88-Episode 77 Soleil. Sunflower.

Early morning.

I mean, it's night!Night!

The sky is dark!

...... Oh, I'm so sleepy.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

The two weak morning people of the sunny pavilion were awakened early in the morning by the gentle but warm voice of Jeannette, and managed to get ready before the meeting time.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

Take care.'

Ginette sends us off, handing us lunch for the three of us.

I respect this guy's ability to get up early.

More importantly, it's really amazing that you can put on a million dollar smile this early in the morning.

I can't make the donation to the church, so I asked Estella to do it for me. I asked Estella to bring Natalia with her so that Ginette would not be burdened.

Not long after that, Millie came to pick me up and we started walking towards the 40th district.

...... Magda got into Millie's cart and seemed to have fallen asleep.

'Don't you want to sleep, Milly?'

'Nah. I'm fine.'

I wondered if her voice was low at the beginning because she was still nervous.

But it's a great improvement that she doesn't run away when we meet like this, and that we can talk normally now.

Today, too, the Eurasian ladybirds are swaying around Millie's head.

By the time we reached the 40th district, the sky in the distance was finally starting to lighten.

Ah, the sun is rising. Thank goodness for that. ...... I hate the dark.

Oh, .......'

After walking for a while into the fortieth district, Millie suddenly made a short, happy sound.

'Neck, tic.

There were two small figures in the direction Miry pointed.

They were stocky, with long, thin faces. ............ They were anteaters.

'Hello, Milly. It's a beautiful morning. I have a feeling something very good is going to happen today. Don't you?'

'Hi!You must be the ladybug. I'm my brother, Tic. I like to play ball. Nice to meet you.'

'Oh, oh. ......'

I shake his hand. Chick spun around and put his hand on my shoulder as we shook hands. ...... summit meeting.

What is it with these junior high English textbook types?

'Oh, Millie. Is that a shovel?'

'Huh?No, it's a lunch box.

That's totally different!It doesn't look like a shovel in any way!

'Ladybug, are you Milly's father?

'Yeah, ......?No, it's ......?

''We're not, either.''

I don't know what's more annoying, the twins or the ...... English examples!

I don't know what to say, but I'm not sure what to say. ............ Do you guys call me "ladybug-san" too?I don't have any ladybug in me at all.

'Hey, Ladybug-san, ...... this is your brother's neck, and that's your brother's tic ......'.

'Nice to meet you, ladybug. My name's Neck. I'm fourteen years old. I like to play ball. Last night I worked very hard in the field. How about you?

'...... no, I am not.'

These guys are exhausting.

'...... millie, I'm sorry ...... I'm starting to feel like going home.'

'Oh, ...... good luck with that. Maybe you'll get used to it in an hour or so. ......'

A beautiful girl defending her childhood friend.

d*mn, how healthy...

'You know, ...... ladybug wants to see Soleil.

'Whoa!What?Can you say that again?

'Yeah, ......, I want to see Soleil, ......'

'Whoa!This is awesome. Hey, I know you think so, Tic.'

'Oh, I think so, Neck. We're encountering a miracle right now!

'All right. I'm not leaving, let me hit you.'

'Oh ...... that ............ ladybug ...... I'm sorry. Please ...... me.'

d*mn it. If it wasn't for Millie, you'd all be getting your long, thin faces bent up by my right hook!

'Actually, Soleil bloomed yesterday.

'Can you believe this timing? Sounds like a lie, right?But it's the truth!

'Really?

'It's true. They should be in bloom by this afternoon.

'Do you want to go see them right now?Or do you want to have a nice apple pie at home?

'I want to see them right now!Take me there.'

'OK, then I'll invite you to my house!

'It's a really good apple pie!

'Not that one!It's Soleil's!

'Oh, no... ......'

'Oh, God, ......'.

Oh, you're driving me crazy!

'Listen, ladybug, think about it. Keep a cool head, keep a cool head.'

'Soleil, if you miss this today, you won't see her for over a year, but you can always bake an apple pie and see as much as you want, okay?

'That's why I want you to take me to see Soleil!

'..................'

'..................'

'............ ah'

'Oh, I see.'

What's wrong with these people?

How are they adjusting to society?

'Well, let's get moving.

'Hurry up, you two.'

'......, you've been throwing me around.'

The anteater brothers beckoned to us, urging us to leave.

When Millie put her hand on the cart, Magda, who had been sleeping there, popped up.

'...... have you arrived?

'Oh, Magda. You're awake.'

'...... Yeah. ............ Who's that and who's that?'

Magda rubbed her sleepy eyes and pointed at Neck and Tic.

Neck and Tic were startled by Magda's sudden appearance, and froze with their eyes wide open.

'Hey, Milly. If she's on your cart, does that mean she's a flower spirit?

'Yeah, ...... yeah. An employee of the Sunlit Pavilion.'

