The 5-day school field trip for the 4th grade students of Clamp School took place in a pristine forest outside Clamp Island, and this excited Kanon greatly because since coming to Tokyo Tower, she hadn't had the opportunity to venture outside the Clamp School area.

The 4th grade class at Clamp School was not large, with around 300 students, and the theme of this field trip was perfect for Kanon: making friends with nature. The students stayed at a high-end resort built near the pristine forest. This resort was quite special, belonging to the Imonoyama Zaibatsu, and each house was built separately using environmentally friendly materials. The interior furnishings were also designed to be eco-friendly. Kanon heard that one of the 8 children of the Imonoyama family came up with the idea and design for this resort, but she didn't know which child it was.

The field trip assigned different tasks to each student group, such as keeping a travel journal, observing and studying the plants encountered in the forest. In addition, there were classes on orienteering and survival skills in the ancient forest, teaching the necessary skills for living in nature while minimizing the impact on the environment. Of course, there were also opportunities for self-exploration and camping in the forest. The 4 days went by smoothly, and all the students were very excited. The student groups were randomly assigned, not based on their classes, and each group had 6 members. In Kanon's group, she only knew Akira and Zansa. Setsu was assigned to a different group, so it wasn't convenient for him to be with Kanon all the time, but occasionally she saw him running over, and Kanon guessed that Seiji had warned him about something.

The last day of the field trip was a free activity day and completing personal reports. Kanon was really looking forward to this day. After a hearty breakfast to celebrate the successful field trip, the students were allowed to explore within the designated boundaries marked on the distributed map. Most of the students chose to go into the nearby town.

The last day of the field trip was a free activity day and completing personal reports. Kanon was really looking forward to this day. After a celebratory breakfast to mark the successful field trip, the students were allowed to engage in exploratory activities within the designated boundaries marked on the distributed map. Most of the students chose to go into the nearby town to buy souvenirs or visit the hot springs. While everyone was happily packing up to prepare to go to town, Kanon looked around and took the opportunity when Akira was excitedly talking to Zansa and Kyou to quietly grab her backpack and map and sneak out the back door. She had prepared everything she needed to venture into the forest alone and explore the interesting paths she had noticed a few days ago. Just as she took a few steps outside, she heard Setsu's voice of complaint from behind:

"Where do you think you're going? Huh?"

"Uhhh..."

She totally forgot about this person.

"Don't you dare disappear like that, it's dangerous."

Kanon patted her chest.

"Who said you have to sneak away? It's better to tell me then go, isn't it?"

Setsu raised his voice, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her as if afraid that she would slip away unnoticed.

"Well, we rarely get to go to such beautiful places like this, so I want to explore it on my own to make it more mysterious."

Kanon came up with a completely ridiculous excuse, making Setsu stare at her without taking his eyes off.

"Where are you going? I'll take you there. If something happens while you're alone, who will you call for help? I also have the responsibility to protect you. Don't just think about yourself like that."

Kanon pouted and lowered her head, acknowledging that it was her fault, but it would be a while before she apologized. Setsu didn't say anything more when he saw her like that, he just snatched the map from her hand and looked at the red marks Kanon had made on it with suspicion. They had already been to these places, so Setsu couldn't understand why Kanon wanted to explore them again.

But it didn't take long for Setsu to realize his mistake. Hidden beneath what seemed completely ordinary was something extraordinary.

The first point they arrived at was a stream. According to the teacher in charge, this stream marked the boundary of the area they were allowed to explore, not because there was any danger on the other side, but because there was no bridge across the stream. To cross the stream, they could either wade through it or go up near the source, where a bridge was built, but it was not within the permitted area for visitors. The stream appeared calm and gentle, but upon closer inspection, the current was fast and strong. The water looked clear, but if not for the teacher's explanation, no one would think it was deeper than 1 meter, which made it extremely dangerous.

