[Warning 15+]
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 103Missing You Like Crazy
The mountains to the west of Tsukinose were gettin' dyed in a deep crimson.
On the shrine grounds, which had been swept clean as part of Saki's daily chores, her long, stretched-out shadow hit the dirt. Her broom sat right next to her. While soakin' in the sunset, she was loungin' on the porch of the worship hall.
On the smartphone in Saki's hand, the names Saki ⛩, Mitake Minamo, and Himeko were poppin' up alongside icons of a Fox Deity, a sheep, and a selfie.
'Whoa, Hime-chan, that's insane! Are those seriously all traditional sweets? Like, can you actually eat 'em!?'
'You can eat 'em, for sure, but honestly it felt like a total waste to actually do it! The goldfish kingyoku lookin' like it's swimmin' in a tank and the watermelon-shaped nerikiri gave off major summer vibes. They paired perfectly with the bitterness of the matcha, and the whole set was only 500 yen! No wonder the line was out the door.'
'That shop looks so stylish, doesn't it? I pass by it all the time and I've been curious, but the line is always so crazy long that I never really got the chance...'
Saki's face was lit up with shock and excitement.
The hype conversation was all about the photos of the sweets shop Himeko had visited today.
Also, Saki'd gotten pretty close with Minamo, who'd just joined the group chat a few days ago.
Even though Minamo could be a bit of a scatterbrain, she was polite and soft-spoken, makin' her super easy to talk to without ever feelin' like she was a senpai.
Plus, Minamo often brought up topics like growin' veggies and cookin'—stuff she had in common with her crush (Hayato) —so she could jump into the convo pretty often. Most importantly, Saki gave Minamo high marks because she didn't sense even a hint of romantic feelings for Hayato from her.
'Ugh, I'm so jelly. Sweets in Tsukinose are basically just mugwort mochi all the time...'
'Right? I mean, they just made 'em with yomogi picked from around the neighborhood and red beans grown in the countryside.'
'From where I'm standin', that actually feels like a luxury, though...'
'Eh~? It's literally just weeds growin' on the side of the road by the paddy fields, y'know?'
'And the shape is totally rustic too, look at this.'
Sayin' that, Saki posted a photo of a pot overflowin' with mugwort to the group chat. It was a shot she'd taken back at the start of spring durin' a banquet that was supposed to be a "Shrine Members Meeting."
They'd boil this stuff down and then grind it in a mortar with glutinous rice flour to whip up some mugwort mochi. Saki remembered it bein' some pretty serious manual labor.
(Come to think of it, even back then, Big Bro was grindin' away makin' mochi right alongside all those neighborhood ladies...)
The memory hit Saki out of nowhere, and her chest twinged with a sharp pang of regret.
Back then, Saki never would've guessed in a million years that they'd actually end up movin' away.
'Tell you what, Saki-chan, I'll bring those sweets back as a souvenir for you next time I head back to Tsukinose.'
'Whoa, can't wait! Grab me the goldfish bowl kingyoku, okay, Hime-chan!'
'Oh, Minamo-san, wanna hit up that shop together sometime? I really wanna go back, but doin' it solo feels a bit much, or like, the vibe is too high-end for me.'
'Wait, with me?'
'Ahaha, Minamo-san, you gotta go with her—Hime-chan is crazy shy, so she needs a wingman'
'Hey, Saki-chan, knock it off!?'
'Hehe, well, if that's the case, I'd be happy to.'
Saki shook her head and got back into the convo.
Teasin' her bestie (Himeko) always got the chat buzzin', and Saki could practically see the pout on Himeko's face without even tryin'. That's just how long they've been rollin' together.
'Oh, but maybe it's better to have Big Bro buy 'em for us. He's workin' a part-time gig there, so he might get like a staff discount or somethin'.'
The thing is, this bestie of Saki's sometimes has a habit of totally forgettin' to mention the big stuff.
It happened with the whole movin' away thing, and it just happened again with what Himeko just said.
'W-Workin' a gig!? Wait, Big Bro is!?'
'What... ...Hayato-san is workin' part-time at 'Okashizukasa Shiro'!?'
