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thefinalcinderella · 6 years

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Tsurune Book 2 Chapter 4-Unsolicited Statement (Part 1)

To all the people who sent me messages the past month: I swear I will answer them tomorrow!

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. The word used here is sanpaku, a Japanese term referring to when the whites above or below the iris are visible. The literal translation here is “having a sanpaku with all his strength” but since that makes no sense I had to do some creative interpretation

2. I believe this refers back to the first chapter of Book 1 when Minato mistakes Masa-san for a ghost or zombie. Yokai has a lot of different meanings (since there’s so many types of them) including ghost or spirit, so that’s why Minato told everyone to forget what he just said, probably

3. This is a real game. It’s the Japanese version of the Game of Life

4. Minamoto no Tametomo (1139-1170) was a samurai with many legends, such as sinking an entire ship by shooting a single arrow into its hull and having a left arm that was four inches longer than the right one so he had a longer draw

5. If you read/watched Chihayafuru you’ll probably be familiar with the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, which are one hundred classic poems by one hundred poets.

6. This is poem 77 by Emperor Sutoku. I used the translation here

7. Shugendou is an old religion that combines Shinto, Buddhism, local practices, etc. Apparently they train in mountains a lot

8. Altair and Vega, aka Cowherd and Weaver Girl or Hikoboshi and Orihime, are the two stars involved involved in the Tale of Cowherd and Weaver Girl, which Tanabata is centered around. The tale involves two lovers separated by the Milky Way who could only meet each other on the seventh day of the seventh month by crossing a bridge of magpies

9. You’ve probably seen this in various anime, like MHA, but a cavalry battle or chicken fight is where a team with one person is carried by three people have to take headbands from the other teams

10. The school year in Japan starts in April and ends in March, so anyone born between April and March of the next year would be in the same grade, so even though Ryouhei is born in February he is one year younger than the other boys

11. The original combined guuguu neru (which means sleeping soundly or snoring as you sleep) and schlafen. I debated whether to keep it like that or not before deciding to translate it

12. Egg drop soup is a Chinese dish of chicken broth with wispy beaten egg

13. See Chapter 2 of Book 1 for this incident

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Nanao grandly stretched towards the sky that signaled the end of the rainy season.

He was in the corridor on the third floor of the school building. As he walked, girls followed him in succession, and the other students trembled and gave way to them. Thanks to Shuu arriving at Kazemai High School a few days ago, the Nanao Fan Club was not able to admire Nanao in hakama, and they were falling into a state of starvation. Perhaps because of that reaction, he was more surrounded by girls than ever, and the boys, who felt nothing but animosity, made sour faces. However, there was a way to deal with this.

“Thanks for waiting, Kacchan!”

When he opened the classroom door and shouted that, there was Kaito, who made impressive sanpaku eyes. (1)

“I’m not a little kid, so stop coming to get me. We can go to club by ourselves, at least.”

“But Kacchan, weren’t you the one who said not to be late?”

“Good grief, what a pain.”

When Kaito stood from his seat, the girls surrounding Nanao left, scattering in all directions.

The power of the Kaito Barricade was immense. The fact that Kaito won’t sit back when it came to Nanao was a lesson etched into the bodies of those who adored and idolized Nanao. But, because he could also drove away the undesirable suitors—in other words, the girls who were secretly acting before the others—they maintained a reasonable distance as to not wake the sleeping gatekeeper.

How dependable. That kind of skill was not something one resolved to try to learn.

However, Nanao felt a little sorry.

“Nanao. Kaito-kuuun. You guys are early!”

Ryouhei ran up to them with a smile. By chance, he also met up with Minato and Seiya, and so the five walked to the kyudojo together.

Minato, who had a bandage around his left wrist, was chipper, raised his left hand as he was walking and made his tenouchi in mid-air. Similarly, Ryouhei was also pretending to shoot a bow. Seiya and Kaito kept watchful eyes on the two, who were both in a state of impatience for not being able to draw a bow sooner, so they would not get in anyone’s way. It was a charming scene with a fine combination of people, but Nanao’s heart was not there.

