Chapter 4
Gently swaying from side to side...
Like a picture in the ocean's bottom.
I could see a distorted picture from a different world.
No matter how much I strained my eyes, I couldn't see clearly.

What was this scene? What was this image?
It was an image from a faraway world and a fragment of a memory.
I couldn't remember, I didn't need to remember, I couldn't be made to remember. It was sleeping in the recesses of my body.
I couldn't even forget if I've forgotten and it might wither away with me to the end, this image from sometime.

That was now.
That was right now.
Called by the water, in the bottom of the ocean, the castle door's opened...

I was...

I was swallowed by the rush of the past...

I was in the middle of a forest.
Following someone I didn't recognize, I went into the forest.
In an unknown place, and unknown forest, brought by an unknown child, I, a small child, went.

Flowers were blooming in the forest.
Crimson flowers were blooming.
One, two, three, many
The forest was surrounded in red, blooming endlessly.
For me, a small child, they were nothing but pretty red, flowers.
Passing through the forest innocently saying "Wow, pretty."
But according to me that was watching the scene, that crimson flower, was a tsubaki.
It was a red flower that resembled the summer tsubaki that bloomed from sal trees.
Like the character for spring which was in the word for tsubaki, it was a red flower that brought about spring, but that didn't matter to my younger self who was wearing a thin shirt with short sleeves and shorts.
The small child that was ahead of my younger self was also wearing something suitable, not spring, but summer clothes.

Was this a memory?
It should be a memory?
The people, place, and season, it was as if different memories were gathered and assembled and made a random scene. Was that it?

The dream turned into bubbles and disappeared into the water's surface. Without finding an answer, I was confronted with the ending of the dream. The dream that became bubbles surrounded me. And then I floated to the surface. I headed towards the bright surface and when my face broke through the surface, the ephemeral dream ended...
Syouko: Nn...

I felt the sunlight on my eyelids and roused me from my sleep.
I woke up.
Without using an alarm clock to wake up at a time close to when I usually wake up was a special skill normally praised by others.
Just in case, I had set the alarm on my cell phone and it was around 10 minutes before it was scheduled to go off.

Syouko: Fu...

I could sleep for 10 more minutes.
I still felt drowsy, but I cut off a yawn and turned off the now unnecessary alarm.

Syouko: Fu...

I flexed my stomach muscles, arms and the upper half of my body and looked up from my horizontal position at the ceiling which was higher than the one at home.
Looking the futons lined up around me, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. In other words, I was the first one to wake up.

Everyone: .....

Everyone was sleeping peacefully. I see that since Seijou had a lot of privileged ladies attending, there were strong feelings between them.

Syouko: So...

I took a deep breath and forced oxygen into the areas of my body that weren't awake yet. I went over today's schedule in my head.
The schedule after waking up was to have the person on start preparations for breakfast, and during that time, the rest of us would be running. After that, we would eat and rest for a while and then do some morning practice.

Syouko: I should go change first.

For normal athletic clubs, it's enough to wear jerseys, but this is the kendo club.
I got up from the futon and went to where my luggage was and prepared my familiar padded undershirt (dougi).

Because of yesterday's excitement, I thought I should be kind-hearted like a Buddha and let them sleep a while longer, but...
During this time, the sun would moment by moment heat up the ocean and the land and the radiant heat would spread through the atmosphere. So when going running in the summer, it's best to run in the cool mornings.

Syouko: I guess sometimes it's better not to be kind.

Because we didn't have a goal of relentlessly training, there was a lot of free time in the afternoons. For those who were seriously lacking in sleep, they could compensate then.
When I finished changing, I checked the time and then opened all the sliding doors and screens, letting the morning light fill the rooms.

Syouko: Rise and shine!

It was probably the monk that rang the bell. It rang at the same time as my command and the sound reverberated in the room. And at the same time, there were cell phone alarms that started to go off.
The peaceful morning was shattered.
There was stirring beneath the futons as groups of people started to get up and jumped from their sheets.

Momoko: Hey! Osa-sempai! Good morning!

She didn't seem to have low blood pressure and in the morning, was already full of energy.

Syouko: Good morning, Momko.

Momoko: Zawacchi, Zawacchi, it's morning.

Yasumi: Nn...Momo-chan...it's already morning?

