I have an unlimited number of shikigami

Chapter 97. The opening of the board meeting, encountering the Hoshimi Shrine Maiden.

It's still raining in Tokyo, a quiet, fine drizzle.

The streets were deserted, and the sun hadn't yet risen, with only the sounds of early morning activity emanating from the breakfast shops along the roadside. Fujiwara Izaya, holding an umbrella, passed by a coffee shop, ordered a paper cup coffee, and drank it as he walked back to Asakusa.

As the car drove past, the sound of it splashing up a thin layer of water on the road surface filled the air.

From the very first day he arrived in Tokyo, Fujiwara Rinya had grown to love it.

Morning mist, the aroma of coffee, sleepy eyes, early-rising crows, clear air—a day untouched by pollution…

The wind carries the scent of the sea.

Of course, the smell was very faint; the wind blowing from Tokyo Bay meant that probably only he could smell the sea.

After finishing his coffee in the paper cup, Fujiwara Izaya saw the small building housing the [lemon] noodle shop in the distance.

The two-story detached house, its originally white exterior walls tinged with a yellowish hue from years of sun exposure, seemed to have lost everything in the wind and rain. On the narrow second-floor balcony, there was a slender flower bed, only ten centimeters wide. The flower bed was meticulously trimmed. Yukino Riho had said that crocuses, pansies, and marigolds would bloom in the flower field in spring, and cosmos in autumn.

Fujiwara Izaya really enjoyed the feeling of being inside.

This is a secluded and elegant area along the Sumida River. Strolling leisurely along the river, it's easy to glimpse its past glory, with quaint Edo-style buildings lining both sides of the road. Children and women play among the trees, and the air is always filled with the comforting aroma of food.

When I arrived at the noodle shop, I found that it was not open for business yet, and the door was closed.

A blue women's bicycle was parked in front of the door, but there was no bread in the plastic crate brought back from the bread factory.

I checked the time; it was 6:30 in the morning.

At this time of day, Yukino Riho would have already opened her shop... Fujiwara Izaya took out his key, opened the door, and went straight up the small staircase to the second floor.

Pushing open the stairwell door, perhaps due to nervousness or his injuries, Fujiwara Izaya felt the air inside was colder and heavier than ever before, as if he were in a Siberian taiga in winter, with no human presence around him.

snow.

The whole world smelled only of snow.

Fujiwara Rinya took off his shoes in the entryway and walked into the living room.

The lights were off, the room was dimly lit, and the corridor seemed much longer than before. The house was quiet, with only the sound of footsteps making a strange, dusty sound in the darkness.

Upon entering the living room and glancing at the sofa, Fujiwara Izaya finally felt relieved.

In the dim morning light filtering through the curtains, Yukino Riho was curled up asleep on the sofa. Because of the hazy morning light, her body appeared even thinner than usual, almost transparent.

On the coffee table in front of the sofa, there was cold food.

The coffee in the transparent kettle was white and cloudy, like the water of the Sumida River during the rainy season.

Had she been waiting for him all night...? Fujiwara Izaya moved to the sofa, looking down at the woman he considered a fool. She was wearing, as usual, a blue cardigan that seemed to have been cut from the sky, her hair tied up in a ponytail and tucked into the collar. She exuded a cold aura, and the light particles illuminated by the morning sun danced on her back.

Just looking at her body, one could feel the chill seeping into one's skin and sending a shiver down one's spine.

"Miss Yukino..."

Fujiwara Izaya called out softly.

"Um……"

Yukino Riho opened her eyes groggily, murmured a few words as if in a dream, and then closed her eyes again.

"Miss Yukino," Fujiwara Izaya called out again.

Then she rubbed the corner of her eye and slowly opened it.

After seeing the person in front of her clearly, the woman, who was as cold as snow, smiled very slightly, like the first ray of sunshine after a snowfall.

"I'm so glad you're alright..."

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry to have worried you."

“You look very tired…” Yukino Riho sat up, brushing her bangs aside. “Did something happen last night? I tried calling your cell phone all night, but I couldn’t get through…”

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired." Fujiwara Izaya shook his head. "I'm sorry for making you worry."

Yukino Riho nodded slightly.

Last night was a difficult one for her. She heard some news from the Furukawa Kaikan and was worried about Fujiwara Izaya, but she couldn't get through to him on the phone. She spent almost the entire night in anxiety.

"Are you hungry? I'll go heat up your food..." With that, Yukino Riho stood up and took the food from the table into the kitchen to heat it up. There was no microwave, so she could only add water to the pot and steam it.

"I'll buy a microwave tomorrow."

"Hey, I don't know how to use it."

"It's very simple, I'll teach you, you'll get the hang of it after just one try."

"Thank you, Fujiwara-kun."

Soon, the water in the pot boiled, making a pleasant sound.

Yukino Riho brought out a pot containing a stew with onions, potatoes, and various mushrooms. She also brought out some bread with walnuts. The two sat facing each other, eating in silence. The food was simple, and the seasoning was a bit odd, but the taste was definitely not bad. After finishing, they felt warm all over.

