Chapter 36 Black Cherry Saved You Gin is Watchi...
Gin stood tall and straight, like a proud, solitary wolf.
Rum clutched his stomach and, using the wall for support, managed to stand up.
Chika looked at this and that, her throat seemingly blocked by something. She dared not even breathe, let alone plead.
Gin...
Did they not consider the consequences at all when they dared to do such things and say such things?
The gentleman would not tolerate such an offense.
The atmosphere was oppressive in the silence, and the air seemed to freeze in the oppression.
Each breath felt like it was taking on immense force, causing a dull ache in Takanashi Chinatsu's chest.
The crisp sound of footsteps, like a sharp arrow, pierced through the oppressive atmosphere.
"What's going on?" Vermouth pushed open the door and entered.
She wore a pair of red high heels, looking light and radiant, her light golden hair swaying happily with her movements.
Noticing Rum, Vermouth became even more interested and quickened her pace to tease him: "Poor Rum, did Black Cherry mess with you again? Sir really needs to give her a good talking to."
Rum gritted his teeth and said, "It's not Black Cherry, it's Gin."
"Huh?" Vermouth looked up, a surprised gasp escaping her lips.
Gin maintained his cold expression, unchanged from before, displaying both the arrogance of disregarding Rum and the composure of knowing he had done nothing wrong.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Rum.” Vermouth curled her lips, her tone cold.
"What did you say?" Rum was furious.
She met Rum's gaze without flinching, her tone resolute: "When has Gin ever started a conflict? Every single time there's a disagreement between you two, isn't it because of you?"
She chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with pure mockery of Rum.
“Rum made a mistake,” Karasuma Renya, who had been listening the whole time, suddenly said.
Rum looked at the camera in disbelief. "Sir?!"
This time, Karasuma Renya showed him no mercy, coldly asking, "What are you unhappy about? Rum, is Vermouth wrong?"
A harsh tone, a reprimand without any mercy.
Rum shivered violently, stood up straight with his hands at his sides, but his injured thigh was still trembling slightly.
Ignoring Rum's weakness, Karasuma Renya gently comforted Gin: "Gin, I'm sorry you had to suffer this time. I shouldn't have tolerated Rum's recklessness."
Gin replied respectfully, "I wouldn't dare."
“I understand you have grievances, but since you’ve already punished Rum yourself, let’s leave it at that,” Karasuma Renya said gently.
Rum stared wide-eyed at his intact eye. Was that all? So Gin beat him up like this and wouldn't be punished at all?
"gentlemen……"
"Shut up, Rum. What else do you want? You maliciously slandered your colleagues for your own selfish desires, and now you're acting like you're the one who's wronged?"
Rum trembled and hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare."
"Don't dare? I think you're quite bold! Who are you trying to fool with that weak look? You've had no tolerance for others all these years, it's infuriating to look at you. Hurry up and get down there to treat your wounds."
"Yes, yes," Rum replied hastily, and hurriedly left with the researcher's help.
After scolding Rum, it was natural not to further upset Gin and Black Cherry, so Karasuma Renya comforted them for a few more minutes before ending the call.
After leaving the research institute, Vermouth treated everyone to dinner, and the three of them sat together on the top floor of the Pearl Restaurant.
Looking down from above, cars, people, and houses all appear tiny, and the boundless sky is filled with an atmosphere of freedom.
Chinatsuka Takanashi took the menu, ordered, then rested her chin on her hands, looked at Vermouth, and asked, "Sharon-neechan, weren't you filming in America? Why are you suddenly at the research institute?"
"I came back last night."
“But you don’t like going to the research institute either, do you? Unless someone asks you to save the day.” Takanashi Chinatsu said, her gaze shifting back and forth between Vermouth and Gin.
Vermouth couldn't help but laugh, but instead of answering her, she picked up her aperitif and took a sip.
It's Gin.
Chinatsu immediately realized that Gin had anticipated this would happen, so he specifically asked Vermouth to smooth things over.
When she learned that she might be Gin's younger sister, Takanashi Chinatsu felt uneasy, yet also a sense of relief.
