風鈴：The Wind Chime

Chapter 1

Negotiating slopes in May monsoon was a tricky business even for experienced travelers. That and perhaps fatigue made him take shelter. 「雨足が弱まるまで一息つっか」"until the rain passes," he told himself. But that could be a long time in May, at the height of monsoon season.

He took shelter in a natural cave. He sat down on a relatively flat rock and lit a cigarette. Everything was too damp to start a fire, but smoking warmed him up. Or maybe it just dulled his senses so he felt the cold less. Either way he had found a refuge, though temporary. Not even bothering to take his wet clothes off he lay down, with an arm under his head, and began to drift off.

He was aware of the risk he ran of hypothermia, of course. "I don't care" 「構わねえや」he muttered to himself. He closed his eye.

That dream again. It was that day he took shelter in a shallow depression in the dirt with Kourou. And he utters the same question 「お前の目的は？」"what is your purpose?" He never thought much about it at the time. Lately, though, that question began to haunt him. The shadows on Kourou's face intensify. He demands 「答えろよ！お前の目的は何だ？」"well, answer me. What IS your purpose?" He confesses. 「目的は何も無い」"I don't have one" he says, in a voice that sounds so echoey it startles him. 「そうだろう」"I KNOW" growls Kourou but gleefully, only it isn't Kourou anymore. It is a shadow shaped like a man, but not a man. It commands Ginko to come to him though silently, so it may devour him. Body and soul. All of him.

Then he wakes up in cold sweat. He can't remember whether he screamed or not.

「糞！」"Dammit" he said out loud. He ran his fingers through his bangs, momentarily showing his left eye socket. 「糞！」"Dammit" he cursed again. This same dream had been haunting him for the last month, depriving him of rest. Plus frequent headaches and nose bleeds. He had been careful to keep his mushi tobacco lit at all times when awake and repellent smoke when he rested, as always. If this was work of some noxious mushi, it would be a new species to him. Perhaps was some ailment. Perhaps not. Either way he would go see Dr. Adashino, his friend. He slung his luggage on his wet shoulders and took firm steps into the pouring rain.

He negotiated a steep slope near his friend's home. It would have been a spot even he had to be careful without the rain, and even more of a challenge with it. He took one misstep which sent him tumbling down some twenty feet below. He checked himself for any broken bones or cuts. Nothing serious this time. He sighed a sigh of relief and a bit of disgust. He should have been more careful. He had had close brushes with death before, but he never considered one thing; should he die somewhere would his body continue to attract mushi?

He got up and forced himself on. He did not know the answer. Nor was there anyone he could ask. Likely scenarios of his death ran through his mind. One, tokoyami would finally take him, in which event there would be no body. All fine and well in that case. Second, he would die of injury or illness. Assuming his cadaver would indeed continue to attract mushi… Chill ran down his spine. That was an unacceptable risk. His corpse must be cremated. Immediately. Or a disaster would befall wherever it lay. 「何故前に考えなかったんだろう？」He found it utterly foolish that he had never thought about it before.

He knocked on Adashino's front door. No answer. He knocked again, this time harder. Soon he heard his friend rushing there. When he opened his door, Adashino was a bit taken aback at the sight of his completely drenched friend and forgot to finish pulling the robe on himself. "Ginko," he blurted, 「ギンコ！土砂降りの時に外にほっつきまわる奴があるか？」"'tahell y'doing out when it's pouring?"

Io heard the commotion and came out to the hallway. She was dressed, but her hair was a bit tussled. Ginko threw a glance at his friend that said "were you?" Adashino blushed. His eyes said "well….you know?" but his mouth said 「とりあえずあがれよ。もともと青白いのに余計に顔色悪いぞ。熱い風呂にでもすぐつかってあっためないといかん」"come on, let's get you in a hot tub. You got even less colors now than you usually do." Ginko would have said something smart-assed were it not for Io. Instead he said a polite "thanks" and followed his friend. On the way Adashino asked her to bring a yukata （a type of informal kimono, originally designed to dry off moisture after bathing, but developed into loungewear) of his.

As the heat of tub water relieved him of the cold, his skin began to sting everywhere. He put his head on the edge of the tub, looking up. 「どっかでのたれ死にした場合は火葬にするよう遺言状でも携帯しなきゃならんな」"I should carry a letter to cremate me" he thought, 「それと、保証人も」"maybe a guarantor, too." But who? "Certainly not Adashino," he continued. "he's a good fella, but no judgement." He remembered a few mummified bodies of what-is-that-thing too. Would he try mummifying Ginko's body? A vision of his own mummified body flew across his mind. That thought made him cry out loud「うげっ」"Eeeew."

