In the previous chapter, Haruki and his friends had successfully completed their mission. But now, Haruki was left alone in this dense, eerie forest. A strange feeling of fear slowly crept into his heart. Was it just his imagination, or was something really hunting him?
As he took a step forward, his foot nded on a dry twig, creating a loud crack that echoed through the silent forest.
Haruki: "Ahh! That scared me… When you’re alone, everything feels like it's out to get you."
He looked up at the sky, where the red moon was slowly disappearing behind the clouds. Just then, he heard a faint whisper…
"Haruki….."
His eyes widened as he quickly turned around, but there was nothing—just the lifeless, twisted trees standing in the darkness.
Haruki: "Huff… I could've sworn someone called my name. Maybe it’s just my imagination. Anyway, which way was I supposed to go?"
He turned on his fshlight, scanning the area to find a path.
Haruki: "Tch… Rocks and mud everywhere. I wonder how Shiru and the others managed to get through this. I should take a different path to avoid ruining my clothes."
As he changed direction, he noticed something strange. The entire path ahead was eerily silent—no animals, no birds, no insects, nothing. And in that eerie stillness, a white-furred cat with strikingly blue eyes appeared.
Its fur was long and fluffy, and its tail swayed gently in the wind. The cat calmly touched its ear with one paw, then slowly began walking toward Haruki.
Haruki: "Whoa… this cat is beautiful! I've never seen one like this before. And why isn't it scared of me?"
The cat reached Haruki’s feet, looked up at him, and let out a soft "Meow."
Haruki: "Haha! Usually, whenever I call out to cats, they run away. But you? You came to me on your own! Hey, little one… where’s your owner? Are you lost?"
Just as Haruki reached out to pet the cat, a loud animal roar echoed through the forest. His heart jumped as he quickly turned around—
But when he looked back, the cat was gone.
Haruki: "H-Huh?! Where did it go?!"
He sighed, feeling a mix of confusion and disappointment.
Haruki: "Ugh… finally, I get a chance to pet a cat, and it disappears! Whatever… I should hurry back. It’s getting te. I hope the others are safe."
Still deep in thought, Haruki continued walking through the dark forest, pushing past the thick branches and thorny bushes. The cold wind whispered through the trees, and suddenly—
His fshlight began flickering.
Haruki: "Oh great, now you’re dying on me too? This has got to be Kouki’s cheap batteries… Just hold on for a bit, okay? At least get me out of this pce."
Armed with his dim fshlight and a hockey bat, he trudged forward. The uneven ground, the overgrown roots, and the eerie silence made it even more uncomfortable. And yet, a strange thought kept bothering him—
Who made that terrifying noise earlier? And… whose cat was that?
Haruki: "Man, this night just keeps getting weirder. First, Shiru’s creepy games, then that mysterious cat, and now random noises. I just wanna go home and eat some noodles…"
Just as he muttered to himself, he saw the cat again.
Haruki: "Oh! Kitty, there you are!"
The cat stood a few steps ahead of him, staring at him with its glowing blue eyes.
Haruki took a cautious step forward. The cat also moved. Haruki stopped. The cat stopped. Haruki walked. The cat walked.
But no matter how fast he tried to reach it, the cat always stayed just out of reach.
Haruki: "Are you leading me somewhere…?"
And then, he saw it.
The abandoned house.
The same destination his friends had gone to.
But something was strange.
Haruki: "Oi! Guys! Why are you all just standing there with your backs turned?!"
Emma slowly turned around and narrowed her eyes at him.
Emma: "Haruki… where the hell did you come from?"
Haruki: "Huh? What do you mean? I came from the same path as you guys."
Kouki shook his head.
Kouki: "No, you didn’t. We all followed Shiru’s marked path. You came from the opposite direction."
Haruki frowned.
Haruki: "What are you talking about? I took the same path! What marks?"
Hina pointed at the trees.
Hina: "Look. Shiru marked these trees so we wouldn’t get lost."
Haruki looked around in confusion. The path was clear.
The trees had markings. There were no rocks, no mud, no thorns. The trail was completely different from the one he had just walked through.
Haruki felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Haruki: "Wait… did you guys hear that terrifying noise in the forest?!"
Emma looked at him in confusion.
Emma: "What noise? We didn’t hear anything."
Haruki’s stomach dropped.
Haruki: "No way… You guys seriously didn’t hear it? It was loud enough to shake the whole forest!"
Kouki sighed.
Kouki: "Dude, maybe you were just tired and imagining things. Don’t freak yourself out."
Shiru, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up.
Shiru: "Hmm… Haruki, you said you came from the same path as us, right?"
Haruki nodded.
Shiru smirked and pointed at the dry mud on Haruki’s shoes.
Shiru: "Then why is your entire path covered in dried mud, while ours is completely clean?"
Haruki’s heart skipped a beat.
Haruki: "I… I don’t know."
Emma: "Anyway, let’s just forget it. It’s te. We should all go home."
Haruki gnced back at the forest one st time before shaking his head. Maybe he was just overthinking.
As they walked back home, Haruki decided to change the topic.
Haruki: "By the way, Kouki, what kind of crappy batteries did you give me?! My fshlight almost died on me!"
Kouki raised an eyebrow and pulled out a new pack of batteries.
Kouki: "Huh? These are brand new. They st 10 days nonstop. Look."
He showed them to Haruki, proving they were completely charged.
Haruki’s expression darkened.
Haruki (thinking): "Then why… did my fshlight flicker?!"
He shook his head, deciding not to mention the cat or the strange sounds he had heard.
One by one, the group split up, heading home.
Emma and Hina left together. Shiru and Kouki walked off in the opposite direction.
Haruki was left alone.
And then—
The cat appeared again.
Sitting on top of a wall, staring at him.
Haruki: "You again…?"
Chapter 3 Ends Here
