Chapter 1

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

Chapter 1 - The Lonely Summer Vacation

One moment, the white ribbon sparkled in the

dazzling light of the sunset, the next, Chise’s straw hat fluttered up high

with the summer breeze.

The white ribbon of the straw hat danced

gently in the orange sky, like a feather coat, before finally perching itself

at the tip of a large tree branch.

(What do I do now…)

The tree in question, dyed red by the sunset,

was like an impish boy raising his hand up high. Chise could only look up at

her hat worriedly.

It was about an hour ago when she told the

Andou-san, the homemaker, "I shall be going on a stroll," and went

out of the house.

The roads here were not concrete and

pavements, but simple dirt paths, and everything was a brand new experience to

Chise, whether it was the lush greenery, or that the brook was so clear that

the rocks at the bottom were visible. As she had walked on, her eyes had grown

wider and wider until the moment when a sudden gust of wind had ruffled her

straw hat and carried it to the branch.

The brook trailed off into the glitter of the

sunset. There was much greenery by the wayside, and the large tree on which the

straw hat was hooked was rough and scary looking. Chise took a single feel of

it, and the skin was grazed off her palm.

She had been raised in the city and was never

particularly good at sports, let alone tree climbing. Moreover, she was dressed

in summer clothing - a white one-piece dress and fancy sandals. The waist-length

hair would also be a hindrance in an attempt to climb the tree.

The water in the brook moved along slowly into

the distance, it’s murmur the only sound that could be heard. Until suddenly...

A bicycle headed straight down the path basked

in the orange sunlight.

A boy, looking to be just a little older than

Chise, probably no more than a high school student, was riding it. He was

dressed plainly, wearing a sweat-soaked shirt and faded jeans, the thin arms

and the tense face bare to bake under the sun.

He looked towards Chise, and the girl tensed

up at his standoffish expression.

His lips curled together, and he slowly

approached on the bicycle.

Chise had assumed he would ride off but,

unexpectedly, he parked next to her.

And even more surprisingly, this standoffish

boy suddenly looked up. Straight towards Chise’s straw hat with its white sash

dropping down.

Tanned hands reached for branches, feet wedged

against the bark, and he quickly scaled the tree. Then, he reached out to nudge

the straw hat which fell straight to Chise.

Her eyes widened as she caught it with both

hands.

Once the boy saw Chise catch the hat, he hoped

down from halfway up the tree and landed on the grass patch.

The ground trembled slightly. The girl’s

slender shoulders followed suit.

The orange sky turned scarlet in the meantime,

making the world a little darker and things harder to see. The boy, appearing

content with mission accomplished, hopped onto the bicycle and left towards the

large setting sun.

“Erm...”

Chise wanted to call out to him, but all that

was left was his skinny back growing smaller in her eyes.

She was left standing there, holding onto the

straw hat with both hands.

(He kindly helped me out…but I did not thank

him.)

She dropped her shoulders, disappointed at how

slow her response was.

(But I should be able to see him again… for I

will be spending this summer vacation here.)

Surely, she would make sure to thank him when

they met again.

She bowed deeply towards where the boy had

left.

The sun had set completely by the time Chise

returned to the villa, and the housekeeper went out to welcome her back.

“It is late. I was worried that you were

lost.”

“I am sorry.”

Andou-san was an elderly woman in her 50s,

genial in appearance and kind. When Chise saw her for the first time, Andou-san

kindly welcomed her in with a smile and a “Well, welcome.” The girl immediately

took a liking to her, so she felt really bad for making the elderly lady worry.

“It’s different here compared to the city.

Everything is dark outside at night, and you can’t see anything. There aren't

many people walking outside either. Do ensure that you return before it gets

dark.”

Chise’s parents had never showed this much

concern, so she was both a little dumbfounded and elated.

“I understand. I will be careful.”

Chise’s honest reply made Andou-san’s face

relax.

“What would you have first, dinner or bath?”

“Ah, dinner please.”

“Alright, I will go about preparing it.”

“I shall leave it to you then.”

Chise lowered her head in gratitude. This

caused Andou-san to narrow her eyes.

“You really are polite, Chise-san. It’s rare

to see a proper, polite princess like you. I suppose this grace of yours comes

from being raised in a private girls school in Tokyo since kindergarten, no?”

she said, sounding impressed.

