It seemed that Hara Kenji took the way Kisaragi Chiyo had used to corner him earlier quite well.
Soft scrambled eggs wrapped around shrimp, seasoned with a hint of black pepper that was subtle yet just right; the triangular rice balls, eaten two at a time, were filled with corn, green peas, ham bits. Each ingredient was served in small portions, but because of the variety, the feeling of fullness after finishing the meal was just right—enough to be satisfied without feeling uncomfortably stuffed.
"Thank you for the meal." Ending with a cup of mocha, Kisaragi Chiyo used a tissue to wipe the cream from her lips, her originally expressionless face showing wonder and satisfaction because of this breakfast.
This is probably the power of food and sugar.
Confronted by this behavior that was as selfless as a hardworking little bee or the Snail Maiden from a fairy tale, Kisaragi Chiyo, utterly conquered by such incredibly considerate actions, spoke the most sincere words she had uttered since their meeting.
Hara-kun, you really are a good ghost.
Author's Note:
----------------------
Thanks to all the little angels for adding this to your collection, mwah 033330
Chapter 13
Kisaragi Chiyo was somewhat curious about the source of these breakfast ingredients, especially since he noticed that the money in his wallet had not decreased.
Although he had asked Hara Kenji to go to the 24-hour supermarket to buy some cleaning supplies last night—and certainly hadn't taken advantage of his labor for free, as Kisaragi Chiyo had reluctantly paid him a portion of the errand fee as compensation—whether Hara Kenji, being a wraith, could use them or how he would use them was not something Kisaragi Chiyo needed to worry about.
When Kisaragi Chiyo handed the money to Hara Kenji, a look of obvious confusion appeared on the other man's face. He frowned slightly before relaxing, as if he felt that Kisaragi Chiyo's actions were somewhat akin to trying to draw a clear line between them; Hara Kenji did not wish for Kisaragi Chiyo to be so distant from him.
“I can't give you anything else.” Kisaragi Chiyo, however, felt that one thing should be kept separate from another. After all, the money she provided was not enough to hire a professional cleaner who could clean the entire interior of the villa spotless in less than an hour.
"Of course, don't even think about getting a bite of this for free." Observing Hara Kenji's expression, Kisaragi Chiyo quickly added another sentence before he could speak.
"How cunning." Hara Kenji laughed. He reached out to take the money Kisaragi Chiyo was handing him, but then immediately pushed it back toward her.
I don't have any use for it right now anyway, so please keep it safe for me for the time being, Kisaragi.
Okay." Kisaragi Chiyo didn't refuse this time. "I'll open a card for you another day.
"You're so thoughtful." Hara Kenji didn't know why his mood had suddenly improved again; he hummed a tune while using his tentacles to mop the already gleaming floor once more.
*
“You’ve done a wonderful thing.” Sitting across the dining table, Hara Kenji gave Kisaragi Chiyo a playful wink. In front of him sat a cup of mocha coffee, the same as Kisaragi Chiyo's. Since he had no need to eat himself, Hara Kenji had only prepared a single serving of breakfast for Kisaragi Chiyo.
Although he didn't know what kind of magical method Kisaragi Chiyo had used to allow him, who previously found it impossible to swallow food, to taste food once again, but with a more seductive existence right within his reach, even the most delicious food would become bland in comparison.
Continuing like that would only increase the soul's *** and hunger, so Hara Kenji would try his best to avoid unnecessary tests of his endurance and willpower.
However, sometimes Hara Kenji would also feel curious; since he could touch inanimate objects, why was he unable to swallow food?
Food was not a necessity for him, but occasionally when he was bored, he would still contemplate this question, eventually coming to the conclusion that it was perhaps a form of punishment.
Like how some people who commit suicide by jumping from buildings will repeatedly repeat the act of climbing up the stairs and jumping down in the form of a bound spirit after they die.
If hell truly exists, then everyone should go there after they die. Or, just like the vengeful spirit in the taxi they encountered last night, they might vanish after fulfilling their final wish.
This only made Hara Kenji even more certain that this was likely part of the punishment as well, referring to his loss of memory and the constant sense of hunger and emptiness he felt in his soul.
Because he had violated the rules by forcibly continuing to remain in this world.
He was not willing to leave just like that; there must be something that needed to be completed or someone he had to see waiting for him. Therefore, when Kisaragi Chiyo, a person who appeared entirely abnormal in his eyes, appeared, he finally decided to leave that building.
