Chapter Thirty-Six: Gaining Skill Points Once Again
If one must choose the most unforgettable day of their life, Yohji Yamamoto would undoubtedly select today.
November 27th, 2012.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day: the organization issued a task, the underlings carried it out.
Yohji Yamamoto was one of those underlings, and his assignment concerned a woman named Tokiko Kurorai.
Tokiko Kurorai was beautiful—this was Yohji’s first impression. She wore a black-and-white maid outfit, a cat-ear hair accessory perched on her head. Her long flaxen hair was tied into a fluffy ponytail, draped over her chest. Her delicate, charming face was always adorned with a gentle smile, and behind her, a brown cat tail swayed with the breeze, making his younger brother Yamamoto wish he could take her place.
Yet this woman, who embodied both cuteness and virtue, was about to be sent to headquarters as an “actress” because she couldn’t repay her late husband’s debt.
Every time he thought about it, Yohji felt a wrenching pain in his chest.
He recognized the feeling—back in his senior year of high school, when his girlfriend eloped with his mother, it hurt just the same.
But worse pain was yet to come.
Everything had been going smoothly. They were preparing to take Tokiko Kurorai away, when suddenly, someone burst into the café—a guy in athletic wear, with black stockings pulled over his head.
He was like Bruce Lee in the movies: quick and ruthless, attacking everyone in sight. His punches were fast and fierce, and that whip kick—Scarface, their boss, was barely grazed, yet all his teeth went flying, blood filling his mouth.
Seeing his companions felled one by one, Yohji Yamamoto, the strongest member of the group, refused to stand by. With all his strength, he dashed toward the café entrance at the fastest speed of his life.
He knew that if he ran fast enough, the fists wouldn’t catch him.
And indeed, he made it to the door.
Freedom was just beyond the threshold, but suddenly a chair hurtled toward his legs at breakneck speed.
With a scream, Yohji fell.
Looking up at the demon approaching step by step, Yohji recalled something a sage ancestor had once said, and immediately shouted his family name.
He thought the Yamamoto clan’s notorious reputation in Tokyo might intimidate the assailant—but he was only half right.
The attacker was indeed startled, but did not stop his onslaught. Even as fists and feet rained down on him, Yohji could vaguely hear the man calling his name.
It sounded like… “Yamamoto, I curse your ancestors!”
Yohji didn’t understand, but that didn’t prevent him from being beaten.
…
In the end, all nine members of Yohji’s group were knocked out, unable to move.
They could only watch as the man with the black stockings slung Tokiko Kurorai over his shoulder and walked out.
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They didn’t even know who that guy was, or how old he might be. The only possible clue was that phrase, spoken in authentic Mandarin.
“Yamamoto, I curse your ancestors!”
…
On the other side.
After leaving the café, Anhe did not immediately hail a taxi. Instead, carrying Tokiko Kurorai, he ran straight into the alley behind the café.
This was a well-known food district, so there were plenty of residential buildings nearby. The dense, crisscrossing alleys formed a sprawling spiderweb.
Fortunately, surveillance systems weren’t widespread in 2012, so these alleys lacked many cameras.
He ran until his legs felt weak, and finally slowed to a stop.
[Feeling the softness against your shoulder and back, and the fragrance of a mature woman lingering at your nose, greed flickers in your eyes. No one is around, there are no cameras, and you’re wearing black stockings—no one saw your face. Isn’t this the perfect crime scene?]
The sudden narration saved Anhe the trouble of surveying his surroundings.
He found a secluded spot, set Tokiko Kurorai down, and sat on the ground, breathing heavily.
Carrying someone while running had exhausted him.
Tokiko Kurorai didn’t try to escape after landing. She stared blankly at the man with the black stockings and spoke softly.
“Anhe-kun…”
“Ah, you recognized me?” Anhe was surprised at his exposure, so he pulled off the black stockings to reveal his true face, smiling lightly at Tokiko Kurorai. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Kurorai.”
No sooner had Anhe finished speaking than Tokiko Kurorai lunged forward and hugged him tightly.
Softness and fragrance filled his arms, and Anhe was momentarily stunned. Only when the woman in his embrace began to tremble and he heard faint sobs did he realize what was happening, quickly wrapping his arms around her.
“It’s all right now. You’re safe.”
He spoke gently, stroking Tokiko Kurorai’s back. After a while, her sobbing ceased.
When she looked up again, her alluring eyes shimmered with tears.
Seeing this, Anhe raised his hand to her cheek, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb. She never flinched.
She gazed quietly at Anhe, as if wanting to engrave his image in her memory.
After a long pause, Tokiko Kurorai spoke softly.
“Thank you, Yusheng-kun.”
Anhe grinned, responding casually, “No problem. I never liked those guys anyway. Just their bad luck, I suppose.”
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Tokiko Kurorai seemed about to say something more, when Anhe’s phone rang in his pocket.
He checked the caller ID: Haruki Sato.
He signaled to Tokiko Kurorai to stay quiet, then answered.
“Manager, is something wrong?”
“Is something wrong?” Haruki Sato’s tone was rather harsh.
Anhe’s heart skipped a beat, but soon she spoke again.
“Don’t worry, it’s all taken care of. Since those guys are all gangsters, they won’t go to the police. Their people have already picked them up.”
Hearing this, both Anhe and Tokiko Kurorai breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Manager,” Anhe said sincerely.
Haruki Sato could tell Anhe didn’t want to explain his current situation, so she wisely refrained from asking further.
Even though Anhe had changed clothes and wore black stockings, after working together for several days, Haruki Sato had recognized him immediately.
She was particularly surprised by Anhe’s formidable fighting skills.
Seeing he didn’t want to admit it, she didn’t expose him directly.
After chatting for a bit longer, they hung up.
Anhe put away his phone, looked down at Tokiko Kurorai in his arms, and smiled.
“It’s settled, for now.”
She stared at Anhe’s face, just inches away, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly leaned forward.
Their lips met.
At the same time, a pink screen appeared before Anhe’s eyes.
[Name: Tokiko Kurorai]
[Current status: Soul struggling in desperation]
[Current favorability: 71 (shy affection). Note: She has fallen for you, but is acutely aware of the gulf between you, so she cannot take the initiative to cross that divide.]
[Note: Because you just avoided Tokiko Kurorai’s hidden evil-fall ending, you are rewarded with 20 basic skill points.]
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