Chapter 112 - Kazamachi Household’s Struggle (1) (1/2)

“Kunpei-san. This belongs to Watanabe-san. Can you to take care of it?”

I received a large laundry basket from Aoi.

“Watanabe-san is where that little girl and her brother’s siblings are, right?’

“Yes. I’m helping hang laundry outside right now, so please take it with you.”

“Copy that. I’m off.”

“Have a good day.”

I held the laundry basket in both hands and went out through the sliding door.

It’s a sunny day, a perfect day for doing laundry.

It’s been almost a week since we started living in this community center.

I’m getting used to living in a group.

Aoi has been working hard on the laundry with the other mothers, so that’s why she’s come to help.

After all, more than two hundred people are living in a shelter.

There’s no way they’ll be able to finish their work if each family takes their time to do the laundry.

In the countryside, they do the all laundry in a group.

Our family is no exception, and since there’s women’s underwear and such, it’s not easy for a man to help, so from our house, Aoi is the main person in charge of doing the laundry.

It was my job to do the heavy lifting.

There’s only one automatic washing machine in the community center, so we’re forced to wash clothes by hand using a washboard, even though it’s outdated.

I asked Aoi to sort the men’s clothes and the women’s clothes, and I poured water and detergent into the tub and scrubbed hard for nearly two hours.

At first, I had a hard time getting the hang of it, but there are a lot of elderly people in our town who are familiar with the old-fashioned way of doing things, so I was able to get the hang of it.

With the help of their instruction, I’m getting better at it.

Women’s laundry was more delicate so Aoi and the other mothers were busy washing by hand and running the washing machine.

“Watanabe-san. I brought this.”

“Ah, thank you. Kunpei-kun.”

“No, no. I didn’t do much.”

“Watanabe-san, a middle-aged woman, was a dog person with a large build.”

She’s an energetic mother who fits well with the term “gutsy mom,” and who has a problem with talking too much.

“My kids won’t help me if I don’t tell them what to do! I’m so jealous of how well behaved everyone in the Kazamachi family is.”

“Ha-ha-ha.”

Ugh. I don’t know what the right answer is to reply back when she says this.

Shouhei and Aoi are really good at getting along with their neighbors.

It goes without saying for Shouhei, who is naturally good with people, but Aoi is really great at putting up with her fear of strangers.

”Well then, I still have a lot of laundry to do.”

“Yes, please.”

I bowed my head lightly and left.

My shoulders are stiff from sitting and straining for nearly two hours.

Even though the wounds on my back have healed, Aoi and Shouhei are still annoying if I push myself too hard.

I walked with my right shoulder held down while turning it.

The opposite arm this time, as if to relieve the stiff shoulder.

As I was doing something that old men did, I saw the cooking room.

The single-burner stove in the community center’s kitchen couldn’t provide enough food for all of us, so we set up a tent outside and used a commercial gas stove.

It was among the supplies that arrived on the third day of living in the shelter, and all the men were mobilized to set it up.

Even though it’s made of stainless steel, it’s just that big. We all had a hard time with it.

Aoi and Rouge may be able to easily handle it with their strength, but they’re just a bunch of weak girls here. So my dad and I did our best.

“Shou, is that today’s lunch?”

I called out to Shouhei when I spotted him among the mothers in the cooking area staring down a large cylindrical pot.

He recognized my voice and looked around, and Shouhei smiled when he finally found me.

“Nii-chan. Did you finish the laundry?”

“I’ll be a little longer. What’s that?”

“Pork soup. It’s easier to make soup and curry when there are more people around.”

The amazing smell tickled my nostrils and whet my appetite.

“Oh, I’m ready to go. Let’s just get this over with and call it a day.”

“Yeah. Hang in there. Are the kids with Ru-neechan?”

“Oh. She’s playing inside with the other kids with Yuri-san. It seems like Rouge is having fun too.”

There were, of course, many small children among the evacuated families.

Yuri-san, a former nursery school teacher, is a master at keeping the children from making a racket and quietly taking care of them all together.

Thanks to that, the mothers’ work is progressing.

I am so grateful to have Yuri-san in this shelter.

Rouge is also sticking close to Yuri-san and playing with the kids.

Even with her expressionless face, she seemed unable to hide her joy, and she was actively in contact with the children, and seemed happy.

“… Sometimes I’m afraid of the look in Ru-neechan’s eyes when she looks at me and the little guys.”

“… It’s okay, I’m sure she won’t hurt you.”

“I know that, but…”

Shouhei tilted his head with a troubled smile on his face.

”Yo, my sons. Are you being properly useful to the others?”

“Dad.”

I saw my father at the entrance of the cooking area.

He had arrived at this shelter on the first night.

I was asleep, exhausted, but it seemed that the treasure hunters had brought him here.

The trees from Tusk Crag suddenly stopped near the metropolitan area.

The police set up a control line there to restrict civilians from entering.

Only the families of the people sheltering inside were allowed in, and only with a treasure hunter and police convoy escort.

Apparently the wait for a turn to get in was huge, and my dad didn’t get here until late at night.

“What, are you already done?”

“No, we’re taking a break. We’re making more progress than I thought we would.”

If you look closely, you can see the fathers and men of the evacuated families outside the cooking area.