[player]Well... I can't think of anything good since you asked me so suddenly. Since you're such a good tour guide, Hideki, can you plan the rest of the trip?
[Hideki Akechi]Of course I can. Let me see... PLAYER might like to go to...
The soft chirping of birds fills my ears. Crips and melodious sounds mix with the fragrance of the soil. Hideki tilts his head and thinks for a while before bursting into laughter.
[Hideki Akechi]Follow me. I've thought of a place you should like.
I thought Hideki would take me to the newly developed block of the old town. Instead, he took me to a sparsely populated old alley.
The old alley is not at all wide, and the years have left their marks on the bluestone road. The wind blows at a moderate pace, sweeping fallen flowers all over the bluestone road and spreading their fragrance to farther places.
Children who are chasing ducks, kind old people, desperate parents who are helping their children with their homework... This old alley doesn't reject me, an outsider, at all. Instead, it generously embraces me, showing me a type of liveliness and vitality that is completely different from the bustling crowds of the famous block.
Hideki, who is walking at the front, is very familiar with this place and would stop from time to time to remind me to be careful of loose stone slabs.
[player]Hideki, do you come here often?
[Hideki Akechi]Well... I guess. Whenever I came back to my family house, my grandma would always request me to get off public transport at the entrance of the ally and walk through the old alley alone to find her. Sometimes I'm carrying so many things that I need to stop to rest two or three times along the way.
[player]I wish they would make the alley wider, then cars can drive inside here directly, and you wouldn't need to have such a hard time.
[Hideki Akechi]Actually, I'm the opposite. I like how it is now.
[player]Oh? Why is that?
[Neighbor A]Ah, it's the boy from the Akechi family. You are back? Is it the summer holidays again?
A concerned greeting interrupts our conversation. Hideki looks at me apologetically and turns his head to greet the neighbor politely.
[Hideki Akechi]Yes, and I'll be staying here for a while this time.
[Neighbor A]If you need anything, come to me at any time. Don't be shy.
[Neighbor B]Hideki, we just picked some fruit from the trees at home. Take two home with you for a taste...
[Neighbor C]These are sunflower seeds from my garden. I guarantee you'll like them!
[Hideki Akechi]Thank you...
I follow Hideki, watching as a bystander as he greets the enthusiastic neighbors. Everyone shows kindness to him from the bottom of their hearts, and Hideki gradually relaxes amid the warm greetings. At this moment, he isn't the almighty president of the mahjong club but a child loved by elders.
[Hideki Akechi]Sorry, I didn't expect that to take so much time.
[player]It's alright. I think... I understand why you like this place. No one can refuse such sincerity.
[Hideki Akechi]Yes, it's more accurate to say that I like this close neighborhood instead of this old alley... Ah, we're here.
Hideki takes me in front of a tall gatehouse. Exquisite carvings are carved onto its walls, and green creepers cling to its steeple-shaped sloping roof, giving it a dignified yet gentle appearance.
[player]This is...
[Hideki Akechi]You should have guessed by now, right? This is our destination, the Akechi family house.
[player]!!!
[Hideki Akechi]The most attractive thing about an old town isn't its unique buildings but its unique slow lifestyle. I thought you would be able to experience that most directly here.
[Hideki Akechi]My father has never come here again since my grandma passed away due to an illness. I am currently the only one living here, so you don't need to worry about disturbing others.
As Hideki opens the gate, an antique courtyard fills my vision. The pavilion, pool, poolside pavilion, and evergreen pine and cypress trees all complement each other and are embellished with white jade railings and glazed tiles of various colors, coming together to show an ancient charm.
But that's not all. The pergola with lush branches and the lovely well in the corner make the courtyard look much warmer. It can be seen that Hideki's grandmother was a person who loved life.
[player]This place doesn't look like it is almost always vacant...
[Hideki Akechi]I make some time to live here for a short time during my vacation every year, so I've arranged for some people to take care of the family home.
When I think that this is where Hideki lived when he was a child, I can't help but want to get closer. My feet start moving by themselves...
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