If you notice any errors, please feel free to give me constructive feedback. English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please mention them in the comment section at the end of the chapter. I do not own Overlord. All property rights belong to their respective creators. Let's begin the story!
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Chapter-04
Kurenai Estate,
Tokyo, Neo-Japan;
22nd Century Earth
Kai set his cup down with a soft clink, as he let his gaze drift toward Shouko. She didn't notice. Her focus was on the tray before her, where she reached for a pastry after finishing off a muffin. 'The way she eats—careful, unhurried but gluttonous—is uncharacteristically human for someone so often compared to an ice sculpture by her classmates.'
He watched her in silence, the corners of his lips lifting slightly—not in mockery, but in something gentler. He made no move to draw her attention, content to let her eat in peace. If she caught his expression, she might stop. And he didn't want that. He wished for her to enjoy her food.
A rare look of calm softened his features. The breeze shifted slightly, drawing his eyes to the sky overhead. Through the expanse of the glass dome, a sliver of sunlight broke past the overcast dark sky, painting faint streaks of gold across the grey. He followed the light, as if chasing a forgotten memory.
'I miss my ordinary life' The thought rose unbidden. 'Back then, life was too simple, uneventful and ordinary. While, I lived my life in peace'
He shook his head lightly, trying to banish the thought, dragging his attention back to the rooftop and the girl seated across from him.
She had finished eating.
The moment felt right to him.
"So, Shouko," he began, voice steady but probing. "What is it that brings you here?"
Her gaze flicked up, the pause in her motion enough to confirm she knew this was coming.
"I'm sure," Kai continued, leaning forward slightly, "you've already heard about me dropping out of school. I doubt that slipped past someone like you. So, tell me... what is it that really brought you here?"
His voice was calm. Not cold. Just precise.
Waiting. Watching.
******
Shouko sat in silence, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of the helm of her dress. Her expression, which had remained unreadable up to this point, slowly shifted. A shadow passed over her eyes, and her lips parted slightly—before pressing into a tight line again.
Kai noticed the subtle shift, the way her shoulders drew in ever so slightly. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she seemed to be bracing herself.
"I've heard about your situation," she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper.
The words lingered in the air, heavier than the dark clouds outside.
Kai's brows rose slightly, the calmness on his face giving way to mild surprise. He didn't speak immediately. Instead, he studied her closely—reading the discomfort that lingered behind her composed mask. He leaned back slightly, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair while his fingers tapped against the armrest.
'So, she knew.' he mused.
He had expected it to come up eventually. News always found a way to trickle out—especially when the subject was someone like him, with enemies – living under the same roof, he expected nothing less from them. Still, hearing it spoken aloud, even in the most careful tone, brought an odd stillness to his mind.
Shouko, meanwhile, looked down. "I didn't believe it at first," she continued, the sorrow in her voice more evident now. "You never seemed the type to... to fall ill. You were always ahead of everyone. Like nothing could touch you."
Kai let out a soft breath, barely audible. 'She isn't the type to worry about others – It's unlike her usual self.' He mused. She was a competitive person, who always found herself at the forefront to compete with him in everything. 'Is this what death does to people.' His fingers drummed once against the armrest again. He turned his gaze back toward the glass dome, watching the last rays of light glint across the skyline like threads of gold.
******
Shouko's gaze remained fixed on her teacup, her voice quieter now, tinged with hesitation.
"I thought it was a rumor… or maybe just some twisted joke someone came up with. You always had people who envied you. You were flippant, egotistical… It wouldn't be exaggeration to say – people hated you."
"Auch", Kai responded humorously.
Shouko stared at him with a hollow eyes – before continuing. "But then I confirmed it. I asked around. Pressed some people I shouldn't have, got my grandfather's men involved. And eventually… I learned it was true."
Kai's expression didn't shift, but the silence stretched between them like a taut string. He made no move to interrupt her, nor did he offer comfort. Instead, he studied her — the way her fingers slightly clenched the helm of her dress, how she didn't dare meet his eyes now. He had seen that look before. Pity, confusion, guilt, sadness and pain. The same faces he had begun to detest in recent weeks and some emotions that he failed to understand.
