Never Not
Ch. 23: Change Taste

After putting a scarf around Seina's neck, Shohei offered to drive her home. They walked as they clasped hands toward where the man's car was parked. While outside the building, Seina's friends come to swarm the two. They are shocked to see the whereabouts of Shohei and praise the two as a compatible couple. Even one of them, whispered to Seina that she was very lucky to get an elite man who is handsome and works as a police officer.

Seina kept silent until she got into the car. The girl began to realize her misapprehension over what had happened just a moment ago. He immediately lowered his head and slightly dodged as Shohei's body and face approached towards him. It turned out that all the man did was put a seatbelt on his body. That's all! But, instead, it made him overreact.

"You must be very tired" said the man with a gentle look.

Seina said nothing. Unable to make a sentence because of the guilt that controlled him, for what he had done with a foreign man under the stairs.

Shohei-kun, gomennasai, I don't know what is going on inside me. Something is stirring in my heart. I never even thought before. It feels both fun and happy and it's not when you're with you. Is this what you call an affair?

"Em .. isn't tomorrow our date?" Shohei tried to melt the quiet atmosphere throughout the trip.

"Eh?" Seina was stunned from her daydream, but hurriedly smiled as she said, "Yes, it doesn't feel like we're going on a date again."

"Ec ... Does Seina-chan have a place to visit?" ask Shohei while driving.

"I'll think about it" Seina replied as she carved a smile on her face. He exhaled slowly while turning his face to the car window.

After driving Seina home, Shohei left for the Tokyo Skytree tower. Apparently, Rai had been waiting for him since. He even finished a few cigarettes.

"Gomen, I just drove my girlfriend home." Shohei sat beside Rai, then accidentally noticed the back of Rai's hand. "Hey what's with the back of your hand?" tanyakanya.

Rai glanced at his hand and gasped when he noticed that there was a bite mark of the girl kissing him earlier.

"Ah, just a bad cat bite last night" he said, raising his eyebrows twice.

"I can't imagine how hard that cat bit you until it's still visible this afternoon."

Rai held back a laugh. Shohei certainly understands the "Naughty Cat" that Rai refers to only as a term. However, the man who works as a police officer will certainly scold him if he knows he committed acts of abuse against women while being transformed as Black Shadow. Yes, how else, he actually considered himself innocent because the girl who constantly harassed even when he did not want to serve him. He was sure the reason the girl kept coming to him was because she had become entangled in his charms. The proof, he welcomed it too, right? Of course, this becomes his pleasure while on duty.

Meanwhile, as soon as she arrived at her residence, Seina actually rushed to open her laptop to hunt down the article that discussed Black Shadow. When he typed the name in the search engine, the top article that appeared was his action this afternoon at Keio university. Some articles praised the actions of Black Shadow which unmasked the bad laws in the country. He did it to seek justice for the victims' families.

"It's not ...." Seina. The reason, he only knew the man held hostage by Black Shadow was the perpetrator of a hit-and-run event that occurred on the main road Sumida, where at that time he and Shohei saw the incident directly.

Seina recalled the time when she was prejudiced over the man's actions. It turned out that it was a unique way that Black Shadow did so that the law could be enforced arbitrarily despite nudging state officials. Even her lover, who was a police officer and an eyewitness, did not dare to do so.

Seina grew increasingly curious about the mysterious figure that had snatched away her kiss. He continued to search for any news related to Black Shadow. Including the look behind the mask. From the netter forums that discussed it, many tried to second-guess the man's face and then associate with the faces of several famous Japanese actors and singers. They believe Black Shadow must have a beautiful look seen from the jawline and the shape of the lips he has.

Apparently, Seina was still dissatisfied if she only found out the identity of Black Shadow through the internet. He suddenly recalled Kei telling him that he was hunting Black Shadow and gathering information about him. He immediately contacted his cousin.

"What's wrong?" ask Kei as soon as the phone is connected.

"What do you know about Black Shadow?"

"Hey ... What is this? Coming straight after me with that question?"

"I was interested in finding out about the man after watching his actions on campus earlier," he reasoned.

"I don't know too much. He's very mysterious."

"Huft, I think you've gathered a lot of information about her," Seina exhaled.

"That's why I tried to hunt him down. I want to interview him in person. Imagine if it worked, my show program would score the highest rating!" kei exclaimed excitedly, "sadly, I never managed to meet him in person," Kei continued in a declining tone of voice.

Had Kei-niichan known I had met Black Shadow three times, would he have believed it?

"What do you think of Black Shadow?" ask Seina to give.

"Hmm .. I think Black Shadow is great! Even better than your girlfriend and the other detectives. In revealing the case, he did not immediately say what really happened, but led us to guess it ourselves after real evidence was shown on the broadcast. He was also very brave and seemed to have no interest whatsoever. I was worried that one day his courage would backfire on himself."

"Why is that?" asked Seina with a worried tone.

"Because the people he had been facing all along were the rulers. What he did could have threatened his life. You know for yourself, right? The political world is cruel. There is a gray zone that we can't see clearly" Kei explained, showing the side of a journalist who has sharp thinking power.

Seina hung up the phone with a strange feeling rumbling in her chest. What Kei said is true. Because, his father also often get terror from his political rivals. If what Kei feared came true, it meant that Black Shadow was risking his own life.

For a moment, Seina thought back to the masked man's last words before leaving.

"You can find me at the Tokyo Skytree after my broadcast ends. I always stay there after completing missions."

Seina felt some anxiety, did she have to go back to meet Black Shadow, or just forget about it? He needed to make sure the man was okay after the mission, but on the other hand he was afraid that their meeting would make him fall for her. Although without him noticing, his current worry was due to start getting entangled with the man.

Not noticeably, the foggy Tokyo sky has turned a deep black night mark has approached. Rai got off the station and walked back to his apartment as usual. Actually, he deliberately went home at night because he knew very well Yuriko would be home at this hour. Right, the girl got off her friend's car right in front of the house that was once recognized as her residence.

"Yuri-yuri!" call Rai while walking quickly towards him.

"Why do you always come home at night?"

"Because in my house there is nothing to eat, while with friends I can eat in their apartment. I also work part-time every afternoon in a cafe," Yuriko replied frankly with a small laugh.

Rai nodded small. "I'm glad you told me that. I thought you only wanted to tell Shohei his true life story" the man said with a smile.

"Ah, how are you with the Police?" yuriko asked while patting hard on Rai's shoulder.

Holy hooch! I instead made him remember Shohei and talk about it.

"He's fine and he's busy" Rai replied. He immediately pulled the girl's hand and put it in his jacket pocket while forcing her to walk.

"What are you doing." Yuriko tried to pull her hand out of Rai's jacket pocket, but the man held her back.

"I told you, wear a T-shirt if you go home at night. Your hands are cold." Rai showed genuine concern.

"I'm used to it like this. You're the one who's exaggerating," curled Yuriko with a sullen face.

Not far from them, Ryo and a mature woman hide behind the front tree of the apartment inhabited by Rai and Yuriko. They had been there long enough just to wait for Rai's arrival.

"Is that really Rai? Why is he so unkempt like that? Mana Rai-ku who always appear perfectionist," said the woman who was beside Ryo. She is one of Rai's former lovers. He used to be so crazy that he was willing to give luxury cars and motorcycles to the man.

"But you still like it, don't you?" asked Ryo hesitatingly.

"of course. Although his appearance is not as cool as it used to be, but his handsome face still sedates me," said the woman as she continued to look at Rai.

"Good! Then it's time you approach her again. It's been over a year that he has not been in a relationship with any woman" Ryo provoked.

Ryo accidentally brings his brother's ex-lover, to prove whether his brother is still interested in the opposite sex. Honestly, the presence of the man in Rai's apartment at that time disturbed his mind for several days. She still can't believe if her brother experienced a change in sexual orientation only because of the betrayal of his best friend and ex-lover.

"But who is the hat girl next to him?"

Ryo looked at the girl in question, then said, "ah, it's just his neighbor. They're that close, but they don't have any relationship."

"alright. Then I'll see him now!" The woman wearing the bright red high heels walked towards Rai and Yuriko.

Rai was aghast as a woman called out to him gently. His eyes widened when he saw his former lover two years ago coming closer. To his surprise, his hand reflexively removed Yuriko's wrist.

"Do you still remember me?" ask the woman in a made-up, sensual tone of voice.

Of course I didn't forget! You were one of my money-printing machines back then.

"Haruka-san," said Rai.

"Yokatta (thank God)." The woman immediately embraced Rai's hand, even deliberately shifting Yuriko who was at the side. "Rai, I heard you live in this ugly apartment, huh? How about tonight you go to my apartment. We can let go of the longing there," asked the woman named Haruka while leaning her head on Rai's shoulders.

Rai's gaze was distracted by Yuriko who looked indifferent and left her. Immediately, he immediately released Haruka's hand.

"Gomen ne, Haruka-san. I can't. I'm not interested in you," Rai said deliberately loudly so that Yuriko could hear his words.

"What did you say?!"

"A, I mean .. My taste is not what it used to be. I no longer like the big-breasted and plump-assed ones. May you always be healthy, and see you soon!" said Rai who rushed to avoid and immediately followed Yuriko who first entered their apartment building.

In hiding, Ryo was stunned to hear Rai's statement just now.

"Change tastes? No longer like the big busty and plump-assed?" muttered Ryo repeating his brother's words. His eyes were perfectly rounded as if thrashing out of their sockets.

"Is .... that ... meaning ... His present taste is ... field chest and checkered belly?"

Ryo's eyeballs were as if they were circling. His mouth was wide open as if he was lacking oxygen. In a matter of seconds, the man staggered and almost fell down if not immediately leaning against a tree.

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Visual Ryo Matsui