The Lady of the Heat Haze #07 Episode 2: Longing (3)

Episode 2: Longing (3)

“So, where do you want to look?”
“First, I want to see the women's clothing department.”
“Then, that would be this women's fashion section. It's on floors two through six. Shall we look at them one floor at a time as we go up?”

Sachiko nodded happily. Once they entered the store, her excitement reached its peak.

“Wow, everything is so lovely!”

Sachiko walked around the store, brimming with excitement. Whenever she found a piece of clothing that caught her eye, Takumi would pick it up and hold it out for her to see.

“It's so wonderful, all these beautiful clothes. They look like things actresses would wear. This place is heaven.”

She gazed at the clothes with a look of pure enchantment.

“In your time, Sachiko... were those kinds of pants in fashion?”
“Monpe? No, those weren't in fashion. Everyone just wore them reluctantly because of the Luxury Prohibition Act.”

She pouted.

I was embarrassed to admit it, but that was the first time I had ever heard of a Luxury Prohibition Act.

Did the government of that time really go out of its way to ban women's everyday fashion?
What on earth were they trying to achieve by doing that?

“There were some people who resisted and got perms or wore skirts, but I didn't have the courage or the energy to shut out the noise from those around me.”

Seeing the lonely smile on Sachiko's face, Takumi gently held out the clothes he had been displaying.

“Sachiko. You liked this outfit, didn't you? I'll buy it for you. A present from me.”

Surprised by Takumi's words, she looked up.

“Huh!? But I can't wear it...”
“It's just the thought that counts. I told you before, didn't I? I want to give you a present, Sachiko.”

At his offer, Sachiko hesitated, her expression shifting between confusion and joy, but then she gave a small gasp.

“Wait a moment... There was something I wanted to try, too.”
“Something you wanted to try?”
“Yes. It would be embarrassing if I failed, so keep holding that outfit out toward me, but look the other way.”

Sachiko stuck her tongue out playfully.

“Oh, okay.”

He did as he was told, holding the clothes while turning his head away so he wouldn't look at her. Before long...

“I did it! Look, look! Takumi!”

He turned around at her voice and was stunned.

Sachiko was wearing the outfit Takumi had chosen.

“...So, I really can change clothes if I see the real thing. How do I look?”

Sachiko shrugged her shoulders shyly and did a little spin in front of Takumi.

"So cute..."

At Takumi's murmur, she turned bright red and covered her cheeks with both hands.

"If it's like this, you can wear as many clothes as you like for free, right? I'm a ghost, so I can't let you waste your money on me when I can't even wear them."

That was her way of being as considerate as she could be toward him. She was unbearably endearing to him.

"Thank you, Sacchan. But I still want to give you a gift. This isn't a waste of money; it's a reflection of my feelings."
"Takumi..."

Takumi neatly folded the clothes and headed to the register.

"Is this a gift for your girlfriend? Would you like me to wrap it?"

The young female clerk asked with a smile.

"Huh?"
"Sir, you seemed to be choosing the clothes while consulting with someone on the phone earlier."

He scratched the tip of his nose.

"Ah, well... yes, I suppose so. It's a gift for my girlfriend, so could you wrap it?"
"Certainly."

After receiving the shopping bag containing the stylishly wrapped clothes, he thanked her and left the register.

Sachiko was waiting in front of the shop.

"Here, this is a gift for you, Sacchan."
"Oh, thank you..."
"What's wrong? Your face is bright red."
"Um... am I... Takumi's girlfriend?"

It seemed she had heard the conversation with the clerk earlier.

The fact that her face was red meant she understood what "girlfriend" meant in that context.

He was surprised to learn that the word had been used for so long, but that wasn't the point right now.

He didn't want to make a mistake again. He didn't want to lose her.

"I didn't say it properly before. I... I love you, Sacchan. Would you mind being my girlfriend?"

This time, he was able to say it clearly without hesitation.
Even so, his heart was pounding.

Meanwhile, Sachiko stared at Takumi with an expression of disbelief, covering her mouth, but when she finally came to her senses, she shook her head vigorously from side to side.

"I-I don't mind at all! I, I, I, I love you too, Takumi!"

Sachiko shouted as if forcing the words out, her face still bright red.

"I'm so glad..."

Tears welled up with a sense of relief.

He had been certain. He believed that the reason she was able to leave that bridge was likely because her feelings for him had outweighed her attachment to that place.

"Takumi, um... are we... a couple now? Is that okay?"

Takumi wiped his tears away with his sleeve and nodded vigorously.

"Of course! Alright, let's go on a proper date today!"
"A... date?"
"Oh, you don't know the word 'date'? Um, do you know what a secret rendezvous is?"

Sachiko blushed again at those words.

"Me... having a secret rendezvous..."
"Huh? Did I say something wrong?"
"No! It's just, in my time, arranged marriages were the norm, and going out with someone you liked was a dream within a dream..."

Come to think of it, I had read about that somewhere. Before the war, it was even frowned upon for unmarried men and women to walk side by side.

I realized I had to be careful not to overwhelm her, as she likely held values completely different from those of today.

"Alright, then how about we make your wishes from when you were alive come true, one by one?"
"Oh, thank you, Takumi. Then... may I start right away?"

She lowered her gaze, looking a bit shy.

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"I... I always wanted to go to a 'junkissa' (old-fashioned coffee shop) with someone I liked! And see a movie, too!"

I tilted my head at the unfamiliar term.

"A 'junkissa'... ?"
"...Are there no junkissa in this day and age?"

Sachiko's shoulders slumped in disappointment at Takumi's reaction.

"Oh, no, wait a second."

I hurriedly looked it up on my smartphone. I see. I learned that old-fashioned cafes were places where waitresses would sit next to male customers and provide various services—similar to what we call nightclubs today—and were known as 'special restaurants'.

To distinguish themselves from those cafes, shops that purely focused on enjoying coffee were labeled as 'junkissa'.

And it seems the classic date course before the war was to sneak into a movie theater, hold hands in secret while watching, and then enjoy coffee at a junkissa afterward.

Though, it seems such scenes were lost as soon as the Pacific War began.

What Sachiko wants is a traditional coffee shop. Since she can't drink coffee, she must want to experience the atmosphere. In that case, a coffee chain wouldn't fit the image. Then...

"Alright, let's go. But since there's no movie theater here, we'll take the train to the next town. We can go to a junkissa after that."
"Really!? I'm so happy!"

Sachiko's eyes sparkled so brightly that she looked adorable, and Takumi thought he wanted to make her even happier.

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Prologue My Heat Haze Lady #01 Prologue | Kyo