“That woman didn’t follow?”
Her body was trembling.
The curled-up girl propped herself on the ground covered in fallen leaves and dirt, staring at her phone lying not far away. It emitted a faint light, and she felt both aggrieved and terrified. Am I trapped here, unable to escape?
As this thought crossed her mind, a wave of despair washed over her—
Rustle, rustle…
“What’s that sound?”
Rustle, rustle…
Creak, creak—
The sound of footsteps on the leaves and grass. Noki Izumi recoiled in terror, retreating further. The once-arrogant gal now had no trace of her former bravado, only fear, panic, and a face drained of all color.
She was like a frightened bird.
Is something coming?
Swish.
“No—!!!”
A shadow darted out from the bushes.
“Ahhhhhh!!!!”
Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
“Can you be quiet? You’re about to burst my eardrums.”
The terrified gal almost fainted, her nerves and muscles taut to the limit. The moment she heard this nonchalant voice, her scream abruptly cut off, and she stared at him in a daze.
“Huff… huff…”
Then, in the moonlight, she finally saw his face. Her body went limp, her legs folded beneath her, and she collapsed onto the ground in a duck-like squat. The tension in her body and nerves instantly released.
In that moment, something welled up inside her.
“Mu-kun… sob!”
The girl whimpered, tears streaming down her face, looking so pitiful that Mu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but roll his eyes. There wasn’t a trace of her usual gal demeanor left.
“What’s that smell?” Just as he was about to mock her, Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly wrinkled his nose.
The sobbing Noki Izumi froze, her face flushed deep red in the darkness, her legs trembling. Mu Xiaoxiao noticed something unusual—although it was nighttime, with his enhanced vision, he could clearly see the liquid flowing out from under her skirt… Hiss! Did she just… pee herself?!
(⊙_⊙)?
“Izumi, you…” Mu Xiaoxiao’s eye twitched.
“I, I…” Noki Izumi felt her vision darken, wishing she could just bash her head against a tree and die. As a gal with a strong sense of pride, being caught peeing her pants was the most humiliating thing that could happen.
And it had to be Mu Xiaoxiao who saw it. If it were anyone else, she would’ve definitely silenced them permanently!
Endless shame engulfed her, marking the most mortifying moment of her life! She couldn’t even explain herself. It was over, completely over—this would become a lifelong disgrace. Who knows how much he’d ridicule her for this?
But just as the gal lowered her head, trembling, preparing to endure Mu Xiaoxiao’s mockery, he walked over without saying a word and bent down.
“What?”
“Didn’t you sprain your ankle? Come on up.”
Izumi bit her lip uneasily. “But, but… I’m really dirty right now.”
Suddenly, she felt a bit inferior.
“Yeah, you’re pretty dirty,” Mu Xiaoxiao held back his laughter, “Covered in dust and dirt, and you peed yourself. That’s why you need to clean up, and besides, you can’t walk right now, can you?”
Before she could respond, he grabbed her and lifted her onto his back. Noki Izumi, dazed, slumped against his shoulder. Watching him walk forward through the darkness as if nothing had happened, her emotions suddenly surged…
Does he really not mind? I’ve gotten him all dirty.
“I’m sorry,” the gal said hesitantly, her voice much quieter than usual. “I got you all dirty.”
She had seen it—her own urine had stained his clothes. Noki Izumi felt like dying of shame.
“I’m more concerned about my face,” Mu Xiaoxiao teased. “Am I really that scary? You actually peed yourself out of fear, and here I thought I was harmless!”
“… I thought you were a monster,” the girl whispered. Seeing that he truly didn’t mind, she felt a ripple of warmth and comfort in her heart.
“Thank you…” She buried her face against the back of his neck, her cheeks flushed. “You—you absolutely can’t tell anyone about this!”
She tried to assert her usual gal toughness, but it was all just a front.
“I’ll keep it a secret. By the way, did you really see a monster?”
“Yeah,” Noki Izumi, feeling reassured, tightened her grip. “I saw a tall woman wearing a white hat—a terrifying creature.”
“A tall woman in a white hat… Hachishakusama?” Mu Xiaoxiao pau
sed for a moment before continuing to walk. “Did you really encounter her?”
Hachishakusama?
