"Oh my! Kikyo, what nonsense are you spouting?!"
Sato Maya's face flushed slightly, and upon closer inspection, a few wisps of smoke could be seen faintly rising from her head.
"What does it matter?"
"Oh my! Stop talking!"
Sato Maya shyly interrupted Kushida Kikyo, while her eyes occasionally darted towards Bai Yuze. When Bai Yuze's gaze met hers, she quickly looked away.
"Alright! Everyone, quiet down, we're about to depart."
Masaki Tomoya maintained order, explaining a few precautions, such as remembering to return to school on time and to be safe during the holidays.
"Alright! Students! Get on the bus!"
With Masaki Tomoya's command, Bai Yuze's holiday began...
When Bai Yuze came to his senses, he was already seated on the bus, with Kushida Kikyo beside him. Bai Yuze specifically glanced at the driver's seat of the bus, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the driver.
Bai Yuze observed the surroundings outside the window. As soon as the bus left the school gate, it drove into a thick fog.
"Fog? Was there fog around the school before?"
Before Bai Yuze could ponder, the bus drove out of the fog the next moment. Suddenly, only he, Kushida Kikyo, and one accompanying teacher remained inside the bus.
Bai Yuze had a strong impression of this teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie, who was both a close friend and a rival of Teacher Chazhu.
"Two students, it's time to get off the bus~"
Hoshinomiya's tone was somewhat airy, sounding as if she hadn't fully woken up.
"Get off? We just started moving, didn't we?"
Kushida Kikyo was a bit confused, and when she turned her head to look at the scene outside the bus... Kushida Kikyo's eyes widened instantly!
"This is... Chiba?"
Kushida Kikyo was shocked. To ensure she wasn't mistaken, she even rubbed her eyes, but the fact proved that she and Bai Yuze had indeed returned to Chiba.
"No need to be surprised. Since the school has admitted you, it will certainly serve you to the maximum extent."
Hoshinomiya Chie said with a smile, and then the bus door opened.
"Alright! Get off the bus! I wish you a pleasant holiday!"
Under Hoshinomiya's urging, Bai Yuze and Kushida Kikyo got off the bus, but Bai Yuze suddenly thought of a crucial question.
"Teacher, how do we exchange our points for yen? And how do we get back to school?"
"Someone will come specifically to solve your problem shortly. As for how to get back to school... you'll return to school the same way you came home."
"Do you mean the bus will come to pick us up again?"
"Uh-huh! But I need to ask beforehand, is this your home? Because the bus will only take you to the place you wish to go in your heart. If someone wants to go to the area where their long-distance lover lives... it will also take you there, but if something goes wrong, it's a result none of us want to see."
Hoshinomiya quickly added for good measure. Looking at her drowsy appearance, Bai Yuze was certain she had been drinking again last night! However, her fondness for drinking was quite similar to the workaholic Hiratsuka Shizuka. If the two were in the same school, they would probably get along very well, wouldn't they?
"Does Bai Yuze have any thoughts?"
Hoshinomiya reached out and tapped Bai Yuze's forehead, then she patted Bai Yuze's head and said softly.
"You can't secretly talk about teachers~ Hiratsuka Shizuka? I'll inquire about her after returning to school! But what does 'workaholic' mean?"
Hoshinomiya said with a smile. Just as Bai Yuze was about to speak, Kushida Kikyo pulled him off the bus.
"This is where we're going, goodbye, Teacher!"
As soon as Bai Yuze and Kushida Kikyo landed, the bus began to slowly disappear, while Hoshinomiya was still speaking. Through lip-reading, Bai Yuze understood what she was saying.
[Happy holidays]
"Yuze, are you alright? As soon as that woman touched your head, I saw your lips immediately turn white."
Kushida Kikyo said worriedly. At this moment, Bai Yuze's lips slowly regained their color.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, let's go home."
He hadn't expected The Strange World to also possess mind-reading abilities. Bai Yuze guessed that the other party held a Guaidan, because he hadn't felt any Guaidan energy emanating from her.
On the bus.
As Hoshinomiya retracted her hand, the sound of glass breaking came from her outer jacket pocket.
At this moment, her body was swaying, and she could only sit down to rest for a while.
"Have you detected any important information?"
The bus driver asked Hoshinomiya while driving.
"No obvious information, just a name called 'Hiratsuka Shizuka'. Do you know her?"
"I don't know her, but I have a slight impression. We can just check it when we get back. If she's a key figure, bring her to the school."
The driver responded calmly. There were many powerful figures behind Advanced Nurturing High School. It was no exaggeration to say that the Sakura Country Prime Minister could only rank in the lower-middle position... Since the discovery of The Strange World, Sakura Country had been forcibly intervened by other countries, including the stationing of US soldiers and Dragon Country troops.
In this world, even the Four Palace Family had to show some respect to Advanced Nurturing High School. The Four Palace Family had money, but Advanced Nurturing High School not only had money but also power... including military power... Although it didn't have much to do with them... they were just dogs for the US and Dragon Country, but as the saying goes, you still have to look at the owner when beating a dog.
If the other party wanted to be dignified, you sent people, and I sent money, and both parties were happy. If they didn't want to be dignified, then don't blame our students for accidentally getting lost on your family's territory! When Sakura Country people played dirty and shameless, it was truly like Lu Bu wielding the Po Jun—they had obtained their special weapon!
"Do we really have to pay so much for one student? Who knows if that photo is fake?"
Hoshinomiya Chie was a bit confused. The school was willing to pay such a price for a photo. Who knew if the photo was real or just a prank?
"Even if it's fake, we have to investigate! Remember! Just do your part. This is all from above, and the obstacles we encounter on the way will be handled by them. We just need to work hard!"
The driver's voice was beyond doubt. He knew that even if it had no value, they had to pretend it did, because "we tried our best" sounded much better than "we didn't try"!
"Alright, then this person called 'Hiratsuka Shizuka'..."
"No need to check! I remember who she is! Just a yakuza lady! Send them a message directly and bring her over! As long as there's a slight possibility, we must be fully prepared for it! Turn it from possibility into reality!"