On the streets of Setagaya Ward, the late spring weather had gradually warmed. Anegasaki Nene stood at the street corner, lifting her skirt to just above her knees, revealing long legs that tapered into slender ankles, carrying a perfectly balanced fullness.
After a moment's contemplation, she released her grip, letting the skirt fall back into place.
"Hmm..."
In that fleeting instant, she had experienced countless internal struggles. In the end, Anegasaki Nene simply raised her skirt to her knees and refused to lift it any higher.
"Senior Anegasaki~!"
A familiar voice called out. She looked toward the street corner and saw Koyakawa sprinting toward her, sparks of energy crackling around her as she waved enthusiastically.
Anegasaki Nene was about to wave back when her gaze suddenly fell to her wrist, where a silver bracelet glinted sharply in the sunlight.
She withdrew her hand and discreetly slipped the bracelet off, tucking it into her pocket.
Koyakawa ran over, completely oblivious to Nene's shifting emotions. She took Nene's hand and swung it back and forth, giggling with delight. "It's so rare! We can finally go out together at the end of spring break. But I couldn't do it alone, right, Nene? You'll come with me, won't you?"
Nene looked at her, words catching in her throat.
Foolish child, are you sure you want me to accompany you?
Do you really, truly want this?
But she kept her thoughts to herself, simply nodding. "Yes, I'd love to get out and about."
"Right?" Koyakawa began counting on her fingers. "Tetsu-kun said he wants to go to Kyoto to see the cherry blossoms. I know Tokyo has them too, but if we're going to Kyoto, that's not a bad idea. I've been submitting articles to magazines and newspapers lately, so I've saved up quite a bit of money—"
She chattered on and on, while Nene maintained a calm smile, listening to her excitedly recount her plans.
Finally, Kobayashi Tetsu arrived, tardy as usual.
"Sorry I'm a little late," he said, waving his hand in apology.
Koyakawa turned to look at Kobayashi Tetsu, tilting her head back, her eyes brimming with excitement.
"Tetsu-kun, you were so cool yesterday! The way you spoke, and with so many people watching—oh my, Tajiri Satoshi looked downright terrifying, like he'd escaped from a psych ward! It's such a shame we tried so hard, but we still couldn't make it into the top hundred..."
She had truly given her all. Takamine Aika, who had joined the team halfway through, had contributed significantly to the investigation process, such as uncovering clues from old films and deducing potential locations. Yet they were still a hundred steps too late, ultimately finishing at 102nd place, just outside the top hundred.
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded. "He does have some issues. He has Asperger's syndrome," a condition that affects both physical and psychological development, often associated with exceptional intelligence. "Let's not dwell on him for now."
He outlined their plan: "We'll start at Daigo-ji, then go to Kiyomizu-dera, followed by Nijō Imperial Villa, Honnō-ji, and after leaving Kyoto, we'll head to Osaka—"
Koyakawa nodded enthusiastically, but Anegasaki Nene's eyes twitched slightly.
First Daigo-ji, then Nijō Imperial Villa, and now Honnō-ji? Will we even make it back alive? I'm afraid this is a setup. A local Matsunaga—let's call him Mr. Matsunaga, since he doesn't want to reveal his name—will probably send out five hundred executioners to chop us all into minced meat. I wonder if Kobayashi Tetsu can even handle two samurai swords.
Now, during the Sengoku period, Taiko Toyotomi Hideyoshi selected the five hundred most beautiful cherry trees in all of Japan and transplanted them to Daigo-ji. He also established the Daigo Cherry Blossom Festival in April, which is how the tradition of cherry blossom viewing at Daigo-ji began.
Koyakawa chattered on endlessly, but deep down, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
After Daigo-ji, we're going to Osaka.
And Osaka is the stronghold of the Toyotomi clan.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's beloved wife was Kita no Mandokoro, who was also known as Nene!
She suddenly understood what Kobayashi Tetsu meant.
Could it be... is this...?
Kobayashi Tetsu said, "Osaka is a good choice. On one hand, we can discuss future music projects with Ms. Tōno and try to recruit her. On the other, there's a promising game company in Osaka I want to approach for a business collaboration."
Anegasaki Nene: "So it's still about work, huh?"
Koyakawa nodded vigorously.
"Great! I'd love to see the company that Tetsu-kun is so interested in."
