A certain underground hospital.
Unusual injuries would attract extra attention in an ordinary hospital, but an underground hospital paid no mind to a patient’s information; it was a place that “recognized money, not people.” In other words, underground hospitals charged far more than regular ones.
Expensive?
That wasn't an important question.
Even when penniless, Kurapika had never worried about money. As a thief, he could steal or rob whatever he lacked; what was yours was his, and what was his was still his.
Kurapika had sent Melors to the hospital without thoroughly examining her injuries. Had he personally tended to her wounds, he might have discovered that her true injuries were far less severe than they appeared.
Most of the wounds had already healed because Melors had used a skill triggered by her Scarlet Eye state, [Absolute Time], which maximized her "Enhancer" type healing abilities to rapidly mend her wounds. Constant injury, followed by healing, then injury again, and healing—this process consumed a significant amount of "Nen" and lifespan. But this was precisely what Melors desired; had she not carelessly squandered these resources, she wouldn't have collapsed by the stream so quickly.
She had intended to squander more, but her Nen was limited. When her usable "Nen" ran out, her squandering was forced to an end, and she lost consciousness.
The consequences of overconsumption were slightly worse than a hangover. Upon waking, Melors not only felt weak but also found her "game backpack" in a "locked" state.
Ah, she’d forgotten about the [save] fee for the game backpack. The game backpack could [save] the state of items stored within it, but in exchange, it automatically deducted a corresponding amount of "Nen" daily, much like collecting rent.
Failure to "pay" on time would result in a "debt" mode, rendering her unable to use "Nen" until the naturally recovered "Nen" was sufficient to "clear the debt." Based on Melors’ past experience, resting for a day after waking was usually enough to "clear the debt."
As her surging emotions receded, Melors fell into a state of "relative calm," or perhaps, a state of being "listless and unwilling to do anything."
This listlessness was very familiar to Melors. In the "real world," she often found herself doing meaningless things or lying down doing nothing, wasting time for the sake of wasting time, constantly imagining a future where she slept and never woke up, yet she would still wake.
She had thought she would never wake up again, only to wake up as an infant.
How absurd.
“Awake?” a young man’s voice sounded beside Melors. The next sentence was closer, “How do you feel?”
The speaker then stood up, blocking some of the light from the ceiling.
It was Kuroro, no, although the voice actor was the same, it was actually Kurapika.
Ah, compared to Kurapika, someone like Kuroro, a fanatical "justice" wielder, was more satisfying for chuunibyo fantasies. After all, Kuroro’s tool, "Death Note," was simple to operate; anyone who could write could quickly get the hang of it, giving people the illusion that "you too can become a god of the new world."
Seeing a pleasing face upon opening her eyes was undoubtedly a pleasant experience.
Unfortunately, the character was backlit. Under such lighting, any character appeared like a villain, especially since Melors knew full well that Kurapika was an undeniable villain, and one of the high-intelligence types she found most troublesome—she was keenly aware of her own ordinary intelligence level.
Blue and black pupils met in silence.
Fatigue and resistance.
Insight and inquiry.
The intentions of both sides were clearly understood. Kurapika extended his hand, and as his fingertips pressed against Melors’ throat, she was not surprised by his action. Instead, she was puzzled by the almost gentle pressure on her throat.
“I didn’t have a chance to confirm with you before,” Kurapika said slowly, his eyelashes casting a thick shadow beneath his eyes. “Regarding the ‘missing thing.’ Although I heard you were born with it, things that should normally be present could also be considered ‘missing things,’ right?”
“…” Melors’ face still held a hint of sleep-induced confusion.
“Vocal cords,” Kurapika paused for a moment before continuing, “I believe you should be able to vocalize normally now.”
Melors wasn’t particularly moved by this. After twenty years of habitually speaking with only her lips, being suddenly asked to use her long-unused vocal cords, she wasn’t sure if she could do what was once taken for granted.
Because it was so natural, something that should have been learned independently during infancy, there were no memories related to how to learn it. Melors, for a moment, didn't know where to start.
She opened her mouth slightly in confusion, attempting to exhale more air to vibrate her vocal cords.
No, there was no sound.
The vocal cords were quiet vocal organs located in the middle of the larynx; unless they were vibrated, their presence couldn't be felt.
