Chapter 5 – Old Man's Advice
Before he left the Saitou residence, he first went to the guest room where he had his jeans. It wasn't the jeans he wanted to get, but the contents of their pockets. He took the money and the cell phone. Looking at the display, he noticed the battery was half-empty.
"Hmm, I'm not going to need this any time soon…"
He turned the phone off and left it in the room.
When he stepped outside of the house, he looked at the people around the campfire to see if Naota was there among them. After a while he noticed the old man sitting by the fire, again with a bottle in his hand. This time, however, he was talking to some other people, so Kyouichi just thought he'd stop by later. He walked down the street to the marketplace and looked around for a tavern. Besides the Drunken Oni, the only other similar establishment in the market district was the Uzume tavern, named apparently after Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, the goddess of dawn and revelry. Kyouichi was wondering where should he go first and after a while of thinking, he decided to check out Uzume. The building of the tavern remotely resembled a shrine, and in front of it there were several bamboo tables and chairs where visitors could have their drinks and chat. All of these tables were now occupied, so Kyouichi entered the tavern itself. As soon as he entered, his ears caught a pleasant tune coming from somewhere further in the tavern and his nose was smothered by a mixture of smells of aromatic incense and delicious food. The interior of the tavern was neatly furnished with bamboo chairs and tables, and there was even a non-smoking section divided from the smoking one. Approximately in the middle of the tavern, there was something like a stage, where several musicians were playing that soothing music using traditional Japanese instruments. It was more like a restaurant than just a simple tavern. Apparently, it was very popular among the villagers, since it was also crowded inside. Kyouichi just saw a couple of people who were about to leave, so he waited for the opportune moment to sit at the table. Immediately after sitting down, a waitress dressed in a bright colored yukata brought him a menu list. Since Kyouichi wasn't hungry, he ignored the meals list, and instead, he was looking at the beverages. One particular name caught his interest: The 8 Million Kami (or the 8 mil. deities ). It was listed in the special mixed drinks section.
"Huh? Eight Million Kami?" he read the name of the drink.
"Yes~!" answered the waitress with a wide smile "It's our special blend."
"Why is it named like that?"
"Because it's an alcoholic drink which consists of many different ingredients with different flavors, thus having a unique and delicious taste. The exact recipe is a secret, of course, but if you concentrate on the taste, you can tell which ingredients are there." explained the waitress. "Oh, and it's quite strong, so some people say that you will actually see all 8 million kami if you manage to chug down a whole glass."
Kyouichi grinned and rubbed his hands. "O-ho, yeah! I wanna try it."
"Yes~! Anything else, sir?"
"No, that will be all."
"Please wait a moment…"
The waitress disappeared somewhere behind the bar. As Kyouichi waited, he took a look around to see what people were visiting this tavern. He did notice a few strange individuals with unusual clothes… Well, unusual clothes for Gensokyo, because they looked like ordinary clothes from the outside world. There were 5 people dressed like that sitting at one table. That alone was somehow very suspicious to Kyouichi and he tried to listen to what they were talking about, but the tavern was quite noisy, so he couldn't make out anything of what they were saying.
"Yes~, your drink, 8 Million Kami, sir, please enjoy~!" said the cheerful waitress while putting the drink on the table.
"Oh… Thank you."
Kyouichi picked up the transparent glass with the mixed drink and observed it closely. The drink was a multi-layer blend of different drinks with different colors. It sort of looked like a rainbow in a glass… with ice cubes.
"Mmm… smells… fruity and… of alcohol… " he commented after taking a few whiffs of the beverage.
He slowly tasted the drink. The top layer was red colored and tasted like strawberry, but many other flavors blended in as well.
"Not bad… Not bad at all! In fact, it's great!" praised Kyouichi.
He slowly drank his mixed drink and enjoyed its changing flavors… From the red layer on top, through orange, yellow, green and blue to violet on the bottom. He could taste strawberry, orange, pineapple, kiwi, the blue layer was some peppermint booze and finally blackberries, all mixed with a neutral alcohol essence.
After about 15 minutes he finished his drink.
"Ahhh~! Now that was a drink!"
The waitress was right. It was quite strong… Perhaps its alcohol concentration in the individual layers wasn't all that strong, but it was their mixture that made it strong.
However, Kyouichi felt like he would have to drink at least 2 more glasses to get really drunk. But that would be no good right now… He paid for the drink and as he was leaving, he took one last glance at the people dressed like outsiders who were still sitting at the nearby table.
"Perhaps they really are outsiders like me…" he thought, but his uplifted mood made him care little about it, so he just left the tavern. He recalled that he wanted to see Naota again, so he briskly walked back to the campfire. Old Naota was still there, drinking as usual and still talking to some people… This time Kyouichi ignored the other people and just rudely interrupted their conversation.
"Yo, Naota-san! Guess what! I've been to the Hakurei Shrine today…"
Naota and his companions turned their heads to Kyouichi and stared at him quietly with surprised expressions.
"And guess what more…" he continued, "The shrine maiden knows a way to travel to the outside world and back… and I've even been there for a short time…"
Everyone was still quietly staring at him like at some apparition.
"Come on, people, aren't you surprised at all? Aren't you glad at all, Naota-san? It means you can return to the outside world! You always dreamed about that, right?"
Naota just grabbed Kyouichi by his wrist and stood up. "Please excuse us for a moment." he bowed to the men he was conversing with just a while ago. He then started walking somewhere, still holding Kyouichi's wrist. He took him to the other end of the street and entered one of the European style houses. He then closed the door, let go of Kyouichi's wrist and slapped him a good one.
"Hey! What was that all about?!" asked Kyouichi as he rubbed his cheek.
"That's my line!" shouted Naota. "What did I tell you about not leaving the village, huh?! You could have got killed!"
"I didn't go alone!" argued Kyouichi. "I met that acquaintance of yours, Soujirou Yukiyama. He escorted me all the way to the shrine…"
"You did?" asked Naota with a surprised tone. "…You should have said so. Sorry about that slap." he apologized.
Kyouichi was a bit confused. "So that was it? You were just worried about me? I thought that I had said something I shouldn't in front of all those people…"
"Huh? Oh, no… that's fine." said the old man. "They all know that I had always wished to return home… But is that what you said really true? About the miko and her ability…"
Kyouichi nodded. "Yes, it's true. But the thing is, she can only access one location. The Hakurei Shrine in the outside world. It is a desolate, abandoned shrine somewhere in the mountains, so I had absolutely no idea which way would take me home… But you," he pointed at Naota, "you're different. Your spiriting away was different… I was asleep while riding on a train, but you were fully awake when you just wandered into Gensokyo by yourself. It's possible that the shrine lies somewhere close to your home. Maybe you would know which way to go…"
Naota frowned and sighed. "It's true that once I counted every single day spent in Gensokyo and dreamt of returning home to see my family, but… not anymore."
"What?! You don't want to return? Why?" Kyouichi couldn't understand.
"Too much time has passed already. Everyone I had known in the outside world is either dead or living somewhere else by now… And if not, I'd most likely not recognize them anyway. Oh, no. For me, Gensokyo is now my home. I got over it, really. I made a few friends, I had a fulfilling job and a bottle of sake every day. But still, it makes me mad to see that innocent, unsuspecting people from the outside world are just being taken here and separated from their loving families… And I blame the youkai for that."
"So you decided to stay…"
"Yeah… But you… still have a reason to return home… You have your home, your family, your friends... But how to return to where you were taken from, I really have no idea."
"Well, the miko said that she personally knows Yukari Yakumo, but nobody knows when she will visit her again. I haven't set my hopes too high on returning home."
"It was most likely her who was behind your spiriting away in the first place... and mine too. Why would she bother returning anyone home? Youkai are no friends to humans. I despise all youkai; that's no secret."
"Well, anyway," shrugged Kyouichi, "I'm forced to live in Gensokyo whether I like it or not. And even if a miracle happens and Reimu convinces Yukari to send me back, it can take months, even years before she decides to show up. I just have to try and live a new life here…"
"Yeah," nodded old Naota, "and a good start would be trying not to get yourself killed."
