Today was a bright sunny day. Illumi and I bid farewell to Milluki in his crib, and Kikyo saw us off on the airship, looking as if she were about to lose her two children forever, clinging to us with extreme reluctance.
"Be sure to come back soon!" Kikyo repeatedly urged. "Don't linger outside for too long! Ah... ah, with only Milluki left, you're both not with Mommy, Mommy really misses you..."
Silva had gone out to work again, so Kikyo was free to ramble on without anyone daring to blame her for delaying the airship's departure.
Yesterday, Silva had assigned me and Illumi a time-limited mission to be completed within seven days.
"There are no restrictions on methods, but two points must be adhered to upon successful completion of the mission: cooperation and professional conduct," Silva had said. "These are the most basic abilities and qualities. I do not want to see a repeat of last time's intentional violation of rules during the game. Do not waste this precious practical combat opportunity. Therefore, I command you to act together, complete the mission together, and, moreover, you are not to kill anyone other than the mission targets."
Oh, wouldn't that mean a lot less experience points?!
As much as I thought that, the punishment after the last game was still quite memorable.
Although I had received years of "professional training" from the Zoldyck family, I had also said that this training only allowed me to remain unaffected by pain and maintain normal actions.
During the punishment, it hurt as much as it hurt; there was no mitigation effect. I wasn't a masochist, and unless I absolutely couldn't bear it, I wouldn't attempt to violate the established rules.
Even if it meant fewer experience points, I didn't need to endure extra physical suffering for a mere [Experience points +3].
The mission briefing was complete, and text prompts appeared in my field of vision:
[Illumi Zoldyck has joined the team]
Can I kick him out of the team?
No, there's no such option.
After the last game, Silva believed that my relationship with Illumi was terrible due to the competitive environment they had fostered over the years. Thus, he specifically arranged for me and Illumi to formally cooperate. This was what they called "pollute first, then clean up," perhaps.
No, Silva, you're wrong. It's not really about competition. I kept my distance from Illumi from the beginning because I knew his scumbag nature from the original work.
The lamentable heart of parents. To improve the relationship between their children, the equally unaware Kikyo made further demands, "Speaking of which, Millos, you're too unlike a big sister. It's one thing that you didn't like holding your little brother since childhood, but you've never even held your brother's hand!"
"..." I quietly hid the hand I had placed by my side behind my back.
"What's with that reaction?!" Kikyo became furious, grabbing my right wrist. "Listen here, Millos, at least during the mission, you must act like a real big sister and hold your brother's hand, and act together. I'm talking about 'ACTING TOGETHER,' understand, Millos?!"
Kikyo held my right hand and pulled me closer to Illumi. He, being "Mommy's good boy all along," obediently extended his left hand, allowing Kikyo to place my hand into his palm.
I didn't like Illumi's hand. His palm was colder than my fingers.
I liked warm hands. Silva's and Kikyo's hands were warmer than mine.
Shifting my gaze away from Illumi, and under Kikyo's pressure, I reluctantly took Illumi's hand.
As a gesture of comfort, or perhaps praise, Kikyo patted my head. "Good child. Be a good big sister."
Who would want to be a "good big sister" to a scumbag! Sorry, I can't do it, I just can't.
"Illumi, when you're out, listen to your sister carefully," Kikyo admonished Illumi again.
"Yes, I understand," Illumi replied obediently.
Finally, after Kikyo left and the airship ascended, making the people on the ground shrink into tiny black dots, I felt relieved and released Illumi's hand. Using the excuse of going to the restroom, I turned on the faucet and meticulously washed my hands with liquid soap.
Illumi's bratty little hand felt icy cold. Touching it always gave me an unsettling chill. Would I contract some bad luck from it?
"..." I decided to wash my hands again.
Apart from the one-minute hand gesture exchange during cultural lessons that required score control, and polite greetings when we met, Illumi and I had no other communication, and our relationship was very distant.
Unexpectedly, this time not only did we have to complete the mission together, eat and live together, but we also had to "hold hands." This was truly going to be the death of me.
It's not that I'm intentionally suffering from "persecutory delusion." The main reason is that Illumi's performances in the original work were all sorts of brutal and insidious. As an ordinary person, maintaining distance from him was the best. I never forgot my identity as a "transmigrated character." If this overly intelligent little brat noticed anything unusual, my future life would be plunged into darkness.
