Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The Door

Just like before, he was tongue-tied.Unbelievable at what he saw, he could only blink his eyes. On the turning platform between the steps on the third floor and the steps on the fourth floor, if you step out of the platform, you can only fall down.The figure was standing on the edge of the platform, with a black back, tall and thin.Then-- (That's a phoenix hat!) The man was wearing a cassock with a long hem and a hood on his head. His left hand was on the railing of the platform, and his right hand was holding a cane—a cane that was more than two meters long. There is a round thing on the top of the cane, which emits light and shines brightly.

It's a wizard. In "Romantic Singleston, Saga", the entire series has a powerful mage on both sides of the series.In "Saga I", our mage is equivalent to the master of the enemy mage. He is a great character, but he has a corresponding temper and is a picky old man. The mage in "Saga II" changed into a young and beautiful woman, who is the clone of the enemy mage.The enemy magician is also a coquettish beauty, who is immortal and has lived for hundreds of years.The reason for this is that she can turn the "aging" that came to her body into an epidemic with powerful magic, and pass it on to the citizens of Datoma who know nothing about it.Our beautiful mage knows that if he defeats the enemy mage, he will suddenly age and become an old woman in an instant, but he still helps the protagonist.

In "Saga III", based on the magazine information that can be learned so far, it should be the old man's wizard appearing again.This person seems to be under a curse, and in order to break the curse, he asks to walk with the protagonist.Judging from the illustrations, he is much kinder than the competition director of "Saga I", and he has the feeling of Santa Claus. The wizards with different personalities wear the same clothes, wearing hoods and cassocks, and holding staffs in their hands.Although the beautiful wizard in "Saga II" wears a miniskirt that almost reveals her underwear, the hem of the cassock still has a length that drags the floor, which means that this is a prescribed uniform.

But now, in the darkness of the ghost building, standing on the turning platform of the steps in mid-air is still a figure dressed like that.It's a wizard.Absolutely.Besides, can you think of any cartoon characters? The problem is, wizards can't possibly be real. "Hey, hey, hey." Gen came back to his senses, raised his head and called out, "Hey, hey, you are..." It seemed that the figure on the curved platform above turned his face this way.The angle of the cane has changed slightly. "What are you doing in that place?" silence.However, in the dimness, Wataru clearly felt the other party's gaze on this side.

"Hey, hey," Gen took half a step forward, "It's so dangerous, you're at such a high place." No reply. The figure did not move. The bad feeling slowly turned into steam, covering the whole body. Maybe that person is not a magician at all, maybe someone with an unbalanced mentality or a strange person, such a person sneaked in here, right?And I was in the dark with this guy, and I was the one to strike up a conversation and get his attention! Maybe there are old people who like to dress up as wizards living around here - it's not inconceivable. The hooded figure took a step forward.

Constantly breaking out in a cold sweat.He's not some old man playing cartoon characters - it can't be like that! Gen flustered his waist in a panic, and scratched to lift the lower edge of the tarp, but he didn't fix it in his impatience.At this time, thunderous voices sounded overhead. "Don't be afraid, child!" Gen froze, frozen in one pose for several seconds. Benevolent, he turned his head back in fear and looked up at the top of his head. The hooded figure was still where it was just now, and the beads on the top of the cane shone brightly under the light of the street lights that came in through the gap in the tarp.

This time, the voice overhead was much softer. "Where are you from?" He is asking me.Gen grabbed the lower edge of the tarp with both hands, and could only open and close his mouth. He speaks Japanese. "What's the name?" the voice asked again.It was clearly the voice of an old man.The voice was a little hoarse.Just like my grandfather Odawara who smokes. "Hey, can't you talk?" The person above the head took another half step forward while asking. His teeth chattered. "That, that, that, that..." "Oh, is your name 'that', boy!"

no no.Gen shook his head, but he couldn't make a sound. "Well, I want to ask you: what are you doing in this kind of place?" Looking up quietly, the figure in the hood was leaning on the handrail of the platform where the steps on the third floor turned to the steps on the fourth floor, looking down at Wataru, with his cane on his shoulder. The man seemed quite easygoing. "That, did you also hear it from a friend?" The hooded figure raised his cane and tapped his shoulders. "It seems that the people here are very famous." These words finally reached Gen's heart, he lost his sense of propriety because of his panic and confusion.

friend.Heard it from a friend. Very famous. "That—that—" When he was babbling and babbling.The figure overhead interrupted him with a smile. "Well, this is not the meeting place for King Midas, so you don't have to—report your name when you speak." When Gen was finally able to speak clearly, he stood up as if the spell had been lifted. "My name is not 'That', my name is 'Gen'." "Gen?" The figure seems to be thinking, the hood is moving, "Hey, is it. It looks a lot like it." how?Gen thought: "Like who?"

"No one." The hooded figure replied immediately, "at least he is not your friend." The figure put the cane on the other shoulder, and leaned comfortably on the armrest. His air of ease gave the impression that at any moment he would take a cigarette or pipe out of his pocket and smoke one. "Well then, what are you doing here?" "Oh—you—did you just look out through the tarp gap?" "Ho ho." "At that time, I saw your hand from the outside. I wanted to see what was going on, so I got in." "So that's it." The figure said calmly, "Then, what are you doing here?"

