Underdoctor - 7

Location: Shopping Area - Star Street

Souma: Hm? What a lengthy queue... Is there some sort of event occurring here? Each individual attendee appears to be holding identical containers as well…

Kiryuu-dono, just what is the purpose of that line?

Kuro: Hm? Ah, that store’s pretty popular these days. They sell drinks.

Keito: ...Drinks?! You can’t be serious… Everyone in that line is only there to buy drinks…?

Kuro: I’m serious. Pretty common for places like this to have a thirty minute to an hour wait, ya know?

Keito: How incorrigible… Ah, wait. These have to be special drinks that are made of expensive ingredients or something like that, yes?

Kuro: Not really? They put something in them that’s called tapioca. Other than that, it’s really just normal juice.

Seems like what’s really trendy is to take pictures of the juice you bought and post them on social media.

Keito: Pictures? What’s even the point in taking pictures of something like that? This grows more incorrigible by the second…! This trend is utterly incomprehensible.

Kuro: Isn’t that what trends are supposed to be like?

Keito: Wait, Kiryuu! Why do you know so much about this particular trend, anyway? I was under the assumption that you and I aren’t so different when it comes to things like this.

Kuro: ‘Cause of my sister. Looks like it’s even spread over to her school. She always makes me come along with her when she’s buyin’ some, so I can’t really help but pick up some basic knowledge about it.

Souma: “Tapioca”... It is something which prompts one to feel the growing desire to take pictures of their own beverage, in spite of themselves...? Are these drinks truly so picturesque? I would wholly like to see them, if only just one! And… to try them, as well…!

Kuro: Well, what do ya say we get in line?

<1 hour later>

We have persevered through this grueling hour-long wait…! And at last. At last we have obtained our “tapioca”...!

So this is… “tapioca”!

Souma: ……

…These strange things appear to me to be shaped much like a frog’s eggs… Am I meant to drink this…? Have I been deceived?

Kuro: Hahaha. Yeah, it’s a little weird at first. I thought the same thing. Well, why don’t ya try it and see?

Souma: Very well, then… I shall set aside my reservations. ...Slurp, slurp… ♪ 

Th-this is…! How very fun this squishy texture is! It is my first time trying something with such delightful chewiness. Munch, munch… ♪ 

Mmm. It is rather sweet, and with the inclusion of something with a texture much like that of mochi, it is almost reminiscent of oshiruko1!

Hm? Hasumi-dono, your beverage differs quite substantially from mine, does it not? It appears to me to more so resemble a dessert as opposed to a drink…?

Keito: ...I ordered it because I thought it would be fine based on the name alone, but then they gave me this bizarre-looking… thing.

How am I even supposed to drink this…? Why on earth is it topped with such a copious amount of whipped cream? This seems impossible to drink.

Kiryuu. Am I supposed to eat the whipped cream first? Or am I supposed to mix it into the drink? Which way is the right way to drink this?

Kuro: There’s no right way to drink it. With a decked out drink like that, any way of drinkin’ it is fine as long as you appreciate all the decorations.

Keito: I don’t understand why something that isn’t even fit to drink while you’re walking would be so popular anyway.

Kuro: Quit complainin’. What are ya, my mother-in-law? Save your whining until after ya try the drink.

Keito: Hmph. I suppose you’re right. I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Well, I’ll go on and give it a try. Slurp, slurp…

Kuro: I mean, ya already judged it pretty harshly…

Keito: ...Ooh. Its appearance is a different beast entirely, but it tastes fine. Not bad.

Kuro: Tastes pretty good, yeah? My sister told me that it seems pretty popular to get a drink that looks cute on top of tastin’ good.

Keito: Hey, Kiryuu. What on earth is that you’re holding?

Souma: Kiryuu-dono. That is no beverage; that is a light bulb. Be that as it may, its color is quite vibrant indeed...

Kuro: Look a little closer. There’s a straw in it, yeah? This is a drink too. The bottle it’s in is shaped like a lightbulb, but it’s got colorful juice inside.

Keito: This is only getting more incorrigible…

Kuro: Oops, almost forgot. Gotta take a picture… And done.

Souma: Kiryuu-dono, why are you taking a picture of your beverage? Is it perchance the case that collecting pictures of such drinks is a favored pastime of yours?

