Asahina Wakaba to Marumaru na Kareshi Volume 1 Chapter 3

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Reminder to read the manga in case you want to see what happens next. In another chapter or two, we should be caught up with that.

Asahina Wakaba and the Fake Boyfriend

1

The ruckus about the confession finally calmed down a bit, and classes came to an end for the day. Just as my ‘boyfriend’ Iruma-kun had asked me to, I came to the front of the school gate. He talked about introducing me to his friends or something…These three together are the so-called Special Trio of this school. Just passing by them, the other students visibly felt awkward, scared depending on it.

“Asahina-san, let me introduce you. First, the one wearing glasses is Namikawa Shun, my childhood friend.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Namikawa. Please treat me well.”

These three apparently were used to the gazes from the other people around, as Namikawa-kun introduced himself to me with a calm face and invigorating smile.

“And, this guy’s been there before, but just to get it over with. He’s a bad companion of mine, Bizen Ryouichi.”

“I’m Bizen. Nice to meet ya.”

“N-Nice to meet you as well…My name is Asahina Wakaba.”

“Oh, your given name is Wakaba-san? Your name is just as cute as you are.”

“Wait, you didn’t know?” Namikawa-kun had his eyes open wide after hearing Iruma-kun’s words.

“Well, I didn’t even know what she looked like before meeting her today. Can you blame me?”

“Yeah yeah,” Bizen-kun nodded.

From the looks of it, Bizen-kun wasn’t suspicious either about the ‘game’ we’re having…I’m a bit relieved now.

“I see…Well, either way, I’m happy for you. Congratulations, Haruto-kun.”

“Though I’m still not quite satisfied, I’ll cheer for you, Haruto!”

“Y-You two! Thanks a bunch!”

Iruma-kun was surrounded by the two, receiving words of encouragement and blessings. I watched this dazzling scenery in front of me, as I desperately tried to ignore this feeling of guilt dwelling up inside of me.

“We finished our introductions, so we’ll take our leave here.”

“Indeed, the third-wheelers should be clearing the place.”

They both put one hand on Iruma-kun’s shoulders, and walked away.

“Huh? Leaving already? You could have come with us.” He complained.

“I got practice to worry about.”

“I have some other business to attend to. Then, Asahina-san, see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow!” Iruma-kun waved his hand at the two, as their backs grew more distant.

“You seem really close.”

“Well, they stuck with me even if I wanted them to or not. Though I can talk about anything with them, so it’s a great thing for me.” He spoke, as his face almost looked like he was bragging.

…Honestly, I was really jealous.

“T-Then…should we head home as well?”

“Ah, y-yes.”

I cast my face downward, and just when we were about to start walking, I felt a gaze hitting my back. I turned around. From the position we were at, I could clearly see the first-year classrooms. Hence, I could clearly make up ‘her’ face, who gazed at us through the window.

“Nanase-san…”

Her glare, her gaze stabbing me right in the chest, looked to me like she was urging me to do ‘that’.

“Um, what’s wrong?”

“N-No, it’s nothing!” My head frantically moved back towards Iruma-kun, who showed a puzzled expression.

On the way home, Iruma-kun talked with me, albeit being very reserved. Most of these topics were related to school, and mostly about the two people I just met. He gestured a lot with his arms to make the stories seem more funny. If I had to guess, he was trying to lighten up the mood a bit. But, the best I could do was give empty nods and brief words.

There’s no way I could just tell him that I was being bullied at school. But, lying about my school life was not an option either, since I didn’t know how much he actually knew. To him, I must have seemed like an awfully boring girlfriend. Eventually, the subject turned towards our favorite TV shows, music, or the neighbourhood we lived in.

That should be fine. Although I felt a bit hesitant to tell him my address, that was basically everything I had a problem with. Hence, I gave honest responses to the questions Iruma-kun asked.

“Huh, I see. So your house is around here, Asahina-san.”

“Y-Yes. Just a bit more.”

Eventually, we made it to the part where we had to break up. His own house was two stations further away from here, so I could say goodbye now. That meant that today’s work is over. After just one more ‘assignment’, I finally will be freed. He asked me if he should send me home, but I politely declined.

“Then, I’ll see you again at school tomorrow!” Iruma-kun said, giving his farewell.

“Ah…”

“Hm? Did something happen?”

I gave a response devoid of any meaningful words, to which Iruma-kun tilted his head in confusion. In all honesty, I want to say goodbye for today. But, there is something I have to tell him, an ‘assignment’ I have to complete.

“W-Well…Um…the day after tomorrow, Saturday, do you have time?”

“Saturday? Err, I think I should have time there. What about it?”

I was hoping he would be busy. But, such a selfish wish would not be granted, as expected. Now that it has come to this, I had to do it. I took a deep breath.

“Ah, well…if you’re okay with it…”

“Eh?”

“—Won’t you go out with me somewhere?”

2

—Saturday. With a gloomy mood, I walked towards the location we decided to meet up at. I was heading towards my first ever date with a boy. I originally wanted to create some precious memories with the boy that I had chosen, but everything about this date was fake. No way would I ever treasure the memories I will get today.

With these feelings overwhelming me, I realized that the speed I was walking at went down drastically. My entire body felt heavier, making it hard to walk. Letting out a sigh, I gazed up at the sky.

“Ah…”

It was a cloudy sky, almost as if to reflect what’s going on inside my heart. I don’t want to. I don’t want this. I felt like crying. I wanted to complain while stomping my feet. With another sigh, I booted up an app on my phone, and checked the weather forecast. No matter how many times I checked, the cloud icons on the map kept blinking, saying that the chances of rain weren’t too high. If we had gotten a sudden downpour, the date would have been cancelled. These cruel thoughts filled my head. But…

No…N-N-no way! A-A date event!? Yahoo, my life is the best!

I remembered Iruma-kun’s reaction to my invitation. His cheerful and delighted attitude flashed up in the back of my head, sending a sharp pain inside my chest, like I was stabbed by the guilt. Shortly after, I made it to the place we decided to meet-up at. I took out my smartphone, and checked the time; 8:12 am. I had more than 15 minutes until we were supposed to meet up. I happened to arrive quite early, but he—

“Ah…!”

We planned to meet up at the water fountain of a public park. In the dead center of said park, I found a round, familiar face. I thought I was nervous, but he seemed to be even beating me, as his entire body shook wildly. He looked like a chicken just born into this world. Subconsciously, I held back my voice.

