It was •—‡”ǡƒ†™ƒ•–™‡–›Ǥ—–ƒ•ƒ—Ž‹œƒ‘…‡™”‘–‡ǡDz™‘ǯ–Ž‡– ƒ›‘‡•ƒ›–Š‘•‡ƒ”‡–Š‡„‡•–›‡ƒ”•‘ˆ›‘—”Ž‹ˆ‡Ǥdz ‡›‡ƒ”•ˆ”‘‘™ǡ•‘‡–Š‹‰ǯ•‰‘ƒŠƒ’’‡ˆ‘”—•Ǥ‘‡–Š‹‰‰”‡ƒ–Ǥ †–Š‡™‡ǯŽŽˆ‹ƒŽŽ›„‡‰Žƒ†–‘„‡ƒŽ‹˜‡, Himeno prophesied back then, and •Š‡™ƒ•†‡ƒ†™”‘‰Ǥ‘–ƒ•‹‰Ž‡Dz‰‘‘†dz–Š‹‰Šƒ†Šƒ’’‡‡†–‘me, at least, ƒ†‹–™ƒ•ǯ–‰‘‹‰–‘‰‡–„‡––‡”ƒ›–‹‡•‘‘Ǥ I wondered what she was doing now. Her family moved away in the •—‡”‘ˆˆ‘—”–Š‰”ƒ†‡ǤŠƒ†ǯ–•‡‡Š‡”•‹…‡Ǥ It wasnǯ–•—’’‘•‡†–‘„‡Ž‹‡–Š‹•Ǥ —–ƒ›„‡‹–™ƒ•ˆ‘”–Š‡„‡•–ǤŠ‹•™ƒ›ǡ•Š‡™‘—Ž†ǯ–Šƒ˜‡–‘•‡‡Š‘™ †—ŽŽƒ†‘”†‹ƒ”›ǯ†„‡…‘‡‘˜‡”–Š‡…‘—”•‡‘ˆ‹††Ž‡•…Š‘‘ŽǡŠ‹‰Š•…Š‘‘Žǡ and college. On the other hand, you could also say that if my childhood friend had come to my middle school with me, I might not have turned out this way. Whenever she was around, I was on edgeȄbut in a good way. If I did something stupid, she would laugh at me, and if I did something laudable, she would be frustrated. That kind of motivation kept me at my best, I think. It was a regret that I returned to quite often over the last few years. If my younger self could see me now, what would he think? After three days of listening to the majority of my CDs, I kept just a handful of the most precious and stuck the rest in a paper bag. My other bag was already packed with books. Then I headed out into the city, holding one in each hand. After a while of walking in the sun, my ears began to ring. Maybe it was just a phantom sound caused by the irregular buzzing of the cicadas. It sounded as if one of them was right next to my ear. The first time I visited that used bookstore was last summer, a few months ƒˆ–‡”•–ƒ”–‡†…‘ŽŽ‡‰‡Ǥ†‹†ǯ–Šƒ˜‡ƒ…Ž‡ƒ”ƒ’‘ˆ–Š‡ƒ”‡ƒ‹›Š‡ƒ†›‡–ǡ and I got lost on the way. There was a period of nearly an hour when I †‹†ǯ–Šƒ˜‡ƒ‰‘‘†‰”ƒ•’‘™Š‡”‡™ƒ•™ƒŽ‹‰Ǥ After passing down a side alley and climbing some stairs, I found the bookstore. I tried to go back there several times since, but I …‘—Ž†ǯ–ˆ‹‰—”‡ ‘—– ™Š‡”‡ ‹– ™ƒ•Ǥ Š‡  ™ƒ–‡† –‘ Ž‘‘ ‹– —’ǡ  …‘—Ž†ǯ– ”‡‡„‡” –Š‡ name. It always worked out that I stumbled across it when I was lost. It was as if the store itself was appearing and disappearing with a mind of its own. Only this year had I been able to finally get there without losing my way. When I arrived this time, morning glories were blooming in front of the shop. Out of sheer habit, I checked the clearance racks with the cheapest books they wanted to get rid of outside the front door before going inside.