What are the benefits of a game backpack? A one-click outfit change is indispensable.
Taking off the inconspicuous dark clothes from during missions, I put on a white lolita dress. Oh, I have a girlish heart too; how could I not love a little dress that makes me look like a princess?
In the "real world," I wasn't interested in this, simply because I was broke and had self-castrated my impractical dreams.
Just like the so-called "indecisiveness," it's only because I don't have enough money to buy all colors and styles.
Now, I'm not the same as I was! I have so many clothes I can't wear them all even if I change every day. The "Fashion" category in my game backpack is filled with 999 outfits. I'll call it "Mors's Wardrobe."
The vocalizer is too tight around my neck, so I choose to [Unequip] and put it back into the game backpack.
I arrived at the airport as arranged on the phone. Waiting in the lounge was a bit boring, and not suitable for practicing "Nen." I'm a novice Nen user, my strength is subpar, so I must be low-key and not draw attention when I'm out, to avoid attracting the attention of villainous Nen users.
The technology for mobile phones in this world is not very advanced yet. Mobile games are quite primitive, with Tetris, Snake, Sokoban, and Pac-Man being the four mainstream games. The graphics are simple, and the gameplay is basic, but they are classics in game history. When played when bored, they are still quite enjoyable.
I played Tetris until the tenth level, then paused the game and stood up from my seat. A person had just walked up to me. It was Silva.
The unchanging training uniform, just like most anime characters, to facilitate drawing or establish a fixed image, he never changes into other styles of clothes, at least I've never seen him wear anything else. Alas, it's the familiar, solid, steady, and unpretentious strong man. If possible, I wish his character design could be changed to someone like the child-faced handsome guy, Gojo Satoru. Hey, Mors, pull yourself together, don't be too greedy! You ungrateful beauty chaser!
Honestly, the deepest impression Silva left on me when I first read the original work was his sneer after tricking Killua.
I didn't think much about what kind of character he was. He was a supporting character anyway. The only difference between him and ordinary supporting characters was that he was the protagonist's father.
Would he also sneer after I left his sight? No, I don't have the value for him to use persuasive words. Who is Killua? He is the recognized future head of the Zoldyck family, rebellious in nature, so roundabout strategies are needed.
He shouldn't need to trick me, right?
"Have you been waiting long?" He saw the screen of my mobile game.
"..." I shook my head, saved my progress in the game's pause menu, and then put away my phone.
Seeing Silva, I suddenly regretted my impulsive decision to treat him to dessert. No, it's not about the money. It's mainly that looking at his resolute face, I felt I should invite him to the gym to lift weights, to do something manly, rather than eating dessert. This is bad, bad memories from the "real world" are coming back. My impulsive actions often have bad consequences.
Stop!
There's still room for recovery!
I can cancel... No, I'm not that stupid. I can, I can? Hmm, although I decided on the treat, I can let Silva choose the location! Whether the food suits my taste is determined by both the menu and the venue, so the risk is perfectly shared!
Strong men make decisions decisively and quickly, unlike me who likes to overthink and hesitate. He quickly decided on a destination.
Speaking of which, Illumi is evaluated by readers as the "most feminine" of the "three beauties" in terms of appearance, but the most manly in terms of actions. Oh, at least he has one thing in common with his father; his father didn't teach him in vain.
On the way, Silva asked me why I thought of treating him to dessert.
"..." Because the ways I can repay others, besides labor, are by spending money. I can't provide anything else; I'm not capable of advanced maneuvers, which is quite boring.
I could only vaguely "say" that it was my first reaction and that I hadn't thought much about it.
As I mentioned earlier, my impulsive actions often have bad consequences. Seeing the level of the restaurant's decor and the well-dressed NPCs around me made my bank card ache.
"..." You're not acting right, Silva! Why aren't you sticking to your approachable style like before?! No way, no way? Is it because someone else is treating you, so you're choosing the most expensive option?! Are you that kind of commoner?! You are the current head of the Zoldyck family, which is rich enough to rival a nation!
I remembered Silva's sneer in the original work after Killua left... In some respects, Silva is indeed a villain.
Silva said he had been to this restaurant with Kikyo before and had a good impression.
Oh, so that's how it is. I'm used to being poor in the "real world," so I always consider the price first, not the ambiance. This is the disparity between worlds.
At my current income level, the cost of a meal here is entirely affordable.
Assassination is a genuinely lucrative business. Even after platform fees, the remuneration is enough for ordinary people to experience a life of sudden wealth.
There's nothing to object to about platform fees; companies have an advantage over individual businesses due to their complete and mature systems. Mission-related intelligence, mission sources, and mission-level assessments and selections are the most crucial parts handled by the Zoldycks. Moreover, the name "Zoldyck" itself is the strongest endorsement. Just as academic qualifications can prove a person's learning ability, mentioning "Zoldyck" will make clients focus on the surname before the individual's name.
By interacting with and developing wealthy clients, uttering the name "Zoldyck" can eliminate most doubts and facilitate business. The family's prosperity benefits everyone within the family, which is why Illumi is so dedicated to protecting family interests; they are all in the same boat, closely related.
