[Warning 15+]
Author's Note:
Currently messing around with the title a bit…
Part One
~She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!~Chapter 6Picking Up Where That Summer Left Off
The place Hayato moved into was a ten-story apartment building, not too far from Haruki's house.
A one-story wooden house back in the countryside versus a reinforced concrete complex here.
A front door left wide open without a care versus a secure entrance with an auto-lock system.
The differences between the countryside and the city were endless, and it was a lot to take in. Hayato definitely wasn't used to it yet.
"I'm home."
"Welcome back, Big Bro."
"…Himeko, I can see everything, you know."
"Hmm— wanna take a look?"
"I'm telling you because I don't want to look!"
"Then just don't look. Problem solved."
"…Good grief."
In the living room of their sixth-floor apartment, Hayato's little sis greeted him with a totally unenthusiastic voice.
With those feisty-looking eyes, her light-dyed hair styled in soft waves, and a school uniform worn just messy enough to look trendy—she was the textbook definition of a fashion-forward modern girl. That was Hayato's little sis, Himeko.
Even though Himeko was Hayato's little sis, Hayato himself had to admit she was pretty cute, but right now she was sprawled out on the sofa like a total slob, her skirt riding way up. It was a pretty pathetic sight, and Hayato couldn't help but scowl.
(Man, seriously... ...from Haruki to Himeko, they're all the same...)
Hayato couldn't help but let out a sigh, mentally comparing his childhood friend's messy behavior with his little sis' current state.
Hayato figured they probably only acted this way because it was him.
Thinking that way, Hayato just shrugged it off with a "well, whatever."
"Himeko, where's Dad?"
"Hospital. Said he was gonna stop by Mom's place."
"…Got it. What about dinner?"
"Big Bro, can you handle it? I'm kind of in the middle of something right now."
"Yeah, yeah, I got you."
Himeko was busy scrolling through her phone, occasionally letting out a frustrated "Ugh..." Hayato remembered how fired up she was before the move, swearing she wouldn't let anyone catch on that she was from the countryside.
Himeko'd definitely been hit with the "transfer student experience" just like Hayato had. She was probably frantic, looking stuff up so she wouldn't accidentally expose her countryside-bumpkin roots.
"You know, it'd be way easier if you just told them you're from the countryside from the start."
"Shut up, Big Bro!"Himeko had a bit of a vain streak. It was a habit that had tripped her up more than a few times.
While keeping an eye on his little sis, Hayato checked the fridge.
(Got some leftover pork belly from the sale, green onions, bell peppers, napa cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms…)
Since Hayato's lunch had been nothing but a sad, lonely hot dog bun, he was in the mood for something hearty.
First, Hayato sliced the pork into thin strips, marinated them in a mix of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin, then tossed in some potato starch and sesame oil to lock in the flavor.
In the meantime, Hayato chopped up all the veggies. Since he was basically cleaning out the fridge, he didn't worry too much about the ratios. He didn't forget to whip up a sauce with oyster sauce, doubanjiang, soy sauce, and cooking sake, either.
After stir-frying everything and tossing in the sauce at just the right moment, Hayato's "knock-off" Chin-jao Rosu was good to go. Paired with rice and some instant miso soup, it actually looked pretty decent.
"Himeko, dinner's ready."
"Coming! …Wait, yikes."
"What?"
"Classic Big Bro. You're still making stuff that looks like it should be served as bar snacks."
"Hey, this is totally within the realm of normal food, isn't it?"
"If you say so—"
In the countryside where there wasn't much to do, people would gather at someone's place for a drinking party every chance they got.
Every time, Hayato would get summoned to whip up some bar snacks, and he'd pocket some allowance in return. Naturally, his cooking repertoire ended up leaning heavily toward that kind of stuff.
"Let's eat!"
"Dig in."
"Mmm~, this actually goes so well with rice! Crap, I’m gonna get fat! Oh, by the way, Big Bro, did you hear?"
"Yeah?"
"I just found out today at school… …apparently, coin-operated paddy polishers don't even exist around here."
"Say... ...what now…?"
"And get this—they say if you walk for like 10 minutes, you'll hit the nearest station."
"Now that is what you call a 'nearest' station!"
The Kirishima siblings were absolutely shook by the massive gap between the countryside of Tsukinose and the city life they’d moved into.
It wasn't just Hayato; his little sis, Himeko, also seemed to be having a rough time dealing with the culture shock right after transferring.
"So, what's the deal?"
"About what?"
"Something good happened, right?"
"How can you tell?"
