Chapter 79
Chapter 79
The God of the Pine Room, Part 3
The Pine House stood as if blending into the dense woods.
Most of the roof tiles had fallen off, and the plaster coating had been torn by wind and rain, exposing a rib-like framework. The veranda was broken and slanted, merging with the earth below and sprouting grass.
Rokuhara spoke calmly.
"Hard to believe this used to be a mansion. It's tragic."
"You don't really think that."
"Even if I did, there's nothing I could do."
Uyuu sighed and pushed aside the weeds. As he approached the house and looked back, he saw Rokuhara following him, not caring that his suit was getting muddy.
"What's wrong?"
"No, I was just thinking you've got some nerve for a desk worker."
"I'm from the countryside too, so I'm not bothered by dirt or grass."
Uyuu shrugged. He remembered the village that worshipped a solitary god—Rokuhara's hometown—which had suffered devastating damage due to the actions of him, Katagishi, and the others. He recalled how Umemura had worked tirelessly on the aftermath.
If only Kirima had been as insensitive as this man, maybe he could've handled what happened in his hometown—and everything after—with a bit more ease. Uyuu shook his head to dispel the wandering thoughts.
Just then, a white figure flitted past in front of him.
Uyuu instinctively stepped back. Rokuhara, who had caught up from behind, squinted.
"Was it a bug?"
Through the rotting trees that blocked their view like a cage, the main hall of the Pine House came into sight.
Through the torn shoji, decayed tatami and peeled wallpaper could be seen. The folding screen in the back was mostly destroyed, but a painting of a pine tree over gold leaf remained.
"That must be the origin of the Pine House's name."
At Rokuhara's words, Uyuu shook his head. Only he could see it.
In front of the decayed folding screen stood something clad in a white kimono. It wasn't human. From the collar of the funeral-like garment protruded not a neck, but a thick pine trunk. In place of a face and hair, pine needles sharp as needles grew in a dense cluster.
"The God of the Pine Room..."
At Uyuu's murmur, the god slowly stirred. His vision distorted.
The form of the God of the Pine Room blurred, and countless faces like withered Chinese lanterns and sharp claws appeared. The form of the God of Abundant Fruit warped again.
The grotesque Divine Statue seen in the village of the Feeding God, made of collected tumors. The God of the Calling Tide, writhing with four-pronged tentacles. The stained glass of the chapel. Bloodstains soaking into the floor. Gunshots.
Uyuu stepped back and clutched his head. Fragments of memories he didn't want to recall stabbed into his mind. Rokuhara's voice rang out.
"Kirima?"
Uyuu quickly looked up. Before him stood the god adorned with pine wood. In the mass of branches without eyes or mouth, he thought he saw a familiar expression.
The look of resolve on Reizei and Kirima's faces before they were erased by the god.
"I see..."
Uyuu stepped forward with unsteady legs and placed his hand on the tilted veranda as if collapsing. He realized the God of the Pine Room was looking down at him. From beneath the hem of the old white robe, feet like tree roots peeked out. Uyuu touched the gnarled toes.
"You're waiting, aren't you? For the master of the house to return. That's why you scare off those who come to interfere... I get it. I'm the same way."
The god remained silent. From the green, needle-like thicket, a single pine cone fell and rolled onto the veranda. It looked like a tear.
Before he realized it, the God of the Pine Room had vanished without a trace. Uyuu gently straightened up. Rokuhara was still staring at him with his unreadable expression.
"Are you all right?"
Uyuu adjusted his collar and straightened his back.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I understand what the god really is—and how to deal with it."
Sitting on a tree-shaped bench at a rest area on the edge of the village, Rokuhara nodded at Uyuu's words.
"So, the God of the Pine Room took the form of things that would frighten those who meant harm to the house or village?"
"Yeah, I thought it was strange from the first round of interviews."
Uyuu said as he exhaled cigarette smoke.
"The middle-aged woman who saw a snake said she hated frogs. The boy who went to clean the shed to chase away bugs saw a spider. The man who claimed to have encountered his vanished father spoke ill of his adoptive father rather than his biological one."
"I see... So what they saw and what they feared were different."
"Right. The God of the Pine Room mimicked the natural enemy of the one who posed harm."
"Snakes prey on frogs, spiders eat pests, and maybe the man's guilt toward his biological father made him fear him more than his adoptive one."
"Exactly. The god was protecting the villagers who believed in it by scaring off intruders. If we protect that house, the god should calm down too."
"So that's why it's called 'Pine'?"
"Because it's 'waiting' for the master to return."
Rokuhara slightly raised the corner of his mouth, but quickly returned to a serious expression.
"A pun? I thought it referred to the sacred pine drawn in Noh theaters. They say gods dwell in it, and performers dance facing the god."
"...That might be it too."
Uyuu lit a second cigarette as if to deflect the comment.
Rokuhara stared at the glowing tip.
"Even after seeing that god, I didn't see anything... But I did briefly think of my younger brother."
"Katagishi?"
"I don't know why. I don't think I'm afraid of him. Oh, but once when we rode together for work, his reckless driving made me uneasy."
"What a bastard. The god must've had a hard time scaring you."
Uyuu gave a wry smile and looked down.
"Maybe it's because they're similar."
"Who and who?"
"That god and Katagishi. He's also waiting for something that won't come back. Otherwise, he wouldn't be doing this kind of work."
"Isn't that true for you too, Kirima?"
Uyuu reflexively dropped his cigarette. Rokuhara bent down with graceful movements and handed it back.
"There's a poem: 'If I hear you are waiting, I will return at once.'"
"What's that?"
"A waka that plays on the word 'pine' and 'wait.' They say if you write the last line when a cat goes missing, it'll come back."
A thin trail of smoke drifted upward. After a moment of hesitation, Uyuu accepted the cigarette.
"I don't plan to end just by waiting."
He crushed the butt, then searched his pocket. His fingers brushed something dry. He pinched it and placed it in his palm—a small pine cone.
Uyuu placed the cone on the corner of the bench, like an offering.