If you were to poke the earth with an ice pick, it would crack just right. ............ This is exactly what I mean. ...... Oh, by the way, today is the 16th of December. I'm sure ...... someone won't disappear. ...... No, they won't. No, no, no.
'Why is there suddenly so much snow on the ground after yesterday's heat wave?
'It's early this year, isn't it,snow?
'...... Is it like this every year?'
'Yes.
The waking bell hasn't rung yet.
It was 3:30 in the morning.
I was so cold that I woke up and ran into Jeannette in the hallway.
To my surprise, she was unusually dressed in her nightgown.
'We can't do laundry when it snows,' she said.
She smiled troubledly and looked down at the snow piled up in the courtyard from the upstairs landing.
Her breath is white, and her muscles contract in the blowing wind.
'I'm a bit of a sleepyhead this time of year.
'No, you're up early enough.
It's not even four o'clock yet.
'Why such a heavy snowfall the day after a very hot day?
The snow in the courtyard is definitely more than a meter high.
Even if Magda jumps off the landing again, I won't have to worry this time.
'Isn't it natural for it to snow when the heat wave lasts more than five days?
It's not natural.
Why do you have such an innocent look on your face like, 'What's so funny? Why do you have such an innocent look on your face?
What, are you trying to say that you're on the rebound?It was so hot, and now it's going to be so cold?Who's in charge of the weather here?The Spirit God?I'll kick your ass.
'In this city, there are five days to a week of extremely hot days around this time of year. And when the temperature rises above forty-two degrees, it snows the next day.
'Did everyone agree to play in the river? ......'
'Yes. The heat wave lasts for at least five days, and this year has been especially hot, so we had a feeling that yesterday would be the last day.
So, it seems that everyone was excited about it.
...... Tell me about it, too!
'I'm sorry. I didn't know that Mr. Yashiro didn't know. ...... That's right. It's the first time you've been to this city this year,......, and I'd forgotten about it.
You'll be able to get a lot more than just a pair of shoes.
What's that cute little thing? I'm going to push you down, okay?
'...... I have a feeling that Yashiro and I have been together ...... for a long time like this,......' he said.
'Can I push you down?
I'm not sure what to do.
Well, ...... no?
I felt like he was proposing to me. ......
'Well?
'Yes?
No, even I will learn.
'How long will this snow last?
'About ten days this year.
'If we get a few meters of snow, will it be warm and sunny the next day?'
'Uh-huh, ...... won't change that quickly, will it?
No, this change from yesterday to today!Why are you pretending it didn't happen?
How many degrees is the temperature difference?
Habit is a scary thing!
'Every year, the hot season starts when the leaves of the hilar are ready to be harvested. It varies a little, but it's always around the same time. On the other hand, there is a specific date when the heavy snowfall season ends.
As Ginette said earlier, if the temperature exceeds 42 degrees Celsius during the heat wave, the next day it switches to the heavy snowfall period.
The earlier the temperature rises in the hot season, the longer the heavy snow season will be, and conversely, if the temperature does not rise in the hot season, the shorter the heavy snow season will be.
This year, the heavy snow season came relatively early, so the period of snow cover will be long. This situation will continue for ten days. ...... Ten days?
Today is the 16th, so the end of the heavy snow season is the 25th. Christmas.
...... But we don't have Christmas culture here, and if we don't have Christianity, we can't even explain what day it is.
Well, maybe we can have some chicken and cake.
Turkey?
Chicken's better!
'So you've been buying a lot of food.'
'Yes, sir. This time of year, a lot of guilds take a break from work.
''A lot of guilds'' means that there are some stupid guilds that work in such heavy snow.
'Aa...... that............ we'll be open for business too, you know?I'm sure there will be few customers.
'Well, the wumaros will come. Definitely.
'I don't know. But it looks like you're coming.'
Ginette chuckles.
It's been a long time since we've had such a relaxed conversation in the morning.
But now it finally makes sense.
It wasn't just the heat that had kept the guests away from the sunlit pavilion until yesterday.
This heavy snowfall is really unbelievable.
All the trains in Japan have been stopped and all the major companies have been ordered to stay home.
Convenience stores and the like may be working, but ......
'Oh, so that's what you meant. ......'
'What's that?'
'That's what Assunto said.'
'......?'
'Assunto said, 'In two weeks, we'll have ice.
...... Yeah. We'll get it. It's too late, though.
'If we can make the ice last until next year's heat wave, we'll ...... make a fortune in shaved ice .......'
'That's really impossible, isn't it?
