Sudo Ken gave a simple response.
He walked aimlessly, exiting from the campsite entrance. In truth, he knew very well that Horikita Suzune likely wouldn't like him. It was already good enough that the two could reconcile after the study group, and given his impulsive personality, he figured girls wouldn't like his type.
He walked dejectedly along the highway. Deep down, he had the urge to leave this place, but walking along the highway should generally be fine.
However, after walking for what he estimated to be a good seven or eight kilometers, he felt he had walked enough and intended to head back. But after walking back a distance on a small side road without streetlights, he saw a three-way junction with three winding paths... "Huh?"
At that moment, a sense of unease immediately welled up in Sudo Ken's heart.
Because it was pitch black while he was walking, he hadn't paid much attention to the route. But now that he was turning back, he realized he didn't know which fork he had come from... Sudo Ken stood at these three paths leading to who-knows-where. This kind of one-way road didn't have any signs. He felt his pockets, only to realize he had left his phone in the tent.
"I... couldn't be lost, could I?"
Sudo Ken stood by the roadside, thinking silently.
At 10:15 PM, while some were playing video games, others were playing cards, and some were admiring the scenery, Sudo Kyoichi walked in from outside, drenched in sweat, and said loudly, "Everyone, Ken is missing."
Everyone in the camp was stunned. A cold wind brushed against Chen Yao's body as he realized the severity of the situation.
After all, although Lake Motosu was beautiful, this was a mountainous area, and surrounding it was a vast expanse of ancient Japanese forest, a place famous for legends of disappearances and suicides... Chapter 060: Sakayanagi Arisu's Sincere Question
"Hmm? What does that mean?"
Horikita Manabu asked in confusion.
Faced with this unexpected situation, everyone hadn't fully grasped it for a moment.
"Didn't that guy Ken say at eight o'clock that he was going for a walk to clear his head? Now two hours have passed. I tried calling him but found the kid didn't bring his phone. I've searched all along the highway and couldn't find him. That guy didn't go for a walk in the forest, did he?"
Sudo Kyoichi was covered in sweat, but his face was pale as he explained.
Those who knew Sudo Ken knew he was very impulsive. Although he could sometimes calm down quickly, the fear was that he might lose his way while walking, especially on mountain roads at night.
"So should we call the police immediately? But if the police come... I remember it takes about an hour."
Shima Rin, having heard the news from the neighboring tent, asked with concern.
"There's no other way; we really do need to call the police. This isn't something that can be delayed; we need to start a search and rescue operation immediately."
Horikita Manabu quickly said to Sudo Kyoichi, "Mr. Sudo, please go to the ticket office and inform them of the situation."
"..."
Horikita Suzune began to have a bad premonition. She couldn't help but wonder if Sudo Ken had done something foolish and impulsive after feeling her rejection.
"Suzune, Yamauchi, Ike Kanji, you three continue searching within the campsite. Remember not to enter the woods and stay in contact by phone at all times."
Horikita Manabu began to organize the available hands for the first step of the rescue, saying, "Chen Yao, Ayanokoji-kun, and I will go on foot and search along the highway. This is all we can do for now. If we can't find him, we'll have to rely on the rescue team."
"President, I don't think we need to worry that much. Although this is the mountains, Ken shouldn't get lost. He wouldn't do something that stupid."
Yamauchi Haruki, who knew Sudo Ken better, said.
"It's not a matter of whether he's willing or not. Do you know what kind of place this is? Although the beautiful Lake Motosu is here, at the same time, this is very close to the famous suicide forest, Aokigahara Forest. The surrounding areas are all forest zones where it's easy to get lost."
Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses and stated seriously.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka also spoke slowly, "In fact, every year tourists who come here to visit are just taking a walk when they accidentally enter the forest and go missing. Every time, people think they are just admiring the beauty of the forest and that there's no problem as long as they don't go deep, but that's how they vanish forever, never to be found to this day."
Under the streetlights, everyone finally realized how dangerous mountain roads are at night. Sudo Kyoichi was also very self-reproachful; after all, he was used to driving on mountain roads and didn't think there was any danger.
Chen Yao naturally understood the danger of the forest as well. He had extensive experience in forest exploration, but the more experience one has, the more one understands the inherent dangers. Moreover, he sensed that Sudo Ken wouldn't go as far as entering the forest, but there had been incidents of people getting lost even on the roadside of highways. There was once news of a Japanese person who went missing after getting lost while walking on a mountain highway.
The world is often full of such ironies; the most beautiful places are often filled with the most dangerous legends. For example, Mount Fuji in Japan, Shangri-La and Shennongjia in China, and Death Valley in the United States are all places where beauty and danger go hand in hand.
