Vol 2 Chapter 1: The Philosophy of Perception

Summer break ended just as Kyoto’s boiling heat let up ever so slightly. The new school semester had begun, but for the students, it was hard to get out of the vacation mood. Since the second-years would be taking university entrance exams next year, many of them seemed to have taken the “play until you drop” attitude this year, as you could tell from their tanned skin. The lazy atmosphere became more evident when lunch break came around.

“Huh, so you managed to settle things with your ex, Aoi?” remarked Kaori Miyashita in a loud voice. She’d come over from the class next door to hang out. We’d become friends through the Saio-dai harassment case, and out of all of my friends at this school, she was the only one who knew about my past and Holmes. We were fairly close. It’d been a while since we last saw each other, so we were catching up by the open window, appreciating the breeze.

“Yeah, although it got dragged out for a long time.” I cast my eyes down after telling Kaori what happened during the Gion Festival, on yoi-yoi-yama, the second to last day before the main procession.

Last summer, I moved from Saitama to Kyoto due to family circumstances. I had a boyfriend in Saitama who I’d been going out with since middle school, and naturally, this meant that it became a long-distance relationship. A few months later, he finally told me he was breaking up with me. At first I figured I’d just have to accept it. Once we were separated, it was inevitable that our feelings would drift apart too. But it turned out that the real reason was that he started going out with my best friend…and the truth hit me hard. I wanted to rush right back to Saitama and confirm things with my own eyes, so I visited Teramachi-Sanjo’s antique store “Kura,” hoping to sell my late grandfather’s hanging scrolls to pay for the train fare. That was back in March, when it was still chilly.

There, I met Kiyotaka Yagashira, a mysterious young man who was nicknamed “Holmes.”

“Aoi, would you like to work here? Instead of selling off family treasures in secret, why don’t you work to earn your travel fare on your own?”

With his fearsome powers of observation, he saw through me completely and offered me a job. My interactions with him and with beautiful works of art healed my heart bit by bit, and my ex and best friend were now things of the past. I was about to give up on going back to Saitama, but on the night of the Gion Festival’s yoi-yoi-yama, I was forced to confront them. They were visiting from Saitama as part of a school trip. It wasn’t even remotely close to a clean resolution. All of my friends took their side, leaving me all alone. It was like lying on a bed of nails. Then, Holmes came to my rescue. He took my hand and pulled me away… I was truly saved.

“Let it all out. You deserve it.”

He gently patted my back with his large hand. When I recall how I cried into his broad chest under the light of the paper lanterns…my chest grows hot.

“Hey, do you have a crush on him?” Kaori asked, suddenly peeking into my face.

My heart skipped a beat. “Wh-What?”

“He saved you when you were in a bind! And it wouldn’t be strange to fall head over heels for those looks. My sister’s a huge fan of him.”

“Wh-What about you, Kaori?” I asked hesitantly.

She grimaced and shook her head. “Not me. He comes off as suspicious. My sister’s obsessed with him since she thinks he’s cool, but I was terrified when he saw through me.”

It was understandable for her to be scared, since she was on the receiving end of Holmes’s discerning eye during the Saio-dai case.

“So, do you, Aoi?”

“T-To be honest, he does make my heart race…but I was hurting because of my ex the whole time, so I’m not sure about my feelings.”

“Makes sense. But did you get closer to him over summer break?”

“No, he went overseas with the owner, and I was watching the store.”

“The owner? You mean that Seiji Yagashira?” Holmes’s grandfather, Seiji Yagashira, was a nationally certified appraiser and seemed to be quite famous in the city.

“Yeah. Apparently he has a bunch of work overseas, and he always brings Holmes with him during summer vacation.”

“Oh, I see. Holmes is his heir, after all.” Kaori nodded in understanding.

“Heir” was exactly right. The owner had worldwide influence in the fine art appraisal industry and endeavored to introduce his grandson and successor to as many people as possible. This wasn’t anything new—Holmes said he’d always been dragged overseas whenever he had a long break, and as a result, he couldn’t get much studying done. Come to think of it, when I first met him, he said he didn’t pass the entrance exam for Kyoto University because he was “playing with his grandfather.” Now I know what he meant.

“So, I spent summer break watching over Kura with the manager.”

“That’s a pretty sad vacation. Where’s the excitement in that?”

“It was nice and relaxing, though.” The manager doesn’t speak much, but he’s very kind, so I enjoy spending time with him.

“That means the manager has to watch the store and the house by himself, huh? Must be tough… Come to think of it, what kind of house does Holmes live in?”

I blinked at the sudden, unexpected question. “House?”

“He’s from the world of antiques, so I can imagine him living in one of those traditional old townhouses.”

“Oh, I see. That does suit him, since he’s a total Kyoto guy.” I nodded in agreement.

Kaori frowned dubiously. “Kyoto guy? Don’t you mean ‘Kyoto man’?”

Holmes said the same thing. I guess it bothers Kyoto people when I change up their traditional phrases.

“I know that’s the term, but Holmes feels more like a ‘Kyoto guy.’ ‘Kyoto man’ is a bit too strong, I think.”

“Oh, yeah, I see what you mean.” She nodded in understanding. I guess people will accept modifications if they understand them. “So, you don’t know what his house is like?” she asked, returning to the subject.

“No. I’ve never been there, and I’ve never even seen it.” I did know about the Yagashira family’s living situation, though. The owner’s house is near Ginkaku-ji, the manager’s apartment is near Yasaka Shrine, and Holmes goes between the two, taking care of them. He essentially has two homes.

“Oh, so they don’t all live together.” Kaori folded her arms in contemplation after hearing my explanation.

“I’m going to be visiting the owner’s house, though.”

“Nice! Tell me what it’s like.”

“I want you to come with me.”

“Huh?” Kaori balked. “Why me? No thanks, I don’t really want to see Holmes.” She shook her head fervently, as if rejecting the idea with her whole body.

“Wait, why not?”

“It’s scary how it feels like he’ll read my mind,” she said with a serious face.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, he might, but it’s okay.”

“So he does read minds! Yikes. How are you okay with this, Aoi? It doesn’t make you uncomfortable?”

“M-Me? It gave me the chills at first, but I guess I’ve gotten used to it now. It’s nice because it speeds up conversations.”

“You’re too used to it if that’s what you think. Anyway, why me?” It was an understandable question.

“Well…it all started yesterday.”

Kaori gulped as I slowly began telling my story.