Chapter 300: Staying the Night

After quietly following the man for over ten minutes, Lei Yin concluded that this guy must be a novice.

Since stealing the underwear, he had been acting nervously, walking quickly as if he were rushing to reincarnate, constantly looking around to see if anyone was watching. His suspicious behavior was so exaggerated it was like he wanted everyone to know he was a thief.

While Lei Yin was considering how to deal with the clumsy thief once he caught him, Rumi suddenly whispered, “Senpai, wait a moment.”

When Lei Yin turned to look at her, he couldn’t help but laugh.

She was hopping on one foot in a “crane stance,” trying to slip her fallen slipper back onto her bare foot. In her haste earlier, one of her slippers had slipped off.

When she returned to Lei Yin’s side, she stuck out her tongue awkwardly, clearly embarrassed. She was beginning to regret not changing her shoes before coming out.

With his sharp eyes, Lei Yin noticed a red mark on her toes where the front of the slipper had rubbed her skin raw.

Seeing the thief getting farther away, Rumi grew anxious. “Senpai, let’s hurry, or we’ll lose him.”

Lei Yin glanced at her and then turned his back to her. “Get on. I’ll carry you.”

Thinking he was frustrated by her slow pace, Rumi quickly said, “No need, I’ll be more careful and won’t lose my shoe again.”

“I said get on. Hurry up.”

Afraid of upsetting him, Rumi obediently climbed onto his back.

After securing her, Lei Yin picked up the pace and caught up with the thief.

“I’m sorry, Senpai. It’s all my fault for insisting on coming,” Rumi said softly, her voice filled with guilt.

“When we get back to the inn, put some medicine on your toes. Otherwise, it’ll hurt a lot tomorrow,” Lei Yin said calmly.

Only then did Rumi realize why he had offered to carry her. In that moment, her nose tingled, and tears blurred her vision.

“Okay,” she whispered, hugging his neck tightly.

After following the thief for about half an hour, Lei Yin saw him enter a dilapidated apartment building. The man went up to the second floor and stopped at the last room in the hallway, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

Not wanting Rumi to enter such a seedy place, Lei Yin put her down nearby. “Wait here. If anything happens, just shout, and I’ll come right away.”

Rumi, surprisingly obedient, didn’t insist on going with him. Instead, she softly said, “Senpai, be careful.”

“I will.” With that, Lei Yin quickly headed toward the thief’s apartment.

When Lei Yin reached the door, he could hear heavy breathing from inside. Judging by the sound, he could tell there was only one person in the room. He immediately guessed what the pervert planned to do with the stolen underwear.

Anger surged through him, and he kicked the door open.

The man inside was stunned by the sudden intrusion, frozen in place.

Entering the dimly lit room, Lei Yin saw that the lights were off, and the only illumination came from a TV playing an adult film. A man in his twenties with a face full of acne was sitting in front of the TV, holding the stolen underwear.

Before the man could react, Lei Yin shut the door and launched into a barrage of punches and kicks.

After thoroughly beating him, Lei Yin, not wanting to be recognized, kicked over the TV, plunging the room into darkness. Grabbing the man by the hair, he said, “Take out all the underwear you stole. Now!”

The man groaned in pain, but when Lei Yin punched him a few more times, he quickly begged for mercy.

“Don’t make me say it a third time. Take out the underwear you stole!” Lei Yin shoved him to the floor.

Realizing the intruder was after the stolen items, the man scrambled to a cabinet, opened a drawer, and said, “It’s all in here! Take it! Just let me go, please!” He was crying loudly.

“Take it to the balcony and burn it.”

The man, terrified, hurriedly grabbed the underwear and went to the balcony.

After ensuring all the underwear was burned, Lei Yin glanced at him and smirked. “Let’s see how lucky you are.” With that, he kicked the man squarely in the groin.

The man let out a blood-curdling scream as Lei Yin jumped off the second-floor balcony and landed on the ground.

Lei Yin was confident in his kick’s force—not enough to permanently damage the man, but enough to leave him in pain for a month or two.

Moments after Lei Yin landed, lights began turning on throughout the apartment building.

“Who’s screaming this late at night?”

“Sounds like it’s coming from the second floor.”

“How can anyone sleep with such noise? I told you we shouldn’t live here; it’s noisy every night.”

“Maybe it’s that couple on the second floor, Aoyagi and his girlfriend, fighting again? Ugh, don’t they care about others? I have work tomorrow!”

As more people emerged from their apartments to investigate, none noticed a figure quietly slipping away into the night.

When Lei Yin returned to the meeting spot, Rumi greeted him cheerfully, “You’re back, Senpai?”

Smiling, Lei Yin playfully pinched her cheek and then turned his back to her. “Hop on.”

Rumi happily climbed onto his back with a grin.

Not wanting to be seen, Lei Yin quickened his pace. Meanwhile, the kendo girl clinging to his back could barely contain her joy, feeling as if she had lucked out. If it weren’t for her slippers causing trouble, she wouldn’t have been able to enjoy such “luxury treatment.” Thinking about how this wouldn’t last once they returned, she instinctively hugged his neck tighter.

Feeling a bit warm, Lei Yin remarked, “Hey, are you trying to strangle me?”

“You’re so stingy, Senpai. Can’t I just hug you a bit?”

“But you’re holding on like you’re trying to twist my head off!”

“That’s not true! By the way, Senpai, what happened with that guy?”

“Actually, he wasn’t too bad at heart,” Lei Yin began in a self-righteous tone. “When I confronted him, I scolded him thoroughly, then patiently reasoned with him. He ended up crying and admitting his mistake. I let him off after making him burn the stolen underwear. As I left, he loudly promised never to do anything like that again.”

Rumi looked skeptical. “Is that true, Senpai?”

“Are you accusing me of lying? Anyway, it’s already late. If you can’t get up tomorrow, just say you’re feeling unwell and skip practice. Missing one day won’t hurt.” He quickly changed the subject.

“That doesn’t seem right… I’m not like you, Senpai. I hardly ever lie.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing at all.” Rumi chuckled mischievously, resting her head on his shoulder.

After walking for about ten more minutes, Lei Yin noticed a heavy moisture in the air. Looking up, he saw the stars obscured by a thick layer of clouds.

Damn, if it rains now, we’re in trouble. He quickened his pace.

A few minutes later, the kendo girl on his back felt a chill on her neck. Touching the spot, she found it wet. “Huh? Is it raining?”

Lei Yin glanced forward and saw faint streaks of water descending sporadically from the sky.

“Looks like we won’t make it back. The rain’s going to get heavier. Do you know of any nearby shelter?” he asked while scanning the surroundings.

“I don’t know. Ever since coming here for training, I haven’t ventured out much.”

Lei Yin began running while searching for a place to take cover.

Suddenly, he noticed a large torii gate standing to the west. Knowing it marked the entrance to a shrine, he immediately headed in that direction.

As they got closer, he saw stone steps leading to the shrine within the torii.

“Wow, I didn’t know there was a shrine here,” Rumi said, pleasantly surprised.

“I’d rather it were a 24-hour diner,” Lei Yin replied while running. By now, the rain had started to intensify.

“Wait, Senpai!” Rumi called out just as he was about to pass through the torii.

“What is it?”

“My grandfather says you can’t enter a shrine directly; you have to pay respects first. Can I bow for a moment?”

“The rain’s getting heavier. Be quick about it,” Lei Yin said with mild exasperation, setting her down.

Standing before the torii, Rumi closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and bowed reverently.

Lei Yin understood that for Japanese people, the space beyond a torii was considered sacred, while the outside represented the mundane world. It was customary to show respect before entering, especially for someone like Rumi, who grew up in a traditional household.

“Okay, done!” Rumi said cheerfully after finishing her bow.

Lei Yin promptly lifted her onto his back and dashed up the long staircase.

After climbing more than thirty stone steps in one go, Rumi shyly asked, “Senpai, am I heavy?”

Is every woman self-conscious about this? Lei Yin thought, amused. He recalled that during a trip to Nagoya, Naoko had asked the same thing when he carried her while avoiding the man with a cursed blade.

“Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly. “You’re not heavier than Okawa-senpai.”

Rumi pouted at his so-called “reassurance.” “That’s so mean, Senpai, comparing me to Okawa-senpai!”

Lei Yin teased, “I really don’t understand how you girls think sometimes. You’re already so thin, practically just skin and bones, yet you still think you’re fat. If you ever try to go on a diet like that, watch out—I’ll spank you.”

“But don’t most guys think girls look better when they’re thinner?” Rumi asked, puzzled.

Lei Yin scoffed, “Only those brainwashed by popular trends think that way. Any man with his own opinion wouldn’t like someone who looks like a skeleton.”

Hearing this, Rumi couldn’t help but feel relieved that she hadn’t followed Takeshima Shinobu’s example of dieting. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it before, but with the intense physical training she underwent, skipping meals would likely cause her to faint during practice.

In no time, Lei Yin had climbed the nearly 100 steps with ease.

When they reached the entrance of the shrine, Lei Yin noticed that it wasn’t small in scale. There were several large buildings within, with the main hall in the center being the most prominent, a place dedicated to the primary deity. The entire shrine was unlit and surrounded by darkness, giving it an eerie atmosphere.

He approached a structure that seemed like a resting area for worshippers. Pushing the door, he found it unlocked and easily opened it.

Under the faint starlight outside, Lei Yin saw that the interior was relatively clean. After putting Rumi down from his back, he gently checked her hair to see if it was wet.

“Looks like we made it in time. Otherwise, we’d both be drenched,” he said.

“How long do you think this rain will last, Senpai?” Rumi asked.

“If it’s heavy rain, it should end quickly. But with this moderate rain, who knows? Let’s rest here for a bit,” Lei Yin suggested.

“Okay.”

Not long after they sat down, the kendo girl began to inch closer to him, clearly afraid of the dark. Lei Yin found this amusing but suddenly felt a mischievous urge.

“Rumi, since we’ve got some time, how about I tell you a story?”

“Sure.”

Clearing his throat, Lei Yin deliberately lowered his voice, “This happened on a rainy night more than twenty years ago. It was late at night, just like now. At midnight, a security guard responsible for patrolling an office building took his flashlight and went about his usual rounds, checking to ensure no employees were still inside. When he reached the fifth floor, he suddenly noticed a trail of wet footprints on the floor.”

At this point, Rumi began to feel uneasy. The story wasn’t unfolding as she had expected—it exuded an eerie atmosphere. Subconsciously, she clung to his arm.

“‘Strange,’ thought the guard. ‘Who would be here this late?’ Intrigued, he followed the footprints. They led into one of the offices but then suddenly disappeared. Just as he was puzzling over this, he heard heavy, wet footsteps coming from the corridor outside. Plop… plop… plop. Rushing back to the hallway, he found no one there—only the trail of wet footprints leading to the restroom…”

“Stop it! I don’t want to hear anymore!” Rumi exclaimed, terrified now that it was clear this was a ghost story.

Lei Yin chuckled. “You’re such a scaredy-cat. If it were Kazumi, she’d probably say, ‘Brother, that story’s so old! Tell me something fresh.’”

“Senpai, you’re so mean! You know I’m scared, yet you still tell such stories,” Rumi pouted.

Lei Yin laughed, then glanced at the rain outside. After a moment, he said, “Who knows how long this rain will last? You should get some sleep. I’ll wake you up in the morning.” He got up and gathered some cushions nearby to make her a pillow.

Exhausted from the day’s training and the evening’s events, Rumi found herself growing sleepier. She stacked the cushions and lay down.

After she was settled, Lei Yin sat cross-legged beside her and closed his eyes to rest.

After a while, the kendo girl’s slightly fearful voice broke the silence. “Senpai, I’m scared. Can I hold your hand while I sleep?”

Lei Yin opened his eyes and looked at her before extending his left hand.

“Thank you, Senpai,” Rumi said, her voice filled with relief as she eagerly grasped his hand.

Before long, she drifted off to sleep.

In the quiet darkness, Lei Yin gazed at her innocent, carefree sleeping face. A contemplative expression gradually appeared in his eyes.

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We’re close to the end.