[Third Person's PoV]
As Clark purchased a charm for Momo at a small vendor's stall, he glanced to the side and noticed Nino with her arms full—at least half a dozen charms stacked precariously. He raised an eyebrow at the sight.
"How much good luck do you really need?" he asked dryly. "Do the effects stack or something?"
"What? No, silly!" Nino giggled, adjusting the charms in her arms. "These aren't all for me—they're for my sisters."
Clark gave her a skeptical look as he pocketed his newly purchased charm. "If you've got sisters, why are you bothering me instead of them?"
"I'm always with them," Nino replied, her tone softening. "I just wanted to explore on my own for once. That's when I noticed you wandering around, taking pictures—and then meeting that woman from earlier."
She paid for her charms as well, and together they began walking away from the bustling vendor stall, each carrying a bit of Kyoto's charm with them.
"So," Nino began casually, "why are you taking pictures anyway? Is it for a school project or something?"
Clark lifted the camera slightly. "No. My sister couldn't come, so she asked me to take pictures for her to see later."
"Ooooh, that's so sweet!" Nino said, her eyes lighting up. "Then let me help! I can show you all the best spots."
"I'd rather not," Clark said flatly, not missing a beat.
"Nonsense!" she declared, looping her arm through his without hesitation. "You've officially got your own personal tour guide now!"
Clark hesitated for a second, weighing his options. Then he shrugged. "Whatever."
"Yusss!" Nino cheered, practically dragging him down the street with childlike enthusiasm.
They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Kyoto together. Nino pointed out various sites with excitement, offering historical tidbits—though most of them were either wildly vague or flat-out incorrect. Still, her energy was contagious. Despite himself, Clark found her amusing.
"And this statue here…" Nino gestured confidently toward an old monument, "...is super important and has a lot of, um, Japanese history."
Clark raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"I... don't remember," she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"You suck at this," he said, scoffing but with the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"Shut up, I'm trying," she muttered, her face turning a shade redder.
As the sun dipped lower, painting the sky with hues of orange and lavender, Clark checked the time.
"It's getting late," he said, glancing around. "I need to get back before my grandma returns. Thanks for the, uh, 'tour,' I guess."
"Aww," Nino pouted, clearly disappointed. Then a sudden spark lit her eyes. "Wait! Before we go, let's take a picture together!"
Without waiting for permission, she stepped beside him, grabbed his camera, and turned it for a selfie. Hooking her arm around his again, she flashed a peace sign.
"Cheese!"
The flash went off, and she handed the camera back to him with a proud smile. "There. Now you won't forget about me, alright?"
Clark rolled his eyes. "That's all I'm going to try and do."
Still, before he left, he paused and asked, "You know how to get back, right?"
After she nodded, he said a brief goodbye and headed off toward the inn. But after a few minutes of walking in peace, he suddenly stopped, sighed, and turned around.
"You've got to be kidding me," he growled. "Why are you still following me? Go home!"
"I'm not following you!" Nino huffed, jogging to keep up. "I just happen to need to go the same way, that's all!"
Clark narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but ultimately turned and continued walking. At every turn, down every street, she remained a step behind him.
Eventually, he arrived in front of the inn—and froze. His expression turned sour as he slowly faced her.
"You have to be fucking shitting me."
Nino giggled and looked away, blushing. "You shouldn't curse," she said, then smiled brightly. "But wow! What a coincidence—we're staying at the same inn!"
Clark groaned. "I'm going inside. Don't follow me."
"Wait!" she called after him. "Since we're both here, let's meet up tomorrow, okay?"
"I can think of a million other things I'd rather do," Clark muttered, already climbing the stairs.
"You say that, but I know you had fun!" Nino shouted with a grin. "Tomorrow for sure, alright?!"
Several guests turned their heads at her loud declaration, but Clark had already disappeared upstairs.
Inside his room, Clark closed the door and let out a long, exasperated sigh. He tossed the camera onto the bed and collapsed beside it, arms spread out.
