Page 8
Page 8
The blanket was very thin, and the bumps were clearly visible.
Miyuki placed her phone on her feet and smoothed her stray hairs with her hands: "Is it about Hashimoto Arina again?"
“Yes, a handsome guy driving a Porsche came to the hospital to see her today.” Shirakawa Natsu briefly recounted what happened during the day to Minoki: “What do you think I should do next?”
"There's no chance of winning, give up." Miyuki tied her medium-length, layered hair into a braid at the back of her head, picked up her phone: "Leaving aside whether you two can be together, if you were Hashimoto Arina, who would you choose?"
Shirakawa Natsuichi was speechless for a moment.
"The reason you feel pain is simply because of jealousy." Miyuki stared at the screen, her gaze seemingly piercing through the network to look at him.
"It feels like something that was clearly mine was taken away by another man. I don't see much love in you."
Arina Hashimoto only appears in your life when you feel it's the right time.
The thought of falling in love crossed my mind, and looking around, I saw someone who seemed perfect in every way.
"Stop cursing, stop cursing." Shirakawa Natsu covered his face, too annoyed by the cursing to even look at his best friend's bulge.
He knew that Miyuki was trying to persuade him.
He knew even better that there was absolutely no possibility for the two of them to be together, given their different identities and positions.
Even though Hashimoto Arina agreed to date him, he never felt it was because of love.
But he wanted to live, even though he knew the road was full of thorns and there was no other way but to forge a path to survival.
Seeing that he was covering his face, Mi Zhi Shi stopped talking and picked up a mineral water bottle from the side, unscrewed the cap, tilted her head back and opened her mouth.
Shirakawa Natsu saw her teeth through the screen: "Minobi, why are your teeth so sharp?"
Human teeth consist of incisors, canines, and molars.
When Mikoto opened his mouth, his canine teeth were longer and sharper than normal, no wonder they scratched his skin last time.
"What?" Mi no Shi asked, looking puzzled after finishing her water.
"Uh, it's nothing, it's probably because of the video." Shirakawa Natsumi didn't intend to continue the topic.
If the discussion continued, it would inevitably bring up the matter of the last time, so he changed the subject, saying:
"Do you think it's possible that Hashimoto Arina isn't dating that guy, or that they have some other kind of relationship?"
That's how it's always portrayed in TV dramas; a misunderstanding that could be explained in a few words is stretched out over several episodes.
When he brought up the topic, Miyuki fell silent until Shirakawa Natsuya noticed her unusual behavior.
Miyuki picked up her phone and said seriously, "His name is Kimura Hama. He and Hashimoto Arina are childhood friends. They were together in elementary school, junior high school, high school, and university."
The moment Shirakawa Natsumi received the affirmative answer, his heart clenched. He forced a smile and said, "Is the information accurate? I saw people at the hospital saying that Sister Youcai is single."
Sensing the panic in his voice, Miyuki's expression remained unchanged, offering no words of comfort, and she stated the facts in a matter-of-fact tone:
“Arina Hashimoto grew up in the hospital and she and the hospital director’s daughter are cousins.”
Shirakawa Natsu remembered that Miyuki had said yesterday that she had gotten together with the director's daughter, so the woman she had just slept with was obviously this one.
He has no mood to care about other people's business right now; he just feels a tightness in his chest.
Shirakawa Natsu leaned back on the hospital bed, which was very soft and had been made up for him by Hashimoto Arina.
At that moment, he felt a mix of emotions.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Miyuki didn't disturb him. She picked up a bag of potato chips from the side, tore open the packaging, and put it in her mouth.
Miyuki is handsome, the kind of handsome that's cool and aloof. He has a blank expression and maintains a cold and handsome face, making a "ripping" sound as he chews potato chips.
Shirakawa Natsu wanted to linger on her sentimental mood for a while longer, but the sound of her biting into potato chips made her flustered and all the mood vanished.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Shirakawa Natsu shouted in the video, suddenly feeling a strange and endearing contrast between his childhood friend and his childhood friend.
Miyuki frowned, her face cold as she asked, "What did you say?"
"Oh, never mind, it's nothing." Shirakawa Natsu waved her hand. Reality isn't a TV drama. There's only one reason why childhood sweethearts can't be together: the other person isn't handsome or beautiful enough.
