25 years ago, Hinatsuru Akina was 8 years old, an elementary school student.
At that time, the Hinatsuru Hot Spring Inn was just starting out. Because of its proximity to Shuchiin, the Hinatsuru family was considered a relatively wealthy local family.
And because the Hinatsuru Inn was at the foot of the mountain, little Hinatsuru often went up the mountain for walks, collecting wild vegetables, mushrooms, or wild fruits from low trees.
But that evening, little Hinatsuru, who was originally very familiar with this mountain path, lost her way in this forest.
It was getting late, and a light rain began to fall from the gloomy sky. The eight-year-old little Hinatsuru stumbled upon that pond and took shelter under a tree.
Little Hinatsuru was cold, but she was too young to know how to make a fire, and she couldn't find her way back.
After all, the road between that pond and the inn hadn't been built yet, and little Hinatsuru didn't dare to walk into the confusing forest in the rain.
At that time, Hotaru was hiding nearby, watching the little girl who was about to be soaked by the rain. She didn't know if she should go forward. Humans couldn't see her spirit body, so even if she went over.... she would probably be ignored.
So, she turned into a firefly that could be seen by humans and flew in front of the little girl.
"It's a firefly...."
Little Hinatsuru slowly extended her hand to let the firefly land on it, then used her other hand to shield it from the wind and rain.
"Little firefly, it's raining, don't come out. You'll get wet."
Hotaru in firefly form couldn't help but chuckle lightly. This human girl was about to get soaked herself, yet she was worried about the firefly in her hand.
So, Hotaru flew out of little Hinatsuru's hand and turned back into a spirit body. But to her surprise, little Hinatsuru stared wide-eyed at Hotaru's spirit body in a daze.
She can see me? Hotaru didn't think too much, but took out a spare golden yukata, draped it over little Hinatsuru, and commanded the fireflies to guide little Hinatsuru on the way home.
Although she had put on an extra yukata, because her body was still very weak, little Hinatsuru had a fever for three days after returning to the inn.
According to Hinatsuru Akina's account, during her fever, she dreamed of many fireflies, and the blonde big sister who handed her the yukata.
After recovering, little Hinatsuru thought of the big sister who saved her. This was definitely not a dream, because that golden yukata was placed right by her bed.
Little Hinatsuru hugged the clothes, wanting to find that pond again and return the clothes to that sister. Although she didn't know if that sister was still there, little Hinatsuru still wanted to go!
After a few more days, little Hinatsuru finally found the pond, but she couldn't find the big sister anywhere.
Just as little Hinatsuru planned to go back with the yukata first, she tripped over a stone by the lake, and the clothes accidentally flew out and landed on the lake.
The lake water looked quite deep. After little Hinatsuru got up, she didn't worry about her pain first, but looked helplessly at the yukata that was about to be swallowed by the lake water.
But just then, Hotaru, who had been watching little Hinatsuru but didn't intend to come out, revealed her spirit body on the lake and fished up the clothes.
"Ah! It's the blonde big sister from that day!"
Hotaru, who had intended to collect the yukata and leave, was stunned for a moment, then looked at the little girl by the lake.
"You can see me?"
"Why wouldn't I see you? And big sister is actually floating on the water. That's amazing."
Hotaru, who had never interacted with humans before, came ashore and looked curiously at this little girl who could see her.
That day, Hotaru and little Hinatsuru talked about many things. But before leaving, Hotaru rejected little Hinatsuru's "Goodbye" and said it should be "Farewell."
One was a youkai, and one was a human. Such was fate. Bonds should not be formed, otherwise it would only increase loneliness.
Just like humans and fireflies. Humans can live for a hundred years, but the lifespan of an adult firefly is only a few days. If a person becomes friends with a firefly, in the end, they can only silently watch the firefly's life fade away....
Hotaru didn't want to, nor did she dare to accompany a human with a lifespan of less than a hundred years. She was afraid of how lonely she would become after little Hinatsuru passed away.