It's been too long… twenty years… and I’ve forgotten how to speak normally?
Melors raised her hand and pressed against her throat, breathing deeply a few times. The vocal cords still felt as if they didn't exist.
The vocal cords were located in the middle of the larynx and could only be seen through a laryngoscope. Recalling Kurapika's somewhat uncertain words, she couldn't help but doubt the accuracy of Kurapika's guess and looked at him.
“Did I guess wrong?” Kurapika was indeed guessing about whether the naturally absent vocal cords were a "missing thing," not asserting it.
Kurapika's black, choppy hair flickered. He sat back on the chair beside the hospital bed, lost in thought.
To Melors, this was an answer that a laryngoscope could quickly confirm. But to Kurapika, this was a potential flaw in his reasoning, something worth self-reflection.
As Melors closed her eyes, not quite awake, the bedding beneath her dipped. Kurapika had sat on the edge of the bed, his voice filled with a sudden, delighted realization. “It’s also possible that you were born without vocal cords, so you never had the chance to use them, and naturally, you wouldn't know how to use them.”
“I’ll show you how to vocalize.” Discarding other possibilities, Kurapika was confident in his current conclusion, as if he had just obtained a desired game. Without further thought, he took Melors’ hand and placed her index finger on his throat. The prominent Adam's apple moved up and down with his words, and the vibration of his vocal cords transmitted to her fingertip. “Do you feel that? That’s the vibration of vocal cords.”
Isn’t that dangerous? The throat is a vital area. Melors gazed at her index finger, held by Kurapika, somewhat lost in thought.
Kurapika probably knew what she was thinking, but instead, he leaned in closer.
Melors could smell the ink on Kurapika; the scent was fresh because Kurapika had been reading while waiting for her to wake up.
“Concentrate,” his obsidian eyes captivating her gaze with astonishing intensity. Kurapika clearly knew his own advantages and also knew that Melors was someone who liked looking at faces. Thus, he closed the distance to a point where their breaths mingled in an intimate manner. “Melors, are you the type who needs ‘rewards’ as motivation?”
“…” Melors stared blankly at his parting lips.
Seeing her lack of reaction, Kurapika let out a long hum from his throat, “Hmm?”
“This is the location of the vocal cords,” he said, holding Melors’ hand and moving it higher, making her fingers touch his lower lip. “This is the location of the lips.”
Melors’ gaze didn’t follow Kurapika’s lead; instead, it shifted back to his eyes. Now it was Melors’ turn to look with inquiry.
Kurapika’s gaze was mysterious and gentle. Melors suddenly lowered her eyelids because she felt her index finger being gently bitten.
“This is the location of the teeth,” Kurapika said after releasing his teeth.
Melors’ gaze was unfocused, finally sliding down along the smooth lines of Kurapika’s neck.
“And also…” Kurapika intentionally stopped there.
“…” Melors’ breath hitched.
But as the last struggle of a face-lover, Melors chose to close her eyes.
Kurapika released her hand, his fingers weaving through the strands of hair at her temple. His breath, close to her ear, was a low, magnetic voice, the sexiness unique to adult males, like sweet whispers from a lover beside her. “There is one more thing needed for vocalization. Do you know what it is?”
Unsure whether the current situation was good or bad, Melors felt an inexplicable prickling sensation on her scalp.
She hadn't experienced emotions for so long that her ability to identify them had become rusty.
Her fingers beneath the covers subtly tightened, making it difficult to distinguish between tension and excitement.
Tension or excitement? Perhaps both.
As the saying goes, lust is a double-edged sword.
Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by a villain.
You’re already losing it before he’s even shown the real goods? Melors took a deep breath, attempting to regulate her breathing.
However, as she opened her mouth, Kurapika seized the opportunity, inserting his index finger into her mouth. “It’s the tongue.”
His fingertip seemed to caress the spider tattoo on her tongue.
Guilty about the fake tattoo, Melors didn't particularly resist his touch, but she cautiously pursed her lips to prevent him from examining the tattoo closely. On the surface, it looked like she was gently embracing his index finger with her lips.
There was an atmosphere of hesitant surrender.
“You have four canine teeth,” Kurapika said, touching the sharpest part of her teeth, seemingly unconcerned about being bitten.
