Final Chapter: Confusion and Enlightenment

“We should all realize that we can only talk about the bad forgeries, the ones that have been detected; the good ones are still hanging on the walls.” — Théodore Rousseau

1

It’s late October now, and we’re approaching the height of autumn. At the antique shop Kura, quiet jazz music was playing as usual. They call autumn the best season for enjoying art. Come to think of it, autumn suits Kura well.

As for me, my friends seemed kind of restless with winter coming up. It was going to be jam-packed with events. I sighed dejectedly, thinking back to my classmates’ invitation.

“Is something wrong?” Holmes looked up from the accounting book, sounding concerned.

“Ah, no. Um...Holmes, have you ever been to a mixer?”

“What?” Holmes widened his eyes, bewildered by my abrupt question. He quickly put on his usual smile and said, “I’ve been a university student for five years now, so yes, I have. Were you invited to one by any chance?”

“Yes, my friends at school insisted. The guys are apparently in university, and they needed to match the number of people on each side.”

“University...” Holmes’s eyebrow twitched. “Are university students supposed to want to go to a mixer with high school students?”

Right; there are lots of beautiful women at universities, so wouldn’t they think that high school students are childish?

“Well, I suppose there are those who prefer naïve girls,” he continued. “However, if they’re going out of their way to have a mixer with high school girls, I’d imagine they’re all the type who won’t hold back just because you’re in high school. Please be careful,” Holmes said, coldly and bluntly.

I was a bit surprised. It was rare for him to speak that way. He must be really worried about me. I couldn’t help but giggle, though.

“What was funny about what I said?” Holmes asked.

“You’re worried about a plain high school girl like me, when I’m only there to make the others look better. No one’s going to go after me when the girls who invited me are all glamorous,” I said, laughing.

Holmes gave a small sigh. “I see. Obliviousness is both an asset and a sin.”

“What?”

“Never mind, sorry. That was a bad way to put it.” Holmes brushed his hand through his hair, apparently reflecting on what he said.

“It’s okay. Thank you for worrying, but I’ll be fine.”

“Will you?” He rested his chin in his hands, looking conflicted.

He has a point, though. University students who want to have a mixer with high school girls might think we’re easy. Maybe a plain girl like me has to be even more careful. I wasn’t interested in the first place, so I guess I should just decline the invitation. I nodded, having made my decision.

Meanwhile, Holmes was holding something that looked like a card and looking at it with a sorrowful expression.

“What’s that?” I asked, walking closer to him.

Holmes looked up at me and said, “Ah, this is—”

Suddenly, the door opened and the chime rang.

“Hey there, Holmes and Aoi!” Akihito barged in, grinning from ear to ear.

“You again? Also, could you enter the store more quietly?” Holmes said, slightly exasperated.

Akihito ignored him, sat down on the sofa, and said, “So, Holmes...”

It was hard not to laugh at how blatantly irritated Holmes was. Those two made a good pair.

“What now?”

“Do you know about Suzumushi Temple?” Akihito’s eyes lit up.

“Suzumushi Temple?” I tilted my head. Suzumushi are bell crickets, and people like to keep them as pets. Is there really a temple with a cute name like that?

“Yes,” Holmes said, beginning his usual explanation. “It’s commonly called Suzumushi Temple because you can enjoy the crickets’ song there all year round, but its official name is Kegon Temple. It’s known for the ‘one wish’ Jizo statue.”

“One wish?” I tilted my head again.

Holmes nodded. “The temple is famous for being able to grant each person a single wish.”

“Just one?” I asked, intrigued.

Akihito leaned forward enthusiastically. “Have you been there before?”

“I went with my friends in middle school,” Holmes answered.

“Did your wish come true?”

Holmes paused, as if recalling his wish. “Yes, I got into the high school I was aiming for.”

“So it did! What an awesome temple.” Akihito clenched his fists.

Isn’t Holmes smart enough to get into his desired high school without asking the great Jizo for help? I thought to myself.

“Is that what you came to ask?”

“Let’s go to Suzumushi Temple, Holmes! I want my dream to come true,” Akihito said, his eyes sparkling.

Holmes frowned, looking uninterested. “If that’s all, then why don’t you go by yourself?”

“Aw, don’t you have any other wishes? Let’s go, dude! Hey, Aoi, you wanna go too, right? Aren’t you interested in a temple that can grant you any one wish?”

I was startled by the sudden question, but I nodded firmly. “Y-Yes!” I couldn’t think of a wish at the moment, but I was interested anyway.

Holmes sighed, having apparently resigned himself. “If Aoi says she wants to go, then let’s go. Is next Sunday all right?”

“That soon? And you’re suggesting a specific day? Do you already have plans again?” Akihito hurried to take his phone out and check his schedule.

“Yes, I happen to have something to attend to in the afternoon in Arashiyama.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“This,” Holmes said, showing me the card he’d been holding. It seemed to be an invitation. It said “Shigetoshi Yanagihara’s Birthday Celebration” on it.

“Shigetoshi Yanagihara... Is that the appraiser?” He was a famous appraiser as well as an old friend of the owner’s. He also came to the owner’s birthday party.

“Yes. He’ll be holding a party for his eightieth birthday. My grandfather will be away on business in China, so I’ll have to attend in his place.” Holmes shrugged. He didn’t seem enthusiastic about it... Well, of course he isn’t.

“The party starts at 2:00 p.m., so we’ll go to Suzumushi Temple first thing in the morning, do some sightseeing in Arashiyama, and then go to the party together,” Holmes said with a grin.

“What?! The owner’s party was fine, but why would I want to go to another old man’s birthday party?! You’re just dragging us along because you’ll be bored by yourself!” Akihito exclaimed. He’s as straightforward as always.

“Yanagihara lives in a magnificent Japanese-style estate near Tenryu-ji Temple. Since he’s a well-known appraiser too, I’m sure there will be famous people from various fields there.”

“Oh. Well, I guess I don’t mind going if that’s the case.”

“Why do you act like you’re doing me a favor when you’re the one that came to me for help? If you can’t come, that’s perfectly fine with me,” Holmes scoffed.

“Wait, um, please let me come, Zen priest Holmes.” Panicking, Akihito put his hands together in a praying pose. I couldn’t help but laugh at the two and their usual antics.

Now Akihito said, “Phew, I’m glad I happen to have Sunday off for once. Work’s been really tight lately. I have a meeting now, so I gotta run.” He dashed out of the store. Apparently that request was the only thing he came for.

“He left before I could even bring out the coffee,” Holmes remarked with a wry smile, shrugging.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Since I’m already making it, let’s take a break anyway.”

“Okay.”

We sat across the counter from each other. I took a sip of the café au lait that he’d brewed for me. In front of me, Holmes was elegantly drinking his coffee. I inadvertently found myself observing him. Long fingers, and his eyelashes are pretty long too...

“Is something wrong?” Holmes asked, noticing my gaze and looking up at me.

Flustered, I scrambled to say, “A-Akihito seems like he’s doing really well, huh? It looked like he was busy with work.” He said that his schedule was tight.

“No, if he was really doing that well, he wouldn’t make an effort to show off his ‘busyness.’ Things are looking better for him, but he’s still in a precarious situation, and he’s hopelessly worried about the future. I think that’s why he wanted to ask me to go to Suzumushi Temple with him,” Holmes explained calmly. Wow, I don’t know what to say. He’s as sharp as ever.

“Is Suzumushi Temple famous? I didn’t know about it at all.”

“Perhaps it’s only well-known among those in the know.”

“You went there in middle school, right?”

“Yes.”

