episode_0119

After enjoying a secret rendezvous with Ayaka’s mom last night, it was the next day.

I bought cookies and other snacks from smugglers, who I had no idea why they were even in a hospital.

‘No. But really, why are there smugglers in a hospital?’

Of course, thanks to having seen all sorts of strange things before possessing this body, that thought didn’t linger long.

Anyway, after walking for a while, secretly munching on snacks one by one from my pocket, I felt the hospital was bustling for some reason.

No, more precisely, the nurses and doctors, not the patients, seemed busy with something.

As I wasn’t particularly curious, I didn’t stop anyone to ask. I just stayed in the lobby, secretly picking off one cookie at a time.

Fortunately, the nurses and doctors who should have stopped me were too busy, so I could eat comfortably without any intervention or even attention.

After a short while of being there. As I was watching in the hospital lobby for a moment.

“They’re coming!!”

When a nurse with an exceptionally loud voice shouted that, nurses and doctors swarmed over.

I watched curiously as the nurses and doctors moved like people going to greet their boss in a gangster movie.

Because it really was a strange sight.

As I watched, someone started walking in from the entrance.

No, more precisely, about eight veiled women and an elderly person entered, along with two robust foreign Black men and women, and two White men and women, who appeared to be bodyguards.

At that sight, I wondered who they could be to receive such an escort, but I quickly lost interest.

Because the expression of the elderly person being escorted felt like seeing an old hag from my previous life.

‘More precisely, the physiognomy of a person in power.’

If you ask how I know such things, not being a physiognomist myself, you’d feel it if you met some powerful elderly people.

Whether that elderly person is a powerful individual. Or.

‘Seems like a dangerous person.’

If they’re a dangerous person to get involved with, that is.

And that old person was the latter.

‘It’s a bit ambiguous, but there’s no need to get involved.’

I thought so and tried to ignore it, but then.

—A strange sensation.

‘What is it? Why do I feel like they’re looking at me?’

For some reason, the old man seemed very interested in me.

Surely not?

Thinking that to myself, just in case, I fled to my hospital room.

***

Takuya, who had successfully fled to his hospital room, thought, ‘What could possibly happen?’ and then lay down on the bed, turned on the TV, and idled away the time.

In this era, short-form content like TikTok or Shorts didn’t exist. Moreover, YouTube wasn’t properly activated (compared to the era Takuya lived in), so there was a lack of entertainment.

The only thing that could fill that void was the comedy shows on that TV over there.

Well, still, it was pretty entertaining, so I wasn’t bored.

After watching TV and passing the time for a while.

—Knock knock.

I heard someone knocking on my hospital room door.

I was puzzled by the sound.

And for good reason: it wasn’t time for Ayaka’s mom or the other nurses to come yet, and there was no one in this hospital who would particularly visit me.

‘Who is it?’

Thus, feeling puzzled, I told them to come in.

And the figures who entered at my word were.

“Huh? Who, who?”

The burly, tall Black and White men I had seen earlier.

When the people I had seen earlier suddenly opened my hospital room door and entered, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.

No, in fact, anyone would feel bewildered, even if it wasn’t me.

Anyone would react that way if a stranger they had just watched from afar suddenly walked into their hospital room.

As I stared at the Black and White men who had suddenly entered, the Black man among them spoke.

“Japanese boy, BOSS wants YOU.”

“What.”

“Come, I will guide YOU.”

“Huh.”

My face, which had been bewildered by his explanation, changed into an indescribable expression.

If you want to understand how I felt right then, imagine burly men suddenly approaching you and saying their boss wants you. You’d know exactly how I felt.

Anyway, putting that aside, I racked my brain to understand what he meant.

Fortunately, having met quite a few foreigners before my possession, I roughly understood what he was saying.

‘That person called ‘Boss’ wants to see me? Why?’

They were around the elderly man I saw earlier, so they must be his bodyguards. Therefore, the ‘Boss’ must be that elderly man.

So, what reason would the old man have to call me?

It probably isn’t about money or anything like that.

Someone who employs bodyguards—how broke could they be to extort money from me, who on the surface is just a normal civilian?

And if I rule that out…

‘Well, there’s nothing else?’

There didn’t seem to be any particular reason for the old man to call me.

The only things I could think of that might be related were the Kumoto and Tsutomu incidents, but there was no evidence for either.

So what on earth could it be?

Thinking that, I discreetly glanced at the White and Black men, and then asked.

“Where’s your boss now?”

The White man replied to my question.

“He’s in the director’s office.”

I nodded at his words.

At least if it’s inside the hospital, I could react immediately if anything happened.

Thinking that, I spoke to the massive Black and White men.

“Since your boss wants to see me, lead the way.”

“Understood.”

At my words, the White and Black men nodded, then exited the room, gesturing for me to follow.

At their gesture, I also got out of bed and followed them out in my slippers.

“Let’s go, Honey.”

“Okay, Baby.”

No. But, were you two a couple?

Judging by how tightly they held hands, they seemed to be a real couple.

‘Oh, for f***’s sake…’

I was suddenly forced to frown at the giant couple’s disgusting pet names and endure the terrible experience of following them to the director’s office.

Damn it.

***

Fortunately, before my eyes melted from the disgusting public displays of affection from that gay couple, I successfully arrived in front of the director’s office, where their boss was said to be.

‘It was a terrible time.’

It was not an exaggeration for me to say this.

They weren’t just a gay couple; they were a gay couple who loved each other very much.

Seeing a gay couple engaging in public displays of affection in an elevator for the first time in my life was much, much harder than I expected.

‘Damn it.’

Anyway, we arrived in front of the director’s office.

The gay couple, seemingly unfazed despite their outrageous behavior just moments ago, knocked and asked if they could enter.

In response, a voice came from inside the room.

[Come in.]

As the door opened at that command, what I saw was.

“Haha, yes. You brought him well, didn’t you?”

“Of course, BOSS.”

“Yes, Boss.”

The director who should have been in the director’s office was nowhere to be seen; instead, there was an elderly person seated in the main seat, a secretary behind them, and the massive Black and White women who had naturally taken their seats.

I wore a ‘What is this?’ expression at the strange scene, and assessed the atmosphere of the room.

‘They don’t seem to be trying to kidnap me or do anything strange.’

The atmosphere in the room didn’t suggest they were trying to kidnap me or anything like that.

Rather, it felt like they were anticipating something.

Anyway, while I was thinking this, I also entered the room with those men, and there, I looked at the ‘Boss’ who called me, or rather, the elderly person who looked like they enjoyed power.

As I met the old man’s gaze, I wondered whether to greet him or curse him, when suddenly.

“So it’s you, the one who did something interesting in my hospital.”

The old man said that, smiling as if amused, and at his words, I thought for a moment about what he meant, then muttered with a questioning expression.

“No way…”

“Yes. Your copulating with your stepmother was quite interesting to observe.”

Before my words even finished, at the old man’s remark, I hastily tried to snap my fingers.

Because no one should know my secret.

That’s why I tried to snap my fingers, but.

—A sharp clap!

“Hey, kid, I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but you can’t.”

My action was stopped by the fierce-looking White woman.

At her intervention, I briefly looked at the White woman, then subtly shifted my gaze to the old man’s face.

He was grinning, as if amused, but there wasn’t a trace of malice in his expression.

Instead, it was an expression of increased anticipation and excitement.

After a moment of deliberation at the old man’s expression, I then made a gesture of surrender.

It seemed I would have to talk to him after all.

At my gesture, the White woman released my hand, then made me sit in the seat she had been occupying.

After feeling the soft, warm texture of the sofa for a moment.

The old man before me smiled and said.

“You made a good choice.”

At his words, I sighed deeply and asked.

“So, what do you want from me?”

Without needing to prolong it, I went straight to the point, and at my words, the old man in front of me grinned and said.

“I like how straightforward you are. To put it simply, I’d like you to help me with something.”

I wore a puzzled expression at his words.

No. What does my sleeping with my mom have to do with helping you?

Despite feeling skeptical about his words, I listened attentively.

“What I need your help with is… Lunako, hand that over.”

“Yes, understood.”

I indifferently took the paper handed to me by the woman presumed to be the old man’s secretary, who stood behind him, and then, upon seeing the title of the paper, I was startled.

And for good reason, the title of that paper was none other than…

『Brood Parasitism (托卵) [the act of raising another’s child as one’s own]』

When I looked at the old man with a bewildered expression at the cover title, the old man grinned again and asked.

“Well? Has your interest been piqued?”

At the old man’s confident expression, I couldn’t help but nod.

Honestly, I was damn curious.