“A-Asahina-san! Over here!” Iruma-kun frantically waved his hand at me.

I can’t ignore him. Unable to do anything, I could only walk towards him.

—I have to look happy. So that he really thinks I like him…Smile, Wakaba.

“Did I make you wait by chance?” I created the best smile I could, and called out to him.

“O-Of course not! I just came here myself!”

And there, the conversation stopped. I didn’t know what to say next. And, he was probably the same.

“Um…W-Well, we still have some time, but why don’t we head there already?” Iruma-kun was the one to break the ice, and spoke with a cheerful voice.

“Y-Yes, I don’t mind.”

I felt relieved, and started to walk after him. I felt bad for Iruma-kun, but the gazes around us started to get to me. It made me feel even more uncomfortable. So much that my smile I created was about to break down again. Of course, Iruma-kun had no knowledge of this. Just like that time we had walked home together, he talked normally about this and that. I did feel grateful towards that, but that didn’t clear up the muddy feeling inside my chest.

“I-It’s such a shame that the weather isn’t playing along on our date! B-But! We’ll just enjoy ourselves all the same.”

“No, it’s fine…I don’t…really care…”

“I-Is that so! I-I’m glad to hear that! Ahaha…!”

Finally, we made it to our destination. It was a movie center set up inside a shopping mall. This was today’s showpiece.

“Hmm, it’s pretty crowded.”

Since today was not a weekday, a lot of families and couples filled the shopping mall. Not just at the ticket register, but also at the food corner, rows were everywhere.

“Now, what movie should we watch? You said you were fine with everything, but maybe a romance movie instead of action or horror?”

“Uuuum…”

When talking about popular date spots, the movie theater must be ranking pretty high. It lets you pass the time, and doesn’t make you wait too long. That is why I advised that. As for the genre, I answered I was good with everything, but now that we’ve come here, I probably had to change my choice a bit. I really did not want to watch a romance movie with him.

“Let me think…Why don’t we watch that popular one?” I said, and pointed at a poster.

“Ahh, ‘White Lily Robot’, huh. Yeah, I wanted to watch that as well, so let’s do that! I wonder if they still have two seats open.”

“Ah, I’ll go buy—” I felt bad for always pushing him around, so I planned to buy the tickets.

“Ah, it’s fine. I’ll go buy them, so you just wait here!”

“Eh, b-but…”

“No worries, no worries! I’ll be right back.” He said with a smile, and went to the ticket register.

Watching him walk off, I was assaulted by an unfamiliar sensation. That reminds me, when was the last time someone was this considerate towards me outside my family? I couldn’t even remember. With complicated feelings, I stood frozen in a daze, waiting for his return.

Soon after, the lights went out, wrapping us in darkness. Together with the short usual movie theater warnings, advertisements for upcoming movies started playing. Futaba always hated this kind of ‘time’, complaining that we came here to see the movie, so we shouldn’t be forced to watch all of this. She’s such a hasty girl, and pretty cute at that.

Just by remembering this, I was about to break out in a smile, which I barely managed to hold back. For just a second, I got excited there. It’s been so long since I’ve watched a movie. I was about to forget that I was actually on a date right now. Then again, since I’m here already, I might as well go enjoy it.

With these thoughts, the advertisements came to an end, and together with the label of the movie maker appearing on-screen, the main deal started. Just as I’ve heard, the movie was pretty interesting. A younger yuki-onna living on a deserted island in the far seas meets a robot boy under unexpected circumstances, and they slowly start to get along.

Finally, we get into the climax of the story, as the protagonist and the heroine have to say farewell due certain circumstances. In the face of this, I started to feel a bit emotional, when it happened—

“…Eh?”

Suddenly, a warm sensation was covering my hand. W-What!?

“Kyaa!?” Subconsciously, I let out a shriek, and pulled back my hand.

In doing so, another voice came from beside me.

“Awa! I-I-I’m so sorry!”

“Uuuu…”

Because of this sudden occurrence, tears built up in my eyes. I could tell that my heart was beating faster than ever. N-No, I’m scared…!

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I just…Ahh, I’m really sorry!”

When I finally got my breathing under control, I saw Iruma-kun, looking like he was about to break out in tears himself, as he apologized. Then, I finally understood what just happened. Apparently, Iruma-kun had been wrapped up in the atmosphere of the movie, and tried to hold my hand. Knowing him, he probably didn’t think too much of it. And why would he, it’s something natural to do, since we are in a relationship.

“I-I’m fine. I’m sorry for suddenly pulling away my hand.”

“N-No, you don’t have to apologize for anything! Ahh, I really did it now…What am I doing…!”

We’d be bothering the people around us at this rate, so I stayed calm and continued to watch the movie until the end. But, I couldn’t even remember what the ending of the movie was. All I could was feel this sensation just now in my head again, as my body trembled in fear.

Finally, the lights inside the theater turned on again, as several people around us stood up. There were even those who shed tears at the conclusion. However, we weren’t even able to show any reaction like this, as we just rushed to leave the theater. This awkward atmosphere continued even as we walked around inside the mall. No conversation began, and I grew worried that the day would end on such a note.

“Asahina-san! I’m very sorry about that just now! Let me apologize again!” Iruma-kun spoke up after a long silence, lowering his head with a serious expression. “It’s just, I have no experience whatsoever. I never went out with a girl before, so I didn’t know what to do and what not to do.”

“Y-You don’t have to apologize like that…”

“If you’re okay with it, won’t you let me make up for it? It’s a bit early to eat dinner, so why don’t we walk around the stores for a while?”

He must have been considerate of me again. It was great that he was the one to break the ice, and I honestly felt thankful.

“Y-Yes, I’m totally fine. If you like to do so Iruma-kun, then we can.”

“Thank you very much! Then, for starters…” He turned his big head, looking around.

I did the same, looking at various stores around us, but I eventually was overwhelmed with the amount of people, finding no worthy candidate. On top of that, this is my first time coming to this mall. I rarely go out except school, so I wouldn’t know what to choose.

“Oh? Why not that over there?” Iruma-kun snapped his fingers. “It’s perfect to spend some quality time, so let’s head to that game corner, shall we.”

“Ah, yes.” I gave a nonchalant answer, and followed after him.

When we approached the establishment, a lively music reached my ears. The closer we got, the heavier my feet felt. But, in the end, I was taken along by Iruma-kun, and entered through the doors.

“Woah…”

As I expected, the inside of the establishment was abnormally loud. I heard gleeful voices coming from every corner. There seemed to be a lot of children around, as they played with their parents or friends.

“…This is pretty amazing.”

Inside the establishment, I could see several game machines (?) lined up next to the other. There were claw crane game machines…what is that, a fishing rod? And, over there, it’s horse racing? Wow, I can’t even fathom how you would play these games. It’s my first time coming here. But, besides this anxiety I felt, I found a bit of excitement as well.

“Hmm, they’ve gotten even more games now. Asahina-san, is there something you would like to play?”

“Ah, um…I’m sorry, I never came to this sort of place…”

“I see! Then, let me show you around!” He showed a warm smile, walking ahead of me.

The main type of game here seemed to be working with medals, which you can buy for money. I was about to take out my wallet, when Iruma-kun put in a bill, receiving back several silver coins.

“Um, I’ll pay for it! You even paid for the movie tickets.”

“But, you bought the drinks, right? We’re just being even now. I was really happy about that. It might sound weird when I say it like this, but you really are thoughtful, Asahina-san.” Iruma-kun scratched his cheek, and carried the plate with all the medals on top of it.

If you want us to be even, then why don’t I just pay for my own share…But, it seems like Iruma-kun won’t step down from this. I don’t know if it’s him being special, or if all boys are like this on a date…

“Then, let’s use some of this right now. Talking about games that are fun for everybody, maybe some UFO catcher? But, the cranes here are pretty weak…and the prizes are not the greatest…Ah, I know!” Iruma-kun pointed at a certain machine, and beckoned me over with his other free hand. “Asahina-san, you said you liked quiz TV shows, right?”

“Ah, yes I did. What about that?”

Now that he mentioned it, we talked about our favorite TV shows that day we walked home together.

“Then, how about we do this?”

We approached the machine, when I could see a cute fairy (?) on top of it, wings growing from her back, as she flapped her arms and legs.

“Putting it in simple terms, this is a quiz game. You are given a question, and press the button on the screen to choose the answer, so even beginners can play this easily.”

“Wow, there’s a lot of games out there.”

Looking closer, that fairy held a wand in the shape of a question mark. Reading the manual to the side, you have to tap the wand on the screen to move forward in the game. I wasn’t too interested, but since he invited me, I might as well join for a bit. Feeling slight excitement, I sat down on the chair. As I did, a jingle played, meaning that Iruma-kun had put in the medal.

“Welcome to the Wonderland of Magic!”

The screen lit up, and I heard a voice. The game had begun.

“In order to defeat the Tetra Dragon who brings despair to humanity, solve the quiz and obtain the legendary weapon!”

Several cute characters appeared on the screen, explaining the story. During that time, Iruma-kun explained how to operate the game. I apparently had to use this fairy puppet in front of me to touch the screen, which will bring up questions that I have to solve inside the time limit.

“Um…Where is the Yamanashi Prefecture’s prefectural office located? Wasn’t this…”

Although I was a bit perplexed at the fact that such realistic questions came up in this fantasy-themed game, I already knew the answer. As possible answers given, I had…

A: Koufu

B: Southern Alps

C: Koushuu

I just have to choose my answer now, right?

“Hmpf, a difficult question right off the bat…I think that the Southern Alps are rather suspicious though…!”

Yeah, it’s Koufu, right. So I have to choose A…

“Correct!!”

“W-Woah!?”

Following my choice, a loud cheer came from the monitor, as the music played a celebrative tune. Does this mean…

“I-I was correct?”

“You guessed it right! Amazing!” Iruma-kun clapped as he said. “I had no idea! Asahina-san, you’re so clever!”

“I-It wasn’t that big of a deal…” Met with this sudden praise, I grew flustered and tried to deny it.

But, Iruma-kun apparently saw this as me being modest. He’s happy for me like a child. I-Is he being serious? I’m not used to being praised like this, so my body was twitching a bit.

“E-Ehehe…”

But…It didn’t feel bad.

“Now, let’s keep going! We’re aiming for a perfect run!”

“Y-Yes!”

A comfortable voice gave me a push, as I turned towards the screen again. And then, an odd time began.

“The place of origin of corn…? It’s not just about Japan?”

“…Um, I think I’ve seen that on TV before. If I remember correctly, it was in Central America.”

Iruma-kun and I continued to solve all the questions thrown at us.

“A battle where an army of one million soliders lost against merely three thousand…? D-Did something like this really happen?”

“Ah, I’ve seen that online before. What was it again? It was a famous episode with Liu Xiu, and the name had a kanji in it with sun or something.”

“Hmm…? So, this Battle of Kunyang?”

Sometimes we thought about it together, and sometimes we arrived at the answer at the same time.

“Wow, I had no idea. So the origin of the word ‘marathon’ came from an ancient Greek city.”

“To say it more accurately, apparently it was associated with a Greek messenger who ran from the Plains of Marathon to Athens to report the Greek’s victory. Ah, talking about that—”

Depending on the subject, I even got a bit too into it, and talked about more than just the question.

“Alright! Correct!”

“Good job! Keep them coming!”

—Without a doubt, I was having fun.

“I-It’s time for the final question!” I myself had gotten excited more than I would have imagined.

“It’s my first time getting this far. Now, let’s get a perfect score!”

“Yes!”

Futaba often played games on her phone, but I was rather bad at dealing with them, so I never touched too many. That’s why I only played them when I was a child. But, a lot of games I just stopped midway and never completed any of them. That being said, having come this far, I wanted to clear the game without making any mistakes. Now, what will the last question be…

“Oh, it’s in English, I think?”

“Ehhh!?”

Please translate the meaning of In my book you should stop smoking.

—That’s what it said on the screen. Oh no! I’m really bad at English. With the other subjects, I can get good to great grades, but English is always a battle.

“Of all the things, an English question as the final one…!” But, I didn’t even have time to complain.

After all, we were working under a strict time limit. Think! Calm down, and carefully think this through! Let’s take a look at the possible answers…

A: In my book, it’s written that you should quit smoking.

B: In my opinion, I think you should quit smoking.

C: In my book, it gives you a method on how to quit smoking.

