Hirunaka No Ryuusei [Chapter 51]

Narration: “After that, I wasn’t able to sleep at all because thinking of what everyone said, I felt like crying again.” While putting aside the blankets, Susume asks if they are going home today. Kameyoshi says yes, they are riding today’s 5 o’clock train. While tying up her hair, Tsurutani says that even if they would want to stay a bit longer but there is still school tomorrow. Thinking that cannot be helped, Susume says is that so, school. Then, Yuyuka complains there’s a run on her stocking and she likes this pair. She asks if there is a nearby convenient store. Susume says that it is 20 minutes away by car. Yuyuka exclaims that’s quite far and totally inconvenient. Susume says that there is a nearby Aeon. Yuyuka says that even if it is a bit inconvenient but she’ll go. Kameyoshi says that Mamura is still sleeping so it ought to be alright to go and come back. Tsurutani says that on the way, she wants to eat at Mister Donut. Susume wants to ask permission from her mother but her smiling yet angry mother tells her that Susume is staying home to help her with household chores for it will be quite busy with all that snow so for Aeon, Yukichi will be the one who’ll go with them. Since she seems angry, Yukichi unconsciously mutters, ‘yes, mum..’ Susume is speechless. Wearing her snow shoveling clothes, Susume thinks that no wonder it’s the devil officer, for she cannot hold that loving face for a long time. She opens the storage shed to look for the snow shovel. Just then, Mamura wakes up. Susume tells him that everyone went to Aeon. After scratching and stretching, he asks her what she is doing. She tells him that she is going to shovel the snow, and she’s looking for her mother’s shovel. Mamura offers to help him. Susume says that it is okay and he is the guest. Mamura says that dinner is really delicious, so just treat this, as expressing his gratitude. Susume says is that so. While Mamura groggily leaves to dress up, Susume thinks that Mamura would actually scrupulously abide by social[/communication] etiquette and more than that, his sleepy appearance is quite amazing.

At Aeon, Yukichi asks the girls if they already bought everything. With hearts in her eyes, Kameyoshi says yes. She seems gaga over an adult wearing western clothes. Then, he tells them that they’re going back. Yuyuka sees some guy then realizes that it is someone else. Recalling them eating together, Yuyuka thinks that Mamura was obviously at her side. They call out to Yuyuka. She turns around and apologizes, that it is nothing. Soon, Susume says that it is finished. She thanks Mamura for his help that it get finished fast-- Then, she notices that Mamura is making a huge snow ball. Susume asks if he wants to make a snowman. Mamura immediately drops the snow ball and stands up. He denies it but Susume thinks she is right. Susume tells him that she’ll do the upper half while he makes the lower half. Mamura agrees to it. Then, Susume suggests to Mamura to get the loose snow since it will be easier. Since he doesn’t know what she meant, Susume point it out to him. Susume’s mother sees them from the window. She smiles upon looking at Susume for it is already not obvious that she cried yesterday. Soon, the two are speechless over their snowman because it looks strange. Mamura asks if she is from the snow country. Sparkling Susume says that this is the so called, ‘kid from a sushi store always eats sushi’. Mamura tells her that he doesn’t know what she means and since it is a snowman, shouldn’t it wear something like a scarf. Susume says no, for this is the scarf that he gave to her. Mamura says that she’s wearing it and no wonder it seems familiar. Susume says ya, it is quite cold at the province so she has decided to wear her warmest one and it is rare for a friend to give it to her so she wants to properly wear it. While Susume is mutter that she almost dirtied it, Mamura tells her, “-let me say, during the hatsumode [New year shrine visit], do you still remember..what I’ve said? *Susume is puzzled* That is only, how can I say [this], that is not what I meant at all. It is only that at that time you’re..” And to his dismay, Yasuo interrupts by happily calling out to Susume that she brought some grouper[?] sushi and this year’s is quite delicious. Sparkling Susume exclaims if that’s for real, thank you, and this year’s grouper fat is quite rich.

Then, Yasuo stares at Mamura. While Mamura is wondering who this glasses guy is, Yasuo thinks that Mamura has this city feel salt-colored[鹽顏? literal meaning] guy [referring to simple, neat, naturally good looking guy] at around 178 cm height. “Could it be.. this guy is..” The two are puzzled when Yasuo runs off shouting what about Tokyo, anyway, it is only just a deceiving illusion. Susume wonders what that is about, sushi.. Yasuo arrives and says that they are back, and did just a wild pig passed by. Later on, everyone thanks Susume and her mother for entertaining them. Her mother says that it is okay and thank you very much for specially coming over, and take care on their way home. They thank her again especially for the delicious dinner. Yukichi tells Susume that if she wants to come back, then come back, it is alright and since it is alright, he thinks that it would be better if she quickly comes back. Thinking that her uncle is quite nice, Susume says okay. Yukichi actually feels that it is related to him that Susume ran away from home. Yuyuka says, “Then, we’re going AHEAD.” Susume says okay, and they’ll see each other soon. Narration: “On that day, after returning home, I immediately fell sleep. Perhaps, it is because the day I haven’t slept the day before. It appears that I truly slept for a long time because when I wake up, it is already the afternoon of the second day. But, perhaps because of this, I felt that my heart has become quite comfortable and happy. *glances at the snowman which moved a little[/probably melted]* Even if I also feel exceptionally simple[-minded/alone].” At school, Shishio looks at a book to see that Susume is absent for four days. Then, a student calls out, “Sensei, good morning.” He turns around and greets back. Narration: “Those things that had happened simply had already become very far away. That kind of feeling. *Susume passes by and says, ‘Sensei, good morning.’* This time, it truly not a lie.” Shishio looks surprised. Susume’s female friends happily greets her a good morning. A guy says that it is good that her cold is well. The other guy says that she obviously didn’t look like she’ll catch a cold. Mamura just watches by. Slightly smiling, Shishio greets Susume back as she passes by him. Narration: “-now, I won’t force myself to forget. I’ll keep this feeling and move forward. This is fine.”

Comment: And, Susume has recovered with some time, rest and friends. She’s quite strong to still be able to face Shishio and greet him. I wonder if her last statement meant that she’ll keep an unrequited love for Shishio or she is moving forward without him but still accepting what had happened instead of wanting to forget it happened. I wonder if Yuyuka is also moving forward when she seems to think of that other guy while they are at Aeon. I do wonder why Susume’s mother made Susume shovel the snow instead of asking Yukichi to do it. ^^; Is it because he is still a guest? Well, it enabled Susume to be with Mamura..making a weird snowman whom for some reason makes me think that it’s Shishio. ^^;; It seems that Susume still thinks of him as a friend and before Mamura can say anything else, he got interrupted. I think it is a good thing since Susume won’t be pressured/go on rebound to Mamura which might make things more complicated. Anyway, whether it will still be Shishio or Mamura, we’ll know for sure in the succeeding chapters on how things goes. Scans by all★wink汉化组

Quote of the day:

It's okay to cry when you're going through a hard situation, but you can't spend the rest of your life crying, so wipe your tears and move on... ~ Author Unknown