Chapter 103: ss - 1

Side Story 1, Earth: Makia – Spring Storm

Author: かっぱ同盟／友麻碧

Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3862be/

Translated by Gumihou

 

My name is Makiko Oda.

Starting this spring, I’ll be a high school student.

In my past life, in another world called Maydea, I went down in history as the Crimson Witch of the West.

 

===

 

“…it’s raining…”

Starting from today, I’ll be living alone. Since I’m a high school student now.

After my parents died in a car accident during the second year of junior high, I was taken in by some relatives on my uncle’s side. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really indebted to my uncle for taking me in, but rather than continuing to live with them, I had decided to move into this rundown apartment. [1] I’m still living off his favour (this apartment belongs to him), but it’s still better to try and live alone.

There are cardboard boxes piled up everywhere.

This morning, a truck came and brought what essential household items I have to this place.

This is good.

Although the spring storm has come today, once it passes, the sky will clear up.

 

I start to unpack my stuff from the cardboard boxes, but somehow, no matter how much I did, it did not look like I made any progress at all. The single window in this room overlooks a lonely residential street.

As I watch, a streak of lightning splits the sky silently from the other side of the world.

“…”

Grumble…

The sound of thunder followed a little later.

The rain is getting heavier. Even though the cherry blossoms had bloomed beautifully today, they would all fall this same day.

 

“Oi—Maki, I’m coming in—”

Before I could give permission or deny entry to the person, the door opens, and the person let himself in.

Putting one hand against the wall of the narrow entrance, he hopped on one foot to take off his shoes. It is Tooru Saiga, my childhood friend.

“Now that you have entered my domicile, you may now present your tribute to me.”

“…hey, what do you… never mind, here, as you wish. Haagen’s latest product, canned coffee and… some other stuff.”

He shakes off the raindrops from his coat at the entryway before stepping properly into the creaky, 6 tatami mat room [2].

He hands me the tribute in a convenience store bag. What a conscientious fellow. I am about to root through the bag for something to eat when Tooru stooped me with ‘It’s not even lunch yet’.

I stare at the little tub of ice-cream for a moment before reluctantly putting it into the freezer, which had almost nothing in it.

“Still, this apartment is pretty rundown. Should high school girls be living in a place like this?”

“It can’t be helped. It’s my uncle’s… I’m glad he lets me stay here.”

“You must have had a hard time at your relative’s place…” Tooru found a gap among the mess on the worn tatami mat and sits down. “Also, why haven’t you put away your things? Are you slacking off?”

“I’m too lazy. Can’t you see what’s the weather like outside? I just can’t feel any motivation~~”

“You…”

I sit on a [1] pile of cardboards I had half-heartedly stacked to the side and look out the window again. More flashes of lightning.

The sound of rain grew stronger.

“Oi, it’s getting dark… why haven’t you turned on the light?”

“Ahh… you do it. I forgot to do it because I’m busy staring into space.”

“Hey, are you alright?”

Tooru pulls the long string in the middle of the room. Attached to the end of the string is a little apple. The previous resident must have added it.

Finally, the fluorescent light is turned on, even though it was a little late.

Sudden brightness filled the room.

“You… are none of your family here to help you?”

“…can’t be helped, today is the welcoming ceremony for the youngest sister of that family. Moreover, since I passed the Aotaka exam that the girl failed, Auntie’s mood is kind of bad overall.”

“Woah… all sorts of thing happened, eh?”

“Well, I don’t care one way or other… the best thing about this is that I don’t have to play happy families with my relatives anymore. I can now live an independent life, I’m looking forward to it~~”

“… I’m kind of jealous…” Tooru sighed as he continued to help me assemble my new shelf. [1] The shelf is a cheap thing. A cheap shelf for a cheap apartment.

Anyway, Tooru doesn’t get along with his family either, rather, his parents are not good at being a couple. I think there’s something about somebody cheating and someone else wanting a divorce or something.

“Yuri’s late~”

“It’s probably because of the rain…”

Just then, the intercom sounded.

Yuri would not enter without permission, even in a shabby apartment like this, so I went over to open the door.

Sure enough, there is Yuri, soaked to the skin from the rain. He stood at the entrance, shaking his collapsible umbrella. [1] I think he looks wetter than the umbrella.

“…woah…”

“I got caught in the rain,” he says with a smile. Even with the smile, he looks too cold and pale, so I went to grab some towels from one of the cardboard boxes. I place one on the doormat to absorb the drips and drop the large bath towel over his head.

He is hugging a large bag which Tooru took from him.

“Is it really raining that hard?”

“…it’s a spring storm. Even an umbrella is helpless against it.”

After scrubbing Yuri’s hair vigorously for a bit, I let him go, allowing him to dry his hair on his own. As the bath towel slips down, I could see the gentle expression on his face as he proceeds to pat himself dry before stepping into the room.