U-Um… I know all the basic words in the sentence! That’s why, in that book, it should talk about smoking. That would mean that B is out. But, with questions like these, the one that’s the most different in context is often the correct one. But, there’s no guarantee that this is the case here…!

Ahh, my head is a mess. All I could see in front of my eyes was the timer slowly nearing zero. Now that I’m completely at a loss, there’s nothing I could do anymore. It’s a bad habit of mine. I can’t choose anything, can’t decide on anything. That’s why I can never pull through with anything, never complete a game. The counter has reached thirty seconds. It’s too late now—

“…The word ‘book’ has a lot of meanings, right.”

“…Eh?”

“Booking or registry, there’s lots of things. With just a different context, its meaning changes entirely.”

I suddenly heard a calm, reassuring voice, and turned towards it.

“Iruma…kun…?”

“This is one of those ill-tempered questions. That’s why, you just have to choose the one that’s different from the two.” He had his eyes closed, and carefully chose his words. “I don’t like being left out, nor do I want others to feel that way. That’s why, shall we take this answer into your own group of ‘correct answers’?”

Being left out—these words reverberated inside my chest. Because I felt the same. I don’t want the answer to be left out just because it’s different. That’s why, there’s only one correct choice here.

>B: In my opinion, I think you should quit smoking.

“Correct!”

When I tapped the wand on the screen, an even louder music played, sounding like an orchestra congratulating us.

“We did it! We cleared all the questions!”

I was left baffled, when Iruma-kun waved his hands with a beaming smile.

“We did it…? A-Ahaha! We did! Yes, we did it!”

A second later, a sense of pride and accomplishment filled my body. It was just a game, a way of passing time, and yet I couldn’t be happier! This joy I haven’t felt in a long time, after finally achieving something. It won’t stop. I’m super happy!

“But, we cleared the last question thanks to you, Iruma-kun. You’re good at quizzes as well, aren’t you!”

“Eh, I’m just a bit above average in English…Haha, in everything else, I’m a good-for-nothing.”

“No need to act modest! I think you’re amazing!”

I wonder why. I’m surprised at how energetic I was saying that. Iruma-kun was bewildered for a second, but eventually showed a bashful reaction.

“Asahina-san, are you tired? If you’re still good to go, why don’t we try out some other games?”

“Y-Yes…with pleasure!”

Normally, I’d probably act more modest while answering, but now I just agreed without thinking about it twice—And what followed after was just as amazing.

“This is so much fun! This fishing game feels like it’s the real deal!”

Iruma-kun taught me about all sorts of games I had never seen before.

“I can really recommend this! You can play it together, so why don’t we go for a round?”

I can’t even put into words how surprisingly pleasant of a time it was.

“Ah, it’s already this late.”

Before I realized it, the time had already pointed towards 1pm. We entered this game center at around 11am, so we’ve been in here for more than two hours now.

“I’m starting to get hungry now, so why don’t we go eat lunch? There’s a delicious restaurant around here. If you’re okay with it, we could—”

Lunch…Ah, right! I forgot!

“U-Um, about that…”

“Oh, are you not hungry yet by any chance? If so, we can just—”

I didn’t wait for his response, and instead took out that from my bag. Two rectangular boxes were illuminated by the light inside the mall. Nanase-san forced me to make this lunch box, in order to quickly make progress in this ‘game’.

“…Eh? I-Is this!?”

“Y-Yes, a lunch box.”

“Asahina-san’s homemade lunch box?”

“Yes. Is something wrong with that?”

Suddenly, Iruma-kun started talking like a robot, just like in that movie we watched before. W-What happened with him? And why is he staring at the lunch box so aggressively!? Is there something wrong with…

“—Ah, I see! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t tell you I would prepare this!”

He must have looked for a restaurant just for today. He might have even reserved a location already! I imagined Iruma-kun becoming furious at my mistake, as my body started to shake.

“Oooooooooooooouuuuuhhhhh!”

“Hyah!?”

Or so I thought, but he started to scream right away!

“Wha…wha wha wha!?”

What just happened, what is going on!? I was baffled, when Iruma-kun continued to scream.

“A girl’s homemade lunch box…! The ultimate artifact, even beating any legendary weapon, is right in front of my eyes! Waaah, I’m so glad to be alive!”

“U-Um, calm down, please!”

From the looks of it, he didn’t seem angry, but this reaction is still embarrassing!

“Being alive is the best thing ever!” He started crying, not bothered by the people around him.

He always wears his expressions on his face, changing in a matter of seconds. How do I say it, I never get tired of looking at him…

3

“How about here? We should be able to eat in peace.”

“Yes, sounds great. I’m glad we found this place.”

Following Iruma-kun’s recommendation, we came to a public hall. With several other activities going on, they had prepared desks and chairs for people to sit at.

“I often come here to use this place. The first floor is almost always open, so a lot of families visit here.”

We were already half-way into November. With barely any sun around at times, it was fairly cold outside, so I’m glad we found a place to eat inside.

“Still, Asahina-san, your homemade lunch is really delicious!”

“T-Thank you very much.”

“This is delicious as well! And this! Ahh, I’m so happy…”

Just as his outer appearance suggested, he could eat a lot, and made everything look even more delicious. He moved the chopsticks in a rhythmic manner, as the lunch box continued to lose its contents. He looked really happy, overtly delighted, and when I looked at him like this, I myself started to feel all weird inside.

—Even though I didn’t even make this lunch box with this kind of intention.

Nanase-san and the others told me to make a lunch box for today’s date. They probably wanted to make quick progress in the game, so that Iruma-kun and I could get along even better. Knowing this, my heart felt as heavy as stone while making this. But…

“It’s so delicious! I could stuff myself with just the tamagoyaki themselves!”

“…Fufu.”

If he’s that happy about it, then making it wasn’t that bad of a thing after all. Yet again, my own thoughts surprised me.

Iruma Haruto is a very odd person. He openly shows any possible emotion, never complaining, never badmouthing anybody or anything. Although not many days have passed since I started talking with him, he seems fairly different from what the rumours are saying.

I was actually really worried that he would shower me with all this lewd game talk, and the whole otaku blabbering in general, but there were no signs of that. If anything, he’s acting very considerate towards me. His attitude and behaviour allowed me, who was usually bad at talking with new people, to speak freely. He’s a type of boy that I’ve never met before.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I was just so engrossed in your cooking!”

“Ah, no, it’s fine!”

“Still, you really are skilled at this. You’re much different from my Mom at home. Are you often cooking?”

“I often help out my Mom. My little sister is bad at cooking, rarely enough, so I decided to help instead, and that’s how I had gotten much better.”

As it turns out, that girl is bad at dealing with detailed handicraft. It’s weird. Even though we’re siblings, we have different things we are skilled at.

“Ah, you have a little sister as well? So you live together as four people?”

“Yes, that’s right. We’re pretty close.” I like talking about my family, it brightens up my mood. “My little sister Futaba is my pride, you know? Unlike me, she’s bright and cheerful. She’s also a very skilled athlete, and really loves me!”

“My, I’m quite jealous about that. We’re pretty different at home.”

“Mom is pretty scary if she gets angry, but besides that, she is always considerate and kind.”

I always admired Mom, who was soft and elegant. When did I start speaking so politely again to copy her?

“And, my Dad has a bit of an odd hobby, but being the only man, he is quite reliable.”

“Odd hobby?”

“He likes gathering these plastic models…Bandam, were they? His room is filled to the brim with them.”

My Mom is fairly open-minded, so she overlooks his excessive hobby most of the time. There was one time where his room was filled with boxes of the plastic models he didn’t even build yet, and she was attacked by an avalanche when she went to get him for food. To me, they all look fairly the same, but that shouldn’t be the case for him. He always looks like he’s having fun building them, so I end up smiling myself.

“I love Bandam as well! The M91 is just a godlike…Ah, not good.” Iruma-kun quickly stopped himself.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just thought that your father sure is lively.”

Yes, he is! I pushed my body forward, and started telling of the Dad I was so proud of.

“My dad is very kind, and always fun to have around!”

“…You really like your father, don’t you, Asahina-san.”

“Yes. My Mom, my Dad, and Futaba! I love everyone!”

My family is more important to me than anybody else. I could talk about them for hours. Iruma-kun even seemed like he would be willing to listen to me for that entire time.

“Um, what about your family, Iruma-kun?” Before I realized it, I asked that question.

I was curious about these people who raised such a cheerful boy.

“Hm? My family?” He continued to grin, as he raised one index finger. “My Dad was a middle school teacher. He often taught me and warned me about my manners.”

I didn’t expect that. These two couldn’t be further apart.

“He got a cheerful personality, so he was pulling off stupid gags here and there. Though he ended up as a crybaby when he drank too much.” Iruma-kun said, as his words were brimming with energy, like he was having fun talking about it. “Well, he was pretty strict when he got angry, but he’s still my important old man.”

“I see…”

“And, my Mom is the exact opposite! She hates losing. There was a bargain sale at a nearby supermarket, and we stood in the cold at 4am, waiting for it to open.”

4am!? That is some crazy willpower.

“I wanted to stop her, but Mifuyu—My little sister was all on board as well, so I was forced to come with them…”

“Ah, you have a little sister as well, Iruma-kun?”

I hadn’t heard about that before. So his family also consists of four people? It made me feel a bit closer to him.

“Yep, she’s fourteen right now. Mifuyu’s the name. Unlike me, she’s got the looks and the smarts. Maybe it’s because of this that Shun—Namikawa is head over heels for her. If he’s even got a free second, he immediately goes to text her.”

That Namikawa-kun has feelings for Iruma-kun’s little sister? I can’t even imagine that.

“But, she’s not that much of a lovable sister. In reality, she’s a hardcore sadist. She most likely knows about Shun’s feelings, which is why she’s leading him around, enjoying herself…”

“Ahaha, t-that sounds like a lively family.”

“You can say that again. I never get tired of them!” Iruma-kun shrugged his shoulders, but he still looked like he was having fun.

I had imagined that Iruma-kun’s family must be just as lively as him. Finding out about his family, it’s fairly similar to what I had expected. But, as I was thinking that, Iruma-kun suddenly started fidgeting nervously.

“B-By the way…There is something I would like to ask.”

“What is it?” I tilted my head, to which his eyes ran all over the place.

He took two, three deep breaths, and spoke up—

“A-Asahina-san, what do you like about me!?”

“Eh!?”

Met with this sudden question, a baffled voice escaped my mouth.

“Ah, um…well…!”

This is bad! I thought of several things to answer that question if it came up, but now that it’s happening in reality, the words won’t come out of my mouth!

“Ah, I-I’m sorry! I was being too inconsiderate, right!”

“N-No! This is, well…” I panicked, and my tongue felt like it got stuck.

I have to say something. Anything, or he’ll get suspicious.

“Ah, you don’t have to say anything if you’re uncomfortable, okay? I was just a bit interested, that’s why—”

“Dad! Look over there!”

“…Eh?”

A shrill boy’s voice reached our ears. In a panic, I looked around, and found a boy seemingly around the age of a kindergartener. With a super excited expression, he pointed over at us…or rather, at Iruma-kun.

“There’s a giant pig wearing clothes! What is that!? Some costume!?”

The boy was overtly honest, and way too much at that. He used his words with no restraint whatsoever, leaving me even more flustered.

“Crazy! I’ve never seen a pig this close! So they can get this big!? How much pork cutlet would you be able to make with this?”

“U-Um, Iruma-kun…”

I tried to follow up with a ‘He’s just a child, he doesn’t know any better’, but I was already too late. The boy realized that we were looking back at him, and came running towards us. Following that, he closely observed Iruma-kun, walking around him.

“Looking at it up close, it’s even bigger! And, it’s as white as a seal’s baby! A white pig!”

“Whiteness on the level of a seal, huh. You got some good eyes, young man.”

Although the boy probably didn’t have any ill intentions with his words, it must have hurt Iruma-kun nonetheless—or so I thought. On the contrary, he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

“Hey, Taichi!” A roar came from a bit further away.

Looking over at the direction, I spotted a fairly young man. He must be the father of this boy. He came running towards us with a pale expression, grabbing the boy by the neck.

“Apologize right away! This person isn’t a pig, but a human!”

“Really? The human body is amazing!”

“Don’t just admire it, and apologize already! I’m sorry, this child just keeps being rude…!” The man grabbed the boy’s head, forcing him to lower his head towards Iruma-kun.

“I’m used to being treated like a pig, so don’t worry about it. Um…Taichi-kun, was it?” Iruma-kun went down on one knee to meet the boy’s gaze. “Do you like pigs?”

