·47｜Exclusive from Jinjiang·47
A man doesn't easily shed tears.
"I'm back."
When Kenji Hagiwara returned from outside carrying a serving of oden, the pizza had just been delivered a short while earlier.
The sound of the door opening and closing caught Lai Chuan Huang Quan's attention. She was wearing a coral fleece nightgown, her hair disheveled, sitting on the sofa eating pizza, with several tear streaks still on her face.
"Soft Bread, why are you crying?" Kenji Hagiwara placed the oden in front of her. "Is it because of what happened at the hot spring? I'm sorry, I really didn't think things through at the time."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan bit into the tip of the pizza, the melting cheese stretching between her teeth and the triangular pizza slice, forming a downward-curving arc.
"Huh? No," she turned her head and looked at Hagiwara blankly, then her ears turned red and she bared her teeth: "And you're not allowed to mention the hot springs again!"
"So... is it because I suggested staying overnight last night? You didn't really want me to stay, but you were too embarrassed to refuse?"
“Well! Not really,” Lai Chuan Huang Quan scratched his neck and turned his gaze away, his voice unconsciously lowering as he spoke, “Besides, I made you stay willingly last night.”
Kenji Hagiwara pondered for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Is it because...?"
“It’s the administrator,” Lai Chuan Huang Quan grabbed a new slice of pizza, opened her mouth wide and bit off a piece of cheese, chewing and swallowing the part in her mouth with a look of enjoyment: “I just had a fight with him.”
The administrator, who had been online the whole time, sighed helplessly: "1107, give up. I can see through your tricks with just one look."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan rolled his eyes and stuffed his cheeks full with pizza.
During the time that Kenji Hagiwara was away, Yomi Laichuan racked her brains, trying every possible way to pry more useful information out of the administrator. But the administrator was as difficult as an old mudfish that had lived for hundreds of years, giving Yomi Laichuan no chance at all.
All her attempts to test her were like punching cotton; the more Lai Chuan Huang Quan racked her brains, the more powerless she felt—she was completely under the administrator's control. After more than ten exchanges, Lai Chuan Huang Quan pathetically cried in frustration.
With a few drops of tears still on her face, she loudly protested, "I must apply to the management bureau to change my supervisor," but then she turned around and happily took the pizza from the deliveryman as the doorbell rang.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan didn't go into details about the argument. She only subtly expressed that she was always outdone by the administrator and couldn't win an argument with him. She felt so frustrated that she started crying for no reason while they were arguing.
Upon hearing this, Kenji Hagiwara was both amused and exasperated. He didn't expose Yomi Raikawa's lie, but simply smiled and sat down beside her: "Softie, you wouldn't happen to be the kind of person who cries when you argue, would you?"
As intelligent as Kenji Hagiwara was, he realized that Yomi was trying to get rid of him as soon as Yomi started clamoring for oden.
"Hmph," Lai Chuan Huang Quan huffed, picking up a meatball from the oden and biting down hard. "I'm going to change the manager."
The administrator refused without hesitation: "Give up, you don't have a chance to change it."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan was so angry he almost swelled up like a pufferfish; "Stop nagging! Administrator, you're so annoying!"
"Huh?" Kenji Hagiwara bit off a piece of pizza in his mouth. "Are you talking to the administrator right now?"
"Yeah. I'm still angry, but since the administrator can unilaterally force connections and communication between employees, I can't shut it down even if I want to."
“This feels amazing,” Kenji Hagiwara said, pulling an ice-cold beer from the refrigerator and pointing to himself. “Can I hear the building manager’s voice, or is it just you who can hear it?”
Lai Chuan Huang Quan hesitated. She rarely revealed the existence of the Time and Space Administration to the indigenous people, let alone let them talk to the administrator directly.
She thought for a moment and said, "Given the technology of the Time and Space Administration, it shouldn't be a big problem."
Kenji Hagiwara's eyes lit up with anticipation and curiosity: "Could you ask the administrator to say something to me?"
"No way, he'll just give me a lecture with a long face again." Lai Chuan Huang Quan waved his hand dismissively. "It's only because I've failed so many times in this world that he agreed to let me reveal my identity to you."
Kenji Hagiwara sighed, a regretful expression on his face: "Is that so? That's a real shame. Actually, we're all super curious about the Time and Space Administration Bureau. I thought I'd be the first person to come into contact with the high technology of another world."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a voice, like a thunderclap, exploded in his mind.
——"Hagihara Kenji."
The deep male voice was slightly hoarse; the administrator spoke softly, but each word was forceful and clear.
Kenji Hagiwara, who was lounging lazily on the sofa, was startled by the sudden voice in his head, and the hairs on his arms stood on end. He straightened up abruptly, and the beer he had only taken a few sips of spilled from the can.
