「 So, where are we going next? 」Torii-san asks sullenly as we get in the elevator.
「 Yeah, there are two more children to talk to. They"re children that came with Tendou Otome and the others 」
I explained it briefly.
「 Those are girls too? 」
Torii-san glares at me.
「 Yeah 」
「 So, why are the two in a separate room? 」
That"s…
「 Well, the girls in that room, other than Tendou Otome, since she just clings to Tokuda Sonoko-san and didn"t let go. Anyway, Tokudsan and Kurosawsan can"t return to their hometown because of the Kansai organizations, and so they will work as prost.i.tutes. You get that, right? 」
「 Yes, I get it. Not that I agree though 」
Torii-san replies aloof.
「 Also, you heard about the young ladies of the Kurama house, right? The elder sister, Misato-san will become a prost.i.tute to earn for her family, but… 」
「 The younger sister, Arisu-san is too young that she can"t become a prost.i.tute, but she"ll be sold off instead, right? I can"t agree with that either 」
I have no need to persuade Torii-san though.
「 Ah, wait 」
But, she"s fundamentally sharp-minded.
She noticed what I"m trying to say.
「 Those girls are also too young. Therefore, they can"t become prost.i.tutes… 」
「 Yep, that"s it. Don"t you feel sorry if you place girls who"ll receive different ends in the same room, do you? 」
The daughters of Yakuza have a complicated relations.h.i.+p too.
Tendou Otome is the bossy one on the center and the three girls bow their heads to her while bullying the others.
n.o.body"s in good terms, or should I say that they never relax with each other.
「 So, are you selling those girls off as slaves too? 」
Torii-san looks at me.
「 No, I won"t sell them. I"m taking them 」
「 Taking? 」
「 Yeah, as my s.e.x slaves 」
At that moment.
Torii-san tries to slap my face.
But.
「 Calm down 」
Michi grabs Torii-san"s hand.
I also sensed Torii-san"s Qi and moved immediately.
「 Stop it! Didn"t you hear what he just said?! 」
Torii-san screams in anger.
「 Of all things, why are you making them your slave?! I mean, what does it even mean?! What do you think of women?!! 」
「 Oh? If Kou-sama didn"t take them, they will split apart and sold off to rich pedophiles 」
Tsukiko speaks gently.
「 Compared to that, don"t you think it"s better if the sisters are together and under Kou-sama"s custody? 」
「 Sisters? 」
Torii-san looks puzzled.
「 Yeah, the next room has Rie and Eri. They"re twin sisters 」
I replied.
◇ ◇ ◇
The elevator opens.
Yeah, I remember this floor.
「 The same room from last night? 」
I asked Kinos.h.i.+tsan.
「 Yes, that"s right 」
「 Then I know where it is. Thank you, Kinos.h.i.+tsan 」
I thanked Kinos.h.i.+tsan who led the way.
It"s the room next to the monitoring room Minaho-neesan used last night.
It"s the nap room, it has a shower room inside.
「 Then, I"ll stay in this room, just call me when you need something 」
Kinos.h.i.+tsan enters the monitoring room with a smile.
「 What"s with that person? She"s smiling despite hearing all of our conversations 」
Torii-san speaks ill of Kinos.h.i.+tsan as soon as she"s gone…
「 She"s a specialist on the underground society work in Kouzuki SS 」
I said.
Kinos.h.i.+tsan was a former Banbarubie 3 member.
She took lessons from Barbie-san and Ruby-san about the underground world.
「 Therefore, she"ll pretend that she didn"t hear anything and she"ll never speak of anything even when asked 」
「 How can you say that? Even if she"s from Kouzuki SS I"m sure that she"d speak a lot when there"s money involved 」
Torii-san who is in a bad mood starts deprecating Kouzuki SS.
「 That"s not true 」
「 Like I said, how can you declare it like that?! 」
Torii-san shouts at me.
