Chapter Thirty-Three: Su Yu Bookstore

Six o’clock in the afternoon.

After school at Jingtai Academy, the girls strode purposefully toward the legendary bookstore. Amidst a crowd of giggling, excited girls, Manami Mizuhara, who had been absorbed in browsing online forums on her phone, appeared somewhat listless.

“Hey, Mana, how handsome do you think the bookstore manager will be?”

Ryoko Okuyama, dressed in a trendy gyaru style, grabbed Manami’s hand, voicing her own anticipation. Ryoko was Manami’s childhood friend; they had been neighbors since they were little.

Though their interests had diverged as they grew older, their shared childhood memories kept their friendship alive. In truth, that was mostly because Manami, with her passion for ghosts, spirits, aliens, urban legends, and her love for reading mysterious accounts and detective novels, tended to be a loner at school. Apart from Ryoko, few people befriended her.

Ryoko, on the other hand, was outgoing and energetic, thriving in all sorts of social settings. Attractive and popular, she had already dated three boys back in elementary school—and now that she was in high school, her popularity only grew.

Lost in recollections, Manami responded to Ryoko’s question with her usual deadpan gaze:

“Handsome or not, it doesn’t matter… It’s all the same to me. As long as you’re happy, Ryoko.”

“How can you say that? Today’s all about checking out his looks! By the way, Mana, why are you calling me by my real name again? I’ve told you before, call me Lucia!”

Ryoko pouted with displeasure.

Perhaps she found “Ryoko” too plain, so from the second year of junior high, she insisted her friends call her “Lucia”—a foreign name written in katakana, which she thought sounded stylish.

To Manami, however, “Lucia” and “Ryoko” were equally common, run-of-the-mill names.

“Alright, alright, Lucia…”

Manami replied helplessly.

“But why bother going just to see his face? The rumor’s all over school already. There should be photos of him online, right? Wouldn’t it be easier just to look at those?”

Ryoko shook her head like a rattle.

“Mana, you’re too naïve. With today’s advanced photo-editing, you can turn a middle-aged comedian into a Johnny’s idol. And with AI improving so quickly, even videos can be faked. Plus, the manager supposedly hates having his picture taken, so the only photos online are profile shots or from behind—you can’t see anything clearly.”

“I see…”

Manami nodded as if enlightened.

In truth, she wasn’t interested at all.

But since this was Ryoko’s—no, Lucia’s—invitation, she simply scrolled through her favorite paranormal forums while accompanying her friend to the bookstore.

“Look, Mana, there it is! The bookstore!”

Ryoko shook her arm excitedly, and Manami followed her pointing finger—

“Sugu Bookstore”

The name, written in Chinese characters, stood out boldly on the sign.

…

“Hiss…”

As Manami walked into the bookstore alongside Ryoko, she distinctly heard Ryoko’s suppressed gasp the instant their feet crossed the threshold.

Turning to look, she saw Ryoko’s eyes had transformed into hearts.

“Well, well… Mana, isn’t the manager handsome! Truly more captivating than anyone in Johnny’s—”

“Uh…”

Manami looked in the direction of Ryoko’s gaze. Behind the counter sat a young man, seemingly resting with his eyes closed.

That must be the manager of “Sugu Bookstore.”

How to describe it…

Though Manami always claimed not to care about men’s looks, she couldn’t help but be surprised when she saw the young man’s face.

—Judging by the contours of his face and the proportions of his features, he wasn’t the androgynous, delicate type.

Yet, his features together gave him an indescribably natural charm, and his skin appeared remarkably smooth. He possessed a kind of pure, striking beauty.

“This aura… it’s like ‘Umotaru-no-Kami’ from the Kojiki…”

Familiar with all manner of myths and tales, Manami subconsciously compared the young man before her to a deity from ancient legend.

But while she was still musing, Ryoko had already dragged her by the hand to the young man.

“Manager-san…”

Ryoko’s smile became alluring and gentle. Seeing that expression, Manami knew her childhood friend had fallen hard this time.

She glanced around the store, noticing the many eyes fixed on them. From the bookshelves, from the chairs at the tables, more than a dozen girls of varied appearance, all holding books, watched Manami and Ryoko with a mix of shock and anger.

“These girls… are they all drawn here by the manager?”

A shiver ran through Manami, and she tugged Ryoko’s hand, wanting to warn her, but Ryoko paid no heed, continuing her flirtatious conversation with the young man.

