After Being Targeted by Lai Junchen, Minister of Justice of the Colorcloud Kingdom

I first met Lai Junchen on a mountainside.

He was frantically striking a wooden fish drum and cymbals, chanting in strange, off-key tones as he and his friends held a funeral for a friend who had died. His unusual way of paying his respects drew stares.

Our eyes met.

Then

He actually came over and asked if I liked coffins. He could help me buy one, and even take care of the funeral arrangements.

I was at a loss for words. His friends nearly lost their minds, hastily explaining that he absolutely wasn't saying he wanted me dead.

Only later did I learn that this was how he expressed his admiration for someone.

He was fascinated by coffins and liked to lie in them. He even kept a schedule unlike anyone else's, resting during the day and going out at night. Many people avoided him when they ran into him, because he was always talking about death, something ordinary people considered taboo. Of course, the main reason was that he himself was hard to approach when he slept in a coffin.

He seemed to like me. He would show up in front of me from time to time, bringing up coffins and funerals, and giving me straw dolls and five-inch nails.

One day, he asked if I wanted to see a double coffin, one meant just for him and me.

Me: "..."

Reader's Guide:

★ Based on the original work The Story of Saiunkoku.

★ Archived on March 13, 2025.

Thesis: 1