Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

On the surface of the river, the river lanterns dotted with warm light slowly drifted away into the distance.

The air was filled with the faint scent of burning candles and the enticing aromas wafting from the various food stalls.

The charred aroma of grilled squid, the freshness of octopus balls, the sweetness of marshmallows, and the whispers of people on the river bank and the laughter and play of children are intertwined.

Kujo Renji held Wakaba Mu's hand and strolled among the bustling crowd.

Mu seemed to have rarely experienced such lively scenes. His clear golden eyes were filled with curiosity and a hint of imperceptible nervousness.

Her little hand tightly grasped Jiujo Liansi's hand, as if she was afraid that she would be swept away by the crowd if she was not careful.

"Want to release river lanterns?"

Kujo Renji looked down at Mu and asked.

Mu's eyes had long been attracted by the small light boats drifting on the river with flashing lights.

She blinked and nodded slightly.

There are many makeshift stalls on the river bank selling various river lanterns.

There are traditional square paper lanterns with elegant lotus or chrysanthemum patterns painted on them, as well as lanterns in cute animal shapes, such as bunnies and kittens, which are very popular among children; there are also some more exquisite prayer lanterns made of bamboo strips and colored paper, on which you can write your own blessings.

Kujo Renji brought Mu to a stall that seemed to be doing good business.

The stall owner was a kind-faced old lady who was greeting customers with a smile on her face.

"Would you two like to buy some river lanterns? The river lanterns here are all made by me personally. There are many styles and they are very sturdy. I guarantee they can float very far!" the old woman introduced enthusiastically.

Mu's eyes wandered over the colorful and variously shaped river lanterns, and he seemed a little dazzled.

"Which one do you like?"

Mu stretched out his little finger and pointed at a river lantern with a unique shape.

——It was a lantern in the shape of a small boat made of light blue colored paper. A small paper crane swaying in the wind was tied to the bow with golden silk thread. It looked elegant and had a hint of childishness.

"Is this all you want?"

Mu nodded, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"Okay." Kujo Renji said to the old woman with a smile, "Please, we want this."

"okay!"

The old woman swiftly took down the blue paper boat lantern and handed them a small brush and a small dish of ink.

"You can write down your wishes or what you want to say to your deceased loved ones on the lamp. Once you've written it, light the candle and it will carry your thoughts to far, far away places."

Jiujo Renji took the river lantern and the brush and ink, then looked down at Mu: "Mu, do you want to write something?"

Mu tilted her head, as if deep in thought. After a long moment, she reached out her hand, took the brush, and then... with childish yet incredibly careful strokes, she slowly, stroke by stroke, wrote a line of words on the small hull of the river lantern.

Kujo Renji wanted to move closer to take a look, but was blocked by Mu.

The girl was a little nervous, and said stubbornly:

"Lian Si can't watch..."

——This is not a birthday wish. It won’t work if other people see it.

Kujo Renji was puzzled why the girl didn't let him see, but he didn't make a fuss about it.

He took the brush, thought for a moment, and did not write any specific name or blessing on the river lantern.

For him, there were too many people who needed to be "commemorated" and it was too complicated, so he just lightly drew a small, stick figure-style sunny doll on the paper.

I hope that those deceased souls, no matter where they are, can have a sunny and good mood.

"Are you commemorating the person you hanged?"

Ms. Toyokawa's brain circuits are quite abnormal.

This immediately ruined Kujo Renji's rare good mood.

"How can you tell that this is a person who was hanged?" Kujo Renji was speechless.

"Eh? Wasn't Sunny Doll the one who was hanged?"

"..."

I'm speechless. I can't continue talking to you. Typical Hakimi thinking.

Not wanting to pay attention to her, after finishing writing, Kujo Renji bought a small piece of candle from the old woman, carefully fixed it in the center of the paper boat, and then lit it with a windproof lighter.

The orange candlelight swayed gently in the cool night breeze, illuminating Mu's fair little face with warmth.

The two came to the river and found a relatively open place.

Kujo Renji handed the lit blue paper boat river lantern to Mu.

The girl's face showed an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity.

She held the small river lantern in both hands, bent down carefully, and placed it gently and steadily on the rippling river surface.

The blue paper boat carrying the strange "wish" began to drift slowly towards the center of the river, swaying slowly but firmly in the candlelight, along with the current.

Mu squatted by the river, his clear golden eyes fixed on the river lantern that was moving further and further away, his eyes full of concentration and a hint of imperceptible expectation.

Hundreds, even thousands, of river lanterns converge on the river, shimmering with warm light. In the pitch-black night, the scene is exceptionally magnificent and beautiful. Each lantern, like a small hope, a small story, carries the deepest emotions of the lantern-lighter.

The evening breeze blew by, bringing a hint of coolness and also blowing the loose hair on Mu's forehead.

The girl's small figure, illuminated by the flickering candlelight and the lanterns on the shore, seemed a little frail, yet exuded a strange tranquility and purity.

Jiujo Renji stood beside her, looking at her focused and serious profile. A hint of curiosity suddenly arose in his heart, and he asked:

"Who is Mu commemorating?"

Upon hearing this, Ruo Ye Mu slowly turned his head, and his clear golden eyes looked at him in confusion.

Then he tilted his head and spoke softly in a matter-of-fact tone:

"...Lian Si."

