episode_0026

“Seo, teacher. I. Well, I’ll go buy some water and come back!”

“Yes”

I glanced at Inaba out of the corner of my eye.

The sight of being left alone.

Shota just blushed and left to buy water.

Does it seem very spicy?

Coughing, I naturally approached Inaba.

“Large”

“Mr. Sasaki?”

” Shota left to buy some water. Inaba, are you alone? Suzume and Kanna?”

“Ah. Over there”

Inaba’s finger pointed to one side.

ice cream.

Long line. It might take some time.

I bowed my head.

“Thank goodness it’s still going in. Suzume chuckles”

“Ahaha, that’s right”

Sasaki looked at the street vendor that Inaba had been focusing on even before speaking.

A stall with accessories.

There are many cute and cute designs that seem to be targeting young women.

“So Inaba?”

“Yes?”

“I couldn’t take my eyes off you..what did you like so much?”

“Hihi, I was just looking at it because it was cute.”

“Yeah..? Isn’t there something you want?”

“No, no! Hi-Hi. I’m just watching it to help me digest it for a moment”

“Suzume and Kanna don’t seem interested. Hi-Hi. In the end, I was left alone.”

You guys really don’t care if it’s not something to eat?

I need to get along too.

“Really? Umm..Inaba, how about this? It looks cute”

“Wow..!”

“This is okay too”

“!”

Inaba’s surprised reaction is funny.

I wish I were a man with sense, but I don’t know how to see things like this.

I guess it’s similar to Suzume.

So, these are all the ones I chose right now.

I just chose something similar to the accessories she carried in the original.

While flirting with Inaba.

Shota is seen running from afar to buy water.

An anxious expression.

I think I read the subtle atmosphere flowing between us.

I deliberately raised my voice a little.

So that Shota can hear it too.

“Inaba. So, if you had to choose between them, which one do you like best?”

“Yes?…Umm…”

“I’m just curious”

“Oh then..this”

The necklace-type accessory Inaba pointed out.

Rugged appearance.

It has a silver frame around the end.

“Unexpected..? I thought you might like something a little prettier”

“Hehe..it just looks familiar”

As Shota approaches us, we can see his ears perk up, perhaps because he opens his mouth.

Like a meerkat, he raises his head and looks at the object Inaba is pointing at.

Thinking I had confirmed enough, I opened my mouth.

“Shall we go now? Inaba. I don’t know about Suzume, but Kanna is in trouble if she gets upset”

“Ahh!. Sasaki. Let’s go quickly! If you’re late, Kanna will scold you!”

I stopped in the middle and looked at the stall.

Before I intervened, it was Shota and Inaba who were on a date at the stall just now, not me.

Two people going home after studying at Toya Dining.

At a street vendor where he came to buy snacks, Inaba stops in front of the stall.

Inaba looks at a necklace closely and shakes his head when Shota asks if he likes it.

Shota is dragged by the pulling hand.

At the same time, I remember the necklace that Inaba was watching closely.

Shota said he was going to the bathroom for a moment and bought it.

The original story is given as a surprise gift after the midterm exam.

“Inaba! Come quickly!”

“..Inaba, it’s late…”

Suzume is waving her arms, and next to her, Kanna is holding ice cream in both hands.

I’m anxious. I’m anxious.

As if Inaba felt it, his steps were fast.

Shota comes to the stall and is seen stopping and looking at the necklace.

Shota takes out his wallet as if he wants to make a purchase.

Even Shota would be safe at that price.

It’s cheap. Usually, places like that cost 500 yen at most.

It’s a street stall accessory.

Of course.

I turned my head and walked forward.

I have no regrets about the newsstand.

If my prediction is correct, it is a simple replacement.

If you are a fan of the original work, you don’t just look at one aspect of the cartoon.

Who liked whom?

This heroine likes this.

That kind of thing is just fragmentary knowledge and dead knowledge.

It’s hard to call myself a fan who truly loves comics.

A true fan should go further than that.

The realm of reasoning.

Collect clues to build your own knowledge that others don’t know.

That is living knowledge.

The history behind each small photo or illustration is analyzed to find the reason.

why? Would Inaba like that necklace?

You need to know the narrative.

That’s why.

The story follows after the midterm exams were over and Shota gave her a necklace as a gift.

There is a hint when Shota visits Inaba’s house at his invitation.

a photo

A picture of Inaba smiling with his grandmother, taken from a normal table.

At first glance, it’s a really unremarkable photo.

There is a narrative there.

The necklace given by Shota that Inaba wore around her neck.

And the necklace that the grandmother was wearing around her neck in the picture taken with Inaba in the frame.

The appearance and appearance of the two things.

It is also rugged and has a silver band around the edge.

If you look at it from a distance, you would believe it to be the same.

Did he just like it because his grandmother kicked it?

Go further.

Count its depth.

At the age of five, Shota and Inaba meet for the first time in this village.

The starting point is moving in and meeting Shota at the playground.

In addition, Inaba has never left the Inaba area since the age of five.

Because Inaba said it himself in the original work.

‘Inaba. ‘You look happy just crossing over to the next town?’

‘Hi-Hi. Actually, I’m nervous because this is my first time, I haven’t been out of town since I moved here. ‘Do you look a bit like a country person?’

