October 17, 2017

Kasane [Chapter 99 - Appearing in the Bottom of One’s Heart]

Kingo tells Kasane that it has been a long time and she looks like she fairly has enthusiasm. Kasane didn’t reply. Kingo wonders why she didn’t answer. He says that she is searching into her mother’s past and it wasn’t easy to find this final stop [on bus] to come to here to ‘Akeiwa’ village.


Kasane looks at a torii then some birds fly away. Kasane looks at him and says that compared to what she imagined, he’s quite lively so is his wounds already well?

Wondering if the fire in her eyes had been burnt out, Kingo tells her that a long time had already past so it is well at some degree. “How come you disappeared from me for nearly four months?”
Kasane says that it is because she doesn’t want to rely on him again. “I want to search for my mother’s past all by myself.” Kingo says by herself huh...but if there is no guide [him] around, Akeiwa is simply a god-forsaken withered wilderness, that’s all.

Kasane agrees. “But, if it is simply based on your eyes, it isn’t definite that I’ll be able to find out what happened here at that time.” [/simply through your eyes, would I be able to know what had happened here at that time.]

Kingo says it turns out to be like that, okay, let him tell her about it from the start. Kasane follows Kingo as he leads the way. Kingo asks her if she can see the depths of that steppe at that side. Pointing to some trees, he says there where she can see the forest at the foot of the mountain.
“Before, it is the house of a family surnamed ‘Tsuki’. That is the place where Isana-san was born. Not long before she was born, she has to be put to death because of her ugly appearance. I have told you before that village had an outdated social custom...

...But, the midwife called ‘Hirasaka Chigusa’ secretly saved her and brought her up. Even if she is already an adult, Izana-san can only live in that small house hidden within the deep mountain. It can be said that it is basically not the life of a human...

...Denying her own existence yet still existing, she was tormented by her inability to change her own ugly appearance. Hatred gradually boils up from within her heart that it started to polish like a knife’s sharp point...

...I had just arrived at the village when I saw her for the first time. That person is also... looked at me with that kind of glare that has hated, rejected and cursed everything in this world seems to have come from the abyss--”
Kasane asks if he was born in this village. Kingo says that based on bloodlines, he is from this place. “I was born from a woman who raped by the head of the ‘Susano’ family. When I was 11 years old, my mother brought me to this place and disappeared...

Forget about that, that kind of thing doesn’t matter anymore. *standing in front of an old ruined staircase with stone lanterns* --this place is the village’s center. It is called ‘Akeiwa shrine’s ruins. Whether it is the ancient shrine or the huge tori, they were all burned into ashes until nothing is left.”

Kasane asks if that torii she saw a while ago, wasn’t that also a shrine. Kingo says no. “If you were to look at it from here, one would know that torii is at the foot of the mountain. That ‘Shiranaga Mountain’ [<-guesswork from 白永山 literally means white forever mountain] is a holy place which is forbidden for everyone to enter...

...Isana-san secretly lives at the base of the mountain. And, it is at that place where she found it, the magical ‘ake’ [red] that can change one’s fate. Through a kiss, one can steal a person’s face. That kind of mineral is called ‘hakukou’ [white red].”
Holding up her lipstick, Kasane asks if this lipstick is called ‘hakukou’. Kingo says yes, that person said that she found it hidden in the pond located at the hilltop. Kasane asks how her mother was able to find it in that kind of place. Kingo says that it is the KAGURA.

Kasane asks if KAGURA is that traditional theatrical dance. Kingo says yes, this place has a passed on a ‘legend’ within the kagura. “The clue where the hakukou is located is weaved within it...

...It includes a story about an UGLY female demon, which will bring disaster to this place, was annihilated by a BEAUTIFUL MIKO [shrine maiden]. It depicted the female demon applying red powder on the lips and kissing the miko. Using this method, she snatches away [/wrest control of] the miko’s soul.
Moreover, the ending of the kagura brought about the accursed custom that Izana-san cannot be allowed to live... ‘if you didn’t quickly kill off the ugly baby girl born on the 43rd combination of the sexagenary cycle [example 1906; 1966]...