「 I worked with Kinos.h.i.+tsan for a few occasions, she"s a professional. She"ll never betray us as long as it"s within the contract 」
I saw her during the combat with Cesario Viola in the hotel.
「 Then, if the contract"s null she"ll quickly turn traitor, is that it? 」
Torii-san speaks ill-tempered.
「 Kouzuki SS will renew their contract with Kinos.h.i.+tsan before that happens. Talents like her are hard to come by. Kouzuki SS will never let people like her go, even if that means increasing their bonus 」
Besides, Barbie-san"s order is to have her go to Kouzuki SS.
Kinos.h.i.+tsan will stay here as long as she can learn.
「 Talent? That woman looked like she"s careless, uneager, her body"s thin, and she doesn"t look like a bodyguard at all. She"s at her high-school, right? 」
「 And that"s why she has the talent. Torii-sama, the fact that you didn"t notice it is what proves it 」
Tsukiko said.
「 What do you mean? 」
Haa.
「 Actually, Kinos.h.i.+tsan has a babyface. 」 Besides, she has a cute appearance. Ordinary people will see only that, but… 」
She"s a monster who swings that heavy and hard pulverizing flail with her delicate looking body.
「 I"ve seen Kinos.h.i.+tsan take down 30 Yakuza alone with her fists 」
It was during the Takakura shrine incident when Jii-chan made a deal with the Yakuza.
「 You"re lying, aren"t you? 」
「 It"s the truth 」
Following what I say, Michi;
「 Master never lies 」
「 That"s the lie 」
Torii-san glares at Michi.
「 No, it"s true. Kou-sama"s an honest man 」
Tsukiko said.
「 Yomiko, Luna, Koyomi-chan and I all feel at ease when Kou-sama"s close to us 」
That"s…
「 Ordinary people can"t help but have different thoughts from their speech. We can see the lies in the words, even from our fathers 」
Tsukiko speaks a bit sad.
「 However, Kou-sama"s words are exactly his thoughts. Kou-sama only lies only when he must do so, but, we know that he does that out of his love for the family 」
Right, it doesn"t mean that I don"t lie.
I speak out lies when I have to.
For example, I"m not actually Agnes" Papa.
「 And because Kou-sama"s so straightforward, we can feel at ease seeing other people"s minds. We stay by his side in peace 」
Tsukiko said.
「 Agnes-san too. Kou-sama influences her the most, and so she"s growing to become a girl who never lies 」
Speaking of which, she really is.
Agnes always says what she thinks, and it shows on her face.
She doesn"t keep secrets. She doesn"t speak lies.
「 And since Luna and Koyomi-chan lives with Agnes-san every day, it influences them too 」
Agnes who has no two-sides lets Luna and Koyomi-chan feel at peace.
Agnes wants to get along with them from the bottom of her heart.
Mao-chan too wants to be best friends with those in the family.
「 And Kou-sama"s the center of it all. Kou-sama"s existence saved us 」
Tsukiko.
Right, someone who can read minds must be in constant pain.
Most of the Takakura shrine maidens have their minds fall ill.
「 It"s not just with people who can read minds 」
Michi;
「 We also can feel at ease because Master"s here 」
「 What are you girls talking about? I don"t get it 」
Torii-san complains with a displeased look.
「 Could you explain it further to me? I mean, I didn"t even get what you"re trying to say 」
No, that"s…
「 Sorry, I don"t think Torii-san will get it 」
I replied.
「 Those unrelated can"t understand 」
Even so, Torii-san;
「 And that"s why I"m telling you to explain it to make me understand?! Did you forget? Kaan Momoko-oneesama had me go here! You"re accountable for me! 」
No.
「 I don"t think you"ll understand no matter how much we try to explain to you. I mean, it"s not like we can explain it, nor we want to 」
I…
「 Torii-san, all you have to do is report to Momoko-neechan what you see, and what you know. Besides, even if Momoko-neechan sees us as cruel people, I don"t really care 」
Our circ.u.mstances and position in our lives are different.
There will be a gap between mutual understanding no matter what.
「 What"s this, you"re running away? 」
Torii-san feels it that way.
「 No, it"s not that 」
「 You"re evading me 」
「 That"s not it. Torii-sans looking from up high. Higher than us 」
I said.
「 Therefore, I can"t explain it in a way that it"ll reach Torii-san"s height 」
「 What?! I don"t get it 」
Then.
「 It"s basically “If you"ve never eaten while crying you don t know what life tastes like.” 」
Tsukiko said.
「 I know that line, it"s Goethe, isn"t it? 」
Torii-san replies.
「 You may understand the meaning but you"ll never fully understand it if you don"t experience it personally 」
Personal experience.
Those who had the personal experience can perceive it.
Is that so?
「 Someone smeared in mud will only focus on their emotion and complain about the one who isn"t 」
I said.
「 In the end, Torii-san, you don"t like the fact that we"re turning Sonoko-san into prost.i.tutes, or that we"re erasing Tendou Otome"s memories, and also the fact that the girls in the next room are my slaves? Do you feel angry? 」
Torii-san seems annoyed.
「 Yes, that"s right! Isn"t that obvious?! 」
She looks at me angrily.
「 This isn"t something you should do to others! You"re all the worst! I won"t forgive you!!! 」
And she looks at us from far away where there"s no mud.
「 We think the same. This is the worst. That this is unforgivable 」
「 Then… 」
「 But, this is the only way!!! We"re doing the best of what we can too! 」
「 What"s “best” there?!!! The best choice is to make everyone happy! 」
「 This is what happens because not everyone can reach that happiness! 」
n.o.body can give everyone complete happiness.
I"m doing all that I can with what I can do within my reach.
「 That"s not true! You"re just lacking in the effort! That"s obvious! I"m sure it is! 」
Torii-san doesn"t get it.
「 I mean, those girls are going through a horrible experience because of your selfish desires! That"s definitely it! I know that! 」
She never had dirt in her hand.
She"s not someone who spent her nights feeling only her temperature, alone, unable to see the future.
「 Hey, you"re too noisy! What"s with all that screaming in the corridor. 」
The door to the nap room opens and Nei comes out.
「 Ooh, Yo-chan, morning! 」
She looked at me and smiled.
「 Who"s she? 」
Torii-san asks.
「 My elder sister 」
「 Huh? Your elder sister?! 」
Torii-san seem to remember Minaho-neesan who she met earlier
「 Just how many elder sisters do you have? 」
Torii-san who couldn"t hold her anger to me earlier asks me.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 Oh, just when we were thinking that he"s coming, right? Rie-chan 」
「 Right, Eri-chan, Onii-san, you brought another woman with you 」
The twins face us with a surprised look.
「 Ah, Onii-chan, morning! I"ll prepare tea now 」
Mana looks energetic.
「 Did you girls eat breakfast yet? 」
I asked.
「 Nonono, Onii-san, you speak like a mother 」
「 Really 」
The twins laughed.
「 No, I mean it. Did you girls eat breakfast yet? 」
「 We did. It was in lunch box however 」
「 As expected, it"s the lunch box from Kouzuki SS-san 」
「 Yes, it"s much better than the lunch box Father gave us 」
「 Father gave us a nori bento after all 」
「 Really. Onii-san, we ate nori bento every day ever since we came to Tokyo 」
「 And the lunch box today has a lot of side dishes 」
「 And they all taste delicious 」
「 We ate so much for breakfast that we might not be able to eat lunch anymore 」
「 That won"t happen. Eri-chan, you"re a glutton 」
「 Right. I guess I"ll eat lunch too 」
Err.
As expected, if it"s the two of them doing that combo, they"re lively.
「 So, Onii-san, who"s this girl? 」
「 Is she another one? 」
「 The same as us? 」
「 Another s.e.x slave? 」
The twins said.