Yomi Laichuan naturally heard the administrator's voice and was startled, jumping up from the sofa. However, unlike Hagiwara, Yomi Laichuan was used to the administrator's telepathic communication; this time, she was so frightened by Hagiwara Kenji's violent reaction that she sprang from the sofa.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "You idiot, what are you doing?!"
Kenji Hagiwara didn't answer. He stared at the two Gu people's dog-like eyes until they were wide open, his face turning pale as he stood there stunned.
This reaction is perfectly understandable. When the administrator's voice suddenly rang out, it was like a bronze bell from a temple being struck hard with a wooden stake in someone's head for the first time, making their skull tremble.
Kenji Hagiwara stared unblinkingly, maintaining his startled posture, but his fingers suddenly tightened, squeezing the beer can into a tiny waist. After a long while, he slowly turned his neck to look at Yomi Laichuan: "I think I just heard the administrator's voice."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "..."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "It's all your fault, admin. Second-year graduate students aren't smart to begin with, and now you've scared them even more."
"..."
The only administrator who knew about the past fell silent. In his eyes, Kenji Hagiwara was far smarter than Yomi Raikawa.
Just as the administrator commented, Kenji Hagiwara quickly adapted to the voice in his head and now puts on a harmless and sincere smile, starting to get closer to him.
As the most emotionally intelligent member of the police academy's five-person group, Kenji Hagiwara is not only eloquent, but his skills in extracting information far surpass those of Yomi Yorikawa. He engages in a back-and-forth conversation with the administrator, which is actually a friendly yet polite exchange of wits.
Although the administrator currently appears to be more skilled, he is well aware of Hagiwara Kenji's talent. If Hagiwara were given the opportunity to train properly in the Public Security Bureau or the National Police Agency for eight to ten years, even with an A+ rating, he wouldn't be a match for Hagiwara Kenji.
"Oh right," Kenji Hagiwara realized he could still get something out of the administrator, so he quickly changed the subject, "The car navigation thing last time, you were the one who did it, right? Thanks."
"It's what I should do."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan blinked and stared intently at Hagiwara Kenji. Listening to their cryptic conversation, she looked completely bewildered: "What car navigation system?"
But the administrator ignored Lai Chuan Huang Quan, saying "Something came up" and then hung up the call.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "..."
She pouted angrily and turned to look at Kenji Hagiwara.
Kenji Hagiwara chuckled: "It was that time you secretly went to find Komorobushi, sprained your ankle, and sat alone in front of the Isetan department store in the middle of the night."
Kenji Hagiwara smiled and fed Yomi Raikawa a bamboo cake into her mouth: "I didn't originally plan to go there, but the car navigation suddenly started up for no reason and jumped to Isetan Department Store twice. I didn't know where to look for you, so I thought I'd drive over and take a look, and I ended up finding a soft bread crying under the streetlight."
"You're talking nonsense. I wasn't crying."
Kenji Hagiwara smiled indulgently: "Alright, alright, I was so worried I almost cried because I couldn't find you. Come here, ah~"
He fed Raikawa Yomi the entire cup of oden with a bamboo skewer before sitting down on one side, resting his chin on his hand, and quietly watching Raikawa Yomi.
"You should eat soon, you're a second-year graduate student too."
"good."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan ate like a happy spotted mouse, yogurt in her left hand and pizza in her right, her red lips glistening with oil and cheese. But even so, Lai Chuan Huang Quan's eating manners were not vulgar; on the contrary, they exuded an elegance that had been cultivated since childhood.
Hagiwara finished his third slice of pizza and licked the pad of his thumb: "I'm planning to go to the hospital to see Jinpei this afternoon. Softie, do you want to come with me?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan stopped eating his pizza: "What time is it now?"
Kenji Hagiwara: "11:30? What's wrong?"
“There’s still time,” Lai Chuan Huang Quan stuffed the remaining half of the pizza into his mouth, clapped his hands, and stood up: “Let’s go, let’s go to the supermarket!”
"Huh? What are we doing at the supermarket?"
"Of course we're preparing gifts, you idiot."
Kenji Hagiwara frowned in confusion: "But given our friendship with Jinpei, it wouldn't be a problem if we went empty-handed."
"You idiot, you don't understand. As the saying goes, 'He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding.' If I show enough sincerity today, when Officer Matsuda is discharged from the hospital, he won't be able to take the meat from me when you treat us to a five-star meal."
Kenji Hagiwara laughed without restraint: "This answer was unexpected, but surprisingly reasonable."
He decided to tease his gluttonous girlfriend: "But when I said I was going to take you out for a fancy dinner this morning, didn't you ask me to change it to oden? You've already eaten the oden, by the way."
"Ugh."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan instantly felt aggrieved.
"Pfft, just kidding, let's go."
...
Kenji Hagiwara had considered countless options.
Since it's a gift of comfort, it'll probably be something like nutritional supplements or flowers. But since the soft bread is for the supermarket, it'll likely be fruit or dairy products. To be even more outrageous, it might be a gift pack of bear-shaped cookies.
But Kenji Hagiwara never expected that the gift Yomi Yorikawa mentioned would be this.
At this moment, Kenji Hagiwara sat by Jinpei Matsuda's bedside, gazing at the man on the bed with a pitying expression: "Jinpei, she has carefully prepared a gift for you, Soft Bread."
When he brought Yomi Laichuan to the inpatient department, he deliberately sent her away to buy water from the vending machine at the end of the corridor, just to inform Jinpei Matsuda in advance so that Jinpei could be mentally prepared.
Matsuda Jinpei was staying in a single room. He kept changing channels with the remote control, not looking at Hagiwara Kenji: "That's pretty good. I happen to be craving some fruit today."
Seeing that his childhood friend was completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, Kenji Hagiwara called out to Jinpei Matsuda in a deep and solemn voice. Meeting Jinpei Matsuda's questioning gaze, he said with a pained expression, "I'm sorry. We've been good brothers for so many years, but I still couldn't protect you."
Matsuda Jinpei: ?
Matsuda Jinpei was completely bewildered. Not only did he not understand Hagiwara's meaning, but he also found it inexplicable: "I already had a CT scan today, and the doctor said I can be discharged the day after tomorrow to recuperate at home. Why are you making me look like I've been hit by a gun butt and am paralyzed? I'm perfectly fine."
Kenji Hagiwara pursed his lips into an upside-down capital [U], tears welling in his eyes, his face filled with such sorrow that it seemed as if Jinpei Matsuda was about to breathe his last: "In short, your hospital stay may be extended."
Matsuda Jinpei: ?
Matsuda Jinpei frowned, a bold question mark popping out from under his eyes, looking even more puzzled: "Stop beating around the bush, explain yourself clearly."
Kenji Hagiwara seemed to recall something terrifying. He sat upright in his chair, looking obedient, and made gurgling noises as he swallowed: "She started preparing the soft bread at midnight and put a lot of effort into it. If you refuse it in front of her or throw it away, she'll definitely be so upset she'll cry. So..."
He glanced at Matsuda Jinpei with pity, then said nothing more.
Matsuda Jinpei: ...
He understood, but he wished he hadn't.
Matsuda Jinpei: "Is this the kind of gift of condolence I'm referring to?"
With his hands clenched into fists and resting on his thighs, Kenji Hagiwara slowly nodded to Jinpei Matsuda.
"hiss--"
Matsuda Jinpei gasped, suddenly understanding why Hagiwara Kenji had looked so serious when he looked at him. A chill ran down his spine, and he glared fiercely at Hagiwara: "Hagiwara, why didn't you stop her!"
Kenji Hagiwara covered his face in anguish: "I tried to stop him, but I couldn't."
He almost got himself killed in the process.
Matsuda Jinpei opened his mouth as if to say something, but the ward door was pushed open from the outside—Yorikawa Yomi appeared in the ward carrying the biological weapon that the Mobile Unit's ace feared most.
"Officer Matsuda, I've come to see you~"
The woman's cheerful voice sent shivers down Matsuda Jinpei's spine. He straightened up, wishing he could crawl under the bed.
"Look, I made you a nutritious bento box especially for you," Lai Chuan Huang Quan said, humming a song as she skipped over to the bedside. "Kenji, quickly set up the small table for me. ...Hehe, Officer Matsuda, you have to eat it all!"
Once you finish this bento, you can no longer compete with him for the Michelin-starred food.
The lid of the bento box was lifted, revealing rice drizzled with teriyaki sauce that looked incredibly appetizing. There were also vibrant stir-fried vegetables, neatly diced chicken, stir-fried shrimp, and a soft-boiled egg.
Cooking always emphasizes color, aroma, and flavor. If we only consider the first two, then Yomi Yorikawa's bento box is definitely one of the best in the world. But Matsuda Jinpei held his chopsticks, his Adam's apple bobbing back and forth, and he still didn't dare to take a bite.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan sat on the edge of the bed, his almond-shaped eyes sparkling with anticipation: "Eat quickly."
Matsuda Jinpei swallowed hard and silently looked away: "Not very hungry..."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan frowned and seriously reprimanded the man on the hospital bed: "How can you not eat! If you humans don't eat properly, your body's self-healing ability will also decline! Besides, I asked the nurse when I came here, and she said you haven't eaten dinner yet!"
But Lai Chuan Huang Quan immediately thought of another possibility. She frowned and showed a wronged expression: "Or is it that I only consider you a friend, and you don't actually like me at all?"
That's why they often target and bully her.
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei: "...No, I like you very much."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "Then why don't you eat the bento I made especially for you?"
Matsuda Jinpei hesitated, then asked, "Didn't Hagi give you any feedback on the bento you made for him last time?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan blinked, looking completely innocent: "He gave feedback. He said it was delicious and he's already finished it all."
Matsuda Jinpei: ? ? ?
He turned around abruptly and glared at Kenji Hagiwara with murderous intent.
Kenji Hagiwara shrugged with a smile, his thin lips opening and closing silently: You deserve it.
When Matsuda Jinpei received Yomi's "death bento," he was smug. He laughed maliciously, saying, "If that rogue girl knew you threw away all the bento she painstakingly made, she'd be crying under the covers." He then swindled several drinks from Yomi by threatening to send her a photo of Hagiwara Kenji throwing away the bento.
Now it was Hagiwara Kenji's turn to raise his eyebrows, looking smug—since he had already done his part for Matsuda Jinpei and it was unavoidable, he could only reluctantly enjoy his good brother's pained and desperate expression.
“Officer Matsuda,” Yomi Yorikawa frowned, “since you don’t dislike me, then hurry up and eat.”
Now that things have come to this point, does Matsuda Jinpei have any other choice besides eating?
The gurgling sound of Matsuda Jinpei swallowing hard even drowned out the sound from the television. He looked at Hagiwara Kenji for help again.
Upon receiving Matsuda Jinpei's distress signal, Hagiwara Kenji paused briefly, then slowly averted his gaze. He turned to look at the budding branches outside the window, pursed his lips, and whistled.
Matsuda Jinpei: ? ? ?
Veins bulged on his forehead as Matsuda Jinpei gritted his teeth, wishing he could jump up and punch Hagiwara Kenji.
Seeing that Matsuda Jinpei hadn't picked up his chopsticks for a long time, Raikawa Yomi clapped his hands and suddenly realized, "It must be because he hasn't fully recovered yet, so it's not convenient for him to hold chopsticks!"
After all, Matsuda Jinpei was injured in the cervical spine last night, which could easily affect the nerves.
"It was my oversight," Lai Chuan Huang Quan said with a guilty look, pulling a plastic spoon from her lunchbox. "Here, let me feed you, ah~"
Matsuda Jinpei stared intently at the spoon being brought to his lips, the mountain of food piled high inside, and glanced hastily at his brother again. But Hagiwara Kenji, who had already worked as a taste tester, was unwilling to meet Matsuda Jinpei's gaze. He stared at the scenery outside the window, not daring to turn around, only showing Matsuda Jinpei the back of his head.
Matsuda Jinpei: Let's do it!
"Eat up," Lai Chuan Huang Quan said, his cheeks puffed out, already showing signs of anger. "It took me four or five hours to make this."
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
He clung to a sliver of hope, trying to reassure himself, but his lips trembled incessantly.
Matsuda Jinpei fought for a full half minute before finally opening his mouth and eating the food Yomi Raikawa fed him, under her increasingly impatient gaze.
!!
The taste of death spread across his tongue, and Matsuda Jinpei only chewed twice before forcibly swallowing what was in his mouth.
“That’s more like it,” Yomi Yomi said, mixing the rice and vegetables together with a spoon. “Here you go.”
Cold sweat soaked his back. Matsuda Jinpei stared intently at the second bite of food that Raikawa Yomi had fed him, his body trembling uncontrollably. He gripped the blanket covering him tightly, wishing he could tear holes in it.
Matsuda Jinpei slowly lowered his head, and two wide tears suddenly streamed down his face. Physiological tears kept flowing from the bottom of his wide-open eyes, as if someone had shoved ten fresh onions under his eyelids.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan was startled: "Why are you crying?"
With his throat hoarse from the poison of the Yellow Springs Bento, Matsuda Jinpei spoke with a tremor in his voice: "I was shocked by the taste."
But Yomi Laichuan misunderstood Matsuda Jinpei's meaning. She was so happy that she could practically wag her tail in the air: "If you like it, I'll make it for you again tomorrow. Come on, open your mouth."
A man doesn't easily shed tears, unless he's truly heartbroken (Note 1). Matsuda Jinpei was extremely distressed, so much so that he became withdrawn and even started to smoke. He didn't know what he had done wrong, or why he had to suffer like this.
He only behaved poorly during the hotel hostage crisis; he didn't commit murder or arson. Why treat him like this?!
[Author's Note]
Matsuda: Kill me, now.
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Note 1: A man does not easily shed tears, unless he is truly heartbroken. From "Night Flight" by Li Kaixian (Ming Dynasty).
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