Epilogue

It was January 5th and we were attending a New Year’s party. My face stiffened. Who would’ve thought that this day would come?

In the banquet hall of a traditional Japanese restaurant in Gion, a feast was laid out on four-legged trays, including grilled sea bream and other delicacies.

“Today’s party is to introduce my new apprentice,” said Yanagihara, grinning from ear to ear.

“My name is Ensho. I look forward to working with you all.” The former counterfeiter bowed deeply.

The others present were familiar faces from the art industry, the flower arrangement teacher, and the Yagashira family members, including Yoshie and me.

“Man, this is kind of crazy.”

For some reason, Akihito was there too.

Ensho had a shaved head as usual. He wore a formal traditional getup consisting of a long kimono and haori jacket made of white habutae silk dyed black and hakama pants with a striped pattern called sendaidaira. The way he bowed with his hands on the tatami and slowly raised his head was so dignified that impressed voices could be heard from around the hall.

“Huh, he’s pretty handsome when you look at him like that,” said Akihito, gazing at Ensho from afar. The two of us were sitting in the lowest-ranking seats, which were the farthest from the seat of honor.

He was right; Ensho was so manly and majestic that it made me think, Was he always this handsome?

Apparently, Ensho had admitted his crimes and turned himself in. His actions had been classified as fraud, but since he had already become Yanagihara’s apprentice and had a strong desire to reform himself, he’d been given a suspended sentence due to the extenuating circumstances.

“But oh man, just look at Holmes’s face!” Akihito lightly elbowed my arm.

Holmes was sitting with the Yagashira family. He wore a black suit that looked really good on him, making him look stylish and dignified. However, his expression was startlingly cold. His emotions were so evident on his face that I almost burst out laughing.

“It’s hilarious, right?”

“Don’t say that, Akihito.” It did make me want to laugh, but that would be really inappropriate.

The two of us struggled to hold back our laughter.

“Be quiet, you two,” said Rikyu, who was sitting across the table. He pointed at us with an exasperated look on his face.

We shrugged awkwardly, embarrassed about being scolded by someone younger than us.

After Ensho introduced himself, Yanagihara continued with his opening speech.

“My children and grandchildren have moved on to careers that are unrelated to antiques, and I couldn’t find any young people with good eyes. Just when I was lamenting the future of the art industry, I met Ensho...”

He looked happy as he spoke. When Ensho had declared, “My eyes are just as good as that Holmes of Kyoto’s,” Yanagihara must have doubted him at first. But after getting to know him, he’d sensed the man’s unique intelligence, and now he was proud to call him his apprentice.

It’s to be expected, seeing as Ensho was able to compete with Holmes. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s even surpassed Holmes at times. I can understand why Yanagihara is so happy.

As I watched Yanagihara and Ensho from afar, I heard voices around me saying:

“Now that’s another good-looking man.”

“Indeed. He looks like he’ll join Kiyotaka as another prince of the antique world.”

In the past, I had always been afraid of Ensho, so I hadn’t been able to examine his appearance calmly. But now, his mannerisms were so graceful that it was hard to believe he had lived in the underworld. I could understand why people would say such things about him. Ensho had always been skilled at perfectly copying people’s movements, facial expressions, and even the way they spoke. He must have been imitating the mannerisms of someone high-class.

“I humbly ask for your guidance and encouragement,” he said, looking around at everyone in the hall.

Upon making eye contact with me, he smiled gently. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. That smile was the spitting image of Holmes’s.

Oh, so that’s whose mannerisms he was copying. Deliberately looking at me and smiling like Holmes... I see that he still has a terrible personality.

I looked at where the Yagashira family was sitting, wondering how Holmes felt about this. Naturally, his eyes were still cold—actually, they seemed even colder than before.

“Hey, don’t you think Holmes is really mad?” whispered Akihito. “He’s radiating a scary aura.”

I nodded and said quietly, “Yes, he is.”

He probably realized that Ensho was imitating him, making him extremely uncomfortable. And Ensho knew that Holmes would be offended, but he’s doing it anyway. I thought things would calm down after he turned over a new leaf in the art industry, but this isn’t looking good.

I slumped my shoulders as I looked at the amused Ensho and the cold, fiery-aura-emitting Holmes.

