Dead Man's Tales: HSOTD

Rika stood outside her house, enjoying the serene quiet of the evening. The sky was painted in soft shades of orange and purple, a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves. It was a moment of calm, a rare pause in her otherwise hectic life.

Suddenly, the tranquility was broken by the sound of a car pulling up in front of her. 

The window rolled down to reveal Shizuka Marikawa, Rika's childhood friend. 

Shizuka, with her blonde hair—due to her half-American, half-Japanese heritage—and a physique that could rival any model's, was ironically a high school nurse by profession. 

"You know, I don't appreciate this," Shizuka said with a frown. 

Despite their efforts to keep their friendship alive through constant contact, their differing schedules often reduced their meetups to necessities rather than leisurely visits. 

Shizuka had been thrilled when Rika called her for a ride, ecstatic at the prospect of catching up. However, the realization that she was just being used as a transport dampened her spirits slightly. 

"Cry about it, then," Rika retorted playfully, her tone light and teasing as she knew her friend well enough to poke fun without offense. She opened the car door and got in.

Shizuka pouted, her lips turning down in a mock display of annoyance that softened her usually sharp features. 

"What happened to your car? Does the special forces not pay you enough?"

"Kozen totaled my car," Rika sighed which only served to confuse Shizuka further.

"Is that your boyfriend?" 

"No," Rika responded, giving her friend a look of disgust. "He's my godson. I adopted him after my captain tragically 'passed away.'" 

Shizuka noted the emphasis on "passed away" and probed further, "Did something happen?"

"Yeah," Rika paused, hesitant about how much to share. "Okay, the thing is, an investigation was launched into the captain's death, yet strangely enough, it was ruled an accidental death from a gas leak."

As the car stopped at a red light, Rika's face hardened, a shadow of frustration crossing her features. 

"But I was there, Shizuka, that was anything but a gas leak."

"Did you bring it up?" Shizuka asked, glancing at the traffic light, waiting for it to turn blue.

"Yeah, but I never got a follow-up from the investigators, and frankly, I think there's a conspiracy involved."

"Should I get the tin foil hat?" Shizuka quipped, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humor.

"I'm serious."

"Okay, tell me about it," Shizuka said as the light turned blue and she began to drive again.

"I think there must be a high-ranking politician covering this up."

"Why would a politician do that?" Shizuka inquired, her curiosity piqued as she turned the corner.

"It doesn't make sense unless you factor in that they might be involved with the Doomsday Cult," Rika explained, causing Shizuka to take a deep breath.

"Weren't the members of the cult like captured and rehabilitated?" 

"Yes but the possibility that some members slipped through the cracks is there."

"That's some conspiracy. Do you have evidence?" Shizuka probed.

"I'm working on that. I've been doing it on the side, but it's hard. Whoever ordered it erased their tracks."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you want me to drive to Tokonosu City's MMA tournament," Shizuka said, trying to shift the conversation to something less heavy.

"Oh, Kozen is competing in the middle school Blazing Fist Cup," Rika replied casually.

"Which middle school is he in?" Shizuka asked, surprised by the new information.

"Home-schooled," Rika answered, her tone casual as she explained further. "We managed to get him an independent seat at the tournament. It's a bit unconventional, but it allows him to compete without being tied to any particular school."

"You trained him in MMA?" Shizuka looked at her friend in surprise, her eyes flicking briefly from the road to Rika.

"Keep your eyes on the road, you Holstein cow," Rika shot back and then continued, "And yes, I trained him. He's really quick with his studies so we had a lot of time to practice."

"Trained in martial arts by a special forces operative, huh? So why is he in the tournament for middle schoolers?" 

"Practice, Shizuka, practice. I realized that practicing with me is tanking his confidence, so I…" Rika was cut off as Shizuka blankly interjected.

"Allowed him to murder kids?"

"He isn't going to murder anyone, he's a good kid…" Rika replied, a sweatdrop forming as she felt Shizuka's blank stare, realizing just how absurd their conversation might sound to an outsider.

"Okay, so when did you adopt Kozen?" .

"Five years ago," Rika replied simply, keeping her eyes on the road.

"And what have you been doing for the past five years?" 

"Mostly trying to help him with his therapy. He wanted me to teach him how to do a body throw when we first met," Rika said, chuckling softly. She could feel Shizuka's gaze, intense and full of questions.

"Continue."

"The first year was mostly helping him relearn Japanese and helping him with his other therapies. And the moment the doctors gave the green light, I surprised him with adoption papers. You should have seen the look on his face—it was so cute." Rika's voice softened, her smile wide as she recalled the moment, radiating happiness and a deep affection for Kozen.

"What happened next?" Shizuka asked, genuinely happy for her friend.

"Well, I was planning on homeschooling Kozen until he was at the level of peers his age, and frankly, with how quickly he absorbed all the learning material, you would think he already knew most of the stuff academically," Rika bragged, her tone filled with pride.

"So your godson is a genius?" 

"Of course," Rika admitted, as if it was the most natural fact in the world.

"Okay, so why homeschool him further?" 

"Well, the conspiracy stuff came to light, and I feared that maybe he would get targeted. And frankly, I began to like the kid as if he was my own. So in my paranoia, I kept him within the walls of the house, safe and trained him," Rika explained.

"Any plans for the future?" 

"About that, I think it's time I let Kozen experience the real world," Rika replied, her tone serious as she turned to face her friend. "Help me get Kozen into your high school."

"That should be easy enough," Shizuka said with a nod, pulling the car into a parking spot.

The two of them stepped out of the car, pausing to take in the sight of the tournament building. It was a large, modern structure, buzzing with the excitement and energy of the upcoming event. Families and competitors milled about, their voices blending into a lively hum of anticipation.

"Hey, I am curious, did you ask me to pick you up for the ride or for help with admitting Kozen into college?" Shizuka paused, a playful smile spreading across her face. "Or a nurse who'll quickly jump in to help, if Kozen accidentally makes one of the other kids into a pretzel?"

Rika turned to her friend, her expression deadpan. "All of the above."

The duo burst into giggles as they walked into the building.