Earnestness, kindness, innocence, and...

◆Prologue

“That’s right. I’m just transferring in Naha.”

“Huh? Higa-chan, you’re not even going to stop by your parents’ house?”

“I miss Okinawa so much I can’t stand it anymore. And, you know, I’ve never been to any of the outlying islands, so I figured it’d be killing two birds with one stone.”

“Sigh. Well, if you’ve already signed up for it, I guess it can’t be helped. But you’ll keep your promise to me, right?”

“That’s a given! Eventually, I’ll come back to Okinawa for real and go into business with you, Megu. I’m going to learn cutting-edge business in Tokyo and bring it back, so leave it to me!”

“Yeah, yeah. Well, have fun at the guesthouse on Miyakojima.”

Higa-chan carefully placed the brand-new receiver back on the cradle.
The phone, which she had bought just last weekend, was a cute push-button model that even included a redial function.

“I only need to say ‘hai’ once, you know.”Grumbling to herself, Higa-chan looked over the Miyakojima tour itinerary once more.

◆Miyakojima

Sasaki woke up from a light nap.
The cause was the voice of a young woman in the seat behind him.

He was on a flight to Naha that had departed Haneda that morning.
Suffering from a headache due to lack of sleep and a hangover, he had given up on the Kyotaro Nishimura novel he was reading and closed his eyes.

A young girl who looked to be around 20 was talking to the elderly woman in the seat next to her.
Her voice was, in any case, incredibly loud.

“Akisamiyo! So, you’re from Yanbaru, Obaa?”

The person herself didn’t seem to realize she was being loud.
“This is a public space, not your house.”Normally, he would have given her a lecture or two, but right now, Sasaki didn’t have the energy for it.

The young woman, who was bursting with youth, brightness, and energy, began enthusiastically telling the elderly woman her life story, which had likely not even been asked for.

“I’m going to do some farm work.”
“It’s not a hotel, it’s a guesthouse.”
“Choosing a guesthouse on purpose—that’s the best part.”
“I’m not stopping by my parents’ house on the main island because I don’t have the time.”
“I miss Okinawa so much, I just can’t take it anymore.”
“It’s been three years since I graduated high school and went to Tokyo. Yeah, I haven’t been back once.”
“This is my first time coming home.”
“Wait, I’m going to Miyakojima, not my parents’ house, so I guess I can’t call it ‘coming home’!”
“Ahahahaha!”

Sasaki thought to himself.
(Is this girl going to be on the same tour as me?)

Sasaki regretted not canceling the tour after all.
Kaori, the girlfriend who was supposed to come with him, had canceled at the last minute that very morning.

(I wonder if it’s true that her mother collapsed?)
(It’s probably a lie.)
(Maybe it was a mistake to be stingy with her birthday present the other day.)

It had been three months since he had wooed Kaori, who worked at a snack bar, and spent the night with her.
He had intended it to be just a fling, but now Sasaki was the one who was obsessed.

He had achieved the fastest promotion among his peers at a rapidly growing sales company. Of course, he took pride in the fact that he worked twice as hard as anyone else. He produced three times the results.
Although he had triumphantly started his own business, the two subordinates he had brought along had taken over the company. It was a mistake to leave everything to them.

From that point on, the gears of Sasaki's life began to go awry.

“In the first place, I can't believe you threw away a position with a 20 million yen annual salary!”
“You don't have what it takes to be at the top.”
“You decided to quit the company on your own, too—you're just too selfish!”

That was what his wife said as she blamed Sasaki.
They had a huge fight, and after a year of living apart, they eventually divorced. I think it was a blessing in disguise that they didn't have any children.
As if they had been waiting for it, a private detective agency investigated his infidelity during their separation, and he was forced to pay a hefty settlement.

He fell into a state of distrust toward others, and he no longer had the energy to start a company.
He somehow managed to go to the Legal Affairs Bureau to file his business opening notification and started as a freelance sales consultant, but his income plummeted to one-tenth of what it used to be.

Five years have passed since then, and recently, he finally no longer needs his side job.

Security work on construction site roads, sorting work at a delivery company. He couldn't make a living without doing those kinds of part-time jobs.
It would be embarrassing and pathetic if an acquaintance saw him...
There were nights when he strangely understood why people would want to jump in front of a train at times like this.

At 38, he is still in his prime. Normally, he would also be in the prime of his career.

Strangely enough, he never lacked for women even after the divorce. It wasn't that the relationships lasted long, but he would find a new lover soon after breaking up.
Sasaki has no money now, but perhaps it's because the scent of a man who is free with his money—or generous, to put it nicely—still lingers and drifts around him.

