Leaden-gray clouds covered the sky, and the rain gradually subsided and turned into a damp fog, except for the occasional thunder rolling among the clouds above.

In any way, Antgawa City is a city that is connected to water, and the city's signature scenery is the heavy rain that rains all year round.

In the evening, eight o'clock.

A tall and thin young man walked down the road, carrying a plastic bag in his hand, and walked out of the crooked lights of the drugstore, the shadow under him crookedly, and stepped on the crooked stairs.

"A twisted man, walked a twisted path ~ holding a twisted sixpence in his hand and stepping on the twisted steps ~"

Soft and delicate, reminiscent of the melodious voice of a nightingale bird singing a strange nursery rhyme.

Stepping into the fading sound of the rain, Rosetta returned to her apartment, pushed open the unlocked door, and entered the crooked cabin.

Click, click, click.

He opened the bottle and swallowed it heavily, aided by the cold tea, until everything in his perception gradually became more and more regular, and he felt a slight sense of calmness.

Diazepam, which is a BDZ anti-anxiety drug, has sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant and other effects, and is also the most frequently used diazepam drug in clinical practice.

Generally speaking, this prescription drug requires only a small tablet and can work quickly in half an hour, bringing a good night's sleep.

But about an hour later, after taking the obvious overdose of tranquilizers, Rosetta lay on the couch and took down the book covering her face to block the light, but there was still no sleepiness in her eyes.

- The effectiveness of the medicine is getting worse and worse.

He tilted his head and closed his eyes, but he could still see.

Seeing the pale blue sky that was completely different from the lead-gray iron curtain of this world, and recalling the memories of another man who was also named 'Rosetta', which was completely different from his life for more than 20 years.

It's as if an unknown force has glued the two parallel lines together, allowing the memory of 'Rosetta' to revive on another Rosetta's body.

With this memory contrast that may be from a 'parallel world', Rosetta has discovered from a very early age that these two different worlds have all kinds of similarities and strange and absurd deviations.

The similarities are that the two worlds are also dominated by 'humans' as the primates, dominated by 'humans', with four ancient civilizations, and have developed almost identical science and technology.

The discrepancy is that there really exist in this world with some 'anomalous' powers, and the intervention of these beings has caused the history of this world to develop completely differently from a certain point.

Therefore, the more she studies the history and folklore of this world, the more Rosetta becomes aware of the many absurdities and strangeness of this world.

Knowing more, he chose to carefully control his mouth to avoid his secrets from being known to outsiders, and at the same time gradually showed interest in this area, and chose a relevant major, so as not to be doubted in the future, and there are good reasons to explain.

Although he chose folklore to cover up his anomaly at first, in a world where history contains many mysterious shadows, how could Rosetta not be curious about the unknown in those folklore weird tales?

It's as if those anomalous things have some kind of invisible gravitational pull on him.

Upon perceiving these unknown existences, Rosetta's mind was already immersed in it, and he chased after the remnants of the anomalous existence, like a wild dog chasing raw meat, and a madman chasing the truth.

When Reiko Arakawa appeared in front of him with a photocopy of the document, his 'feeling' told him that he needed to get moving.

Since, in both true and practical terms, this job as a 'consultant' can bring him a good 'reward', then in comparison, some of the most accessible time and money, that is, the most completely uncaring things.

In the apartment, the sound of crackling rain is accompanied by the sound of jazz music on the record player.

It's still a night of losing sleep.

After the sleeping pills wore off, Rosetta had become accustomed to the anomalies that had appeared in him in recent years.

-

In the blink of an eye.

It's been a few days since I first met Reiko Arakawa.

During this period, he successfully negotiated the remuneration with the people of the TV station, and learned that the expected filming location of the first episode of the show was actually chosen in this Antchuan City.

I have to say that this is also a small coincidence, no wonder Reiko Arakawa will find herself as soon as possible.

Tick toot.

At this moment, Rosetta was in hand, and the phone suddenly vibrate, and the person from the letter above showed that it was Reiko Arakawa.

[Are you free, I heard that there is a good restaurant in Fushimi Ward, how about meeting there tomorrow?] ”】

Seeing that the other party also left a specific time and address in the text message, Rosetta quickly replied with a brief "Okay." ”

-

After another heavy rain, Antgawa City ushered in a sunny day, and although the hot and humid environment was unpleasant, it was still somewhat good weather.

Just like the name of the city.

The roads of Antgawa City are indeed as intricate as an ant nest built on the ground.

Legend among the older generations of the city has that some of the trails that can no longer be found on the map lead to the abandoned subway system built before the shogunate.

Of course, legends are legends because there are no living people who can actually prove their existence.

