Not a detective

Asakawa Riku quickened his pace.

My original plan for Tuesday was mainly to ask for leave from school (now that I think about it, I'll probably need to ask for more than two days), and also to tell Chizuko-senpai about my situation.

But now, it must be completed tonight.

Thinking of this, he took out his phone and dialed a number, until a soft voice came from the receiver:

"Hey……"

"Senior, although it happened suddenly, I have arrived at the foot of your mountain."

...

Why didn't you tell me beforehand?

The person walking down the mountain path was Chizuko-senpai. In the winter evening breeze, she was wrapped up tightly, and her down jacket looked almost like a zongzi leaf.

Looking at her face alone, she looks like a ghostly little fox, but if you look at her as a whole, including her height, she looks like a ball slowly rolling down.

"How did you get here? I didn't see your bicycle."

Although it was cute, Asakawa Riku clenched his teeth and didn't laugh:

"It happened so suddenly, I ran over."

"That's an exaggeration, how far is it... Next time you can just go up the mountain directly, there's no need to be so polite."

Chizuko didn't stop, and pulled him up by his sleeve.

She used her left hand.

After that confession, it's actually quite obvious if you observe carefully: when the senior student performs some more precise actions, such as writing, eating, or when she needs to exert force, she uses her left hand. Her right prosthetic hand cannot move; it's a disguise achieved by the ghost Kiku. It can only perform some simple movements and gestures.

"It wouldn't be very polite for me to just barge in, and I might even trigger some monsters or something."

Asakawa Riku casually made up an excuse.

In reality, he had been somewhat resistant to this mountain path ever since he got lost in that heavy snow, always feeling that he would unknowingly fall into a cycle.

It's much better when someone is there to guide you.

"So-called politeness means making a disabled person like me climb a mountain in the middle of the night to pick you up?"

Chizuko raised her leg and gently kicked his shin.

"Ouch!" Asakawa Riku cried out in pain, feigning it.

"Did you tell Yukie that you're not going home tonight?"

“I didn’t say I was staying here tonight… but you’re right, she might be worried.”

Asakawa Riku was still not used to Yukie cooking dinner for him at home. Realizing it was already late, he took out his phone to make a call.

"I already guessed it. I told you about it when we came down the mountain, so don't worry."

Chizuko smiled, pressed her phone button, and boasted about her foresight.

"As expected of the president of the mystery club..."

As Asakawa Riku uttered meaningless compliments, the two unknowingly climbed to the top of the mountain and reached the shrine. Passing through the last torii gate, they saw the brightly lit main hall.

Actually, the mountain wasn't as gloomy and terrifying as I imagined, and the mountain path wasn't as long as I thought. It was just a low hill. The fear I felt came from within myself.

"Allah."

Stepping over the threshold of the main hall used for worship, I saw a large version of "Chizuko-senpai" inside.

Of course, she is much more mature, but you can tell that she must have been a beauty when she was young.

"This child, we've been inviting you to visit more often, why do you only come once in so long? The food is all ready, you can eat anytime."

Chizuko's mother said with a smile, her shrine maiden attire reminding Asakawa Riku of Yukie.

He nodded and bowed, saying, "I'm so sorry to have disturbed you."

He once asked if the shrine would be too overburdened with work after Yukie left the mountain, and whether she could go back occasionally to help out.

But Chizuko's mother said that the shrine didn't have many guests anyway, and she could manage on her own, so there was no need to worry.

What an amazing mother.

"Okay, okay, I'll take him there."

Chizuko suddenly seemed very shy, and pushed Asakawa Riku with both hands to walk quickly. The two followed the gravel path, through the courtyard and corridor, and arrived at the Japanese-style restaurant.

The room was warm enough that you didn't need a coat anymore. It was brightly lit, and a disheveled middle-aged man sat at the dining table, wearing a bathrobe and tilting his head to one side.

His eyes lit up when he saw Asakawa Riku:

“Young man… I foresee that you will suffer a bloody disaster in the next couple of days… I happen to have a freshly unearthed amulet here, the price is negotiable…”

"If you clearly have real skills, then stop pretending to be a charlatan and ruining my impression of you, okay?"

Asakawa Riku couldn't help but laugh. He was no longer reserved and casually found a seat to sit down.

Unlike Chizuko's mother, Kazamatsuri Akihisa is not like an elder, but he is not arrogant either. He is like a naughty child who will make strange jokes from time to time. Asakawa Riku even saw the game disc of "Metaphorical Fantasy" that was not hidden in the corner of the room. The cover was familiar and he recognized it at a glance, but he did not expose it.

In short, he doesn't look like the head priest of a shrine at all, nor does he seem to be a powerful "Onmyoji"; he doesn't give off any sense of a reclusive master.

However, it was precisely because of this personality that, after the "Snow Woman" incident, only someone like him was willing to sincerely bow his head and admit his mistake to Asakawa Riku...

"Hey, don't say such unlucky things to Asakawa-kun."

Chizuko also raised her leg, pretending to kick him.

"Okay, okay... too bad, I was serious..."

Kazamatsuri Akihisa quickly dodged. The way this father and daughter got along was quite interesting, with the daughter being the dominant one.

Asakawa Riku had heard that their relationship had become very strained and they had even had a fight, but now that things seemed to be going well, he was relieved.

"Now that everyone's here, shall we begin our meal?"

Lady Kazamatsuri also entered the room, closed the door behind her, placed the last plate on the table, and said with a smile.

Winter of the Demons: Chapter Seven

Riku Asakawa finished his dinner at Kazamatsuri's house.

It has to be said that it was a restaurant-like experience. Because his arrival was rather sudden, his wife even ordered two more dishes on the spot.

He finally understood where Chizuko and Yukie had learned their cooking skills and couldn't help but admire them.

Taste is actually secondary. Asakawa Riku isn't someone who pays particular attention to food (he values ​​"nutrition" more). The most important thing is the atmosphere of the family eating together. There's none of the strict traditional Japanese family atmosphere I imagined, like not being allowed to talk while eating. Instead, everyone is chatting and laughing.

This made Asakawa Riku feel a long-lost atmosphere...

His parents have been gone for almost a year and are probably in Africa now. He hasn't received a single letter or phone call from them.

At the time, Asakawa Riku was furious about his parents' behavior of leaving without saying goodbye and abandoning their only son... He even made a declaration that he was "emotionless" and decided to ignore them.

Looking back now, I realize that it was probably just a rebellious phase, and I feel a little ashamed.

Regardless, they were the parents who truly gave birth to this body and raised him from childhood. Even though he was a transmigrator, they couldn't completely sever ties with him.

We only truly feel what we've lost.

I hope they are all safe and sound... Once I'm an adult and can get a passport, I'll go to Africa to try and find them, as a way of fulfilling my duty as a son.

Asakawa Riku felt that he was also growing up slowly, and his immature ideas from the past were being corrected step by step.

"Make yourself at home here, don't be shy. There are plenty of empty rooms, so you can stay here without any problem."

The lady seemed to sense Asakawa Riku's loneliness and smiled gently.

She filled the bowl with rice and handed it to me.

“Okay.” Asakawa Riku took it with both hands and said seriously, “I will bring Yuki back to visit often in the future.”

The main problem is that this mountain is too far from downtown Tokyo; otherwise, he would have even considered coming here for dinner regularly. In the dead of winter, carrying Yuki here would probably trigger the "Yuki-onna" syndrome, which he had managed to control for so long. It definitely wouldn't work. He also doesn't have a driver's license or a car, so it's still very inconvenient. He can only come on weekends or holidays.

We can't just leave Yuki at home all the time.

So the mealtime was extended for a while, and in the end, Asakawa Riku was so full that he reluctantly ended the meal.

After finishing their meal, they started talking about serious business. After all, they had to leave tomorrow, and he hadn't forgotten why he had come here in the first place.

"...That's about it. I'm going to Kyoto tomorrow to attend a banquet at a villa in the mountains, mainly to act as a bodyguard."

Asakawa Riku succinctly summarized his experience in just a few sentences.

After all, Chizuko-senpai and her father are both smart people and should understand the situation. However, he also has a sense of contractual obligation. He did not reveal anything involving the employer's privacy, including the secrets of the Shinonome family, such as the detailed name of the "Sake Heaven Pavilion" and matters related to the inheritance. He had to keep those secrets as agreed with Hoshino.

“I understand.” Kazamatsuri Akihisa rested his chin on his hand and nodded. He said to his wife, “Please, ask him for leave.”

"Ah."

The lady stood up, asked Asakawa Riku for the homeroom teacher Matsuyama's phone number, and went to the next room to pretend to be his mother asking for leave.

"Thank you so much for your help."

Asakawa Riku casually made up an excuse about "visiting distant relatives in Kyoto" and asked for three days off. He had originally planned to take two days off, departing tomorrow, Tuesday. He estimated he wouldn't be able to return on the day of the banquet and wouldn't be able to return until at least Wednesday. However, Wednesday was Christmas Day, and since it involved an "assassination," there was a possibility that things might get complicated...

So, in order to allow enough time, he asked the school for three days off and went back to class on Friday.

Actually, the school doesn't know that he lives alone (to be precise, he doesn't have a guardian, since Yuki also lives with him). In the past year, he hasn't done anything that would require his parents to be called in, and fortunately, there haven't been any parent-teacher conferences. But Asakawa Riku is still very troubled by this, and he doesn't want to end up in some kind of juvenile protection agency.

If he only needs to take one day off, he can probably manage to get by on his own, but if he needs to take three days off in a row, he will have to ask an adult for help.

The elders in my senior's family are all very easy to talk to, which has been a great help.

Asakawa Riku just wants to grow up quickly; as a minor, it's really difficult for him to take any steps.

...If there really is a parent-teacher conference, I can't trouble Madam anymore. If all else fails, I'll ask that detective to go and pretend to be my sister or something. Anyway, she'll definitely owe me a favor this time.

Just as she was thinking this, Chizuko suddenly spoke up:

"The woman you're supposed to protect... is the detective you mentioned? She's [the one], right?"

“Item?” Asakawa Riku was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.

"Item".

As expected of father and daughter, or rather, as expected of the lineage of Onmyoji, Kazamatsuri Akihisa immediately understood. He dipped his finger in the tea on the table and gestured to form characters:

"This description... describes a type of monster with a human face and a bull's body. The saying 'a bull can speak, and its words can foretell good or bad fortune' refers to its ability to 'prophesy.' It utters a prophecy in human language at birth and then immediately dies. Most of its prophecies are ominous omens of disaster, but some prophecies will definitely come true, such as floods, typhoons, and earthquakes. Seeing this monster means that natural disasters are coming. It has the ability to predict natural disasters and is the monster that best fits the concept of 'prophecy.'"

"I see."

Asakawa Riku learned something new, which he silently memorized. Indeed, from the perspective of prophecy, it was very similar to Shinonome Suetsuki's ability.

She foresaw that she would be assassinated, which is why she sought protection from Asakawa Riku in advance... However, there are still some differences.

“I feel there’s a difference. Her ability isn’t just about predicting the future; sometimes, she can even see things from the past…”

Asakawa Riku knew this all too well. He initially didn't believe in the detective's ability to make things up, but she actually revealed his past...

Even things that happened before she time-traveled! The strange way she called him "Kawasaki," if you read it in Chinese instead of Japanese... it's actually his name from his previous life!

This was terrifying, and he had no choice but to believe it.

"Then it's not just a simple 'piece' anymore...it might contain other things mixed in."

Chizuko frowned, somewhat troubled. It was rare for an encyclopedia of yokai to be in this situation: "What is it...?"

Asakawa Riku remembered that he had only mentioned the detective thing to her once, but he didn't expect her to remember it so clearly. He didn't know why.

Winter of the Demons: Chapter Eight - Have a Blessed Journey

"Although I don't know who you're talking about."

Kazamatsuri Akihisa interjected, "But judging from your description, that person doesn't seem to belong to the category of 'Onmyoji,' but rather more like a [spirit medium]."

"A medium?" Asakawa Riku heard this new term. He had always thought that mediums were the kind of performers on TV who used crystal balls to tell fortunes.

Or perhaps someone like my senior who deals with supernatural matters? Is there any difference between an Onmyoji and a medium?

"Simply put, Onmyoji and Yokai are related to Shikigami, so they should be considered [religious figures], but spiritual mediums are more like [superpowered individuals]. Explaining them in detail would be complicated, but you have to travel and pack your bags tomorrow, so I won't bother you with a long explanation. This kind of classification should be fine."

Kazeshi Takahisa smiled. He was much more flexible in his dealings with people and didn't have such a strong desire to show off his knowledge.

Riku Asakawa nodded. This was pretty much what he expected. He had also heard that "Suetsuki Shinonome possesses a superpower called the Rinnegan."