Volume 1 - CH 2.3

weekend Lovers

Translated by 64990022

Chapter 2: Weekend Lovers

Part 3

Afterwards, Hiyori and I continued to explore Mukaishima’s tourist attractions.

Since some places were far apart, we rented bicycles and went to the far side of the island. There were a few places that she hadn’t been to yet since it was quite far to the southern side. Climbing the mountain slopes on bike was demanding, but pedaling until we were out of breath was fun in its own way.

[TN: Onomichi is in the north of Mukaishima, so Hiyori live on Onomichi side of Mukaishima, or the northern side of the island]

Through the process, I managed to shake off the hazy feeling in my chest. We rode on through the afternoon and finally reached our last destination at sunset: a chocolate factory with an accompanying cafe.

“Phew… Why would someone choose to be this far on a mountain…” I wondered. If anything, the factory strangely resembled a school building. “This feels more like a campground for a school event than a factory…”

“I don’t know either… But from what I heard, it’s pretty popular though!”

We parked our bike nearby, caught our breath, and entered.

“I’ve been thinking about coming for a while. Haven’t got a chance to come… anyway, let’s get going!”

**

“W-woah…!”

“D-delicious!”

I eyed her overly dramatic exclamations, but it wasn’t long before I joined her with my own.

“Amazing! I could still smell the beans! I thought it would be the creamy, sugary type but this exceeded my expectations…this is totally to my tastes!”

Apparently, the chocolate sold here accentuates the true flavor of the cacao bean. No cream, just the beans and sugar. Hence, the chocolate here lets you savor the untouched natural flavor of cacao.

As a black coffee lover, this was incredible. The bitterness and tartness spread across my palate. What’s more was that it fit in with an orange juice in the set perfectly.

While my reaction was admiration, Hiyori’s was more of a surprise.

“T-there’s a chocolate like this?! Hmm… bitter chocolate to contrast with the bracing orange juice!” She then looked up and smiled. “I’m glad you like it too, Miharu-kun!”

“Yeah, this is great. I think I’m gonna buy some more before we go.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll too!”

Our conversation died down, so I absent-mindedly cast my eyes over the window wall. From the vantage point, houses sprawled on flat ground and beyond wasa the deep blue of the sea. The Islands of Innoshima and Yugeshima rose out from the sea like a mountaintop above the fog.

This island was Hiyori’s home. These were the views she saw.

Even now that I had known a lot more about her, why did I feel like the distance between our hearts hadn’t shortened at all?

No, I have found that there was a wall between us precisely because I had known more about her.

And then, after she examined my expression, Hiyori asked. “Is there anything you want to do?”

“Anything I want to do?”

“Um, like… where you want to go or things you want to do with me,” she gabbled on quickly, “It could be sometime later… Since I’ve got to welcome you to my neighborhood, what about yours… or we could go to Hiroshima city center…”

[TN: Onomichi and Mukaishima are on the outer reaches of Hiroshima Prefecture]

“What I want…” 

While I turned the word over in my head, a thought crossed my mind. I suddenly remembered what Urabe said the other day.

–“Just ask her, ‘I want to do erotic things, how ‘bout you?’”

The sudden lewd thoughts left me with guilt. Yes, it was what I wanted, but this doesn’t seem like the place to say it. I couldn’t afford to be a downer here and ruin our first date as a couple.

I washed down the bitterness of chocolate and guilt with the orange juice. The sweet and sour of the orange brought clarity to my head. Only then, I trust myself to say it.

There was one thing I wanted to do with her. 

Like Urabe said, I needed to clearly express what I want. 

So, today will be the day I step forward in our relationship.

“About The Heavens Council–” 

Hiyori’s head snapped up.

“–I want you to tell me about it. What are you doing right now, what do you think about it? And if you like, I want you to confide with me. If you have any doubts, please talk to me.”

A short pause before I decided to add.

“I’m your boyfriend, Hiyori…”

That might be unfair of me, forcing her to talk about a topic she clearly didn’t want to talk about. But that was what I wanted.

She drank the orange juice and leaned back.

I disinterestedly noted that the background music changed from female vocal bossa nova to minimal techno.

“Sorry… there’s a lot I can’t say,” she said with a rueful, apologetic smile, “It’s not just about me. There’re many things that are confidential matters… In the first place, it would be enough to destabilize the organization  if word goes out that I’m the founder… Besides, I also want to live a normal life too.”

“I see…”

That’s a valid point.

She had information that could affect the lives of millions, not something that she could easily tell her boyfriend. Especially when we might not live to see another day if someone overheard.

“So, for now, it would be helpful if you could just think of it as a… demanding part-time job.”

“Okay…” I waved my hand side to side “It’s not something you can just talk about, I get it. Sorry for prying.”

[TN: waving hand side to side is a Japanese body language for “no.” You can look up “iya iya hand wave” on Google.]

In retrospect, it was the other way around. Why did I even think she would include me in this world-wide organization of hers. We’ve dated for like, what? Two weeks? It was a miracle that she revealed this much to me.

“Ah! But!” she said abruptly, “If it’s something that concerns you directly, then I’ll tell you anything!”

“‘Concern me directly’?”

“Um, like, for example…” Her lips twitched, abashed. “Before I confessed, I reported to my assistant… It might be unpleasant, but…”

Hmm… was it that unpleasant? Something like embarrassment from telling about your romantic affairs?

I drained the orange juice and put a cup of chilled water in my mouth.

“The organization did a thorough investigation of your family.”

I spewed out the entire cup.

“I-investigation?! The Heavens Council did that?! W-why?”

“We need to rule out the possibility that you’re a spy, check your ideological background… There were cases where I was approached due to an intel leak…”

“R-really…”

Right, they could do that. In the battle over information nowadays, having the power of Request certainly was a cheat. Why wouldn’t they do an investigation on me when they could have just have Hiyori do a few requests and be done with it.

“B-but, wait, ‘intel leak’? Someone find out who you are?”

“I used some Requests to trace back and deal with them already, no worries. Ah, and your investigation, you’re clear, Miharu-kun. You and your family are not spies nor any extremist.”

“Of course not!”

We’re just ordinary citizens! How can we be agents?!

“Then, there’d be bodyguards escorting me almost all the time. That goes for school and our way home too.”

“Then… today too?”

“Of course.”

W-where?! I didn’t…”

“Hmph, they’re watching from a distance, you dummy. It’s no fun when you notice staff following you around…”

Even from a distance, it was enough to take the fun out of me though… More importantly, where?! Wouldn’t they be laughing over this exchange?!

And… that’s dangerous! If I had inadvertently done what Urabe told me to do– if I asked her what she thinks on lewd things… that would have been disastrous. I can’t imagine how I would be if a third party overheard that…

“But, that’s it,” she said nonchalantly, “That’s the extent of the organization’s involvement with you… I asked them to let me have a normal life, so, let’s make this relationship normal, shall we?”

At this point, I wouldn’t call this “normal”…

Honestly, that was quite scary, being pre-screened like that. Never once had I thought that my first girlfriend would have this many circumstances.

Anyway,

“Thank you” I made a smile. “For telling me. I’m a little relieved, it’s been bugging me ever since.”

“No, thank you for letting me talk. I’m afraid of you thinking things like, ‘ahh, this girl’s a pain.’ I’m glad you don’t mind…”

“Uh, I do mind being monitored like that though.”

“Ehh?! I promise they won’t bother you though–!”

We then laughed at each other.

–I’m glad we could have this talk. I felt like a load was taken off my shoulders…

Although there were still many concerns left.

Can this relationship ever be “normal”? How should I feel about this? How do I reduce her burden? How could I give ehr respite? How could I make her laugh without reservation?

I checked the clock “And, is it time?”

“I’m sure it is. We should get going.”

As I was finalizing the bill, I asked her, “by the way, is it fine talking in public like this?”

“Hm? What?”

“About The Heavens Council… the waiter might have heard us…?”

I couldn’t be sure if the cafe was empty of other customers by coincidence or by the organization’s hands. But that aside, the waiters were still present and could have possibly heard us.

“Thaaatt! It’s alright,” she said calmly, “I already Requested them when I went to order.”

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“O-oh…”

That’s unexpectedly shrewd of her.

And it reminded me yet again of that this rift between us wouldn’t be disappearing anytime soon.