HA1 4.1 - Prospective Partner

Under the gentle evening sunlight Hide walked down the corridor to the library. Today, he planned to meet his prospective partner-in-crime. As soon as he passed the library’s door, Hide immediately turned his gaze to a corner where a boy at his age sat in front of his laptop.

Takeo Ishida, student of class 2A at East Nichiko High. He was a software engineering genius and won two national level software engineering championships, sponsored by Ministry of Research and Technology.

In junior high, Takeo three times in a row destroyed Hide's dream to participate in nationwide software engineering championship. Hide’s journey as young programmer went only as far as runner-up at prefectural level, and it made him held a deep grudge against Takeo at that time.

Hide's father was a world-class programmer, and Hide had started studying software engineering at the age of seven. Meanwhile, Takeo's parents were just tech-blind restaurant owners. So it was easy to imagine Hide's feelings, when he suffered a defeat from a kid who studied software engineering all by himself.

In general, for a skill to develop to perfection, it took 1% talent and 99% hard work. The quota for talent was indeed only 1%, but that 1% gap was an impassable gap and became an eternal line between the gifted and the non-talented. When Hide realized that he would never surpass Takeo's natural comprehension in software engineering, he immediately sank into bitterness.

It was a decade later before Hide realized that his talent was not in software engineering, but in another area that he loved much more, and for the first time in his life, he realized the pain of envious and hate stares from other people who competed with him.

Hide also deeply regretted his past deed, when he bluntly projected his bitterness to Takeo, who in this life ironically was the most ideal partner-in-crime for him. After heaving a deep sigh, Hide then approached Takeo.

---

Almost every day after school, Takeo would use the library's Wi-Fi network to work on small projects, provided for free-lancer programmers by online-job sites. Of course, he put some textbooks on the table so that other students would think he was studying or doing schoolwork.

When Hide suddenly sat before him, Takeo immediately frowned. Although he and Hide were rivals in software engineering, in junior high Takeo repeatedly tried to make friends with Hide. Of course, his effort was in vain because for some reason Hide hated him so much. Even so, Takeo didn't hate Hide back.

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However, when he was in ninth grade Takeo was beaten by several students but Hide ignored him, even though at that time Takeo had desperately shouted for help from him.

With an icy gaze Takeo looked at Hide. "Are you looking for trouble?"

"No,” Hide calmly said as he looked straight to Takeo’s eyes. “I want to offer you a job with a good payoff."

Takeo scornfully answered, "I don't want to work with a coward."

Hide tapped his fingers on the table for a moment before replying, "If you think I am a coward because I left you when you were beaten by Tenma and his gang, you are wrong. That day, I didn’t help you because I wanted to watch you get beaten.

I didn’t left after ignoring your shout for help, but watched you from a corner while laughing in my heart."

Takeo instantly clenched his fist and with a trembling voice he said, "Get out of my sight."

However, with a calm tone Hide continued, "I did not immediately regret my action. But once I start to regret it, I always feel a sense of bitterness every time I recalled my stupidity that day."

Takeo stuttered for a while before asking, "Did you take a wrong medicine this morning?"

Hide shook his head slowly before whispering, "Listen carefully, your parents lost in forex trading and have a huge debt. It’s around 8 million Dillar.”

“…”

“The pay from the job I am offering can offset your parent's debt, and after 5-6 jobs there is a chance you can fully clear it."

As he creased his forehead, Takeo wondered how Hide knew about his parents' debts. Then, he asked, "What kind of work can bring more than a million Dillar yields, and can be done by high school kid?"

Hide immediately handed over to Takeo a piece of paper. "This place isn't proper place to talk about it. Meet me here tomorrow at nine in the morning, if you're interested."

After Takeo took the piece of paper, Hide got up and leaved the library.

---

While walking home to his house, Hide recalled his conversation with Takeo. He managed to confirm that Takeo was a solitary type like him. Because only a solitary type would be able to speak normally to other solitary type even if it was their first conversation.

In his previous life, for more than two decades Hide tried to project himself out like a solider. And every time he failed to do so, his gloomy and pessimistic mind would spike up to several folds. Before finally, a psychologist in Sniper Advance Course told him that he was a solitary type who would instinctively project himself inwardly.

A solider would gain peace of mind when he or she was in a crowd. Meanwhile, a solitary type would achieve peace of mind when he or she entered their inner self.

When he finally realized that for more than two decades he had been desperately trying to become what he was not, Hide really didn't know he should laugh out loud or cry over his stupidity.

'Well, it’s good that I can also prevent another regret from my previous life.'

At this point, Takeo didn't realize how desperate his parents were. But Hide knew that Takeo's parents had not only borrowed money from the bank, but had also mortgaged their house and restaurant. Also, within a few months Takeo's parents would commit suicide after poisoning Takeo and his twin little sister using sleeping pills.

'Even if Takeo refuses to become my partner, I will still prevent his parents' suicide attempts.'

Hide strengthened his determination as he accelerated his footsteps.

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