I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Kiyoshi tilted her head in confusion, but didn't delve into it further. She assumed it was just Yukino's shyness about a more open area like a hot spring. After all, even at home, it was impossible for them to bathe together.

She had even foreseen the scenario where Yukino would secretly go to the hot springs first and leave her behind.

They were the first to suggest going to a hot spring together.

This is truly a stroke of good fortune.

Kiyoshi quickly put his lover's slight awkwardness behind him, his mind filled only with the thought of soaking in the hot spring.

Seeing Kiyoyori, who was still humming a tune, completely unaware of the approaching danger, Yukino sighed helplessly. Then, thinking of the task she had been assigned, she felt shy and her face flushed.

Well, it's quite interesting to play the opposite role once in a while.

……………………………………………………………

The suite's private open-air hot spring is larger than those in other rooms, and the surrounding layout is also very well done. It doesn't resemble a modern structure, but rather uses decorations that simulate nature.

In the center is a circular hot spring surrounded by stones of varying sizes. A small rocky hill with holes sits atop the steaming spring water, from which hot water flows continuously, small jets of water cascading into the water with a gurgling sound. Beside the hot spring are uneven stone bricks, their edges inlaid with countless pebbles. The heat is conducted from the hot spring, seeping through the pebbles and into the soles of one's feet, making one instinctively stand on tiptoe.

Surrounded by bamboo walls, it encloses a corner of deep blue night sky. A lawn is laid out on the edge away from the hot spring, planted with flowers and grass. The low shrubs show signs of frequent trimming, and even the ancient pine trees next to it are bent into interesting shapes.

Kiyoshi tentatively stepped into the spring water, but unaccustomed to the heat, she quickly pulled her foot out. Her originally fair skin flushed crimson. Clutching the towel in front of her chest, she frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped directly into the steaming spring. The heat shot up her spine as her feet touched the smooth stone steps. She stood in the water for a while, until a tingling sensation ran through her calves, as if a small electric current was passing through them. Only then did Kiyoshi slowly sit down in the spring water, find a place to lean back, and sigh comfortably.

Fold the bath towel and place it in the wooden tub, hug the small floating tub with both arms, and relax by squinting your eyes.

"Bliss, bliss."

The heat quickly made Qinglai feel sleepy again. He leaned back against the rock, gazing at the bright crescent moon in the night sky with drowsy eyes.

The sound of footsteps hitting the ground came from not far away, and a figure could be vaguely seen walking out from behind the screen. The figure gradually approached until it entered the hot spring, at which point Kiyoyori's eyes finally focused.

Her long, black hair was casually curled up, with some loose strands falling down and gently clinging to her fair neck. Her rosy cheeks made one want to take a bite.

Kiyoshi was thus driven away, and stared blankly at Yukino, who was still adjusting to the water temperature as she stepped into the hot spring with one foot. Perhaps her gaze was too unobstructed, for she soon drew a reproachful look from the other woman.

"Go over there."

Startled, Kiyoshi obediently turned around while holding the wooden basin, only realizing what was happening when his back was to the other person and his eyes were fixed on the bamboo wall.

From an angle where Yukino couldn't see, Kiyori pursed her lips. The sound of water behind her was like a cat's claws gently pawing at her heart. She couldn't help but tilt her head back slightly, focusing her eyes on the moon in the sky, trying to shift her attention to moon-gazing. Unfortunately, people who study music have good ears, and the more she tried not to pay attention, the clearer the sounds became.

The torment only gradually subsided when the sound of water from people moving disappeared.

Kiyotomi tentatively moved her arm in the water, trying to touch Yukino who might be nearby, but she only touched empty air. When she turned her head, she found Yukino sitting at least a meter away from her, with her head down, gently splashing water on herself, without making any eye contact.

It was like two strangers who met by chance in a public hot spring, maintaining a polite distance and avoiding any awkward or unnecessary contact, giving the impression that "I'll leave after I'm done soaking."

Chiyorai:......

What's with this "I don't know you, please don't talk to me" aura?