Hara Kenji actually always understood that what was trapping him was not the building, but himself.
*
Although Hara Kenji thought many things in his heart, he did not reveal any of them on the surface. When facing Kisaragi Chiyo, a kind smile always hung upon his lips, his speech was slow and unhurried, possessing a very comforting tone; yet, all of this seemed somewhat eerie because of his current non-human appearance, which could be seen at a single glance.
Some blind fool ran straight into it, probably thinking he could find something valuable here. At the very least, that white porcelain vase on the desk in the room where you're sleeping now looks quite decent.
"A wretched, cowardly loser." Hara Kenji's lips were extremely pale, a light chuckle escaped from his thin lips, carrying a hint of nonchalant mockery.
The gaze of those dark purple eyes landed vacantly on Kisaragi Chiyo's face, as if waiting for Kisaragi Chiyo to say something.
Kisaragi Chiyo naturally understood what the other person meant. For the sake of this breakfast, Kisaragi Chiyo cooperated and played along, asking, "So, what did you do to him?"
I originally just thought about knocking him unconscious and throwing him a bit further away." Hara Kenji's eyes curved into a smile. He picked up the coffee beside him, took a small sip, then continued, "But then I discovered he was a fugitive on a wanted list.
Although my memories from my past life aren't very clear, I believe my memory is quite good." Hara Kenji reached up and tapped his eyes. "Even though I only caught a glimpse of him while visiting a neighbor, I don't think I misremembered.
So you handed him over to the Metropolitan Police Department to collect a reward?
After I knocked him unconscious, I stuffed him into the telephone booth closest to the Metropolitan Police Department and called Inspector Megure to notify him to come pick him up.
Megure Juro—that was the name the other party used to introduce himself after answering the call.
As for the number, Hara Kenji noted it down while Kisaragi Chiyo was sending the message.
“But the police wouldn't exactly bring the reward to you right this second, would they?” Kisaragi Chiyo had heard something about the complicated procedures within the police force. At the very least, even if the Japanese police were constantly criticized by the media as incompetent officers and tax thieves, no matter how brainless they were, they wouldn't just come running with subordinates in tow, carrying a reward, simply because they received a single emergency call.
Oh, I see.
Hara Kenji wore an innocent expression that felt both familiar and slightly headache-inducing to Kisaragi Chiyo.
As it happened, the wanted criminal had a wallet on him, so I wrote a note to get a little advance on my bonus.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
Kisaragi Chiyo: "In any case, it's truly wonderful that you didn't obtain your money through crime."
*
After finishing breakfast, Kisaragi Chiyo planned to start working. She ultimately asked Hara Kenji to help her clean out the wardrobe and find a few cushions to stuff inside.
Kisaragi Chiyo sat down to test the comfort level, after confirming there was still enough room to move after closing the wardrobe, decided to use this as his long-term workspace for writing manuscripts.
"Won't this really cause spinal problems?" Hara Kenji was somewhat worried about this, but Kisaragi Chiyo's stubbornness regarding her work was truly beyond his expectations. After he offered a few words of persuasion, she directly reached up to cover her ears to demonstrate her resolute refusal to change, so Hara Kenji had no choice but to give up.
Please make sure not to disturb me while I am working." Before closing the wardrobe door, Kisaragi Chiyo gave Hara Kenji this solemn instruction: "Inspiration is like the craftiest mouse in the world; if you don't immerse yourself in it with your whole heart and soul, it will slip through your fingers before you know it.
“Then, I wish you success in your hunt?”
Feeling the weight of the heavy responsibility placed upon him, Hara Kenji's expression also became serious. "Don't worry. Before you come out, Kisaragi-sensei, I will make the room so quiet that not even a mosquito can approach."
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
"You.. never mind, it doesn't matter if you move about freely." Kisaragi Chiyo thought for a moment and decided not to argue with the memory-impaired Wraith over such trivial wording.
Then, see you later.
"See you later." The handsome Long-haired Wraith flashed a considerate smile.
After Kisaragi Chiyo finished speaking, she closed the wardrobe door completely.
Hara Kenji stood before the wardrobe with his eyes cast down. Now, he did not need to breathe, did not need a heartbeat, did not need to blink, had no physiological needs whatsoever.
He stared fixedly at the closed cabinet door with those glass-like eyes, motionless. He could hear the steady, even breathing coming from within, the rustling of paper, the faint sound of a pen nib scratching against a notebook after being uncapped, the tapping of a laptop keyboard.
