Beyond, With a Yokai

Chapter 1: Who Are You?

Yesenia had never liked camps.
The whole idea of gathering a bunch of people in one place—supposedly to rest and have fun—felt too loud, too forced, and entirely pointless. For her, true rest was a quiet evening at home with a cup of tea and another teen drama, where characters agonized over their made-up problems.

But her parents saw things differently.
They were convinced that the last summer before graduation—the summer, the one everyone calls special, important, unforgettable—had to be full of color and energy. So, without even asking her, they made the decision for her: she was going to camp.

To say Yesenia was excited would be a lie.
But when she found out the camp was located in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, her resistance began to fade. She had always dreamed of going there. To see the mountains. To feel how they stretched up toward the clouds like ancient guardians watching over the land. To breathe the mountain air and feel her whole soul fill with its clarity and freedom.

People said mountain air was crisp, pure, and endless.
But others claimed it smelled like death. And there was a grain of truth in that.

Mountains are dangerous. Beautiful, graceful, but treacherous.
Many have met their end chasing after that beauty, seduced by the promise of something wild and eternal.

Still, Yesenia felt she had to see them for herself.

Her parents took care of everything—packing more than she'd ever need.
They were sure they knew exactly what was essential for camp life. Yesenia didn't argue. She simply thanked them. After all, it wasn't her who'd be dragging the luggage... it was her friend. Or maybe, by now, she should just call him her boyfriend.

There had been no official confession.
But whatever they were was slowly slipping past the bounds of friendship.

Svyatoslav.

Sweet, kind the boy Yesenia had noticed back in freshman year when he transferred to their school. Fair-haired, calm, with striking blue eyes—he was the opposite of her usual type. Quiet. Withdrawn. Never taking the first step.

And yet, she couldn't stop noticing him.

Even if she didn't understand why.

Maybe it was the way he didn't chase her, didn't flirt or try to impress. He answered her texts with short replies, barely engaging.

Then, in next year, a girl transferred from his old school..

And in the locker room after gym class, her friend Roza, nosy as always, began questioning the girl about him. The new girl didn't hold back—she told them everything.

Turns out, many girls had tried to get close to him.

And just like with Yesenia, he remained distant, cold, more interested in his studies and a small circle of friends than any kind of relationship.

Maybe he was just too young for all that.

Or maybe... girls weren't his thing at all?

After that conversation, Yesenia only wanted his attention more.

It became a challenge. A matter of principle. If no one else could do it, then she would.

At least, that's what she told herself.

By late May, when spring was in full bloom and the air was thick with flowers and sunlight, Yesenia made her move.

She approached Svyatoslav and told him everything.
He didn't reciprocate her feelings. Not right away. But something changed after that. He became a little more open. She started catching his glances, noticed how he smiled at her. Slowly, something began to shift.