67-Episode 62 Wax

Activities to solicit support for the festival are conducted in the morning and evening, avoiding daytime business hours.

Since we have to go around efficiently within a limited time, we have to be smart about how to go around.

'Where should I go in the afternoon? ......'

'Big brother. This is the area that Paula was talking about, the area where there have been sightings!

As I sit down and look at the map, Loretta peeks out from behind me and points to a certain area.

Oh, come on. There are no stores or even craftsmen's houses in that area, are there?I mean, there aren't even any houses.

There's nothing to be gained by going there... Loretta is such a mischievous girl. Ha-ha-ha-ha.

'Are you going to visit more than just restaurants?

Estella, who had been going separately in the morning, joined us and we discussed the current situation and our future plans.

Estella seems to be gaining supporters as well. We fill in the parts that have been approved with blue ink. There are more blue areas in both the east and west.

'Festivals attract a lot of people. It seems that word of the festival has spread to the forty districts through Imelda and Umaro, and we can expect people to come. If that's the case, it would be a shame if we didn't sell folk art and craftsmanship that don't usually get the spotlight, wouldn't it?

'Ah, ah!Big brother, look here, here!There's a witchcraft shop here!Do you want to buy a talisman to ward off evil?

'I see. It's true that you don't usually see the products of a spell shop. Are you trying to sell such things?

'Oh. It's one of the pleasures of the festival to see that they sell such strange things. When I was a kid, I had a doll that made a strange sound when I shook it. When I was a kid, I once bought a doll that made a strange sound when I shook it.

'What's the use of that thing?

'You can't use it for anything. It just makes a 'ping! That's all it does.

'I don't need it, much.

'But it's fun to buy weird stuff like that at festivals. It's like a memory.

'I wonder if that's how it is...'

Estella raises her eyebrows and lets out a chuckle, arching her upper body to straighten her spine.

'Tea, please.

'Ah. Thank you, Ginette.

Estella turned and thanked Ginette for bringing her tea at the right time.

I was just thirsty myself.

'Are you going to sell that 'peck' doll?

'I'm not selling it. I mean, you can't sell it.

'I'd like to have a 'peck' doll.

In the first place, there is no such thing as a doll with that name. ...... This guy is going to buy a lot of them. ............ The thing in the courtyard, I can't wait to do something about it. I want to do something about it. ......

Well, I've already prepared a secret plan for that. Now we just need to figure out how to get him to talk to ...... and convince him to do it. ............

'Big brother!It's sure to be a big hit!

'That'?Loretta-san, what the heck is a 'thing'? ......

'Yes, Ginette!Is there anything you want?

'What do you want?

I force Ginette, who was about to step on a mine, to come to my side.

Look at the situation, Jeannette. I'm sure you've seen the look on the face of the woman you just tried to talk to ...... and you're itching to talk to her.It's a good idea to keep your eyes peeled for the latest news on the web.

You see, your cheeks are puffed up when you get off topic.

That's the hamster people. You have big cheek pouches.

'Well, I've been thinking lately that it would be nice to have ...... flowers .......'

'Flowers?'

'Yes. I was wondering if it would be possible to plant beautiful flowers in the garden of the store to welcome customers comfortably.

'So it's a flower bed. Then this is where the bricklayer lives.'

Estella says, pointing to a corner of the map.

............ Hey, that's ......

'Somewhat!Hey, hey, hey!Big brother, you're in trouble!The bricklayer lives in the vicinity of the sighting of the "thing"!I feel that this is some kind of fate!

Estella. ...... You're walking through a minefield blindfolded, you're so dangerous.

'Miss Loretta. Something's happened around here. ......'

'But, Jeannette. Why did you suddenly come up with the idea of flowers?Isn't there a reason?'

'Huh?Oh, yes. Actually, Imelda-san came to the store the other day.

Watch out, watch out.

Ginette is so kind that even a guy with dynamite strapped all over his body and dancing around a minefield playing Oklahoma Mixa by himself would approach her.

I've got to stop him.

'She was a little depressed about Yashiro-san's absence.

'Wow, you seem to be quite fond of her. To that young lady.

'Don't tell me.

Estella gave me a cold stare, but I had no business telling her.

It's her choice to like me, and I don't know if she likes me or not.

So, I spoke to him instead.

What?

In the end, he just wants someone to care about him, that's all.

Someone who isn't a complete yes-man like the lumberjacks of the lumberjack guild.

'Imelda has been given gifts by many men because of her beauty, and she has received enough flowers to turn a room into a forest.

That's amazing. Why don't you just go back to nature?

