After retirement I became a guardian of troubled youth

Nakahara Chuya and Okiya Subaru, one standing inside the door, the other standing outside the door, with an overturned pot and curry all over the floor in between.

The two looked at each other in silence.

Awkward, stiff, and wary.

In the end, it was Zhongyuan Zhongye who was the first to react after hearing the footsteps coming from the kitchen. He showed a pure smile at the ulterior visitor at the door, stepped out of the door apologetically, and picked up the pot first.

"I'm sorry." While bending over to pick up the pot, he raised his head to look at Okiya Subaru who was still stunned.

His body was a little stiff, and his bent back revealed a deep sense of guilt.

Okiya Subaru seemed to have sensed something, and looked up at the door with such astonishment.

Hikaru Ueno happened to be standing there with a spatula in his hand, looking at the two of them in bewilderment and surprise.

Of course, the main reason is to look at the back of Zhongyuan, which is also full of guilt.

And Zhongyuan Zhong also happened to pick up the pot at this time, and a large piece of curry was stained on the sleeve of his shirt, staining the whiteness.

His clothes were taken from Ueno Hikaru's closet yesterday, and they were a bit too big to wear.

Because the suit he himself wore...was "naturally" dirty by Dazai Osamu yesterday afternoon.

Hikaru Ueno still remembered the joy and cherishment he felt when he put on this dress yesterday, so he naturally didn't miss the moment of regret in his side face.

But in the next second, that pity turned into deeper guilt.

Hikaru Ueno watched, felt distressed unconsciously, and stepped out of the threshold.

For the umpteenth time, he felt that the child Zhongye was really cute and sensible.

So cute and sensible that it makes people feel distressed.

"Sorry... I was not awake just now, and I had some conditioned reflexes." Nakahara Nakaya turned sideways to Ueno Hikaru, as if he didn't notice him at all, just stared at Okiya Subaru intently, and asked sincerely, "Didn't scare you? "

Okiya Subaru: I was scared.

But in fact, he just waved his hand at him with a smile, said "it's okay", and in turn cared about Nakahara Chuya.

This scene, although embarrassing, is also very harmonious.

One of the two people raised their head and the other lowered their head, holding the same pot.

They all really felt the very sincere sense of coercion from each other.

The undisguised kind.

Okiya Subaru doesn't know what the current cadres of the port mafia are here for.

Zhong Yuanzhong also couldn't figure out the intentions of this guy who was so vigilant when he saw him and even sent curry to his brother's house.

——But in short, he must have no good intentions.

The two agree on this point.

He was silent for a while, and cruelly interrupted the "love at first sight" between the two: "I have a lot of time to chat slowly if I have anything to say."

He paused, and the spatula pointed to the curry on the ground.

"Now, let's tidy up these first."

If it was before, it could clean it up directly with its ability, but now, it can only do it with bare hands.

The three of them went to the house together to get the tools and came back to work.

Hikaru Ueno grabbed Nakaya's wrist, rolled up his sleeves skillfully, and asked by the way, "Why is there such a conditioned reflex?"

He looked like he asked casually, but the tight jawline revealed the tension of the young man at this time.

Zhong Yuanzhong also thought about why he was nervous.

Suddenly blessed to the heart, the hand wiping the curry shrinks.

His hand rested right under Ueno Hikaru's eyes, and the shrinking was particularly obvious.

Hikaru Ueno looked up at him.

"I... haven't had a good life." Zhong Yuanzhong also hesitated for a while, but still felt a little pain in his conscience, and couldn't bear to lie to his brother too badly, so he added the second half of the sentence, "At the very beginning."

"Brother also knows, I'm with Bo-Mr. Mori...to save people." Zhong Yuan Zhong also stumbled.

On the contrary, it seems that his narrative is more authentic.

"But at the beginning, the work was not as smooth as it is now. In many places we went, everyone regarded us as the enemy. Mr. Sen came to visit and wanted to treat them, but they were kicked out by them. At night, they They will also sneak up on us, rob us of our things, and even quietly poison our food and use.”

Hikaru Ueno's heart shrank, and he grabbed the young man's slightly trembling wrist.

