"I have everything the leader has, I have things the leader doesn't even have. If I'm not the leader, then who is?" Hara Kenji countered righteously.
Matsuda Jinpei: ".."
"Fair point." Kisaragi Chiyo clapped in agreement with a smile, though her face was completely hidden behind her scarf.
“What is it that you have that the leader doesn't?” Matsuda Jinpei asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Well, this." Hara wore a thoughtful expression as he reached into his pocket again to keep rummaging.
“It's this!” Hara Kenji reached out and made a finger heart toward Matsuda Jinpei, "My deep love for you all!"
Matsuda Jinpei felt a profound sense of regret for the curiosity he had felt just a few seconds ago.
Kisaragi Chiyo, standing to the side, didn't care about his feelings at all, only letting out a loud, boisterous laugh.
Matsuda had never felt more out of place than he did with these two childish fellows. Was there still a way to escape this blended family? He probably couldn't leave at all, could he? After all, now that they were colleagues, he would see them every single day.
“Don't you like it, Little Jinpei?” Looking at Matsuda Jinpei's expressionless face, Hara Kenji asked cautiously, "Or do you prefer other styles?"
As he spoke, Hara Mata changed the way he made a heart; this time, he used each hand to form half a heart and then pressed them together.
Beside them, Kisaragi Chiyo laughed even louder, her body bending so much she could hardly straighten up.
"Shut up." Matsuda Jinpei glared at Hara Kenji with an extremely fierce look.
If you say one more unnecessary word before we reach our destination..
I'm going to report you, you unscrupulous, unlicensed guide, to the police station.
"QAQ," Hara Kenji said, his eyes turning into little teardrops.
Kisaragi Chiyo felt like her stomach hurt from laughing so much.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for your support, mwah 030
Chapter 148
Twilight gradually began to descend from the distance, as the brilliant orange-red sun sank toward the other end of the snowy forest, the surroundings took on a soft and tranquil violet hue.
Not far away stood several birch trees, pines, firs, trees that Kisaragi Chiyo could not name, standing close together to form a dense forest at the foot of the snowy mountains.
“We're almost there.” Hara Kenji turned back to encourage him. “Just hang on a little longer. According to the route marked on the map, the cabin is just ahead.”
Kisaragi Chiyo panted, unable to speak. His steps were uneven, his mouth hung open, letting the freezing air rush in large gulps into his lungs; he could no longer care about anything else.
Matsuda Jinpei followed behind, having taken over Kisaragi Chiyo's backpack an hour ago. Yet even while carrying the weight of two people's backpacks, he still appeared effortless, possessing a level of physical strength and endurance that Kisaragi Chiyo could not catch up to even with several more years of training.
"Once this is over and I get back, I'm going to stay at home and do nothing but lounge around for three whole months without stepping a foot outside." Gazing at the log cabin that had already appeared in her field of vision, Kisaragi Chiyo gritted her teeth and made a grand declaration.
Matsuda Jinpei, who was behind her, heard this but wore a hesitant expression. He actually wanted to remind Kisaragi Chiyo that, with two jobs to handle, it would be impossible for her to lie around at home for three whole months.
With the deadline approaching at the end of the month, considering the progress had not moved an inch, Matsuda Jinpei thought for a moment and decided to let the young man enjoy his happiness for a little longer, rather than revealing this cruel truth so soon.
By the time the three of them reached the wooden cabin, the sun had completely set, both the sky and the snow had turned into a somber blue-gray hue. A wind from an unknown direction swept through the forest and swept toward them, making Kisaragi Chiyo feel a bit cold.
"Hurry up and use the key to open the door and let's go inside," Kisaragi Chiyo urged, shrinking her neck into her shoulders.
The exterior of the log cabin looked somewhat crude, but the timber used was sturdy enough to easily withstand the nighttime wind and snow.
This house was built by a hunter from the snowy mountain town to serve as a resting point for those unable to return to town in time during winter hunting trips. Later, with the development of tourism, the hunter stopped hunting, the place gradually fell into disuse.
But since it was going to waste regardless, the hunter decided to open the wooden cabin to the public for free. During the summer and autumn, it became a temporary base for birdwatchers visiting the forest.
The cabin key hung under the eaves, suspended by a sturdy hemp rope, making it easy for anyone in need to take it for themselves.
After Hara Kenji opened the door with the key, he thought the inside would be covered in dust, but to his surprise, everything in the cabin appeared exceptionally clean and tidy, looking as if someone came to clean it every once in a while.
"After all, birdwatching can be done in every season of the year." Kisaragi Chiyo was very satisfied with the cleanliness of the cabin; after entering, he threw himself onto the sofa, once his entire body and mind had completely relaxed, he let out a long sigh.
"I thought people only came during summer and autumn." Hara Kenji smiled as he closed the wooden door, hanging the keys from the hook beside it.
If we're talking about the best seasons for birdwatching, it would certainly be spring and autumn." Kisaragi Chiyo seemed to have quite a bit of knowledge on the subject. "But winter and summer both have their own merits. For birdwatchers, every season is a good time, since you can see birds with different habits during different periods of the year.
“Do you like birds too, Chiyo-chan?” Hara Kenji asked curiously.
He crouched before the fireplace, with the firewood that Matsuda Jinpei had just gone outside to fetch lying by his side.
The wood was dry and well-stored, so it caught fire quickly once the sparks were applied.
Just so-so." Kisaragi Chiyo pulled the scarf from her neck and rotated her wrists as she answered, "I don't have that kind of patience; it's just that my mentor likes this, so I ended up learning a bit about it as well.
I see." Hara Kenji nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "So, what kind of person is Chiyo-chan's mentor?
"You're interested?" Kisaragi Chiyo lifted her eyelids and looked at the smiling Hara Kenji.
"I'm interested in anything involving you." After lighting the firewood, Hara Kenji stood up and deliberately squeezed onto the sofa to sit next to Kisaragi Chiyo.
"My mentor.. is a good person." Kisaragi Chiyo fell silent for a moment, recalling her mentor's appearance from her memories.
He and his mentor had not seen each other for nearly two years, but they still maintained contact through letters. However, because the other party frequently lost contact from time to time, Kisaragi Chiyo had to wait at least two or three months for a reply every time he sent a letter.
But Kisaragi Chiyo still maintained a very understanding attitude, as it had been the same when he was following his mentor—there were always some slightly conservative and xenophobic villages where even communicating with the outside world was difficult.
His professional knowledge is incredibly vast, he possesses a child-like curiosity and desire for exploration.. His personality is serious, sometimes he can be overly earnest about certain issues, yet at other times, he is more adaptable than anyone else.
Even though he always drags us along to do hard labor, he always buys us snacks or takes us out for all-you-can-eat yakiniku every single time.
That sounds pretty good." Hara Kenji played with the young man's fingers, saying with a smiling tone, "Chiyo-chan has met a good teacher.
"I think so too." Kisaragi Chiyo let out a yawn. As the temperature inside the wooden cabin gradually rose, a sense of fatigue slowly began to set in.
There is stored water here.
Matsuda Jinpei shouted from the storage room, "I also found a portable stove and a pot."
"Oh? That's wonderful!" Kisaragi Chiyo instantly perked up, struggling to climb up from the sofa.
Matsuda Jinpei had already taken the portable stove and the pot out of the storage room. As he walked, he said, "Judging by the amount of food and water stored in the cabin, someone should be coming by from time to time to replenish them."
He paused again as he spoke, adding another possibility: "Of course, it could also be a spontaneous act by someone who has been using the cabin."
"Once we're done using it, let's restock the missing items as well." Hara Kenji walked over and took the items from Matsuda Jinpei's hands. He checked the gas canister inside the portable stove; it was almost full, with only one-fifth used.
“I brought instant noodles.” After thinking for a moment, Hara Kenji decided on tonight's dinner: “Let's cook some instant noodles!”
"I just saw that there are actually canned goods, sausages, cheese in the storage room, luckily, it's winter now." Matsuda Jinpei took out his phone to record the items they had taken and the items they planned to restock later.
“Yay!”
A smile appeared on Kisaragi Chiyo's face, he let out a cheer of pleasant surprise. He had long ago prepared himself to eat bread and compressed biscuits for dinner, he hadn't expected to have hot instant noodles with soup; in an environment like this, it could already be considered a luxury.
*
Hara Kenji was a great cook, he was also quite skilled at making instant noodles. At the very least, when Matsuda Jinpei and Kisaragi Chiyo saw the pot of richly flavored, fragrant noodles in front of them, they both couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Looking at the two people staring at him expectantly, Hara couldn't help but chuckle.
He was grateful to the kind person who had provided the supplies last time, who had even prepared disposable paper bowls and chopsticks in the storage room, so that they wouldn't be left helpless when faced with such a delicious pot of food.
Eat, eat." Hara Kenji stuffed chopsticks into Kisaragi Chiyo's hands. "You can start eating now.
As soon as the words were spoken, the three of them raised their chopsticks simultaneously, attacking the steaming ingredients in the pot.
The luncheon meat in the instant noodles is the best; the sausages tumbled in the golden broth, their distinct smoky flavor remaining even after they entered the mouth; the melted cheese coated the noodles, after the taste buds experienced the milky aroma, they were quickly met with a subtle spicy sensation.
It turned out that Hara Kenji had sprinkled some pepper into the soup.
The three of them ate their fill, leaving not even a drop of soup behind.
Hara Kenji tidied up the used disposable bowls and chopsticks along with the empty tin can packaging, putting them into the trash bag they had brought. Then, he opened the small window of the wooden cabin to let the smell of the food inside dissipate a bit.
The window of the wooden cabin wasn't actually that small, but it was just wide enough for a person to squeeze through, its iron bars were installed on the inside, being the type that could be easily locked or opened like a door.
"This was probably prepared by hunters in the past to guard against something, right?" Matsuda Jinpei said, a peach-flavored candy in his mouth.
"Bears." After a simple wash, Kisaragi Chiyo had been curled up on the sofa, her entire body warmed by the fire.
It's to guard against bears, isn't it?" Kisaragi Chiyo guessed. "After all, Hara mentioned before that there was an incident of a bear eating a person in the snowy mountains two years ago, so bear tracks definitely didn't just appear out of nowhere, even before that, hunters had already considered this possibility while hunting; this kind of design must exist for that very purpose, right?
"That makes sense." Matsuda Jinpei agreed with the statement.
Compared to Kisaragi Chiyo and Matsuda Jinpei, who were feeling a bit too full to move, Hara Kenji appeared quite enthusiastic, seemingly very interested in this log cabin.
Kisaragi Chiyo just curled up on the sofa, watching Hara Kenji buzz around the wooden cabin like a little bee.
Here he goes again." Matsuda Jinpei nudged Kisaragi Chiyo beside him with his elbow. "Your little puppy is working hard to mark his territory.
"Aren't you coming too?" Kisaragi Chiyo tilted her head and looked at Matsuda Jinpei.
He's enough on his own." Matsuda shrugged. "He must be feeling stifled from suppressing his aura all this way.
Although his body was hidden somewhere deep within the forest, to be precise, from the moment they entered the Frost Forest, they had entered his territory. This was also why, even though there were clearly two non-humans by her side, Kisaragi Chiyo still chose to travel on foot.
As a Great Serpent capable of flying through the heavens, his eyes could see everything happening in the sky, he had also laid a sensing formation nearby.
This kind of formation has little effect on ordinary humans, but it is exceptionally sensitive to spiritual power and non-human auras.
Therefore, this could be considered the 'cleanest' place Kisaragi Chiyo has ever seen, in a certain sense.
But under the premise of such cleanliness, where did the yokai who originally lived here go?
Kisaragi Chiyo thought about his personality and guessed that the truth might be excessively heavy.
Beside her, Matsuda Jinpei probably noticed the change in her mood and lightly touched her face with his hand.
Get some rest early." Matsuda Jinpei looked at him, seemingly having many things he wanted to say, but in the end, he only said one sentence: "You'll need to be extra careful from now on.
Kisaragi Chiyo rubbed against his hand and slowly closed her eyes.
Then he felt Hara Kenji squeeze in to sit beside him; because the sofa was large enough, it could accommodate three adults at once.
Kisaragi Chiyo heard Hara and Matsuda whispering something, seemingly about him, but he was simply too exhausted, his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, making it impossible to keep them open.
The flames danced in the fireplace, making the burning wood crackle. Kisaragi Chiyo thought that after breakfast tomorrow, he would have to continue toward the destination alone.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you for the support, my little angels! Mwah! 030