As it turned out, you could always trust Yoshimura.
After He Xi Qian Yu, with an unspeakable embarrassment, roughly explained his encounter to Fangcun Gongshan over the phone, the Yoshimura's usual calm voice came from the other end.
"I see... Qianyu Jun, you don't have to worry." Fangcun Gongshan remained gentle. "Leave the repairs to me."
Should it be said that he was indeed the administrator of the Twenty Ward? Fangcun Gongshan truly possessed extraordinary connections and means.
Just one day later.
When He Xi Qian Yu finished a busy day at Anteiku Coffee Shop, Yoshimura informed him: "Qianyu Jun, the matter with your apartment has been properly handled."
With the previous lesson learned, He Xi Qian Yu, after an intense internal struggle, finally made up his mind—
To continue listing the house on the rental website.
Just kidding, the same thing couldn't possibly happen twice in a row, right?
...
The weekend passed in a flash.
Monday, for many, marked the beginning of a busy week, but for Anteiku Coffee Shop, it was often the most leisurely time of the week. Perhaps it was because the corporate slaves were deeply mired in work and had no time for other matters; there were only a few scattered customers in the shop, leaving only the low hum of the coffee machine and the soothing background music.
"Rare tranquility..." He Xi Qian Yu leaned against the bar, watching the hurried figures outside the window, just as this thought arose in his mind—
Ding-a-ling!
The phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence.
[...Tranquility...gone...] Slaughter's consciousness murmured lazily, with a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.
He Xi Qian Yu glanced at the caller ID.
Yongjin Hideyoshi.
He answered the phone, and before he could speak, Yongjin Hideyoshi's urgent voice burst out:
"Qianyu-nii, is Jin Mu at the coffee shop?"
"No, he's not," He Xi Qian Yu subconsciously looked at the window seat where Jin Mu Ken usually sat; it was empty. "I haven't seen him since yesterday. Didn't he go on a date with that Kamishiro Rize?"
"That's what I mean!" Yongjin Hideyoshi's voice was clearly anxious and rapid. "But I've been texting him since yesterday and haven't heard anything, and he hasn't answered my calls. It's the second day now, and there's no news at all! This is not like Jin Mu; he never does this!"
He Xi Qian Yu's hand, which was wiping a glass, paused almost imperceptibly, but his voice remained steady: "Perhaps he was too tired from playing yesterday, or... he was too engrossed in conversation, and his phone ran out of battery? He might still be catching up on sleep now." He tried to offer a reasonable explanation.
"That... does make some sense?" Yongjin Hideyoshi's voice hesitated, seemingly temporarily convinced by the reason. "...Alright, I'll try again later. Thanks, Qianyu-nii!"
"Mm, let me know if you hear anything."
He hung up the phone, and only the monotonous dial tone remained in the receiver.
He Xi Qian Yu slowly put his phone back into his pocket and gently sighed.
Jin Mu Ken was probably no longer human.
"What's wrong, Qianyu Jun? You look down in the dumps; that's not like you." A cheerful voice interjected with a laugh.
Koma Enji had approached the bar at some point, holding an un-wiped coffee pot in his hand, a characteristic smile on his face. He puffed out his chest, with a bit of an older brother's swagger, "Come on, tell Koma-nii. I was once known as the 'Magic Ape'; whatever it is, leave it to me."
"Nothing." He Xi Qian Yu shook his head, his voice flat. "A friend isn't feeling well and is just hospitalized."
"That friend of yours is..." Koma Enji's inquiry carried a hint of professional caution.
"A Ghoul." He Xi Qian Yu did not hide it.
Koma Enji's face showed a hint of understanding upon hearing this. He nodded and turned to walk towards the icebox in the back kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a block carefully wrapped in thick oiled paper.
The oiled paper was tightly wrapped, sealing off the internal scent, but He Xi Qian Yu could guess what was inside.
"For us Ghouls," Koma Enji's voice became much steadier as he handed over the oiled paper package, "as long as it's not a fatal injury on the spot, eating something will quickly restore our vitality."
He Xi Qian Yu's gaze lingered on the oiled paper package for a moment.
After a moment of thought, he did not decline and reached out to take it.
"Thank you."
...
As expected, He Xi Qian Yu received another call from Yongjin Hideyoshi in the afternoon. This time, the boy's voice was no longer anxious but trembled uncontrollably:
"Qianyu-nii!! Jin Mu... Jin Mu was attacked by a Ghoul!! He's in the hospital!! Kanou General Hospital!!"
...
Kanou General Hospital.
[...This place...stinks...] Slaughter's consciousness carried undisguised disgust. [...All...disinfectant and...sick, decaying smells...nauseating...]
The corridor echoed with hurried footsteps and the low hum of instruments. He Xi Qian Yu pushed open the ward door labeled with Jin Mu Ken's name, and a smell mixed with medicine and patient breath wafted towards him.
The light in the ward was somewhat dim, and he immediately saw Jin Mu Ken lying on the hospital bed.
The boy wore a large, loose white hospital gown, which made his already thin frame appear even more slender. His complexion was an almost transparent pallor, his lips were bloodless, and his forehead was wrapped in thick bandages, with faint yellowish medicine stains still visible.
He lay quietly, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, as if his soul had been extracted, leaving only an exhausted shell.
Most jarring was the hospital meal provided on the small table in front of him.
Ordinary rice, miso soup, a small portion of stewed vegetables, and a few pieces of fish.
However, these dishes were almost untouched; only the rice had been reluctantly picked at a few times, emitting a smell that was perfectly normal for ordinary people but incredibly agonizing for Jin Mu Ken at that moment.
[...The smell of 'Gluttony'...] Slaughter's consciousness carried a hint of confusion. [...How...is it clinging to this little bug...did he...eat 'Gluttony'...?]
"Organ transplant." He Xi Qian Yu's tone was firm. "He transplanted Kamishiro Rize's organs."
[...Oh...] Slaughter let out an unintelligible low murmur. [...The...piecing together...of a shell...]
Yongjin Hideyoshi was anxiously guarding the bedside. Seeing He Xi Qian Yu enter, he immediately stood up, his eyes red, as if he had found his anchor: "Qianyu-nii! You're here! Look at Jin Mu..."
He Xi Qian Yu raised his hand, signaling him to keep quiet for now.
He walked to the bedside, his gaze falling on Jin Mu Ken's lifeless face.
"Jin Mu." He Xi Qian Yu's voice was not loud, but it carried a penetrating quality.
Jin Mu Ken's eyeballs rotated extremely slowly, his focus difficultly converging on He Xi Qian Yu's face, his eyes filled with confusion and pain.
He seemed to want to say something, his lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
"How do you feel?" He Xi Qian Yu tried to make his tone sound calm.
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