(Kaori is surely the same as my ex-wife.)
(She doesn't like me; she just likes the money I earn.)
(Hmph. I don't even have any money now, though.)
(Surely, she must have realized that.)

That was Sasaki's analysis.

* * *

The blue sky and the red of the hibiscus.
While the Kanto region hadn't yet, Okinawa had already finished its rainy season.

The sun's rays poured down from directly overhead.
The sky looked like a poster. It was a blue that was far too vivid.

There was a young man holding a sketchbook up above his head.

Minshuku Shimabukuro

It was written in marker in quite poor handwriting.

The tall young man was looking around restlessly. Beside him was an old man with a face that looked just like a Shisa statue.

A young girl moved energetically.
She was skipping.

“I’m Higa-chan!”

Sasaki felt a little smug that his intuition had been correct, and then, he grew wary, thinking, (I can't afford to be happy about this.)

(I have a feeling that girl is going to get on my nerves in one way or another...)

Just as he thought that, “Sasaki-saaan, are you there?!” a voice called out. It was that young man. For a moment, he considered ignoring him, but the young man's voice grew louder, and Sasaki hurriedly identified himself.

“I’m Sasaki.”

“Whoa! Sasaki-san, welcome! Thank you for the long journey.”
The young man spoke in a friendly manner, but the old man next to him was silent. He was smiling. Sasaki thought that if a Shisa statue were to smile, it would probably look just like that.
He was smiling.

“Sasaki-saaan, where is the other person?”

“Huh? I called from Haneda, didn't I? The other person canceled.”

The old man nodded with a smile. The young man seemed satisfied with that. It seems the concept of [communication] does not exist at this guesthouse.
It seems the concept of [communication] does not exist at this guesthouse.

(This is going to be a long trip...)
(I shouldn't have come after all; I should have just canceled at Haneda.)
(Why did I ever think I wanted to see the Okinawan sea? Damn it!)

Sasaki cursed to himself.

“Also, Mr. Tanabe...”

“Yes. I am Tanabe.”

“Mr. Tanabe! When did you get here? I didn't notice you at all!”

“Hello.”

“Grandpa, everyone is here.”

“Hmm.”

“Everyone! Please follow me!”

“Let’s go!”

“Hahaha, Higa-chan is not only cute, but energetic too.”

“Oh, you’ll make me blush if you keep saying such true things about me being cute and beautiful!”

To Sasaki, the young girl named Higa-chan was too dazzling.
He found her a bit annoying.

◆ Volkswagen Bus

The guesthouse's vehicle was a bright red Volkswagen bus.

Seeing that Volkswagen bus, Higa-chan exclaimed with joy,
“Whaaaat! That is suuuuper cuuuute!” and was delighted.

It is not a young man, but an old man with a face like a Shisa, who sits in the driver's seat.
The young man twists his body 180 degrees from the passenger seat and begins to speak.

“Everyone, thank you so much for choosing our guesthouse, 'Minshuku Shimabukuro', this time.”
“My name is Eisho. It's a pleasure to meet you all.”

“Nice to meet you too, Eisho-kun.”

“Higa-chan, thank you very much!”
“The one driving is my Oji.”
“In Miyakojima, 'Oji' is a term used with affection, so please feel free to call him 'Oji' as well.”
“With that said, everyone! Let's finish our self-introductions here in the car on the way to the guesthouse!”

“Yay! That's the spirit, Eisho-kun!”

“For the first round, please just state your name and age. Let's save other topics for the second round onwards.”
“Alright, Higa-chan, please go ahead.”

“Go ahead, you say? Starting with me? I didn't hear about that!”
“Geez. Well, I'm Higa-chan. I call myself 'chan', but it's actually a nickname, not my real name. I might tell you why in the second round. As for my age, you shouldn't ask a lady that!”
“It's a pleasure to meet you all.”

“Then, I'll go next... I am Kenichiro Tanabe. I'm a true-born Edokko, and I'm 55 years old. Oh, I said Edokko, my apologies.”

“Oh! Akisamiyo! Sorry, Tanabe-san, I thought you were around 70!”

“Higa-chan, I am not a 'lady' who worries about age, so it is no problem at all.”
“Besides, with this skinny body and these wrinkles on my face, I look like an old man too.”

“Wahahaha! Tanabe-san, you're such a gentleman! So kind!”

“Well, I'm the last one. I'm Sasaki. I don't think my first name is necessary. I'm 35.”

“What! The opposite! You didn't look like you were in your 30s, you're so young!”

Just as the self-introductions were about to enter the second round, Higa-chan shouted.

