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ML Chapter 24

Anger

Chapter 24 – Anger

Chapter 4, Part 2

Novel Title: 融愛~Melt Down~ (Melted Love ~Melt Down~)

Author:風結子 沙野 (Fuyuko Sano)

Illustrator:雅良 水名瀬 (Masara Minase)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 葉越海理 (Yougoshi Kairi -MC), 葉越翼久 (Yougoshi Tasuku -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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For a while after that, Youhei stayed holed up in his room, smoking ganja all day. But once his money ran out and his phone, gas, and electricity were cut off due to unpaid bills, he finally caved under the inconvenience and started taking short-term jobs again.

At nineteen, he started frequenting trance clubs, where he met Tatsuya and eventually began working as a host at ‘Blossom’.

“I didn’t think I could handle such a flashy job as a host, but Tatsuya-san taught me how to do it ‘the right way’.”

Tasuku’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

He had long suspected there was something behind Tatsuya’s success in attracting loyal clients, despite his unimpressive appearance and poor conversational skills.

“I’d like to know about Tatsuya’s ‘right way’ of working too.”

Tasuku casually prompted. Youhei, leaning forward like he was about to share a deep secret, began to speak.

But then, at the worst possible moment, Youhei’s phone rang.

Youhei checked the display and his face tensed up. He answered the call with an uneasy expression, as if he had been caught in the act of betrayal.

“Youhei speaking… now? In Shinjuku… Huh? Yes, I’ll head there right away.”

As he hung up the phone, Youhei hurriedly stood up.

“Sorry, Tatsuya-san’s calling for me. So I have to go.”

“Hey, what about the business you had with me?”

“I just wanted to give that to you, Tsubasa-san.”

He pointed at the paper bag on the table. Then, crumpling the order slip in his hand, Youhei gave a bashful, awkward smile and said, “Ah, I’ll take care of the bill!” 

As Youhei’s lanky figure rushed toward the register, Tasuku exhaled a cloud of smoke in his direction.

Although he missed the chance to ask about Tatsuya’s ‘right way of working’, hearing Youhei’s story was a plus for Tasuku.

――I did something that had meaning.

The doubt that had been weighing heavily on his mind lately.

Had he been doing the wrong thing all along? Was everything he’d done for Kairi meaningless? Was it just a burden?

All those questions had been answered at once.

What he did at fourteen wasn’t a mistake.

By selling his body and making that 300,000 yen back then, Kairi avoided a life full of hardship like Youhei’s. He graduated from college, opening up more choices for his future. Now, he works for his first-choice company, Sakuraba Foods. And although he was busy, he seemed to find fulfilment in being involved in a major project.

This present life was something only possible because Tasuku had sacrificed himself. It was the future he had wanted to give Kairi when he was fourteen.

Therefore, he would never doubt his choice from that time again.

Even if it was a foolish method, even if it stained his soul, he was now able to believe that it had been worth it.

After finishing his cigarette, Tasuku stood up.

He picked up the light green paper bag from the table and left the shop.

***

As Kairi entered the front door and locked it behind him, he made up his mind.

Tomorrow, Saturday, was a rare day off with no overtime work. Tonight, no matter how long it took, he was going to confront Tasuku about the drugs.

He could hear the sound of the shower running from the bathroom, so Tasuku was likely in there.

As Kairi hung his jacket on a hanger in the living room, he noticed a light green paper bag sitting on the low table by the sofa.

Casually, he picked it up.

It didn’t feel particularly heavy.

Sitting down on the sofa, Kairi opened the simple fold at the top of the bag and peeked inside.

Several transparent plastic packages were inside. Inside the packages were perforated sheets, tablets, and something that looked like broken chocolate.

“……..”

Kairi stared inside for a moment before his face suddenly paled.

He turned the bag upside down, scattering the contents onto the glass top of the low table.

Six perforated sheets, each about five millimetres square, tumbled out. Each sheet had a different design, ranging from psychedelic patterns to characters from foreign and Japanese anime.

The tablets came in various colours, from white to vibrant hues, and had letters or designs engraved on their surfaces.

The chocolate-like substances were packed into three bags.

――Could this be…?

Kairi could feel his heartbeat quicken, loud and heavy in his chest.

At that moment, he heard the sound of bare feet walking down the hallway. Tasuku had finished in the bathroom.

For a brief second, Kairi hesitated, wondering what to do. But then, he straightened his back firmly and stayed seated on the sofa, waiting for Tasuku to come into the living room.

“Aniki, you’re home?” 

With a completely nonchalant expression, Tasuku, shirtless and towel-drying his hair, walked toward him. Kairi looked up at his younger brother with a face devoid of expression. Tasuku’s gaze shifted to the scattered items on the table and his eyes widened in shock.

“Th-that’s what was inside that bag?!”

Tasuku frowned as he sat cross-legged in front of the low table, across from Kairi.

He began to carefully pick up and examine each of the packets.

“There’s even Hoffman sheets here?”

Holding a sheet of paper with a design on it, Tasuku muttered.

“Hoffman? Who’s that?” 

Kairi asked, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

Tasuku answered without any hesitation.

“Albert Hoffman, the guy who synthesised LSD at a Swiss pharmaceutical company. These are sheets soaked in liquid LSD. The Hoffman design sheets are pretty good stuff.”

“And those pills?”

“Those are ecstasy. It’s the main drug these days. They call it the ‘love drug’ because it makes everyone super affectionate. But when you really trip out on it, guys end up impotent. And these dirt-like things are weed, cannabis resin.”

“…You sure know a lot about this.”

Kairi’s voice and expression became heavy and cold. Tasuku finally noticed this.

He tried to make an excuse.

“But I didn’t know those things were in the bag when a friend gave it to me. I wouldn’t have accepted it if I’d known.”

――How unconvincing.

Kairi narrowed his eyes and looked directly at his brother.

“When did you start doing drugs?”

“Huh?” 

Tasuku’s feigned ignorance was the opposite of the chill on the surface. Kairi’s indignation was directed at his brother, but also at himself.

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*GLOSSARY: 

  • Onii-san / Onii-chan / Nii-san / Nii-chan / Aniki = (Big/Elder) Brother

☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation.

Next update: 2025.01.19

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