「 N-No! You"re wrong!!! 」
Torii-san flies into a rage.
「 Oh? You"re not? 」
「 Then what are you Onee-san? 」
Err.
「 ♪Minami yoko yokohaha! Hakosukaaa！！！♪ 」
Mana and Nei bring in tea while singing together.
「 We changed some of the words to not get in trouble~ 」
I don"t get what Nei"s talking about.
However.
Speaking of which, I wonder what she is to me?
Torii-san came to Kouzuki house as Misuzu"s guests.
She"s not really a friend of mine.
If that"s the case.
「 Do you girls know about the Torii Electronics? 」
「 I do! I do! 」
「 I know it too 」
「 That"s the company that makes a lot of appliances and stuff, right? 」
「 Even computers, right? 」
Oh, these two know about it because it"s a huge company.
「 Well, this girl is the…president"s daughter, right? 」
I asked.
「 Papa"s a director of a holding company. Grandfather"s the chairman!! 」
Torii-san shouts with an angry tone.
「 Err, what it means is that Torii-san is the daughter of Torii electronics 」
I explained.
「 Ah, I get it. That means… 」
「 Huh, Eri-chan, what did you get? 」
「 That means "that," Onee-san is… 」
Eri smiles.
「 She is Onii-san"s next prey! 」
「 Ah, I see! I get it now! 」
H-Hey!
「 Still, Onii-san really loves to pick beauties as his coma 」
「 Right. Nei-san, Mansan, Ruriko-san, and Lunsan from last night and the three girls here now are all beauties 」
「 So, Onii-san, are these two already coma? 」
The twins look at Tsukiko and Michi.
「 Yes, we already are 」
Tsukiko read the thoughts of the two and understood what the word meant.
She shows a gentle smile.
「 W-What, t-tied up? 」
Of course, Torii-san who is a young lady doesn"t understand.
「 It means exactly that 」
Tsukiko smiles.
「 And what is that supposed to mean? 」
Err, h-how do we explain this?
「 It"s English. Commerce 」
M-Michi.
「 It means “transaction” 」
「 No, I get what “commerce” means You know… 」
「 These girls are asking if Torii-sama is Master"s new transaction 」
Michi, you"re good. Nice.
「 Girls, don"t speak anything unnecessary 」
I warned Eri and Rie.
「 But you know, Onii-san 」
「 Right, Onii-san 」
But, the twins look like they"re enjoying my troubled look.
「 That"s as far as you go 」
Michi told the twins. Her words are loaded with Qi.
As expected, the twins shut up.
「 Oh right. This girl is Kudou Michi. And this one is Luna"s elder sister, Takakura Tsukiko 」
「 h.e.l.lo. Pleased to meet you
Tsukiko smiled at the twins
「 Oh, she"s Lunsan"s elder sister? 」
「 Now that you mention it, they resemble each other 」
They saw Luna yesterday and so the twins accept it quick.
「 By the way, is she also like Lunsan? 」
「 Onee-san, are you Onii-san"s s.e.x slave too? 」
Tsukiko…
「 Well, I wonder? 」
She laughs.
Torii-san looks at Tsukiko.
「 I"ve sworn my life to Kou-sama, and I do wish to bear Kou-sama"s child. But, unlike my sisters, I cannot stay in the same place as Kou-sama"s slave 」
「 Tsukiko"s home is a shrine. Therefore, she has to inherit it in the future 」
That"s all I tell them.
I can"t talk about the details right now.
「 Oh, so that"s why you"re wearing a shrine maiden clothing 」
「 I thought that it suited her that it shouldn"t be cosplay 」
「 She"s the real one, Rie-chan 」
「 Yeah, she looks perfect in it 」
The twins agreed
Then.
「 I, Kudou Michi, aim to become Master"s best slave 」
Hey, Michi.
