<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Kazumi?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Where are you?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I got out back in the shrine. I think maybe we just chose the wrong tree last time.â€ There was a pause at the other end. Akiko was walking through the woods as she talked, wondering how accurate the vision she had seen through the tree had been.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh. Mmm.â€ Kazumi actually sounded a little embarrassed. “Well, should I come back, then?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well…â€ Akiko emerged from the edge of the trees, and caught sight of Shiraishi walking up to the house. She waved, but the priest didn’t see her. “No, wait there. I’ll see whether I can get out to the park.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“OK. There’s no-one here at all, you know. You don’t even need the yukata.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Right. See you soon, I hope.â€ Akiko hung up, and went back to the kami tree. She paused, looking around and listening for any sounds, but there didn’t seem to be anyone in the woods. Quickly, she slipped out of the yukata and embraced the tree.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">It felt like a river, a river of hot and cold water, sweeping her along, and then up, through the surface of a pool, the air rushing into her lungs, filling her with energy.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko stood among the trees, balancing easily on the roots. She just wanted to run and jump, play among the trees, but she easily resisted the urge.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I can’t keep Kazumi waiting,â€ she said, pretty sure that the kami of the tree would be listening. As she said it, a particular tree drew her attention. Gnarled, like the others, it was different without being distinctive; Akiko could easily tell it apart from the other trees, but couldn’t see any particular reason why she should. However, she was getting used to hints from the kami now, and walked over to it, shifting her vision to look at the spirits.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The energy of the place struck her as forcefully as ever, making her gasp as her heart raced. She could see the tree growing, stretching up for the sun as it breathed the air, making itself from light and water.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">And, deep within it, she could see… another tree. Surrounded by darkness. The tree looked like it could be the one in the park, but Akiko wasn’t sure. The darkness, though, that had to be kegare. As Akiko watched, Kazumi appeared, the darkness drawing back to reveal her as she approached the tree. The kegare seemed to be avoiding a small area around the girl, as she hugged the yukata to her chest and looked at the tree.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko wrapped her arms around the tree.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">It was as though a waterfall were pounding on her back, icy cold, furious, driving her to her knees…</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She staggered and almost fell as she appeared from the tree, and Kazumi caught her. Akiko drew a deep breath, reaching for the yukata. Then she stopped herself and, without looking Kazumi in the eye, turned round to embrace the tree.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Nothing happened. Turning back, she did grab the yukata, pulling it on and only looking at Kazumi once she had started tying the belt.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The girl was grinning at her. Akiko gave her a hard stare.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What’s so amusing? Come on, let’s get back to the shrine.â€</p>