I... I'm not feeling bad about the money! Not at all!
The strong man isn't enthusiastic about showing off PDA (Public Displays of Affection); he summarized his past visit to this restaurant in one sentence. If Kikyo were here, I'm sure I would hear more details, which is a bit of a regret.
Wait! The top floor of the building, the observation restaurant, is very expensive. It's where my parents used to date.
This, this familiar pattern.
Kudo Yusaku proposed in that restaurant, solved a case first, then proposed. Later, his son followed in his father's footsteps. Kudo Shinichi solved a case first... but due to the plot, he couldn't confess.
The assassins in both cases were also father and son. The double father-son succession is the biggest highlight.
However, the Kudo family is responsible for solving cases, while the Zoldyck family is responsible for committing them.
According to some fanfiction tropes, if Illumi were here with the heroine, that workaholic would have ulterior motives, intending to complete a murder commission on the side. Silva, are you also here to create a murder case?!
Dining one-on-one with a serious person is quite stressful. I chose to lower my head and honestly eat my dessert, but thinking about the murder case, I couldn't help but secretly glance at Silva, trying to figure out his target. As a result, he immediately caught my gaze, like a seemingly casual lion king who could knock out a rabbit peeking out of its burrow with a single paw, making my heart pound.
"!" And so I choked.
I quickly picked up the tea beside me and took several sips, finally swallowing the dessert stuck in my throat.
The strong man watched me do all this, seeming amused. He actually smiled... He smiled! It was the kind of smile that made the viewers in front of the TV find the scene hilarious.
"..." I think if he were the one pursuing a woman, and not the other way around, he would likely remain single his entire life.
No wonder there are CP pairings like "Silva x Ging" and "Silva x Chrollo" in fanfiction. Something like "Silva = Silver," "Ging and Silver are a pair," and "Silva and Ging couldn't be together, so Silva's son and Ging's son will be together." Silva, you really should reflect on why your CP pairings in fanfiction are all male-male combinations!
The more I thought about it, the more agitated I became. Before I could react, my shoulder twitched uncontrollably. It might have been from drinking water too quickly, but I started to hiccup uncontrollably.
Hiccups, also known as hiccups or eructations, are not related to the vocal cords but to the diaphragm. According to common methods in the "real world," holding a mouthful of water in your mouth and enduring it for more than a minute can stop hiccups, but it's not guaranteed to succeed 100%. Otherwise, I would have one less embarrassing memory from the "real world."
Hiccups rank second in embarrassing dating events. Fortunately, I'm a mute, operating in silent mode. Long live being mute!
Even though I know I'm just a passerby in others' lives, I can never forget all my embarrassing moments from the past. This is bad, the embarrassing moments from the past are about to resurface. Stop! Stop!
With hiccups, the more you try to stop them, the harder they are to control. I covered my mouth and used all my might to suppress this uncontrollable bodily tremor, while the strong man opposite me looked on with curiosity and surprise, laughing at the bizarre spectacle before me. My face burned as if on fire, and I wished I could find a wall and smash my head against it right there.
This is the real observation restaurant murder case. The killer is Silva. Silva killed me!
I felt as if I were sitting on pins and needles, unable to sit still for even half a second. I swallowed my tea, waved in Silva's direction, and without looking at his expression, turned and rushed to the restroom.
In the mirror of the washbasin, my face was flushed, my hair was messy, like I had just run a marathon. My pupils had turned vertical due to anxiety and panic, and my entire being exuded an air of dishevelment.
[“Idiot.”]
Mors in the mirror said.
Yes, my mental fortitude is too poor, which is why I lose my composure over trivial matters and then make repeated mistakes. True strong individuals are those who wouldn't even flinch if an arm was severed and would even perform a magic trick with it.
"..." The Zoldycks' evaluation of me will surely drop again.
I, this idiot, summarized it in the "real world": impulsive actions often lead to bad consequences. Even today, I'm still making the same mistakes. I'm hopeless.
Washing my face with cold water couldn't dispel the heat on my face, nor the hiccups. No one was in the restroom, so I chose to enter the innermost stall and sat on the toilet lid. I flipped through my game backpack. The only drinks I had were "Fatty's Happy Water," also known as carbonated drinks, which are rich in gas. This would only worsen my condition!
Waiting for the hiccups to stop in the stall felt like an eternity. I despaired, recalling that the Guinness World Record for hiccups in the "real world" was seemingly 68 years.
Which is more painful: this or the pain of having no toilet paper?
The pain of no toilet paper is temporary, how can it compare to 68 years?
It would be better to die in the toilet stall and become Hanako-san of the toilet... No, dying in the toilet would be too humiliating.
In any case, I need to prepare for the worst. I took out my phone and texted Silva, saying I needed some time to contemplate life, and that he could go home first and help me cover the bill, and I would transfer the money to him later.
The text message was sent successfully, and as soon as the phone screen went dark, it lit up again.
