Chapter 8: Family Memories
A day has passed since the monster incident at the mall, but my daily life remains unchanged, filled with part-time work.
I have no issues with living expenses, but I don’t want my sister to feel hungry, given how much she eats.
“I came to see Kat-chan working, and I must say, you’re doing quite well.”
Since my sister has a night shift today, she came to Circinus during the daytime to watch me work.
“…”
However, I know the truth.
While it’s true that she came to see me work, the other half of her purpose was to try the new menu item: the extra-large curry.
“It’s just work, and at this hour, there are only regulars anyway,”
the Master grumbled while plating the curry she ordered.
“I’m usually busy with work, so seeing Kat-chan’s part-time job is refreshing,”
“Is it really that refreshing? It’s not much different from you taking care of your lazy self,”
“What did you say!? … Kat-chan, did you just nod slightly? Kat-chan?”
To be honest, it’s not much different.
Well, I suppose what’s common is that I don’t find either housework or part-time jobs burdensome.
As I wipe the water off the washed cups and put them away, I suddenly remember something the Master had mentioned before.
“Come to think of it, sis, you used to work here part-time too, right?”
“Ah, yes. It was when the shop had just opened, and there were hardly any customers.”
As my sister says this, the Master’s mouth twitches.
“Hey, I haven’t forgotten how your unfriendliness drove away the few customers we had.”
“Well, I’ve forgotten about that!”
“This girl…”
The Master trembles with anger but quickly drops his shoulders, apparently not truly upset.
“Well, compared to back then, your personality has improved quite a bit.”
“Was it really that bad?”
“Oh, yeah. She was so rough and wild, it was terrible. When she was freeloading here, she had absolutely no life skills. It was really tough.”
“Hey! Don’t tell Kat-chan about that!”
So, it’s true…
Wait a minute. Hold on.
“Did you just say ‘freeloading’?”
“Ah,”
they both exclaim, as if caught red-handed.
Huh? I knew my sister had worked here, but what’s this about freeloading?
“Well, I explained before, right? Our parents disappeared, and we had nowhere to live for a while,”
“Yeah, I let you two stay here when you had nowhere else to go,”
“I see… So that’s what happened…”
So even before I lost my memory, I was causing trouble for my sister.
I start to feel guilty.
“What was I like back then?”
“…You were the same as you are now, Kat-chan,”
“Huh?”
She replies to the question that spilled out unintentionally.
“Even before you lost your memory, Kat-chan was Kat-chan.”
“Sis…”
Recently, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things.
Before I could transform into the White Knight, as named by the public, every day was a desperate struggle.
With amnesia and only Hakua, my sister, as a close, reliable presence, I was trying to take action to find my purpose.
My sister introduced me to this part-time job at the café, where I met the Master and found something I could do even without my memories. From there, I was able to spend busy but peaceful days.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
And then, after becoming the White Knight, my days became tumultuous.
Suddenly being targeted by unknown connections and almost killed, fighting monsters that come from the sky – it’s been a series of bewildering developments that I can’t make sense of.
“Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot. I wonder if I should try to regain my memories.”
“Huh?”
“I’m satisfied with my current life, so I’m starting to think maybe I don’t need to force myself to remember…”
To be honest, I’m afraid of regaining my original memories.
Sometimes, I don’t know who I am.
It’s not normal to be able to transform into the White Knight with such extraordinary power, and I understand that my ability to defeat monsters without batting an eye is abnormal.
That’s why I’m scared of regaining my memories and changing who I am now.
“Katsuki, as I said before, there’s no need to force yourself to remember…”
“Kat-chan,”
my sister calls my name as I’m lost in thought.
“Someday… no, I think you’ll eventually regain your memories, but I want you to understand this: Kat-chan is not a bad person. You’re a kind person who cares about others. I know this best, having been with you, so be confident about that.”
“…I understand.”
“That’s good.”
My sister stands on her tiptoes to pat my head as I nod.
I’m a bit embarrassed and gently remove her hand when the bell at the door chimes, signaling a customer’s arrival.
“Welcome,”
I greet immediately, turning to see a man with distinctive purple hair entering.
The long-haired man sits at a table and places the paper bag he was carrying by his feet.
“Well, I’m going back to work,”
“Okay, do your best. …Master, is the curry ready yet?”
“Wait a bit longer.”
I smile wryly at the exchange between my sister and the Master, then approach the new customer with a glass of water and a menu, as usual.
“Please call me when you’re ready to or–“
“I never imagined someone like you would be him,”
“Pardon? Him…?”
The man turns his face towards me and grins.
“The White Knight.”
“What!?”
This guy…!!
Could he be one of those who come from the sky!?
As I visibly tense up, the man smirks and points outside.
“Let’s move elsewhere, shall we? It’s not ideal here, you know?”
My identity has been exposed…!? No, more importantly, this is bad!!
The man glances at the Master and my sister in turn, and I nod silently. I tell the Master I’m stepping out while bringing my bag with Shiro inside.
“Excuse me, this person says he has something to discuss, so I’ll be stepping outside for a bit.”
“Hm? Are you sure? If it’s a troublesome customer, I can handle it…”
“No, no! It’s nothing like that, I’ll be fine!!”
If a commotion breaks out here, the Master and my sister will be in danger.
Trying desperately to hide my anxiety, I force a smile towards my sister.
“So, I’ll be stepping out for a bit, okay?”
“Alright, but… are you sure you’ll be okay, Kat-chan?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Before they can sense my unease, I leave the shop and follow the man.
“To think the famous White Knight would be working in such a run-down shop.”
“…”
“Not much of a talker, are you?”
How did he find out about this place?
I shouldn’t have been tracked when moving with Lupus Striker.
Could it be that the unpleasant sensation I felt on my neck yesterday was because of this guy?
“The alien you killed yesterday, the one whose only redeeming feature was its legs. That was one of my subordinates.”
“…What did you say?”
“I sent it as a sacrificial pawn to assess your combat capabilities and attach tracking nanomachines to you. The result was excellent; I successfully tracked down your hideout.”
So he used his comrade as bait.
At this point, this guy has become an enemy I absolutely must defeat.
I decide to transform and attack as soon as we pass through the crowded street.
As I follow the man with this in mind, he suddenly stops.
“Well, this should do.”
“Huh? …!”
Without warning, the man activates some kind of device.
The poll is open again, please vote!!!
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
