14 April 2014
On the next day.
Early morning, Minoru was already awake. Because the night sky was different from the city, everyone stayed awake until midnight last night. He knew that it would take some time, and they would wake up really late.
'I think at 11 we'll go to that place and probably come back at 3.'
If he were doing this alone, he would have finished it yesterday. But then, he brought kids here.
He sighed as the puff of cold smoke came out of him. It's decided. Minoru took his portable fishing equipment and went to the river. Thankfully, the river was close to the campsite, so he didn't have to worry. As he waited for the fish to take the bait, he thought about it again.
The ghost had told him the coordinates.
But why?
It was hard to believe that something sent him to check that place. Minoru wasn't sure about the ghost either. What was it? It was more like gravitational gravity. But who placed it there in his kid's bedroom?
Screech
From behind, he heard something and got ready to take out his pocket knife. As he waited, he let his guard down a bit when he saw her.
"Alisa…"
"Ojii-san?"
It was the little girl who, yesterday, talked with him out of the blue and later became their guide here.
"I told you, right? I'm not Ojii-san."
Alisa smiled a little and then sat beside him.
"What are you doing here?"
"Fishing breakfast."
"Sounds fishy. That's right… what are you interested in with that place?"
"Finding a ghost."
Alisa frowned, "Are you serious?"
"I'm being serious. More importantly, kid… you're getting along pretty well with them, but I heard you don't have a friend here."
"Huh? Who said those things?"
"Can't give you my informant."
Alisa sighed, "Don't mind it. I know it was Mitsuha…"
Minoru smiled as he watched the river, "I couldn't imagine a first grader becoming a guide to the wild. How far do you play around?"
Alisa hummed as she stared at the river, "Pretty far. For your information, I'm not a kid. I'm different from them, alright."
"Smart kids are still kids in my eyes. But playing around in the wild is dangerous for a kid. You might meet a hungry bear."
Alisa chuckled, "I'm pretty confident about it."
Minoru glanced at her, "Really stubborn cheeky little brat. Being prideful is alright, but you can't even handle the cold, huh? You didn't even wear your jacket."
"Humph… this kind of thing is nothing for me."
Minoru sighed as he watched cold smoke coming out of her. He took his red scarf and wrapped it around her neck.
"I didn't ask for anything about this."
"If you get sick, it'll be troublesome. Use it, and you don't have to return it."
Alisa's cheeks flushed red as she shyly buried her mouth behind the scarf and mumbled slowly, "How annoying…"
---
11:37 AM
As he expected, they continued their journey to the shrine, probably too late.
"Jeez… I'm still sleepy," Ai said, rubbing her eyes as they walked.
"Mama, you were too excited about stargazing," Ruby said, looking at her while sitting on Minoru's shoulders.
"But the sky is clearer compared to Tokyo, right?! More importantly, is it okay to leave Ichigo-san and Miyako-san behind?" Ai then hummed out loud.
"Ichigo-san is more interested in fishing. He said that this place is good for his hobby," Aqua said as he looked around. "Alisa, are you sure this is the right way? I mean, when I was with Mitsuha, Grandma didn't use this road."
Alisa clicked her tongue, "It's Alisa-san, you little. This way is faster than that way. Anyway, I know where we're going."
As they chatted, Minoru looked at his tools to see if he could detect something.
"Dad, whatcha' doin'?" Ruby peeked a little.
"Just checking this place."
"What for?"
"We might find the ghost here."
"The same one as the ghost in my bedroom?"
"Yes, that one."
But then, he didn't find anything. He expected there would be something Rachel mentioned about the gate on Mars, but he didn't find anything strange. He didn't even find the same gravitational anomaly that happened in his kids' bedroom.
But Ruby noticed something while she sat on his shoulders, particularly his neck.
"Dad, do all men have big necks like you? Your neck is like… hm, I feel like I'm sitting on a tree trunk, you know?"
"Of course not."
"Why not?"
"Because not all men are interested in training their necks."
"Then why do you train it? Does it feel uncomfortable? It looks like you have trouble turning your head."
"So, I could carry your mo—cough! I mean, if I have a strong neck, I can easily withstand gravitational forces and other advantages. Of course, I can still turn my head normally."
"That sounds troublesome. What does that even mean… gravity what?"
