Chapter 60: The Disharmonious First Meeting

The little white dog, which looked like a rabbit, immediately ran in circles around Minamoto Kiyomoto excitedly when it saw him.

Shirako hid behind Kamibayashi Miko, and the little butterfly was on her head. The two of them poked their heads out and stared at the little white dog warily.

“Woof, woof!” The little white dog stopped and barked at Minamoto Kiyomoto, its tail wagging desperately.

Kamibayashi Miko let go of her small suitcase, took two steps forward, pressed down her skirt and squatted down, reaching out to stroke the little dog’s chin.

“Lady Miko, be careful!” The little butterfly covered her round, big eyes, as if Kamibayashi Miko was about to be eaten.

The little dog comfortably tilted its small head back, letting Kamibayashi Miko stroke its chin.

“Is this your dog?” Himemiya Izayoi sized up the little dog with curiosity and asked Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Minamoto Kiyomoto covered his mouth, closed his eyes, endured the sourness, and chewed and swallowed the fruit juice.

Without waiting for his answer, Himemiya Izayoi turned her head with a look of dissatisfaction. Seeing his appearance, she burst out laughing again.

Kamibayashi Miko stood up and was about to say something when she saw that Minamoto Kiyomoto’s face was still wrinkled.

“You brought this on yourself,” Kamibayashi Miko handed him the water in her hand. “I’ve drunk half of it. If you don’t mind, you can have it.”

“Th-thank you. Why are the olives so sour this year?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a bitter face, reaching for it.

Just as he was about to get it, Himemiya Izayoi snatched it away.

“Don’t let him drink water,” she then gave the water to Fuyuarashi with a sneer. “You dare to harm this miko? This punishment is light.”

“Sister Izayoi, I’ve already been punished!” Minamoto Kiyomoto was still a long way from recovering.

Himemiya Izayoi sized him up and suddenly laughed.

“I’ll give you a chance. Don’t say this miko is not democratic—either don’t drink water, or sink into the sea and drink your fill,” she tilted her head and said to him with a smile. “Choose one, Young Master Kiyoshi.”

“…Is this the violence of democracy?”

Himemiya Izayoi immediately nodded, as mischievous as a child.

Just as Minamoto Kiyomoto was about to retort, a shout came from the corner of the forest: “Rabbit—”

Immediately after, a figure ran out. It was a vibrant girl.

She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts, red and black sneakers, holding a skateboard in her right hand, a dog leash in her left, wearing a baseball cap, and a long ponytail hung down from the hole in the cap.

“Brother Kiyomoto?!” The girl looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto, who was covering his mouth.

Minamoto Kiyomoto raised his head, glanced at the girl, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said with difficulty, “Moe, I’m back.”

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The three of them followed Moe towards Minamoto Kiyomoto’s house.

Shirako and Fuyuarashi followed behind them. The little dog named ‘Tutu’ was on a leash and happily led the way at the front.

“This is my childhood friend, Uehara Moe. She’s a third-year high school student and likes women. You two should be careful,” Minamoto Kiyomoto introduced.

“Correction,” Uehara Moe turned her head and said with a bright smile, “I also like Brother Kiyomoto in women’s clothes.”

“As you can see, she’s a strange fellow,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said to the two miko.

Uehara Moe nimbly twisted her body, and her ponytail whipped towards Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Minamoto Kiyomoto habitually leaned back and dodged.

“It’s too much to say I’m strange. I’m a girl too!” Uehara Moe snorted and asked ‘Tutu’, “Isn’t that right, Tutu?”

Tutu barked twice at the sky, didn’t even turn its head, and continued to walk forward with its small butt swaying.

“You’ve worn women’s clothes before?” Kamibayashi Miko asked Minamoto Kiyomoto, seeming to find it interesting.

“No,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied without hesitation.

“This big sister,” Uehara Moe turned her head again and snitched with a mischievous smile, “Aunt Minamoto has photos~”

Kamibayashi Miko glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto and smiled slightly, as if to say—you actually wore women’s clothes.

Minamoto Kiyomoto pretended not to see and introduced the two of them to Uehara Moe: “Her name is Kamibayashi Miko, and this is Himemiya Izayoi. They are my friends.”

“Sister Kamibayashi, Sister Himemiya, hello!” Uehara Moe’s voice was full of vitality.

“Hello,” Kamibayashi Miko returned the greeting, neither cold nor enthusiastic.

Himemiya Izayoi walked at the very back and hadn’t said a word since the beginning.

Uehara Moe introduced the nearby scenery to Kamibayashi Miko. Minamoto Kiyomoto fell two steps behind and walked to Himemiya Izayoi’s side.

“Lady Izayoi, I apologize for what happened just now. Don’t be angry,” he said in a low voice.

“I’m not angry about that,” Himemiya Izayoi’s tone was cold and lacked emotion.

“Then what are you angry about?” Minamoto Kiyomoto was a little confused, then he puffed out his chest and guaranteed, “I didn’t hide anything from you this time.”

“Guess for yourself,” Himemiya Izayoi turned her head to look, a smile on her face.

“If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t be like last time and make me angry too.”

“Don’t worry, it’s still your fault this time. In the end, you’ll still have to apologize to me obediently.”

“Is that so?” Minamoto Kiyomoto was confused, pondering where he had gone wrong.

Himemiya Izayoi glanced at him, smiled, and turned her gaze to the sea on the right. The white waves continuously crashed against the shore.

The sunlight here was completely different from Tokyo. The light and air were exceptionally pure, as if they had been filtered through silk.

“We’re here!” Uehara Moe’s voice came from his ear.

She withdrew her gaze and looked ahead.

By the sea, where everything seemed to be glowing, stood a Japanese-style wooden house with a veranda and dark tiles, just like an old mansion.

“That’s my home,” she heard Minamoto Kiyomoto say beside her. His voice was full of warmth and as comfortable as the sea breeze.

Because of this voice, she almost forgave him in her heart. Fortunately, she was good at holding grudges.

The four of them walked over and entered through the wooden door with a price list on it.

The living room was decorated with several small ceramic vases with dandelions, lilies, gardenias, and other July flowers, arranged in a very elegant way.

On the wooden counter, there was also a vase with only silk flowers.

On the wall behind the counter, there was a calligraphy painting with a haiku by Matsuo Basho, which was about silk flowers:

“The graceful figure of Kisakata, the silk flowers in the rain are sad, as graceful as Xi Shi.”

This living room was as elegant as a study.

“Mom!” Uehara Moe shouted at the woman at the counter, “Brother Kiyomoto is back!”

“Kiyomoto, you’re back?” The middle-aged woman behind the counter smiled at Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Aunt An,” Minamoto Kiyomoto also smiled.

“Ayako! Your son is back!” Uehara An used to be a female worker in a seafood processing factory and had the loud voice of a seaside woman.

Soon, a woman in a kimono came down from upstairs.

Her long hair was tied up, and she walked gracefully. She had an elegant temperament and looked to be about thirty years old.

She walked up to Minamoto Kiyomoto with a clatter.

“Mother…” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s smile had not yet fully bloomed when Ayako reached out and pinched his ear.

“Ah, ah, it hurts! It hurts! It hurts! Mother, Mom, Mom!” This was much more powerful than Kamibayashi Miko’s light and heavy hand chops.

Minamoto Kiyomoto felt as if his whole body was being lifted.

He wanted to reach out and stop her, but he didn’t dare. His hands gestured in mid-air.

Ayako held her son and went upstairs with a clatter. When she was almost out of sight, she threw down a sentence:
“An, take the two guests to the room I prepared.”

“Okay!” Uehara An agreed, then said, “Ayako, be gentle. Kiyomoto brought his girlfriends back. Don’t embarrass him too much!”

Ayako had already disappeared with her son.

“He’s definitely going to be punished by kneeling,” Uehara Moe said with a look of familiarity. “As long as Brother Kiyomoto does something wrong, Aunt Ayako will make him kneel.”

After saying this, she laughed happily, “This is the first time she’s pinched his ear! Hahaha!”

The two miko who remained in the living room, Kamibayashi Miko and Himemiya Izayoi, looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

“Moe,” Uehara An called her daughter, “if you’re not studying, come and help. Take Kiyomoto’s girlfriends to the guest room!”

Uehara Moe let out a reluctant “eh—”.

“I still want to go practice skateboarding!” she said.

“If you’re not working, go and do your homework!” Uehara Moe’s mother was as democratic as Himemiya Izayoi, giving two options.

“Two big sisters, this way please!” Uehara Moe bowed and made a gesture of invitation to the two miko with a smile.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s mother, Ayako, had arranged a tatami suite for the two of them. It was quaint and had three bedrooms and a small living room.

It was also decorated with flower arrangements, as well as a beautiful wooden table and exquisite Japanese-style floor lamps.

The windows were open, and the sea breeze blew in from outside. The milky white curtains swayed with the wind.

“Meals are on the second floor, or they can be delivered to your room. As for bathing, there is a hot spring on the first floor, and the sea outside,” Uehara Moe felt that she had made a good joke and giggled.

“Thank you,” Kamibayashi Miko said.

“You’re welcome! By the way, are you really Brother Kiyomoto’s girlfriends?”

“No,” Kamibayashi Miko replied.

Himemiya Izayoi walked to the window. Outside the window was the vast sea, sparkling.

She sat leisurely on the windowsill, her back against the window frame, her legs bent, looking at the sea, her hair flying in the wind.

On the left was a strange sandy path that led to the sea. At the end of the path stood two small hills with trees planted on them.

“That’s the ‘Angel Road’,” Uehara Moe said, standing by the window. “You can go up the hill and make a wish. This road only appears during the day. It disappears at night when the tide rises.”

As she was speaking, a shout suddenly came from downstairs.

“Moe—” a group of female students, each with a skateboard, waved at the window.

“Coming—” Uehara Moe also shouted in response.

“Two big sisters, please rest first. When Brother Kiyomoto is done with his punishment, he will entertain you!” After saying this, she directly climbed out the window and jumped down from the third floor.

She plunged into the group of girls, and the group of them walked into the distance, laughing and talking.

An orange cat leisurely walked out of the next yard. They swarmed up, and the orange cat fled back to the yard.

The girls’ steps were light, as if they were bouncing.

‘Minamoto Kiyomoto grew up in a place like this,’ Himemiya Izayoi thought.

In the room, Shirako, the little butterfly, and Fuyuarashi finally didn’t have to worry about the eyes of ordinary people—everything they did would be explained by nature—and began to unpack their luggage.

Fuyuarashi first hung a painting on the wall. The painting was of Haruarashi, and there was also a blank one, which was her own.

The little butterfly drew a parabola in the air, landed in front of the flower arrangement, held the flower with both hands, took a deep breath, and then flew to the window.

Just then, a strong wind blew, causing her to flap her wings with difficulty, as if she were in a storm.

“Shirako, I’ll leave this to you,” Kamibayashi Miko instructed.

“Okay, Lady Miko!” Shirako was very active on this rare trip out, and she was even humming a song from some unknown era.

“Where are you going?” Himemiya Izayoi withdrew her gaze from outside the window and asked Kamibayashi Miko, who was about to go out.

“To apologize,” Kamibayashi Miko replied.

“I’ll go and watch the fun,” Himemiya Izayoi stood up.

“Master,” Fuyuarashi handed over a fan. She had to arrange the room and could only let Fire Fan serve by Himemiya Izayoi’s side.

Himemiya Izayoi took the fan casually and went out with Kamibayashi Miko.

The inn was not small, but for the two of them, finding Minamoto Kiyomoto was not difficult at all. Their steps on the corridor did not hesitate at all.

When they reached the fifth floor, Kamibayashi Miko gently knocked on the wooden door.

After waiting for three seconds, Ayako’s voice came from inside: “Please come in.”

Kamibayashi Miko opened the wooden door. Himemiya Izayoi followed behind her. After the two of them entered, they closed the wooden door again.

Seeing the scene inside, Himemiya Izayoi opened her folding fan with a “shua” and covered her mouth, laughing.

Ayako sat at the head of the table, her elbows on the armrest.

And Minamoto Kiyomoto, whose left ear was red, knelt below with his back straight. When the two of them came in, his head did not move, and he only looked at them with the corner of his eye.

Kamibayashi Miko walked over, held down her skirt, and knelt side by side with Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Aunt Ayako, I’m sorry,” she said, lowering her head.

Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t help but glance at her sideways, then immediately turned his head back.

Ayako looked at her for a while, her expression softened, and she said, “You didn’t force Kiyomoto. It was his own choice. It has nothing to do with you.”

Her gaze turned to Minamoto Kiyomoto, and it became stern again.

“Such a dangerous thing, you didn’t discuss it with me. Do you still recognize me as your mother!”

