Volume 2 - CH 5.2

When making a reservation for the hot spring inn, Sandai had aimed for one likely to have availability, but apparently it was so deep in the mountains. He hadn’t checked it out detailedly to that extent.

Even the train, everytime they transferred to another, the railroad cars kept getting shorter and older. Eventually, there were only Sandai and Shino for the passengers in a one-railroad-car train.

Shino didn’t make any complaints in particular. Her home being fairly in the countryside, it seemed she was used to such scenery, too.

The train came out of a long tunnel. Immediately after, the whole surrounding was pure white. It was a snowscape.

“Wow, it’s so crazy white!”

“Kawabata Yasunari wrote a passage that says, ‘The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country,’ but this sure is a landscape exactly befitting that.”

“Kawabata…?”

“He’s a kind of literary master. Even his name shows up in the modern Japanese textbook.”

“I don’t look at textbooks and stuff…”

“I see.”

The train began to gradually slow down. It seemed there was a station right after getting out of the tunnel, and the train came to a complete stop before long.

They knew from looking at the station’s name that this was their destination, so they got off. Immediately after, the now completely empty train started moving again as it shook and made creaking sounds against the rail, going even deeper into the mountains.

“We’re here.”

“We sure are.”

When they looked at the sky, the sun was halfway into setting. Faint darkness and silence were also spread out, and it would turn into night in no time at all at this stage.

It wasn’t like they were familiar with the local area, so they decided to go to the inn and check-in without making a side trip.

“Well then, please write down here your name, address, phone number, and signature that would prove who you are.”

Sandai was asked to fill out the hotel register at the reception, so he filled out each empty field one by one and handed it. The sign was Sandai’s full name written in cursive.

Payment for the accommodation would also often be made at the time of check-in, but this time Sandai had secretly paid it through bank transfer, so there was no on-site transaction happening.

“Please enjoy your stay.”

Receiving the inn map in the lobby, Sandai and Shino wandered through the inn, looking for their booked room with the key they had received.

It seemed to be an inn bigger than they had expected as well. There was the main building, an annex, and in addition also something like a special mansion, apparently.

It seemed the special mansion was aimed for guests on the high end, and apparently the rooms all had a private open-air bath. And the fee too, it started from 100,000 yen per night for the lowest.

“The lowest starts from 100,000 yen… I wonder what kind of people would stay in a room like this.”

“Rich people, isn’t it?”

“I guess that’s true, but even rich people have all kinds of categories. Probably… I guess you’re really thinking like wanting to try staying at a place like this, Shino?”

“I think the most important thing is not whether you’re able to afford luxuries with however much money, but being with the person you want to be together with, though?”

“I see. I guess you’re right—at any rate, it sure is an inn quieter than expected.”

The presence of people within the inn was few, and they didn’t see many guests staying either. They would pass by other people occasionally, but basically it was ruled by silence.

“I’d hate it to be crowded, so I chose a place that seems to be less crowded, but I guess I really should’ve gone for an inn that’s probably more lively?”

“I mean I’d hate it too if there’s too many people. Well, around this much is just right, isn’t it? I mean it’s a hot spring, so it’s better for it to be quiet than noisy.”

“If it’s a hot spring, a quiet one is better?”

“A hot spring with lots of people will seem, like, already hardly different from a spa & wellness center and the like, right? It’s a hot spring, so what to look forward to is quiet and peaceful, isn’t it?“

“Now that you mentioned it, I guess that’s true, too. Right, the quiet one is calming, so I guess it’s better.”

They arrived at the room they had booked shortly after. The inside was as it had been explained when booking it, a plain, normal-sized traditional room for two.

Sandai had only been able to vaguely imagine how big was normal-sized, but it was smaller than he had thought. The futons already laid out for two people were occupying more than half of it, giving a cramped impression.

“Instead of like because it’s cheaper, I guess I should’ve gone for a bigger room, huh.”

“Then how about we do just that the next time we go on a trip? This time it’s a reward so I had you pay for it, but I’ll pay for my own share next time, so then we can stay in a slightly bigger room.”

“There.” Shino placed her bag in the corner of the room and went to immediately lie down on the futon.

It was still unclear when the next trip would be, but at the very least, to go on one itself was already set in stone in Shino’s mind.

Sandai didn’t say, “I’ll pay for the next one, too.” It was because Shino had the personality that would hate to be on the receiving end only, and saying such a thing would displease her.

This time it was purely under the pretext of a-reward-for-working-hard-on-studying, so Shino was getting herself spoiled by Sandai.

Sandai wasn’t really sure whether such a relationship was a proper couple relationship, though, he didn’t think that this was mistaken.

There are as many what is correct and incorrect as there are people.

For Sandai and Shino, something of this sort was the correct one, so this was correct.

That was how it was.

“Hmm…?”

Shino slowly got up and was staring fixedly outside of the window, apparently having spotted something.

“What’s up?”

“The store over there, I just thought its light was up. Maybe they’re selling anything like souvenirs or something?”

Sandai too looked outside the window. Immediately after, he saw an old-looking general variety store on the old road along the river close by. It seemed to be operating as well since the light was on.

“I feel like we’re gonna see a totem pole or something again, though… Should we try heading there for now?”

“Yeah!”

It was on a location that could be seen from the inn too, and it didn’t seem like they would get lost just because it was now night either, so they decided to head there.

2

Cutting it short, there was no totem pole.

Well, umm, it didn’t necessarily mean that there would be one for certain, and it was just Sandai being weird for feeling that they might be selling one, though…

“You said you felt like we’re gonna see a clay-figure, but looks like there’s none, huh?”

“It’s not a clay-figure, but a totem pole, okay… But, well, I guess not everywhere will have one, too.”

Nevertheless, it was a general store with noticeable empty shelves.

Without looking that eager to do business, the granny storekeeper sitting in the attendant’s booth was sleepy-looking, “…Oh my, is there a customer? Welcome,” and only now noticed the two.

It wasn’t like it didn’t seem to be a hobby of old age or killing time and the like either, so there didn’t seem to be the feeling of trying to work hard too in the first place.

However, even if there was no motivation, Sandai didn’t take it with a bad feeling. He didn’t really dislike such a lax atmosphere.

When you usually live in an urban area, you would frequently see people walking down the street looking busy. And you would also understand that society runs thanks to such people.

Though, somehow it would feel like living in fast paces, and Sandai was slightly not a fan of that. There is a saying—where are you going in such a hurry?—but Sandai’s mind was exactly like that.

And then, for this reason, Sandai valued the leisurely time when together with Shino.

That said… while that may be the case, to say whether he was unsatisfied with the too few goods, it could simply be said that he was.

Apparently Shino was similar to Sandai as she was looking awfully dissatisfied.

At a time like this, Sandai was on the side who would stay silent without saying anything and leave, but Shino wasn’t so and started to talk to the granny.

“Hey Granny, is there anything we can have fun with?”

“Things you can have fun with… I don’t have many things young people can enjoy, though… let’s see… hmm… I do have this, though.”

The granny fished through the cardboard box beside the attendant’s booth and took out a slightly dusty fireworks set.

“We’re past the season too, and I’ve been thinking of throwing it away, so you can go ahead and take this. I’ll also give the match and bucket, so you can go enjoy it on the riverside right there. After you’re done, you can just leave the bucket in front of the store.”

“Granny so kind! Thanks!”

“…It’s already night too, so I guess it’s time to close up the store.”

People with the ability to take action would often reap the reward, and Shino was unmistakably that kind of person as well.

…I sure don’t have this kind of ability to take action. Actually, I thought about it a little, but aren’t the fireworks and me the same?

Sandai’s thought was near the mark, so to say. The course of how it had resulted with him dating Shino, and the course of how Shino had gotten the fireworks from the granny were certainly fairly similar.

To sum it up, Shino had taken action of her own and obtained it.

In that sense, both these fireworks and Sandai were the same.

“I got fireworks~.”

“That’s great, huh… I’m sorry. Thank you so much.”

When Sandai slightly bowed his head, the granny smiled slightly and then began to lock up the store.

The snow was piling up outside, so they headed for the riverside while being careful not to slip or fall.

3

“…I guess there are ones that will and won’t light up, huh.”

Given that the fireworks had been covered in dust, it seemed to be considerably old and some would light up and some wouldn’t.

From the way it seemed, it should be about half not being a bust.

“This one lit up when I lit it up, but what kinda firework is this, I wonder?”

“That’s a skyrocket!”

“Eh? Is that so?”

The one Shino had lit up was a skyrocket firework. Seeing the fuse slowly getting shorter, Sandai hurriedly snatched it and placed it on the ground.

They moved away, and immediately after the skyrocket flew straight up then boomed, creating a small petal.

“Oooh.”

“Good grief…”

“It’s small, huh. Even though the one you see like in a festival is much bigger.”

“It’ll be too dangerous and scary if there’s a firework like that in a store-bought fireworks set, though.”

“I see… There’s no similar one anymore, and what’s left is just some sparklers.”

“All right, I guess let’s do the sparklers and head back after that.”

“You’re right.”

They squatted down and lit up the sparklers, and there was a krkrkr sound, and fireballs formed. The fireballs occasionally crackled, making a spark.

Sparklers would immediately burn up. They were continuously going through them, and finally lit up the last remaining sparklers for each one.

Then, Shino suddenly stuck her fireball to Sandai’s fireballs. The now stuck together fireballs expanded like a balloon, becoming just slightly bigger, and then became one.

“It got slightly bigger.”

“Just slightly.”

Speaking of fireworks, it had the image of summer or fall. Sandai had never even imagined that he would play with one in the middle of such a snowy winter landscape.

Though, it wasn’t that bad.

The air was clear even if there was coldness, so instead it looked much prettier even than the fireworks seen in the summer or fall.

“Ah… It dropped.”

The last fireball dropped to the ground. The fireball melted the snow just a little and quickly went out. With this, they had lit up all the fireworks that could still work.

“…It’s done now, so I guess let’s clean up and head back.”

“Okaaay.”

They cleaned up the post-fireworks mess, also left the bucket on the storefront as told by the general store granny, and returned to the inn.

“Uwh, so cold. I’ll enter the hot spring.”

Shino’s cheeks were completely red. She was shivering, apparently enduring the cold.

At this rate, Shino might end up catching a cold. It would be better to quickly enter the hot spring, so immediately after returning to the inn, they decided to return to their room to take a change of clothes.

It was at that time that there was a strange creaking sound echoing inside the inn. The source of the sound was in the direction of the room they were staying in, though…

“What’s that sound, I wonder?”

“Who knows.”

They returned back to their room while tilting their heads in puzzlement, and then, were surprised. Of all things, there was a hole in the ceiling of their room, and the inside was covered in snow.

It seemed the strange sound just now had been from a collapsed accident caused by the weight of the fallen snow, and the one that had taken the brunt was Sandai and Shino’s room.

In front of the disastrous scene before their eyes, all they could do was staring with a straight face.

“…”

“…”

“…What to do.”

“…What to do really, huh.”