The dull sound of Miori's heels echoes softly along the dirt path winding uphill through the wooded hills behind Zenkō-ji Temple in central Nagano.
Even though it's only about a twenty-minute walk from the busy avenue where the American fast-food restaurant and Cordesol Meat are located, the place feels completely cut off from the rest of the world.
Quiet. Atmospheric. Lit only by the small shrines scattered along the trail.
"In the end, that Wagyu Tataki Fusion wasn't anything special. What a disappointment..." Miori remarks aloud, as if trying to drown out her own thoughts.
She glances briefly over her shoulder, her sapphire-blue eyes drifting toward downtown Nagano, still glowing with lights and bustling with nightlife.
A long sigh escapes her lips.
Then she turns forward again, toward the steep slope where the path comes to an end.
She takes a few more steps before stopping once again.
