After plunging back into the embrace of heating after being in the freezing snow and ice, Kisaragi Chiyo threw herself onto the large bed in the inn room. After rolling around on the bed for a few turns, he stopped and began to strip off his heavy layers of clothing, one by one, from head to toe.
First the coat, then the sweater.. Kisaragi Chiyo only stopped once he was down to just a single shirt.
"Has he not taken it back yet?" When Matsuda Jinpei turned around, all he saw was Kisaragi Chiyo wearing only a single shirt.
He was sitting on the bed, knees naturally bent, replying to messages on his phone. As the white shirt hung down, it barely covered the base of his thighs, in Kisaragi Chiyo's current posture, nothing was covered at all.
The young man was not wearing long pants, his two fair legs exposed openly in the air, while one of Hara Kenji's tentacles was wrapped around his thigh, squeezing a ring of soft flesh.
"Let him do as he pleases." Kisaragi Chiyo didn't seem to care much that Hara Kenji had left his tentacles on her.
He replied to the messages with rapid finger movements, his lips pressed tight, as if he had encountered some difficult problem.
"Let him be?" Matsuda Jinpei savored those two words, letting out a light chuckle.
"Don't spoil him too much," Matsuda Jinpei reminded him.
After all, Hara Kenji was his childhood friend. Through over twenty years of being together, Matsuda Jinpei knew all too well that the man was someone who would take any advantage he could get.
It's not that Hara Kenji has a bad personality; in fact, he knows how to know when to stop and maintain his distance most of the time. But when it comes to Kisaragi Chiyo, the Evil Spirit is always most skilled at being insatiable and taking advantage of her favor.
Matsuda Jinpei certainly had no intention of speaking ill of Hara Kenji.
“I think he probably had a stress reaction.” Kisaragi Chiyo waved at Matsuda, patting the seat beside her to signal him to come over.
Matsuda Jinpei stared at Kisaragi Chiyo's beckoning gesture, hesitated for half a second, then complied, walking over to sit beside the young man.
Perhaps because there was less clothing to act as a barrier, the temperature of the young man's skin was transmitted to Matsuda Jinpei without reservation.
"Be careful not to catch a cold." Matsuda Jinpei endured for a moment, but in the end, he couldn't help himself. He pulled a thin blanket over the young man's somewhat dazzling legs.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
"Unromantic?" Kisaragi Chiyo tilted her head and blinked.
"I'm just being considerate," Matsuda replied with a thin, mirthless smile.
"I think you wouldn't want to recreate that scene from before, where you were crying and begging to stop," Matsuda said, his eyes cast down as he stared at him. His teal eyes were heavy with an emotion so intense that Kisaragi Chiyo instinctively wanted to flee.
But if he really walked away, he would be in big trouble.
I'm sorry, my mistake," Kisaragi Chiyo said sincerely. "Please be magnanimous.
"Pathetic." Matsuda Jinpei let out a scoff as he looked at Kisaragi Chiyo, who was wrapped tightly in a thin blanket.
"Should we get back to discussing the matter regarding Hara Kenji?" Kisaragi Chiyo changed the subject.
Matsuda Jinpei narrowed his eyes and stared at Kisaragi Chiyo for three minutes before finally nodding slightly, indicating that he was willing to show mercy and let it go.
Kisaragi Chiyo breathed a sigh of relief.
Fine, he admitted that he had just been acting out of a sense of relief after the pain had subsided, which was why he had intentionally tried to tease Matsuda Jinpei.
Speak," Matsuda Jinpei's voice sounded languid. "It was a stress reaction.
That.." Kisaragi Chiyo let out a soft hum, explaining in a nonchalant tone, "I suspect Hara Kenji was planning to eat me.
Matsuda Jinpei fell silent, his expression becoming strange. He opened his mouth, after a moment of hesitation, he asked Kisaragi Chiyo respectfully, "Excuse me, Teacher Kisaragi, when you say 'eat,' what kind of eating method are you referring to?"
"Sashimi?" Kisaragi Chiyo also hesitated.
"Raw?" Matsuda Jinpei couldn't help but click his tongue.
"If it's cooked, please don't add heavy spices," Kisaragi Chiyo said, frowning.
"Be serious." Matsuda Jinpei nudged the young man with his elbow.
Alright." Kisaragi Chiyo shrugged her shoulders, the earrings in her hair swaying along with the movement. "I am speaking seriously; Hara did indeed have plans to devour me from the very beginning.
It's been there from the very beginning.." Kisaragi Chiyo's tone and expression were calm, "It's just that his determination has become even more resolute lately.
"Because," Matsuda Jinpei's mind worked quickly, he guessed the reason instantly.
