Chapter 46 Not Yet

It looks like... a flower?

Nakahara Chuuya's consciousness was affected by the intoxication, and it was ten times slower than usual. He pinched it casually, and the bandage that made him feel uncomfortable for no reason began to tear into pieces. Without the obstruction that blocked his eyes, his fingers automatically attached themselves to the things that interested him.

It's like a child learning new things. He not only looks and listens, but also learns to use touch to reinforce concepts and pain to strengthen memory.

This was obviously not a real flower. It had no thorns that would hurt people, and no leaves to defend it. The edges of the petals were not clear, and he paused, then used his fingertips to trace them.

The temperature was slightly lower than his body temperature, and Nakahara Chuuya's brain began to become confused again - no, is this really not a real flower?

Why do the petals tremble when I touch them lightly? They shiver as if they want to escape.

Nakahara Chuuya was not a person with a bad character, nor was he interested in destroying a beautiful woman. The little rationality he had left told him that he should withdraw his hand now, but the delicate touch made him reluctant to let go, and his lingering movements slowed down a bit.

The petals trembled even more violently, and a faint fragrance permeated into my nose, gradually calming my restless mood.

…Why not just keep it and take care of it, and plant the flowers.

Nakahara Chuuya closed his eyes and lowered his head.

…

Every second seemed like an eternity to Kono Seiryoshi, his body still restrained and unable to move. In the corner of his eye he saw a ochre head quietly resting between his neck and shoulders. He could not see Chuuya's face, but could only feel his gradually longer and steady breathing.

Every time the hot breath, still with a hint of alcohol, approached him, it was like a torture designed to target his weaknesses.

Five minutes had passed—his heartbeat and intuition had lost their accuracy, this was the time seen from the system space—and Zhongya hadn't taken the next step yet. He must have fallen asleep.

Gongye Sheng breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, not knowing whether he should be glad that he did not ask about the origin of the tattoo or worry about how to explain it in the future.

But soon, new problems were placed before him.

——He can’t get up.

As the number one taijutsu master of the Port Mafia, Nakahara Chuuya's body is well-trained. His muscles are not overdeveloped but maintain an appropriate density. Just looking at the lines of his arms, you can tell that he is by no means skinny and weak.

For a normal adult male, moving such a Nakahara Chuuya would not be particularly difficult, but for Kono Seiryoshi, whose weak physique was made worse by several injuries, it was undoubtedly a pipe dream.

He also didn't dare to use too much force, for fear that the blocks would turn into detachable ones while he was moving them, which would be a very embarrassing scene.

It was quite late when they came to the hot spring, and there was no one else in the hot spring. Looking around, there was only the quiet night breeze. The ochre hair brushed against his sensitive neck, and Gongye Shengliang shivered, feeling that the air seemed a little cool.

Just when he was worrying about what to do, a black figure suddenly appeared outside the corridor.

Gongye Shengliang's eyes suddenly lit up and he almost shed tears of relief.

He was so happy that Akutagawa didn't fool him and actually came to bathe in the hot spring...!

He tilted his head awkwardly and looked at the person who came, trying to convey his intention without waking Chuuya.

On the other hand, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, who reluctantly waited until the last minute to take a bath, was stunned when he saw the situation in front of him.

Then the next second, he pursed his lips, bowed solemnly in the direction of Kono Seira and Nakahara Chuuya, turned around and was about to leave.

Gong Ye Shengliang, who was waiting for him to help, said: "..."

Why didn't I realize Akutagawa was so perceptive before?

"Don't go," he could only shout to Akutagawa helplessly and amusedly, "Come and help me."

Using the Rashomon, Chuuya Nakahara was sent back to his room, and Kono Seira tucked the corner of the quilt for him. The moonlight shone through the window decorated with embroidery patterns and fell on Chuuya's face, which gradually revealed the outline of a young man. He seemed to be immersed in a dream with twists and turns in the plot. His deep eyebrows were just furrowed, but for some reason they slowly relaxed.

Kono Seiryoshi held his breath and gently brushed back his messy hair.

"What a good dream, I guess." He said silently.

After closing the door quietly, Kouno Seira came out and saw Akutagawa Ryunosuke standing quietly in the corridor. The latter was secretly relieved because he avoided taking a shower, and his eyes froze for a second after seeing him, and then returned to his expressionless state.

Gongye Sheng felt amused, but he didn't point it out. He waved his hand, indicating that he had something to say, and asked the other party to follow him to the other side.

After walking a few steps forward, the corridor suddenly opened up, and the moonlight flowed as calmly as water. After making sure that he would not disturb others, he spoke: "Although the leader will announce it after returning, I think it is better to tell you in advance."

A flash of surprise flashed across Ryunosuke Akutagawa's eyes, but was immediately replaced by seriousness. He almost intuitively realized that what the other party was going to say was not easy.

The other person's mentality was completely opposite to his, and he even slowly counted the petals of the hydrangea in his mind.

