Chapter 2: The Cat Rolled It's Eyes At That Moment
TL: Akabane
***
-- The setting has shifted dramatically to Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
As soon as the morning sun lights up the sky, many people are getting up and heading off to school or work.
"Welcome back, Nekomaru-sama."
"Oh ......."
-- Sleepy ....... Jet lag or something?
No, only this man was making his way home.
Dressed in a bloodless suit, with a large suitcase next to him, Nekomaru dozed in the running car.
"I will conquer you, Komakoma! Follow me!"
"Oh, wait a minute, Akane!"
The people who pass by the window one after another, from adults to children, are all people who live in a world different from his own.
There was no way that he would ever have anything to do with any of them, and Nekomaru himself had no intention of living in the same world as them.
Today, as usual, passersby A to Z go in the opposite direction from him.
That is normal everyday life for him.
It was a normal morning, nothing out of the ordinary.
"We have arrived, Nekomaru-sama."
"--...... Hmm? Oh, sorry. I must have fallen asleep."
When I woke up, the car was already parked, and a familiar mansion stood before my eyes.
From the outside, one could only assume that it belonged to some wealthy person, but inside, something far beyond the imagination awaited him.
But for Nekomaru, it was just another day at the office.
Because this is his home, his place to return to. ......
""""Welcome home, Nekomaru-sama!!!""""
The moment the door is opened, men in butler's uniforms, lined up to open the way, greet him with a unified voice.
Nekomaru simply responded with a single word, "Oh."
"Please wash the clothes in the case. If you can't get the dirt out of the clothes, you can throw them away."
"Yes, sir."
"Any available men, head to the weapons collection area. Ask the communications officer where they are."
"Yes, sir."
As usual, he quickly sent instructions to the stewards of the house.
Upon receiving them, one of them took a suitcase out of the car and drove away with a reddish-black stained suit inside.
Another instantly formed a group of several people and left the place together.
"Is Hyoma here?"
"Yes, I'm here ......."
Behind Nekomaru walking down the hallway, a taciturn-looking man wearing a butler's uniform and sunglasses, like the other men, responds as if he had been there all along.
Nekomaru himself responds as if it were a given.
"Where is my father?"
"He is in his room, waiting for Nekomaru-sama's return."
"I see," he replied, and continued walking down the long corridor with a man named Hyoma without hesitation.
After a while, a door appears in front of us.
"I will be waiting for you here. If you need anything, please call me immediately."
Saying this, Hyoma moved to the side of the door and stood there like a pillar.
As soon as Nekomaru responds to his words, he knocks, and a man's voice comes from the other side.
"Neko?"
"Yeah, I just arrived."
"Oops. Then, hurry up and get in."
After receiving permission to enter from the owner of the voice, Nekomaru quietly pushed the door open.
He was alone in a spacious room. A man just past middle age was sitting on a cushion, looking bored.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Neko. I'm sorry for calling you to come home so suddenly."
"No problem at all. Thanks to you, I didn't have time to do the laundry over there. If I can't get all the blood out, you'll get me a new one."
Sitting down on the cushion prepared in front of him, Nekomaru sat down on the floor as if imitating the man.
Meanwhile, Nekomaru's adoptive father, Torahiko Kuroki, laughed and replied to his son's words with a sigh.
"Okay, okay, I'll do that."
"So? What is the requirement? You said it was something important or something like that. ......"
He even went so far as to ask the man of the house to do Nekomaru's job.
It must be a big deal.
Nekomaru had no idea what he was about to be told.
Perhaps because of his nervousness, his expression became more tense than usual.
Torahiko's smile somehow faded, and he too was showing his serious face.
"Oh, that's ....... Neko."
"............."
The air becomes heavy.
Nekomaru could feel the tension building as it enveloped the room.
What in the world will they be telling us ......?
Nekomaru is ready to accept any job-killing order, no matter what it is.
But his father, Torahiko, tells him...
"You're going to be a high school student tomorrow."
This was a far different vector from what he had expected.
"Ha ........................?"
Nekomaru's eyes rolled back in disbelief, and his whole body froze in place, not just his face.
"Dad, please say that again."
"What? Did you miss it?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Oh, okay. I'm going to say it one more time. Just hold your ears."
Just as his father said, Nekomaru sticks his little fingers in both ears to make the sound come in clearer.
-- I'm sure there must be some mistake ....... My dad is right, I must have missed or misheard .......
"Are you ready?"
Torahiko looks at Nekomaru, who nods cockily, and clears his throat.
"Neko ......."
"............."
Listening carefully, Nekomaru focused all his attention on his ears so as not to miss a single word this time--
"--You, you're going to be a high school student tomorrow."
"Haaaa ..........................................?"
I was even more confused.
I didn't mishear. Ah, I wanted it to be a mishearing.
But why should I be so bothered by such a meaningless directive ......?
"Dad ...... why are you suddenly ....... Isn't it too early to be a blabbermouth, asking me to go to high school?"
"Idiot. I'm not a blur. I'm serious."
"You're not a blur, huh?"
Nekomaru was unable to understand even a millimeter of what his father was saying, and his head was in his hands.
Seeing this, Torahiko clears his throat again.
"Neko. Your today's job, I heard there was a flaw in your request."
"Eh, ah, yes. That's right, but ......."
Nekomaru was puzzled by the sudden change of subject, but replied.
"I heard that the number of the targets was different from the report?"
"Yes, there were nine more people than reported. But don't worry, I killed them all without any problem."
Torahiko muttered to himself.
"Nine people, no problem ......?"
"What do you mean......?"
"Cat, you shouldn't lie, right?
"......!"
Nekomaru couldn't help but react to his father's words with a grin.
"I thought you said there were ten people, not nine. That tenth person is ...... probably a child."
"Hmm, so ...... what?"
"I know I haven't been with you since you were born, but I'm still your father. Don't underestimate me."
I didn't think he could see through me.
Nekomaru forgets to hide it and reveals his upset.
"Have you been piling up your past image on top of your own again?"
"............"
Nekomaru silently replied to his father's question.
Torahiko took that as a yes and continued to speak to the silent Nekomaru.
"Neko, do you know why you are called the strongest assassin in the industry but not the best?"
"............"
"That's because you can't kill children."
The two men's face to face appearance was exactly the scene of a father lecturing his son.
"You are a first-class assassin, and even I, the master who taught you how to kill, have long since been surpassed by you. but the moment you deal with a child, you suddenly become unable to kill. That has slowed you down, and there have been more than a few requests that you couldn't fulfill, haven't there? If it's the number of people you've killed, you're unbeatable, but if it's the number of requests you've fulfilled, that's a different story. You haven't forgotten how the White Hound taking over your number, have you?"
Torahiko folds in on his son with pressure.
Nekomaru, with his head down, takes his father's words to heart.
The freezing air never let the two of them off the hook.
"......But."
Then, Torahiko suddenly placed his hand on Nekomaru's head and gently stroked his hair from side to side.
"I prefer a man with compassion like you to such a cold b*stard."
He told him with a gentle voice and a smile.
"Dad ......."
"It's true, the heart is a deadly thing for an assassin. It's their job to take people's lives, but if they get caught up in that kind of thing, it's dangerous for us. But if you lose your mind, you are just like a machine, aren't you? No, we live in an age of artificial intelligence, AI, so you'd rather be less than a machine.
I feel the air, which was cold like winter, become warmer.
I feel my father's kindness enveloping my body and heart.
"For about ten years since you were picked up by me, you were raised to be an assassin, and while living as an assassin, you never lost your mind. You even didn't take the life of a child with a future, even though it was because of the overlap of your old self. You were human. That alone makes me happy. ......"
"Dad......."
"I know you've suffered. I know you've been through a lot. --I'm sure you've been through a lot...so maybe it's time for you to take a break now."
At that moment, Nekomaru had a start.
"Don't tell me, dad ...... really wants me to go to high school for that reason?!"
"Yeah, I'm responsible for dragging you into the darkness. I want you to at least be a normal boy of your age and take all the time you need to rest while making happy memories at school. Well, you're only going to be able to do that for a year or so because the industry is getting busier and busier these days. ......"
With a wry smile, Torahiko said apologetically.
One year. That is one of the most common examples of a phrase that is both long and short.
The four seasons only come around once each. Looking back on it, it's a standard phrase that everyone says, "It all happened so fast."
For Nekomaru, how he would spend this short period of time was something that could be called unknown.
"Dad ...... you care about me so much ......."
"Of course I do. Even though we're not blood related, I'm still your father, remember?"
Nekomaru's eyes water at his warm father's words.
Embarrassed, he looks away from his father for a moment, then lightly rubs his right eye with one hand, looks up again with a smile, and
"Then ......? What's the real story?"
"A while ago, I watched about five school romantic comedies on the Internet. I was surprised at how much fun it was, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to see you having that kind of sweet and sour adolescence..."
"You're ruining the moment!"
With indescribable emotion, he stood up and shouted loudly as he did so.
Nekomaru knew. Nekomaru knew that his father wasn't the kind of person who would give him a vacation out of the goodness of his heart.
He knew that he always had some nefarious scheme in mind when he spoke.
"After talking so passionately, what's the reason?! Dad, did you tell me to go to high school for such a nonsense!"
"You are rude to call that a nonsense! You probably don't know this because you've never watched any anime or drama, but stories are much deeper than you think, you know?! Especially in romantic comedies, it's so itchy to watch the swinging of the characters' emotions and relationships, and the heroine's moment of falling is unbearably cute. ......"
"That's not what I'm asking! I mean, don't use the word 'cute' when you're a middle-aged man about to graduate!"
Exasperated and frustrated, Nekomaru collapsed to the ground, collapsing to his knees.
"My God ....... I knew you were joking around, and I knew you'd be joking about your reasons, too. I didn't expect it to go this far. ......"
"Don't underestimate me. Even what I said earlier is part of my reasons, okay?"
"...... How many percent?"
"About 0.8."
"Not even 10!"
Disappointed to the depths of his heart, Nekomaru was beyond angry and finally dismayed.
-- Why is my father like this ......?
Torahiko, who doesn't know any better while his son calls him this, approaches Nekomaru, who seems to be depressed, and says, "Oh, well."
"Don't be so downhearted. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun if you go there. You'll be able to spend your sophomore year, which is said to be the most enjoyable time of high school life. Oh, and since you're going to high school, why don't you go out and get yourself a girlfriend? You're not bad looking, so you might have a chance. ......"
With these words and an encouraging tone, he encourages his son to stay in school.
However, he has no intention to do so. ......
"Stop messing around! What is high school life?! What's with the girlfriends! You just want to watch and be amused! --I've had enough of this! I'm going back to my room to sleep!"
With that, Nekomaru turned toward the door he had just passed through and turned to leave his father. Just then...
"Wait!"
A call came flying from Torahiko's direction.
Nekomaru stopped as quickly as he could and glanced back at his father.
"You don't understand ....... Neko, you don't understand a bit!"
"...... Understand what?"
"You know what? If you miss your limited chance in high school, you won't get a chance to make a girlfriend very easily in the future! Especially if you are an underworld person like we are!"
Torahiko continues to explain the situation to Nekomaru.
Nekomaru inwardly thinks it's none of his business, but he listens to his father.
"A child's time is short. ......A youth is short. ...... Once you're in third grade and everyone is frantically working on their desks for exams and such, your chances of talking to or touching the opposite sex are going to be infinitesimally small. In other words, your chance to make a girlfriend will be during this period ...... when big events such as school trips are coming up, and before everyone else starts to focused on the exam. Yes, this is the only year left!"
The heat is on, and Torahiko's speech gradually heats up.
Along with it, the distance between the two of them grew smaller and smaller.
"If you continue to devote yourself to your assassin business and miss this one year......--"
"And if I do ......?"
At last, when it was just a stone's throw away.
Nekomaru, who had been listening to his father speak more passionately than ever before, was ......
"--The days of hard work became so hectic that you were unable to find the perfect companion for yourself, let alone find the right one, before you knew it, you were over fifty and had no choice but to lose your virginity in the brothels. ......"
He flipped his body again and tried to leave the room.
Seeing this, Torahiko clung to his son's body as if clinging to him and went on with his story.
"Wait, Neko! Hey, I'm talking to you for your own good! What the hell do you think you're doing, leaving in the middle of a conversation?!"
"I didn't come here to listen to your stupid stories. Just because I had a girlfriend in high school doesn't mean I'm going to lose my virginity, does it?"
"No, not really. Neko, do you know how many boys and girls in Japan have their first experience in high school?"
"......?"
Nekomaru nodded his head, of course having no way of knowing.
"According to my research, about 30% of boys and girls fall into this category. In other words, if you're lucky, there's a chance you could get together with a girl who'll let you f*ck her easily..."
"Hey, I was just thinking, if you're the kind of person who would teach your son such nonsense, maybe that's why you couldn't find a partner."
Torahiko's son's point of view stung more than expected, and he clutched his chest and collapsed on the spot, letting gravity take its course.
"Ugh ...... my delicate heart has shattered like glass. ......"
"Are you done? I know what you're trying to say. I'm sorry to bother you, but I don't want to be on the other side of the world anymore. ......"
Nekomaru, reflecting on whether he had said too much, tried to gently refuse his father's advice with a gentle tone.
However......
"Neko ......."
"What?"
"I'm sorry, but I've already decided, whether you want to or not."
"Why--?"
No matter how Nekomaru tries to weasel out of it, no matter how he denies it.
"--While you were away from home on business, I got the background checks, the admission procedures, and so on. I've done everything!"
It was already too late.
"Ha ........................?"
Nekomaru can't help but pout.
What did you just say? What did you say you finished?
A procedure? Of what? Admission?
"It's more of a transfer than an enrollment. One of the guys I used to work with has moved on and is now a teacher in the surface world. I heard he's now the principal of a school. With his help, I've asked him to transfer you to Saiho High School, where he lives, from tomorrow."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, what?! What are you talking about?! Then, what was all that talk until now?!"
"I was just trying to get you to be a little more open to the idea. I'm talking about you, you know?! But you're never going to listen to me, right?! I've already made you an offer!"
"Of course! I mean, it's impossible for me to make a deal like this, even if I wasn't the one making the deal!"
Nekomaru learns that it was all a setup, and that resistance is pointless.
-- It's the worst ....... How far do you think you have to play me, you b*stard father......?
I've had a few conflicts in the past due to misunderstandings, but this one is just too much.
Nekomaru couldn't help but hold his head in his hands at this trick, which he couldn't tell whether it was malicious or benevolent.
"I told you, didn't I? I told you, you're going to be a high school student tomorrow. Don't you dare to underestimate my strategy of not telling you until the very last minute."
"You ...... you've been screwing around with me for the longest time. ......!"
-- You mean you're not going to let me get away with it from the beginning?
Nekomaru stares at his father with eyes as sharp as a cat's, perhaps out of resentment for having been set up.
The father's face, smiling, seemed even more hateful than ever.
"That's why. I've already prepared your uniforms and textbooks, so you can get some rest now."
"Why is it only at a time like this that you prepare it for me?"
With his energy and strength completely reduced to zero, Nekomaru leaves the room with heavy steps.
"Oh, try on the uniform when you wake up! I want to burn my son's fine figure perfectly into my eyes!"
-- Okay, just do whatever you want...
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