Mai Mochizuki

Holmes and I rang the bells together, bowed twice, clapped twice, recited the traditional prayer that begins with, “O Gods, purify us from evil,” bowed once more, and then left the building. There were a lot of people in the shrine grounds.

Indeed.” Holmes looked up at the sky. “Having money means you can make choices, such as, ‘I can buy anything, but I won’t,’ and ‘I can go anywhere in the world, but I’ll stay home.’ There are people who say things like, ‘You don’t need money to be happy’ or ‘Money isn’t the only thing that matters in the world.’ These statements are not false. However, I believe that being able to make any choice you want in a variety of situations is what gives you freedom.”

I nodded with a strained smile. “That’s exactly what I thought—I didn’t need money to be happy. But after these events, I realized that having money gives you freedom. I think the resistance and guilty feelings towards money I had deep inside my heart have diminished.”

Indeed.” Holmes looked up at the sky. “Having money means you can make choices, such as, ‘I can buy anything, but I won’t,’ and ‘I can go anywhere in the world, but I’ll stay home.’ There are people who say things like, ‘You don’t need money to be happy’ or ‘Money isn’t the only thing that matters in the world.’ These statements are not false. However, I believe that being able to make any choice you want in a variety of situations is what gives you freedom.”

I nodded with a strained smile. “That’s exactly what I thought—I didn’t need money to be happy. But after these events, I realized that having money gives you freedom. I think the resistance and guilty feelings towards money I had deep inside my heart have diminished.”