as listed in the text that was sent out!
We have Kojima from Sakura MS!
Yeh!
"Yeh," my ass!
You better not lose, dipshit!
Lose and you're gonna go home in your underwear, jackass!
And from Mizo MS, we have Yamamoto!
Die, long-hair!
Better not chicken out!
The current odds are 4 to 6 and slightly in Kojima's favor.
Buck up, Yamada!
Isn't his name Yamamoto?
Who the hell cares, you dumbass?! I've got my life savings of 500 yen riding on you!
Come on over. I'm ready to fillet you any time.
Begin.
Hold it!
T-Takemichi!
The hell is your problem?
Who is that?
Scram, you stupid little second-year!
What? A second-year?
You know, don't you get bored of seeing the same damn match every single time?
You wanna see something more entertaining, don't you?
You're the kid who got knocked out with one punch yesterday.
Piss off!
Something more entertaining?
I need to face him.
F-For example...
I can't run away.
Who the hell are you? Stay outta this!
H-Hey...
Takemichi...
Let's have the king versus the slave.
Hey, hey, hey, hey...
Shit, he's crazy!
The hell did he just say?
What's that supposed to mean?
Takemichi...
You can't mean...
Kiyomasa-senpai...
Fight me!
In the past and the present,
I have to change, or nothing else will.
I'm done running!