He had not eaten for nearly an entire day, so it was only natural that he felt hungry.
Looking at the setting sun, Kisaragi Chiyo could not muster any thoughts regarding the breathtaking beauty of nature; instead, it reminded him of the salted duck eggs he had once received as souvenirs. The way the egg whites would ooze oil at the slightest touch, the sandy, rich texture of the salted yolks, remained something he found incredibly mouthwatering even now.
The puppy was no longer by his side; it must have gotten out of bed to familiarize itself with its new body long before he woke up.
Kisaragi Chiyo pulled back the covers and got out of bed, wearing the black pajamas he had changed into after bathing yesterday. Perhaps because of his restless sleeping posture, two buttons at the top of his pajama collar had been pulled open during his sleep, revealing his collarbone and a small patch of his chest.
Kisaragi Chiyo did not take this small matter to heart. What confused him even more was that, in his sleep, he seemed to feel someone forcing his mouth open, pouring something into his mouth along with cold water, then covering his mouth and forcing him to swallow with forceful movements.
Was it just an illusion, or was it his nightmare? Or was it
Kisaragi Chiyo changed his clothes and turned around, his gaze drawn to the things on the desk in the room.
It was a box of fever reducer, it did not belong to him. The medicine box showed signs of having been opened, following the instructions in the leaflet inside, the missing pills were exactly the amount for a single adult dose.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
It's truly unbelievable.
Now is not the time for jokes.
Kisaragi Chiyo stared at the box of fever reducer, which was missing exactly one dose, his expression serious and solemn, as if he were looking at some strange, unsolved mystery of the world.
After a long time, until her eyes grew somewhat sore from staring, Kisaragi Chiyo finally gave up this useless persistence. She didn't intend to do anything; she simply closed the box of fever medicine again and casually shoved it into an empty drawer.
*
As soon as Kisaragi Chiyo walked down from upstairs, he caught the aroma of food, which tempted his empty stomach and made his mouth water. His original plan to go to the living room to calm down alone instantly changed, he turned his steps toward the dining table near the kitchen.
Just kidding. Even if he didn't go to the living room, he could still be alone; after all, he was the only one here.
Of course, that was also a joke.
By the time Kisaragi Chiyo reached the dining room, Hara Kenji was humming a tune while setting the bowls and chopsticks; that slightly familiar melody was exactly the same one Kisaragi Chiyo had been humming yesterday.
The Dark-purple-eyed Wraith's long hair was tied loosely behind his head, the ruffled apron outlined his lean, toned waist, but Kisaragi Chiyo's attention was not on that; he was completely captivated by the delicious feast on the dining table.
The teriyaki hamburger patty, glistening with an oily sheen, was topped with a layer of brown sauce. The soft, starchy pumpkin was cut into bite-sized pieces, the tamagoyaki was arranged neatly, all of uniform size.
The tofu and seaweed soup was a traditional flavor, garnished with beautifully chopped green onions sprinkled on top.
The most important thing was that Kisaragi Chiyo really saw the cheese-topped sunny-side-up egg on top of the rice.
Wait.
Kisaragi Chiyo couldn't help but start wondering if she had the bad habit of talking in her sleep.
"Dinner is almost ready, Chiyo-chan, aren't you coming over yet?" Hara Kenji stood smiling in front of the dining table. Unlike before, a smaller portion of the meal was also placed in front of his seat this time.
Kisaragi Chiyo did not answer. Although his feet had already started walking over when Hara Kenji beckoned to him, this did not stop him from facing this big trouble with a cold face and a wary, scrutinizing attitude.
The experience of being force-fed medicine in one's sleep was not a nightmare, but a reality.
After realizing what this meant, Kisaragi Chiyo subconsciously frowned, feeling once again that Hara Kenji was truly a huge trouble.
"Are you thinking about me?" A shallow breath brushed against his ear. The Dark-purple-eyed Wraith had approached his side at some unknown moment, a cold, faint fragrance drifted from the other's hair, mingled with a scent of bath gel that Kisaragi Chiyo was familiar with.
Slender, pale hands, significantly colder than human body temperature, climbed onto his shoulders. The Dark-purple-eyed Wraith leaned down with an intimate attitude, her crescent-shaped eyes, like the moon, reflecting his own expressionless face.
“Can I say that I don't know either?” The handsome Dark-purple-eyed Wraith blinked, the curve of his drooping eyelashes revealing an innocent openness.
Hara Kenji naturally put his arm around Kisaragi Chiyo's shoulder and led him toward the dining table. "How about we eat first? I think you're hungry too, right? This is a special, heartfelt dinner I prepared just for you."
His tone rose slightly, carrying a lighthearted sense of seeking credit. However, he didn't say it directly; instead, as Kisaragi Chiyo took the first bite of the hamburger steak and instinctively showed a look of surprise, he rested his chin in his hands, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on Kisaragi Chiyo's every subsequent move.
Kisaragi Chiyo had to admit that, aside from being a little bit troublesome, Hara Kenji was truly incredibly convenient! Being able to both cook in the kitchen and host in the parlor—combined with that face of his, it was truly difficult for anyone to say anything unpleasant to him.
The most, most important thing is, his puppy..
Wonderful." After a few seconds of silence, Kisaragi Chiyo gave her evaluation just as requested. "It's hard to imagine that your cooking is actually this good.
It was already to an unbelievable degree.
This shouldn't be that difficult to accomplish, right?" Hara Kenji replied in a good mood. "After all, my practical skills are quite strong.
Indeed.
Just as Hara Kenji said, his ability to manipulate dozens of tentacles at once, each performing different tasks, meant his manual dexterity was already far ahead of the rest of the world.
Having successfully defeated 99.99% of the humans and ghosts in this world.
But his little dog..
Kisaragi Chiyo took a large bite of her poached egg, thinking with a hint of indignation, "That damn Dark-purple-eyed Wraith, give back his puppy."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for adding this to your collection, mwah 03330
Chapter 29
Although her taste buds had been completely conquered by the delicious food, Kisaragi Chiyo still had not forgotten her beloved puppy.
But every time Kisaragi Chiyo looked up, he would always happen to crash into those dark-purple eyes; no matter how many times he checked, the one appearing in his sight was still Hara Kenji, who remained in physical form.
His Bernese Mountain Dog, his furry, sweet, adorable little dog..
Kisaragi Chiyo felt resentful about this, but he said nothing; however, the pages of the book beside him remained unturned, betraying his distraction.
"Chiyo-chan, you keep looking at me from time to time. Is there something you want to say?" a soft, smiling voice sounded from above his head.
Kisaragi Chiyo looked up, a wide, porcelain-white, broad chest appeared before his eyes, with a few strands of smooth black hair dangling over the chest, emitting a faint, cool fragrance. Moving further up, there was the other's handsome face, tinged with a slightly melancholic temperament, a faint, unsettling smile playing upon his lips.
"You're blocking my light." Kisaragi Chiyo's gaze lingered on that generously exposed, pearly white chest for three seconds before politely averting his eyes.
“Oh?” Hara Kenji let out a meaningful chuckle, looking at Kisaragi Chiyo, who had her eyes lowered, with great interest. From his angle, her entire person was perfectly obscured within his shadow.
Her slender and pale neck formed a beautiful arc because her head was bowed, looking so fragile and soft that it seemed as if it could be easily snapped with just a little force.
But Hara Kenji knew that Kisaragi Chiyo was not the type of person to sit idly by and wait for death. If he were to harbor such thoughts while she was conscious, the muzzle of that revolver would likely be pressed against his brow the very moment he attempted to make a move.
"If you are actually reading a book." Hara Kenji leaned down, one hand resting on the armrest of the chair where Kisaragi Chiyo was sitting, while the other hand lightly tapped the book, which had not been turned past the first page since it was opened.
The Dark-purple-eyed Wraith's tall stature carried an inherent sense of oppression due to his height. A chilling fragrance and a spreading coldness, like the tail of some cold-blooded animal, were slowly and powerfully coiling around him, binding him so tightly that he could not move.
Or perhaps, like a spider slowly weaving a unique web for its prey, that blatant and scorching gaze was attempting to peel back his flesh and bone inch by inch, to see clearly what kind of beating heart lay within.
Please move." Kisaragi Chiyo looked up with a cold expression, his features remaining almost entirely unchanged, said to Hara Kenji in a slightly detached voice, "You're blocking my light.
He repeated his previous words, as if he were still afraid that Hara Kenji wouldn't hear him clearly; this time, he deliberately slowed down his speaking pace.
How cold, Kisaragi," Hara Kenji complained with feigned sadness, making no intention of looking away. "I thought our relationship would become a bit warmer after getting to know each other better.
Upon hearing Hara Kenji's words, Kisaragi Chiyo's eyebrow arched slightly, her eyes widened a bit more than before.
As if he had heard something funny, his expression carried a hint of slight disagreement.
"Passionate?" Kisaragi Chiyo chewed on the word, a soft snort escaping his nose, his narrow, upturned willow-leaf eyes lent a hint of cold mockery to his expression.