“Yup! I love them! Their oinking is cute, and they’re delicious!”

“I see, I see. Pork cutlets are indeed delicious. My Dad and I often eat them together.”

“Really? So does Pig-san…ah, no, um…” The boy apparently accepted the fact that Iruma-kun was a human, but didn’t know how to call him.

In the face of that, Iruma-kun gently rubbed the boy’s head, smiling at him.

“Me? I’m Iruma Haruto. Can you say it? Ha-Ru-To!”

“Haruto, I see! Nice to meet you!”

“Hey, show your respect to him! Ahh, this child is just…!”

“He’s an honest kid, isn’t he. Nice to meet you too, Taichi-kun.” They shook hands, and smiled.

How can he get along with an unfamiliar child this quickly, not to mention right after he was being treated as a pig? Iruma-kun and Taichi-kun quickly started to forget about us, talking about all sorts of things.

“Sorry that we had to bother you. I’m guessing you were on a date?” Taichi-kun’s father gave me an apologetic gaze as he started talking to me.

I’m bad at interacting with people I don’t know. No matter what I do, I end up stuttering, not knowing what to say.

“Ah, no, that’s…”

“He really doesn’t know any delicacy. I wonder who he got that from,” the man let out a sigh.

He must be having a rough time. And yet, the gaze he directed at Taichi-kun was kind and invigorating. They must be really close.

“Hey, Taichi, you’re bothering these two. The movie is about to start, so let’s go.”

“Ah, that’s right! We’re gonna watch a movie today!”

“Oh, a movie, huh. We watched one this morning.”

“Really? We’re going to watch Penguin-san!”

“Ah, that anime. It’s gotten pretty good reviews, so I was planning on watching it myself.”

I heard about this anime as well. They broadcasted it on TV. Wasn’t it about…

“There’s even lots of flower shops appearing!”

…Huh? I don’t remember that.

“Ah, you mean the eight million gods? I keep telling you, it’s not flower shops¹.”

Ah, that’s right. I remember now. The gods lose the faith of the humans they protect, and are about to disappear as a result of this, when a penguin goes to save them.

“It’s not flower shops?”

“It’s pretty simple. We say eight million gods because they’re so many here, you can’t even count them!” Iruma-kun seemed fairly knowledgeable about this, as he opened both his hands to explain himself. “They reign over fire, water, thunder, and I’m sure there’s even one for toilets!”

“Even for toilets!? Gods are amazing! I’m even more looking forward to it now! Dad, let’s go!”

“I got it, I got it. Before that, you say goodbye to these two, okay?”

Finally, these two walked away from the public hall. An energetic boy, and a kind father, it’s such a dazzling scene. I wonder if Iruma-kun feels the same way. I gave him a sideways glance. He was still looking after them. Was it just my imagination, or did he seem a bit saddened while he did so?

“…Should we continue our lunch?”

“Ah, y-yes!”

I was still a bit confused on what even just went down, but Iruma-kun seemed like he didn’t want to talk about that. Even though he was smiling so naturally a few seconds ago…

After that, we finished our lunch, and stepped outside the hall again. Because of a different reason from this morning, the atmosphere between us was awkward. I knew I had to talk about something, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

“That kid sure was energetic, right.”

“Ah—Y-Yes, indeed.”

He must have been considerate of me again. That’s always the case when he talked to me like that.

“But, you sure know a lot, Iruma-kun. To think you had an explanation for the whole eight million gods idea.”

“It’s just some trivia. I like these types of stories.”

“Hmm…?”

Iruma-kun was smiling as he said that. I think it’s pretty amazing that he could give a young child such an easy-to-understand explanation even though it’s such a complicated topic. I sure would not have been able to pull that off.

“But, the anime Taichi-kun talked about sounds really sad. Being forgotten by someone, just disappearing, I don’t even want to imagine that.” I said.

I can’t help but compare it to my own situation. It makes me think that nobody might even realize if I left, and it leaves me anxious. Interrupting my thoughts was Iruma-kun, suddenly coming to a halt, as he looked up at the sky. Did I say something I shouldn’t have…?

“In this world, there might be things that we can’t even hope to perceive with our own eyes.” He spoke in a gentle tone.

“Eh?”

“I think that, even though we can’t see them ourselves, ‘they’ must be there to protect us, always.”

He suddenly brought up such a subject, leaving me confused.

“They? The gods, or fairies?”

But, it didn’t seem like he was ridiculing me or anybody, so I happened to join in. It reminded me of a fairy-tale my Mom told me before. That they are everywhere around us, helping us humans in our daily lives.

“Oh, the viewpoint of a fairy is pretty interesting! Did you know? In certain Western traditions, they say people who pass away turn into fairies. Except for those that are special individuals, nobody can perceive them, making them fairly similar to a Japanese ghost.”

A ghost…just like that heroine of the movie we watched this morning. Only the robot could see her, but her voice couldn’t be heard. She must have been really lonely.

“—I think that they might be all around us. Inside the fire, water, and even this ground we stand on.” Iruma-kun picked up a bit of dirt from the ground. “And of course—inside the wind passing us by as well.” The dirt inside his hand was carried away by the breeze hitting us.

It was an odd, wondrous scenery.

“I’m sure that everyone believes in them to a certain degree. That they exist, and protect us. No matter how much time may pass, and even if we were to pass away, they would never be fully forgotten. That’s why, no matter how painful, how lonely it may be, they can live with it. Because they have their memories with them.”

I had forgotten to breathe, focussing my entire being on listening to his words.

“Would you believe me if I said I can actually talk to fairies?”

“E!?”

“I recently met one, and they told me something very interesting. They said that Asahina-san is a very kind and considerate girl.”

“E-Ehhhh!?”

Because of his sudden words, my head ended up in a daze. What did he just say…?

“Just kidding~”

But suddenly, he showed a teasing grin!

“Ah, you deceived me! Was everything just now a lie!?”

“Ahaha, you’re too pure, Asahina-san!”

He totally deceived me! Then again, why did I just believe him!

“You are just…”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“—Eh?”

I was about to give him an earful, when he suddenly cut me off, as if he had aimed for that moment.

“H-Huh?”

There, I realized it myself. These melancholic, lonely feelings that had plagued me have vanished entirely.

“You seemed down the entire morning, leaving me worried. W-Well, what happened in the movie theater was my fault…” Iruma-kun said, bashfully scratching his cheek. “It seems like I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Thank god.” He showed a relieved sigh.

