Brothers (Part 3)

Chapter 27 - Bank Balance

Nico: "Hmmm, like I though, today might be a little difficult. I used a little too much last month."

Jinx: "What you got there, Nico?"

Nico: "My bank book. It has all the wages I earned from work written down."

Jinx: "Oh yeah. Seitarou has mine cause I don't really know how to use money."

Jyugo: "Why do you have it now?"

Nico: "Don't you check how much money you have, Jyugo?"

Uno: "Ah, Seitarou's taking care of his bank book too, Nico."

Jinx: "Why don't you have yours, Jyugo?"

Rock: "Even if he carried it with him, he'd just lose it immediately, after all."

Uno: "By the way, I'm the one carrying his worker ID around too, since he'd lose it right away."

Jinx: "Oh right."

Uno: "I was well aware of it back when we were on the run, too. When I left some money with Jyugo one time, he got pick pocketed and lost it all somewhere in the hour I wasn't around, it was terrible."

Rock: "He'd try to buy weird folk craft and have weird paintings and stuff palmed off onto him, too."

Jinx: "I didn't know he was into that stuff."

Uno: "He's not. It's just easy for salesmen to trick him into buying anything."

Rock: "Handing money over to Jyugo is the same as tossing it in the trash."

Jyugo: "I'm right here, you know! Bastards..."

Nico: "Then why don't you try buying something this time? This catalogue has pamphlets too."

Jyugo: "... Shopping, huh? By the way, what have you guys bought recently?"

Uno: "I installed the latest water cooler in my game room."

Jyugo: "Isn't that just... water?"

Uno: "Shut up! I wouldn't expect you to get it!"

Rock: "I bought clothes, like inner wear for working out and a shirt to change into. I'm fine with the stuff they give me here too, but this manufacturer makes clothes that fit pretty well, so even if it's a little expensive I buy from them."

Jyugo: "Ain't it the same either way?"

Rock: "Shut up! No it's not!"

Nico: "As for me, I bought monthly anime magazines, limited-production DVDs, and special bonus CDs! I can't have most of it until after they get released, but I won't have another chance to get the limited edition series box set featuring character information, commentary, behind the scenes footage, movable figurines, and a drama CD, y'know!"

Jyugo: "Uhh... sorry, but I have no idea what you're saying right now. What about you, Jinx?"

Jinx: "It's a secret, so don't tell anyone, okay. But Seitarou's helping me save up for a tram— tramo..."

Uno: "Trampoline?"

Jinx: "Yeah, that! It's for my playground. So, what are you gonna buy, Jyugo?"

Jyugo: "Uhhh...Mmm..."

He clearly had no idea.

Nico: "Come to think of it, doesn't this place let us claim wages for the labour we did in other prisons? Jyugo's been to more prisons than any of us, and he's been in jail a lot longer than us too, so if he hasn't used any of his money... then I wonder how much he's got in savings now?"

I looked over to see Uno and Rock shaking and knew just by the looks on their faces what was going to happen next.

Jinx: "Uh, hey Jyugo... would you mind... opening the door?"

Jyugo: "Huh? Sure, but why?"

The second he opened it, Uno and Rock bolted right out.

Jyugo: "What the-!"

Uno & Rock: "SEITAROOOUUU!!!"

Jinx: "Saw that coming. Wait for us!!"

Jyugo, Nico and I ran after them to the guard room.

Seitarou: "Woah, what's gotten into you guys?"

Uno: "Seitarou, we need to see Jyugo's bank book right now!"

Seitarou: "Uh, sure, I guess."

He gave it to Jyugo who wasn't nearly as excited.

Uno: "Hey Jyugo, i- it's fine if I look, right?!"

Jyugo: "Whatever."

Rock: "Th-there's no way, right? It can't be..."

Nico: "I'm so curious."

Jinx: "I wanna see too!"

He opened it. Dead silence for a solid minute.

Rock, Uno & Nico: "OH! MY! GOSH!"

Jinx: "That's a lot of numbers..."

Rock, Uno & Nico: "S-So this is the true might of a man with no greed!"

Jyugo: "...?"

Uno: "SEITAROU!! Guard this thing with your damn life! Don't you dare just irresponsibly hand it over to Jyugo, got it!"

Seitarou: "Wh-what?! Why?!"

Rock: "It's way too early for him to have that kinda money!! Just take it before he treats it like wastepaper! GUARD IT!!"

Seitarou: "O-okay."

He takes it.

Seitarou: "Listen guys, please go back to your cell before the supervisor finds out."

Uno: "Fine. But just keep that safe!"

Rock: "And don't tell the other inmates!"

We went back to our cell.

Nico: "You really didn't use a single cent, Jyugo?"

He shook his head like it was nothing.

Jinx: "Do all those numbers mean he has a lot?"

Uno: "It does, sweet child... it does."

Jyugo: "Hey, why'd you give him back my bank book? It's my money, isn't it?"

Uno: "It's normal to not want to watch someone throw money away right before your eyes, y'know."

Rock: "There's no way you can handle that much cash. Start with learning about the value of things first."

Jyugo: "The hell? You guys aren't my moms! And just when I thought I'd try to buy this 'Kinda Ok Charcoal', too!"

Uno & Rock: "That's what we're talking about, idiot!!"