There was a rumor that a youkai who attacked lost travelers had appeared in the Chiba Forest. No one had ever seen what this youkai looked like, only that it would make people who were already unfamiliar with the mountain roads even more lost.
It would only reveal itself and eat the person alive when the traveler was about to be trapped to death in this forest!
"Excuse me, are you talking about youkai legends!"
Chitanda's voice interrupted the group of middle school students who were chatting seriously.
The person who spoke first at the table turned his head. "Mhm, you are?"
Fujiwara Chika stepped forward and pointed to the elementary school students over there. "We are students from Shuchiin High School, volunteering at the elementary school summer camp."
"Oh oh, so you are senpais from Shuchiin. Hello, my name is Kiyojuji Kiyotsugu! What can I do for you two beautiful senpais?"
Uchiha Ryo, who walked over last, suddenly stood in front of the two girls. "You are discussing youkai, right? Actually, I am also very interested in those things. Why don't you tell me about it?"
Upon hearing that someone was interested in youkai, the boy named Kiyojuji Kiyotsugu immediately felt that he had met a like-minded person.
"What a coincidence! Our Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol was born to search for youkai!"
Fujiwara Chika: "Then have you found any youkai?!"
Kiyojuji Kiyotsugu: "....Not yet, but youkai definitely exist! I will absolutely find them!"
Uchiha Ryo felt helpless about this hot-blooded youth. "Looking for youkai? Youkai must be very dangerous, right?"
Kiyojuji Kiyotsugu chuckled. "Senpai may not know, but we have an onmyoji here! Mere youkai are nothing."
"Right, Keikain-san!"
Following the other party's gaze, Uchiha Ryo looked at the girl who was eating silently.
Keikain..... huh? However, what made Uchiha Ryo more curious was the girl with light blue roots sitting opposite her.
Youkai, hiding among humans. Because there are examples like Maki Yanagi and the others, Uchiha Ryo doesn't plan to do anything.
But the bespectacled boy sitting next to the youkai girl is a bit special.
"How about it? Senpais from Shuchiin, do you want to join our expedition this afternoon?!"
Chitanda/Fujiwara Chika: "We'll join....."
"You two stay here! We still have work, don't we? We came to help Hiratsuka-sensei take care of the elementary school students today, not for you to come out and play."
Chitanda/Fujiwara Chika: "Oh....."
Uchiha Ryo turned to look at the group of middle school students. "If you find anything, you can share it with us afterwards."
After speaking, Uchiha Ryo pulled Chitanda and the others back to their seats.
After lunch, Uchiha Ryo and Shirogane Miyuki carried their luggage to the boys' room.
"Uchiha, want to go to the hot springs?" Shirogane Miyuki proposed an invitation. He heard that the hot springs here were very good, and he wanted to relieve his fatigue.
"Go by yourself. I'll lie down in the room for a while. I feel that fatigue will disappear faster lying here."
Shirogane Miyuki: "You really don't understand anything! That's a hot spring that can soothe the heart!"
However, seeing that Uchiha Ryo still had no intention of getting up, Shirogane Miyuki had to go to the hot springs alone. But someone's hot spring trip would definitely not be lonely. When he arrived at the hot spring pool, a large group of elementary school students just happened to rush in.
Relieving fatigue? With that group of brats around, being physically and mentally exhausted was more like it!
Inside the room, the white cat spoke human language.
"There is a youkai in that group, and a guy with a mix of youkai and human aura. Also, there is indeed some bad smell on the mountain, especially that broken temple."
Uchiha Ryo sat up and looked out the window. "Is that so.... You're not a youkai, but you can also sense the aura of youkai."
Enyun-chan snorted lightly. "Although we ninja cats don't have the tracking ability of ninja dogs, nor the high-altitude reconnaissance ability of ninja crows, we can immediately judge whether any creature approaching us is a threat."
"Besides, I have been constantly assimilating the chakra of the Two-Tails embryo. Tailed beasts are very sensitive to any energy from the outside world."
Uchiha Ryo didn't speak. Enyun-chan jumped to the window and saw the Kiyojuji Detective Agency walking out of the inn.
"If those few people go up the mountain, it's likely ominous. Are you going to save them?"
"Well.... I'm a little interested in that onmyoji named Keikain. I should be able to learn a lot about onmyoji through her. Besides, if I don't exercise, my body will get rusty."
.....
In the afternoon, even though Shuchiin had already reimbursed all expenses for the hot spring inn for three days and two nights, the elementary school still hoped that the students could get closer to nature.
They booked the backyard of the inn and planned to have a picnic here tonight.
Shirogane Miyuki: "So, we actually have to give up the inn's high-class cuisine and cook for ourselves tonight?"
Uchiha Ryo tossed him an apple. "Isn't your cooking pretty good? I'll leave dinner to you guys. Anyway, I'm not cooking~"
Shirogane Miyuki: "....Aren't the elementary school teachers responsible?"
"They will only transport the ingredients, and everything else will be handled by us staff members."
Staff members.... what a nice name. Shirogane Miyuki took a bite of the apple. But with those girls around, I shouldn't have to cook.
"If you don't want to cook, you'll probably be sent to the mountain to pick up firewood."
Shirogane Miyuki: "Then I'd better go help with the cooking!"
While chatting, the two came to the backyard of the inn. Looking at the carefree children, Shirogane Miyuki really felt envious.
Why am I the only one who has been tired as a dog since childhood....
Uchiha Ryo: "It's okay. You can imagine that after they enter middle school, they will taste all kinds of setbacks and regrets, and gradually realize that it is not easy to stay happy in this world."
Shirogane Miyuki: "You talk like you can read minds. I didn't say anything..... But maybe some smart elementary school students, even if they are still children, have already experienced the difficulties of society."
Tsurumi Rumi. Even in this free activity time, she was still alone.
Uchiha Ryo looked around and quickly found the small group where Shirosaki Hana was.
"Hana, why don't you guys play with Rumi? Just leaving her alone over there."
Shirosaki Hana looked up. "Ryo-oniichan, we invite her often, but Rumi doesn't seem to want to play with us."
Himesaka Noa nodded. "Mhm, every time I invited her, I was rejected...."
Uchiha Ryo squatted down. "Is that so? Then at school, does Rumi also look like strangers shouldn't come near?"
Hoshino Hinata blinked. "Ryo-oniichan wants to know about Rumi-chan?"
Uchiha Ryo nodded. Since he planned to help this troubled girl solve her problem, he had to suit the remedy to the case! Find the reason for her withdrawal and guide her continuously. If she really couldn't integrate into everyone, introduce her to another group suitable for her.
Himesaka Noa took a step back. "Ryo-oniichan wants to know Rumi, does Ryo-oniichan plan to pursue Rumi-san!"
Uchiha Ryo: "...."
How is that even possible!! I didn't expect Himesaka Noa's amazing brain circuit to turn to this position.
Shirosaki Hana held Uchiha Ryo's hand tightly. "It's illegal (pun on 'no good')! I don't agree!"
"No! Don't you guys want to make Rumi happier? Being the same age as you, but always being alone, it must be tormenting."
---
Maki Ryuko (Willow) -> Maki Yanagi (Willow)
Maki Kozune (Fox Cub) -> No changes
Maki Chi (Thousand Hands) -> Maki Senju (Thousand Hands)
Still no idea who is these guys.