'HAHAHA! Are you kidding?If she's not a flower spirit, she's a fairy. It must be.'

'Hmm ....... sunny-tei-san's employee ......, right?'

'...... Magda is neither a genie nor a fairy.'

'HEY, did you hear that, Tic?Did you hear that beautiful voice?

'Yeah, I heard it with both my ears!

'I can't believe it, but she's not a spirit or a fairy.

'It's hard to believe, but if she says so, it must be true.

'Then what the hell is she?Other than spirits and fairies, is there any other life form that is so pure and beautiful?

'Well, calm down, Neck. I think you're forgetting one very important thing.

'What is it, Tic?Tell me.'

'It's a being far more pure and unspoiled than any spirit or fairy.

'Oh!

'Yes!The being that just popped into your head. That's the Answer.

'Oh, my God, ......, she's...'

'Oh, yes. The beautiful woman named Magda is ...... that being!

The anteater brothers, who had been writhing around and discussing something with exaggerated gestures, all stared at Magda.

Then they all said in unison.

''Magda, you're a real angel. ......''

What, is that some kind of rule?Is it a religion?

Or is it a disease?I wonder if it's contagious!I know a guy who has the exact same symptoms.

'...... Are you related to Umaro?

'It doesn't seem to be, well, treated the same.'

'Ohhhh ............ neck and tic is ............ weird'.

No, they've been weird from the start.

Magda straightens her posture and addresses Neck and Tic.

''...... Neck, Tic.''

''Yes!''

''......Yashiro, do him a favor.''

''Yes!''

Hey, I know that ...... feeling.

''Come on!Ladybug, there's no time to dawdle!

'Yes!The soleil will start wilting at sunrise today, and will be completely dead by noon. Hurry up!

'Are you serious?

'Harry up!Ladybug!

'Hurry up, Millie!

''Oh, ......, yeah!

''And Magda-tan, moe~!

''Don't do something irrelevant, hurry up!

The anteater brothers were infected with a serious disease. I slapped their asses and sprinted through the forty districts near sunrise.

Stepping into the deep forest in the forty district, I followed the anteater's back and went farther and farther.

...... You'll never find anything like this without a guide.

It's a good idea to take a look at the website and see if you can find anything that might help you. It was all I could do to keep up with them.

'Hey!Rook!There it is!

'Good. You're just in time!

'Where the hell are you?

I search the forest with my eyes.

It's too dark to see much.

...... d*mn it, where are you?I mean, which one?

'Ladybug-san ...... that ............ far up, in the tree ......'

'Up in the tree ............?

I looked in the direction Millie was pointing.

A large tree stretches toward the sky. On its branches, a bright flower the size of the palm of your hand was blooming.

It was a beautiful flower, orange in color with large petals.

'Was it a flower on a ...... tree? ......'

'Only one flower ...... blooms at irregular intervals ............ and you might get lucky.'

It is said that whoever finds the soleil will be lucky. That's what Millie told me yesterday.

She put her hands together, closed her eyelids and bowed her head towards the flower.

She was probably praying.

The anteater brothers and even Magda were doing the same thing.

...... Should I do the same?

............ No.

The morning light was beginning to break through the forest.

When the sun rises, the soleil will begin to wane.

Then I won't ask for anything. I'll just keep my eyes on her for as long as I can.

Imprint it in my brain so I'll never forget it again.

Soleil shone brightly in the morning sun that shone into the forest.

Perhaps it was the reflection of the sunlight in the morning dew, but it really looked like it was shining golden.

But then it began to wilt rapidly.

I was glad that I did not close my eyes.

It was really an instantaneous event.

The petals were barely attached to the stem, but there was no sign of them.

'I'm glad I saw .......'

I thought to myself.

'......Yashiro'.

Before I knew it, Magda had finished her wish and was standing next to me.

'............The desire to be seen can become a crime if taken too far. ......'

'That's not what I meant by "I'm glad I was seen."'

It's a good thing I said 'good', not 'pleasure'.

...... The public morals of the Sunlit Pavilion are becoming a serious matter. In the meantime, we have to restrict Regina's access.

'What did Magda ask you to do?It was something serious.'

'...... Yeah. It was a serious request.

'Is the content still a secret?

'............ with Yashiro.'

Magda turns to look at me.

Magda's face is bathed in the morning sun. ......

'......May you and Yashiro be together forever.'

...... He seemed to be smiling, somehow.

'By the way, I wished for more sales of stinky spinach. How about you, Tic?'

'Funny you should mention that, Neck. I'm the same. You're the same, aren't you, Milly?'

'Yeah, ............, well, Miry's hoping ...... the flowers will make a lot of people happy... .........'

'I see!I hope it comes true, that wish!

'What about you, ladybug?What did you ask for?'

'I was watching Soleil, I didn't have time to make a wish.

But if I were to make a ...... wish, it would be ............

If I had to make a wish, it would be ...... to celebrate Ginette's birthday in a big way. ......

I'm going home. You've been a huge help, thank you, guys.'

'Hmm, ......, that's good.'

'Don't worry about it. I was just doing what I had to do.'

'Yeah, right. We're friends now, aren't we?

'Ha-ha-ha-ha, I don't know about that.

'Yes!Why don't you come to my house afterwards?

'That's a good idea, Neck!I have a very good apple pie at home.'

'You just want me to eat apple pie after all.

Well, if you have apple pie, I'd like to try it.

...... What are you doing about the sugar?You can't be sure it's just the sweetness of the apples?

The word "apple pie" gave us a hint of hope as we headed to the anteater brothers' house.

What came out was a whole apple wrapped in dough and fried.

'What kind of apple pie is this?

It's an apple cutlet, then!

'It's a pie, it's a pie!

'Oh, it's pie!It's a pie, it's a pie!

'...... pies and pies, just like Yashiro. ......'

'Hey, Magda. Don't listen to anyone.

Who said anything about pie?

But this apple pie is terrible.

It's not just that it's sugar-free. This is a different kind of food.

I took a bite. ............ It was a greasy, shriveled apple.

'............ When I get some sugar, I'll give you a real apple pie. ......'

'Does it taste any better than this?'

'I'd say not as good.'

'I'm looking forward to it, but I'm not holding my breath.

'Sure. Sugar is a condiment that is out of the reach of ...... us common people.

Farming stinky spinach seems to be quite difficult, and the anteater brothers' home is more like a poverty-stricken ...... home.

Their parents have been ............ for a long time, so it seems that the two brothers are now running the smelly spinach farm.

It seems that they are the only ones in the forty districts who grow this stinky spinach.

...... I'm glad the damage didn't spread.

'So, are you the ones who were selling it at the stalls?

'No, it's not. It's true, believe me. Trust me.'

'There's only one person who's kind enough to buy our stinky spinach. That's who we sell everything to.'

From what I hear, their stinky spinach is deemed worthless and the Peddler's Guild won't take it.

If they don't have any business with the peddlers' guild, there's no problem for them to sell their crops to whoever they want. I've confirmed this with Assunto beforehand, so I'm sure.

In other words, no one is going to complain about me buying stinky spinach from them. If it's worth the ...... price, that is.

'But why would the person who buys it buy such stinky spinach?

'Because he's so kind.

'He's always looking out for us, and sometimes he even brings us food.

'Is he feeding you?'

'HAHAHA! I think we might be close.

It might be great to stay cheerful in the midst of poverty.

But is there anyone who can take on the ...... life of others without any benefits?

I'm not sure if it's because I feel sorry for these people?

No, if that's the case, urge them to grow spinach instead of stinky spinach. If you're the kind of person who can financially support your twin brother, you should be able to have that kind of say. ......

What is it then?

Are you sure it's just good intentions?

'If you want, you can take a look at my field.

'We have a lot of space, so I'm sure it's worth seeing.

'Well, let's see it.

Let's see the field where you grow stinky spinach you can't sell.

'The field is behind this house.

'Come on, let's go!

With an American gesture, the anteater brothers beckoned us to follow them out into the field.

The anteater brothers were right, the field was too big for the two of us to reach. Mormat would not hesitate to hire a peasant. With a field this big.

But in reality, only a small space close to the house was used.

About a third to a half of the field is left over.

There is no use in producing a lot of things that cannot be sold, and they do not have enough money to expand their business to that extent.

'Now, open your two eyes and take a good look. Whoa!But don't open them too wide and drop your eyeballs. It's my job to clean up after them.

'HAHAHA! Nice joke!

It's not a nice joke.

'Look, here's our pride and joy, the world's most unsuccessful spinach!

'I can't decide if they're positive or stupid.

I crouched down in the field, ............ and realized.

'Oh, hey, ............ this is ......'.

Then I finally understood.

The pieces that had been scattered about were coming together neatly.

Things that I had thought were completely unrelated became intricately intertwined. ......

'So that's what it's all about: ......'

All the mysteries were solved.

I felt like the vague things that had covered my head had been dispelled and my vision had been cleared.

I can't believe I overlooked something like this: ............

'Oh yes!What timing!Look at that, Tic.'

'Whoa!Speak of the devil, Neck.'

The anteater brothers shouted with glee.

The rumored person who came to the field--

The rumored person who came to the field to buy the stinky spinach they couldn't even sell showed up.

'............ Why are you here?

The "gentleman" looked at my face and his expression was tense.

He was a good-looking man, with only his eyes blacked out. A raccoon man with a gentle, flirtatious impression. Today he's a familiar face to me with a thin cane in his mouth.

'Hey, what a coincidence. ............ Percy.'

Percy, the sugar man, was there.