Kuro: You’re a little off. I took it so I can send it to my sister.

She’s gonna get all pouty when she finds out I went somewhere without her and didn’t send her anything about it— ‘cause she’d feel like I was off havin’ fun behind her back.

Don’tcha think it’s cute? Ya do? Me too. I’m beat...♪ 

Keito: You say that without even a hint of resignation in your eyes. You know, when it comes to your sister, you suddenly become completely blind to everyone else around you.

Whoa…!

Souma: Oh my goodness?! Hasumi-dono, where are you going?!

Kuro: Looks like he went into that general store over there. Wonder if he saw something… Ah, must’ve been the stationery.

← Previous | Cover | Next →

TL Notes: 

1: sweet red bean soup with mochi

Proofread by 310mc and Amagiiz.

Underdoctor - 8

 Location: Fancy Shop

Souma: Hasumi-dono, what prompted you to leave so suddenly?

Keito: Ah, sorry. I caught sight of some stationery I’ve been looking for for a long time.

Kuro: Hmm. That pen’s what ya wanted?

Keito: Heh. This isn’t a pen. Slide this part here, and… Now it’s a pair of scissors.

Souma: Wh-what witchcraft is this…?! Y-you do not think that such a thing could possibly be a concealed blade?!

To think that this shop would sell such a thing beneath the veil of secrecy… Hasumi-dono, the proprietor of this establishment may very well be a scoundrel with a wicked heart!

Keito: Are you really in the position to say that as someone who brandishes a sword on a daily basis?

Souma: H-however, I possess the proper license to do as such! Moreover, this sword of mine is synonymous with my very soul!

Keito: Alright, I get it. Anyway, this isn’t a concealed blade. It’s just an office tool.

And quite an exceptional one at that. It won’t take up too much space in my pencil case. I couldn’t find this at any other stores nearby, and right when I was considering buying it online, I found it here.

Hm? Ooh, they have this pen in stock here too. This is great timing. Mine is going to run out of ink soon, so I’ll buy this too. This store has a great selection of supplies.

Wait, what?! Is that a file that lets you write on the documents after they’ve already been filed?

I had always thought that having to remove and refile documents one by one was such a hassle, but I never knew that such a ground-breaking product was available for sale this whole time!

Souma: Hasumi-dono, it appears to me that you have quite the fondness for stationery.

Kuro: I dunno if it’s a fondness so much as a search for things that’ll be handy when he’s workin’. Ya think we can put somethin’ like that in the magazine feature?

...Hm? That’s…

Souma: What has caught your eye, Kiryuu-dono? Ah, I see now that we are in the section for “paatii guzdu”1. Are these perchance… “Harowiin” costumes intended for children?

Kuro: These have gotta be the ones that didn’t sell, huh?

Souma: How very charming they are. Are you considering purchasing one to give to your sister as a gift?

Kuro: Mm, nah. I was just thinkin’ about how they look a lot like the first one my mom ever made for her.

The collar’s shaped like the tip of an eggplant and everything— looks just like it. It’s makin’ me feel a little nostalgic.

Souma: While we are on the subject, your mother was the one who taught you how to sew, correct? Have you been sewing since you were young, then?

Kuro: Yeah. Though there was a little while right after my mom died where I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep doin’ it.

Whenever I would sew, all those memories would flash before my eyes clear as day, and I felt like it was makin’ my sister sad, too…

Souma: And yet you continued in spite of that? Why is that?

Kuro: Yeah, I did… Hm, how do I say this…

I don’t really know why, but I felt like if I quit sewing then and there, then my mom would really be gone from this world for good.

My skills were no match for my mom’s, but it was like there was a little piece of her soul in everything I made.

As long as I kept sewin’, I was keepin’ my mom’s memory alive… Well, maybe it’s more like I was givin’ myself some peace of mind.

Souma: I do not believe that alone was the case. Kiryuu-dono, you would stand at your mother’s side and look upon her work ever since you were very young, would you not?

You simply inherited your mother’s kind and affectionate soul through her sewing— this I believe to be the truth of the matter!

Kuro: ...Ya think so? That’d be nice.

...Wha— !?

Souma: Oh? Ah, a small child seems to have collided with you by mistake. Is everything alright?

