Chapter 9
Takashi's detective instincts instantly registered the calculated stealth in the movement, the deliberate attempt to surprise.
His fingers paused on the sign's frame, muscles tensing imperceptibly as he cataloged the subtle shifts in shadow that preceded the ambush.
The girl did not immediately reveal herself.
She stood there, eyes wide with curiosity as she took in the two new faces in the small town.
Her gaze moved playfully from Takashi's serious expression to Ai's cautious stance, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
She watched Takashi's steady gaze, noticing the slight narrowing of his eyes as he assessed the situation, and Ai's careful grip on the sign's frame. Her eyes showed genuine interest, enjoying the silent observation.
Natsumi's attention shifted from their expressions to their movements, following how Takashi's muscles tensed and relaxed with each subtle shift, and how Ai mirrored his vigilance. She found their careful adjustments intriguing, feeling a playful challenge forming in her mind.
She listened to the soft rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the town waking up, letting the sounds excite her.
Every little noise seemed like part of her own mission to understand these newcomers.
Her mind raced with thoughts of who they might be and why they were here, each possibility more interesting than the last.
She felt a spark of adventure at the idea of meeting new people in her quiet town.
After a few moments of keen observation, Natsumi felt sure they weren't a threat.
With a giggle, she decided it was time to join in, stepping out from her hiding spot with a spring in her step.
"Gotcha!" The words rang out with gleeful triumph as the girl revealed herself fully – messy orange-red hair arranged in a casual half-up style, blue-grey eyes dancing with barely contained laughter.
Her hands shot up in a victorious gesture, her entire posture showing satisfaction at her successful sneak attack.
Takashi observed how the girl had timed her appearance perfectly – waiting until they were distracted with the sign's final adjustments before making her move.
The accuracy hinted at experience, showing that this person was skilled in playful disruptions.
"Natsumi," Kaede's voice carried the weary fondness of someone well-used to such antics, "stop that."
She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe of her shop with the air of someone who'd witnessed countless similar scenes play out before.
But before the words had fully left her mouth, Renge was already in motion, her lavender pigtails bouncing as she launched herself toward the newcomer with enthusiastic recognition.
Her yellow ribbons caught the morning light as she moved, small feet carrying her forward with determined energy.
"Nattsun!"
The shout turned the prankster's proud grin into a more embarrassed look.
Natsumi strolled over to them, a shy grin on her face as she rubbed the back of her head, her vibrant energy shining through despite her embarrassment.
Her school uniform was slightly rumpled from crouching behind the corner, evidence of her patient wait for the perfect moment to strike.
"Sorry, sorry," she offered, though the apology lasted only half a second before her natural exuberance bubbled back to the surface.
She bounced on the balls of her feet, hands clasping and unclasping as if she couldn't quite decide what to do with them now that her surprise attack was complete.
Takashi noticed the intriguing mix of sincerity in her quick apology—it felt real at the time, but was quickly overshadowed by her playful nature.
The warm light danced around, just like her moods, truthful in how it constantly changed.
New voices drifted in from a bit far away, catching everyone's attention.
Renge's face lit up with immediate recognition, her small form already turning toward the door with practiced excitement.
"Hotarun! Koma-chan!"
Two more figures appeared ahead – one tall enough that Takashi initially mistook her for an adult, the other so short that she seemed barely older than Renge despite clearly being in middle school.
The difference between them was striking: the taller girl moved with grace that reminded Takashi of Ai before Miyako's teachings and their escape experiences, while the shorter one seemed to be really trying hard to appear mature despite her height.
Renge couldn't contain her enthusiasm and followed the greeting with her signature "Nyanpasu!" delivered with such perfect timing that Takashi suspected it was a well-established routine.
Renge, seemingly oblivious to any tension, continued her enthusiastic welcomes.
Her energy filled the space without overwhelming it, creating a connection between the established residents and the newcomers.
Kaede still leaning against the doorframe of her shop with the air of someone watching a familiar scene unfold, though Takashi noticed she kept one eye on the newly straightened sign – as if ensuring all their previous work hadn't been disturbed by this sudden influx of energy.
The shorter of the new arrivals – presumably "Koma-chan" – was studying Takashi and Ai with obvious curiosity.
Her attempt at a mature, measuring look was somewhat undermined by the way she had to tilt her head back to meet their eyes.
Before Takashi could fully process the new arrivals, the taller girl turned her attention toward Natsumi, who had been quietly observing from her spot.
"Natsumi, we've already mentioned that you shouldn't be running around here so quickly," she said with a gentle tone, a blend of amusement and a hint of tired affection in her voice.
The shorter girl nodded in agreement, adding with a playful sigh, "Seriously, Natsumi, you're going to wear yourself out if you keep this up."
