15 | Exclusive from Jinjiang Literature City · 15

A super delicious dish that will impress the Metropolitan Police Department's top officer.

Kenji Hagiwara can cook, but he doesn't like cooking.

From washing vegetables to chopping them and turning them into a delicious dish, each tedious step was torture for Kenji Hagiwara. Since joining the Metropolitan Police Department's SWAT team, he had been eating in the department's cafeteria every day on duty.

Stirring the last bite of rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, Kenji Hagiwara looked listless, his brows furrowed. He lowered his head, shoveled the last mouthful of rice away, and muttered under his breath, "I'm getting a little tired of this..."

Across the table, a member of the mobile unit was munching on a delicious bento box made by his wife. With rice grains in his mouth, he mumbled to Hagiwara, "If you're tired of the usual stuff, why don't you try having Ms. Raikawa make you a bento box?"

Kenji Hagiwara was taken aback: "Make me soft bread?"

“Yeah,” the man stuffed another bite of chicken breast into his mouth, “aren’t you two dating?”

Kenji Hagiwara had never considered this possibility before, but now that it had been brought up, he was actually a little tempted. However, given his soft-hearted nature, he would have to think of a way to properly appease her.

Resting his chin on his hand, Kenji Hagiwara could almost picture Yomi Rikawa puffing out her cheeks, saying she didn't want to make him a bento. As he placed the plates in the recycling area, Kenji suddenly remembered the scene from last night when Yomi Rikawa crouched down, covering her ears. The bear-shaped cookies clattered as they spilled onto the floor, and the soft bread's eyes, which always seemed to sparkle like stars, were now filled with confusion. A slight worry crept in.

I might as well call Soft Bread, ask how she is, and ask her to make me a bento box.

Kenji Hagiwara glanced at his colleagues who were dining with him, then turned and left the group with a smile, while rummaging through his pocket for his phone: "I'm going to make a call, I'll be back in a bit."

The phone rang twice before being answered. Hagiwara Kenji chuckled and kept calling him "soft bread," then walked away happily down the long corridor. Matsuda Jinpei glanced at Hagiwara Kenji's departing figure, then casually pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his suit's inner pocket and put them on.

Intuition told Matsuda Jinpei that his popular childhood friend was about to fall into the hands of this woman named Yomi Yorikawa.

After returning to the Explosives Disposal Team's main office with his fellow team members who had dined with him, Matsuda Jinpei squeezed a cigarette from his pack, lit it, and put it in his mouth.

A crimson glow lingered on the cigarette butt as Matsuda Jinpei slumped lazily in his seat, slowly exhaling a puff of white smoke. Even though he'd already told Hagiwara that Yomi Yorikawa was definitely up to something, he still followed her around like a puppy all day long.

The "problem" Matsuda Jinpei referred to wasn't just the sudden appearance of Yomi Yorikawa, but also the strange feeling she gave him. Hagiwara called it a magnetic field, or a sixth sense. Matsuda Jinpei didn't care what to call it; he only knew that every time he got close, his thoughts were uncontrollably affected, like an old radio being interfered with, constantly going off-frequency and emitting a crackling electrical sound.

Matsuda Jinpei suddenly recalled the scene of fighting with Yomi Raikawa for meat; she was indeed as greedy as Hagiwara had said.

When she bit off the sweet shrimp from his chopsticks right in front of him, the woman smiled brightly, chin held high and hands on hips, looking smug. But the moment he returned to normal, she darted away. Hiding behind Kenji Hagiwara, she looked utterly cowardly, yet still managed to peek out and make a face at him.

Like an idiot.

"Captain, coffee."

A team member returning from outside interrupted Matsuda Jinpei's recollection by throwing a can of strong coffee at him.

With neatly manicured fingers, Matsuda Jinpei unzipped the can, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. The aroma and bitterness of cocoa spread through his mouth; he definitely preferred beer to coffee, which was supposed to be a pick-me-up.

Matsuda Jinpei turned to look out the window. Most of the street trees in Tokyo were deciduous broadleaf forests, and the old tree outside the Metropolitan Police Department, three stories high, had already lost all its leaves. He stared at the bare trunk, inexplicably losing interest. His mood was like riding an elevator from a high-rise to the basement; he hadn't plummeted to the bottom, but he couldn't feel happy either. Matsuda Jinpei didn't understand the origin of this emotion; he felt like a depressed person with insufficient serotonin production, and this uncontrollable feeling was terrible.