"I said, I saw your hand..." A hand "swipes" from the cuff of the cassock.The figure raised his finger and shook it left and right, signaling "NO, NO". "Geng, you didn't hear my question clearly. Do you understand, listen carefully: what are you doing here?" There is no way out. "I……" "You walk in front of this building? At this hour? Isn't owl's morning children's night?" Oh, that's what it means.Gen finally understood, "I came here in the first place to meet someone." "Come to meet someone," the hooded figure repeated, rhythmically singing like a miss, "Where is that person?" This question is difficult to answer even under such peculiar circumstances.How to explain the matter of Kaori Omatsu? "She...is not here." "Ho ho. Not here." "Yes. However, I met here before, so I just..." "You said you met here before." "Yeah. I know it sounds weird, but it's true..." The man in the hood didn't let Gen finish speaking, and interrupted him again: "What kind of person is it?" "Yes—a girl." The man with the hood finished speaking again as if reciting, then suddenly changed his posture and put his cane on the ground.Gen was startled. "Oh, I have to go." "That, but..." "Also, you made a mistake." "Me? What's the matter?" "You can't come here." "But……" "Therefore, you cannot see me." "But we've already talked..." "Don't worry. I'll put you back in time. You're not here. You don't remember anything." "Please, please wait..." The Hooded Man didn't wait a moment.He couldn't hear Gen's words.He held his staff with one hand, and with the other he raised his hand into the air with the sonorous sound of his first words. "Cronus, the great god of time, I am your faithful servant, the messenger of wind, cloud and rainbow, and I pray to you here!" is a mantra.Gen was dumbfounded again. "By your grace: keep the passing time and let it flow back! Let the water of the spring of forgetfulness wash away!" "Huh", the stick pointed to the air. "Dan, Deiram Econo Clos Aye!" In an instant, like countless flashing lights, Wataru's eyes were filled with silver light.When Gen was so dazzled, he couldn't help blinking his eyes: "what?" I was sitting in the tarp head of the dim ghost building.Gen looked up hastily, but there was no one on the turning platform between the third and fourth floors. No wizards, no cosplay oldies.There was no one there except Heng.but-- (What happened just now?) he thought.This means: (I remember it all,) Although the grandfather said that if I turn back the time, I will not remember anything, but I remember it clearly. His head suddenly became dazed, and he held his forehead with one hand. Did he have a fever?Are you dreaming?Try pinching your face—it hurts so much.It really hurts. Gen lifted the lower edge of the tarp and finally went outside.Look at your watch under a street lamp.It's too late, I'm going to be reprimanded by my mother, how can I explain it—— He held his breath for a while. The digital display is: 8:19:32. No way, it should take thirty seconds or a minute just to get into the tarpaulin and come out. Time didn't flow. (I put your time back.) It's like magic. No, it's not like, it's magic. That spell—Wen tried hard to recall it.He said something about "Cronus, the god of time".The messenger—what was it?Wind and what?It's Rainbow Ba, what's "Ram", "Econo" or something at the end-ahhh, just pay more attention to it. That's a real wizard, not a dream or a hallucination, not some old man who likes role-playing.If it's fake, it's a real wizard. But where did he come from? Gen jumped up, as if he had been whipped inside, and he burrowed into the inside of the tarp again.Eyes once accustomed to the light of street lights, in the darkness of the ghost building.Much darker, but clearly turning the platform, behind the rebar.At the bottom of the stairs, there was no one else except Heng. "Although it's quite interesting...it seems to be different from what I imagined before." Ake said, changing the yellow umbrella from his right shoulder to his left.The raindrops dripped down gradually. "Different from what you imagined?" Gen asked. "It's different from I and II. Now that Japan appears in the story, don't you think it's a bit of a disappointment? Moreover, judging by the development of the story, it's likely that you won't be able to get on the sky ship in the advertisement until you enter the third disc." Alright." Hearing this, Heng finally understood the meaning of Ake's words.Ever disappointed. "Ah Ke, you thought what I just said was the trailer for "Saga III"?" Ake rolled his eyes and said, "Isn't it?" After school, the two stayed in the backyard of the school.Go out from the exit near the library.At the top of the concrete steps, the two sat side by side.It was drizzling early this morning, and there was no sign of rain at all.According to the weather forecast, it is because a large low pressure is approaching, and there may be heavy rain in western Japan. Gen told Ake everything.Staying in my room, a girl with a sweet voice spoke to me.The wizard who cast a spell on the