When Kagami first suggested going to the amusement park, to be honest, I thought her personality was a bit too hasty.
After all, from my perspective, we had just recently returned from a trip that practically filled our entire vacation.
Our home was essentially an old apartment with just one room, but contrary to its appearance, we lived quite comfortably, and Kagami made good use of that ‘comfort’ without a care.
Well, it’s not like she wasn’t working. Since we attend school in the morning and afternoon, it wouldn’t be too strange for her to be spending that time managing the shrine in her own way.
When I think about the time I could see Kagami, the shrine’s operating hours are oddly short compared to others, but as long as things are running smoothly, it’s not my place to intervene.
I figured she might have saved up enough money in case things didn’t go well.
So when a long break like this came along and Kagami said she wanted to do something, it wasn’t strange at all…
“……..”
Looking at her slightly excited face, she seemed strangely impatient.
I wonder why?
“I’ve thought of two places.”
Kagami said with a cheerful smile.
One place is near Tokyo… well, it’s a famous theme park from an American movie company in Chiba Prefecture.
And the other one is another famous theme park of a different American movie company located in Osaka.
I’ve never been to either…
Come to think of it, it’s been almost 20 years. A friend who went to Japan shared all sorts of stories, but I doubt most of the attractions I know are still there.
The well-known magical school-themed movie series began in 2001. By now, only two movies have been released by current standards.
Wait, the third movie is set to come out this year, right? Maybe the story is a bit different in this world?
“Is there anywhere you’d like to see?”
Seeing me lost in thought, Kagami tilted her head and asked.
She looked oddly similar to Koko in that moment. Well, it wouldn’t be strange since they are mother and daughter.
Now that I think about it, Koko’s personality might resemble Kagami’s after all. Perhaps Kagami is just… overly seasoned in this world? Hmm, I’m not sure.
Anyway.
“No, I don’t mind either way. Where were you planning to go?”
Even if she said we were heading towards Chiba, it’s still close to Tokyo, and I already saw Osaka last time. I didn’t think I would care much either way.
“The area around Tokyo can be visited in a short time, can’t it? In that case, how about going back to Osaka?”
“By car?”
“No.”
Kagami said with a beaming smile.
“How about a train trip this time?”
Ah, I see.
That means she wants to try one of the things we haven’t done yet.
Well, the atmosphere of the entire trip can change depending on how you choose to get there, even if it’s the same destination.
“I’m fine with that.”
When I looked at Koko, Kagami also gazed at her.
“Uu?”
Koko tilted her head. In terms of her expression of ‘being puzzled’, she seemed much more intense and pure than Kagami, but somehow still resembled her.
“Great!”
It felt like no matter where I go, she would follow me after all.
Koko raised both arms and shouted that.
Seeing the expression on Koko, a smile bloomed on Kagami’s face.
That wasn’t the same laugh I had seen before. It was a genuine smile born out of happiness, not a forced one.
Kagami really suited this carefree atmosphere better than the suspicious vibe.
*
The train trip took longer than expected.
Osaka, Tokyo.
Perhaps because I’ve heard the names of these two cities so often? When I was a child, I vaguely thought the two cities were quite close to each other.
If it’s far, it’s far; if it’s near, it’s near. But if I were to judge by Korean standards, I would lean towards it being far. The perspective may change based on whether you’re Chinese or American, but I’ve grown up in Korea.
I don’t know the exact distance between the two cities, but even on the Shinkansen, it takes nearly two and a half hours. I know it takes roughly that much time to go from Seoul to Busan by KTX, so it’s safe to say there’s at least that much distance.
Kagami, munching on her bento on the train, looked like a child who was having a blast.
Even I, who initially wasn’t thinking much about it, felt oddly uplifted.
A harmonious family, huh?
It’s an ironic situation.
On the surface, we live in a shabby one-room apartment from a single-parent household, yet we aren’t economically poor at all.
If we were talking about being emotionally impoverished, it’s only now starting to get better.
Outside the window, spring was blooming.
All those cherry blossoms had fallen, leaving only greenery. Just that alone made the world look very vibrant.
“By the way, when did you start thinking about this?”
“Hmm?”
When I suddenly asked while looking out the window, Kagami widened her eyes a bit and looked at me.
“There must have been many people planning trips.”
Since I’ve only been living here a little over a year, I can’t claim to be well-versed in Japanese culture.
But even with my experience living in Korea, I can make some educated guesses.
During Seollal and Chuseok, all the plane, train, and bus tickets sell out completely. Buses might still have some left, but train tickets are almost like a war.
Even outside those holidays, when it’s the Golden Week, tickets sell out quickly too.
Isn’t Japan similar? Isn’t there a Golden Week every year?
“True. If I were alone, it would have been difficult.”
“Just as I thought?”
“I’m not very good with computers.”
“…….”
Um… is that so?
Well, during this time, it’s plausible to think some households might not have computers. They aren’t essential yet. Unless someone works in an office, our home is like that too.
In my previous life, I often heard comments like, ‘These kids today aren’t good with computers.’ Once a person gets used to what they find comfortable, they struggle a bit when adapting to anything else. After all, if you only maneuver smartphones and then have to use a computer, it’s awkward; a generation that’s never used one might find it incredibly difficult to learn again.
In this era, it’s no surprise that advance ticket sales dominate as well. To be honest, the only time I took a train in Japan was during a school trip. I’ve used the subway plenty, though.
“I got help.”
As I sank into my own thoughts, Kagami looked down at her bento and spoke again.
“Help?”
“Yes. When I said I wanted to go on a family trip, the shrine’s workers helped me.”
“Ah… I see.”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
“……Thank them for me later.”
I mumbled that and Kagami smiled and promised she would.
Shrine workers, huh.
Thinking about those Yakuza uncles searching on computers in ridiculous ways or lining up to book tickets makes me chuckle a bit.
They were probably extremely serious about it?
“Of course. It’s fortunate. They mentioned that they also had tickets to book, so they just helped me out while they were at it.”
I see.
Well, I guess some of those Yakuza uncles must have families; it wouldn’t be unusual for them to take a trip with their loved ones during the Golden Week.
…But do Yakuza really take such holidays off?
*
I found out what kind of tickets those Yakuza uncles had to book the very next day.
This time, it wasn’t a road trip, but rather a journey with a definite destination, so we arrived in Osaka around lunchtime the day before, when we unpacked our things.
The theme park itinerary was set for the next day.
Since it would be too tiring to play a lot in the morning and leave in the evening, we planned to rest well at night and set off again the next morning. Besides, it’s a long holiday, so we had plenty of time.
No matter how nice a home is, sometimes it’s just nice to sleep on a soft bed.
After lunch, we lazed around in a relaxed manner and rested. We even got to see streets we hadn’t been to before.
Planning to play from the next morning, we went to bed early and woke up early.
“Wow…”
That was Koko’s first reaction upon seeing the amusement park.
Now that I think about it, Koko doesn’t seem to dislike such things.
Though she used to not be very fond of people, her mood improved a lot while hanging out with friends, and more than anything, having dedicated Kagami right next to her surely made a difference.
And aside from the crowds, the place seemed to capture the atmosphere of the cartoon world Koko loves so much… Well, that actually seems more true of the place in Chiba.
Anyway, it was all new to us, so I felt a bit giddy too.
In reality, it was pretty crowded to do whatever I wanted, but that’s just how it goes. These things are meant to be enjoyed while overcoming such hurdles.
At the very least, Koko looked thrilled. And I’m pretty sure, anyone with Koko would find joy in the situation as well.
“Wow!”
Even just a cheerful shout like that made me want to raise both arms and shout, “Wow!” alongside her.
Kagami didn’t forget to bring the camera she bought last time. I also remembered to bring my camcorder.
We took plenty of photos and videos.
“Do you want to eat cotton candy? Cotton candy?”
Koko vigorously nodded at Kagami’s words.
I nodded along with Koko. It felt like I suddenly became the same age as her.
Ah, we’re the same age, right?
Unfortunately, Kagami’s plan to definitely make her mine was progressing smoothly.
Initially, it was hard to call her mom, but once I started, it gradually became more natural, and the resistance was slowly fading away.
Kagami herself still reacted a bit excessively whenever I used ‘mom’, so she was clearly aware of it.
As we followed Kagami, the three of us held cotton candy in one hand and turned around—
“Oops.”
Kagami and I exclaimed in unison.
“Uu?”
