Chapter 226: Cold

Like a thief, Takeda slowly sat up and turned his head cautiously to the side.

Next to him lay a completely naked, sleeping girl. That girl was none other than Takeshima Shinobu.

A wave of absurdity surged through Takeda’s mind.

Damn it, what the hell happened? Takeda fought through the pounding headache from his hangover, trying hard to recall what had happened the previous night.

He only remembered meeting her at the bar, drinking together, and having a long conversation. Beyond that, everything was a blur.

Takeda gave a bitter smile. He hadn’t expected his first time to be spent in such a vague and unclear way.

Except for Yoshikawa, who had been his childhood friend, no one would believe that, until last night, Takeda was still a virgin.

Kyoto and Tokyo were different. Kyoto was a traditional, historic city with a much more conservative social atmosphere compared to the openness of Tokyo. Although Takeda gave off the impression of being a rebellious youth, the strict, conservative family upbringing and the curfews his father imposed specifically on him meant that he didn’t have much time to fool around during his middle and high school years. Moreover, he wasn’t the type of guy who easily attracted women. Still, he would never have dreamed that his first time would be with her.

Oh well, what’s done is done. After all, men never really lose out in these situations. Having come to terms with it, Takeda couldn’t help but take a closer look at the sleeping girl beside him.

To his surprise, her figure was far better than he had imagined. He had thought she was more of the “flat-chested” type.

Her waist was slender. Though she didn’t have an exaggeratedly voluptuous figure, her curves were well-proportioned and naturally balanced. Compared to those trendy girls who deliberately tanned their skin bronze, her skin was incredibly fair and delicate, exuding a fragile, heart-stirring beauty.

Recalling the intriguing sensation his right hand had felt earlier and seeing the exposed, perfectly rounded firmness of her chest, Takeda felt his throat tighten with heat.

As his gaze continued downward, his eyes fell on a small patch of dried red blood on the pristine white bedsheet.

In that instant, Takeda had an overwhelming urge to run away from the room immediately.

Don’t panic. It might not be what I think it is. It could just be because of her period or something, he thought, trying to comfort himself. Quietly, he got up and reached for his pants.

Just as he picked up his pants from the floor and was about to put them on, a sudden burst of music from his phone on the bedside table startled him.

Takeda froze, pants in hand, utterly at a loss.

It was clear that Takeda and Takeshima Shinobu had different tastes in music. What Takeda considered a lively, upbeat ringtone was harsh and jarring to Takeshima Shinobu.

Groggily reaching for the noisy phone, Takeshima Shinobu opened her eyes slightly. The caller ID displayed Yoshikawa’s name.

Strange, why is he calling me? she wondered in her hazy state.

The ringing stopped just as she was thinking this. Shinobu didn’t bother calling back; instead, she chose to close her eyes and continue sleeping. The headache from her hangover was just as tormenting, making it hard for her to think straight.

Suddenly, she became aware of the smooth, bare sensation of her body. That unnerving feeling of being naked, especially for someone unused to such exposure, sent a jolt through her. She immediately reopened her eyes.

As she attempted to sit up, a sharp pain from her lower body made her freeze in place.

The unfamiliar pain jolted her fully awake. She glanced down at her lower body, and her face instantly turned pale. In that moment, she realized what had happened to her. A wave of intense sorrow crashed over her, overwhelming her senses like a relentless tide.

Unlike some of her classmates who saw their virginity as a source of shame, Takeshima Shinobu was an ordinary yet somewhat conservative girl. She had always believed that her first time should be reserved for someone she truly loved. She had even imagined that if Yasuda had wanted it back then, she would have given herself to him without hesitation. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that the precious thing she had stubbornly guarded would be lost in such a manner.

At the same time, a surge of equally intense anger rose within her. She was determined to find the detestable man responsible.

When she lifted her tear-filled eyes, she suddenly saw a man in the corner of the room, awkwardly putting on his pants.

“Who are you?!” Takeshima Shinobu wiped her tears forcefully and glared at the man with eyes that could kill.

“Good… good morning,” Takeda stammered with a forced smile.

A passing cleaner in the hallway suddenly heard loud thuds from the room ahead, followed by the sound of objects shattering as they hit the floor, interspersed with several male screams of pain.

Startled, the cleaner thought a murder was taking place and hurried downstairs to call for help.

※※※

Today was Akagi Miho’s discharge day.

Although she had only suffered minor scrapes on her limbs and had recovered physically after two days in the hospital, the psychological trauma she had endured required continued counseling. After a week of therapy, she was finally ready to leave.

The only people who came to pick her up were the chairman of the Youth Writers’ Association, Lei Yin, and Naoko.

Due to the murders of two writers at the hands of the serial killer, the Japanese Writers’ Association had decided to cut the youth writers’ exchange event short for safety reasons. Over two days, writers from different prefectures departed one after another. Among the dozen or so writers from Tokyo, half had returned, while six or seven braver ones decided to stay at their Gero inn, feeling it was far enough from Nagoya to continue their vacation.

After the chairman completed the discharge procedures, the four of them slowly exited the hospital.

Once outside, Akagi Miho took a deep breath of fresh air and said with relief, “Finally out! I couldn’t stand the constant smell of disinfectant and those ugly hospital gowns.”

Naoko smiled. “You forgot one thing — the hospital food.”

Akagi Miho nodded emphatically. “You’re absolutely right. That food was horrible! When I get back, I’m going to eat all the delicious dishes I can. Chairman, prepare to mourn for your wallet!”

“Miho, you’ve just been discharged. It’s better to stick to light foods for now.”

“Chairman, don’t be so stingy. Besides, the exchange event expenses are covered by the publishers. Why are you so worried?”

“I’m not worried! I’m just concerned about your health.”

As they spoke, the sudden sound of urgent police sirens interrupted them. In no time, several police cars roared past them down the street.

“That’s a lot of police cars. I wonder what happened,” the chairman said, watching the cars until they disappeared.

Lei Yin turned to Naoko and said, “I’ll go hail a cab. Wait here for a moment.”

“Okay.”

Just as she answered, Naoko noticed Lei Yin staring intently at the corner of the street with a peculiar expression.

“Masashi, what’s wrong?” Naoko glanced in the same direction but saw nothing.

“Nothing, maybe I saw wrong.” Lei Yin slowly averted his gaze and walked to the roadside to hail a taxi.

That evening, in the dining room of the inn, a young writer spoke nervously, “Gero is so close to Nagoya. Are we really safe staying here? I heard that the ‘Midnight Butcher’ has already killed over a hundred people in Nagoya.”

His companion, a bespectacled man in his thirties, seemed unconcerned as he drank his sake. “What’s there to be afraid of? I heard the police have already caught that lunatic. We finally have time to enjoy Gero’s hot springs, so let’s make the most of it.”

“Is that news reliable?” another writer interjected.

“Of course it is! When have I ever lied to you? The funniest part is how Eguchi and Takemura ran off at the slightest rumor. They bolted faster than rabbits, totally embarrassing us writers from Tokyo,” the increasingly tipsy man said with growing enthusiasm.

Their loud conversation reached Akagi Miho, who had just been discharged. Hearing them mention the serial killer brought back vivid memories of the incident, and her face turned pale. Her body began to tremble slightly.

Naoko, sitting beside her, noticed her reaction and subtly signaled Lei Yin with her eyes.

Lei Yin smiled and nodded in understanding.

Naoko then turned to Akagi Miho and gently said, “Akagi-san, how about we have dinner in your room? It’ll be quieter there.”

Akagi Miho looked at her with gratitude. “Thank you, Hasegawa-san.”

“You’re too polite,” Naoko replied with a smile. Seeing Akagi Miho agree, she called for the inn’s staff to bring their meals to the room.

As the three of them left, Asou Kiku muttered under her breath, “Hypocrites.”

The Youth Writers’ Association chairman, sitting with her, pretended not to hear and continued eating.

Asou Kiku glanced at him and said, “Chairman Amuro, are you planning to return to Tokyo tomorrow?”

The chairman replied, “Yes, now that Akagi-san has been discharged, I can return with peace of mind.”

Asou Kiku said, “When you go back, please tell Editor-in-Chief Sato at the publishing house that I’m currently searching for inspiration and won’t be able to submit my manuscript for now. Ask him to be patient.”

The chairman looked at her curiously and asked, “Aren’t you going back, Asou-san? The former chairman might worry about you.”

Asou Kiku’s face darkened. “Don’t mention that person in front of me.”

It seemed the rumors about their impending divorce were true, the chairman thought as he observed her expression.

“What a group of infuriating idiots!” Back in her room, the visibly agitated Asou Kiku hurled a pillow at the door with force.

After lying on the bed for a while, she decided to take a hot bath to relax. She walked to the wardrobe, opened it, and reached for her nightwear.

As soon as she opened the wardrobe, something flew out from inside, startling her so much that she instinctively let out a scream.

However, her scream was cut short in an instant. Asou Kiku felt something cold pierce through her throat. The attack happened so suddenly that she felt no pain—just an overwhelming coldness, as though ice had spread through her throat…