My Seatmate is Apparently My Wife from My Past Life; She Still Loves Me in This Life as Well

“Oh my, oh my! To have two young people come to such a remote place! How rare! You’re not from around here, are you? What brings you here? There’s not much to see, though… Oh, or maybe it’s that? The recent camping trend? No, no, you should do that in designated areas. It’s definitely better that way. After all, you two are still kids. Adventure is good, but you should do it where it’s managed and safe. Do you understand that?”

“Whoa…”

I had assumed that no one would be using this bus in the middle of nowhere, especially during a long holiday, with such long intervals between buses. But contrary to my expectations, a woman, who looked to be in her forties or fifties, got on and started talking rapidly like a machine gun.

I almost let out a comment, “Whoa… a strong character has appeared,” but managed to stop myself halfway and covered my mouth.

Phew, that was close.

Being tired and off-guard, I almost spoke without thinking.

Well, even if I hadn’t been off-guard, I couldn’t help but be wary of her words that seemed intent on overwhelming us.

This isn’t just an ordinary level for an auntie.

Having no experience dealing with this kind of person, I froze up like a computer error. Kamidama, however, began to respond with a smile.

“Haha, it’s okay. We’re not here to camp today; we’re just staying at a villa over here.”

“A villa? Oh! Are you perhaps from the Tōtōura family?”

“Yes, that’s right. Since it’s Golden Week, and the villa gets cleaned regularly, we thought it would be a nice change of pace.”

“I see, that’s a relief. That house is the safest place around here. It has a big gate and a large garden.”

“Haha…”

New information like the villa and the Tōtōura family kept popping up, but I was more overwhelmed by the woman’s forceful way of speaking to Kamidama.

Just listening to her was intense, so Kamidama was doing well to handle her.

With a soft smile, Kamidama responded in a way that didn’t upset the woman. It was simply impressive.

I couldn’t manage that, no matter how many years I tried.

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and communication like this was undoubtedly my weak point.

If I opened my mouth now, I’d probably say something unnecessary and make things worse.

So, the best course of action was silence.

If it’s not necessary, there’s no need to tackle something I’m not good at, especially when someone who is good at it is right beside me.

I felt a bit awkward for not joining the conversation, but I’ve grown up being unable to join conversations, so it didn’t bother me. In fact, I found a certain comfort in it.

I was so relaxed that I worried I might fall asleep.

Not saying a word until we reached our destination or until the woman got off was as easy as breathing for me.

“Still, you’re such a pretty girl. You must be a couple, right? So lovely together.”

“Hehe, do we look like that? But actually, we’re a bit different.”

“Oh, are you friends then?”

“No, we’re married.”

“Completely different! Don’t lie to strangers so easily!”

I couldn’t stay silent after that.

I quickly interrupted, and after an awkward pause, I coughed.

“Sorry, she’s a bit crazy…”

“I’m only crazy in front of you. Love is blind, right?”

“What? Are you saying I should introduce you to a mental hospital instead of an eye doctor?”

“I get carried away because I only have eyes for you. So, if you don’t watch closely, who knows what I might do?”

Kamidama poked my cheek playfully. Ugh, annoying…

I tried glaring at her, but she just smiled brightly, and I had no choice but to give in.

Huh? I really don’t think I can win against her…

As I grimaced in defeat, I suddenly heard a refined laugh.

It came from the opposite direction of where Kamidama was sitting. The woman who spoke like a machine gun was looking at us amusedly.

“Oh, sorry. Your banter was just so entertaining… and nostalgic.”

“Nostalgic?”

“It was a long time ago, but there was a couple a lot like you two—not in looks, but in vibe and interaction. They were young, very young, and I often talked with them.”

“…Are you talking about that Tōtōura person you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes, that’s right. They were my friends—though it was only for a short while.”

As the woman spoke, reminiscing, the bus made a hissing sound as it stopped at the next bus stop.

The stop we were getting off at was still a couple of stops away, but the woman was getting off here.

“Well then, take care. Have fun, but be safe, and come back in one piece.”

Leaving us with those last bits of advice, the woman got off the bus.

No one got on to replace her, so it was just us and the driver again.

“She was like a storm, huh…”

“Hehe, but she seemed like someone you couldn’t dislike.”

“Yeah, true.”

Watching the scenery pass by slowly, I thought the same.

But at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel a strange weight in her casual words, “Come back in one piece.”