Chapter 35: The day I did string figure.
When I noticed it May is already over, and now we’re in June.
Today, it’s my first time participating in the fun festival as a parent.
Apparently the last fun festival was held on weekdays and mainly by the nursery teachers, but this time it is held on Sunday. And of course, the people that I met during parents meeting will also participate in this event.
And yesterday, we got together and did a rehearsal. I receive a string figure that Sato and co. bought, and learned to do some of it. In this rehearsal, everyone was present except Yui-chan’s parents. Yui-chan’s parents seems to be pretty busy. But still to not even have time to spare for their daughter on weekends like this is a bit…… But well surely they have their own reasons.
That aside, for this fun festival it seems like there’ll be more than one adult attending for each child. Well it’s this fun festival thing is an event for the parents to participate in after all. Because if it’s just teaching kids some string figures then just two teachers would be plenty enough right? And so the reason everyone participate, it must be because something like wanting to create a good time with the children. So inconclusion it’s a fun festival for everyone. The guy who first thought of this event is pretty smart.
“Well~, so now it’s already the time, let us begin now.”
Yaーy! Yaーy!
As a respond to Sato’s voice, the children shouted out.
In total there’s eight kids participating, one nursery teacher, and seven people that has attended the parents meeting and also two additional fathers.
And for this event, we borrowed one of the Japanese-styled room in the community center. The room is quite cramped because of the number of people, but there seems to be no problem since we’re just sitting on the tatami doing string figures after all. Although there’s fluorescent lights on the ceiling, we didn’t use it because the light coming through the glass window is already bright enough. On such a nice weather day as today I’d like to play with Misaki in the park, but since we already decided to do string figures for today so it can’t be helped.
There’s eighteen participants, so we made a circle and start doing string figures. The plan is at first the parents would teach just their own kids how to do it, after that we’ll change the person in charge of each kids, but since both the parents and the children has their preference toward their own children/parents so they just created their own pair on their own. Well there’s no particular problems happened from it so no one says anything, but I just can’t help but wonder what’s the yesterday’s rehearsal is for.
“Please take care of me today!”
“Oh, you’re as energetic as ever.”
This happened about thirty minutes ago. Since unfortunately Yui-chan’s parents are absent today, and when she saw Misaki she immediately runs toward her. We met her in front of the community center, apparently her mother sent her off a little early so she waited outside. After that we got together, which leads to the present.
“Alright, let’s begin immediately then. First off, we do it like this――”
In this noisy room filled with Kyaー kyaー scream. I start showing one of my technique that I desperately tried to remember yesterday. This technique is called “The thimble”, it’s a technique resemble to that of a magic trick because it look like it’s going to be stuck on your hand, but when you pulled it out it actually comes out easily.
“Ehー! Howー!?”
Yui-chan’s honest reaction feels pretty good. It’d be good if Misaki had the same excitement as her but, well her eyes are already shining so I’ll consider it good enough.
“Alright, I’ll teach you this technique first.”
“Yeーs!”
“……Un.”
Both of them tried to do the string figure fully motivated. Fu, if they’re being like this I have no choice but to go all out.
“So first you hold the string figure normally like this, after that do it like this, the next step is this, it’ll be like this and…… Here! How’s it, do you got it?”
“I don’t get it at allー!”
Yui-chan’s honest reaction feels pretty hurt in my chest. If Misaki has the same reaction like her I think I’d be in a shock and faint on the spot.
“……Done it.”
“Ehー!? No wayー!?”
“……Un.”
In front of me and Yui-chan who were stunned, Misaki easily completed “The thimble” technique.
“Howー!?”
The technique that I used thirty minutes to remember yesterday in an instant!?
Seriously just howー!?
“Misaki, did you perhaps already know how to do string figures?”
Shake shake.
“Then, just how.”
“……Saw.”
“Saw what?”
“……Ryo-kun.”
That, does that mean…… Just what that actually means?