"Akutagawa," he asked casually, "what do you think of the casino of the Port Mafia?"

Akutagawa Ryunosuke responded reflexively, "Very powerful."

It might be a bit biased to describe the casino business as powerful, but Akutagawa has always been accustomed to using strength and weakness to distinguish value. Although he has never had direct contact with casinos, he also knows how the underground casinos, which were almost looked down upon by everyone after their collapse, were revived in the hands of the people before him and strongly occupied the Kanto region.

Kimino Mutsushi is a special existence that Akutagawa Ryunosuke doesn't know how to classify. He has supernatural powers but never uses them. His physical skills and combat ability are not even as good as the lowest-level minions of the Port Mafia. According to Akutagawa's previous ideas, such a person would be ruthlessly regarded by him as a "weakling with no value of survival", and he did think so at the beginning.

The first time my impression of him as a weak person was shaken was probably the day I was coldly ordered “Don’t come over here”.

Later--

"I feel relieved when you say that."

A voice with a faint smile interrupted his thoughts. Akutagawa was startled and frowned in confusion, "Why are you saying this to me?"

The other person's golden eyes were blocked by a blurry veil of moonlight. He couldn't see what emotions were contained in them. He could only hear the calm voice entering his ears.

"Because, when you get back, it will be yours."

Akutagawa Ryunosuke's expression was blank for a moment, and after a long while he uttered a reply that was not really an answer: "...I don't understand what you mean."

Kono Seiryoshi also realized that the topic was a bit sudden. Akutagawa was one of the main forces of the martial arts faction, and his superiors also intended to let him form a guerrilla force directly under the leader. This added a heavy burden to his already busy work, which was difficult for anyone to accept.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but soften his voice and explain, "I won't push it over right away. I'll keep helping you until you're familiar with it. Hmm... should this be considered a promotion?"

"...I am a beast who only knows how to destroy. The battlefield is my only destiny. The casino... already has very good managers and is not suitable for me." Akutagawa clenched his fists and refused resolutely.

This objection was within the expectations of Kono Seiryoshi, and he had already thought of a countermeasure, "Don't underestimate yourself, Akutagawa, your potential is definitely not just this, and - fighting and protecting are not contradictory, right?"

Seeing the black-haired boy showing a hint of disapproval again, Kono Seira used his trump card before he did, "Aren't there many people in the port mafia who are both civil and military, such as Chuuya who is in charge of the circulation of gems, and -" He deliberately prolonged his voice and quietly moved closer to the distance before saying the title, "a certain youngest cadre in history."

Akutagawa: “!!!”

Akutagawa: “——”

Kono Seiryoshi suppressed his smile and patted the boy's stiff shoulder: "Don't rush to refuse, go back and rest early."

--

At the end of the second month after the demon was captured, the representative of the Rat of the Dead House finally couldn't wait any longer and came to Yokohama to negotiate.

The hostages were released in exchange for ransom, and Fyodor had the honor of becoming the most expensive transaction item in the history of the Port Mafia.

After spending two months on the ground experimenting with how to deal with sources of infection from pathogens, the foreign friend with black hair and purple eyes was not only in good spirits when he was released from prison, but his originally skinny body had even gained some flesh thanks to the exquisite meals provided by the port mafia.

When he came out, his expression was a little regretful, as if he was saying that if the price wasn't so expensive, he could have stayed there forever.

Fyodor changed back into his original outfit, a cloak over a white coat, and an elegant and mysterious smile under his Cossack hat.

Before leaving, he stopped beside Gongye Shengliang, his dark irises exuding a mysterious light: "What do you think of the world I'm telling you about?"

Kono Seiyoshi remained calm and said, "It's a very good story." He was referring to the hypnotic effect.

Fyodor chuckled. "Kuno-kun," he changed back to the original address, "If you hadn't rejected me when we first met, the ending would have been completely different."

"It's not too late to change your mind now," the black-haired young man said with a smile that was not sure if it was real or not. When he extended his hand, his expression was like a god who sympathized with the suffering of the world. "I can take you away from the port mafia."

"—Tell me, do you regret it?"

Gongye Shengliang stared at the palm of his hand and his eyes flickered.

In the boundary between light and darkness, his and Fyodor's roles were completely reversed. In this ever-changing world, only one thing was very clear.

"I won't regret it, Mr. Fyodor."

He looked up and stared into the dark purple pupils opposite him, and curled his lips: "Thank you for the ransom money you deliberately sent me. I will use it in the right place."

Fyodor withdrew his hand not in surprise, but rather, he had expected this answer from the beginning.

The smile on his face remained the same as always. He nodded slightly and said, "I am looking forward to seeing how you will face this sinful world."

"We really don't get along." Kono Seira shook his head. "I don't have such a lofty goal. Yokohama is enough for me."

Yes, just Yokohama and the people he cares about are enough.