Probably because I'm influenced by the shadow puppet show, I can't stop myself from walking towards the booths in the entertainment area to experience elegant folk arts up close again.
It turns out that my decision is absolutely correct. I saw a woman walking on stilts, a fire-breathing young man, and a stunt performer who showed everyone how to "walk" on water by moving quickly through the air... My experiences during this time reminded me that there really are a lot of talented people all around us.
[player]If I ask the performers to teach me, do you think they will take me on as an apprentice?
[Hideki Akechi]As they say, it takes ten years of practice to shine for one minute on stage. Many of these performers have been doing this since they were little. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave this town in the next ten years if they accept you.
[player]Um... I'll need to reconsider then.
[Hideki Akechi]If you're just interested in folk arts, maybe you can learn something simpler first.
[player]What do you mean?
Following Hideki Akechi's gaze, I look at a booth in the corner. Unlike the other booths that are attracting tourists with difficult performances, the owner of this booth is a middle-aged man wearing ordinary clothes who neither shouts out loudly nor takes the initiative to solicit customers. He is just sitting there, fanning himself with his eyes closed, only opening his eyes occasionally to cheer for the passing performers.
If not for Hideki Akechi's reminder, I would have just treated him as a very leisurely tourist.
As we get closer to the booth, a faint ink fragrance surrounds Hideki and me. When I see the rice paper and ink spread out on the table, I instantly understand what makes this booth special.
[player]Live painting? In an era where most people draw on digital boards, this form of painting has become quite rare.
[Hideki Akechi]Although you're right about it being a painting, this form of painting is called blow painting to be precise.
[Booth Owner]Oh? I didn't think any young people would still know about this form of art.
The booth owner who is reclining on the seat sits up and stretches lazily. He takes out a homemade cigarette from his pocket, puts it into his mouth, and takes his time walking over to us.
[Hideki Akechi]Are you a painter from Qingyun Dojo? My grandma loved your paintings, and I always saw a few new blow paintings with the "Qingyin" stamp on them whenever I came back to visit her every year.
[Booth Owner]It's no wonder that you know so much about this.
[player]Qingyun Dojo? I think I saw that name on the ad screen at the entrance here. It's a dojo where painters who have all sorts of painting styles gather together.
[Booth Owner]It sounds so posh. Just think about it literally. Blow painting is a form of painting where the painter "draws" by blowing onto ink or paint on paper instead of using a brush.
[player]A way of painting that doesn't require a brush...
[Booth Owner]Our ancestors used stones to paint on stone walls and also painted directly with their hands... Brushes are by no means irreplaceable in the painting process.
Seeing that Hideki and I are genuinely interested in blow paintings, the booth owner decides to give us a live performance. He straightens his messy air and starts to focus. His lazy and dispirited demeanor disappears, and even his eyes seem sharper.
As if it understands the instructions it was just given, the paint scatters and rushes in different directions, moving according to the strength of the blowing, and eventually forms a picture of a peculiar shape.
[player]It looks so easy...
[Booth Owner]Haha, it isn't very difficult to start off with. Would you two like to make a blow painting to give to someone important to you? I vouch with my character... um, my wallet, that it'll be a meaningful gift.
[player]Right now? Um, don't drawing lessons usually start with sketching cubes and triangles?
[Booth Owner]You are very demanding of yourself, I see. But creation is about doing whatever you want. Even if the shape isn't perfect, your painting is a good painting as long as viewers can sense its charm.
[Hideki Akechi]This is the first time either of us try this, so please be patient with us.
[Booth Owner]Don't worry.
[Booth Owner]Blow... Blow... Keep blowing... Blow over here! It's looking great. It's easy, right?
My brain knows exactly what to do, but my hands don't describes my situation perfectly. I feel a little short of breath after blowing for a while, but I finally manage to draw a simple plum blossom painting with the booth owner's extremely hands-on teaching.
[player]I take back what I said earlier. This is hard!
[Hideki Akechi]I think it's impressive that you managed to complete a painting even though it's your first time doing a blow painting. You'll improve quickly as long as you practice more in the future.
After teaching me, the booth owner collapses into his chair and doesn't want to make any more comments. It seems that he's finally realized that teaching me how to make a blow painting is a very tiring activity. On the contrary, Hideki, who has just finished his painting, observes my work carefully and points out some deficiencies, which brings back my confidence that had just disappeared.
[player]Ahem, if the booth owner is as gentle as you, Hideki, I think I would have done better... Sorry, he didn't have much time to teach you because he was busy helping me.
[Hideki Akechi]It's okay. I learned a lot from what he told you. As they say, all artists are eccentric, so we need to learn to be accommodating and tolerant.
[Booth Owner]Hey, I can hear everything you're saying!
Hearing the booth owner feigning to be angry, I offer timely words of praise, expressing my admiration and appreciation for folk art.
[Booth Owner]Alright, alright. No flattery you can say will be better than if you can show me a good painting you made yourself. But... this painting here is pretty good. Aren't you going to take it with you?
The booth owner is standing in front of another table and asks this question while pointing at Hideki's painting on the table, which reminds me that I haven't seen Hideki's painting yet.
