Chapter 24
Of Fear and Friendship

"Uesugi-san... I don't think that's very stable."

As I clung to the branch of the large tree, straddling it between my legs and wrapping my arms around it in an attempt to maintain my fragile balance, I could see what she meant. Both with regards to the paper lantern I was trying to hang from the bough, and also my own ability to defy gravity.

"Just... one more pull," I gritted my teeth, wrapping the thick cord along the rough tree bark one more time. "It'll stay once I tie it."

"Ok... If you say so."

Yotsuba surreptitiously positioned herself next to the branch, something I noticed only as I finished layering the cord, and then tying it off. The paper lantern, unlit, dangled and rotated, the cord twisting and coiling, before slowly releasing the built up potential energy and reversing the direction of its spin.

Sighing in relief, I sat up on the bough, and wiped my brow.

"I think that's the last one, Yotsuba. It's just the signs left, right?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded, studying the list on her phone which we'd made weeks before. The brightness of the screen illuminated her entire face from below, giving it an eerie, ethereal look - not that I could see much of her face, anyways. Having already changed into her costume for the evening, her face was wrapped in bandages, leaving only one eye and her mouth exposed, as well as a fraction of her left cheek.

Scooching my way back to the trunk of the tree, I steadied myself, and then slowly swung my leg over the bough so as to not transfer the angular momentum into my torso - I had no desire to go flipping over in the other direction. I then took a deep breath, and lowered myself. My upper-body strength was about as terrible as the rest of my physique, but I had enough to at least support my body for the second or two it took for me to reach a hanging position below the branch, and then drop the remaining half-metre to the ground. I crouched as I landed, and then shook my head.

"Why am I the one climbing trees, again? You're much more physically adept."

"Why thank you, Uesugi-san! I'm the one who has the list, though, and if my phone locks, I would need to come down again to unlock it every single time."

I grumbled, but unfortunately it was a sound argument - short of her giving me the passcode to her phone, this was the best solution.

"Anyways," I said, brushing off the small bits of bark and greenery that had gotten on my shirt and pants while tree-climbing. "Let's go over the list one last time."

"Sure, sure. Here."

Yotsuba handed me her phone, and I scrolled through the list we'd made together over several sessions in the school library.

"Shrine talismans?"

"Check."

"Creepy music near the entrance?"

"A teacher is running that, so check."

"Uh... oh, shoot, did we forget the eye-lights?" I asked, scratching my head.

"No, I put those in first," Yotsuba said, a smug look barely visible on her face in the harsh light of the phone screen. We'd planned to hide LEDs in various places in the forest off to the sides of the trail, positioned to look like red eyes in the darkness. "They'll definitely get a fright from that."

"Good, good," I grinned. "Paper lanterns are 'check' as well since we just need to light them, so... as we thought, just the signs left."

"Do you have them?"

I scoffed. "Of course I have them. This isn't amateur hour."

"Actually, we aren't getting paid, so I think it i-"

I pulled out a giant roll of police tape, and a cardboard sign with a giant arrow pointed on it. Interrupting her by tossing the tape to her, I withdrew another roll, as well as a further two signs from the huge duffel bag which had been used to transport the materials for the test of courage to the campsite. Leaving the bag under the paper lantern, Yotsuba and I walked to the beginning of the route.

Proceeding along the path, at various points we hung the tape along the side of the path, serving both as a reminder of all the horrors of the night - but also as an occasional shepherding along the path, preventing our classmates from wandering off into the dark.

Eventually, we reached a fork in the trail, and I hung up the first sign, which had a giant arrow on it indicating that they ought to go right. We'd prepared the sign a few days before the trip. Flicking on the small LEDs attached to the bottom, the cardboard lit up in a flood of red light.

"Well, that should do it," I nodded. "Let's keep going."

Continuing to hang up tape every twenty metres or so, we eventually made it back to the duffel bag. I hoisted it over my shoulder, and then we continued along the remainder of the course. Eventually, we reached a second fork, and I hung up another sign.

"We're almost at the scare point," Yotsuba said, giggling. "I can't wait!"

"Yeah, they won't know what hit them," I smiled at her. "Let's keep going."

Continuing, we finally reached the point we'd designated as the 'scare point' - a sharp bend in the trail where we could leap out in costume and jump scare unsuspecting high schoolers. After a long trek through the dark woods, I was certain we would get at least a few of them.

"Let's not put any tape here," I said. "That way, they won't suspect there's anything coming."

"Eh? If we don't put any tape though, won't it look more suspicious?"

"I... hmm. Actually, yeah, you're right."

Beaming, Yotsuba hung up the tape before the bend, and we carried on. Finally, we came to the final fork - and I hung up the last sign, indicating to go right.

"That should be it!"

"Um, Uesugi-san..."

"Yes?" I asked, glancing at her.

"Doesn't that other path lead to the cliff?"

