Chapter 163: Family of Three's Trip to the Amusement Park, Kawasaki Saki Knows the Truth
On the other side, the exorcist Yoru, having finished a busy day's work, returned home.
Just upon entering the door, Kawasaki Saki, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV, wanted to walk up quickly to welcome him.
Keika had told her that she must take the initiative to attack.
If she wanted Yoru to view her as a romantic prospect, and not just the delinquent problem girl in class or a fellow club member, she must show her other side to him.
For instance.
The temperament of a good wife and loving mother.
Although Kawasaki Saki was very shy, she still followed her sister's advice.
Unfortunately, her movements weren't as fast as her rival's.
"Welcome back."
Kazusa, like a loyal dog waiting at home for its master for a long time, the moment she heard the key open the door, stood up from the sofa without any hesitation. With snow-white and tender bare feet directly stepping on the wooden floor, she quickly ran to the entryway.
Seeing this scene, Keika, swinging her calves, couldn't help feeling her heart sink.
What a terrifying enemy.
Actually even factoring in that putting on shoes would delay the time to stand up!?
"Why aren't you wearing shoes?"
Hearing Yoru's inquiry, Kazusa looked down at her bare feet, as if only feeling the coldness coming from them at this moment, and said faintly.
"Oh, I was too eager to get up and forgot."
Hiss...
The word "shock" was written all over Keika's small face, directly gasping for breath.
Truly a terrifying opponent!
My vision was still too narrow.
I thought this Sister Touma stood up directly barefoot without wearing shoes to race against time and be the first to welcome Big Brother home.
It turns out, there was such a deep meaning hidden inside!
To welcome him home, even forgetting to wear shoes.
What man could withstand such an offensive?
Just as Keika thought this, she saw Kazusa take out an unopened lollipop from her bosom.
"Candy, want some?"
Yoru took the lollipop while asking curiously.
"Where did it come from, did you go out to buy it?"
"No, I brought it from home."
Kazusa replied with a faint smile, then added.
"Cola flavor."
At this time, Keika felt despair rising in her heart.
She originally thought that Marin, dressed flashily with a gentle and outgoing personality, or Yukino, untouchable like a flower on a high peak yet choosing to live under the same roof with Big Brother for unknown reasons, were the strongest competitors for her and her sister.
Unexpectedly...
There was actually such a strong enemy!?
Kazusa, who looked aloof and unapproachable on the outside, exuding aggressiveness, actually had such a gentle and considerate side.
Playing gap moe (contrast), right?
Good, good, good.
Thinking of this, Keika gritted her teeth lightly, reached out her small hand without leaving a trace, tugged her sister Kawasaki Saki's sleeve, and whispered.
"Sister, hurry up and go."
"Go..."
Looking at Kazusa and Yoru standing at the entryway, although Kawasaki Saki didn't feel she could win, she still bit her silver teeth and nodded. Bracing herself, she walked over, trying her best to make her smile look gentle and virtuous.
"Yo... Yoru-san... We... welcome home."
Looking at Kawasaki Saki's unnaturally upturned corners of the mouth twitching constantly trying hard to maintain a smile, Yoru said faintly.
"What's with this expression, got Parkinson's?"
Kawasaki Saki's expression stiffened, subconsciously clenching her fist and waving it.
"You guy..."
Halfway through speaking, she realized something was wrong and stopped immediately.
Today's battle situation.
Complete victory for Touma Kazusa.
"Big Brother~"
Seeing her sister fail to live up to expectations, Keika hurriedly joined the battle.
Through today's interaction, she had already realized her... oh no, the greatest advantage of her and her sister.
She knew Big Brother's true identity was actually the Kamen Rider secretly protecting Kyoto city.
Must use this point to turn it into an advantage in the battle.
Keika trotted up to Yoru, raised her head, big eyes blinking, looking pitiful.
"This is my first time staying overnight at someone else's house. I will be a bit scared at night. Can you sleep with me?"
"Ah?"
Kawasaki Saki froze for a moment, hurriedly dissuading.
"Keika, you are a girl. How can you sleep with Big Brother? Let me sleep with you."
Seeing her sister so lacking in tact, Keika was speechless, but still followed the original plan, hugging Yoru's arm and saying.
"Big Brother, I want to go to the amusement park tomorrow. Can you accompany me?"