And Rosetta was late. The reason is actually very simple, not because he has encountered some urban legends, but just because the location of the restaurant that Reiko Arakawa chose to meet is too remote, close to the suburbs of the city, so it took him a lot of effort to find it.

I don't know why she chose this place......

With such a thought swirling in her heart, Rosetta pushed open the door, felt the heat rush to her face, and saw that Reiko Arakawa was smiling and waving to her by the window.

It seems that because this meeting has little to do with business, today she didn't wear the women's suit last time, but changed into a regular dress, wearing a pure white turtleneck, and her temperament has become much softer.

"The film crew hasn't arrived yet, and there are still a few days before the official shooting of the show, so Mr. Luo, you don't need to keep a cold face all the time."

Holding the steaming teacup in both hands, Reiko Arakawa exhaled softly and glanced at him casually.

Rosetta replied, "I'm just used to it." ”

"Don't say these words, although it's true that I'm looking for you here today, but let's talk about these things after eating." Reiko Arakawa handed over the menu, blinked her eyes, and said with a smile, "Anyway, it can be reimbursed at public expense." ”

It can be reimbursed at public expense.

Rosetta took the menu, looked up at Reiko Arakawa, and after hearing this, nodded silently, and dispelled the idea of saving the other party some money.

The clear melody swirled.

Through the white gas steaming from the coffee cup, Reiko Arakawa looked at Rosetta.

If Rosetta gave her first impression was an untouchable coldness.

Then, after starting to serve, when he stacked the first plate on the 'mountain' on the side, Reiko Arakawa was not 'surprised' by the change from cold to hot, but felt deeply "grotesque".

Snort.

The silver knife cuts through the steak and squeezes it slightly, and the enticing aroma of fat and gravy are squeezed out under the burnt brown layer caused by the Maillard reaction.

The doneness of the barbecue is just five medium rare.

Rosetta cut off a small piece and put it in his mouth, and with a slow but firm chew, he quickly eliminated a slow-roasted steak large enough for two people to eat, and the remaining empty plate became one of the proofs of his 'achievements' on the side.

He lowered his head and picked up his teacup.

In the rippling water, I clearly saw my own reflection, and the gray light in my eyes that was like cold iron at the moment.

I don't know why, but it suddenly occurred to him that if some negative things are also called 'abnormal', then the strange symptoms of insomnia and binge eating, which have become more and more severe in him over the years, are the closest 'abnormalities' to him?

For a moment, an absurd thought crossed Rosetta's mind

Feeling that his body was about seven points full, he nodded silently to Reiko Arakawa, who hadn't eaten much at all.

Seeing that his expression had not changed at all, the corners of Reiko Arakawa's mouth twitched, and she couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Luo, do you like the dishes made in this restaurant very much?" ”

“…… Not really. ”

Rosetta was silent for a moment, touched her belly, which didn't rise and fall at all, and said, "It's just that I'm really a little hungry today." ”

- You call it 'a little'?

Looking at the 'battle record' stacked high on the other party's table, Reiko Arakawa forcibly restrained a certain desire to complain, coughed lightly, and said, "Speaking of which, since Mr. Luo lives in Antgawa City, there should be a legend called 'Seven People Jizo'." ”

As a folklorist, Rosetta is certainly no stranger to the strange tales and legends that circulate in the land where he lives, and as soon as Reiko Arakawa mentioned it, he quickly searched his mind for information about the strange tale of the 'Seven Jizo'.

Roughly speaking, this strange story tells that during the Edo period, a famous Buddhist carver spent more than ten years carving eight Jizo Bodhisattva statues with the theme of "Eight Sufferings" to donate to a local temple in order to prove his devotion to the Buddha.

Because some monks in the temple were greedy for money, one of the eight Jizo Bodhisattva statues was stolen and sold to Kyoto.

Since then, every night, it is said that seven handsome monks dressed in moon-white robes will appear on the streets of Kyoto, with the shoulder of the former person and the hand of the latter person, and if someone encounters them and has a lust for money, they will put their hands on each other's shoulders and turn him into a non-existent 'Eighth Jizo Stone Statue' until he finds his own stand-in......

"This strange talk of the seven Jizo, I know it's true, but it has something to do with the reason why you came to me this time?"

Rosetta was puzzled at first, and then quickly reacted and linked the two things together: "The TV station plans to use this strange story as the first episode of the show?" ”

"Well, that's pretty much it."

Reiko Arakawa let out a breath, and then said, "Because this is also half a business, so I will call you Mr. Luo over today." ”

"However, your guess is wrong, that is, to be more precise, what the program team is going to shoot is the strange story of 'Seven People Jizo', which is spread after it is circulated."