There was a shrine on the mountain. It was said that a priest lived there, and that when he purified an evil soul, it would become a guardian spirit. These guardians protected our country. This story was told to children time and time again. Adults, however, prayed to the guardians only when they faced trouble.

  Ivy himself didn’t usually think about the guardian spirits or the shrine, but sometimes, while staring abstractedly at the mountain, he would find himself pondering, ‘There’s a shrine somewhere on the mountain.’

  He didn’t know if the story was true, but the thought of uncertain things was oddly exciting.

  ‘I won.’

  ‘You cheated! Start over!’

  At the station square, two little boys were play-fighting with sticks in their hands. They were so absorbed in their game that they didn’t notice Ivy ahead of them. One of the boys almost bumped into Ivy, but he caught him from behind, supporting him with both hands.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” the boy apologized.

  Ivy smiled at him and let go.

  “Don’t go too close to the phone office. The owner will yell at you.”

  “We get it!”

  The boys said enthusiastically and ran off immediately. Ivy watched them until they disappeared down a side street. From time to time, the dimming light of early evening would make him feel melancholic. Beyond the station, a row of brick chemical factories stood, each one emitting smoke from its chimney. In the center of the square stood a small clock tower, marking the time with the sound of a bell. Atop the clock tower, a weathercock faced Ivy, its tail swaying toward the sea. He sat on the wall along the railway, exposed to the cool autumn air, which had made the wall icy to the touch. The street was almost empty, just as usual. Hearing the bell that signaled the approaching train, he looked toward the railway. A chugging train came into view, puffing out thick smoke from its chimney, proudly displaying its gold panel at the front. “Wilder,” the stationmaster announced, his deep voice carrying across the platform. Wilder was a small town that had developed around industry. Many people in this town worked at one of the local factories. The doors of the train opened, and a few passengers stepped out. Each person passed through the gate and headed to their destination. The train conductor made sure all the passengers had boarded, then blew the whistle. Smoke billowed from beneath the train, and it started moving, its wheels squeaking as it left Ivy behind. The railway curved wildly around the shoreline ahead, where the train disappeared into a tunnel. It reappeared on the other side, only to disappear completely this time. The next train would arrive a few hours later, he knew, so he left the station. He walked along the railroad in the direction from which the train had come, until he reached the riverbank in just a few minutes. Upon coming to a stone bridge with a few stairs on either side, he did not go up. Instead, he turned right and continued along the river upstream. The sea was, of course, downstream. From where he stood, he could see the horizon, but from other places in town, it was barely visible due to the factories that obstructed the view. A salty breeze tickled his nose. He always recognized the ocean by this smell, and it pleased him. The river’s surface reflected the sun, which appeared as an orange fireball at this time of day. On this side of the river, there was a narrow street where weeds grew randomly between the gaps in the pavement. On the other side, however, the street was wide and well-paved, with a large playground for children. The other side was another small town called Parkhill, which was a different municipality from Wilder. He turned his back on the river and walked down a street. After a while, he came to another street lined with red brick buildings. Then, a few houses and shops appeared on both sides. When he smelled the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread, he knew he was near Ivy’s home. The doorbell rang as he entered, and his mother, who was working inside the store, turned to look at him.

  “Hey, how was your day?”

  “I went to watch the train,” he replied.

  He passed through the store and headed upstairs as he spoke.

  “You really like trains,” his mother chuckled before returning to her work.

  Ivy settled into his attic. From the backyard, he heard the sound of his father putting the handcart into the shed. Tomorrow would be a school day, and although Ivy knew he had homework to do, he quickly grew lazy and lay down on the bed. Looking out the small window at the street below, he noticed a girl coming out of the shop across the way. It was Alma, one of his classmates. She seemed to be running an errand. Ivy tapped on the window, but she didn’t notice him. With a basket hanging from her arm, Alma smiled and thanked the shop owner before trotting off down the street. Her dark chestnut braids bounced up and down over her shoulder. As she walked, one of the eggs in her basket fell and cracked on the pavement. Alma didn’t notice and continued on her way, leaving the egg behind.

  Poor egg, Ivy thought.

  He decided he would tell her about it tomorrow at school and smiled. The sky, which had been casting an orange light into the room a moment ago, was now dark, with only the setting sun left behind. A red star shone alone in the sky above the sea.

  He sat by the window, stretching out his feet, gazing at the sky. Outside, the vast, endless night sky stretched before him. He felt as if he were floating in space, alone with the window frame. The darkness was brightened by the starlight, creating a contrast of pale pink, purple, and azure.

  Whizz, whizz—strange, high-pitched sounds filled the air without pause, while a distant rumble, low and deep, echoed, boom, boom. He was completely stunned by the absolute beauty before him. The window frame seemed to drift through the vast space, as if there were no up or down.

  Looking up, he saw a large white star casting a pale light—the moon. It appeared much larger and closer than it should have been. In the space around it, there was another moon, faint and blue. Were there two moons in the sky? he wondered. A white moon and a blue moon. The blue moon stared at him silently, as though it wanted to speak to him. He knew it was a dream. He was having a strange dream.

  “Do you know how to transport mineral ores from a mine? Anyone?”

  A few students raised their hands. Ivy, however, rested his chin on one hand and gazed out the window with the other arm on the desk. On clear autumn days, when thin white clouds drifted across the pale blue sky, he wished he could somehow capture and keep that serene beauty just for himself.

  “That’s correct. In vertical mines, they use trucks; in horizontal mines, they employ lifts in shafts like this one to raise carts filled with ore from depth to surface.”

  The teacher displayed an image of a lift. Each student began scribbling notes in their notebooks. Ivy glanced down and wrote a few words. He often found himself absent-minded during classes.

  The bell rang, signaling the end of the day’s classes. The school, located at the foot of a small mountain just a short walk from Ivy’s home, was said to have been there for over a century, yet it remained clean and well-maintained. Atop the building stood a clock tower with a spacious balcony. Ivy stepped onto the balcony, a place where many students often chatted or studied during breaks and after school. Today, however, he seemed to be alone. This three-story building was the tallest in town. From here, he could see the town of Parkhill beyond the river.

  Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Alma standing there, holding her textbooks against her chest. Since she was busy chatting with her friends, Ivy didn’t had many chances to talk to her today.

  “You’re here,” he said.

  “Yeah. You know, I saw you on the street yesterday from my window.”

  “Did you? I was running an errand to buy some eggs.”

  “You dropped one when you left.”

  “Oh, you saw that? I didn’t realize until I got home.”

  She stuck out her tongue playfully.

  “By the way, why don’t we visit Tesus later today?”

  “Sounds good. But why? It’s unusual for you to suggest such things.”

  “I heard that the priest’s son has come to Parkhill School. The priest’s son! Don’t you want to know what he’s like?”

  “The priest’s son?”

  He leaned forward toward Alma.

  “Does the priest have a son? If his son has come, does that mean the priest is in Parkhill now?”

  Ivy’s excitement was evident at the mention of the priest, and Alma grinned satisfactorily.

  “It seems so. My mom mentioned it.”

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  Alma always brought him intriguing news. She was active and often proposed fun and adventurous plays. Playing with her was a great pleasure, though Ivy sometimes worried they might be scolded by adults for their mischievous antics—and, indeed, they often were.

  “I didn’t even know the priest had a family, or that he moved houses.”

  “Yeah, he’s quite a mysterious person, isn’t he? So, what do you say?”

  “I’d love to!”

  She smiled and nodded.

  “Then, see you later at the bridge.”

  “Perfect.”

  Tesus was a boy from Parkhill, the same age as Ivy. Parkhill, covering only half the area of Wilder, was primarily an industrial town, boasting a row of factories even more numerous than those in Wilder.

  Ivy first met Tesus six months ago while observing trains at the Wilder station—a common pastime for him. Since Parkhill lacked its own station, residents frequently used the one in Wilder. Tesus approached Ivy while his father purchased tickets and struck up a conversation.

  “Are you going to ride the train too?”

  “No, I just enjoy watching trains.”

  Tesus smiled at Ivy’s response.

  “I thought so, since I’ve seen you here watching trains before.”

  Tesus’s friendly demeanor and gentle speech put Ivy at ease.

  “I like trains too. I have some model trains in my room. You’re welcome to come see them anytime.”

  “Sounds fantastic! I’d love to visit.”

  “It’s the blue house right across the bridge on the Parkhill side. I’m Tesus, by the way.”

  Tesus extended his hand to Ivy. Feeling a bit disconcerted by the adult-like gesture, Ivy took his hand, and they shook hands awkwardly.

  “I’m Ivy.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ivy.”

  Tesus waved and walked away with his father, who had finished purchasing the tickets. Ivy later visited the blue house, and they became friends. At Wilder School, there were few boys his age, and many girls; Alma was the only one he often played with. Meeting Tesus was the highlight of his year.

  “Hi there, come on in.”