“……Cool?”
“Yeah, you’re the coolest ever.”
“……”
What’s up with her this time, staring at me dead in the eyes like that…… Hey wait a second, I think something like this has happened before right?
This time is also very similar to the past’s one. Misaki would ask if she’s cool or not, after that, she would be in a bad mood for some reason. Which means, she’s demanding something from me…… And what is it, the thing she asks for? What would be the correct answer for that question?
The only thing I know of now, is that she doesn’t want to be praised as cool.
Something different…… Just what is it, what is the thing that she wants!?
“……”
“……”
This level of tension, I can’t no longer describe it using my vocabulary.
Both me and Misaki, we kept staring at each other, so much so that even our eyebrow hasn’t even move an inch as if it’s life-threatening staring game.
And for Yui-chan who got sandwiched by us right now, she’s shaking her head left and right looking at my face and Misaki’s.
“Mumumu?”
I wonder what these two are doing. Yui-chan tilts her head as if to say that.
I’m sorry, I also want to give you the answer but unfortunately I don’t even know the answer myself.
While I’m clenching my teeth in regret, suddenly Yui-chan said “Okay!” and raise her right hand up.
“I think Misaki wants to be patted!”
“Patted…… You say?”
And when I take a look at Misaki, she firmly made a straight face and look downward.
“Yui-chan, why do you think so?”
“Lady’s intuition!”
“I see……”
In the world I used to live in, the most reliable thing is money and the second is my own intuition so…… This lady’s intuition thing, is that really reliable?
“Misaki, is that true?”
When I asked, Misaki didn’t says anything and just keep her head down like that.
……I don’t get it. Just what on earth is the correct answer.
“……”
“……”
Dammit, this isn’t the time to be hestitating!
No matter how much I think I cannot come up with an answer, so the only choice here is to trust in Yui-chan isn’t it!
“……Misaki, here I go.”
After declaring that I reach my hand out fearfully. In that brief moment, I saw Misaki’s body tensing up real quick, and my hand stopped in surprise.
While I’m feeling a cold sweat on my back, I slowly turn my sight to Yui-chan. And she smiled cheerfully while nodding her head.
……Is this okay? Is this REALLY okay……?
Although I’m still hesitating, I held my breath and bring my hand closer to Misaki. And during this world where one second seems to stretch endlessly, my hand finally touched Misaki’s head.
……What’s this, this feeling.
I don’t feel any friction from Misaki’s hair at all.
This is not just on the level of silky smooth anymore.
Just what on earth is this feeling!? It’s Misaki for gods sake!
Are you kidding me. Why, this feeling, just only from touching her, this thing, rather than saying that the joys are overflowing all over my body, the me inside myself is already singing a song in celebration!
……Oh, what am I supposed to do again?
There must be a reason I’m doing something like this.
……Oh yeah, I have to pat her.
And by patting, what does it mean again.
It means just patting right? So I have to keep patting Misaki’s head…… Cr-, crap I’m so nervous.
……Calm down, calm the fuck down me. Something like this, it’s just like the time I washed Misaki’s hair. Do it gently, so that Misaki didn’t get hurt.
“Y-, you’re not feeling tickly right?”
“…………Un.”
…………She’s happy!
Just why in the hell I’m so tense befor…… Hm?
Suddenly Misaki bend forward and avoided my hand.
And Misaki walks behind Yui-chan and hide behind her back.
……Ahaha, so it was embarrassing for her.
Well that’s a given, I’m also very nervous too…… Wait no I shouldn’t be nervous too isn’t it?
“Misaki is very happy about it!”
“……Oh, is that so.”
And while I’m scratching my cheek with my left hand, I hide my right hand behind my back and clenched it tightly.
Let’s not wash this hand for a while.
It feels somewhat embarrassing somehow, so I turned away. And that’s when I got stunned.
……What the hell, is this.
Mamaー! Gimme a hugー!
Akita string figureー!
