Net King Whale Fall

Just as Sanada Rin had once again sent a high-ranking member of the Hamaguchi family to prison, news came from the hospital that Atobe Keigo had woken up.

Sanada Rin looked at the sky; the rain had stopped and the sky was clear—a good omen.

"Let's go, let's go to the hospital first today."

Ah Da agreed without hesitation.

To be honest, Sanada Rin's fighting prowess has been astonishing these past few days. She's either looking for trouble or on her way to do so, and no one she leaves behind is happy.

Ah Da was relieved to be able to stop and rest for a while.

Sanada Rin didn't have time to go home and change her clothes; she drove straight to the hospital.

Keigo Atobe was leaning against the bedside, talking to his mother. He looked pale, but his spirits were still good.

Sanada Rin waited quietly at the door for a while before knocking and going in.

"Auntie, good day."

Ryoko Atobe understood immediately. At first, her conversation with her son went well, and their mother-son bond was still strong. But halfway through, she noticed that Keigo's eyes kept glancing towards the door, as if he was waiting for someone to knock and come in. That was obvious.

"It's Lingling."

Ryoko Atobe got up. Perfect timing. She'd been here for quite a while, so she might as well go and ask the doctor about her condition.

"You guys talk first, I need to ask the doctor something."

Atobe Keigo replied, "Mom, when do you think I can be discharged from the hospital?"

Ryoko Atobe smiled kindly at Rei Sanada, then turned to her wretched son and glared at him fiercely, saying, "You stay in the hospital and behave yourself."

I just woke up and I already want to be discharged from the hospital. What a daydream!

Atobe Keigo twitched his finger; he was just making conversation out of nothing.

After the person left, Sanada Rin sat down at the head of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Keigo Atobe hasn't lost his memory yet and clearly remembers what he said when he was unconscious. He stiffened slightly as a result. "It's alright. The doctors said I'm recovering very well, so don't worry too much."

"By the way, my mom told me you were injured that day too. Where were you injured, and what happened?"

Sanada Rin looked into Atobe Keigo's eyes. What kind of time is this? He himself was shot and on the verge of death, yet he still had time to worry about her.

However, there was no need to hide these small things. Sanada Rin rolled up her sleeves, revealing the marks on her arms, which had already scabbed over.

"It's just a thin layer of skin broken, it's nothing serious."

Sanada Rin had thought about these things seriously. "Keigo, I'm telling you, in the future, if there are similar situations, don't stand in my way."

Atobe Keigo looked at her. She knew that Sanada Rei was serious about what he said, but he was serious too. "What did you originally intend to do that day?"

"You charged forward despite the danger, making some sacrifices, even if it meant getting shot in the arm or shoulder. Was that your choice?"

Sanada Rei defended himself, saying, "The situation was urgent; at most, I'll suffer minor injuries, but I'm still alive."

Seeing how nonchalant she sounded, Atobe Keigo's lips twitched, and he gave a bitter smile. "There's no such thing as a minor injury when it comes to gunshot wounds. Your body can't handle any more major surgery."

"You have your choices, and I can't stop you."

"I have my own choices, and you can't stop me from doing that."

"You'll worry about me, but I'll only worry about you more, and that's when you'll feel a little better."

"I'd rather be the one lying in the operating room receiving emergency treatment than stand outside waiting in vain."

Sanada Rin remained silent, unsure of what to say. She couldn't persuade her, nor could she calm her down.

Her gaze shifted slightly to the fruit bowl on the bedside table. Sanada Rin picked one out and changed the subject, "Are you hungry? Would you like some fruit?"

Atobe Keigo saw through it and followed suit, saying, "I want to eat."

Sanada Rin took out a fruit knife and, with practiced ease, peeled off rings of apple skin, then cut it into small pieces. She then placed the pieces on a fork next to the fruit plate and offered them to Atobe Keigo's mouth.

"What did the doctor say about the post-operative condition?" Sanada Rei hadn't had a chance to look at the medical records yet. Being shot and having surgery must have been very painful, especially after the anesthesia wore off. The wound was healing quite well, considering her physical condition and young age.

"I've really recovered very well. The doctor even said that I have a strong will to live and that my body's self-healing ability is stronger than any other patient he has ever seen."

Sanada Rin glanced at his abdomen. "It's a good thing. I know you like cleanliness. Just bear with it for the next couple of days and take a shower after the stitches are removed."

Atobe Keigo remembered something else, no, many things: "You were lying to me all those times."

What? Sanada Rin was completely confused. What was she thinking about now?

Atobe Keigo moved slightly closer to Sanada Rei, as he couldn't afford to make any big moves.

"Don't move around, behave yourself."

Ignoring her, Atobe Keigo continued, "Back then, you always told me it was nothing, that it didn't hurt, that it was alright."

"These are all lies, aren't they? You just don't want to tell the truth."

Sanada Rin took a moment to process what Atobe Keigo meant, and she explained, "Actually, it's not like that."

"My threshold is relatively high, so I'm not very sensitive to these reactions."

No, that's not it. You just habitually suppress your pain and don't want to tell anyone.

Sanada Rin didn't really want to talk about this; it was considered unlucky. "Are you tired? Do you want to lie down and rest?"

Atobe Keigo refused. He had slept enough these past few days, and he had experienced life and death. He had so much to say to Sanada Rin.

"Actually, there's something else I haven't told you."

Sanada Rin asked in confusion, "What?"

"It's so good to wake up and see you."

Sanada Rei: "I told you you'd be fine." She made no mention of the waiting process.

Atobe Keigo reached out and took Sanada Rei's hand. "When I fell, I had some regrets."

“We had some arguments back then, and the last impression I left on you was terrible; you thought I was narrow-minded and jealous.”

"I was thinking at the time, what a pity. If I die, the last me you remember will be this ugly. Even the greatest sadness will be lessened by that."

Sanada Rin's expression darkened slightly, a hint of displeasure appearing in her eyes. She only managed to utter three words before speaking, "Don't talk nonsense."

Keigo Atobe seemed to sense Sanada Rei's emotions and smiled, "I regretted arguing with you as soon as I finished, but I just didn't dare to face you for a moment."

"Everything has its order of arrival. It's never your fault that you met Shinichi Kudo first and became interested in him. It's just that I was being stubborn and narrow-minded."

"But the fact that you chose to be with me later shows that you like me more, and that's enough."

"After hiding abroad for so many days, I came back to apologize to you in person. I never expected to have the opportunity to protect you from disaster."

"you"

Keigo Atobe shook Rei Sanada's arm. "I'm sorry, please forgive me."

Sanada Rin sighed softly to herself, "I've never blamed you, nor am I angry with you. I was just a little surprised at the time."

“I’ve never thought about these issues in detail, and you haven’t told me either, so I don’t know what’s wrong with you.”

Atobe Keigo's eyelashes trembled slightly. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that I can't bring myself to say it."

Sanada Rin rubbed her thumb against Atobe Keigo's hand a few times. "We're partners. It's my fault for not noticing your emotional issues."

"Because I knew you loved me and knew you wouldn't leave me, I took your feelings for granted at times, and that was wrong of me."

Atobe Keigo's eyes had reddened without him noticing. He wanted to say something, but his voice choked with emotion, "I..."

Sanada Rin squeezed his hand tightly, "Let's be good to each other from now on."

"Okay." (End of Chapter)