zntlszt - Tumblr blog

zntlszt · 1 year ago

Text

"The Legend of Zenitsu" Arcs

When I first read the final chapter of Kimetsu no Yaiba I had mixed feelings about the saccharine modern day epilogue, but one detail I loved was the inclusion of “Zenitsu-den” (The Legend of Zenitsu), for although it was kind of funny that he’d make himself the focal hero, it was touching that he’d be the one to think to record everything that the Demon Slayer Corp together accomplished. Zenitsu always spent so much time in his head mulling over things that he’s nice to see him give form to his thoughts. It was bittersweet that they live in a time so peaceful that his own great-granddaughter would think everything about demons was entirely made-up, and if Yoshiteru was heavily implied to be a reincarnation (though this was never stated), it was nice to see him being proud of himself, in a roundabout way.

But then the second fanbook came out about eight months later with a rather unsavory version of Zenitsu writing his magnum opus. We see through Tanjiro’s assessment that as opposed to being a thoughtful chronicle of the battles the Corp underwent, it’s a collection of cringe self-insert fic and not even written in a way that makes sense. I was very disappointed by this, but as time went on I came to embrace it; the boy likes his indulgent escapism and he writes 79 volumes of this over the course of his life. Let him have his fun; one way or another I’m sure he was manly for his wife after getting a verbal slap in the face from his future brother-in-law.

Well over a year later, we got a little extra information about the contents of “Zenitsu-den” at the Gotouge exhibition, including titles for the story’s 25 arcs, which I have to assume were written over the course of Zenitsu’s life. Here’s the thing: “Zenitsu-den” is not a historic record or indulgent fantasy, it’s both.

“Zenitsu-den” is described as absurdity with events that don’t even fall in chronological order; but its swordplay and descriptions of demons are masterfully vivid and its developments may sometimes keep you on the edge of your seat. On the other hand, many sections are clearly lacking in explanation, and the author doesn’t even keep track of all the details or side character names. Speaking of the side characters, it’s said that the characters whom he depicts as the ugliest (men who are close to Nezuko who he resents for this) are actually handsome in real life, whereas the author depicts himself as a slim but tough man, but is said to be a chubby sweet tooth in real life who has trouble growing facial hair. His wife Nezuko is described down to the very number of her eyelashes. We know from Tanjiro’s comments in the Fanbook #2 comic that Zenitsu took seven pages each to describe himself and Nezuko (including adding somewhere that he, Zenitsu, is 2.7 meters tall), whereas other characters were lucky to get maybe two lines of messy introduction. While the author claims everything in the story in true, it’s almost entirely flights of fancy, and it takes a lot of dedication to read the whole thing and make any sense of it.

(Side note: It’s not clear if “Zenitsu-den” was ever published or if the only copy of each of the 79 volumes remains Agatsuma family property. What we do know that Zenitsu made his own illustrations, and the realistic paintings which his wife modeled for were things that people repeatedly offered him money for. He was known to have screamed “WHO WOULD SELL THEIR OWN WIFE” as his pants ripped apart at the butt because he was so worked up. Really unnecessary detail, but this is the Taisho Secret our favorite alligator chose to share.)

As for when Zenitsu began writing, it was sometime after settling into the Kamado household. The impetus was Tanjiro giving him a stern warning to stop doing shameless things like pretending he’s in pain so that Nezuko will rub his legs for him (and therefore stop paying attention to Inosuke). Tanjiro seems to interpret this as Zenitsu diving into his own fantasies after having been scolded. Even if Zenitsu might had been a bit upset with Tanjiro at first, Tanjiro is nonetheless the person whom he is most eager to show his writings to. In presumably a short time, he’s written a lot.

If we assume Zenitsu never edits and just wrote everything in the order of the arcs, then based on the content Tanjiro encountered with demon!Inosuke and Princess!Nezuko (and thief Sanemi somewhere or other, which I must assume is due to Zenitsu cheesed off about Sanemi sneaking into their home and leaving presents), then we can assume he already wrote the following arcs, though I’m more included to believe he inserted later writings into earlier parts of the story order.

The Birth of Zenitsu Arc The Demon Slaying Arc ~Fated Encounters~ The Heavenly Maiden Arc ~I Am Willing To Die For You~ The Tastiness of Nezuko-chan’s Cooking Arc Warring States Nezuko-hime Arc The Life of the Man Who Loved The Spirit of the Plum Tree Arc Zenitsu the Ninja Arc ~Love Like A Flash of Lightning~ Battling the Boar ~The Leaves of Darkness Flutter~

That’s… a lot. Like, over a third of the arcs. Not that we know how long these arcs are, but if Demon!Inosuke is the boar they face in that arc, then Tanjiro was put through a lot of reading. That story didn't even have "Arc" in the title. Then again, it’s just as likely that this Boar was simply the leader of the terrible boars whom trouble tanuki!Nezuko. Anyway, the arc dedicated to Nezuko’s cooking seems truly inspired. To go back to that “Spirit of the Plum Tree,” this reminds of a certain god of scholarship who is also a vengeful lightning god. It’s said that when Sugawara-no-Michizane was banished from the Heian capital, the spirit of the plum tree which he loved from his garden flew to his side in exile. I get the feeling that a lot of Zenitsu’s writings are self-inserts for himself and Nezuko in other stories he liked; Sengoku/Warring States and Ninja stories would had been popular fiction Zenitsu had grown up around, and there’s no end to folk tales of Tennyo/heavenly maidens. Also, the spirit of the plum tree is the example of how beautiful his illustrations are when his wife served as the model.

