Chapter 18: 17

Chapter 17:

The Blue Cave ※R151

That night, Osakabe wrote down the day’s events in his journal.

The moon was beautiful that night. Its soft light shone in through the window, and outside crickets chirped.

 

That first kiss he shared with Honoka at the beach. Just like that their lips met countless times, and gradually things grew steamy. Eventually they changed locations to the shade of a rock outside the gaze of others, and enjoyed a secret moment all alone.

 

They embraced each other for a long time, tightly, firmly. As he laid his lips on hers, his fingers caressed her earlobes, and her lips parted slightly around her tongue. The tangle of their tongues made a lewd, wet sound.

Honoka squirmed as she tried to endure the tickle of his kisses as he traced the outline of her collarbone with his lips. For a moment, he untangled his arm to grab the swell of her breast in her swimsuit.

The stretch and tension as it sprung back under the palm of his hand heightened his arousal. Without touching the crucial point, he lightly cupped them in both palms to tease her. Honoka blushed and whispered into his ear, “It’s okay, I’m not shy,” then guided one of his hands, luring him to the area around her stomach.

He was surprised by the unexpected boldness of her request, but let his fingertips glide along the path Honoka showed him while watching her expression and the changes in her voice.

Gradually, her panting breaths grew shorter, shallower.

Honoka turned red from her head to her ears, and he cupped his left hand over her mouth so no one would hear her. Whether because they were outdoors where anyone could wander by, or because she had such little experience with men, she grew even more aroused.

So as not to frighten her, he slid his fingers softly with a touch so light he couldn’t be sure she felt it.

Ever so slowly the two of them sank further into each other’s body heat. Their mutual desire settled into a rhythm as they held each other in their arms. Both of their feelings, which they had kept suppressed until now, spread deeper through their hearts which had been flung open.

 

This new version of Honoka, relentlessly pursuing him, was so far removed from her usually buttoned-up image. In some ways it was truly passionate, but at the same time it felt reckless, as if she were particularly in a hurry to experience sex.

Why? he wondered to himself.

He came up with an answer relatively quickly.

Honoka understands that there’s a chance we may never meet again after this. That’s not an impossibility, but a certainty in our future. And I am someone on parole. That leaves me worried about my future. The size of that obstacle. A disadvantage that may befall us.

And that makes her impatient to build these bonds in such a short time. Desperate even, he concluded.

 

And so we became lovers, he wrote at first in his journal, before erasing that last sentence. And so we confirmed our love to each other, he amended.

For some reason, he was hesitant to use the word “lovers.”

 

The next morning, Osakabe stood in front of the mirror and fixed his bed head. He changed into a long, white T-shirt and navy pants that tapered at the ankles. He couldn’t help but laugh, recognizing that he hadn’t brought any other decent clothes with him.

He descended the stairs and when he arrived at the entrance to the guest house, Honoka was already seated on the sofa, waiting for him.

 

“Good morning.”

 

Her usual, everyday greeting. And yet, her cheeks softened to pink and her gaze dropped.

She may have felt a little ashamed, remembering her audacious behavior the day before. After cooling her head overnight, she may have immediately been overcome with embarrassment for her actions. Interpreting her actions in that way, Osakabe aimed to keep his greeting as natural as ever.

 

“Morning. Shall we head out?”

 

Leaving the guest house hand in hand, the two of them donned their helmets and straddled the scooter. Honoka’s outfit today was an orange, frilly blouse and black shorts. She may have taken the scooter into consideration and chosen to wear something that was easy to move around in.

“This is a date,” she had told him the night before when inviting him to go see the Blue Cave with her. He accepted the invitation.

Setting off on the scooter, he could feel her chest on his back as she embraced him from behind. She showed even less hesitation than the other day to lean in close, and her chest squeezed close to his back.

 

It was eight in the morning. “Isn’t that a little early?” he had asked her the day before, but she had instantly replied, “They open at 8:30, so it’s fine. And it looks best in the morning!”

 

It was not quite so far. It didn’t take long before they arrived at the Marine House. Here, after checking in, they would board a sappa boat and set out to sea.

A sappa boat was a small boat used by fishermen while fishing close to shore. These boats were used in 20 minute-long sightseeing tours to scenic spots along the Jodogahama coastline and inside Ao no Dokutsu, the Blue Cave, also known as Hachinohe-Ana.

Only two groups of passengers preceded them, and after waiting forty to fifty minutes, their turn came.

