Tokyo: The life of a literary giant begins with home self-defense!

Chapter 398: Attending My Own Funeral (Part 1)
Ryukawa Tetsu had imagined what it would be like to meet Matsue Moko again, but he never expected it to be like this.

The girl stood two seats away from him, helping her friend copy scriptures.

"that."

Long Chuanche coughed, feeling that he could still be saved.

"Let's go to the mourning hall after we finish copying the scriptures."

Copying scriptures is only the first step; keeping vigil in front of the mourning hall is the most important part of tonight's proceedings.

The girl put on her little leather shoes at the door. Her attitude of not saying a word to him since they met made Long Chuanche sigh.

"Even the seemingly successful Mr. Ophiuchus seems to have his own troubles?"

The young lady pinched her chin and let out a merciless laugh. Long Chuanche glared at her.

This woman did it on purpose.

She had already made plans with Songzhi Muzi, but she didn't remind herself.

It's true! His ex-girlfriend caught him in his frivolous side, and Ryukawa Tetsuya was a little embarrassed.

"You should at least offer an explanation!"

Long Chuanche sighed.

Songzhi Muzi clearly misunderstood.

Her already precarious self-image is sliding into an unknowable abyss.

"You should just give up."

Natsuko Imamura raised an eyebrow at Toru Ryukawa, who also had ulterior motives.

"Mu Zi will not make up with you, I'm sure of it."

A girl who can see through other people's thoughts; her words seem to carry a certain authority.

Long Chuanche, holding the black cat, ignored them and slowly walked into the mourning hall.

The funeral hall was set up in a separate courtyard, which seemed to be where the old man lived before his death.

This Japanese-style building complex, hidden in the middle of a bamboo forest, occupies a considerable area, and the startled deer in the courtyard emit an ethereal "thump" sound.

“Bringing a black cat into the funeral hall seems unlucky.”

When Longchuan entered the mourning hall, the girl spoke her first words to him—or rather, to the black cat in his arms.

The kitten has brown, vertical pupils and glossy black fur, and there are terrifying rumors that it can bring the dead back to life.

"The prerequisite for a corpse to come back to life is that there is a corpse."

Long Chuanche looked around.

The solemn mourning hall was bathed in a warm Buddhist light, and did not appear gloomy or terrifying, but the old man's body, which should have been placed in the center, was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't say scary things late at night."

Natsuko Imamura knelt down on the prayer mat on the left side of the mourning hall. At this moment, the sound of the monks chanting sutras gradually faded away, and the Ksitigarbha Sutra was passed on to her blood relatives through the oral recitation of outsiders.

Three young people.

Matsushige Moko came to accompany the young lady who was a little afraid of ghosts, while Ryukawa Tetsu, who originally planned to just take a stroll and leave, stayed because of Matsushige Moko.

The pale yellow candlelight cast a soft glow on the girl's pretty face. Longchuan Che thought for a moment and said...

"Your parents are back?"

It was like a reunion between ordinary friends; Matsue Moko didn't deliberately avoid Ryukawa Tetsu like she had before.

The conversation just now sent a signal that the two of them were in the same school and had mutual friends.

It's unlikely that they'll remain silent forever.

The girl was very lucid, which made Long Chuanche uncomfortable.

The literary giant, who was originally known for his ornate writing, could only respond with trivial questions like "Are your parents back?" Songzhi Muzi gave a faint "hmm."

"They came back with me from Europe on July 5th."

July 5th, an awkward time.

Long Chuanche had just received the award, and the girl stayed for no more than three days.

"That's it."

Long Chuanche touched his neck, already imagining the girl crying and calling her parents.

He did try to contact the other party, however...
He wouldn't answer the phone or reply to texts. The girl didn't give him a chance to share in that painful time.

"Don't do that, Archer."

Noticing that the other person was a little uncomfortable, the girl waved to the black cat in Long Chuanche's arms.

She seemed to have a certain affinity; the black cat, which was originally only close to Ryukawa Tetsu, suddenly jumped into her arms.

"It was my own decision to break up with you."

It was my own decision to break up with you, so I can get through that difficult time on my own. It was my own decision to break up with you, so you don't need to feel guilty.

The girl overlooked the fact that Longchuan Che had cheated on her, and gave their relationship a dignified ending by withdrawing from it.

"Stop looking so gloomy, Archer."

The girl smiled gently at Long Chuanche.

"You are a wonderful adult now."

The girl's eyes were tender and gentle, as if they were a microcosm of those fleeting moments.

Long Chuanche seemed to see the girl who used to call him "Ache, Ache" again, only now she would never hold his hand affectionately again.

Unable to bear the strange atmosphere, Longchuan Che got up from the futon.

"excuse me."

Rather than a girl's gentleness and understanding, Tatsukawa Tetsuya preferred her to vent her frustrations through a loud outburst.

Whether out of avoidance or guilt, Long Chuanche left the mourning hall that made him feel uncomfortable.

"His face turned black."

Ryukawa Tetsu walked out of the mourning hall with a somber face. Imamura Natsuko, who was chanting sutras, covered her mouth and smiled.

Everyone could see that Long Chuanche was in a bad mood, but the girl was like a martial artist with perfect defense, not giving her opponent any chance.

Unable to utter the words to repair the relationship, all tentative inquiries were gently rejected.

Songzhi Muzi smiled but didn't say anything. Compared to Longchuan Tetsu's lingering feelings, her breakup seemed like a resolute nail.

"Won't you regret it?"

Natsuko Imamura tugged at the black cat's ear, but the cat just nestled in Matsuko's arms and wouldn't come out.

"You've been looking for him for a long time."

A boy you fall for at first sight, a romance that begins in adolescence.

Compared to Tatsukawa Tetsu, this relationship was more significant for Matsue Moko.

That was a long-awaited reunion in childhood, a unique memory of youth.

Fujimoto Itsuki kept that address even after leaving Otaru, and Matsue Mokuko may never be able to forget that short period of time, even after countless years.

First love is unique, and you can't just forget it because the other person was a jerk.

"Ms. Takeda is a very nice girl."

Songzhi Muzi rolled the kitten's head with her fingertips; the black cat's skin had a strangely slippery feel.

The skin and flesh seem to be separate. Songzhi Muzi thought for a moment and said:

“She’s a better fit for Archer right now than I am.”

"You've already broken up, why are you still thinking about your ex-boyfriend?" The young lady rubbed her chin.
"It's normal for someone with your personality to meet a jerk."

Maki Takeda is undoubtedly the one who can help Tatsukawa Toru more now, but it's too stupid of her to speak up for the other person even after breaking up.

"Alright."

Songzhi Muzi looked at her gentle and quiet friend.

"If he's not your boyfriend, I'll feel less guilty."

Long Chuanche had no idea where the young lady's guilt came from.

He saw a strange scene as soon as he left the mourning hall.

The old man, who should have been lying in the mourning hall, stood under the moonlight, surrounded by many monks.

"A black cat entering the funeral hall is indeed bad luck."

Ryukawa Tetsu sighed at Kujo Fujitaka, wondering what this old man who had come back from the dead was up to do.

(End of this chapter)