...that baby girl will bring along the female demon’s soul and she will bring disaster to this village’ They are always bounded by it [/that kind of custom is always handed down] because it is a legend that is always sung from one generation to another.”

After a pause, Kasane says, ‘that baby girl will bring along the female demon’s soul and will bring disaster to this village’ is talking about her mother since she made the words of the legend that has been passed down become ‘reality’.
Kingo says that it is like that. “She is the ‘female demon’ who killed and snatched away the appearance of a beautiful girl who was acting as a miko. It was above this kagura hall where she first step a foot on the stage. Up to now, it is still vivid in my mind...

...She is illuminated by golden light on a dusky night. *scene of Izuna dancing* The ugly female demon who was killed has been reincarnated to a goddess who is more beautiful than anyone else. Afterwards, the goddess will kill all of the people who had persecuted her...

...*Izana looked down at all of the people she had poisoned* Then, she’ll lit up a blaze that will purify everything and causing this accursed persistent place to be destroyed [/left this accursed place]. *scene of young Kingo looking at Izana who turned to look at him*
...Whether before it or afterwards, I... (had never seen such a beautiful scene compared to that--) ...I want to personally see that kind of scene one more time.” Kasane asks if the play that he wanted directed is...the ‘reproduction’ of that scene.

Kingo says yes. “I originally wanted to make ‘Fuchi Sugeyo’ act it out but that person had already left the stage and had lost her life. That had become my regret so I hope that you can use the lipstick once again...to substitute for that person as the lead. That is my wish. Besides, wishing that you can go back below the [stage]light is also Izana’s desire.”
After a pause, Kasane says that she isn’t her mother. “But, blood...has passed on to me her thoughts, talent and acting ability. I will act in your play.” Looking relieved, Kingo asks is that so! “That’s very good. With that kind of decision, no matter how difficult it is, we only have to find a new beautiful ‘face’ again...!”

Kasane just looks at him. Narration: “The flame has not yet been extinguished. But, how come I felt that the Kasane at that time was very similar to you when you left Akeiwa [and went missing without a trace] before---”
Comment: And, we know what Kasane’s next project would be. It would be her mother’s life or somehow related to the legend. But still, as Kingo noticed, something is different from the usual Kasane. It seems she had become more sober, subdued and perhaps, a bit mature after her suicide attempt.

It seems that Kasane has ceased to depend on Kingo because she would have wanted to know more about her mother by herself. But of course, that is impossible since Kingo is the only one who knew and witnessed what had happened at that time.

Kasane now knows her mother’s past as well as a bit about Kingo’s background. I’m not sure if there is any clue she found out from the story regarding the ‘permanent switch’ though. Still, it was pretty clever of Izana to figure out where the hakukou is located based on the legend.

In a way, the story is a revenge story. Those who tormented the ugly got their punishment so it made me wonder if that is how it will also end with Kasane. Still, as she mentioned, she isn’t her mother. Most likely, it won’t be the same. Hehe, but I cannot be sure if it won’t be tragic.

Kingo is already having some sort of bad premonition. I guess he was too focused on the possibility of his play finally coming to life and for him to finally see that scene again so he just dismissed those thoughts. For now, I cannot imagine the current Kasane to be like the Izana in that scene. So, let’s see how it will turn out. Scans by RAD汉化组.

Quote of the day:
The past was always there, lived inside of you, and it helped to make you who you were. But it had to be placed in perspective. The past could not dominate the future. ~ Barbara Taylor Bradford, Unexpected Blessings

4 comments:

  1. I wonder if the legend was actually based on a face swapping event that had taken place in the village during the distant past? The 'demon' could even have been Kasane's ancestor. Using the red mineral and maybe the permanent face swap, Kasane's ancestor would have lived a normal life and passed down her appearance to future generations. Her looks may even have had skipped several generations before reappearing in Izana and Kasane.

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    1. It's highly possible, Anonymous. Though, I thought passing it to Kasane is because it is in Izana's genes. ^^;

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