Suddenly, Hara Chihaya's stroking motion paused; she felt as if her hair had been tugged from behind, but when she turned around, she found nothing.
"Eh! The cat is gone." A colleague's disappointed voice came from the side; it turned out that when she looked back, the cat had jumped back into the bushes and could no longer be seen.
"What a pity, I wanted to take a few photos." Just as the colleague had pulled out her phone and hadn't even unlocked it, the protagonist had already left the scene one step ahead.
"Since it's a cat from this area, we'll probably run into it again later, right?" Hara Chiyo stood up, glanced back at the bushes where the cat had appeared, left the scene side by side with her colleague.
*
When Matsuda Jinpei returned, it was already afternoon. He leaped skillfully through the window, a habit perhaps shared by every cat who loves to use windows.
Kisaragi Chiyo was holding a small glass bottle up to the light, swirling the translucent liquid within, which shimmered with a faint, pale green glow.
"I've got the stuff." Matsuda Jinpei walked to Kisaragi Chiyo's side, opening his palm to reveal a small tuft of golden hair resting in his hand.
This was exactly Hara Chihaya's hair.
In Kisaragi Chiyo's words, it was to create a connection with Hara Kenji's memories, acting much like a signpost.
That's perfect." Kisaragi Chiyo smiled and shook the bottle in her hand. "My medicine has also finished settling.
"Is this the batch you brewed today?" Matsuda Jinpei asked curiously as he took the glass bottle from Kisaragi's hands, unscrewing the cap to take a sniff.
That strange smell had long since vanished, replaced by a faint fragrance similar to the scent of herbs and plants.
"To be precise, this is what we actually need." Kisaragi Chiyo reached out and flicked the glass bottle, which emitted a crisp sound as it vibrated.
Spirit Dew.
Kisaragi Chiyo did not provide much of an introduction; he simply instructed Matsuda to go and catch that poor little dog hiding in the corner, while he went to prepare other things.
By the time Matsuda dragged and bound Hara and brought him over, Kisaragi Chiyo was working on the final stroke of the formation.
Because of the requirements, they were currently in the courtyard, drawing a formation from a branch snapped on the spot didn't sound very reliable.
But it was indeed effective enough.
"Just stand up after you finish drinking." Kisaragi Chiyo stuffed the glass bottle into Hara's hands.
“Kisaragi..” The little puppy being pulled along looked quite pitiful. This was the first time Hara Kenji had shown such an uneasy expression in front of Kisaragi Chiyo.
He grabbed Kisaragi's wrist, looking hesitant, as if wanting to lean in but still hesitating.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine soon." Kisaragi Chiyo reached out to grab Hara Kenji's collar, pulling him toward her, then stood slightly on her tiptoes.
A soft kiss landed on the Evil Spirit's lips.
"Don't you want to recover your memories?" Kisaragi Chiyo looked into the other's eyes and asked in a low voice with a smile.
"No.. I'm just.." Hara Kenji was just a bit uneasy; he couldn't even say exactly what it was he was uneasy about, perhaps it was the fear of change.
This change comes not only from external things and other people, but also from within oneself.
But Hara Kenji still walked to the center of the formation.
With hands pressed together, as low, indistinct incantations were chanted from Kisaragi Chiyo's mouth, that tuft of hair from Hara Chihaya was placed at the interface of the formation.
Just as Kisaragi Chiyo had said, the ritual was not complicated; it could even be described as fast.
The wind swept past them, carrying away the hair that had already burned to ash.
The completed formation was completely discarded after being used once, its pale green light, like the glow of fireflies, gathering toward Hara Kenji and finally merging into a small stream that poured back into the Spirit Dew bottle.
The Evil Spirit opened his eyes, his expression somewhat dazed, as if he did not yet fully understand his current situation.
"Little Jinpei.." His dark purple eyes gradually focused, Hara Kenji looked at the friend standing under the tree with a complex expression.
Then, his gaze slowly shifted to the other side, toward the young man wearing a black haori.
Hara Kenji opened his mouth, remaining silent for a long while before finally uttering a name: ".. Kisaragi-kun."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels for your support, mwah 030
Chapter 89
Memories were like surging waves, but he was not the ocean itself, merely a single inconspicuous barracuda weaving through them.
Hara Kenji jolted awake from a long, drawn-out dream, the piercing ticking of a countdown seemingly still echoing in his ears; then, following a massive explosion and billowing clouds of smoke and dust, everything finally faded into darkness.
Memories of his past life and the dampness of death intertwined with him; Hara Kenji felt as if his brain were about to explode, his eyes were so swollen and sore that it felt as though tears would fall at any moment.
He remembered, he remembered everything.
As the sound of the wind died down, Hara Kenji opened his eyes, his voice trembling as he called out Matsuda Jinpei's name with a sense of guilt.
Little Jinpei..
Besides that, there was one other person present.
Thinking of the other person, Hara Kenji suddenly felt a bit embarrassed and lifted his eyes to look at the face of the young man on the other side.
As memories of the past returned, Hara also remembered everything clearly—including how, while he was an Evil Spirit, he had clung stubbornly to the other's side and all those things he didn't know how to describe.
But it was precisely because of this that he didn't know what kind of expression or manner he should use to face her.
Hara Kenji screamed internally. At this moment, he wished he were a groundhog or an ostrich. That way, he could hide in a burrow or bury his head.
Ha.. No matter how shameful or hesitant it may be, it is something that must be faced sooner or later.
Hara Kenji turned his body stiffly toward Kisaragi Chiyo, his gaze slowly settling on the young man's familiar eyes and brows.
His misty gray eyes gazed at him in silence, as if waiting for him to speak first.
