Floating Light and Bubbles 06
You stretched out under the sky.
I haven't been this busy in a long time.
Conduct research, exorcise cursed spirits, and hold concerts.
Filming a drama, where do I find the time to film a drama?
Just listen to my music.
Kiyoko is gone...and the Directors' Council won't take the initiative to assist you.
All these matters need to be negotiated by yourself.
Be brave to face it!
Face life!
Don't be discouraged!
You are now in bustling Shibuya.
The crowd is bustling, but no one notices you.
No, there are still some, but they are not human.
"Are you welcoming me?"
You stare at a cursed spirit through the glass.
Sorcerers can only receive a fixed salary. They can't be paid according to the number or level of cursed spirits exorcised... Japan's finances... It's really annoying to think about these things.
This cursed spirit is considered kawaii among all the cursed spirits.
Like a big fluttering moth.
The bustling Tokyo is a hotbed for cursed spirits.
This is the consensus of all sorcerers.
Stop in for a cup of coffee.
When you enter the store, there are only a few young girls sitting idly looking at their phones, with trolley cases or travel bags next to them.
Are they traveling to Tokyo or looking for a job? It doesn't look like it. They look utterly exhausted. So exhausted that they can't even feel anything.
At noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the cursed spirit huddled in a corner, shivering. Although the cursed spirit preferred to haunt the night, it was not afraid of sunlight.
It's you it's afraid of.
It is the instinct of living things to seek benefits, avoid harm and distinguish between strength and weakness.
This cursed spirit is not much stronger than a fly's head, and has just reached the threshold of level four.
"You can't go anywhere except here. There's no point in hiding."
You don't actually have to talk to it.
Why talk to it?
After exorcising the cursed spirit, you took the initiative to interact with the staff, picked a coffee from the menu, and found a seat to sit down.
"What? Want to chat? Emotional value isn't free." She took off her headphones.
It was you who took the initiative to talk to me.
The girl blinked and stared at you.
She was wearing a dark green dress and her hair reached her waist.
She is a petite and cute girl.
The streets of Japan are full of fashionable men and women, and the girl in front of me is no exception. Her makeup skills are superb, and you can hardly see any trace of fatigue on her face.
But you heard it.
Her stomach was growling.
This coffee shop offers snacks and desserts at reasonable prices. There are also cheap restaurants outside.
She didn't look like she needed to lose weight. Even if she did, starving herself would be too harmful to her health.
"Yeah. I'd like to chat with you. I like kawaii girls. If you want to pay... what would you like to eat?"
[She actually agreed to my request... I just wanted to find someone to chat with...]
【Ahhh…it’s just a meal!】
"Really..." she muttered, then a smile slowly spread across her face. "Kawaii and all that, I'm nothing compared to you, young lady. I can't even say I'm eclipsed in front of you. I'm like a wilted flower. What foundation are you using? Kanebo?"
She leaned in closer, and you could see her distinct eyelashes.
"Oh, she's completely without makeup. She's naturally beautiful, I'm so envious..." She said dejectedly, but quickly cheered up: "My compliments are very precious!"
"How about dessert?"
"Desserts make you fat!"
I let others spend money...
How could this happen?!
You noticed that she kept scratching the cup with her long nails.
"Are you waiting for someone?"
"No!" she retorted subconsciously, drawing the attention of everyone around her. She lost her temper, and like a puddle of water, she melted onto the table along with the cup.
"People like you don't need to speak to me with such respect, right?" She explained, "I'm waiting for someone. Waiting for someone I don't even know. He might not even show up. If he doesn't show up, I'll be doomed for a while."
"Thanks to you treating me today, I managed to barely get through the day," she said weakly.
You squint your eyes. Everyone on the streets of Tokyo is dressed up so smartly that it's hard to tell their economic status.
Her pupils moved around, finally focusing on you.
“Are you from Tokyo?”
“No…” You paused, “I’m from Kyoto.”
"Kyoto..." She indeed revealed a hint of longing.
"I heard that drawing lots and making wishes at Yasui Konpira-gu Shrine can sever bad karma."
[It’s not cheap for me to go from Tokyo to Kyoto…]
You leaned slightly to the side. "You have to dig a hole. Climbing in with your butt sticking out and crawling out on all fours isn't very pretty."
She left the table and burst into laughter.
"If it's useful, it's okay to crawl through a dog hole. But...actually, I don't need it now."
"My life now can't even be called bad karma."
"You want to hear it, right? As we said, emotional value isn't free! Just think of it as me playing the victim. If you can make money playing the victim, then there's no harm in saying it."
“I think we need to make one thing clear—” You paused, and she understood.
"Just call me Xiaoyu."
pseudonym.
None of them are taken seriously.