Piggyback rideー!
Please do something differentー!
……Hug?
……Piggyback ride?
……What, just what language are they talking in?
Dammit their level are too high! Even though I’m so nervous just by patting her head, and they’re already hugging this and hugging that…… Uwooooo!
“……Eh.”
My voice unconciously leaked. It might be because I’m seeing what I think is strange.
The kids got spoiled, the young parents would react by saying good grief and stuff like that but still spoil the kids nonetheless. Sato and the co. and also other old parents would frown at them, but even so they’ll still spoil them. And then the kids would rub their cheeks against their parent while smiling happily. The parents would look at each other, saying something like, They’re so troublesome right.
I don’t really get it but, I’m sure this is a normal scenery. And it’s also any ordinary parent-children relationship that’s seen anywhere. But still, there’s something bugging me.
While I’m holding this hazy feeling back I look back at Misaki, and I unconciously take a deep breath.
And the reason for that, is because Yui-chan had a very lonely expression on her face.
“Ah! The thimble! Please teach me once again!”
And when Yui-chan notices my sight on her, she instantly have a bright smile on her face as if her expression just now was a total lie, and said in a cheerful voice. It’s the same feeling when we first met, but still she tried to give me a completely different impression of her.
“……Oh, I’m gonna do it slowly this time alright. Watch it closely.”
“Yeーs!”
The true identity of this uncomfortable feeling, I’m sure it’s here and it’s real. I can’t really put it into words very well, and instead I’d like to see Yui-chan true nature when she’s with her parents.
Surely her being together with me and Misaki like this, is not a normal situation for her and since she’s also not accustomed to both of us yet so she might be at a loss and inevitably leads to her expressing her emotions like this.
Usually the children would always be with their parents, and the parents would accept their spoiled child fully, and I think that’s what happened normally. Well as to how true that is, maybe Sato and the co. and also elderly parents would find them bothersome instead who knows.
“Yay! I did it!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.”
If that is so, then what about Yui-chan parents, who aren’t always together with her.
“Fufufu, Misaki! I can also do the thimble too now!”
“…………Un.”
Yui-chan proudly said to Misaki.
And Misaki who for some reason put both of her hands on her chest, nods with a slightly absentminded looks.
“Ohー! Yui-chan what was that just now!? Do it again please!”
“Eh, ah…… Fufun! It can’t be helped thenー!”
In response to the boy who suddenly appeared and called her, while she’s feeling a bit at a loss Yui-chan proudly, show him the thimble technique. When the boy praised her with ‘so coolー‘ Yui-chan starts to show off again.
“Wellー, I’m so sorry. He’s such a naughty boy.”
Ah, It’s Tec-chan.
“He’s so lively.”
“Ahahaha. I’m happy that he’s lively and happy but, I can’t really keep up with him at my age……”
“……Is that so?”
That reminded me how old was Tec-chan again?
I thought he’s about early thirty something but……
“Well, it’s so miserable of me……”
And he puts his hand on his hip, while his wrinkles start to appear on his troubled plain-face.
“Papaー! Nerdy Yui-chan is super cool!”
“Gah-“
Yui-chan’s mouth opened wide in a shock without any reserve.
“Hey hey, your manner is bad you know.”
“Howー?”
Tec-chan said sorry to me while bowing his head, and lightly warned his son to be careful of his wording.
When his son reply back with a yes, the boy kept begging for Yui-chan to teach him the thimble technique. And Tec-chan, with both troubled and happy look on his face, looked at him kindly.
……It’s here again.
Seeing two of them right now, I felt like there’s a feeling of distance somewhere.
I didn’t mean the kids, I meant Tec-chan.
There’s various type of parents out there. The first time I vaguely felt this is when I participated in the parents meeting.
And today, I felt the same thing even more.
There’s various type of parents-children relationship.
So, what’s the correct answer, and what’s the wrong answer I wonder.
And I also wonder, what will be the best for Misaki.
Chapter 35: The day I did string figure.
When I noticed it May is already over, and now we’re in June.
Today, it’s my first time participating in the fun festival as a parent.
Apparently the last fun festival was held on weekdays and mainly by the nursery teachers, but this time it is held on Sunday. And of course, the people that I met during parents meeting will also participate in this event.
And yesterday, we got together and did a rehearsal. I receive a string figure that Sato and co. bought, and learned to do some of it. In this rehearsal, everyone was present except Yui-chan’s parents. Yui-chan’s parents seems to be pretty busy. But still to not even have time to spare for their daughter on weekends like this is a bit…… But well surely they have their own reasons.
That aside, for this fun festival it seems like there’ll be more than one adult attending for each child. Well it’s this fun festival thing is an event for the parents to participate in after all. Because if it’s just teaching kids some string figures then just two teachers would be plenty enough right? And so the reason everyone participate, it must be because something like wanting to create a good time with the children. So inconclusion it’s a fun festival for everyone. The guy who first thought of this event is pretty smart.
“Well~, so now it’s already the time, let us begin now.”
Yaーy! Yaーy!
As a respond to Sato’s voice, the children shouted out.
In total there’s eight kids participating, one nursery teacher, and seven people that has attended the parents meeting and also two additional fathers.
And for this event, we borrowed one of the Japanese-styled room in the community center. The room is quite cramped because of the number of people, but there seems to be no problem since we’re just sitting on the tatami doing string figures after all. Although there’s fluorescent lights on the ceiling, we didn’t use it because the light coming through the glass window is already bright enough. On such a nice weather day as today I’d like to play with Misaki in the park, but since we already decided to do string figures for today so it can’t be helped.
There’s eighteen participants, so we made a circle and start doing string figures. The plan is at first the parents would teach just their own kids how to do it, after that we’ll change the person in charge of each kids, but since both the parents and the children has their preference toward their own children/parents so they just created their own pair on their own. Well there’s no particular problems happened from it so no one says anything, but I just can’t help but wonder what’s the yesterday’s rehearsal is for.
“Please take care of me today!”
“Oh, you’re as energetic as ever.”
This happened about thirty minutes ago. Since unfortunately Yui-chan’s parents are absent today, and when she saw Misaki she immediately runs toward her. We met her in front of the community center, apparently her mother sent her off a little early so she waited outside. After that we got together, which leads to the present.
“Alright, let’s begin immediately then. First off, we do it like this――”
In this noisy room filled with Kyaー kyaー scream. I start showing one of my technique that I desperately tried to remember yesterday. This technique is called “The thimble”, it’s a technique resemble to that of a magic trick because it look like it’s going to be stuck on your hand, but when you pulled it out it actually comes out easily.
“Ehー! Howー!?”
Yui-chan’s honest reaction feels pretty good. It’d be good if Misaki had the same excitement as her but, well her eyes are already shining so I’ll consider it good enough.
“Alright, I’ll teach you this technique first.”
“Yeーs!”
“……Un.”
Both of them tried to do the string figure fully motivated. Fu, if they’re being like this I have no choice but to go all out.
“So first you hold the string figure normally like this, after that do it like this, the next step is this, it’ll be like this and…… Here! How’s it, do you got it?”
“I don’t get it at allー!”
Yui-chan’s honest reaction feels pretty hurt in my chest. If Misaki has the same reaction like her I think I’d be in a shock and faint on the spot.
“……Done it.”
“Ehー!? No wayー!?”
“……Un.”
In front of me and Yui-chan who were stunned, Misaki easily completed “The thimble” technique.
“Howー!?”
The technique that I used thirty minutes to remember yesterday in an instant!?
Seriously just howー!?
“Misaki, did you perhaps already know how to do string figures?”
Shake shake.
“Then, just how.”
“……Saw.”
“Saw what?”
“……Ryo-kun.”
That, does that mean…… Just what that actually means?
“……Cool?”
“Yeah, you’re the coolest ever.”
“……”
What’s up with her this time, staring at me dead in the eyes like that…… Hey wait a second, I think something like this has happened before right?
This time is also very similar to the past’s one. Misaki would ask if she’s cool or not, after that, she would be in a bad mood for some reason. Which means, she’s demanding something from me…… And what is it, the thing she asks for? What would be the correct answer for that question?
The only thing I know of now, is that she doesn’t want to be praised as cool.
Something different…… Just what is it, what is the thing that she wants!?
“……”
“……”
This level of tension, I can’t no longer describe it using my vocabulary.
Both me and Misaki, we kept staring at each other, so much so that even our eyebrow hasn’t even move an inch as if it’s life-threatening staring game.
And for Yui-chan who got sandwiched by us right now, she’s shaking her head left and right looking at my face and Misaki’s.
“Mumumu?”
I wonder what these two are doing. Yui-chan tilts her head as if to say that.
I’m sorry, I also want to give you the answer but unfortunately I don’t even know the answer myself.
While I’m clenching my teeth in regret, suddenly Yui-chan said “Okay!” and raise her right hand up.
“I think Misaki wants to be patted!”
“Patted…… You say?”
And when I take a look at Misaki, she firmly made a straight face and look downward.
“Yui-chan, why do you think so?”
“Lady’s intuition!”
“I see……”
In the world I used to live in, the most reliable thing is money and the second is my own intuition so…… This lady’s intuition thing, is that really reliable?
“Misaki, is that true?”
When I asked, Misaki didn’t says anything and just keep her head down like that.
……I don’t get it. Just what on earth is the correct answer.
“……”
“……”
Dammit, this isn’t the time to be hestitating!
No matter how much I think I cannot come up with an answer, so the only choice here is to trust in Yui-chan isn’t it!
“……Misaki, here I go.”
After declaring that I reach my hand out fearfully. In that brief moment, I saw Misaki’s body tensing up real quick, and my hand stopped in surprise.
While I’m feeling a cold sweat on my back, I slowly turn my sight to Yui-chan. And she smiled cheerfully while nodding her head.
……Is this okay? Is this REALLY okay……?
Although I’m still hesitating, I held my breath and bring my hand closer to Misaki. And during this world where one second seems to stretch endlessly, my hand finally touched Misaki’s head.
……What’s this, this feeling.
I don’t feel any friction from Misaki’s hair at all.
This is not just on the level of silky smooth anymore.
Just what on earth is this feeling!? It’s Misaki for gods sake!
Are you kidding me. Why, this feeling, just only from touching her, this thing, rather than saying that the joys are overflowing all over my body, the me inside myself is already singing a song in celebration!
……Oh, what am I supposed to do again?
There must be a reason I’m doing something like this.
……Oh yeah, I have to pat her.
And by patting, what does it mean again.
It means just patting right? So I have to keep patting Misaki’s head…… Cr-, crap I’m so nervous.
……Calm down, calm the fuck down me. Something like this, it’s just like the time I washed Misaki’s hair. Do it gently, so that Misaki didn’t get hurt.
“Y-, you’re not feeling tickly right?”
“…………Un.”
…………She’s happy!
Just why in the hell I’m so tense befor…… Hm?
Suddenly Misaki bend forward and avoided my hand.
And Misaki walks behind Yui-chan and hide behind her back.
……Ahaha, so it was embarrassing for her.
Well that’s a given, I’m also very nervous too…… Wait no I shouldn’t be nervous too isn’t it?
“Misaki is very happy about it!”
“……Oh, is that so.”
And while I’m scratching my cheek with my left hand, I hide my right hand behind my back and clenched it tightly.
Let’s not wash this hand for a while.
It feels somewhat embarrassing somehow, so I turned away. And that’s when I got stunned.
……What the hell, is this.
Mamaー! Gimme a hugー!
Akita string figureー!