  As usual, Tesus was in the garage, seemingly engaged in some kind of experiment. He wore goggles and held a test tube in one hand. The garage, adjacent to the blue house, served as Tesus’s personal den. Model trains, experimental instruments, and technical books were scattered across the floor. This hideout-like atmosphere always excited Ivy during his visits. Tesus never seemed bothered by unexpected visitors. However, he also never offered tea or cookies, nor suggested playing outside, even when the weather was pleasant. So, during their time in the garage, Ivy would often read one of Tesus’s books while Tesus conducted his experiments. Occasionally, they’d discuss their school experiences. Ivy found this arrangement oddly comfortable. On the table in the center of the room, numerous glass beakers were arranged, each containing a mysterious pink liquid emitting wisps of smoke.

  “You’ve got a new table?”

  “Dad brought this from his workplace. It was almost discarded.”

  “Is it safe to inhale this smoke?”

  “Oh, it’s fine. But hold on, I’ll open the window. My father taught me how to disassemble a battery, and I’ve been trying to do that.”

  Tesus placed a cap onto the lamp beneath the beaker to extinguish the flame.

  “Sounds fun.”

  Alma swept the items on the floor aside and sat down on a large round cushion.

  “Well, tell us, is it true that the priest’s son came to your school?”

  Tesus casually replied, “Yes.”

  “That must be Tabby you’re talking about. He arrived about a week ago. But he’s not the priest’s biological son; he’s an orphan, meaning he has no parents. He was adopted by the priest and raised in the shrine. He came down the mountain because he’s reached the age to start finding a job and live on his own.”

  “Does that mean the priest’s family didn’t move here?”

  “No, just Tabby.”

  “No priest?”

  Alma and Ivy let out disappointed voices.

  “But why did he choose Parkhill, though the shrine is very far from here?”

  “Our school is on the small side, but it has a dormitory; I suppose that’s why. A school with a dormitory is rare in the region. Here in this town, many children have parents who work in factories and sometimes do night shifts. To help their children maintain a regular life, parents often send them to the dormitory when they’re busy.”

  “So, the boy will live in the dormitory and attend school?”

  “Yes. He’ll also work as a trainee in a factory while going to school.”

  Alma leaned back against the wall.

  “Hasn’t the priest come?”

  “He seemed to have come to the school on the first day but has already returned to the shrine. I didn’t see him.”

  “I wanted to ask the boy what the priest is like.”

  “I guess he’s at the factory today. Maybe you’ll be able to meet him tomorrow after school. But why are you so interested in the priest?”

  “Because…”

  “Because priests and shrines are very mysterious to me, even though adults often mention them. I wanted to see one for myself.”

  Alma answered for Ivy, who was struggling to find a good response.

  “That’s right. I want to know what their life is like up on the mountain.”

  “That’s true. It’s hard for me to imagine, too,” Tesus agreed.

  “I envy the Parkhill children. They can continue working at the factories where they’ve trained. We don’t have such a system in Wilder,” Alma said, stretching her back.

  “You don’t want to work in a factory, do you?”

  “No, I mean, it’d be better if we had more options.”

  “I heard they’ll accept trainees from Wilder sometime soon,” Tesus interjected.

  “That’d be great. I hope they do so within the next year.”

  Ivy hoped that he would be able to become a trainee if it happened within the next year.

  “Hey, this book looks interesting: The Guide to Wild Animals.”

  Alma, losing interest in the factory topic, began browsing Tesus’s bookshelf.

  “You can borrow it. I won’t read this book for a while, so keep it as long as you like.”

  “Thanks.”

  Seemingly no longer interested in the priest’s son, Alma became absorbed in the book.

  “What is he like, the boy?” Ivy asked.

  “Well, he’s nice. But I don’t suppose he’s the type who wants to hang around with me like this,” Tesus gestured toward his garage.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll see.” Tesus answered vaguely, shrugging with a slight smile.

  When Ivy stepped out of Tesus’s garage, he was surprised by the dimness outside, even though it wasn’t very late.

  “The sun sets earlier recently,” Tesus remarked, looking up at the sky as he accompanied them. Ivy glanced at the blue house just as an upstairs window lit up, revealing a figure inside.

  “That’s my brother’s room. He seems to have already returned from soccer practice. The room next to it is my sister’s.”

  “I’ve heard about your brother, but you have a sister too?”

  They had known each other for six months, and Ivy thought he knew his friend well, but there seemed to be much more he hadn’t learned yet. Similarly, Tesus didn’t know that Ivy had an older brother who worked in a big city.

  “Tomorrow, I’ll tell Tabby you want to see him. Let’s gather here.”

  “Thank you. See you tomorrow, then.”

  They waved goodbye and parted ways.

  “Do you believe in shrines?”

  When Ivy asked, Alma, who had been searching for colorful leaves on the ground and picking them carefully, stopped and looked up at Ivy, a bit confused.

  “What do you mean by ‘believe in’? Of course I do. There’s a boy who was raised by a priest and came to our town. Don’t you remember?”

  She held up a big orange leaf towards the sky, its translucence obscured by the lack of light, and tucked it into her bag.

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, do you believe the story that the priest transforms an evil soul into a guardian spirit, and that this guardian spirit protects our country?”

  Frustrated with his inability to explain clearly, Ivy watched as Alma paused to think.

  “If you’re asking whether I believe, I’d say I do. Because without guardian spirits, I wouldn’t know whom to ask for help, especially during exams.”

  “I see.”

  Her answer didn’t fully satisfy him, but it mirrored his own understanding. Perhaps everyone held only a vague notion of these beliefs.

  “My mom said that there are some people in foreign countries who believe in an absolute soul, which is prior to everything in this world.”

  “Prior to everything?”

  “Yeah, anyone can be a guardian soul—that’s what we all believe, right? But there are some people who believe that there is one and only soul that rules the world. Sounds weird, doesn’t it?”

  It was true that the idea was incomprehensible to Ivy.

  “Does that mean there are different souls from ours somewhere out there, and they believe in theirs?”

  “I don’t know. The world is so vast that people in foreign countries can have different beliefs, I think.”

  She emphasized “so vast.”

  “Hm, foreign countries. I want to go there.”

  He knew there were ships in the big port coming and going across the sea. He also knew that foreign countries were overseas—very distant and very different from where he lived in many ways. But he didn’t know what kind of countries they were or what kind of people lived there at all. To him, they were as mysterious as the shrine and the guardian gods. He only had a vague sense of longing for what he had not seen.

  “Impossible. It’ll cost you a lot, and the procedure is really complicated, my mom said.”

  Alma raised her chin slightly.

  “Is it?”

  “It is. And going across the sea by ship is very dangerous. Distress happens all the time, and you might even encounter a group of pirates.”

  She again emphasized the word ‘very’.

  “What’s a pirate?”

  “I don’t know.”

  It sounded frightening, anyhow. Why does everyone but Ivy know so much about things that school doesn’t teach?

  “Anyway, our guardian gods protect us here,” she concluded.

  “Ah, I see.”

  He, who lived in this country, must have been expected to seek the protection of the guardian spirits, just like his parents and the other people in town.

  “Hey, look at that.”

  When they reached the shop street across from the station, Alma pointed her finger at the small telephone office of the town. The window was lit up, allowing them to see inside. An unfamiliar guitar was displayed on the windowsill.

  “Cool. It’s a beautiful guitar.”

  “That must be Mr. Wilson’s new trophy.”

  “When I was small, I accidentally left my ball there, and it never came back.”

  Ivy’s ball was still displayed beside the guitar. In addition to that, there was a doll, a compact mirror, and other assorted odds and ends lined up proudly.

  “A guitar feels unusual here. I wonder if a member of a musical band left it.”

  She crouched down and tried to look closely when the door suddenly slammed open.

  “You spoiled brats!”

  They both jumped up at the same time at the yell.

  “Don’t look into the office!”

  The grey-haired owner of the phone office half appeared at the door, holding a roll of newspaper in his hand.

  “I’m sorry!”

  They shouted in unison, darting off the site. As they ran, Ivy glanced back and saw the old man’s glasses gleaming under the town lights.

  “I was scared to death.”

  They finally stopped running when they reached the end of the shopping street. They bent over, hands on their knees, panting hard.

  “He was about to beat us with the newspaper.”

  She cast a chagrined glance toward the phone office, which was now out of view. He noticed the red star appearing in the lower sky.

  “It’s not a good idea to get too close to the office.”

  “True.”

  They parted ways, heading home with still-thumping hearts.

  The next day, he was so excited about after-school that he was even more absentminded than usual. He stared at the mountain, where the shrine was, looming out of the grey sky in the West. Finally, all the classes finished. The bell rang, the teacher announced the dismissal, and all the pupils bowed to her. They hurried to the playground or to the balcony to play and chat in groups, while some others went to the teacher with questions about the lesson. Ivy joined neither group. She tried to talk to Alma, but Alma immediately went to her friends and became busy talking with them.

  He gave her a glance as he went to the door, but she didn’t notice. She kept leaning towards her friends, giggling. Ivy gave up on it and left the classroom. He waited for a while at the playground, but Alma didn’t show up. He decided to make his way to Tesus by himself. As long as they had promised, she would come, he thought.