My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 384

"They both refuse to read or reply to messages..."

Is this a lingering effect of what happened yesterday?

"Hopefully, it was just the two of them having too much fun."

"But Kawanami said he was attending a junior high school reunion."

"Could it be that the two of them ran away together?"

"You're making it sound like a social event."

"...Have you ever participated in one of those?"

"That's just a general statement."

I laughed it off. I used to find it annoying to be pressed like that, but now I think she's adorable.

"But if it's just flirting, as you said, Kawanami shouldn't be acting like he's desperate... although the whole thing really does sound like just a simple relationship problem..."

"Isn't it just that a female friend from junior high school flirted with him? I also think there are girls who like Kawanami's type."

"...Can you understand?"

Generally speaking...

Jie smiled and brushed it off. "That's right, for us now it's just flirting."

"But when I think about it, something about that incident feels off..."

Hearing me say this with my head tilted, Jie Nu also tilted her head.

"Something's not right?"

"I feel like something doesn't make sense... but I can't explain it in detail yet."

Just like the unsolved case that occurred yesterday morning.

I feel like there's some contradiction in some parts...

"Since you're so concerned, I'll help you find out. Even though they're no longer in contact with us, they might still be in contact with other people. Besides, I know more people at school than you do."

"You're just blaming the pot calling the kettle black."

"Fifty more steps would be enough."

In any case, it happened somewhere far away.

Those of us living in the countryside simply couldn't directly intervene.

Kawanami Kogure ◆ A Journey to Osaka - Part 1

Minami took my hand and we jumped onto the Keihan Railway at Sanjo Station.

It's a limited express train bound for Yodoyabashi Station.

It was the Obon festival, and there were many passengers. But at the next stop, Jien Shijo, many people got off, and we sat down side by side in an empty seat.

As the tram started moving, Nan watched from the window as the dark underground tunnel scenery flashed past.

"...Where should we sit?"

When I asked that, Nan turned and looked into my eyes, saying:

"Sit as far away as you can."

"That must be Osaka..."

It's not actually far, it's quite close. But the final stop of this train is Osaka, so it seems like that's enough.

The railway tracks stretch endlessly, leading to an end that is farther than the end itself.

The path leads to the world frontier that two high school students are allowed to travel to...

"Neither of us has been to Osaka yet, right?"

"Yeah... we've only ever gone together with everyone."

"Me too. Most events in the Kansai region are held in Osaka, so I usually go with girls who like to attend concerts and other events. But I guess I've only really explored the area properly during school field trips."

Nan chatted casually, neither as aggressive as yesterday nor as cautious as if she were afraid of hurting me.

It's exactly the same old vibe.

It's like time has turned back...

I found this atmosphere brought me peace. Peace? I'm with Nan Xiaoyue now, aren't I? There's a sense of disharmony, like gears that don't mesh properly but are forced to keep turning. But I understand that this tranquility is all I can rely on now.

──Knock knock knock──Knock knock knock──

Maintaining a certain rhythm, the tram continued to sway.

--Seven, next stop Seven-Street--

The tram is about to exit the tunnel.

"Kawabata, we're here."

I was gently shaken on the shoulder, and when I woke up, I found that I had arrived at the final stop, Yodoyabashi.

We got off the bus and went through the ticket gates, seeing the underground passage leading to the Osaka Metro. I looked south at the passage and the stairs extending to the ground, then looked up at my face.

"How do I get there?"

"...You're the one who brought me here."

"That's true."

Nan tilted his head, pondering for a moment while rubbing his stomach.

"Aren't you feeling a little hungry?"

"Hmm... a little."

After all, he threw up everything he ate at the karaoke bar.

I wasn't in the mood to think about it before taking the tram, but after a nap, I feel much better, and now I'm actually quite hungry.

"Let's go to Shinsaibashi then. There's a big shopping street there, right?"

"Ah—I think it was near Dotonbori, over by the Glico sign."

"Yes, yes, yes! Let's go eat takoyaki, takoyaki!"

Takoyaki...

Makoto's actions towards me flashed through my mind, and I frowned.

"Didn't you get any food at the karaoke bar?"

"You have to eat the authentic stuff! The authentic stuff must taste completely different, right? I've never had it before."

In a very Kansai-style manner, Minami assured me and took my hand, leading me towards the underground passage leading to Osaka Metro. In other words, we were going to transfer directly to the subway to Shinsaibashi.

