“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
We left the arcade without any particular destination or words. The night sky above was open, and the beautiful moon shined blue as usual. Twinkling stars scattered across the night sky.
“Shall we go home?” I asked Saki, who was walking beside me.
After a few seconds of silence, she replied, “Yeah.” Her pace slowed, and she avoided eye contact, looking down.
I knew that assuming she felt lonely and regretful was merely my selfish desire, but I still wanted to express it. “If, I don’t know…” I started.
“What?” she interrupted, raising her face abruptly.
“If you have time, there’s one more place I’d like to visit.”
Saki smiled and responded, “Let’s go.”
We headed to Kawaramachi Station and boarded a bright orange train that had just arrived. The train rattled as it began to move.
At Katsura Station, we transferred to the Arashiyama line and got off at Matsuo Station, the station just before Arashiyama. There were no people on the platform. Passing through the unmanned ticket gate, we encountered a shop with a sign that read Fruit Parlor. Saki halted in front of the shop, looking concerned.
“Keiichi, is this the place?”
I understood why she would ask. The station lacked the usual vibrancy of a tourist spot, instead embodying a serene atmosphere for Kyoto residents.
“Have you ever been to Suzumushi Temple, Saki?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“I’m thinking of going there now.”
“Suzumushi Temple, what a lovely name for a temple. Sounds great. Okay, let’s go.”
Seeing her smile, I felt relieved.
Yesterday, when I accompanied Akane, she’d mentioned “one place I want to go to before we leave” and brought me to Suzumushi Temple. During the scorching daytime with shimmering skies, Akane and I made our way to Suzumushi Temple, sweating and bathed in the dazzling sunlight.
To escape the heat of the sweltering summer, I engaged in conversation with the silent Akane.
“Suzumushi Temple — is it a temple that keeps crickets?” I asked, expecting a negative response.
However, Akane calmly answered, “Yes, that’s right,” and continued speaking. “There are supposedly six thousand crickets on the temple grounds. It’s called Suzumushi Temple because crickets sing there all year round.”
Her words surprised me.
“Akane, do you like crickets?”
My hot-tempered sister, overwhelmed by the summer heat, lashed out at me. “I’m not going there for that reason. Geez! Just shut up and follow me, big brother”
“I’m only doing this because of you,” I muttered.
I often thought she couldn’t live without me. Seriously.
Today, unlike yesterday, was a tranquil summer night with falling stars. A cool and serene atmosphere permeated the air.
We were on our way to Suzumushi Temple. When I went there with Akane, it took about twenty minutes from the station to reach it.
Now, at night, I wanted to arrive as soon as possible, considering Saki’s dormitory curfew, so I could escort her before that. As we stepped onto a main street, a city bus labeled Suzumushi Temple came to a gradual stop at a bus stop about five meters ahead.
“Saki, let’s get on that.”
I hurried ahead and signaled the bus to wait.
“Excuse me, we’d like to ride.”
Saki and I boarded the bus and took seats in the back row. The seats were elevated, providing a view of the interior. Two company workers, two women resembling office workers, and a man who appeared to be a university student were also on the bus.
“It’s been a while since I last rode a bus,” Saki commented casually as she observed the surroundings.
I shifted my gaze toward her and said, “Really? I ride it every day.”
“That’s nice,” she replied.
“No, it’s not. It’s different when it’s empty like this. It’s usually crowded.”
“Are you holding the strap?”
“Yeah, usually I don’t get a seat.”
“Are there girls around you?”
“Well, yes.”
Both boys and girls were mingled together. I assumed it was normal for trains and buses to be crowded during rush hour, but perhaps it’s different in Kyoto?
Oh, Saki doesn’t take school transportation, as I realized this, she made an unexpected comment.
“That means… love is about to blossom, right?”
I coughed and choked.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah… I’m fine.”
Is it because of that romance novel she just purchased? It is a very schoolgirl-like way of thinking.