“You and me?”
“Me and you.”
"When? And how can you be so sure?" Kisaragi Chiyo felt that Hara Kenji's command of literature still needed some work.
"Oh my, such a clear explanation for such a shy topic." Hara Kenji blinked, his long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
Kisaragi Chiyo could finally see it clearly now; Hara Kenji was obviously just teasing him, a sudden spark of irritation flared up within her normally calm heart.
Kisaragi Chiyo spoke with a somewhat stiff voice, "In that case, you'd better not say anything more."
“Are you angry right now?” Hara Kenji laughed again, his chest vibrating slightly with the movement, laughter continuously squeezing from his throat, his pale, thin lips parting as he spoke those habitually nonchalant and frivolous words.
"I'm not." Kisaragi Chiyo denied it quickly, so quickly that even he felt his own reaction was a bit too obviously forced.
Tsk.
Kisaragi Chiyo let out a dissatisfied sound in her heart. With an attitude of resistance toward continuing the conversation, she pursed her lips, reached out to push aside Hara Kenji's shoulder that was blocking her path, stood up to leave.
But would Hara Kenji, who had long ago seen through Kisaragi Chiyo's intentions, really go along with them?
Just as Kisaragi Chiyo's outstretched hand was about to touch Hara Kenji's shoulder, he caught it first.
When reading, Kisaragi Chiyo did not have the habit of wearing gloves, as it would interfere with the movement of turning pages. Consequently, his palm was now in direct contact with the other's palm, without any distance between them.
The Dark-purple-eyed Wraith's hands were much colder than a normal human's body temperature, carrying a chill akin to winter snow. His fingertips were covered in thin calluses, his neatly trimmed, rounded nails had a pale, bluish tint that suggested a lack of vitality.
Although it was only a loose grip without much force applied, Kisaragi Chiyo still experienced a sensation of being unable to break free.
He had been targeted by the other party from the very beginning; shouldn't he have had that realization before?
"That's enough, isn't it?" Kisaragi Chiyo endured for a few minutes, but seeing that the other party had no intention of letting go, she finally couldn't help but speak up.
The Dark-purple-eyed Wraith drew out his words, the drooping corners of his eyes carrying a pitiable curve, but the words that left his mouth revealed the other's wicked personality.
He said, "A full five minutes. Kisaragi Chiyo, you lasted much longer than I imagined."
"Hehehe.." Kisaragi Chiyo sneered repeatedly. He narrowed his eyes, his misty-gray eyes appearing even brighter as they took on a hint of anger.
"I really regret agreeing to your terms back then." To have let the other party enter his domain so easily and effortlessly.
"Then I am truly sorry." Hara Kenji faced Kisaragi Chiyo's cold gaze without the slightest hint of fear. He gently pressed his face against the back of Kisaragi Chiyo's hand, nuzzling her like a spoiled puppy.
You've already lost the chance to shake me off." Hara Kenji smiled, his eyes curving into crescents, his gaze shimmering like two crescent moons reflected in a lake, "I'm going to cling to you forever.
*
On a beautiful morning the next day, Kisaragi Chiyo did not want to think about that infuriating fellow, Hara Kenji, for the time being.
Although he remembered driving the other man out of the bedroom last night, the moment Kisaragi Chiyo woke up and saw the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy sleeping soundly right beside her, pressed tightly against her, she knew that his plan to keep Hara Kenji out using only the door had failed.
But the puppy was innocent, Kisaragi Chiyo would not vent his frustration with Hara Kenji onto the puppy.
As he thought this, the puppy, who had been curled up sleeping nearby, had woken up at some unknown point. With half-lidded, sleepy eyes, it let out a cute whimper and began to burrow into his arms, following its own scent.
As for the fluffy little puppy's attempt to snuggle into his arms, Kisaragi Chiyo thought about it for a brief second before choosing to accept the gesture with a smile.
He admitted that he found it quite difficult to resist the temptation of furry creatures. Just as honey is to a bear and water is to a fish, although he wasn't at the point where he couldn't survive without furry creatures, life would certainly be much less enjoyable without them around.
Kisaragi Chiyo was neither a cat person nor a dog person; rather, he loved all furry animals equally, though cats and dogs were simply the most common and easiest to encounter in daily life.
Although he didn't know why every time he brought cat food to feed them, the cats that were originally gathered together sunbathing or lounging lazily would all scatter at once, leaving him without even a single strand of cat hair to touch.
Although she knew that there were people with a constitution that cats loathed and dogs shunned, Kisaragi Chiyo still refused to accept such an incredible reality.