Chapter 124: A Conversation (Long Chapter)
After hesitating for five seconds, Akishin tried to gently release Shizuka's hand and prepared to get up. Since Shizuka was still asleep, he figured he'd let her rest a little longer.
However, letting go proved to be a problem.
The moment Akishin lifted the blanket, before his feet could even touch the floor, Shizuka suddenly snapped awake.
Their eyes met instantly.
One pair was wary, like someone watching a thief trying to make off with their property; the other was confused, wondering if the rustle of the blanket had been too loud.
As Shizuka's consciousness cleared, her sharp gaze gradually softened—she really had been dreaming that her most precious treasure was being stolen...
"Good morning, Shizuka-chan."
"Good... good morning, Chishima-kun."
"Sorry, it looks like I woke you up."
"No, at this hour, I'm the one who should apologize for just waking up now."
Shizuka shook her head, then slowly sat up from beneath the covers.
"I slept very soundly last night~"
Shizuka checked the time first before picking up a change of clothes.
She really had slept deeply last night. It was rare for her to have a dreamless sleep that lasted straight until morning.
His hand had been holding hers the entire time, providing a complete sense of security.
Except...
Looking at where she had slept, then at where Akishin was sitting upright—if they had both lain down slowly, wouldn't they have been...
Shizuka's face flushed red again. In a daze, she asked hurriedly, "Chi... Chishima-kun, did anything happen between us?"
She immediately checked her pajamas, which were wrinkled and showing a bit of her fair skin. Fortunately, the buttons were all still done up, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
'The Pride and Tradition of Shizuka.'
Akishin shook his head. "Of course not. We were blocked by two layers of blankets... ah, why didn't I just pull the blankets away back then!"
The disappointment in his voice was clear enough for even an idiot to hear, and he didn't hide his greedy thoughts in the slightest.
Shizuka tidied her pajamas, then glared at Akishin with a mix of embarrassment and anger—you haven't even confessed your love yet, and you... you dare to think about sleeping with me, hmph.
Akishin stood up and went to the bathroom, staying inside for ten minutes.
He left the room to Shizuka so she could change her clothes.
When he returned, Shizuka was already fully dressed and even wearing light makeup. She looked as beautiful as ever in her white formal attire.
Seeing Akishin enter, Shizuka nodded to him and left the room. The two futons on the floor had been tidied up and put away with meticulous care.
Akishin changed out of his pajamas and into the casual clothes he had worn yesterday, then headed out to go downstairs with Shizuka.
Kondo Yuika and Kondo Soichi had been up since early morning, busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen. When they saw the two of them, they greeted them politely as 'Sensei'.
Kondo Keiko hadn't come down yet. Given her current condition, ensuring she got enough sleep was fundamental, and the main point was that she shouldn't get too emotional—actually, she was already awake, but she stayed lying in her room, listening to her children busy themselves downstairs.
Kondo Keiko knew her own condition well. If she went down now, not only would she be unable to help, but she'd also get lectured by her children, which would only be a bother to them.
Soichi put down the mop in his hand, hopped over to Akishin, and said cheerfully, "Chishima-sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei, you two should go for a walk outside first. The sun just came up, and Lake Itomori is beautiful... I'll call you when breakfast is ready. You have to agree! It's just making breakfast; Onee-chan and I can handle it."
Akishin had intended to help, but since Soichi had put it that way, he was forced to agree.
"Alright then!"
After nodding to Yuika, who had turned to look at them, Akishin led Shizuka out of the kitchen, through the business hall, and finally out of the Kondo residence.
The morning sunlight hit them, feeling warm and comfortable. The air carried the scent of trees, smelling much fresher than the city.
This area was a small path surrounded by a dozen or so houses, so they couldn't see the wider view yet; they needed to walk a bit further.
Along the way, they encountered several residents who gave them curious looks.
The two ignored them. They walked past the cluster of houses and climbed onto a high plateau by the roadside. When they looked down, their eyes filled with awe—
Golden morning light pierced through the early mist, illuminating the small town nestled in the mountains. Lake Itomori sparkled, reflecting a vast expanse of golden yellow...
Because of the mist, everything had a hazy quality. Compared to the sunset they had seen yesterday, this scenery felt far more like a dream.
After watching in a trance for a while, Akishin took out his phone and said with a smile to Shizuka, "Shizuka-chan, how about we take some photos? Stand over there, let me show you my photography skills."
"Alright."
Shizuka agreed immediately, walking to a spot she thought looked good and posing with a peace sign.
