Older Brother is Just Older Brother - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

This was the first time Nakahara Chuuya had ever experienced what it felt like to receive affection that was so intense it was exaggerated.

It was very real and beautiful, but also a bit terrifying.

Chuuya only felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. In the end, he decided not to torture himself; he wouldn’t even stay for the meal. He simply thanked Jiu Li for the necktie sent earlier and left the scene immediately without looking back.

Jiu Li, who had just returned from the other side with his favorite drink and had specifically brought a portion for Nakahara Chuuya: ?

What happened?

Jiu Li looked at the delicious-looking food on the table, then at Chuuya’s retreating back.

Then, for once, Jiu Li’s brain worked remarkably fast. He understood Chuuya’s unspoken words—

Nakahara Chuuya felt that admitting he was Jiu Li’s brother was as shameful as running out into the street and shouting “I am the Tile Underclassman,” so Chuuya ran away!

If Jiu Li forcibly kept Chuuya there, Chuuya would likely perform a “Your brother! Your brother!” routine in front of Verlaine!

Jiu Li: ?!

Wait? Is this beaver (reasonable)?

I clearly didn’t do anything just now except call him “Brother”!

Jiu Li wanted to chase after him to interrogate Chuuya, but Chuuya used his gravity ability when he ran.

Not only that, Chuuya “dropped gold coins” all the way as he ran. Jiu Li, being kind-hearted, couldn’t stand to see these gold coins lying on the cold ground, so he could only keep bending over to pick them up.

Just like that, Chuuya ran into the elevator right in front of Jiu Li and pressed the close button, successfully escaping.

Jiu Li, whose assets were +1+1+1+1…+1 but brothers were -1: “…”

It really wasn’t necessary to go that far!

Murmuring to himself, Jiu Li hugged his assets and returned to the dining table where only he and Verlaine remained.

After settling his assets, Jiu Li perked up again: “Chuuya is gone, but it doesn’t matter, Brother Verlaine is still here!”

Thus, Jiu Li gave the drink originally intended for Chuuya to Verlaine and clinked glasses passionately—

“Cheers!”

Verlaine remained very cooperative. Even though the cup contained Milo mixed by Jiu Li instead of the red wine that suited his habits, his expression didn’t fluctuate.

Even as Jiu Li drank his Milo while reciting “When will the bright moon appear, I ask the blue sky with wine; this elegant person shall appreciate it repeatedly,” Verlaine showed no reaction.

He simply took a small sip of the Milo and looked at the lively Jiu Li before him, falling into thought.

Jiu Li was very happy being with him.

But… How many days have passed? He couldn’t quite remember, but in short, except for the first day, Jiu Li hadn’t left the basement since.

Should he really let Jiu Li stay in the basement forever, just like himself?

…

Before Verlaine could make up his mind to let Jiu Li out of the Port Mafia, Dazai Osamu came knocking.

“…Anyway, that’s how it is! Everyone connected to the laboratory has been sent to the interrogation room! Jiu Li-kun, do you want to see them personally?”

Dazai Osamu was looking forward to Jiu Li’s reaction.

Gathering information on these people took a lot of his time! Jiu Li should hate these people intensely, right?

If it weren’t for the thought that there might be an interesting scene to watch, he wouldn’t have bothered appearing before Jiu Li!

To Dazai’s disbelief, faced with such a temptation, Jiu Li actually stayed put.

Jiu Li didn’t immediately say “Great, great.” Instead, he turned to Verlaine beside him, his tone expectant: “Brother, can I go out to play with Dazai?”

Dazai Osamu: Exactly, that’s it… wait, no.

What the hell? Is Jiu Li an elementary school student? Does he have to ask for parental permission before talking to anyone???

What Dazai found even more incomprehensible was that Verlaine naturally agreed: “You may, but come back within an hour.”

Jiu Li: !!!

Jiu Li: “Okay!”

Dazai Osamu, watching the black-haired youth press his left cheek against the always-cold former Transcendental’s cheek, then the right: “…………”

Dazai didn’t understand why Jiu Li liked Verlaine’s extreme desire for control so much, or Verlaine’s unilateral “I’m doing this for your own good.”

