A letter written from Kaname Ototsuki to Reika Kuze.
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| Reika,
There's not a day that goes by I don't hear your voice, and not a day goes by that I don't see that woman who looks like you. There are many young girls there, and women in strange outfits, but the situations seem to change day by day. The real you is supposed to be in the village, but when I think about my dreams, you feel as though you have become the so-called shrine maiden. When I came to the city, I waned to clarify my own origins. I also wanted to learn about the customs and folklore of out village and of the Tohoku region. This would be the root of everything. Some of the folklore I have come to know about were the story of a monk who had a tattoo called "tattooed pilgrims", and the story of a girl who got a tattoo to represent her feelings for the deceased. I had heard these stories at bedtime when I was a child, they were always very sad and heartbreaking. I remember being told that the night-eyed maiden was a very special and admirable shrine maiden who carried the of sadness on behalf of the people. I don't know if such a maiden actually exists, and I'm not even sure if the story I heard was a dream or reality. But even if it is a made up story, I felt the story was both gratifying and pitiful, having someone take the burden of our own sadness and suffering. Sometimes, I feel a very sad presence of you in my dreams. You'll be waiting for me in the village when I get back. I'm sure leave your parent's house and show everyone your beautiful smile, just like you always have. From your family, Kaname |