"Oh, right. Hmm... I suppose, after we scare people, we can just tell them about the path. That way, nobody will take it by accident."

"Oh. Ok! If you're sure."

We continued along the right-hand path, but after a few seconds of walking, I frowned.

"Actually... hmm."

I've spent enough time around various idiots at this point... to know that I need to idiot-proof things.

Turning back, I stared at the sign, its eerie red illumination visible even from this distance.

"Do you think that'll be enough, Yotsuba?"

She walked back to my side, and tilted her head.

"Hmm... I can kind of imagine someone getting really scared, and not noticing the sign, or forgetting we warned them."

"You're right," I concurred, frowning.

Walking back, I strung police tape across the entrance to the left-hand trail multiple times, essentially rendering it impassable without serious effort. Stepping back to admire my handiwork, I nodded contentedly.

That should stop any rampaging idiots.

Returning to Yotsuba, I took her roll of police tape and stored it in the duffel. Then, we walked to the end of the path; and began to backtrack. As we did so, we began lighting the paper lanterns that were hung sporadically along the route. Eventually, we reached the trail head, and found a teacher waiting there.

"Give us fifteen minutes and we'll be ready, sensei!" Yotsuba called, and the teacher in question nodded.

"Sounds good. I'll start sending groups in about twenty minutes, then. Sound good?"

"Sure," I nodded. "We'll be ready."

About ten minutes later, we'd returned to our scaring spot, and I put the duffel down next to the base of a tree slightly off the trail: a position where it wouldn't be visible from the path. Then, I unzipped it, and pulled my own costume out. The getup I'd chosen required far less work than Yotsuba's to prepare, and I'd been climbing trees, so I'd delayed donning it until we were fully prepared.

Yotsuba was just standing by the bend, idly watching me - frankly, it looked as though she were zoning out.

"Uh, Yotsuba," I muttered, glancing at her. "Can... you look away for a minute?"

"Huh? O-Oh! Sure!"

Yotsuba turned away from me, but I was pretty sure her face, or at least the little sliver of her cheek I could see, had turned a bright pink colour. Shaking my head, I quickly slipped out of my shirt and pants, and threw on pitch-black jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. Finally, I picked up a blond wig, and affixed it to my head, carefully pushing all of my black hair underneath the rim so that it wouldn't be remotely visible.

Then, finally, I picked up a clown's mask, and tied it to my face.

"I'm ready," I hissed.

Yotsuba turned back around, and eyed my costume up and down.

"Ooh, very good, Uesugi-san - I'm sure you'll scare the heck out of them!"

"Thanks," I replied, lowering the mask to hang around my neck. "I'm actually pretty excited for this, now that the moment has come."

"I'm glad!" she said, smiling gently at me. "It'll be a good memory after all."

"Yeah, I hope so."

"We should get into position - they'll be here soon."

I nodded as I pulled down my mask, and we moved back towards the trail. As we crouched next to the tree and prepared to stalk our prey, Yotsuba leaned over to me, and whispered.

"By the way... that blond wig actually looks superb on you."

I could feel my cheeks heat up, and I was suddenly deeply grateful - both for the mask, and the darkness.

"Uh... thank you."

She just grinned at me, and then suddenly her face went blank as we heard footsteps approaching the bend.

"Ready?" she whispered.

"Born ready," I shot back.

As the inaugural pair doing the test rounded the corner, shivering, Yotsuba and I simultaneously leapt onto the trail. I yelled "BAH!" at the top of my lungs, and Yotsuba let out a high-pitched screech, her hands reaching for the face of the nearest of the two boys who had just rounded the corner.

Screaming, the two ran away - as they fled, I noticed one of them was clutched onto the arm of the other. Nodding approvingly at the success of our scare, I turned back to Yotsuba.

"Great first scare," I smiled, and she grinned back at me.

"You too! Shi shi shi, this is gonna be great."

The next few test-takers, spaced five minutes apart, were about as easily scared. After the third, however, Yotsuba frowned at me.

"Hmm... I feel like you can do a bit more with your scares, Uesugi-san. You need to put your entire ass into it, you know?"

"My... entire ass?"

Yotsuba nodded. "Yep. Your entire ass. Not just part of it - the whole thing."

"Like... this?" I frowned, turning my back towards the trail and sticking my rear out slightly.

Yotsuba stifled a laugh. "Yes. Yes, exactly like that. That's perfect."

I rolled my eyes at her. "So, what do you actually mean by that?"

"Like, in the last one - you just yelled "BAH", but I feel like... your motions were kind of stiff. Try to feel the scare! Let the scare flow through your veins. BE the scare, Uesugi-san."

"Be the scare..." I murmured to myself. Frowning, I closed my eyes, and contemplated.

Be the scare... be the scare... be the scare...

"There's another group coming," Yotsuba whispered, her hand on my shoulder. "Do it, Uesugi-san. Be the scare. Channel the scare. Use the scare."

I nodded, my eyes still closed.

Be the scare.

"Here they come!"

As the next two people rounded the corner, Yotsuba screeched and leapt at them - and I did the same, my hands reaching out, my fingers claws of shadow and blood, my eyes wide behind the mask, and a deep scream came forth from my lungs, a sound I'd never known I was capable of making.

"Holy friggin' shit!" Maeda shrieked, the girl next to him clinging to his arm, tears streaming down her face - and the two of them fled down the trail.

"Yes!" Yotsuba shouted, pumping her fist. "Yes, Uesugi-san, YES! Feel the scare in your heart! Use its power!"

I bowed my head. "You are wise in the ways of the scare, Yotsuba-sensei."

"Ehehehe," she said, rubbing her finger under her nose smugly. "Praise me more!"

"You are... scary, Yotsuba-sensei?"

"Shi shi shi... no, wait, not like that!"

Laughing, I lifted my mask. "Well, thanks for the advice. I'll definitely scare the next set as hard as we scared Maeda."

"Eh? Who's Mae- ohhhh, wait, right, the boy Ichika... wait, huh? That was him?"

"Yeah, it's... a long story. I'll tell you after we're done, maybe."

"Hmm... ok," Yotsuba said, shrugging.

"There's another group coming."

We leapt out at them, and I once again put my entire ass into it. The two girls shrieked, and bolted down the trail, and I grinned at Yotsuba - not that she could see it, given the mask I was wearing.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this."

As the next few groups came through, we got into a rhythm, and terrifying our classmates felt almost like a background task. Every five minutes or so, we would leap out, screaming, and a pair would shriek and run. Of course, there were a few duds - but for the most part, it seemed like people were truly getting frightened by our elaborate setup.

Thanks to that elaborate setup, however, between scares Yotsuba and I had nothing to do.

"Hey, Uesugi-san," Yotsuba said after one dud, slinking back behind the tree which we'd made our hiding spot. "We should play a game."

"A game?"

"Yeah! Hmm... what should we play, though?"

"Um... something where we can still pay attention to people coming."

"I've got it!" Yotsuba said, pounding her fist on her hand.

"Did you even hear what I said...?"

"Let's play twenty questions!"

I sighed. "Why?"

Yotsuba grinned at me, and leaned closer. "I wanna know more about you, Uesugi-san!"

I paused at that. While I felt like I knew quite a few things about Yotsuba at this point... there were definitely things I didn't know. Small things, trivial things... and also maybe important things. There was part of me, and it wasn't a small part, that wanted to know more.

"Sure," I said nonchalantly, stretching. "I'm game."

"Shi shi shi! Excellent! Oh, but to make it more interesting... how about we bring it down to ten questions, and the guesser picks the theme?"

I frowned. That severely limited my guessing ability.

"Fine. It's not like there are stakes," I shrugged. "You can guess first, if you want."

"Ok! Um... Ok, let's do... your favourite food!"

"You know that already," I said, flatly.

"Oh, right. Curry. Um... oh! Let's do... favourite song!"

I frowned. I didn't think I had a favourite song. Though, maybe... I would go with that.

"Ok, do you have it?" Yotsuba asked.

"Yeah, I suppose. Go ahead."

"Was it released in the last thirty years?"

I laughed. "No." But barely.

Yotsuba continued to ask questions, trying to narrow things down - but by only giving herself ten questions, she'd majorly handicapped her ability to winnow down the space of possible answers. By question seven, she was quite frustrated.

"Um... um... is it even by a Japanese artist?"

"Nope."

"Uesugi-san, you listen to Western music?!"

"Is that your question?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ack! No, no, I was just curious. Um... um... shoot, I don't know Western music! This is hard... hmm... is it rock and roll?"

"Definitely not," I laughed.

"Hmmm... do you know the song by heart?"

"Yes."

It's not like it's particularly difficult - apart from the first line, there aren't any words...

"Oh geez oh geez oh geez... I have no idea. Why did I do this to myself?" Yotsuba moaned, gently banging her head against the tree.

"Last guess," I grinned. "This is fun."

"You're having fun watching me suffer?!"

"You did this to yourself," I shrugged. "Also... yes?"

She stuck her tongue out at me, and I laughed again.

"Um... oh! OH! I have it! Is it... that song you sang when you taught me to whistle?"

I was stunned. After a second, I recovered myself, realizing that she hadn't actually guessed.

"Which is...?"

"Uesugi-saaaaan! That's not fair!"

"You need to guess the song, not guess the vague idea of the song."

"Ughhhhh, I have no clue what it was! I'd never heard it before!"

I shook my head in sympathy. "Fine, I'll give it to you... if you can whistle a phrase of it."

Yotsuba pouted, but then closed her eyes.

"Um... how did it go...?"

Slowly, haltingly, she started to whistle the theme to Star Trek: The Next Generation - or at least, something very, very vaguely approximating it. Nevertheless, there was something genuine in the way she pursed her lips and tried her best to make the sound come out. It was, if nothing else, a solid effort.

It still sounded more like a child blowing raspberries, though.

"I'm impressed you remembered it," I said, smiling. "Yeah, I'll give it to you - that was it."

"What is it, anyways?"

"The opening theme for an American television show. I watched the Japanese dub of it all the time with my dad when I was little, back when we had a TV. You would really like it, I think."

"Huh... I'll need to check it out."

"Or maybe not," I smirked. "It's relatively devoid of action scenes."

"Hey! I like stuff besides action, Uesugi-san! I just also like action!"

"I know, I know. Ah, there's somebody coming."

We went silent, then leapt out as another pair rounded the corner - a boy and a girl. The boy shrieked and latched onto the arm of the girl, who looked completely unperturbed. She gave us both a cool look, nodded, then glanced down at the trembling boy, and a half-smile crossed her face. Nudging, she shepherded him down the trail, and they were gone.

"Whoo, that was a good one!" Yotsuba grinned, wiping her brow. "Ok, your turn, Uesugi-san!"

"Uh... sure, let's go with... your favourite animal."

"Shi shi shi, you're not gonna get it," Yotsuba snickered. "Go ahead, Uesugi-san! Do your worst! I dare ya!"

"Ok, sure. First question... is it typically found in the Americas or Oceania?"

"Um... no!"

"Is it stereotypically associated with a particular biome?"

Yotsuba started to sweat.

"...Yes."

"Can you find this animal both in and out of Africa?"

"...These are very specific questions, Uesugi-san," she said, narrowing her eyes. "But... yes."

"Just guessing," I said, frowning. "Hmm... is it possible to find this animal anywhere in the eastern part of Asia?"

"Yep!"

"Just to clarify, on that last question, I meant in the wild, not in a zoo. That's a clarification, not a question."

"Still yes," Yotsuba said.

I frowned. That answer threw me thoroughly off track.

"Hmm. That's four guesses. It's not found in the Americas or Oceania. It's stereotypically associated with a particular biome. It can be found both in and out of Africa, and it can be found in the wild in eastern Asia."

"Yep."

I scratched my cheek. "You're right, this is hard. Umm... is it a breed of cat, large or small?"

"Nope."

That's five. Shoot.

"Has it been domesticated by humans?"

At that, Yotsuba frowned. "Um... well, maybe. Sort of. I'll go with yes."

"Well, that's just confusing."

"Yes. The answer is yes."

"Alright..." I pondered, scrunching my eyes shut. Domesticated. Both Africa and not. Not Oceania, nor the Americas. Not a cat. Associated with a particular biome... and found in eastern Asia?! What the hell...?

"I think I need to assume I'm missing a key piece of information here," I frowned. "Is this animal ever found in the wild in Europe?"

"I don't think so. If it is, it's probably only a few."

Seven... crap, I'm running out of guesses.

"Hmm... do people typically ride this animal?"

"Yes."

I frowned. "There are horses in the Americas, so it can't be that, but maybe it's another pack animal of some kind..."

"Is that a question?"

"Ah, no. Sorry. Let me think."

I put my head in my hands, trying to block out external stimuli while I thought. The pieces didn't really fit, and the thing about eastern Asia was really throwing me off... but...

"Ok, question nine - has it historically been ridden by Bedouin people?"

"Yep! You've basically got it."

I looked up at her in sheer confusion.

"Is it... a camel?!"

"Wow! I'm super impressed, Uesugi-san! Yep, it's a camel!"

I shook my head. "Since when are there camels in eastern Asia?!"

"Shi shi shi! Looks like there's something I know that Uesugi-san doesn't!" Yotsuba snickered. Then, she straightened up, and put her closed fist over her chest as though reciting a pledge. "Indeed, my good fellow, indeed! While the dromedary camels that you may know and certainly love are native to North Africa and the Middle East, the Bactrian camel is resident to the Gobi desert of China and the steppes of Mongolia - which range into eastern Asia!"

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

"And... that's your favourite animal?"

"Yep!" she grinned. "I guess I just like grumpy things."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know you do. That's why you keep me around."

Yotsuba laughed. "You're not that grumpy, Uesugi-san."

"I can be," I said, shaking my head. "You just haven't seen my full-power grump."

"No, I'm pretty sure I have," she said. "When we first met, you wanted nothing to do with me - you were pretty grumpy! I had to chase you all over the place just to get you to thank me for returning your test."

"If I'd really wanted nothing to do with you, trust me, I would have been a lot worse," I chuckled. "Remember, I was far ruder to Itsuki."

"That... that's true," Yotsuba said, and though the faint light of the hanging paper lanterns wasn't nearly enough light to make out anything, I almost thought I could see a pale pink through the sliver of a gap over her left cheek.

Suddenly, I heard the distant sound of footsteps.

"Next round after," I muttered, crouching.

Yotsuba nodded. Tensing, we both got into position, and then leapt out from our hiding spot, screaming - and got absolutely no reaction whatsoever from either Ichika nor Miku.

"Oh, boo," Yotsuba said, frowning and standing up again. "You two aren't scareable."

"Hmm? Oh, sorry - ahhh! I'm very scared!" Ichika said entirely unconvincingly, her tone teasing as she raised her hands in mock fright. Miku didn't even put in the effort. She just looked me up and down, unimpressed.

"If you're going to fake it, at least put some effort in," I sighed, pulling my mask off. "I know you can do better than that, Ichika."

She gave me a sharp look - and then suddenly grinned as the mask fully came off, dropping to my side.

"Mmm, Fuutarou-kun... did you dye your hair? It looks great - blond really suits you."

"Uh... thanks. No, it's a wig."

"Is that so?" Ichika said, smiling. "That's too bad. You should consider it."

"I'll pass, thank you," I said, glancing away from her. "I... don't think that would be a very good idea."

"Why is that? I think it looks good."

"Reasons."

"My, how cold of you, Fuu...tarou..."

Ichika trailed off, and she just stared at me. Then, she squinted her eyes, suddenly lost in thought.

"Let's go, Ichika," Miku said, quietly speaking for the first time.

"What? Oh, uh... right," she said distractedly, still staring at me. She started to slowly walk away... but then stopped, turned around, and came back, inspecting my features at an extremely close range.

"Ichika...?" I asked, uncomfortably.

"I can't shake this feeling," she said, her brow deeply furrowed, "that we've met somewhere before."

"Yeah, you said that the other day," I said, trying to look anywhere besides her inquisitive eyes. "I thought we'd already established that it was just deja vu."

"Yeah... maybe," Ichika said slowly, doubtfully.

"Ichika, let's go," Miku called, a note of impatience entering her voice.

"Just one second!" she called back. She leaned in even closer, her eyes flitting back and forth across my face.

"You're too close. Can you please back u-"

"Cards...?" she muttered to herself, completely ignoring me. Then, she shook her head. "No, that's not possible."

"Ichika, what the hell are you talking about?" I complained.

She pulled back, and glanced sharply over at Yotsuba.

"Yotsuba-chan?"

"Y-Yes?"

I turned to look at Yotsuba, but I couldn't really see her face at all, the combination of the bandages and the darkness of the night-time forest rendering her face practically inscrutable.

"I've got a question for you," Ichika said, her voice serious.

"Ichika, come on! I'm sick of waiting in the woods!"

She sighed, and glanced over at Miku. "Nevermind, I'll ask you later."

"Um... ok," Yotsuba said, her voice broadcasting sudden nerves for all to hear.

"I will ask you, though. There's this tickle in my brain, and I have to know."

Yotsuba silently nodded. Ichika smiled, waved goodbye, and then hurried after Miku, who was waiting further down the trail, her body language screaming irritation. Then, both of them were gone into the night, leaving behind a Yotsuba whose own body language indicated only one thing: she was rattled.

"Yotsuba?" I asked, frowning. "What was that all about? Why would Ichika want to ask you a burning question after staring at my face?"

"Um... um..."

Yotsuba can't lie.

"I... don't really want to talk about it. Sorry, Uesugi-san," she said, glancing away from me. "It's between me and Ichika. At least... I think it is. I don't know exactly what she's going to ask, of course."

I blinked several times.

Ah yes, the tried and true method - avoidance.

Silent for a moment, I stared into the darkness of the forest, mulling my thoughts.

Ichika was wondering if we'd met before, and started pressing Yotsuba on it. That... doesn't make sense. It would imply, if we had met before, that I'd met both of them, since otherwise Yotsuba wouldn't have any knowledge of it that Ichika didn't. While highly unlikely, it's possible I could have met one of them before, through some strange coincidence of fate.

But... if I met more than one, things change. It becomes a different scenario entirely; I almost certainly would have met all of them in that case.

I would definitely remember meeting quintuplets; and I don't.

Ergo...

I can't have met them before.

I eyed Yotsuba, who was staring at the ground. That was enough to settle the question for me.

There must be something else going on here, then. It clearly involves me too, somehow - it's not just between the two of them. But... if she doesn't want to talk about it, then...

"Ok. I won't push the subject."

Yotsuba looked up at me with a weak, grateful smile on her face, and I instinctively patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," I added. "If you want to talk to me about it, then you can. If you don't, that's also ok."

Yotsuba nodded, and then looked away. We were silent as we returned to our spot behind the tree, the half-light making her look all the more forlorn. It was obvious that what Ichika had said - or rather, had almost said - had shaken her, though as to why that was, I had no idea. When the next group came through, Yotsuba and I leapt out to scare them, but I could tell her heart wasn't in it at all.

As we retreated to the tree, I leaned against it.

"Your entire ass."

Yotsuba frowned at me. "Huh?"

"You need to put your entire ass into it. That's what you said, right?"

"I..."

"Entire ass," I shook my head. "Not half-ass, or quarter-ass. Entire ass."

Yotsuba was quiet for a moment. Then, she sighed.

"You're right. Sorry, Uesugi-san."

"It's fine. You'll just worry me if you get all quiet and demure like this. It doesn't suit you."

"Is... is that so?" Yotsuba laughed, though I could tell her heart still wasn't in it at all.

We were quiet for a moment, just standing in the shadows cast by the branches intercepting the light of the hanging paper lanterns, and I suddenly found myself wishing I could see her face. I glanced over at her, and found that she was staring at me, biting her lip nervously as though she were trying to convince herself of something - but of what, I wasn't sure.

"Uesugi-san?" she suddenly asked.

"Yeah?"

"I... I have a question for you."

"Sure," I said, furrowing my brow. "Go for it."

"Tell me... why do you study so hard?"

The question caught me completely off-guard. I'd been asked it once before, by Itsuki... but I hadn't expected it now, and from Yotsuba of all people. Looking away from her, I pondered how to answer. I didn't want to deflect... but I also still wasn't sure whether I wanted her to know.

It might be fine if it's Yotsuba... but it's a precious memory. It's something I cherish. Somehow, sharing it... it almost feels like too much.

"It's... complicated," I said delicately.

"Please tell me," she said, and there was a hard look in her eye.

I bit my lip in turn, and stared into the darkness above her. My desire to comfort her competed with my desire to keep my secret. In the end, they came to a sort of stalemate, neither truly able to gain the upper hand.

Indecision.

"I... want to give my dad and my sister a comfortable life," I said eventually. "In order to do that, I need to get a good job. In order to do that, I need to go to a great university, and in order to go to a great university, I need stellar grades."

It was true - I hadn't told any lies. That was, ultimately, my motivation.

It just wasn't the entire truth.

Yotsuba was quiet for a long while - a minute, maybe more. When I looked back down at her, I saw that she was looking down at my feet... and her lip was trembling. I was entirely unsure what to make of that, and I started feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

I don't understand anything that's happening here.

"Is that so?" she eventually said, looking up and smiling at me weakly. "Is that really the entire reason? It doesn't seem that complicated."

I glanced away from her again. Then, I sighed, and shook my head.

"No. There's another reason, but... sharing it feels wrong. It's a promise that I made, a long time ago. One that I have every intention to keep - it's very important to me. But... the details of that promise are something I've kept private for a long time. I... sorry, Yotsuba. I still want to keep that to myself, at least for a bit longer. It's precious to me."

I turned back to look at her, and cursed again the bandages that were wrapped around her face - there had never been a moment when I wanted to be able to read her face more. Her eyes - or at least, the eye I could see - were wide, and I could see that she was biting her lip quite hard; I was worried she would draw blood. There was some kind of emotion that she was fighting desperately to keep in, and with the obstruction of her face, I had no idea as to what it was.

"I... see," she eventually said, turning away from me. "...Ok."

There was pain in her voice, and it frustrated me, because I didn't know why.

Out of nowhere, my conversation with Itsuki months before drifted into my head - memories of the icy cold balcony where we'd forged our friendship.

"If I do hurt you again, please... just tell me what I did."

Shaking my head, I focused again on the girl in front of me.

"Yotsuba?"

"...Yes?"

"What's wrong? Why are you so upset? What... what did I do?"

Yotsuba turned back to me, and let out a laugh. It was clearly forced.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Uesugi-san. I did. It was entirely me. Sorry, I- this is my own shortcomings coming and biting me in the butt. Don't worry about it. Please."

"But-"

"This is just... my own stupidity." Yotsuba said, shaking her head. "Let's drop it, please."

"Your own stupidity? But you're clearly hurting, and I-"

"Please." she whispered, her voice quavering, and I took that as a sign that the conversation was over - or at least, that it should be over. I had the overwhelming sense that the longer this went on, the more hurt Yotsuba would get.

What... what can I do for her? Why is she acting like this?

I felt helpless - and I hated it.

I can't do anything to help if I don't even understand the problem.

Then, a thought struck me, and I went over to the duffel bag that was still slung at the base of the tree, squatting down next to it, my back turned to Yotsuba.

The least I can do is to try and cheer her up.

"Eh? Uesugi-san, what are you-"

"One second," I said, rummaging through the bag and finding the clothes I'd been previously wearing. "I have something for you. I totally forgot about it with everything going on."

"...Huh?"

Shoving my fingers into my previous pants' pocket, I rustled about, and then pulled out the item that had been contained within.

"Here. Give me your hand."

Confused, Yotsuba extended her right hand, but I shook my head. "The other one."

I was sure I was imagining it, given the dismal lighting and the bandages, but I thought I caught another hint of pink through the gap of the costume on her face. She held out her left hand, and I slid the bracelet which Raiha had crafted for her onto her wrist.

"H-Huh? Uesugi-san, what... what is this?"

