hanabishi fusai 3

by Hazelnut Pie

Ghosts and stuff

3. Chapter 3

Hanabishi Fusai 3 Chapter 3 – Okuma Goze

"You're leaving me behind again."

Taka was sulking as she tightened Suzuko's obi. She had repeated this complaint many times.

"We're going by boat, so it can't be helped."

Suzuko had also repeated this many times. Taka had severe seasickness, so they couldn't take her on the boat to Ei today. But they hadn't taken her to the orphanage yesterday either, so she was in a bad mood. The reason they didn't take her was because Yura and Waka were already with them, and she wanted to let Taka spread her wings as much as possible while they were on the island. Suzuko genuinely thought that she was being considerate with the best of intentions, but people were difficult creatures.

"We aren't taking Yura and Waka along with us either today…"

"That's right, Taka-san. I'll be staying home too."

Waka was folding Suzuko's kimonos and undergarments. Taka glared at her and snorted in discontent.

"Since this is your first time on Awaji Island, you should enjoy sightseeing."

"My job is to serve my mistress."

"So now I'm saying you can take a break from that."

"You no longer have any more use for me, I see."

She was sulking She was sulking terribly. Just as Suzuko was wondering what to do, Takafuyu opened the sliding door and poked his head in.

"May I have a minute?"

"The madam is still in the middle of changing, sir."

Takafuyu gave a gentle smile to the irritable Taka.

"No, I want to discuss something with you, Taka."

"With me? What is it?"

Taka's eyes widened at the unexpected request. Takafuyu looked behind him, and Yura, who seemed to have been standing at the ready, appeared. He was holding a wicker trunk.

"I forgot to bring this to orphanage yesterday, since I was already bringing plenty of souvenirs from Tokyo. Suzuko-san, these are the scraps. I asked you for them."

"Oh…"

Before coming to Awaji Island, Takafuyu asked for some fabric scraps to use for the children at the orphanage to learn sewing. Suzuko received scraps from her parents' home and her sisters, as well as making some from her own kimonos. She had collected some very high-quality scraps.

"Yura and Waka will be carrying the trunk. Taka, would you come with them?"

"What will I be doing there?"

"I want you to teach the children sewing. Of course, they have a sewing teacher, but it will be a good opportunity for them. We don't often have people from Tokyo come. You're good at needlework and a good talker, so I thought you'd be a good fit."

"Huh…"

Taka looked puzzled, but she didn't seem displeased with the praise.

"That sounds perfect, Taka. Tell the children stories about Tokyo. I'm sure they'll enjoy it."

"That's right, Taka-san. I'm sure you know a lot about Tokyo."

Taka cleared her throat. "Very well. Since it is the master's order, I will go. It will also be a part of the madam's philanthropy."

Suzuko inwardly felt relieved. She expressed her gratitude to Takafuyu with her eyes, and he chuckled lightly. He probably didn't foresee Taka's sulking, but he was a quick-witted person.

"Hey, if you need more scraps, then take some of mine too," Fukiko came trotting down the hallway. She was holding a bundle of scraps in her hands. "Maybe I'll go with y'all too. I've got some free time."

"What is Mikio-san doing?"

"He's going to hole up in his room. Seems like he's gonna do some more research."

It was probably about Awaji no Kimi. Takafuyu nodded. "Can you tell him that I'll join him again when we return?" he said.

"You sure are working hard. You'll be here until the middle of the month, right? Are you gonna keep researching until then?"

"Yes, that's the plan. I don't think I'll be able to investigate everything in one go, though."

"Just let Nii-san look into it. He's got a lot of spare time too. If you're heading to the port, why don't you tell Soejima about it? Otherwise, Mother will be using the car."

"Oh, no…" Takafuyu looked at Suzuko, unsure.

"We'll walk there, so don't worry," Suzuko replied.

"Really? It's easier if you go by car."

"I want to take my time and look around town as I walk."

In actuality, she didn't want to owe anything to Kisa. And she didn't want to hear her complaints later.

"Let me give you a tip," Fukiko smiled and beckoned Takafuyu and Suzuko closer.

"Right now, Mother's happy as long as she can ride the car, and if y'all don't get in the way of that, I don't think she'll be too nasty about it. Y'all know what I mean?"

Suzuko exchanged glances with Takafuyu. It seemed that they were both thinking the same thing.

"Are you talking about…Soejima-san?" Takafuyu said in a low voice, and Fukiko curled her lips into a smile and nodded.

"It's so obvious once you see it. Everybody pretends not to. Well, she'll get tired of him eventually."

Fukiko laughed, then left.

"We just heard something we shouldn't have heard," Takafuyu said, astonished.

"It might be useful as a threat, but…" Suzuko replied. Takafuyu looked shocked, and she had to tell him that it was just a joke.

As soon as they got off the boat, they smelled the pleasant smell of incense in the air. When Suzuko inhaled, her chest was filled with a calm and peaceful scent, as though she were inside a temple.

"It smells lovely here," she said, and Takafuyu looked pleased.

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear that."

There were several manufacturers in Ei that made incense sticks, and during the shogunate period, the village prospered from the shipping industry, and was even said to be the wealthiest village on the island.

"Ei's maritime merchants were mainly involved with trade to Nagasaki, and it was because of their ships and trade routes that the incense trade developed," Takafuyu explained as they headed to the factory. "First to Kyushu, then to Keihanshin, and then the entire country. Now the market has expanded and the number of vendors had increased, so soon there will be talk of forming an association. Look over there, Suzuko-san. The factory uses wind blowing from the west to dry the incense sticks, so we installed windows on the west side of the building and use lattices to adjust the amount of wind."

Takafuyu pointed to a nearby building. Indeed, there were large, distinctive lattice windows lined up on the west side.

Kuneidou's factory was a two-story wooden building, with the same lattice windows as the other building. The characters for "Kuneidou" were written in gold on the glass doors, and it was also on the indigo curtains that hung above the doors.

The doors opened, and a man who looked over fifty came out, looking flustered. The strong smell of incense wafted out of the open doorway.

"President! If you had given word beforehand, I would have come to the port to meet you."

"It's fine, I didn't want to interfere with your work. I wanted to take a leisurely walk with Suzuko-san."

Takafuyu turned his gaze to Suzuko, and the man automatically turned toward her and bowed his head deeply.

"Congratulations on your marriage. I apologize for the delay in greeting you."

"No, you've already congratulated us. I should apologize for being late in thanking you in person…"

Suzuko also bowed her head. The factory had given her a wedding present. It was rice packaged in a nishiki bag, according to the custom here. Amused by how they were both bowing their heads and apologizing to each other, all three of them laughed together.

The man introduced himself as the supervisor for the factory. They entered what seemed to be the office, and the manufacturing area was located further behind the curtains at the end. Several machines could be seen, and there were some workers working in front of them, while others were working on something in front of incense sticks piled up on long tables. When they saw Takafuyu, they hurriedly stopped what they were doing and were about to stand up, but Takafuyu stopped them.

"It is not my intention to interrupt your work, so please don't mind us. It's better that way, right, Suzuko-san?"

Suzuko nodded. She thought it would be more interesting to watch them work than to be greeted politely by everyone. She wanted to watch from a distance without getting in the way, so the man from earlier brought chairs from the office. Suzuko and Takafuyu sat down and looked around. Incense sticks were pushed out from a machine in the corner and cut on wooden boards. The sticks were limp and flaccid. Their ends were carefully trimmed and stacked on top of each other. Suzuko was in awe of the workflow, which was repeated silently without any disturbance. She was told that they were dried on the second floor. During the busy periods before Ohigan* and Obon holidays, the second floor was not enough, so drying boards were put out into the alleys to dry the sticks.

"We use cedar powder for the incense sticks, but for scented ones we use a powder called honko, which is made from the bark of the tabunoki tree. The tree grows in Miyazaki Prefecture."

"Is that 'Flora' over there?"

"Yes, that's right."

Kuneidou's "Western Fragrance Flora" was a popular pressed incense among women, and Suzuko also kept a lily-scented one in her handkerchief drawer.

After a while, Suzuko and Takafuyu left the factory, thinking that the workers would get nervous if they stayed too long.

"Hanabishi-san."

Someone called out to them, as they had been waiting for the two to come outside. They turned around and saw a man in his forties who looked like the owner of a large store. He had a large build with a plump face and a gentle appearance, but he looked anxious.

"You're—Unai-san, aren't you?"

"You remember me?" the man looked somewhat relieved. "Yes, I'm Unai."

Apparently, he was a wool wholesaler from a nearby village, and was originally a maritime merchant.

"I heard you were coming here today…"

"Do you have business with me?"

Unai looked down and lowered his voice, as though he was reluctant to speak.

"Actually, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you…"

Takafuyu and Suzuko looked at each other.

The Unai family's mansion was a stately building with a nagaya gate. Unai led Suzuko and Takafuyu to the spacious inner parlor, and Unai first congratulated them on their marriage.

"Goodness, you seem very calm and mature for your age," Unai said, looking at Suzuko with admiration. Suzuko was wearing a black crested haori today, so that might be the reason why. Since she was visiting Takafuyu's place of work, she thought that she should dress up more formally. She was wearing a pale salmon-colored silk crepe kimono with a light purple mist pattern, a light purple obi with a pattern of lilies and orchids, the obi string and sash were both pale purple, the obi clip was a metal lily, and the neckpiece was light purple embroidered with a pattern of running water and lilies. Her outfit was reminiscent of the white lily of "Flora." Her hair ornament was also a lily. Although it was a glamorous getup, it gave off a sense of calmness rather than youthfulness.

