The full moon hanging in the indigo sky illuminated Takamiya’s garden. Even when wearing shoes, one could tell how soft the well-maintained lawn was.
“Though the lingering summer heat persists during the day, it’s quite cool at this hour. Are you not cold in those short sleeves?” Kiyotaka asked in amusement, his long front bangs swaying in the breeze.
Now that he mentions it, the wind does feel like the autumn kind.
“Not really,” said Ensho. “September’s still summer in my mind.”
“There you go again. Shall I lend you my jacket?” Kiyotaka began to take it off.
“No need,” Ensho declared firmly.
Kiyotaka chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to grace me with your presence.”
“What? You talk like you’re the organizer.”
“Well, I did suggest the idea.”
“Whatever. I wanted to ask why you called me a tengu.”
Kiyotaka blinked. “Oh? Did it bother you that much?”
“’Course it did. I haven’t changed or anything. All I did was sell a painting. How does that make me conceited?” Ensho asked, annoyed.
Kiyotaka smiled in amusement.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. It’s just that you’ve always loathed the wealthy, and you overreacted to the word ‘tengu’ as well. In your mind, braggarts must be in the same position as the upper class.”
“Huh?” Ensho frowned. “They ain’t the same.”
Suddenly, he realized that rich people and arrogant people did fall into the same category for him: insufferable. Kiyotaka was right, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.
“Either way, no one wants to be called stuck-up,” he said, changing his line of attack.
“Is that so? If I painted that piece and someone called me conceited, I would simply scoff at them and ask, ‘Are you jealous?’”
“What? Did you say that out of jealousy, then?”
“I would be lying if I claimed not to feel that way, but what I said was my true impression.”
“But like I said, I haven’t changed.”
“You are correct that there has been no significant difference in your outward attitude, but the problem lies here.” Kiyotaka pressed his index finger against Ensho’s chest. “Your internal attitude. It’s clear you’ve become arrogant.”
“Arrogant?”
“You’re thinking, ‘No matter what I paint, rich people will happily buy it up,’ aren’t you?” Kiyotaka asked, peering into his face.
The painter fell silent.
“Your inner self is projected onto your work more than you think. With the mandala and Chang’an, you had to channel your father, Taisei Ashiya, so you completely emptied your own thoughts. Those extreme circumstances were what gave those pieces their intensity. Meanwhile, the painting you gave me, Suzhou, is brimming with the joy of newfound freedom, and Yu Garden by Night reflects the feeling of yearning.”
Kiyotaka didn’t go into specifics, but the yearning in question had been toward Aoi.
“And Present City depicts the life you experienced in Kyoto. Komatsu cried when he saw it, you know.”
“He...had fun living in Gion, huh?”
After relaying Komatsu’s words, Kiyotaka smiled and said, “Believe it or not, he’s quite sensitive.”
Ensho gave a silent nod. He had felt that about Komatsu too.
Kiyotaka continued, “And Aoi said...”
Ensho twitched at the sound of her name.
“Ensho’s work is really captivating. When I see it, I’m overcome with the feeling that I’m being pulled inside. And yet it also feels sharp and unapproachable. It’s like it draws you in but doesn’t let you stay... But this painting doesn’t have that sharp edge, and I mean that in a good way. It feels like it’s calmly saying, ‘Feel free to step inside this painting.’ It made me happy to think that this is how Ensho sees Kyoto now.”
Kiyotaka looked at Ensho. “It isn’t hard to imagine what would happen if you proceeded to paint a piece while full of arrogance, is it?”
Ensho gritted his teeth. Everything the appraiser said was true, but he still had his doubts. “What does this have to do with the party?”
“There were three things I was trying to convey to you.” Kiyotaka held up three fingers. “First, as I just explained, I sense arrogance in you. Second is the question ‘Are you sure you want to continue the way you’ve always been?’”
“Whaddya mean by that?”
“You sold Present City to the highest bidder—Takamiya—due to a change within yourself. I believe it’s because you found a goal.”
Kiyotaka was right. The friends whom Ensho had committed crimes with were still crawling at the bottom of society. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Kiyotaka was the one who’d helped him escape that life. It wasn’t easy pulling someone up from the bottom—it required money, and a lot of it.
“You must feel like you’re on cloud nine after selling your painting for so much,” Kiyotaka continued. “You may even think you’ve achieved stability. However, if you plan to start something new, a mere hundred million yen will disappear before you know it.”
“A mere hundred million yen? You really are a rich kid.”