Still, coming from her, it carried a different weight.
After a few moments, he spoke, his voice low and calm.
"So, you came to confirm it with your own eyes?"
Shouko flinched at the accusation that wasn't quite an accusation. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze at last.
"No. I came because I owed it to you," she said firmly. "You were always ahead of me, always one step beyond everyone else, and maybe I envied you because of it. You never let anyone see you struggle, I have always stood behind you – watching your back, despite being so close, yet it felt distant. And now, everyone just talks behind your back like you're already gone."
A sharp breath escaped her, more frustrated than sad.
"I didn't want to be one of them. I wanted to see you. To talk to you—just once, even if you didn't want me to. Irrespective of your opinion of me and the value of my existence in your life and disregarding the animosity between our families…." Shouko paused, trying to gather her thoughts, as she unhurriedly spoke in a pained voice. Each word she uttered, carried untold emotions that she had been suppressing. "You, Kai Kurenai are… my friend. No matter the flaws in you, your unfiltered, unassuming and indifferent attitude towards me and life. From you being on first name basis with me from day one – disregarding my feelings on it and the reckless, inconsiderate and impetuous attitude of yours." She sighed, before continuing. "Well, it does not matter, even if you don't consider me to be one. You still are my friend and the one I… trust the most."
Kai blinked once, slowly, as she turned quitter towards the end – all her energy drained. Her words weren't particularly grand. They weren't poetic or overly sentimental. But they were honest.
And honesty, he was shocked.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly — not a smile, but something close.
"You've always been the persistent kind," he murmured, eyes drifting back toward the skyline. "It's one of the reasons you were always behind me. Never knew when to stop."
She scoffed, softly, but said nothing.
Kai turned back to her, resting his chin lightly on his knuckles.
"I'm not dead yet, Shouko. Don't act like you're here for a final farewell."
"I'm not," she replied, and this time there was a spark in her tone — something stubborn and alive. "That's exactly why I'm here."
Something shifted then. Not between them, but within the air — like the tension had lessened, even if only slightly. Kai leaned back in his seat, reaching for his coffee cup again.
"Well," he said, lifting it in a mock-toast, "if nothing else, you've made today far more entertaining than I expected."
She lifted her cup too, eyes never leaving his.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Kai's smile deepened — fleeting, but genuine – when he chuckled out loud. Causing Shouko to doubt his sanity. Observing her reaction, Kai paused. With a smile plastered across his face, he spoke. "But Shouko, reckless, inconsiderate and impetuous – don't they all apply to you as well."
******
Shouko blinked, her brows furrowing slightly at his words before she leaned back with an exasperated sigh. Her gaze narrowed—not in anger, but in mild resignation.
"I came all the way here out of genuine concern, and this is the thanks I get?" she muttered, placing her teacup down with careful precision. "You really haven't changed."
Kai gave a slight shrug, eyes half-lidded with amusement. "Oh, I have. Just not in the direction most people were hoping for."
Shouko tilted her head, one corner of her mouth twitching. "So, you've doubled down on being insufferable, I see."
He chuckled, pleased with her response. "I'd say I've become more refined in my delivery."
A small smile crept back onto her lips, despite herself. She looked away for a moment, watching the leaves of a potted vine sway gently with the synthetic breeze. The quiet between them wasn't awkward now—it had settled into something companionable, if still fragile.
"You're right though," she admitted softly, turning back toward him. "Maybe those words do apply to me too. I wouldn't be here otherwise. And I definitely wouldn't have dared to confront you if I wasn't at least a little bit reckless."
Kai leaned his cheek against his knuckles again, the faint curve of his lips still lingering. "It's mutual, then."
"For once, we agree on something," she replied dryly. While, Kai mused, amazed at himself. 'Maybe it's all because of the unfound confidence, I've gained after reincarnating – tired of my previous life, I've always sought ways to redo things. To not care about the world anymore and live freely – to not give a f*ck. Maybe, death was the trigger that brought on this change.'