"We'll help search the camp too. There are actually some places that are easily overlooked, and we should check if the small boats by the shore have been moved."
Shima Rin also stepped forward. By now, Kagamihara Nadeshiko had been taken away by her older sister. She took out a flashlight and joined in.
"Thank you very much."
As the leader of Class D, Horikita Suzune bowed in gratitude.
"No need, but what we can do is indeed limited. I hope Sudo-kun is okay," Shima Rin replied with a warm voice.
Soon the team was split into two groups: one to search the highway and the other to search the campsite. After all, Sudo Kyoichi had been searching alone initially, so there was a high probability that some places were missed.
"I'll join in as well."
At that moment, Sakayanagi Arisu stood up and said to them.
Chen Yao looked at her and said worriedly, "You'd better not go. Your leg makes it inconvenient."
"It's alright, I can still be of help in this area. Thank you for your concern."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled at him, still insisting on joining the search.
Chen Yao didn't insist further, as Horikita Suzune and Shima Rin were also helping in the team. After nodding, he left with Horikita Manabu and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka to find the person on the highway.
Holding her cane, Sakayanagi Arisu watched Chen Yao's departing back. She felt that he was like a warrior of justice who could set out at any moment; as soon as he heard someone nearby was in danger, his entire aura changed, appearing serious and filled with a fiery light in the darkness.
She then glanced at the somewhat despondent Horikita Suzune, seemingly understanding why she had become like this.
"Alright, everyone, we should head out too."
She smiled and said to the group.
~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~
Everyone began holding flashlights, walking along Lake Motosu while shouting, "Sudo, where are you?" They checked the toilets, warehouses, and even the shower rooms one by one.
But the campsite was much larger than imagined. Eventually, the five people split into two groups. Shima Rin, who was familiar with the terrain, took the two boys to search the east side, while Sakayanagi Arisu and Horikita Suzune went to the parking area on the west side to look again.
The two girls held flashlights, shining them around in the darkness. One moved with a vigorous pace in front, while the other had to move slowly behind with the help of a cane.
Japanese mountains, Yomawari, two cute girls holding flashlights—it really had the visual feel of a Japanese horror game.
"I expect Sudo just went out for a walk."
Sakayanagi Arisu said, shining her flashlight toward the dark end of the parking lot.
"No, we have to search thoroughly." But Horikita Suzune did not intend to give up. Her expression was extremely uneasy as she prepared to search further inside.
Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent. She stopped walking and asked Horikita Suzune, "What exactly are you so nervous about, Horikita-san?"
Horikita Suzune was stunned and turned back in confusion, asking, "What are you saying..."
"I should be the one asking you. You are very nervous. Why would the leader of Class D be so anxious and uneasy? Sudo-kun is indeed missing, but he is a star athlete and a boy. Yet you act as if you have a sense of guilt, constantly trying to atone for something."
In the darkness, Sakayanagi Arisu stood between two cars, sounding like a judge as she questioned her.
Horikita Suzune, having her inner unease exposed, frowned even deeper. After a moment of silence, she said, "What exactly are you talking about? You, who knows nothing..."
"I do know. Sudo likes you."
Sakayanagi Arisu stated the answer nonchalantly.
Horikita Suzune was startled, looking at Sakayanagi Arisu with a bone-chilling sensation.
"But you don't like Sudo."
Sakayanagi Arisu's observational skills were remarkable. She walked out from between the dark cars and said, "So, you think Sudo-kun went missing this time because you rejected him, is that it?"
Horikita Suzune shone her flashlight on Sakayanagi Arisu. Her face was grim from what was said, but there was still a spark in her heart that kept her from lowering her head.
"If something really happened to Sudo-kun, what would you think, Horikita-san? Would you regret it? Would you even think that it would have been better if you hadn't rejected him?"
Sakayanagi Arisu asked a very sharp question.
Hearing this, Horikita Suzune eventually shook her head and answered seriously, "No."
Sakayanagi Arisu was slightly taken aback, surprised by Horikita Suzune's decisive answer.
"Although I indeed do not like Sudo-kun and am worried he might do something impulsive because of this, I will not regret it."
Horikita Suzune looked at Sakayanagi Arisu and said, "Someone told me that if it's a mission, you must do it even if you don't want to. If it's an interest, you can accept failure. But if it has already become a burden to happiness, you should bypass it. I am very clear about the decision I made. Even if I had to choose again, I would still choose my original intention. I will absolutely not regret it."
Sakayanagi Arisu looked at Horikita Suzune with some surprise. She realized that the intelligence she had gathered not long ago about her weaknesses had suddenly become invalid.
"Hehe..."
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly burst into laughter. It seemed like a chuckle she couldn't cover with her hand in time, but she truly looked like she was laughing very happily.
Horikita Suzune frowned in dissatisfaction and asked, "What's so funny?"
"No, I just feel like this logic was told to you by some guy who can't jump high. Am I right?" Sakayanagi Arisu asked with a smile.
Horikita Suzune's fair cheeks immediately turned red. She couldn't force out a single word and could only stand there.
Sakayanagi Arisu stopped pestering her and began walking back toward the camp. She looked back with a smile and said, "That's right, it should be like this. I initially thought you were just a weak little sister pretending to be tough to perform well in front of your older brother, but now... you truly are the leader of Class D, not Ayanokoji-kun. You are an opponent qualified to face me."
After saying that, Sakayanagi Arisu leaned on her cane and headed toward the entrance on her own.
"..."
Horikita Suzune looked at Sakayanagi Arisu with a face full of confusion. The words just spoken by this proud princess of Class A seemed to be about Class A and Class D, but they also seemed to have a deeper meaning...
On the winding highway, Horikita Manabu, Chen Yao, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka walked along the road leading up the mountain, shouting Sudo's name as they went.
"This won't do; the forks in the road are starting to increase."
Horikita Manabu shone his flashlight into the pitch-black highway where one couldn't even see their own hand, and spoke with concern.
"Maybe it's because of all these forks that Sudo couldn't recognize the way back after finishing his walk?"
Chen Yao used his flashlight to probe every path and asked.
"Ah, yeah. Never mind him, even I might not necessarily be able to find my way back," Horikita Manabu said, looking at the road conditions.
"That forest... is that Aokigahara Forest?" Ayanokouji Kiyotaka asked, shining his light on the dense forest of vines.
Chen Yao shone his flashlight inside. It was as if an indescribable chill swept through the light. This forest was the subject of many horror legends, and it felt as if it were peering back at the three of them, trying to swallow them whole.
"I doubt Sudo-kun would be foolish enough to enter such a place. But we have a problem: we probably need to split up to search. To prevent getting lost, I'll give you these stickers. Confirm your phone signal every time you walk a certain distance."
Horikita Manabu gave each of them a memo sticker he carried in his pocket. He sighed deeply and said, "Originally, I didn't plan to continue taking risks. But Sudo is, after all, a student of our school, and you two are the ones I believe can decipher the coming dark moment. If we can't even overcome this small difficulty, there will be no future to speak of."
"Decipher the darkness?"
Chen Yao was stunned, then exchanged a look with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, not understanding why the President had suddenly used such chuunibyou-sounding terms.
"Alright, once you find him, remember to call and notify everyone."
Horikita Manabu said to the two before setting out.
After Chen Yao and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka both nodded, the three of them each chose a path and moved forward.
Chen Yao walked alone on the highway near Aokigahara Forest. His flashlight couldn't illuminate very far, as if the darkness had enveloped everything, reminding him of that extremely difficult and terrifying past.
When an ordinary person enters dark soul, they must face all kinds of monsters at every moment, facing the test of death at every turn. Every step requires firming one's conviction; it's by no means something that can be cleared with cool composure. The abilities he possesses today were all gained by overcoming difficulties step by step—overcoming fear, overcoming pain, overcoming weakness... Eventually, he emerged from that dark world.
The sorrowful and despairing Aokigahara Forest swayed incessantly in the wind, as if it were sensing his presence.
Just then, a girl's voice asked softly: [Are you looking for someone?]
"?"
Chen Yao was stunned. He turned his head and saw a girl in white, looking like a middle school student, watching him from behind. Her body was very transparent; clearly, she was not human.
Although Chen Yao vaguely knew from the last Test of Courage that supernatural beings existed in this world, this was his first time actually communicating with a ghost.
"You're a ghost, aren't you? Don't try to harm anyone. You should just pass on peacefully."
Chen Yao wasn't particularly afraid of ghosts by nature. He stood on this empty highway, glanced back at her, and then chose to continue searching for his Classmate.
[There is an aura of warm flames on you, so I was drawn here. But don't worry, I have no intention of harming you. I only dared to see you because you are Ayanokoji-kun's friend.]
The girl ghost said with a smile.
"You know Ayanokouji-kun?"
Chen Yao was surprised. He stopped again and turned back to ask.
[...Aokigahara is a gathering place for those who commit suicide. People who have lost hope, lost their dreams, or are simply exhausted—those with wavering and uneasy hearts choose this as the final place to end their lives. I was the same, eventually coming to a standstill... For us, the world is dark, until I saw a flicker of fire... I came over and saw you.]
The young girl ghost said, looking at Chen Yao enviously.
In her eyes, this figure's body was speckled with sparks, as if wreathed in flames, illuminating the space.