The evening news concluded with a bland Weather Forecast; it would rain tomorrow, so it seemed he would need an umbrella when he went out.
After Kira Yoshikage turned off the television, the living room fell into a comfortable silence, and he leaned against the sofa, drifting into a half-sleep. He greatly enjoyed this controlled tranquility.
Mrs. Shinobu was washing dishes in the kitchen, the sound of the running water a little livelier than usual. She dried her hands and walked out, but instead of going straight back to her room, she hesitated in the living room for a moment, then walked over.
"That..."
Her tone was still not exactly Passione, but it was much better than her previous indifference. "The money for the supermarket... and the money for those high-end ingredients you bought..."
Her words were a bit hesitant, her gaze flickered to the clock on the wall, then back to him.
Kira Yoshikage immediately understood. The financial power of this household, or at least the liquid cash, was clearly in Kosaku Kawajiri's hands.
It was in the safe, and only he knew the password. Mrs. Shinobu was waiting for him to get the money, but today, due to the change in his behavior, Mrs. Shinobu had become like a lover in a secret crush, a bit shy, a bit fidgety.
Although he didn't know the password, as a Stand User, it was easy for him to open the safe. He put on a perfectly appropriate expression, slightly tired but understanding. "Mm, I know. Wait for me."
He got up, his steps a little unsteady from recovery, and walked towards the bedroom. Mrs. Shinobu stood in place, not following him in, just waiting.
Inside the master bedroom, Kira Yoshikage's gaze quickly scanned the room. Based on Kosaku Kawajiri's memory fragments and the room layout, he quickly found a small safe in a hidden compartment inside the wardrobe.
On his hand, another hand grew out—it was Killer Queen's hand. Killer Queen directly penetrated the physical barrier, reached into the safe, and physically manipulated the lock cylinder inside.
With a few clicks and clacks, the gear lock cylinders inside were forcibly adjusted, reaching the correct position without any external operation.
With a click, the safe door sprang open.
Inside were some documents, seals, and several neat stacks of Japanese yen. He took enough money to cover today's expenses and a few days' household allowance, then carefully closed the safe and restored it to its original state.
Returning to the living room, he handed the money to Mrs. Shinobu. "This should be enough."
His tone was normal, as if this was just a daily routine. In reality, it was because he wasn't quite sure how much was needed, so he took a bit extra.
Mrs. Shinobu took the money, her fingers unconsciously feeling its thickness. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes; it seemed to be a bit more than expected.
She looked up at him, her gaze a little puzzled. The old Kosaku Kawajiri used to be very stingy when giving household money, even keeping accounts and questioning her.
"Oh... alright."
She put the money away, paused, and added, "Today's meal... was very good."
Her tone was slightly more natural; the delicious food and the "ample" household money had clearly softened her.
"Mm, I can make it often from now on," Kira Yoshikage responded blandly, as if it were a minor matter. "Just out of the Hospital, you need to replenish your nutrition."
Mrs. Shinobu nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the room, but before closing the door, she turned back and said, "Get some rest early."
The door closed gently.
Kira Yoshikage's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. According to the original story, at least among the women who appeared, Mrs. Shinobu was the most suitable for Kira Yoshikage in this world.
Though outwardly normal, she was actually just as twisted inside, loving criminals, even finding small crimes like theft and deception to be charming and exciting.
She and Kira Yoshikage were actually quite a match. In the original story, Kira Yoshikage genuinely fell in love with her, but he didn't realize it himself, always finding other excuses, unwilling to face his own feelings.
It wasn't until he awakened Bites the Dust that he somewhat acknowledged his love.
However, he and Mrs. Shinobu weren't there yet; some changes were still needed to fully align their emotions.
"Well, it still needs time, but it doesn't matter. There's no danger now."
Kira Yoshikage murmured, "The next thing to do should be to see that somewhat annoying Kosaku Kawajiri's boss. Hmm, it's a good opportunity to arrange a promotion."
In the original story, his boss was very annoying, even making Kira Yoshikage, who was still in hiding, want to kill him. And in some sense, the emotional problems at home were also related to money.
Kosaku Kawajiri also had insufficient wages, unlike Kira Yoshikage, who was wealthy. This also needed to be changed, otherwise, even if he snatched an absurdly large amount of wealth from Otoishi Akira, enough for a family for several lifetimes, he wouldn't be able to use it openly.
However, just as he was about to return to his room, the corner of his eye caught sight of a door at the end of the second-floor corridor silently closing a crack.
It was Hayato's room.
The child had been peeking earlier. He had seen the entire process of his father paying the household expenses and his mother's attitude softening. The cameras in the house should also have been on.
A chill flashed through Kira Yoshikage's heart.
This precocious child's focus of observation always seemed to be different from ordinary people.