I mean, isn't a man who sends flowers to a woman crazy?

They don't add much to your stomach, and they'll be useless in a few days. And they're expensive.

'This is for you' 'Well, it's nice'?d*mn!Kah......!

'So, it's a bit of a problem that it's going to be a forest, but I thought that if there were beautiful flowers in front of the store, it would please the customers' eyes.

'When you see flowers blooming in front of a store and you look at them and think, "That's beautiful," you'll see a creepy figure standing in the corner of your ...... eye and you'll hear a rumor like ............. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

How did Imelda come up with such a pure idea from her bragging?

Imelda must have felt unworthy of her boast.

Ginette has envy, but no envy at all. She must be a very uninteresting person to talk to if you want to brag.

Oh, we can ignore the hamster girl who keeps barging into our line of sight.

'It sure is nice, isn't it, a store surrounded by flowers?

'Do you still think so?

'I think so, I think so!...... But if you want to spice things up a bit, ............ there's a black shadow in the corner of your eye... ...'

'Isn't it hard to take care of them?

'I like to take care of plants.

Well, maybe Ginette does.

And Estella is looking at me with a meaningful smile on her face. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on. ...... What's with your eyes?

And then he turned to Jeannette and said something like this.

If the store is prosperous, there may be men who will bring bouquets of flowers to Jeannette. Ginette's cute.

She glanced at me as she said this.

What is ...... it?What are you trying to say?

If you have something to say, just say it.

'Oh, no. I'm not even close,.......'

'No, no, no. It's soothing to look at, the food is delicious, and you're thoughtful. ...... A man with eyes to see would be able to spot you immediately.

'Eyes that see............ eyes that see...... yes, that person saw...... ......The black shadow that stirs in the darkness......'

'If that happens, I'll have money to buy flowers. You are a business-friendly man. You can keep paying for it.'

Did you really think that would help me?

What do you want, Estella?

If you were a teenager, you might be upset by such a statement. ...... Unfortunately, I'm not ............ Oh, you're a teenager now.

Anyway, I don't have anything to do with it if Jeannette is being courted by someone.

It's just a matter of Ginette deciding what she wants to do about it. ..................

It's not about that, it's about the festival, the festival. I'm talking about what to sell at festivals. You can't sell flowers at a festival!

'I'm sorry. It's because I said something unnecessary that we got sidetracked.

'No, no, Mr. Manager. Going off on a tangent is not a bad thing. What you need to be aware of is that the shadowy ............ beings who wander around aimlessly ...... '

'No, no, Jeannette. I'm the one who asked you to talk, so that's fine. It's nothing to apologize for.''

I tell Ginette to keep her head down and not to worry about it.

The only ones to blame are the flat-haired aristocrat with the red hair who led the conversation in a strange direction with his silly prankster mind and the hamster girl who ...... never gives up.

'I'm sorry, Jeannette. I meant it as a joke.'

'No, no. I hope you don't mind.'

'Speaking of worrying, there's something that's bothering me a lot right now. What's that? A black shadow. ......'

'So, Estella . This bricklayer you're talking about, does he make flower beds?'

'Yes, he does. He's the only brick maker in the forty-second district, and he makes good products. Our flowerbeds are made from their bricks, but the real ones are different.

'Authentic ...... Yes, I did see that woman. There was a black shadow in front of her eyes!

'If you're so good, you should at least have heard rumors. ......'

'Oh!Is it a rumor?Big brother, you mentioned a good keyword!That's right!It's a rumor, a rumor!To investigate the rumor: ......'

'In the forty-second district, there aren't many people who can afford to spend money on flower beds. The demand is too low.'

'Isn't that a roundabout way of bragging, you little rich man?

'I don't mean that. I'm ...... very poor right now.'

Estella sobbed.

Behind her, Loretta gestures to her ears.

'Oh no!I can hear a sobbing woman's voice coming from somewhere .......'

Because that's Estella .

She's right in front of you.

'Then maybe we can get that bricklayer to open a stall.

'Do you sell bricks at festivals?'

'Even if we don't sell them, it'll be good publicity just to have people see the actual products. You have to spread the word about good things.

This will eventually support the tax revenue of the forty-two wards. It might be .......

'Speaking of spreading the word, there's a rumor that's spreading around .......'

'Well then, we'd better go see the bricklayer too. What do you say?Do you want me to go there?

'Yes, sir!Yes, yes!I'll go!Me and my brother will go!I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

'...... Loretta, you ............ won't falter, will you?

I'm sorry, I got involved.

Oh, coincidentally, the time is evening!It's just perfect timing!

'...... Um, Yashiro-san?I'm not sure what you're talking about.

'It's just silly gossip. Don't worry about it.''

'Is that so?

'Somewhat!Manager, are you worried about it?Have I made you curious?Then I hope you will listen to the story of the mysterious light ...... floating in the dark night, and the black shadowy woman standing in it .......''

'Huh!Oh,............, I ............ just remembered something. ............'

It seems that Jeannette is not good at scary stories either.

Okay!This could work!

'Hey, Loretta. Don't try to scare the manager!Don't do anything to scare the manager, who should be the most respected person in this store!

'...... Yashiro. Just because you're scared, don't you blame it on Ginette-chan?

Hahaha, what are you saying, Estella?

Do you think I'm scared of you?

Ghosts are nothing more than dead flowers, the misconceptions of the sleepyheaded, and the make-believe stories of a few stinky self-proclaimed psychics to make money.

'Oh my God!Why isn't anyone listening to me?I want to talk!

I don't care if you want to talk or not, I don't want to hear anything!

Read the atmosphere!You know what I mean!

'Well, well, there's something lively going on, that there is.

'Oh, Mr. Bekko. Hello.'

When Beckko arrived at the store, Jeannette immediately went to serve him.

After greeting Ginette lightly, Becko came to me immediately.

'I heard that, Mr. Yashiro. I hear you're planning to do something interesting.

'Oh, I didn't tell you about it. I thought it wouldn't be a problem to report it after the fact.'

'It's okay to think that, that it is, but it's a bit of a shock when you say it to my face, that it is!

'Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just wondering if it's okay to treat you roughly.

'No, that's why!I've just told you, that it's fine if you think that, that it's ......!

'Oh, yes, yes. Give me a lot of candles.

'Even the way you ask has become careless, that it has!No, if Mr. Yashiro asks, I'm more than willing to provide it, though!

Okay, okay. We've got the candles now.

'Imelda was complaining about the dark. If possible, I'd like to keep candles on that street. Like lanterns instead of outside lights.

That way, the street would be a little brighter.

'No, you can't do that all the time, that you can't. We'll run out of candles, that we will.

'......What?

No, because you ......

'You said there's a glut!

'There are plenty, that there are, but if you use them every night, they will run out soon, that they will!'That street' is the planned street that Mr. Yashiro is talking about, isn't it?If you set them up all over that distance, they will be out of stock in a few months, that they are!

...... Ma, are you serious?

I'm sure you'll be able to get a lot of beeswax every day from the vegetable crops at Mo-Mat's place. .................. ...... That's not good. I was going to convince Imelda that it's not dark because of the candles. I was going to convince Imelda that it wasn't dark because of the candles. ............

'But I can prepare enough to make the festival day grand, that I can. I'll let everyone enjoy the beautiful candlelight as much as possible, that I will.

............Only on festival days. ............... ...So, do you want to make it more flashy than it needs to be, get them excited, and get them to agree to the location of the branch on the spur of the moment?'See how bright it is? That's all I'm going to focus on. ............ They're probably only focused on the immediate glamour anyway, so I'll see if I can push through with that. ...... Yes, it's possible. I'm sure you'll be fine.

...... Oh, speaking of stupid girls...

'Hey, a**h*le girl.

'It's terrible, Yashiro-san!

'Who's the idiot girl?

'Big brother, you're out of line!

Oh, ......, there are three people who are aware of .......

'Let's see, ...... Ginette.'

'So it's me after all?I'm not sure what to do.

'Oh, ...... it wasn't me, was it?

'I was mistaken. I was wrong. I made a mistake.

The two idiot girls were relieved.

'As Bekko just said, on the day of the festival, we're going to light up the place with a lot of candles.

'Yes. I'm looking forward to it.

'But, as Bekko said earlier, we don't have an endless supply of candles.'

'That's true. You have to use them carefully.'

'That's what Bekko said. ......'

'Isn't Mr. Yashiro ...... trying to force something on me, that he is?

I'm not sure what you mean.

You should just shut up and say 'yes, that Mr. Yashiro is right, that he is right'.

............ You can't say that if you keep quiet!He is a contradictory man, that he is.

'Becko, you're mistaken. It's in your mind.'

'Is it, that it is?I have a bad feeling about this, that I do. ......'

'"I have a bad feeling"?

'Yes, ...... Ah, um, um. Yes, that it is.'

'I have a bad feeling even though I've been told I'm mistaken'?

'Yes, how .......'

'I don't know what it is, but I have a bad feeling about it, don't I?

'............, what is this feeling, that it is?

