Chapter 22: An Unlucky Encounter

“So slow…”

On the platform of Toji South Gate Station, Qichuan Feng glanced at the incoming train for the seventeenth time. When her gaze swept over everyone and still found no one, a hint of disappointment flickered across her face.

“Ah…” she couldn’t help but murmur. “Didn’t that guy say he was coming to visit Teacher Matsui? I even came here early to wait for him. Why isn’t he here yet…?”

“Hmm, could he have taken a taxi?” Qichuan Feng shook her head again. “No, taxis in Kyoto are quite expensive. That guy probably doesn’t have that much pocket money.”

As if heaven was smiling upon cute girls, when Qichuan Feng looked towards the bus for the eighteenth time, she finally spotted the figure she had been longing to see amidst the crowd.

He’s here!

She lightly smoothed the hair at her temples, adjusted her breathing, and, trying to suppress her nervous steps, walked towards him.

Though she didn’t understand why she felt nervous, it didn’t matter. As the second daughter of the Qichuan family, she had long undergone extensive etiquette training. Controlling her emotions would be… so easy.

However, just as Qichuan Feng was about to speak, her eyes landed on another stunning figure beside Bai Yuliang. Her composure shattered.

Who was that woman!?

Not only did she possess a charming face comparable to her own, but she also had a voluptuous figure that could almost rival her older sister’s. Most importantly…

Why did she seem so familiar with that annoying Daoist priest?!

Wasn’t I here first?

As Qichuan Feng’s mind reeled, the two people ahead noticed her. The lovely girl waved a hand in her direction.

“Ah, Qichuan-san, you’re here too!”

“Huh?”

Qichuan Feng froze, about to blurt out, ‘Who are you, lady?’ when the voice suddenly struck her as familiar.

Qichuan Feng’s mind, it must be said, was quite sharp. She quickly blurted out a name.

“Nishi… Nishionji Mitsuki!?”

“Oh, honestly…” Nishionji Mitsuki walked over to her, a troubled expression on her face as she touched her cheek. “I just got a haircut yesterday and changed my glasses. Is it that different from usual?”

Very! It’s really very different!

Bai Yuliang desperately wanted to point at her chest and declare this with righteous indignation.

“Ah, your usual glasses were too thick, and your hair before was also…” Qichuan Feng’s surprise hadn’t faded. “In any case, you look much better than usual now.”

“Hehe~”

Compliments from girls often felt more gratifying than those from men. Praised in such a way, Nishionji Mitsuki shyly lowered her head.

At that moment, Qichuan Feng seized the opportunity and quickly asked, “I don’t usually see you two interact much. Did you just… come together?”

Whether intentional or not, Qichuan Feng’s question carried a subtle, peculiar undertone, and her eyes coincidentally fixated on Bai Yuliang.

Although her question seemed casual, for some reason, Bai Yuliang’s sixth sense screamed at him not to answer carelessly.

He had relied on his sixth sense countless times to survive life-or-death situations.

“We met by chance on the way. I never expected such a coincidence, to take the exact same bus as the class president,” Bai Yuliang said with a normal expression. “I was just sitting there on the bus. If the class president hadn’t greeted me, I wouldn’t have even noticed anyone. And honestly, I didn’t recognize the class president at first glance today either with her outfit. When I finally did, I almost threw up.”

For some inexplicable reason, as he spoke these words, Bai Yuliang unconsciously mimicked his henpecked father’s style: every syllable seemed imbued with a desperate will to survive.

“Oh~ so that’s how it is.”

Although Qichuan Feng’s reply was flat, Bai Yuliang felt, perhaps mistakenly, that she seemed a little happier.

“Mm.” Nishionji Mitsuki’s expression was serious and earnest. “Yesterday, Yuliang-kun said he was coming to visit Teacher Matsui, and after much thought, I decided to join as well.”

