A soft, sticky sound came from behind, like fruit candy that had melted under the sun and become cloyingly sweet.
A cool, resiliently textured tentacle quietly hooked around his fingertips, much like an elementary schooler feeling awkward after an argument and wanting to make up. Hara Kenji slowly pulled himself closer to him, until the two were standing shoulder to shoulder.
For some unknown reason, Hara Kenji seemed to always want to cling to him, much like a hermit crab needing to rely on a shell—a kind of relationship that didn't apply to humans and evil spirits.
The man, with a physique comparable to a model, wore a black trench coat over a beige turtleneck sweater that lent him an air of softness. His long hair was tied at the back of his head with a ribbon, swaying in rhythm with the other's brisk footsteps.
If one only looked slightly higher, one would meet those dark eyes filled with laughter; were they a spider? Or a snake? Regardless, they could never be associated with something as cute and innocent as a young puppy.
Chiyo-chan
He was acting so self-centeredly, calling her by such an excessively intimate nickname without even asking for her opinion.
You really are angry, aren't you?
Steps came to a halt, his shoulders were pressed down with slight force. A cool hand brushed against his cheek, that face gradually loomed closer, far exceeding the safety distance in Kisaragi Chiyo's heart.
Dark purple irises occupied nearly two-thirds of the pupils, a somber and murky beauty, possessing a certain quality that seemed intent on destroying everything, including itself. In silence, they were always like black reefs by the seaside, day after day, year after year, being either destroyed or becoming sharper through solitude and repetition.
Kisaragi Chiyo thought in a daze: perhaps she harbored a slight fear toward Hara Kenji, a fear she hadn't even noticed before.
That fear did not stem from a fear of evil spirits, that special kind of existence; it was not a fear of bloodshed, abnormalities, cruelty.. or other terrifying things.
What he feared was the way Hara Kenji's uncontrollable actions and existence forcibly intervened in his life. One day, one of them would be destroyed by the other.
He was worried about such a thing happening.
If only Hara Kenji were a purely unscrupulous, evil-doing spirit.
Kisaragi Chiyo thought expressionlessly that if that were the case, she could have acted without any hesitation from the very beginning.
“Is it because of what Mr. Dimple said just now?” Hara Kenji seemed to possess a magical power that allowed him to easily see through others' thoughts. His fingertips landed at the corner of Kisaragi Chiyo's eye, his pads gently stroking that small patch of skin.
"Then, would you like to try?" The other person drew even closer, his voice dropping extremely low. His breath brushed against Kisaragi Chiyo's ear, like a demon tempting a human to fall. The demon's words made the human tighten his grip on the knife, pressing the sharp blade against his own throat.
Kill me.
Kisaragi Chiyo was completely enveloped in Hara Kenji's embrace. From a distance, they looked almost as if they were hugging, as intimate as lovers rubbing temples, even though they did not have that kind of relationship.
“Are you doing this on purpose?” Kisaragi Chiyo let out a cold laugh after a long silence, tilting his head back without fear, meeting the evil spirit's scrutinizing gaze head-on.
Those beautiful dark red eyes—Hara Kenji really wanted to take a closer look, or perhaps do something else that he hadn't done last time.
“How could that be?” The evil spirit laughed. He raised his hand and gently brushed his fingertips over Kisaragi Chiyo's upper eyelid, the dark red eyes hidden beneath that thin layer of skin.
“It's just a matter of reciprocity.”
That's all.
He simply wanted to see Kisaragi Chiyo's face cloud over with emotions of conflict and distress caused by him.
He did this to determine whether he held a small place in her heart—a place that could evoke her pity, making it easier for him to step a step closer and demand even more.
Look at him, he really is.. how adorable, how delicious.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for adding this to your collection, mwah 0330
Chapter 33
It's inexplicably infuriating.
Whether it was his way of speaking or his style of behavior, he really made one want to give this guy a good punch.
Kisaragi Chiyo's face was cold, her misty gray eyes staring intently at the malevolent spirit smiling at her across from them. She pursed her lips, suppressing her emotions as she asked in a low voice, "So, what is your wish?"
"Eh? Asking that all of a sudden.. could it be that you want to send me to Buddhahood, Kisaragi Chiyo? To think you'd choose that method.." Hara Kenji let out a low laugh. His voice was highly distinctive, his tone always light and casual; much like his very existence, it carried a sense of nonchalance, feeling fleeting and detached from the real world.
