Chapter 2

Chapter 2 “……” Yoshikage Kira fell silent for a fraction of a second, but very naturally opened his mouth and ate the tonkatsu I fed him. After chewing it thoughtfully for a moment, he swallowed under my gaze, then flashed me a gentle smile. “Delicious. My wife really is a great cook, going out of her way to bring me lunch—thank you for the trouble.” It has to be said that for a pervert, Yoshikage Kira’s manners and etiquette are quite up to par. What’s more, his voice sounds exactly like Sephiroth’s—perhaps because they share the same voice actor—carrying a bizarrely charming quality when he speaks calmly. He accepted my bento and thanked me out loud, “I’ll finish it all. Thank you.” “Oh honestly, why are you being so polite?” I chuckled, pretending to find it amusing, then blinked at him and asked, “What do you want for dinner tonight? I’ll go pick up some groceries.” Kira remained guarded. Why was my attitude suddenly becoming so enthusiastic? Because he knew the housewife and her husband had a poor relationship—she didn't even cook dinner for him and left him to eat instant noodles—yet he calmly gazed at me and replied, “I’ll make dinner. You already handle so much housework every day and work hard enough; I’ll come home early.” No! Don't! Aren't Japanese salarymen supposed to go drinking with coworkers for team-building until midnight to look normal?! Yet Yoshikage Kira’s character setting is also quite fascinating. He is a high-IQ serial killer hiding in society, yet on the surface, he leads the life of an ordinary office worker just like the housewife’s husband. Despite his exceptional abilities—having won trophies in music, literature, and sports during his student days—and his proficiency at seemingly everything, he always deliberately chooses to finish in third place. He avoids leaving a strong impression so that he can remain in a position where he is neither envied nor looked down upon. By hiding his exceptional intelligence and capabilities from public view to avoid drawing trouble, he is extremely meticulous and never easily makes a mistake. ...Just thinking about having to face such a dangerous criminal makes anyone terrified of being alone with him! “It’s fine! You’re striving for a promotion for this family lately and working so hard. I’ll totally understand if you come home late, you don't need to push yourself.” I shook my head with a fake smile, hinting that in order to play the role of the housewife’s husband, he *had* to go to that team-building session! Because Yoshikage Kira himself dislikes participating in company events, his actual daily routine is very healthy and regular: he doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, has no bad habits, and rushes home at the first opportunity to spend time with his "girlfriend (hand)." He might genuinely be considered a good husband... if it weren't for the fact that he's a psycho. But playing the role of Kosaku Kawajiri means he doesn't get to do that anymore! Ordinary Japanese salarymen strive for promotions and salary raises, and drinking with superiors or colleagues until midnight is the daily norm. He can forget about living his usual Yoshikage Kira lifestyle! “……” He froze for a fraction of a second. Perhaps remembering that he was currently borrowing someone else's identity, he felt compelled to bite the bullet and reply, “Even so, I must fulfill my responsibilities as a husband and a father. It was my fault for neglecting you and Hayato previously because I was busy with work.” “Not at all, it was also my fault for not properly understanding your hardships and drifting apart from you. But we’re a family, we should help each other out.” I smoothly spoke these hollow, pretty words with an unblushing face, putting on a joint performance with him. Meanwhile, his colleagues nearby cast envious glances our way. “Wow, Kawajiri, you’ve got such a great wife!” One colleague passing by overheard a sentence and began complaining endlessly, “My wife cheated on me before, and ever since I found out she hasn't spoken to me. I told her, as long as she promises not to do it again, we can just pretend it never happened, but that woman is completely indifferent! Dammit... this is clearly *her* fault, right?!” “……” No, there is seriously no need to share that kind of thing with your coworkers! “Didn't you mention before that your relationship with your wife was strained? Looks like you two have made up. Congratulations.” Another colleague patted Yoshikage Kira on the shoulder with a meaningful look. At that moment, I noticed a female colleague in the corner staring at me with a hard-to-misinterpret gaze, seemingly carrying a trace of resentment. And just like that, it dawned on me. Turns out even a boring man like this has admirers? The housewife despised her original husband so much... I couldn't help but complain internally. But people really do desire things that don't belong to them—the harder something is to get, the more they want it. Maybe other people’s husbands and wives are subject to the same psychology, which is why NTR doujinshi are so popular... I looked up and smiled at that female colleague. Perhaps not expecting me to meet her gaze directly, she got spooked and instantly looked away. This got a bit awkward, especially since Yoshikage Kira had never encountered a situation like this and had no idea what to say. He could only stiffly reply, “Yeah, thanks for your concern, we're doing great.” “Yes, my husband and I are truly in sync now. We love each other very much.” I smiled hypocritically at them, gave the stiff-bodied Yoshikage Kira a hug, and waved at him. “Alright, I'll head back first. Good luck with work, honey.” “Mm, watch your step on the way.” He nodded gently and walked me