It was as I thought and she was not a morning person unlike Momoko. It was like I thought, but there was something off. Though she was smiling, it was hard for me to get rid of this feeling.

Ayashiro: Good morning, Syouko-san.

Syouko: Good morning. Is Ayashiro also not a morning person?

She gave a greeting that lacked energy. She wasn't swaying that much, but today, I could see it.

Ayashiro: I don't think that's the case.

She also realized her uncharacteristic behavior and quirked her eyebrow and held a hand in front of her mouth.

Momoko: You're not as bad as Zawacchi though.

Syouko: Is that so?

Since it was said by her roommate who wakes up with her everyday, it must be so.

Momoko: Zawacchi, how are you feeling today? Are your hit points back in the green?

Yasumi: I'm fine...Good morning, Momo-chan.

Momoko: Morning.

She moved slowly as if she were loathe to leave the warmth of the bed and got up from the futon.

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, Ayashiro-sempai, good morning.

Ayashiro: Good morning.

Syouko: It seems you're lacking in energy.

Both Yasumi and Ayashiro.

Syouko: ...Both of you, is there something wrong?

Ayashiro: ...My body feels a bit sluggish.

Syouko: Yasumi, too?

Yasumi: I'm fine!

To judge the truth of her statement, I looked at her face and expression.
If I leave her alone, she'll push herself too hard, so I should expose her lie.

Syouko: Hmm...

That's what she said, but if I looked into her eyes, I could tell it was a lie. Peeking at her, she was averting her eyes and also her complexion...

Syouko: You're a little flushed. Do you have a fever?

Yasumi: No, no I'm fine! This is my normal temperature!

Syouko: Really?

If she was that insistent, then it couldn't be helped.
She was long acquainted with her own weak condition.

So I did what I could and followed up another path.

Syouko: What about you, Ayashiro? Do you want to return to bed?

Ayashiro: It's not so bad I have to stay in bed, but...

Syouko: But? Do you have some sort of clue to your condition?

Yasumi and I were exposed to the night air and then we found that girl in the ocean...
Yasumi went into the ocean...
Her pajamas were soaked. It was summer and you would also sweat in your sleep and she should have a change of pajamas and wouldn't have slept in those wet clothes but...
We were changing that girl's clothes and it spent some time so Yasumi didn't take a bath right away.

Syouko: So even if you didn't catch a cold, a slight fever wouldn't be unexpected.

Momoko: What about Osa-sempai?

Syouko: I'm fine. I feel normal.

If Yasumi and Ayashiro were in the same group, then I was in the same group as Momoko.

Momoko: Well, in Zawacchi's case, it's her normal condition, so if it's about this range, there's not much to worry about.

So Momoko wasn't particularly distracted.

Momoko: What about Hime-sempai?

Ayashiro: Well, it's a very hard thing to explain...

The topic returned back to Ayashiro. After some indecision, she prepared her expression and...

Ayashiro: Do you think...ghosts exist?

She said such a thing.

Everyone: ...Ghosts...

Ayashiro: After the excitement yesterday, I went to bed and fell asleep. I don't know how much time passed, but...

Ayashiro: It felt like it was still dark and I felt something and woke up.

Ayashiro: And then, someone was hovering above me...

Syouko: Was it a prank?

There was only one person in this room who would play such a prank.
Wait, there was one other person...
Besides Momoko who enjoyed a prank, there was one more suspicious person, but her hair was short.
Though if one were carefully prepared one could wear a wig or something as a disguise.

Ayashiro: I...don't think that it was.

Ayashiro: I didn't feel any extra weight on me and I felt it was translucent and I could see the ceiling.

Momoko: Oh! Could it be a ghost!?

If you could see through it, then a normal person couldn't do that.

Ayashiro: And then, I lost consciousness and before I knew it, it was morning.

Syouko: ...Did Yasumi or Momoko notice anything?

Momoko: Ah, no. I slept soundly till morning. I also don't have any spiritual senses.

Yasumi: Me too.

Syouko: I also didn't notice anything.

Ayashiro: I don't think anyone else saw it.

Syouko: .....

Geez, what was it then.

Syouko: ...I don't think Ayashiro would tell stories.

Ayashiro: Yes, though I could've been still sleeping and imagining things.

Syouko: So, what was the ghost like?

Ayashiro: It was a girl.

Syouko: A girl?

Ayashiro: Yes, a girl...with long hair.

Syouko: Hair...

Momoko: Osa-sempai, Osa-sempai!

She grabbed my shirt. The top half of the dougi was like a judo uniform so if the sleeves were grabbed, I would still have room to move.

Momoko: Hime-sempai and Zawacchi both have long hair but...

Her gaze turned away from mine and looked towards a different room.

Momoko: If it's a girl with long hair, I have a clue.

In the other rooms, there were also girls with long hair but Momoko was pointing to someone else.

Syouko: That's the girl from yesterday...

It was the girl Yasumi and I picked up from the beach.

Syouko: But yesterday, she had a solid body...

Momoko: It's like the stories where in the morning, it looked like ther were traces of someone sleeping on the futon.

Momoko: Also it's like the stories of a taxi picking up someone in the rain at the cemetary and suddenly the customer disappears.

Syouko: And the seat is still wet, that story?

Momoko: And this case, it could be that she escaped and the futon is still wet!?

Momoko: It's not like I'm hoping for such a predictable end, but like ghost stories in the summer, it really could be a ghost.

Yasumi: Ghost?...No...but...

Yasumi's voice didn't waver as she said those words, but maybe it was due to the light, but Yasumi's complexion was as white as a ghost for a second.

Syouko: Hey, Yasumi!

Yasumi: Y...yes!!

Syouko: Are you really ok?

Yasumi: Um, I'm...

To show she was ok, she nodded her head.

Ayashiro: I'm actually only feeling a bit sluggish so maybe it was because I was feeling hot in my futon and I saw some sort of dream.

Syouko: Then the ghost was?

Ayashiro: The sluggishness could be due to the heat of summer.

Syouko: Is it lethargy due to the summer heat?

Ayashiro: Yes, it's hotter over here so it would exhaust my stamina faster.

Momoko: That's true.

It was surprising that Momoko agreed.

Everyone: .....?

Everyone looked at Momoko with a question mark hovering above their heads.
Making sure that everyone was looking at her, Momoko made some big gestures while starting her speech.

Momoko: Ok, everyone! I don't know about a vegetarian diet or anything like that but, curry without meat in it doesn't provide enough stamina to get through summer!

Syouko: .....

I wondered what she was going to say, but it was this.

Momoko: Consider pork...it doesn't only cure lack of appetite or fatigue...

Momoko: Eh...Zawacchi...what other effects do you think it has?

Yasumi: Reducing fever and a antidote to poison?

Momoko: That's it! That's it! Pork is great as a military campaign about General Winter (the cold of winter) and General Summer (the heat of summer) and is a balanced food that is a wonderful strategy.

Syouko: Eh...

She said this with an emotional voice using the information from the fountain of knowledge, Yasumi.

Ayashiro: Does Momoko-chan eat pork curry at home?

Momoko: Of course.

Syouko: Would you consider it heresy if I said it's normally beef curry?

Yasumi: I also thought beef was standard...

Momoko: Is that so, Zawacchi?

Yasumi: The packaged foods at supermarkets normally have beef curry.

Momoko: Che...che...che...That's naive, too naive! That's child's curry, Aizawa Yasumi-kun.

She shook her finger and suddenly pointed.

Momoko: Curry's origin is India. And India has a taboo on eating beef! Eat Beef Taboo!
There's zero percent beef in India's Hakku!

Hakku stood for Hakkin Beef Hamburger. It was a fast food chain store of foreign origin with branches around the country.

There was the commercial song "It's in my neighborhood so it might also be in your neighborhood" and there was a store near the train station and it looked like it was also in India. But with the billboards selling beef here and the beef menu was it ok to use this analogy? And also Hakku and curry don't have any connection.

Momoko: Anyways... Zawacchi, even knowing the wonders of meat and then making curry without it and resulting in summer lethargy, this is the height of reaping what you sow!

Yasumi: Uh...

Momoko: So Zawacchi, starting today, let's add meat to the menu, add meat to the menu, add meat to the menu...

Yasumi: But when you're in the countryside, you should follow that countryside's customs...

Momoko: And also if we follow the monk and his love of froth, we're all going to be expelled.

Momoko: The monk also seems to be ok with eating meat like the saying "Neither monk nor layman"

Syouko: That was the Jodo Shinshu sect I believe.

