“Protect me…”
Taken on its own, that phrase has a lot of weight. It sounds pleasant to the ear, and in another context, it might even feel a little like a confession. Not that I’d ever get flustered.
But… think about our respective positions—he’s a boy who, until today, was the top-ranked killer who just retired, and I’m someone who, until today, almost got taken out by that same top-ranked killer, myself ranked top three.
…No matter how you look at it, this is weird! What is he thinking?!
Of course, since this benefits me, I kept all that to myself. I wouldn’t contradict him or dampen his enthusiasm. Instead, I gave him a meaningful look—“You better follow through on that.”
Still, I felt a little insecure, so I scooted closer to him under the covers, reached out my hand, and hooked my pinky around his: “It’s a deal, then.”
The red-haired boy looked slightly puzzled at my gesture. After a brief pause, he mirrored me and extended his hand.
I inched closer, hooked my pinky around his, gently shook it, then let go, quickly retreating to my side of the bed, lying flat and closing my eyes.
I could feel his gaze linger on me for a moment before withdrawing.
Pretending to nap, I sneaked one eye open and glanced at him, then quickly drew it back—phew… looks like we can peacefully coexist tonight.
That night passed without incident.
The next morning, my body clock and professional habits kicked in—I woke up quickly and sat up.
At the same time, the red-haired boy also sat up. I suspected he had actually woken before me, just waiting for me to rise so we’d move together.
Perhaps because the night had gone smoothly, or because of last night’s agreement, I felt more relaxed toward him and even started giving instructions.
“Make sure to put the bedding away in the closet. The fridge is empty—we need to buy some groceries… Ah, since you’re done being a killer, we need to do other work. I’ve been working at a convenience store nearby for some reasons. You’ll come with me.”
I made all the arrangements decisively.
Oda Sakunosuke didn’t object at all; he obediently tidied the bedding and silently followed me out, just a step behind.
At first, I didn’t mind. But after a few steps, I felt uneasy—my hairs stood on end. Wait a second… this habit… feels like he could ambush me at any moment!
I couldn’t help stopping, turning with a serious expression: “Don’t walk behind me—walk alongside me!”
He paused, seemingly not understanding why I made the request. But he wasn’t much of a talker, and obediently followed instructions.
That made me feel much better, and a small smile crept onto my face as I glanced at him, feeling satisfied.
Then, I noticed something else off—why was he staring at me continuously while walking side by side? If it were yesterday, I might have kept quiet, but today I knew our relationship better! So, after a moment’s hesitation, I boldly asked: “Why are you staring at me?”
I’d checked the mirror before leaving—I definitely had nothing on my face! And there was no way anything suddenly got stuck on me during the walk!
“Because you look… happy,” the red-haired boy said, still with his usual expressionless tone, though a hint of confusion crept in. “But I don’t really understand.”
“Huh? Because… um, I just… have rich emotions!” I couldn’t exactly say I was happy because I felt my aura was overpowering him today—too embarrassing! Plus, having rich emotions also fuels my abilities. To unleash strong killing power, I need to feel deeply.
To avoid him probing further, I decisively changed the topic: “How about you, Little Oda? Do you have moments when you feel happy?”
He paused, thought for a while, then replied: “I don’t know.”
Me: “…Bro, I can’t work with that answer.”
To prevent an awkward silence, I tried to help him save face: “Like… when reading a novel?”
“Hmm… I just felt that novel gave me a new life. Before, I only knew how to kill. After reading it, I wanted to try other things. But I don’t think that counts as happiness. I just wanted to know how the story ended… If anything, it might have made me a little restless.”
“Ah… you really can’t tell from the outside,” I murmured. Even in his standard expressionless state, he’s on par with someone like AyaOri—totally unreadable in terms of emotional fluctuation. “But I get it. When you’re absorbed in something and suddenly left with a big cliffhanger, it’s natural to feel restless…”
Just like I’ve obsessed over the ending of the orange juice storyline in EOA for ages.
Still, Oda Sakunosuke clearly cared about that novel… Talking about it even made him more expressive.
It made me a bit curious about the novel too… But there’s no way I’d ask to borrow it! The distance between us is perfect! No need to get closer. Curiosity killed the cat, after all! And cats have nine lives—they still can’t survive being toyed with by curiosity!
That topic ended there—I didn’t dwell on it.
At the convenience store, I informed the manager, who welcomed an extra worker. That was partly because I had once saved him during a Mafia clash.
I always followed the principle of having multiple safe havens—helping innocents whenever possible outside missions—you never know when it might come in handy!
The manager, a friendly forty-year-old man, teased me quietly: “Is Oda-kun your boyfriend?”
“Not at all,” I half-opened my eyes. “And don’t try to tease him—it’s dangerous.”
I meant truly dangerous.
After that, I restocked missing items, then explained the basics of convenience store work to Oda Sakunosuke, who quietly stood in the corner. For now, he only had to handle restocking and miscellaneous tasks; I’d take care of the register.
While the hourly wage wasn’t high, it was enough for daily expenses. If this was our only job, though, we’d need to think of other ways to earn money.
Ever since becoming a killer, this was the first time I worried about money.
The store closed at 10 p.m., and leftover bento could be taken home for dinner.
“How’s the work so far?” I asked casually on the way back.
Oda Sakunosuke, true to his reserved nature, only nodded: “It’s fine.”
“Then let’s stick with the convenience store for now. You said you wanted to write novels, right? Then first, you need to understand humans… I think. And a convenience store lets you see all kinds of people.” I remembered our earlier conversation and asked, “Did you enjoy today’s work?”
“Not really.”
“That’s normal… Work isn’t supposed to be fun,” I said seriously.
This is why I’d always planned to make a big fortune and retire somewhere.
“But occasionally, there are fun things,” I said, holding up a bag. “I secretly hid two pork curry meals during the day—tonight we can just take them! Little Oda, do you like curry?”
“Mm… I like it, but I wouldn’t call it happiness,” he replied seriously. “Besides, I already saw you hiding it.”
“…You’re impossible,” I muttered, glaring at him.
Still, after the late-night meal, I followed my plan and brought out what I had prepared: “Here, a gift for you. If you want to write novels, you’ll need this eventually.”
I had secretly bought manuscript paper and a fountain pen without him noticing—definitely unnoticed!
Oda Sakunosuke indeed hadn’t noticed. His face registered slight surprise as he took the paper and pen, staring at them a few seconds before looking at me, a bit puzzled, but the feeling quickly faded.
He looked back down at the paper, blue eyes unblinking, serious, thoughtful: “Now… I feel a little happy.”