Chapter 84 Cherry Blossom Viewing 2 Haiku
After everyone had a small taste of the snacks they brought, the teacher began, "Your Japanese has improved so quickly, you've really worked hard. Looking at these beautiful cherry blossoms and tasting the food your classmates have prepared, let's start the haiku relay game now!" The teacher raised her hand and circled it in the air, "Using the Japanese we just learned, let's feel the rhythm and beauty of the language."
The classmates could only nod, their reactions varying.
The tall, thin man in particular had a cold expression, as if he was thinking about something else.
The only thing they had in common was that all of these boys avoided your gaze as if they were hiding from a ghost.
You don't have time to think about what plans they're brewing up right now; you just feel mentally exhausted.
Haiku! You might not be able to come up with anything even using the language of flowers, let alone using the language of neon…
Please let me go...
Your eyes darted left and right, secretly praying that it wouldn't start with you.
The teacher was still picking people to speak. The girl wearing sneakers, named Xiaomei, saw that everyone was avoiding her, so she simply raised her hand to speak.
"Cherry blossoms fall like snowflakes, scattered across the sky, a breathtakingly beautiful sight."
The grammar was correct, and the vocabulary was everyday yet quite precise. Everyone fell silent for a few seconds to see the teacher's reaction.
Xiaomei herself seemed very uneasy, her fingers constantly picking at the picnic mat.
Her Japanese was very good, probably because she knew that wearing sneakers might get her a bad word from the teacher, which is why she bravely answered first.
A good answer might offset the negative effects; a bad answer... you think she's probably quite confident in her abilities.
Anyway, you're just frantically learning by stealing information, trying to replace any nouns in the syntax she used with any one you know.
The teacher's expression was very critical, but after careful consideration, she clapped with satisfaction. You quickly followed suit and clapped along, and soon a few scattered claps rang out.
"It's fantastic and very evocative. With Mei Sang setting such a good example, everyone needs to work even harder from here on out."
The teacher's casual remark caused everyone's gazes towards Xiaomei to turn hostile.
She did such a good job, what are others supposed to do?! Most of the students in the class don't pay attention in class anyway, and it's only for a month, who would put their heart into a class that no one cares about anyway?
At first, Xiaomei shrugged her shoulders because of the teacher's words, but as more people looked at her, she straightened her head and puffed out her chest.
That's true, she didn't know it would cause such consequences. Besides, although your Japanese is not very good, you have been studying hard in class and learning on your own, so you can still tell that all her syntax and other things are within the level that you should know at your stage.
Xiao Dong—the girl who hinted to you that you could use 5ch to get information—grabbed Xiao Mei's hand, thought for a moment, and answered first: "A pink ocean, green leaves rustling like waves, my heart is intoxicated."
"Not bad either." The teacher clapped.
Xiao Dong's haiku is more colloquial than Xiao Mei's; you've probably figured out the teacher's judging criteria. To put it simply, it's the average teacher's expectation of an average student: correct format and no mistakes.
You've already prepared your lines, and just as you're about to speak, the tall, thin man cuts you off, saying, "Flowers fall into the mud, and after the rain, weeds grow on them; who will remember them?"
His tone was drawn out, and the meaning of his sentences was unpleasant to listen to.
Does this fit the theme of haiku?
You ignored the tall, thin man's provocation and focused only on the teacher's expression.
The teacher smiled broadly and praised the tall, thin man's innovation and his sense of the pathos of life.
She must be extremely satisfied with this...
You instantly changed the haiku you had prepared, raising your hand and saying, "Even if the flowers fall to the ground, their fragrance and color will remain forever, their beauty moving people's hearts."
The teacher merely praised your correct sentence construction, just as she had praised Xiaomei and Xiaodong, and then listlessly moved on to the next person.
Hmm. You felt like you touched something.
The next few boys seemed to have figured out what the teacher was thinking, and they kept following the tall, thin boy to create all sorts of messy creations of sad things like fallen flowers and dust, and without exception, they all won the teacher's favor.
"That's not fair," Xiao Dong complained softly. "This guy is always good at flattering people, but his Japanese isn't nearly as good as Xiao Mei's."
