After the meal, everyone returned to their respective homes with heavy expressions.
Instead of returning to his house, Mitsuko went to the mountaintop and quietly watched the crescent moon in the night sky.
"I knew you'd be here."
Junpei Ogiya's voice came from behind Mitsuko.
Mitsuko turned her head and saw that Ogiya Junpei was walking towards her with two jugs of Shōchū and sat down next to her.
Mitsuko asked curiously, "Aren't you going to keep Asuka company?"
Upon hearing "Asuka," Junpei Ogiya's face immediately turned bright red, and he retorted helplessly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I go with Asuka!"
Mitsuko smiled and teased, "Everyone can see it. Only you two are unaware of, or rather, pretending not to know, the relationship between you and Asuka."
"No way, Asuka and I are completely innocent, don't talk nonsense, here you go!"
To prevent Mitsuko from continuing to tease him, Ogiya Junpei handed the Shōchū bottle to Mitsuko.
Mitsuko didn't stand on ceremony and took a big gulp of wine from the flask.
To save face, Junpei Ogiya retorted jokingly, "Mitsuko, you've been drinking since you were thirteen. You must be the youngest person to drink alcohol, right?"
Mitsuko rolled her eyes and complained to Ogiya Junpei, "Isn't this my first time drinking because of you? I don't know who it was, but they said they had to celebrate the New Year, then went to a bar, had one drink, got drunk, and then dragged me to drink too."
Junpei Ogiya said dejectedly, "I wasn't drunk at the time! I just wanted to get you drunk too, so you could open up. I didn't expect you to be so hard to get drunk."
Mitsuko asked in confusion, "Put your heart out? What heart out of me is there to hear? Why don't you just ask me if you have any questions?"
Junpei Ogiya also took a sip of Shōchū and then asked, "Then I'll ask you this: I've always been curious, Mitsuko, what do you like?"
Just as Mitsuko was about to answer, Ogiya Junpei interrupted him: "I'm not asking about your ideals, it has nothing to do with ideals or dreams. What I want to ask about is that kind of mundane liking, something concrete and tangible."
Mitsuko was unable to answer Ogiya Junpei immediately.
To this day, Mitsuko still doesn't know what he likes, because he has never thought about that question.
Seeing Mitsuko's bewildered expression, Ogiya Junpei gave a bitter smile: "Mitsuko, you really are selfish. The selfishness I'm talking about is that you only think about others and don't consider yourself at all."
Mitsuko, do you know, in our eyes you're so unreal, almost like a dream.
Mitsuko looked at Ogiya Junpei earnestly and said, "But I've always been by your side."
Junpei Ogiya sighed, "Yes, you've always been by our side, but you always shoulder everything alone, unwilling to let us suffer even the slightest harm. You once told me you wanted to be our hope, and you truly did. In our eyes, you are our sky. Because of you, we are saved and can live a peaceful and happy life..."
But Mitsuko, how we also wish to be your hope, to help you share that unbearably heavy burden.
Mitsuko said with absolute certainty, "You are my hope, my everything."
Junpei Ogiya shook his head and said, "You know, Mitsuko, when I said I wanted to be your hope, I didn't mean that. We want you to be happy, not for us to enjoy our lives at this moment while you suffer alone."
Mitsuko smiled and said, "You all think I'm unhappy and that I'm having a hard time, but that's what you think. You are not me. I know my own heart clearly. Right now, I feel very happy and joyful. You just asked me what I like, and now I can answer you."
What I love is the genuine smile I see when I'm with you all.
Junpei Ogiya paused for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "I really can't do anything with you."
Mitsuko lay on the ground, gazing at the crescent moon in the night sky, and murmured, "Junpei, do you know? I used to hate the moon because it constantly reminded me that I was a half-human, half-demon being who couldn't stand the sunlight. But I don't hate it anymore..."
"Why?" Ogiya Junpei asked.
"Moonlight is produced by reflecting the sun's rays. Compared to the sun, which shines on its own, isn't the moon even greater? It doesn't emit its own light, but it reflects the sun's rays to bring light to the dark world, making the night less dark."
The moon is like a measure of life, sometimes waxing, sometimes waning, but it appears every day without exception.
Like the moon, life is sometimes smooth sailing, and sometimes full of difficulties, but no matter what, life goes on.
Junpei Ogiya sighed, "Yes, no matter what, life still goes on..."
Mitsuko sat up from the ground: "Junpei, promise me one thing, okay?"
"You said that as long as it's something for you, Mitsuko, I will definitely do it no matter what!"
"Promise me you'll protect our comrades until I return!"
"I'll do this even without you telling me! But you also have to promise me you'll come back safely!" Junpei Ogiya held out his fist to Mitsuko.
"Of course!" Mitsuko bumped fists with Ogiya Junpei.
...
Mitsuko and Junpei Ogiya enjoyed the moon and drank their wine until the sun was about to rise before they left.
Night fell once again.
Everyone gathered together, wanting to see Mitsuko off.
They escorted them all the way to the foot of the mountain, but no one wanted to leave.
Mitsuko stopped and turned to look at everyone, saying, "Let's stop here. I'll collect the blood as soon as possible and come back."
"Mitsuko, be careful!"
"No matter what, your own safety should come first!"
We'll be here waiting for you to come back!
With everyone's blessings, Mitsuko left Ishikakuyama.
For many days, Mitsuko has traveled to several towns, but the amount of blood he has collected is not satisfactory.
In order to collect enough blood, Mitsuko must travel to a more distant town.
According to an old man who left an island.
On that island, there was a family that only had daughters; for over three hundred years, no boy had been born.
Moreover, the people in control of that island are the family that only gives birth to girls.
At night, you can hear the sound of some kind of giant creature crawling back and forth on the island.
All you can do is hide, keep quiet, and pray that the creature isn't coming for you.
If someone can't resist their curiosity and wants to find out what's going on, that person will completely disappear the next day.
Curious, Mitsuko decided to go to that island to investigate.
Mitsuko traveled by boat to an island called Hachijo Island.