"But why?" Hara Kenji's eyes curved as his thin lips pulled into an upward arc. His long black trench coat hung down to his knees; he stood there like a shadow, appearing both near and far, visible yet intangible.
"I was hoping to spend a little more pleasant time with Chiyo-chan." It was a completely unreliable answer, but his dark purple eyes were deep and profound, like a beast hiding in the grass, waiting for its prey to walk right up to it so it could tear open its throat and devour its flesh.
Is that so?" Kisaragi Chiyo did not pay any mind to the other's evasive behavior, simply repeating the question once more: "What is your wish?
How stubborn." Hara Kenji shook his head and gave a soft sigh, then spread his hands toward Kisaragi Chiyo, flashing his signature innocent smile. "I have no idea.
After all, I am an amnesiac," Hara Kenji said with a smile, tapping his head with his finger. "Since I've forgotten everything about my past, it's only natural that I can't remember things like my wishes, right?
That is truly a shame." Hara Kenji kept his hands behind his back, his long hair tied at the back of his head swaying with his light footsteps. "At least for a short while, Kisaragi Chiyo, you won't be able to shake me off.
So, you'd better get rid of that thought~
Of course," Hara Kenji suddenly leaned in, his voice dropping extremely low. He covered his mouth with one hand and leaned toward Kisaragi Chiyo's ear, whispering, "If it were a different method, you might not have to endure it for so long.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
"Shut up." Kisaragi Chiyo saw through Hara Kenji's scheme at a glance; the malice in this evil spirit's belly—who loved to pretend to be innocent and pure—was greater than all the monsters and demons he had ever encountered combined.
On the surface, he was saying, "Just kill me then," but in reality, once Kisaragi Chiyo made that choice, Hara Kenji would likely, in an instant, joyfully use self-defense as an excuse and employ every possible method to drag her into the Hazama, causing her to vanish into Kamikakushi forever.
"As expected, you look most pleasant when you're not talking." Kisaragi Chiyo gave a slight smile and slapped the crudely drawn map in her hand onto Hara Kenji's handsome face without hesitation.
*
Following the markings on the map, Kisaragi Chiyo took the wrong path seven or eight times before finally finding the correct route under the guidance of a kind stranger.
The black semi-circular shape that Reigen Arataka had originally marked on the map represented an abandoned tunnel.
Perhaps because it had been abandoned and was no longer disturbed by humans, the trees and weeds around the tunnel grew lushly, bordering on wild. Occasionally, a few kittens would leap in and out of the waist-high grass, playing joyfully and freely.
But without exception, as soon as they saw Kisaragi Chiyo arrive, they instantly went into hiding. Like white rabbits vanishing into the snow, they became impossible to find.
"Oh my, they've run away." Hara Kenji had excellent vision, his reaction speed was even faster. He saw an orange kitten and a calico cat one after the other dart into the grass, finally running into the tunnel.
"Want to go in and take a look?" Hara Kenji pointed toward the pitch-black tunnel entrance and looked at Kisaragi Chiyo with a grin.
"Of course." Kisaragi Chiyo nodded with a serious expression, her hand clutching the cat food. Since they had come this far, there was no reason to leave without even touching a single cat hair.
"If you're afraid of the dark, you can hold my hand." Hara Kenji volunteered by raising his hand, looking expectant and eager to please.
"Refused." Kisaragi Chiyo didn't even look back, stepping forward toward the tunnel without mercy.
*
This tunnel wasn't particularly long; standing at the entrance, one could see the light from the exit far in the distance. It was hazy, spreading across the retina like a blurred white speck of light.
After a short period of footsteps following one another in silence, bright light appeared before the eyes of the man and the spirit.
The view was expansive; as far as the eye could see, there was a vast meadow covered in colorful wildflowers. To one side, lush green trees cast shade, blocking the sun's rays, while in the distance, a group of cats huddled together, their fluffy bodies sprawled out comfortably in the warm sunlight.
"Kisaragi, perhaps you should go to a shrine to pray." Hara Kenji gazed at the sun in the sky, squinting slightly as he reached up to block the light shining directly into his eyes.
By the time they said goodbye to Reigen Arataka and left, it was already around five in the afternoon. At this time of day, the sun's altitude should not have been at a height that only appears in the morning.
"It is spring here," Kisaragi Chiyo judged with certainty. He reached out a hand, spreading his fingers wide, as a warm breeze blew in from the distance, carrying the essence of sunlight and the scent of flowers; if one smelled closely, it also held the scent of dry earth.
