What are you talking about? [Feature Novel] 33

Entering the Chinese restaurant, he saw a familiar figure, hoodie and headphones... It's you again!
Miyashita shouted in his heart. Then, he whispered to Enomoto, who was next to him.
"That person in the hoodie and headphones sitting over there. It's Refugee No. 1, Makikura."
"What, shall we corner him here? Miyashita, you go first."
"Understood."
As if being ordered around by Enomoto with a nod, he headed toward the four-person table. He tapped Makikura lightly on the shoulder and spoke to him.

"We meet again, Makikura-san."
Makikura stopped his hand, which was eating sweet and sour pork, with a surprised look on his face.
"Miyashita-san, how many times has this been this week?" Makikura laughed, "Ahaha."
How many times this week? That's my line. When we first met, you said it was 2-3 times a week. What kind of 2-3 times is that? This is the 4th day already! Aren't you just living in the back alleys!
Miyashita took a quiet deep breath.
"I wonder how many times it's been. Oh, my senior is with me, is it okay if we share the table? It looks like it's going to be crowded at lunch."
"Oh, yes. That's fine."
Makikura started eating the sweet and sour pork again.

Miyashita called Enomoto to the table. The two sat down opposite Makikura.
"Sorry for the sudden request to share a table, even though we've just met," Enomoto said gently.
"No, it's fine," Makikura bowed his head slightly.
"I've heard about you from Miyashita a few times. Makikura-san, you like back alleys, don't you?"
"Eh, what did you talk about, Miyashita-san?" Makikura looked at Miyashita with a heavy gaze and replied with a smile, "Well, back alleys are fun, so I like them."
"We didn't talk about anything that important," Miyashita also laughed.
Then, as the two were struggling with the menu, Makikura said while eating his sweet and sour pork.
"The one written on the whiteboard on the wall, Eel Black Fried Rice. It's supposed to be delicious."
You're eating sweet and sour pork yourself! Miyashita realized he was about to retort to Makikura's joke. No. I'm being led at his pace.
"If it's 'supposed to be delicious,' that means you haven't eaten it yet, Makikura-san?" Miyashita asked.
"This is my first time here. The boss of Chimimoryo said it was delicious."
Makikura relayed the impression of the fried rice he heard from Konishi.

"Oh, I see. Well then, maybe I'll order that."
Then the two finished their respective orders.
Speaking of the boss of Chimimoryo who came up in the conversation, that's Konishi. Does that mean this place is connected to Konishi? Miyashita felt a sense of dread at Konishi's wide network of connections.
"The boss of Chimimoryo is Konishi-san, right?" Miyashita asked.
"That's right, it's Konishi-san."
Miyashita looked at Enomoto. Enomoto's eyes seemed to be telling him to press for more information.
"What kind of person is Konishi-san?"
"Hmm, what should I say? Someone who is hard to pin down?"
That was certainly true of his articles as well.
"Ah, I get that," Miyashita replied.
"Right? But he's a very compassionate person."
"Oh, is that so? In what way is he compassionate?"
"Well, above all, no matter who uses the phrase 'What are you talking about?', he always picks up on the conversation properly."
A sense of tension ran through Miyashita and the others.
"Is there a reason why everyone uses that 'What are you talking about?'? For example, faith or drugs..."
Makikura made a suspicious face.
"Faith or drugs? What are you talking about?"
As expected. Is he going to play dumb? Or is it really...
"No, I just thought that since everyone started using it, there might be some reason for it," Miyashita put his hand to his chin.

"If I had to say, isn't it because of Konishi-san's efforts and because it's a 'magic phrase'?"
The keyword that appeared in the communication. I didn't expect that word to come up here...
"Efforts? Magic phrase?" Miyashita frowned.
"Yes. He deals with every single person at the tavern 'Chimimoryo', so it's no ordinary effort. And 'What are you talking about?' is incredibly versatile."
"Yamane-sensei said the same thing in his broadcast the other day," Enomoto muttered.
"Oh, did you watch it? Yamane-sensei's broadcast. After all, being recognized by him means Konishi-san is amazing, right?" Makikura said while nodding.
"Do you know why Konishi-san went so far to make the tag popular, Makikura-san?" Miyashita asked.
"No, I don't know the details either. Tomorrow is Monday, so I think the 'What are you talking about Department' communication will come out, so why don't you ask Konishi-san?"
Indeed, the 'What are you talking about Department' communication is published every Monday.
"That's right, maybe I'll do that."
Makikura ate the last of the sweet and sour pork and said as if he had just remembered.
"Oh, wouldn't Mirai Yoshiho and the others know a lot about Konishi-san? They used to hold reading circles with Konishi-san before."
"Yoshiho-san?"
"Yes. She is exhibiting as Yoshiho-do at the Literary Flea Market currently being held on the main street."
"I see. Thank you, Makikura-san. Oh, you've told me a lot, so this is on me."
Miyashita said this and picked up Makikura's receipt.
"Oh, are you sure? Well then, I'll take you up on your offer. Thank you for the meal."
Makikura left the shop happily.
"Mirai Yoshiho of Yoshiho-do. Shall we try to contact her this afternoon?" Miyashita asked.
"Yeah, that would be best."
The two savored the eel black fried rice and shoveled the last of it into their mouths.

*

"It's quite spacious, isn't it?" Miyashita looked around.
"Hey, don't go wandering off on your own again," Enomoto warned.
The Literary Flea Market is being held on the main street. As expected, since this city is centered on writing, the scale is large.
The two held the booth guide pamphlet and aimed for Yoshiho-do.

