"Why are you here too?"
Kagaribi no Kiriue's right eyelid twitched incessantly as she looked at Chen Yao, who sat nearby with blood that smelled like high-temperature rust.
"This is the agreement."
Yukinoshita Yukino explained, "Because the Service Club accepted some assistance from Classmate Chen Yao, he is participating in this activity as a party involved."
Shortly after school today, the Service Club received an invitation from Kagaribi no Kiriue. After politely apologizing for the unpleasant incident that morning, she invited the three of them to her home at 8:00 PM to discuss the mediation requested of the Service Club.
As for the agreement reached that morning, Yukinoshita Yukino had indeed promised Chen Yao's request, so she informed him of the news. She hadn't expected Chen Yao to follow along just like that.
"Fine. Although I don't know who on earth you are, if you insist on coming, I won't stop you. Hehe, you're walking right into a trap, aren't you, Classmate Chen Yao?"
In the deep of the night, the Vampire Kagaribi no Kiriue, exuding youthful charm, thought to herself as she cast a somewhat dark gaze at Chen Yao, who was becoming increasingly wary beside her.
Although he wasn't sure what tricks Kagaribi no Kiriue was up to this time, Chen Yao followed anyway. The reason was simple: a Vampire inviting a group of people to her home was a clear sign. Chen Yao sat in Kagaribi no Kiriue's car with a complicated mood, watching the dark and windy scenery outside the window, feeling that this Service Club request... was truly dangerous... Chapter 007: Kagaribi no Kiriue's Disaster (4k)
The manor was magnificent and full of European style. While the environment outside might be eerie and terrifying, the inside was warm and gorgeous, the beautiful decor immediately catching the girls' eyes.
"Wow, it's so beautiful! It feels like a palace from a fairy tale!"
Upon seeing it, Yui Yuigahama immediately broke into a happy smile and praised it.
Yukinoshita Yukino was also somewhat amazed. She didn't know there was such authentic European architecture here in Chiba Prefecture; it seemed Classmate Kagami's family was indeed extraordinary.
But at the thought of the "locked room storm" incident that had occurred between her and Chen Yao in the Service Club activity room, her face instantly turned slightly red, though she remained calm on the surface.
"Nice manor, but I haven't heard anyone nearby mention it before..."
Hachiman Hikigaya was somewhat puzzled. If there was such a beautiful manor in the mountains of Chiba Prefecture, the internet and neighbors would have surely spread the word. After all, Chiba Prefecture was only so big; it would be explosive news.
"Hehe, thank you for the compliment."
The gentle and elegant Kagaribi no Kiriue gave a faint smile. However, when she saw Chen Yao studying whether the gold paint on her walls was real gold, her expression immediately soured.
After all, based on his experience as an Undead explorer, the interior of such wealthy buildings should hide quite a bit of treasure. Just as Chen Yao was tapping on the wall to see if there was a secret door, he noticed Kagaribi no Kiriue's fierce glare and immediately stopped his meddling hands.
"Ahem, then without further ado, can we start talking about the request?"
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Kagaribi no Kiriue and asked.
"No problem. Everyone, please take a seat. Butler, please serve the finest black tea."
Kagaribi no Kiriue gave a rather charming smile, then instructed the expressionless elderly butler beside her.
"Yes, Miss."
The squinty-eyed butler lowered his head slightly and complied.
Chen Yao glanced at the butler and realized he seemed to be a disguised Living Corpse. However, he didn't mind; he even felt the other party was kind and approachable. As a result, the butler stopped in front of Chen Yao instead, his squinty eyes carefully scrutinizing the seventeen-year-old international student.
"Is something wrong?" Chen Yao asked in confusion.
"This aura... Sir, are you the Male Dancer hired by the Miss to liven things up?"
The well-traveled butler judged Chen Yao's identity based on years of experience.
The group was shocked by the butler's words. Yukinoshita Yukino and Yui Yuigahama looked at Chen Yao with very complicated gazes.
"Holy crap, what kind of eyes do you have!?"
Chen Yao's eyes widened as he angrily denied it.
"Then you must be the clever tutor hired by the Miss."
The butler stated his other judgment. Chen Yao, Hachiman Hikigaya, and the others stared blankly at the butler who seemed a bit senile. Finally, Chen Yao coughed a few times and reluctantly admitted, "That's right, I am. I can't believe the old gentleman saw through it."
Kagaribi no Kiriue's right eyelid was practically twitching into a cramp, and her fair, exquisite cheeks were slightly flushed. She urged, "Butler, stop chatting and go prepare the tea!"
The old butler didn't understand why the Miss was so angry and went to the kitchen to prepare the food. It was, after all, a servant who had served several generations of the Kagaribi family heads. That sharp-eyed boy just now possessed extremely strong vitality and intelligence; after so many years, it had thought such humans were extinct.