"The wives of the Hanabishi family have all been beautiful throughout the generations. Our family was originally maritime merchants, and Hanabishi-san's mother's family was also a maritime merchant family…"

Even as he spoke, Unai was somewhat absentminded. He must be thinking about how to proceed with the consultation.

"So, by consultation, are you asking for an exorcism?" Takafuyu got straight to the point after taking a sip of the tea that was served.

Unai looked like he had something stuck in his throat.

"Y-Yes…that's correct. I don't know how to put it, and I'm not sure if you'll believe me."

Takafuyu smiled. "I am someone who performs exorcisms. I've come across many stories that are difficult to believe. There's no need to worry."

Unai looked relieved as the stiffness disappeared from the face.

"Yes…you're right. If it's Hanabishi-san…"

He swallowed thickly, then put his hands on the floor and bowed his head.

"Please…please exorcise this curse on my family."

His hands were shaking.

"What do you mean by 'curse'?" Takafuyu asked calmly. When Unai looked up, he seemed somewhat taken aback by his calm demeanor and let out a blank "Haa."

"For generations, the heads of the Unai family have died early deaths. Both my father and grandfather died unexpectedly in their forties. They didn't have any serious illnesses, but they suddenly collapsed and died in the same day. If you go over our family death register, you can see that the family heads have all died between the ages of forty and fifty. And not only that, no male children other than the family head survive to adulthood. Any second sons and younger sons all die in childhood. It is true that children often die, but to this extent—"

Unai squeezed his hands, placed on his knees, into fists.

"It's unusual that so many family heads die before they turn fifty. Perhaps there is something in our bloodline. However, I couldn't accept it, so I asked the head monk of my family temple, as well as many ascetics and shamenesses to perform exorcisms."

"…What happened?"

"The head monk told me that it was impossible. One of the ascetics…started screaming in pain and died during the prayer."

Suzuko, who had been listening doubtfully as to whether or not this was actually a curse, furrowed her eyebrows in surprise.

"When the other ascetics heard this, the balked and stopped praying. The shamaness also said she couldn't exorcise the curse, but she told me the reason. This is the curse of the household god."*

The curse of the household god.

At that moment, the smell of incense filled the air. Suzuko twitched in surprise. Takafuyu seemed to notice it as well.

It was Awaji no Kimi's scent.

Suzuko quickly scanned her surroundings. She saw no sign of the ghost. Was she just not visible to Suzuko? However, Awaji no Kimi's scent simply lingered in the air, and she never seemed to show up.

What's happening?

"She told me that I have no choice but to devoutly worship the household god and pray for the curse to be appeased… It is true that we have had a small shrine on our estate for a long time, and we enshrined a god there. I don't really know what kind of god she is, but we call her 'Okuma Goze.'"

"Okuma Goze?"

"I think 'Goze' is probably a corrupted form of the word 'Gozen.'* I don't know the origin, but the shrine is built on the corner of our grounds… After we enshrined the god there, business boomed us as maritime merchants. We haven't been too diligent in taking care of the shrine or visiting it, but after what the shamaness told me, I have been making sure to clean it properly and pray there…I don't know if it actually has any effect, though."

Unai hung his head anxiously.

"Gods with the word 'Goze' in their names seem to be common on Awaji Island," Takafuyu said, folding his arms. "Goze Myoujin, Gozen Myoujin,* Tomi Goze, Utsukushi Goze… Goze Myoujin was enshrined to appease the curse of fallen warriors, Tomi Goze was enshrined to appease the spirit of an old woman named Tomi, and Utsukushi Goze is a god who people pray to for immunity from smallpox. These gods are called hayarigami.* I only have a smattering of knowledge about him, so I don't know much about them."

"Ah…I see…" Unai seemed uninterested in this knowledge and leaned forward. "So, what do you think? Is it something you can exorcise?"

"Well…" Takafuyu stroked his chin hesitantly. Awaji no Kimi's scent lingered in the air, but she didn't appear. If she did, she could have "exorcised" the other ghost by eating it, but—

"…For now, may I take a look at the shrine of this 'Okuma Goze'?"

"Please, let me take you there," Unai quickly stood up and left the parlor. Suzuko and Takafuyu followed him. Unai went around the courtyard and went into a thicket of trees. There was a small shrine next to a wall. It was more like a stone tower than a typical shrine, and was about as tall as Suzuko's waist. In front of it, there were offerings such as star anise, bellflowers, a cup filled with water, and a plate filled with rice. The surrounding area had been swept clean of fallen leaves, and one could even see the traces of broom marks.

"Here it is."

Unai bent down in front of the stone tower, clasped his hands together, and began praying earnestly. Suzuko looked at Takafuyu, but he shook his head slightly. As expected, Awaji no Kimi didn't appear, nor did anything that looked like a ghost. What was more, the scent that was there just a moment ago had now disappeared. They were both confused as to what that meant.

When they returned to the parlor again, Takafuyu bowed to Unai.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can help you."

The ghost couldn't be seen in the first place. There was nothing to exorcise.

Unai's shoulders slumped. "I see… I suppose I should just continue praying like the shamaness said."

"Who is that shamaness?" Suzuko interjected.

Suddenly, the image of the old shamaness she met the other day flashed through her mind.

"Ah, she's famous. Her name is Kiyo-san."

"The one who lives in Minato…? I heard she was originally from Sanjou."

"Yes, that's the one. That's Kiyo-san. If you know her as well, Hanabishi-san, then she's not just some suspicious shamaness."

It was as Suzuko had thought. Was she the most famous among shamanesses?

If it's that old lady, she wouldn't speak carelessly.

She was a full-fledged shamaness who could summon spirits of the dead. But… Suzuko stared at the mesh of the tatami mats. What did Kiyo see, and how did she conclude that it was a god's curse? Did she understand something that Suzuko and Takafuyu didn't?

After leaving the Unai house, the two decided to return to Minato by boat.

"It didn't seem like there were any ghosts there, but what could be the reason that only Awaji no Kimi's scent manifested?" Suzuko said on the boat.

"I don't understand either. Does that mean even Awaji no Kimi can do nothing against a god?"

"'Okuma Goze'…how did the Unai family came to worship this god?"

"Hmm…in the first place, household gods are rare on Awaji Island. Only old families enshrine them. In that sense, I suppose it's natural that the Unai family has enshrined one, but… in those families, they're called names like 'Protector of the Household' and 'God of the Household', and it seems that stone shrines like the Unai family's are often enshrined in a corner of the grounds, in the direction of northwest."

"Then, are you saying that it's unusual for a household god to be called 'Okuma Goze' like the Unai family?"

"Yes. Well, or it could be that I just don't know enough."

Suzuko was deep in thought. "At any rate," Takafuyu said. "The name of the shamaness Kiyo-san has come up again. One could call this a strange coincidence."

"How did she know that it was the household god's curse?"

"Isn't the other way around?"

"Other way around?"

"Perhaps she simply said that it was the household god's curse after hearing that the god had been worshipped for a long time," Takafuyu smiled. "People will complain if something bad happens even after an exorcism, but if you just tell them that it can't be exorcised and that you should just pray properly, then even if something happens, you can just tell them 'you didn't pray enough' or 'the way you prayed was wrong.' Even if Kiyo-san is a proper shamaness, she would probably choose this strategy if she was doing business."

"I'm not sure about that…"

"Oh, I didn't know you thought so highly of Kiyo-san. Does she have such miraculous powers?" Takafuyu looked surprised.

"I don't know about powers, but personally, I think she is trustworthy to an extent."

"Hmm…now I'm interested too. She's the one who called Awaji no Kimi a goryou, yes? I'd like to meet her sometime."

Kiyo lived in a port town. They were about to arrive at Minato Port, so they could stop by.

"Are you sure? It's not the kind of place a baron would visit."

There was no guarantee that Yoshie wouldn't hear about it and scold him.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'm sure that chief priests have been visiting shamanesses out of curiosity since ancient times."

Despite Suzuko's worries, Takafuyu laughed lightly.

The area where Kiyo lived in the port town was damp and had a sour smell. It was probably because the elevation was low here. It seemed like the whole area would become submerged if it rained heavily.

They visited Kiyo's house, bringing dango they bought from a peddler as a gift. As they passed through the tilted torii gate and approached the open doorway, they saw the girl Suzuko met the other day who seemed to be a maid in the kitchen. Her eyes widened when she saw Suzuko and Takafuyu, and then she turned back to look at the room with the wooden floor. Kiyo was most likely there.

"Pardon us for intruding."

When they stepped over the threshold of the door and stepped onto the dirt floor, they saw Kiyo sitting in the same spot from the other day.

"What, it's husband and wife together today?" She seemed to know Takafuyu's face. "Here for a soul descent?"

Suzuko stepped into the room and sat down in front of Kiyo. "No, we came here to ask you about the Unai family's Okuma Goze."

Kiyo blinked slowly. Takafuyu sat down next to Suzuko.

"Okuma Goze…ah, the Unai house. Did the Unai master ask you to perform an exorcism?"

"You told him that you couldn't do it because it was the curse of the household god, so you told him to pray, right? How did you know that?"

Kiyo sipped her barley tea in silence. This meant she wasn't talking for free. Takafuyu pushed the packet of dango towards her along with some banknotes.

"You're quick on the uptake. Businessmen are a different breed. Your incense sticks are liked everywhere."

Kiyo happily tucked the bills into her obi and handed the dango to the maid.

"Thank you very much for that," Takafuyu responded with a smile.

"You see, I have a good nose," Kiyo said.

"Nose?" Suzuko repeated.

"When you first came here, I could smell the goryou. I can still smell it now. It's much stronger than before. When you call upon a spirit, it gets colder down there. When you summon it, your hands and feet become freezing and your chest gets cold. I can smell that smell and feel that coldness. I can't see much with my eyes. So, it's not that I see with my eyes, but what I feel with my other senses."

Kiyo paused and moistened her throat with barley tea.

"The Unai house smelled rotten," Kiyo said quietly. "It stunk of death. That house was no good. I couldn't stand it. I didn't say anything about a household god. He was the one who brought it up. How could I know what the truth behind the curse is? He must have had an idea. I didn't tell him, 'It's all because of a god, so you have no choice but to pray to them.' That house was a sinking mud boat. There's nothing to be done."

Takafuyu was correct that the idea of the household god didn't come from Kiyo, but Unai. However Kiyo, for her own reasons, decided that she couldn't do anything about the Unai family's curse.

The stench of death. A sinking mud boat…

"It didn't seem as though there were any ghosts in that house…" Suzuko said, and Kiyo laughed.

"Right you are. So, it must be a god's curse after all, right?"

"Then…there truly is nothing we can do about it?"

"That's what I said. Don't think that you can do anything about it. There's only so much a person can do. You have to know your limits," Kiyo said with a grimace. Suzuko was surprised. It almost seemed like she was worried about them.

"What do you think about the god 'Okuma Goze'?" Takafuyu interjected.

"I don't know anything. Those kinds of gods are worshipped on their own. When you say 'goze,' I think of goze."

"Huh?" Suzuko and Takafuyu couldn't help but lean forward. Goze were blind female musicians. It was said that they were descended from a lineage of blind shamanesses. There were even goze in the slums where Suzuko grew up.

"Goze refers to those goze—is that what you mean?"

Kiyo stared open-mouthed at Takafuyu's excited question.

"That's what I always thought. I don't know anything else. It's probably a god handed down through the songs of goze."

"It's true that there are folk stories about vengeful spirits and gods told by wandering ascetics and shamanesses like this one… Is 'Okuma Goze' one of them?"

"I don't know the details. Goze and music troupe leaders gather on the day of the Boar each October on this island for the Myouon-kou. The Myouon-kou is dedicated to Benten-sama."*

"Oh, I see. Do you know of any miracles or origin stories that 'Okuma Goze' has?"

"No, I don't. How would I know anything that the Unai master doesn't?"

Takafuyu looked down, deep in thought once more. "It's strange that such a god is only passed down in that family…"

"It is. If that god is sung of by the goze, then they'd be known in other places as well."

Hearing Takafuyu's murmur, Kiyo also tilted her head in thought. Suzuko didn't know much about Awaji Island's beliefs, so she couldn't quite follow them. However, she kept silent, not wanting to interrupt imprudently.

"Anyways, it's time for you to stop poking your noses into other people's affairs," Kiyo said after a while, as though she had returned to herself. "There's no point in thinking about this. The Unai family is done for. Leave it be."

"When you say, 'they're done for,' do you mean that the head of the Unai family will die sooner or later?" Suzuko asked.

"That's the lifespan for the heads of that house. It's not like he's going to die in ten years or so."

"He said that they can't raise any boys other than heirs…"

"Isn't it fine as long as they can raise a successor?"

"That isn't fine," Suzuko frowned at Kiyo's words. Kiyo shook her head.

"If you resist and something even worse happens, what will you do? A god like that will curse you if you resist. All you can do is look down and wait for it to subside. Don't think that you can do anything about it."

Suzuko fell silent. What if something even worse happened? She had no words to respond to that. The only thing she could do was see ghosts, so there wasn't much she could do.

"How surprising. You said something honest," Takafuyu said, sounding impressed. Kiyo glared at him.

"We're done here. I've talked for what you paid me. Leave," Kiyo jerked her chin towards the doorway. Suzuko stood up as Takafuyu patted her shoulder, urging her to go.

After they went outside, he whispered to her as they walked.

"I've been thinking about it, Suzuko-san. I think the Unai head probably knows something and is hiding it."

"Huh?" Suzuko looked up at him.

"'Okuma Goze' is special. They are not a regional god, but only passed down through the Unai family. They are unique both as a household god and a hayarigami. Since they're a god related to the prosperity of the Unai family, I'm sure that their history has been passed down through the family. The family head must know something about them. If we question him, we may be able to find a way to solve the problem, but—"

"If the head won't tell us, then there's nothing we can do to help."

Takafuyu nodded.

"Let us visit the Unai house once again and question him. If he still insists that he knows nothing about it, then there's nothing we can do. We'll give up."

Perhaps I should at least give him some amulets to ward off evil spirits, Takafuyu said with a laugh. He was probably thinking about what he could do because Suzuko was concerned. She felt a sense of gratitude towards his consideration.

When they returned to the Hanabishi house, they passed someone coming out from the gate. It was a doctor carrying a large bag. When Takafuyu asked him if someone was ill, the doctor replied, "I was visiting for Yoshie-san's usual house call."

"Is my great uncle feeling unwell?"

"He's already quite elderly. His heart is getting weak. He's been straining himself since you came from Tokyo, Baron, but I think it would be best if he took a break."

After telling Takafuyu to tell Yoshie to rest, the doctor left.

"I thought he was in good health for his age, but…I guess he truly was pushing himself hard," Suzuko said, and Takafuyu got a complicated look on his face.

Mikio greeted them in the entrance hall. Kisa had gone out, Yoshitsugu was at the shrine, and Yoshie was resting at the annex. Taka and the others hadn't returned from the orphanage yet.

"How is Great Uncle?" Takafuyu asked. Mikio laughed and waved his hand.

"He's doing well. He's getting up there in years, and he only gets house calls. The doctor tells him to rest, but he hates being treated like an old man, so he's probably in a bad mood right now."

"But he is an old man."

"Don't tell him that," Mikio laughed cheerfully.

Takafuyu went to Mikio's room to do research with him, so Suzuko decided to change out of her formal kimono. She tied an obi made of banana leaf fabric around her natsu oshima* pattern-dyed kimono and hung the other kimono on the clothes rack to air it out. A pleasant breeze came in from the porch with a reed screen. She thrust her feet into the geta sandals on the stepping stone and went out into the garden, where she saw the hanare's veranda on the other side of the trees. Yoshie was sitting there cross-legged. He was fanning himself leisurely. Their eyes met. Suzuko bowed, and Yoshie pursed his lips and returned to his tatami room. There was a futon laid out inside. Mikio said he was doing fine, but perhaps that wasn't true. She sat on the edge of the porch, lost in thought, until Takafuyu came and told her that it was time for lunch.

Apparently, Yoshie would be eating lunch at the hanare, so the only people at the table were Suzuko, Takafuyu, and Mikio. For lunch, they were served chirashi, which consisted of grilled conger eel covered in sauce and vinegared rice mixed with myoga and sweet pickled ginger. It was an exquisite dish.

"I'm continuing to do research with Mikio-san," Takafuyu said after lunch while drinking tea. "We can now narrow down the period in which Awaji no Kimi lived. She lived during the generation of the family head 'Sukesue.' By comparing the family tree and biography with local histories and history books, we calculated it from the parts where the dates were clear."

Mikio took over. "If there was a major war like the one with Fujiwara no Sumitomo, it'll be recorded, and there will also be records of the provincial official. For example, in the tenth century, there was a provincial official named Sanuki no Sukenori who was accused of bad governance by the imperial court, and he was replaced. That's why it's written down as a major contemporary event in the Hanabishi family biography. If you do some calculations from that record, you can get a good idea of the age of the family head, 'Sukesue.'"

Then, Mikio crossed his arms and glared up at the ceiling.

"It's probably in the latter half of the tenth century…I think it was around the period from Kouhou to Anna.* In terms of emperors, it would be around the reigns of Emperor Murakami, Emperor Reizei, and Emperor Enyuu."

"When you say Anna, the Anna Incident comes to mind," Takafuyu said. Suzuko had no idea what was that or when it happened.*

"Yes, but it seems that the provinces had little to do with the power struggles between the aristocrats in the capital. At that time, there were always power struggles going on at the capital, while the provinces were unable to collect taxes because of the increase in private estates and decrease in public lands. It was a chaotic situation."

Mikio scratched his head, as though exasperated.

"This was also the time when the Hachiman faith spread to the island. On Awaji Island, there are many Shingon temples for Buddhism and Hachiman shrines for Shinto. Both have a strong culture of sorcery, which probably contributes to the island's culture… oh, this is unrelated, sorry."

No, Suzuko said, and after a moment of hesitation, she took the plunge and opened her mouth.

"Um…may I ask you something?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Is there anything written about the wives in the records of the Hanabishi family?"

"Wives?"

Mikio looked puzzled.

"I'm curious about the criteria in which Awaji no Kimi chooses the wives of the Hanabishi family."

"Oh, so that's what this is about. Sorry, but it's mostly only about the family head. I guess the criteria is just her preferences."

"Isn't there any commonalities?"

"Commonalities, huh. I only know Takafuyu-kun's mother and grandmother. Well, I guess Awaji no Kimi likes beautiful women. I'm not joking either. It's said that certain kinds of beauty attract demons. I think it's possible. Maybe there's something else," Mikio pondered with a serious look on his face. "Takafuyu-kun's mother was the daughter of a shipping family. I don't know much about his grandmother. I'm pretty sure she was the daughter of a good family on Awaji. By the way, his mother was my grandmother's niece."

"Niece? I didn't know about that."

It was her first time hearing of it. That meant she was also Yoshie's niece.

