[Black Basket] Winter Cherry Blossoms

Away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, and come to the ancient Kyoto, the beauty of cherry blossoms in the early spring of April did not catch Akashi's full attention, and the black car he was riding was passing through the ancient streets, quickly heading towards the place he was about to arrive at. Destination forward.

"Master, do you really not need me to take you to school tomorrow?" The driver is the old housekeeper of the Akashi family's mansion in Kyoto. During the three years when Akashi attended Luoshan High School, he was responsible for taking care of Akashi's daily life.

Regarding this, Akashi didn't have any objection, he was used to this kind of life long ago, after all, compared with the driver at the main house in Tokyo, the old butler of the second house in Kyoto was much better, besides being talkative, he could also hear A lot of interesting things, which is why he didn't object to taking the family car to school in the first two weeks.

"Uncle Masao, taking the tram to school is also a pleasure. Don't you think it's boring to go in and out in your own car all the time?" Looking at the street outside the car window, Akashi searched for that figure among the crowds of people wearing various school uniforms. Unfortunately, even The flow of people increased, but he still couldn't find that person.

"It seems that after you went to Toji Temple last time, you encountered interesting things there." There was still some driving distance from the school, and the old housekeeper chatted with Akashi while driving the car.

"Thanks to you, I found a lot of practical gadgets at the flea market." Akashi took out an old shogi piece from his trouser pocket, "If I have time in the future, I will go there again to hunt for treasures, but the premise is It was you who didn't reveal the whereabouts of these days to my father."

"Master, you are too worried. I am also acting according to the president's order. Since the president said that you can't go against your wishes, then I will carry out the order given by the young master. From tomorrow morning, please enjoy your high school life freely."

"Thank you, Uncle Masao, I will trouble you for the next three years in Kyoto."

"That's what I should do, sir."

After a brief conversation, Akashi turned his gaze back to the shogi in his hand, scratched its old surface with his fingertips, stroking the marks left by the years on it, and he couldn't help recalling what happened in early March when he discovered it.At that time, he had just come to Kyoto not long ago. Although the second house here was well-equipped with everything, he still found that there was something missing in the shogi pieces placed in the room of the second house. I went out to buy a chess piece, and walked into the local flea market by chance on that day, and bought that favorite chess piece.

March 3st is the local market day. Akashi was not very interested in it at first, but seeing the crowds flocking to Toji Temple, he also went in curiously to find out. He heard from the old housekeeper that the monthly market On the market day, as long as you search patiently, you can find unique treasures in the market, so he also wants to try his luck.

Antique vinyl records, handmade products, as long as you can find anything in your heart, there are many high school students who come here for treasure hunting. Girls prefer to make exquisite handmade products and dolls, while boys Focusing on some more practical items, Akashi walked around the market half a circle, and finally found what he wanted to buy in front of a stall full of people.

"Excuse me..." Before he had time to ask the stall owner for the price, Akashi's words were swallowed up by the discussion of the boys around the stall.

"Hey, your next step is wrong, it should be like this..."

"What, if you walk like this, you will only leave a gap for the opponent to attack your own king."

"This chess game is really difficult. It is almost impossible to solve it once. It seems that no one has taken the chessboard away this month."

It turned out that the reason why the boys gathered in front of the booth was to solve the shogi game. Akashi looked at the prize for their hard work. It was a simple shogi board with the shogi pieces he was looking for next to it. Make a note, if you can break the game with one hand, the chessboard will be given away for free.

"Sorry, can you let me have a try?" Akashi, who likes to accept challenges, was aroused. After the boys had no choice but to surrender to the chess game, he walked to the chessboard and began to observe the chess game.

"I advise you to give up. Many people have tried in the past few months. Until now, no one has solved the chess game with one hand. You must not be able to solve it..."

Before the boy finished speaking, Akashi reached out and moved the pieces on the chessboard from his side to the enemy's camp, and said to the stall owner, "I won."

"Oh, young man, you are very powerful. You can actually see through the traps set by the opponent, and cleverly use the traps of the opponent to create opportunities for you to reverse. This move of yours not only tore apart the defense line of the opponent, but also let yourself The chess pieces have been upgraded and improved in combat power, it seems that the master of the chessboard is none other than you."

"Mr. I'm sorry, is this the chess game you set up?" Although Akashi is no stranger to Daiichi Shogi, the chess game in front of him is carefully laid out. If he can't see through his true intentions, he may be confused by the appearance, and Being trapped in an unsolvable chess game all the time, he couldn't help but wonder who set up the game.

"No, someone else set up this chess game. I'm just helping to watch the stall temporarily. Oh, she just came back after helping me with shopping. Wait a moment." The old man watching the stall put down the tea in his hand, And shouted towards the figure running not far in front of the stall: "Ah Kui, someone has claimed your chessboard, come quickly and entertain the guests."

"Sorry, Mr. Miyazaki, I'm late. Here are your lunch boxes and sewing buttons." The girl who hurried back to the stall handed the bento box and tool bag to the old man, and then returned to the stall to say hello guest.

"Akui, it was this young man who solved the chess game. If he is, you should rest assured to entrust the chessboard to him."

"Thank you for helping my grandfather solve the problem. According to the agreement, whoever can break the game can get this chessboard for free. It belongs to you." The girl put away the chess pieces, and then gave the wrapped chessboard to Akashi.

"I'm just interested in the chess game, I can't just accept it without paying anything." Akashi rejected the girl's free gift, just as he said, he was only interested in the chess game and never thought of taking the chess board home .

"This is the proof of the winner. It should be honored to have you as its master."

"If one day I lose, it will also disappear?"

"Uh..." Asked by Akashi, the girl was at a loss for words. After a while, she replied: "There are always variables in the world, and I can't make a conclusion about the fate of others."

"Is that watercolor painting a commodity?" Putting aside the debate about winning and losing for the time being, Akashi looked at the watercolor painting hanging on the wooden frame behind the girl. That strange little hanging picture.

"It's just what I used to make up money, and it's not worth buying. There are still many art school students in the market who are better at painting than me."

"A white bird that has flown out of the cage and a black bird that spends the rest of its life in the cage, do you also believe that people have two sides?"

"Maybe, it's not so much two-faced, it's better to say that I am hesitant at the crossroads of life. In reality, there are too many things to overwhelm people who can't breathe. Sometimes they wish that another self can bear everything, but I know I can't do it by myself, after all, some things need to be solved by myself, instead of asking another self to bear everything, that's unfair, so I can't admit defeat, otherwise I will really be like that black bird, never able to fly Get out of that cage."

"If one day you find out that someone you know has another personality, do you think he is scary?"

"Of course not. He is still him. Even if he feels strange, he is still the same person to me." Although she didn't understand why Akashi would ask such a weird question, the girl still gave her own answer.

"I bought that painting."

"Huh? But..." The girl was very surprised, she never thought that anyone would buy that painting.

"You make a price, and check out with the chess pieces."

"Then... you can just pay 100 yen, that painting is really worthless."

The price offered by the girl also made Akashi very interesting. Indeed, compared with the paintings of those students in art colleges, her painting skills are mediocre, without any outstanding features, but the content of the paintings is exactly the same as what he had thought in his heart. Very similar, such a coincidence is really rare.

In this way, Akashi left 100 yen and took away the spoils he got. As the noise faded away, the figure of the girl disappeared into the constant flow of people.So, time quickly erased what happened that day, and now looking back, he only remembers the general course of the incident, and the girl's strange name.

sunflower.