Akishin opened his phone. First, several notifications appeared about the comet that was due to arrive soon!
The comet was getting closer to Earth. It was expected to be visible by tomorrow, and the day after should be the clearest view. That timing coincided perfectly with the ritual in Itomori; the two would shine together. It was perfect timing.
'I'm not even that excited about the comet, why do they keep sending me all this trivia!'
Akishin deleted the messages, raised the camera, and took a great photo of Hiratsuka Shizuka.
...
At noon, Sakurai Kaiko arrived bringing plenty of delicious food.
Kondo Yuika took the opportunity to pack some of their belongings.
Akishin told them to just bring their usual daily necessities and electronic equipment. For instance, the electric rice cooker and the fridge could be brought along, while other basic items were usually already provided in rental places.
Renting a house in Japan is actually quite a hassle. Tenants are required to clean the rooms until they are spotless before leaving, including several electronics inside, like the fridge, television, and even the air conditioner (AC).
However, such strict requirements usually apply to high-end apartments. Ordinary and cheap apartments aren't generally that fancy.
If the previous tenant left behind some good furniture, the landlord might increase the rent slightly when re-listing it.
The AC, for example, is the most important part.
After lunch, Yuika and Kaiko went off to study. Soichi was also caught and dragged along. Being supervised by his two older sisters meant he could only study obediently.
Akishin held a cup of tea, sitting upright in the living room and chatting with Keiko, who sat across from him.
Keiko told stories about Itomori, while Akishin shared things about the city outside; the atmosphere was very harmonious.
Shizuka sat in seiza beside Akishin, also holding a cup of tea, listening to the two talk while occasionally chiming in.
Since this was just a way to kill time, they didn't need to worry about overly formal etiquette.
As for the matter of helping Kondo Soichi transfer schools, that would have to wait until tomorrow.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Kondo. I've already found a school for Soichi. It's a very beautiful school, and its overall academic standing is good. With Soichi's grades, it will be very easy for him to get in..."
Whenever Soichi's education was mentioned, Keiko always looked worried. Akishin reassured her, then took out his phone to show Keiko the information about the school he had looked up for Soichi.
While they were talking, the wind chime at the front door rang, signaling that someone had entered—there hadn't been a wind chime before, but after seeing that the one at Chishimaya was nice, Keiko had installed one for her own home.
"Is anyone home? Mrs. Kondo?"
An unfamiliar voice drifted in. It wasn't the Sakurai couple, but most likely a customer.
Kondo Keiko held back Akishin as he prepared to stand up, gesturing that she would handle it.
She stood up and left the living room. Before even seeing the customer, she took the initiative to say, "My apologies, but we are temporarily closed for business..."
Three minutes later, Keiko returned to the living room, leading a serious-looking man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase.
The man looked to be in his forties, maybe older. A few white hairs were tucked into his black hair, and the furrow lines on both sides of his nose were quite deep.
In his other hand, the man carried an elegant gift box.
"Chishima-sensei!"
Kondo Keiko first prepared a floor cushion for the man, then introduced him. "This is our Town Mayor, Miyamizu-chocho. He wishes to..."
"I have come to visit Chishima-sensei."
Miyamizu Toshiki took over the conversation. He placed the gift box in his hand onto the table and pushed it forward, then bowed his head in greeting. "I am Miyamizu Toshiki, the Mayor of Itomori. I was unaware that Chishima-sensei was visiting..."
Miyamizu Toshiki was the Mayor of Itomori. He looked very serious, and indeed, he was. However, facing Akishin, he lowered his posture and was quite polite.
Since the other party was so welcoming, Akishin also returned the greeting formally, accepted the offered business card, and read the full introduction.
Akishin didn't have a business card, mainly because he almost never needed one in his daily life.
On the internet, people's impression of him was that of a teacher plus a Kendo champion. Because of that, he had become the 'National Sensei'. Anyone who saw him wouldn't be wrong to address him as 'Sensei'.
At the same time, the name Miyamizu Toshiki felt familiar. He thought for a moment and remembered hearing the name among the crowd outside the Kagura-den yesterday.
This man was the father of the two Miko, Miyamizu Mitsuha and Miyamizu Yotsuha.
A 'bad' Mayor who was currently living apart from his daughters.
Why was he called 'bad'?
That was also information Akishin had overheard, which he then pieced together from various remarks.
The serious man in front of him was actually a very responsible Mayor, but his actions didn't receive recognition from the majority of the townspeople.
On the contrary, they disliked him and spoke about him behind his back.
Even Mitsuha and Yotsuha were affected by the fallout.