"Amusement park?"
"Mmhmm, Sister used to work part-time a lot, so she didn't have time to take me on weekends either. I want you and Sister to take me together, can you?"
"Tomorrow..."
Seeing Yoru didn't agree directly, Keika put her palms together, looking pitiful.
"Please please."
Yoru nodded, rubbed Keika's small head, and smiled.
"Since there's nothing going on tomorrow anyway, I can accompany you."
"Then it's a promise!"
Seeing Yoru agree, Keika nodded with an excited look, emphasizing again.
"Just you, me, and Sister, the three of us."
"Sure."
....
On the other side, inside Suga Editorial Studio.
Suga Natsumi looked at the post she published earlier that had already caused heated discussions on the internet, her expression somewhat complicated.
Causing a hot topic was originally a good thing.
But the comments below...
"This boy named Yoru is so handsome; did he leave any contact information?"
"Offering heavy reward for contact information!"
"Just love high school boys!"
....
In this exclusive interview report, Suga Natsumi deliberately included a photo of him according to Yoru's request.
To be honest.
If not for seeing so many good-looking girls around the opponent, Suga Natsumi would even start to suspect if the opponent was using her to post a matchmaking announcement on the internet.
"Yoru... what an interesting young man."
Suga Natsumi flipped through the comments, murmuring to herself.
As a writer, she had strong interest and curiosity towards Yoru.
What kind of person would use the opportunity of his exclusive interview to express such contempt for the serial killer who makes Kyoto citizens pale at the mention of his name....
No, calling it contempt is even looking up to him.
From Yoru's attitude, demeanor, and words during the interview at the time, Suga Natsumi could only think of two words.
Disdain, uncaring.
As if the multiple cruel cases committed by that serial killer were, in Yoru's eyes, just boring pranks made by a child to attract adults' attention.
If there is a chance...
Should she invite this Yoru-kun for a solo exclusive interview next time?
.....
Next morning, inside an amusement park in Kyoto city.
"Wow~"
Looking at the scene of huge crowds of people and hearing the sound of laughter in her ears, Keika opened her mouth wide, her small face full of shock and joy.
"So... so lively."
Yoru standing beside her asked curiously upon hearing this.
"Haven't you been to an amusement park before?"
"Mmhmm... haven't been."
A few traces of loneliness flashed in Keika's eyes, murmuring.
"Mom and Dad's work is very busy, and Sister works very hard, so I was always too embarrassed to say I wanted to play. I didn't want to make Sister work even harder."
Hearing this, Kawasaki Saki showed a complicated look.
"Keika, you..."
"But it's okay now."
Before her sister finished, the loneliness on Keika's small face disappeared, replaced by a joyful smile from the bottom of her heart.
She held Kawasaki Saki's hand with her left hand.
"Now Sister doesn't need to go out to work part-time; she can do part-time jobs at home."
Immediately after, her right hand grabbed Yoru beside her, smiling sweetly.
"Also, there is Big Brother, who is also my family."
Hearing her sister call Yoru family, Kawasaki Saki's pretty face flushed red. She tucked her light blue long hair behind her ear, muttering softly.
"He... he isn't family yet."
"Hehe, sooner or later."
Keika replied slyly. Then, before her sister could speak, holding one hand with each, she ran towards the amusement park.
In the eyes of outsiders, it looked just like a young couple bringing their daughter out to play, a very warm scene.
"Sister, Big Brother, I want to play that~"
Keika looked at the long queue not far away and the loops of the roller coaster in front, listening to the thrilling screams of tourists, the word "Want to Play" written all over her small face.
Kawasaki Saki's expression obviously became hesitant.
"Um... Sister doesn't really like playing this. How about you go with Big Brother, and I'll wait for you below."
Hearing her sister say this, Keika sighed slightly, a few traces of helplessness appearing at the bottom of her eyes.
Truly a wooden teammate.
"Sister, accompany me to play."
Hearing Keika acting spoiled, Kawasaki Saki, who was a severe siscon, instantly lost all resistance.
Although she was a bit afraid of riding roller coasters, she still gritted her teeth and nodded.
"Then... okay."
After queuing for a while, it was finally the turn of the batch of tourists including the three to get on the roller coaster.
Kawasaki Saki looked at the row of three seats and smiled.
"Keika, you sit in the middle."