Piggyback rideー!
Please do something differentー!
……Hug?
……Piggyback ride?
……What, just what language are they talking in?
Dammit their level are too high! Even though I’m so nervous just by patting her head, and they’re already hugging this and hugging that…… Uwooooo!
“……Eh.”
My voice unconciously leaked. It might be because I’m seeing what I think is strange.
The kids got spoiled, the young parents would react by saying good grief and stuff like that but still spoil the kids nonetheless. Sato and the co. and also other old parents would frown at them, but even so they’ll still spoil them. And then the kids would rub their cheeks against their parent while smiling happily. The parents would look at each other, saying something like, They’re so troublesome right.
I don’t really get it but, I’m sure this is a normal scenery. And it’s also any ordinary parent-children relationship that’s seen anywhere. But still, there’s something bugging me.
While I’m holding this hazy feeling back I look back at Misaki, and I unconciously take a deep breath.
And the reason for that, is because Yui-chan had a very lonely expression on her face.
“Ah! The thimble! Please teach me once again!”
And when Yui-chan notices my sight on her, she instantly have a bright smile on her face as if her expression just now was a total lie, and said in a cheerful voice. It’s the same feeling when we first met, but still she tried to give me a completely different impression of her.
“……Oh, I’m gonna do it slowly this time alright. Watch it closely.”
“Yeーs!”
The true identity of this uncomfortable feeling, I’m sure it’s here and it’s real. I can’t really put it into words very well, and instead I’d like to see Yui-chan true nature when she’s with her parents.
Surely her being together with me and Misaki like this, is not a normal situation for her and since she’s also not accustomed to both of us yet so she might be at a loss and inevitably leads to her expressing her emotions like this.
Usually the children would always be with their parents, and the parents would accept their spoiled child fully, and I think that’s what happened normally. Well as to how true that is, maybe Sato and the co. and also elderly parents would find them bothersome instead who knows.
“Yay! I did it!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.”
If that is so, then what about Yui-chan parents, who aren’t always together with her.
“Fufufu, Misaki! I can also do the thimble too now!”
“…………Un.”
Yui-chan proudly said to Misaki.
And Misaki who for some reason put both of her hands on her chest, nods with a slightly absentminded looks.
“Ohー! Yui-chan what was that just now!? Do it again please!”
“Eh, ah…… Fufun! It can’t be helped thenー!”
In response to the boy who suddenly appeared and called her, while she’s feeling a bit at a loss Yui-chan proudly, show him the thimble technique. When the boy praised her with ‘so coolー‘ Yui-chan starts to show off again.
“Wellー, I’m so sorry. He’s such a naughty boy.”
Ah, It’s Tec-chan.
“He’s so lively.”
“Ahahaha. I’m happy that he’s lively and happy but, I can’t really keep up with him at my age……”
“……Is that so?”
That reminded me how old was Tec-chan again?
I thought he’s about early thirty something but……
“Well, it’s so miserable of me……”
And he puts his hand on his hip, while his wrinkles start to appear on his troubled plain-face.
“Papaー! Nerdy Yui-chan is super cool!”
“Gah-“
Yui-chan’s mouth opened wide in a shock without any reserve.
“Hey hey, your manner is bad you know.”
“Howー?”
Tec-chan said sorry to me while bowing his head, and lightly warned his son to be careful of his wording.
When his son reply back with a yes, the boy kept begging for Yui-chan to teach him the thimble technique. And Tec-chan, with both troubled and happy look on his face, looked at him kindly.
……It’s here again.
Seeing two of them right now, I felt like there’s a feeling of distance somewhere.
I didn’t mean the kids, I meant Tec-chan.
There’s various type of parents out there. The first time I vaguely felt this is when I participated in the parents meeting.
And today, I felt the same thing even more.
There’s various type of parents-children relationship.
So, what’s the correct answer, and what’s the wrong answer I wonder.
And I also wonder, what will be the best for Misaki.