“If you can only make one wish there, does that mean you’ve used up your only chance?” Is that why he never went again after that?

“It’s not limited to once in your lifetime. At Suzumushi Temple, you buy a talisman and make your wish to the Jizo statue. If your wish is granted, then you come back to give thanks and return the talisman. Then, you can buy another talisman and make a new wish. Many people do this. Come to think of it, I never went back to formally give my thanks, since I returned the talisman through the mail.”

“You’re allowed to mail it back?”

“Yes, since there are those who visit from afar. However, there are also many people from afar who come back multiple times.”

“That means their wishes are coming true, right? Wow, I’m looking forward to it now.” I glanced at Holmes, who looked as calm as always. “You didn’t seem enthusiastic about going, but don’t you have wishes you want granted? There has to be something, right?” I asked innocently.

Holmes furrowed his brow. “That’s the issue.”

“Huh?”

“Well, being limited to just one is the issue. I’m a greedy man, so I have lots of wishes. But there isn’t one that stands above the rest. I didn’t know what to pick when I was in middle school either, which is why I ended up with the safe choice of getting into my desired high school.”

“Oh, I see. It does seem like it could be hard to choose only one.” Just one wish, huh? In that sense, Akihito’s lucky to have a clear wish. I’m sure he’ll ask to succeed in the entertainment industry. What would I wish for, then? I pondered seriously.

“There is one wish that occupies most of my mind right now, but I don’t think it’s something I would ask the gods or the Buddha for,” said Holmes.

Surprised, I looked up. “What is it?”

“I want to defeat Ensho once and for all, but I don’t think I’d want to borrow the great Jizo’s power for that.”

“Oh, I see. You really hate to lose, huh?” I giggled.

Holmes smiled and nodded. “Yes. It rarely gets pointed out, but I’m very competitive.”

“I know. You’re also stubborn but sincere. You have another face that’s completely different from the one you usually show, but I think that side of you is also great,” I said earnestly.

Holmes looked surprised.

“Oh, sorry,” I said. “That was rude of me to say.”

“No, it wasn’t. Thank you.”

“Huh?” Why did he thank me?

“As you said, I’m stubborn and hate to lose... I’m also a two-faced man. Setting aside my outward face, my hidden face isn’t something that can be praised,” he said quietly.

“To me, both of those sides are you.”

Holmes didn’t say anything and simply smiled in response.

2

Then it was Sunday. Holmes was driving us to Suzumushi Temple.

“We’re going pretty early, huh?” I asked from the passenger seat. It was 8:00 a.m.

“Aoi, don’t underestimate Suzumushi Temple,” Holmes said in a low voice.

“Is it that popular?” Akihito asked, leaning forward from the backseat.

“Yes. You’d best stay away during Golden Week and other holidays, or else you’ll have to wait three hours.”

“Th-Three hours?” Akihito and I asked in unison.

“If you’re going, then aim for a weekday during the off-season. Honestly, I didn’t want to go on a Sunday during the peak of autumn. Since it’s early in the morning, we might be okay.”

“I-Is it that bad?” Akihito and I both asked, exchanging glances.

What does he mean by having to wait? Is it like when you go to a shrine on New Year’s Eve? I tilted my head.

“But hey, that means it actually works, right?” Akihito grinned.

“Well, they say that fame begets reputation. The more people that gather, the stronger the shrine’s energy becomes,” Holmes said smoothly, nodding.

“All right! Akihito Kajiwara, twenty-five years old, is gonna give it a shot!” Akihito clenched his fists.

“Hm?” Holmes squinted. “Akihito, you’re still twenty-five?”

“Yeah? What of it?” Akihito asked, confused.

“Since your name has the word for ‘autumn’ in it, I thought you would’ve been born in autumn.”

He has a point. We met Akihito in early July, and he was twenty-five then. Because of his name, I’d also assumed his birthday was in September or October.

“No, my birthday is June 30^th,” Akihito answered bluntly.

“Huh?” I turned around. “B-But then why is your name ‘Akihito’?”

“Ah,” Holmes said, nodding as though he’d instantly figured it out. “Your life was conceived in autumn.”

“Yup. Apparently that’s when they made me.”

“I’d assumed it was a completely unoriginal name, but I suppose some sophistication did go into it.”

“I guess that was my dad’s style. I’m impressed you realized right away though, Holmes. I bet you’re a closet perv, thinking about that stuff.” Akihito grinned.

Holmes smiled back. “Could you not use such unpleasant language? I’ll have you know I’m a gentleman, unlike you, constantly spewing out sexual remarks like you’re some kind of animal.”

“That’s slander!”

“That’s my line.”

Sh-Should I laugh, or would that be a bad idea? Not knowing what face to make, I sat there with a stiff face and flushed cheeks.

“Sorry, Aoi,” Holmes said. “We’re almost there.”

The car headed into Arashiyama. I saw a sign saying “Matsuno’o Taisha Shrine” and a large vermilion torii gate.

“This is my first time seeing Matsuno’o Taisha too,” I said. “It’s really nice, huh?” I pressed my face to the window as I looked outside.

Holmes nodded. “This is another high-ranking shrine with a long history.”

“How high?” Akihito asked.

“How high...? After the relocation of the capital, it and Kamo Shrine to the east were titled ‘Strict God of the East and Fierce Spirit of the West.’ It was considered the Imperial tutelary shrine of the west.”

“Huh, I should write this down.” Akihito took out his phone. “What’s the Kamo Shrine, by the way?”

“It’s the collective name for the Kamigamo Shrine and the Shimogamo Shrine.”

“Huh, I see. Okay so, after the relocation of the capital... Kamo shrine... Ugh, using my phone while we’re moving is making me carsick.” Akihito covered his mouth, his face pale.

Holmes and I wordlessly exchanged glances and laughed.

At last, we entered Suzumushi Temple’s parking lot.

“I’m glad there’s room,” Holmes said, seeming relieved. There were quite a few parking spaces available, but more than half of them were already taken.

We got out of the car. The path to the temple led deeper into the mountain. It was surrounded by colorful trees. After crossing a bridge over a small stream and walking a bit more, we saw a stone monument that said “Temple of the Bell Crickets” and a line of people that were taking up half of the stone staircase leading to the entrance. It was 8:35 a.m. and the temple wasn’t even open yet. There are this many people lined up so early in the morning?

“Ah, we’re lucky that it’s this empty. We might be able to squeeze into the first session,” Holmes said, sounding relieved again.

“Huh? This is considered empty?” Akihito grimaced. I was thinking the same thing.

“Yes. I hear that when it’s busy, the line extends past that stream, all the way to the parking lot.” Holmes pointed far in the distance.

Akihito and I gaped.

“S-So, what did you mean by ‘the first session’?” I asked.

“The head priest gives lectures in the reception hall. He tells a nice story and explains how the talisman wishes work. All in all, it’s a little under thirty minutes, I believe.”

“What, if we don’t listen to the story, we can’t buy the talismans?”

“Correct.”

“If the explanation is half an hour long, how many hours are we gonna have to wait? Can’t they just write that stuff in a brochure?!” Akihito complained loudly.

“Perhaps your wish won’t be granted that way? I wonder if the great Jizo heard your shouting just now.” Holmes looked up the stairs regretfully.

“Wait, I take that back. Please allow me to listen to the story. I humbly apologize, O great Jizo.” Akihito frantically put his hands together in prayer.

The people around us giggled.

“Hey, isn’t that the person from the Kyoto sightseeing show?” one of them whispered.

“Yeah right. He looks similar, but his aura’s completely different. The guy on TV looked calm and smart.”

“Yeah. Those two guys are cool though, right?”

Hmm, it really is him, though... It’s just that he copies Holmes when he’s on TV.

“Well, his true colors will be exposed soon,” Holmes said, making me laugh. Right, that prank episode is going to be aired next month. He’s acting well-mannered for now, but his true nature is going to be revealed to the whole country.

“Ahh, at this point, I wish it’d happen sooner. Even outside of the show, people are expecting someone like Holmes, and it’s a real pain.” Akihito’s shoulders slumped.

“I told you it was going to be difficult later on.”

“Sh-Shut up! Couldn’t you have told me that before the filming?”

“I didn’t think you were going to take the ‘monkey see, monkey do’ approach.”

“D-Don’t call it that!”

Thanks to their fun (for me at least) conversation, time passed fairly quickly. Before long, it was time for the temple to open. By then, there was already a long line snaking behind us. I realized that Holmes hadn’t been exaggerating. Suzumushi Temple really is this popular...

Awed, I climbed the stairs. The Jizo statue was waiting for us at the top. It wore a red shawl and held something that looked like a staff. There was a fence in front of it preventing us from getting closer.

“That’s the Jizo of Happiness. Let’s wait until after the lecture to make our proper visit,” Holmes said, making a praying motion at the statue. Akihito and I did the same before entering the temple grounds.

Inside, a priest guided us. “Good morning. Please come this way.”

We paid the entrance fee, took off our shoes, and entered the building. We found ourselves in a large room with tatami flooring. The sounds of bell crickets chirping echoed throughout. There were glass tanks on one side of the hall, which seemed to be where the crickets were kept. There was also a row of long tables with teacups and teacakes on them.

“Please have a seat. Make sure to fill all of the spaces,” a woman instructed.

The three of us sat down. Before long, the hall was filled with people and the sliding door was closed.

“Good morning, everyone,” greeted a smiling priest. “Please feel free to sit however you like.” After giving his introduction, he began to speak about Suzumushi Temple’s “happiness talismans” that can grant any wish. The talismans were rectangular and smaller than playing cards. They were yellow with red text saying “Happiness Talisman.”

“There is a manifestation of Jizo inside these,” the priest explained. “His head is right around where the character for ‘Happy’ is printed. So, when you go to his statue, hold the talisman like this, with the ‘Happy’ in front. Make sure to tell him your name, address, and a single wish. You don’t have to say them out loud, although you can if you want everyone to hear.

“As for why he needs your address, this Jizo is special. He wears sandals, you see. When you make a wish, he’ll visit you to grant it. So, he needs your address, but don’t worry—he doesn’t need your postal code,” the priest said lightheartedly. The audience laughed.

“Many people come to this temple to have their wishes granted. You’re welcome to wish for anything at all, but for example, if you want to get married, I would suggest saying, ‘Please allow me to form a connection with someone who is suitable for me.’ Saying you want to marry so-and-so idol isn’t possible because that person has their own circumstances. It’s important to ask for someone suitable.

“You also must not change your wish on a whim. It happens all the time; people coming to us and saying they want to cancel the wish they just made. It’s just not possible, so commit to your wish before making it.

“Also, for couples wishing for the treasure of children, you must both wish for the same thing. If the mother is praying ‘Please let us be blessed with a child’ with all her might, and the father is beside her praying ‘Please let me win the lottery next week,’ it just won’t work out.”

The priest’s witty speaking had the audience constantly laughing. I was surprised by how he skillfully used humor to make us remember the rules.

“Lastly, use your wish to bring happiness to yourself and others. Making a wish that tries to cause harm to another will erase all of the good karma you’ve earned through your struggles in life. Resentment, envy, and entrapment will make you lose your own good fortune, so keep your wishes to those that will make you happy.”

I see...

“While we’re here, allow me to explain the difference between the two types of talismans, omamori and ofuda, since there seem to be quite a few people who don’t know. Omamori, which is what ours are, essentially protect a person, so keep it with you at all times. The prayer is only good for one year, so it loses effectiveness after that. When a year has passed, please return the talisman.

“Ofuda are placed in the house. They protect the home, so please place them facing the direction of the sunrise. However, you must not pierce them with a thumbtack, for that would be stabbing the god inside. Find a proper way to affix them. Ofuda are also generally effective for one year, but if it’s your unlucky year, you ought to keep them up until the end of the following year.”

I see, so talismans are only effective for one year. I feel like we still have some faded ones in our kitchen...

The priest’s lecture was intriguing, educational, and above all, entertaining. Time went by in a flash.

3

After the lecture, we left the hall and bought our talismans. Since they could be given as souvenirs, I saw some people buying several. Apparently for the souvenir ones, the purchaser goes to the Jizo statue first, holds all of them out, and prays “Please grant these people’s wishes as well.” Then, each receiver faces the direction of Kyoto, places their hands together, and says their name and address. And apparently, they don’t need to give their postal code.

Anyway, I only bought one for myself. Holmes and Akihito each bought one as well. We left the temple and walked down the path, looking around at the courtyard.

“I really enjoyed the priest’s lecture,” I said quietly, looking at the fall foliage. “I was surprised at how funny it was.”

Holmes nodded and replied, “I think it’s wonderful how he weaves meaning into the humor.”

While Holmes and I spoke, Akihito walked silently in front of us. Come to think of it, he hasn’t said much since we left the temple. I wonder what’s wrong? I leaned forward to peer sideways at his face and noticed that his eyes were moist. Huh? Is he...moved by the story?

Holmes took a handkerchief from his inner pocket and walked forward to offer it to him. “Akihito, you can use this to wipe your tears.”

“I-I ain’t crying!” Akihito rubbed his eyes with the end of his sleeve and whirled around to face us. Apparently he was embarrassed that we found out he was moved to tears.

“You were moved by the lecture, right?” Holmes asked. “There’s no need to hide it. When your heart is touched, tears well up in your eyes. Your sensitivity is remarkable—no wonder you’re an actor.”

“Sh-Shut up!” Akihito blushed furiously.

Holmes, who was still holding the handkerchief, smiled from ear to ear. Holmes... He seems kind at first glance, but his wickedness is at full power. Once again, the people around us giggled at the two.

After circling around the courtyard, we finally made it back to the Jizo statue with the sandals that was near the entrance. There were already many people holding out yellow talismans with both hands and praying, not to mention the crowd of people still waiting in line to get in.

Akihito gripped his talisman tightly and shouted loudly, “Akihito Kajiwara, twenty-five years old! Please grant me success in the entertainment industry!”

Holmes tapped him on the shoulder. “Akihito, you don’t need to state your age. You do need to give your address, so say it in your heart.”

The people around us burst into laughter. I couldn’t help but laugh with them.

Still, Akihito did wish for success in the entertainment industry. What about me? If I’m hesitating like this, will my wish even be granted?

“I’m going to wish for my grandfather to stay in good health for the next year,” Holmes said, holding the talisman between his hands.

“You really like that guy, huh?” Akihito quipped.

“Yes, and if he were to fall ill, all of his responsibilities would fall onto me. Illness is the one thing I can’t do anything about.”

Right. I’m still a student, so there’s no way I’d have a serious, important wish. “I’ll wish for my grandmother’s good health too, then.”

Akihito’s eyes widened in shock. “What the heck, you guys?! Now I seem like the greedy one!”

“No, I think your wish was good,” Holmes said with a serious expression. “Those with honest, steadfast wishes are more likely to have them granted, I feel.”

Akihito looked bewildered. “R-Really?”

“Yes, really.”

After this and that, we finished our visit. Holmes asked, “Shall we go to Arashiyama now?”

Akihito and I nodded eagerly.

4

We left Suzumushi Temple and got in the car again. This time we headed for the Arashiyama district.

Holmes parked in a large (but mostly full) parking lot, and we strolled down the street, looking at the rows of gift shops.

“This is nostalgic,” I said. “I came here on a middle school trip before.” It was a fun and mysterious place.

“It’s nostalgic for me as well,” Holmes replied. “When I see the Togetsu bridge, it reminds me of my jusan mairi.”

Akihito chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I remember my jusan mairi too. I want to turn around now.”

“As much as I hate to agree with you, I feel the same way. I also want to turn around.”

“Umm, what’s a jusan mairi?” I tilted my head.

“Huh?” Akihito stopped in his tracks. “Aoi, you didn’t have a jusan mairi?”

“Akihito, the jusan mairi is predominantly a Kansai tradition, so there are many people in other regions who don’t know about it.”

“H-Huuuh?” Akihito was blatantly shocked. “They don’t? I had no idea... It feels the same as Shichi-Go-San to me.” This one I do know—it’s a traditional rite of passage held in November for three- and seven-year-old girls and five-year-old boys. Anyway, if it were anyone but Akihito saying that, I might’ve felt offended.

“Jusan mairi is similar in concept to Shichi-Go-San. It’s a tradition where, on your thirteenth birthday in the traditional age system, you visit a temple or shrine to be blessed with wisdom. Across the Togetsu bridge, there’s a famous temple for jusan mairi called Horin-ji Temple. Legend says that after leaving the temple, if you look back, you’ll be forced to return the wisdom you just gained. So, you have to keep walking forward without turning back until you’ve crossed the Togetsu bridge.”

As usual, Holmes’s explanation was easy to understand.

“When I did mine,” Holmes continued, “my grandfather kept saying things behind me, trying to get me to turn around. Thanks to him, I have the resolve to not look back no matter what.” He slumped his shoulders.

Following behind Holmes, who continued to walk without turning around, I imagined the owner taunting him and couldn’t help but giggle.

So, we crossed the Togetsu bridge. A wide river flowed beneath it, and there was fall foliage on both sides. The vividly colored mountains were very beautiful. I could also see a lot of middle and high school students wearing their uniforms. They were probably here on field trips.

The gift shops, the river and bridge, and the natural beauty—it was a truly wonderful place. Come to think of it, when I came to Kyoto on a field trip in middle school, we went to a bunch of places, but I can only really remember Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, and Arashiyama. It’s amazing that I can remember Arashiyama so well when it doesn’t have a huge temple or anything. Is it because it’s always wrapped in a fun, festive mood?

“Come to think of it, we did the Hozu River boat ride on my field trip. That was memorable too,” I said.

Holmes and Akihito paused.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never done the Hozu River boat ride,” Holmes said.

“Me neither,” Akihito replied. They both sounded like they’d only just realized this now.

“You live in Kyoto, but you’ve never been on that wonderful boat ride? What a waste!” I teased.

“Oh man, she’s fighting back!”

“In that case, let’s go together next time,” Holmes said with a smile. “Please be our guide.”

I was at a loss for words. “N-No, I couldn’t...” I stuttered, bewildered.

Akihito burst out laughing. “Yeah, Holmes doesn’t need anyone’s guidance!”

“This is also wicked in a way,” I complained.

“No, this is a normal conversation,” Holmes replied.

The three of us laughed as we walked to Tenryu-ji Temple.

5

We arrived at Tenryu-ji Temple and paid the entrance fee.

“Tenryu-ji is a Zen temple associated with Emperor Kanmu. It’s known for its beautiful garden, and it’s also a registered World Heritage Site,” Holmes said as we walked through the temple grounds.

Gazing at the vivid red leaves and the large, well-maintained pond, I nodded, impressed. “This is a World Heritage Site too, huh?” Kyoto really is amazing.

A garden surrounded by mountains, a big pond with stepping stones, the autumn foliage reflected on the water’s surface... There weren’t only red leaves, but yellow and the occasional bright green as well. The trees complemented each other’s colors. I’ve been to quite a few shrines and temples with Holmes, and all of their gardens were beautiful, but...

“This garden really is magnificent,” I murmured.

“It is,” Holmes said, nodding. “They say that it’s because of this garden that Tenryu-ji is considered top-class in Japan. It was designed by Soseki Muso, a Zen priest who was an expert in Japanese-style gardens.”

Soseki Muso... That name sounds kind of cool.

“Huh, so they had a landscaping pro,” Akihito remarked.

“Yes. Some of his other works are at Saiho-ji—known as the ‘moss temple’—Eiho-ji Temple in Gifu Prefecture, Zuisen-ji Temple in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Erin-ji Temple in Yamanashi Prefecture. Each and every one of them is marvelous, so please visit them if you ever get the chance,” Holmes explained passionately.

Akihito nodded with a strained face. “O-Okay. Man, are you some kind of shill?”

We walked farther into the garden and before long we were in a bamboo grove. The dignified rows of bright green stalks were very beautiful. It felt completely different from the unorganized wild thickets you find in the mountains.

“This is lovely too,” I said.

“It’s beautiful, right? People from Hokkaido would especially love it, because Hokkaido doesn’t have bamboo thickets.”

“I see...” Akihito and I replied in unison.

After visiting Tenryu-ji Temple, we ate lunch at a nearby Japanese restaurant and relaxed there until it was finally time to go to Yanagihara’s house.

Yanagihara the appraiser lived a short drive away from Arashiyama. We parked outside the fence and passed under the wooden gate, which had been left open. Inside the gate was a sprawling Japanese-style garden that was meticulously maintained, with neatly pruned trees and a koi pond. Past the garden was a long, one-story Japanese-style house with a black tiled roof. The Yagashira residence had been a stone house that resembled a Western art museum, but this one was completely different. It was a Japanese estate through and through. This feels more like what I’d expect from an acclaimed appraiser’s house, though. In other words, the Yagashira house must be unconventional.

“Why, if it isn’t Kiyotaka.” A man wearing glasses and a suit walked up to us, smiling. He looked to be in his forties.

“Thank you for inviting me today,” Holmes said, bowing gracefully. Akihito and I bowed too.

“Sorry for tagging along,” I said.

“Kiyotaka informed us that you’d be coming,” the man said. “Aoi and the budding entertainer, Akihito, yes? I’ve been watching your show, A Fine Day in Kyoto. Allow me to formally introduce myself: I’m Yanagihara’s secretary, Taguchi.” He smiled warmly. He was a refined-looking man with soft facial features.

“You’re really watching it? Thank you so much!” Akihito leaned forward, eyes gleaming.

Taguchi leaned back to avoid him, seeming a bit overwhelmed. He adjusted his glasses and said, “You seem a little different from what I saw on TV, Akihito.”

“A little? He’s completely different,” Holmes replied immediately. “The one on TV is a monkey playing pretend.”

“S-Stop calling me a monkey!” Akihito exclaimed, his face bright red.

Taguchi and I laughed.

“A spirited one, I see,” Taguchi remarked. “This will make the show more exciting.” He smiled, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

Holmes tilted his head. “The show?”

“We have a small event planned—one fitting for an appraiser’s birthday party.”

“Oh, a game?!” Akihito exclaimed, not hiding his delight. “Now I’m excited.”

Holmes and I smiled awkwardly at him. The secretary had only said it was an “event.” He didn’t say anything about a game.

“Um, what kind of event is it?” I asked quietly.

