Kill Your Beloved Mercury

Chapter 01

"Okay, now you can talk about your husband."

Horikawa Kunihiro pushed his laptop to his side, placed his hands neatly on his knees, and tried to make his posture look like that of an elementary school student who was preparing to listen attentively to a lesson.

"That's not my husband! I'll say it again, we're not married, he's just my boyfriend, at most we're living together!" His friend's words made Kashuu Kiyomitsu, who was already on the verge of a meltdown, explode. He slammed his hand on the armrest next to him, his voice becoming even faster with excitement, like a machine gun firing non-stop.

"Okay, okay, your boyfriend." Horikawa innocently raised his hands and quickly corrected himself. He knew this person's arrogant temper, especially when the other party was so angry, he had to go along with him and not add fuel to the fire.

"Besides, I only got together with that guy in the first place because of an emergency, and I had to find someone to pretend to be my boyfriend. He can't be considered a real boyfriend at all!" Kashuu Kiyomitsu said angrily, leaning back. The soft sofa cushions behind him made him feel a little better.

"So, can you tell me now what's going on between you and your fake boyfriend?" Horikawa sighed, feeling like he was becoming more and more like a mother hen.

Upon hearing this, Kashuu Kiyomitsu became even angrier. His handsome face twisted slightly with anger, and his crimson eyes burned with rage. His right hand slammed uncontrollably on the table in front of him, and the poor table could only let out a pitiful groan before breaking off a corner.

Before Horikawa could even feel sorry for his mahogany table, he was stunned by Kashuu Kiyomitsu's next words.

"I suspect that guy is cheating on me!"

To talk about Kashuu Kiyomitsu and his fake boyfriend Yamato no Kami Yasusada, we have to go back to five years ago.

At that time, as a rising star within the organization, Kashuu Kiyomitsu's performance naturally attracted the attention of many high-ranking members and even some bigwigs in the underworld. To meet their expectations, Kashuu Kiyomitsu had to give his all. Missions not only couldn't fail, but they also had to be completed efficiently and effectively. Only in this way could he smoothly navigate this dark and treacherous path.

It was during this time that his friendship with Horikawa was formed. As partners in the same group, one was responsible for intelligence gathering and provision, while the other was responsible for covert infiltration and assassination. Although there are no permanent friends in the underworld, without some genuine feelings and trust, how could one entrust their life to another for long? In a sense, their acquaintance was extremely fortunate, since being betrayed by a partner is a common occurrence in this cannibalistic underground world.

But reality is often unpredictable, and there are always times when even the best plans can go wrong.

Whether it was an error in the intelligence team's investigation, a mistake in Tankawa's command at headquarters, or Kashuu Kiyomitsu's recent lack of sleep causing him to lose focus during the operation, whatever the reason, he unfortunately failed and had to retreat in a hurry.

Fortunately, the mission location was a renowned nightclub, a place where extravagance was always bustling at night. Stepping out of the private room was practically like plunging into a sea of people. Although he couldn't stand the surrounding smoke, given the circumstances, Kashuu Kiyomitsu could only frown and hurry out, changing his attire as he went. He tossed his jacket on the ground, removed his baseball cap, and let his full head of red hair cascade down, casually securing it with a hair tie at his shoulder. By the time he reached the lobby, he looked no different from the other young people who had come to this brothel for pleasure.

But the enemy was clearly faster. Before he even reached the door, Kashuu Kiyomitsu had already spotted several burly men there, checking each person trying to leave. Kashuu Kiyomitsu clicked his tongue in annoyance. He knew that going out alone at this time would definitely attract attention, which would be like walking into a trap. The best solution was to have someone escort him out.

Just as Kashuu Kiyomitsu was looking around to see who to target, the lights suddenly went out, and gasps of surprise erupted from the surrounding young men and women. The party emcee quickly grabbed the microphone and explained that it was just another one of those random, unpleasant entertainment activities – the same old story of enjoying a secret tryst in the dark. Kashuu Kiyomitsu frowned; this put him in a difficult position. As a hopelessly attracted man, he didn't want to just grab any fat, scrawny guy. But with so many people around, there was a chance the other party's bodyguards might be chasing after them. The best-case scenario was to find someone and hide in a corner as soon as possible.

As Kashuu Kiyomitsu thought this, he slowly backed away, but the couple next to him, deeply engrossed in their kiss, didn't notice him. The girl, caught up in the moment, almost lost her footing and nearly fell onto Kashuu Kiyomitsu. He frowned and quickly dodged, but accidentally stepped on the foot of the person behind him.

