At the very least, there won't be any danger to one's life.
"So, there actually is a way to break out midway?" Hara Kenji followed closely behind Kisaragi Chiyo as she entered the room, trailing her like a big tail.
There was still no one at home, a conspicuous note was stuck to the cabinet by the entrance.
Yes." Kisaragi Chiyo opened the shoe cabinet and changed into comfortable house slippers. "But I don't know.
“..”
Hara Kenji was momentarily choked by Kisaragi Chiyo's self-righteous attitude; looking at his lover's cold expression, he laughed out of sheer frustration.
Well, at least from Kisaragi Chiyo's calm demeanor, it was clear that my identity didn't have a massive impact on him and was still within controllable limits.
Forget it." Hara Kenji shook his head. "Let's just take it one step at a time.. By the way, what does the note say?
Hara Kenji naturally leaned his head forward, looking at the note held in Kisaragi Chiyo's hand.
It was left by my mother; it said that she and father would be working overtime tonight and might not return until very late, told me to take good care of myself and that I could use the money left on top of the refrigerator to get dinner from the convenience store.
"What do you think will happen tonight?" Hara Kenji looked at Kisaragi Chiyo with a smile, his tone relaxed, but there was no hint of mirth in those dark purple eyes.
"I think it's probably something like intimidation.." Kisaragi Chiyo lowered his eyes in thought, casually crumpling the note in his hand into a ball as he set down his schoolbag and walked toward the sofa.
It wasn't until Kisaragi Chiyo curled up on the comfortable sofa that he felt his body finally relax. He wasn't exactly a high-energy person to begin with, although he had been away from school life for several years, even though this was a Dreamscape, a full day of classes still left him feeling exhausted.
The only thing he was grateful for was that there were no physical education or swimming classes yesterday or today.
Despite what happened with the surveillance last night, my spirits haven't reached a breaking point.. so I think the culprit will probably cause some more trouble before the Courage Test begins.
“That makes sense.” Hara Kenji nodded, agreeing with Kisaragi Chiyo's reasoning.
"Though it might be a bit hellish.." Kisaragi Chiyo paused, raising a hand to press against his brow, an uncontrollable trace of exhaustion still visible on his face.
But one thing is almost certain: for the sake of the event three days from now, the killer shouldn't commit a third murder in the meantime.. He'll likely be watching from the shadows, taking full enjoyment in seeing me like a startled bird.. He's probably feeling quite proud and delighted with his so-called revenge plan, isn't he?
"What a terrible fellow." As he spoke of the killer, Hara Kenji subconsciously showed a look of disgust. His long eyebrows furrowed, but his gaze softened instantly the moment it touched Kisaragi Chiyo's slightly weary eyes.
Want to enjoy a lap pillow?" Hara Kenji promoted enthusiastically. "It'll double the rate at which you recover your energy!
"That's a baseless claim." Kisaragi Chiyo gave a light huff, but he still followed the other's suggestion, lying flat on his back and resting his head on the man's thighs.
Kisaragi Chiyo closed his eyes. At this distance, he could easily catch the faint, cool fragrance wafting from Hara Kenji.
Then, fingertips with a thin callus gently landed on the temple, massaging with a moderate pressure, doing their best to soothe the lover's fatigue from the day.
"Is this pressure comfortable?" Hara Kenji asked softly with his head lowered, his nose almost touching Kisaragi Chiyo's face. If Kisaragi Chiyo were to open his eyes at this moment, he would surely drown in that dark, swirling abyss the very instant they opened.
“Not bad.” Kisaragi Chiyo answered with eyes closed. He could feel a breath brushing against his lips, faint and elusive. He could guess what Hara Kenji wanted to do, but laziness won out. Kisaragi Chiyo only wanted to enjoy this comfort right now and had no desire to move.
Hara Kenji didn't think there was any problem with that; after all, even if Kisaragi Chiyo just lay there without moving, he could still carry it out with great enthusiasm.
So in the next second, he pressed his lips against the youth's lips.
His tongue extended, skillfully and deftly squeezing through the gap between the lips, prying open the teeth to invade the mouth.
Hara Kenji's movements were not urgent; rather than a kiss, it felt more like a gentle soothing.
He curled the youth's tongue, stirring and scavenging within the other's mouth, stifling every gasp and broken moan that tried to escape.