Taguchi smiled. “We’re thinking of holding an ‘authenticity exhibition’ here at the Yanagihara estate.”

“An authenticity exhibition?” Holmes asked, walking beside Taguchi as we headed for the front door.

“Yes. Yanagihara is actually supervising an upcoming event called the ‘Past and Present Authenticity Exhibition’ for a certain department store.”

“That sounds like an interesting event.”

“Thank you. As such, some of the items are currently being stored here, and we thought we should take this opportunity to showcase them to our party guests today. We also want to play a small game that involves them.”

“I see,” Holmes said, nodding and folding his arms.

“Oh, so it is a game!” Akihito’s eyes lit up again. Just how much does he love games?

“Um, is this a game that even an ordinary person like me can play?” I asked.

Taguchi smiled at me and said, “But of course. We’ve planned it so that all of the guests can enjoy it, so please join in. There’s also a prize.”

“Whoo, a prize!” Akihito clenched his fists.

Holmes had an elegant smile on his face. “You’re spicing it up, I see. That’s great.”

“Thank you. Now then, right this way.”

Taguchi led us inside. The rooms and even the hallways were covered in tatami mats—but just when I thought it was a completely Japanese-style house, it turned out that there was also a Western-style hall for gatherings. Upon turning a corner, we encountered a large set of open double doors. In front of them was a sign saying “Shigetoshi Yanagihara’s Birthday Celebration.” Past them was the aforementioned hall. It was spacious, with vermilion carpeting and chandeliers. There was a grand piano by the window. And of course, there were the many guests. Yanagihara was in the middle of the crowd, wearing a black kimono. His white hair and long beard gave him the aura of a mountain hermit.

“Sir, Kiyotaka has arrived,” Taguchi said loudly.

“Oh!” Yanagihara walked over to us. “Thanks for coming, Kiyotaka.”

“Happy birthday,” Holmes said with a smile. “Thank you for your invitation. Unfortunately, my grandfather was not able to attend today due to work.”

Yanagihara grinned. “Oh? That old goat called me yesterday and said, ‘Why would I go to an old geezer’s birthday party? Make do with my grandson.’” Oh geez...

“My grandfather is simply shy. This is from him,” Holmes said, holding out a box containing a bottle of wine. “Once again, happy birthday.”

“Why thank you. I don’t know how good his eyes are, but I know he at least has good taste in booze.” Yanagihara happily accepted the box, his face in a wrinkly grin.

Yanagihara and the owner are really good friends, huh? That’s what I gathered from their rude way of talking to each other.

“Well, go and enjoy yourself. Same goes to your companions.” Yanagihara looked at us.

I hurriedly bowed my head. “Th-Thank you, and happy birthday.”

“Yeah, happy birthday,” Akihito said awkwardly.

Yanagihara smiled cheerfully. “You’re the kid from TV, right? I’m enjoying A Fine Day in Kyoto. Keep up the good work.”

“I-I will, thank you.” Akihito bowed again.

Just like the owner, Yanagihara also had a unique, intense aura. Akihito seemed to be overwhelmed by it.

“And you’re the part-timer at Kura, right?” Yanagihara asked, looking straight at me. “The old goat was praising you, saying you’re doing a good job.”

“Th-Thank you.” Hearing that the owner praised me made me happy. But why is Yanagihara staring at me like that? I felt anxious.

“I guess she’s normal,” Yanagihara murmured.

Huh? I was dumbfounded, but before I could say anything, I heard a familiar voice come from beside me: “Hello, sir.”

This voice is... I turned to look, and Yoneyama stood there, smiling weakly.

“Oh, you came too?” asked Yanagihara. “The painting you made for Takamiya was real nice. I hope you enjoy yourself today,” he said, then walked away.

But what did he mean by “she’s normal”? Does he think I’m too ordinary to work at Kura? I felt a bit uneasy.

“The Yagashira family is surrounded by eccentrics, myself included,” Holmes explained. “Yanagihara probably thought it was unusual for us to hire a normal, non-eccentric girl.” He smiled gently.

“Yeah, Holmes is definitely a weirdo,” Akihito said, not missing a beat.

“I don’t want to hear that from you,” Holmes quipped, smiling back at him.

“Huh, they sure get along well.” Yoneyama looked amused.

Watching the two of them, I felt the gloominess in my heart instantly clear away.

After that, Yanagihara gave his speech and we toasted him with an assortment of champagne, wine, and juice. There was a variety of Japanese, Chinese, and Western treats laid out on the long tables, which I snacked on while absorbing the peaceful atmosphere in the hall.

A short while later, Taguchi took the stage to address us: “Now then, as I explained briefly earlier, we would like to play an appraisal game in light of the upcoming authenticity exhibition.” He opened a sliding door, revealing another section of the hall. Inside, there was a collection of artworks that were being watched over by security guards.

“Whoa, are those real home security guards?” Akihito murmured, trembling with awe.

Holmes smiled wryly. “Home security? No, those are probably the department store’s security guards.”

“We will be showing you works of art,” Taguchi continued. “Raise the flag corresponding to ‘real’ or ‘fake’ depending on your answer. Basically, it’s a game about determining authenticity. It’ll be a single-elimination tournament, and there’ll be a prize for those who make it to the end.” As he explained the rules, the staff handed out small flags to everyone. “Raise the white flag if you think it’s real, and the red flag if you think it’s fake—a ‘red lie.’ Additionally, appraisers and those in the fine art industry will not be allowed to participate.” As such, Holmes and various other guests were not given flags. “Please don’t give your friends any hints, either.” The audience chuckled at that.

“Huh, this sounds like fun. I’ve seen some good stuff thanks to my dad, so I might do pretty well.” Akihito’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the flags. I had no idea how well I’d do, but it did sound like it could be a fun game.

“Good luck, everyone,” Holmes said with a smile.

“Now then, here’s the first item.”

One of the security staff pushed a rolling table cart in front of us. There was something on it covered by a cloth. I felt like I was at an auction.

“Please give your answers at the same time, when I say so,” Taguchi cautioned. He swiftly removed the cloth, revealing a large brown jar. “This is a Shigaraki jar. You will have two minutes to examine it and determine whether it is real or fake. I know it’s a very short amount of time, but this is a game, so please be understanding. There are magnifying glasses and other tools on the table.”

Everyone nodded and approached the jar, staring intently at it.

“It’s kinda dirty,” Akihito murmured, furrowing his brows.

Dirty? It was an earthen color, with a rough texture and areas where the stone jutted out. But, this is feldspar. Holmes showed me a Shigaraki jar at Kura before, so I know without a doubt that this is real.

“Two minutes have passed. Is this Shigaraki jar real or fake? Please give us your verdict.”

Everyone raised their flags at once. I raised the white one, confident that it was real. Akihito, along with around half of the guests, raised the red one.

“Please give us the correct answer, Yanagihara.”

“Sorry for starting with a hard one right off the bat. This is real Shigaraki ware.”

The guests who raised the red flag all sounded disappointed.

“R-Really? Even though it’s so bumpy?” Akihito bit his lip in frustration.

Holmes chuckled. “That’s a jar that was used to store seeds. Since it was for practical use, it doesn’t have any flashy decorations. Well done, Aoi.”

“Thank you. I realized because you showed me one before. Those bumps in the stone are feldspar, right?”

“Correct. I’m impressed.” Holmes nodded with a smile. Next to him, Akihito was pouting.

“Now for the next item: an old Kutani plate.”

A large decorative plate was brought out. There were bright stripes of navy blue, green, and yellow on the outside, and there was a painting of a bird in the center.