'Yup, yup, Big Bro sure is— crazy, right? Here, check this out.'
"Gasp!?"
And just like that, Saki caught her breath.
Himeko posted a pic of Hayato in his work uniform to the group chat.
Rockin' a jinbei, a sankakukin bandana, and an apron. Hayato looked the part of a total pro in that traditional Japanese gear, flashin' a grin while hustlin' around with a tray in one hand.
It was the same look Saki used to catch glimpses of back in Tsukinose, even if only from a distance.
'Ahaha, well, we're only first-year high schoolers, so this is supposed to be our first time workin' a job, right? But Hayato-san somehow looks like a total natural at it...'
'Big Bro is, well, how should I put it... ...he was used to doin' this kind of stuff all the time at village banquets... ...By the way, why is he workin' a part-time gig, though?'
'Oh, that's it! I knew I had major déjà vu lookin' at Big Bro. Kazuki-san―Big Bro's buddy—told me he's just coverin' for a classmate... ...and then I remembered, since Big Bro didn't tell me a thing, it was a total mess afterward. And turns out, Big Bro wasn't the only one workin' there, look!'
"Gasp!?"
And once again, Saki caught her breath.
This time, it was a pic of Haruki.
The arrow-patterned hakama with that Taishou Modern vibe and an apron looked absolutely killin' on Haruki and her graceful aura. The way Haruki was servin' customers with her hair tied back in a ponytail gave off a super active vibe, showin' off a charm that was totally different from her usual self. Even Saki had to admit Haruki looked adorable.
Saki thought Haruki was so cute that there were probably people who'd visit the shop just to have Haruki as their server.
Saki let out a heavy, troubled sigh as her eyes went wide.
In the background of Haruki's pic, Saki caught a glimpse of Hayato.
Maybe Hayato just happened to be in the frame by accident.
But honestly, it was bound to happen. They're workin' in the same place, doin' the exact same thing, after all.
(It's 'cause I... ...only ever watched Big Bro from a distance...)
Saki's chest tightened. She was feelin' crazy jelly.
Personally, Saki definitely felt a sense of rivalry toward Haruki, but Saki didn't actually have any bad blood with Haruki. Since they started hittin' up the group chat, they'd actually been gettin' pretty close. The real, unfiltered Haruki was actually pretty cool.
But the second Hayato gets involved, it's a whole different ball game.
Especially lately, with one thing after another buggin' Saki, her heart's been in a total state of unrest.
But—no, actually, that's exactly why. Saki felt a growin' urge to meet Haruki face-to-face just once and have a real, heart-to-heart talk with Haruki.
'Whoa! Since when did you take that one of me!? Was it you, Hime-chan!?!?'
Right then, an icon that looked like a game fairy popped up alongside the name †Haruki†. Looks like Haruki just joined the chat.
The second Haruki saw her own pic, she started spillin' a whole list of gripes like, 'That was way more intense than I thought, I'm wiped', 'Standin' all day made my legs feel like literal logs and my lower back is killin' me!', 'The uniform is cute and all, but for real, the sleeves are a total pain when you're tryin' to clean up!'. To that, Himeko, Minamo, and Saki herself could only hit back with a dry 'Ahaha' and a weak grin.
The topic had shifted from the usual games and garage kits Haruki always talks about to her part-time job, but the vibe wasn't much different from their recent chats. The mood in the group was gettin' pretty chill.
...Every now and then, Haruki would talk about gettin' bailed out by Hayato with a frustrated tone, and while it was kinda sweet, it just made Saki feel even more jealous. Saki was honestly fed up with herself for feelin' that way.
'By the way, Haru-chan, do you get like a staff discount or somethin'? I'm thinkin' about grabbin' some souvenirs for Saki-chan when we head back to Tsukinose.'
'Hmm, I wonder. No clue. Oh, right—you guys are headin' back to Tsukinose for summer break, huh... ...Hmm~, maybe I'll just spend that time grindin' away at my part-time job~?'
"...Huh?"
Saki couldn't help but let out a weird-*ss sound.
Saki'd totally assumed Haruki would be comin' along when both Hayato and Himeko made their trip back home. Saki'd just taken it for granted.
