Chapter 188: In the Thicket

When Yoshikawa jumped out of the car to follow, Lei Yin had already disappeared into the thicket.

Deeper within the trees, Lei Yin found Takeda sitting on the ground in an utterly disheveled and ridiculous manner, trembling uncontrollably.

Seeing that Takeda wasn’t injured, Lei Yin let out a sigh of relief.

“What happened?” Lei Yin asked, walking over and pulling him up.

“There… there’s a bear. Right up ahead…” Takeda stammered, raising his trembling right hand to point deeper into the thicket.

Lei Yin didn’t dismiss it as a hallucination because he could clearly smell the strong scent of blood lingering in the air.

He quickly concluded that what Takeda saw likely wasn’t a bear. Kyoto’s climate wasn’t suited for bears, and they wouldn’t be found near busy roads. Though Takeda described it as a bear, the darkness likely obscured his vision. Sensing that something unusual was happening, Lei Yin decided to investigate.

“Go find Yoshikawa and wait for me here,” Lei Yin instructed before dashing deeper into the thicket.

“Masashi, don’t go in!” Takeda shouted, but before he could finish, Lei Yin’s figure had already vanished into the darkness.

Not knowing what to do, Takeda hesitated. Just then, Yoshikawa ran in and, upon seeing him, immediately asked, “What happened?”

“When I was relieving myself, I heard a sound ahead and went to check. I saw a massive bear hiding in the thicket. I was so terrified I couldn’t even run. Luckily, my scream scared it off.”

“Are you sure you weren’t seeing things? I’ve never heard of bears appearing in Kyoto. Where’s Masashi?” Yoshikawa looked around but didn’t see Lei Yin.

“He ran in.”

“What? Is that guy out of his mind?”

“What should we do? Should we go in and look for him?”

“Do you have a flashlight in your car? If you do, grab it now.”

“Why would I have something like that in my car? But there are three of us, and while the bear was huge, it seemed timid—otherwise, it wouldn’t have run from my scream. Let’s go find Masashi quickly,” Takeda said, trying to reassure himself.

Yoshikawa sighed. “I hope you were just seeing things. If it really is a bear, even more people won’t make a difference. It’s a pity it’s so dark here. Otherwise, we could at least find a stick for protection.”

As the two nervously prepared to venture in, a rustling sound came from the bushes ahead. Startled, they instinctively stepped back, staring at the noise.

The sound of movement grew closer and closer. Remembering the earlier terrifying encounter, Takeda wanted to flee.

Finally, the figure that had them so terrified emerged—and it was Lei Yin.

Relief flooded Takeda, and he collapsed onto the ground.

“Masashi, are you okay?” Yoshikawa asked.

“I’m fine, but I found something inside.” Lei Yin tossed the object he was dragging with his left hand in front of them.

Takeda and Yoshikawa stared at the large Great Dane lying motionless on the ground, clearly dead.

“So, there really was a bear?” Yoshikawa said, surprised.

“I told you there was a bear, but you didn’t believe me,” Takeda said, pouting.

Lei Yin shook his head. “I don’t think it was a bear. Bears aren’t that agile or quick. Besides, I didn’t see any bear tracks in there. I examined this dog just now—it was killed by an animal that bit through its throat. Its entire body has been drained of blood. I’ve seen a similar corpse before, but it wasn’t a dog. It was a human.”

Both Takeda and Yoshikawa were horrified as chills ran down their spines.

Yoshikawa asked, “Masashi, what do you think that thing was?”

“This isn’t exactly a secret. Do you remember the recent case involving live experiments uncovered at the residence of former Tokyo governor Ikeyama Toshi? If my guess is correct, what Takeda just saw might be one of the experimental subjects that escaped.”

“You mean experimental subjects? Those half-human, half-beast monsters?” Takeda gasped.

Yoshikawa thought for a moment before replying, “But the news didn’t mention any experimental subjects escaping.”

In fact, none of the rescued stowaways at the time exhibited traits of transformation into beasts. Most were either candidates for experiments or had been injected with small amounts of drugs. Other than the few experimental subjects dismembered by Lei Yin, the reporters didn’t find any others showing signs of transformation. Presumably, they were kept elsewhere.

“I know someone who works in the police department. He told me he saw a document at the scene recording this incident, but it was later confiscated by public security,” Lei Yin casually made up an explanation.

“So what do we do now? Should we report this to the police?” Takeda asked.

