“That Miura guy, he's really strange.”
Walking down the street, Nakano Yu mumbled to himself.
When he heard Miura Yumiko's words, Nakano Yu felt something was off, but he hadn't interacted with her much, so he was still hesitant to believe she could actually like him.
Maybe it was just a moment of emotional impulse, Nakano Yu didn't think much of it.
As he walked, Nakano Yu suddenly felt a strange gaze, his brow furrowed.
That gaze, it was weird, a sudden and intrusive observation. Nakano Yu was very sensitive to this kind of gaze.
The gaze lingered on Nakano Yu for a short time before fading away.
“Is it a Yokai?”
Muttering to himself, Nakano Yu didn't pay it much mind.
He was in Tokyo, the Yokai's territory. On the surface, humans ruled this area, but in the shadows of the towering buildings, all sorts of demons and spirits roamed.
This was something Nakano Yu had long since gotten used to.
“Well, what should I cook for dinner tonight?”
Shrugging, Nakano Yu thought to himself and continued on his way.
Nakano Yu wasn't wrong, the gaze he felt was indeed from a Yokai, but not from the Nura clan Yokai that ruled Tokyo, it came from a desolate land, a place believed to be devoid of Yokai – Shikoku Yokai!
“Hey! Inuhouou, did that human notice us?”
High in the sky, a red bird wearing a striped kimono, resembling a large rooster, was soaring through the air, carrying a short, round-headed, short-armed monster.
The red bird was called Inuhouou, a famous Yokai in Japan. Legend has it that when Inuhouou appears, fire rains will fall from the sky, burning the earth. Of course, these are just exaggerated legends. Inuhouou does have the ability to control fire, but it can't rain fire.
The monster being carried by Inuhouou was called Soieshin, also a well-known Yokai in Japan. Its ability was to curse. By tearing off a person's sleeve, they would curse the person to death.
However, Soieshin looked confused and puzzled at this moment, asking Inuhouou.
Just now, it saw a person below, it just took a curious glance, but in that instant, Soieshin felt like it was locked onto by something terrifyingly powerful.
It was so scared that its whole body went stiff, unable to move. It only felt better after the person left.
“Ha? We're hundreds of meters in the air now, how could those humans who can't live without their glasses see us?”
Inuhouou snorted with disdain at the mention, his voice filled with contempt for humans.
“But... I really did...”
Soieshin wanted to say something else, but before he could finish, Inuhouou interrupted him:
“Stop the nonsense, we need to hurry up and meet up with Lord Gyokucho. Now, all we need to do is report the information we got to Lord Gyokucho, and tomorrow, we can infiltrate Ukiyo-e Town!”
After saying that, Inuhouou didn't wait for Soieshin to reply, he suddenly flapped his wings and flew towards the suburbs outside of Tokyo.
...
Time flew by, and the day for the forest school trip arrived quickly. These past two days, Nakano Yu hadn't encountered anything out of the ordinary. Well, except for Miura Yumiko confessing to him.
Yes, he thought Miura Yumiko would take a day off, considering her injuries, but unexpectedly, this girl was quite resilient, after a night's rest, her injuries were mostly healed. She could still move around, except for running and jumping.
However, Miura Yumiko's confession wasn't a public declaration, but a private one, jokingly teasing him. Nakano Yu didn't take it seriously.
As for Miura Yumiko's two friends in class, Nakano Yu estimated they had severed ties. After all, when they greeted Miura Yumiko with smiles, she didn't even look at them.
Besides that, Katsuragi Yui was back at school. She looked energetic and well-rested, but whenever they talked, her face inexplicably flushed red, and she kept looking at strange places. Nakano Yu didn't know why.
And Ichika, it seemed like her audition went well. These past two days, Nakano Yu could tell by her mood. Even when boarding the bus, she was still smiling.
Sitting at the back of the bus by the window, Nakano Yu idly watched the scenery outside.
The bus seats were divided by class, so the five sisters and Nakano Yu weren't sitting together. Katsuragi Yui happened to be seated with a girl, so Nakano Yu was a little bored, not knowing who to chat with.
He took out his phone, checked the map, and wanted to see where Totsuka High planned to take them.
The location of Totsuka High's annual forest school trip was different every year. It was designed to enhance students' learning while promoting their connection with mountains and rivers.
Of course, the above was just a bunch of nonsense made up by the Totsuka High principal. Nakano Yu didn't believe it.
After all, compared to forest school, Nakano Yu preferred staying at home. If it wasn't for Nino's wish to come, Nakano Yu probably would still be lying in bed right now.
“Ah~ Up ahead is... Meru Garden?”
Yawning, Nakano Yu was shocked when he saw the mountain name on the phone map.
If he remembered correctly, Meru Garden should be the territory of Ushioni, right?
嘶~ It seems like things won't be boring for a while.
Thinking about this, Nakano Yu looked out the window again, only to see countless plum trees in full bloom on the distant mountain!
......