OKOSHI | JOJOLION

022 | closed ski lift.

★ . . . YASUHO HAD GIVEN YOU VERY little to go on regarding your mountain guide.

"He's a good guy," she hedged. "He'll get some getting used to, but you can trust him."

"Who is he? Can I at least get a picture so I know I'm not getting kidnapped?"

Yasuho snorted. "Yeah, right. Just trust me on this. He's the best person to get you up the mountain. Actually, he might know a thing or two about the mountain gods himself."

And so, with that frustratingly vague information, Yasuho had sent you the nearby ski-lift. Apparently, your guide would meet you here and then take you up to his summer home on the mountainside.

The parking lot of the ski lift was completely empty, only a few dry leaves on the pavement to keep you company. All around you were tall, spindly trees, their roots cracking the edges of the parking lot. You felt a little bit like a secret agent as you stood there waiting for your guide. Or maybe more like a drug dealer meeting their buyer.

You craned your neck to take in the mountain, studying how the grassy hill sloped gently at the bottom of the ski lift before rising more sharply. It was probably steeper higher up. You supposed you were lucky that there was a ski lift now to help you up. In your ancestor's time, he would have had no choice but to climb on foot.

Someone called your name.

You could have sworn the parking lot was empty, but suddenly a man emerged from gods-knew-where. He was in his early thirties, you guessed. Dark braids peeked out from beneath a bomber hat with a cute cluster of groups on the front. It matched the jumpsuit he wore, which he'd thrown on over a suit and tie of all things. As long as he didn't look like a serial killer, you guessed he would pass.

It took you a second to remember your guide's name. "You're Mamezuku Rai?"

"Yasuho told me you were cursed. Is that true?"

Geez. No preamble with this guy, huh?

You raised your branded hand for Rai to see. To your surprise, he stepped closer to lift up your hand.

"Interesting. Does it have any particular meaning?"

"Other than to mark that I'm cursed? Not that I know of."

"Interesting," Rai said again. You raised an eyebrow at him.

"Could you humour me for a second? I want to ask you a favour."

"I'm already doing you a favour," Rai said. "I wouldn't just bring anyone up the mountain. It's only because you're a friend of Yasuho's that I agreed."

Of course. The fact that you had paid him a hefty sum didn't factor into that at all.

You withdrew your bone dice and the bone plate. "Give these a roll."

"Why? I don't gamble, if that's what you're asking."

Weeks spent in Morioh had made you realize you didn't care how weird your dice might come off, so long as they told you what you needed to know. "I have an odd quirk where I don't trust people who roll low numbers on these dice," you said flatly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to see what number you roll."

"These won't curse me too, will they?" Rai asked, but he nonetheless picked up your dice and rolled them.

Three pips on one die, four on the other. Good. He'd rolled a seven. Any lower and you wouldn't have gone another step with him.

"Looks like I can trust you," you said, putting your dice away.

Rai peered at your face. He shrugged.