The moment of tranquility that Hoshino Fujiko enjoyed was very short. In just a blink of an eye, they arrived at their destination.
Hachiman Shrine.
It's small and stands tall in the mountains and forests.
As usual, the first thing you see is a stone staircase and a faded red torii gate.
Otomo Sawaki parked the car on the side of the road and asked if he wanted to take them up. Keisuke Aoi waved his hand and said no.
The steps are not long, and you can see the roof tiles of the shrine when you look up, so there is no chance of getting lost.
"Let's go, President."
"Um."
Hoshino got out of the car with a normal expression, and the relaxation and comfort quietly disappeared without a trace, making people fall into a deeper and deeper world.
She walked on the thick ground, but she seemed like a single tree walking on the abyss.
"Quack!"
There seemed to be a row of dark crows standing on the branches, with their round red eyes open, screaming noisily at her.
In another blink of an eye, Hoshino stepped into the sunshine and bathed in it. The only thing he saw was Aoi Keisuke who started to climb the steps.
His movements are gentle and graceful, making people think of the leisurely and contented Shan He, but only if you don't look at his disgusting face.
After walking up nearly a hundred stone steps, the two of them arrived at Hachiman Shrine.
Because the steps are relatively narrow, even Hoshino could cross two or three steps at a time, so he only walked a few dozen steps.
There is a fence-like jade wall around the shrine to distinguish the divine realm from the secular world - although Qing Keisuke did not notice any difference between the two realms.
There are a pair of Komatsu angels placed on both sides of the stone road, and there are ropes on both sides to create an atmosphere.
The Shinto leads straight to the main hall, and a plainly dressed old priest is cleaning the courtyard alone with a broom.
The "believers" who arrived in the early morning seemed to surprise him.
He quickly put down the work at hand and guided the two of them to a nearby hand basin to clean their hands and mouths.
Aoi Keisuke and Hoshino looked at each other. Initially, neither of them thought about visiting the shrine.
"What is the name of the Lord of God?"
"Ah, I'm sorry, I am Hiranuma Key, and the one enshrined here is Hachiman the Great God."
Tesuisha, which is the pool next to the shrine, is something you often see in anime. You use a wooden-handled spoon to scoop out water.
The water from the spring was clear and clean, and seemed to be drinkable. Of course, neither of them drank.
Because of the excessive enthusiasm of Hiranuma Kagi, the two of them paid a symbolic visit to the main hall.
Qing Keisuke was particularly perfunctory and just clapped his hands, but the old god didn't take it seriously.
While chatting, the old shrine master told them that his granddaughter went to school and only came to the shrine to help during meetings on weekends. She was a shrine maiden he was very proud of.
Aoi Keisuke was interested in inquiring about the news, so he took advantage of the situation and started chatting. Hiranuma Ken warmly invited them to the back room to make tea.
"It's just some crude tea, please don't mind."
“It’s unique!”
Qing Keisuke felt that he and Arisugawa often chatted, and it was indeed not without gain.
The three of them were sitting in the teahouse facing the corridor. Looking out, they could see the scenery of Daze Mountain.
Although it is located in a remote place, it was obviously carefully designed when it was built.
Fujiko Hoshino basically didn't interrupt. Although she was the one who was eager to investigate the truth, Keisuke Aoi was playing a role, and she was happy to sit back and enjoy the results.
"Master Hiranuma, we are curious about the theology and culture of Yuzawa. In addition to Hachiman, are there any other gods enshrined here?" Aoi Keisuke asked.
"oh!"
The old God Lord shouted happily and strangely when he heard this. Such young people are rare.
He looked at the two of them carefully for a while with cloudy eyes, marveling at their appearance, and said with emotion that his granddaughter would be very excited if she could see them.
"As for the gods, it's hard to say...but there are many shrines. For example, on the mountain south of Mount Osawa, there are two smaller ones called Odazawa and Miyata Shrines.
There is an Atago Shrine over Mount Atago..."
Even though it was a different shrine, the old shrine master still kept the old treasures in mind and told Keisuke Aoi the answers he wanted to know one by one.
Qinggui glanced at Hoshino without any trace, and Hoshino shook her head at him, her shoulder-length short hair swaying slightly with her movements, like a weeping willow in spring.
"Lord Hiranuma, I wonder if there are any that are even less well-known, or have even disappeared naturally?
To be honest, this is a topic we studied during the summer vacation, so we want to study something more hidden."
"this……"
Hearing this, the old god master subconsciously frowned his white eyebrows, and then said without hesitation: "Probably not..."
Even the lies he told were so vague, it seemed that this old God Lord was indeed a good person.
Aoi Keisuke and Hoshino looked at each other in tacit understanding again, and thanks to the question asked by Aoi Keisuke, she learned some new clues.
Skipping this topic, Hiranuma Kan recommended many tourist attractions and old shops worth visiting in Yuzawa in summer. Based on the content of the second half, Aoi Keisuke simply wrote down everything.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality."
"Where, I hope you have a good time in Yuzawa."
The old God Lord smiled and took out two handmade guards as gifts to them.
When walking down the stairs of the shrine, Hoshino asked Aoi Keisuke whether the god of Hachiman Shrine has mysterious power. Aoi Keisuke shook his head and denied it.
"This is a very ordinary shrine, without the power of inheritance."
"in this way."
"President, you seem to have discovered something?"
"Are you referring to the abrupt turning point of the God Master?" Hoshino said with a slight movement in his eyes.
"Hmm...is it just this?" Qing Guisie was noncommittal.
"If you have anything to say, you can just say it." The eldest lady remained calm.
"No, it's okay. Where are you going next?"
It would be too strange to go back to the hotel directly, so Hoshino said to go to the town and have a look.
On the side of the road, Zeshu Dayou waited for a while. There was an ashtray on the front hood of the car with a bunch of cigarette butts already inserted.
When he saw the two people walking down, he immediately put out the cigarette in his hand.
"Oh, I didn't expect you guys to be able to hang out for so long."
"Sorry, I chatted with the old god here for a while. If I want to travel next time, I will tell you how long it will take."
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Otomo Sawaki waved his hand very cheerfully and competently, got into the driver's seat and asked where to go next.
Qing Keisuke casually mentioned a place, which was located in the town and recommended by the old god.
When it comes to Yuzawa, there are not many places worth visiting in summer compared to Tokyo. It is most famous for its ski resorts in winter and is a famous ski resort.
In this hot summer, it is better to go to Karuizawa, which is only more than an hour's drive from Yuzawa.
But it’s worth it after all, and the scenery in summer is definitely commendable, so there’s no harm in walking around.
The vehicle started up again, and the air conditioner in the car ran rumblingly, trying to blow out cool wind. Qing Keisuke took out the book Hoshino lent him and started reading from the first page.
Surprisingly, Lord Demon King quickly became immersed in it.
The story of "Snow Country" can be roughly summarized as the story of a married man coming to Yuzawa and having an affair with a geisha here.
A seemingly simple event becomes extremely poignant and hazy in Kawabata Yasunari's writing, making people fascinated by the place they are in.
Even if it's just a world in a book that's so long ago.
Snow Country is not long, but every word is worth recalling, so Aoi Keisuke did not read it very quickly.
Sawaki Otomo saw Aoi Keisuke reading a book in the car. He originally wanted to persuade him that it was bad for his eyes, but after reading the title of the book, he closed his mouth again.
"Mr. Sawaki."
Halfway through the journey, Hoshino Fujiko, who had been sitting silently in the back row, suddenly spoke. The cold voice frightened Otomo Sawaki, but fortunately he still held the steering wheel firmly.
Even Qing Keisuke was separated from the snowy world and breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously.
"Uh...what's wrong? This...Miss?" Otomo Sawaki asked carefully.
"Just call her Hoshino." Qing Keisuke added.
"Excuse me, what was the name of the former shrine in Osawa Mountain?"
"Uh...ah! What?"
"Is there...is there such a shrine?"
If Aoi Keisuke hadn't quickly helped hold the steering wheel, Sawaki would have really driven into the ravine after hearing Hoshino's question.
Some people died, but not completely...
This chapter has been completed!