Hodaka couldn't sleep all night. In his mind, he is pondering over and over again the events of last night. By sunrise, he makes up his mind to visit the old shrine priest that Mr Suga and Natsumi had interviewed years ago. Is he even still alive? Hodaka wondered. Leaving Hina soundly asleep, he leaves the house with his trusty backpack.
On the train, Hodaka tries to make sense of yesterday's event. He tries to calm himself down, but to no avail. Things don't just happen for no reason, he thinks to himself. The very thought of Hina returning to the field on the cumulonimbus scares Hodaka. He can't imagine a life without Hina. For Hina, he will fight heaven and hell and brave through the thoughts of challenges. While he might not say this to Hina, his heart speaks to him.
"Ginza station," announces the announcer. Hodaka gets off the train and exits the station, heading towards the Kōenji Hikawa Shrine.
"Excuse me, can I see the elder kannushi?" Hodaka asks a teen-aged boy, who is busy sweeping the pathway.
"Sure!" He replies.
"Grandfather! Someone is here to see you!" He shouts towards one of the main buildings. A few seconds later, an old man, who looks like he has lived for a few centuries, walks out and invites Hodaka to the room where the painting of the dragon is located in.
"How may I help you, young man?" He asks Hodaka.
"Thank you for seeing me today. I would like to know about the weather maiden," replies Hodaka.
"Ah... the weather maiden. I remember a few years ago, a pretty lady and a middle-aged man came to interview me about it. In the olden days, in every country, there used to be a weather maiden, who would send prayers to the gods and request for good weather. However, a terrible fate awaits the weather maiden. To stop the terrible weather, she has to be sacrificed to live a life of loneliness on the clouds," explains the kannushi.
"Are there any ways to stop this from happening?" Hodaka asks anxiously.
"In the end, the weather maiden has to be sacrificed. However, there is none but one solution. To gain something, we must sacrifice something. The law of equivalent exchange applies here. To rescue the weather maiden from her eventual fate, a willing volunteer must offer their life to the gods, in the form of death. This is the price in exchange for the weather maiden's life, an expensive one I would say," said the kannushi sadly. It is as if he had a flashback, but a moment later he snaps back to reality.
"How is the ritual done?" Hodaka asks.
"First, you have to contact a shrine to prepare for the ritual. Then, the volunteer enters a room and prays to the gods while the kannushi chants. However, the most important part is the volunteer's disposition. If at any moment they doubt or becomes scared of their actions, the ritual will fail," warns the kannushi.
"I want to do it." Hodaka adamantly says.
This takes the old kannushi by surprise.
"Are you sure?" The kannushi's jaw was agape.
"Yes, I am,"
If it means saving Hina's life, Hodaka does not mind giving up his own. He thinks of all the time he spent with Hina, all the laughter and fun they had, as well as all the adventures and challenges they went through to get to where they are now. Of course he would prefer to stay by Hina's side forever, but as the kannushi said, she will soon go back to the field on the cumulonimbus.
"Alright then, please return tomorrow morning at 6am," replies the kannushi.
As Hodaka made his way back home, he thinks of what he will say to Hina. In the end, he decides that a letter will suffice. After all, he knows Hina will not let him go through with the plan. Tears start to drip down on his clenched fists. His time with Hina was short. He desperately wishes that he can have more time with Hina, but he knows that fate is cruel. He has to be strong for the sake of Hina.
"Hodaka! Where did you go!" Hina yells fiercely at Hodaka when he returns home. It was already night time without Hodaka realising. I don't have many chances to see her get angry again, this might be the last time I saw her like this, Hodaka thinks to himself, smiling.
"Hodaka...? Are you okay?" Hina's tone switches to a caring one in an instant.
"Yeah... I'm fine," replied Hodaka.
That night, nothing much happens between them. They are too busy pretending to ignore Hina's fate and are too wrapped up in their own cocoon of thoughts. When Hodaka is sure that Hina is asleep, he starts to compose his letter.