Because, recently, there were “footsteps” coming from an empty room in Nanao’s house.

On the second floor, there were sounds, as though a child was running lightly.

——Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Three years ago, they moved to their current house. For their parents, it was their dream home, and for Nanao and his three-years-younger sister, it was a newly built, beautiful home with large bedrooms. Their school districts changed by moving, and he and Kaito ended up going to different middle schools, but the distance between their houses hadn’t changed much and it was a comfortable home.

However, for the past few months it had become possible to hear footsteps. Although they hadn’t been deciding on a time, there were many instances of the inside of the house falling completely silent. It couldn’t be called a boast, but neither Nanao nor his parents had any psychic powers at all. They could not tell any experiences like seeing ghosts or talking to time travellers. And yet, everyone in his family had been hearing those footsteps. Thanks to that, it was a bit scary to stay home alone.

When he talked about it during their break in club practice, the girls covered their mouths with their hands.

“Uwah, scary!”

“Isn’t that really dangerous?”

Seiya mimicked Nanao’s tone.

“…There’s footsteps coming from an empty room, you know? On the second floor, there’re sounds, like a little kid is running lightly… Tap, tap, tap, tap…”

“Stop——!”

“Takehaya-kun, you’re awful—!”

Seiya gave a little chuckle.

“Sorry. But, what is that phenomenon, really? There’s also the possibility of rats, tanukis, or weasels.”

Nanao shook his head.

“Nope. We called someone to check to see whether or not there are small animals settling in the attic, but there was nothing unusual.”

“Is that so, hmm.”

Minato, quietly listening to everyone talk, muttered just a few words.

“A little kid’s footsteps…that sounds like a zashiki-warashi…”

“Zashiki-warashi…that’s the yokai that looks like a child and brings luck to those who see it, right?”

“Ah, no, forget what I said!”

At the word “yokai”, Minato hurriedly withdrew his remark. Beside him, Masa-san was holding back a laugh. (2)

Ryouhei’s eyes were sparkling.

“Awesome! Having a zashiki-warashi live with you is the best. I wanna meet it too! I wish one would come to my place as well.”

Hearing that, Kaito wrinkled his brow.

“Ryouhei, aren’t you no good with spirits?”

“Nah. I hate ghosts, but I like yokai.”

“Once again, the distinction between what you like and don’t like is practically nonexistent. How are they different?”

“They’re completely different. Ghosts are scary, but I want to be friends with yokai.”

“Yeah, I don’t get it at all.”

Next to Kaito, whose brow wrinkle was getting deeper and deeper, Nanao was thinking.

I see, so there is also that kind of explanation. If I think that, then those footsteps aren’t scary.

They’re lucky footsteps.

If that’s the case, let’s warmly welcome our sudden visitor.

A corner of Nanao’s mouth lifted.

The next day, the place Ryouhei headed for was a large estate surrounded by white walls.

Even when standing before the gate, the only thing that could be seen was a single path leading to the forest, and the essential residence could not be seen anywhere. Ryouhei could not hide his surprise at how a place like this was owned by one person.

“What a huge place. I wonder if this is the intercom?”

Ryouhei pressed the button.

“Sorry for how sudden this is. This is Yamanouchi Ryouhei from Kazemai High School speaking. Is Fujiwara Shuu-kun at home?”

“——Please excuse me, but have you made an arrangement with him?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“——I am afraid I must decline visits from those who have not made arrangements beforehand. I am sorry.”

“I understand.”

Ryouhei hummed while he walked along the white wall.

When Shuu returned home that evening, the butler, Toujou, was waiting for him. He seemed somewhat agitated.

“Yamanouchi—Ryouhei came here?”

“Yes. As he had been waiting before the gate for a long time, I allowed him to enter, based on my judgement. Please forgive me.”

“No, it’s no problem.”

“And, there is another matter. To tell the truth, I, Toujou, unintentionally succumbed to my youthful impulses… That young man is quite strong. I was overwhelmingly defeated.”

