Whaling is actually a strange thing for the Japanese, because the Japanese basically don't eat whale meat, and even seventy or eighty percent of the Japanese have never even seen whale meat, and the demand for whale products is the same, and there is no such big demand in Japan at all.

So this begs the question, why did the Japanese hunt whales?

The question is actually quite simple, in fact, Japan wants to protect its maritime rights and interests through whaling.

As we all know, Japan is an island country, and marine resources are very important to Japan, and whaling is an act of assertion of rights, and since Japan can hunt in this area, it also means that they can fish for other marine life and even exploit mineral resources on the seabed. Japan needs attention, and in the long run, international public opinion will acquiesce to this distant-water fishing, and Japan will achieve its goal of continuing to be cheeky in whaling, and in the same way, even if it does not fish for whales, it can still exploit the resources of the seabed – the standard rogue routine.

However, this ocean-going whaling trip was obviously unsatisfactory, and Higashino Tsukasa and the others were not allowed to board the fishing boat, but were taken to a nearby fishing house to watch the whales.

The reason for this is simple.

Because the process of whaling is very bloody, it is not suitable for Higashino Chihaya and them to watch.

According to the fishermen communicated with Tsukasa Higashino, after the whale gun penetrated the whale's body, the whale was not dead at this time, so the fishing boat would drag the whale around the sea until it died of exhaustion.

During this process, the whale's blood gushes out, and its blood can stain the sea water for more than ten kilometers.

This reason is more unexpected than Higashino Division, but it is also reasonable.

Ryoka Konoe and the others aside, Higashino Chihaya will definitely not be able to stand the excitement of this bloody scene.

So after thinking about it, Tsukasa Higashino could only give up accompanying Chihaya Higashino, and said that if Yumi Takahashi and Aoi Fujiwara still wanted to go to see the whaling, he could communicate with the fishermen again.

Hearing the cruel and disgusting scene that the fishermen told just now, Yumi Takahashi and Aoi Fujiwara opened their mouths, and they also couldn't accept it physiologically, saying that they didn't need to go to see live whaling.

Since they don't want to go, the next thing is very simple.

Tsukasa Higashino took Yumi Takahashi and Aoi Fujiwara to the fishing house to see the whales - really big? Yumi Takahashi: Are they amazed? He also went up and reached out and touched the whale's skin.

As for the others...? Nothing else. At most, Tsukasa Higashino took them to a whale meat meal...

I have to say, whale meat is actually not particularly delicious? Smelly meat? And the meat has that kind of firewood feeling... It doesn't look like regular fish, but it feels like pork? Several little girls are a little unaccustomed to eating.

At most, this thing is just a hunt, so Higashino Tsukasa can't help but shake his head.

It seems that whaling to visit this thing is at most a gimmick? Didn't get anything on a trip? I almost broke my leg.

On the return car, Higashino Chihaya touched his head, apparently not yet reacting: "Is this the end of it?" I feel like only the whales are pretty good... Everything else is gone. ”

Indeed, as Higashino Chihaya muttered, it didn't take much trouble to see whales this time? Just spent half an hour in the fishing house? Then ate a meal of whale meat... And then there was nothing.

It's only two o'clock in the afternoon, so I'm going straight back to the hostel... It's not just Chihaya Higashino who doesn't think they're having fun, even Tsukasa Higashino is the same.

So Higashino Tsukasa thought for a moment and said, "Actually, in addition to whales, there is another place I want to visit. ”

Does he remember that the Aomori Prefecture New Century Branch Association welcomes visitors to visit? There are also many works drawn by local members...

The most important thing is that Tsukasa Higashino also promised Fumita Kageyama... At least go over and take a look and give the other person some respect.

But... How to say it... Chihaya Higashino and Yumi Takahashi don't seem to be the kind of people who will calm down and enjoy the works of art? Whether they want to go over or not is still two things.

He hesitated for a moment, and finally told Higashino Chihaya and them directly about it: "To sum up? I would like to visit the New Century Art Association in Aomori Prefecture. ”

"To the Art Society?"

What Higashino didn't expect was that Yumi Takahashi's eyes lit up all of a sudden? Seems to be interested.

