Isn't it very scientific to use the Death Note to kill people?

Lin Jiashu smiled.

The answer is actually no—

"so,"

He continued, his voice lower and deeper than before, with a magnetic huskiness, each word like a feather scratching at her sensitive nerves, "So you swallowed the antidote because of me after all?"

"...Don't be so narcissistic."

Even as she said that, Shiho Miyano felt her cheeks burning uncontrollably, and her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She instinctively tried to shrink back, but there was only the cold desk behind her, and nowhere to retreat.

His gaze was like an invisible net, completely enveloping her. The surging tenderness and hidden aggression within it made her weak all over and tremble uncontrollably.

He did not approach any closer, nor did he make any more blatant moves.

He simply maintained that leaning posture, getting closer to her with his eyes and words: "But your eyelashes seem to be trembling."

"..."

Shiho Miyano wanted him to stop joking, but she could feel her eyes trembling slightly uncontrollably.

Lin Jiashu suddenly moved a little closer.

Completely different from the feeling of being close to him when she was a child, the air at this moment seemed to have turned into thick honey, carrying the scent of evening primrose and his unique aroma, enveloping her tightly.

Shiho Miyano felt her cheeks burning hot, and her heart was pounding wildly under her ribs, almost shattering the calm she was trying so hard to maintain.

The girl slightly raised her blue eyes, meeting Lin Jiashu's unfathomable gaze, which now held a certain color—a familiar gentleness, but also an undisguised depth that made her heart race. She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to sound less trembling, striving to maintain a calm tone tinged with slight self-mockery:

“It’s always like this…” she said softly, her gaze slightly averted, landing on a small patch of light and shadow on the floor, as if talking to herself, “You can always…see through everything so easily, can’t you?”

Her voice paused, as if she were gathering her courage.

“I know it’s ridiculous…” she continued, a barely perceptible bitterness seeping into her voice. It was no longer a forced composure, but a warm, clumsy confession, “I knew… what kind of person you were all along. I could smell… those scents that didn’t belong here.”

She finally raised her eyes and looked at him again. Her blue eyes tried hard to maintain a cool pride, but inevitably revealed a very subtle vulnerability and grievance that she had carefully hidden.

“Even so…even knowing that perhaps the next second, you’ll be covered in another woman’s perfume…” Her voice lowered, almost a murmur, carrying a desperate weariness, “…I still…can’t hate the temperature when you’re near me.”

These words almost exhausted all her strength.

Shiho Miyano didn't say "I like you," but rather, in the most subtle way, she acknowledged that he was special to her. She admitted that all her awkwardness, sharp tongue, and hesitation stemmed from that unspoken yet irreplaceable feeling of caring.

Even his impulsive act of swallowing the antidote tonight was merely to briefly breathe the same air as him in a form that he could treat as an equal.

She turned her face slightly to avoid his overly sharp gaze, her ears turning a faint blush, as if she had been burned by her own almost blunt words.

Lin Jiashu listened quietly.

The habitual gentle smile on his face gradually faded, and the emotions surging in his dark eyes became deep and focused.

He looked at her trembling eyelashes, at her reddened ears, at her forced composure that couldn't hide her vulnerability.

He suddenly reached out, his movements slow and deliberate, giving her time to react, and gently brushed away a strand of brown hair that was sticking to her cheek after she was sweating.

"Fool."

This is a name she often mutters.

"Those things that are fleeting..."

His fingertips didn't leave; instead, he gently rubbed her burning cheek with the back of his fingers, the gesture carrying an unprecedented, almost cherished tenderness. "...It's not worth remembering, much less worth being sad about."

His gaze locked onto her slightly widened, watery eyes.

"Until now, those who know my secrets, who know all my troubles..."

His voice was even lower, like the most intimate whisper, each word clearly imprinted on her senses: "There has only ever been this one."

"...Should I praise you for hiding it so well?"

"So, are you going to praise me?"

"You bastard—!"

Before she could utter the rest of her words, his lips sealed her lips.

Their breaths had never been so close.

For Shiho Miyano, there was no kiss more memorable than this one... After all, any previous time Yoshiki Hayashi had been even slightly more proactive, he would have been called a pervert.

“Do you understand?” he said softly. “You are special, Shiho—you always have been.”

Shiho Miyano stared at him, mesmerized by the undisguised tenderness and desire in his eyes, and listened to his deep, resolute words. All her defenses, all her bitterness, all her grievances seemed to melt away at that moment, silently melted away by his gentle fingertips and words.

She forgot to dodge, forgot to refute, and was simply immersed in that sudden, profound gaze that focused solely on her, her heart filled with a burning, surging emotion.

Lin Jiashu gave her no more time to back down or think.

He bent down, his arms slipping under her knees and back, and with an undeniable yet exceptionally gentle force, lifted her up horizontally.

"Cointreau?"

Shiho Miyano let out a soft gasp.

"Are you scared?" he asked in a low voice, which was terribly hoarse and had a bewitching charm.

Realizing what he was about to do, Shiho Miyano opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Scared?

There is definitely something there, but more than anything, it's a feeling of bewilderment, anxiety, and... anticipation.

But more than anything, it was a dizzying feeling of being swept up by a huge wave and... anticipation. She looked at him and gently shook her head, the movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible.

This subtle response felt like a permission.

Lin Jiashu's last trace of restraint vanished completely as he carried her to the bed in the guest room.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips again.

At the same time, he slightly adjusted the bathrobe, which was a little too loose for her.

The initial touch was tentative, as gentle as a feather's brush, carried with a precious, cautious tenderness. But soon, that gentleness transformed into an irresistible, direct contact.

Shiho Miyano was unusually nervous; her fingers unconsciously gripped the clothes on his shoulder, and her body trembled slightly.

The kiss felt like an eternity. When he finally pulled away slightly, both of them were a little breathless. Shiho Miyano's eyes were misty and glistening with an alluring light.

Lin Jiashu stared intently at her alluring yet unaware appearance.

He didn't speak again.

Shiho Miyano instinctively tried to cover herself with her arms, but he gently but firmly grasped her wrists and pressed them to her sides.

"Don't hide..."

He whispered in her ear, his hot breath spraying onto her earlobe.

Shiho Miyano bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the sound that was about to escape her throat, but broken sobs still leaked out uncontrollably.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Chapter 28: Livestock

Consciousness, like a sunken ship, slowly rises to the surface from the dark depths of the sea.

The first thing you notice is the weight.

A warm and solid weight rested on her waist, carrying an undeniable presence.

Another factor is temperature.

The touch of the man's warm body pressed against her from behind felt like being embraced whole, especially with his even, calm breathing gently brushing against the bare skin of her neck, bringing a subtle, tingling itch.

Shiho Miyano's eyelashes fluttered a few times before she managed to open them with difficulty.

Her blue eyes still held a lingering haze of sleepiness, and a momentary lapse in focus due to a loss of consciousness after waking up.

Morning light streamed through the gap in the slightly ajar curtains, casting a narrow, dusty band of light into the dim room. In this faint light, she could make out the arm that lay across her waist—a masculine arm, with smooth, powerful lines, and faint blue veins visible beneath the skin.

Memories surged back like a tidal wave, bringing with them details that made my face flush and my heart race.

The effects of the medication, the helplessness in his gaze, those low, somber words, and what followed…

Even though she already knew some things from his medical report, she was still surprised that it had come to this extent... This was something Shiho Miyano hadn't anticipated from the beginning.

She moved very slightly, trying to adjust her posture, but the arms around her waist immediately tightened a little, with an unconscious possessiveness, drawing her closer into that warm embrace.

Then, a muffled, murmured sound came from the chest behind her, and warm breaths buried deeper into the crook of her neck.