After discovering that she was not related to Gin by blood, she felt a mix of emotions.
Takanashi Chika quietly watched Gin. Had he anticipated everything? Had he anticipated the forced testing? Had he anticipated Rum's aggressiveness? Even those shots he fired at Rum at the end—were they all pre-planned?
From beginning to end, Gin kept everything firmly in his grasp.
Takanashi Chika felt a pang of sadness. Gin had been so good to her for so many years, yet he had never fallen in love with her. Now, it seemed that everything had become clear.
He had been planning this for so many years just to fire those few shots at Rum, to severely dampen his spirits, and to make Karasuma Renya dissatisfied with Rum, who knows what other deadly schemes might be planned against Rum later.
After acting for so long, it's finally time for everything to come to an end.
"I was really shocked when I found out all this. Gin has been chasing you for so many years, how did you suddenly become siblings? Thank goodness it's fake." Vermouth's long eyelashes fluttered, like a butterfly slowly flapping its wings, and the smile in her eyes was more meaningful than usual.
Chinatsu immediately said, "Of course we can't be siblings! Look, my hair is blonde, and his is platinum blonde, completely different hair colors. How could we be siblings? Only Rum is too stupid to determine our relationship based solely on a pair of green eyes."
“No, that’s not it.” Vermouth’s smile deepened.
Gin took a sip of his aperitif, glanced at her dismissively, and said with displeasure, "Vermouth, are you bored?"
"What, are you afraid I'll tell Chinatsu-chan?"
"I just don't want to bring up the past again."
Vermouth ignored his reluctance and beckoned to Chizuru Kotori.
Takanashi Chinatsu immediately leaned closer with interest, only to hear Vermouth whisper in her ear, "Gin also had naturally blond hair, but it turned white because of the experiment."
stunned.
Feeling lost.
Hesitation.
What followed was a complete blank in my mind.
Chinatsu Takanashi stood frozen in place, motionless for a long time.
She was originally... blonde?
But……
There shouldn't be any problems with gene matching, right?
Blood was drawn and tested on-site, all under the supervision of Karasuma Renya and Rum.
Chinatsuka Takanashi gripped the corner of the table tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, making them stand out even more.
In a daze, that blurry image resurfaced in my mind.
It was a slender figure from behind.
You can't see his face, you can't hear his voice, you can only notice his thin body and... that golden hair that shines brighter than the sunlight.
That was the figure deeply imprinted in Chika Takanashi's memory.
Even though it's been so long and the memory is so hazy, that golden hue has never left her.
Once upon a time... a blond man appeared in her life.
Chinatsu Takanashi had been searching for him for many years. She had even asked her adoptive father, but he told her that there was no such person.
That person appeared in her dreams again and again, bringing tears to her eyes time and time again, just like now, bringing her tears again and again.
"Chinatsu-chan, your eyes seem to be red."
Takanashi Chika wanted to raise her hand to wipe her tears, but worried that the shrewd Vermouth would see through her, so she widened her eyes and deliberately joked with her two red eyes: "Are you red? Don't you look like a little bunny? Oh no, I guess I still can't handle strong liquor!"
She pushed away the aperitif.
"Did you drink alcohol just now?" Vermouth didn't notice.
"Is my tongue red too?" Takanashi Chinatsu stuck out her tongue to show her.
Vermouth smiled and shook her head, then bent down to carefully cut the steak into small pieces.
Seeing that Vermouth's suspicions had been completely dispelled, Takanashi Chinatsu breathed a sigh of relief and then deliberately teased Gin: "So your hair used to be blonde too, then we really do look alike. Why don't you just recognize me as your little sister?"
"Don't joke like that." Gin pulled out his Beretta gun, the dark muzzle pointed at Takanashi Chinatsu's head.
Chizuru was stunned.
Vermouth hurriedly raised her hand and forcefully pressed down Gin's gun-wielding hand. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one around had noticed.
"This is a restaurant." She lowered her voice, grinding her teeth in annoyance. As a big star, she didn't want to end up in jail with this bastard.
