Chapter 21
The first thing Minato needed to do was wash his face thoroughly.
When he finally emerged from the bathroom, Takatsuki Sen nearly burst out laughing.
Why?
Because Minato had somehow managed to put a facial mask on.
Looking at him, Takatsuki Sen asked with amusement,
"What are you doing?"
Had this idiot editor seriously gone out and bought a face mask after what happened earlier?
Minato nodded seriously.
"A monster licked my face earlier. I'm worried it might affect my skin, so I'm taking precautions."
"A monster? Precautions?"
Minato nodded again.
"I ran into something that looked like a stray dog. It came right up and licked me. Ugly, smelly, disgusting. Who knows what kind of bacteria it was carrying?"
"..."
The corner of Takatsuki Sen's mouth twitched.
How infuriating.
"Mr. Ouyang."
"Hm? What is it?"
Minato turned his head.
The next moment, Takatsuki Sen suddenly rushed toward him.
Using a perfectly executed judo throw—
Bang!
The two tumbled onto the bed together.
The facial mask immediately peeled off Minato's face.
Because of Minato, Takatsuki Sen had once spent time learning judo.
Or more accurately—
Minato had forced her to learn it.
Now the two of them were tangled together on the bed.
Although Takatsuki Sen's pinning technique was textbook perfect, it was unclear whether she was holding back or simply not using her real strength.
Minato felt no pain whatsoever.
If anything...
It was strangely comfortable.
"What are you doing?"
Comfortable or not, he still had to ask.
"Nothing."
Takatsuki Sen turned her face away like a sulking child.
"Let go."
"No."
"Fine."
Minato sighed.
Then he applied just a little force.
Just a little.
He didn't dare use too much. If he accidentally hurt her, he'd never hear the end of it.
Because Takatsuki Sen was intentionally limiting herself to the strength of an ordinary girl, the outcome was obvious.
In the blink of an eye, the positions reversed.
Now Minato was the one pinning Takatsuki Sen.
Perfect.
The score was even.
Both sides had experienced being pinned.
No one lost.
However, Minato quickly realized there was one major difference between their situations.
The moment their eyes met—
Neither of them spoke.
Their faces were so close they could count each other's eyelashes.
The room suddenly became silent.
Neither moved.
Neither looked away.
For a brief moment, they simply stared at each other.
---
Chapter 26
Believe it or not—
Nothing happened that night.
Takatsuki Sen simply slept in the same bed as Minato for the first time in a very long while.
That's all.
Nothing else.
Wait.
"First time in a very long while?"
It seemed a certain detail had accidentally slipped out.
Anyway.
That wasn't important.
What mattered was that the next period would become extremely busy.
Promotional activities for Takatsuki Sen's newest book were beginning one after another.
Once those started, neither Minato nor Takatsuki Sen would have much time to think about anything else.
Of course, Minato still made time every day to drive past Anteiku Coffee Shop.
He had considered hiring someone to monitor the place.
But after remembering that the staff and half the neighborhood were Ghouls, he quickly abandoned the idea.
If the poor guy got eaten, Minato would actually feel guilty.
He didn't consider himself a saint.
But he wasn't heartless either.
Besides, if someone died and attracted the CCG's attention, his own investigation would become much harder.
For now, staying hidden remained the priority.
"Let's go."
Takatsuki Sen climbed into the passenger seat.
The car was the one she'd driven when she first arrived in the 20th Ward.
Since Minato's own vehicle had achieved a glorious state of total destruction, he'd been driving hers lately.
Ironically, despite belonging to Takatsuki Sen, the car suited Minato far better.
A Maybach S-Class.
Its domineering, confident, and imposing design looked completely out of place for a petite girl like Takatsuki Sen.
But on Minato?
It fit perfectly.
Unfortunately...
Our editor had other concerns.
"What a waste..."
Minato gripped the steering wheel.
"What an unbelievable waste..."
The thought of spending over a million yuan on a car physically hurt him.
"Alright already, Mr. Ouyang."
Takatsuki Sen sighed helplessly.
"You look incredibly uncool right now."
She wasn't exactly surprised.
She had known about Minato's stinginess for years.
The man saved money whenever possible.
His previous car had been a dirt-cheap used vehicle he'd purchased around the time she first signed with him.
Even now, after becoming her chief editor and a shareholder in the publishing company, he still refused to replace it.
In fact, the new house in the 11th Ward wasn't even something he had bought himself.
Takatsuki Sen had secretly purchased it for him.
Otherwise, he would still be living in that tiny ten-square-meter apartment.
This man...
"You little brat."
Minato frowned.
"Have you forgotten what it was like when you couldn't even afford food?"
And just like that, the lecture began.
He sounded exactly like an overly worried father.
"Hai, hai, hai."
Takatsuki Sen nodded repeatedly.
"I know."
"What do you know?"
"I know that if you don't start driving, Mr. Ouyang, we're going to be late."
She calmly picked up an apple and took a bite.
Minato checked the time.
His expression changed instantly.
There wasn't much time left.
"I'll continue this lecture later!"
He glared fiercely at her before stepping on the accelerator.
Takatsuki Sen simply shook her head.
This idiot editor.
Such a coward.
Thinking about what had happened the previous night still left her dissatisfied.
---
Aogiri Tree Hideout
"How's that guy doing?"
Tatara asked the guard stationed outside.
Yamori remained locked inside the reinforced cell.
After bringing him back yesterday, Tatara had simply thrown him inside.
Given the extent of his injuries, dying wasn't impossible if he failed to replenish his Rc cells.
As a result, Tatara had tossed Yamori's severed Kagune fragments and torn flesh into the cell as food.
After all—
Yamori wasn't exactly picky.
The guard's expression looked terrible.
"He..."
He had been standing watch all night.
The sounds of impacts never stopped.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Several large dents had already appeared in the steel walls.
Honestly, he was worried the monster inside might break free at any moment.
He had heard rumors.
This guy was a Kakuja.
A real Kakuja.
The young Ghoul still found it hard to believe.
Tatara glanced at the mangled steel walls and nodded.
"I understand."
Clearly, Yamori still hadn't regained control of himself.
"Open the door."
Tatara intended to personally discipline this disobedient subordinate.
While he had his own reservations regarding Takatsuki Sen's excessive concern for Minato—
A subordinate's duty was obedience.
And Yamori had failed spectacularly in that regard.
Unlike Takatsuki Sen, Tatara still considered Yamori a valuable combat asset.
Provided, of course, that he survived today's lesson.