The Mastermind is a Middle School Student (KHR FF)

(1)Island With A Suspicious Amount Of Mafiosos

(23: a long title, a long day, and a long vacation.)

[-1-]

“That is beyond suspicious.”

“… Is this not a scam?”

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

Two tall figures hunch over carrots and cabbages while reading a piece of letter.

The situation looked a bit odd, so the prefect took it upon himself to anchor the conversation.

Kusakabe held his arms behind him and said, “Hibari-san wishes to invite the two of you on the cruise.”

“Smells fishy.”

“It is close to the ocean, it should smell fishy.”

“Not that kind of fishy.”

Kusakabe coughs into his fist, “Yukimura-san, Wada-san, have you decided?”

“… Well,” Eitou sighs, stretching his arms out and around the person beside him, “You see, me and my cute junior here… Is allergic to salt water.”

Kusakabe’s pompadour swayed from one to another side.

Wada took his chin in between his finger and thumb, thinking for a few seconds before letting his chin go.

The serious looking guy with silver rimmed glasses nods with a poker face, “My family was divers for generations. When I was a child, I spent more time in the sea than I was on my feet. Unfortunately, I developed cercarial dermatitis from the long exposure to water. I apologise, I must decline.”

Kusakabe’s pompadour lifted backup and to the side back.

While the serious looking guy pera-pera with solemn face, the gardening captain simply nodded all the way through. He even wiped an imaginary tear away at the tear jerking story. It’s worth noting that his other hand is doing some odd poses that only a squid could achieve.

Kusakabe’s mouth twitched. “Is that so? Is it only Wada-san? How about you, Yukimura-san?”

‘Yukimura-san’ sniffed, “Ah, back in my days… Something something divers…. More time swimming than standing… Pera Pera… Dermatitis… Yes, very sad.”

“…”

“…”

The silence is so loud that it is defeaning.

It has to be said, when one is shameless, there’s nothing one can’t do.

Perhaps sensing that the reception is lacklustre, the annoying perfunctory sobs halted for a moment, turning into a cold voice devoid of sadness.

“What are you looking at me for? Cry.”

Jun, the responsible newcomer for the (two person) club, coughed into his fists and followed in his senior, squeezing out two emotionless “whoo…”.

Kusakabe simply tilted his head away. The sight of two men fake crying without even an ounce of sincerity burned his eyes, and his thinking, for a few seconds. He even vaguely had the illusion that even a frog can act better.

After admiring the bright blue sky for a long minute until his neck cramped, Kusakabe finally gained enough composure to stare at the two idiots. Actually, he paused, it might just be Yukimura. Who knows what kind of brainwashing technique he used to influence the top student of Namimori Elementary School?

Kusakabe had heard of this Wada before, but usually in the mouth of aunties as ‘the child next door’. It can’t be that Wada was originally like this? Has Yukimura influenced him this badly?

For a moment, Kusakabe felt great pressure to save the motherland’s future talents. The ‘future talent’ could not sense the mental gymnastics the prefect had gone under and returned to his original mute state, perfectly assuming the role of air.

The prefect sigh, “Wada-san is fine, but I’m not so sure about you, Yukimura-san.”

Respectable Yukimura whined, “Why??”

“Because—”

“If your story don’t amuse me, I will bite you to death.”

Sometimes, even ghosts can be scared. This is one of those circumstances.

Yukimura’s eyes sharply flicked to the roof top staircase, a response trained through fear, pain, and unbelievable suffering.

“—Hibari-san.” Kusakabe turns around in surprise, he immediately formed a sharp 45° in greeting with his body. Despite this, he can only sigh that even a devoted subordinate like him reacted slower than Yukimura. It’s really worthy of the Fox of Namimori.

‘the Fox of Namimori’ didn’t know that he was being  praised in such an odd aspect, and is currently scooting backwards  0.001cm per 0.02 second.

For a moment, the wind picked up, preparing the stage for the entrance of a pillar character. First, it was the black hair, followed by fluttering sleeves, and eventually a bright red armband. No matter from which angle one views it, they could only scream ‘Handsome!’ 10 times and faint on the spot.

Unfortunately, all the people present is either immune, dense, or emotionally challenged.

The handsome entrance was wasted on three rocks, but the Demon of Namimori didn’t care.

Hibari emerges from behind the rooftop’s entrance, sporting his iconic black jacket, with an unnaturally relaxed expression — by Eitou’s standard anyways.

“How can you tell he’s relaxed?”

It took Eitou a while to realise he spoke out loud. He met Wada’s slightly curious face, (if you consider the small 0.0001 mm² sized glint in his eyes as curiousity). The rare expression of the serious and decadent top student blinded the scum student (also a top student) and Yukimura uncommonly tilted his head away.

The Fox of Namimori activates his social awareness at rare moments, unfortunately the rare moment was not used on the desperate blood thirsty prefect but on the equally socially unaware junior. If there comes a day where his charm is used on the demon of Namimori, peace would arrive on Japan, cherry blossom will bloom in winter, and the sea will never be frozen ever again. Of course, this is an impossibility.

Yukimura is the kind of guy that even if his pants were pulled down, he would only smile indulgently and say in the most bastard tone “Hibari, give your old father some face and go to therapy right now.”

He would even go with his ‘bastard son’ to the hospital, write his name as Hibari Eitou, and fake a dog-blood drama involving 3 seasons, 5 deaths, and 6 love confessions, all to force the demon of Namimori a generation beneath him.

The ‘old father’ Eitou silently condemned himself. How could he, as an ex-teacher, be such an asshole to the motherland’s flower! He seemed to have forgotten that he coerced the future generations onto a pirate ship (his club) and forced the youngster to help steer the shop because there is only one staff.

He shouted loudly in his heart: As a teacher, he should teach first and foremost!

With the non-existent dignity of a teacher, Eitou answered calmly, “Look at his face.”

Jun looked at Hibari’s face. Kusakabe raised an eyebrow. It seemed that this first year is also aoart of the rare few that could look at Hibari straight in the eye and remind calm—and even have the mood to analyse him.

“If his eyebrows are slightly lifted, it means he’s amused at your stupidity.”

Jun focused on Hibari’s eyebrows.

“If his mouth is tilted downwards, he’s bored.”

Jun turned to Hibari’s mouth.”

“if his eyes is slightly narrowed, it means he’s going to bite you to death.”

Jun met Hibari’s eyes.

Jun, “… Senior, what if… it’s all of the above?”

The despicable senior tilted his head, pondered, and innocently snapped his fingers, “It means—Run!”

Before the words are even spoken completely, the captain of Gardening Club has already ran at full speed away.

The good captain didn’t even forget to shout back, “Hibari-shi!!! Wada-kun brought comics!!!!”

Wada Jun, who wondered where his comic books had disappeared to this morning, felt his glasses cracking.

In his heart, the smart and dutiful top student didn’t even have time to sigh before he felt piercing pain at his shoulder. Didn’t Yukimura say that Hibari was in a good mood? Why did the prefect suddenly started chasing? Don’t tell him, that lunatic lied from the beginning to make Jun his scapegoat?

In the end, as Jun fell towards the cement floor at ‘matrix bullet dodging scene’ speed; an outstretched hand tried to grasp the disappearing senior, he could only lament.

At least tell him where his comics had gone…

“Geez, what’s gotten into Hibari?” The escaped gardener huffs against the wall.

He wiped the falling sweat with the back of his hands, casting a side glance to keep a look out for Hibari’s little minions. He rubbed his nose, feeling an odd itch. Who’s cursing him again?

Eitou didn’t lie, he rarely lies.

“He was in a good mood, but he suddenly started to beat people up? It really is true that people say psychopaths are not to be reasoned with, because even they themselves don’t know why.” Said the gardener, completely unaware of his own role in it.

It's actually not entirely his fault. How could Eitou know that his impromptu analysis of Hibari can piss the guy off? If it were Eitou himself, he would probably pose handsomely so that others can have a clearer look. Ah, of course, if it were the main characters, he would shake his head, maintain a serious face, and solemnly state that they would never have to analyse him because he cherish his own life and tell them every intentions he have.

