kscans

Chapter 65 - Deadly Poison

August 3rd, end of work day. Having reunited with Suzuki two days ago, I told Chika-san and Takahashi about it yesterday.

"What's with this reunion rush... oh wait, I guess that includes me too," Chika-san had said. I asked her about it, but she still couldn't bring herself to meet those two. But Takahashi was different.

"Think I could meet him tomorrow or something?" he'd said, which is why we're drinking tonight. However, I have plans tonight to do some teaching that the chairman asked me to do before. I said I'd be an hour or two late, but he was interested and wanted to come along, so we decided to meet up after work.

Since we arranged to meet near my company, I was waiting when the first to arrive was, as expected, Suzuki.

"H-hey there."

Is this guy still hung up on that love hotel thing...? It's not like he's some virgin... well, maybe he is a virgin. It's not like we had some electrical coupling or anything, so just act confident.

"Yo. Just get off work?"

"Y-yeah. I just finished doing a mobile cooking class today."

"What'd you make?"

"Oyakodon."

Oyakodon! It hadn't crossed my mind until now, but hearing it made me incredibly hungry. That fluffy, golden, glittering oyakodon. First you eat just the egg and rice. Sweet egg mixed with hot white rice, eating it while going "huff huff." Then you add the chicken for even more luxury. The moment you bite it, the chicken falls apart so tenderly. Ah, but while the fluffy kind is good, I also like the opposite - when it's cooked too long and the egg gets firm. You know, like the oyakodon they served for school lunch? That's delicious in its own way too.

"You've got the eyes of someone possessed by appetite..."

"Meeting you and immediately hitting me with food terrorism - that's what I'd expect from a cooking class teacher?"

"That's your own suicide bombing. What do you think cooking class teachers are?"

As we were chatting like this:

"Hey, Satou!!"

Takahashi arrived. Takahashi looked at Suzuki next to me and his eyes widened slightly. But Suzuki was the same - when he turned around, his eyes went wide too.

"You're Takahashi-kun?"

"Suzuki?"

"...You've really changed, haven't you."

"Same goes for you."

"Hehe, that's true. After all, we're completely different genders now."

"Right!!"

Takahashi doesn't hold any grudges. It seems Suzuki wasn't lying, and apparently Takahashi feels the same way. The two immediately began celebrating their reunion and chatting.

"I'm working as a childcare worker now under the name Takahashi Alice. What about you?"

"Me? I'm a cooking class teacher. My name is Suzuki Mio."

Oh right, I never heard Suzuki's name. So MIO from MIO-sensei came from his current real name.

"But hey Suzuki, why are you using that alphabet MIO thing like some stage name?"

"I thought it might be catchier. Honestly, it hasn't had much positive or negative impact - it's kind of falling flat."

"Wouldn't something repetitive like Mio-Mio have been better than alphabet?"

"But Takahashi-kun, we're already in our mid-thirties. Wouldn't Mio-Mio be a bit painful at this age?"

I think it would've been fine though. Actually, if we're talking about real age, Chika-san, Takahashi, and Suzuki all look like they're in their mid-to-late twenties. I don't feel any aging from them at all. It makes me look like an idiot being the only one honestly racing down the old man road.

"Why are you the only one aging normally?"

"That's right. People from the supernatural world usually look younger than their actual age."

"I'd like to know that myself."

I'd understand if I got shorter lifespan in exchange for great power, but it's not like that. If that were the case with some price to pay, even the old hag wouldn't talk about defaulting on payments. I really wonder what it is. Even though I look older, my physical strength isn't declining... if anything, my stamina has increased. I should seriously investigate... nah, maybe not. It's not like there's any problem with it.

"By the way, Satou-kun, is the time okay?"

"Hm? Oh right, I better get going soon or it'll be bad."

I took the two of them and flew to the Mutual Aid Society facility. First, I need to greet the chairman.

"But still... a supernatural school, huh. It's gotten much gentler compared to our time."

"It's probably because the Mutual Aid Society has normalized. In our time, quite a high percentage of the higher-ups were corrupt."

"By the time things started getting better, you guys had already left."

I stopped in front of the chairman's office and knocked. When I got a response, I entered. Back in the old days, we would've just kicked the door down instead of doing this... we've really grown.

"Ah, Satou-sa... n? Those people are... Takahashi-san and Suzuki-san, right?"

"Yeah."

Yanagi and Onisaki have already joined the Mutual Aid Society. Even though they were enemies, they weren't bosses, and since Takahashi and Suzuki are former Mutual Aid Society members, there shouldn't be any problem. Actually, judging from this reaction, he knew about these two but wasn't continuously monitoring them. He probably grasped their whereabouts through administrative documents but removed direct surveillance fairly early? Otherwise, he would've known about my reunion with them and wouldn't be surprised.

"They're interested, so they're here to observe. That's fine, right?"

"Hmm... well, yes. The fact that you're all together like this probably means what it means."

"Thank you. Come on, Takahashi-kun too."

"Yeah yeah. Thanks, chairman."

Permission granted. Nice!

"But chairman, are you sane? Having Satou do teaching and all..."

"I thought the same thing. The chairman seems to be getting on in years, so I wondered if he might be getting a bit senile."

How naturally rude of you two. Don't diss both me and the chairman.

"Breaking the noses of arrogant young people. There's no better person for the job. You two may not know this, but Satou-san is, without any exaggeration, 'the strongest.'"

The chairman's follow-up shines.

"Well, I understand he's insanely strong."

"We're questioning your sanity while acknowledging that."

"Discipline is important. I am a childcare worker after all, so I understand that very well. Kids' arrogance too."

"We all had times like that."

"Using a whip for discipline is fine, but..."

"Satou-kun isn't something as cute as a whip. It's like using nuclear weapons for discipline."

"It'll turn into scorched earth."

You guys...!

"Don't underestimate me, you bastards. I'm thinking properly about this too."

"There, he's making that bad face. When this man makes that face, that's when he's most dangerous."

"Shut up! Hehehe, chairman. Just watch. I'll really nail it!"

"...I'm starting to feel uneasy."

Hihihi, here begins Professor Satou's cute and pop honey lesson!!