Chapter 17: Being Alone
Sakura Koen Public Park is a nationally operated park with a vast grounds, featuring a refreshing fountain at the center, landscaped gardens, and flowerbeds planted with seasonal blooms – a scenic spot of great beauty.
It also has a 9-kilometer cycling course fully equipped with rental bicycles available. You can enjoy riding while taking in the lovely scenery of the flowers and ponds within the park.
On a certain holiday, Sayuki visited Sakura Koen Park.
Dressed in form-fitting cycling attire, she brought her own road bike despite rentals being available, showing her dedication to the sport.
Sayuki’s hobbies were playing piano and road cycling. Unbeknownst to most, she also enjoyed solo karaoke sessions.
She had been learning piano since childhood per her mother’s instruction. As for road cycling, she had been hooked ever since discovering it in middle school.
Road bikes are designed for speed rather than the convenience of city bikes, but she loved the feeling of operating them. Above all, she relished the sensation of the headwind caressing her cheeks as she rapidly gained momentum.
While some cycling enthusiasts sped through city streets, Sayuki preferred using paid cycling roads to avoid inconveniencing pedestrians. Simply pedaling without a care helped relieve her stress. Sakura Koen was her favorite because she could ride alongside the stunning rows of cherry blossoms in spring, or the foliage and seasonal flowers during other times of year.
“Phew…”
After exiting the cycling road lined with leafy cherry trees, she took a break at a vending machine near the park.
The cold sports drink seeped refreshingly into her flushed, sweat-drenched body. Though her chances had decreased after becoming friends with Akane and Moe, she still needed to exercise her body on occasion.
After a good workout, she would return home, shower off the sweat, and then have dinner.
With her father being a company president and her mother running an esthetic salon, her household was affluent but her parents were constantly busy. She usually dined alone.
Feeling unusually nostalgic, she decided to have a hot pot meal, settling on the Nabe Shichi hot pot chain restaurant since more upscale places made her self-conscious as a student.
“Welcome! How many in your party?”
“Just one, please.”
“Right this way.”
Sayuki headed to Nabe Shichi as dusk fell.
Fortunately, the tiled-roof restaurant with its Japanese aesthetic wasn’t too crowded, and she was able to get a table seat for one.
While the menu offered sukiyaki, mizutaki, and other hot pot options, she ordered her favorite soymilk hot pot. To avoid overeating, she requested a smaller portion of meat.
Being a chain restaurant, her order didn’t take long to arrive.
The soy milk broth seasoned with soup stock gently bubbled with the ingredients submerged within. Gauging when they were cooked through, she picked them out one by one with her chopsticks.
First, the vegetables – the white cabbage and carrots, lightly cooked and dipped in ponzu sauce, were delicious. The thick-cut shiitake mushrooms were tasty too. The pork slices coated in the creamy soup were also scrumptious. Having exercised vigorously earlier, her appetite was ravenous.
But the star ingredient was undoubtedly the tofu. Its soft, silky texture paired exquisitely with the soymilk broth. She preferred the kinugoshi over the more rustic varieties.
After thoroughly enjoying the soymilk hot pot, she ended with udon noodles as the final course. Instead of ponzu, she simply seasoned the soymilk broth with a touch of salt before eating. Sayuki ordered an extra half-serving of udon and sipped some roasted tea as she waited.
As she contemplated going to karaoke after the meal, a familiar voice called out to her.
“Hm? Isn’t that Sayuki-chan?”
Surprisingly, Haruhiko Hakase happened to be at Nabe Shichi too.
“Ha-Haruhiko-san!?”
She exclaimed in shock, her voice rising.
Haruhiko didn’t seem to mind, but embarrassment flushed her face. Not just her outburst, but the very timing of their encounter rattled Sayuki.
By nature, the socially awkward Sayuki struggled with interpersonal relations.
Lacking intimacy with her parents from a young age prevented her from forming proper friendships early on.
Furthermore, having dealt with people only interested in her family’s wealth made her slightly distrustful of others.
As such, her hobbies tended to be solitary pursuits she could enjoy alone – like karaoke, piano, and road cycling.
While she didn’t have the most fortunate childhood, her kind nature allowed her to meet the fairy Sylphiette and avoid becoming cynical.
Instead, her experiences made her feel no discomfort or loneliness doing activities independently.
She could nonchalantly power through two-hour karaoke sessions singing drama theme song medleys solo. If she wished, even going to a theme park alone was possible.
