沁涼的朝霧之間,線香的氣味瀰漫。226Please respect copyright.PENANAQozy4Hx02z
226Please respect copyright.PENANA4Xa75hfrGI
市立殯儀館的二樓,照亮走道間的冷色系燈光稍嫌昏暗,一出電梯便會看見一面牆,牆上掛著一幅巨大的油畫。畫中描繪著從飛機窗口眺望也難得一見的高空美景,毫無遮蔽的陽光照亮湛藍的天空與細緻濃密的潔白雲山,畫中的世界令人心情平靜……雖然到這裡的人應該都沒有觀賞畫作的雅興。226Please respect copyright.PENANAi37EdwSCfE
226Please respect copyright.PENANAi5gmCzqMaM
走過素雅的電梯口,往西北方前進十多步,便會看見簡單而隆重的指標架。來人能以禮廳的名稱找到親友舉辦告別儀式的會場,而這一樓只有一個廳所。沿著指標,走道接近半中央的禮堂大門前,擺設了葬儀社準備的花籃。226Please respect copyright.PENANATdQEAPh8lO
226Please respect copyright.PENANARshiAFvjYV
一進門就能看見白色菊花所設置的靈堂。潔白的花瓣中央,擺著一名少女的遺像。黑色的及肩長髮、蒼白的皮膚、拍照時或許太過緊張而抿緊的杏色雙唇,以及那雙渾圓的大眼,在充滿希望的青春年華卻顯得空洞而無力。226Please respect copyright.PENANAo789FiUxvE
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbrWK1uvMi9
照片中的女孩就是昨天出現在萬事屋的黑漆漆幽靈。相片顯然是幾年前照的,現在的少女已經將頭髮剪短,稚氣也脫去了幾分。226Please respect copyright.PENANAL2lSy659wH
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「請問您是……」226Please respect copyright.PENANAt5xoEEfzwI
226Please respect copyright.PENANAFn54hw5IW8
絳雉回過神來,往身旁鋪著白色桌巾的桌子看去。收取奠儀的桌子擺放在大門內側。問話的人是個年紀與萌理佳相差不遠的女孩,她眨著困惑的雙眼從桌後站起身,全黑的洋裝款式看起來隆重卻稍嫌成熟。226Please respect copyright.PENANAk6GKM9QsIl
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtFhHl4WgcF
一旁也有幾個身穿素衣或西裝,看起來也是來悼念的人進進出出。以年輕女孩的葬禮而言,這個葬禮相當冷清,此刻卻沒有人注意到站在桌前的絳雉,唯一意識到他存在的只有女孩。226Please respect copyright.PENANAa2pIarCEQu
226Please respect copyright.PENANAZpdcABmlCL
「我是依佳的朋友,我來捻香。」226Please respect copyright.PENANAxNC2qTibbR
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「堂姐的……朋友?」女孩似乎感到奇怪。226Please respect copyright.PENANAw9nxqqlejy
226Please respect copyright.PENANAAcKZiyAKz3
「有什麼不對嗎?」絳雉從口袋取出奠儀,逕自放到女孩面前,接著簽下當然不可能存在的朋友姓名。226Please respect copyright.PENANAjJJUKfkaq5
226Please respect copyright.PENANATXmr9wrClS
「啊……這個名字,我有印象。」女孩的眼神有一度變得迷茫,接著朝絳雉露出微笑。226Please respect copyright.PENANAvO1YQTpF2P
226Please respect copyright.PENANAHiFFYork3z
絳雉移往靈堂前,煞有其事地做完祭拜,眼角往坐在一邊的長者瞥去。226Please respect copyright.PENANAUYq5JFh9fy
226Please respect copyright.PENANAwoumRNZUbi
不知是否受到太大的打擊,萌理佳的父母呆若木雞,雙眼間浮現的情緒與其說是哀傷,不如說是疲憊與極力壓下的沉悶。他們就像兩尊應該擺在那個位置上的木偶,偶爾以怨懟的目光掃視靈堂上的少女遺照,然後很快地收回視線……這兩人的狀態很好察覺,與痛失愛女的反應有些類似、卻不盡相同,散發出既違和又突兀的詭異氣場。如是顯而易見的詭譎對絳雉而言,彷彿蜻蜓點水的打量,便足以看透。226Please respect copyright.PENANA1uOrZG1ZQD
226Please respect copyright.PENANAYLSv5CZ6h3