“Defeated?”

Toujou was speaking in an unusually roundabout way. In the first place, it was the first time he showed in a guest without confirming with him. Shuu opened the door to the guest room.

The room was decorated with a bamboo for Tanabata that was so tall it almost reached the ceiling. A single table was placed in the center of the room, and sitting in front of it was Ryouhei, who grinned at Shuu from ear-to-ear when he noticed him. He could practically see the illusion of a tail wagging back and forth. What’s more, to his surprise, even his little sister Sae and his mother were there.

Shuu felt vertigo and pressed his hand to his forehead.

“Shuu-niisama, welcome home!”

“…What are all of you having so much fun with?”

“It’s a board game, Shuu-niisama. Sae has made a lot of children!”

“Children?”

Sae showed him a Japanese board game with the slogan, “Life has many ups and downs. Aim to be a billionaire!” (3) His grandfather left it to him as a present when he was young. You spun a roulette and advanced your piece by the number of spaces you got, and aimed for the goal indicated on whichever space you landed on. The pieces were in the shape of automobiles, and pins of people were inserted into the seats, but as children were born, the number of pins riding in the car also increased. Sae’s car piece was full.

“Will Shuu-niisama be joining us next?”

“No, please, the four of you should continue on like this.”

At Shuu, who declined, Ryouhei grinned meaningfully.

“In that case, I guess you don’t feel like beating me?”

“…Alright. Let’s do this.”

After the game began, toy banknotes went flying. Thirty minutes later, the winning order was decided with Shuu’s mother in first, followed by Sae, Ryouhei, Toujou, and Shuu. Shuu could not accept himself being in last place, but it felt fresh having those faces surround the table. Afterwards, they played many other games, and then took dinner together. When the meal was finished, Sae was completely attached to Ryouhei.

Ryouhei sat next to Sae on the couch, and showed her something on his phone. It was the figure of Shuu drawing his bow at Kazemai High School.

“Shuu-niisama is so amazing! He looks so heroic!”

“For the Japanese bow, there aren’t only two choices of hitting or missing, and hitting correctly is in itself incredibly hard. Shuu-kun is super amazing. He is already a god.”

Shuu’s mother put a slim finger to her mouth.

“Well, I had thought that getting the highest score comes from hitting the centre of the target…”

Sae grasped Ryouhei’s hand.

“Shuu-niisama doesn’t talk about it at all. He told us not to come and cheer him on.”

“Hey, Sae.”

“Isn’t it okay? Ryouhei-san, could you please give me this picture?”

“Gladly.”

Sae borrowed her mother’s phone and took Shuu’s picture, then gently hugged it close.

“Well then, I also have a gift. Please write on it by time you go home and tie it on the tree.”

A strip of paper for Tanabata was placed in Ryouhei’s hand.

Shuu and Ryouhei moved to Shuu’s room.

The sight of his always prim mother swinging from joy to sorrow was strange and lovely. It had been a long time since he had heard his mother’s laughter from up close.

“Sorry about that, Sae said something unreasonable.”

“Not at all. Your mom is really pretty. As expected of a parent and child, you really look a lot like her.”

Shuu was shocked.

“…Where do you think we are alike?”

“When we were getting in the bath at the hotel we were staying at for the regional tournament, I saw you washing your hair, but I think it’s around the nape of your neck or behind your ears, like, the back of your head.”

“The ‘back of our heads’ are alike…?”

“Yeah, exactly alike. When you and Sae-chan and your mom are together, you really get the sense of, 'This is the bloodline.’”

At Ryouhei, who stated that so definitively, Shuu burst into laughter. Normally, when people said that they were alike, it was their eyes, voice, way of speaking, and other traits like that. That unexpected answer was unbearably funny.

He felt like that even if he and Ryouhei were standing in the same place, the scenery they both saw would be different. Ryouhei’s everyday was brimming with new discoveries, and it was brightly coloured.

“By the way, what kind of business did you have here, Ryouhei?”

“That’s right. I wanted to repay you for lending me your arrow.”

Ryouhei handed him an amulet.

“It’s from a shrine famous for the guardian of sports and Emperor Sutoku, but the god of improvement in kyudo is also enshrined there. My dad had a business trip so I asked him to get me one. You’re also matching with Minato and the other guys.”

“Thank you. This will encourage me.”

Shuu accepted the small pouch.

When it came to historical archery masters, the name of Nasu no Yoichi, who shot through a fan on a ship during the Genpei War, would come foremost to mind, but the person who was deified at the shrine was Minamoto no Tametomo, the eighth son of Tameyoshi and military commander during the Heian era who was said to have used a powerful bow and was unparalleled. Legendary tales of him, such as him being a giant who was over two meters tall and his left arm being longer than his right arm, and that it took five people to string his bow, remained through the ages. (4)

On the other hand, Emperor Sutoku was the seventy-fifth emperor, and famous as one of the poets for the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. (5)

Though a swift stream is

Divided by a boulder

In its headlong flow,

Though divided, on it rushes,

And at last unites again. (6)

——The flow of a river is swift, and even if it is blocked by a rock and divided, I believe I will definitely meet with you——.

This poem was regarded as a love poem, and it still attracted the hearts of many women even now. It seemed that the feeling of longing for someone remained unchanged in any age.

Thought was humanity itself.

It was something brought into existence by people.

People were always thinking something. They were creatures who could not stop thinking.

Practitioners of Shugendou (7) meditate and become ascetics as a means to suppress the “thoughts” which were brought about by people, in order to reach the level of the gods and Buddha. By casting away worldly thoughts, which were part of a wicked heart, with the chanting of sutras and the relentless sounds of waterfalls, and by being forced to concentrate intensely under the circumstances of being side-by-side with death, one would recall the bodily intuitions which were naturally endowed humans, as living things.

Words were thinking itself. Those who were able to not think of anything without training to do so were probably babies who had yet to learn words, people who were sleeping, and the dead.

Reaching the level of the gods?

Babies and the dead—— ?

The wind that came dancing in from the window blew through Shuu’s and Ryouhei’s hair.

“Ryouhei…I can see it now. I found the hidden door…”

“Hidden door? Where is it?”

“You can also find it. Follow me, I’ll be waiting.”

“Shuu-kun, don’t say difficult things like that. I don’t really understand, but okay.”

Ryouhei laughed lightly, carefreely.

Let’s open that door.

A spiral staircase leading upwards is there.

A staircase that has the same shape as DNA. Inherited memories.

To the place we must aim for.

To where light is shining——.

Before he went home, Ryouhei tied the strip of paper, on which he had written, “Family trip to the southern islands”, to the bamboo.

“Shuu-kun, what did you write?”

“Nothing. Just my name.”

“Oh, so it’s a wish only the other person knows. Mm, I hope it comes true.”

Shuu smiled gently.

In his head, Ryouhei recited the words Sae whispered into his ear when she gave him the paper.

“This is kept a secret from Shuu-niisama, but when you write your wish here, it is not Altair-sama and Vega-sama who grants it, but Father——.” (8)

After his committee meeting, Nanao went to the kyudojo by himself. There were only a few scattered signs of people in the school, probably because most students were either already going to club activities or going home.

With the Nanao Fan Club no longer shadowing him, Nanao regained his everyday life. There were still the sounds of a child’s footsteps at his house, but it was charming if he thought of it as the mischief of a zashiki-warashi. With this, he was able to concentrate on practicing until the national tournament in August.

As he was walking in the hallway with a light gait, some people who were passing by deliberately bumped into him.

They were three third-year boys.

“Oh, sorry. No girls today, Nanao-sama?”

“You’re going to club now? Kyudo doesn’t suit a shallow guy like you at all. Or are you aimin’ for a university sports recommendation spot? Doesn’t seem like you’d have a lot of rivals for kyudo. Maybe I should do it too!”