Chise blushed furiously and muttered, “th-that

is not the case...I-I am normal,” before hurriedly evacuating to the washroom.

Chise was unused to being praised and did not

know how to answer.

Back in school, she was a genial, dull girl.

“You’re spacing out again, Chise-chan,” had been how she had often been teased.

Never once had she been called classy.

Being praised like this caused her to feel

overly embarrassed, and even after washing her face in the washroom, her cheeks

remained red.

Her ablutions done, she went to eat the dinner

Andou-san prepared for her. The meal consisted of lots of summer vegetables in

a consommé risotto, herb-fried sautéed chicken, and a grapefruit jelly. She was

being more mindful of her etiquette, and her usage of the knife and fork, than

usual.

Each dish tasted delicious.

“It is delicious,” she remarked so bashfully

that Andou-san narrowed her eyes happily.

“Pleased to know that it suits your tastes

well. Is there anything you can’t eat?”

“Erm...”

Chise was momentarily gobsmacked, which seemed

to surprise Andou-san a little.

“Don’t worry. Please do say if there is

anything,” the woman prompted gently.

Chise stammered,

“I...cannot really eat, green peppers.”

Andou-san beamed further, her eyes narrowed

again.

“My younger daughter never wanted to eat green

peppers until she graduated from elementary school. Right now, she’s still

calling back to ask how to get her elementary-school-age son to eat them.”

“In that case, what should I do so that I can

eat them?”

“Well, I’ll keep that a secret for now. If I

reveal the answer now, Chise-san, you’ll be flustered and keep wondering where

the green peppers are hidden in every meal.”

“Not at all. A-and, it is not that I cannot

eat them at all. Please serve them as normal.”

“No, no. Please leave it to me. Is there

anything you hate other than green peppers?”

“E-everything else is fine.”

Chise blushed in response, and upon seeing

that, Andou-san beamed away.

The sweet and sour cold grapefruit jelly was

covered with sweet milk sauce. Chise picked it up with the silver spoon,

nibbling at it. It was really delicious.

While she was eating, Andou-san asked a

question.

“How does it feel outside?”

Perhaps,──

“There might be not that much of anything out

here, but the scenery is beautiful. You are in your third year of middle

school, and did well on your entrance exams, haven’t you Chise-san? Ah, but

your school doesn’t require any admission exams, does it? Oh yes, oh yes, if

you take the bus to the town center, there is a cinema and a shopping mall.”

And then she continued happily chatter

throughout the meal.

Chise only nodded somewhat apprehensively here

and there, adding an odd question now and then in a teeny-weeny voice.

Suddenly, she recalled that aloof looking boy.

She thought of how he had helped her retrieve the straw hat from, and her heart

started to race. She started to worry if Andou-san would notice her acting

differently...

“It would be great if your parents could

finish work early and get here sooner…”

Andou-san’s carefree words stabbed Chise’s

heart like a needle.

And the girl immediately ──

“Yes, that would certainly be nice.”

── smiled.

“Thank you for the meal. It was really

delicious.”

After dinner, Chise intended to clear the

cutlery, but ──

“Thank you, but that is my job.”

── Andou-san stopped her firmly.

“E-erm, then please at least allow me to bring

them over to the kitchen.”

“Really, you make me question just who is the

one hired to work here,” replied the woman, rebuffing the girl with a joke.

“You’re really obedient for a middle schooler.

Your parents surely must be glad to have you.”

The compliment was muttered gently, but the

words hurt Chise deeply once more. And yes, embarrassed her too. Therefore, the

girl hurriedly gathered the cutlery, brought it back to the kitchen sink, and

went up to the second floor.

Chise’s room, the place where she was going to

spend her summer vacation, was an empty space facing the courtyard. The bed,

desk, and chair were already lined neatly, all being old but sturdy, and made

from wood that gave off a warm feeling. The curtains were in tender

grassy-green with white lace resembling clouds. It was all really pretty.

Inside, the girl leaned her back against the

walnut-colored door and lowered her head.

The long hair was draped down her cheeks,

hiding her expression.

There was nobody else here, other than her.

“...”

So she stood there, frozen in that position

for a long time until, finally, the edge of her lips regained a hint of life.

