[Comprehensive] Light and Shadow

When he woke up the day after returning from Pingxi Village, the dark unnamed flower on Natsume Takashi's wrist disappeared.

Just when he woke up, Natsume Takashi forgot everything about the witch god.The only person who knows is Mr. Cat who is by his side, but Madara didn't mention it.

Natsume Takashi graduated from high school, and Natsume, who could have been admitted to other urban universities with excellent grades, did not know why he did not leave this town and went directly to a local university.

At the age of 22, Natsume had almost returned the name in the friend's account, but there were still a few thin sheets of paper. Those monsters didn't want to get the name back, and Natsume didn't force it.

At that time, Natsume was thinking about future work when he was in college, and Natsume said that he wanted to stay in this town as a teacher.

The cat did not speak strangely after hearing this, but looked at Natsume with raised eyebrows and eyes, "Natsume, why do you have to stay here?" It was a very strange feeling, from high school, university, and then to Work, Natsume seems to be obsessed with staying in this place.

"I don't know. I probably like it here. I'm used to it." Natsume replied with a smile at that time. He subconsciously felt that he had an inexplicable bond with this town. He didn't want to leave but just wanted to stay here. Live in peace and quiet here.Natsume thought, this is probably because Reiko's grandmother also lives here, so she feels very kind.

"You, have you heard of the witch god?" the cat whispered tentatively, watching Natsume's face carefully.

"Sorcerer God? Is it a god?" Natsume frowned slightly, looking at the cat with some doubts, only thinking that Madara's expression seemed a little strange.

"Forget it, it's nothing." The cat sighed, then swung its short tail and looked away without saying anything.

When Natsume Takashi was 25 years old, he stayed in the town and became a history teacher. Although every day was ordinary, it was also extremely fulfilling.And one day when he was buying wagashi, he accidentally bumped into a woman.

That woman looks very ordinary, not so beautiful but also delicate, with a pair of clean purple eyes.When Natsume gently lifted the woman up, Natsume felt a little strange seeing those purple pupils, and just stared blankly.

When Natsume realized it, the woman who was lifted up was already blushing from his own eyes.Natsume immediately smiled apologetically, then picked up the cake box that fell on the ground, and sincerely apologized to the woman.

"Do you also like to eat wagashi here?" At that time, the woman said that she ran over impulsively, so she bumped into Natsume.When she saw the bag of wagashi in Natsume's hand, the woman asked casually, as if she had found the same hobby, so she resonated and wanted to say something more.

"Well, I don't know why, every time I eat it, I feel very nostalgic." Looking at those purple eyes, Natsume couldn't help but say what was in his heart.Obviously, he seems to have never been to this store before, but he will always come here habitually, and then buy a box to take home to eat.

Probably because it is delicious, or the taste is too familiar, Natsume Takashi has not been able to get rid of this habit since he was 15 years old.

Natsume Takashi fell in love at 26, and his girlfriend was the woman whom he bumped into once before, Kawada Hideko.After that time, the two of them seemed to have some opportunities, and met several times in different places, and then they naturally got in touch, and then they fell in love.

Kawada Hideko is two years younger than Natsume, a little shy, and blushes every time she sees Natsume Takashi, and seems a little afraid to look at Natsume with her wandering eyes.When Natsume said, "Would you like to try dating?", the woman's eyes widened in surprise, and then she burst into tears. Natsume's favorite purple eyes were filled with tears.

Natsume likes Hideko's eyes very much, those purple pupils are always clear and graceful.

Natsume Takashi had a child at the age of 28, and his life began to calm down after returning most of the names in the friend account.At this time, when Natsume had her own child, many monsters came to bless Natsume with gifts.

When Hideko said that the house has always felt a strange chilly feeling in the past few days, Natsume felt a little dumbfounded, and then let the monsters leave the house one after another.

Natsume's child is a daughter, with flaxen-colored soft short hair, and a pair of purple pupils like her mother.Natsume bent his eyes, smiled softly, his eyes were full of doting, then leaned over and kissed the sleeping child's eyes lightly.

He named his daughter Natsume Anjin, and sometimes when he called the child's name, Natsume would involuntarily knead and repeat the word "An" several times between his lips and tongue.This is also a little strange, he actually likes this word so much, as if he has called someone's name like this before.