“Oh? Aren’t you afraid to die?” Qichuan Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. “All these assignments Teacher Matsui gives are so terrifying. What about him personally…?”

“I believe Teacher Matsui must have some unspoken difficulties!” Nishionji Mitsuki clenched her hands, speaking each word distinctly. “As class president, I’ve had more interactions with Teacher Matsui than anyone else. Although the current Teacher Matsui is terrifying, the Teacher Matsui from before… was a teacher who was strict on the surface but gentle at heart.”

“Perhaps, but what does that matter?” Qichuan Feng scoffed. “Ever since this ridiculous assignment started, everything has changed.”

“Yes, everything has changed…” A hint of helplessness flickered in Nishionji Mitsuki’s eyes.

Seeing the mood between the two girls sour, Bai Yuliang quickly interjected, “Alright, alright, you two don’t have to be so down. Regardless of what Teacher Matsui is like, won’t we know once we meet him? It’s just the three of us today, no need to wait for anyone else. Let’s go straight there.”

Without further ado, the trio quickly set off in the direction of Teacher Matsui’s house.

Teacher Matsui’s residence was located near the school, in an area called “Kujo Daiku Housing.”

Due to a nearby funeral home, the rent here was considerably cheaper than elsewhere.

As they stepped into the narrow alley, several black cars were parked at the entrance of the funeral home, making the already cramped lane even narrower.

The group struggled to pass. As the sunlight, which had previously reached them, was now blocked by the buildings on either side, a damp, chilling air enveloped them, seeping into their very bones.

“It’s so cold.”

Despite it being a sunny day, the cold-sensitive Nishionji Mitsuki couldn’t help but shiver.

“Class president, why aren’t you wearing tights today? You usually do, right?” Bai Yuliang asked casually.

“I was in a hurry to leave and forgot,” Nishionji Mitsuki replied with a helpless expression.

Bai Yuliang didn’t think much of this casual remark, but Qichuan Feng, relying on her feminine intuition, seemed to sense something amiss.

‘Didn’t they say it was a coincidence…’

“Ah, we’re here.”

Soon, the group arrived downstairs at Kujo Daiku Housing.

It was strange; the usually lively building was unusually quiet today. The rental notice board by the entrance displayed many vacant rooms.

“Normally, this place shouldn’t have trouble finding tenants,” someone muttered casually.

With that, the group entered the building.

“Which floor does Teacher Matsui live on?” Bai Yuliang asked.

“Fourth floor,” Nishionji Mitsuki replied.

“Which room on the fourth floor?”

“The fourth room from the left.”

“Oh…” Bai Yuliang found the room and mumbled with a frown, “How unlucky.”

“Eh? Why do you say that?” the two Sakura State girls asked, puzzled.

“In my hometown, the number four sounds very similar to the word ‘death.’ It’s considered unlucky.”

After explaining, Bai Yuliang took a deep breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs, calming himself.

To say he wasn’t nervous would be a lie; after all, no one knew how terrifying the person inside truly was.

“I’m going to knock.”

“Mm.” “Mhm.”

The two girls behind him responded nervously.

“Thump, thump, thump…”

“Thump, thump, thump…”

“Thump, thump, thump…”

Bai Yuliang knocked for a long time, yet there was no response from inside. Just as he began to feel strange, the door next to them suddenly opened, and an old woman poked her head out.

“What are you people… doing, knocking so much?”

“Ah, we’re so sorry!” Nishionji Mitsuki bowed, her voice filled with apology. “We’ve come to visit our teacher. He hasn’t opened the door, so we must have disturbed you. We’re truly very sorry.”

“Huh?” The old woman’s face twisted into an incredulous expression. “Teacher? You… you’re looking for Matsui?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Go home, quickly.”

“Eh? Why?”

“You actually ask why?”

The old woman rolled her eyes, then delivered a shocking statement that made the trio forget to breathe for a moment.

“That Matsui fellow died several days ago.”