“I wouldn’t say that. For example, Sanjo Bridge was deteriorating, so it was repaired at a cost of about four hundred million yen. Even with all of your wealth, you wouldn’t even be able to repair Sanjo Bridge. For an individual, one hundred million yen is a fortune. But it’s nothing when it comes to making a change in society. If you try to do something with only the money you earned from Present City, it is unlikely to get far.”
Kiyotaka’s argument was strangely persuasive. Ensho was at a loss for words.
“This success is ultimately just a stepping stone. You need to achieve greater heights. Ride this wave and become a true moneymaking artist.”
“A what?” Ensho’s face stiffened.
“Disgusted again? You really do react negatively whenever money is mentioned. Do you hate it that much?”
“As if. I like money.”
“No.” Kiyotaka shook his head. “Much to my regret, there are similarities between you and me. However, there is also a definitive difference: our feelings regarding money. I have no doubt whatsoever that I love money.”
“Huh?” Ensho recoiled slightly.
“You were revulsed just now, weren’t you? That’s because you’re opposed to those words. I’ll say it as many times as I need to: I sincerely love money. I truly believe it is essential for maintaining my own comfort, having good experiences, helping people in need, and protecting my loved ones. Thus, I will never think that poverty is a virtue.”
Ensho felt somewhat intimidated by Kiyotaka’s unwavering conviction.
“So I want to hear your side,” Kiyotaka continued. “Why are you repulsed by money? What is your reason for hating it?”
“Like I said, that ain’t it,” Ensho mumbled. “I like money. It’s rich people I don’t.”
“Why do rich people irritate you so much, then?”
“They’re all despicable.”
“That depends on the person, no? When you were training under Yanagihara, you would have interacted with numerous wealthy people. Were they all despicable? Or is it the general idea of ‘rich people’ that makes you angry?” Noticing a lack of response from Ensho, Kiyotaka continued, “Well then, why does it make you angry? It’s because they have what you don’t, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Ensho muttered.
“It’s strange. You feel bitter toward those with money, yet you overreact to the words ‘I love money.’ You desire money but reject it at the same time. I think this is a major problem. At this rate, no matter how much you earn in the future, it won’t stay in your hands. I imagine you’ve always felt restless when receiving money, leading you to squander it.”
Ensho fell silent, unable to argue back.
“First, you need to reform your mindset and learn to like money. Money doesn’t care if someone is good or bad; it only goes to those who openly say that they love it.”
Ensho didn’t want to believe it, but it made sense. Perhaps that was why humble people who worked themselves to the bone for others remained poor, while brazen people became rich.
“Well, what’s the last thing?” Ensho asked. He’d only heard two of the three points that Kiyotaka wanted to convey.
“My third message is, based on everything we just discussed, I would suggest having a little more respect for the people who value your work so highly. Do you understand? All opportunities come through people. That’s why I want you to meet lots of them. Naturally, there’s no need to meet people whom you dislike. However, if you wish to continue to succeed and start something new on top of that, it would be beneficial to at least show your face at gatherings of people who love your work. The world revolves around connections more than you think it does.”
Ensho could tell that Kiyotaka was giving him harsh advice because he genuinely cared. He fell silent for a bit, then laughed self-deprecatingly. “You’re being awfully nice. Are you still trying to become my agent? Is this a scheme to use me to make a killing?”
He immediately regretted his words. How could he say that to the person who’d pulled him out of the dregs of society? Still, he’d never been able to shake the thought that Kiyotaka was only helping him for his own benefit.
Kiyotaka blinked, then chuckled. “Oh, you’re still thinking about that? I’d long assumed I’d been rejected.”
“Rejected?”
“I’m sure someone like you wouldn’t understand how I feel.”
“Whaddya mean, someone like me?”
Kiyotaka turned to look at the hall and squinted as if he were gazing at something dazzling. “A person capable of painting Present City.” He shrugged and looked at Ensho. “But, fine. As you said, I have grand ulterior motives.”
“Which are?”
“I want to become your agent and live comfortably. To that end, I need you to become an artist earning hundreds of millions. That is why I’m doing everything I can to support you.” He looked at Ensho as if to say, Do you feel better now?
Ensho awkwardly averted his gaze.
Kiyotaka chuckled again. “There’s no need to look so apologetic. What I just said was the truth.”
“Huh?” Ensho looked up in surprise.
Kiyotaka took off his jacket and draped it over Ensho’s shoulders. “The T-shirt doesn’t detract from your artist look, but it really is chilly today. It’ll seem more intentional if you wear this on top.”