Prologue

The name’s Shohei Sano—twenty-five, bachelor.

Due to certain circumstances, I bought myself a couple of mountains far away from my hometown, and I’ve been living on one for about eight months now.

Originally, I’d planned to retreat to my mountain and lead a reclusive lifestyle. But I just so happened to move in late March, when it was still fairly chilly, and after three days by myself on a cold mountain, the loneliness started getting to me. So, I made my way down to the village at the foot of the mountain, which coincidentally was holding its spring festival.

At one of the stalls, they were selling dyed chicks, which caught my eye—you don’t see too many of those nowadays—and I bought some. Three baby chicks, adorable and full of energy, tweeting and chirping. I bet I won’t feel so lonely with them around.

For some reason, it didn’t even take a month for them to grow into adult chickens. And that wasn’t the only unusual thing about them: For starters, and most conspicuously, they didn’t have feathers on their tails like regular chickens do. No, they actually had scaly, reptilian tails, like the kind you might see on a dinosaur. Oh, and they could swish them around freely. They also had sharp, vicious claws and jagged teeth. I bet getting bitten would hurt like hell.

Another cool thing about my chickens: They ended up developing distinct personalities. Pochi, the rooster, acted bold and brash, and he never sweated the small stuff. Tama, one of the hens, was more attentive and tended to take everything seriously. She was also what you might call a tsundere...although I mostly only ever saw the “tsun” side. And Yuma, the other hen, could be called a bit of an airhead, but she was very kind and caring—she always stayed by my side.

It wasn’t easy keeping up with my three chickens, let me tell you. (Though it was quite rewarding.)

They fed on grass and bugs just like normal chickens, but they would also hunt other stuff, like snakes and even wild boars. Oh, and also...

“Boar!”

“Hunt!”

“Coming?”

“No, I’m not going, and I can’t hunt!”

Yep—somehow, they learned to talk! Only in short phrases, but still. I’ve got my eye on you, chickens. Tilting your heads cutely like that is not enough to fool me! Spending this much time with them sometimes made me lose track of what chickens were supposed to be like.

One day, I was over at the Yumotos—a couple from the village who were always helping me out in various ways—enjoying a boar meal with the other villagers. There, I met Miyako Katsuragi, the young lady living on the next mountain over, to the east of mine. She was a bit younger than me, and she lived with her pet lizard, who was so huge you might mistake him for a dragon.

I also had another neighbor in the opposite direction—I ran into him for the first time one night near the foot of my mountain. This was Katsumi Aikawa, a man who lived with two large snakes, one of which looked just like a beautiful woman...if you ignored the lower half of her body. A lamia?

My chickens were also far from ordinary pets, and they just kept growing bigger and bigger. I think there might be something up with this village...

These bizarre pets weren’t the only strange thing around these parts. Many of the locals didn’t seem too surprised when they first saw my chickens—there were the Yumotos, who’d helped me buy the mountains and get set up there, the Matsuyamas, who ran a chicken farm nearby and had helped me get my chickens vaccinated, and Aikawa-san’s hunter buddies. All of these folks just took my odd chickens in stride. Thanks to their kindness and open-mindedness, I’d been able to enjoy my time in the mountains.

Like me, Katsuragi-san and Aikawa-san both had their own reasons for moving to the mountains. Katsuragi-san moved to her home about two and a half years before I did, and Aikawa-san had been around for a year longer than her. Recently, they’d both managed to mostly get over their personal traumas, but oddly enough, they seemed to feel quite indebted to me—I had been a little involved in helping them work on their issues. I definitely believed it was important to cultivate a good relationship with my fellow mountain dwellers, and I wanted to keep being friends with them...while keeping a comfortable distance, though.

A lot had happened recently, as autumn had transitioned into winter. I’d found out that there was a deity enshrined at the summit of my mountain. I kinda got the feeling it’d made itself known to me so I could assist Yamakura-san, the mountain’s previous owner, when he’d been too injured to move.

I’d managed to get rid of the abandoned buildings on my mountain—Aikawa-san and the other hunters had helped me do that. I’d also run into Katsuragi-san’s younger sister in the neighboring town and had ended up escorting her to the village. Oh yeah, and that whole thing had also led to me meeting their parents, which had made me nervous as heck. Don’t worry. I won’t lay a finger on your daughters.