But when Saki actually cooled down and thought about it—rememberin' how things were for the Nikaidō family back in Tsukinose—Haruki's answer made total sense.
'Wait, Haruki-san, you're not comin' back to Tsukinose for summer break?'
'Ahaha, well, I don't really have a place to go back to. Besides, Saki-chan, what's my Grandpa's house lookin' like these days?'
'Gah! Well, eh, since nobody's lived there in forever... ...let's just say there's so many cracks in the walls that it's probably "well-ventilated" for the summer, or somethin'...'
'Thought so...'
That was somethin' every single person in Tsukinose already knew.
Nikaidō Haruki had nowhere to call home.
And Haruki had no clue what kind of face she was even supposed to make if she actually went back.
'In that case, why don't you just stay at my place? Luckily my place is a shrine, so it's crazy huge and we've got tons of spare rooms.'
But Saki had already typed that out on total reflex.
It was for a deeply personal reason. Saki wasn't thinkin' about the other person's—Haruki's—situation at all. It was pure selfishness on Saki's part—just Saki's ego talkin'—but Saki couldn't stop herself from sayin' it.
'But I mean, I—'
'I really wanna see you, Haruki-san.'
'―Wait, what...?'
There were so many things Saki wanted to talk about and get off her chest if they could just meet up.
Just to make Haruki understand how Saki felt――...But honestly, that was nothin' but a selfish excuse.
'A-Ahaha... ...I mean, I wanna see you too, Saki-chan. I'll definitely give it some serious thought.'
'Right, you'd better.'
Even though Saki knew exactly what she was doin', she just couldn't keep those words bottled up anymore.
Author's Notes:
All kinds of info about the "Kaiwa mo shinai~" (Tsurekko no Gimai) series has finally been dropped.
It's set to hit the shelves on March 25th (2021) from Sh*eisha's D*sh X B*nko label.
I've also posted some illustrations in the Activity Reports and stuff, so check 'em out. Much appreciated.
Ugh... ...so much has been goin' on that I haven't been able to go see the kitties at the home center at all.
So! The comments! Just "Meow" is all I need! Meow!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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Donations are very much appreciated.
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The mountains to the west of Tsukinose were gettin' dyed in a deep crimson.
On the shrine grounds, which had been swept clean as part of Saki's daily chores, her long, stretched-out shadow hit the dirt. Her broom sat right next to her. While soakin' in the sunset, she was loungin' on the porch of the worship hall.
On the smartphone in Saki's hand, the names Saki ⛩, Mitake Minamo, and Himeko were poppin' up alongside icons of a Fox Deity, a sheep, and a selfie.
'Whoa, Hime-chan, that's insane! Are those seriously all traditional sweets? Like, can you actually eat 'em!?'
'You can eat 'em, for sure, but honestly it felt like a total waste to actually do it! The goldfish kingyoku lookin' like it's swimmin' in a tank and the watermelon-shaped nerikiri gave off major summer vibes. They paired perfectly with the bitterness of the matcha, and the whole set was only 500 yen! No wonder the line was out the door.'
'That shop looks so stylish, doesn't it? I pass by it all the time and I've been curious, but the line is always so crazy long that I never really got the chance...'
Saki's face was lit up with shock and excitement.
The hype conversation was all about the photos of the sweets shop Himeko had visited today.
Also, Saki'd gotten pretty close with Minamo, who'd just joined the group chat a few days ago.
Even though Minamo could be a bit of a scatterbrain, she was polite and soft-spoken, makin' her super easy to talk to without ever feelin' like she was a senpai.
Plus, Minamo often brought up topics like growin' veggies and cookin'—stuff she had in common with her crush (Hayato) —so she could jump into the convo pretty often. Most importantly, Saki gave Minamo high marks because she didn't sense even a hint of romantic feelings for Hayato from her.
'Ugh, I'm so jelly. Sweets in Tsukinose are basically just mugwort mochi all the time...'
'Right? I mean, they just made 'em with yomogi picked from around the neighborhood and red beans grown in the countryside.'
'From where I'm standin', that actually feels like a luxury, though...'
'Eh~? It's literally just weeds growin' on the side of the road by the paddy fields, y'know?'
