Chapter 197 Ichinose? (Additional update)

After taking a few groups of photos, we will go to visit Kiyomizu Temple in groups.

Following the crowd up the stone stairs and passing through the main gate, you will be astounded by the towering five-story pagoda. Looking down at the street view of Kyoto below will make you even more amazed.

It’s a pity that the entrance to Kiyomizu Temple was already crowded with students and tourists who had arrived earlier, so now we have to wait for a while before we can get in.

Many students complained about the hot weather while waiting in line.

Kyoto is a basin-shaped city with hot summers and cold winters.

But if you think about it from another perspective, the sharp difference between the cold and warm seasons brings different beautiful scenery to Kyoto in each season.

In spring, you can enjoy the cherry blossoms all over the mountains. In summer, you can sit by the Kamo River to enjoy the cool air and the lush greenery. In autumn, you can enjoy the maple leaves that dye the mountaintops a fiery red. In winter, there are snowflakes flying in the wind and mountains covered with snow.

Qingshuijian was standing at the end of the line in a daze. At this time, someone came over and talked to him.

"Shimizu-san, may I excuse me for a moment?"

Ayase Kotone stepped back from the front of the team and walked next to Shimizumi.

"what happened?"

Qingshuijian was a little confused. If she did that, wouldn't it be a waste of time waiting in line for half a day?

"Excuse me, could you please accompany me for a moment?"

"..."

Ayase Kotone's words are puzzling and easy to be misunderstood because they are pronounced the same as "Please date me" in Japanese.

Before this, Shimizu Mi had misunderstood Shimizu Reina because of this.

So to be on the safe side, Shimizu Mi first asked Ayase Kotone what was the matter.

“I have a place I want to go…”

It turned out that it was not what I thought.

"Um... although it's a bit sudden, could you please accompany me for a while, Shimizu-san?"

Qing Shuijian glanced at the endless line in front of him, then nodded: "Okay then."

"Is it really possible?"

"Well, the current team won't be able to get in for a while anyway."

With the current flow of people, the team shouldn't be making any progress in the short term.

"Thank you, Shimizu-san."

Afterwards, Shimizu followed Ayase Kotone to a smaller Buddhist temple not far from the entrance of Kiyomizu Temple.

Although it's called going to a place, it's actually only a few steps away from the main entrance. But probably because the main hall has taken away all the limelight, no one noticed it.

And even if you walk in now, it doesn't look like there's anything special inside.

Why would Ayase Kotone want to come to a place like this?
Shimizu was a little confused, because to be honest, Kyoto is famous for its temples, and there are temples, shrines and Buddhist pavilions everywhere. If the appearance is not particularly outstanding, it is difficult to leave an impression on people.

The only difference between this place and other temples and shrines is that there is an uncle outside shouting to attract tourists.

However, it is said that if you make a round of worship in the dark Buddhist temple, you can get the blessing of the gods. It seems to be called the womb pilgrimage.

I had seen Shimizumi in the tourist brochure distributed by the school before, and it seemed to be quite famous.

According to the manual, this is the "Suiqiu Hall" where the Great Suiqiu Bodhisattva is enshrined. The basement of the Suiqiu Hall is regarded as the womb of the Bodhisattva. There is no light and visitors can only move forward in the dark relying on the rosary beads on the wall.

After listening carefully to the uncle's explanation, Shimizu followed Ayase Kotone in taking off his shoes and paid the 100 yen entrance fee.

So far, the only thing that puzzles Qingshuijian is why he has to pay just to enter and pay homage?
Although the price is not high, it is still difficult to understand.

Shimizu walked up and peeked under the stairs. It was indeed very dark down there. If the underground maze in the RPG game really existed, it would probably feel like this.

"It feels a lot like a maze in an RPG game."

“It does have a strong sense of déjà vu…”

Shimizu nodded in agreement, but belatedly realized that the person he was talking to was Ayase Kotone.

Let’s not talk about Shimizu Mi for now, after all, he also plays various RPG games on a daily basis, but Ayase Kotone also seems to know a lot about it.

Although I know that she is actually drawing some adult comics in private, and seems to be a very famous artist, but could it be that she also studies games?
"Sorry, I said something weird... Well, let's go in."

As if she realized that she had said something strange, Ayase Kotone looked a little embarrassed, but because there were other tourists behind her, Shimizu Mi didn't hesitate too much and took her down the stairs first.

After going down the stairs and turning the corner, the light immediately became much dimmer. After walking a few steps forward, it was pitch dark.

"It's so dark down there..."

There was almost no light in the basement of the Buddhist temple. It was so dark that there was no difference with eyes open or closed. Shimizu could only barely tell that Ayase Kotone was in front of him by the sound.

This is clearly a Buddhist temple, but the darkness exudes an inexplicable atmosphere of horror. People who pursue an adventurous spirit would probably feel excited by this.

But obviously, Shimizu Ken is not that kind of person and would not be excited about such things.

Just in case, he held onto the rosary-shaped handrail and slowed down his pace in coordination with Ayase Kotone behind him, always keeping a distance of about half a meter from her.

It was like plunging into the darkness of an abyss. Every step was shaky, and one had to make sure there was floor in front of him first. This looked a bit like the way a penguin walks.

The eyes are completely useless here, so other organs increase their sensitivity to compensate.

At this time, the voices of several girls were heard from a few steps ahead.

The other party was mumbling, which sounded like chanting Buddha's name, which was particularly terrifying.

"Oh my god, it's so dark, so dark!"

"Wow, it's too dark in here!"

Those girls kept shouting and yelling, probably trying to give themselves courage.

The ears are not the only organs that become more sensitive; the sense of touch is also becoming more sensitive.

Shimizu continued to grope forward in the darkness, feeling the quiet atmosphere.

Because he took off his shoes before entering the basement, the coldness of the ground rushed directly to the soles of his feet, causing him to shiver instantly.

This is not just because of the low temperature, but also includes instinctive fear.

What the eyes cannot see, the hands cannot touch, the heart cannot understand, and the brain cannot comprehend all make people feel fear and anxiety.

With an unfamiliar feeling, Qingshuijian walked forward holding the large rosary beads as handrails. Suddenly, something warm fell into his hand. Qingshuijian was a little scared and stopped immediately.

Then, something hit me from behind.

"Oh, sorry, it's too dark in here..."

It was Ayase Kotone's voice. Shimizu never expected that she would actually dribble the ball into someone.

In the darkness, Ayase Kotone's hand, which was holding the handrail, touched Shimizumi's hand.

In such a dark environment, it is easy to lose the sense of distance and even the direction.

Ayase Kotone instinctively reached forward and groped for Shimizumi's arm to confirm his location.

Because they were in complete darkness, such unexpected situations were inevitable. At such times, grabbing other people's clothes or holding other people's hands to determine one's own position were all emergency response instincts, so Qingshui decided not to ask any more questions.

However, every time he had physical contact with Ayase Kotone, he would feel a little worried. Although it seemed nothing unusual, it was still a little worrying.

"Shimizu-san was so quiet, I thought you were missing."

"President, do you mean to say that I am no different from missing at ordinary times?"

Qing Shuijian made a joke casually, and a voice with some concerns came from the darkness, but it was unclear whether it was a laugh or a bitter smile.

Ayase Kotone, who is usually serious about her work, rarely laughs like this. To this day, what impressed Shimizu Mi the most is still the smile of Ayase Kotone mixed with her crying face that night.

It’s a pity that it’s dark here now, and Shimizu can’t see Ayase Kotone’s expression at this moment.

After a short episode, the two continued to move forward, but the weight hanging on Shimizu's uniform did not disappear.

After turning several corners, something appeared in the pitch-black field of vision.

It was a faint illumination, a stone illuminated by the light.

Only when he walked to the stone did Shimizu see Ayase Kotone's face clearly.

Her appearance had returned to normal, and the hand that had been holding onto Shimizu's uniform had loosened.

"I heard that you have to make a wish while turning the stone."

Qing Shuijian didn't have any particular wish to make. Apart from having a stable income in the future, a safe and peaceful family, and good health, there was nothing special he wanted to ask for.

"Have you decided what you want to wish for?"

Shimizu's careless thoughts were interrupted by Ayase Kotone's voice.

"Ah."

Although he answered like this, he actually hadn't thought of anything. Otherwise... he might as well pray that the girl in front of him wouldn't become abnormal and turn into a yandere.