to their office elevator. The moment the elevator doors slowly slid shut, my expression instantly went completely blank. ...This is exhausting. Yet this guy is a sociopathic serial killer destined for criminal psychology textbooks. I am no longer just an audience member sitting in front of a TV screen; I have to face all of this myself, with almost zero margin for error. I can only give it everything I've got. --- Yoshikage Kira stared at the bento box in his hands for a moment before turning back into the office. Amidst the teasing and envy of his colleagues, he calmly finished the hot meal brought by his wife. The food was good, even if it wasn't quite as good as what he cooked himself. He didn't understand why that woman suddenly changed her attitude toward him, but what was certain was that she likely hadn't noticed anything off about her husband yet—which probably hinged on the reasons for their previously distant relationship. ...Still, this feeling wasn't half bad, surprisingly. If everything went smoothly, he wouldn't kill that woman for the time being. He needed to lie low during this period, continue living under the identity of Kosaku Kawajiri, and completely shake off the pursuit of Jotaro Kujo and the others. --- After delivering lunch to Yoshikage Kira, I wandered around the street for a while like an idle housewife. There were too many people near the station, making it hard to determine whether Yoshikage Kira's father was still watching me. Yet I maintained an impeccably normal demeanor and entered the market to buy groceries for the evening. For now, I wasn't expecting to immediately run into the main cast searching for Kira; the sole objective was to make Photo-Dad lower his guard against me. Everything had to be taken one step at a time. By evening, the brat slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and came home. After stepping inside, he greeted me perfunctorily, stared at me twice with a preoccupied look in his eyes, and then headed upstairs. To be honest, while Hayato Kawajiri is a bit gloomy, it's actually a blessing right now. I'm not good with kids anyway, so it saves me from getting chatty and having my true nature discovered. This kid is pretty miserable too—both parents have been replaced. Who knows how his family managed to survive after Yoshikage Kira gets taken down by the main cast in the original story, leaving their household with zero income. The housewife doesn't work, so she won't be able to pay the rent and will eventually have to move out of this big house. I need to figure out a way to quickly re-earn a degree and find a job, otherwise I might end up wandering the streets with the brat in the future. But the priority right now is still Yoshikage Kira. Never hold any expectations for a sociopath; you can only assume the worst of them. This is a form of brain mutation—their affections arrive out of nowhere, vanish without leaving a shred of mercy, and they are utterly incapable of empathy. He probably really *did* have to attend that team-building session, returning only late at night smelling strongly of alcohol, walking unsteadily, looking completely plastered. Kosaku Kawajiri's character profile requires him to be a junior clerk gunning for a promotion. Unlike Yoshikage Kira, he can't refuse his boss's peer pressure to drink. Forcing him to go to team-building is seriously a genius way to torture him... “Oh dear, you must be exhausted. I brewed some hangover tea for you, hurry up and drink it.” I put on a concerned front, brought him the tea, and helped him take off his suit jacket to hang it on the coat rack. “Thanks.” He nodded at me, took the cup, and chugged it down in one go. Watching him drink it so readily made me slightly regret not slipping any poison in it... though that was just a fleeting thought. Photo-Dad was always secretly watching; there was no way I could pull anything off under his nose. He probably still didn't know how to interact with me. After all, having zero experience dating a real woman, his whole posture remained a bit stiff. However, since we were outwardly pretending to make up and mend our relationship, after a moment of awkward silence, he finally spoke up slowly and shared today's update with me. “There are two slots for the upcoming department head promotion. Sato and I are competing for it, but the boss favors me. The probability of me getting promoted and getting a pay raise is very high.” ...It's salaryman small talk. As a graduate student who hasn't even finished her thesis yet, I cannot handle this! It's a headache, but I was more than happy to see him suffer—even a serial killer can't escape the corporate social machine. So on the surface, I beamed, clapped my hands, and looked at him with sparkling eyes. “That's wonderful! Congratulations, honey!” “To give you and Hayato a better life, I have to work harder.” He pulled me into a natural embrace, and I played along by kissing the corner of his mouth as if I truly loved him. Everything looked completely harmonious. But right at that moment, Yoshikage Kira's body suddenly stiffened slightly. He remained frozen in the embracing posture, seemingly pondering something. Then, with some apparent difficulty, he asked aloud, “Shall we sleep together tonight?” “……” ...Ah, right. Holy crap! I realized something else. Husband and wife... they need to do *that*, right...!? I was quite certain he didn't want to. He even looked somewhat desperate... Don't force yourself, big guy, I don't want to either! Yet to maintain this persona, now that we've supposedly made up, doing *nothing* at all would feel a bit absurd. By all logical reasoning, shouldn't we do *the deed* tonight to make it convincing? ...Help! How the hell am I supposed to dodge this?!