Resting his chin on his hand, Matsuda Jinpei pondered for a moment before calling out to the teammate who had tossed him coffee. He asked, "What are your thoughts on Yomi Yorikawa?"

"Huh?" The other person froze, scratching their head with a bewildered expression. "I didn't feel anything..."

He carefully observed Matsuda Jinpei's expression, and after a moment of suspicion, whispered, "Captain, you wouldn't actually be secretly in love with that Raikawa, would you, as the rumors say?"

"Huh?" Matsuda Jinpei let out a cold sneer full of sarcasm, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world: "If you're not awake yet, I don't mind helping you wake up."

The team member immediately shook his head vigorously: "No need, no need! I'm perfectly sober!"

Not to mention the Explosives Division, Matsuda Jinpei was notoriously bad-tempered throughout the entire Mobile Unit. The head of the Mobile Unit described Matsuda Jinpei as "top-notch in ability but even a dog would dislike him," and there was a reason for that. Who would want to mess with a bad-tempered boss who had won the national boxing championship?

But before returning to his workstation, the team member still fearlessly whispered a reminder: "Captain, if you really like her, hurry up and make your move. I feel like Miss Raikawa is about to be won over by Captain Hagiwara next door. Don't wait until it's too late to regret it."

Then he was glared at fiercely by Matsuda Jinpei with a look that suggested he was about to punch someone.

Matsuda Jinpei certainly didn't like Yomi Yorikawa.

He tilted his head back and gulped down his coffee, then tossed the empty can into the trash can like a three-pointer, before lowering his gaze. His deep, clear eyes, like the ocean, were hidden behind sunglasses, concealing his slumping emotions. He was still himself, the invincible ace of the Mobile Unit, an absolute powerhouse.

The door to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit's office was pushed open from the outside. Matsuda Jinpei looked up at the doorway, and the reflection of Hagiwara Kenji was seen in his black sunglasses. He walked in with a smile, his face radiating joy, conveying one thing—that rogue girl had agreed to make him a bento.

...

Lai Chuan Huang Quan stood in the entryway with her arms crossed, staring blankly at the induction cooker. Beside her were two large bags full of fresh vegetables, which she had just bought after specifically checking the map and going to the supermarket.

As an employee of the Time and Space Administration, cooking is the last skill Lai Chuan Huang Quan needs. Her fingers swiped back and forth on her phone screen, flipping through electronic recipes again and again. After agonizing for almost half an hour, she still hadn't decided what to make. The dishes that could be served on the table were all too complicated—sushi, beef donburi, they didn't seem like things she could handle.

Why not just make a seaweed rice ball for that silly police officer? It's just a simple matter of cooking the rice and shaping it into a triangle; she'll have no problem with that!

After cooking the newly bought rice into undercooked rice, porridge, and crispy rice, Lai Chuan Huang Quan, looking utterly dejected, hugged his knees and slowly squatted down on the spot.

The internet says you only need to add water up to the height of your middle finger joint to cook rice! That's not scientific!

Although she really wanted to smash the new bento box in Hagiwara Kenji's face and yell, "I quit!", she promised Hagiwara Kenji that she would prepare lunch for him tomorrow. Biting her lower lip and hesitating for a long time, Yomi Laichuan had a new idea.

The next day, Kenji Hagiwara, who was overjoyed to open his bento box, frowned and fell silent as he looked at the dishes in the compartments.

As Matsuda Jinpei passed by him, he glanced at the food in the bento box and gave a mocking smile. His words carried a hidden meaning: "It looks somewhat familiar."

Kenji Hagiwara sighed and facepalmed. "Of course it looks familiar, right? It's the same cuisine as the little restaurant across the street from my house. We've eaten there so many times together, don't tell me you didn't recognize it."

Matsuda Jinpei raised his eyebrows provocatively, tore open the packaging of the yakisoba bread, and began to eat it with the coffee on the table, looking like he was about to watch a good show.

"Why……"

With a deep sigh, Kenji Hagiwara hesitated for a few seconds before dialing Yomi Yorikawa's number. The woman, whose apartment was just across the street from the Metropolitan Police Department, was clearly guilty; she only took a deep breath and answered the phone after it rang three times.

Swallowing hard and making a gurgling sound, Lai Chuan Huang Quan said in a hoarse voice, "Hey," and then fell silent.

