Chapter 50: Surprised?
Morofushi Sora'aki's mind was foggy; fever was nothing new to him.
He was perfectly healthy, usually fine, but he would catch a cold every time the seasons changed. At first, Morofushi Sora'aki didn't know why, but after reading a lot of medical books at Miyano Clinic, he understood.
Simply put, the mental burden from excessive mental exertion manifests physically.
Morofushi Sora'aki doesn't usually analyze things like a detective, but his hypermnesia causes him to unconsciously process memories in his brain, which is a high-energy drain.
Just like how he's eaten so much sugar that he even smells sweet all over, yet he hasn't gained weight, that's already good proof.
Because both my parents are alive, when I get sick and have a fever, someone will prepare medicine and light food at the perfect temperature for me to eat.
Instead of waking up to find a jerk with curly hair munching on a sandwich, sitting to the side with his legs crossed, playing on his phone.
It's less about playing on his phone and more about this curly-haired jerk looking like he wanted to take his phone apart.
"I got your permission." Matsuda Jinpei twirled his phone with his nimble fingers. "And you're welcome. I helped you break the Tetris record."
"..." Morofushi Sora'aki wasn't looking at his phone, but staring at the sandwich in his mouth: "Where did you get this?"
"Room service." Matsuda Jinpei replied. "Unfortunately, there's only one serving. You'll have to buy it separately if you want more."
This person... is so shameless.
"Thank you for the compliment. I've always thought it was one of my strengths." Matsuda Jinpei replied with a smile—or rather, a provocation.
Hagiwara Kenji's smile puts you at ease, while Matsuda Jinpei's smile only makes you want to punch him in the face. In this respect, Furuya Rei might feel he shares something in common with Morofushi Sora'aki.
Thanks to Matsuda Jinpei, Morofushi Sora'aki felt his drowsy mind clear up: "I hate you."
"What a coincidence, I don't like you that much either." Matsuda Jinpei finished the last bite of his sandwich. "What's next?"
"I've thought about the question you raised yesterday. Since I'm in this situation, can I assume that Hagi is in the same boat? Unable to contact me, unable to contact his family, or anything like that?"
"You can try calling him. Given that you're both in the same situation, you might get through this time." Morofushi Sora'aki got out of bed, picked up his clothes, dusted them off, and put them back on.
"I have his number." Matsuda Jinpei crumpled the sandwich wrapper into a ball and threw it into the trash can. "His SIM card is still at my house. If you'd like, you can come over before someone helps me move."
"..." Morofushi Sora'aki: "What do you have now?"
"Me?" Matsuda Jinpei joked, "A pair of nimble hands, a thinking brain, and a boxer's fist?"
"In other words, you have no money, no cell phone, no place to live, and not even a channel to provide information." translated Morofushi Sora'aki.
"It seems you really know me well." Matsuda Jinpei said cheerfully. "That's right."
"By the way, I experimented with this while you were sleeping. If there are other people around, I will turn into a cat."
"So your brilliant mind, nimble hands, and fists have all been sealed?" Morofushi Sora'aki walked out of the bathroom, his face still wet with water droplets from brushing his teeth and washing his face.
He casually ran his fingers through his hair, but because he hadn't dried his hair before going to bed last night, some of his bangs were sticking up. Morofushi Sora'aki commented, "So what use are you now?"
"At least I can still use my fists to punch you?" Matsuda Jinpei said. After all, he could only maintain his human form (provided he wasn't seen by others) in front of Morofushi Sora'aki.
However, after noticing Morofushi Sora'aki's gaze, Matsuda Jinpei shrugged and his expression turned serious: "Alright, joke time's over."
"If it weren't for your special circumstances, I'd probably still be trying to save myself." It's not just Morofushi Sora'aki who gets stray cats spayed; Matsuda Jinpei is probably more concerned about preventing them from ending up in the vet than about food.
However, Morofushi Sora'aki denied Matsuda Jinpei's guess: "Without me, you should be at the pet hospital right now—not for neutering, but for treating your wounds."
"The injuries from the explosion and the fall from a height." Morofushi Sora'aki said. "Even if you survive, you'll need to be hospitalized for at least six months. During that time, no doctor will likely consider sterilizing you."
Matsuda Jinpei decisively ignored the last sentence about sterilization and nodded, saying, "...That's right."
It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone or muscle, and for large-area burns, six months is a very low estimate.
"However, because you have thick skin, you should recover in about a year." said Morofushi Sora'aki coldly. "Once you're healed, the vet will remember that you're a stray cat and haven't been spayed/neutered."
"You will definitely refuse, so you will absolutely run away."
Matsuda Jinpei: Can you please stop bringing up sterilization all the time?
"so?"
"So next, because you can't prove that you are Matsuda Jinpei, you will start living as a black cat, and then you will start scavenging for scraps in the trash can to eat."