Keika sighed helplessly again, forcing a smile.
"Better let Big Brother sit in the middle; I don't like sitting in the middle."
Kawasaki Saki froze for a moment.
"Eh? Then... that works too."
So the three sat on the roller coaster with Keika sitting on the right, Kawasaki Saki sitting on the left, and Yoru sitting in the middle, and fastened their seat belts and pressed down the safety bars.
"Phew... phew..."
Right before starting, Kawasaki Saki's expression obviously became much more nervous, taking deep breaths continuously.
"Today..."
Just then, Yoru suddenly looked up at the completely clear sky and sighed with emotion.
"It's actually a big sunny day."
Hearing this, Kawasaki Saki showed a puzzled look.
"Isn't a sunny day good? If it were a rainy day, we couldn't come out to play, right?"
"That's true."
As Yoru's voice fell, the roller coaster suddenly trembled.
"Eek!"
From Kawasaki Saki's mouth came a cute exclamation completely contrasting with her cold exterior. She subconsciously reached out her right hand and grabbed Yoru's arm.
Seeing this scene, Keika sitting on the other side finally showed a gratified smile, nodding with satisfaction.
It has to be the roller coaster.
Old-fashioned, but effective.
Rumble... rumble... rumble...
Accompanying the chugging sound and continuous feeling of trembling, the roller coaster slowly moved out of the track and headed forward.
Seeing a nearly vertical ninety-degree downhill slope not far ahead, Kawasaki Saki's face turned pale.
"Th... this..."
She gritted her silver teeth, trembling, unable to even finish her sentence.
"Wuhu~ Here we go~"
Compared to Kawasaki Saki, although Keika was younger, her courage was obviously much greater.
Her small face was full of excitement, cheering and jumping.
Under Kawasaki Saki's terrified gaze, the roller coaster unhurriedly continued forward until it reached the edge of the "cliff", then stopped.
Just a short stillness of two or three seconds.
At the moment when her heart was in her throat, the roller coaster plummeted down the vertical track at a rapid speed.
"Ah!!!"
Kawasaki Saki's mind went blank. She subconsciously changed from grabbing Yoru's sleeve to directly holding his hand tightly.
....
Five minutes later.
"Phew... in this life... in this life...."
Kawasaki Saki held the wall, looking like she survived a disaster with lingering fears, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"In this life, I will absolutely never ride this thing again."
"Sister is really timid~"
Keika covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, looking like hiding a mesugaki (br*tty girl) attribute.
Kawasaki Saki shook her head helplessly, then asked curiously.
"Keika, riding a roller coaster for the first time, weren't you afraid?"
"Of course I wasn't afraid."
Keika looked matter-of-fact, replying confidently.
"Even if any accident happens, the righteous Kamen Rider will protect me."
Listening to Keika, this number one solo fan of "Mask", Kawasaki Saki laughed dumbfoundedly.
"He isn't here. Even if something happened, he wouldn't be able to save you in time."
"That's not necessarily true~"
Keika said meaningfully. Then her peripheral vision caught a stall selling cotton candy. She immediately trotted over, said something to the boss, paid the money, took two big cotton candies, and ran back holding one in each hand.
"Here, Sister, cotton candy."
Kawasaki Saki took the cotton candy from her sister's hand and glanced at Yoru standing aside.
"Why didn't you buy one for your favorite Big Brother?"
Keika replied rightfully.
"I had no money, could only afford two."
Kawasaki Saki froze for a moment, then smiled.
"Then I'll go buy another one. Yoru, you eat this."
Hearing this, Keika hurried to dissuade her.
"Eh, why buy another one?"
Yoru also nodded, agreeing from the side.
"Yeah yeah, why buy another one?"
Kawasaki Saki looked puzzled: "How can three people eat two cotton candies?"
"Isn't this simple?"
Keika looked disappointed that her sister didn't meet her expectations (hating iron for not becoming steel).
"You and Big Brother can just share one."
"Eh?"
Kawasaki Saki didn't expect her sister would say such a thing.
When she saw the opponent's constant hinting gazes, she finally realized. A blushing blush of shyness appeared on her face. Very awkwardly, she handed the cotton candy in her hand to Yoru, turning her face away not daring to look at him.
"I... I already took a bite. If you don't mind, just start eating from the other side."
