A comic book, but a librarian

When the office worker said this, his face darkened, and it was unclear whether it was because of fear or anger.

"I don't know what happened to that guy. He died so miserably. His body was chopped into pieces and then stacked back together..."

As the office worker talked more and more, Uesugi Saki's expression gradually became gloomy. She never expected to hear news about this matter here.

"Sorry, let's stop here. I won't be able to sleep at night after hearing this kind of thing."

Uesugi Saki interrupted the office worker gently but firmly. The other party was stunned for a moment and nodded a little embarrassedly.

Uesugi Sumiya roughly understood what Uesugi Saki was doing, but he didn't say anything. He nodded to express his gratitude, and then started to concentrate on the noodles in the bowl.

"Acheng, I know you might be busy with something recently, but promise me not to get involved in something so dangerous, okay?"

In the end, Uesugi Saki couldn't help but speak. Uesugi Cheng didn't say anything, but just nodded as a perfunctory response to Uesugi Saki.

201

Chapter 201: Ghost Taxi.

"Are you going to sleep next to me tonight?"

Uesugi Saki asked casually. He didn't care where Uesugi Saki went tonight. If she really wanted to go back to her place, there would be a driver to pick her up, and he could drive less distance.

"No, I should go home today... I'm so full, I have to go to work tomorrow."

Uesugi Saki took out her cell phone and made a call, then waved at her brother mercilessly.

"Well, I'll leave tonight..."

Uesugi Saki squinted her eyes and nodded, but five minutes later she suddenly opened her eyes and remembered the strange story that the middle-aged office worker had just told. She felt a little uneasy for some reason, and finally decided to take out her cell phone to call her younger brother and ask him to take a taxi home instead of walking.

Of course, she didn't expect that Uesugi Sumire was indeed in the car at this moment, but it might be a little different from the taxi she imagined.

"Where are you going, little brother... I have the taxi fare..."

The affable taxi driver asked this. If you could ignore his blue face and the marks on his neck, he would definitely be considered an excellent driver.

He seemed to talk about the fare in a meaningful manner, and the air conditioner in the car also increased the temperature, as if to create a terrifying atmosphere.

"Go to this address. You should be able to get there."

Uesugi Cheng completely ignored these things. He just thought it was good that the evil spirit drove a taxi. After all, he could pay less fare. Looking at the other party's stunned expression, he moved his fingers and casually took out the sketchbook.

There was not much soul energy left, and he should have gone home and had a good rest, but he now felt his creative passion rising. It was then that he realized that if he wanted to draw comics, perhaps this realistic subject matter would be suitable for him.

The ignored driver looked a little angry, blood slowly flowing out of his facial features. The disguised resentment seemed to slowly spread out, as if he wanted to eat Uesugi Cheng alive.

Then the next second, his arms couldn't help but tremble, and his whole body was frozen as if he was under a spell. He saw a puppet that shouldn't be in the passenger seat was looking at him with a smile, and countless eyes were looking at him through the window. It seemed that the puppets' eyes wanted to stuff him, the little driver, into their bodies as a scapegoat.

"Yes... Of course, today is... Sir, you are the 10,000th lucky customer, we will give you a free meal today! Yes, congratulations, today's meal is free."

This evil ghost driver, who usually makes a living by scaring people, finally realized that there seemed to be an important person getting on his car. At least the puppet lady next to him was not someone he could afford to offend.

"Is that so? Then please drive."

Uesugi Sumire didn't care. He and Himegami Sakura looked at each other and nodded, then he immersed himself back in his sketchbook. The pencil in his hand started moving, and even in the car he still began to draw the lines steadily.

The evil ghost driver didn't dare to say a word all the way. This was the most terrifying feeling he had had since becoming an evil ghost. Most evil ghosts need human emotions to survive. The more extreme the emotions, the more they can help them live comfortably. Therefore, most evil ghosts full of resentment will choose to kill people directly or torture humans to obtain the most extreme and abundant emotions.

But he was different. He was much more sober than those idiots. If he killed someone, he would be caught and killed. Wasn't there a lack of human beings who could subdue or even destroy evil spirits? He chose a more steady approach. He carefully selected the guests to scare, and then threw them near the destination after they fainted. Anyway, they would not believe that they got on the evil spirit's car only to be fainted and thrown down. Instead, it became his best cover.

But today he hit a wall. God knew that a high school student who looked no different from an ordinary person would actually carry such a terrifying doll. It seemed like he would be scared to death in the next second. His beloved car also felt the same way.

"By the way, mind chatting?"

Uesugi Cheng seemed dissatisfied with his painting and tore off the paper. Instantly, fire lit up on the paper and the temperature inside the car suddenly rose a little, but no smoke was produced.

"Ah... what do you want to talk about, sir? I will tell you what I know."

The driver now just wanted to get this great god out of the car as soon as possible. The fact that he just lit fire out of thin air proved that the other party was not an ordinary person at all. He could be said to have won the jackpot this time.

"Tell me about the recent events in Tokyo... related to evil spirits."