Drying my hands with a handkerchief, I returned to the airship's cabin, maintaining the posture of clasped hands. Illumi was looking out the window at the scenery and didn't notice me.
"..." I silently sat on the edge of the seat farthest from him.
Before I could even settle down, the butler in the black suit next to me suddenly spoke, "Miss Millos."
I nearly fell off the edge of the seat onto the floor from fright. Because of her voice, Illumi also turned his gaze towards me.
"Madam has instructed that you must learn to be a good big sister." She produced a small black notebook. "I will record the frequency and duration of your physical interactions with Master Illumi, and remind you to complete the daily required interaction tasks."
What does "frequency and duration of physical interactions" mean?
What are the daily "interaction tasks"?
Does it mean I can punch him 999 times a day?
"Now, please sit next to Master Illumi's seat. The distance should not exceed 20 centimeters." After I sat down again, she measured with a tape measure and faithfully recorded in the notebook, "Distance: 19.3 centimeters. Within standard."
"You can hold Master Illumi's hand now." She glanced at her watch. "Unless necessary, please do not let go. Alright, I am starting the timer."
How unlucky. Should I be grateful that I'm not the type to have sweaty palms?
In the "real world," I was an only child and never experienced having siblings around. Coupled with my introverted personality, I would only link arms with the people closest to me, and主动 holding hands or hugging happened very rarely. As for the years when I had a boyfriend, intimate contact was limited to linking arms, embracing the waist, kissing, and being intimate. The number of times we held hands was even less.
Now, being suddenly told to hold someone's hand all day made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Sister?"
Illumi curved his fingers and slightly gripped mine, and I couldn't help but get goosebumps.
Looking at his inquisitive gaze, I forced myself to remain calm, put on a poker face, and bravely met his eyes.
"Mommy often says that when she hugs Sister, she also stiffens up," Illumi said, placing his other hand on the back of my hand. "Don't worry, Sister. I will help you recover soon."
"..." No, you don't need to. I'm fine like this.
"Miss Millos, 'hugging' is also a required interaction task," the recording butler reminded me. "At least once before bed, for no less than ten seconds each time. You may choose any moment to do it."
Please don't do this! Having it specified in such detail makes me feel terrible!
Better a short pain than a long one. I asked her to list all the daily interaction tasks so I could complete them all at once.
Reportedly, the list of daily interaction tasks (mandatory) issued by Madam Kikyo is as follows:
1. Hand-holding mission (in progress): During the time we act together, unless necessary, we must maintain the state of holding hands.
2. Hugging mission (0/1): At least once before bed, for no less than ten seconds each time. You may choose any moment to do it.
3. Head-patting mission (0/2): At least twice before bed, for no less than five seconds each time. You may choose any moment to do it.
4. Game mission (0/1): Engage in a two-player entertainment activity for at least thirty minutes.
Four daily interaction tasks. A reasonable number, I can accept it.
"Let's start the missions," I mouthed to Illumi. "First, the hug."
Illumi nodded and remained seated, allowing me to hug him. After counting to ten in my head and receiving confirmation from the butler, I released my arms.
[Hugging mission (1/1)]
"Next is head-patting," I mouthed.
Illumi lowered his head. His black hair was thick and lustrous, feeling extremely smooth to the touch, like silk. I suppose so, I can't think of any other description, and I haven't touched silk before.
[Head-patting mission (2/2)]
The head-patting mission was completed successfully. The game mission made me feel troubled. Without a game console or game props, what game could I play with him for thirty minutes?
Something that requires no props... Rock-paper-scissors? No, that's too boring, even I can't stand it.
Red light, green light? No, does this game even exist in this world? I don't know.
Word chain? No, playing word chain with a mute person seems a bit strange.
Alas, if only I had playing cards, I could play many games, and they would easily consume time.
Opening my rabbit shoulder bag, I found a notebook, a pen, a phone, a wallet, a mirror, a comb, a bottle of hair spray, and a handkerchief. There were no props that could be used for games. I couldn't possibly play "drop the handkerchief" with Illumi, could I?
With my arms crossed, I was deep in thought when I heard Illumi ask the butler, "Does watching anime with Sister count as completing the game mission?"