"She was the youngest daughter of my grandmother's younger sister. So, she's also a cousin of my father's."

"Then she wasn't a stranger."

Although she wasn't related by blood to Takafuyu's father, they might have met at memorial services for relatives.

"I wonder. Yoshino-san…oh, that's Takafuyu-kun's mother's name. Yoshino-san seemed to have got on well with my father and grandfather. Grandfather apparently doted on her. Maybe because he didn't have a daughter of his own."

"…I see…"

His niece, who he loved like a daughter, committed suicide with his nephew—it must have been a huge shock to Yoshie as well. The image of him from earlier appeared in Suzuko's mind.

She looked at Takafuyu for his reaction. He didn't participate in the conversation, but just stared at the teacup in his hand.

Even though it weighed on her mind, she shouldn't have brought up his mother in front of him. But there was no opportunity for her to meet with Mikio without Takafuyu there in the first place, and she had a feeling that he would be reluctant to do such a thing.

As she was wondering whether to change the subject, she heard loud voices and footsteps approaching.

"Looks like Fukiko and the others have returned," Mikio stood up and peered into the hallway.

"Nii-san, we have guests, so get someone to serve tea."

They heard Fukiko's voice. After a while, she and the others entered the room one by one. Fukiko, Taka, Yura, and Waka—and one young woman around twenty years old, and another girl who looked fifteen or sixteen. This wasn't the first time they were seen. They were the girls at the orphanage. The older girl was named Mie, and the younger one was Kiku. The two of them stood frozen in front of the threshold of the room, their faces tense with nervousness.

"Don't be shy, come in."

Fukiko beckoned, and the two of them timidly stepped into the room. Mie wore a faded vermillion comb in her Shimada coiffure, and wore a dark blue half-width obi around her tawny brown chijimi kimono. Kiku tied blue ribbons at the ends of her braids and a blue patterned summer pongee with a white linen half-width obi. They had probably chosen their best clothes to come here.

Fukiko had them sit in front of Takafuyu and Suzuko. Taka, Waka, and Yura sat in a corner. Mikio, who had gone to ask for tea, returned and looked around the room curiously.

"What kind of gathering is this, Fukiko?"

"I brought these two here because they said they had something to say to the Baron and Baroness. So, what is it?"

Fukiko sat down next to Mie and leaned a little towards her. Mie looked down, her gaze wandering uncomfortably. Her lips were dry, the skin peeling.

"…Let's talk after you have a drink first. You're probably thirsty," Suzuko said.

"Ah, that's right," Fukiko quickly sat back down.

"Alright, I'm going back to my room. Fukiko, you should leave too."

"I can't do that. I brought them here, so it's my responsibility if there's any disrespect."

"Fukiko-san, it's fine," Takafuyu said. "They came all the way here, so it must be important. I don't believe they would be disrespectful in any way, so I'll listen."

"If you're sure, then…" Fukiko, giving him a concerned look, left the room.

A maid came in right after she left to serve tea. Go ahead, Takafuyu told the girls, but their hands were shaking so much that they couldn't drink properly.

"Does it make you nervous when we're sitting directly in front of you?"

Suzuko stood up and moved to sit directly beside them instead of in front of them. Takafuyu followed suit and moved next to her. She didn't know what they wanted to talk about, but she knew that they had been acting like they wanted to say something to them ever since she and the others visited the orphanage.

"Does this make it a little easier to talk?" she said. Mie's body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She placed her teacup on the saucer, turned to Suzuko and Takafuyu, and bowed her head vigorously.

"I'm sorry…!"

Both Suzuko and Takafuyu were taken aback. They looked at each other, but neither had any clue as to why Mie was apologizing to them.

Mie, with her hands on the tatami and her head bowed, was shaking. She was crying. Kiku placed her hand on Mie's back and looked like she was about to cry with her. Suzuko turned her gaze to Waka in the corner. She also didn't seem to know anything about the situation, and gave Suzuko a bewildered look.

Mie was probably apologizing to Takafuyu. Suzuko had only married him recently, and she had never met them before coming to Awaji Island.

She tried to think about why she would apologize to Takafuyu, but nothing came to mind.

"Takafuyu-san, do you know these two?"

"No…I've only been to Kashou Orphanage a handful of times."

"Then, this must be related to your brother or parents—"

As soon as she said "parents," Mie and Kiku's shoulders jumped at the same time. The answer was clear.

"So it's about Takafuyu-san's parents. You two know them. Oh, I remember the director saying that they often visited the orphanage. He said the late Baroness was kind…"

Kiku looked ready to cry. Although she looked mature, she still cried like a child.

Mie raised her tear-stained face. "She truly was a kind lady…" she said between sobs. "That's why I'm so sorry—"

Suzuko's intuition worked perfectly. These two were about to reveal some terrible secret. That was the feeling she got. Looking at Takafuyu, he seemed to feel the same way, his expression stiffening.

"Are you sorry because they both died?"

If there was anything they had to cry and apologize for, that would be it. When Suzuko asked that question, both Mie and Kiku turned pale.

"The two of them—died at sea," she said, unable to say the words "committed suicide together" in front of Takafuyu. "So why are you apologizing?"

Mie hung her head, crestfallen. It was Kiku who answered.

"It was my fault. That day, we all went to the beach to play there, and then I—went to the cave."

"…The shrine's cave."

Mie, seeming to have resolved herself, wiped her face thoroughly with her hand towel, sniffled, and began to speak.

"The children from the orphanage went to play on the beach near the shrine. I was twelve at the time, and Kiku was eight. Baron Hanabishi—the late Baron and his wife accompanied us. The two of them always played with us whenever they visited the orphanage…"

Mie squeezed her towel tightly.

"The tide was rising and the waves were high that day, so it was getting dangerous to play on the beach. We were about to go home, but we couldn't find Kiku anywhere. We thought that she must have gotten too absorbed in playing on the beach by herself to pay attention and went searching for her. But when we couldn't find her, we wondered if she went to the cave…but the tide was already high and we couldn't get to the cave from the beach. T-Then…"

Tears welled up in Mie's eyes again. Perhaps thinking that it wasn't a good time to cry, she rubbed her eyes with the towel, sniffled, and resumed speaking.

"The Baron and his wife told us that they would go and see if she was there, so we should leave the beach and go back to the orphanage. They said that they had the legs of grown-ups, so they could walk along the beach to the cave. The Baron told his wife to wait for him, but she said she would go with him and quickly tucked up the skirt of her kimono. The two of them went to the cave. We obeyed the Baron and returned to the orphanage. As we were going back, the sky became cloudy, and by the time we got back, it was raining. We were shocked when we saw Kiku there."

"After—after I went to the cave, I climbed up the steps in the cliff and went to the shrine," Kiku was trembling as she spoke. "There was a shimenawa rope strung up on the path, so I thought I wasn't allowed to pass through it and that I'd be scolded, so I secretly returned to the orphanage. I-I didn't expect that the Baron and his wife would be going to the cave—"

"I was surprised, so I told the vice-director…that's the director's wife, that the Baron and his wife went into the cave. Hearing this, she immediately rushed out. She was panicking about the heavy rain. The director, teachers, and other adults were coming and going and making phone calls. I thought that it was all becoming very serious…"

Mie glanced at Kiku.

"I was too scared to tell them that the Baron and his wife went looking for Kiku. Back then, all the kids were younger than Kiku and didn't understand what was going on. I was the oldest…so I should have explained it properly…then, we were told the next day that the Baron and his wife had passed away. We weren't told any details. No, this is just an excuse, but…I didn't find out until many years later that it's secretly rumored that the Baron and his wife…had committed double suicide."

Mie trembled when she said the word "suicide." She placed her hands on the floor again and rubbed her forehead against the tatami.

"I'm sorry! The death of your parents and the disgraceful rumors that spread were all because of my failure to act properly. It's all my fault. Truly, there is no way that I can sufficiently apologize."

Kiku also nodded her head next to Mie.

"No, it's actually all my fault. If only I hadn't gone to that stupid cave. I should have stayed with everyone. The reason I didn't tell anyone later was because I was scared of being scolded. I thought I would get kicked out of the orphanage. If that happened, I wouldn't be able to survive…that's why, I kept quiet…I never told anyone…"

I'm so sorry, Kiku repeated over and over again.

Suzuko couldn't speak. She felt like she was frozen. She didn't know what to say. It wasn't for her to comfort or condemn them. But—. She looked at Takafuyu. He was also stiff and unmoving. He looked down at Mie and Kiku with that stiff expression on his face. It seemed cruel to even ask him to say anything. His mind was probably in turmoil right now.

Just as Suzuko was thinking that she should say something, Takafuyu spoke.

"You two have the wrong idea."

His voice was surprisingly soft. Mie and Kiku looked up in shock.

"Listen, you were children back then, and my parents were adults. Adults have to protect children. That's their responsibility. So, it's only natural that they would go looking for Kiku-san. They went to take a look at the cave, knowing that it was dangerous as high tide was approaching. That was their job."

Takafuyu looked into Mie and Kiku's faces and spoke gently to them.

"Now that you've grown up, you're probably looking back to that time with the mindset you have now, but it's normal for children to do things that are out of the ordinary, and it is impossible for them to make prudent judgments. Don't blame your child selves with your current grown-up mindset. That would not be at all what my parents wanted. They wouldn't be able to rest in peace if you were suffering, you know?" he smiled at the two of them.

"If you are thinking about my parents, then please keeping living without blaming yourselves. I'm sure they would wish that as well."

Takafuyu patted Mie and Kiku on the shoulders encouragingly. The two burst into tears.

