A comic book, but a librarian

"Are you okay, Mieko-san?"

Uesugi Cheng was sitting on the hospital bed, looking very happy. Maybe it was because he saved the patient? Yotsuya Miko thought so.

"Well... I don't have any problem with that, but... what on earth happened? I still don't understand."

"Is that so? Then sit down and I'll tell you a story, and you'll understand."

Yotsuya Miko sat down. Unexpectedly, she felt the temperature in the room was a little low. She wondered if the air conditioner was turned too low.

"In the last year of the Heterosexual Ceremony, a little girl of the richest man in the area, who could even be said to be a powerful person in the area, suddenly fell ill. The head of the family, who loved his daughter dearly, had sought out many famous doctors but to no avail. He could only place his hope on the Heterosexual Ceremony. He found the best craftsmen and carefully made the most exquisite and gorgeous doll for his daughter, hoping that it could take away her misfortune and illness."

Yotsuya Miko listened carefully. She rubbed her arms and the temperature seemed to be a little cold.

"Later, the ceremony was held as scheduled. The doll that looked almost exactly like his little girl was placed in a coffin and floated down the Onori River. It finally stopped somewhere downstream, facing the dolls that were abandoned as objects of the ceremony. The strong emotions attached to those dolls had already given rise to spirits that seduced others, so the Hinashiro Shrine was built... If nothing unexpected had happened, none of this should have happened."

Yotsuya Miko was listening so intently that she didn't even notice that the voice had turned into a female one.

"However, not long after, a war suddenly broke out. The Hentai Ritual was abandoned, and the shrine gradually fell into disrepair and no longer served its original purpose. Resentment accumulated and no one purified it, and in the end it even formed a... dead land. However, the largest and most gorgeous Hentai doll maintained this special space. They called her 'Hime God Sakura'. Sakura is the name of the ritual object, Hime means princess, and God is needless to say. The doll is the core and sleeps in the center. The resentment relies on its existence to maintain this special space, but they are afraid that it will wake up and refuse to cooperate with them, so they can only let it continue to sleep."

"Fifty years ago, a few people accidentally found the investigation report and were lured into that area. As a result, the ritual was 'restarted' and the puppets were looking for new members... until you arrived."

Yotsuya Miko was horrified when she heard this. She turned her head stiffly and saw a petite girl wearing a gorgeous kimono and with long black hair that almost reached the ground standing at the door. She smiled at her and the spherical joints on her fingers that were stretched out in the kimono showed that she was definitely not a human. However, her lifelike expression, which seemed like that of a human, showed that she was definitely not an ordinary doll.

"Thank you, Lord Uesugi... for taking in a puppet like me who shouldn't exist in this world."

Uesugi Sumiko just nodded. Of course, he was not just being kind-hearted. The doll in front of him was very useful, so it was worth the risk to bring her into Silent Bookstore.

[Himegami Sakura's Assistance]: A doll with intelligence born from faith and emotion, it is not a human, nor is it an ordinary spirit (quoted on April 4, 4)

Years of faith purification and the entanglement of the puppets' resentment have made this special puppet powerful. Perhaps in a sense, she is a manifestation of the "eight million gods" most often mentioned in Japanese Shintoism.

Of course, she can only provide assistance to Silent Bookstore once a day, whether as an assistant to help Uesugi Cheng to refine certain things or repair the room, and as a puppet, she cannot eat food or drink beverages, but her own specialness is enough to make Uesugi Cheng take risks.

"Hello...Hello..."

Yotsuya Miko stammered a greeting. She didn't expect that Uesugi Sumire was so powerful that he could subdue such a powerful puppet.

"Thank you for your courage, Miss Yotsuya. If it weren't for you, I might have committed a bigger mistake in my sleep. Thank you for taking the risk to stop this."

“Ah... nothing...” A puppet that could move on its own, carry luggage and talk was a little too stimulating for Yotsuya Miko’s shaky worldview, but she had already learned how to quickly calm herself down, so she didn’t lose her composure.

"In this case, is this matter over? What about the two little girls?"

"He should still be in the intensive care unit. After all, he has been missing for so long... This matter must be over. After the core that formed the space disappears, the resentment will gradually dissipate on its own, so this matter has come to an end."

After Uesugi Sumire made his conclusion, Yotsuya Miko finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"But I think we still have a problem to solve... You have to tell your family why you stay out all night."

When Yotsuya Miko heard this, his face suddenly turned pale.

Chapter 65 Happy Holiday First Day

"In general, we have survived this incident without any major incidents. As for the fate of your friend, I believe you already know it, so I will not elaborate on it."

Sitting in the principal's office, Uesugi Sumire provided Murakami Seiichiro with the things he had taken along the way. The old principal took the photos and finally let out a long sigh.

