Aoishiro web novel

Momoko: If you go straight through the Sal Forest, there will be only one red tsubaki which is called the Tokosaki no Tsubaki.

Momoko, who removed her shoes and was standing on the rocks, stretched out her body. She looked over our heads to the main temple and pointed to a path in the back.

Momoko: There are some juice boxes on the roots of of the tree, so please go there and retrieve them.

The route for the test of courage was to go to the end of the Sal Forest and back.

Momoko: I don't mind if you drink the juice, but please bring back the empty cans as proof.

Momoko: On the way, there's no trash bins, so there's no place to throw the cans away.

Syouko: Did everyone hear? Don't leave any trash and bring the cans back here.

Everyone: Okaaay.

Syouko: And also, Momoko, what happens to the people who don't bring a can back?

Momoko: There should be a batsu game (punishment game), and I wanted to prepare one, but I haven't decided yet.

Syouko: But...

Momoko was still a first-year student so compared to last year's plan, it shouldn't be as bad, but...

Ayashiro: Ah, if I buy the same type of juice, I won't have to go through a scary experience and I'll still pass, right?

Last year, Ayashiro had to go through a really embarassing punishment. She said that with a cute, crafty expression.

Momoko: Where would you buy it?

Ayashiro: At a place like a nearby convenience store...

Momoko: There's none around here.

She replied to Ayashiro's suggestion with an extra bit of attitude. It seems see did some reasearch and she stuck out her chest and struck it.

Momoko: An also, I'll report that vending machines in a 5 kilometer radius don't sell that brand.

Syouko: There aren't a lot of vending machines anyways.

Momoko: Even if there are vending machines at the train stations, I don't think they'll sell it.

Momoko: Ok, here's a sample! A bunch of you should be familiar with this and have deep feelings about it, but make sure to remember it!

Momoko raised her hand from her back and held up a can with the Mitokoumon seal on it.

Everyone: .....

Momoko held up a can for us to see and we were rendered speechless.
It was a 250 ml size can which was a common size. It was made of steel so it wouldn't become hot in winter. With a base color of yellow and with black stripes, it was easy to see even at night.
In place of regular milk, it used condensed milk and had the tagline "The king's taste". The name of the drink was "Rex Coffee". It had a motif resembling the largest mammalian carnivore, the king of beasts's fur, but it also said...

Because this product is dangerous, don't get close.

I remembered the name of the manufacturer. I'd heard a rumor that they were going to expland distribution but, I believe this was an item limited to a certain area and wasn't available in most of Western Japan.

Syouko: Momoko that's...

Like Momoko confidently said, this shouldn't be sold here, so how did she...

Momoko: Not, this captain, but the former captain, had this delivered today to support the team.

Maybe because of the silent reaction at first, it suddenly became noisy. Of course, the topic was the person who sent the support.

Ayashiro: Asuna-sempai liked this, right?

Syouko: You can't really call this juice.

Momoko: Though it doesn't feel right to call it coffee...

Because in place of milk, it used condensed milk, and lots of it.
No matter how much sempai believed the words "When you're tired, eat sweet things", it was too sweet to be coffee.
It wasn't milk coffee, it was condensed milk coffee. That was what's inside the can. The calorie content was also nothing to look down on.

Syouko: It was a curious thing to see at first.

But only at first. Sempai recommended it to me and said, "Just try it, it's good."

Syouko: It might not be strange to Migiwa though...

Syouko: Huh? Where's Migiwa?

I didn't see Migiwa who should've been among the students.

Momoko: She said, "I'll leave the rest to the young ones" and went off somewhere.

Momoko: It seemed like since it was getting late, she'd pass on the test of courage.

Syouko: Heh...

Well, after dinner and a bath, there were ghost stories in the main temple, so it was rather late but...
I couldn't really accept that Migiwa would be the one to say that though.

Syouko: ...You and her have teamed up and are planning something, right?

A classic thing to do was to fill a cotton ball with ethanol and use the fishing pole that Migiwa was holding to swing it around the air or...
If not that, then to wear a long wig and white shirt and wait with a camera in hand.

Momoko: No, we're not doing anything like that.

Momoko denied it, but we'd have to wait and see if it was true. Unless an important matter dragged Migiwa away, but I didn't think that was it, but...
Since I didn't have the answer, I'll put it aside for now.
Momoko contined her explanation.

Momoko: There's signs along the way so I don't think anyone will get lost, but...

The sidepaths, which would be places where a person would get lost, were blocked off by plastic strings during lunch.

While Yasumu, Nami, and I were taking a bath, Momoko had carried over the Rex Coffee and checked everything. If you had an electric flashlight, then you wouldn't get lost.

Momoko: Even if you get lost, it's not a big mountain so you should be able to do something.

And that was the end of the explanation. It was time to team up in pairs.
During last year's test of courage, we had to go one by one by ourselves but...
For one, we only had one bokutou (wooden sword) talisman and to keep exchanging it would take too much time.
Also, though we were in the middle of the temple, we weren't in a fenced-in school so we should avoid having young girls walking by themselves.
And lastly, if they were by themselves, there would be girls too scared to go on.
So it was an easy solution to go in pairs.

Momoko: So, let's decide the pairs by drawing.

Momoko: Let's start with Osa-sempai who has bad luck at these things!

Syouko: Since there's no way to miss, luck has nothing to do with it.

Momoko: Well, well, just pick one please.

Though my luck had nothing to do with this...
We should start with the captain and I picked one of the pieces of paper Momoko was holding.
A the tip of the twisted piece of paper was a number and you would pair up with the person with the same number.

Syouko: .....

Momoko: Hoho, Osa-sempai is the anchor. In the old legends, that means good health.

It's true that being last would be easy, but...I didn't think that as a sign of my bad luck.

Syouko: Is there some bad luck to being last?

Momoko: Well, the last person has to bring back the leftover items.

Momoko said that in a bit of a questioning voice.

Syouko: How many did you leave?

Momoko: I left some reserves with the box.

Syouko: The box...

Well, if it wasn't more than 10 cans, it's would be too heavy.

Syouko: You won't say something like I have to drink the leftovers, right?

Momoko: If you'd like to, please go ahead.

Syouko: I don't hate sweet things, but one's enough.

Momoko: The batsu game will be to drink 10 cans.

Momoko smiled at the thought of a batsu game as she passed out the papers.

Momoko: At that time, you should just use your authority as the captain and have your partner drink the cans right?

Yasumi: Umm...Momo-chan?

Momoko: What is it, Zawacchi?

Yasumi: It seems, I'm also last...

The number on Yasumi's twisted piece of paper was the same as mine.

Syouko: So, Yasumi is my partner?

Yasumi: Yes, yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Today seemed to be a fateful day.

Momoko: .....

Syouko: ...so, are you telling me to make Yasumi drink all that?

Momoko: Of course not! How can we do such an impossible thing to our Zawacchi!

So that was the end of the discussion.

Momoko: I don't mind if you leave the box, I'll pick it up tomorrow.

The part about retrieval was done away with too.

Syouko: Geez...Momoko...

She was a rather overprotective guardian. Well, I wasn't going to make Yasumi carry them either...

Syouko: I just don't understand.

Yasumi: Yes?

Yasumi, who always tried her best and overworked herself, I wonder why I couldn't leave her alone.

The test of courage proceeded without delays and it was at last our turn and we headed out with our baton, Kumouchi.

Syouko: How about I hold the bokutou and Yasumi, you hold the flashlight?

Yasumi: Ok.

Ayashiro: There's moonlight in the open areas, but it's pitch black under the shadow of the trees so be careful.

According to the people who went, that was the case. And to say the opposite, the flashlight wasn't useful in areas of light.

Ayashiro: Nami-chan, come over here.

Nami: .....

Ayashiro: Hora, Syouko-san and Yasumi-chan have to go for a little walk.

Yasumi: Nami-chan, we'll return really soon, ok?

Nami: .....

Nami followed Yasumi's words and walked over to Ayashiro. Holding Nami from behind, Ayashiro let out a sigh.

Ayashiro: She really listens to Yasumi-chan. I don't dislike it, but I feel a little lonely...

A little bit away from the compound, in the middle of an open sky, was a little mountain filled with graves. To enter the Sal Forest, you would have to pass by this.
They were graves from Buddhist funeral rites and for parishioner's so of course they should be there. Momoko did a good job at preparation.