“This is just our speculation. Besides, without a body, the police won’t believe it. You two can take your time here if you want; I’m heading back. Otherwise, the little one might get scared,” Lei Yin said as he walked away.

The two remaining men glanced at the dark, eerie grove ahead, shuddered, and quickly decided they wouldn’t stay to “take their time.”

Back at the parking lot, Amy jumped out of the car and ran to Lei Yin the moment she saw him.

Lei Yin picked her up and gently asked, “Were you scared being alone?”

The little girl nodded.

“Everything’s fine now. Let’s head back,” Lei Yin said as he stroked her head and carried her back into the car.

“A night this dark and we run into something like this,” Takeda grumbled as he and Yoshikawa returned a while later.

Thinking about the dog’s corpse he had seen earlier, Lei Yin sat in the car, lost in thought.

※※※

Over the following days, Takeda and Yoshikawa acted as tour guides, driving Lei Yin and the others around. They visited nearly all the famous tourist spots: Lake Biwa, Sagano, Sanjusangendo, Nishi Honganji, Kiyomizudera, Ginkakuji, Arashiyama, Kinkakuji, and more.

It happened to coincide with the Gion Festival, one of Kyoto’s largest annual festivals, making the surroundings particularly lively.

The Gion Festival runs from July 1 to 29 at Yasaka Shrine. According to legend, in 869 AD, a plague spread in Kyoto. People carried sacred objects from Gion Shrine and erected 66 halberds representing the provinces of Japan at Shinsen-en to pray for the plague’s eradication. This eventually evolved into a festival.

As the festival began, more relatives and friends started visiting Takeda’s home.

Coming from a traditional family and during such an important occasion, Takeda was strictly ordered by his father to wear a kimono at home. This command greatly annoyed Takeda, but under the weight of his father’s authority, he begrudgingly complied.

It was the first time Lei Yin and Naoko had seen Takeda, who usually dyed his hair, wore earrings, and dressed in ripped jeans like a rebellious punk, don a kimono. Seeing him squirm as if his kimono was full of fleas made them burst out laughing.

In contrast, Yoshikawa, who was similarly required to wear a kimono by his family, appeared much more composed and showed no signs of resistance.

Although Naoko had previously taught English in high school, she also came from a very traditional family. Her gentle and elegant demeanor suited a kimono perfectly. Taking advantage of the festival, Lei Yin brought her to a local kimono shop to buy her a set, and he also planned to get one for Amy to try on.

At the kimono shop, when Naoko emerged wearing a furisode (long-sleeved kimono) adorned with floral and bird patterns, everyone, including the shop owner, was visibly amazed.

“Lei, how about this one?” Naoko softly asked her lover.

Lei Yin stepped forward, gently resting his hands on her shoulders and carefully examined her before smiling and saying, “You should never wear something like this to someone else’s wedding. The bride might get upset.”

Naoko’s face immediately turned red, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

Seeing her shy and stunning demeanor, the kimono shop owner nearly drooled, while Takeda and Yoshikawa sighed internally, envious of their friend’s good fortune in finding such an extraordinary woman to be his girlfriend.

Next, it was Amy’s turn to try on a kimono. Since wearing a formal kimono involved a lot of intricate steps, Lei Yin asked a female clerk to help Amy dress.

While Amy went into the changing room, Lei Yin noticed Naoko staring at an elaborate and brightly colored bridal kimono in a daze. Understanding her thoughts, Lei Yin gently took her soft hand in his and said, “If you like it, let’s buy it now. When I marry you someday, you can wear this kimono and wait for me to come and pick you up. How about that?”

“Lei…” Naoko turned to him, her tear-filled eyes gazing at him longingly. After a moment, she couldn’t hold back anymore and leaned into his arms, quietly sobbing.

Lei Yin softly stroked her long, silky hair.

Witnessing this, Yoshikawa sighed and remarked to Takeda, “Good thing this guy isn’t interested in Haruko. Compared to her, I’m not even at the level of a high schooler, and you’re still stuck at kindergarten.”

“Go to hell,” Takeda retorted but couldn’t help looking enviously at the embracing couple.

Compared to adult kimonos, children’s kimonos were simpler to put on. Before long, Amy came out of the dressing room wearing a pink kimono.

In contrast to Naoko’s mature elegance, Amy’s adorable charm was an entirely different kind of visual impact. Dressed in a kimono, the little girl resembled an oversized Japanese doll, making it hard for anyone to resist the urge to hug her tightly.

