After the Bamboo Shadow Yokai left, life at the inn returned to its usual quiet. With the unresolved knots in the yokai's hearts untied one by one, I finally had some time to breathe. That's right, in these days, I had grown accustomed to all sorts of bizarre guests, from the skin yokai who hated baths to the flame yokai who loved milk; almost every day brought a new story.
Today, I welcomed a new guest. He was a yokai who looked remarkably ordinary, dressed in plain clothes and wearing unremarkable glasses. The only unusual thing was a golden ribbon tied to his hat, which immediately caught my attention.
As he entered the inn, his eyes scanned the surroundings, as if everything was new to him. He approached me, a slightly shy smile on his face, and nodded slightly.
"Hello, my name is Hiizuki," his voice was soft, with a hint of nervousness, like a newcomer just arriving in an unfamiliar place.
"Hello, Hiizuki," I replied, silently wondering what kind of story this seemingly ordinary yokai would bring.
"I'm here looking for some... rather unusual memories," he said hesitantly.
I raised an eyebrow. That sounded strange, but I decided to chat with him anyway; after all, my inn had always welcomed all things peculiar.
"Memories? Do you mean you've lost your memories?" I asked.
A flicker of confusion crossed Hiizuki's eyes, and then he shook his head gently. "No, it's just that the memories I do have are always a little different from everyone else's."
I thought for a moment and decided to show him to his room first. His earlier unease worried me a little; perhaps he had just gone through something unpleasant.
"If you need any help, just let me know," I said with a smile. "But you can start by taking a hot bath and relaxing."
Hiizuki's eyes widened. "A hot bath?"
"Yeah," I explained naturally. "Here, all the yokai take baths, unless you're a skin yokai, like that firefly yokai who always burps every time he comes." I couldn't help but laugh. That firefly yokai's burps always sounded like a tiny light bulb, it was always so funny.
Hiizuki chuckled as well, his smile a little stiff, but it made me feel like he wasn't so nervous anymore.
"I... I'm actually here looking for my 'past'," Hiizuki added. "I used to be a guardian of the bamboo grove, but for some reason, I was forgotten."
Suddenly, I understood. "So your 'past' refers to those memories? Or are you saying..."
"Yes," Hiizuki nodded. "I feel like I need to find those lost parts of myself to know who I am."
I patted him on the shoulder. "Then let's find them together! But you know, there's a rule here: all yokai who come to our inn have to eat at least one bowl of my special apple salad to officially check in!" I said with a smile, my tone light.
Hiizuki blinked, looking a little surprised, but he soon laughed. "Apple salad?"
"That's right!" I replied proudly. "It's got apples, bananas, and my secret ingredient kiwi, guaranteed to revitalize you and unlock all your memories!"
A smile he couldn't suppress spread across Hiizuki's face, as if he was infected by my nonsensical energy. "Okay, I'll try it."
Later, we sat down together and ate apple salad, laughing and chatting about all sorts of things from the past. It turned out that Hiizuki hadn't really forgotten anything; rather, he had been too immersed in his past self, unable to accept his current life. Now, what he needed wasn't memories, but to let go of the past and embrace the present.
When he said that, I couldn't help but laugh. "So you came all this way just to find your mood again? That's much simpler than those yokai who've actually lost their memories!"
Hiizuki laughed along with me, finally releasing the burden in his heart.
"Thank you," he bowed his head slightly, looking at me with gratitude.
I smiled and shook my head. "Don't mention it. This is a yokai rest stop; we can cure any mood, and we even have a special apple salad therapy!"
That day, Hiizuki was no longer the mysterious and sad yokai. He became relaxed, his laughter like that of a true yokai guardian. From then on, he became a regular at the inn, and whenever he had time, he would make salad with me, occasionally even pulling me to have tea and chat about unknown yokai stories.
I think that maybe that's the true magic of our inn—not only can it heal unresolved knots, but it can also bring unexpected warmth and laughter.
Every yokai who comes here brings a different story. This small inn is not only their sanctuary but also a place for them to find themselves and release their worries. And in these stories, I have learned how to build genuine connections with everyone, every yokai.
No matter what kind of yokai I might encounter in the future, I know that I am here, able to help them, accompany them, until they find themselves again.
This is my inn, a warm story woven together by yokai and me.
——The End Chronicles of Yokai: My Inn for the Bewildering Spirits of Modernity
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