"One, two! Open! Eh?! Why is it Natto Kozo again?!"
"Ah?! Nura again, Nurarihyon?! This is already the twentieth time, isn't it? What luck!"
Paying no attention to Aotabo on the train roof, Nura Rikuo was currently sitting with his school friends, playing yokai cards.
In this so-called yokai training camp, there were a total of eight people, five girls and three boys.
Among the girls, two were Yura Keikain, the onmyoji girl previously captured by Kyūso, and Kana Ienaga. The remaining two were Torii Natsumi, a girl wearing a dress, with short black hair tied in a bun at the back of her head and large eyes, who was Kana Ienaga's schoolmate.
The other girl, with yellow hair, seemed difficult to approach, but had a good personality and figure. She was a good friend of Torii Natsumi, named Maki Saori.
By the way, none of them were particularly interested in yokai; they had come only because they would be bored staying home during the long vacation.
The last girl, with blue-black gradient hair, snow-white skin, and a porcelain doll-like face, but wearing a scarf in the middle of summer, was named Oikawa Hyōri. Unlike Maki Saori and the other girls, Oikawa Hyōri was not a student in the same class as Kana Ienaga. Her true identity was yokai!
She was a legendary yokai who roamed the mountains, capable of summoning a snowstorm with a single breath — Yuki-onna!
The main reason she was here was also Nura Rikuo; as a member of the Nura Group, Hyōri had to constantly be near Nura Rikuo to protect his safety.
As for the remaining three boys, aside from Nura Rikuo, there was a shorter, yellow-haired boy named Shimajiro, who was good friends with another tall and slender boy, Seiji Kiyotsugu.
This so-called yokai training camp had been initiated by Seiji Kiyotsugu himself. As a passionate yokai enthusiast, Seiji Kiyotsugu gathered these people to form Kiyotsugu's Unusual Detective Expedition.
The entire training camp was financed by Seiji Kiyotsugu and organized with the help of a famous yokai expert.
The group laughed and joked, and soon arrived at the training camp destination.
Exiting the train station, a huge mountain appeared before them, where even in summer, plum blossoms could be seen:
"This is Mount Nejireme? This is literally a mountain?!"
Seeing the enormous mountain, Maki Saori was stunned. She had originally thought they were going to some yokai-themed amusement park, but this… where had they been brought?!
"Look! The plum blossoms are still blooming!"
Kana Ienaga's attention was not on the mountain at all; her gaze was drawn to the blooming plum flowers.
"Don't bother with such trifles! Come on, everyone, follow me up the mountain! The Yokai Doctor is waiting for us at Merumaru Shrine!"
Hearing Maki's words, Seiji Kiyotsugu smiled and tried to ease the tension, then called everyone to follow him up the mountain.
Saying that, Seiji Kiyotsugu waved his hand and excitedly started up the mountain path.
"Shrine?"
"Where is that?"
Hearing that, both Nura Rikuo and Maki Saori looked confused. It was their first time in such a place, and they had no idea where the so-called "Merumaru Shrine" was.
As soon as the question was asked, everyone looked at Seiji Kiyotsugu, who was leading the group, waiting for his answer.
Faced with everyone's gaze, Seiji Kiyotsugu confidently smiled and replied:
"I don't know, we'll have to find it ourselves."
"Ha?!"
Hearing the answer, everyone inexplicably felt a sense of unreliability, but Seiji Kiyotsugu ignored them and continued leading the group up the mountain path:
"Hurry and follow me, don't let the Yokai Doctor wait too long!"
…
"Hey! Kid, now you're coming to me just for the key! Seriously, I thought someone got left behind on the way, damn it, what a waste of time!"
"Calm down, Hiratsuka-sensei, you don't really have anything to do right now anyway."
In room 105, Nakano Yu was sitting comfortably on the tatami. Across from the boy, a woman in a white shirt and jeans held a cup of tea, her face full of anger.
That woman was none other than Nakano Yu's homeroom teacher, the one who had once been hit by a car — Hiratsuka Shizuka!
Nakano Yu had come to Hiratsuka Shizuka for nothing else but, of course, to get the key to his room. After all, staying in Ichika's room forever was not a solution.
"What do you mean 'you don't have anything to do'? I just finished teaching you, alright?"
Hearing that, Hiratsuka Shizuka looked displeased. She hadn't seen Nakano Yu in the previous class. Although she knew he usually performed excellently, Hiratsuka Shizuka still wanted Nakano Yu to attend lessons obediently.
Just imagine, with his usual state of sleeping or daydreaming in class, he still regularly ranked first in the class on every test. If he studied seriously, how far could his grades even reach?
"Thanks for your efforts, Shizuka-nee!"
Nakano Yu clasped his hands in gratitude, acting nonchalantly. He often behaved this way in front of Hiratsuka Shizuka, enjoying her frustrated expression when she wanted to scold him but couldn't find a reason, which he found inexplicably amusing.
"All right, all right! Take the key and go quickly, just looking at you gives me a headache!"
Seeing the boy's bright smile, Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately threw the room key toward Nakano Yu and then started pushing him out.
"All right! See you, Shizuka-nee!"
Taking the key, Nakano Yu immediately stood up and left. After all, looking at Hiratsuka Shizuka's state, if he didn't leave now, she might actually lose control and start yelling. Nakano Yu wouldn't do that; it's best to know when to stop.
Watching Nakano Yu leave, Hiratsuka Shizuka calmed down and turned to the window, seeing plum trees in full bloom.
"How beautiful, the flowers are blooming in the middle of summer. By the way, did I forget to tell Yu something? What was it?"
As she sighed, Hiratsuka Shizuka suddenly frowned, thought for a moment, but found no clue, and simply gave up.
After all, Hiratsuka Shizuka believed that with Nakano Yu's abilities, he would surely be able to handle it, but what exactly was it?
On Nakano Yu's side, after leaving Hiratsuka Shizuka's room, the boy followed the room number on the key and found his room, which was room 224 on the second floor.
Arriving at the door, Nakano Yu reached out to open it, but unexpectedly, the door was locked.
"Hm? Is no one inside?"
Frowning, Nakano Yu at first thought that his never-before-seen roommate had already entered, but since the door was locked, they had probably gone out, he assumed.
Not thinking much, Nakano Yu directly took out the key, unlocked the door, and then opened it.
The moment he opened the door and stepped inside, the boy's gaze immediately met a shocked and panicked look.
Inside the room, Miura Yumiko stood with smooth, pale bare back exposed, one hand covering a pink glass of milk tea in front of her chest, her face full of shock and embarrassment.
Looking at the girl, Nakano Yu was filled with confusion.
He hadn't entered the wrong room, had he?
Then why was Miura Yumiko here?!