夏のスペシャル２０２４年 その１
Summer Special 2024: Part 1
Side: Yuki
"Ah... I have to say, this place never changes."
"It really doesn't, does it?"
"It reminds me of my own hometown, too."
"Yes, truly."
Exchanging these sentiments, Taiki, Taizou-san, Souta-san, and I arrived at the Japanese-style rural village located within Weed.
Naturally, it was a sweltering summer day. The cicadas were buzzing with a deafening roar, making it feel like the very essence of summer—though, I suppose the noise is just as much a part of that season as anything else.
"To think you managed to maintain this place so well, considering it was originally a deserted village."
"Well, we have Suzuhikohime, Karako, and the others to thank for that. They’ve been diligently cleaning and maintaining it so it doesn't feel out of place."
Suzuhikohime is a *tsukumogami*—an object that has acquired a spirit. While not quite on the level of the Three Sacred Treasures, she is derived from the original form of the *kagura suzu* (ritual bells), a venerable object mentioned in ancient Japanese literature. Because her origin is tied to the divine, calling her a *tsukumogami* is technically correct, but she’s in a league of her own.
As for Karako, he’s a *karakasa-obake* (umbrella ghost). He has leg hair, which Labyris finds rather off-putting. Some people are visually repulsed by *yokai*, so that’s just how it goes, but I’ve told him to keep his chin up.
"That is something we must be grateful for."
"Indeed. A house begins to fall apart the moment people stop living in it."
As we were talking, Suzuhikohime appeared, shimmering like a heat haze.
"I have been awaiting your arrival, Yuki-sama, and all of your friends."
She bowed with practiced, formal grace. Though she appeared as a young girl, the way she wore her elegant kimono and performed her bow felt truly divine. She seemed more like a goddess than the actual goddesses I’ve met.
"Thanks. We’ll be here for a short while this summer, so I’m counting on you."
"Certainly. Your esteemed companions have also taken such breaks in the past, so please leave everything to me. Besides, with the advancement of technology, the labor is not so taxing."
"We’ve been using vacuum cleaners and the like, after all. Especially the air conditioning. It’s so convenient. It’s much better than gathering ghosts to create a 'chilling' atmosphere."
"Wait, so that doesn't actually get cold?"
Taiki let out a surprised cry at Karako’s words. Honestly, I was just as shocked. It always felt so chilly.
"Well, if it were actually cold, no one would have trouble with air conditioning, and the ghosts' locations would be given away instantly, wouldn't they?"
"That makes sense. With thermometers around, it would be easy to tell. Did you know about this, Souta-dono?"
"Yes. Though, in the case of *yokai* like Snow Women or Snow Children, the temperature does actually drop."
"““They’re here too?!””"
"Come now, Yuki-taisho has the Great Flame Demon Akuten-chan among his daughters, doesn't he? Don't be so surprised by a few Snow Women."
That was a fair point, but when you lump them all together as "yokai," the differences in their ecology and species are so vast that it’s hard not to be surprised. Taizou-san seemed to feel the same way.
"Karako is right, of course, but I find myself wondering how such species with low populations manage to survive."
"Indeed. If there aren't a certain number of them, they’d go extinct. I know *yokai* have long lifespans, but what are their actual numbers?"
Taizou-san and Souta-san started pondering the ecological implications. I don't know—can you really separate *yokai* from nature like that? It feels like there’s a different logic at play.
"Anyway, setting that aside—we’re a bit busy and Obon has already passed, but is the maintenance of the graves here alright?"
"Yes. We take care of that ourselves. Though, we do still hold the Obon festival."
"Oh? You’re still holding the festival?"
"Yes. You all are busy, aren't you? We couldn't guarantee you'd be able to come on a specific day, so we decided to keep the stalls running from the Obon in August through the first half of September."
"That’s amazing."
What a luxurious—or perhaps wasteful—way to do things.
"It is quite alright. We aren't wasting food; we simply haven't packed up the stalls. It just means you can enjoy them whenever you arrive."
"Ah, I see. That’s a relief. My wives will be happy to hear that."
"Yes. Ratz-sama and Milly-sama, in particular, often buy various things from the stalls to use as snacks."
Yeah, that sounds exactly like those two.
"The other wives also come by during their time off to enjoy the stalls, the river, or just relax in the tatami rooms."
"I see. So they’ve gotten used to the Japanese-style houses, then."
"Yes. Since the area is close to Western culture, I was worried about that, but perhaps thanks to you, Yuki-sama, they seem to enjoy it quite unexpectedly."
"Well, Yuki-san’s wives are already immersed in Japanese culture thanks to you, aren't they? Their main home is a renovated inn, so I suppose they’re used to it?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, you’re right."
Since my wives basically live in a converted inn, they were already accustomed to the Japanese style. And since this is just a smaller version of that, it doesn't feel out of place for them. As we talked, we arrived at the house.
"Please make use of this house for today."
The house Suzuhikohime guided us to was perfect for this village. It wasn't fancy, nor was it run-down—just a normal, single-family home. The *engawa* (veranda) was visible, and the sound of a wind chime ringing *chirin-chirin* gave it a refined, summer-like atmosphere. Well, Obon was over, so summer was technically ending, but it was still summer nonetheless. Since we came here to take a break, we might as well enjoy it.
Thinking this, I slid open the front door.
"Whoa, it’s a sliding door, not a hinged one."
"It’s normal for me, but what about you, Souta-dono?"
"I was used to hinged doors as well. It’s not that sliding doors didn't exist, but they take up so much space."
"Ah, you need the extra room to slide the door into, don't you? Hinged doors are more space-efficient."
Apartments especially wouldn't have that kind of luxury. It’s better to use hinged doors to create more rooms. As we chatted, we reached the living room.
"Please use whichever rooms you like. Though, if you open the *fusuma* (sliding partitions), they all connect into one."
These old-fashioned houses have very few permanent walls. Instead, they use *fusuma* to divide the space. The advantage is that you can turn it into one large room or several small ones as needed. The downside is that the soundproofing is poor.
"What do you think? Should we make it one big room?"
"We only really need to partition off the areas where we’ll be sleeping."
"True. We’ll probably use the other rooms for eating or watching TV."
"Right. Let’s keep the sleeping quarters separate from the noisy areas."
"Understood."
As soon as Suzuhikohime nodded at our suggestion, the *fusuma* in the room began to flap and slide on their own, rearranging the space exactly as we had requested.
"If you didn't know any better, that would be a moment straight out of a horror movie."
"Like a scene from a film, isn't it?"
"But when you understand what’s happening, it’s a very helpful presence."
"Well, a supernatural entity that manipulates a house so openly would usually be seen as a threat, wouldn't it?"
Souta-san gently corrected Taizou-san’s misguided impression. Indeed, if someone were to pull a stunt like that in front of strangers, you’d fear for your life. It just goes to show how powerful a spirit or *yokai* she really is.
"Do not worry. There are no fools of that sort here. Now, what are your plans for the time being?"
"Well, we came here to relax, so we don't have anything specific in mind..."
"I see. In that case, the open-air bath is in the usual spot, and dinner will be served at 18:00. Please let me know if you have any changes before then."
"Got it. Thanks."
"Then, if you will excuse me."
With that, Suzuhikohime withdrew, leaving us alone in the room.
"Well, I’m not too worried about room assignments. What should we do?"
"That’s a tough question, isn't it?"
"Usually, I’d be in the lab or looking over documents, but that’s not the case today."
"Indeed. When we aren't working, we usually play games, but since we’re in the countryside..."
It felt a bit off, so after we all tilted our heads in thought, we decided to just take a walk around the village for now. It’s funny how, when you suddenly get time off, you don't know what to do with yourself. I hope we find something interesting.