As long as he wished, nothing could escape his ears; even an unconscious click of the tongue caused by distress would sound as clear as a clap of thunder in his ears.
Hara Kenji raised his hand and pressed his palm against the wardrobe door. After a long while, he withdrew his hand, turned, drifted to a dark corner undisturbed by the sunlight, where he waited with immense patience.
He was like this most of the time, quiet and silent.
But now, things were somewhat different; this silence was for waiting. Or rather, because this villa had a study with bookshelves filled with all kinds of books on all four walls, Hara Kenji could at least use them to pass the time during this period.
Inside the wardrobe, Kisaragi Chiyo did not immediately start working as he had said. Instead, she first replied to the message sent by her editor, reporting that she had already found inspiration for her new book during this trip, she believed that it wouldn't be long before she finished the manuscript for the first story.
She also didn't forget to thank the editor for the suggestions and help provided, then got straight to the point by asking when the living expenses would be transferred. After receiving a definitive answer, Kisaragi Chiyo finally opened her computer to begin the first item on today's to-do list.
It wasn't for researching information, nor for browsing forums, certainly not for opening a document to press the spacebar and start the opening of a new story's first chapter.
Kisaragi Chiyo opened a browser, the cool light of the computer screen illuminating her expressionless face. Her misty gray eyes stared at the screen as she typed the name 【Hara Kenji】 into the search bar, then, without a moment's hesitation, she manipulated the mouse and clicked search.
Soon, the search results displayed all the information on the internet regarding this name on the computer screen, one by one.
The first piece of information retrieved, appearing right next to the name Hara Kenji, was the two words: obituary.
An obituary from seven years ago.
Author's Note:
----------------------
Thanks to all the little angels for adding this to your collection, mwah to everyone!
Chapter 14
Bomb Disposal Squad, killed in the line of duty.. died at the age of twenty-two..
Such words are mostly cold, official terms, filled with endless regrets.
A few hundred words of the official obituary issued by the Metropolitan Police Department stated a person's death in such a simple and plain manner. It was like throwing a stone into a lake; even if ripples rise on the surface for a moment, it will soon sink completely to the bottom, disappearing just like countless other stones, its traces becoming difficult to find once more.
Kisaragi Chiyo stared at that black-and-white ID photo, gazing at it for a long time.
Although the young officer in the photo had a serious expression, anyone could see that his eyes were smiling. That vibrant, spirited smile and vitality almost seemed to burst through the cold screen, making it difficult to connect the person in the photo with that Long-haired Wraith who always remained silent in the darkness.
After all, the living and the dead are always different; even the hardest, most beautiful gemstone, once shattered, can never be restored.
A paranoid and stubborn soul drifted above the earth, until its memories were worn away and it forgot everything completely.
Kisaragi Chiyo frowned, a near-cold expression appearing on her face. Her misty gray eyes were reminiscent of the gloomy weather in winter, looking so overcast and inscrutable.
After closing the obituary webpage, Kisaragi Chiyo began searching for the information regarding the bombing case involving Hara Kenji.
Perhaps it was because the case back then had been so tragic, resulting in the martyrdom of several police officers; due to the tragic nature of such a case, the media outlets rarely voiced any criticism toward the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hara Kenji's funeral was held amidst the regrets and eulogies of the media and the public, the tears of his loved ones. The young officer with medium-length hair looked out from his black-and-white photograph, smiling at everyone who came to say goodbye to him, peaceful and silent.
He should have become a Buddha, but for some unknown reason, he had wandered ignorantly in that place of death for seven long years.
Kisaragi Chiyo thought of those featureless, pitch-black ghosts she had seen in the building; those were likely the other police officers who had died in the line of duty back then.
So why did they choose to linger there in an endless wander instead of leaving?
Kisaragi Chiyo truly could not make sense of this question. He closed the browser page and stared silently at the screen emitting its cold light for over ten minutes, before finally giving up on thinking about the matter further.
As he had said to himself, he was not the type of person to dig into everything, nor did he have any interest in causing himself unnecessary trouble and adding more worries to his life.
Hara Kenji's choice always had its reasons; after all, he had only known the other person for a single day, there was really no need to pry excessively into their private matters.
Kisaragi Chiyo was always skilled at accepting all sudden events and knowing exactly when to curb her own curiosity.