·54｜Exclusive to Jinjiang·54 (Bonus Chapter)

I like you, I like you so much.

Matsuda Jinpei held the one-year VIP membership voucher given to him by the old master, hesitating to speak. Not only him, but even the owner of the acupuncture shop hadn't expected to give away the membership voucher in this way.

As for Yomi Laichuan, her head was swollen from being hit hard by Jinpei Matsuda, and she was currently covering her head, whimpering in Kenji Hagiwara's arms.

Kenji Hagiwara gently rubbed his whimpering girlfriend in his arms, bent down and blew softly on her swollen breast: "Sweetie, sweetie, the pain will fly away."

Matsuda Jinpei stuffed the membership coupon into his pocket, glanced sideways at Yomi Yorikawa, lit a cigarette, took a puff, and after a long while slowly uttered two words: "Idiot."

Yomi Laichuan frowned as she looked at Jinpei Matsuda, offering no rebuttal. But her forehead really hurt from the knocking, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Don't be sad, I'll take you to eat Peking duck," Kenji Hagiwara said with a helpless smile. "I had a hard time getting a reservation."

After saying that, he gestured for Matsuda Jinpei to quickly put out his cigarette and led his men into the roast duck restaurant where a long queue had already formed.

The sliced ​​roast duck looked incredibly appetizing, and Yomi Laichuan certainly enjoyed her meal. However, Yomi Laichuan was more interested in a guest a few tables away—the red-haired Yomi, who originally belonged to this world, happened to be in the restaurant, sitting in a corner on the south side of the first floor.

“Soft bread,” Kenji Hagiwara whispered, putting his hand to his mouth. “Are you observing that woman who looks almost exactly like you?”

“Right. I always felt like I was missing something, but the administrator wouldn’t tell me. I had no choice but to start with her,” Lai Chuan Huang Quan whispered. “I’ve been following her for many days.”

Matsuda Jinpei wrapped the sliced ​​duck meat and shredded green onions into a thin pancake and casually asked, "Did you find anything?"

“Not at all,” Lai Chuan Huang Quan said listlessly, slumped on the table. “Her daily routine is frighteningly regular. She gets up at six and goes to bed at ten. Every day she’s either studying or on her way to study. Especially on weekdays, I can roughly guess whether she’s reading or practicing the violin just by glancing at the time.”

"Hmph," Matsuda Jinpei snorted and commented, "This level of self-control is indeed quite admirable, but it feels like he's a robot."

Kenji Hagiwara wrapped a piece of roast duck and fed it to Yomi Laichuan, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two Yomi: "But you two really do look alike, almost identical. The slight differences are probably due to differences in personality, temperament and lifestyle."

Kenji Hagiwara joked, "If we didn't know, we might think you two are twins."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan picked up the milk tea on the table. While nibbling on the straw, she stared at the red-haired Huang Quan and said in a muffled voice, "I don't want to be her twin. You don't know how intimidating her dad is."

As I spoke, a long-lost feeling of dizziness suddenly surged up, and my temples felt as if they were being repeatedly pricked by thousands of needles.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan frowned, looking uncomfortable.

Kenji Hagiwara immediately noticed Yomi Rikawa's unusual behavior: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan shook his head: "I don't know either, I suddenly feel a little dizzy."

Kenji Hagiwara frowned: "Has this happened before?"

"It appeared once a few days ago in the library of the University of Tokyo."

Kenji Hagiwara pressed on, "What about the world before? Did it ever exist?"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan shook his head.

Kenji Hagiwara rested his chin on his hand, looking worried: "Shall we call it a day and go back to rest?"

As a result, Raikawa Yomi got desperate: "I don't want to go back!"

"Huh? But aren't you feeling unwell?"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan didn't reply. She touched her bulging little handbag, which contained heart-shaped chocolates that she had carefully prepared. She had also found out that there would be lots and lots of beautiful fireworks going off in Chinatown tonight at midnight, and she wanted to watch them with Hagiwara Kenji.

Thinking of this, Lai Chuan Huang Quan awkwardly said, "I don't feel particularly uncomfortable. I guess I'll feel better in a while. Anyway, I don't want to go back."

"Alright," Kenji Hagiwara said, seeing that he couldn't persuade Yomi Rikawa, so he had to nod in agreement. "But if you feel really bad, tell me, okay?"

"I know," Raikawa Yomi assured him, patting his chest. "My recovery ability is very strong, you know. Look, the bump that Officer Matsuda gave me has already disappeared. As for the dizziness, this little problem will definitely be fine in a while."

But the dizziness gradually intensified over time. At first, it was like a drop of water falling into a lake, creating faint ripples on the surface. Now, however, it was like a stone hitting the water, stirring up a series of waves.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan slumped limply on the table, but when Hagiwara Kenji asked him about the situation, he stubbornly insisted that he was fine.

“Soft bread,” Kenji Hagiwara said, his face darkening. “No, you have to come home with me to rest.”

After saying that, Kenji Hagiwara ignored Yomi Rikawa's objections, paid the bill, and forcibly carried her into his car and took her home.