This was normal; with a brain like Dazai’s, he would never in his life conceive the equation “Brother controls me = Brother loves me.”

However, Dazai suddenly understood why Chuuya, who had specifically applied to Mori Ougai to see Verlaine and Jiu Li a few days ago, ended up leaving after only thirty minutes.

It was perfectly normal to be unable to stand staying in this place for too long!

…

“It took me many days to catch them.”

To prevent Jiu Li from saying more strange things, Dazai Osamu chose to speak first, taking the lead.

He complained: “It’s all because Jiu Li-kun hates them… My number of suicide attempts by drowning has dropped to zero these past few days because I was so busy!”

Jiu Li didn’t understand why this good comrade before him was bent on seeking death, but if the other party wanted to—

Jiu Li sincerely replied: “It’s hard to die by drowning if you don’t tie stones to yourself. But if you really don’t want to live, I know there is a throbbing tumor in the left chest of humans. Next time you come to me secretly, I can help you dig it out.”

Considering that the other person was a good person but also Japanese, Jiu Li was willing to help him achieve this wish!

If the other person wanted to give thanks, don’t thank him; thank Japan! Amen (Nippon-men)!

Dazai Osamu suddenly recalled the feeling of being strangled by Jiu Li with bandages earlier.

He slightly regretted saying such things to Jiu Li.

When he told others this, he would get reactions that were either speechless or extremely intense because they didn’t want him to stop working… anyway, it was always very interesting.

But Jiu Li was different! Jiu Li wasn’t human! Jiu Li would really come to assassinate him!!!

Jiu Li hadn’t realized he had stimulated Dazai’s little heart again.

Coincidentally, they arrived at the interrogation room, and Jiu Li couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to Dazai anymore. He gave a simple greeting to Ozaki Kouyou, who was in charge here, and in the next second, walked straight in because he didn’t want to waste time.

Ozaki Kouyou: ?

She snapped out of her observation of Jiu Li and looked in shock at Dazai, who hadn’t stopped him.

Wasn’t it said that she would interrogate and Jiu Li would observe?

What was Jiu Li doing going in?

Dazai signaled Ozaki Kouyou with his eyes to look at Jiu Li’s current outfit.

Ozaki Kouyou looked over cooperatively.

She hadn’t seen Jiu Li in person before, but she had seen the photos in his file. One version was Jiu Li in lab clothes, and the other was Jiu Li in casual wear after being well-taken care of by Verlaine.

Indeed, there was no Jiu Li like today’s version: dressed entirely in black, with his hair tied into a high ponytail with a black hair tie.

But in an interrogation room filled with blood and human fragments, dressing like this was quite normal, wasn’t it? Was there a problem?

“Verlaine-kun helped Jiu Li-kun dress,” Dazai explained in a low voice.

After a pause, Dazai added: “Verlaine-kun also tied his hair.” Right in front of him.

Ozaki Kouyou was greatly shocked!

Having learned this information, she looked again at the meticulous suit on Jiu Li, and her expression uncontrollably began to turn strange—

Dazai Osamu: ?

Dazai spoke rapidly: “I mean, Verlaine-kun wants Jiu Li-kun to perform the interrogation personally!”

Where was she letting her thoughts go?

“Ahem.” Kouyou also realized she had taken her thoughts too far.

It was mainly because the intelligence she heard recently about Verlaine and Jiu Li was very ambiguous. Coupled with the fact that Verlaine finally let Jiu Li out alone once, only for the result to be letting Jiu Li come to a bloody and filthy interrogation room—it was truly hard for her not to overthink.

Since it was just Verlaine wanting Jiu Li to interrogate personally…

“Jiu Li-kun hasn’t received any interrogation training, has he?” Kouyou’s tone was gentle. “I’m starting to look forward to it.”

Will Jiu Li, a test subject who turned the laboratory upside down as soon as he woke up, also have talent in interrogation?