Momoko: I wasn't talking about that.

Yasumi: Ahaha...

Momoko caused a digression in our talk, but if Yasumi could laugh at the silly talk she couldn't be in too bad of a condition.

Ayashiro: ...Yes?

Syouko: Just as a precaution, Ayashiro, you shouldn't go running.

Ayashiro: I'm fine.

Syouko: Still, just take a break. We don't want you collapsing in the middle of running...

Syouko: And Yasumi is not at full health so it will be hard on her to do all the breakfast preparations.

Ayashiro: ...True. Then let's do that.

Syouko: Then, I'll leave that to the vice-captain.

Ayashiro: Leave everything to me? After I go to the kitchen, I'll just be following Yasumi-chan's orders.

Momoko: It's like a seargent and a novice.

Syouko: And if Momoko enters?

Momoko: ...I'll be the essential third member that protects against bullets.

Syouko: It seems you'll have a lot of firepower.

Momoko: Of course, right Zawacchi?

Yasumi: .....

Momoko: Hey, Zawacchi! Say something!

Yasumi kept her eyes averted from Momoko's.

Yasumi: If Momo-chan is here, then there won't be any leftovers, and it'll be easier to clean, though it's a shame that she's not there.

So that was it.

Syouko: I see, so you're the eating type...

And also it seemed she was useless in the kitchen.

Syouko: Seijou! Fight!

Members; Ooh!

At appropriate intervals, we would combine our voices into an encouraging shout as we ran along the beach.
I wanted to do something more kendo-like or run in silence or ask for opinions but...
Running like this just like PE class was not so bad.
At least they should be thankful I didn't say "Let's sing something while we run!" which is what the previous captain would do. It's true that singing while running would unexpectedly train your lungs and stomach muscles but...to keep changing the repertory when getting bored would be too much.

Momoko: I read this in a manga before.

Syouko: Hmm?

Momoko: It's good lower body training to dash on the beach.

Syouko: Heh?

Momoko: It's different than on a paved road and not as hard so the burden on the knees is not as bad.

It's true that the thick sand on the beach makes it harder to move one's feet, but in exchange, it's not as bad if you fall.

Momoko: Hey, Osa-sempai, you're pretty tough.

Momoko looked at the others to see how they were doing.

Syouko: I used to have more confidence in my body, I'm breathing harder than then.

Controlling my breathing was one of my special patterns.

Syouko: Actually Momoko, you're pretty good.

Momoko: Fufufu. Only in P.E. do I get a "Very well done" grade.

Syouko: As expected.

When considering pure athletic ability, she was probably the highest in the club.
Though she made her debut in high school, she was already considered to be the next ace.
With the exception of volleyball, she had outstanding athletic ability suited to other sports too.

Momoko: My mom and dad aren't very athletic, so maybe it was from a previous ancestor?

Momoko: Though I didn't inherit their height...

An ancestor's genes? Really...

Syouko: Then...

It's about time to stop.
Since it was a different place than usual, I wasn't exactly sure of the distance we traveled. Using our running pace, I could estimate how far we've gone. Anyways, it was time to head back.

Syouko: Everyone, stop!

Was it because the temperature had also risen, or the strength of the relection of the sand on the beach, or maybe it was just because we were running.
As I stopped, and the wind generated by running also stopped and I started sweating like a dam broke loose.

Syouko: Ok, now...

Momoko: We've traveled quite a ways.

Syouko: Far? It's about 5 kilometers.

Momoko: Yah, I think it's farther than 5 kilometers. We normally don't run like that.

Syouko: Well we don't have any other strenuous exercise planned.

The basics were training the legs and waist and also there weren't any classes afterwards.

Syouko: Is everyone feeling ok?

There were complaints about feeling tired and I heard some wheezing but there didn't seem to be anyone feeling bad.

Syouko: From now on, everyone go at their own pace.

Momoko: It doesn't seem like a place to get lost.

After going up the long, long stairs and arriving inside the temple grounds, the morning run was over. Leaving each person to decide how long to cool down, we split up.

Ayashiro: As expected, Syouko-san and Momoko-chan were in the lead.

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, here's a towel.

Syouko: Thank you.

Yasumi: Momo-chan, welcome back.

Yasumi: Uii!

