Chapter 49 – Website
Novel Title: 跨越千万星辰 (Across Thousands of Stars)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 泽田纲吉 (Sawada Tsunayoshi -MC), 六道骸 (Rokudo Mukuro -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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“Muku… wouldn’t you be uncomfortable like this?” Tsuna’s gaze shifted across the TV screen. His expression was filled with embarrassment. Mukuro, who was almost leaning against him entirely, lazily yawned and tightened the arm around his waist. “No. Not at all.”
Life hadn’t undergone any special changes.
Back then, Mukuro had said that since Tsuna didn’t mind, they could give it a try.
Give it a try.
Tsuna thought; well, let’s give it a try then.
But even if he had agreed, his interactions with Mukuro continued much the same as before. Apart from getting used to Mukuro’s occasional displays of intimacy, their interactions hardly changed at all.
It wasn’t until this moment that Tsuna realised just how intimate their life had become.
However, he found that he didn’t seem to mind Mukuro’s touch. Even if sometimes he felt embarrassed or annoyed when teased or provoked too much, those gestures were filled with care and tenderness. It was as if Mukuro was handling a most precious gift. They truly made Tsuna feel comforted.
The thought of ‘let’s just keep going like this’ started appearing more and more frequently. Even if he didn’t know if it was true love or not, the person who brought him satisfaction in his everyday life apart from Mukuro probably didn’t exist.
“What are you thinking?” Hearing the question from the person beside him, Tsuna instinctively turned his head to look at him. “Nothing.”
Because Mukuro’s head had been resting on Tsuna’s shoulder, he could easily see the face just inches away when he turned his head. That face was exceptionally handsome. But what always captivated Tsuna the most were those eyes.
They were graceful in shape. A deep and vast blue on one side. A perfect mismatch. Even a casual glance held a profoundly stunning beauty.
“When will you initiate a kiss with me?”
After locking eyes for a few seconds, Mukuro let out a soft sigh to himself. He then slightly propped himself up to lightly kiss Tsuna, who was still lost in thought.
Tsuna involuntarily tensed up for a moment. Mukuro paid no mind, giving a couple of light pecks. As Tsuna relaxed, the kiss gradually deepened.
When they parted, Tsuna’s lips were slightly parted. Due to Mukuro’s earlier tracing of his lips with his tongue, they now carried a moist and translucent sheen.
Mukuro was content and narrowed his eyes, practically sliding onto Tsuna’s thighs and adjusting his position to relax his entire body comfortably. He looked almost like a large cat resting on its owner’s knee.
Tsuna couldn’t help but stroke his hair as if he were combing it. The strands appeared glossy and textured. But to the touch, they were surprisingly soft. “Why did you let your hair grow so long?”
“Is it not good-looking?”
“Not exactly.” Tsuna paused. He then honestly added, “Actually, it looks pretty nice.”
Mukuro chuckled softly. His entire body trembled slightly. “As long as you like it.”
The TV program schedule remained illuminated for a while. Suddenly, Tsuna remembered that normally at this time, Mukuro would be on his computer. He couldn’t help but ask, “Are you not going online?”
“Oh?” Mukuro glanced at the time and considered for a moment. He then said, “Nah. I’ll be a little lazy today too.”
“Um…” Tsuna started to speak but then stopped himself. He knew that Mukuro was probably referring to the ‘website that’s only accessible at that time’. Honestly, he was quite curious. Mukuro usually drove him to and from work. He also always prepared all the meals. Was this how a newlywed wife would act? When did this guy do his work, anyway? And was the website within his scope of work?
“What do you want to say?” Mukuro tilted his head to look at him. He extended his hand and used the back of his hand to glide over Tsuna’s cheek, smiling beguilingly. “You know, as long as you say it, I’ll never refuse you.”
What nonsense!
Tsuna turned his head away, not wanting to look at him. His expression clearly read; ‘I don’t believe you’. It was clear that this guy was stubborn to the core. Once he set his mind on something, there was no changing it. Yet he still said he wouldn’t refuse him.
Such words were better suited for charming girls.
The gentle touch from before turned into kneading. Tsuna inhaled sharply as his cheeks were pinched. “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Let go!” His face was twisted and he was about to turn his head back when he felt the pressure release.
Finally released, Tsuna rubbed his slightly reddened cheek and looked down at Mukuro’s subtly displeased face. “Rokudo Mukuro, you’re really mean!”
Mukuro’s subtly displeased expression turned into a more apparent displeasure. He hummed after a couple of seconds and looked away. “I’ve always been a bit mean.”
The tone was casual, implying an ‘it’s up to you’ attitude. But the expression on his face was that of ‘come and stroke my fur’. It made Tsuna’s mouth twitch.
Ah, ah, ah! It’s like being a cat that got its fish snack stolen just because he didn’t accept his sweet talk. Everything he saw earlier about maturity and stability was just a facade, right? That’s definitely the case!
I’m not serving you anymore!
Without hesitation, Tsuna was about to get up. But as soon as he pushed that indigo-haired head down, Mukuro flipped over and immediately hugged his waist without saying a word.
“Hey…” Tsuna felt his head ache, almost reaching for his forehead in pain. “Muku, stop messing around.”
The person behind him showed no intention of letting go. On the contrary, he was tightening his grip. Tsuna felt a bit suffocated from the pressure around his chest. Just as he was about to lower his head to pry the hands away, he heard him ask, “What do I need to do for you to like me a bit more?”
A sense of reluctance, impatience, caution, and desolation was all embedded in that question.
The anger that had just emerged from within Tsuna vanished instantly. Why? Why did this person always manage to touch the softest parts of his heart so easily?
The hand that was initially going to struggle lightly patted Mukuro’s hand on his back. Tsuna felt the strength of the embrace loosen slightly. “I already like you enough now.”
This point was beyond doubt.
They both knew that Tsuna’s current attitude represented a big step back. But at the same time, they also knew that it wasn’t what Mukuro had hoped for.
However, apart from attempting to continue getting along, there was no other option.
“Don’t be too greedy.” Tsuna patted Mukuro’s hand again, signalling for him to let go. Mukuro obediently released his grip this time. Tsuna turned around and was instantly surprised. “Muku?! Are you crying?”
Mukuro blinked his right eye. “Impossible.”
He rubbed the corner of his eye with his hand, wiping away the tears that had spilled over. He then closed his eyes uncomfortably for a moment. He frowned as he gently touched his eyelids. “Perhaps I just accidentally rubbed it.”
Indeed, only his right eye was continuously tearing up. His left eye had no reaction. Tsuna held his hand. “Stop rubbing it. The more you rub, the worse it gets.”
Saying that, he reached for a tissue on the coffee table and helped Mukuro wipe away the traces of tears on his face.
“I’m serious. What did you want to say just now?” Mukuro took the tissue from him after he wiped it a few times. The discomfort in his eyes subsided. He redirected the topic back to Tsuna’s hesitation from earlier.
Tsuna clicked his tongue. “Well, it’s not a big deal… I was just a bit curious. You mentioned that website that can only be accessed at night. It’s all so mysterious-like…”
“Are you talking about that?” Mukuro fell silent. His face displayed a thoughtful expression. Tsuna quickly waved his hand. “I was just asking casually. If it’s some sort of business secret…”
Hearing him say that, Mukuro raised an eyebrow as if surprised. “There’s nothing I can’t tell you. I was just thinking about how to explain it to you better. After all, I’m not entirely sure about the specifics. Chikusa manages this website. You know, he’s good at these things.”
Tsuna had heard Mukuro mention it before – Chikusa used mobile phone positioning to accurately find his location. At the time, it had seemed quite high-tech.
