RR CHAPTER 10: UNANSWERED LOVE

“Why am I humming a song while cooking on the stove?”

Although she was Japanese she had never seen a stove like it when she was in Japan, Shiori wrinkled her brow. (TN: After trial and error this was what I got from this sentence: かまどなんて日本にいた時は見た事もなかったのに、と、詩織は眉間にしわを寄せた。Although it should not be 100% exact translation it should fully have the same meaning, at least in my opinion. かまど Kamado is a traditional japanese stove.)

(It is not the case of when one is spending a fun day in this world. It is not a familiar case. Because I’m returning to Japan.)

She thought so to herself, however, Shiori had doubts. If life here was so fun and fulfilling, why did she need to return?

“No no no… what kind of idea is that… I feel useless”

Wanting to return home, is it not a normal feeling as a person? Even if she didn’t go back to Japan, it would seem like she was a very heartless human.

But she had a job here. It was fun and rewarding, and the salary was good and there was good enough work. That keeps Shiori’s heart in this world.

This job of making medicine is the work of a lifetime thing of the so-called “hand job” system. The knowledge she had learnt from Roche could also be applied elsewhere.  The job was no longer overwhelming.

But, if she returns to Japan, can she get this kind of job again? That was Shiori’s thoughts.

What she cared about in Japan were her parents. No matter how much a couple love one another, family is important. You should be worried if your daughter is missing. She didn’t want to make them worry. She wanted to let them know she was fine by returning to Japan.

“But on the contrary, that’s the only reason… Why do I think I should go back to Japan?”

She sat on a chair, and muttered while messing around with the stir fried food on the dish.

“So, why do I want to remain in this world?”

Primarily her job, she finally got a job and she didn’t want to let go of it.

“In addition, Krust”

She also forgot him for a couple of weeks, but when she recalls him, his presence gradually swells in Shiori’s heart.

“I want to meet…”(TLN: Here I went “aw”)

I spilled it.

Shiori now had a job and she didn’t want to rely on him to help her. However, if she was in the same world anyway, didn’t she want to ask him “Long time no see, how are you?” she would like to recall the three months they lived together, laughing.

Krust is also the person who Shiori had a faint love with She wanted to see how he had changed over the course of three years. It is a similar feeling to meeting your first love again at an alumni gathering.

But she did not want to be a companion to the hero, she wanted to be a lover.

However, it might be nice if they could just occasionally meet and talk like friends. Even if it’s just that, then life here would surely be more fun.

And if Krust could introduce her to the magician he is acquainted with, she could ask if there was any way back to Japan. If there is a way back she would have to decide whether to go back to Japan or stay in this world.

“Well then, right now my biggest wish is “to meet Krust.””

After having resolved herself, she started eating.

And the next day, Shiori got half a day off at afternoon and decided it was time to go see Krust. Roche also left in the morning, so the shop closed at noon.

(What on earth are you really doing Roche, are you okay?)

While thinking about such a thing, Shiori put the “closed” tag on the doorknob, locked it with the key and left the store.

Though Shiori worked fifteen hours a day, she had little fatigue. Unlike work in Japan, this might be due to less stress and pressure. Work starts early in the morning, but as the sun goes down at night the shop closes at the same time so you can have plenty of sleep.

(This kind of slow life was might be alright.)

Even during the same day, she felt that time in this world moved more slowly and gently than time in Japan.

However, there were also many inconveniences. There were no refrigerators or washing machines, and the primary means of transportation was on foot, but when it’s two hours away…

Shiori looked at the castle behind to town and how far away it was. She couldn’t ride a horse and carriage since that cost money, so she had no choice but to walk. Shiori sighed and stepped out, giving up.

+++

“Alright, I arrived!”

In front of a big castle, Shiori raised a joyful voice. Because it was the second time, she had arrived earlier than last time. It probably even took a bit less than two hours.

She went around to the front, and as before, she headed towards the gate. There were two gatekeepers holding spears standing there, but one of them seemed to recognize Shiori.

“Oh, you again.”

A tall young man with bright brown hair. Shiori somehow thought that he seemed to be a member of the basketball club.

“A different person would have been better, this person absolutely thinks that i’m a fan of Krust.”

While muttering such a thing Shiori advanced towards the man in front of her. It seemed the other side remembered her face, because when he saw her he spoke.

“So you’re here again?”

He said a bit amazed and laughing. Should her goal be known, would he still be laughing?

“Hello”

Shiori lowered her head.

“You want to meet Krust today as well?”

“Yes, Krust, want to meet.”

“Unfortunately, Mr.Krust isn’t here today. He’s going to Edwella to visit the Majesty, he’ll be gone for maybe two or three more days.”