It seemed that he wanted to comfort him and calm him down in this way.

"In the beginning, I was injured many times due to various reasons. Sometimes it was poisoned, and sometimes they beat me directly with sticks..." Zhong Yuan also shook his head with a chuckle, pulled out his hand, and buried his head in cleaning the ground , and continued to muffle: "Bo...Mr. Mori said that blades with supernatural powers should not be directed at innocent people. So..."

Zhong Yuanzhong also said, and stopped again.

He felt a little too much.

In fact, this experience was secretly passed by him in collusion with Osamu Dazai in the middle of the night last night.

The two of them have always been at loggerheads, and it is only on this kind of matter that they can barely reach an agreement.

But now, Zhong Yuanzhong is also faintly worried that the experience he fabricated is a bit too much.

He actually... didn't want his brother to feel sad and heartbroken because of them.

Although he was also very angry at the other party's leaving without saying goodbye and deliberately concealing it.

but……

Zhongyuan Zhong also lowered his eyes and let out a breath of foul air.

Their current behavior seems to be a little more excessive than that of their elder brother.

But Hikaru Ueno didn't see the entanglement in his heart at all, just thought he was recalling the painful past, rubbed his neck lightly, and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Zhong Yuan Zhong also froze, his pupils shrank sharply, and then immediately returned to normal.

Where Hikaru Ueno just touched, there was an extremely tiny wound.

It was the wound he left when he was attacked by other people with different abilities during his last mission.

In fact, it is almost gone, and it is usually impossible to find it.

But brother is...

It has been like this since childhood.

No matter how minor the injury was, no matter how he concealed it, he always seemed to be able to find out.

It's just a matter of asking or not asking.

When asking, Ueno Hikaru never stopped his "fighting" behavior, but just told him to pay more attention to himself next time.

When he didn't ask, Ueno Hikaru took advantage of a certain contact and secretly helped him heal that little wound.

Hikaru Ueno always thought that Nakahara had never discovered his behavior.

But in fact, every time he was secretly cured, Zhong Yuanzhong would also notice it instantly.

Because the healed wound will have a warm itch.

But this time is different.

This time it was a little fleeting coolness.

Because the elder brother's ability is out of control, he can no longer use it.

Zhong Yuanzhong also came back to his senses and shook his head.

"It doesn't hurt."

He laughed.

"I'm now rarely -- almost never hurting."

He shrugged and rubbed his neck uncomfortably under Hikari's gaze.

"It's fine, I'm great."

"It's just a few minor injuries." Zhongyuan Zhong also paused, and whispered, "It's worth it."

Okiya Subaru, who was listening, silently took two steps back to pick up another piece of curry.

With this experience, he...

Thank you for being sensitive.

A gang/hand/party who does all kinds of evil, in order to save others, he is willing to hurt himself.

This is even more ridiculous than the fact that the black organization is full of undercover agents.

But what about Mitsunobu Ueno.

Curry was cleaned up and all went in the trash.

Okiya Subaru looked down and suddenly laughed.

No lie can ever be concealed forever.

He is now looking forward to what these two people will experience when the true faces hidden in layers are revealed.

Okiya Subaru walked at the end, looking at Nakahara Chuya who was following Ueno Hikaru, and Dazai Osamu who seemed to have just woken up and looked in this direction with sleepy eyes.

He has reached an agreement with the other party.

But it does not mean that other people should also recognize this agreement.

Besides, this is already the second one.

No one knows if there will be more in the future.

Ask them to visit someone at Poirot's Café together.

It should be on the agenda too.

After entering the door, Nakahara Nakaya immediately grabbed Osamu Dazai and went to the second floor.

Okiya Subaru raised his eyes and followed the two to the stairs.

Osamu Dazai looked back suddenly, raised the corners of his mouth towards him, and showed a meaningful smile.

Okiya Subaru raised his eyebrows, and without changing his smile, he went into the kitchen with the pot in his hand.

You don't need to listen to know that the topic of these two people's conversation is nothing more than "him".

About who he is and why he's here.

Although he was afraid of the other party, he also believed that Osamu Dazai would explain this matter to the cadre clearly.

