Yuka was finally able to gather her thoughts after coming out of the hospital.
Everything was so confusing.
Kotone sometimes acted as if she knew things that even Yuka didn’t or held secrets about the world. Of course, Yuka knew Kotone wasn’t the type to share everything she knew.
But that’s why Yuka could trust Kotone.
It was the same this time. Hearing Kotone say that, Yuka thought it was for the best.
This time, too—
No, this time?
…No, that’s not it.
If it were the usual, Yuka wouldn’t have done that. Normally, she would have stayed by her friend’s side; she wasn’t the type to just leave because Kotone said not to.
Wasn’t it the same when she met the Yōkai last time?
So, Yuka…
“……”
She ran away from that place.
Not knowing what the opponent was.
She thought it was a Yōkai. She knew the different types in reality.
But the sensation Yuka felt wasn’t the same as when she encountered a Yōkai. She worried that if she were to attack it, something might go wrong.
So, was it not the case that she left Kotone behind and ran away?
Thinking that made the color drain from her face.
She felt the need to go back right away. The opponent was not just one or two.
But…
“Yuka?”
The one who brought Yuka out was Koko, Kotone’s younger sister.
Only after hearing Koko’s voice did Yuka’s mind start to clear up again.
Right. If she hadn’t come out, at least if they had been in the same building, Yuka would have chosen to return to Kotone immediately.
But it was already too late for that. Now that she was here, it was right to do as Kotone said—find people who could help and return immediately.
If Koko was with her, it was possible.
“……Let’s go.”
Yuka began to run.
She knew that the crime scene wasn’t completely cleared yet. Talking to the people there would be enough.
…As fast as possible.
*
When she returned to the hospital, the first thing she noticed was the smell of blood.
It was the same smell that came from Yōkai. Yōkai also bled when cut.
But the smell she felt now was…
The corpses scattered around.
Severed heads, limbs, fingers, flesh, and bones, blood.
Yōkai aren’t bound to the earthly realm, so when they die, their corpses disappear in an instant, but those here were not so.
Yuka had seen that scene with Kotone, but for a fleeting moment, she thought it could be a human corpse.
“……”
People hadn’t arrived yet.
She had sprinted straight here after sending the word.
But what would the people who followed think upon seeing this scene?
How would the police judge it? Yuka thought she could tell them. She believed her grandfather and father would naturally help.
But even so…
“Kotone!”
Koko moved quickly.
She ran to Kotone, lying among the fallen corpses, and embraced her.
That small body was stained with blood. From head to toe, everything.
“Kotone, Kotone!”
When Koko cried out like that—
“Meow.”
A cat’s meow sounded.
Sitting next to Koko, the cat let out a sound, lightly placing its front paw on her leg.
“……Kuro.”
Yuka murmured and approached.
Kuro… looked just like the Kuro she usually saw. The one she always saw when visiting Kotone’s house.
She knelt beside it.
Did Kotone bring Kuro with her? Koko’s attention was entirely focused on Kotone, so it didn’t seem like she would get a proper response to that question.
“……”
Yuka cautiously grabbed Kotone’s wrist.
Her heart was racing.
Her chest was rising and falling rhythmically. Though she was very exhausted and hurt, Kotone was still alive.
“……”
But she couldn’t bring herself to tell Koko that “she was safe.”
To the eyes of family, this appearance wouldn’t be seen as “safe.”
And to Yuka as well.
For a while like that, while listening to Koko’s sobs, she gently stroked Kotone’s back.
The lower floor of the hospital was bustling. It seemed people had gathered. Perhaps it was the people Yuka called.
She could hear footsteps rushing up the stairs—
“……Huff.”
Someone took a breath.
How overwhelming it would be to accept this scene.
Yuka bit her lip.
*
When she came to her senses, the sun was rising.
Of all things, she hadn’t taken her phone with her and couldn’t contact Mako, Fukuda, or Yamashita.
She thought about borrowing Yuka’s phone but decided against it.
Surely, there would be tremendously many questions coming her way. Though she felt obligated to answer each of them since she was the one who worried them…
Why is it that people sometimes want to run away from the problems right in front of them?
However, I regretted not contacting them just a few minutes later.
The police were pouring into the hospital.
Yeah, of course.
It would be strange if the police didn’t arrive at a scene where so many people had died, especially in such a morbid state.
One of the officers looked pale, as if he’d retched after seeing the scene before entering.
Whether to call this fortunate or unfortunate, there was no murder weapon at the scene.
Ah, of course, there were a few items the patients were holding, but those were just trivial. I hadn’t used those weapons, so my fingerprints wouldn’t be there.
The knife I used was purely made of blood, so once the situation ended, it would melt away and just leave traces of blood.
It would appear strange to people. They could find my blood inside the bodies of the deceased. But that wouldn’t serve as evidence that I killed them.
“……What time is it now?”
“……It’s nine in the morning.”
Yuka answered my question.
“…….”
I paused for a moment to think. Was it okay to say something like this after experiencing such a thing?