"I see... So it's about the Minauchi River. I heard of the name of this river when I was young, but I couldn't see the river back then. I didn't expect it to be related to a folk ritual from over a hundred years ago. Thank you very much, Uesugi-san... I'll take care of the rest. It won't affect your studies."

Finally, Murakami Seiichiro sat up straight and bowed slightly to Uesugi Sumire to express his gratitude.

"Rather than that, I would like to take a short vacation to recuperate. I hope you can allow it."

"No problem. I've agreed. Just tell your homeroom teacher and have a good rest... You really should relax after going through something like this."

Murakami Seiichiro was surprisingly understanding and even told Uesugi Sumire about a few tourist spots he thought were good.

After walking out of the principal's office, Uesugi Cheng felt that even the sun hanging in the sky looked a little better. Of course, before leaving school, he still wanted to find a few people to chat with.

"Hachiman, I'm about to go on vacation...what do you think?" Uesugi Sumire sat back in his seat with a relaxed look on his face. It was just the end of get out of class and people around were chatting, so no one paid attention to their conversation.

"What do you think? Can I drag you over to participate in this completely meaningless activity organized by the school with me?" At this moment, Hikigaya Hachiman's dead fish eyes perfectly expressed his resentment towards Uesugi Sumire.

"I'll go back and take a rest. If you have any questions, just call me. Things should be much calmer recently. After all, the back mountain area will be completely blocked off. The police are working very hard at this time."

Uesugi Sumire yawned, and Hikigaya Hachiman felt that Uesugi Sumire was not as calm as he looked. However, since Uesugi Sumire had no intention of revealing this, there was no need for him to expose it. People need a sense of distance when getting along with each other, and there will be some little secrets. In this regard, he felt that it was comfortable to maintain the current state.

"Jianzi too...Have you explained it to your family?"

"I almost got grounded. Luckily I made up a story before I left, so my family wouldn't suspect me directly. But I still got scolded..."

Yotsuya Miko looked a little haggard, perhaps she was helpless when asked by her family, or maybe she just hadn't adjusted to her current state yet. But at least she was still sitting in this classroom in good health, and that was enough.

Uesugi Sumire sat obediently until school was over in the afternoon, as a small explanation to Hiratsuka Shizuka, although she probably wouldn't like this explanation. Uesugi Sumire packed his schoolbag, put on sunglasses, and walked out of the campus alone.

What he didn't tell anyone and didn't let anyone discover was that his soul was obviously damaged when he was delaying time last night and needed treatment.

[Clearance: Obsession]: The higher I rise, the more I see. (Cure requires: 5 honey)

[Pulse: Enchanted]: Enchanted is a kind of confusion or inspiration, or an obsession. In the wind, in the sea, in the crackle of the fire, there is a music that only I can hear. When I pay too much attention to it, the world will turn into a rose-like red... (Healing requires: 5 moths)

If someone could see Uesugi Cheng's eyes through his sunglasses, they would feel that his gaze did not seem to be looking forward, but rather empty, as if he was in a daze. Although the disease of his soul was not a serious injury to Uesugi Cheng, it was enough to cause him some pain.

Back in her room, the empty room seemed to have more furniture and a doll the height of a young girl. Seeing that it was Uesugi Sumire who walked in, the doll Himegami Sakura bowed slightly and greeted her.

"Good evening, welcome home."

"Are you still used to living here?"

"As a doll, there's nothing wrong with it. Mr. Uesugi's paintings are really amazing... Maybe even she has never seen such paintings."

The "her" that Himegami Sakura mentioned was the daughter of the powerful man who performed the intergenerational ritual, but Himegami Sakura's own impression of her was probably only the day when she was completed, when the girl held her hand and hung her amulet bag around her neck.

"The paintings are nothing... I might need you to go back there and help me do something when the time comes." There are indeed many places in Silent Bookstore that need Winter's Sexual Aspect to appease the dead or calm down the restless things. The appearance of Himegami Sakura undoubtedly gives him more options.

"Okay, please let me know if you need anything. I can do it anytime." Himegami Sakura nodded slightly, moved her puppet body, and walked back to the room where Uesugi Cheng kept his paintings.

Leaving Uesugi Cheng alone, lying exhausted on his bed, he returned to the small wooden house outside the Silent Bookstore in the blink of an eye. Although it looked like a house where a gatekeeper would live, Uesugi Cheng unexpectedly liked this kind of atmosphere, especially under the continuous drizzle.

The next day, Uesugi Cheng woke up slowly from the guard hut. He originally wanted to eat the bread on the table in front of him, but when he thought that there was only that one piece of bread in this Silent Bookstore and it had been sealed here for who knows if ten years, he suddenly lost his appetite.

【Oats Bread】: Coarse bread made from ancient cold-resistant oats grown at the end of the continent. (1 lead 1 cast 1 heart 1 honey)

So he returned to the real world, prepared to go out to find something delicious, and also to see what he should do today to relax.

So, for the first time in a long time, he was walking on the road against the flow of people going to school. He was wearing ordinary casual clothes. The people coming and going were all in a hurry, only Uesugi Sumiko himself looked leisurely and comfortable.

"In that case, why don't we go over there and take a look? I wonder if they have found their teammates." Uesugi Cheng thought of the Bond Band that was formed by Fanxing in Shimokitazawa. Although they hadn't found a lead singer at the time, they had at least managed to complete their first performance. He has been busy with the missing case these days, and now that he remembered it, it's time to go over and ask.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Sumire boarded the train to Shimokitazawa, ready to spend a day among the stars.

Chapter 66: Bond Band and One-Man Band

"What's going on? What are you going to do?"

As soon as Uesugi Sumire entered the door, he heard Yamada Ryo and Ijichi Kouka preparing to play electronic music, and it was very loud. Although there seemed to be no customers in Fanxing at this time, playing music like this would drive away potential customers. I don't know why the manager didn't stop the two girls who were researching.

"Ah, it was Little Lonely who sent us an email... I don't know why he did that though."

Hongxia also seemed a little confused. Goto Du didn't reply to the question she sent, so she could only do as she was told and see what she wanted to do.

"Let me see. You're playing electronic music at a high volume in the store, and you're holding an energy drink in one hand while dancing and entertaining customers? Are you playing truth or dare with her?"

Uesugi Cheng gave an expression like an old man on the subway when he received this incredible email. He didn't quite understand whether there would really be anyone who would do such a weird thing as asked?

"How is that possible! We will never bully little Gu Du!" Hong Xia retorted, then she glanced at Yamada Ryo, and her originally firm heart seemed not so firm anymore.

"But if you want to buy energy drinks...why don't I go with you? I just wanted to buy some drinks from the vending machine."

In response to Hongxia's look that asked, "Why don't you just order drinks in the store?", Uesugi Cheng added something.

"Canned drinks are more cost-effective than drinks ordered in the store."

Hong Xia thought about it and could only nod. No matter where the LIVE HOUSE was, the snacks and drinks sold there would indeed be a little more expensive than those sold outside. After all, these were one of the important sources of income to maintain operations.

Uesugi Cheng stood in front of the vending machine, watching the machine in front of him start to spit out can of Monster after can of Monster to Hongxia, and began to think about what drink he wanted to drink. However, when Hongxia was holding four or five bottles of Monster and preparing to return to Fanxing, he still hadn't chosen the drink he wanted.

"Oh no, I have a decision-making problem...Except for Monster, the drinks here seem to be similar. I'll just pick a bottle of grape soda..."

Uesugi Sumire bent down to catch the drink that was spit out by the vending machine, and then he heard the voice of Ijichi Kouka.

"Pochi-chan!!! I don't know why, but I bought a lot of energy drinks!!!"

The energetic, beautiful and passionate voice reached Uesugi Cheng's ears. Just when he was about to express his admiration for the good relationship between the band, he suddenly heard Hong Xia's scream again.

"Runaway Guitar!!!"

Uesugi Cheng was stunned for a moment. What did he mean by a running guitar? Could a guitar run away on its own these days? Could it be the legendary Tsukumogami? Or was it another evil spirit? But how could a spirit dare to run out in broad daylight?

He looked up and saw a red-haired girl with a guitar on her back, who seemed to be kneading little Lonely's cheeks in her hands as if they were dough. The terrified expression on her face when Hong Xia called her was comparable to that of Goto Doku who was trapped in self-loathing delusions. Goto Doku himself seemed to be frightened by the red-haired girl's reaction, and looked at a loss and might faint at any time.

"So it's the guitarist who ran away... I thought guitars were now old enough to grow arms and legs and run away in broad daylight."

Uesugi Cheng laughed at himself. Perhaps he was really disturbed by those strange events recently and he actually had such nonsensical thoughts.

"Kita-chan, why are you here?"

It was a very ordinary and gentle question, but to the red-haired girl called 'Kita' on the other side, it might be no different from an accusation.

"So your name is Kita? It sounds like a homonym for guitar..." Uesugi Sumika muttered to himself, and he walked to Hongxia with a can of soda.

"Huh?" Yamada Ryoya, holding a drink, had just walked out from the corner of the intersection. It was obvious that she knew the girl named Kita just like Hongxia.

Seeing Yamada Ryo, Kita obviously lost the intention to run away. Under the stunned gaze of Uesugi Cheng, she simply knelt on her knees and begged for mercy, even kowtowing, saying something.

"I'll do anything you ask me to do. Please forgive me for what I did that day. Please ravage me as much as you want!!"

"What on earth did she do? Why do I feel like this place is turning into a gangster movie set? And isn't the last sentence a bit inappropriate?" Uesugi Cheng took a sip of his drink and complained calmly.