'And the shape is totally rustic too, look at this.'
Sayin' that, Saki posted a photo of a pot overflowin' with mugwort to the group chat. It was a shot she'd taken back at the start of spring durin' a banquet that was supposed to be a "Shrine Members Meeting."
They'd boil this stuff down and then grind it in a mortar with glutinous rice flour to whip up some mugwort mochi. Saki remembered it bein' some pretty serious manual labor.
(Come to think of it, even back then, Big Bro was grindin' away makin' mochi right alongside all those neighborhood ladies...)
The memory hit Saki out of nowhere, and her chest twinged with a sharp pang of regret.
Back then, Saki never would've guessed in a million years that they'd actually end up movin' away.
'Tell you what, Saki-chan, I'll bring those sweets back as a souvenir for you next time I head back to Tsukinose.'
'Whoa, can't wait! Grab me the goldfish bowl kingyoku, okay, Hime-chan!'
'Oh, Minamo-san, wanna hit up that shop together sometime? I really wanna go back, but doin' it solo feels a bit much, or like, the vibe is too high-end for me.'
'Wait, with me?'
'Ahaha, Minamo-san, you gotta go with her—Hime-chan is crazy shy, so she needs a wingman'
'Hey, Saki-chan, knock it off!?'
'Hehe, well, if that's the case, I'd be happy to.'
Saki shook her head and got back into the convo.
Teasin' her bestie (Himeko) always got the chat buzzin', and Saki could practically see the pout on Himeko's face without even tryin'. That's just how long they've been rollin' together.
'Oh, but maybe it's better to have Big Bro buy 'em for us. He's workin' a part-time gig there, so he might get like a staff discount or somethin'.'
The thing is, this bestie of Saki's sometimes has a habit of totally forgettin' to mention the big stuff.
It happened with the whole movin' away thing, and it just happened again with what Himeko just said.
'W-Workin' a gig!? Wait, Big Bro is!?'
'What... ...Hayato-san is workin' part-time at 'Okashizukasa Shiro'!?'
'Yup, yup, Big Bro sure is— crazy, right? Here, check this out.'
"Gasp!?"
And just like that, Saki caught her breath.
Himeko posted a pic of Hayato in his work uniform to the group chat.
Rockin' a jinbei, a sankakukin bandana, and an apron. Hayato looked the part of a total pro in that traditional Japanese gear, flashin' a grin while hustlin' around with a tray in one hand.
It was the same look Saki used to catch glimpses of back in Tsukinose, even if only from a distance.
'Ahaha, well, we're only first-year high schoolers, so this is supposed to be our first time workin' a job, right? But Hayato-san somehow looks like a total natural at it...'
'Big Bro is, well, how should I put it... ...he was used to doin' this kind of stuff all the time at village banquets... ...By the way, why is he workin' a part-time gig, though?'
'Oh, that's it! I knew I had major déjà vu lookin' at Big Bro. Kazuki-san―Big Bro's buddy—told me he's just coverin' for a classmate... ...and then I remembered, since Big Bro didn't tell me a thing, it was a total mess afterward. And turns out, Big Bro wasn't the only one workin' there, look!'
"Gasp!?"
And once again, Saki caught her breath.
This time, it was a pic of Haruki.
The arrow-patterned hakama with that Taishou Modern vibe and an apron looked absolutely killin' on Haruki and her graceful aura. The way Haruki was servin' customers with her hair tied back in a ponytail gave off a super active vibe, showin' off a charm that was totally different from her usual self. Even Saki had to admit Haruki looked adorable.
Saki thought Haruki was so cute that there were probably people who'd visit the shop just to have Haruki as their server.
Saki let out a heavy, troubled sigh as her eyes went wide.
In the background of Haruki's pic, Saki caught a glimpse of Hayato.
Maybe Hayato just happened to be in the frame by accident.
But honestly, it was bound to happen. They're workin' in the same place, doin' the exact same thing, after all.
(It's 'cause I... ...only ever watched Big Bro from a distance...)
Saki's chest tightened. She was feelin' crazy jelly.
