Kamusari village, a place where grown men had in all seriousness just put on a show for the sake of a dog. A place that was growing on me more all the time.

Then the small trees that got chopped down today wouldn’t go to waste. They added nutrients to the soil and could even prevent landslides. I pondered these things as I followed Iwao back up the slope.

I was worn out, too. It was all I could do to make it to my futon. Still dressed like a yamabushi, I crawled under the covers and slept till noon.

Granny Shige says: “You’ve come this far. You’re almost there. There’s nobody around to compete with, so don’t rush. If a boy and a girl spend time together, they’ll naturally get sweet on each other.”