“What about Kacchan?”

“Kacchaaaan!”

Nanao clenched his fists behind his back before the third-year boys whose faces were distorted in loud laughter.

Don’t say my cousin’s name with your filthy mouths——.

He wanted to say that.

He wanted to punch them hard.

However, if he caused trouble here, he would be playing into his opponents’ hands. If Nanao caused a problem, he would then not be able to go to the national tournament. Because their own activities for their future courses were going badly, they were looking for an unwitting scapegoat. At their cores, they were not dissatisfied with the other person, but irritation at themselves for not being able to study for university entrance exams, even though they thought they must do it.

“Yo, Nanao-chan, why so quiet?”

It happened when one of them roughly grabbed Nanao’s collar, and Nanao glared back at him. Someone ran in from ahead of his field of vision and tackled Nanao.

Ryouhei held Nanao, carried him over his shoulder, and ran away as they were. At this extremely sudden event, the left behind third-year boys stood still, open-mouthed.

Nanao was carried on Ryouhei’s shoulder, folded in half around his waist, until they passed through the hallway.

“…Ryouhei, could you put me down soon? There’s a lot of pressure on my stomach and it hurts, and blood is rushing to my head.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Nanao stretched his body with a sigh after he was dropped onto the ground. He had often been the one to ride on top in cavalry battles (9), but being a high schooler and getting shouldered like a sack of rice was proof that one never knew what was going to happen in life.

After he fixed his disheveled hair, he looked at Ryouhei and saw that he was frowning.

“I went to get something I forgot in the classroom, but does that kind of thing happen a lot? Why did you stay quiet even though they said all that to you?”

“It’s not like I don’t understand their feelings. We were walking in a big group and I guess it was an eyesore. Since a long time ago, I’ve been raved about by girls, which means that I’m trashed by the boys. I guess I’m, like, used to it.”

“Don’t get used to that kind of thing. It makes me sad.”

“Ryouhei…”

“So, I’ll listen instead. Tell me all about it, Nanao.”

Ryouhei’s earnest eyes pierced through Nanao.

The reason why so many people could not refuse Ryouhei’s requests was probably because rather than it being Ryouhei’s own desire, he seemed to have read the other person’s mind. He correctly guessed the hidden wish that the person concerned had not even noticed themselves. And, Ryouhei did not notice it either.

“I see, mm. Alright, then can I complain for a bit?”

Nanao opened his mouth wide.

“If you want to complain, come tell me one by one, not in a group! And, who the hell’s putting trash in my shoe cupboard and desk! Don’t do this sneaky, petty harassment. Don’t freakin’ underestimate me just because I’m short!”

“Yep, yep…hmm? Short?”

“While I’m at it, I’ll tell you this too. Even though you were born after me, why the hell did you grow so much taller! It’s unfair, you know!”

Ryouhei was born in February. (10) He scratched his head.

“I guess it’s because I do bouldering at the community center and I hang down? Also, maybe it’s because I sleep a lot. Since you aren’t conscious when you’re sleeping, the energy used by my brain might have been used for growing.”

“They do say that a sleeping child grows well. I’ll sleep a lot from now on too.”

“Yeah, sleep, sleep!”

“In German, sleeping is ’schlafen’, so combine it with 'snoring’, (11) and let’s call sleeping a lot 'snorefen’.”

“I want to snorefen?”

“Let us snorefen?”

The two clutched their stomachs as they laughed. If Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo were there, they would probably have no idea what was so funny. The dumb conversations of boys were undecipherable codes to girls.

“That’s right, Ryouhei. Listen to one more thing I have to say.”

Nanao winked.

The area, which had undergone land readjustment, brought to mind the image of a Northern European townscape. The roadside trees were still young, and houses with the newest designs stood in rows.

Ryouhei was standing before Nanao’s house. The other Kazemai kyudo boys were also carrying supermarket bags in addition to their own luggage.

