Chapter 94: Innocent (BONUS)

After a refreshing soak in the hot spring, the girls felt much better, having washed away their fatigue from the journey.

The hot spring hotel kept the air conditioning on at all times, so even in just a yukata at night, no one felt particularly cold.

But it was still too early to go to bed.

Even though they had dried their hair, the length made it so that the inner layers were still slightly damp.

Going straight to bed like this wasn't an option.

More importantly, none of them were tired enough to sleep yet.

Excitement filled the air.

The supernatural encounter earlier had been a major test for them but at the same time, it had made this trip all the more thrilling.

The adrenaline rush from the experience left the girls wide awake, even after bathing.

Since there was no way they could fall asleep so soon, the group gathered in the hotel's common lounge.

However, it seemed they weren't the only ones still awake.

---

"Amamiya, you're still up too?"

Fujiwara was the first to approach when she spotted Ren sitting in the lounge with a deck of cards in hand.

"Yeah."

Ren didn't look up, his attention focused on the cards spread out on the table.

"I'm performing a divination on the island's situation."

"I need to confirm whether there's anything that might threaten our safety."

Divination.

Fujiwara nodded slightly. She had heard Ren mention before that he possessed abilities related to that.

"Can it really be that accurate?"

"Yeah." Ren gave a brief response.

Divination wasn't infallible, but the circumstances that would render it unreliable didn't seem to exist in this world.

For now, he could trust its revelations.

"Divination is the process of obtaining insights through rituals and inquiries, then connecting the results to interpret information."

"Among them, Tarot is the simplest form, anyone can use it, but the revelations it provides are relatively weak."

"Tarot divination relies on specific rituals, which makes it easier to access certain insights."

"Pendulums and dowsing rods require a much higher degree of attunement. Ordinary people likely wouldn't be able to extract accurate revelations from them."

"Oh~"

Fujiwara listened attentively, even if she doubted she'd be able to use such methods herself anytime soon.

That didn't stop her from being curious about the results.

"So? What did you find out? Are we in danger?"

"No."

Ren shook his head slightly.

"There's no direct threat from the evil spirits."

"They are only active between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m."

"Additionally, the spirits on this island have a clear target."

"Despite lacking rational thought, they instinctively pursue the ones who killed them."

Ren had a theory about this.

"It's likely because these spirits were only recently formed and because the ones responsible for their deaths are still alive."

"Until those murderers are dealt with, the spirits won't harm others."

Fujiwara was a little surprised.

"You got all of that through divination?"

"Yeah."

Ren nodded.

This revelation explained something that had been bothering him.

Despite the sheer number of evil spirits roaming the island, none of the ordinary visitors seemed to have been affected.

Now, at least, he understood why.

Just as he raised his head, Ren abruptly froze.

And then he averted his gaze.

"Fujiwara… your collar."

"Eh?"

Fujiwara blinked in confusion.

Glancing down, she immediately noticed that the front of her yukata had come loose, revealing far more than it should have.

Realizing that Ren had just seen everything, her face instantly turned crimson.

She sprang to her feet and quickly adjusted her yukata, pulling the collar tightly shut.

Only after securing it properly did she let out a relieved sigh.

Ren's reaction mirrored hers.

His slightly messy curls, the absence of his usual glasses revealing more of his face, and that delicate yet serious expression, now tinged with a bit of red.

"Gulp~"

Fujiwara suddenly understood.

This must be why Sonoko was so drawn to him.

An innocent, introverted, and slightly shy boy like Ren, this kind of contrast was impossible for girls to resist.

Wait a minute—

Why am I the one who got seen, yet I'm the one feeling excited?!

"Ahem!"

Clearing her throat, Fujiwara broke the awkward silence.

"So, Amamiya… did you predict anything else?"

This time, she was extra careful, keeping a firm hold on her collar and making sure not to lean forward.

Ren exhaled quietly, seemingly regaining some composure.

"I found the reason behind the disturbances on this island."

"It's drug trafficking."

"!?"

Drug traffickers?

The expressions of the girls in the room changed immediately.

Of all criminal groups, drug traffickers were among the worst.

These kinds of people were ruthless.

And they wouldn't hesitate to use lethal force if they felt threatened.

Now, it made sense why so many evil spirits existed on this island.

Drug dealers didn't negotiate.

If they so much as suspected someone might expose them, they would kill without hesitation.

Even Fujiwara tensed up.

"Then… are we in danger?"

She had asked this question earlier, but now it had a completely different meaning.

"No."

Ren repeated his answer.

"The reason they chose this island is because of its proximity to Tokyo."

"But more importantly, it's an isolated archipelago where law enforcement is lax."

"If someone wanted to establish a drug trafficking hub and use this island as a gateway to Tokyo, this location would be ideal."

Hayasaka furrowed her brows and raised a hand.

"But there are still a lot of regular residents here. How are the traffickers avoiding detection?"

"Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult."

Ren shook his head.

"Any docking ships would be noticed by the locals."

"If anyone became suspicious, this place would no longer be safe for them."

"But if the local leadership is involved… then they wouldn't need to worry about being exposed."

Hayasaka's eyes widened as she immediately caught on.

"It's the Island owner, isn't it?"

***

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