"Xiaoyu, listening to other people's negative emotions is a counselor's job. I'm the one who's actually charging the fees."
"Ha ha……"
"I was just kidding." You curled the corners of your lips.
“Anyone who is willing to open his chest and face reality with his heart is a brave person.”
"It's my honor that you're willing to tell me about your past. I'll listen carefully."
You pulled out a pen and paper.
"Do you still need to keep records...? Are you doing a social survey?" She also said jokingly.
"Reporter? Police? Homework? You look about my age."
"I am a police officer from the special department. I am now analyzing a special incident. Please give your testimony. Everything you say will be presented in court as evidence. Please, Miss Xiaoyu." Speaking of which, the person who was most deeply involved with the cursed spirit was Miss Xiaoyu.
"That expression doesn't suit you. You don't look fierce at all."
"Cold, there must be some cold people, right?" you said in surprise.
No more expressionless face.
"Hmm..." She smiled and didn't answer.
"I make money by working as a '□□'." Xiaoyu said indifferently, biting her lip.
"Don't understand? It's okay, let me explain. I'm waiting for a man's call now, and then--" She made an expression that said "you know what I mean."
"It's boring. Your expression didn't change at all. I don't care about discrimination or sympathy."
She supported her face with her hands, looked out the window, and continued her narration in a plain manner.
"I'm living alone away from home. As a minor, I can't find any job, and I don't have any other means of making a living. I live on my body."
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Ha." She widened her eyes in disgust. "It was over in just a few minutes. It wasn't that hard."
You realize something is wrong: "The real..."
"Anything else is fine," she emphasized unhappily.
She went on and on about her superstitious mother, her grumpy stepfather, and her life as a gangster when she was in school.
"I thought moving out would be better. It didn't make any difference. By the way, the first time I did it was in my second year of middle school."
This time you really couldn't hold it in anymore and almost fell off the stool in fright.
Xiaoyu had a satisfied smirk on her face, but when she met your serious gaze, she became paralyzed like a mollusk again.
"I don't mind. Please don't mind either."
"Where do you usually live?"
"You've got the point, Miss Police."
"As for me, I'm no different from a homeless person. I've been to comic shops, coffee shops, bookstores, parks... I've been everywhere, just looking for a place to rest. Even if I have some money, I don't dare spend it carelessly. I have to eat first, otherwise my stomach will growl and it will be too embarrassing."
The problem lies with the parents. You circled and dotted. My mother is a member of a certain church; she wasn't sure which one, but there are countless church groups in Japan. Just ignore the little fish; as long as it survives, that's fine.
I hate the church... The problematic Panxing Cult has long been sanctioned. What's the point of sanctioning them... You force yourself to look down.
“You’ve drawn several lines under my stepfather’s name.” She rubbed towards you.
"Sometimes I want to curse my childhood."
"Your hair is in great shape too. But you haven't taken care of your hair in a long time, it's in such a bad state."
You hear the broken heart crying, and the face wears a mask called "exquisiteness".
"He molested me when I was in fifth grade. I had no idea what he was doing to me."
"When I was in second grade, a guy asked me to go with him. He said he would give me money. So I went. I thought, since it has already happened, it doesn't matter anymore."
"I ate chocolate cake for the first time after that day. It was so sweet that I cried."
"This is my first time eating muffins from this place, and they're so sweet. I love them, thank you. My phone's fully charged, so I'm going out to find my target, otherwise I'll be in trouble for the next few days. You don't come across such a kind-hearted lady every day."
"Sayunara."
People often say that sharing happiness doubles it, and sharing pain halves it.
Yet some pain doesn't disappear with the spoken syllables. It's ingrained and unshakable.
"Thirty thousand yen."
The only money left on me.
All my previous savings have been temporarily transferred to the Chanyuan family.
Thirty thousand yen is a drop in the bucket compared to one billion yen.
Let it do some work.
"I don't accept orders from girls—"
"Go shopping with me, and you can carry all the things I buy."
"Hey, hey, I still have my own suitcase to take!" Xiaoyu took a deep breath and smiled calmly.
"Miss, please come in."
"I'm not a young lady."
Is there any young lady as poor as you?
You pulled out your phone: "Give me a moment."
You said you were going shopping, so you had to buy something. And then there were the living expenses you'd need. After much deliberation, you decided to borrow money from Senior Ming.
Others won't let you pay back tens of thousands of yen, but Senior Ming will double the interest.
[My dear, is this all you want to borrow from me? How about this, you mortgage yourself to me, and I’ll give you…]
Senior Ming took a long time to send the message. She seemed to be evaluating how much you were worth.
[One billion.]
[I am priceless to Satoru.]
