A Girl and A Hitman - Episode 10

I decided to become an assassin when I was eight years old. My parents were killed by an assassin, and with no one left who loved me, I thought about becoming an assassin to seek revenge. I lived my life thinking only about killing that assassin. Without regard for my own life, I took on many contracts, and my skills improved rapidly.

At thirteen, I reunited with the parent-killing assassin. I tried to kill him.

However, I was no match at all. Weapon handling, martial arts, knowledge, charm—I couldn’t even come close. I acknowledged my defeat and said, “Kill me.” But the assassin replied, “When you grow and reach a level where you can kill me, come back and try again,” and then walked away.

I was puzzled as to why the assassin didn’t kill me. After all my weapons were destroyed, I was surrounded and captured by the organization’s members I was dealing with on my way home. I was punched, kicked, cut, stabbed, and forced to divulge information. It felt like I was going to lose my mind if I didn’t disconnect the pain my body felt from my brain and consciousness. I had never known real pain before. It was so agonizing. In the end, unable to endure the unknown

When I woke up, the world had completely changed. There was nothing moving except for one person. The man who had killed my parents, the man I hated more than anyone in the world, was reaching out to me.

“Why did you help me?”

With eyes full of utmost hatred, she glares at the man.

“You’re so fickle.”

Don’t mess with me. I’ll kill you. I will never forgive you.

“Then why did you kill my parents?”

“Because it was work.”

The man said brusquely, “Don’t mess with me.” Still, I ended up having my life saved by my sworn enemy. I hated everything: myself for being saved without being able to do anything, him for saving me, and the world that made it happen. To hone my skills further, I became his apprentice. Living together, I initially thought I would kill him one day. I don’t know much about it, but I think it’s common in the world of assassins. Or rather, it’s

“How about going to see a movie today?”

When I am studying seriously, he tempts me with entertainment. He probably knows exactly that I am trying to get ahead of him. That detestable man.

“I don’t want to. Because I have to memorize the chemical formulas.”

“How about some pancakes on the way back?”

“Well, it can’t be helped. I’ll go for you.”

Sweet things are necessary for the brain, you know. It’s annoying to make this guy owe me by making him buy them normally, so I’ll trade them for going to the movies—no debts involved.

I enjoyed both the movie and the pancakes.

“Cough, are you okay?”

Actually, I had a cold, but even though he was a hitman, I was a bit annoyed by the man who kept smoking next to a minor.

“It’s because you smoke next to me while I’m studying.”

“………I’ll do it because I’m quitting smoking.”

It was unexpected. I tried hard not to show it on my face, but I was really surprised.

“Are you a writer?”

I wonder if I should study about being burned alive. It would be ironic if what I gave became the cause of my own death.

“I can’t drink bitter things, you know.”

When offered coffee, I told him without a hint of remorse.

“You drink expensive whiskey and shochu, don’t you?”

“It’s fine, I’m just getting the leftovers from you. The one to blame is you for teaching me the taste in the first place.”

I don’t think it’s delicious at all, and if I drink it all at once, it makes me choke, so I just swish it around in my mouth. But eventually, I’ll keep drinking with him until he collapses and then stab him in the back.

“Yes, yes.”

He was smiling unusually.

“What are you reading?”

“…twenty years later”

What kind of story is it?

“A story about a girl whose parents were killed by a hitman, who later learns that the hitman killed her parents out of love for her, and ends up falling in love with the hitman.”

There’s no way such a story could exist.

“Liar, that’s completely different.”

“I didn’t know you had read it.”

It was sitting on the desk and I was bored, so I read it without permission.

I haven’t read it, but it was a lie after all. What a nasty man.

“How about a drive?”

While spinning a car key whose origin he doesn’t know on his palm, he asks me.

“Hey, did you have a driver’s license? By the way, did you buy a car?”

“If you say you want to ride, it’ll boost my motivation.”

The car thing was ignored, did you seriously steal it?

“You could remember it even without that.”

How wicked it is to try to take an innocent girl around without a license.

“…”

Well, I guess I have no choice. After all, I plan to charm and kill this man eventually, so a little service is in order, right?

“I want to ride…”

“Kind”

He was chuckling softly. Strangely, I didn’t find it unpleasant.

“Do you hate me?”

What is this guy talking about?

“I hate you.”

I’ll answer right away.

“I get hurt.”

Liar.

“But I don’t dislike your face when you’re passionate about something.”

I also get motivated. To not lose. Saying that, I strangely felt like he was a bit embarrassed. Hmm, is that so?

“You don’t have work today, do you?”

You’ve been looking busy lately, so you must be accumulating fatigue. Just a little more. Once you’re thoroughly exhausted, I’ll strike.

“That’s right.”

“Then let’s go somewhere, with your money.”

“Where is good?”

As much as possible, the parts that take the most effort.

“A place with beautiful scenery”

I accidentally gave a completely unrelated answer…

“Shall we go see the stars?”

“Let’s do that.”

Even from here, I can see it. What a romantic, I thought to myself, cursing inwardly for failing the mission.

“You like candy, right?”

