Chapter 381: 148. Nine-tailed Fox and Snow Woman_4
Yukino Ritsuko said nothing, her indifferent expression seemed to say, "If you want to leave, go ahead. I won’t stop you."
"But he really did it like that!" Yayako added.
Yukino Ritsuko made no comment on this.
"Ah well, let’s leave it at that." Yayako smiled faintly, then took out a notebook from her pocket and wrote something with a ballpoint pen, ripping off the page and handing it to her, "My phone number. So, do you have a cellphone?"
Yukino Ritsuko shook her head.
"Thought so." Yayako said admiringly, "My intuition quietly tells me that this Snow Woman surely doesn’t like cellphones."
"Wrong," Yukino Ritsuko said coolly, "I just don’t want to contact you."
"So, you’re mad at me for shattering your beautiful dreams about the boy." Yayako walked past her, still smiling. "Goodbye, you adorably silly Snow Woman!"
In the now quiet courtyard, Yukino Ritsuko was lost in thought.
The wind blew through the gaps in the wall, lifting her long black hair to dance upward, and because she hadn’t slept well last night, she found the sunlight particularly glaring now.
Back at the bakery, it was only ten in the morning.
Yukino Ritsuko closed the shop door, adjusted her breathing, propping her chin with her hand at the counter as she read a book, while the shop’s speakers softly played Bart Bacharak’s "April Fools."
Mmm!
It’s fake!
Mr. Fujiwara isn’t that kind of person!
Deliberately exuding an aura of "I’m genuinely enjoying this reading," Yukino Ritsuko sat alone behind the counter, her gaze fixed on the words on the pages.
Mm.
This is fine.
He’s in training in Minami-Izu, how could I doubt him!
"If it were true, he would’ve already made a move on me..." Yukino Ritsuko tried to convince herself, saying softly, only to find her nose tingling.
Though she wished to believe that.
Yet in her heart, she gradually felt something was amiss.
It’s been years since I’ve seen Yayako, there’s no need for her to make up stories to deceive me... no, no, no, she mustn’t think about this anymore. Yukino Ritsuko quickly turned her gaze back to the book, but two seconds later, she couldn’t help but sigh, "Please—I’m just a foolish woman, I really don’t know what’s going on—"
Unable to focus on reading anymore, she closed the book and stared blankly at the store front.
Since the start of summer vacation, this place has felt like a strange place... she thought, a bit lonelily.
The morning passed idly by, and in the afternoon, she strolled aimlessly around the Harajuku and Gaien areas. When she felt tired, she would stop by a roadside café to rest, reading a book and sipping coffee. Once her feet no longer ached, she would continue walking. This was how she spent the long summer days.
Since summer started, this has been her routine.
Opening the shop in the morning, strolling around the crowded areas of Shinjuku and Shibuya in the afternoon.
Whether wearing sandals or canvas shoes, treading on the hard asphalt, drinking coffee that gradually turned bland and warm, she sometimes wondered, when seeing families or couples on outings, whether she might bump into someone she knew on the street? Or might someone suddenly contact her?
Sometimes she would scroll through her phone contacts, pondering which number she could call.
Long time no see!
This year’s heat is unbearable, how have you been?
If you’re free, would you like to grab a tea... ah, sorry for the suddenness, please don’t mind.
These were messages she’s pre-composed in her mind, none of which were actually sent.
Whenever these moments occurred, she would feel deflated.
Having lived like a normal person for five years, when she wanted to see someone, she didn’t know who to meet or who might want to meet her. She completely lacked those kinds of friends that you could meet at a moment’s notice.
Even those strange hallucinations disappeared during the summer vacation.
The cool air from the air conditioner caressed her cheeks. Yukino Ritsuko took off her shoes, gently stroked her toes... a sense of helplessness emanated from her toes, spreading throughout her body.
Forget it...
She thought somewhat defiantly.
It’s better that it disappeared, I wouldn’t welcome it anyway...
※※※※※
Days passed hazily, and it was already the end of August.
That afternoon, Yukino Ritsuko put on a light green dress, lightly applied lipstick, and left in her only pair of high heels. She was about to attend a class at the Furukawa Conference Hall, so she needed to dress somewhat formally.
The season was late summer.
No wind, stifling heat.
Soon, the season would change.
On the train to the Furukawa Conference Hall, Yukino Ritsuko noticed through the train window a rather plump crow flying alongside. Its jet-black feathers reflected rainbow hues in the sunlight.
At two in the afternoon, she arrived at the Furukawa Conference Hall in Sangen Chaya.
A group of nimble little birds perched on the treetops that reached out beyond the courtyard walls, while a brown raccoon basked in the sun on the sunny side of the roof, eyes narrowed.
Yukino Ritsuko rang the doorbell and then smiled faintly at the camera lens.
Once the iron gate opened, she walked through the front courtyard, as usual, towards the entrance of the old house. Mr. Kamiya was as always stationed at the entrances of both the front and back courtyards, dressed in a calm and composed black suit, with shoes polished to a spotless gleam.
He sat in a chair, motionless for a long time, only nodding slightly when Yukino Ritsuko entered.
"Good day, Mr. Kamiya." Yukino Ritsuko stepped in and took the seat opposite him, "I wanted to ask you something. Is there a Fox Girl missing from Minami-Izu named Yagawa?"
"Ah, her, I recall she was one of Yayako’s fox demons..." Mr. Kamiya said, looking down as he inspected the shine of his black leather shoes, "She was taken by the ninth division, then went missing from them. According to the ninth division, she was abducted. Why do you ask?"
"I ran into Yayako a few days ago." Yukino Ritsuko said.
"Oh, that crazy fox..." Mr. Kamiya seemed a bit inhibited, bending down slightly to wipe off any visible dust from his shoes with a tissue, "Being with her is never a good thing, Yukino, you’re always so naive, be careful not to be tricked by her."
You’re just trying to say I’m dumb... Yukino Ritsuko pouted in defiance.
Hmph!
Mr. Fujiwara is bad like that, but you aren’t as handsome as Mr. Fujiwara...
The bodyguard bent over, inexplicably sensed a dog-like disregard for appearances, feeling somewhat hurt...
"Has the lady returned?" Yukino Ritsuko asked.
"Hmm, not yet, she’s terribly busy with things at Takamagahara." Mr. Kamiya straightened up, looking at her innocent brows and eyes, he thought for a moment and said, "If you want to meet the lady, you can go with the Furukawa Conference Hall’s troupe to the Nagano Mountain God Festival; the lady will come down from Takamagahara to attend for a day."
"Ah?" Yukino Ritsuko was quite surprised, "Who is this Nagano Mountain God that can trouble the lady to attend in person..."
Mr. Kamiya did not answer this question.
His gaze fell upon the crow perched on the nearby tree branch.
The crow also looked at him, their eyes circled around each other, reaching a silent agreement: we do not interfere with each other.