What with those first two arcs having relatively grounded topics, I have to wonder if Zenitsu started with realism in mind and then got flying off the handle. After all, fighting demons was a pretty big deal in his real life and his descriptions of demons were said to be remarkable, so I’d like to think that volume in particular was more grounded in true events than others (I suspect Yoshiteru was (re)reading this volume, or he had finally made it to the end of Volume 79 when Touko kicked him in the back). And, since there is a lot of sad content in that arc, it’s like he buried that second arc in all the more fanciful, triumphant arcs that came after it. Then again, if these writings are Zenitsu’s coping mechanism for a life that never usually went well for him, then it’s just as likely the circumstances of his birth were of godlike nature as opposed to the sad, short story of an abandoned baby with no name. Anyway, Zenitsu kept writing: Beautiful Swordswoman Nezuko Arc The Golden Dragon Wandering Alone Arc ~Go And Rescue Nezuko!~ Botamochi from Zenitsu Arc If we assume the content is similar to how Zenitsu twists real life people and events to make himself look better… I really wish I knew the context for that Botamochi one. Botamochi is another word for Ohagi. Somehow, this chapter is inspired by Sanemi. Is this where he takes in the thief persona, sneaking in and taking Zenitsu’s sweet snacks instead of leaving them? Or, if it implies someone presented ohagi, is this a story about Giyuu and Zenitsu hijacked it??

As for that Golden Dragon, is this a reflection of all those solo missions he went on, separated from Nezuko? Or was there any period of separation in real life? It’s always been a headcanon of mine that Zenitsu moved out of the Kamado house first to set up a nice place for his wife to live before they were married, so maybe in a period like that, however short? Or did he write that whole arc while she was on a visit to the Butterfly Mansion?

Also, is Zenitsu giving us the reverse AU we all dreamed of for Nezuko? I love and adore that he gives her a chance to be badass in these stories too. Speaking of being badass, Zenitsu seems to have some idea what he was like when he was asleep, as perhaps reflected in the next arc. Maybe this one was truer than he knew:

Rumble of the Knock-Out Secret Swordsmanship of Zenitsu Arc ~The Legendary Man’s Eyes Shine With Light~ And while he’s thinking back to other experiences in his demon slaying years… The Potato Feudal Lord Arc Wasshoi!! Rengoku-san, is that you!?!? And does the following have any Pillar influence too? Little Mouse-Boy Zenitsu Arc …nahhh. Speaking of Pillars, though, Tanjiro pointed out in the earlier arcs that Zenitsu was already the Thunder Pillar, though he didn’t particularly do anything cool to earn that title. We have no idea how old Zenitsu is by the time he’s writing these middle arcs, or what amusements he sought while having to navigate life as an adult, as presumably as the head of a family. He might had wanted to go back to being babied a little. The Dragon Palace Arc ~Eternal Nezuko~ Reference to Urashima Tarou and his time spent with Otohime at the underwater palace.

Sitting In A Happy Circle and Boiling Tea in Our Bellybuttons Arc I chose to literally translate this idiom for "doing something ridiculous." Since the Thunder God is known to steal bellybuttons, I wanted to keep the reference there. The Future Holds Zenitsu Arc Are you embracing adulthood, Zenitsu-kun?? Alternate translation ignoring the implied idiom in favor of being more literal, “Zenitsu Just Up Ahead Arc.” Pianist Zenitsu Arc ~Nezuko Like Raindrops Dripping from the Eaves~ Please tell me he was a pianist in real life. Please pretty please. Also, it's purely headcanon, but I want to think Yushiro found himself reading this one day and enjoying it before it occurs to him who wrote it and who these characters are and he feels disgusted by Zenitsu out-simping him.

The Gods’ Shrine Maiden Nezuko Arc She really gets to try everything, doesn’t she.

Zenitsu Makes A Fortune in A Single Stroke, Wahaha! Arc Wishful thinking? A spin on the truth of his youth?

Life or Death Struggle! Zenitsu the God Arc Is this where he writes about the battle with Kaigaku? Or is this just a setting in which to bring back Miko!Nezuko?

