Mourers disliked having anyone nearby while she slept, as it disturbed her rest.
This applied to anyone at all.
However, she didn't have a chance to explain this habit, as Kuroro first stated he still wanted to read and might disturb Mourers.
So, Mourers went along with it, nodded in understanding, and went to another bedroom.
She burrowed under the covers, turned off the bedroom light, and soon, the light from under the bedroom door was also extinguished—Kuroro had turned off all the lights except the one beside him.
Everyone had their own little habits.
Mourers would turn on a light when the room grew dark, preferring bright rooms.
Kuroro, on the other hand, liked to read in the dark, his only light sometimes being candlelight, sometimes a desk lamp, its not-so-bright orange-yellow glow painting a limited circle.
No matter the color of the paper, it would be tinged with an ancient, withered yellow, like the passage of time.
Turning a page, the texture of the paper beneath her fingers felt a bit rough.
This sensation, repeated countless times, was one of the few things Kuroro never tired of, or rather, it had long become a habit.
Of the entire Phantom Troupe, only Kuroro loved to read.
Shalnark, who ranked second in reading volume, had also read quite a few books, but he read to gain desired knowledge, often skimming through them, prioritizing reading efficiency. Kuroro, however, read slowly, then fell into thought, spacing out for a long time.
Kuroro had once discussed his thoughts with others, but unfortunately, he had never found anyone truly satisfactory.
He had read a book he found very good and went to meet its author. They conversed very pleasantly for a short while, but he unintentionally drove the author mad. He felt a slight regret, and a bit of disappointment.
From then on, he understood that he was more suited to being an observer.
Based on his observations, he thought Mourers might need more frenzied interaction.
No, he wasn't sure. Perhaps this was just his personal expectation, as he somewhat wished to see that fiery red color again—colors had emotional differences.
Let's see how Mourers responds first. She hadn't yet decided what she most wanted to do after the effects of her brain surgery disappeared.
The next day, after ordering room service and having breakfast together, Mourers replied that what she most wanted to do was watch comedy works.
Indeed, besides those with peculiar habits, most people would first want to experience positive emotions, such as "happiness."
Regarding "happy things," Kuroro believed he had some say, "Do you read manga?"
"..." Mourers nodded.
As the hotel attendant came to collect the dishes, Kuroro handed a note with a book list to the attendant.
Amidst Mourers' curiosity and anticipation, the books arrived in brown paper packaging.
Kuroro took out one of them and handed it to Mourers.
Mourers looked closely and her pupils contracted in shock.
The manga cover featured a sunglasses-wearing, hairy, thick-lipped, burly blonde man with an afro. The manga title was "Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo," with a small subtitle below: BoBoBo-BoBo-BoBo.
Never mind whether this manga was funny or not, the cover alone was enough to shock the aesthetically inclined Mourers.
What a rough art style and title!
The back cover of the manga contained a synopsis: In the year 300x, the world was ruled by the Margol Gorda Empire, led by Margol Gorda IV. He established an army called the "Hair Removal Squad" and attempted to shave everyone in the world bald. To thwart Gorda IV's ambition, a man named Bobobo stood up. In his struggle against the Hair Removal Squad, Bobobo met a series of reliable and eccentric friends, and a series of passionate and chaotic stories unfolded.
...What is this?
And then looking at Kuroro's pretty-boy persona, how different it was from the style of this manga!
Seeing that Kuroro held another similar book, he flipped the cover over and explained to her, "This is a newly released volume. The one you have is the first volume."
You're a devoted reader of this rough manga?! Mourers was greatly shocked.
"Shall we take a look?" His deep, dark eyes, clearly defined, looked at her, a faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
As if with cold, shining fingers, he pressed on the book cover and helped Mourers open the first page.
This action required Kuroro to bend down and get very close to her.
Thus, Mourers could see the bite marks she'd left on his clean collarbone yesterday through the loose opening of his collar.
Oh dear, this wasn't some imitation host, this was the real Spider Head Kuroro!
She never expected to get to play with the real thing; it was completely beyond her expectations.
So much so that she felt embarrassed multiple times, quite ungracefully.
