I felt uncomfortable with the scene which I saw after waking up. I almost jumped up.
"The ceiling is different. Oh yes, yesterday."
I remember that I slept on the sofa and not in my room.
I gently looked into the japanese style room where Carol was sleeping. I dont know when it came but Destiny was being used a pillow.
"I don't need to put it in the glass case anymore."
I came to know yesterday that I dont need to raise it like a normal lizard.
Of course, I am going to pretend in front of my family that it is a normal pet.
The dazzling sunlight illuminates the room as soon as I open the curtains.
"It was raining but now its fine."
I open the window to let the fresh air in.
I coudnt stand the cold wind that came and immediately closed the window and fled to the kotatsu.
Thanks to that, now I am fully awake. So let make the breakfast.
Seika told that she would visit for the Hatsumode at noon. [2]
I have cooked for several times the past two months so I finished making the breakfast soon.
"Good morning ... Wow, it smells good!"
Carol, who was now awake looked at the food which I was carrying.
"Yes, good morning. Wash your face before eating. I will explain you how to use it."
I take her to the sink and explain how to drain and stop the water. "If we have this then mom will be very happy!" She was impressed.
We wash our face together and sit in the kotatsu for breakfast.
I used to watch the villagers eat their meals everyday so I roughly know what they ate. As the ingredients were mainly from the tribute sent from the villages, she flattened it without any complaints.=
"We are going out for the New Year's celebration of this world today."
"A festival in the kingdom of God! I can boast about this to everyone!"
Just looking at the cheerful Carol gives me energy.
Its necessary to prepare if we want to go out for Hatsumode. First...
"Let's take a bath first"
"Bath! There is a bath."
There is a reason for why she is so excited.
It seems that the villagers had the habit of taking bath but there was no bath. They used to moisten a cloth with warm water and use it to wipe their bodeis and thus the cleanliness was a th minimum
After that Kan and Ran made a bathtub and I remember then they started taking bath once every two days. The women were really happy.
I took her to the bathroom and explained how to use the shower but she seemed to be scared of it so she decided to use the bathtub.
While Carol was taking the bath, I looked for the clothes which me and my sister used to wear when we were small. It was in the storeroom.
"I'm grateful that my mom is so good."
My elementary school clothes were still fine but I picked up my sister's clothes which had good designs. Since it was carefully stored via vacuum packing, it was ready to be worn as soon as the seal was opened. [3]
I dont seem to have good sense of fashion so I will ask Carol to pick out one of them which she likes.
I returned to the living room. Carol had steam rising from her body.
"Is your head wet? I'll dry it. Come here.."
I carefully dried her hair with a towel, dyer and a brush.
"Yoshio is good. It feels good "
"I'm used to it."
My sister also had long hairs so I used to dry her hair like this in the past
After that I asked her to choose her favorite clothe from the ones which I brought. The fashion show was more exciting.
She was so cute no matter what she wore. However, the vague answer that she is cute in all of them is a forbidden case. My sister once got angry with this.
So I praise all of them while telling her my preferences.
She seemed to have picked up today's first place in a very good mood. It worked.
A long skirt with a thick cloth and a hand-knitted sweater by my mother. A child coat that looks warm and chewy.
There is also the rucksack with a bear face which I will be carrying.
She is almost like a magazine child model. Very cute.
"How do I look Yoshio?"
"It's so cute that you can't even beat models."
"I don't understand the meaning but I think you are overpraising it."
There was a sound of the bell when I was taking the pictures of the shiny figure with my smartphone. Is Seika here to call us?
When Carol opened the door, there was a beautiful women in a kimono with a bright red hue. [4]
Her hair was also tightly fixed at the top. She has a natural make-up appearance but today she has really done her makeup.
If it was not my childhood friend whom I have known since long, she would have taken my breath away with the figure which has the appeal of an adult.
Translator and Editor Notes:
[1] A kotatsu is a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, formerly a charcoal brazier but now electric, often built into the table itself.
[2] Hatsumode is one of the most important traditional annual events in Japan. It literally means "the first (hatsu) shrine visit (mode)", so basically hatsumode is to visit a shrine (or temple) to pray for good luck for the new year. Hatsumōde is the first Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year. Some people visit a Buddhist temple instead. Many visit on the first, second, or third day of the year as most are off work on those days.
[3] A rucksack is a bag with shoulder straps which allow it to be carried on someone's back, typically made of a strong, waterproof material and widely used by hikers.
[4] The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment, and the national dress of Japan. It is a T-shaped, wrapped-front garment and is worn left over right. It is usually worn with an obi belt, alongside a number of other accessories, such as zōri shoes and tabi socks.
*******
"Hey, is it looking strange?"
"Wow, it's so beautiful! Yoshio thinks so too. "
"Beautiful..."
I response to Carol's question, my true intentions leaked out of my mouth.
... Oh, I'm unconscious right now so I am not going to judge what I am doing.
I look at Seika's face. She turns her haze downwards while blushing under the thick makeup.
"Oh, you look good in the kimono." [1]
"Thank you."
Its just like the New Yeat during my student days.
She seemed to think so too. We smiled at eachother when our eyes met.
Even though it was raining yesterday, the ground around my house was dry.
"Didnt it rain here?"
We leave the house, the ground was damp so we walked slowly so we do not form while wearing the unfamiliar sandals.
There was a big shrine just a short distance away from the home. I used to worship here every year before becoming a NEET.
There were so many stalls here. I used to follow my parents when I was a kid here because of that and not because of the wish.
