Chapter 352 - SUSPENSION BRIDGE EFFECT (1/2)
Kaito took out two bags from the trunk of the car, and the two of them walked to the cottage. The white brick house was not impressive, but it had a simple country-style design that spoke of wonderful summer vacations.
”Are we breaking and entering?” Akira asked as they stepped through the wooden door.
Kaito scoffed. ”I just used the keys. How could we be breaking and entering?”
When he first met Akira, he thought she was a quiet and composed girl. She did not talk much, based on his keen observation. However, he realised that she just did not like talking with people she did not know.
Once she got comfortable, she was a relentless chatterbox. It was like she saved all her words until she got used to someone. After that, she couldn't go for a minute without talking.
”You know, you are quite a talker. I thought you were the mysterious expert type.” He said.
Akira was walking around the house poking her nose here and there like she owned the place. She turned to him with an angry face.
”If you want, I can make you deaf.” She glared.
Kaito chuckled a little at the scary face.
”How could that be ok? I am yet to hear your sweet voice saying a few naughty things to me.” He responded.
She scoffed before continuing her exploration. The house was dusty and musty as if it had not been aired out in years. After a few minutes, she returned to the living room.
”So, whose house is it?” She asked.
”Probably mine.” Kaito shrugged.
Akira rolled her eyes. ”Then, you should probably clean it.”
Akira did not know that Kaito had found out about the house from his grandmother. It used to belong to his parents. Unlike their other prominent properties, this one had not been grabbed by the wolves from the Takahashi family.
His grandmother had a key, so she told him to come and take a look in his free time. He had driven a couple of days earlier to see the place, but he could not force himself to enter the house alone. He just looked around the property and checked out the cliffside before leaving.
He did not know what possessed him to bring Akira along for a trip to the cottage. But he was glad he had.
”Here, change into this,” Kaito said as he proffered one of the shopping bags.
Akira accepted the bag and looked inside. It was a swimming costume. She looked at him suspiciously.
”This is not one of those costumes with holes in inappropriate places, right?” She asked.
Kaito laughed. ”We can cut some holes if that is your preference. Change quickly.”
Five minutes later, the two of them emerged from the cottage in matching swimming costumes. Kaito wore long shorts while Akira was in a surprisingly decent two-piece. She noticed that their costumes were meant for a couple, but she did not mention it.
The two walked to the rocky cliff with a deep pool of water underneath. Akira looked at the descent and felt a little afraid. However, she did not dare show it. She was a seasoned agent after all. She had faced challenges more daunting than a little cliff.
”Scared?” Kaito teased.
”No. It's just a few rocks and some water.” She responded.
Kaito laughed. ”There goes my plan of benefitting from the suspension bridge effect.”
”So, how exactly does psicobloc work?”
”Depends on how adventurous you feel. We can jump down directly and climb up. Or we can climb down and climb up again.” He said.
Akira peered down the cliff again.
”Let's climb down and then climb up.” She said.