「真可憐哪……十年前是兒子吧?現在連女兒也……」226Please respect copyright.PENANAAqDSBqHDSh
226Please respect copyright.PENANArQsClqP4lx
「看看他們都傷心的哭不出來了……」226Please respect copyright.PENANAddSj1w78LV
226Please respect copyright.PENANAivkPWBWMSy
「白髮人送黑髮人,真是悽慘……」226Please respect copyright.PENANAC4uIKo6btv
226Please respect copyright.PENANAuZJDVBxe75
細小的閒言閒語絳雉倒是一句都沒抓漏。226Please respect copyright.PENANAOnsYw8fsx5
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtJEWcVz49P
「能夠跟悠佳哥團聚,堂姐應該也很開心吧。」女孩為了盡地主之誼,一直都站在絳雉身後。從坐在長桌後方看來,接待親友的工作應該是由她代勞。226Please respect copyright.PENANADeORWEyHay
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居然讓一個小女孩負責這麼重要的工作……226Please respect copyright.PENANATppvKapcgo
226Please respect copyright.PENANAztxyRxERHx
「因為家族中,堂姐跟我感情最好啊!」女孩溫柔地說,「就算她之後變得足不出戶,我們的聯絡也從沒斷過。第一個發現堂姐忽然沒有消息的似乎也是我……啊,我叫小路。」226Please respect copyright.PENANAU6TKdrKX8e
226Please respect copyright.PENANAR6oYGSztXM
原來如此。所以她才能注意到絳雉。226Please respect copyright.PENANAyIy4ehzeik
226Please respect copyright.PENANAFzAOfArXMI
跟民俗上所說的八字輕或靈能力無關,而是萬事屋的二人都能做到的隱身術。這種隱身術並非實質上的隱形,就像是篩選情報來源的濾網,僅是選擇性地讓委託人親近之人注意到自己,進而調查想要知道的情報的法術。226Please respect copyright.PENANAH1POuK1Byz
226Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZNVNVMye6
其他閒雜人等自然而然就被濾網排除在外。即便看到了萬事屋的二人,也不會留下任何印象。226Please respect copyright.PENANABijCtwwmwe
226Please respect copyright.PENANAJJdv7DhMUp
「有些遺憾呢……」絳雉以柔和的眼神望著遺照中表情僵硬的少女。226Please respect copyright.PENANAX4jhpVhZ08
226Please respect copyright.PENANAPCe8Xy4Erw
小路看了看他,接著將視線緩緩移開,一同落在那稱不上美好的照片上。226Please respect copyright.PENANA8R9UUtRHtQ
226Please respect copyright.PENANA2UFlbm3EOm
「……就是說啊。」少年的神情似乎觸動了心底的什麼,她不禁哽咽。226Please respect copyright.PENANA7ctmS6yucA
226Please respect copyright.PENANA2upFWMLeXn
絳雉回過頭去。眼底閃過一絲凡人難以察覺的冷冽寒光。226Please respect copyright.PENANA6FNPRSpwXo
226Please respect copyright.PENANAMT4juAWHuE
「雖然很冒昧,但可以請妳告訴我,更多關於依佳的事嗎?」226Please respect copyright.PENANA3qZV8aG88u
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtl2fZFF9GC
*226Please respect copyright.PENANAveTbkx0h66
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玄鶚正站在教學大樓二樓的西北方一座女兒牆前。從一樓直通五層樓的天井之間灑落的刺目陽光,使未開燈的這一側顯得幽暗,相較之下,燈火通明的辦公室內則連牆上的時鐘刻度都看得一清二楚。226Please respect copyright.PENANAbiiD2w0Xmj
226Please respect copyright.PENANAi38ccy2c5X
那個溫文儒雅的男人染著的灰髮在屏風辦公桌後方,專注的盯著電腦螢幕,半個小時都沒有移動。226Please respect copyright.PENANAQjgjjTrRU2
226Please respect copyright.PENANAgQBuPGMyS3
半小時前,玄鶚與對方攀談過。男人雖然覺得奇怪,卻也耐心的陪他聊了一會兒。226Please respect copyright.PENANAzAouQNicsC
226Please respect copyright.PENANAVXdE73NXgA
或許以為玄鶚是正在考慮是否報考這所學校的高中學生,男人盡可能以口頭詳盡的為他介紹了學校裡的公用設施與圖書館的藏書分類。有些聰明的孩子確實比較奇怪,也比較活在自己的思維裡,也許是見多了這樣的怪事,男人對玄鶚在廁所外面向他攀談這點並沒有產生多餘的懷疑。226Please respect copyright.PENANAg4LZ9dhXnh
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbLlpCk0C9n
「第一次考大學真的很緊張吧!適度的壓力能夠使人進步,但也要記得多活動筋骨,別被學業壓壞了。加油!」男人微笑著。226Please respect copyright.PENANADPI2NzkPlM
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbQQoF8Aqqe
玄鶚在短短的幾分鐘內稍微放寬了心。至少會露出那種笑容的人不會是什麼壞人,纏繞其周圍的氣場也相當澄淨。226Please respect copyright.PENANAXeuUPTnZiz
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之後,他決定躲在一邊,以旁觀者的角度觀察一下這個男人。因此就這樣站了三十分鐘。226Please respect copyright.PENANA4H5xx0VWFh
226Please respect copyright.PENANA3qnX34Yc0V
絳雉無聲無息地從身後的黑暗當中浮出。226Please respect copyright.PENANABQzbcMqjXW
226Please respect copyright.PENANABbD680yGV0
他將下巴枕在玄鶚肩膀上,彷若背後靈一樣貼近,陰森森地說道:「……或是偷窺狂。」226Please respect copyright.PENANA0IcmoBPDQG
226Please respect copyright.PENANASbsxcKNYLR
「要不是早感覺到你的氣息,我真的會被嚇死!」玄鶚像是要抖落髒東西一樣抖著絳雉在的那一側肩膀,一邊發出抱怨。226Please respect copyright.PENANAwFUtKZRozM
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「調查終止。」絳雉輕巧地閃避撞過來的骨關節。226Please respect copyright.PENANA4uKrsEwqtl
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「咦?咦!為啥?」226Please respect copyright.PENANAEV9kkOisnb
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絳雉塞了一張照片到同伴懷裡,接著繞過他,兀自朝東側往下的樓梯走去。226Please respect copyright.PENANAxBkPFWPg6O
226Please respect copyright.PENANAwrlqAXVCLc
照片已經有些泛黃,上面有兩個孩子。一男一女,男生比較大,兩人的五官有點相像。他們站在一處兒童遊戲區的球池邊拍下這張照片。226Please respect copyright.PENANAp7Uq6GFZAx
226Please respect copyright.PENANAilmSYhvKOR
男孩露出超齡的溫柔笑靨,手中牽著年紀至少比他小二歲的可愛女孩。226Please respect copyright.PENANAYxTh1PHaNf
226Please respect copyright.PENANAYWlFIaKCWo
「……這是什麼?」玄鶚踏過絳雉的足跡,與他並肩而行。226Please respect copyright.PENANA6wSQYyTZvF
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「那個男孩,是活在她心底的『夏目』本人。」226Please respect copyright.PENANA6gVqJ1tDWT
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*226Please respect copyright.PENANAAI17Lx2nk2