Japan, Izu Oshima, Sashikiji.
Wu Heng appeared at Motomachi Port.
Fishing boats docked at the shore were unloading their catches. The busy crewmen failed to notice Wu Heng's sudden appearance, even though he stood right in front of them.
"Rika, thanks for bringing my lunch. This haul was great—you must be my lucky charm." Holding his lunchbox, the young man ate a vegetable rice ball while praising the girl in a traditional kimono before him.
A sweet smile bloomed on the girl's face. Though her skin was somewhat rough and her teeth uneven, neither could conceal her lovely features.
She possessed a simple, unadorned beauty, like a student who had never learned to wear makeup.
Izu Oshima had a population of only eight thousand. Its inhabitants were few, and their settlements scattered.
The local economy mainly depended on fishing, agriculture, and tourism. It still retained the character of a rural village, untouched by the atmosphere of modernization.
Traditional Japanese wooden houses lined the streets. Their dark roof tiles and white plaster walls all conveyed Japan's simple, refined aesthetic.
"Youth and love—how wonderful!"
"What a quiet, peaceful place," Wu Heng remarked.
With one step, he passed through the bustling crowd. With another, he arrived on a tranquil street.
Though this place was suitable for tourism, that was not what had made it famous.
It was renowned because of a bizarre local legend. Rumor had it that in 1950, a local woman named Yamamura Shizuko had become famous for predicting a volcanic eruption.
But even more famous was her daughter, Yamamura Sadako.
According to the rumors, she had long black hair that always covered her face, and she was associated with a series of incidents. Thus, she became a bizarre legend passed down throughout Japan.
Yamamura Sadako was none other than Sadako