Originally posted @ tatsukida.pitas.com on October 19, 2010
In the Shinkansen, Tsubaki asks Kyouta if they only need around two hours to go to Kyoto. Preparing to eat his bento meal, Kyouta tells her that it is as he told her, it isn’t very far. He then drops his chopsticks in surprise upon seeing her eating onigiri [rice balls]. Kyouta starts laughing at her and asks if that is what she meant by preparing her lunch, handmade onigiri. “No wonder you’re a Showa girl! Hahaha” Tsubaki exclaims that there’s nothing bad about it. While eating, she thinks that she must economize in things that she can economize because she didn’t expect the Shinkansen ticket to be so expensive $12,760 [Kyoto to Shinagawa; around at today’s rate, it’s US$ 156]. Crumpling the plastic wrap of the onigiri, Tsubaki thinks that she had used up one month’s portion [of her money] and thankfully, she got a money gift [given to one’s children during New Year]. Tsubaki is surprised when Kyouta gives her a magazine about Kyoto. He tells her to look at that and choose a place where she wants to go. Tsubaki asks him that weren’t they going to listen to his revered professor’s lecture. Kyouta says that after the lecture, they can still at most go to another place. Blushing a bit, Kyouta says, “We have to go back on the same day, but even so, this is the first time we went..on a trip together.” Tsubaki blushes over this. She then flips through magazine and says that it is indeed a rare opportunity so she’s going to look for that place she missed during her junior high field trip. Stopping mid-sentence, Tsubaki looks surprised over something. Kyouta bends over to her and asks what it is. “What place did you find?” It is Jishu Shrine. [Info: It is behind the Kiyomizudera temple where the Okuninushi-no Mikoto is enshrined. He is the god of love and marriage and the deity's messenger is the rabbit. The shrine does a brisk trade in omamuri (amulets) that promise to help “for love knot”, “for good marriage”, “for love chance”. There is also the Love Stones (koiuranai no ishi), a pair of rocks set in the ground about 6 meters apart. If you can successfully walk from one stone to the other with your eyes closed you will be lucky in love. Of course, if you don’t succeed you can always buy an omamuri. Source: japanvisitor.com.]
Kyouta comments that Tsubaki is easily attracted to those kind of places. He is referring to the lighting of the candles during their first Christmas together. Tsubaki tells him that it isn’t so. During the junior high field trip, they have already passed there but then, she doesn’t feel that she have any fate in marriage before.. Before, she pretended as if she isn’t in the least bit interested in it [and she just read a book instead of going there] but actually, she really wants to go. Embarrassed, Tsubaki tells Kyouta that is why she cannot help but take note of that place.. “It’s alright, let’s go somewhere else! Tsubaki-kun, do you have any place you would want to go?” She is surprised when Kyouta closes the magazine. He tells her that it is no longer necessary to look at it again since it is already decided where they would go. Flustered Tsubaki says, “Ah..that means..is that so! Tsubaki-kun unexpectedly also likes these kinds of things..” Kyouta says, “Ah, Fuji-san.” Kyouta is irritated when Tsubaki quickly turns to the window and exclaims in surprise while looking at Mt. Fuji. She says that they are already in Shizuoka. Kyouta says that they are already half-way to Kyoto and isn’t it very near. Tsubaki mentally sighs [for her earlier remark]. Then, she tells him not to say it like that. “It’s because if I’m with you, even if it is for a long period of time, it feels as if it [the trip] is very short.” Kyouta looks away and blushes. He mutters how she can say that so directly. Tsubaki turns around and asks what it is. Kyouta looks at her and says, “..that’s right, if I’m with you, I don’t notice that time is passing by.” He leans near her and kisses her. “It’s the same with me.”
At the gate, Tsubaki points at the side and tells Kyouta that the science and engineering department is at that side. She is stunned when Kyouta hurriedly walks past her and to the place where the lecture will be held. Tsubaki tries to catch up with him as she exclaims why he is walking so fast. Kyouta finally stops when he reaches the S&E third building. Tired Tsubaki is breathing hard after catching up with him. Kyouta then says, ‘Uh-oh *smiles* I really eagerly anticipate Kaminaga’s lecture!!” Kyouta moves left and right in excitement with nervousness. Looking at him, Tsubaki smiles and thinks that in making Kyouta that happy, it’s really great that she saw that bulletin about the lecture at her cram school. “Speaking of that, that girl..called..Kikuduki? She is also very interested in this lecture, will she come.. No, normally, people won’t go to Kyoto.” Her thoughts are interrupted when a girl calls out to her. She turns around to see a socialite-looking girl complete with sunglasses and coat + boots with fur trimmings. The girl exclaims at Tsubaki that it is unbelievable that she’ll come with her boyfriend. “Really amazing~~” Kyouta asks who it is and he didn’t know that Tsubaki knows a girl like that. Backing away, Tsubaki says that she doesn’t know. The girl removes her sunglasses and tells Tsubaki that they just became friends this week so how could Tsubaki forget her already. “Is your memory okay?” It turns out to be Youko. Tsubaki apologizes and says that it is because she’s wearing sunglasses that she didn’t recognize her. Youko tells her that she is sensitive to the sun so she would wear it normally when she’s wearing casual clothes. She then looks at Kyouta and asks Tsubaki if he is the ‘Tsubaki’ boyfriend she mentioned before. “Ah-- seems to be the popular type.” Tsubaki stiffens as she imagines Youko to be the air-head type of girl who’ll gushes about how handsome Kyouta is and tells him to just dump that girl [Tsubaki] and go steady with her. Tsubaki becomes nervous if Youko is that kind of girl because if it is then.. Her thoughts are interrupted when Youko says, “Ah, Hibino, I’m sorry, but..I’m totally not interested in this type of guy.” Kyouta seems to look stiff [expression not shown]. Tsubaki looks flustered and relieved as she says is that so. Youko asks Tsubaki if that is her type and it’s quite unexpected. To Kyouta’s irritation, Tsubaki innocently says no, she totally didn’t like that type since from the very start. Youko tells her that they should stop talking about nonsense things since they should quickly get in, in order to get the good seats. Youko happily bids them goodbye and says that she’ll be heading in first.
After she left, Kyouta angrily says what Tsubaki is saying just now. Tsubaki says that it was the truth but right now, *blushing* it isn’t the same anymore. Tsubaki is surprised when Kyouta confesses that for him, from the start, he felt that she would be his type of girl. Flustered Tsubaki exclaims that he’s talking nonsense for he obviously always calls her Showa girl. Kyouta says that until now, she is still a Showa girl especially when she’s in casual clothes. Kyouta walks in ahead inside while Tsubaki blushes. She wonders if it’s really true that from the very start.. Later on, reading at a booklet, Tsubaki looks dark as she wonders what this lecture is all about since she totally doesn’t understand anything. Tsubaki is going to ask Kyouta if he knows what they are talking about when to her shock, Kaminaga asks Tsubaki if she knows what’s the biggest problem about the space elevator. [Space elevator is a proposed structure designed to transport material from a celestial body's surface into space. (Source: wiki) If you watched Gundam00, it’s called Permanent Orbital Station. Apparently, Japan is currently working on making it into a reality.] Tsubaki freaks out over this as she wonders why her [being asked] and why are they going to make an elevator to space. Kyouta answers that upon creating the elevator, what is needed is material that they can use. In order to hang the space elevator, the plan is to use a material that can withstand the distance of approximately 4940 km [<- enough compressive strength to support its own weight (according to wiki)] but the current technology cannot make it into a reality. Kaminaga says yes. Youko stands up and says, wait a minute, won’t this problem be resolved if they use the latest developed artificial fine CNT [carbon nanotubes]. Kyouta stands up and says no, for its maximum tensile strength is only 750 MPa [10kg/cm2] so this designed material wasn’t able to satisfy the requirement. Youko mentions about the possibility of meteorites hitting it. Kyouta tells her that has no relevance in the problem of creating a space elevator. After recovering from being puzzled about the things that they were talking about, Tsubaki looks at Kyouta and thinks that he really becomes enthusiastically happy regarding space stuff. She then looks surprised and thinks, “No, it isn’t space, the current Kyouta is [excitedly talking] with Youko.”
While walking together with the couple, Youko happily exclaims that in the end, Kaminaga’s lesson is really amazing and it’s really good that she specially came to Kyoto for it. Walking between the two space fanatics, Tsubaki looks back and forth at the two and wonders out loud if it is so. Kyouta says that of course it is. Tsubaki asks them as to which part does they think is really good about the lecture. Kyouta tells her that of course, his [Kaminaga] viewpoint about space is very interesting and when he [Kyouta] was small, he read that amazing lecture book. Youko exclaims, “Could it be--?” She holds out a book. She and Kyouta exclaim at the same time, “‘Nobody Knows the Universe Story’!!” Flustered, Kyouta asks, “Could it be that you, too..because of that and speaking of that, up to now, you carry that book around.” Holding the book, Youko says that it is because that is her bible. She sadly looks at the two as they happily talk with each other while Youko is pointing to something in the book. Tsubaki thinks, “It’s that..again. Usually, that is what’s called as an ‘ideal couple’ right..” Tsubaki pulls Kyouta’s sleeve and tells him that if they don’t go now, they won’t be able to make a quick visit at Jishu Shrine. Soon, Youko bids the couple goodbye. Tsubaki sadly thinks that she’s really useless for if she didn’t use her position as the girlfriend, then, she won’t be able to intervene between those two. “It’s really good that Youko said those words to me.. [Kyouta isn’t her type] If it isn’t so, then I--..” Youko turns around and grabs Tsubaki’s arm. She asks Tsubaki to spare a moment. Tsubaki is puzzled. Youko whispers to her, “About that, I’m really sorry for saying such nonsense things before. *smiles and slightly blushes* Being in love with a guy like Tsubaki-kun, perhaps, isn’t really bad after all.” Tsubaki looks nervous-tense at Youko. The blurb asks what the impact on Tsubaki regarding Youko’s unexpected words is.
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