I’d gone to visit a local farmer, hoping to buy some lotus roots to eat at home, and had ended up harvesting them myself. While I’d been hard at work in the lotus root pond, Pochi had been duking it out with Butcher, Kakegawa-san’s rooster. They’d gotten a bit too rowdy, which had earned them a flying kick from Tama that’d sent them flying into the water.

This year’s hunting season had recently begun, so Aikawa-san and the other local hunters had been keeping themselves busy patrolling Old Man Yumoto’s mountain and hunting wild boars. My chickens helped out too sometimes, much to the hunters’ delight. Thanks to all the successful boar hunts, we’d been constantly enjoying lavish feasts of boar meat. It’d been a great time all around.

Oh, and we’d also gotten the first snow of the year.

Katsuragi-san’s sister had complained about how cold their house was, so I’d paid them a visit and brought some stuff I’d had lying around at home that could help with the cold. In any case, the cold itself was a problem, yes, but the snow also made mountain roads very dangerous. As such, the Katsuragis are going to be spending some time away from their mountain.

I’ve got plenty of my own problems to deal with—what to do about the snow, for one—but anyway, I’ll enjoy cuddling my chickens’ fresh, fluffy winter feathers.

1. The Hunter Crew Arrives

It was the day I’d gone over to Katsuragi-san’s place to help them set up some defenses against the cold. As soon as the hens and I got back home, Tama ran off energetically. She’s probably meeting up with Pochi somewhere. Yuma cuddled up to me, and I stroked her feathers.

Suddenly, I got a call from Mutsu-san. “Sano-kun, just reminding you that we’ll be there tomorrow. Everything okay on your end?”

About time—during our last gathering at the Yumotos, he said they’d be coming in two or three days. “Yeah, of course.”

“We won’t really be doing any hunting tomorrow, just visiting the graves and the god of the mountain. Is that okay?”

They already went once when they helped clear out the abandoned buildings, but I guess they think it’s good to go again. I feel like the people in this village are pretty serious about that religious sort of stuff. But sure, fine by me. “Not a problem,” I replied. “Thanks.”

Only Toyama-san and Aikawa-san would be coming with him tomorrow—the other hunters would be joining in on the weekend.

They’re finally coming to my mountain...and I’m looking forward to it. And I bet Pochi and Tama are too. I can already picture them all giddy, waving their tails around as they lead the way, heh.

Speaking of those two, they came home a bit later, in the early evening. They were fairly dirty, so I brought out the washbasin to give them a quick scrub. It had gotten cold enough that I needed to be quick when washing them. They moved a distance away from me, shook their bodies to get rid of most of the water, and then I dried them off with a towel. Kinda surprised they’ve never caught colds. I let them inside after.

I’d put an oil heater in the living room near the front door entrance, and despite how large my house was, it’d been doing a great job keeping the house warm, even as the nights grew colder and colder. This was thanks to the renovations the former village head and his family had performed before I’d lived here—they had added a lot of insulation to the walls of this room. This had been to help with heating the kitchen, which had previously featured an earthen floor that was uncomfortably cold during winter. Also, they’d wanted to keep this space warm because it’d been where they’d spent most of their time at home. Oh, and the glass front door was also insulated. The toilet and bath had been renovated in a similar manner, but the tatami rooms—the one I used as a bedroom and the other one next to it—only had insulated glass windows. This was true of the veranda next to those rooms. Since they hadn’t been further renovated, those spaces always got much colder than the rest of the house. In my bedroom, for example, I barely stayed warm with a halogen heater. This time of year, I really only went in there to sleep. But those rooms are nice and cool in the summer, though.

I’d heard that in older homes, oil heaters were mostly pointless, and you’d just end up wasting money on the electricity bill. That’d be the case for me too if not for Yamakura-san’s renovations.