What he saw was probably not that the family relationship had become somewhat "harmonious," but rather those subtle, fractured inconsistencies in his father's behavior patterns.
A father who had always been indifferent to household chores, even somewhat stingy with money, suddenly became generous and actively took on household duties?
This was more suspicious than simply being an excellent chef.
But it didn't matter; he wouldn't be suspicious for much longer.
It was late at night.
Kira Yoshikage lay on Kosaku Kawajiri's bed, his breathing steady. This body needed rest, but his brain maintained a hunter's vigilance... The next morning, the early sunlight cut bright strips of light across the floor through the blinds.
Kira Yoshikage had woken up early, feeling refreshed after a full night's sleep.
He quietly got up, washed, and then walked straight to the kitchen. There were still leftover ingredients from last night's shopping in the refrigerator. He tied on an apron and began to prepare breakfast.
He heated the pan, added oil, grabbed three smaller eggs, cracked them, and started frying them directly.
Listening to the radio while cooking breakfast, his movements were precise and efficient, like art.
The edges of the toast were perfectly golden brown, the egg yolks of the fried eggs remained perfectly runny, and the bacon was crispy but not dry.
He even used a few strawberries he found in the refrigerator for a simple plating, accompanied by a few glasses of his favorite orange juice. This breakfast was simply perfect.
When Mrs. Shinobu walked out of the bedroom in her pajamas, still sleepy-eyed, this was the scene she saw.
On the dining table was a breakfast that looked like a magazine illustration, like food models, and her husband was standing with his back to her, elegantly pouring orange juice into a glass, not spilling a single drop.
"...Kosaku?" Mrs. Shinobu's voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up and a hint of disbelief.
"Morning," Kira Yoshikage turned around, a perfectly appropriate, gentle weariness on his face. "Awake? Good, let's have breakfast. I made enough for three."
He deliberately ignored the shock in Mrs. Shinobu's eyes, as if this were just an ordinary day. After all, every day would be like this from now on. After completely merging with Kira Yoshikage, he was such a disciplined and serious person, like a machine.
He would probably remain this disciplined until he fulfilled his obsession, and he himself found it difficult to suppress this regularity.
At this moment, Hayato also walked out of his room, rubbing his eyes. He saw his father at the dining table and the breakfast on the table, and his steps paused, his small face full of confusion and bewilderment.
"Hayato, come eat quickly."
Kira Yoshikage greeted him naturally, simultaneously taking down the hat hanging by the entrance and placing it directly on Hayato's head with one hand.
He even gently adjusted the angle, patted and smoothed it, making it look more "proper."
"Hayato, it's going to rain today, so wear this for now. Remember to take an umbrella when you go to school." His tone was calm, and a slight smile played on his lips.
But the more Hayato looked at him, the stranger he seemed, his whole body stiffening, getting goosebumps.
Mrs. Shinobu watched this scene, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes. Regardless, this scene was indeed the "family warmth" she had once longed for in some corner of her heart. She sat down and whispered, "I'm eating."
Breakfast proceeded in a subtle silence.
Mrs. Shinobu ate slower than usual, seemingly savoring each bite, her cheeks growing redder as she ate.
Hayato, on the other hand, ate distractedly, his gaze occasionally darting towards his father, observing every detail of his movements—the way he held his chopsticks, the frequency of his chewing—and increasingly felt that he was like a machine.
But how could that be?
His father had only been injured and sent to the Hospital for a day; there must be a reason for these changes.
It couldn't be that his father had been replaced, could it?
Or simply transformed into a robot?
How could that be? Don't joke; this isn't some sci-fi movie.
'But, did the Hospital give father some kind of medicine?'
Hayato thought while eating, but the meal had to be finished.
Kira Yoshikage calmly enjoyed his breakfast and this eerie tranquility. He even, after finishing, picked up his briefcase and checked its contents, just like the real Kosaku Kawajiri.
"I'm leaving," he said, imitating the slightly dull tone of Kosaku Kawajiri from his memory, but when he spoke the words, the dull tone also carried a hint of tranquility and lightness.
"...Be careful on your way," Mrs. Shinobu hesitated, but still responded.
Hayato just lowered his head and mumbled a response, "I'm going to school."
The door closed behind him. Kira Yoshikage took a deep breath of the damp morning air, mixed with the smell of earth and impending rain.
He glanced at the gray sky and took a long-handled umbrella from the umbrella stand by the entrance.
"How do you like my new life?"
Kira Yoshikage walked along, seemingly talking to himself, but a voice entered his ear.
"Mm, Yoshikage, it's very good. Although that woman and that child are both strange, at least you won't be exposed, and you seem to be enjoying this life."
A photograph appeared from somewhere; it was Kira Yoshihiro. At this moment, he also seemed somewhat emotional, happy that his son had truly succeeded in hiding himself again.