Big Romance☆Glittery Zenitsu Arc It has no canon basis, but I like to headcanon that around the 1970’s, Zenitsu takes Nezuko to Paris as a sweeping romantic gesture and takes photos of her the whole time. It is now my headcanon that Zenitsu wrote about himself glittering in Paris, being the best romantic partner ever. We’re winding down to the final arcs, though, Zenitsu’s got to be getting old by the time he wrote this one…

Master Zenitsu Arc ~The Appearance of a Great Teacher~ We know from Fanbook #2 that the modern day kids know Breath Technique, as they were preserved by performing them once a year at a shrine. This means Zenitsu satisfactorily taught Thunder Breathing to a successor. As many of his writings turn real life situations around from making him look bad to making him look good, I have to wonder if he was covering up his shame at being unable to pass on all the techniques Kuwajima taught him, or if he reached a point where he felt truly satisfied with having made a good teacher of the Thunder technique.

And speaking of getting up in years… I Will Be In Love With You A Thousand Years Arc ~Again, Even If We Are Reborn~ This is the part when I cried out. You guys. NEZUKO DIED FIRST. Like, I already had that guess, if we interpret Touko and Yoshiteru as their reincarnations. I’m glad that was never expressly stated even if it was heavily implied, because there’s nothing nice about former lovers being reborn as siblings, especially bickering ones. But, with Yoshiteru being so close in age to Touko, this implies that Zenitsu might had stuck around long enough to meet baby Touko before passing on to join her, whatever form that might take. Great-Grandpa Zenitsu wasn’t done writing yet, though. After Nezuko passed on, it seems he finally found it was time to write the last arc, of unknown length… The Life of Happiness Arc ~With Everything Based On The Truth~

………………………………..ausdtiatdiyagsdfyuATsdyguydfautsdfxduASDsfahtdFUASygDJHASDGyaGDSilU

You guys

I can’t

It’s just

HNNNNNGGGHHHHHH

306 notes · View notes

zntlszt · 1 year ago

Text

0 notes

zntlszt · 1 year ago

Link

#Nagao Kento #Naniwa Danshi #Kento

0 notes

zntlszt · 1 year ago

Text

Translation: Myojo March 2024: Naniwa Danshi

In this interview, Naniwa Danshi come up with a love story. They choose the heroine, the heroes, the rivals, and so on, assigning everyone parts, explaining what the story will be, and as expected, it's absolutely wild. Enjoy, and as always, please do not repost this anywhere!

Kazuya: Well, first, we have to decide on who's playing the heroine and the main character. Michieda The heroine is Onishi Ryusei! Right? Ryusei: I'll do my best~ <3 Michieda: Her name is… Ryucheko! Kazuya: Not "Ryuko"? (Laughs) Daigo: So, I guess the one who will be the one to win Ryucheko's heart is (Okano) Sukoyaka-kun… (while looking through the copy of MYOJO he had on hand). Ryusei: Ahahaha! Kazuya: What kind of kid is he~? (Taking a look at the magazine) Huh~! His name is in hiragana! Ryusei: But, it might be a little too soon for Sukoyaka-kun~ (laughs). Jo: Well, let's have Sukoyaka-kun play us in our childhood! Kento: I wonder who he looks like? Jo: If I had to say someone, it's Ryusei (laughs). He has long eyelashes. Daigo: He does look a little bit like Ryusei did when he was a child, huh. Ryusei: (Grinning) Daigo: Don't try to copy his way of laughing (laughs). Who would be good for the other person? Jo: There are so many people here to choose from ♪ Ryusei: Ummm… Kazuya: Kyosuke (mumbling). Ryusei: By Kyosuke, you mean Kyohei…? You changed his name? (Laughs) Well, it's Kyosuke! Ryucheko feels like he is trying to woo her. Kyohei: Understood. Kazuya: Is it okay that your name is Kyosuke? Kyohei: I'm totally okay with it! I'm just going along with what I'm told. Ryusei: Kyosuke is the type who's quite aggressive, so Ryucheko is happy at first, but he gradually becomes a pain in the ass, so one day, she meets the modest Michigetta (Michieda's nickname in South Korea) <3 Michieda: Ohh~, I see! Ryusei: She's attracted by Michigetta's casualness, so she's like, "rather than being pursued aggressively, I might like the chase!" Daigo: Will there be any rivals? Ryusei: I want candidates! Who doesn't have a role yet~? Daigo/Kazuya/Jo/Kento: (In high voices) Meee~<3 Ryusei: You all want female roles, huh~! (Laughs) I don't need that many rivals! Jo: Well, the three of us (Jo, Daigo, Kazuya) will be a mysterious trio of friends! Our names will be Oko, and… Kazuya: Not Kazuko?! Jo: Goko.