Uesugi Cheng leaned back and looked at the driver, his eyes gleaming, staring at him like a thorn in the back.

"Ying, you see there are a lot of evil spirits in this place, right? The driver not only gave us a ride for free, but also told us so many things. He even left his contact information and told us we could call him next time if we needed him."

Uesugi Sumire touched Himegami Sakura's head and took out the sketchbook and notebook. As for Himegami Sakura next to her, she looked at Uesugi Sumire with a strange expression. The driver just now seemed to have wanted to flee Japan as a country. In the end, he handed over his contact information almost desperately, and said that he could be called at any time.

"Don't worry. Am I such an unreasonable person? He hasn't killed anyone. We can just do business normally. There's no need to rob him like a villain."

Himegami Sakura nodded. She took the sketchbook from Uesugi Sumika's hand and opened it after obtaining permission. According to the driver, Tokyo has indeed been a lot calmer recently. It seems that someone is hunting evil spirits everywhere. It is said that it is a little girl, but these old-time evil spirits have never believed in such rumors.

Of course, he also mentioned that there was indeed a guy who liked to indiscriminately kill people and spirits who started wandering the streets. It was because of the appearance of that scary guy that he had to choose to stay away from that area and unfortunately bumped into Uesugi Cheng.

"He's a guy who attacks indiscriminately. I'm not surprised that such a person would appear in Tokyo."

Uesugi Cheng yawned. The evil spirit in the painting was creepy, but Uesugi Cheng was still not satisfied.

-

"Is this why you stayed up late last night? To be honest, it's better than last time...at least it really scared me."

Hikigaya Hachiman sighed. He felt that the art teacher's murderous eyes would soon be fixed on him.

"It's okay... We can talk about the rest later. I'm going to go find Mr. Ono first."

When Uesugi Sumiko arrived, he had already placed his tightly wrapped paintings in the art classroom, and now he was planning to go find his teacher.

202

Chapter 202: Art teacher’s teacher.

When Uesugi Sumiko walked into the art classroom, besides the familiar teacher Ono Yoichi who looked very melancholy, there was also an old man who stared at Ono with a serious face and scolded him, but had no intention of leaving.

"You'd better not play any jokes on me, you traitor..."

偂�

The old man finally sighed and sat on the chair. Ono Yoshi brought a glass of water to him without saying a word.

"Don't worry, old man. To be honest, I was also hesitant, but it's just a painting... at least I hope you can take a look at it. My vision is limited, but I think you will definitely understand it."

Uesugi Cheng knocked on the door, and Ono Hiro suddenly became serious and cleared his throat.

"Please come in."

Uesugi Sumiko walked in and suddenly felt that this place didn't look like an art classroom, but more like an interview. The old man opposite him was dressed simply, had a bright look in his eyes, and looked healthier than the art teacher next to him who was at least 20 years younger than him. When he saw Uesugi Sumiko walk in, he subconsciously slowed down his tone.

"Good morning, young man. I am sorry to bother you. If I hadn't been nagging you every day..."

The old man said this and glared at Mr. Ono next to him. Mr. Ono was touching his head and still grinning, then he immediately winked at Uesugi Cheng.

"Are you Ono-sensei's teacher? I didn't expect to actually meet him in person."

"Young man, you make me sound like a rare animal. But since he promised me, can you let me see your work... Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sugino Jiro, and I'm currently making a small contribution to the University of Tokyo..."

A very interesting introduction. Uesugi Sumiko hid his comics behind him. He didn't care much about the old man's opinion of him, but it would be bad if he caused Ono Yoichi to get scolded more. After all, according to Ono Yoichi's attitude, the old man might not like this kind of thing.

So he took out the painting wrapped in paper from the cabinet next to him. When Ono Yoshi saw his crude storage method, he took a deep breath, which made Uesugi Cheng afraid that he might not be able to breathe smoothly and pass out.

"..."

But Yoichi Ono had to admit that no matter when or where, when the painting was placed in front of him, he could not restrain his emotions and appreciate the painting with the calmest attitude, or he felt that he was not qualified to appreciate it, after all, he might not be able to paint such a thing in his entire life.

"Hey boy...did you draw this?"

Mr. Sugino's hand was trembling as he stroked the picture frame. He did not reach out to touch the contents of the painting, even though he really wanted to touch it with his own hands.

"No... Excuse me, this traitor probably can't draw this kind of picture. It's only you, and only your habits. I have never seen such painting habits and color usage..."

As he said this, he suddenly turned his head to look at Uesugi Cheng, carefully sizing up the young man in front of him who could be said to be too young.

"How old are you...?"

"Seventeen or eighteen?"

Uesugi Cheng thought about it and realized that he really didn't remember when he was born.

Sugino Jiro did not feel any dissatisfaction with this vague answer, and he spoke with some excitement.

"Eighteen... thirty or forty years, there's still a lot of time left, young man... Can I ask, who is the protagonist of this painting?"

"It's a doll that I collect. I just wanted to draw a picture for her on a whim."

Uesugi Cheng looked at the painting and felt a little emotional.