It's nice to be around smart people.

Can save a lot of unnecessary worry.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked Hikari Ueno with a smile.

……

The four of them got together and had a breakfast that seemed to fit the bill.

During this period, Ueno Hikaru suddenly remembered the "real purpose" of Osamu Dazai's trip, and asked with concern: "Aren't you looking for that child?"

He was talking about Kudo Shinichi.

The long-lost high school student detective.

Osamu Dazai's task target for coming to Mihua this time.

Hikari Ueno had a vague impression of that child.

After all, that kid had a deep bond with Kaito back then.

Hikaru Ueno was also a little curious about how far the kid who wanted to be a detective had grown up now.

If there is a chance, he still looks forward to meeting the other party.

After so many years, I don't know what the little boy has become.

Will it change a lot?

Or can you recognize it at a glance?

"Hmm..." Osamu Dazai frowned after hearing what he said, showing a bit embarrassed look, "I don't have a clue yet..."

Zhong Yuan paused with his hand holding the bread, and cast him a suspicious look that could almost be called "weird".

Osamu Dazai remained calm.

"After all, that detective is too elusive." He sighed, leaned back on the chair, tilted his head slightly to look at Ye Guang, "I guess it will take a long time to find him."

So Ueno Hikaru also showed a embarrassed expression.

Okiya Subaru seized the opportunity, "kindly" reminded: "Ah, I suddenly remembered that the detective has a coffee shop that he often goes to."

"It's not far from here, go over there and have a look, maybe you will find more clues."

He paused, chuckled, and pushed his glasses.

"Maybe I'll meet myself again."

Since going to see someone has been put on the agenda.

It is better to hit the sun than to choose a day, just today.

Osamu Dazai glanced at him, as if he had guessed something, chuckled silently, straightened up and looked at Hikari Ueno, as if asking for his opinion.

"That store has a good reputation, and you can also go there to try their coffee and small desserts."

Hikari Ueno is not interested in coffee at all.

But, dessert he can!

Ueno Hikaru, who was invisibly brought by some younger brothers and was keen on desserts, made a decision in an instant, and looked up at the other two, his eyes sparkling.

Convey hidden expectations.

He implicitly solicited his brothers' opinions: "Do you want to go?"

there is always a solution to a problem.

Brother happy is more important than anything else.

Osamu Dazai and Chuya Nakahara agreed without thinking.

What's more, they are also very curious about what ulterior purpose this young man with squinting eyes is hiding.

……

Poirot's Café opened under a detective agency.

When they arrived, there were not many people in the coffee shop.

There were three or two young people sitting sporadically in the corner.

On the sofa against the wall, five children, three men, two women, and five children were sitting in a row. Three of them were chatting lively, and the other two sitting beside them looked helpless, showing a sense of maturity that did not match their age. .

Hikaru Ueno glanced casually, his eyes paused on the boy wearing glasses, and then moved away.

Looks a little... familiar?

While looking at other places, he was thinking about it.

Two waiters, a man and a woman, stood behind the counter and looked over at the same time when they heard the door open.

The male waiter's gaze changed for a moment, and then he immediately returned to normal, walking towards them with a decent smile.

This person's hospitality is not too warm, which makes people feel very comfortable.

And on the way, I heard from Okiya Subaru that this restaurant has a very popular sandwich, which is the work of this young man.

Hikaru Ueno withdrew his thoughts, gave him a shallow smile, and responded to his greeting: "Hello."

The clerk who claimed to be Toru Amuro led them to the other end, where they were leaning against the window, and they could just see the street view outside.

When passing by the table of the five children, Ueno Hikaru's gaze inadvertently turned to the boy again.

This time, the boy happened to be looking at him too.

The moment the two looked at each other, a figure suddenly slipped through Ueno Hikaru's mind.

He faltered in his steps, looked at the boy with a bit of astonishment, and said, "Kudou——"

"Ahahaha!" The boy suddenly patted the table and stood up, hastily interrupting Ueno Hikaru's unspoken words.

His awkward smile immediately attracted the attention of the audience.

boy.

Well.