Although the three of you girls weren't close, you still sat together in a tacit understanding. Even though she wasn't saying it to you, her words still reached your ears.
Can teachers be flattered? This is a survival tactic you've never considered before.
"Maybe it's not a bad thing." You didn't rule it out completely, but rather followed up on Xiao Dong's words without letting her finish her sentence.
Xiaomei listened attentively, her eyes shining as she gave you a "I understand" gesture.
After one round ended, the teacher signaled to continue, and Xiaomei immediately replied: "The wind and rain have come, but the swallows continue to build their nests without stopping, and the fallen flowers remain undisturbed."
In short, it completely shattered the atmosphere of crying, sorrow, and depression that the boys had previously created.
The boys looked at each other, waiting for the tall, thin guy to make his move.
The tall, thin man was clearly prepared and remained completely calm: "The stream appears calm, but who knows what lies beneath the green waves? Danger has already arrived."
This was because they realized that Koume's haiku could also be seen as the ending of the previous round of haiku about cherry blossoms, so they directly changed to a new offshoot theme.
Xiao Dong reacted quickly and had already come up with a solution, but the tall, thin man secretly cheated, letting another fat man speak first: "The mountain path is too long and the mountain stream is shrouded in mist, even birds lose their way."
This implies that they're no longer pretending.
Especially since they glanced at the girl while saying this.
They quickly started making sentences about lost birds and desolate forests.
The teacher listened intently, clapping and laughing several times, as if he wanted to praise them to the heavens.
As if she felt it was about time, the teacher wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes and said in a loud voice, as if drunk on poetry, "There are two more lines left. Has everyone thought of them?"
She glanced around, realizing she could answer first this time.
The tall, thin man, who had been behaving with the utmost deference to her like a model student, stood up and replied in a loud voice, "The cherry blossoms have all fallen, the mountain stream has severed the mountain's veins, leaving only mist and stillness."
Everyone fell silent.
The tall, thin man seemed to have already decided the theme and outcome of the entire second round, and now he just arrogantly looked at you with his nostrils pointing to the sky.
That won't do.
The teacher was laughing so hard she was almost rolling on the floor. She, who always paid attention to her appearance, had never been so out of control. Just as she was about to finish the sentence, you decided to go for it too and stood up. The new sentence made your tongue a little twisted: "Is there nothing at all? Listen carefully and look carefully, and the setting sun will soon rise."
Your tone was like a gentle breeze, and the tall, thin man's expression stiffened, then turned bright red; he looked as if he were about to explode with anger.
"Alright then, that concludes the haiku." The teacher was clearly not satisfied with your last line, but since she couldn't find any fault with it, she could only lead everyone in applauding you.
"Everyone, just enjoy the food and the scenery." The teacher seemed increasingly annoyed, as if you had spoiled her fun, and actually took the initiative to leave, saying she was going to rest over there.
She's really strict with others but flexible with herself. What happened to the promise that a teacher should always be with their students?
Despite the complaints, her departure did have its advantages; at least everyone could finally relax their backs, which had been sitting so rigidly for so long.
However, the moment the teacher announced the end of the haiku relay, a cold wind quietly swept through the cherry blossom grove, and you involuntarily shivered.
The atmosphere on the picnic mat was already tense, and after the teacher disappeared, a few boys, led by the tall, thin man, started whispering amongst themselves and became lively again.
"Hey, you, I'm talking to you," the tall, thin man arrogantly pointed at you, "Do you even know what teachers do?"
"Please advise me," you said.
"Of course she went to make room for us. We boys are naturally popular with female teachers. So what if you guys were pretty good at haiku? You were just being clever, but you're still going to be in trouble in the end, aren't you?" The tall, thin man laughed heartily.
"What are you saying!" Xiaomei straightened up and clenched her fists.
"Actually, I didn't intend to target you and Xiaodong, but there's nothing I can do. Who told that person to narrow your path?" The tall, thin man grinned maliciously, his face full of wrinkles. The other boys laughed along with him.
You pointed to yourself, looking puzzled.