Yamakura-san had told me that he wanted to come pay his respects to the god of the mountain in spring, when the snow melted away. I’m not too sure if it’s a good idea to let him climb the mountain with his back problems... He said he’d come with his son, Keiji-san, and bring the new hokora with them. Keiji-san had already informed me that the hokora was already built and ready to install, but there was little point in putting it up there now—I wouldn’t be able to tend to it for a while due to the snow. When we climb up there tomorrow, I’ll apologize and let the god know that the hokora will have to wait until spring.

“And to think I was supposed to be a hermit...” I muttered. It’s hard to believe how busy I’ve been. But then again, that does help take my mind off other things. Other things...

I was about to let myself wander off into an unpleasant mental tangent about my life before coming here, but I shook my head and pulled myself together. Apparently, the human brain is wired to go through bitter memories over and over again in an attempt to figure out a way to deal with them...but I can do without that for now.

I was doing my best to not think about that stuff when I saw Yuma walking toward me, her body swaying.

“Yuma?”

She cocked her head cutely. I beckoned her over and hugged her gently. Aah, so relaxing. I enjoyed the soft, warm feel of her winter plumage.

Pochi and Tama were looking in our direction. My chickens seemed to have a way of knowing when I was feeling down, and they always looked out for me.

“Pochi, Tama, Yuma, I love you guys.”

“Love!”

“Whaaat?”

“Love you!”

Come on, Tama! You could drop the tsundere stuff during moments like this. “Hey, what do you mean, ‘Whaaat?’”

“Love?” she replied, tilting her head. Not sure why she phrased it like a question, but okay, yeah, that did make my heart skip a beat. My girls are cute, and they know it.

Before I knew it, those distressing thoughts had vanished from my mind. I’m sure it won’t be the last time, but I’ll be fine as long as I have my chickens. I hope you guys live long, strong, and healthy lives—for my sake. (Yeah, maybe that’s a selfish way to view it, but it is what it is.)

I spaced out as I enjoyed a nice, relaxing bath with Yuma. That stuff I did at Katsuragi-san’s place wasn’t all that exhausting, but I guess just the act of going out and leaving my mountain is somewhat tiring. Anyway, at least I can enjoy this blissful time with Yuma.

After quickly going over preparations for tomorrow, I headed to bed. No nightmares.

***

Today would be the local hunters’ first day on my mountain, and they would be coming over every day until the end of the year.

Brrr. Cold. I opened the glass door and peeked outside to check whether there was frost or snow on the ground, as I’d been doing every day recently. Whew, looks like it’s frost. I always get nervous—the ground in front of the house is not paved, so frost also makes it all white. I bet there wouldn’t be any frost if it were paved.

“It’s so cold...”

In this weather, simply getting out of my futon was an ordeal. There was probably a risk of thermal shock too, with how cold the hallway was. The bathroom was reasonably warm, but you felt a huge difference in temperature as soon as you stepped outside.

“Maybe I need a heater in the hallway too...”

I should at least leave it running while I’m bathing. Might not help that much, but I figure it’s better than nothing. My only concern is that Yuma might knock it over. She’s pretty big...

The hunters had said that they’d be bringing their own food for lunch, but I thought I should at least prepare some miso soup for them. I added tofu, seaweed, and konjac to a large pot. The konjac, cut diagonally into cubes, was something of a jack-of-all-trades veggie for me—I used it in stir-fries, stews, and even in miso soup. (I understand that it has almost no calories or nutrients, but whatever. It shouldn’t be a problem as long as I’m not eating too much of it. Plus, I like it.)

Before long, the hunters arrived. I’d already told the chickens that they’d be coming, and that was maybe why they’d been fidgety and restless all morning. Oh, and I’d also explicitly told Tama not to come wake me up, so I’d been able to enjoy a peaceful rest.

I went to greet them. “Hello, everyone. Thanks for coming.”

“Hey there.” Mutsu-san nodded leisurely. Toyama-san and Aikawa-san were also here—all of them had brought their own vehicles. “So, Sano-kun, we’d like to go see the graves and the god of the mountain right away, if that’s fine with you.”

“Sure. Let’s go.”

First, we’d be visiting the cemetery. The hunters were ready to go already. I took a moment to go get a few things and load the chickens onto the truck.

We drove up the mountain toward the cemetery. Once there, we cleaned up the graves and joined our hands in prayer before them. The graves here belonged to this mountain’s former inhabitants, and although none of them were directly related to me, I always made sure to pay my respects.

