Chapter 80

Fringe Case File 80 Wild Flower

:Born!

One night passed, and both grew noticeably.

One of them had grown more than the other.

Similarly, Wild Flower Kotori didn’t sleep all night. If you asked why, her room was only separated by one wall from her sister’s room.

Now she finally understood why yesterday, at midnight, her parents suddenly said they were going to a friend’s place even to stay overnight. Now, hating them so much, last night even if she completely wrapped herself up in the blanket and was shivering, without any intention of eavesdropping, she still heard what she shouldn’t have.

The gentle brother-in-law at the beginning of the conversation sounded like a devil afterwards. Just listening to her pitiful sister’s “music”… Now, Wild Flower Kotori just wished her imagination wasn’t so vivid.

“Should be stopped by now… right?”

Even though the sounds from next door had stopped some time after the sun rose, Wild Flower Kotori still couldn’t confirm this with certainty.

Even though she’s not as delicate as her sister, she is still my sister. It’s better to double-check.

Uncertainly standing outside the door, Wild Flower Kotori hesitated, lifting her finger but unsure whether to knock. Just then, the door opened, revealing Ash standing there—a living wall releasing an intimidating presence, blocking the doorway completely.

Ash, bare-chested and drinking from a water bottle, demonstrated the phrase “stripped down to muscle.” His robust and graceful physique, resembling ancient Greek sculptures, displayed perfect lines. The sweat dripping down emphasized his tense muscles, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the windows.

But the more majestic the body, the more it worried Wild Flower Kotori about her not-so-delicate sister… Could her elder sister’s malnourished body withstand this man’s aggression?

“Sister… is she okay?”

“She’s not relaxing; she wants me to keep pushing,” replied the man with one hand compressing the water bottle into a round shape. With a snap of his finger, he sent it straight into the trash bin downstairs, then casually walked towards the kitchen. “Your sister isn’t as fragile as you think; let her rest.”

But the more he reassured her, the more uneasy Wild Flower Kotori felt. Gathering her courage, she opened the bedroom door, only to slam it shut after half a second, her face red with embarrassment.

“Cream puffs!”

After several exaggerated deep breaths to calm herself, she pinched her nose and reopened the door, her voice muffled as she shouted inside.

“Sister, are you alive?”

“…”

“Sister?”

“Alive… Let me lie here a bit longer…” Hearing the muffled and weak voice from the other side, Wild Flower Kotori finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Almost died…”

“So… what about brother-in-law last night…”

“He’s no good!”

Okay, no more questions, asking would be impolite.

“Surprise, Drive in the world!” Singing cheerfully, Ash flipped a fried egg in a pan while wearing an apron, looking curiously at Wild Flower being supported towards the bathroom. He then boasted to the virtual panel beside him.

“How cool am I, bro?”

“If Cure’s energy hadn’t subtly strengthened your body over these eight years, you’d already need an ambulance now.” After revealing some truths about Ash, the system screen silently displayed, “Are you going to continue doing this?”

“Not really, probably because of the earlier burst of energy. Right now, I feel light as a feather.”

“But you know, darkness doesn’t disappear on its own. One day, your past will catch up with you.”

With the sound of oil sizzling as the egg cooked, Ash flipped it.

“Since we can’t escape our destiny, might as well face it.” Ash’s expression remained unchanged. From the moment he decided, he had accepted it fully. “Before that, I have to make her happy. If she’s been waiting for me, I can’t let her down, can I?”

“Because you love her?”

“Because I love her.”

“Sorry.”

After leaving those final words, Ash witnessed the system panel dissipate after flipping the finished pancake onto a plate.

“Don’t mind it. We’re already on this path with you, so there’s no turning back… Haven’t we discussed this before?”

Wild Flower, before asking yourself if you deserve happiness, you already know this feeling, right?

“Phew… I’m alive.”

Emerging from the steamy bathroom with wet hair tousled, Wild Flower frowned upon seeing Ash’s back. Pouting, she limped over in his green shirt, took a deep breath, and stretched out a finger as long and slender as green onion, striking fiercely at his back.

“Ouch—” Ash winced at the sudden hit. “What was that for?”

“Born!”

“?”

“Haha.”

Sitting at the other end, Wild Flower laughed dryly, unable to comment on what she saw.

Wild Flower rested her soft cheek on the table, struggling to pick apart the remaining eggs but failing miserably. Eventually, Ash helped her upright, scooping up part of the yolk to feed it to her.

“Mmm… delicious!” Wild Flower brightened up as the delicious food refreshed her, eagerly fighting with the egg.

“Haha, do you think my cooking skills came from nowhere? Not the best in the universe, but definitely top two!”

“Everything you make is delicious! Ahh… ahh…”

Wonderful…

Watching her sister and Ash on the other side of the table, Wild Flower’s relaxed smile made this normal but warm scene seem particularly tender.

Maybe my not-so-delicate sister can finally be worry-free.

Taking a photo of the two stuffing the eggs into Wild Flower’s mouth, she was about to put away her phone when a message popped up on the screen. Wide-eyed, almost spitting out the delicious food in her mouth, the message read:

“Sister, Brother-in-law, something big happened. You’re on the news!”