While the driver was sighing, Willie snuggled up to Yukimura Masashi and asked curiously in a low voice.
"Has our school ever produced a celebrity like this before?"
He just checked his phone and found hundreds of pages of entries related to "Mari Kanzaki." According to the latest news, this senior student has even interacted with prominent figures in the political world.
As he spoke, his breath brushed past the aloof boy's ear. Yukimura Masashi turned his head slightly, his hand unconsciously gripping the cushion beneath him tightly, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.
"Sit still."
His voice was restrained, his expression cold. Because Vili had inexplicably seen his mentor in his world, he couldn't help but sit up straight quickly and even moved quite far away.
"..."
Masashi Yukimura pursed his thin lips and closed his eyes.
"It doesn't have to be this far..."
He was just muttering to himself, but the little cat, who had been pushing its luck, overheard him and came closer again. This time, however, Willy remembered to keep a little social distance.
"..."
Masashi Yukimura turned his head slightly, controlling his gaze so that it wouldn't fall on the boy again.
He avoided the driver's notice and spoke in a low voice:
"Kanzaki Mari is indeed a Yumi-shi, but she doesn't have much talent. I heard that she didn't manage to contract a single spirit before graduation."
"She had originally returned to a normal life and found a job related to online media, but she unexpectedly made a name for herself."
"Although she doesn't have much talent for reading, she seems to be born to make a living online... Even though she doesn't know anything about fortune telling or exorcism, the ratings always skyrocket whenever she appears on a show."
"Therefore, the Bureau of Investigation signed a contract with her, asking her to help promote the academy at an appropriate time, which would also make it easier for us to carry out our work at this time."
When gathering information, sometimes just mentioning Kanzaki Mari's name can lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
For example, the driver in the car right now is a good example.
"...So, if you have the chance, could you please get me an autograph? Actually, my daughter has always liked her..."
"good."
Despite appearing to be unsociable, Masashi Yukimura speaks with remarkable ease and confidence.
He even took out his phone on the spot and exchanged contact information with the driver.
"Dusk Village is too remote, and it's hard to get a taxi in the suburbs. Can we contact you when we're ready to go back after we finish our investigation?"
"no problem!"
The driver readily agreed, his smile stretching almost to his ears, and the wrinkles around his eyes smoothing out.
Vili's surprised gaze swept between the two of them, as if he were deep in thought.
He seemed to understand why Professor Amami had asked Masashi Yukimura to go on the mission with him... He was indeed a very good role model.
It can almost be considered an excellent template.
After this conversation, the driver completely opened up.
"To be honest, the Japanese police are a bunch of incompetent fools. The school building is so small, and the village isn't that big either. How come they searched for so long and still couldn't find the child, whether alive or dead?"
Because he was devoured by a demon.
Vili lowered his eyes and did not say those words aloud.
"Actually, we've been discussing this privately before. This is really strange, and it might be related to... "
The driver vaguely glossed over the word.
“I have a friend who is a truck driver and is responsible for delivering food to the Nonogaoka Elementary School cafeteria every month. He told me that the child did not leave no clues before he disappeared.”
—They've arrived.
Even without Yukimura Masashi reminding him, Willy had already perked up his ears.
However, judging from his appearance, the boy had no idea that this was important information; he was just interested in gossip.
But Masashi Yukimura opened his mouth, and in the end, he couldn't bear to say a single word to him.
"Before the police arrived, the villagers searched the entire old school building and found a camera at the corner of the corridor where the boy disappeared."
"According to other kids who were friends with him, he made a bet with them that he would go alone in the middle of the night to uncover the truth about the wandering ghost, and he even took the family's camera for it."
"But when they looked at the contents..."
At this point, the driver seemed a little scared and subconsciously licked his dry lips.
There was only one photo inside.
"It was the boy's running back. As he ran, he turned his head, revealing a pale, terrified face."
"It's like... being chased by something."
Inside the car, Willy's voice suddenly rang out.
Who took his photo?
The driver had said earlier that Hasegawa Teru was going to the old school building alone.
Masashi Yukimura glanced at him and nodded almost imperceptibly. The driver, pleased to have such a supportive person, spoke mysteriously.
"Yes, that's the problem."
"The police have also checked the alibis of everyone in the village, but who can say for sure about these things? We are all relatives and friends from the same village, so it's not impossible for us to cover for each other."
"Of course, the most important question is still that one."
"There is no evidence."
"Whether it's kidnapping or murder, there should always be some trace left... Hey, isn't it strange that you can't find anything?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the two silent figures in the rearview mirror, rolled his eyes, and chuckled:
"But I'm relieved to have you investigate."
“Unlike those who just go to join the fun…” he clicked his tongue, “carrying big and small bags, people would think they’re going on vacation.”
"Don't destroy any evidence..."
"Are many people going to Twilight Village?"
Masashi Yukimura suddenly spoke, interrupting the muttering driver.
"There used to be more, but recently it has decreased."
The driver, completely unsuspecting, replied:
"But this morning I happened to gather a group of young people who also said they were going to Twilight Village, a total of four people, men and women."
"They seemed to be paranormal anchors from some website, making a lot of noise the whole way, saying they were determined to make a big news story."
"But judging from their behavior, they're probably just following the trend. It's good enough if they don't cause any trouble."
"Hey, the road ahead is impassable for cars, so I'll stop here."
The driver braked and turned to look at the two of them.
Masashi Yukimura nodded slightly, handed the fare to the driver, and then got out of the car with Willy.
Before the car drove away, the driver rolled down the window, stuck his head out, and kindly said, "By the way, there's a guesthouse two kilometers ahead. If you get tired from walking, you can go in and rest for a while."
After saying that, he strode away with an air of nonchalance.
Let's go.
Masashi Yukimura looked at Vili and took the backpack from his hand.
Although the main purpose of this trip was to train Vili... the journey was just too long, and training Master Yumi could not be forced.
Looking down at the road beneath his feet, he silently found a reason for his subconscious actions.
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