[player]Oh yeah, let me see your painting.
[Hideki Akechi]Um, well...
I walk over to the other table quickly and look at the paper on it. There is a smiling figure on the snow-white rice paper. Although it looks a little abstract, I can still recognize with one glance that it's me!
Hideki looks a little nervous after following me here and seeing my reaction to his painting.
[Hideki Akechi]Sorry, by the time I realized, I had already... Um, I've pretty much finished with it.
[player]So this is what I look like in your eyes.
[Hideki Akechi]Um... not entirely. Due to skill limitations, I don't think I managed to express even one-thousandth of your excellence.
[player]But I already think it's amazing. I love it! If you don't mind, can you give this to me?
The dense leaves of the trees on both sides of the road form a huge umbrella for tourists, and the warm breeze carries the fragrance of the pagoda tree through the crowd. After staring blankly for a few seconds, the corners of Hideki's mouth curl into a good-looking smile.
After that, he gives me the blow painting he made. My silhouette is reflected in his clear blue pupils.
[Hideki Akechi]Of course you can have it, but I'll do my best to make something better. I hope you'll let me exchange that painting for this inferior one when that happens.
The club president's perfectionism is acting up again! But things seem different this time. Instead of just being about making the painting more perfect, his eyes are filled with expectations—expectations for growth.
[player]Sure.
[Booth Owner]I might as well see things through to the end. I'll make an exception and frame the pictures for you this time. Just leave me your address, and I'll send you the framed paintings after a while. I hope you two will watch over each other and keep helping each other in the future!
[player]You're already losing money by giving away paint and paper, and now you're even framing it for us for free? Will your business last like this?
[Booth Owner]Haha, I'm not really running this booth to sell paintings. I just want more people to know about blow paintings so that this art won't disappear in the river of time.
[Booth Owner]You don't need to be courteous with me, young man. Treat it as a gift for your grandmother. The support of your grandmother and other old folks around here is why the dojo is still running. Thank her for me.
[Hideki Akechi]Thank you... I think she already knows.
After saying bye to the owner of the blow painting booth, Hideki and I go straight to the food area to appease our grumbling stomachs. After running around for so long, I feel physically exhausted and sit on a bench by the road to rest after eating and drinking my fill.
[player]I can finally get some rest! Wow, it takes so much stamina just to tour around... I really envy the people who live in the area because they can come and experience something fun and different every day.
[Hideki Akechi]You're right, even this old town has such a lively block now.
[player]That sounds a little strange to me... Didn't you live in this old town in the past? Why does it sound like you're just as unfamiliar with this place as me?
[Hideki Akechi]Well... As I got older, I spent less and less time here, so I missed out on its changes.
As he speaks, Hideki points at the block in front of us.
[Hideki Akechi]In fact, until I went to university, this street was just a plain dirt road. There wasn't even an asphalt road here, and a thick layer of dust and sand rises whenever a car drives through it.
[Hideki Akechi]At that time, people used to set up a mahjong table under the pagoda tree at the intersection and invite others to play with them. Those who couldn't get a seat at the table would stand beside it and wait for the next game. They would even borrow chairs from the shops on the street when watching people play.
[player]It's a very warm scene.
[Hideki Akechi]Yeah, which is why the plan to develop this town didn't go well at first. Everyone was afraid that their peaceful days would be ruined and the town's original order would be lost.
[Hideki Akechi]However, when the whole world is developing rapidly, it's sometimes unavoidable to make choices you don't like. Just like this old town, which now looks completely different from how I remember it.
I look at the intersection of the block. A huge screen displaying a map of this scenic spot now occupies the quarter. The dilapidated small mahjong table is no longer there.
Hideki seems to be going through an emotional moment while looking at the bustling neighborhood. He also seems to be looking into the distant past at the same time.
[player]No matter how this old town changes, one thing is certain—the happiness in your memories will never fade away. Even if high-rise buildings are built here in the future, this old town will always be the same town that brings you happiness if you never forget its past appearance.
[player]Those beautiful, tranquil, and warm parts of your past will always belong exclusively to you. They will always be memories that belong exclusively to you, Hideki.
[Hideki Akechi]Memories that belong exclusively to me...
Hideki repeats my words under his breath, then his eyes become brighter.
[Hideki Akechi]You're right. I already have many things that are worth protecting. I shouldn't obsess over the past.
[player]Yeah! And if we keep creating new happy memories, when we look back, our memories will be full of happy scenes.
[Hideki Akechi]In that case... let's go to this old town's only mahjong dojo to have an exciting match.
[player]Huh? Don't you think you're changing the topic too suddenly...?
[Hideki Akechi]I want PLAYER to also have beautiful memories of this old town, and there's no question that mahjong can make you happy.
[Hideki Akechi]Don't underestimate the mahjong experts of this old town though. If you don't pay attention, they take all your points.
[player]I see you're egging me on. It's not very wise but it's working! Let's go to the mahjong dojo. I'm not going to do my best!
When I recall my trip to this old town many years later, I remember Hideki's smile and the extremely rare True Nine Gates on the mahjong table.
Like Hideki said, we all gained irreplaceable exclusive memories.
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