Kudo Shinichi touched the back of his head in embarrassment, and continued to praise him with an awkward smile: "My brother is so good-looking, hahaha."

"..."

Hikaru Ueno stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then suddenly reacted, smiled, touched his head, and said "thank you".

He was surprised that after seven years, Kudo Shinichi was still exactly the same as when he was a child.

But obviously, the kid didn't want others to know about it.

Everyone will have their own secrets.

Ueno Hikaru understood this sentence deeply, and was happy to help this kid hide his secret.

Just ...

I'm a little sorry for Osamu Dazai who still has to complete the commission.

Ueno pursed his lips.

He looked at the young man beside him.

Osamu Dazai was smiling and staring at the child across from him.

Looked quite interested in him.

Perhaps it was the intuition of the god of death.

The moment he saw Osamu Dazai's smile, Hikaru Ueno suddenly felt a little... uncomfortable.

It was a vague, buoyant feeling.

It was gone in the blink of an eye.

But Hikaru Ueno couldn't help but look at him more.

At this glance, the discomfort just now is completely gone.

Hikaru Ueno blinked.

Is it an illusion?

Resignation will not only affect his ability, but also affect his feelings?

That's a bit of a hassle.

"Conan."

The little girl next to Kudo Shinichi suddenly tugged at his clothes, complaining a bit,

"It's not good for you to do this. Brother will be very embarrassed."

The little girl has a pair of pure and clear big eyes.

Ueno Hikaru looked at her, slightly startled.

Every child's eyes are more or less different.

The brightness and clarity in this girl's eyes was something he had never seen before in the eyes of his five younger brothers.

It feels cuter than his five younger brothers.

Bright and clear big eyes, a bit shy and sweet smile, and soft, waxy and reproachful child's voice.

These seem to be the privileges of a little girl of this age.

Has a unique aesthetic.

Hikaru Ueno couldn't hold back, and gently touched her head, raised the corners of his mouth, and said, "It's okay."

Out of the corner of the eye again, Osamu Dazai passed by.

This time, the young man was smiling at the little girl.

The discomfort flickered again for a moment.

Hikaru Ueno cast a puzzled look.

Well.Gone again.

Feeling his gaze, Osamu Dazai tilted his head to look over, and also showed a cute and sweet smile.

Of course, not the little girl kind.

is unique to him.

Obediently and sweetly smiled, eyebrows and eyes slightly curved.

Maybe it's because he doesn't make such an expression very often.

When Osamu Dazai smiles, he is always very touching.

It always makes Hikaru Ueno subconsciously want to like him more, to satisfy him more, and to keep such a smile on his face longer.

I also want to make this smile more real.

"What's wrong?" he asked Dazai.

Osamu Dazai grabbed his wrist, trying to take him back: "Let's go, brother. Let's sit over there."

Okiya Subaru suddenly proposed: "Why don't you just sit here. Sit next to these children."

Hikaru Ueno hesitated for a moment, and asked Osamu Dazai with bright eyes, "Is it okay?"

He really wanted to sit closer to these children.

The former Mr. Reaper actually liked children very much, but because of the limitations of his career, he was always hated by them.

Really, he hadn't been in contact with such a child for a long time.

Although, although Xiuzhi and Zhong are also his "brothers", they are his "children" who lived together for a period of time back then.

But after all, they are grown up now.

Love for them doesn't diminish.

But Hikaru Ueno still misses the appearance of "children" more or less.

And more importantly.

He found that these children, except for the girl on the farthest side, were not afraid of him.

She even seemed to want to get close to him.

It could be out of curiosity, or for some other reason.

But whatever the reason, Hikaru Ueno was happy.

Dazai Osamu: "..."

Pretending to be very happy: "Yes~"

Zhong Yuanzhong also sneered.

The girl who kept her head down and said nothing, heard the sneer, trembled slightly again, and clenched Kudo Shinichi's sleeve tightly.

She seemed nervous, even... frightened.

Hikari Ueno looked away and pursed his lips.

For a moment, he couldn't tell which adult this child was afraid of.

In short, it is the feeling.

Standing five.

like.

There's a little bit of it all.