"That's so unfair! Soft Bread, you actually put a takeout lunchbox in my bento box to fool me," Kenji Hagiwara said, his voice full of resentment and grievance. "Even if the dishes are a bit monotonous, it's okay. I thought Soft Bread would cook for me."

On the other end of the phone, Lai Chuan Huang Quan, whose despicable behavior had been exposed, simply held his phone in silence.

—Because I ruined three pots of rice, I don't want to make you a bento box.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan could never say such a thing; he would definitely be laughed at by that bastard police officer for a long time.

"Soft bread, I'm so sad."

Her disappointed tone concealed a subtle hint of coquetry.

"I……"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan hesitated, unable to speak the truth.

"Soft Bread, make me a bento box, please," came Kenji Hagiwara's sweet voice through the receiver, her pleading tone so gentle and irresistible: "Just once, I want to eat a meal made by Soft Bread, okay~"

"But it's me!"

She really wanted to yell at Hagiwara, "I'm not making you a bento!" but when Yomi heard Hagiwara's coquettish voice, her tongue suddenly started to tie itself in knots, and her face burned. She stammered for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out the second half of the sentence through her teeth: "I'll make it for you tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, Lai Chuan Huang Quan looked at the vegetables laid out on the ground, untouched since she bought them yesterday, and immediately regretted it. She slumped down, hugging her knees, looking like a flower whose roots had cracked from the sun.

Damn it, she can't cook at all!

Time ticked by, and Lai Chuan Huang Quan remained squatting motionless on the ground, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on the white plastic bag. She was lost in thought, but her fierce gaze made one wonder if she wasn't about to cook, but rather about to embark on a duel of honor with a cleaver against the vegetable aliens. The second hand spun round and round, and after a long while, Lai Chuan Huang Quan finally let out a long sigh, her cheeks puffed out, and resignedly tied on her apron.

She tore open the plastic wrap covering the baby bok choy and muttered angrily to herself, "Stupid officer, you'd better not regret this."

Out of spite and a desire to save face, Lai Chuan Huang Quan wasted four whole bags of ingredients and spent an entire day just to barely cobble together a presentable bento box within the Metropolitan Police Department's lunch break time.

When she appeared downstairs at the Metropolitan Police Department carrying a new bento box, the surrounding police officers glanced at the box in her hand, their expressions instantly becoming subtle and ambiguous. Some even secretly pulled out their phones to share gossip. The SWAT team was even more astonished—their captain had actually managed to win over this little devil who was skilled at ambushing people?

Everyone had their own thoughts, but only Kenji Hagiwara smiled so broadly that his eyes narrowed, his face beaming with joy. He strode over to Yomi Raikawa in a few steps: "What a surprise! I thought I wouldn't be getting a soft bread bento today either."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan didn't speak. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Hagiwara Kenji's face, and her feet were fidgeting on the ground, just like a middle school student who had made a date with her crush and was about to confess.

A pair of men's leather shoes, polished to a shine, came into view, and Kenji Hagiwara stood in front of her with a smile: "Softie, do you want to have lunch with me? I'll take you to the Metropolitan Police Department's cafeteria."

But Yomi Lai simply shoved the lunchbox wrapped in blue cloth into Kenji Hagiwara's arms, not giving him a chance to speak, and turned and ran away, looking as if she were being chased by a hundred thousand drooling zombies.

...?

Kenji Hagiwara stared blankly as Yomi Raikawa disappeared into the Metropolitan Police Department lobby. He glanced down at the bento box in his arms, utterly bewildered. Behind him, Jinpei Matsuda tossed his coat over his shoulder, one hand in his pocket, and said nonchalantly, "No matter how long you watch, that scoundrel girl won't come back to eat with you. Let's go to the cafeteria."

Kenji Hagiwara, carrying a bento box, jogged a few steps to catch up with Jinpei Matsuda: "I know, I know, Jinpei, if you keep doing this, you'll never find a girlfriend."

Matsuda Jinpei said nonchalantly, "Tch, who cares about that kind of thing?"

"That's true. And after this, the Metropolitan Police Department probably won't have any more rumors about you and Soft Bread anymore; they'll probably only be talking about me."

"Tsk." Matsuda Jinpei rolled his eyes and ignored Hagiwara Kenji.

The Metropolitan Police Department's cafeteria was bustling with people, but it wasn't noisy or bothersome. As Matsuda Jinpei finished getting his food and sat down, Hagiwara Kenji had already opened his bento box. The plump grains of rice were shaped like Hello Kitty, and the abundant side dishes were neatly arranged.

This is a bento box made with love, worthy of being called a work of art; every grain of rice is filled with heartfelt sentiment.

Kenji Hagiwara looked at the overly elaborate bento box in front of him, his expression softening amidst the teasing of his teammates. He gave a gentle, indulgent smile, his eyes radiating a warmth like a spring breeze passing by: "That idiot Soft Bread, I told you to just make it casually."

Amidst the cheers of his teammates urging him to start the fire, Kenji Hagiwara eagerly broke open his chopsticks: "Let's dig in!"

Kenji Hagiwara mixed the cooked shrimp into the rice, picked up a piece of shiitake mushroom, and scooped up a large mouthful of rice to eat. Time seemed to slow down; Hagiwara maintained a smile throughout, but his chewing became increasingly slower until it stopped completely. The gazes of the team members who gathered around him gradually shifted from initial envy to confusion.

Kenji Hagiwara was silent for a moment, then swallowed the rice in his mouth with a gulp. He looked up at his childhood friend sitting opposite him and laughed, "It really is delicious, it completely surprised me."

Kenji Hagiwara lifted the bento box and handed it to Jinpei Matsuda: "This is a bento box made with soft bread, Jinpei-kun, have a bite~"

Matsuda Jinpei glanced disdainfully at Hagiwara Kenji's bright smile. He chewed on the chicken cutlet donburi he bought from the cafeteria, scooped a large spoonful of meat from Hagiwara's bento box, and fed it to himself without any hesitation.

The next second, Matsuda Jinpei also stopped chewing as if he had been struck by a needle, and fell into a long silence.

The squad members, who had initially just gathered to watch and make a fuss, looked at Matsuda Jinpei, who was expressionless, on their left, and then at Hagiwara Kenji, who had been smiling the whole time, on their right, and all of them had a row of question marks above their heads.

Their captains...are they both possessed?

The air was almost frozen; a deathly silence hung between the officers of the riot police. Half a minute later, Matsuda Jinpei broke the silence by bowing his head. He raised his hand to his forehead, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and the metal spoon he held was bent at a 90-degree angle by his fingers.

Matsuda Jinpei took a deep breath, his voice hoarse as if he hadn't drunk water for days: "What the hell is this thing...?"

These nine short characters encapsulate Matsuda Jinpei's tumultuous emotional journey. They are his most powerful indictment, filled with reflections and questions about his short twenty-two years of life.

Kenji Hagiwara looked like a tourist who had just finished a sauna, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He had a slightly distorted smile on his face and said in a hoarse voice, "It's a lovingly made bento box by Soft Bread."

“I know,” Matsuda Jinpei said, dropping the iron spoon he had tormented beyond recognition. He buried his head in his hands, staring intently at the bento box, not daring to blink. “But the presentation and taste… Miss Rogue must have poisoned the bento box, with some mysterious poison that can burn through your taste buds.”

Although he really wanted to say a few words in defense of the soft bread, all the words of protecting his own were stuck in his throat. Hagiwara Kenji opened his mouth several times and then closed it again, finally just resting his forehead on the back of his hand and joining the ranks of those who were lost in their own thoughts.

"Ha," Matsuda Jinpei chuckled, his teeth clenched with a hint of schadenfreude, "When Raikawa handed you the bento, you must have seen the wound on her finger, right? Such a thoughtful bento shouldn't be wasted."

His forehead veins were bulging, as if he was trying his best to endure some kind of pain.

"Wow, it's rare to see someone like Jinpei who can understand a girl's heart."

Kenji Hagiwara frowned and smiled as he retorted. Verbal sparring with Jinpei Matsuda was a common way for them to connect. He stared at the beautifully plated bento box in front of him, his face contorted with terror as if he were about to swallow a sulfur bomb.

"Little Jinpei, could you help me eat something?"

"I'd rather drink sulfuric acid than eat this filthy thing."

"..."

After taking three minutes of deep breaths, Kenji Hagiwara clenched his fist to encourage himself, held his breath, and then fed himself a large spoonful of rice.

Then he smiled and quietly closed the lid of the lunchbox.

Hagihara Kenji: "..."

Kenji Hagiwara: "I'm going to buy food."

[Author's Note]

Yomi Lai (with an expectant look on her face): Have you finished eating your bento?

Second-year graduate student (quietly shifting his gaze): Hmm...

Matsuda (gritting his teeth): Don't you know how it tastes?

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