Aren’t You Too Sweet Salt-God Sato-San? - V2 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 : The sea, the cat and the love stories

It was a long week.

I am so embarrassed because u feel like I’m a child but I was seriously looking forward to it.

It felt like a very long time to wait for the day to come, feeling the air in the classroom that was filled with the excitement of the irregular class schedule before the summer vacation.

But finally, it came.

The long awaited summer holiday and then, the promised day.

However…..

“What the hell am I even doing….”

At the same time as I muttered that, the train departed with a squeaking noise in the background.

A very short train, which weaves its way through the lush vegetation and disappears into the darkness of the tunnel.

It would be about an hour and a half before the next train passed through this unmanned station.

“Haaa……”

I took a deep breath and looked at my wristwatch.

No matter how many times I watch it, the time is still a little after 7:30 a.m., and I have almost two hours left until the meeting time I promised everyone.

It really feels like what the hell are you even doing but let me explain it shamelessly.

I woke up early in the morning (or rather, almost at night) because I was too excited to go to the beach with Sato-san.

As I was clear awake wondering what should I do, that idea hit on me,

“That’s right. I should take a earlier train and wait for them at Midorikawa station first”

——And as you know, I was a little out of mind due to lack of sleep.

That’s why I realized my foolish plan only two stations before I arrived at Midorikawa.

“What am I even gonna do arriving so early at Midorikawa..”

Midorikawa is a famous tourist spot.

The emerald-colored sea has been selected as a national scenic beauty spot and is visited by swimmers from all over the prefecture and beyond during the season. The cars lined up along the side of the road have now become a summer tradition.

But on the other hand, there is nothing else.

There is only an unmanned station integrated in a roadside station, an observatory, and a few deserted guest houses lined up along the road.

Convenience stores and supermarkets were out of the question, and even finding a vending machine was a challenge.

I was thrown out of the station at 7:30 in the morning.

“Roadside station opens at 10 a.m., well of course it does.”

I dropped my head in disappointment after reading the opening time printed on the automatic door.

Inside the station, there was a simple space for eating and drinking (the station insisted that it’s a cafe).

I thought about spending my time here but apparently, I couldn’t do that.

That being said, I just can’t barge in “Kanami guesthouse” at current time and cause trouble to Grandma Kanami.

“……….I should just go and look at the sea”

In the end, that was all I had to do.

I let out a big yawn and started walking, albeit reluctantly.

The scent of sea passing through my nose, chirping of seagulls in the distance, the guest house “banners” fluttering in the wind.

As I walked along, immersed in sentiment, looking at the Midorikawa River, where everything was the same as I remembered……

“….. what”

My breath stopped.

I felt as if the world itself had stopped, as if the dull sleepiness had vanished.

Because it was my first time looking at something so beautiful in my whole life.

I called out her name as my eyes were fixed on her.

“Sato-San…..”

That was a very miraculous spectacle.

There was Sato-San, in Midorikawa just as I remembered from my childhood.

Sato Koharu, wearing a straw hat, her white dress fluttering in the breeze , was looking at the emerald-colored sea with a melancholic expression.

Although that’s all there to see, I froze in that place for a while, falling into the spectacle, in a dream-like scene where as if the only her surroundings were colored in the sepia-toned scenery.

And then, on the contrary to my stiffen body, my thoughts revolve rapidly.

—–It’s a dress. Sato Koharu is in a dress.

The nostalgic feelings that had occupied most of my mind until just now were instantly overwritten by the sight of her white arms peeking out from behind her sleeveless dress.

Unconsciously, a voice leaked out.

Apparently the dress has rendered my IQ useless.

Because it can’t be helped! Sato-san+a straw hat+and a white, open-collared dress made of a cool, summery fabric!

The transparency, the neatness, and the femininity of Sato-san’s face that peeked out from time to time were all too calculated! For a moment, I almost thought that an Angel had descended down in front of my eyes!

I understand from my instinct that this coordination is definitely Mayo-san’s work.

I was half grateful and half resentful, because…..

“……..!”

I can’t strike a conversation at all! I was sure that it would be disastrous if I were to face Sato-San head on and start chatting with her! The fact that Koharu Sato was wearing that dress was that destructive.

On the contrary to my stiffen body, a crisis was brewing inside like a storm.

Someone, help me! I wondered if the cries of my overly pathetic heart had reached the heavens.

The stiffening condition that seemed to last for eternity (I was the only one who was stiffed though) was broken in an unexpected way.

The beautiful ceramic like profile of Sato-San was suddenly distorted,

“Fuwaaa…..”

It was a big yawn.

It’s like a cat’s yawn, but without being seen.

“Hahaha……”

Realising that the earlier somber expression was all due to lack of sleep while looking at her who was rubbing her eyes with her finger tips, I burst out in laughter.

Hereupon she turned around to look slowly and noticing me, she was abruptly taken aback, her sleepy eyes opened wide.

“O-Oshio-kun!!’

I couldn’t help but feel my cheeks relax at her role model reaction. I’m not nervous anymore like I was earlier.

“Good morning Sato-San, you are quite early, aren’t you?”

“Ah, that, I just got here a while ago”

Again, The classic lines popped out but she fumbled upon.

Probably because she was ashamed of herself, her face turned red and she held the the Hem of her dress tightly which was just like her, the earlier……no, the conflict I had till now seems ridiculous.

That’s right, Sato-san and I have feelings for each other, in other words, Sato-san is also like me.

“What time did you get the train?”

“Well, on the train just before…..”

“I also come with that though”

Sato-San pouted in embarrassment and moved her mouth,

“….. it’s a lie. I come on the first train”

Instantly, it turns so red that it looks like it’s about to burst into steam.

“How should I say this, I was too excited”

“…… you didn’t sleep?”

She nodded so quietly that you wouldn’t even know unless you were paying attention.

“By the way, what were you doing?”

“…… gazing at the sea”

“Well there’s nothing beside that to do now, isn’t it?”

Perhaps out of embarrassment, I didn’t comment on the mysterious honorifics that had been interspersed throughout the conversation.

Instead, I lined up beside Sato-San and gazed at the emerald color see…..

“Fuwaaa……”

I let out a big yawn, not losing to Sato-San. I have to say that it was such a splendid yawn that even Sato-san, who had kept her face down until then, looked up. And then I smiled at her while rubbing my sleeping eyes just like Sato-San has done earlier.

“Actually I’m also the same. I was too excited for the beach and thanks to that, I’m now sleep deprived”

“What?”

“I’m going to fall asleep at this rate if I don’t do something about it, so can you join me for a chat until the others arrive?”

There may be something magical about yawn.

Sato-San’s face who had been writing in shame until now instantly brightened up and said,

“Y-yeah, let’s chat”

She replied naively, like a child.

……….. Sato-San is cute after all.

Just as I was unable to say it loud because embarrassment won over me,

“Ah”

I raised my voice when I found something behind Sato-San.

Before Sato-San could turn around to look, the thing bounced up and down with a lightness that belied its appearance and intervened between Sato-San and me.

It was a fat , white cat.

“Woah, cat!”

“Speaking of them, I remembered there were a lot of stray cats in Midorikawa, probably……”

Although vague, I had the impression of playing with stray cats multiple times whenever I came to play in Midorikawa.

Midorikawa not only has a swimming area but also a prosperous fishing point. Is it probably the result of that?

Anyway, Sato-San looked at the white cat with sparkling eyes and said,

“Wahh….it’s so cute!”

Is that so? I tilt my head at wonder. I don’t particularly hate animals, rather I think I like them quite a lot but how should I say, this cat has a very brazen look.

