However, the game does not begin
until after midnight.
And the maids will kidnap the two
targets later.
Until then, it's like any other day.
So as usual, I pick up Saori-chan in
the morning and meet up with Hanabusa-san.
I told Tachioka's little sister not
to interrupt me in the morning because I will treat her well.
After all, it is impossible to treat
another girl as a little sister in front of my lovely little sister.
Looking aside from that, when I
peeked into Hanabusa's condition, I did not see any shadow or meanness that is
typical of bullied children, and as a big brother, I felt very happy to see her
and Saori-chan getting along well with each other.
**a
But to tell the truth, I was worried.
I was afraid that Saori-chan was so
quiet that she might not have any close friends.
So, Hanabusa-san's existence, from my
perspective, was like discovering a Tsuchinoko.
Furthermore, the tactless comment
about whether she has a friend or not is forbidden.
The following is almost the same as
usual.
The only thing that has changed is
that I have been in touch with Chihiro a little.
I had sent her some messages in the
morning, and her reply came at the end of the second period, making my phone
vibrate.
When break time comes, I go into the
bathroom and look down at my phone.
There were three replies.
『If you need money, I will pay you a
monthly deposit』
This is the answer to my question,
"Hire me as a short-term part-timer".
「What does she mean by "pay me a
deposit"... I'm not a freelance worker with a job...」
It's fine to be treated occasionally,
but to be honest, it's a bit awkward to receive a fixed amount of money.
To this I replied, "I want to
have a part-time job".
But the next answer was――
『The draft contained the exact wording
you mentioned. What should I do? I could reject it, but...』
This is confirmation of what
Shiratori-san told me.
Chihiro informed me that she had
received a draft of the contract, so I asked her to check if there was a clause
similar to the one "The producer is responsible for substituting the
talent in the event of a talent change".
According to Chihiro's explanation, I
thought the contract was between Frontier Productions and the airline company,
but it was set up as a contract between KKO and the airline company, with the
airline company acting as a subcontractor for the production. In other words,
Frontier Pro is in the same boat. Such was the contract.
I don't know what the common sense of
the industry is, but to the untrained eye, it seems a bit absurd.
The contract is made directly without
an agency, as if the entertainment agency is supposed to take responsibility
for the production.
Chihiro's comment also makes it sound
like an unrealistic contract.
And Kitou said over the phone,
"The majority of the profit goes to KKO", But now that I have heard
Shiratori-san's story, it is obvious that he intends to pressure KKO to pay the
compensation.
（But... it doesn't matter）
I reply, "No problem, just keep
going".
The last one, "I'll start the
approach as soon as possible".
This is in response to the
instruction to "recruit Ichida and Mimura to KKO』"
The three of them, including Nitani,
may have just been tricked, but bullying is bullying if the bullied person
feels bullied.
If I think that my little sister's
best friend is being bullied and I will keep quiet about it, then it's a big
mistake. I have to make them feel sorry for what they've done.
And so, when I replied, "Thank
you for everything, please do", I got a big heart mark in return.
* * *
It takes eight stops from the nearest
station of the school by local train.
Under the sparse streetlights,
Earthworm and I walked along the deserted shopping street in front of the
station.
This is the countryside, after all.
In addition, it was late at night,
and we did not even feel the presence of people.
Confinement King-sama was preparing
for the death game with Ryoko and Lili after they came back from the school.
At around 1:00 a.m., the order to go
out was finally given to us.
We asked Confinement King-sama to
open "the door" in front of the station, and then we headed for our
destination on foot.
「By the way, Tapeworm... Is the house
near here?」
Earthworm asks me, as if remembering.
「Yes, just past this shopping street,
a little further...」
This shopping street where I am
walking now is a familiar path for me. Thinking of it, I feel a little
nostalgic.
Although it has been only a few
months since I started working for Confinement King-sama, it seems as if many
years have passed.
However, I had no particular desire
to go home.
Was it because I had changed so much?
「This is it...」
In the middle of the shopping street,
I point to a building with the sign "Mangi Gym" and Earthworm gives a
curious look.
「Heh~...so this is what a boxing gym
looks like」
The walls are covered with sticky
posters of fights, and on the side of the building, there is a stairway
directly to the second floor. Probably, it is a residence. A signboard
"Mangi" was hanging on the wall.
Looking at the window in front of the
building, I could see a faint light and a moving figure through the frosted
glass.
