Chapter 3: Family
Translated by BunnyByun
Edited by ArroganceComplex
Episode 43: Bawwaw!
There’s a large, three-story American residence located outside the center of the base.
It’s the so called “U.S. Army House” A mansion-like house that’s surrounded by a large garden.
This was Colonel Oliver’s house.
I rented a corner of the parking lot, parked my bike, and moved to the gate.
“Okay, let’s go, Cheena.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
With trembling fingers, I pressed the chime next to the gate.
I’m about to meet the Don of the US Navy in Japan. If there is any mishap, my head will be on the chopping block.
No, he’s not the kind of person who would do such a thing, but the mere fact that he’s in power scares me.
The first few seconds after I rang the doorbell seemed awfully long.
Then, I heard a woman’s voice on the intercom.
“Hello. Who is… Oh, Iori! And you must be Christina. Welcome to the party.”
“Ira-san. It’s been a while.”
The voice came from Ira Cox, Oliver’s wife.
She recognized us from the camera and dexterously switched from English to Japanese.
“Come on in,” she called, and I heard the gate unlock with a click.
Soooooooooo, haaaaah. Okay, I’m going. Wish me luck.
We passed through the gate and entered the premises. As I walked through the garden surrounded by lots of greenery, I naturally held hands with Cheena out of nervousness.
“Yori, The garden was big. And the house is also big.”
“Hmm. It’s normal, normal, super normal. The Kabuki Theater was about this size.”
When we reached the front door, the door opened as if we had timed it just right.
And then, there he was, Oliver himself.
He was tall, almost 190 centimeter in height, with a body like a rock.
He had dark brown hair cut into a square, and a wild mustache.
He is so powerful that it is hard to believe that he is in his 60s.
That’s my impression of Mr. Oliver.
When he appeared on the stage, the air became so heavy that I felt as if gravity had increased by 30% on my stomach.
Unaware of our nervousness, Oliver-san greeted us with a smirk.
“It’s a good thing you’re here, Iori. You’ve come a long way! You’ve gotten bigger since I last met you, haven’t you?”
“No, no, I hope Oliver-San had a good day today.”
“Why are you being so formal? Just be an old guy with a beard like in the old days.”
“I’m going to hold you responsible for that for the rest of my life… even if it was in my youth!”
I was seven years old, you idiot! What have you done to me?
“Um, this is Petty Officer Second Class Angelina’s…”
“I’m her daughter, Christina. Nice to meet you.”
To cover up my mistake, I moved on to introduce Cheena.
Cheena can usually introduce herself pretty well but she’s having a difficulty right now due to the tension.
After saying her name, she took her hand away from mine and handed him a paper bag that she had brought with her, saying, “Here.”
It was a souvenir that the two of us had bought together.
Inside was a sponge cake, which I think is safe to eat and not too bland. It shouldn’t be a factor that will make him feel bad…
However, Oliver, who received the paper bag, frowned and a grim expression appeared on his face.
Oh no! Is there something wrong with the cake?!
Cheena, standing next to me, is also in despair. I, Iori, am also feeling the same way.
“Hey, Iori.”
“What is it?”
C**p! When I die, I’ll die with you Cheena.
“This is the kind of thing you can eat, right? The other day, Angie brought back some Marmite and other ghetto food…”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m really stupid! I’m going to tell her not to do that in the future!”
I apologize, bowing my head with my hips in full range of motion.
They don’t have a culture of bowing in America, but my momentum and habit kicked in.
But Angie did it! What the h**l is she doing throwing a bomb at the commander? Is she stupid or does she have a death wish?
“No, I’m sorry, it’s okay if you don’t. Thanks.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. My…haha, um, um…”
“It’s okay. Cristina speaks Japanese very well.”
Cheena, still unaccustomed to honorifics, struggled to express her apologies.
Oliver-san doesn’t seem to be angry. Is the crisis over for now?
At any rate, they let us in, and we followed with trepidation.
Oliver’s house is clogged with shoes. However, the basic rule is to wear indoor shoes.
We changed into the slippers we had brought with us and went inside the house.
We walked through the long corridor and entered the living room, which was a typical American room with a lot of dark wood.
