—The weather is nice today.
After looking up at the sky, I was about to get in the car with everyone else when a voice called out to me.
“Are you going out?”
When I looked toward the voice, Hiroe-obsan was about to serve tea to the plasterer.
“Yes. For a visit.”
“Please be careful.”
The plasterer entered the shop, which had been destroyed here and there, and was now doing the re-plastering of the walls. We had gratefully accepted the Yoshimi family’s offer to use the shop for lodgings since they were unable to open for business for the time being.
The Yoshimi family did not blame us. Despite that they had been through a great deal of suffering. I would probably want to take it out on someone and blame us.
“They’re good people...”
After saying this to no one in particular, Bou-san nodded in agreement.
***
We encountered Akifumi-san, who had just emerged from the entrance of the hospital. Akifumi-san and Yasutaka-san, and then Youko-san.
“Are you visiting?”
He asked and we nodded.
“Yasutaka-san, are you leaving the hospital?”
After I asked, Yasutaka-san politely bowed his head.
“Yes. Thanks to you. We also greeted Shibuya-san and Yasuhara-san just now.”
“Oh, is that so? How is your grandmother?”
The grandmother had inhaled smoke during the small fire and was hospitalized.
“She’s doing well. I think she’ll be able to return home this week.”
“Thank goodness for that.”
“Yasuhara-san is also being discharged today. I’m glad they both weren’t serious.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, excuse us for leaving first.”
We saw off the three, who bowed and walked toward the parking lot.
They were good people. They hadn’t done anything bad. The other day, funerals had been held for Kazuyasu-san and Nao-san. Seeing everyone was difficult. It was just painful that Kazuyasu-san’s death became a suicide and Nao-san’s became an accident. Katsuki-kun and Wakako-chan cried. It must be a sad thing to understand it in the way of a child. Hazuki-chan didn’t seem to understand the meaning of a funeral yet. Since Ayako’s purification, her strange rash had also healed and she smiled innocently. It was a little sad.
“Mai, let’s go.”
Being told by Bou-san, I started to walk. Both John and Bou-san had their injuries weaved together (according to Bou-san’s words). Bou-san just finished having his stitches removed yesterday and John the day before yesterday.
“Maybe I’ll become Bou-san’s apprentice.”
“Hmm?”
“Suppose I became your apprentice and trained properly, do you think I could become a somewhat decent exorcist?”
Bou-san ruffled my hair without saying anything.
***
“Mooorning.”
When we opened the door, Naru, who was sitting up in bed and reading a book, looked up.
“Okay, get up.”
“If I return home early, my body will weaken.”
His manner of speaking was blunt. As Lin-san predicted, Naru’s mood had been terrible ever since he regained consciousness. Whatever he said, it was curt.
Ayako lowered a paper bag onto the locker.
“I bought a melon. Do you want to eat it?”
“I don’t want it.”
“Eat it. You lack strength as it is.”
Naru made a disgusted face with all his might, but didn’t say anything in particular. Ayako, who held the trump card, was strong. As Naru started to make a sarcastic remark, he put his hand against his throat and coughed deliberately. This guy!
When Ayako diligently went off to do things like make tea and put the melon in the refrigerator, Bou-san and John, who had gone to Yasuhara-san’s hospital room, came along with the Yasuhara-san in question.
“Congratulations on your discharge from the hospital.”
“Oh, thank you very much.”
Yasuhara-san had been taken to the examination room and it was discovered that he had in fact broken his ribs. After he left the hospital, he developed a high fever on the following day. Eventually, he recovered and was ready for discharge, however, even if he was discharged, he wasn’t really fully recovered.
“Are you going home now?”
When I asked, Yasuhara-san shook his head.
“Although I came here with considerable trouble, it would be boring. Even if I return to Okinawa after this, I can’t work and it’s boring to stay at home during summer vacation.”
“It turned into an awful summer vacation.”
Because we called him.
“Well, thrilling summer vacations are the most interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“Oh, yes. Because it’s the end of it when you brag about being a part-timer at a resort hotel once during a party. In this regard, I can brag about participating in evil spirit purification and honorable injuries of battle until I become an old man.”
Well, that is true.
“This feat of arms will be forever handed down. Uh-huh.”
We laughed at Yasuhara-san, who was nodding to himself.
“That’s why,”
Yasuhara-san said and pulled out a small book.
“What is it?”
“A Tourist map. Let’s go out to play.”
“Strenuous activities are forbidden, Yasuhara-san.”
Because his ribs are broken.
“It’s fine. Because if I get tired, Takigawa-san will carry me.”
‘Ugh,’ Bou-san cried out.
“Hey, hey! No way!”
“Well, it was difficult getting to Noto from Okinawa.”
“It was interesting, right?”
Yasuhara-san feigned a faltering shocked pose.
“That’s awful! I flew here for Norio!”
“Who are you?”
“You treat your noble love harshly.”
“Hey, you!”
Yasuhara-san put both his hands to his chest.
“I think I’m in love. Look, I feel such pain in my chest.”
“Hey!”
“It seems to have tightened, and moreover, it’s unbearably itchy.”
I...itchy?
“On top of that, it’s sweaty… maybe that’s because of the corset.”
It's because of the corset.
Naru stared at us, who were laughing loudly, with a look of amazement.
...it was a nice look.
I sighed internally. When I decided to make barley tea and went out to the corridor, Masako followed after me.
“I will help you.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Actually, Masako and I had become quite familiar with each other. The two of us went to the kitchenette and put the public kettle on the fire.
“Yasuhara-san is also a good person...”
Masako said.
“I know, right?”
“Takigawa-san and Brown-san, also. They were inconvenienced because of Naru, so it would be all right if they got angry, and yet they didn’t blame him at all.”
“Not at all, right?”
No one blamed Naru when he woke up. I thought that at least Bou-san and John had a right to blame him, but even so, not a single word of blame was spoken.
“I really think it should have been one of those three.”
“Absolutely.”
“After behaving in such a selfish and merciless way, Naru ought to feel a little sorry.”
“I know… but it seems Naru apologized.”
Masako looked at me.
“Really?”
“Really. I heard it from Bou-san yesterday. It seems he woke up and apologized first thing.”
With all her might, Masako violently placed down the tea container that she had been fiddling with in her hands.
“I hate that about Naru!”
“Well, it’s better than not apologizing.”
“That's it. If he didn’t apologize like that, he would simply have a bad personality. Even I could give up on him if I thought he was that kind of person. Though it is strange, it is a graceful thing.”
I nodded deeply.
“That's exactly it. Rather than simply having a bad personality, he’s difficult.”
“Right? Even in that cave, Naru did something terrible, so I secretly made up my mind to give up on him. Then he collapsed. I wondered if I could seriously get angry with him after that.”
“...That’s true. I thought so, too.”
“It seems unfair. I can’t keep liking him and I can’t even dislike him.”
“Yes. I wish he would make it clear whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy.”
“Exactly! It seems silly to like him, but it seems wasteful to dislike him. Even so, I hate him.”
...Uh-huh. You can say that again.
So, just like office ladies, we whispered in this way while watching the water boil, not wanting to be heard by someone nearby.
As we watched the kettle, Masako and I sighed amicably.
“...of all people, it need not be Naru.”
“...indeed.”
Every day, with Masako, we said bad things like this about Naru, so it was somewhat pitiable that the conclusion was always the same in the end.
“Despite thinking so, I cannot give up. After all, it’s to be expected.”
“Isn’t it? Taken advantage of because of love… Oh, I’d like to see the face of the person who becomes Naru’s wife.”
Undoubtedly, it would have to be a gentle person who’s nearly angelic.
“If my face pleases you, you may look at it as much as you want.”
“Oh, is that right? You have high ambitions of wanting to marry Naru, huh?”
“Oh, Mai, you don’t think about that?”
“I don’t think about things that far in the future. For now, I wish I could date him.”
“I went on a date with him.”
This… this girl!
“Well, I’ll be with Naru at the office during the holidays.”
“Lin-san will be there.”
“That’s not always the case.”
Masako glared at me.
“Mai… no unfair advantages.”
“Okay, will you tell me Naru’s weakness?”
“I will not tell you.”
“Well then, I can’t comply with such a pact. In the first place, unfair tactics are an unavoidable part of love.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be a good girl while you play dirty. You can tease me.”
“Is it Cinderella that the prince chooses?”
“That is a universal truth.”
“The perceived personality of the prince is sweet.”
Masako faltered slightly.
“...That’s true.”
“Right?”
We ended up laughing like idiots.
