(50 Power Stone Bonus)
Akishin and the others stood outside the Kagura-den for quite a while, watching the Miko perform the Kagura dance. They watched in silence, admiring the movents that were simple yet seed to carry a certain spiritual aura—a lingering sense of "lingyun."
Fragnts of conversation from the surrounding crowd drifted toward Akishin's ears. From the idle chatter, he learned that the older Miko was nad Miyamizu Mitsuha, and the younger one was Miyamizu Yotsuha.
They were the granddaughters of the shrine's head.
There was a high probability they would inherit the Miyamizu Shrine in the future.
As for their father, he was the mayor of Itomori, a man nad Miyamizu Toshiki.
Akishin also overheard so less-than-kind whispers from a few students nearby, ntioning that the sisters' mother had passed away a long ti ago and that they currently lived separately from their father.
Ti flowed by quickly. The Kagura dance reached its conclusion, moving into the official highlight of the day: the making of 'Kuchikamizake' (Chewed Sake)...
Or what is known in Chinese as "Li" liquor.
In China, this process roughly evolved through three periods: it began with the chewing thod, moved to the germination thod, and finally settled on the yeast-starter thod.
The chewing thod supposedly originated from mothers chewing rice to feed their infants, using the amylase enzys in saliva to make the food easier for the baby to digest and absorb. Eventually, this logic was applied to the creation of "Li."
Essentially, individuals who had thoroughly cleaned their mouths would chew the rice first, then spit it into a wooden container to fernt. After a few days, it would turn into a sweet and sour drink called "Li."
There are actually versions of this drink sold on the market, but you should never, ever buy them. You never know if the person who made that specific batch was an eighteen-year-old girl or an eighty-year-old grandmother.
In the context of a shrine, however, chewed sake takes on a deeper aning: it is a drink specifically offered to the gods.
Usually, this task is perford by a designated Miko.
At Miyamizu Shrine, the Kuchikamizake is an offering for the ritual, but it also represents "half of the chewer's important soul"—or more accurately, a fragnt of their spirit, acting as a tether between the gods and reality.
After hearing Yuika's explanation, the scene felt a bit... unusual for Shizuka, who was seeing it for the first ti. She couldn't help but reflexively turn her face away.
As for Akishin... he didn't care in the slightest.
As long as he understood the underlying aning, that was enough. He wasn't going to buy it, nor could he buy it anyway, so it wasn't his concern.
The five of them left the Kagura-den area to continue their tour.
Under the night sky, the shrine rituals in this ancient town felt genuinely wonderful.
An hour later, without even realizing it, the group found themselves back at the Kagura-den. The two Miko had already left the stage. Below the platform, aside from the crackling logs of a bonfire that popped occasionally, only a few stragglers remained.
Just as they were preparing to head back, Soichi suddenly pointed to a small path beside the Kagura-den.
"Chishima-sensei, Yotsuha and the others are coming down. Let's go say hi!"
Soichi's sudden outburst made Akishin and the others turn their heads. Two girls were walking down from the upper part of the path. Judging by their appearance, they were indeed the Miyamizu sisters who had just perford the Kagura dance.
...
"Ane-chan, you've been really weird these past two days!"
"What's so weird about it?"
"Well, you're fine now, but before this, every ti I woke you up in the morning, it was like you'd turned into a completely different person..."
"Is... is that really true?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha felt a surge of panic—or perhaps guilt. She had already heard the 'story of her other self' from her sister's mouth.
'That person... right, what was his na again?'
Just as Mitsuha was about to dive deeper into her thoughts, a group of people appeared in front of them. A boy around Yotsuha's age greeted them first.
"Mitsuha-nee, Yotsuha, good evening."
"Soichi-kun!"
The Miyamizu sisters naturally recognized Soichi. He was a bit of a local celebrity among the students in Itomori and was in the sa class as Yotsuha. The two of them were what you'd call good friends.
Looking toward the others, Mitsuha's eyes sparked with a hint of surprise. She recognized Yuika and Kaiko; they had been in the sa grade during middle school.
However, they were just acquaintances, not close friends.
Back then, Yuika and Kaiko were the top two students in the school—the kind of elite types who rarely socialized with others.
Then there were the two strangers. Judging by their clothes...
Tourists, maybe?
—Returning for the ritual and bringing friends along to play.
"Soichi, what's up?"
Yotsuha's curious gaze bypassed Soichi and landed on Akishin, then shifted to Shizuka, mirroring her sister's thoughts.
"There's actually sothing I wanted to tell you, Yotsuha. I'll be leaving Itomori in a few days, so I ca to say goodbye... Oh, right! And these are Chishima-sensei and Hiratsuka-sensei. We watched your Kagura dance earlier; it was beautiful."
Soichi introduced Akishin and his companion to the sisters, but Yotsuha's mind was stuck on the first part of his sentence.
"Soichi, you're leaving Itomori?"
"...Yeah."
Soichi's reply was a bit slow. Seeing Yotsuha's shocked expression, he felt a bit confused. Was it really that big of a deal?
"Why? Where are you going?"
"You probably know about my mom's situation, right? Onee-chan is taking her to Chiba for treatnt, so obviously I have to go too." Soichi's small face showed a hint of helplessness.
He liked to think of himself as very strong, but when actually faced with a farewell, he realized he still felt sad.
Miyamizu Yotsuha was silent for a mont before saying in a slightly dejected voice: "Alright. But you still have to tell the others yourself later. Everyone's going to be really sad to see you go..."
"I know, I'll tell them... Oh, and Yotsuha, let tell you, Chishima-sensei here won the Kendo championship representing Chiba Prefecture not long ago. He's the kind of strong guy who only shows up on TV..."
...
While the Miyamizu sisters were observing Akishin and Shizuka, Akishin was returning the favor.
Jet-black hair tied with red ribbons that ford a flower-like shape on their heads, two pretty faces, and under the moonlight, their eyes looked like crescent moons.
Having changed out of their Miko outfits, they were now wearing simple white t-shirts and light blue jeans, with red sandals on their feet that revealed cute toes.
They held their original Miko garnts carefully in their arms.
"Hello. The Kagura dance was very beautiful."
Akishin offered a polite greeting, though he didn't take the initiative to introduce himself, indicating he didn't intend to get deeply acquainted.
The sisters imdiately bowed in return: "Hello, I am Miyamizu Mitsuha (Yotsuha), this is my younger sister (older sister)..."
Hearing that Akishin was the Kendo champion whose news had spread across Chiba recently, they suddenly beca a bit flustered, causing their words to overlap.
This actually made Akishin feel a bit awkward. He had only given a simple, routine greeting, yet they had responded so formally by giving their nas...
He spoke up again: "My na is Chishima Akishin. You could say I'm in Itomori for sightseeing. I'm a teacher by profession, so you can call 'Sensei' like Soichi does..."
Mitsuha hugged the pure white Miko clothes to her chest, looking at Akishin cautiously as she asked the obvious question: "Excuse , Chishima... sensei, is there sothing we can help you with?"
Why would a big-shot like this suddenly stop them?
Akishin smiled and shook his head. "Nothing in particular. I just wanted to say hello! Like Soichi said, just getting to know each other."
"...I see. Thank you, Chishima-sensei."
Akishin's expression stiffened. What did he just say?
What exactly did Mitsuha understand?
And why was she thanking him?
He didn't get it at all!
After speaking, Mitsuha hopped slightly in place, her modest chest swaying just a bit. she looked quite happy.
'I can take this chance to ask him... next ti we should write our nas on each other's hands... but, um... what was his na again?'
Afterward, Shizuka also exchanged a few words with the sisters, asking about so unique items she had spotted at the shrine while walking around.
Three minutes later, Yotsuha and Soichi said their goodbyes with heavy hearts, both feeling the sting of parting.
Humans are like that—sotis you think sothing doesn't matter, but only when you're actually about to lose it do you start feeling the regret...
Of course, there was no romance involved between Kondo Soichi and Miyamizu Yotsuha. Even if there were, it would have to wait until at least middle school. (Laughs)
For now, they just felt like they were losing an important friend.
...
By the ti they finished touring Miyamizu Shrine, it was already 11:00 PM. Akishin walked Sakurai Kaiko ho first.
"Chishima-sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei, and Yuika, see you tomorrow."
Standing in front of the Sakurai residence, with the golden-yellow glow of the Izakaya behind her, Kaiko waved goodbye.
"Hey, Sakurai-nee, what about ? Why wasn't my na ntioned?"
"...Hahaha, then Soichi-kun should be careful on the way ho too. See you tomorrow."
"That's more like it."
Soichi tilted his head up slightly, walking at the front with a very gallant air.
"Kaiko, see you tomorrow."
Akishin and his two friends also waved to Kaiko before stepping into the darkness under the moonlight.
...
On the dimly lit street, they occasionally encountered a few pedestrians returning from the shrine at first, but soon, the entire road fell silent.
The streetlights stood solitary, illuminating the concrete surface while insects sward around the glow.
Lake Itomori lay in the distance between heaven and earth like a mirror. There was no wind to stir the ripples, leaving only a lonely, cold atmosphere.
The occasional bark of a dog or the sound of a nightingale in the woods only served to deepen the silence.
—There was no other choice, as Kaiko and Soichi's houses were quite far apart. To walk them both ho ant walking twice as far.
The four of them walked on; the Kondo siblings were in front, while Akishin and Shizuka walked behind without holding hands. The brief mont they had held hands earlier was just a one-ti thing.
In short.
Both of them were cowards!
However, the current stillness felt nice.
Akishin really enjoyed the night breeze. The star-filled sky combined with the cool air made him feel as if he were being purified.
Whenever it was like this, his mood would slow down significantly, but conversely, his mind would beco incredibly sharp. If he used this state of mind to write an article, every chapter would surely be a masterpiece.
As they walked, Akishin found himself at the front. Yuika was behind him, sticking close to Shizuka as they talked quietly about girl stuff.
"Chishima-sensei."
Soichi suddenly spoke up. He looked up at Akishin. Under the moonlight, his black eyes seed to reflect the light. "What does it feel like to practice the sword? Can it really cut through anything?"
Akishin was silent for nearly a minute before he spoke. "What practicing the sword feels like, huh? How should I put it... different people have different feelings. To , the sword is a cruel thing, but I love it."
"Cruel? Why cruel?"
"I can't tell you that. Maybe after you practice the sword yourself, you'll understand." Akishin glanced back at Shizuka. "Now, to answer your second question: sword practice can't destroy everything with a single slash.
Physically, a sword can't cut steel, it can't cut diamonds, and it certainly can't cut large ships or high mountains like in movies or dramas...
ntally, there's even more that can't be slashed, and many things that shouldn't be slashed...
My path of the sword is 'Kenshin'—the Sword Heart—one that does not hesitate. To train the sword is to train the heart; it's about making your own choices without caring about how others see you.
For example, if I really want to do sothing and I believe it's right, but everyone else says it's wrong and calls you a fool... in that mont, how would you choose?"
Soichi said imdiately: "There's no need to even ask. Of course, I'd choose to keep doing it."
Akishin nodded and smiled. "Ah, I used to think so too. But Soichi, it's not just about talk. When you actually face that mont, it feels as if the entire world is against you.
Not many people can still maintain their original choice.
Then, another example... Soichi, do you have a dream?"
"I do."
"Oh? What is it?"
"When I grow up, I want to be a rich man. A very, very rich man."
"Cough... *cough cough*..."
Unexpectedly, Akishin choked and coughed at that answer. Initially, he thought the answer was out of place, but he quickly realized it was perfectly fitting for Kondo Soichi.
This kid was already thinking about money at such a young age and was highly interested in financial knowledge. The dream made perfect sense.
Akishin changed his line of questioning.
"More specifically, like an actual profession."
"Hmm~ then a big boss, or maybe a banker..."
Akishin: "..."
*Hah!*
He let out a silent sigh.
He felt utterly helpless. Why was this kid so strange? Was he really just in elentary school?
Kondo Soichi looked up at Akishin again, saying casually: "Chishima-sensei, you don't actually need to ask these questions. I get it. I understand. Ever since you ntioned the Sword Heart, I understood what you ant.
I've seen these things in a TV drama about swords, so I can follow your aning.
To train the sword is to train the heart; one strike of the sword destroys the knots in the heart.
A person who cannot live out their own beliefs—whether they live or die—will only end up as a tragedy."
Akishin's eyes widened slightly, then he laughed. The night breeze blew as usual, ruffling the hair on his forehead.
"Was it that TV drama that told you all this?"
"You could say that."
Soichi hesitated for a second, then, as if thinking of sothing, he said with a look of relief: "There are a few more things I see in you. Even though you don't carry a sword, you feel more like a swordsman than the ones carrying swords in TV dramas. From you, I understand so of the lines spoken in them.
This is truly how I feel. Maybe you'll laugh at , but it's the truth."
Akishin asked with narrowed eyes: "Soichi, what was the na of that drama?"
"'Rurouni Kenshin.' But Sensei, you have to watch the live-action version; it's really good. Sensei, I'll say one of the coolest lines from it, try to feel it..."
At so point, Akishin and Soichi had left Shizuka and the others dozens of ters behind. Shizuka and Yuika weren't in a hurry though, just discussing their own business while maintaining a constant pace.
"...A sword is a weapon for killing, and swordsmanship is the art of murder. No matter how beautiful the words used to cover it up, that remains a fact.
Hehe, Sensei, isn't that line so cool? Every ti I say it, I get all fired up. I want to go back to that era and cut down the Battousai..."
Akishin stopped in his tracks, staring quietly at the cheerful Kondo Soichi in front of him.
—Soichi, those words aren't about being 'fired up' or 'cool.' They are... the most cruel fact of all.
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