It really feels like it’s saying “I have survived in this remote countryside, I don’t give a shit about human’s flattery.”

It’s appearance is full of wilderness and far from the image of a cat whom you can call “cute.”

Apparently in Sato-San’s eyes, the cat looks very adorable….

“I want to Pat it”

“What?”

“I wonder if it’s okay to Pat it”

Sato-San says with a momentum as if she will act upon immediately.

“I think it might be ok…”

“Yay! Then……”

As soon as I said this, Sato-San squatted down there and stretched her hand to the white cat.

But

“Ahh”

Avoid.

“Wa-wait here…..”

Avoid.

“Just once, please!”

The cat wouldn’t let Sato-San touch even a strand of hair.

The white cat avoided the hot pursuit of Sato-San with nimble movements as if wasn’t not a big deal.

And then the cat looked here with an uninterested face and took a big yawn.

So brazen……..!

“……..!…….!”

Sato-San turned back and began protesting silently while puffing her cheeck like blowfish.

I smiled bitterly, took out my smartphone and said,

“How about we take a photo at least?”

“aah!! Oshio-kun, you are a genius!”

As if it was scoffing at our ridiculous exchange, the white cat took a yawn once again.

The affinity between SNS and cats is quite high.

To put it bluntly (and I’m not sure it’s appropriate to say this about a living thing), cats look good.

There are many theories as to why this is but judging from the adorable cat’s wallpaper overflowing in the internet day and night, frankly everyone should be tired or so I think.

However, just because there is an abundance of them doesn’t mean it is easy to take pictures of them.

In fact, photographing cats is one of the most difficult things to do.

The reason is simple: cats move.

“Aah”

Picon, Sato-San scream overlapped with the shutter sound of the camera application.

The white cat turned away as if it had planned the moment to the shutter, and washed its face with its paws.

Another failure.

Sato-San stared at the blurry white cat on the display of her smartphone for a few seconds, then looked up at me as if she had been bullied, and appealed to me with her moist eyes.

……….even if you tell me.

“I-I think it will happen to everyone no matter who tried it, that’s why it’s not that Sato-San’s skill are bad”

For the time being I tried to follow up with inoffensive remarks but Sato-San seems to be dissatisfied and pouted.

“I have seen everyone taking good photos in Minsta”

“It’s because stray and pet cats get familiar with people in different ways”

“……..”

“In addition, since they are living creatures, they have their own likes and dislikes. Well, since the cat didn’t run away, it seems that cat don’t really hate us”

[Part 2.2]

“………want to”

“What?”

“I also want to take a photo…”

It was too earnest. It might be one of the most serious expressions I’ve ever seen.

“Even if you say that…….”

I glanced at the white cat.

He(she?) Is licking her foreleg leisurely, lying on the cracked asphalt with her plump body.

The tail was wagging left and right as if to make fun of us.

The more I look at it, the more I feel the cat is too brazen.

“I also am not that good at taking pictures of a living thing…..”

“It’s at least better than me”

“Well that might be so but….”

After replying nonchalantly, I looked at her in surprise.

Damnit, I was completely off guard.

With the earlier remark as an excuse, I had to endure the full brunt of Sato-San’s temper!

“Ah, Sato-San, just now…..”

“I know it! I know that you thought of my skill as too clumsy…”

I haven’t said so far! The words almost slipped out but I somehow managed to swallow them.

It’s because Sato-San’s shoulders were trembling so much as if she was ready to explode at any time.

“Y-yeah! I will teach you! How to take the photo!”

“Really!!?”

The moment I said that, Sato-San’s expression immediately brightened up.

…….was I tricked?

Although I still hold some doubts as it just looks like someone played a magic trick, I patted my chest, relieved that a storm has passed.

Anyway, I got myself together.

“Just so you know, I really don’t know much about it”

With this as a preface, I walked behind her.

“Huh?”

Sato-San raised a idiotic voice but I’m confident that if I hesitate here even if a little, I would definitely succumb to embarrassment and so I quickly put my arms around her from behind without a moment’s delay.

Then, I put my hand on top of hers to support the smartphone.

Sato-San’s face instantly became completely dyed red which I could see even from behind.

“O….O-O-O-Oshio-kun!!?”

She immediately screamed my name and tried to turn around.

But when she looked sideways and noticed how close our faces were, she froze up like ice in that position.

Her hot breath brushes the back of my hand, and for a moment I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.

But I managed to hold it back with reason.

Begone worldly desire, begone worldly desire….

Before she could say anything, I immediately said the same line I said before.

“……it’s much more easier to teach in this way by looking at same screen.You can’t even focus, Sato-san.”

……yes, this is completely the same situation as that day.

Just like the day I met Sato-San for the first time in “Cafe tutuji” and taught her how to take good pictures.

But when I look at it this way, I’m once again amazed at what I did that day.

Since I did it once, no, even twice, I thought it would be okay to do it a third time, so I tried it again, but this is embarrassing to death.

I’m really amazed why I was able to do this that day? Was it because I was so nervous that my brain brakes were broken?

Anyway, this is completely embarrassing beyond belief!

“……..”

The silence between us amplifies the shame even more.

The feverish face due to embarrassment, a cat yawning boringly, seagull in the distance, the son of summer, Sato-san shivering, the sweet smell of shampoo faintly scented by the sea breeze……

Whatever paltry amount of reasoning I have left was swaying

…….Stop it! Don’t think about strange things Oshio Sota! I’m just trying to take a picture of my cat with Sato-san right now!

As usual……as usual focus on the screen of the smartphone.

“…….First of all, when you take pictures of animals, you need to adjust your eye level.”

“Hyu!”

Almost at the same time as I started talking, Sato-San screamed loudly and jumped in surprise.

It was so sudden that I also screamed, “Whoa!.” My heart palpitated.

“W-what happened suddenly, Sato-San!?”

“B-b-because I heard Oshio-kun’s voice suddenly in my ear……”

After saying that much, Sato-san muddled her words.

But I understood what she was trying to say, and my face blushed even more.

“……!”

I’m really thankful that Sato-san was facing the front.

Worldly desire begone, worldly desire begone, worldly desire begone…..

I changed it repeatedly inside my head and restarted my lecture once again,

“Don’t use the flash as much as possible, it’s bad for the cat’s eyes. Natural light is more atmospheric.”

Sato-San’s shoulders hopped up and her back arched slightly.

Not sure because it was due to embarrassment from earlier or because she is trying hard to stifle her voice, but the feverish breath coming out of her mouth traced down my arm and I lost consciousness for a moment.

This is dangerous! This is really dangerous!

“Because of that when you take a photo of animals which have large eyes like cat, if you focus in it’s eye and let light reflect on it, it will become a really wonderful lively picture and it’s called catch eye”

“B-but……”

Sato-San said with a trembling voice.

“That cat isn’t looking here at all…….”

Yes, the crucial point, the white cat is so absorbed in grooming itself that it doesn’t even seem to be looking back at us.

The only thing the phone’s lens can see is the back of the fat cat’s head moving up and down in a regular pattern. I couldn’t take a picture with this.

If I can’t take a picture, of course I’ll stay in this position forever.

However I have already crossed the limit because I heard the sad voice of Sato-San from close proximity.

That’s why it’s time to use my Trump card.

“Sato-San, I’m leaving the shutter to you!”

I took a deep breath, tightened my throat, curled my tongue around it, and then…

“Nyaa”

I did my best to imitate a cat’s purr.

Because of that the ears of the cat who was grooming itself so intently perked up in surprise and turned to look here.

Then came the perfect chance to take a picture.

“Sato-San, release the shutter now!”