Setsu stood on the bank of the stream, at the spot marked in red by Kanon, furrowing his brows in confusion about what they were doing at this stream. He then turned to Kanon with a questioning look, only to see her smiling before suddenly lying flat on the stream bank, startling him.

"Be careful, this stream is deep!"

Then Setsu saw Kanon raise her shirt sleeve high, reaching into the stream to feel around for something below. After a while, her eyes lit up, and she pulled something forcefully. Setsu gasped as before his eyes, the stream split in two like the scene of Moses parting the Red Sea*, followed by a series of planks made of a material he couldn't identify automatically assembling themselves to form a sturdy bridge spanning the stream, complete with railings. Kanon exclaimed excitedly:
Then Setsu saw Kanon roll up her sleeves, reaching her hand into the stream, feeling around for something underneath. After a while, he saw her eyes light up, and she pulled something forcefully Setsu gasped as he saw, right in front of him, the stream splitting like the scene of Moses parting the Red Sea*, followed by a series of planks made of a material he couldn't identify automatically assembling themselves to form a sturdy bridge spanning the stream, complete with railings. Kanon exclaimed excitedly:

"Let's go!"

Seeing Kanon already in the middle of the bridge, Setsu, now no longer shocked, hurriedly ran after her, expressing his suspicion:

"How did you know there was something there?"

"Oh, well, when the teacher said that the other side wasn't dangerous but there was no way across, I doubted it and observed the entire stream. When I reached this point, I noticed a very subtle obstruction in the flow, extremely difficult to see if you're not paying close attention. So I thought there might be something underneath, most likely a bridge or at least a pathway."

Kanon explained in detail to Setsu, mentioning that she had seen this kind of mechanism in movies and books. After hearing the explanation, Setsu nodded repeatedly, realizing that she truly was the bestselling author of detective novels.

Crossing the bridge to the other side of the stream, the scenery seemed no different from the other side, but there was a strange feeling leading and urging Kanon to move forward. Setsu watched Kanon walking faster and eventually started running, so he hurriedly chased after her, calling out:

"Hey, do you even know where we're going? We don't have a map for this side!"

But Kanon seemed to not hear anything, leading Setsu to continue running through bushes and countless trees of various plant species in the forest. The strange thing was that they were not harmed at all, as if the trees didn't obstruct them but rather pushed them forward. Finally, Kanon stopped, and Setsu bent over, panting heavily, wiping the sweat off his forehead. As he was about to complain, he noticed a blurry scene filled with mist, and Kanon had disappeared. He frantically waved away the fog, trying to determine the direction to escape, with the most important thing being to ensure that Kanon wasn't harmed. Perhaps Setsu hadn't realized it yet, but in this critical moment, he no longer held onto the thought of punishment from his cousin Seiji and his family if he couldn't protect Kanon anymore. Instead, he genuinely worried about her, not out of duty, but out of the care between friends.

"Hanazaki? Where are you? Hanazaki?"

After struggling for a while, Setsu managed to escape from the fog. As he took a step forward, he bumped into a large, towering tree right in front of him. Setsu had never seen such a massive tree before, with a straight and tall trunk that made him look up and only see the dense green foliage above and the sunlight peeking through the sparse gaps between the branches, making it impossible to determine the top of the tree. The circumference of the trunk alone felt like he was hugging a wall rather than a round tree, while the rest of the tree was engulfed in thick white fog. Standing in front of such a majestic and solemn creature, Setsu suddenly felt incredibly small, and involuntarily, his heart filled with reverence.

Lost in awe while gazing at the tree as if enchanted, Setsu didn't notice the fog gradually dissipating from all sides. Instead, he was met with a completely different scene than what one would expect in a pristine forest like this. Suddenly, he jolted as if something had brushed past him, and Setsu snapped out of his daze, looking around in astonishment. The tree in front of him was no longer large and towering, but instead, a slender sapling, only twice as tall as Setsu. The surroundings became more open, with many similar trees and people, both men and women, wearing farmer's work clothes - loose pants tied at the ankles and loose shirts tied at the wrists, with their heads covered in hats, all planting trees together. Setsu stood there, dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what was happening, when a girl with braided hair on both sides, a naive face with a hint of mud, approached him, holding a bucket and a watering can. Setsu was taken aback and hadn't even had a chance to step aside when the girl walked up, her eyes fixed on the tree behind him, and passed through him.

Inhaling sharply, Setsu panicked, thinking he had encountered... a ghost.

"Don't be afraid! It's not a ghost, just a... dream."

Setsu turned around and saw Kanon standing nearby, looking relaxed, with her hands clasped in front of her chest, earnestly studying the surroundings.

"When... and how did you...???"

Setsu was still in shock, stuttering continuously, causing Kanon to pat his shoulder and say, "You're still lacking in control, brother," before gently explaining.

"Since we crossed to the other side of the river, I heard someone calling me, so I ran towards it. When I arrived, all I saw was a tall and majestic tree, but as soon as you appeared, it transformed into this scene."

"Why is that?" Setsu asked, bewildered, as everything was happening beyond his knowledge and consciousness.

"I'm not sure either, but I already had a preconceived answer in my mind. This is a dream, and maybe I wasn't affected, only you were, so when you arrived, the dream manifested," Kanon nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"Hold on, I still don't understand. A dream? Whose dream? Ours?"

"No, it's the dream of the tree."

After hearing Kanon's explanation, Setsu's mind was even more confused than before, but before he could ask anything else, she stopped him, suggesting that he observe and see for himself.

The girl from earlier was carrying a bucket of water to water the tree, and as she watered it, she spoke with a smile:

"Good tree, beautiful tree, drink the water quickly and grow fast, you're the first tree that Hiroshi and I planted. Look at you now, you've grown so much. Hiroshi has enlisted, so it will be a while before he can come and visit you, but I will take care of you in his place. You have to grow strong and beautiful, alright?"

The scene continued to rotate peacefully, with the girl coming to tend to the tree every day. The surrounding trees also grew, forming a small forest. As the tree grew, so did the people, aging along with it. The scene paused with the girl in a white kimono, her hair neatly tied up, resembling a traditional Japanese bride's attire. The girl approached the tree again and started talking to it:

"Good tree, you've grown so tall now. Today, I'm getting married. Do you know what getting married means? It means marrying a man and living together for the rest of our lives, having children and nurturing them. I can't wait for Hiroshi anymore, it's been 10 years already. If I keep waiting, no one will marry me. Once I get married, I have to go to my husband's home, which is far away, so I won't be able to come and take care of you regularly anymore. You have to thrive and live well, my tree."

And the girl turned around, slowly walking away in her wooden clogs, a sad smile on her face, reminiscing about her youthful and beautiful days.

Kanon and Setsu stood there, watching the changing scene, the people changing until the small forest of that day transformed into a dense forest full of large trees. As society developed, people learned to utilize nature more, and the forest began to be logged. Fortunately, the tree was not cut down but instead was dug up and transported to be replanted in this pristine forest. It has been here ever since, almost several decades have passed.

After the scene paused at the present moment, it stopped for a while and then started again with dreams of the past. Setsu started sweating, feeling himself being immersed in the emotions of the tree as he watched the moving people around him. Just then, he heard Kanon speak up:

"What do you want?"

Setsu immediately felt a sense of release, his mind calmed down, and he saw the dream scene of the tree disappear. The mist also cleared, and before them were two trees - one was the magnificent and grand tree Setsu had seen before, and next to it was an old, withered ancient tree. The bark of the trunk had turned dark brown, and the long, wide branches had sparse, yellowing leaves, indicating its decline. Then, a solemn voice resounded:

"This child doesn't have much time left to live, but it still clings to the past. If it continues like this, it won't find release and will turn into ashes. These lingering dreams can potentially cause harm."

Kanon remained still, listening attentively, while Setsu, although suspicious, didn't dare to ask when he saw her focused. Then Kanon spoke up again:

"What can we do to help?"

"We are the forest deity, but my power is limited to this forest. This world has changed, and there is no longer enough spiritual energy for us to use our magic. This child has been brought here for a long time, and it is also our people. Therefore, we pleade you to take it back to its homeland, so its wishes can be fulfilled and it can be freed from this dense dream. Please!"

"Pleading me?" Kanon thought for a moment. Is the forest deity pleading her?

As Kanon pondered, the voice of the forest deity repeated:

"Please!"

At the same time, it seemed that all the trees in the forest joined in, pleading:

"Please! Please! Please..."

The countless pleas of the beings in the forest echoed in Kanon's ears, and their emotions had a significant impact on her. Kanon stood still, motionless, but tears streamed down her face.

"Alright," Kanon replied.

The pleas ceased, and Setsu, standing beside her, felt a sudden gust of wind in the forest, followed by a wave of murmurs as if begging for something.

"But how can we take it with us?" Setsu asked.

Kanon knew that even though the forest deity referred to the tree as a "child," it was as old as her great-grandmother.

"You don't need to worry about that. Please come closer to this child and touch it," the forest deity said.

Kanon followed the instructions, slowly walking towards the tree. She closed her eyes and reached out with both hands, and immediately a bright light enveloped the entire forest. When the light faded, the tree remained as a bare, black trunk, while in Kanon's hands, a small sapling appeared.

"We have drawn out all of its remaining life force and used your power to revive it in this form. We hope you can take it back to its homeland," the forest deity explained.

As soon as the deity finished speaking, a gust of wind swept through. Setsu hurriedly ran to shield Kanon, and when they opened their eyes, they found themselves back on the bank of the stream, with no sign of the bridge or the tree.

"Was that... a dream or real?" Setsu still couldn't believe his eyes. He had just experienced the most extraordinary event of his life.

"It wasn't a dream!" Kanon calmly replied, raising her hands to show Setsu the sapling.

Their adventure ended there as it was time to return to school. Kanon found some soil and put both the soil and the sapling into a paper bag, holding it carefully in front of her. As they stepped out of the forest, they could faintly hear whispers in the wind:

"Thank you!"

On the way back to school, Kanon took out her backpack to carefully place the tree in between her legs, so as not to accidentally drop it while walking or dozing off. As she opened her backpack, a pleasant aroma filled the air, catching the attention of everyone in the car. Kanon also stared at her backpack intently.

"Kanon, what smells so good?" Zansa, sitting nearby, curiously asked. The aroma made her mouth water, which was quite embarrassing, but she couldn't help it.

Kanon looked at her backpack, filled with chestnuts.

"It's chestnuts," she replied.

"Oh, I've never seen such big chestnuts before. Are they roasted? Where did you buy them?" Zansa asked.

"Ha ha, there's a local shop near the forest," Kanon made up a story, but she knew no one would believe it, as her encounter was even more unbelievable than the story she just made up. As she sorted through the pile of chestnuts in her backpack to share with everyone, Kanon found a small gourd-shaped bottle that fit in the palm of her hand. When she shook it, she could hear a sloshing sound inside. Kanon opened it slightly, sniffed, and quickly closed it again, holding it in her hand and smiling uncontrollably.

"Forest deity, you're so thoughtful. Thank you for both the wine and the snacks."

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Author's note:
Moses is the saint of the Jewish people, blessed by God and prophesied to become the leader who would guide the Israelites to the Promised Land of freedom, escaping the harsh rule of the Egyptians.

When leading the Israelites in their escape from the pursuing Egyptian army to the shores of the Red Sea, Moses raised his staff in prayer, and the sea miraculously parted, allowing the people to pass through. Afterwards, the waters closed back in, engulfing the Egyptian army that was chasing them beneath the sea.