She took the towel from Yasumi and wiped away her sweat and looked at Yasumi as if she wanted to ask about an important thing.

Momoko: Zawacchi, is breakfast ready?

She slid over to Yasumi.

Yasumi: Yes, we're completely done. With Ayashiro-sempai's help, we finished faster than expected.

Syouko: Then, after everyone returns, let's have breakfast.

Momoko: Osa-sempai, how about we decide the order of the meal by the order we arrived back?

Syouko: That's not necessary.

Momoko: .....

She was silent but looked like she wanted to make an objection.

Momoko: ...Ok. Then I'm going to go to end of the line and slap them on the butt to hurry them up.

With a flurry of her hakama pants, Momoko ran past the compound, went past the temple gate, and disappeared down the stairs.

Syouko: Geez.

Yasumi: Momo-chan sure is genki.

Syouko: That's true.

Syouko: How are both your conditions?

Yasumi: I'm feeling much better.

Ayashiro: Me too. I think i can participate in practice after breakfast.

Her smiling face didn't show any traces of the complexion of her face in the morning.

Syouko: Don't push yourself.

Ayashiro: Ok.

If these two were ok...

Syouko: How about the girl?

Without knowing her name or origin, I could only refer to the girl who washed up on the beach as 'That girl'

Yasumi: She still hasn't woken up.

Ayashiro: The monk-sama asked around to see if there were any ships that capsized, or if there were any children that didn't return, but there was no word of such news.

Syouko: Around this area, so that means that island also?

The place shut off by the sea...Urashima.

According to my estimations, it wasn't even 10 kilometers to the island and taking the shortest route, it might even be half that.

It was a place with strong currents and many reefs, but for a skillful swimmer, it wouldn't be impossible to cross. Even if that wasn't true, like the monk said, if your luck was good, you could wash up on shore alive.

Ayashiro: They haven't replied back yet, but I don't think anyone would break the customs and go out on a ship.

Syouko: I didn't mean they were on a boat, but what if there was an accident?

Ayashiro: You mean they were swallowed by the high tide?

I nodded in answer and indicated her to continue.

Ayashiro: I can't rule that out, but she's such a noticeable girl.

Syouko: I see...

Many isolated islands experienced depopulation and Urashima was no exception so it shouldn't have a big population.

But with such a pretty girl living at the island, there should have been at least rumors that reached over here.

Ayashiro: It's not like there isn't a precedent.

Syouko: Precedent?

Ayashiro: Eh...how long ago did that happen again?

Yasumi: Eight...years ago.

Ayashiro: That's right. Eight years ago at the time of the festival for Kurou-sama, there was a girl that washed up alive on the Unasaka beach.

Syouko: Eh?

Ayashiro: The sea was rough like it was every year, but that girl had hardly any injuries.
Instead, the girl didn't have any memories of the past days or the past weeks and didn't know why she was there.

Thump...

The pounding of my heart constricted and froze.
The movement of blood rushing through my body and passing through my heart lost its warmth.
I knew this...
I knew this feeling.

Syouko: .....

The feeling of sinking into the cold water.
And in the opposite direction, many small bubbles floating upwards.
Many passed by, but there were also some that hit me and burst.
In the moment those bubbles hit me, the scene before me expanded...

Syouko: Ah...

One, two, three, four...

Five, six seven...

Eight, nine...

The countless bubbles hit me and burst.

The wavering, swaying waves burned a vision in my consciousness.
It linked and added together and instead of fragments and made a complete picture.

I shouldn't know this...

No, it was buried in the sea of memory and I shouldn't know...

Ayashiro: Syouko-san?

Syouko: .....

Thump, thump, thump, thump

My frozen heart throbbed as if it were making up for its lost time.
The warm blood rushed through my body and flushed my face.

Ayashiro: Syouko-san, suddenly, your face.

Syouko-san: ...I'm fine.

Ayashiro: But still, we also experienced sudden weakness.

Yasumi: .....

Syouko: Really, I'm fine.

My lips were still quivering so I had to make up something.
I wonder if my face looked like I was sick. That was due to my heart. I took a deep breath.

I'm ok...

Regarding this matter, I had a clue what to do.

So...I'm ok...
Though, I really wasn't.

Syouko: I remembered I have to make a call home, so I'll leave first.

