"Hey."
"Yami? You came?"
To my surprise, Yami had come to visit me. She came into the room with barely a sound. She was wearing the school uniform I was finally getting used to seeing her in.
She came close to the bed, but didn't sit down on the chair, and just stared out the window.
"I don't like you, but I don't have a hobby of laughing at injured people."
"Is that so?"
Even so, I didn't expect her to visit. Did time heal the distance between us? No, she just said she dislikes me, so that's not it.
"This."
In an indescribable atmosphere, Yami held out a paper bag. Judging by the logo on the bag, it was...
"Books?"
"You'll have nothing to do while you're in the hospital. It's a gift from me. Read them if you feel like it. You can read with one arm."
"Thank you."
"Don't worry about it. This will serve as proof that I was here."
Huh? Proof?
"Yuuki Asuna and Himeragi Yukina are on a mission right now. They'll come visit one after another when they have time. I think two people came yesterday, didn't you hear?"
"Ah. I didn't hear anything."
I actually heard from Kurumi, though. Wait, was Kurumi not supposed to come yesterday? She was already so ready to go.
But she said she wasn't talking to me so I could rest, so did Yami not hear that?
What's it like at home now? Yami and Tina came to our house and then I was hospitalized again so soon after. From what I saw before I was hospitalized, Tina seemed to be fine, but Yami only showed up at mealtimes. Is that still the case now?
Even so, this is convenient.
"What kind of mission is it?"
I feel bad for everyone, but I want to at least know the details.
"It's an official request. I can't say anything more."
"An official request, huh?"
Armed Detectives are basically driven by money. As long as you pay, you can request anything, even if it's a little rough.
However, on the flip side, they can refuse jobs that are too risky to be worthwhile, and they won't take on jobs that don't offer a reward in the first place.
To deal with this, the UN created a higher-level organization of a global police force, funded by the citizens' tax money, to be used in conjunction with the Armed Detective system. That is the Bureau of Management.
The Bureau of Management takes on jobs that Armed Detectives tend to avoid and supports them. Furthermore, there are times when the Bureau of Management itself requests the cooperation of Armed Detectives, and this is called an "official request" among them.
This island also has a branch of the Bureau of Management, so it's a request from there.
There's probably a confidentiality agreement, so I guess I'll just be happy with knowing that much. It's a huge bonus just to know that it's not a request from some weirdo.
"I see, I see. So you're taking it on too, Yami."
"Yes. Were you surprised?"
"I was wondering if you were getting along with everyone."
"Is that a taunt?"
She didn't show it on her face, but she became sullen. I should reflect on my words.
Well, she did come alone (Kurumi had her own agenda), and the fact that she's leaving proof that she came is a pretty good indication of the situation.
"You guys are unlucky too. To have to embrace such a bomb."
Saying that, Yami stood up.
An assassin, whose profession is to kill people, naturally makes enemies. If you have a connection with such a person, you never know when you'll become a target.
Thanks to Saint Celestial, I'm able to be here now, but originally, she was supposed to go to prison.
"My talk is over. Take care..."
"Big brother! Are you doing well?!"
The door opened with a loud bang.
And the small shadow that jumped in collided with Yami—it didn't happen. Yami smoothly dodged her. But she couldn't pass through the wide-open door. She was blocked from moving forward by the child standing in the hallway beyond the door.
You've probably figured it out by now, but the one who jumped in was Kuro. And the ones who came with her were her friends, Vivio and the others.
For some reason, Yami froze when she saw Vivio.
"Ah! You're that person from back then?! Thank you so much the other day!"
"Eh, ah, th, that..."
Yami started to become flustered when Vivio, who just met her, suddenly bowed deeply.
...I have absolutely no idea what's going on. What happened?
---------
"I see. So, Yami helped Vivio."
I briefly summarized what I heard. It's a strange connection.
"You're being far too simplistic, Yozuki Sho...!"
Yami's tone as she scolds me is a little weak. That's because...
"That's right! When I thought I was done for, she appeared out of nowhere and saved me!"
"And then! She disappeared right after that!"
"She was just like a hero!"
"We were wondering who she was, but to think..."
Vivio and the others excitedly talked about the time they were saved. Even Yami is being pushed back by their unique child-like energy.
Their power is not to be underestimated, as they stopped her from going home right away, and easily peeled off Yami's iron mask.
"—To think she was Kuro's big brother's girlfriend!!"
They really are not to be underestimated.
Well, it's not hard to imagine that they have a close relationship, since she made the effort to visit him at the hospital. And it's not wrong either. We are living together, from a societal point of view.
"...Stop joking. I have no relationship with this man."
That was Yami's terrible response. Nobody visits someone they have no relationship with. As expected, she was cornered further by her slip of the tongue.
Yami isn't used to dealing with children, and can't find the right words. She should just cut the conversation short and go home. Is she that disgusted by being called my girlfriend?
But well, Nove-san is here too. I'm sure she'll be a good a good stopper.
In the meantime, there are two things I need to ask.
"Kuro, Tina, what about your mission?"
"...Who told you about the mission... Yami, right? Seriously..."
"Kuro-san..."
Her demeanor changed, and her eyes became sharp. She understood my words right away. She's like a completely different person from when she's acting spoiled with me. It's as if she has two personalities.
Tina looked at Kuro with a worried expression. It's probably because she became upset as soon as Yami's name was mentioned.