Teacher Kitty still stayed by Natsume's side, looking at Natsume's daughter, and seemed very curious about this little soft creature.Natsume often sees her daughter taking a nap with the cat in her arms, and that scene is so warm that it seems to soften her heart.

Although the cat teacher often complained that An Jin would pinch his face and pull his short tail and refused to let go, but when An Jin stared at the cat with watery eyes, the cat would still walk over helplessly and let her daughter treat her as a Toys are generally held.

When Natsume was 46 years old, An Jin had already graduated from high school and was admitted to a university in another city.At the beginning when An Jin said that she was going to go to a university abroad, Natsume was a little bit at a loss, but Natsume felt a little strange when it was a matter of course.

Xiuzi was a little worried about her daughter going to study abroad alone. After thinking about it carefully, she and Natsume proposed to move to live in other places together.With Natsume's teaching experience for so many years, many good schools also hired Natsume to teach in other places, but Natsume declined.But now that the daughter had left the town, they could move there as a family, Natsume could still teach, and Hideko could open a new bakery.

At that time, Natsume thought for a long time, what Hideko said was not unreasonable, and Hideko had already thought about everything.Hideko thought that Natsume would agree quickly. After all, Hideko knew that Natsume was a very gentle person from the first time they met, and she always watched gently, as if he would hear you and always tolerate you as long as you spoke.

But this time, Natsume didn't agree, he still wanted to stay in this town and didn't want to leave.After hearing this, Xiuzi went back to her room and cried for a while, and finally nodded with red eyes.

"Mr. Cat, you and An Jin can go together. I don't worry about her going to college alone." At that time, Natsume was sitting alone, sipping sake, and then looked at Mr. Cat, who was directly pouring his mouth into the bottle. After all these years, Madara still likes to drink so much.

"Natsume, let me ask you, why don't you want to leave here?" The round face was flushed, the cat rolled the bottle aside, then stared at Natsume seriously again and asked this sentence.

Natsume was stunned, as if he hadn't seen Madara's serious expression for a long time, but there seemed to be no special reason, he just subconsciously didn't want to leave here.

"After living for a long time, the relationship will become deeper. What's more, the Fujiwara couple are old, and I don't trust them." Natsume smiled gently, and took a sip of wine. He vaguely felt that there might be some reason, but can't remember.

"The shrine south of the Aoki River..." the cat looked at Natsume, and finally said slowly.

"Huh?" Natsume looked at the cat suspiciously. It seemed that he hadn't been to the shrine for a long time except for the New Year.

"Go and have a look." The cat looked at Natsume with complicated eyes, finally sighed and didn't say anything more.

Natsume went there the next day and bought wagashi as a habit. The shrine seemed dilapidated and dilapidated without being taken care of all year round. The tall tree had long since withered, the dry branches were empty, and the bluestone steps were overgrown with weeds. It's been a long time since anyone has been here.

Strange why the cat teacher let himself come to this shrine, Natsume frowned and looked at it carefully, and finally put the freshly bought wagashi on the altar for some reason.

At that moment, Natsume's fingers trembled slightly, always feeling that this scene seemed familiar.At this time, someone should reach out and pinch a wagashi, then lazily put it in his mouth and swallow it bit by bit.

Natsume's golden-brown eyes suddenly tightened, and he couldn't help turning around to look at the big dry tree in the shrine, but he suddenly saw the cherry blossoms dancing lightly, the rustling light-colored petals fell to the sky with the wind, and a touch of white fell from the branches like a breeze. fell quietly.

But, nothing.

This place is still a deserted shrine, and it is obviously the first time for me to come here.

Natsume embraced her grandson when she was 56 years old, An Jin gave birth to a lovely son, and Hideko was very happy to be busy taking care of the little guy every day.This child is much more mischievous than An Jin's when she was a child, and Mr. Cat seems to have nothing to do with this child, so she will deliberately avoid it every time.

Sometimes Natsume laughed and said that Mr. Cat became a daddy. At that time, the cat seemed a bit annoyed and slashed Natsume's face with fried fur.But in fact, Natsume is very grateful to Madara, and has been accompanying and guarding Natsume's family. From Reiko to herself, to An Jin and her children, Teacher Cat has always been guarding.

In the same year, the seriously ill and elderly Fujiwara couple also seemed to have fulfilled their final wish after meeting Natsume's grandson, and they left with smiles one after another. They closed their eyes peacefully, as if there was no pain. In this way, the couple accompanied each other lifetime.

They have always treated Natsume as their own son, and Natsume also regards them as the most important family members.In front of the black-and-white photo, An Jin hugged Xiuzi, and Xiuzi cried very sadly, while Natsume just knelt quietly with red eyes.

"They are very happy. They will be together for the rest of their lives, happy and happy." In the end, the cat sat on Natsume's shoulder as before, and patted Natsume's head with its paws, with a tone of voice that seemed to comfort Natsume.

Natsume raised his head and looked at the happy Fujiwara couple in the photo with the corners of their mouths raised, tears finally fell.

Once upon a time, he seemed to have heard someone say - [May Natsume Takashi live a happy and peaceful life, safe and worry-free. 】

However, he couldn't remember who said those words.

When Natsume was 73 years old, his health was getting worse day by day. After a serious illness, he could only stay in bed to recuperate.Under the anxious and worried eyes of the family, the doctor called the family out to talk in a low voice after the examination. Natsume faintly heard the soft sobs of his wife and daughter through the door.

Natsume sighed, and slowly raised his hand. There were brown age spots on his dry hand, and the back of his hand was no longer smooth but wrinkled. The palm was messy, and Natsume was a bit difficult to do this simple action.

Natsume has already smelled the breath of death, but he is not afraid. Birth, old age, sickness and death are the natural laws of human beings, and Natsume feels that in this life he has the company of his most loyal friend Madara, a gentle wife and considerate daughter, and now even his grandson is also They have all grown up safely, and his life is safe and worry-free, and he really has no regrets.

The body became heavier and heavier, and the daily sleep time was getting longer and longer. When Natsume woke up and saw the emaciated Hideko by his side, he couldn't help reaching out and stroking Hideko's gray hair.

Xiuzi was still crying like she was when she was young, holding her hand tremblingly, crying like a child with red eyes.

Natsume has a box, which contains Grandma Suzuko’s relics. There are two pieces of white cloth inside, one wrapped with shattered glass shards, and the other wrapped with broken wood chips, but it can be vaguely seen that it used to be a doll.

This is Natsume Reiko's relic, but he always looks at those two things silently. He always feels that those things seem to be related to him, but the things that are obviously grandma's don't belong to him.

But now, Natsume, who is old and dying, has a new hobby. He puts the broken doll on the table next to the bed. It is a very conspicuous place and can be seen as soon as he opens his eyes.

Natsume just watched quietly, habitually for a long time, so long that he seemed to be able to imagine a pure white figure out of thin air in his mind, that person had a clean and dazzling outline, but Natsume couldn't see clearly.

Natsume has been dreaming a lot lately, in which she always sees cherry blossoms all over the sky, and then that familiar figure stands there quietly.However, no matter how desperately Natsume tried to catch up, he couldn't get close to that figure.

"Master Witch God..."

That night, Natsume woke up suddenly, and finally the vicissitudes of voice called out the person, and vaguely heard the sigh of Teacher Cat.

Natsume suddenly felt that he seemed to have forgotten something, a very important person.

Although his health was getting worse and worse, Natsume was still staring at the broken doll in a daze for an afternoon.Memories poured in like a broken hourglass, and Natsume felt that these decades were really too long, so long that he could no longer recall what happened to his teenage self.

He just felt that there seemed to be a gap in his life, and the name of that gap was Lord Witch God.

"Mr. Cat, do you know Lord Wushen?" Lying on the bed, the elderly teacher looked at the cat who was guarding him.

"Natsume, just forget it." The cat sighed, and there was complexity and sadness in those cat eyes.

"I really forgot..." The old man fixed his cloudy eyes on the puppet, with sadness and helplessness in his eyes.

Until now, Natsume finally had regrets.

Before he died, he failed to remember who the witch god was, as if he had missed countless times, and Natsume still missed it until the end.

Even though Natsume didn't have that memory, he still kept reminiscing about it. He vaguely felt that that familiar figure had always been by his side, from youth, to middle age, and then until now.Although he can't remember anything, he still feels familiar, so familiar that the corner of his soft heart will always tremble with pain.

