The afternoon sun cast warm patches of light on the floor through the windows of the Service Club's activity room. Kanjuro, for once, was not just quietly watching or reading as usual, but was huddled together with Yui Yuigahama, fiddling with an old guitar and a few simple percussion instruments. Yui was clearly not very good at it, and the notes she played were scattered, but Kanjuro was extremely patient, his fingers flexibly plucking the strings to demonstrate simple melodies, occasionally drawing admiring and slightly coquettish exclamations from Yui.
"Brother Kanjuro is so amazing! Is this how you press this chord?"
"Correct, Little Yui is so smart. Just adjust your finger position slightly."
The activity room echoed with the sound of music that wasn't very skilled but was lighthearted, along with the laughter of the two. Meanwhile, Yukinoshita Yukino, who was sitting by the window reading a hardcover book as usual, seemed a bit out of place at this moment. Her cold gaze occasionally rose from the pages of the book, faintly sweeping over the lively corner before falling back onto the text, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her. She didn't feel the discomfort of being neglected; instead, she enjoyed this peace of being an outsider, though in that peace, there seemed to be a trace of... alienation that was extremely difficult to detect.
Kanjuro had long noticed Yukinoshita's quietness. He put down the guitar and looked at the pure and ethereal 'daughter' by the window, his tone carrying a trace of subtle inquiry: "What's wrong? Little Yukino, don't you want to play together? Music can help people relax." He tried to approach her in the same way he treated Yui.
Yukinoshita Yukino slowly closed her book, raised her eyes, which were like icy lakes, and calmly met Kanjuro's gaze, her voice so cold it didn't carry a single ripple: "I don't know what kind of person you are, and I don't want to bother trying to find out. So, please allow me to keep my distance; I don't want to deal with you."
Her rejection was crisp and clean, without any hesitation or hint of pettiness, as if she were merely stating an objective fact.
Kanjuro was slightly taken aback, then let out a helpless, bitter smile. He shook his head and whispered to himself, his voice so soft only he could hear: "They're both my daughters, but the personalities of Yukino and Haruno really are quite different..." He thought of Yukinoshita Haruno's nature, which was outwardly as passionate as fire but equally inscrutable deep inside. The only thing these two sisters seemed to have in common was a mysterious barrier and... a faint dissatisfaction toward him, their 'father'? This made him feel a bit frustrated and curious.
Just then, the door to the activity room was pushed open, and Teacher Hiratsuka Shizuka walked in, followed by a young boy who looked a bit timid.
Kanjuro's attention was drawn over, and his face immediately returned to its cynical, teasing smile. His gaze shifted between Hiratsuka Shizuka and the young boy as he joked, "Shizuka-chan, this couldn't be a 'gift' I left you some time ago, could it? My son?"
A blush instantly flared up on Hiratsuka Shizuka's face, a mix of embarrassment and helplessness, and she gave Kanjuro a sharp, annoyed glare: "Kanjuro! Be serious for once!" She gently pushed the boy forward, "This is the first official commission the Service Club has received. He is the younger brother of Saki Kawasaki in our class, Taishi Kawasaki."
Kanjuro raised an eyebrow, reined in his playfulness, and squatted down to look Taishi Kawasaki in the eye, a deceptively gentle smile appearing on his face: "Yo, little guy, what trouble have you run into? Tell big brother, maybe we can help you."
Looking at Kanjuro's handsome and friendly face, Taishi Kawasaki's tension eased significantly. He lowered his head shyly and said in a small voice, "My... my sister Saki, she's been coming home very late recently, and sometimes she smells like smoke... our parents passed away in an accident when we were very young, and my sister has always been taking care of me. I... I'm very worried about her, I don't know what kind of work she's doing or if she's in danger... so, I wanted to ask you if you could help me find out..."
Upon hearing this, an indescribable light flashed in Kanjuro's eyes. He gave a soft "heh" of a laugh, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He stood up and looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Hiratsuka Shizuka met his gaze with a rare expression of seriousness and earnestness. She took a deep breath and said, "Kanjuro, I believe in your ability. And please... believe in me for once, and occasionally, do a good deed, okay?" Her tone carried a trace of subtle pleading, as if she were trying to awaken some residual, tiny bit of kindness deep within him.
Kanjuro and Hiratsuka Shizuka stared at each other, and the air in the activity room seemed to freeze for a moment. Yui Yuigahama looked at Kanjuro with concern, and Yukinoshita Yukino also closed her book, quietly observing. Finally, the corners of Kanjuro's mouth slowly curled into an ambiguous arc.
"Alright," he said nonchalantly, his gaze falling back on Taishi Kawasaki with an interest as if he had found a new toy. "Since it's Shizuka-chan's request, and there's such a cute younger brother worried about his sister... we, the Service Club, will take this commission." As soon as Kanjuro's casual words "we, the Service Club, will take this commission" fell, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly stood up from her seat, not even noticing as her book fell to the floor with a thud. Rare anger burned in her ice-blue eyes as she stared straight at the calm Hiratsuka Shizuka, her voice rising with agitation:
"Teacher Hiratsuka! Are you crazy?! You know exactly what kind of person he is! Letting him do a good deed? He'll only make things worse, and might even drag that Saki Kawasaki into a deeper abyss!!" Her accusation was sharp, direct, and ruthless.
"Yukinon, what are you saying!" Yui Yuigahama immediately stepped forward to defend Kanjuro. She puffed out her cheeks and looked at Yukinoshita with dissatisfaction. "How could Papa Kanjuro be a bad person! He's clearly so gentle! I believe he can definitely help Kawasaki-san!" Her faith was simple and blind, beyond question.
Hiratsuka Shizuka bore Yukinoshita's sharp gaze, her face turning slightly pale, but she did not back down. Instead, she took a deep breath and met the doubt, her tone carrying a desperate persistence: "Little Yukino... a person cannot be evil forever. I believe... I believe that even in him, there might be a sliver of kindness deep down. I'm willing to... give him this one chance." Her voice, at the end, carried a trace of subtle trembling and pleading, as if she were convincing Yukinoshita, and even more so, herself.
Kanjuro watched this scene in silence, his eyes deep and difficult to read, finally turning into a sigh that was barely audible. At the center of this whirlpool of argument, in a dimension only he could perceive, an illusory figure clad in silver armor and holding a holy banner quietly emerged—Jeanne d'Arc. Before the Fifth Holy Grail War officially arrived, she would not manifest before ordinary people.
"Master," Jeanne's spiritualized voice spoke directly into Kanjuro's mind, carrying a trace of pity and insight, "it seems these 'daughters' of yours know very little of your true nature. They even... still harbor a sliver of unrealistic expectation."
Kanjuro responded with a light laugh in his consciousness, "Oh? Even you don't believe I can do a good deed, my Saint?"
Jeanne shook her head gently, a complex smile filled with a bit of sorrow appearing on her beautiful face, but she remained silent. That silence itself was an answer.
"Alright! Stop arguing!" Kanjuro suddenly raised his voice, interrupting the dispute in the real world. He put on his gentle and harmless mask again, turned his gaze to the cold-faced Yukinoshita Yukino, and spoke with a bit of deliberate lightness and provocation: "Yukino, since you don't believe me anyway, I'll make sure to do a good deed just for you to see."
He squatted down and faced Taishi Kawasaki again, his tone so gentle it could practically drip water: "Taishi, tell big brother, do you know which bar your sister roughly works at?"
Taishi Kawasaki nodded timidly: "It seems... it seems to be a bar called 'Lucky Star' over in that Shopping District..."
"OK." Kanjuro stood up, a playful smile curling on his lips, and he looked at Yui Yuigahama, "Let's go, Little Yui. We're heading out now to find your classmate, Saki Kawasaki."
Yui immediately responded with full energy: "Yes! Papa Kanjuro!"
Yukinoshita Yukino watched Kanjuro's seemingly positive but secretly dangerous smile, her brow furrowed, but after a moment of silence, she also started walking. "I'm going too." Her voice was still cold, carrying a sense of supervision and vigilance. She couldn't let Kanjuro run wild, even if it was just a possibility.
Taishi Kawasaki quickly followed behind Kanjuro, his small face full of hope.
The group left the activity room, leaving Hiratsuka Shizuka all alone. The moment the door closed, her forced strength instantly collapsed, and she fell powerlessly into her chair, her hands tightly clutching her head as suppressed, painful sobs echoed in the empty room. Tears seeped through her fingers and dripped onto the cold tabletop.
"Why... why did you kill... why did you change my memories..." she choked out, her voice shattered. "Even though... even though all this time... I've always liked you too..."
This time, she had mustered all the courage of her life and bet on the trust in that faint kindness, all for a tiny hope.
"Kanjuro... this time... can you... really not do bad things anymore..."
