"Toru-kun, haven't you slept yet?"
A soft, lazy voice came from behind Toru.
Toru, who had been concentrating on the information on his computer, shivered and broke out in a cold sweat.
He turned his head and saw Momiji lying on the bed, looking at him with hazy eyes.
Toru let out a soft breath, laughing at himself for still feeling scared.
But there was nothing he could do about it. Although he had the System, the System did not give him any superpowers.
The current Toru might be called a small superman among humans, but he was still human. Bullets could kill him, and bombs could kill him too.
And what Toru had to face right now were likely monsters that defied scientific common sense and should not exist.
No matter how brave Toru was, he could not remain indifferent. The fear in his heart still existed.
He calmed himself down, looked at Momiji, and said gently, "Did I wake you up, Momiji?"
Momiji shook her head. "No, I just woke up suddenly. I saw you were still working, so I asked. What are you so busy with?"
Momiji's tone was caring, and there was a hint of heartache in her relaxed expression.
"Nothing, just some issues in Koto Ward."
Toru said with a smile, using his work in Koto Ward as an excuse.
Seeing Toru say this, Momiji became conflicted instead.
As the heir of the Ōoka family, she had also seen her grandfather work himself to exhaustion, unable to sleep well at night.
She also knew very well that in matters related to one's official career, her concern was useless, and it was not good to persuade Toru to put down his work and get some rest.
Because she was in this position, she understood even more clearly that for someone who aspired to a political career, some things had to be done with all their strength, without the slightest slack.
After a moment of silence, Momiji said softly, "Toru-kun, you should take better care of yourself. If work is too tiring, you can always find me. I will stay with you and help you relax."
"Okay. If work is really tiring, I will think of you, Momiji," Toru said softly.
"Toru-kun, what time is it now?"
"It's already 3 AM. You don't have to worry about me. I'm going to sleep too."
Toru closed his laptop.
Thinking about Tomie at this time was useless.
The way to eliminate fear was to face fear directly. Toru was now somewhat looking forward to Tomie Kawakami and wanted to see her soon.
Tomie's most troublesome ability was that kind of charm. To resist Tomie's charm, perhaps one needed obsessive feelings.
For example, deeply loving another woman, or having no excessive desires and therefore being free of desire. Such people might have strong resistance to Tomie's charm.
But that kind of thing seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Toru lifted the covers and got into bed.
Momiji closed her eyes, and her delicate, graceful body snuggled into his arms.
Toru held Momiji's soft and delicate body, but his mind was still thinking.
Toru knew exactly what kind of person he was. He would never have deep feelings for a certain woman, and he was even less likely to be free of desire.
On the contrary, in some ways, he was very similar to Tomie. He was a fickle man who liked every beautiful woman he saw.
At the same time, he had extremely strong desires.
He had an extreme craving for power, wealth, and women.
Thinking this, Toru almost gave a wry smile.
He was simply the type of man Tomie could completely conquer. He had no resistance whatsoever against Tomie.
Perhaps even being free of desire would be useless. Tomie's ability was more like emotional contamination.
All I can hope for now is that Tomie's abilities in this world are not that exaggerated.
If Tomie's abilities really are that exaggerated, before I lose my sanity and consciousness, I must go find Kayako. She might be able to solve Tomie's problem.
Toru's mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts. He did not know how long it was before he fell asleep.
...
At a hospital in Hakodate, Shizuka was peeling an apple, and Heiji was lying in the hospital bed.
Although Heiji's injuries this time were not as severe as last time, he still had some external injuries and needed to stay in the hospital for a few days of observation.
Shizuka had just had a relationship with Toru, which had brought warmth back to her lonely body. She also wanted to continue being intimate with him for a few more days.
But Heiji was her son after all. As a mature woman, Shizuka's rationality finally overcame her desire, and she stayed by Heiji's side, taking care of him.
"Heiji, I've already told your father about your situation. He wants you to come back immediately."
Heiji's face fell. "Mother, how could you actually tell Father about this?"
"What, are you blaming me?"
Shizuka's face turned cold.
Seeing his mother angry, Heiji quickly put on a smiling face. "How could I dare to blame you, Mother?"
He said a lot of flattering words, which finally made Shizuka feel a little better.
"Heiji, Toru-kun saved you last time, and Toru-kun also saved me this time. Talk to him more, build a better relationship with him, and invite him to Osaka. We should thank him properly."
"He saved both mother and son, and even risked his life. If we don't show any gratitude, what will others think of the Hattori family?"
Shizuka's expression was serious, and she lectured him with the air of someone teaching Heiji the principles of life.
In reality, Shizuka also had a selfish motive in this.
On the surface, she was Toru's elder, and inviting him to Osaka was not a problem, but Shizuka herself felt guilty.
That was why she passed the task to Heiji, letting her son do the inviting. This made her feel less ashamed.
Secondly, she also hoped her son could become closer to Toru, which would be beneficial for Heiji's future.
Shizuka getting involved with Toru was not for her son's or husband's future, but simply because she needed emotional comfort.
But as the former young lady of the Ikebayashi family and a true strong woman, Shizuka was not blinded by love. She had enough sense not to waste this relationship.
She was a good mother, and for her son's future, she was willing to sacrifice.
Of course, Shizuka herself also knew that this thought was just an excuse she had found for her infidelity, so she would not feel so guilty.
"I know, Mom. I'll make sure to get along well with Fujiwara."
Heiji quickly replied, afraid his mother would start nagging again.
However, he had a good impression of Toru, and getting along with him did not displease Heiji.
Because he had truly saved his life and his mother's, Heiji was filled with gratitude.
After Shizuka went to throw out the trash, Heiji complained to Conan on the nearby hospital bed, "My mom is really annoying."
Conan chuckled.
That's because you haven't met my mom.
At least your mom cares about you. My mom purely treats me like a toy.
But didn't Mom go back to America? Why is she coming to Japan again and leaving Dad in America?
Conan felt depressed. He did not like his mother being around.
Children at this age were precisely in their most rebellious phase, loving freedom and not wanting to be disciplined by their parents.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)