This surprised Tsukasa Higashino a little? Could it be that Yumi Takahashi is still interested in art?

"If I went to join this art association... You can also tell my friends in the kendo club that I'm not stupid, right? ”

"......" Tsukasa Higashino.

Okay... It turned out that Yumi Takahashi regarded going to the Art Association as a bragging capital.

But okay? At least she's willing to go.

Thinking about it, Higashino turned his gaze to Aoi Fujiwara.

The little girl with glasses didn't refuse, but was also a little interested: "I want to go and see it too... Anyway, I can't do anything to go back now. ”

As for Chihaya Higashino and Ryoka Konoe.

The two of them didn't even need to ask, and directly said that they would go wherever Higashino Division went.

These little girls are willing to follow Tsukasa Higashino, more precisely, they have acquiesced to Tsukasa Higashino's choice.

After all, they have been with each other for so long, and Tsukasa Higashino basically knows everything accurately, which causes them to rely on Tsukasa Higashino a little unconsciously.

And—

"Higashino-sensei? Will you be able to draw by then? ”

Walking on the road, Yumi Takahashi asked Higashino Tsukasa next to her a little curiously.

She usually saw Higashino Tsukasa draw comics, and she had no impression of traditional art, so she asked.

"Uh... Let's talk about it when we have a chance. But I probably won't get a chance to play. Higashino couldn't help but smile.

"Huh...? I thought it was like the kendo kick gym type in the TV series, the other party first took out an oil painting, and then Mr. Higashino drew a better oil painting on the spot, and took it directly! Yumi Takahashi gestured and said seriously.

What is this oil painting, and the word kick hall has come.

Higashino was overwhelmed and laughed several times before explaining to her some common sense about oil painting.

It is necessary to prepare the frame and canvas in advance, and to whitewash and dry, and there should be no dry cracking or damage to the frame.

After this series of steps, Yumi Takahashi only felt her mind swell, and her mouth opened with a look of surprise - she had never painted oil paintings, and she had no idea that there were so many troubles to do.

A few people talked and laughed, passed through the residential area, and went straight to the destination of the trip, in front of the Aomori Prefecture New Century Art Branch.

It's a standard art gallery type of building... Entrance to the small square, parking lot, main building...

It is said that it used to be a local art museum in Aomori Prefecture, but due to the poor management of the museum director, it became a branch association in cooperation with the New Century Art Association, and now it remains as a semi-public facility.

The small square in front of you can also be used at will, and there are many members of the branch association who are holding up their easels to paint.

This intrigued Yumi Takahashi, and she ran directly behind a woman who was holding an easel and painting on the canvas.

After all, she just heard Tsukasa Higashino say so many things about art, so she was naturally a little curious.

Merely...

Yumi Takahashi just glanced at it twice and ran back, with a disappointed face: "It's not particularly beautiful." ”

"Isn't that a matter of course?" Tsukasa Higashino was a little funny: "Many people paint just as a hobby, and not everyone has the skills of a professional painter, let's go into the museum and see, the works that can be exhibited should be of good quality." ”

With that, he took Yumi Takahashi and the others into the museum.

The museum charges a very low fee, and the entrance fee is only 200 yen (half price for students), which is basically equal to half free.

It can be seen that this branch association also wants to seriously raise some artistic atmosphere in Aomori Prefecture, and at the beginning, there were many photos of XX years of cooperation with XXX art school, or XX professional painters who came to visit.

After walking through this wall of merit, Tsukasa Higashino and the others officially entered the main building.

This small museum is not as rich as Tsukasa Higashino was at the National Museum of Art in Tokyo, and on the whole, there are very few excellent paintings, and there are very few works by professional painters... Most of them are the work of some local members of Aomori Prefecture – including paintings by some high school teacher members.

Tsukasa Higashino even saw the name of the art teacher at Aomori High School where Rinka Konoe studied.

Konoe Ryoka also raised her head and glanced at the paintings on the wall several times, she is not like Higashino Division, she is naturally more humble, even if some works are not as good as her, she is serious and quietly appreciating, without saying a single 'no'.

Most of the works here are still in the stage of copying and landscape painting, and Tsukasa Higashino just took two glances and retracted his gaze, thinking that the art museum here in Aomori Prefecture is really not as good as Tokyo, the heart of Japan...

The quality of the work is a bit low, and there are no innovative painting techniques, so there is not much need for Higashino to learn.

He sighed over there.

On the other side, Yumi Takahashi, Chihaya Higashino, and Aoi Fujiwara were different, they had no art background, and they were enthusiastic about scanning and inspecting around, obviously interested in the landscape paintings on the walls.

Especially Chihaya Higashino.

She stupidly felt that Tsukasa Higashino was studying art, and it was definitely necessary to see and learn more, so she pulled Tsukasa Higashino around to look at the works hanging on the walls.

Because in her cognition, these works that can be hung out for exhibition must have the need to learn... For the sake of Higashino, she also took out her mobile phone and took pictures carefully with a click, for fear that something would be missed - this museum does not have any precious collections, so it is allowed to take pictures.

She even turned her head and said to Higashino Tsukasa very seriously: "Ace... Look at this painting... It should look good, right? ”

She showed Tsukasa Higashino a landscape painting, and the object happened to be this art museum.

The walls of the museum reflect the brilliance of the museum in the sunlight... What makes Higashino Tsukasa feel good is that the other party controls the color of this reflected light very well, and the color expression is also very good, and the whole picture doesn't look too bright and eye-catching, and it doesn't make people feel 'gray'.

The overall look is significantly different from the surrounding members' paintings.

This made Higashino Tsukasa nod and said to Higashino Chihaya beside him with a smile: "It's really good, but there are still a few obvious flaws..."

His words don't feel much reverence, more like commenting on the painting in front of it.

Chihaya Higashino was able to nod his head, feeling that what his brother said was quite reasonable, but if it fell into the ears of others, it would be more or less not good.

For example, the middle-aged male next to Tsukasa Higashino, the principal of Aomori High School, Reizo Ishikawa.

Unlike Ryuichi Yoshimine, the principal of Kita-Yoshijuku High School where Tsukasa Higashino studied, Reizo Ishikawa was a person who liked art very much, so he specially built a wall for the students of the school's art department to paint.

Other departments and regiments basically don't have the treatment of the art department.

Similarly, Reizo Ishikawa is also a member of the Aomori Prefecture New Century Association, and he likes to draw and visit the art museum here when he has nothing to do.

And the painting in front of Tsukasa Higashino happens to be the work drawn by the president of this branch association... So when he heard the young man next to him laughing and saying to another girl, 'It's really good, but there are still some obvious flaws', he couldn't help but turn his head and look at the other party.

He looked at a side face, and thought it was familiar, but he didn't recognize who it was, plus the other party was very good-looking, and there was an equally good-looking girl next to him...

This makes Ishikawa Reizo think that this boy is tall in front of this girl...

After all, men are actually like this, especially when a man in love pretends to be big in front of the girl he likes.

After all, this young man is inevitably too young, and Ishikawa Reizo only looks at the side face and knows that the other party is about one or twenty years old... Can he still know how to paint in particular?

That's a joke.

Of course, Ishikawa Reizo could only think about these words in his heart, he couldn't have walked over with a murderous face just because of such a brief comment from the other party, and let the young man retract this sentence, right?

It's impossible just to think about.

After all, the reality is not, and this young man didn't say anything excessive, just talked about his understanding...

Thinking so, Ishikawa Reizo planned to pull his legs and go to another pavilion.

But before he could pull his legs and drive away, he heard the curious voice of the girl next to the young man: "What about him and Asby?" ”

This sentence slowed down Ishikawa slightly.

Then he heard the voice of the young man: "Compare with me? uh..."

The other party paused, seemed to be thinking, and then said, "This can't be compared at all..."

Ishikawa Reizo was very satisfied with this... Although the other party was still disrespectful just now, he looked like a critic, but when it really came to himself, he was still quite self-aware.

He re-accelerated, ready to get out of here.

Then I heard the young man behind him say half a sentence that he hadn't finished yet—

"Isn't it too much of a bully for this author than me?"

Belch...

Reizo Ishikawa.

Stopped.