"Why me," he mumbled, staring up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, trying to relax while waiting for Seiko to return—any minute now.
…
When Seiko entered the room, she found Clark sprawled out on the tatami floor, arms spread wide, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling as if it had personally offended him. His expression screamed exhaustion, mentally of course.
"Hard day, huh?" Seiko teased with a knowing smile, closing the door gently behind her.
Clark slowly turned his head toward her and muttered, "Just... tell me what you found out about this yokai before I lose the will to go on." With a groan, he kicked himself up to his feet, brushing imaginary dust off his shirt.
Seiko chuckled softly and sat down with him, getting comfortable. "We're dealing with a Bakeneko. Ring any bells? I hope you remember from our lessons."
Clark narrowed his eyes, his mind already sifting through past training sessions. "Yeah. Bakeneko translates to 'Monster Cat' or 'Ghost Cat.' They're regular house cats that turn into yokai once they get old enough—or if they grow unusually large, or are abused by their owners. The older they get, the stronger they become, and their supernatural powers get more intense over time. At first, they look just like any other cat, but eventually, they start walking on two legs and can grow to human size or bigger."
"Good," Seiko said with a pleased nod. "Looks like you've actually retained something. The one we're hunting seems to have developed a taste for human flesh, which makes it even more dangerous. It's elusive—very good at hiding, and quick to run when threatened. I was asked to help with setting up a trap so we can put an end to it."
Clark's expression sharpened. "What do you want me to do tomorrow? I assume I'm not just here to be a tourist?"
"With your enhanced senses and speed, I want you acting as a tracker," she explained. "Your job is to spot it and lure it toward the trap location without spooking it too early. We need to make sure it ends up exactly where we want it. Here—" Seiko reached into the pocket of her cardigan and pulled out a slim black phone. "I bought this for you. So we can stay in touch if we get separated. Don't lose it."
Clark's eyes lit up with genuine excitement as he took the phone. "Finally! My own phone!" His joy was short-lived, however, as he caught the arched brow Seiko sent his way. He shrank slightly under her gaze and corrected himself with a sheepish grin. "What I meant to say was—uh, thank you, Grandma."
Seiko smirked, letting go of the phone as he eagerly powered it on and began setting it up with the glee of someone discovering a new toy. She started stretched out her legs, making herself comfortable. Her eyes wandered over to the camera tossed to the side.
"So," she began casually, picking it up and flipping through the images, "what did you get up to today during your free time? Get into any trouble?"
Clark didn't look up from his phone, too focused on setting everything up "No. But I was harassed relentlessly."
Seiko scrolled through the camera's photos and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "These are... actually really good. You've got an eye for this, Clark. Have you ever thought about doing something with photography?"
"God, no," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Maybe as a hobby if I'm really bored, but not seriously. I had a bit of fun, but not enough to make a career out of it."
Seiko continued flipping through the pictures with amusement—until one in particular made her grin widen. "Hoho? What do we have here?" she exclaimed, voice tinged with mischief.
Clark finally looked up just in time to see her holding up the camera, displaying a picture of him and a pink-haired girl posing together. Her arm was linked through his, a wide smile on her face, fingers flashing a peace sign.
"You sly little dog," Seiko teased. "Went out for a stroll and came back with a girlfriend, huh?"
Clark groaned and slapped a hand over his face. "Don't be gross. No. That's the one I told you about—the one who wouldn't stop bothering me."
"Mmhmm," Seiko said with a teasing hum. "Well, whether she was bothering you or not, I'm glad to see you finally made a friend. You don't exactly have a long list of kids your age to hang out with."
Clark rolled his eyes and muttered something incoherent under his breath, already regretting ever showing her the camera.
Naturally, Seiko didn't let up. For the rest of the night, she continued poking fun at him about Nino, throwing in the occasional exaggerated wink or playful nudge. Still, in between her teasing, they managed to go over the plan for the next day's yokai hunt in detail. Clark, eager to shift the topic, clung to that part of the conversation like a lifeline.
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