Awakening

“Rumi? Why are you here?” Lei Yin was a bit surprised to see the girl with the long hair before him.

“I was accompanying my cla.s.smate to a concert tonight. And as we were riding, we pa.s.sed by you, I thought it was the wrong person, but it really is you senpai. Senpai, what brings you here?”

“Nothing, just accompanying my two cla.s.smates to a boring party. We’ve just finished, so I’m preparing to go back now.”

“You’re going back to school?”

“Yes.”

“But it’s already late, you should go home and rest for the night, don’t you still have cla.s.ses tomorrow?”

Lei Yin looked at the time, and found that it was already past 11.

“Well, let’s go back together then.” Lei Yin thought about it, and nodded.

Rumi was very happy, pulling him to the parked taxi.

In the car, Lei Yin saw another girl with a short hair sitting inside, it seemed she was Rumi’s cla.s.smate.

“Senpai, she’s my cla.s.smate, Soseki Eimi. Eimi, this is Gennai Masashi, remember the senpai I was talking to you about. He’s now a student at Teikyo University first grade.” Rumi introduced them to each other.

“h.e.l.lo.” Lei Yin greeted the girl with a smile.

“h.e.l.lo.” Soseki Eimi’s face was red, as she said something in a low voice.

“Rumi, actually I don’t oppose…..” Lei Yin wasn’t able to finish, as his phone suddenly ringing.

As soon as Lei Yin answered, right away Takeda’s shouting voice came over the phone.

“Masashi, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Where did you go? Why did you suddenly turn off your phone? I thought you were dead!”

Because of all useless complaints, Lei Yin moved the phone a foot away from him.

After a while, when he heard him say “h.e.l.lo, h.e.l.lo” on the phone, Lei Yin pulled it back near his ear.

“I’m fine, I’m about to go home. Where are you?”

“I just came back from the hotel, this sucks, I just bought this suit and it’s already all wet….”

“Well, just tell me about it when we meet tomorrow.” Lei Yin didn’t want to hear any more of it, and immediately hung up.

“Senpai, was that your cla.s.smate?” Rumi asked.

“Yes, he is a very troublesome guy.”

“What did you just want to tell me?”

“Well, although I was interrupted in the middle of my preaching, but it’s not going to be long. You girls wanting to go watch a concert or a movie is very normal, but next time don’t be so late, understand?”

“I’m sorry, senpai.” Rumi said, as she lowered her head.

“Fool, I’m not blaming you, just worried that something might happen to you.” Seeing Rumi being serious, Lei Yin reworded what he had said, so as to avoid giving off a heavy feeling.

“Gennai-senpai, in fact I’m the one who pulled Rumi along, please don’t blame her. Because it was hard to find a taxi, so I dragged her until this late at night.” Soseki Eimi timidly explained.

“It seems like I turned into a nasty warden uncle. Well, next time this happens, remember to give me a call, and I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Thank you, senpai.” Rumi looked at him without blinking.

Soseki Eimi looked at them at the side with a strange look.

Because of the traffic on the nearby route, the taxi had to take the long route.

“Senpai, I heard there was a fire at a nearby hotel, but fortunately you weren’t there.” Rumi said as she looked at the crowd who were nearby the traffic.

“Sorry, I just came out from there. The fire at Keio Hotel, I was also there with my cla.s.smates, because of the fire incident, I ran away from there.”

“Were you hurt?” Rumi held his hand, and very nervously asked.

“Rest a.s.sured, I’m all right. In fact, my cla.s.smate just called me because of that event, and seems like he had also safely returned.”

Hearing Lei Yin’s answer, Rumi was finally relieved.

Half an hour later, after Rumi sent Soseki Eimi home, and since Rumi’s room wasn’t too far, she suddenly proposed to walk there.

“Hey, it’s already very late.” Lei Yin warned.

“We haven’t talked for so long senpai, just this once, please?” Rumi’s beautiful eyes widened, as she begged him.

“I really don’t know what to do with you.” saying this, he walked towards the taxi.

After paying the fare, Lei Yin turned his head towards her and said, “Good, let’s walk fast.”

Rumi very excitedly rushed over, grasping his arm.

“I thought you’d grown up a little, but it seems like you’re still a kid.” Lei Yin doted on her, and pinched her face.

“Senpai you too haven’t changed, always treating me like a child.” Rumi blushed as she said.

“You are still a kid. But to be honest, I don’t know how I’ll get used to what you’ll be like when you grow up.” Lei Yin grabbed his chin as he said so.

Hearing him talk with a father-like tone, Rumi couldn’t help but smile.

“Senpai, it’s the first time I’ve seen you put on a suit.” The young kendo girl suddenly stared at him.

“I also don’t like it and I’ve also thought of going there while wearing a t-shirt, but I was afraid  I would appall everyone there.” Just like for so many years, Lei Yin still didn’t like wearing suits.

“But it looks very good on you.” Rumi lowered her head, and said something in faint voice.

The kendo girl had mixed feelings. She haven’t seen him for nearly two weeks, and seeing him here, was an enormous surprise for her. But now, seeing his neatly-slender figure, she suddenly felt like his back was getting farther and farther.

Her senpai wasn’t like all the boys she had met before. He had always been so calm and elegant. And seeing him put on a suit, he gave off a mature feeling to her.

Although their age difference was only two years. But in her senpai’s eyes, she seems to be just a child who was slowly growing up.

She desperately wanted to go to University with him, just to keep up with his pace.

However, can she really keep up with him? Rumi was suddenly agitated.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing Rumi suddenly stop, Lei Yin, puzzled, looked at her.

The kendo girl didn’t made any sound, and after a few minutes she slowly raised her head.

Lei Yin was taken aback, and didn’t know since when the girl’s eyes were so full of water.

“Rumi, what happened, is someone bullying you?” Lei Yin tried to make his voice calm.

The girl shook her head, and then fell into his arms, her two hands fiercely held around his waist.

“Rumi, tell me, what really happened?” Lei Yin asked, softly stroking her long hair.

Rumi shook her head again, and whispered: “Senpai, I’m fine.”

“Are you really fine?”

“Um, I’m just thinking about you a lot.” The young girl looked at Lei Yin, and smiled.

Looking at the young girl’s beautiful face filled with tears, Lei Yin was taken aback.

Somehow, the little girl had grown into a lovely girl.

“You almost scared me to death.” After getting his composure back, Lei Yin lifted his right hand and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

The young girl stuck out her tongue, and leaned her head on his chest.

So long as I can keep on being at senpai’s side, it will be enough. The young girl had a sudden sweet thought in her heart, after all this time, this was the first time she was so intimate with her senpai, while being in his arms, she felt as if she had ripped off some profit.

“Rumi, your hair is longer compared to before, isn’t it troublesome to take care of it?”

Although the young girl was in a happy mood at this moment, but Lei Yin on the other hand felt a little awkward. Since he couldn’t shove her away, he had to say something to ease up the mood.

“No, I gradually got used to it. Just that I use up shampoo really fast, and about half a month I’d have to buy a new one again.” Still in his arms, the girl innocently replied.

“It turned out to be this way.” Lei Yin didn’t know what to say for the first time, and had a strange feeling.

“Senpai, do you prefer girls with long hair?” The girl suddenly asked a strange question.

“Not necessarily, a singer doesn’t need to be good at singing, just like how a person wearing someone’s clothes, doesn’t instantly make him thief, it could have been just a belonging of the person’s family. Some people wearing casual clothes appear very pleasing to the eyes. So with regards to hair length, it would also be different from person to person.

“But you used to say so.” Rumi angrily said in a charming way.

“What did I say before?” Lei Yin was a bit stunned.

‘Sometimes senpai’s very nasty, always forgetting what he had said to me. He must have forgotten, that he said before to me that girls looks better with long hair, so I had deliberately made my hair longer, but for him to say such a thing.’ The girl thought angrily.

“Then I’ll cut my hair tomorrow, ok?” The girl asked tentatively.

“If that’s what you like. But from my perspective, it would be such a pity, it actually looks good on you.” Lei Yin gently stroked her long hair.

“You swindler, I’m going to keep it even though it’s extremely exhausting, only a moment ago I wasn’t really planning to cut it.” The girl was suddenly very happy, and made a funny face to him.

She was still unclear why she had cried a while ago, but now she had become increasingly happy. Looking at her funny yet lovable face, Lei Yin felt it was harder to understand the thought of this little rascal more and more. Well, if I don’t understand, then I won’t think about it,’ this has always been how Lei Yin was like.