“The sky, the sun, the flowers, the wind.." Kisaragi Chiyo's outstretched hand slowly closed, as if trying to catch the wind in her palm.
"Besides that, there are no butterflies, insects.. or rather, no living things other than cats exist in this place." Aside from the rustling sound made by the wind blowing through the grass, no other sound could be heard.
“Is this a paradise exclusively for cats?” Hara Kenji said with a smile.
He looked at the cats lying on their bellies in the distance, completely defenseless, found it truly difficult to feel any sense of vigilance. This place was peaceful and tranquil, far removed from the clamor of human existence.
"Perhaps." Kisaragi Chiyo replied in a flat tone, his expression softening slightly; at least in Hara Kenji's eyes, Kisaragi Chiyo's current mood could be described as pleasant.
Perhaps this is the reason why this place was created.
A cat paradise where cats can play freely, undisturbed by humans.
"So, are they yokai?" Hara Kenji didn't sense any aura of danger, this place didn't feel like the domain where he had encountered the Rat before.
Everything here felt somewhat artificial; if one stayed for a while, it wouldn't be hard to notice. Every so often, the direction the wind blew, the angle of the swaying leaves, the sunlight remained almost unchanged.
It was like a looping video; through constant repetition, this world was composed.
“It has come to this.” Kisaragi Chiyo's focus was not on those things; he shook the cat food in his hand, having not forgotten his original purpose.
Let me feed the cat first.
"First of all," Kisaragi Chiyo said, glancing sideways at Hara Kenji, who was standing less than an arm's length away from her, her misty gray eyes revealing her seriousness.
Stay away from me.
?" Hara Kenji blinked slowly, a look of confusion appearing on his handsome face: "Why..
"Because, logically speaking.." Having a rare opportunity to be so close to a cat, Kisaragi Chiyo did not want any unexpected factor to ruin it.
Cats and dogs are natural enemies, aren't they?
Hara Kenji: ".."
You can't put it that way.." Hara Kenji tried to argue, "I'm not in my puppy form right now, so logically speaking, it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, we still haven't even figured out where exactly we are..
"So, for your safety, Chiyo-chan, I must stay within three steps of you." Hara Kenji spoke with increasing confidence.
I refuse." Answering as heartlessly as ever, Kisaragi Chiyo shook her head with a resolute attitude. "Without a doubt, that cat at the tunnel entrance ran away precisely because it saw you. I cannot let you ruin my second chance.
.." Hara Kenji fell silent for a moment, then pointed to himself. "Because.. of me?
Exactly." Kisaragi Chiyo said with great solemnity, "Up until now, I have never seen a cat and a dog living in harmony.
Hara Kenji: ".."
"Then go ahead." Hara Kenji pulled his lips into a forced, mirthless smile, his eyes narrowing slightly. His dark purple eyes stared intently at Kisaragi Chiyo, his gaze deep and haunting.
It doesn't matter, I don't mind being alone anyway. You clearly acted like you liked me so much before.. Heh, humans..
Kisaragi Chiyo didn't pay any attention to the words that followed; in short, they were nothing more than cold and ruthless complaints and accusations directed at him.
With a cautious and serious attitude, Kisaragi Chiyo moved toward the pile of cats bit by bit. Just as she was only six or seven meters away from them, an alert tabby cat suddenly opened its eyes. The pupils in its bright golden eyes narrowed into slits, upon seeing Kisaragi Chiyo, it suddenly sprang up like a coiled spring, landing on the ground with the fur on its back standing on end, looking like a miniature Deinonychus.
A low, warning sound rumbled from its mouth. Upon hearing its companion's cry, the other cats nearby also woke up one after another. In less than three minutes, the dozens of cats that had been huddling together to sleep had instantly scattered in all directions.
Kisaragi Chiyo didn't even have time to tear open the cat food in her hands to use it as bait for the cats, let alone pet their soft, fluffy, sun-warmed fur.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
The cat's natural aversion to dogs remained as consistent as ever.
Hmm.. what did you just say?" Hara Kenji walked over to the dejected Kisaragi Chiyo in high spirits and asked in a lighthearted tone, "Kisaragi, who did you say the cat ran away because it saw? I seem to have forgotten.
"It was definitely because of you." Kisaragi Chiyo remained stubborn, completely unwilling to admit it was because of her.