After the formal speech was over, it was time for the toast. At last, we could get on with the meal. The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became much more relaxed.

“Ahhh, we can finally eat,” Akihito said with a relieved smile, picking up his chopsticks.

Rikyu laughed and said, “You’re the same as ever.”

“Yep.”

As the three of us laughed together, I overheard Yanagihara saying to the owner, “He and Kiyotaka are going to be the two great princes of the antique world.”

The owner crossed his arms doubtfully and snorted. “That greenhorn can’t compare to Kiyotaka. How good can he possibly be?”

Owner... I forced a smile. I guess Holmes isn’t the only one who’s unimpressed.

Everyone flinched at the owner’s rude remark.

“I thought you’d say that,” Yanagihara replied, unconcerned. “He really does have good eyes, though.”

“Does he know what that calligraphy is, then?” the owner asked, pointing at a large scroll hanging on the wall. It had the word “grace” written on it.

Ensho stared at it and tilted his head. “I can tell that it’s authentic, but I’m still lacking in knowledge, so I don’t know who wrote it,” he answered calmly.

The owner smirked. “Tell him, Kiyotaka.”

Holmes nodded and put down his chopsticks. “That calligraphy is by Shiyu Tsujimoto, a calligrapher from Nara Prefecture who was active from the Meiji period until the early Showa period. His character shows in the work’s carefree and fluttery appearance. I believe it may have been written specially for this restaurant,” he explained smoothly.

“Ohhh!” exclaimed the people in the hall.

“Kiyo never disappoints,” said Rikyu.

“Yeah, that’s our Holmes,” replied Akihito, both he and the younger boy clenching their fists.

I heard others saying:

“Kiyotaka really knows everything, huh?”

“Yeah, Ensho said it was authentic, but even I can tell that much. It’s hard to identify the calligrapher like Kiyotaka does.”

Ensho narrowed his eyes and said to Taguchi, the secretary, “I’m sorry to bother you, but could you give me the bag over there?”

“Of course.” Taguchi handed him the black bag right away.

What’s happening now?

Before anyone could question him, Ensho took out a brush, ink, an inkstone, and calligraphy paper. He stared at Shiyu Tsujimoto’s calligraphy for a few moments before picking up the brush and gazing at the paper with intense focus. He held his breath and began moving his hand as if possessed, his eyes wide open. Before long, he had written the word “grace.”

Everyone gasped—the writing looked identical to Shiyu Tsujimoto’s.

Ensho took a deep breath, picked up his calligraphy, and stood up. Everyone was rendered speechless by the perfect reproduction.

“I once created forgeries like this,” he explained. “It’s something I’m truly ashamed of, and I’ve resolved to never commit such crimes again. I lack knowledge right now, but there are a lot of things I know about counterfeits because of my past. I’m sensitive to fakes, and I’m confident that I have keener eyes than anyone else. For the sake of atoning for my sins, I hereby pledge to use these eyes to not let a single counterfeit go overlooked,” he declared in a strong tone of voice.

Everyone cheered and clapped for him, although they were taken aback.

They would’ve found out that he was a former counterfeiter sooner or later. He picked the best time to confess and turned his shameful past into an advantage. He really isn’t an ordinary person.

Now people were saying things like “Wow, that was amazing” and “It’s reassuring to have someone like him come over to our side.” He had successfully won their hearts.

Is Holmes okay? Now that everyone’s in party mode, I should be able to switch seats.

Worried, I was about to quietly move to the Yagashira family’s section when Ensho walked up to Holmes, beer bottle in hand, and said, “I look forward to working with you, Holmes.”

“Yes, likewise,” Holmes replied, his eyes narrowing as he smiled.

He held out his cup and Ensho filled it with beer. It should have been a very charming scene, but I couldn’t help but feel chills run down my spine. Likewise, Akihito’s face went pale.

Rikyu, however, said with a twinkle in his eyes, “It’s like a cold war! Awesome!”

“By the way, Ensho, do you mind if I borrow that calligraphy of yours?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Ensho handed the paper to Holmes, who took a fountain pen out of his inner pocket and pointed it at the calligraphy without removing the cap.

“Here, here, and here,” Holmes said quietly so that the others couldn’t hear. “These places are where your character shows through. The work may look identical at first glance, but it’s not a very good forgery. Well, that might be for the better since you’re retired now.” He chuckled.

Ensho froze for a second. “I really can’t stand you.”

“Likewise.”

As they continued to smile at each other, I heard other people saying things like “They sure get along well” and “What a lovely pair.”

I couldn’t help but grimace. Why does this scene come across as delightful to everyone else?

The owner was grinning in amusement, seeming to have been won over. “The dragon and the tiger, eh? Now this is interesting.”

“I told you,” said Yanagihara.

“Fine, I’ll allow it.”

“Cheers!”

They drank. Apparently, the owner had acknowledged Ensho as Holmes’s rival.

It’s probably only because he thinks it’s “interesting.”

***

While the party was going on, I slipped out to use the restroom and let out a loud sigh as I washed my hands.

What’s with this nerve-racking New Year’s introduction party?

It was unsettling how happy everyone else was in contrast to me. I thought Akihito would’ve felt the same way, but now he was enjoying himself quite a bit with Rikyu.

It’s not every day I get to go to a party like this, so maybe I should relax and have fun too.

I sighed again and dried my hands with my handkerchief. Trying to regain my composure, I straightened my back and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a cute black dress that could pass as formal wear. Since I had wanted to go all out, I had applied a treatment to my hair that made it all shiny, and I had a light touch of makeup on.

I think I look more mature than usual, if I do say so myself. My expression relaxed. I’m a university student now.

I reapplied my lipstick, nodded in satisfaction, and left the powder room.

I walked down the polished tatami hallway. There were Japanese paintings on the walls and flower arrangements in the corners, and outside, there was a traditional Japanese garden that had quite a nice atmosphere at night.

Restaurants in Gion really spare no effort when it comes to beauty.

When I reached the large hall, I saw a man smoking a cigarette in the garden’s faintly lit smoking area.

I can’t see his face from behind, but is that Ensho? The star of the party went out to smoke?

I shrugged, mildly astonished.

Ensho snuffed his cigarette out in the ashtray and came inside, seeming to have noticed my gaze. “Good evening, Aoi. Thanks for coming to the party to see me.” He brought his face close to mine and grinned.

“I didn’t come here for you.”

“Whose introduction party is this, then?”

“It’s...yours.”

“Yep, thanks.” He put on a carefree smile.

My face twitched.

“Well, I really do wanna thank you, though. Because of you guys, I got out of the shadows. Never would’ve thought I’d have my own introduction party,” he said quietly, gazing out at the garden.

Seeing him like this filled my heart with emotion. He had a gentle aura that I hadn’t felt from him before. It must have been because he was with the person he loved.

“Are you living with Yuki now?” I asked.

He looked at me with wide eyes. “No. I’m training at Yanagihara’s place.”

“Oh, you’re a live-in apprentice? Do you get to see Yuki at all?”

“Yeah, but not that much. Going all the way to Hyogo is a pain.”

“Huh?” I squeaked.

“What, did you get the wrong idea? Yuki and I ain’t lovers.”

“R-Really?”

“Well, I have slept with both men and women in my thirty years of life.”

My face stiffened. “I don’t care about that.”

“Yeah, I know.” He laughed.

Seriously, what an abnormal man.

“But Yuki is really special to you, isn’t he?”

Ensho had been sending him financial aid all this time.

“Yeah, he’s special, but I think of him as a brother. He’s the only family I can trust. Since I couldn’t go on the right path, I wanted to at least give him a respectable future in my place... No, that’s not it. I was trying to justify what I was doing by supporting him,” he said with a self-deprecating smile.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just stared at him.

“Yuki always admired me,” he continued. “He’d go, ‘Shinya, you’re cooler than the heroes on TV.’” Shinya was Ensho’s real name. “I didn’t want to destroy the hero image in his mind, and the fact that he looked up to me was what kept me going.”

It must have been similar to the envious looks that Rikyu gives Holmes.

“That might’ve been why I took up the priesthood to cleanse my sins. It didn’t work, though. Life as a monk was too dull. Then I met Holmes and I just exploded.”

So he really had been pushed to the edge.

