Chapter 596

After resolving Eirina-sensei's "desires" and "dissatisfactions," it was Ishihara Mikoto's turn.

Mikoto's request was actually quite simple.

"I know a French dessert shop that's very hard to book; come with me. The rule is, for every bite of dessert, you must tell me a small secret about yourself that I don't know."

In the exquisitely decorated dessert shop, Ishihara Mikoto elegantly tasted the raspberry mousse with a small spoon, her smile gentle and captivating, as if she were merely enjoying a lovely afternoon. Meanwhile, facing her, Uesugi Muneyuki, confronted with a beautifully shaped chocolate lava cake, felt as if he were facing poison.

Every time he cautiously took a bite, Ishihara would gaze at him gently with those eyes that seemed to see into one's heart, speaking softly: "Then, Muneyuki-kun, what's the next secret?"

Uesugi was forced to rack his brain, from "At that time I pretended my pen dropped so I could sneak a look at your stockings" to "After you went missing, I nervously went to Haruna Shrine to draw lots in secret," and so on, recounting one embarrassing old story after another.

He spoke with a flushed face and ears, but Ishihara listened with great relish, occasionally teasing him with remarks like "Oh my, so Muneyuki-kun also has this side."

This activity appeared calm and warm on the surface, but in reality it was a precise strike against Uesugi's inner defenses, making him feel like an onion being slowly peeled, each layer bringing a hint of spiciness and embarrassment.

The black humor lay in using the sweetest food to interrogate the most "unseemly" memories.

Mainly because Mikoto-nee's attire today was not a casual vacation outfit, but a highly symbolic "battle robe"—a fitted, ivory-colored tube skirt, elegantly tailored to outline her mature, alluring curves, the length just right at the knees, perfectly showcasing her long legs clad in ultra-thin flesh-colored pantyhose.

The texture of those stockings was extremely sheer, nearly blending with her skin tone, yet under the light they emitted a delicate, soft sheer, perfectly shaping her legs and adding a touch of restrained sensuality. On her feet were a pair of nude pointed low-heel shoes, simple yet exquisite.

This outfit was exactly the same as the one she wore years ago when she often "went in-depth" with Uesugi Muneyuki in Gunma's Tokiwa, captivating his gaze through her beauty, knowledge (and even accidentally walking through the wrong door).

That was the moment she, as a school nurse, fully unleashed her charm, and also the moment Uesugi Muneyuki, still suffering from post-transplant awakening sequelae and in a dazed state of disconnection from the world, first felt an intense urge to "possess" her.

Uesugi Muneyuki sat opposite her, his gaze falling on her attire, his eyes flickering slightly—he obviously recognized the origin of this outfit.

The look behind his gold-rimmed glasses became somewhat profound, filled with reminiscence.

"How nostalgic," Ishihara Mikoto said, gently stirring her Earl Grey tea with a small silver spoon, her voice soft as a sigh: "The first time I sat down alone like this with Muneyuki-kun to chat, I was probably wearing similar clothes too:" She lifted her eyes, her gaze flowing, carrying the unique allure of a mature woman and a touch of just-right melancholy, "Time really flies."

Uesugi Muneyuki smiled softly, his tone gentle: "Yeah, back then we two sat together in the infirmary chatting about everything; you saw I was interested, and bit by bit you introduced me to forensic knowledge, guiding me onto the path of forensic medicine... I am where I am today all because of you, Mikoto-nee~"

The two recalled some past fragments, and the atmosphere seemed to grow warm and nostalgic.

Ishihara Mikoto skillfully controlled the pace of the conversation, just as she controlled her acting. She lightly adjusted her sitting posture, one leg elegantly crossed over the other, the calf wrapped in ultra-thin flesh-colored stockings tensing, toes slightly pointed, exuding silent allure, subtly brushing against Uesugi Muneyuki's calf beneath the table.

Uesugi Muneyuki's body tensed almost imperceptibly.

Ishihara Mikoto took in his reaction fully, a faint smile in her heart, knowing the "memory kill" and visual temptation had taken effect. She seized the moment to lean in slightly, lowering her voice, that sweet tone now tinged with an almost imperceptible fragility and plea: "Muneyuki... I, too, am in my thirties."

She paused, as if emphasizing this fact: "Seeing many people around me marry and have children, saying I have no thought at all would be false."

She lifted her eyes, her gaze locking directly onto Uesugi Muneyuki's, with utter frankness: "I know that between us... there cannot be the title of an ordinary husband and wife. I also don't want to leave you to go marry someone else. Maintaining the status quo like this, I am actually... quite satisfied." Her ankle beneath the table lightly rubbed his trouser leg, the delicate sensation of the stockings transmitting through the thin fabric.

"But," she shifted her tone, her voice lighter yet scraping the heart like a feather: "Muneyuki, let me... give you a child. A child belonging to both of us."

"Pfft—cough cough!" Uesugi Muneyuki was just raising his water cup to drink when he heard this, nearly losing composure, forcibly swallowing before erupting into violent coughing, his face turning extremely strange, mixed with shock, bewilderment, and a hint of... being caught off guard and embarrassed.

He set down the water cup, took off his glasses, and wearily rubbed his brow.

Mikoto's request struck him squarely in an unexpected place.

What the hell is going on?

Isn't Mikoto-nee completely disillusioned with marriage? Isn't she firmly against marriage and childbearing? Didn't she repeatedly emphasize career first, letting herself only enter her body but not her life?

How is she now thinking of having his child?

If I marry Minami and Mikoto bears his child first, the inheritance order would be messed up and my reputation damaged—I don't want to see this happen, as it would bring too many uncontrollable variables.

Yet on the other hand, I absolutely cannot let go of Ishihara Mikoto.

She is the precious treasure I have carefully "collected"—mature, elegant, knowledgeable and interesting—whether in career or personal relations, she brings me great satisfaction and convenience, like a carefully cultivated rare orchid; I enjoy her beauty and fragrance, but I do not wish her to bear fruit that might affect my entire garden's layout.

After a long silence, Uesugi Muneyuki put his glasses back on, restored his refined and elegant appearance, though his eyes now held an extra hint of complexity.

He avoided Ishihara Mikoto's expectant and alluring gaze, pondering his words: "Mikoto... I understand your feelings. This matter... is no small thing. I am to marry Minami in November, and before that, premarital pregnancy would be a huge scandal; I understand your pursuit, and I am willing for us to have a crystallization... How about this: after I marry Minami and after she becomes pregnant, we will have a child—would that work?"

This sounded like giving hope, but actually pushed back her demand, and clearly implied that in his heart, Watanabe Minami as his "fiancée," being younger and of more illustrious lineage, holds priority in the order of childbearing.

The smile on Mikoto's face instantly stiffened, a flicker of hurt and self-mockery passing through her eyes, but she quickly masked it with deeper tenderness.

Her stocking-clad feet beneath the table quietly continued to rise, agile and full of allure; the forensic beauty's legs, perfectly wrapped in ultra-thin flesh-colored pantyhose, began their own movements.

Uesugi Muneyuki gasped for cold air, the Wolford stockings' texture achieving a near-"invisible" effect, extremely close to the skin, as if it were her second layer of skin, yet able to wonderfully even out skin tone, giving her legs a smooth, flawless jade-like texture.

Light flowed over, revealing only the tight, elegant leg contour and an extremely faint sheen belonging to top-tier silk satin: "Then it's settled like that, okay!"

".................." Uesugi Muneyuki always felt something was off—his Mikoto-nee suddenly doing a 180-degree turn; there must be a conspiracy!

But he soon could no longer think further on these matters, as his second brother was reminding him.

"Tsk tsk, Muneyuki, be honest—is your deep obsession with stockings, beautiful legs, feet, and uniform because of me?"

"Yes, yes, it's all Mikoto-nee's fault! So we must give Mikoto-nee righteous punishment!"

"Haha~ah~~~ No, no, don't do that, Muneyuki... I... I prepared a special gift for you... you, you take a look yourself?"

"What gift? Oh? Oh oh oh oh oh oh!"

"Do you like it?"

"I like it so much, my Mikoto-nee is truly amazing!"

……………………

After a pleasant holiday.

Late August, Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward, Metropolitan Police Department Sakuradamon Building, Criminal Investigation Division 1 Special Mission Unit Office.

Just past nine in the morning, the early summer sun shone brightly through the blinds, casting dappled light and shadow in the slightly cluttered but finally no longer reeking of gunpowder office.

"Yo, everyone's right on time!" Acting Unit Chief Nango Yui's voice carried a rare lightness.

He wasn't wearing a tie today, dressed in a casual shirt, energetic. He was carefully placing a box labeled with Sendai's specialty on the central communal desk: "A token of thought—Sendai's finest beef tongue pancakes and hagi no tsuki, everyone share."

"Wow! Nango Sang, that's awesome!" The first to respond was Igarashi Hayato, who had gotten a bit tanned, his face showing the rosy glow after soaking in hot springs, his whole person looking warm and cozy. Beside his feet lay a large paper bag: "I brought hot spring buns and woodcraft from Hakone for everyone as small gifts!"

The door was pushed open, Kai Toru walked in with his girlfriend Debuki Etsuko's shoulder in his arm, both holding shopping bags printed with luxury brand logos: "We're back! HK truly is a shopping paradise, and we brought some souvenirs for everyone."

Kai's girlfriend politely greeted everyone before stepping aside, then Kai placed several exquisite paper bags on the desk: "Old HK egg rolls, wife cakes, and instant packets of silk stocking milk tea—guaranteed authentic!"

"Thanks, Kai-bro!" Igarashi curiously flipped through them.

At this moment, the office door was pushed open again, and everyone's gaze turned toward it.

It was Unit Chief Okada Masayoshi. He wore a well-fitted khaki trench coat, a Burberry classic check scarf draped over his arm, though travel-worn, the sense of ease from London's drizzle and cool air still lingered in his brows. He held a bag from Harrods.

"System Chief!" The House of Representatives all greeted him.

"Nodding Agreement, all Come Back." Okada's Mouth Corner rose slightly as he gently placed the bag Beside Nanxiang's box of Karate: "London's Fortnum&Mason Red Tea, and some Ki butter cookies. The taste is not bad."

And Seeing Scene this, the Metropolitan Police Department others also seemed to have Took a Calming Pill.

Our Special Mission Unit, Come back!

Chapter End