Chapter 2 part 8

“Tadasu no Mori” is the name of the forest that covers much of Shimogamo Shrine’s grounds. At the shrine’s Mikage Street entrance is a large stone monument that says “World Heritage Site.” A straight path extends from there to the main shrine, and Tadasu no Mori is the vast, old-growth forest surrounding that path. I’ve heard that the forest itself is part of the World Heritage Site.

While I’m at it, this place is also considered a famous energy vortex. To be honest, I used to think that those were a hoax. It wasn’t until very recently that I changed my mind, after moving to Kyoto. Visiting places like this deserted Tadasu no Mori—especially early in the morning—makes me feel like I can understand why they’re called energy vortexes. They have a special, tranquil atmosphere, as if I’ve entered a deep forest or climbed a high mountain, even if I’m on level ground.

I arrived at the forest ahead of our scheduled 8 a.m. appointment and took a short walk, breathing in deeply. Ah, this feels great. Dazzling rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves while the chirping of birds echoed all around me. I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds of the forest. It really did feel like I was in a dense woodland.

Just then, I heard soft footsteps approaching me.

“Good morning, Aoi. You’re early, I see,” came the sound of Holmes’s voice.

I opened my eyes, turned to face the source of the voice, and there he was. A sight for sore eyes indeed. In this empty forest, he had the appearance of a prince—no, an aristocrat from the Heian era.

“G-Good morning. Yes, I live nearby, so…”

Holmes came right up to me and peered at my face. “Your eyes are a bit red. Were you so curious about the truth that you couldn’t sleep well?”

I blushed. “O-Of course I was curious. It’s only natural.” I’d asked him again after yesterday’s events, but he’d dodged my question, saying, “I’ll explain everything tomorrow.” How could I not be curious?

“You’re right. And it looks like our other curious parties have arrived,” Holmes said, straightening up and looking back over his shoulder. Startled, I did the same. Behind us, I saw the Miyashita family entering the shrine grounds with concerned looks on their faces.

The forest was empty aside from us, with only the chirping birds and rustling breeze breaking the silence until they were joined by the footsteps of the approaching Miyashitas. They stopped about three steps away from us and bowed deeply.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning. My apologies for calling you here so early in the morning,” Holmes said, placing his hand to his chest and bowing his head. Standing behind him, I bowed as well.

“So, um, is it true that the culprit will be coming here?” the mother asked, looking around the quiet grounds.

Holmes smiled. “Yes. In fact, they’re already here.”

The three Miyashitas opened their eyes wide in shock. Holmes took one of the letters out of his pocket and directed his stern gaze towards a certain person.

“The person who created this anonymous letter…was you, right, Kaori?” Holmes declared, looking at her intently.

The mother was obviously surprised, but I was too, and instinctively went, “Wh-What?” Kaori? The Saio-dai’s younger sister and my schoolmate, Kaori?

Holmes didn’t react to my bewilderment, maintaining his calm expression. Kaori remained frozen stiff at first but then began to tremble.

“Wh-What makes you think that?” she asked in a shaky, high-pitched voice.

“Let’s see. First, there was something I simply found suspicious. Saori attends a famous private university, but Kaori attends a run-of-the-mill public high school. Why is that the case? I’m sure anyone else would wonder the same.”

I nodded at his words. It was true that I’d also wondered the same thing. Why does Kaori go to a regular school when her older sister goes to a school for wealthy young women?

Holmes continued, “After asking my grandfather, I found out that you both went to the same private school until middle school, and it was starting in high school that you switched to a public school. You begged your parents to let you go to Oki High, saying that several of your good friends were going there. Oki High is a regular public school, but it’s still fairly reputable with a long history. So, your parents permitted it without any particular fuss.”

Their mother nodded in silent agreement. Come to think of it, Holmes said there was something he wanted to check with the owner. It must’ve been this—the reason why Kaori switched to a public school.

“But that wasn’t the real reason, right? Kaori, when you were in your second year of middle school, Miyashita Kimono Fabrics opened a branch store in Roppongi as a friend had suggested. However, business went poorly and they withdrew from the market after a year. Did you decide to switch to a public school out of consideration for your family’s finances?” Holmes asked in a gentle tone.

Kaori clenched her fists, not saying anything in response.

Holmes continued, “Then, Saori was selected as Saio-dai. Were you not worried for your family?”

“Hm?” I furrowed my brow. “U-Um, why would Saori being selected as Saio-dai make her worried about her family?”

“I’m not sure how much of this is true, but I’ve heard that the preparations are mostly paid for by the girl’s family. It’s rumored that the costume alone costs five million yen, and the total expenses come out to ten million.”

“T-Ten million…”

“They say that that’s the reason why only the daughters of distinguished families have ever become Saio-dai.”

I see. So that’s why Keiko and Yuuko said her family was overreaching.

