Solnus 29. This Will Be a Long Night, Seira! Kokuhaku (Love Confession) or Kimitsu Kaijo (Declassification)?

70 days, or 2 months and approximately 9 days, before the Circumadversum Omatsuri, one afternoon.

Seira Ito Fotiou enjoyed another private plane trip. The charter fee was once again paid by Yuukyuritoo Mitsuishi. Not only did these two things repeat themselves, but this time the manager of the music group where she worked also revealed that he preferred Seira to comply with Yuukyuritoo's requests.

Seira, gazing out the plane window at the time, recalled, "It was only about six months ago that I met that man. We met when our band performed at a company anniversary. It was only about three months ago that I accepted Mitsuishi-san's first date."

Seira thought, “After I accepted his invitation to travel around Tokyo, Mitsuishi-san frequently contacted me on the phone and chatted with me. He also often sent me gifts.”

Seira asked, “I don’t know. I feel like he doesn’t really love me—or maybe he doesn’t have any feelings for me at all. But why do I feel like he’s so serious about pursuing me?”

(000)

It was 70 days, or 2 months and about 9 days, before the Omatsuri Circumadversum, one late afternoon.

Seira had arrived at a small airport on Yonaguni Island. From there, she was picked up by a female driver who then drove her to a luxury multi-purpose vehicle. As the car moved, Seira, sitting in the captain’s seat in the second row of the premium minivan, tried to engage the driver.

But the driver declined Seira’s invitation and politely said, “Excuse me, Miss Fotiou. My job here is only to take you to your destination.”

Seira's journey wasn't boring, as she enjoyed the scenic streets of Yonaguni Island. However, she only enjoyed it briefly, as the car arrived at its destination in just a dozen minutes.

As the delivery car entered an open gate, Seira wondered, "Wait! This doesn't look like a restaurant or a hotel. This looks like a private home."

Seira recalled Yuukyuritoo's request and concluded, "Yes, from the start, Mitsuishi-san never said they would meet in a public place. He simply invited me to meet on this island, with all the travel expenses covered. Plus, with my manager also encouraging me to go to this island, I ultimately agreed to meet him on this island."

When the car was parked, Seira didn't immediately get out. She checked her bags. Inside one of her most luxurious bags, she found her TASER and pepper spray, which she used for self-defense. At the same time, the female driver got out of the driver's seat and opened the second-row door for Seira. With a polite smile and a sweet smile, the driver said, "Please, Miss Fotiou."

Seira returned the driver's smile. She then followed the woman through an inner gate made of an edge. The driver escorted Seira to a dining table.

Two chairs were already seated near the dining table. On the table were several dishes, including Seira's favorite foods and drinks: almonds, lemon, and Clitoria Ternatea flower tea. The driver quickly excused himself, and shortly thereafter, Seira heard a familiar voice.

"Miss Fotiou, welcome," Yuukyurito Mitsuishi approached the table. Yuukyurito was wearing trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. A waistcoat completed his appearance.

Seira greeted the man before her, "Good afternoon, Mitsuishi-san."

Yuukyurito sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for Seira to sit in the other. "Please, please, Miss Fotiou."

After Seira sat down, Yuukyuritoo asked, "How was the trip, Miss Fotiou?"

Seira answered honestly, "It was very enjoyable. I thank Mitsuishi-san for providing me with such a luxurious trip, a trip that was unusual for me."

Yuukyuritoo smiled and replied, "I'm very happy Miss Fotiou brought up travel. Honestly, traveling by private plane isn't really considered unusual, as there are other people who enjoy that kind of transportation."

Seira didn't respond, while Yuukyuritoo continued, "Unusual transportation, for example, a boat that resembles a bowl."

Seira frowned, not understanding why Yuukyuritoo would mention bowl boats. But in a split second, Seira remembered a boat that was typical of the island where she worked. The woman asked, "Bowl boats? Mitsuishi-san means Tarai-bune?"

Tarai-bune are traditional Japanese boats made from Japanese cypress wood, also known as madake and sugi. The boats are shaped like bathtubs or large wooden barrels and are controlled by oars. The familiar shape of the boat makes it effective for maneuvering in shallow waters and narrow bays.

Tarai-bune boats originally served as a means of transportation for fishermen to find seafood such as shellfish, seaweed, and abalone. These foods are often found in areas difficult to reach by regular boats, such as rocky coastlines. Nowadays, these boats have also become a tourist attraction, offering tourists boat rides around the bay.

Tarai-bune were originally used throughout western Japan. However, with the advancement of technology, their presence has dwindled. In the modern era, the only remaining tarai-bune are found on Sado Island.

Yuukyuritoo answered Siera's final question, "Not a tarai-bune. Not the typical Sado Island boat where Miss Fotiou is currently working."

Sado Island is indeed the base of the music group where Seira currently works. This island is located in eastern Japan. It covers an area of ​​approximately 855 square kilometers and is the largest of the islands in the Sea of ​​Japan. The shape of the island resembles an upside-down "S" or "Z."

The place where Seira currently works is a taiko music group. Taiko is a traditional Japanese drum-like instrument. Taiko has historically been played during festivals or ceremonies, or matsuri. However, today, many taiko groups perform as performing arts.

Taiko is known as an energetic percussion art form. That's why the taiko group Seira currently requires its players to maintain good health and maintain good shape. Furthermore, their players must be disciplined in their practice.

Seira became interested in taiko groups when she was in high school. During her college years, she interned at a software company that was collaborating on developing a taiko game. This further fueled Seira's interest in taiko.

Thanks to her musical talent, particularly drumming, strong determination, and strong discipline, Seira was accepted into a taiko group based on Sado Island. Besides her musical performance, Seira also gained significant recognition for her fluent English and ability to manage the group's website. It's no wonder why she was able to qualify for membership with a shorter probationary period than the other members.

At this point, Seira needed to ask Yuukyuritoo about "-bune" or "boat." "Not tarai-bune? What does Mitsuishi-san mean?"

Yukyuuritoo replied, "The bune I'm referring to is a bune that appeared hundreds of years ago."

Seira asked again, demanding an explicit answer, "What bune is that?"

Yuukyuritoo didn't immediately respond to Seira's question with a verbal answer. He chose to roll up part of the long sleeve that covered his left wrist. Then, Yuukyuritoo revealed something on that wrist, making Seira shudder.

The dangling strands that appeared on Yuukyuritoo's wrist caused Seira to react with a scream, "Oh my! Mitsuishi-san, what is that?!"

Yuukyuritoo explained, "The bune I'm referring to by the bune that appeared hundreds of years ago is the bune associated with this strange creature in my hand. That bune is the Utsuro-bune."