Chapter 10 Kazumi Taniguchi has pink hair, a fang, and for reasons unknown to me, hates me.

Haruka Yamaguchi's Office - 2:07 PM

“And then he asked him for advice about women!” Miki says excitedly.

“Nakamura-san?! Ha ha ha!” Haruka practically bounces in her executive chair.

Miki smiles as she organizes folders. “Akari-nee told me it went better than fine.”

“Really?” Haruka leans forward. Eyes sparkling. “What else did she say?”

“That Nakamura-san ran out of the building. Literally running. Like he was in a hurry to get somewhere important.”

“MAXIMUM POTENTIAL!” Haruka claps her hands. “Your brother has so much potential, Miki-chan!”

While the two girls were talking loudly, a small figure stopped at the nearby workstation.

Pink hair. Headphones around her neck. Height just under 5'1". A slightly visible fang.

Kazumi Taniguchi, 22, Lead IT Specialist, slowly approaches, drinking an energy drink.

“Nakamura?” she asks. Neutral voice. “Sounds like a bakery.”

“Kazu-chan!” Haruka turns around. “Or no, we're talking about Nakamura, son of the owner of a pharmaceutical company, Nakamura Pharmaceuticals!”

“Nakamura Pharmaceuticals?” Kazumi's eyes widen.

“Yes!” Haruka opens her browser. “Maybe you know its trade name. Oh, here, look, a photo!”

Kazumi spits out her energy drink and chokes. “Cough, cough... wait, the son of the owner of BIOFARMA PLUS?!”

“Yes, that's right!” Haruka says as she plays with a pencil.

“Damn... I buy my inhalers and pills there...”

“Poor thing,” Miki hugs Kazumi. “It must be hard for you to have asthma.”

“Let go of me,” says Kazumi as she tries to push Miki away without letting go of her drink.

Haruka smiles. “Well, I scared that Nakamura Shon away, incredible, isn't it? My suitors won't have a choice.”

“Shon? Who is Shon?” Kazumi looks at Haruka. “Let go of me too—”

“Eh~ that's not fair,” Haruka had jumped in to hug Kazumi too. “Can only Miki hug you?”

"yes~" answer Miki.

“I DON'T WANT EITHER OF YOU TO HUG ME!”

.

..

...

Both girls are sitting down now, Haruka and Miki. Kazumi, who is smaller than the two of them, looks bigger now.

“Hehe~” Haruka laughs uncomfortably, “Please don't get mad at me.”

“You give me no reason not to,” says Kazumi seriously.

“Well, you wanted to know who Shon is? He's...” Miki laughs foolishly as she covers her face with her hands. “He's my brother.”

“...Your brother... ah,” Kazumi thinks as she takes a sip of her energy drink, “WAIT, THE NEET?! The one with the 40-something tests?!”

“Ex-NEET!” protests Miki. “And now he's a consultant.”

“What the hell is a consultant?” Kazumi doesn't sound convinced. “Wait, why the hell did you bring a civilian here, Miki? Are you crazy? Haruka, say something.”

Haruka plays with her feet. “I brought him.”

Kazumi is kneeling on the floor. “Why is it always you...”

A message from Akari appears on Miki's screen.

“Akari-nee said there's a video!” Miki adds excitedly. “From the camera in the living room. But it's confidential for now.” Miki looks a little sad. “Even so, she said she'll show it to me someday.”

Kazumi's eyes shine differently.

It's not excitement. It's interest.

“Video?” she repeats. “A camera?”

“Yes, because—” Miki is interrupted.

“Haruka-san,” Kazumi turns around. “Permission to access the recordings? For the purpose of... evaluation? Yes, evaluation!” Kazumi looks more and more excited.

Haruka blinks. “Can you?”

“Definitely.” She clears her throat a little.

Haruka nods. “Yes! I want to see the POTENTIAL in action!”

Miki opens her mouth. “Wait, last time Kazu-chan got this excited we ended up with serious problems, I don't think we should—”

But Kazumi is already at her station. Fingers flying over the keyboard.

Tap tap tap tap tap.

Miki sighs. “Since, once she's like this, no one can stop her...” Miki approaches Haruka, curious. “At least I want to see how nii-san did...”