No, there was nothing to worry about, right? Melors wasn't a tiger.
Although having all four of her canine teeth touched by someone felt a bit strange, Melors merely kept her eyes half-open and didn't resist.
It was better than him examining the authenticity of the spider tattoo on her tongue.
“Shall we try kissing?” Kurapika murmured, almost to himself.
He removed his finger. Melors raised her hand and pushed against his shoulder, shaking her head.
It was a bit of a mood killer, but Melors thought she should brush her teeth before such an important event.
Yes, people in this world needed to use the restroom, and of course, they needed to brush their teeth.
It wasn’t disdain; it was just… that… the ritual… you know?
But missing this opportunity might mean never having it again.
“…” With a conflicted heart, Melors struggled to speak. She remembered that Kurapika understood lip-reading. “I… I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”
“Is that so?” Kurapika’s eyebrows softened, and a smile touched his lips. “Then let’s get discharged from the hospital first.”
He stood up from the bedside. Melors propped herself up on the bed, reaching out to look at the floor to confirm the location of her shoes. Kurapika had already crouched down, picking up a shoe with one hand and extending it to her. “Come.”
Melors submissively cooperated with his actions. Even after both her feet were on the ground, the sensation of her ankles being held strangely lingered, like invisible shackles, making her steps unsteady.
Kurapika, considerate of her weakness, looped an arm around her shoulder, guiding her to shift some of her weight onto him.
Melors was almost leaning into his embrace, being supported by him as they walked out of the hospital room.
“…” She couldn’t hold herself back at all; she couldn’t even walk properly.
Lust is a double-edged sword.
Melors felt that she couldn’t think properly.
Amidst her worry, the medical bill announced by a nurse in the corridor instantly brought Melors back to her senses.
“…The total is 12.6 million Jenny.” she said.
So expensive! Even for a single room, that’s too much!
Now she had completely regained control!
Her legs weren't weak anymore, her heart wasn't racing, and her head had cooled down.
Kurapika, you spendthrift!
“Charge it to my card,” Kurapika handed a card to the nurse. “No password required.”
Melors’ heart was now devoid of emotion. According to the education she’d received in the "real world" and from the Zoldycks, it was said that "even brothers need to settle accounts clearly." Once her "game backpack" was unlocked, regardless of Kurapika’s attitude, she would have to take out her bank card and repay the medical expenses to him.
One day in the hospital, 12.6 million Jenny. So expensive.
Because her "game backpack" was locked, Melors' original clothes were too dirty and torn to wear. Going out in a hospital gown would be too conspicuous, so she had to spend money at the underground hospital again to buy casual clothes to change into.
After leaving the underground hospital, they went to a hotel.
It wasn't for any particular reason; it was just that the hotel's facilities were complete and convenient for washing up—that's what Melors thought.
Ever since Kurapika had asked her about her Nen ability (asking if she couldn’t use Nen temporarily when she couldn’t [retrieve] changing clothes), and she had to answer that it was due to over-exertion… this was a logical answer, and there was no need to keep it a secret… after all, Kurapika hadn't revealed the conditions for stealing Nen abilities, and her excessive nervousness and evasion would only seem suspicious.
In any case, Melors had completely calmed down. At this moment, she was like a wise man in a brothel; even hearing the sound of the shower in the bathroom, she remained unmoved.
No, she was actually a little panicked and felt like escaping while she had the chance.
She had finally managed to clear her mind, but after she came out of the bathroom, Kurapika stated that he also needed to use it.
What was going on? This development? The more this happened, the more Melors doubted whether this was as natural as it seemed.
Perhaps she had misinterpreted something.
He might have just been concerned with personal hygiene.
Look at Hisoka; he just liked bathing frequently, with no other meaning. Don't overthink things just because of the special circumstances.
Although Kurapika wasn't a character whose desire for combat surpassed his sexual desire like Hisoka, he was clearly not a character obsessed with sexual desire either. His greatest pleasure was stealing or robbing various treasures.
“…” Melors thought that besides her Nen ability, the other thing that might interest Kurapika was her Scarlet Eyes.
Don’t forget, after learning that she had successfully transplanted the Scarlet Eyes, Kurapika had unreservedly allowed her to choose between "single player mode" or "double player mode" so he could see the effect of the successful Scarlet Eye transplant.
