Chapter Eighty-Five: Farewell, Ju Zhanyi

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Leaving Norie Ito’s home, the sky was already brushing up against twilight. The sun had fully set, leaving only a red afterglow streaking across the heavens, beneath which the neon-lit city night began to shimmer.

The good news: Norie Ito hadn’t refused his confession. The bad news: she hadn’t exactly agreed, either.

He lingered for a moment, gazing at the sunset, his face still swollen and red, before swinging his leg over the black-and-green motorcycle.

Moments ago, swept away by emotion, he had tried to repeat what he’d done on their school trip—reaching out, exploring—but this time Norie Ito had no qualms, and so...

“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—you made a silent vow, today’s humiliation will be repaid with interest! Still, if she’s so sensitive about that valley, it must be Norie Ito’s most sensitive spot...”

Could he really say such things?

He winced, the phrase echoing in his mind like those familiar lines from video games in his past life: “You’ve marked a location.”

...

Half an hour later, he reached his doorstep.

Tightening his grip on the bag of oranges he’d bought along the way, he unlocked the door.

He glanced inside—the living room was shrouded in darkness.

“Not home?” he muttered, frowning, but relaxed when he saw two pairs of women’s round-toed shoes by the entryway.

They were home but hadn’t turned on the lights. Were they napping?

With that thought, he shut the door behind him, changed his shoes, and walked in with the oranges.

As soon as he stepped into the living room, he saw two figures on the sofa—one tall, one small—the Amamiya sisters.

“Sagiri, Saori? Why are you two sitting here in the dark and silent?”

He spoke, but noticing the expressions on their faces, his frown deepened.

“Did something happen?”

His question brought the sisters out of their daze. Seeing his furrowed brow, Sagiri hesitated before nodding, and recounted their encounter with Sawano Watanabe that afternoon.

When she finished, his frown only grew deeper.

That Jun Amamiya’s death was a conspiracy didn’t surprise him—Saori’s uncle’s reaction days ago had already hinted at his likely involvement.

What truly caught him off guard was that Mai Tachibana was involved as well.

Almost immediately, the image of that dangerously alluring woman, whom the narrative voice had warned him about at first sight, sprang into his mind.

But wasn’t she mixed up with the underworld? How did she become entangled with the Amamiya family?

As if reading his thoughts, Saori produced a business card from her pocket and placed it on the table.

“This is from Uncle Watanabe. Should we call and ask?”

Sagiri echoed her suggestion.

She didn’t know much about Mai Tachibana, but judging from her sister’s and his reactions, both clearly did.

Seeing their agreement, he nodded and dialed the number on the card.

To their surprise, the phone rang for over half a minute with no answer.

“Maybe she’s asleep?” Saori ventured.

“That’s unlikely—it’s only around seven,” he replied, then suddenly remembered the creamy-scented card Mai Tachibana had given him last time.

Comparing the numbers using his “Memory Replay” skill, he realized they were different.

Should he try that one?

He did, punching in the second number.

This time, after two rings, someone picked up.

“Who is it?” A soft, sultry voice came through the speaker, instantly perking up Saori, who had been disappointed at the lack of answer.

Sagiri, meanwhile, noticed sharply that this was a different number than before.

He failed to notice her reaction, set the phone on speaker, and sat down.

“Miss Tachibana, this is Yusei Anwa—the one who helped you with those two thugs on the street. Do you remember me?”

“Oh, it’s you!” Her voice rose with laughter. “How could I forget? You’re my savior.”

“You flatter me. But with your connections, I imagine those two who offended you are probably at the bottom of Tokyo Bay by now.”

He segued abruptly to the point, mentioning her true identity.

This time, there was a long silence before her sultry voice returned.

“If you want to know, Anwa-kun, you can come see for yourself~”

Though her tone was unchanged, he couldn’t help but feel a chill down his spine.

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He shrugged off the discomfort and shifted the topic to the Amamiya sisters.

...

“Huh? You mean the Amamiya family?” The sound of running water came through the receiver as Mai Tachibana spoke again.

“That idiot Koji Amamiya came to me before, wanting my help to get rid of some people. In exchange, he offered five percent of the Amamiya family’s assets.”

“So you helped him?” Anwa’s frown deepened, and Saori’s face fell. If not for her sister covering her mouth, she would have started cursing.

Sensing the tension, Mai Tachibana explained offhandedly, “I did help, but the matter with Mr. and Mrs. Amamiya had nothing to do with me. In fact, I only found out about Koji’s other plans the next day.”

Anwa’s frown eased, but he couldn’t help his curiosity about her choice of words.

“Why do you keep calling Koji Amamiya an idiot?”

Mai Tachibana didn’t hide her disdain. “Isn’t he? The man’s old enough to be my father, yet he wanted to marry me. He even claimed the five percent was a dowry.”

“That is pretty stupid,” Anwa agreed, then asked, “Did you accept?”

A soft laugh came through, interspersed with the sound of running water.

“If I had, I wouldn’t have sent anyone to look for those two girls from the Amamiya family.”

Her voice became lazy. “Anyway, I just finished my bath and want to rest. If you want to know more, come find me tomorrow.”

With that, the call ended abruptly. Moments later, a text arrived—a string of directions.

He set the phone down and looked at the sisters, shrugging helplessly. “She wants me to visit her tomorrow.”

“Can I come with you?” Saori asked immediately, desperate for answers.

He refused outright. Until he knew what Mai Tachibana was planning, he wouldn’t let the sisters take any risks.

Seeing his resolve, Saori bowed her head in disappointment, while the usually quiet Sagiri spoke up.

“Are you and Mai Tachibana close?” she asked.

He turned to her, saw her gentle smile, and shivered, quickly denying it.

He knew from experience: whenever Sagiri smiled like that, he was in for trouble.

It was thrilling, but too frequent—no matter how tough a man, repeated trials would wear him down.

But Sagiri wasn’t letting him off. “If you’re not close, how could you memorize her other phone number?”

He was speechless. He couldn’t very well admit it was his “Memory Replay” skill.

Seeing him silent, Sagiri’s smile grew even brighter.

After a simple dinner, she brought her sister a cup of hot milk. Once Saori drank it and fell asleep, Sagiri dragged him to the bathroom.

Unbeknownst to Sagiri, as soon as she left, Saori’s eyes snapped open.

Hearing the suggestive sounds from the bathroom, her cheeks flushed crimson.

“So it really is like that...” she thought, quietly crawling to the kitchen and spitting out the milk she’d never swallowed.

She’d been troubled ever since she’d mysteriously fallen asleep last night and everything that happened this morning.

Something wasn’t right.

So, that day at school, she went to the library computers to search for clues: sleeping next to her sister, a chestnut scent in the air, soaked sheets...

When she put in those keywords, the search results opened a whole new world for her.

“To do that kind of thing beside your sister and then blame me... how unfair...”

Even so, Saori obediently returned to the sofa. She didn’t want to blow her cover. Refusing the milk was just to test her theory—not because she wanted to peek!

Absolutely not!

...

The next morning.

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Saori, sporting dark circles and tissue in her nostrils, arrived at her classroom.

“Hey, Saori, did you not sleep well last night?” a classmate called out.

She shook her head helplessly. “Not really. Two mosquitoes buzzed in my ear half the night.”

“And your nose?” the girl asked worriedly.

“Just a little nosebleed, nothing serious,” she replied, then beckoned her friend closer and whispered, “Yuno, can you come shopping for clothes with me after school?”

“Huh? Of course! I was planning to go too,” Yuno replied. “What are you buying, more Lolita dresses?”

Saori blushed, crossing her legs self-consciously. “Not really... just some new underwear...”

Meanwhile, on the other side of town.

Anwa didn’t go to school that day. After asking Norie Ito for leave, he headed straight to the address Mai Tachibana had sent him.

On the outskirts of Tokyo.

He parked by the roadside and looked at the luxurious estate ahead. Confirming the address, he called Mai Tachibana.

She answered, and after he introduced himself, the gates soon opened a crack.

A woman in her thirties peeked out. “Are you Mr. Yusei Anwa?”

“That’s me,” he nodded.

She opened the gate fully and bowed politely. “Please come in, sir. The lady is waiting in the parlor.”

“Thank you,” he replied, following her through the courtyard to a single-story house.

The wooden door was open, revealing a graceful figure reclining on a tatami mat, propped on one arm, smiling at him.

Long black hair cascaded over her fragrant shoulder, clad in a purple floral yukata—pale, flawless collarbones, a slender waist, a chest rising enticingly. If one looked closely, a hint of snowy curve was visible.

Knowing a guest was coming, she still chose to lounge like this.

Had she been born in another age, she’d surely rival even the legendary beauties.

“Aren’t you coming in?” she called, a touch of impatience in her voice.

He smirked, slipped off his shoes, and stepped up into the room.

The parlor was spacious, reminiscent of the one from their school trip.

The moment he entered, a delicate floral scent filled the air.

Looking around, he spotted rows of potted plants in the corner.

Though it was the dead of winter, each blossom was in full, vibrant bloom.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” Mai Tachibana’s voice broke the silence.

She rose from the tatami, stretching her arms, then walked barefoot to the plants, watering them as she spoke.

“I had them shipped in from all over. I love flowers—especially the showy ones.”

“They suit you,” he replied.

“Is that so?” She looked surprised, then caught his gaze and smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “So, Anwa-kun, tell me—which is more beautiful: me, or the flowers?”

He paused, then answered honestly, “You, of course.”

He was telling the truth. Flowers, however lovely, had their limits—but Mai Tachibana did not.

From the elegance of their first meeting to the lazy allure of today, she never failed to show him a new side.

Starting tomorrow, eight thousand words a day.

(End of chapter)