Kazumi smiles. Small and triumphant.

“Done. They didn't change the firewall, hehehe. Projecting on the main screen.”

The large screen in the office lights up.

MEETING_ROOM_47TH_FLOOR_10:03_AM.MP4 

30 Minutes Later

Haruka has tears in her eyes.

“THE WAITRESS! THE NAMELESS WAITRESS!” She sobs. “NAKAMURA-SAN, YOU HAVE TO FIND HER!”

Miki is crying too. “Nakamura prayed with her... she was so... so...”

“MAXIMUM EMOTIONAL POTENTIAL!” Haruka wipes her eyes with a handkerchief.

Kazumi is silent.

Arms crossed.

She stares at the screen where Shon is picking up broken flowers.

His expression is... so empty.

“I admit,” she finally says, “it was impressive work.”

“Right?” Miki smiles.

Kazumi pauses. “But...”

“But?” asks Haruka.

“I don't like him.”

“What?” Miki blinks.

“Your brother. Shon-san. I don't like him.” Kazumi points at the screen.

“But he helped Nakamura-san!” Haruka protests.

“He just helped Reina-san get rid of someone.”

“Well...” Miki searches for words.

Slight tension.

Haruka speaks up to change the mood.

“Well!” She claps her hands. “You'll have your own chance to evaluate him! It's—” She looks at her watch.

“2:48!”

“WHERE IS SHON-KUN?”

She looks out the window. She looks at the door. She even looks up at the ceiling, as if he were about to materialize.

“There's no sign of him! What if he doesn't come? What if he left? What if—?” Haruka says, terrified.

Miki smiles.

That smile.

She takes out her phone.

She opens the app.

She shows the screen.

GPS TRACKER: SHON

Flashing blue dot. Location: Yamaguchi Corp. Building.

Haruka and Kazumi stare at the screen.

Then at Miki.

Then back at the screen.

“Are you... tracking your brother?” Kazumi asks slowly.

“Yes.” Perpetual smile.

“With GPS?”

“Yes.”

“Does he know?”

“No.”

Silence.

“Miki-chan,” Haruka says carefully, “that's a little...”

“Practical?” Miki finishes. Still smiling.

“Well, it is actually practical, this time...” Haruka says, looking away.

“I don't know if it's practical this time...” Kazumi studies the screen. “GPS accuracy in buildings is approximate. The margin of error can be up to 15 meters. It only shows that he's here, but this building has...”

“41 floors,” Haruka finishes.

“Exactly. How do you know exactly where—?”

Miki starts walking.

“Follow me.”

Her smile widens.

Kazumi and Haruka look at each other.

Silent agreement: Better to have Miki as an ally than an enemy.

.

..

..

Miki leads them down the service corridor. Stairs. Emergency door.

Loading area. Garbage containers. Storage area.

Neither Haruka nor Kazumi understand where Miki is leading them, but neither dares to say anything.

Miki points.

Between two containers, there is a small space.

Barely visible from a normal angle.

And there, sitting on the floor, back against the wall, phone in hand, headphones on...

Shon Watching anime.

On the screen: a magical girl transforming.

Completely oblivious to the world.

“How did you know?” Haruka is genuinely impressed.

“Nii-san looks for narrow, remote, dark, and quiet places when he needs to hide.” Miki says this as if it were obvious. “It's nii-san hunting, with this akane and I are tied.”

“Tied?” Kazumi observes.

Haruka approaches. Slowly.

Shon doesn't notice.

He's in his own world.

And then—

He senses something.

Presence.

A gaze.

A death stare.

He freezes.

“Ah.”

Without thinking, survival training kicks in.

THUD!

He throws himself onto his back.

Arms up. Legs up. Stomach exposed.

Total submission.

Belly protocol.

From the floor, he can see three figures.

Miki. Smiling.

Haruka.

An unknown girl with pink hair.

“Mi-Miki...” Her voice trembles. “I can explain—”

“How did he know you were behind him?” Kazumi asks Miki. Completely ignoring Shon.

“Survival,” Miki replies.

“And why did he throw himself on his back like a dog?” Kazumi ask.