Right now, I and Seika are sandwiching Carol in the middle. At first glance, it will look that we are a family but her face wasnt similar and her hair was blond.
I am in plain clothes, Seika in furisode and Carol is a foreigner. [2]
Isnt this pretty eye catching combination? In addition, both of them are beautiful.
"Yoshio, there are many shops here! What is that? "
"That's Yakisoba, its like the baked noodles from yesterday." [3]
"What's that like a cloud! "
"Cotton candy, sweet candy."
I answer all her questions without missing them.
After touring the stalls, I lined up to visit the shrine.
Seika was smiling happily.
"I'm sorry. I came here together but I don't care about it."
"Yeah. It's quite fun just to look at it. Carol is very expressive and you really seem to be har father."
I didnt realized till I was told. Did I really look like her father?
"Hey, why are those guys clapping?"
Following Carol's gaze who was pulling my sleeves, there were people clapping in front of the offering box.
"That's how we pray in this world."
When I teach her about two bows, two claps and one bow again while worshiping. She starts to practicing till our turn comes.
The worshipers who saw her were all smiling.
This is my Carol, so cute.
"Now, she looks like Sayuki when she is praised by the uncle."
"Seriously?"
Our turn came while we were struggling with a happy, itchy and complex mood.
All three of us lined up in front of the offering box.
I learned that paying tribute to the God was important so I invested 1000 yen.
I have already decided my wish.
May the villagers be safe. May Carol return to the village and reunite with the villagers.
Seika closed her eyes and prays something seriously.
Carol,
"Dad, Mom, Gams, Murus, Kan, and Ran ... Chem. May they be safe. I hope I can meet everyone! "
She prayed out aloud.
To be honest, it wont be that bad to live with Carol.
I considered the option of living with my parents even if I need to prostrate.
But its different. If I wish for Carol to be truly happy then she would have to return to her original world.
"Oh, look at it and distribute the sacred sake."
As she was caught with the exquisiteness and moved her gaze, she saw a women who looked like a shrine maiden at the corner of the shrine who was giving sake to the worshipers.
I have been visiting this shrine since I was a kid. I thought it was kid friendly but it was only for adults.
"Yoshio. Can I drink?"
"It's useless because it's sake. Don't drink Seika because you are weak with it."
It was already late. The red face Seika was walking with staggered footsteps.
She drank it. I am sorry. She didnt use to drink alcohol even at the company banquets because she is so weak with it. She is drunk with just a sip.
"I'm sorry."
She swirls her cheeks with her fingers.
Its a good habit to drink separately but I am getting entangled in the tension as well.
"Oh, don't get drunk with just a sip. Carol, let's move a bit."
I went around the stalls, secured some food and left the shrine treating the fine spirits which clunged to me.
After the worship, we bought cotton candy and takoyaki from the stalls. I sat on the bench with happy Carol and ate yakisoba. [4]
I took the drunk Seika and moved to the shore of a pond, a bit away from the shrine.
It's a secret spot that only the locals know, so it's not very popular.
When I handed over the water which I brought from the vending machine to Seika, she drunk it all at once and said, "I like it because you are so gentle! I'll sleep!" And she put her head on my shoudlers.
Its warm today for this season but its not normal to sleep outside in winter.
I unbuttoned my coat and pulled out my armf from the left sleeve and covered both of us.
"The festival fun and food was delicious. People were nice!"
Carol seems to be happy.
I can see a lot of people. It seems that looking at people from an unknown world gives fresh joy.
I finished eating the yakisoba so I took out the book out of my inner pocket of the court.
It is the Bible that came with Carol.
It feels different from the hard cover book. The size is larger than the paperback but smaller than a normal book.
When I turned the pages, the oracles which I send were written on it.
There is no doubt that the village cannot be seen from the moment the Bible arrived in this world.
Yesterday after changing my way of thinking, I arrived at some assumptions, one of which might break the status quo.
If I was an actor embodying the God of Fate. I wonder if the operator who send me the game was in trouble.
What is the management in the first place? This is the biggest mystery but the answer which I got after experiencing these paranormal phenomenas is that the God is operating these.
Rather than praising the game and referring the person who made the game as a God, I suspect that the game was made by a real God.
Otherwise, one cannot explain what has happened so far.....By the way, I am sane.
"Okay, what is this book?"
Seika looks at my book with interest.
What happened? I was prepared for the worst and that is to give her piggy back ride but she seems fine.
"This is book from Carol's country. It doesnt have much value so I am keeping it."
"That's ... please give it."
"eh?"
For a moment, I didnt understand what was the meaning of her words and reacted stupidly.
Seika reaches out to grasp the Bible and stands up from the bench.
"Oh, hey, what ..."
Seika's face squints quickly and she starts laughing. It had a fantastic beauty.
Translator and Editor Notes:
[1] The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment, and the national dress of Japan. It is a T-shaped, wrapped-front garment and is worn left over right. It is usually worn with an obi belt, alongside a number of other accessories, such as zōri shoes and tabi socks.
[2] Furisode are the most formal style of kimono worn by young unmarried women in Japan. The furisode is made of very fine, brightly colored silk, and is commonly rented or bought by parents for their daughters to wear when celebrating Coming of Age Day the year they turn 20.
[3] Yakisoba, "fried buckwheat", is a Japanese noodle stir-fry dish. Although soba means buckwheat, yakisoba noodles are actually made from wheat flour, and are typically flavored with a condiment similar to Worcestershire sauce. The dish first appeared in food stalls in Japan during the early 20th century.
[4] Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack or appetizer made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion.