Ken was silent for a moment
“Father might know something, but he would be furious if he knew I barged into the shrine…”
Ken got up from his seat and walked away.
The next day, the time is now 5:55 am. Ken is still asleep in his room, Using a blanket. Not long, Ken woke up, he opened his eyes for a moment. He looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand beside his bed
"Yeah, as usual, I woke up before the alarm clock again"
Ken took a sitting position and struggled. Ken then sat on the edge of his bed and realized something. Next to his pillow, was the wolf glove puppet he saw in the shrine yesterday. Ken immediately jumped in surprise and fell out of his bed
“Wha, what the hell is this?”
Hesitantly, Ken got up from his fall and approached the glove puppet. Ken watched it intently
"Did someone put it here?"
Ken's expression turned astonished. Not long after, a kind of thick black smoke evaporated from around this glove puppet and soon drowned this glove puppet in the smoke.
From within the thick black smoke, emerged a large wolf with long fur and a long furry tail, gray and white in color, which when waved, these furs formed like a blaze. The wolf's body is covered with sturdy carved black armor which turned out to be the real skin of this wolf.
This armor skin covered many parts of its body, near the top of the ear, upper head, upper neck (nape), the front lower part of the fore and hind legs, the upper part of the fore and hind legs, shoulders of the forelegs and hind legs, front back, and small part of the chest. The armor on the shoulders of the forelegs, there is an additional armor that rises 2 meters high, like large horns. The foreleg paws of this wolf are shaped like the palms of a human hand with long and thick fur, and large and sharp hooves covered in armor. While The hindleg paws of this wolf are like the wolf's paws, with long and thick fur, and large and sharp hooves covered in armor. He is 2.5 meters tall (3.5 meters including additional armor on the shoulders of the forelegs), and stands on all fours. His teeth are sharp, with large fangs. His expression was glower, and his gaze was cold.
This wolf was shaped like the wolf glove puppet design from the shrine. Seeing this, Ken looked shocked, the wolf then pounced at Ken. Instantly, Ken's vision became pitch black. Faintly, the alarm clock rang, Ken then opened his eyes. Slowly his gaze returned, and Ken found himself awake on his bed. Ken was out of breath, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead. Ken then took a sitting position and turned off his alarm clock
“What's with that dream, it felt so real…”
Ken looked at his alarm clock, the time now was 6:08 am, it was already a few minutes more than the alarm clock he had set
“I don't usually wake up after my alarm clock…”
Ken held his forehead, feeling a little dizzy
“This must be because I went to the shrine late yesterday and was exhausted”
Ken then got out of bed.
Elsewhere, Makoto have also woken up from his sleep, he opened his eyes, still lying on his bed, panting for breath. Makoto took a sitting position, his expression turning serious
“That dream feels real…”
Makoto then got up from his bed.
The time now shows at 8:00 am, Takeru's extended family is back eating together at the dining table, in the dining room of this main house, as before. Makoto then opened the chat
“Today marks the completion of the honoring ceremony to our family. I hope after this, our relationship can still be established, even outside this event. Before everyone leaves, let's toast together and eat this morning's meal together, a toast”
They all then toasted with their respective wines. The meal started, and they ate together. While eating, Makoto looked at Ken with a serious expression, and Ken didn't notice this.
After breakfast, the Takeru family members dispersed from this table, one by one starting to leave the room while talking to each other. Ken and his family did the same, they then walked over to Makoto who was also talking with others. Seeing Kawago and his family, Makoto appeared to smile
“Kawago, thank you for coming with your family”
Ken's father smiled
"I'm the one who's honored, right?"
They both hugged for a moment. Makoto's attention turned to Ken and Shitara, then smiled at them
“Ken and Shitara right? How? Are you enjoying your time here?”
Ken and Shitara smiled at Makoto, Ken then replied
"Of course grandpa, I always look forward to this event every year"
Shitara replied
“Yes, I will miss this place”
Ken's family chatted with Makoto, then said goodbye. Makoto then invited Ken's family to leave. Makoto's attention fell on Ken
"Oh right, before you guys go, can I talk to you in person Ken?"
Ken looked confused
"Of course, Grandpa, but, I was asked by Dad to tidy up my things, after that, we can talk"
Kawago appeared reluctant
"It's okay Ken, talk to grandpa first"
Ken answered
“Ok, dad…”
Kawago looked at Makoto
"Take it easy Dad, we're not in a hurry anyway"
Hearing this, Makoto smiled again. Makoto looked at Ken
“Then let's find a comfortable place to chat, Come follow me"
Makoto started walking away from here, and Ken then followed him.
Makoto and Ken arrived at one of the recreation rooms on the 2nd floor of this house, with a view of the front yard of the house. Makoto walked out of the balcony and looked at the view of the front yard of the main house. It appears that the Takeru family members began to arrive at the parking lot, carrying their bags of belongings. Makoto said
“Ken, yesterday you took the library keys. Did you find anything interesting there?”
Ken looked a little surprised. Ken thought to himself
“Grandpa doesn't seem to have forgotten the incident…”
Ken answered
"Sorry about that grandpa, don't worry, I haven't read too much yet"
Makoto smiled while closing his eyes for a moment. He then turned to face Ken
“Too bad, you should have read a lot of books there”
Hearing this, Ken's expression turned astonished. Makoto turned back and looked at the front of the house
“The Takeru family has been doing this cultural honoring ceremony for a very long time, longer than one can imagine. If it wasn't for kinship reasons, every family member here would have questioned it”
Ken also felt the same way. Makoto said
“Ken, did you enter the shrine yesterday?”
Ken was shocked beyond measure. Ken thought to himself
“How did grandpa know? I mean, of course, sooner or later they would notice if someone entered the shrine by force, but how would they know it was me? No, grandpa must have just guessed it”
Ken tried to act normal
"No grandpa, yesterday I just entered the library, hahaha"
Ken laughed awkwardly. Makoto answered
"It's strange, even though Asanuma pointed out that yesterday you were the one who entered the shrine"
Ken was surprised again, he thought to himself
"Asanuma? Was it yesterday that I unknowingly someone saw me go to the shrine?”
Because of this, Ken was silent and could not answer. On the other hand, it appears that Makoto is standing with his back to Ken. At this stage, Ken felt that there was no point in running away. Ken sighed
"That's right Grandpa, I've broken through that shrine so that's why..."
Ken immediately bowed forward
"I'm sorry, Grandpa, I'm ready to accept the punishment"
Makoto turned around, and now faced Ken
"Keep your head up Ken, you don't have to apologize"
Ken raised his head and looked disconcerted. Ken replied
"But grandpa?"
Makoto replied
“You don't need to think about it, what you need to think about now is… somehow… how should I put it…”
Makoto's expression turned doubtful, this made Ken surprised. Makoto then continue said
“I want to ask you a few things beforehand, may I?”
Ken's expression turned confused
“Yes, of course, grandpa”
Makoto answered
“When you were inside the shrine, did you find the glove puppet there? The model looks like a wolf”
Ken appeared familiar with what his grandfather meant
"If that thing, Yes, I saw it, Grandpa"
Hearing this, Makoto appeared to have expected it
“Next question. Do you feel if, on purpose or not, your blood got on the glove puppet?”
Ken felt a little strange because as he remembered, he had wiped the bloodstains off the glove puppet. Ken thought to himself
"I don't think I cleaned it perfectly, but I'm quite surprised grandpa asked for those details…"
Ken answered
"Yeah, Grandpa, I wounded my finger and hand when I opened the padlock, and accidentally soiled the glove puppet, sorry again Grandpa"
Makoto sighed
"So that's how it is, it's only natural that after a long time, Asanuma woke up again"
Hearing his grandfather, made Ken feel confused again.
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