But Sato-san did not release the shutter.

In fact, she didn’t even look at the screen of smartphone.

She just looked back at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“what?”

“………”

“Sato-San?”

“……….”

“Why are you looking at me silently?”

“…..once more”

“Yes?”

“Do it again, just like earlier”

Instantly, She flipped her body with the lightness of a cat and closed the distance between us as if the earlier meekness was a lie.

Her dark eyes were now wider and rounder than a cat’s, and they shone with a startling sparkle. It’s what we call a catch-eye.

Why is it that Sato-san is more interested in me than the cat?

“Hey hey, Oshio-san! Please do it once again! Do it again just like earlier”

“I don’t want to!! We are filming the cat and not me!”

“Please, please, please! That was so cat-like! Next time, I’ll take a video.”

“I definitely will not do that!!”

I tried to run away, but Sato-san seemed to have turned on a strange switch and closed the distance between us.

However because we both were in precarious position, our feet got tangled up and we were unable to escape.

“Uwaa!”

“Hyaa”

Losing our balance, I fall on my back and Sato-San falls on top of me.

With a dull impact, the field of vision was dyed in the color or sky and there for the first time I noticed the existence of a girl who was overlooking us from who knows when.

“……..”

She is probably about the same age as me and Sato-san.

Her bright blond hair, which she seems to have dyed, is tied back in a ponytail.

Her eyes were narrow and slanted, her skin was tanned, and she was wearing a t-shirt and denim shorts, an outfit that seemed to be designed for ease of movement.

I noticed a small earring glinting in her ear and the word “delinquent” unsuited for current age popped out inside my head.

Looking up at her, Sato-san and I froze in a tangled heap, to which she responded in a low voice full of suspicion.

“What are you trying to do with my cat since earlier?”

I and Sato-San both looked at each other’s faces.

“Countryside is not a place to live, seriously, especially by the sea.”

——Murasaki Madoka.

The blonde haired girl who calls herself that, said in a low voice while lightly patting the back of white cat.

The white cat lays her plump and fat belly on the asphalt ground, exposing even more of a fluffy face.

“There’s no convenience store, no arcade, it takes 30 minutes to drive to Sakuraba to buy a single piece of clothing, and the sea breeze damages my hair.

[Part 2.3]

“There’s no convenience store, no arcade, it takes 30 minutes to drive to Sakuraba to buy a single piece of clothing, and the sea breeze damages my hair. And to make matters worse, at this time of the year, a bunch of boisterous bastards gather here and make all the noise they want, day and night, thinking it’s not their place to live anyway.”

Saying so much, Murasaki-san stared at us.

Talking about Sato-San, she was completely in “shy” mode, and even now huddled behind my back.

Murasaki-san stared at her for a while, then let out a sigh.

“Leo”

“…….yes?”

“Like I said, this guy name is Leo”

I looked down at the white cat once more.

Now matter how I looked at it, he doesn’t look like hero Leo at all, but that seemed to be his name anyway.

“So, you guys are?”

“What?”

“Your name, name. What do you guys called?”

Leo let out a low purr in agreement with her words.

Ah, that’s right. We were so overwhelmed by her that we almost forgot to introduce ourselves.

“S-sota, Oshio Sota. Second year high school”

“Aren’t we the same age then, stop with all those honorifics. It’s feels disgusting”

D-disgusting…..

“And that person?”

Not knowing how big of a shock her words gave me, she pointed her chin toward Sato-San who was curled up.

Sato-San shoulders trembled exaggeratedly and said,

“Ko-koharu. I’m Sato Koharu”

I thought my eardrums were going to be destroyed by the sheer volume of her voice, but she did her best.

She seemed to have summoned up as much courage as she could muster, and as soon as she finished, she ran back into my shadow.

Murasaki-san on the other hand said “hmm” uninterestedly, And asked further.

“You two come for swimming or something?”

“…….. that’s about it”

“Well, I wouldn’t have come to this remote place for anything else.”

I was a bit annoyed at her way of saying this place as “remote.”

It’s a strange thing that I always say “countryside, countryside,” but when someone else makes fun of it, I feel like rebelling.

“But half part I come to visit my relatives”

“Visiting relatives?”

There upon Murasaki-san showed interest for the first time, rolling back her languid eyes.

“… perhaps are you from Midorikawa?”

“Not precisely but my great aunt is still running a guesthouse here, do you know Kanami?”

“Oh!”

Murasaki-san clapped her hands.

“So you are related to old lady Kana! What’s with that, you should have told me that earlier!”

Murasaki-san’s voice suddenly brightened up from the low tension she had been in earlier.

On the contrary, she leaned her body forward and patted my back quite vigorously.

It hurts. And, this way of closing the distance, it’s too cross-cultural. You see, Sato-san is so frightened by the different culture shock that her round squirrel-like eyes were trembling. (T/N : I didn’t find any better wording to replace it. Basically culture shock just emphasising how quick she was with skinship as Japanese tends to begin with honorific I guess)

But as expected, she didn’t seem to care about this at all.

“Did Sota already meet with old lady Kana?”

I was a bit perplexed when she called me without honorifics but I managed to answer.

“N-not yet, I haven’t gone to the guest house yet because I arrived too early and I thought it might cause trouble.”

“Huh? What’s with that, you are too polite, aren’t you her grandchild?”

“No, grandma Kanami is my grandmother’s sister”

“So troublesome, come, I’ll take you to old lady kana. Rejoice”

“Wa-wait a minute!!”

She abruptly gripped my shoulder and dragged me quite forcefully.

At that time, her big breast, the size of which could see through the t-shirt, stuck to my back.

“Wahh!!”

By the way, I didn’t make this strange voice and of course it wasn’t Murasaki-san either.

It was emitted from Sato-San mouth who was trembling behind my back.

“…..hmm?”

As expected, even Murasaki-san was taken back and she turned and looked back rolling her eyes.

I also looked back at Sato-San in the same way. At this, Sato-San’s shoulders trembled once more and she sprinted like a squirrel.

She quickly intervened between me and Murasaki-san, who were frozen stiff, and stretched and put her arm around my shoulder. Then with a downcast look on her face, she whispered in an almost fading voice.

“Y-you can’t do that…..”

I promptly closed my mouth. The reason…..it’s too embarrassing to explain.

Anyway, Murasaki-san looked at Sato-San, blinked her eyes and burst out in laughter suddenly while saying,

“Sota’s girlfriend is amusing”

Looking at Sato-San who was writing in embarrassment and holding my shoulder in unnatural posture, Murasaki-san striked my back with the strongest force she had ever had until now.

“Haha, it’s not like I’m going to eat him. But if that’s the case, then I will leave the guidance to you, umm, Koharu was it?”

Sato-San looked at her and nodded repeatedly.

I may be repeating it but she is still mustering all her courage. The proof of this is her feverish body which is still sticking to me is trembling awfully.

“M-Murasaki-san, how are you related to Grandma Kanami?”

In order to distract myself, I asked Murasaki-san a question.

She looked puzzled for a moment and then answered with a chuckle, as if she was amused.

“Since you are relative of old lady kana, you should know, in rural area like this, everyone is acquaintance with each other”

“…….I see”

“By the way I work part-time at a roadside station right there and I was about to head for my work, however there’s still some time so look, let’s get going!”

I guess there’s no choice.

As usual, Murasaki-san doesn’t seem to care about me who was muttering in my mind, and starts walking towards “Kanami”.

Looking at her swaying Ponytail, a sensation welled up inside my heart.

………I wonder, what’s it? Despite that it should have been my first time meeting her, somehow I feel like that’s not the case.

