••• Tokiwa was close and there was nowhere to hide. no matter where Itsuki went, Tokiwa would find him again. •••

For the first time, Itsuki Hashimoto would be able to see the house in the real life.

He'd been driving up the mountain for so long, the road now almost seemed flat to him. As he drove carefully through the heavy snow fall, Itsuki's brow furrowed. The road looked old and cracked, edged with white lines that were mostly worn away. There was no space on the sides for walking, just thick green brush that ran into the forest.

Did he already pass the house? Maybe the directions were wrong. Maybe it was that one over there. Maybe he completely missed it.

Should he turn around and go back?

Itsuki scanned the road ahead. It was impossible to see into the forest, but it was hard to believe a house

could actually exist back there.

Judging by the road signs, he was on the right track, and as the winding road continued, he decided to push on to the mountain's summit.

Feeling a bit lost, Itsuki stepped on the accelerator. Suddenly, the road opened up before him. He couldn't see beyond the trees in the forest, but he could clearly see the surrounding area. It looked like the land had once been rice paddies, but had been neglected for quite some time. Only tall pale grass swayed there now.

In the middle of this scene, a mysterious old farmhouse appeared. Itsuki pulled over to the shoulder double-checked his map, and breathed a sigh of relief

He'd driven the company car many times before but never by himself for two and a half hours. Suddenly he realized how nervous he'd been. His fingers ached they gripped the steering wheel. Though it was freezing cold outside, his palms were sweaty and he knew then that the bad weather wasn't the only reason for his anxiety.

Itsuki glanced in the rear-view mirror. As usual, some of his long black hair had worked loose from his ponytail. He had started growing his hair eight years ago. Now it was all the way down his back, an unusual length for a man But by now, he was used to being stared at in public.

Though it might sound ridiculous to sound ridiculous to an outsider Itsuki's employer wouldn't let him cut his hair. Once a month, Itsuki snipped off the ends, making sure his hair looked neat and tidy

As he fixed his ponytail in the mirror, Itsuki noticed that his face looked rather pinched. He adjusted his tie and stepped on the accelerator again. Turning on his blinkers, he entered the garden in front of the house He parked carefully, making sure not to block the RV already parked there, then got out of the car with his

briefcase.

Only in the country would you find a garden this big, with so many different types of trees. Some were even taller than the house, and must have been here before the owner had bought the place. Most of the trees and shrubs had lost their leaves by now, and were

covered with a blanket of snow. The wintry landscape looked both desolate and beautiful.

After admiring the garden, Itsuki approached the front door. Standing under the eaves, he brushed the snow from his sleeves and rang the doorbell, which looked strangely new compared to the rest of the house.

Itsuki waited, but no one answered. He rang the bell again, but he couldn't hear it inside the house. Maybe the power was out. He glanced up at the wooden nameplate, crudely carved with the name "Masatsugu Tokiwa".

He suddenly recalled that the black RV was only dusted with snow. He thought back to the general store where he'd stopped for directions half an hour ago.

"You're looking for Tokiwa, eh? The artist who lives on the mountain?" the shopkeeper had said. "Just drive all the way to the top. It's a big house, you can't miss it. If an RV's parked in the garden, someone should be home."

The middle-aged shopkeeper had been surprised by Itsuki's stylish appearance.

"Are you a man or a woman?" he inquired looking at Itsuki with fascination. The area had once been a popular vacation spot, so the man was used to strangers. Maybe that was why Tokiwa had built his workshop here.

Should I just turn back? Itsuki wondered. Suddenly, he heard a sound from inside the house. He stood up straight as the door opened

"Hashimoto?" a tall man gasped, squinting at Itsuki.

Itsuki hadn't seen Tokiwa in ages. He had expected that reaction so he politely bowed his head.

"Sorry for coming by without warning," he said sincerely. "But can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Are you alone?" Tokiwa muttered, looking at Itsuki like he was some bizarre creature

"Yes," Itsuki assured him.

"What about Kasaoka? Yamabe-sensei didn't come with you?" Tokiwa persisted in asking.

Kasaoka is home with Yamabe-sensei," Itsuki explained. "He didn't want to leave him alone. Why do you ask?

Well I'm just surprised they let you do something all by yourself."

There was a teasing frankness to Tokiwa's tone that left Itsuki at a loss for words.

Yasuyuki Yamabe, the noted sculptor and businessman, had two personal secretaries. The junior assistant, handling scheduling and various errands while Kasaoka was Yamabe's senior assistant and Itsuki's supervisor. No wonder Tokiwa thought it was strange for Itsuki to travel alone, but Itsuki still felt bothered by Tokiwa snide tone.

Nevertheless, Itsuki's job always came first before his hurt feelings. He raised his chin and looked up at Tokiwa

"I travel on my own when necessary," he said. "I came here today at Yamabe's request."

Tokiwa suddenly looked bored.

"So what brings you here?" he asked. "What did they send you to do all by yourself?

"I have a message from Yamabe," Itsuki answered.

"So you just dropped by? Tokiwa said in an astonished tone. "What would you have done if I wasn't here?"

Itsuki took an envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Tokiwa. He kept quiet as Tokiwa studied the envelope and broke the seal with one long finger.

Masatsugu Tokiwa was an up-and-coming young sculptor whose fame just kept growing. He had worked abroad for some time and had even received a coveted award for his work. Before going off on his own, Tokiwa had been one of Yamabe's students and they still kept in touch.

Which was why Kasaoka had told Itsuki he wouldn't need an appointment to see Tokiwa. Itsuki

wondered if that was wise, but did as told.

Tokiwa liked Yamabe as a sculptor, but not as a man. He never made any effort to contact Yamabe. So even if Itsuki had tried to make an appointment with him, Tokiwa probably would have refused.

Tokiwa drew his eyebrows together and focused his attention on the letter. Itsuki held his breath, watching Tokiwa's harsh profile. The last time they had seen each

other was six months ago, at the opening of a mutual friend's art show. Tokiwa had said hello to Yamabe, then avoided him for the rest of the evening. Though Itsuki

had been with Yamabe that night, Tokiwa and Itsuki rarely talked to each other one-on-one