When Momoko was giving her explanation about going to the Tokosaki no Tsubaki, she hadn't said a word about crossing a graveyard.
So, she kept silent and tricked us into walking past gravestones.
It wasn't a bad way to create an atmosphere at the start.

But still...

Maybe it was because of the reflection of the white sal flowers, but the path was lighted up more than expected and it was like a beautiful illusion.
In front of us was the Sal Forest which was enveloped by the blue night and the summer tsubaki cast a shadow on the mountain.

Aoi: In the mountain where the tsubaki bloom, there is something called the incarnation of the tsubaki or the god of tsubaki. It is a Hime (princess) goddess that lives there. So it's taboo to climb the mountain.

Aoi: In a certain place, no matter what time it is, it's forbidden land...

Aoi: And also, at another place, when an outsider tries to enter, there will be a violent rain and wind storm, so you can never enter.

So sensei warned us not to do anything to anger the Hime kami-sama. Thinking about it, in front of us was not a mountain filled with tsubaki, but was a forest filled with summer tsubaki. And in this Sal Forest was only one Tokosaki no Tsubaki.

Syouko: Yasumi, are you weak at stuff like this?

Yasumi: I'm not good at it, but I'm not weak at it.

Yasumi: But, it's different than watching on television. Actually walking here is a bit scary.

I was the same.
I could do it or not.
But the light that wavered on the path in front of me made me a little afraid, I think.
The flashlight was hard to hold with two hands, so Yasumi's free hand was held in front of her chest.
It was a little embarassing, but at this time, I thought I should act like a dependable sempai and go forward...

And just at that time...

Syouko and Yasumi: .....!?

Both Yasumi's and my heart made a big jump.
It was like it was going up and down stairs, and shortened my life, which is something everyone has experienced.
In front of us was something not as large as a pit, but there was definitely a difference in level and looked like someone dug a ditch.
The ditch was filled with white flowers and didn't look too different from the path we were on, and we could have carelessly stepped into it...

Syouko: Yasumi, are you ok?

Yasumi: Ah, yes. I was just a little surprised.

The feeling of my foot coming down on open space, and if I hadn't stopped myself, it wouldn't have been good. It seems tonight's outing was going to be like this.

Syouko: ...This is Momoko's work, right?

Yasumi: Probably....no, definitely.

Syouko: Geez, she went this far.

Syouko: But in this case, I'm more scared about Momoko's traps than a ghost.

That one before was only the beginning and the forest might be filled with traps.

Syouko: .....

Actually, this might be good. Because I had bad luck, I was unusually vigilant.

Syouko: In order not to trip, do you want to hold hands?

Yasumi: Eh.....!?

Maybe her scream was even louder than the one she made before.

Yasumi: Ah...uh...eh...

She couldn't calm down and her eyes were swimming. Even in the moonlight, I could tell her cheeks and face were the color of sakura.

Yasumi: ....Onegai shimasu

She shyly held the hand I stuck out and smiled.

We went into the middle of the Sal Forest.
Holding hands, Yasumi and I went into the middle of the Sal Forest.
I walked a little slower, Yasumi walked a little faster and we couldn't completely match the other's pace...
We could feel the beat of our hearts and the heat through our hands and little by little, we came to walk at the same speed.
In the night, the flowers that fell from the trees made a pure white road that looked like a carpet and covered the forest as we walked on.
In the morning, they would bloom, I thought, as I looked at the white buds that looked like stars.

Syouko: The tsubaki are covering everything.

It wasn't the time of full bloom...but there were still traces of it. There was the strong smell of flowers. I remembered a scenery that resembled this.
The forest that Yasumi and I was walking through, it was a little different than this scenery but, there were bits and pieces that resembled it...
This scenery gave me a sense of deja vu.

Syouko: ...I remember.

Yasumi: Eh?

Yasumi's hand, which I was holding, gripped a little harder.

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai...what do you...?

More than her tone of voice and her complexion, I could feel her unease through her hand as it gripped me.

Syouko: Yesterday, I had a dream.

Yasumi: Ah...a dream?

It wasn't something to be cautious about.
Well, it wasn't something did I but...
With a sigh, Yasumi gripped harder. She walked a little slower causing me to pull her hand.

Syouko: I had a dream where I was in a forest where many tsubaki were blooming, and I was walking with a little girl.

It resembled here but it was different in the dream.
Different than my half-grown self now, in the dream, I was still a kid...
Different than the grown-up Yasumi here, in the dream, a genki girl I didn't recognize was walking in front of me...
In that forest, the flowers blooming were different from the white, summer tsubaki who only bloom for a day...

Syouko: There were crimson tsubaki flowers.

It was not a summer tsubaki forest, but a tsubaki forest.

Syouko: .....

If that were a fragment of a far-off memory...
That dream was deeply sunk into an abyss within me; If it was a memory from eight years ago...

Syouko: If you break the taboo and climb the mountain then...?

Aoi: It's said that the wind will start blowing, a big storm will rain, and the sea will become rough.

Eight years ago, was it because as an outsider, because I entered the crowds of tsubaki that the accident at sea occurred...?
And it wasn't me that was affected, but Natsu nee-san...?
No, even if I didn't go there, every year, the monk said that the sea became rough at this time...

Yasumi: Sempai...

Yasumi's voice drew me back from my ponderings. When I looked around, I heard a rustling in the trees

Syouko: Is someone there?

Yasumi: But, there's nothing over there ...

Maybe it was one of Momoko's traps. I didn't think I'd stepped on a clapper that was attached to a string...

Syouko: .....!?

There was something there in the dark.
Under the shadows of the sal trees, there was a human shaped form.
I thought it might be Migiwa who had hidden herself, but that wasn't it.
From far away and in the dark, it didn't seem to be someone as small as Nami.
It could be a wild monkey or some other large thing that entered, but...more than a monkey...
That human shaped form had two protuberances on its head like the horns of an oni.
But what looked like horns were actually long, tapered ears.
The flashlight that Yasumi held shone on it. In the dark forest lit by moonlight was a shadow with a crimson eye that watched us.
Like a human, like a monkey, it was like something that mixed both together...
The light of the flashlight went to one side and everything was covered in darkness again.
The light with the color of blood was burned into my eyelids and the only thing that remained.

Syouko: Huh, what? Was that something Momoko prepared?

It could've been a huge doll. It could've been an animal, though its large noticeable eye was glittering like the reflector of a bicycle.

Even if it was the light of the flashlight, that eye that was glittering in the darkness was strange.

Yasumi: .....

Syouko: Don't worry, it should be a doll or something.

Even though it left a little shadow, as a doll, it was pretty big. If it were mixed in with our luggage, we wouldn't miss it.

Maybe it was a life preserver expanding with air, or other people coming for support, or the monk coming to tell us something, I couldn't deny those possibilities.
Being surprised, Yasumi held her breath and stopped walking.
She let go of our joined hands, closed her eyes, and brought both hands up as if in prayer.

Syouko: .....

Syouko: It'll be ok. If it attacks us...

I readied my other hand and strongly gripped Kumouchi and hid Yasumi behind me. I didn't plan to leave Yasumi's side so I didn't use an upper hand stance for attacking (jyoudan), but used the fundamental stance of pointing my weapon at the opponent (seigan) which had few openings.
Holding the bokutou which was said to be a miraculous talisman, I faced the darkness.

Syouko: It'll be fine if you don't leave my side.

A person, who has neither fangs nor claws, wouldn't even be able to win against a stray dog but...
With the polished tsubaki bokuto in my hand, it was a familiar feeling so I felt more reassured.

Syouko: ...Yasumi, it'll be fine.

The darkness I was staring at didn't move. The light of the flashlight was off to the side and the moonlight didn't reach and the darkness stayed dark.
If it wasn't a doll, it should move but...
It could just be concealing its breath so I used my five senses to look for any sign...
Yasumi, who was frozen like a stone, didn't move, and a sound reached my ears.

Yasumi, who moved, could've been tired so she calmed down and said...

Yasumi: Yes...I'm fine...now...

Syouko: .....?

I wondered why she said she was fine now.

Yasumi: Ah...

Yasumi: Yasumi, what's wrong?

Yasumi: Ah, it's nothing. I was probably imagining things so I thought I saw something frightening...

Syouko: Did you see the real identity of the ghost...or something?

I didn't think I would mistake dried up pampas grass or a log for a monster but...
If Yasumi had calmed down, that was fine to leave it as it was...
But, just in case, I asked Yasumi to light up the place in front of us.

Low chuckle: Kuku...

