Vol 2 Chapter 6 (1/2)
“My, if it isn’t Motofumi!”
He was on the way ho off a shi+pht so hiscalled Hirosue turned to see shi+mizu’s mother shi+ ceremony was set to take place next next week Hirosue had been asked to make a speech as the best man
“It’s been a long tiratulations on your son’s e”
“Thank you,” the worin Her amiable face, full of familiarity, was the very picture of a country matron, and filled Hirosue’s heart arm relief
“So you’re back here for good, are you? I’m sure your mother and father feel very lucky to have both of their sons with theet yourself a wife?”
“I haven’t really been…” Hirosue trailed off vaguely, scratching his neck
“You didn’t find anyone nice over there?”
When Hirosue smiled wryly in answer, the woman rapped him sharply on the shoulder
“You’re a handso man, Motofumi I’m sure you could find yourself a wife if you looked,” she said firmly
“That’s what I hope for”
They stood there and chatted for a bit before parting ways Back when Hirosue had just arrived home, every acquaintance he met asked the sae That settled down after two or three weeks, when he had gone through most of his acquaintances Still, once in a while when he ran into people he hadn’t seen yet, he was asked the saain
In the countryside, people got married either early or incredibly late Hirosue was in the “late” group, along with his classmate, shi+mizu Some of those in the “early” cycle were already into their second le ht about it much because there was no one to point the fact out to him But once he was hoe, whether he liked it or not
Hirosue sped along the ocean shore It was the end of April and the weather was getting war at hio of his nylon jacket just yet
The ocean was beautiful, glittering in the soft rays of the afternoon sun Hirosue stopped his motorcycle partway and sat down on the e water Back in the city, surrounded by grey buildings, he had hardly ever stopped to look at the scenery
Hirosue lingered there for about thirtyhome When he arrived at the house, it was past four in the afternoon His work at the factory started at seven in theand ended at three Afterwards, he went out on deliveries Since Hirosue could not drive a car, he took the motorcycle, which could only carry so e were nearby retails stores or coet back Hirosue parked the h the back door of the house into the kitchen He crouched in front of the fridge and was putting the cans of chuhai inside when he felt a heavy thump hit him on the back
“Uncle!”
Hiroki, his brother’s first son, dangling off of hirade, and quite the prankster
“Hiroki, you’re heavy”
“Let’s play video gaed
“Okay, but have you done your homework?”
Honest Hiroki suddenly fell silent
“I’ll play with you if you’re done your homework,” Hirosue said
“…I’ll do it after we play”
“Hiroki!” Hirosue’s sister-in-law said sternly as she came into the kitchen
“Ahh!” Hiroki cried as he flinched on Hirosue’s back
“Look, you’re weighing Uncle Motofumi down And you are to finish your homework first”
Hiroki pouted “We’re going to play together later For sure,” he whispered in Hirosue’s ear His h as she watched her son scurry out of the kitchen
“I’m sorry, Motofumi Hiroki’s always all over you”
“Don’t worry about it He’s cute I never get bored around him”
His sister-in-law shi+fted the baby in her ar since she was onto her third one already, raising an infant see work all the same A piece of frazzled hair had fallen across her cheek
“After this one was born, I haven’t been able to pay much attention to Hiroki,” she said “His little brother, Yuuki, isn’t so bad, but Hiroki’s been sullen the whole time I think he must beside himself with joy that you pay attention to him, Motofumi”
“I like kids, so I don’t mind Oh, would you like some tea?”
“I can pour that much myself,” his sister-in-law said wryly
“Don’t worry I’ll do it”
Hirosue set out tea for two on the kitchen table
“Thanks,” s to the country, Hirosue moved back in with his parents Both his brother and parents had been the ones to suggest it Hirosue hadn’t lived with his fahteen At first, he had been anxious about how life would be like with his parents, his brother and his wife, and their children But contrary to his expectations, he fit right into their circle with ease
When Hirosue moved out of his apartment, he had disposed of a quantity of old furniture and appliances He had never been attached to ly few
The house of his childhood was large, and since his room was still available, that here he slept and woke now At first he thought he would have to i for a job once he cao to work at the factory, and as a an to help out in her place Although he did not get paid, his fah They told him he did not need to pay for food and utilities
“Hiroki’s just like my brother, don’t you think?” Hirosue said
“Really?” his sister-in-law tilted her head, then chuckled “You mean how they both like to do the fun stuff first and put off the boring stuff until later?”
They looked at each other and laughed The baby―Hirosue’s niece―rocked in his sister-in-law’s arently touched her cheek, her little lipsmotions
“She’s adorable” A sed at his lips
“You should get married so you can have kids, too, Motofuine you s your children with love”
“Too bad I don’t have anyone to getsister-in-law suddenly put on a grave face
“But you dated people over there, right?”
It was Matsuoka’s face that crossed his h they had never dated as lovers, for some reason, he was the one whom Hirosue remembered
“I did e, anyway”
“And you didn’t find anyone you’d like to marry?”
Hirosue smiled wryly “I was dumped by the person I loved most”
Yoko Eto, whom he had loved so much, had disappeared ―But she had turned out to be Matsuoka, so perhaps it rong to say ‘disappear’ She had transforhed inwardly Perhaps all the live-action hero shows he had watched with Hiroki were influencing him
“Well, s didn’t work out with her, but didn’t you find anyone else?”
“I loved her a lot I couldn’t move onto anyone else”
“Everyone has their share of breakups,” said his sister-in-law simply It was a typical phrase, yet for so put on the spot
“It doesn’t matter how much you love them,” his sister-in-law continued, “soether It’s easier just to accept that it’s not going to work out”
“I have accepted it But I just can’t forget about her”
Back when he had been in love with Yoko Eto, he had tre by her side had ely fulfilled In the past and in the future, she had been the only one to stir his emotions in this way
“How long did you go out for?”
