Chapter 64: Fireworks and Shamisen

The afterglow of the setting sun flickered in the waves.

Walking down the mountain, the chirping of birds was louder than when they went up, but there was no sign of birds among the branches and leaves.

“Seto Inland Sea.”

The voice was like the sound of water flowing in the darkness, exceptionally ethereal.

Minamoto Kiyomoto followed the sound and saw Himemiya Izayoi looking at the distant sea.

When her expression was calm, she always carried a hint of majesty.

“Young Master Kiyoshi,” Himemiya Izayoi turned her head, the corners of her mouth curling up into a charming smile. “You get enlightened at the drop of a hat. Why don’t you just find a place to cultivate for ten or twenty years?”

Uehara Moe was not there.

When she went down the mountain, she kicked off her skateboard and went down with a “guruguru.” It was impossible for her to come back up with great effort.

“My talent is not that good,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

“What do you mean?” Himemiya Izayoi tilted her head and asked.

“Sitting quietly in the mountains, breathing in the clouds and mist, one must also observe the changes of the sun and the moon. To cultivate, one cannot be separated from this world.”

“Your enlightenment just now, was it the third turning of the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’?” The evening glow cast a layer of gold on Kamibayashi Miko’s side profile.

“Yes and no. I’ve been thinking about the ‘Divine Power Transformation Curse’ recently. All kinds of knowledge and curses have been accumulating, so I had this enlightenment.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Kamibayashi Miko. In the setting sun, her hair was like golden threads.

He continued, “As for what it is specifically, it can actually be anything. You can just draw inferences from one instance.”

“Then has your ‘Minamoto Clan’s From the Heart School’ first move made any progress?” The girl who wanted to ride a dragon, Himemiya Izayoi, was more concerned about this.

“Of course there is, but it still requires some preparation and determination.”

“What about your enlightenment this time?” Kamibayashi Miko’s tone was like ‘where were you from 7:00 to 7:03 tonight’.

“I was just about to share it with you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled. “Let’s talk about the harvest first.”

“Before the enlightenment, Shakyamuni’s dharma—that is, his worldview—trapped me like an iron fence. Although my cultivation progressed quickly, I couldn’t get out;
“After the enlightenment, with the help of that bird, I drilled out of the Buddha statue and could peek at the outside world, and I could also re-enter the Buddha statue…”

Returning home, Minamoto Kiyomoto took a bucket and put the watermelon he had bought on the way into it.

At the entrance of the inn, a faucet was installed specifically for washing the road. Guests who went to the seaside could also use it to wash off the sand when they came back.

He took the bucket to the door, filled it with water first, then adjusted the water flow to a very fine but not broken stream.

“Kiyomoto, soak some more cucumbers and tomatoes,” Ayako instructed from inside the house.

“Okay,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied.

“You like to eat raw cucumbers, did you learn that from your mother?” Himemiya Izayoi squatted by the bucket, her left hand supporting her chin, her right hand poking the watermelon with her finger.

The watermelon had just floated up when she poked it back to the bottom of the bucket.

“Are you a child?” Minamoto Kiyomoto took her hand away.

“What’s wrong~” Himemiya Izayoi dodged and continued to poke with great effort.

“The watermelon will crack.”

“How is that possible? Do you think I control my strength…”

“Crack—”

Minamoto Kiyomoto stood, and Himemiya Izayoi squatted. The two of them looked at each other.

“You said I was a child just now. Were you actually trying to praise me for being cute? Be more direct. You don’t have to be so subtle,” Himemiya Izayoi stood up.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her.

“Even if I’m cute, beautiful, a beautiful mountain cherry blossom blooming among the clouds and mist, a peerless beauty, you don’t have to stare at me like that, do you?”

“Are you going to pretend that nothing happened?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked her.

“Yes,” Himemiya Izayoi immediately nodded.

“Go and buy another one,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said mercilessly.

Himemiya Izayoi grabbed Minamoto Kiyomoto’s arm and said, shaking it, “Young Master Kiyoshi, you can’t blame me for this~ Who knew this watermelon would suddenly crack~”

“Go and buy one.”

“Brother Kiyomoto~”

“It’s useless no matter what you call me. I’m not falling for this.”

“Big brother~”

“…Let’s just say I broke it. After all, we’re friends. It’s nothing to take the blame.”

Himemiya Izayoi immediately let go of his arm and turned to enter the house.

“Aunt Ayako, let Minamoto Kiyomoto go and buy another watermelon. The one just now was poked open by him, and the flesh got into the water!”

This witch.

Minamoto Kiyomoto went to buy another watermelon. Because he was in a good mood, he also bought a lot of fireworks on the way back.

Besides playing with them themselves, they also gave them to the guests staying at the inn. This was also part of running an inn.

After taking a bath at night, they carried a bucket and went to the seaside.

The night air was pervasive, the starry sky was brilliant, and the sound of the waves was crashing.

The ground had turned into a sandy beach, the texture was fine, as if it wanted to suck in the soles of their feet.

“Hurry up, I want to play with this. Light it for me!” Shirako held a parachute firework in her hand.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Kamibayashi Miko. Kamibayashi Miko looked at him with confusion.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Himemiya Izayoi again. Himemiya Izayoi looked him up and down and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong? Did you eat a watermelon and get diarrhea?”

“What are you doing? Hurry up,” Shirako urged.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked left and right. Seeing that there was no one, he reached out and lit the firework with his divine power.

“You didn’t bring a lighter?” Kamibayashi Miko laughed, tucking her hair, which had been messed up by the sea breeze, behind her ear.

“Minamoto Kiyomoto, you used divine power in a public place. I’m going to kill you on the spot right now. Do you have any last words?” Himemiya Izayoi put her hands on her hips, her expression righteous.

“No last words. Come at me if you have the guts!” Minamoto Kiyomoto took a firework, lit it with his divine power, and a red flame instantly shot out.

He swished it in the air, and the pungent smell of flames filled the summer night sky.

“Fool! Idiot!” Himemiya Izayoi laughed and scolded. “You actually used my divine power against me. You’re dead today!”

She lit the firework in her hand. It was golden.

“Hahaha!” Minamoto Kiyomoto burst out laughing. “The Divine Miko won’t help you deal with me! You witch!”

“Then let’s see!” Himemiya Izayoi used the firework as a sword and poked it at Minamoto Kiyomoto’s face.

“Let’s see!” Minamoto Kiyomoto twisted his body to dodge, then counterattacked.

“With your body that can’t even last fifteen minutes?” Himemiya Izayoi’s snow-white arm flashed in the light of the fireworks, and Minamoto Kiyomoto’s firework was extinguished.

“Hey! You’re cheating!”

Himemiya Izayoi had already attacked. Minamoto Kiyomoto shouted “Miss Kamibayashi” and hid behind Kamibayashi Miko.

“Come out. Big sister won’t kill you,” after a circle, in the firelight, Himemiya Izayoi had a smile on her face.

“Do you think I’ll believe a witch’s words?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“Then you light it again. We’ll go again.”

“…You said it. No sneak attacks!”

Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced at Himemiya Izayoi’s firework, slowly lit the firework in his hand, and stood out.

“You witch, today I’ll let you see Young Master Kiyoshi’s power!”

“You still don’t admit you’re an idiot. You actually dare… ah!”

Himemiya Izayoi’s firework had burned out and was extinguished. She was no longer smiling.

“Die, witch!”

“Wait, I… you guy! Damn it!” This time, it was Himemiya Izayoi’s turn to circle around Kamibayashi Miko, refusing to come out.

When the firework in Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand burned out, the two of them rushed towards the plastic bag of fireworks at the same time.

“You two, don’t run around with fireworks,” Kamibayashi Miko said with a frown.

“Miss Kamibayashi, we haven’t sparred in a long time. I wonder if your ‘Shinto School’ is still stronger than mine!” Minamoto Kiyomoto poked with a “sword”.

“Oh?” Kamibayashi Miko reached out, easily snatched the firework from Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand, and then poked back.

“Hey, why are you all cheating!” Minamoto Kiyomoto quickly dodged.

“A miko purifying an evil spirit, do you still care about cheating?” Himemiya Izayoi came over with a smile. “Miko, kill him!”

Minamoto Kiyomoto dodged left and right and escaped.

He rushed towards the plastic bag of fireworks, but the little butterfly, like a helicopter carrying water, picked up the fireworks and ran, circling around the bucket, just not giving them to him.

“Hey—” Minamoto Kiyomoto chased while fleeing. “Are you guys still playing or not!”

“Hahaha!” Shirako clapped her hands and laughed.

After a while of roughhousing, Himemiya Izayoi and Minamoto Kiyomoto, one moment I’m chasing you, the next you’re chasing me, continued to kill each other;

Shirako held a firework in each hand and waved them vigorously, drawing a circle of firelight in the air, and the little butterfly passed through it;
Kamibayashi Miko squatted on the ground with her knees hugged, not moving, preventing the sparks of the fireworks from falling everywhere. The fireworks illuminated her beautiful silhouette;
After enjoying the fun of setting off fireworks to their hearts’ content, they returned to the inn and sat on the roof terrace eating watermelon.

Besides the sound of the waves, no other sound could be heard. The entire Shodoshima had fallen asleep.

The little butterfly gnawed on the watermelon, saying “so sweet! so sweet!” and then casually spat the seeds into the dark night.

“Izayoi, sing a song?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said while eating watermelon.

“Sing a song?” Himemiya Izayoi was stunned for a moment and confirmed in disbelief, “You want me to sing a song?”

“What’s wrong? Are you tone-deaf?”

“Do you know who I am?” Himemiya Izayoi asked. “The number one of the twelve miko, the miko of Ise Grand Shrine, Lady Himemiya Izayoi.”

“And my friend,” Minamoto Kiyomoto took a bite of watermelon. The juice was sweet. “Aren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“As friends, it’s normal to sing for each other.”

“Why don’t you let your Miss Kamibayashi sing?” Himemiya Izayoi looked at Kamibayashi Miko and said to Minamoto Kiyomoto with a smile.

“I don’t sing,” Kamibayashi Miko said directly.

“You sing first,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said to Himemiya Izayoi. “After you sing, I’ll say ‘Izayoi sang even though she’s so bad at it. You can’t not sing’.”

“Go to hell, you’re the one who’s bad at singing!”

“We’ll know if it’s good or not after you sing. Hurry up and sing one.”

Himemiya Izayoi put down the watermelon, wiped her mouth with a towel, and said, “I don’t know any modern songs. I’ve only heard kabuki.”

“Ho!” Minamoto Kiyomoto was surprised. “Quickly let Young Master Kiyoshi see.”

“Go, get me the shamisen,” Himemiya Izayoi instructed.

In the room where Ayako had made Minamoto Kiyomoto kneel, a shamisen was displayed.

“Wait!” Minamoto Kiyomoto put down the watermelon and was about to go downstairs.

“Wash your hands,” Kamibayashi Miko said, calling him back.

“Useless,” Himemiya Izayoi looked at him washing his hands and sneered with a grin.

“Useless is useless,” Minamoto Kiyomoto took his hands out of the water, didn’t wipe them, and flicked them at her face.

“Mmm—, annoying!” Himemiya Izayoi let out a dissatisfied sound. She covered her face with both hands, like an idol whose relationship had been caught by reporters.

“Let you say it,” Minamoto Kiyomoto laughed happily and went downstairs.

He brought the shamisen up. Himemiya Izayoi took it and casually plucked the strings twice with an ivory plectrum.

“The tone is barely passable,” she said, untied her long hair, and swept her bangs up, changing to a classical hairstyle.

That face was as tender as a freshly peeled onion.

After re-arranging her hair and putting on the hairpin, Himemiya Izayoi looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto with a smile in her eyes and suddenly became extremely charming.

“Tonight I cannot sleep, yet I hate that it is not a cloudy day. I cannot bear the tears, the bright moon shines on my loneliness.”

“Even in the darkness, my heart does not waver. It’s a pity that you don’t understand, you are only infatuated with me in vain.”

“The person I saw yesterday is no longer here today. The person I see today will not be here tomorrow. I don’t care about tomorrow’s affairs, I only love the person of today.”

Himemiya Izayoi sang softly, and the sound of the shamisen was clear and pure, lingering in the sound of the waves.

“Beautiful!” After she finished singing, Minamoto Kiyomoto immediately applauded.

Kamibayashi Miko and Shirako also clapped lightly. Only the little butterfly was still eating watermelon.

“It’s your turn,” Himemiya Izayoi handed the shamisen to Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Kamibayashi Miko.

“I don’t sing,” Kamibayashi Miko was like the first time she went to karaoke.

“No, no, no, one song each. Here,” Minamoto Kiyomoto handed her the shamisen.

“I really can’t sing. I’ve only heard symphonies,” Kamibayashi Miko said.

“Then you dance?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“I can’t dance either.”

“There’s one dance you definitely know,” Himemiya Izayoi clapped her hands and said with a smile, “the miko’s kagura dance!”

“That’s a dance to pray to the gods. How can you just dance it casually,” Kamibayashi Miko replied.

Minamoto Kiyomoto changed to an arrogant sitting posture, “The head of ‘Takamagahara’ is here. This god is ‘Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-Kami’.”

“You’re just a piglet, and you call yourself a main god. Get me a slice of watermelon!” Shirako ordered.