“Mother told me to bring this to Maki-chan. I’d been defending it to death against the bitter rain.”

“… …”

[1] Tooru and I watch as Yuri untied the large furoshiki cloth [3], revealing a three-tiered food box. When I see the expensive food box, my stomach rumbled. The smell of food wafting from it is just too incredible!

 

“…What an honest fellow…”

“It’s smells good, it’s smells delicious, open it, open it, open it!!”

“I haven’t had lunch yet, so lets eat it together.”

The top-most layer of the tiered box reveal [4] Dashimaki, simmered spinach, sweet and spicy chicken wings, finely sliced burdock root and okra with plum sauce. The second tier contained various stewed dishes. The last tier contained Inarizushi [5]. It was all Inarizushi in neat orderly rows. Not only does it look delicious, it was also a feast to the eyes.

Yuri’s mom’s cooking is the best!!

She’s always been very kind of other children.

“Waahh, this Inari-san is so yuumy… it has lotus root in it.”

“Oi, don’t pick it up with your hands.”

I can’t help it, I just want to stuff my mouth. The deliciousness of the juicy tofu pocket balances nicely against the plump rice and crunchy lotus room. It was so delicious that my mouth glistens with juice and my eyes lit up.

“Maki-chan certainly looks the happiest when she’s eating.”

“… but, when I was at my uncle’s, the most uncomfortable time is meal times,” I said as I licked my fingers. Now that I have eaten one, I started eating the rest with properly with plates and chopsticks. Today, I’m going to eat as much as I wanted.

That’s right.

I love eating. However, the environment around food is important too. I love Yuri’s mom’s cooking because somehow, whenever I am eating her food Yuri and Tooru would always be there. This doubles the deliciousness of whatever I am eating.

Maybe, it’s the same for Tooru too. Although his mother does prepare lunch boxes for him, it was often the storebought kind.

When Yuri’s mom cooks, she would use a variety of ingredients and make all kinds of things. Above all, she is very affectionate, and this affection often spills over to Tooru and I.

“This is so great… I wish I could eat like this all the time.”

I ate a Dashimaki eggroll in two bites, trying to quell the uneasy feeling in my stomach about my future meals.

“Maki-chan, maybe you should start learning how to cook from now on.”

“… a witch’s cooking, huh? Cough.”

“What’s that? What are you trying to say?”

Tooru was looking away, so I snatched up the last piece of Inarizushi from his plate. Ignoring his ‘Aaaahhh!!!’ I stuffed it into my mouth.

Yuri was smiling determinedly at us, while somehow guarding his plate.

“Well, my mother would sometimes make me a lunch box meal, maybe I should try making it sometimes…”

“…really, well, I have to admit, no one could top auntie’s cooking… Say thanks to your mom for me, alright?”

“Un,”

Then, it happened.

The sudden crack of thunder drummed across the sky.

Pishaaa!!! Donnn!!!

An indescribably sound echoed across the room. I think we all floated above our seats for a moment.

“… …”

“…woah…”

Then, the lights went out.

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“A power cut.”

“What a disastrous first day,” I looked around the darkened little 6 tatami mat room. We’re currently all sitting in the dark around a small table.

Heavy sound of  thunder and rain seemed to magnify in the dark.

A spring storm.

“… I think power should be restored soon, but it is kind of scary to be in the dark like this.”

“What are you talking about? Are we qualified to call ourselves Demon Kings if we’re afraid of a little darkness?”

“… …” Yuri scratched his head and laughed, going, ‘right, right’.

I am watching the rain outside from my darkened room. A bolt of lightning split the sky. The sound of thunder follows soon after, but the interval is a little longer than before. I could not see it, but the roaring sound bothers me for some reason.

“Well, let’s clean up. What do you think we came here for?”

“… …”

“…sleepy…”

Yuri claps his hands, trying to urge us to move. However, I am too full and daze to be moved. I really want to sleep.

As soon as the thought occur to me, I lie down on the tatami mat and close my eye for a moment.

“… sleeping directly after eating will make you fat,” came Tooru’s voice.

“…I’m fine with getting fat. From now on, I’ll be living off beansprouts and natto.”

“Well… if you can’t stand it anymore, just come over to my house.” Yuri is chuckling lightly as he carried the lunch box to the sink.

“Ah, hold on, I’ll clean it up later… It’s fine to leave it for a moment…”

“… un, alright.”

Still, for the moment, even if it’s just for a little bit, while experiencing the coolness of spring, I wish to stay quietly and listen to the sound of thunder.

There are blackness spotting the grey clouds above and my shabby little room is really dark now.

There is a large stain on the ceiling that looks like a big wave. I close my eyes.

 

The life of a single person starts today. It reminds me of my days in Maydea, where, once upon a time, I had lived the life of a solitary witch, deep in the forest.

The purpose of my life was to name members of the royal family of that country. It was a fairly fulfilling life, but even so, I was still the much feared Crimson Witch which no one wishes to approach. Although there were times I would poke my nose into other people’s business and meddle with their lives…

Sawaa… sawaa…

It feels like I could hear the rustling of leaves in the forest. The image that I conjure up of that forest was like a picture found in some kids’ book.

The nostalgic scent of Maydea’s air teases my nose.

The laughter of an unknown person…

 

I am on the verge of falling asleep when I suddenly open my eyes and sit up.

Tooru and Yuri are chatting together about starting high school tomorrow when I suddenly got up, surprising them a little bit.

“I was really about to fall asleep when… I just can’t, why do I suddenly have these strange dreams while half asleep?”

“… …”

“If you sleep in strange places, dreams and reality could get mix up…” said Yuri. “I get that feeling too, sometimes.”

I roll to my feet, stretch my waist and twist left and right to get all the kinks out. I smack my cheeks, trying to smack that weird feeling out of my head.

It’s no good.

The spring wind is always like this.

It carries with it a vague uneasy sort of feeling.

 

Tooru had arranged my books and dictionaries on the shelf he had just assembled. When school starts, more would be added.

Yuri arranges the dishes by the sink while I wash the food container and wipe down the sink.

“Ah,” Tooru suddenly looks up. “Oi, it’s sunny now. The rain just stopped.”

Before we knew it.  The thunder, rain and wind had completely stopped. A thin red ray of light enter pierce into the room, [1] like a spear through the clouds.

“Well, I guess you guys should go home now. It will really be dark soon.”

“… is it alright?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine… we’ve put away nearly everything.”

Yuri smiled with an, “Indeed.”

After wiping the tiered food box clean, I wrap it back in the furoshiki and hand it to him.

“I wonder, has the power been restored?”

Tooru pulls at the little apple at the end of the strong. There is a short delay and a splutter, but the room lights up once again. Well, looks like my electricity is back on.

“Well, I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”

“… don’t oversleep just because you’re living alone.”

“I know.”

To be honest, I’m not too confident about my ability to wake up on time. It would be a pain to wake up early again, but it would be even more troublesome to be late on the first day of school.

With my hands on my hips, I tilt my chin up and smiled confidently at them. There’s no need to worry my friends if I can help it.

The metallic sounds of Tooru and Yuri descending the precarious stairs of this shabby apartment building could be heard.

I stand at the entrance, waiting until the sound is gone. Then, I walk to the window and look out, watching as they make their way down the alleyway.

The two of them are talking, but I can’t hear anything.

There is a sad looking Sakura tree on the grounds of this shabby building.

Its blossoms must have been scattered by the spring storm earlier.

Little piles of pink petals could be seen floating in puddles.

“… …”

Spring had come.

Soon, a new school life will start.

Though I now live in a peaceful world, uneasiness filled me.

 

Neither Tooru nor Yuri talks about Maydea lately. There were times when I brought up the subject, but, I have a feeling that the three of us try not to talk or think about it too deeply.

 

“… …”

 

I open the large bag in the corner of my room and take out my new high school uniform. It is a bright [6] Seabream crimson uniform in a slightly old fashion style.

I don’t want my past, along with those unforgettable memories to turn into something like pastel pictures from a kid’s book.

However, as reality sets in and the grind of daily life imposed on me, I could feel those memories becoming something like fluff, something closer to dreams than memories.

Maybe that is the right of way.

Maybe, we should forget about everything and live this life now, in this world.

Even as I try to resolve myself, uneasiness strains my heart.

 

====

 

That is why I created the Past Life Confession Club at my new high school.

Even if you consider it an obsession, an inability to properly let go. At that time, I thought that I had to organise and record the definite facts that had happened back there. For everything else that happens after that, was not something that I could ever imagine.

 

[Gumihou: Wuuu, I lost over 2200 words in some system glitch. Hopefully, the chapter is properly conveyed… Thank you for  your attention!]

 

[1] Added Details

 

[2] x tatami mat room – the tatami mat could be used as a unit of measurement. The official term is ‘jyou’ 畳. Generally a single tatami mat is 1.62 square meters, so a 6 tatami mat room is 9.72 square meters.

 

https://resources.realestate.co.jp/living/jyou-%E7%95%B3-real-estate-japans-word-of-the-day/

6 jyou room = 6 tatami mat room = 9.72 m2

[3] Furoshiki cloth – traditionally used to wrap or transport goods

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furoshiki

[4] Dashimaki – different from ‘Tamagoyaki’ which is basically sweet rolled eggs, the Dashimaki is savoury rolled eggs.

 

[5] Inarizushi – fried sweet tofu pockets stuffed with sushi rice. It could be as basic as rice and tofu only or as fancy as mixed rice, rice stuffed with other ingredients, or even be served upside down, gunkan style and blowtorched.

 

Gumi likes the basic Inarizushi best

[6] Seabream red – Red seabream or ‘Tai’ is considered very lucky fish

 

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