Her attempt at a stern tone was softened by the slight smile playing on her lips.
Natsumi blinked, momentarily taken aback by their remarks, but then shrugged with a carefree grin.
"Guess I can't help it! Meeting new friends is just too exciting!" she replied, her playful nature shining through.
With a shared glance, the two newcomers turned their attention back to Takashi and Ai.
The taller girl offered a welcoming smile, while the shorter one gave a small, respectful nod, signaling their readiness to engage with the new faces.
The taller girl – "Hotarun" – displayed more subtlety in her observation, but Takashi's trained eye caught the careful way she was cataloging details.
Her gaze lingered particularly on Ai, perhaps recognizing something familiar in her mannerisms.
Natsumi had already sprinted into the store, leaving the others behind, completely brushing off her earlier embarrassment.
Meanwhile, a cheerful voice called out from inside, "Come on in! Come on in!"
Everyone let out a collective sigh, even Takashi and Ai, who had only just met her moments ago.
They could tell she was bursting with energy.
So, without a second thought, they all headed back into the store, with Kaede leading the way as she returned to her spot behind the counter.
Natsumi strolled through the candy store like it was her own living room, completely relaxed and ignoring any formalities. Kaede could only roll her eyes at Natsumi's laid-back attitude.
"Who are they?" Natsumi asked without preamble, gesturing toward Takashi and Ai with unrestrained curiosity.
Her straightforward way of speaking was free of any ill intent; she was simply genuinely curious without worrying about social formalities.
Renge, however, was already ahead of her.
"They're the new wandering souls who've come to help Candy Store with her crooked signs and worried numbers," she announced with absolute certainty, as if this explanation was perfectly clear and reasonable.
Takashi noticed how understanding unfolded in different ways on everyone's faces – Natsumi instantly got Renge's strange wording, the shorter girl looked a bit puzzled, and the taller one maintained a calm expression that hinted she was catching on to more than she was showing.
The morning sun kept pouring in through the windows, emphasizing the unusual scene they created – in this candy store by the tunnel, the long-time locals and the fresh faces, the ones who planned their visit and those who just stumbled in, were all coming together in this moment.
Ai's shoulder nudged his a bit as she adjusted her stance, and Takashi noticed the slight tension in her shift.
There are new people here, each with their own energy and goals, which is definitely going to put their carefully crafted cover story to the test.
Inside the Ryokan, their workspace, they had it all figured out and that was that.
But now, in this new setting, they really had to come up with a plan to win over all these diverse personalities.
Natsumi bounced on her toes, practically vibrating with curiosity as she leaned closer to Takashi and Ai.
Her eyes showed an investigative gleam that reminded Takashi of his own detective days, though her approach was considerably less subtle.
"So where are you from? Why are you here? How long are you staying? Do you like candy? What's your favorite kind?" The questions came out rapidly, each one barely waiting for the previous to finish.
Takashi felt a small smile tugging at his lips.
Her enthusiasm for gathering information, while lacking professional polish, carried the same drive for truth he remembered from his past life.
"We're cousins," he began carefully, maintaining the story they'd crafted under Miyako's guidance.
A well-crafted truth, tinged with bitterness, lingered in his mouth—not exactly a lie, but a bunch of facts put together to shield while still quenching curiosity.
"Our families have worked in traditional hospitality for generations. We're helping at Miyako-san's ryokan."
His ability showed him how the partial truth wove seamlessly with their practiced movements, the careful way they held themselves even in casual clothes lending credibility to the tale.
"Tokyo," Ai added softly, her voice carrying just the right note of nostalgia. "We came from Tokyo."
The effect was immediate.
Hotaru's eyes widened slightly, her composed demeanor shifting to reveal genuine interest.
"Tokyo?" she repeated, taking a small step forward.
"I... I'm from Tokyo too. My family moved here a few months ago."
Something in her tone caught Takashi's attention—a subtle blend of understanding and remembered adjustment that spoke of shared experience.
"Everything's so far away, isn't it?" Hotaru continued, a tired smile playing across her features.
Her height and mature bearing seemed to falter slightly as she recalled her own transition.
"The stores, the stations... I used to think a thirty-minute train ride was long. Now it takes that just to reach the nearest convenience store."
Natsumi's boundless energy paused momentarily as she looked between them, processing this connection.
"Hotarun had trouble adjusting at first," she explained, her voice carrying unexpected gentleness.
"She kept getting lost because she thought everything would be as close as in Tokyo."
"The first time I tried to visit the bookstore," Hotaru admitted, her cheeks coloring slightly,
"I thought I could just walk there after school like I used to. Two hours later..."
"We found her halfway up the mountain," the shorter girl—Komari—interjected, trying to maintain her dignified air despite the humor in her eyes.