Even without looking into the mirror, she knew

without a doubt what expression adorned her face. A feeble smile.

She wanted to be sincerely ‘happy’.

In a way that would allow her to smile a

happier smile than that.

Eventually, she sat down on the chair facing

the desk and took out the letter set she brought from Tokyo.

There were illustrations of fish, clouds,

watermelons, and fireworks on the envelopes and the postcards, spreading a

perfect summer vibe. Just looking at it filled her with elation.

She laid the color pens on top of the table,

wondering which colors she should use for which postcards. The more she thought

about it, the happier she felt.

In the end, she picked a deep blue pen and a

card illustrated with blue fish, and began to write to her bosom friends.

“I arrived at the villa today.

Back before the summer vacation, we talked about a

distant relative of my father, called Shiori-san, who lived alone in this

house.

I imagined it to be a dilapidated, haunted place. Now

that I look at it in person, however, it is a cute wooden cottage, one similar

to a hut found in foreign illustrations. There are vines climbing the walls,

vines that have leaves the shape of a heart. There is an allotment space in the

garden where cucumbers and tomatoes can be harvested. There is even a red

postbox at the side of the door. It is really cute.

There is a brook nearby, and I can see farms ridges,

fields, and a vineyard.

The air feels refreshing. It feels comfortable living

here.”

One by one, Chise started to recall all the

wonderful things she had seen with her eyes, heard with her ears, and felt on

her skin on this day. Perhaps writing about this to her friends excited her

more than expected, because then she chose a sky-blue postcard, an orange pen,

and started to write a message to her parents.

“Andou-san told me that the previous owner of this house

was Father’s distant relative, Shiori-san.”

“She would visit twice a week, but only to help with

housework, and hardly spoke with Shiori-san. She mentioned that Shiori-san was

a really kind person, genial in tone, and everyone in the village called her a

sage.

I also heard that she was the prettiest person in the

village when she was young.”

“I heard that the desk, chair, and bed I am using now

were used by Shiori-san. I found the poems Shiori-san wrote in the desk drawer,

not on paper, but on the drawer itself, written in pen. I wonder how old

Shiori-san was when she wrote it? The handwriting is pretty and elegant.”

“When you arrive, I will show them to you── ”

At this point, Chise stopped writing, stared

at the text, and struck the words off with a pen. Then, she covered everything

with correction fluid and wrote something different instead.

“I love this house, this village, from the moment I

arrived. What beautiful scenery will I see tomorrow? I am looking forward to

it. I will write to you again, Papa, Mama.”

‘It would be great if your parents could

finish work early and get here sooner…’ That was what Andou-san had said.

Her father was busy with work, and her mother

was even busier socializing. Both of them hardly had the time, to begin with,

but Chise knew very well why they did not come by.

Both of them were back home, in Tokyo,

discussing divorce.

Thus, they had arranged for Chise to come to

this house, and spend her 15th summer here. This house had once belonged to a

distant relative of her father, and that person had just happened to die this

spring.

Maybe they had done it out of consideration,

thinking she would be unwilling to hear their disputes.

However, for as far back as Chise could

remember, the relationship between her parents had always been frigid. Even

when the three of them ate together at the same table, they never smiled, and

the atmosphere between the adults had always been tense. Surely, right now they

were saying spiteful things to each other with a scowl on their face.

Chise could imagine it, easily in fact, and

her heart turned into a block of ice at the thought.

The hand holding the orange pen stopped once

again.

(I cannot be thinking about this.)

The more she thought about this, the heavier

and colder her heart and body would become.

Instead of that, perhaps she should find some

joy, a wonderful thing, and tell her parents all about it.

Surely that would make them happier, and maybe

even tempt them to come by instead.

Yes, papa and mama would surely come then,

smiling and loving each other.

“It is quiet here.”

“The air puts me at ease.”

Chise filled the sky-blue postcard with words.

The orange ink looked very warm on the paper,

almost akin to the color of sunset.

Her mind recalled the fluttering white sash

and the sight of the boy handing over the straw hat. Recalled his thin face.

The thin lips that were dyed orange.

The standoffish eyes.

The sweaty shirt.

The bicycle that departed before Chise could

utter a word of thanks. The silhouette of the boy’s back.

Her frozen heart was slowly melting, and her

lips broke into a natural smile.

Yes.

It was a wonderful, amazing thing.

Chise had always stayed at a girls school, and

never had a proper conversation with a boy of the same age. On the train ride

to and back from school, the boys were always together, chatting loudly,

something she always found intimidating.

The boy who had got the straw hat down for her

might have looked grim, but he had also looked earnest and had carried about

him an air that was as serene as the morning sky.

“It will be nice...to see him again...”

Chise whispered, feeling her cheeks heat up

slightly.

On the first day of Chise’s stay at the villa,

she met the boy, and the meeting promised a wonderful start to her summer

vacation. Just thinking about it caused her heart to throb.

She slowly opened the desk drawer.

Immediately, the graceful handwriting appeared before her eyes.

Who is he?

Why did he sigh?

These words were probably written by the

previous owner of the house, Shiori-san.

They also happened to be a very apt fit for

Chise’s personality, and the girl was mesmerized by them.

(What is that boy’s name...? If only we could

meet again.)

Her smile turned dreamy.

◇◇◇

The following morning, there was a ‘ting’

sound… Half-awake Chise heard a bell chime somewhere outside.

Then, there was a sound of a passing vehicle.

Chise opened her eyes. The curtain, green like

a young grass, dazzled as it absorbed the morning light.

It was 5am.

Whole two hours earlier than the usual time

Chise tended to wake up.

She put on her glasses, got off the bed, and

looked out of the window. A truck just happened to pass by her doors.

(Going to work this early? Must be hard,) she

thought, her mind all fuzzy with sleep. Right at that moment, though ──

── She spotted a bicycle opposite the passing

truck.

Shocked, she brought her face closer to the

window.

There was a boy riding on that bicycle.

Slightly tanned skin; long, thin limbs; a

skinny face...

That was ──

(The person who retrieved my hat...)

Chise thought that she was still dreaming.

The boy had stacks of newspapers on the back

seat and in the basket of his bicycle. He parked in front of Chise’s house and,

never getting off the bicycle’s seat, he inserted a layer of papers into the

red postbox.

(So he’s the newspaper boy!)

Her heart suddenly raced.

The boy’s palm left the newspaper.

He would be leaving!

She had to hurry and thank him!

Panicking, Chise opened the window.

The windows here were old-fashioned and

required her to use both hands.

BAM! A loud noise exploded around the house.

It shocked Chise and seemed to attract the

boy’s attention, for he lifted his face.

The boy’s aloof eyes caught sight of her, arms

still up, holding the window.

Their eyes met.

Those of the boy widened slightly in mild

surprise.

And that was the moment when Chise remembered

that she was still dressed in wrinkled pajamas and her hair was a

straight-out-of-bed mess. Embarrassment roared in her thoughts as if her mind

had been set ablaze.

The sizzling heat spread onto her face, cheeks,

and eyes.

(My face is red now!) she thought, all

shriveled on the bed, hugging a pillow. She was so ashamed she even left the

window open.

And, with nothing to hold it in place, said

window fell, with a loud thud.

Chise buried her face into the pillow, despite

the fact that she was still wearing glasses. After brooding for a moment, a

realization struck her.

The window falling shut suddenly made a loud

noise! Their eyes just met, and yet she made such a violent bang with the

window. Would he not have a bad impression of her?

Probably not? ...Maybe? It was so sudden…Chise

kept feeding herself excuses as she inched her head towards the edge of the

window, peeking at the outside again.

There was the old gate of stacked stone.

The red postbox.

But the boy on the bicycle had already

disappeared.

“What do I do...?”

Chise hurriedly grabbed the comb, tidied her

hair, removed her shabby pajamas, and put on the sleeveless one-piece dress.

However, she could not straighten her ruffled

hair at all so, making do with the straw hat, she ran down the stairs with her

glasses on, hastily put on her shoes, and headed towards the courtyard.

The cool morning breeze gently caressed her

bare arms and her heated cheeks.

Slightly gasping for breath, she went towards

the postbox.

Once there, she peered onto the road outside,

but naturally, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Chise lowered her head and

looked towards her feet. There were bicycle tracks on the dirt path, and a newspaper

was inserted into the postbox.

She took it with both hands.

And then, she felt a tender warmth on her

fingertips, like that of a bread loaf fresh out of the oven.

(This is not a dream...)

The warmth slowly spread over her, and even

her heart too was warmed.

(That boy had been here just now..)

With this warmth, he delivered the newspapers.

Since he was a part-time newspaper courier,

surely she could meet him again!

Chise embraced the newspaper, hugging it

firmly to her chest, and her heart filled with delight.

“Chise-san, what is the matter?”

Andou-san approached the door full of worry.

Chise had opened the window, then slammed it

shut, hurried down the stairs, and went out into the courtyard. Surely

Andou-san had heard all the noise involved.

“So-sorry, did I wake you up? I got up too

early, s-so I wanted to read the papers...”

Chise embraced the papers firmly, lowering her

head in apology.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I just woke up. I’ll go

prepare breakfast right away.”

“It is fine. I-I will read the papers. Please

take your time.”

Chise lowered her head and apologized again,

before heading back up the stairs, straight to her room.

The flooring had a cool rug laid over it.

Chise gently knelt on that rug and, still excited, unfurled the newspaper.

With a blush on her face, she started reading.

From the headline news, through the social column, economic column, book

reviews, personal advice, reader submission, classifieds, and even the weather

report, she read all of it.

But the contents never entered her mind, for,

again and again, she kept recalling the tanned, skinny boy. How he parked his

bicycle before the red postbox, and his expression when he lifted his face up

towards Chise. By the end, the girl was blushing furiously.

Back at her home, in Tokyo, Chise’s father had

been the only one to read the papers. She had never touched one, not once.

Thus, laying out the large black and grey printed sheets on the rug was a

refreshing experience for her.

Every time she flipped the pages with her

fingers, the thin paper rustled, its faint scent tickling her nose.

Was this the scent of ink?

The window by the bedside remained open, and

the grassy-green curtains were half-opened letting in both the sunlight and the

cool morning breeze, allowing the sun to shine upon the black words.

(We met again.)

The grey background appeared to be glittering,

and the pamphlets inserted between the pages scattered upon the floor like a

colorful fan. Chise had a careful look at them too.

It appeared there was a discount offer at the

supermarket for cabbage and cucumbers. There was also information about

second-hand vehicle sales and special summer sales at the department store. The

large red ‘30% off’, ‘50% off’, and so on tugged at her heart.

Finally, Chise folded the newspaper, her

cheeks now thoroughly red, and she looked up the TV schedule. The ink had

stained her fingertips at this point.

(I can meet him tomorrow again.)

The swirling elation finally settled down into

a faint sense of delight, spreading throughout her body little by little. Only

then was she able to experience the next feeling.

(Ah, but...)

She recalled the attitude she had displayed,

and she felt like somebody doused her in cold water.

He might be angry. He was so kind to her, yet

she slammed the window on him and hid. Maybe he wouldn’t want to meet her.

Suddenly, her heart accelerated again, but

this time for a different reason. She was still brooding over this when

Andou-san’s voice came from downstairs,

“Chise-san, it’s about time for breakfast.”

Chise looked up at the clock on the wall and

saw that an hour had passed already.

“Ah, yes, thank you. I am heading down now.”

She folded the newspaper neatly, picked up the

pamphlets that were laid out all over the floor, stacked those on top of the

paper, and hurried down the stairs.

“I k-kept you, waiting. I’m sorry”

Chise panted as she stepped into the living

room. Andou-san’s eyes widened at the sight and she just said, “oh my.”

Chise panicked, not knowing what exactly was

so weird about her. Andou-san explained with a stifled chuckle, “you are still

wearing the straw hat.”

Chise reached up and touched the brim of the

hat.

Her cheeks sizzled. She removed it at once.

“Right, erm…I also have yet to wash my face,

and my hands are all dirty with ink…”

The girl shriveled, intending to head straight

to the washroom. But Andou-san just smiled and said, “it appears you really

like to read the newspapers. Is there anything interesting today?”

“No, not at all...”

“I thought a young princess like you wouldn’t

read newspapers, Chise-san. The previous owner ordered a year’s worth but,

after she passed away in Spring, I requested that they no longer be delivered

for the time being. Now I’m glad they continued nonetheless.”