I’m sure it’s the first time I’ve met Murasaki-san, but I feel like I know someone who has a similar vibe to her. Not so far away, but very close to me……..

…….. maybe that’s just my imagination.

Rather than that, we should also hurry up and head toward “Kanami.”

Thinking upon that, just as I tried to open my mouth to Sato-San who was still holding my shoulders,

“Woah!?”

I couldn’t help but let out a scream.

It’s because Sato-San’s head was spouting steam and her face was dyed so red, like burning coal.

…… it’s so hot!

“You didn’t have to go that far…..”

“………”

In the end, needless to say, I had to lend my shoulder to Sato-san, who was so exhausted that I had to drag him to “Kanami.”

Kanami is one of the guesthouses that are lined alongside the seashore.

At a glance, it looks like just a guesthouse, but there are three banners fluttering due to the sea breeze in the storefront, “Open for business,” “Iwayagi oysters,” and “Sashimi set meal.”

The signboard reads “Kanami Guest House” in faded colors.

“It hasn’t changed at all”

I muttered to myself as my nostalgia was stimulated by the fact that “Kanami” had not changed at all from ten years ago.

“This is Oshio-kun’s…..”

She must have thought of something. I looked sideways and saw Sato-San looking up at “Kanami” and exhaling with deep emotion.

I was happy to see such a reaction and once again looked at “Kanami.”

……. Nothing has changed at all.

Faded cream colored exterior walls, black curtains and the dull glass doors.

I still can’t believe that Grandma Kanami is going to close this place…..

As I was savoring the feelings, Murasaki-san who was standing in front of glass door abruptly pulled her right leg and then,

“Ohhhh”

Gashahn! And the sound of glass shuddering echoes, startling both Sato-San and me to the point we almost jumped up.

It was so sudden that I couldn’t react at all but for some reason, Murasaki-san kicked at the glass door with her toes.

All of the sentiments were blown away in an instant.

“Umm, a little more to the right”

Murasaki-san once again pulled her leg behind, not noticing us rolling our eyes behind,

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“Woah!!”

I reflexively jumped on Murasaki-san and bound her from behind.

As expected, She seemed to be surprised but more than her, I myself was also surprised.

“W-what are you doing suddenly!!”

“That’s my line! Who the hell kicks someone’s house out of nowhere!”

“Idiot! This is! Shut up and release me!”

Murasaki-san twists herself to get away from the binding. However, because I was holding her down, it backfired.

“Ahh”

Sure enough, our legs entangled and we both lost our balance completely.

We are going to fall!

“O-Oshio-kun!”

In my vision, which was slowly tilting backwards, I saw Sato-san rushing towards me, but unfortunately she couldn’t make it in time.

[Part 2.4]

Guh, after I groaned a little as I lay beneath Murasaki-san. Sato-san who was rushing here also fell down on top of Murasaki-san and I ended up groaning once again.

In this way, a dumb sandwich was completed in entrance of Kanami.

It should be quite ridiculous when looking from a bystander point of view.

“Oshio-kun…….are you all right…..?”

“I am fine Sato-San….. though….I would be more happy if you could get up quickly”

“It hurts…..it’s all because you suddenly hugged me!”

“Guh”

I received an elbow strike to my flank from Murasaki-san who was on top of me and groaned once again.

Surely, although it was for an instant, no matter how you thought, pinning a girl of the same age from behind is quite outrageous.

“If I have to say the reason, then the cause is Murasaki-san eccentric behavior……”

“I’m not! It’s because the fitting of the bearing door is bad unless I kick it once…….clunk…….”
At that moment, as if to interrupt Murasaki-san’s explanation, the glass door came off with a gurgling sound.

Thinking about what had happened, I looked up from the bottom of the sandwich to see a figure of an old woman looking here.

“Ah…….”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice.

She had a bent waist, wrinkled skin with a sallow tan, and gray hair pulled up at the top of her head.

However looking at the strong spirit dwelling in her eyes which belies her age, there’s no doubt!

“Grandma Kanami”

Just as I said that much, she knocked at my head with her wrinkled hand. It hurts quite a bit from the bony hand.

“………….ah!?”

Looking down at me who was writhing in pain, Grandma Kanami snorted with her witch like aquiline nose¹ and said,

“I have been saying from a long time I’m not your Grandma”

“Aunt Kanami……….”

“Good”

……….Former Grandma Kanami and now Aunt Kanami.

Seems like her strange obsession with hating being called Grandma is still strong as before.

And then giving Murasaki-san a menacing glare, she gave a blow to her head, which was pudding with dyed blond hair and natural hair that was just starting to grow out.

“It hurts!!”

I could even hear a dull sound as if someone had struck a watermelon.

“What the hell are you doing, you old hag!!”

“You have been noisy since the morning! And it’s not old hag you little girl! It’s A-U-N-T Kanami!”

Murasaki-san barred her canine tooth at her but Grandma Kanami also didn’t give in.

She was competing with Murasaki-san giving a terrifying menacing glare which was unbelievable that it’s coming from an old person.

If not for Murasaki-san was catch up in dumb sandwich, they would have started fighting for sure.

…..what the hell is that? And here I was worrying all that much when you said Kanami is going to be closed but isn’t Grandma Kanami full of energy!!

“….oh!?”

In the midst of a staring contest that seemed to be about to erupt into sparks, Grandma Kanami suddenly saw Sato-san covering Murasaki-san’s upper body.

“eek”

As soon as Sato-San, who was trembling slightly, felt Grandma Kanami’s gaze, she gave a short squeal and moved her hands to protect her head.

She must have thought next will be her turn, given the flow.

However she was wrong. Grandma Kanami stared at Sato-San, evaluating her and then clapped her hand as if comes to a realization”

“Ah, are you Koharu-chan!?”

As soon as she said that, Grandma Kanami grabbed Sato-San by the sides and lifted her up with unbelievable strength.

And speaking about Sato-San, she just let Grandma Kanami lift her as if resigning to fate, looking like a kitten in her arms.

“Y-yes, that’s right, I’m Koharu….”

Grandma Kanami’s expression brightened as Sato-san answered in a trembling voice.

The smile on her face was so big that the earlier noh mask-like expression seems a lie.

“Well, well, well! You came all the way from far away! You’re so cute, just like a doll!———Welcome to Kanami! Koharu-chan!”

♥️

I am currently in a “Grave” situation.

It’s probably the first time I have used the expression “Grave”, in my whole life, but whatever the case, that’s how much of a crisis I was in.

I, Sato Koharu was put in a tight spot.

“………….”

The spiral shells that had been cleaned out of their contents tumbled to the bottom of the faded bowl, making a rustling sound.

“I want to enter inside of that”

I was so overwhelmed, I thought that as I looked at the gaping mouths of the shell at the bottom of the bowl.

Because right now, across the table from me is…..

“Koharu…..”

“Y-yes!”

I raised my head like a tout string when my name was called suddenly and saw her staring at me while sitting cross legged.

No, if it’s her, she might just have looked at me but unfortunately, her eyes are so sharp that I can’t help but feel that way.

——–Murasaki Madoka. (T/N : Enaka changed to Madoka. Read her name wrong, from the furigana it’s spelled Madoka, i’m really sorry for the confusion)

For some reason, I’m sitting across from her in the tatami room of the Kanami guesthouse.

Even Oshio-kun, let alone shop owner, wasn’t here.

That’s because, right after the sandwich incident, Grandma Kanami said “come and help me with some physical work” and dragged Oshio-kun midway forcefully to somewhere.

So it was one on one.

In addition to me having a strangers anxiety, and of all things with such a scary person……..

