Once he was far enough that he couldn't hear them, she nudged Haruki in the side with her elbow and asked in a low whisper so her voice wouldn't reach Noroi's ears.

  "Hey, what's a black hole?"

  Haruki raised his hand, trying to suppress the laugh that almost escaped him, realizing that Yamka hadn't asked Noroi about the black hole because she didn't want him to think she was stupid and mock her as usual.

  A small tear escaped from the corner of his eye from holding back his laughter, and he wiped it away with his finger before answering her question in a low voice.

  "It's something in the sky that swallows everything around it."

  Yamka's eyes narrowed slightly as she sank into deep thought, then widened again when she realized that Noroi had been insulting her.

  She muttered under her breath in an irritated tone.

  "That da- crow, I'm gonna-"

  Her words caught in her throat; she was used to returning punches to anyone who dared insult her, but Noroi had already moved several meters ahead of them.

  At that moment, Noroi stopped in front of a dense cluster of intertwined branches forming a large, nearly impenetrable barrier.

  His fingers slid along the metal bracer on his wrist, feeling for the button embedded in it.

  Once pressed, a sharp-edged blade shot out from it.

  With a swift motion of his arm, Noroi sliced through the green branches before him.

  The dead plants fell to the ground after being cut, and while he was busy retracting his sword back into its dormant state, his left foot slipped onto a slope that had been completely hidden behind the wall of branches , almost like a trap.

  He quickly pulled himself back before he could fall.

  His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, expecting danger, but the tension in his shoulders eased the moment his gaze fully took in the sight before him.

  At that moment, both Haruki and Yamka were only a few steps away from him, having seen everything that had just happened to Noroi , though they couldn't see what he was looking at.

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  The two of them rushed toward him in alarm when they saw him pull back, expecting some kind of danger.

  But as soon as they reached his side, their eyes widened at the sight before them.

  Haruki muttered in a low, astonished voice.

  "What …"

  The slope they stood on overlooked a tall waterfall that poured down into a circular lake below.

  Flowers of pink, yellow, and red floated across the water's surface, while trees lined the edges as if giving way for the sunlight to strike the falling water freely, painting the scene with colors and adding to its beauty.

  An awed "Ohhh…" escaped Haruki's lips, but before either of the boys could react further to the breathtaking view before them, Yamka had already pulled off the wolf fur draped over her shoulders and tossed it straight into Noroi's face.

  The heavy fur smacked against him, and he clenched it in his hand, pulling it away from his face ,but before he could protest, Yamka had kicked off her boots and dashed forward at full speed, leaping right off the edge, a wide grin splitting her face in pure excitement.

  Her body curled into a ball as she descended straight into the water, sending a massive splash that exploded outward.

  Her head remained underwater for a few moments before she emerged, her orange hair plastered to her face.

  Yamka ran her fingers through her wet hair, pushing it back as she looked up at them with a wide, radiant grin stretching from ear to ear.

  She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted up to them.

  "The water's amazing! Come join me!"

  Haruki's lips lifted as he saw how excited Yamka was, and he felt braver and encouraged.

  He looked at her from the top of the slope and shouted.

  "I'm coming right now!"

  Haruki took a few steps back before bending down, starting to untie his shoelaces and taking off his socks, putting them inside the shoes before untying the cloak's straps from his neck and tossing it aside.

  He stood again, his bare feet stepping on the green grass with a slight feeling of moisture, and approached the edge once more, looking down as if to make sure Yamika was still alive, calming his racing heartbeat.

  His knees were trembling slightly; he wanted to jump like her but was afraid.

  He gathered his courage and stepped back until he felt the distance was good enough, took a deep breath, held it in his lungs, then closed his eyes and dashed forward quickly, leaping off the edge.

  His body hit the cold water, creating another splash and a shift in the water's movement in all directions away from him.

  Yamka raised her hands to her face to block the scattered drops around them as she laughed with delight.

  Haruki's head rose from under the water, gasping for breath, not believing he had done it.

  He raised his arms up, his brown hair still sticking to his face, but he didn't care and shouted happily.

  "I did it!"

  Noroi watched what was happening from above, showing no clear reaction to his expression.

  He folded Yamka's wolf pelt and placed it next to their shoes, then moved carefully down the other side of the slope on the damp ground.

  He reached the bottom and stood by the lake's edge, watching both Haruki and Yamka play in the water like children in a pool; he didn't approach, only watched.

  Haruki stopped playing and turned his face toward Noroi, waving broadly at him and calling out.

  "Come! Join us, the water isn't deep!"

  The last sentence came out of him thinking it would reassure Noroi and make him join them.

  Noroi raised one eyebrow at Haruki's reassurance, then shouted at him, annoyed.

  "I can swim, you idiot! I just don't want to."