·45｜Exclusive to Jinjiang·45 (Bonus Chapter Combined)
I love you a thousand times, ten thousand times (revised).
Lai Chuan Huang Quan squatted on the tatami mat in the room, clutching the quilt and wrapping herself up in a ball, tears streaming down her face.
Large tears rolled down her cheeks as Lai Chuan Huang Quan sobbed, her nose turning red from crying. Her lips were pursed, her face scrunched up, and she looked utterly aggrieved.
Matsuda Jinpei squatted beside Raikawa Yomi, one hand clutching a full pack of tissues, the other holding a few clean, freshly pulled tissues, his head spinning. He shouldn't be doing things like comforting people, but…
Matsuda Jinpei glanced at Hagiwara Kenji, who was squatting in the corner facing the wall, sighed, and resignedly wiped away the tears on Raikawa Yomi's face.
"Hagi didn't do it on purpose, please forgive her..."
Matsuda Jinpei had originally intended to say a few good words for his childhood friend, but as soon as he mentioned the other person's name, Raikawa Yomi pursed her lower lip and her tears fell even more fiercely.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything more, don't cry, don't cry."
Kenji Hagiwara, huddled alone in the corner, felt wronged. He had clearly asked a female waitress to go in and check on the situation first. He only panicked after hearing the news that "Yomi Yomi of Raikawa is unconscious" and rushed in to find her.
Whether it's a hot spring or a sauna, staying in one for too long can lead to dehydration, heart problems, or even death.
Yomi Laichuan stayed in the hot spring for over an hour, so it was only natural that Kenji Hagiwara was worried about her. When faced with a matter of life and death, who would care about details like a wardrobe malfunction?
But the waitress can't be blamed for this. When she entered the hot spring, she saw Yorikawa Yomi lying motionless by the edge of the pool with her eyes closed.
Knowing beforehand that "this woman has been soaking in the hot spring for more than an hour," it is understandable that one might mistakenly believe that the woman has fallen into a coma.
after all.
No one can fall asleep in a hot spring pool that's over 40 degrees Celsius.
Except for drunkards who are completely intoxicated.
And Laichuan Huangquan.
“Officer Matsuda,” Yomi Yorikawa looked at Matsuda pitifully, “can you arrest Kenji? He’s being a pervert.”
Upon hearing this, Matsuda Jin, his curly hair disheveled, didn't know how to respond. Damn it, why did he have to play the peacemaker? It was so painful.
Seeing that Matsuda Jinpei did not answer, Yomi Yorikawa lowered her head again while sobbing.
Matsuda Jinpei was both anxious and annoyed: "Ugh, really!"
"Bang--!"
Just as Matsuda Jinpei was at a loss, a gunshot rang out from downstairs.
"Um?"
The two active-duty police officers instinctively turned their heads in the direction of the gunshot. They exchanged a glance and immediately understood each other's meaning.
Matsuda Jinpei stood up: "Yomi, call the police right now. Hagi and I will go downstairs to check the situation."
"Huh?" Lai Chuan Huang Quan was stunned for a moment. She looked up at the man who had already started putting on his shoes, her eyes filled with tears. "I understand."
Kenji Hagiwara, who had been facing the wall in contemplation, stepped forward and ruffled Yomi Rikawa's hair through the blanket: "Softie, you stay in your room and don't come out, okay?"
After saying that, Kenji Hagiwara was about to walk outside when Yomi Raikawa grabbed his hand.
He turned to look and saw Lai Chuan Huang Quan curled up in the blankets, her face still wet with tears. She frowned, her voice thick with a nasal tone: "The other side has guns. Is it really okay if I don't go to help?"
"Don't worry, trust us," Kenji Hagiwara said with a smile and a wink, his calm and infectious smile enough to soothe Yomi Rikawa's worries. "Besides, I'll be back to coax my soft bread later."
Beside Hagiwara, Matsuda Jinpei, hands in his pockets, gave a smug, slightly roguish smile: "Hmph, idiot, don't underestimate active-duty police officers."
Kenji Hagiwara: "Let's leave the calling the police to Soft Bread. We're off."
The door opened, and Lai Chuan Huang Quan stared blankly as she reached out in the direction the two had left. Their receding figures were right in front of her, yet she felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of powerlessness.
It was as if, after this parting, she would never be able to hold onto them again.
"Don't worry, trust us. Besides, I'll be back to coax my soft bread later."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I'm taking you to Dorobiga Paradise tonight."
"Hmph, you idiot, don't underestimate active-duty police officers."
"Idiot, don't underestimate active-duty police officers. Besides, I still have to avenge Hagi, so I'll be fine."
"Huh?"
As Lai Chuan Huang Quan watched the two police officers' broad backs and their upright figures as they turned and left, a different scene suddenly appeared before his eyes.
It seemed to be at two different times that she stood at the entrance, watching the two police officers turn and leave.
They each smiled and waved at him, telling him not to worry about being at home.
They pushed open the door, against the light, and stepped into the light.
The door to the hot spring inn in front of me and the door to my home in my mind closed simultaneously, reality and illusion overlapping.
A tear slid down Lai Chuan Huang Quan's cheek.
Then came the second drop.
The third drop.
The woman, who had finally managed to stop sobbing, suddenly started crying for no apparent reason.
"Huh?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan froze, raising her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, not understanding why she was crying. But the tears blurred her vision, and like broken pearls, they rolled down her cheeks and onto the ground, unstoppable.
"Why?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan held his tears, bewildered and confused.
"Right, call the police. I have to call the police right away, or those two idiots will be in danger."
After calling the police, Lai Chuan Huang Quan paced back and forth in her room, tears streaming down her face, unable to calm herself down. Fear was like the boundless darkness of the night, intangible yet omnipresent, enveloping her tightly.
After much deliberation, Lai Chuan Huang Quan decided to stop waiting for his fate: "Administrator, what's the situation with the second-year graduate students?"
A few seconds later, the administrator quickly responded:
"They are now disguised as ordinary tourists, looking for an opportunity to confront the armed robbers."
"I'm going to help them!"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan wasn't wearing shoes; she dashed out of the room barefoot. Lifting her skirt, she tiptoed to the lobby, where the receptionist and some scattered tourists were already prone on the floor with their hands on their heads. There were three robbers in total; two of them were carrying rifles, and the remaining one was holding a pistol.
Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji mingled in the crowd, lying on the ground, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings to assess the situation.
It's not particularly hard to understand why the robbers would choose this hot spring hotel.
Winter is traditionally the peak season for hot spring hotels, but right now, as we transition from the cold winter to the warm spring, hot spring hotels are already making a fortune, and there's a noticeable decline in visitor numbers.
Meanwhile, one of the selling points of this hot spring hotel is "away from the hustle and bustle of the city, to feel the tranquility of the breeze," and its location is naturally in the mountains and forests far from the city.
It did indeed successfully distance itself from the world and its hustle and bustle, but it also distanced itself from various police stations.
It has plenty of money, few people, and is far from major police stations.
Even if someone calls the police, the robbers can still grab the bag and run away before the police arrive.
If I don't rob you, who will I rob?
A young female waitress, with a rifle pointed at her, cried and trembled as she stuffed money into a maroon duffel bag beside her. Lai Chuan Huang Quan, huddled behind a pillar so thick it would take three people to encircle her, cautiously observed the scene. Her eyes rolled, meeting Hagiwara Kenji's gaze.
Kenji Hagiwara was lying face down on the ground with his hands behind his head, communicating with Jinpei Matsuda by tapping out Morse code with his fingertips. But as soon as he looked up, he met the gaze of the woman behind the pillar.
Hagiwara Kenji:! !
He frowned, bared his teeth, and silently opened his mouth at Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "Go quickly."
Just then, the robber holding the pistol took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth—although they were all wearing hoods, their eyes and lips were exposed.
The moment the robber tucked his gun under his arm and flicked on his lighter, Matsuda Jinpei pounced out like a cheetah.
Having grown up in a boxing gym since childhood, and with his father being a multiple-time boxing champion, Matsuda Jinpei's hand-to-hand combat skills were among the best in the entire Metropolitan Police Department. He used an over-the-shoulder throw to send the smoking robber flying, and the gun that the robber had been tucking under his arm flew out with the force of the throw.
The moment the robber was pinned to the ground, Matsuda Jinpei delivered a powerful straight punch to the face of another robber three steps away.
Kenji Hagiwara quickly got up and subdued the last robber who was carrying a rifle.
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone on the ground. They gasped in surprise, clapped their hands, and were about to get up.
"Bang--!"
A second shot rang out.
The first robber who was thrown out pulled a beginner's gun from his waist, which was covered by his shirt. The bullet grazed Matsuda Jinpei's shoulder and cut his flesh.
The screams rang out again.
"Shut up!! All of you lie down and don't move!!"
"You two! Stand back!!"
Hagi and Matsu frowned and turned to look at the man who had stood up again. They obediently raised their hands and took two steps back. They really hadn't expected anyone to hide a pistol with the safety latch off under their clothes and tucked into their belt.
Such a person is either overly arrogant or extremely foolish. But Hagi and Matsu both believed that this man was more like the former, which was more in line with his suspected identity as the leader and the modus operandi of the mastermind behind this crazy robbery.
The two men who had been beaten down earlier also staggered to their feet, still holding their rifles. One of them wiped the blood from his nose, which was almost dripping down to his chin, with his thumb, and then tilted his head and spat out a mouthful of bloody foam.
"Hiss—damn it, you almost knocked my teeth out." The man cursed and raised his gun butt to strike Matsuda Jinpei hard on the back of the neck.
With his cervical nerves severely injured, Matsuda Jinpei groaned and his body went limp, about to collapse. Fortunately, Hagiwara Kenji, who was standing nearby, reacted quickly and caught Matsuda, putting his arm over his shoulder.
However, Kenji Hagiwara's act of catching Jinpei Matsuda was seen by the robbers as adding fuel to the fire.
"You little brat..."
Kenji Hagiwara held Matsuda Jinpei back, calmly analyzing the situation. Just as he was about to speak and shift the robbers' focus back to robbing him and Matsuda Jinpei, another gunshot rang out.
"Bang--!"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan stood under the light, holding the first pistol that Matsuda Jinpei had just thrown the man away from the robber.
Surrounded by travelers trembling on the ground, Lai Chuan Huang Quan stood behind the crowd, gun in hand, expressionless, his eyes filled with composure and an intense sense of oppression.
At this moment, she was no longer the silly, soft-spoken girl who was always being teased by the two ace fighters, but a dragon that soared through the sky and could easily destroy a city with a single breath.
They bared their claws, solely to protect her most precious treasure.
The bullet pierced the shoulder of the man who had attacked Matsuda, shattering his bones. Without hesitation, Yomi Raikawa turned his gun and fired two more bullets.
A gun pierced the man's right upper arm, tearing the muscles and gushing blood that soaked his sleeve.
One bullet pierced the forearm of another man carrying a gun, and blood gushed out, staining the ground red in no time.
Three people, three different locations, three bullets.
The robbers knelt on the ground, arms crossed, howling, but Lai Chuan Huang Quan kept his gun raised the entire time, coldly observing everything. Even though they had completely lost their fighting ability, their subconscious, now in combat mode, was telling Lai Chuan Huang Quan: don't let your guard down, be ready to finish them off at any moment.
The once slightly noisy scene instantly fell into dead silence, like a dark jungle where man-eating beasts lurked, with no wind, no sound, no light, only a deadly suffocation and oppression.
The travelers who were curled up on the ground with their heads in their hands all stared wide-eyed, even forgetting to tremble.
"...soft bread?"
Kenji Hagiwara first looked bewildered, then stared at Yomi Raikawa in disbelief. His thought processes completely shut down, his brain unable to construct any useful information. He opened and closed his mouth blankly, but no sound came out.
Supported by Kenji Hagiwara, Jinpei Matsuda was not completely unconscious. His chest heaved as he gasped for fresh air. Jinpei glanced at Yomi Yorikawa, his brow furrowed, whether from physical discomfort or from the dramatic turn of events before him was unclear.
The sound of sirens grew louder as they approached the hotel, followed by the screech of brakes. When the police officer, armed with a gun, rushed to the scene, the three seriously wounded robbers had already gone into shock due to excessive blood loss.
It was already past midnight when the statement was taken. Matsuda Jinpei was taken to the hospital, while Yomi Yorikawa was taken home by Hagiwara Kenji.
“Soft bread,” Kenji Hagiwara sat down next to Yomi Raikawa, close to her, “where did you learn to shoot?”
Such precise marksmanship is almost comparable to that of Rei Furuya, a shooting genius.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan sat upright and obediently on the sofa, her head down, not daring to look at Hagiwara Kenji, her fingers repeatedly bending and straightening.
Kenji Hagiwara softened his tone and called her again, "Soft Bread."
"I..." Raikawa Yomi didn't answer, but instead asked Hagiwara a question first, "Are you angry because I did those three things like that?"
She swallowed hard, her words tumbling out incoherently, her breathing becoming rapid: "I... I remember it from my body. My last mission was extremely dangerous, it was the apocalypse. And just now, in that scene, I was frantically telling you both your lives were in danger, I got a little panicked. I...!"
“Soft bread,” Kenji Hagiwara interrupted her, “I’m not angry. On the contrary, you saved me and Jinpei.”
Kenji Hagiwara grasped the back of Yomi's head, bending down to gently press his forehead against Yomi's. He gave her a tender smile that could melt the moonlight: "You saved me once again."
"Hmm."
Soft, violet eyes were close enough to reflect Yomi's flustered face. Yomi stared at Hagiwara for a moment, then slowly relaxed the tension that had been building up since earlier.
Kenji Hagiwara smiled, a hint of pity welling up in his eyes: "The last mission must have been really tough, you must have had a hard time."
That's how he honed his incredibly impressive shooting skills. His accuracy and reaction speed would probably leave at least two-thirds of the Metropolitan Police Department's officers far behind.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan clutched her skirt: "No, it's not hard."
Kenji Hagiwara pulled Yomi Lai into his arms: "But Softie, you didn't stay in your room and wait for us this time, which makes me a little angry."
The moment he looked up and met Lai Chuan Huang Quan's gaze, a wave of worry and anxiety washed over him. Although the matter had been resolved and he knew that Lai Chuan Huang Quan was a good shot, the fear and lingering apprehension he felt in that instant of eye contact transformed into other emotions that choked him, making him feel suffocated.
"But, but my mission is to save you, which means I can't stay on the sidelines forever; I'm destined to wade in."
Kenji Hagiwara remained silent and did not answer.
Besides the sobbing that was enough to drain all the air from his lungs, he also dreamed of Yorikawa Yomi once.
Tokyo is filled with towering skyscrapers, and the early spring air is exceptionally bustling. Yomi Laichuan stands barefoot on the outer edge of the balcony, her dry, split, and even slightly yellowish long hair billowing in the wind. A few strands of hair are blown across her face, brushing against her tomato-red lip gloss, which hides a subtle shimmer, leaving thin red lines on her gaunt, sunken cheeks.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan wore exquisite makeup, and her brand-new winter dress was ironed flat, but then torn by the wind.
Tears streamed down her face as Lai Chuan Huang Quan wept silently. Before the tears could even touch the ground, the wind carried them away, blowing them towards a distant shore she could never reach.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan's face was expressionless, neither sad nor happy. Only his eyes, which had once shone like stars, were now as dark and lifeless as a dead man's.
She leaned against the metal railing behind her, her eyes vacant, staring blankly into the unseen future.
After a long while, Lai Chuan Huang Quan smiled wearily and with a sense of relief. The next second, she let go of his hand and jumped off the high-rise building.
Her skirt and black hair billowed and fluttered in the air. Lai Chuan Huang Quan was a blue morpho butterfly that had lost the ability to fly. She was stunning and beautiful, but her beauty was fleeting.
After the loud bang.
She used her body to bloom like a crimson daisy in this bustling yet indifferent city.
Awakened by a nightmare, Kenji Hagiwara sat on his single bed, panting heavily, his long hair soaked with cold sweat.
He was like a person standing on the edge of a cliff, teetering on the brink of collapse, ready to shatter into pieces at any moment. He kept telling himself it was just a dream, that dreams were all fake, unreal, but his body began to wander uncontrollably through every corner of Tokyo, trying to find the building from his dream in the vast city.
Kenji Hagiwara has indeed been found.
The building from which Yomi Yorikawa leaped in the nightmare stands quietly at the end of the third district of Beika Street, like a monster that devours people's lives.
Kenji Hagiwara stood beneath the building, looking up as if trying to discern the difference between reality and his dream, but even the half-fallen paint on the balcony wall looked so similar. Hagiwara looked down; beneath his feet lay the very concrete where Yomi Laichuan's body had blossomed into blood—a tragic, yet vivid, scene.
Recalling the image of Yomi Laichuan, covered in bright red blood, his eyes wide open even in death, he felt a pang of unease, and a wave of nausea washed over him. His esophagus contracted irregularly, and Hagiwara Kenji covered his mouth, vomiting up stomach acid.
It was just a dream, but he was suddenly terrified.
I fear the weeping of the Yellow Springs, and I fear even more death in the Yellow Springs.
Kenji Hagiwara didn't tell anyone about his nightmares, not even Jinpei Matsuda. He began to hate open-air balconies; every time he looked up and saw an open-air balcony similar to the one in his dream, he would feel a chill run down his spine. He was gripped by a dreadful feeling, unable to shake it off.
That's why Kenji Hagiwara is always reluctant to let go of Yomi's hand. Even though he knows Yomi is capable of protecting herself, he's still terrified and wishes Yomi could stay under his protection forever.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan was unaware of the complexities in Hagiwara Kenji's mind, nor did she know how to comfort people. She simply hugged Hagiwara Kenji back and gently patted his back, mimicking his gesture: "I came for you, destined to be with danger."
“I know,” Kenji Hagiwara rested his chin on Yomi Rikawa’s shoulder and said in a muffled voice, “I know, I understand, but I don’t want to.”
The nightmare lingered in my mind, like a prophecy or a curse.
Was it because of meeting him that Yomi Yomi died?
Hagihara Kenji doesn’t know.
But sometimes he wonders if, had they not had that accident, Raikawa Yomi wouldn't have had to risk his life, and if the scenes in his nightmares would never have happened.
But without this relief mission, he would never have encountered soft bread.
Kenji Hagiwara pulled Yomi Laichuan close, drawing her into his embrace. He was afraid she would see his expression—wavering, ashamed, and tinged with timidity. He longed to meet Yomi Laichuan, yet feared his nightmare would come true.
Despite his selfishness, he still wanted to meet Yomi Yorikawa.
Kenji Hagiwara hugged Yomi Rikawa tightly, as if only in this way could he draw a moment of warmth and security from her: "I will no longer stop you from taking risks, but promise me that you will protect yourself."
An uneasy feeling, like damp, cold air, spread along the embrace towards Yoruichi's grave. She blinked, her face filled with confusion, and raised her hand to hug Kenji Hagiwara tightly in return.
She smiled and encouraged Hagiwara, "Don't be afraid, I'm very strong, you'll definitely be fine!"
The hand gripping Raikawa Yomi's back began to tremble. At first, only his fingers trembled uncontrollably, but then his entire arm shook. Hagiwara Kenji held Raikawa Yomi tightly, not daring to let go. He buried his head in the crook of Raikawa Yomi's neck, his lower lip bitten until it turned white, tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
"Soft bread".
"The Underworld".
"My Yellow Springs."
Kenji Hagiwara was like a tree about to fall in a typhoon, calling out Yomi Rikawa's name again and again, his whole body trembling like a leaf.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan affectionately rubbed her cheek against Hagiwara Kenji. She pursed her lips and thought for a moment before cautiously comforting him, "Don't worry, I'm really strong. Look, I even survived the apocalypse."
Fearing that Kenji Hagiwara might be worried, Yomi Raikawa patted Kenji Hagiwara on the back and proudly recounted her experiences from the previous world to him. She described how she fought her way out of an encirclement of various monsters and how she outwitted and outmaneuvered various factions, proving herself to be both intelligent and brave.
But as she spoke, Yomi Laichuan slowly stopped her comforting actions, simply embracing Kenji Hagiwara and remaining silent.
Sensing something was wrong, Kenji Hagiwara looked up from behind Yomi Laichuan's neck: "Soft bread, what's wrong?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan's lips moved, but the words caught in her throat. Her eyes widened, and she dared not blink. After a two-second silence, she softened her voice: "I'm just a little sleepy."
“Then let’s sleep,” Kenji Hagiwara said, not letting go of her hand. He nuzzled Yomi Raikawa’s shoulder affectionately. “Can I…sleep here tonight?”
He was hesitant and cautious, as vulnerable as a child.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan paused for a moment, then said, "Okay."
That night, the two lovers simply slept in each other's arms, drawing warmth from one another. Kenji Hagiwara held Yomi Raikawa tightly, nuzzling his chin against her forehead, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
As dawn broke, the only sound in the silent, dark room was the even breathing of Kenji Hagiwara. Yomi Lai suddenly opened her eyes, staring intently at the man before her, her mind heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan was puzzled.
It wasn't about Hagiwara; it was about her own doubts.
Before falling asleep, she held Kenji Hagiwara in her arms and recounted the highlights of her past missions, but the more she recalled them, the more terrified she became.
The person she was in the past has a completely different personality from the person she is now.
The former Lai Chuan Huang Quan was more taciturn, more indifferent, more concerned about the success or failure of the mission, and less concerned about her own well-being. She would even go to any lengths to complete the mission.
But why did she become like this? Foolish, indifferent to tasks, only concerned with happiness and enjoyment, her first reaction to trouble is to run away.
The same person exhibited two extreme behavioral patterns at two different times.
The world is governed by cause and effect, and there must have been a reason for the drastic change in Lai Chuan Huang Quan's personality, but she couldn't recall the reason that prompted her change.
She must have forgotten something. It was either a long process of transformation, or a dramatic event that could change her drastically in an instant.
What exactly is being forgotten?
Lai Chuan Huang Quan couldn't figure it out.
She simply gazed at the man's face so close to hers, shifted her body, tilted her head back, and placed a kiss on his lips. Then, she adjusted to a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep in his arms.
Unbeknownst to Lai Chuan Huang Quan, after she fell asleep, the man she thought was already fast asleep also opened his eyes.
Kenji Hagiwara stared at Yomi Raikawa's soft and lovely face for a long time before bending down and kissing her forehead.
In a hoarse voice, he whispered those words gently, solemnly, and cautiously in Lai Chuan Huang Quan's ear—words that had surged within his heart countless times:
"I love you."
[Author's Note]
1. The author is a big fan of the police academy group, so the highlights of this story won't be limited to the second-year graduate students. In appropriate situations, the spotlight will belong to whoever is rightfully in charge of the police academy group. As stated in the synopsis, this story includes a group portrait of the police academy members.
2. Song Tiantian and Huang Quan have some connection, which was established when writing the outline. But the other characters are set to be purely friends who are bickering, and Huang Quan is not a heartthrob.
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Some of you have already guessed part of the truth. This chapter reveals a lot more. I wonder if you have any new guesses.
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