“My, such lovely colors,” murmured one of the guests, a refined-looking woman wearing a semi-formal kimono.

The colors are beautiful, but...I think old Kutani ware would have more distinct coloring. These colors don’t have as much impact as the one I saw before, and they’re kind of blurring together. Then there’s the bird—Holmes taught me before that genuine Kutani ware has exceptional artwork. This bird painting doesn’t have the kind of quality that takes your breath away.

The plate was propped up vertically. I walked around to the other side to check the base.

“Two minutes have passed. Please raise your flags.”

Everyone raised their flags at the same time. Most of them were white, possibly because of what the woman had said. However, I raised the red one.

Taguchi signaled to Yanagihara with his eyes, and Yanagihara nodded and said, “This is a fake.”

The audience stirred. I looked around and saw that only a few people had gotten it right.

Next was a Koseto vase and a Kizeto tea bowl, both of which I got right. Now the only participants remaining were me and another man.

“This will be the final round. Will we have a winner? Please look at this Shino tea bowl.”

The tea bowl was brought out. It was a very fine work, and the bends had a unique aesthetic. I heard that many counterfeits are like that. I’ve seen my fair share of them too, and each time, I thought: Counterfeits don’t make my heart flutter the way it did when I encountered a Shino tea bowl for the first time at Kura. That one was a masterpiece.

This might’ve been a high quality work of art, but I wasn’t going to mistake it for a Shino tea bowl.

“Give us your verdict!”

The other man raised his white flag, while I raised red. “Ohhh!” went the crowd. The hall was filled with anticipation.

“Yanagihara, if you would,” Taguchi said, sounding slightly excited as well.

“This is...a fake. Goodness, I hadn’t expected such a young girl to show us this wonderful display of judgment. Well done!” Yanagihara clapped, and everyone in the hall cheered and applauded.

“That was amazing, Aoi!” Holmes walked up to me quickly, his eyes gleaming.

“Holmes!” Elated, I turned around, and Holmes immediately grasped my hands with his. My heart leapt.

“That was brilliant! I knew from the start that you had good eyes, and I’m proud to know that I was right.” He grinned from ear to ear, still firmly holding my hands. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

“Th-Thanks. It’s because of everything you showed and taught me.” Ever since I started working at Kura, Holmes would show me every good piece that came in and teach me about it. His summer lectures helped as well. I only became this good at distinguishing counterfeits because I had Holmes as my teacher. The warmth from his hands is still making my heart race, though.

“Dang, Aoi. You’re amazing, huh?” Akihito said, amazed. Yoneyama was standing next to him, nodding and clapping.

“Yes, Aoi has a natural discerning eye, and she always looks directly for the truth, not averting her gaze. I think she’s truly amazing,” Holmes said, clapping. My heart was beating so fast that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

Yanagihara walked up to me, clapping as well. “I apologize for calling you normal earlier. It seems like I still have much to learn too. We rarely see such skill at your age. No wonder Kiyotaka chose you.” He nodded as he spoke.

My cheeks flushed. Even though Kiyotaka only chose me as a part-timer, it felt like there was another implication there that would make others misunderstand.

Then, Taguchi came forward from behind Yanagihara. “Congratulations on winning, Aoi. Your prize is a pair of vouchers for Yanagihara’s favorite inn, Tsukimiya at the Kinosaki hot springs.” He handed me a white envelope.

“Huh? Inn vouchers?” I squeaked, surprised. This has to be a high-class inn, right?

“Ah,” Holmes said, clapping his hands together. “I’ve heard of Tsukimiya. It’s a wonderful inn with a long history.”

Taguchi nodded enthusiastically. “So you know of it already. There are two vouchers, so feel free to go together.”

“Wh-What?” Together?! He’s telling me to go with Holmes to a high-class inn in Kinosaki? We are being misunderstood!

“I-I could never. We’re just coworkers,” I exclaimed without thinking. Taguchi looked a bit bewildered, while Holmes was smiling awkwardly. Um, now I feel kind of bad.

“Excuse my rudeness,” Taguchi said. “In that case, feel free to go with a friend or family member.”

“O-Okay... Um... Thank you very much.” I accepted the prize, too embarrassed to raise my head. The crowd continued to applaud.

After things calmed down, Taguchi looked around at everyone again. “Now then, we would like everyone to take a look at this next piece, including the appraisers. It’s the highlight of the upcoming exhibition: a Baroque painting.”

One of the security staff wheeled in a table cart with a Western painting on it. In the center of the painting was a man with a white mustache and beard. An angel was urging him in one direction, while three young women stood behind him. It was an impressive painting...and I had no idea whether it was real or fake.

A middle-aged man who was probably an appraiser gave a strained laugh and scratched his head. “It’s hard to judge a painting like this with your eyes alone. It needs a chemical analysis. Besides, Western paintings aren’t my specialty.”

Yanagihara chuckled and nodded. “Indeed, Western paintings are difficult. The appraisers gathered here today all have their reputations at stake, so it must be hard to give an answer. How about we have Kiyotaka answer, then? He’s skilled, but he’s still young, so he has little to lose.”

Everyone looked at Holmes. Holmes had said that Western paintings were his weakness. And like that appraiser said just now, it must be difficult to judge a painting like this with your eyes alone. I know Holmes is amazing, but would he be able to answer this? Even I was starting to panic.

Holmes chuckled and held up his index finger. “This is the ‘magnificent imitation’ of Rubens’s work, right?”

A few people laughed, but most of the audience was confused, myself included.

“I knew you could do it, Kiyotaka,” Yanagihara said. “Could you explain it to everyone else?”

“Of course. The National Museum of Western Art in Ueno once purchased Rubens’s The Flight of Lot and His Family from Sodom for one hundred and fifty million yen. However, in 1978, it was determined that the painting was a forgery. Paintings with the same name had been found elsewhere in the world: two in American museums and one in London. Scientific analyses such as x-rays were performed, and it became clear that the genuine painting was one of the ones in America, while the one in Japan was a counterfeit. It resulted in an uproar, but the curator of the museum labeled it a ‘magnificent imitation,’ which apparently calmed things down,” Holmes explained in his usual gentle and easy-to-understand way. “So, this is that ‘magnificent imitation.’ I was able to identify it because I’ve seen this work before.”

The guests applauded.

“Well done, Holmes,” praised Yanagihara. “Now, there’s one more I’d like you to take a look at.”

Another painting was brought in. This one depicted a herd of sheep on a small cliff. The ocean could be seen on the other side of the hill. It was a pretty painting, and the sheep were charming. Once again, I had no idea whether it was real or fake.

“Our English Coasts, by the English painter William Holman Hunt. Could you tell us if it’s real or fake?” Yanagihara had a sharp look in his eyes.

Holmes struggled to respond for a moment. He folded his arms and looked intently at the painting. It was the first time I’d seen him take so long to perform an appraisal—normally he could determine authenticity immediately. I guess Western paintings really are hard for him.

“Hey, Yoneyama, can you tell?” whispered a man behind me, who I assumed was in the art industry.

“No, I have no idea,” Yoneyama replied.

Holmes is young, so they might think he has nothing to lose from getting the answer wrong. But this is Holmes we’re talking about. If he’s being challenged like this, there’s no way he’ll make a mistake.

After a period of silence, Holmes opened his mouth to speak. “It’s very well painted, but I believe that it’s a forgery.”

“What makes you think that?” Yanagihara asked with a sharp glint in his eye.

“I’ve never seen this painting in person before, but I’ve heard that it was the best of Hunt’s ‘natural light’ paintings and won a Birmingham Award. However, when I look at this painting, even though it’s painted very well overall, the ‘natural light’ doesn’t stand out to me, when that’s what it was supposed to excel at.”

Yanagihara and Taguchi looked at each other. Tension filled the hall. What’s the real answer? My hands were sweating as I squeezed them together, praying that he got it right.

Then, Yanagihara and Taguchi clapped. “Brilliant,” Yanagihara declared. “This is a counterfeit that was borrowed from a certain gallery. It’s going to be displayed at the exhibition as an example of a well-made forgery.”

Everyone cheered and applauded.

“I don’t really get it, but Holmes sure is amazing.”

“No wonder he’s Seiji’s favorite student.”

Despite all of the praise, Holmes didn’t smile. He walked up to Yanagihara and asked quietly, “Could you tell me the name of the person who lent you this painting?”

“Hmm.” Yanagihara tilted his head. “I think he said his name was Morita?”

Taguchi answered immediately, “No, sir. It was Moria. A rather unusual surname.”

Holmes’s eyebrow twitched. “Moria?” he murmured. “Was he the one who suggested that you play this game at your birthday party?” he asked in a low voice.

Taguchi nodded, surprised. “Yes. I’m surprised you knew. He said that it’d make the party more exciting, and he was right.”

“Did he say to have me do the Hunt painting?” Holmes asked.

“No, he didn’t name you, but he did say, ‘This one is extremely difficult to discern, so you should ask the youngest appraiser, since they’ll have the least to lose.’ Then he said—oh right, there was a strange message from him. Please wait here for a moment.” Taguchi left and then came back holding something. “He said that if the young appraiser got it right and asked who had provided the painting, to show them this.” Taguchi held out a round mirror.

Holmes accepted the mirror, looked at it, and laughed. “Thank you. Sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to, so would it be all right if I excused myself?” he asked, still smiling.

“Huh? That’s fine. Thank you for coming today.” Taguchi bowed, seeming confused.

“Aoi, Akihito, feel free to enjoy the rest of the party. I’ll come pick you up later.” Holmes walked briskly out of the hall.

Akihito and I hurriedly followed him.

“H-Holmes, what happened?” I asked.

“Seriously, dude. What happened?”

Holmes clicked his tongue. “What’s this ‘Moria’ nonsense...?”

“H-Holmes?” Akihito stiffened.

Holmes left the house and got in the car. Akihito and I hopped in too. As soon as Holmes confirmed that we were all inside, he started driving.

“Wh-What’s going on?” I asked, bewildered.

Holmes smiled apologetically, seeming to have come back to his senses. “The one who prepared that counterfeit was Ensho.”

“Huh? You mean the person from the art gallery, Moria?”

Akihito clapped his hands together. “Oh, I get it! It’s Moriarty!”

Oh, I see. Sherlock Holmes’s rival is Professor Moriarty. That’s why Ensho took on the name Moria. No wonder Holmes was annoyed.

“He must’ve heard that Yanagihara was supervising the authenticity exhibition and would be having a birthday party. He used it as a chance to challenge me—I did think it was strange that there would be such a clever game at Yanagihara’s party,” Holmes said nonchalantly, despite the rude insinuation.

“So, um, where are we going?” I asked.

“Ensho told me a location in the form of a riddle. The painting we saw before was originally named Our English Coasts, but the title was later changed to Strayed Sheep.”

“Strayed sheep...”

“Then, I was given a round mirror. This indicated a place. It meant, ‘If you get it, then come see me here.’” Holmes had a sharp look in his eyes.

Stray sheep and a round mirror... What place do those indicate?

Akihito and I, overwhelmed by Holmes’s intensity, could only gulp in anticipation.

6

We headed north. There was a tense atmosphere in the car...or so I thought.

“Man, he went for a Moriarty reference? That’s so funny.” Akihito was clapping his hands and laughing in the back seat. I couldn’t tell if he was being tactless on purpose or not. In a way, he was the strongest of us all.

“Come to think of it, you said you were a Sherlock fan, right, Akihito?” I asked. “Have you read all of the books?” He’d said he was a fan when we first met. That’s why he was annoyed by Holmes’s nickname and picked fights with him. He must be a pretty hardcore fan. I feel bad saying this, but it’s hard to believe that he likes to read.

“Nah, I haven’t read ’em. I became a fan because of the anime.”

“Anime?” Holmes and I asked in unison.

“Yeah, you haven’t seen it? There’s a Holmes anime with anthropomorphized dogs. It was really cool! Thanks to that, I ended up watching all of the movies and puppet shows too. It’s always been my dream to be Holmes in a play or a movie.”

“Wh-What about the original novels?”

“Haven’t read a single word,” Akihito answered with a straight face.

Holmes and I looked at each other. Then, Holmes burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Holmes said, chuckling. “Your silliness helped me cool my head a bit. Thank you.”

“Uh, okay? Well, you’d better cool off, yeah.”

“R-Right, Holmes. I think that Ensho called himself Moria to get a rise out of you,” I said, peering closely at him.

Holmes paused before calmly replying, “You’re right. Apparently, the blood rushes to my head when Ensho’s involved. Thank you, Aoi.”

Phew, he’s back to the usual Holmes.

“So, where are we going?” I asked again.

Holmes had a distant look in his eyes. “We’ve...already arrived,” he said, parking the car.

Since the parking lot was covered in gravel, crunching sounds rang out as the tires ran over it. I saw a white wall with a tiled roof. Is this...a temple? We’d reached this building after going north almost all the way to the end of Senbon Street.

“This is Takagamine in Kita-ku, right?” Akihito asked, getting out of the car.

“Yes,” Holmes replied as he and I got out as well.

So this is Kita-ku... Come to think of it, Akihito said before that his family used to live in the Kinugasa district of Kita-ku.

We’d come up quite a high slope to get here, and it felt like we were right at the foot of a mountain. I tend to go everywhere by bike, so I’d probably regret it if I tried to bike here.

“This way,” Holmes said and started walking towards the temple.

It was already past 4:00 p.m., so there were barely any cars in the parking lot. Most temples close at five.

We walked down a narrow path until we reached a small, old wooden gate. A sign saying “Genko-an Zen Meditation” hung from one of the posts.

“Genko-an...” I felt like I’d heard the name before.

Holmes stared fixedly at the gate. “Yes, this is where Ensho called me to: Genko-an Temple,” he said in a quiet but firm tone. He passed through the small gate, and we followed right behind him.

The garden on the other side was certainly not large, but it was well-maintained and refreshingly beautiful. The information desk was on a porch. We paid the entrance fee and went inside the temple.

Despite being an old, remote temple, it had a dignified aura, as if the building itself were standing tall. The floor and tatami mats were polished to a shine, and flowers were placed on tables and in hallway recesses. Upon entering the main building, we were greeted by two windows next to each other, one square and one circular. The windows displayed the bright red foliage outside as if they were beautiful paintings.

I knew what these two windows were—perhaps I’d seen them on TV before. They were the Window of Confusion and the Window of Enlightenment. There were short wooden fences, about ankle height, preventing us from getting close to them. Past the windows was the Buddha. No one else was inside the room.

“H-Huh? No one’s here,” said Akihito.

“Y-Yeah.” I was a bit disappointed.

“For now, let’s pay our respects,” Holmes said with a smile. He stood in front of the Buddha, tossed a coin in the offering box, and pressed his hands together in prayer.

“Oh, okay.”

“S-Sure.”

Akihito and I hurried to give our offerings and pray too.