Syouko: ...Who is it?

It was not me nor Yasumi. It was a voice I was not familiar with and coming from a different place than the one we were looking at before.
It was not the red-black, little oni we saw earlier...
Bathed in the moonlight, it was faintly glowing, like a white, flower petal from a sal tree...
I felt as if I saw it for only a short moment.

Syouko: Yasumi, did you just see something?

Yasumi: No...

When Yasumi pointed the flashlight at the area I directed, there was no one there.
Something happened, but there wasn't anything special. Maybe we were surprised by one of Momoko's traps and we continued into the Sal Forest.
The wind was picking up a bit.
The flowers that fell from the branches of the sal trees were shaking and the leaves were rubbing together.

Syouko: It seems like tomorrow's weather is going to be rough...

Yasumi: It's said that the weather on the mountain changes easily.

Syouko: I wouldn't really call this a mountain.

Yasumi: It's said that the sea will become rough soon, but I wish that wouldn't happen.

Syouko: We even bought swimsuits.

Looking at the sky, I didn't see anything like rain clouds.
But, the wind was strong.
The sal trees were rustling.

Syouko: I guess we're ok...

Yasumi: Ah, sempai, I see it!

Syouko: Eh...

With such a joyous voice, Yasumi grabbed my hand and hurried over.
Stepping on the white, sal flowers, we went forward to the place she saw.
It seems there was something different in the middle of the trees. The crowds of tsubaki were surrounding it from a distance and the area opened up a bit.
And in the opening, the moonlight showed...
Crimson flowers that could clearly be seen.

Syouko: This is the...Tokosaki no Tsubaki.

Deep with the Sal Forest was a crimson tsubaki that never withered.
It's true that the flowers on the tree were red and at the roots of that clear trunk, not one flower had fallen. The tree looked to be at full bloom.
Each of the flowers were widely open, and the full-blooming tree looked like something that was constructed...
It was only one tree and surrounded by tsubaki, but the essence it gave off meant it wasn't an artificial flower and it was like the description in the story.

Syouko: Ah...ah...

When I saw that flower...
I myself thought it was mysterious...
Like when I saw Nami, it was hard to breathe.
That feeling was like the swelling of the waves.
That grand feeling caused the beating of my heart to sway...
Those waves caused me to reel on my feet...
The blue waves swayed, it was like I was entranced by a mermaid princess...
And this time, before the enchantment was broken, I was drawn in...

I put my hand on the trunk.

Syouko: Eh...

For a moment, that trunk seemed like it pulsed, I thought it swelled and contracted.
The world I knew seemed to expand and then fade away.
It might've been the pulse of my hand though...

Syouko: .....

Something was flowing in.
From the palm of my hand to within me, something flowed in.
It gave an impression of something red as blood. Something red flowed in.

Bota...

Botabotabotabota...

The crimson flowers fell.

As if their duty was over, the red flowers fell.
Unlike lightly falling flower petals, the flowers that fell from the tree made a noticeable sound.
They hit me as they fell from the tree.

Syouko: What...exactly, why is this happening?

It shouldn't be surprising that flowers bloom and fall.
In the surrounding forest, weren't the flowers covering the ground like snow?
The Tokosaki no Tsubaki, I'd heard that it was flowering for countless years, decades, centuries, and didn't I think that story was fake?
So, what was wrong with the flowers falling?

And also, this feeling, I've felt it somewhere before...

Yasumi: The flowers...even though it's the Tokosaki no Tsubaki...?

Yasumi became speechless and faced me. This wasn't the time to be confused. I was the captain and also a sempai.

Syouko: The blossoms are falling.

Yasumi: Ah...eh...yes...

Syouko: A non-flowering tree that blooms off season wouldn't last long.

Yasumi: But this tree is the Tokosaki no...

Syouko: We were told that, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Yasumi: .....

Whether it was because Yasumi believed it, or because she wanted to believe it, she let out a long sigh.

Yasumi: ...That's true.

The branches that quickly lost their flowers, made what looked like a puddle of blood at the root of the tree, causing me to look down.
The gaze through my eyelids and eyelashes were interrupted by the blue moonlight, which caused a bluish black shadow.

Syouko: .....

I thought I'd seen that face somewhere before, but what was more important now was...