Chise was way too embarrassed to admit that

she had never read a newspaper in her life back in Tokyo.

So she did all she could to bluff her way

through the conversation and quickly slipped out into the washroom to clean her

hands and face.

As she picked up the soap to scrub her

fingers, she suddenly hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should wash away

the black staining her fingertips.

That feeling was too much even for her though

and she conjured soap bubbles on her palm. Carefully scrubbing the newspaper

stains away, she muttered to herself,

“Tomorrow... I will... Wake up earlier… And

thank him... Properly...”

The following morning ──

── Chise had set the alarm clock to ring at

4.30am, but she woke up at 4am anyway and started fumbling about in the

darkness trying to wake up and prepare.

She put on a different one-piece dress than

the one she wore the previous day and combed her hair neater than usual,

actually managing to straighten her bed hair for once.

She waited until the first traces of dawn

appeared at the peak of the hill that before creeping into the courtyard while

making sure not to wake up Andou-san. The morning air was somewhat refreshing,

yet chilly, and the courtyard was still covered in the pre-dawn gloom.

(What time do the newspapers arrive...?)

The sky got gradually brighter as she waited.

The crisp morning light shone at the ground and grass in the courtyard, and at

the tomatoes and cucumbers in the garden, causing a slight change in their hue.

Various uneasy thoughts went through her head while she was watching this

process.

(If it happens to be a different person today,

what do I do...?)

(Will I scare him by standing next to the

postbox?)

But there was no place in the courtyard for

Chise to hide and, if she was to talk to him from behind the fence, it might

make him feel wary.

She was also afraid that, if she hid, she

might be too embarrassed to come out, just like the previous morning…

After much thought, she remained as she had

been, waiting next to the postbox, all stiff and tense.

She was listening carefully as she looked

towards the road again. The boy on the bicycle appeared on the other end of the

path right at that moment.

Her heart throbbed loudly.

The hands grasped at the hem of the dress from

both sides.

Just like on the previous day, there were

newspapers stacked on the back seat and in the basket of the bicycle.

The boy seemed to have noticed Chise next to

the mailbox, and raised his eyebrows.

Chise saw the grim look on his face and felt a

wrench in her gut.

(He-he is angry about what happened yesterday

after all...)

She wanted to run away.

But her legs were stiff, rooted in place.

The bike approached slowly until it parked in

front of her.

She could not run away.

She was right to wait by the postbox. Her

heart was palpitating. She was so tense she feared she was about to explode.

But having come this far, she had to follow through.

The boy remained aloof, watching her with some

skepticism in his eyes.

Chise lowered her head.

“My-my straw hat landed on the tree two days

ago, and you helped me while I was wondering how to get it down. Thank you very

much for doing that...!”

She put too much force into the bow and her

hair slipped as a result. Her voice grew more shrill with every word.

But she managed to express her gratitude.

She lifted her head timidly and saw the

surprise on his face, wide eyes and all.

That caused her to tense up again and her

shoulders started to shiver.

“A-and, yesterday, I shut the windows and hid.

I am s-sorry for that too. I-I did not know you are the newspaper boy. I was…

so rude.”

She apologized once more before lowering her

head again.

The boy’s vague, deep voice gently caressed

Chise’s ears with his reply.

“...It’s fine,” he said indifferently.

It was the first time Chise had heard his

voice.

When she straightened back up she saw the boy

was troubled by her apology. Once their eyes met, he hurriedly looked aside,

drew a layer of printed sheets from the basket, and handed it to her.

“Th-thank you.”

Chise’s voice unwittingly became as soft as

the boy’s.

The moment her hands touched the newspaper,

the moment her fingertips felt the same warmth as the previous day’s, her heart

skipped a beat.

The boy didn’t look straight at her again and,

after offering a vague hint of a bow, he sped off.

The bicycle raced down the unpaved dirt path,

quickly gaining distance. Chise heard it leave, transfixed to her spot,

watching it go.

The warm newspaper remained in her hands.

──Thank you very much.

──...It’s fine.

The exchange between them was brief, not even

a conversation. However, Chise was on cloud nine as she returned to the house

replaying the words in her head.

(Great.

I finally managed to thank him properly!)