It would definitely seem very strange. No matter how you looked at it, a Yōkai was still an existence that wasn’t all that different from ordinary humans.
The hospital wasn’t as big as a university hospital. There were a few patients, but it was simply a small town hospital.
When I fainted in Tokyo, I was admitted to a pretty large hospital, but it seemed to be a rule here. They probably thought this way was more secretive and safer.
Of course, now that the hospital had become a mess, they sent me to a much larger hospital. At least here, it would be ‘safe.’ No matter how crazy the people were, it wouldn’t be reasonable to think of taking over a hospital with a thousand staff members.
“Why? If you have something to say, you can say it. Ah, or maybe it’s about the breakfast?”
“……No, it’s not that.”
After thinking for a moment, I spoke.
“……I was wondering if we could continue the school trip.”
Yuka’s mouth opened slightly.
Koko blinked.
Yuka pondered for a moment, looking bewildered, and then turned around.
There were ‘related parties’ there. Everyone had expressions as if they were questioning what I was saying.
“That’s…”
“……Let’s do that.”
Before Yuka could say anything, someone interrupted the conversation.
Perhaps because of what happened last night, it was Miura, Mako’s father.
As silence enveloped the room, he continued speaking.
“Since such an incident occurred, the opposition won’t be able to act around here anymore. We need to change our response as well.”
“……”
“And there’s no need to create unnecessary anxiety. For now, let’s allow them to go.”
“But Miura.”
One of the people sitting in the hospital room raised a hand slightly and spoke.
“You do know where that kid belongs, right?”
“From what I understand, at least that child isn’t actively affiliated with that cult.”
Mr. Miura looked at me.
Though he said so, his gaze didn’t carry complete trust.
“If you want, you can go. But—”
“I don’t mind having someone tail me.”
I hurriedly said that.
At nine, the kids will soon start moving. It’s already too late to leave now.
After all, I had just been out and hadn’t returned until now. Mako, Fukuda, Yamashita… right, even Yamashita doesn’t know my true identity yet.
At least Yuka and Tasaki might have an idea of why I’m late.
“……”
Mr. Miura looked around.
No one opposed him. Looking at people’s expressions, it seemed they were all thinking differently, but they all seemed to agree that opposing Mr. Miura’s words here wasn’t a good idea.
“Don’t talk about what you experienced today.”
“……I have some thought about that.”
Mr. Miura nodded at my words.
I looked at Yuka and Koko.
Both of them stared at me blankly, unsure of what to say.
Honestly, I don’t know if I’m able to maintain a normal expression if I join Mako’s group, considering what happened today.
It might be better to be satisfied with the fact that I got through the second day of the school trip together.
But I wanted to let them know I’m okay.
I just nodded in silence.
I’m not even sure what kind of action that is. I felt like I needed to say something to those two, but I had no idea what to say.
*
“Kotone-chan!”
After that, it took almost an hour to finish the procedures and return to the accommodation to contact Mako.
When I rushed along with Koko to the meeting place I agreed upon, Mako shouted my name loudly.
“What the heck happened? You didn’t contact me at all.”
The homeroom teacher, Suzuki-sensei’s, request to Mako undoubtedly became meaningless now. Mako asked me because she thought I might not blend into the class.
Well, if you ask me if I blended in now, I wouldn’t have a proper answer, but at least there were kids talking to me. A few of them had even learned my name.
If one of those kids asked if they were all friends, I wouldn’t really be able to answer that. But I was enjoying school life quite a bit.
Yet, it seemed that Mako still had that same concern.
“……Just a moment, I need to go to the hospital.”
I had contemplated quite a bit on how to answer until I got this far.
And the only answer that fulfilled all those reasons without raising suspicion was going to the hospital.
“What happened?”
Mako’s eyes widened, and she looked me over. She seemed worried that I might have been in a traffic accident.
“……Just collapsed for a moment.”
“You collapsed!?”
“Is it okay for you to be here? Shouldn’t you be lying in the hospital longer?”
For an ordinary person, getting hurt to the extent of needing several days in a hospital wouldn’t be uncommon.
But that wasn’t the case for me.
“I’m fine. I think it was anemia. I forgot my phone too…”
Suzuki-sensei seemed to have also heard about what happened. It seems that Yuka contacted her. Suzuki-sensei might have tried to come to the hospital, but somehow, that must have been stopped.
The reason it took me an hour to get here was that I was caught by Suzuki-sensei and faced various questions.
“……”
Yamashita stared at me.
I knew that Yamashita wasn’t quite the age that would think that way, but somehow I was reminded of a grandmother saying that her grandson hadn’t eaten lunch yet.
“Koko must have been next to you.”
“Uww…”
Koko’s mood hadn’t improved yet.
She was like this even when she watched me get hurt before.
Koko’s way of thinking isn’t simple at all. She expresses simply, but many thoughts intertwine with a range of emotions in her head.
So, I felt a bit guilty about making Koko feel this way.
“Okay, okay.”
Fukuda quickly interjected.
“Then let’s move on. Mako-chan’s plans can still be followed diligently from now on, and we can catch up!”
“But, Fukuda…”
“I agree.”
When Fukuda said this, Mako hesitated a little, and Yamashita spoke to her.
And then he glanced at me once, as if to gauge my expression.
“Since Kotone and Koko joined us, even if it’s late.”
With those words, Mako looked at me.
I stared desperately into Mako’s eyes. Although Koko beside me was still a bit gloomy… I hoped Mako would agree with both of them.
I didn’t want the first school trip to end in a nightmare. Although there were some unsatisfactory incidents in between, I wanted to ensure that we remember there were more fun moments.
“Okay, got it.”
After finishing her contemplation, Mako nodded.
A strong will surfaced on her face.
*
So far, calming Koko down had been quite successful.
While her face didn’t become bright like it did when she ate something delicious, she was definitely in a better state than when she was really gloomy.
Today was the day to return, so the schedule ended at 2 PM.
Now it was around 12:30, right after lunch.
We had home-cooked meals.
While they called it home-cooked, it didn’t really resemble what Koko and I usually ate.
It wasn’t simply a matter of cooking skill, but more the variety of side dishes and the quality of the ingredients.
I thought seriously for a moment about reducing the bean sprouts on the table.
Naturally, it was very delicious. The tofu, famous in Kyoto, was savory and soft.
After finishing that meal, Mako’s schedule was over.
We had really been busy and active all morning. It seemed that because of me, the schedule was delayed by an hour, she was extra diligent today.
“What should we do now?”
Fukuda asked.
“There’s still free time left, so we should just wander around near the accommodation for a bit.”
Everyone agreed with Mako’s answer and headed towards the lodging.
And then—
“……Ah.”
I ran into Sasaki and Yuka.
Of course, there were other kids in the same group. However, it seemed Yuka didn’t quite manage to fully bond with those two. There was a certain distance between Sasaki and Yuka, and the distance with the others was even greater.
…Somehow, that felt like it was my fault.
Of course, I couldn’t have prevented Yuka from getting involved in the incident. I didn’t know at all how the Oni made their way to Kyoto City or how it happened.
I thought I caught a fleeting glimpse of Kosuzu, but I wasn’t sure about that either. I lost consciousness right afterward.
“…Kotone.”
Mako called my name softly.
“Huh?”
“We’ll head to the accommodation first, so it’s fine if you want to hang out with your friends.”
“Ah…”
I couldn’t respond immediately to Mako’s words.
Still, it seemed Mako said that purely out of kindness. After giving me a small smile, she quickly went inside with Fukuda and Yamashita.
“See you on the train!”
Right.
After all, we would end up spending a long time together on the way back anyway.
And even after we return, there’s still some time left. If I wanted to hang out or anything, that would be fine.
“Koko, let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Koko answered brightly in response to our conversation.
I took a deep breath and approached Yuka.
“Kotone.”
Yuka greeted me cheerfully.
“Sasaki, hello.”
I waved my hand to Yuka and then greeted Sasaki.
“Ah, hello.”
Now that I think about it, Sasaki doesn’t know about what happened yesterday. She hadn’t been caught up in it after all.
Well, I guess I could take that as consolation.
Not that someone died. But surely, there were far fewer fatalities than I had thought. My frantic running around hadn’t been meaningless.
Thinking about it that way lightened my heart just a little.
“Um…”
After considering for a moment, I said,
“Would you like to hang out for a bit?”
“Huh?”
Yuka seemed to be caught off guard by my suggestion.
“I mean, there’s still time until we have to go back.”
“…….”
Yuka stared at me blankly for a moment, then looked back at Sasaki.
“Do you want to go?”
Sasaki said with a smile.
“Is that really okay?”
Yuka asked, glancing at the two girls in front of her.
By the way, it’s funny that Sasaki is the only girl in this school trip group. Oh, even though I might have seen it in the original work.
Does it mean that the protagonist of a harem story gets entangled in similar situations regardless of the scenario?
“It’s fine.”
“……Okay.”
Yuka nodded and looked at me.
“So then… shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
Actually, I hadn’t thought about where to go or what to do. It was a bit tight on time to go to the places I had been with Mako. We had to leave in two hours.
But there are places worth visiting even around here. Just carrying some street food as we stroll around would be fun enough.
“Well then… shall we eat something first?”
“Wow!”
Koko shouted at my words.
Yuka smiled slightly, looking at Koko like that.
…What a relief.
Seeing Koko and Yuka like that, I thought.
*
“When will we come again?”
On the way back to take the train, Yuka asked.
“Huh?”
“Just that the feeling between coming together on a school trip and going out with friends is different, you know?”
“……I see.”
I nodded.
If she wanted, we could probably come again at least once.
No, even if it’s not here, we could go somewhere else.
After all, there’s still time.
“How about you, Koko?”
“Sounds good!”
Koko replied cheerfully, licking her ice cream.
Yeah, when we come back next time, I hope we can have a peaceful time without any incidents, and return just like that.
I wanted it to be remembered as a truly pure memory.
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