"You've got this huge grin on your face."
"…Huh?"
Being called out by Himeko was the first time Hayato realized he was actually beaming.
Despite everything, it looked like reuniting with Haruki had made Hayato so happy he couldn't even hide it.
Hayato just couldn't help but smile.
"So, I actually ran into Haruki at school today."
"Wait, no way! You mean Haru-chan?!"
"Get this—we're even sitting right next to each other."
"Whoa, seriously?! So, what's Haru-chan like now?"
"Well..."
Hayato pictured the childhood friend he'd reunited with earlier.
Back in the day, Haruki was always in shorts, a T-shirt, and a cap. Her clothes were constantly covered in mud, and she had scrapes and bruises all over. No matter how you looked at her, she was the textbook definition of a tomboyish boss.
But now? Haruki's got this silky hair down to her back, and forget about scrapes—her pale skin doesn't have a single blemish. At first glance, she looks like a total, high-class, elegant beauty.
But when Haruki flashes that mischievous grin, Hayato couldn't help but feel she was exactly the same as she used to be.
"Haruki hasn't changed a bit. Haruki’s still Haruki. So much so that I've already racked up a 'debt' with Haruki."
"Heh, I see. Man, now I really wanna see Haru-chan too."
"Honestly, Haruki even stronger and more pushy than before. Haruki might've evolved from a wild monkey into a straight-up gorilla."
"Ahaha! What is that even supposed to mean?!"
And just like that, the two of them started vibing over stories about Haruki, their mutual childhood friend. All sorts of old memories started rushing back.
They'd racked up so many debts together.
Like the time they split an ice cream and the halves weren't even.
Like the time they competed to see who could catch the most cicadas.
Like the time they faced off in a video game, just like today.
Over and over, they'd piled up debts and memories alike.
That day. The end of summer.
When the days they thought would last forever suddenly came crashing down.
That tiny promise they made back then was still very much alive today.
The height they once shared now had a full head's difference.
Their hands, once the same size, were now a whole size apart.
And even if they ran at the same speed, there was now a clear gap in their stride.
All those gaps and differences that had piled up while they were apart.
And yet, he felt sure they were the kind of differences that wouldn't even matter anymore.
The relationship they thought was dead and buried was finally about to start over, right along with the heat of the summer.
Author's Note:
We hit #3 on the daily genre charts! Thank you guys so much!
Hope you'll stick around for the next chapter too.
Oh, and the next update is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
Translator's Note:
Whoa, nice job, Author! Huge congrats. By the way guys, just a heads-up: this message is actually from back in 2020. I'm not quite sure yet when I'll be dropping the next chapter, haha.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donation really supports us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages:
The place Hayato moved into was a ten-story apartment building, not too far from Haruki's house.
A one-story wooden house back in the countryside versus a reinforced concrete complex here.
A front door left wide open without a care versus a secure entrance with an auto-lock system.
The differences between the countryside and the city were endless, and it was a lot to take in. Hayato definitely wasn't used to it yet.
"I'm home."
"Welcome back, Big Bro."
"…Himeko, I can see everything, you know."
"Hmm— wanna take a look?"
"I'm telling you because I don't want to look!"
"Then just don't look. Problem solved."
"…Good grief."
In the living room of their sixth-floor apartment, Hayato's little sis greeted him with a totally unenthusiastic voice.
With those feisty-looking eyes, her light-dyed hair styled in soft waves, and a school uniform worn just messy enough to look trendy—she was the textbook definition of a fashion-forward modern girl. That was Hayato's little sis, Himeko.
(Man, seriously... ...from Haruki to Himeko, they're all the same...)
Hayato couldn't help but let out a sigh, mentally comparing his childhood friend's messy behavior with his little sis' current state.
Hayato figured they probably only acted this way because it was him.
Thinking that way, Hayato just shrugged it off with a "well, whatever."
"Himeko, where's Dad?"
"Hospital. Said he was gonna stop by Mom's place."
"…Got it. What about dinner?"
"Big Bro, can you handle it? I'm kind of in the middle of something right now."
"Yeah, yeah, I got you."
Himeko was busy scrolling through her phone, occasionally letting out a frustrated "Ugh..." Hayato remembered how fired up she was before the move, swearing she wouldn't let anyone catch on that she was from the countryside.
Himeko'd definitely been hit with the "transfer student experience" just like Hayato had. She was probably frantic, looking stuff up so she wouldn't accidentally expose her countryside-bumpkin roots.
"You know, it'd be way easier if you just told them you're from the countryside from the start."