'No, if we build an ice house, ............ how will we make it?
Can you dig a hole and spread straw on it?Do we need a cave or something?
I don't know.If I'd known this was going to happen, I'd have checked out places where we could make an ice house beforehand!
'As well as ice, right?
Mmm!' said Jeannette, rolling up her arms.
'We have some work to do before breakfast, Yashiro-san!
'What about ......?
Ginette stares at me with a somewhat enthusiastic look in her eyes.
What is it?What are you going to do?
'First, let's get you dressed. You'll catch a cold in this outfit.'
'Well, ......, you'll always be in your pajamas.'
'Could you please go and wake up Magda?
'............ I've got a bad feeling about this. ......'
'He didn't seem to like the heat, and ...... maybe he's strong in the cold.'
You're an idiot.
The one who dreads hot weather is the one who doesn't like ............ cold weather and won't come out of the futon.
'Then I'll go change my clothes too.
'Hey, hey.'
I'm going to go wake Magda up.
Maybe he'll be excited to see the snow. I don't think so, but... ......
'Magda, Jeannette wants you to wake up.
He knocks on the door, urging her to get up.
............ No answer. He's asleep.
Well, that's to be expected. He never wakes up when he's supposed to.
'Let's go in.
I've been given permission by Magda herself to enter her room unannounced.
However, I have no intention to invade her privacy, or to search her underwear, or even to attack her in her sleep.
In short, she is saying, "I am not sure I can wake up, so I want you to come in and wake me up.
Also, if you are too scared to sleep, you can hide in your bed. I've never done that .......
When I entered the room, Magda was not there.
There was no way ............ I approached the bed and raked my hands through the straw.
'I never thought I'd see the day when you'd ask me to do that. You never know what will happen in life.
It must have gotten so cold that it burrowed into the straw. A small animal.
'They're doing something, they're working.
'...... hunting guilds are closed during heavy snowfall. ......'
'That's too bad. The Sunken Pavilion is open all year round.'
I remember that the t-shirt I made before said it was open all year round.
I guess it's a lie if it's closed. I'll be careful.
'......Yashiro'
'What is it?
'............ warm, human skin.'
'...... You know what you're saying?'
'............ cold.'
I'll teach you some dry rubbing.
It's surprisingly foolproof. If you rub your skin with a dry towel, you will feel a little less cold. It's a hell of a way to get there, though. ...... Naked top and all. ............
'Good luck getting up, I'll give you some coffee jelly.'
'............ refused'.
I know, right?
That's how I used to wake up yesterday.
Oh, yeah, Ginette bought red beans. ...... Did she also buy sticky rice?
Then I'll make zenzai...... or even oshiruko. I'm sure they'll like it better.
You'll have to put mochi in place of the white balls, though.
I dragged Magda out of bed and told her to get dressed. ...... I think I'm going to fall asleep. ...... But I can't make her change her clothes. ......... I'm sure you'll be fine.
'Look, don't fall asleep, okay?
'...... That's what Percy taught me yesterday. That's what Percy taught me yesterday.
'In his case, yes, but not now. Now get dressed.'
'...... aye aye.'
Magda, half-asleep, starts to wander off.
I also went back to my room and changed into my outer clothes.
I had fallen asleep yesterday because of the fatigue I felt after swimming, and my clothes had been thrown away in a mess.
It was the opposite of the simplicity of Magda's room, a man's messy room.
If you can't go out, why don't you take this opportunity to clean up?It's the end of the year.
After getting dressed, I walked out into the hallway and found Jeannette waiting for me, all ready to go.
'Yes, Mr. Yashiro. And Magda-san.
Jeannette smiles and hands me and Magda a shovel.
Jeannette is holding an old shovel that has seen better days.
'.................. Yes?'
'Shoveling snow, sir. We can't go to the kitchen like this. We'll clear the courtyard of snow in the morning and then clean up the front of the store and the yard after we get back from church.'
............ Seriously?
'It's not like you can shovel the snow and it'll be reset ...... the next morning, is it?'
This is a world of extreme weather. It's possible that we'll be hit with a meter of snow night after night.
But my fears were easily dismissed.
'In the heavy snow season, it will fall heavily on the first day and then continue to fall only sporadically. But it will continue to pile up little by little, so you will have to shovel the snow several times.
At any rate, it's not reset every morning.
...... On the other hand, it's hard to refuse. You can't say, 'If it rains every day, it's useless to do it.
d*mn, it looks like you can't escape shoveling snow no matter what you do.