A jinx? No idea what you’re talking about. I mean, sure, I did say I didn’t want to get involved with the black-haired duo. And yeah, I kinda thought, “Huh, that felt a bit like a jinx.”
But isn’t it triggering way too fast?
“It’s the black-haired duo,” said Shiro.
“It’s them agaaain.”
Yep. The day after I’d gotten chased by those thugs, we’d headed down into the dungeon, and there they were again: the black-haired duo. We should’ve just ignored them, but...
“Huh?” said the delinquent in an intimidating tone. “What are you lookin’ at, you little shits?”
Shiro and Kuro had been giving the delinquent a not-so-friendly stare. I’d told them while we were eating about how he was the reason I got attacked. I didn’t think they’d still remember the next day.
The delinquent glared back, and suddenly, we were hit by a wave of pressure. He hadn’t looked that strong before, but now, he felt like a real threat. Is this some kind of magic?
Shiro and Kuro flinched a little, but they must’ve psyched themselves up, thinking they couldn’t run away.
“Mya-myah!”
“Wuffu!”
“We’re not gonna lose to you, you villain!”
“Kuro’s not gonna lose to eeevil.”
They fired back with spirit. They were ready to fight because, in their minds, delinquents were villains. I’d told them that we’d run if we ever saw the black-haired duo again, but that advice clearly hadn’t stuck.
The delinquent tried to intimidate them some more, but Shiro and Kuro weren’t backing down.
“Huh? How the hell am I a villain?!”
“Everything about you!” said Shiro.
“Especially your head.”
“I guess you kiddos can’t see how sick my hair is!”
“Your hair got sick?”
“Sick as in cool! And what the hell makes you think I’m a villain?!”
Uh, everything? Not that I’m gonna say it out loud.
But what now? We totally missed our chance to just apologize and leave.
“Listen up!” he said. “I’m the protagonist! This world exists for me!”
Shiro and Kuro tilted their heads, perplexed.
I was probably cringing. I hadn’t expected to hear such a textbook gonna-die-soon reincarnator line—the kind someone who thinks the world they reincarnated into is a game, acts all arrogant thinking they’re the main character, and ends up meeting a horrible but well-deserved demise would say.
Naturally, Shiro and Kuro didn’t get what he’d meant, and they fired back again.
“It’s your fault Thor got attacked!” said Shiro.
“Apologiiize.”
“Attacked? Is that little twerp Thor?”
“That’s right!” said Shiro. “He was attacked all because he has black hair! You two must’ve done something!”
“Yeah, that’s riiight.”
I’d thought the guy would yell back, but instead, he crossed his arms and started thinking.
“The guys that attacked you, what were they like?”
“Thugs!” said Shiro.
“Hoodluuums.”
“Tch. So they’ll go after anyone who’s got black hair? They really are trash. I beat up a few of those idiots who were mugging people on the main street. They kept yapping about having some organization behind them—annoying bastards.”
He says it like it’s nothing, but did he really get into a fight with thugs in broad daylight? And they might’ve been part of some underground group?
“How could those morons think they even have a chance at beating me?! A bunch of ’em came chasin’ after me later. Those bugs don’t even have the guts to fight unless there’s enough of ’em to make a swarm! I didn’t feel like dealing with ’em all, though, so I bailed.”
He was bragging like it was some heroic tale—not one hint of regret or of mourning a failure.
I’m the one who got attacked because of that. Seriously, give me a break.
I could feel Shiro’s and Kuro’s anger rising. Right now, it probably just looked like a childish tantrum, but if they said anything more, they might actually provoke him.
I guess I should step in here.
“I understand you didn’t mean any harm,” I said. “Sorry these two came at you.”
The delinquent scoffed. “As long as you get it!”
“I wouldn’t want to trouble you any further, so we’ll be going.” I turned to the girls. “Come on, you two.”
“Myah.”
“Arf.”
At my words, Shiro and Kuro backed down. They’d finally seemed to remember our policy of not getting involved with this duo.
But the delinquent didn’t let us go that easily. Just as we turned to leave, he called out to us.
“Hey, hold up.”
“Can I help you?” I could hear the tension in my own voice as I answered.
“You’re not just a kid, are you?”
Well, I guess I gave myself away with that response. I’ll try to pass myself off as being from a race that matures slowly and has a high life expectancy, but...is he gonna get mad that I was pretending to be a kid?
But instead of getting angry, the delinquent smirked, stepping closer.
“So you’re one of us, huh?”
“One of us?”
“Don’t play dumb. You’re a cheater too, aren’t you?”
It looks like he suspects I’m on his side—or at least that we’re the same. He must’ve sensed that my mental age doesn’t match my appearance and decided I was reincarnated.
Now what?
I don’t want him thinking we’re on the same team, and I have no intention of admitting anything. But I don’t know what he means by “cheater.” Is he just talking about reincarnators or people who’ve been transported here? Or was he granted some kind of cheat-like superpower? If it’s a combat-focused ability, I definitely don’t want to make him an enemy. I’m guessing it’s best to keep things vague and try to gather information?
He doesn’t seem trustworthy at all, so telling him anything about ourselves is out of the question. Staying neutral and keeping things superficially friendly is probably the safest route.
At least, that was my plan...but his next words made me abandon any intention of being friendly with them.
“So, where’d you buy those slaves?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Those slaves. They seem pretty obedient—they’re slaves, right? A slave harem in an isekai—I like your style.”