"Hiss—I'm talking to you—"

The man seemed somewhat annoyed and wanted to say something, but Kashuu Kiyomitsu found the voice extremely young and inexplicably pleasant. Adhering to the idea that most good-looking people are not bad even if they are voice-blind, Kashuu Kiyomitsu decisively turned around, grabbed the man's collar, leaned in, and kissed him.

ice.

This was Kashuu Kiyomitsu's first reaction. He wondered if the other person had just drunk something with ice, as their lips were almost completely cold, a stark contrast to his own fiery warmth. A lingering spiciness of the alcohol seemed to remain on their lips, mixed with the coolness of mint, and the surrounding tobacco scent made Kashuu Kiyomitsu dizzy. He listened intently to the footsteps around him, while casually tracing the other person's lips. Just as Kashuu Kiyomitsu thought the person was almost gone and was about to leave, the person, seemingly startled by his sudden action, abruptly grabbed Kashuu Kiyomitsu's arm, pulling him tightly into a hug, and deepening the kiss without warning.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu was startled by his actions and almost reached for the dagger at his waist with his right hand. Fortunately, the guy seemed to be just a little lustful, so he loosened his grip on his waist and simply let the other person gnaw at him like a small animal.

Although it was dimly lit, Kashuu Kiyomitsu squinted and could still make out the person's appearance through the faint light. While the features weren't very clear, the overall shape was quite good, especially the pair of luminous eyes that honestly reflected his own image. Before Kashuu Kiyomitsu could delve into the emotions within, a burst of colorful light erupted overhead, and the event was over. Slight complaints arose from the surroundings, but were quickly replaced by the passion of the ensuing rock music.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu finally got a good look at the person in front of him. He was indeed as handsome as he had expected, the kind of clean-cut good-looking man he preferred. His eyes were a clear, light blue, and he was looking at him with a half-smile. His hair was tied in a ponytail, and the fluffy ponytail inexplicably reminded him of a Pomeranian's tail.

Seeing that the other person was still scrutinizing him, the young man couldn't help but cough. Kashuu Kiyomitsu then realized that the two of them should have kissed enough, and he quickly stepped back, putting some distance between them, feeling a little embarrassed.

"I haven't asked you yet—"

"Let's go get a room."

"—Name... huh?"

The blue-haired youth blinked, seemingly surprised by the other's enthusiasm. But since they had already kissed, he wasn't embarrassed. Just as he was about to discuss with the handsome young man where to go for some adult fun, the other suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door. Near the door, the boy snuggled into his arms, expertly wrapping his arms around his waist, pressing his face against his chest with a blissful expression. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they were incredibly eager for something.

The young man found it amusing, but with a beauty in his arms, he was happy to let her take the initiative. So he brazenly placed his right hand on the boy's buttocks, pretending not to notice that the boy's body suddenly stiffened, and swaggered towards the door, looking just like a lecherous ghost seduced by the little vixen in his arms.

While Kashuu Kiyomitsu smiled ambiguously on the surface, he was inwardly cursing the man who had taken advantage of him countless times, even though he had long forgotten that he was the one who had leaned in to kiss him first. As soon as he was out of the bodyguards' sight, Kashuu Kiyomitsu immediately broke free from the other man's embrace and glared fiercely at the young man who had his arms crossed and was smiling innocently.

"Hey, I'm the one who rescued you, and this is how you treat me?" The young man looked at the person who was about to explode and said with a hint of sadness.

"Thank you, is that enough?" Kashuu Kiyomitsu snorted coldly, feeling the warmth still on his buttocks, and his face darkened even more.

"Did you sneak in here? Young people these days are really something, knowing how to get into places like this at such a young age," the young man said, seemingly oblivious to the other's cold gaze, still chatting with him with a smile. "Are you a high school student? You look so young, yet your kissing skills are actually quite good."

"Huh?" Kashuu Kiyomitsu looked at him with a dark expression, thinking that he was just dressed a little more fashionably today and had a hairstyle that made him look younger, so how did he become a high school student?

"But you're so young and you already know how to book a hotel room. How about I show you the adult world tonight?" The young man grinned, revealing eight big white teeth.

"You're a high school student, aren't you! You're crazy." Kashuu Kiyomitsu glared at him, feeling that the mission for tonight had failed and there was no need to stay and get entangled with this idiot, so he turned around and prepared to leave.

Who knew this person seemed to take an interest and kept following Kashuu Kiyomitsu, chattering away.

"You're not a high school student? How old are you then?"

"You're an adult? Then maybe we really can go to a hotel room."

"Why aren't you talking to me? Oh, by the way, my name is Yamato no Kami Yasusada. What's your name?"

