The next day, it’s raining again. Pops told me to get there around noon, so I’m checking around the field and the house until then. And apparently Tama is staying here to look after the place again.
“You know you can come along, right?”
I say, and it really pecks at me. It’s like it’s saying ‘you really don’t get it do you’. Sorry.
Yesterday, it went out to patrol in the rain too, but how far do they go normally? They run fast, but how’s their stamina?
By the way, since I was there yesterday, I’m assuming I don’t need to bring anything today. But maybe I should still bring sweets everyone can have together.
Pochi and Yuma sit on the passenger seat (it’s getting pretty cramped in here), and we go down to the village as Tama sees us off. My chickens are very conscientious, and they always come to see me off when I go somewhere. But what do they do after I’m gone? I think Tama would get mad if I tried attaching a camera to it.
I get rice crackers in the convenience store along the way, and get to pops’ place. They’re randomly put in bags, but each piece is relatively big. I’m keeping some to keep at home too.
I don’t see any vehicles, meaning I’m the first one here.
“Hello.”
“Hello Shou. You got here just in time. Help me pick yomogi.”
“Yes.”
We get to their field, and I see a section with weeds. It’s trimmed so snakes don’t start lurking in it, but there are all sorts of plants too. I ask Pochi and Yuma to be our bodyguards just in case, and we start picking yomogi. We’re wearing large straw hats, and they do a good job protecting against the rain.
“Thank you. They say there are a lot of venomous snakes around lately. I’m a little scared.”
“I heard it too.”
It’s great that I have my chickens. They eat not just snakes, but bugs that are harmful to fields too. Are chickens actually all-powerful? (Normal chickens don’t catch snakes or beat boars)
In the meantime, I hear another vehicle. It’s Aikawa.
“Hello. Excuse me.”
“Aikawa, right? Welcome. Oh, you look as cool as I heard.”
I feel like her eyes lit up. I casually step in front of her, and greet Aikawa.
“Hello Aikawa.”
“Hello Sano. Picking yomogi? They can still be eaten?”
“They sure can. I was thinking about making tempura. How about it?”
“Sounds tasty.”
I thought he’d be fine with an older woman, but looking at him more closely, the corners of his mouth are twitching.
“Ma’am, it’s raining.”
“Right. Goodness me, please come in.”
She hurries to prompt Aikawa to get in.
“Thank you. Let me go get my stuff.”
I put the yomogi I picked on the basket she’s carrying, and head to Aikawa’s mini truck with him.
Rin is coiled up on the passenger seat, looking listless. Apparently Aikawa took the seat itself out, so she could get in. She’s pretty big. Maybe I should do the same.
“Hello Rin.”
“Sano, hello.”
She really does look beautiful. Her expression doesn’t move, so she gives off the impression of being an unapproachable beauty. But I can tell she’s being friendly.
She also has a large cloth wrapped around her waist, so even if someone peeked inside the vehicle, they wouldn’t see the snake part.
The way the wind is blowing through the slightly opened window is what makes her feel more listless. I don’t think anyone can match this beauty. She just has to speak a little more smoothly. Then again, the awkward way of speaking has its charm.
“Ouch! Yuma, that hurts!”
Yuma doesn’t usually peck at me, so why?
Miss Yumoto is already inside. The bottle where the habu is coiled is big, like a plum brandy one. It’s even bigger than I thought. Its head is triangular, and it’s light yellow with black splash patterns. It’s a habu all right.
“It’s so big…”
“Probably over a meter long. Rin had it in her mouth when she came back, and I struggled to think about where to put it.”
“So Rin caught it.”
There are small air holes near the top. We also go inside, and Aikawa gives Miss Yumoto a gift. And I quickly give my rice crackers too.
“Oh my, you didn’t have to…”
She says, sounding happy.
“Hey, is Shouhei here? And is that the habu? It’s pretty big. Aikawa, right? Come in.”
“Can you bring us some drinks, Shou?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll help.”
Pops leaves the living room, and stares at the bottle with the habu.
And as we go to get drinks from the storage room, we hear another vehicle. It looks like Katsuragi is here.
“S-Sano…”
“It’s all right.”
Aikawa’s face is turning pale already. He really is traumatized.
“…I’m sorry for being late. I was picking wild vegetables… Eh? Eh!?”
Once she gets off the mini truck, she looks at Aikawa and stops. Then she lets out a surprised voice, and Aikawa slides as he hides behind me. You’re bigger than me. You can’t hide behind me.
“Katsuragi… This is Aikawa, the owner of the mountain to the west. Aikawa, this is Katsuragi, the owner of the mountain to the east.”
“I-i-i-it’s a pleasuuure!!”
“…Likewise.”
Katsuragi is too shaken, and her face is bright red. And the dragon comes off the mini truck and starts pushing her.
“Hello Tatsuki.”
The dragon lightly nods. I kind of feel like it’s saying sorry. It then leisurely approaches Aikawa’s mini truck, and nods lightly upon seeing Rin. Her eyes are really scary.
The over one meter tall Pochi and Yuma are nearby pecking at something. Are there bugs there?
Now this is a big meeting of beasts. Maybe I was too hasty. All I get is a bad feeling, as I prompt Katsuragi to come inside.
Aikawa is stuck to my back until she gets inside. It’s warm.
