Shokushu Staff Quarters 2
Instead of going into her room straight away, the young teacher stands on a balcony looking wistfully out over the dark mystery of Shokushu Forest. You stay silently watching her for a long time until, perhaps sensing your presence, she turns round.
'Keigo-san?' You realise you are standing in lengthening shadows and the young woman has mistaken you for someone else.
'No .... I'm sorry .... I'm not who you were expecting' you respond hestitantly.
'No. No, of course you're not,' the woman seems to shake herself mentally. 'That was long ago and far away. Looking at the forest made me forget just how far ... and for a moment ...' She breaks off hesitantly. 'I'm sorry. You must think me crazy.'
'We all have our memories,' you reply gently and with uncharacteristic tact.
Looking at the young woman, you see deep wells of sadness in her eyes and you feel sorry that someone so young and pretty should suffer such dark emotions. She must see something in your face, or maybe she is just desperate to talk to anyone. Without preamble she begins to tell you about the boy she grew up with and whom she was destined to marry. Their families had lived in a small village very near a forest much like the one quickly sinking into darkness behind the pretty teacher. Everything had been wonderful until Keigo, in a fit of bravado while drinking with his friends, had promised to spend a whole night alone deep in the forest. Despite her entreaties, and despite his own fear once he sobered up, the boy had refused to back down. Even though everyone in the village knew that kami wandered the forest at night, looking for lost travellers to prey upon, Keigo's pride had driven him to fulfil his drunken boast.
He was never seen again. Bands of villagers searched the sunlit forest every day for a week but there was no trace of him save for his scarf lying on a broken bush near some trampled earth. It would have been easier had she seen his dead body. Then she could have grieved properly and got on with her life. But never knowing for sure, always hoping against hope that he would one day walk laughing through the door and sweep her off her feet, she had never been able to let go. Eventually her parents, despairing to see her agonised face gazing for hours towards the dark mysterious trees, had persuaded her to take a job teaching far from the cruel forest of her home. But when she got here the forest seemed to have come with her and she could still not let go.
As she finishes her story, tears sparkle like little diamonds in each corner of her eyes. You sense that she does not want to be alone with her thoughts tonight and almost begging you, she asks if you would join her for some tea.