"It's a…"
Minoru couldn't possibly say that he trained his neck so it couldn't break easily in a hand-to-hand fight and, more importantly, when he was in an intense dogfight with another fighter jet, which constantly made him feel strong G-forces around his neck.
"Sometimes, Dad visits a racetrack and drives a racing car. If you look at racing drivers, usually they have thicker and stronger necks compared to others."
"Whooo! I see! Mama told me that you like driving a car like a maniac."
"Haha, wait—where did you learn that word, sweetheart?"
Time passed as they all managed to climb the mountain and arrive at the shrine.
"This place… a volcano?" Ai tilted her head.
"It looks like that, but this crater was made by a meteor," Minoru said as he looked down.
"Whoa…"
"That place is the shrine," Alisa said as she looked at it.
Ruby raised her brow, "Wait, I thought it was a building."
"Well, it doesn't have to be. That's right, are we sure that the ghost in our bookshelf pointed out this place?"
Aqua looked at Minoru, who nodded, "Well, the GPS didn't lie about it. Let's find out what they wanted to tell us about."
The place is a mountain with a big crater. The crater is filled with greenery and a pool of water. In the center of it is a lonely big rock and a tree. Even though Alisa didn't tell them where the shrine was before, with just a glance, they knew where it was.
The exact place called the shrine was located under the rock. To enter it, there's a ladder made of rock formation that leads them to a big underground cave.
"Whoa!"
"Minoru-kun! Take a picture of me and the kids. Hurry up!"
"Okay, stay still."
Minoru hummed. Besides everyone waking up at noon, the reason why he was behind schedule was that every time there was a good place, this woman always stopped to take a photo together. Well, actually, he didn't mind it, but at this rate…
"At this rate, we'll be late for the comet, right?"
"It's okay, this won't take long!"
After some time, Minoru and Ai placed the bottles in the sacred tomb that was prepared to respect the shrine. After that, he finally could see what this place was about.
"Minoru-kun, did you find anything?" Ai looked at him as Minoru sighed, "I didn't find any…"
"It's just a cave with bats," Aqua looked at it but suddenly, "Uwaaaa!"
The bats suddenly flew outside the cave and scared Aqua, causing him to fall.
"Pfft…" Ruby giggled, "Scared of little bats?"
"Shut it! I was just scared when they suddenly moved!" Aqua flushed hard.
"Last time around there were no bats, hm…" Alisa looked around, unamused.
"Tch… now my butt reeks of bat dirt," Aqua, who had fallen to the ground, tried to get up but then looked at the ceiling, "Hey..." he focused his flashlight on it, "I found something."
"This is…" Ai looked at it, mouth agape, "...a painting?"
The painting looked like a mountain landscape at night with a big light that split into two.
"Aren't those... comets?" Aqua said as he hummed, "Look, there are two of them."
"No…" Minoru said as he pointed at it, "This one is bigger than the one in the back because this painting was drawn with perspective—" He paused as he remembered something.
"Come to think of it, isn't a comet supposed to pass by today?" Ruby said as she tilted her head, then looked at Minoru and saw him making a serious face.
"This is just a painting, right?" Ai said worriedly.
"Maybe. Aqua, you're taking a picture, right?"
"Ah, yes. I already took it."
Minoru then picked up Ruby. She was confused about this and asked,
"Dad?"
"I'm sorry kids, vacation ends here. We're going home."
It wasn't just him.
Ai somehow felt a chill inside her bones.
---
2:57 PM
That painting he saw on the cave ceiling.
Minoru was sure he would not understand what the painting literally meant. If they were trying to convince him by witnessing all of this first, he might not believe the painting.
Furthermore, he was convinced about something when he talked with Grandma.
They came back to the village around 3, where they saw everyone ready to enjoy the festival.
But instead of enjoying it, they went to Mitsuha's house to talk to Grandma. Right now, all of them were sitting on tatami.
"Meteor comes from a comet?"
"That's right, ma'am. Even as you said before, all the records were turned to ash by a big fire. However, there's still one left."
He showed her a picture.
"We found it in the deepest part of the cave by accident. By any chance, does Madam know something about this?"
Grandma lowered her gaze, "N-No, I didn't. It's the first time I've seen this."
If he thought about it, it might be just a painting. But he brushed this idea aside.
These days, he witnessed anomalies like body switches, the books falling from bookshelves, and a falling sandbox that later formed a coordinate in binary code that led him to this place.
