Volume 8 - CH 4

Hosokawa Seiko Answers

“Come to think of it, Master said that Seiko has an older brother right.”

“Yes, I have an older brother.”

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In my mind, I imagined that brown-haired villain who has the same face as Seiko.

Since she’s his sister, she should probably know a bad rumor or two about him.

I would be troubled if she didn’t.

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“Are Seiko and your brother getting along?”

“Ahh, about that…….”

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The glint in Seiko’s eyes indicates a complicated circumstance.

Seems like I can get some useful information here.

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“We live separately but we are on good terms. Actually, I went to karaoke with Onii-chan the other day.”

“Come again?”

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Akechi Hideyori went to karaoke with his sister? It sounded so impossible to imagine that my eyes turned to dots.

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“My daughter is also quite attached to her brother too. They often hang out and have hot pot parties together.”

“…………?”

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There was so much mismatched information from what I heard about the man beforehand. Now I’m starting to think that I might have got it wrong.

Eh? Is this a dream? Was what I started to wonder.

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“D, Does he has like, any bad habits?”

“Hmm, I think Onii-chan is a little foul-mouthed……”

“A lot of women hang around him.”

“Master……., you’re putting it like that again.”

“……..!”

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[Bingo!], I performed a guts pose in my mind.

This matches the information I have about him that he’s a scum who preys on women.

Takeru said that Akechi is a virgin but I’m 100 percent sure that is not the case.

He’s that kind of person after all.

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“His guard is pretty tough though.”

“HAE!?”

“Rather than that, I think he doesn’t even recognize an attack as an attack.”

“Yeah, and despite that, he was worried that he won’t be able to get a girlfriend. Stupid isn’t he?”

“…………”

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The mismatch grew even further.

I can’t imagine that man as the Akechi Hideyori who went around flirting with different women every day while murdering people with his Gift on a whim at all.

The more I hear about him, the more I think of him as a normal high school boy.

It felt so strange. It was like I just wandered into a different world.

I looked down at my coffee and my face was reflected back to me.

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Metaphorically, it’s like I’m eating a meat bun that has red bean filling.

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“Yoru-san? Do you have a headache?”

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I hear Master’s concerned voice.

Headache? Rather than that, this world is just strange.

Where am I?

Am I actually Yoru Hiru?

I started to have such doubts.

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“I, I’m okay.”

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As I was replying to Master, the bell at the entrance of the coffee shop rang.

“Welcome.” Master greeted and the newcomer said “Hello.”

Since the voice sounded familiar, I turned to look and found that it was Miyamura Towa.

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“Ah, Towa-senpai! Good afternoon!”

“Wah, Seiko! Good afternoon! It’s been a while, hasn’t it.”

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When I looked at her, Towa noticed my gaze and let out a voice of surprise.

“Ah!? Yoru-chan!?”

“……Hi.”

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I slightly lowered my head.

She’s a girl who hangs around Juumonji Takeru with ulterior motives.

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“Do Towa-senpai and Yoru-senpai know each other?”

“We are actually in the same class this year. I didn’t get a chance to talk with you before but let’s get along.”

“……….why are you sitting next to me?”

“So we can chat.”

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Towa completed her infiltration and made an order to Master.

She has pale purple hair and she’s dressed in a simple dress that gives off a pure impression. I can see that anyone would perceive her as beautiful and I can understand why Takeru’s face loosened when he talked about her.

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“Your pendant is very cute, Yoru-chan. It caught my eyes since the first time I saw you!”

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Towa looked at the silver pendant on my chest and asked curiously.

Right now it’s just a simple pendant but once it senses my will to fight it will change form into a combat knife so I don’t think cute would be the right word to describe it.

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“It, it’s something I got from an important person…….it’s my treasure.”

“Kyahh! Was it your boyfriend!?”

“N, No…….that’s not…….”

“Fufu, you are so cute when you’re shy, Yoru-chan.”

“!?”

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Even a woman like me would blush at the bewitching smile of Miyamura Towa.

S, So this is the so-called smile that invites misunderstanding from Virgins huh.

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“If it wasn’t your boyfriend then maybe it’s a gift from your family?”

“Y, Yeah, it’s a memento of my family.”

“A family memento huh.”

“………ah.”

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[Oh shoot!]

I noticed my mistake.

Certainly, it was no lie to say that this is a memento of my family.

However, Towa’s family was murdered by Akechi Hideyori.

I internally screamed at the lack of delicacy on my part.

Moreover, given time, Seiko will also lose her family.

I can’t help but worry that my careless words might hurt their feelings.

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“A memento……..my parents didn’t leave me any huh.”

“Right, neither Seiko-chan nor Hideyori-kun have anything to remember them by. There’s not even a photo album left after all.”

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Master is making a bitter smile.

Seeing that he knows a lot of things about Seiko and Hideyori, my favorability for Master has gone up.

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“T, Towa……”

“Nn?”

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Since Towa stayed out of the conversation I got scared that I may have stepped on a landmine so I nervously tried to apologize to her but she still looked the same as usual.

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“What’s wrong?”

“U, Uhh…your family…….are you okay?”

“My family? What’s wrong with my family?”

“A, Are they doing well?”

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Towa’s parents are gone!? I didn’t know!

I was prepared to comfort her.

However……

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“They were saying something about buying a new microwave this morning so I think they are doing fine though.”

“…………?”

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Towa’s reply froze my brain.

From what I know, she was supposedly deceived by Akechi Hideyori in middle school and murdered her parents.

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What’s going on here?

It doesn’t make sense.

Just who is that guy?

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The existence of the man who called himself Akechi Hideyori gave me goosebumps.

I sip on my coffee. I need the bitterness to activate my brain cells.

I don’t know what to do anymore.

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“By the way, Yoru-chan. Are you in love?”

“……Eh?”

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My heart skipped at Towa’s question.

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“Seiko and Master-san too, do you have anything romantic going on at the moment?”

“I mean, in my case……….I’m married to my work right now.”

“I’m at this age already, I don’t think love is for me anymore……”

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Towa pouts at the two’s denial.

I continue observing the situation.

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“Fufu. But that’s not the case for Yoru-chan right!?”

“……..”

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I want to run.

But if I run right now I’d be doing a dine & dash so I endure that urge.