Hashimoto Arina is a beauty, and Kimura Hama is described as handsome by the nurses, and he even drives a Porsche.
Judging from today's situation, the two may have had a recent argument, which is why Hashimoto Arina agreed to try dating him.
But there was an element of spite involved, and perhaps other reasons as well, but without a doubt, the two will eventually end up together.
Shirakawa Natsu wasn't naive enough to think that a few days of ambiguous atmosphere could outweigh decades of feelings in someone else.
"Fate is unpredictable; destiny is truly full of drama." Shirakawa Natsu shook her head helplessly, giving him the magical app but choosing a task that was basically impossible to complete.
“Kimura Hama is already married, and his wife is not Hashimoto Arina,” Minoko suddenly said.
"What?!" Shirakawa Natsu jumped out of bed, wondering if she had misheard.
"When Kimura Hama graduated from university, he participated in a club graduation trip and accidentally fell off a cliff and went missing." Miyuki slowly narrated: "The rescue team searched the entire mountain forest but found nothing."
"And then?" Shirakawa Natsumi suddenly found the situation developing strangely.
"Three months later, he suddenly appeared on the highway and was rescued by a passing vehicle." Miyuki's tone remained unchanged:
"He has amnesia and can't explain how he lived alone in the mountains for three months. The person who saved him on the road is his current wife."
"What kind of plot twist is this?!" Shirakawa Natsu was completely bewildered and dumbfounded.
"Hama Kimura is currently a professor at the University of Tokyo." Mikoto put down his potato chips. "I'll go to the university tomorrow to collect information about Hama Kimura."
"Thank you." Shirakawa Natsu was very touched. Although Minoki did not support their relationship, she still did her best to help him after he insisted.
He had another dream tonight, but this time it wasn't about Hashimoto Arina; he dreamt about Miyuki.
Chapter 11 Showdown
"I'm sorry, Natsu, I can't leave him." Hashimoto Arina's expression was resolute as she took the arm of the handsome man beside her and turned to leave.
"Sister Youcai!" Shirakawa Natsu reached out to her back, trying to stop her, but was tripped by someone.
Mikoshi knelt beneath him, opened her mouth, and moved her head back and forth.
Shirakawa Natsumi was taken aback: "Why don't I feel pain anymore?"
Miyuki raised her head, opened her mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth: "I've already bitten it off, so it won't hurt anymore."
"Ah!!!" Shirakawa Natsu jumped up from the bed, looking around in horror. The familiar hospital bed made him breathe a sigh of relief.
"I was so scared, I never would have a dream like that."
After talking to Miyuki on the phone yesterday, he tossed and turned in bed until late at night before finally falling asleep.
There is no doubt that Arina Hashimoto has feelings for Hama Kimura, so what is the true nature of their relationship?
Why did Hama Kimura reappear after being missing for three months, and why did he have amnesia? It's impossible for a normal human to survive alone in the forest for three months while injured, not even Bear Grylls.
What kind of person is Hama Kimura?
These questions lingered in Shirakawa Natsu's mind; to complete the mission, she had to dispel the fog of mystery.
"I need to stay rational." After quickly washing up, Shirakawa Natsumi sat back on the hospital bed, took out her paintbrush, and began to paint.
Normally I can quickly enter a state of flow, but this time my mind keeps surfacing with thoughts related to Hama Kimura.
What kind of person is he? What does he look like? And what is his relationship with Hashimoto Arina?
"Ah!" Shirakawa Natsu felt flustered and confused. She picked up the drawing and wanted to throw it away, but then she remembered that there was a half-finished manuscript on it, so she silently put it down and finally collapsed onto the hospital bed in despair.
Hashimoto Arina visited him during her rounds this morning, but didn't mention a word about what happened last night.
Her smile was like a little sun. She took his hand and placed it on her thigh. The touch of her flesh-colored, ultra-thin stockings calmed his agitated mood slightly.
Time quickly passed to around three o'clock in the afternoon, and the summer heat made people feel restless.
Miyu walked into the ward with her hands in her pockets, skillfully pulled out a caregiver's chair, and sat down next to the bed.
"So you got results so quickly?" Shirakawa Natsu thought it would take at least two or three days, but she didn't expect Miyuki to be so fast.
“It’s easy to get information from a popular guy.” Miyuki pulled out her phone.
"I'll send you his photo, take a look yourself."
