Five Short, Sea and Sky [Your Travel Short Story]

My travel plan to Kyushu was not perfect at all.

I realized it when the express train arrived at the station.
The train, both inside and out, was completely covered in Anpanman.

It seems it was going to take me to Kochi Prefecture, not Kyushu.
I only found out while traveling that the train was named after the hometown of its creator, Takashi Yanase.

Although it was in a completely different direction from my destination, watching the children excitedly playing while accompanied by their parents, I thought that this kind of trip wasn't so bad either.

In the first place, I only thought of it this morning.

I wanted to go somewhere touristy and relax. As soon as I thought that, I packed only what I needed without even booking a place to stay and headed to the nearest station.

My mental state had become unstable due to my daily life, and I had already informed my workplace that I would be taking a long leave.

Matching the atmosphere inside the train, I played the Anpanman movie "Purun the Soap Bubble" on U-NEXT. I was moved to tears by the scene where Cream Panda encourages Purun with a song.

* * *

The train arrived at its destination on time.
I booked a nearby place to stay and decided to look around from places I could walk to for now.

The "Harimaya Bridge," known as a tourist spot, was smaller than I had imagined.
I walked past it several times without noticing and gave a bitter smile. It sat there quietly like an object placed in a corner of the city.

Thinking, "If it's Kochi, I can see the sea!" I cheered myself up and boarded a bus bound for Katsurahama Beach. The view outside the window gradually opened up, and the scent of the tide drew closer.

When I climbed the hill, the statue of Sakamoto Ryoma stood in a dignified posture.
It was in a higher position than I expected, making it difficult to take a photo. Ignoring me, he stared straight ahead at the sky of Japan in silence.

At the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum, the sword exhibition was nice, but what caught my eye more than anything was the blue of the sea outside the window. The waves shimmering and swaying with the wind captured my heart and wouldn't let go.

──Why is the sea...?

My inner voice spilled out softly.

How can it continue its monotonous existence of just repeating the ebb and flow without a single complaint?

And why am I so drawn to the sea?

When I went down to the beach, the sea breeze tickled my cheeks.
The sound of the waves was soft and gentle.

Toward the cape, I could see a fisherman in the distance. I certainly didn't have the courage to interact with a stranger by asking, "Are they biting?"

I stayed that night at a business hotel in Kochi City.
I had fresh bonito for dinner at a nearby restaurant.

From outside the window, I could hear the sound of a distant railroad crossing.
That night, I was able to sleep soundly without taking any medicine.

* * *

The next day, I moved from Kochi back toward Kagawa Prefecture. This was also a spur-of-the-moment decision, as I remembered my mother talking about climbing Kotohira-gu Shrine. She had said that since the stone steps to the very top are long, it might be better to go while you're still young.

They say there are 1,368 steps to the inner shrine of Kotohira-gu.
On the approach leading to the stone steps, souvenir shops and udon noodle shops lined the street, and I was excited by the atmosphere, which was full of the charm of travel.

However, halfway up the stone steps, there were tourists holding walking sticks and catching their breath.
As I climbed the steps, I gradually began to clear my mind.

From behind, I heard an elderly woman's voice, which seemed directed at me, saying, "Young people really have energy, don't they?" I answered in my heart that I wasn't actually that young.

Even when sweat flowed, the wind wiped it away each time.
When I climbed to the very top, a magnificent sky overlooking the Sanuki Plain welcomed me.

In the distance, the Seto Inland Sea was shining.
It was as if the sea from yesterday had crossed the Shikoku Mountains to follow me here.

──A little break.

I sat down on a bench on the way to the inner shrine and, for a while, just felt the wind without doing anything. The rustling sound was pleasant.

I feel impatient thinking I have to do this and that, yet I can't get anything done.
...I had been feeling a bit disgusted with myself for that.

This luxurious time of doing nothing might have been exactly what I needed from the bottom of my heart.

I bought golden tortoiseshell candy as a souvenir and went into an udon shop after descending the mountain.
I let out a sigh of relief at the gentle aroma of the dashi broth.

"Are you traveling?"

It was a female staff member who asked me.
I answered, feeling flustered by the conversation with someone after such a long time.

"Um, I was planning to go to Kyushu... but I took the wrong train and ended up in Shikoku."

The staff member laughed and said, "Thinking you're going to Kyushu but ending up in Shikoku, you're five short." That light joke soaked deep into my chest.

I felt saved that someone could laugh along with me over a small mistake.

* * *

On the train home, I was, of course, exhausted and my feet hurt.
But the train swayed gently, and my heart felt light.

I made a mistake, but it wasn't a mistake.
A trip that makes me feel that way.

Kyushu, maybe next time.

──Because there is a "next time," I can take the next step.
In the midst of a pleasant fatigue, I slowly closed my eyes.

Outside the window, the blue sky connecting Kochi and Kagawa continued on and on, even here.

*I have participated in the following project.