居草(IKUSA)。
ここには百歳を超える仙人のようなお爺さんが住んでいたという。お爺さんが他界して何年か後、現地を訪れると彼が育てた目高が数匹まだ甕の中に生き延びていた。その時、目高を主人としてこの家を蘇らせようと決めた。
百二十八段の階段を登る。庭には、樹齢百年の桜。よく手入れをされた梅。風に戦ぐ竹林を抜けて微かに潮の香り。玄関の目高に一礼するように躙口を潜る。
「ごめんください。」
「やあ、悠久の時間旅行へようこそ。」
Upon the crest of this hill resided an elderly man, resembling a hermit, rumored to have surpassed a century in age. Years following his passing, as I ventured into his now-deserted abode, several of his companion killifish endured in the water of an outdoor clay pot.
It was then that I resolved to breathe new life into this sanctuary, with these resilient killifish as custodians of the estate.
Ascending 128 stone steps, I found myself amidst a garden adorned with a centennial cherry tree and a meticulously tended plum tree. Passing through a bamboo grove that whispered in the breeze, carrying the faint aroma of the sea.
"Excuse me."
"Hello, welcome to the journey through eternal time."