ghost building.Gen has tried his best to speak carefully, but in Ake's mind, he still understands all this as the content of the game. However, it may not be possible.Maybe Wataru would think the same way if he changed the angle.The invisible girl, the old man and the wizard.All are fictitious existences.Even if you claim to have actually seen, actually talked to, there is no proof. He was exhausted and his head was numb.First, I could barely sleep last night, and after tossing in the ghost building, I may have caught a cold. Coming home from cram school later than usual.Gen explained that there was something he didn't understand in the Mandarin practice, and he asked the teacher, but it was too late, but his mother was still angry.Wataru was worried about whether the lie had been found out—but that didn't seem to be the case.It seemed that my mother had been in a bad mood before Gen returned home.During the day, my mother had a great chat with Mrs. Saeki, she should be happy. Like Ake, Gen carried an umbrella on his shoulder and stared blankly at the rain.Maybe I'm starting to have problems too. "Hey, hello!" He was half asleep until Ake spoke to him: "Hey, look." Ake pulled Gen's elbow and pointed to the window of the library.Part of the library's bookshelves can be seen through the large glass windows.Not only the bookshelves, but there seemed to be people beside the bookshelves, and some figures were moving. Since this side is lower than the library window, even if you stretch your neck, you can hardly see above your shoulders.However, before Ake pointed it out, Heng already knew who the figure beside the bookshelf was. "It's Lu Chuan." That's right, it's him.He is wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, POLO brand, which is very rare in Luchuan.When I met him in the cram school, he was always dressed in black. "It's not just Luchuan," Ake shrank his neck and hid behind the umbrella, avoiding seeing himself from the library, and said, "Shioka and the others are also there." Indeed, Lu Chuan stopped at the bookshelf by the window, took out a book from the shelf, and opened it.At this time, Shi Gang came over and prevented Lu Chuan from reading the book.As usual, there were two sixth graders following Shioka behind him, staying close to each other.Seeing that the three formed a situation to surround Luchuan. Divine Comedy surprised.Ashikawa and Ishioka Kenji.What a strange combination.Ishioka is indeed a troublesome student in the school, but they are not the same age as the Divine Comedy.Only in the usual situation of going back to school, there are very few opportunities to contact each other. Why is that kid Ashikawa still being targeted by Shioka under such circumstances?In the scene inside the glass window, it is obvious that Shi Gang and his followers are bullying Lu Chuan. "I hate it when they do this." Wataru lowered his voice, and then moved towards the window step by step. At this time, Ishioka, who had been blocking his sight all this time, moved half a step to the side, and from where the Divine Comedy was, he could see the side face of Ashikawa in front of the bookshelf. Lu Chuan showed no expression of fear.He didn't even look them in the eye.His eyes fell on the pages of the book in his hands, perhaps for this reason.His straight nose line is more defined.Dry forehead hair hangs in front of the eyes.Ashikawa's hairstyle is the short one for girls, and slightly longer for boys.It's okay now, but it won't be allowed after I become a junior high school student.Ashikawa goes well with this hairstyle.Inside the boys in the cram school.Some people imitated him with long hair.The class next door seems to be the same. (That kind of long hair is still not good.) Shioka, who has always been in the limelight, is extremely sensitive to beings who are more in the limelight than himself.Ashikawa also got the information. At this time, Ishioka, who was opposite the window, stretched out his hand and shoved Ashikawa's shoulder.Lu Chuan's body swayed and disappeared from Gen's field of vision. "Wow, it's dangerous!" Ake whispered a little excitedly, "Is the teacher in charge of the books not here today?" Probably not there.Shi Gang and the others are quite shrewd in this regard, and they will not be caught on the spot bullying the lower grade students. "Should I call someone?" The loud laughter of "hehehe" can be heard through the glass, probably Ishioka's followers are laughing.There was another "boom" sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. "Go to the principal's office..." Ake was about to stand up, but Gen pulled his cuff forcefully. "Shh! Wait a minute." Lu Chuan came back into view.This time, Ishioka was face to face.Because Shioka turned his back to Wataru and the others, Wataru could clearly see Ashikawa's expression. Since Ashikawa is smaller than Ishioka, he looked up a little bit.But he is not showing weakness. As before, Ashikawa remained expressionless, and seemed to refuse to show even the slightest feeling to Shioka.There was