I was taken aback as I unwrapped the candy. Indeed, this man doesn’t eat that much candy. Ever since he came, he has been devouring candy every day, claiming it’s a sugar boost while studying. Could he have bought it for me…?

“Ho kamo he fune”

I never really thought about what I like…

“Even if I lose my memory, seeing your face reminds me of candy.”

What is it, making me sound like a glutton…

“Is it a film camera?”

Seeing him click away with his silver camera, I ask.

“Yeah, it makes a nice sound, doesn’t it?”

Saying that, he pointed the camera this way and pressed the shutter. The sound of the shutter echoed. Indeed, I can’t say I don’t understand.

“Don’t you use digital?”

“It’s interesting that you can’t tell the result right away, isn’t it?”

He continues to take pictures of me. Click. Click. Click.

“Please stop taking pictures of me while saying that. Let’s take pictures of something more valuable.”

“It’s the most valuable thing to me, though.”

You’re not just saying whatever comes to mind, are you?

“…What are you talking about?”

Pretend to be calm.

“You were embarrassed.”

I wonder if my cheeks have flushed; I’m annoyed with myself for that.

“It’s noisy.”

He laughs. He’s been laughing a lot lately.

“……Huh?”

“I felt sorry for you because it seemed like you had never even had a kiss, so I did it for you.”

“……Why are you getting so emotional? Say something, it’s embarrassing.”

“I’ve always wondered. Why would you teach me your skills when I might betray you?”

“Maybe it’s because I want you to surpass me someday, I don’t want you to be hurt. By anyone else.”

I will always remember those words.

I had fallen in love with him. After spending a year together, I understood how kind he was to me and that he was truly a kind person.

All of it is a precious memory for me. The happiest time of my life. However, such sweet moments do not last long. The world does not consider human circumstances; it is always equally cruel.

He was not the kind of person who would kill out of personal grudges. Now, I understand why he ended up doing such a thing.

One day, even though I waited, he didn’t come back. The next day, and the day after that, he still didn’t return. Through connections, I learned that he had been captured by a certain country. Although they succeeded in killing one of the special forces, the last one seemed to be a superhuman. Despite losing an arm, they captured the legendary assassin, and the whispers I heard said that the country’s higher-ups decided to erase his memories and bring him into their ranks.

Half a year passed, and a woman came to visit. She called herself a “worshiper.” And then she tormented me. I was beaten to a pulp in three seconds upon meeting her; it’s a terrifying memory.

“I heard you were the top disciple, but I’m appalled.”

Disciple…? That person…?

“Right? You want to save him.”

She sent me a photo. In it, he looked as if his soul had been sucked out.

“I know he’s strong, but right now, he can’t even compare to me. Back then, it was incredible. We took down about a hundred senior officers from the special forces’ unit for ‘Slaughter,’ and I can’t remember anyone weaker than me. We killed three of them, three ‘Yugen’ seats, and two ‘Sabun’ seats, and took one arm of a ‘Yubu’ seat… I wanted to fight too, and I wanted to die too…”

At first, it sounded like she was saying something incomprehensible, but later she explained it properly. To put it simply, he was caught, and my life is in danger.

Looking at his diary, I learned this story after he disappeared from my life. He continued killing, and at one point, he killed a father outside of his assignments. He was said to be a tyrant of a man. The mother was said to have escaped by pretending to be dead. They had a daughter together, but she couldn’t love him because of her hatred for him, and she was left all alone. Despite such an environment, she loved her parents. Parental love for a child is not

I searched through the list of requests he had received so far.

My parents were not there. If a child hates their parents and ends up committing suicide, it’s better to make them hate themselves and keep them alive. He, who had killed more people than anyone else, knew the value of life.

To save him, I made a pact with her and began killing. While forming alliances with those who opposed the Federation, I improved my skills and prepared a certain level of military strength to rescue him. It was exactly the opposite of my past beliefs.

The period during which I was trained by “worship” was less than a year. Initially, it was difficult to make contact with her, but they on their side managed to handle it to some extent, so it worked out. During that time, I absorbed all of her techniques.

“As I thought. You’ve seen that person’s technique, right? Your body and brain remember it. You’re talented, you know. Right… now you’re ‘one-armed,’ aren’t you? You’ve become strong enough to beat him.”

It seemed that I had somehow reached the realm of the world’s strongest. Even so, I still did not stop honing my skills.

Years passed, and a request arrived at my doorstep. I saw the target’s photo. It was someone I could never mistake, someone I loved. The request was to kill him. I extracted the location from the requester and attempted contact several times. He seemed to have amnesia. He never recognized me.

The client is the “Alliance.” “Worship” told me it was unfortunate.

“I had no choice; it’s better than being marked myself, right?”

All the comrades she had built up until then were dead. By the hands of the “Worship.” She had no choice but to do so to prove she was not a traitor.

He had not only forgotten me, but his “top” skills had also declined. As ‘Worship’ said, he had become like a dog of the Alliance. I had heard that he had a seat in the Alliance, but he didn’t seem stronger than ‘Worship’ at all.

I was staring at a lighter in an abandoned building.

“…I’m sorry, but…”

Nostalgic, his voice. There was no longer the same kindness from back then.

“Yes”

“I received a request to kill you.”

I have realized everything.