When I opened my eyes, I froze, noticing that someone else was in the room with us. He was probably in his late twenties or early thirties. He was bald like a monk and he wore a dark gray kimono. He looked at us with a warm smile. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve assumed he was one of this temple’s priests.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he said, narrowing his eyes at Holmes in an amused smile.

This has to be Ensho.

“You were the one who called me here.” Holmes smiled back and walked towards him. Akihito and I stood stock still, holding our breath as we watched them.

“I enjoyed the time spent waiting for you. I didn’t know if I wanted you to come or not.” He opened his folding fan and hid his mouth behind it as he cackled.

“And how do you feel now?” Holmes asked quietly.

Ensho stopped laughing. “You did well to see through that forgery. What was the clincher?”

Holmes paused before answering, “Light.”

“I see. Painting light on shadows is ever so hard.” Ensho chuckled and then looked up. “I assume you figured out this location immediately, right?”

“Yes. Strayed Sheep and a round mirror. The strayed or confused sheep were in a rectangular painting. The mirror represented the window to the soul. These windows at Genko-an immediately came to mind. The square window is the Window of Confusion, which represents the suffering humans go through in life. The circular one beside it is the Window of Enlightenment, which represents Zen maturity and the universe. The round mirror that reflects its holder also represents one’s inner ‘universe’... It was a rather sophisticated arrangement.” Holmes smiled.

“Why thank you.” Ensho smiled back.

Even though both of them were smiling warmly, the air was tense, as if they could cross swords at any moment. It was hard to breathe.

From where I was standing, I could see the two windows beyond them as they faced off. Outside, bright red leaves fluttered in the wind. The scene was terrifyingly beautiful, more so than anything I could ever imagine. I was speechless.

“As I said before, I truly enjoyed waiting here for you. Would you come, or would you not? Did I want you to, or did I not? I felt like I was waiting for a lover who’d left me.”

“Now that’s an unpleasant thought.”

“You’re not wrong.” Ensho smiled with only his eyes, then sighed. “Most counterfeiters eventually find themselves wanting people to see their work as their own. They want to leave their mark on the world, and that’s how they end up getting exposed. But me, I could never understand why they’d do that,” he murmured to himself as he gazed through the Window of Confusion. “I grew up in Amagasaki. Had no mom, and my dad was a painter. He was pretty good, but he was an alcoholic, so even when he did manage to get work, he’d spend the advance payment on booze and usually fail to meet the deadline. I couldn’t just sit there and watch, so I did his work for him, copying his style. That made Dad real happy. He always treated me like a burden before, but this made him think I was a genius. He praised me and got me to copy other paintings, and that’s how my life as a counterfeiter began.”

Listening to him, I gulped. So he was making forgeries from the very start. It began with him copying his father’s work... His story matches Holmes’s profiling exactly.

“By copying them perfectly without leaving a trace of my own presence, I could be praised by the one person I wanted to impress the most. I was happy with that. But eventually he drank himself to death... After that, I continued accepting forgery requests out of habit, but it all felt boring. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life, so I went into the priesthood. Then, when you—someone younger than me—saw through my forgery when no one else could, I got excited. I wanted you to find me hiding in the shadows. Today was exciting, too. I wanted you to see through it, but at the same time, I didn’t. I kept going back and forth. For the first time, I felt like I understood all of those people who wanted to leave their own mark on their counterfeits. So, I really had no idea whether I wanted you to come or not.” Ensho looked at Holmes. “But when you asked me ‘How do you feel?’ just now, it all became clear.”

He closed the folding fan and thrust it at Holmes’s throat.

Holmes gasped and immediately caught it between his hands. “That was dangerous. Were you trying to stab me in the throat?”

“Of course not. This is just payback for last time.” Ensho grinned.

The tension was too much. Akihito and I were both shocked speechless. We covered our mouths with our hands, our faces pale.

“It became clear that I really can’t stand you. Everyone likes you because you act all prim and proper, but no one can tell what you’re thinking, and it turns out you’re pure black on the inside. You’re like the personification of Kyoto itself. Ugh, no wonder I hate this place.”

Holmes strengthened his grip on the fan and snapped it in two. “Why thank you. It’s an honor to be likened to Kyoto,” he said in a Kyoto accent with a fearless smile.

“Oh, there it is—your true self. That dark face gives it away.”

“As you said, Kyoto men are wicked.”

“I can’t stand you, but I do like that side of you.”

“Meanwhile, I hate everything about you.”

“Yep, this is good. I can’t retire yet—not ’til I’ve given you the humiliation of the century.”

“Unfortunately, I have no intention of being humiliated. Why don’t you go ahead and retire now?”

“You never know. I guess I want to have pride in what I’ve done.”

“Counterfeiters don’t need pride.”

“Ouch.” Ensho let go of the folding fan and chuckled. “Hey, didja know? This temple’s ceiling has bloodstains on it.” He looked up at the ceiling.

Holmes nodded. “Of course I know.”

Akihito and I looked up too. There were black stains and even a footprint on the ceiling. Chills ran down my spine.

“Wh-Whoa, why’s there a footprint up there?! Is that from a ninja?!” Akihito exclaimed.

Holmes’s smile was strained. “There was no battle here at Genko-an. Instead, the ceiling was built with wood that came from the floor of Momoyama Castle in Fushimi. Many people were killed in the battle there between Ieyasu Tokugawa’s loyal force and Mitsunari Ishida’s troops. In order to bring happiness to them in the afterlife and honor their sacrifices, the bloodstained floorboards were sent to five temples, and Genko-an was one of them.”

“O-Oh, that makes sense.” I nodded and looked back down. Ensho had already disappeared. Akihito and I gasped in surprise, while Holmes simply sighed.

After a moment of silence, Holmes said, “I see. He really is like a ninja.” He opened the broken fan that was still in his hands and grimaced at it. “Ugh, what an utter nuisance.”

“Huh? What happened?” I asked.

“This fan was originally mine. He wrote ‘I win’ all over it.”

Okay, that’s pretty annoying. “B-But in the end, it was you who won, right?”

“Yeah, you saw through his forgery again. There’s nothing to be mad about.”

Holmes frowned. “Wrong.”

“Huh?”

“I only identified that painting as a forgery because I knew that ‘it was the best of Hunt’s ‘natural light’ paintings and won a Birmingham Award.’ If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have figured it out. When I said that ‘light’ was the deciding factor, he smiled as if he knew he’d won. Even though I saw through his forgery, he considered it a victory for himself—because it was his victory and my loss.” Holmes clenched the folding fan, his shoulders trembling. I could tell how frustrated he was, and it hurt.

What am I supposed to say at a time like this? “But in the end, you still did it. Your knowledge; your victory!” ...As if. I doubt he wants to hear forced encouragement like that.

I clenched my fists and looked straight at him. “I-In that case, the next time Ensho comes at you with something, make sure you expose him for real!” I declared.

Holmes looked at me in surprise. “Aoi...”

Akihito gaped at me too.

“Please don’t lose next time, no matter what,” I continued.

Holmes’s eyes widened for a moment before his expression relaxed. “All right. Next time, I swear I’ll give him a thorough beating.” He smiled brightly.

I felt like I was going to cry. “Holmes...” I looked down at the floor, my eyes hot.

“Forgive me,” he said, reverting to his Kyoto accent. “I put you through a scary experience.” He gently stroked my head with his large hand.

“I’m okay,” I said, shaking my head.

“Sorry, but it’s closing time,” came a voice from behind us. Startled, we looked up.

“Shall we get going, then?” Holmes said. Akihito and I nodded.

7

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.