Traveling With a Beautiful Girl - Chapter 31: Hamamatsu Castle

After leaving the ticket gate, we strolled around the most bustling area near the station, which was an amusement district with many shops. Despite being a weekday afternoon, the shopping street was crowded and lively. There were many restaurants, karaoke places, apparel stores, and various other shops concentrated in the area.

On the other hand, there were also retro streetlights and buildings that gave off a nostalgic vibe.

“There are a lot of bars, aren’t there?”

“It feels like a place where salarymen relax.”

“There are many nighttime establishments too.”

“Well, it’s a place for relaxation, after all.”

“…Pervert.”

“I don’t know how you made that connection, but it’s totally unreasonable!”

“Oh, look, there’s a Hamamatsu gyoza shop.”

“Speaking of which, Hamamatsu gyoza is famous. Should we eat here tonight?”

“Is that an excuse to go to a nighttime place?”

“I told you, it’s unreasonable!”

As we walked around the shopping street, making small talk, we saw a small castle in the distance.

“Is that a rich person’s house?”

“It’s Hamamatsu Castle. If I remember correctly, it was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu to attack Takeda Shingen.”

“You know a lot about it.”

“Weren’t you sleeping during Japanese history class?”

“I consider Yoshino’s classes to be lullabies. Should we go check it out?”

“Sure. We don’t have any plans after this, anyway.”

After walking a short distance from the city center surrounded by reinforced concrete buildings, we arrived at the lush Hamamatsu Castle Park. The chirping of small birds and the rustling of leaves sounded pleasant. When I took a deep breath, the cold, fresh air enveloped my lungs.

After paying a reasonable admission fee, we entered the castle, where a luxurious woody fragrance filled our nostrils. It reminded me of visiting my grandmother’s house.

The first floor had various historical materials related to Hamamatsu Castle, such as life-sized dolls modeled after Ieyasu, and heavy-looking armor and helmets. It was like a museum.

Nanase stopped at each one, reading the explanations with great interest. As expected of a knowledge enthusiast. I also followed her example, but within five minutes, I felt sleepy. It was a close match with Yoshino’s classes.

“Do you like history?”

“I like how easy it is to reflect memorization in your grades.”

“That’s strange. I studied quite a bit, but I only scored 32 points on the last midterm.”

“You should save your sleep talk for when you’re sleeping.”

“I should be sleeping, you know, during class.”

“That’s the cause.”

I followed the exasperated Nanase to the second floor. On the second floor, there was a large diorama depicting Hamamatsu Castle and its castle town during the Tenpo period.

“Oh, this kind of thing is so exciting!”

My sleepiness blown away, I observed the intricately reproduced diorama from corner to corner. As I excitedly examined it like a child, Nanase watched me with a disinterested look.

“Do you like dioramas?”

“They’re full of dreams and romance.”

“I can’t even be bothered to try to understand.”

“It seems our tastes are completely different on the first and second floors.”

I realized that Nanase and I were fundamentally opposites. Considering that, it was a wonder that we hadn’t had a falling out and were still able to travel together.

Nanase pulled me away from the diorama, and we went to the top floor. The castle tower was a small space about half the size of a classroom, and from the corridor, we could see the entire city of Hamamatsu.

“What a great view!”

Today was another beautiful day, perfect for taking in the scenery.

From Atami hot springs to Mount Fuji, our trip had been blessed with fantastic weather.

I stretched out my arms to take in the power of the sky, and as I glanced to the side, I saw Nanase wearing a subtle expression. At first glance, it looked like her usual sullen face, but after spending several days with her, I had started to understand her slight changes in expression.

As I wondered what was on her mind, Nanase began to speak.

“After all, I prefer sunsets.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“When I see the blue sky, it stretches on endlessly, and it feels like I’m being forced to live.”

“I see…”

“Compared to that, the sun sets quickly. It’s like it’s telling me that I don’t have to force myself to live.”

“I understand…”

If anyone other than Nanase had said those words, I would have simply thought they had a rich imagination. However, in her case, there was a high probability that her words were related to her recent suicide attempt.

I wanted to know.

I wanted to know the circumstances that led Nanase to consider taking her life. The more time I spent traveling with her, the stronger that desire became.

But at the same time, I was afraid to learn the truth. Nanase Riho, an extremely talented girl who excelled in academics, sports, and the arts, was admired by everyone for her stunning looks.

There must be a darkness that should not be touched with half-hearted resolve behind her motivation to end such a life full of possibilities. As I thought about this, a sudden voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Take that!”

A lively child’s voice suddenly cut through my inner conflict.