“Eeeehhh…..”

Edwella seemed to be the name of some place, Shiori shrugged her shoulders. Even though she had time off from work, if Krust wasn’t there it was completely useless.

“Well, Krust, back soon -”

“- It’s no use he won’t talk you.”

The gatekeeper finished Shiori’s sentence imitating her. They laughed a bit, making fun of Shiori. Shiori frowned and glared at them.

“Why?”

“Because I will not take any action”

“Why?”

“If I let fans like you in, you will bother Krust.”

“I am different fan, know each other.”

“Oh, you said that before. But it’s incredible that enthusiastic fans will try to meet mr. Krust with lies like that.”

Although Shiori had been frowning for a while, her opponent grinning the entire time. She had the feeling she was being made fun of. Shiori made a scary face to intimidate the other party.

“Bully” (TLN: lol Google didn’t want to translate this properly, good thing I could read the Hiragana and see that it said ijiwaru which from my knowledge should mean bully or meanie.)

A knight is supposed to be absolutely gentle and courteous to women and children, and of course, sincere and serious. Without any special meaning, this was the image of a knight in a field of flowers that Shiori had in mind. At least Krust was…

Thinking about that, Shiori decided to revise her idea.

It may not have been so in the first place, Krust was gentle, but somehow there was some weird malicious switch there, there was flowers, but at the same time there weren’t any.

“Oh, scary.”

The guards shrugged their shoulder and pretended to be afraid of Shiori’s “intimidation”.

“But it’s useless to be in love with a hero, because from the beginning, there is no hope. So I am just trying to save you from that sort of barren love.”

After saying that, the guard laughed as if it was a joke.

Although Shiori shut her lips tightly and glanced at the gate, she was a bit take aback by the word “barren love”.

It certainly is barren, though. And it was muttering in Shiori’s heart.

It certainly was a mysterious feeling to not even know if Krust still remembered her.

But apart from that she was still in love with Krust … But maybe… She shouldn’t be.

When she was living together with him, he was happy every day and there was a sense of the two being in love, but she thought it would be different now.

Three years had passed since then, she felt somewhat calm, apparently that person could become a hero. But even so, she had heard that even loving hearts could be stretched out.

In Japan Krust had to rely on Shiori, so he stayed with her. So there would be no problem with her doing the same, she calmly reasoned.

And, while Shiori was thinking about such things, raindrops fell down around her, breaking into pieces as they hit the ground. Rain was starting to fall.

“Rain…”(TLN: I didn’t know the kanji for rain, but I learned it now, read as yuo or ame I think….. (TLN inside a TLN: so many translator notes!))

Shiori looked up at the gray sky, hoping that it wouldn’t be too bad before she got back to town. But she was worried, it seemed that Krust wasn’t at the castle, so it was probably better for her to go home for today.

Shiori glared at the gatekeeper.

“I will return, prepare yourself!”

She declared this imitating Roche’s tone and turned her body. She wanted to get away as quickly as she could so the gatekeeper wouldn’t have a chance to talk back.

“Wait a minute”

Her arms were grabbed from behind by the gatekeeper and she stopped. She turned around, thinking back on if she had overdone it.

However, the gatekeeper immediately released her arms and went back to his place beside the gate saying “Don’t wait here.” Her arms were now covered with a white coat of some kind.

“It’s starting to rain, you can borrow it. It’s a coat to help against the rain, use it.”

“Eh?”

Because of this unexpected kindness, Shiori blinked twice.

“I can borrow it?”

“Oh, so you don’t catch a cold, if you get caught in this this weather. It’s enough to stop this little rain, but you should hurry home.”

What a nice person! While thinking that, Shiori gratefully received the coat.

“Thank you, I will borrow, it will be very helpful”

Because the cloak was for men, it was rather large, and when Shiori wore it she looked ridiculous. The hem of the coat reached down to her ankles, and the hood was also attached, so it almost seemed like she had wings.

Shiori put the hood on and smiled towards the gatekeeper.

“I am sorry to say “Bully” before.”

It seemed to Shiori that this man was not a mean person at all. “Well then, I will come again.” She waved at the guard, and walked towards the city in the rain.

“Oi”

The Gatekeeper spoke to the basketball-player like gatekeeper who Shiori had smiled at. The other guard hadn’t been talking, he had been watching their interaction from the sidelines.

Now, seeing the other guard he was turning red all the way to his ears. Oh, was he falling in love?

“It’s rather fearless of you to fall in love with a girl who is in love with the hero.”

The guard muttered his advice

“Wait … … stupid! Who is in love ….!?”

He turned completely red and with a funny expression on his face he desperately tried to deny his romance.