"Thank you for talking to me today. Eat some sweets and relax. I'll ask for something to be prepared for you."

After saying that, Takafuyu got up and left the room. Suzuko followed.

"…Takafuyu-san."

He looked back. His face was calm.

"You must be thinking that I'm far better with words when it comes to other people," he laughed. "Actually, I'm blaming myself as well."

Suzuko stared at his face in silence. She wanted to read the emotions there.

"I can say all those things to other people…but I'm sure that those girls can't stop blaming themselves no matter what I say to them."

"…But I do believe that your words took some of the weight of their chests."

Takafuyu nodded. "It has for me. After hearing their confessions, I felt somewhat comforted."

He had always thought that his parents committed suicide because of him. He blamed himself.

"This doesn't change the fact that my parents are dead. Am I being callous?"

Suzuko took his hand. Because Takafuyu looked like he was about to cry. However, instead of crying, he smiled.

She remained still for a while, holding his hand.

When the setting sun was shining on the beach, Suzuko and Takafuyu visited the hanare. They thought they should tell Yoshie and Yoshitsugu about Mie and Kiku. Yoshitsugu was still at the shrine, so they visited Yoshie first.

Yoshie was sitting on the veranda, looking out at the garden. He was wearing a yukata, sitting cross-legged, and holding a fan with a painting of bellflowers. He must have been lying down until now. The futon was spread out in the room with the shoji doors open.

"How are you feeling? Is there anything I can bring you?" Takafuyu asked, and Yoshie waved his fan noisily.

"I don't need anything. I'm doing fine, the doctor's making a big deal out of nothin'."

"You can never be too careful. Please take care of yourself."

Yoshie glared up at Takafuyu. "You didn't come all the way here just to see how I'm doing. What do you want?"

Takafuyu sat near Yoshie, leaving a gap for one person between them, and Suzuko sat next to him.

"Two people from the Kashou Orphanage visited earlier—"

Takafuyu gave a summary of what happened. About how his parents had gone to the cave looking for Kiku, how Mie and Kiku didn't tell anyone about that, and how his parents didn't commit suicide together after all—.

After he finished speaking, Yoshie let out a snort.

"You came here just to tell me that?"

"My parents are your nephew and niece, Great Uncle, so I thought I'd give you a quick report. I apologize if it's unnecessary."

"That's not what I'm sayin'," Yoshie slapped his knee with the fan, irritated. "I already knew that a long time ago."

"Huh?"

"I know those two didn't commit suicide. Both me and Yoshitsugu know that. Well, I didn't know that they died because they went looking for a kid, though. Those two would never commit suicide. Harumi and Yoshino would never do something like that, no matter what. I know that," Saying that quickly, Yoshie glared at Takafuyu. "Why are you telling me something so obvious? Are you an idiot?"

Takafuyu was stunned. His mouth was hanging open, and no words seemed to be coming out.

"With all due respect, sir—" Suzuko moved forward on her knees, taking Takafuyu's place. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything? Takafuyu-san has always blamed himself for the death of his parents."

She looked straight into Yoshie's eyes. He grimaced in displeasure.

"You're a wife who speaks her mind, huh. Stay back. I don't like people who talk out of turn."

"I don't need you to like me, but I would like you to answer my questions."

Yoshie let out a laugh.

"They saw that Edo girls are mellow and get straight to the point. I guess likes and dislikes are different from actual benefits. You'd get along well with Yoshitsugu. Very well, I'll answer you. I knew there were rumors that they committed suicide together, but I didn't think even Takafuyu would believe that. I didn't even know if he heard those rumors or not. If he didn't, I'd be letting him know about them for the first time, so I couldn't bring it up. That's about it."

Suzuko repeated his words in her mind. "In other words, you were being considerate of him?" she confirmed.

"Is that how you take it? I just thought it'd be too much trouble."

Yoshie's eyes dropped to his fan. He stared at the bellflowers painted on it.

"I've been avoiding it because it's troublesome. If I didn't do that, I'd be stuck in a quagmire. You understand that. Having a heart-to-heart talk would be too painful for both of us. Even I don't want to feel that kind of pain."

Yoshie suddenly seemed smaller.

"Yoshino was the child of my wife's deceased little sister. She died when Yoshino was little. We would have been happy to take her in, but her father's family was a wealthy maritime merchant. There was no reason for us to force the issue, so she was raised over there. Even so, both my wife and I doted on her, and we always sent her many gifts for celebrations, and she often came over to our house to visit. I guess it's because of connections like that that Awaji no Kimi discovered her. If we kept her at a distance, that might not have happened. She could married into another family and still be living happily now…Harumi too…"

Yoshie turned his head away and let out a sigh. He tapped his fan against his knee to cover up the sound of him sniffling.

"My brother's a piece of trash. A piece of trash who doesn't understand people's hearts. He made a mess of everything."

"I think so too," Suzuko agreed, and Yoshie laughed.

"Glad to hear that. –My brother was possessed."

Suzuko tilted her head. "Do you mean by Awaji no Kimi?"

"No," Yoshie shook his head. "By delusion. The delusion of the Restoration."

"The delusion of the Restoration…?"

"We were young at the end of the Edo period. Ever heard of the Inada Riots? It happened after the Meiji era. You don't? Inada's vassels were massacred by Hachisuka's vassals."

"By Hachisuka, do you mean the marquis…?"

"During the former Shogunate period, Awaji Island was a territory of Awa, and the daimyo of the domain was the Hachisuka family," Takafuyu explained. "Their chamberlain was the Inada clan. The Inada clan was almost like a daimyo, but in terms of status, they were the chief retainers of the Hachisuka family, so if anyone became their vassals, they would be a rank lower than the Hachisuka family's vassals. After the Restoration, the Hachisuka family's vassals became samurai, but the vassals of the Inada family were samurai who ranked lower than them. That was the cause of the uproar—"

"Well, that quarrel turned into something terrible. But that's not the main topic here. The Inada family, unlike the Hachisukas of the main clan, were ardent supporters of the emperor and joined the movement to overthrow the shogunate. Perhaps influenced by them, my brother also joined the pro-imperial side and wanted to join the overthrow of the shogunate. Back then, even Shinto people were like that. Then, after the Meiji era, he became enthusiastic about Shinto reform."

That's what I meant by possessed, Yoshie said with a wry laugh.

"Takafuyu probably knows this well, but in Meiji, people under the patronage of Okuni Takamasa were sent to work as priests in the shrines here. Okuni was a scholar from Tsuwano. The current Shinto policy is inline with the Tsuwano school's ideas, including Okuni's."

Suzuko had heard about this from Takafuyu before. She nodded.

"My brother was happy to cooperate. He wanted to be close to the center of the new Shinto. Shinto and Buddhism were separated, shrines were reconstructed into unified spaces of ritual, and the emperor's rituals were spread to every corner of the country. Shrines were forced to perform rituals they never performed before, and smaller shrines were destroyed. Otherwise, Shinto would have remained unorganized and scattered. They wanted to wanted to unify the shrines with imperial rituals and Ise Grand Shrine as the cornerstone."

"My father and brother were against that," Takafuyu said.

"That's right. Of course they would be. Every shrine has its own rituals that have been cherished since ancient times. It ain't right to push them away and have rituals forced on us and told to focus on them right now on. It's like we're being told to become mere containers. A container of unified rituals for the sake of the emperor. Even if we do that, we'd never be like Western Christianity," Yoshie got a bitter look on his face. "Even so, my brother didn't listen to what we and Harumi said at all."

And that was how Takafuyu came to be.

Yoshie sighed and closed his mouth. He was moving his fan without fanning himself with it, staring at his hands.

"After my brother died, Harumi and Saneaki worked to protect the small shrines and wayside shrines from being destroyed. But you can't change the flow of things, you know… They would visit Sect Shinto congregations and talk to them, and if there was trouble with the police, they would deal with it."

"Is that so?" Takafuyu looked shocked. It seemed that he didn't know about this.

"I'd say Saneaki was the more enthusiastic of the two. He was interested in religion in general, not just Shinto. He was the type who cared deeply about even the small congregations and their ascetics."

Yoshie looked into the distance, as though nostalgic.

"There's a Touka Sect church in the port town. It's a small one, though. It was originally a private house, but Touka bought it and turned it into a branch church. Saneaki was the one who helped with the purchase."

Suzuko gasped. Takafuyu's eyes widened.

Saneaki-san was helping the Touka Sect…

It might have been same level of involvement he had with the other Sect Shinto groups. But, this was certainly an unexpected connection.

"…I see," Takafuyu was deep in thought with a complex expression on his face.

It was unclear what Yoshie thought of this. "Saneaki seemed to have been worried about something," he said. "I wish I'd listen to him more. At this age, I remember all the things I regret."

Yoshie hunched his back, looking sad. He didn't look as stern as when Suzuko first met him.

"Takafuyu," Yoshie looked up and fixed his eyes on Takafuyu. "I didn't say it until now because I thought it went without saying, but I'll say it now. My brother's scum. That's for sure. But you, you're different him. You're not scum. Make no mistake about it."

Yoshie's voice was hoarse and harsh, and didn't sound friendly. However, there was a kind consideration in his words.

"You should raise her head up high and walk down the bright path. Together with your wife over there."

Takafuyu squeezed his hands in his lap.

"…I will."

He answered and bowed his head. Next to him, Suzuko placed her hands on the ground and also bowed her head towards Yoshie.

The next morning, Suzuko and Takafuyu boarded a boat from the port and head for the Unai house again. They had taken this boat many times. They and the captain had become friendly, and he grinned broadly when they gave him sweets as a gift. He liked sweets more than alcohol.