"We're on the mission too. We always operate in groups of two or more when we're on a mission—"
"—Is your magic okay?"
"Yeah. My magic storage capacity has increased a lot since I did that lewd stuff with big brother. If I'm just living normally, I can last for a week without a magic refill. Even in combat, I have that bandana, so I think I'll be fine unless something really bad happens."
"The Infinite Bandana, huh. I'll give that to you, Kuro."
It's clear that Kuro can use it better than I can, and it's better for her to have it, since it can cancel out a major disadvantage.
That alone will greatly improve the stability of Kuro's combat.
Alright, now for the other thing.
"How is Yami?"
"Yami? ...Well..."
Kuro obviously avoids eye contact. That's as good as an answer.
"...To be honest, I don't like Yami."
"Oh..."
I never expected to hear the word "dislike" from Kuro. Tina started talking in place of Kuro, who had turned away.
"Yami-san has been the same ever since she came to our house. She goes to school without us noticing, and comes back without us noticing. She rarely eats with us when we call her for dinner, and she barely talks at home. Asuna-san and Kurumi-san seem to be trying their best, but..."
"...Well, Yami didn't want to come to my house... Tina, you too?"
"I was so happy to be able to come to your house, Sho-san!"
Tina said something so sweet.
In Yami's case, she doesn't dislike others, she's just indifferent. Yami's indifference doesn't mean she creates her own world and shuts out others. She's a dry person who's not interested in other people's personalities but pays close attention to their actions.
It's probably a way of thinking that was shaped by her time as an assassin.
Kuro is smart and probably understands, but I'll make an effort to defend Yami.
Even so, Yami has a lower approval rating than Tina, who injured me. It's amazing how much of a difference an attitude can make.
"Kuro-san and Tina-san are on a mission. Sho-san, how's your injury?"
At that, Einhart, who wasn't participating in the questioning of Yami, came over. It doesn't seem like she feels overly responsible for my injury. I'm grateful for that.
"I'm perfectly fine. It's good that you didn't catch a cold either, Einhart. How did your match with Vivio-chan go?"
Nobody else was injured in this incident besides me. They even went to school as soon as the police questioning was over. At most, they just got soaked. The only thing I was worried about was that the incident would prevent them from performing well in their matches.
Come to think of it, White Snake's target was the DNA of Einhart and Kirin. That means if I hadn't been there, they would have been helpless. It was very lucky that I, who could fight back against a Stand, was nearby. Even so, the fact that they were attacked remains.
"I... well, I won the match against Vivio-san. But it was almost a draw... and I learned a lot more. It's all thanks to you, Sho-san. Thank you."
"That's good to hear. You're welcome."
I won't say something boring like "I didn't do anything." If she says she learned something, that's enough.
"Are you going to get along well with Vivio-chan and the others?"
"Yes. There aren't many things in common between modern martial arts and my style, but I'd like to be good friends with them."
It's good that things turned out well for her too.
"And, about the morning practice..."
"Hmm? Ah, Kirin came yesterday and we decided to continue the practice. I'll contact Kirin if you want to join."
"Yes! Please do!"
I could tell what she wanted to say in an instant. Einhart replied a little eagerly.
"But we don't know anything about the Hōō style either, so the only benefit of practicing together is for matches. Is that okay with you?"
"That... well, that's true, but..."
"Sho-san, you're saying that on purpose, aren't you? I don't think you should do things like that."
I teased her a little and Tina actually scolded me.
"Hey, you guys! This is a hospital! If you want to make a racket, go home!"
Nove-san put a stop to it there. It seems she couldn't overlook the questions about Yami anymore.
It doesn't feel like Vivio-chan and the others actually visited me. Now that I think about it, my connection with Vivio is on the level of "I've never even talked to her." Isn't that the same as having no connection at all? She's just my friend (Kuro)'s big brother.
That aside,
"Ah, Nove-san. Could you stay behind for a bit? I want to talk to you. Everyone else, please go outside first."
I had something I wanted to tell Nove-san the next time I saw her. I almost forgot.
"Eh?! A secret talk with Nove-san?!"
"Th-th-that..."
"Could it be, could it be...!"
Saying that, the little girls started to get excited.
Everyone's so mature for their age. I have no intention of doing anything like that. This is a much more important matter.
"Huh? Ah, sure. Hey, stop saying silly things and go outside."
Nove-san, as expected of an adult woman, chased the kids out without getting flustered.
I gave Kuro a subtle glance as she left. I don't think it'll be easy for her to notice just from that, even though she's sharp.
The room became quiet. It doesn't seem like they're eavesdropping by the door.
"So? What do you want to talk about? You're not actually going to confess, are you?"
"No. It's not about that. It's about Kuro."
"What about Kuro?"
I explained Kuro's physical condition. Nove-san listened quietly the entire time.
"—And that's the situation. I can't say the more specific details myself."
"I see... I understand. I'll make sure to support her when I'm watching her. It's not that big of a problem for her to live a normal life, right?"
"That's right. So it's not a problem for her to continue Strike Arts."
"I see. Well, if she ever wants to talk about it, she'll probably explain it to the kids before she tells me. She's pretty solid for her age."
"Yeah, that's true. I have faith in her in that regard."
Nove-san, who smiled at my words, turned her back to me.
"It's not good to make them wait too long. I'm going home. See you later."
Saying that, Nove-san left the hospital room.
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