The familiar feel of the keyboard against my fingertips grounded me as I continued working at my desk. The holidays were over, and reality had come knocking.
It was time to drag myself back into tax adjustments, to untangle receipts and reconcile payments that had piled up during the break.
Man, it must be nice to be rich and do absolutely nothing.
Financially speaking, I was comfortable. My salary covered my needs, and my dad sent me a generous amount of cash every month. Still, comfort didn't translate into enjoyment. Work was work, no matter how soft the landing.
At least my body had received an upgrade. Aside from helping me pull off ridiculous feats while wearing my Kamen Rider suit, it also dulled the edge of fatigue when I was buried in mundane tasks like this.
That upgrade would be a lifesaver once March, April, and May rolled around. Those months were the real hell for our department.
I honestly didn't know how I was going to balance being a Kamen Rider and holding down my job when that season hit.
"Man… I miss camping."
The words slipped out as a quiet murmur, my eyes never leaving the screen. It had been a while since I last used my tent or fired up my beloved portable grill.
[You know, why don't we try camping next weekend?]
Isadora's voice surfaced in my mind, stealing my attention. I blinked, momentarily confused.
"I said I miss it," I replied through my thoughts. "That doesn't mean I want to do it right now. Besides, I was planning to use my days off for our usual side hustle in Mato."
A sharp tsk tsk echoed in response.
[I suggest you relax this week and the next, at least.]
…Okay? And?
[Trust me. You won't be able to enjoy things like this for quite some time once those guys hiding in Mato start making their move.]
... I paused. Her words lingered longer than I expected, giving me something to genuinely think about.
[So? Do you want to go or not?]
"Be honest," I said dryly. "You just want to camp, don't you?"
[Yes.]
"At least try denying it."
[Why would I?]
I glanced down at my wrist, unimpressed.
I supposed her blunt honesty was one of her better traits.
"Fine, you win," I muttered, slumping back in my seat.
[Yay!]
Letting her celebrate noisily inside my head, I returned to the task at hand. Lunchtime was creeping closer, confirmed by a glance at the clock pasted on the office wall.
Now that our plans were set and the decision to head outdoors was final, I could only hope nothing bad would happen this weekend.
Given my luck lately, that might have been asking for too much.
Still, I clasped my hands together in silent appeal.
Please, at least let me eat in peace and enjoy one happy camping meal free from stress.
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After Isadora and I finished the dinner she had cooked after getting home from work, we immediately began planning our route, discussing where we would go and what we needed to bring.
I sat at the table with Isadora beside me, my laptop open as Gogolo Maps displayed nearby campsites. I filtered through locations with dense forests, occasionally checking lakeside areas as possible alternatives.
"With it being the off-season, there should be fewer people at the campsites right now," I said, glancing at Isadora as she absentmindedly played with a ballpen. "It's also going to be extremely cold, so we'll need to prepare properly."
Isadora nodded and pulled a sheet of paper toward her.
"What about bears, Boss Hideo?" she asked. "Even if they're hibernating, there's still a chance we could run into one, right?"
"Yes."
Though, in truth, I was more worried about what would happen if a bear ran into her.
Would predators even dare come close with Isadora around? Animals like dogs, cats, and even normal Shuuki tended to avoid her without hesitation.
Meh. Better not dwell on it.
I returned my attention to the screen. Among the locations displayed, two places stood out the most: a campsite in Doshi Village and another near the city of Hokuto. Both felt promising.
After some consideration and plenty of discussion.
Isadora and I finally reached a decision.
We chose Doshi as our route. The riverside scenery and greenery were more than enough to win us over.
"Next is you." I looked at the woman beside me. "We'll need to get you some proper clothes. Wearing that dress would feel out of place."
"It's fine. The cold never really bothers me anyway," she said, giving me a thumbs-up.
I could only sigh in response.
After that, we began checking my current equipment and gathering the other essentials we'd need for the trip.
Hopefully, everything will go smoothly.
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Unknown POV
Current Location: Doshi Village
Climbing uphill, I carried on without complaint, pushing forward through the darkness.
After realizing I'd lost the necklace she gave me on our anniversary, I'd sprinted straight here. It wasn't just sentimental—it was expensive. There was no way I was letting her money and her thoughtfulness go to waste.
Honestly, imagining my girlfriend's pissed-off expression was far scarier than anything around me right now.
Even this dark stretch of forest I'd wandered into is no exception.
With my trusty flashlight in hand, I retraced my earlier path, sweeping the beam around and searching for any sign of it.
"Where is it…?" I murmured, my voice swallowed by the quiet.
I shouldn't have taken it off earlier. God, I'm such a dumbass.
Even with all that bravado—fueled by the fear of her finding out—I was still shaking a little. Being alone out here wasn't helping. Maybe dragging my two idiot friends along would've been the smarter move.
Then, as I squinted into the darkness, something near a bush caught the light.
"Is that…?"
My eyes lit up as relief flooded through me. Nestled among the leaves was a familiar glint.
"I finally found you!" I shouted as I sprinted toward it.
I dropped to one knee and snatched it up, a breath I didn't realize I was holding finally spilling out of me. Relief washed over my entire body.
Clutching the necklace, I smiled and lifted it up, feeling a little proud of myself for actually pulling this off.
Then, without warning, the bushes beside me began to rustle.
I gulped and swung my flashlight toward the sound, slowly backing away.
It kept moving. Again. And again.
Just as panic was about to take over—
A frog hopped out.
"..."
I stood there, frozen, staring at it.
…That's what I was scared of?
"You almost gave me a heart attack," I muttered, forcing a wry smile.
Alright. That's enough for tonight.
Time to go back.
This forest was starting to seriously freak me out.
Then a howl echoed through the trees.
"Mm…?"
I paused and looked around, but saw nothing.
Another howl followed, closer this time.
Slowly, I tilted my head upward.
Something was there.
Something hanging from the tree above me.
It was hard to see in the darkness…
But I was pretty sure.
It was smiling.
My body refused to move. The forest seemed to hold its breath along with me, the air thick and suffocating.
Somewhere above, branches creaked softly, as if something was shifting its weight. I tightened my grip on the necklace, its cold metal digging into my palm, and for a fleeting moment.
I wondered if anyone would notice if I didn't come back.
The thought barely finished forming before the darkness swallowed me whole, my scream tearing through the woods before being cut short.