Kyouichi smiled. "I already told you, I wasn't even considering leaving the village by myself. I just happened to come across this Yukiyama fellow… He didn't seem too friendly, to tell you the truth, but as soon as I mentioned your name, his attitude made a 180 degree turn… I wonder why."
Naota chuckled. "Hehehe, let's just say he still owes me a favor."
"I see…" muttered Kyouichi and wondered what kind of favor it might be.
"Say, how are your wounds?" Naota changed the topic.
"Pretty well, I must say." replied Kyouichi. "They're healing up faster than I expected. I don't know what kind of ointment it was that Mizuto used, but it seems to work. The wounds don't even hurt anymore… unless I touch them, that is."
"That's good to hear." smiled the old man.
"Umm… is this your home, Naota-san?" asked Kyouichi after he realized where he actually was.
"Oh, yes. This is where I have lived ever since I became an independent, self-sufficient man. Please, come in, and have a sit." invited Naota.
Kyouichi followed him to a living room furnished with a dark-brown oak table, three dark-red upholstered armchairs a tall bookshelf and a fireplace. The parquet floor was covered by an expensive looking, red, black and white carpet with ornamental patterns. Kyouichi took a seat in one of the armchairs. It was really comfortable.
"Would you like to drink something?" asked Naota.
"No, thanks, I've just been at Uzume." declined Kyouichi without even considering the thought that Naota could have non-alcoholic drinks in his house.
"As soon as I earned enough, I just picked a location and had my own house built." explained Naota.
"Hmm, I hope I can become independent too… I just feel like I'm a burden to the Saitou family."
"Well, you're only partially correct about that, but you'll find that out soon enough." replied the retired carpenter. "But it was a great feeling to finally have my own house. Many memories are bound to this place… The happy ones and the sad ones too… We've been through a lot during all those years, this house and I… I can only agree with your intention to become independent as soon as possible. You'll fell much more personal freedom once you have your own place to call home. And who knows, maybe, one day you'll be helping some unfortunate outsiders by offering them a place under your roof, just like the Saitou family offered theirs to you."
"But before that, I have to have a steady income. A job." said Kyouichi.
"Yes, a job. Preferably not too dangerous one."
"I still have no idea what job I could apply for."
Naota just smirked. "I'll let you in on a secret, kid. They often value outsiders here worth their weight in gold."
Kyouichi snickered, thinking that Naota was just making things up. "Really? And why would that be so?"
"I ain't kidding ya." said Naota. "It's because they value the knowledge of the outside world; of its inventions, technologies and even art…"
"Hmph, you're not serious. Do I really look like some sort of scientist or engineer? Oh, and I'm definitely no artist either."
"Then you'll just have to find someone who can teach you some craft or find some job that doesn't require much education." advised Naota. "It would even be good if you came up with something new that no one here in the village does. Maybe opening up your own business… I don't know…"
"Hmm, thanks for the tip, but to start an own business requires some initial capital… Something like that isn't cheap. I would have to save up really a lot of money to start a business of my own, and even then I'd probably still need to loan some extra cash. And to figure out what would be a good business here, I'll need to know the village a bit better."
"Ohohoho~, kid," laughed old Naota, "You didn't really expect to become a filthy rich tycoon of Gensokyo in one day, did you? Of course it takes time and money, but everything can be achieved if one really wants and puts his effort into it. And if one knows the right people."
"Now that sounded a bit shady, Naota-san." joked Kyouichi, "Do you have some connections here that I should know about?"
"I didn't mean anything shady, kid, but if that's your preference, you could give it a try. But it's at your own risk…" Naota warned Kyouichi.
Kyouichi made a surprised and amused smile. "Er… you do realize that I was only joking, right?"
"Heh! So was I, kid." smiled the old man.
Kyouichi also smiled and looked at the window, even though he could see nothing through the curtain. "You know what would really piss me off?" he asked suddenly.
"What?"
"If I got a chance to return home as soon as my business here would become successful…"
"Haha, well at least you still haven't lost your sense of humor, kid." remarked Naota. "With that, you'll be able to adapt to new life here much faster and easier… and without the risk of losing your sanity."
Kyouichi turned back to Naota and replied: "Maybe I already lost it and I'm just taking everything with humor as a result."
"Well, whatever the case, it's good for you. One can't always cry over spilled milk for his entire life, right?"
"I guess so…" agreed Kyouichi.
"Starting tomorrow, you could start asking people what jobs are there to be had in the village." suggested the ex-carpenter.
"Yeah, I plan to get properly registered at the village hall, so I could apply for a job here…"
"…and pay taxes, and get a mandatory life insurance, and save money for your retirement fund, and get permissions to leave the village and hire Ryuuken escorts, and get an official permission to buy or build real estates and so on, and so on…" Naota finished Kyouichi's sentence.
Kyouichi made a quiet whistle. "Wow, I'm surprised that there's such bureaucracy here."
"All adopted from the previous generations of outsiders like you and me, who thought that it would be oh-so-much-better if these simple peasants and warriors were governed by a set of laws from the "perfectly advanced" modern society of the outside world." remarked Naota ironically.
"You don't seem to be very fond of this system. Would you rather be if things remained here as they used to be?" asked Kyouichi.
"Sure I would. Why should this small isolated world need to establish new politics if there's absolutely no need for it? It's not like it's gonna help these people live their lives any better in these youkai infested lands."
"To me it doesn't seem like a bad idea." argued Kyouichi. "It at least helps people by providing equal possibilities, rights and duties for everyone, regardless of their social status. Besides, the whole village looks like a mixture of "old" and "new", of east and west… I actually find such system quite fitting…"
"Hmmmm…." Naota paused himself for a long while, thinking about it. "Perhaps there really is some truth in those words…"
"Anyway, good system or bad, it's here, and we have to live by it, right? Like I said, tomorrow I'm getting proper registration and official admission to the village. Tomorrow, I become one of the citizens of Human Village…"
"You're right." nodded Naota. "We should celebrate this somehow, and not argue about our political opinions. Although I have mixed feelings about this, we should throw some welcoming party or something…"
"Why the mixed feelings?"
"While it's good to see a new face here, it's also bad to see that people just keep disappearing from the outside world. What was the point of creating that goddamn barrier then? If it can't even fulfill its sole purpose of protecting the rest of the world from the youkai scourge, it's the same as if it didn't even exist. I say that the humans were merely tricked by the youkai when they agreed with the sealing of Gensokyo. It was probably just their plan to make the whole world believe that they don't exist while they could cleverly kidnap people here so they could feed on them… That wretched Yakumo hag tricked the foolish Hakurei priest into cooperation with the barrier creation. While it's impossible for humans to cross, the youkai can travel freely in and out without a problem… and while the shrine maiden naively thinks that she's helping the humans, she's just a puppet of the youkai..."
"Ehm-ehrm!" Kyouichi interrupted Naota's monologue by loudly clearing his throat. "I'm not really curious about your wild conspiracy theories, but I think I'm slowly beginning to understand why you hate all youkai so much."
"You don't understand at all…" muttered Naota suddenly with a sad voice, "why I hate the youkai…"
After that he remained silent for a long while, just staring at the floor. Kyouichi realized after a while that he had probably hit a sensitive string of Naota's past. Feeling that something isn't right, Kyouichi figured that it would be best to leave Naota alone for now. He stood up, bowed and quietly took his leave. Perhaps one day he will find out the reason for Naota's grudge against all youkai, but not today… He walked back up the street towards the campfire, still feeling the remains of the awkward atmosphere in Naota's living-room. It was already dark outside and Kyouichi didn't have any more plans for today. Ignoring everyone on the street, he returned to the Saitou house to have some rest. As he was in the corridor, he could hear that Mizuto was already home and talking to Minako about his today's catch. Kyouichi didn't even bother knocking or telling them that he's back home and he just shut himself in the guest room and stretched himself on the futon…
"I'm tired…" he said whith his mouth agape in a yawn, "and I didn't even do any exhausting activity."
Knowing that he'd probably fall asleep as soon as he closed his eyes, he undressed himself from his kimono. Tomorrow he'll have to get up early, so it would be better if he went to bed earlier too…