Under the gaze of Kouyou and Dazai, Jiu Li bypassed the others and walked up to the man with the highest status.

Then, Jiu Li stopped.

He just looked at the man without any extra movement.

Kouyou was a bit disappointed, though it was still acceptable.

For a first interrogation, it was normal not to know how to torment someone while ensuring they didn’t die.

Kouyou lifted her foot, wanting to step forward and offer some guidance.

But in the next second—

Jiu Li lashed out with a whip: “Crack!!!”

Kouyou’s footsteps stopped.

She suspected Jiu Li knew what he was doing, so she decided to watch a bit longer.

Unfortunately, Kouyou guessed wrong; Jiu Li really didn’t know what to do.

Jiu Li just copied what he had seen in TV dramas by whipping the man once, and only then began to think about what to ask.

What should he ask… there didn’t seem to be anything worth asking?

A Japanese person involved in human experiments; even being sliced into pieces wouldn’t be too much. What else was there to ask?

But remembering his brother’s words that “interrogation is a very important skill,” Jiu Li decided to make an effort.

Jiu Li opened his mouth and said in Chinese: “Are you connected to human experiments?”

Kouyou knew what Jiu Li wanted to do.

“Deliberately making things difficult for this fellow,” Kouyou covered the lower half of her face with her wide sleeve. “Jiu Li-kun actually wants to just kill him directly…” right.

Kouyou’s voice stopped.

Because the man knew a little Chinese, he actually answered Jiu Li:

“Yes… don’t you already know? If I had nothing to do with human experiments, why would the Port Mafia capture me?”

Kouyou: “Oh my, this is getting interesting.”

Now, what would Jiu Li do?

Dazai Osamu also became a bit more intrigued.

His one dark brown eye, not covered by bandages, stared unblinkingly at the youth inside, anticipating his next reaction.

Different from what they thought, the youth did not get angry.

The youth just calmly went “Crack” with another whip and questioned: “What are you called?” (Note: In Chinese, this can mean “What is your name?” or “Why are you screaming/making noise?”)

The man immediately shut his mouth.

“Crack!” The youth’s tone became a bit more dissatisfied: “I said, what are you called?!”

The man’s mouth clamped shut even tighter.

The reason was easy to understand: the man felt the youth was picking a fight because he had spoken the first time, so next, when the youth didn’t ask a “proper” question, he shouldn’t open his mouth.

This way, as long as the youth had any sense of shame, he wouldn’t keep hitting him just because of that first response…

“Crack crack crack crack crack crack crack!”

The man who had been whipped into a pulp: “.”

Damn it! He was wrong! The youth had no shame! The youth really would keep hitting him!

Asked again “What are you called,” the man found an opportunity to defend himself: “I’m not calling out!” (Translation note: Meaning “I’m not screaming.”)

The youth: “I’m asking what you are called!”

The man: “I’m not calling out!”

The youth: “I. Am. Asking. What. Are. You. Called!”

The man: “I’m not calling out at all!”

The youth: “Asking what you are called!!!”

The man: “…Woof, woof, woof.” (Translation note: The man thinks he’s being asked to make a noise like an animal).

The youth: “…”

“Crack crack crack crack crack!”

The man: !!!

Why are you still hitting me?!

Just non-stop torture without asking anything, purely tormenting people, right?!

Just like that, the man was so heavily injured he could barely speak.

Jiu Li was also tired from the whipping.

He pulled over a chair, sat down for a half-time break, and took two sips of water.

Looking at the frustrating man before him, Jiu Li pressed his brow and said impatiently: “Forget it, I’ll just call you ‘Not-Calling’.”

He didn’t know why, even though he had asked so clearly just now, what the other person was “not knowing my figure is very graceful” about. (Note: A slang reference).

The half-dead “Not-Calling”: “Wait…?”

Dazai Osamu, Ozaki Kouyou: “Wait, wait, wait, wait!”

Even if they were deliberately picking a fight, they couldn’t say something like that!

Also, that’s not how an interrogation works, right?!