“Lady Shirako, please,” Minamoto Kiyomoto handed her a piece of watermelon.

“Hmph~” Shirako took the watermelon with satisfaction.

Kamibayashi Miko looked at the person and the shikigami and smiled slightly.

“I’m not a resentful woman. I also sang a song about a resentful woman in an empty boudoir just now. The kagura dance is a dance to pray to the gods, but it’s not like you have to pray to the gods to dance it,” Himemiya Izayoi said.

“The miko of the number one shrine in the world has said so. It must be right!” Minamoto Kiyomoto echoed.

Kamibayashi Miko thought for a moment and said helplessly, “Alright.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Himemiya Izayoi took the shamisen back.

“I wanted you to dance together,” Minamoto Kiyomoto regretted that he didn’t know how to play the accompaniment for the kagura dance.

“I knew you would say that,” Himemiya Izayoi said proudly.

Kamibayashi Miko washed her lips and hands with clear water, then dried them with a handkerchief. Her movements were not fast or slow, pleasing to the eye.

She stood on the balcony. The sea breeze blew, and her long hair and clothes fluttered and billowed.

She slowly raised her snow-white arms, like a vibrant sapling, and began to grow upwards.

Minamoto Kiyomoto had seen the moon countless times, the full moon like a silver plate, the cold moon as white as ice flakes, the new moon like a swan’s feather.

None of them fascinated him as much as tonight’s moon, hanging high in the sky, emitting a pale silver light. A goddess was dancing under the moonlight.

After Kamibayashi Miko finished dancing, Minamoto Kiyomoto applauded and said, “If I marry Miss Kamibayashi, can I see such a dance every day?”

“B-Brother Kiyomoto, I-I can also dance,” Himemiya Izayoi pouted, her voice childish, showing a child-like expression of vying for favor.

“Then Sister Izayoi, you dance one too?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

Himemiya Izayoi threw the shamisen to him, rolled her eyes at him charmingly, and said, “Don’t try to get out of it. It’s your turn.”

“I should have performed first,” Minamoto Kiyomoto adjusted the position of the shamisen. “After the two of you, who would dare to perform?”

After saying this, he muttered, “What should I sing?”

“Don’t you like to listen to Spanish songs?” Kamibayashi Miko still remembered that the first time they were by the Sanshiro Pond, Minamoto Kiyomoto was listening to a Spanish song.

“Ah,” Minamoto Kiyomoto raised his right index finger, “I have an idea.”

He plucked the strings twice.

“Tengo una idea que podrías aceptar (I have an idea you might accept)”

“Siempre que creo en algo tú me dirás (I always believe what you say to me)”

“Que loco (Am I silly)”

“Pero yo cuanto más me digas que no (But the more you say no to me)”

“Más ganas tengo y te demuestro (The more I want to show you)”

“Que no Estoy loco estoy loco (I’m not crazy, I’m not silly)”

After singing this, Minamoto Kiyomoto whistled a tune.

A young man in the first bloom of love, holding flowers, waiting for his beloved girl on a sunny afternoon.

“This is a Spanish song,” just as the few of them were listening with relish, Minamoto Kiyomoto suddenly stopped.

“Denn ich halte dich (I’m holding you)”

“Bis du schlafen kannst (Until you can sleep)”

“Und alles hier vergisst (Until you forget everything here)”

It was so beautiful that it was moving. Everything was illusory and ethereal, but it also seemed to be within reach.

“This is German,” Minamoto Kiyomoto paused slightly.

“Hélène (Hélène)”

As soon as he sang the first line, Kamibayashi Miko smiled slightly and sang along.

“Je m’appelle Hélène (My name is Hélène)” Minamoto Kiyomoto sang while plucking the strings, looking at her eyes.

“Je suis une fille (I am a girl)”

“Comme les autres (Like other girls)”

“You all understand, right? French,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

“I just caught a few demons!”

“And subdued a few more demons!”

“Ghosts and goblins, why are there so many of them!”

“Himemiya Izayoi, you tell me!”

“Go, go, go!” Himemiya Izayoi laughed and pushed away the approaching Minamoto Kiyomoto in annoyance. “You’re the demon, you’re the demon, you’re the ghost and goblin!”

“This is Chinese,” Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled and sat back down, continuing to sing.

“La voglia “

As soon as he opened his mouth, “Ouch, I’m so full, little butterfly.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto stopped, and everyone looked.

The little butterfly was lying in a boat-like watermelon, rubbing her balloon-like belly. Her clothes were pushed up to her chest.

“Hahaha!” Everyone laughed.

(End of Chapter)