"..." Mourers felt dizzy for a moment.
It was hard to imagine the resolve she had mustered, controlling herself with all her might, to not be completely blinded by his beauty.
After all, the endless tearful histories of countless female protagonists in fanfiction constantly reminded her that Kuroro was a bad, scum, amoral man.
But he was good-looking! Damn it!
If anything, Mourers believed that Kuroro's character's high popularity stemmed more than 90% from his face.
For Kuroro's sake, no, for the boss's sake, as a member, just reading a manga, it was only right and proper to give him this face!
Forget face, she wouldn't mind stuffing a stack of Jenni into his collar right now!
Oh, and by the way, the "debt" was settled today, and she could use "Nen" normally. So, she repaid the medical expenses and the cost of her casual clothes to Kuroro.
Kuroro was a bit surprised, saying it wasn't necessary. This was likely not a polite refusal, as Kuroro truly viewed money as dirt; he stole or robbed his money directly and had never earned it legitimately or struggled with anything related to it.
But whether in the "real world" or with the Zoldyck's monetary philosophy, debts had to be repaid. The former out of morality, the latter out of credibility.
To maintain the Zoldyck family's prestige, she absolutely could not casually take advantage of Kuroro.
Mourers hadn't mentioned "Zoldyck" to anyone in the Phantom Troupe. She knew she was an anomaly among the Zoldycks, and if she were seen as representative of them, it would bring shame to the Zoldycks. Therefore, she truly felt she had done her utmost for the Zoldycks.
After receiving Mourers' answer that she wanted to keep accounts clear, Kuroro thoughtfully pointed out what she had overlooked, "Then how do we account for the hotel expenses?"
Well, she had deliberately overlooked that, because... because Kuroro was a spendthrift with no reasonable sense of how to spend money!
"...Why did you choose the presidential suite?" Mourers finally blurted out what she hadn't said at the hotel reception.
Now that the "game backpack" was usable, she had [equipped] a vocalization device. Learning to vocalize using her vocal cords was not something that could be achieved overnight, so she decided to plan for the long term.
"Why not?" Kuroro seemed genuinely puzzled why Mourers was asking this question.
His expression was as innocent as a rich person who knew nothing of human suffering, uttering "Why don't they eat meat dumplings?" Yet, he was someone who had scrambled through the garbage dumps of Meteor City, a self-made person who grew up in harsh environments.
Fine, he just didn't care about money.
"Medical expenses are a necessary expenditure, but the presidential suite... is excessive consumption," Mourers said with courage. "I refuse to pay for 'excessive consumption'."
"Excessive consumption?" Kuroro chuckled.
Although he didn't agree with Mourers' view, he didn't press the matter further and let it pass.
The memory ended, and Mourers forced herself to cheer up, repeatedly telling herself that the content of the manga was more important than the art, and then began to look at the comedy manga Kuroro had recommended, "Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo."
The ancient art style limited by the era, the bizarre setting of aliens pulling out people's hair everywhere, the afro-wearing man who fought with nose hairs that could extend several meters, followed by armpit hair martial arts, a duck and a pair of underwear giving birth to a mixed-breed duck...
Mourers felt a deep shock... her gaze gradually becoming vacant...
Mechanically, she finished the entire manga... that's right... she finished the whole thing... perhaps she read it... or perhaps she didn't... Mourers felt her soul had drifted away.
How to put it? After finishing this manga, the Kuroro before her seemed exceptionally strange.
Kuroro seemed to be asking for her feedback; she wasn't sure if he was asking for her feedback because she hadn't recovered from the immense shock.
"Very shocking," she replied dazedly, closing the manga. "This kind of art may be too advanced for me."
The thought that Kuroro sometimes stayed up late at night watching this kind of thing made her feel a sense of loss.
"Boss," she murmured, "I think I might have to leave the troupe."
"Eh?" This time, it was Kuroro's turn to be shocked.
Could a single manga be so powerful that it could cause him to immediately lose a member?
Mourers lowered her head, covered her face with her hands, and then rubbed it for a while, trying to clear her head.
