Bab 11: A Tale of Luminescent Snow
"...Maybe a visit to the local museum might offer some understanding about our city," Yasushi suggested, his statement causing a slight widening of Jingliu's eyes as she processed his thought. Her expression displayed a hint of surprise, indicating that the idea was novel to her.
"The local museum? That does sound quite interesting. I would like to go!" Jingliu responded, her tone colored by a clear sense of anticipation that hinted at her eagerness to explore. This enthusiasm suggested she was open to the suggestion and looked forward to the prospect.
"They also allow food inside the building, so there's really no need for us to rush, nor do you have to worry about leaving your snacks behind," Yasushi further stated, adding to the initial surprise and further enhancing the delight in her features. This detail was unexpected for her, which she appreciated.
"That is really wonderful. You should lead the way," she exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and gently tugging him forward with a playful energy. The action revealed a touch of her impatience to start the adventure. However, her excitement was temporarily cut off when she questioned, "I do not know where this is, so where exactly is it?"
Yasushi gave a soft chuckle, which revealed his amusement at her sudden halt. "Just keep up with me. We've got three whole hours before they close the place." With this, he took the lead, and Jingliu let go of his wrist in order to start following directly behind.
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After making their way through a confusing network of city streets and making a joint agreement to return to a strange "Cat Park" they had seen, located indoors, they came to a halt in front of a massive museum. This location had been the goal of their short trip around the city and they had arrived.
Its exterior presented a striking visual of deep blue and pure white, an engaging sight that commanded attention even from a good distance away. The prominent blue color gave the building a feeling of grandeur and a sense of respectability, while the touches of white added a modern feeling, ensuring the design remained stylish and up to date.
On both sides of the museum's entrance were enormous pillars, which were decorated with detailed carvings that suggested stories of old times and the histories kept inside.
Upon closer examination, the complexities of the building's face became fully apparent. Detailed designs and themes decorated each section, an illustration of the artistic work and commitment put into its creation.
The combination of light and the texture of the building transformed the surface into something alive, with shadows moving across the stone that seemed to bring the architecture to life.
"This place is quite large… I didn't expect it to be this big. Do we have to pay some form of entrance fee to get inside?" Jingliu asked, as she looked towards Yasushi, waiting for his answer to her question. Her words showed a level of surprise that the structure was so grand.
"No, it doesn't cost any money to enter. The museum runs off of donations from the public, and the people living in this city are really protective of it, so it's unlikely to shut down anytime soon. There's also a possibility that we might get to be a part of it for a week during our term at school, though this isn't a guarantee yet," Yasushi answered, giving her a look to confirm he wasn't lying.
"Participate? How do you mean?" Jingliu questioned further, her curiosity clear in the small angle of her head as she silently asked him to explain in greater detail. This motion indicated a desire for more information about what he said previously.
"It's something that second-year students do where they help out at the museum. Basically, we will work as additional staff under the guidance of those that work there full-time, who will be there to instruct but mostly keep themselves out of the way. Everyone involved tends to take it seriously, even those who are usually not hardworking or tend to cause problems, as none of them want their families to be judged for being lazy on a project like this," Yasushi said, ensuring she understood.
"That does sound interesting. So, how do they pick the people that will lead these groups? Is there some special method or requirement?" Jingliu asked, her curiosity increasing as she tried to understand the upcoming project in more detail. This request showed she was interested in how the museum worked.
"They use grades, their leadership abilities, what the teachers think about them, and a lot of other secret things to decide who gets to lead the group. However, it is also pretty important that you get along with other students to an extent. This usually means that the people chosen for these roles tend to be outgoing and popular students, even if their grades are not the very best," Yasushi explained, providing some background on the topic.
He went on, "This usually happens at the start of the winter holiday season, which draws in many crowds of people. There's something very special that happens during this time; we have our own version of the Aurora Borealis, and this event brings in a lot of people because the area we live in has very long winters that last eight months."
"Oh yes, I have heard some things about this before. I really want to see it for myself. How about you, Yasushi? Will you be hoping to get one of the roles as a leader?" Jingliu asked as they walked into the museum, beginning their journey to see the place up close. The question also hinted at a level of anticipation for the coming experience.
"No, I don't think that would be something for me to do. I'm far more comfortable just helping out without getting all the attention, making sure everything is in order — that's just how I've always been, a person who works in the background, just like those people in television shows," Yasushi explained, as they were approaching a small-scale monument that stood in the middle of the hall.
Jingliu's attention was entirely on the monument they had arrived at. Right above it, the writing read: "Shirogane no Shugosha," which gave her more questions. Her interest was obvious when she stopped walking.
"What does this mean?" she asked, intrigued by the monument. She did not know the meaning of the words that had been written.
"It's the city's oldest monument, put up a long time ago. It started to decay over time, and they had to take it down, but they made a copy of it in the same place. This is the Shirogane no Shugosha, or the Guardian of Silver. It's said that the name represents the idea of keeping things alive no matter how hard things get, as said by the person who first founded this city," Yasushi stated, providing more context to the strange object in front of them.
"Hmm, I see, but is this Silver Guardian someone who existed in real life, or is it just a story that people made up?" Jingliu questioned further, wanting to know the secrets of the city's deep history.
"I'll tell you the story about it. So, this is how it goes: in the ancient history books of our frozen land, people tell the story about the Guardian of Silver — a legend that is made from the fabric of time itself. It is said that long ago, a lonely traveler called Kaito wandered through the icy wilderness, his determination challenged by the winter. On one important night, when even the stars in the sky seemed to be shaking, a goddess made of silver and ice came down to give her grace to him.
With eyes that looked like frozen moons, the goddess protected Kaito from a dangerous snow storm, covering him in a bright and warm ball of light. In that very moment, Kaito discovered his purpose and comfort, making an eternal promise to honor the goddess's kindness. With her blessing, he established Ginsukimura, a city that appeared like a silver phoenix from the snow-covered ground.
As time went by and the story of Kaito and the silver goddess became one with Ginsukimura's identity, the Guardian of Silver became something more than human, becoming a symbol of hope and the city's constant protector. Around fires in homes, people talked about his courage, his endless devotion, and the connection between humans and gods that made Ginsukimura a safe place in the cold wilderness. This is how the legend of the Guardian of Silver lived on, passed from one generation to the next with respect and amazement, a symbol of the enduring power of faith and the strength to keep going."
Yasushi stopped talking, looking at the small crowd that had gathered around him as he finished the city's famous legend. As the sound of clapping spread through the people listening, including visitors and local residents, Yasushi blushed slightly, as he was not used to getting so much attention from people he did not know. He was not very comfortable with this display.
A short and infrequent smile came to Jingliu's face as she spoke, "You have a special way of telling stories, Yasushi. So, the name of the first mayor was Kaito, correct? Would it be possible for us to also see that monument today?"
Yasushi agreed with a nod of his head, grabbing Jingliu's wrist and directing her away from the area, wishing to get away from all the staring and the sounds of applause. There was a sound of quiet laughter that followed them, mixed with sounds of respect for Yasushi's way of telling stories. When they found a location that was not as crowded, Yasushi breathed out in relief, happy they were not the center of attention anymore.
"Thank you, but I don't really think of myself as a storyteller. I just told a story that I've heard since I lived here. That monument isn't that far away, though, so we could visit it for a quick look. We should save it for the end of our trip though," he said, and Jingliu agreed with him with a nod of her head. She was happy to let him make the plan as she had no objections.
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They then went to another part of the museum, where Jingliu's eyes landed on a small sculpture that showed a rabbit next to a pumpkin, a strange sight that made her want to know more about it. It was very out of place.
"What is the meaning of this?" she asked, pointing towards the sculpture with her hand. Since there was no writing nearby that explained it, she had no clue about its history or what it represented.
Yasushi gave a small smile, as if he already knew what she would ask about. "Oh, this. It's a new addition, so it is a bit of a surprise that they decided to put it here. It's known by a lot of names, but most people call it the Snow Pumpkin Massacre. The rabbit in the sculpture is named 'Little Fuku,' and it is a female rabbit."
He then started to tell the story behind it, with a level of amusement in his tone. "The main part of it is like this: the city we live in is famous for its pumpkins, which are grown in a special indoor farm located up north. But one day, snow rabbits somehow got into the farm and began eating the pumpkins that were almost ready to be picked. When the farmers found out what had happened the next day, with most of the pumpkins eaten, they tried to chase after the rabbits because they were very angry about what had happened."
Yasushi's laughter faded away, but the memory of the funny incident remained with him. Still, Jingliu wanted to know more, and she turned her head slightly and asked another question about the story she had just been told.
"So, what does that have to do with Little Fuku?" she questioned, intrigued about the rabbit's involvement in the strange story. She wanted to know how this single rabbit was involved.
Yasushi's smile grew bigger as he explained the rabbit's surprising connection to the entire thing. "Oh, yes. The most important part of it, so to speak, was Little Fuku, which was the fattest rabbit they saw. It also had a collar on with the name 'Fuku' on it, which means 'good luck' or 'joy' in Japanese, which is quite funny. It's a name filled with positive feelings, representing health and success."
He stopped for a moment, appreciating the humor in the situation before he continued, "But Little Fuku did not bring good luck or joy at all. In fact, it led to a series of unfortunate events where pumpkins had gone missing, and it led to the snow rabbits eating a lot of pumpkins." Another laugh came out of him, the absurdity of what he was explaining making him laugh again.
A small smile appeared on Jingliu's face as she heard the end of the story. "Oh, Little Fuku," she quietly spoke to herself, looking at the sculpture for a few more seconds. After they spent a bit more time enjoying the many things inside of the museum, they eventually left, with Jingliu feeling very happy.
When they got outside into the dark evening, Jingliu quickly walked ahead, her eyes lit up with curiosity as she turned back to Yasushi. "Let's now go visit that monument, the Guardian of Silver. I really want to see it, even if it's just a copy of the real one," she said, with her desire very evident.
Yasushi agreed with a nod of his head, with a small amount of apology in his voice. "Sure, I said that I would show you. And I am very sorry that I got carried away inside of the museum and started talking about other stuff," he said, feeling a little guilty for dragging out their stay in the museum.
"It's okay. I enjoyed myself a lot. We can always come again, maybe even tomorrow. But now, please let's go see that statue," Jingliu asked him, tilting her head slightly, waiting for him to agree. She had no patience anymore and wanted to go directly there.
Yasushi made a slight sigh, with a smile growing on his face. "Alright, alright, I said we would go. Let's grab some food on the way. I know of a few places that sell food along that path," he explained, and he knew exactly where to go.
Jingliu's smile widened slightly, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes as they started to go and visit the famous statue, now that they were finally on their way to the spot.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Haruki_Murakami
Haruki_Murakami "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." - Welsh proverb
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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