Chapter 30 — Win / Lose Part II
Deus brought his hands together, and the two platforms were brought together. The three on each side were temporarily free to step across. Mercy was the first to rise from her seat; she rushed to Yomotsu and grabbed hold of his arms. Meilag got up, but he walked toward the edge of the platform and looked off in the distance, preoccupied. Olivia remained sitting. For the first time, Yuri realized that Dostoevsky was with her, and the cat was sleeping calmly on her lap.
Yuri hesitated for a moment, before crossing over. He glanced behind him; Light was keeping to himself. Yuri then joined Yomotsu and Mercy.
"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself at all when you jumped down from the wall?"
"I'm fine," Yomotsu answered Mercy.
"You sure? That looked pretty bad…"
"I always land gracefully… Most of the time."
"Well… How are you feeling? You looked pretty beat up after the first round."
"I have enough on my mind to keep me from worrying about that too much."
"Yeah, I bet…"
Mercy noticed Yuri there. She smiled at him, a bit nervously. She brushed some hair away from her face.
"Yuri-chan, how about you?"
He glanced over at Muru Muru, who emerged near Light. "I am greatly concerned about all of this. I do not trust this situation."
Mercy appeared to take notice of Muru Muru talking with Light too, and she made it obvious by the way she cringed. "That little impish girl… She's cute, but she seems like trouble?"
"She is Deus' servant," Yomotsu explained, crossing his arms. "But I have a bad feeling about her, as well. Too often the yolk is too heavy and has to be thrown off…"
Yuri studied Mercy's expression. She had done well in barely regarding Light after their breakup, but now the situation was such that she had to react to him. She still seemed to be dodging the subject the best she could, though, for she brought her attention back to Yomotsu.
Yuri was listening to her talk with Yomotsu about the events, when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Meilag was leaning over, and Olivia was whispering something to him. He looked nervously toward the other three, and then turned fantastically toward Deus. He pointed straight ahead.
"God!" Meilag yelled. Yomotsu and Mercy turned in his direction now. "You have picked me up, wriggling, out of my world. Between your index finger and thumb you have held me by the back of my collar for so long, and my words have been as annoying buzzing to your ear. If you are truly god, you will have audience with me, for a moment, to settle our differences finally."
Deus groaned with interest. He looked up slightly and cocked his head. "Come forward, mortal."
A white glow overtook Meilag's body, and he was lifted off the ground. He was pulled by some invisible force through the air, edging closer and closer to Deus' head. Yuri noticed something attached to Meilag's belt glimmer—and, with wide realization, he saw that it was Meilag's sharp gardening spade.
"In all the lives you have ruined and damned, I hardly would expect you to recall a particular soul," Meilag began, his hand edging toward his spade. "But, think critically, and perhaps your feeble god-brain will recollect what you allowed to happen to my brother…"
At that moment, he was as close to Deus as he could be; Meilag swiftly pulled loose his spade and aimed it at Deus' throat. "My brother, who you thought it proper I should watch die… And there is no retribution, for you allowed the driver to never be determined. An unsolved hit-and-run— and now, you have unwittingly allowed me to finally accomplish what I could never do on earth, in the name of my brother's retribution…"
Meilag swung the spade—the direction opposite Deus' throat, so that it fell through the clouds below. He then turned and, with an almost violent flare, made a bow toward Deus.
"I beseech you," he said. "Resurrect my brother, whom you so unjustly slain."
Deus looked straight at Meilag and responded, "That will not happen."
Meilag, rising to his full, paused. Yuri saw him clench his fists. "Ah, so that is how it is…" He looked into the god's eyes for a moment, before looking back toward the others. He was carried back to the platform just as he had been brought forward.
When Meilag stepped back onto the platform, Olivia rose to console him. Dostoevsky rubbed himself against Meilag's leg. Yuri, Yomotsu, and Mercy continued speaking until their break was over.
"The third round is an Intelligence Round."
The three contenders knew their time was up and returned to their platform. Yuri watched Mercy lean up and kiss Yomotsu on the lips, before he joined him and Light.
"Using your wits, the one among you who can solve both physical and mental puzzles will secure victory. On my count, you will each start your way through a large maze I have prepared for you. In order to take a certain path on the maze, you must correctly answer a question that I will give all challengers. If you answer the question incorrectly, you will have to remain where you are until the next question. Anyone who attempts to cheat through this maze will immediately be disqualified. Be the one to escape the maze first, and you will show the astuteness of a god."
