"I didn't expect we'd end up falling asleep like that. My apologies, Yasushi," Yinhaie said, her voice tinged with regret as they started their journey back to the school.
"It's alright… The clean-up didn't take long. It was the least affected by whatever happened," Yasushi replied, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window.
In the back seat, Xinyi and Jingliu remained soundly asleep. Earlier, they had dropped off the other two butlers and were now heading back to school. They had chosen this route to avoid anyone discovering their attempt to uncover the cause of the unusual weather.
Yasushi sat in the passenger seat, but his thoughts were far from the present moment. His mind was still occupied with the recent encounter with the Goddess Hakufubuki and the surprising truths she had revealed. Yinhaie noticed his distant expression but attributed it to exhaustion, not pressing him for details.
+-+
Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi made their way back into the classroom with as much stealth as they could muster. By the time they entered, most of their classmates were already up and about. The moment the door creaked open, every eye in the room turned to focus on them.
A boy at the back of the room, with a perfectly straight face, announced, "They clearly had a hot night together," causing a burst of laughter to ripple through the classroom. Everyone joined in the laughter, except for Yasushi's close friends, who looked on with varying degrees of concern.
Jingliu and Xinyi's faces flushed bright red as they took their seats, clearly embarrassed by the boy's comment. Yasushi, meanwhile, remained expressionless, his face betraying no hint of the discomfort he might have felt.
Senbarisu, who had been watching the scene unfold, shook her head and muttered under her breath, "I had a feeling that allowing teenagers to get so close was a mistake. We should have set stricter boundaries."
As they quickly made their way to their desks and settled into their chairs, Senbarisu busied herself with preparing for the day. She flicked on the classroom computer and projector, the soft hum of machinery filling the room. At the same time, she distributed small plastic containers filled with breakfast to each student.
She addressed the class, "Today will follow our usual schedule. However, after today, we have Thursday and Friday off. The mayor sent out a city-wide notification about a break, so we're all getting an extended weekend. Enjoy the extra time off!"
The students erupted in excitement as the news spread. It was Wednesday, and the surprise departure of the freak blizzard that had blanketed the town the day before left everyone in high spirits. The sun now shone brightly in the clear sky, and an unexpected two-day break was a welcome gift, even though the school year had barely begun.
With a few hours remaining before classes resumed, the students enjoyed their breakfast at a leisurely pace. Once they were finished, they had the freedom to use their time as they pleased until the official start of the school day. Yasushi's friends, joined by Jingliu and Xinyi, gathered around him.
Furuya was the first to speak, his curiosity evident. "What happened last night? Why did the snow suddenly stop?" His eyes were fixed on Yasushi, waiting for an answer.
Yasushi took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "It's a bit of a long story," he said softly, signaling them to settle down. The group complied, finding their seats as Alicia entered the room, having come from the other class.
+-+
As Yasushi finished recounting their harrowing experience from the blizzard and the snowy night that had engulfed the city, Furuya shook his head in disbelief. His frustration was palpable as he muttered, "What is wrong with people?" He then turned his attention back to Yasushi, his frown deepening. "So, can we assume that Yinhaie is busy with her duties as a super maid, trying to track down these people using the CCTV cameras we set up around the city?"
Yasushi nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's a fair assumption. I did ask her to take care of that earlier. But let's just drop this topic for now. Everything should return to normal soon, and the regular snowfall will resume as expected," he said, trying to steer the conversation away.
Xinyi, looking puzzled, interjected, "Hold on, was the supernatural thing real then?" Her confusion was clear as she tried to understand.
Yasushi shrugged. "Who knows? It might just be a coincidence. We don't have any solid proof," he replied, aiming to redirect the discussion. He was well aware that even if he had encountered and spoken with the goddess herself, convincing his friends of the truth might be difficult.
With some reluctance, they followed Yasushi's lead and let the matter drop. Their day unfolded in a routine manner, or as routine as it could be given the bizarre events that had taken place and resolved within a span of less than twenty-four hours.
They turned to the internet to find more information, only to discover that the entire online community was buzzing with speculation about the strange happenings in Japan, particularly in Ginsukimura. The online chatter revealed that a considerable number of scientists and researchers were now returning to the area, driven by the mystery and intrigue surrounding the recent events.