Matsuda Jinpei: "...Do you have a grudge against me?"
"The sandwich grudge." Morofushi Sora'aki looked up: "I'm hungry now, and because of you, I don't have any sandwiches to eat."
Matsuda Jinpei sighed, almost forgetting that the kid in front of him was still a minor, incredibly childish. He ignored the part of the speech that was clearly emotional and focused on the main point: "But you're right, food is indeed very important. After all, I'm not going to beg in front of people for food..."
Matsuda Jinpei's voice trailed off, and he hesitated before asking, "Do you think Hagi would?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "..."
Morofushi Sora'aki and Matsuda Jinpei's thought processes unconsciously overlapped. Since Matsuda Jinpei had already served as an example, if Hagiwara Kenji were also alive, aside from the first half of the treatment, what about the latter part? Being fed by a girl as a pet, etc...
If it's Hagiwara... I feel like it's not impossible... No, I can't think of him like that—but he's Hagiwara after all!!
Matsuda Jinpei's thoughts involuntarily sank into an abyss. If Hagi were to be fed as a pet, then... well, in that case, it's not entirely incomprehensible that he wouldn't want to come back.
After all, it concerns a man's...dignity.
Matsuda Jinpei hid the corners of his mouth that he couldn't control from turning up. He couldn't help but laugh when he put himself in that guy's shoes.
Morofushi Sora'aki was also swayed by the logic: "Is this some kind of comedic relief fanfiction world?"
"I've wanted to ask this before, what does 'fanfiction' mean?" Matsuda Jinpei tried hard to clear the strange thoughts from his mind.
Ignoring Matsuda Jinpei's question, Morofushi Sora'aki showed no awareness of breaking down the world barrier on his own. Instead, he pressed down his sticking-out hair and walked out.
Matsuda Jinpei: "Where are you going?"
"Buy breakfast and check out."
Matsuda Jinpei thought for a moment, then followed without much hesitation. When they turned a corner, they encountered someone, and Matsuda Jinpei automatically transformed into a cat and jumped onto Morofushi Sora'aki's shoulder.
Morofushi Sora'aki looked straight ahead and simply refused, saying, "Don't you have your own feet?"
This time, it was Matsuda Jinpei's turn to pretend he didn't hear it.
The two people—or rather, the person and the cat—hurt each other. Morofushi Sora'aki stared at the cat treats and cat food hanging in the convenience store for a while before buying them without hesitation.
After sitting down at the convenience store's designated seats, Morofushi Sora'aki placed the cat treat in front of the black cat: "Your favorite cat treat."
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei turned his back to Morofushi Sora'aki, his tail swishing back and forth, showing no intention of paying any attention to him.
Morofushi Sora'aki didn't mind, because with his Matsuda Jinpei from the Good Friends World around him, it was hard for Morofushi Sora'aki to have any ill intentions towards the black cat in front of him.
Despite the dislike, due to the transference of feelings, this dislike manifests as a playful argument between close friends.
Regarding this, Morofushi Sora'aki commented: "I hate meal replacements and stand-ins."
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei was full of questions: What on earth does this kid usually watch?
Morofushi Sora'aki put the cat treats he bought into his pocket, and then bought a lot of candy. Seeing that Morofushi Sora'aki was about to leave, Matsuda Jinpei was able to bend and stretch and jump back onto Morofushi Sora'aki's shoulder.
A boy with an already striking appearance has an obedient black cat draped over his shoulder, making him even more eye-catching.
Matsuda Jinpei clearly didn't like that look, nor did Morofushi Sora'aki, but they had a good friend named Hagiwara Kenji around, and the two of them were quite adept at it.
Matsuda Jinpei looked around, then pressed his paw against Morofushi Sora'aki's cheek, pointed to the shopping mall next door, and said "hat" in Morse code.
"I don't mind this way of communicating, but could you please not put the password on my face?" Morofushi Sora'aki said calmly.
The black cat had nothing to hide about it.
Morofushi Sora'aki bought a hat to cover his overly conspicuous face and hesitated for two seconds in front of another pet store—after all, having a cat on his shoulder was less eye-catching than carrying a cat carrier.
Matsuda Jinpei instantly understood Morofushi Sora'aki's thoughts and said, "If you dare to do that, I dare to throw away all the candy in your pocket."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "...Are you an elementary school student? How could you come up with such a childish threat?"
Matsuda Jinpei: "Then why don't you keep walking towards the pet store?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "..."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "When did you become human? You said you couldn't become human in front of people."
Matsuda Jinpei was taken aback, then belatedly realized this: "I don't know."
Morofushi Sora'aki crossed out one possibility from his mind and said, "The conditions you gave me are not complete."
"Maybe if someone who knows you appeared instead of someone watching you, would you turn into a cat?"