“That’s right,” Kurapika said, leaning against the bathroom door with a smile of unknown meaning. “It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
Melors took a step back, maintaining a blank expression.
However, inside her mind, she was screaming: What exactly is “what you’re thinking”? Speak clearly! Speak human language!
She couldn’t let Kurapika lead her around anymore, so Melors feigned calmness and didn’t ask aloud.
It also happened that she needed time to dry her hair. The noise of the hairdryer masked other environmental sounds, allowing her to concentrate better on thinking.
Her thoughts were somewhat scattered, and Melors couldn’t help but wonder if restoring the part of her brain that had been cut off was a bad thing.
She even inexplicably remembered a very old joke from the "real world":
[A man invited his girlfriend to his place. They went into the bedroom and turned off the lights. The two snuggled under the covers, and the girlfriend was shy. Then, the man excitedly lifted his wrist and said, “Let me show you my new luminous watch!”]
If it were changed to “Let me show you your new Scarlet Eyes!”, it seemed about the same.
“…” The wise do not fall in love; being too rational, one cannot have a relationship.
Suddenly, it all felt rather dull!
As a professional assassin, it was impossible not to be wary of someone approaching from behind.
Turning off the hairdryer, Melors turned to look. Kurapika was drying his hair with a towel, his movements casual. His dark hair was disheveled, and his white shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his chest and the sharp lines of his muscles… Melors couldn’t help but recall the scene in the original work where Kurapika wore a leather coat without a shirt.
Such impropriety!
This is too much, too indecent!
If you have the nerve, wear even less! Show off your V-lines too!
No, no, that’s not right.
Lust is a double-edged sword.
Melors straightened her back, her fingernails digging into her palm. After steadying herself, she offered the hairdryer.
“Thank you, but I don’t need it.” Kurapika didn’t take it. He also took off the towel, draped it over the back of the sofa, and sat down next to Melors. “Now, what shall we do first?”
As he spoke, Melors saw water droplets gathering at the tips of Kurapika’s hair. He clearly lacked patience for drying his hair and did so very carelessly.
The water droplet was gathering so slowly; when would it drip down?
It was simply… simply unbearable!
So Melors reached out, pulled the towel, and brought it near Kurapika’s cheek. The latter gazed at Melors’ action with a look of sudden realization, leaning forward, seemingly granting permission.
Wait a minute. Melors’ intention was actually to tell him to do it himself.
Fine, for the sake of his face, providing some service wasn’t out of the question.
Kurapika’s dark hair was covered by the white towel again. He was really careless about drying his hair; not only his cheeks but also his ears were all wet from his hair. Through the towel, Melors’ fingers traced along his earlobe.
Kurapika, who had been completely still, let out a soft chuckle at this point, turning his face, his nose brushing against Melors’ wrist.
“Are you done yet?” His tone was gentle, not as if he were rushing her, but he had suddenly closed the distance.
Just a little closer, a slight instability away from touching lips.
Melors held her breath, waiting for his next move.
Stay calm, you must stay calm.
The next move might be the "luminous watch."
Kurapika cupped Melors’ chin, the distance between their lips now reduced to the thickness of a thumb. “Let’s start with the simplest sound. The vowel present in all languages—[a].”
“…” Although she hadn't guessed completely correctly, it was similar to the "luminous watch."
“Open your mouth,” Kurapika again took Melors’ finger and placed it on Melors’ throat. “Use the airflow from your lungs to impact the vocal cords and make them vibrate.”
This theoretical explanation, which couldn't be seen or touched, was even more bizarre than awakening "Nen."
Speak human words! Please!
Melors couldn't help but think that perhaps Shalnark would be more suitable for teaching people. Kurapika’s thoughts were rather detached from the masses, and given his disposition, it was a complete waste of time.
She moved her lips and expressed her true thoughts in lip-reading: “Still Shalnark…”
Her lips were blocked midway, unable to continue.
Dark hair, still wet, clung to Melors’ cheek. Her canine teeth were being traced by the tip of an unfamiliar tongue.
The towel had slipped down and was thrown somewhere unknown.
“If you can’t help but want to call out, then call out,” he said. “Melors, I want to hear your voice.”