Chapter 458: Miyauchi Renge, Nyanpasu! Iwanaga Kotoko's Investigation!
Several girls were walking along the mountain path. The forest was dark and desolate.
One of the orange-haired girls was already trembling and clutching the arm of the short-haired girl in front of her. "I-I think we should go back! It's already dark!"
"Komari, I'll give you courage." A very small girl with light purple hair took out a recorder.
"Doo... doodoodoodoo~ doo!"
"Ah!!!" It was fine if she didn't play, but once she did, both sisters and another taller black-haired girl were startled.
"Ren-chon! Don't play! I'm scared!" Komari Koshigaya was about to cry. Ren-chon's recorder playing was all off-key, which made the already scary mood even more frightening.
"Ahem, Ren-chon, playing the recorder isn't suitable right now," Ichijo Hotaru twitched her lips.
"Alright." Ren-chon's cute face took on a serious expression, and she picked up a branch. "Then I'll protect you with my sword! Nyanpasu!"
[Inorin's Note: "Nyanpasu" is the unique, nonsensical greeting used by the character Miyauchi Renge (Ren-chon) in the series 'Non Non Biyori'.]
"Wuwuwu~" A faint weeping sound suddenly came from the silent mountain. Upon hearing it, Komari stiffened, her face turning pale. "Did you… hear someone crying?"
Natsumi Koshigaya scratched her hair. "Big sister, aren't you being too sensitive? That should be the wind."
"Wind?" Hotaru raised her hand. "But there doesn't seem to be any."
"It's a ghost, right? It must be! Let's go back quickly!" Komari's body started to tremble.
"Wuwuwuwu~" Suddenly, the crying came again.
"Eek!!!!" This time, Komari completely jumped onto Natsumi.
"I heard crying too!" Ren-chon raised the branch.
The kind Hotaru guessed, "Could it be that someone is in trouble?"
"How could someone be in trouble on the mountain? It must be a ghost!" Komari disagreed.
The most daring Natsumi pinched her chin. "I know! Someone must be lost. Let's go check it out." Saying that, she started walking; she didn't believe in ghosts.
"Eh, eh, eh! No way?" Komari's legs had turned to jelly and she was dragged along. Hotaru had no choice but to hold Ren-chon's hand and follow.
A place covered by vines, where the shape of a cave could vaguely be seen. Bursts of crying emanated from within.
"Is the strangeness in here?" Iwanaga Kotoko, holding her staff, arrived. The yokai had discovered a potential anomaly here, but they felt a terrifying aura and dared not enter. She was also hesitant. "There really is someone!"
As she hesitated, Natsumi and the others arrived behind her, shining a flashlight on her.
"It's not a ghost, is it?!" Komari cowered behind Natsumi.
Hearing this, Kotoko turned around, and with a hoarse voice, pressed out, "Give... me... back... my... life~"
"Ah!!!" Komari let out a terrified scream.
"Komari-senpai… she seems to have a shadow," Hotaru keenly noticed. It is rumored that ghosts have no shadows.
Kotoko nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, I'm not a ghost. What are you little ones doing here so late?"
"What does she mean?" Komari's expression was blank.
"She said she's not a ghost, Nyanpasu~" Ren-chon raised her hand to answer.
"We're little ones? You're not big either," Natsumi pouted, unconvinced. Kotoko clearly looked like a child. My fist is hard!
Kotoko could easily mock mature people, but why was she being looked down upon by children? Admittedly, her figure did not look big. In fact, she was a genuine high school student. Forget it. Why argue with them?
She rolled her eyes. "It's late. Go home quickly."
"Yes, yes! Let's go home!" Komari was the first to agree.
Natsumi, however, asked strangely, "Wasn't that you crying? Did you get lost?"
"Me crying?" Kotoko pointed at herself.
"Wuwuwuwu~" The mournful sound came again.
"Eh? Her mouth didn't move," Hotaru noticed.
Natsumi looked suspicious. "Huh? You're not messing with us, are you?"
"Wuwuwuwu~" The crying came again. Kotoko looked towards the cave, her gaze serious. "I must take a look." If it were dangerous, the people in the surrounding villages would be in trouble.
"You should give up that idea. What's inside is not something you can deal with." Ren appeared silently beside her.
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