"Mr. Roland?"
On yet another dull morning, Roland was walking back to his apartment when a familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Turning his head, he saw Kotomine Kirei jogging up from the slope.
Since that chance encounter the other day, the two had become nothing more than running companions. What they knew about each other was limited to their names and social identities.
Despite being influenced by old prejudices, Roland had to admit that spending time with Kotomine Kirei was surprisingly pleasant. Even though Kirei remained curious about the things Roland had said that day, his restrained and cautious nature kept him from overstepping.
At this stage, Kirei neither imposed his own desires nor did anything intrusive, like probing into Roland's background or asking personal questions as if checking some kind of ID. He maintained a careful, almost elegant, sense of distance.
For someone like Roland, who was not particularly secure about many things, this kind of relationship was ideal.
"Ah, sorry, Mr. Kotomine, I've had a lot of shifts these past two days. Looks like the manager's about to get transferred."
"That means Mr. Roland will be getting promoted, right? Shouldn't that be a good thing?"
Kotomine Kirei didn't quite understand why one should feel happy over a promotion. He was the sort of person who viewed everything as meaningless, something to carry out if required but discard without regret.
Still, he tried to process the meaning of the statement within the bounds of normal social behavior.
"Rather than a promotion, I just hope the manager can quickly hire another part-timer. I'm still scheduled for more shifts, so I'll head off first, Kotomine-san."
Roland shrugged slightly but didn't comment further on the matter.
All he needed was a plausible civilian identity. Unlike someone like Yoshikage Kira, who obsessed over appearances and splurged on luxury brands for clothes and accessories, Roland's material desires were minimal.
"I see."
Kirei nodded and quietly left as well. That was the current nature of their relationship. Though filled with questions, Kotomine Kirei was always a serious person, especially when pursuing an answer.
For someone lost and searching, the only way forward was to find guidance. And in his quest for that guidance and truth, Kirei was willing to ignore his father's will, his master's teachings, even give up all worldly attachments.
That's why he approached this carefully. Was the other man truly someone who could provide the answer? These past few days, Roland had been observing Kirei, but Kirei had also been observing Roland.
Even though there was no background information available on Roland, just having him as a living reference point made everything else irrelevant.
Kirei trusted his own eyes. His father and his master were people who had blended perfectly into the social order, living by the correct rules. But after observing Roland over these days, Kirei was certain this young man was different.
Roland was highly self-disciplined, managing his time with precision. Even casual conversations revealed surprising depth in politics, economics, or the root causes of social phenomena. His posture gradually aligned to the most optimal, his breathing rhythm steady, as if demonstrating textbook perfection.
This level of excellence, both in words and actions, couldn't be hidden. There was no doubt Roland possessed extraordinary ability, but at the same time, he carried an air of detachment, as though isolated from the world. He didn't care about approval, wealth, or the ambitions that usually accompanied superior talent.
In many ways, Roland's lifestyle mirrored Kirei's.
But fundamentally, they were different.
There was an unmistakable fire in Roland, a passion, a joy, a vibrant energy that came from having found his purpose.
[T/N: I am confused, but I think this means Roland is not materialistic or something, probably.]
Halfway down the road, Kotomine Kirei suddenly turned his head, gazing back at the now-empty street where Roland had disappeared.
There was no longer any doubt in his mind.
Roland was his answer.
For the first time in his life, Kotomine Kirei felt his heart stir. He had never felt anything like this when receiving his father's praise, at his wedding, or even when he fathered a child. But now, his heart spoke clearly.
He wanted to break free from his loneliness.
He wanted to escape his suffocating depression.
He wanted to understand someone, this new companion.
He wanted to become friends with this man named Roland.
---
"Something feels off…"
Roland, who was always mindful of time, arrived at the store a little early. But as he stepped into the break room, he suddenly froze.
His brow furrowed, his expression turning sharp and vigilant as his eyes swept the room.
After a long pause,Roland confirmed there was nothing out of the ordinary. His tense posture softened slightly, leaving him with a puzzled look.
Maybe it was the boost in vitality and mental power after becoming a stand user, or perhaps it was the intuition granted by his unusually strong luck, but every now and then, Roland could sense premonitions.
And just now, he had clearly felt such a signal.
It wasn't the chilling sensation of being hunted, but rather a strange intuition, the feeling that something troublesome was approaching.
"Am I about to get entangled with some ridiculous character?"
Shaking off the thought, Roland entered the break room and began prepping for work.
Sure enough, before business hours officially began, the store manager showed up on schedule, and brought along a new hire to lighten Roland's workload.
"Roland-kun, this is the newcomer who'll be working with you starting today, Ryunosuke Uryu. He has prior work experience, but since you're the senior here, I'll leave it to you to guide him."
"Hello, Roland senpai! I'm Ryunosuke Uryu, please take care of me!"
"Let's work well together."
Though Roland didn't want to chalk this up to coincidence, he couldn't help but wear a complicated expression.
Ryunosuke Uryu, the guy infamous for treating his murders as works of art, calling himself an artist. From what Roland had heard, Uryu earned his daily living through part-time jobs just to support his hobby of "creating art" through evil deeds, carefully guarding his identity as a serial killer and maintaining a twisted sense of superiority, looking down even on mere robbers.
But seeing him up close, it still felt absurd.
Here stood a man with the talent of a professional killer, yet instead of seeking fame in the underworld, he was content working diligently at a convenience store?
Was this really the behavior of a psychopathic killer?
After a brief chat, Uryu smoothly got into the flow of work, leaving space for Roland and the store manager to talk.
"What do you think? Pretty good, right? I was surprised myself during the interview, despite the flashy outfit, Mr. Uryu is actually really warm and easy to get along with."
"Oh, I'm not doubting that. A few days ago, he lent me 100 yen when I was in a pinch."
"See? I knew it!"
The store manager patted his chest proudly. "Uryu-kun's personality fits right in here. Fuyuki City has always been famous for its down-to-earth people. Ah, I'm so lucky to have found you two when I needed help…"
Ignoring the store manager, who was still rambling happily, Roland lowered his eyes and restlessly flexed his fingers.
The nails he had neatly trimmed just yesterday were steadily, almost stubbornly, growing back, like fresh new shoots, pushing out another centimeter.