"I don't think that many people know me," Matsuda Jinpei said, frowning.
Morofushi Sora'aki glanced at him: "I bet you didn't even read that news carefully. Your face is now nationally famous."
"Morofushi Sora'aki" refers to the ID photo of a police officer who died on television.
"..." Matsuda Jinpei: "Tsk, I actually forgot about that."
"By the way, where are you going now?"
"Before your tombstone." Morofushi Sora'aki replied.
Matsuda Jinpei: "?"
"If Hagiwara were alive, I don't know if he could attend the funeral." said Morofushi Sora'aki, turning his head to the side. "But he can't possibly miss your grave."
"And most likely, he will appear alone when no one is around."
"..."
"So you're just going to sit here like an idiot in front of my gravestone?" Matsuda Jinpei's mind went blank. He tore open a cat treat, held it in his mouth, and said without hesitation, "I even cooperated and waited with you all afternoon—"
"It's not me waiting, it's you waiting later." Morofushi Sora'aki yawned. "I only planned to stay with you until now, don't worry, I'll remember to order food for you... What are you eating?"
Matsuda Jinpei, chewing on the cat treat, took out an unopened one and tossed it into Morofushi Sora'aki's arms: "I suggest you read the text carefully. This is for humans. It tastes like jelly."
"...Why is the jelly shaped like a cat treat?"
"How would I know? I'm more curious about the thought process of those manufacturers. A pencil sharpener shaped like instant noodles, which is actually a sandwich shaped like a sticky note, and a wet wipe shaped like a condom—sorry, I forgot you're not an adult yet, but your school should have taught you about this, right?"
Originally, neither Morofushi Sora'aki nor Matsuda Jinpei had much hope—after all, what a coincidence!
While Morofushi Sora'aki was sleeping due to a high fever, Matsuda Jinpei was wide awake. Since there was nothing he could disassemble, he picked up Morofushi Sora'aki's phone and played Tetris to calm himself down.
Then it got light.
Morofushi Sora'aki was talking about "gambling," and even he himself wasn't sure of the answer—which is why everything they're doing now has a comical feel to it.
Matsuda Jinpei, however, was like a hopeless gambler who didn't care about the outcome at all. Despite having no evidence, no way to prove it, and not even a one percent chance, he irrationally trusted this non-existent one percent.
Because he was indeed a gambler with no chips at all, and the most terrifying person is the one who has nothing.
At least he has survived, everyone has accepted Matsuda Jinpei's death, and the funeral is over. So if he loses again, it will just be another death, and it won't even cause those around him to grieve again.
Matsuda Jinpei was willing to take the gamble. Even if it turned out to be a complete waste of effort, at least he had tried and wouldn't have any regrets.
And how should I put it... before it was just speculation, but now it seems that he, the other him, and this kid have a really good relationship.
There was no envy, but I felt that my counterpart in the other world not only had Hagi who loved to watch the drama unfold, but also a little brat who looked quite troublesome: "It must be quite tough."
Matsuda Jinpei muttered something to himself and then laughed out loud.
"Did you know that laughing in a cemetery late at night is a standard feature of horror movies?"
"I'm really sorry, I haven't seen many horror movies." Matsuda Jinpei said, sitting cross-legged. "Didn't you say you wouldn't wait with me? What are you doing back now?"
"Dinner. I told you I would order it for you." Morofushi Sora'aki said coolly, "But the deliveryman said he encountered a ghost that looks exactly like the one in the tombstone photo, so he refused to deliver it. I'll have to come by myself."
"He's just being a tsundere, isn't he?" Matsuda Jinpei suddenly realized.
They didn't think they could catch anyone tonight, but they had to consider logic. However, reality didn't require that. By sheer coincidence and magic, they actually caught someone—a "ghost" of some bastard who should have died four years ago.
Because the cemetery staff had just come by, Matsuda Jinpei turned into a black cat and automatically hid in the darkness. Morofushi Sora'aki didn't hide himself either, and told the staff that the deceased had made a promise to him to eat McDonald's before he died, so he was sitting here with a hamburger. He said that the trash would be taken care of later, so there was no need to worry.
The deceased, who wanted to eat McDonald's: "..."
After that, Morofushi Sora'aki obediently took the trash to throw it away. During this process, Matsuda Jinpei, who was standing in the same spot, noticed a rustling sound on the other side.
A person emerged from the bushes beside him. His half-length hair was now adorned with a few withered leaves, but he didn't seem to notice them at all. His beautiful, drooping eyes held an undisguised pain.
When Matsuda Jinpei saw that face clearly, he stopped breathing.
When Morofushi Sora'aki returned after throwing out the trash, he saw a man lying on the ground groaning, his face unrecognizable from several punches to the face. Matsuda Jinpei was clenching his fists, his face filled with murderous intent, as if he wanted to punch him a few more times.
After thinking for a moment, Morofushi Sora'aki not only did not stop them, but also stepped back a little so as not to disturb the two people in front of him.
When Matsuda Jinpei finally calmed down a bit, he turned around and saw Morofushi Sora'aki opening the fries he hadn't finished eating and standing to the side, eating fries and watching the show.
"..."
When did you arrive?
"Finally calmed down?" Morofushi Sora'aki turned the box in his hand over and tilted it: "Perfect, I've finished my fries too."
Matsuda Jinpei took a deep breath and finally loosened his fist, while Hagiwara Kenji, lying on the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, raised his hand blankly, and asked, "Um, excuse me, did I lose my memory after being beaten? I feel like I missed a lot of the plot—Jinpei-chan, you didn't know something, so you faked your death to trick me out, did you?!"
"And this one... uh, so Morofushi-chan has a younger brother? I don't think I've ever heard him mention it?"
Hearing the commotion, the cemetery staff came over with flashlights. The three exchanged a glance, and with an unspoken understanding, they bypassed the staff and left the cemetery.
"Anyway, let's talk somewhere else." Hagiwara Kenji covered his face, which was half disfigured from the punch he had just received, and couldn't feel aggrieved, since he was in the wrong to begin with.
Morofushi Sora'aki booked another room—a single room, since the other two adults were not in a good position.
During the day, Morofushi Sora'aki bought himself a new set of clothes to change into, but Matsuda Jinpei didn't get any, so the latter could only wear his own black suit.
Matsuda Jinpei crossed his arms, his eyes extremely cold and sharp, and said to the pitiful-looking Hagiwara Kenji, "Explain."
"...Confidentiality agreement, uh, okay, I'll explain now!" Hagiwara Kenji immediately surrendered and gave up resisting: "I really was injured four years ago!"
"It's not that I didn't want to contact you—it's that I was smuggled out of the country!" Hagiwara Kenji immediately revealed the most important information to avoid being beaten up by Matsuda Jinpei again.
"...What does smuggling mean?"
At this point, Hagiwara Kenji became even more aggrieved: "Who knows! I don't remember exactly what happened during the explosion. I just realized that when I came to my senses, I was in my beast form, locked in a cage. Maybe my species is rare, so the criminals smuggled me to America!"
"Because I didn't want to be sold out, I went to great lengths and finally reported that criminal gang!"
"Should I praise you?" Matsuda Jinpei raised an eyebrow. "After you reported it, why haven't you contacted me yet?"
"You should ask me that!" Hagiwara Kenji wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. "I called you the moment I got my phone! But no matter how many times I called, no one answered!"
Matsuda Jinpei: "...When did this happen?"
Hagiwara Kenji immediately gave a time, and Matsuda Jinpei recalled: "My phone broke at that time, so I took it to get repaired, and I didn't receive any messages that day."
Hagiwara Kenji: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei: "Didn't you contact anyone else?"
"Because I just reported that criminal gang, right?" Hagiwara Kenji guiltily shifted his gaze slightly. "At the time, not only could I not contact you, but I also couldn't reach the rest of my family for some reason. So I thought I might as well go back and give you a surprise."
The result was not surprising at all. After he reported it, the police leadership contacted him at this time and confirmed his identity—at this time, Hagiwara Kenji was still abroad.
"The police asked me to be an informant because I didn't have an identity at the time, and I also inadvertently got involved in that organization." Hagiwara Kenji's expression turned cold: "That criminal line involved children, so I... agreed."
"Then year after year! Four years have passed! I was about to become the leader of that gang! And then came the news of your death—" Hagiwara Kenji burst into tears and hugged Matsuda Jinpei tightly: "Thank goodness! Jinpei-chan, you're still alive! I was so scared when I saw the news, I immediately abandoned all my missions and rushed back! Thank goodness I'm back!"
Matsuda Jinpei's heart softened a little: "...Thank you for your hard work, so is it okay to tell me all this? Is it a confidentiality agreement?"
"Oh, it doesn't matter at this level! Anyway, I've basically reported that gang to the authorities! It's about time to end this now."
"Yes." Hagiwara Kenji gave a thumbs up.
Matsuda Jinpei: "...Suddenly I don't really want to know what you've been doing."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "I'm sure of it now, this world is definitely a comedic relief version."
"Speaking of which, who exactly is this child...?" Hagiwara Kenji poked his head out from behind Matsuda Jinpei.
"I have some good news for you." Morofushi Sora'aki took out his phone and glanced at the time, recalling the time he noticed during the rooftop mission when he was learning how to install a sniper rifle.
"I suddenly remembered, Morofushi Hiromitsu is going to die next month." Morofushi Sora'aki said, raising his eyes, "Surprised? Unexpected?"