Emphasizing the words "Nature's Bounty," Hanekawa Tsubasa stared intently at Sū ěr.
Being stopped by a stranger on the way to the city library—taking that stranger to the library—being treated to a meal—answering many detailed questions during said meal—then finding a gold nugget larger than a fist in her bag upon returning home.
Connecting the dots was effortless for someone like Hanekawa Tsubasa. Naturally, she had guessed who had slipped the gold into her bag without her noticing.
It was a bit magical, but not that magical.
However, even though Sū ěr had contacted Hanekawa by phone to ask for advice after he earned enough to buy a cell phone—and had revealed his workplace at her strong insistence—he had flatly denied the gold nugget when she showed up.
He had simply looked at her with a blank, confused expression, uttering "Ah? Uh? Hmm?" like an idiot. It made Hanekawa want to laugh.
Since this man deliberately chose to play dumb, Hanekawa didn't force the issue. Instead, she had developed a habit of coming in periodically to buy a burger to support his sales figures.
"Here, your burger." Placing the tray in front of Hanekawa, Sū ěr sat directly across from her. "This water is on me. Don't drink cola; it's bad for your bones."
"Mmm, thank you." Thanking him politely, Hanekawa Tsubasa methodically unwrapped the burger. She took a light sniff before taking a bite, chewing in small mouthfuls. "Won't Kisaki-neesan scold you for just sitting here instead of working?"
"It's fine. Customer traffic is light right now, and Maou is watching the counter," Sū ěr shrugged. "As for you, eating burgers at this frequency is a high-intensity accumulation of calories... At this rate, I might have to start calling you 'Fatty-kawa' Tsubasa."
Hanekawa's chewing stopped abruptly. Sū ěr had no intention of taking it back. In fact, he had deliberately said something that was practically a crime to say to a girl.
Though he hadn't pried directly, Sū ěr had observed that Hanekawa's family situation didn't seem great. Despite being a student, she worked frequently. Even on weekends, she wore her school uniform; setting aside the possibility that she just loved her school to death, the more likely reason was that she didn't have the spare cash to buy clothes.
In that case, save your money... don't come here eating burgers.
Sū ěr sighed.
"You have a point," Hanekawa Tsubasa said, showing no sign of anger despite the "Fatty-kawa" joke. She merely nodded with a thoughtful expression. "I suppose I should be careful... Speaking of which, Sū ěr, have you heard the rumor?"
[Ah, look. She is bothered... You owe me one~]
Seeing Hanekawa change the subject, Think snapped her fingers in Sū ěr mind. These two bored individuals had actually made a bet earlier on how Hanekawa would react.
Sū ěr thought the good-natured Hanekawa wouldn't be affected at all, while Think bet that even if she didn't get angry to his face, she would change the subject—Think won.
Because she's a female.
—Think.
Yeah, yeah, I owe you one... As if there's ever been a time I haven't fulfilled your requests... Sū ěr grumbled.
[You didn't fulfill my request to take apart a few youkai for research.]
Think hit him with a direct counter-attack.
...I'll go catch some for you in another city later. Stop staring at those law-abiding minor youkai in the Nura manor; it's too embarrassing to bully those harmless creatures.
Recalling the several times at the Nura residence when Think had tried to incite him to do "big things" to satisfy her misplaced curiosity, Sū ěr couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly.
[Heh~]
"Rumor?" Pretending not to hear Think cold laugh, Sū ěr turned back to Hanekawa. "Another urban legend?"
Due to the various things she had concluded from their first meeting, their conversations usually followed a pattern: Sū ěr topics focused on etiquette and customs for living in Japan, while Hanekawa's topics focused on urban legends and mysterious events.
It was as if she were subtly testing something.
"No, it's not an urban legend like the 'Kunekune,' the 'Kisaragi Station,' or the 'Little Old Man,'" Hanekawa Tsubasa shook her head. "Compared to those urban legends with varying details, this is more like a rumor—one that feels almost too real. The descriptions are too detailed, as if someone has actually seen it."
Clearly, Hanekawa knew exactly what most urban legends were made of. Because of that, she was all the more serious about this specific rumor.
"...Tell me more," Sū ěr said, leaning his head on his hand and narrowing his eyes.
Unlike Hanekawa—who didn't know that youkai and "Oddities" (beings distinct from youkai) actually existed—Sū ěr knew that there were truly things hiding in the shadows that devoured innocent lives. He took this seriously.
He didn't want his peaceful life disrupted by some random monster.
"Do you believe in vampires, Sū ěr?" As if asking if he believed in calculus, Hanekawa Tsubasa even put down her burger to ask.
"I do... and I don't," Sū ěr gave a non-committal response. "Aren't those Western demons? Why would they be in Japan?"
"Pfft. 'Demons'... You only settled in Japan recently, yet you talk more like a Japanese person than the locals do," Hanekawa couldn't help but giggle.
Sū ěr: "..."
That's because there really ARE demons!
But he truly hadn't seen a Western import like a vampire. And if vampires existed, did Hell exist too? What about Heaven? Angels?
Sū ěr rolled his eyes and remained silent.
"Anyway, it's mostly spreading in schools right now, but there are similar rumors in convenience stores on the outskirts of the city—there really is a vampire active in this city," Hanekawa continued, dropping the jokes.
"What? Did someone wake up and find four holes in their neck?" Sū ěr tapped his temple.