The three each began at a separate point, presumably an equal distance from the end. The walls of the maze were immense, so seeing over them was out of the question. The paths that could be walked with each correct question were colored in on the floor; for example, ahead of Yuri was green tiling up to the wall. Then he could either go left or right. If he went left, the yellow tiling went ahead to the next wall. As the maze went on, colors were recycled, so that each color was used for multiple routes. Some paths were longer, some were shorter. This was not a race that tested speed; rather, to win, the competitor would have to have an excellent memory and problem-solving abilities.
When the maze started, the questions were easy arithmetic and situational puzzles. They had to write down their answers on a board they carried with them. If their answer was correct, the paths they can choose from would light up. In either case, the boards erase themselves after each question, and Deus did not announce who got the question right. There was no way to judge how the others were faring, but there was equality in how they each had the same questions to solve.
Questions became more complicated about five questions in. Soon the questions involved geography, history, and discipline-related topics. Deus tapped into their knowledge of philosophers and psychologists, literature and medicine. Yuri felt a pang of nervousness shoot through him with every question he got wrong; he felt as though, each time he had to hold back, Light was advancing.
Yuri, however, was confident that he was on the right track. When he hit a dead end, he was able to get himself out of it and find a better path. When he finally saw the end, he could hardly believe it. They had answered possibly a hundred questions, and now it would come to an end. He just had to answer one question, and then he could walk the path.
"What is Mercy's favorite color?"
Yuri furrowed his brow. He looked up to the sky, as though that would give him the answer.
He wrote, "Blue." He breathed out.
She the hair going down the sides of her head dyed blue. It was the logical choice.
"The correct answer is: Red."
Yuri growled in frustration when his path did not light up. He had another chance with the next question.
"What is the name of Mercy's favorite stuffed animal?"
Yuri grinned. He knew this one! He wrote, "Captain Nirvana."
"The correct answer is: Senator Greenday."
Yuri shook his head. He nervously kept eyeing the exit, then the path.
"What is Mercy allergic to?"
Yuri physically shrugged. "Oh, come on," he grumbled. He just scribbled something down. "Peanuts are the most common allergy, I believe, so…"
"The correct answer is: Shellfish."
Now Yuri thought this was stupid. She did not eat fish, so how would he ever know there were allergy concerns in addition to her vegetarianism?
Yuri had his marker ready for the next question. He looked toward the exit again. He wanted to proceed so badly.
"After answering the last question correctly, Light has finished the maze. Light has won the third round, demonstrating the intelligence required to be a god."
The defeat hit Yuri hard. He was still trying to grasp what had happened when he was teleported back to the platform, along with Yomotsu and Light. He joined the other two in looking toward Deus. The god's hands were clasped together, and his head was bowed.
"Only one round remains. Light has two victories, and Yomotsu has one victory. Yuri, having no chance of victory, is exempt from participating in the next challenge. In the event of a tie, we will call upon our three judges to decide the winner."
All six of them were startled; the shockwave could be felt through the air. Yuri, while upset that he had been so close and yet failed the Intelligence Round, was suddenly relieved. He placed his hand on Yomotsu's shoulder and, leaning toward him, whispered, "Yomotsu, you have to force this to a draw. If the decision is left up to Mercy, Olivia, and Meilag, you and I both know that you'll be chosen and Light will lose."
Yomotsu turned and nodded. "Yeah…" He smiled. "But, I don't know if I want to be god so much as I want Light to lose… I agree that I have to do this… But, I can't help but wonder what happens next, if I win."
He patted Yomotsu on the shoulder. "Then I'll have a friend in the skies," Yuri said.
Yomotsu took a couple of steps back and, putting his hands on his waist, laughed. "You certainly can be cheesy when the situation requires it!"
Yuri smiled back, and then they both turned toward Deus.
"The final round is an Entertainment Round."
Yuri and Yomotsu both crossed their arms and curiously cocked their eyebrows.
"Feeling the music work through you, the one between you two who can rock the hardest will secure victory. I have prepared a concert of songs for you to play against each other in Guitar Hero. Be the one to earn the most points, and you will demonstrate the talent of a god."
Yomotsu and Light were teleported to a platform right in front of the judges'. Yuri was teleported to the latter platform, and he stood as an audience member behind the three chairs. A guitar materialized for each of the competitors: Yomotsu received a white guitar, and Light was given a black one.
In front of the platform, there was a massive screen. The game started up, and everyone observed as Deus loaded up his custom set list:
"Crazy Days, Crazy Feelings" – Zazen Boys
"Robot Rock" – Daft Punk
"Kill Me Baby" – DEAD END
"Truth" – Todd Rundgren
"My Friend Dario" – Vitalic
"Audio, Video, Disco" – Justice
"What's Up, People?!" (Full version)
"What if God Was One of Us" (Progressive metal version) – Joan Osbourne
"Famous Last Words" – My Chemical Romance
When the first song loaded, on the screen were video game renderings of the 12th, on Yomotsu's side, and Ryuk the Shinigami, on Light's side. Yomotsu and Light were ready. The first notes descended, and over the guitar, Yuri heard Mercy say something.
"Don't worry, I know."
He looked down at her.
"Don't worry, Yuri. I know he's the 12th."
He looked up at the screen. He nodded.
"Perhaps I should have told you the truth a long time ago," he said, quietly. "For that, you could call me a lunatic. I wouldn't mind."
He looked back down, and he saw her smiling. "Yomotsu's right, you really can be cheesy…" She waited a while. "But, no, it's okay… I understand. It was not your place, and it was not the right time. You didn't trust me. And you still might not, and I wouldn't take it too personally. I just… Just know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt either of you, okay? I'm not that kind of person."
Yuri nodded. "I… I understand that."
"You're worried about him, aren't you?"
"That he'll hurt himself playing Guitar Hero? I suppose he has acquired even more inane injuries in the past…"
"No, that him and I being this close… That it will hurt him."
"I would say that is a realistic concern in any relationship."
"And I, I would agree. But just… Worry about me, too? I might get hurt, too."
"I see…?"
"I'm not as strong as I might act. And I really care a lot about him. So much, that I might end up getting hurt."
"Maybe we should save this until after your boyfriend becomes god."
She chuckled.
At the end of "Famous Last Words," Yomotsu smashed his guitar on the platform and let out a glorious shout of victory. Light, shaking his head in dismay, was left to reflect on his near victory.
"Yomotsu has won the fourth and final round of the competition, and I am greatly entertained by his performance," Deus bellowed. Everyone turned back to face him. "This means, however, that two victories belong to Yomotsu and two victories belong to Light. Endurance and Entertainment, Speed and Intelligence… I cannot determine through any more challenges which is more fitting to become god."
They were all silent.
Deus spread his arms wide, and suddenly the six (plus Dostoevsky) were teleported onto a new platform, in front of him. Each person was also placed in the proper spot:
Three elevated chairs, the same ones as from before, were occupied by the judges. Two podiums were erected, behind one Yomotsu and Light each stood. Yuri was the helpless observer on the sidelines, standing next to Muru Muru, now dressed like a bailiff.
"Attention!" Deus boomed. "This is the final step in the process of deciding the new god—the two competitors are to state their answer to a single question. The judges are to analyze their testimonies in silence, first Yomotsu's and then Light's, and then they are to announce their independent verdicts. As we have an odd number of judges acting as jury, we will have our conclusive god based on their evaluation of your responses."
Light looked toward Yomotsu. Yuri eyed him with suspicion. "Best of luck," Light said, extending his hand.
Yomotsu kept his hands at his own side. "Thank you," he said.
Light dropped his hands and, after a wicked smile flitted across his face, returned to the good-natured, competitive yet friendly, Light. He looked like Luke, but inside he was Kira. Somehow, he had his memories back. Yuri looked to his right, down at Muru Muru. Somehow, he had his memories…
"Here is the question you must answer, so that your fitness to be god can be determined: What are your thoughts on justice?"
"Justice—ah, how much there is that I can say about justice! I have believed that, as a baby, the first word out of my mouth must have been "justice." In light of recent events I am aware I cannot confirm nor deny this notion, but even still! The word gives me such joy, and the very idea of it is enough to set my heart into a passionate, zealous, fury! How many volumes and tomes speak of justice—but can any human summation truly touch upon the subject sufficiently?
Justice is the order of the world, the state of how things must and ought to be, the logos and Tao that streams through the past and the present, coursing ever-onward toward the future. Justice demands righteousness, victory over evil!
