And it's a Sniper Rifle!
"Then, I'll leave it to you, Senior," the Silver-haired youth said, his words a request, yet his eyes held a trace of confidence.
"Well, well.. a request like that.." Tennessee seemed somewhat reluctant, but his movements as he took the sniper rifle out of the gun case were incredibly skillful.
"Muttering to himself, "The juniors these days are really something else.." he raised the Sniper Rifle and aimed it at the distant Target.
Then, the training began.
The Silver-haired youth stood aside seriously, watching the other's every move with meticulous attention.
Gin's reason for wanting to settle this mission quickly was not only to save time and avoid trouble, but more importantly, so that he could use the remaining time to study his Sniping Skill.
The Black Organization had estimated two months for this mission, but they completed it in less than half a month. The remaining time was, naturally, a vacation to be distributed at their own discretion.
While Tennessee stayed with his wife and children, Gin wanted to learn sniping skills from him. The two reached an immediate agreement and began using their vacation time for personal business.
..
Tennessee truly lived up to his reputation as a first-class Sniper; this one and a half month of training had been immensely beneficial to Gin.
Naturally, when the training ended, the Silver-haired youth, whose Sniping Skill progress bar had seen advancement, was in a great mood. He bowed politely to Tennessee and expressed his anticipation for their next collaboration.
Tennessee's mouth twitched as he muttered, "Forget it.. Spare me, kid.."
But despite what he said, the expression on the man's face did not necessarily show that he was truly unwilling.
The friendship between men is truly strange sometimes..
This good mood lasted until Gin returned to Japan and heard a piece of news.
“What—did—you—just—say?” the boy spat out, enunciating every single word.
His expression was gloomy, a searing fury erupted from his green eyes. The moment their eyes met, he was eroded by this sharp, violent aura, the very air seemed to grow thin.
Even though the Blonde-haired woman had long ago weathered many storms, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at this moment.
She frowned, her voice sounding somewhat uneasy, "Sherry's parents have already been dealt with by the Black Organization."
In that instant, the hostility in the youth's gaze transformed into a chilling murderous intent. Vermouth felt that the killing intent had almost materialized, as if it were a cold dagger grazing past his fair cheek.
He almost thought the youth was about to make a move.
But Gin did nothing.
He didn't even say a single word.
The Silver-haired youth's eyes, which had been filled with killing intent, suddenly became hollow, the muscles in his face twitched involuntarily. His lips curled into a stiff arc of an ambiguous meaning.
Yes, it was a curve.
That wasn't a smile at all.
Vermouth watched with a hint of shock as Gin sat quietly for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up.
He left without looking back.
He left nothing behind.
He took nothing with him.
..
Gin stood quietly before Shiratori Midori's Grave.
He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.
He knew the significance of family to this girl.
Gin had known her for many years; he did not doubt his own status in her heart, nor did he misjudge the status of her parents in her heart.
All these years, if it weren't for the pillar of 'family,' Shiratori would have likely broken under the pressure long ago.
It was precisely because of her "family" that she had continued to restrain herself, continuing to "endure."
However, when Gin heard this news, he actually didn't feel any sadness for the Shiratori couple.
At that moment, he was shocked, furious, panicked.
He felt as if he were being scorched under a blistering summer sun, yet also as if he were trapped in an ice cellar; one moment he felt so restless he might explode, the next, he felt a chill run through his entire body. His mind went blank, he was completely dazed.
In a place where Vermouth could not see, his fingers were trembling slightly, numb and powerless between his fingers.
But none of these emotions were for the Shiratori couple.
He had never even met them.
He did it for Shiratori Midori.
The Silver-haired youth could almost see the girl's green eyes dimming, his expression of despair, his lifeless appearance.
Gin was never a good person; his hands were stained with plenty of blood. Although he was not a bloodthirsty man, he could certainly be described as cold, he would never grieve for an unimportant matter.
However, those two were not irrelevant people; they were Shiratori Midori's parents.
Even so, none of those intense emotions were for Shiratori's parents.
What he was thinking at that moment was whether Shiratori Midori would break down if he found out, whether he currently knew, whether it would affect him, how he would explain to Shiratori Midori that he had once promised to protect him, yet now his parents were dead.
It was all just for Shiratori.
He didn't care about Shiratori's parents at all.
Gin stared at Shiratori's Grave for a long time, a surge of bitterness welling up in his heart.
[I really am selfish.]
You will probably blame me, but in the end, you will forgive me anyway.
Gin's voice was very soft; his lips moved slightly, then he managed a faint smile.
The youth slowly knelt on one knee before her grave, resting his forehead against the tombstone, then slowly closed his eyes.