「Tapeworm, do you hear something?」
「I'll try」
Dragon ears are just like dragon
ears, but if I listen carefully, I can faintly hear a woman's breathing mixed
with the sound of a sandbag or something being pounded.
**b
「...I think it's the target」
「Okay, then... let's get started right
away」
After saying this, Earthworm suddenly
split the space.
Among all of us, Earthworm was the
best at dividing the space.
However, we can't do it as freely as
Lili and the head maid.
At best, we can only shift space one
meter away from us.
But for now, that is enough.
Because we just shift to the other
side of the wall.
And now, after splitting the space
and entering the inside of the gym, I see a ring in the center of the gym and a
woman on the other side of it.
She is a woman wearing a sports bra
and shorts who is hitting a punch ball while making a steady sound.
Her height was about the upper half
of 160 cm (5.2
ft).
She is probably a tall girl.
Her dark brown hair, which I am not
sure if it is dyed or natural, is tied back casually.
（Bingo... it's Manko）
Perhaps she noticed our presence,
Manko jerked up and turned around in a hurry.
Her body was covered in sweat, and
steam was rising from her body.
Her ripped abs looked like a boy's.
She has a pair of eyelids with a bush
stare, a freckled tip of her nose, and a set of teeth that I used to mock her
for her gnarled teeth when we were a child.
「W-Who the hell are you two!? Where
the did you come from!」
Since we were classmates and
childhood friends, I was a little confused about how I should behave with her,
and finally I decided to be polite like a maid.
「Long time no see, Mangi-sama」
When I tell her this, she squints at
me like an old man reading the newspaper.
「Ah?」
Then her eyes roll back in surprise.
「Eri...ka!?」
I can understand her confused mind.
In the first place, Manko and I were
friends only during our early elementary school years, and if we were in
different classes, we would grow apart no matter how close we lived.
Although we have been going to school
together for a long time, we are not the kind of people whom one would call out
to if we see each other.
Such a person suddenly appeared in
the middle of the night. And it was in her own gym.
「Oh, it's you? I thought you were
missing...」
「Yes, the aclaim is missing」
「What the hell, the way you're
talking, and the way you're dressed...」
Besides, she is right in saying that
Earthworm and I are missing as victims of the "Mysterious Disappearance
Incident".
「Of course, a maid wears a maid's
uniform. We're here to pick you up today, Mangi-sama」
「Ah? Maid? Pick me up? I don't know
what you're talking about?」
「Don't worry if you don't understand.
You don't have to understand. In any case, you have no right of refusal. You
will come with us even if it is by force」
Then she raised one eyebrow in
disapproval.
**c
「By force? Are you an idiot? Are you
high on some kind of drug or something? I'll just take you to the police.
Missing persons found」
（This attitude. I'm starting to
feel... stupid to be so modest with such microorganisms）
「If you keep complaining, I'll rip out
all your jagged teeth. Maybe you'll be a little more popular with a full set of
false teeth...」
「Tapeworm, she will become a Japanese
person with disability...」
Despite Earthworm's exclamation of
dismay, Manko's voice was sharply broken.
「Damn you? You dare to talk about what
I care about!」
Manko, who was in a completely pissed
off mode, walked up to me and suddenly punched my cheek with all her might.
But――
「It hurtssss!?」
It was Manko who writhed in agony
while holding her hand.
It was obvious.
Such a fragile fist could not damage
the dragon's outer skin.
「Hey, earthworm! I thought I could
tear off her hands and feet」
「That's true, but it also said not to
leave any traces」
「I see... so that means we can't do anything
that involves too much blood loss」
「W-What the hell are you doing, hey...」
Manko retreats with frightened eyes.
But I smiled at her and grabbed her
shoulders, putting light pressure on them.
「Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!」
Immediately I hear a cracking sound,
and the bone shatters.
（Really? Are humans so fragile? To
think that I was so fragile just a little while ago, it makes me shudder）
Looking down at Manko, who was
writhing on the floor, unable to speak, I said softly.
「Anyway, let's fold all your arms and
legs, shall we? It's all right. Torture will fix them later」
「Hii!? Ah ah... y-you monster!?
S-Stop... S... Stop...」
Her face is covered in tears and
runny nose, and she's in a state of shock.
I think she has probably already lost
her will to resist, but I was also told to completely cut off her will to
resist.
So, I grab her legs.
Then, I gently put my strength into
it.