[Ah, my thoughts were guessed.]
You can imagine Senior Ming’s expression when she said this, and you also know that she is joking with you.
[Thank you, Senior Ming.]
[No thanks, we are just a cold, hard money transaction.]
Senior Ming is still the best, he doesn’t ask too many questions, although he is indeed expensive.
You thought your chat with Senior Ming had ended there, but she sent another message: "The money you verbally paid me for the spring outing we agreed on last spring has increased to a terrifying amount. Are you really not considering mortgaging yourself to me? I want a priceless treasure, too."
You almost spit out your unfinished coffee: "I'll find a way to raise that money for Senior Ming."
You want to go to the casino.
If Shier were still here, he could find some irregular underground casinos... forget it.
[I sent the crow to find you.]
"Let's go."
"Were you chatting with a friend just now?"
"Borrow money from friends."
"Hey, it's going to be hard for me to be at peace if you tell me so bluntly."
[She's really not some wealthy Chinese or entrepreneur's daughter? A wealthy daughter wouldn't need to borrow money, right...]
"I'm not a young lady, I'm an office worker. Xiaoyu, don't worry about my financial situation. I have a stable source of income, but I've been a little tight on money recently because of some things."
“Yeah.” She followed you, picking up the suitcase.
"Really? You don't look like a lifeless office worker at all... Well... You are so young... Are you older than me?... You won't earn a penny if you don't know how to protect a man's pitiful self-esteem and make him happy." The latter part was almost like talking to himself, and the voice was extremely low.
These skills...you have learned them in the Zen temple.
"I understand you."
Xiaoyu was speechless: "What kind of job do you do?"
"Special Branch Police." You put your hands in your pockets, feeling down. As a sorcerer, it would be a lie to say you haven't seen the suffering of the world.
What should you do if you encounter this?
Outside the coffee shop, the sound of levers being pulled could be heard everywhere.
There was a constant stream of people going to the capital.
As the nation's political, academic, and cultural center, Tokyo is filled with intoxicating opportunities. However, light and shadow have always been mutually exclusive. Behind the skyscrapers lie countless frustrations, loneliness, poverty, and suffering.
Paradise and Hell are both charming and hideous.
Tokyo is such a city where humanity is constantly surging day and night, and it is a melting pot for all evil.
A hotbed of cursed spirits.
The crow lands on your shoulder. You take the purse from its mouth.
"You came so quickly, thank you for your hard work." You smiled and took out the bread from your pocket to reward it. You were so busy this morning that you forgot to eat.
"You want a whole bag? Okay, I'll give it all to you." The crow flew away with the bread in its mouth.
Xiaoyu gave up carrying her suitcase and covered her mouth with her hands.
"you--"
People on the streets of Tokyo are very busy, and except for Xiaoyu, no one cares about a crow flying here and there.
"Shh, it's a secret."
Xiaoyu had an expression that said, "I understand."
"I know! It's a ninja! A ninja!"
This kid has read too many comics.
The sound of mobile phone text messages.
"Please wait for me a little longer, Xiaoyu."
[It's me who controls the crows.]
[I will give Senior Ming some hard work compensation.]
[It’s easy to talk to you.]
Enlightenment?
Sure enough, Wu sent you a text message.
[Let’s meet at this place at 8pm.]
[I have rehearsal this afternoon, I'll try my best.]
[]
This guy, he replied so quickly, was he always looking at his phone?
"Are you done talking? The person I was talking to you about just now was your boyfriend, right?"
[That's right... the possibility of someone this cute not having a boyfriend is zero...]
"Little Fish guessed right."
Xiaoyu smiled proudly. "I've met so many people during my travels. You're so lucky."
Am I happy?
"There's a flower shop over there, let's go take a look."
"Do you like growing flowers?"
“My grandmother likes to grow flowers.”
"Oh, you want to buy flowers for her. I'll wait for you outside."
"Won't Xiaoyu come in?"
"I won't go in."
You opened the door silently and came out silently.
"A parting gift for you."
"For me?" Xiaoyu took it in surprise. After a moment, she realized that you said it was a "parting gift", even though you had just walked out of that coffee shop.
"What kind of flower is this?" She put it to her nose and sniffed it.
"Lily of the valley."
"I know! 'May Bride'!" Xiaoyu's excitement faded after a few seconds. "Out-of-season flowers must be expensive, right?"
"My grandmother told me that the meaning of the lily of the valley flower is 'suffering and waiting for happiness to return.' A year ago, I lost my brother, sister, and the elder I trusted most at the same time. I was completely devastated and felt that life itself had no meaning."
"I see... I'm so glad you were able to come out of it!" She smiled for you sincerely.
I didn't actually come out.
