Chapter 314: Night Hunt

“Senpai, what are you doing?”

“Setting a trap. If we’re lucky, we’ll catch something by tomorrow,” Lei Yin said as he carefully set up a snare.

Rumi curiously asked, “Can you really catch wild animals?”

Lei Yin shook his head. “This might be the outskirts, but it’s too close to residential areas. There aren’t any big wild animals, but maybe some rabbits or muntjac might show up. It’s all about luck.”

After thinking for a moment, Rumi asked, “Senpai, you’re not really planning to eat snakes, are you?”

Brushing the dirt off his hands, Lei Yin replied, “Of course we are. Why else would Old Kuang and I be out here in the middle of the night? Eating seafood every day has gotten boring; we wanted to try something different. Don’t worry, Old Kuang may not be good at much else, but his skills in cooking game are top-notch. If I hadn’t brought some good wine, he wouldn’t have even agreed to come.”

The kendo girl looked at him nervously. “Senpai, you guys seem willing to eat anything. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.”

Sitting down on the grass, Lei Yin smiled. “If you try Old Kuang’s cooking, you might change your mind. Back in the day, I fought countless matches with him, mostly because I wanted him to cook game for me after he lost. It’s funny when you think about it—a monk who doesn’t drink or eat meat but happens to be a master at preparing game.” He couldn’t help but laugh at the memory.

Although Rumi didn’t fully understand his story, seeing him laugh so happily made her chuckle softly as well.

Quietly sitting beside him, she gazed up at the stars. After a while, she exclaimed with delight, “Senpai, the stars here are so bright! They seem even brighter than the ones I saw during training camp last time.”

Looking up at the sky, Lei Yin said, “That’s because city air pollution is much worse. It’s normal not to see them clearly. Alright, let’s move to another spot to set more traps.” He patted the grass off his clothes and stood up.

“Okay,” Rumi replied, reluctantly getting up to follow him.

When they reached a small pond, Rumi was surprised to see the grass around it lit up with countless twinkling lights. The lights flickered and danced, creating a stunning scene.

“Se-Senpai, what’s that?” The kendo girl instinctively grabbed Lei Yin’s sleeve.

Lei Yin, slightly amused, replied, “They’re just fireflies. Haven’t you seen them before?”

Rumi shook her head blankly, her wide eyes fixed on the enchanting sight.

Seeing her reaction, Lei Yin found it funny but then remembered that it was likely her first time seeing fireflies. Growing up in Hokkaido, where the climate is relatively cold year-round—even in summer—fireflies wouldn’t thrive. Later, when she moved to Tokyo, the city’s urban environment made encounters with fireflies rare. It was no surprise she had never seen them before.

“They’re so beautiful,” Rumi finally whispered, recovering from her amazement.

“Want to catch a few to play with?” Lei Yin asked.

“Really? Yes!” The girl nodded eagerly.

Lei Yin chuckled and led her closer to the pond.

As they walked, Rumi grew more excited, watching the fireflies flit past her. At first, she hesitated to touch them, but after a while, she couldn’t resist reaching out to gently touch one. Eventually, she mustered the courage to catch one in her hands.

Holding the glowing insect in her palm, Rumi exclaimed, “Senpai, look! It’s glowing all by itself!”

“Yes, yes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called a firefly,” Lei Yin said with a smile. Watching her joy, he lit a cigarette and leaned against a tree.

Surrounded by the tiny, glowing creatures, the girl jumped and laughed like a child, her voice as crisp as silver bells.

She had insisted on coming along just to spend more time with him, but she hadn’t expected to witness such a magical scene.

As she continued chasing fireflies in her excitement, her left foot got caught in some grass, and she stumbled forward.

Lei Yin reacted quickly, catching her by the waist before she fell. After helping her stand, he scolded lightly, “Alright, don’t lose yourself in the fun.”

In that moment, Rumi’s heart raced wildly. She completely forgot about the glowing fireflies in her hands and around her, her mind occupied only by the sensation of his strong arms holding her.

In the darkness, Lei Yin didn’t notice her reaction. As he looked up at the fireflies flitting about in the night sky, he said casually, “When I was a kid, every summer I’d catch these things with a few other kids who lived nearby. We’d put the fireflies in sealed lanterns, using them both for light and as toys. Too bad they don’t last long—most would die within a day or two. Ha, I’m rambling again. Rumi, do you want to catch some to take back? Those two little brats would probably love it.”

After a moment of silence, Lei Yin didn’t hear a response. Feeling puzzled, he lightly patted her shoulder. “Rumi?”

“Huh?” Rumi snapped back to reality, her face burning hot like it had been scorched.

Lei Yin gently knocked her on the head. “What were you thinking about so deeply? I just asked if you wanted to catch some fireflies to take back.”

“Y-Yes! I’ll do it now,” she stammered, quickly turning to walk away. She didn’t want to stay any longer, afraid he might notice her unusual behavior—her heartbeat felt loud enough for even her own ears.

What a hasty little kid, Lei Yin thought with a smirk. She doesn’t even have anything to put them in. Oh well, she’ll figure it out soon enough. With that, he returned to setting up traps.

After absentmindedly catching a handful of fireflies, Rumi suddenly realized she didn’t have anything to store them in. Stealing a glance at Lei Yin, who was busy with the traps, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her still-racing heart.

After a while, when she felt confident enough to speak to him normally again, she began walking toward him.

Just then, she heard a rustling noise coming from the grass behind her.

Startled, she quickly turned around and shone her flashlight toward the source of the sound.

The dense grass began shaking more and more violently, as if something large was about to leap out. Terrified, she instinctively backed away.

“Don’t be scared. It’s just someone coming over,” Lei Yin’s familiar voice came from behind her.

Hearing his voice, Rumi immediately felt relieved.

Before long, a tall figure emerged from the grass.

When she saw who it was, Rumi realized she had scared herself over nothing.

“How’d it go?” Lei Yin lazily asked the newcomer.

“Not bad, not bad,” Kuang Dao said smugly, holding up the net in his hand for Lei Yin to see.

Under the beam of the flashlight, Rumi clearly saw the net filled with writhing, scaly creatures. The sight made her shudder, and she let out a scream before darting behind Lei Yin, as if for protection.

“What the hell are you screaming for? Never seen a snake?” Kuang Dao grumbled irritably.

“Senpai, y-you’re really going to eat those things?” Rumi whimpered from behind Lei Yin, sounding pitiful.

Lei Yin tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry. They’ll look a lot better after they’re cooked.”

“Senpai, please don’t eat them, I beg you,” Rumi pleaded, unable to imagine him putting such disgusting creatures into his mouth.

“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to eat them raw.”

“B-but…”

“What’s the point of explaining to this clueless kid? Let’s go. I need to get back and start cooking,” Kuang Dao said impatiently.

And so, the three of them began walking back toward the parking area at the edge of the forest. As they walked, Rumi clung tightly to Lei Yin’s other arm, her eyes fixed warily on Kuang Dao’s net, making sure to keep as far away from it as possible.

“Scaredy-cat,” Lei Yin teased, pinching her nose lightly. The affectionate gesture made Rumi’s heart race all over again.

※※※

“Here, kid, have a sip and tell me how it tastes.” Lei Yin poured some soup from a thermos into a bowl and placed it in front of Amy.

“Masashi, what are you trying to do to Amy?” Kurata Ryoko shrieked nervously from the side.

Lei Yin gave her an annoyed look before turning back to Amy. “Don’t pay attention to them. Go ahead and try it.”

The little girl, always obedient to him, nodded and picked up the bowl of soup in front of her, preparing to drink it.

The girls watching nearby couldn’t help but close their eyes, unable to bear the sight.

After Amy had taken a few sips of the soup, Lei Yin asked, “How does it taste?”

“Good,” the little girl replied honestly, nodding her head.

Lei Yin smiled in satisfaction. “Then have some more. You just got out of the hospital, so this will help nourish you.”

Kurata Ryoko sighed in exasperation. “Hey, Masashi, aren’t you worried Amy might get sick from this? I really don’t want to see her back in the hospital right after being discharged.”

Lei Yin crossed his legs leisurely. “Tsk, you don’t know anything. Snakes might look ugly, but they’re highly nutritious. I specifically got two from Kuang Dao to make this soup for her recovery.”

“If Amy saw the snakes you used to make the soup, she definitely wouldn’t dare drink it,” Kurata Ryoko said with a sympathetic glance at the little girl still sipping her soup.

Tani Akiko sighed. “I thought only Mr. Kuang Dao had such strange eating habits. I didn’t expect Masashi to be the same.”

Rumi murmured with some resentment, “I already tried to convince Senpai not to eat such things, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Lei Yin chuckled. “It’s just a few snakes. You’re all so scared. This is one of the simpler delicacies found in nature. I guess you’re not destined to enjoy it.”

“Over my dead body would I eat something like that,” Kurata Ryoko muttered as she sat down at a nearby table. The others followed suit, calling over the waiter to order food.

Apart from them, Murashima Mami, Takeda, and Yoshikawa had spent their days helping Aiko, who had successfully passed the preliminary beauty pageant round and was now undergoing a week of etiquette and posture training. Meanwhile, Shiraishi Akira and his sister, who had flown to Okinawa during Amy’s hospital stay, had gone to visit relatives in Okinawa City and were expected to return the next day. With so many people absent, the group felt noticeably quieter.

After a while, Kuang Dao entered the restaurant, drenched in sweat and carrying a large pot. Following behind him was an excited Bibi.

“Oh, looks like the main course is here,” Lei Yin said with enthusiasm, pulling two small bottles of wine out of a bag on the floor. These were special reserves he had brought from China Tower. However, to avoid Kuang Dao causing trouble from drinking too much, he had repackaged the wine into smaller bottles.