"How do you feel?" Hara Kenji withdrew from Kisaragi Chiyo's warm mouth, looking at those rosy lips, he couldn't help but press another kiss upon them.
"Do you feel a bit more refreshed?" Hara Kenji pecked at the youth's lips one after another, showing no sign of being satisfied.
"Wait.." Kisaragi Chiyo had only opened her mouth and uttered two words before the other person seized the opportunity once more. Before her breath could even steady, the uninvited guest arrived again, invading her lips and tongue.
*
For some reason, it had turned out this way, the two were kissing each other passionately. Or rather, Kisaragi Chiyo also wanted to vent something through kissing, to the point that when she came to her senses, she found herself lying in Hara Kenji's arms in a rather terrible position.
Her knee-length navy school skirt was hiked up to her thighs. Her calf socks had been partially removed, her once-immaculate sailor collar was now rumpled and messy. Kisaragi Chiyo even felt one of Hara Kenji's tentacles stirring, coiling around her waist and slowly sliding upward against her skin.
"Stop," Kisaragi Chiyo quickly regained her senses, pushing herself up with both hands as she struggled to leap out of Hara Kenji's embrace.
"This is far too decadent." Kisaragi Chiyo covered her face and began a profound self-reflection. Having been cursed and trapped in the Dreamscape, she should have been actively searching for clues and finding a way to escape; how could she have become so dazed after just a few words from Hara Kenji?
"Eh?" Hara Kenji's shirt was unbuttoned more than halfway, revealing a broad, firm chest, his pale skin as dazzling as cold jade.
"You really don't need my special help?" Hara Kenji leaned forward slightly; from Kisaragi Chiyo's perspective, it could only be described as a sight of pure, vibrant vitality.
".." Kisaragi Chiyo fell silent for a moment, firmly rejecting the temptation.
I really don't need it.
"Alright." Hara Kenji showed a look of regret, then reached out to fasten the buttons he had intentionally undone, returning to his serious demeanor.
“So, what do you plan to do next?”
Based on my previous guess, I plan to look into Yamae," Kisaragi Chiyo sighed softly. "If Yamae and I really knew each other in the past, then some clues should have been left behind, right?
Then I have a question." Hara Kenji raised his hand. "Based on my behavior, I don't seem to have any memory of Yamae before she transferred schools.
So," Hara Kenji, who was always a student capable of drawing logical conclusions, added, "It's possible that I have amnesia, or perhaps I simply forgot because the memory is too old?
Or rather, is it just that Yamae has a one-sided understanding of me?
But what about me is worth Yamae's attention?" Kisaragi Chiyo frowned slightly. "From a bystander's perspective, Yamae and I are a very obvious contrast; we are from completely different worlds.
"It's precisely because it seems impossible that it's often the truth," Hara Kenji said with a smile, gazing into Kisaragi Chiyo's eyes as he pointed a finger toward the schoolbag set aside.
How about we start by investigating that omamori?
An amulet? Kisaragi Chiyo raised an eyebrow, he quickly realized Hara Kenji's purpose.
The shrine at Yamae's house should be searchable online too, right?
Kisaragi Chiyo and Hara Kenji exchanged a glance; one stood up to open her bag and take out the amulet, while the other turned to get the money kept on top of the refrigerator.
There was no computer in my home, the phone I used in the Dreamscape was still an old-fashioned flip phone.
Therefore, in order to look up information, Kisaragi Chiyo could only go to an internet cafe outside.
He first changed out of his school uniform, finding an ordinary long-sleeved shirt and a hoodie from the wardrobe. Then, in order to conceal his age, Kisaragi Chiyo did not forget to bring along a hat and a face mask.
"This is my first time going to an internet cafe," Kisaragi Chiyo said, following behind Hara Kenji as they ducked into a relatively narrow alleyway.
Even though it was clearly the first time visiting this unfamiliar place, Hara Kenji always seemed so familiar with the way around.
How did you know there was an internet cafe behind this alley?
Minors are not allowed to go to internet cafes in Japan, but of course, that rule only applies to legitimate internet cafes. There are always places that use the guise of an internet cafe to conduct gray-market transactions, they don't follow so many so-called legal regulations.
"I'm guessing," Hara Kenji said, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.
Actually, during his high school years, Hara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei had visited places like this several times. After all, as a rebellious teenager at heart, Hara Kenji always approached new things with a certain level of enthusiasm, the internet was extremely convenient for them to look up model references or information about car shows in various locations.
So sometimes, during the holidays, Hara and Matsuda would both dress up in disguise and come to an internet cafe to hang out for a while, sometimes to look up information, sometimes to download music.. but later, once the Hara family got a computer, he and Matsuda never came to places like this again.
Thinking about it like this, those past times were truly something to be missed.
Hara Kenji had a gentle smile on his face. Relying on the fact that others couldn't see him, he casually thrust his head between the two people who were talking. After taking a stroll around the internet cafe, he returned to the cubicle where Kisaragi Chiyo was sitting.
"Is it fun?" Kisaragi Chiyo had already started the computer; he bit into a chocolate cookie, his speech somewhat muffled.
It's quite interesting." Hara Kenji smiled at Kisaragi Chiyo with squinted eyes, "I discovered a few instances of illegal activity.
"Oh?" Kisaragi Chiyo looked over while chewing on a biscuit; he didn't think Hara Kenji just wanted to simply share what he had seen and heard with him.
"I have an idea." Hara Kenji curled his fingers against his chin.
Tell me more.
"I want to try seeing what happens if I call the police in the Dreamscape." Hara Kenji winked at Kisaragi Chiyo with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Call the police?" Kisaragi Chiyo roughly understood Hara Kenji's intention. "Are you trying to see just how much we can interfere within the Dreamscape?
Outside of the forced plotlines, just how much freedom could they actually obtain?
"That is indeed a very interesting proposal." Kisaragi Chiyo's curiosity was piqued.
However, as for calling the police, we'll have to wait until we've finished our research and are about to leave.
Kisaragi Chiyo was merely curious, but she had no desire to experience it firsthand.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you for the support, my little angels. Mwah! 030
Chapter 123
Although it is called an internet cafe, it also serves as a dining area. In addition to alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, snacks, one can even order full meals here, such as a bowl of tonkotsu ramen, sushi, or rice bowls.
Although one does not feel hunger within the Dreamscape, one also cannot taste any flavor from food. Nevertheless, Kisaragi Chiyo still bought a pack of chocolate cookies, using them merely as a tool to gnaw on for entertainment.
"Found it," Kisaragi Chiyo said, biting into a chocolate biscuit, her eyes fixed on the text that had appeared in the search results on the computer screen.
Hara Kenji stood beside him, one hand resting casually on the computer chair while the other supported the edge of the table. His gaze lowered slightly as he read the title aloud with an ambiguous tone: "Kitsutama Shrine?"
"Have you heard of it?" Kisaragi Chiyo lifted her eyelids and looked at him.
"No," he replied lazily.
After Kisaragi Chiyo gave a soft response, she stopped paying attention to him and began to seriously read the introduction to Kitsutama Shrine from beginning to end.
The article was published six years ago; this was a website that hadn't been updated in a long time, with the last update being from three years ago.
"They worship the Fox God?" Hara Kenji looked somewhat uninterested, as the content of the article was indeed boring. It was roughly about the history of Kitsutama Shrine, which was said to date back to the Kamakura Shogunate period—a time truly ancient enough, born almost in the same era as Hachiman Daibosatsu.
"It seems so?" Kisaragi Chiyo scrolled down further with the mouse wheel, feeling that Hara Kenji had just asked a redundant question.
The only thing that could be enshrined in Kitsutama Shrine is naturally a fox; if it were any other animal, it wouldn't be called Kitsutama, it would be called something like Nekotama or Inutama.
“What are you thinking about?” Kisaragi Chiyo noticed Hara Kenji's distraction. He did not turn around, asked in a very calm tone, “What did you hear in the internet cafe just now?”
".." Hara Kenji remained silent for a few seconds. He frowned, his thin lips pressed tightly together, then, as if thinking of something, he let out a soft sigh.
I was just thinking.. the scene of the illegal transaction I just saw, some of the conversations I overheard, reminded me of an old case I heard about from a senior in the past.
"Is it related to bombs?" Kisaragi Chiyo stopped her scrolling motion.
No, it's not." Hara Kenji shook his head. "It's a senior from the Narcotics Suppression Division.
"I only heard about it by chance. Since it was a case from three years ago and the information is long outdated, that's why my senior brought up the topic with me." Hara Kenji's voice remained unchanged, but Kisaragi Chiyo could still sense the low mood in his tone.
Do you mind telling me about it?