It was only by Shiratori Midori's side, years ago, that he could rest in peace and truly relax; tragically, even though this girl was no longer here, he could only seek a moment of spiritual solace before his tombstone.
Gin leaned back quietly until he heard the sound of stumbling footsteps.
He slowly opened his eyes, his heart filled with impatience mixed with a faint killing intent.
But the moment he turned his head and saw the newcomer, he froze.
..
The fourteen-year-old girl was in a wretched state.
In just two short months, she had become much thinner, her small face appearing sallow, her arms and legs were covered in obvious bruises—from being hit, from being bumped.. the list went on, mixed with tiny little wounds, some of which had even become inflamed and festered.
The girl's face was also very dirty and covered in dust, with wounds on her cheeks; the most severe was a prominent laceration on her right cheek, which was still faintly bleeding.
The dark circles under her eyes were heavy, her green eyes were bloodshot; her face showed obvious signs of exhaustion, clearly having not slept for several days. Her short hair hung limp, her clothes were tattered and covered in dust and grime.
She was living a difficult life.
However, those green eyes, though filled with exhaustion, remained just as they had always been, carrying a deep, unyielding stubbornness and a bright, unwavering brilliance.
It reminded Gin of someone else for no reason.
When she saw Gin, the little girl froze for a moment.
Gin said nothing.
The Little girl spoke first, compared to their previous meeting, her emotions were remarkably calm.
I saw the person who killed my parents.." The little girl kept her eyes lowered, her voice raspy, carrying days of exhaustion and pain: "I don't know who they are.. but I know it wasn't you.
She raised her head, her eyes shimmering with a faint light: "Now, you surely won't tell me that you killed my parents too, will you?"
The Silver-haired youth looked at the shimmer of tears in Shiratori Nana's eyes. "I killed your Sister."
".." The little girl said nothing. After a moment, she walked forward a few steps and arrived before her Sister's grave.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you?" Gin's eyes were not on Shiratori Nana; he seemed to be looking into the distance, or perhaps he wasn't looking at anything at all.
Then just do it," Shiratori Nana said indifferently. "I won't be able to escape for much longer anyway.
"How did you survive?" The Silver-haired youth's cold voice lingered in the empty cemetery.
.. That day, I happened to sneak out to go exploring with my friends, it was already very late by the time I got home.. To avoid being scolded, I quietly slipped inside, then.." Shiratori Nana's eyes remained fixed on the tombstone, her voice dull. "I saw them in the middle of a murder. I knew then that I couldn't go back to school, so I called the police..
She curled her lips into a mocking smile that was far beyond her years. "It probably wouldn't have worked anyway."
A clever child.
Gin thought, but his heart remained completely unmoved.
I've been on the run for over half a month, I'm exhausted. At first, I was thinking about revenge, but I suppose that's probably just a dream now." Shiratori Nana took another step forward. "I will curse them all to hell.
She reached out, touching Sister's tombstone: "If I am to die, I would rather die in front of Sister, so that we can be together—I cannot go to where Mom and Dad's corpses are."
Gin lowered her eyes. "You can talk to your Sister."
“……” Nana fell silent for a moment. "I have plenty of time to talk to Sister, but there is something I must tell you before I die."
She turned her head to look at Gin, her eyes burning with fire.
Gin remained unmoved.
The Silver-haired youth felt that doing this was wrong, but.. he truly could not feel any pity for someone who was "unrelated."
Even if this person was Shiratori Midori's sister.
"Don't you want to know what my Sister told me?" The little girl's voice finally began to tremble, a cold sneer playing on her lips.
This single sentence finally made Gin look at her properly.
Shiratori Midori.. was not an outsider.
..
“Sister.. her mental state had been very unstable in the days before it happened.” Nana looked at the silver-haired youth, her voice wavering due to her emotional fluctuations, though she struggled to restrain herself. “She hid it very well in front of her parents, perhaps because I was too young.. She didn't hide it much in front of me.. or rather, she didn't have the strength to hide it anymore.”
I drank too much juice before going to bed that day.. In the middle of the night, I went to the restroom and saw Sister staring blankly in the living room—" She recalled, speaking somewhat slowly, "Sister wasn't asleep yet, or rather, it was as if she had been startled awake from a dream—the kind of nightmare that leaves you gasping.
At that time, her expression was very strange.. I can't quite describe what kind of expression it was, but.. I felt very uneasy. I called out to her.
Gin listened intently.
“Sister's expression was like she had suddenly woken up.. or perhaps she was still in a dream. She looked at me strangely for a long while, remaining silent for a long time.”