in2ebook Chapter 278 The Yamaboko Tour Begins
Chapter 278 The Yamaboko Tour Begins
The next day.
Gion, Geisha House.
"Oh my, kid, we have a performance today and we're really busy. We don't know what you're talking about. Please leave now."
Hanada Ayami was putting on makeup somewhat helplessly, her eyes falling on the child in the mirror.
"Sister, Miss Nako is really, really dangerous! She might go crazy at any moment!"
Conan looked anxious.
Hanada Ayami just paused in drawing her eyebrows, then continued to put on makeup as if nothing had happened, ignoring Conan's words.
"Oh, please stop bothering us!"
On the other side, Dao and Li Zi waved their hands impatiently at the dark-skinned boy who was talking nonstop.
"You really don't care about her life or death?"
Hattori Heiji had a headache.
Nagai Nako has been missing for more than nine hours and her whereabouts are currently unknown. The only people who know where she went are Mikata Kyoko and the other geisha in the geisha house.
However, Anko Mikata did not say anything, and the sisters in the geisha house also kept silent, as if they were really determined to help Nagai Nako die.
Hattori Heiji and Conan asked a lot of questions, but they couldn't get an answer.
"Okay, you guys should leave now, or we'll call security."
Rice and Chestnut warned angrily.
Hattori Heiji looked at Conan helplessly: "Now it seems that we can only wait for news from the police."
Although they notified the police in time, they have not found any trace of Nagai Nako so far.
At present, Conan can only temporarily speculate that after all her enemies die, Nagai Nako will choose to commit suicide to end her painful body.
But how she will exit remains a question.
Conan and Hattori Heiji had already tried their best and could only walk out of the geisha house in shame.
As they reached the door, they were stopped by someone behind them.
"You guys—wait a moment."
They turned their heads and saw that it was Hanada Ayami from before.
"Do you have any clues?" Hattori Heiji's eyes lit up.
Hanada Ayami just shook her head: "I just hope you won't continue investigating."
Hattori Heiji's heart sank: "That's a life, aren't you two good friends?"
"Because we're friends, we respect her choice," Hanada Ayami said expressionlessly. "Do you know how severe her burns are? Many parts of her body are completely cooked and have to be removed. Even her spine is severely affected, and she'll never be able to stand upright again. And that face is even worse. Even her own mother wouldn't dare acknowledge such a monstrosity."
"If it were you, how long could you hold on?"
The two were silent.
"These injuries are permanent. If she doesn't want them to continue to worsen, she'll have to spend the rest of her life in pain from repairs. It's not just a matter of willpower, it's also a matter of money."
The fire was deemed an accident, which meant that there would not be much compensation. Nagai Nako had no way of affording the subsequent medical expenses, and her dilapidated body completely blocked her path to making money.
"And the funniest thing is, do you know what it is?" Hanada Ayami smiled. "If Nagai Nako hadn't died, she would have still faced fines from the company because her injury prevented her from continuing to work, which would have been a violation of the contract."
So Nagai Nako died.
She had to die too.
"What's the point of living in such a hell?"
Hanada Ayami murmured softly, as if asking Conan and the others, or as if asking herself.
——"Don't judge others' regrets until you have experienced their difficulties."
——"Don't blame others for your own mistakes if you haven't experienced them before."
……
The two boys walked out of the geisha house with their heads hung low.
"Kudo, tell me, are we really wrong?"
Hattori Heiji asked a little confused.
Conan was silent for a moment, then replied, "I don't know."
Just as Ms. Hanada said, they have never experienced the despair that Nagai Nako experienced, so what qualifications do they have to deny Nagai Nako's decision?
——Even if this decision means giving up one’s own life.
"Hey, Conan, Hattori."
Baichuan Qiu's voice came from beside the two of them.
"Eh? Mr. Shirakawa?"
The two greeted each other.
"Why are you still here?" Shirakawa Qiu asked curiously, "Today is July 17th, the day of the Yamaboko Parade, and many people are heading there right now."
"Oh, I almost forgot."
Hattori Heiji slapped his forehead.
The Yamaboko Parade is one of the most important events during the Gion Festival. The Yamaboko is considered the vehicle of the gods, and during the Gion Festival, it is believed that the gods descend upon the Yamaboko and inspect the human world through the Yamaboko Parade. As people pull the Yamaboko through the city, the gods on it bring blessings to the people.
In reality, this Yamaboko is actually a wooden cart.
On this day, the whole of Kyoto will be very lively, with a large number of people, tourists and media participating on the scene. It is truly one of the grand events that cannot be missed.
Baichuan Qiu was also preparing to go over, but he didn't expect to meet these two little ones here first.
Hattori Heiji quickly took out his cell phone and found a series of life-threatening calls from Toyama Kazuha.
"It's over, it's over, I forgot to turn on the ringtone." Hattori Heiji quickly called back Toyama Kazuha.
"Ping - times -"
However, before the call was connected, Toyama Kazuha's angry roar was heard in the distance.
Hattori Heiji shuddered.
Conan also looked over.
I saw Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Kazuha Toyama walking towards me from a distance.
"I knew you were here, but you didn't even answer my calls!" Toyama Kazuha said angrily. "Didn't we agree to go to the Yamaboko parade together a few days ago? Where have you been again?"
Hattori Heiji smirked: "I, I've been waiting for you guys."
"Humph! You've obviously forgotten it!"
"No, no! Don't talk nonsense."
"Shirakawa-kun is here too." Maori Kogoro greeted Shirakawa Akane happily.
"Mr. Maori, Ran." Shirakawa Qiu nodded, "Are you also going to the Yamaboko patrol? Let's go together."
"sure."
"I remember that the Yamaboko patrol started from Shijo Karasuma. It should be just the right time for us to go there now," said Kogoro Mori, recalling.
The uncle is quite reliable when he is serious.
Baichuan Qiu nodded: "Okay."
……
When everyone arrived at the scene, the intersection of Shijo Karasuma was already crowded with people, and the sound of gongs and drums could be heard from far away.
It was the first time for Shirakawa Qiu to witness such an activity of cherry blossoms, and he stuck his head out to take a look out of curiosity.
Looking all along the street, there are all kinds of Yamaboko floats. At the front of the team is the Nagatoboko float. The body of the float is mainly made of wood. There is a long wooden stick on the top with a long sword tied to it, which symbolizes the elimination of plague and evil. In the middle of it are four human-shaped dolls. According to Maori Kogoro who is beside him, they should be a famous warrior of Sakura.
There are also various handicrafts hanging on the body of the car. The brocade on it is mainly composed of gold and red, and the wood also has profound carving craftsmanship, with many cultural elements of China and other regions of Southeast Asia. On the back is a vibrant embroidery picture with bright colors and exquisite patterns.
In front of the car, there is a group of strong men in white clothes with white cloth tied on their heads, standing in line and pulling long ropes. They will then pull these floats to parade throughout Kyoto.
The musicians began to chant softly, and the surrounding drumbeats grew denser and louder. The ten-year-old boy, representing pure and innocent, walked forward, raised his broadsword, and cut the straw rope at the starting point. Accompanied by the crowd's cheers, this grand Yamaboko parade officially began.