26. Trap
Note: This is a made-up town and temple. No real models.
Look to the right.
Behind a thick glass door, lots of fancy sweets are lined up
in a glass case.
There are shortcakes with tons of whipped cream, rich brown
chocolate cakes, and colorful fruit-topped tarts.
All super tempting treats.
A voice says, “Come here.”
Now, look to the left.
Inside, through the glass walls, shelves are full of bread.
There are savory breads packed with ingredients, sweet
breads with chocolate and jam, and buttery rolls inviting you.
Another voice calls out, “Come over here.”
Utsugi swallows nervously.
She’s standing in the middle of the street, feeling torn.
Her mouth waters just thinking about eating everything.
But she clenches her fists and holds herself back.
“No, I can’t,” she thinks.
She’s here to help Minato, not to eat sweets.
She needs to do her job for the mountain god.
She has to be strong and wait.
Minato and his group are heading to a temple but get stuck
because of a trap like a honey trap but with butter that blocks their way.
They’re only about fifteen minutes away on foot, but they’re
stuck.
Minato looks down at Utsugi, who’s trembling and clutching
her legs, fighting her desire to eat.
He feels a bit sorry for her.
Seiri and Torika, on the other side, are sniffing the air,
drawn to the smell of sweets.
They’re completely distracted and can’t move.
It’s understandable they’re seeing so many yummy cakes and
bread for the first time.
They left home early in the morning, taking taxis,
shinkansen, and local trains to get to this old town.
They arrived smoothly, guided by an app.
The station is surrounded by old shops on both sides of a
brick street.
It’s already around 2 p.m.
The sky is cloudy, and it’s cold and windy.
A big bird flies past, making loud, sharp cries.
Flags outside the shops flutter loudly in the wind.
Minato shrugs his shoulders, feeling cold.
He doesn’t go out much only once a week and every time, it
feels colder outside.
This place is even colder than near the Kusunoki house.
Minato prefers staying home with everyone and having fun.
He’s not really into sightseeing here.
He just wants to finish quickly and go back.
But the others just stand there, like mountains completely
still.
The three dogs can’t stop staring at the smell of baked
bread and sweets.
They’re not hungry they ate on the train.
They bought bento boxes in a private room and happily ate
without anyone noticing.
They’re invisible to humans.
If they were in regular seats, their food would disappear
instantly.
Harima already booked a private room, so they’re safe.
They don’t know when they’ll leave they might stay
overnight, but they want to go home today.
But things aren’t going well.
Minato stands in the middle of the street, expressionless,
eyes empty and sad.
People walk past, avoiding him because he looks so lifeless.
Looking down, Seiri and Torika are desperately fighting
their curiosity.
They’ve never been outside the mountain before.
They only saw the station inside the train and are amazed by
the sweets and bread.
The smell of baked bread is strong and tempting a total
trap.
Their sharp noses can’t resist.
Seiri and Torika hold onto Minato’s legs tightly.
They’re completely caught.
They can’t move.
They should have expected this; it was foolish not to.
Maybe they should have given them that famous really hard
ice cream as a dessert, but it was too cold, so they didn’t.
Minato just wants to finish this quickly and go home.
He whispers softly:
“Let’s buy cake and bread on the way back.”
“Really?! That’s awesome!?”
Their eyes sparkle, and Minato sighs, smiling reluctantly.
If this little bit of motivation helps, it’s worth it.
He thinks about souvenirs for the mountain gods and urges
the slow-moving dogs to walk.
Then, suddenly....
A devil appears.
Lirilin, Lirilin.
A handbell rings.
It’s the sound from the shop’s door opening, made by a
smiling clerk dressed like a little demon.
He cheerfully says:
“Apple pie just came out of the oven! Fresh and hot! Want
one?”
The smell of freshly baked apple pie hits them hard.
It’s sweet and tangy, full of apple aroma.
Spicy cinnamon smell mixes in.
And rich, buttery scent fills the air.
The three dogs shake and cling to Minato’s legs, trembling.
Near the shop entrance, they’re stuck, staring at the
smiling clerk, and see the apple pies.
They can’t resist anymore.
They buy three hot, fresh apple pies, excitedly.
While carrying the bags, they hear a loud caw.
They look up.
A crow is perched on the roof, glaring down.
It caws again, a bit longer this time.
Utsugi gently pulls on Minato’s sleeve.
The crow turns its head and looks back at them.
It seems to be telling them:
“Follow me.”
And they understand without words.
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