Chapter 6 The Sixth Hourglass

On the way from Aoyama to Nishi Azabu, there is a decoration shop that is not too spacious.Compared with the row upon row of beautiful shops nearby, the structure and layout of this store are very quiet, but there are many customers coming in and out, and there are also many customers who come to shop from faraway places. Hello!Yuriko pushed open the bronze-colored store door, and the tinkle of Ding Ding Dong Dong came.It was the sound of the copper bells hanging from the necks of the cows in the Alps. The timbre was full and very pleasant. Brooches, pendants, tiaras, artificial flowers, amulets and other various decorations are placed in the window, and the brown paper boxes in which the goods are placed in the store are particularly eye-catching.The shelves are filled with pieces of metal, glass beads, rags, ribbons, yarn, beads, plastic sheets, paints, adhesives, and other decorative materials.Recently, it is popular to assemble small bookshelves with thin wooden boards cut into the shape of elephants or lions.

Do you have the materials to make an hourglass? Yuriko asked, the proprietress's hair was tied up casually, she raised her chin and said: Here, over there.Then he pulled on his sandals and chased after him, saying: Please go this way. OK, thanks. Yuriko remembered that she came with Ji Yi last time. That was when the two of them had just returned from the beach, the slight red and black on Ji Yi's face was the imprint left by the sun shining on the beach. At that time, Yuriko was looking at the flower decorations carefully. She came to this store to find materials for making flower decorations.Ji Yi, who was walking around aimlessly, said to himself:

Hey, there is even such a thing. What Ji Yi said is the material for making hourglasses.Inside the cardboard box are neatly placed glass tubes that are thin in the middle and thick at both ends, and the cardboard box next to it is filled with small plastic bags filled with colorful sand. You can smash the shells and put them in. The reason why Ji Yi said this is because they picked up a lot of shells at the beach that day, and Yuriko didn’t look at them carefully at that time, so when she looked at the carton again today, she found that the glass tubes have two specifications, thick and thin. The color of the glass is also divided into light blue and transparent.

Is it the same price? Yes.The proprietress replied.Lily thinks that the thick and transparent ones are better. The upper and lower ends of the glass tube are cut neatly, and the cuts are embedded in the wood chips. The wood chips look soft and can be painted or carved on the surface according to personal preference. Please give me two such glass tubes. OK Yuriko interrupted the proprietress and said: It is best if the sand leaks down at the same speed. The proprietress showed a surprised expression. How about an hourglass that counts minutes?The clerk came over and asked. This rough one can be missed for five minutes.

Yes, three minutes is fine, four minutes is fine In fact, I don't care if the time is three minutes or four minutes, as long as the two glass tubes are filled with the same amount of sand and can be drained in the same time. Because there are many customers who come to the store with various requests, the clerks are used to such strange requests. In fact, the time is generally adjusted by the amount of sand. uh but Well, here's some sand, try to find it yourself, maybe you can find the one that leaked at exactly the same time. Although the words of the answer were simple, it was definitely not the kind of unkind clerk.

Then I will pick it myself. Be careful not to break the glass tube. good Yuriko sat on the small round stool next to her and immediately started the selection work. She turned the carton lid in the corner of the shelf upside down on the floor, and picked out two similar glass tubes to place on top.Then use a small spoon to inject the same amount of sand into the two glass tubes. The most critical step is to turn the two glass tubes upside down at the same time to watch the sand slowly leaking down.Although the thickness and shape of the glass tubes seem to be similar on the surface, there are still subtle differences in the thin waist.It seems that it will take some work to find two glass tubes with the same sand leakage time

An hour passed, and Yuriko finally found four suitable glass tubes. Although in fact only two are needed, it is good to buy two more for preparation.What's more, buying only two is too little, and the shopkeeper may be unhappy That's all! found it? Um. In the end, Yuriko also bought materials for making flower decorations. The price here seems to be much more expensive than other places. Walking out with the things I bought, the sunshine on the street makes me feel like a spring scene.The breeze blew a scent of flowers, Yuriko stretched her waist, and looked up to see a trail cloud passing over the top of the building, piercing the blue sky and going upwards, and finally disappeared at the end of the sky.What would Ji Yi say if he saw this scene?Yuriko thought wildly.