“Survival,” Miki replies.

“Eh~” Kazumi says, not very excited, doubting Miki.

Haruka, meanwhile, approaches Shon.

“How nostalgic~” she says excitedly.

She crouches down.

And—

She starts petting Shon's stomach.

As if he were a dog.

Pat pat pat.

“Good boy,” she says. Sweetly. “Don't be scared.”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DON'T SHAKE ME, SHE'LL NOTICE ME!!! Shon says quietly.

Haruka doesn't stop, but Shon can't do anything to stop her either.

He's paralyzed.

Fear > Dignity.

“Haruka-san,” says Kazumi, “Why are you petting him?”

“Huh?” Haruka looks at her hand. “Oh! Sorry. He just looked like a scared puppy.”

“I'M NOT A PUPPY!”

'He didn't deny that he's scared,' Kazumi thought as she glanced sideways at Miki, who was still smiling.

“Well, puppy,” Miki finally speaks, “it's time to work. Move.”

Shon jumps to his feet.

Elevator - 3:02 PM

The four of them get in.

Shon stands in the corner. Arms crossed. Watching the numbers change.

Floor 5... Floor 10...

His mind is working.

All right, Shon. Focus.

Being a NEET prepares you for the worst. It's survival training.

Four years perfecting the art of avoiding responsibility.

Four years developing self-sabotage skills.

Four years...

Floor 15...

Four years that are worth their weight in gold today.

Because no matter how bad the situation is...

I can always sabotage my work and go back to my room to—

“Shon-kun!” Haruka interrupts his thoughts. “Miki-chan told me about the flowers!”

“Flowers? What roses?” He tenses up.

“Yes, they were roses! The ones Nakamura-san threw away! And you picked them up!” Miki laughs. “So sweet!”

“—”

“And you asked him for advice on how to make women like you!” Miki almost shouts with excitement.

“I didn't—” Shon begins.

“Akari-san's scream when you tried to sabotage yourself,” Haruka continues. “The waitress story! Potential, potential, potential!”

“How do you know that?” Shon repeats.

“We saw the video,” Miki says cheerfully.

.

..

...

My life is over.

The thought crosses his mind with absolute clarity.

They saw everything.

They know everything.

I can't sabotage myself because they know I'll try.

My only escape strategy... destroyed.

My life. Over.

17th floor...

Haruka keeps talking.

“Finally!” Haruka practically vibrates with excitement. “I won't have to waste time with annoying suitors anymore!”

Miki nods. Smiling.

“Dad always sends me at least two a week. Two! Can you believe that, Shon-kun? And they're all the same. ‘Haruka-san, you're so inspiring.’ 'Haruka-san, I admire your work.' But none of them ask what I actually DO! I don't know what to expect from them anymore, speaking of which...”

20th floor...

Miki nods again.

“And you know what's worse than waiting? Meetings that could have been emails! Yesterday I had a two-hour meeting—TWO HOURS—that could literally have been resolved with a five-line email. Five. I counted. I wrote the email in my head while everyone talked and talked and—”

I can't take this anymore. Haruka won't shut up, but what's really uncomfortable right now is the girl with pink hair. She's been staring at me since we got on the elevator.

Floor 30...

“...and then I told my nutritionist no, I'm not going to give up chocolate because chocolate has antioxidants and if I'm going to die young, I'd rather die happy eating chocolate than live a hundred years eating kale. Do you know how much kale she recommended? EVERY DAY! As if I had time to—”

I can't take it anymore.

Not just because of Haruka.

But because the girl with pink hair has been staring at me since we got on without blinking. I think. Probably.

With an expression that clearly says, “I hate you.”

And no one is acknowledging this elephant in the room... well, more like in the elevator.

“—my personal trainer is also a problem because he insists on cardio routines when I clearly told him I prefer yoga, but noooo, ‘Haruka-san needs cardio’ as if—”

“Wait,” Shon interrupts.

Haruka stops mid-sentence. Mouth slightly open.

“...Yes?”

Shon points. He doesn't say anything. He just points.

At Kazumi.

Who keeps staring at him.

“What?” Kazumi says defensively.

“Who are you?” Shon asks directly.