Compared to places like Umeda, the station layouts around here are much easier to understand. We carefully checked the station maps along the way and got from Yodoyabashi to Shinsaibashi without getting lost too much.

It wasn't until I moved from the underground station to the surface that I finally got a real sense of being in Osaka.

The buildings are all incredibly tall, and the roads are ridiculously wide.

Even in prosperous areas of Kyoto, building heights are restricted, and the streets are divided into a grid pattern, so you rarely see eight lanes. This small scene alone was novel enough for me.

"It seems to be over there."

Nan led the way while looking at his phone.

We crossed the pedestrian walkway and crosswalk to reach the bustling arcade shopping street. This scene was quite familiar to me.

As she walked south, looking up at the arched roof, she said:

"When I went to Okinawa, I was thinking that the arcades in every place felt the same. The passageways were straight, but the surrounding area was chaotic and crowded."

"Yes, we can't help but think of Teramachi and Kyogoku. Conversely, if people from Osaka went to Kyoto, they would probably find it very similar to Shinsaibashi, right?"

"Definitely."

We followed the crowd, browsing the shops along the way.

If we keep walking forward, it seems we will reach the famous Dotonbori Bridge, but we turn right at the passage a little ahead.

There's a neighborhood ahead that's known as American Village.

At first glance, it lacks any American elements; it's simply a trendy haven lined with commercial facilities and secondhand clothing stores. The style of the pedestrians isn't entirely elegant and fashionable; most are young people with a rebellious vibe.

"Oh, look at that! The wall of that building!"

"Ah—what's that called again? Apply...apply..."

"Graffiti art...?"

"Yes, that's it!"

"That kind of thing really has a metropolitan style."

The unpainted cement wall on the side of the building was spray-painted with huge English slogans. You'd hardly see anything like this in Kyoto; it made me inadvertently react like a country bumpkin.

In the center of American Village, there's a triangular park that feels like a great meeting place for friends, surrounded by vendors selling takoyaki and sponge cakes, making it look like a festival.

One of the vendors appeared to be from a well-known shop. There was a long queue in front of it, making it easy to spot.

"Since you're here, wouldn't you like to try the most famous restaurant?"

So we walked to the very end of the line and joined the queue.

Couples who have just started dating would definitely try their best to avoid this kind of situation, but Nan and I are already used to it.

Mizuto Irito ◆ Not a tsundere

Looking up at the setting sun, we waited for the group to be fully assembled.

"I've heard that if couples who have just started dating line up like this, it will damage the guy's impression of them, but I find it very strange."

The woman dressed in a yukata stood next to me, gazing at me with her face illuminated by the lantern light.

"Don't you think that only puts guys under excessive pressure? Even comedians aren't all good at improvisation, okay?"

"...Are you saying you're bored out of your mind?"

"That's right."

"That's really straightforward..."

We are queuing up for a takoyaki (octopus ball) vendor.

Honestly, nothing at the festival stalls really appealed to me, but since I was already there, I figured I might as well have some takoyaki, so I lined up here.

Looking at the price tag, I thought to myself that frozen takoyaki is so much cheaper, and said:

"I used to always consider your feelings and think about how to make you happy, which was quite fun, but after getting used to it, I might become more casual."

"It's not that it might happen in the future, it's just like this now. Are you just making conversation for the sake of it?"

Please explain this as meaning that you and I are inseparable.

"But sometimes, I still wish you could always be as considerate of my feelings as you were when we first started dating."

"I'm also afraid I might overlook something."

"Don't worry, you've already overlooked it."

It seems that once the "stage of caring whether the other person likes or dislikes me" is completely over, there will be another set of issues to consider. Although Yui said that, her tone towards me was anything but polite.

By the way, my cousin Yuanxiang and Zhuzhen, who came with us, went to queue for other vendors. With the noise of the crowd blocking their way, they probably couldn't hear our conversation.

"That being said, chatting about such trivial things isn't bad. It's much more enjoyable than scrolling through your phone."

"Is this supposed to be a compliment...? Are you subtly implying that I'm bad at conversation?"

"I'm not expecting anything."

"Hey, that's going too far."

"Because I like you, not because of your eloquence."

Hearing me say that, Jie Nu silently pouted.

"...That's too much of a bluff! Saying something like that all of a sudden."

"I'm afraid you'll misunderstand if I don't find an opportunity to explain it a few more times. Besides, you tend to keep things bottled up inside."