"It's a charm," I said, smiling. "Raiha made it for you. She's a big believer in that stuff."

"I... thanks. That's really sweet of her," Yotsuba said, smiling weakly back at me.

"Yeah, see?" I said, holding up my left wrist, where my own present dangled. "Now we match."

"Is... is that so?"

"Yeah," I nodded sagely. "Yours is quite a bit nicer, though. Imagine, my own sister put more work into your charm than mine. The betrayal, I swear."

Yotsuba chuckled softly, and that time it was real; and even if it was quiet and weak, I immediately felt my heart lighten.

"I... I guess she just likes me better, Uesugi-san!" she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her fingers and smiling at me. I grinned at her.

"Right?" I sighed dramatically. "It's terrible. I'm heartbroken."

"Geez, Uesugi-san - sometimes I wonder if you love your sister a little bit too much."

"Impossible," I said, shaking my head. "Have you met Raiha? It's not possible to love her too much."

"True, true," she nodded. "I would marry you just to have Raiha as a little sister. She's that cute."

I bonked her on the head. "Listen to what you're saying, idiot. Having Raiha as a little sister isn't worth that."

Yotsuba laughed, an honest, genuine laugh, and after a second I joined her.

Then, I pulled up short. "Hang on, come to think of it... hasn't it been a while since we had someone come by?"

"You're right," Yotsuba frowned. "That's... odd..."

Then, her eyes widened in embarrassment, and I turned to see that there was someone hiding on the other side of the tree, watching us.

"Alright, you can come out now," I said resignedly.

"Well, well, well!" a certain irritating blond boy said as he popped out from behind the tree. "It was truly gallant of you, Uesugi Fuutarou, to grant Nakano-san such a boon! Truly, you are both blessed! Ah, to be young and in lo-"

"You can leave now," I spat, grabbing him by the shoulders and steering him back onto the path. I looked over my shoulder to see that one of the boys from our room was with him - I vaguely recognized him as the one who'd given me the heads up about breakfast that morning.

"Sorry," he shrugged. "He didn't want to interrupt."

"Just... get him out of here, please," I sighed. The boy nodded, and gently led Second Place-san away from our spot.

"No! Let me go back! I must bear witness to this passiona- wait, wh-what are you doing? Unhand me! Unhand me this instant! I didn't consent to being princess carried! Nooooooo-"

Then, they were gone.

I turned to look at Yotsuba.

There was a moment's pause...

Then, we both burst out laughing.

"What the hell was that?" I gasped. "He got princess carried away? Oh my god."

"Right?!" she wheezed.

After about a minute, we calmed down, and got back into position - but we both kept occasionally breaking into fits of giggles. It was infectious: whenever I broke, Yotsuba broke, and whenever Yotsuba broke, I would break.

Eventually, we managed to suppress the laughing, and not a moment too soon, as another group rounded the corner, another group of two boys. We both leapt out at them, screaming our heads off, and the two of them bolted away, shrieking in terror. Chuckling, we high-fived, and then returned to our spots.

The silence slowly grew again as we crouched in waiting, and then I sighed.

"Yotsuba?"

"Yeah?"

"...I hope that charm keeps you protected from whatever you're scared of."

Yotsuba just turned to look at me... and then she gave me a small, sad smile, and turned to look back towards the path.

"Thanks, Uesugi-san... but it can't protect me from something that's already happened."

We were silent for a moment, and I had a distinct feeling I'd stuck my foot in it.

She wasn't kidding about having a dark, tragic past after all, was she? I should have just kept my mouth shut - things were getting better.

Then, Yotsuba suddenly leaned over, and bumped me with her shoulder.

"Sorry."

"Huh?" I frowned, confused. "What are you apologizing for?"

"This is supposed to be fun, and I'm just being gloomy. Ichika rattled me a bit, but I'll be fine. Let's keep doing our best to scare the crap out of them!"

"Sure," I smiled, bumping her shoulder back. "If you do decide to tell me about it eventually, though... I'm here to listen."

"...Yeah. Thanks," Yotsuba murmured, a soft, almost tender smile crossing her face.

The next few pairs were easy scares - and then we got a couple who were holding hands, and were far more interested in each other than they were either of us. When we leapt out, the girl just looked at us in disdain, and sniffed.

"Come on, Shou-kun. Let's keep going. I don't want any more... scares."

"Ah, don't worry, Akane. I'll protect you!"

The two walked off, the girl wrapped around the boy's arm, and I just stared after themselves

That was almost as bad as Ichika's script.

"Uesugi-san?" Yotsuba asked questioningly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just annoyed," I said, shaking my head. "Oh well, they can't all be winners."

"True. Let's give the next group an extra special scare!"

We crouched in place, and as we heard footsteps rounding the corner, I leapt out, my hands stretching forth like a zombie, screaming my head off. Yotsuba also leapt out, shrieking like a banshee.