Fujiwara Izaya thought to himself, this warm feeling is 100% psychological.

After dinner, he returned to his room, found his priest's robes, and put them on. Yukino Riho leaned against the door, watching him fasten his belt: "You're going to the Onmyōryō later, right?"

Fujiwara Izaya turned to look at her: "You know this?"

"I know a little..." Yukino Riho looked away slightly. "Will everything be alright?"

"Of course nothing will happen," Fujiwara Izaya said with a reassuring smile. "A board meeting or anything like that is no problem for me."

"come on!"

Yukino Riho walked in and gently smoothed out the wrinkles on his collar.

Then, she took a step back and said gently, "This outfit really suits you. You must not let anyone take it off."

"Need I say more?" Fujiwara Izaya raised an eyebrow smugly, pointing to the tip of his nose: "I am the most handsome and most righteous priest in the world!"

His youthful appearance made Yukino Riho clap her hands together and laugh happily.

This scene filled Fujiwara Izaya with immense warmth.

The dim light reflected in the opaque glass, the warm steam rising from the pot, the memories permeating every corner of the room, and Ms. Yukino's quiet and virtuous nature—all of these gave Fujiwara Rinya a feeling of a long-awaited reunion.

He tried to relax his body and remain motionless, immersing himself in the warm atmosphere.

Fujiwara Izaya believed that he could not afford to lose this quiet and peaceful bakery, so he had to win the next board meeting.

It was still early when we left the bakery.

Fujiwara Izaya, holding an umbrella, thought for a moment and decided to take the subway to the place where he was having a meeting today.

At the rain-soaked intersection, colorful vehicles bustled about, while the sound of trams occasionally approached and then receded into the distance.

He wasn't notified to attend the board meeting, and the meeting was essentially a one-sided critique of him before expelling him from the Onmyōryō. However, he had Chairman Kasahara as an inside man, so he could boldly go in and cause trouble, slapping those old guys in the face a few times.

Squeezing onto the Ginza Line subway, Fujiwara Izaya gazed at the colorful advertisements hanging in the carriage, their dazzling brilliance conjuring up a cold smile, as if some image was playing in his mind.

※※※※※

The rain was pattering softly.

Blue hydrangeas, soaked with rainwater, bloomed brilliantly in the streets and alleys. Under the continuous drizzle, the streets of Sangenjaya were shrouded in mist, and most of the cafes on both sides were still closed.

The council hall of the Yin-Yang Bureau is located in a secluded corner of the Sangen-chaya.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but once you step inside, you'll find it's an incredibly spacious Tang-style mansion. Ponds and rockeries, lush bamboo groves, blooming flowers, and ancient buildings are everywhere.

Every step reveals a new scene, and every place is tranquil; it's a wonderful place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy peace and quiet.

But today, this place is not peaceful at all; on the contrary, it is quite noisy.

The fledglings, dressed in priest or shrine maiden robes, walked briskly in the rain, discussing the events of the previous day.

"Hey, you all know why we're having this board meeting today, right?"

"Such a big thing, who doesn't know about it?"

"Tsk tsk, he really is a monster..."

"It's still a Great Tengu."

"Not just the Great Tengu, but the most powerful Great Tengu."

"We must kick him out!"

"That's inevitable. Who could tolerate a monster impersonating a priest?"

In the light drizzle, more and more people entered the courtyard and headed toward the main hall.

Rinko Hoshimi arrived very early.

But she didn't rush in; instead, she waited at the door.

She knew what kind of person Fujiwara Rinya was, and knew he would definitely come today.

He possesses a maturity beyond his years, a calm demeanor in the face of adversity, and meticulous shrewdness, while also retaining the youthful spirit appropriate for his age. As for Hoshimi Rinko's understanding of youthful spirit, it can be summarized by a quote from Dostoevsky.

A youth is a youth; he is unmoved by the spring breeze, unperturbed by the summer cicadas, unsadulterated by the autumn wind, and unsighing at the winter snow. He is oblivious to his own wealth and status, yet dares to confront injustice and unfairness. Simply because he is a youth.

Uh……

Cross out the part about "being oblivious to the wealth and status he was wearing"—that guy was extremely greedy.

Aside from all that, he's also a very interesting person.

Rinko Hoshimi herself doesn't really enjoy communicating with people.

But Fujiwara Izaya seems to understand it very well.

Almost every teacher and student at the school liked him because he always appeared gentle and refined, and his manners and etiquette were impeccable and sincere.

In their conversations, Fujiwara Izaya proved to be a master conversationalist, adept at seizing opportunities and delivering humor at the right moment. He could quickly find several amusing parts in a rather uninteresting dialogue. While chatting with him, Hoshimi Rinko often found herself in the illusion that she was actually a very interesting person.

and also.

He's a liar.

On the surface, he always told her that there were no supernatural phenomena in the world, but secretly he completed hundreds of exorcism cases in a year. On the surface, he told her that he only liked older women, but secretly he was flirting with a first-year student and had even met her parents.

Do you think I don't know any of these things?

snort!

Just you wait, Fujiwara Izaya, you will pay the price for your lies!