Chapter 12
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Third Person Perspective toward Sharon
In the U.S., there is a forensic team that can investigate crimes from a scientific point of view, just like the Forensic Science Laboratory in Japan.
And now, Sharon sent Ren’s bodily fluids―sweat, to be precise to the forensic laboratory to be examined.
Fortunately, a close friend of his who had doubts about Lou’s death had kept a piece of his hair, which could be compared with the sweat to get the results.
”…”
Sharon’s true feelings are that she wants him to be a different person and she would be happy if he is the same person.
She lies on her bed, holding her father’s M16 like a pillow.
(…I miss you. Father.)
Sharon remembers only that much, as she has hardly seen her father since she was in junior high school.
When she thinks about it, her father was quite kind to her, more so than the fathers in other families.
When she was a child, he never got angry at her for scribbling on the walls or for entering his private room without permission and incontinently lying on his bed.
Rather, it was always her mother who got angry with her.
Maybe he was just trying to be kind to her because he didn’t have much time for her.
Although the people around him had been Catholic for generations, her father never forced Sharon to be religious.
Perhaps because he tended to be an atheist himself, he did not get angry when Sharon read non-Christian books such as scriptures and holy books other than the Bible, but on the contrary, he praised her for it.
He said that it would broaden her knowledge.
That is why Sharon was not baptized, even though she was born in a predominantly Catholic and conservative area.
Sometimes, she is often mistaken for a “communist”.
The Bradleys, however, have been anti-communists for generations.
Before WWII, they regarded communism as more dangerous than Nazism, and after the war, they led the “Three Mysteries” of the Japanese National Railways in the 2nd General Staff of GHQ, and actively engaged in the “Red Purge”.
It was her grandfather who led the McCarthyism in the US.
As a result, her grandfather was recognized by anti-communist presidents such as Nixon and Reagan during the Cold War, and was treated favorably in the political arena.
Even that day, he was still invited to the White House banquet.
But during the presidencies of Kennedy and others, he was never invited.
”…”
Looking at the Stars and Stripes on the ceiling.
She was reminded of an event that took place on April 10, 2003.
On that day, the dictator’s statue was toppled, the Stars and Stripes flew over the presidential palace.
The U.S. military wanted to use it as a propaganda tool like the Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima, but the toppling of the statue had a stronger visual effect, and the Stars and Stripes was buried in the darkness of history.
The Stars and Stripes is a symbol of the Iraqi soldiers, the American soldiers, the generals, or the civilians.
And it is stained with blood.
Still, she remember how her father, who became a hero that day, lamented that a bronze statue had unfortunately taken his shares.
If not for the statue, he might have been the subject of a movie like ‘Flags Of Our Fathers’.
(…papa)
For this moment, Sharon thinks of her father as a daughter again.
* * *
Protagonist’s POV
One day after school.
I was walking with Tsukasa as usual,
♪
But then, my cell phone rings.
(… is it Satsuki?)
I wondered why, and looked at it.
Private contact,
・Satsuki.
・Tsukasa.
I don’t have any number registered in my personal directory.
So I don’t get any calls from them except for wrong numbers.
”…yes?”
’Hello?’
I recognized the voice immediately.
The fact that the caller was using a voice changer indicated that he/she was someone who did not want his/her identity known.
’Kitaoji Ren, or Lou Bradley?’
”…you’ve got the wrong guy.”
’I sent you an email. Look at it later. It’ll auto-erase in a minute after you check it.’
”…”
’It’s a favor. Understood?’
His tone of command annoys me, but I don’t have time to worry about it.
And without listening to the end, he hangs up.
”What’s wrong?”
”Wrong number. It’s a pervert.”
”It’s unusual, no? I don’t get calls like that.”
”Well, it happens sometimes.”
I put away my smartphone and take Tsukasa’s hand.
I don’t have time to deal with perverts.
”Are you okay?”
”Yeah, it’s healed. Thanks to you.”
”Call me by my name, okay? I’m your fiancée.”
”Isn’t a bride more Japanese than a fiancée?”
”No, I want to call me “fiancée”!”
The self-proclaimed fiancée, shouting proudly on the street.
”Yes, yes.”
”Oh, you’re a little brother who bullies his big sister?”
Damn, Tsukasa is so cute.
It’s a privilege of being a beautiful girl that a beautiful girl looks good no matter what she does.
”As a punishment, I’m going to ask Takkun to cook dinner.”
”I always cook.”
”Tonight, especially, yes.”
She wraps her arms around me and enjoys my muscles.
Tsukasa prefers thin and macho.
So, not wanting me to be a big man, she became the youngest person to be certified as a dietician and helped me with my training.
”Then, what do you want?”
”Curry.”
”Are you a kid?”
”I’m always a kid~♡”
It’s a peaceful moment.
*
”Well then…”
While making curry, I open my laptop and check my email.
There is an anonymous email.
―――
’Subject: Appreciation for your cooperation in harvesting strawberries
Body: Thank you for picking strawberries for us.
All of us are enjoying the harvest with relish.
We are planning to have a tea party in the near future to thank you for your kindness.
If you are available, we would be very happy if you could join us.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.’
―――
It is a simple sentence, but I understood it.
I knew that the sender is ((Chiyoda/千代田)).
They are watching the Communist Party and they support my anti-communist policy.
Therefore, they don’t care how many far-left terrorists I kill.
As long as I don’t take an anti-government position, I’m a good pawn.
And as called, the message disappears a minute after it opens.
(Strawberries… I haven’t eaten any recently…)
Thinking about strawberries, I taste the curry.
”Karra!”
”Ah, it smells good.”
Satsuki comes in after taking a bath.
The smell of her shampoo is pleasant.
And she’s sitting at the desk in her bathrobe.
”Is it spicy?”
”Yes. You might sweat.”
”Just another bath. You want to take a bath tomorrow?”
”Can’t you just take a shower then?”
”It would be a shame to throw away the hot water I just filled the bathtub with. Wangari Maathai (Kenyan political activist) will curse us in heaven for this.”
”…I agree.”
I don’t want the Nobel Peace Prize winner to hate me.
”Ren, I’d like you to make me some meatballs sometime.”
”Why?”
”Because you’re my adopted son.”
”But… it’s too much trouble.”
”That’s an order.”
Satsuki smiles happily and takes sake from the fridge.
Usually she refuses to drink sake to avoid hangover and for her health, but this is almost the first time I see her drinking like this.
”Open it~♡”
”Yes, yes.”
She is a good spoiled girl, as she gave birth to Tsukasa.
There is no man in the world who can refuse her.
But even though she likes to drink, she is a hopeless drunk.
The mere scent of alcohol intoxicates her immediately.
”…it made me sick.”
She’s so pale she feels like she’s going to throw up right now.
”How can you be a doctor if you drunk just by smelling alcohol?”
”Alcohol here is different from alcohol over there.”
”Then why are you buying it?”
”To have a drink with you two someday. For your wedding?”
”…”
”Ah, you’re embarrassed~… LOL…”
She gives me a peck on the cheek with her index finger.
If I were Yoshimoto, I’d bite this finger off, but even it’s cute.
Bit!
”Oh, you bit me~♡”
Now, I suck like a baby.
Suck, suck, suck…
”Oh, are you a baby now?”
Then I pull away at that word.
”I’m just a kid. Mother…”
I said so, and patted Satsuki’s head.
”A child, huh…?”
She doesn’t resist.
I’m soothing her after a hard day’s work.
When I do this, the veins near her scalp are pumped, so blood flow in her stressed brain is stimulated, and oxygen is supplied to all parts of her body.
Furthermore, by “patting the head”,
(1) Depression is markedly reduced.
(2) Reduction of anxiety
(3) Blood pressure and heart rate decrease
That was what written in research(*1).
This has also been proven in animal experiments, where it has been reported that stroking improves mood and alleviates symptoms and pain(*1).
This is because stroking or gently tapping the head causes the skin to vibrate and the stimulation reaches the brain, which secretes serotonin and oxytocin, two neurotransmitters (hormones) that eliminate stress and anxiety, give peace of mind, and stabilize the mind(*1).
In addition, stroking body hair activates the neurons (nerve cells spread throughout the body) that evoke pleasant sensations (*1).
The neurons activated by stroking body hair are said to be located only in the part of the body covered with hair (*1).
”Aren’t my hairs wet?”
”Then, let me dry it.”
”Here you go.”
I get out a hair dryer and a comb, and I fix Satsuki’s hair.
Sometimes I strokes her hair.
”Oh, it feels so good!”
Drunk satsuki is cute, too.
Mother and daughter are so cute together.
”Ah!”
Tsukasa comes up late and screams when she sees us.
She is completely naked, so I can see everything from her breasts.
Where is the usual innocent and pretty girl?
Now she looks like a shameless slut.
”Oh, geez! Even though you’ve never done it to me before!”
”Come here. I’ll do it to you, too.”
”Call me by my name!”
Despite her tantrum, Tsukasa sits in front of Satsuki.
She wants me to do it, too.
”Oh, sister. Did you change your shampoo?”
”Yes. You know what I mean, right? Or Ddid you like the old one better?”
”No, I like the new one.”
”I’m glad~♡”
Tsukasa looks so happy that she’s almost drooling.
The curry is simmering, but for now, I have to concentrate on the two princesses.
Just as in the U.S., a strong woman is a strong woman at home, no matter where she is from.
Now, while combing their hair, I think about the two princesses.
A beautiful woman and a cute girl.
(How lucky am I!)
Needless to say, I couldn’t stop grinning naturally.
*
Later, I make time to go to the park.
There, a police detective was waiting for me.
He was wearing a uniform of another school, maybe he matched my appearance, and he was about the same age as me.
At first sight, no one would think that we are both public security detectives and mercenaries.
It’s that natural.
”A word from the chairman of the National Public Safety Commission. …He says thank you.”
”Just words?”
”He’s a politician. He really thinks that’s all it takes to get people to do his bidding.”
”So why did you call me here?”
”The terrorist who killed you entered the country with a forged passport. We don’t know what he’s after, but it could be an American military base.”
”A rupture in the US-Japan alliance?”
”Maybe. The Russian embassy just reported it. They said they had nothing to do with it.”
”…”
”Your team, I’m afraid, is no match for ours. So I’d like to establish a partnership.”
”Mutually inviolable?”
”That’s what I’m talking about. We grant you a license to kill as an extrajudicial measure. You can continue to exterminate those idiots who oppose our country.”
”…I hope you pay our expenses. None of us are Japanese. We don’t care what happens to Japan.”
”I know. We’ll pay your personnel and other expenses under the name of a ghost company in the Cayman Islands. We’ll provide the weapons.”
”Why are you being so cooperative?”
”Fighting terrorism is our mission.”
The detective leaves the envelope and walks away.
”…”
After he disappears, I open the envelope.
It is a check for one million yen.
In this cashless era, the detective may have chosen this as an advantage of being able to check the check on the spot.
(…just like the Foreign Legion)
I took only the check and threw the brown envelope into the trash.
［References and Sources]
*1: ☆Fountain of Beauty, Health and Healing☆[“What is the effect of a pat on the head”] partially revised on August 12, 2014 (https://ameblo.jp/nakagome-mariya/entry-11908691705.html)
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.