“The ocean!!!”
“Ahhh, it's the best!”
“Everyone! It's the ocean!”

From then on, it turned into casual conversation, and Eisho and Higa-chan talked incessantly. The other three mostly just listened.

Oji has a face where you can't tell if he's listening or not. He has a faint smile. Perhaps Oji's neutral expression is just a smile.

Tanabe keeps his eyes open and listens intently. He doesn't smile much, but the atmosphere isn't unpleasant. You could say he looks like he's enjoying himself.

Sasaki has a face that looks as if he's not having any fun at all. He often keeps his eyes closed, but since he reacts to the conversation from time to time, it seems he can hear it.

The car turns into a field next to a private house.
And then, the Volkswagen bus came to a stop.

◆Farming Experience

We arrived at the inn.

Though it was called an inn, it was just a regular private house. To someone from Honshu, it looked like an unusual old folk house. It was built in a way where the wide veranda served as the entrance. The red roof tiles had a distinctly tropical feel that stood out against the blue sky.

We were given a tour of our rooms, the restrooms, and the baths. We were told that if it wasn't raining, we would be eating our meals "in the field."
If you were to translate that into city-speak, it would probably be something like, "Basically, we'll be dining in the garden."

It was by no means sophisticated, yet strangely, it didn't feel unrefined either.
That must be the work of the tropical atmosphere.

We were far from Honshu, on an island 300 km southwest of the main island of Okinawa.

“Let’s head out for the farming experience right away!”

Eisho said brightly, and

“Yay! I’ve been looking forward to this!”

Higa-chan responded.

Grandpa spoke up, which was rare.

“〇＄▼ー※￥◎～◇”

Grandpa’s voice was too quiet to catch. On top of that, it was a very seasoned Miyako dialect. Even if I could hear it, I probably wouldn't understand it. Maybe even Higa-chan didn't understand it.

Eisho looked a little surprised and showed some resistance. Eventually, he seemed to be convinced.

“Well, actually, a typhoon passed nearby yesterday, and the plastic greenhouse in our field got knocked over a bit.”

“Akisamiyo! Does that mean we can’t do the farming experience?”

“It’s fine. Because of that, it’ll be a real farming experience—we’re all going to rebuild the plastic greenhouse together!”

“Hey, hey, are you serious?”

Sasaki couldn't help but speak up.

"Yes! I'm serious, totally serious! This is a real farming experience! It's not something you get to do very often, you know."

"You've got to be kidding! I'm not going to let myself be used for free labor like that!"

"Oh, Sasaki-san, you're not feeling it, huh? How about everyone else?"

"I'll give it a try. It's my first time rebuilding a greenhouse in my life."

The quiet Tanabe says clearly, albeit in a small voice.

"I'll try it too!"

"Oh, thank you! Sasaki-san, what will you do?"

"Sasaki-san, please help! I'm a woman and I don't have much strength, and Tanabe-san probably doesn't either... I feel like if you don't help, the burden on Eisho-kun will be too great."

"Geez, are you really serious? Are you out of your mind?"

"Yes! Please!"

"Good grief, fine. I'll go along with the majority."

"Yay! Eisho-kun, everyone's participating!"

"Then, let's go! Everyone, please follow me."

* * *

It is certainly a valuable experience.
Ojii gives some instructions. Eisho divides the roles and relays them to everyone.
We check the frame and fix it a little. There was one badly broken bone, so we replaced it.

Fortunately, the plastic wasn't torn. We just had to put back the parts that had come off.
Even so, this work required a considerable amount of physical strength.

In the end, Sasaki was the one who worked the hardest.
However, Eisho was moving around and working twice, no, nearly three times as hard as Sasaki, so Sasaki had no complaints.

If anything, he felt a little joy at being relied upon most by that young man. Sasaki didn't realize it, but a smile occasionally broke out on his face.

“Everyone! Let’s take a break!”
“Ojii says, ‘Drink some water!’”

Everyone gathered at the spot with chairs and tables next to the field.

“Thank you, Sasaki-san.” Tanabe said.
“Sasaki-san, you did so much heavy lifting, it was a huge help!” Higa-chan added.

Eisho added,“If it weren’t for Sasaki-san, we wouldn’t even be halfway done yet.”

Ojii offered Sasaki some water from the kettle.

Sasaki poured the water from the kettle into a cup himself and drank it.

“Pfft!”
“Ptui, ptui!”
“What is this?! This isn’t water!”

Higa-chan tentatively tried drinking the water from the same kettle.

“Ojii! This is awamori, isn’t it! What are you making us drink?!”

Eisho explained,
“Everyone’s water is in this kettle here.”
“That one is Ojii’s water.”
“It seems Ojii intended it as a special service for Sasaki-san.”

he explained.

The young man continued,
“Ojii drinks water-diluted awamori even during regular farm work.”
“Since it’s weak, he insists, ‘This is water.’ Hahaha.”
“It’s actually quite high-quality awamori, too.”

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh.
Sasaki was also laughing a little.

◆ Fishing Experience

The morning of the second day was for sightseeing on the island.
They were probably just shown the typical tourist spots, but everyone’s satisfaction was at the max.

They went to a white sandy beach that stretched on forever.
They also went to an observation deck with a 360-degree ocean view in every direction.
The scenery was truly breathtaking.
And the 'Tori-ike' pond was mystical.

A bright blue sky.
A blue sea.
There were many shades of blue in the ocean.

The bright red hibiscus flowers seen from time to time.
The deep green island bananas.

Higa-chan, who was having the time of her life, was always like a picture.
Everyone felt a radiance from her youth that was just as dazzling as the sun.

Today, even Sasaki hasn't complained once.
It seems the nature of Miyakojima makes that easy enough.

* * *

"This afternoon, we're going to have a fishing experience!"

"Yay!"

The chemistry between Eisho and Higa-chan has also been getting better and better.
Sasaki made a strange face for just a split second, but the reason was different from before.

Now, he is embarrassed by the change in his own state of mind.
It's somehow embarrassing to find yourself enjoying it.
Because he acted grumpy at first, he felt he couldn't just honestly get excited now. That was the state of mind he was in.

Higa-chan, who is at maximum tension, is actually harboring complex thoughts as well.

(Is a fishing experience just fishing?)
(Are we going to dive into the sea?)
(I'm the only woman here...)
(Are there changing rooms on the beach?)
(It's normal in Okinawa to go into the sea in your clothes, but...)
(But these are nice clothes, you know~)
(Should I change before we go?)

"Everyone! These are my friends! Let me introduce them."
"Come on, say hello."

"I'm Ryusei!"
"I'm Kaito!"

"We're going to do some drive-in fishing, so we asked for some help!"

"Akisamiyo! We're doing drive-in fishing!"

"Yes! Higa-chan, have you ever done drive-in fishing before?"

"No, no, no. So, should I change into a swimsuit?"

"Hmm? Oh, feel free to do as you like. We're going in just like this."

In the end, everyone went into the sea without changing.
With Tanabe's"When in Rome, do as the Romans do"comment, that's how it went.

Higa-chan, even in her stylish clothes, was making a huge fuss, laughing and squealing once she got into the sea.

Drive-in fishing uses a net longer than everyone imagined; first you spread out, and then you gradually narrow the area.

I didn't feel it when the area was wide, but as it narrowed, I realized it was a huge catch.
The three young men and the old man moved, swam, and dived calmly and agilely.

The old man's swimming was incredibly skillful.

The three guests were merely holding the nets. However, they couldn't suppress their excitement. The feeling was overwhelmingly that it was their own catch. And a huge one at that.

"Awesome! What a huge catch!"
"We caught this much?! Amazing!"
"Wow, this is really incredible."

* * *

We grilled and ate the fish.

The old man skillfully removed the scales and sprinkled salt on them. The amount of salt was perfect, and the grilling was exquisite.

Even Higa-chan, who is from Okinawa, was surprised that simple grilled fish with salt could be this delicious.

It turned into a barbecue in the garden just like that, and that became our dinner.
Sasaki and Tanabe were so impressed by the deliciousness of the mango for dessert that they groaned in delight.

Eisho's friend, who came to help, went home.

Shortly before the party broke up, Tanabe, careful not to be noticed by anyone else, handed small envelopes to the three young men, including Eisho.
He gave them a generous tip, and the young men smiled pleasantly and thanked him in low voices.

◆ Wailing

The charcoal from the barbecue was still burning.
Even in summer, a fire at night radiates a unique charm.

Naturally, everyone gathered around the fire from a distance.
The old man was drinking awamori on the rocks with his usual smile, and it looked incredibly delicious.

Everyone was drinking their favorite alcoholic beverages.

"Let's do a second round of self-introductions."Eisho suggested.

Eisho sent a glance to Higa-chan.

“Eh, me again? Well, I guess that’s fine.”
“Actually, I’m from Okinawa!”

Everyone was stunned.
After a brief pause, their expressions turned into wry smiles.

“Huh? What? Did you guys already know? Seriously?”

“We thought you were hiding it, but we’re the ones surprised. Higa-chan, you were talking loudly even on the flight to Naha, and both Tanabe and I know you’re not visiting your parents’ house and that this is your first time back home.”

