Chapter 7: Current situation check and villain face

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Translator: Soafp

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In the room, where the low, bell-like sound of metal being transported from the nearby factory echoed, Ginji and Sora sat facing each other.

“Well, I don’t really know where to start. Is there anything you want to know, Ginji?”

“I have a ton of questions… So, first off, are you really related to Shiki? I heard he’s your cousin, but…”

Shiki Aika, with silver hair and blue eyes, and Sora, with black hair and brown eyes, appeared to be quite different in looks, which was the talk of the town.

“Haha, talking about myself is kind of embarrassing.”

“That’s fine. As I said before, if you don’t want to talk about something, just say so.”

Ginji had been blunt in his approach, but Sora was touched by his sincerity, and this warmth had stirred something in his chest.

“No, I’ve decided. You’ll lend me your courage, right?”

“Yeah, I won’t back out.”

“Well, Aika-chan and I are indeed cousins. My grandmother is half-Japanese. Aika's mother is also foreign, so she looks even more foreign than me. As for me, both my parents are Japanese, but my father is a quarter foreign.”

“I see… and your dad and…”

“Aika-chan’s father is my dad’s brother. By the way, my dad is Aika-chan’s father’s older brother. So I guess I have a little foreign blood too,” Sora explained.

“Really? Where do you think it’s showing?”

“It’s in my eyes. Look.”

Sora said as he took off his black-rimmed glasses and pushed his bangs up. His eyes, usually hidden, were a light brown with hints of green when closely observed. His face, with a slim jaw and large eyes, almost made Ginji wonder if this guy was really a boy.

“Wow, that’s definitely an unusual eye color. Hey? What’s the matter?”

Ginji asked as Sora, blushing, leaned his face toward him, trembling.

“Uh… I messed up,”

“What are you doing? They’re nice eyes. Don’t hide them with your bangs—you’re definitely someone who’d be popular.”

“They’re called hazel eyes. It’s embarrassing, so please keep it a secret.”

“Got it. Anyway, I understand now that you’re cousins with Aika. Next question.”

“Yeah.”

Sora steadied himself, ready for the next round of questions.

“Your dad is overseas, right? Does he know about your current situation?”

“I… I don’t think he knows. My dad works as an event planner for exhibitions overseas, and he’s always busy.”

His eyes wavering slightly. Ginji noticed the hesitation in his voice and suspected that there was something Sora was keeping to himself.

“You still keep in touch with him sometimes, right?”

“Yeah, occasionally. But it’s usually just through video calls with Aika next to me, so…”

“I see. So you can’t really say anything on those calls. Have you ever secretly contacted him?”

“I… don’t really want to. I don’t want to ask my dad for help.”

“I understand. So, you don’t want to involve your dad in this. What about Shiki’s dad?”

Sora looked at him in surprise.

“Y-Yeah, I wouldn’t ask my uncle for help either. He and his wife dote on Aika-chan, so they probably wouldn't listen to my side of the story. Aika'-chans the one taking care of me in front of them anyway. Uh, you're pretty straightforward with this, huh?”

“If this were something that could be solved by talking to the guardians, we wouldn't be in this situation. I'm sure Shiki has already taken some measures too. I can tell that much. The question was just to make sure our understanding of the situation isn't off. There's more to come, so don't hold back.”

“B-Bring it on.”

“Has Shiki been holding onto your allowance or living expenses?”

“No, everything's fine. I can afford my art supplies and everything.”

“Tell me about any bullying you've experienced, even the small things. Where did it happen, and who was involved?”

“I’m not really sure if it counts as bullying. People talk behind my back all the time, but physical stuff like today… that was the first time. As for Aika-chan, she makes sure I don't have problems with my supplies, so nothing's been interrupted.”

“Have your things been stolen or broken?”

“Yeah. But I think it was the girls who are in a group against me. Aika-chan doesn't care enough to take risks with me.”

“I know those girls. Now, about Shiki—she's been forcing you to take on a lot of her work, and she’s hiding the fact that you're actually capable”

“Capable? I… I don't really think that's true…”

“You think Shiki doesn't care about you? I don't buy it. It looks to me like she'd be in trouble without you.”

“Aika-chan's amazing. She's good at drawing, cute, athletic… I think she could manage just fine without me. If I can do it, anyone can.”

That is not true, is what he wanted to say but Ginji swallowed the words that nearly came out. There was a strange self-deprecation in Sora's tone that held him back, but Ginji had no idea how to respond.

“Why are you listening to Shiki?”

“I don't know…”

There was another wall between them. It was natural—after all, no matter how much one tries to change, it was impossible to share everything with someone you barely knew. They had to figure it out together, step by step.

“…I guess all we can do is what we can.”

“What do you mean?”

“What can you do? Tell me what Shiki's assigned you. Let's lighten your load.”

“Are you saying I should quit Aika's job? That… it's not that simple. If I just quit, they'd blame me.”

“I thought so. Shiki knows how to manipulate things. Even if we try to rebel, she'd just turn her followers against you. So…”

“So?”

“I'll help you.”

Sora stared at Genji’s smug face unimpressed.

“That doesn't sound like it'll solve the problem…”

“Maybe not. But it's important.”

“Is it really important for us to do Aika's work together?”

“No. The point is to give you some breathing room. The only card we have to play is ‘Sora'. I'm setting the stage for when we can use it. So for now, tell me what you've been assigned. We'll plan exactly what to do starting tomorrow.”

His expression, combined with his sharp features, made him look like he was scheming something.