44 Chapter 44

◎In whose arms do you seek comfort when I'm not around?◎

Chapter 44 [When I'm not around, in whose arms do you seek comfort?]

"Is Sayuri-chan available to come out? Or should I go to your place?"

Kenji Hagiwara did not let my wife Sayuri explain the situation over the phone, but instead took the initiative to ask for a meeting.

Agatsuma Sayuri didn't want to stay home and revisit the events of last night. Firstly, she was still terrified of spaces outside the bedroom, always feeling the risk of someone unexpected appearing. Secondly, she was worried that Ryo Koyasu would actually keep his promise to "return as soon as the work was done." If the main storyline discovered that the person who was supposed to be dead wasn't, who knew what would happen.

If only my wife Sayuri was found not at home, the person caught could explain that he was afraid to be alone in a house where a paranormal incident had occurred or someone had broken into it, so he ran away to a crowded place.

"I understand. Then let's go to the inn owned by my wife's family."

Kenji Hagiwara gave an address in the downtown area. Judging from the name alone, this hotel had appeared in the work email that my wife's husband had sent to my wife Sayuri.

Perhaps its latest operating strategy was approved by my wife Sayuri.

"I'll have the hotel pick you up. They'll be there in about... forty minutes. Is that okay?"

My wife, Sayuri, knew that it wouldn't take that long to get from the hotel to where she lived. Hagiwara Kenji, understanding the habits of women who value beauty, must have left her extra time.

Now that she had decided to go out, her wife Sayuri had to start preparing immediately.

Even if she was given forty minutes, her task was still urgent. She needed to put on full makeup, do her hair, and change clothes. Forty minutes was barely enough.

If there is really no other way, she can only put on the clothes first, prepare the tools needed for hair styling, and then adjust the clothes and hairstyle in the car.

Once people are busy dealing with the matters at hand, other unimportant thoughts can easily be thrown out of the window.

My wife Sayuri hurried to dress herself up to look presentable before the car arrived, and then she went out carrying a small bag that was exquisite and beautiful but not very spacious.

Like a little princess, Sayuki was invited downstairs by a driver wearing white gloves. She found that she seemed to have not checked what kind of hotel the hotel that Kenji Hagiwara mentioned was.

I hope her outfit doesn't look out of place.

During the short drive, the girl tried her best to immerse herself in correcting her hairstyle and avoid thinking about messy and strange things.

She'd been thinking about it for so long that her thoughts were now a tangled mess, impossible to make sense of. If she were asked to describe what else was going on in her head, it would probably be a kitten playing with yarn, further convoluted.

The car stopped at the designated location of the hotel. The receptionist came forward to open the door and deliberately put his hand on the top of the door frame to prevent my wife Sayuri from hitting her head when getting out of the car.

This scene was a little eye-catching in the downtown area, and Agatsuma Sayuri felt some strange gazes focused on her.

Instantly, the acting switch in her body ignited. She naturally lifted her chest and nodded, then lifted her skirt and landed on the ground. Her perfect makeup and beautiful figure were her strongest weapons.

"Is this my wife, Miss Sayuri? Mr. K is waiting for you in private room number one."

As soon as we entered the hotel, the waiter waiting at the door immediately stepped forward and bowed, guiding my wife Sayuri to the private room.

When Agatsuma Sayuri heard "Mr. K", she immediately realized that this should be the pseudonym of Kenji Hagiwara.

At first glance, the name "Hagiwara" has nothing to do with "K", but the first letter of "Yenji" is K.

This wasn't something my wife Sayuri came up with; it was simply based on the fact that only Hagiwara Kenji had dated her before, and it was directly corroborated by the facts.

But who would give themselves such a pseudonym in real life?

It was like a meeting with secret agents.

Moreover, for such a high-end hotel, why are private rooms still numbered "No. 1"? It sounds meaningless and is simply a symbol for service staff and customers to distinguish the rooms.

The hotel looks quite modern from the outside, but the interior has a classic Japanese style, consistent with my wife's ancestral home. The doors to the private rooms look like ordinary sliding doors.

However, when the waiter knocked on the door and answered "Come in" to open it for my wife Sayuri, the girl noticed that the sound of the door was different from that of traditional pine and cedar shoji screens.

As soon as the door opened, Kenji Hagiwara came to greet her happily, so before she had time to figure out the difference, the door slowly closed under the professional service of the waiter.

"Does Sayuri-chan care about the door? It's an antique design, but it's actually made of high-tech materials, tempered glass and alloy. Only the outside has a wood grain coating."

It is easy to understand that the traditional paper part uses tempered glass, but why is the door made of alloy?

Agatsuma Sayuri was a little surprised and shifted her gaze from Hagiwara Kenji to the door, and then from the door back to the man in front of her.

The boy, whose hair was long enough to be tied into a small bun, smiled brightly, as if the threat of death had never come upon him.

I wonder how the outgoing Kenji Hagiwara has been spending these past two years in hiding. I have a feeling that if he only interacted with members of my wife's family, he would be lonely and bored.

"So, what's the problem, Sayuri-chan? I can answer any of your questions."

Kenji Hagiwara didn't explain too much about the "door" and asked the most important question directly.

My wife Sayuri was neatly seated at the table by the man, who placed tea and delicious-looking snacks in the most convenient position for her.

After doing all this, the man sat next to her, but not too close. He left a small safe zone, keeping a distance that my wife Sayuri could easily grab him with her hands.

However, in this small private room for 2-4 people, the tatami table is not very big. It is spacious enough for one person to sit on each side of the table, but it would be a bit crowded if two people sit on it.

The lighting in the private room was artificially adjusted to a soft warm tone, and the cold Japanese style also seemed warmer at this time.

My wife, Sayuri, had little exposure to traditional Japanese architecture, either in her past life or in Japan. Most of the buildings she encountered were, at best, modern structures with some Japanese elements. Of course, the one that left a deep impression on her was my wife's ancestral home.

This old house not only shows her the evolution of traditional Japanese architecture in modern life, but also the Agatsuma family who strive to survive for themselves, others and the fate of the world.

Among them are people like Hagiwara Kenji, whom Agatsuma Sayuri only knows from the original work, people like Kawakami Mika, whom she has come into contact with in real life, and there are even more innocent people who Agatsuma Sayuri does not remember but are caught up in the changes in the world.

Each member of the tribe conveyed goodwill to Agatsuma Sayuri, bringing her into reality. If it weren't for that experience, Agatsuma Sayuri would still be looking at the "characters in the original work" from a detached, God-like perspective, just as she did when she first came into this world.

Seeing that my wife Sayuri seemed to be at a loss as to how to start the conversation, Hagiwara Kenji decided to take the initiative.

"Sayuri-chan," Hagiwara Kenji pointed at himself with his index finger after my wife Sayuri turned her gaze towards him. "Look at me. After what I've been through, what else can I be afraid of?"

“…”

With this comparison, Agatsuma Sayuri really felt that the bomb she was encountering that had not stopped suddenly started up, and there were only six seconds left. It was so thrilling.

With that interruption, she wasn't really scared anymore. Could a "ghost" breaking into her house to help update the game be scarier than Kenji Hagiwara, a man who was already dead in the eyes of the world? Could it be scarier than the fact that most of my wife's family were theoretically dead?

He also helps with updates!

Even if it is a ghost, it is a good ghost!

So the girl sorted out her thoughts and recounted her experiences in chronological order.

She was lost in her own emotions, her gaze fixed on the water glass in front of her, following the curl of steam that drifted into the air. It seemed as if her mind had also become empty, no longer harboring any fear of humanity.

Too immersed in her own feelings, Agatsuma Sayuri did not notice that the boy who gave her a warm feeling just smiled strangely after hearing her terrifying experience.

It looked like he was trying to hold back his laughter, but couldn't quite hold it back.

"If you're scared, it's okay to change your address." Kenji Hagiwara finally moved. He poured himself a cup of tea, blew gently over the hot tea, unable to hide the upturned corners of his lips, but made a kind suggestion.

After taking a sip of tea, he took out his phone and showed off several beautifully decorated single-family homes and apartments. "My wife's family owns quite a bit of real estate, so we can change our address anytime we want."

After all, the new tribesmen who have escaped death but have to hide their identities need some time and space to adapt, so there are quite a few houses with independent space and relative safety.

Pushing the phone in front of the girl, Hagiwara Kenji's expression became natural. His concern for Agatsuma Sayuri was genuine, just like when he first met her.

My wife Sayuri was moved; her house had been broken into twice already.

One of them said it was the housekeeper, but my wife, Sayuri, really thought someone had come in. The second time, she didn't even know who the person was, and now she's not sure if they've done anything wrong in the house.

You have to know, this is the world of "Detective Conan". If there really was a murderer who had tampered with her house and was waiting for the right opportunity to kill Agatsuma Sayuri, there would be no way to complain.

She is already a member of my wife's family. Can she be resurrected on the spot after one of the three murderers is caught?

Perhaps, the obstacle before my wife Sayou is how to explain to Zian Liang that she has just improved her housing and can afford the moving expenses.

Even though they are not as beautiful and close as the couple in the fairy tale, Agatsuma Sayuri thinks that if the other party asks, she still needs to be a little more honest.

Unless Zian Liang has never considered their future, otherwise...

Agatsuma Sayuri once again fell into a hell of racking her brains, but this time her mental search was successful! Back when they officially confirmed their relationship, Koyasu Ryo seemed to have said, "I can't give you a guarantee in the short term," right?

Does that mean you won't consider them getting married?

That……

Agatsuma Sayuri's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Hagiwara Kenji's hand, scaring him so much that he quickly changed the hot teacup in his hand and put it on the table with the other hand.

The girl in front of him had quickly turned from anxiety to joy after figuring it out. She held Hagiwara Kenji's hands with both hands, shaking them up and down, expressing her gratitude with Chinese etiquette.

Feeling that thanking him like this was not enough, she rushed over and hugged the older boy.

"Thank you, Hagiwara!"

“…”

Hagiwara Kenji instinctively opened his hands, not daring to touch the girl immediately. But after hearing the girl's breathing change from rapid to steady, he finally lowered one hand and placed it on the girl's carefully styled hair.

The palm of the hand patted lightly, not destroying the hairstyle, and avoiding the hair accessories, just to express comfort.

【Author’s words】

The heroine said that what made her feel realistic at first was having no money to eat...