“Ah…”

What…was that? Just now, my heart…suddenly feels so light, and at ease…I think, I might be glad that I came here today. It wasn’t a bad…date. It was really fun. I truly feel that way—But.

“…!?”

My peaceful feelings were blown away by my phone giving off a notification. I had saved this melody for a certain someone, so that I could immediately identify who that sender was, and of course…

Nanase Ikumi: How’s your date going? Lol. Send me the picture already.

For a second, my heart shook. I was forcefully reminded that reality was like this.

“W-What happened?”

“It’s nothing. Excuse me, but I have a request.” Just by saying these words out loud, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

“I-If it’s something I can do, then gladly!”

“…Sorry, and thank you. Then—” My hand holding my phone was shaking. “Could we take a picture together?”

4

A bit after that, we were talking on our way home. Although it was a bit early, Iruma-kun must have thought I was tired, as he was the one who brought up the idea of leaving it at this for today. The guilt kept stabbing me in the chest. And, I felt like crying at the realization that I was glad after hearing his words. On the phone screen, I could see the picture we just took a while ago. Since I received the ‘order’ to take a picture with him, I had no other choice but to obey.

Concerning Iruma-kun, I certainly don’t hate him as much as I did before. If anything, I think he is a pleasant boy to have around. But, this and romantic feelings are different. I couldn’t see myself dating him for real.

—And, I really hated myself for thinking that way.

“Asahina-san, you still look a bit pale. How about we take a break over at that bench there?” He said, and pointed at a bench in front of a store inside the shopping district.

“Yes…Thank you very much…”

I didn’t even have any energy left to really respond, just sacking down on the bench.

“I-I often come to this store, so a bit of break should do the trick. I’ll go talk to the manager here!” Iruma-kun said, rushing inside the store, only for him to come back with a bottle immediately after. “I just got permission, so don’t worry! Ah, here, I brought you some tea!”

I gratefully accepted the bottle, and ran a bit of it down my throat. The warm tea calmed me down a bit, but made me feel like breaking out in tears just as much.

Just how long did I wait now? I’ve calmed down by quite a bit. But, I don’t want to restrict him too much…I mentally prepared myself to calm out to him with the words ‘I’m okay now, let’s go back’, but…

“Ah!?” Iruma-kun suddenly let out a loud voice.

“W-What happened!?”

In shock, I looked over at him, when I saw his face glued to the window of the store, staring inside. I wonder, what’s inside this store anyway? I never checked because of the circumstances before. Slightly embarrassed, I looked up at the sign.

“Aoi Model Shop…?”

Model…Maybe they sell plastic models here? Dad often says that he rarely finds a store for these, so this one must be a rarity.

“Ah, s-sorry! Are you feeling better?” Iruma-kun guessed my gaze, and turned towards me.

“Eh? Ah, yes. I’m sorry that you had to worry about me. More importantly, what were you looking at?”

“N-Nothing at all! It’s not anything important!” Iruma-kun frantically tried to divert the topic.

Is there something in there that interests him? I was wondering to myself, when the door opened, and a man came out.

“What’s wrong, Haruto?”

“Eeeek!?”

A gigantic man appeared, looking like he could touch the clouds in the sky. He had a beard, with the glare of a bear that just woke up from its hibernation. At his neck, he had some sort of accessory, possibly a round necklace.

“Ah, Manager. Thanks for letting us borrow this bench!”

“All good. More importantly, is that Lady over there feeling better?”

Ma…nager? Is this bear the store manager here? Oh yeah, he is wearing an apron with a logo on it…

“Yes, thanks to you. Ah, Asahina-san, this is the store manager of this model store, Aoi Masahiko-san. His face might be a bit scary, but he’s a good guy.”

Even if you say that, the first impact this man gave off was shocking. It makes me feel like I’m a zoo, directly meeting a bear.

“M-My name is Asahina. Thank you for letting me rest here…”

“No no, don’t mind it. But, you’re Haruto’s girlfriend? I never expected this guy to get a girl!” The store manager let out a hearty laugh.

That alone made me feel a bit more relaxed.

“Ehehe, that’s a bit embarrassing~”

“I’m glad there’s girls out there with weird tastes as hers! I might turn into a believer in the face of this miracle!”

“None of your business!”

“Now now. More importantly, were you interested in this?” The store manager pointed at something through the glass. There, I could see a box, slighter bigger than the others around. That’s a plastic model, right?

“Um, what is that?”

“That? I could finally get a version of this model in my own sortiment. It was a lot of trouble getting that.”

I see, so it must be something rare. I had no idea plastic models had a rarity to it.

“No no no, I’m more worried about Asahina-san! I’ll do my shopping trip another time, so we’ll go home today.”

“Yeah, I figured. But, it might be sold out the next time you get here.”

“Eh, really?” I asked.

“Yeah, there’s other peeps who really want this one, and I can’t just put it aside for you. In this case, it’s first come first served.”

“Ugh…!” Iruma-kun’s expression was distorted in regret. “I-I don’t care. I can buy other plastic models another time! And if it’s sold out, I can just buy it online!”

He could just forget about me, and buy it. Seeing that he was forcing himself, I felt my chest hurt again. Thinking about it, I only knew a small portion of how considerate he was towards me today. That is why I wanted to at least give him some freedom at the very end.

“I don’t mind? I’m feeling much better, so why not buy it?”

“B-But…!”

“It’s okay. Come on, let’s head inside.”

“U-Ugh…My girlfriend is so kind, I can’t believe it!” I showed a wry smile towards the teary-eyed Iruma-kun, and entered the store.

Plastic models are my Dad’s precious hobby, so I’ll use this chance and learn some more about it. I looked around, and spotted countless plastic model boxes lined up, seemingly categorized. There’s robots, armies, planes, even mecha armor (?) models and female figurines (?). So that’s what a model shop looks like inside. Just looking around is pretty fun.

Out of interest, I took one into my hand. It was the box of a white robot, and the alphabet letters written below were probably the name of it, but I couldn’t read it. That reminds me, Dad has a similar model to this…it looks pretty cute actually.

“Hmm~ Hm hm~” I heard someone humming and turned towards the source.

He must have been pretty happy, because Iruma-kun almost looked like he was dancing, walking around inside the shop. I wonder which one he’s going to buy? I was a bit curious, and followed after him.

“Which one are you going to buy?”

“Ah, this is a SD-sized robot model of the AA Warrior. It’s always fairly hard to get!” Iruma-kun’s eyes were sparkling, as she showed me the box he was holding. “This one here is part of the Golden Dragon Emperor formation. From the first generation to the fourth, the emperor’s plastic models all have special parts to them that fit together in a set! The third emperor is especially cool! If only he had a lighting saber attached!”

“Wow, there’s a lot to consider, I see.”

I don’t really get it, but since he was getting so fired up, I knew it must be something rare.

“That is fine and all, but are you sure you should be talking about this in front of your lady? You’ll get dumped at this rate.”

“Gyaaaaah! I did it again!” Iruma-kun suddenly raised a scream, rolling around on the floor in agony.

It looked like a straw in Western plays, making me think of him as cute for a bit.

“E-Even though I tried to not talk about otaku stuff in front of her…! I ruined it all!”

“Well, that’s life, isn’t it. I’ll give you this, so cheer up, lad.”

“Isn’t that…A Banpla? And, a model of the Light Gunner? It looks really old…?”

“Yup, I’ll give you a discount! Just for a hundred yen, you can have it!” He put down a plastic model box on the counter.

“You’re just clearing stock, aren’t you…”

“Don’t be like that. Why not give it to the young lady.”

“Huh?”

The conversation suddenly turned towards me, leaving me baffled. I really wonder if that would be a worthwhile gift on a date for a girl. Apparently, Iruma-kun felt the same way, as his face tightened up.

“Are you a moron!? As if I could give this to her as a present!!”

That’s right, even if it’s in good thought, this is just…Huh?

“Ah, this robot…” I remembered seeing that design.

I think Dad built one like this before. Knowing this, I couldn’t help but stare at it. If it’s the same model that my Dad has..then maybe I wouldn’t mind.

“I was joking, but…Lady, are you interested in that one?”

I must have been staring at it, because the store manager called out to me.

“Ah, y-yes…”

“See, your girlfriend wants one. Two thousand yen, and they’re yours.”

“Eh, what, huh—”

“Thanks for your patronage!”

The store manager would not listen to any complaints, as he had already finished packing everything. Iruma-kun just watched the store manager in a daze, as he handed me the plastic bag.

After we finished the payment and left the store, Iruma-kun showed a sigh.

“For crying out loud, that store manager really doesn’t know when to stop. I’m sorry about that, Asahina-san, he must have been a bother, right?” Seeing his apologetic attitude, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

“N-No, not at all! If anything, I’m happy about this!”

“R-Really? Then, feel free to take it home.”

He did offer to help me in building it, but I politely declined. There seem to be necessary tools, but I figured I could just borrow them from Dad. And, after we finished talking about building that, the conversation ended.

Even on our way home, we didn’t talk much. I was fairly tired from everything that happened today after all. Soon enough, I could see the train station. Since we lived in the opposite direction, this was our time to bid farewell.

“Then, I’ll be taking my leave here. I had a lot of fun today…”

“Are you really okay without me taking you home?”

“Y-Yes. I live fairly close, so don’t mind me.” I showed the worried Iruma-kun a kind smile.

“T-Then, see you next week, Asahina-san!” He lowered his head with a cheerful voice.

Until I got onto the train, he continued to wave his hand at the train platform. For some reason, the sight of his remained inside my heart.

5

“I’m back!”

“Welcome home, Onee-chan! You’re home pretty early. It’s only 4pm, you know?”

I made it back home, when Futaba came running towards me out of the living room, leaping at me.

“You were out watching a movie with friends, right? How was it? Was it fun?”

“Y-Yes! We talked about the movie after we finished watching it, it was great.” With my usual smile, I gave my usual lie.

I’ve gotten used to this pain assaulting my chest.

“Where’s Mom and Dad? Shopping?”

“They both went out for dinner today. They said they’ll spend some time together, because it’s been so long. They sure are not getting older!”

“I see, so you were a good girl, and decided to stay at home so that you won’t bother them.”

“Right right! Praise me some more!” Futaba rubbed her cheek against me, acting as lovable as ever.

Just as she hoped for, I gently rubbed her head, to which she narrowed her eyes in joy.

“Ah, I know! I’m going out tomorrow myself! A friend of mine has a birthday party!”

“O-Oh…I see.” So that my jealousy wouldn’t overflow, I quickly moved away.

I don’t want my precious little sister to know of these feelings. I immediately rushed up to my room, and collapsed on my bed. As if she had waited for that, Nanase-san sent me a LINE message. She must have seen the picture we took.

I bet she’s going to ridicule me again, I’m just barely good enough when they need something to laugh about. I didn’t even have the courage nor energy to check her message. My stomach hurt, and I buried my face in my pillow to hide the tears. There, my arm hit something laying on the bed. It was the plastic bag with the plastic model inside.

Oh right, this is the very first present I received from Iruma-kun…After I hesitated for a brief moment, I opened up the wrapping, and took out its contents. When I took the box into my hands, I could tell that it was fairly big. On the cover of the package was a strong-looking robot, holding a gun in a heroic pose.

Opening said box, many many parts inside small vinyl bags greeted me. If I remember correctly, I just have to put the parts together…

“Ah, there’s a manual in there.”

I checked inside the short manual, which explained how to build this model, and a few details about this M-Suit. Um…the Union used this unit in their army, a large-quantity M-Suit type ‘Light Gunner’, was its name. Basically, this unit was mass-produced, and a lot of pilots used this same machine.

These words made my heart ache. Why can’t I become the same as everyone? Bullied at school, and even my very first lover is nothing but fake. I don’t need to be someone special. I just wanted to be the same as everyone…! Why can’t my wish be granted?

“Ugh…uuuu…” Tears came streaming down from my face. “I don’t want to do this anymore…I want to be the same as everyone…! I don’t want to be the only one left out…!”

My field of view grew darker. My consciousness grew hazy, and I felt myself drifting into a slumber. I can’t anymore, I’m tired. Let’s just sleep like this. But, right before my consciousness cut out—

Asahina-san.

For some reason, my cheeks relaxed a bit, and the boy’s kind smile would not leave my mind…

---

1 Taichi says ‘Yaoya’ (=Flower shop), but it’s actually Yaoyorozu no Kami, which is the idea that there exist eight million gods in the Japanese Shinto belief