kscans

Chapter 245 - It's Not Just About Fighting

About two hours of handling consultations went by, so we decided to take a short break. For non-humans, the night is when things really get started. The night was still young. We could expect even more visitors to arrive. That meant taking breaks at appropriate times was important. I put up a "On Break" sign and headed to the smoking area outside the gymnasium.

"Phew..."

Honestly, I didn’t feel bad. It wasn’t as if I’d always been picky about my requests. I had taken on non-combat jobs for non-humans before. Still, if I had to state a preference, I liked the rough-and-tumble jobs that paid well and were over quickly. But as you get older, your way of thinking changes. The effort and reward weren’t quite balanced, but a request like this, one that gave me the chance to interact with all sorts of people, was quite enjoyable in its own way.

"I wonder if they’re doing okay."

I had a decent amount of experience with this kind of work, but Chika-san and the others were different. It had only been a little over a year since they’d returned to active duty. They didn’t do these kinds of jobs back in the day, so I was a little worried. Well, Chika-san was a business owner who managed people, so I wasn’t too concerned about her, but the TS combo was another story. And Onisaki, too.

"Guess I’ll go check on them."

I stubbed out my cigarette in an ashtray, went back inside, and headed for the specialized careers corner where Takahashi, Suzuki, and Onisaki were stationed. Takahashi was the closest, so I decided to check on her first.

"Hmm. So you want to be a childcare worker."

"Yes! I love children, human or non-human, so I absolutely want a job where I can be involved with them."

It seemed a consultant had just arrived, and Takahashi was making a grim face.

"Yo, holding up okay?"

"Satou. Well, I’m trying to handle this as sincerely as I can."

"Glad to hear it. You look like you’ve tasted something bitter. Is there a problem with this person?"

"Ah, as I thought... is my species a problem?"

The female consultant’s eyebrows drooped as she hung her head. I wondered what was going on and peeked at her document.

I see. Ms. Taeko, an Ubume.

To put it simply, they were supernatural beings born from the lingering regret of women who died in childbirth or lost their children. Given that background, there was a certain anxiety about them kidnapping babies. However, anyone truly dangerous should have been screened out before coming here, so I thought she was probably fine.

"Oh, no, that’s not what I’m worried about. It’s just that you seem like a really nice person."

"?"

"?"

Both Ms. Taeko and I tilted our heads at her cryptic remark.

"This is just based on my own experience," Takahashi began, and started to explain her reasoning.

"I’ve been in this industry for a while now. I’ve seen all kinds of colleagues. It’s not that rare to find someone who says they took this job because they love kids."

Taking care of small children is tough. It would be difficult if you didn’t like it. When I said as much, she replied.

"You’d think so, right? But personally, I feel more at ease with people who can just treat it as a job. And by ‘at ease,’ I mean in the sense that I can rely on them as a colleague without hesitation."

She added a clarification that she didn’t mean in a way that would harm the children, and then continued.

"The reason is, and this isn’t limited to childcare workers, but teachers too, you’re not just looking after the kids. In fact, your relationship with the parents is more important. It’s best if they can look after their own children, but the mothers and fathers of the world have a lot on their plates. That’s why they leave their kids at daycare, but since they’re entrusting their precious children to us, of course they’re going to worry, right?"

I don’t have kids, but I could imagine. You’d worry about what might happen when you’re not watching.

"That’s why things like the daily communication notebook and the small talk when they come for pickup are surprisingly important. Today, this and that happened. I’m a little concerned about this, what do you think? Things like that. By building a relationship of trust with the parents, the care you provide for the children becomes more fulfilling as a result, but..."

Ah, I think I was starting to understand what she wanted to say.

"Some of them, out of love for their own child, become like monster parents."

"M, monster parents?"

"It’s short for ‘monster parent.’ Basically, it refers to a guardian who behaves unreasonably at a daycare or school."

Since Takahashi’s explanation might not have been enough, I also searched the word on my phone and showed the definition to Ms. Taeko.

"A good person who genuinely loves children often gets mentally worn down dealing with that type of person."

From an outsider’s perspective, it’s nothing more than an unreasonable accusation. And yet, they apparently sometimes blame themselves, thinking it’s because of their own shortcomings or mistakes.

"Because they care so much about the children, they tend to take the parents’ words more seriously than they need to."

If you have a business-like attitude, you can just brush off complaints. That’s probably what Takahashi meant by being able to feel at ease.

"...It’s not a pleasant story, but shall I tell you about a real case?"

"...Y, yes, please."

"Alright."

It looked like this was going to be a long talk, so I decided to take my leave. I could see she was handling things just fine.

Next up is Suzuki.

After that, I checked on Suzuki and Chika-san, and they all seemed to be doing well. So I returned to my own seat, psyched myself up, and resumed the consultations. Time passed, and just before four in the morning, the event came to a close.

"Good work, everyone."

"You too, Hiro. By the way, where did Yanagi go?"

"Now that you mention it. I think I remember seeing him leave the gymnasium at some point."

Three pairs of eyes turned to me and Onisaki, but I had no idea either. He was a serious man, so he probably wasn’t slacking off, but...

"Oh, speak of the devil. Hey, Yanagi, where have you been?"

Onisaki questioned Yanagi as he returned to the venue.

"Hm? Oh, I was just finalizing a deal with the Mutual Aid Society."

With the Mutual Aid Society? He responded to our puzzled faces.

"After listening to a few people, I realized there seemed to be quite a demand for this."

He apparently thought it would be a good idea for us to take it on as a formal business.

"W, wait, you..."

Onisaki’s face twitched as she spoke. I knew what she wanted to say. His business dealings in the Surface World were one thing, but in the Supernatural World, it was another. After all, Yanagi was a man who had once built an organization into one of the two great powers in Japan’s Supernatural World. It wouldn’t be strange for people to fear that he was trying to strengthen his influence in the Supernatural World through a job placement business.

"I understand what you want to say, but rest assured. The matter was concluded peacefully."

"...Seriously?"

"Quite seriously. Well, it was thanks to you, Satou."

"Me?"

"They had the insurance that, if it came down to it, you could dispose of me with your overwhelming military might."

And so, the negotiations didn’t get complicated, he said with a small smile.

"..."

We couldn’t help but look at each other. We were probably all thinking the same thing.

...Hasn’t this guy gotten even more devious than before?

Because of my existence, he could pretty much do whatever he wanted if he put his mind to it...