'Kyupin!Mr. Goshimaru!Do you have a bad feeling about this?

Yes!You've been caught by the Loretta sensor, Bekko!

So, you're a sacrifice. Go talk to Loretta for a while.

'Sasasasas!Gosuzaru-san!

'Noooo!Mr. Loretta?What is it, that you do, all of a sudden?

'Speaking of bad vibes, ...... there's this story: ............ Actually, there was a woman who, in the middle of the night... ...'

Okay, while we're at it.

'Ginette, there's a ghost story going on over there, let's move over.

'Yes, yes. I see. I'm not very good at scary stories.'

And so, leaving Loretta and Becko behind, we moved from our seats.

'So, to continue where we left off...'

'Yes.

I sit back down in the seat away from him and talk to Ginette, who sits across from me.

Estella, who sits next to Jeannette, gives me a suspicious look, but I leave her alone for now.

'The candle is precious. We can't let them go to waste.'

'Yes, sir. I think so.'

'And if there are things that have been wasted, reusing them is an excellent strategy that is both environmentally friendly and kind to the pockets of the impoverished lords of the forty-two districts, in my opinion.

'......, yes?What does ............ mean?

'Melt down my wax statue and recycle it into a candle for the festival.

'Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

He stood up and exclaimed, 'Ginette!

...... No, not so much?

'......bi,I was surprised, that I was surprised. ......'

'The manager ...... screamed at the perfect time ............ and I was surprised too... ...'

There seems to be some secondary damage going on over there, but it doesn't matter now.

'Calm down, Jeannette. That statue originally belonged to Bekko. It's in storage here for now, but if he needs it, he'll have to return it.'

'So ............ that's it, isn't it,............ I can't ...... believe I'm melting it down. ......'

Ginette slumps back in her chair as if she has lost her mind.

It's all burned up white.

'You're so ...... cute. ............'

That's the part I still don't understand. ......

'This is also to make the festival more exciting and enjoyable for everyone in the forty-two districts. If we monopolize the precious wax for our own personal reasons,......, that's not quite right, I think.

'............Yes, that's right.'

'Hey, Jeannette. It's true that things hold memories. I know you cherish that wax statue. ............ But you know, there are days when everyone in the 42nd district can laugh from the bottom of their hearts, even if it's only for a day. Isn't that a wonderful thing?'

'............ I think it's ............ very, very wonderful.'

'Well, for the sake of everyone's smiles, ............ let's do our part. See?

'.................. Yes. I understand.'

'I knew that Jeannette would understand me.

'...... Hey, Yashiro. How long are you going to keep talking in that weird way?

Estella is staring at me.

Don't look at me like that.

Now that Jeannette has convinced me.

Just as I'm about to whistle cheerfully to cover it up, Estella stands up and walks around next to me.

In her ear, she utters a slightly prickly voice.

'In short, you just wanted to dispose of your wax statue with a good reason, didn't you?

Ha-ha-ha. What are you talking about, Estella?

It's obvious!

There are twenty-seven wax statues in the courtyard that look uncomfortably like me.

I used to get depressed every time I walked through the courtyard. Recently, the chickens I keep in the courtyard have stopped crowing in the morning. Must be the stress from the wax statues. It must be.

The only way to get rid of such an abomination is to get rid of it quickly!

'Well, I'll have Magda bring it in today.

'Speaking of which, where's Magda?I haven't seen him today.'

'He's been selling popcorn at .......'

'Oh no!

Startled by Magda's well-timed appearance behind her, Estella let out a strange cry.

'......E,Estella's ............ scream, also with perfect timing,......, made me think my heart would stop. I thought my heart was going to stop, that I did. ......'

'Wow, are you doing this on purpose? ......We're all doing it ......'

Once again, there seemed to be secondary damage on the other side of the table. ...... Of course, I ignored it.

'......We've heard the stories. Carry the wax statue out.'

'How long have you been here, man?

'...... When Yashiro was saying, "I can't compete without Magda."'

It's not right. The phrase doesn't seem to exist in my brain's memory.

This guy is difficult to deal with because he makes gags with a straight face.

'...... I like that the courtyard is getting bigger. It's ............ a bit of a shame, though.

............ It's a gag, too, isn't it?

'So, Becko!You can take that wax statue home and remake it into a candle.

I'm not sure what to do.I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.

'...... Magda will help you.'

'Oh, that's a shame. Then, let's get started.

'Oh ............, there's a black shadow ......'

'Aaaaah!

'Pukusukusu!Your face is too funny, Mr. Gozaru!

