Chapter 26: Saddened Pokemons

'I hated myself for somehow checking to see if that figure existed…'

"Kyo, stop spacing out and get back to work!"

Muroya, who was Kyo's de facto supervisor at this part-time job and in a higher position elsewhere, was someone he could not defy. Brushing aside his random thoughts, Kyo inwardly complained.

Despite inviting him, Shirona was skipping her part-time work. Did that woman have any real social experience? Kyo who was still a student age-wise, thought while prioritizing himself.

It was certainly a good job, with only the earthy smell being unpleasant and not tiring. Thanks to the Gantz suit, carrying lumber was very efficient. But he had to keep up the act of looking tired, so the supervisors would not get suspicious. Just for that, he felt an incomprehensible confidence that he could outperform any actor.

During breaks, almost everyone started smoking. Kyo no longer cared how many were illegal. He had not been a fan of joint-type drugs even before.

Still, he became restless, an unsettled feeling. A sense that something was lacking, familiar from his drug addiction days, though a much weaker withdrawal symptom than before.

But it was not comfortable. The constant feeling of dissatisfaction gnawed at his mind bit by bit, seeming to grow larger day by day. He knew that if he did not do something soon, it would affect his hunting as well.

Yet he could not make any progress in his thoughts. He could not think of what to do. In that hazy mood, his part-time job ended. Since he completed his assigned tasks quickly, he could leave early if he wanted.

Unusually, Kyo felt like staying over at someone else's place, or rather, he was thinking about a woman. He had a normal sex drive but had mostly engaged in obligatory acts until now. There was a period when he chose partners solely for release.

But this time was different. He felt a distinct purpose emerging within himself. He listed the women he knew as candidates, not yet realizing they all tended to have large breasts.

And when that face appeared at the very end of the list... An unpleasant shriek rang out next to his ear.

"Hyaah!"

Letting out an idiotic scream, a girly cry, Kyo fell off his motorcycle. It was dangerous. If he had been running, it would not have been a minor injury.

"What was that..."

After righting his motorcycle, he glared at the object which caused the minor incident.

This creature called Mikaruge was an unpleasant existence for Kyo from the start. But in this situation, facing it directly, he felt something else too.

There was something unfathomable about it. Granted, one could say it was somewhat cute. Its mischievous expression also skillfully concealed its true ferocity. Yet he still felt uneasy, as if it was barely holding back.

"What happened to your master?"

"Onmyoooon..." Its mouth curved sadly.

Kyo snorted derisively. "Were you abandoned? Too bad. You're a creepy thing."

Seeing his motorcycle start to float, he hurriedly tried to hold it down. Thanks to not having drug money, his savings had grown considerably. With his new part-time job too, he could afford to replace his beloved model. So having it destroyed was certainly an unshakable fear.

He picked up Mikaruge, which seemed annoyed, and placed it on the seat. "Alright, alright, just kidding. What happened?"

"Ooon."

It shook its body vigorously, but he could not understand at all. He could feel it trying to convey something, but for Kyo, who did not spend much time with Pokémon, it was a challenge. He folded his arms and wracked his brain.

"Did you have a fight or something?"

"Ooooh."

"So something happened between you and Shirona."

"Oon."

Assuming that was the case, he simply accepted it. Otherwise, there was no reason for Shirona not to be with this one. For Kyo, that was not the puzzling part. He did not care what relationship Shirona had with her pet.

"Why did you come to me? You're just a nuisance. I have plans."

He had actually intended to call someone and meet up.

Mikaruge became slightly more serious-looking and swelled up a bit. The mist indicated both himself and his motorcycle, then he turned his gaze towards the main street.

"...You're telling me to go? Idiot. And why would I."

It seemed Mikaruge's speculation was correct. With a smirk as if she had gained Kyo's favor, she proceeded to perform some kind of operation.

Kyo jumped at the sudden engine noise that started. Since quitting drugs, he felt like he had become neurasthenic. In other words, he had ignored the indication that this was simply his original personality.

It appeared that due to this Mikaruge's supernatural powers, his motorcycle had arbitrarily started up.