If only I could fly into the sky like that.Maybe he would talk to himself like that. The trail cloud suddenly turned into a line, then into a dotted line, and finally melted into the blue sky. Did a plane actually fly by? Yuriko tried her best to look into the sky, but she couldn't see anything. When she came back to her senses, Yuriko found that the bus had stopped at the station more than ten meters away, so she trotted up to catch the bus, but the glass tubes in the bag collided and made a tinkling sound. It won't be smashed, will it? Yuriko sat on the bus seat, reached into her bag to touch the glass tube, and seemed to be fine.The diameter of the glass tube is nearly two centimeters, slightly thicker than the two hourglasses placed by Ji Yi's bedside.

Check this out, it's very interesting. At that time, Ji Yi sat up from the bed, holding an hourglass in each hand.Half of the glass tubes of each hourglass were blackened, making it impossible to see what was going on inside.It seems that Ji Yi himself painted it with a charcoal pen. At this time, Ji connected two hourglasses head to tail to make a long rod, and the transparent parts of the glass tubes were connected together.Ji Yi suddenly dropped the long hourglass. look!Ji Yi showed a proud smile. The two hourglasses began to leak sand at the same time, but because half of the glass tube was painted black, the upper hourglass could only see the lower half, and the lower hourglass could only see the upper half.

Why? Staring at the sand in the hourglass, people will have a wonderful illusion that the sand seems to be leaking from the bottom to the top. Ji Tian tilted his neck innocently and said: If you don't paint with a pen, but cover half of the hourglass with a paper tube, the effect may be even more incredible. Um Isn't there a store in Qingshan where you can buy materials for making hourglasses? Let's grind up shells and put them in hourglasses. Ah, it's the decoration store, I'll buy it for you next time. Ok, next time when you go, let me have a look. Maybe at that time Ji Yi was not in the mood to make an hourglass by himself.

I want to go there recently, and I'm trying to buy some materials for making flower decorations. Yeah?if that is the case As a result, Yuriko forgot this agreement, half a year later I must make an hourglass for Ji Yi. This is something Liriko has been unable to let go of for the past month.The process of making an hourglass is not complicated, and the materials have already been prepared. At the crossroads in Roppongi, the bus suddenly braked suddenly, and there was a crisp sound of glass crashing in the bag on Yuriko's knee. The first time Kudo Kyoichi came to Yuriko's house was when Yuriko had just been admitted to the piano department of the university.Ji Yi was only fourteen years old at the time, and should be a third-year junior high school student.The teacher who used to teach Ji Yi to play the piano got married and was leaving Tokyo. Before leaving, she introduced Ji Yi to a new teacher, Yuriko. can i do itAlthough Yuriko has a certain degree of confidence in playing the piano, it is the first time to teach others how to play the piano.She felt that at best she could teach the children in the neighborhood how to get started. It is easier to teach him than to teach a child. Yeah? And that kid has a good personality too. Under the teacher's repeated persuasion, Yuriko accepted the student with trepidation. When did you start playing the piano? Ji Yi sat on the wicker chair with a straight posture, eating the cake.Hearing this question, he replied: I started learning to play the piano in the first grade of elementary school, but I stopped for a while. Do you want to achieve something in music? Well, no, although I like playing the piano, I want to be a scientist in the future. That's amazing!why? I want to contribute to society.The boy said shyly, his voice was so clear and his expression was so innocent, giving off a very hearty impression. Teenagers with such thoughts are rare today. If someone of Yuriko's age said such a thing, no one would laugh out loud. However, this is definitely a feature of sick times.It is a big problem for the young man to lose such vigor in his heart.In an instant, Yuriko's mind quickly reflected these things, and she liked Ji Yi's words very much. Are musicians useless to society?Of course, this question also crossed Yuriko's mind, but she didn't want to ask Ji Yi.Of course some people have objections, but Yuriko believes that music is just an art of entertainment in the final analysis, and men should do more practical careers.In Yuriko's heart, maybe there is such an expectation for Ji Yi. How are your test scores? Fortunately, I went to a private high school, and I will go there all the way through high school. Yeah, so do you have time to play? Um. Yuriko asked Ji Yi what pieces he had played before, and then asked him to actually play in front of the piano.Ji Yi played a song "Moonlight". Although he played a few mistakes, the melody was smooth and had a subtle beauty on the whole. Ah, very good. Of course, for beginners, playing accurately is the most basic premise, but it is not enough just to be accurate.There are many players around Yuriko who play very accurately, but the music that comes out has no charm at all.Even Yuriko herself has that tendency. Although Ji Yi's performance is still technically deficient, the music that pops up has an incredible appeal. Plays well. But there are many mistakes, here, right, here and here Ji Yi pointed out his mistakes on the score with his fingers. Ji Yi's palm already looks like an adult, at least bigger than the palm of the female classmate Yuriko is used to seeing.The outstretched fingers are also beautiful. How many times a week can you come? Just once, because I also want to participate in the activities of the school interest group. Well, what pieces did you practice before? I don't play etudes and mainly choose Chopin's pieces for practice. We will do the same after that. OK Once a week, it is enough to play as a hobby. If he is forced to play, it may not last long. Which Chopin piece should I choose? How about Fantasia Impromptu? OK, it's a bit difficult, but you can try it. Um. In this way, Yuriko and Ji Yi met once a week. Ji Yi is an enthusiastic and studious child, sometimes he will even act rashly and recklessly, and Yuriko puts more pressure on him than on girls.Even so, with only one class a week, Ji Yi cannot be expected to make great progress.He still has school curriculum, interest group activities, playtime, and he can't be demanded of him like a music major.Moreover, Teacher Yuriko is also teaching students for the first time, so she still lacks experience in many areas The feeling has completely disappeared. The two formed a habit of chatting for an hour or so after the course ended.Yuriko has no brothers, and she has no co-educational experience except in kindergarten, because she has attended all girls' schools from elementary school to university.Yuriko never thought about what the boys were thinking. However, after talking with Ji Yi, I found that this boy is still very interesting.He has a wide range of topics, and sometimes sends out some unexpected imaginations. Or, this is a feature that reflects Ji's personality. This may be closer to the correct answer. Even a boy who is usually silent and reticent, becomes cheerful when he encounters a topic he