"What did you find out about Yukino?" Mr. Kamiya’s lips curled slightly deeper.
"I heard from a partner recently that she’s currently living with a young man," Takeuchi Akira said gravely, "That young man committed a heinous act in Minami-Izu. He abducted a Fox Girl from the clutches of Section Nine, forcibly violated her, and then used the Shikigami Binding Spirit technique to devour her soul."
"Oh, I’ve heard about that," Mr. Kamiya shot him a sharp glance, "What do you think should be done?"
"Yukino’s character is too naive. She must have been deceived by him," Takeuchi Akira said while gently twirling his fingers in the air, "As someone who admires her, I feel I should do something for her. What do you think, Mr. Kamiya?"
"I have no opinion," Kamiya extended his right hand again, "I wish you success."
Takeuchi Akira shook his hand once more.
Then, he stood up, straightened his coat and tie, and prepared to turn and walk away.
Mr. Kamiya stood up as well.
He was very tall, and when he stood up, it almost seemed like a stone wall had grown there, often astonishing people with its solid texture.
The late summer sunshine sparsely sprinkled over the courtyard. After watching the other man leave, Mr. Kamiya sat back down in his chair and lowered his head to check if his shoes had gotten dusty.
Furukawa Conference Hall was a meeting point for yokai communication.
As the second person in charge here, he had met countless large and small yokai over the decades.
This yokai from the Ghost Clan named Takeuchi Akira was also an old acquaintance. Takeuchi Akira had deep friendships with many yokai in the Kanto region. Mr. Kamiya was completely uninterested in the Ghost Clan’s schemes, nor did he want to know. What could capture his slight interest was the matter of the Snow Woman. However, as a completely neutral party, the Furukawa Conference Hall would not intervene in external affairs. Moreover, the one who should be more concerned about this matter was not himself, but the young man named Fujiwara Reya.
"Oh, Mountain God," Mr. Kamiya, somewhat amused, poked the dog beside him, "If you don’t come back soon, the silly Snow Woman will be deceived away."
Gouzi looked back, "Woof!"
Furukawa Conference Hall, backyard.
The call of summer cicadas intricately stitched the steaming air into thick cotton batting.
The trees were dense enough to conceal the pool in the yard. There was not a breath of wind under the eaves, yet the irises by the pool gently swayed. White branches, full of tiny buds, created mottled reflections in the water.
Intermittent singing drifted from the antique courtyard.
"Drive the waterwheel to fetch the tide,"
"The wheel turns slowly."
"The four seasons of the floating world cycle on,"
"Life is inherently impermanent."
In the shaded area, Yukino Ritsuko wore a blue kimono and played the shamisen with an elegant demeanor. Her voice, naturally cool and melodious, became light and soft when adopting the singing tone. Just leisurely singing a short piece brought an ethereal aura to the entire courtyard, completely masking the noise of the summer cicadas.
The summer sunshine also seemed to soften because of her voice.
The polished floor, gleaming in the light, appeared smoother and brighter, even reflecting the wood grain on the paneling.
A little girl named Kitagawa Ryoko widened her eyes, looking wistfully and intensely at Yukino Ritsuko. Sister Yukino already seemed delicate and charming; the sorrowful ambiance in the poem harmonized perfectly with her slightly slender and frail waist. The little girl’s eyes were full of admiration.
Having finished singing a simple song, Yukino Ritsuko set the instrument down and allowed the girls to practice.
Amidst the lively chatter, Kitagawa Ryoko approached and exchanged a glance with Yukino Ritsuko, then walked out beyond the eaves.
"I have something to tell you!"
The two figures stopped by the poolside. Before them lay lush greenery, even the pool water seemed to have absorbed a rich green hue.
"Will Sister Yukino come with us to the Mountain God Festival?" Kitagawa Ryoko asked expectantly.
Yukino Ritsuko thought for a moment, then slightly turned her gaze, "I’ll go. Consider it as your teacher accompanying you to see how you shine at the festival."
"That’s great!" Kitagawa Ryoko boldly reached out, quietly clutching her sleeve.
The sunlight was so bright it seemed almost frivolous, and the cool light of the blue satin kimono that Sister Yukino wore, like snow reflecting moonlight, offered a serene beauty.
"Anything else you want to ask?" Yukino Ritsuko inquired.
From the treetops, birds chirruped clearly, yet her voice was even more melodious than the birds’.
"There is, your Mr. Fujiwara did something bad..." Kitagawa Ryoko muttered, glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention, then leaned in to Yukino Ritsuko’s ear to embellish the story she had heard.
"You’re exaggerating," Yukino Ritsuko rubbed her brow, her expression exasperated, "The version I heard was he forcibly took a Fox Girl. How did it become him snatching an entire mountain of Fox Girls to force them into working at a brothel in your telling?"
"What I said is true!" Kitagawa Ryoko put her hands on her hips, sticking out her tongue in a playful grimace, "I’ve long said that guy’s no good. Kick him out, and let me move in with Sister Yukino!"
"We’ll talk about it when he gets back," Yukino Ritsuko said, looking up at the treetops.
The sunlight was somewhat glaring, so she spread her hand to block the light filtering through the trees. Her palm opened gracefully, like the elegant gesture of a dancer in motion.