LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 241.2
Chapter 241.2. Urashima Taro
Suyaki sighed wearily, wondering what to do next. I understood the feeling; I felt the same. There was nothing left in our hands.
Among the Self-Defense Forces members, there were a few who had relatives in the inner and outer cities. So, though not all, most of us had flowed into this Amatsugahara Special Zone.
Without family or relatives, all we had left was the title of former Self-Defense Forces members. The rest of us were confused, unsure of what to do before this festival disguised as a welcome party. Manabe, too, had no idea what to do. The world had apparently undergone unimaginable changes.
“Uncle, aren’t you going to enjoy the festival?”
A young girl nearby, noticing our confusion, asked curiously. She likely didn’t know who we were. She looked at us with a carefree smile.
Manabe exchanged glances with Suyaki, unsure how to respond. Honestly, none of us had the energy to enjoy the festival. With nothing left, we didn’t even have the will to face tomorrow.
“Ah, no need to worry about us. Go on and enjoy yourself, missy.”
Manabe replied, pretending to speak lightly, and the girl tilted her head in response.
“There are so many stalls, you know? Oh, and they say there are lots of shops open inside the market too! Apparently, there’s a big sale going on today! I even brought my savings! But that’s a secret! Don’t steal it, okay?”
Excitedly, the girl spoke with flushed cheeks, which only made us feel more despondent about our current situation. The lively girl’s demeanor caused our comrades to wear painful, sorrowful expressions, as if enduring something.
Thinking everyone felt the same way, Manabe cracked a smile, trying to break the mood.
“You should take good care of your precious savings. Don’t waste them, or your mom will get mad at you.”
We all assumed she would nod with a smile, say “okay,” and then leave. That’s what we thought.
But we didn’t know this world yet.
Tilting her head in surprise, the girl giggled and answered.
“Oh, I don’t have parents. I earned this money myself. I saved it to buy lots of tasty food.”
The girl answered in a natural tone, not with sarcasm or a bitter smile, but plainly, as if it were the most obvious thing.
Though she didn’t seem offended at all, we were taken aback by the girl’s casual demeanor, and instead, we were the ones caught off guard.
“S-sorry. Uh, well, maybe you should save some for Christmas? Yeah, Christmas!”
Manabe, trying to hide our bewilderment, forced a smile and spoke to the girl, who looked back at him curiously.
“Christmas? What’s that?”
The girl’s expression clearly showed she had never heard the word before. It seemed she genuinely didn’t know. In the Japan we lived in, that would’ve been unimaginable.
In November, Christmas trees would be put up, and illuminations would light up the night. In Japan, it had become a major event, disconnected from religion.
The girl didn’t even know the word.
“How do I explain this… haven’t you seen any banners or ads with ‘Christmas’ written on them?”
“Hmm… I can’t read yet. But my friend is going to teach me soon! I’m working hard to learn! When I do, you’ll have to show me how it’s written, okay, Uncle?”
“Ah, yeah, sure. I’ll teach you when the time comes.”
Clenching her tiny fists, the girl said proudly with a snort. She looked about 12 years old, but she didn’t know how to read, yet her eyes sparkled with determination. Manabe struggled to find words, but somehow managed to respond.
How should he speak to her? No matter what he said, it felt like stepping on a landmine. But the girl didn’t seem to care at all.
As Manabe stood frozen, unsure what to do, one of the girls from a bit further away called out to her.
“I found an oden stall! Hey, an oden stall! Apparently, everything’s 10 yen. It’s having a big sale.”
“Oden? What’s that? Food? Sounds delicious!”
“I don’t know either, but it sounds tasty, doesn’t it? I’m heading over to that oden stall. Want to come with me?”
“Yeah! I’m going! Oh, see you later, Uncle! Don’t forget to teach me about Christmas!”
Waving her arm, the girl bounced off with her friend, disappearing into the bustling crowd.
“She was quite the lively girl, huh…”
“Yeah… is this what they call a generation gap?”
“I don’t think so… what do you think she has?”
“Who knows? Maybe just that wallet in her hand.”
Manabe watched the girl leave with her savings, thinking that might be all she had. Despite that, this young girl, who didn’t know her parents, didn’t know how to read, didn’t know Christmas, seemed to be living cheerfully and energetically.
We thought we had lost everything. And it was true, we had lost a lot, and it was huge.
But in this special zone, it seemed like having nothing was the norm. Living in a ruined city had been real, and compared to that…
“The one thing I can say is that, as adults, we should at least try a bit harder.”
“Yeah, you’re right. We’re still alive, after all. Let’s look for work. Or maybe, we should enjoy the festival first.”
“Yeah. We got some spending money from Amatsugahara Corporation, so let’s go blow it at the festival.”
“I guess we don’t have a choice.”
“Understood.”
“First, we’ve got to survive.”
Finally, the others started moving, heading toward the stalls to enjoy the festival.
“As long as we’re alive, we’ll figure something out.”
That girl was doing her best to live. So maybe we should do our best too. Even if it was just a temporary show of energy, maybe it could turn into real strength if we kept going.
“And we still have to teach her about Christmas.”
“Let’s aim to be Santa and give presents to the kids. That’s a good goal for now.”
“That sounds fun. Let’s give it a shot.”
Laughing, Manabe and the others disappeared into the festival’s hustle and bustle, blending in with the crowd of people joyfully laughing.