Kasumigaoka Utaha sat on her bed, gazing at the screen. She hadn't expected her spontaneous confession to receive such a serious reply. Moreover, the advice seemed feasible.
The first point was easy to understand; she was always diligent with her studies.
What did the second point mean? The positive value that light novels bring her... Did enriching her spiritual world and filling some inner emptiness count?
Seeing the third point, Kasumigaoka Utaha started to secretly look forward to it. Will Teacher Ryou really mail his new work to me?
She also didn't want to completely ruin her relationship with her parents. However, due to the generation gap and difference in perception, every argument ended badly. If Ryou's suggestions could truly help her mend things with her parents, she'd have to find a way to thank him properly later.
Utaha recalled the coolly handsome young man on the train platform and the blonde girl who felt like a rival. She was deeply curious about Ryosuke but didn't know how to approach him.
Finally, exhaustion won out. Staying up all night in line had made her head spin. Utaha took off her black stockings, revealing long, well-proportioned, jade-white legs, every inch of skin glowing invitingly. She tossed the stockings onto a chair, yawned, and sank into the covers, falling into a deep sleep.
This time, when she dreamt of standing alone on a mountaintop, the voice calling to her from behind was much clearer than before.
Ryosuke Investigates Shoko's Strange Behavior
Meanwhile, that afternoon at the Nishimiya house.
Knock, knock, knock!
Hiratsuka Ryosuke knocked on the door. He had rushed over immediately after hanging up the phone. Given Yuzuru's urgency and Shoko's pre-existing condition, he was afraid something might have happened to Shoko.
The door opened, and Nishimiya Yuzuru, wearing a plain white T-shirt and black capris, tiptoed out.
"Ryosuke-nii, Grandma is resting, let's talk downstairs," Nishimiya Yuzuru whispered as she gently closed the door.
Ryosuke nodded, and they went downstairs together.
"You said Shoko has been acting strange recently—what's going on?" Hiratsuka Ryosuke wasted no time, getting straight to the point.
Nishimiya Yuzuru didn't hide anything, detailing her sister's recent odd movements. She looked around, then motioned mysteriously for Ryosuke to lean in closer.
Ryosuke understood and complied. The girl's warm breath lightly tickled his ear, causing a slight, itchy sensation.
Nishimiya Yuzuru whispered with lingering fear: "Many afternoons this summer, my sister always leaves the house carrying a package."
"At first, I thought she was meeting friends, but then I asked Mori-nee and the others, and they all said my sister hadn't contacted them."
"So I started secretly following her to see where she was going."
"I was afraid of being discovered, so I couldn't get too close and had to follow from a distance."
"Then one day, I followed her to the river. I saw her talking to the air while eating a lunch box. Sometimes she'd hit her head after taking a bite, and sometimes she'd just smile foolishly while holding her chopsticks."
"After leaving the river, she'd go to the supermarket and buy a lot of things. Mom's allowance isn't nearly enough to buy that much, and I never saw her bring any of it back home."
"Finally, she goes to a spooky tailor shop and stays a long time before coming out. There's a really terrifying old woman in there. Just locking eyes with that woman gave me the chills."
Nishimiya Yuzuru paused, swallowing hard. Finally, she voiced her suspicion, tentatively asking, "Ryosuke-nii, do you think that old woman put some kind of ancient Onmyōdō spell on my sister?"
Thwack!
"Ow!" Nishimiya Yuzuru exclaimed softly, rubbing her head. She'd asked Ryosuke to come over so they could check on her sister together, but before getting any answers, she'd gotten flicked on the forehead.
"Yuzuru, there's no such thing as Onmyōdō controlling people in this world, don't talk nonsense," Ryosuke said earnestly, then changed his tone. "Based on your description, Shoko's actions are definitely weird. Do you know where Shoko is now?"
Nishimiya Yuzuru quickly nodded. "I know. I've been tracking my sister recently, and her route is pretty fixed."
As soon as she spoke, she moved her legs and led the way, tossing her head toward Hiratsuka Ryosuke and gesturing with her eyes to follow. "Ryosuke-nii, come with me."
The Stakeout
At a Y-shaped intersection, Nishimiya Yuzuru was hiding behind a utility pole on one of the branching paths.
"Ryosuke-nii, Shoko should pass by here very soon."
Hiratsuka Ryosuke looked at the suspiciously stealthy Nishimiya Yuzuru with an odd expression. He had thought for a long time that the kid had the potential to be a paparazzi. Now it looked like this wasn't just tracking; this was path prediction.
Nishimiya Yuzuru noticed no movement behind her and turned to urge him. "She'll be here any minute, Ryosuke-nii, hurry up."
Hiratsuke Ryosuke shook his head but followed, hiding behind the utility pole with Nishimiya Yuzuru.
With their bodies pressed close, he whispered, "Yuzuru, are you sure Shoko will pass here? Even if she does, if she turns toward us instead of taking the main road, won't she spot us immediately?"
While most people wouldn't notice the other fork in the road when passing a Y-intersection, Ryosuke didn't think one pole could completely hide two people.
Nishimiya Yuzuru rubbed her nose with her index finger, whispering confidently, "Don't worry, my sister's route hasn't changed this whole time."
Ryosuke's eyes narrowed at that, and he asked alertly, "How are you so skilled? How many times have you actually tracked Shoko?"
Yuzuru tilted her head, first counting on her pale, delicate fingers, then putting her hand down and shaking her head. "I can't remember. Just trust me, okay?"
As her sister, Yuzuru's understanding of Shoko was certainly deep. Before long, Shoko indeed came walking from the other fork in the road.
Ryosuke peeked from behind the pole. He noticed that Shoko's hair was much longer than before; it had grown from an ear-length bob to shoulder-length. The girl's fair, rosy face had a slight baby fat that didn't look chubby but made her appear more gentle and cute.
Nishimiya Shoko's steps were light. She carried a lunch box with both hands and hummed an unknown tune as she walked slowly down the path.
"Let's go, Ryosuke-nii, let's follow her."
"Wait!"
Just as Nishimiya Yuzuru was about to step out, Ryosuke grabbed her and pulled her back.