With their temporary residence almost within reach, Kashuu Kiyomitsu finally couldn't hold back any longer and yelled at Yamato no Kami Yasusada behind him, "I'll call you a high school student, okay?!"

"Haha, you're so funny."

You're the one who's funny! Your whole family is funny!

That very night, having finally escaped the clutches of that lunatic and thinking he'd never have to see him again, Kashuu Kiyomitsu, for some unknown reason, encountered Yamato no Kami Yasusada in several subsequent missions. If he hadn't accidentally tested Yamato no Kami's fighting abilities and found him to be surprisingly weak, he would have suspected Yamato no Kami was a spy sent by the rivals. But these missions seemed to be plagued by misfortune, failing one after another. The most dangerous mission was only saved by Yamato no Kami's delighted greeting, "You're here too, Kiyomitsu!" which allowed him to escape.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu was feeling rather frustrated. Because of the mission's failure, he and Horikawa had both been severely punished, and to make matters worse, he kept running into Yamato no Kami Yasusada's irritating face, which was incredibly annoying. But he couldn't exactly grab the guy by the collar and question him about whether he was truly a jinx sent by heaven, so he could only swallow his anger and try his best not to get annoyed.

However, Kashuu Kiyomitsu had to admit that Yamato no Kami Yasusada had indeed saved his life several times. Feeling guilty, he paid attention to the guy a few times, only for the shameless man to take advantage of his inattention and kiss him forcibly again. This made Kashuu Kiyomitsu so angry that he repeatedly warned himself not to lay a hand on a commoner, which prevented him from cutting off the bastard's groping hand.

You really can't have a conscience when it comes to this kind of person!

Whether by fate or not, after a few encounters, the two actually became acquainted. To this end, Kiyomitsu had to fabricate a whole host of lies about his identity, transforming himself from a professional assassin into a reporter chasing news. Fortunately, his organization controlled a newspaper, making his lies airtight. Meanwhile, Yamato no Kami Yasusada revealed his identity as a freelance photographer shortly after their initial meeting, which seemed to explain his elusive nature. It must be said, reporters and photographers do share some similarities.

The main reason why contact with Yamato no Kami Yasusada was not completely severed was because of a casual remark made by Horikawa.

"If that person is really an idiot, then why not make use of him? Aren't these civilians the best protective shield?"

Kashuu Kiyomitsu thought this made sense, so he got a new phone card to use as a reporter, even though it only contained Yamato no Kami Yasusada's number.

However, this also inadvertently allowed Yamato no Kami Yasusada to infiltrate his life even more, especially after the guy got his phone number. Sending text messages every day became commonplace, and he always sent some very incomprehensible messages, leaving people speechless for a while. At first, Kashuu Kiyomitsu forgot to put the phone on silent mode, and as a result, during one mission, with his dagger already at the target's neck, the default ringtone of an iPhone broke the silence. Kashuu Kiyomitsu could only awkwardly grab the knife and quickly cut the target's artery, then answer the phone with his hand covered in blood. Although, after answering, Yamato no Kami Yasusada just excitedly said that he had seen the sunrise at the beach that day, which looked especially like the fried eggs at the Western restaurant they often went to.

"What the hell is this?" Kashuu Kiyomitsu angrily hung up the phone and silenced it, vowing never to bring it on his next mission.

Yet, one has to admit that Yamato no Kami Yasusada is truly remarkable. Having been brought into the organization from a young age, growing up amidst bloodshed and death, perhaps the last vestige of his humanity is what prevented him from becoming a killing machine. Nevertheless, Kashuu Kiyomitsu's childhood was far from ordinary. While other children were reciting their lessons in classrooms, he was forced to clutch a dagger and rush into every killing. Even when he spoke politely to people, it was merely a meticulous preparation for the next fatal blow. Having grown up surrounded by underworld figures, he had to be constantly on guard, always holding a dagger and a gun. Even with his partner, the bond he shared with Horikawa—a bond so strong they could entrust their backs to each other—was forged through countless life-or-death experiences. Therefore, in Kashuu Kiyomitsu's understanding, developing a relationship with someone that doesn't require weapons takes a considerable amount of time and comes at a significant cost.

But none of this applied to Yamato no Kami Yasusada. This guy was like a nemesis sent from heaven, specifically designed to completely counter him, Kashuu Kiyomitsu. His emotions, which had been trained to remain calm, suddenly became unusually vivid after being provoked by Yamato no Kami Yasusada, as if this man knew exactly what to say and what to do to make him fly into a rage.

This was a completely new and novel interpersonal experience for Kashuu Kiyomitsu. Yet it was also incredibly complicated. On one hand, his true identity w

……