Chapter 536．PAINT WHITE
The police don’t know any information about me?
「 I suppose that they’ve checked that you’re Megumi and Yukino-san’s cla.s.smate 」
Minaho-neesan said.
They should have investigated Shirasaka Sousuke’s life in detail.
I don’t know if they discover that Megu’s Shirasaka Sousuke’s illegitimate child but, they’d see that she was an adopted daughter of Yamamine house which is a distant relative of Shirasaka house.
And that I’m a cla.s.smate of the two…
「 The news about your engagement with Megu was spread throughout the school. There’s a lot of children at our school who do blog and have a twitter account. But even though it’s circulated that Megumi’s a member of the women’s athletics club, n.o.body knows you that well 」
Well of course.
I was mentally depressed ever since I entered school this April that I hardly talked to my cla.s.smates.
In middle school, I lived in a dorm in the mountains, there’s not a single student who knows of my past.
「 They don’t seem to find any particular information about you. They shouldn’t know why you are moving with us at all 」
I see.
They’d think of the possibility that I’m an agent of Kuromori from the start and enrolled on the same high school to kidnap Yukino.
「 Should we put pressure on the police with our house’s power? 」
Misuzu asks.
「 If I ask Grandfather then Yazawa-san would talk to them 」
Minaho-neesan
「 Let’s use that as our last resort. People in public safety have a strong rebellious spirit so you mustn’t pressure them rashly. It’ll just get them worked up 」
They’ll intensify their investigation on me on the contrary?
「 Even if you put pressure on them, the higher ups won’t be suppressing them but instead be loose on their restraints 」
Minaho-neesan looks at Rei-chan.
「 That’s how it is, so Reika-san, could you send him to the school? 」
「 Me? 」
Rei-chan’s surprised.
「 Yes, go on by foot and come back on foot 」
Minaho-neesan smiles.
By foot? Walking?
「 It won’t take ten minutes to from here to the school’s back gate. Reika-san, send him to the school and come back right away. The weather’s nice today. I think that taking a walk is the best distraction 」
「 But 」
「 Oh, of course, wear your Kouzuki security service uniform. Reika-san needs to get used to it, right? If you go with him, then the watchmen from Kouzuki security service outside won’t come with him. Entrust the negotiation with the police to them 」
Rei-chan.
「 If it’s an order then 」
She agrees reluctantly
「 Ah, wait, I’ll go change to my uniform if I’m going to school 」
I stand up.
「 Yes, I’ll bring the suit you’d wear at the party hotel’s room. You can change clothes over there 」
Katsuko-nee said.
Then.
Edie comes to me.
She said something.
「 She asked, “where are you going?” 」
Mana translates.
「 Ah, I’m going to pick up Megu in school 」
Mana translates it for me.
Edie listens.
Then.
「 Edie-chan said, “I’ll go too” 」
What?
「 “I came together to pick her up yesterday too,” she said 」
Oh right!!!
「 That’s not bad. Take her with you 」
Minaho-neesan.
「 That’s right. Since she dressed up, she should go out! 」
Misuzu said with a gentle smile.
「 Edie-san will be admitted to our school, so there’s no problem if she’s looking at the school beforehand. Katsuko, give her the “special entry permit” 」
「 Yes, Ojou-sama 」
Katsuko-nee went to get it.
「 If the faculty says something, show that to them. Everyone other than the new teachers from this year knows it 」
Our school has been used as an external facility of Kuromori for a long time.
Up until Kuromori has ceased activity autumn last year:
They were looking for prost.i.tutes among the girls in our school.
Prost.i.tutes were attending school too.
「 Not all of them know Kuromori, but they know that I have the control of the whole school 」
Our high school’s dominated by Kuromori house.
Minaho-neesan’s grandfather and father both served as the board chairman.
Now, Katsuko-nee takes over the position temporarily.
「 Okay, here it is 」
Katsuko-nee brings in a postcard-sized paper in transparent plastic.
「 Here’s my signature and the emblem of the board chairman, this color means that she’s a Kuromori’s guest. The guard should know it once they see it 」
With that said, Edie’s going through the main gate on foot.
That’s okay but.
「 But, Rei-chan’s coming back after sending me to the main gate, right? 」
「 Yes, what are you worried about? 」
Minaho-neesan laughs.
Even though she knows it.
「 It’s just a word. A word 」
Yesterday, Nei was there, and she can speak English, but.
Today, Nagisa’s still at her home.
「 Then, would you like me to come too? 」
Ruriko said.
「 No, I appreciate your feelings, but 」
Edie’s already great trouble and yet if I bring another ultimate beauty like Ruriko with me.
I can’t imagine what they’d the people in the school would say.
「 We can’t go. If we walk outside, all of the police outside will also come 」
Misuzu tells her cousin.
「 Oh right, we’re can’t just walk out 」
Ruriko agrees.
Kouzuki Ruriko is one of the targets of the maximum level of monitoring not just for Kouzuki security service but also for the police.
「 If Ruri-tan stumbled on her knees in front of those people, then they’d be fired 」
「 No way 」
That’s funny, Misuzu.
「 It’s true. The observers have the responsibility for her security so Grandfather will surely scold them saying “You were watching her closely and yet why was she hurt!?” like that 」
Oh, Jii-chan.
He holds special feelings for Ruriko, so he’s harsh when complaining about the police much more than his own subordinates.
「 Then, I’ll go 」
Mana speaks up.
「 I’m Megu-oneechan’s relative, her sister 」
Mana is Megu’s sister from a different mother.
「 It’s not strange if I come to meet Megu-oneechan, right? 」
But.
「 Is there a possibility that the students know of Mana? Have you met Yukino’s friends? 」
It’s already been a month since the start of high school.
Mana might’ve met friends Yukino brought from school to home.
「 Nope. I never met Yukino-oneechan’s high school friends, Yukino-oneechan never brings her friends home 」
「 Why? 」
「 Yukino-oneechan’s room is dirty 」
Oh right.
「 The reason why she didn’t answer the friend’s call on her phone was that she has to dig her cellphone 」
Dig her phone?
「 She pushes her way through the clothes she threw away 」
Yukino.
「 But still, you must take a disguise, just in case 」
Katsuko-nee tells Mana.
「 Margo and Nei have a lot of disguise tools 」
Minaho-neesan laughs too.
「 Then, I’ll change clothes in a hurry. Prepare as well, Mana 」
I head to my room in a hurry.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 See you later, we’ll be heading to the hotel first 」
Misuzu tells me at the entrance.
「 Onii-sama, please take care 」
Ruriko tells me. Then she speaks to Edie in English.
Perhaps she’s asking her to be my bodyguard.
「 Thanks for the wait, Onii-chan 」
Mana’s hair is tied up in three braids.
Oh, she topped-up her hair. The amount of her hair is more than the usual.
Also, she’s wearing gla.s.ses with a pink frame.
「 I borrowed Agnes-chan’s clothes 」
She’s wearing a one-piece black dress.
「 Agnes’ clothes? 」
「 Yes, when we were buying clothes earlier, we thought of buying for Agnes-chan as well 」
Misuzu replied.
「 I can’t wear a school uniform after all 」
Oh, Mana’s school is a well known prestigious school. Her ident.i.ty’s exposed from her uniform.
「 Oh boy, Agnes-chan’s two years younger than me but our clothes have the same size 」
Agnes is half-foreign, so her growth is doing well.
Mana has a time when she was sick, so she’s smaller than girls among her age.
「 Papa, where are you going? 」
Agnes herself looks up at me with a sad face.
「 We’ll join up with you later 」
「 Join up? 」
「 Err, I think I’ll meet Agnes again in the hotel after three hours 」
I said. Agnes:
「 Then, we’ll have s.e.x again? 」
Mana interrupts before I could reply.
「 We will! Let’s do it together! That’s obvious! Agnes-chan! 」
「 Then, I’ll wait 」
This too can only be healed by time.
For now, it’s essential for Agnes to be interested in the outside world.
「 I’ll be back right away 」
Rei-chan who’s wearing her just tailored black uniform speaks apologetically.
「 It’s okay. Shou-oneesan’s coming over. She’ll be arriving in ten minutes. Michi-chan’s here, at worst case scenario we can dispatch the observers from the outside 」
Katsuko-nee said laughing.
「 Leave it to me! 」
Michi pats her chest. She’s still wearing her dress.
Yeah, this stance looks like PreC*re.
「 What’s wrong, Master? 」
「 No, I just thought that Michi looks cool 」
Michi blushed.
「 Also, cute 」
I pat Michi’s head.
「 Papa, Agnes too, desuno! 」
「 Yes, sure 」
I also give Agnes a head pat.
「 Danna-sama, Misuzu too 」
「 Okay 」
I give Misuzu a head pat.
「 Onii-sama 」
「 I know 」
I give Ruriko a head pat too.
「 ……！ 」
Edie’s smiling.
I get it.
I also pat Edie’s head.
「 Dear! 」
「 Katsuko-nee too?! 」
「 I mean… 」
Eeei! I’ll pat Katsuko-nee’s head too.
「 Minaho-neesan! 」
「 I’m okay 」
「 Don’t care, head pats! 」
I also give Minaho-neesan’s head a pat.
「 Mana and Rei-chan, what about you two? 」
I turn to the two.
Mana’s smiling.
Rei-chan’s stunned.
「 I’m okay for now! I was given a lot of head pats while everyone wasn’t watching! 」
Mana smiled. I looked at Rei-chan.