“I do, of course I do!” Minamoto Kiyomoto immediately tried to please her. “It’s precisely because you’re my mother that I didn’t dare to say it, for fear of worrying you.”

“So you wanted to die secretly?” Ayako sneered, looking at her son.

“How could I die? I…”

“You won’t die?” Ayako interrupted him. “Are you as strong as a Divine Miko? Even a Divine Miko will die!”

Kamibayashi Miko knelt on the side, her face expressionless, not saying a word. She understood who Minamoto Kiyomoto had learned his speaking skills from.

She knelt with Minamoto Kiyomoto, and Ayako’s scolding came at them like the sea breeze.

For some reason, she didn’t feel any resistance in her heart. Instead, she found this scene very warm.

‘This is family,’ Kamibayashi Miko looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto, who occasionally talked back, only to receive more scolding.

The sea breeze stopped, and Ayako was finally tired of talking.

She looked at Himemiya Izayoi, who was sitting on the side, and a beautiful and elegant smile appeared on her face, “You must be Izayoi, right? Kiyomoto often mentions you in his letters.”

“Letters?” Himemiya Izayoi tilted her head.

“He sends a letter back every month, just like a monthly newspaper. By the way, let me show you. There are many.”

“Okay.”

The two of them stood up and left the Japanese-style room.

Minamoto Kiyomoto and Kamibayashi Miko were still kneeling.

“When can we get up?” Kamibayashi Miko asked in a low voice.

“When it’s time for dinner, or when we’re asked to do work, or when we’re asked to do homework,” Minamoto Kiyomoto was very experienced.

After a pause, he said, “You don’t have to kneel with me.”

“You forgive me?”

“I was never angry with you.”

“Then why do you still want me to like you?”

“Who told you to have bad intentions at the beginning and use me? People like me who were born by the sea hate being used the most.”

“What does that have to do with being born by the sea?” Kamibayashi Miko asked with confusion.

“It has nothing to do with it. It just sounds cooler to say it that way,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied.

The room fell silent, and only the sound of the waves could be heard continuously.

Occasionally, a seagull would fly over the sea, letting out a cry that seemed to come from a distant place.

The silence was not uncomfortable. Instead, it was like a soft gauze curtain, enveloping the two kneeling people.

At a certain moment, Minamoto Kiyomoto saw a butterfly with the corner of his eye. It was dancing around the lily pattern on the curtain.

“Why didn’t you tell me about writing letters to your mother?” Kamibayashi Miko suddenly said.

Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t help but glance at her.

“I’ll write to you later,” he said.

“I’m not asking you to write to me. It’s just that you shouldn’t have hidden it from me… what were you punished for kneeling for?”

“I don’t kneel often, just occasionally.”

“Tell me.”

“Let’s talk about something from middle school,” Minamoto Kiyomoto recalled. “There was a senior who confessed to a girl he liked. The girl rejected him and said she liked Minamoto Kiyomoto from class 1-2. After school, that senior beat me up.”

This time, Kamibayashi Miko couldn’t help but glance at him.

Minamoto Kiyomoto continued:

“After I came back that night, I gave up painting and started learning judo. On the afternoon I won first place in the four prefectures of Shikoku, I went back to school, rushed into that senior’s classroom, and beat him up in front of everyone in class 3-1—after that, I knelt here, and my medal was also revoked.”

“You’ve held a grudge since you were young,” Kamibayashi Miko commented.

“Yes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

The two of them fell silent again. The butterfly was gone.

Minamoto Kiyomoto suddenly remembered something and turned his head to say, “The matter of me wanting you to like me is not me holding a grudge. There are no tricks.”

“I won’t believe it. I already know what kind of person you are,” Kamibayashi Miko said lightly.

“Wait, I…”

“It’s time for dinner,” his mother’s voice came from outside the door.

Minamoto Kiyomoto and Kamibayashi Miko looked at each other, stood up at the same time, and then rubbed their knees at the same time.

The two who were bent over looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.

Unknowingly, they had been kneeling for half an hour.

A fan fiction event was held in the book review section. The word count was only one hundred words, and there was a small reward. Interested book friends can go and have a look.

Book friends who don’t want to write can also look at what other book friends have written.

Thank you all for your rewards, monthly tickets, subscriptions, and recommendation tickets.

I hope everyone is happy.

(End of Chapter)