Chapter 36: A Ni-nen Mairi Visit with My Fiancée

TL: lime
ED: Spynine01

After eating the New Year’s Eve soba noodles, we boarded the train on New Year’s Eve, when it was getting deep into the night.

It was New Year’s Eve, and the number of people on the train would normally be much smaller than usual, but there were as many people as you would see during the daytime.

Some of them were wearing furisode (long-sleeved kimono), and I couldn’t help but think how beautiful they looked in them.

It wasn’t exactly full, but there were no seats left to sit on, so we had to stand at the end of the door.

“That’s right, you always wear your headphones around your neck when you go out, right?”

When I asked her about it, she put her hand on her headphones and answered.

“It’s a part of my body.”

Shiori replied without looking at me as she said it.

“You mean it’s important to you?”

“That’s what I mean.”

The answer is simple, but she didn’t look at me a single time.

“What are you always listening to?”

“It’s a secret.”

This time, she didn’t answer properly, and her gaze remained fixed on a different place altogether.

So I looked at her and tried to see where she was exactly looking at.

It seems that she was looking at a person in a kimono.

“Hey, Shiori. It’s not good to stare at people too much.”

The person being watched would likely not have a good impression of her, so when I lightly warned her, she turned her gaze out the window and said, “Ah…”.

It must have been a reflex action because it was pitch black and I couldn’t see anything outside the window.

“Have you ever worn a furisode before, Shiori?”

I lightly asked her about it since she was staring so fixedly at one.

“No.”

I see. Maybe she wants to try one on?

“I don’t think they have any rentals at this time…”

The words I was thinking accidentally leaked out of my mouth, and Shiori reacted to my words.

“I don’t want to wear one.”

I almost laughed at the very obvious denial, like a rebellious adolescent boy replying to his parents’ questions. I replied with a wry smile, “I see.”.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing.”

I imitated her in a teasing way and she said, “You’re pissing me off…”

At the same time, the conductor’s announcement flew into our ears, “Our next stop is~~”.

“Don’t give me that creepy smile, let’s go.”

“I’m not surprised you feel sick at me now…”

♢

I walked away from the station and passed through the approach. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, quite a lot of people were also walking towards the shrine.

There were quite a lot of stalls along the approach, and it reminded me of a summer festival, so I felt really uplifted.

I could see that Shiori also seemed to be enjoying the walk.

“――Uwah… There are a lot of people here.”

I could see quite a few people along the approach, but by the time I reached the torii gate¹ A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. , I could see quite a few more.

It was quite a famous shrine. And it was New Year’s Eve, after all.

“What time is it?”

“A few minutes before twelve.”

Shiori, who was already looking at her phone, answered quickly.

“Oh. It’s already time. Let’s go to the main hall.”

“Yeah.”

As I could hear the sound of the New Year’s bell, I wondered if there was a temple anywhere nearby.

As the bell rang out, we followed the flow of people to the main hall.

When we arrived at the main hall, the number of people there was incomparable to the number at the Torii gate.

The crowded scene here was like waiting in line for an amusement park attraction.

Because it was late at night, I couldn’t find anyone wearing a furisode. Was it a rare case or something?

“The year is almost over, isn’t it?”

“Ah…”

Shiori’s words made me think back on the past year.

This year has been a year of change in many ways to me.

My exams, going to school, a new life――but what had a greater impact on me was the fact that Shiori suddenly came to my house claiming to be my fiancée.

I was wondering how my life would be with Shiori, the cool-headed and peerless angel back when she first arrived, but I guess I got used to it over time.

Speaking of which… I’ve forgotten about it lately, but what does Shiori think of me after all?

When she first came here, I was baffled by the fact that she didn’t seem to be interested in that kind of thing at all.

For the meantime, she’s staying with me as my fiancée… But if we go on like this, will we even get married? After all, we’re not even dating right…?

“――What?”

When I stared at her, she noticed my gaze and tilted her head.

“Hmm…”

I muttered nothing and looked up at the night sky for the last time this year.

――Well, this life is not so bad now, so I don’t have to force myself to delve into it any further.

It wouldn’t be too late to think about this after my parents come back home.

I heard that it would be difficult for them to return to Japan this year.

When they come back, I’ll give them a really hard time.

“10!! 9!!”

As I was looking back on this year, the countdown began.