Toshiki's plan was to develop Itomori into a tourist area. The banners and roadside trash cans Akishin had seen when first arriving were the results of his hard work...
It was just that he was acting too hastily... no, it shouldn't be called too hasty, because doing something like this naturally creates such a situation.
There will always be some people who oppose change.
Toshiki's intentions were actually very good. He wanted Itomori to prosper and for everyone to live well. However, this kind of change disrupted the normal life that many people were used to.
Humans are creatures that crave novelty but fear change. When the old way of life is dismantled, they have to find a new path.
While the new path remains unknown for a time, it means there is a chance that conditions could become worse in the future.
Ignorance triggers fear and anxiety, and fear and anxiety breed complaints.
Toshiki's biggest problem right now was that he was promising a better future to those people, but those people didn't believe him.
Ultimately, Toshiki's base of support wasn't strong enough.
Itomori was indeed beautiful, but in reality, it only had the one lake as its main attraction, perhaps with the addition of the high mountains.
The surrounding houses had a certain period feel, but Japan has plenty of buildings with a period feel.
As for the ritual that Akishin found so interesting yesterday, it was a major selling point, but it was a ritual; it couldn't be held every day.
Holding events a few times a year on major holidays or significant dates was the limit.
This meant that, fundamentally, everyone was not optimistic.
Furthermore, there was one more thing that seemed minor but was actually very important. Developing a tourist area requires money, and not a small amount.
Since Itomori couldn't solve this just by relying on tax money, Toshiki had also called on everyone to donate funds.
As soon as this news broke, the number of dissatisfied people grew even larger.
I don't even know if it will make money later, but I have to shell out a large amount of money first? What kind of logic is that?
Secondly, spending money is fine—after all, you are the Mayor elected by the people and your abilities have been proven—but you can't just give empty promises; you have to show people a hopeful future.
If not, it's better to keep things as they are. A thousand years have passed like this; it doesn't matter if things don't change right now. At least no one is starving to death, just following the slow pace of the times.
Look, haven't a few more vending machines been added to the town recently?
Miyamizu Toshiki desperately wanted to say: If you don't give me the money to build Itomori properly, how can I give you hope?
The people: We don't care. If you can't do it, why did we make you Mayor? Anyway, if there is no hope, there is no money.
Miyamizu Toshiki: If there is no money, there is no hope.
The people: If there is no hope, there is no money.
...
Of course, there were also some people who supported Toshiki. If there weren't, the development wouldn't just be moving slowly; it would have been rejected the moment it was proposed.
The supporting group mainly consisted of business owners and merchants in the town. They could see that they stood to profit from the changes in Itomori...
But currently, the situation was not optimistic. The number of people opposing him was growing, and the voices of rejection were getting louder. When he went to give a speech as Mayor, not many people actually came out to listen.
Honestly, the pressure Miyamizu Toshiki faced was immense, but he refused to give up. Itomori was truly poor compared to the outside world. His daughter's monthly allowance wasn't even more than the price of a single meal at a restaurant in Tokyo.
And his restaurant was just an ordinary one.
While he was at a standstill, only able to move forward slowly as before, someone told him that the Kendo champion from Chiba, Chishima-sensei, had come to Itomori.
...
Kondo Keiko went outside to prepare tea.
Akishin glanced at the gift box on the table, didn't pick it up, and then asked, "Is there something I can help you with, Miyamizu-san? Please, speak plainly. I don't like beating around the bush."
Toshiki's face showed a hint of hesitation. Seeing Akishin's calm expression, he said, "In that case, please excuse me... Chishima-sensei, what do you think of Itomori?"
Akishin replied, "It's very beautiful."
"Is that so?"
Miyamizu Toshiki showed a small smile that quickly vanished, then asked again, "Then what would you think if this place were developed into a tourist area?"
"Regarding that..."
A look of hesitation appeared on Akishin's face. "Miyamizu-san, I can't really give you an answer on that. I don't understand these sorts of things."
"Then does Chishima-sensei know about the situation here in Itomori? Specifically, the people's thoughts regarding tourism development."
"Yesterday while walking around the shrine, I heard a few things..."
Akishin nodded. He didn't finish his sentence, but Toshiki understood his meaning.
Miyamizu Toshiki was silent for a moment, then directly bowed his head in a plea to Akishin. "Chishima-sensei, as the representative of Itomori, I would like to invite you to become the brand ambassador for our town."
"...Miyamizu-san, that... you seem to have misunderstood. I have only mastered the sword. Being an ambassador for a tourist area, that's a bit..."
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