Tokyo Mystery Writers

Chapter 69 Summer of the Ubume

Uyama Hideomi stared at the manuscript titled "Summer of the Ubume" on Maishiro Kyosuke's desk, his voice becoming somewhat incredulous:

"Ms. Maishiro? What's this? Could this be that book?"

"That book that no one has ever read, no one has ever heard of, and no one could have written?"

When Maishiro Kyosuke saw that Uyama Hideomi had discovered his manuscript, a smile appeared on his face:

"That's right, this is the book that no one has ever read, no one has ever heard of, and no one could have written!"

"It's called 'Summer of the Ubume,' and it tells the story of a series of incredible events that take place in a maternity hospital called Kuonji."

Uyama Hideomi was extremely shocked that Maijo Kyosuke had written five or six hundred pages of manuscript in just a few days!

But what's even more intriguing is what kind of grand story this enormous size tells!

Thinking of all this, Uyama Hideomi rubbed his hands together and walked toward the stack of manuscripts, but was unexpectedly stopped by Maishiro Kyosuke.

Hideomi Uyama was very close to the manuscript of "Summer of the Ubume".

But being suddenly stopped, feeling an irresistible urge, he turned to Maishiro Kyosuke and asked in confusion:

"Ms. Mai, what do you mean by this?"

"As your editor, am I not even allowed to look at your manuscript?"

"You wouldn't be...you wouldn't be...sending the manuscript to another publisher?"

Uyama Hideomi spoke with some surprise, because he really couldn't think of a reason why Maishiro Kyosuke refused to let him see the manuscript.

When Maishiro Kyosuke heard what Uyama Hideomi said, he shook his head helplessly, then pointed to his stomach and made a gesture as if to pick up his wine glass and take a small sip.

Upon seeing Maishiro Kyosuke's actions, the tense expression on Uyama Hideomi's face immediately relaxed:

"I thought it was something important, but it turns out it's just this."

Uyama Hideomi smiled and casually pulled a restaurant reservation card from his briefcase:

"Mr. Maishiro, this is the most upscale Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. I usually only use it to entertain top-tier writers. Now it's yours!"

Uyama Hideomi stuffed the reservation card into Maijo Kyosuke's hand and patted his chest:

"Like I said before, everything today is on me!"

"What would you like to eat, Mr. Mai, please order whatever you like, don't be shy!"

Jingsuke Maishiro smiled as he looked at the food order card in his hand and walked to the phone to place an order.

Turning around, I saw Hideomi Uyama sitting at the table, deftly taking out a wet wipe and carefully wiping his hands.

After my hands were thoroughly dried, I couldn't wait to open the manuscript of "Summer of the Ubume" and immerse myself in the story.

Seeing that Uyama Hideomi was so engrossed in his meal, Maijo Kyosuke didn't disturb him. After ordering enough food for the two of them, he lay down on the tatami mats and took a short nap.

Hideomi Uyama opened the manuscript of "Summer of the Ubume," which began with a detailed introduction to the ancient yokai "Ubume."

In short, the Guhuoniao is a kind of evil spirit that is a bird-human with feathers on, but a woman when it loses its feathers. It likes to take away other people's children and adopt them, and is mostly transformed from women who died in childbirth.

That concludes the introduction of the Guhuoniao.

A line of words, resembling a dream, appeared before Hideomi Uyama's eyes.

I think I just woke up.

Where am I, and what am I doing?

I was soaking in the warm liquid.

Are my eyes closed or open?

It's so dark and so quiet.

I curled up, immersed in the liquid, and heard a sound.

It seems like someone is angry, no, it also seems like someone is sad.

I feel very peaceful now.

I clench my thumb, my internal organs open outwards, as if they are connected to something else.

I feel a bit cold.

I.

Is he really awake?

【Mother.】

This seemingly dreamlike speech left Uyama Hideomi somewhat bewildered, but it also sent chills down his spine—perhaps this was the taste of horror.

With these thoughts in mind, Uyama Hideomi turned to the main text...

The story of "The Summer of the Ubume" takes place in mid-July of 1952.

"I," Tatsumi Sekiguchi, was once a mucosa researcher, but is now a third-rate writer.

I have a very strange friend named Chuzenji Akihiko. He is my old classmate, and we have known each other for fifteen or sixteen years.

Chuzenji Akihiko was a rigid person. When he was young, he looked like a tuberculosis patient, always wearing a grumpy face. He only started to look a little fatter after marrying Chizuko.

He had worked as a high school lecturer for a period of time. After resigning, he secretly misappropriated the confectionery shop "Kyogoku-do" belonging to his wife Chizuko Chuzenji's family and transformed it into a used bookstore.

Because this guy keeps saying strange things like, "There are no uninteresting books in the world, all books are interesting."

People we know habitually associate Chuzenji Akihiko with that used bookstore.

Thus, Kyogoku-do became the second name of Chuzenji Akihiko.

In addition, this guy is also an Onmyoji (yin-yang master) at a famous shrine.

Although I don't know what an Onmyoji is, no matter how strange the job is, it doesn't seem out of place at all when applied to Kyogoku-do.

As for why I became friends with Kyogoku-do, it's mainly because during my student days, I suffered from mild depression, blushing disorder, and social anxiety.

Overall, I am not good at communicating with people and am somewhat insecure. The only people who are willing to communicate with me, besides Kyogoku-do, are Detective Enokizu Reijiro and Detective Kiba Shutaro.

I visit Kyogoku-do one to three times a month.

My main purpose was to exchange information with Kyogoku-do, this well-read guy, about recent events.

After all, my job is to write strange stories. Although Kyogoku-do always mocks and ridicules me, he also provides me with endless inspiration.

Recently, I heard about a strange thing: the second daughter of the Kuonji family, Kuonji Keiko, was pregnant for twenty months but did not give birth, while her husband, Makirou, disappeared like smoke in a secret room.

I naturally don't believe this, let alone the absurd notion that a woman can be pregnant for twenty months.

How could a living person simply vanish like smoke in a sealed room?

With this question in mind, I went to Kyogoku-do.

Kyogoku-do is the kind of person who either doesn't speak at all, or once he does, he talks on and on.

Before I could even ask a question, he started telling me all sorts of complicated and difficult knowledge, such as quantum mechanics, Schrödinger's cat, the uncertainty principle, and the difference between the Guhuoniao and the Nunu.

Is the world you see real?

If you have never seen a person in person, but only heard about them in books or from other people.

For example, figures like Zhuge Liang and Cao Cao only exist in stories.

Did they really exist in history?

Could the brain deceive other senses because it doesn't match its own hearing, vision, touch, smell, and taste?

Uyama Hideomi scratched his head hard, somewhat confused about what Maijo Kyosuke's book was about.

Aside from the disappearance in the locked room, "The Summer of the Ubume" doesn't seem like a mystery novel at all...