"Are you going to Ei again? Is it okay if we go to Ei's port?"

"Yes, please. Sorry for asking so many times."

"No, no, this is also good business," the captain laughed out loud.

There were several clouds covering the sky, but the wind was gentle and the waves were calm. The captain told them although sudden changes in the weather were a concern when going by boat, today should be fine.

"There might be a shower, but it'll stop soon. You won't return too late, right?"

"We plan to return during the morning. We're just going to greet the Unai family in Ei."

"Oh, Unai…"

The captain got a strange look on his face. He looked somewhat worried.

"Do you know the Unai head?"

"No, I've never met him in person. However, there was a story that's passed down among fisherman."

Takafuyu, looking intrigued, turned towards him. "What kind of story?"

"I don't know if it's okay to tell such a story, but…" the captain looked at Takafuyu, seeming reluctant to speak.

"So it's not a good story. Does the current family head have a bad reputation?"

"Well, I don't know what kind of person the current head is. It's an old story. I guess they'd call this a cause-and-effect story—"

"Oh, is it about that family's curse? We know about it."

Suzuko wondered if it was known to the locals, but the captain anticlimactically let out a laugh. "Oh, you know about it? Then you must know about Okuma's grudge as well—"

"Huh?" Takafuyu and Suzuko both leaned forward. The captain looked stunned.

"What do you mean by 'Okuma's grudge'?"

"That's the cause of the curse. It's a story of karma. You don't know that one?"

When Takafuyu and Suzuko nodded, the captain told them the story. "Okuma was the mistress of the Unai family head many generations ago, and she had money. The head used that money to expand his business, but eventually she got in the way, so he killed her and buried her in the garden. It is said that due to this curse, for generations the family head was unable to live long, and no sons could be raised other than the heir."

The captain's story was exactly the same one they heard at the Unai house about the curse, although they didn't know the cause of it.

"It's a common story," Takafuyu laughed. "Isn't this the type of story where someone becomes wealthy by killing travelers and stealing their money?"

"Yes, but it's true that the heads of that family never live long, and can't raise any children other than heirs," the captain objected. "Only leaving an heir behind means that the family won't be destroyed, but will suffer for a long time."

"It's an unpleasant story," that was all Takafuyu said, and the conversation was ended there.

Suzuko wondered just how much of that story was true. She had no way of telling. It was probably the result of speculation about the curse's cause, but it was usually said to be "the resentment of someone who died because they have been treated badly by the family head." Did such a story came to be rumored because the Unai family worshipped "Okuma Goze"? Or did it guess the truth? If so, how could the Unai head not know about it? He said he didn't know the reason for the curse.

What if that was a lie?

They got off the boat and headed to the Unai house. The area around the port was lively, but the closer they got to the Unai house, the quieter it became. The bustle was far away. It wasn't that there wasn't any noise coming from the house. The entire mansion was gloomy and seemed to be holding its breath. That was the atmosphere it gave off. Maybe Suzuko just felt that way because it was cursed.

"…Takafuyu-san, when we go inside the house, there is one thing I would like to try," Suzuko said as she looked up at the mansion gate.

"Please do whatever you like," Takafuyu said, laughing lightly, without even asking what she wanted to try.

Unai respectfully accepted the Shimagami Shrine amulets that Takafuyu brought with him. He was listless. Since even Takafuyu, his last hope, refused to perform the exorcism, his spirits were depressed.

Suzuko and Takafuyu were taken to the same room as yesterday and sat across from Unai.

There's the scent again…

Awaji no Kimi's scent was fragrant, but she didn't appear. However, Suzuko thought that there must be some kind of meaning behind it.

"Unai-san, this may be impolite, but would you mind allowing us to walk around your mansion?"

Naturally, Unai was taken aback by Takafuyu's request. "A walk…?"

"I thought that the source of the curse may be within the mansion. Just to be sure."

Unai didn't look very hopeful, and half-heartedly said, "Please, do as you wish." Still, he was willing to show them around the house.

"As I made more money in business, I kept adding to the house…" Unai explained while walking along the verandah, pointing to the tea room at the back and the annex across from them.

When they left the main house and reached the connecting passageway, Suzuko stopped.

The scent got weaker.

It wasn't here. Suzuko turned around. Takafuyu also followed. Unai rushed back.

"Where—"

"It seems to be in the main house," Takafuyu said, then kept silent. Unai, looking nervous, also kept his mouth closed.

Suzuko concentrated on the scent wafting in the air. Was this Awaji no Kimi's guidance? It felt that way. At the same time, there was a jumble of complicated emotions in her chest.

There would most likely be a ghost where Awaji no Kimi was guiding them. If she was leading them there because she wanted to eat it, Suzuko would be helplessly sacrificing the poor ghost to her.

However, if that meant the curse consuming this family would disappear…

If that was the case, they should let her eat it, shouldn't they? Should they make such a choice? We'll let Awaji no Kimi eat this because it's harmful, but we won't let her eat that. This seemed to Suzuko a terribly selfish thing to do. It was as though they were playing god.

This was probably how the Hanabishi heads used Awaji no Kimi.

In ancient times and now, unnatural deaths shadowed power and authority. Those who died with grudges became vengeful ghosts and haunted those in power. They eagerly turned to onmyoji and esoteric Buddhist monks to get rid of the curses somehow. They feared that those they trampled would bare their fangs upon death.

If the Hanabishi family could exorcise them, then they would have been highly valued by those in power.

Was Awaji no Kimi…

…Used?

Just like Suzuko was trying to do with her now.

If the curse could be erased, and if there was a life that could be saved, then Suzuko had no choice but to take those choices. Her mind was filled with gloomy thoughts.

Suzuko suddenly lowered her gaze. Something warm touched her hand. Takafuyu's hand was holding hers. She looked up and saw him next to her, looking down at her. He smiled slightly and gave her a little nod. Don't worry, he seemed to be telling her.

"I will always be there for you in your difficult times, just as you have for me," he whispered. Suzuko felt like the dark curtain that had been hanging over her heart was quickly lifted away.

"There is only a storeroom there, but—" Unai, who had caught up, looked at them with a mystified expression. There was a storeroom just around the corner of the hallway. The hallway had no windows at all and was dimly lit. It was located at the end of the main house, so even servants didn't approach this place.

The scent suddenly became stronger.

It's here.

Takafuyu put his hand on the sliding door and opened it in one go. It was dark inside, and it took a while for their eyes to adjust. After blinking several times, they were gradually able to see the inside of a small room, around six tatami wide. There was a stack of wicker trunks, chests of drawers, and shelves filled with account books and boxes filled with miscellaneous toys. The room smelled of dust and mold, but Awaji no Kimi's scent overpowered it all. However, no matter how hard they looked, they didn't see any ghost. Takafuyu stepped inside, and Suzuko followed. It was a dusty storeroom. She covered her nose and mouth with a towel.

"Unai-san, what's in the back?" Takafuyu asked after stopping at the back of the storeroom.

"The back? …As you can you see, there is only a wall."

There was a rough earthen wall in front of Takafuyu. However, he was glaring at it with a grimace. Suzuko also stood in front of the wall. That was when she noticed it.

The scene is strong.

It was even more intense in this corner of the wall. Suzuko nervously reached out her hand and touched the wall. It was cool. She pressed her palm against it and felt the roughness of the earth.

Suddenly, she felt like the wall swelled out and let go. The wall didn't change—or so it seemed.

The smell of incense grew even stronger. Just when she sensed that, Awaji no Kimi had already appeared.

There was a sound like cracking wood, and then a large crack ran through the wall. Takafuyu pulled her close and pushed down on her head, forcing her to crouch. Suzuko looked from behind his arms.

There was something coming out of the wall. It looked like a hand. It was an emaciated, ashen hand. Even though it was only a hand, strangely, she immediately knew that it belonged to a woman.

Another hand also appeared. It writhed around, like it was searching for something, and after rummaging around in the air, a head appeared. Her hair was arranged in a traditional style, with a beautiful lacquered comb inserted in it. The workmanship, a design of luck-bringing items, was strangely clear. The woman's face was pale. Her face was heavily coated with white face powder. Her haggard face was difficult to call beautiful, and her eyes were closed. But then, they opened. Right at that moment, the woman's face twisted hideously. The corners of her eyes turned up, and her forehead bulged. Her eyes looked as though were about to pop out of their sockets, and the bulge on her forehead turned into a horn. The woman had transformed into a demon.

Baring her fangs from her wide-open mouth, the demon pounced. Towards Awaji no Kimi.

Suzuko saw Awaji no Kimi's profile. Her long black hair was dancing in the air, as though being blown by the wind, and a faint smile appeared on her beautiful red lips. Her sleeves fluttered, and her hands spread out to embrace the demon.

A roar rang out. It sounded like a scream. It was a plaintive scream that sounded as though blood was gushing out.

Dust flew up, and Suzuko coughed and closed her eyes. When the room became quiet and the dust settled, she opened her eyes.

The wall had collapsed. Apparently it wasn't very thick. On the other side of the wall was a space about two tatami mats wide. There was a doll there.

It was an old wooden puppet. Its paint had peeled off, and both the body and kimono were severely moth-eaten, making it difficult to tell their original appearance. However, judging from the wrinkled features and some remaining white hair, it appeared to be a puppet representing an old man.

The puppet had fallen sideways. It looked like it was originally wrapped in cloth, but now it looked like it was crawling out from it. Something that looked like sutras was written all over the cloth. Not only that, but the surrounding floor and walls were covered with talismans. It was a bizarre scene.