The afternoon light shifted above them, streaking through the glass dome in longer rays. For a moment, neither spoke, content in the calm that had settled. The city below them buzzed as it always did, distant and disconnected.
Kai stared at his empty cup before placing it back on the saucer with a gentle clink. "You said earlier that I always seemed so far ahead. Truth is, I've just been running blindly for a long time. Faster, harder… just to keep the thoughts at bay."
Shouko's eyes softened, but she said nothing.
"I'm tired," Kai confessed, voice barely audible. "But… maybe it's alright to slow down once in a while."
The silence that followed wasn't heavy—it felt like a quiet understanding.
"You don't have to run alone," she said at last. "Not anymore."
Kai didn't answer immediately, but the way his eyes lingered on hers, the brief flicker of warmth that surfaced and vanished—it said enough, 'A friend huh… that's a first in this world.'
And then, with a dismissive wave of his hand, he shifted the conversation.
"But don't get used to this version of me. I prefer being mysterious and misunderstood."
Shouko rolled her eyes, reaching for another cookie. "That ship sailed long ago. You're not nearly as mysterious as you think."
Kai laughed — genuinely — and for a moment, the world outside the rooftop garden seemed a little quieter. A little kinder to him, ' The twenty first century Earth, isn't as heartless, as I've imagined it after all.'
******
Shouko leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees as she nibbled on a croissant. "I still don't get how you manage to eat all this and stay in shape. Unfair advantages, I suppose?"
Kai stretched slightly in his chair, a lazy smirk on his face. "Superior genes. Maybe a cursed life expectancy too—it balances out, don't you think?"
She chuckled softly, brushing crumbs from her lap. "You'd call that balance?"
"Everything's relative," he replied with mock wisdom. "Besides, if I weren't this charmingly tragic, I doubt you'd be here wasting your afternoon on me."
"Mm, tragic, yes. Charming? Debatable," she said with a teasing glance.
Kai sighed, exaggerated and theatrical. "You wound me, Hoshina Shouko. Truly."
"Don't you ever get tired, The So Called Mr. Genius."
He gave her a sheepish grin, one eyebrow raised. "Fair enough. But isn't it the same for you."
"True… still, it is unfair that isn't just me blessed with such a body."
"Anyway, how about this—since you're here, and so concerned about my tragically short and ever-dwindling lifespan, why not compete once again?"
Shouko narrowed her eyes warily. "I'm listening…"
Kai leaned in, elbows on the armrest, hands steepled. "Play Yggdrasil with me."
She blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"Yggdrasil," he repeated, like it were the most natural thing in the world. "It's a new DMMORPG I've been beta testing. The world's huge, unforgiving, beautifully designed, and full of potential. You can compete with me again there. We can see who's really better… though I'll still win, obviously."
Her mouth twisted into a knowing smirk. "Yggdrasil, huh?"
He quipped. "Besides, you wouldn't wish for our competition to end on such a note, would you?", he spoke, drunk on emotions.
She looked at him, considering. "You really want me to join?"
"Only if you're ready to lose," he said.
Shouko laughed, the tension around her finally loosening. "You'd hate that. But fine, I'll bite. Don't cry when I take beat you."
"I'd be more impressed if you did," Kai replied smoothly, settling back into his seat. "Then again, miracles do happen."
They exchanged a glance — neither backing down, both smiling, the competitive spark rekindled beneath the sunlight.
"You're on, Kurenai," she said firmly, lifting her cup in a mock toast.
Kai grinned at her gesture, the air between them softening into a rare moment of peace. "Then let the second round begin," he said, half in jest, expecting her to decline or perhaps indulge the idea for a while before inevitably losing interest or quitting. Yet, what he couldn't have foreseen—not even in the wildest stretch of his imagination—was that the girl sitting before him would become one of his most trusted allies in Yggdrasil. And would one day become the Vice Guild Master of his Guild. He couldn't have ever imagined to meet the Vice Guild Master of his Guild – even before the official launch of the game.
******
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**The End**
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