Shiho Miyano froze instantly, even her breathing unconsciously becoming softer. A strong sense of unreality and immense shame overwhelmed her—she really… after taking the antidote, as Shiho Miyano, with him…

Just as her heart was pounding and she was at a loss, the person behind her seemed to have completely woken up.

Lin Jiashu paused, his arms around her waist loosening slightly, but not completely withdrawing. He seemed to look down at the situation in his arms, and then, a soft kiss, with the characteristic huskiness of someone just awakened, landed on her smooth shoulder. The touch was warm and soft, devoid of lust, more like an unconscious intimacy and confirmation.

"morning."

His voice whispered close to her ear.

Shiho Miyano did not turn around or respond.

She didn't know what expression to wear when facing him, or what to say. She only felt a burning sensation spread rapidly across the small patch of skin where his lips had touched her, as if branded with a hot iron.

Noticing her stiffness and silence, Lin Jiashu seemed to smile. He sat up, leaning against her back, so that his warm chest was pressed against her back, almost completely touching hers.

His chin rested gently on the top of her head, his gaze passing over her shoulder and looking out the window at the gradually brightening sky.

"Did you sleep well?"

He kissed her gently, his tone as natural as if he were discussing the weather, while one hand began to stroke her arm lightly and casually, his fingertips brushing against her delicate skin, sending shivers of electricity through her.

This overly intimate, natural gesture, as if they had done it a thousand times before, made Shiho Miyano's heart clench even tighter. She could even feel the changes in him as he naturally woke up in the morning, pressing against her with undeniable force, reminding her of the unbridgeable distance between them from last night and now.

“…Mmm.” She finally managed to squeeze out a very soft single syllable from her throat, her voice terribly hoarse.

I'm so sorry...

Although I'm very embarrassed—

But this was perhaps the safest night she had spent since escaping the organization.

Although she had grown accustomed to her own room and her own little bed at Professor Agasa's house, even now... she still occasionally had that nightmare—the scene of people around her being shot and falling one after another amidst Gin's sinister laughter, with pools of blood on the ground formed by the blood of those she cared about.

Hayashi Yoshiki seemed quite satisfied with her response.

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply maintained the position of holding her in his arms, enjoying the tranquility of the morning.

His fingers continued to linger on her arm, sometimes tracing the inside of her wrist, sometimes intertwining with her slender fingers, carrying an unspoken possessiveness.

Shiho Miyano closed her eyes, feeling the steady heartbeat and warm body behind her, his scent filling her nostrils. A huge, dizzying sense of happiness mixed with intense unease pulled her in like a whirlpool. It all felt like stolen time, making her afraid she would wake up at any moment and find herself still curled up in the cold shell of a child.

As if sensing her subtle emotional fluctuations, Lin Jiashu tightened his arms, pulling her even closer into his embrace. His kiss landed again, this time on her sensitive earlobe.

"Don't overthink it," he said softly, his voice carrying a reassuring strength. "The antidote will last for 24 hours, won't it? There's still plenty of time."

“…I’ve already used it once before,” she said softly. “My body has developed antibodies, so I don’t know if the effect will be shortened to a few hours.”

"is it?"

"..."

"Then shouldn't I cherish this remaining time even more?"

"you--"

"Just stay in this room." Lin Jiashu gently ruffled her hair and chuckled. "Also, we need to prepare the needles for blood sampling as soon as possible, right?"

"Ah."

Shiho Miyano nodded slightly.

Sure enough, he always thought of everything so thoroughly...

Having finally returned to adult form, blood samples naturally need to be recorded, with changes in antidote antibodies being a crucial indicator.

Lin Jiashu got up.

He smoothed his hair, which had become easier to manage after being soaked in sweat the night before, casually grabbed the bathrobe from the floor, put it on, and walked out of the room.

Shiho Miyano remained lying in bed, quietly pulling the blanket up to cover her shoulders... then slowly, pulling it up to cover her flushed face.

Livestock...