"Say something, you dead mouth," Hara urged himself inwardly.
He opened his mouth and spent a few seconds mentally preparing himself, wanting to call her Chiyo-chan in a lighthearted tone, just as he had when he spent time with the young woman before his amnesia.
But in the end, for some unknown reason, those three syllables of affectionate address faltered in his mouth, by the time they left his lips, they had turned into a single, incredibly distant, "Kisaragi-kun."
*
As Kisaragi-kun was called out, Hara Kenji's expression changed slightly. He pursed his lips and lowered his eyes, refusing to utter another word.
Kisaragi Chiyo, after being stunned for a moment, quickly recovered her expression.
"How are you feeling?" Kisaragi Chiyo smiled, his gaze passing over Hara Kenji to meet the eyes of Matsuda Jinpei behind him.
"Do you feel any discomfort?" Kisaragi Chiyo asked softly, his expression remaining as calm as usual.
Matsuda Jinpei found it difficult to guess what Kisaragi Chiyo was thinking at this moment from her indifferent face.
But Matsuda felt that, in any case, he was not happy.
"Thanks for your concern, I feel great." Hara Kenji twitched the corner of his mouth, forcing a slightly strained smile. He turned his body slightly to the side, his gaze shifting away in a way that failed to hide his evasion.
This was a very obvious evasive attitude.
Kisaragi Chiyo did not continue to press for answers, showing great tact; he gave a smile and nodded to indicate his understanding.
After wiping away the remaining traces of the formation on the ground, he leaned down to pick up the glass bottle and turned to leave a step ahead.
Watching the other's receding figure, Hara Kenji looked somewhat dejected. He was like a pitiful dog with soaked fur, radiating an aura of gloom from head to toe.
I think I messed up." Hara Kenji looked at Matsuda Jinpei, who had walked up to his side, said with a bitter smile and a shrug, his tone feigning ease. "I thought I could handle any social interaction with ease, no matter the time.
"I didn't expect there would be a day when I wouldn't know what to say to ease the tension," Hara Kenji said, his voice growing lower and lower as he spoke. He crouched on the ground, slowly curling himself into a ball.
“Matsuda, I..”
A look of bewildered confusion surfaced on Hara's face: "I don't know how to face Kisaragi."
"Just act the way you used to." Matsuda Jinpei lowered his eyes, looking at Hara, who was trying to curl himself up into a little ball like a puppy; for a moment, he couldn't quite understand what exactly was troubling his childhood friend.
"How could I do that!" The ball suddenly bounced high into the air, he gestured with exaggerated movements of both hands.
"How could I do that.. Before, I.." Hara Kenji's tone and emotions were somewhat agitated, like a dog whose tail had been stepped on.
But who was Matsuda Jinpei? He and Hara Kenji had been best friends for over a decade; they had known each other since elementary school and were so familiar with one another that they knew each other even better than their own families did.
So when Matsuda noticed the other's halting tone, his wandering gaze, his ears turning red beneath his long black hair, he knew that Hara Kenji was being stubborn about something.
"Isn't it a bit late to start acting like a perfect gentleman now?" Matsuda Jinpei crossed his arms, his eyebrows arching in disapproval. His teal eyes looked calmly at his friend, but his words sounded somewhat sharp.
“When you were pulling someone into bed, kissing and hugging them, why didn't you think of that then?”
Hara Kenji felt as if someone had suddenly grabbed him by the throat; his already stammering words were now completely lost.
"But I.." Those things that made him feel incredibly ashamed had been spoken so bluntly by Matsuda Jinpei.
Of course, Hara Kenji felt no resentment toward Matsuda Jinpei; he just found it difficult to accept—difficult to accept that he was the one who had done all those absurd things.
What kind of claiming of sovereignty, staring at every move the other made from dark corners, sleeping together every single day.. What kind of tentacle ■■ play, doctor-patient roleplay.. He even did it with Little Jinpei..
Certain unspeakable memories flashed through his mind, even though he was desperately trying to control his brain to stop reminiscing. But the terrifying thing was that almost every movement and detail was as vivid as a live broadcast.
Hara Kenji let out a sharp, piercing scream; he felt his ears and brain burning intensely, reaching a point where they were practically steaming.
Did his personality, his bottom line, his conscience, some of his beautiful qualities all vanish once he became an Evil Spirit and lost his memory!?
Or does he actually have a natural talent for being a dark, stalker-like, obsessive man?
Hara Kenji felt like crying, but had no tears; being born as a spirit, he felt truly sorry.
"Tsk." Matsuda Jinpei watched Hara's performance, where he was so conflicted that he was nearly beating his own tentacles into a sweater, let out a dissatisfied sound.
“You're actually worrying about that?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Hara Kenji said, looking a bit frantic, as if he were on the verge of tears.
I did this and that to Chiyo-chan!
Oh, it seems calling her Chiyo-chan isn't so difficult after all." Matsuda Jinpei looked at Hara Kenji with a look of disappointment, "Why on earth couldn't you say it just now?
At the mention of what had just happened, Hara Kenji crouched back down again, curling himself up into a little dog ball.
Matsuda Jinpei: ".."
"So, what do you plan to do next?" Matsuda Jinpei sighed, crouching down just like Kenji and reaching out to poke the other's arm.
"Little Jinpei.. do you think I should go back into the Hazama?" Hara Kenji looked up, revealing a pair of sorrowful, dark purple eyes. His brows were tightly furrowed, as he spoke, the curve of his lips had straightened into a line.
Matsuda Jinpei couldn't understand how this guy could talk about leaving as if he were an abandoned dog being tossed out in the pouring rain, along with his bowl.