“Rumi, it’s very late now, let’s go back.”

“Un.” The young girl complied and moved like a cat.

After a while, seeing that the little girl in his arms didn’t want to let go of him, Lei Yin smiled bitterly.

—

“Last night, I’ve suffered heavy losses, especially the new suit that I bought. I don’t even know if it can still be dry cleaned.” Takeda sighed.

“Since you like that suit so much, why don’t you make a funeral for it, and tell your family to bury your body wearing it.” Yoshikawa sneered.

“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, do you dare say that again.” Takeda’s anger rose.

“Hey, you two are being noisy.” Lei Yin looked away from the book he was reading.

“This guy started it.” Takeda’s anger still didn’t disappear.

Lei Yin and Yoshikawa looked at him, and found that there were eye bags under his eyes, and looked as if he couldn’t sleep last night.

“Yoshikawa, some things can’t be forced. Think carefully.” Lei Yin said dismissively.

Yoshikawa glanced at him, then laughed, “You’re right, but I’m also not willing to give up. Am I mean? The more a person want to buy the same thing, the more he’ll be able to become aware that the salesperson is a fraud.” His laughter was filled with a bitter taste.

“Although I want to sympathise with you, but I always thought that the way you speak resemble that of a complaining woman.”

Yoshikawa couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“That guy seems somewhat strange today.” Takeda walked towards Shiraishi Akira and whispered.

“Nothing, that fellow just has some excessive hormone, causing it to flow out.” Shiraishi Akira replied.

“What do you mean?” Takeda continued to ask.

“If a woman shows up during spring, then the man would go into heat.” Shiraishi Akira’s expression didn’t change as he said so.

Takeda almost laughed out, but he quickly put his hand on his mouth, looking somewhat funny.

Just as they were talking, Lei Yin’s phone suddenly rang.

In less than a minute, Lei Yin finished and hung up the phone.

“I’ll be going out, take your time, but remember to lock the door when you leave.” Lei Yin said at the entrance, putting on his shoes.

“Do you think we’re idiots, such a trifle matter doesn’t need to be reminded.” Takeda was somewhat dissatisfied.

“You are more troublesome than idiots, at least they won’t fight in other people’s house.” Lei Yin once again indirectly attacked Takeda and Yoshikawa, and finally left the apartment like a typhoon.

“Leave, you boring fellow.” Takeda showed him his middle finger.

When Lei Yin was driving, his car was just like how a snake would insert itself towards the front,  his car crossing over to other cars like in a drag race. After about an hour and a half later, Lei Yin drove to a very secluded place at the suburb.

Finally, he parked his car in front of what seemed to be an old wooden cabin.

Behind the wooden cabin, a black Honda was parked.

Although it was an old house, but the doorbell, was a peephole that was still commonly used.

After pressing the doorbell several time, a young man dressed in casual clothes opened the door. The man was the one who picked up Lei Yin last night.

“h.e.l.lo, Gennai-san.” The man bowed towards him.

“Take me to see the little rascal.”

“Yes.” The young man closed the door behind him, and took him inside.

After opening the door, he also saw the other man there, who had also came to pick him up last night. But this time, his left hand was tied with white bandages.

Walking towards the bed, he carefully looked at the Nepal youth who was on the bed, Lei Yin asked the man strapped with bandage on his hand: “What’s going on?”

“You’ve returned Gennai-san, actually I’m also not very clear with it. At noon today, I brought food, and I don’t know why, but this child suddenly lost his mind, and desperately tried to get out, continually scratching the wall like a cat, and finally he bit my hand. So we had no choice but to knock him out.

“When he went crazy, describe to me what he looked like.” Lei Yin’s heart moved, and he thought that Jiro, definitely, had something to do with it.

The man, with an injured left hand, with a lingering fear said: “He looked very strange, both of his eyes became red. Moreover, he was extremely strong and aggressive, although his nails weren’t very long, but we were still scratched by him several times. In short he looked like  a wild beast.”

“Is there anything else?”

“There is still one thing left, just as we helped him change his clothes, we saw….”

After a while, listening to the man, Lei Yin fell into deep thought.

It seems that he had accidentally gotten himself involved into other people’s matters once again.