The thought of inviting Akane or Moe to join her hot pot dinner never even crossed her mind – she was that accustomed to being alone, even rather enjoying that time to herself.
“Good evening. You having dinner too, Sayuki-chan?”
Yet now, an unexpected jolt ran through her.
To have someone she was interested in stumble upon her in the midst of her full-on solo indulgence.
(He saw me…eating a hot pot alone and savoring it down to the final noodle course…!)
It was a traumatic scenario for an adolescent girl.
Previously, she may not have cared about others’ perceptions at all. However, after gaining friends and living a fulfilling student life, her mentality experienced a subtle shift.
Being oblivious to how others view you stems from not valuing them in the first place.
Conversely, for those important to you, a sense of shame akin to others’ kicks in. Knowing her present state was exposed, Sayuki’s face cycled through shades of red and pale in awkward embarrassment.
“Y-Yes, and you too, Haruhiko-san?”
She stole glances at his reaction, but his demeanor seemed as serene as ever to her eyes.
“Ah, I’m meeting with the master of Nil cafe today for a status update over dinner. It’s something I do occasionally.” (He couldn’t admit it was intelligence gathering for the Syndicate leader.)
“I see…”
Normally she would be delighted by this chance encounter, but now she wanted to flee promptly.
However, she had already ordered the extra udon. It would be rude to leave without eating it.
Haruhiko’s gaze briefly shifted. He had noticed she was the only one at her table.
“Oh, were you just finishing up your meal? That’s too bad. I was thinking of inviting you to join me, if you didn’t mind.”
He coughed self-consciously, but Sayuki was too flustered to catch it. The self-deprecating words slipped out unintentionally.
“Yes…You must have thought it was strange, me eating a hot pot alone?”
“Eh? Why would I?”
He seemed genuinely perplexed.
It wasn’t out of consideration – he simply didn’t understand the meaning behind her words. He neither laughed nor gave her a weird look of disdain.
“No, it’s totally normal to have a hot pot alone sometimes, right?”
“You…think so?”
For Sayuki, who assumed dining alone was often mocked, Haruhiko’s casual, non-judgmental response was a relief.
“Today’s timing was just off. But you know, it would be nice if we could grab a meal together sometime. We could invite Miina and Moe-chan and Akane-chan too.”
“Yes, if there’s an opportunity.”
She wholeheartedly agreed with Haruhiko’s suggestion, nodding slowly.
While it was a little disappointing to only be seen as a friend of his stepsister, she was still glad to be considered someone he could share a meal with.
“Well then, I’ll be going, Sayuki-chan.”
“Yes, goodbye.”
They exchanged smiles before parting ways.
She noticed the tea master from Nil cafe standing a short distance away. Relieved to see that there was no sign that hr was actually dining alone with a woman…The udon arrived then, and she started on the final course.
The rare solo holiday hadn’t turned out too bad.
She got a good sweat from road cycling, thoroughly enjoyed the soymilk hot pot, and even scored a dinner invitation from Haruhiko.
She also reaffirmed that he was a kind-hearted person who wouldn’t mock her for dining alone.
“Fufufu, delicious.”
The soymilk udon broth was tasty too.
Afterwards, she planned to hit up a solo karaoke session and sing songs befitting her current cheerful mood. Sayuki’s cheeks had unconsciously relaxed into a smile.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
45: Hakase
You know, I mustered up the courage to invite Fiona out for a meal.
Her response was “If there’s an opportunity,” but I’m not sure how to interpret that….
46: Anonymous Combatant
Isn’t that just the standard way of turning someone down?
47: Anonymous Combatant
Nah, coming from Fiona it could just mean what it literally says.
48: Anonymous Combatant
Damn, if only we had the slightest understanding of the female mind! (changing subject completely)
49: Hakase
Separate from that, Fiona seemed a bit embarrassed to eat a nabe by herself.
Now, I know over here it’s kind of a big deal to go out for hot pot or yakiniku by yourself.
But for us, just cooking up a little one-person stew is pretty normal, so I’m having a hard time understanding where she’s coming from.
50: Anonymous Combatant
Looks like some guys are implementing a hardcore point system over there lmao
51: Anonymous Combatant
Must be nice living in another dimension!
52: Anonymous Combatant
I guess customs are just different from place to place.
I’d love to be able to casually go out for yakiniku alone. Not that it matters since I’m just a NEET anyway.
53: Anonymous Combatant
Get a job before worrying about yakiniku, you ferocious tiger slacker!
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