You see, evil wears many guises. This world is full of people who are innately good, but evil intentions can corrupt the naïve. Sometimes, it is obvious—and sometimes, the evil nurtured inside is concealed from the light of day by a beautiful face and convincing words. Do not be misled! True justice is as true justice does! You can know justice by its fruits!
It is easy for both the righteous man and the unrighteous man to say the world is corrupt: they both see it, but one sees the corruption from the outside and one sees it from the inside. One sees the injustice in the conduct of others, seeing the genuine cruelty that abounds—and the other sees only the reflections of his own evil. Justice demands the swift defeat of the wicked, who use their powers and abilities—whatever they might be, whether in the realms of physical strength, powers of persuasion, financial advantage, and so on—again, those who use their powers to destroy others must be stopped.
The fruit of unrighteousness and injustice is a wicked apple, rotten through the core. On the outside, it is shiny and red, but should you cut into it first, you will see the sordid motivations crawling through, burrowing holes in the sound mind! You would think such sordidness would nibble at their thoughts, but the evil put up walls of denial and think themselves justified. But if the intent is to destroy, no matter what other motivations they might use to mask it up, the ends cannot justify the wicked means!
The fruit of righteousness and justice is a most delicious orange. You have to peel it first, work through its tough exterior, to get to the sweet juiciness inside! Each segment is equally good, part of a creature of balance!
Justice consists of defending the weak, as well as defending the strong. Justice is curative, constructive, and clever! While caught in its true rapture, sinners are brought to the light and can seek atonement! Justice is forgiving but not compromising, quick but not too hasty. Its intentions, words, and actions all line up for the benefit of others… I could go on, but I think my point is evident! Surely, you cannot avoid the brilliance of this reasoning and the truths I speak of.
This world needs righteousness and justice, and order cannot be maintained if the next god is a scheming devil. I will not testify to my own character—you all know how cool I am—but I will again remind you to be aware that the next god must stand for true justice, not murder. And with that, I thank you most graciously for your time and your attention."
Yomotsu made a slight bow and then, from behind his podium, turned toward Yuri and gave him a big thumb's up and an enthusiastic grin.
Next it was Light's turn.
"Ladies, gentleman, Deus ex Machina, Muru Muru—Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you about the urgent need of justice in this world. I will keep my thoughts brief, because I do not wish to over-embellish words or speak to inflate myself.
This world is rotten. As Yomotsu said, we live among cruelty. It manifests most clearly in the criminals and agents of terror in the world, but in even the smallest of neighborhoods, there is evil lurking in men. People are weak creatures, willing to betray their friends if it benefits them, and as things are right now, our world is catered to the self-serving and wicked.
Every system of power, whether it claims to be about the individual or about the community or a social class, benefits chiefly those at the top, who reap the wealth of the world's labor. As god, I would not simply allow the world to continue unchanged. There is so much evil that, with all due respect, you have allowed to continue, Deus.
When I found the Death Note, the notebook of a Shinigami, I used it to remove from the world the greatest criminals. In the time since I became Kira, global crime rates are the lowest they have been in recorded history. That was what I accomplished in only a short time, with only the Death Note. I had to hide under the name Kira, because I knew I would be persecuted. When anyone tries to fix the world, the broken parts will come after the savior.
I want to become god of a new world, populated by people who understand that justice needs to be a universal law. Criminals do not have the right to be a part of the same world as civilized people. I want a world where children will always grow up in safety, where parents never have to worry if their children will be kidnapped or even just bullied at school. With the powers of godhood at my disposal, I will stop at nothing to create the perfect world.
There are too many terrible people in this world—and I want to protect everyone from them, by solving the problem. I am not cruel—I would remove them in a far more humane way than how nations currently deal with their criminal populations. Before you rush to judge me, think for yourselves: Do you truly think the world is full of righteousness and justice as it stands, or do you believe that the world would be a happier and safer place without crime? There can be a world without senseless killing, without stealing, without the good people in this world always being taken advantage of…
Like Meilag's brother. Someone's recklessness took away an innocent life. As god, I promise to bring Meilag's brother back to life, as well as anyone else you know who died unjustly in the failed world we live in.
Yes, I am Kira. And while I have been demonized by some, I ask that you think of things realistically. Was I really wrong, to eliminate criminals? Think of how many lives were saved because those criminals were immediately brought to swift justice. If I had left the world to settle its own issues, most of them probably would never have been captured. Others would be released and go right back to hurting people. How can it be the moral and right thing not to do as I did?