「 Hey, aren"t you Misuzu-sama"s bodyguard? 」
Torii-san retorts.
「 I am Misuzu-oneesama"s bodyguard and Master"s slave. I yearn for both from the bottom of my heart 」
Michi declares.
「 W-What are you talking about? 」
Torii-san doesn"t get it again.
「 Oh well, Mitchan"s an M when Yo-chan"s with her 」
Nei smiles wryly
「 Yes, I"m an M 」
Michi puffs her chest with pride.
「 Uwawa, Rie-chan, she"s an M 」
「 I don"t get that 」
「 She looks scary though 」
「 But, Eri-chan, she says that she"s an M 」
Hearing the conversation of the two, Torii-san;
「 What does it mean? 」
Oh.
Right, she"s a young lady.
「 Huh, don"t get it? It"s such a famous novel though 」
Nei smiles.
「 Novel? 」
「 That"s right. It"s in the elementary library. I read that when I was four 」
W-What?
「 Edogawa Ranpo"s Denjin M Didn"t read that one? 」
Denjin M.
「 I haven"t. I never saw those in our library 」
Right.
That"s the library for the super-high cla.s.s young ladies of j.a.pan.
「 Then go read it. You won"t understand it unless you do. While at it, go read Tetsujin Q, Youseijin R, and Kyuukyoku Choujin R! 」
Nei laughed.
「 Well, it"s better than starting with “The Caterpillar” or “A Brute"s Love” 」
Michi said.
「 Mana loves the “The Traveler with the Pasted Rag Picture” 」
「 I like the “The Appearance of Osei” 」
Mana and Tsukiko even give their recommendations.
「 Err, what are you talking about Onee-san? 」
Eri asks.
「 Err, it"s Edogawa Ranpo! 」
Nei laughs.
「 By the way, Yo-chan, you came here because you have business here, right? 」
Oh right.
「 Ychan, you heard from Rei-chan or Shou-neechan? 」
From what I can see from the twins, I don"t think they know that their parents are dead yet.
But still, I"m asking just in case.
「 No, not yet. Onee-chan didn"t tell me anything ahead of Yo-chan 」
Nei knows.
The reason why I came to the twins at this moment.
「 I see. Eri, Rie, listen to me 」
I look at the two.
「 What is it, Onii-san? 」
「 Oh, what"s with this serious turn? 」
The twins look smiling.
But, they get it.
They can imagine what I"m about to say
「 It"s about your parents, they"ve come back to Kansai and died 」
I resolved myself and tell them clearly.
「 Ah, I knew it 」
Eri said.
「 Of course, I thought so 」
Rie too.
「 They died, I see 」
「 Somehow, that was fast. Eri-chan 」
「 Right, they died too fast 」
「 Yeah 」
The twins accept their parents" death calmly.
「 Thinking that they"re no longer coming back, somehow… 」
「 Right, I feel sad 」
「 I see. I feel refreshed though 」
「 Yeah, they were troublesome people 」
「 If we stayed with them, we would have no future at all 」
「 Yeah 」
The parents of the twins are sc.u.ms who use their daughters to sell videos of them to lolicon.
「 Didn"t we talk about this? Where Eri-chan and I leave that family as soon as possible 」
「 Right. We planned where we ran away from them
「 And that once we escaped from them, we"ll never see them again 」
「 Right. But if we escaped, those people would find us wherever we go
「 That"s why this is okay. 」
「 Yes, this is okay 」
The two speak feebly.
「 I"m glad that I"m not seeing them again. I feel refreshed. I feel clean 」
「 Right, I feel like the burden"s removed from me 」
Hearing the two, Torii-san.
「 Wait for a second you two! 」
Her nose is breathing roughly as she speaks.
「 Your parents died, don"t say that you feel refreshed! I know what went on with you but they"re still your parents! 」
The twins.
「 Right, they"re our parents 」
「 The parents who made us suffer all the time 」
They look at Torii-san coldly.