"I wanted to say..." she exhaled, composing herself. "I'll have to report back soon. My family performed brain surgery on me, and they might not be happy to see my current state."
"It's possible I won't be able to see you again," she said, straightening up and turning to look at Kuroro. "If you can't contact me for a long time, just assume I'm dead."
Although it was all true, Mourers didn't tell the whole story. The primary reason for mentioning her family was that she had achieved her goals in the Phantom Troupe, even exceeding her own expectations—she had completed the collection and obtained the Scarlet Eyes.
Especially the Scarlet Eyes; being able to transplant them as planned was her primary goal for joining the Phantom Troupe. Collecting the wanted list was secondary and could be abandoned depending on the situation.
To minimize the impact on the original story's progression, Mourers had planned before joining the troupe to leave the Phantom Troupe when she obtained the Scarlet Eyes. That way, by the time of the Yorknew City arc, the Phantom Troupe's member configuration would likely revert to the original.
As for the Zoldyck family, it was an excellent excuse for her to leave.
A group of thieves without a fixed abode or strong background could not compete with a large, deeply-rooted assassin family.
Kuroro couldn't afford to provoke the Zoldycks, and there was no need to risk the entire troupe for one member. Of course, Mourers couldn't afford to provoke the Zoldycks either, so Kuroro should understand and support Mourers' decision—"Zoldyck" was a pretty useful excuse.
Originally, Mourers had intended to leave the troupe with the excuse that "the head of the Zoldyck family called her back to work for the family." After the brain surgery, Silva had said he would conduct an assessment in two years, meaning if she could work normally, she could continue working in the family business.
Now that the removed part of her brain had unexpectedly recovered, it served as a good reason to apply for early resignation and ensure a smooth handover of her Phantom Troupe duties, which was the professional integrity of a mature office worker.
"Do you need any help?" Despite saying so, Kuroro was not a warm-hearted person. "It's not difficult to replace combat personnel, but it's hard to find substitutes for members with special Nen abilities."
This retention had some sincerity, as he was stating facts.
"I'm just saying it's possible," Mourers said. "I believe the boss would want me to proceed smoothly as well."
The psychological pressure of being stared at by Kuroro was quite significant, especially since fanfiction often exaggerated his intelligence. Being stared at by him for too long gave her a sense of crisis, as if he could see through her at any moment.
The silence seemed to last for a long time, or perhaps a very short time. Kuroro smiled, "Of course."
Since trying to find amusement with comedy manga had failed, Mourers decided to watch television programs. However, she soon realized that with Kuroro nearby, she couldn't relax at all!
She couldn't help but repeatedly recall her recent conversation with Kuroro, wondering if she had overlooked any details.
During her contemplation, the laughter sound effects from the entertainment programs gradually became harsh and unpleasant. She fidgeted on the sofa, becoming more and more agitated the more she thought.
The "Ren" around her also became restless, as if killing intent was about to erupt.
"Mourers."
The suddenly-ringing, calm voice was like a basin of cold water, making Mourers' nerves jump and her mind snap back to attention.
Kuroro walked past her, picked up the remote control, and turned off the television. The noise in the room immediately disappeared.
"Happy things make you want to kill?" He tilted his head, his black, messy hair softly brushing against his face, catching the sunlight with a faint sheen, making it look even softer. "Mour?"
Mourers stared blankly for a moment. "No, it's nothing."
She rubbed her face again with her hands, messing up her bangs, and then looked up. Kuroro was still standing beside her, looking down at her.
So, she instinctively added, "I just found it a bit noisy."
As she answered, she scratched her neck again with some agitation, not too hard, so it didn't leave a mark.
"I'm going to calm down," she said immediately, standing up and going to the washbasin to splash cold water on her face.
Water droplets splashed onto the mirror. Mourers looked into the mirror; the Mourers reflected there looked calm—still within controllable limits.
She [retrieved] a handkerchief from her "game backpack" to wipe her face. Her wet bangs stuck to her forehead. She turned around upon hearing Kuroro approaching.
