After finishing their meal, Lin Ze stood up to pay, but Qin Zi stopped him. “Don’t go, I’ve already paid. Let’s just leave.”
“Huh? Didn’t we agree I’d pay? Why are you paying now?” Lin Ze was genuinely planning to pay for the meal. Qin Zi had been busy for so long, and she wasn’t taking any money. It was only right to treat her to a meal.
Qin Zi scoffed, glancing at him with disdain, “Who said I’m treating you? I’m treating our Kayako.”
Kayako, standing beside them, blushed, quietly watching the two banter. The familial love between them felt so nice.
Back in the car, it was still early. Qin Zi dropped Lin Ze and Kayako off near the amusement park, as Lin Ze had requested.
“Bye Kayako, if you want anything just ask this guy, have fun.” Qin Zi rolled down the window and said goodbye to Kayako.
Suddenly, Kayako felt a bit reluctant to part with Qin Zi, but then she remembered she was going to have a world of two with Lin Ze! “See you later Qin Zi, be careful on the road.”
YES! It’s clear Qin Zi likes me, doesn't it? Does this mean I've achieved a great success? Will Qin Zi go back and tell Lin Ze's parents good things about me? Have I already stepped one foot into Lin Ze’s family? And most importantly, is this a date?
Even though Kayako had never been to an amusement park before, she knew that it was a place where many couples came on dates. So she looked at Lin Ze expectantly.
Lin Ze closed his message and put away his phone. It was a message Qin Zi had sent as soon as she left: “Tsukino is nearby. From now on, he will be your dedicated contact. You can ask him to help with anything in your daily life. Take good care of Kayako, and yourself too!”
“Let’s go in, Kayako, we need to have fun today.”
Kayako was visibly excited, her steps even took on a bouncy quality. Lin Ze then took her hand, “It’s pretty big inside, and there will be a lot of people. Hold on tight so you don’t get lost.”
“Okay!”
…
“Hey? I’m free now, I’ll be there soon. Wait for me, don’t touch anything!”
Hanging up the phone, Qin Zi looked through the rearview mirror at the spot where Kayako had sat. There was no cursed aura there. For her, the main purpose of today had been achieved: to confirm that the curse on Kayako wouldn't easily spread.
An hour and a half later, Qin Zi drove to a sealed-off mountain. Several staff members were waiting for her. Following one of them, she arrived at a dilapidated Jizo Temple.
A meditating monk stood up and bowed as he saw her, “Lady Qin Zi, you’ve arrived.”
“What happened exactly?”
The monk gave a wry smile, “A few days ago, there was a heavy rain that caused a landslide. The mud and rocks hit the temple, breaking a part of the barrier, making the entire barrier unstable. She escaped.”
“… Hachishaku is a very special urban legend. Her birth will cause countless children to die. Inform all the spirit mediums and government personnel to search for her with all their might. Once she is found, immediately seal her with a barrier, and then inform me!”
Qin Zi's expression was grim. What a troublesome time! Hachishaku, a being that existed since the Jomon period, was worshipped as a god and received human sacrifices. Later, she became an urban legend. She was eight feet tall, often appearing in a white kimono and a straw hat. She had the ability to teleport, fly, become invisible, shapeshift, perform mental attacks, interfere with devices, immortality, immunity to physical damage, superhuman strength, and superhuman speed!
Ten years ago, Qin Zi was already a powerful exorcist. She participated in the capture of Hachishaku. That mission left a long scar on her back, a scar that went deep to the bone. But she was lucky. Many people died during that mission, at a great cost before she finally managed to seal her with the Jizo Temple barrier.
This time… how many people will die?
Kayako was having a lot of fun. Although she wasn’t brave enough to ride the more thrilling rides, there were many other exciting attractions in the amusement park. One after another, she gradually released her own nature. Right now, she was holding onto Lin Ze, pointing at the Ferris wheel, “Lin Ze, Lin Ze, let’s go on that one.”
Kayako was afraid of heights, but seeing all the couples riding the Ferris wheel, she wanted to do it too. If she rode it with Lin Ze, would they look like a couple in the eyes of others?
Lin Ze certainly wouldn't spoil her fun. It was rare to see Kayako so carefree and carefree. Once she calmed down from her excitement, she would probably go back to her usual self.
The Ferris wheel slowly rose, offering a view of almost half the amusement park from above.
“Lin… Lin Ze… I… I…” Kayako’s face flushed, her entire body trembling with nervousness.
“This… is this a prelude to a confession? In such a classic place? What should I do? Should I just agree? But what if I agree, and then Kayako comes into contact with Fujiang? Will she be so jealous that she kills me? The current situation is the best… What should I do?” While Lin Ze had a mental meltdown, Kayako finally gathered her courage and spoke.
“I’m afraid of heights.”
“Huh?”
Kayako suddenly slid down and fell. Lin Ze quickly reached out to support her under her arms and helped her up. At this moment, Lin Ze felt a mix of emotions. He turned and sat next to Kayako, gently resting her head on his shoulder, “If you close your eyes, it will be much better. Just close your eyes, we’ll be down soon. I’ll tell you when we’re there.”
Kayako was feeling terrible right now, mainly the dizziness made her feel nauseous. But smelling Lin Ze’s scent, her anxiety and fear gradually dissipated. She felt a bit better. Obediently, she closed her eyes. The strong dizziness turned into a light, intoxicating feeling that made her feel drunk. It was quite pleasant.
Lin Ze held Kayako's shoulder with one hand and looked out the window. He wanted to see how long it would be before they reached the bottom. When he retracted his gaze, he caught a glimpse of a tall figure in the distance. It was a bit out of place amidst the crowd of people below.
“Did I see wrong?” The distance was too far, and it was only a fleeting moment, so Lin Ze thought he might have been mistaken.
“Are you okay now? Do you feel better?” Lin Ze handed Kayako a bottle of water. Kayako shook her head, her eyes looking curiously at Lin Ze’s back. Lin Ze followed her gaze.
There was a cotton candy stand, with a group of children lining up to buy cotton candy. “Do you want some cotton candy?”
To Lin Ze's surprise, Kayako shook her head and pointed to a large tree behind the stand. “Lin Ze, that person is weird, she’s so tall.”
“What?” Lin Ze followed Kayako’s pointed direction and saw half a tall figure behind a tree. One hand rested on the tree, and her eyes were fixed on the children at the stand.
The familiar image made Lin Ze’s mind buzz. This was Hachishaku! How could he not recognize her? He’d seen countless works of hers… well, works of art. But that had also led him to learn about her thoroughly.
Why was she here? Lin Ze quickly retracted his gaze, pulled Kayako away, and walked towards another place. “Ah, maybe it’s just someone with gigantism. These people are just much taller than ordinary people. Kayako, I need to go to the bathroom. You stay here and wait for me.”