This being called a ghost seems to be messing up his family by throwing supernatural stuff at them, but for what? He is also one of the few people in this world who knows about the gate to another world that formed on Mars.
These ghosts...
He's not sure if all of this came from one source or many. But, it's better not to take any risks.
"Grandma, you always say that the meaning of the festival is unknown, right? Yanagi-san, what if that's true? If the comet split and fell to this place?"
Seeing Mitsuha worried like that, Ai turned to Minoru, who said, "I'm not sure. There's no proof of this either."
If that painting they just saw is a record of a catastrophe from thousands of years ago, this might be just a warning from the past that the same thing can happen in the future. Time is ticking. Within just a few hours, the same comet that made Itomori Lake will pass by the Earth.
"This is mad," Ichigo said as he felt a chill, "Should we just get out first?"
"W-What about the others?" Mitsuha stuttered.
"If it's just us, there won't be a problem. However, it might be hard to convince others when everyone is already preparing for the festival. We don't know if people will believe us since, as Yanagi-san said, there's no proof of it."
Miyako paled as the room became completely silent.
"Yanagi-san, w-what should we do about this?" Mitsuha said as everyone looked at him.
"Looking at this situation, I think convincing everyone to evacuate is hard. But if the mayor talks to them, that'll be different. Did I say something wrong?"
When he mentioned the mayor of this town, she became uncertain. Since Minoru already checked her background, he knew that Mitsuha's father was the current mayor of Itomori. Then, family matters?
"If I ask my father about this, I don't know what kind of reaction he'll have, but it'll be hard to convince him," Mitsuha said sadly.
"That's right. My stupid son-in-law will certainly refuse it since he hates the shrine because my daughter passed away. I can guess he'll say that this is just another Miyamizu shrine doctrine. Therefore, young man… I know what I'm asking is something rude when we barely met yesterday…" Suddenly, Grandma bowed her head as everyone widened their eyes, "Can I ask you a favor to save this village again?"
"Me too! Please, help us, Yanagi-san!" Mitsuha said and followed her grandma, "My father is very stubborn, and he won't listen to us no matter what we say, but if it's Yanagi-san…"
It was just mere speculation and a gamble.
He could ask Rachel for verification. By using the tools that the Space Exploration Company had in Luxemburg, it might be possible to predict if the comet might break and leave fragments on Earth. However, there was no time left since the comet would show up in about three hours.
By then, he wasn't sure if Rachel could find anything about it. And if somehow, they succeeded in revealing this to the public and saved Itomori, the company's value would skyrocket even before they went to Mars.
But for what? Company value?
For Minoru, he didn't have to risk his life and his family to prove if this was real or just fake old tales. Even Grandma bowed her head down. The risk was too high.
"Minoru-kun… could you do something about this?"
Glancing to his left, he found Ai looking at him, expecting something from him. After all, she knew that he might be capable of talking with Mitsuha's father because Minoru saved the village from the drone incident.
But looking at him, she somehow knew that he wouldn't risk anything that would endanger them. As a parent like him, she understood that feeling well. But after all the supernatural things that had happened and knowing about Mitsuha, it was hard to leave them without even trying.
"I'm…"
When Minoru was about to say something, his mouth halted as he felt a gaze from someone he held dear. He looked and saw four people peeking through the gap in the door.
He knew they were Ruby, Aqua, Alisa, and Mitsuha's little sister.
However, what was important was the gaze that Ruby gave him.
He knew that his kids were bright and understood things kids normally wouldn't understand.
Let's say, if he refused to help Itomori and went home, and if the comet's fragment hit Itomori, and his daughter watched the news where the people of Itomori died.
Minoru's imagination began to run wild.
Dad, I thought you were something else, but that's it? All you can do is run? I was hoping you'd help Mitsuha and the others! Ugh! I hate you! Don't come near me again!
It's decided.
"Please raise your head, Ma'am, Mitsuha… we'll help Itomori overcome this catastrophe the best we can."
As he said it, everyone seemed washed with a wave of relief.
"Thank you, young man."
"Yanagi-san! Thank you so much!"
---
"James, are you a hundred percent sure about this?"
"Let's say, I'm not sure about the painting. That's why I want you to take a look at the comet. But the data I'm sending to you is solid."
"Dear me… I can't believe... gravitational anomaly happened in my grandchild's bedroom. Also, what is this? I didn't even expect that you were involved in the US drone incident. Is everyone alright?"