Certainly, some friends would be thrilled to see cute girls from other schools on the bus, but the crowded and stuffy spaces were simply uncomfortable for me. I had no intention of seeking love there.
“Has love blossomed?” Saki gently inquired when I didn’t respond.
The topic of love greatly unsettled me. I was not good at discussing myself, especially when it came to matters of love.
“It hasn’t,” I replied coldly, trying to cut off the conversation. However, Saki eagerly pursued it.
“By the way… do you have a girlfriend?”
Did she think I wouldn’t be interested in finding new love on the crowded bus because I already had a girlfriend? Both assumptions were incorrect.
“I don’t have one. But if I did…” I trailed off, glancing at her sitting next to me.
Suddenly, it seemed like I saw small angelic wings behind Saki’s back. She concealed them and turned her round eyes toward me, tilting her head as if to ask again.
“If you did…?”
“Right now, I wouldn’t be playing with you like this.”
“You’re… serious,” her voice sounded muffled.
“Am I serious? Maybe I’m just clumsy,” I replied, concealing my ulterior motives.
I wanted to spend more time with her. I wanted to hear her clear voice and see her adorable smile. But with such pure and innocent intentions, having any hidden agenda was difficult.
“I wonder if the girl who becomes your girlfriend will truly be happy,” she murmured, gazing at the starry night sky outside the bus window as if confiding in the stars.
What expression does she wear now? I can’t see her face as she turns away. I wish she would face me.
Her shadow faintly reflected in the bus window. Her eyes seemed to hold a hint of sadness.
What was she thinking? Who was on her mind?
If the girl who becomes my girlfriend truly feels that way, I’d make Saki happier than anyone else, I thought strongly. But I won’t let her see me wearing that kind of expression.
Suppressing my thoughts, which almost escaped as words, I squeezed the small amulet in my pocket. It was yellow with the words Jizo of Happiness inscribed in it, a memento from Suzumushi Temple.
In my pocket, I drew strength from it.
“Suzumushi Temple holds a certain magic, you know.” I’d come here one last time today because I wanted to believe in my sister’s words.
We reached the bus stop, disembarked, and walked along the path leading to Suzumushi Temple. The sound of flowing water filled the air as we approached. Soon, we came across a picturesque river with a quaint bridge.
Crossing it, we continued along the path. Despite the dark sky, the blue moon cast its nostalgic glow upon us. The full moon above the towering bamboo grove bathed Kyoto’s night in a dreamlike hue.
The vast expanse of the blue sky seems to dilute the colors of ordinary life, creating a faint and ephemeral world. This summer felt special. I couldn’t help but sense it.
A sign with the words Suzumushi-dera came into view. Behind it stood a long stone staircase.
“Watch your step,” I cautioned.
“Okay,” she replied, following closely behind as I led the way up.
“It’s dark,” she remarked.
“Yes, it is. Are you alright?”
“Yeah… It’s hard to see, but I’ll manage.”
Tall trees with umbrella-like branches, verdant and imposing, lined the stone steps as if observing us. In this place, where the illusion of a long stone staircase in the heart of a lush forest was easy to conjure, the moonlight struggled to reach us.
The steps were particularly challenging to discern at the beginning of our ascent. Unlike me, who had climbed them before, she struggled on her maiden climb.
“Saki,” I said, noticing her slight difficulty.
Instinctively, I reached out my hand toward her unsteady footing. She briefly looked at my outstretched palm, then placed her hand atop mine. It gently enveloped mine. Her hand felt smaller than I had imagined, and a pang of pain surged through my chest, accompanied by a warm flush in my cheeks.
I continued walking up, gaze fixed straight ahead. Gradually, the main hall of the temple came into view.
As we ascended the steps, our view widened. At the top, we were greeted by the entrance gate to Suzumushi Temple. The gate stood firmly closed, denying us entry. Beside it, a Jizo statue basked in radiant light.
“This Jizo statue seems so luminous,” I commented.