Natsume often subconsciously called Lord Wushen in his heart, and it seemed that calling him like this made him feel warm in his heart.

"Mr. Kitty, didn't you once ask me why I didn't leave?" Natsume turned her head stiffly to look at the cat. After decades, Madara asked why she didn't leave here twice. Natsume answered each time, but it seems that until now Only then did I find the answer.

"I seem to... have been waiting for him."

At that moment, the old man, who had not shed tears for a long time, finally had red eyes on the hospital bed, and his deep and vicissitudes voice trembled.

"Don't leave, don't leave, I promise he won't leave..."

The old man closed his eyes, and kept babbling that he would not leave. Until he fell asleep, the old man still looked at the puppet.He obviously didn't remember anything, but he remembered that he said he would not leave.

After a few days, Natsume finally had the strength to get out of bed, but the family looked even more worried, and this was probably the only explanation.After finishing lunch, Natsume insisted on going out alone with a cane.

The old body staggered to the shrine, Natsume bought wagashi again, and put the box on the dusty altar with both hands.Natsume shivered in the wind, and suddenly felt that his body could not use any strength, and some self-deprecating thought that he was too stubborn.

Natsume turned his head and looked at every part of the dilapidated shrine seriously and carefully. After seeing it, it might be the last time.It's just that until the end, the old man couldn't remember who the white figure in his memory was.

But even so, the wrinkles at the corners of the old man's eyes are still stretched, revealing a touch of remembrance and indifference, just watching quietly.

"Natsume, let's go back." The cat looked at Natsume's thin body with worry in his eyes.

Natsume nodded, then got up and staggered to the torii gate, but stopped and turned his head slowly.

At that moment, Natsume seemed to see that there was a purple-haired boy standing there, a white robe swaying in the wind, light-colored cherry blossom petals fell on the boy's hair, and the boy's purple pupils met The clear sunlight merged into one piece, but tears slowly fell down the cheeks from the pair of Natsume's favorite eyes.

[In the name of An, I wish Natsume Takashi a happy and peaceful life, safe and worry-free. 】

Natsume heard that sentence again in his mind. When he said this sentence, a smile slowly bloomed on the boy's face. It was a kind of light that glowed from the bottom of his heart, which could instantly ignite a person's face and make him His brilliance is dazzling, and he has been deeply engraved in the hearts of those who have seen it since then.

How many years he has been in office, even if the years are concealed, but once the dust is wiped away, that person is still as fresh as before.

Since going out that day, Natsume's body has been too weak to speak, and even the old man seemed too dazed to hear when his family called him.The family gathered around the bed, looking at Natsume with sad eyes, and Hideko cried like she had aged many years all of a sudden.

The old man finally spoke, and said a few words to everyone around him, and at that time everyone was choking and trembling.Natsume suddenly felt that his life had been too smooth and happy. He was surrounded by his closest family members until he died, and he didn't have many wishes and worries. It was a perfect ending to die peacefully like this.

Finally, the old man looked at the puppet again, and whispered hoarsely, "I'm here."

"Ann, I'm here, I've always been here."

Even though Natsume knew that the vague figure in his mind would not be able to hear his words, Natsume still said so.

Even after forgetting everything, even though the long years have passed, Natsume still stays in this place.

In the end, Natsume Takashi looked at the puppet sadly with his cloudy eyes, then sighed softly, and slowly closed his eyes.

There are no witch gods there.

And Natsume Takashi's life finally passed.

When Natsume woke up, no, Natsume never thought it was called waking up, because he was supposed to be dead.It's just that he can still see, see her wife, his descendants holding his funeral with sad expressions, and he just quietly looks at himself in the black and white photo, feeling unreal.

This is probably the so-called ghost. Natsume looked at his transparent and light self, but he didn't know why he returned to his high school boy appearance after death.

Natsume went to see Sensei Kitty, but Madara didn't see herself.This is a very strange feeling, because Natsume didn't believe in the existence of ghosts at all before, or because he could see monsters, Natsume felt that ghosts and monsters were the same.

But that's not the case, he, Natsume Takashi turned into a ghost that neither humans nor monsters can see.

