Vol 2 Chapter 5 Part 7 End Of Volume

I looked at the two beautiful windows in the corner of my eye as we left the temple building. The square Window of Confusion representing suffering in human life, and the circular Window of Enlightenment representing the universe. The master counterfeiter Ensho had decided to take the road of enlightenment, but after being exposed by Holmes, he returned to his earthly life. Did he choose this place as a representation of his own confusion? “If he sees through me, then I’ll end it here. If he doesn’t, then that’s satisfying in itself, so I’ll still end it here.” He went around in circles, unable to decide.

However, the conclusion that he came to here was that he really wanted to defeat Holmes. It was a human desire. He chose the square window, not the circle… I had mixed feelings about the cause and effect that was involved.

Holmes stopped. Akihito, who had been in front of us, turned the corner ahead and disappeared from view.

I stopped too. “Holmes?” What’s wrong? I looked up at him.

“Thank you, Aoi,” he said, still looking straight ahead.

“Huh?”

“Your encouragement gave me strength. I’ll keep training until I can see through any counterfeit, not just Ensho’s,” he declared. He seemed invigorated.

Oh, I see. Ensho…must have been sent to lead Holmes to greater heights.

“Okay. Do your best!” I smiled at him.

He reached out and squeezed my right hand. Startled, I saw that he was gazing straight at me. The way he held my hand—it felt different from when I won the authenticity game. This time, he was holding it tightly. His hand was hot, as was the look in his eyes.

“Aoi…”

“Y-Yes?” My heart was beating so fast that I thought it might explode.

“I…” He squeezed my hand tighter, and—

“Hey, what’s taking you guys so long?!” came Akihito’s voice from the parking lot, startling us.

Holmes sighed and let go. He ran his hand through his front bangs and said, “Sorry, I’ll tell you later, when we have more time. Particularly when Akihito isn’t around.”

“O-Okay.” I nodded, still bewildered.

“Hurry uuup!” Akihito shouted again.

“We’re coming!” Holmes answered, exasperated. He turned to me and smiled gently. “Shall we go?”

“O-Okay.” I nodded firmly and started walking. What was Holmes about to say? His passionate gaze and the feeling of his hand lingered in my mind. I blushed, my heart still racing.

We reached the parking lot, where Akihito was waving at us from in front of the car.

“What took you guys so long?”

“Sorry. I was regretting bringing you along,” Holmes said coldly, opening the car door.

“Huh?” Akihito blinked. “What was that all about?” He tilted his head and got in the car. “Anyway, I could really go for some meat. When you think of Kyoto, you think of meat, right?”

“Sure. You can’t fight on an empty stomach.” Holmes nodded and gripped the steering wheel.

“Kyoto is associated with harmony, right? Not meat.” I giggled from the passenger seat as I fastened my seatbelt.

They both looked at me, confused.

“Aoi, have you not heard that Kyoto is famous for its restaurants specializing in meat?”

“Yeah, it’s got good meat from all around the region.”

“Yes, and there are even course meals dedicated to meat.”

“Yeah, heck, I’d even recommend that over the traditional Kyoto stuff like simmered tofu.”

“I feel the same way. I do recommend the traditional food as well, though.”

The two were practically talking over each other, surprising me. “R-Really? I didn’t know.”

“Shall we go, then?”

“Yeah, let’s go to Hiro.”

“Moritaya’s a good option too.”

I looked out the window as I listened to them talk. The orange sunset sky was breathtakingly beautiful. After staring at it to sear it into my memory, I closed my eyes.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget what happened here. Two young geniuses, an appraiser and a counterfeiter—the sparks that flew between them were beautiful like autumn leaves. Holmes’s frustration, followed by his determination. Ensho, who was on the path of enlightenment, chose to remain in confusion. Meanwhile, his existence enlightened Holmes to the path that he should take. It really is karmic.

Confusion and enlightenment… I think that no matter how hard you try to understand, as long as you were born as a human, it’ll be difficult to achieve complete enlightenment. You live in confusion, and occasionally you understand, but in the end, you go back to being lost.

When I’m feeling hopelessly lost, I want to come here again to look at that perfect circle—the window to the universe…

The car set off, leaving Genko-an and heading down the slope. The sun was setting to our right. Red leaves fluttered in the chilly wind, as if they were signifying the end of autumn and welcoming in Kyoto’s winter.

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