カステラとお茶は最良だ！

“Shindou! Shindou! Time to wake up, hon.” My room’s door was knocked.

“Please let me sleep some sec……” 

“You got work today!” The door was still knocked constantly.

“Fine! I’m up! I’m up!” 

Hi, everyone. My name’s Tenkomori Shindou(天狐傅 神藤). The lady who’s trying to knocking down my door is my grandma, Ugasahara Mizue(宇賀佐原 湖恵). She is an artist. Well, she paints, she writes, she sculpts, she craft. Basically, she could do anything artistically. A national treasure of Japan. You may notice that we doesn’t share a family name. She’s Mom’s Mom and she’s moved in since her break-up with Gramp.

“Tokuna! He’s up!”

“Okay, mom!”

I quickly bathe and get dress. Forgot to brush my teeth again but nothing mouth wash cannot solved. 

Time for breakfast!

“What’s for brekky today, Aunt Tokuna?”

“Green tea Castella, your favourite.”

This is Aunt Tokuna(宇賀佐原 篤儺). My most favourite aunt in the world. The once a head chef of a famous bakery in Sendai. She moved in together with Grandma Shizue because she insisted that she must be with her two beautiful daughters or else she’ll committed hara-kiri.

“Grandma Yukie, are you going in today?”

“Not today, dear, I’m still waiting for a shipment from Egypt. I should be unoccupied for weeks.”

This is my other grandma, Yukie. She’s an archivist at the museum in town. She’s probably the smartest person in the house. Though she may not act like it. Please don’t tell her I said that. She’s being absent-mind from time to time. 

“Mom and dad’s out already?”

“Yes, so should you, hon.” Grandma Mizue shouted from the behind.

“I should get going now, aren’t I? Bye Grandma Yukie, Aunt Tokuna.”

“Huh? Wha…?” There she goes again.

“Do your best out there, Shin.”

“Bye, Grandma Mizue!”

“Yes, yes. Just go.”

I, in hurry, fetch my laptop and rushing to work. However……

“Off to work, my boy?”

“Grandpa! Done jogging?”

This is Natsuhiko (天狐傅 夏彦), my grandpa. A Dutch studies professor. Although, he prefer a term Rangaku master though. He’s so obsessed with Dutch thing. He even dyed his hair blonde to make himself more ‘Dutch’.  Despite all that, he’s always a supportive grandpa to me. I choose to study Finnish studies because of him.

“Indeed.…”

“I’ll see you soon, Grandpa!”

I sprinted to work like usual. If you’re wondering what do I do. I’m a freelancer. I work as an interpreter at the Finnish embassy on the weekend and sometimes I’m doing gigs at kabuki theatres or pubs in the area. I learnt to perform kabuki from Grandma Mizue when I was young.

This boring bland building is my workplace. Not too far from Suwa Shrine. I always drop by there before work when I’m not in a hurry. I wish for the same thing every time, I hope Kamisama will hear my heart’s wish one day. 

“Hyvää huomenta, Arja-san! ” 

“Ahh, Mr Tenkomori. Huomenta. I’ve sent today’s documents to your mail. Good luck.”

I prepare my laptop on my desk to be ready for work but an icy touch…

“Ah!-ah!..Ouch! Cut it out, Masaru.”

Miyako Masaru(都 政瑠), my old friend from Primary school. By coincidence or fate, we are now co-workers though we work in a different section. He’s in a HR. 

“So spicy today, aren’t you, cat?”

“I’m a fox, you walking ice shaved machine. Ah, Hyvää huomenta, Aki-senpai.”

“Moi….”

That’s Niemi Aki, my senpai and mentor. Despite his chilling personality, he’s the most warm and kindhearted person I ever know. He’s been taken care of me since my trainee’s days.  He always like ‘Hey, you good?’ ‘Here, let’s lunch together.’ and he’ll pass me some onigiri. He’s always so thoughtful.

“Yo, Aki-chan. Let’s do our best, today.”

“Unn…” Senpai grunted at Masaru. “Eat breakfast yet?”

“Nah! Buy me a coffee please?”

“Shin?”

“You’re no fun.”

“Yes, I have green tea Castella with some tea. It was so good. You must come to my house sometime. Aunt Tokuna’s cup of tea is desserts. You’re going to love it, I assure you that.”

“Sure, today’s good?”

“Absolutely. I’ll phone her by lunchtime.”

“I wanna go too! Can I?! Can I?!” 

“That’s fine, as long as you behave.”

“Yay! Free food!”

“Shin, Let’s work.”

“Right away, senpai.”

Everyone worked as usual, not special or out of ordinary today. And now, here we are. At our usual place, Ichimochi Ramen. They make a really tasty tonkatsu ramen here. I heard that the owner’s from Hakata. They’re famous for their tonkatsu ramen too-now that I think about it.

“Hah~ So exhausting! Can I retire now?”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I wanna have something sweet, some sweets. Shindou! Shindou! I need sweets.”

“Excuse me, one Hakodate special ramen, please.”

“Same….”

“Make it three.”

The chef nod at us as he continue doing his thing in the kitchen. 

“So Aki-chan, you know where Hakodate is?”

“Hokkaidō. I’m Finnish not an idiot.”

“Aw, you’re no fun. Say how’s your love life, kitty cat?”

“Such question!”

“That sweetheart of yours ain’t gonna come back. Shindou, it’s been like 10+ years. It’s time to put it all behind and start anew with someone.”

“I don’t know. I don’t wanna be in a relationship right now.”

“Suit yourself.…”

He’s not wrong though. It can be just some fantasised stuff but still……

Ah, our ramen’s arrived.

“Thanks for the food!”

Those words from Masaru just kept bothering me, the rest of the day. I just can’t get over all that. I know that he’ll be true to his words. But should I just get over it like Masaru said? 

“Yo! What’s on your mind, Shindou?”

“Huh? What’s it? Have you said something, Masaru?”

“Yeah, Duh! Are you sure this is the way to your place? The surrounding, It’s so creepy. I have a feeling like something will jump out of nowhere.”

“Of course, I am. There! See? My house is over there by the persimmon’s tree.”

“Wow! You live in that? Gosh!”

And there he goes, running towards my house before any of us could.

“Hurry up, you two!! Get your arse here already! I can’t wait to see the inside.”

“Alright, alright, we’re coming.”

As I am unlocking the gate, I don’t know if it’s just my imagination but I kinda sense a presence of someone watching me from the darkness. 

“J’ai finalement te trouvé, mon petit chou.”

“Heh? Who’s there?”

 There… there must be something. A voice. I heard…

“Shin, you alright?”

“No! no.. I mean yes! Let’s get inside, Senpai. The food should be ready by now.”

I locked the gate then I grab his hand, taking him inside. No ways thieves could enter this sturdy wall and three-layered lock. I shouldn’t worry too much.

“I’m back!”

“Welcome back, Shin!”

“Mummy!” 

This person in my arms is my mummy, Shūko(天狐傅 主子). A Editor-in-chief at Manyoushū Publishing. Like other OL, she wakes up early and back home late sometimes. Grandma Shizue constantly complain that Mom’s never had time for her and afterwards, she’ll be in sulking state and won’t utter a word to mom. 

“Mom, this is Aki-Senpai.”

“I’m Niemi Aki, a pleasure to meet you.”

“What a handsome young man! I don’t have any daughter but could I interest you into my other two boys. This is Mikado-he’s the eldest. He’s working for the NGO on The canary island. Helping nursing the turtle there, isn’t he gorgeous with that six pack?”

“Mummy!”

“Oh, and here’s my second, Amashiki. Ama-chan is a criminal profiler-mainly working with the force in Kyoto. If being chubby is your type…”

“Mummy, that’s enough! Seriously, you are matchmaking for Mika and Maki?”

“Come on, like you want me to get you a boy. Even if I try, you’ll be eating my heart out not very different from your Grandma Mizue. I guess that runs in our family, isn’t it? God gracious, It’s not me and sis.”

“How dare you, you perfidious child!”

Out of nowhere, Grandma Mizue appeared behind Mummy.

“Mother! What’re you up for? It already passed your bedtime. You two go on ahead. Miya-kun is in the dining. Mother! wait!”

“Why don’t you turn her down, Senpai?”

“I don’t want to be rude to your mother. And to be honest, your brother, Amashiki is pretty adorable.”

“You wanna see the fox fire, Senpai?”

“Hmm……” 

Hmm, He’s suddenly down.

“Ahaha… Don’t mind me.”

We enter the dining together, Senpai and I. And there we’ve seen my old man drinking with Masaru. 

“Welcome back, Shindou.”

This is Tenkomori Kyougi (天狐傅 梟木), my old man who works at the quay. As you all know Nagasaki is a port city-played vital role in the past as an international port. Now, it may not be as vital as it was but boats still come and go. He love his job, this old man. He intended to be captain-driving huge cargo ships. Grandpa and Grandma Yukie both disapproved that decision, however.

“Welcome back!”

“Well, I should get to sleep now. You boys enjoy yourselves.”

Ah, finally! Some food delicacy to ease my exhaustion. 

I looks around for my treat. But it’s nowhere to be found!

Kaiten-yaki! Kaiten-yaki!!!

“Where are my kaiten-yaki?!”

“Sorry, Shindou. You’re too late.” He burped satisfiedly. “I’m so full.”

Noooooooooo!!!