Death is going to happen in this world—that is not something that can be avoided. But do we want to have the world continue as it is, where the good are killed by the evil? Or do we want a world where the evil are vanquished, so the good can live fuller and happier lives? The answers to these types of questions underscore my idea of true justice.
Once again, thank you all for listening. I trust you will think critically about the important choice you are making: between the world as it is, and the world as it can be—a world without crime, a world of justice."
Yomotsu swallowed hard. He did not know what to feel about Light's words. Yomotsu's convictions about justice were strong, but Light certainly had spoken well. He was nervous. He knew he had to have faith in the jury of judges.
"Now that the two have spoken of their ideas on justice," Deus announced, "It is time for the jury to explain, one at a time, their evaluation of the answers and who they are choosing as god. We will start with Meilag, then Olivia, then Mercy."
Meilag cleared his throat.
"Both of you spoke of an idealism that I cannot stomach… Your insistence upon a 'true justice' is either naïve or manipulative. I supported Kira up until he dropped away after November. I have since then considered him a coward—and now that there is no doubt that Light is Kira, I am conflicted. You speak of making a perfect world, but the Light I know at work is a practical man. He is also smart… Too smart to actually believe that making a perfect world is possible.
Never mind whether it is ideal—for if I start commenting on your 'new world' I think I might find myself unable to speak, for all the vomit rising in my throat—your ideas, nevertheless, are impractical. You could end up wiping away everyone from the planet. But somehow, I think you lack the dedication to accomplish that. And because you, unlike Deus and Yomotsu, have the boldness to set right the death of my brother… My vote must fall in Light's favor. As I cannot become god myself, I will wait until the day I can surpass Kira. Until then, I would rather live in your failed world than in the mess Yomotsu is liable to create."
There was a pause, and Yomotsu could not hear any of their further movements over the sound of his own heart beating. Meilag ultimately chose Kira over himself, and Yomotsu could hardly hide from himself his sadness over this betrayal.
"I suppose an old lady like me should keep her mouth shut, but I am not in the mood to be quiet," Olivia began. "I have lived through enough to know that there is so much pain and heartache in the world, but I know that simply killing everybody is not going to solve anything. The radiant light in the skies is in each of our hearts; it is not its absence that evil is created, but its obscuration. When the light in our hearts is eclipsed, we contribute to the terror that roams the world.
Light, your tone bothers me. You speak as though you are genuine, and yet—I feel as though you only hate to lose. I feel the celestial bodies: Yomotsu, with his heart, exerts a gravitational attraction that pulls in the small bodies of the universe; you, Light, are a black hole. You both have the potential to attract stars, but while Yomotsu will cause them to join his circle, you swallow them up!
That, and Dostoevsky was sound asleep again, and then your voice woke him up! I don't like you! You woke up my kitty! My vote goes to my dearest Yomo. And if I may add, I wish your friend with the cute butt hadn't put back on all of his clothes. Why are you trying to disappoint a sweet old lady?"
Yomotsu's spirits soared. Only one more remained—the deciding vote—Mercy.
"Hello." She cleared her voice. "I never thought, when I woke up this morning, that I would end up deciding the next god of the world. It's kinda, well, it's really surreal… And this is really tough, you know? I am looking at my ex-boyfriend and Yomotsu, and I can't believe this is happening.
Yomotsu told me that he's the 12th. And I really was not too surprised, because it makes sense that my biggest hero and the person I care so much about would end up being the same person…But Light never told me he was Kira. And I don't want that personal bias to get in the way, because this is all so, so much bigger than myself. So I am just going to choose based on the idea of the 12th vs Kira.
Who would I trust more to be god? I think that should be pretty obvious. Kira might have stopped crime rates, but he made people scared. The 12th gives them hope. If he continues to inspire people, he will start a revolution that will create a healthy world… Something Kira's scheming and backstage killings could never accomplish.
But if I choose Yomotsu, that means he'll be god, and I'll still be a human down below. I won't ever see him again, will I? I mean, he could probably bring me here, but I know Yomotsu would want me to have a normal life. So if I choose Yomotsu, I have to accept that… That I won't probably be able to be with him any longer. Unless some miracle happens, we'll exist in such different worlds…
But I also could never pray to Light. After what happened between us, I have been nothing but nice to you. But I could never accept you being god, not if you're going to keep killing everyone… Gah, I don't have the refined words that you all have! This is so frustrating! Why am I being forced to separate from Yomotsu? It's not like I even have a choice here!