It was so large that it was probably twice as big as the living room in my house.
I’ve been here a few times before, so I’m not surprised, but Cheena, who’s never seen it before, widened her eyes.
“Welcome Iori-chan, Christina-chan. Take your time.”
The one who called out from the island kitchen was Ira.
She was an elderly woman with a gentle demeanor, and she too was fluent in Japanese.
“I’m Christina. Nice to meet you.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.”
Cheena greeted Ira-san and shook her hand.
It’s odd to see an American and a Russian greeting each other in Japanese, when you think about it.
I guess it can’t be helped that Cheena speaks more Japanese than English these days.
Speaking of which, I don’t see those two.
“Ira-san, where are Emma and Lily?”
“They’ve been staying with us since yesterday. They wanted to see Iori too, but it wasn’t the right timing.”
Emma and Lily are Oliver’s two children.
They’re both adopted, but they’re not here today.
They make a lot of noise when they’re here, but that’s okay.
After helping Ira carry the food, the four of us sat down at the table.
“Come on, let’s eat. Eat lots of food, both of you.”
Gumbo, macaroni and cheese, and whole roasted turkey…
When Cheena saw the table lined with a variety of American delicacies, she couldn’t help but mutter,
“Isn’t this… a lot?”
Cheena was overwhelmed by the violence of the calories lined up on the large table.
But…
“I’ll eat it all! It’s okay, Cheena!”
“You’re young, so eat up! You’ll never grow b*****s!” Said Oliver while smirking.
『I’ve already started eating! And Oliver, you’re sexually harassing me! I want to say that in Japanese!』(in Russian)
Refrain? You can’t eat that? Bawwaw!
“Both of you really eat a lot huh, as I thought it was worth the effort. I hope you eat a lot too, Cheena.”
“Yes…”
～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～
With full stomachs, we poked at the sponge cake as a souvenir while making small talk.
Next to me, Cheena was paddling her boat.
(T/N: You know the thing you do when you’re sleepy but can’t when you’re in a certain place? You move your arms to and from to be able to stay awake. I do that a lot xD)
I know you get sleepy after eating, but why did you act so auspicious just now?
“Well, Iori…”
“Yes?”
As I finished my second slice of sponge cake, Oliver-san approached me.
My nerves were completely gone and I was talking in my usual broken tone.
“What are you going to do when you graduate from high school?”
“Oh, that’s…”
Oliver asked me with a serious look on his face. Maybe that’s why he invited us here today.
I’ve already decided what I’m going to do after high school. So I replied with sincerity.
“I’m thinking of coming to America and joining the U.S. military. I’ve been raised here on the base, so there’s no other choice for me. Well, there are some problems with nationality and everything, but I’ll figure it out.”
Yes, there is no other way for me but to be a soldier. I’ve been surrounded by military uniforms since I was a child, and this is what I’ve always wanted.
“That’s what I thought. Then I guess you’ll have to be adopted by someone or apply for a green card.”
“That’s right. In order to do that, I have to clear the issue of my biological parents… Fortunately, there are a number of people who are always willing to adopt me.”
“So…”
Upon hearing that, Oliver made a thoughtful gesture, but soon returned to being cheerful and continued jokingly,
“But then you’d have to say goodbye to Cheena. Why don’t you get married and move to the U.S. together before then?”
“No, no, no, that’s unrealistic…”
As I was talking about this, my left shoulder suddenly became heavy.
I looked over to see Cheena leaning her head back, defeated by gravity.
Her thin, delicate hair tickled my nose.
So, when I go to America, I’ll have to say goodbye to Cheena.
That’s a little… sad, isn’t it?
“So, how far have you guys gotten?”
“Where are we? We didn’t do anything!”
“But you were holding hands earlier.”
“Well, that was a Van der Waals moment…”
(T/N: Van Der Waals moment is a general term used to define the attraction intermolecular forces of molecules. [Source: chem.libretexts.org]
So basically, Iori was saying because he was nervous, he had to hold Cheena’s hands and get some strength. Well, the meaning was difficult to convey but I hope you understand what I mean xD my brains are fried.)
“We’re invited to the ceremony, right?”
“With Ira-san?”