something intimidating about his attitude. Shioka took half a step back, as if due to the pressure of the opponent's gaze.The bright checkered shirt he was wearing blocked nearly half of the glass window.Wataru put away the umbrella, became lighter, and moved closer to the window. Lu Chuan was talking—his lips were moving, but he couldn't see what he said, and what he finally heard was: "Hey, who do you think I am?" Ishioka's voice only responded slightly. Lu Chuan spoke again.It may be that the voice is very low.Heng felt anxious and stretched his neck. At that moment, he met the eyes of Lu Chuan who was opposite the glass window. He retracted his neck and pressed against the wall under the window.Since Lu Chuan noticed Gen outside the window, Shi Gang and the others must have turned their heads to look this way.That crisis is really mistake plus danger times ten. The rain pattered on his face and soaked his hair. He held his breath against the wall, and nothing happened.At the exit steps, Ake widened his eyes.Seeing that he was about to speak, he raised a finger near his mouth. Then he counted to ten, and then leaned against the wall and crossed quietly, returning to Ake. "It's okay?" Ake whispered. "He found out." Wataru replied in a low voice. "Go in, it's not good here." Gen picked up the wet umbrella.Ake shook off the rain and folded the umbrella. Suddenly, the window of the library opened with a creak, and Mizuru Ashikawa poked his head out.Gen and Ake were stunned for a moment. Ashikawa didn't say anything.Just staring straight this way—looking into Wataru's eyes. "Ah, ah, ah," said Ake, "what's the matter?" Lu Chuan ignored Ake, and just looked at Gen fixedly.Gen was startled suddenly, although he didn't understand the details, but he was sure he was reading something.But Wataru couldn't take his eyes off.A few seconds passed.Lu Chuan smiled slightly, as if to say "that's all right", then suddenly retracted his head and closed the window. "Hey, hey, hey," gasped Ake, "what's the matter, guy?" He gripped the umbrella handle tightly, his fingers trembling.horrible.That guy is horrible. After adjusting his breathing a little, and calming himself down, he walked towards the library regardless of Ake's stop.However, it was a step too late.Ishioka and his follower, Mizuru Ashikawa, were gone, and only a few female students were studying quietly in the reading room. "That boy Luchuan, what are you talking to Shigang and the others?" Gen muttered to himself, and Ake answered him: "Probably talking about 'spiritual photos'." Gen was taken aback, and suddenly turned his head. Because of the sudden incident, Ake was frightened and took a step back. "'Spiritual photos'? From Mitsuhashi Shrine?" "Oh, yes. It was taken by Lu Chuan." "Why are Shioka and the others afraid of that?" "You don't know? Oh, right. You've only been thinking about summer vacation lately." It is said that Jianer Shigang wanted the "spiritual photos" taken by Lu Chuan, so he kept pestering Lu Chuan. "Ishioka wants to take that to the TV station." Shi Gang had previously tried to appear on TV because of "supernatural photos", but failed.Sure enough, for this reason, he fixed his eyes on Lu Chuan's photo. "Bad, isn't it? Well, he's the only one who can do it." Of course it's bad, but the first thing I don't understand is why he wants to take other people's personal experience and go on TV by himself? and…… "The same goes for Lu Chuan. If you don't like being entangled, you can quickly give him the photo, won't it be over?" Gen vented.The experience of dealing with Ashikawa at Mitsuhashi Shrine is vivid again at this moment, as if the scab had been peeled off and the blood flowed out again.Lu Chuan's contemptuous gaze at that time was beyond compare.His body trembled. "That guy doesn't believe in 'spiritual photos' at all. If that's the case, wouldn't it be good to throw it to Shi Gang?" Gen was angry and angry, Ake was confused and embarrassed.Ake scratched his head, accompanied Carefully and said: "Then, why don't you give him some advice? Didn't you go to cram school together?" "We're not together!" Ake was taken aback: "What's the matter? What happened to you?" "You're annoying. You have to—explain everything? You don't understand, aren't you stupid?" Gen knew that he had lost his temper indiscriminately, but he had no intention of apologizing, so he walked out of the library quickly.He left Ake and walked down the corridor alone.Although Ake hesitated to catch up, Gen quickened his pace, as if he was about to run away, so Ake stopped. "Going home?" Ake asked loudly, "Then goodbye." Run fast.When he left the school and set foot on the way home, he had calmed down a little. He realized that his behavior was too willful and bad, but he regretted it too much.He had to stagger home alone. That night, after dinner, Uncle "Lu" from Chiba called. When the bell rang for the first time, Kuni who was clearing the dining table was slightly taken aback.The way she turned her head and looked back at the phone gave people an