Gin snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping sharply over Takanashi Chika.
Takanashi Chika was not intimidated by his fierce gaze; instead, her heart pounded even harder.
This is the second time.
The only time he ever pointed a gun at her was on the day her adoptive father was killed, the day they first met.
After that, even when she ran away, planted bombs in Gin's car, stuffed wasabi into Gin's bread, pulled his hair... no matter how many pranks she played or how lawless she was, Gin never pointed a gun at her again.
Why are they pointing guns at her again this time?
Because she mentioned 0815?
Because she wanted to be Gin's sister?
Generally speaking, one would think that Gin really cares about his sister, but in Takanashi Chinatsu's opinion, Gin seems to be trying his best to make her avoid the position of "sister," even going so far as to threaten him with Beretta.
"Thump" "Thump"
My heart was beating faster and faster.
"Thump" "Thump"
Disorderly and dense.
Is it to prevent anyone from offending his sister, or... out of fear?
Takanashi Chika stared intently into Gin's eyes, and those aloof, wolf-like green eyes met hers. Beyond the icy coldness of his gaze, what emotions lay hidden deep within those dark green eyes?
Neither confess nor deny.
He gave in to her time and time again.
“Gin, I want to drink your wine,” she suddenly said.
Gin frowned and glanced at her indifferently.
"Didn't you say you couldn't drink strong liquor?" Vermouth joked from the side, as Gin only liked to drink strong liquor.
“Okay.” Gin agreed and called over a waiter to order a bottle of his prized Petrus.
Vermouth's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Wine with an alcohol content of only 10-20%? She had dined with Gin many times, but this was the first time she had ever seen Gin order such a low-alcohol wine.
“What I mean is, I want to drink what’s in your glass.” Takanashi Chinatsu stared at the half-full pale blue liquid in Gin’s glass.
Gin didn't say anything, but picked up his glass and drank the rest of his aperitif in one gulp.
Takanashi Chika pursed her lips and launched another attack: "Wouldn't you like to share a drink with me?"
"I find it dirty."
Very cold, very disgusted.
If it were any other young girl, she would probably be furious about Gin's words.
Even Vermouth shook her head repeatedly, and had to offer some advice: "Gin, you'll never get a girl by talking like that."
"Mind your own business." Gin was cold and unromantic.
Vermouth sighed and gave Takanashi Chinatsu a helpless look.
Chika Takanashi, however, was not discouraged; instead, she became even more determined.
When pursuing a girl, sharing a drink with her is something you should be eager for, isn't it?
But Gin was different; he was both indifferent and indulgent.
That's why the others in the organization misunderstood that they had talked, and that Gin had been pursuing her all along. What Gin did was let the rumors slowly fester without making any attempt to clarify.
Takanashi Chinatsu used to think that Gin liked her, but he was just too reserved. But what if we look at it from a different perspective?
Gin may not love her; he's just using this method to cover up his indulgence and pampering, and to prevent others in the organization from suspecting anything about their "sibling" relationship.
The biggest problem now is that test report.
If they really are siblings, then is the problem with the blood sample or the equipment? Gin is really that amazing, faking it in front of everyone.
So, was her adoptive father also...?
No, my adoptive father is really dead.
Gin only discovered her after killing his adoptive father, so there's no possibility that she showed mercy to him.
Chinatsu Takanashi felt a tightness in her chest. She seemed to have found that blurry figure of the blond boy. The boy became her support, but also her enemy.
Petrus has a low alcohol content, but Takanashi Chinatsu was preoccupied with something on her mind, and she drank one glass after another until she was drunk very quickly.
Gin simply watched quietly, without touching a single drop of alcohol.
"You can't drink, yet you drank so much," Vermouth said with a laugh.
Gin stepped forward and picked up Chinatsu Takanashi.
"Is it inconvenient for you, a man, to do this? Do you need me to take her home?" Vermouth asked, but she didn't get up.
Gin said nothing, picked up Takanashi Chika and left, placing her in the back seat of the Porsche.
The soft little bed in the back row has finally welcomed its owner again.
"Stupid." Gin poked a shallow indentation into her cheek with his finger and muttered a curse under his breath.
The car drove very smoothly, and Chinatsu Takanashi slept soundly.
He carried her out of the car and then carried her upstairs. Gin quietly looked at Takanashi Chika's peaceful sleeping face and vaguely thought of the past.
She had gained weight, but fortunately, he had also become stronger.
China used to be very well-behaved, but perhaps because of the medication, she slept all day long.
Nowadays, Chika likes to stir up trouble all the time, and she's very lively. This vitality makes Gin feel warm and at ease, and he can always turn a blind eye to her mischief.
As I took out my key and opened the door, a chilling feeling seemed to be right beside me.
Gin ignored him, steadily holding Chika, and after placing her on the bed, he covered her with a blanket.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Gin could feel the chill and keenly sensed the other person's gaze.
"She's drunk."
Kenji Hagiwara stared at Gin as if facing a formidable enemy. Hearing this, he paused, a question mark slowly rising in his mind.
“I don’t have time to stay here to take care of her, and I don’t trust anyone else to do it.”
Was he being spoken to? Kenji Hagiwara stared wide-eyed like a startled owl, but remained motionless.
"Don't do anything you shouldn't do, or I won't hesitate to wipe you out completely." Gin coldly glanced in the direction where Kenji Hagiwara was.
Kenji Hagiwara instantly lost his temper and jumped onto the ceiling.
They were really talking to him!
The cold-faced god is really, really talking to him!
Wait, couldn't I see him? Couldn't I hear him? Why can I see him again all of a sudden?
Kenji Hagiwara frantically floated around, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. The faster he floated, the more he noticed the problem.
No, Gin still can't see him or hear his voice. He's just too perceptive. If he stays in one place for too long, Gin can quickly pinpoint his location.
Terrifying indeed!
This was the first time Kenji Hagiwara had ever seen someone so terrifying. Even though Jinpei could sense something, he was nowhere near as quick-witted as Gin.
Gin seemed to have said everything he wanted to say. He quickly got up, used his dagger to cut off a fist-sized piece of rhinoceros horn, lit it in front of Kenji Hagiwara's shocked and pained gaze, and then left.
The rhinoceros horn burned, and the smoke curled upwards.
Gradually, Kenji Hagiwara began to feel a sense of reality.
He reached out and gently grasped the rhinoceros horn, and actually managed to pick it up.
Wow, it works!
Wow, he can touch things now!
"China-chan, look!" Kenji Hagiwara excitedly grabbed the rhinoceros horn and leaned over, but then stopped abruptly at the bedside and hurriedly covered his mouth.
Shh, Chinatsu-chan is still sleeping.
Hehe, he can touch things now, hehehe!
Kenji Hagiwara, oblivious to the financial pain, was like a husky that had been cooped up for years, finally released from its cage and running wild in the room.
Oh, right, Xiao Zhenping!
Kenji Hagiwara picked up the landline receiver, sat down in his chair, and casually crossed his legs. After the call connected, he excitedly said, "Moshi moshi, Jinpei, it's ghost time now!"
——
My head hurts so much.
Chinatsu Takanashi has never been a good drinker; she gets drunk after only a few drinks, and when she does, she always gets a headache.
"Ugh..." She writhed on the bed, clutching the blanket, and pounded her aching head with her other hand.
"Don't hurt yourself, Chinatsu-chan~" Someone grabbed her wrist.
"Get up and drink some plum juice."
Takanashi Chika struggled to sit up, and before she even opened her eyes, she instinctively drank the plum juice that was offered to her lips.
It's sour with a slightly bitter taste, and surprisingly effective at sobering you up.
"Huh?" Takanashi Chinatsu suddenly realized something and "poof" spat out her plum juice.
"Hey!" Matsuda Jinpei expressed his dissatisfaction after being sprayed in the face.
Kenji Hagiwara, true to his reputation as a mischievous friend, not only didn't help, but instead slapped the bed and burst into laughter.
"Hagi!" Matsuda Jinpei was even more annoyed and turned to run to the bathroom to clean up.
"Yan'er-chan, did you just grab my hand?" Takanashi Chinatsu asked blankly.
“Yes.” Kenji Hagiwara winked at her.
"You were able to reach me? Matsuda-nii can see you too?"
"It's rhinoceros horn incense!" Matsuda Jinpei shouted from the bathroom.
Kenji Hagiwara explained, "After Gin brought you back, he lit a rhinoceros horn incense, probably hoping that I would take care of you. But I couldn't leave the building and it was inconvenient everywhere, so I asked Jinpei to buy some ingredients and send them over."
Takanashi Chika was dazed: "Gin? Thank you, the hangover soup was very effective." She was now fully sober.
Kenji Hagiwara shook his finger and said, "Actually, we put a hangover cure in the plum juice!"
Chinatsuko: ...
You're something else, Kenji Hagiwara.
No wonder it tastes slightly bitter.
Chika took out her phone and dialed Gin's number while getting out of bed. The call was answered quickly.
"Black Cherry." Accompanied by Gin's cold voice, there seemed to be a dull thud as if something heavy was being smashed.
What's going on over there?
Gin didn't answer, but instead asked, "What do you want?"
"It's nothing, I just want to thank you for bringing me back, and thank you for lighting the rhinoceros horn incense."
How did you know?
"What a strange question," Takanashi Chinatsu pouted. "They already know Kenji Hagiwara is here, yet they still ask this kind of question."
"Of course, it was my second year of graduate school who told me. Gin, when are you going to return the book to me?"
Gin's voice was cold: "I spared his life only because it was your request, but if he doesn't behave, I can kill him at any time."
"Why are you suddenly being so fierce?" Takanashi Chinatsu was confused and aggrieved. Was it because she wanted to help Kenji? Even though Kenji was a ghost, he was a good ghost. Why couldn't she just give him the book?
"I'm hanging up." Gin said coldly, hanging up the phone without waiting for Takanashi Chinatsu's reply.
Takanashi Chinatsu looked annoyed. "What's wrong? Why are you so angry about that book? What's in that book anyway? It was meant for her, but I can't even look at it!"
Hegemony, autocracy!
dictator!
Takanashi Chika was filled with resentment on her own. Inside the abandoned factory, Gin raised a steel pipe and slammed it hard into the back of a figure curled up on the ground.
"Ugh—" The young man, who had been curled up like a shrimp, suddenly straightened up. Bourbon convulsed, and blood seeped through his light-colored clothes, staining them with bloodstains that gradually soaked the fabric.
"Did you hear that? Bourbon, you're in luck. Black Cherry somehow found out about you and called to plead for you personally." Gin turned him over with his foot, making him lie on his back on the ground, and forcefully jabbed the steel pipe into the side of Bourbon's neck.
The cold metal pressed against his skin, making Bourbon shiver.
Undercover missions are inherently fraught with peril.
After discovering that Black Cherry was the boss's adopted daughter, and after Rum was shot three times and fled in a sorry state, Bourbon knew that he was doomed.
He was detained immediately after leaving the research institute and then brought before Gin.
The good news is that his identity has not been exposed, and Gin does not intend to interrogate him.
The worst part is that Gin seems to want to crush his bones inch by inch, torturing him to death little by little in this abandoned factory far from the city and the people.
Enduring blow after blow, Bourbon collapsed to the ground, suffering from excessive blood loss, cold limbs, and numbness from the pain.
He thought he was going to be beaten to death, but unexpectedly, he was given a glimmer of hope.
Black cherry...
Black cherries saved him.
Gin grabbed his short blond hair and forcefully lifted his head to make him look at him.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you, Bourbon. You'd better not let me down."
He released his grip, letting Bourbon's body fall heavily to the ground, and strode away from the factory.
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Author's note: I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry, so sorry!
Touko got beaten up so badly, I feel so sorry for him!
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Tomorrow at midnight~
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