「 H-Haa 」
Rei-chan looks confused.
「 Don’t make that face, you’re just taking a carefree walk 」
Minaho-neesan tells Rei-chan
「 It’s about my clothing 」
Rei-chan looks at her black uniform and speaks in a self-deprecating tone.
「 Your clothes don’t matter. It always depends on your feelings 」
Minaho-neesan smiles.
「 Then, see you all later 」
「 Yes, we’ll wait for Shou-oneesan and move within the time difference. Take care, and give my regards to Nagisa and the group 」
「 Yeah, take care too 」
I look at everyone’s face and said.
◇ ◇ ◇
Actually, going out from the back gate of the mansion is closer to school.
I went by that route before with Megu.
Even when Katsuko-nee sent me by bike, it was the same.
But, today, it’s essential to go through the observers dignified and to the school.
So we decided to leave through the main gate even if it’s a detour.
But, we usually go across here by car.
There’s a reasonable distance from the mansion to the main gate.
It’s a down-slope, so it’s okay.
Yeah, the fragrance of the fresh green trees in the garden feels good.
We have good weather today.
It’s past 4pm now, so the sun isn’t too harsh.
《 darling 》
Edie presents her hand to me.
Oh, she wants to walk while holding hands.
「 Okay 」
I hold Edie’s hands.
Ah, her hand feels different from other girls.
Edie’s hand is
rea.s.suring.
「 Onii-chan, me too! 」
「 Yeah 」
I hold hands with Mana with my other hand.
Mana’s hand is much colder than Edie’s.
Each girl has a different feeling on their hand.
「 Uhm, I 」
Suddenly, Rei-chan speaks.
「 What’s wrong? 」
Rei-chan covers her eyes with a hat and carries a cane on her shoulder.
「 I look like this 」
The new uniform for the security director?
「 Yeah, I think it looks good on you 」
「 It’s cool! Rei-chan! 」
《 SO COOL！ 》
We praise her, but Rei-chan.
「 Isn’t this appearance a bit idiotic? 」
Err.
For someone who wears a British men’s clothing as the “beat to death swordswoman” says that.
「 Somehow, I feel like a hero commander or something 」
Yeah.
Well, that’s true, but;
「 I do not intend to complain because everyone chose this uniform for me but… 」
Rei-chan looks down and walks totteringly.
「 Do you not like it? 」
Mana asks.
「 No, instead of not liking it, I don’t know how should I behave as the manager of the security division when wearing this look 」
Rei-chan said.
「 In the first place, I don’t think I’m fit to be the security manager 」
I.
「 I wonder? I don’t think so though 」
「 ?! 」
Rei-chan looks at me in surprise.
「 That appearance is easy to understand. You can tell what kind of security manager Shou-neesan wants Rei-chan to be 」
I smile at Rei-chan.
「 What should I do? 」
「 Rei-chan, you looked at yourself in the mirror and thought that it’s like a hero commander, right? 」
「 Yes 」
Rei-chan replies with a meek expression.
「 In that case, act like a hero commander 」
「 Huh? Uhm, what does that mean? 」
Rei-chan looks puzzled.
「 Rei-chan, you prefer to maintain a form, right? 」
「 I think so 」
If not, she won’t be thorough on her “British Gentleman” look.
「 Therefore, Shou-neechan showed you the form, it’s easy to understand 」
「 Un, this look is very easy to understand 」
Mana also smiles at Rei-chan.
「 W-What? What’s easy to understand? 」
I stopped walking.
Everyone stopped too.
「 Rei-chan, hold your stick like this and say “All units, charge!” 」
「 What? 」
「 Just do it 」
Rei-chan
「 A-All units, chargbu! 」
S-She bit her tongue.
「 That’s not it, you know how you look right now since you saw yourself in the mirror, right? Imagine about 400 guards in front of your eyes and tell them to dash forward, imagine that 」
Rei-chan closes her eyes for a moment.
「 Imagine, I see 」
Then, she opens her eyes.
「 All units, charge!!! 」
She raises her cane and commands all units!
《 OH！ 》
Edie claps her hands.
「 Yes, that looks cool! Rei-chan! 」
Mana and I give her applause too.
「 U-Uhm, I! 」
Rei-chan suddenly realized and felt shy.
「 That now was perfect. Continue giving out orders as dashing as just now 」
「 O-Okay 」
Rei-chan listens to my words eagerly.
「 I think that Shou-neechan wants Rei-chan to become the symbol of the newly reborn Kouzuki security service’s security department 」
「 Symbol? 」
「 Yes, young, dignified, and instructs even at a dangerous scene. A female commander. It’s cool, isn’t it? Above all, a commander who’s belief is to stand before the view is lovely 」
「 The commander standing in front? 」
Rei-chan’s staring blankly.