“Manager-san, manager-san—”

“Are you here to buy books?”

The young man opened his eyes, his expression unreadable.

“Nope! We came specifically to see you, manager-san… We heard you’re ultra handsome! You’re even better than we imagined—totally making my heart go dokidoki!”

Manami wanted to cover her face; Ryoko’s shameless words made her cheeks burn.

The murderous glares from the other girls in the store only intensified her urge to find a crack in the floor to hide in.

But whether bold or shameless, Ryoko ignored the stares, remaining poised and leaning closer.

“This store only provides book borrowing and purchasing services. Will you be reading or buying?”

The young man’s tone was cold.

Ryoko wasn’t deterred.

“Hey, manager-san, how about I buy some crepes for you? I know a place that’s super delicious—and then we can go sing karaoke together afterward.”

“This store only offers borrowing and purchasing of books. For unrelated matters, please refrain from entering.”

Ryoko, as if deaf to the warning, pressed even closer and scrutinized the name tag on the young man’s chest.

“Hey… I’m Lucia. What’s your name, manager-san? Let’s see, so your name is ‘Xigu’… Se, Gu… Is that how you say it? So you’re from the Dragon Country! That’s wonderful, I love people from the Dragon Country!”

Ryoko covered her mouth in delight, but Manami knew she was lying.

—Just a month ago, this very girl had posted on Instagram, “There are way too many people from the Dragon Country in Shibuya—so it always smells in summer.” And now, barely a month later, she was speaking as if she were an ambassador of goodwill.

Manami was embarrassed even as a bystander, yet Ryoko could shamelessly utter such words without blushing, making the air in Manami’s nostrils feel thick.

The stares grew ever more intense, like lasers sweeping over them.

The manager named “Xigu” remained expressionless, repeating:

“This store only provides book borrowing and purchasing services. For unrelated matters, please refrain from entering.”

“No, please! I want to…”

Ryoko tried one last time.

But at that moment, the other girls finally erupted—

“Hey, where did these trash girls come from? Don’t make such a racket in Lord Xigu’s bookstore!”

“Yeah, don’t tarnish this peaceful sanctuary!”

“You pig! How dare you bring your filthy body near Lord Xigu!”

Faced with the furious crowd, Manami was at a loss, but Ryoko showed no fear, retorting:

“Hmph, a bunch of ugly weirdos! Too insecure to approach the manager and only able to spy on him with a book in hand, yet you mock a beautiful woman like me, who dares to express her feelings openly. You’re the real cowardly pigs!”

“What did you say?!!”

The girls’ anger flared, and they surrounded Ryoko, their argument escalating rapidly. Manami wanted to mediate, but didn’t know how.

The tension grew thicker, neither side willing to back down. As tempers boiled and the threat of a physical confrontation loomed—

“The store only provides book borrowing and purchasing services. Unrelated matters should be resolved outside.”

With the young man’s indifferent voice, Manami suddenly realized her feet had left the floor.

Eh?

Eh, eh, eh?

Not just her—even Ryoko and the other girls had been lifted off their feet and deposited outside the store.

—The young man had grabbed each of them and tossed them all outside!

With a ding, the glass door of “Sugu Bookstore” closed and locked, a “Temporarily Closed” sign placed behind it.

On the street outside, Manami looked at Ryoko. The two of them and the other girls stared at each other, the latter’s anger dissipating. Perhaps the cold wind had sobered them up, leaving them with only disappointment.

“Hmph, because of these pig girls… I ended up making such a fool of myself in front of Lord Xigu.”

“That’s right… Ugh, we’ll have to leave for today.”

The girls rose one by one, trembling like wilted flowers as they left the street where the bookstore stood. Ryoko sneered, but after glancing back at the store, her expression grew somewhat dejected.

“Sigh, he’s a real heartthrob, but so cold—he actually threw us out of the store. Oh well, let’s go, Mana… Hm? Mana?”

After a few calls from Ryoko, Manami finally snapped out of it.

“Ah—ah, ah? Right, let’s go… Lucia.”

“Huh, you actually got it right this time?!”

Faced with Ryoko’s surprised smile, Manami forced a smile herself, taking her friend’s hand as they stood up together.

But as they walked away, Manami glanced back at the bookstore when Ryoko wasn’t looking, recalling what had caught her eye just outside the store.

“That… really makes me curious…”