Seeing Lei Yin’s rare display of excitement, Naoko couldn’t help but smile softly.

They were in the hotel’s restaurant. While the hotel didn’t prohibit guests from bringing their own food, nearby diners looked on in surprise at the large pot Kuang Dao was carrying.

The sight of the pot immediately reminded Rumi of the terrifying creatures she had seen the night before. She couldn’t help but shudder again.

After placing the pot on the table, Kuang Dao silently opened one of the wine bottles, sniffed it, and then took a slow sip straight from the bottle.

After he drank, Lei Yin asked with a smirk, “How does this Fenjiu compare to the one we had at your place last time?”

Hearing this, Kuang Dao glared at him as if Lei Yin had stabbed him in the back. Tani Akiko, who caught on to what Lei Yin meant by “last time,” blushed slightly.

Lei Yin smiled nonchalantly, then opened the lid of the pot. Instantly, a rich aroma of meat wafted out, spreading through the air.

Leaning in to take a sniff, Lei Yin exclaimed, “Wow, it’s been so long since I smelled something this good. Kuang Dao, you really have a unique talent for cooking.” With that, he grabbed a ladle and scooped some of the snake stew into his bowl without hesitation.

Since the food they ordered hadn’t arrived yet, the others couldn’t help but curiously glance at the contents of his bowl.

To everyone’s surprise, the bowl didn’t contain the disgusting chunks of snake they had imagined. Instead, it was filled with a golden-yellow, thick soup, with countless fine shreds of meat. Visually, it looked quite appetizing, and an indescribable, rich aroma wafted from both the bowl and the pot.

“Masashi-oniisan, I want some too!” Bibi, who had tasted Kuang Dao’s snake soup once before and loved it, immediately grabbed another bowl and placed it in front of Lei Yin.

“Alright, alright.”

Feeling a sense of camaraderie, Lei Yin was in high spirits. He turned to Amy and asked, “Little one, do you want to try it?”

“Okay,” the little girl replied. Completely unaware of what she was about to eat, she quickly agreed after seeing how much Bibi was enjoying it.

Smiling, Lei Yin ladled a bowl for her as well.

“Ms. Tani, aren’t you going to stop Bibi?” Kurata Ryoko asked in shock.

Tani Akiko sighed helplessly. “This isn’t her first time eating this sort of thing, and it shouldn’t cause food poisoning.”

Naoko smiled and said, “If I didn’t know it was snake, I might be tempted to try it too. It actually looks really good.”

The kendo girl, still haunted by last night’s memories, couldn’t help but advise, “Ms. Naoko, it’s better if you don’t. It really is snake.”

Seeing her face filled with fear, like a child encountering a caterpillar for the first time, Naoko smiled and said, “Rumi, you’re so cute.”

Rumi, caught off guard by the comment, froze for a moment before her face flushed red. Lowering her head, she stammered, “You’re—you’re too kind.”

While the women began their meal, Lei Yin and Kuang Dao were happily enjoying their snake soup with aged wine.

As the two drank and chatted, someone suddenly approached their table.

Sensing the presence, Lei Yin turned to see who it was. To his surprise, it was someone he hadn’t expected to meet here.

“So, it really is you. I thought I was seeing things,” the person said, looking at him with a strange expression.

“What are you doing here?” Lei Yin asked, somewhat surprised.

At that moment, Naoko, seated at another table, walked over and bowed politely to the person. “Hello, Miss Ayano. I didn’t expect to meet you here. How have you been?”

Ayano Eiko returned the bow and said, “Thank you for asking. Are you and Mr. Gennai here on vacation?”

Naoko smiled. “Yes, we are. Are you staying at this hotel as well?”

“That’s right. Well, I won’t disturb your meal. I’ll be leaving now,” Ayano Eiko said curtly after glancing at Lei Yin.

Surprised by her abrupt departure, Naoko could only bid her farewell. Lei Yin casually said goodbye as well.

Watching her leave, with her composed and capable demeanor, Naoko said nostalgically, “I didn’t expect to see her here.”

Lei Yin, however, frowned and said, “Nothing good ever happens when this woman shows up. Let’s hope this time is an exception.”

Naoko sighed. “You’re so prejudiced against her, aren’t you?”

Lei Yin shrugged. “It’s not prejudice. Don’t forget her job. When do police officers ever show up without something bad happening? And her rank isn’t low, either.”

“Maybe she’s here on vacation, just like us.”

“I doubt she’s the type to take a leisurely vacation here. Anyway, let’s not talk about her. Do you want to try some? It really tastes great,” Lei Yin said, pointing at the pot of snake soup as if showing off a treasure.

Naoko laughed. “Even though it looks good, I’m still a bit scared.”

“I was hoping you’d learn to cook this dish for me someday, but it seems like that’s not going to happen,” Lei Yin said mischievously.

“Fool,” Naoko replied softly, then returned to her seat with a gentle smile.