Chapter 21: Dating in a General Sense
Kenji Hagiwara stood in front of the window in the room, his forearms resting on the windowsill.
As the sun set, the furry wild cats in the nearby colony were lazily licking their fur. This was a scene he always saw from his window. The difference was that the case had been solved, and the land that had been abandoned for ten years would probably be flattened and rebuilt soon.
In just a few weeks, he witnessed the truth of several cases being easily solved, and even personally sent the owner of a part-time shop to jail. Although his feelings about this were very complicated and had not completely calmed down to this day, what he cared about more now was Kurosaki Utsuki, who was willing to spend time investigating and tell the truth.
"How cunning! Being able to communicate with souls..."
Is this what the "God of Death" really like?
The more he came into contact with it, the more incredible it seemed to him.
Not only is he similar to humans, he is even more gentle and emotional than many humans, such as when he comforted Sister Meihui not long ago.
The girl could have easily said something ambiguous—though that wouldn't have been as convincing as simply admitting she could communicate with spirits—but as a god of death who secretly protected humanity's safety, she was willing to step out in the open and abandon the disguise she had worked so hard to maintain for the sake of humanity's "hearts."
"I'm a little concerned about Kurosaki-chan's mother..."
Since she's a Shinigami, her family should also be Shinigami, or at least Shinigami reserve. So, did her mother die in battle? But I feel like...
"Could it be that Kurosaki-chan is actually human?"
He raised his hand and rubbed his chin.
"...If only Kurosaki-chan would tell me in advance."
He didn't want to keep seeking knowledge for decades to come, as it was something he could only understand after death - maybe he could live to be a hundred years old.
Kurosaki Utsuki also raised her hand and rubbed her chin.
She had been squatting on the windowsill for quite a while, even earlier than Hagiwara Kenji entered the room. When the boy approached, she wanted to leave, but she heard him complain about her cunningness.
She had thought so before, thinking her brother, a twin, was cunning for being able to see spirits. But when she herself began to see, she realized how troubling it was.
There are even worse situations where we can see the situation but are powerless to change it.
"Should you share some with him..."
But was that necessary? She had originally defined her own circle of "related people" and didn't want to get along with so many people. The "friends" she had were clearly just Morofushi Kagemitsu and Furuya Rei.
But……
"I am still human after all."
She also wants more from the world beyond what humans can see, from the world of ordinary people. She wants to have a sense of "presence" in the outside world, and even more, she wants to have friends in the outside world who understand her and can listen to her complaints.
Although, if she had been allowed to choose for herself at the beginning, Zhu Fujingguang, who had known her for six years and was gentle and good at listening, would definitely be the most suitable first choice.
But just in time, a "promising future" suddenly appeared from the sky...
She subconsciously glanced into the room, then quickly looked away and jumped off the windowsill.
...I almost forgot why I had been secretly telling him that he had a "promising future."
Sunday, May 24th
Although she had been busy chasing a mysterious and elusive Hollow until midnight the previous night, when the day she had agreed with Kenji Hagiwara arrived, Kurosaki Utsuki still got up early according to the set alarm and did not stay in bed at all.
While washing up, she couldn't help but be distracted and praise herself for her excellence, but she quickly stopped because she realized that this might be equated with paying special attention to the other person.
...She doesn't pay special attention to anyone, she treats all human beings equally!
The part-time job was in Karakura City, and the meeting place was at the station. Not wanting to appear overly concerned about the offer, Kurosaki Utaki lingered at home until it was time to leave. When she arrived at the station, the other party was already waiting there.
It felt a bit like a date, so Kurosaki Utsuki bit the tip of her tongue and slowed down a little.
After a simple wave of greeting, the two entered the station one after the other. Kurosaki Utsuki walked a little ahead, and as she walked down the stairs, she was thinking about what to talk about during the half-hour journey to avoid being awkward, and then she heard the boy's voice beside her.
"Are all Kurosaki-chan's casual clothes white? I feel like, aside from her detective uniform and school uniform, I've only seen her in white." The boy's voice was brisk, natural, as if he was already accustomed to traveling with girls. "Of course, both black and white suit Kurosaki-chan very well."
When praising others, it comes naturally.
"Is that so?" Kurosaki Utsuki raised her eyes, suddenly feeling a little anxious for no reason, and her tone became less friendly. "It's just a professional habit."
"Eh?" Hagiwara Kenji blinked. He hadn't yet matched the white dress with the woman's profession. "Are you talking about the habits of being a doctor's daughter?"
"no."
She denied it, but didn't continue.
Hagiwara Kenji, who was always thoughtful, waited for a few seconds to make sure that she was not prepared to explain clearly, and then patiently started the next topic.
"I went to visit the store manager yesterday." He and the girl stopped in the waiting area, his tone casual as if he was talking about visiting a relative for the weekend. "He said you went to see him not long ago and gave him a message."
Kurosaki Utsuki responded: "Yes, I brought his daughter to see him."
"Eh hey hey? My daughter, the manager's daughter, is still alive?"
"She's gone now." The orange-haired girl shrugged. "I conveyed her last words to her father, and then buried her soul."
The girl's reaction at that time was calmer than she had imagined. She did not share any of her feelings with her until the very end. She just said sadly, "The past cannot be changed."
However, Kenji Hagiwara would not ask about such details, and she was not prepared to say it.
Sure enough, when the boy opposite spoke again, the topic had become "How is Hagiwara Kaki getting along with the police."
"He's not bad. Although Detective Maori always loses control of his emotions and yells, he's actually a gentle and kind person at heart."
"Kurosaki-chan, what you said is a bit strange..."
"I'm telling the truth," Kurosaki Utsuki said confidently, taking all the responsibility on herself. "His mood swings are so extreme, and the problem is all my fault."
"Kurosaki-chan..."
"After all, it's difficult to compile a report based on the transcript." The orange-haired girl spread her hands innocently. "I'm getting increasingly lazy about preparing so-called 'investigation records'—if it were me, faced with countless answers like 'no comment' or 'it was all luck', I would have jumped up and hit someone long ago."
Hagiwara smiled and nodded, "I see. Detective Mori must have worked really hard."
...The atmosphere seemed to have improved a little, and Kurosaki Utsuki bit her tongue again.
The car is coming.
·
There weren't many people on the bus, so the two of them found an empty seat and sat down side by side. Kurosaki Utsuki sat by the window, carefully adjusting the hem of her skirt and then unconsciously tucking her hair behind her ears.
No, she also had to think of something to say...
"By the way, has Kurosaki-chan lost weight recently? I feel a little lighter."
Varied--
Before she could say anything, the boy spoke up again, quickly changing the subject: "Even though Kurosaki-chan works hard every day, the frequency of Hollows appearing doesn't seem to have decreased at all."
The Shinigami Proxy, who didn't seize the opportunity to complain and was equally resentful about this, snorted, "You'll get used to it."
The boy next to him gave a wry smile: "Although I'm basically used to it, but every time I send Kurosaki-chan to the infirmary, I still feel a little scared."
"What are you afraid of?" Kurosaki Utsuki turned her head, her dark brown eyes filled with confusion. "Even if I can't get rid of the Hollow, it won't attack the living easily. You should know that."
Besides, she'd said she was very strong, and that dealing with newly fallen Hollows or those that had fled to the living world to seek food was no problem at all. They'd been working together for so long, and he still had doubts about her abilities?
"No, I'm not afraid of the Hollows." Hagiwara Kenji shook his head, also turning his head to look at the girl's face, and explained bluntly, "I'm afraid of Kurosaki-chan's body that is not breathing and gradually losing its temperature."
Eh?
"My body?"
The distance... seems a little too close.
Kurosaki Utsuki swallowed silently.
The boy beside him continued to explain, "It might not matter to a god of death, but for a human, that kind of gesture is irreversible death. Even though I know Kurosaki-chan will wake up soon, I'm still a little worried and scared... That's probably how I feel."
……ah.
"What..."
I'm actually worried about this kind of thing.
Kurosaki Utsuki bit her lip.
She recalled that the other party had rushed to the clinic anxiously holding her "corpse", and then suddenly realized that she had only been rude to him and had not expressed any gratitude at all. She thought about saying thank you now, but when the words came to her lips, they turned into a bland "You are really a good person."
Hagiwara Kenji's face was filled with helplessness: "Why do you have to give me the nice guy card..."
"I'd like to ask you why you arbitrarily classified me as not human." Kurosaki Utsuki suddenly turned her head toward the window, her cheeks gradually heating up for some reason. "Aside from possessing spiritual power, there's no difference between you and me."
Should I really say something like this... She's so shy that she wants to run away...
"I hate death and I'm afraid of it. I don't want anyone to become a corpse in front of me. That's why I get angry when I see you half-dead again and again, and I go to great lengths to help you heal."
His voice dropped a little, and his cheeks grew hotter.
"...After that, when I go to work during classes, I'll be back as soon as possible. You...you don't have to worry so much."
A few seconds after she finished speaking, she turned her head slightly and nodded, trying hard to look at the boy beside her as if nothing had happened, but she crashed straight into a sea of stars.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-chan." The boy's eyes sparkled, and she couldn't tell what emotion that was. "—Kurosaki-chan is truly an angel!"
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