That's probably it." Kisaragi Chiyo smiled with a relaxed expression. "Perhaps it's the thought that instead of becoming a vessel for someone else, it would be better to be devoured by him, thus become one with him forever, never to be separated again?
"I don't think Hagi has gone to such extremes yet," Matsuda Jinpei defended his childhood friend.
Of course, that's just the worst-case scenario," Kisaragi Chiyo said, her eyes curving into a smile. "If our plan fails, then Hara Kenji will do that.
In any case, we must prepare for the worst, shouldn't we?
"We won't fail." Matsuda Jinpei did not seem prepared to accept that statement.
He gazed intensely at the young man, leaning down so that his breath brushed the youth's face, said word by word, "We will protect you."
Kisaragi Chiyo gazed at those eyes, which were filled with determination, after a moment of daze, she flashed a brilliant smile.
"Then I'll leave it to you." The slight unease that had arisen in her heart amidst the wind and snow was now completely smoothed away.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you for the support, my little angels. Mwah! 030
Chapter 141
The misty white steam rising slowly from the pot blurred the vision, as the three people sat cross-legged around a low table. Outside the misted glass windows, white snow drifted everywhere in the wind like cattails, the howling wind battered the glass, yet the bone-chilling cold could never penetrate the warmth of the heated room.
Kisaragi Chiyo wrapped herself in a dark green wool shawl, her eyes lowered, staring intently at the fried tofu bobbing up and down in the amber-colored broth of the oversized portion of Sukiyaki within the black ceramic pot.
Shiitake mushrooms scored in a crosshatch pattern, fresh green crown daisy, beef coated in a honey-colored glaze, bubbling away to release its rich oils. The radish had been added to the pot earlier and was now fully soaked in the broth, releasing a juicy and enticing aroma.
That's wonderful." Hara Kenji rested his elbows on his crossed thighs, supporting his chin with one hand as he gazed smilingly at the ingredients bubbling in the pot. "Eating sukiyaki really is the right thing to do in winter.
"You just said a few days ago that winter must be spicy udon." Matsuda Jinpei mercilessly exposed his childhood friend. He picked up the glass of soda in front of him and took a light sip; the icy, tooth-chattering carbonated water entered his mouth, bursting on his tongue like one firework after another.
“Oh, spicy udon is quite good too.” Hara Kenji shook his head and straightened up, cracking a raw egg into the bowl.
The scorching food coated in raw egg brought a unique sensation to the taste buds as it cooled.
Kisaragi Chiyo did not like the slippery texture of raw egg, so his bowl always only contained yuzu soy sauce.
Perhaps because of other reasons, their purpose for coming to Hokkaido this time was ultimately not a relaxing and pleasant trip; throughout the dinner, the three of them ate in relative silence.
Matsuda Jinpei chewed on a radish, occasionally staring at the fish balls bobbing up and down in the pot, then occasionally looking up at Kisaragi Chiyo on his left and Hara Kenji on his right, wearing an expression as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.
Kisaragi Chiyo appeared completely unmoved, her eyes cast down, barely looking up the entire time. Her misty-gray eyes gazed at the golden-brown fried tofu in the bowl, which had soaked up all the broth, her expression gentle and affectionate.
Matsuda didn't know if Kisaragi Chiyo liked fried tofu that much, or if she was simply avoiding eye contact with Hara Kenji across from her.
As for Hara Kenji on the other side, he made Matsuda Jinpei's stomach ache even more.
The Long-haired Wraith with dark purple eyes maintained a constant, smiling expression, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts. Every time Matsuda Jinpei looked his way, Hara Kenji would always pick up a piece of food and place it into Matsuda's bowl, before looking at him with a gaze that seemed to say, "Good boy, eat more."
And Kisaragi Chiyo did the same; as soon as Matsuda Jinpei turned to look at him, the young man would stuff a piece of pan-fried tofu into Matsuda Jinpei's bowl.
As a result, by the end of the meal, Matsuda Jinpei had successfully eaten until he was stuffed.
Matsuda Jinpei: ".."
"This is all your fault." Matsuda Jinpei lay back on the tatami mat in despair. He rolled over, as he heard the sound of food mixing with soda sloshing in his stomach, the expression of despair on his face grew even heavier.
Beside him, Kisaragi Chiyo and Hara Kenji knelt on either side of him like guardian deities, their faces filled with guilt.
"Ah.. Little Jinpei, are you.. okay?" Hara Kenji scratched his cheek sheepishly. Under his feeding, Matsuda Jinpei had nearly finished two-thirds of all the Wagyu beef, plus the grilled tofu and other miscellaneous foods stuffed in by Kisaragi Chiyo.. It was easy to imagine that if Matsuda Jinpei stepped on the scale after waking up tomorrow, he would definitely be two or three catties heavier.
Weight fluctuates so unreasonably.
“And whose fault is this?” Hearing Hara bring up the topic of weight, Matsuda Jinpei's tone sounded somewhat indignant. He pounded heavily on Hara Kenji through a pillow, "Whose.. fault.. is.. this.. all.. of.. it!"
“My fault, my fault.” Hara Kenji didn't dare fight back while being pummeled; he raised both hands to signal his surrender and solemnly declared that he was willing to provide six desserts after meals as compensation for Matsuda Jinpei's mental distress.
"It's good that you know where you went wrong." After Matsuda Jinpei finished pounding Hara, he reverted to his previous mature and steady demeanor. Taking advantage of the moment Hara lowered his head in a guilty confession, he turned his head and gave a quick wink to Kisaragi Chiyo on the other side.
Kisaragi Chiyo, who failed to receive the signal: "?"
“Matsuda?” Kisaragi Chiyo was stunned by Matsuda's sudden change in expression. He looked at Matsuda, feeling a bit lost, but after a quick wink, the Curly-haired man had already turned his head away.
"I want to be alone," Matsuda Jinpei stated expressionlessly and bluntly, ordering the two troublemakers on either side of him, who looked like they were mourning, to get out immediately and leave him to enjoy the space by himself.
Thus, in order to support this precarious household, the only mature and steady patriarch, Matsuda Jinpei, heartlessly kicked Kisaragi Chiyo and Hara Kenji out the door.
With the door slamming shut, the two people left staring at each other in the hotel corridor blinked at one another.
I just saw that the inn is selling Hokkaido limited edition milk popsicles," Hara Kenji said, his eyes crinkling as he extended an invitation to Kisaragi Chiyo. "Do you want to go try some?
"Let's go!" Kisaragi Chiyo hesitated for half a second before giving a decisive answer.
So the two of them walked side by side to the first floor of the inn, by the time they reached the milk popsicle stall, a long queue had already formed in front of it.
For the vast majority of people, the two words "limited edition" are always filled with a wondrous magic.
At least for Kisaragi Chiyo and Hara Kenji, it was impossible to say no. Therefore, whenever some strange-tasting food appeared in the house, Matsuda Jinpei could always accurately guess who the culprit was, then would call the two of them over for a lecture.
Because every single time, the victim of the strange-tasting food was Matsuda Jinpei.
*
The three-hundred-yen limited-edition milk popsicle was well worth the price; at the very least, among all the milky ice creams Kisaragi Chiyo had ever eaten, its rich flavor could rank in the top three.
Kisaragi Chiyo took small bites of her popsicle. She and Hara Kenji were sitting on a long bench in the lounge area, facing a large floor-to-ceiling window. The temperature indoors was warm and comfortable, even feeling slightly heated.
Outside, everything was covered in a layer of snow, making the scenery appear quite indistinct; only the distant, blurry mountains and the sharp, towering rooftops stood out as dark shapes against the pure white snow.
Should I say something?
Kisaragi Chiyo bit into the popsicle, looking somewhat distracted; it was rare for him to rack his brains like this, unable to come up with any topics for conversation.
The young man quietly lifted his eyelids, glancing sideways at Hara Kenji, who was sitting beside him.
The pale-skinned, handsome Evil Spirit was looking down. His long, slender eyes covered half of his pupils, his thin, pale lips were slightly pursed. His long black hair was tied at the back of his head with a white camellia-colored ribbon. The figure sitting curled up in the chair looked somewhat aggrieved.
"What did you and Little Jinpei talk about?" Hara Kenji spoke first, turning his head so his gaze fell upon Kisaragi Chiyo's face. Taking advantage of his height, he was able to look down and see the expression on the young man's face with absolute clarity.
"Don't you already know what we were talking about?" Kisaragi Chiyo asked the Evil Spirit after a moment of silence.
The other party possessed a certain pathological sense of control and possessiveness, which had never been restrained since the very beginning of their acquaintance. Kisaragi Chiyo had once wondered if this was because she had failed to provide the Evil Spirit with enough security. But it wasn't until much later that Kisaragi Chiyo finally determined that it was simply due to Hara Kenji's inherent personality.
Kisaragi Chiyo didn't know much about Hara Kenji's personality when he was alive, but occasionally, from the few words Matsuda Jinpei would say, Kisaragi could roughly guess that his current personality was somewhat different from how he used to be.
After all, it was an Evil Spirit, Kisaragi Chiyo thought aimlessly.
The Evil Spirit of Hazama was like a bottomless void. His emptiness could never be filled, his hunger could never be satisfied, he would forever continue to demand and crave more emotion and love.
After regaining his memories, Hara Kenji seemed somewhat more restrained, but no matter what, the essence of the Evil Spirit could not be changed.