“We were friends at first We dated for two months, I think”
“That’s the stage in a relationshi+p when things are ”
“Exciting?”
“Every relationshi+p has ups and downs All of theo because yours ended at the height of things”
Hirosue felt like sos―his own and only his own―and tossed thes were nowhere near as superficial as that He had loved her with all his heart He wished he could say so, but he couldn’t He didn’t want to e too vehement about it
“You know, Motofuentle demeanour You’re kind That’s why it’s such aIf I didn’t have Norifuotten in line for you Did I just drop a bo, “You were actually really popular with the girls, weren’t you? Admit it”
“I’ood”
Hirosue had only dated a handful of people before, and none of them lasted for more than half a year More often than not, he was the one to receive a confession; yet, he was always the one being dumped It was because he was tactless and clumsy at conversation Matsuoka was about the only person who’d ever called hi
“There was one person―” He did not knohy, but he had a strong urge to talk about Matsuoka “There was one person who told me they loved o out to eat or spend our free tiether a lot That person told me they loved me, but I couldn’t see them in the romantic sense When I told them how I couldn’t be more than friends, they told me they wouldn’t see me anymore They said, if we stayed as friends, they’d have to watch me fall in love with someone else, and they wouldn’t be able to stand it”
“I think I understand how she feels,” his sister-in-law o out with her for?”
“Weeach other frequently for the past sixWe were just friends”
“I think I kind of feel sorry for her” His sister-in-law dropped her gaze “That irl had one-sided feelings, right? And just when things were looking good, she had to be told again that there was nothingfriends I think that’s a pretty harsh blow”
Hirosue remembered the last time they met, and how Matsuoka’s eyes had been red and damp
“I wanted to fall in love, but…”
“You should have just ht have turned out better than you think”
“Huh?” Hirosue exclaimed in surprise
“If you’re going to live with someone, it needs to be someone you’re comfortable with rather than so up and cooling down, and that’s not going to work if you’re living together Compatibility is very important Even if you love each other, if you’re inco to end badly”
Hirosue suddenly felt extrehtly Would you say the saht derisively, then instantly felt disgusted with himself
“With that person that I lovedkids… but I just couldn’t iether”
“You couldn’t iine a domestic life? Was she that flashy?”
Matsuoka was tri, but he was definitely not flashy
“I finishedinto the kitchen “This way, this way,” he said, yanking at Hirosue’s hand It was dubious whether he had really done his homework in this short amount of time, but since a promise was a promise, Hirosue smiled wryly and followed after his nephew While he played video gaht about Matsuoka
He felt like he would never meet a person ould confess his love as devotedly as Matsuoka did If Matsuoka had been a woman, there would have been no problem Matsuoka was comfortable to be around, and he was someone who cared about him Matsuoka loved and cherished hiether with the man, just like his sister-in-law had said
Both before and after dinner, Hiroki paid no attention whatsoever to his little brother, instead sticking to Hirosue constantly and never letting hi around to the point of exhaustion, Hiroki fell asleep at Hirosue’s feet Hirosue’s older brother carried hi from the kitchen with a can of beer
“Sorry forthe can to Hirosue
Their parents were resting in the far roo the baby in in the next room Hirosue and his older brother were the only ones in the living rooed about half of his can before letting out a great sigh
“Hiroki’s been julee ever since you came holue instead ofa little lonely”
“I just ood playmate, that’s all”
Hirosue’s older brother glanced left and right before sneaking out a cigarette
“Only one,” he said, as he opened theand lit it Hirosue could hear the frogs croaking outside The air was cool, and the sounds of the night were peaceful The slight drowsiness he felt, perhaps froentle Being where he was now, he could really tell just how stressful life in the city had been for him
“Oh, yeah, I saw you this evening, I think, on the way to my delivery,” his brother said as he tilted his head up and let out a puff of smoke “You were at the embankment, weren’t you?”
“Yeah I was looking at the ocean because it was pretty”
His brother laughed
“I remember back in the day, you used to space out like that once in a while”
“Really?”
“Really I think it hen you were in pri ho on the beach You said you got drohile watching the ocean Both Mo their eyes”
Hirosue didn’t reuely familiar
“When you phoned to say you wanted to co what you’d do since there are no jobs here But never mind jobs Maybe life in the country isa lot better now than when you first came back My wife has a lot on her hands in the house, with the baby and all, and Mo on in their years, too So you’ve actually been a great help”
“I can’t just be a freeloader, so,” Hirosue smiled briefly
“But you’ve been working full shi+fts every day at the factory I wish I could give you even a little bit of a wage, but…”
“I’ me stay here Don’t worry about it”
Hearing the baby wailing on the other side of the sliding doors, his brother hastily put out his cigarette
“―Do you plan to go back to the city at all?”
Hirosue took a drink of beer This peaceful life was soine back when he was in the city Over there, the seasons were quick to change, and it was always very busy Every person had his place; perhaps he had simply not been cut out for urban life
If he had any lingering regret concerning the city, it was―
“If you want to stay here, you can Mo sos Oh, say,” his brother said suddenly, thu his knee in recollection “Aunt Yoshi+ko three houses down says there’s a girl she wants to introduce you to Apparently she’s just come back from the city and she’s opened her own beauty salon in the next town over She’s thirty-three and single She’s never been e I also hear she’s quite a looker”
“Maybe not so soon,” Hirosue said hesitantly
Hirosue’s brother slid his knees across the floor as he leaned in towards him “Don’t think too much about it Why not just meet up with her to see what she’s like?”