The sound of a door clicking open could be heard, followed by the sound of the door creaking as it is pushed outward. Currently, at the entrance of the Nozomu Residence, Tanjo could be seen practically crawling through the doorway, sweat trailing down his face from his earlier punishment. Mr. Oshieru can be really stern if you push too far.
The first thing Tanjo realized upon entering the home was that all of the lights were off. The old man typically doesn't go to bed until he returns from a long day of work, which is practically night-time, or when he's blackout drunk.
To Tanjo's surprise, a light actually was on. It was the dining room light. After not being home for a while, he wasn't quite used to the serenity. Still feeling the pain from earlier, he slowly trekked over the dining room. 'Did he seriously make dinner without me?' Placing his right hand on a wall, Tanjo stood within the frame of the dining room's entrance, spotting the similar white-haired man with black tints sitting at the table, however, a small bowl of food was right in front of him. The jet-black teenager scowled lightly. 'He seriously did.'
What was peculiar about the old man was the position in which he was seated. His hands were clasped while he rested his head with closed eyes on his clasped hands, using his elbows as support. Suddenly, Nozomu's eyes opened, gazing in Tanjo's direction. "Sit down." It didn't sound like much of a request.
Tanjo nodded, slowly wobbling his way over to one of the dining room seats. He pulled out a wooden chair as he slowly seated himself onto the flat surface of the chair. Looking in the direction of Nozomu, Tanjo questioned, "Is this about me staying out late? My instructor wasn't too lenient today."
Nozomu fixed his posture, lowering his hands and laying them out on the dining table. His gaze remained strong and unnerving. "I think you know what I'm talking about."
Tanjo struggled to keep a salivating gulp from building in his throat. The Old Man was completely correct. "I guess that couldn't be avoided, huh?" Tanjo murmured, his face lit up with an anxious grin. Instead, the teen nearly desired to return to his punishment.
"No. Especially not since the outcome of this conversation will determine your attendance at the damn academy." Nozomu declared harshly, watching as the teenager's visage transitioned into a look of shock. Before Tanjo could reply, Nozomu continued, "All I need is confirmation on a few things."
Tanjo was too apprehensive to speak, so he opted to stay silent. Nozomu breathed in slowly, his muscles relaxing. "I…want to make it clear that I'm allowing you to attend the academy because I truly believed that it was nothing but a childish dream." Tanjo flinched at those words. "Becoming a warrior is more than just making a change, or even protecting the ones you love. Those are just motivations."
Tanjo was lost as to what the old man was talking about, but with his mind going blank as Nozomu continued, he just couldn't formulate any sentences. Nozomu took the silence as a notion to continue, "It's about perseverance. You can't accomplish anything without it. But, the sad reality is that perseverance isn't for everyone. Only the ones who can successfully come out on top can achieve such a thing. And without coming on top, your motivations and beliefs are worth next to nothing. The fact that wars eventually come to an end is enough proof of that."
It was a rare sight to see Nozomu so invested in a conversation that didn't pertain to anything related to alcohol or getting free hours off of work. He always had a stern exterior, but it needs to be remembered that he is human, too. Tanjo parted his lips as he spoke out, "...So, what are you trying to say?"
A pregnant silence ensued throughout the entire room. The clock on the wall was the only source of noise. The atmosphere of the room felt as if it got twice as dense, almost suffocating. Nozomu nor Tanjo moved an inch. "...What would you do to achieve your goals?" Nozomu began slowly, "...You did say that it was to make everyone smile, correct? I presume that there is a deeper meaning to it, but that's not what we're speaking of right now."
Thoughts slowly became apparent in the teenager's mind, trying to formulate any type of response. A response that wouldn't make him look like a flat-out idiot and especially won't make him look as naive as his nine-year-old self. "I'd do anything necessary, of course!" The enthusiasm might not help.
"That didn't answer the question, Tanjo." Nozomu pressured, his eyes squinting ever so slightly. Damn it.
"Uhm…" Tanjo's mind stuttered, not being able to produce any response. Nozomu caught on to his hesitation, so he took the liberty to push Tanjo toward the right direction.
"...Would you, perhaps, kill, to make people smile?" As Nozomu said those words, Tanjo's eyes went as wide as saucers. Killing was never a thought that grazed the teenager's mind. Death was always a possibility, but being put in a situation that requires you to commit an action that will be forever ingrained into your psyche? Tanjo never thought so thoroughly about such a thing. Nozomu's voice was raised slightly as he spoke once more, breaking Tanjo's silence. "...Or, how about ending the lives of your friends?"
Tanjo grit his teeth as he jumped out of his seat and nearly yelled, "Why in the Hell would I eve-!"
"...even if they tried to kill you?" Nozomu interrupted, halting Tanjo immediately. Tanjo slowly slid back into his seat, a dazed expression visible on his face. The sheer amount of curiosity on Nozomu's face was not helpful. The white-haired man's hand clenched softly, forming a fist. "What if it meant to get Mizuki back?"
Tanjo thought his heart had stopped. The pain from his earlier punishment and these questions didn't feel all that pleasurable being stacked all at once. "I…would never intentionally harm my friends." Tanjo then stood up, walking away from the table. Nozomu knew Tanjo couldn't handle much more.
Nozomu sighed exasperatingly, closing his eyes as the smell of food reached his nostrils. His food must've gone cold by now. Raising his head to look at where Tanjo previously sat, his eyes had slowly become droopy. 'He reminds me so much of him. Almost too much."
XXX
Tanjo was in his bed as he lay there in contemplation and exhaustion. Small memories of the Old Man's words repeating themselves in his head.
—Memory—
"...What would you do to achieve your goals?"
"...Would you, perhaps, kill, to make people smile?"
"...Would you, perhaps, kill, to make people smile?"
"...Or, how about ending the lives of your friends?"
—Memory End—
Tanjo clutched onto his pillow tightly, trying to dissipate the thoughts. He didn't want to talk about such things again. Who knew that mere words could shatter a person's mood entirely, much less the way they look at life itself.
—Memory—
"...even if they tried to kill you?"
—Memory End—
Tanjo stopped clutching onto the pillow, relaxing all of his muscles—or at least attempting too.
'I'll cross that bridge when I get there.'
XXX
Hey! Somewhat of a short chapter, but I wanted to get this discussion over with. It was important though. If you can, please try to keep some of this chapter in mind for the entirety of the Volume, maybe even the novel, if possible. I do, however, have something spicy for the next chapter! Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_