"It seems I disturbed you just now," he said. "As a more suitable form of entertainment, why don't we choose an appropriate location, and I'll accompany you on a killing spree?"
He smiled with such consideration, as if he were suggesting a shopping trip.
"..."
If I were a perverted murderer, I might actually be happy. Mourers thought. Happy things... no, not this kind of happy thing! How is this happy?
Thanks to the training she received from the Zoldycks from a young age, Mourers could generally maintain a poker face, making her silence often appear as mere absentmindedness. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The water on her face, not yet wiped dry, slowly flowed down to her chin. When the water droplets hit the ground without a sound, Mourers felt as if she had been struck by thunder. She tensed her shoulders, looked up at Kuroro, her expression almost bewildered.
"Well, just killing would be too boring," in the mirror, Kuroro's figure overlapped with Mourers'. He picked up the handkerchief from Mourers' hand and wiped her face.
Mourers blinked, her eyelashes brushing against Kuroro's fingers, causing a tickle.
"We can play something else while we're at it," he said, placing the handkerchief back into Mourers' hand and holding her fingers. "Come with me, Mour."
Mourers looked back into the mirror, only catching a glimpse of her raised silver-white hair.
They occupied a rich person's residence. Kuroro was extremely skilled at such activities; with his extensive experience in countless similar places, he could spot secret entrances in residences almost at a glance and manipulate mechanisms as if he were playing with a cute pet.
Mourers, meanwhile, pretended to be strolling and [picked up] all the game items that came into her sight within the instance.
Kuroro emerged from somewhere in the corridor and called out to Mourers, who was wandering around, "I found a good spot. Come and see."
The so-called good spot was equipped with various props, resembling a torture chamber.
Mourers stood at the entrance, giving Kuroro a confused look.
Kuroro had already descended the steps and turned back. The light from outside and the darkness within divided him into light and shadow. "These kinds of 'game rooms' are quite common. It looks like we could have a lot of fun, want to try?"
"You can use it on me too," Kuroro said, meeting Mourers' eyes with perfect composure. "I haven't tried it before, and I'm a bit curious."
He said something extremely perverse in such a calm tone.
Speaking of "curiosity," Mourers was actually a bit curious too.
Otherwise, why would there be "Curiosity killed the cat"?
Kuroro extended his hand to her. She gazed at his exquisite features and placed her hand in his.
Excluding props that would damage the body, the curious pair played with all the props.
Kuroro, for the first time in a long while, didn't stay up late reading and went straight to sleep after washing up.
Taking advantage of the Scarlet Eyes state, Mourers also [synthesized] three anchor points.
Perhaps it was the ingrained habit of vocalizing for twenty years, or perhaps it was the result of Zoldyck training, but Mourers still couldn't make a sound.
Afterward, Mourers thought about it repeatedly and found another reason for herself.
She was worried that her voice might not sound good enough to match her appearance.
Therefore, this was something she had to practice alone, to avoid embarrassment. If her voice turned out to be unpleasant, she would rather have her vocal cords removed and remain mute!
"Haven't you had enough fun?" Kuroro cupped the ends of her loose hair.
It was also because of Kuroro's action that her pinned-up hair almost fell into the bathtub water.
She had already decided to practice vocalization alone, yet Kuroro still hadn't given up.
He always wanted to have everything.
Even though she knew his intentions, Mourers kept losing her resolve due to his charm and kept postponing.
After all, he was a character she might never be able to play with again, and he was super proactive. This unscrupulous guy had many tricks up his sleeve and was unrestrained, which opened Mourers' eyes and made it difficult to let go immediately.
Originally, Mourers had set a deadline: "the killer of Mefisto is found." She believed in Shalnark and the others' abilities.
But she seemed to have been too optimistic.
Ah—really! Haven't Shalnark and the others found the killer of Mefisto yet?!
Hurry up!
Through the mist, Mourers looked at herself in the mirror. The area around her eyes was a striking red.
Kuroro also looked at Mourers in the mirror, reached out to wipe away the condensation on the mirror, and his fingertip lingered on the crimson.
Colors had emotions, and besides anger and despair, they could also be filled with desire.
...She had found something interesting.