Killer’s Diary

Ep.5 Happy Birthday

“Dad, school's on break. I want to go to the beach!” Su Shuyu tugged at Su Yi's sleeve, pouting at the dinner table.

“Shen Ming, how has Su Su been doing at the training camp lately?”

“Miss Su ranks first in every metric,” Shen Ming replied from his seat beside them.

“Do you want Daddy to go with you?”

“No, I want Mumu to go with me.”

"... Daddy wants to see the sea too..."

“You can go with Shen Ming... My dear Daddy, just let Mumu go with me.”

“...Fine, fine...” Su Yi glanced at Su Shuyu clinging to his hand, his expression resigned.

“This year's birthday gift will be delivered to your room later. I meant to give it to you today, but now you're leaving Daddy behind to go play.”

“Thanks, Dad.” With that, Su Shuyu planted a kiss on Su Yi's cheek.

“Ye, take good care of Su Su. She's never listened to me since she was little—only to you.”

Su Yi sighed helplessly.

“Got it, Uncle.” Before the words had even faded, Su Shuyu had already pulled me up the stairs.

“Shen Ming, take good care of my dad,” Su Shuyu teased to Shen Ming behind her.

“Yes... ma'am...” Shen Ming suddenly felt a “cold arrow” pierce him, sending a chill through his body.

“ Yezi, stay home these few days. Mom will be back soon,” Su Shuyu said to the pet carrier.

“Mumu, I packed a few outfits for you. We can wear matching sets to the beach!”

“Matching sets?” I murmured softly.

Su Shuyu busied herself preparing for the trip, her rosy lips chattering nonstop. Her joyful face glowed even more radiantly in the fading sunset light.

“So beautiful. Mumu, look at that cloud—doesn't it resemble a curly-haired puppy?”

“Yes, it's truly beautiful.”

Yes, she was truly beautiful. Her snow-white skin glowed under the sunlight, paired with her smile—so dazzling.

I kept driving. By four in the afternoon, the sky had grown completely dark. The navigation continued guiding the route, while Su Shuyu beside me, who had been excited all along, finally drifted off to sleep. I pulled over at a rest stop and covered her with the blanket beside me. As I leaned closer, I caught her unique scent. I’d thought it was the laundry detergent—I’d even switched to the same brand she used—but it still didn’t match the fragrance on her skin.

“I just want to smell you,” I murmured, my hand instinctively brushing her cheek. Her skin was so soft.

“Just want to smell me, Mu Mu?” Su Shuyu suddenly opened her eyes, smiling sleepily at me.

“Uh...” I quickly withdrew my hand.

“We'll be there in an hour,” I said, forcing myself to sound calm.

The temperature inside the car suddenly rose.

We arrived and sat together on the steps of a small cottage by the sea. She linked her arm through mine, and we listened quietly to the sound of the waves.

“Mumu, have you heard the scientists' predictions about the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way?”

“Some scientists predict that in 3.75 billion years, the two galaxies will collide. Their nebulae will crash and merge, forming new stars.”

" Imagine two colossal galaxies gradually drawing closer across cosmic time. They might just pass each other by, yet their mutual gravitational pull will trigger massive stellar explosions. I read in the news that this stellar firestorm will ignite countless blue star clusters, like a grand fireworks display."

“That must be breathtakingly beautiful,” I said.

"But eventually, the two great galaxies will part ways, each carrying the imprint of that encounter as they embark on new journeys. Every galaxy has its own path of growth."

“Mumu, do you know what I think is the happiest thing?”

“Sitting by the sea watching the stars?”

“Being with you.” She happily kissed my lips lightly. My ears felt like they were burning —why was she sneaking up on me again? Flustered, I took a step back, face flushed, and pulled out the birthday gift I'd prepared long ago.

“Happy birthday.”

This was a giant clam shell I'd received while on a mission in a certain country. I'd hand-polished it into a necklace, though I had no idea if she'd like it.

“It's so beautiful! Put it on me right now!” She lifted her hair, and I opened the clasp, wrapping the chain around her neck to fasten the collar. In that instant, I realized her face was mere inches from mine. Turning my head, our gazes locked—her eyes had been fixed on mine the whole time. So close I could feel the warmth of her breath.

My lips felt dry, and I couldn't resist leaning in. To my surprise, she responded. Then I wrapped my arms around her, our lips pressed together. I couldn't help but suck on her luscious, tempting lips. Su Shuyu let out a low gasp from her throat, only to be instantly silenced by another kiss. At this moment, Su Shuyu's arms tightened around my waist. She didn't seem to resist me at all, responding vividly and genuinely, her tongue deftly slipping into my mouth.

“Su Su, you...”

Before I could react, Su Shuyu silenced me with a deep kiss. Then she began moving downward—neck, collarbone, shoulder... So sweet, like honey between my lips. I could clearly hear her hot breath against my ear. The distant sound of waves and the traffic along the highway blurred into the background. The whole world seemed to shrink to just her and me.

Su Shuyu suddenly stopped, her nose touching mine. She gave me a light peck and said with a smile, “I'm wearing strawberry-flavored lipstick today. Is it sweet?”

“Sweet...” No, what was I saying? My face was flushed bright red from the kiss, my breath coming in gasps. My heartbeat felt loud enough to drown out the ocean waves.

Su Shuyu looked at me and giggled.

“Just now...”

The air seemed to freeze, only my heart still pounding wildly. I'd nearly lost control. What was I doing? She was just my sister, my sister...

"Silly, you're so cute. Mumu, I'm hungry. Let's go eat. I want a seafood feast!" Su Shuyu acted as if nothing had happened, clasping my hand tightly as usual and walking forward.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath of the salty sea air, feeling a wave of relief wash over me.

Our eyes met, and she smiled again. That smile sent my mind into a whirl. Who was supposed to be responsible for whom? Wasn't she the one who should be responsible for me? What exactly was our relationship? I hadn't figured it out myself. I'd always seen her as family and a good friend, but what we'd done seemed to go beyond that.

Whatever. Brain save.

Over the next few days, Su Shuyu and I strolled through the seafood market, watched the sunset together in the evenings, and ate freshly sliced salmon. It was truly joyful. It felt like that night had never happened.