Shirakawa Natsu was taken aback. Changing the heart of a tauren had been his secret, yet Kimura Sakae now remarked that he was recovering well.
"Mr. Natsu, did you forget that Hashimoto Arina and I both graduated from medical school?" Kimura Sakae said with a smile. "Compared to the last time we met, your complexion has improved a lot. Are you planning to leave the hospital soon?"
Natsu felt a surge of caution. He didn't want to get drawn into conversation, so he replied noncommittally, "I don't know yet… I'll wait for the test results."
"Ding, ding, ding."
Her phone rang in her pocket. She bowed politely to Natsu, then stepped back a few meters to answer.
Suddenly, only Natsu and the black-haired girl, Jingu Nao, remained. Natsu felt inexplicably embarrassed in her presence.
Jingu Nao leaned forward slightly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Mr. Natsu, you look a little… listless."
"Uh… is it that obvious?" Natsu was startled. There were just too many things on his mind lately. After all, he had only just successfully captured Hashimoto Arina because of a mix of luck and his careful planning. Naturally, he wondered: would he have the same success with the next target?
Jingu Nao brought a finger to her lips, her eyes sparkling like crescents. "Like a social animal on the last night of a holiday… have you run into trouble, Mr. Natsu?"
Natsu found himself intrigued by her lively, warm demeanor. For him, the worry was always practical—how to win someone else's girlfriend—so he smiled faintly. "Probably… I'm just anxious. Not sure if I'll reach my goal."
Nao placed her hands behind her back, leaning in with energy and optimism. "When I'm not confident, I push even harder. All the effort we put in is for this very moment. Take every memory, every struggle, and turn it into a shiny badge you wear on your chest with pride."
"Interesting theory," Natsu murmured, rubbing his temple. He wasn't one to be easily swayed. But there was something disarming about this small, energetic girl—her vitality seemed almost tangible.
While they spoke, Kimura Sakae returned, phone in hand. She smiled at Natsu. "Sorry, some matters at school need my attention. I'll leave you here."
"Okay," Natsu waved briefly, but the closer she came, the more alert he became. Seeing her today transformed—silver-haired, calm, radiating a refined beauty—gave him an involuntary chill.
"Goodbye, Mr. Natsu~" Jingu Nao waved enthusiastically, trailing after Sakae.
Natsu's gaze lingered on Nao's long, straight legs clad in black stockings. Coupled with her sunny personality, anyone around her would never feel lonely.
Once Kimura Sakae departed, Natsu completed the rest of his examinations and then carried his results to the office of his new attending physician.
This doctor was a professor with half-white hair. Adjusting his glasses, he studied Natsu's reports intently before meeting his eyes, hesitation flickering across his features.
"I know my body pretty well," Natsu said lightly. "Just tell me."
The professor nodded. "Mr. Natsu, your heart is extremely healthy—more energetic than most peers. But your other organs are deteriorating at varying degrees." He pointed to the report. "The most critical concern is chronic renal failure, accompanied by nausea, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. I strongly recommend hospitalization; without it, uremia could develop at any moment."
"I'm not staying in the hospital," Natsu said firmly. "I just need medicine to relieve the symptoms—and keep my information private."
The professor raised his glasses. "Mr. Natsu, you are a valued VIP here. But for your health, I must stress: if you refuse hospitalization, your lifespan may be limited to one year, and your condition could deteriorate rapidly."
Natsu glanced at him, inwardly thinking: if you were a mature wife, maybe I'd consider it. Shaking his head, he said, "I know my situation. Prescribe the medicine as I requested."
Seeing that he was resolute, the professor reluctantly complied. He shook his head in secret frustration—such a high-quality, wealthy patient could have brought great profit to the hospital if hospitalized.
After leaving the ward, Natsu picked up the prescribed medications from the pharmacy. A wave of dizziness hit him. Kidney failure restricted physical exertion, and the symptoms would worsen over time, reaching a critical point within a year.
But compared to a potentially fatal heart problem, kidney failure was slower. Still, he could not relax: one year was theoretical. Without proper care, the condition could worsen at any time.
Using the Huangmao App to replace a kidney became his primary goal.
There was another consideration: upgraded kidneys could enhance male abilities. And organs exchanged through the Huangmao App weren't limited to internal organs—they could also be upgraded tauren appendages. Start at 20 centimeters, and a few upgrades later… the difference would be staggering.
If not for the need to preserve his life, any ordinary person could get the app. But organ exchange, especially for these upgrades, was not trivial.
Natsu seemed to gradually understand the right way to utilize the Tauren app.
Shoving disturbing thoughts aside, he headed to the lobby to find Yazhikui. By the time he arrived with a large bag of medicine, she had already exchanged contact information with the beautiful nurse.
"Let's go home," she said, and they left the hospital together, boarding her jeep.
During the ride, they discussed university applications and future plans. Despite Natsu's fragile condition, she did not pry into his symptoms.
The car stopped in front of a luxury apartment in central Tokyo. Natsu looked up: over thirty floors, meticulously built—a true high-end residence.
He rode the spacious elevator with Yazhikui to the twelfth floor. Using the envelope key, he opened the duplex: over a hundred square meters, four bedrooms, two living rooms, fully furnished.
Shirakawa Natsu tossed his belongings into the master bedroom, then called Hashimoto Arina to arrange dinner later.
After the call, he saw Yazhikui lounging on the sofa, legs folded gracefully. At 1.79 meters tall, her curves rivaled professional models.
"Yazhikui, want to move in with me?" Natsu asked. Living together would save time and allow him to rely on her in case of emergencies at night.
Yazhikui glanced at him. "To live together… or really live together?"
"Really live together," he clarified, pointing to the second-floor side room.
She considered for a few seconds. "I don't like wearing clothes after a shower."
Natsu glanced at her S-shaped figure. Of course he didn't mind. But to be polite, he asked, "Should I wear something?"
She looked up from her perch. "You'd better."
He felt slighted but maintained his serious tone. "Anything else I should know?"
"I'm lazy—usually leave my clothes wherever I change," she said. "And I'm not big on hygiene."
"Okay, I'll move anything left lying around to the bathroom."
"I often bring women back," she added.
"Doesn't matter," Natsu replied.
"I might not always be in my room."
"Can I join?" he asked after a moment of thought.
She considered, then said, "Depends on the situation."
Natsu bowed deeply. "Please, make sure to include me."
They smiled at each other. Years of friendship had forged an understanding: these confessions of habits were more playful than serious. Natsu also knew Yazhikui would never actually flirt with another woman in front of him.
Later, they went shopping for daily necessities, busy until sunset.
Yazhikui dropped him off at the hotel and returned to pack, planning to move in that night or the next. Natsu offered to help, but her disdainful glance discouraged him. Yet he felt grateful—her lone-wolf nature was tempered by genuine concern for his well-being.
Checking the time, he still had half an hour before his appointment. Entering the hotel, he found Hashimoto Arina waiting in the lobby, obviously dressed with care: long hair usually in a ponytail, two small braids forming a circle at the back, her makeup immaculate, radiating a mature elegance.
Her aura differed entirely from the youthful charm of Jingu Nao. Here was the poised, beautiful "next-door sister" who had grown into a mature, dignified woman.
"Sister Arina, you look stunning today… I've never seen you wear this outfit before," Shirakawa Natsu said, stepping forward with a smile and holding her hands.