The me who was so excited about “it’s summer and the sea” just a few minutes ago seems like a lie.

Help me, Oshio-kun…….

“……….”

The sound of wind chimes, the sound of the tide outside the window, the cries of seagulls, and the sound of shells rolling again.

Perhaps this situation might continue for eternity…….

Just as I was thinking this, Murasaki-san, with a toothpick in her mouth, said in a low voice that sounded somewhat grumpy,

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Murasaki-san’s eyes pointed to the other bowl in the center of the table.

According to Kanami-san, they are boiled whelk².

As she was leaving, she left a pile of them in a bowl saying “there is a lot of food available, so eat without reservation.”

“It’s delicious”

Murasaki-san said, jerking her chin. Probably telling me to eat them quickly.

I answered while putting up an awkward stiff smile.

“I-I am fine…..why don’t you eat it all, Murasaki-san? Ahahaha……”

“It’s impossible for me to all of this alone”

My thoughtfulness failed. I tied my mouth in a tight knot.

For me, it was admirable that I haven’t yet burst into tears.

“Anyway, eating alone is kinda awkward, so eat it”

“……….yes……..”

This is blackmail…….

I gingerly picked up one whelk as urged by the other side since I couldn’t provoke her either.

It was about a size larger than my thumb. It was not a bivalve, but a soft-serve ice cream-like spiral shell shaped shellfish! The shellfish gives that expression.

To be honest, I’ve only eaten freshwater calm and Manila calms³ when it comes to shellfish, so this appearance was quite a hurdle for me as the first thing that came to mind looking at was of a snail. Or rather how does one eat them?

It looks like there’s a lid on the mouth part of the shell but………

“Um, err…;”

I picked up the shell with trepidation and observed it from various angles.

For me, it took a lot of courage to touch it with my bare hands like this.

However Murasaki-san face looking at the situation was becoming more and more sullen,

“……….hurry up and eat it”

“W-well, it’s the first time I have seen it”

“Ha~~~~”

My face turned more and more around the corner looking at her taking a deep sigh in front of me. I feel like I’m being bullied.

“Look at it carefully”

Murasaki-san grabbed one of the clams from the bowl and pulled it to her hand casually. And then with familiar handling, she inserted a toothpick through a gap in the lid, with a twisting motion of the wrist, smoothly.

Just with a single toothpick, she dexterously pulled out the fat, creamy flesh from the spiral.

“Ooh~~”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice and clap my hands in amazement.

It’s amazing craftsmanship!

“What’s so great about this…..?”

Murasaki-san said in a dumbfounded manner, peeling off the lid attached to the meat with her fingers, throwing it away, and chewing on the thick meat.

Once again, the neatly drained shells tumbled to the bottom of the bowl raising a rattling sound.

“Look, you should have understood by now, right? Now try it”

“Y-yes”

I gave a big nod, not because of the appearance of the whelk, but because the way she pulled it out of the bowl looked so good.

Notes :
Witch-like aquiline nose – just imagine a crooked nose like a hook in case you have never seen what witches looked like in movies.
Whelk(read as Baikai, Kai as shellfish in raw) – small water sea snails/shellfish/calm. Don’t know much about sea food so I just searched and all three look the same.
Freshwater calm and Manila calm – shijimi and asari were the names in raw. If you know about it and feel like I have written wrong, feel free to msg me, I will fix it.

[Part 2.5]

All right, I will do the same! Smoothly!

With great enthusiasm, I followed Murasaki-san’s example and inserted a toothpick into the gap in the lid.

“Ahh”

But the toothpick made a pitiful sound and snapped.

“It’s strange…….?”

Did I use too much power? Thinking that I tried to attempt once again but,

“Ah, what?”

It snapped again.

“T-this, is this perhaps too difficult….?”

“What are you doing? Don’t put all your strength, once toothpick get stick in bod, do this”

said Murasaki-san, turning her wrist inward as if scooping it up.

“Like this?”

I took a third toothpick and tried to follow Murasaki-san’s example.

Like this, it feels like it’s gonna snap.

With a pathetic snap sound, I had wasted another precious resource.

“Lousy”

“It-its because it’s too hard”

Also, I’m getting nervous because Murasaki-san is staring right at me!!

As I whispered the complaint in my heart(because I am scared)…….

“It can’t be helped…..”

Murasaki-san said while saying that and once again took a whelk in her hand.

Then, as usual, dexterously with a toothpick, she pulled out the meat inside, peeled off the lid with her fingers, threw it away, and leaned forward from the table abruptly…..

“Here”

And then, she thrusted the meat into my mouth.

“Huh? huh?”

It goes without saying, I was baffled from this.

What kind of situation is this?

Why am I being “ahn~” by a girl I’ve never met before? No no, more importantly, is it really “ahn~”?

The sharp look on Murasaki-san ‘s eyes doesn’t give me the impression that it’s “ahn~” but, in the first place, what is “ahn~”? Is it really the same thing that Oshio-kun did to me the other day!?

And so began the Gestaltzerfall of “ahn~”. (T/N : psychological phenomenon where delays in recognition are observed when a complex shape is stared at for a while)

In addition to that, the distance between Murasaki-san and me has shortened physically, making me who is bad at communication on the verge of explosion.

“………..hurry up and eat it, this posture is tiresome”

While I was thinking that, Murasaki-san’s voice came to me.

I didn’t have the ability to make a normal decision anymore.

“Th-thank you for helping me with the food!”

Shaking off my thoughts, I took a bite. As I nervously chewed thoroughly after that, my eyes widened.

“It’s delicious……!”

It was a completely new kind of food.

The thick flesh had just the right amount of elasticity to make my teeth feel good!

The more you bite into it, the more it overflows with the flavor of the sea! The unique slimy feeling inside my mouth is really good, similar to okra(lady finger), anyway it’s delicious!

“This is delicious Murasaki-san!”

“Since you now know that, eat more”

Murasaki-san was as brusque as ever but somehow it doesn’t look like that completely at all.

I wonder if she is happy about the fact that the food she is familiar with is getting praised? While thinking about it, I looked at the whelk in my hand.

Now that I know whelk is delicious, I want to try it to open myself “smoothly.”

It’s not like I wasted a toothpick in vain. Although a bit, I got a knack of it.

Rather than pulling out, if I try it by sliding and moving the tip of the toothpick using the principle of lever…..

Slide

“Ah, I-I did it!”

I couldn’t help but squeal out in delight when I saw the thick flesh peeking out from the seashell. It felt three times more fun then I imagined!

And it was even longer than the one Murasaki-san has taken out!

From the tip of the cream-colored flesh, there was a thin, black piece of flesh that was curling around the shell.

I don’t know much about it, but I think it means that I was able to get the tip of the shell’s whole cleanly. I was especially moved as it was a tight contest.

So, let’s start with…..

“Let’s eat”

“Ah, Koharu that’s……”

Murasaki-san tried to say something but by that time, I had already put the spoils of war inside my mouth.

And as I was about to enjoy the elastic texture with my back teeth like before, I felt a strange, squishy texture, belatedly……

“…….”

It was a bit like chewing sand, and the next thing I knew I was frowning at the incredibly bitter taste.

B-bitter…….

It’s the same kind of thing that happened when I accidentally ate the belly of a pacific saury when I was little.

My face wrinkled up.

Murasaki-san spurted out when she saw my face, which was as if I had eaten a bitter shell.

“I was about to tell you to leave the tail part….do you need some water?”

“Please”

Saying this in a hoarse voice, I looked at the back of Murasaki-san disappearing into the kitchen who left saying “wait a min” and thought “Murasaki-san is unexpectedly a nice person.”