"Oh, Enomoto-san, isn't that it over there?"
Miyashita pointed to a booth with a yellow poster displayed a little distance away.
"Looks like it."
"There are two people there. Are they doing it together?"
"It's an event of this scale. It must be hard for one person."
Enomoto and the others arrived at the 'Yoshiho-do' booth, where books were lined up.
Two women greeted them with smiles, as if to welcome them.
One woman had a bob cut that reached her chin, wore glasses, and was holding a dachshund (probably a stuffed animal).
And next to her stood a woman wearing a slightly wide-brimmed orange bucket hat pulled down low and green clothes.

"Hello, nice to meet you. I heard about you from Makikura-san and came here," Miyashita said.
"Oh, Makikura-san? That's appreciated," the woman with glasses said.
"Yoshiho-san is..."
Miyashita looked at the two women alternately. Remembering, he apologized and introduced himself.
"I'm Miyashita. And that over there is my senior, Enomoto."
Enomoto gave a light greeting, "Nice to meet you."
"Miyashita-san, right? I am Mirai Yoshiho, and this is Kaito-san, who is helping me out."
Kaito also took the opportunity to introduce herself and bowed, "Nice to meet you."

Enomoto looked through the catalog that was on the desk. Enomoto's hand stopped as he flipped through it. When Miyashita looked into the catalog, there was a message comment from refugees Konishi Kinoko and Aomame Nono written there.
As expected, the information Makikura talked about seems to be accurate. Convinced, Enomoto asked.
"Konishi-san, who is listed here. He seems to be amazing lately."
"Well, I never thought it would become that amazing..."
Then, Kaito, who was next to her, started talking with a cool face.
"I thought it would become like that from the beginning. Once someone uses it, it's the end, it's going to be amazing. Because it's an incredibly convenient, magic phrase, right? It's an intense power phrase. It's perfect, that thing."
Kaito seemed proud for some reason. Could Kaito also be a refugee? Enomoto's eyes lit up.
"Kaito-san, you also know Konishi-san well, don't you?" Enomoto asked.
"Well, I held a reading circle with Yoshiho-san and Konishi-san the other day, so."
I see, so Kaito was also present at the reading circle.
"I see. What kind of things did you talk about with Konishi-san?"
"This time, it was about the author Kenzaburo Oe, I suppose. After that, we talked about anthology projects and asked about 'What are you talking about?', and we had a good time," Yoshiho said with a smile.
It is highly likely that she knows a lot about Konishi and 'What are you talking about?'.

"I'm envious that you had a thorough discussion with Konishi-san. What kind of person is he?"
Yoshiho talked about her meeting with Konishi, how Konishi bought many of her books, his personality, and finally said this.
"I want to return what I have received. I was moved by this Konishi Kinoko-ism"
Yoshiho looked straight at Enomoto. It seems that what she is saying is true.
"I see. Was the fact that this tag became popular also related to that?" Enomoto asked. "That's right. At first, people with relatively high influence happened to use the tag at the same time, and Konishi-san started commenting to everyone and introducing articles in the communication out of a desire to repay that coincidence."
After that, the number of refugees who enjoyed the communication increased, and combined with Konishi's enthusiasm and passion to 'fully enjoy this situation right now,' the tag spread this far.

"I also started writing novels because of Konishi-san. As far as I know, Konishi-san is a genuine hard-boiled person"
Kaito said this and spoke passionately about Konishi's hard-boiled nature.
"Konishi-san gives everyone courage. Everyone wants to write because they are pushed by Konishi-san. There is not a single article written with all one's heart that is not interesting. I think Konishi-san's feelings are being conveyed to everyone," Yoshiho also spoke passionately in the same way.
"I see, I understand. I'm sorry for taking your time when you're busy."
Enomoto bowed, picked up 'Letting Words Flow Like Music' from the Yoshiho-do table, and placed the payment on the desk.
"No, I'm the one who should apologize for just having you listen," Yoshiho also bowed in a flustered manner.
"Well then, until next time."
Enomoto and the others said this and left Yoshiho-do.

*

"Even so, it's spacious, isn't it?" Miyashita muttered.
"Hey, don't go wandering off on your own again," Enomoto warned.
The Literary Flea Market is being held on the main street. As expected, since this city is centered on writing, the scale is large.
The two held the booth guide pamphlet and aimed for 'Yoshiho-do'.
The 'Refugee List' was updated.

0. (Boss) Konishi Kinoko
1. (Phantom) Makikura Minomushi
2. (Legend) Osunu-san
3. (Old Man) persi
4. (Princess) Miruko
5. (Storytelling) Miwa Yutani
6. (Bedhead) Hiiragi Fujimoto
7. (Drunkard) Rio
8. (Master) RaM
9. (Big Boss) potesakula
10. (Reiko Statue) Nono Aomame
11. (Teacher) Akira Yamane
12. (World's) Hiroki Ao
13. (WB Employee) Maiton
14. (Sushi Pattern Skirt Sister) Tiko & (Mukkuri Performance Brother) Husband
15. (Secondhand Lecturer) Nausicaa
16. (Lively Obi) Itsuki
17. (Calligraphy) Nennen
18. (Mackie Thin) Kei
19. (AI Illustration) Mutsuki Harunaga
20. (Almighty) 3.7
21. (Goat Mail) Itoyo Hanemiya
22. (Hard-boiled) Kaito
23. (Yoshiho-do Bookstore) Mirai Yoshiho

NextTo be continued