2023-09-12 01:23:20"Right, so I can't seem to remember what's so important this time around that you hit me on the head with a dictionary. What's today's occasion, Hen-hen?"
Musashi Henko, as indicated by the name he had written on the paper earlier, was now affectionately referred to as Hen-hen by Heath. This nickname perfectly captured his caring and nurturing nature, akin to that of a mother hen, always attentive and protective of those around him. It was a fitting moniker for someone who had been a constant presence in his counterpart's life, looking out for him like family.
In a way, Henko was more than just a friend or cousin. Through the maternal line, he had a distant familial connection with Heath, making their bond even stronger. They had shared countless memories and experiences, growing up together from a very young age. This long history of companionship had forged a deep understanding and closeness between them.
Hearing this, Heath wasn't surprised anymore that he and his parallel self were practically brothers at this point.
"You're going to teach again after taking a break following... well, your fallout?" Heath trailed off, realizing that this could be a sensitive topic. But it was easy to slip back into joking around after a long while.
Heath smiled, a bit of bitterness underlying it, but a smile nonetheless. "It's okay. I'm sure she's relieved to be free from her suffering."
"Uh, well, that's not what I meant, but... ahem." Henko stopped himself before potentially reopening a barely healing wound, yet he still forced a smile, his facial expression clearly strained.
Slightly curious but not prying, Heath decided it was better to leave the last sentence unanswered, assuming that the blond was once again referring to his mother, Nana's death.
Henko had revealed that in this parallel universe, Heath's mother was not a victim of illness but was actually murdered. The revelation alone was disturbing, but when Heath's mind processed the information, a chilling premonition of a darker truth than a simple robbery washed over him. The pieces of the puzzle began to connect in his mind, hinting at a more sinister and complex web of events.
According to Henko, she was a modest woman, hardly leading a luxurious life, making the notion of her being a random target of a robbery seem absurd. Moreover, the authorities failed to uncover any evidence suggesting that her murder was anything other than a robbery.
‘This desperation seemed to be the start of his downfall,’ he thought, contemplating the worst-case scenario that his parallel self must have endured.
Desperate for funds to seek out the truth, he resorted to selling his belongings and pawning his and his mother's house to a wealthy neighbor. Though the neighbor allowed him to stay there, his parallel self couldn't find peace in a place where his mother had met her untimely end.
Heath couldn't help but feel sympathy for the unfortunate individual. After all, he had experienced his own share of family troubles.
The poor guy’s own family had rejected him due to his status as a bastard son.
Surprisingly, the previous King consort wasn’t his biological father in this world. According to Henko, the older man had genuinely cared for Heath and had been a loving husband to Nana, his mother. However, one day he mysteriously vanished without a trace, leaving behind a void in their lives.
Heath couldn't shake off the feeling that there might be some ‘funny business’ behind the old man’s disappearance as well, but for now, he could only rely on Henko as his ally. However, the blond had his own financial responsibilities to attend to, which limited his ability to help.
Now, onto the topic at hand.
"Teaching? But I thought I was dismissed or something," He voiced his suspicion, relying on his sharp intuition—a magical trait passed down through his ancestors, namely Enhanced Insight, that still seemed to work remarkably well, even in this unfamiliar world.
"Uh, not exactly. I believe Sanao-san mentioned a potential transfer to the special class," Henko replied cautiously.
'Definitely something fishy,' he thought, though he acknowledged his lack of familiarity with the person in question.
'Well, no matter. After surviving his Mentor from Hell’s intense tutoring, dealing with a bunch of kids should be a piece of cake.'
Heath pondered for a moment, sensing his cousin's curious gaze.
"What?" he raised an eyebrow, prompting for an explanation.
"I forgot that our physiques don't match. And since you burned your suits along with your old clothes—I'm still wondering, why on earth did you do that?"
Heath sweatdropped.
Though he had no clear memories of it, there was a faint image lingering in the depths of his mind regarding that event. It was a snapshot of a time when Heath was engulfed in a haze of alcohol and drowning in his own sorrows. "I was a drunken, depressed mess," he confessed, his voice tinged with a feigned mix of self-awareness and resignation. "What did you expect from me in that state?"
"Yeah, I shouldn't have taken you to the bar that day," Henko groaned.
"Well, do you have any decent spare outfit, at least?" Heath inquired back.
"I do, but they'd be too big for you. Besides, we only have about half an hour before we need to leave."
"I see, so going to the store isn't an option," the brunet hummed.
"And we're completely broke." Henko chided
"Right, that too."
A moment of silence hung between them before they burst into laughter.
"Well, I guess there's no other choice then." Heath stood up, stretching his body slightly.
