他のスタッフに任せる

Get another staff member to help her
[Narration]I bring the little girl to the broadcasting room next to the torii and broadcast the girl's name a few times.
[player]Tell me if you see your mother arrive.
[Little Girl]Okay.
[Narration]The little girl's mother should come to find her once she hears about the lost girl. However, I didn't see anyone coming after waiting with the little girl for a while.
[Passerby A]Quickly! The event's about to start at the square!
[Passerby B]It's the Kagura dance, right? It's the main event of tonight's festival, we have to see it.
[Narration]Mai's performance is about to begin, which makes me quite anxious and look at the square several times.
[Little Girl]...Do you want to see the performance too?
[Little Girl]I want to see it too. My mommy brought me to the festival today to see it... Can we watch it together?
[player]But... Your mother hasn't arrived yet.
[Narration]I take a look around everywhere. Fewer and fewer people are hanging around the torii. They are all walking towards the square, and none of them are walking my way.
[Narration]After a few minutes of indecision, the little girl's mother still hasn't appeared. Then I start to get more and more impatient as I think of the agreement I made with Mai.
[Little Girl]The Kagura dance will end soon...
[player]Then let's go together. I want to watch it too.
[Little Girl]Really?
[Narration]I make up my mind. After telling another staff to help me keep an eye out for the little girl's mother, we rush to the square. By now, the path leading to the stage is already full of visitors. It seems that the performance has already started.
[Narration]As there are too many people blocking the road, Mai's performance is more than halfway over by the time we arrive at the square.
[Narration]The crisp sound of the Kagura bell rings in my ears. I can see Mai standing on the stage.
[Narration]Mai dances lightly to the solemn music on the stage. The white chihaya robe and red priestess skirt make Mai look like a red and white butterfly that is flying in the festival under the night sky. She dances to the music...
[Mai Aihara]"Bamboo leaves are covered with snow... on a winter night."
[Narration]I'm amazed at Mai's costume, which is different from her usual plain priestess dress. She is also wearing a delicate crown and a pair of gorgeous high geta.
[Narration]She is holding a dazzling golden Kagura bell in her hand. When she sways the bell, the ribbons that symbolize the path to the realm of the gods dance beside her.
[Mai Aihara]"The hunters... move forward through curtains of snow."
[player]... How amazing!
[Narration]Unlike her usual shy self, Mai is calm and dignified even with so many people looking at her. Just when I feel moved by this, Mai's eyes meet mine from on the stage.
[Narration]She smiles, not her usual timid smile, but a smile full of tenderness and gratitude... The smile of a priestess.
[Narration]I feel a little shocked. Not only because I'm surprised by her excellent performance on the stage, but also because I'm amazed by how much she has grown so far.
[player]...It's great that this festival was held.
[Narration]As the performance draws to a close, Mai raises the Kagura bell again on the stage and ends the dance under the gaze of the crowd.
[Little Girl]She's so amazing! The priestess is so pretty!
[Narration]After the performance ends, the air is filled with cheers from the audience.
[player]It's such a shame we only saw the second half.
[Little Girl]It doesn't matter. I'm happy to see even half of such a great performance! She is really amazing!
[Narration]The little girl is one of the most excited people present, and she is still clapping non-stop after the lights of the stage are turned off and everyone has dispersed.
[Little Girl]Oh! It's mommy!
[Narration]At this time, a woman runs over from the edge of the stage, and the little girl runs up to meet her after noticing her. Just when I was wondering why her mother was here, I see Mai walking out of the side door of the stage.
[Mai Aihara]Master, why are you with this little girl?
[Narration]Mai's neck is covered with beads of sweat, and it seems that she hasn't had time to rest yet. Seeing her appear with the mother right after the performance, I immediately understand why they are together.
[player]She is a lost child I ran into. Her parents didn't come even though we broadcasted her information.
[Mai Aihara]So that's what happened. This mother didn't hear the broadcast. She came to the front stage before the Kagura dance started and wanted the staff to help her find her daughter who had run off during an argument.
[Mai Aihara]There were too many people around the stage at that time, so we suggested that she wait until the performance ends before...
[player]No wonder nobody came to us at the torii... Huh? Hold on, did you just say they had a fight?
[Narration]So she didn't get lost in the crowd? I look at the mother and daughter next to me. The little girl is crying against her mother's chest.
[Little Girl]...I've been looking forward to it for so long. I've always wanted to see the Kagura dance, but mommy... *sobbing*
Mother
[Mother]I'm sorry... I shouldn't have broken my promise, but something really important came up at work.
[Narration]The little girl complains that her mother, who is usually away from home, finally managed to take her out to play, only to suddenly say that she needed to go to work.
[Narration]The mother is apologizing for not considering her daughter's feelings, for saying she is a naughty girl, and for getting angry at her without explaining anything.
[player]Mai?
[Narration]Mai looks a little lonely to me. She is moved by the scene in front of her, but the reconciliation between mother and daughter probably reminded her of her own mother.
[player]...I wonder if Mai's mother is also thinking of her right now.
[player]Although she isn't always with you, the letters she sends every year are probably her way of saying that she misses you.
[Mai Aihara]Hmm... Thank you, Master.
[Narration]Mai seems to calm down after answering my question. She looks at the mother and daughter and slowly smiles.
[Mai Aihara]Actually, sometimes I think that my mom must have her own reasons, and that she must miss me at a certain moment somewhere... Maybe I can reconcile with my mom and untie the knot in my heart one day.
[Narration]When it is almost midnight, Mai takes me to the meditation room in the inner hall of the shrine.
[Mai Aihara]Master, please come inside. Oh, watch out for the steps at the door.
[Narration]The festival has finished at this time, and silence has returned to the Temple of Moons.
[Narration]We all feel tired after being busy for the whole day. However, Mai asked me to come here with her, saying that she had something important to tell me.
[Mai Aihara]I... have something to show you, Master.
[player]Something you want to show me?
[Narration]The layout of the meditation room is like a plainly decorated training dojo. Mai stands in the center of the room with a slightly shy expression.
[Mai Aihara]Master, I think it's a shame that you didn't manage to see the full Kagura dance just then, so I want to perform it for you here.
[Mai Aihara]Master, you are always helping me and by my side. And today... Although it was only by a little bit, the knot in my heart has been untied slightly.
[Narration]Moonlight streams in from the window, bathing the still figure of Mai and creating a solemn atmosphere.
[Narration]I'm quite surprised and moved because Mai expressed her kindness to me firmly instead of shyly. She is just like how she was during her earlier performance on the stage.
[Mai Aihara]So, on this special day, I want to perform the Kagura dance just for you, Master.
[Narration]She expressed her wish very seriously, which also calmed me down.
[player]I understand. Since this is what you want to do for me, I will sit back and enjoy it.
[Mai Aihara]Thank you, Master!
[Narration]Mai blushes shyly but doesn't seem flustered. She then starts to dance...
[Narration]The dance represents her efforts as a priestess, her determination to inherit the shrine from her grandfather, the loneliness she experienced in her childhood and her inner strength, and the recognition of her companions and herself. She sings...
[Mai Aihara]"Above the torii, the moon wears a conical hat... Under the torii, the girl grasps the Kagura bell tightly."
[Narration]With the bell in her hand, Mai plays it to a crisp rhythm in the meditation room that is illuminated by moonlight. She sings...
[Mai Aihara]"Above the torii, the moon hides in the dark clouds... Under the torii, the girl grasps the lapel of a friend's jacket."
[Narration]While watching her dance and listening to her singing, I finally realize that Mai is no longer the same person as before.