The Daily Life of a Part-time Torturer (拷問バイトくんの日常)

This is a world where things like killing and torture have been legalized.

Hey!

You there.

You wouldn't happen to be interested in torture, would you?

What, this?

Oh, it's fine! It happens all the time!

What's up with this creep?

I think you'd be quite suited to it.

What do you think?

How about some torture?

You're a high school student, right?

I'm a freelance torturer.

Why do you think I'd be right for torture?

Because you have an overabundance of free time and violence.

I was wandering around and some idiot picked a fight with me, that's all.

Then it was legitimate self-defense!

There's also...

your face, I suppose.

"The beautiful is nothing other than the origin of the fearsome."

Apparently, beautiful people are suited to torture.

Here.

You can have this.

I didn't say I'd do—

This is a whip I used to use.

It should be perfect to start with.

Very nice. It looks good on you.

Oh, that reminds me.

I never asked your name, did I?

I'm Hera.

Siu.

For your first time, that's very well done.

How was it?

How was it? Exhausting.

What a lackluster reaction. Isn't there anything else?

Dragging out the answers he had in him

with my own two hands felt... fun, I think.

You've got a good sense for this. I knew you were suited for it.

All right! Now to contact the cleaner.

Yes, hello?

It got messier than usual.

No, not me. A new guy.

Take care of it, will you?

He's a weird guy.

Thanks for helping out again.

Having clean torturers like you two around is a huge help.

Thank you.

Is the boy back there a new hire?

Yes.

He's recently started working with me.

I see.

You were lucky to meet a good torturer like him.

I'm the one who was lucky,

meeting a good, talented kid like him.

Hey.

That guy earlier mentioned "clean torturers." What does that mean?

Well, in this business,

there are many torturers who'll torture people who aren't torture targets,

or who don't maintain proper confidentiality.

It's unbelievable, really.

I want to produce results using honest methods.

Otherwise, no one will trust the kids of today

who become torturers in the future.

Hmm? What's wrong?

Why did you start doing this work?

I tagged along with a torturer that I just happened to meet,

and the rest is history.

I guess it was just chance.

But...

it suited me as a person.

It felt like the truths I extracted filled the cracks I had in me.

I'm the one who dragged you into this,

but whether you continue or not

is for you to decide.

Comfortable everyday life...

If I close my eyes, it's all wonderful.

If I go with him...

I'll lose these kinds of days.

Who'd regret losing this everyday life?

What?

What's that bandage for?

Ink.

And I quit school.

Well, that was sudden.

I'm not gonna quit.

You dragged a young person with a promising future into this.

Take responsibility.

Well, of course. I'll do my very best.

What do you think? Do you feel like spilling what you know?

He's a stubborn one.

Sorry!

My last job ran long.

You're late!

That's Von. He's in the same business as us.

Nice to meet you.

Good work today.

Thank you for coming. It was a huge help.

You're quite welcome.

Well, I'll go and call the cleaner.

Thanks!

Siu-kun, was it?

I hear you quit school.

Yeah.

I'm sure you've already realized this, but this is an odd industry.

Wouldn't it be better to get back to a normal life as quick as you can?

Normal is a pretty good thing, you know.

Though, I guess since it was Hera-san who caught you, it'd be hard to do.

What happened?

He coughed up foam and collapsed!

Don't worry.

He isn't dead.

Thank you, Izua.

If there's a patient, of course I'll come.

You're so dependable!

Ramen

As you can see, I'm a doctor that these guys work to the bone.

A doctor?

Even the kind of trash that gets tortured needs medical treatment sometimes.

But when it's guys like that,

and we're treating them when they're gonna get injured anyway...

Not many doctors would do that willingly.

So I do it because I figure it's necessary.

I do look after regular patients, too, though.

When you do this kind of work,

you end up attracting all kinds of weirdos.

Like this guy, who seems unmotivated,

but has a set of personal policies in his work.

Yeah, yeah.

Or guys who appear detached and aimless, but are unexpectedly sensitive.

It's because this work isn't easy.

There's also...

punk kids with empty bellies...

and police officers who treat them to ramen.

There's all sorts of people here.

Yeah.

Given where I am now,

I wonder if I'd be able to help a kid who's like I was back then.

Why are you getting all sentimental?

Want me to do a consult?

What? It's not like that. It's just... you know.

Pull yourself together.

Okay, let's give it our best tomorrow, too!

I've got myself a good partner now, after all.

Right?

I'll try my best to live up to your expectations.

You're so dependable!

3 Years Later

Oh, this is the best!

Siu-san, thank you for doing this all the time.

Don't you get sick of having omelet rice all the time, Noe?

Nope! Your omelet rice is just so good!

He seems like he'll make a good papa one day!

As if.

Well, I'll go and check your job requests.

If you would, please.

Come back safely!

Be careful out there today, too!

Noe has grown up into a good boy, hasn't he?

Has it already been three years?

Yeah.

I'm so glad Noe and I became family that day.

Thanks to you and Noe, every day is fun.

Glad to hear it.

I want to stay like this forever.

But, well...

Von quit being a torturer...

and I'm sure people don't normally last too long in this job, but...

Siu, do you think you'll be able to continue doing this?

I can't imagine myself not being a torturer anymore.

Probably.

How do I put it? I feel like this job

has become the place where I belong.

There's something I've been thinking for a while now.

It'd be nice if I could create a place in this world where torturers could stay.

A place...

Hera!

Damn punks, running wild all over our turf like that...

Stupid brats!

We won't let you off so easily next time.

You understand now, don't you?

Get out of the torturing business while you can.

Please...

Please save him.

I'm sorry.

It's my fault someone so important to you is in that condition.

I'm sorry.

It's my fault.

It's because Hera protected me.

Morning... Siu.