A Rider Doesn't Need a Youth Romantic Comedy [35]

Inside his office, Hayaseura Takuhiko stared at the files on his desk, lost in thought.

A random coincidence had led him to discover Asukai Kiki’s special traits.

Her thoughts would uncontrollably leak into others’ minds, and her dreams could be invaded by outsiders.

Realizing the uniqueness of her power, Hayaseura immediately mobilized every resource at his disposal to conceal it.

At the same time, he secretly transferred Asukai Kiki away from her original hospital.

Although Hayaseura didn't know about the Institute’s existence, he knew there was a shadowy organization in this country, secretly controlling all supernatural abilities.

He was very clear that his actions had an element of risk.

But clearly, he'd succeeded.

At that time, the Japan branch had been fully occupied dealing with the chaos of Aokigahara, significantly reducing their surveillance capabilities within the city.

By sheer coincidence, he'd actually managed to hide Asukai Kiki’s existence from them.

“Shirakoma-kun, our time is running out.”

“Both yours and mine.”

Leaning back gently in his chair, Hayaseura muttered quietly to himself.

After hiding Asukai Kiki away, he used his connections to find a struggling scientist named Shirakoma Nishio.

After explaining the peculiarities of Asukai Kiki’s powers, the two men quickly aligned in purpose and began extensive research into her abilities.

While conducting these experiments, Hayaseura was also steadily advancing his own plans.

He had seven serial killers rotate shifts, Monday through Sunday, to enter Asukai Kiki’s dreams and murder her repeatedly.

Perhaps driven by a perverse obsession, under Hayaseura’s guidance, each killer developed their own unique methods.

One would rip out tongues, another broke limbs.

Katsuyama Denshin was one of the specialized murderers he had shaped.

Even though one of the killers had refused his invitation, that was irrelevant.

Now it was time to create the eighth killer.

Knock knock.

Just as Hayaseura was deep in thought, there was a knock at his office door.

Quickly smoothing away the dark expression from his face, Hayaseura adjusted himself slightly and said:

“Come in.”

The office door opened, and in walked two people he didn't recognize.

“You’re Hayaseura Takuhiko, right?”

The younger-looking one, who appeared like a student, spoke first:

“My name is Makoto Rōma. Come with me, please.”

Listening to the young man's words, Hayaseura frowned unconsciously.

This clearly wasn't standard procedure.

Whether investigating corruption or something else, no one would directly storm into his office like this.

And since when had such a young investigator appeared?

“To put it differently, we’re already fully aware of what you've been doing.”

Scratching his head lightly, Rōma delivered words that filled Hayaseura with shock.

Although outwardly he still maintained calmness, inwardly panic had begun to creep in.

He knew very clearly—if the truth got out, losing his position would be the least of his worries.

“I don’t understand what you're talking about.”

Saying so, Hayaseura quietly moved his hand toward a button beneath his desk.

A bold idea rose inside his heart.

He pressed down sharply, and—

Nothing happened.

“Hm?”

His narrowed eyes opened involuntarily. Hayaseura found himself unable to comprehend the current situation.

“Does higher authority usually mean lower intelligence?”

Actually, this was a common trait among certain people.

Hayaseura’s reaction was entirely within Rōma’s expectations.

Sometimes, the Human Order Security Organization had to deal with these clueless people who underestimated the seriousness of their situation.

The Institute had already developed a standard protocol for dealing with such cases.

Psssh—

Pulling out a spray can from behind him, Rōma sprayed it toward Hayaseura without hesitation.

Although Hayaseura had quickly held his breath, he inevitably inhaled a small amount.

In the next instant, Hayaseura felt a wave of drowsiness surge through him.

It overwhelmed his mind like a rising tide, drowning his consciousness almost instantly.

His eyelids, unbearably heavy, fell shut against his will as Hayaseura’s mind slipped into darkness.

Putting away the spray, Rōma turned toward the masked investigator beside him:

“Sorry for the trouble.”

Without saying a word, the investigator wearing a mask and a baseball cap lifted Hayaseura over his shoulder.

Outside, Task Force soldiers had been waiting patiently.

Swiftly transporting Hayaseura away, their mission was now complete.

...

“Ugh… Where is this?”

Blinding white light forced Hayaseura awake. As his consciousness returned, he realized he was inside a barren, empty room.

Aside from the chair beneath him and the incandescent lamp flickering in the corner, there was nothing else.

Hayaseura immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

This kind of setting was all too familiar—wasn't this exactly the sort of room used for interrogating criminals?

He, who had once interrogated criminals in a room just like this, was now about to be interrogated himself?

A subtle irony crept into his heart.

Leaving Hayaseura aside for now, Rōma had already arrived at the private hospital housing Asukai Kiki.

After discovering Asukai Kiki’s unique powers, Hayaseura had continuously moved her between hospitals.

Each transfer had resulted in the deletion of her information from the previous facility.

Thus, Asukai Kiki had effectively become a “missing person.”

Ignoring the nurses bustling around, Rōma headed directly for Asukai Kiki’s room.

Though several people attempted to block him, they were swiftly subdued by the Task Force.

These individuals would later undergo memory erasure procedures—they all knew at least some information about Asukai Kiki.

“Good morning, Asukai Kiki.”

Opening the door, he saw a girl with long black hair quietly sitting on the hospital bed.

She gazed blankly out the window, eyes dull and unfocused, as though longing desperately for the outside world.

Her skin was pale, exuding an unhealthy air.

Perhaps from prolonged inactivity, she possessed a fragile, almost morbid beauty.

She seemed as ephemeral as a bubble, ready to vanish at any moment.

“You are...?”

Her emerald-green eyes gradually regained their focus, and Asukai Kiki turned to look uncertainly at Rōma.

She didn’t know this person.

Was this another killer?

But she was awake now, wasn't she?

Long-term torment had made it difficult for Asukai Kiki to distinguish reality from dreams.

She raised her hand slightly—no scars.

She was awake, then.

So what exactly was this person here for?

Casting another doubtful glance at Rōma, Asukai Kiki’s confusion deepened.

“Congratulations, Asukai Kiki.”

Shrugging slightly, Rōma spoke as gently as he could:

“No one will ever torment you again.”

She stared blankly at Rōma, seemingly unable to comprehend his words.

Only after several moments of stunned silence did understanding slowly dawn upon her.

---

T/N: AHHHHH YES

This is a fan translation of 骑士不需要青春恋爱物语 by 青琮 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!