Anegasaki Nene glanced again and noticed that Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't carrying a suitcase, only a small backpack.
"Tetsu-kun, didn't you bring any essential items?"
"Oh, I brought everything—soap, towel, and my camera."
Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't particularly knowledgeable about photography; he just bought a Sony because it was expensive. He figured that if it wasn't the right choice, at least it was pricey.
As for anything he might need, he could just buy it when he got there. He was too lazy to drag a suitcase!
Though he'd thought about the trip extensively, it wasn't until he arrived in the unfamiliar city that he felt a sense of bewilderment. It was a completely new place, after all.
But Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't afraid. With money in his pocket, he could go anywhere he wanted.
Though late April was nearing the end of the cherry blossom season, he figured he could still make it. The only catch was that Daigo-ji charged admission—1,000 yen for students and 1,500 yen for adults.
Kobayashi Tetsu stood at the ticket window and casually pointed to himself.
He looked like someone who needed to spend 1,500 yen!
The ticket seller glanced at Kobayashi Tetsu and Anegasaki Nene.
"Two adults at 1,500 yen each, thank you!"
Then she looked at Koyakawa.
"One child at 1,000 yen, thank you!"
"Or you can purchase a family ticket—two adults and one child—for 3,000 yen."
Kobayashi Tetsu, of course, wasn't short on money, but he couldn't help but protest.
"What's with this 'two adults and one child' business?!"
But Koyakawa had already cheerfully paid and urged the others forward. So, the two adults could only bring one child into Daigo-ji.
Kobayashi Tetsu had heard about Daigo-ji, but he hadn't paid it much mind, considering it just another relaxing day trip.
But when he finally stood before Daigo-ji and looked up, he couldn't help but marvel at its unique beauty.
Paper streamers hung nearly to the ground, petals scattered like flowers nearing their bloom, yet still clinging to the last rays of sunlight.
It was said that these weeping cherry trees, with their drooping branches, were a unique feature of Daigo-ji.
"How many people do you think Toyotomi Hideyoshi had to kill to keep these weeping cherry trees here at Daigo-ji?"
Kobayashi Tetsu felt a pang of emotion.
Amidst the overlapping branches of the weeping cherry tree, he could only see the sturdy trunk. The drooping branches resembled a woman's disheveled hair, carrying an inexplicable air of melancholy and stillness.
Beautiful yet fleeting, this captured the essence of Japanese aesthetics: mono no aware (the bittersweet appreciation of the impermanence of things), yugen (profound grace and subtlety), and wabi-sabi (simplicity and imperfection).
Kobayashi Tetsu shook his head slightly and raised his camera. "Enough of that. Let's take a photo."
He wasn't particularly skilled with his new camera. Seeing Nene and Koyakawa standing before the tree, he suddenly realized a problem:
If I take this photo, I won't be in it!
Nene Anegasaki leaned forward. "Why don't I take it instead?"
Koyakawa didn't understand. "Then you won't be in the photo, Senior!"
Nene chuckled. "We can take turns."
Besides, she thought, you two are enough. Why do you need me in the picture?
Just as Kobayashi Tetsu was about to hand the camera to Nene, an elderly man on a nearby bench waved familiarly.
"If you don't mind, I'll take the photo."
Kobayashi Tetsu casually handed the camera to the old man, who fiddled with it a few times, surprisingly adept.
"Not bad at all," the old man muttered. "Young people these days have so much money—they buy such fine cameras yet don't know how to use them."
Despite his grumbling, he positioned all three of them in front of the cherry tree and snapped a few photos.
Noticing Kobayashi Tetsu's restless hands, the old man suddenly flashed a knowing smile.
Why not take everything? That's not a hard choice, is it?
"Actually, we've already missed the peak bloom period," the old man continued. "The best time to come is early April."
Kobayashi Tetsu replied, "We're just wandering around. We just arrived from Tokyo."
The old man lowered the camera, his eyes distant with longing. "Tokyo, huh? Coming from such a backwater to a big city must be tough, right?"
Kobayashi Tetsu: ————
"Take your time and explore," the old man said, handing the camera back to Kobayashi Tetsu. "Kyoto is a world-renowned city, unlike money-grubbing Osaka. Since you're from the sticks, you should take the time to appreciate the beauty of a true city."
Kobayashi Tetsu suppressed a laugh and nodded.
Sure, why not!
What else could we do?
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