Sousei Takarai wanted to become a normal, everyday high school student. He had no plans to go to university. He wouldn’t even go to a trade school or try looking for jobs. Once he graduated from high school, he’d likely focus solely on his main occupation.
His sister had once told him that he wouldn’t be settling down in one spot, but moving around as needed for his jobs. She’d said that would be the most logical thing to do. If he considered it solely from a work point of view, she was probably right. His sister might have intended for Sousei to do that after he graduated. Once his sister decided something, Sousei couldn’t disobey her. He’d have no choice but to go along with it. High school life would be his last chance. While he was a high school student, he could get a taste of a normal life.
With the Scarecrows job, Sousei had let Tohru Hakayama get away, meaning it was still ongoing. Sousei’s chances of finding him were extremely slim if he was looking by himself, so his sister was taking care of that. She seemed to be doing everything she possibly could to track him down, and as soon as she did, she’d give Sousei his orders. He couldn’t relax, but he also couldn’t take on any other jobs in the meantime, so all he could do was prepare.
That day, Sousei woke up after it started getting light outside. He’d been able to sleep soundly without any nightmares, probably due to being so sleep deprived. He figured out just how much he could move his body so he wouldn’t be left fatigued, then replenished his fluids with a protein drink. He did a load of laundry, took a shower, did some quick maintenance on his firearms, and got dressed.
There were certain things he had to do every morning, but he deliberately didn’t have a fixed order to do them in. While turning things into a routine had its advantages, it also had downsides. The more people streamlined their actions, the less they used their brains, and if their routine got disrupted, it could lead to anxiety or anger, and even cause them to lose their presence of mind. If someone’s ability to adapt to circumstances dulled, it could be fatal. In Sousei’s case, he’d be able to recover after losing a life or two, but he didn’t want to die for no good reason. He had numerous lives, but they definitely weren’t unlimited.
As he had a simple breakfast of fruit, canned tuna, yogurt, and vegetable juice, his phone kept buzzing with notifications. In the Potato Party group chat, Asumi and Moena had said good morning and were chatting about the exchange diary. Soon after, Yukisada joined in as well.
The die has been cast…
Drinking his vegetable juice, Sousei tilted his head to the side.
Is that right? Die? Dice? Do you “cast” dice…? Well, anyway, it all depends on Miss Hitsujimoto now. There’s no point in thinking about it or wondering how it’s going to turn out. But I just can’t help thinking about it…
He didn’t know what to say, but he felt like he shouldn’t stay silent, either, so Sousei said good morning to everyone, then reacted to some of Asumi and Moena’s messages.
Ah, but I’m getting all nervous for some reason…
Sousei finished his breakfast, tidied up, and hung his washing to dry, all while frequently checking his phone. There weren’t many messages from Yukisada, but Asumi and Moena sent an awful lot. The two of them were probably feeling restless, wondering what Kuchina would do.
I get that. I really do…
After hesitating for a while, Sousei left the house at a time that wasn’t too early or too late. He considered stopping at the convenience store to buy lunch but decided not to.
The school store isn’t bad, either. I’m a little concerned about it nutritionally, but it’ll be fine if I supplement it with breakfast and dinner. From now on, I might get lunch from the school store. Yeah, that seems like something a normal high school student would do…
When he was halfway down the stairs to the subway station, Sousei’s phone rang. His sister was calling, and for a moment, Sousei felt like ignoring it. It was just a fleeting thought that flitted through the back of his mind. Even if he let it ring through once, his sister would keep calling, and Sousei would eventually give in. Besides, he was scared of her retaliating against him. He had no choice but to answer.
“Hello…?” Sousei answered it as he walked slowly down the stairs.
“You’re on your way to school, aren’t you?”
“Ah, yeah…”
He’d been having a nice morning, but his mood suddenly crashed all the way to rock bottom.
This is about work…isn’t it? It must be. There’s no other reason why she’d call. Did she find Hakayama already? That coward. Run away. Keep running. Run until you get away. Or is it about the naked man? Either way, I don’t want to hear about it…
“—Uh…Sis?” He might not want to hear it, but his sister wasn’t saying anything, so he had no choice but to ask. “Umm… Was there something? I mean, you wouldn’t call if there wasn’t, so…”
He heard what sounded like a sigh on the other end of the phone.
“Am I not allowed to call you unless it’s about work?”
“…Th-that’s not what I…”
He’d reached the bottom of the stairs. Sousei moved closer to the wall so he wouldn’t get in the way of people passing by.
“That’s not what I meant… But you don’t usually contact me without a reason…right?”
“You and I are half siblings.”
“…Yeah?”
“I’ve tried to choose the best path for you, in my own way. Do you not understand why? It’s because you’re my little brother.”
“The best…”
“Seems like you have a complaint.”
“No…”
“I was hardly even able to go to school. Father hired a tutor when I was five. I made that smart-ass commit suicide, which wasn’t good. I was still young then. I didn’t think I needed someone to teach me things. I was smart, so I didn’t need it. I brought it on myself in a way. Honestly, I regret it. That’s why I made you go to school. I even made you study for the entrance exam, didn’t I? Do you think you can make some good memories by the time you graduate?”
“Uhh…well…I guess. Kind of…”
“That’s good. Even one good memory is better than none at all, right? But you know, Sousei, you should keep all the important things hidden away in your heart or shut away in the back of your mind. You mustn’t keep tangible things. They’re bound to break.”
“Tangible…things…?”
“People and things can all break. Your enemies will take advantage of that. Memories are fine, because they won’t cause any harm whether you forget them or not.”
—What about Sis?
Sousei couldn’t ask her that question.
Tangible things. People. They’d be taken advantage of. So in my case, what about Sis? Or me as her younger brother…?
For some time now, Sousei’s sister had hardly ever seen him in person. Even on the phone, she basically talked only about matters related to work. Sousei just did as his sister said. He worked like an employee bound by a contract, acting as his sister’s arms and legs. As her brother, did Sousei truly care for his sister? He honestly didn’t know. He did what he was told because he had no other choice.
What would Sousei do if, for example, his sister were to disappear? Would he quit his job? Would he kill people for money if the organization asked him to? He wouldn’t know until the time came. He would probably be unsure what to do at first, but he’d be free from his sister.