“Lei, this outfit feels so strange,” Amy said, finding the unfamiliar attire amusing. She excitedly examined the long sleeves, occasionally swishing them back and forth.

Lei Yin crouched down and asked her to do a twirl, then said, “You look amazing in it, little one.”

“Really?” Amy asked, her large round eyes looking up at him.

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll wear it!” Amy joyfully hugged his neck.

When Lei Yin went to pay for the kimonos, Takeda asked, “Masashi, aren’t you going to get one for yourself?”

“I don’t like wearing kimonos.”

Takeda cheerfully patted his shoulder. “Me neither! Looks like we’re on the same page.”

What Takeda didn’t realize was that Lei Yin’s dislike wasn’t that simple. Although kimonos originated from the Tang Dynasty in China and were based on Tang-era attire, they had since evolved into uniquely Japanese clothing. Lei Yin found it hard to tolerate the discomfort he felt when wearing a kimono. It wasn’t exactly disgust; perhaps “resistance” was a more fitting description.

No matter where he was reincarnated, deep down, Lei Yin still considered himself Chinese. Before being struck by lightning and turned into an immortal spirit, he had already been a mature adult. Time might change many things, but certain deeply ingrained habits and beliefs were difficult to alter. Instead, they often grew stronger as time passed.

When they returned to Takeda’s house, Yoshikawa noticed a red sports car parked at the entrance. He turned to Takeda and said, “Looks like your cousin is here.”

“I haven’t seen that guy in about a year. Wonder how he’s doing now?”

“You’ll know once we check.”

As they walked toward the garden, Takeda’s three younger cousins saw Amy in her kimono and immediately ran over to surround her.

Over the past few days, despite the language barrier, the kids had grown fond of Amy’s adorable and well-mannered appearance. Lei Yin had also deliberately encouraged her to interact with other children. Gradually, Amy had stopped resisting and even started playing with them.

When they reached Takeda’s room, bursts of laughter came from inside. Takeda recognized his cousin’s voice and opened the door. Sure enough, Hayama Akiji, who was tall and well-built, was sitting inside playing cards with three other young men around his age. Takeda had met them before—they were Akiji’s high school friends.

Hearing the door open, Akiji turned around and saw Takeda. Smiling, he said, “Eishun, long time no see.”

Takeda sat down beside him. “Yeah, it’s been a year since you went to university. How have you been?”

“Not great, but not bad either. Yoshikawa is here too, and this is…” Akiji glanced at Lei Yin, curious.

“He’s my university classmate and close friend, Gennai Masashi,” Takeda introduced.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Hayama Akiji, Eishun’s cousin.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lei Yin replied.

Akiji then turned back to Takeda. “I heard from Aunt that you got into Teikyo University. Is that true?”

Takeda, feeling a little proud, replied, “Of course it’s true.”

“Wow, who would’ve thought you’d make it into Teikyo? That’s really surprising.”

“That’s all thanks to my own ability.”

As the two chatted, Naoko, who had just returned from putting away her kimono, called out from outside before opening the door. She hadn’t expected others to be there, so she quickly apologized and quietly walked over to sit beside Lei Yin.

Akiji and his friends were stunned by the sudden appearance of this breathtaking beauty. For a moment, their eyes were fixed on her every move.

“Eishun, who is this young lady?” Akiji asked after snapping out of his daze.

“She’s Masashi’s girlfriend, Hasegawa Naoko. She came here with him,” Takeda replied.

Learning that this stunning beauty was the girlfriend of an ordinary-looking guy like Lei Yin, all four of them were dumbfounded and inwardly lamenting the waste.

At this point, Lei Yin turned to Takeda and said, “Since your cousin is here, we’ll head back to the room. You guys enjoy.”

“Alright, I’ll come find you later,” Takeda said, knowing that Lei Yin didn’t like talking with strangers and didn’t push him to stay.

Watching the top-tier beauty get up to leave with the increasingly irksome Lei Yin, Akiji and his friends felt both regretful and helpless.

When they reached the door, Lei Yin suddenly stopped in his tracks. Without even putting on his shoes, he flung the door open and rushed outside.

Yoshikawa, having never seen him like this before, immediately turned to Naoko. “What’s going on with him?”

“I don’t know either,” Naoko replied, hastily putting on her shoes and following after him.

Takeda and Yoshikawa, unsure of what was happening, had no choice but to follow as well.

Akiji and his friends, thinking something exciting was about to happen, quickly tagged along.