"Is some construction site doing demolition?"
Hearing the sound of an explosion in the distance, Asuna had just stepped out of her room when she heard her mother's angry voice.
"Wait, there aren't any construction sites near us, are there?"
Before Asuna could say anything, her mother, Kyoko Yuuki's, angry expression was replaced by confusion.
Although their Yuuki family couldn't be called a prominent family, they were a wealthy family, operating a large electronics manufacturer.
Their home was also located in a high-end villa area.
Such a place would have been fully developed long ago; how could there be such an explosion sound?
Although such a doubt flashed through Kyoko's mind, when she saw Asuna coming out of her room, she frowned again, as the mother and daughter had just had a quarrel.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to talk to me? You came out just because you heard some noise! You need to know that your father and I are doing this for your own good. We've arranged the best path for you.
You just need to graduate well from Shuchi'in Academy, then marry Sugou during university. I don't understand what you're dissatisfied with about this arrangement!"
Putting aside the sound of the explosion for now, Kyoko first reprimanded Asuna.
After all, in the eyes of this 'Golden Phoenix' who had soared out of a mountain village by her own efforts and successfully changed her destiny.
She truly believed she had been very good to Asuna; when she was young, she had to rely on herself for everything.
To escape the impoverished, she didn't know how much hardship she had endured, her own daughter? She clearly had the happy life Kyoko arranged for her, yet she was still not content.
Does she think the fiancé she arranged for her isn't good enough?
Hmph! Childish thinking. What's wrong with Sugou? He's young and promising, kind to others, highly educated, and deeply trusted by her and her husband.
Such a talented young man who can stabilize their family business, is a good person, and is willing to marry into the family—she doesn't understand what Asuna is still being picky about!
'Asuna came home very late yesterday; could she have a boyfriend!?'
After this thought flashed through her mind, it took root. The more Kyoko thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
'Only this is possible; otherwise, how obedient Asuna used to be!'
Thinking this, Kyoko, who felt she had grasped the root cause, looked at Asuna with increasing anger.
"Give me your phone!"
Her mother's initial reprimand had stunned Asuna. She had originally wanted to remind her mother that the sound outside was unusual, but now she was a bit unsure how to speak.
It was her mother's demand for her phone that startled her awake.
"Mother! Outside..."
"Don't worry about the outside sounds; it's not like there's a war going on!"
Kyoko's impatient voice rang out. After all, ever since Japan cracked down on crime, public order had been excellent.
So, in Kyoko's mind, the outside sounds were no big deal at all.
And Asuna's words, to her, sounded more like a diversion, further confirming her suspicion—her daughter might really be in love!
No wonder she defied her; it turned out she had been led astray!
"Give it to me! Have you been deceived by some ill-intentioned boy?"
Kyoko yelled at Asuna, full of anger. That furious gaze and her mother's long-standing authority put Asuna under immense pressure.
With her head down and lips pursed, Asuna protested silently, but it was clear that this only made the enraged Kyoko even angrier.
She couldn't stand her usually gentle and obedient daughter suddenly being so rebellious.
Clack
With heavy footsteps of her high heels, Kyoko walked directly up to Asuna and, despite Asuna's resistance, snatched her phone.
She began to browse her contacts.
Then she discovered that two days ago, a boy's phone number had been added to Asuna's previously 'clean' contact list.
And they had even talked on the phone last night!
Hayashi! A male name.
There was no such name among the mainland students at Shuchi'in Academy.
So, this boy wasn't even from Shuchi'in Academy! Is he a 'phoenix man' who targeted Asuna, wanted to latch onto her family, and led Asuna astray!?
Thinking this, Kyoko became even angrier.
"Alright!! Asuna! You're really something."
The enraged Kyoko ignored Asuna's hurt and angry gaze and directly used Asuna's phone to call Hayashi.
"No!"
Asuna, feeling her dignity severely trampled by her mother, cried out with a choked voice, but the angry Kyoko ignored her, and the call quickly connected.
"Asuna-san? What's wrong?"
Hayashi's calm and pleasant voice came from the other end of the phone, but in Kyoko's ears at this moment, it was extremely grating.
"I am Asuna's mother!"
In Asuna's sad and angry gaze, Kyoko said with fury.
"Auntie?"
Seemingly sensing Kyoko's anger, Hayashi's tone carried a hint of bewilderment.
"Please don't harass my daughter anymore in the future; you two are impossible! Please give up on that idea!"
After angrily finishing, Kyoko didn't give the other party a chance to speak further, directly hung up, and then deleted Hayashi's number from Asuna's phone.
Then, staring at Asuna's angry eyes, she said mercilessly.
"I know exactly what kind of thoughts boys like him have! Asuna, I'm doing this for your own good!"
If Hayashi's calm voice had been grating in Kyoko's ears, then Kyoko's phrase 'for your own good' was even more grating in Asuna's ears.
"I don't need it!!"
Asuna roared furiously.
And just as the mother and daughter were staring at each other, poised for a clash.
Bang
"Ah—!!"
The distant explosion sound seemed to instantly draw near, as if it happened in their next-door villa. At the same time, they heard their neighbor's terrified screams.
...
This sudden scream instantly changed the tense atmosphere between Asuna and her mother.
At this moment, Kyoko, who had never thought a terrifying incident would occur, also realized something was wrong.
"What happened?"
Subconsciously, Kyoko walked to the window and looked to see what was happening at their next-door neighbor's house.
Then... she saw a humanoid hole in the courtyard wall of the opposite villa, as if some humanoid creature had directly crashed through it.
And on the other side of the hole, in the neighbor's villa garden, a pale, eerie figure was tearing and biting at a man's body.
"Ah—!!!"
Kyoko had never seen such a bloody, predatory scene and immediately shrieked in terror.
Her voice naturally attracted the attention of the pale figure. It raised its head, and Kyoko's eyes met its pale pupils, allowing her to clearly see its hideous face, covered in thin skin over bone.
Woohoo—!
Just that one look, as if Kyoko had done something terribly wrong to it, and it cried. A bizarre wailing sound ignored the spatial distance and directly reached Kyoko's ears.
Making Kyoko feel a chill through her body.
"This monster!! It's the one from the forum!"
At this moment, Asuna also temporarily put aside her anger towards her mother, walked over, saw 'it' next door, and said in horror.
Editor's notes:
Sorry I'm a bit late; I'm dealing with finals…