Short Serial Novel "The Breath of Shiretoko" (4)

〈 The Listener of the Wind 〉

A wind announcing the end of summer was blowing through the forest of the Shiretoko Five Lakes.
The leaves of the Mongolian oak were gradually changing from deep green, and the scent of damp soil had begun to carry a hint of autumn.
Wao stood in front of the bungalow behind the visitor center and slowly looked up at the sky.
July 31, 2019.
This day was also the final day of the brown bear activity period.
Every year when this day arrives, an indescribable emotion wells up deep within Wao's chest.
Relief, loneliness, a sense of accomplishment, and—the conviction that he will return to this forest again next year.
"It's over... for this year, too."
Wao muttered, not to anyone in particular.

More than ten years had already passed since Wao began working as a registered Shiretoko Five Lakes guide.
During that time, he had guided countless tourists and witnessed countless expressions of nature.
Encounters with mother and cub bears.
Rescues that saved the lives of an elderly couple.
The protection of a severely injured Ezo deer.
Every one of them was an unforgettable event.
But for Wao, the most precious things were not the dramatic incidents, but the days themselves when the forest was quietly breathing.
The moment morning mist covers the lake surface.
The afternoon when the wind shakes the trees and the shadows of the leaves dance on the lake.
The twilight when the distant calls of brown bears echo at dusk.
All of that was a treasure to Wao.

In the municipal housing in Shari, his wife Ikuyo and Ritsuko, who is now in junior high school, are waiting.
Every year, for about three months from May 10th to the end of July, Wao lives in the forest away from his family.
There is loneliness.
But Ikuyo always sent him off with a smile.
"The nature you are protecting is also Ritsuko's future."
Those words have continued to support Wao.
Ritsuko has recently started to take an interest in animals.
She even once said, "I want to do work in nature like you, Dad."
Wao felt his chest grow warm.

As dusk approached, the forest was dyed in gold, and the lake surface became as still as a mirror.
Wao stood on the observation deck of the First Lake and slowly closed his eyes.
The wind caressed his cheeks.
The call of an Ezo deer could be heard in the distance.
The ridgeline of the Shiretoko mountain range was clearly reflected on the lake surface.
"I want to protect this scenery... forever."
It was not a message to anyone, but Wao's own vow.
The nature of Shiretoko is harsh, beautiful, and fragile.
There are places that would be destroyed if humans stepped into them.
That is why Wao returns to this forest every year, guides tourists, and continues to maintain the distance between nature and humans.
Even after the brown bear activity period ends, the nature of Shiretoko does not rest.
The sea prepares to welcome the drift ice, and the forest quietly changes toward winter.
Wao exhaled quietly while gazing at the sunset reflected on the lake.
"Let's meet in this forest again next year."
Those words rode the wind and vanished into the depths of the forest.

And then—
Wao, filling his chest with the scent of the forest, slowly heads back to the visitor center.
The nature of Shiretoko is breathing today as well.
And tomorrow, and the day after—
For a future where people and nature live together.