「 That’s what the uniform is for no matter how you look at it 」
I said. Mana laughed.
If not, then you don’t need to wear such flashy clothes. Rei-chan
「 O-Oh 」
「 Rei-chan’s the only one who can hold a cane and be in charge of the security department on-site 」
I think.
「 Director Yamaoka didn’t do well, he always stays on the headquarters and never come out on the scene. In the end, he lost people reporting from the site, and he didn’t know the situation at all, and yet, he didn’t go out to check it himself 」
He and Kudou-mama are just hiding in fear.
They know well that chief Yazawa might dismiss them for abandoning work.
「 Rei-chan won’t do that. You’ll go out to the dangerous area yourself and fight along with your subordinates 」
「 But, I’m not that smart. I can’t judge the situation as the commander, plan strategies and such 」
Rei-chan speaks with no confidence.
「 Shou-neechan will prepare people to support you. If Rei-chan can’t judge it, then Shou-neechan will manage all of it 」
「 Then, I?! 」
Rei-chan looks at me.
「 Should I just play as the clown, following Shou-oneesama’s instructions? 」
Haa.
「 Not clown, you’re the director of the security department 」
I said.
「 It’s not a job that anyone can perform. It’s a job only Rei-chan can do 」
「 Me? 」
I nodded.
「 Rei-chan has always acted as a British Gentleman Swordsman, right? 」
「 I was acting? 」
「 Yes, wasn’t that fun? Dressing as a man and becoming a bodyguard who fights with a cane 」
「 That’s 」
She’s feeling a sense of incompatibility when wearing the flashy uniform as the security manager, but;
She usually accepts herself as the “crossdresser, beat to death swordswoman.”
In short, Rei-chan was enjoying it.
「 But, even when you acted as the beat to death swordsman, the only audience Rei-chan was conscious about is herself, right? 」
「 Myself? 」
「 Yes. You were dressing as a man for your own pleasure 」
Especially that Rei-chan doesn’t have the sense of fun from entertaining other people.
In the end, Rei-chan’s playing alone. She’s very inward.
「 This time, everyone will look at Rei-chan on the role of the security head. Shou-neechan, Kouzuki security service, and I will look at Rei-chan as the manager 」
Rei-chan stares at me.
「 Everyone’s watching so entertain them. We’ll be expecting a lot from Rei-chan 」
「 That’s right! We believe that Rei-chan can do it! 」
Mana said as well.
「 Rei-chan, we don’t wish for anything Rei-chan can’t do. We believe that Rei-chan can do it 」
「 Do I? 」
Rei-chan.
「 But, I don’t have the confidence. I think it’s impossible 」
「 But we believe in you, we know that you can do it 」
I move forward and hug Rei-chan.
「 U-Uhm 」
「 Don’t mind it, now take a deep breath 」
「 O-Okay 」
Rei-chan breathes in deeply.
「 Okay, now exhale 」
Suuuu.
「 Now breathe in again, did you notice that the air here is fresh? 」
「 Ah 」
「 Yes, open up your senses, don’t close yourself inside 」
「 Okay 」
「 I believe in Rei-chan, I think that Rei-chan can do it 」
「 Me too 」
《 Me Too 》
Mana and Edie also hug Rei-chan from behind.
Oh, Edie’s “Qi” senses Rei-chan’s anxiety.
「 Can you feel that we believe in you? 」
「 Y-Yes. It feels very warm 」
Rei-chan replied.
「 We believe in Rei-chan, Rei-chan should believe in us who believe in Rei-chan 」1
That’s right.
「 Rei-chan isn’t alone anymore, you’re our precious family now 」
I feel like I’ve told Rei-chan this multiple times.
No, I have to say it more.
Until Rei-chan believes us.
And every time Rei-chan feels uneasy.
「 Why are you so kind? Even though I’m such a useless woman 」
Seriously.
「 That’s not for Rei-chan to decide. Besides, we’ll never let Rei-chan become a useless woman 」
「 Why? 」
Rei-chan looks at me.
「 We’re family, so it’s inevitable. We all love Rei-chan 」
For example, painting a house with white paint.
The paint is exposed tot he wind and rain, it fades.
Then, we’ll paint it white again.
Those who say “it’ll fade anyway, so it’s meaningless to re-paint” has no qualification to live in that house.
We’ll re-coat the paint no matter how many times, without giving up, without feeling exhausted.
I think that’s what the love within the family means.
「 I! 」
This time, Rei-chan hugs me.
Rei-chan’s hat falls on the ground.
「 Hey now, it’s okay. I’m here 」
「 I 」
Her “Watashi” fall through, and she spoke “Atashi.”
「 Oh, Rei-chan’s like Agnes-chan 」
Mana mutters.
「 She wants a Papa 」
1. ROW ROW