“But really, you thought I had something going on with Yuki?” He laughed.

I blushed, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

“I’m pretty interested in you, though.”

“Huh?” I looked up, surprised.

“At first, I didn’t know why Holmes would keep you around, but I think I get it now. You’re a fine woman.”

I glared at him. He must be teasing me.

His mouth was curved in a smile, but his eyes were serious. “Well, believe it or not, I do feel indebted to Holmes, so I ain’t gonna make a move on you. But if you weren’t his, I’d definitely make you mine.”

“Wh-What?!” I wanted to say, “Well, I have no intention of being yours!” but his overwhelming aura prevented me from speaking. It was intense, like a wild beast. The owner had compared Holmes and Ensho to a dragon and a tiger, and Ensho was definitely the tiger.

“Oh?” he said when I didn’t fight back. “What, does this mean I have a chance? Let’s have a fling. You’ll see that I’m better than him.”

“Wh-What are you saying?!” I really can’t believe this man!

He laughed at my incredulous reaction. Suddenly, he looked up and caught something that was flying at him. It was a closed folding fan.

“Oh, what a scary face,” he said.

I followed his gaze and saw Holmes standing there with a terrifyingly cold look in his eyes.

“What are you doing to Aoi?” he asked in a low voice.

Ensho shrugged dramatically and replied, “I’m not gonna steal your girl, so don’t look like you’re gonna kill me. I’m grateful to you, after all. So, what’s this? That was dangerous, y’know?”

He opened the fan, revealing autumn leaves and the words “I win.” It was the fan that he had thrust at Holmes back at Genko-an Temple. Holmes had snapped it in half at the time, but it was now fully repaired—and he had secretly been displaying it in his room.

“I was going to return it to you today. I meant to hand it to you, but my grip slipped, sorry,” Holmes said with a smile.

“Just how much did it slip?!” Ensho looked down at the fan, exasperated, and sighed. “I don’t want this. If you don’t want it either, go ahead and throw it out.” He closed the fan with a quick motion and held it out to Holmes.

“If that’s the case, please dispose of it yourself,” Holmes said, frowning as if to say, “Why do I have to do it?”

Ensho grinned and said, “Well, I originally painted this for you.”

“Huh?” Holmes’s eyes widened.

Ensho opened the fan. “You saw through my forgery, so you won. I wrote this on the fan so I could give it to you if you showed up at Genko-an. So it’s yours. If you don’t want it, throw it out or burn it or whatever you like.”

“It was for me?” Even Holmes looked surprised by this revelation. “In that case, I really can’t accept it,” he said with a sigh.

Ensho narrowed his eyes as if wondering, Why not?

Holmes awkwardly looked away and said, “I only won by chance. I don’t want proof of that ‘victory.’ From now on, we’ll be competing as fellow appraisers. I’ll receive that fan when I have a decisive victory over you.”

“You’re stubborn too, eh? You might not be able to beat me anymore.” Ensho held up the fan and grinned.

“Don’t worry about that.”

Sparks flew between them, but unlike before, it was sort of touching to see them like this.

“Those autumn leaves and the landscape painting of Suzhou were undoubtedly your own work,” Holmes said. “Since you have such talent, I hope you’ll paint more of your own pictures in the future.”

“Thanks. Never thought I’d see the day when you complimented me.”

“I’d rather not, if I had the choice. Anyway, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say to you.”

“What?”

“You’ve been leering at Aoi ever since we were in the hall. From now on, if you try to flirt with my girlfriend, I’m going to crack your head open for real,” Holmes said condescendingly, crossing his arms.

“Oh, that’s what had you on edge? I wasn’t leering; I was just looking. Don’t tell me I can’t even look at her,” Ensho said with a laugh.

“No, that was leering. It’s unpleasant, so I won’t tolerate it. Also, Yanagihara was calling for you.”

“Man, tell me that sooner. Well, I’m going, then.” He ran towards the banquet hall.

“Please don’t run in a place like this,” Holmes reprimanded him. “Are you a child?” He narrowed his eyes before turning around and offering me his hand. “Shall we go?”

“Okay.”

We looked at each other and held hands tightly. It felt like a fresh breeze was blowing through my heart as I watched Ensho walking slightly ahead of us.