"Well, let's sit down first," Kagaribi no Kiriue said, while glaring fiercely at the thick-skinned Chen Yao. Ever since she met him, she felt like nothing good ever happened.
In the magnificent living room, the five Sobu High School students discussed the conflict in Class B. Kagaribi no Kiriue was surprisingly cooperative with the Service Club's questioning this time, revealing how the group of girls excluded her and played pranks on her seat.
Based on this situation, Yukinoshita Yukino, Hachiman Hikigaya, and the others all felt that this was already school bullying. Originally, Yukinoshita Yukino had hoped Kagaribi no Kiriue could ease the situation, but now she felt it was more appropriate to report the matter to the teachers.
"That won't be necessary."
Kagaribi no Kiriue smiled and rejected the formal solution proposed by Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Why is that?"
Yukinoshita Yukino, sitting upright opposite her, asked in confusion.
"Because it's very common for commoners to make mistakes. Even if the Service Club reports this to the teachers and those students are criticized, what about afterward? Will they just let it go? What if they use cold violence or other untraceable ways to continue bullying others?"
The girl, speaking with the tone of a young lady, acted relaxed as she took a sip of tea and smiled back at them with a question.
Hachiman Hikigaya watched and felt that Kagaribi no Kiriue seemed to have a plan. He asked, "Then Classmate Kagami, do you have any solution for this situation?"
"Yes. Meeting violence with violence, punishing them in my own way. Only then will they truly understand their place."
Kagaribi no Kiriue stated her simple and crude method without hesitation.
"No, wouldn't that just be more school violence..."
Upon hearing this, Yui Yuigahama immediately waved her hands in denial; it was just the same thing in a different guise.
"I see. I think this plan is worth discussing."
Yukinoshita Yukino replied thoughtfully, somewhat in agreement.
"Yuki-pyon, don't be like that..." Yui Yuigahama said with a bitter expression, trying to persuade her.
Looking at Yukinoshita Yukino's pensive expression, Chen Yao couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. This terrifying Snow Woman—given the school regulations she had imposed on him over the past few months, she was definitely serious. This eerie manor probably didn't just have one Vampire; this Snow Woman also fit the image of a Vampire lady quite well.
"Classmate Chen Yao, what are you thinking about?"
Unexpectedly, Yukinoshita Yukino, without even looking up, suddenly asked him in a cold tone.
"No... nothing..." Chen Yao narrowed his eyes and answered guiltily. For some reason, Yukinoshita Yukino could always guess what he was thinking.
"..."
When no one was paying attention, Kagaribi no Kiriue's expression gradually darkened. To be honest, after getting to know the people from the Service Club, they didn't seem like the type she hated, but their actions represented the authority of the school teachers. She loathed others interfering with her actions most of all. Tonight, she would drink their blood and then erase their memories, counting them as the first batch of meddling students to be punished.
However, she still took note of Chen Yao. This person's movements were erratic, and his blood had a non-human metallic smell. She even wondered if he might be a Vampire hunter sent by the Church to infiltrate Japan... ~·~·~·~·~·~
At 10:30 PM, feeling that the problem had been addressed, Yukinoshita Yukino stood up and thanked her, "Thank you for the invitation, Classmate Kagami. We feel we understand the situation well enough. It's quite late now; could we trouble your family's driver to take us back to the city?"
"No problem. Butler, please take them back."
Kagaribi no Kiriue nodded in agreement, then instructed the old butler who had been motionless for a long time.
"Yes, Miss."
The old butler agreed.
Just as Yukinoshita Yukino, Yui Yuigahama, and the others were packing their things to leave, the living room phone suddenly rang. After the butler went to answer it, he seemed to hear something serious and let out a surprised sound: "What did you say?"
??"
Yukinoshita Yukino and the others were all taken aback and looked toward the butler.
"Miss, a landslide just occurred on the road down the mountain. A construction crew has already gone to clear it, but the entire road is closed to traffic tonight."
The butler hung up the phone and reported to Kagaribi no Kiriue.
The expressions of the Service Club trio immediately changed, while Chen Yao, as if he had long known the Vampire would stop them from leaving the mountain, merely glanced at Kagaribi no Kiriue.
"That really is terrible. They said it was reinforced last month, yet a landslide still happened."
Kagaribi no Kiriue feigned surprise, then showed an apologetic look and said, "I'm sorry, everyone from the Service Club. You heard him—the road is blocked and won't be cleared until tomorrow. I think traffic should be open before school in the morning. If you don't mind, why don't you stay the night?"
"Sigh, how did this happen..."
Hachiman Hikigaya scratched his head, looking very troubled. He had promised Komachi he would be home before 11:00 PM.
"...There's nothing we can do about it. But is it alright to impose on your home?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked politely after some thought.
"It's no problem. Aside from the servants, I live here alone. There are plenty of empty rooms, and I'll have the servants prepare a change of clothes for you."
Kagaribi no Kiriue crossed her legs, her beautiful thighs making her stockings look full and long, as she spoke with a faint smile.