"She was convinced the map had to be wrong because 'nothing could possibly be that far apart.'"
Takashi noticed how Ai's posture changed slightly, recognition flickering across her features.
Their own journey had taught them similar lessons about distance and adaptation, though for very different reasons.
"But the sky is bigger here," Renge announced suddenly, her crayon conducting invisible symphonies in the air.
"In Tokyo, the buildings take up most of it. Here it extends all the way to the ground, right?"
Hotaru's expression softened at this, genuine warmth replacing the embarrassment of remembered mistakes.
"That's true," she agreed. "The first time I saw the stars here... I didn't know there could be so many."
"The darkness was strange at first too," she continued, her voice taking on a thoughtful quality.
"In Tokyo, it's never really dark. There's always light from somewhere—buildings, vending machines, convenience stores. Here, when night falls..."
"It's like being wrapped in velvet!" Renge declared confidently.
"Soft and deep and full of cricket songs."
Takashi and Ai couldn't help but agree with Renge's description.
They experienced that darkness themselves during their journey, though their first encounters with it had been tinged with fear rather than wonder.
"But the hardest part," Hotaru admitted, smoothing her skirt with careful movements, "was learning to slow down. In Tokyo, everything moves so fast. There's always somewhere to be, something to do. Here..."
"Here, time takes naps!" Renge nodded sagely.
"Like Kazuho-sensei during lunch break."
This drew a laugh from the others, clearly referencing some shared knowledge about a local teacher.
"The buses were the biggest shock," Hotaru continued, warming to the topic now that she had an understanding audience.
"In Tokyo, if you miss one, another comes in a few minutes. Here, if you miss the morning bus..."
"You might as well make peace with walking," Komari finished, her attempt at worldly wisdom somewhat undermined by how she had to tilt her head back to meet Hotaru's eyes.
Natsumi, who had been holding back her questions, finally burst back into the conversation.
"But Hotarun got better at everything so quickly! She learned all the shortcuts and the best times to catch the bus and even how to tell when it's going to rain by looking at the mountains!"
"The mountains were new too," Hotaru admitted, gesturing vaguely toward the peaks visible through the store's windows.
"Having them always there, watching over everything. In Tokyo, the smog is so thick that you might as well not see them at all, but here they're part of daily life. They change the weather, guide your directions..."
"They're like really big grandparents," Renge declared, "watching to make sure we don't get lost. Except when they wear their cloud hats. Then they're playing hide and seek."
Takashi noticed how Hotaru's description of adaptation resonated with their own experiences, though for very different reasons.
They too were learning new rhythms, new ways of moving through space and time.
The ryokan's careful patterns were as different from their previous lives as country living was from Tokyo's pace.
"But the people make it easier," Hotaru said softly, her eyes warming as she looked at her friends.
"Everyone here... they help you learn. They understand when you make mistakes, show you better ways to do things."
"Like how Candy Store teaches us about different kinds of candy!" Renge nodded enthusiastically.
"And how some are better for sunny days and some are better for when it rains!"
"Or how Komari's mom showed me the right way to hang laundry so it dries properly in mountain weather," Hotaru added with a grateful glance at her shorter friend.
"Mom says city people always try to rush it," Komari explained with attempted authority.
"But here you have to work with the wind and the sun. It's like..."
"A dance!" Renge spun in place, her pigtails flying.
"Everything here is a dance with nature. Even the convenience store's timing!"
Natsumi, who had been containing herself with visible effort, finally burst out again.
"But what about you? What was your neighborhood like in Tokyo? Did you live near a station? What's your favorite convenience store chain? Did you ever go to Harajuku? Have you been to Tokyo Tower? What about-"
"Natsumi," Kaede's voice carried just enough warning to stem the flood of questions. "Let them breathe."
Takashi felt Ai's subtle tension beside him, knowing she was rapidly calculating how much of their cover story could withstand this enthusiastic interrogation.
His own mind was already constructing safe answers, drawing on his detective experience with selective truth-telling.
But before either of them could respond, Renge's voice cut through the moment with clear reasoning.
"Some stories need time to grow," she announced, her crayon now pointing at Natsumi like a teacher's pointer.
"Like how morning glory buds wait for the right moment to open. You can't rush them or they get all squished and wrinkled."
Renge intervened before anyone could dive deeper with their questions, quickly shifting the conversation along with her own childlike reasoning taking charge.
"The sign's all straight now!" she said, waving her trusty crayon around.
"Now we can concentrate on the numbers that need some friends. Plus, we've got more friends to help out the numbers!"
Her simple statement managed to both complicate and simplify the situation—drawing attention to Kaede's underlying problems while simultaneously suggesting their solution lay in this unexpected gathering.