The morning of the school trip dawned bright, chirpy, and far too enthusiastic for Raito's taste. But he was already up, dressed, and running through his mental checklist like a man on a mission.
Bag? Packed. Baby supplies? Packed. Kawaii Kitty pacifier? Unfortunately, also packed. Prepared for three days of forced interaction with loud teens and suspicious adults? …Debatable.
Still, he was dressed cleanly in a dark jacket, slacks, and sunglasses, his usual aura of don't-talk-to-me-in-any-language intact.
Raika, surprisingly, looked awake and alert, standing by the curb with a small travel bag over her shoulder and Emi in her arms, dressed in a pink hoodie with cat ears. The school bus was parked nearby, a colorful banner on the side reading "MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE TRIP!!" in all caps, as if trying to yell its way into being exciting.
Then came the real test.
Yumi.
She walked up in casual jeans and a light jacket, looking more like a college student than a detective. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and she was trying very hard to appear composed despite the fact that her eyes kept darting toward Raito like a nervous intern on her first undercover mission.
"Morning," Raito greeted, as emotionless as ever.
"Morning!" Yumi answered a little too quickly, giving a slight wave.
Raika blinked, caught off guard. "Um… who's this?"
Raito gestured lazily. "This is Detective Yumi Aikawa. She's coming with us."
"With us?" Raika repeated, her voice sliding toward suspicious.
Yumi tried to smile and offered a hand. "Hi! I'm just tagging along. As a… guest! For vacation! You must be Raika—Raito's younger sister."
Raika shook her hand, then narrowed her eyes.
"And you're… what, exactly?"
Yumi turned red immediately. "Just a friend! A friend! We're not… I mean—Raito and I—we're not—like that."
Raika raised an eyebrow. "You're not?"
"No!" Yumi flailed. "No, no. Just friends. Work friends. Barely even that. I mean—we've had coffee. Once. But it wasn't a date. It was just… police-related."
"I didn't ask if it was a date," Raika said, now clearly enjoying this.
Yumi turned scarlet.
Meanwhile, Raito was buckling Emi into a special child seat near the front of the bus, completely unaware of the emotional landmine exploding ten feet away.
"Raika, take your seat," he said, turning back toward them. "You too, Yumi. I'll catch up."
"You're not coming?" Yumi asked.
"I forgot something," he replied flatly. "I'll meet you at the cabin."
"You're gonna miss the bus," Raika pointed out, climbing aboard.
"I won't. Don't worry."
And with that, he turned and walked back toward the villa without further explanation.
Back inside his private garage, Raito clicked open his sleek, black car. The engine purred to life like a sleeping beast.
Finally. Peace.
And then, in his mind:
"What are you planning, Raito?" Kurai's voice slid into his thoughts like a shadow under a door.
"I'm not riding a bus full of hormonal teens, nosy parents, and potential karaoke performances," he said out loud, adjusting the mirror. "That's not strategy. That's survival instinct."
"You do know they'll think you're being mysterious and dramatic on purpose."
"I am."
"…I hate you."
"Good."
He pulled out of the driveway with a calm smile, heading for the mountains—not for a vacation, not for relaxation—but for the most important objective of all:
Avoiding awkward social dynamics.
And maybe, just maybe… dealing with whatever ancient threat Kurai wasn't telling him about.
But first?
He had the time for a peaceful breezy drive.