"…This is…"

Takafuyu furrowed his brow. Even he couldn't immediately explain this. When Suzuko looked back at Unai, she found him hunched over and slumped down. His face was pale, and his mouth was moving with no sound coming out.

"Sir, what happened?" Along with that shout, the wooden boards in the hallway creaked, and there was the sound of people running. It must be the servants. When they arrived at the storeroom, they were at a loss for words.

"Suzuko-san, are you injured?" Takafuyu asked, returning to himself, and Suzuko nodded. He stood up and picked up the puppet.

"H-Hanabishi-san—" Unai, who still seemed paralyzed with shock, crawled closer. "What on earth is that doll?"

"It's the doll of an old man. It looks like something used by puppeteers for New Year's,"* Takafuyu turned around and showed the puppet to Unai. "Do you have any idea what this is?"

Unai stared at the puppet, unable to speak.

Takafuyu rewrapped the puppet in the cloth and presented it to him.

"This is just my conjecture, but a few generations ago, there must have been a puppeteer named 'Okuma' by the side of the Unai family head. She was a shamaness as well as a puppeteer—she was most likely blind. Since ancient times, there have been doukunbou mawashi in Sanjou…ah, by doukunbou mawashi, I mean puppeteers," Takafuyu said to Suzuko. "It seemed that this term is only used on Awaji Island. Doukunbou is said to be the originator of dolls."

He turned back to Unai. Unai didn't take the puppet—he only stared at it in horror.

"It is said that the wives of doukunbou mawashi work as shamanesses for a living. Puppeteers and shamanesses have had a close relationship since ancient times, and 'Okuma' is most likely that kind of shamaness. The family head at the time must have followed her oracle or prediction and made his business a success."

Unai was silent, his face pale. Takafuyu put the puppet in his hands. Unai let out a small scream and threw it away. Suzuko picked it up and fixed the loosened cloth.

The shamaness who owned this doll, Okuma, most likely died. And in a terrible way.

It was likely that her curse befell the Unai family for generations.

The demon from earlier flashed through Suzuko's mind. She was sure that was all that remained of Okuma.

"I…I heard the story from my father. And he heard it from my grandfather…I only heard about it, so I don't know how much of it is true," Unai swallowed. Sweat appeared on his face, and he finally began to speak. "Several generations ago, the family head brought back a blind shamaness named Okuma from somewhere. He began asking her for predictions for business. Her predictions turned out to be correct, and the business grew. The Unai family became one of the most powerful in the village, but the family head began to despise Okuma. That was because she began pestering him to make her his wife."

The family became wealthy thanks to Okuma, but she was a mere lowly shamaness. The family head thought that it was inconceivable for him to make her his wife. Eventually, Okuma became impatient and began to say, "I will curse this family if you do not marry me."

"Not wanting to be cursed, the family head promised to marry Okuma. And then…"

Unai's gaze wandered, as though he was reluctant to speak. The puppet in Suzuko's hands came into his field of vision, and he hurriedly looked away.

"He took advantage of Okuma's blindness to trick her by locking her in a room of the main house and having the maids treat her as his legal wife," Unai looked down and divulged.

"A room in the main house—could it be?" Suzuko looked around the storehouse.

"It's probably this one. I was told that it's no longer known exactly which one, but…"

"And so, she died here?" Takafuyu asked, and Unai nodded, sweat beading on his forehead.

"According to rumors, they made her drink poison or strangled her, but in any case, it was the family head who killed her. I'm sorry, but even though I didn't know if this was true or not, I could not tell anyone…I couldn't tell you this story yesterday."

Unai got down on his knees and apologized.

"What happened after she died?" Takafuyu asked, without particularly making note of that.

"It's said that Okuma's boy was buried in a corner of the garden…where that shrine is. It was built because of the curse. Then, the puppet was sealed."

"Sealed?"

"Yes. I didn't know where it was, but after Okuma died, it was sealed because it returned even when it was thrown away, and if you tried to burn it or break it, you would get hurt."

Suzuko looked down at the puppet wrapped in the cloth.

"It seems like it wasn't sealed away," Takafuyu said. "The puppet is the core of the curse."

Okuma's spirit must have possessed the puppet. Neither sutras nor talismans were able to contain her. Not as in life.

"I think that by locking her up, you've angered her even more. She turned into a demon and cursed the Unai family. The terrifying vengeful ghost was enshrined as a wonder-working god. 'Okuma Goze' became an estate god—a calamitous god who curses."

However, even that raging vengeful spirit was eaten by Awaji no Kimi. That meant Awaji no Kimi could even devour calamitous gods.

Is it really possible to exorcise something like that…?

"I shall exorcise the puppet. I think everything will be fine after that."

Unai raised his head in shock. "By fine, do you mean…"

"The curse will be dispelled."

Unai's mouth dropped open.

"We shall take our leave now."

Leaving Unai sitting dumbfounded, Takafuyu and Suzuko passed through the servants and left the storeroom. They then exited the Unai house.

"Let's take the puppet to the shrine. Okuma-san is no longer in this world, but it would be a good idea to burn it for her sake."

Takafuyu took the wrapped puppet from Suzuko and carried it under his arm.

"…Just who is Awaji no Kimi?" she murmured.

"She's probably similar to Okuma-san," Takafuyu answered. "A goryou who curses a family. They're alike."

Okuma was a puppeteer shamaness, and Awaji no Kimi was a mikanoko. They were similar in that way as well. When she thought that, she suddenly recalled what Kiyo had said. Kiyo had told her that she was a she was a shamaness. What's more, the brides chosen by Awaji no Kimi could hear her oracles. The brides who married the Hanabishi family heads were shamanesses.

Suzuko stopped walking. She felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

"Why was I chosen by Awaji no Kimi…?"

Takafuyu also stopped and turned around. "What's the matter?"

"Why does Awaji no Kimi choose brides…?"

"Suzuko-san?"

"Awaji no Kimi wasn't a daughter of the Hanabishi family at all," Suzuko looked up at him.

"She was also a bride of the Hanabishi family."

On the boat to Minato and even when they arrived there, Suzuko was in deep thought. She was thinking about Awaji no Kimi.

She had no basis for believing that Awaji no Kimi was a Hanabishi bride. It was her intuition. Awaji no Kimi was a mikanoko, so if Suzuko was a shamaness, wasn't it likely that she was in the same position? That was why she chose brides. It might have been something like that.

And, there was one more thing.

"—Takafuyu-san," Suzuko spoke as they walked on the slope that led to the Hanabishi estate.

"What is it?"

"Your mother and grandmother were both from Awaji Island, yes? I think it might have been like that for a long time, even before."

"Well, the head of the family didn't leave the island very often until the Meiji era. Awaji no Kimi, who possessed the family head, would therefore inevitably choose a bride from within his sphere of activity."

"Just as she was the mikanoko of Awaji Island, isn't it possible that the bride is also chosen from among the people of Awaji Island?"

Takafuyu looked at her strangely. "Isn't it just a coincidence? After all, you live in Tokyo—"

As he was speaking, a look of realization appeared on his face.

"What if you were actually born on this island?"

"No, I think I was born and raised in Tokyo. However, as for my mother, I don't even know where her hometown is."

"Do you think that your late mother might have been from Awaji Island?"

"Maybe, maybe not. There's no way to know for sure. …I think that my and Awaji no Kimi's origins might be surprisingly close…"

"I see," Takafuyu said, then seemed to be deep in thought about something. The mansion came into view. There was someone in front of the gate. A tall young man with tanned skin—it was Mikio. Spotting Suzuko and Takafuyu, he ran up to them.

"What's wrong, Mikio? You're in such a hurry."

"Takafuyu-kun, have seen Mother? At the port or in town?"

"No," Takafuyu replied and looked at Suzuko. "I haven't seen her either," she said.

"What about the driver, Soejima?" Mikio's face was tense as he asked this. Suzuko had a bad feeling about this.

"I haven't seen him either. Did something happen to the two of them?"

"She left a note behind. Haha, even I'm shocked," Mikio let out a dry laugh.

"A note—"

"Mother's note. She said she's eloping with Soejima."

Both Takafuyu and Suzuko were stunned into silence.

There was an uproar inside the mansion.

"Is Yoshitsugu still not here yet! Someone get him!"

Yoshie was stamping his feet impatiently on the agarikamachi at the door.*

"I've already sent someone to the shrine, so please calm down, Grandfather. It's bad for your heart," Next to him, Fukiko was soothing him.

"Send someone to the port to tell them if anyone spots Kisa and Soejima, don't let them on a ship. And tell the police—"

"Grandfather, calm down," Mikio joined Fukiko in soothing him. "If you do that, it'll become a big deal and it'll be difficult for Mother to come back. It'll cause a big scandal."

"Idiot!" Yoshie shouted. "This ain't the time to be so optimistic. What if they committed suicide together? There is no way it'll work out between Kisa, who's never been through any hardship in her life, and a former driver. They're gonna jump in front of a train sooner or later!"

Hearing that, both Mikio and Fukiko turned pale. "That's not possible," they murmured, but double suicides with lovers of different social statuses made the headlines from time to time.

"Soejima, that ungrateful bastard—"

As soon as he raised his voice, Yoshie groaned and fell to his knees. There was a look of pain on his pale face. Takafuyu hurriedly supported him.

"Are you alright? Let's lie down, Great Uncle."

Yoshie seemed to be trying to say something back, but his voice was no longer coming out. His face was pale and he was clutching his chest, breathing laboredly.

A heart attack? Everyone in the room tensed.