"Shut up, Big Bro!"
Himeko had a bit of a vain streak. It was a habit that had tripped her up more than a few times.
While keeping an eye on his little sis, Hayato checked the fridge.
(Got some leftover pork belly from the sale, green onions, bell peppers, napa cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms…)
Since Hayato's lunch had been nothing but a sad, lonely hot dog bun, he was in the mood for something hearty.
First, Hayato sliced the pork into thin strips, marinated them in a mix of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin, then tossed in some potato starch and sesame oil to lock in the flavor.
In the meantime, Hayato chopped up all the veggies. Since he was basically cleaning out the fridge, he didn't worry too much about the ratios. He didn't forget to whip up a sauce with oyster sauce, doubanjiang, soy sauce, and cooking sake, either.
After stir-frying everything and tossing in the sauce at just the right moment, Hayato's "knock-off" Chin-jao Rosu was good to go. Paired with rice and some instant miso soup, it actually looked pretty decent.
"Himeko, dinner's ready."
"Coming! …Wait, yikes."
"What?"
"Classic Big Bro. You're still making stuff that looks like it should be served as bar snacks."
"Hey, this is totally within the realm of normal food, isn't it?"
"If you say so—"
In the countryside where there wasn't much to do, people would gather at someone's place for a drinking party every chance they got.
Every time, Hayato would get summoned to whip up some bar snacks, and he'd pocket some allowance in return. Naturally, his cooking repertoire ended up leaning heavily toward that kind of stuff.
"Let's eat!"
"Dig in."
"Mmm~, this actually goes so well with rice! Crap, I’m gonna get fat! Oh, by the way, Big Bro, did you hear?"
"Yeah?"
"I just found out today at school… …apparently, coin-operated paddy polishers don't even exist around here."
"Say... ...what now…?"
"And get this—they say if you walk for like 10 minutes, you'll hit the nearest station."
"Now that is what you call a 'nearest' station!"
The Kirishima siblings were absolutely shook by the massive gap between the countryside of Tsukinose and the city life they’d moved into.
It wasn't just Hayato; his little sis, Himeko, also seemed to be having a rough time dealing with the culture shock right after transferring.
"So, what's the deal?"
"About what?"
"Something good happened, right?"
"How can you tell?"
"You've got this huge grin on your face."
"…Huh?"
Being called out by Himeko was the first time Hayato realized he was actually beaming.
Despite everything, it looked like reuniting with Haruki had made Hayato so happy he couldn't even hide it.
Hayato just couldn't help but smile.
"So, I actually ran into Haruki at school today."
"Wait, no way! You mean Haru-chan?!"
"Get this—we're even sitting right next to each other."
"Whoa, seriously?! So, what's Haru-chan like now?"
"Well..."
Hayato pictured the childhood friend he'd reunited with earlier.
Back in the day, Haruki was always in shorts, a T-shirt, and a cap. Her clothes were constantly covered in mud, and she had scrapes and bruises all over. No matter how you looked at her, she was the textbook definition of a tomboyish boss.
But now? Haruki's got this silky hair down to her back, and forget about scrapes—her pale skin doesn't have a single blemish. At first glance, she looks like a total, high-class, elegant beauty.
But when Haruki flashes that mischievous grin, Hayato couldn't help but feel she was exactly the same as she used to be.
"Haruki hasn't changed a bit. Haruki’s still Haruki. So much so that I've already racked up a 'debt' with Haruki."
"Heh, I see. Man, now I really wanna see Haru-chan too."
"Honestly, Haruki even stronger and more pushy than before. Haruki might've evolved from a wild monkey into a straight-up gorilla."
"Ahaha! What is that even supposed to mean?!"
And just like that, the two of them started vibing over stories about Haruki, their mutual childhood friend. All sorts of old memories started rushing back.
They'd racked up so many debts together.
Like the time they split an ice cream and the halves weren't even.
Like the time they competed to see who could catch the most cicadas.
Like the time they faced off in a video game, just like today.
Over and over, they'd piled up debts and memories alike.
That day. The end of summer.
When the days they thought would last forever suddenly came crashing down.
That tiny promise they made back then was still very much alive today.
The height they once shared now had a full head's difference.
Their hands, once the same size, were now a whole size apart.
And even if they ran at the same speed, there was now a clear gap in their stride.
All those gaps and differences that had piled up while they were apart.
And yet, he felt sure they were the kind of differences that wouldn't even matter anymore.
The relationship they thought was dead and buried was finally about to start over, right along with the heat of the summer.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donation really supports us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages: