weddingnovel Chapter 7. Let me scrub your back, brother.
Chapter 7. Let me scrub your back, brother.
The ramen shop is located in a narrow alley leading to Kabukicho, just wide enough for two bicycles to pass side by side.
Xun ran through the alley, one button undone on her chest, passing through rental rooms filled with air conditioner units and graffiti of little boys, occasionally stepping on soda cans with a crisp sound.
The black cat, who was napping on the wall, was startled awake by the sound of his approaching footsteps. Its eyes, gleaming with a cold light, surveyed its surroundings. After confirming that it was safe, it stretched its limbs and went back to sleep.
My classmate from Shuishang is not home.
He asked Rin, but she left without a word, her whereabouts unknown.
He felt some regret.
Hoshino Kaoru recalled the things she had said during lunch.
Did that young lady think he was telling her to get rid of him?
That's why I chose to leave quietly...
"Time...how much time do we have left?"
He opened the "transparent window" and quickly scanned it.
[Saturday, 3:30 PM]
A heinous crime is about to occur in a love hotel three kilometers away from you, where a young girl will be brutally murdered.
The persecuted girl was completely unaware that she had become the prey of two men until their crimes were committed against her, at which point it was too late.
Two men? Two serial killers...?
Xun frowned. If that were the case, he would have to use "Fighting Master"; otherwise, he wasn't confident he could deal with two adult men at the same time.
Time... there are only five minutes left.
Faster...faster!
He ran wildly toward the destination marked on the "transparent window".
He arrived at his destination three minutes before the incident was scheduled to occur.
It was a cheap love hotel with low eaves. At the entrance, two men with striking eye-catching haircuts were surrounding a girl in uniform, cornering her.
"Just give it a try. I can pay you. It's upstairs, and it'll be done soon."
One of the bald men with an earring pointed to the cheap hotel.
Seeing the girl's troubled expression, another accomplice reached into his pocket, took out a handkerchief, and approached her step by step.
Just as the handkerchief was about to cover the girl's face, a sudden resistance stopped his wrist in mid-air.
The bald man froze for a second when he saw the hand gripping his wrist, then turned to look to the side.
He was a boy with slightly messy hair, wearing a high school uniform.
Before he could react, Hoshino Kaoru kicked another man in the side, who clutched his groin and groaned in pain. The bald man whose wrist he was holding was about to fight back when he was hit with the same heavy blow.
Mizukami Orina gave the two men in front of her a look of disgust and gritted her teeth, making a "tsk" sound.
Then, she took a step back and lifted her right foot backward.
With a thud, the muscular man was knocked unconscious by the blow. Then she went to another bald man and used the same method to put him into a deep sleep.
Kaoru looked at the water beside her, never expecting that she had this side to her.
I thought she was the kind of girl with a gentle personality... but it seems that's not the case now.
Are you alright?
Xun asked casually, then stepped over the man lying at her feet with her right foot and picked up his phone, which had fallen to the ground, intending to call the police.
Shui Shang followed along, accidentally stepping on the bald man's hand in the process.
"It's nothing... By the way, Hoshino-san, please don't call the police."
"Don't call the police?"
Xun couldn't quite understand her thoughts.
However, since the young lady had said so, he had no reason to continue.
On their way back, the task assigned to Mizukami was still marked as incomplete.
In other words, the bald man just now was not a serial killer who specifically targets young girls.
No wonder they were so weak. He was somewhat glad that he hadn't used "Fighting Master," as it would have been completely useless against these two guys.
Yes, Kaoru was very confident that his appearance at the crucial moment would definitely leave a cool impression on this young lady, and marrying into the Mizukami family would be just around the corner.
Why is Hoshino-san here?
Mizukami Orina recalled this puzzling matter.
"I saw that Shui Shang wasn't home, and I was worried that you might be in danger, so I went to find you."
Kaoru had to conceal the existence of the system, so he couldn't say too much. He hid important information so that the young lady could judge that "he wasn't lying."
And that is indeed the case.
The other person nodded slightly, clearly believing him.
"Where's Mizukami-kun? What are you doing here?"
In order to quickly divert her attention, Kaoru began to change the subject.
"I wanted to go out for a walk, but I found myself being followed. I was thinking of shaking off the guy who was following me, but I didn't expect him to have accomplices nearby. Hoshino-kun, if you hadn't appeared in time, the situation would have become quite troublesome. Thank you, you've helped me twice already."
"You're welcome. It's what a kind citizen should do."
On the way back, Mizukami seemed to be thinking about something important and became silent.
Just as the two were about to reach the ramen shop, Kaoru felt a tugging sensation on the hem of her clothes.
He turned around and found the young lady looking at him with an embarrassed expression.
"What's wrong?"
He asked the question instinctively.
Shui Shang lowered her head slightly, her exposed cheeks flushed with a faint blush.
"Um, Hoshino-kun... I really owe you a lot this time."
"In return, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you."
Hoshino Kaoru's gaze swept over Mizukami as he pondered how a young lady who had probably never cooked before could possibly help him.
"No, I don't need Mizukami's help."
After saying this, Kaoru was about to walk into the ramen shop when she noticed that Mizukami was still clutching the hem of her clothes, showing no sign of letting go.
"Hoshino-kun, let me tell you a secret. I've been able to tell whether someone is lying since I was little. My body just told me that you're lying."
Suddenly, Mizukami leaned close, and the scent of citrus fabric softener wafted into her nostrils.
Hoshino felt a little breathless under her gaze. Knowing that the young lady in front of him could discern the truthfulness of words, he decided not to continue hiding it.
"Actually... I do need your help with something."
He took a deep breath and recounted how he had been deceived by an underground organization and swindled out of five million yen.
"I know you're someone special. A big reason I approached you was because you had the ability to resolve this matter, while I didn't."
She's a wealthy heiress; to investigate this kind of matter, she only needs to say a single sentence.
The expression on Minami's face became serious, as if he was thinking.
"I want to know, why were you scammed out of five million yen? What was the reason?"
"Because... I need a heart."
"Heart? Why?"
Mizukami Orina felt herself becoming confused.
She could tell that the other person wasn't lying.
Hoshino really needs a heart.
"Actually... Rin has a heart condition that she inherited from her mother. If she doesn't receive treatment within three years, her condition will deteriorate rapidly, and then there will be no chance of a cure."
"So... I will do everything in my power to cure her, no matter what method I use."
After saying that, Kaoru lifted the curtain and walked into the ramen shop.
Outside the door, Shui Shang's eyebrows furrowed even more.
......
After finishing her work for the evening, Hoshino Rin was calculating the bills for the month.
Ingredient cost: 24 yen.
Gas and water bills: 6 yen.
Labor cost: 0 yen.
House repair cost: 10 yen.
Miscellaneous expenses: 10 yen.
Total income: 100 million yen.
"After deducting costs... the net profit is 50 yen."
"What went wrong...? It's 10 yen less than last month."
Upon hearing this number, Rin slumped onto the table, looking distressed and listless.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing her younger sister's dejected look, Xun immediately pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.
"Brother, this month's income is the lowest this year..."
Rin kept pounding the dining table with her hands, letting out a wail.
Kaoru picked up the bill and glanced at it, then began to think. The money she earned from working was really limited. She could only earn 50 yen a whole month by working hard, which meant she could earn less than 2 yen a day.
This amount of money is less than what he earns from working as a male escort for two hours.
"Don't be discouraged, it might just be the off-season now."
Kaoru patted her back gently to comfort her, while Rin gave a faint "Oh" and put away the bill.
"I'm going to take a shower. Brother, get ready too. You smell terrible."
"What do you mean by 'stinky'? This is the smell that only men have; it's called masculinity."
"It's clearly the smell of sweat..."
Rin muttered something, then turned and went upstairs.
Upon arriving at the bathroom in the room, she drew the curtains and began to remove her clothes one by one.
She lifted her right foot to test the water temperature, then submerged everything below her nose in the bathtub.
Looking at her reflection in the water, she recalled the conversations she had overheard earlier that day.
She realized that she had misunderstood her brother.
It turns out... my brother was busy until very late every day, spending time with those women, just to earn money for her heart transplant.
"My brother has always cared about me... and I was so mean to him..."
"I'm sorry to my brother..."
Rin cupped her face in her hands, recalling the words Kaoru had spoken, and she could clearly feel her heart beating faster and faster uncontrollably.
Her cheeks flushed red from some inexplicable emotional reaction, and her eyes, reflected on the water's surface, were filled with a moist sensation.
"Brother... is even gentler than I imagined..."
"Brother...I love you the most..."
Rin closed her eyes, slowly pulled her right hand out of the foam, and parted her cherry lips slightly, exhaling hot breath.
Her expression seemed completely absorbed, and she began to become dazed.
......
"Is the shower... taking a little too long?"
After waiting downstairs for thirty minutes, Xun glanced at the time and called her sister's name upstairs a few times, but there was no response.
Could the child have fainted from being soaked in water?
He was a little worried, so he quickly went upstairs.
Arriving at Rin's room, he raised his right hand, about to knock, when the door opened.
Rin, her private parts wrapped in a bath towel, had her skin slightly red.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
Looking down from this angle... the other person's outstanding figure became completely visible. Kaoru tried hard to suppress the strange thoughts that arose in her mind and responded in a calm tone.
"It's nothing. I was just a little worried about you because I saw that Rin had been soaking in the bath for a while."
"Brother... thank you, but I'm fine. Oh, by the way, the hot water is ready, brother, go take a bath."
Xun nodded gently, took the prepared clothes, and went into the bathroom.
Just as he took off his clothes and was about to take a nice bath, the bathroom door was opened without warning.
He was startled and instinctively grabbed a towel to cover his private parts.
Turning around, she found Rin standing in front of her.
"Brother, it's been so long since we bathed each other together."
Rin moved a chair over and sat down in front of Kaoru, looking up expectantly.
"Let me scrub your back, brother."