Eisho also said in a low voice,
“Were you pretending to be from the mainland?”he added.

“Akisamiyo! But I was speaking in standard Japanese, wasn’t I?”

“Like I’ve said many times, that Okinawan dialect is still there. Plus, your intonation is completely Okinawan.”

“Oh my. Well, now I’ve run out of things to say for my second turn.”

“I’d like to hear about your dreams and goals, Higa-chan.”

“Dreams?! Well, since it’s a special request from the gentleman Mr. Tanabe, I’ll tell you.”
“I want to gain business experience in Tokyo, and eventually return to Okinawa...”
“And start a business with my best friend!”
“It’s not that I want to make money, but I want to be the one to connect the mainland and Okinawa.”
“The good points of the mainland and the good points of Okinawa are different, you know.”
“I really want to properly convey that to the children in Okinawa.”
“Though, it’s still all very vague.”

Sasaki reacted sensitively to the word 'start a business'.

“You should stop with such naive thinking.”
“Starting a business isn’t easy.”
“You’ll get burned.”

Even though he was thinking (What am I saying?), Sasaki couldn’t stop himself from speaking.

“You should just catch a stable guy who’s a civil servant and get married quickly.”
“What they call a permanent job.”
“Succeeding in business and making a profit isn’t simple.”

Higa-chan cried.
She was tearing up and sniffing.

Her dream had been suddenly and completely denied.
It was only natural for her to feel sad.

Sasaki regretted his words.
How should he cover it up? No, should he apologize? But he didn’t think he had said anything wrong.

However, he never expected her to cry.

“Thank you, Sasaki-san.”

“Eh?”

"Thank you so much for worrying about me!"
"Mr. Sasaki, you're such a good person!"
"We only happened to be on the same trip by chance..."
"I can't believe you're worrying about me this seriously!"
"It's like you're my father!"
"I'm so happy!"

"Huh? Oh, ah..."

Sasaki thought, (I've been completely defeated).
Did she not think there was any malice? Did she not take it as a rejection?

Because he had struggled with starting his own business, he had taken it out on her.
Even though Sasaki knew that, he had still let the words spill out.

He wondered what he should say to Higa-chan.

At that moment, Tanabe opened her mouth.

"My self-introduction. It's my second time introducing myself, but may I speak?"

"Go ahead, please," said Eisho.

"I have cancer. Terminal cancer."
"The doctor told me I have three months to live."
"That was last month."
"If that holds true, I only have two months left to live."

Tanabe's voice was small.
However, it reached everyone clearly.

There was no sense of tragedy.
Perhaps that is why the atmosphere did not become somber.

There was not a shred of falsehood in Tanabe's words.
Even the breeze seemed to quiet down.

"What I think now is..."
"I wish I had done more of what I wanted to do..."
"...It's only three months, but I have decided to do what I want to do."
"...Everyone."
"Please, do what you truly want to do, right now."
"Life is short."

Tears streamed down Sasaki's cheeks and chin, falling onto the soil of the field.

Higa-chan was crying uncontrollably.
She tried desperately to hold back so that no sound would escape.

She knew there was nothing she could do, but still, she wanted to do something for her.

Higa-chan moved to sit next to Tanabe.
Higa-chan placed her hand on Tanabe's hand, which was resting on her lap.

Their eyes met.

There were no words.

Tanabe cried.

"Ugh, hehe..."

I cried out loud.
I clung to Higa-chan's shoulder and wept.

Tanabe wailed.

Part 1 End

* Part 2 continues.
* Part 2 is here.

Part 1 through Part 7, the entire story, has been compiled into one article.
It is quite a long read.
It is here ↓

If you are wondering, "What is a 'Petit Biographical Novel'?"
please refer to these links.

◆ Participating in "#2022OnePiece"

Hasutsuka-san's project, this is a post to participate in it.
For project details, click here ↓

Tomorrow's deadline is 23:59.
So, I posted it in a rush.

Originally, the rule was just to add "#2022OnePiece" to the past article itself."#2022OnePiece" was all that was needed.
That was the rule.

However, considering the readability for readers, I chose the format of copy-pasting and reposting.
At the same time, I made just a few minor edits.
The corrections to the main text are minimal; most of it is just rewriting the beginning and the end.

For the time being, I will also post the link to the original article.
Here ↓

The main text is 97% the same as today's article. Maybe 99% the same.
This is my best, most heartfelt article of the year.

Unlike my usual essays, this is a short story.

I learned about this project from Keiko-san's article here.
Right here ↓

Thank you, Keiko-san and Hasutsuka-san.