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“Going to see that lawyer?”
The high-pitched voice of a teenage girl could be heard inside of a hotel room.
“…And why should I tell you?” was the reply of a green-haired young man.
The girl’s name was Neko Tsukahara, while the man’s name was Masaki Osoto. She had approached him one day saying that he knew his whole life story, and the means to swiftly kill him, moreover she offered to help him with his crimes, if he wanted her help and to stay alive, all he had to do was to keep away from the man called Haruto Atori and be her friend.
Yes, his crimes.
Osoto had been killing things since a young age, first it was only animals, then it was people, and then he also started raping women that struck his fancy. Of course, he never told anyone about it, but that girl he had never met before seemed to know about it all.
Haruto Atori was a very special person to him, but he instinctively knew that the girl really had a way of killing him on the spot, so he went along with her proposal and, surprisingly, he actually enjoyed spending time with her, and she didn’t even flinch helping him with murder and assault.
However, he wasn’t always careful, and rumors about Osoto could have started spreading eventually, so he figured it’d have been advisable to hire a lawyer. He decided to go for one with a stellar track record, Eiji Biwasaka. There were shady rumors going around about the man, but if anything, they helped establish a sense of kinship in Osoto’s mind.
“Of course, because we’re the best of friends!”
Neko’s voice (accompanied by an annoying grin) brought Osoto back to reality.
“The best of friends don’t start a friendship by threatening murder.”
“That’s your fault for being such a landmine. Anyway, answer my que—”
Osoto ended up walking out mid-sentence.
That said, it’s not like he was particularly upset about it, it was just the kind of relationship they had. It’s just that he didn’t want her to know she was right. At the same time however, he admired how perceptive she could be, he thought it rare for a woman to be.
With those thoughts occupying his mind, he headed to the lawyer’s office.
“Please, come in.”
Eiji Biwasaka beckoned to Osoto and welcomed him into his office.
Biwasaka’s office was quite large and adorned with clearly expensive decorations and furniture. In a way it almost felt as if the man was flaunting his wealth, wealth he amassed by being a competent lawyer. At the same time, there was an intellectual feeling to the room as well, and Osoto paid special attention to a large bookshelf in which books on law, psychology, and some other different topics were neatly arranged. The office might have felt oppressive to some, and it was clear that Biwasaka didn’t have the slightest intention of making his clients feel at ease, but Osoto quite liked it.
“Hello sir. I would like to discuss the terms of our contract in more detail.”
“Of course. You said as much when booking this appointment.”
Biwasaka replied with a smile, but a very cold one. Osoto wasn’t sure if he was subtly trying to hint that there was no need to remind, or if that was simply how the other man smiled. Maybe it was a mix of both.
Osoto took a seat and started explaining his situation while omitting incriminating details. Some would have argued that he should have told his lawyer, but he figured it would be safer not to. Neko Tsukahara was the only one who knew about what he’s been doing, and he wanted to keep it that way. That strange, mysterious bond of trust he had with couldn’t be replicated so easily. All he was going to say was…
“I simply felt that hiring a lawyer could have done me good. I haven’t committed any crime of course, but my family holds a certain position in society. We have a lot of money to manage, and many enemies who’d like to tarnish our names.”
“I haven’t heard anything from your family though?”
Biwasaka didn’t say it outright, but he was probably wondering if he had any funds he could actually manage. The fact a young man Osoto’s age was asking a third party to manage his money was also quite strange, but he wanted to hope that the lawyer was willing to overlook such an oddity, considering he was going to pay him anyway. The real reason why he wanted to hire him was to have a safe net in case someone found out about his crimes. That purple haired girl was annoying enough.
“…My family isn’t involved in this. I have enough money to take care of on my own, but I’m very busy, so it would be helpful to have someone else take care of it for me. I’m going to pay however is needed. I guarantee I can afford it.”
“Haha, that’s good. If your family ever wants to employ my services too, I’d be happy to oblige. I’m very competent, so they won’t be disappointed.”
“Well, they are pretty demanding.”
Irritation seemed to show on the older man’s face at that remark.
“I guarantee you, there’s no better lawyer than me in Japan…or perhaps in the whole world.”
Osoto was stunned for a moment. He could sense a thinly veiled irritation in Biwasaka’s voice, and he didn’t know whether to laugh at or be impressed by his overwhelming confidence. If Neko Tsukahara told him something like that, he probably would have either laughed to her face or responded with a cutting remark, but with this man it was a little different. He had researched him, and that’s how he knew how his remarks were backed up by his feats. Biwasaka was young, but brilliant, and giving it some actual thought, Osoto started thinking his parents might have approved of him. Geniuses existed in this world, and while Osoto wasn’t one, Biwasaka might have been one. Maybe his parents really were looking for someone like him…but not just as a lawyer.
“Yes…maybe they would approve of you…”
Osoto didn’t mean to say that out loud, but the words escaped his mouth despite his better judgement. That seemed to have calmed Biwasaka down, however.”
“Oh, of course. Anyway, they’re always welcome to book an appointment, you should pass the word.”
“Well, I don’t know whether they will listen to me. They might be appreciative of your achievements, however.”
“I’m sure they will. I’m quite brilliant.”
Osoto pondered for a moment. What if his parents met with Biwasaka and he became another Haruto to them? What about him then? Osoto was at the bottom. He wasn’t going to blame his parents for it, it was him who wasn’t enough, and Haruto was. He wanted to become like Haruto…no, he wanted to become Haruto, but he couldn’t even have one of his “one-sided meetings” with him due to the purple menace. That also meant he couldn’t become Haruto, but what if there was another Haruto, one that he could watch, and even have direct meetings with? A slight smile appeared on his face.
“I’ll be sure to introduce them to you. Can we discuss the terms of the contract now?”
“Of course.”
“How did it go with the lawyer?”
“I don’t recall ever confirming to you that’s where I was heading.”
“Heehee, call that a sixth sense.”
After successfully hiring Eiji, Osoto returned to the hotel room with the purple creature still in it. She could be oddly perceptive, but that was to be expected from someone who understood him better than anyone else. Rather, he might have been more upset if she didn’t catch on.
“Hm? What’s up with that gross smile of yours? You better not be thinking about Atori.”
She even realized something else, but maybe the expression he didn’t realize he was making made it too obvious. But she got one detail wrong.
“Oh, it’s nothing. And it’s not about Haruto, so keep that box away from me.”
“Hmm…if it’s not about Atori then fine. Just know that if you’re lying, it’s the end for you.”
What a nice, understanding friend he had. But it’s okay, as he wasn’t lying. He headed to the bathroom without giving her a reply.
In the mirror, he saw his smile, and that his face was slightly flushed. He didn’t realize at first, but there was no point in hiding it, especially now that he was alone. He uttered something while in that state.
“Eiji…I hope you’ll be the one…”