Syouko: Geez, for the flowers to fall at this time, I really do have bad luck when it comes to drawing numbers...

But, thinking about it, it wasn't totally bad.

Syouko: I do have bad luck at drawing numbers, but let's not look at it from that point of view this time.

Yasumi: Eh?

Syouko: I'm saying it's good that we were last.

Syouko: If there were a group after this, they might not have been able to see the Tokosaki no Tsubaki and that would've been a shame.

Syouko: We wouldn't be able to hide this terrible scene.

If you gathered testimony from the groups that went before, you wouldn't be able to pick out the exact culprit...
No, I didn't mean to deceive anyone, but I thought if they were going to be angry, it could wait until tomorrow.
It's already late today and the monk might already be asleep.

Yasumi: Syouko-sempai, do you think this tree is a fake?

Syouko: ...Who knows?

I gave her an nonchalant answer but...
The palm of my hand which touched the trunk tingled with a mysterious heat.
The heavy heat from my palm reached the end of my wrist and traveled to my arm and even went to my shoulder, and finally, invaded my heart.
The air in my lungs expanded and I don't think the pressure was from the inside, but the shortness of breath that started from when I saw the Tokosaki no Tsubaki wouldn't heal.
My heart...was pounding faster than right before and right after a match and was pounding like an alarm bell.

Syouko: ...It's hot.

Yasumi: Do you mean the weather is hot?

The wind that contained water vapor from the sea was a bit cool.
It was as if it was trying to trick me. I looked from Yasumi to the roots of the Tokosaki no Tsubaki where there was a cardboard case.

Syouko: So...it's about time to go back?

We should take a can as proof...
No, since we were the last ones, it's better to take the case back.

Syouko: Yo...

There were more than 10 cans left and I lifted up the Rex Coffee case.
One can contained 250 ml.
It would be relatively heavier than water and in addition, there was also the weight of the can, for around 10 cans, it shouldn't be heavier than 5 kilos.
So, with my stamina, it shouldn't be especially heavy to carry, but...
Still, should it feel this light?

Because Nami was a little attached to Yasumi and me, we had changed rooms.

Syouko: Fu...

The moonlight shining through the shoji paper doors resembled a bit, the blue light at the water's bottom in my dream.
I've heard that moonlight was called dead light.
Though it was much brighter than any twinkling star, it was nothing more than borrowed light. It was like a scene reflected on the water's surface which was only from the light of the sun.
That blue-white, bright light that held no heat, was the dead light's...shadow.
Though...
It gave such a cold impression, like the cold dream that I saw, nevertheless...

Syouko: It's hot...

Was it the weather that was hot? Or was it my body that was hot?
I let out a big breath and removed the covers of the futon and left the room.

Syouko: Upu...

The howling wind blew harder.
If this place wasn't a beach, but a dry desert instead, the wind would in an instant swirl the sand and I would be covered in it.

Syouko: Tonight wasn't a good time to go for a walk.

Maybe it was because the wind agitated the ocean because the waves were also higher.
Today's ocean was rather different from yesterday's.

Syouko: Kurou-sama's festival...

Is it because it's getting closer?
The people here believe that the ocean is rough because of the Oni King's spirit but...

Could it be, I was the cause?

There was the legend about outsiders forbidden from going up the mountain of tsubaki. We went into the summer tsubaki forest and I...caused the flowers of Yasu-hime's Tokosaki no Tsubaki to scatter.

So...it's my fault...

Syouko: What!?

A terrible sound cried out. That sound was like a raging ox.
It wasn't my imagination.
It wasn't only in my head. It was coming from the island.
It was coming from Onigashima where the Oni King was defeated.

Syouko: .....

The wind that blew at me quickly made my shoulder cold and I turned my back to the Unasaka sea.
It's ok. It's ok.
I went up the long, stone stairs and through the temple gate.

Syouko: .....!?

The faint shadow that caught my eye, made my heart shrink.

Like the moonlight that cut through the darkness, the shadow of long hair was flowing.
Could this be the thing that attacked Ayashiro last night...

...it wasn't

I was wrapped up in my thinking and I mistook it for some frightening thing.

Syouko: Wait, Nami, where are you going?

Nami: .....?

Nami noticed me and shuffled towards me. When she reached me, she hugged me tightly.

Syouko: Were you looking for me?

Nami: .....