join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr
"Kitahara-kun is gone, and Hana-chan is gone... Eh, wait!" Chihaya Anon suddenly widened her eyes, thinking of a possibility, "Could it be that he abandoned us and secretly left?"
Takamatsu Tomori asked, puzzled:
"Why would Makoto-kun do something like that?"
"Of course, he doesn't want us to go to the Otherworld together." Chihaya Anon bit her thumb. "No wonder he didn't let us prepare supplies, and didn't want us to follow him to Enoshima to find the cave... Stupid Kitahara, he clearly intended to abandon us from the beginning, didn't he?"
Takamatsu Tomori finally reacted now, biting her pink lips, her tone slightly hesitant:
"Maybe he took Hana-chan to the bathroom..."
"Hana-chan isn't human, she doesn't need to go to the bathroom, does she?"
Chihaya Anon complained while taking out her phone and quickly composing a message.
"We'll know for sure if we send a message."
Just as I was about to cry, I was filled with joy.
"..."
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto had already boarded the train to Enoshima with the Beast Eared Girl.
"Did they find out so quickly?"
Looking at the message from Anon, Kitahara Makoto didn't lie and simply said:
"Hana-chan and I have already set off. Leave the matters of the Otherworld to me. You wait for my news at the hospital."
Looking at the message that popped up on her phone, Chihaya Anon immediately puffed out her pink cheeks:
"Kitahara-kun is so mean! He actually abandoned us and left alone with Hana-chan!"
Takamatsu Tomori bit her lower lip, took out her phone, and sent a message:
"Makoto-kun lied, we clearly agreed to go on an adventure together."
Kitahara Makoto: "I'm sorry, I did lie to you about this, but I really can't take you to a place like the Otherworld."
Just by hearing others' descriptions, they couldn't truly comprehend the dangers of the Otherworld, which is why Anon was so excited and wanted to go on an adventure together.
But once they truly entered the Otherworld, the two girls would most likely regret it—it wasn't sightseeing, it wasn't a picnic, it wasn't a treat. If their luck was bad, they could truly face life-threatening danger, and once they stepped into it, there would be no turning back.
They could be naive, but Kitahara Makoto had to be sensible.
He absolutely shouldn't take them into such a dangerous place as the Otherworld.
"I'll bring back the phantom sky flower. It should be around tomorrow morning. You wait for me obediently in Kamakura, don't run around, and especially don't come looking for me."
Kitahara Makoto finished sending the message, then put his phone in his pocket.
When he arrived at Shonan General Hospital at noon, Tomori clearly wanted to go with him to Enoshima to search for the mysterious cave, but Kitahara Makoto stopped her with the excuse of 'taking care of Hana-chan', which was for this very moment.
The cave was very secluded, and Kitahara Makoto had never revealed its location. Even if the two girls came to Enoshima, they would most likely not find it.
If they could find it despite all that... then there was nothing he could do; Heaven's arrangements were the greatest.
"What the heck, he clearly agreed yesterday, but now he's backing out." Chihaya Anon puffed out her pink cheeks, her tone resentful. "Using the excuse of 'it's for your own good' to make decisions for others, it's like a father taking care of his daughters..."
Takamatsu Tomori clenched her small fists and suddenly said:
"Let's go find Makoto-kun."
"Eh?"
"Makoto-kun lied to us to make us stay, which proves that the Otherworld is really dangerous." Tomori said seriously, "I want to be by Makoto-kun's side; I don't want him to be alone."
"That's true, but..." Chihaya Anon was a bit troubled. "But we don't know where the cave is."
"On Enoshima." Takamatsu Tomori clenched her fists. "We might find it if we go there. We'll never find it if we don't act."
"..."
Meanwhile.
Kitahara Makoto had already arrived at the bridge leading to Enoshima with Hana.
He looked up and saw Mai, wearing a windbreaker and jeans with a travel bag on her back, waiting eagerly by the bridge.
"Is today my lucky day?"
Kitahara Makoto's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward.
Sakurajima Mai's delicate eyebrows raised slightly: "What lucky day?"
"First I saw the dashing windbreaker-wearing senpai, and now I see Mai in a windbreaker and jeans. It must be a lucky day to witness such a sight, right?"
Kitahara Makoto spoke while looking down with an admiring gaze.
Seeing too many skirts usually caused aesthetic fatigue, but this was the first time he had seen Sakurajima Mai in jeans.
Sakurajima Mai was already tall and slender, and the slim-fit jeans made her legs appear even straighter and longer, with graceful curves that made it hard to look away.
"Peeking at other people's legs while making comments—Kitahara-kun's thick skin truly is surprising."
Sakurajima Mai took half a step back, her eyes showing disdain.
"Is there anything wrong with humans appreciating beautiful things?" Kitahara Makoto asked, righteously and without a hint of shame. "Does Mai think her legs aren't good-looking?"
Sakurajima Mai: "..."
To be able to say such things without changing his expression, just how thick was this guy's skin?!
But… what happened exactly?
He remembered the first time they met in the Otherworld; Scumbag-kun would only secretly glance at her, even when looking at her. Now, why did he give off such a straightforward feeling?
"Where are your friends?" Sakurajima Mai turned her body, changing the subject. "Why don't I see them?"
Kitahara Makoto shook his head:
"The Otherworld is too dangerous; I didn't want them to go with me, so I secretly snuck away alone."
Sakurajima Mai folded her arms across her chest, a faint smile playing on her lips:
"Kitahara-kun is truly gentle."
"Thank you for the compliment, Mai." Kitahara Makoto smiled. "You should praise me more."
Sakurajima Mai couldn't help but glare at him:
"I wasn't praising you!"
"..."
Having not seen the Beast Eared Girl for a long time, Sakurajima Mai couldn't help but reach out her right hand and gently rub Hana's ears.
"Good person…"
The Beast Eared Girl looked up, her small face revealing that besides Nijika, who was Mama, everyone else was a Good person.
"Hungry, little cake."
"Eh?" Sakurajima Mai was slightly startled. "What does that mean?"
"Ever since Mai left, I accidentally bought Hana a small cake, and she became completely obsessed with it," Kitahara Makoto grumbled from the side. "Now, no matter what she does, she demands a small cake as payment… Mai, you just touched Hana's head, so now you must offer a small cake as tribute."
Sakurajima Mai: "..."
There were still two hours until they entered the Otherworld.
Sakurajima Mai bought the Beast Eared Girl a small cake, and then the two of them wandered around the island.
Half an hour later.
Kitahara Makoto suddenly caught sight of two familiar female figures, immediately stopped, grabbed Sakurajima Mai's soft hand, and hid in a corner.
Following his gaze, Sakurajima Mai quickly saw Anon and Tomori, and couldn't help but purse her pink lips:
"Those two cute girls… they wouldn't happen to be Kitahara-kun's friends, would they?"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr