I Want to Hear Your Voice

Chapter 26 – SS Satori’s summer holidays (1)

Satori’s summer holidays

A certain day in July (Tue).
Sunny.

The weather was nice in the morning.

Satori boiled and ate soumen noodles for lunch (Lately, he became able to use fire even when he was alone).
One pink noodle and one green noodle were tangled together and looked pretty, so he wanted to show it to Sousuke.
When he went to take a plastic wrap, the white fluffy spirits were playing with the pink noodle on the living room table, pulling it together from both ends.

“Hey! Stop that!”

When he scolded them in a panic, the white fluffy spirits left the pink noodle they were playing with there and fled to hide somewhere.

A certain day in July (Sun).
Sunny.

Satori went to the local supermarket with Sousuke.
The summer fruits looked so delicious that he couldn’t stop looking at them.
Sousuke said that he could buy anything he wanted, but it would be a waste if he couldn’t eat them all, so Satori decided to think it over and choose it seriously.
He chose grapefruits that Sousuke liked, cherries, and pineapples.
His first time eating pineapple was when Sousuke bought them for him a while ago.
He was surprised at how soggy it was in his mouth, but once he got used to it the juice was bursting and delicious.
On the way home, Sousuke bought him a vanilla and chocolate soft-serve ice cream.

A certain day in August (Thu).
Sunny, but it rained one time.

When Satori cleaned the bathroom in the morning, he suddenly heard the sound of heavy rain.
He rushed back to the living room and found that the rain was so intense, just like an upturned bucket.
Today, Satori had made a promise with Sousuke to “meet up” with him after work to see fireworks together.
Ever since Sousuke invited him, Satori had been counting the days and looking forward to this day.
He was worried that the plan would be canceled, but fortunately, the rain stopped soon after.

He could see Sousuke every day, but it felt different when he had to “meet up” with Sousuke; it made him nervous.

When he was living in the village, he had snuck a peek at the humans setting off the fireworks at a festival, but this would be his first time seeing it properly.
The firework that he watched together with Sousuke was so beautiful that it filled his heart to the brim.
On the way home, Sousuke bought him a candied apple that was as sweet and delicious as a dream.

A certain day in August (Sat).
Sunny.

An important guest had arrived.
It was Sousuke’s blood-related little sister.
There was also a little boy with her, who looked like a smaller version of Sousuke when Satori first met him.
Perhaps afraid of strangers, the white fluffy spirits went into hiding somewhere.

Maybe Sousuke had told his sister in advance that he was living together with someone else, because she didn’t seem to be surprised by Satori’s presence.
She just stared at Satori with great curiosity.

When Satori was making some tea in the kitchen, Sousuke and his sister were in the living room.
They looked at him as they talked about something. 

Satori’s heart was pounding fast.
He was worried that he had made a mistake and Sousuke’s precious family would hate him.
Up until now, Satori had never been thought of nicely by other humans aside from Sousuke.

He was so nervous that his hands were shaking and accidentally spilled the tea.
Sousuke told him not to worry about it, but Satori felt depressed by the fact that he couldn’t even make a cup of tea.

I knew it, I’m useless after all…

When Satori slumped his shoulder dejectedly, Sousuke’s little sister smiled and said that the tea that he made was delicious.

After that, the four of them ate the cake that Sousuke’s little sister brought for them.
The little boy that looked similar to Sousuke seemed to have a sweet tooth.
When Satori timidly offered him the strawberry that was on top of the shortcake (which Satori liked too), he ate it without hesitation and even climbed up to Satori’s lap, which made him surprised.

On her departure, Sousuke’s little sister said “Please take care of my big brother.” while squeezing Satori’s hand.

“I-I’m the one who should say so!”

Satori was so surprised that he thought he was going to fall off his back, then he nodded his head vigorously.
Seeing that, Sousuke looked at him with a somewhat embarrassed yet happy expression on his face.

A certain day in August (Wed).
Cloudy.

Sousuke said he wanted to talk to the Dragon God.
Satori has wondered about it for a while now, but Sousuke seemed to dislike the Dragon God for some reason.
Even so, Satori wondered what Sousuke could’ve wanted with the Dragon God.

While still wondering about it, from the balcony in the night,

“Dragon God, Dragon God, Sousuke said he had something to talk about with you, please come out.
I beg you.”

Satori wished desperately.

It would be nice if Satori’s voice could reach him, and the Dragon God would show himself in front of Sousuke…

A certain day in August (Mon).
Sunny.

Amazing, amazing, amazing.

On Sousuke’s day off that was called the “summer holidays”, he didn’t need to go to work for a week and they could spend the time together.
Moreover, he said they would be going on an “overseas trip”.
Satori wondered where the “overseas trip” would be.
He wondered if it would be as far as that hot spring trip he had with Sousuke before, or as far as the village he used to live in.

After preparing several days’ worth of change of clothes, they would ride a thing called an “airplane”.
Satori was happy to be together with Sousuke, even when they didn’t do anything special.
However, Sousuke wanted to show Satori a lot of beautiful scenery that he had never seen before.
At those times, Sousuke always had a very gentle look in his eyes.
Even Satori, who was hated by everyone before, could feel Sousuke’s love.
At those times, Satori’s chest would feel tight and it made him want to cry, even though he wasn’t sad.

Ever since he met Sousuke, Satori had received a lifetime’s worth of happiness.
Satori wanted to make Sousuke happy as much as he did, but Sousuke said he was happy enough as he was now.

I wonder what I can do for Sousuke…?

***