I was a little nervous. Especially when I realized that this tiny room didn’t have any separate spaces—usually I sleep on a futon laid out on the tatami, which meant… we were basically going to sleep in the same room.
Not that I thought he would do anything, of course. For one thing, he’s a few months younger than me. And just judging from his aura, he’s probably more concerned with his life than worrying about “innocence.”
Even though his outward appearance doesn’t hint at his brutal past.
The red-haired boy sitting across from me wore an ordinary dark blue shirt and khaki work pants. He was slim—not small, but definitely not tall. I’m only about 1.6 meters, and he didn’t look much taller than me.
In some ways, people like us—whose appearance doesn’t reveal much—might actually be better suited to being killers. It lowers others’ guard right from the start.
Unlike me, who’s all about money, Oda Sakunosuke seemed… hmm… “natural killer” doesn’t quite fit either. He didn’t seem to do things for fun. Drinking expired juice without complaint showed he wasn’t delicate. Donating money casually showed it wasn’t about the cash… could it be that he just didn’t know what else to do with his life? Is that talent or… something else?
I didn’t quite understand, and I didn’t dare ask directly.
Judging by his sudden shift in focus, I felt like if we started a heart-to-heart, I’d be pulled in and couldn’t get out.
I’d already been unknowingly bound to be partners with him… wait, did I forget something important?
“Ah… Sakunosuke, you were the one who got the assignment from that conglomerate to eliminate me, right? Did you return the deposit?” I asked cautiously, testing the waters.
The red-haired boy looked at me, his tone and expression calm: “I didn’t take a deposit.”
“…Huh? That means…” My heart clenched—so if he hadn’t accepted the mission, does that mean I misread the intel, approached the wrong person, and ended up in this mess myself? But it was true that the conglomerate wanted revenge. If Oda Sakunosuke refused the job, wouldn’t someone else eventually come after me…?
The red-haired boy continued calmly: “I’ve always taken full payment.”
I: “…”
What kind of person is this?! What a flex! Fine, fine! I get it, your clients trust you so much they pay in full upfront! Believe me, I could just go stroll in front of the conglomerate execs and shatter your undefeated reputation!
I complained silently in my mind, of course—it was only words.
Maybe because my inner anti-rich resentment outweighed my caution, I relaxed and asked directly: “So did you accept that mission to kill me?”
“You were my last target,” Oda Sakunosuke said evenly. “After I took this mission, I read that novel and changed my mind.”
I froze, eyes wide—wait, so I was actually saved by a novel?
Thinking that, I felt a small sense of relief—sorry! I won’t criticize that novel anymore! Nor will I criticize you writing novels! Go ahead and write! Tomorrow I’ll buy you paper and pens!
Feeling lucky to have survived, I happily pulled out the instant noodles I had stored, added a sausage, and shared dinner with him.
Even though the red-haired boy still wore that emotionless, expressionless face, he somehow seemed easier to look at than before. Feeling bolder, I decided to test the waters—since it looked like we’d be living together for a while, it was necessary to probe his boundaries.
After all, he seemed indifferent to everything, so I had to do my best to assert myself…
“Since I bought the noodles, you’re in charge of cleaning up the table, and you’ll take out tomorrow’s trash too!”
“Mm.”
“This is still my home, so I’ll sleep with the softer blanket. But my spare blanket is clean too, don’t mind it. You can borrow my pajamas for now.”
“Okay.”
“And I’m a little older than you… how about I call you Little Oda from now on?”
“Oh.”
…Is this going a little too smoothly?! I crawled under the covers, a little excited inside.
The day had its ups and downs, but overall, it ended on a good note.
Though I was slightly annoyed at being forced into retirement and sharing half my room, in a way, he had saved my life, so I let it slide. I’m not ungrateful.
If he hadn’t pulled me into retirement, others would have eventually come after me. The conglomerate would’ve been humiliated knowing I survived and wouldn’t let it go. And by then, Oda Sakunosuke would have retired, and there’s a chance rumors would have said I killed him… Sure, I could’ve gotten a higher-paying contract, but the risk and enemies would have skyrocketed. Hmm? Wait, wouldn’t Oda Sakunosuke want to avoid that too? Did he factor that in when he pulled me out?
But clearly, he’s not letting me kill anymore… if someone comes after me later, I can still act, right? He’s not going to enforce all these “rules” on me, is he?
And… why was I feeling so touched just now? Without him, I could’ve handled things myself and continued my previous life!
Thinking that, I suddenly opened my eyes, turned over, and stared intently at the red-haired boy lying about a meter away.
It was probably because I was staring too intently—or maybe out of habit, since prolonged eye contact can make people instinctively alert—that Oda Sakunosuke suddenly asked, “Is something wrong?”
…Something’s definitely wrong! Big time!
I carefully chose my words, hesitating a bit: “Um… Little Oda, you know that conglomerate I got involved with hasn’t gone under yet, right? I won’t provoke them on my own, but if they decide to come after me…”
My hint was obvious—this was your idea for me to retire, right? If trouble comes knocking, me acting would be self-defense! That doesn’t conflict with me giving up the life, you see?
His voice came at just the right moment: “You want me to step in?”
I froze for a moment, a little flustered and pleasantly surprised: “Huh? Is that okay?”
“I told you, I won’t kill anyone anymore.”
Me: “…What the heck! Are you messing with me on purpose?”
My expression probably twisted in disbelief, and when he suddenly rolled over to face me, I panicked, quickly pulling the blanket down to hide half my face.
The red-haired boy, who had been resting his eyes, slowly opened them. Moonlight streamed in through the window, and thanks to his professional training, I could see clearly and met his deep blue eyes.
They were the same as when we first met—calm, as if devoid of any emotion.
In that instant, my body instinctively went into combat mode. Every muscle tensed, and my hands, hidden under the blanket, clenched into fists, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of danger.
“But… you won’t get hurt. I will…” The red-haired boy opened his mouth, seeming to search for the right words, hesitated briefly, then continued, his blue eyes calm as he simply stated a fact: “Protect you.”