unnatural feeling, but when Gen said "I'll answer it" and got off the chair, her mother said "Okay, Mom will answer it" and quickly picked up the receiver.And when she realized that the other party was Uncle "Lu", her expression softened like ice melting. "Wen, Uncle has something to tell you." Heng blamed himself for his performance in the library, thinking over and over again that he would have to apologize when he saw Ake tomorrow.How could he be willing to forgive himself?Don't be angry...Wen would not be reconciled to this. Gen wants to find someone to ask about Lu Chuan's details and other things.However, he didn't know who to talk to about such things. "Hi, I'm Gen." "Hey, have you had dinner yet?" Uncle's voice was loud and full of energy as always. "What are you eating? Hamburgers? Spaghetti? Cabbage rolls? Yes, it tastes good, doesn't it?" As always in the opening remarks, the above three foods are my uncle's favorite.By the way, the cabbage rolls are cooked in tomato sauce instead of white sauce. As soon as he said "Uncle", Gen felt his throat was choked up.Even I was surprised, because I didn't feel that I was so guilty that I wanted to cry, "I..." "Actually, I'm calling this number to ask you to be my staff officer." The uncle continued, he didn't seem to notice that Gen's tone was unusual. "Uncle's childhood friend, he lived with you after he got married, but last week his child had a traffic accident and was hospitalized." This is a boy in the fourth grade of elementary school. Fortunately, his life is not in danger.He suffered a broken right femur and appeared to be in the hospital for a long time. Uncle "Lu" has other things to do, so he plans to come over on Friday morning, and buy things for visiting patients after he comes to Beijing. "Because you can't find fashionable things that Tokyo kids love here." "So. Is Uncle staying at our house?" Gen's voice became agitated, "If you visit the doctor on Saturday, do you want to stay overnight? Come to my house, okay?" Gen didn't know that his back was facing the kitchen, but Bangzi's expression darkened when he heard the invitation.Because Gen likes Uncle Wu, she can't say it out loud. In fact, she doesn't like this uncle the most. She thinks he is rude, uneducated, and foolish. On the other end of the phone, Uncle Wu answered the innocent invitation full of joy: "No, Uncle has a lot of important matters and it will be late, so I won't bother you, next time." San Guwu is far more thoughtful than his sister-in-law thinks.Bangzi didn't like himself, he knew it very well. "Oh... next time, next time. You haven't lived at our house for a long time." Gen was disappointed and dejected, "When I was young, you came to Tokyo for business, and you always stayed at my house." "You are still very small now. Or, have you become a big guy like Godzilla without knowing it? Is that so, no wonder there have been many earthquakes in Chiba recently. It's you 'boom boom boom' walking around, even this side is shaking .Oh, it's shaking again!" Gen smiled "hehe", about two years ago, Gen asked his uncle to take him to watch the summer movie "Godzilla".It was Hollywood's version of Godzilla, and Uncle rants from the beginning to the end that he doesn't like Godzilla, declaring that this hulking giant lizard is not Godzilla.Nevertheless, one scene—one scene alone—made Bobo happy: Godzilla approached from a distance, the ground shook loudly, and taxis, cars, and pedestrians bounced up following his footsteps .After the movie, when we met with Heng's parents, when we went to the restaurant for dinner, and when we were in the tram or taxi going home, Uncle "Lu" and Heng talked and learned the scene, running on chairs or on the side of the road. Come and go, have fun. While talking on the phone like this, Heng became very eager to see Uncle "Lu".When he gets along with his uncle, he doesn't have to worry about being scolded at every turn. He can tell everything, and he is deeply hurt when a girl says "you are so annoying"; the thing about sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night; The matter of Mei He's arrogance and humiliation;Not only would the uncle not reprimand Gen, he would not make fun of him, look down on him, nor would he preach to him, "You have to work harder." "Hey, Uncle, why don't I go shopping with you." Gen said, "I can't think of anything right now. I only have five classes on Friday, and I don't have a cram school, so I can go shopping early." Go home. Then you can go anywhere, like department stores, Toys R Us, whatever.” On the other end of the phone, Mitani Satoru was a little hesitant. "Oh...that would be a good idea..." "It's fine, isn't it?" "Then you can ask your mother. Let's go out with Uncle for about two hours on Friday afternoon. Of course, Uncle will send Gen home before dinner." great!In this way, you can talk to your uncle calmly.Gen covered the microphone with his hands, leaned out towards Bangzi, and asked loudly, "Hey, Mom—" However, Bangzi, who was sitting at the dinner table drinking tea, replied flatly, "No." "Why? It's okay, it's Friday, Friday without cram school." "No. You can't go." "why?" "Uncle has something to do, don't interfere with his work." "I'm helping my uncle. I'm going to buy things for visiting patients..." Bangzi put down his teacup and sighed.The look is even more terrifying.The thought of a "unruly old woman" passed by. "If you say no, you can't. Give your mother the phone." "Hey, it's okay, Gen, you go with Uncle." It was Akira Mitani's voice.Both Gen and Bangzi were taken aback, and turned their heads in the direction of the voice.San Guming was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase, standing at the door of the living room, his rimless glasses slipped a little on the bridge of his nose.He looked straight at Gen. "Haven't you seen Uncle Wu for a long time? You can go with Uncle if you want." As Ming said, he handed the bag to Kuniko who came over in surprise. "I need to trouble Uncle during the summer vacation, what can I do in Chiba, please discuss it with Uncle. Hey, come to Dad." Ming took the microphone from Gen and started talking to Uncle Wu.Ah, brother, how are you?Mom is fine?Oh, hello to all of us.What happened just now... The sudden reinforcements turned the situation around, and Wat felt that his eyes were shining brightly, illuminating a radius of one meter around him.This time he was overjoyed.Not because of the presence of Godzilla. "Hey, stop!" Bangzi held his briefcase in his hand, frowning, "It's too noisy." Mom is annoyed at being overwhelmed by technology.Although he felt puzzled, he tried his best not to show it on his face. After Ming finished speaking, he handed the microphone back to Wat. "Let's have dinner with Uncle too. That way we can go shopping calmly." He jumped up: "Thank you!" Immediately, I made an agreement with Uncle "Lu": Uncle will come to pick me up at home. When Gen said he was ready to put down the phone, Ming had finished changing and was about to sit down at the dinner table, when Bangzi was setting the dishes.Gen was so excited that he wanted to jump up and down, but because of Bangzi's sullen face, he tried his best to hold back. "Thank you, Dad." While reading the evening paper, Ming said, "You can't hinder uncle from doing his business." "Well, I promise." "It's very early today." Bangzi asked as he walked back and forth between the dining table and the refrigerator.She is angry and ignores Gen. "If you can come back at this time, we won't eat and wait for you." "The meeting ended abruptly." "beer?" "No, no need." Just as Bangzi doesn't go to see Gen, Ming doesn't go to see Bangzi, he just reads the newspaper.Gen muttered "I'm going to do my homework" and withdrew to his room. The only child with no brothers or sisters - a formidable competitor, often said to be too capricious and insensitive to others' feelings.But this is a very one-sided view. If it is inevitable that children must look at their parents’ faces, single children are always alone when they stand on guard. They do not have the characteristics of fighting side by side, which makes them more sensitive to the atmosphere of the scene.The only child has been practicing at home for a long time. Gen sat obediently at the desk and opened his homework, so it was naturally impossible to switch his mind to study immediately.When I thought about telling my uncle all the recent things.I don't know what his expression will be, so I can't help being very happy.Uncle, I have seen a magician, this magician cast a magic on me to turn back the time! However, at least he suppressed his happy thoughts and managed the arithmetic and dictation of Mandarin.When going out of the room to go to the bathroom, his parents were drinking coffee on the sofa, and Bangzi said to Gen, "It's time to take a shower." "Okay, I'll take a shower after two more pages." When he returned to his room, Bangzi was talking.Because the "martial law" has not yet been lifted, Wan pretends to be indifferent and returns to his room, but the beginning and end of the conversation still linger in his ears, which seems to mean that several silent phone calls came in during the day.That's the way it is, no wonder my mother was very nervous until she found out that it was Uncle "Lu" who was calling.Maybe that's why she's in the way.Really. By the time I went to bed at night, the old gloom was gone. "It's only been half a year since we met in the New Year!" Uncle "Lu" placed his big palm on top of Gen's head. "It's grown again. In half a year, you'll get my shoulders, right?" "How can it grow so fast." Gen smiled. Now Heng's height has finally reached the scar left by his uncle's left arm due to BCG vaccination.The reason why Wataru knew there was an injection scar was because he had gone swimming with his uncle countless times. Uncle "Lu" was a big guy.Tall and strong.Long hair and beard, hairy hands and feet.In addition, he is wearing a fashionable short-sleeved shirt today, just like a bear coming out of Disneyland to amuse tourists. He just clips a banjo and buckles a flat straw hat, which is exactly the same. "Tokyo is really hot." Uncle "Lu" wiped his face with his hands, "It's not the same as the seaside heat. The sweltering heat in big cities is really uncomfortable. I once went shopping alone, but I couldn't bear it halfway. It's really great for you to accompany me." All right." It was four o'clock in the afternoon on a Friday.Heng returned home nearly two hours ago, waiting eagerly for his uncle's arrival.Of course, the preparations for departure are ready, and the white shirts worn when going out are activated. "I thought the rainy season hadn't passed yet, but it didn't rain today. It's really great." Bangzi came to the window and looked at the sky.Although it was cloudy in the morning, there was still some sunshine in the afternoon. "Now the umbrella is white." Uncle "Lu" smiled, "Okay, let's go, Gen?" "Oh, I'm leaving, Mom." "You've got to be good. Please, uncle." "Gen is a good boy, it's okay if uncle is not good." Uncle laughed and went out the door first.Bangzi delivered it to the door and added "I didn't treat you well".Mom really didn't send it to uncle: a cup of coffee.She is a very particular person in this respect, and it is rare to do so.Speaking of which, her expression was somewhat stiff, and her speech was quite stiff.Could there be another silent phone call during the day? Before that, Wat and Ake resumed their friendship. To be precise, yesterday he apologized and said "I'm sorry", but Ake's big round eyes widened and he asked, "Huh, why?" , but the mood is relaxed. Uncle "Lu" came to Beijing before.Added a few more pieces of information.The boy in the hospital likes robot animation very much. Unlike Wataru, he hardly plays video games.It seems because the boy's mother forbids it.Also, the MD machine that he wanted very much recently, which he could only buy based on the results of a semester's transcript, has now been obtained. "What do you want? You can't buy expensive things like MD machines for elementary school students." After receiving the new information, Wataru came up with a plan: "There are many bookstores in Jimbocho. It is said that one of the Konno Bookstores specializes in animation books, so go there and buy robot animation books for him." "Maybe this is better. But how did you know? Does Wataru like robot animation?" "I'm not that obsessed, but among my friends in the cram school, some people are very obsessed with animation, and they know everything about animation." It is said that you can go to Jimbocho Bookstore Street and get off at Ochanomizu Station on the JR Line. The two walked to the station. The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and it's getting more and more annoying, but it's interesting to talk upside down; a large game center has opened near the beach, and the master chef of the delicious ramen shop "Penglaixuan" in Chiba's hometown often orders food from outside. Students fight, get ten stitches in the head, etc. I got off at Ochanomizu Station and went to Jimbocho Bookstore Street to have a look. There were so many bookstores and they were huge. I didn’t know whether I could find Konno Shoten, because I didn’t even know the address of Konno Shoten. "Hey, it's okay, come and have a look." Uncle entered the bookstore building facing the crossroads and spoke to the clerk at the cash register.The kind young female clerk listened to the uncle's question, and immediately gave him the shopping guide map of the bookstore street, and she also personally pointed out the location of the target—Kono Bookstore. "Recently the news is full of annoying incidents, but there are still a lot of good people in this world." Uncle "Lu" was in high spirits. It was the first time for Gen to come to Bookstore Street, and he was really dizzy.There are so many books in the world, who will read them? "Like me, I can't read even one ten-thousandth of the books sold here in my whole life." "Uncle, one part in a hundred million is enough." Uncle "Lu" laughed so hard that his body trembled. "Who on earth is writing these books? What's going on inside the head of the person who wrote the books? There's probably no brains in it, it's stuffed with words, right?" 要找的今野书店是间三层小楼，连店头都满是书和顾客。“路”伯伯挤开一条路后，亘紧随其后，四处浏览书架。这里也是令人跟花缭乱的书浪、书山。花了一个小时选好探病用的三本期刊书时，二人都已疲惫不堪。 “哎呦，好需要能量呀。” “路”伯伯大汗淋漓。 就在亘走出挤满人的今野书店，作一个深呼吸之时，被人从背后“咚！”猛撞一下。完全出乎意料的撞击，使亘失去了平衡，只“啊”地叫一声，便双手双膝重重地着地，倒下了。 手脚一阵麻痹，他想马上起身，但脚不听使唤。而接下来的瞬间，一只脏兮兮的旅游鞋踩在亘撑在水泥路的右掌上。 “好痛！”亘叫了起来。 “路”伯伯的粗胳膊揽过亘的身体，把他整个人抱了起来。“没关系吧？亘，你受伤了吗？” “喂，你别走，你站住——就是你！” 伯伯从后面扑向一个背向亘他们正要走开去的路人。这个男子穿灰色衬衣配牛仔裤，体魄只有半个伯伯的样子。伯伯抓住他的双肩，把他扳转身来，原来是一个很年轻的男子。 “你小子，把小孩撞翻、踩踏了，连道歉都不会吗！” 即使被伯伯揪住胸口，那年轻人却而不改色。他像病人一样气色很差下巴消瘦，眼白混浊。正是所谓“死鱼般的眼”，亘按着火竦辣的掌心，心里头想。 “快回话！你知道自己干什么了吗？哼！” 伯伯越发暴怒，脸色通红。他揪紧了年轻人T恤的领子。 但是，年轻人既不害怕也不慌张。只是沉默地回视伯伯。 “伯伯，我没事了。”亘从旁道。“路”伯伯略略回瞥一眼亘，又对年轻人怒吼起来。 “你刚才撞倒了那孩子。那孩子倒下时——倒在你跟前时，你不但没停下来，反而去踩他的手，想一走了之！你这是怎么回事？你可以若无其事吗？” 年轻人面不改色，他嘴角下抿像在发怒。Actually not.他只是双唇松弛而已。 “你是大人了，对不？在孩子跟前就得有大人的样子，你得向孩子道歉！你得好好说'对不起，你受伤了吗'！” 这时，年轻人嘴巴动了。从亘的位置听不见他的声音。 但是，伯伯脸色大变。“你说什么？你再说一次试试！” 年轻人照说不误。“真啰嗦。”他说。 “你说我'真啰嗦'？” “啰啰嗦嗦不知所谓。”