Chapter 73 At the Journey
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It was the final day of our honeymoon. Originally, we planned to wander around Naha City until our flight, but at the Okinawan restaurant we visited last night, they strongly urged us to visit the Himeyuri no Tou¹, so we made a last-minute change to our schedule.
This morning, as usual, Manami milked the first batch of essence from me.
”The first press is the best! Thank you for today’s rich baby-maker material!” Manami said.
It’s not exactly a famous beer brand, though… (sweat). I’m starting to get a nagging feeling that once Manami is allowed to drink, she’s going to become quite the heavy hitter.
After having breakfast at the hotel buffet, we headed out to Kokusai-dori to buy souvenirs. Since my mother valued neighborly ties and our neighbors had been very kind to us after my parents passed away, I bought some Chinsuko²—which apparently won the Grand Gold Medal at the Mondo Selection⁶—for the neighbors, my mother-in-law, Watanabe-sensei, and Mitsuhiko’s house. Separately, since Watanabe-sensei loves his liquor, I also bought some Awamori³ recommended by the shopkeeper.
For Yuzuki and Emilia, since they are involved in track and field, I picked out skincare sets made from natural Okinawan ingredients.
At this point, it suddenly hit me that with all these souvenirs, they wouldn’t fit in the carry-on bag I brought, so I ended up buying another carry-on (sweat).
Returning to the hotel, we took the rental car to the world heritage site, Shuri Castle⁴. We walked through the Shureimon Gate to the main hall and spent about an hour exploring the surrounding area. It was a shame that some areas were still inaccessible due to the fire a few years ago, but as befitting the center of the Ryukyu Kingdom, I was overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the architecture.
Then, we visited the Himeyuri no Tou. Many people were visiting the memorial to mourn the tragedy of the Himeyuri Student Corps who served during World War II. In the adjacent museum, photos of the students and teachers who perished were posted on the walls, with descriptions of their personalities in life and the circumstances of their deaths.
Thinking about how our current peace is built upon the sacrifices of people even younger than us made my heart ache. I don’t know what I can do, but I carved it into my heart that we must never repeat the same mistakes.
On the way to the airfield, we spotted the Ryukyu Glass Village⁵ and stopped by. Since it was a handmade glass workshop, we were able to observe the glass artisans at work. They were selling simple yet highly artistic glass products, so I bought some glasses and a flower vase.
We headed to Naha Airport, returned the rental car, and flew back. When we arrived at the airport, my mother-in-law was there to pick us up.
”Since we ended up with so much luggage, I asked Mama to come get us,” Manami said.
”Mother-in-law, I’m sorry for making you come all this way,” I said.
”Well, she’s a selfish daughter, so I suppose it can’t be helped. But, it is nice to be relied on once in a while,” she replied.
With that, I finally returned to our home after a long absence.
The next day was the final day of Golden Week, so I went around delivering souvenirs to my mother-in-law, Mitsuhiko, and the neighbors. When I visited the Yamauchi family across the street, the wife asked me a question.
”The girl who was here the other day… that was Emilia-chan, right?” Mrs. Yamauchi asked.
”Yes, that’s right,” I replied.
”I thought so. Has Emilia-chan come back?” she asked.
I didn’t know this, but Mamiko-chan from the Yamauchi family is one year younger than me, and apparently, they were close friends back when they went to the same kindergarten.
”After Emilia-chan moved away, Mamiko found out she was being bullied and cried her eyes out. She’s been worried about it for a long time, so could you let me know the next time Emilia-chan comes over?” Mrs. Yamauchi asked.
”Sure thing. I think Emilia-chan would be happy to hear that,” I replied.
Yuzuki and Emilia have been coming in and out of my house; while I told people Yuzuki was Manami’s friend, I hadn’t been asked anything about Emilia, so I hadn’t said anything. But with this, it seemed I could avoid having people say strange things even if Emilia visited.
On the first day of home tutoring after Golden Week, I brought the souvenirs to Watanabe-sensei. Watanabe-sensei happened to be home and was overjoyed by the gift of Awamori.
”Hirokazu-kun, let’s have a drink right now!” Watanabe-sensei said.
He really does love his alcohol, but since I can’t drink yet and was there for tutoring, his wife scolded him.
Meanwhile, after finishing her meal, Kotoha-chan went to her room looking quite displeased. When it was time, I went to her room, and instead of provoking me as usual, she had changed into her uniform and was sitting on the bed.
”What’s wrong today?” I asked.
”Nothing,” Kotoha-chan replied.
”Could it be… that day of the month?” I asked.
”You’re not supposed to ask girls things like that,” she replied.
”Really? Manami says it all the time at our house,” I said.
”Well, I’m different!” she snapped.
I pulled Kotoha-chan’s souvenir out of my bag.
”Is this for Kotoha?” she asked.
”Yeah. It’s a souvenir for you, Kotoha-chan,” I replied.
It seemed Kotoha-chan had been upset because she thought there wasn’t a souvenir for her.
”Wow, it’s so cute! This is a whale shark, right? I’m so happy!” she exclaimed.
Kotoha-chan looked delighted as she hugged the whale shark plushie.
”As expected of Kotoha’s Hirokazu. You really get it,” she said.
”Should I give you a peck as a thank you?” Kotoha-chan asked.
She was back to her usual self.
”I’ll pass on that, let’s just start studying,” I said.
”In that case, I’ll give you a special look at Kotoha’s panties. Today, they’re pink!” she said.
She flipped up her skirt and exposed her panties.
”I have to thank Manami-oneesan too,” she added.
Kotoha-chan took a photo of the whale shark plushie with her smartphone and sent a thank-you email to Manami.
On the way home that day, Manami came to pick me up at the station by car.
”Kotoha-chan definitely likes you, Hirokazu-san,” Manami said.
I thought she was just teasing me, but Manami seemed to have a different impression.
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Summary:
Hirokazu and Manami finish their Okinawa honeymoon with visits to historical sites and souvenir shopping. Upon returning home, Hirokazu clears up a potential misunderstanding with a neighbor regarding Emilia’s presence. He returns to his tutoring job, where he mollifies a jealous Kotoha-chan with a whale shark plushie. The chapter ends with Manami observing that Kotoha-chan’s feelings for Hirokazu might be more serious than he realizes.
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Character Insight:
Kotoha-chan’s emotional volatility in this chapter highlights her deep-seated desire for Hirokazu’s attention and validation. Her initial grumpiness stems entirely from the fear of being forgotten, showing her vulnerability despite her provocative exterior. Meanwhile, Manami’s intuition regarding Kotoha-chan’s feelings suggests a maturity and awareness of the social dynamics around her husband, contrasting her playful ‘first press’ antics.
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Behind the Scene:
The author uses real-world Okinawan landmarks like the Himeyuri no Tou to ground the story in reality and provide a moment of somber reflection amidst the rom-com elements. The mention of the Shuri Castle fire refers to the real-life 2019 incident.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Mitsuhiko – The protagonist’s childhood friend. Hirokazu’s childhood best friend who attends a different high school known for baseball. He’s a good-natured jock and one of the few people who truly understands Hirokazu.
• Watanabe – The protagonist’s guardian. He is a lawyer who is skilled at dealing with difficult people and has a history with Yabuta’s father.
• Emilia – A second-year student, biracial (French father, Japanese mother), with white skin, dark brown semi-long hair, modest chest, and hazel eyes. A talented hurdler known as the Snow Princess. Looks like bisque doll.
• Kotoha – Junior high school student, middle school 3rd year (short height). Daughter of Watanabe-sensei. Energetic, playful, short hair in a ponytail.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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