I wanted to know the answer one minute, one second faster. I returned to my room in a hurry.
Blunt elderly voice: This is Osanai.

Syouko: Hello, grandpa?

Syouko's granpa: What... it's Syouko?

It was a blunt, rude voice.
My grandpa was bad at answering the phone and gave an expression of stubborness and it was the case.
Akiko-san was the type who liked to get to know strangers so if you added up and divided the two of them, you had a good balance, but...
Mother was like grandma while it seems I inherited from my grandpa, but avoided a weird balance.
Maybe it was because I didn't inherit my mother's genes or maybe it was spending too much time with my grandpa.

What if Akiko-san was still alive...
What if Mother had stayed at home more...

By the way, my grandpa's name is Osanai Jinnosuke.

Jinnosuke: What's with the early morning call? Did you forget something?

Syouko: Rather than forgetting something, it's something I've forgotten.

The memory that was buried deep in my mind had risen up.

Syouko: In the past, I've taken a trip with Natsu nee-san, right!?

Jinnosuke: .....

I said what I wanted to say, but all I got back was silence.

He was probably saying something like 'Annoying' and held the receiver away from him.

Syouko: Ojii-chan!

Jinnosuke: ...I heard you. That was when Shuuhou was running around and the summer you were crying 'Pi, pi'

My parents were both busy with work and I was raised by my grandmother.
I could hear the sound of a lighter from the phone on the other side.

Jinnosuke: .....

My grandpa blew out a tabacco filled breath.

Jinnosuke: That was a clumsy way of comforting me. She ran away to the southern sea and crossed the ocean to the land of the dead, and is living there comfortably. It's not like crossing over Fudaraku.
And you were just a kid and listened to her story and wanted to go there.

Syouko: Un...

How could I have forgotten this?

In order to give me time to settle down, Natsu nee-san forcibly took a vacation took me down south. Natsu nee-san was driving in a round car that look like a turtle.
We visited scenic and historic places and passed by famous and no-name dojos as we slowly traveled down to the south.
And without taking a boat, we traveled by car to the south and my heart was healing...

Syouko: Natsu nee-san...

And from then on, things were vague.
Something big was sunk in the deep recesses of my memory's ocean, but the swaying of the water's surface was getting in my way. But, I knew there was something there. It was vague, but I knew something had occurred.

Jinnosuke: Well...the only one to return was you.

Syouko: After the accident in the sea, I was the only one to be miraculously saved...
And Natsu nee-san's whereabouts are unknown.
Ojii-chan, do you remember where that was?

Jinnosuke: I'm not absent-minded enough to forget such an important thing. Maybe it was some sort of fate too.

Syouko: .....

Jinnosuke: Well...the place you traveled to long ago was...

Syouko: The place I was brought by Natsu nee-san was...

Unasaka.

.....
Jinnosuke: I mean really...

Jinnosuke: That Shuuhou, if it were someplace like heaven or the universe, a place where she wanted to go but couldn't go and could now go to, she wouldn't think of it as bothersome.

Jinnosuke: Oy! I'm gonna hang up.

Syouko: Ok...

The call ended and I was then talking to myself.

Syouko: I've...really come here before.

My gaze traveled down from the mountain and was drawn by the blue sea as it skated across the water's surface to the shadow of the island.
The nostalgic feeling that I had when first arriving was not a sense of deja vu. It could be said to be a sense of a scene from 8 years ago.

?: Heh...I see...

Syouko: .....!?

I was startled since I was talking to myself and was spilling my thoughts out.

Syouko: Migiwa...

As I thought, she wasn't your average person.

No matter how into the phone conversation I was, it was not normal to not notice her when she was this close.
I had a suspicion that it was actually her that came her to learn the onitaiji skills.

Syouko: ...What?

Standing near me, I was startled by her large eye.

People sometimes said the same thing about me, but her blue eye was unexpectedly hard.

Migiwa: Fu...fu...

Her features wavered
One eye was hidden behind a thin slit.
Her cat-like eyes seemed to be searching for something.

Migiwa: Osa, breakfast is ready.

Her eyes narrowed like a cat's and she smiled. She turned around in a supple motion.

Migiwa: Let's go, let's go. I'm hungry.

Like a cat, her footsteps didn't make a sound, and she went into the interior of the temple.
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