Light, I'm sorry… No, wait, I am not. I have to admit that I'm not, right? You understand, right? You are a terrible, terrifying person. I used to think you were the most important person in my life, but you were using me, weren't you? Just like you've used everyone. Yomotsu told me you were Kira, and it should've been you. Not that it would've made everything right, but at least you would have been honest….
But I guess this isn't the place to vent that. My vote… My vote goes to my love, Yomotsu. I trust him more than anyone, although, although… I don't want to be taken away from him…"
Yomotsu felt his whole body tingling with joy, with sadness. He felt pressure increase around his eyes, and he knew that if he tried to speak, there was a good chance he would choke up.
"Then it is decided. With such little time to spare, I declare this competition over. Yomotsu Hirasaka is the next heir to godhood, and I henceforth—"
"Wait!"
Yomotsu held up his hand.
He felt the eyes of everyone on him. Meilag's gloomy eyes, Olivia's knowing eyes, Mercy's kind eyes, Yuri's loyal eyes, and Light's hateful eyes.
"Wait, Deus," Yomotsu said, gathering himself up. "I… I don't want to become god."
Deus, instead giving off his usual groan of curiosity, responded promptly, "It is too late to begin another competition, and as Yuri and Light lost to you, I find them unfit to replace you. You must assume the role."
Yomotsu shook his head. "No… I refuse. I want to defer my title to someone else. I want someone else to be god, in my place. I won—I can do that, right? I deserve to be god, by the rules you set forth, so I should get to have the final say, right?"
Deus said nothing, which Yomotsu took to mean he had no objections.
"I want Olivia Walkins to become the new god, instead of me. I want her to be the new god!"
Everyone reacted with surprise—Yomotsu, despite the rapid and loud beat of his heart, could tell that much. He heard Olivia wail from her seat, "Oh, Yomo! I feel like I'm about to faint, I can't—!" But she recovered, and there was a conversation of some sorts happening between two members of the jury, an excited rush of exchanges between Mercy and Olivia. Yomotsu could not hear the words, but he perceived the enthusiasm.
"Very well, Yomotsu. I will obey your request. In my mind, however, I will still consider in you my heir even as I perish. You have chosen to pass on your power and responsibility to Olivia Walkins, and so I will invest in her all that I possess."
What followed was, as Yuri and Mercy later described with great energy, a spectacular transference of power from Deus to Olivia. They explained how Muru Muru rose to Olivia's side, as the old woman and her cat were lifted up before Deus. Strings of light found their way from the old god to the new, and as Deus fell apart, youth and life swelled in Olivia.
Even as the transference of power was being completed, the other two judges and the three competitors were sent back to the world below. Yomotsu, Yuri, Mercy, and Meilag were back at Olivia's place. In the weeks that followed, they spoke often about the whole ordeal. It was not necessary to bring up the conflict of interests that Meilag's choice of nominating Light represented; they had so much else in common that no one else would possibly understand.
When they heard of Luke's abrupt resignation at Yum Yums, and his refusal to even live out his last two weeks, they were given even more to speak about and speculate. Meilag, of course, had different thoughts on it all, and so much of the concern was shared only with the other three friends. The Kira killings had not resumed, but Light was hiding somewhere, likely waiting for something.
Still, the three held on to faith. Yuri had faith in his friends, Yomotsu and Mercy. Yomotsu and Mercy had faith in their friend, Yuri, and in their newfound love, each other. Finally, all three had faith in Olivia Walkins—the new god, the one who promised she would save them all.
"Packing is such a pain!"
She jumped forward, trying to press down the suitcase. It refused to latch shut. Striped socks, shirts, and skirts were overflowing from the suitcase.
"Sweety, maybe you should try not to pack as much…"
She groaned at him. "This is a really, really important trip, dad! This will be my first time going to America, and I'm not going to get there and find out that I forget something. What if there are some really cute American boys, there?"
Kotetsu looked uncomfortable at the thought. "We're going there on a business trip, remember? Besides, why do you need to… Look for boys? You're still so young, and—"
"Dad! I'm not a little girl anymore!"
"Sweety, of course I know that, but—"
"Ugh, dad, do you think maybe I can bring a second suitcase~?"