Chapter 30: I'm a survivor, I want to be discharged!
At that moment, Kitagawa Ryusei felt a chill run down to his feet, and his legs were frozen in place, numb.
The all-too-familiar scene ignited panic, almost engulfing Kitagawa Ryusei and scrambling to drown his mouth and nose.
He seemed to see a flash of fire, and then a cloud of blood and colorful fragments filled his entire field of vision.
But upon closer inspection, nothing had happened; only the figure of the young man running into the distance remained.
He's just an ordinary person, where did he get his courage from?
Faced with certain death, the first thought was to grab the bomb and try to take the danger away.
For a moment, Kitagawa Ryusei couldn't care less about anything else; all he wanted to do was stop that "heroic" guy who was terrifying to behold.
"—Stop!!"
Kenji Hagiwara kept his eyes tightly shut. The expected force arrived as scheduled, but it did not come from in front of him.
It's behind.
He only had Kitagawa Ryusei behind him.
"let go."
Even at this moment, the man's voice still sounded calm.
Kenji Hagiwara discovered that Ruki Kitagawa was an extraordinary person when he was at the police academy.
He seems to do everything with ease and never feels a sense of crisis.
It was as if nothing could threaten him.
That remains true even now.
Perhaps he was still a little scared; at least this was the first time Kenji Hagiwara had seen his hands tremble.
—When Kitagawa Ryusei rushed over, he didn't stop, and the two of them collided and staggered forward.
Kenji Hagiwara felt the bomb in his hand, whose countdown was about to reach zero, being snatched away.
The young man's gaze, though filled with shock, held a complex emotion he couldn't comprehend.
...it was as if I was doing something he couldn't understand.
There's no escaping it.
Kenji Hagiwara clearly recognized this.
His phone was still vibrating in his pocket; he guessed it was Xiao Zhenping calling.
But there was no chance to get through.
Yu Guangzhong saw the black box being thrown away by Kitagawa Ryusei with all his might.
That's far from enough; Kenji Hagiwara didn't even need to think deeply before he could judge the outcome.
And... Xiao Liusheng, it seems like you've thrown a bomb into your own house.
He tried to find joy even in his suffering during the last moments of his life.
--boom!
The explosion occurred as expected.
This moment is stretched out and distorted infinitely.
The deafening roar pierced people's ears, drawing blood; the scalding hot wind swept over their faces, whipping their hair and burning them intensely.
The entire corridor trembled, and in a daze, he could imagine the bewildered looks on the faces of those lucky guys who had left early.
Only white light remained at the center of the explosion.
It stung my eyes and brought tears to my eyes.
They could probably disappear from the world in an instant.
Two idiots who weren't wearing bomb suits.
Fortunately, this way... it avoids leaving behind such sentimental things as corpses that might upset others.
Kenji Hagiwara felt that Ruki Kitagawa was holding his hand tightly and not letting go.
The young man's position was threatened even earlier than his.
He didn't want to close his eyes as the final moment approached. He stared intently at this last scene under the piercing light in his eyes.
He had considered this outcome from the moment he became a bomb disposal officer.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Kenji Hagiwara felt that something was shining in front of him.
And there was an echo that resonated deep within the soul.
[Special Ability - Trayastrimsa Heaven.]
The belated heatwave swept around, tearing and distorting everything, and the air was stretched and rippled.
The immense force struck the internal organs directly, and the heartbeat, liver, and gallbladder were shattered by the environment.
And then they were cruelly glued together.
Kenji Hagiwara smashed into the fire door in the hallway, and together with Ruki Kitagawa, they broke open the door leading to the stairs.
So, corpses can have feelings too?
His vision was filled with golden light, remarkably similar to the sunset on the day they graduated.
The six of them were sitting in a rented car, making a ruckus, chasing the sun as it disappeared into the distance.
The next second, Kenji Hagiwara lost contact with his body.
He could even clearly sense that he was being excluded from the entire world.
The pain was no less intense; the feeling of impending death brought a suffocating fear, as if one's throat was being choked, tightening and tightening, squeezing out the space to breathe.
Is this what death is? That's too cruel.
I heard the sound of something being slammed to the ground.
However, Kenji Hagiwara temporarily lost the ability to respond to external stimuli.
He was falling, and it seemed there was a second person holding onto him tightly.
The pain shot through my elbows, knees, and shoulders in turn, but it was nothing compared to the crushing sensation I had just felt.
They stopped when their backs slammed hard into something.
All I could smell was gunpowder and blood.
...Am I dead?
Kenji Hagiwara is pressing his head against something hard, it looks like a wall.
A dull pain shot through the area he was touched, reminding him of the morning when he bumped his head on the headboard because he was in the wrong position when he got up.
His hand was moved.
Something loosened his grip and then pulled his entire arm away.
There was a rustling sound in my ears.
Kenji Hagiwara believed that it was Kitagawa Ryusei in a spirit state.
So, there is a sense of touch between souls?
He didn't want to open his eyes; he wasn't ready to see himself in pieces.
I didn't want to see my teammates looking so tragic as they sorted through their own wreckage.
And then there's Kojinpei and Kofuruya... They'll cry, won't they...?
Let's make it clear first, he wants roses if we're going to visit the grave.
The person next to him got up, seemingly with some difficulty.
He supported himself with only one hand.
Kenji Hagiwara kept his eyes closed, and only his eyeballs could be seen spinning rapidly as if he were thinking.
He felt a kick to his calf.
“…It’s time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” Kitagawa Ryusei said in a hoarse voice, a voice so familiar it brought tears to one’s eyes, but the words that came out were baffling: “【Trayastrimsa Heaven】does not have the side effect of causing unconsciousness or amnesia.”
If it weren't for his incorrect posture, he would never be in such a sorry state.
Hagihara Kenji: "..."
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the young man leaning against the wall who was also looking at him.
The other person looked disheveled, with dust smeared from the ground on the side of their face, and one hand hanging down strangely, yet their expression was calm and their eyes were bright.
Unlike the victims who had just faced the explosion.
Vivid and authentic.
"Is there anything you want to ask?" the young man said, lowering his eyes. "You can ask now."
Kenji Hagiwara looked down at himself, and it seemed he was the same.
It has a shadow, it has a physical form, and it feels pain in its legs and head.
If this is what ghosts are, then that's really lame.
...He is still alive.
Kenji Hagiwara could only think of this most unlikely explanation.
Why?
The black-haired youth's purple eyes slowly fell on the person in front of him.
The answer becomes obvious.
The other party was also waiting for him to speak.
"……you."
Kenji Hagiwara could still feel his heart desperately protesting against its owner, and it took him a long time to find his voice: "I..."
They seemed to still be in a daze.
Such a miraculous survival story is so unbecoming that neither expressing feelings of survival nor questioning others would be appropriate.
Even after facing death, Kenji Hagiwara remains the same Kenji Hagiwara.
"I thought that the idea of lovers committing suicide together was just a legend."
He asked with sincere eyes, "...Will I be hunted down by Kofuruya?"
This time, it was Kitagawa Ryusei who was completely oblivious: "...Huh?"
...
Before he could express his disbelief with silence.
Anxious and chaotic footsteps echoed from the stairwell, forming a continuous sound, indicating that there were quite a few people.
"team leader?!"
"Hagi!!"
The bomb disposal team members, holding riot shields, walked at the front, but were quickly overtaken by Matsuda Jinpei, who pushed his way through the crowd.
"You guys...!" Matsuda Jinpei, who had run all the way here, saw the two men's knees buckle and they reached out to support themselves against the wall.
The person behind him walked past him upstairs, pushed open the stairwell door, and saw the afterglow of the explosion still burning behind the door, the flames reflecting on the snow-white wall.
Just one door separates them, as if separating hell from the human world.
Seemingly trying to ease the tension, Kenji Hagiwara said in a flippant tone, "I know Jinpei admires me a lot, but there's no need for such a grand gesture."
Even though he didn't understand what had happened, it didn't stop him from temporarily putting aside the fact that he had come back from the dead. As if he had survived a disaster, he hugged his childhood friend tightly: "Hagi will be embarrassed!"
"You two bastards..."
Matsuda Jinpei broke free from the embrace and slowly stood up straight, his eyes filled with a terrifying light.
He clenched his fist and punched each of them hard, with Kenji Hagiwara getting hit on his injured shoulder: "Where's your blast suit!"
"And why were you there?!"
"Ouch! Hagi's leg! It hurts so much!"
"I clearly hit his shoulder!"
*
The bomb disposal process encountered unexpected problems, but fortunately, no irreparable damage was caused.
Based on the survey conducted by the bomb disposal team and Kenji Hagiwara's description, they confirmed that the bomb was remotely activated after it had been defused.
Fortunately, Kitagawa Ryusei managed to throw away the bomb in time and find cover, thus surviving.
The last two were carried onto the ambulance on stretchers.
After falling down the stairs, Kitagawa Ryusei suffered a broken left hand and multiple soft tissue contusions; Hagiwara Kenji also suffered a leg injury, possibly along with a concussion.
But such injuries were so minor at the scene of the explosion that one could thank God on the spot.
Although the wounds from the explosion miraculously disappeared, the feeling of being on the verge of death was enough to crush even a mentally strong adult.
The moment Hagiwara Kenji stepped out of the building and saw the sunlight, he fainted again, and was teased by Matsuda Jinpei, who was unaware of what was going on.
Kitagawa Ryusei, who was used to dying and coming back to life, was in a state where she could immediately continue fighting. Before being taken away by the ambulance, she even grabbed Matsuda Jinpei:
"At that time, there was still some time before the bomb exploded. The bomber must have found out about the police's bomb disposal progress through other means. There are also distance requirements for signaling to detonate the bomb, so the bomber must have been nearby."
People who choose to commit high-profile crimes like "planting bombs" are unlikely to be discreet in their actions; without exception, they all enjoy admiring the consequences they cause.
Seeing him stick his head out of the car to continue speaking, Matsuda Jinpei was furious: "I know! Put your head back in! Focus on recovering!"
They're all bastards, one after another!
The doctor waiting in the car also looked helpless.
Fortunately, the restless patient was brought back down to earth by the fierce-looking police officer.
The ambulance carrying the two injured people sped away.
After arriving at the hospital, Kenji Hagiwara, who had just woken up after receiving treatment, managed to persuade the nurses to put him in Ruki Kitagawa's ward.
The nurse left with a smile on her face, and after taking two steps, she turned back and told them to press the call button if needed.
After everyone left, the ward fell silent.
Having just explained the situation to the planning department on his phone and extended his vacation, Kitagawa Ryusei opened his eyes, waiting for him to ask questions.
The result is already before us.
Skipping the meaningless beginning and omitting the already predetermined process, Kenji Hagiwara hesitated for once:
"So... have I been brought back to life?"
Although it was only a brief moment, he remembered the details of the explosion perfectly.
He seemed to see a flash of golden light in the fire of the explosion, and when he came to his senses, he had already been knocked into the stairwell.
In my daze, I seemed to hear the young man saying things like "Trayastrimsa Heaven," "coma," and "amnesia."
It wasn't surprising that he would think that way, Kitagawa Ryusei shook his head.
The Trayastrimsa Heaven is never about resurrection; everything must take place while a person is alive.
"So this is Xiao Liusheng's... magic? Superpower?" he continued to ask.
Kenji Hagiwara never imagined that he would one day be able to say such cartoon terms in such a serious tone. He felt that the whole world was incredibly surreal.
But in the face of facts, all voices that shatter worldviews can be ignored, like background music.
"To be precise, it's my special ability."
There was nothing to hide. Kitagawa Ryusei had planned to be honest when he captured Hagiwara Kenji, and gave a brief explanation of the Trayastrimsa Heaven.
“Okay, superpowers,” Kenji Hagiwara felt his chuunibyou spirit, which had died out back in middle school, reignite: “Is it a healing ability? Or can it do anything? Can it fly? Why haven’t I seen Ryuusei use it before?”
Finally, he asked the most crucial question: "Do other people also have superpowers? Are they innate or acquired?"
"This ability is so useful when defusing bombs!" he thought sincerely.
“You can’t fly. No one else in this world can. So far, only you know this,” Kitagawa Ryusei said, placing his palm on the young man’s face and pushing away the person who was leaning in with shining eyes.
"Want to see? Could you get me the fruit knife on the table? I'll give you a live demonstration, how about that?"
"Huh??" Kenji Hagiwara's eyes widened. "Is it just Ruki alone?"
In an instant, images of fantastical creatures, Batman, and flower fairies flashed through his mind.
This was followed by various human studies and laboratories.
So before Kitagawa Ryusei could even nod, Hagiwara Kenji straightened up, his face suddenly turning serious, and said, "Then you absolutely cannot tell anyone else!"
"..." Kitagawa Ryusei paused for a moment, then blinked and slowly curled the corners of his lips into a smile: "Yes, I know."
There was a moment of silence in the ward. Kenji Hagiwara lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time.
"...Is it really impossible to use it widely?" The voice sounded quite regretful.
Kitagawa Ryusei responded half-jokingly and half-seriously, "If you want, you can call me on future missions."
With him around, at least Hagiwara and Matsuda will be safe.
Kenji Hagiwara: "Never mind..."
"The more frequently this ability is used, the faster it will be exposed, and we can't rely on you completely!"
Kitagawa Ryusei suddenly fell silent and did not respond.
Kenji Hagiwara couldn't help but sigh, "Luckily, Ryu is the lucky one."
Otherwise, they would have died there today.
Are you lucky?
Hearing the young man murmur, Kitagawa Ryusei raised his hand, staring blankly at his palm, before finally clenching it into a fist.
He recalled someone telling him that being deprived of the right to die was the cruelest thing in the world.
Fortunately, he was able to save his companion this time.
"By the way, Ryusei," Kenji Hagiwara's voice pulled him back to reality. The young man's legs were comically propped up as he pondered, "This matter shouldn't be known to the two guys outside for the time being, right?"
Kitagawa Ryusei, who had completely forgotten about this, was speechless.
He nearly sat up abruptly, his eyes wide with terror as he met Kenji Hagiwara's gaze, and he made a difficult swallowing motion.
Bring me my fruit knife, I want to be discharged from the hospital!
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