Tokyo Ghost Diary

Hoshino Gen stared meaningfully at Shimizu Yu's eyes for a while. Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something, and showed a smile that could be said to be malicious: "Are you sure you want to know?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Shuiyu's eyes suddenly lit up and he nodded hastily.

Gen Hoshino walked to the bay window and sat down. He looked at Yu Shimizu with a smile: "I remember that your swordsmanship seems to be good. How about actual combat?"

"Ah?" Yu Shimizu was stunned. She didn't understand why Hoshino Gen said this, but she still nodded honestly: "I participated in the national kendo competition for junior high school students and won the runner-up."

"That should be pretty awesome." Hoshino Gen thought for a moment, and his smile became brighter: "I can tell you what you want to know, but there is a condition."

"What conditions?" Shimizu Yu blinked, then hugged his chest warily, his expression became fierce: "If it is an excessive request, I will not agree."

Hoshino Gen ignored it and said with the same authentic smile: "As long as you help me achieve my goal, I can not only tell you what you want to know, but I can also teach you some occult techniques that you can learn."

"Really?!" Yu Shimizu almost jumped up in excitement, and his mind immediately imagined the scene of himself transforming into a magical girl and fighting against evil spirits.

But the next moment, Hoshino Gen's words were like a basin of cold water pouring down her whole body: "I want you to help me confront the fierce ghost in the gym. If you succeed, everyone will be happy. If you fail, I will help you collect the body for free." ."

"Huh?! Are you... kidding?" Yu Qingshui's expression froze: "I... I don't have the power to deal with ghosts."

"I can give it to you." Hoshino Gen said with a smile: "Dealing with ghosts is not as difficult as you think, as long as you have the corresponding tools. As you saw yesterday, I just used a handle with added ingredients. It’s just a wooden sword that I used to chop with that guy. Isn’t your swordsmanship very good? I can help you add fuel to the wooden sword, and then you go up and chop with that ghost like I did yesterday - you don’t need to kill it, as long as As long as I can hold it off for thirty seconds."

Across a screen or a book, watching the protagonist in the story go on adventures and challenge powerful enemies may feel very exciting and passionate, but if the monsters in the story are put into reality and let you face them personally - believe it The vast majority of people will not be too interested in something that is several times more dangerous than "fighting a gunman with bare hands."

After all, no one likes to play with their own lives.

So at this moment, when faced with Gen Hoshino's words and expression, which were not at all joking, Yu Shimizu's rising interest in "superpowers" suddenly waned.

"Can you... change the conditions?" Shimizu Yu tried his best to force out a cute smile: "If I am really killed, you will be in trouble, right?"

"That's true." Hoshino Gen smiled and said, "But your only value to me is this. Even stray cats know that there is no free lunch in the world. You don't understand, right?"

"..." Shimizu Yu was silent. She lowered her head slightly and quickly weighed in her mind whether the reward of "obtaining superpowers" was worth "risking her life."

Probably because he has read too many novels and anime, or because he has not yet passed the second grade of middle school. The temptation of "superpowers" is almost irresistible to boys and girls of this age, so Yu Shimizu made a decision quickly. , she gritted her teeth: "If it succeeds, will you teach me super powers?"

"I don't know any superpowers, and I can't teach you any superpowers." Hoshino Gen shook his head and thought for a while: "If you are talking about the mysterious powers I know, then they can probably be summarized as a little bit of Taoism. , and a little bit of alchemy.”

Then he added: "And even if you really succeed, I can only teach you some simple skills at most, and you won't be able to learn more."

"why?"

"You don't have that innate qualification." Hoshino Gen's words were concise and to the point.

"Woo!" Shimizu Yu's cheek twitched, feeling like he was hit.

She asked reluctantly: "How do you know?"

Gen Hoshino smiled and looked at her quietly. Yu Shimizu twitched the corner of his mouth and looked away.

"How about it? Do you want to agree? If you agree, we will set off as soon as we are ready. If you don't agree...it's getting late and we won't leave you to eat."

Qing Shuiyu lowered his head and was silent for a long time. Finally, he raised his face and asked tentatively: "What kind of tricks will you teach me?"

Hoshino Gen casually touched his waist, and a bright yellow talisman appeared in his hand. He shook it gently, and the talisman instantly turned into ashes, replaced by a red fireball floating quietly. In the palm of Hoshino Gen.

Yu Shimizu's chin clicked, his eyes staring straight at the fireball in Gen Hoshino's hand, his mouth wide open.

Although I knew in my heart that Gen Hoshino had some incredible abilities, the shock of witnessing them so close was still a bit too great.

It wasn't until Gen Hoshino waved his hand to disperse the fireball that Yu Shimizu gradually came back to her senses. Her voice was a little trembling: "You...you want to teach me how to rub fireballs?"

"Can't you see that the fireball is manifested by the talisman?" Gen Hoshino tilted his head to look at Mizuyu, probably wondering why this guy's IQ was so low.

Shimizu Yu didn't pay attention. At this moment, her enthusiasm for exploring mysticism was as high as ever. She was still uncontrollably excited: "Then you want to teach me how to make talismans?"

Gen Hoshino sighed: "I told you that you don't have the qualifications. Even if I teach you how to draw talismans, the most you will do is compete for business with the shrine in the future, and you will definitely not be able to do so."

"..." Qing Shuiyu's little face darkened again, and his little mouth pouted slightly: "Then what do you want to teach me?"

"Teach you how to activate the talisman."

"But you said I can't learn how to make it..." Halfway through the words, Shimizu Yu realized something, and her eyes twitched as she asked: "So even if I learn how to activate it, I can only get the real talisman from you - —”

"That's pretty much what it means." Hoshino Gen smiled and said, "So what's your answer?"

Shimizu Yu pinched the hem of her clothes in confusion. The gap between reality and expectations was too big. She felt that such benefits were not worth risking her life to obtain, but deep down in her heart she really longed to touch that with her own hands. It was a fantasy brought into reality, or the sight of a big fireball appearing with just a flick of Gen Hoshino's hand was so desirable.

She almost gritted her teeth and asked the last question: "If I can't hold on...will you save me?"

"Probably, but don't have too much hope, it's too late." Hoshino Gen smiled warmly, but his words were cold.

Shimizu Yu took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and almost showed the greatest courage in his life——

"I'll go with you."