This was infuriating! Was this kid made of stone? Nothing got through to him.
Biscuit took a deep breath to calm herself. She reached into her bag, pulled out a small booklet, and pushed it across the table.
Roy picked it up and glanced at it. The notebook looked worn, but unlike his great-great-grandfather's, this one was wrapped beautifully, almost like a gift.
He opened it and peeked inside, discovering it contained Biscuit's training notes and insights from her youth. He looked at her suspiciously. "Let me make this clear first. I'm not taking you as my master."
"You don't need to tell me that!"
Biscuit huffed, her twin pigtails swinging as she turned away, muttering resentfully, "Just consider it me being generous."
In that case, Roy turned to Gotoh. "Go downstairs and buy Lady Biscuit breakfast. Remember, make it lavish."
"Yes." Gotoh glanced at Biscuit before pushing open the door to leave.
The old woman pouted. "Who wants to eat it anyway?"
But when Gotoh actually placed breakfast before her, her mood switched instantly, and she wolfed it down. Her appetite was astonishingly large, proving one thing: the greater the muscle mass, the more one needed to eat.
While frantically stuffing her face, she didn't forget to lecture Roy. "Consider yourself lucky, kid. Given our masters' friendship, don't say I didn't look out for you. Study it well."
Roy flipped through the notebook without looking up. "You taught me. Aren't you afraid Wing will have opinions?"
"What opinions could he have?"
Did this kid really think their Shingen-ryu was nothing special? Biscuit shot him an angry look. "It'll take you at least ten or twenty years to really understand what 'heart' means."
Roy remained noncommittal, carefully reading the notebook. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. Many "insights" aligned with Buddhist principles. Connecting this to how Netero prayed before every punch, and his ultimate killing move, "100-Type Guanyin" borrowed from Buddhism's "Thousand-Armed Kannon" imagery, he nodded in deep agreement. "Following your heart, rejoicing in others' merit. Truly not that simple."
"Good, at least you know it's hard. Wait—" Biscuit suddenly stopped. Half a chicken leg got stuck in her throat, and when she opened her mouth, it fell onto the table with a thud. Gotoh frowned, clearly trying not to pick it up.
"Roy, what did you just say?" The old woman stared directly at Roy.
Roy closed the notebook. "What? I said you're right. Shingen-ryu isn't that simple."
"The sentence before that."
"Following your heart?"
"No! 'Rejoicing in others' merit'!" Biscuit was stunned. She was certain she'd deliberately omitted this phrase from the notebook, hoping this kid could understand it through his own realization.
Following your own heart is easy; sincerely praising others is hard!
Why did Netero pray before every punch? Because he knew human nature leaned toward selfishness. Not many truly wished him well. In the end, only his lifelong practice of martial arts never betrayed him, constantly encouraging him onward while providing timely feedback on his growth.
That's why he felt he had to honor the martial arts that made him who he was.
With this sincere attitude, Netero often taught Biscuit in her youth to appreciate other people's success, to praise them honestly, and to really notice what made them special. That way, she wouldn't lose herself to jealousy.
"So your grandfather also taught you this phrase, right?" Biscuit snapped back, regaining her composure. Finally, remembering her dropped chicken leg, she followed the five-second rule and picked it up, stuffing it back in her mouth. Gotoh's brow furrowed again.
Being a Virgo, he immediately decided Biscuit belonged on his list of people to avoid.
Roy noticed Gotoh's expression, but said nothing. Regarding whether his grandfather told him this, Roy could only say Biscuit's understanding of the Zoldyck family was too shallow.
The Zoldyck family didn't act out of sentiment, only because employers paid enough. If the price was right? Even if unhappy, they'd do the job reluctantly. When it came to post-mission regrets, his rumored-dead Grandfather Zigg had said, "Dissatisfied? Worst case, kill the employer too. Then you're square."
Looks like I was right, Biscuit thought, seeing that Roy didn't say yes or no. Her worry faded, and she went back to eating. Before long, she was leaning back in her chair, completely full.
"When are you leaving?"
The breakfast tasted good, though it was a little dry. Biscuit waved her hand to let Gotoh know her glass was empty and needed more water. She glanced at Roy and asked him a question.
Roy pushed back his chair and stood directly. "Now."
"Not staying a few more days?"
"No thanks. Father's still waiting to punish me at home. Can't disappoint him, right?"
Roy grinned, flashing Biscuit a big smile. The night before, Luke had called and told him exactly what his father said: "The electric baton is ready. Voltage as high as you want. Nen-powered."
Biscuit opened her mouth, momentarily speechless. Thinking to herself, 'Truly worthy of the Zoldycks!'
She simply waved. "Then... good luck!"
Gotoh's water arrived. The young butler reluctantly glanced at Biscuit, then picked up the luggage to follow Roy out.
At the door, Wing stood with arms crossed against the wall like a stone sculpture, seemingly waiting quite a while. Seeing Roy emerge, he politely pushed up his glasses, smiling. "Sorry, my master caused you trouble."
Did it count as trouble? "I think she ate quite happily, and it wasn't my money anyway."
"Cough, cough. Is that so?"
Wing, just like their first meeting days ago, extended his right hand to Roy, saying seriously, "Safe travels."
This time, Roy didn't hesitate or refuse. He extended his hand to shake, nodded, then turned to leave with Gotoh.
The hallway light shone white, stretching the young man's shadow behind him, almost as if it didn't want him to leave.
Wing watched him depart. Seeing him round the corner about to disappear, he called out, "Hey! I'll challenge you..."
Roy didn't turn back or stop. Just raised two fingers behind him, waving before vanishing from sight.
"Stop looking. He's long gone."
Two minutes later, Biscuit jumped down from her chair, her pigtails bouncing as she skipped over to Wing's side.
The young man withdrew his gaze, smiling at his master. "Doesn't this count as helping the competition?"
Biscuit jumped up and rapped him on the head with her knuckles. "Idiot! You have me teaching you personally, and you're still unsatisfied?"
"I'm satisfied, just kidding," Wing said, rubbing his head in mock pain. He followed Biscuit to continue their training, but glanced back at the now-empty room 1991. Their paths would cross again. By then, after everything changed, he wondered how far that person would go.