Shirakawa Natsu opened her phone, and a series of pictures appeared on the screen. She clicked on the top one.
With long hair covering half of his face, this hairstyle should have been quite somber, but Kimura Hama didn't look like that at all.
Wearing silver frameless glasses and a gentle, quiet smile, he is smiling in the picture, his eyes curving into crescents.
Quiet, gentle, and scholarly.
A gentleman is like jade, warm to the touch; this is the kind of person described.
"Sigh..." Shirakawa Natsu examined it carefully for a long time before finally letting out a deep sigh.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, just looking at the photos made him feel a sense of frustration.
An opponent like the Minotaur is as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Miyuki said, "Kimura Hama graduated from Tokyo Medical College along with Hashimoto Arina."
"She went missing for three months during her graduation trip. After returning to society, she experienced amnesia and developed a connection with the woman who saved her during that time."
"Under the other party's meticulous care, it took a year to recover his memory and become a professor in the Department of Literature at the University of Tokyo."
"Gentle and humble, he consistently ranks first in all of the University of Tokyo's faculty satisfaction surveys."
"He has never had any scandals or blemishes, and is the perfect teacher in the eyes of his students."
Shirakawa Natsu suddenly said, "I'm familiar with this kind of plot. Usually, seemingly perfect guys are secretly plotting some kind of terrible conspiracy and doing some beastly things that defy all moral values."
Mi no Shiki didn't speak, just looked at him calmly.
Shirakawa Natsu, feeling embarrassed by the stares, spread her hands and said, "Okay, I admit it, I'm just jealous. Jealousy has made me unrecognizable."
No one could imagine the possibility of victory against such an opponent.
He swiped the screen, and the photos were all everyday shots: him standing on the podium smiling as he lectured, him sitting alone in his office, and him chatting with students with a big smile on his face. He was truly handsome from every angle.
It's as if it has a built-in filter; even through the screen, you can feel its gentle and refined temperament.
I looked at another photo, and this time it showed a clean-cut, sunny young man with short hair, laughing heartily at the camera with a slightly silly look on his face.
The photo is quite old and has low resolution.
"How did you manage to sneak in a stranger's photo?" Shirakawa Natsu asked.
“This is a photo of Kimura Hama during his university days,” Miyuki said.
Shirakawa Natsumi was stunned, staring at the photo in surprise, then swiping to the previous one: "Did this guy get plastic surgery?"
The two photos, taken at different times, give completely different impressions; at first glance, they could not possibly be the same person.
Upon closer comparison, it was discovered that the two people's facial contours were 90% similar, with only slight differences in details.
But this photo is from six years ago, so there's no problem with the timeline. In fact, Kimura Hama's appearance hasn't changed much.
But when Kimura Hama grew her hair long, covering half of her face, and wore glasses, her overall demeanor was completely different.
“Boys change a lot after they learn how to dress up,” Miyuki said.
"Really?" Shirakawa Natsu compared the two photos and looked at Miyuki: "If you help me dress up, how do I compare to him?"
Miyuki's lips curled into a roguish smile.
Shirakawa Natsu felt he had asked a question that would only humiliate him, and he looked at Miyuki. Yesterday he thought her canine teeth were particularly sharp, but looking at her again today, it wasn't entirely because of the video.
The function of tiger teeth is to pierce the flesh of prey when attacking them. As human hunting methods have changed, tiger teeth have gradually degenerated.
When he looked at Mi and spoke, it was obvious that his canine teeth had grown out a bit.
"What are you looking at?" Miyuki asked, frowning.
"Has anyone ever told you that your teeth are very sharp?" Shirakawa Natsu asked uncertainly. He wasn't a medical professional, and while Mikoto's teeth were sharp, they weren't particularly noticeable.
He wasn't sure this wasn't normal.
Miyuki frowned slightly, took out her phone and examined it. Judging from her expression, she seemed to have never paid attention to this issue before.
When she opened her mouth, Shirakawa Natsu saw her tongue, which was covered with a little sticky, glistening saliva.
Last time, when Miyuki stuck her head under the covers, he didn't see her open her mouth. Now, seeing it again, and remembering that he still had some saliva on her lips, he inexplicably felt that her mouth was very dry.
His gaze moved from his moist mouth to his teeth, his sharp canines, and he thought of his dream that morning.
A chill ran down my spine, and I turned my head away, unable to look any further.
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