“So Koharu, how far have you gone?”

While I was immersed in peeling whelks (and of course carefully removing the tail part), Murasaki-san suddenly asked me such a question.

…………..how far?

Unsure of the purpose of the question, I tilted my head with a toothpick in my hand.

Thereupon, with a slight blush on her face, Murasaki-san took the trouble to lean forward from the table, getting closer to my face…..

“I mean with boyfriend, don’t let me say that”

Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend………? (T/N : first two were in katakana and last one hiragana. Tldr; written in different script)

Only after the wind chimes rings three times in the silence that I understand the meaning behind Murasaki-san words.

“O-Oshio-kun isn’t like that!!”

“Stop it, you are loud”

Murasaki-san faced a grimace and she covered both of her ears.

It’s probably because I answered in a loud voice reflexively but it can’t be helped!

It was Murasaki-san who said a strange thing was bad! Yes, that’s it.

“Like that…… Koharu and Sota are dating, right?”

“We are but……”

“Then, how far have you went”

“Well, that’s…..”

I was at a loss for words and fumbled with my mouth.

Murasaki-san, your face is already scary just as it is, so I hope you don’t stare at me with such scary eyes….

“Explain it”

“No, that’s not something I can to others”

“Tell me”

“I will”

I gave in at the speed of light when the low voice threatened me.

Nonetheless, I wonder if even delinquents are interested in this kind of love affair….

While having such prejudice, I began to narrate how it all started until now slowly.

How I met Oshio-kun at the time of the Entrance examination and fell in love with him.

After that, when I was entangled by scary looking guys in “Cafe tutuji” and Oshio-kun helped me out.

Taking this as a chance, We had tapioca milk tea and ate ice cream rolls together.

Oshio-kun confessed his love to me over the phone, persuading my father for my sake and when we went to watch fireworks, riding a bicycle together.

And then I confessed my feelings to him there—–

I was so embarrassed in some parts that I felt like fire was coming out of my face, but I managed to finish telling the whole story.

I’m sure since Murasaki-san is a delinquent (prejudice), she must have ample experience in this kind of thing (prejudice) that my poor love story might have been too boring for her….

With that thought, I prepped at Murasaki-san’s situation with a downcast look, however her reaction was something outside of my expectation.

“………”

With her cheeks on her table, her face became bright red and turned her gaze diagonally downwards.

“…….huh? Murasaki-san?”

I looked into her expression from below at her unexpected reaction. Thereupon, Murasaki-san suddenly looked at me and said in hoarse voice,

“D-Don’t make me listen to something that makes me irritated!”

“Even though it was Murasaki-san who asked me to talk”

“Shut up”

My face sullen in displeasure at her loud rebuke.

Outrageous, too outrageous. Delinquents are scary.

When I sent her a look of protest, she cleared her throat with a cough sound, perhaps because she realised her absurdity.

“For the time being I understand the course of events but what do you mean by when you said he isn’t like that? As far as I can tell, both of them have confessed their love for each other.

I shrink back when she picks at the sore spot immediately.

“…..we haven’t done anything like a couple like at all….”

“You should just do it”

“But…”

I couldn’t say anything after that and fumbled.

I was disgusted by my own cowardice in not being able to even put it into words.

I’m sure that someone as experienced as Murasaki-san would have a miserable feeling towards me seeing me like that. Perhaps, she might curse at me.

As I curled myself from the thought, Murasaki-san slowly opened her mouth and said,

“……Well, it’s not like I don’t understand why you are so afraid to change your relationship you have had until now”

[Part 2.6]

The unexpected words made me look up and my eyes widened.

“But a lot of things are going to change even if you don’t like it and if you just stop there, you’ll end up regretting it.”

“Murasaki-san…”

Looking at her profile while gazing at the sea outside the window languidly, for some reason it gave the feeling as if she was making a mockery of herself.

If you stop, you’ll end up regretting it.

I don’t why, although it’s just a simple phrase, it’s more convincing than any love advice I have seen on the internet.

Perhaps Murasaki-san also……

“Did Murasaki-san also have someone you liked?”

“…….!”

The moment I said the word someone you liked, the complexion of Murasaki-san’s face changed.

Koharu radar (self proclaimed) which is sensitive to love sign is giving a strong reaction to it.

It’s definitely right!

Just like Murasaki-san from earlier, I leaned forward from the table.

Sensing the danger, Murasaki-san retreats back but she isn’t able to escape. I grinned at her.

“Love talk is usually give and take, right?”

“I shouldn’t have said too much……”

Murasaki-san let out a deep sigh and seemed to have finally given up and started to narrate her story gradually.

“I mean, there’s nothing worth talking about…..when I was still living in sakuraba, there was a guy I was interested in…”

“Murasaki-san, you are from Sakuraba?”

“That was a long time ago. Ultimately, before I could join junior high school, I had to move here because of my parents job and I never saw him after that….”

“You still like him!!”

I said with a gleam in my eye.

Murasaki-san’s face turned red in an interesting way.

“D-don’t be silly! I don’t give a damn about that guy anymore!”

“Hmm…..?”

I smirk meaningfully.

In response to this, Murasaki-san groaned in distress while her face was blushing.

Perhaps I might have discovered the unexpected weak point of female delinquent (prejudice) Murasaki-san….

“The truth is you still like him, right?”

“Don’t get carried away!”

With a whack, a popping sound like an empty box resounded. It’s from Murasaki-san palm hitting me on my head.

It hurts!! I held my head and glared at Murasaki-san with my teary eyes.

“I-i know it! Same as delinquent! Hitting out of nowhere…. using fist before words”

“Hah! Who is the delinquent! It’s because you were so persistent! I don’t like him or anything anymore!”

Murasaki-san groaned and raised her hand once again. At this rate, she will hit me until I become an idiot! Thinking upon that, I immediately shut my eyes and shouted promptly.

“But you are regretting it now, aren’t you?”

“Ugh….!”

I shrunk like a shellfish in preparation for an oncoming onslaught.

However, no matter how much time passed, there was no sign of the next “whack.”

I fearfully opened my eyes and looked up to see Murasaki-san frozen in her raised hand position. The expression on her face at this time was so complicated that it is difficult to explain in words…..

“Humph”

Eventually, Murasaki-san controlled her breath and sat down on the spot, returning to the work of peeling whelk.I-i was saved…?

For a while, only the sound of an empty shell falling on the bowl echoes.

In between the intolerable silence, I fearfully asked Murasaki-san.

“…..that person, what kind of person he was?”

“Ahh!? You still want to drag it out!?”

“It’s because I’m now curious, I’m sorry”

I immediately protected my head and curled up.

As I continued to tremble and shake, Murasaki-san sighed as if she was out of it.

“…..he was in the soccer club, fastest in the class and always wearing good luck charm on leg”

“…..was he really that good?”

“H-he was! at that time………I was in elementary school, though.”

“Did you like him from elementary school?”

“I was curious!!”

“I’m really sorry! But what kind of relationship did you have?”

“You’ve been pretending to be apologetic but you’ve been asking me questions all along!”

Murasaki-san was very angry and looked like she was about to bite me.

Even while shivering in fear and forming a hard shell around me, I still continue to stare at her!

Of course, I’m curious! Because I don’t have any friends, this might be the last time I get to talk about love stories with someone my own age!

……I felt depressed when I said it myself.

“…….we never had any kind of relationship, we were just childhood friends. We kind of hit it off and hung out a lot, but now that I think about it, that was …… No, nothing at all.”

“He was your first love, wasn’t it?”

Just when I cut between Murasaki-san words and said this, I heard *kachak* sound coming from her hand. I had an unpleasant premonition and when I turned my head to look fearfully, I saw Murasaki-san had cracked the shell with her bare hands. This made even my smug face turn pale at once.

Knowing that my personal safety will be at stake if I try anymore than that, I began to peel off the whelk to gloss over the matter. Although love talk is important, my life is also precious…….just as I was thinking that, I heard a loud noise coming out from the entrance.

At the unexpected loud noise, my shoulders trembled in surprise, on the other hand, Murasaki-san who seemed to be used to it stood up making an annoying face while saying “oh! Someone has come!” And head towards the glass door.

I could see four people’s shadows behind the door.

“Hmm, it’s not opening even though it’s not locked…..”

“Isn’t the reason bearing that has gone bad? It clearly looks old”

“Hey Shizuku, don’t say these things in front of store”

“What should we do? Shall we wait for the shopkeepers to come out?”

“No, it’s about to open…..”

Ah, these voices seem familiar……

*Tsk*

Murasaki-san clicked her tongue and said to the four people standing on the other side of the door.

“Hey! Don’t force the door, it will come off! Wait here.”

Murasaki-san then kicked the sliding door lightly with her toe and pulled it open.

Then, as if the earlier struggle had been a lie, the glass door swung open with ease……..

“If you have business with proprietress then she’s not here or rather it’s not even the opening hours yet, what the hell do you——-”

After saying this much, Murasaki-san froze when she recognized his face standing in front of the entrance.

In front of her line of sight was the figure of Oshio-kun’s best friend, Misono Ren looking down with a mysterious face.

And sure enough, behind him were Shizuku-san, Mayo-san and Rinka-chan.

“Yappi! We are Oshio-kun’s friend, sorry for the intrudi….huh”

Shizuku-san utters her mysterious greeting brimming with vitality as usual but her movement stopped on the way, rather it was the same for both Mayo-san and Rinka-chan too.

Why? Because everyone noticed the anomaly in front of them.

“………” “……..”

They are glaring at each other.

For some reason, Ren-kun and Murasaki-san were glaring at each other! More so with terrific sharp expressions! Enough that Sparks are about to fall! It was so intense that my heart shriveled just by looking at it!

Huh, what’s with that development all of a sudden? A fight!? A fight is about to start!?

“……………What is it?”

After a suffocating stalemate for a while, Ren-kun said in a low voice.

“…….it’s nothing”

Murasaki-san, on the other hand, replied with a low threatening voice and for some reason, she walked out Kanami, slipping past Ren-kun.

Shizuku-san, who was standing behind Ren-kun tilt her head in confusion as she looked at the Murasaki-san’s retreating back.

“…….eh!? What was that? Do you know that girl? Wasn’t she staring at you with terrific momentum?”

“I don’t know her”

“Really? But I think I have seen that girl somewhere…..”

“It’s just your imagination. Ah, isn’t it Sato-San, yappi!”

Huh, was Ren-kun that kind of character?

After replying with “y-yappi” even though I was confused….

“It’s not that!!”

I promptly returned to myself and hurriedly stood up from my spot.

“What’s the matter, Koharu?”

Rinka-chan raised a voice of concern at my sudden eccentric behavior but anyway it’s not time for that currently!

“I’m sorry but please wait here for a moment!”

I left the four confused people behind and hurriedly ran out of the store to chase behind Murasaki-san.

Umm, I’m sure she ran to this side……ah, there she is!

I saw Murasaki-san curled back behind the store, crouching alone in a place where she could see the sea.

“Murasaki-san”

I called out her name and briskly hurried over to her. As I did so, I felt her shoulders jump in surprise.

“I-It’s all right, Murasaki-san!! There was something wrong with the situation but….”

“…….. there’s nothing wrong”

Murasaki-san replied bluntly without even looking back. No matter how I see it, there must be something.

[Part 2.7 & 2.8]

Did something happened that’s troubling you? Is something wrong with Ren-kun?”

Murasaki-san’s shoulder once again jumped in surprise when I said Ren-kun’s name.

“……..after all, that guy is Ren, right?”

Finally Murasaki-san looked over her shoulder and muttered.

“……W-Why is that guy here?”

Murasaki-san, who was so calm and cool just until a while ago, was nowhere to be seen.

The way she spoke just now was very gentle and her cheeks looking down was blushing…….Ren?

Wait a minute, did Murasaki-san just say Ren now?

———-There, the Koharu radar shows a very strong reaction never heard before.

Her way of speaking is as if she has known Ren-kun for a long time.

And then this reaction! This expression! I’m definitely not wrong! This is definitely the face of a young maiden in love and just as I realised that, finally all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place in my mind.

“P-perphas, the boy Murasaki-san said a while ago that you like in the past is Ren….”

“M-Moron!!!”

When I tried to announce the result of great detective-like reasoning, Murasaki-san suddenly jumped and hurriedly closed my mouth forcefully.

But his reaction told me more than anything else that my guess was on target.

“Muguh……..w-what….it was such a coincidence…. amazing! I’m even getting a bit nervous!”

“H-Hey, stop! What will you do if those guys listen!!”

“Because it’s fate!! I never thought you can reunite with the person you like just like th—–”

I can’t deny that I was over excited by a romantic development like this.

Murasaki-san grabbed my cheeks and forced me to shut up.

When I was forced to stop speaking, I let out a stupid “gyu” through my puffer fish-like lips.

“L-listen here Koharu, I have said it many times but I was only interested…..! And that was when I was in elementary school, you understand right? If you understand, then don’t say anything unnecessary……..!”

Thereafter, Murasaki-san finally took a sigh of relief and released me.

I stare at her, my face bright red…

“Murasaki-san, can I call you Enka-chan?”

“No, why are you asking me at this time! You really must have been underestimating me, aren’t you!?”

“When talking about Love’s talk, I think it’s better to call by first name….”

“You’ve lost your sense of distance! It’s not a love story in the first place! It’s all over now!”

“It’s not all over at all!”

I couldn’t help but shout.

Enka-chan, as expected, was taken aback by this and was at a loss for words. I continued furthermore.

“It’s not over at all! Because Enka-chan still loves Ren-kun, don’t you? If you like him then don’t run!”

“Ugh….”

I was right on the money and Enka-chan groaned.

Honestly, I also don’t know enough about love. However, I know how much it hurts [to be a girl who behaves strangely in front of the person she loves].

After all, I’m the same way! Only

“You finally have a chance that comes your way! You have to grasp it! You said it yourself, Enka-chan! If you stand still, you’ll end up regretting it!”

I’m sure she must have never thought even in her dreams that her words would come back to her like this.

“Ugh…..uuu”, Enka-chan continued to groan and said “………it’s impossible”, in a very weak voice.

“It’s been almost seven years since I last saw him……he doesn’t even remember me…..you should have seen his reaction earlier, right? Do you think it’s the way you treat a childhood friend?”

“Uuuu…..y—-yes”

It’s one of my weak points when I can’t tell a gentle lie at such an occasion.

“Besides, Ren is…….”

Enka-chan mumms something incomprehensible in the end and plops down her head.

It was here when I changed my perception about her once again. Thinking of her as an delinquent is absurd.

When I look at the face of Enka-chan who was spinning words with a voice which seems like it could disappear at any moment, that’s definitely the face of a maiden in love….

“………….We haven’t seen each other in a while and he has become absurdly cool….what the hell? What is he? A celebrity?”

When I saw Enka-chan say this, dying her cheek bright red, I finally couldn’t stand it and screamed.

“——it’s all right, Enka-chan is cute! He will remember you soon!”