Kujo Renji: “?”

This unlucky kid!

I'm standing right next to you, why are you offering me a memorial?! Do I look like someone who needs to be offered a memorial?!

Toyokawa Shoko added in her mind:

"That's not wrong. Aren't you in ghost form now?"

Kujo Renji was speechless.

"Compared to that, you're more like a ghost, Ms. Xiangzi."

"Huh? You're so nervous?"

Xiangzi's tone instantly became unhappy when he heard this.

"Who do you think is responsible for me being like this? You bastard ghost."

The two of them started arguing in their minds, talking back and forth.

Just as Kujo Renji and Toyokawa Shoko were having a fierce battle in their minds, Wakaba Mutsu, who was squatting by the river, suddenly let out a small cry of surprise and worry:

"Lian Si...the boat capsized."

Upon hearing this, Kujo Renji immediately turned his attention back to reality. He followed Mu's gaze and saw that the blue paper boat lantern, for some unknown reason, had been spun by a sudden undercurrent while drifting, and then... the boat tilted and flipped sideways in the water.

Ruoye Mu looked at the extinguished river lantern, and his little face showed obvious worry and a hint of loss.

Her little mouth was slightly pouted and her eyes were full of anxiety.

It seemed as if the extinguishing of the river lantern foreshadowed something bad.

However, at this moment, the blue paper boat that had capsized in the water was hit by another current and it swayed and turned over by itself, and the hull was righted again.

Then - the candle that had been soaked by the river water and should have been unable to be lit again, rekindled a faint orange flame without any external interference!

Although the flame was much smaller than before and seemed more shaky in the night wind, it... was indeed burning again!

"Eh?!"

When Ruoye Mu saw this scene, his beautiful golden eyes widened instantly and his little mouth opened in surprise.

She turned her head abruptly, looked at Jiujo Liansi beside her, and said:

"Lian Si, alive again."

Kujo Renji: "..."

He reached out his hand unhappily and rubbed the girl's head.

——Say less of these “auspicious words”.

.....

The hustle and bustle and tranquility of the Obon Festival, like the river lanterns that drift away on the Sumida River, gradually fade away with the passage of time.

Kujo Renji's life has temporarily returned to a slightly monotonous but undercurrent-filled "daily life".

School and safe house, two points in a straight line.

Because the trouble with the Toyokawa family has not been completely resolved, and the subsequent moves of the old fox Toyokawa Sadaharu are still unknown, in order to avoid complications and to protect the safety of the band members, Ave Mujica's rehearsals are temporarily at a standstill.

The rehearsal room located in the high-end office building also became empty, and their music had not been heard for a long time.

Most of Kujo Renji's time is spent on handling matters that can be handled through the Internet and phone.

- For example, remotely command Ishikawa Shunya to continue collecting intelligence on the various forces of the Toyokawa family, and conduct some preliminary "cooperation" attempts with Kitamura Chiaki that do not involve core interests.

Life seemed to have fallen into a brief calm before the storm.

During this relatively "leisurely" period, a slightly unexpected invitation disrupted Kujo Renji's original plan.

It was Nagasaki Suyo.

Kujo Renji did not refuse this invitation.

On the one hand, he does need some "social activities" to maintain the "normality" of his identity as "Toyokawa Shoko" and avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion.

On the other hand, he did have some inexplicable interest in the girl Nagasaki Suyo.

It has to be admitted that whether from the aesthetic standards of Kujo Renji's previous life or from the perspective of "Toyokawa Shoko" now, Nagasaki Suyo can be regarded as a very outstanding woman.

She has a beautiful face, elegant temperament, and a mature and considerate way of speaking that is rare among her peers.

Of course, this kind of "appreciation" is pure and without any distractions.

After all, Nagasaki Suyo is still just a high school student, and the age of his soul is no longer that of a young boy who would have improper thoughts about underage girls.

What's more, he is now occupying the body of Toyokawa Shoko, who is also a high school student.

Some boundaries must be adhered to.

The dinner was held at a French restaurant with an elegant environment and a relaxed atmosphere.

The two sat opposite each other and had an unexpectedly harmonious and pleasant conversation in the soft lighting and melodious background music.

They chatted about each other's recent situation, interesting things in school, and the latest popular music and movies.

I even recalled some of the youthful and beautiful memories from the CRYCHIC period.

During the conversation, Kujo Renji deliberately showed "Toyokawa Shoko's" "affinity" and "empathy" that far exceeded her previous level.

He no longer maintained a deliberate distance and defensiveness as before, but communicated with Su Shi in a more sincere and considerate manner.

This made Nagasaki Suyo let go of the "grudges" and "suspicions" that had arisen from some things before, and she felt a little ashamed and guilty about her own thoughts.

As the atmosphere gradually became harmonious, Nagasaki Suyo also confided some of her recent troubles to "Shoko".

"Actually, my mother recently returned from a business trip abroad."

Su Shi stirred the lemonade in the glass and said in a low voice:

"I should have been very happy. But for some reason, I always felt that she looked very tired and not in a very good mental state."

"and..."

She paused, a hint of imperceptible loss flashing in her eyes:

"Because she's been away from home for so long, our relationship... seems to have become a little distant. Sometimes, when I want to have a good chat with her, I don't know where to start."

"I always thought I was a child who didn't have a 'rebellious period'."