Nanao’s parents’ hobby was overseas travel. Moreover, they were free-spirited backpackers who loved budget travelling without knowing their whereabouts. On that day as well, they left without advance notice, and since his sister was staying at a friend’s house, Nanao was staying at home by himself. When Ryouhei heard about that, the first thing that came out of his mouth was,

“Let’s go meet the zashiki-warashi!”

And so, under the guise of a study meeting, this halfway test of courage was held.

Ryouhei tied the strings of his apron and took out foodstuff from the bags. He was responsible for the arrangement of the salad. Minato wrapped dumpling wrappers around the ingredients with practiced movements. Surprisingly, Kaito was also good at wrapping dumplings. Nanao and Seiya finished deep-frying the chicken and making the egg drop soup (12), respectively.

“Seiya, could it be that we’re really good at cooking?”

“Yep. I think we can probably live on our own right away.”

They sat at the table, and then Minato removed the lid of the hot plate. The room was filled with the smell of dumplings. They stretched out their chopsticks as though to say, “Finally!”

“Ittadakimaaaasu. Whoa, it’s really tasty! This is super good!”

Ryouhei was vigorously stuffing his cheeks, and Nanao also looked satisfied.

“How about that fried chicken and dumplings? There’s no way the zashiki-warashi wouldn’t come out if we make it smell such a nice smell, right?”

“Let’s set some aside for it. It’ll be disappointed if we have nothing for it, even though it took the trouble of coming here.”

Kaito spoke.

“You guys actually believe in it? Isn’t it just Nanao being scared?”

“And yet, didn’t you stop coming to my house for a while when you heard about the kid’s footsteps, Kacchan?”

“Shut up,” Kaito said, then gulped down his Oolong tea.

After they finished eating, they played games in the room. Nanao’s house was well-equipped with game consoles ranging from stationary to portable, and the number of games was impressive as well. They took turns entering the bath, and gamed until it was late.

They got tired of talking and soon decided to enter their futons. After they laid out their futons out in the guest room on the first floor, Ryouhei threw himself down, lying spread-eagled.

“The zashiki-warashi didn’t show up at all.”

“We might have been too noisy. If anything, there are lots of times when it’s quiet. I guess it’ll be a game once we enter our futons.”

They lowered their voices and waited for that time to come. However, even after one hour, there was not one sound. Before they knew, all five of them fell asleep.

Suddenly, Ryouhei woke up. He saw that it was still the middle of the night from his phone that was next to his pillow. Nanao, who should have been sleeping next to him, was not there. He wondered if he went to the washroom, but he never returned. Ryouhei left the room that was filled with the sounds of sleep.

He stood down the stairs and saw light coming from the second floor. He climbed the stairs, as though drawn in by the light.

He peeked into the room where the light was coming from, but there was no one there. The window was left open, and the night sky spread out outside the window. Wondering if it was carelessness after all, he entered the room to close the window. When he placed his hand on it, there was a sudden voice.

“Oh, don’t close it.”

When he poked his head out the window, he saw Nanao sitting on the roof of the first floor.

“What are you doing?”

Nanao pointed up at the sky.

“Look, a sky full of stars.”

“Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

Ryouhei sat next to Nanao on the roof. It was chilly and the soles of his feet were cool.

It was a starry night.

A star fell soundlessly.

Moonlit nights were nice, but nights where the moon was hidden were also special. The tiny stars that couldn’t be seen normally twinkled. Words failed him before that beautiful sight.

Ryouhei sighed.

“Is Kacchan sleeping?”

“Yep.”

“Good. He’s the one who’s scared, so I was wondering if he was too afraid to sleep.”

“Nanao, could it be that you’re Kaito’s guardian?”

“What, no way, too much work. Ryouhei, what’s your wish for the zashiki-warashi?”

“A family trip.”

“Ooh, that sounds nice. Like to a hot spring?”

“…My sister is timid, so she can’t leave the house. She’s been shutting herself in our house for a long time.”

“…Huh?”

Ryouhei looked up at the night sky.