"My kids and my wife are safe, Rachel."
"That's good to hear. I didn't like this at all when my daughter and grandchild got involved in this. But, the data you gave might bring us closer to understanding the mysterious gate on Mars. Well, I can't promise you any result, but give me one hour."
"Copy that."
The talk with Mitsuha's grandma cost him half an hour, and the comet was estimated to pass by in two and a half hours. Right now, he was contacting Rachel and telling her what was happening. He wanted Rachel to find out if the comet would break and predict its trajectory.
"James…"
Minoru could hear Rachel's voice in his left ear, sounding firm.
"If something happens, make sure you save them and yourself first."
What Rachel meant by 'them' was his family and not Itomori, and Minoru knew what she meant. Well, the plan was simple. He would help evacuate the people to a safe place. If they didn't want to be safe, it wasn't his problem.
"Understood."
He said and ended the call.
"Ah! You're here!"
He glanced back and saw Ai walking toward him.
"Why are you dressed like that? Didn't I say we were about to end Itomori's festival sooner?"
"Don't be so stiff, Minoru-kun. At least we want to enjoy the festival just a little. Look at this kimono, does it suit me?"
Ai said with a grin on her face, waving her sleeve of pink kimono. Besides, the silver hair wig he gave her also made her look different than usual.
"It looks good on you. But don't forget to wear a mask since you're still an idol."
"Hehe~ I know that already. Oh, Minoru-kun. Here! Wear this black hakama. Hurry!"
He accepted the hakama as Ai smiled at him.
"Minoru-kun, I didn't expect that you'd accept it."
"Nah, I'm just doing it for my daughter."
"Look at you. Somehow, it's bad to spoil my daughter too much, you know?"
Ai pouted but then she smiled again.
"Dad!"
He widened his eyes as Ruby walked to him, wearing a kimono. In the background, Aqua and Alisa followed Ruby, wearing traditional clothes.
"How is it?! Looks cute huh?"
Ruby said, smiling at him, and he thought, I've got to protect that smile.
Well, Minoru was confident about it since he had everything up his sleeve and lots of ways to do so.
It wasn't his style to become a hero if it didn't give him any profit.
For example, Minoru once saved people in Mexico, and that action also saved the world from a pandemic. This catastrophe, if he thought rationally, also gave him a lot of profit.
More importantly, he wouldn't disappoint Ruby no matter what.
---
Miyamizu Toshiki sighed internally but kept his two-faced demeanor intact, a skill honed from years as a politician.
"Miyamizu-san, we're grateful for your cooperation in evacuating our drone. My country will remember this with gratitude," said Colonel Benjamin Canopus, the man overseeing the drone crash retrieval operation.
"Of course, Colonel. We are both patriots who will do anything for our countries. I understand that feeling well," Toshiki replied smoothly.
At the moment, Toshiki was in conversation with Colonel Canopus. Internally, though, he was irritated.
'Sigh… these foreigners. They always do as they please in my country.'
It had been a long day for him, juggling the demands of national defense and foreign military personnel, all while ensuring the secrecy of the drone that had landed in Itomori Lake.
Furthermore, they had decided to block public access to the area, which annoyed him. Initially, he saw the incident as an opportunity to promote Itomori, leveraging the news of a low-flying airplane and the drone crash to gain media attention and, ideally, more funding for the town. Now, his plans were thwarted by the need for secrecy.
"Excuse me, sir..."
His secretary interrupted his thoughts, entering the office with urgent news.
"Sir, someone is here to see you and insists on meeting you immediately."
"Who is this rude person? We have important guests here. Send him away," Toshiki responded impatiently.
"About that, sir. The person is Yanagi Minoru-sensei, the one who helped land the drone before."
Both Toshiki and Benjamin widened their eyes.
"I'm fine with it, Miyamizu-san. Also, I can't let the Professor wait while we're only chatting casually here," Benjamin said.
"Ah, how generous of you, Colonel," Toshiki replied.
"That's not it, Miyamizu-san. I'm doing this because the Professor is important to us," Benjamin corrected him.
Us? Toshiki understood that clearly.
"I see… then, please escort him here, and we might need more tea for our esteemed guest," Toshiki said, pausing to consider how he could turn this unexpected visit to his advantage.
---
A/N:
With just a few chapters left, I'll end this arc soon!