Cat's Rule the world.... since when?!

Hypothetically Speaking

Finally. 

Dessert.

I practically melt into my seat as the spoon enters my mouth. After all that running, fighting, and scheming, the sweetness is like a gift from the heavens. It's no surprise that for the first time in a while, I actually feel...relaxed. The world can wait for a moment.

I glance across the table. Kacchan's still tense, obviously going through about a million plans in his head for tomorrow. But me? I'm feeling a little... chatty. And maybe, just maybe, it's time to plant a few seeds. Hypothetically, of course.

"Hypothetically" ....

.....sounds so safe. 

Like I'm not meddling in a mafia boss's affairs at all. 

Just, you know, giving friendly advice.

I take another bite of my dessert and lean back in my chair, enjoying the satisfied hum that escapes me.

Me: "So... Kacchan. Hypothetically speaking..." I drawl out the word, making sure to grab his attention. His eyes narrow at me, but I keep going. "Let's say—just for the sake of argument—there's this mansion. Big, fancy place. Kinda like this one, but you know, hypothetical."

His fork pauses mid-air. Bingo. I've got him hooked.

Me: "And let's say someone, hypothetically, escaped from this mansion. Maybe they got a really good look at the layout, noticed a few weak spots here and there. Like, for instance..." I tap my fingers on the table, acting like I'm thinking hard about it. "Oh, I don't know... that guard near the back gate? He takes breaks a little too often, right? Or how those windows on the east wing? Easy to break into if someone knew what they were doing. Hypothetically."

Kacchan's jaw tightens, but he stays silent. Good. He's listening.

Me: "And, hypothetically, if someone wanted to make sure this mansion stayed safe tomorrow, they'd want to, you know, tighten security in those areas. Make sure no one's slacking off, maybe switch up patrols, move people around... but don't tell everyone everything."

I swirl the spoon in my bowl, watching the last bit of dessert disappear as I continue.

Me: "Only give each person enough information to do their job, but not enough to put the whole picture together. Keep everyone in the dark, so if anyone gets any funny ideas... well, they won't know enough to mess things up too much."

Kacchan's eyes narrow, and he drops his fork with a clatter. His gaze is sharp, but there's a flicker of something else. Maybe curiosity? Suspicion? Either way, he's paying attention.

Kacchan: "Hypothetically, huh?"

Uh oh. 

He's onto me.

Me: "Yeah! Totally hypothetical!" I grin, trying to play it cool. "Just, you know, thoughts. Things a smart guy might think about if he, hypothetically, cared about keeping everything secure."

I watch Kacchan process that, and for a second, I think he's going to explode like he usually does. But instead, he leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kacchan: "You see all that while running away?"

"Running away" is a bit of an understatement, Kacchan, but okay.

Me: "I'm good at multitasking." I flash him a smirk. "Quirkless kid, remember? I had to be."

He doesn't reply, but I can see the gears turning in his head. He's thinking about what I said, about how he should handle tomorrow. Good.

Maybe he won't admit it, but I'm sure he knows I'm right.

Me: "Oh, and one more thing, Kacchan," I add, just as I'm about to finish my last bite. "Hypothetically speaking, if you don't want your enemies to get far tomorrow, don't give them time to work together. They're stronger as a group. If you separate them, they won't get anywhere."

I shoot him a knowing look, and he glares at me like he's trying to decide if he's annoyed or impressed. Probably both.

Kacchan: "You think you're real clever, don't you?"

Me: "Who, me? Nah, I'm just thinking hypothetically." I wink.

The silence that follows is thick, but I can tell I've done my job. Kacchan may act like he's not listening, but he always does. He takes things in, and when the time comes, he'll use what I said. I know it. And tomorrow, when everything goes down, he'll be ready.

Hypothetically, of course.