Next up was the god of the mountain. “Tama, you lead the way.” Since she always seemed to know the mountain best, I appointed her as our leader. Yuma stayed next to me, while Pochi served as the rearguard. Between him and Tama, either one could do a fine job of guiding the party, but given his reckless streak, he wasn’t really the best man for the job. Not with a group, at least. The chickens obediently followed my instructions, and we all began our ascent.

There wasn’t a proper road for us to traverse, so it was difficult to tell how much progress we were making, even though we kept a steady pace. By the time we reached the summit, I was more exhausted than I’d expected. You’d think I would’ve built more stamina by now...

After making sure that we were really at the top, I searched for the rock that served as the makeshift hokora. We cleaned the area around it, changed out the water, and paid our respects, letting the god know that we’d be hunting on this mountain and my other one. I also mentioned that the hokora would have to wait until spring. All right, that should do it.

The chickens were loitering around, pecking the trees and at the ground. I appreciate you guys’ help.

We took a break to drink water and have a light snack, then headed back down. Aikawa-san had brought some milk candy with him—he shared it with everyone.

“So sweet.”

“Sure is.”

Aikawa-san chuckled. “That’s what I like about it.”

Man, this stuff brings me back.

We got in our trucks, which we’d parked near the cemetery, and drove back to my house. All in all, the whole excursion had taken us about two hours.

“Let’s take a break,” I said, serving them tea.

I had a good amount of tableware at home—it had come with the house. Mostly, serving stuff had a tendency to pile up, since it didn’t break easily—I also never thinned out my stock by throwing away the old stuff. Yamakura-san had already owned plenty of tableware at his house in the village, so he’d just let me have it all when I’d bought this mountain, as well as the cupboard to store it in.

“It’s not really that much of a trek to the top of the mountain, but the lack of a road makes it kinda rough,” Mutsu-san remarked.

Toyama-san nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t think I’d get this tired.”

“Well, I do have plans to build a road connecting the cemetery and the summit...”

“Ooh, nice. Let us know when you wanna get that done, and we’ll be glad to help,” Mutsu-san said nonchalantly.

That’s encouraging. I’ll make sure to pay them, of course. “Thank you. I definitely will,” I replied, bowing.

I could see the chickens peering in from outside, as if to ask, Is that it for today? Pochi and Tama weren’t being subtle in the slightest about it. I could tell how eager they were to go hunting.

I chuckled. “Mutsu-san, what are the plans for after this?”

“Well, today, I just wanna patrol the area. You think you could ask the chickens to show us around?”

“Of course. I’m sure they’d be glad to. Just to be clear, do you mean this mountain?”

“Yeah. We’re not doing any hunting here, but I think it’s good to see the lay of the land.”

With that, our afternoon plans were settled.

I fed the chickens first, then we all ate lunch under the kotatsu. The miso soup and pickles were on me.

“This is really all you need for a good meal!” Mutsu-san exclaimed as he munched down on the onigiri he’d brought with him.

I actually agree—that’s good enough. Maybe I should make a dish or two for them on Sunday, though, since there’ll be more hunters. The question is what to make. Though honestly, with my cooking skills, it’s not like I have a wealth of choices... Just a plain old stir-fry, I guess.

After another quick tea break, they set out.

“Pochi, Tama, they said they want to do a survey of this mountain today. If you know of any spots that might be good for hunting, make sure you show them.”

The two clucked at me in response. Did they really get all that? I thought it might be a little complicated for them.

Aikawa-san turned to them. “Pochi-san, Tama-san, thanks for agreeing to help us. Today we just want to look around the mountain—no hunting for now.”

Right, I should have just phrased it like that. Communicating with them takes some thought.

“All right, we’re off.”

“Thanks again.” I waved, seeing them off with Yuma by my side. Please stay safe out there.

It seemed they’d decided to take the route down from the north side of the mountain. Getting lost on this mountain is not really a big deal, but if they wandered over to the other one, that could spell trouble. Imagine that—coming to a mountain to hunt and ending up getting stranded...