“My sister is kind, smart, and athletic—a sister I can really brag about, but apparently there are people who hate that. At the school she transferred to, there was an unspoken understanding to not stand out more than so-and-so, but she didn’t realize that and did her best for everything. That’s why she ended up not going to school anymore.”

“Is that so… That’s terrible.”

“She found the ’Kaeru kerokerote e pero kero’ you taught me really funny. (13) You’re a genius at words that goes down well with her.”

“Well, as expected of the great me.”

“But, sometimes I can’t understand her. She says she doesn’t want to see me, and yet when I leave home for competitions, she orders me to call her… I don’t get her at all.”

“Oh, that’s because she spoils you. I think that if you try talking a bit selfishly to her, she would be relieved… Though if you try to test another person like that, they might leave instead.”

“She spoils me? No way. I’m worried if I did anything to make her hate me, but in the end, I can’t do anything.”

“I don’t think she hates you at all, in fact, I think she loves you. It’s really reassuring to have someone by your side.”

“I wonder about that…”

“You can bet on that, because I said it. Believe in me, 'kay?”

Nanao said, shining brilliantly with his back against the stars.

It was as though he was being told that by a prince. If the girls from the fan club were there, they probably would have swooned.

“Yeah. You’re Nanao-sama, after all.”

“That’s right. And, since you listened to me talk about my stuff the other day, next time, tell me more about anything that’s going on with you, like about your sister.”

“…Okay.”

He was wondering if he really had to talk about his sister, but Nanao listened to him without making fun or turning too serious and gloomy. Minato and Seiya knew about it, and that was precisely why he never mentioned her with them. He wanted the image of her in their minds to be as cool as she used to be.

When I meet with everyone, I’m so happy, I have so much fun, and I can’t help but feel pumped.

Right after the two brought their faces together and smiled, a boy with the face of a Deva king appeared.

“Hey, what the hell are you guys talking about in the middle of the night?”

“Kacchan!”

Kaito crossed over the window frame and sat between Nanao and Ryouhei.

“It’s pretty cold here. You guys need to get to bed soon.”

“But what are you doing, getting up in the middle of the night, Kacchan?”

“The two of you were gone when I woke up, so of course I would have to come and see what’s going on.”

“Pretty sure you woke up because you were scared, though.”

It happened when Nanao squinted.

——Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Footsteps.

The three exchanged glances.

“I could really hear the footsteps! So cool!”

“Isn’t it just someone who got up?” Kaito said.

“No, that’s definitely the sound of a little kid running!” Nanao said.

Ryouhei turned towards the house and placed his hands together.

“Zashiki-warashi-chan, please grant my wish!”

Nanao and Kaito also placed their hands together. Nanao sent a glance at Kaito.

“You have a wish too, Kacchan?”

“No, I’m just doing it because I got dragged into this.”

“Whaaaaat, that’s such a waste.”

“And what are you wishing for?”

“…It’s a secret.”

——Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The footsteps came again.

Right when Nanao and Kaito closed their mouths, somebody’s voice leaked from next door.

“Kou-chan, no running inside the house! It’s the middle of the night!”

The three looked at each other.

——The true identity of the zashiki-warashi is Kou-chan!?

The baby from the house next door, who still couldn’t walk yet when they moved there, had started walking, and it had only been the sound of the baby running around in the house that travelled into the adjoining Nanao’s house. He never knew that sounds from next door could be heard so well in wooden houses.

The three stared at each other for a minute, and then Nanao and Ryouhei burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer.

“What the hell were we doing, making our wishes to 'Kou-chan…’ Isn’t it one in the morning right now? Why is a little kid getting up so late at night?”

“I heard that babies are still bad at sleeping, so they inadvertently go to bed in the evening and get really energetic at night. But I can’t help it, this is too funny…”

Ryouhei couldn’t stop crying from laughter, and Kaito was too amazed to say anything.

In the end, Minato and Seiya also got up, and they also went up to the roof.

The five gazed at the starry sky for a long while.

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#tsurune #tsurune translation

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