Koko tilted her head.
“……”
In front of us stood a man with an extremely intimidating appearance.
With bronzed skin and wearing a bright suit that seemed quite eye-catching in such a place.
“Are you Yamashita?”
“…Kagami.”
To our immense surprise, the man had cat ears perched on his head.
For the record, the three of us were different. Kagami had cat ears, Koko had dog ears, and I had bunny ears atop my head.
Kagami stood frozen in place, unable to say anything for a while.
I could see her face slowly growing warm.
Ah, I see.
What she said about ‘helping out with ticket booking’ was genuinely true.
I’m not quite sure if Yakuza enjoy their Golden Week, but it wouldn’t be strange for a Yakuza’s child or spouse to enjoy it.
And it wouldn’t be odd for a father to take time off for such family outings.
I slightly shifted my body to look behind him.
There were a pair of girls back there.
Well, one of them was at an age where calling her a girl might be a stretch… but.
Have they not married yet?
When my gaze met Yuuki’s, he subtly turned his head away.
It was ironically amusing; Yuuki sported dog ears on his head. Next to him, Mori’s head had bunny ears atop it.
In that household, it looks like Yuuki is the Koko position.
I can’t help but feel that switching headbands with Yamashita would suit him much better.
Mori waved lightly towards me, and I awkwardly bowed my head in return.
“Yuuki!”
Koko beamed and waved her hands high, and Yuuki finally couldn’t pretend not to see us anymore.
Seeing him meaningfully wave back at us was the most amusing sight I had seen of Yuuki so far.
That… what is it?
Ah, they’ve made up, huh?
That’s a relief.
*
Kagami’s amazing point, I think, lies in her stubbornness and tenacity.
Her bulldozer-like personality, in which she gets things done when she wants, can’t be universally labeled as good, but it’s also impressive that she didn’t take off her headband in such an embarrassing situation.
Maybe it’s because Koko doesn’t plan on taking hers off.
I didn’t take mine off either.
In fact, because of that, Yamashita and Mori also didn’t take theirs off. Yuuki looked like he wanted to rip off that dog ear headband right away, but the atmosphere made it seem like if he did, it would just draw too much attention.
We finally found a place nearby to sit down.
Each one of us held onto cotton candy.
Cotton candy, no matter how you eat it, is bound to make your mouth and hands sticky, so Koko and I gave up on appearances and were happily tearing into ours.
Yuuki was weighing the moral dilemma of whether he should eat or not.
“Now that I think about it, it was thanks to Yamashita that we could be here. Thank you very much. ”
“What? It was my underlings who got the tickets, so I didn’t do anything.”
Yamashita nodded with a serious expression. The cat ears on his head wiggled absurdly.
“…….”
Then a brief silence.
It seemed those two weren’t that close. But then again, he’s only married to her sister, and Kagami doesn’t seem to be particularly close to her sister either.
Yuuki kept glancing my way.
“By the way, Koto Ne is Yuuki’s cousin, right?”
Mori asked with a soft voice.
I nodded my head.
How should I put this?
Honestly, no matter how you look at it, she seems like Yuuki’s older sister. In reality, there is a significant age difference, but since Mori is such a beauty, she does appear younger, and I can understand why Yamashita can’t fully accept her as a wife.
I was envious in some way, but with such a big age difference, it would be quite scary being subjected to people’s gazes.
“Do you go to the same school?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Do you get along well?”
“From this year, we’ve been in the same club.”
Mori nodded and scanned Koko, Kagami, and me in turn as she spoke.
“Your mother must be beautiful, because your daughters are all pretty. Seeing you together like this, you look so alike.”
“Oh my.”
Kagami’s eyes widened, and she broke into a big smile.
It wasn’t a guarded or cautious laugh; it was just a candid smile. Still, being Kagami, she didn’t completely lose her composure.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
In that moment, the slight tension I had sensed from Kagami melted away instantly.
Mori seems to have a good grasp on people’s feelings.
Well, judging by her impression, that might be true.
“When are you two getting married?”
I nearly spat out the cotton candy I just ate. The directness of Kagami’s question regarding a physically impossible act caught me off guard.
“Oh my.”
But even with Kagami’s sudden question, Mori’s face also melted away into a smile.
……
It seems there’s an unusual understanding between these two.
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