A tram was coming from the direction of Osaka. When it reached the station, it started to slow down again.
"Kyoto Station—Kyoto Station, here we are—"
After the tram stopped, they dragged their luggage out of the carriage and boarded the Biwako Line tram at another platform. The Yoshikawa family was all a little depressed.
"There are too many people..."
Yoshikawa Aoko didn't get a seat and could only stand.
"Because it's Obon Festival, and these are the people who, like my sister, choose to go home during Obon Festival."
"Where can we go if we don't go home during Bon Festival? Even so, there are probably too many people - get up and let me sit for a while."
"don't want."
Returning to Kinki from Hokkaido, the hot and humid air alone made Anko feel weak. The carriage was packed with people, and the smell was quite subtle. She finally managed to get a seat, but she wouldn't get out of the way.
Her younger sister was fragile and could not be counted on. Qingzi changed her target again: "Mom..."
"When Aoko was working in Tokyo, she sat in the office all day, didn't she? It's easy to become sub-healthy. Now just stand for a while." Mrs. Yoshikawa didn't want to get up.
"Eh? What does this have to do with work? Dad... don't pretend to be asleep, I even saw you peeking at me."
Mr. Yoshikawa thumped his waist, "My waist still hurts."
"..."
Yoshikawa Aoko took a long breath, grabbed the armrest, and didn't want to speak.
Starting from Kyoto, the tram passed one stop after another, and some passengers got off the train. Aoko finally squeezed into an empty seat, and there were two middle-aged people between her and her sister.
"Speaking of which, Sotani-kun has returned from Northeast China. Will he come to the station to pick up Anko?"
Sister could chat with her through strangers as if no one else was around, but Hongzi couldn't do it. After she asked again, she turned around and said, "No way."
"Why?"
She tilted her head awkwardly and said, "It would be weird to come here."
"Aren't Hongzi planning to stay at his place for a few days? I just asked Soya-kun to come over and help with the luggage."
The middle-aged man sitting next to him twitched his ears. Hongzi always had the feeling that he was waiting for him to speak, so he kept silent.
"Hongzi?"
"You're so annoying."
"Mom, Hongzi has reached the stage of rebellion."
"You're so annoying."
"mom?"
After another stop, the two middle-aged men in the middle got out of the car, and Qingzi immediately moved over.
"Our family is finally reunited."
"Isn't my brother-in-law still in Tokyo?"
"If he runs away in battle, what kind of family is he?"
"It's not my brother-in-law's fault that he was suddenly called back to work overtime..."
Qingzi raised his hands and plugged his ears.
Hongzi rolled his eyes and then fell silent.
"Is it true that Mr. Sotani won't come to pick up Anko?" Aoko thought of the question just now.
"I'm going to Akane's house to stay overnight, not Soya's house." There was no one else around, and Hongzi's communication with her sister became smoother, "And I haven't told Akane yet."
The Bon Festival was approaching, and after thinking about it, Mrs. Yoshikawa decided to go back to the countryside and stay for a few days.
Because her sister is back and because she has stayed at her grandma's house for a few days some time ago, Hongzi doesn't plan to go there and wants to stay at her best friend's house for a few days.
"Isn't this the same meaning?"
"no the same."
After a while, the tram finally arrived.
The Yoshikawa family got off the bus with their luggage. As soon as they walked out of the station, Hongzi was blocked by her sister who stopped suddenly.
Just as she was about to complain, Qingzi turned around and smiled at her.
"My boyfriend didn't come, but my 'girlfriend' came."
"Eh……"
Anko poked her head out from the side. Akane Kirino saw her and immediately waved, "Anko——"
"Akane?"
Not only Kirino Akane, Kirino Hiroyuki also came over and drove a car.
However, there were limited seats in the car, so Hongzi only put her luggage on the car and chose to walk back with Akane Kirino.
"My father and I just came back from outside. When we passed the station, we happened to see Hongzi's parents coming out."
"What a coincidence. Where did Akane go?"
"I sent something to a relative's house."
"That's it."
Passing by a convenience store, they each bought a bottle of cold drinks and continued walking back.
"correct……"
Anko told her that she planned to stay at Kirino's house for a few days.
"Okay, no problem." Kirino Akane was very happy, "The old house is now equipped with air conditioning."
"Eh, really?"
"Yeah, I just installed it the afternoon before yesterday."
This was an unexpected surprise, and Hongzi was even more happy, "That's great...but why is it so sudden?"
"Because I had a premonition that Hongzi would come to live in my house."
"Hey~ good~ happy~"
The two looked at each other and smiled at the same time.
"It's because Zongya said the heat was unbearable, and my mother had long wanted to install an air conditioner there, so she just installed it."
"It's so easy."
"right."
Hongzi pretended to be casual and asked, "Where is Zonggu? Are you at home?"
"No."
She was a little disappointed, "Sure enough, we are going to the shrine again."
"No, Zonggu is on duty outside."
"On duty?"
Kirino Akane nodded, "Anko, do you want to take a look?"
Hongzi was stunned for a moment, "Okay. Where is it?"
"Heqiu Jiaoban (Police Station)."
"Hey, intercourse?" She was stunned again, "Is Zonggu staying with the police?"
"Yes, it's amazing, isn't it? Do you want to go there now?"
"Come on...why is Soya where?"
Akane Kirino thought for a moment, "Special means at a special time?"
Hongzi didn't know why.
"Things of that world."
"oh."
Kouban was on the other side, and it was a little far away, so Akane Kirino suggested that she go back and pick up the bicycle first, and then ride there.
"Hongzi, just wait for me at the convenience store."
"good."
After a while, Kirino Akane rode over and took her with her.
"Isn't this Soya's car?"
"His car is easier to ride."
After riding for a while under the almost noon sun, I turned another corner and found myself at the next intersection.
Anko suddenly realized that the two of them were doing "illegal acts" and quickly asked Akane Kirino to stop.
"Akane, you can't take people on the bike with you!"
"Oh oh oh, I almost threw myself into a trap..."
Kirino Akane quickly pulled over and asked Anko to get out of the car.
"Qian, let's go first."
It was only a few dozen meters away from Kyoban. Kirino Akane nodded and took the first step.
Watching her ride away, Hongzi walked over and arrived in front of the intercourse a minute or two later.
"Hello." The young female police officer on duty immediately noticed her and came out to ask, "Do you need any help?"
"No, I'm here to find someone... Souya!"
Soya waved to her inside and called out again: "Miss Kawai, she is also my friend."
The female police officer smiled slightly and said, "Please come in."
Pushing up her glasses, Hongzi lowered her head and brushed her bangs twice, glanced at her clothes, and then walked into the chat room.
Kirino Akane, who arrived one step ahead, was sitting next to her.
"Welcome back." Zong Gu looked at her, "Has Hongzi just arrived here?"
"Well... I just came back from Kyoto on my flight in the morning."
Hongzi squeezed the cold drink in her hand and kept her eyes focused on him, "Akane said Souya is here, so I came over to take a look."
"It's such a hot day, it's a shame you guys are willing to go out..." Zonggu glanced at the bicycle outside, "Did she bring you here on her bicycle?"
"yes."
"Miss Kawai." Soya immediately looked at the policewoman on the side, "Suspect No. 2 has confessed. Please issue an arrest warrant."
The female police officer laughed and said, "I'm just leading people on a bicycle, so I won't be arrested."
"..."
Only then did Hong Zi react and glared at Zong Gu fiercely.
"However, it is still very dangerous to ride with people on a bicycle."
Although it won't lead to arrest, a lecture is inevitable.
The female police officer gave several examples in succession of people riding bicycles leading to tragedies, and finally said to Akane Kirino who was riding the bicycle: "You don't want your good friend to be in danger, right?"
"Yes……"
She lowered her head, "I understand."
"Good boy. So be it."
Policewoman Kawai put on her hat, looked outside, and said, "Sotani-kun, your friend will be left to you, but you can't stay too long. I'll go on patrol."
Zonggu stood up and said goodbye, "Okay."
After saying hello to another middle-aged police officer who was sitting in the middle of the conversation, Miss Kawai got on her patrol motorcycle and left.
As soon as she walked away, Zonggu was kicked twice.
"You are so annoying." Kirino Akane pinched him for a while.
Hongzi didn't have any strength, so after kicking, he sat down next to him and asked, "What are Zonggu doing in the fight?"
"Stop pinching...of course I'm on duty."
"You're not a police officer."
Zong Gu picked up the black tag on his chest and waved it at her, "In a sense, I am also a policeman, but I am not in charge of the affairs of living people."
"The other world has been relatively chaotic recently. Countless spirits are gathering in Kyoto from all directions, causing supernatural events that are naturally more frequent than usual;
When ordinary people encounter this kind of thing, some people will go to the shrine, and some people will choose to call the police. I am here to deal with the relevant incidents received by Heqiu Koban."
"is that so……"
Hongzi almost understood, "If someone encounters a supernatural incident nearby, will Zongya call the police?"
"No, I will first contact my colleagues who are stationed nearby, which is equivalent to a relay station for messages. If no one is nearby, I will have to go there by myself."
"How many days has Soya been on duty here?"
"Today is the second day."
"How many times have you been to the police?"
"Twice. Most of the incidents were resolved before they reached me."
Hongzi nodded thoughtfully, "That's pretty easy."
"This is only temporary."
Zongya also has a separate small desk in Kyoban, but there is nothing on the table except a bottomed bottle of green tea. "Being on duty in Kyoban is considered a benefit for newcomers, but it is also on a rotating basis. Tomorrow I have to go to the streets to stand guard.
Already."
"Wow, it's so miserable..."
Zong Gu smiled and said, "Come and bask in the sun with me tomorrow."
She curled her lips and said, "I don't want it."
Akane Kirino came yesterday and also came to stay with him for a while this morning. She was not very interested at this time.
"Sogu, will you rest until 12 noon today?"
"Um."
"Then there are still thirty or forty minutes... where's lunch."
"Go to the nearby ramen shop to solve it."
"Oh." She looked at Hongzi again, "Are Hongzi hungry now?"
"I don't feel anything right now."
"Then when Soya gets off work, let's go eat ramen together."
"OK."
Zonggu pointed outside, "If you want to stay here, park somewhere else."
Akane Kirino nodded, got up and moved the car outside.
"Where can I park?"
"Whatever you want, it's best to go somewhere without sunlight."
She looked around and soon found a shady place. She got on the car and went there, "Wow, my butt is so hot!"
Moving the stool, Hongzi sat down opposite Zonggu.
"It feels quite magical..."
"I felt the same way yesterday."
Looking at the tag on his chest, she held her chin and said, "It looks pretty decent."
"Police officers are also civil servants. Do you want to take the police academy exam in the future?"
Hongzi rolled his eyes, "I will die."
"It's not that exaggerated."
"don't want."
Zonggu smiled and picked up the green tea on the table, only to find that he had finished it.
"You sit down for a while and I'll buy a bottle of water."
Hongzi nodded and suddenly realized that he was holding a bottle of cold drink in his hand.
"Want to drink...even though I have already drank."
After looking at her, Zonggu took it and took a few sips, "Thank you."
Hongzi wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, but she still smiled.
"Just think of it as condolences."
"Then I'll treat you to ramen for lunch."
Parking the bicycle on the side of the road out of the sun, Akane Kirino quickly returned to Kouban with a bottle of green tea she had just bought in her hand.
"It's so hot..."
Passing the green tea to Sogu, she sat down next to him and fanned herself with her hands.
"Thank you." He opened it and took a sip.
After a while, the female police officer Kawai ended her patrol and returned to the police station.
"Sorry, Miss Kawai, they both have to wait for me here to have lunch together." Soya said.
"It's okay." Miss Kawai took off her police hat, raised her chin toward the inside, and smiled at the three of them. "The deputy director didn't say anything, and of course I have no objection. But Sotani-kun is really popular."
Souya just smiled.
With about five minutes left before the break, Heqiu received an alarm call.
"Heqiujiaofan, this is the Jinhu Police Station, in..."
After hearing the "supernatural incident" in the report, Zonggu sighed, and immediately concentrated his attention to listen to the subsequent content.
Miss Kawai asked carefully about the time and place of the incident. After the briefing, before she could say anything, Soya nodded to her, "I understand."
"Okay, then I'll leave it to Soya-kun."
After recalling the personnel stationed near the incident site, Zongya flipped through his address book and quickly made a call.
"Ms. Ono Kaori, this is Soya. A supernatural incident occurred at Ms. Kawasumi's house at No. 28, Fourth-chome District 7. Please go over and take a look... Well, on the 28th, the person involved is Ms. Kawasumi.
"
After getting the reply, Zonggu hung up the phone and said to Hongzi who looked at him, "That's it."
She nodded, "It's quite easy."
"The premise is that there are colleagues nearby and they are not busy, otherwise I have to go there by myself."
"Are they all shrine maidens from Fuyun Shrine?" Anko asked again.
"How is it possible? There are only a few people in our shrine. The several shrine maidens here in Kawaoka Town are all transferred from other shrines. I have only met the one I contacted just a few times."
"Oh...then where is Senior Guan Yuan?"
"Kyoko? She's on duty on the street over at Nosu Town."
Hongzi nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
A few more minutes passed, and at noon, Sogu stretched himself and announced that he would take a rest.
"Miss Kawai, I'm going to eat first. It's the ramen shop over there. If there is any new situation, please contact me."
"OK."
On the way there, Soya received a call from Ono Kaori.
"There are indeed traces of spiritual activity in Ms. Kawasumi's house, but the spirit has disappeared. It should just be a prank when passing by."
"Is this happening again...I know. Thank you for your hard work."
"Thanks for your hard work."
After hanging up the phone, Hongzi asked: "How is the situation?"
Zonggu shook his head, "If you cause trouble, just run away. There will be no follow-up."
"That's quite troublesome..."
"It's better to say it's annoying."
The ramen shop was right in front, Souya quickened his pace, "It's like an invisible thief broke into your home, rummaged through the cabinets, knocked over the vases, broke the dishes, and then you couldn't do anything about him, and you didn't even know what he looked like.
What kind of..."
"Stop talking." Hongzi started to get angry after a moment's intervention.
When they arrived at the ramen shop, the three of them sat at the bar and each ordered a bowl of ramen.
"If a troublemaking spirit is caught, will it be locked up?"
"Where?"
Hongzi was stunned for a moment, "A special prison... or something?"
"When a living person is imprisoned, at most there will be some emotional changes, and when the spirit body is emotionally excited, it will mutate. Do you still remember the Warring States armor that almost killed Anko with a samurai sword? Then
It’s the result of mutation.”
Zonggu took out his mobile phone and looked at it. After putting it down, he continued: "At special times, manpower is not enough. Of course, the standards for handling spirit bodies will also be adjusted."
"Expulsion?" Hongzi guessed.
"wipe out."
"If you cause trouble, destroy it..."
"It will be destroyed as soon as you step into a private house."
Hongzi opened his mouth and said after a while: "If there is a spirit that causes trouble in my house, after I catch it, I will also want to eliminate it... But if we are just passing by, we don't even know about it, so do we have to eliminate it?"
"Nip in the bud. You can also understand that this is a way to reduce the probability of incidents from the source when there is insufficient manpower."
Red indicates understanding.
"But beings like spiritual beings don't know how to walk well. Anyway, they won't be seen by ordinary people, and they won't be blocked, so they have long been accustomed to passing through doors?"
"Most of them are like that." Zong Gu nodded, "That's why we will warn you in advance."
"warn?"
"We will not stop the spirits from coming to Beijing to have a carnival, and we cannot stop them. We can only set up checkpoints on the only way to Kyoto to warn all kinds of spirits passing by not to disturb the people."
He looked at his phone again, "We all assume that the spirits who can come to Kinki have been warned on the way. We will not be polite if we knowingly commit a crime."
Hongzi nodded and said no more.
The three people's ramen was delivered one after another. Sogu ate it quickly and finished it in a few minutes.
"I'm going back."
"Eh……"
Hongzi was stunned for a moment, then he paid the bill and left.
"Let's eat slowly." Kirino Akane said, she had already gotten used to it in advance.
Hongzi didn't turn around until Zonggu's back disappeared.