The Struggles of a Young TS Yuki-Onna. Chapter 48: After the Festival

 

Author: citrullus

 

Character cheat sheet. This is mainly for me, and people who took a break from the novel.

Yukiya Kitahara(北原雪哉) now (雪耶): The protagonist. A junior high student, 14, and  now a Snow girl. Short black hair, beautiful pale skin.

Syuuji Kitahara(北原修司): Yukiya’s father, and owner of the Snow House.(雪乃亭) Which is located in Hyousei Village(氷清村)

Yukino(雪乃): Yukiya’s mother, and is a snow woman/ Yuki Onna.

Hazuki Natsumi(夏美) and Saeki Tomonori(佐伯智則): Yukiya’s friends and classmates.

Hikura Kouko(氷倉凍子). The evil young Yuki Onna. Sharp eyes, and long black hair. Reiko is her mom.(冷子)

TN: Mamuni

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Sunday Evening.

 

A bus leaves a tunnel to bypass the mountain

From a distant town by bus, Tomonori Saeki was finally returning home  after finishing his mock test.

 

You could see the snow covered mountains appear on clear days, but today only brought a white sheet covering the surroundings.

 

(What is wrong with me. . .)

 

Tomonori lamented missing his precious holiday for a mock test.

There are no major cram schools or prep schools in Hyosei Village. So he usually goes to a small private school in the center of the village.

However due to its size. They decided to outsource the mock test to a major company in a distant venue.

 

Tomonori sadly looked outside the window. Watching the flickering of snow outside the window streak as the bus went on his way.

 

He was at the desk all day long, but he was exhausted even though he didn’t move at all.

 

His parents are both civil servants. It’s a salary working family.

That is actually rare in the village. Most people are self-employed.

It isn’t really a rural family.

The father is a prefecture employee and is currently working at the center office, so he commutes from home by car for a two hour drive, often coming home late.

Despite the teasing by Natsumi-chan and others. Tomonori sometimes envies the Kitahara family. The family has been working locally since they were little.

 

Moreover Tomonori’s parents are very enthusiastic about education.

So it has already been decided for him his educational path. And the expectation that comes with it. Eventually expecting him to leave the village.

 

“Next stop is Hyousei grand shrine.”

 

A female voice came to announce the upcoming space.

Hyousei grand shrine is at the entrance to the village. From there, civilization starts to appear more and more. 

 

The snow was getting stronger.

The hard white carpet was relentlessly filling up the floor. There will probably be a usual sight until the spring.

However this weather is not special. In Hyousei village this weather is every season.

It seems that the winds and breeze from the sea blow onto the mountain side, leading to clouds near constant.

Beautiful blue skies are rare.

 

(The snow festival. Natsumi-chan and Yukiya-chan are also there.)

 

By the time he will get home the festival will be over.

He did recall that there were plans that they would go to karaoke. So they are perhaps there.

 

At this time he can only think about Yukiya(♂)

And he is starting to doubt whether or not he really transferred to another school.

 

“W-What. . .happened?”

 

He just suddenly disappeared. And apparently it was to prepare for further education.

(But was there ever an interest in education at Yukiya’s family?)

He knows that Yukiya father wasn’t original from the village – – –

 

But he is worried about Yukiya.

Emails, messages, etc. They exchanged them, but the kind of life he is living is shallow, and weird.

“How are you dealing with a new school life, club activities, and urban life?”

 

He asked various questions about the place he was at and how it was. But Yukiya only gave awkward replies.

 

And it wasn’t just him thinking that.

 

He had talked about it with Natsumi-chan before.

 

“I wonder how he is doing?”

 

The three of them have been together since elementary school school, before Yukiya just suddenly vanished. 

Only to be replaced by a girl.

 

“I’m worried. And. . .I feel like we’re being left out of something. There are also times when Yukiya-chan acts strange.”

 

Natsumi-chan was filling Tomonori in on things he didn’t even know.

She has good instincts, and he knew she would notice things he wouldn’t.

 

“About. Yukino-san.”

“Oh, that beauty. Isn’t that Yukiya(♂)’s mother?”

 

Yukiya’s mother suddenly returned after 10 years for the first time.

She is pretty and seems like a very good person. So why did they even separate? 

 

“Yeah. When I entered the store I overheard Yukiya(♀)-chan also call her their mother. . .I feel like eavesdropping is bad, but. . .It’s strange. She is supposed to be Yukiya’s(♂) cousin, but also his sister?

 

There are too many doubts.

However she believed that Yukiya(♂) will someday tell the truth.

 

“Let’s stop here. . . I don’t want to be sneaky, and talk behind somebody’s back.”

 

Therefore they then ended their discussion.

 

“Ahh. . .”

 

Tomonori wasn’t dumb about Natsumi-chan’s depressed express.

He noticed Natsumi-chan’s feelings for Yukiya a while ago.

 

“Hyousei grand shrine is approaching.”

 

There was a small shrine with a torii gate before the village.

 

“!?”

 

It was then he noticed something weird.

 

“T-That’s. . .”

 

Kouko Hikura.

Why is she there. . ?

The daughter of the Hikura group suddenly appeared.

 

She wasn’t even wearing anything special. Just her uniform, hanging out at the outskirts of the village.

The scenery here is at the foot of the mountain, and is a good place to take commemorative photos in the summer. But it is the winter, and the snow keeps most people away. 

And for some reason. It was Hikura 

alone there.

Actually, when he looked closely. He could see some other.

 

“Wait a minute, I’m getting off!”

 

He quickly pressed the exit button.

Signalling the bus driver to stop.

Leaving the warm bus air, he left into the frozen cold winds.

And went towards the lone girl.

Getting closer he realized the precarious situation she was in. She was behind the guardrails, close to the steep mountain side. If you slip, it could be a dangerous drop.

 

When he finally reached her, she was alone.

There must have been a mistake.

 

“What are you doing in a place like this, Hikura-san?”

 

The girl then looked towards him.

Tomonori took a deep breath.

 

Frozen sharp eyes, beautiful long black hair. A breathless sight in the snow.

The ice frozen area actually expanded on her beauty.

 

“Ara, you are. . .”

 

She didn’t have a surprised expression once she noticed Tomonori.

Rather a calm and collective one.

 

“You are. . .In the classroom next door, right?”

“Oh, I’m Tomonori Saki. Second year.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well I just took a mock exam. It’s a Seminar.”

“Mock. . .Examination?. . .Ah, discipline learning, right?”

 

She seemed to have a bit of trouble getting the terminology down.

 

“You are that kind of person. . .”

 

It was then a cold breeze strongly blew by.

 

“For now, it’s cold here, so let’s return.”

 

Tomonori then suggested.

 

As instructed, the bus waited for him.

 

(She is unexpectedly resistant to the cold.)

 

Despite being a city slicker, Kouko doesn’t seem to have any difficulty moving through the snow or ice. She didn’t even seem cold.

 

She then nodded honestly.

And followed Tomonori.

For some reason. She felt lonely.

 

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Finally more suspicion. We are getting closer to the big reveal. And also I think Tomonori just set off a flag for the crazy succubus. I am starting to enjoy these 3rd person chapters, just because of all the extra details you can write about.

 

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