As the car approached the apartment building, Lai Chuan Huang Quan gradually regained her spirits. She was no longer the listless woman she had been half an hour earlier; now, her face was puffed out, both angry and aggrieved.

Her first Valentine's Day was ruined; there were no fireworks, no kisses, and she didn't even finish the roast duck.

Kenji Hagiwara had already parked the car in the open-air parking lot below the apartment building. He turned his head to look at the soft bread that had bulged into a ball in the back seat and smiled helplessly: "We're here, get out of the car."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan muttered, "I want to go back."

"No, that won't do," Kenji Hagiwara softened his voice, as if coaxing a child throwing a tantrum, but with an attitude that left no room for refusal. "Not taking you to the hospital is already the biggest concession I've made. If you're not feeling well, you must rest properly."

Upon hearing this, Lai Chuan Huang Quan puffed up even more like a balloon. She snorted in protest and got out of the car without saying a word.

When Kenji Hagiwara got out of the car, he didn't remove the car key. He looked at his childhood friend who had come with him and was sitting in the passenger seat: "Jinpei, I'm going to stay here and look after Soft Bread. You drive my car back first. If there are no further problems with her, I'll take a taxi back."

"OK."

Matsuda Jinpei responded and got out of the car, intending to switch from the passenger seat to the driver's seat.

But before getting on the bus, Yomi Lai suddenly grabbed Matsuda Jinpei's arm.

Under Matsuda Jinpei's questioning gaze, Yomi Raikawa pulled a square chocolate, no bigger than half a palm, from her bag. The chocolate was wrapped in blue foil, and a red glitter rose was decorated in the upper right corner.

“Officer Matsuda,” Yomi Raikawa said softly, her head bowed and avoiding eye contact with Matsuda Jinpei, “thank you for your understanding and care all this time. This is a piece of obligatory chocolate that I made myself. Please accept it.”

Matsuda Jinpei let out a meaningful laugh and accepted the chocolate that Yomi Raikawa offered him. Although he couldn't imagine what it would taste like, Yomi Raikawa had only made one for Kenji Hagiwara when he left yesterday.

The chocolate I'm giving him now must have been made by Raikawa Yomi last night, working through the night.

Matsuda Jinpei raised an eyebrow, somewhat pleased: "Thanks."

He got into the car, started the engine, waved goodbye to the two people outside, and left without looking back.

Watching Matsuda Jinpei walk away, Hagiwara Kenji didn't rush upstairs, but instead kept his eyes fixed on Yomi Raikawa. He had noticed her bulging little handbag earlier, when he picked her up from work to take her to Chinatown.

I'm looking forward to it, even impatiently. I want to receive my favorite chocolate from Yomi Yorikawa as soon as possible, and any amount of waiting is worth it.

Bathed in the bright yellow light of the streetlamp, Lai Chuan Huang Quan hesitated for a long time, her hands behind her back. She kept kicking at the pebbles at her feet and touching her neck, lingering for quite some time before finally pulling a heart-shaped chocolate from her handbag, her ears turning red. The chocolate, with its slightly uneven edges, was delicately wrapped in red, adorned with thin, shimmering ribbons.

The chocolate was held in Raikawa Yomi's hands and handed to Hagiwara Kenji. Raikawa Yomi pursed her red lips, closed her eyes tightly, and said in one breath, "This...this is my special chocolate that I made especially for you, you idiot Kenji! You have to eat it all!"

After saying that, Lai Chuan Huang Quan seemed to remember something and immediately added, "I've tried it. It tastes bitter, but not so bitter that it's hard to swallow. But if you don't like it, it's okay if you don't eat it!"

Kenji Hagiwara raised an eyebrow, took the chocolate, and chuckled softly: "Don't worry, I'll savor every single bite of this chocolate made with love from soft bread."

He took Lai Chuan Huang Quan's hand and walked slowly with her towards the apartment building against the moonlight: "Let's go home."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "Hmm."

As she climbed the stairs a few steps, Lai Chuan Huang Quan suddenly realized something extremely serious—the kitchen repair company wouldn't be available until the day after tomorrow, and the kitchen was still a mess. She had managed to clean the chocolate off the walls, but without a ladder, she couldn't pull the pot embedded in the ceiling down.

no!

Kenji Hagiwara absolutely must not see the kitchen before it was cleaned and repaired!

Thinking of this, Yomi Laichuan grabbed Kenji Hagiwara's hand and squatted down, trying to use her own weight to support Kenji Hagiwara.

"I'm not going back!"

"Hmm?" Kenji Hagiwara looked down at Yomi Raikawa, who was practically clinging to his trouser leg and rolling around, and asked in confusion, "Why don't you go back? Is there something at home?"

Yomi Yomi: !!!

Silently swallowing, Lai Chuan Huang Quan whispered in a voice barely above a whisper, "Why would you think that..."

Kenji Hagiwara laughed and said, "Although Softie has been nagging me not to go home since earlier, the reason is definitely different from why she suddenly doesn't want to go home now. The only thing I can think of is that there are things at home that she absolutely doesn't want me to see."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan, having his thoughts completely guessed, touched his nose and dared not reply.

Kenji Hagiwara smiled and said, "Let's go. I won't blame you no matter what we see."

Even so, Yomi Lai still shouted, "No! Absolutely not!" and grabbed Kenji Hagiwara even harder.

"But Xiao Zhenping has already driven the car away. If we don't go back, we won't even have a place to sit."

"Then, then take me to your dorm!"

Kenji Hagiwara smiled and frowned, explaining, "You can't just bring people back to the police dormitory unless I submit a report explaining the situation beforehand."

"I don't care! I don't care! I'm not going back!"

"This..." Kenji Hagiwara hesitated for a moment, then sighed helplessly and chose to compromise: "It's not that we can't not go back. But in that case, you'll have to stay at a hotel tonight."

"I'm fine with going anywhere as long as I don't go back to the apartment!"

It wasn't until Kenji Hagiwara dragged her to a hotel and she stood in front of the soft double bed that Yomi Lai belatedly realized what terrible thing she had agreed to.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan was staring blankly with her beady eyes when Hagiwara Kenji pulled a bathrobe from the closet and shoved it into her arms: "Go take a shower."

“But…” Lai Chuan Huang Quan was so nervous that she scratched her toes on the carpet. She swallowed hard and dared not speak.

"Some people may faint while taking a shower if they are not feeling well. I don't know what's wrong with you, so please take a shower before I leave. I need to make sure you are safe and sound."

Fearing that Yomi Laichuan might overthink things, Kenji Hagiwara quickly explained, "As long as I confirm that you won't show any abnormalities in the next few hours, I will go back without disturbing your rest."

That being said...

Lai Chuan Huang Quan gripped his bathrobe and glanced back at the large round bathtub in the same room as the double bed.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "Hmm..."

When I looked at Kenji Hagiwara again, her face was already flushed, and her eyes were wet with embarrassment, as if she was about to cry.

"cough."

Kenji Hagiwara coughed lightly, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He gestured for Yomi Laichuan to sit down on the edge of the bed, then loosened his tie and offered it to her palm: "If you're really worried about Soft Bread, use this to blindfold me."

Having said that, he squatted down with his back to Lai Chuan Huang Quan.

The bathtub was filled with hot water, and Kenji Hagiwara sat on the carpet with his back against the bed. The bathtub was on the left side of the bed, and he sat on the right side of the bed with his eyes closed.

Sight is sealed off, but hearing is amplified infinitely.

The sound of slowly sitting down in the water was very soft, and then silence followed, with only the occasional soft sound of water ripples when adjusting one's posture.

The crisp sound of water, like dewdrops falling from the tips of leaves into a clear spring, landed on Kenji Hagiwara's heart, creating ripples.

The 26-degree air conditioning felt slightly cool on his skin, but as Kenji Hagiwara sat on the floor, a fire ignited in his chest. The flames traveled through his veins to every inch of his skin, pushing his body temperature even higher.

His Adam's apple bobbed back and forth as Kenji Hagiwara tensed his muscles, suppressing the clamor in his body.

Sweat had already soaked his forehead. Kenji Hagiwara looked down and didn't notice that the sound of water had suddenly stopped—he thought the soft bread was still enjoying the comfort of the warm water bath.

The soft soles of his feet made no sound as they stepped on the carpet, until a strand of damp hair brushed against the tip of Hagiwara Kenji's nose, and he was startled to realize that Yomi Yorikawa was already standing in front of him.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and Kenji Hagiwara swallowed the saliva at the back of his tongue, his voice slightly hoarse: "Soft bread, are you done washing it?"

"Okay, I'm done washing."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan knelt down in front of Hagiwara Kenji, cupping his face in his hands.

The moonlight and the lamp on the bedside table cast a hazy glow on Kenji Hagiwara's face. Earlier, when he loosened his tie, Hagiwara had ruffled the collar of his white shirt. From Yomi's angle, she could just make out half of his collarbone.

Yomi Lai tilted her head, gazing quietly at Kenji Hagiwara's face. She raised a hand, her fingertips starting from between Kenji Hagiwara's eyebrows and tracing down the high bridge of his nose. When her fingertips brushed against the tip of his nose, Kenji Hagiwara trembled as if he had been electrocuted.

His fingers lightly traced the lower lip of Kenji Hagiwara, and at the opportune moment, he opened his lips and took Yomi Rikawa's fingertip into his mouth.

There was no further action; he simply gently held the very tip of her finger in his mouth, his lips barely covering her nails.

Kenji Hagiwara couldn't see it, but he could feel it.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan's fingers lingered briefly on his lips before being withdrawn. The faint floral scent from the shower gel slowly enveloped him, filling the air with the unique, all-encompassing fragrance of his beloved, a scent that made him feel restless.

My breathing slowed and became heavier, but my heart was pounding.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan left a kiss on his lips, like a dragonfly skimming the water, a fleeting touch.

But this disrupted Kenji Hagiwara's breathing.

"I'm a second-year graduate student," she said softly, "I like you, I like you so much."

[Author's Note]