is interested in, and even talks with people with his neck flushed and his cheeks flushed. What would you like to invent as a scientist? I want to receive the solar energy fixedly. Ah yes. It would be great if it works.That is my dream.Ji Yi's tone suddenly became serious. What Japan lacks is energy. Why? There are no oil resources, and they want to use atomic energy but lack nuclear resources. Yes, it is very troublesome. So the future development direction must be to use solar energy.If I find a new compound that can use its structural changes to make solar cells, then the utilization rate of solar energy will be greatly improved.By then, the oil exporting countries will not be as swaggering as they are now.At this time, Ji Yi was like a critic, talking endlessly about Japan's future. The conversation between the female college student Yuriko and the junior high school student Ji Yi is not limited to such lofty ideals, but also about idol singers and baseball. In fact, most of the time they are immersed in the topics of TV dramas and movies. Although Yuriko thought Ji Yi was still a child in her heart, she was unknowingly attracted by Ji Yi's words during the conversation. No, it's a bit wrong to say attraction, it's a more subtle feeling.If I have to sum it up, it's right, it's a very happy feeling by his side.If the other party is an older man, then this feeling can be easily explained.Whether it is trustworthy or dependable, although these words are not enough, they can roughly describe the feeling in Yuriko's heart. Can feel the purity of his soul. Such an exaggerated feeling even appeared in Yuriko's heart. But it wasn't just his purity that was felt. Maybe this is also a kind of love. Thinking of this, Yuriko will feel a wonderful excitement swimming around in her body. After a year like this, when the practice repertoire became "Prelude to Raindrops", all aspects of Ji Yi began to show signs of transitioning to an adult. First, the speaking voice has changed.He also grew rapidly, and within a month or two, he surpassed Yuriko in size.Of course, not only the body, but also the expression, the way of speaking, and the shift of curiosity. Sometimes Yuriko will suddenly discover: Ji Yi has really grown up. Is he still a kid? Yuriko felt that he hadn't changed much from when he first came, but a week later, she was suddenly surprised to find: ah, he has become a man. Ji Yi's youthful air is getting less and less, replaced by youthful air. Ji Yi became less talkative than before. Yuriko could occasionally feel the masculinity emanating from him.When taking piano lessons, Yuriko would put her hand on Ji Yi's shoulder unintentionally, but when she realized it, she would suddenly feel embarrassed. This is absolutely different from girls' shoulders, hard and thick. He won't mind. Yuriko continued to put her hand on Ji Yi's shoulder like this, she felt a warm current filled her palm, and it was itchy. The hot summer came after the rainy season, and Ji Yi's body became stronger and taller, and the shoulder blades under the T-shirt were bigger than Yuriko's palm. Let's suspend class next week. I'm going to the beach with my friends.Yuriko's grandfather left a villa in Shimoda, and every summer, Yuriko would gather her best friends to spend the summer at the seaside villa. ah, is it?I happen to be going to the beach too.Ji Yi also wants to go to the beach of Imaihama with his friends, Imaihama is very close to Shimoda. when? Tuesday to Thursday. Then come and play with us on the last day. convenient? Well, it's okay, there are spare rooms, I can share a room with my friends. Well, ok, but it depends when the time comes. Yuriko drew the location of their villa on the map, and then concealed the sense of expectation in her heart and handed the map to Ji Yi. The first half of the seaside holiday was not so beautiful, it was raining all the time, so it is estimated that Imaihama's side is not much better.On the afternoon of the appointment, Ji Yi led a friend to Yuriko's villa.Ji Yi was wearing a straw hat, under which a childish face was smiling. Yuriko's friends frequently observe Ji Yi, hey, Yuriko, your boyfriend is so young. Yes, because I am not old either. Although she was teased by her friends, Yuriko was very happy.It was raining all the time, hiding in the villa was really boring, chatting with girlfriends had already made Yuriko tired.However, not long after Ji Yi appeared, even the sun showed his head very favorably. Imaihama can't swim these two days, right? If you don't swim, wouldn't it be a waste of time to come to the beach? We still swam. Looks like the weather will be fine tonight. Um. You can stay here tonight. Then bother. Ji Yi and his friend nodded very politely. Playing at the beach is still very interesting.Ji Yi is not annoying, and he doesn't feel restrained with him, and because he is a boy, he can be used in many ways, such as rowing boats, setting off fireworks, and he is also a good guard when walking at night. Two female college students and two high school boys have an uncoordinated intimacy together. This night they came to the dark beach to enjoy the night view. There are many holes in the sky. Really? While listening to the sound of the waves, they counted the stars in the sky. It was amazing that there were so many shooting stars that night. Old-fashioned mosquito nets sway in the breeze in villa bedrooms. When was the last time you used a mosquito net? Mosquito nets are basically not used in modern families, and Yuriko can't remember when she used them for the last time. Yuriko is lying on the bed wearing a yukata, which is mainly red and yellow, like a huge flower. Yuriko has been wearing this yukata to sleep since she was very young. Because it was a child's clothes, Yuriko felt very embarrassed.The yukata didn't have a belt, so no matter how the two fronts were put together, a large piece of skin would still be exposed, and Yuriko felt embarrassed because of this. But there is also something to be proud of behind the shyness. It's okay not to hide. Yuriko is confident in the shape of her breasts.Although it is not big, it is very tall and straight, and when you push it up with your hand, the white breasts are rippling in your hand, which is very cute. But inconceivably, Yuriko seemed to see herself peeling off her yukata to reveal her breasts under the mosquito net.Thinking about it like this, Yuriko imagined that the owner of her gaze was a man. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, it seemed to be Ji Yi. This is not acceptable. From the perspective of learning the piano, Yuriko is Ji Yi's teacher, and Yuriko panicked. Do you eat corn?delicious.When Ji Yi spoke, there was no panic or embarrassment.But what he ate was watermelon. I have to cover my boobs quickly. But the yukata is too small, it was worn when I was a child.Lily felt very embarrassed. Ji Yi lifted the mosquito net and got in. Very good. It was the face of a middle school student, still very young and didn't understand anything. Ji Yi lay beside Yuriko and began to read. What book do you read? These inappropriate desires disappeared when Yuriko woke up, but it took a little time for her consciousness to fully wake up. In the dream, she was in Shimoda's villa, but when she woke up, Yuriko was lying on the bed at home.The season has also changed to autumn. The person in the dream is probably Ji Yi. Although several boyfriends' faces appeared in the dream, the last one I remembered was Ji Yi's face. I guess it's been a while since I saw Ji Yi.Last week he said that he had a cold and didn't come to class. Last week he said that there was too much homework in school and he took a leave of absence.It's almost time for class again, maybe it's because of this reason that Yuriko dreamed about Ji Yi.What a spring dream. How strange. Where did this dream come from in real life, Yuriko didn't understand.Ji Yi is already a first-year student in high school. Although he is still a child, Yuriko has somewhat realized that he is a man. In Yuriko's subconscious mind, she doesn't want to think of Ji Yi as a man, but ends up having erotic dreams about him instead. But, just because of this? Looking at the ceiling, Yuriko asked herself.Yuriko felt that she was stupid, but at the same time, this question could not be relieved and settled deep in her heart.Yuriko was afraid that her love for Ji Yi would turn into something else, and she didn't know it herself.The dark night is easy to make people cranky. That afternoon, Ji Yi came to class as scheduled, still with that smiling face.As soon as he spoke, he showed his childishness. Yesterday I dreamed about you, teacher. Hearing this suddenly, Yuriko gasped. What kind of dream? I don't remember clearly, it seems like I was climbing a mountain with my teacher, getting higher and higher. Why?Where is the mountain? I don't know, it's just the two of us anyway. Ji Yi was playing seriously on the piano keyboard, Yuriko looked at his side face and began to imagine. Will this child have erotic dreams? It's possible, he's almost grown into an adult, so he must have dreamed about it.Will he appear in his dream?Thinking of this, a chill ran down Lily's back. Maybe I shouldn't teach him for too long. The years flew by while Yuriko made up her mind, and the hot summer came again. Teacher, will you go to Xiatian to spend the summer this year? Well, ready to go. Then can I still play with you guys? Can. Ji Yi came alone that day, and Yuriko's friends could not arrive until late at night.Therefore, the afternoon time only belonged to Yuriko and Ji Yi, and they went to the beach together. There is nothing to do, just bask in the sun on the beach, and when it feels hot, go to the sea and swim to the shark prevention net 200 meters away, and then swim back.Then, like last year, I rented a boat and rowed to the small island outside the bay to play.While picking up shells, I watched the sun sink below the sea level.According to the color and shape of the shells, the two selected the king of shells and the queen of shells, and rubbed the rest of the shells in their palms to play the song of the sea. I wonder if I can come next year? how? I have to study hard for the college entrance examination. Ah yes. Maybe the piano practice has to stop too. Practice after the exam. Um. Then we make a promise. OK. Under the starry sky, the two sang a song, and the alto and tenor made a very pleasant singing. Yuriko and Ji Yi went to the decoration shop in Qingshan together after that trip to the seaside, and Ji Yi said that he would grind up the shells he brought back and put them in an hourglass. why?Yuriko asked. That way you can hear the song of the sea.After a breath, Ji Yi corrected and said: You can see the singing of the sea. Indeed, watching the powder of shells falling and accumulating from the glass tube, you may be able to think of the wonderful seaside afternoon spent by just two people, and you can also hear the songs sung by two people. Winter is approaching, and one day Yuriko suddenly received a call from Ji Yi. I can't go to class for the time being. School work is getting tense. Not because of this.Ji Yi's tone was a bit strange. Why? I was hospitalized. Hospitalized?What's wrong?Where is it uncomfortable?Yuriko thought it was just a mild case like appendicitis, but Ji Yi's answer was unexpected. My chest is uncomfortable. chest?What's wrong? tuberculosis. There are not many people suffering from this disease now, Lily thought that tuberculosis has been eradicated by human beings After inquiring about the specific situation, I found out that Ji Yi had a cold that hadn't recovered for a month or two, and he had a bad cough with pus sputum, so he went to the hospital for an examination, and the doctor sent him to the hospital immediately. Really bad! But it will be fine soon, don't worry. It shouldn't be serious. Looking back, Ji Yi's complexion was really bad during that time, and he often coughed.Yuriko thought he studied too hard. Yuriko asked the name of the hospital and went to visit Ji Yi.Although I haven't seen him for more than ten days, Ji Yi's face is already haggard.His skin, tanned by the summer sun, had turned a pale gray. You have to cheer up. Don't worry, help me buy interesting books. OK Bai Hezi didn't think about how serious Ji Yi's illness was, but when she visited Ji Yi again, the doctor had already decided to perform an operation on him.Judging from the later results, Ji Yi's disease may not be pure tuberculosis, but may be a more terrible disease.The so-called surgery is estimated that the doctor just opened Ji Yi's chest to have a look, and then sewed it up intact. Yuriko was not mentally prepared for this, and every time she visited Ji Yi in the hospital, she felt that his illness was more serious than expected, but she never thought that such serious consequences would happen. Teacher, it seems that I will die after a while. Cheer up and don't be timid.I will be by Ji Yi's side. I will work hard. Take it easy. However, my illness is a protracted battle.Surgery will have a great impact on the body, but if it is not removed, it may be too late. There is still a long way to go, and you will be fine. I have to take a break from school for the time being, and I don't know when I can play the piano again.After speaking, Ji Yi's shoulder twisted violently, the sudden onset of pain may be the sequelae of the operation. There are two hourglasses beside Ji Yi's hospital bed, which seem to be gifts from friends.The half of each hourglass, bounded by the narrow neck in the middle of the glass tube, is blackened.Seeing that Yuriko noticed the special features of the hourglass, Ji Yi took the two hourglasses with sickly movements and connected the transparent parts: This is very interesting, look! Ji Yi suddenly turned the two connected hourglasses upside down, and the sand in the glass tube began to leak.Since half of the glass tubes of the two hourglasses are blackened, the upper hourglass can only see the lower half, while the lower hourglass can only see the upper half.The overall effect is that the upper part of the sand is accumulating, while the lower part of the sand is decreasing.The speed of the sand in the two hourglasses is the same, so it looks like the sand from the bottom is leaking to the top. Illusion is good too, I want to climb higher.Ji Yi seems to have said such a sentence. ? When Yuriko went to see Ji Yi again, he closed his eyes and covered his face with a blanket.It is Ji Yi's wish that I want to climb higher.The peak of the mountain, the peak of life or living healthy and healthy. That was the last time Yuriko saw Kiichi alive. Death has easily eroded this young life.Ji Yi's family had known for a long time that he was terminally ill.And half a year ago, Ji Yi was still as brilliant as a flower, maybe this flash of life is the privilege of the dying, Yuriko thought so after crying so hard that her heart and lungs were shaken. Chopin's timbre, summer's smile, maybe all of these are just fantasies outside the world. Yuriko used a cylindrical wooden tube to cover half of the glass tube. Her design was to connect the two hourglasses longitudinally, and to connect the transparent parts of the two glass tubes.In this way, the upper glass tube can only see the lower half, and the lower glass tube can only see the upper half.Yuriko did it very carefully, and whispered in her mouth: "The illusion is fine, I want to climb higher." Turn the glass tube upside down, fine sand begins to leak What's in the hourglass isn't shell flour.Instead, after the funeral, Yuriko pleaded for a few small bones that Ji Yi's mother took from the urn. It may hurt a little bit, please bear with it for a while.Lily seeds are slowly ground in a mortar and then divided into two equal parts, white, clean ashes. Shashashasha, I heard Ji Yi's song. Shashashasha, I saw Ji Yi's song. The white ashes piled up from bottom to top, forming a white sand dune.