Beyond the torii gate at the back of the shrine, you can see an endless flight of stairs, leading straight up the mountain. There is a candy store around the corner and a library at the top of the hill.

There is Shijiri, my childhood friend, and the gentle smile of Shiki. The days that passed on this small island were everything to me.

"Tooryanse, tooryanse," goes around and around in my head.The song is gentle, lonely, and a little bit scary.