The Guide

As the three stepped out of the car, the early autumn air felt unnaturally cold for some reason.

"Urgh." Mink shuddered. "I don’t care if we’re here already, I’m not going into a death forest when it’s this foggy!"

Jason put his arm around her, but she shrugged it off in refusal. Not wanting to be consoled into staying.

"Relax, princess. I checked the weather. It’s the perfect day for this."

They walked down the road a bit towards the unassuming visitor center. There were a few people about, but since it was off-season and Tuesday, the majority of visitors would probably arrive in a few hours, if at all. So, it didn’t take long before it was their turn.

"Oh, a new face."
"Konnichiwa. Ken-sama desu ka?" Leon turned to his friends with a smug expression, as if expecting praise for his mastery of the native tongue.

"You must be Leon-san. Kensuke-san told me he was expecting guests today. He is already waiting outside."

Jason and Mink barely held it in until they left the small building, before erupting into uncontrollable laughter.

"Jesus Christ, Leon, that was horrible! You didn’t even ask correctly." Jason huffed, barely able to fit his words between breaths.

The two held onto each other to keep themselves from collapsing onto the gravel road from what they just witnessed. Leon wasn’t as amused, but his spirits lifted when he saw the large sign:

Welcome to Aokigahara.

Standing in front of the sign was a young, attractive man. Sporting a blue cap and a large backpack, he was the spitting image of what you’d imagine a guide to look like.

"Is that Kensuke?" Mink asked, a little flustered, much to Jason’s dismay.

Having heard that, the man approached her.

"Hello! My name... Kazuya. Nice to meet you."

Embaressed, Mink hid herself in her boyfriend’s jacket as the polite youth continued bowing at them.

"Hi. I’m Leon, this is Jason, and the tomato there calls herself Mink."

Realizing that her childish behavior was making her look worse, Mink finally left the safety of the jacket, only to find both Leon and Kazuya grinning at her before bursting into laughter.

"I’m sorry, I could tell from his profile picture. This is Kensuke. Consider this payback for the receptionist."

Mink’s face turned red once more after they revealed their ploy, but she eventually chuckled at the absurdity of the situation.

"Okay, party people." Kensuke clapped his hands together to get their attention and with an exaggerated spin of his arm, pointed toward the trees.

"Let’s go forest!"

Kensuke’s grin was wide, his energy infectious. The air around him brimmed with his enthusiasm, and everyone was ready to have a blast.