I don't want to answer anyone's calls right now. If it weren't for the fact that this call was from the current head of the Zoldyck family, Silva Zoldyck, no, it's precisely because it's Silva calling that I don't want to answer even more!
Please, just consider me dead, Silva!
Eyes of the dead.jpg
"..." After three seconds, I still dutifully answered the phone.
Professional assassins don't mind where they operate. If Silva were to appear in this stall, please, absolutely not. I would definitely feel worse than death.
"Mors."
"..." I tapped twice on the microphone with my fingertip to indicate a response.
I didn't [Equip] the vocalizer. Who knows what strange sounds would be produced while hiccuping with the vocalizer on.
"I just received intelligence that your mission was unsuccessful."
"!!!" I instantly forgot to cover my mouth, and my breathing stopped.
"Speak, Mors. You should reflect on why you failed to correctly judge the authenticity of the target." Silva's tone was not angry at all, just stern.
In the "real world," I don't like making phone calls because I can't see others' facial expressions and thus can't accurately gauge their emotions in real-time, which makes me feel uneasy.
Silva is inherently a person with little emotional fluctuation. It's even harder to gauge his state over the phone. It would be better if we were face-to-face, then I could get a clearer idea of his attitude at the moment.
But now I can't. My chest feels heavy, and I'm breathing with difficulty, my whole body going cold.
I... failed.
Familiar failure. Ah, failing my first independent mission is normal for someone like me, isn't it?
I should be used to it by now.
I shouldn't be surprised.
Then why... do I feel sad?
My nose felt a sudden sting.
I've already made a mistake, I can't be willful anymore, nor do I have the right to be willful. [Equipping] the vocalizer, my mind went blank, not knowing where to begin my self-reflection.
I remembered the mistakes I made at work in the "real world." I woke up in the morning and received a politely worded message questioning my actions. To compensate for my mistake, I worked until noon without eating. At that time, I was very anxious. My mother sighed and said, "How could you make such a low-level mistake?" She urged me to apologize quickly, to be polite, sincere, and humble. Then she started bringing up my past mistakes again.
"I'm sorry, it was my oversight, I didn't consider it properly."
"I'm sorry, I... got carried away."
"...I'm sorry." Although no one was in the restroom at the moment, someone might come in later. I tried to lower my voice, clenched my trembling fists, and tears fell uncontrollably. "I'm sorry."
Fortunately, in the "real world," I, who am not mute, was adept at crying without making a sound.
Closing my lips tightly, I took slow, deep breaths to avoid making any noise.
The only problem is, I still don't know how to reflect. If it were Illumi, he would definitely know how to reflect. No, the excellent Illumi wouldn't make mistakes like me, so there would be no need for reflection. Only me, only I would make such a low-level mistake. Only I would make the same mistake and repeat it.
Only I...
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." I pinched the pain in my thigh to maintain as steady a breath as possible. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Dad."
"Are the symptoms gone?"
"Huh?"
"The mission was not unsuccessful. I checked. It said that a sudden scare would cure it."
"..."
It's true that a sudden scare can cure it. In the "real world," my mother suddenly said there was a bug crawling on my shoulder, which scared me, and I stopped hiccuping.
But, but... please don't use that method...
"How is it?" Silva asked on the phone.
"...Mm." I forced a smile and continued, "It's better now. I... I need a moment to fix my hair, and then I'll be out."
"Okay."
The phone call, like a rollercoaster ride, finally ended.
I actually cried. I'm such a fool.
[Take Out] a handkerchief and wiped my wet dress. I sensed someone entering the restroom and moved quietly until they left.
There was no water in my game backpack. I needed to wash the tear stains off my face. Since no one was there, I could go to the washbasin to wash my face.
I opened the stall door and almost immediately wanted to shrink back. The door was being held open, preventing me from closing it. "!"
"...Mors."
"..." I tightly gripped the door handle, trying to close the door.
No! This is the women's restroom, Silva!
"Sorry, for making you cry. I didn't expect it to turn out this way." Under Silva's strength, which is said to be able to push open all trial doors, the fragile stall door was precarious. Using force in the opposite direction was ineffective and only caused further damage to the innocent door. "This is also my first time dealing with something like this, I have no experience. Can you forgive me?"
"..." This isn't a matter of forgiveness. Don't bring this up in the women's restroom, okay?!
"It's fine, I've already spoken to the staff." Silva tilted his head towards the entrance. "She's convinced only you are in here, so I came in."
So the previous person who entered was staff.
"..." Then why did you use '絕' (absolute/sealed) to enter? I thought no one was here.
"If you came out on your own, it would be as if nothing happened." Because I gave up closing the door, Silva crouched down and petted my head. "You're still secretly crying... Although I didn't expect it to turn out like this."
[Unequip] the vocalizer.
My eyes, having cried, felt a bit dry. I sniffled and said with lip-reading, "I've grown up."
"Yes, you've grown up." Silva held my right wrist and placed my hand on his head. "Then, can you... pet my head?"