Today’s weather was a clear, windless day, perfect conditions. Their hearts filled with anticipation, they prepared for departure by putting on their helmets and life jackets. Boarding the boat, they finally set out.

 

“If you’re going to go in the cave, the earlier in the morning, the better. That way you have a good chance of seeing the beautiful colors,” the man guiding the boat explained. “Because the water changes colors due to various conditions such as season, time of day, the transparency of the water, and even the lighting, the real charm of the Blue Cave is the possibility of seeing a different view every day.”

 

Meanwhile, Honoka puffed up as if to say, “I told you so.” The gesture was so adorable Osakabe let slip a smile.

Before entering the Blue Cave, they took a tour of various famous spots along the Jodogahama coast. The first one they saw as they left the wharf was Hidejima, “Sunrise Island.” This was the view frequently used for promotional posters for the area’s tourism. Then they turned to the left towards Jodogahama.

 

Next up, Sai-no-Kawara came into view. “They call it that because the white shores are often compared to the Pure Lands, and the open sea to Hell,” Honoka added to the guide’s explanation.

“I saw this spot on my second day, together with Koyasu Jizo up top,” he said.2

“When was that?” Honoka pouted.

 

The water’s surface sparkled with the reflection of the sun’s rays. Facing the pleasant wind that blew across the sea, Osakabe listened to the distant cries of seagulls for a moment.

After completing their circuit around the Jodogahama coast, their boat finally entered the Blue Cave.

 

“This cave is also called Hachinohe-Ana because long ago it was said the tunnel continued all the way to Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture3,” the guide told them.

“Really?” Osakabe tilted his head in puzzlement. Honoka covered her mouth with a hand, laughing.

 

“There’s no way it’s true. It’s just a legend.”

 

A white rock face covered the interior of the cave, and a while after they entered the cave, Honoka looked back and pointed behind him. “Look!”

Osakabe’s gaze followed the direction of her fingers, and his eyes widened in amazement.

—Everything was blue.

 

The surface of the water, still in the morning calm, sparkled and reflected the rays of sunlight that pierced through the entrance of the cave. The high transparency of the water reflected the rays of light and even from underneath the water, and dyed everything a deep blue. So that’s why it’s called the Blue Cave, Osakabe thought, letting slip a cry of awe.

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“The color of the water changes due to various natural conditions. From winter to early spring, the low temperature of the waters cause the plankton populations to drop, increasing the transparency of the water. This makes it easier for the light rays to pass through, making everything appear a deep, marine blue. The opposite happens when the water temperatures rise and the plankton multiply once more, but this time the color changes to a deep emerald green. The color of the water is different every time you visit, so it’s worth it to come multiple times.”

 

After the detached explanation, Honoka added, “Well, this is only my second time,” and stuck out her tongue.

 

“But if it’s summer right now and the water temperature is so high, why does it look this blue?” he asked.

She chuckled. “The cave opens up towards the east, so every time the morning sun shines in, the blue of the ocean reflects against the upper portions of the rocks. See, look closely. Doesn’t the entire cave look like it’s sparkling blue? That’s why I said earlier is better.”

“That’s quite easy to understand. You would make a really good tour guide, you know,” Osakabe said.

 

There was no deep meaning to what he said. Perhaps he was simply complimenting her in admiration of how well-versed she was about Jodogahama. However, an expression he found hard to read passed over her face.

 

“I don’t know what I want to be. I don’t have any dreams about the future right now.”

“Why—?” he started to ask. He frankly had no clue why her expression had suddenly darkened like that. “I also hesitate to say that at the age of twenty-five, I have no future… But really, that’s only because my current circumstances keep getting me down. But you’re different. You’re still in college. To put it bluntly, you look good, and there’s nothing wrong with your personality. You should be able to easily find a good job where you can excel, or even a good husband.”

 

With my circumstances I can’t nominate myself for that role, he thought sadly.

 

“Yeah… I suppose that would be nice. Hey, Osakabe-san.”

“What?”

“Please, make me happy. My future dream is to become a bride. It’s silly, right? I sound like an elementary school girl. But—at least this humble dream could come true, right?”

 

She smiled as she spoke, and her eyes seemed to glisten slightly. In that fleeting expression, a deeply painful feeling surged up. Surely it would be nice if I could make her happy,  he thought, but is it actually possible? How long would that take? I may be scared of course, but there could come a day where that’s possible.