+-+
"Finally…we can head home," Furuya said, stretching his weary muscles with a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, but remember, we've got a mountain of homework piled up from our teachers," Laura pointed out, her voice tinged with frustration as she let out a deep breath.
Furuya's shoulders sagged in agreement. "True enough. But… hey, long weekend ahead?"
"Knowing you, you're going to procrastinate. We'd better have Catherine keep an eye on you during the first two days, otherwise, you'll be scrambling to finish everything at the last minute," Xinyi said, a smirk playing on her lips as she glanced at Furuya, who shot her a mock glare.
After some light-hearted bickering, the group started to disperse, making their way out of the school. Yasushi's friends, Jingliu, Yunxue, Bhaqui, Layena, and Alicia, gathered around him. Throughout the day, Yasushi had been somewhat preoccupied, lost in thought about his recent encounter with the goddess. Even now, as they prepared to leave, he suggested they walk home together, so he could take a moment to investigate a few things along the way.
He glanced at his phone and noticed a few messages from Yinhaie. The updates informed him that the carcasses of the deceased animals were being removed and that the shrines scattered throughout the city were being cleaned, following the necessary permissions.
"Is something bothering you, Yasushi? You've been distant since we got back," Jingliu asked gently, her arms wrapping around his as she tried to gauge his mood.
Yasushi shook his head slowly. "I'm just wondering if the recent events were the result of the goddess's actions. Did our involvement really prompt her to end the snowfall? It sounds far-fetched, but it's hard not to entertain such thoughts, you know?"
"You think the goddess might have been upset? I didn't take you for someone who would believe in such things," Bhaqui said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Yasushi turned to look at him, his expression thoughtful. "Humanity hasn't reached a point where we can definitively prove that the supernatural doesn't exist. At the same time, we can't prove it does either. Until our technology advances enough to provide solid evidence one way or the other, it remains in a state of uncertainty."
"Well, you have a point there," Bhaqui said, and their conversation lapsed into silence once more.
Yasushi, however, carried a firm belief in the existence of the supernatural and paranormal. Yet, without solid proof, he knew better than to voice his thoughts openly — doing so would likely brand him as delusional in their eyes. The group continued their walk in a mostly quiet manner, with Jingliu and Yasushi occasionally striking up casual conversations to pass the time.
After a while, they arrived at the bakery they frequented, where they selected a variety of treats. Both Bhaqui and Alicia joined in, their curiosity piqued by the tempting assortment.
As Yasushi and Jingliu completed their purchases, Kukicha, the friendly owner of the bakery, looked up from behind the counter. "I'm relieved that the awful weather didn't last longer than a day. I wasn't quite prepared for it," she said, her expression reflecting a mixture of relief and weariness.
"It'll be alright, Miss Kukicha. If you ever need a hand, just let me know," Yasushi offered, eliciting a warm laugh from the older woman.
"No need to worry, Yasushi. My family is coming over to spend time with me because of this unusual weather, so I have their help to rely on for now. But I appreciate your offer," Kukicha said, her smile broadening as she looked at him.
Afterward, Bhaqui and Alicia approached the counter with their selections, completed their purchases, and exited the bakery. Once outside, they eagerly began to sample their treats.
"These are really delicious…" Alicia said, her voice filled with satisfaction as she chewed.
"Miss Kukicha is known for her excellent baking. Her shop is one of the best in the city. If you want to keep enjoying this level of quality, it's definitely worth coming back here," Jingliu explained, savoring her own pastry with evident pleasure.
+-+
Later that evening, Yinhaie entered Yasushi's office carrying a laptop, which she placed on his desk. Yasushi, engrossed in his homework, glanced up and tilted his head in curiosity.
"Is this about the recent events?" he inquired, and Yinhaie nodded, affirming his suspicion.
Yasushi set aside his own work and turned his attention to the laptop. He began examining the documents Yinhaie had prepared. The information was meticulously organized, allowing him to navigate through it effortlessly. On the screen, he found a series of images accompanied by detailed explanations. The gist of the information revealed that the cleanup of the shrines had been completed. They were now in the process of tracking down the four boys responsible for the damage.
"We have collected the evidence we need," Yinhaie said, "but we aim to gather more before presenting it to a judge and determining the appropriate course of action."