(This does not apply to a certain baby.)

Still, he took out the two tickets (that he had snatched when no one was looking) and inspected it once more.

It’s simply two tickets for a cruise to an island. Many funs is promised and the security, particularly emphasized, is boasted to be impenetrable. It’s even highlighted in red and bolded. He wonders who the target audience is.

Eitou thought long and hard, staring at the two tickets.

Something appears on the tip of his tongue, but it couldn’t be said. It couldn’t be remembered. Like the feeling when you talk about your favourite childhood food, but you don’t even remember how it tasted like.

Time eats all, even his own children. Not to mention, a reincarnator’s memory. There’s a reason why he could handle crossdressing, and even come to enjoy it. Eitou could confidently say, that if his past self looked at him right now, he would sarcastically laugh out three short barks, give him a friendly hand gesture, and then roll up his sleeves to beat Eitou up.

Of course, Eitou isn’t the explosive guy anymore. He doesn’t resort to fist when talking to annoying guys. He learned how to use weapons!

All jokes aside, if that was him in his past life, no matter how old he is, he will flip out. Maybe even have a few seizures for good measure. One time, in his past life, he underwent exposure therapy—

Then he woke up with a broken mirror and a whole lot of shards to clean. He even thought that he became hulk when he lost conciousness—because the shards was so tiny it could have been grinded down. Since then, he didn’t dare play around with skirts or dresses. Who knew if this was his secret sleeper code to become hulk?

KHR, the manga version which he is now living, is unbelievably long. A good quarter is just daily arc. It made sense, it was supposed to be a gag manga, but damn is it terrible for him.

So many useless stories and chapters blurring into each other like porridge. He’d mistake beginning A for ending B, beginning B for scenario C, and so on and so on. For major arcs, it’s fine, just a matter of thinking a little which is which version. Ie, separating canon from fanon, anime from manga.

But when it comes to counting down? Or simply sensing how far he is from the plot he read?

It’s a nightmare.

There’s a reason why it took him LITERALLY a conversation with Fuuta to remember why Hibari was canonically averted to cherry blossom trees.

Subsequently, it reminded of… Mukuro.

Of the teeth pulling, of Varia’s arrival, of…

The future arc.

God damn, the Future arc.

Eitou sighs into his palm, scrutinizing the details on the tickets. It was bright and colourful, tempting and (suspiciously) paid for by Hibari, mysterious and alarming.

After a good staring contest with the inanimate object, he huffed and put it in his pocket.

“Now… who should I trick?”

[-2-]

“Senior, this is kidnapping.”

“It’s fine, your mother loves me.”

“That’s not--- Hah….” Jun sighs.

The poor first year silently fixes his glasses, staring blankly at the endless stretch of ocean stretching in front of him. The stench of salty water hits his nose, and his skin, and he’s already feeling intense regret.

Regret for trusting this shady senior, regret for letting his mom handle it, regret for not standing his ground.

He silently looked back at the far away landmass, waving goodbye in his heart to the pile of unfinished homework he left untouched.

“Jun-chan, don’t tell me you’re actually saying goodbye to your homeworks,” the irresponsible senior remarked. Pulling up his sunglasses to reveal abyss eyes filled with contempt. Yukimura stepped forward leisurely, leaving behind nothing but a relaxed back.

Jun silently touched his eye bag, feeling that this Yukimura will sooner if not later send him into the ICU. He had woke up this morning, to the supernatural upside down face knocking on his window. It took him a single scream, from calling his mother, witnessing the human transaction, bring lifted by the collar, and watching his mom happily folding his clothes for the upcoming kidnapping route.

A single scream.

It’s a really scary experience, realising that a single moment of inattentiveness could lead you to be sold to the devil.

Not being able to do anything, he finally gave up and tightened the strings of his hoodie. Covering his whole body from head to toe with exception to his hands and face. If it weren’t casual ware, he would’ve been mistaken for a brave field staff retrieving data from a radioactive site.

“When did you start calling me Jun-chan? Actually, don’t call me that at all.”

“Why? You want Jun-kyun instead? A bit odd but I’ll always support you.”

“That--… hah, please pay attention to your room number.” Jun immediately gave in and turned a sharp right, not caring if the senior had to skid his shoes from the fast pace and turn around with a sulk.

“Why? Wasn’t it 128? The corridor was full of 1’s.”

“It wasn’t full of 1, it was full of 7’s.”

“Why? They look the same to me.”

“It might be a poor font choice.”

“Really?”

“Un.”

“…”

“…”

“…” a sigh was imperceptibly heard.

“…?” feeling something not right from the silence, Jun stopped and turned around. Casting a confused sight backwards.

Yukimura looked at him with an inexplicable face. The light in the corridor is an iconic tinted yellow, casting an elegant yet retro vibe around everywhere. When the senior is viewed under such a warm light, the previous smiley but stiff face turned oddly human.

To put it into words, if the Yukimura before was an odd entity pretending to be human, he is now truly human. A breathing, bleeding, living human.

The delicate eyebrow finally relaxed, and a small smile was brought onto Yukimura’s lips.

An odd sensation struck Jun’s heart. He instinctively raised his hand to cover it, and only then he realized it was in his mind.

“Nothing, I just realized how fun Jun-kyun is to tease.”

A crack appeared on Jun’s glasses.

He expressionlessly fixed his glasses.

“Please give me back the feeling I wasted on you.”

“Oya?” Yukimura grinned even more, “Could our cute Jun-kyun be having feeling for me?”

Another crack appeared on Jun’s glasses.

What odd sensation? It must be a warning of an upcoming heart attack!

While secretly noting to buy himself anti-inflammatory pills, Jun turned around and started walking again. Leaving the impolite senior to chase after him.

“Haha, also, if it were me, by the first question, I would have said—It’s not that the corridor is full of 1’s. Your head is full of 1’s, ones of every disease.”

Jun ignored him.

“By the second question, I would’ve responded --- Does it look the same? You and a dog look the same.”

Jun ignored him.

“And then, if he dares open his mouth for a third time, I would ask him. Did his ancestor write the 1000 Reason Why’s?”

Finally unbearable to bear it, Jun answered, “Do not reason with a fool.”

Yukimura giggle behind him, “You were reasoning with me, does that mean you don’t think I’m a fool?”

Jun nodded.

The senior seem to not have expected this, widening his eyes briefly.

Fortunately, before his reaction was discovered, Jun continued, “You’re not an idiot. Being an idiot requires one to be able to stop being an idiot. You simply have mental deficiencies which cannot be fixed. I do not discriminate.”

One blink.

Two blink.

Thre—

“A~re~???”

It’s miraculous that anyone could accurately voice out what “~” sounds right, and Jun couldn’t be more pissed off that it actually sounds exactly like the symbol.

Thin calloused fingers lightly pinch Jun’s earlobes. The top student is pale, as all Japanese are, but his paleness is closer to unapproachable snow than it is simple lack of tanning. It seemed that he would melt instead of tan, or maybe even fracture when handled too roughly.

But as all that truly knows him, it will not fracture.

Instead, it will be he, who will be the one to fracture others.

Eitou cast a thoughtful glance downwards towards reddened ears. Through the thin glasses, he felt the breeze of the ocean. Dark blue, as deep as the unexplored ocean. Filled with unknown danger.

The abyss or the unfathomable ocean?

To an extent, both are just as empty as the other.

The abyss creates a world isolated from the outside. Once you enter, you could never leave. Your screams could never escape, and many others will wait at it’s infinite depth for you. While the maw of the abyss expands ever further, and more and more things is devoured; you, and the countless others inside, will still be alive when the end of the universe. Because even death could not escape from the abyss. In a sense, this, is your new world. A dark, but lively world.

The ocean, as lively as it is on the surface, becomes eerily empty as you dive deeper. Once in a while,  creatures pass by with tremendous speed—reminding you that countless predators lay in deep darkness to devour you whole. Perhaps during your entire stay, you see nothing but the occasional critters. But who’s to say that a giant eye wasn’t watching you the entire time?

The abyss is as lively as the ocean, the ocean is just as empty as the abyss.

What a twisted mirror this world had created.

And so, the abyss cast it’s greedy eyes towards the poor stagnant ocean, arrogantly wanting to teach it all about life as much as the ocean knows about emptiness.

What an arrogant existence indeed.

“Was our Jun-kyun taking my suggestion? How nice~ Lets try pissing Kusakabe-san next time~”

The glasses finally cracked, “As if!”

[-3-]

Eitou arrived at the dining hall alone.

There’s no particular reason, he just felt like it, (he left Jun to handle the luggage by himself.)

The useless senior walked straight to wide hall filled with fancily dressed people, sporting his Hawaiian shirt and simply thought—Ah, he’ll bring some food back for Jun.

“Sir, what is your name?” one of the butler looking men stopped and asked him politely.

Eitou looked at him with his sunglasses still on and said carelessly, “Hibari.”

---Crash!

A nearby staff dropped a wine glass pyramid. His face ashen, and his mouth twisted into an odd child of surprise, fear, and confusion. Other colleagues already moved to his side, as busy as ants, never stopping their movement for a second. Not even one spared a glance at the fallen man. In a place where movement is the only state, the staff shell-shocked frozen state is very eye-catching.

“…Hibari-sama? Right this way,” the butler in front of him only twitched his mouth before turning around. Eitou withdrew his gaze from the fallen staff and followed with hands in his pocket.

In his heart, he simply sighed. The name of Hibari can indeed shock all people. There’s the conglomerate empire belonging to the patriarch, then the high military position held by the matriach. No wonder the youngest Hibari dare to act so wildly in Namimori. Not to mention Namimori, even if he does it to the entire Japan, he could even do it while walking sideways and upside down. No problems will happen, or to be more precise, no problems dare to happen in front of this nepotism baby.

He thought of the fallen staff in pity. If it was him who was the service worker, he would also faint if he hears he’s supposed to serve the unofficially most powerful family in Japan. One mistake and he would disappear. From his career and his own existence.

The unaware gardener than pet his own shoulder. It’s good that it’s him, the kind and sympathetic ordinary representative Yukimura that had come, instead of the tyrannical egomaniac Hibari.

The kind and sympathetic ordinary representative Yukimura then fell into silence.

Why? Because he belatedly recognized and acquaintance in this ship.

It’s not a good sign.

“Ara?  Yukimura-kun is also here?”

“Yukimura-senpai!”

The butler simply stood aside, letting this self-proclaimed Hibari chat with acquaintances. He even managed to ask, “Hibari-sama, shall I call your companion from your room?”

Eitou waved his hand, “Stop calling me Hibari-sama, and that guy can find the table himself. He’ll come.”

The butler nodded, maintaining silence as he roleplays as a stone statue.

Nana smiled, “Hibari? Is Hibari-kun also here?”

Her son had a twisted expression upon that, his previously relaxed and happy demeanour turned tense.

Eitou shook his head, “No, the ticket is reserved by Hibari-shi but he himself isn’t here. I’m with Jun instead, as much as Jun didn’t want to.”

“Ah? Jun? Is it the child from the Wada family?”

“Yes, I reckon this is Hibari-shi’s way of rewarding hardworking citizens like me and Jun-kyun~”

“-kyun? Your relationship with Wada-kun is very close, it seems that birds of a feather flock together.”

“Haha, you flatter me too much Sawada-san.”

“You don’t have to call me Sawada-san, that is how you refer to Tsuna after all… just call me Nana!”

“Yes, Nana-san.”

While the gardener smoothly entered a conversation with Nana, a gloomy figure appeared on the scene. It took Tsuna a while to recognize the figure, probably because he couldn’t connect the tidy and neat guy with the guy who now has his entire head tightly wrapped by the hood of his hoodie. He even tightened the string for good measure. Thankfully he still wears the elegant glasses, if not, he would really be unrecognizable.

“Ah! Wada-kun!” Tsuna exclaimed.

Wada expressionlessly looked at the brown-haired teen. He nodded, “Sawada-san.”

The chestnut haired teen tilted his head, “Um… Why are you here?”

“Hibari-san gave me and the senior a ticket for this cruise ship. I was forced to join.”

“…” Tsuna looked pitifully at the younger, “I-is… that so?”

Jun nodded.

“By the way, your mother also seems to have a good impression of Yukimura-san.”

“Eh? Ah, yes.”

“Why is that?”

“… I don’t know?”

“I see.”

The two fell into silence.

“…Uh, Wada-kun, what do you mean by also?”

“My mother helped the kidnapper count his money after selling me.”

“Oh… that’s …. Oh.”

The two fell into silence again.

Perhaps sensing the odd atmosphere between the two youngest, Nana and Eitou finally stopped their chattering. Nana in particular, made an ‘oh!’ sound, looking at her inner wrist where an elegant watch sits.

“Look at the time! It’s been a pleasure talking to you, Yukimura-kun. It seems that during our mindless talking, Wada-kun had arrived. Let’s both go eat first?” the lovely woman smiled. She seemed to have thought about eating together with the charming teen but decided against it, for some unknown reason.

“Then, see you later!” she waved, dragging Tsuna with her.

Eitou smiled back, “See you later, Nana-san.”

He waved lazily towards the disappearing duo, watching them approach a nearby staff. The moment Nana turned around, he dropped his smile.

Then, like the true bastard that he is, he turned around and headed straight back to his room, “Bring the food to our room.”

“…?” Jun tentatively typed a question mark.

The butler seemed surprise but kept his composure, “We will send it via cart. Will the other sir also dine in the room?”

“… yes.” Jun reluctantly nodded.

The staffs are very professional, they obeyed orders and already started preparing a cart. It must be said, the advertiser didn’t lie at all. It really is a luxurious cruise ship. Let’s not talk about the other aspects, the service alone is impeccable.

The glasses wearing teen jogged to Eitou’s side, a slight breathless tone permeates his entire sentence, “Why the sudden change?”

“Mm…” the senior moved up his sliding sunglasses, tilted his head perfunctorily and spat out words that could make a saint angry, “Because I can.”

The first year, who was forced to speed-run unpacking and ran at Mach 4 to the dining hall in fear that this unusual senior won’t even leave a crumb for him:…….

Jun gritted out a few words through his teeth, “I. See.”

The good senior didn’t have the awareness of making other people’s life harder, and even seem to have the mood to order people around, “When we arrive at the island, find a place to stay and don’t go out for the whole stay. If you go out, who knows if you will play or if others will play you.”

“…The whole stay???” Jun felt like this senior should’ve gone to the psychiatrist for a diagnosis, “Are you trying to punish others or punish me?”

To this, the senior casted him a side glance filled with despise, “ You have salt-water-allergy, what are you playing around on an island for?”

“…” So you do remember I’m allergic. “It’s not allergy to salt water, it’s water in general. Even sweat.”

The senior waved his hand around, “Yes, yes, diver, feet, whatever. Oh right, go fetch me strawberry from the buffet. I saw they had a lot.”

Jun clenched his fist. Can I hit this guy? Just once?

Eitou barely suppressed his rising smile in front of the lively face of his junior. As for why he changed his intentions?

He barely heard chaotic screams from the dining hall, the footsteps of armed guards, and an astonishingly clear scream of despair belonging to a tuna fish. Eitou lifted his sliding sunglasses once more.

Why ask? It’s because he figured out what he had forgotten.

He looked out from the clear window of the ship, imagining the island that will pierce through the horizon.

Indeed.

“Ah, thinking about it, didn’t that guy got on illegally? I wonder where he is right now.”

—————END OF CHAPTER 23

Mafia land will be funnnn. Only 3 part but next chapter gonna be packed. If you couldn’t tell, I upped my consumption of Chinese novels.