—The weather is nice today.
After looking up at the sky, I was about to get in the car with everyone else when a voice called out to me.
“Are you going out?”
When I looked toward the voice, Hiroe-obsan was about to serve tea to the plasterer.
“Yes. For a visit.”
“Please be careful.”
The plasterer entered the shop, which had been destroyed here and there, and was now doing the re-plastering of the walls. We had gratefully accepted the Yoshimi family’s offer to use the shop for lodgings since they were unable to open for business for the time being.
The Yoshimi family did not blame us. Despite that they had been through a great deal of suffering. I would probably want to take it out on someone and blame us.
“They’re good people...”
After saying this to no one in particular, Bou-san nodded in agreement.
***
We encountered Akifumi-san, who had just emerged from the entrance of the hospital. Akifumi-san and Yasutaka-san, and then Youko-san.
“Are you visiting?”
He asked and we nodded.
“Yasutaka-san, are you leaving the hospital?”
After I asked, Yasutaka-san politely bowed his head.
“Yes. Thanks to you. We also greeted Shibuya-san and Yasuhara-san just now.”
“Oh, is that so? How is your grandmother?”
The grandmother had inhaled smoke during the small fire and was hospitalized.
“She’s doing well. I think she’ll be able to return home this week.”
“Thank goodness for that.”
“Yasuhara-san is also being discharged today. I’m glad they both weren’t serious.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, excuse us for leaving first.”
We saw off the three, who bowed and walked toward the parking lot.
They were good people. They hadn’t done anything bad. The other day, funerals had been held for Kazuyasu-san and Nao-san. Seeing everyone was difficult. It was just painful that Kazuyasu-san’s death became a suicide and Nao-san’s became an accident. Katsuki-kun and Wakako-chan cried. It must be a sad thing to understand it in the way of a child. Hazuki-chan didn’t seem to understand the meaning of a funeral yet. Since Ayako’s purification, her strange rash had also healed and she smiled innocently. It was a little sad.
“Mai, let’s go.”
Being told by Bou-san, I started to walk. Both John and Bou-san had their injuries weaved together (according to Bou-san’s words). Bou-san just finished having his stitches removed yesterday and John the day before yesterday.
“Maybe I’ll become Bou-san’s apprentice.”
“Hmm?”
“Suppose I became your apprentice and trained properly, do you think I could become a somewhat decent exorcist?”
Bou-san ruffled my hair without saying anything.
***
“Mooorning.”
When we opened the door, Naru, who was sitting up in bed and reading a book, looked up.
“Okay, get up.”
“If I return home early, my body will weaken.”
His manner of speaking was blunt. As Lin-san predicted, Naru’s mood had been terrible ever since he regained consciousness. Whatever he said, it was curt.
Ayako lowered a paper bag onto the locker.
“I bought a melon. Do you want to eat it?”
“I don’t want it.”
“Eat it. You lack strength as it is.”
Naru made a disgusted face with all his might, but didn’t say anything in particular. Ayako, who held the trump card, was strong. As Naru started to make a sarcastic remark, he put his hand against his throat and coughed deliberately. This guy!
When Ayako diligently went off to do things like make tea and put the melon in the refrigerator, Bou-san and John, who had gone to Yasuhara-san’s hospital room, came along with the Yasuhara-san in question.
“Congratulations on your discharge from the hospital.”
“Oh, thank you very much.”
Yasuhara-san had been taken to the examination room and it was discovered that he had in fact broken his ribs. After he left the hospital, he developed a high fever on the following day. Eventually, he recovered and was ready for discharge, however, even if he was discharged, he wasn’t really fully recovered.
“Are you going home now?”
When I asked, Yasuhara-san shook his head.
“Although I came here with considerable trouble, it would be boring. Even if I return to Okinawa after this, I can’t work and it’s boring to stay at home during summer vacation.”
“It turned into an awful summer vacation.”
Because we called him.
“Well, thrilling summer vacations are the most interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“Oh, yes. Because it’s the end of it when you brag about being a part-timer at a resort hotel once during a party. In this regard, I can brag about participating in evil spirit purification and honorable injuries of battle until I become an old man.”
Well, that is true.
“This feat of arms will be forever handed down. Uh-huh.”
We laughed at Yasuhara-san, who was nodding to himself.
“That’s why,”
Yasuhara-san said and pulled out a small book.