"Don't say things that can easily be misunderstood! And Uesugi-san, why are you watching the show too? Come and help me persuade them!" As a common-sense person, Ijichi Hongxia already wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it when she saw the strange looks from the passers-by around her.

"Why don't you go back to Fanxing first? It feels like your story has become so exciting in the past few days since I've been away."

"Hey, so Kita-chan can't play the guitar?"

When this topic was mentioned, Kita nodded timidly, looking like a sinner.

"Yes, it is......"

"No wonder you refused to participate in joint training and suddenly disappeared... We were all very worried about you."

Uesugi Sumiko roughly understood what the escaped guitarist had done, that is, he concealed the fact that he could not play the guitar and became a guitarist when he happily formed a band with the other two people. Then he could not stand the pressure and fled for fear of being punished, causing Hongxia to have to run out and find a temporary guitarist to complete the performance... From this aspect alone, this behavior is actually quite bad.

"We didn't see that, which was a problem. And we managed to get through the performance that day."

At this moment, in the eyes of Goto Doku and Kita, Hongxia was like a saint shining with golden light.

"Manager, can I borrow the rehearsal room?"

The arrangement for Kita was finalized during their brief conversation. As compensation for her failure to show up, she would serve as a volunteer in the performance hall for a day to serve the guests. However, Uesugi Sumiko didn't pay much attention to this issue. After all, he had no room to interfere in the internal affairs of the girl band.

"Oh, just pay..." Ijichi Hoshika replied casually. Uesugi Cheng nodded, handed a bill to her dear sister, and walked into the rehearsal room alone.

There are no surveillance devices in Fanxing's rehearsal room. It would be better to say that apart from the performing bands, only a few girls use this rehearsal room. As long as they check it regularly every day, there is no need to go through the trouble of installing surveillance devices.

"But this is just right. Otherwise, I have to think about where to try."

One Uesugi Sumika (Mingzhi) picked up the guitar, another Uesugi Sumika (Benwen) picked up the bass, and another Uesugi Sumika (Gongyi) held the microphone. They began to follow the rhythm and use great techniques to try to complete the singing of a song.

Chapter 67 Overflowing Inspiration

"Sure enough, it won't work without drums... The integrity of the music can't be guaranteed at all." Uesugi Cheng put down his instrument, and there was only one person left in the rehearsal room. Even if the performance of the bass and guitar was accurate and good, without drums, the music he played now was missing something. It didn't feel like a song or music at all, but more like a stitching of melodies.

"In the end, I can only play solo with guitar? The combination of guitar and bass is totally uncoordinated, let alone singing, the melody is not very good." Uesugi Cheng scratched his head helplessly. If he could study the great art he learned to a more advanced level, then this kind of thing would probably not be a problem. However, he now has neither the advanced great art nor the foundation for learning musical instruments. He can only practice little by little to enhance his technical ability to support the performance.

"I wonder if there are any related books in the bookstore... It's time to go back and look through them." Uesugi Cheng stretched and looked at the mobile phone next to him. The alarm he set would not go off in two minutes. He stretched his body, turned off the alarm in advance, and walked out of the rehearsal room.

"It looks like Kita-chan is doing a good job. She is indeed a sunny and social character." Uesugi Sumire smiled at Kita who was wearing a cute maid outfit. Then, looking to the side, she saw that Goto Doku had already shrunk into the trash can like a mollusk looking for a shell. She even reached her hands out of the trash can, picked up the guitar, and started her solo without being seen at all.

"What's going on?" Although Uesugi Sumiya felt that he had begun to get used to Goto Doku who would occasionally make some surprising moves, her unique postmodern art expression method was still too artistic for an ordinary person like Uesugi Sumiya, and he could not understand it.

"I don't know, little Gu Du, what are you doing in the trash can?" Yamada Ryo shook his head and asked Goto Doku directly what he was doing.

"My characteristics are disappearing, so please enjoy "Elegy for a Useless Laborer Even More Useless Than the Newcomer on the First Day.""

As they were talking, Goto Doku really picked up her guitar and started playing it as if no one was around. Uesugi Sumiko suddenly felt that Goto Doku's social phobia didn't seem that serious. It was unlikely that a person with real social phobia would be able to perform performance art like her, where she dared to crawl into a trash can in the exhibition hall and start singing.

"Come to think of it, Fanxing is starting to get lively... Is there anyone going to perform today?" Uesugi Cheng yawned. He was in a very relaxed state right now, so he looked a little lazy.

"This should be considered a normal flow of customers. By the way, do you still have the interest and time to take on decoration orders now?" Ijichi Xingge came out. She looked at the painting that Uesugi Cheng had drawn on the wall, and there was a hint of emotion in her tone.

"It should be available, but it may have to be put on the back burner. I am not in a good position to accept demanding painting commissions recently."