"Yes, Master Illumi, this also fits the mission description," the butler replied.
Watching anime?
This is great!
I can just lie down, it's more relaxing than any game!
Wait, watching anime? Would Illumi watch anime? Ah, he's only a little over six years old, so watching anime seems quite normal.
Illumi didn't grasp the meaning of my surprise and explained, "I can't watch anime now. When we get to the hotel, we can watch it in the room. Is that okay?"
Half of the four daily interaction tasks were completed, and I wasn't in a hurry. I nodded at him.
"Well, then let's continue the hand-holding mission," he said, taking the initiative to hold my right hand.
It was icy cold, but fine, I'll just endure these few days. Didn't I also have a few years of intimate contact with someone I didn't particularly like in the "real world"? Holding hands is nothing to mention.
Silva's team mission officially begins tomorrow. Today, we are free to act as we please, so naturally, I chose to complete the daily interaction tasks first.
The hotel elevator was very spacious; it didn't feel crowded even with eight people. As the elevator doors were about to close, someone rushed over and frantically pressed the open-door button. The elevator doors opened again, and he looked relieved, as if he were in a hurry.
Ding—
As he stepped into the elevator, it emitted an overweight warning sound.
He stepped out and then back in, and the warning sound still rang out. He looked around at the number of people in the elevator with great confusion, his face showing a hint of panic, as if he had seen a supernatural event.
"..." What did he think of? An elevator problem? Something about the number of people not matching the elevator's load capacity.
If this were on the set of "Detective Conan," it would be that there was a corpse on top of the elevator causing it to be overweight (laughs).
But this is the "Hunter x Hunter" set. I regret to say that it's probably because Illumi's and my weight was a bit excessive. Due to the Zoldyck family's special weighted training, each of my small leather shoes weighed 25 kilograms. This is an unreasonable figure in the "real world," but here in another world (laughs), it's not strange.
In the face of this supernatural event, the person in a hurry temporarily forgot about time. He apologized and went to wait for another elevator.
The small interlude was insignificant. I was, however, very much looking forward to the anime Illumi would watch. I intentionally didn't ask what anime it was, wanting to keep the suspense.
The hotel room was a spacious suite of over a hundred square meters. Wow, I had only seen such things on television. The Zoldycks are truly wealthy!
The butler was arranging the luggage, Illumi was fiddling with the TV, and I explored every corner of the room, but I couldn't find any collectible game props. Regrettable!
The TV music emanating from the living room was so familiar that I almost thought I was dreaming, thinking I had returned to the "real world."
My heart beat a little faster. I quickly walked over and saw Illumi's small figure. Then I remembered that the original work already had many settings derived from the "real world." It wasn't surprising that some elements were the same as in the "real world." For instance, the author of the original work once added characters from his wife's works as Easter eggs in the background of the manga.
Feeling a sense of loss, I sat on the sofa in front of the TV. I forgot about the twenty-centimeter distance and the hand-holding mission. It was Illumi who moved closer to me and took my right hand.
"Sister doesn't like watching this anime?" Illumi asked.
"..." I shook my head.
I don't dislike it. In the "real world," I quite enjoyed watching "Tom and Jerry."
It's just... a bit nostalgic.
Accompanied by the familiar classical music adapted for the anime, I dazedly watched the mouse once again trick the somewhat clumsy cat. I remembered my school days, when bold students in my class would play this anime on the classroom TV during self-study time. The entire class watched with great interest, even laughing together, and then were severely reprimanded by the dean of students who was patrolling, saying things like "You are the worst class I have ever seen," the usual cliché. I remembered...
Alas, as one gets older, memories of past youth become endless.
I didn't expect Illumi to have such a normal hobby, fitting for a child his age. I couldn't help but slightly tighten my grip on his hand, making him look at me.
I asked him with the corner of my mouth, a little expectantly, "What's your favorite episode?"
"Hmm..." Illumi thought for a moment. "My favorite is the episode where the cat gives the mouse a gift. The cat hides in the gift box, unable to see anything, and endures being poked by the mouse with a long needle. The cat doesn't know how many needles are left, nor does it know where the next needle will poke... that scene filled with the unknown and anticipation, it's truly exciting."
"..." I often feel out of sync with Illumi because I'm not perverted enough.