[Job] Respect your elders (solo)

Kenshiro had once again chosen to pick up another job that led him to the conclusion he was cursed to be saving damsels in distress. Fortunately his experiences with a previous job had made it easier for him to talk to female clients now. It was a still a matter of willpower, but it wasn’t like he spent the first portion of their conversation stammering at this point. It didn’t take much conversation but after a brief description of the situation he realized he had misunderstood the job. He assumed it had been a kidnapping at first.
”So you’re telling me that he basically got drunk, wandered off, and you now want someone to find him?” He enquired.
”… Yes.” She responded.
”and you’re sure that he wants to be found?”
”mmmm yes.” She responded.
”Okay well might as well get started.” He finished half sarcastically, half joyously.

He was being sent to find a small, bald, elderly man with a bushy white beard and a Hawaiian shirt. This was hopefully going to be the easiest job he had taken to date. He had met a cat with nen capability, a woman with someone stealing her underwear, and now this deal with the old man. Given that he seemed to enjoy the drink, Kenshiro decided to start his little adventure looking through the local bars.

It took all of about twenty minutes for Kenshiro to discover that there was a fundamental problem with checking the bars for the old man. First and foremost, the fact that he was “underage” seemed to prevent him from getting away with being able to even get through the doors which he thought was stupid since he’d been drinking wine any time they got it since he was moved to NGL. It was impossible for him to conduct a proper investigation though regular means. He briefly considered getting the gear in his closet to wear so he could sneak in, but he had a solemn vow to refrain from using it until he got his hunter license.

Shaking his head for a second in order to clear his thoughts, Ken moved with purpose. As it turned out, moving with purpose to people in this area seemed to consist of people telling him that he couldn’t go here or there, and couldn’t do any of this or that. Can’t go in bars, can’t rent a vehicle, can’t buy weaponry without a parent. It was almost worth it to just turn around and head to meteor city to get ahold of stuff like that. Being in the city, especially around people with such outdated and ignorant outlooks made him angry, but it was because of the lack of attention to his surroundings and the fact that he had lost his motivation, that he suddenly found himself lost.

This state of mental uncertainty cleared up suddenly when he saw a bald old man with a white bushy beard wearing sun glasses and playing the drums on the corner of a street that he suddenly realized was in the same shady neighborhood that he had found Leonal the nen using cat. He slipped in among a throng of people listening to the old man play the drums and throw money into a hat that was sitting nearby. A brief use of gyo showed him that the old man wasn’t using any nen, but something about the song he was playing was alluring.

After listening to the old man play for about an hour the crowd of people started to die down until there were only Ken and the old man standing at the corner of… a weird street somewhere and another weird street somewhere. With any potential witnesses now gone, he was able to talk freely and hopefully wind this down.

word count: 632

”Okay are you Stella’s grandfather?” He asked abruptly after the crowd had left.
”I don’t know what you’re talking about boy.” The old man responded, causing Kenshiro’s eye to twitch upon being called “boy”.
”and like that I’m done being nice. If you’d like I can take you back by force.” He responded, certain he had the correct old man.
”Well… I’m not much of a fighter. We could have a drum battle.” The old man suggested, taking a swig of his bottle. He might have taken him up on that, but Ken seriously had no idea how to play an instrument of any kind. Still, never one to back down from a challenge, he chose to take him up on it.

The existing problem was that he didn’t actually have any drums. Frustration started to set in before he got an idea. Grabbing two nearby trash cans, he kneeled next to the old man and began to beat on the trash cans.
”Not a bad idea, I almost thought I had you beat without having to do anything young man. Good job improvising.” The old man encouraged before sitting down to beat on his own drums. At first there was a noticeable difference in skill level between the two, Kenshiro obviously not doing as well. Then, as he started to get into the swing of things he started to “feel the beat” as he would later find it referred to as.

Despite the fact that Kenshiro had managed to catch up in beat to what the old man was doing, he was later disappointed to find that it was because he was being indulged. Just as Ken’s drumming got more furious and began to hit its peak the old man started playing like the drum sticks were extensions of his own body. Four or five beats to one of Ken’s made it sound like he had a whole set of percussion instruments just playing away. It was something the boy didn’t feel like he would ever be able to keep up with. Still he used his own natural speed to close the gap, drumming away at top speed until his arms appeared to be moving even faster than Melvin’s. Despite the apparent speed Ken was using, he still wasn’t quite the band that the old man was and as their respective beats died down he was left wondering how he had lost even though he appeared to be moving faster. There didn’t seem to be any aura used, there was no nen.

”I see by your confusion young man, that you still don’t see why I was winning against you at the end. “ He said, causing Ken to wonder if the buy was somehow reading his mind.
”I was faster, I know I was… Wasn’t I?” He responded.
”It was because you lacked the technique and your beat is still rough. I can tell you’re more of a fighter than a drummer, but if you can learn to master your own rhythm you’ll see it will put you miles above others. I like your beat son. If Stella sent you I better get home before she sends someone else. Care to come with?” The old man finally admitted openly. Ken could almost feel his chest deflate as he got the confirmation, and with that the job was complete, but there was much more to learn about life and nen from the old man and he was resolved to learn what he could, but that would have to wait for a later date.
”Thank you for bringing grandpa back. I was sure I was going to have to hire a hunter or something and I can’t afford that.” She said gratefully.
”That’s alright, I was glad to have done this. Just let me know if you ever need me to come back and do it again.” He said with a wink as he turned to leave. There was something, he was sure, about that old man that made Ken want to hear what else he had to say. For now, there was much he had to think about and much for him to do as far as implementing it.

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