"I'll lay out a futon in the room over there," Fukiko ran into the room next to the entrance hall. She called for a maid, and there was a flurry of movement.

"I'll call a doctor," Mikio said. Just as he was about to rush out the door, it opened. Yoshitsugu had returned. Mikio looked relieved.

"Father—"

"I heard what happened. Have you laid out a futon? Let Father lie down there. I asked the doctor to come, because I knew something like this would happen anyway."

The doctor they had run into the front door before was behind Yoshitsugu. It seemed that the doctor was brought along on the way back. Both Takafuyu and Suzuko were somewhat surprised by Yoshitsugu's prompt instructions. Until now, the only Yoshitsugu they knew was the one who was always by Yoshie's side and rarely spoke. Mikio didn't seem surprised, so it was most likely that Suzuko and Takafuyu never saw this side of him.

"Don't tell the police yet. It's too late to tell the people at the port, so there's nothing more to do here. I'll inform Kisa's family in Kyoto later. They probably went to her relatives there," Yoshitsugu said matter-of-factly. He then sat down next to Yoshie.

"So, don't worry. Just sleep for a while, Father."

Yoshie looked up at Yoshitsugu, groaned in response, and nodded. When he closed his eyes and began to sleep soundly, Yoshitsugu's face took on a gloomy shade. The doctor, who was taking Yoshie's pulse, had a difficult look on his face. It was as though a dark and heavy curtain was draped over the room.

Suzuko looked at Takafuyu, but he looked like he was afraid of the approaching pain. Suzuko was also scared. She was frightened by her premonition.

The doctor came out of the room and quietly told Yoshitsugu that it would be best for him to gather the family together.

As the evening sun was setting, Yoshie took his last breath.

"To tell you the truth, he had been feeling quite unwell since the beginning of the year. But, when he heard that you were bringing your wife with you, Takafuyu-kun, it invigorated him. He didn't have a long, drawn-out illness, and he was able to see you and Suzuko-san, so I'm glad. He lived for a long time and had a peaceful death."

Mikio said on the veranda of the hanare. It was the day after Yoshie's funeral. There was a tobacco tray next to him and a smoking pipe in his hands. The bamboo pipe, with a sparrow design carved into it, had belonged to Yoshie. Mikio was relaxing in an ojiya-chijimi kimono and heko obi, but Yoshitsugu was still attending to the stream of mourners coming to the main house, and Fukiko was also busy receiving them.

Suzuko and Takafuyu were cleaning up the hanare with Mikio. It seemed that Yoshie had finished arranging his affairs on his own, and there were few things left behind. A few of his favorite antiques, as well as his favorite pipe and tobacco tray. That was about it.

"I wish we could have talked more," Takafuyu, looking sad, looked around the empty room.

"Grandfather was never good with his words. It couldn't be helped," Mikio laughed. He stuffed tobacco in a bowl and lit it. He inhaled slightly and exhaled the smoke. A thin trail of smoke rose upwards.

"Father may not look like it, but he's a reliable person, so you don't need to worry about us. He's probably going to divorce my mother, but the other side of the family is annoying us by recommending a second wife for him as an apology."

Just as Yoshitsugu had said, Kisa had gone to Kyoto to live with her relatives. Soejima was apparently with her as well. Yoshitsugu apparently had no intention of taking her back, so the divorce talks were progressing.

"Also, they say that they're going to recommend someone for me too, so maybe the second wife and my new wife are going to come to this house at the same time," Mikio said this in a casual tone and laughed. "Well, this will all be happening after Grandfather's mourning period is over."

"Why don't I find you a marriage partner?"

"No thanks. I don't want to deal with some noble's daughter or the daughter of a company president."

As they were talking, Fukiko's shrill voice came from the verandah of the main house. "Nii-san, what are you doing, looking like this got nothing to do with you? We're swamped over here!"

"Sorry, sorry," Mikio laughed and stood up. "I'm going back."

However, Fukiko thrust her feet into her sandals that were placed on the stepping stone and strode over towards them.

"I'm gonna take a break too. The guests have finally stopped coming."

"Really? Then I don't have to hurry back then," Mikio sat down again.

"If you need any help, I can help as well. We finished cleaning up here," Suzuko offered.

"Hmm, well then…" Fukiko looked into space, thinking. "Taka and Waka are helping with housework, so if you're up to it, could you clean up Mother's room? Or rather, I'd like you to take out her kimonos and accessories."

"I can do that, but…is it okay to just take them out?"

"Listen, about that," Fukiko frowned as hard as she could. "Mother asked us to send her things back. She said she couldn't take anything with her when she left."

All Suzuko could say was "Oh my…"

"What is she thinking, really. She's throwing all stuff so she can elope, isn't she?"

"I guess you can say it's just like her. She's even more attached to her things than anything else, and it'd be a shame for her to throw them all away. I wonder if she has a place to put them all where she lives."

"Who knows. If we throw them all away, we'd have to deal with them later, so I'll make a catalog and send them to her with a noshi.* As a celebratory gift for her elopement."

Fukiko was the type who would really do such a thing.

At any rate, Suzuko and Takafuyu went to Kisa's room to tidy it up. There were two empress tree chests of drawers where her kimonos were stored, as well as a large trunk in the closet. They took out the kimonos from the drawers and set them aside as they were. The small drawers at the top were nearly empty. Judging from the obi clasps and ring boxes, this was probably where the precious metals were stored. The expensive items must have been taken with her.

"It seems that we keep running into love affairs involving drivers," Takafuyu smiled wryly. He had a point. There was the case with Viscountess Sasao, and the case with Viscount Fujizono's sister.

"I suppose you could call it common, though—" Takafuyu, who was tidying up the writing desk, stopped talking and moving.

"What's wrong?" Suzuko looked at his hands. He had opened a folded piece of paper.

What…

She swallowed the words. It was a nishiki-e print. It was a colorfully painted picture of a god with three faces and six arms.

"It's Sankoshin of the Touka Sect…" Takafuyu murmured. Yes, this was Sanko-sama. A god with the face of a woman, bird, and fox. The god of the Touka Sect, the religion that Viscountess Sasao and Viscount Fujizono's sister believed in.

"I can't believe Kisa-san is also a Touka believer…"

"No, I don't believe she is," Takafuyu said. "For believers, this is an appreciated drawing of their god. A believer wouldn't fold it up like this, nor would they have left it behind."

However, he added. "Maybe this was what happened between her and Soejima."

"Are you saying that Soejima was the one who was the Touka believer, and he tried to convert Kisa-san and ended up eloping with her?"

Takafuyu nodded. "It reminded me of Fujizono Nobuko's case."

The driver who was obsessed with Viscount Fujizono's sister, Nobuko, was a Touka believer. Her maid suspected that her driver encouraged her to join the religion.

"But why would he want to convert the wife of a Shinto priest of all people?"

"Shrines and religions are different, and people are free to believe whatever they want. In fact, he might have thought that he would gain prestige or backing with this."

"Even so…"

The Hanabishi family was a prestigious family with a long history here. Although it was a branch family, seducing a Hanabishi wife into becoming a believer was too dangerous. If he wasn't careful, he could have roused anger and driven out of this area. Was he so confident that it wouldn't happen?

"—It makes one's skin crawl, isn't it. It feels unpleasant."

"Yes."

Suzuko and Takafuyu stared silently at the idol for a while. Without saying anything, Takafuyu folded the paper in half again and put it away in the paper box on the desk.

A few days passed, and things had finally settled down in the Hanabishi house, so Suzuko and Takafuyu decided to return to Tokyo. This was also due to the forecast that a typhoon approaching Shikoku. On the evening of the day when they had mostly finished packing and were scheduled to leave the next morning, Suzuko and Takafuyu visited Shimagami Shrine. They wanted to watch the sunset from the cape for the last time.

"Oh, it's beautiful…"

Suzuko couldn't help but let out a cry of admiration. The sun was just setting into the sea, and everything was shining golden. What a luxurious sight.

The sun was gradually sinking into the sea. Little by little, the sky changed from gold to rose-colored, and then to light purple. It began to get darker and darker, as if a curtain was being lifted from above. The sun never stopped—it warped its shape and melted into the sea.

As she was staring at it, she suddenly felt the moment when sun and shadow were reversed. Beyond that point, the darkness's encroachment sped up, and a shadow covered their surroundings. It fell over the trees and their skin, dying everything in pale indigo. But the sun still remained above the sea.

A pleasant sea breeze blew through her sleeves. The sound of the waves resounded quietly.

"I feel like I've seen the sunset for the first time," Takafuyu said. "Of course, I've seen it many times before, though."

Suzuko nodded. "I understand what you mean. It's so beautiful…I feel as if I'm seeing it for the first time as well."

"It's wonderful to be able to see beautiful scenery together."

Suzuko honestly thought so as well. "I agree."

Takafuyu smiled happily at her response. "You think so too, Suzuko-san?"

"Yes."

Sometimes, Takafuyu looked like a carefree child. There was usually a faint shadow over his face, and even when he was smiling, it looked like he wasn't. When it was the former, Suzuko thought he was simply a lovely person. When it was the latter, her heart hurt, and she wanted to nestle close to him.

It was difficult to express such feelings. She felt like her words would turn out a little different from what she thought they would be as soon as she said them.

"I consider you a very important person to me, but I don't think that's what you're looking for."

She murmured, not knowing whether or not he heard. She thought that her voice got lost in the sound of the waves and wind, but Takafuyu heard all of it.

"It might not be. I don't know either. All I know is, you're giving me more than I ever wanted."

Takafuyu smiled, looking troubled, yet no less happy.