Adashino was outside of the bath chamber and heard Ginko. He yelled 「ギンコ、吐き気か？風呂桶の中で吐くなよ」"Yo Ginko! You getting sick in there? Don't puke in the tub, okay?" 「違うよ」"I'm not" he yelled back. Adashino was already coming around and next second he was opening the bath chamber door.

「あああ～っ、入ってくるなよ！」"Aaaaargh! Don't come in! Haven't you ever heard of privacy?" screamed Ginko, ducking into the tub. 「恥ずかしがらんでもいいって。野郎の裸見たって面白くもないだろ？」"Don't worry. I'm a guy. Don't be shy" said Adashino as he kneeled beside the deep tub forearms flat on its edge. " 「おい、出てけよ変態」"You pervert. Get out" growled Ginko. 「あいよわかったわかった。でもこの風呂桶俺のだからな」"Okay okay. But it's my tub you are using, you know" teased Adashino, with a goofy smirk on his face as he stood up. 「ただあまり長いこと湯に浸かってるとアレに悪いって忠告しようかと思っただけさ」"I just wanted you to know, Ginko, soaking in hot water for too long is not good for…., um, you know, …" he continued without even blushing, pointing below the belt. 「熱にあたるとな、あまり良く動けなくなるんだ」"the heat makes them not swim so well" he said, now starting to chuckle. 「構うか馬鹿たれ」"like hell I care!" Ginko returned and added 「お前じゃねえっつうの。余計なお世話だよ」"Mind your own business! I'm not you!" "hahahaha…oh ouch. owowow…" Adashino was still laughing when he stepped out.

「風呂の他に何か用事あったのか？」"ok so what brings ya?" Adashino inquired as Io laid raised trays for dinner. 「治療頼みたいんだ」"I need treatment," Ginko answered. 「治療って何の？具合悪いのか？」"What for? Are you sick?" Adashino cocked an eyebrow at him. 「さあな。確かにはわからん」"Dunno. Maybe" Ginko said flatly. 「でも、何か変なんだ。症状も蟲絡みの病とはどれにしても一致しない」"I just don't feel right. And my symptoms don't jive with anything mushi related" he continued. 「ふうん、どんな症状だ？」 "Oh yeah? What symptoms?" Adashino inquired, now sounding more like a doctor than a friend. 「不眠症、いらつきに、何度も繰り返す夢、疲労、と」"insomnia, irritability, recurrent dreams, fatigue, …" Ginko listed but cut it short when Io appeared into the room with dinner.

Three of them sat down. Ginko thought about asking the obvious question, but decided to leave it up to them. Adashino began soon enough with "say, 「ところでギンコ、今から二月半先暇あるか？」"Ginko, are you free in two months?" 「ああ。それって」"Yeah. Is it…?" Ginko started to ask but Io's blushing was an answer enough. 「俺達の祝言なんだ。お前に是非来て欲しいんだ。もともとお前が俺達を紹介した奴だったからさ」"Our wedding is in two months. We would like you to be here for it, with you being the one to introduce us and all," Adashino continued with that goofy smile. 「おうおう先生それはそれはお目出度い。紹介っつっても、とんだ紹介だったなあ」"ooooooh doc, my congratulations. But some 'introduction' that was" Ginko said, half teasing and half sincerely.

「ありがとうギンコさん」"thanks Ginko" Io said with a radiant smile. Adashino wore the same. Ginko's core softened at his friends' happiness. 「本当にめでたいな。喜んで来させてもらうよ」"that really is a happy thing. It'd be my pleasure to attend" he said with a sincere smile only his closest friends saw.

Next morning Adashino gave Ginko as thorough a check-up as he could. A lot of poking and plodding had Ginko sore when he was done. 「少し痩せぎすなの他には特に何も悪いところは見つからんが…」"aside from being a bit on the skinny side you are healthy physically, but…" the doctor hesitated. 「何だよ。はっきり言えよ」"spill it" Ginko nudged him. 「症状からしてみれば、脳内になにかあるか、あるいは心理的なものの可能性もある。でも、今の手の届く技術ではまだ脳手術は不可能だけどな」"well, based on your description it just might be something going on within your brain. Or maybe it's psychogenic. In case of the former, brain surgeries are still outside of our technology" Adashino stated almost apologetically. 「ふ～ん」"oh?" was all Ginko had in return. Adashino looked at him. 「ふ～んって何だよ他人事みたいに」"what do you mean 'oh?' like it's somebody else's business?" With his typical I'm-so-unimpressed look Ginko answered「心理的なもの？」"psychogenic, you say?" Adashino knew his friend well enough to drop that one.

He cleared his throat and stated「万が一の場合のために都の脳の専門医にかかったらいい」"you should seek a specialist in a large city, just in case." Ginko stayed silent as he pulled his shirt on. Then he uttered a casual「ま、ありがと。じゃ、」"thanks. See ya" as he hoisted his luggage on his back. 「おいギンコ、ちょっと待てよ」"hey hey hey not so fast" Adashino staggered on his feet. Ginko rolled his eye. Behind him Adashino scrambled for something. Pulling out a black box, he declared 「再戦せずに引き取らせてたまるか」"not before a rematch." 「え？またかよ？」"is it?" Ginko sighed but put his luggage down.

Truth be told, Adashino really was concerned for his friend, but worthy shogi (Japanese version of chess) opponents were also few and far in between.

Soon the two sat across from each other over a shogi table on the engawa (a porch/hallway that wraps around the outside of interior rooms in old traditional Japanese homes) of Adashino residence. 「お前も懲りない奴だなあ」"ready for another defeat, are we?" said Ginko with a smirk. 「お前が勝ったら今回の診断代はただにしといてもいいぞ」"beat me and I'll give you that physical for free" challenged Adashino. Ginko accepted with a cocky「お～お上等じゃねえか。しからば、覚悟せい」"oooooh, confident, are we? In that case, prepare for a painful ass whopping."

Adashino offered the first move. With「それはそれは、ではお言葉に甘えて」"thank you very much" Ginko made the first move. The flat, elongated wooden pentagon landed with a crisp "click." Adashino quickly returned with another "click," followed by a quick countermove. One after another, the game progressed and in no time at all the two guys were engrossed in it. 「ふーむ」"Hmmmm," Ginko hummed, knotting his brows and hunched over the table, chin in hand. Adashino sat straight indian style, with his hands tucked inside sleeves, obviously pleased with himself for that move that cornered Ginko. Then as if something hit him, he wiped the smirk off and said 「お前ももうそろそろ考える時期じゃないのか？」"isn't it time for you to think about that, too?" "click."「考えるって何をさ」"think about what?" asked Ginko without lifting his eye off the table. "click."「何すっとぼけてんだよ。もうそろそろ嫁もらう時期だろ。」"don't play dumb with me. I'm talking getting a wife" Adashino needled, being careful to avoid saying "settling down," being aware of his friend's unfortunate condition. 「冗談だろ？俺は一生独り身でいるつもりさ」 "gotta be kidding me. I intend to stay single until I die" Ginko looked up with exasperation. "click." "Aaaaaargh!" Adashino let out a scream. It was his turn to hunch over the table. Ginko sat up a bit and lit a cigarette, smirking. He went on while Adashino was silent. 「考えてもみろよ。嫁さんもらったって年がら年中留守番してなきゃならんのは悪いだろ。ましてガキなんか出来た時なんか大変じゃねえか。それに…」"Think about it. Don't you feel bad for the poor woman who has to hold the fort alone most of the time? And then it's going to be even harder with kids. Plus…" "click." Ginko's eye widened at the table. Adashino sat up. But not for long. Ginko continued. 「それに、この体質が遺伝したらどうするんだ？俺みたいなガキをあえて作り出すのは無責任だと思わんか？」 "secondly, what if this is genetic? I can't condemn a child to this fate. It's irresponsible, don't you think?" Adashino looked up, sensing the change in Ginko's tone. He meant what he said when he sounded that way. 「そうか。ま、その心は解らんでもないが、お前は物事を深刻にとりすぎじゃないか？」"I do understand, but don't you think you are taking things too seriously?" Adashino offered. 「いんや、全然」"Not at all" Ginko resumed his casual tone with another "click." Silence ensued. Both men were deep in thoughts. Adashino finally broke it. 「ギンコ、何故自ら幸せを追い払う？お前だって人間だろ？お前だって幸福を追求する権利はあるじゃないか」 "Ginko, why do you push happiness away yourself? You're human, too. You too have the right to pursue your own happiness." "click." Ginko looked up with a wide grin. Adashino's eyes bugged out. 「このままで充分幸せさ」"I AM happy enough as it is" he said almost with a gleeful look, having dealt a decisive blow. Adashino let out a loud scream, hands on head. Ginko quickly slung his box on his back and took off shouting 「じゃあな」"see ya!"

Io joined her soon-to-be husband on the engawa, watching Ginko hurry on his way. She gave him a knowing look. He said 「勝たせてやっただけさ」"I LET him win." Io giggled, cradled his head in her arms, and gave him a long, deep kiss. 「わかってるわ」"I know" she whispered in his ear. 「そういう優しいところが大好きよ」"I love your kindness." She broke her embrace suddenly and took off running into the house. Adashino scrambled after her. He remembered to shut the shoji （screen doors made of light wooden frame and paper).