Volume 1 - CH 7.3

W…what is with the tension in the air…?

“Now, now, now, now. Calm down both of you…”

These guys are usually nice… why is this happening?

“Today, look… it’s time for planting rice! Only in the rice paddy fields can you wash away your daily grudges.”

“Well…”

“If Kosaku says…”

The two reluctantly separate. Fweeeew…

By the way, it’s about time. To plant?

*************

The rice planting started very calmly at first.

“Ewwww…”

Ringo-chan steps into a slimy rice field. This is the response that would be expected.

“Ahehehe. The feeling of mud running through your toes can be a little surprising at first. But you’ll soon get used to it and it’ll feel better.”

“Ah, ok…”

“So watch me do it first, ok?”

While supporting the timid Ringo, I pick up a handful of seedlings that I had already thrown in. Of course a well-filled rice field can easily be punctured. Because of that to avoid messing up the field too much with your feet, no one but the person planting the rice should enter the paddy. And the person planting the rice should be direct and efficient. Once they have finished planting they should cover their footprints. If footprints are left behind, then harvesting machines can’t be used.

I pull out the three seedlings that are still attached to the bed and plant them in a straight row with minimal movement.

“Ho, ho ho..”

Ringo watched me with reverence as I planted like a machine to the rhythm. Look! Look at me more!!

“Kosaku is amazing…”

“Eh? Is it? I don’t really think it is…”

“No, it really is amazing”, Kei says while striking a double bicep pose for no reason.

“I’m supposed to be a better student because I do good in the classroom, but when it comes to agricultural techniques I’m not even close to Kosaku. If it’s just rice farming, he’s probably better than a teacher.”

“T..that’s a bit of an exaggeration…”, I downplay my abilities as I scratch my nose with the back of my hand.

“Well… I’ve been farming for more than 10 years, even though I look like this. And since many of the rice paddies in our village are terraced using the face of the mountains, we often have to plant by hand because there is no room for machinery. So I’ve got some confidence in my rice planting skills.”

“Ehhhh…”

Ringo and Kei make impressed sounds. Hehehe. I’ve been called a mad man by the locals, and everyone in the gallery is in awe of my technique.

“Well then, you should have a go at it Ringo.”

“…ok.”

Ringo nodded and tensely inserted the seedlings into the mud.

“Mmmmph. …well?”

“No no. You have to push the roots into the mud more or else they’ll come lose and float away.”

“Oh?”

“More.”

“Ok…”

I don’t like it.

“Watch this. You have to push it in really hard. Then the base hardens by mixing it together. Do you understand?”

“…I can’t see well with all the mud.”

Oh yeah. You can’t see my hands.

As I was thinking of what to do to show her Kei said, “Kosaku, what if you did it together?”

“Eh?!”

“We should do it as if we were both wearing the same haori.” (TN: a haori is a japanese type of coat.)

“B..but that would mean… I would have to be touching her body…”

“What’s wrong? Kinoshita, you don’t mind right?”

“Yeah.”

Eh!? It’s ok!? It’s ok to touch you!? You won’t sue me later!?

“Well then… Gulp … I’ll take your word for it…”

It’s time.  Minori who was planting the seedlings next to her hit Ringo on the butt.

“Ooops.”

DONK

“Kyaaa…”

KASPLOOSH

Looking down at Ringo who had fallen, Minori apologizes in a deliberate manner.

“Oh, sorry Kinoshita-san. You were going to slowly that I caught up with you before I knew it.”

“…”

Covered in mud from head to toe, Ringo spit out the mud that was in her mouth with a “Puh”, then spit out something more toxic.

“…Fat ass”

“Whaa!? Who are you calling a fat ass!?”

“You” Ringo then swept Minori’s leg out.”

KASPLOOSH

“I did it…!”

Minori, who fell face first into the mud, leaped at Ringo!

“You cat burglar!”

“You pesky bug!”

These start a cat fight while cursing at each other. This is much more scarier than a man’s fight. Now’s not the time to watch though!

“Hey you two! Stop it!”

“STAY OUT OF IT”, they both say.

“OK. Excuse me.”

It looks like it’s going to continue. Should it be stopped? No way, it’s impossible.

“Why do you keep getting in my way?! Get out of my face you fat whore!”

“You’re the one that’s in the way! Pack your bags and head back to Tokyo!”

“No way!

“You! Get out of here!”

Ringo holds both of Minori’s legs out to the side and swings her in a giant swing. Oh! Now Minori is countering Ringo’s flying move with an RKO (a jumping diamond cutter), just like Randy Orton. This is the woman who is at the top of the food chain at Tamo University of Agriculture and Forestry. Thanks to them the rice paddies are now full of holes. Dammit, I’m going to have to start all over at the beginning with digging the holes. This practice is over.

Seeing this disaster, even Kei  stopped his work and watched.

“Hey! You guys, GET A GRIP!”

“K..Keiiiii!”

Oh my god!

Just as he was about to try to break it up, Kei was hit with a perfectly timed King Kong lariat by Minori and Ringo. As he staggered backwards he was thrown head first into the mat with the Air Raid Avalanche Crash. These two are amazing. They could be a tag team that would make it to the semi-finals or so of the IGPW Tag Team Tournament.

“K..Kei? Are you alright? …I don’t think you are.”

“Blub blub blub blub.”

All I’m hearing are bubbles.

“Umph… Umph…”

I pulled at Kei, who was stuck in the mud head first, out of the rice paddy. Oh man, he’s completely out cold.

“…Let’s have lunch…”

I sat down next to my unconscious best friend, opened the basket, and watched the two beautiful girls have a mud wrestling match with no rules. I stuffed myself with the sandwiches they had made.

*************

Several hours later…

When the evening stars shone in the western sky, the battle finally ended.

“Ha… ha… ha…”

“Fu… fu…fu…”

The two girls fell down in the rice paddy at the same time while breathing heavily. And then…

“…Your not half bad…”

“…You too…”

Minori and Ringo, covered in mud and looking like monsters, lay sprawled in the rice paddy unable to catch their breath. Well… it looks like a friendship has sprouted…

By the way, the next day I pulled the seedlings with a tractor and then planted them all with a rice transplanter. THERE! If that’s how it was going to be just tell me to do it all from the beginning!