“C-c-cu……”

Enka-chan’s face became even more flushed with relief. It’s funny.

Enka-chan fumbled with her mouth a few times, then pointed at her ponytail and said,

“W-What’s so cute about that! Look! All the hair are dry and rough! With hair like this….”

“Don’t worry, I’ll lend you the treatment!”

“Geez! You don’t even have make-up on!”

“Just in case, I have brought make-up set myself

“…….! Why are going so far!”

“If we are talking about love talks, then we are friends, aren’t we?”

I put on the best smile I’ve made in a while and said that.

In response to this, Enka-chan glared at me menacingly for a while, but then, as if she had lost her patience, she slumped her shoulders and let out a deep sigh, “sigh…….”.

And then she glares at me and says in a low voice,

“………are you even in the position to worry about me?”

“Ugh..”

This time it was my turn to be hit by a bull’s eye.

Unable to refute, when I flinched back, groaned “well” or “ugh”, Enka-chan scratched her head and turned on her heel.

“Wai, where are you going Enka-chan!?”

“What do you mean where……it’s part time, I have said it, right?”

“Oh, I see……”

I had been completely carried away by the fever, but Enka-chan’s words cooled me down at once.

On the contrary, I was so excited that I felt like I had done something embarrassing.

What on earth am I talking about so passionately to a girl I’ve never met before……? I’ve never been a big fan of giving advice on love! I’m not doing so well myself!

Enka-chan didn’t even look back at me whose face looks like it can sprouts fire at any moment and said,

“……..you should worry about yourself first before worrying about others”

That’s all she said, and then she left.

I was left alone in a dimly lit area in the shadow of a building. In the distance, I could hear the sea roar and the cries of seagulls.

“Huff……huff……W…..what are you doing here all alone, Sato-San?”

When I turned around to look who called me, I saw the Oshio-kun figure gasping for air.

I’m sure he must be made to do lot of hard labor by Kanami-san. The tips of his soft hair were wet with sweat.

“I…..It seems that everyone has already arrived, huff….. so let’s go back over there, Sato-san…..”

“…….. Oshio-kun”

“W-what…..”

“I think I’ve………made my first girlfriend.”

Oshio-kun’s eyes rounded in amazement.

“Good for you…..?”

“I’m going to do my best!”

“Do your best…..?”

Oshio-kun, dripping with sweat, stared at me with strange expression who was clasping her fist with enthusiasm from beginning to end.

♠️

Grandma Kanami had always been a kind of unprecedented person for a long time.

She spent days dismantling an old storage shed with a hammer, and she was not afraid to take on young men of bad character, so there was no shortage of unconventional episodes.

I think this is evident from the fact that her sister’s grandson, a.k.a me, who visited her for a time in a few years, was made to do heavy labor in the name of help.

Incidentally, I was forced to remove rust from a large iron plate at the back of the guest house just a while ago, because they wanted to make yakisoba.

So with my arm muscles almost cramping up several times, I managed to finish my work and returned to “Kanami” with Sato-san, who seemed to be acting strangely……Now, in front of me and Sato-san was an unbelievable scene.

“Why is his face so thin even though he has such a good look, here eat more shellfish”

“A–, it’s enough Grandma, I don’t like shellfish”

“I’m not your Grandma, call me Kanami-san”

“Kanami-san, let’s leave this cheeky brother of mine alone, I will eat his part! By the way, this will go well with beer! please Kanami-san!”

“Hey, Shizuku, That’s not a very nice thing to say after being treated to a meal.”

“Yes yes, two glasses please”

“No problem…”

“Nicee, Kanami-san is so magnanimous! Boss! Beautiful witch!”

“One medium size bottle is 750 yen”

“Ripped off! Cheapskate! Witch”

“It’s a tourist price, little girl! Ah, I will put Ramune for Rinka-chan”

“T-Thank you very much….”

In the group of Ren, Rinka-chan, Shizuku-san and Mayo-san, Grandma Kanami was nonchalantly mixed in them. Rather the five people were surrounding a table, chatting with each other while peeling the shellfish in a friendly manner.

They seemed to have gotten to know each other quite well while I was frantically scrubbing rust off under the shining sun.

“I’ve finished removing rust from the steel plate…….”

<>

As I stood there, feeling a bit confused, Grandma Hanami noticed me and said matter-of-factly,

“Oh Sota, welcome back. You were quite slow, there aren’t any shellfish left anymore”

“What!?”

Are you kidding me! I hurriedly peeked at the bowl but it was only filled with empty shells piled up in the heap.

Even though I had been looking forward to this for a long time, the “bowl shell of memories”…….

I slumped my shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

My disappointment seems to have influence Sato-San,

“Ah, I’m sorry Oshio-kun! I also ended up eating a lot! They were delicious…..”

“Ahaha……you don’t need to worry, I’m glad you enjoyed it….”

Although I said that with but I was depressed in my mind.

Oh, I wish I could have had just one bite.

While I was thinking about such things, Rinka-chan suddenly opens her mouth and said,

“D-Did you want to eat them that much?”

I don’t know why she asks that question with a shaky ending.

I wondered why she was asking me that, but when I looked over at her,

“What?”

Rinka-chan pushed the shellfish stabbed with a toothpick towards me.

I froze up, unable to comprehend the situation.

In contrast to me, Rinka-chan said it while floating a somewhat awkward smile.

“Its Ah一一一Ahn, Oshio-san”

I’m not sure why, but I feel like I saw a glint in Shizuku-san and Mayo-san eyes at this point.

“R-Rinka-chan!?”

By the way, this one was Sato-San’s voice.

But Rinku-chan didn’t even seem to hear that, and continued to hold out the shellfish meat with trembling hands.

All eyes were on me, “Ahh ahh” and Sato-san was saying something behind me.

……….. what’s with this situation?

Even while I was frozen up, I looked at Rinka-chan and put my hand on her head .

This time, Rinka-chan’s shoulders trembled and I regretted that I had treated her too much like a child, but I responded anyway, making a smile.

“Thank you for being so considerate. But don’t worry, that’s for Rinka-chan.”

“B-But didn’t Oshio-san like them—-”

“It’s fine since I can eat them anytime. And because I like it, I want you to eat it.”

“Huh……”

“It’s because I want to recommend my favorite thing so you don’t need to hesitate”

“Ha…habi…… I understand Oshio-san, thank you very much, I am sorry…..” (Not a typo, just like earlier, unknown reaction from being embarrassed)

Her face dyed red for some reason and she took back the shellfish stretched to me.

This is fine. As expected, I think it’s wrong for a high school student to be seriously depressed over a single food item and take charity from a middle school girl who is in the middle of eating.

Because, it was my true feeling when I said that I am happy when other people eat what I like.

It was so but……

“…….What are you grinning for?”

“Nothing….”

The one said this was Shizuku-san with a somewhat hidden meaning behind it.

Mayo-san was also grinning the same way. Rinka-chan is Rinka-chan, she was eating shellfish while looking downward, not even turning her eyes towards me. Sato-San for some reason took a sigh of relief and Ren didn’t look like he was interested in what’s going on in the first place.

It’s not the reaction I was expecting…….

In the midst of this strange atmosphere, Shizuku-san stood up and said, “Okay”,

“Anyway leave beside that! Everyone is here and it’s a sunny day!”

Then, she put on the sunglasses she took out from somewhere and shouted in a high voice.

“Let’s go! To the sea!”

As soon as the words “sea—” came out of Shizuku-san’s mouth, I felt as if Sato-san’s face, which had been so excited about swimming, had turned pale, but it was probably just my imagination.