REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 17 - Anguish

Hino City, Tokyo: near Hirayamajōshi-kōen Station

Honoka Yamada was a fourth-year office worker, working for a coin-operated parking management company. In the pet-friendly apartment where she lives, there is a mischievous and friendly cat. He was a male Russian Blue named Chori. Whether it was a day when she fell down and tore her pants, a day when her boss yelled at her for making a huge mistake, or a day when she got into a big fight with her boyfriend over something trivial, Chori was always waiting for her at the door and would jump on her shoulder as soon as she got home. So no matter what the day was like, she was always safe with Chori.

"Hey, Chori, the company has closed for the vacation," Honoka said as she patted Chori's head and heard him purring and clearing his throat.

She didn't know if what the Prime Minister said on the news was true or not. But it is true that Tokyo was bombed—in fact, the sky to the south was dyed red—and it seemed to be true that gas stations were empty. When she was told that under such circumstances, there would be no room for coin-operated parking, all she could really say was that it was true.

"Well, we'll figure something out eventually, won't we?"

Chori replied with a meow and climbed onto her lap. As she stroked his supple, dignified back, her smartphone vibrated. The color of the blinking lights made it easy to tell that it was a message from a fellow cat-lover.

<asaka: Oh no! They might run out of cat food! You'd better secure it quickly!>

<hono: What do you mean!?>

Honoka was shocked and replied almost immediately.

<asaka: Cat food, they said, is pretty much all from overseas. Maybe they won't come here anymore.>

<hono: This is terrible.>

<asaka: Ultra-terrible! There are even rumors that the government might start euthanizing pets...>

Honoka froze as she saw the message. Wikipedia's page on the Russian Blue stated that it was in danger of extinction during World War II. Such a tragedy would happen in a state where there is no food for people to eat. And Japan's food self-sufficiency rate is only 40%.

"No, it can't be..."

With her mind blank, Honoka hugged her beloved cat.

Chori was puzzled by his owner's change and licked her cheek as if asking what was wrong with her, who had suddenly cried.

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Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture: Supermarket

Everyone cheered as soon as the truck arrived there, which was open 24 hours a day. A long line of strong security guards stood in front of the entrance, and the doors were closed from the inside. Employees hurriedly arranged the items they had successfully stocked, and when they were done, the store was flooded with customers.

"Lunch, mineral water, toilet paper, limited to one per person!"

The employees called out frantically, and it generally worked. After a while, however, the trouble started again. A man with four sets of toilet paper in his hand tried to get in line at the cash register.

"Sir, each of you is limited to one item—"

"SHUT UP, I NEED THEM!" An old man with a bloodshot face shouted at the young clerk.

Perhaps it was the oil shock generation, but the old man stubbornly refused to budge. The same exchange was repeated over and over again, and the people around him were clearly irritated. The security guard, who should be relied upon at times like this, seemed to have his hand full dealing with the customers outside.