“WELL then,” I said, “we’ll meet again next week at the temple.”
“Looking forward to it,” the young man replied.
“Incidentally…” The gentleman smiled fondly at me, a twinkle in his serene eyes. “Is Shino well? Truth be told, I came because I was hoping to see him.”
“Shino?” I repeated.
“Oh, that’s right,” the gentleman said with a laugh. “He goes by Shinozaki now.”
“So…President Shinozaki’s actual name really is Shino?”
“Indeed. Though he hardly ever spends time with people who know his past. Can’t say I blame him for that.”
“Does that mean he actively avoids his old acquaintances…?” I murmured.
“Lady Kaede.” The gentleman regarded me, his eyes still lit with amusement. “Are you fond of Shino, by chance?”
“Huh? Oh, um, well…”
He chuckled. “No need to answer. But as long as Shino has you, I’m sure he’ll be okay.” After giving me another warm smile, he glanced out the window. “Oh, my wife is here.”
“Your wife?”
“Yes. I told her she needn’t come out in this heat, but apparently she grew tired of waiting.”
I followed his gaze outside. Below, a woman carrying a lace parasol strolled toward the café. I could barely make out her face.
“My lord and lady are going on a diet later,” the young man said.
Is he mixing up his English?
“Oh, a date?” I guessed. “How wonderful.”
The young man and I exchanged a quiet laugh. Then, with the conversation over, the three of us rose and left the café.
“We’ll see you soon,” the gentleman said. “Give Shino my regards.”
“See you at the temple, Kikui!” the young man added.
“Of course!” I replied. “Thank you so much for coming out today!”
The two samurai strode to the woman with the parasol. The gentleman and his wife seemed such a happy couple that even watching them from behind warmed my heart.
“So…” I mumbled as the trio disappeared into the distance. “They’re old acquaintances of Shinozaki, huh?”
Shinozaki knew people from four hundred years in the past. The realization filled me with wonder. Personally, I had no idea what my ancestors had been doing back then—
“Kaede,” called a familiar voice.
Jolting, I spun around to find my childhood friend in a white dress. “Tsukushi!” I cried.
She grinned at me, her long, black hair fluttering in the breeze. Tsukushi and I had been close friends ever since we met in nursery school.
The lunch hour had just started, so after checking in with Shinozaki, I decided to spend my break walking around Dazaifu Tenmangū Shrine with Tsukushi.
“Gosh, it’s been so long!” I exclaimed. “I’m so happy we ran into each other. I’ve barely seen you lately.”
“I know,” she said. “Honestly, I’ve had a lot on my plate recently… Speaking of which, did you change jobs?”
“Oh, you can tell? I sure did.”
Eventually, the road to the shrine veered off at a ninety-degree angle. We followed it, passing the sculpture of a divine bull, which was a popular spot for pictures. Then, crossing an arched bridge over the shinji-ike, a pond shaped like the kanji for “heart,” we continued toward the main sanctuary.
“I’ve been dying to see you for a long time now,” Tsukushi said.
“That’s quite an honor,” I giggled.
“Actually, I came here because I had a feeling we would run into each other.”
“Um, is Dazaifu really where you go when hoping to cross paths with someone?”
Even if we’d planned to meet there, the crowds would have swallowed us before any rendezvous. Tsukushi’s notion might have made sense had I’d grown up in Dazaifu, yet I hardly ever left my birthplace of Higashi Ward. We’d never once seen each other in Dazaifu.
“And yet I still found you, didn’t I?” she asked.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Her long, black hair whipped in the wind as her tinkling laughter filled the air. “It must be fate.”
“A fateful reunion with my girl Tsukushi? My heart just skipped a beat.”
Tsukushi had been as lovely as a doll since we were children. She was a gorgeous woman, and I’d always admired her ethereal beauty and manner. She looked like the words fair maiden given life.
As we ascended a second arched bridge, our conversation turned to recent matters.
“So,” Tsukushi said, “everything going swimmingly at your new job?”
“Yep. Well, for the most part.”
“Swimmingly” might not be the perfect description, considering my feelings of late.
Of course, Tsukushi called out my vague response. “I’m sensing a deeper implication there,” she said. “Did something happen, perchance?”
“Well, um…”
“Spill it.” She stared into my eyes, batting her long lashes. “Your big sis is all ears.”
I’d never been a good liar. Words failed me, and unable to form an answer, I picked up the pace as we mounted the last bridge.
“All right then, keep your secrets,” she said. “You can tell me about it later.”
“Okay…”
After a ceremonial handwashing, we concluded our journey in front of the worship hall of the main sanctuary, where we each bought an omikuji. The paper fortunes sold at Dazaifu Tenmangū Shrine were different colors depending on the season; they were a pale blue that day.
“I got a midlevel blessing,” Tsukushi said, unrolling hers first. “Mine says, ‘It will take some persistence, but your efforts will be rewarded.’ What about yours?”
“Hold on a second. My finger got caught in the string.”
Prying at it for a moment with my nail, I finally managed to open the scroll, then cheered upon seeing the words “great blessing.”
“Yay! Um… It says, ‘The hardships you have endured shall be rewarded. Days of fulfillment reminiscent of blooming flowers await you.’”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Yeah. The rest is a bit ominous though. ‘However, the radiant sunlight will also illuminate farewells and new dilemmas. Don’t forget your humility even during times of prosperity.’ It also says, ‘Cherishing the people around you and revering your ancestors will lead to good fortune.’ In other words, I shouldn’t get a big head just because things are going well now, huh?”
The omikuji’s warning couldn’t have fit my current situation better. I felt as though Professor M was beaming guidance at me from somewhere on high.
“Tsukushi.” I sighed, releasing some of the haze in my heart. “Would you mind listening to me vent for a little bit?”
“Of course,” she replied, smiling at me fondly.
Ever since we were kids, I’d always gone to her for advice.
🍁🍁🍁