Yoshiro saved his work, leaning back as Takeru and Kaito , the journalist uncovers the dark ritual, but what's the twist?" Kaito asked, eyes wide with excitement.
Takeru shrugged. "Maybe the village wasn't abandoned. Maybe they just... disappeared."
Yoshiro's eyes lit up. "Guys, I got it. We need to know if this village exists. Takeru, didn't your uncle say something about a village like this?"
Takeru's expression turned thoughtful. "He mentioned a village his team surveyed in the Alps. Said it was abandoned years ago."
Kaito's eyes widened further. "You think it's the same one?"
Yoshiro's mind raced. "Worth a shot. Takeru, can you ask your uncle about it?"
Takeru pulled out his phone. "I'll call him now."
The room fell silent as Takeru spoke with his uncle. "He's checking his notes..."
Takeru's eyes met Yoshiro's. "He says there's a village matching the description. Abandoned decades ago. Locals say it's cursed."
Yoshiro's heart skipped a beat. "It's real."
Kaito's face turned pale. "C-cursed? Like, spirits and stuff?"
Takeru chuckled. "Kaito's getting spooked."
Kaito glared. "Shut up, I'm just... researching."
Yoshiro grinned. "Research, huh? Like researching the best ways to hide under the bed?"
Kaito flipped him off. "I'll have you know, I'm an expert at hiding."
Takeru laughed. "From what? The darkness?"
Kaito threw a pillow at him. "Shut up!"
The tension broke, the three of them burst into laughter.
As they calmed down, Yoshiro's expression turned serious. "We got three days left. Let's make this story count."
Takeru nodded. "Time to dig deeper into the village's past."
Kaito swallowed. "And the curses?"
Yoshiro smiled wickedly. "Leave the curses to me. I'll make sure they're scarier than Kaito's nightmares."
Kaito groaned. "Not helping, guys."
The clock ticked down: six days left. Yoshiro dove back into the story, the village's shadows closing in.
Takeru leaned back. "You know, if this wins, we gotta visit the village."
Kaito's eyes went wide. "No. No, no, no. I'm not going."
Yoshiro chuckled. "Ain't no curses gonna keep Kaito away from free ramen."
Kaito flipped him off again. "Shut up."
The room erupted into laughter, the darkness outside fading into the night.
As the laughter died down, Takeru stood up. "Dude, I'm starving. Who's cooking?"
Kaito pointed at Yoshiro. "You're up, bro."
Yoshiro groaned. "I gotta cook? Can't we order?"
Takeru shook his head. "Nah, your mom's expecting us for dinner."
Yoshiro's eyes widened. "Shoot, I forgot. We're eating with Mom and Yui."
Kaito grinned. "Time to impress the Akiyama ladies."
Yoshiro rolled his eyes. "Just help me cook, guys."
The three of them headed to the kitchen, banging pots and pans as they whipped up a decent meal. Takeru handled the teriyaki chicken, Kaito messed with the rice, and Yoshiro somehow managed the veggies.
As they finished up, Yoshiro's phone buzzed. "Mom's texting. We're running late."
Takeru grinned. "Time to meet the fam."
The Akiyama ladies were already at the table when they arrived. Yoshiro's mom, Emiko, smiled warmly as they walked in. "Ah, perfect timing! Takeru, Kaito, good to see you."
Yui, Yoshiro's 12-year-old sister, bounced in her seat. "Onii-chan! Food smells weird."
Yoshiro chuckled. "That's Takeru's cooking, Yui."
Takeru flipped him off. "Hey, I'm a master chef."
Emiko laughed, pouring tea. "Everyone, let's eat."
The dinner was a lively affair. Emiko asked Takeru about his uncle's projects, Kaito geeked out with Yui over anime, and Yoshiro fielded questions about the writing competition.
Emiko smiled at Yoshiro. "I'm sure you'll win, Yoshiro. Your writing's gotten so good."
Yui piped up. "Can we read it, onii-chan?"
Yoshiro ruffled her hair. "Not yet, squirt. But soon."
As they finished dinner, Takeru leaned over. "Thanks for dinner, Emiko-san. It was great."
Kaito nodded vigorously. "Yeah, awesome!"
Emiko beamed. "Anytime, boys. We're proud of Yoshiro – and his friends."
The evening wrapped up with Yui showing off her latest drawing (a cat with 17 paws), and Emiko reminding Yoshiro to sleep early.
As they headed back to their flat, Kaito yawned. "Dinner was good, but I'm crashing."
Takeru chuckled. "Akiyama ladies are the best, bro."
Yoshiro grinned. "Yeah, they're something else."
The night air was cool as they walked. Yoshiro's mind drifted back to the story. The village's shadows waited.