Desire 19

When one returns to their home, the past always finds a way to come back to haunt them. So when Takashi returns home for New Years, he encounters someone who wants to get what she wanted in the past...

File: 19: HATSUMOUDE
(TN: Even though the term is in Japanese, I won't change the title since it's already written out in English-like text. But at any rate, "Hatsumoude" is the first temple visit of the New Year, a special occasion usually done on New Years' Day, whether at midnight or later that same day)

8.
Caption: December 30th: Gunma Prefecture, F-City
(TN: It is assumed that the city is "Fujioka", since that's the main "F-City" in Gunma)
Sign: Shopping Arcade
(TN: Usually the arcades in a town are labled as "Honmachi Shotengai")
Takashi: It's been several years since I've gone home for New Years, since I was unable to with the circumstances of my job.
Sign: KANKANDO
(TN: There is actually a sweets shop called "Kankando" in Japan, so I just went with that)
Window Sign: We have Hanapan
(TN: "Hanapan" is a specialty of Gunma Prefecture: a soft cookie with a sugar coating)
Takashi: Pardon, may I please have three "pines of kiri youkan"?
(TN: First of all, "youkan" is a special jelly dessert made of azuki bean past, agar and sugar usually sold as a gift. As for the "kiri youkan on pine", I actually had a really hard time trying to decipher it, but both "kiri" and "pine" are important plants in Japanese society: "Kiri", or the "paulownia" tree, is the tree that symbolizes the emperor of Japan, while "pine" is a typical symbol of New Years. It's obvious Takashi was trying to buy a special youkan for New Years', but to tell the truth I actually didn't quite decipher everything regarding it in this name. Considering the quality, particularly with youkan, I assume that a "kiri youkan" is the best youkan there is)
"Girl": OK.
Takashi: Further, I'll take two pines of "kiri manjuu". Please wrap them as gifts for my new years greetings.
(TN: On New Years, many people go around to the homes of family and friends visiting and giving gifts as such like sweets)

9.
Takashi: .........
"Girl": Ta......Takashi-san.
Takashi: Huh...!?
Izumi: I'm...Izumi. HIROKAWA Izumi. Don't you remember me?
Takashi: Izumi......?
Takashi: .........
Takashi: AH, that Izumi-chan!? I was your home tutor...!!

10.
Izumi: Great, you didn't forget! I have my coming-of-age ceremony this year and now I'm going to a local university.
(TN: The "coming of age ceremony" or "seijin shiki", is a holiday held the second Monday of January where all 20-year olds are universally recognized as adults)
Takashi: The coming-of-age ceremony is for 20-year olds. Has it been 8 years...!!
Takashi: Over summer vacaction while at Tokyo U, I returned to my home and worked as a home tutor for Hirokawa Izumi, who was going for a middle-school exam. My duty was over when she passed into middle school......I hadn't met her since...
(TN: Before you go crazy, basically the "exam hell" that originally was for entrance into high schools and colleges do exist for lower grades, even down to preschoolers entering grade school! Therefore an exam hell for entering middle school is not something that should sound too strange)
Takashi: Even so, she's so pretty that I didn't recognize her...these 8 years has transformed a girl into a beautiful woman...!

11.
Izumi: How long are you staying here?
Takashi: Until the 4th.
Takashi: Seeing you was nostalgic. You do seem busy with your part-time work...we'll catch up if we have the chance someday...well, have a happy New Year.
Izumi: Uh...um...
Izumi: My job is until...tomorrow, New Years Eve. Takashi-san, are you doing your first temple visit with someone...?
Takashi: No, not really...
Izumi: Can't we go together?

12.
Takashi: Fine! Then, we'll go together.
Manager: Izumi-chan, please help the customers.
Izumi: Ah, sorry.
Izumi: Then, 1:00 AM on New Year's Day at the entrace of Kiritaka Shrine.
Takashi: That reminds me, she's a girl whose clearly chosen things with her mind. At any rate, it seems she hasn't changed at all now.
Caption: NEW YEARS DAY, 1:00 AM

13.
Takashi: Hold on: it wasn't 1 AM...was it PM?
Voice: Takashi-san.
Izumi: Happy New Years.
Takashi: Happy...New Years!!

14.
Top of Slip: OMIKUJI
(TN: An "onmikuji" is a random fortune written on papers at Shinto Shrines or Buddhist temples, where one takes one after paying a small fee to find out there fortune for the moment or, for the New Years, the year)
Center Comments: GREAT BLESSING | TREND
(TN: There is some other text but since it really is hard to make out and probably doesn't pertain to the chapter, I won't go into it)
Your Desire: You'll be lucky by quickly doing what you're thinking.
Izumi: .........
Takashi: Izumi-chan, what were you praying for?
Izumi: It's a secret...you?
Takashi: For you to not be used by a bad bug. Do you have a boyfriend?
Izume: Well...

15.
Izumi: Since I'm already 20, I am a bit impatient but...there isn't a great man that I want for a lover around here. My ideals may be too high.
Takashi: I'm relieved by my inner feelings...I feel like a father who has an adolescent girl.
Takashi: I'll take you home. It's gotten late and your family could be worried.
Izumi: That's fine for tonight.
Izumi: My parents will be relieved when they hear I went to my first temple-visit with you.
Takashi: So I'm your guardian?
Takashi: Then, can I visit your house for a bit?
Izumi: Ah...OK!

16.
Takashi: Was her family asleep? The inside of her mansion was covered in silence.
Takashi: Well, was the Fujii Onsen here long ago?
(TN: The "onsen" is a typical Japanese hot spring)
Izumi: Seven years ago, my grandpa had mady a project of this onsen, but he abandoned it halfway. Now, it became a bathhouse for visitors.
Izumi: But it is nostalgic. How about going to the room you taught my studies in...now?
Takashi: Like long ago.

17.
Takashi: Ah, ah, there! When they announced you passed.
Izumi: Yes. Takashi-san, do you remember that day, when I was waiting for what I thought I wished for?
Takashi: Yes, I remember.
Izumi: Then, what about the congratulations kiss?
Takashi: A...kiss!?
Izumi: I was in 6th grade at the time, but the heart of a woman was hurt.

18.
Izumi: N...
Takashi: Huh...what's that!?
Izumi: You said we'd celebrate my passing. Ho...how about a kiss for me!!
Takashi: Haha, right, I forgot. Well, close your eyes for a minute.
Izumi: .........
Takashi: OK, open them.
Takashi: Since you're too young for a kiss, here's a doll!! Isn't it cute?
Izumi: .........
Izumi: I really did love you. You were who I yearned for.

19.
Izumi: From then on, you really were somewhere in my heart...
Takashi: .........
Takashi: I'm glad. I thought that's what it was about.
Izumi: Uh...um...
Izumi: To celebrate my coming-of-age ceremony...............can I make a request to you now?
Izumi: Can you close your eyes for just a minuite?
Takashi: .........

20.
Takashi: Is this the first time...I'm shaking...?
Takashi: Congratulations for coming of age.
Takashi: Well, let's go back to the house.

21.
Izumi: .........
SFX: BABUMP
SFX: BABUMP
SFX: BABUMP
Izumi: Ta...Takashi-san, I have to get dressed. Can you wait inside?
Takashi: Huh...

22.
Takashi: Somehow, it would have been good if I replied.
Takashi: The woman dissapeared into the bathroom.

23.
Izumi: I was in 6th grade at the time, but the heart of a woman was hurt.
Takashi: .........

24.
Izumi: ..........
Takashi: How about......we go in together.

25.
Izumi: The snow...is pretty...it's like some dream.
Izumi: I...wished for this with you at the temple-visit. When I pulled my Omikuji, it was "You'll get what you want".
Takashi: .........

26.
Takashi: She had skin that flexibly jostled when touched.
Takashi: Her hard nipples still had traces of the girl...
Takashi: Her shaking body completely endured but her pain was being felt by me.

27.
Takashi: Perhaps, she was still...
Takashi: A girl someone would want! Without hesitation...!!

28.
Izumi: .........
Izumi: Wh...what's wrong...!?
Takashi: Suddenly going this far I think wouldn't be forgiven, even by god. This year is still just starting......
Takashi: The effectiveness of the Omikuji is another 364 days...you still have time!
Izumi: .........

29.
Takashi: Outside, the snow was heavily falling like the lie of passion until earlier...But, within my head, the afterimage of her naked body that was vividly released vanished; what was released vanished once again...

TN: Poor Izumi...a woman's body with so many aspects, physical and mental, of a girl...it's no wonder Takashi just couldn't go through with it. When you have such a cute girl that you raised like a father...or a tutor in his case, you just can't bring yourself seven years later to just suddenly go after her maidenly wish to have her. Izumi was just such a great character and probably one of the more interesting girls if only for her past connection (which was way better than...miss "I want to be the best so be my dog" a while back). But...I wonder how many kiss marks her doll had for her seven years Izumi was without Takashi...one doesn't need to know I guess.