“This website isn’t only open for those two hours. It’s usually a members-only news site. Members can exchange information for information. They are mostly experienced journalists and other enthusiasts in the field.”
“Exchanging information?”
“Kind of like trading intelligence.” Mukuro shrugged. “In my personal opinion, you could think of it as a gossip site.”
People in that line of work might cry if they heard that description, Tsuna couldn’t help but think.
Mukuro got off the couch and etched his laptop. He flipped it open and connected it to the internet. “And during this time at night, the ordinary public can’t log onto the site. If you’re not an internal member, trying to log in will show a ‘system under maintenance’ message.”
Tsuna leaned over to look as Mukuro plugged in a device similar to a USB drive. He pointed at it. “What’s that?”
“Think of it as a key.” Mukuro used a different explanation. “You could compare it to the security token that online banks require nowadays.”
“I see…”
Mukuro skillfully entered a URL. As expected, the page displayed only a row of text: ‘The website is currently undergoing maintenance. Please log in after 03:00’. Below that was an administrator login portal.
He clicked on the input box and when the cursor appeared, he typed in the login name ‘Joker’ and hit Enter. Suddenly, the entire screen turned into a DOS command window, lines of characters rapidly appearing, automatically wrapping as if some program was running.
“The members of this website are all hackers. Their logins are like battles of attack and defence. They have their methods to determine each other’s identities. That’s why Chikusa has to personally manage the site for these two hours every day to ensure that the site doesn’t accept any unauthorised visitors. But with this device plugged into the computer, we only need to input the login name and everything’s fine.”
Quite complicated...
Before Tsuna’s eyes turned into donut circles, the page finally switched back to its original graphical interface. However, what he saw left him utterly puzzled. “Are these… company names?”
Without a word, Mukuro selected the option for Japan. After further filtering, the page refreshed with a list of company names.
“Are these all Japanese companies?” Tsuna asked and Mukuro nodded. Then he randomly clicked on the company name that was alphabetically listed first. Upon opening it, the page was filled with client information and production data.
“What is this?!” Tsuna exclaimed.
There were other options to explore. But undoubtedly, all of this was sensitive business information.
“This is also an intelligence exchange platform.” Mukuro pointed at the data filling the screen with his finger. Seeing Tsuna’s expression of astonishment and scepticism, he reassured, “Don’t worry. There’s no mention of Vongola.”
“This is illegal, Muku.” Tsuna said in a hushed voice.
“As long as you’re cautious, you won’t get caught.” After explaining this, Mukuro closed the website and shut down the computer. He placed his hand on Tsuna’s shoulder, making him meet his eyes. “You think this is unethical, don’t you?”
It took Tsuna a while before he nodded.
“I can guess your attitude if you learn about this,” Mukuro smiled with a subtle mix of emotions. “Although it’s not like you to think that way… But I believe you know that no major profit-driven group is clean behind the scenes. Bribery, deception, and even lives are sacrificed for such things. I don’t believe Vongola has been untouched by these actions. Others might not do it out of disdain, but they lack the means to do so.”
He gently touched Tsuna’s face and sighed deeply before he continued, “Knowing or not knowing about these things is up to you. You can also choose to turn the other cheek. Just focus on doing what you want to do.”
Leave the rest to me.
Though unspoken, these words were clearly conveyed to Tsuna.
He couldn’t suppress the trembling in his heart. He didn’t dare respond. He felt that speaking now might lead to losing his composure. He thought he understood the depth of Mukuro’s feelings and his efforts. He thought he had a good grasp of it all.
However, he had still underestimated it all.
Trembling, he gripped the hand that had been touching him. It was a tight grip, as if trying to convey something through this slightly painful touch. Tsuna struggled for a long time before managing to make his voice sound normal. “Muku.”
Once again, only a name could be uttered. A name that was destined to be intertwined with him for the rest of his life.
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☝🏻Fanart of MukuroXTsuna
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