"Tell me what you're thinking right now?" Matsuda Jinpei's voice was like a hook, so gentle that it made Kisaragi Chiyo's ears itch.
We are lovers, aren't we? So we should be more straightforward.
Whether it was a delusion of Kisaragi Chiyo's, I couldn't say, but after he stated that the three of them were in a romantic relationship, Matsuda Jinpei's subsequent behavior seemed to have also taken on his original, clingy bad habit.
Is it because the cat and the dog have been together for too long?
Kisaragi Chiyo subconsciously touched her slightly heated ears.
“I was just thinking about what happened before.” Kisaragi Chiyo lifted her eyes, the other person's face came to a halt less than a palm's width away from her. At this overly intimate distance, she could easily see those teal-colored irises, along with the patterns and details within them.
"Fine, you're always biased." Although he said this, there was no dissatisfaction in Matsuda Jinpei's expression; he was merely using those words to find an excuse for his next move.
Because of his favoritism, he had to take some interest from the young man.
In the next second, Kisaragi Chiyo felt her lower lip being bitten by him, neither too hard nor too light.
"I'm talking about serious business," Kisaragi Chiyo said, pushing against his shoulders.
“I'm listening.” Matsuda Jinpei blinked, gesturing for the young man to continue.
"Actually.." Kisaragi Chiyo deflated like a punctured balloon, gently resting his forehead against the other's shoulder.
“Matsuda, you wouldn't mind, would you?”
Mind what?
"It's just.." Kisaragi Chiyo's voice grew fainter and fainter, until it finally became a barely audible whisper.
In fact, he knew himself that the feelings between the three of them were somewhat twisted and chaotic right now; it couldn't even be called a healthy emotional relationship.
"So?" Matsuda Jinpei found it somewhat amusing; he never thought there would come a day when Kisaragi Chiyo would obsess over such things. Yet, even as he felt amused, his heart couldn't help but melt like a marshmallow soaked in hot coffee.
“What does that matter?”
"Either love together or die together." *Matsuda Jinpei tilted the young man's face and kissed him.
You only have these two choices.
A voice emerged from his lips, thick and syrupy: "Besides, isn't it a bit too late to be thinking about this now?"
The lights blurred their silhouettes, the temperature rose along with their increasingly entwined breaths, until they finally pulled apart, both still lingering with a sense of reluctance.
"Fine, one day.." Matsuda Jinpei gazed into those moist, glistening heterochromatic eyes, as a form of retaliation, he grazed the other's lower lip with his sharp canines.
"The train is coming." As the sound on the tracks grew closer, the lights curved from the distance and fell upon the platform.
I have a premonition.
Kisaragi Chiyo gazed at the train doors slowly opening before her eyes; after kissing Matsuda Jinpei, his mental state had recovered a little more.
At the very least, the state of his body becoming transparent as it was being erased by the timeline had been delayed. Although the effect was minimal, it truly provided Kisaragi with a sense of grounded stability in his emotions.
This will probably be the last time.
The familiar black figures were still standing inside the train, gazing at the world outside through the glass. Even though their faces clearly lacked any features, Kisaragi Chiyo felt an intense sense of longing from them.
Since the accident on this Supernatural Train occurs in the future, does that mean it can also be prevented?
This thought flashed through her mind. Kisaragi Chiyo gripped Matsuda Jinpei's hand and stepped toward this death train for the fifth time.
-----------------------
Author's Note: *To love together or to die together, there is no other way. "The Plague" by Camus. Thanks to all the little angels for your support, mwah m rh mwah m much mwah m
Chapter 107
Kisaragi Chiyo hated rainy days, not just because of certain things from the past, but also partly due to the damp, muggy air; the droplets of muddy water that splashed up from the ground; and the fact that even with an umbrella, her clothes would inevitably get soaked.
“I hate rainy days.” Kisaragi Chiyo sat huddled in the inner waiting seat of the station with her arms crossed over her chest. From her angle, she could clearly appreciate the view of the train tracks in the rain—provided, of course, that she was in the right mood.
I hate rainy days.
Looking at the ground outside the platform, which was soaked by the rain, where puddles were already rapidly accumulating in the slightly lower areas, Kisaragi Chiyo looked somewhat sulky. He had lost count of how many times he had repeated that same sentence: "I hate the rain!"
"So, do you want a croquette?" Matsuda Jinpei sat in the seat next to Kisaragi Chiyo, after the youth's childish complaining had finished, he silently handed over a freshly made croquette wrapped in wax paper.
"I'll eat!" Kisaragi Chiyo took the croquette from Matsuda's hand; even through the layer of wrapping, she could still feel its scalding heat.
The palm-sized croquette, fried to a golden crisp, emitted the enticing aroma of high-calorie food. With one bite, his teeth first met the crispy outer shell, followed by the scalding yet soft and moist interior.
The croquette, with potato as its main ingredient, released an aroma created by the mixture of butter, onions, beef, other ingredients. It was savory and salty, with a hint of sweetness provided by the onions. After a few bites, his stomach, which had already been emptied by the digested curry rice, felt satisfied once again.
After finishing the croquette, Kisaragi Chiyo took small sips of the hot coffee Matsuda Jinpei had bought from the convenience store; the mood that had been irritable due to the rainy weather was gradually soothed.
“How are you feeling now?” Matsuda Jinpei looked at Kisaragi, who had been easily comforted by a single croquette and a cup of hot coffee, suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to pat her head.
Thinking this, Matsuda Jinpei just went ahead and did it. After all, as the young man had said, they were lovers, so wasn't it only natural to have intimate physical contact?
"Mm.." Kisaragi Chiyo naturally rubbed her head against Matsuda Jinpei's palm, just as she used to do before. Kisaragi considered this to be a perfectly natural way to show affection within an intimate relationship.
"To be honest, I'm getting a little sleepy," Kisaragi Chiyo replied with great sincerity.
As he spoke, he let out a yawn, chose a slightly comfortable position, leaned his head against Matsuda Jinpei's shoulder.
After eating and drinking their fill, wanting to sleep is only human nature.
If it weren't for the fact that neither the time nor the place was right, Kisaragi Chiyo wouldn't have even minded engaging in a few more little pre-sleep activities.
Well, Kisaragi had to reluctantly admit that things were somewhat different after establishing a relationship compared to before. It was likely due to having spent too much time with him; being influenced by his personality and habits had caused a certain clingy flavor to seep into her own thoughts.
"You say.." Although Kisaragi Chiyo said she wanted to sleep, she knew that even if she closed her eyes, she would ultimately be unable to fall asleep due to the noise of this raucous rain.
"What?" Matsuda Jinpei had a mint in his mouth, a free gift from his recent purchase at the convenience store. The mint was cool and its aroma filled his mouth, while also keeping Matsuda's mind sharp and alert.
"Shouldn't we bring a little souvenir for Hara?" Kisaragi Chiyo still couldn't forget the expression on Hara's face just before the train doors closed—an expression of anxiety mixed with disbelief, much like a poor little puppy left behind by its owner during a move.
On the rainy street, watching the vehicle carrying familiar memories and its owner gradually fade into the distance until it was out of sight, the little dog perhaps knew it had been abandoned, but it still stood stubbornly at that street corner, refusing to move even a single step, even as its fur became soaked by the rain and covered in dust.
It was worried that it wouldn't be able to find its master when he returned.
"You're overthinking this a bit." After listening to Kisaragi Chiyo's description, Matsuda Jinpei showed a slightly sour expression; he sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.
Even if he could turn into a puppy, he isn't actually a puppy, besides, he hasn't been abandoned.
"Kisaragi.." Matsuda Jinpei lowered his eyes. From his angle, he only had to tilt his head slightly to see the young man's long eyelashes, the soft flesh of his cheek being pressed against something, his rosy lips.. they likely carried a slight moisture from having just finished a hot drink.
You don't need to handle things with such caution," Matsuda Jinpei said, easily seeing through the young man's thoughts. "Fine.. although it is a bit pitiful that he was left behind at the station, he'll probably be angry. But you have to realize, with that guy's personality, a single kiss would likely be enough to make him surrender completely. It's just like stroking a puppy's fur to calm it down.
Oh?" Kisaragi Chiyo raised his head, lifting his eyelids to look at Matsuda with his misty gray eyes, asked with great interest, "Has he always had such an easygoing personality?
"Actually, I'm a bit surprised myself." Matsuda Jinpei's gaze fell unreservedly upon the young man's moving lips.
Although he had a few relationships during his student days, all of which ended in an amicable breakup.. but looking at the current situation, I actually failed to see that guy also had some potential to become a love-brain.
Even if it was only a little, even if the two lovers were the same person, the original level of stickiness sometimes still made Matsuda Jinpei feel nauseated.
"And what about you, Matsuda?" the young man asked him with a smile, a fine shimmer dancing in his beautiful, colored eyes.
This is probably the magic of love, isn't it? Matsuda used to scoff at such a saying.
But at this moment, in Matsuda Jinpei's eyes, Kisaragi Chiyo seemed to be covered in a soft glow, as if wrapped in a filter as sweet as marshmallows.
"Have you ever been in a relationship?" the young man asked curiously.
"No, but I had a crush on someone before. I confessed, then I was rejected," Matsuda answered bluntly; he didn't feel there was anything to hide.
Having someone you liked during your youth is an experience most people have had. The hazy emotions of adolescence are like a lemon still green on the branch; although the fruit has not yet ripened and fallen, it is not an unpleasant thing.
When discussing this, Matsuda Jinpei subconsciously swapped their roles and considered the situation from her perspective.
If Kisaragi Chiyo were to tell him about her past, mentioning that she once had a secret crush, Matsuda Jinpei couldn't guarantee whether he would feel jealous or not.
Although it might not have reached that point yet, he still felt a certain sense of jealousy.
What about you?" Matsuda Jinpei stared intently into the youth's eyes. "What about you, Kisaragi? Have you ever had someone you liked before?
As for me," Kisaragi Chiyo said, noticing Matsuda's tension, maliciously teased him by leaving the question hanging, "want to take a guess?
"I guess not." Matsuda Jinpei lowered his head and leaned closer to Kisaragi Chiyo. As his furry head rubbed against her cheek, Kisaragi Chiyo suddenly remembered some knowledge she had read in a book.
Cats have scent glands on their heads, cheeks, chins, other areas; rubbing against a person or an object is a way to leave behind their own scent, an act of claiming ownership.
“That's amazing.” Kisaragi Chiyo raised her hand to stroke the other's head. "You guessed it all at once."
Upon hearing this, Matsuda Jinpei suddenly raised his head, his teal eyes sparkling with a bright, adorable light.
I never used to have any thoughts about being in a relationship, let alone having someone I liked.
"Perhaps, rather than a person I could like, non-humans are more attractive to me." At this, Kisaragi Chiyo suddenly paused; he suddenly realized that his current behavior happened to coincide with the thoughts he had in his youth.
"See, it really is like this now." A romance between a human and a ghost.. back then, I truly couldn't have imagined it.
"Then can I kiss you now?" Matsuda Jinpei asked, looking somewhat impatient.
Didn't we just kiss not long ago?
"Isn't the atmosphere perfect right now?" After saying this, Matsuda Jinpei didn't wait for Kisaragi Chiyo's response before cupping the youth's face. Moving from a simple brushing of lips to a mingling of breath, all words were ultimately lost between their lips and teeth.
Too sweet." After they pulled apart, Kisaragi Chiyo frowned and commented, "Your mouth tastes entirely of mints.
Is that so?" Matsuda Jinpei had a hint of a smile in his eyes. With his forehead pressed against hers, he spoke with a teasing tone, "But I ate sugar-free ones.
*
The rain fell for half the day, only just ceasing after nightfall. The February weather, which hadn't been particularly warm to begin with, felt even chillier after the rain.
The reason they waited for the rain to stop before leaving the station was certainly not because the two of them couldn't afford umbrellas; the main reason was that the rain would interfere with Matsuda Jinpei's sense of smell.
The aura of the Supernatural Train would be diluted by the rain; in that case, it would be impossible to accurately determine exactly which station the other person would appear in.
February 7th.." Matsuda Jinpei recalled the time he had just seen in the station hall, "There is only a one-year difference from our original timeline.. we should be able to return to that original station next time.
At this time.." Matsuda Jinpei felt a bit of regret that the place they were currently in was Tokyo, "If it were Izu, we should be able to see the earliest cherry blossoms of February in bloom.
Tokyo isn't so bad either." Kisaragi Chiyo reached out and gently hooked her fingers with his, "The croquettes at the station just now were delicious.
“And the mints from the convenience store were very sweet, too.” Matsuda Jinpei and Kisaragi Chiyo looked at each other and smiled in unison.
There are benefits to being in love; at least right now, even the air carries a sweet scent. Matsuda Jinpei squinted his eyes happily, he couldn't help but gently squeeze the young man's fingers.
While feeling a sense of secret joy, Matsuda Jinpei also didn't know exactly what he was so happy about, but just like that, the joyful emotion flowed naturally from his heart.
It was that feeling of having acquired something precious and wanting to show it off to the whole world; this good mood lasted until Matsuda Jinpei passed by the Metropolitan Police Department.