Personally, Saki definitely felt a sense of rivalry toward Haruki, but Saki didn't actually have any bad blood with Haruki. Since they started hittin' up the group chat, they'd actually been gettin' pretty close. The real, unfiltered Haruki was actually pretty cool.
But the second Hayato gets involved, it's a whole different ball game.
Especially lately, with one thing after another buggin' Saki, her heart's been in a total state of unrest.
But—no, actually, that's exactly why. Saki felt a growin' urge to meet Haruki face-to-face just once and have a real, heart-to-heart talk with Haruki.
'Whoa! Since when did you take that one of me!? Was it you, Hime-chan!?!?'
Right then, an icon that looked like a game fairy popped up alongside the name †Haruki†. Looks like Haruki just joined the chat.
The second Haruki saw her own pic, she started spillin' a whole list of gripes like, 'That was way more intense than I thought, I'm wiped', 'Standin' all day made my legs feel like literal logs and my lower back is killin' me!', 'The uniform is cute and all, but for real, the sleeves are a total pain when you're tryin' to clean up!'. To that, Himeko, Minamo, and Saki herself could only hit back with a dry 'Ahaha' and a weak grin.
The topic had shifted from the usual games and garage kits Haruki always talks about to her part-time job, but the vibe wasn't much different from their recent chats. The mood in the group was gettin' pretty chill.
...Every now and then, Haruki would talk about gettin' bailed out by Hayato with a frustrated tone, and while it was kinda sweet, it just made Saki feel even more jealous. Saki was honestly fed up with herself for feelin' that way.
'By the way, Haru-chan, do you get like a staff discount or somethin'? I'm thinkin' about grabbin' some souvenirs for Saki-chan when we head back to Tsukinose.'
'Hmm, I wonder. No clue. Oh, right—you guys are headin' back to Tsukinose for summer break, huh... ...Hmm~, maybe I'll just spend that time grindin' away at my part-time job~?'
"...Huh?"
Saki couldn't help but let out a weird-*ss sound.
Saki'd totally assumed Haruki would be comin' along when both Hayato and Himeko made their trip back home. Saki'd just taken it for granted.
But when Saki actually cooled down and thought about it—rememberin' how things were for the Nikaidō family back in Tsukinose—Haruki's answer made total sense.
'Wait, Haruki-san, you're not comin' back to Tsukinose for summer break?'
'Ahaha, well, I don't really have a place to go back to. Besides, Saki-chan, what's my Grandpa's house lookin' like these days?'
'Gah! Well, eh, since nobody's lived there in forever... ...let's just say there's so many cracks in the walls that it's probably "well-ventilated" for the summer, or somethin'...'
'Thought so...'
That was somethin' every single person in Tsukinose already knew.
Nikaidō Haruki had nowhere to call home.
And Haruki had no clue what kind of face she was even supposed to make if she actually went back.
'In that case, why don't you just stay at my place? Luckily my place is a shrine, so it's crazy huge and we've got tons of spare rooms.'
But Saki had already typed that out on total reflex.
It was for a deeply personal reason. Saki wasn't thinkin' about the other person's—Haruki's—situation at all. It was pure selfishness on Saki's part—just Saki's ego talkin'—but Saki couldn't stop herself from sayin' it.
'But I mean, I—'
'I really wanna see you, Haruki-san.'
'―Wait, what...?'
There were so many things Saki wanted to talk about and get off her chest if they could just meet up.
Just to make Haruki understand how Saki felt――...But honestly, that was nothin' but a selfish excuse.
'A-Ahaha... ...I mean, I wanna see you too, Saki-chan. I'll definitely give it some serious thought.'
'Right, you'd better.'
Even though Saki knew exactly what she was doin', she just couldn't keep those words bottled up anymore.
Author's Notes:
All kinds of info about the "Kaiwa mo shinai~" (Tsurekko no Gimai) series has finally been dropped.
It's set to hit the shelves on March 25th (2021) from Sh*eisha's D*sh X B*nko label.
I've also posted some illustrations in the Activity Reports and stuff, so check 'em out. Much appreciated.
Ugh... ...so much has been goin' on that I haven't been able to go see the kitties at the home center at all.
So! The comments! Just "Meow" is all I need! Meow!
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 donations really support 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: