Afterwards, Nguyen pulled into a parking deck and parked the car in a s.p.a.ce out of view of the security cameras. After a few hours of waiting pa.s.sed, there was a sudden jolt throughout the vehicle. Bessho must have awoken and began to move around inside the trunk.

Nguyen got out of the driver's seat and walked towards the back of the car.

“You finally awake?”

He addressed Bessho as he opened up the trunk.

Bessho looked up at Nguyen's face and tutted, “you again?” Bessho's face was swollen due to the punches he received, and blood was caught on the side of his mouth.

“You came here under the company's orders, right?” Bessho smirked. “What's wrong? You aren't going to kill me?”

“Oh, I will.”

Nguyen confirmed. He was just allowing him to live for the time being.

“But first, I have a few questions for you.”

The company wanted Nguyen to interrogate him as well. Nguyen looked down at the bound Bessho and began the interrogation.

“Why did you leave the company?”

“This is what it's about?” Bessho snorted.

“It isn't exactly that rare for people to up and quit that company. I just got fed up with the company and left.”

Nguyen could tell he was lying.

It was true that the rate of people quitting Murder Inc was high. However, it was unlikely that a man like Bessho with a good track record would quit the company for solely that reason.

Nguyen moved onto the next question. “You were arrested for robbery and murder thirteen years ago. Why did you do them?”

“I wanted money.” Bessho replied with a calm expression.

This eyes and tone of voice were both steady. It looked like he was really telling the truth this time. But he could also just be good at lying.

So what's the point of it? Nguyen tilted his head in confusion. If he just wanted money, why would he quit the company? He would be able to earn more than enough money without working too much. There was no point in quitting the hitmen industry if he was just going to commit crimes for money anyway. Bessho's reasons were contradicting each other.

It looked like Nguyen would have to press more.

“Then what did you go to that apartment for?”

“I was out looking for places. I've got no place to stay since I just got out of prison. It was a nice room, right?” Bessho smiled. He's rather calm despite being held captive, Nguyen admired.

He moved onto the next question. “And who was that man?”

“Which man?”

“The man you tried to kill.”

“I don't know. Maybe he was the landlord.” Bessho replied indifferently. He seemed to enjoy teasing him.

“Why did you try to kill that man?”

“He was yelling at me to get out.”

“He's someone you know, right?”

“I don't know him.”

“Is that man related to the reason you left the company.”

“Not really.”

Bessho did not elaborate.

“Tell me the truth.”

Even when Nguyen raised his voice, Bessho's smile did not waver. “And what would you do if I told you? You're already suspicious of me. If you're already not going to believe a word I say, then there's no point in answering.”

Nguyen felt frustration seeing the man's composed expression.

This b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He's looking down on me.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he glared at Bessho. “Enough. Tell me the truth.”

“No thank you. I don't want to talk to you.”

“Do you want to get killed?”

“You still will even if I talk.”

“If you will, I'll make you go peacefully.”

“Then I really don't want to talk now.” Bessho grinned. “If I tell you everything, my utility is over. I'll be killed.”

It was exactly as this man said. The company requested for Bessho to be eliminated. It would not be beneficial to him to comply and answer Nguyen.

“I don't want to die. If running my mouth is going to shorten my lifespan, then I choose the painful way to go.”

Nguyen admired his guts, even if he was an enemy.

“...Alright then. So you want a protracted war?” Nguyen took out a knife and smirked in return. “Fine by me. I have plenty of time. I'll make you tell me what I want a little at a time.”

Misaki left her home by herself when she got an invitation for a tea party. Her guardian Jiro was overjoyed every single time she told him she was going to hang out with a friend. He was extremely happy that she made a close friend. He watched her leave with a wide smile even as he said, ‘don't stay out too late.'

Misaki felt slightly tormented every time she saw him smile like that. She felt the guilt of hiding a secret from her family. She absolutely could not tell Jiro who she was seeing.

She went to the usual meeting spot, located at a coin parking lot in Tenjin where a red RV was waiting for her. When she knocked on the door, the host of the tea party showed his face.

“Misaki, welcome.”

A man dressed like a clown greeted Misaki inside. As she stepped in, she saw the fairy-tale-like scenery within the room with diamond-patterned wallpaper. It was like an entirely different world inside the RV.

Misaki had come to hang out in this room often ever since she became friends with him. She had well gotten used to the creepy clown wearing makeup and the venomous black and purple color scheme in the room.

“So here's the thing. Jiro-chan isn't letting me do anything.”

Misaki began to complain as she usually did as she slumped into the Gothic style chair. It was not unusual as she talked to him about everything.

“I want to take an avenging job of my own, but he just has me stay by his side. Don't you think that's utterly pointless?”

“...You don't like being by his side?” The man tilted his head as he played with a strand of his pink hair.

The owner of this room was a little strange. Actually, he was more than a little strange; he was quite strange. He looked like a young male around twenty years old, but mentally he was a child around the same age as her. Due to the abuse he received as a child, another person lived within him.

His name was Méqué. He was just a personality. He was an insubstantial being. Furthermore, he was a serial killer. Despite this, he was a precious friend Misaki could connect with and mutually share their pain with.

“I hate it. A dog could do the same thing.”

“Dogs are amazing. They can do the same thing you can.”

…...But sometimes they did not see eye to eye.

Misaki was terrified of him when they first met, but once she got to know him as a person and his backstory she was able to understand him. He was definitely a murderer, but his interactions with others were scarce, and he was ignorant of the ways of the world. Children were able to do cruel things without a care partially due to their purity. Méqué was pure as well and was a good person in heart. Without those aspects to him, Misaki would not have become friends with him.

She had also grew up in an abusive home. And now she had a hand in crime. They had a similar lifestyle, and having a friend in the same age group as her - albeit he was only mentally her age - was very meaningful to her.

“Jiro-chan is overprotective.”

Misaki knew he cared for her, but she thought he could at least let her handle some of the work. She was fed up with it.

“Over-protective?” Méqué c.o.c.ked his head. He did not seem to understand the meaning of the word.

“Hmm...Being overprotective means you really care for a person's well-being.”

“Then, Méqué is overprotective too.” He nodded. “Méqué really cares for Misaki's well-being.”

Misaki smiled wryly. “Well, that's a bit different...Actually, it's fine. Thank you, Méqué.”

Méqué had apparently worked with a traveling circus ever since he was young. Street performance was his forte, and he would sometimes perform. He had been doing juggling performances on the f.u.kuhaku Deai Bridge in Nakasu a couple times over the past few weeks recently.

“Misaki, here's your tea.”

Méqué set down a tea cup for her.

“Thank you.”

Misaki took it and sipped a little. Today she had milk tea. Méqué always provided his guests with delicious tea and treats.

“Misaki, is it good?”

“Yeah, it's great.”

There were star-shaped cookies laid out on the round, claw foot table. There were two colors: the white was b.u.t.ter flavored and the black was cocoa flavored.

Misaki had a white one. The fine sweetness spread throughout her palette. “This cookie is really good.”

“Méqué made them.”

He stated proudly.

“You did? Really?”

Misaki was stunned. When she looked at the cookies with wide eyes, she noticed each one were slightly different in size and shape. He was being honest; he had made them himself.

“Wow, that's amazing. I didn't know you could make your own cookies.”

Misaki commented before a thought struck her. She glanced around the room.

“...But you don't have an oven in here, right?”

“Méqué made them with a frying pan.”

“You're kidding. That's incredible.”

She was surprised once more. She did not know that was even possible. She got extremely intrigued where he learned how to make them that way.

“Méqué, you're really talented.”

Perhaps it was because he was a street performer. But imagining a clown cooking cookies in a frying pan would only make her laugh a little.

“Do you want to try making them?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then how about we bake tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

Misaki had never made cookies before. It seemed fun. She began to think of making cookies with Jiro after learning how to do it from Méqué.

“You have a lot of things you want to do.” Méqué smiled pleasantly at her. “Méqué will help.”

Things I want to do, huh.

It was odd. Misaki felt like she could do anything with him.

Translation Notes: So Méqué has changed a bit since we last saw him in volume 5. In his debut, all his lines were written solely in kana, creating a really eerie vibe for him as well as showing his mental state. Starting as of this volume, some of his lines have kanji now. This really indicates how much he is growing/recovering socially, emotionally, and mentally ever since he became friends with Misaki.

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Translation: Kaede726

Reposts are prohibited and should be exclusive to Kaede726 on blogger.

Editor: Voissane

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