Not being seen as a possible romantic interest or seen as a guy doesn’t matter. Katsuragi is cute, but I don’t intend to make a move in the slightest. I have no ulterior motives. Yes, none. Repeating it makes it sound like I do? Leave me alone.
“Ah.”
On my way to the western mountain, I realize something and stop the mini truck. Pochi is staring at me like it’s wondering what’s up.
“Pochi, you can’t catch red swamp crayfish, right?”
I don’t have a gift for Rin and Ten! But the river is flooded during this rainy season. I’m sure they’ll understand, but Pochi is bringing its face closer. Eh? Are you telling me to go back?”
“Eh? You can catch them?”
“Cancatch.”
“Eeeeh?”
Pochi gets even closer. Scary. That’s scary Mister Pochi. Those jagged teeth in your beak are scary.
“A-all right. We’ll go back and catch them…”
I say, sounding resigned, and Pochi finally pulls back. But with the condition that if there’s too much water and it doesn’t look like it will catch them, that it won’t try too hard, and we’ll just leave. Ah, me and my big mouth.
I tell Aikawa through Line that we’re going to be a little late, and then I grab a bucket and we head to the river.
Needless to say, we don’t leave with a lot. Yes, they don’t come out when the river is flowing so fast. Still, perhaps because there are just so many of them, we manage to get six. Don’t dump red swamp crayfish deep in the mountains like this. Or venomous snakes.
I clean and dry Pochi, and it’s already noon by the time we’re off to the western mountain… And we eventually reach it, as I wonder just what we’ve been doing.
Rin and Ten come out, because they probably heard the noise of the mini truck stopping.
Pochi skillfully opens the door, and takes position in front of me. It can open it, but I think it still has trouble closing it. But isn’t it a problem that it can unlock it and go out whenever it wants?
“Hello Rin and Ten. Can my chicken eat bugs around here?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t mind.”
Still, Pochi isn’t going anywhere. You don’t have to be so worried.
“Hello Sano.”
Aikawa comes out too, and talks to me with a smile.
“Hello. Sorry, but Pochi wanted to bring red swamp crayfish… Hey, that hurts, Pochi!”
I try to make an excuse for being late, and Pochi pecks at me, as if telling me not to put the blame on it. Hehe, I know it was my fault. But that hurts!
“Ah, I see…”
Aikawa makes a face like he wasn’t expecting that, and then smiles.
“As always, thank you for being considerate.”
“We only caught these though…”
Aikawa peeks into the bucket.
“It can’t be helped with this weather. But there were no injuries or anything, right?”
He’s concerned. That’s the sort of thing that makes him popular.
“It’s all right. But yes, when there’s so much water…”
“Of course. Can I go visit you next time?”
“Yes, any day after tomorrow.”
“What happens tomorrow?”
“Ah… Katsuragi invited me to her place…”
“Getting popular, Sano.”
I’m not. And I don’t want to hear it from you. I feel like his eyes aren’t laughing, for some reason. Wasn’t he bad with women our age anyway?
“No, she just talks to me normally because she doesn’t see me that way at all. She probably doesn’t even think of me as a guy.”
“…Is that really it?”
I hand the bucket to Rin and Ten.
“Thanks Sano.”
“Sano, good person.”
They say while drawing near. Just how much do they like red swamp crayfish? But they don’t get too close because Pochi is acting threatening. Sorry, I’m getting used to snakes, but ones this big…
Aikawa prompts us to go inside. It’s looking as stylish as always in here. I see bamboo tubes with French hydrangea on the walls too. So diligent.
And he brings me cucumber pickled in mustard to have with my tea.
“Oh? It’s not as spicy as I thought…”
“It’s been a week since I pickled it so it’s become pretty mild.
Yes, diligent.
And for lunch, we have mustard spinach and aburaage miso soup, rice with grains, and a stew of vegetables like cold tofu and bamboo shoots. There’s also pork fried with ginger and pickled vegetables. It’s all so fancy.
“Uwah! It looks great. Do you always cook like this?”
“Of course not. Only when I have someone over.”
Come to think of it, Aikawa hunts. I’m sure he has people over when it’s open season.
“Well, I tend to be by myself during the spring and summer, so it’s nice to have someone over and flex my muscles.”
“…I feel like I keep getting pampered…”
All I did was bring Rin and Ten six red swamp crayfish.
“You’ve helped a lot, so don’t worry. I’m more thankful for you coming with me to town than you think.”
“But that’s not necessary anymore.”
“No, please don’t say that.”
It’s nice not going alone, so I’ll probably still go if he invites me.
“I think Rin likes Yuma. Those girls get along. They must have talked while they were waiting for us.”
“Oou, inter-species girl talk? Then invite me again.”
Girl talk between a big snake and a chicken. There’s something I both want, and don’t want to see…
“…Good thing it’s over.”
Those words plop out of my mouth. I guess it really is over.
“Yes… Now I can finally live in peace and quiet. Not that there isn’t a lot to do on the mountains though.”
“Yes. Like dealing with the abandoned houses, and I still need to visit the vet in S town…”
“Because of vaccines, right?”
“I still don’t know if I’ll do it though.”
“…Yes, it’s not a standard situation.”
That goes for all our pets.
We keep talking until I go back before the evening.
“We talked a lot today too…”
The idea that men don’t talk a lot is a lie. Once you hit it off with someone, there’s no stopping it.
Of course, I didn’t mention what’s troubling Katsuragi. Actually, I forgot all about it until after I left.
“Well, whatever will be will be…”
Pops drops off Tama and Yuma, and tomorrow it will be Pochi and Tama again.
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Mountains is missing now. I can’t find it in the Weekly Ongoing, Sporadic Ongoing, or Completed Webnovels lists. It’s not a big deal though, since it’s still in the categories list. I’m guessing this is not the end of the story, but maybe it is paused for the moment (like Elf Daughter).
Looks like you moved it to a Dropped Webnovels list. Thanks a lot!