"Is that so? Otherwise, I really want to meet this lady and see if she is as beautiful as in the painting. I haven't seen one in a long time. A painting that makes people want to get to know the model herself is probably the most perfect kind of portrait. Come to think of it, my apprentice's vision was right this time, and I didn't exaggerate. It's rare to see such a beautiful woman in ten years... no, even a hundred years or a thousand years. Young man, you are a true genius."

Sugino Jiro commented without hesitation. His face was serious, revealing the aura that a dean should have, and he looked at the painting carefully.

“It doesn’t matter if other places are still too immature. As long as you keep going, you will be the one who can leave your name in the history of art just by capturing and using colors.”

"You're too kind. I still have a lot to learn."

Uesugi Cheng didn't have any big reaction. He seemed a little distracted, and it was unknown what he was thinking about.

"So, do you want to learn from me? Study fine arts. If you think I'm not good enough, I have some old friends who can recommend you."

Suddenly, Sugino Jiro laughed, and the situation became a little more relaxed, but the next sentence made Ono Hiroshi stunned. He had never heard his teacher discuss such things with others.

"If I pursue further studies... I would rather convey what I want to draw completely."

Uesugi Cheng looked at the old man in front of him seriously, and the two of them just stared at each other.

"Is that so? Then do you mind if an old man like me tells you about my own experience? Just let me see something that even a genius like you cannot describe now."

Sugino Jiro stretched out his hand. He was indeed a little surprised. Logically speaking, for Uesugi Sumiya to be able to draw such works at his age without looking down on others was already very humble and cultured. However, what he saw was a young man driven by obsession, or even a young man troubled by his own talents and desires.

"If you need further education, you can always ask me to write a letter of introduction. Of course, it's just a letter of introduction. In the end, it all depends on your own ability."

Just a look from Sugino Jiro made Ono Yoichi take out his own business card, then he used a pen to cross out the name and phone number and replaced it with Sugino Jiro's. Judging from his proficiency, Uesugi Cheng felt that this old gentleman was probably not doing this for the first time.

"Then I'd like to trouble you to give me some guidance, but I'm sorry... I don't even know what my problem is now."

Uesugi Cheng sighed and started talking to the teacher of the teacher in front of him. At first, he thought that the other party was just being polite and saying a few words and was about to leave, but he didn't expect that this old man who looked full of energy actually began to answer his questions carefully and told him a lot of things that he still lacked.

"This is... a comic? Is it a new work from some weekly magazine?"

As they were talking, Sugino Jiro saw the comics drawn on the manuscript paper and became curious.

203

Chapter 203: Uesugi Cheng’s obsession.

"Oh no, this is a little work of mine. I wanted to see if there was a chance to serialize it."

Uesugi Sumire answered Sugino's question very honestly, completely ignoring the look on his art teacher's face that looked like he was about to collapse.

"Oh, do you mind if I take a look? I haven't seen these things in a long, long time."

Sugino Jiro just looked up and asked. He seemed to be very interested in the comic in Uesugi Sumika's hand.

"Of course, no problem. I just need to take a break."

Uesugi Cheng nodded and picked up his notebook full of notes. He really benefited a lot from communicating with an old man who had devoted his whole life to art. At least he felt that his treatment of the pictures now should be more able to mobilize the audience's emotions, instead of simply pouring his own emotions into it and infecting the audience in a powerful way.

"What a great angle. The first-person perspective is so perfectly drawn... It's rare."

Sugino Jiro finished flipping through the stack of drafts which only had seven or eight pages of storyboards, touched his chin, and said this with emotion. Even though it was a comic book with only three colors: black, white, and gray, Uesugi Sumire still brought in his devilish talent for color. He even felt as if he saw the colors that the black and white comic books were supposed to have.

"But the shortcomings are also obvious. The editor probably won't approve it. From my personal experience, I used to like reading comics, even though I look at it this way. The shots in your manuscript have no narrative at all. It's just a reproduction of a scene. Readers don't know what you want to express. This is a fatal weakness for a comic that tells a story."

As he spoke, Sugino Jiro waved to Ono Hiroshi behind him and asked him to come over and look at the draft pages.

"This is……"

Ono Yoichi felt creepy. As he held those pages of the draft, his vision seemed to gradually turn into that of the protagonist.

"Why is the vase...blood red?"

An unsettling corridor, as if something might jump out from the side at any time. The surrounding decorations all looked weird. There was bright sunshine outside the window, but he didn't know why he felt extremely cold. There was only a window between them, but he felt as if all the heat was completely isolated.

The blood-red vase stood out in the black and white world. The next moment, everything seemed to be colored. The decayed and dull scene made his heart stagnate. He turned around suddenly, but saw a mask and the bloodshot, crazy pupils under the mask. Then everything went dark.

"Huh...ha...ha...am I still alive?"

Yoichi Ono coughed twice and looked as if he was frightened. He slapped his face and put the manuscript on the table.

"How about it?"

"A genius is a genius. I never thought that I would really think I was going to be killed when I read a comic."