I'll Be Villain to Everyone! Except for my Cat...-Chapter 52: Don’t Look at Me!
"Wait!" Marie suddenly exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder.
"What is it?"
"I feel bad asking this, since you’ve already spent so much time with me..."
"Just say it."
"I just realized I never actually saw what an ordinary Concord resident looks like. You’ve been wearing a mask the whole time!"
"I’m not exactly... an ordinary resident of Concord. Well, whatever." He looked at her. "Are you asking me to take off my mask right here on the street?"
"Yes."
"I’m a mercenary, Marie. I get paid to take risks, and taking off my mask on the street... That sounds pretty risky to me."
"Oh... But I don’t have any money."
"Then there’s no deal."
"Wait! I’m so grateful to you... Maybe I can do something for you? What would you want from me?"
"...Nothing."
"Really... Wait, you’re coming to the selection, right? You said you would."
"Are you sure? I think I said I’d think about it."
"I’m sure... Actually, I’m not, but I want to believe it."
"Okay..."
"When the tryouts begin, all candidates will have to go through an initial registration, provide their information, and receive approval to participate."
"Sounds... problematic".
"In fact, a lot of people get weeded out at this very stage. And to get approved, they even resort to some pretty... unusual methods. You’ll understand when you see it."
"...Everyone from the Path of Dream loves to say that phrase, don’t they? Like the Peak, like the followers...." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
"Hm?"
"Oh, nothing. So what are you offering me?"
"I’ll help you. You won’t have to go through all that red tape. You can make a grand entrance and start taking everyone down right away!"
"..."
"Um, did I say something weird? Is that not how people from Concord talk?" She asked awkwardly.
"...It’s fine. I was just surprised by this side of you that suddenly came out."
"Hehe, so, are you in? To be honest, you don’t have to agree, and even if you come, I’ll help you anyway... But I’m just really curious!"
"Haa..."
He had already sprayed over the nearest surveillance camera, so everything should be fine.
Besides... He didn’t mind satisfying Marie’s curiosity.
"Fine, fine, but don’t expect anything special... Just the typical face of a Southville resident. Something like tanned skin, dark hair and eyes, a little stubble..."
"I want to see!"
There was nothing he could do about it. He looked around and slowly pulled off his mask.
Kuronuma first peered curiously from behind his back, but upon seeing the familiar result, turned away again. The cat’s behavior was different, but its gaze was just the same, whereas Marie...
"..." The girl blinked in surprise as she looked at him.
"What? Do I look like an ordinary Concord resident?"
"No..."
"As I... Wait, no?"
"No."
"I don’t quite understa..."
"Your hair. Gray... but with black roots?" As if in a trance, she touched his hair.
’What... What did she just say?’
For a moment, he thought he had misheard. Stunned, he could do nothing but watch her hand.
"Those eyes... Dull blue. And your skin is pale... As if it lacks color." She touched his cheek.
’No... no, no, no, no, no, no, no...’
Marie cupped his face with both hands and leaned in.
"You look... a little like me?"
’DON’T LOOK AT ME!!!’
*Vroooom!* The motorcycle’s engine roared furiously and broke that strange connection.
He twisted the throttle wide open and sped away from Marie’s figure at breakneck speed.
Putting on his mask as he rode, he unconsciously wiped the cold sweat that had appeared on his face.
His breathing, like his heartbeat, became frantic.
’She can see the real me.’
He wanted to hide.
To disappear.
He wanted so desperately to become Nobody again.
...
"..." Marie just stood there, silently watching the man who had suddenly raced away.
She felt strange...
Or rather, the sensations on her palms were strange.
"What did I just touch...? What is this feeling?" she asked herself, bewildered.
Closing her eyes, darkness enveloped her.
She tried to understand the feeling. Her hand rose unconsciously and reached out for something.
As if in pitch-black darkness, her hand reached out unconsciously... Reaching for...
Light.
The light of a star.
"Hah...!" Coming to her senses, Marie exhaled in astonishment and opened her eyes.
The sensations lingering on the skin of her palms evoked a strange feeling.
As if she had just touched a star.
"What is this...?"
Marie couldn’t understand it.
For a while, she walked back and forth in the air, thinking about that strange feeling...
"Ah! I completely forgot to ask his name..." She shyly covered her face with her hands. "No, he didn’t introduce himself and left without saying goodbye. That’s very rude!"
Marie began walking through the air again, more and more restlessly...
"Ugh, no, it’s my fault, and I was very rude." Marie sat down dejectedly in the air.
"But he’ll... come, won’t he? He’ll think about it and come... right? For people in Concord, "I’ll think about it" means yes, right? Let it be yes..."
After a while, Marie stretched out, lay down in the air, and stared at the stars...
*Smack* She slapped her cheeks and flew up sharply.
"That’s right, work! The people of Concord need to know what people think about them and that they’re not alone!" she exclaimed, raising her fist.
Marie skipped off to go about her business, but after a while she turned back.
"I’m sorry I never got to know your name... For now, I’ll just call you Mr. Nobody, the extraordinary resident of Concord," Marie said guiltily, watching the bike disappear. "I hope you’ll come after all, so... See you soon, Mr. Nobody."
...
Meanwhile, Mr. Nobody...
"Marcel, you damn old man, pour me a drink!"
*Boom!* He kicked open the bar door.
Judging by his mood, he looked furious.
"Huh? Did something happen?" Marcel asked, already pouring a couple of shots.
"Ugh, don’t even ask." He plopped down at the bar and rested his hand against his face in frustration. "It was just one shitty gig, so what the hell is going on?!" he drawled irritably, downing one shot of hard liquor in one gulp.
"Looks like you’ve had a rough time..." the old man added with an awkward chuckle.
"You bet..." he replied, already holding a cigarette between his teeth. "How much worse can one day get? I hope I never find out..."
"Ahem..." the old man cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Huh? What is it?" he asked, snapped his fingers, and lit the cigarette.
"I don’t want to stress you out even more, but since you asked... Well, there’s a problem with the contract."
"What kind of problem could there be? I’ve already fulfilled it." He threw his hands up in bewilderment.
"And yet... There is a problem with it."
*Thud...* His fist slammed down on the bar counter in frustration.
"You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!"
