Asatte no Houkou 20

**I've skipped ahead to volume 4 as a request to translate volume 4 and 5. since this was a request, please ask me before you use it for anything! thanks!**

Chapter 20

Read online P72　(scanned P68)

Guy: Sasazuka-chan // are you here?

Girl: No he’s not

Guy: What? / that’s rare
Girl: He said he has something to do so I switched with him

Guy: That library-loving-skinny-eyed guy…!!
Girl: Yeahhh

Girl: but you know those twins? / one of them comes to the library a lot too // ever since then / he asks to switch with me a lot
Guy: Oh really!!

Guy: so it’s something to do with her???
Girl: I think so!

P73 (69)

Guy: I totally thought it was an impossible feat / for Saszuka to be honest
Sasazuka: my notebook / my notebook

Guy: so? / which one is he after? // Yumi? Sae?

Guy: he should just / confess his love // and if it fails it fails // and if it goes well

Guy: He should go on dates and enjoy his school life!
S: I… / I…

S: I’m not like that!!

S: I came to pick up my notebook and this what I catch you guys doing? Gossiping!
Guy: so what? It’s fine

P74 (70)

S: Nakamiya-san / Nakamiya //Yumi-san

S: Uh / uhmm…

S: Are you alone…? / Where’s Sae-san? // don’t you recognize me!! // I…I’m the library staff, Sasazuka… / why am I introducing myself now!?

P75 (71)

S: I gathered some information about the wishing stone on my own… // and I was hoping it could be useful for you

S: So… / so… // calm down calm down // I know I can’t speak very well…

S: Please // acceppptt this!

S: I slurred…

Y: thanks

P76 (72)

S: Ok / see ya!! / I’ll look for more books you might like!!

S: How… / How’s that!! Amino!!! // I had a better conversation this time!!

P77 (73)

Guy: Oh / Sasazuka-chan is back // you gave the twin something right?
S: Uh / yeah

S: I gave her the notebooks…

S: Four…?

S: four…!

S: My idea notebook! It’s where I write all my ideas for essays and stories // I accidentally gave it to her too!?
Bubble S: Please accept this
Bubble Y: thanks
I’ll be mortified if she sees that!!!

Guy: Oh / there he goes again

S: AAH / AAAH // AAH // WA // WAIT!!

P78 (74)

S: Did she / read it… // sorry! / that notebook…
Y: This…story? / did you write it?

S: Uh / yeah // kinda…

Y: I can only read hiragana

Y: Sae can read more but… / what kind of story is it?

S: Oh yeah / that’s why she always reads picture books // “red bird and black bird”

S: There was a lying spell cast on the black bird / and even if it wanted to tell the truth it could only speak lies / and…

P79 (75)

S: Along goes the red bird / that can only tell the truth even when it wants to lie

S: Hey I guess / I can speak more than I thought // I want // to know more about her

S: Do you want / half?

S: Have you…ever thought of any stories? // if so, can I hear them?

P80 (76)

Y: I do know… / just one story

S: Tell me!

Y: Once upon a time…

There were two girls living together // and they had one old basket // they called the basket the “bread basket” // but // there was never any “bread” inside // this was because they didn’t have any bread // they didn’t have…

P81 (77)

Y: Any money to buy the bread

The two were sisters that were very close // they looked alike // and were always very hungry

Sometimes when they did get bread they always split it in two // so the basket was always empty

The two of them said // “I wish we had a basket full of bread” // “a basket that’s always full” // the two had remembered this // from a story that had been read to them in the past

P82 (78)

But their basket // was not a magical basket // if they wanted to eat // they had to show off some tricks // if they couldn’t do any tricks… // they decided // they would dance

Their dance became very popular // and their basket filled up

Man: Wonderful

The two were invited to dance at the circus
Man: You can wear pretty clothes
Girls: will you give us bread too?

P83 (79)

But day by day // it was no longer enough to just sing and dance
Man: Learn new tricks!

The Circus leader put up posters all over the city about a “new show”

Girls: we can’t do it yet!
The audience wanted to see their new tricks

Man: Do it!

The rope broke // and one of them // injured her leg // very badly
Girl: Neesan!!

P84 (80)

The circus leader gave them a little bit of money and kicked them out
Younger sister: Neesan…does it hurt?
Older sister: I’m fine…

The two were once again // all alone

They used all their money on books and instruments

One sang and one danced // that’s how to get money // and how to get bread
Younger sister: Look neesan! / this was in between the pages… // it’s a page of the picture book / there’s a picture of a basket!

Older sister: Be quiet…! // I’m studying right now!!

Don’t weave a red sarafan

P85 (81)

Stop it mother, it’s useless // it’s too soon to take out the ribbon / the ribbon looks so nice // it’s popular among the young

Woman: don’t sing / the second verse of that

Woman: I don’t like it
A black witch appeared in front of the girls

The witch says something to them // she wants to ask for a favor // if we agree she will fix the sister’s leg // and she would fill their basket until it overflowed

P86 (82)

And she brought the sisters to a far away land
S: is that about you and your sister?

Y: it’s just a story
What should I say

S: what’s the rest?
Y: That’t the end
I don’t know what to say

I
S: Oh…

S: So can I write… // the continuation? / the girls will be very happy in the end

S: they were taken to the southern islands / and they finds a magical bread basket // and she makes many friends! // and the girls live happily together!!

P87 (83)

Y: Thanks!

Y: That’s the end of the girl’s story / but I remember one more story
S: oh? // I / want to hear it!
Y: It’s one I learned in Japan / it’s about a black witch

P88 (84)

Y: It’s the story about / the witch’s past

I was thinking of starting a store on the Mashu land

I want to know how it goes / I want to know how much power the Japanese empire has
Kid: are you ready?

Kid: Not yet!

By the way / Nakamiya just returned from there

How was it? / the economy is good? // we would like to follow in your footsteps
Kid: ready now?

P89 (85)

Kid: Ready?
Response: Not yet

I heard about Nakamiya / they adopted a child… // yes they have no children…

Woman: oh / I said not yet
Kid: Who are you…?

P90 (86)

Woman: I am Kikuko / hello

Man: Oh there he is // Tetsumasa! Show her around

T: yes sir

T: Sorry hide and seek is over
Kids: ehhh I was so excited to play with you Tetsumasa niisan! // me too…
T: I’m sorry

T: Please come this way… // we have horses over here

P91 (87)

I heard that / Kikuko-san is a blood relative of the Russian noble family… // she is a mix breed of half Japanese

It’s information that should not be mentioned in these times… / I would appreciate if we could…
I understand

P92 (88)

K: Wow… / mandarin oranges?
T: Seville oranges

T: They are not edible during this season, they’re too bitter / maybe some of the old ones that have been hanging for years…
K: The ones that have existed for so long without falling off… // a timeless fruit

K: I heard it’s medicine to live forever…

P93 (89)

T: Oh! Don’t! / it’s dangerous so I will…

K: Oh no / you’re bleeding…

T: There are thorns on these / so you have to be careful

P94 (90)

P95 (91)

I have to ask you / for a favor Amino… // can you show me the “wishing stone”?

Kikuko says she wants to see it // she loves mystical things like that

P96 (92)

K: Did it come out?

T: Yes! / probably…

T: Uh / um // is there anything else you’d like me to get?
K: Yes…

K: I want the “wishing stone”

P97 (93)

Kikuko

K: Father!

K: How was the wishing stone?

Where’s Nakamiya?
He’s going home today // I had prepared a room in case he wanted to stay

Well…I guess it doesn’t go that easily // the front is that she was adopted // but in reality…right?

I’m sorry Kikuko / it’s not possible
K: What!! / I was so excited!

She’s more a granddaughter than a daughter / how old is she now…?
She looks 16 or 17 but…

P98 (94)

T: Um! There’s a stone that’s similar to the wishing stone // does that not interest you?

K: I don’t want some useless stone // I can’t use it for anything…

T: What will you // use it for?

P99 (95)

K: You’re not playing hide and seek?

T: Yes // I’m not that young anymore / Kikuko-san

P100 (96)

K: It’s been almost 10 years since we last saw each other // you have grown so much
T: You haven’t changed a bit, Kikuko-san

K: Oh?

T: Where is Mr. Nakamiya today…?
K: He has been bed-ridden for 2 years

K: Today // I asked for a portrait around here // and came to pick it up

T: Oh yes…

T: Should I find // the “wishing stone”?

P101 (97)

K: Really…?

What am I saying
T: Yes I will bring it here

At the time I was the only one in this large house

My father had already retirement // as the head of the family it’s up to me what I do with this stone // when I saw Kikuko again today…

I had begun to feel

K: Oh! / this is it…!! // this! This stone! / can I have it!?
Ever since she took the thorn out of my finger

That I wanted to do anything for her

P102 (98)

T: Sure, you can have it…
K: Thank you!!

At that time Kikuko didn’t take the thorn out

K: I have another wish // can you break this in two?

K: And hide it in a place I can’t find // if I hold on to it I’ll use it all up!!
She put a thorn into me

K: Are you ready?
T: Not yet
That thorn

Went through my veins, past my heart

And into my brain
K: Now?
T: Yes, now

And stuck there

P103 (99)

That thorn would release some sort of poison that would sweetly numb all feeling in my brain so I could no longer think // otherwise there was no way I could believe such a strange story
K: The wish that the stone grants / is eternal life!! // you can switch ages with someone you wish to trade with // a child can become an old woman and an old woman a child // you don’t go back in time so you can keep your inheritance // and the more pure it is the higher the possibility // sometimes there are useless stones that can have the same effect… / but the way it happens is…

She never said when but Kikuko left // after that I married my fiancée and had a child when I was 26 // it was a girl

That daughter married // and our grandchild was a daughter // and when I was 56 a grandson was born

Father // can you name him?

P104 (100)

In that moment // I remembered // Kikuko’s dreamlike story // the freighting words
K: If I’m going to switch I want to do it with a relative! / since we’ll look alike!

Mother: His eyes are like fathers
As I aged I felt it again

K: It’s okay to switch with someone that doesn’t look completely like me… / it might be easier to take care of it that way

Within my hardening brain cells // Kikuko’s thorn sunk deeper and deeper

The poison… // brought forth the truth // and I felt the inevitable aging of my body // and I suddenly // wished
T: How about // Tetsumasa like me?