Chapter 8 – Summer (Part 8)
Summer, Part 8
Novel Title: ツァイガルニクの恋の沼 (Zeigarnik’s Love Swamp)
Author：月村奎著 (Tsukimura Kei)
Illustrator：志水ゆき (Shimizu Yuki)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 市川春音 (Ichikawa Harune -MC) & 二ノ宮航輝 (Ninomiya Kouki -ML)
*Please read at universalnovel.com, the original site of translation. TQ*
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“That’s right. I’m doing it on my own, so don’t worry about it.”
Kouki casually chimed in. That was indeed the truth, but hearing Kouki say it made Harune feel a bit irresponsible, as if he was acting without a plan.
He had to admit that he lacked business acumen. And it was also true that he had no desire to make a profit.
The reason he had returned to take over the shop wasn’t to become successful in business.
“Hey, Haru-chan, could you help out with the displays at our shop too?”
Naoki, who had just handed Akira back to Natsuno, peered into Harune’s face.
“Displays?”
“Yeah. You know how furniture stores, especially the big ones, often have several patterns on display, like living rooms and bedrooms? Our space is limited, so we can’t display that much at once, but we change the layout every season to keep it fresh and stylish.”
Naoki casually wrapped an arm around Harune’s shoulder.
“We’re about to change to the autumn layout, and I’d love to borrow your sense of style. I want to create a cosy, handmade-inspired, high-sense living space.”
Just imagining it made Harune excited.
But before he could answer, Kouki’s voice cut in from behind.
“Harune doesn’t have the time to be doing that, managing this store all by himself.”
There was something pointed in his tone, perhaps a jab at the fact that Harune couldn’t even afford to hire staff. Although Kouki had been kind since their reunion, was there still a bit of the ‘dark Kouki’ left?
Naoki responded with a gentle smile.
“I’m not asking him to work on it from scratch. If I could just borrow a few of Haru-chan’s pieces and get some advice on the overall concept, we’d handle the setup ourselves. It wouldn’t take too much of his time.”
“By the way, Harune, didn’t you crochet some large lace bedcovers based on one of Grandma’s old knitting books? Are you using those?”
“No, they’re stored away somewhere.”
He used them in his apartment in Tokyo when he lived alone, but here, he slept on a futon. Plus, the space was too small to bother with much interior decoration.
Though Harune had little desire for possessions or business success, if he had one wish, it would be to live in a slightly bigger place. This building was originally just a shop, and his grandparents had bought it and converted the back into a living space, but it was really cramped for daily living.
“Those bedcovers sound great! Could I take a look at them later?”
“Sure. They’re made with deadstock coloured lace yarn, so they have a unique colour that would suit autumn and winter interiors.”
“Oh, I’m looking forward to that.”
As Harune and Naoki talked excitedly, Harune felt a slight chill around his cheeks.
When he quietly glanced in the direction of the cold air, Kouki was staring intently, all while playfully entertaining Mafuyu.
Feeling guilty, Harune’s heart skipped a beat.
Kouki had once misunderstood Harune’s attempt to give Naoki a hand-knit sweater as a confession of love. Did he still believe that?
Perhaps thinking that Kouki had forgotten about it was just Harune’s own wishful thinking.
As they continued talking, Akira started to fuss.
“He’s probably hungry,” Natsuno said.
“Guess it’s time to head back. I’ll contact you later, Haru-chan,” Naoki said.
Naoki casually lifted Mafuyu off Kouki’s shoulder. Mafuyu waved goodbye to both of his uncles with a big smile and then clung to Naoki’s neck, chatting away in his high-pitched voice.
“Papa, here’s a quiz! What’s the blood type of a stingray?”
“You mean the stingray that swims in the sea?”
“Yup!”
“Oh, I’ve got it. Since it’s a -ay, its blood type must be A!”
“Wrong! Stingrays are fish, so they don’t have blood types!”
As the playful conversation faded into the distance, Harune smiled, but he suddenly realised that he and Kouki were alone in the shop. His smile quickly faded.
What if Kouki turned back into his ‘dark’ self and said something sarcastic?
A little snark he could handle, but he dreaded the thought of Kouki bringing up the past and reopening old wounds.
However, when Harune cautiously turned around, Kouki was bent over by the large worktable, inspecting something.
“Doesn’t that crack in the board here bother you?” Kouki asked.
“Oh, that’s where one of the students in the knitting class snagged their yarn the other day.”
“Right? I’ll fix it for you next time I’m here.”
Kouki grabbed a tape measure from the table, humming lightly as he measured the crack.
Harune’s fearful glance, wondering if Kouki was angry or holding him in contempt, seemed to have been unfounded.
As he went to close the door after Naoki and his family left, a gentle breeze blew in, carrying with it a hint of coolness. Not long ago, opening the door brought in the stifling heat from the sun-baked asphalt outside, but now, the temperature felt almost the same as the air-conditioned room.
The morning glory planter outside the door had several blue seeds beginning to swell.
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*Translator’s Note: But wait a minute…why do I sense jealousy instead? -K
*GLOSSARY:
Stingray in Japanese is Akaei. So ‘ei’…like ‘A’… got it?
Next update: 2026.06.14
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