“Ugh, that wooden head! Really, it’s so obvious what I mean, but he’s still like that.”
Walking down the hallway, Miura Yumiko muttered to herself, full of resentment.
With her mind completely focused on Nakano Yu’s lack of romance, Miura Yumiko wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. Suddenly, a scream pierced the girl’s ears, and then she felt herself bump into something. Her body swayed backward, and she landed hard on the floor.
“Ouch! That hurt.”
Gasping, Miura Yumiko spoke, raising her eyes to look at the person she had collided with. But she found that the person looked familiar, like a girl from her class.
She stood up and looked the girl up and down. Only then did Miura Yumiko recognize that she had bumped into Katsura Kotoha, a girl who rarely spoke in class but somehow managed to chat with Nakano Yu.
“Katsura-san, are you alright?”
Reaching out, the girl pulled Katsura Kotoha up.
“No, I’m fine. I’m so sorry for bumping into you.”
Katsura Kotoha, pulled to her feet by Miura Yumiko, quickly apologized.
“It was my fault for not paying attention. But, Katsura-san, what are you doing here? Your room is in the back, right?”
Miura Yumiko spoke, then suddenly remembered that Katsura Kotoha’s room was in front of hers. Why was she heading this way?
Could it be… that she’s going to see Nakano Yu?!
“I, I…”
Her face flushed red, Katsura Kotoha stammered, unable to answer. She had heard from Yotsuba that there would be a haunted house event tonight. Initially, Katsura Kotoha didn’t plan on participating, but then she suddenly remembered something her sister, Katsura Nana, had said.
Don’t miss any chance to be alone with Nakano Yu, she had said. So Katsura Kotoha decided to come find Nakano Yu and attend the haunted house event together.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Yu already has plans. Judging by Katsura-san’s expression, I guess it’s not you, right?”
Seeing Katsura Kotoha’s reaction, Miura Yumiko realized her guess was right. But Nakano Yu had just said he already had plans. She guessed it wasn’t Katsura Kotoha.
But… if it wasn’t Katsura Kotoha, then who could it be?
Miura Yumiko was confused. As far as she knew, she and Katsura Kotoha were the only girls in the class who were close to Nakano Yu. Could there be someone else?
“Yu-kun already has plans… Is it with Miura-san?!”
Hearing Miura Yumiko’s reply, Katsura Kotoha’s expression instantly fell. Then, as if realizing something, she quickly looked up at Miura Yumiko and asked.
“No, I don’t know who that guy made plans with. But… aren’t you curious, Katsura-san?”
Miura Yumiko crossed her arms and shook her head, speaking. But then, she changed the subject.
Hearing this, Katsura Kotoha was stunned. She didn’t understand what Miura Yumiko was trying to do. Could it be that she wanted her to ask? That was unlikely, because even if she asked, she could choose not to tell Miura Yumiko.
But was Katsura Kotoha curious about who Nakano Yu would go to the haunted house with? Curious! Definitely curious!
Her understanding of Nakano Yu was limited to their interactions in school and in class, a superficial understanding. Only today did Katsura Kotoha find out that he actually had five older sisters!
Hmm? Wait a minute, sisters? Ouch! Could it be that Yu is going with those five sisters?
Just as she was thinking this, Miura Yumiko’s voice reached her ears again:
“How about this, Katsura-san? We can team up, and then we’ll go check out who Yu made plans with. I’m guessing Katsura-san likes him too, right?”
Hearing Miura Yumiko’s suggestion, Katsura Kotoha thought for a moment before finally choosing to refuse:
“Sorry, I’m not interested in things like haunted houses. I’ll pass. Thank you, Miura-san.”
Katsura Kotoha finished speaking, thanked Miura Yumiko, and turned to leave.
For Katsura Kotoha, the haunted house was just a pretense. The real goal was to be alone with Nakano Yu. But now that her goal was out of reach, she saw no point in attending the haunted house event.
Watching Katsura Kotoha’s departing figure, Miura Yumiko was stunned.
She… was rejected again?
Ah?！！She’s Miura Yumiko! How is it possible that she can’t even find a friend to attend a haunted house with?!
Gritting her teeth, Miura Yumiko felt increasingly frustrated. Unwilling to accept defeat, she stomped her foot and headed downstairs.
She refused to believe that she couldn’t attend the haunted house alone!
…
“Those guys, Nura Rikuo, have already checked into the inn. Now, we can take action.”
On a large tree outside the inn, a young man dressed in a black and grey kimono with long bangs covering the left side of his face murmured. His name was Ushigamaru, a subordinate of the great yokai, Ushi Oni, who ruled over the twisted mountain. He was also a yokai himself.
The guy with the cow skull on his head was his colleague, named Umabemaru. Their mission was to watch Nura Rikuo, who, despite being human, was set to inherit the Nura Group, and to kill him! This was an order from their master, Ushi Oni.
“Drawing our swords against the Nura Family goes against our principles, but this is an order from Ushi Oni-sama. We’re sorry!”
As Ushigamaru finished speaking, he vanished in a flash, following Nura Rikuo and the others as they left.
Inside the inn at that moment, Nura Rikuo had no idea he was being targeted. He was still trying to dissuade Kiyotsugu Seijitsu.
Kiyotsugu Seijitsu, a fanatical yokai enthusiast, had just finished dinner and wanted to go to the mountain to find traces of yokai. Nura Rikuo, knowing that there were real yokai on the mountain, naturally wouldn’t let them go and risk their lives.
But Kiyotsugu Seijitsu’s passionate pursuit of yokai had left Nura Rikuo speechless, unsure of how to convince him.
In the end, Nura Rikuo had no choice but to go to the mountain to look for yokai with Kiyotsugu.
He also brought along his snow maiden, Hiryu, who couldn’t soak in hot springs. After all, if they really encountered yokai, they wouldn’t stand a chance without her!
But none of them noticed that the inn was now surrounded by yokai.
“Ah, the hot spring feels so good. I wonder why Igawa doesn’t like hot springs. And Yuzuru didn’t come either, what a pity.”
In the open-air hot spring, Makura Ori was soaking in the hot water, enjoying herself.
“Yeah, it’s so comfortable.”
Tori Natsumi lay by the edge of the hot spring, agreeing.
“Speaking of, are there really yokai here?”
Kaji Kana also soaked in the hot spring, looking up at the night sky already dotted with stars, and muttered to herself.
“Huh? How is that possible? Don’t scare yourself, Kana.”
Hearing this, Tori Natsumi waved her hand. She didn’t believe in any yokai now. The only thing she believed in was hot springs.
“That’s true, I guess. I just wonder if he would appear if we met a yokai.”
Kaji Kana smiled in response, her mind filled with the image of the young man she had met a few nights ago. Based on Kaji Kana’s later explanation, he was the one who had saved her.
“Huh? Him? Who? Don’t tell me, Kana, you have a crush on someone!”
Hearing this gossip, Makura Ori immediately leaned closer. Even Tori Natsumi, who had been pretending to sleep by the edge of the hot spring, perked up.
“No, no, it’s not like that. I, I don’t even know his name.”
Seeing the two of them, Kaji Kana instantly blushed and quickly waved her hands in explanation.
“Roar, a secret crush.”
“It’s unrequited love.”
“Hahaha, is he from our school? Maybe we can help Kana win him over!”
“Stop making fun of me!”
While the three girls were giggling, outside the hot spring pool, several large, spiky-backed yokai emerged from the black mist.
“Alright, let’s serve Ushi Oni-sama!”
Standing on top of one yokai, Umabemaru, with the cow skull mask on his head, waved his hand, proclaiming.
Let’s go, grab that adorable young master’s friend and claim the reward!
…
The first chapter of today! Check-in for updates, please shower me with flowers~ and tickets.