Chapter 3: Family
Translated by BunnyByun
Edited by ArroganceComplex
Episode 43: Bawwaw!
There’s a large, three-story American residence located outside the center of the base.
It’s the so called “U.S. Army House” A mansion-like house that’s surrounded by a large garden.
This was Colonel Oliver’s house.
I rented a corner of the parking lot, parked my bike, and moved to the gate.
“Okay, let’s go, Cheena.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
With trembling fingers, I pressed the chime next to the gate.
I’m about to meet the Don of the US Navy in Japan. If there is any mishap, my head will be on the chopping block.
No, he’s not the kind of person who would do such a thing, but the mere fact that he’s in power scares me.
The first few seconds after I rang the doorbell seemed awfully long.
Then, I heard a woman’s voice on the intercom.
“Hello. Who is… Oh, Iori! And you must be Christina. Welcome to the party.”
“Ira-san. It’s been a while.”
The voice came from Ira Cox, Oliver’s wife.
She recognized us from the camera and dexterously switched from English to Japanese.
“Come on in,” she called, and I heard the gate unlock with a click.
Soooooooooo, haaaaah. Okay, I’m going. Wish me luck.
We passed through the gate and entered the premises. As I walked through the garden surrounded by lots of greenery, I naturally held hands with Cheena out of nervousness.
“Yori, The garden was big. And the house is also big.”
“Hmm. It’s normal, normal, super normal. The Kabuki Theater was about this size.”
When we reached the front door, the door opened as if we had timed it just right.
And then, there he was, Oliver himself.
He was tall, almost 190 centimeter in height, with a body like a rock.
He had dark brown hair cut into a square, and a wild mustache.
He is so powerful that it is hard to believe that he is in his 60s.
That’s my impression of Mr. Oliver.
When he appeared on the stage, the air became so heavy that I felt as if gravity had increased by 30% on my stomach.
Unaware of our nervousness, Oliver-san greeted us with a smirk.
“It’s a good thing you’re here, Iori. You’ve come a long way! You’ve gotten bigger since I last met you, haven’t you?”
“No, no, I hope Oliver-San had a good day today.”
“Why are you being so formal? Just be an old guy with a beard like in the old days.”
“I’m going to hold you responsible for that for the rest of my life… even if it was in my youth!”
I was seven years old, you idiot! What have you done to me?
“Um, this is Petty Officer Second Class Angelina’s…”
“I’m her daughter, Christina. Nice to meet you.”
To cover up my mistake, I moved on to introduce Cheena.
Cheena can usually introduce herself pretty well but she’s having a difficulty right now due to the tension.
After saying her name, she took her hand away from mine and handed him a paper bag that she had brought with her, saying, “Here.”
It was a souvenir that the two of us had bought together.
Inside was a sponge cake, which I think is safe to eat and not too bland. It shouldn’t be a factor that will make him feel bad…
However, Oliver, who received the paper bag, frowned and a grim expression appeared on his face.
Oh no! Is there something wrong with the cake?!
Cheena, standing next to me, is also in despair. I, Iori, am also feeling the same way.
“Hey, Iori.”
“What is it?”
C**p! When I die, I’ll die with you Cheena.
“This is the kind of thing you can eat, right? The other day, Angie brought back some Marmite and other ghetto food…”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m really stupid! I’m going to tell her not to do that in the future!”
I apologize, bowing my head with my hips in full range of motion.
They don’t have a culture of bowing in America, but my momentum and habit kicked in.
But Angie did it! What the h**l is she doing throwing a bomb at the commander? Is she stupid or does she have a death wish?
“No, I’m sorry, it’s okay if you don’t. Thanks.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. My…haha, um, um…”
“It’s okay. Cristina speaks Japanese very well.”
Cheena, still unaccustomed to honorifics, struggled to express her apologies.
Oliver-san doesn’t seem to be angry. Is the crisis over for now?
At any rate, they let us in, and we followed with trepidation.
Oliver’s house is clogged with shoes. However, the basic rule is to wear indoor shoes.
We changed into the slippers we had brought with us and went inside the house.
We walked through the long corridor and entered the living room, which was a typical American room with a lot of dark wood.