"Stop, stop it! Why? I'm not involved in this, am I?"

Mikaruge kept grinning. From that expression, he finally became convinced. The culprit was this creature. If he thought about it, he should have realized. The one who had directly tampered with his mind was Mikaruge. That's why this strange situation had occurred. Kyo convinced himself that this hypothesis was the truth.

"Damn you. It's because of you. I would have been better off staying on drugs if this was going to happen. Do you understand?"

"Onmyooon!"

It responded energetically. There also seemed to be a sense of reproach, as if toward a whining child. Veins bulged on its forehead.

"Don't mess with me! I'm getting irritated. For a long time now. Why do I have to deal with that person..."

Kyo had vaguely been aware of it. He had dreamed about it so many times. Once, he had even started masturbating and ended up rolling around in bed. Most of the time, he was in a buried situation. Burying his face and doing that sort of thing. In response to the cry of his soul, Mikaruge only deepened its smile. As if to say, "I understand."

"It's your fault! How vile! You brainwashed me... Undo it, right now. If you do, I'll obey you. Got it?"

"Oon?"

"Damn it, playing dumb now won't help."

Even as he blamed it, he gradually started having unpleasant thoughts. In the end, it might have been his own fault. At that time when Shirona had embraced him, he may have desperately clung to that sensation to escape the pain of withdrawal symptoms. If he had imagined something different instead, the outcome could have been different. He hadn't been able to escape addiction after all. Only the object had changed. From drugs to those breasts. Shirona's.

"I'm not a baby! My head is messed up. So undo it. Make me normal again!"

The motorcycle had slowly started moving. With a broad smile, Mikaruge was remotely operating the handlebars. It was only a matter of time before its consciousness turned to the accelerator and it started to speed up. Kyo jumped on while letting out another scream. Even if he tried to apply the brakes, it was meaningless. And when he realized he couldn't control the handlebars with his willpower, acceleration had already begun exceeding the usual level.

***

He greeted the children clinging to him with a smile.

"Mr. Kuwabara, listen!"

"Oh, what is it?"

"I got a perfect score on the last test. That's amazing, right?"

"You must have worked hard. But don't sleep in my class like before, okay?"

"But I stayed up late."

During breaks, the conversations with his students never seemed to end. They at least had the motivation to come to this cram school in addition to regular school. It wasn't bad teaching them in return. If he could find more fulfillment than just the good pay, the job would last longer. If the Gantz members saw Kuwabara now, they would likely have a horrific imagination of just how far his sphere of influence extended, abusing his authority to scout for potential targets.

However, he didn't actually have a preference for younger partners. Of course, if pushed to the limit, there's no telling what could happen, but he wasn't so far gone as to go after elementary school students. He was unaware that he was currently pursuing an even more outrageous partner.

Since the next class was about to start, he left the classroom. He no longer had any English classes. All he had to do was organize some paperwork before leaving.

When he returned to the office, the woman who had been working raised her head.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Good work."

"Mr. Kuwabara, do you have any plans after work?"

His female colleague seemed a bit restless. With a kind smile, Kuwabara shook his head. "No, nothing in particular."

"Then why don't we go out for drinks? I know a good place."

"Sounds good."

He had thought it would take two or three more times at most. In fact, she wasn't bad. It seemed she had developed some feelings for him. This would be the third time they went out for drinks. If all went well, he could take her to a hotel tonight.

Recently, he had felt that urge growing stronger. It was always overflowing, but the limit had been gradually expanding. Before his main target, it might be good to settle down with a separate partner first.

"Then shall we meet at the shop? You still have classes, right?"

The woman nodded happily. "Yes. After that's done, around 7:30 PM."

"Got it."

After finishing the remaining work, Kuwabara left the building. Since he had some spare time, he considered stopping by a cafe or somewhere. As he approached the river, he noticed a large crowd pointing their smartphones at something.

"Is this a scoop?"

"Some kind of sea serpent?"

"Mommy, look, it's cute!"

"It's beautiful."

The moment he confirmed its appearance from a distance, he had already started running. Despite his shirt getting a little wet, he headed there at full speed. Any promise he had made earlier was completely forgotten.