Inaba’s parents are a dual-income couple.

Sudden move.

My grandmother’s house that I never go to visit.

Inaba makes a nostalgic look on a clunky necklace instead of a cute one.

All of this comes together and reminds me of it.

Inaba’s life in my head.

Until young Inaba had his grandmother’s necklace engraved in his head.

Happiness and love for the time she spent with her grandmother.

For a while… I don’t know if I should stop by several pawn shops.

I guess…that necklace.

It kind of looks like it’s in a pawn shop.

“Please…give me this.”

Shota’s voice came from behind.

The sound of a conversation with a vendor at a stall.

＊＊＊

The meeting, which we called a study session and had fun, came to an end.

Because I didn’t study at all.

I guess this is correct.

Inaba’s brightly lit window.

Somehow, I don’t think I’m interfering here.

Yesterday, I couldn’t call Inaba and I just went to sleep.

morning.

The sunlight coming through the window made me frown.

I should buy curtains or something.

Brush your teeth, wash your face, and shower.

After finishing the light routine, I packed my clothes and went to William.

My beloved horse, which may be my last.

They inspect and oil it.

I also shook off the dust.

After spending what seemed like a fleeting moment, I took William out of the garage and headed downtown.

The first place I visited was the largest pawn shop in the area.

Thinking it was the last time, I pedaled hard and arrived here in an instant.

Thanks to this, the separation from William came quickly.

“My brother will definitely come find me..”

I got off the bike, placed it on one side of the pond, and went inside.

rattle-

“Welcome!”

The interior of a typical pawn shop.

My eyes see many different things.

From bronze knights to shields and various electronic items.

I wasn’t fooled by the eye-catching object and headed straight to the counter.

Although there was a crisis with the large and bulky black cannon seen in the middle.

Did they put everything worth money inside the iron bars?

A voice came from inside the small booth.

“Yes. Is there something you are looking for?”

“Do you also accept bicycles for sale?”

“…A bicycle..?”

I added to the negative tone of voice.

“Yes. It’s not cheap, but it’s a bit expensive”

Like a regular bicycle.

Because the price is not that much.

For a used bike, it costs a few pennies.

A pawnbroker would not want to accept items that only take up space and are worthless.

Fortunately, the owner came out from inside, probably because he was concerned about the price range I mentioned.

“Hmm. Would you mind if I take a look?”

“Of course. Let’s take a look. I hung it outside.”

The owner looked satisfied with the bike’s better condition than expected.

of course.

It’s been less than a month since I bought this. shit.

“Can you tell me what the purchase price was? Because I don’t know much about bicycles”

“Well.. I think you may misunderstand. The prices I am talking about are in no way inflated.”

“..?”

“I hardly believe it when everyone tells me that I bought it for this much money.”

“Hahaha. That doesn’t happen. Please tell me comfortably”

“890,000 yen”

“……Yes..?..Can you say that again?”

“…890,000 yen. Exactly 900,000 yen”

My face hardened.

This thing costs 900,000 yen? That expression.

I understand.

Making a face like that in front of a bike enthusiast just makes me want to die.

But I persevered.

I am Eul.

Instead, rather than giving a painful explanation, he held out a business card.

“Here. This is a bicycle company business card.”

“…Yes. sorry. I guess I’ll have to check it out”

I opened my mouth as the president walked inside.

“..It came out as a limited edition…it’s a reasonable…price…I…bought…it…quite…cheaply. It is absolutely not waste…”

There was some controversy over the price.

In conclusion, I left my bike here for a while.

I didn’t sell it. for a moment. Just keep it.

In the middle, I said I was from the Sasaki family.

I paid about twice the price I originally asked.

Is this why you need support?

“Oh, thank you.”

“No. If you have anything else to do, please come visit us anytime.”

“Hmm…do you have a silver-rimmed necklace? It’s a bit clunky.”

“Can you draw the outline?”

“Yes. It looks like this”

“Well there are a few things. Would you like to take a look?”

“Then that’s good.”

Several necklaces brought by the boss.

But it wasn’t what I was looking for.

Is the luck up to here?

I’m destined to run on my feet… I don’t even have a bike anymore.

rattle-

I opened the door and went out as the boss saw me off.

There are 13 pawn shops in the city.

Now there are 12 places.

The day is still bright.

2 places

“Sorry.”

7 places

“Ah. We don’t accept precious metals here”

12 places

“Hmm. That’s all that’s here”

Can’t give a negative answer.

The sun has already set and the road is plunged into darkness, and the street lights come on.

Last pawn shop I visited.

My body is already in tatters.

It took time to find the pawn shops because they were spread out in all directions rather than being concentrated in one place.

It took a year to get there. We had to come in a big circle.

There and here.

Cloth pawn shop.

It took longer to find than other places as the sign was small in a corner.

Still, it was rewarding.

I smiled.

The feeling of weight in your hand.

It’s heavy.

To buy this, I had to spend a third of William’s remaining money.

Still, it wasn’t bad.

It’s all platinum.

Looks like your grandmother has lived a little longer, Inaba?

Replica vs genuine.

After the midterm exam, Shota.

Whose gift will cause more ripples in Inaba’s heart?

Should I bet?