In her heart, she felt amused by these modern students, for modern civilization had forgotten the dangerous legends of the mountains. Didn't Japan have the legend of the 'Yama-uba' ghost? These reasonably smart students would be her midnight snack tonight.
Hearing this, Chen Yao showed a satisfied smile and asked, "That's great. Then I'll gladly accept. I didn't get a chance to shower before I left. Classmate Kagami, does your house have any instant noodles? I didn't eat my fill tonight either, sorry about that."
Kagaribi no Kiriue soon heard the voice she loathed most. Chen Yao acted as if this were his own home; this boy's skin was truly exceptionally thick. She didn't even know if her teeth could bite through such a thick hide.
However, Chen Yao's unperturbed manner also made her wary. Could this strange fellow really be a Vampire hunter?
Late at night, the mountain wind was exceptionally sharp and cold, making a noisy "whooshing" sound. From the second-floor bedroom windows, one could look out at the brightly lit city of Chiba Prefecture, as if the darkness divided one side into modern Japan and the other into a medieval European castle.
"Something's not right."
Kagaribi no Kiriue sat in her bedroom, and after thinking in silence for a long time, she let out an uneasy sound.
"What is your concern, Miss?"
The old butler asked.
"That Chinese guy named Chen Yao is very suspicious."
Kagaribi no Kiriue voiced her worries more clearly.
The butler asked, "So the Miss feels that the Male Dancer boy she hired does not suit her taste..."
"I didn't say that! And Butler, why do you keep saying Male Dancer? How does that weird guy look like a Male Dancer? Besides, why would I, the noble head of the Kagaribi family, hire a Male Dancer!?"
Kagaribi no Kiriue felt impatient, her brow furrowed as she questioned the senile butler.
"Because a hundred years ago, before your grandmother was killed, she hired many Male Dancers... I thought the Miss would also be interested in that..."
The old butler seemed to reveal some shocking noble scandal from history.
"...Pretend I didn't hear that." Kagaribi no Kiriue felt her worldview crumbling. Her grandmother seemed to have a strong liking for handsome men; although she didn't know why, she didn't want to know either, because she believed Vampires were a race superior to humans and couldn't let such things tarnish her self-esteem.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Butler, you put the sleeping drug in, right?"
Kagaribi no Kiriue glanced at the butler and asked darkly.
"Yes. According to custom, it's enough to make humans sleep soundly for a whole night. Even if they don't sleep, their consciousness will start to blur after midnight."
"That's good, hehe... However, after teaching these self-righteous students a lesson this time, I also plan to transfer schools. What was the next school called? I think it's St. Maryanna Girls' Academy. I was originally supposed to enroll in that school, but the government officials mistakenly arranged for me to enter this one. Hmph, I just hope that noble school doesn't cause me any trouble..."
A dark smile appeared beneath Kagaribi no Kiriue's silver-white bangs, and her enchanting eyes held a hint of ruthlessness as she slowly summarized her brief time at Sobu High School.
She just didn't know why, but ever since she first met Chen Yao, she felt as if her consciousness was being interfered with—not just some subconscious interference, but it felt as if her very fate had taken a different path... "After midnight, as a Vampire, I shall begin my hunt."
Resting her chin on her hand, Kagaribi no Kiriue was already impatient.
On the other side, Chen Yao was assigned to a very dilapidated room. Hachiman Hikigaya, Yukinoshita Yukino, and the others were all given very clean and magnificent guest rooms, but his room was clearly a storage room.
"Classmate Chen Yao, it's clear that Classmate Kagami really loathes you."
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't seem surprised as she looked at Chen Yao's rusty room and commented.
"That hateful woman... but whatever, I've stayed in even worse rooms." Chen Yao narrowed his eyes at this room with its different art style, eventually taking his change of clothes and preparing to move in.
"Don't you think this manor is a bit strange?"
Suddenly, the relatively silent Hachiman Hikigaya looked out the window and asked.
The others were all taken aback and looked at Hachiman Hikigaya; even Chen Yao felt that Hachiman might have discovered something.
"Kō-chan, what do you think is strange about this beautiful manor?"
Yui Yuigahama asked in confusion.
Hachiman Hikigaya looked at the eerie scenery outside the window and said thoughtfully, "Don't you think this place is like a manor on a completely closed-off island? Isolated and without help. Detective dramas about 'And Then There Were None' cases usually use this kind of scenery..."
But before Hachiman Hikigaya could finish, Yukinoshita Yukino took Yui Yuigahama's hand and walked toward their room, saying coldly, "Yuihama student, we should go back to our room to rest. Ignore these two stupid boys."
Chen Yao and Hachiman Hikigaya watched them leave helplessly; girls really didn't like boys fantasizing about horror stories.
"..." Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Chen Yao for a moment and asked, "Want to just sleep in my room? Making a bed on the floor wouldn't be bad."