"What? You're planning to meet the chairman in that hideous sweater of yours?" the blond cringed, feigning disgust.
"Of course not, dumbass." Heath rolled his eyes, then grinned mischievously. "I'm going to ruin one of your formal wear~!" he declared obnoxiously and soon followed it up with another chirp before the other could even comment. "Don't worry, I'll pay you back soon enough. Just show me the sacrificial lamb, okay~?"
As he can only stand there taken a back, Henko finally realized that wasn't all that prepared to have Heath's chaoticness return on full blast as he had previously thought.
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Shot of Silence Chapter 5: Change of Theme
"H-How...?" His jaw dropped. Henko did not expect such a drastic change simply from a change of clothes. "Hmm?" "How the fuck did you just transform from a nerdy dork to this?" In his stunning transformation, Heath emerged in a crisp, tailored suit that effortlessly enhanced his once nerdy figure into a captivating and sharp look. The suit, expertly crafted from a luxurious fabric, draped his frame with precision and elegance. Its deep navy hue conveyed a sense of authority and sophistication, perfectly complementing his newfound confidence. The jacket, meticulously tailored to fit his form, featured a slim cut and structured shoulders that accentuated his broadened physique. The lapels, sleek and refined, gracefully framed his face, drawing attention to his strong jawline. The crisp white dress shirt, flawlessly pressed, added a touch of refinement and contrasted beautifully against the rich, dark shade of the suit. Completing the ensemble, a slim, silk tie in a complementary sha
Shot of Silence Chapter 6: Fresh Lane
'I can't believe this shit...' That brunet is actually starting to grow weary with all of the surprises today He had seen his family's corpses for the last time before he himself died, he found himself transported into a parallel universe, where he was nothing more than a civilian—a teacher, to be precise, suddenly, he was transferred to another class situated in a secluded island in the middle of a man-made lake. And now, this... Heath inwardly sighed, realizing that with his luck, these kinds of things would always happen no matter where he ended up. Shaking his head, he chuckled and said, "Right, where are my manners?" Disregarding the fact that he had just witnessed a "man" stretching from one corner of the room to stand in front of him, seemingly responsible for the sudden space explosion in the past month. He couldn't help but feel a mix of bewilderment and amusement. The bizarre occurrences continued to unfold before his eyes, defying all logical explanations. Yet, amidst
Shot of Silence Chapter 7: Meeting class I-9
Instead of trembling at the sight of these bright neon airgun pellets rolling out of the classroom's door, the brunet felt rather comical when he heard the way the attendance goes. 'Man, it seems like even in this second chance at life, my days won't ever be so dull.' Feeling amused, Heath was half wondering if weapons such as guns were as common as hunter knives over here. After all, in his past life, weapons weren’t distributed as casually, even when war broke out, so the fact that these adults let kids carry and use guns caught him off guard. ‘Then again, the children at the other school building, they don’t bring anything with them.’ So, perhaps, this place is the odd one out? ‘Well, either way,’ Heath chuckled to himself, wondering what's in store in the future as he watched the door finally open for him as the cue for him to come in. "I must say, sensei, that was an interesting way to start the day. So thrilling~" The former prince couldn't help but comment as a sense o
Shot of Silence Chapter 8: First Impression
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Shot of Silence Chapter 9: Beyond the Handshake
Fighting back a sigh, Heath stared out the window at the clear sky above. ‘How peaceful,’ he noted, yet he couldn’t bring himself to enjoy the calming atmosphere. And just like that, as if jinxing himself, the silence was broken by someone talking right next to his ear. "Hmm, what's with the long face, Heath-kun?" Upon turning his head, Heath found an unsettling grin suddenly only a few inches from his face. ‘This punk—’ That prince didn't flinch, as he was quite used to ambushes in his previous life, but his brow did twitch for another reason. “Maa, Perry-kun~” He piped in response. “Please don’t invade my personal space if you want to live,” Heath said, delivering a casual threat with a mirroring grin. “Oops, right right. Sorry!” The mutant took a step back, raising his hands in a playful surrender, while the brunet shook his head bemusedly. On one hand, the former prince was used to sneak attacks from both friends and foes. On the other hand, his co-worker wickedly reminde
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Shot of Silence Chapter 11: Fixed Appearance
"Oi, Heath?" "Yes, Hen-Hen?" The brunet smiled innocently as the blond, annoyed with his companion, stared at him. "Where did you get that fedora?" "Oh, this?" Heath tipped the said item down, "I made it. Neat, isn't it~?" He grinned. Just like the birthday gift he made for his father figure, he recreated an exact copy to honor his mentor. "—NeAt iSn'T iT?" Henko mocked before sighing, "And just with what money did you use to buy the materials?" He won't even bother asking how this clumsy Kirby was even able to make something so high class without injuring himself. "Oh, I didn't need to buy anything. You already had an old, unused fedora in your drawer, gathering dust all alone in the sad corner. So I took it, used that as the base, and added some things here and there. Now, voila~!" "Voila, my ass! How the fuck did you make such a fancy hat so neatly?" Heath chuckled over his cousin’s freak outs, “Technically I didn’t make it, just reused it, but meh, Potato - Tomato, right?”
