I'm really not Kamen Rider

Chapter 65: The job of the second rider is to suffer defeat? Why don’t I feel that?

"Tian Dao, someone is looking for you."

After the meeting, the next combat method of the life form was not confirmed. After a summary, the director-general assigned the tasks to others.

As the person in charge of Area B, Tiandao has an extremely heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

At the meeting, Ichijo, Sugita, and Tendō were basically the captains in charge of the joint operations center.

Sugita is an old employee of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, so there is no need to explain their relationship.

One is that he has a rigorous work attitude, and coupled with his seriousness and handsomeness, he was able to get along well with his colleagues in a short time.

And Tiandao...the battle with the unconfirmed life form No. 1 made him the center of attention.

Tendao, who was talking to Sugita, was attracted by Ichijo's greeting. After making an appointment with Sugita to meet later, he walked towards Ichijo.

"what's up?"

"This way." A path led to the reception room, where a middle-aged couple and a girl in school uniform appeared together.

After seeing Tiandao appear, the three of them immediately stood up and were extremely respectful.

"You are..." Tiandao looked at the three of them and made sure that he had never seen them before.

"We are the parents of this child." The middle-aged man said, "Our child... Saya, go say hello to Officer Shenshan."

"God...Officer Shenshan..." The girl's face still showed confusion after the fright, about life and the future.

It's like a being that has been closed off from all vitality, like a puppet, with only value left to be manipulated by others.

"I'm sorry, Officer Kamiyama. Ever since this child witnessed Kiko-chan die in front of her, she has been..." Patting the girl's head, as a mother, this was the only comfort she could bring to the child: "We came here this time to express our gratitude to you."

"If you hadn't been there, Saya wouldn't have been able to escape the clutches of the unidentified life form."

As soon as these words were spoken, Tiandao realized the identity of the girl in front of him. She was the one he rescued from the two girls who were attacked by squids under the bridge.

"It's you." Tian Dao suddenly realized, "I'm sorry. I was clearly there at the time, but I couldn't save your friend."

Saya:
The girl didn't say anything, didn't give any answer, and didn't even look at Tiandao. She just lowered her head, immersed in her own world.

"Sayata," the middle-aged man said, "Maybe she couldn't accept that Kiko died in front of her, so she always felt..."

"I understand." Tiandao nodded, and then continued: "It is our duty to protect the citizens. There is really no need to trouble you to come here in person."

As he spoke, Tiandao took out a pen and paper and wrote down the address and contact information of a psychological counseling center he knew: "This is a psychological counseling center I know. You can take her to have a look."

"Yes, thank you Officer Shenshan."

Watching the father and daughter in front of him take the paper, Tiandao turned his gaze to the girl who had been silent.

"Tian Dao, it's time to go." After knocking on the door, a voice said just right: "Traces of unconfirmed life forms have been found."

"Yes." Tiandao nodded in response. After nodding slightly to the three people in front of him, he stood up, opened the door and prepared to leave.

"Officer Shenshan." However, just as he was about to go out, the girl who had been keeping her head down seemed to have finally made up her mind and finally found the courage. She called out Tiandao's name in a small but firm voice.

The figure that was rushing outside was stopped by the call and involuntarily stopped where it was.

"The day after tomorrow will be Jiko's funeral." In the girl's red eyes, besides sadness, there was only the figure of Tiandao.

"Officer Shenshan, do you want to go take a look?"

The body stood still without moving, seemingly having no reaction to this, and it didn't even turn around.

Can't turn around? Or dare not turn around?
Tiandao seemed to have anticipated what he would face after turning around. "Yes, if I have time, I will go." After leaving these words, Tiandao started moving again.

This time there was no intention of staying, but he walked away, leaving only the slowly closing door, telling of the two separated worlds.

Those red eyes, full of expectations and emotions, the obsession of placing all hopes on someone, disappeared the moment the door closed.

The flame of life that had finally ignited in his eyes was extinguished in an instant.

The so-called expectations seem to be just a set of shackles imposed on others.

“Heaven’s Way.”

It was still Yi who was driving, and Tian Dao who was sitting in the passenger seat. It seemed that the order in which the two of them traveled had always been like this, without any changes.

But. Yi Tiao, looking at Tian Dao who was standing there with his hands folded and not saying anything, probably knew what he was worried about.

"Even if you are a Flame Dragon with such power, it doesn't mean you can save everyone." Ichijo looked straight ahead and suddenly said, "There are always areas that you cannot reach, and there is no way to maintain all justice in this world. What people can do is only the part that they can do."

"I know what you want to say." Tiandao said, "Ichijo, I am not sad because I didn't save the girl named Jiko."

"It's because I didn't respond to her expectations."

"Huh?" Ichijo was stunned for a moment.

"At that time, she mustered up the courage to ask me to stop. I think she must have been full of expectations of me and had countless emotions that she wanted to place on me." Tiandao narrowed his eyes.

"But I didn't turn around, I didn't respond to her emotion."

"Because I know that as long as I turn around and face that look, I will definitely..." Tiandao said, letting go of his hands and looking at his palms: "Yi Tiao, I still don't know what I really want."

"To me, fighting with unconfirmed life forms like this, and even every previous battle, seems to be just fighting for the duty of the Flame Dragon." Looking at his own hands, Tiandao's voice was a little bewildered.

"I'm fighting just for the sake of responsibility, not out of my own heart. It's like I'm being pushed to fight. So, if I can win, I can win. If I lose, I'll just lose cleanly."

“What I really want is...”

Looking at Tiandao who was at a loss, Ichijo said helplessly: "Isn't it right to fight for duty? If this is your responsibility, then you should be responsible to the end. That's enough."

"I slack off even at work. I spend six out of eight hours in the toilet. What sense of responsibility do you expect from me?" Tiandao rolled his eyes.

"Ichijo, have you forgotten what everyone in Nagano Prefecture thinks of the two of us?"

"You and I are completely opposite."

Yes, the more serious one is about his work and his responsibilities, the more careless he will be.

The two are said to be completely opposite, and it is not just talk.

"That still leaves two hours, right?" Ichijo said with a smile.

"There are still two hours until dinner time." Tiandao spread his hands and said, "So, that's how I'll do it."

"You." Ichijo shook his head helplessly: "I don't know what you are worried about."

"If you feel bad about it, why don't you try to respond to her expectations?" Ichijo said again: "You don't know what you want anyway, so why not try to respond to her wishes."

"Will you attend Noriko's funeral?"

"Of course." Tiandao nodded: "It's very easy to find out where Jizi's home is."

"but."

But am I really fit to attend her funeral?
(End of this chapter)