It hurt the longer he looked at Honoka’s expression, which refused to brighten. Reflexively he pulled her close. She buried her face in his chest and silently cried.

 

When the sappa boat finally left the cave, Honoka collected herself and shouted, “Look, the seagulls have come! Hurry, hurry—get the treats!”

 

Receiving the treats from the boatman, she hollered as she scattered them over the water’s surface. The gulls skillfully caught them and dove for the treats that had landed on the water’s surface.

She had consciously changed the subject and raised her voice, he noticed. In other words, she didn’t want to dwell on the subject of her future any more than this, and set up a barrier against any further discussion.

Why is that? Osakabe puzzled to himself.

Unable to find an answer in the end, he cut off that train of thought. At this stage, if I keep thinking about it a little more deeply, I may realize the truth behind whatever Honoka is hiding. But even if I did discover that, if I was the cause of it, then things could get quite awkward…

 

They returned to the landing place following the same route by which they had come. The tour lasted about twenty minutes altogether.

About the time they disembarked from the sappa boat and removed their life jackets, her smile had completely returned. “Where shall we go next?” she asked in a chipper voice, and held on to Osakabe’s hand as they walked. However, that smile of hers appeared somehow stiff. With sorrow-filled eyes, she forced the corners of her lips up.

 

She really is forcing it, Osakabe thought.

And yet, this girl, putting on a cheerful voice and innocent demeanor, has saved me how many times already? Coming to Miyako City now seems like the correct choice.

It felt like a total lie that he’d at first thought anywhere would be fine so long as it had gorgeous ocean views.

 

With their fingers twined together, they walked along the beach side-by-side under the strong rays of the sun. Honoka laughed shyly, pointing out the sweat on his back. When they neared an area with walls of rocks, they saw a crab sheltering in the shade. Honoka picked up a nearby tree branch and stabbed it into the crevices between the rocks, but finally gave up and tossed aside the branch.

Osakabe laughed. “You can’t catch it that easily.”

 

Because just a moment ago she had seemed put out to hear he had gone to Sai-no-Kawara on his own, this time they went together. He picked up a nearby rock and, lending her a hand so she wouldn’t fall over, climbed up the hill with a word of warning. Arriving at Koyasu Jizo at last, they clapped their hands together in prayer.

The wind was incredibly strong. She held back her hair with both hands, and turned away from him.

“What did you wish for?” he asked, but she only replied, “For my health.”

“That’s a rather straightforward prayer,” he laughed, and she puffed up her cheeks in a pout.

 

They had lunch at the rest house, then climbed up to the observation deck. The seawater had been dyed a deep, marine blue in the cave, but looking up from such a high spot, it seemed to change to an emerald green.

At this late moment, Osakabe regretted not bringing his camera.

 

It was truly an enjoyable day. Around the time the sun was sinking and tingeing the water a deep red, they headed back. Once more they rode the scooter and headed off for the guest house. Their shadows astride the scooter stretched out across the gravelly road.

Parking in the corner of the guest house parking lot, they walked towards the entrance, when a family caught his attention.

Apparently, there were new guests staying at the guest house.

A man in his early thirties in fashionable clothes held hands with a girl of three years. The woman, likely his wife, seemed to be in her mid twenties. She wore a white blouse and a long skirt, and her long, glossy hair was striking.

Perhaps noticing the sound of footsteps behind them, the young woman looked back. And Osakabe’s face blanched with surprise the instant he recognized her face. His mouth moved before his brain.

 

“…It’s you?”

“Huh?”

 

The woman also opened her eyes in surprise. She fell silent and looked up to the sky as if searching for the thread of a memory. Then she said, “Is that you… Kengo-kun?”

 

“Yeah. It’s been a while, Minako.”

 

Since their missed encounter in Morioka, that was his first reunion with Takasaki Minako.

 

1

The original author marked this particular chapter as R15 for some sexual content, so I preserved their rating. Sensitive readers who wish to skip this scene can safely skip the third section of text, from “They embraced…” up to “…as their hearts were flung open,” though the events of this section are referenced in later parts.

2

In Chapter 8.

3

Aomori Prefecture is the northernmost prefecture in Tohoku, as well as on the main island of Japan. It borders Iwate and Akita, and is separated from Hokkaido by the Tsugaru Strait. Hachinohe City lies on the eastern coast of the southern border with Iwate. Jodogahama and Hachinohe are separated by over a hundred kilometers, or about a two-hour drive.

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