Tokyo: I'm really not a killer

"Come in, Mr. Suzuki," said Yui Komi.

Yuan Zhensheng hesitated for a moment, but still stepped into room 201.

A faint smell of blood wafted through the entryway. He closed the door behind him, leaned against it, and let out a soft breath.

Rin Shinomiya was already asleep, sprawled out on her back, with glistening drool hanging from her lips.

Komi Yui was worried about waking her up, so she didn't turn on the main light, but only lit a warm yellow table lamp next to the low table—in fact, she could have left the light off, but she did it out of consideration for Hara Masaki's feelings.

"Please sit here." She gestured to the cushion next to the low table.

Yuan Zhensheng sat down as instructed and took off his coat, which was covered in dust and some dark stains.

Komi Yui knelt down opposite him, opened the first-aid kit, and skillfully took out iodine, cotton balls, gauze, and medical tape.

She didn't rush to act, but asked softly, "Where are you injured?"

Yuan Zhensheng paused for a moment before saying in a low voice, "There are abrasions on the outside of the left upper arm, and... there might be some bruising under the ribs."

Komi Yui nodded, palm up: "Let me check."

Yuan Zhensheng rolled up his left sleeve, and in the dim light, a not-too-deep but rather long wound lay across the outside of his arm. The skin and flesh were slightly turned outward, the blood was half-congealed, and the edges were stained with dust and fabric fibers.

Komi Yui's fingertip paused in mid-air for a moment, then landed precisely a few centimeters above the wound without directly touching it.

"The wound needs to be cleaned first."

She picked up tweezers and a cotton ball soaked in iodine, and began to clean the blood and foreign objects around the wound with precise and steady movements.

The stinging sensation of iodine on the wound caused Hara Masaki's muscles to tense slightly, but he didn't make a sound, just quietly watching Komi Yui's focused profile.

Her eyelashes were long, casting a faint shadow under her eyelids. Her nose twitched slightly as she got closer, as if trying to discern the scents—not just the smell of disinfectant, but perhaps something else entirely.

After the wound was cleaned, Komi Yui began applying medication.

When bandaging, she needs to lean slightly forward, and the collar of her pale yellow loungewear droops a little with the movement, but she doesn't seem to care at all, focusing all her attention on how to secure the gauze firmly without making it too tight.

"It might feel a little tight. If it feels too tight or numb, please let me know."

As she spoke, she used her teeth and one hand to deftly tear off a piece of tape.

This action made her look less gentle and more capable than usual.

After treating her arm, she looked up: "Does that... need to be checked? Or can you handle it yourself?"

Yuan Zhensheng shook his head, then realized she couldn't see, and said, "No need, it should just be a bump, no bones are broken."

He lifted the corner of his shirt, revealing a sizable bruise on his side, but the skin was intact.

Koji didn't insist, but simply pushed a bottle of ointment to reduce swelling and bruising into his hand.

"Here, take this. You can apply some before bed."

She paused, tidying up the used cotton balls and wrapping paper, her voice even lower than before, as if talking to herself, or perhaps sighing softly: "This time... seems more dangerous than last time."

It is not a question.

"what……"

Before Yuan Zhensheng could reply, he saw Shinomiya Rin rubbing her eyes, waking up groggily.

She first saw Komi Yui packing her medicine box, then her gaze fell on Hara Masaki sitting opposite her, as well as the brand-new bandage wrapped around his arm and the bloodstains on the hem of his clothes.

"Yuan Jun?" Her sleepiness vanished instantly, and she sat bolt upright. "You...you're injured? What happened?"

Yuan Zhensheng lowered the hem of his robe, his expression calm: "It's nothing, just a minor accident during patrol."

"A minor accident?" Shinomiya Rin didn't believe it at all. She leaned closer and examined the slight red seepage from the bandage. "This isn't something you can get from a fall! Weren't you on patrol just now? How did you get like this? Is it... is it related to my affairs?"

She immediately thought of her current situation, and her voice involuntarily became tense.

Komi Yui quietly tidied up, without interrupting, but she moved even more gently.

Yuan Zhensheng glanced at her and thought to himself that this little one really had a vivid imagination; she didn't even need to find a reason for herself.

He sighed, feigning exhaustion, and said, "...I guess so."

Shinomiya Rin's eyes widened immediately, all sleepiness gone: "You...you investigated? What did you find out?"

"I went to some places that might be related to the Swamp Man to gather information," Hara Masaki said. "Unfortunately, I ran into another person who was also investigating the Swamp Man. That person... was a ruthless character."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the wound on his arm, then looking at Shinomiya Rin: "He thought I was a swamp man, or had something to do with swamp men, and attacked me without saying a word. I barely managed to escape."

Shinomiya Rin was stunned.

Looking at the injury on Yuan Zhensheng's arm and then at the "what bad luck" expression on his face, countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

Did Yuan Zhensheng go out to help her find out the truth?

A wave of guilt washed over me.

She remembered how Yuan Zhensheng used to always scold her for meddling and adding to her workload, but now he was taking risks for her, this troublesome person.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." Shinomiya Rin's voice trailed off, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. "I...I didn't know it would turn out like this...I didn't expect to drag you into this..."

Yuan Zhensheng waved his hand, his tone sounding somewhat irritated: "What's the use of saying all this now? In short, you absolutely mustn't go out recently, understand? Not only are the police looking for you outside, but assassins are also looking for you, wanting to kill you to silence you..."

He deliberately emphasized the word "assassin," sending chills down Shinomiya Rin's spine.

"Are you alright? Besides your arm, are there any other injuries?" Shinomiya Rin asked anxiously.

"I won't die," Hara Masaki replied curtly, standing up. "Ms. Komi, thank you for your trouble. I'll head back now; you should get some rest too."

He didn't look at Shinomiya Rin again, and walked straight to the door, his back looking somewhat tired.

Shinomiya Rin watched his figure disappear behind the door, then looked down at her own unharmed hands, her heart heavy.

Komi Yui gently patted her shoulder, offering silent comfort.

Shinomiya Rin tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The image of Yuan Zhensheng being injured and the words "in order to investigate your affairs" kept echoing in her mind.

The previous impression of Yuan Zhensheng as lazy and a nobody was diluted by intense guilt and a sense of dependence that she herself was unaware of.

She secretly resolved to clear her name as soon as possible and not to implicate anyone else!

……

Meanwhile, Yuan Zhensheng returned to the safe house and hid the money in the wardrobe—the hiding place didn't need to be too particular, as it would be found no matter where it was hidden once the safe house was exposed.

He couldn't rest after he finished.

Yusuke Nishio is still waiting for him to return.