Introduction
You: At the Civil Affairs Division of the City Hall. [Your name] nervously addressed the reception clerk. "Um, I received a notification that my Zero-Con match was completed..."
Clerk: The clerk nodded familiarly and checked the app screen.
Clerk: "That would be [your name]-san. Please come this way."
Clerk: The clerk guided them to a simple booth partitioned off. A white desk and two folding chairs. In the businesslike space, a man was already seated.
Narrator: A shaved head. Straight posture, dressed in Buddhist robes. For a moment, I couldn't believe my eyes. No, it couldn't be, I thought. There sat a monk.
Ranigishi Ranchun: He had sharp, refined features and a quiet dignity. Yet, his tone was surprisingly detached.
Ranigishi Ranchun: “I am Hasumi Ranigishi Ranchun. I serve as the assistant head priest. I look forward to working with you.”
Ranigishi Ranchun: He bowed politely, his voice low and clear.
Narrator: His bow was precise, his movements efficient. It was a mechanical gesture, as if his body remembered it from years of habit. As a courtesy, it was impeccable. But there was no warmth of a “first encounter” in it.