“Excuse me?”

“Who are you?”

Kazumi narrows her eyes. “Why are you asking that?”

“Because you've been,” Shon looks at the elevator panel, “staring at me for 30 floors as if I killed your pet.”

“I don't have any pets,” Kazumi says without looking away.

“That's not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

“You're looking at me weird!”

“Because you're weird!”

“Ah!” Haruka jumps between the two to calm things down. “That's right! Shon-kun, this is Kazumi Tanaka—”

“Taniguchi,” Kazumi corrects her. Flat tone.

“Huh?” Haruka blinks. “Wasn't it Tanaka?”

“Taniguchi. Ta-ni-gu-chi.”

“Ah! Sorry!” Haruka laughs. “Kazumi Taniguchi-chan!”

Miki continues, “She's our tech expert. She, um—” Miki thinks, “Ah! She fixes printers that won't turn on!” She smiles.

Kazumi looks at Miki, expressionless.

“That's right!” Haruka nods as if it were normal. “She also formats computers, cables, and... the microwave!”

“Formats cables and... the microwave?” Shon is speechless.

Kazumi's gaze meets Shon's, who has the same blank expression as Kazumi.

“Basically!” Miki smiles innocently.

.

..

...

"I manage the entire IT infrastructure of YOUR multimillion-dollar corporation." Kazumi says in a flat, lifeless voice.

"That's actually make more sense" says Shon in the same tone as Kazumi.

“Thank you so much, Kazu-chan!” Haruka hugs Kazumi on one side. “For being our technician.”

“Let go of me—” Kazumi says, being ignored.

Miki hugs her on the other side.

“And for keeping us afloat!” says Miki.

“Let go of me too...” says Kazumi, now even more submerged.

“And for being so pretty!” they say in unison. “And cute!”

Kazumi tries to escape. Like a cat.

“Let me go—”

“Never!” Haruka squeezes tighter.

“Kazu-chan is the best!” Miki too.

“I know! I'm the best IT, now let me go—!”

But it's useless.

They both have her trapped.

They introduce her to Shon while holding her.

As if she were a trophy.

Or a reluctant pet.

“Shon-kun!” says Haruka. “This is Kazu-chan!”

“Our friend,” adds Miki.

Kazumi stops fighting and sighs in defeat.

She looks at Shon from her prison of arms.

“Kazumi, call me if you have any problems with a computer,” he says. His tone is neutral.

But his eyes still say: I don't like you.

Shon nods. Uncomfortable.

“Shon, professional NEET.”

“Ha ha ha, I haven't heard you use that word in a while,” says Haruka, delighted.

“I don't usually do it, people don't usually understand the term,” says Shon calmly.

“Professional NEET?” says Kazumi, standing between the two girls.

“Ah, a NEET is...” begins Haruka.

“Yes, I know what a NEET is, but how do you become a professional one? That doesn't make any sense—”

“With spirit and courage,” says Shon, almost proudly.

“Ah? That doesn't make sense either—”

Ding.

40th floor...

“We're here, Nii-san!” says Miki excitedly.

“Welcome to my domain!” says Haruka cheerfully.

“Wait, what does ‘with courage and spirit’ mean?” Kazumi can't move, no matter how hard he tries.

The elevator door opens slowly.

A ray of light aggressively crosses the opening, penetrating Shon's pupils.

“But what...”

For the first time in years, something even rarer than a comet or an eclipse could be seen.

Something that was believed to have been extinct for years.

.
..
...

The face of disbelief

of the professional NEET.

“What the actual...”

("Hey, no bad language here." Haruka took out a tape and put it on Shon before he could finish his sentence.)









XxDarknessMaster2003xX: Hey Shon, look, I learned how to do this.
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: .
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: ..
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: ...
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: HA HA HA
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: LIKE IM WAITING IN SILENCE xD
XxDarknessMaster2003xX:  OR MAKE YOUR JOKES LOOKS LIKE CRINGE
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: COME ON TELL A JOKE
Shon: shut up piggy
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: .
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: ..
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: ...
XxDarknessMaster2003xX: DONT CALL ME PIGGY YOU M...

(somewhere, a tape was also placed over someone's mouth.)