“Ko-Kojiro! Yabai!”

“What?”

“This year is ending.”

For some reason, Shiori started to get flustered.

“――7!!”

Once it starts, the countdown never ends.

“We have to ride this wave.”

“You’re riding a good wave.”

“Does that make any sense?”

My complaints were drowned out by the countdown.

“1!” My and Shiori’s exuberant voice overlap.

Drumming!!

The sound of Japanese drums echoed from somewhere nearby.

“Happy New Year! I look forward to working again with you this year.”

With the Japanese drums playing in the background, I bowed my head to Shiori and wished her a Happy New Year.

“Happy New Year. I am very grateful for your hospitality last year. I look forward to living with you again this year.”

She bowed her head more deeply than I did and gave me a New Year’s greeting.

What a long sentence, even though it’s Shiori she’s not saying it in a monotone tone at all… As expected of New Year’s Day.

“Then, let’s go to the Saisen² In Japanese, saisen (賽銭) is money offered to the gods or bodhisattvas. Commonly this money is put in a saisen box (賽銭箱, saisen-bako), a common item at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan..”

When Shiori raised her head, I said, “Oh,” and we stood in a long line.

“――Finally, we’ve arrived.”

We stood in the long line for several minutes until our turn finally arrived.

“It’s been a long journey to get here.”

“I guess. ――Well, does Shiori even know how to do it?”

When I asked, she looked at her phone and smugly said, “Perfectly.” Apparently, she was studying it whilst standing in the line.

I vaguely remembered it, but I somehow knew the right way to do it, so I used my knowledge to challenge her.

As I recall――.

First of all, bow. Lower your head and make a bow.

Then offer money and ring the bell.

From there, I do two bows, two claps, and one prayer.

After bowing twice, clap your hands twice and pray with all your heart.

――May I find a good part-time job this year… After that… I hope that this life will continue in a good way for the both of us….

Then I bowed deeply and finished praying.

When I glanced to the side, I saw that Shiori seemed to be eagerly making a wish.

After a short wait, she finally finished her wish and bowed deeply.

“We’re stuck at the back. We should get a move on.”

“Ah, yeah.”

♢

We boarded the New Year’s Day special midnight train that runs until morning.

Unlike New Year’s Eve, the number of people who boarded the midnight train on New Year’s Day was sparse.

I wonder if people are still celebrating the New Year somewhere else in the world.

“How was it? Your first Ni-nen mairi visit.”

I was able to find a seat and asked Shiori, who was sitting next to me, “It was very good,” she said, sounding a little sleepy.

I feel a little sleepy too when you talk like that. I had just drunk some amazake (sweet sake) that was being handed out at the shrine, which had warmed me up very well and made me feel pretty sleepy.

“What about, Kojiro?”

“Yeah. It was good. The atmosphere was really nice.”

“Do you want to go again next year?”

“I wonder…”

I was about to answer, when I saw a beautiful light in the sky.

“Fireworks?”

Shiori muttered as she stared at the fireworks blooming in the distance.

“Ah―. Maybe it’s the countdown at a theme park? Like the rest of it?”

“That sounds interesting.”

Shiori stared at the fireworks, her sleepy eyes shining.

“Maybe next year we can go over there. It’ll be fun.”

When I said that, Shiori looked at me as if I had been mounted by something.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”

“Haha. That’s a bit high-handed. Well, I’ll see if I can get the tickets for us when it’s time.”

“Ah, I see… Tickets…”

I stared at the blooming New Year’s Day fireworks whilst muttering.

“――Well, it looks like you were earnestly praying at the shrine, what were you praying for?”

When I asked, Shiori looked at me.

Then she brought her index finger to her mouth and smiled lightly.

“It’s a secret.”

“――What is it? Tell me. I’ll tell you mine.”

“I will not. It’s just a stupid request, right?”

She said and laughed.

“What do you mean, “stupid”? What’s stupid of my request?”

“Because it’s Kojiro after all.”

“What―!

Ignoring my words, Shiori looked out the window again.

Apparently, fireworks were better than talking to me.

“―Kojiro…”

Without looking at me, Shiori said, “Hmm?” When I responded, she turned around.

“Please take good care of me this year too.”

She told me earlier at the shrine, but when she told me that again, I replied, “It is I who should say so to you.”