"Hmm." Yasushi gave a nod of acknowledgment and was about to close the laptop when Yinhaie stopped him. She swiftly launched a different application on the device, one that resembled the messaging platforms he had used before, like Discord or Skype. The app initiated a call, and after a brief moment, it connected. To his surprise, the call was answered by his parents.
"Yasushi, we heard about everything that happened. Are you alright?" His father's voice, laced with concern, came through the speaker. "Yinhaie told us you and the others stayed at the school. You're back home now, aren't you?"
Yasushi sighed, trying to mask his exhaustion with a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. We mostly stayed in our classroom during all the commotion. I helped out with guard duty, but that's about it," he said, though he was concealing the full extent of the day's events.
Yinhaie positioned herself behind Yasushi and began massaging his shoulders. He let out another tired sigh, feeling the tension ease slightly. "What did it look like from your end?" he asked, glancing at his parents with a curious expression.
"It was like something straight out of a film!" his mother exclaimed with a hint of awe in her voice. "A massive cloud hanging over our house that rapidly spread across the entire country!"
They continued their explanation, detailing how the clouds had rapidly expanded and engulfed the entire country of Japan in just a few hours. It was as if a shroud of gray, snow, and ice had settled over everything, turning the landscape into a monochrome expanse. Fortunately, the intense weather event had ceased as suddenly as it had begun.
His parents went on to mention that numerous scientists and researchers were now focused on studying the phenomenon. A significant meeting was scheduled to bring together leaders from around the world, along with engineers, scientists, researchers, and other experts in the field to discuss and investigate the events.
Yasushi was taken aback by the scale of the response. He hadn't anticipated that the incident would generate such widespread attention, but he quickly realized he had underestimated its impact. He recalled the goddess's prophecy about impending change, though she hadn't specified it would occur during his lifetime.
"Will this have any impact on Xinyi's and Jingliu's parents' jobs? What about yours, considering you work together?" Yasushi asked, concern evident in his voice.
Yuji, Yasushi's father, chuckled lightly before responding. "No, it shouldn't affect our jobs. In fact, we're going to be part of the main team investigating the situation. Unfortunately, we won't be returning to Japan ourselves, but another team member will be there. If you happen to meet them, just let them know about us. They'll be familiar with us and will make sure you're well taken care of."
"I understand… I'll make sure to pass that along," Yasushi said, nodding with resolve.
Suddenly, Yuji's demeanor shifted to one of seriousness. "Yasushi, there's something important we need to discuss. Have you given any thought to your future? If you haven't made any plans yet…"
Yasushi interrupted, his voice steady and clear. "I have plans. I want to follow in your footsteps. I'll join Xinyi and Jingliu in this field, to carry on your legacy. I know you might think I don't need to, but I'm determined now. Thanks to the experiences I've had last year and this year, I've found a path I'm passionate about," he declared, exuding confidence.
His parents were taken aback, exchanging astonished glances before their expressions brightened with excitement. Yuji's face lit up with enthusiasm as he spoke, "I'll put in a good word at the college for you! The same goes for Xinyi and Jingliu — so make sure to let them know. I'll also inform their parents!"
"Alright…" Yasushi responded, offering a tired but genuine smile as he listened to his parents begin to chat about their work, sharing amusing anecdotes from their younger days and discussing what he might expect in the future.
The remainder of the evening took on a much lighter atmosphere as Yasushi engaged in lively conversation with his parents. They reminisced about the past year, trading stories and anecdotes that had accumulated over time.
+-+
The next morning, the serene silence of Yasushi's opulent home was abruptly interrupted by the loud chime of the doorbell. Yasushi, who had been walking toward the kitchen alongside Layena, exchanged curious glances with her. Without hesitation, he made his way to the front door and pulled it open.
Standing on the other side was Bhaqui, dressed in an outfit that looked like it belonged to a martial artist, complete with intricate designs and flowing fabric. Beside him was Alicia, dressed casually but visibly blushing and looking quite mortified.
"Yasushi Futakao! Prepare yourself to face my challenge today! Let me—"
Before Bhaqui could complete his dramatic proclamation, Yasushi swiftly shut the door, leaving him on the other side with a stunned expression. Layena, standing nearby, stifled a chuckle, unable to contain her amusement at the sudden and unexpected interruption.
"Wait, seriously, you have to do this! Heinz and Anfeng insisted!" Bhaqui's voice, now rising in frustration and desperation, pierced through the door and reached Yasushi's ears.