"Who do you think you are, putting Brother Zhu in your place—"
"Um, bro, I think his surname isn't Zhu—"
"Shut up!" the tall, thin man snapped at the one who interrupted, then continued, "You think you can bully all of us after you've harmed our Brother Zhu? Dream on! Someone like you who only knows how to wield a knife against the weak deserves to see what a man's anger is like!"
You pointed to yourself with two fingers, a look of confusion spreading from head to toe.
Is his head so empty that there's enough space for the left and right hemispheres to work together?
—What happened?
The sky was clear and blue, but suddenly a shadow fell.
When you frown and look up, the soft, pinkish-cloud-like cherry blossom forest overhead seems to have been swallowed up.
Despite the wind, the cherry trees remained motionless, as if the entire space had been frozen by some silent force.
The sounds of the flower-viewing crowd laughing and joking in the distance suddenly disappeared, and in an instant, only your class remained in the entire woods.
Slowly, some points of light appeared, and upon closer inspection, they turned out to be lanterns.
A white paper lantern, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, flickered. The blue-white light turned a cold yellow after you noticed it, making everyone's face look sallow.
The once soft ground beneath our feet has hardened, and the fallen petals are no longer sweet pink and white; they have become stiff, dark red, and even have a strange sheen.
The barely visible petals form some distorted symbols, not very clear at first glance. You have to force yourself to look at them to overcome the discomfort before you realize that these petals are slowly wriggling on their own.
"What...what's going on?" Xiao Dong broke the silence first, her voice trembling, her hands tightly gripping Xiao Mei and your sleeves.
"Are they crazy? Why are they targeting us like this!" Xiaomei said angrily. "We've been putting up with them all this time, and things have been peaceful for the past few weeks."
As if sensing your arm muscles tighten for a moment, Xiaomei quickly explained, "Don't overthink it. We won't let them provoke us. You didn't provoke them. Who knows why they're so sensitive and insist on holding onto you? Sigh," she sighed, "...and we won't let go either."
“Yes, yes, they ganged up to bully others. We’ve been putting up with it, hoping they wouldn’t hurt us. We were so happy when you killed that fat pig, and they haven’t dared to cause trouble since.” Xiao Dong added, a little embarrassed, “But we thought someone as capable as you must be hard to get along with, so we didn’t talk to you much before.”
She glanced at you furtively a few times, trying her best to show that she wouldn't betray you and that she was friendly towards you.
She seemed a little afraid that you would run away and abandon her.
"It's nothing." You shook your head, not caring about it. "I also want to thank you for giving me that webpage before."
"Ah? Ah, it's nothing, just a small favor." Xiao Dong lowered his head and tugged at the corner of his clothes.
"Now is not the time for formalities. Let's figure out what to do first." You interrupted the two's sudden small talk and silently observed the boy's reaction.
Logically, if all of this was their doing, then they must know how to deal with what was about to happen, or that it was harmless to them.
Apart from the tall, thin guy, the other boys all looked quite panicked.
Did the tall, thin man not consult with them, or did something change?
He stared at the fallen flowers on the ground, murmured something, and then turned his gaze to the lanterns swaying in the air.
The other boys squatted down next to him, not saying a word, but their expressions were a strange mix of excitement, nervousness, and fear.
"Brother, isn't this a bit risky?"
"Shut your mouth! Have you ever killed anyone? If you haven't, what are you afraid of?" the tall, thin man said fiercely and confidently. But you really couldn't say whether these boys had harmed other outsiders, since most of the time they were just accomplices to evil, taking the viciousness of others as their own skills.
“Those two women are cowards. This person is obviously not a good person. Just wait and see, these things will only target her,” the tall, thin man said through gritted teeth.
What's going on here?
If there's anything specifically targeting "murderers," it's the Pursuers. You haven't left the house these past few days; where have you gone to provoke the Pursuers?
Is it related to your previous mukbang appearance on TV? — But then again, people aren't actually having children, so do they really watch these variety shows in their free time? They must be really bored…
One thing is certain: this tall, thin man was used by the purgers as a weapon to kill you.
You strain to connect everything that happened today, tilt your head back at the tall, thin man, and demand, "Hey, so, you suggested that the teacher do haiku? Is that why you guys can keep up with the teacher like this, and keep subtly saying disgusting things?"
"Tch, didn't I just say? The teacher likes me a lot. We're not as annoying as you guys." The tall, thin man said calmly.
“Hmm,” you scratch your head, “but the teacher is a local, so why would she like you? And why would she help you against us because of her ‘affection’ for you?”
The tall, thin man hadn't expected you to focus on this, and jumped up as if some sensitive spot had been touched: "A guy as handsome as me, flirting with a young female teacher, how could she not be captivated by me? In the end, she's just a Japanese girl, even a monster in a dungeon has to obey her!"
"So it's because of your confidence." You nodded. "Then I'm relieved."
"What do you mean??" The tall, thin man sensitively picked up on the slightest hint of disdain in your tone and amplified it into a personal attack against him.
"Brother, brother, don't get excited. Have you forgotten? We should just stay here quietly. That woman is doomed soon." A henchman soothed the tall, thin man.
"These trees seem to be growing?" Over here, Xiaomei tugged at your sleeve, pointing you to the cherry trees overhead.
The branches no longer swayed naturally; instead, they stretched outwards as if hardened, their shadows pressing heavily onto the ground, like countless twisted fingers ensnaring everyone.
After receiving flattery from his underling, the tall, thin man's out-of-control emotions visibly subsided, and he merely gloated, muttering, "Looks like some things are starting to work."
Your eyes never leave the changing environment.
These lanterns did not sway normally; each sway made the shadows in some places darker, like a slow infiltration of darkness.
The shadows gradually rose from the ground to the tree trunks, then spread from the trunks along the branches to above the lanterns, eventually converging in the air to form some kind of indistinct object.
"Have you noticed?" you whispered to the girls, signaling them not to make any sudden moves. "These lanterns seem to be guiding these shadows together."
This situation isn't scary for you anymore; you've experienced far too many paranormal events involving shadows. But it's a bit thrilling for Xiaodong and Xiaomei.
"You mean these... were caused by them?" Xiao Dong's face turned pale. She couldn't help but take a step back, only to find that she seemed to have stepped on something hard.
Looking down, I saw a hardened petal, its deep red color resembling a piece of amber soaked in blood.
“It’s not just the lanterns,” Xiaomei added calmly. “It’s also these symbols. You see, they form a path, and everyone is standing on this path.”
Sure enough, the red symbols on the ground had completely connected to form a circular trajectory, encircling you all. At this moment, no matter who moved their feet even slightly, the symbols would tremble slightly with each step, as if they were alive.
You realize that this is some form of confinement—a barrier.
The tall, thin man clearly knew this, and he led the boys to sit steadily from the beginning.
“Fallen flowers, mud, mist…” you murmur to yourself as you watch the rising mist, “The nouns and images that appear in haiku are gradually coming true.”
"In that case, don't worry, let's just wait and see," you said, calming the somewhat flustered Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei.
"What, have you given up the struggle?"
As the tall, thin man's smug smile was still on his face, the floating red lanterns suddenly stopped moving and began to spin in the air as if violently pulled by some unseen wind.
The light inside the lantern changed from a cold yellow to an eerie pale glow, as cold as ice that could penetrate to the bone.
The light shone on the tall, thin man, causing his expression to shift from confusion to fear.
"This—this is not right!" The tall, thin man suddenly stood up, trying to back away, but the red symbol under his feet quickly spread into a circle of flame-like vines, tightly binding his ankle.
He tried his best to break free, but the vines seemed to have some kind of consciousness, not only tightening around his feet but also slowly climbing up his legs.
"How is that possible? You should listen to me!" he cried out in terror, but the vines seemed to ignore him.
As the vines climbed up to his waist, he struggled violently, trying to grab onto the surrounding branches or anything else he could use for support. However, the seemingly soft petals piled up like mud, consuming his strength.
Without saying a word, he grabbed the boy next to him and tried to pull himself away, but he only dragged them into the pile of flowers as well.
A short man knelt on the ground in fear, repeating, "I won't move, I won't get hurt," but the symbols on the ground slowly turned into a huge shadowy vortex, sucking one of his hands into it without warning.
He let out a scream and tried to pull his arm back with his other hand, but the more he pulled, the deeper he went, as if the force of the vortex was tearing his body apart.