Accepting her defeat, Kaori grit her teeth and swung her face back up to look at him. “That’s right! Our store is old and famous, but we’re in the red! Sure, a long time ago we made outfits for a bunch of famous singers that wore them to the biggest musical event of the year, but that’s all in the past. No one comes to expensive places like us anymore! Despite that, we got tricked into opening a store in Roppongi and failed miserably! And just when I thought we’d finally recovered, Sis was selected as Saio-dai! You’ve gotta be kidding me! Mom and Dad were too prideful to turn it down, so I thought making that letter would be for the greater good! I made it, but…!” Kaori choked.

Holmes narrowed his eyes in a gentle smile. “Ah, so I was right about that, too.”

“Huh?”

“You made a letter, but you didn’t send it. Right?” Holmes said.

He must’ve been spot on, because Kaori was visibly taken aback. She clenched her fists and nodded.

“Yes. I finished making it, but I was still hesitant. Then, Mom and Dad said, ‘Saori being chosen as Saio-dai is the lucky break we needed. It might cost money, but it’s a cheap price to pay for that much exposure.’ When I heard that, I realized how short-sighted I was… I wanted to throw out the letter, but…” Kaori looked down at the ground as she spoke.

“But, at some point you lost the letter and it wound up in your sister’s bag?” Holmes said.

Kaori gulped and nodded. “It was still in the brown envelope, so it might’ve gotten put in there by mistake for some reason.”

“I don’t think so. Saori found the letter and put it in her bag herself, right?” Holmes asked, quickly turning to look straight at Saori, whose face had gone pale with shock.

Their mother exclaimed, “Huh? Really? How come? Weren’t you happy to be Saio-dai? You were all worried when the harassment note came!”

Saori looked down with a pained expression.

“Furthermore, Saori created another one herself. That’s what this second note is,” Holmes said, taking the second letter out of his pocket.

After a short period of silence, Saori quietly answered without looking up from the ground, “How did you know?”

“It was the two flower arrangements at the exhibit. The smaller one that was done at home—that was made by Kaori, right? Not you.”

Saori and Kaori both looked up quickly, as though caught off guard. “H-How did you…?”

“The instructor said they were ‘made in different ways,’ but that’s not the issue. The smaller one looked like it had to have been created by a different person. I came to the conclusion that if the one created during class in the teacher’s presence was yours, then the one created at home must’ve been the work of another.

“Then, there’s the issue of these harassment notes. The first one shows an astonishing amount of precision in how the letters were cut and pasted. However, the second one doesn’t show the same attention to detail. I suspect the creator also realized this, because they kept the message short. So, two people created the notes, and two people created the ikebana pieces. Naturally, Kaori and Saori came to mind. However, it would appear that they had different motives for constructing the letters,” Holmes explained calmly.

I gulped. Right, Kaori’s motive was in consideration of their family’s finances. In that case, what about Saori? I stole a peek in her direction. She hung her head, looking crestfallen, and seemed to be on the verge of tears.

After a short silence, Saori murmured almost inaudibly: “I-I…didn’t want them to hate me even more.” She paused before continuing, “In high school, Keiko and Yuuko suddenly started avoiding me for some reason, and our friendship was broken for good when Mom yelled at them. But, I always wanted to go back to the way we were before. After a while, their hostility finally died down, and I thought we might be able to become friends again soon, but then I was chosen as Saio-dai. I hoped they might congratulate me and we could reconcile, but it had the reverse effect. They completely hated me… It hurt so much. I thought maybe, if I got a threatening letter and withdrew, they’d be nice to me and show some sympathy. Maybe then, we could go back to being friends.” Tears spilled down her cheeks as she told her story.

I didn’t know what to say. I knew she’d been suffering, but I hadn’t expected her to go to such lengths for her friends’ pity. First of all, those two are so jealous of her that I don’t think anything can make them friends again. It’s like, their shallowness puts me at a loss for words.

But when I looked at Saori, who was trembling and crying her eyes out, I was reminded of myself. I had tried to return to Saitama by selling my late grandfather’s belongings. From an outsider’s perspective, it’s a hopeless cause, but to the person involved, it can mean everything. Saori had been studying alongside her ex-best friends at the same university and ikebana school, suffering the whole time.

“Sis, you idiot!” I looked at Kaori in surprise as her voice seemed to reverberate through the forest. “I thought you did it because you were worried about the money too, but that’s why?! That’s so pointless! I’m gonna cry!” Whoa there, Kaori. I can sympathize, but that’s still harsh.

“You wouldn’t understand, Kaori! You don’t know how I’ve felt this whole time!”

“Exactly, I don’t understand! Why would you cling to those jerks? You don’t even like ikebana that much, but you still kept studying it just because you wanted to make up with them eventually! Stop obsessing about those idiots who only badmouth you because they’re too blind to see your good traits! Move on to a new, better world! Become the most beautiful Saio-dai ever, so that one day, those two will brag about how they used to be friends with you!” Kaori shouted with all her strength.

I was overwhelmed. Her words seemed to resonate with Saori’s heart too. “Kaori…” she whispered before starting to cry again, her face bright red. The group fell silent.

Suddenly, Holmes began clapping his hands. “That was brilliant, Kaori.”

Kaori blushed, as though his words had brought her back to her senses.

“So, I’ll be returning these to you,” Holmes said, offering the two letters to their mother.

“This is truly embarrassing. Thank you very much,” their mother said sullenly, taking the letters.

Saori and Kaori bowed their heads to Holmes, saying, “We’re very sorry for the trouble, Kiyotaka.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Holmes replied, shaking his head. “Saori, I agree with what Kaori said. Please strive to become a stunning Saio-dai who captivates all who set eyes on her.”

Saori nodded, wiping her tears with a fingertip.

“And Kaori, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” Holmes continued.

“Y-Yes?” Kaori replied with a slightly wary look in her eyes. She was probably scared because of how much Holmes had guessed correctly.

“You switched to a public school for your family’s sake and you arranged flowers for the benefit of your sister. What made you so devoted? Why did you let your sister take the ikebana lessons even though you enjoyed the art yourself?”

Kaori stared at him in surprise for a moment before chuckling. “Oh, well, I’m the second daughter, so one day I’ll be able to leave the house and become free. But my sister will have to get married and inherit the store. That’s why I think it’s only natural for her to go to a good school and take lessons, since it affects our family’s prestige. I respect her, but I also feel a bit bad for her, so I want to support her as much as I can. She’s pretty, but she’s actually completely useless when it comes to everything else.” Kaori spoke with a cheerful smile, and I felt my mood brightening up too.

Kaori looked at her wristwatch and said, “Mom, it’s time to go to the shrine office,” startling both Saori and their mother.

“You’re right. Kiyotaka, you have my humblest apologies for troubling you with our family affairs. Um, if possible, please don’t…” their mother trailed off.

“Worry not. I won’t tell anyone,” Holmes replied.

The three looked relieved at his answer. They bowed deeply and walked off towards the main shrine.

As I watched their retreating figures, I inadvertently opened my mouth to call out, “K-Kaori!”

She turned around, presumably wondering what I wanted. I suddenly got really nervous. Wait, why did I stop her in the first place?

“U-Um, I heard that Hotel Okura has cream-filled red bean buns. A-And, they’re dine-in only. I-I can’t go by myself, so um, would you like to go someday?” I said in a squeaky voice.

Kaori looked a bit surprised, but smiled and said, “I’ve heard about Okura’s famous buns! I wanted to try them too, so I’ll definitely go with you!”

“Th-Thanks!” I waved goodbye, my heart pounding with joy.

“I’m glad you were able to meet someone you clicked with,” Holmes said with a gentle smile. I quietly nodded. Right, there wasn’t any particular reason for it. I just spontaneously thought, “I want to be friends with this person.”

I took a deep breath and looked at Holmes again before saying, “I’m glad the incident was resolved peacefully.”

“Indeed. The location may have also helped them be honest.”

“Oh yeah, this place has a really sacred atmosphere.”

“That’s true, but do you know the story behind Tadasu no Mori?”

“Huh? What story?”

“It’s said that the name comes from ancient mythology. Shimogamo Shrine’s enshrined deity Kamotaketsunumi-no-Mikoto carried out trials here, hence ‘Tadasu’ which means ‘to investigate.’ This place was the courthouse of the gods,” Holmes explained as he looked up at the sky.

My eyes opened wide. The courthouse of the gods… I didn’t know Tadasu no Mori was such a sacred place.

A cool breeze blew by. “Now then, shall we make a visit to the main shrine?” Holmes asked.

“Oh, sure. We’re already here, after all.” I nodded and we walked along the shrine path.

Past the bright red torii gate archway, I could see a grand two-story gate of the same color. And in front of us to the left was a mysterious tree that was the product of two trees that grew together into one trunk. Apparently, it’s known as the sacred tree of marriage.

We passed through the next gate towards the main shrine, and surrounding us were the rows of shrines dedicated to the god of the twelve zodiac signs. Up ahead was the large main building of the shrine, which didn’t have the usual bell. I once heard a tour guide say that many shrines that’ve been around for a very long time don’t have bells.

After praying at the shrine, Holmes checked his wristwatch and said, “It’s still before nine. Would you like to get breakfast, Aoi?”

“O-Oh, sure. I actually haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“Great. I know a good cafe nearby.”

“Ooh, I’m looking forward to it. Oh, but before that, can I draw a fortune?”

“By all means. Shimogamo’s fortunes have proverbs written on them too, so they’re very interesting.”

“You really do know everything, huh?”

We chatted like that, drew our fortunes, and left the shrine.