年轻人趁伯伯吃惊松手之机，挣脱了伯伯的手，然后用不屑的口吻说：“那小子摔倒了，摔死了我也管不着，谁叫他挡路。” 伯伯目瞪口呆，这回变成脸色苍白，哎呀，不好了，亘觉得天旋地转起来。伯伯、伯伯，你别发火—— 就在此时，那个熟悉的甜美的声音在呼唤： “危险，快制止他！亘，快制止你伯伯！” 亘心头一震，反而不知所措了。又是那女孩子，这回她是从哪里跟我说话的呢？ “挡你的路！”伯伯咬牙切齿般吐出这几个字，“那就是撞翻孩子也行，是吗？这路是你一个人的吗？啊！” “不是你家的吧？”年轻人轻蔑地笑笑。“水准太低的家伙就别唠叨啦。” 伯伯两肩一耸——这是要揍他的意思了。啊啊，该怎么办！怎么办才好呢…… 亘突然翻滚在地，尖叫起来：“好疼呀！好痛呀！” 效果立竿见影。像火牛般正要横冲直撞的“路”伯伯像是碰了壁一样紧急刹车，掉头望向亘这边。 "What's the matter?" 趁伯伯冲到亘的身边，那年轻人趁机溜走，混入人堆里面。 “成功啦！你很棒哩，亘！”那女孩子的声音里充满喜悦之情，“那年轻人带刺刃哩。弄不好事情就严重了。你真有急智呀，亘。” 因为倾听着女孩子的声音，亘没有回应伯伯的呼唤。这就更让伯伯不安了吧。当亘回过神来时，伯伯正扳着他的肩头摇晃着他。 “亘，怎么样？听得见伯伯的声音吗？哎，说话呀！看得见伯伯的脸吗？快回答呀，亘！” “伯、伯、伯、伯” 亘机械地转动着眼球，“伯、伯，我、能、听见……” “好好，没关系吗？”伯伯几乎要哭出来的样子。 “没、没关系。您、不、要、摇我了啊。” “啊，对不起。”伯伯终于松开了手，用手抱着自己的头，“我想关照你，却弄成这样，还让你受了伤……” “伤已经没事啦。”亘连忙把被踩的手举起来，在伯伯眼前转动着。 “您看，能动能动。骨头没伤，刚才很痛，现在好啦。” 亘这么一示范，伯伯才安下心。不过，他皮革般常遭日晒的脸颊上，多少还留有暴怒之后的红潮。 “真是——那种人是怎么回事啊？”伯伯把亘扶起，站在路边后，深深叹息，“以为世界绕着他转呢，一点也不考虑为难了别人，没有为人着想的心思。混账的家伙，岂有此理。” 亘默默眺望着路人。直到刚才还有人朝这边张望，但此刻谁都没事一般，只是急急地走过。 女孩子的声音也听不见了。 “走吧。”亘扯扯伯伯的袖口，“挤累了，我们走吧？” 虽然没到看医生的程度，但亘被踩踏的右手，还是有点肿。 “我带着急救包。药布、绷带、药膏都有。酒店还有冰块，可以冷敷。” 伯伯那么说着，把亘带到下榻的旅馆，这是位于饭田桥站附近的商务旅馆，虽然外观给人便宜旅馆的印象，但房间里却以外地整齐舒适，而且是双人间。亘想起前年的新年，曾和小田原的外公外婆一起去东京迪斯尼乐园，在迪斯尼附近的酒店住过一个晚上。 “呀——嗬！”亘扑到其中一张床上，反弹起来，“这样子我也能住下了啊。” “你明天怎么上学？”伯伯笑着劝阻道，但也挺开心，“一个人住双人房，这是我唯一的奢侈啦。住单人间的话，感觉就像被装进了火柴盒一样。” 伯伯除了一个帆布小手提袋之外，还带着公事包。他说在这边有工作，看来是真的。 “伯伯，你来办什么事？已经办好了吗？”伯伯给亘的右手敷上药布，亘说道，“如果您还有事情，我就在这里等。” 要说伯伯急救处理的水平，那真可谓技术精湛。他既有受训进行水难救助的经历，作为海水浴场救生员的经验也很丰富。伯伯是个不爱声张的人。事迹不大为人所知，但迄今他救下的人命，肯定十个指头数不过来。 “我的事已经办好啦。噢，这样就行。” 伯伯给亘的右手缠好了绷带。 “不过这个样子，晚饭就吃不了蟹和烤肉啦。只能拿叉子了啊。” “我想吃通心粉烤饼。迪尼芝连锁店之类的就好了。” “哟，好省钱的孩子呀。”伯伯兴致颇高地笑着，“好，我们休息一会儿就去逛逛，找一家味道好的店子。现在嘛，先喝一口啤酒。” 亘要了冰箱里的啤酒。他靠在床头板上，双腿伸直，就像跟伯伯两人外出旅行似的，还不是在附近，而是走得很远，感觉正适合说不为人知的心事。 “哎，伯伯，”亘开口道，“噢……我想跟您说一些事情。” 要把自己经历过的事情按次序说清楚，中间还相应加插当时自己的感想或心情的变化，是相当不易的事，比站在课室的黑板旁，向三十多位同学报告自己暑假自由研究的成果，还要难一百倍。 好在“路”伯伯没有捣乱或打岔，虽然有时不着边际地插一句，但始终饶有兴趣地听着，亘因此而完成了叙述。声音甜美却看不见人的女孩，幽灵大厦的魔导士，三桥神社的'灵异照片'。都说了，所有想的起来的事情都说了。 到亘说累了沉默下来的时候，伯伯已将迷你冰箱里的罐装啤酒都喝光了。他轻而易举地捏扁了最后一个空罐，盯视了一阵，说： “那栋幽灵大厦，离你家很近吗？” “哦，是在上学的途中。” “那么，等会吃了饭，我送你回家途中，顺路过去大厦看一下，不会麻烦吧？” 亘吃了一惊：“您要进大厦看看？” “对。你不是挺在乎的嘛，魔导师之类。” 亘根本没想到伯伯会作出这样的反应。 “伯伯不认为我是在编吧？” “路”伯伯惊讶得直眨眼：“怎么，是你编造的？” “不、不是，是真的呀。” “对吧？既是真的，不能置之不理吧。” 伯伯从床上站起来。他因为喝了啤酒脸红红的，但一点也看不出醉意。“路”伯伯酒量惊人。 “伯伯不知道魔导士是什么。因为只有你来玩的时候，家中才出现电视游戏。不过，如果有一个怪老头出入那大厦，对孩子们做些怪诞的事情，那就不能视而不见啦。” 亘嘴里头嘀嘀咕咕。想说什么连自己也不明白。伯伯尽管没有对亘的话一笑了之，却与亘所期待的反应大相径庭。 “所谓孩子们——魔导士见过的人，我觉得目前为止就我一个。” “不会啦。肯定另外还有。老头儿自己不是说过吗？” 魔导士曾对亘说，“你也是听了朋友说才来的？”“路”伯伯所指就是那一点。 “啊，对呀。”说来也是。魔导士还进而说了这样的话：“这里好像很出名啊。” “出现在幽灵大厦的妖怪也好，英俊的转校生拍摄的'灵异照片'的正身也好，或许都是那个老头儿。叫芦川的那孩子糊弄你没给你看照片，他被石冈那些蠢高年级生穷追也不交出照片，理由正在于此。一定是。” 然后，伯伯做了个夸张的表情，“啪”地击一下掌。“我刚想到的：说不定亘所见的魔导士，是芦川那孩子的爷爷呢。” 亘对芦川家庭成员方面一无所知。不知道他是否和爷爷一起住。不过，亘被施了魔法是真的。因此对亘而言，伯伯的话一点也不好笑。“路”伯伯自己晃着肚皮大笑起来。 “钥匙那样可有趣啦。这是有可能的哟。有人想闹得天下大乱来取乐哩，无法无天的家伙现在是到处都有哇。” 因为谈论亘的事情花了时间，已经过了傍晚六点半。伯伯建议在亘目击魔导士的同一时间前去幽灵大厦，于是二人在旅馆附近尽快解决了晚饭。原来预定是亘倾吐完心事，尽情享用通心粉烤饼和炸薯条、巧克力冰激凌的。不过，现实常与预计相违。“路”伯伯不时瞥视一下亘，观察着他。那神情和眼光仿佛在说；眼前有一件漂亮、细腻的工艺品，虽然自己手指头笨不知如何摆弄，但这工艺品明显有不对劲的地方，非弄一弄不可。“路”伯伯说，暑假里努一把力，争取用自由式游上二百米；要是到海之家帮忙，那可是重劳动，因为要黎明既起，到晚上七点新闻结束时，人就会发困，所以在千叶期间，电子游戏要封存起来。 “路”伯伯并不认为亘在瞎编故事。在这一点上，他可能是相信亘的。不过，伯伯把亘倾诉的事情的大部分——除了怪老头的存在——都认为只是亘头脑中的幻想。 那么，为何亘抱着那样的幻想呢？也就是说，都怪亘总是抱着电子游戏不放，不到外面去玩。这是伯伯的答案。这可比挨了别瞎想的训斥还坏。 不会是这样子的——亘一边机械地往嘴里送勺子和叉子，一边品味着苦涩的念头。原以为“路”伯伯会明白自己的事情。 晚饭一结束，伯伯便劲头十足地说马上前往幽灵大厦。从时间上看现在过去正好，所以亘便默然跟在他身后。 “怎么啦？无精打采的样子。你害怕啦？没关系呀。伯伯在你身边。” “路”伯伯说着，用宽厚的手掌拍拍亘的后背。要在平时，就这么一下，亘就来精神了，但今天晚上，情况截然不同。今晚的“路”伯伯不是亘喜欢的“路”伯伯，更糟的是，亘有一种预感：自己与“路”伯伯之间的关系，由于即将发生的事情，会发生根本性的改变。 什么都不说就好了。一个人默默承受就好了。不该向大人倾诉心事。 伯伯在餐馆附近的自选商场买了两只手电筒。他付钱时一直背对亘。亘突然流过“现在就逃掉”的念头。当然，这是不可能付诸实行的。 二人搭出租车来到幽灵大厦附近。对事事将球节约的伯伯而言，这可是稀罕事。他总是说，人该用自己的腿走路，尤其是小孩子，用不着搭车的；搭公交车，也因为只付半票，坐椅子实在荒谬。他大概是很想早点看见幽灵大厦才这样的吧。 实际上，伯伯兴奋得像个孩子。他嘟哝一句“就这里？”抬头仰望防水布包裹着的、没建好的大楼。那神情仿佛怪兽电影的主人公附身在他身上。或者像一个刑侦剧集里的主人公，要追捕出没于无人大楼、伤害孩子们的变态佬。 伯伯环顾四周确认没有人之后，撩起防水布的下沿。“从这里钻进去？” "Yes, that's right." “好！”伯伯递给亘一只手电筒，“要小心哦。” 亘握紧手电筒，钻过防水布。 “路”伯伯让亘站在楼梯下，自己移动手电筒，四下观察。他虽然体格魁梧，却行动敏捷，没有发生磕磕绊绊的事。在把一楼看完一遍之前，他神情严肃，没有说笑。 “好了，现在上楼梯。” 伯伯说着，脚下留神，开始慢慢登楼。每一步他都用手电筒照着台阶，一边细心观察一边向前走。 “假如有人出入，会掉下东西的吧。” 伯伯在二楼和三楼之间的拐弯平台停下脚步，挠起头来。 “尘埃上面连脚印都没留下……” 听了这话，亘低头看自己脚下，用手电筒去照。袒露的混凝土部分也好、泥地裸露的部分也好，铺了胶合板的部分也好，全都掉满了颗粒粗大的沙土或混凝土渣子。不过，楼梯的台阶，则每一阶都干干净净。也就角落里留下一丁点儿尘埃或沙土。像伯伯说的一样，根本没有脚印。 不过，反过来想，台阶之所以这样干净，不正是有人频繁走动的证据吗？为了走上走下时不弄脏鞋子，有人用扫帚或什么东西打扫干净了吧？ 这个人就是魔导士提及的“朋友”？ （是芦川——吗？） “哎，亘，楼梯到此没有了。” 伯伯从头顶上对亘说话。他站在三楼转四楼的；楼梯拐弯平台。 “你所见的老爷爷，真的就站在这里吗？” "Oh……" “这里挺吓人的哩。”伯伯抓住扶手，缓缓环顾四周。“老人或小孩子出入这种地方很成问题。应该更严格地禁止进入才行。哎，亘，你忠告那位叫芦川的孩子，在这种在建的大楼里玩是很危险的呢。” “芦川未必来这里的。” “错不了。你想想'灵异照片'那件事吧。” “让我乱猜，我不干。” 只会又让芦川瞧不起。 “这事啊，回家得跟亘父母谈谈才行啦。然后呢，由社区自治会发动一下……” 这时，伯伯前胸口袋里的手机响了起来。 “喂喂？哎？阿明啊。嘿，有点听不清楚，你等一下。” 伯伯一只手拿手机，另一只手拿手电筒，敏捷地走下楼梯。他下到亘的地方时，把手机举了举，说：“是你、你爸的电话。” “喂喂？咦，这里也有杂音——哎？听不见吗？喂喂？” 伯伯寻找着电话效果好的地方，最终跑到防水布外头去了。亘心想，这里到处钢筋裸露，可能妨碍了电波吧，他向防水布那边走过去。亘熄灭了手电筒。插在屁股兜上，弯下腰正要双手撩起防水布之时，感觉周围奇异地变的明亮起来了。 面前防水布的连接口清晰可见。 亘弯着腰扭头回望，仰望大厦上方。只见—— 他膛目结舌。 就在刚才伯伯站的地方——之前魔导士站的地方，即由三楼到四楼的楼梯拐弯平台处—— （有门。） 向左右开的门。 （究竟何时有了的？） 上部带有精致的装饰，整体显示出古典的曲线。 （关闭着） 虽然门扉紧闭，但雪白、炫目的光线分明地映出了它的轮廓和中央的门缝。原先悬空的门扉那一头，一定被这白光照亮，然后—— （从缝隙处泄出） 将幽灵大厦的内侧，像这样照得朦胧发亮。 亘摇摇晃晃地站起来，走近楼梯，一级一级往上走。每上一阶台阶，门扉隙间泄出的光显得更强了。亘不能将视线从门扉挪开，以至好几次踏空了梯级差点摔倒。尽管如此，他仍像被牵着似的向门扉走去。连自己也无法停止。到了三楼时，他变成了爬的姿势。 接近至此，甚至能感觉到从门扉周围和中央泄出的光的暖意。无意识之中，笑容呈现在亘脸上。他举起手，亮光照在手上，听得见沙沙声宛如春雨一般。 多么清澈明亮、多么柔和的光啊。 亘来到了拐弯平台。他好不容易站了起来，向门扉伸出双手。