Daigo: Goko?! Nice! Jo: I'll be Roko. This trio will have the position of passing on information when Ryucheko is concerned, talking in a way that's like "it's been like __ recently, huh~." Ryusei: Ah, you won't be rivals? Jo: We'll be on your side, and we'll be spreading weird rumours. Ryusei: You'll be trying to trick me. Michieda: Kento hasn't been decided on yet. Kento: Well, I'll play the role of Kyosuke's best friend. Jo: A role where you're usually wearing armour. Kazuya: What the hell (laughs). That's like, "what are you doing~?" Daigo: You're dragging out "Dousuru Ieyasu" (laughs). Gen-san, always wearing armour! Ryusei: Could it be that it's a time travel type? Daigo: Yeah. By the way, the main time setting of the story is the Taisho era. Michieda: That's right! Time travelling from the past and the future, in the Taisho era? A rivalry that transcends time and space? Daigo: Yep, yep. Kyosuke is from the Taisho era, but Michigetta is a person who came from the future. From the early Heisei era. Ryusei: No, that's quite old! (Laughs) Michieda: Even though I was called Michigetta in the Reiwa era… Ryusei: But, it's emotional~! I bet his approach would be completely different. Kento: Michigetta will have a Heisei-like approach but, I'll teach Kyosuke to have an approach that's like the Sengoku period. Michieda: Like, "give me your email addy~"? Jo: Like, "let's exchange contact information via infrared"? Ah, but cell phones weren't widespread in the first year of Heisei… After all, is it through correspondence? Ryusei: There's no signal in the Taisho era. Kyohei: What about the Sengoku period? Ryusei: Like coming back after winning the war? Jo: Ahahaha! How about, out of the trio, only Goko and Roko actually came from the Azuchi-Momoyama period? Michieda: That's gonna be hard to summarize (laughs). Kazuya: Oko doesn't realize that, and so she's told that at the end. Ryusei: Doesn't that make Oko the main character? (Laughs) Are we doing a spin off, too? Jo: Who's the main character? Daigo: After all, wouldn't it be Gen-san? Ryusei: "I also want to be in love with Gen-san <3" Daigo: Cute <3 Michieda: "GenKoi" (laughs). Kento: By the way, would the main story be a school story? Daigo: Ryucheko is an office lady! Ryusei: So, after all, is Ryucheko someone from Reiwa who also traveled through time? The title is, "The Office Lady Who Went Through Time <3" Daigo: That's good, it's good! Jo: Yeah. In the end, everyone is traveling through time in a complicated way. Daigo: And, we thought that Oko was someone from the Taisho era, but they're actually from Osaka's Taisho Station in the future. Jo: That Taisho! (Laughs) "I'm from a certain year in the future, Meiei 8" or something. Daigo: How many eras after Reiwa is that? Ryusei: "Mei" as in "明", but what kanji is being used for "ei"? Daigo: The "ei" from "eien" ("永"). Ryusei: Or, we could make it so it's in English, right? Yeah <3 (he said "yeah" in English!) Jo: Ehh? Daigo: Fufu! MeiYeah! Ryusei: Yeah. MeiYeah! Daigo: Since it'll be a global era. Kyohei: Since the middle of this, I lost the plot on this. I can't follow it at all. Kazuya: By the way, in the end, who will Ryucheko choose? Ryusei: Kyosuke <3 She'll realize that, "after all, only Kyosuke can convey this kind of love to me." Daigo: You won't be able to watch it without crying! Tears of laughter, and tears of frustration. Michieda: Tears of joy, too! Daigo: Right. Won't this be a good story? Kyohei: It was honestly a good story!

5 notes · View notes

zntlszt · 1 year ago

Text

Translation: Potato February 2024: Onishi Ryusei x Nagao Kento x Fujiwara Joichiro

The theme of this interview is "retro" and they talk about their favourite retro things, the oldest things they have at their parents houses, an old memory of the three of them and more! Enjoy, and as always, please do not repost this anywhere!

