CH 3

Chapter 03: A Lady of My Own Pace (2)

Translated by Hikaru

Edited by VampireKnight

Why am I here, even if you ask me…

“The kidnappers are after me, aren’t they?”

So that was it. The girl was aware that she was in the middle of being kidnapped. And it seemed that she was doubtful of why I was with her, even if I was also being kidnapped.

“…I was going to deliver the student ID you dropped. Just then, the kidnappers showed up and took me with them.”

“I see.”

The girl was convinced.

“Where’s my student ID?”

“What? Oh…, yeah, I’ve got it right here.”

I took out the girl’s student ID card that I had in my pocket. After receiving the card, she played with its surface with awkward movements. If you looked closely, there was an unnatural bulge in the lower right corner of the card. It looked as if a small button was embedded in it. The girl pressed the button with her fingernail.

“Now, help should be on the way.”

Then the girl let out a sigh, “huff.”

“Sleep.”

She laid down on the floor beside me with a thump. I have gotten used to this girl’s brazenness by now, so I am not surprised. But the girl was still lying there, staring at me.

“Sleep.”

“Why don’t you just go to… sleep?”

“Pillow.”

I was about to say, “There’s no way that’s here,” when the girl silently patted my knee. I am not sure if that meant she wanted… a lap pillow.

It was easy to get excited when a good-looking girl treated you like this, but I had seen her in a dull state before, so I was somewhat immune. The kidnappers ordered me to take care of her, and I let out a sigh as I lend her my knee.

“Nice height.” The girl muttered, satisfied.

“Lullaby.”

“Sorry…, that’s not in my vocabulary.”

“So tell me something interesting.”

It’s absurd. But her audacity was so powerful that it blew away the gloomy air that had settled over the place. Normally, I would have been so frightened that I would have burst into tears, but thanks to this girl, I was able to maintain my composure.

“The other day, I was on the train with a friend―.”

The content was probably not that interesting, but the girl listened to me in silence. A few minutes later, I heard her sleeping quietly on my lap. The girl was a good sleeper.

“…You drool too much.”

I wiped the drool from the girl’s mouth with the hem of her dress.

“…mm.”

“Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?”

“No problem.” The girl replied as she turned over in her sleep.

“Hair, it’s so sticky.”

“Why don’t you tie it up? Turn around for a second.”

“Hmm.”

He tied the girl’s hair in a ponytail at the top.

“Why are you used to doing it?”

“Ah…, I used to do my mother’s hair all the time back in the day.”

“Hmm.”

My mother worked at a cabaret club for a while, and I used to help her set her hair before she went to work. It was a memory I don’t want to remember.

At that moment, one of the kidnappers kicked a nearby piece of wood. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and I jumped up on my shoulders. The kidnappers were indignant, holding their cell phones to their ears.

“―That’s enough! If you drag this out any longer, I’m gonna punch your daughter in the face!” 　The man yelled with bloodshot eyes. His eyes turned to the girl for a moment.

“… Don’t say anything else that might provoke the kidnappers, like you just did,” I said when I looked at the girl.

The girl has a lot of guts, but maybe that is just because I didn’t see her true nature. That was why I uttered the almost self-righteous words.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure I can shield you if the need arises.”

Even I, a person who has a bleak future, can help someone. Feeling a ray of salvation, I told the girl.

“…Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know.”

I didn’t bother to tell her about myself.  I smiled as gently as I can at the curious girl.

“… I like you.” The girl said.

“It’s so comfortable. It smells like a futon after it’s been dried.”

I think that is the smell of dead mites. That’s not a phrase I’m happy to hear…

“I have a lot of caretakers, but… they’re all so uptight.”

“… Uh.”

“But you take it easy on me, so I can feel at ease. I’m glad.”

The girl smiled at me, and I fell for her for a moment. But I was at ease because I don’t quite understand her. Or know if I have a future, maybe if I did I would be more in awe. But alas, I am in a state where I can’t even make a living for tomorrow. I have nothing to lose if I am hated by some lady. She is the kind of invincible person that is becoming a social problem these days.

“What’s your name?”

“…Itsuki Nishinari.”

“Yes. I am Hinako Konohana.” The girl said simply.

“You, from now on, will be my…”

Right as the girl was about to say something. A small can-like object is thrown through a broken window of the abandoned factory. The can made a crunching sound, and the next moment, white smoke sprayed out.

“I’m ー breaking in!!”

I heard a loud voice from the first floor of the abandoned factory. At the same time, countless footsteps could be heard from everywhere.

“Oh, shit!? I can’t see a thing!!”

“How did these guys get this close before I knew it ― argh!?”

A group of men who looked like cops appeared from somewhere and quickly neutralized the two kidnappers. The men quickly approached me and then the girl―.

“Freeze!!”

“…what?”

The men were clearly hostile to me.

“Eh, wait! I’m the victim―”

“Shut up! Be quiet!”

“Whoa!?”

My head is pressed down and I am knocked to the floor. Both my hands and feet are bound. Even if they didn’t do this to me, I couldn’t resist.

“Master Shizune! I’ve neutralized the third person!”

“I believe there were two perpetrators. I wonder if the scout team’s information was incorrect…”

When the smoke screen had cleared, a woman appeared with the sound of regular footsteps.

The woman had black hair that she wore untied to her waist. She was dressed in a black and white frilly outfit, the so-called maid’s uniform.

“Miss, are you all right?”

“Hmm.”

The maid approached the girl on the floor and removed the handcuffs and shackles. Despite all the noise, the girl is unperturbed. The girl yawned loudly as if she had finally woken up from the sleep she just had.

“I apologize for the delay in rescuing you. But…, I always tell you. When you go out, you have to contact us in advance.”

“Because it was annoying.”

“As a result, this is what happens. Geez…” The maid sighed.

“Shizune. This man is not the kidnapper.”

“…is that so?”

When the girl pointed at me, the maid raised her eyes. Slowly, my restraints were released.

“Stay…”

“Sorry about that. I thought you were the culprit.”

“I was being detained, I’m not the culprit…”

“In some cases, criminal groups may have fallen out. This often happens in long-term crimes such as kidnapping.”

That… be true, indeed. I close my mouth, unable to refute.

“Well. Let’s leave the cleanup to them, and we’ll go home. You, too, please follow me.”

Apparently, they are going to show me the way out. I nod silently. But the girl doesn’t get up and looks at me with an indifferent look in her eyes.

“Hey, Shizune.” The girl says, pointing at me.

“I want this person.”

“Understood. I’ll arrange it as soon as possible.” The maid reverently bows her head.

“……eh?”

Arrangement for what?