Shot of Silence Chapter 12: Initial Notes
Heath hummed to himself as he flipped through more pages of the files in his current possession. In the name of collecting data about his new environment, Heath had observed their target the entire day before proceeding to ask both Perry and Lillian if they had any additional information on each and every student of I-9. After all, above all else, he was now a teacher. So, rather than focusing on his mutant co-worker, his primary attention should be on the students’ development. With that in mind, Heath carefully examined each file, paying close attention to every student's record. He reviewed their accomplishments, acknowledged their difficulties, and tried to understand what made each of them special. In his new role, Heath wasn't just keeping track of facts; he was also making initial notes on how to assist these young students in growing and succeeding in their futures. Regarding that, quite surprisingly, through the short observation, Heath discovered that the mutant had a few
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Chapter 60: Decision makers
“Henhen?”“Hmm?”“What are you doing, man?”“Resting.”Heath sighed as he turned to his right, where the blonde man lay down. “You do realize this bed has no space for two grown-up men, right? Why are you here?”Henko just grinned as he looked to his left. “If we sleep on our sides, it’s possible!”“Haa… geez.” The brunet facepalmed before chuckling. “A sleepover at this age, my dude?”“Sleepovers aren’t limited by age.”Heath sweatdropped at the curt reply. “Can I at least get why you insisted? Aren’t I usually the one being all clingy?”“Yeah, yeah, you are. So it’s my turn now.”“But I’m still sick. Weren’t you the one who told me to sleep early today?” Heath arched a brow, questioning. Yet Henko remained quiet.“?”Not only did the blonde ignore that question, but he was also actively avoiding the topic without avoiding Heath entirely.“Henko?” Heath prompted, concern creeping into his voice.Henko sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers he was searching fo
Chapter 59: Piles of Options
In the end, towards Agent K’s offer, Heath said that this decision was not his alone, since he lived with his cousin who knew nothing of the I-9 class's true nature. Which is why he couldn’t just put his signature on it yet, thankfully, the smiley man agreed to let him go.“You can just send me an email of it when you have the time. Please consider my sincere offer wisely, Sagara-san. After all, you’ve worked hard when it should have been our responsibility.”His words seemed well-intended, and a bright smile was present, but for a moment there, Agent K's smile looked absurdly evil. Heath couldn’t hide his flinch as he tried to mask the blaring alarm in his head at the sight with his own smile. The juxtaposition of the agent's demeanor with the sinister undertones was unsettling.He had wondered why Agent K switched up so fast all of a sudden. But now he realized why the smiley man, who never seemed to actually smile with his eyes, hadn’t been grilling him further despite the chances.
Chapter 58: Recount
By the time the sun rose the next day, the students were called to get ready to go home as their trip duration was over. Heath, despite still not being fully recovered, had no choice but to pack up as well.‘Thankfully, the fever has dropped a lot,’ he thought. While he was still warm, overall he felt fine, and his core was mostly fixed up, enough that he could check the number of people in disguises around their group.‘At least the government seems to have finally pulled themselves together,’ he mused. It was for the best, really, after their major failure last time.That being said, ‘Lil’ bro isn't here?’ He looked around. ‘No, he's not the only one missing,’ his brief search was, however, interrupted by a call.“Looking for someone, Heath-sensei?”The brunet blinked before smiling with his eyes, to show his emotions despite his mask. “Oh, Jitsuo-kun! Glad to see you up and about~”The boy grinned back at him in response. “The medic told me to take it easy for a while and get lots
Chapter 57: Investigation (pt. 3)
“To be honest, I didn’t think that they were kidnapped,” Heath said, his voice steady despite the strain he felt. When the device was activated, Heath initially didn’t think the situation was that grave. “I thought my students were entangled in a gang fight or something.”“Pardon?” Agent K's eyebrow arched in surprise.Heath scratched his cheek a bit, appearing embarrassed. “My students, they're good kids. But some of them can be… sassy at times. Yeah, let's put it that way. And they're capable of defending themselves. So, um, yeah. I was worried that my students got into trouble, which is why I was rushing. But the scale of trouble they were in was something out of left field. Had I known that they were kidnapped and not just losing a street fight, I would have called Miller-san instead of Perry-sensei.”Heath's voice was calm and measured, every word carefully chosen. Above all, he was not lying. His enhanced Insight had declined the idea of a simple street fight and alarmed him tha
Chapter 56: investigation (pt. 2)
Asher had been the last to go among his guardians. That aloof guy had been the strongest, the ace of his cards back in the day. He didn't know how the man was killed, but Ernesh had been considerate enough to spare him the brutal details. Back then, Heath didn’t have the mental capacity to take in the entire truth either. Asher's death was odd. Being the strongest among his guardians, it was hard to believe he was killed because of a mole. But at the time, Heath had no reason to doubt his sworn brother. Detecting no lies in the man's words, he could only bitterly accept the fact that all the true Veridiania had been wiped out, leaving only him.Out of all the Quadradirmias, only Heath Veridiania and Ernesh Mazzanti, along with his guardians, were left while Umbranox had fallen and Eventidea couldn’t continue either, being close to ruin. Asher's death made him question whether he could carry on at all. Ernesh was the only reason he could see the end of the coup. That’s why his betraya
Chapter 55: investigation (pt. 1)
Heath sat on the edge of the bed in his dimly lit hotel room, the shadows from the sparse lamps casting an eerie glow on the walls. His feverish state was evident; his face was pale and slick with sweat, a damp cloth draped over his neck in a futile attempt to cool his burning skin. Despite the discomfort, he forced himself to maintain a semblance of composure.Seeing his state, Lillian wanted to push back the questioning session. After all, there’s just no way that the searing heat on his skin is a mere facade. Despite her own suspicions, Heath has been nothing but cooperative. Lillian knows herself well enough to know she doesn’t get emotional easily, yet when it comes to this brunet, she always feels this bubbling anxiety whenever the man is not okay. It’s suspicious.This wasn’t the first or second time she felt this way. This is the third time she has witnessed this civilian being hurt. ‘Is it because I’m getting used to his bubbly self that seeing him like this shakes me so much?
Chapter 54: Recuperate
‘I'm so beat…’ and that was such an understatement, he knew.Perry had been incredibly helpful in guiding him to his bedroom per his request because, at the moment, even breathing was a chore. Lillian and her buddies, whom he was so sure would have questioned him then and there, were apparently lenient enough to let him go when he was caught dazedly staring at the wall or the ceiling multiple times. Thankfully, no one really quizzed him about his condition since no injuries were found, assuming he was simply exhausted from running miles.“Heh heh…~” His condition was bad, but not as bad as he thought it’d be. It was actually surprising that he wasn’t bleeding out somehow, but perhaps it was because he’d been training on his own time, and even more after the ambush by the Leilian brothers. Regardless, he found his situation to be rather amusing.‘The recoil.’ He could feel his core cracking inside due to the strain. Just because he knew how to use magic didn’t mean he should have pushe
Chapter 53: Rescued
“Phew, what a troublesome bunch.”After making sure that everyone was unconscious, Heath combed his hair before dusting off his outfit. At first, he thought it would be hard to deal with them, but in fact, he had been overestimating his enemies by a couple of notches. He had expected them to at least tear his outfit, land a strong hit once, or worse, shoot him. But none of that ever happened, and luckily, his clothes weren’t tainted with blood. Feeling a bit proud that he could control his power merely by judging from his appearance, he then counted his victims.‘24 down.’The last three people were not pursuing him.Throb.Scowling as his feet began to move again, it seemed like there was no time for him to rest. His enhanced insight was acting up again, and since he wasn’t in any immediate threat, his second hunch was about his missing students.Throb.‘Don’t just agree with me, gosh,’ he thought, gritting his teeth. He scanned the area once more before mumbling curses under his br
Chapter 52: First contact
"You bastard!!!"No guns yet; it seems like they chose close combat instead. 'Well, lucky me, that would make things easier.'A fist was launched, but Heath easily ducked it and immediately followed with a roundhouse kick. The blow connected, sending the guy sprawling."T-That can't be...!"That last guy had been on the heavier side indeed. He was probably one of their best fighters, which is why this last man standing was left quivering, in disbelief that his comrades were defeated so easily.Well, it turns out, despite his scare, he seems to know how to assess the situation. And now Heath was facing the fearful weapon he had dreaded.The guy aimed and desperately shot in Heath's direction as if it were his lifeline. Which, quite frankly, was not far-fetched.BANG! BANG! BANG!'It has a line projectile, so once he fires, if he misses, he misses.'Unlike some magic that can chase after its target, bullets don't work that way, which is relieving because that means Heath could just move