"Well, Shimizu-san is over there, can we go around together?"

Shimizu nodded in agreement and turned the stone the same way one would turn a plate on a Chinese dining table.

During this time, Ayase Kotone closed her eyes tightly and made a wish with a very serious expression.

After turning the stone, she clapped her hands twice, but that was clearly etiquette when visiting a shrine...

However, it was this action that made Shimizu Mi inadvertently notice that Ayase Kotone seemed to be holding something in the palm of her right hand.

When she closed her eyes and made a wish just now, her palm was tightly holding that thing.

"Shimizu-san, let's go."

"Um……"

For some reason, after making a wish, Ayase Kotone showed a spirited expression. She carefully put the object in her palm back into her uniform pocket, walked forward first, and entered the darkness again.

This stone seemed to be the end of the passage. Qingshuijian walked forward a few steps and saw a slightly glowing exit.

It was only a few minutes, but the faint light coming from the stairs made me miss the past.

The girls walking in front of Qingshuijian, who saw the light again, also breathed a sigh of relief.

They climbed up the stairs and came back outside, and they all stretched their bodies at the same time.

"How is it? Do you feel like you've been reborn?"

The uncle sitting at the counter asked in a Kansai accent.

"Oh my, this is so cool! Is this considered a complete transformation?"

Girls nowadays really dare to speak out.

Qing Shuijian, who came out of the exit, happened to hear their conversation.

I checked the time on my phone and found that not much time had passed, only about five minutes at most.

Shimizu Mitsuki is not so naive as to think that he can be reborn in this way. Even climbing Mount Everest is difficult to change a person.

Assuming that something has really changed, everything that has accumulated from the past to the present has already become a foregone conclusion.

No matter how big the change is, it will be no different if it does not reverse past failures.

Life is a short period of history. The time spent on earth and the accumulated experiences will shape a person. If one wants to be reborn, he must completely eliminate that person's past and history.

However, this is impossible, so people cannot expect to be reborn.

Because there is no option of "starting over again" in life.

"By the way, uncle, where are the friends who were waiting for us here just now?"

The girls who came out first asked the uncle sitting at the counter.

"Friend? Oh, is it that pretty girl?"

"Yes, yes, we agreed to wait here."

As expected, good looks are a person's greatest feature. Just a glance at someone on the street can leave a deep impression on people. Even if you don't know the other person's name, as long as someone asks, you will naturally think that the other person may be asking about that person.

This is really touching.

"So you guys know her. I've never seen such a pretty girl in my life... Ah, she's just as pretty as that girl over there."

The uncle at the counter looked towards Shimizu Ken, and there was no doubt that he was referring to Ayase Kotone.

The girls also looked over.

Ayase Kotone felt a little uncomfortable being suddenly stared at by a group of people with scrutinizing eyes. She frowned slightly, stepped back a little, and hid herself behind Shimizumi.

But despite her best efforts to hide it, her beauty as one of the heroines of the game cannot be concealed.

However, the girl who was mentioned by the uncle just now who was as beautiful as Ayase Kotone made Shimizu Mi a little curious about what the person who was mentioned as beautiful as Ayase Kotone looked like.

The girls looked at Ayase Kotone for a few more times, then looked away and questioned the man at the counter:
"So uncle, where is our friend now?"

The uncle at the counter fanned himself and shrugged his shoulders: "How would I know? Not long before you came up, she received a phone call and walked downstairs in a hurry."

“Huh? Is this true? I had an appointment with Ichinose, why did she suddenly leave…”

The sighs of several girls were clearly heard by Qingshuijian.

“Ichinose?!”

The name that he hadn't heard for a long time made Qing Shuijian's pupils dilate unconsciously.

It shouldn't be... right?

My heart couldn't help but feel moved.

No, if you think about it carefully, Ichinose is just a surname. There are so many people with this surname in Japan, it can't be such a coincidence.

Qingshuijian shook his head, put it aside and stopped thinking about it, then looked in the direction of Kiyomizu Temple. The long queues that had been formed before had begun to pour in one after another, and many students had already entered.

"President, let's go quickly, otherwise...President?"

Shimizu turned around and suddenly found that Ayase Kotone, who was standing behind him just now, was nowhere to be seen.

(End of this chapter)