Natsume was wandering the streets, no one could see himself, nor could he see other ghosts. As he walked, Natsume came to the platform.Suddenly, there was a sudden feeling, and I just felt that there seemed to be something attracting me to go there. This feeling made Natsume get on that train.

It was strange that Natsume, who had rarely left the town in his life, became a ghost and boarded the train after his death.

Natsume couldn't help laughing as he thought about it.

In the end, Natsume got off at Pingxi Village, and came to the quiet shrine as if he was attracted by something.

There is a wanton cherry blossom tree, even if the surrounding trees are dry and dead, the tree is still very young, the petals of the cherry blossoms are falling with the wind, the light color is light, so beautiful that people feel as if they have fallen into some beautiful environment .

Then Natsume finally saw that there was a boy sitting under the tree, just like in memory, with white robe and purple hair, and the boy just sat quietly with his eyes closed.

Natsume just stood there in a daze, even forgetting how to move.Obviously he was dead, but at this moment he couldn't help but make a stupid move of holding his breath, just looking at it like that, wanting to see more carefully, afraid that the wind would blow away the scene.

He had seen this scene countless times in his dreams, but it was never as clear and similar as now.

Natsume felt like he had a dream, a dream that he would never wake up from.

Missing, unable to suppress, as if being crushed.

The young man slowly opened his eyes, his purple pupils were clean and graceful, and all kinds of light seemed to be shattered in those eyes.With a faint smile on his face, the boy slowly stretched out his hand to himself.

"Natsume, you're here."

The radiance of morning light was dazzling and holy, and the soft light shone on his body. Under the sun, the youth's figure exuded a soft and warm light, as if covered with brilliant debris, shining brightly in Xia Mu's eyes.

When she heard her name, Natsume stepped forward involuntarily, and then grabbed the hand vigorously. When she really touched the hand, Natsume's pupils tightened suddenly, and she immediately stretched out her hand to hug her tightly. Lived juvenile.

At this moment, Natsume finally remembered everything.

After a long time, the witch god finally pushed Natsume away, and then lay down, lazily lying on his back on Natsume's lap, quietly watching Natsume's face, and Natsume also lowered his head to look at the witch god.

"I heard it." The witch god slowly opened his mouth, and tapped Natsume's face with his fingers, "I know you are here."

"Well, I'm here." The corners of Xia Mu's mouth slightly raised, it was the witch god's favorite smile, and her peaceful and gentle voice drifted in the wind.

"Really, it's a beautiful view." The witch god smiled and then turned his head to look at the sunset. Natsume also looked up when he heard it.

The sky seemed to be covered with a layer of orange-red paint, half of the sky was orange-red, and large clusters of colorful clouds floated in the sky, and the gradual red halo was filled with the most beautiful light.

The cherry blossoms also seem to be dyed more delicately by the golden-red light of the sun, and the clusters are shining with a touch of golden light.

Everything seems to be stopped at this moment, and the wheel of time is reluctant to turn.

"After watching the sunset, let's go together." The witch god turned to look at Natsume and said.

"Together?" Natsume was stunned for a moment, then smiled and wrapped her fingertips around the boy's purple hair, her eyes were full of tenderness.

"Well, together." Wu Shen nodded, his voice was a little trembling, and then reached out to hold Natsume's hand.

Knowing each other but never staying together, being together for a while but not being together forever,

But just holding hands like this now, it feels like an eternity has passed.

Those two transparent figures stayed quietly under the cherry blossom tree until the last ray of the setting sun fell, night fell, and the night wind blew up, and the transparent light that made up the two seemed to be blown away by the wind , it can no longer be found.

Two small cherry blossoms were left on the soft soil.Light pink, fragile as if it would break if touched, this flower looks extraordinarily beautiful under the silver light of the moonlight.

There are two vague faces engraved on the trunk of the blooming cherry tree, one is Reiko and the other is the witch god.

But under the two faces, there are two new names engraved, one is still the witch god, and the other is Natsume Takashi.

Cherry blossoms fall, like snow falling in midsummer, the more you want to cherish it, the sadder it becomes.The sadness soaked in the flowers will eventually pass away with the wind, and all the waiting has already resided here. This kind of love has been exclusively occupied by each other until the end.

This night, the bustling life has come to an end, and in the next life, no flowers will bloom again.