"AHHHH, OH MY GOD NINO IT'S A MUMMY, I'M GONNA DIEEEEEEEEE!"

Before us, Itsuki was clung to Nino's arm like her life depended on it, tears streaming down her face in fear. Her older sister sighed, and shook her arm, dragging Itsuki around as she tried to dislodge her.

"You're not gonna die," she scowled. "Let go of me, please."

"Noooo, don't leave me alone, Ninooooo," Itsuki whimpered, refusing to let go.

"Don't worry, Itsuki," Yotsuba said brightly, stepping past me. "It's just us!"

"H-h-huh?" she shuddered, looking up at us with teary eyes. "N...not a real mummy?"

"Itsuki," I sighed, pulling my mask off. "Mummies can't move. We're just here to scare you."

"That's so mean!" Itsuki pouted, her lip trembling.

"The event was optional, why did you even come?" I frowned.

"Ninoooooooooo."

I looked over at the named offender to see that she was just staring at me, her eyes wide.

"What?" I said, frowning.

To my absolute shock, her face turned a bright red, and she looked away from me.

"Nothing," she muttered.

"It's not nothing, you're acting weird," I frowned. "What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, it's... it's..."

"Spit it out."

"Ah, god, you're so damn annoying!" Nino spat. "It should be illegal, damn it!"

I looked at Yotsuba, and she shrugged.

"...Uh, what should? My being annoying?"

"Ugh, nevermind! Itsuki, we're going."

"Niiiinooo," Itsuki cried, holding on to her arm as her older sister dragged her away. "Don't leave me behiiiiiind."

"Nerds like that aren't friggin' allowed to be hot," Nino muttered as she left. "God, with the blond hair, he's exactly my type. This sucks so much."

I could only assume that she had thought we were out of earshot - but my face immediately heated up, and I turned away, covering my mouth in embarrassment. Yotsuba looked at my face, then back at Nino- and then started cackling.

"Well, well, well, Uesugi-san - got the hots for Nino, huh?"

"Hardly," I muttered. "You know my feelings on love. It... It just caught me by surprise."

"She's gonna be so embarrassed when she realizes you heard her," Yotsuba teased.

"Please don't tell her. She'll be mortified."

"Ah, fine, I'll have mercy. Unless she decides to be mean to you again... then I might let her know."

"How petty of you," I muttered. Yotsuba just stuck her tongue out at me, and then laughed.

Several more groups came through, and I was relieved to see Yotsuba getting fully back into the thrall of the scare. At one point, she decided to climb the tree, and hang down from the bough to scare passers-by. I was a bit concerned, since visibility was practically non-existent, but she seemed fine. If anything, it improved her enjoyment, which was the only thing apart from her safety that I really cared about.

Eventually, we scared two girls who grabbed each other and ran away, and then I pulled out my phone.

"It's been about an hour and a half... I guess we must be close to being done, huh?"

"Yeah, with a group of two going every five minutes, we probably got almost everybody."

As if on cue, a teacher walked around the bend a few minutes later. We leapt out to scare them, but they were essentially unperturbed.

"Uesugi, Nakano," they said, nodding. "I just came to let you know that the last group went through - so, you're done for the night. Good job."

"Thanks, sensei," Yotsuba grinned. "It was a lot of fun!"

"It was," I concurred. "We should probably start cleaning up though, right?"

"Not tonight," the teacher said, shaking their head. "It's too dark, it wouldn't be safe. Just make sure to put out the paper lanterns, they could be a fire hazard if left all night. You can clean up in the morning."

We nodded, and then the teacher left. I picked up the duffel bag, unzipped it, and threw my mask inside. Then, I closed it, and hoisted it over my shoulder. I would change back at the lodge.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

Yotsuba nodded, and we stepped onto the trail together. Walking along until we reached the end of the path, we then back-tracked, blowing out the small tea candles inside of each paper lantern one by one. Eventually, we reached the head, where Yotsuba extinguished the last one.

"I guess that's it," I mused. "Good job, Yotsuba - and thanks again for all the help."

"No problem, I had a lot of fun," Yotsuba smiled. "Besides, you're going to help me with the campfire, right?"

"Yep. A deal is a deal, after all," I smiled in return. "We should go, though. They've probably already started moving the logs."

"Sure."

As we exited the forest, and stepped back out into the large clearing in which the lodge resided, I suddenly stopped, and turned to Yotsuba, a quizzical look crossing my face.

"Hang on," I frowned. "I just realized something. Why couldn't you have just temporarily disabled the passcode on your phone?"

"Huh?" Yotsuba asked, confused.

"When we were setting up. You made me climb those trees because I couldn't get into your phone if it locked."

"Uh..."

Yotsuba looked at me. She looked at her phone. Then, she looked back up at me, grinned sheepishly - and then bolted.

"Damn it, Yotsuba!"

As she disappeared into the night, I could hear her laughter floating back on the wind... and despite myself, I couldn't help but shake my head and smile.