“What is it?”
“A Tourist map. Let’s go out to play.”
“Strenuous activities are forbidden, Yasuhara-san.”
Because his ribs are broken.
“It’s fine. Because if I get tired, Takigawa-san will carry me.”
‘Ugh,’ Bou-san cried out.
“Hey, hey! No way!”
“Well, it was difficult getting to Noto from Okinawa.”
“It was interesting, right?”
Yasuhara-san feigned a faltering shocked pose.
“That’s awful! I flew here for Norio!”
“Who are you?”
“You treat your noble love harshly.”
“Hey, you!”
Yasuhara-san put both his hands to his chest.
“I think I’m in love. Look, I feel such pain in my chest.”
“Hey!”
“It seems to have tightened, and moreover, it’s unbearably itchy.”
I...itchy?
“On top of that, it’s sweaty… maybe that’s because of the corset.”
It's because of the corset.
Naru stared at us, who were laughing loudly, with a look of amazement.
...it was a nice look.
I sighed internally. When I decided to make barley tea and went out to the corridor, Masako followed after me.
“I will help you.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Actually, Masako and I had become quite familiar with each other. The two of us went to the kitchenette and put the public kettle on the fire.
“Yasuhara-san is also a good person...”
Masako said.
“I know, right?”
“Takigawa-san and Brown-san, also. They were inconvenienced because of Naru, so it would be all right if they got angry, and yet they didn’t blame him at all.”
“Not at all, right?”
No one blamed Naru when he woke up. I thought that at least Bou-san and John had a right to blame him, but even so, not a single word of blame was spoken.
“I really think it should have been one of those three.”
“Absolutely.”
“After behaving in such a selfish and merciless way, Naru ought to feel a little sorry.”
“I know… but it seems Naru apologized.”
Masako looked at me.
“Really?”
“Really. I heard it from Bou-san yesterday. It seems he woke up and apologized first thing.”
With all her might, Masako violently placed down the tea container that she had been fiddling with in her hands.
“I hate that about Naru!”
“Well, it’s better than not apologizing.”
“That's it. If he didn’t apologize like that, he would simply have a bad personality. Even I could give up on him if I thought he was that kind of person. Though it is strange, it is a graceful thing.”
I nodded deeply.
“That's exactly it. Rather than simply having a bad personality, he’s difficult.”
“Right? Even in that cave, Naru did something terrible, so I secretly made up my mind to give up on him. Then he collapsed. I wondered if I could seriously get angry with him after that.”
“...That’s true. I thought so, too.”
“It seems unfair. I can’t keep liking him and I can’t even dislike him.”
“Yes. I wish he would make it clear whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy.”
“Exactly! It seems silly to like him, but it seems wasteful to dislike him. Even so, I hate him.”
...Uh-huh. You can say that again.
So, just like office ladies, we whispered in this way while watching the water boil, not wanting to be heard by someone nearby.
As we watched the kettle, Masako and I sighed amicably.
“...of all people, it need not be Naru.”
“...indeed.”
Every day, with Masako, we said bad things like this about Naru, so it was somewhat pitiable that the conclusion was always the same in the end.
“Despite thinking so, I cannot give up. After all, it’s to be expected.”
“Isn’t it? Taken advantage of because of love… Oh, I’d like to see the face of the person who becomes Naru’s wife.”
Undoubtedly, it would have to be a gentle person who’s nearly angelic.
“If my face pleases you, you may look at it as much as you want.”
“Oh, is that right? You have high ambitions of wanting to marry Naru, huh?”
“Oh, Mai, you don’t think about that?”
“I don’t think about things that far in the future. For now, I wish I could date him.”
“I went on a date with him.”
This… this girl!
“Well, I’ll be with Naru at the office during the holidays.”
“Lin-san will be there.”
“That’s not always the case.”
Masako glared at me.
“Mai… no unfair advantages.”
“Okay, will you tell me Naru’s weakness?”
“I will not tell you.”
“Well then, I can’t comply with such a pact. In the first place, unfair tactics are an unavoidable part of love.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be a good girl while you play dirty. You can tease me.”
“Is it Cinderella that the prince chooses?”
“That is a universal truth.”
“The perceived personality of the prince is sweet.”
Masako faltered slightly.
“...That’s true.”
“Right?”
We ended up laughing like idiots.