What are they playing at, those guys?

Well, whatever it is, they've successfully solved one of my problems.

Good.

'Yashiro......'

Satisfied, Estella pokes me in the side of the head and jerks her chin.

The next thing I know, I'm standing in front of a dented Jeannette.

'............ There's no way around it,............ I know it in my head. ............But ............'.

Oh, ...... you are more depressed than you imagine.

'What,......, Ginette?

'......I was selfish, wasn't I? It's not like I was given it in the first place. ...... I just got attached to it on my own. ............'

I can't find any words to say. ......

'...... What are you going to do?

'......What are you going to do?'

'......You're not just going to leave it like this, are you?

'......You want me to do something about it?'

'......The festival will make everyone in the forty-two districts smile from the bottom of their hearts, right?You said so yourself.

'............All right.'

Well, I don't like it when Jeannette's not feeling well, either.

.................. Oh, no, you're not. It's just a matter of operating profit, right?If the air in the cafeteria becomes heavy, it will be felt by the customers, so there is a risk of losing customers,......, that is,.............

I'm not sure what to say.

Who am I making excuses to?

You don't have a problem with that, do you?

............ I really didn't want to use this one. ...... If I could, I would have kept it out of sight and away from people. ............ can't help it.

'Ginette.

'............ Yes?'

'I made this ............ thing to replace that wax statue, whether it will work or not.

I take out the 'secret weapon to fix Jeannette's mood in one shot' from my bag hanging on my waist.

I carried it around with me, ready for a day like this to come.

'Wow, ......!

The moment she saw it. Ginette's big eyes began to sparkle.

'It's .................. so cute!

She then gazed intently at the object on the table, which was about ten centimeters high.

He crouched down, put his hands on the table and stared at it as if he were looking into it.

'It's little Yashiro!

'...... Isn't your head a little too big?'

'It's a deformed size of 2.5 heads.'

'It's cute!The big head, the small body, ...... they're all cute!

Finally, he picked up the figure and looked at it from various angles.

They are imitations of the 2.5 head figures that were produced in Japan in various forms. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be making my own ............ figures, though. ......... ...and the shame of me having to carry it around with me day in and day out. ......

'I want a ...... Magda too.'

'Hmm?There's also Magda's.'

'......?

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that Magda's ears perked up. Magda's ears perked up and her tail extended. '?

'...... Are you that happy?

'Here's a two-and-a-half-head version of Magda.

I take Magda's figure out of my bag. I'm pretty sure it's cute.

'............ That's not what I meant.'

What?Magda's ears and tail are now hanging down like 'Tere Tere Dawn ......'.

Didn't you like it?

'...... but cute'.

I don't think so.

I don't understand him.

'Maybe you guys have some for me?

Ginette asks, looking like she's about to start dancing.

'Ah. I've made the ones for the people closest to me.'

As I said this, I took out the figures of Estella and Loretta from Jeannette and placed them on the table.

'They're so cute!

Jeannette began to dance.

...... She really started dancing.

'Now, you won't be lonely anymore, will you?

'Yes!Thank you, Yashiro-san!

'You can hang it in your room.

'I'll hang it in the dining room.

'Put it up in your room, okay?

'Yes, I'll put it up in the ...... room.'

I can't let the public see this f*cking embarrassment.

'I'll get a set for ...... Magda.'

'I think I'd like one too.'

'Hey, bro!I want one too!

'No, it's too much work!How long do you think it took me to make this?

'...... won't carry the wax statue then.'

'That's right. We can just put them in a row on the street where the festival is held.

'And while we're at it, I'm going to tell them a very scary story by their bedside.

'Are you guys demons?

I've got a lot of work to do!

I don't have time to make this stuff. ............

'That's right!Becko, can you copy this?'

'It's a small price to pay, that it is!

'...... Good job.'

'I'll give you a compliment.

'Great job, that you did!

'Oh, ......, we've all been praised from above, that .......'

Well, whatever the case, I'm glad Ginette's mood has improved.

While the three girls were giving Becko detailed orders for this and that, Jeannette was holding her own figure and mine in her hands, looking at them lovingly.

'Do you like it?

'Yes. Very much.'

She smiles happily.

This makes all the hard work that took days to complete worthwhile.

Since it's a good opportunity, I'll give you the best information.

'That figure of Jeannette.

'Yes'.

'Even the inside of her skirt has been reproduced properly, so you can enjoy peeking at her pants.

'What are you doing?

'I've made sure that the pants are scantily-clad competition pants!

'd*mn it!Please repent!

Ginette's voice echoed, and the city fell silent.