Tokyo Mystery Writers

Maijo Kyosuke thought Myojin Seine's words made a lot of sense, but there was still one thing he didn't understand:

"Since superpowers don't exist, and the role of priestesses and other religious officials is merely to gather faith, then aren't so-called protective charms or blessed items like vases completely useless?"

Myojin Seiin released Maijo Kyosuke's hand and then took out a jade-green magatama from her chest:

"Sir, don't underestimate the power of prayer items; in fact, their effects are far more powerful than you imagine."

"Don't you think that having such an item to protect you from disaster and misfortune when walking alone at night, or when feeling helpless and hopeless about life, would make you feel much more at ease?"

"Not to mention, there are also amulets that symbolize love. It would be a big mistake to treat love amulets as just talismans!"

"Because the true meaning of a love charm is longing for one's lover."

"Longing, like 'momentum,' is also a wondrous form of energy."

"It will convey your longing to your beloved through the medium of the love charm, and that is the true function of the love charm."

When Maishiro Kyosuke heard Myojin Kiyone speaking these nonsensical words in such a serious tone, he couldn't help but shake his head:

"While this sounds wonderful, isn't it a bit too far-fetched?"

"Rather than believe that longing can be transmitted through amulets, I'd rather believe that there are really superpowered people."

Upon hearing Maishiro Kyosuke's words, Myojin Kiyone gazed at him and smiled as she explained:

"Sir, this is actually not such an unreasonable thing."

"Many interesting stories have been passed down in Japan. For example, a wife who lives thousands of miles away knows exactly when her husband died in a foreign land."

"When a person who has just broken up with their partner revisits places they visited together, the sights will evoke memories of the sweetness they once shared."

"Even in a sea of ​​people, people with visual impairments can find each other with incredible accuracy."

"All this evidence demonstrates the existence of the energy of longing."

"In other words, as long as there is enough longing and enough passion, this energy will definitely be transmitted to the other person's heart."

"The omamori is a medium for energy transmission. Because of this medium, one can accurately project one's thoughts onto the beloved. This is what is meant by seeing an object and thinking of the person. The omamori is such an emotional attachment."

As Ming Shen Qingyin finished speaking, she let out another clear, bell-like laugh:

"Sir, although it sounds ridiculously silly, you're probably wondering, how could anyone be so foolish as to develop an emotional attachment to a cloth bag?"

"But in fact, the most common thing people pray for at the shrine is to find a partner. Those who are not in a relationship want to find one, and those who are in a relationship hope that the relationship will last a long time."

"Japan has a population of about 110 million. With the development of science and the progress of the economy, everyone says they don't believe in gods."

"But when faced with love, most people's first thought is still to go to a shrine and ask for a love charm, right?"

Upon hearing Myojin Seine's words, Maishiro Kyosuke seemed to sense something.

"Is it a place to place one's emotions?"

As he repeatedly pondered Myojin Seiin's words, an inspiration suddenly surged into Maijo Kyosuke's mind:

"Miss Myojin, do you have paper and a pen here?"

"I want to write something now!"

-

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

There was a knock on Maijo Kyosuke's door. When he opened the door, he saw Myojin Seine standing there with fine paper and pen in hand.

"Sir, may I be your first reader?"

Maijo Kyosuke did not refuse Myojin Seine's question, which can be considered as tacit consent.

He picked up a pen and paper, sat cross-legged at the table, and began to write down the story that came to mind.

Ming Shen Qing Yin is like a pageboy.

She sat beside Kyosuke Maishiro, her hands supporting her chin, watching him write a love story on paper with his poignant prose...

Kyosuke Maijo is, after all, a human being, not a machine.

Although I have tens of thousands of stories in my mind, because there are so many stories, I always forget some key details.

But the enigmatic girl, Sei-ne Myojin, gave Kyosuke Maijo a tremendous amount of inspiration.

Especially regarding love, longing, and the emotional attachment represented by the amulet, this unique interpretation inspired Maijo Kyosuke to burst forth with inspiration!

It took less than five hours.

In one go, Maishiro Kyosuke wrote the short mystery novel, which was about 20,000 words long.

"Tick-tock—tick-tock—"

Kyosuke Maijo wrote the ending of the story, put down his pen, and let out a long sigh of relief.

At the same time, several water droplets were seen dripping down from above and falling onto the manuscript paper.

At first, Maijo Kyosuke thought it was just water vapor condensing on the ceiling.

Looking up, she saw Ming Shen Qingyin with red eyes.

"Miss Myojin?"

Maishiro Kyosuke spoke with some surprise, which made Akane Akane hurriedly wipe her eyes with her sleeve:

"Sir, your story is absolutely fantastic!"

"Although it is only 20,000 words long, the emotions within it are exceptionally twisted and cruel."

"But it makes you feel sorry for the female protagonist, Suzue."

"Especially the author's poetic and evocative writing style amplifies this sorrow dozens or even hundreds of times!"

"Before this, I didn't know what kind of writer Mr. [Name] was."

"But judging solely from the quality of this short story, you are certainly no ordinary person!"

"Even if they aren't famous writers now, they are rising stars poised to sweep the literary world!"

When Maijo Kyosuke heard Myojin Seine's praise, he wasn't too surprised, because in another parallel world, this short mystery was hailed as representing the highest literary achievement of Japanese mystery novels!

With these thoughts in mind, Maijo Kyosuke picked up his pen and wrote the title of this short mystery, "A Bellflower," in the blank space.

Seeing that the title had been written by Maishiro Kyosuke, Myojin Kiyone asked, somewhat puzzled, the question that had been nagging at her:

"Sir, your story is beautifully written, but there is one thing I don't understand."

"Your story is clearly about a tragic and twisted love affair, so why didn't you choose flowers that symbolize sorrow, such as the epiphyllum or the red spider lily, and instead chose the bellflower?"

"Is there some special meaning behind it?"

Upon hearing Myojin Seine's question, Maishiro Kyosuke patiently provided an answer:

"The epiphyllum and the red spider lily are often used to describe fleeting love or love that is lost forever."

"But Suzue in the story clearly doesn't have this kind of love."

"Her love was joyful, but also hopeless; it was the kind of hopelessness that comes from having the chance to grasp happiness, yet missing it altogether."

"In this situation, the pure white bellflower is just like what Miss Myojin told me before."

Instead of expecting a love charm to protect love like a talisman, it's better to let the charm become a vessel for your emotions.

"In the story, Suzue's love charm is that pure white bellflower."

"She wants to use that bellflower, which remains pure white even in the red glow of a brothel, just like the seventh daughter of the Eight Hundred Houses, to gamble on a play of pure glass!"

Even in death, she did not let the bellflower taint her, leaving its pure whiteness in the man's heart.

Myojin Sei-on was clearly deeply moved by the story written by Maijo Kyosuke.

Staring at the manuscript on the table, I was so engrossed in the story of "A Bellflower" that I couldn't pull myself out and couldn't calm down for a long time!