112. Bento
Dark clouds.
I looked up at the bad-tempered looking clouds, and sighed.
「Looks……like it’s going to rain」
A week after meeting Grazi Blacklist.
Just as he said, he has a quite bad reputation as he was covered in the news every day, and it came to a point that I hear my name, in other words, King of Black Coffin in the news more often.
「Well, it’s fine as long as my real name is not revealed……」
While saying that, I recalled 『my real name』 which was said by Grazi Blacklist.
–Nagumo Iwato.
In other words, their organization, the Six Demon Spears have identified me, the King of Black Coffin.
And he ambushed me near my house. There’s no change in reality that the organization are trying to catch……no, kill the Shutendouji’s daughter–Onikko and me.
「……I think it’s not strange for them to come soon」
While saying that, I who turned around, look at the white-haired girl sleeping on the sofa, and I brush her her gently.
Then, she moves her body as if it’s ticklish, and it’s probably something she won’t show me forever. Thinking that, I smiled.
「Otou…san……」
Upon hearing her sleep talk, my heart aches.
……Well, the distance between us is shortening little by little.
However, I’m the one who killed her father.
Before that, someone inflicted a fatal wound on him? I don’t have to feel bad because I only delivered the final blow?
–No, I don’t want to think so.
I’m the one who actually killed her father.
No matter what was his condition, no matter how the situation was.
It doesn’t change the fact that I took his life with these hands.
That’s why.
「……I beg you, if you want to resent someone, please resent me」
She must never know about the truth.
No matter what happens, I must not let her bear the second 『revenge』.
After all, if she finds out about the perpetrator who defeated her father and kidnapped her. If she finds out about the Digital Ruler who’s the cause of my meeting with the Shutendouji–
「……Please don’t forgive me」
Saying that, I smile feebly.
This is painful. It really is.
The fact that someone stole her father. It will lean on the body as a weight to the extent I would like to run away, and gnaws at my heart slowly. There are times when I almost got crazy.
But recently.
She started to smile occasionally.
Before this, her face was distorted in hatred, and she always tried to kill me.
I’m sure that the hatred and the killing intent have not disappeared completely,
But still, if she reached the point that she can smile.
「You should just smile every time」
Thus, I start to walk.
Now, time to go to work.
I can’t always keep waiting for the enemies that I have no idea when they would come. The powerless me has a limit in what I can do.
But still, if someone were to thrust the cruel truth to her, I will coat it with lies and shame.
It’s better to not know something sometimes.
It’s better to not let her know.
That’s why, it’s a good lie.
「Well then, I’m off」
I said that to her sleeping face, and started walking under cloudy weather.
『W-Who are you……!』
I heard a familiar voice.
Deep, strong, and soft, but a little angry.
You can say that it was also scared.
Fl.u.s.tered, and scared.
And yet, angry.
『Oh, you have returned, Shutendouji. If possible, I wanted to finish it when you are not here……』
『……Answer my question』
Along with the words–hot air blew.
My vision is still dark.
But my body is carried on shoulder by……a woman who leaked a fl.u.s.tered groan.
『What do you want with my daughter? Depending on your answer, I–』
『……Depending on my answer?』
The woman asked back with the same words.
Against such woman, a snicker can be heard somewhere.
『Fu……I will have to take two or three of your arms』
『……Hee』
The woman replied softly.
In those words, there was some kind of disappointment.
『You will regret that you didn’t declare to 【kill】 me now』
My memory…stops here.
I don’t know what that scene was.
But when I wake up, I can see the familiar ceiling and feel a very comfortable sofa.
And, tears flowing.
「……Otou-san」
Muttering that, I wiped my tears.
I don’t know what that dream was.
That man killed my father.
Because I witnessed it with my own eyes.
That’s for sure an unmistakable fact.
……I’m sure of it…it should be.
「And yet」
I hate that man and I want to kill him.
That won’t change. It shouldn’t change.
But still……
「And yet……」
That scene pa.s.sed my mind.
On a certain day after I came to this house.
During the time when I peeped at his room by chance, I will probably not forget of that scene forever.
That man who usually moves while sensing my presence, grasped the bed sheets like a kid, hit his chest with his fist……and cried.
Serves you right.
I thought that. I can’t help but to think so.
But at the same time, that figure looks like my father.
That man looks like Tou-san.
I don’t want to think about that, so I ran away from there.
Without hiding my footsteps, I ran in denial.
Why is he crying?
Why, why…even though he’s the a.s.sailant.
Why…is the bad guy…crying that much?
Why…despite killing my father.
Why……
「……An…act」
That’s definitely an act.
He must have known that I was peeping, so he wanted me to feel shaken upon seeing his crying state.
He knows everything.
He knows everything, calculated it, and on top of that, he tried to throw my guard off.
I’m sure of it. I try to think that–
『Say, Onikko』
Recalling that smile, I scratch my head strongly.
Why, why why……why is he smiling?
Why he won’t kill me? I tried to kill you.
Then, you should just kill me…Everything will turn out well if you kill me like Otou-san, and yet, why……!
「……! I’m…getting irritated!」
I’m only recalling him.
At first, he had no hesitation to kill me.
I know that his source is that cold and scary madness. That man will never hesitate when it comes to killing someone. If he tries it, he should be able to kill me.
And yet, the recent him…only smiles.
Even if I look down at him…even if I speak ill of him…even if I kick and punch him, he will still smile and pat my head.
I hate that.
I don’t want to be treated like a child.
I want to say that “You’re also a child”.
But I always can’t say it.
I almost want to say it……but suddenly, I think that doing so would be like sulking, so I kept my mouth shut.
「……I hate him」
In conclusion, I hate him.
Disregarding my feelings, I hate that man who killed my father.
There’s no way I will come to like him. There’s no way I will come to think that he’s a good guy. There’s no way that I will come to think of him as a brother.
……There’s no way that I feel that it’s fun occasionally.
I have become weird because I’m staying with the murderer.
That’s right. I became weird.
I’m sure…if I run away from here…I can return–
I stand up……suddenly, I look at the table.
When I look at it–there’s the bento that man made every morning which he forgot to bring, and upon seeing that, I laughed scornfully.
Serves him right. Forgetting something he made himself…he should just get troubled somewhere while feeling hungry.
That man’s troubled face comes into mind, but I don’t care.
I’m running away from here.
I don’t want to get involved with that man anymore…because I will get weird if I continue to do so.
That’s why, I don’t care of such thing.
「Because I’m not related anymore」
I laughed and started walking to the outside.
Just then, I have no place to go…no place where I belong.
But I’m sure that there are no places which are more horrible than here.
Thinking that, I started walking–
『Hey, look! Look at that! Isn’t today’s bento well made!?』
Those words pa.s.sed my mind, and I clenched my teeth greatly.
「Uwa……it really rained!」
Cloudy weather.
Almost coming, no please don’t come.
While thinking that, I who ran to the house, I raised my head to the sky upon feeling the raindrop at the back of my hand.
At the same time, rain begins to fall.
The rain that began to fall, changed into a squall, and by the excessive rainfall, I instantly cover my head with both hands.
「S-s.h.i.t……! My hair dye!」
Even though it may look like this, I seemed to using a very strong dye, but if it’s exposed to rain for a long period, the dye will come off. I who learned that from the back of the dye’s package, raised my speed and started to run to my house at full speed.
–Well, to put it simply, I forgot to bring my bento.
Since the morning, I made it while thinking that 『Well, this is the best one I have ever made』, but because I was thinking of various things, I totally forgotten to bring it.
「I somehow want to return during the rest time……」
It might be bad if I don’t apply the dye again.
While thinking that, I get down to my house garden, and rush to the entrance–suddenly, I realized that the door is opened.
「……Huh, did I forget to lock it?」
I’m pretty sure that I locked the door because I was having such determination this morning.
While saying that, I open the door and try to raise my voice saying 『I’m home』 to Onikko who should be in the house somewhere–
「………………Ha?」
–I realized that I can’t feel anyone inside.
「–!」
Am I an idiot? Have I grow dull?
Usually, I would have know whether or not Onikko is in the house upon coming close to the house. I should have know.
And yet, why……
「O-Onikko!」
Without taking off my shoes, I run into the house and call her name towards the living room.
However, there’s no one there.
–The lunch box on top of the table has disappeared.