Place of Origin

"This sencha is our establishment's specialty. Please take your time savoring it. What kind of rumors are you looking for?" the proprietress asked Zhang Chen in an exceptionally gentle voice.

"What do you know? Preferably rumors from around a hundred years ago."

Simply mentioning Tomie's name might not tell him anything, so Zhang Chen planned to ask about strange stories that had happened here and see whether there were any cases similar to Tomie's. Since Tomie had been born here, something terrifying must have happened on Okinawa Island back then. There might even be rumors concerning Tomie's life before her death.

"A hundred years ago? Your request is truly demanding. Our little Okinawan island has always had very few tales about ghosts and monsters. If you mean a century ago, I'll need to think carefully."

"Oh, right. More than eighty years ago, there was a rumor in Ishigaki City about the Cat-faced Old Man. It was said that an elderly man living alone hated cats for some unknown reason, even to the point of resenting them. People often reported hearing miserable cat cries coming from his house in the middle of the night."

...The proprietress was indeed quite enthusiastic. From midnight until two in the morning, she spent a full two hours recounting horrifying rumors about the Cat-faced Old Man, the Pufferfish Woman, the Pinprick Man, and more. Yet she never mentioned any tales involving blood or a father tormenting his daughter.

"Did you find any inspiration for your writing?"

the proprietress asked Zhang Chen tactfully.

"Yes, I gained quite a lot. I'm surprised that someone with English as fluent as yours would humble herself by opening a hot spring inn out here in the wilderness. I've troubled you at this late hour. I'll digest the rest on my own,