I knew it—my troubles weren’t going to end so soon.
I had a tiny hope that maybe he didn’t have clairvoyance, and I could slip away to somewhere he couldn’t find me… but alas, that clearly wasn’t going to work.
The place I rented was on the second floor of a low-rise apartment near the harbor.
Not that I couldn’t afford a high-rise—it’s just that would’ve been too conspicuous. A low-rise fit my “ordinary person” cover better.
Technically it’s only two floors, more like a modular building with lightweight steel construction—cheap materials all around. But the rent was low, and the maintenance fees were minimal.
In a building like this, neighbors are usually people you barely see, which can make relationships tricky… but because it’s near the harbor, most tenants were low-level port Mafia personnel. So we rarely interacted; disappearing for a while and coming back would raise no eyebrows.
As long as there was no suspicious stench coming from the room, no one cared, and the manager only showed up to collect rent. This kind of indifferent neighborhood suited me perfectly.
Because of this, bringing a peer home wouldn’t draw any attention.
I opened the door, hung my coat on the rack by the entrance, and pulled out my summer slippers from the shoe shelf. “Sorry—I never expected to have a guest, so you’ll have to make do with my slippers.”
I set the pink flip-flops aside.
As for me, of course, I wore my cute, cozy white cotton slippers.
I also hinted ever so subtly in my words—yes, you’re a guest. A guest isn’t the host; it means you’re leaving eventually. Got it?!
I wasn’t sure if he got the hint. Oda Sakunosuke just stood at the door and gave a slight nod. “Ah… sorry if I disturbed you.”
…You might as well drop the “seems like.” But I guess he got it?
I thought this inwardly but kept a polite, standardized smile on my face and responded with formal courtesy: “Not at all, you didn’t disturb me.”
My apartment was small and didn’t have much, but it had everything I needed. Despite often being away on missions, barely spending half the month at home, this was still my base—I had to live comfortably!
I opened the fridge, checked the unopened drinks, and hesitated over the two-day-expired juice. After smelling it and noticing nothing unusual, I poured a glass for him with the mindset: I’ll take the risk; if it goes wrong, at least it’s on him.
“Thanks.” The red-haired boy took the juice, casually glancing around. “Is this your home?”
“I guess so. It’s where I spend the most time.” Since he opened this topic, I went along, probing: “Oda, where’s your place?”
Once he answers, I can subtly send him back to his own home—so easy!
He lowered his gaze, thinking for a moment. “Hmm… if you mean a fixed residence, I don’t really have one.”
…Not easy at all!
Though my plan failed, I couldn’t help but feel a strange admiration—wow, this is the No.1 in our field? Such impressive professional composure!
But after admiring him, a wave of panic hit me. My hands shook slightly around my cup—wait! But didn’t this guy quit being a killer?! Does that mean… he’s going to live at my place now?! No! This is my home! I’m not ready to have a cohabiting roommate in my one-room apartment! This is going to be a huge problem! Realizing this, my gaze darkened slightly.
—So that’s why you dragged me along when quitting—so you could chase your new dream while freeloading off me? Disgraceful! I despise you! But I’m a little afraid of this ex-colleague who could actually take me out… so I’ll just despise you quietly in my heart!
Oda Sakunosuke, unaware of my inner thoughts, took a sip of juice and remarked, “Ji Jiujiang, you’re really impressive.”
“Huh?” I was confused where this compliment came from, but a compliment is a compliment, so I accepted it politely and humbly waved my hand. “Not at all…”
I knew this newly acquainted ex-No.1 had an unusual way of thinking, but I didn’t expect him to pull an old-school compliment trick. After a brief pause, he answered seriously: “Being able to have your own home—that alone is impressive.”
The red-haired boy paused, his cat-like eyes studying me thoughtfully. “You probably understand the meaning of being human better than I do.”
Wait… the meaning of being human? Isn’t that a bit too abstract, too philosophical?
You’ve already gone into philosophy? I knew reading too much could be dangerous! Look, even my colleague left the profession because of it!
I might as well hand over my “Dark Wing” persona to you. Look at your setup—philosophical musings, previously an emotionless killer, suddenly quitting to explore the meaning of life… you fit the shonen manga protagonist archetype better than me!
I didn’t want to discuss this deeply, so I gave an awkward but polite smile.
He didn’t mind and returned a faint, natural smile—just a slight upward curve at the corner of his lips, softening his whole expression.
A rare smile on this almost expressionless boy. Without my observational skills, I might not have noticed it.
I was briefly stunned.
For a moment, he wasn’t the cold ex-colleague killer—he seemed just like a friend visiting my home.
Maybe because of the relaxed atmosphere, or because he trusted me enough to drink the two-day-expired juice I poured, I also relaxed. I even made a quiet decision—once he finishes his “experience life” project, if he returns to the field, I’ll invite him to be my partner.
Given his sparse emotional expression, he probably wouldn’t comment on my powers—he didn’t even seem like he would care.
Together, we could roam Yokohama freely! Maybe even hit my retirement goal before 18!
We could come up with a cool, non-cheesy duo name too!
Excited, I started asking him personal questions. “Oda, how old are you?”
Oda Sakunosuke: “Hmm… fourteen, I think.”
Me: “…” Younger than me by a year! Damn! I suddenly feel like I lost!
Wait… so I’ve been letting someone younger than me call me by my name?!
I decided to assert myself subtly: “I’m fifteen, older than you.”
He seemed surprised: “Huh? Are we ranking by age?”
…Is he warning me not to act too familiar?! Damn it. Well, by experience, he’s still my senior in our line of work, better than me… but there’s no way I’ll address someone younger formally!
I started struggling internally.
Maybe I looked too conflicted, because Oda Sakunosuke decided to compromise.
“I’m used to calling you Ji Jiujiang,” he said. “You can just call me by my name too.”
And so, on the day I nearly got killed for the first time, I brought a boy home for the first time, we called each other by our first names for the first time, we cohabitated for the first time, and I faced the huge life problem of having another person in my one-room apartment and wondering how we’d sleep that night.
And the person who nearly killed me, whom I brought home, who helped achieve the name-calling milestone, who inexplicably ended up living with me, and who was about to sleep in the same room… was the same person.
Thinking about it, my expression grew serious.
Not that I’m completely oblivious to gender dynamics—but after all, this guy just decided today to quit being an emotionless killer.
I just started worrying… how are two killers, who three hours ago were top-ranked lone assassins in Yokohama, supposed to sleep in the same room?
My new roommate doesn’t have a “kill in dreams” habit, right? We won’t end up on guard all night or fight, right?
Oda Sakunosuke (thinking): Not sure where to go… Ah, since she called me along, I’ll just follow.
Ji Jiujiang: Don’t come any closer ahhhh—!
The young Oda of just now is different from his future self; his killer habits, temperament, and aura haven’t changed yet. As described in the official novel and animation, in his youth, he really was that classic “I’m an emotionless killer” type…