NOVEL NEXT chapter 38
38
2, Sakiya Tanigawa
The brat who tangled with me has a short hairstyle and quite a strong wavy hair.
A hair tie with a coffee cup attached is holding it in place.
She’s a bit on the shorter side (taller than Emi, though. It’s just that Emi is too short…)
“You, state your name.”
“Akechi Hidetoyo.”
“What kind of half-baked name is that!? If it’s Akechi, it should be Mitsuhide. If it’s Toyotomi, then it should be Hidetoyo. Name yourself properly.”
“No, it’s not a name I chose…”
Actually, my name in a previous life was Toyotomi Mitsuhide.
It makes me feel a bit complicated, so I wish they’d stop.
“I can sense an aura of scum and sleaze from Hidetoyo, as if your very soul is rotten.”
“Why am I being insulted so much upon first meeting…?”
“It’s not an insult. It’s just my personal opinion.”
“Don’t think you can say anything under the guise of ‘personal opinion.'”
In a way, that assessment isn’t wrong.
“And you are?”
“My name is Sakiya Tanigawa.”
“Sakiya Tanigawa!?”
Her name is… I don’t know.
Seriously, who is she?
Not everyone I know is a game character, so I really have no clue.
Of course, a character like Sakiya Tanigawa doesn’t appear in “Breaking the Chains of Sorrow.”
“Phew. I’m tired… Huh?”
Just then, the Master returned and caught sight of me and the girl.
“Master, you’ve arrived. I desire cake.”
“Sakiya… you too…”
“Master, who is this rude child?”
“You’re hardly one to talk about manners.”
With a sigh, the Master went to the fridge and took out a cake.
“Sakiya is my daughter.”
“What!? Your last name is Tanigawa, Master!?”
“Ah, you didn’t know that part…”
He chuckled wryly as he placed the cake in front of the girl.
“Why does your daughter call you ‘Master’ too?”
“She’s a TV kid. She calls me ‘Master’ after watching hard-boiled dramas, or ‘you scoundrel’ after samurai shows.”
“I see, the girl next door is also influenced by romance dramas; her head’s filled with pink fluff, just like that.”
“Let’s not expose Sakiya to romance dramas…”
The Master in front of his daughter seemed to exude an air of doting foolishness.
“That’s the way it is. Hideyori, this isn’t the kind of place for kids like you. This is a place for adults to enjoy.”
“Oh, a place for adults to enjoy, huh? Tell me more.”
“This is a haven for adults starved for peace and pleasure. They pay money to feel good and leave satisfied. That’s the kind of adult establishment this is.”
“They pay money to feel good and leave satisfied, huh!”
“Stop!
“So, Master! What’s with this kid!?”
“That’s a child my sister is looking after.”
“Looking after? Not her own child?”
“No, my sister and Hideyoshi-kun aren’t related by blood. She didn’t give birth to him.”
In other words, Sayaka and I are complete strangers.
I sip my coffee while listening to their parent-child conversation.
“Ah, Master’s coffee is really something else.”
“If you were always this honest, you’d look like a cute kid too.”
Master is a bit of a cynic, but I can tell he’s pleased with this exchange.
Sayaka pouts upon seeing this.
“Kids are happy with whatever you give them.”
“What’s that? I’m a man who appreciates the finer things.”
“Then let’s have a challenge.”
“A challenge?”
Sayaka walks to the kitchen, prepares two empty cups, and lines them up in front of me.
And then, she declares.
“It’s a game to kill the coffee novice.”
“I see, so it’s a game to kill the coffee novice.”
“That’s right. To kill the coffee novice.”
“Such a devilish game… It’s as if there’s really a game to kill the coffee novice.”
“…You two get along well. Quick to warm up to each other.”
I ask Sayaka for the details of the game to kill the coffee novice.