HA3 8.2 - Another Talk
Hide thought it would take a few days before Shizuka was ready to resume the talk about Takeo, but he was wrong. She sent him a message to meet again in the rooftop at lunch break. And so, after buying his favorite steamed tofu roll he went to the rooftop.
He found Shizuka was sitting on top of air conditioner exhaust, enjoying a big serving of fruit sandwich and soy milk as her lunch. Wasting no time he walked over to her.
“So?” Hide asked as he sat next to Shizuka.
Shizuka downed a mouthful of her soymilk before replying, “First of all, I think you should tell us about Texas syndrome and Munich syndrome before starting our firearm training.”
As he opened his lunch take-out Hide said, “I can tell that someone is a natural shooter or just ordinary one only after they start the training for precision shooting. And honestly, until yesterday, I never thought Takeo has the cut to be a natural shooter.”
“Yet you can tell he is a natural shooter right away,” Shizuka asked as she gave Hide a skeptical gaze, “after the first day of his training.”
“That’s because his natural shooter trait instantly flow out as soon as he learn about firing position, and it’s so overwhelming,” Hide said. “He became one with his rifle as if he was born with it.”
“I see.” Shizuka then gave Hide a curious gaze. “What about me? Do I have the possibility for the syndromes, and you talk it with Takeo behind my back?”
“No, you are fully safe,” Hide casually replied before putting a piece of steamed tofu roll in his mouth.
“Are you sure?”
“Do you remember when I dug out some holes in Pine Abode’s inner yard?” Hide asked Shizuka back.
“Yeah.”
“That was part of my effort to confirm your possibility for stuff I have to worry about, including Texas Tower Syndrome.” Hide put another piece of steamed tofu roll before adding, “And you are fully safe.”
“I see.” Relief was clearly visible in Shizuka’s face as she gave her fruit sandwich another bite. “So, what do you plan to do?”
“Kamui guest house is still active. I have confirmed it using a burned featured-phone. So, you will lead the raid to shut it down, while Takeo uses it as an opportunity for his first kill,” Hide casually said. “Once he makes his first kill, we will proceed accordingly.”
Shizuka gave Hide a dead drop serious gaze as she asked, “Proceed accordingly?”
“If he gets hit by Texas Tower Syndrome, I have to kill him and we cancel the raid. No other choice,” Hide said as steel determination flashed in his eyes. “Then, we will fake his death as hit and run accident, and help his parent clear their debt.”
“Can’t we just exclude Twig from the killing?” Shizuka asked in low voice, while giving Hide a pleading look.
“That’s not an option,” Hide casually replied.
“How can that’s not an option?” Shizuka said in firm rebuttal tone.
“Just think about it carefully.” After a short pause Hide continued. “From the very first time he join the fun, Takeo is fully ready to dirty his hand to help his parent clear their debt, including doing the kill. After we decide we will face Knosses QRF, his resolve get firmer instead of wavering.
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In such situation, if we exclude him from firearm training, his strong dependable and reliable nature will drive him to sneak around behind our back and train on his own, and this is very dangerous. Accident most likely will occur.
While if we give him the training, but exclude him from the killing, when we carry out Knosses job there is a possibility he will make unplanned kill if shit hit the fan, and we have no control to stop him if he get high from Texas Tower Syndrome.”
“So…” After having a deep sigh Shizuka continued, “Our only option is to let Twig has his first kill when we have firm grip on the situation?”
“Yeah, in the raid on Kamui guest house we will make sure of it. A single sentry kill or two using precision shooting is enough,” Hide casually replied.
“I see.” After hardening her resolve Shizuka said, “We can’t do it half-baked way.”
“Exactly,” Hide firmly replied.
“Let’s do it as you said.”
Hide gave Shizuka a light nod. Then, his expression became drop dead serious, “And one more thing. In case I don’t make it, can you help me take care of Aizawa?”
“Hide,” Shizuka said warily. “Don’t jinx it.”
“Well. Jinx it or not, one thing is very sure,” Hide casually said. “I don’t know if my father will return to his old self or not. If something happens to me, I need to make sure Aizawa has someone to look after her. Please don’t let her think she is being left alone.”
After taking a deep breath Shizuka looked at Hide straight in the eyes. “If something happen to you, I will take care of Aizawa as my own siblings.
In return, if something happens to me, help me take care of my father and Reiko.”
“Agree,” Hide firmly replied.
“Also, if everything go according to the plan,” Shizuka said in pleading tone. “After Knosses job, please help me to send my father to medical procedure for his cancer.”
“Consider it’s done,” Hide happily said. “But, can’t we just drag him to the medical procedure before Knosses job? I believe you already have the money.”
“If we put him in the medical procedure right now, he will find his way to run away,” Shizuka dejectedly said. “We have to put him on it only when I can fully watch him over.”
“I see.” After short pause Hide added, “I and Takeo will help you. We will put your father in a sleep before dragging him, if we have to.”
“Thank you,” Shizuka genuinely said.
“You’re welcome.” Hide then handed over an SD card as he continued, “And this is audiobook to shape your English conversation skill from scratch. Copy it to your smartphone so you can train whenever you have spare time.”
“English audio book?” Question mark popped up on Shizuka’s forehead as she copied it. Then, she opened it and found an instruction to pronounce R. “Follow the pronunciation while trying to raise the tip of your tongue. Don’t go to the next letter until you master the pronunciation.”
“If you do it correctly,” Hide casually said. “You will be able to speak like a native.”
“How many pronunciation I have to master?”
“16 letters and 235 words.”
Shizuka’s eyes instantly widened. “That many?”
“Yeah, at the same time, every time we meet to talk about the job or train together, we will speak in English only.”
“That is rather though,” Shizuka dejectedly said.
“It’s, but it’s for your future where there is a chance you have to live overseas using your second ID.”
“Okay.” After taking a deep breath Shizuka firmly continued, “I’ll do my best.”
“Good.”
Hide and Shizuka then continued their lunch in silence. After that they returned to their class separately, in ten minutes interval.
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When Hide arrived in front of his class, he found Takeo was waiting for him. He immediately walked over to him.
“Do you need something?”
“I forgot to talk it with you when we were in the workshop earlier,” Takeo said in low voice. “It’s about Rei and Kei. They want to play with Aizawa so badly, and thing can go awry in my house if I don’t make it happen this Saturday.”
“Saturday huh…” Hide calmly said before falling into ponder.
“Don’t tell me I can’t take Rei and Kei to your house in Saturday,” Takeo worriedly said.
“It’s not that you can’t, but we already have plan next Saturday.”
“What kind of plan?” Takeo curiously asked.
“After I pick up Aizawa from Kitaro, we will go to weekly grocery shopping in Sakura Shopping District. Then, in the evening we will go to St Maria Church in downtown.”
Takeo creased his brow as he asked, “Do you starts going to the church?”
“The church asks Aizawa to play piano for them, and it gives her a chance to play in front of people. So, we agree,” Hide calmly said. “That’s leave us to two option. You go to shop with us, or come to our house after we go back from the church. You, Rei, and Kei can also sleep in our house.”
“I have to talk it with Kei and Rei first,” Takeo said. “I will text you tonight.”
“Copy.”
Takeo then returned to his class, while Hide entered his and walked to his table with casual steps.
*****