Deep in her heart, that distorted, hurt, yet never completely erasable emotion was humbly praying for a miracle. However, the object of her prayer was currently walking toward the bustling Shopping District as night began to fall, wearing his signature, unsettling smile. He was heading toward the bar called 'Lucky Star', toward another young girl who might be dragged into a dark whirlpool by him—Saki Kawasaki. Inside the 'Lucky Star' bar, the lights were blurry, and the air was filled with an ambiguous scent of alcohol mixed with perfume. Saki Kawasaki, wearing a slightly tight maid outfit, was briskly pouring wine for customers, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. When she saw Kanjuro's group walk in, she was clearly stunned for a moment, her brow reflexively furrowing. Kanjuro was a prominent figure at school, and even more so, a 'dangerous existence' she deliberately kept her distance from. But when her gaze fell on her brother Taishi, she understood instantly.
"Taishi! Why did you come here?" Her tone was reproachful, but more so filled with worry.
"Sister..." Taishi Kawasaki ran up to her, looking up with his small face, and pleaded, "I'm very worried about you... why do you always work so late? This is too hard! Can you stop working for a bit?"
Saki Kawasaki's gaze softened, but it was immediately pushed back by the weight of reality. She quickly scanned the waiting customers and said in a low voice, "Taishi, be good. Go sit over there with your classmates for a while. Sister will come over after I finish with these few tables." She gestured for Kanjuro and the others to go to a booth in the corner.
Kanjuro shrugged indifferently and led the others to a seat. He skillfully ordered a whiskey from the bartender and leaned lazily back on the sofa. His long fingers held a slender cigarette as he gently blew out a smoke ring, narrowing his eyes to enjoy the lazy jazz music in the bar. He looked like a noble son truly there to enjoy the nightlife, completely out of place with the students around seeking service.
Yukinoshita Yukino sat across from him, her cold gaze sweeping over the foul environment before falling on Saki Kawasaki's busy back. Her brow never relaxed. The unease in her heart was intensifying.
Just then, an accident happened.
A male customer, drunk and red-faced, suddenly grabbed Saki Kawasaki's wrist as she was pouring him a drink, his grip so strong it made her cry out in pain.
"Little sister, you're so pretty; isn't it a waste to be a bartender in a bar?" The customer breathed out alcoholic fumes, smiling lewdly, his other hand reaching out to touch her face. "If you're that short on money, just tell me. Wouldn't being a hostess earn you more? I guarantee it'll be better than working hard here..."
"Let go of me!" Saki Kawasaki struggled hard, her face filled with terror and anger, but her strength was no match for the drunkard.
Yukinoshita Yukino's face turned cold, and she was about to get up to stop it. However, someone was faster than her!
Almost in the second after the drunkard grabbed Saki Kawasaki's wrist, Kanjuro's figure flashed like a phantom. Everyone only saw a blur before their eyes, and he had already appeared beside the drunkard. Without any wasted words, Kanjuro raised his leg and delivered a swift, fierce side kick, slamming it into the drunkard's ribs!
"Bang!" With a muffled thud, the burly drunkard actually flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the wall behind him, shaking the decorative paintings on the wall. He slumped to the ground, suddenly coughing up a mouthful of blood and letting out a groan of pain.
The bar fell into a dead silence instantly; even the music seemed to pause for a second.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden violence.
What made people's skin crawl even more was that Kanjuro walked slowly over to the drunkard, who was curled up in pain. He squatted down, that spine-chilling 'gentle' smile still on his face. He raised his hand and, without a moment's hesitation, accurately pressed the burning cigarette butt directly onto the drunkard's wide-open eye, which was bulging in agony!
"Sizzle..." The faint sound of burning was accompanied by the drunkard's heart-wrenching scream: "AAAAAAAH—! My eye! It hurts! It hurts so much!!"
The light of the cigarette butt extinguished on the eyeball, leaving behind a terrifying black spot.
Kawasaki Saki covered her mouth, staring at Kanjuro's back in shock, her heart pounding wildly. She hadn't expected Kanjuro to take action, let alone that his methods would be so ruthless and cruel!
Yukinoshita Yukino, who had just stood up, froze. She looked at Kanjuro's back as he casually inflicted such torture, seeing the calmness on his face as if he had merely stepped on an ant. A chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She wasn't moved by the 'hero saving the beauty' act; instead, the unease and suspicion in her heart reached a peak.
(This kind of method... this cruelty that disregards the pain of others...)
(Those people who disappeared from the camp... those 'daughters' with mysterious backgrounds surrounding him...)
(He's not helping at all... he's just... enjoying the process of control and violence!)
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the shaken and conflicted Kawasaki Saki, her concern deepening. Was being 'helped' by someone like Kanjuro really a good thing? Was this salvation, or... the beginning of another, even greater nightmare?
Kanjuro slowly stood up and patted off non-existent dust from his hands, as if he had just done something trivial. He turned to Kawasaki Saki, his smile still perfect and flawless:
"It seems your work environment really isn't very safe, Kawasaki-san."
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