夏のスペシャル２０２４年 その４
The summer vacation brought us to the Japanese countryside, a place Luna had plucked from the ether. We had been fully immersing ourselves in the season, but time has a way of slipping through one’s fingers; before I knew it, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and twilight had surrendered to the dark.
"Ah, it’s pitch black already. I can’t even really recall what we did today," I remarked.
"True enough. We arrived, wandered the village, took a cursory look at the shrine, and came back," Yuki replied.
"Wait, didn't we have a lively conversation with Chaea-dono and Hope?"
"Oh, that’s right. I’d forgotten."
Prompted by Taizo-san, the memory returned. After finishing their cleaning at the shrine, Chaea and Hope had stopped by the house. Over tea, we’d drifted from casual small talk to discussions about their work. Even for us, hearing how ghosts spend their days or discussing the nuances of space development was fascinating—we’d ended up talking far longer than intended, right through dinner.
"Still, compared to our usual grind, this was so relaxed I suppose I just lost track of time," I said.
"It didn't feel like work, that’s for sure."
It had felt like a genuine, aimless chat. That was likely why the hours had vanished so quickly.
"Regardless, it’s only the first day. There are stalls at the festival, and the baths, too."
"That’s true. Where should we head first?"
"That’s a tough choice."
"Why don't we hit the baths first and wash off the sweat? There’s no time limit, and it’s not like we can’t go more than once," Taiki-kun suggested.
We agreed, and since we were all feeling the heat of the day, we headed toward the village’s communal open-air bath. Naturally, it was segregated by gender.
"Alright, Suzuhiko-hime. We’re going to the baths, and then we’ll head straight to the shrine festival."
"Understood. And what of your evening drinks?"
"We ate a hearty dinner, so I don't think there's any great need to drink heavily," I said.
"Agreed. We want to walk the festival stalls, so whatever is in the house fridge will suffice."
"Indeed. That sounds perfect. Please don't worry about me, Suzuhiko-hime-dono; I shall be here."
I felt a bit guilty about using Suzuhiko-hime like a servant just to watch over our personal stash, but...
"Actually, if you’re willing, Suzuhiko-hime, would you like to join us for a drink and a chat later?"
"Would that be acceptable?" She tilted her head, looking slightly puzzled by my offer, perhaps because it contradicted the sentiment Sota-san had just expressed.
However, Sota-san, Taizo-san, and Taiki-kun seemed to grasp my intent immediately.
"Ah, yes. If it’s as a friend joining us for a drink, we would welcome it," Sota-san said.
"Indeed. We haven't had a chance to speak with you at length, Suzuhiko-hime-dono. If you'd like to join, please do."
"Exactly. It’s a 'if you’re willing' sort of thing, but how about it?"
Seeing the others jump on the suggestion, Suzuhiko-hime’s face lit up with a smile.
"In that case, I shall gladly join you for a drink."
"Are you coming to the festival with us, then?"
"No, I’m afraid I must decline. I patrol the area daily, after all. Would you like me to accompany you to the baths?"
"No, we’ll pass on that!" we replied in unison.
While Suzuhiko-hime was a dignified woman in conversation, her appearance was that of a young, traditional girl, roughly the age of Aslin. While we could technically pass it off as a parent-child outing, it wasn't the truth. The idea of a man having a woman of her stature help him bathe was something our sensibilities couldn't quite reconcile, even if it were a standard service for her.
"Understood. Then, please enjoy yourselves."
Suzuhiko-hime understood our common sense and withdrew gracefully without pressing the issue. We then made our way to the hot springs. The veil of night hadn't fully descended; the horizon of the mountains was still faintly stained with a deep, bruised red.
*Kana-kana-kana...*
The sound of the evening cicadas echoed through the air.
"Higurashi," I noted.
"Higurashi indeed. It really feels like a summer twilight."
"It’s what you’d call elegant, isn't it?"
I truly felt that way. The sound always evoked the arrival of a summer night or the bittersweet feeling of summer’s end. As a child, hearing that sound always signaled that it was time to head home—though, more often than not, further adventures awaited me once I arrived.
As I walked the country road, lost in these memories, an elderly woman carrying a bucket walked past us from the direction of the springs.
"Oh, you’ve arrived, have you? The water is lovely tonight, so do take your time," she said.
"Yes, thank you."
"We’ll enjoy it thoroughly."
The old woman smiled at Taiki-kun and me, and as Taizo-san and Sota-san offered polite bows, we passed her by. She must have just finished her soak.
We arrived at the bathhouse, which featured an open-air bath, a cypress indoor bath, and a sauna. Naturally, they had cold milk waiting for us afterward—the experience was perfect.
"A hot bath on a hot day. I didn't get it when I was a kid, but it’s wonderful, isn't it?"
"I hear you. It really soaks into your bones."
"It does. It really does."
"Ahhh, this is heaven," the four of us sighed, melting into the open-air bath.
As we soaked, the night sky transformed into a tapestry of stars. With no light pollution to speak of, the view was breathtaking. Then—
*Whizz...*
"Oh!" we all exclaimed in unison.
A moment later, a thunderous *boom* echoed, and a flower of fire bloomed across the canvas of the black night sky.
"Tamaya!" we shouted together—a reflex born of our Japanese roots.
From the women’s bath next door, a sweet, clear voice called out:
"Kagiya!"
I was surprised someone else was in there, but then:
"How is it? I thought I would time it to match when you all entered the bath," came Suzuhiko-hime’s voice.
"Ah, Suzuhiko-hime. Thank you, that’s wonderful."
So, she had done that for us. It’s rare to be able to watch fireworks while soaking in a bath. I decided to enjoy it to the fullest.
"I shall look forward to joining you for drinks later tonight."
"Likewise. I’m looking forward to it."
After fully enjoying the bath, we headed straight to the night festival, had our fill of fun, bought some snacks for our drinks, and returned home without incident.
"...We actually made it back without any trouble," I noted.
"We did, didn't we?"
"I was expecting some sort of supernatural phenomenon, given the time of year, but it seems that wasn't the case this time."
It was genuinely surprising. I had been on high alert for any ghostly events, but nothing had happened.
"Well, it would be a problem if we had that kind of experience every single time," Sota-san said.
He was right, of course, but this was a place brought to us by the mischievous Luna—the same Luna who had once conjured an entire ghost school out of thin air.
"By the way, where is Luna-san, the one who usually causes these kinds of problems?"
"Ah, well, since she does it every year, I’ve been careful to tell her the wrong dates for our vacation. If I kept quiet, she’d be up to something, and if I told her the truth, she’d definitely interfere."
"Luna-dono’s playfulness is a bit extreme. I think your strategy of misinformation is quite sound, Yuki-kun."
"Indeed. There was that time we were sent to another world right after falling asleep at night."
I remembered that well. Taizo-san had been dragged along, and we’d rampaged through an abandoned inn in the underworld until Hairen showed up and turned everything into chaos.
As we stood in the entryway discussing this, Suzuhiko-hime appeared from the back of the house.
"Welcome back. Is something the matter?"
"Ah, sorry. It’s just... we were a bit anxious because Luna didn't pull any of her usual pranks."
As I confessed our feelings, Suzuhiko-hime gave a wry smile.
"Haha, Amaterasu-sama does have a tendency for that. However, I haven't shared today’s information with her, so please, do relax. I shall be joining you for drinks, and even if such a situation were to arise, I am confident we could resolve it immediately."
"That’s true."
Suzuhiko-hime possessed significant resistance to those kinds of harmful spiritual manifestations. After all, she was essentially the original form of the *kagura suzu*.
"I have prepared the snacks for your drinks. I shall bring the sake immediately."
"Yes, thank you. Let’s enjoy ourselves."
"Indeed. As Suzuhiko-hime-dono says, we should make the most of it."
"Yes. Let’s drink and share some pleasant stories tonight."
And so, we spent the night drinking with our reassuring guardian girl by our side. Praying that Luna wouldn't show up, the summer night deepened around us.
Whether this is the end or if you’d like a continuation, I’ll leave to your impressions. There will be a gap in the numbering, but I think I’d like to write a sequel. Thank you for reading.