"Sure."
Yoru replied with a smile, held Kawasaki Saki's hand, deliberately turned the cotton candy around, and took a bite right where she had bitten.
"You... you..."
Seeing Yoru's action, Kawasaki Saki's face turned completely red.
"Why are you... eating where I ate!"
Yoru asked back with a chuckle.
"Didn't you ask me not to mind?"
Immediately after, he showed a serious expression.
"If I don't eat where you ate, how can I express that I don't mind you?"
"Uh..."
Kawasaki Saki thought about it carefully.
Seems that's really the case.
Just then, Keika suddenly pointed to the Ferris wheel not far away, saying excitedly.
"Sister, Big Brother, ride that, ride that!"
For her sister's request, Kawasaki Saki always had no resistance.
"Okay, then let's go together...."
Before Kawasaki Saki finished, Keika shook her head.
"I don't really want to ride; I just want to watch you two ride."
"Two people?"
Before Kawasaki Saki had time to say anything, she was pushed by Keika to the front of the Ferris wheel.
"Go quickly, go quickly."
Watching her sister and Yoru enter a cabin of the Ferris wheel together, Keika beamed with joy.
"I'll wait for you below."
...
After the Ferris wheel started, Kawasaki Saki, sitting opposite Yoru, looked at the scenery outside the window, felt the quiet atmosphere inside the cabin, and stole a glance at Yoru sitting opposite. Her heartbeat suddenly sped up a lot.
What to do, what to do?
So nervous.
This seems...
Is the first time the two of us are alone?
What should I say?
Kawasaki Saki opened her lips, eventually uttering a sentence completely without brain processing, an instinctive words.
"Um... what do you think of 'Mask'?"
Kawasaki Saki also didn't know why.
The first question that appeared in her mind was this.
"Mask?"
Yoru waved his hand nonchalantly.
"That's just an urban legend, right."
Hearing this, Kawasaki Saki frowned, saying unpleasantly.
"'Mask' is real, and, he saved my sister twice, is righteous...."
"Righteous?"
Yoru smiled, saying softly.
"Just a guy acting on his own will, not caring about any constraints, that's all. His goal is not to execute justice."
Immediately after, before Kawasaki Saki could speak, Yoru suddenly scanned the inside of the cabin and asked a meaningful question.
"Kawasaki-san, do you think there are cameras inside this Ferris wheel?"
"Eh?"
Kawasaki Saki froze slightly first, then covered her chest with both arms, looking vigilant.
"You... you aren't thinking of... doing something weird to me, right? This is a public place, no!"
"I think you are sick."
As Yoru's sentence fell, Kawasaki Saki suddenly heard shouts coming from tourists on the ground.
She turned her head to look out the window. When seeing clearly the scene in front of her, her pupils couldn't help shrinking in shock.
"That is!?"
She saw several large trucks loaded with logs wildly crashing towards the Ferris wheel at an extremely fast speed.
Facing the speeding large trucks, tourists fell into chaos, fleeing frantically in all directions.
"Kei... Keika!"
Kawasaki Saki saw only her sister still standing motionless in front of the Ferris wheel, as if scared silly.
And those large trucks were already approaching Keika, less than thirty meters away, about to crush her petite body into bloody pieces.
Kawasaki Saki was anxious, hitting the window hard.
"Keika, dodge quickly!"
Although she shouted with all her might, the cabin she was in was already over ten meters above the ground. How could Keika possibly hear her shouts?
Just when Kawasaki Saki felt despair and even wanted to close her eyes, not bearing to see her sister die in front of her, she suddenly felt a cool breeze coming from behind.
She turned her head, only to see unknown when, Yoru had actually forcibly opened the cabin door locked from the outside.
"What are you doing!?"
Seeing Yoru standing at the edge of the cabin, just one step away from falling, Kawasaki Saki's heart couldn't help tightening.
Yoru turned his head, glanced at Kawasaki Saki, and smiled.
"Better put the cotton candy away, wait until I come back to eat it."
As his voice fell, under Kawasaki Saki's horrified, shocked, and incredulous gaze, pure black flames burned around Yoru's body.
A pure black mask she was extremely familiar with, although having only seen it once but never able to forget, covered the opponent's face.
Kawasaki Saki's pupils dilated in shock, murmuring to herself.
"Mas... Mask?"