Chinchikurin (fantranslation)

Episode 2 - Masked Mother

[AN: the introduction was the same as the last episode so it's been excluded from further episodes unless there's any significant changes in them]

TW: profanity, suicide, drugs, alcohol, guns and shooting.

Our story begins during the summer of graduation year - the year in which third-year Hanabishi Kuruwaya was unable to graduate. But this story doesn't follow him but rather his friend Keita.

Keita Ookami loves his mother greatly. Despite using him as a tool sometimes, he enjoyed the food she made and that's all that seemed to matter to him. She would make fried chicken as a way to celebrate, which quickly became one of his favourite foods. When he was in elementary, he drew a picture of himself and his mother eating onigiri and fried chicken for his birthday, but his father wasn't pictured. His father had sadly passed away trying to pick up onigiri that had falllen off a cliff when he was very young. From then on, his mother raised him alone.

One day, Keita's mother decided to work part-time at a resort hotel in Miyazaki during the summer. The prefecture is known for having some of the longest sunlight hours in Japan, along with its blue seas and phoenix trees making it feel like a tropical country.

"Oh no more!" exclaimed Seito, staring up at the clouds that hung over Masuda, "I want to go to the beach too!"

The boys, who were hanging out by the porch of the youth centre, were startled by his yelling.

Seito turned to them, "Don't you think it's strange? Our summer is now or never! Are we just going to work in the fields, play in the river, and play games all year?"

"Huh, what are you talking about? I'm going to graduate this year, aren't I?" Hanabishi smiled.

"This years watermelon crop is bountiful, it's been a good summer," added Keita.

"I'm staying in school next year anyway," chimed Boron, "So I can enjoy the same summer again!"

Boron laughed, prompting Toru to do the same in unison.

"I want it to be different! I want to see girls, the ocean - love!" cried Seito, stunning them into silence.

There are no young women in the small village. Around 30 years ago, there were couples who married the women they had kidnapped from the city and isolated them in the village in an attempt to keep them there. However, many of the women had children and managed to escape. Children whose mothers ran away would be raised by the remaining villagers, leading the village to be filled with orphans. Keita's mother was one of the women brought to the village, but remained as she had a good relationship with her husband. However, the boys would have to have a good marriage too if they wanted to continue living in the village.

"I wish I could find a more sane way to find a partner," said Seito.

"Yeah, no matter whether we do what they used to do to get married, it won't matter..." added Toru.

"Well of course! It's a crime isn't it! We're all just children of crime!" Keita laughed pitifully.

Boron frowned, "What are you even talking about?"

"Well criminal or not, I'm glad I was born!" Hanabishi exclaimed.

"Hey, it's nothing to be joking about! Mr Mataro was dumped in the village as a kid and committed suicide when he was 40," replied Seito, "Besides, you can't exactly have children by yourself Hanabishi."

They glanced at one another. Perhaps he was right. Could they really just spend every summer vacation doing the same things? His question resonated with them. Without lovers and marriage, they couldn't help the village progress - but they had to hurry. The population was quickly declining and it was up to them to restore it!