Little Hinatsuru didn't understand this, because she had already taken this big sister as her benefactor and friend.
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Picking up the wet yukata again, little Hinatsuru said she would wash it clean and come back.
But the next day, no matter how much little Hinatsuru called, Hotaru just watched silently from the shadows. She didn't intend to have any deep interaction with humans. This little girl was just a passerby in her life.
Little Hinatsuru sat by the lake. She didn't understand why this gentle big sister, who had chatted so happily with her yesterday, left without even saying goodbye.
After waiting for several hours, just as Hotaru thought this human child should forget her and go home.
For some reason, little Hinatsuru suddenly stood up and angrily threw the freshly washed yukata in her hand into the lake water.
Hotaru, reappears—
"This is the clothes I gave you, after all. Don't throw it into the water every time!"
"Ah! Big sister! Hehe, I knew big sister was still here. Is throwing clothes into the water big sister's summoning method?!"
Hotaru couldn't help but give a wry smile, then came to the shore and sat down with little Hinatsuru.
Forget it! Although a human's lifespan is less than a hundred years, I will always protect this child who can see me! After all, she is my first human friend in all my years of existence!
On this day, they became each other's first human (youkai) friend.
She thought she could stay by her side and protect her, but a month after little Hinatsuru went to elementary school, when she came back... her eyes suddenly couldn't see Hotaru anymore.
Even if Hotaru stood right in front of the little girl, even if she reached out to touch her, she didn't notice at all. Although little Hinatsuru came to the lake every day calling for Hotaru, asking her to come back... she never saw Hotaru standing right in front of her.
"Hotaru-oneechan! Hotaru-oneechan! Where are you? I can't see you, please come out!"
Little Hinatsuru hugged the yukata, crying as she shouted.
But little Hinatsuru still couldn't see Hotaru standing right in front of her. Little Hinatsuru threw the yukata into the lake again with tears in her eyes.
But this time, the method that could summon Hotaru also failed. The yukata sank to the bottom of the lake, and finally, little Hinatsuru had to find an adult to fish it out with great effort.
"Hotaru-oneechan, I'm in middle school now... and I've made many new friends. But why don't you want to come out and see me? I'll always be waiting for you!"
"Hotaru-oneechan, high school life is so tiring. But I'll study hard. When I get into college, can you come back and see me once?"
"Hotaru-oneechan.... please come out. Do you hate little Hinatsuru?"
"Hotaru-oneechan, I'm getting married. From now on, I'll always stay at the Hinatsuru Inn. And... I'll come to see you every day."
For 25 years, Hinatsuru Akina grew up and got married, but she still found time to come to the lake every day, hoping that person would appear again.
The story was over. From Hinatsuru Akina's perspective, no one knew where Hotaru-oneechan had gone.
Yukinoshita's guess was that Hotaru-oneechan was just passing through on a journey, and her home was actually far away, which was why she disappeared.
After all, Yukinoshita didn't believe in the existence of creatures like youkai. Including Fujiwara Chika and Chitanda, while comforting Hinatsuru Akina, they also thought they had solved the mystery of the Abyss Pool.
The so-called Abyss Pool was just Hinatsuru-san frequently going to the pond to wash clothes and then coming back to dry them. Everything else was rumors! After all, how could there be youkai in this world, right?
Uchiha Ryo suddenly looked up and turned his gaze to the window, looking at the blonde woman sitting by the window.
Just as he was about to say something, Hotaru put a finger to her lips, hushing him. She didn't need Uchiha Ryo to relay anything.
Because just as she said, a fate that was meaningless to begin with would only increase loneliness if they interacted again.
Hotaru flew behind Hinatsuru Akina and wrapped her arms around her neck, even though the other party couldn't feel or hear her. But Hotaru still wanted to say it.....
[Thank you for becoming my first human friend. But I really don't want you to stay in this inn for the rest of your life. If possible, I want to accompany you to see the magnificent mountain mists, the beautiful valleys, and accompany you through this wonderful and short life.]
[...What do humans call this feeling?]