Though Mio might well be a gold-digging scammer, her words about keeping love pure weren't wrong.
Hayashi Shuichi was relieved to know the three girls in his life weren't materialistic.
"We could make missing person posters with Mio's photo," Reiko suggested. "Print a bunch and spread them around. Maybe someone's seen her."
"Well…" Otomo shook his head. "Mio didn't like having her picture taken. I don't have any photos of her."
"She didn't like photos?" Fujimine Yukiko frowned, skeptical. "What kind of girl doesn't like taking pictures?"
Fei Yingli snorted. "Not everyone's like you, always flaunting your charm."
"Oh, right, I forgot," Fujimine Yukiko said, feigning realization. "Some sloppy types who don't bother dressing up probably avoid photos because they're afraid they'll look too ugly!"
The two girls started sniping at each other again, leaving Hayashi Shuichi to shake his head helplessly.
Still, Fujimine Yukiko had a point.
"What did Mio look like?" Hayashi Shuichi asked.
"She was beautiful," Otomo replied, catching the implication in his tone. "Mio's aversion to photos definitely wasn't about her looks. She was stunning."
Or maybe she avoided photos to avoid leaving evidence.
Hayashi Shuichi grew more convinced that Mio was a con artist preying on men.
"I came to you, Shuichi, hoping you'd investigate that suburban lodge," Otomo said gravely. "In the past six months, besides Mio, another girl vanished there too."
"Two girls disappearing from the same place? That lodge has to be shady."
Otomo pulled two newspapers from his bag and set them on the table. "This one's mine from six months ago. Two months ago, someone else posted a missing person notice for the same lodge."
Hayashi Shuichi compared the notices. Both pointed to the same lodge, and the relationships were eerily similar: Otomo's girlfriend and another man's fiancée.
"Could the lodge be kidnapping and holding them?" Reiko asked, shrinking closer to her brother, a hint of fear in her voice.
"Did the police know about this?" Hayashi Shuichi asked.
"Of course they did," Otomo said, fuming. "After I saw the other notice, I contacted the guy, and we went to the police together. They searched again but still claimed the lodge was clean!"
"What about the lodge itself?" Hayashi Shuichi frowned. "Did they offer any explanation?"
"The owner and staff said we might've encountered a kami-yakushi—a river spirit living in the pond under the nearby waterfall that steals human lovers," Otomo scoffed. "What century are they living in, spewing nonsense like that?"
Kami-yakushi—a phenomenon where someone is hidden or taken by spirits, vanishing mysteriously. Even in modern Japan, many still believed in ghosts and spirits, lending credence to tales of divine abductions.
…
Two girls vanishing within six months? That lodge was clearly suspicious.
Hayashi Shuichi agreed to Otomo's request to investigate the lodge again.
When the three girls heard, they insisted on coming along.
"Aren't you afraid you'll disappear too?" Hayashi Shuichi teased. "I don't want to be posting missing person notices for you."
"Both missing girls had boyfriends," Fei Yingli said, arms crossed. "I don't have one, so what's there to fear?"
"Even if it's a kami-yakushi, it's got nothing to do with me," Fujimine Yukiko huffed. "I don't even have a lover. A river spirit wouldn't care about me."
Both girls shot pointed glances at Hayashi Shuichi as they spoke, their words loaded with meaning.
Feeling their stares, Hayashi Shuichi shifted uncomfortably and turned to his little cousin.
Reiko flashed a sweet smile, clinging to his arm. "Onii-chan will protect me!"
Her words clearly implied she was Hayashi Shuichi's girlfriend and lover.
Fei Yingli and Fujimine Yukiko, hoping to force Hayashi Shuichi to take a side, were outmaneuvered by the little girl. Their faces darkened with frustration, but Reiko met their glares fearlessly.
Hayashi Shuichi looked at the three girls helplessly. "Otomo-san, is that okay?"
"Of course," Otomo nodded casually. "There's enough room in the car."
Before heading out, Hayashi Shuichi had Otomo contact Akita Keito, the other unfortunate soul who'd lost his fiancée. Learning Otomo was revisiting the lodge for clues, Akita immediately agreed to join.
They arranged to meet at the gas station at the base of the mountain. Hayashi Shuichi, the three girls, and Otomo piled into his car and headed for the suburbs.
On the way, Hayashi Shuichi asked about the lodge.
Having visited several times, Otomo explained, "It's a small place, built halfway up the mountain near a little waterfall. Most guests are there to hike or see the falls."
"The owner, Madame Togo Sinai, is nearly fifty. Her husband passed away, and the only staff is her son, Togo Ryu…"
…
An hour and a half later, Otomo's car reached the gas station at the mountain's base, a ten-minute drive from the lodge.
Akita Keito hadn't arrived yet, so Otomo parked by the roadside to wait.
Hayashi Shuichi got out to stretch, and the three girls followed.
"The mountain air's so fresh…" Fujimine Yukiko's words trailed off as a sharp paint smell hit her nose.
She turned, annoyed, to see workers at the gas station entrance repainting faded warning signs on a scaffold.
"Just my luck," Fujimine Yukiko muttered, pouting.
"It's been ages since I left the city. The mountains are so much better," Fei Yingli said, contentedly taking in the scenery.
Unlike the concrete jungle of the city, the lush green forest was a breath of fresh air.
"If only the sky were clearer," Fujimine Yukiko said, glancing at the overcast clouds. "Hope it doesn't rain today."
"Onii-chan, there's a stream over there!" Reiko cheered, darting toward it.
Worried she might fall in, Hayashi Shuichi hurried after her.
The stream flowed gently, pink petals floating on its surface.
"Onii-chan, are those cherry blossoms?" Reiko asked uncertainly. "Tokyo's cherry blossoms bloomed over two weeks ago, didn't they?"
Hayashi Shuichi considered. "It's probably cooler in the mountains, so the blossoms here bloom later."
(End of Chapter)
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