Chapter 81: I am interested in you too
After Ru helped put some of the dishes away, she heard the sound of the backdoor. 'It's a shame. I wanted to speak to him a bit longer.' But, it would be bad if Ru found Toh. However, she and Ru had already talked about what happened that day. She understood that Ru didn't want her involved with Toh.
From: Toh
Call me later.
Sumire blinked when she saw the message on her phone. This person is unusual. Then again, she was the one who asked that unusual person for a favor. She had no other choice; she didn't want to trouble any of the guys in Nanairofeather; both Asahi and Asuka have work too.
Her circle of friends is very small. She had nobody else to rely on. Her fever would not go down; if she didn't drink medicine, she would pass out.
'Initially, I had no intention of inviting him inside.' But then again, she knew it wouldn't end up with him just dropping off medication. The reality is they both needed to talk.
From: Sumire
Does it have to be later?
From: Toh
It doesn't.
The problem is, her gaze fell on Mamoru. It would be awkward speaking to Toh with Ru around.
"Ru, you didn't sleep last night, right? Why don't you take a nap?"
"But I should look after you-"
"I'm fine now. Not sleeping even for a night isn't healthy!"
"Then I'll use the guest room. Ki, you should get some rest too."
"Mm, I'll clear up here for a bit." With those words, she watched as Mamoru went up the stairs. Once she ensured that he was safely gone, she sent Toh a message, and he immediately rang her.
"I'm sorry for sending you away."
"It's fine. I asked my assistant to meet me, so a car was already waiting for me. So, that's your friend?"
"Yes." Sumire sensed his odd tone. "Jealous?"
"Hah, well, since I just expressed my interest, I am."
Sumire almost dropped her phone when she heard him say those words. Wait, is he truly jealous? When he said he was interested, did he mean romantically? But they only just met. She is indeed curious about him, but that is all.
Then again, he did insist that he would 'take responsibility' is he only behaving this way because something happened between them? It's unusual for her to be so interested in another person. For her, other humans are similar to monsters.
"We are just friends, so you don't have to worry."
"I see." Toh trailed off. "You don't have to apologize. It was fun spending time with you."
That's right; she also thinks the same.
"I want to make a deal with you. If you did a background search of me, you should know that I have some influence in the underworld. I am certain I can be an asset to you."
"Then are you willing to help me?"
"That depends on you. I'll give you a little test; if you can overcome it, then I'll gladly assist you."
A test, huh? She doesn't dislike challenges. It seems like he is having a lot of fun with this; is it just her imagination?
"Okay."
"For now, I'll give you a bit of information to thank you for yesterday. The culprit is somebody in the university."
The culprit is? A little bit of information, he says. She had no idea that the culprit was a member of the university.
"-and the missing woman is alive."
This is more than a little. All that she would have to do is narrow the search to the university students. Once she identifies the culprit, it would be easy to find the missing woman. But isn't it suspicious that he knows who the culprit is already? Even if he is a criminal psychologist, it feels like he knows too much.
No, she can now focus on the information he gave her.
"By the way, I said I'd test you, but it can wait until you recover."
"But-"
"No buts, and you should really go to a hospital. I have never heard of somebody with a nearly forty-degree fever surviving."
'I can't go to the hospital, though. No, it's not like any hospitals in this area would accept her.' Due to the influence of her ex-boyfriend's family, if she shows up at a hospital, they would turn her away.
Even when they were dating, they weren't fond of her, but they couldn't directly turn her away with Sano around. So instead, they refused her friends. Whenever she thought of hospitals, she felt bitter.
"Toh, thank you again."
When she is sick, she dislikes being left alone; that's why when Yuhi stayed with her, she was very happy. It was the first time she could sleep so peacefully in a long time. She woke up with him by her side for five days.
However, on the sixth night, she couldn't sleep well again. Toh isn't Yuhi, but she managed to rest with him by her side.
"I see. It was fun for me too. I have never met anybody like you before. Your reactions and behavior are truly unusual."
"They are?"
"I am a professional psychologist. I have observed so many people's behaviors and emotions. Only you appear to be different than the rest."
Sumire blinked when she heard his words. She and this person are strangely alike. It seems like he does not trust humans, and he appears to be bored no tired, with life. Their circumstances and reasonings differ, but they both distance themselves from other people.
What type of life has he lived so far? What type of people/situations has he gone through to end up this way? She wants to learn a bit more.
"I appear to be?"
"For now, the situation could change. You could still end up like the others."
Ah, this wording is familiar.
'-how do I know they will stay by my side? At the end of the day, everybody just leaves. They are all the same; they may act kind at the start. But when they realize I am an emotional burden, they will discard me right away.'
That's right ; she said something similar like that to Ru before. No, how many times has she repeated those words? So many people have tried to persuade her to trust people, so many have tried to heal her heart. But they have all failed.
This person doesn't have anybody they trust; he, like herself, has given up on the world. If they continue to meet, she wonders what type of influence they will have on one another.
"I'm interested in you too."
Once he discovers how broken she is, will this person stay by her side? Will he be like Ru and Yuhi, who do not judge her for all her faults?
"It seems like we will be seeing more of one another."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone