Satoshi shivered. It was very cold for a spring day. The clouds blocked the sun, so no warmth graced the earth. No birds could be heard, no voices, nothing. Nobody was at Akrasia Temple.
It's as if the temple had sent out a warning to people and they are avoiding it, Satoshi thought. It's a very ominous place to be right now.
Since there were no people, Satoshi immediately spotted Sasaya. Her honey-colored hair contrasted with the rather dreary surroundings. The Temple must've had a door in its prime, but it was long gone and looked like it had been ripped off its hinges. The entire building was made of stone, with tall, smooth pillars that were cracked with age. Trees and plants that must've been filled with life once upon a time were dead and decaying. No one cared for the temple or its grounds. Akrasia Temple was an old one and not many bothered to come. Most said it was because they always felt as if someone were threatening them.
"It's sad, isn't it?" Sasaya asked after she greeted Satoshi.
Satoshi sat down next to Sasaya on the stone bench. "What?"
"It's abandoned, but it's still here. It's like no one wants to let it die. An old toy that a child doesn't want to give away for the sole reason that it belongs to him and no one else can have it. It almost describes the lives of . . . certain people."
Satoshi smiled a little bit. "I guess you're right." He stared at the entrance of the temple. Inside was a large, stone altar where a single statuette rested.
"That statuette scares Kiku-san," Sasaya said after a long period of silence. She stood up and motioned Satoshi to follower her so they could get a closer look.
The statuette was made out of soapstone and was completely white. An unnaturally bright white. There were four children carved out of soapstone. The four children, two boys and two girls, were standing in the middle of a rosemary field. They were all standing back-to-back in a circle and their arms were linked together by tiny, black ribbons. The ribbons were tied so intricately that it was hard to tell where the knot was.
"She says that the rosemary represents remembrance, the white soapstone innocence, and the black ribbons humankind's evil deeds." Sasaya gingerly touched the head of the shortest child, a girl with pigtails. "The ribbons are tied so elaborately because evil is so complex. Especially when it begins to border along good."
"I see. Um, do you know why so many people are afraid to come to Akrasia Temple?"
Sasaya stared at the ceiling, as if trying to implore the building to give her answers. "The name 'akrasia' means 'weakness of will'. The reason is that people who came here always felt like someone was watching them. Someone or . . . something . . . evil. The weak-willed ones were frightened away. The rest became so scared that they became weak-willed as well." Sasaya sighed and walked out of the temple. "So, what did you want to tell me?"
Satoshi hesitated, but finally spoke. "It's about . . . your other."
Sasaya frowned, but a look of fear crossed her eyes.
The door opened with a bang and Chie looked up, nearly dropping the plate of bread in her hands. Riku walked up to her, red-faced and gasping. Daisuke was right behind her.
"Giku-chan, Dai-kun, what---?" Chie began and put the bread plate down.
Riku took a moment to catch her breath. "Your sister . . . and Hiwatari-kun . . . at Akrasia Temple . . . together!"
"What!" Chie gasped. "Ku-chan and Hiwa-san at the Akrasia Temple!"
"You heard me," Riku said. "There's no mistaking it. It was them, together!"
Chie gripped the folds of her pinafore. A delighted smile lit up her face. "Wow! I wonder if they're an item."
"You know, they make a pretty cute couple, your sister and Hiwatari-kun."
Chie giggled. "I know. They're both so quiet and serious . . . it's like they were made for each other. Like it had all been foretold long ago."
Daisuke grimaced. For some reason, he had a terrible feeling whenever he thought of Satoshi and Sasaya together.
"Dai-kun? Dai-kun?"
"Hey, Daisuke!"
Daisuke jumped, shaken out of his thoughts. "Huh? What?"
"You looked completely out of it," Riku said.
"Are you okay, Dai-kun?" Chie asked, concerned.
"Oh, I'm all right."
Riku and Chie continued talking about Satoshi and Sasaya. Daisuke still couldn't shake that dreadful feeling.
If I remember correctly, Riku calls Daisuke by his first name in the manga. In the anime, it's either Niwa or Niwa-kun, but I've decided on her calling him by his first name. I'm not exactly sure why.