It was so large that it was probably twice as big as the living room in my house.
I’ve been here a few times before, so I’m not surprised, but Cheena, who’s never seen it before, widened her eyes.
“Welcome Iori-chan, Christina-chan. Take your time.”
The one who called out from the island kitchen was Ira.
She was an elderly woman with a gentle demeanor, and she too was fluent in Japanese.
“I’m Christina. Nice to meet you.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.”
Cheena greeted Ira-san and shook her hand.
It’s odd to see an American and a Russian greeting each other in Japanese, when you think about it.
I guess it can’t be helped that Cheena speaks more Japanese than English these days.
Speaking of which, I don’t see those two.
“Ira-san, where are Emma and Lily?”
“They’ve been staying with us since yesterday. They wanted to see Iori too, but it wasn’t the right timing.”
Emma and Lily are Oliver’s two children.
They’re both adopted, but they’re not here today.
They make a lot of noise when they’re here, but that’s okay.
After helping Ira carry the food, the four of us sat down at the table.
“Come on, let’s eat. Eat lots of food, both of you.”
Gumbo, macaroni and cheese, and whole roasted turkey…
When Cheena saw the table lined with a variety of American delicacies, she couldn’t help but mutter,
“Isn’t this… a lot?”
Cheena was overwhelmed by the violence of the calories lined up on the large table.
But…
“I’ll eat it all! It’s okay, Cheena!”
“You’re young, so eat up! You’ll never grow b*****s!” Said Oliver while smirking.
『I’ve already started eating! And Oliver, you’re sexually harassing me! I want to say that in Japanese!』(in Russian)
Refrain? You can’t eat that? Bawwaw!
“Both of you really eat a lot huh, as I thought it was worth the effort. I hope you eat a lot too, Cheena.”
“Yes…”
～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～
With full stomachs, we poked at the sponge cake as a souvenir while making small talk.
Next to me, Cheena was paddling her boat.
(T/N: You know the thing you do when you’re sleepy but can’t when you’re in a certain place? You move your arms to and from to be able to stay awake. I do that a lot xD)
I know you get sleepy after eating, but why did you act so auspicious just now?
“Well, Iori…”
“Yes?”
As I finished my second slice of sponge cake, Oliver-san approached me.
My nerves were completely gone and I was talking in my usual broken tone.
“What are you going to do when you graduate from high school?”
“Oh, that’s…”
Oliver asked me with a serious look on his face. Maybe that’s why he invited us here today.
I’ve already decided what I’m going to do after high school. So I replied with sincerity.
“I’m thinking of coming to America and joining the U.S. military. I’ve been raised here on the base, so there’s no other choice for me. Well, there are some problems with nationality and everything, but I’ll figure it out.”
Yes, there is no other way for me but to be a soldier. I’ve been surrounded by military uniforms since I was a child, and this is what I’ve always wanted.
“That’s what I thought. Then I guess you’ll have to be adopted by someone or apply for a green card.”
“That’s right. In order to do that, I have to clear the issue of my biological parents… Fortunately, there are a number of people who are always willing to adopt me.”
“So…”
Upon hearing that, Oliver made a thoughtful gesture, but soon returned to being cheerful and continued jokingly,
“But then you’d have to say goodbye to Cheena. Why don’t you get married and move to the U.S. together before then?”
“No, no, no, that’s unrealistic…”
As I was talking about this, my left shoulder suddenly became heavy.
I looked over to see Cheena leaning her head back, defeated by gravity.
Her thin, delicate hair tickled my nose.
So, when I go to America, I’ll have to say goodbye to Cheena.
That’s a little… sad, isn’t it?
“So, how far have you guys gotten?”
“Where are we? We didn’t do anything!”
“But you were holding hands earlier.”
“Well, that was a Van der Waals moment…”
(T/N: Van Der Waals moment is a general term used to define the attraction intermolecular forces of molecules. [Source: chem.libretexts.org]
So basically, Iori was saying because he was nervous, he had to hold Cheena’s hands and get some strength. Well, the meaning was difficult to convey but I hope you understand what I mean xD my brains are fried.)
“We’re invited to the ceremony, right?”
“With Ira-san?”