"Brother, save me! Save me!" The short man's voice was shrill, his face contorted as he pleaded for help from the tall, thin man.
But the tall, thin man was completely powerless at that moment.
The vines had climbed up his shoulders and even stretched out thin branches to wrap around his neck, making it almost impossible for him to speak. Whenever he tried to make a sound, the branches tightened like venomous snakes, forcing him to shut up.
Another boy tried to escape, but a huge red vine suddenly grew from his feet, wrapped around his waist like a snake, and lifted him high up.
His body hung suspended in mid-air, his hands and feet flailing wildly, but only the cold lantern light and eerie shadows illuminated the scene. His breathing was rapid, his eyes wide open, and in the end, he could only let out a weak whimper.
The light from the lanterns began to distort, turning into spiraling waves of light that stretched the shadows of the boys long and twisted.
Just looking at this is unsettling. You should quickly take Xiaodong and Xiaomei and close your eyes together. The three of you should put your heads together, put your arms around each other's shoulders, and hide your faces in a small circle.
While you weren't looking, the tall, thin man's shadow slowly distorted on the ground, gradually transforming from a normal outline into a monster with countless tentacles.
Just like those alienated outsiders in the very beginning.
The shadow seemed to have a life of its own, wriggling and climbing up his instep, like a pool of melting black mud that swallowed him whole.
The fat boy's shadow split in two, and he knelt on the ground, letting out screams, but no one knew what he was shouting.
Suddenly, countless blurry faces emerged from his shadow. These faces twisted and screamed, opening their toothless mouths to bite his legs, pulling him into the black hole in the ground.
The other boys were no different; they became like fallen flowers in their own haiku, crushed into mud. The better ones were like flowers that had been drained, gradually going limp, and finally turning into a pile of petal fragments scattered on the ground.
The surrounding lanterns suddenly went out, plunging the entire space into a brief darkness.
You look up and open your eyes wide to see what's going on, when suddenly the light shines again, and you are blinded by a burst of light in front of your eyes.
After a few seconds, I could see that all the symbols, vines, and shadows on the ground had not disappeared. The red petals on the ground began to flow again. This time, their target was you!
Xiao Dong's face was pale, and he gripped your sleeve tightly: "Will we become like that too?"
"No, it won't." You bit your lip, mentally assessing the situation. "The fog will completely cover this place."
"Now! Run!"
Xiao Mei and Xiao Dong didn't react for a moment, but they still listened to you, picked up their clothes, and ran.
Xiao Mei was fine wearing sneakers and trousers, but it was Xiao Dong, who was wearing wooden clogs, who suffered.
You chuckled, took a pair of thick-soled five-toed socks out of your backpack, and tossed them into Xiao Dong's hand: "Put these on, then take off your shoes and run."
Xiao Dong glanced at it and exclaimed, "Wow! It turns out your little leather shoes are equipped with a barefoot sports gadget! It can protect the soles of your feet and is also thin enough to be worn as thick socks!"
After Xiao Dong changed into his new clothes, he finally caught up with you and Xiao Mei.
"Sister, where do we run to now?" Xiaomei asked, panting heavily.
Running like this is exhausting. This dungeon is really weakening your body. You've only run a few steps and you already feel blood getting into your lungs.
There was no other way, so she could only rely on the natural, super-strong pain tolerance that even the most delicate girl possesses—by enduring the pain and continuing to run.
“We have to get out of this forest.” You were also a little short of breath, so you gave a nonsensical answer.
"I know, sis, she means how to get out!" Xiao Dong was still somewhat organized.
“Over there,” you pointed to the faint sound of water in the distance, “the direction of the stream might be our way out.”
"A stream? I'm afraid it might flood soon!" Xiaomei followed you, but still asked hesitantly.
"Then I'll become a swallow and build my nest!"
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Author's Note: I wrote the beginning and the ending yesterday, but I only had the haiku left to write. I thought about it for a long time when I opened my eyes this morning, but I still wasn't satisfied... Never mind, I just filled it in... Please ignore if it's not well written == Otherwise, I'll really die of shame! I'll update another chapter tonight (referring to the timeline 23:59:59), this chapter counts as yesterday's ^ ^ Love!
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