"What I want to tell Xiaoyu is that you can also find happiness."
"Yes, I will!" Her smile was so sunny.
That’s too difficult.
"What kind of life did Xiaoyu dream of?"
"Me? Don't laugh at me if you tell me that." She was carrying a suitcase in one hand and holding flowers in the other, and she really didn't have the time to pinch her nose.
"Do you know Meibuki Yuzhi?" She caught your momentary surprise. "You know!" Xiaoyu said with certainty. "She made a comeback recently, and I'm so happy..."
You see the expression of happiness on people's faces.
Even someone like me who doesn't have any happy memories can find joy in Miss Meibuki's music...
"But..." That happiness lasted only a moment before vanishing. "You know what? Miss Meibuki's music... is actually sad. She's just portraying happiness, and she might actually think she's happy. But she's actually very sad. Her previous music... while sad, was generally positive. But... but, lately, the sadness has become nothingness..." She raised her head and closed her eyes, looking like she was about to vent, but her voice was quiet. "I actually want to meet Miss Meibuki..." She then said self-deprecatingly, "I can't even afford concert tickets or albums. I only listen to pirated music..."
"It's no big deal."
"It's necessary!" she emphasized loudly.
"You can hardly even guarantee your own survival."
"I know what you mean..." She lowered her head again, "I didn't mean to be mean to you..." She finally smiled at you, "I think... Miss Mebuki might be someone who can use magic like you. Otherwise... how could I have never known what Miss Mebuki looks like..."
"Is this important to you?"
"It's very important." Xiaoyu said firmly. "I'm not saying I want to meet Miss Meibuki. If I don't know what Miss Meibuki looks like, what's the point of meeting her?"
"Why do we have to meet?"
"I want to...really get to know her."
"I came to Tokyo from the countryside, having spent all my money. My first night in Tokyo, I spent it in a cafe. The owner took me in for free. It was winter then... I was sitting alone in a corner, feeling so... lonely and helpless. The owner had already given me a seat, so there was no reason for me to bother him and make him bother to comfort me... The cafe was playing the first song that Meibuki-san sang... It was amazing, wasn't it? She's also a great pianist. I only found out later."
"The audience for piano is too narrow," you said sincerely.
"Eh?" If her hands weren't already full, she would definitely hold your hand and yell, "We're in the same boat!"
"After all, Miss Meibuki's dream is to blow away all the sorrows in the world and bring joy." She finally said this.
"What happened after you met her?"
Your question stumped Xiaoyu.
She hesitated for a long time before frowning and saying, "Comfort her? Miss Meibuki is in poor health... She retired because of her illness..."
"Is she grieving over her poor health? I... no... Miss Meibuki doesn't need my comfort at all..."
"Your presence is the greatest comfort to Miss Meibuki. She will definitely be happy to see that she has helped so many people."
For whom?
For the countless people struggling to survive.
You pinched your chin. “Xiaoyu, what are you going to do with this unexpected windfall today?”
"It changed my life."
You were stunned for a moment: "I thought Xiaoyu would say she wanted to go to a concert. Isn't there one soon?"
Xiaoyu shook her head and said, "If I don't spend this money, I might starve to death before the concert."
"Besides, people should have goals in life. It's meaningless to achieve them in an instant. I have to rely on my own efforts--" She realized that she was bragging.
"Xiaoyu has met all kinds of people and is so sensitive to emotions... Have you ever thought about creating something? Art comes from reality, and everything Xiaoyu has experienced can become the source of Xiaoyu's creation."
"Write a story... For example, write a story where I'm the main character."
【Can I...can I?】
You sense that Xiaoyu seems to be conceiving a story, the specific content of which is unclear, but she happily says, "I'll try!"
"This is for you! This little fish hairpin I brought from my hometown! It's my parting gift for you!"
"Thank you so much!"
"But this time it's real—"
You raised your phone: "We can keep in touch."
"Yeah!" She nodded vigorously.
After saving the information to each other, Xiaoyu hummed a song, strode away with her suitcase, and disappeared into the crowd as quickly as a fish swimming into the water.
Telephone?
"Moses Moses, Mr. Agent, what's up?"
"It's time to be enthusiastic, be enthusiastic!"
"Sorry, I can't do that."
"You're still like this."
"Mr. Agent, you sound incredibly excited. Just tell me what you want to say."
"You must rush to the office immediately."
"I haven't had lunch yet—"
"Right now, right now, right now! The people from Tsukishima Group want to see you. You're going to be very successful in no time!"
"I'll go after lunch. I haven't had breakfast yet."
"Keep in shape, come on..."
You hung up the phone.
These things are still quite annoying.
Tsukishima Group?
Never heard of it.
*
"Did you miss me, Doctor?"
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