kscans

t/n: blue spring usually means youth, but also a wordplay for naivety period, or best time of one’s life. similar kanji ‘seishun’ also mean youth.

Chikage Saionji. That’s the name of the girl who led me into an extraordinary life. Guided by her peculiar fate, I embarked on a whirlwind youth. I don’t resent it. It’s just that, things didn’t quite fit together, but those days were irreplaceable. Our relationship naturally disappeared, like flowers blooming and scattering with the changing seasons. I thought we would never meet again, but…

“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?”
“Not really.”

It’s not like we can talk about personal matters while at work. It’s private and the content is sensitive. That’s why we made plans to meet after work.

“Is it okay if we go to my regular spot?”
“Sure. I’m curious about where Hiro-kun drinks.”

Chika-chan smiles mischievously. She’s completely different from back then… She used to be cute and energetic. Her hair was short too. Now she feels like a mature woman, and I can’t help but feel the passage of time. By the way, Hiro-kun is my nickname. It goes from Hideo (hero) to Eiyuu (hero) to HERO to Hiro.

(I’m not used to being called that, so it feels a bit strange.)

As we chatted about trivial things, we headed to the Okama bar “Spring Full Bloom*”. It’s my ultimate healing spot. I think it was about a month after I joined the company? The boss took me there and I got hooked. Mama’s talk skills are amazing… (t/n: original word was haru ranman, can be called spring refreshment or spring innocent)

“Oh my, has spring finally arrived for Hide-chan?”

Mama’s eyes sparkled as soon as we entered the bar.

“It’s not like that…”
“…”

Seriously… I’m married… Ah, this is bad… I’m really depressed…

“Mama, can we use the table in the back?”
“Of course, of course.”
“For now, beer and some random snacks… What about you, Chika-chan?”
“I’ll have a beer too.”

We placed our orders and headed to our seats. After wiping my face with the hot towel, I set up a barrier to distort perception. There might be some talk about the underworld, so I have to be prepared.

“You’re quite skilled at this.” Chika-chan seemed a little surprised. Well, I didn’t use these kinds of techniques back then.

“Are you still ‘over there’, Hiro-kun?”
“Yeah. I did try to leave the battles behind once, though.”

Right after the battles ended, I didn’t have enough money to live a carefree life. But I did earn enough to live comfortably. I washed my hands of the underworld for a while.

“They asked me for help at the mutual aid society.”
I only intended to help once, but I ended up being asked again and again. That’s why I’ve had so many final battles like yesterday.

“I’ve never had to deal with anything like that.”
“Well, it’s different for men and women. Especially considering your past, Chika-chan.”

It’s only natural for a sensible person to not want to get involved in battles anymore. If that’s the case, I should just leave her alone. But in my case, I always end up winning… That’s why I’m not good at handling adults. And the old lady is the worst. She used to care about me, but now she just tells me to die.

“Hiro-kun, you’ve become strong. I can’t even catch a glimpse of what you’ve been through since I’ve been away from battles for so long, but I understand.” Chika-chan smiled wryly.

“There were many moments when I thought, ‘This is dangerous,’ but I managed to overcome them by thinking, ‘But maybe this will work.’”
“Well, yeah. But I want to hear your story too. What happened to your name?”

Chika Nakajima. That’s her current name. I know her last name… but why did her first name change? And her appearance has completely changed too. On top of that, her name is different. Even if I checked the information about our business partners beforehand, I wouldn’t have known.

“I thought it was a good opportunity to start my life over in a true sense.”
“…I see.”
“But I didn’t like having a completely different name, so I turned the nickname Hiro-kun gave me, Chika, into my name.”

Chika-chan smiles shyly… She’s cute… So cute…

“I see. But I was surprised. I never thought you would become a company president.”
“I just wanted to challenge myself in various ways. And before I knew it… it turned out like this.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Not really. It’s not like everything went smoothly from the beginning.”
“That’s part of it too.”

Being a powerful figure in the underworld has nothing to do with being a capable business owner. I’ve had my fair share of painful failures. But I admire the attitude of not giving up and continuing to walk forward.

“Hiro-kun, you haven’t changed.”

It was a bewitching smile that made my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t help but look away, feeling a mix of emotions. Chika-chan crossed her legs and I unintentionally glanced at her plump legs wrapped in black stockings, causing my mouth to water.

(I’ve directed my middle-aged, lustful desires towards her, who could be considered a symbol of youth… )

I’m screwed… No, I’m really depressed. I want to clone myself right now and slap my own cheeks. That’s not what I meant… I want to experience the sweet memories of youth… Why am I defiling it with my own hands? Stupid!

“Chika-chan has changed. Of course, for the better. Ah, you’ve become a beautiful woman.”
“Hehe, are you using flattery because I’m a client?”
“There’s no way. I don’t want to involve that kind of thing between us.”
“Wow, you’re so cool~”

Her mischievous smile made my heart skip a beat once again. Damn, I’m getting all fired up now. I can feel the essence of my youth. She’s a sinful woman, even though I know I can’t reach out and grab her… Is this the aura of a heroine?

“Stop it. Well, anyway, I’m relieved to see you happy.”

I said that to cover up, but Chika-chan’s face darkened.

“Happy, huh?”
“…Chika-chan?”
“My husband left me for another woman and hasn’t come back.”

Guhh!? So he’s married after all! I knew it! I knew it, right!? But still! It’s different when it’s actually said out loud!! No, wait, an affair!? Why are you suddenly bringing up such a heavy topic? I don’t know the right reaction!

“My daughter is going through a rebellious phase and hardly ever stays at home.”

Married and with a child… Ugh! So that’s why she’s so alluring… Even though I’m happy to see her looking much more beautiful than before, it hurts so much more.

(Seeing you, who has become much more beautiful than before, makes me happy, but it also hurts.)

Ah, this is already… I have to come here alone tomorrow and let Mama comfort me. I won’t be able to recover for a week.

“I’ve always wondered what I’ve been doing lately… Yeah, I was really happy to see Hiro-kun again today.”
“Chika-chan…”
“I might be happy now.”

I suddenly realize this as I look at Chika-chan, who smiles with watery eyes as if inviting me.

(…She’s not wearing a ring.)

Even if she’s married, she should be wearing a ring every day, every second. But in a situation like this… They never taught us this in elementary school, middle school, or high school. A girl I parted ways with during our youth, without ever becoming a couple. By chance, we meet again as adults, and we exchange words, reminiscing about the past and having a surprisingly enjoyable conversation.

(What should I do if she makes a move on me in a situation like this… They didn’t teach us that.)

What’s the point of education? I cried in my heart. The girl who once led me into an extraordinary (modern fantasy) is now trying to lead me into another extraordinary (fantasy in a sense). My blue spring is losing its color at an accelerating rate…

(I can’t call her Chika-chan anymore…)

She’s more like Chika-san now.