Ryusei: When it comes to retro things, it's cream soda! Also, sakuranbo <3 (t/n: this means cherry in Japanese, and it's relevant that I kept it in Japanese) Jo: It's good. The one with the cherry on top, next to the ice cream? (t/n: he said "cherry" in English). Ryusei: Huh? Sakuranbo <3 Kento: You're particular about that, huh (laughs). Jo: Are you the type who mixes it when you drink it? Ryusei: I don't mix it, because if you do, it might overflow since it's all fizzy~. Kento: I don't get many chances to order it, but if I did, I would probably mix it. I feel like it would be a waste to eat it normally. Jo-kun, what about you? Jo: It depends on my mood that day! Also, speaking of retro, I love that thing. License plates and other old fashioned goods. I love going into sundries stores. Kento/Ryusei: License plates…? Jo: Like, the American ones. Ryusei: Ah, that kind of thing? Kento: Sundries that have an American feeling, huh. I was shocked, thinking that you were displaying Naniwa plates in your house (laughs). Jo: No. Maybe they have them on trains too? License plate type things. Ryusei: They sell them. The parts and stuff. Jo: Ryusei, have you bought them? Ryusei: I don't have much interest in that (laughs). I want to ride trains! Kento: I guess I have a few pairs of vintage jeans. But, even though I have them, I don't wear them. I just want to keep them. Ryusei: You take good care of them. Kento: It might be holding onto things in a different way. Jo: Isn't Ryusei the best at holding onto things? You've changed it recently but, how many years did you use that wallet that Maruyama-kun gave you before? Ryusei: Around 7 years or so? Kento: Amazing. Seems like it has quite a presence. Ryusei It did, so much so that the zipper came off (laughs). Jo: How long ago did you break it? Ryusei: 2 or 3 years. Kento: I don't know if it held up well (laughs). But, you were always using it. Jo: There are times where I think that all of the members are good at holding onto things. At rehearsal, there will be times where I'm watching a choreography video from 2 or 3 years ago, and I find that we're wearing the exact same rehearsal clothes as we were wearing then (laughs). Kento: Rehearsal clothes are only worn when we're doing rehearsals, so we don't really change them. Jo: What about nostalgic melodies? "Ikenai Taiyou" is really nostalgic for me. Ryusei: If I had to say a nostalgic melody, isn't it "Chippokenai Yuuki"? Jo: I sang that, too! Kento: Something like "Natsu Matsuri"? Jo: "Natsu Matsuri" already has the image of those drum games (laughs). It's a famous song, but surprisingly, I don't think I've sung it. Kento: Also, "Joyful." Ryusei: "GOOD LUCKY!!!!!" is nostalgic, too. I sang that~ ♪ Jo: That's a Universal song, I think. Kento: We did it at the theme park. Ryusei: I have a friend who posted a video of his friends dancing to that song on his timeline. It was done before TikTok came out but, I feel like at that time, there were a lot of pairs dancing to it. Kento: Also, to talk about things that are retro, I have a film camera.

Ryusei: I love digital cameras. I found one at my parents house a bit ago, and it hadn't been used. The design is cute, and the image quality is nice and grainy. I've been using it again recently because when I take photos with that quality, it makes me feel like I've gone back to that time. Jo: I still have my old cell phone. Kento: Is that so? I don't. To begin with, I started with a smart phone. Jo: Ryusei, what did you start with? Ryusei: It might have been a kids' cell phone! Jo: Cute (laughs). Kento: But, I had a PHS with my phone. It was a design with two different colours, and mine was yellow and orange. Jo: PHS, how nostalgic! The one where you could change the colour of the battery cover. I used to get the covers from my sister. Ryusei: Also, those small music players, didn't everyone have those? Kento: That brings me back! Jo: Tea stickers were really trendy at that time, so that's where I put mine! (Laughs) Ryusei: That takes me back~. I had Sexy Zone on mine, and I was always listening to them. Jo: Do you know about MD? You could borrow CDs from a rental shop, and put them on an MD. I'm just barely in that generation. Kento: I know it. On the other hand, I'd use a boombox. There was a small type that you could put on your waist, and you'd snap the cassette into it. Jo: I remember that the seniors were really into that (laughs). Kento: Like, "I remember that thing" (laughs). Ryusei: What do you listen to on it? Kento: Stuff like Nirvana. If you look, there's various things for sale, so it's fun. Jo: What's the oldest thing at your parents house? Ryusei: Stuff like the grey Nintendo that my mom and dad used. Jo: The Super Nintendo. Ryusei: I probably played Mario for the first time on that. I think we still have it at home! Kento: We have the original red NES. I played the game with the gorilla on it. Jo: Mine is Hina dolls. They're olllld. They've been used as decoration since I was a kid.

Kento: There's a lot of old stuff at my grandpa's house. Or rather, it's just old stuff. There's pictures and books, and dictionaries that puff out dust when you tap them. Ryusei: I want to explore it. Can I go? Kento: No, no! (Laughs) Jo: Kento, are you like your grandpa? Kento: I'm the most like him. I don't look like my ma or pa, but I do look like my grandpa. You'll find him in the fields more than his house, growing things like strawberries and vegetables. Ryusei: Cute. I want to meet your gramps. Kento: I already said no! (Laughs) Jo: Well, finally, what are the retro memories of the three of us? Kento: Isn't it steak? Ryusei: When we went to eat steak! When we were still living in hotels in Tokyo, we wanted to eat meat, so we went. Jo: During our free time, huh. We went to the chain restaurant that was the closest one to the hotel. Ryusei: We sat lined up at the counter. Kento: While worrying about the oil splattering (laughs). Ryusei: It's the same line as we're sitting in right now. Jo-kun, me, Kento. Kento: It's a good memory. Jo: I thought that the two of you were going to do your best, and just that made me happy. Ryusei: Right. Jo-kun, you treated us at that time. Kento: But, after we left the store, I loudly was like, "thank you for the food!!" You were like, "you're too loud, you're loud." Jo: It was just there that you were loud. Everyone on the street was looking at us. Ryusei: They definitely were (laughs). But, I thought that I would also do my best so I could take my juniors out to eat. Jo: I'm really happy that I made you think that. More than anything!

3 notes · View notes

zntlszt · 2 years ago

Text

SxF Light Novel: Family Portrait Translation Mission 4: Portrait of the Forger Family!? (Part 1)

Read Mission 3: Franky's New Love!? Here. DO NOT REPOST

PART 2>>

“Go fetch it, Bond!”

“Borf!”

“Anya, Bond, don’t go off too far!

“Don’t worry, Yor. I’m also watching them”

Under the clear blue sky, a large picnic sheet was laid out on the park lawn, homemade sandwiches, fruit salad, baked goods for dessert were laid out, and a friendly couple watched their beloved daughter play with their dog with a frisbee.

This is perfect.

Loid Forger, a.k.a “Twilight”, was extremely satisfied with their appearance, as if they were a model of a happy family.

With this, no matter how you look at it, it won’t look like a fake family to anyone.

Spies are easily tripped up by the slightest suspicion or distrust of those around them. Therefore, Loid regularly showed off his family’s harmonious relationship to those around him. Since this morning, they’ve run into several families who live in the same apartment building, and they have exchanged greetings and small conversations.

It was worth taking a time out of his busy mission schedules.

“I’m glad it’s sunny, but the wind is a little cold, isn’t it?”

“I thought something like this might happen, so I brought you a blanket, please use it if you’d like.”

As Loid and Yor were talking harmoniously, Anya, who had been running around the lawn, returned with Bond.

“Papa!”

“What’s wrong, Anya?”

Loid, in the manner of a loving father, held his child in his arms as she came running towards him with great vigor.

“Are you hungry? We have sandwiches here.”

When he said that, Anya answered, “No, I’m not hungry yet,” and pointed to her back.

“That person said he wanted to talk to you, Papa.”

“That person?”

Loid raised his eyebrows and looked up to see a young man standing a short distance away, dressed in worn-out trainers, faded denim, and tattered sneakers. Overall, he’s a long, thin man. With a huge cloth bag hanging from his shoulder and a folding easel in his left hand, Loid saw that his trainers, denim, and even his sneakers were all covered in colorful paints.

He is too young to be a painter. Judging from his appearance, Loid guessed that he was an art student.

I’m sure the organization’s contact person did not give any indication of a contact request…

In the first place, even if it’s a disguise, contacting the agent in front of his family directly, is such a careless act for a contact person. He’s sure it has nothing to do with the organization. However, he must remain vigilant. Although he doesn’t feel any murderous intent, it still could be an enemy agent.

As he was quickly thinking about this, the young man approached him. Loid stood up, smiled a harmless smile and asked the young man,

“Can I help you? Was my daughter bothering you, by any chance?”

“No, nothing like that. Um, I’m painting something.”

Although the way the young man spoke sounded somewhat flat, his voice was pleasant to listen to.

“But lately, I have been having a hard time figuring out what to draw or what I want to draw….something is missing in my drawings, but I couldn’t figure it out…. So I was in what I call a slump. Today, too, I couldn’t come up with anything at all, so I was about to go home because I had no other choice when I finally thought, “This is it.”.”

After saying that, the young man bowed his head in a perked up manner.

“Please, please be a model for my painting. Please.”

“Huh? A model?”

Loid made a surprised expression, but inwardly raised an eyebrow.

What’s this guy talking about?

Could it be that he’s really an agent of an enemy organization and he’s after something? However, there is not the slightest indication that the young man was lying. Due to his occupation, Loid is good at seeing through people’s lies. The young man in front of him had none of the characteristics of a liar.

“You will be famous, Papa?”

Anya, who clasped her hands to her chest, suddenly got excited.

At that, the young man shook his head, saying, “No.”. At that moment, a strong turpentine smell came out of his matte black hair. Looking closely, there was oil paint stuck in his hair as well.

“Not only your father, I want to draw your whole family.”

“Bond too?”

“Yes, the doggy too, of course.”

“Borf!”

“Oh, this one is very polite, isn’t he? Nice to meet you.”

The young man bowed his head to Bond as if he were a human, and reverently held his proffered paw.

Apparently, he’s really just a good painter in origin. However, it’s still a troublesome offer. Loid hesitated, wondering what to do now.

As a spy, it would be a bad idea to leave traces of “Loid Forger” carelessly, even as a model for a painting…..

Loid did not show it in his expression, but he casually explored his surroundings with just a glance. Just as he thought, the curious eyes of people around them were focused on them. A couple relaxing on a picnic sheet nearby are watching them with amusement.

“What was that?”

“Something about being a model for a painting. Isn’t that some kind of art student assignment?”

In order to complete the mission without a delay, he cannot afford to be the center of attention here. On the other hand, it would also be outwardly offensive to refuse a diligent student’s request without any hesitation.

I don’t know where or who is watching us. If the gossipy housewife across the apartment saw this, I'd be in trouble….

“Hey, listen. Mr. Forger was asked by an art student to be a model for a painting and he refused without any hesitation.”

“Oh my, that family was surprisingly cold.”

“They could’ve at least let him paint them. It’s not like they’ll die from it.”

“Oh, maybe there is something wrong with being drawn?”

Loid could easily imagine such a conversation happening.

As an ordinary and good family, should we do our part in nurturing the young man with a bright future? No, today is a holiday, after all. It would be reasonable to refuse, I could say that we want to cherish our family time alone.

Loid, who quickly concluded, said,

“I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve been working a lot these days, and today is the only time I finally got to spend time with my family so….”

When he tried to softly refused the offer, Anya suddenly shouted in a strange voice,

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

“What’s wrong? You suddenly just…”

“Th-That patch..”

Anya pointed to the back of the young man’s cloth bag with a trembling hand.

“Oh, this?”

When the young man flipped the bag over, there was a glittering round patch on the bottom left corner, and in the center, Anya’s beloved cartoon character “Bondman” was drawn.

“It was a bonus for a Bondman chocolate. I thought it would be a nice marker for my bag.”

“It’s super rare, the mythical bonus.”

Anya muttered in a shaky voice.

For Anya, who loves bonuses and Bondman, it must be a very coveted item.

Loid had a bad feeling about this, and said,

“If it’s Bondman Chocolate, I’ll buy you one on our way home.”

He put his hand on Anya’s small shoulder to calm her down as she stared at the patch, the young man then said nonchalantly,

“If you don’t mind, can I give it to you?”

“Really!?”

Anya’s face shone brightly.

“I glued it on, so I'll give you the whole bag instead. I can’t give you the things inside of it, so I’ll find a garbage bag somewhere and put it in.”

Loid then hurriedly stopped the young man who was about to go looking for a garbage bag as he said,

“No, there’s no reason for you to do such a thing…”

“But she seems to like this very much. I would be very happy if she keeps it.”

After saying it as a matter-of-factly, the young man went to a mobile van parked nearby and returned with a black garbage bag.

Without any hesitation, he put what’s inside the cloth bag into the garbage bag and said,

“Here you go.”

“Fank you very much.”

Anya was so pleased that she was almost jumping for joy when she was handed the bag with a rare Bondman patch.

Ugh….what’s with this guy?

It’s very difficult to deal with someone who doesn’t offer exchange conditions, such as accepting being a model for the painting in exchange for the patch. If that’s the case, then Loid can just do whatever he wants, but people with nothing but best intentions at heart are the most difficult to deal with.

It can’t be helped…

With that, Loid made up his mind.

It was not that he was going to be painted by a famous painter. He told himself that there would be no problem as long as he was painted by an art student.

“Thank you for doing that for my daughter’s sake. If it’s okay with my wife, we’ll be happy to be a model. Is that okay, Yor?”

When he asked Yor, who was sitting on a picnic sheet watching them, for her consent, his good-natured wife gave him a flustered smile.

“Yes, Anya was very happy too, so it would be nice if we could at least help him.”

She responded with a soft smile.

The young man was puzzled and asked,

“Um, did I do something to be thanked like that…?”

He was honestly very happy to have them model for his painting as he said, “Thank you.”. He bent down deeply and bowed his head and held out his right hand, which was stained with paint, to Loid.

“My name is Felix Curtis.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m….”

Loid, who reflexively grabbed the right hand of the young man named Felix, almost introduced himself briefly and then he stopped.

Felix Curtis?

Felix Curtis is one of the most popular painters of their time. He is a rather eccentric artist who rarely appears on the stage, so his face is almost unknown to most people, but Loid just read a newspaper article of him recently that his painting was sold for an amazing price.

Don’t tell me it’s him? No, I believe Felix was in his mid-thirties…

However, the man in front of him looked like a teenager, no matter how he looked at him.

Even though he thought that the man in front of him was completely different from what he had read in the article, Loid regained his composure and continued to speak.

“Pardon me, I’m Loid Forger. I was a bit surprised, you share the same name as Felix, the painter?”

“Yes. I’m the person himself.”

Loid was absolutely at loss for words by the matter-of-fact response.

….Oh my god.

His expression was almost tense, as expected, but he quickly changed it to a surprised one and said,

“I didn’t expect it to be you.”

“Do you know him, Papa?”

Anya tugged on Loid’s jacket.

“No, but he’s a very famous painter.”

As Loid hid his inner turmoil and answered Anya’s question, Felix began to set up his easel on the lawn and said,

“Well then, I will start the preparations, you guys are free to do whatever you want.”

Anya peered at Felix and asked,

“This frail and slender guy is very famous?”

She even gave him a rude nickname without permission.

“Nothing like that, just a normal one.”

“Are you a billionaire?”

“No. Most of the money I receive is donated to art schools and other organizations. Painting costs money after all. I want many young people to paint freely without worrying about money.”

Felix answered each of Anya’s questions in a very serious manner.

He was a wonderful spirit. If that is true, then this man named Felix is a man of considerable virtue. Moreover, If Loid refuses the offer he once accepted, the Forger family could quickly gain a bad reputation.

As Loid was thinking that his retreat was even more cut off, Yor spoke to him in a whisper,

“......Um, Loid, is Mr.Felix really that famous? I thought he was just a student.”

“......Yes.”

Loid also responded in a whisper.

“He is what you might call a man of the moment. He is a rare artist known for his use of transparent paints to create photorealistic paintings that look like photographs. I’ve seen his works in museums, and they are astonishingly elaborate. A certain art critic once said in admiration, “He turns every canvas into a camera lens.”.”

As he was explaining to Yor, Loid also chewed over the details himself.

That’s right. That’s the problem.

What if the painting of their family, which at first glance looked exactly like a photograph, were to be mistakenly displayed in an art museum?

This is a worst-case scenario….

As Loid was thinking that he had to avoid that at all cost, he heard Yor said,

“It’s amazing, he looks like he’s the same age as Yuri.”

She was smiling and admiring him, but then she suddenly frowned. She then asked nervously,

“Um…..no matter how famous of an artist he is, it’s not ….likely that a painting of us as models will be displayed in an art museum, is it?”

“If he was an average painter…then no?”

Loid responded cautiously.

“In his case, there are a lot of people who want even a rough sketch from him. And when it comes to full-scale work…”

As he told her this, the blood drained from Yor’s face. Because, as you know, Loid has no way of knowing--- that she is an assassin with the code name of “Thorn Princess”.

So far, no one has ever seen the face of the Thorn Princess and survived. ----But, there can be one in a million.

If there was someone who she failed to kill and by mistake sees Felix’s painting in an art museum and finds out that the Thorn Princess has a husband and a daughter, there is no guarantee that Loid or Anya will not be in danger.

Thinking that, she turned pale.

Wh-What should I do? But, it’s unnatural to refuse an offer that we have once accepted unless I can tell them the real reason… You must avoid having your face painted at all cost, Yor!

After desperately squeezing out all the wisdom that she had, Yor came to this conclusion….

“Yor? Is something wrong?”

Loid, unaware of Yor’s situation, was worried about her, who had suddenly gone pale and silent. He called out to her in a concerned manner.

“Are you feeling sick?”

“No, I’m quite full of energy!”

Yor’s smile was clearly strained as she answered him with a smile.

“But aren’t you sweating a lot?”

“Uh…u-um..because it’s really hot.”

Saying that, Yor took off the blanket she was wearing. But unfortunately, under it was a thin sleeveless shirt. The wind that blew on her was unexpectedly cold, and Yor sneezed loudly.

“If anything, the wind feels chilly… you also expected it, so I brought you a blanket, right, Yor?”

“No, I was wrong. It’s actually very hot today!”

He was afraid to pursue the matter any further with Yor, who was still shaking stiffly as she responded with a firm smile.

“What’s wrong with you, Yor?”

Loid was puzzled by his wife’s sudden suspicious behavior.

“Based on the conversation earlier, I guess she was okay to be a model for a student’s painting, but perhaps she doesn’t want it to be displayed in an art museum.”

If that’s the case, then it’s the same with Loid but….

“Unlike me, who’s a spy, there should be no reason for Yor to be so reluctant about it. No, wait. Yor work at a tight-knit city hall.”

Certainly, it would be troublesome for her if she became a model for a famous painter and had her face to be known. It’s possible that some people might even say absurd things like she is paid by the taxpayers and she’s being frivolous.

At the very least, it will draw unwanted scorn from her co-workers. Maybe she was worried about that.

“Yor’s relationship with her co-workers are like that after all…. I see, so that’s how it is.”

Loid found himself nodding as he realized the reason for Yor’s inexplicable behavior, and Anya, who had been looking up at him for some time, blurted out before she even knew it,

“You’re way off, Papa.”

“?”

As usual, she suddenly said something he didn't understand.

Loid raised an eyebrow and asked,

“What’s wrong? What’s I’m way off about?”

Saying that, Anya responded somewhat flustered,

“It’s nothing.”

As Loid tilted his head at his daughter, inexplicable as usual, Felix finished setting up his easel and said,

“Well then, let’s start soon.”

At that, Yor timidly raised her hand and asked,

“Would it be alright if I go to the restroom over there for a bit?”

“Of course, please go ahead.”

As soon as Felix gave his approval, Yor rushed to the restroom at a tremendous speed.

Overwhelmed by her momentum, the three of them looked off in stunned disbelief at Yor’s back.

“Is your mother an athlete or something?”

“My mama is an..as..as…a someone who works in the public sector.”

“Works in the public sector? You sure know difficult words. Smart kid.”

“E..ehehe.”

“Borf!”

Loid was distracted listening to Anya’s conversation out of the corner of his ear.

“Oh, so she was just holding herself up for the restroom..”

Maybe the comment about not wanting to be painted was simple my own overthinking, and Yor was just cold because she was out here for a long time.

As Loid was thinking about whether he should casually put a jacket on Yor once she gets back, or if a blanket would be better, Anya was looking at him again. Moreover, her eyes seemed to be warm and somewhat compassionate, and when Loid turned to look at her, she was already working with Felix trimming Bond’s fur.

-------------

562 notes · View notes