Kuro: Hey, lil’ miss, you alright? I wasn’t watchin’ my step. Sorry for bein’ so careless and runnin’ into you like that.

Oops, scared her, didn’t I… Kanzaki, if I try and comfort her, I’m just gonna keep scarin’ her, so can you take over for me before she starts cryin’?

Souma: Hm? I do not believe that she is frightened at all.

There is a tear in that stuffed dog you are holding? ...Hm, hm. I see. Her stuffed animal has a tear in it, so she was simply in search of a hospital in this store to heal its wounds.

Kuro: A toy hospital? In this store?

Souma: Ah, you refer to that stuffed animal on that shelf yonder? The one that is wrapped thoroughly in bandages?

Kuro: Ah, I get it. She saw that Halloween toy over there and thought this place was a toy hospital.

Souma: Ah, that is… Umm, this place is not any sort of hospital…

Ahh, please do not cry! I have made her cry! W-what am I meant to do…?!

Kuro: (It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a kid cryin’. I used to hear it all the time back then.)

(Sure enough, I’m still not used to it no matter how many times I hear it… Or maybe I’m just bad at dealin’ with it. I can’t help but see my sister in her.)

(But that’s a good tendency to have, ain’t it? Not wantin’ to make her cry just shows how much I care about her.)

(Back then… When she saw how desperately I started to avoid even comin’ near the house, all she did was cry and cry.)

(But I really was a huge moron back then, after all. I wasn’t payin’ her any mind at all.)

(I couldn’t even see how much she was clingin’ to me— I couldn’t even tell why she was cryin’.)

(After Mom died, that girl couldn’t even get herself to cry. But it was at that moment that her cries truly reached me.)

(I could never forget how crushing that was. It hit me harder than any big-name delinquent's fist ever could.)

(It was like I finally came to my senses.)

(I could finally see her true emotions. And I wanted to make her smile…)

(That’s it. That’s what it was that made me wanna— )

Hey, lil’ miss. I know I may look scary, but the truth is, I’m a doctor for stuffed animals. So you wanna let me take a look at your doggy?

...Ooh, thanks. Wait just a sec; I’ll have it fixed up in no time.

Keito: Apologies for keeping you two waiting.

...Er, Kiryuu, what are you doing?

Souma: Fufufu ♪ He is a doctor for stuffed animals, you know.

Keito: Huh…?

Kuro: ...There ya go. Look, all better.

Hm? Oh, don’t worry about it. Ya don’t need to thank me; just give it lots of love from here on out.

Souma: Kiryuu-dono, she has taken to you quite easily. Fufufu, it seems as though she has no intention of releasing your hand from her grasp.

Kuro: …….

(Ah. Yeah…)

(Way back then. I wanted to make her smile, so I went and made her a stuffed animal.)

(It wasn’t too pretty, but even then… She took her tiny little hand, and grabbed mine and squeezed it tight.)

(And that was when I swore to myself— even though I could never replace our mom, I’d make sure my sister never felt lonely.)

Location: Yumenosaki School Route (Autumn)

Keito: We spent a long time outside, didn’t we? Well, we managed to fulfill our goal quite well, so now both the questionnaire and the interview for the magazine shouldn’t be an issue at all.

Kuro: Kanzaki, thanks for today.

Souma: There is no need to thank me. I am pleased that you were able to procure such satisfactory fabric! Furthermore, aside from the fact that I had the opportunity to try “tapioca” for the first time today, I was able to be of help to you— and for that I am delighted.

Kuro: Yeah, ‘course I’m grateful for that too, but most of all, thanks for takin’ me out with you.

I thought this was just gonna serve as a nice breather on top of bein’ a trip to get fabric, but… I got to reminisce on a lot of things, and it just picked me up even more.

Souma: ? On what did you reminisce?

Kuro: You’re askin’, huh… Well, I was thinkin’ about what my intention to keep sewin’ was in the first place.

Souma: Your intention? There is a well-known — and quite indispensable — saying, that being “Forget not your intention from your time as a novice”. Ergo, such thoughts are quite honorable thoughts indeed.

Kuro: Yeah. ...And it made me realize that I really do love sewin’ after all.

← Previous | Cover

TL Notes: 

1: party goods

Proofread by 310mc and Amagiiz.