Unable to bear it any longer, Kiyori immediately moved towards Yukino, and Yukino followed her.

Every time Kiyori moves, Yukino moves along with him, not towards Kiyori, but away from him, always maintaining a distance of about one meter.

Even after the two of them had moved almost around the entire edge of the hot spring, Kiyoyori still hadn't been able to touch Yukino or even a single hair.

After walking around the hot spring, the two fell into an awkward silence once again.

Kiyoshi took a deep breath, then suddenly stood up and walked towards Yukino's direction.

Meanwhile, Yukino, who had been secretly watching Kiyori, was caught off guard by his body and immediately grabbed a towel, quickly moving to the edge of exposing herself.

So the two of them inexplicably started playing a cat-and-mouse game in the hot spring.

P.S.: It's been raining all day again, I feel like I'm going to mold.

Please see the announcement if you have any questions.

Chapter 158 Extra - We're 15

The two played around in the hot spring without any regard for etiquette until they were dizzy. Yukino, who was running out of energy, was the first to leave the hot spring, while Kiyori, who wanted to relax a bit more, chose to stay in the hot spring.

It wasn't until the surroundings quieted down again that Qinglai realized there was no sound at all in the rooms, an eerie silence, completely unlike the lively atmosphere from before.

After putting on a yukata and approaching the room, I found that the lights in the two adjacent rooms were not on, while my room with Yukino was dimly lit, as if the overhead light had been turned on as a night light, but it was different.

Through the paper sliding door, everything inside became blurry, but she could clearly see six indistinct reflections, sometimes elongated and sometimes shortened under the flickering light.

The room was illuminated not by the hotel's own electric lights, but by candles.

Kiyoshi's heart suddenly rang with alarm bells. She suddenly remembered the last time Mizore invited her to her room to play games. In the middle of the game, she was suddenly asked to use candles instead of electric lights, and the horror level of the game immediately increased by who knows how many percentage points.

No way...

Also, who is the extra person...?

Kiyoshi placed his hand on the sliding door, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly opened the door.

"Hmm, welcome back, Kiyoyori."

"Hmm, oh..."

Contrary to Qinglai's expectations, the atmosphere was not terrifying. The candle in the center of the table flickered with a warm light, illuminating a small area around it. Delicate pastries were placed beside it. Rather than being scary, it looked more cozy.

Unsurprisingly, the room was occupied by the other five people who had been traveling with them. There was also a waitress carrying a tray, placing small snacks on the wooden table. The woman had her head down, and the room was unusually dim, shrouding her face in darkness. From the small patch of skin that was visible in the shadows, Kiyoshi could only see a snow-white complexion that stretched from her cheeks to her neck and disappeared into her collar, like the attire of a geisha.

However, Kiyoyori did not see any geisha from the moment he entered the hotel.

The other person seemed to be consciously turning their face away to avoid being seen by her.

Just as Kiyoshi was about to take a different look at the waiter's face, a slightly embarrassed cough rang out in the room.

Yukino gently placed her empty fist to her lips, her eyes closed, not looking at Kiyori. The orange light concealed the blush on her face. "Kiyori, what are you looking at?"

This sounds like jealousy. Generally speaking, Yukino wouldn't show such a girlish side in front of others, but considering Kiyori's familiarity with that person, she still needs to divert Kiyori's attention first.

Upon hearing Yukino's words, Kiyori immediately looked away, no longer paying any attention to the somewhat strange waiter, and sat down next to Yukino.

"I can't see anything except Yukino."

Upon hearing this, the other four people, who seemed to have been ignored, all made disgusted expressions. Even the waiter on the side raised his hand and used his wide sleeve to cover the corners of his upturned lips and the hint of triumph in his eyes.

Yukino glanced quickly and nervously at the person not far away, then reached out and pinched Kiyori's waist hard, without responding to his words.

"Speaking of which, why is everyone in our room?"

Kiyora glanced at the steamed buns, yokan (sweet bean jelly), and several other delicate wagashi (Japanese sweets) on the table. "Eating desserts so late at night?"

“Hmm,” Reina looked at Kiyoyori with ill intent, “Kiyoyori might need some sugar to maintain his usual composure later.”

Kumiko suppressed a laugh, lowered her head, and took a bite of her steamed bun. Nozomi, on the other hand, just gave an awkward smile, while Mizore remained expressionless, staring blankly at the flickering flames, seemingly deep in thought.

Kiyoshi immediately looked around his room warily, but did not find the suspicious black box or the game controller that came with it. The LCD TV screen in the corner was still in a black, off state.

No "tools used in the crime" were found.

Kiyoyori was able to catch his breath for a moment.

"Was that a geisha just now?" As if sensing the room's cooling suddenly increase in power, Kiyoyori preemptively avoided the question of "What are you all doing here at this hour?" and instead asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Does the hotel around here offer this kind of service?"

Geisha are not something you can just bump into anywhere. It's very rare to meet these people who are dedicated to preserving traditional culture. Moreover, if a hotel has geisha, it's like a living advertisement, attracting more tourists. Kiyoyori had never heard of this feature before.

"Yes, my sister has ordered even higher-end services for us."

Yukino answered indifferently, her expression was normal, and she didn't make any unnecessary movements. Even the frequency of her blinking didn't change. She only accidentally bumped the saucer when she reached for the teacup.

With quick reflexes, Kiyoshi caught the teacup before it was about to spill, and thankfully the tea was almost empty, so it didn't spill onto the table.

"Be careful."

Kiyori helped Yukino adjust her sleeves, not noticing anything amiss with her lover. It wasn't until Kiyori picked up a wagashi (Japanese sweet) and put it in his mouth, and stopped pursuing the topic, that Yukino secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She doesn't usually lie, but that doesn't mean she doesn't. Moreover, after gradually getting involved with the Spencer family's businesses, she also learned to wear a mask behind Carol's back.

She still wasn't entirely confident that she could fool Kiyoshi by lying to him.

So when she saw that the other person hadn't noticed and was completely concerned about her, Yukino felt a pang of guilt.

As the group relaxed and chatted casually, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Kiyorai also gradually let down his guard and chatted with them about interesting things that happened at school, whether it was about classes or the band.

“Speaking of which,” Kiyoyori noticed, “the candle on the table was extremely realistic, but there wasn’t a single drop of wax around the flame. It’s fake, isn’t it?”

"right."

The one who answered was Nozomi, who always had a warm smile on her face. "Mizore said that using candles would create a better atmosphere, but the room is all tatami mats, and the landlady said that using real candles might not be safe, so she brought imitation ones."

"atmosphere……?"

Kiyoshi felt a chill creep down his spine as a sense of coldness crept in from behind.

"Yes, Mizore said she tried it with Kiyori before."

Chiyorai:! !

A hint of unease flashed across Kiyoshi's face as she raised her hand and took a sip of the tea in front of her.

The room suddenly became so quiet that the ticking of the second hand on the clock could be heard, and then—

"Time is up--"

"Let's begin, time for ghost stories."

The geisha had long since disappeared without anyone noticing.

P.S.: Come on, let's persecute Xiao Qinglai together.

Please see the announcement if you have any questions.

Chapter 159 Extra - We're 16

“It was a night no different from any other,” Hime said, her voice, which was usually full of sunshine, suddenly became empty and gloomy in this situation. “A man was walking on an empty street, accompanied only by the flickering streetlights above him, the quiet of the night, and his shadow, which was sometimes long and sometimes short, at his feet.”

The flickering lamplight suddenly dimmed, casting a shadow over the wagashi (Japanese sweets) on the table.

"He was someone who liked to take walks at night, his footsteps echoing only in the quiet streets. He did this because he knew the area was safe. But the night always lurks with unseen dangers," suddenly, clear footsteps came from somewhere, slow and steady, striking the hearts of the people gathered around the coffee table. "He suddenly caught sight of a strange man standing at the end of the street. The strange man stood at the edge of the lamplight, the light brushing past him but not illuminating his face. The strange man raised his chin, making a bizarre gesture. The man stopped and looked at the man curiously."