Haruto raised his eyes: "I was just reaching for my phone, why did you run away?"
The little fox came back, put its hands on its hips confidently, and said, "I didn't run; I just slipped."
Haruto looked at it with disdain: "Stop the nonsense and get to business."
The fox said, "Actually, it's fine, but that woman is strange. Don't mess with her; she has a lot of wishes on her."
"Those are the hopes of many people."
Seeing Haruto fall silent, the fox continued, "Also, haven't you always wanted to know why I gave you that red string and asked you to wear it all the time?"
Haruto's expression shifted slightly: "Why?"
"Hmph~"
The little fox now energized, put its hands on its hips, tilted its head up, and looked at him: "I can tell you, but in the future, you must... Whoa~ let me go~"
Haruto picked up the little fox, and just as he was about to smack it for its overdramatic behavior, he suddenly froze.
He caught a faint but familiar scent from the fox.
It smelled just like Nanako.
"Let go of me, you cursed human! I'll get angry!"
Seeing the little fox baring its teeth and claws, Haruto paused for a moment, then lightly smacked it.
"Hold still!"
"You... you dare to hit me?"
"Wait, what are you doing?"
"Smelling you."
"?"
The fox's body stiffened, and its fur suddenly fluffed up as it struggled hard. "You... You pervert! You beast! Even foxes aren't safe around you!"
*CLAP*
"Darn it! I'm going to fight you!"
*CLAP*
Seeing the fox crying and too afraid to move, Haruto suddenly felt like he was being a bully.
Without thinking, he hugged the fox and leaned on it.
The fox's fur was incredibly soft, smooth, and luxuriously plush, making it very comfortable to touch. It would make a great pet.
Its only problem was being a bit fierce.
*Sniff sniff~*
Haruto sniffed carefully. The fox didn't have any odd smell; instead, it smelled light and fragrant, with a hint of milky sweetness.
It smelled exactly like Nanako.
After thinking for a moment, Haruto placed his hand on the fox's back leg: "Hold still, let me check something."
Is this fox female?
If so, this would be really interesting!
The fox froze, looked at him with wide, teary eyes, and stared in disbelief.
Did he actually want to check?
When did he become this shameless?
At the next moment, the little fox shivered, and its orange fur seemed to take on a pinkish hue. It gazed up at the blue sky, looking utterly helpless.
Haruto pulled back and spoke in a deeper voice: "So, you're a female."
*BANG*
As soon as he released the fox, it turned into a puff of smoke and reappeared in the distance.
"You'll pay for this, human! You... wait for me!"
After making a tearful sound, the fox disappeared in an instant.
A gust of wind blew.
The sea of trees swayed.
The worried voices of several girls could be heard.
"Kuromori-kun, are you okay?"
Haruto came to his senses, calming the turmoil in his heart, and replied, "I'm fine."
Nino grabbed his wrist, gritting her teeth, and said, "Kuromori, if you can't find it, just forget it. Let's go back!"
Ichika nodded, speaking seriously: "Nino's right. Let it go if you can't find it. Don't force it."
Itsuki bit her lip, tugging at his clothes, "Kuromori-kun, let's go back."
Yotsuba took Haruto's hand, biting her lip hard, then gently whispered, "Kuromori-san, let's go home, okay~"
Miku didn't speak but held onto his clothing silently.
Miharu couldn't help but ask, "Are you okay?"
The only calm person was Yoruha, but even the doll-like girl's hands were clenched tightly.
Haruto raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at their worried faces, and asked, "What's wrong with you all?"
Although the conversation with the fox only lasted a while, to Ichika and the others, it seemed to have been just an instant.
Nino bit her lip: "Your expression just now."
Yotsuba quietly clutched his clothing.
She'd seen a similar look before when Haruto had taken her to an oddity encounter – the only time.
Why did Haruto have that expression?
Yotsuba suddenly felt uneasy, as though weighed down by a heavy stone. It felt dull and difficult to breathe.
Not just Yotsuba, but everyone who knew Haruto felt even more intense reactions.
"Expression?"
Haruto raised an eyebrow, then suddenly clutched his chest, putting on a pained expression: "Since you noticed, I'll stop pretending."
"That's right. This time, I paid a big price. So, I need compensation."
However, this time, no one responded. Instead, they all looked at him with worried expressions.
Life is like a play; it all depends on acting skills!
Descending the mountain.
Everyone returned to the hot spring hotel again.
Although they hadn't found anything, no one felt disappointed. Instead, some things had become clearer.
Like, the five sisters... no, a fair game between four sisters.
Also, his troublesome sister, Nanako.
The little fox enshrined by the Kamiya family, calling itself the God of Fate – could it be Nanako?
Haruto soaked in the hot spring, looking at the bright moon in the sky.
If that was the case, he wasn't angry after being tricked by Nanako. Even though he'd never said it, he actually cared for Nanako, his mischievous little sister.
She loved to act playful, had no moral integrity, couldn't keep secrets, and was sometimes mischievous. But in reality, Nanako had a very sweet personality, the type of little sister who made people like her but also gave them a headache.
But...
Why?
If she was the fox, why did she stay by his side?
She even willingly endured his teasing and commands as though he was her own brother.
Haruto lifted his left hand, looking at the red string on his wrist.
In a flash, he suddenly remembered something.
He stood up, dressed quickly, and left the hot spring hotel in a hurry.