“As for us...” I should skip my afternoon nap today, obviously. I didn’t know what time they’d be back, so I decided to do some cleaning around the house. I asked Yuma to stay nearby.

It’s weird—when there’s no one visiting, I just laze around, but when there are people here, I feel like I have to make myself busy somehow. I cleaned the bath (but not the toilet, which I’d already cleaned yesterday) and my bedroom, plus the other tatami room next to it. Then, while I was at it, I also took the opportunity to organize the storage shed outside. It’s not that cold during the day, but soon enough, it’ll be too cold to spend much time outside.

Not too long after, the hunters returned. “Welcome back. How was it?” I asked.

“Lots of wildlife and a nice variety of plants too,” Mutsu-san answered. “We can hunt any boars we run into, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah. You can go ahead if you spot any on this mountain too—I’d appreciate it.”

We went back inside, and I brewed more tea.

“Thanks, Pochi, Tama.” I washed some Chinese cabbage to serve them as a snack—and some for Yuma too, of course. They don’t look very cute chowing down on it, if I’m being honest.

“All right, we’ll take care of any boars we find on this mountain too,” said Mutsu-san. “As for butchering...you leave it up to Akimoto-chan, right?”

I nodded. “Pretty much, yes. I can’t do anything about it by myself.”

“If the chickens are helping out, then pretty much all the innards’ll go to them. We’ll give you a third of the meat. Don’t worry about butchering and all that—it’s on us.”

“Wait, what?” Surely that’s a bit too generous of them, no? I’ve already got plenty of boar meat—I don’t need that much. “Um, you don’t have to give me that much meat, actually. It’s not like I’m the one hunting them... How about a fifth? That’s enough for me.”

“Feeling generous, are we? A fourth, then. No less than that.”

“Thank you...” I’m already having them essentially survey my other mountain. I feel bad getting so much free meat on top of that... Well, I can repay them a little by treating them to meals.

“We’ll be checking this mountain again tomorrow. If we see any boars, we’ll hunt ’em.”

“Thank you. See you tomorrow.”

After exchanging goodbyes, they went on their way. Today’s visit was really just a quick, preliminary look.

“See you tomorrow too, Pochi, Tama-chan!” Mutsu-san said as he left.

This seemed to please the two chickens, who waved their tails and clucked happily. Pretty cute when they wave their tails around like that. Almost enough to make you forget how dangerous those things can be... Almost. Still, absolutely gotta keep your distance.

Seeing the chickens like that also put Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Aikawa-san in a good mood as they left. Even with the hunters gone, Pochi and Tama seemed to be in a hunting mood—they were ready to head back into the mountain wilderness.

“Come on, they’ll be back tomorrow,” I reasoned. “That’s enough for today, isn’t it?”

“Okay...”

“Okay...”

They replied reluctantly. Tama even pecked me a little, visibly frustrated. And I think she only let me off the hook that easily because Yuma was staring at us.

Oh yeah, I just remembered—I’m pretty sure Old Man Yumoto was saying something about searching for and getting rid of hornet nests after November, wasn’t he? How are the hornets spending the winter, I wonder? Can they even survive the cold? I got curious and gave him a call.

“The workers don’t make it through the winter. The new queen does, though. She hibernates,” he explained. “They might try to stay in their nests to survive the winter, so if you can find them, it’s a good idea to dispose of them while you can.”

“Huh, I see.” That does sound like it might be worth looking into.

“If you find any, let me know, and I’ll be there in a flash.”

“All right, thanks.”

Sure would be nice if I could find and rid myself of the new queen hornets—that’ll give me one less thing to worry about next year. That said, I had my qualms about asking the hunters to go looking for hornet nests.

First, I messaged Aikawa-san.

“Oh yeah, we did talk about that,” he said. “Sorry, I forgot until now.”

“No problem, I forgot too.” Not exactly a topic I want to remember if I can help it—not after that nightmarish episode on Katsuragi-san’s mountain.

“I believe they’re inactive during the winter, but they can still be dangerous if they’re near your house. I’ll make sure to get rid of any nests we find.”

I said we could discuss it tomorrow. For some topics, it’s hard to convey the right nuance through text messages. Better to just talk it out in person. It’s easier that way.

The next day, the hunters arrived, rifles in hand. I explained the situation to the three of them: There might be hornet nests nearby, they might still have hornets in them, and those could possibly be new queen hornets. I asked them if they could get rid of any nests they came across, and if that wasn’t feasible, to note down the nest’s location.

Mutsu-san smirked. “Murder hornets, huh? Sure, bring it on.”

Seriously...what is it with the old men around here? Are they all out for blood? Well, I mean, in his case he is a literal hunter, so it makes sense...

“I’d like to eat a deep-fried queen hornet—feels like it’d add a few extra years to my life!” Toyama-san said with a smile.

They all have their eyes set on the queens... At this rate, I might not even have to ask Yumoto-san for help.

“You got any plastic bags? Ones on the sturdy side?”

“There are a bunch of these black plastic bags in the shed if you need them.” I brought the bags out to see if they might be useful. Since plastic had a tendency to decay, you couldn’t just leave it lying around without a second thought. But upon inspection, they didn’t tear easily, even when we pulled at them, so I thought they should still be good.

“Can I ask you to double-bag them?” Mutsu-san asked. “Maybe even triple?”

“Sure,” I replied.

Pochi and Tama moved their legs impatiently, as if they could bolt off at any moment. Jeez, don’t get too excited. I got the feeling Tama was glaring angrily at me. I can see where we’re headed when she gets back. Oh boy...

“Then, we’re off! Pochi, Tama-chan, we’ll be counting on you to lead the way!” Mutsu-san called out to them with a grin. The two clucked in response, and the five of them—three humans and two chickens—began their descent along the northern side of the mountain.

I heaved a sigh of relief. “Say, Yuma... Why do you think Tama’s so harsh on me?”

“Harsh?” She tilted her head.

“Like, the opposite of kind.” I guess? Though the meaning depends on the context.

“Tama, kind.”

“Yeah...I guess so.”

She really is...at times. All three of my chickens are very sweet and kind. I don’t care if I dote on them too much or how much I get pecked. That’s just how I feel.

I went to check on the area where those abandoned buildings used to be. Might be a good idea to stack some stones here to make a proper foundation. That way, we could build something in the future. I’ve given up on planting stuff here. Maybe I can plant firewood? Ha ha.

“I still need to ask someone to teach me how to chop firewood properly...” If you don’t do it the right way, it can be pretty bad for your back.

I went back inside to layer the black plastic bags—triple-layer. Maybe it’d be better if I had transparent ones? So they could see what’s inside... Well, they’ll probably let me know if they need something. After making as many as I could, I decided to prepare miso soup.

Today’s soup had turnips in it. When you use both the leaves and the roots, it’s kinda like having two different kinds of vegetables. And it looks nice and colorful too. I let Yuma eat some of the leaves while I waited for the hunters to come back. When they arrived, they were all in a great mood.

“Welcome back. How was it? Find anything nice?”

“Sure did. A boar nest and two hornet nests. How’s that?”

“Wh-What? Where were they?” Seriously, I wasn’t expecting that. That means they were flying and buzzing around here in the summer, and I just happened to not run into them. Yikes...

“The eastern side. You don’t go there much, right? Big freaking nest in the tree next to the charcoal hut.”

“Ah...” He’s right—I did go check that area just the other day, but I hadn’t been there since that time I made charcoal back in the spring. That means they set up home there in the meantime. Oh god...

“Now then, we’ll be needing those bags.”

“All yours.”

Leaving boars alone didn’t make much of a difference, but that wasn’t the case for hornet nests. If you didn’t do something about them, they could even become nests for other kinds of insects. That was why the hunters had decided to deal with the nests right away.

As I saw them off after lunch, I thought, Wait, why did they come here in the first place...?

“That was a huge nest, let me tell you!” Toyama-san exclaimed as soon as he came back, wiping the sweat off his face. “It even had some hornets left inside. I wasn’t ready for that!”

It seemed the cold weather hadn’t gotten rid of the hornets in the nest near the charcoal hut. Thankfully, no one had been injured, thanks to Pochi and Tama jumping up in the air to eat them. Still...gives me the shivers thinking about it.

Moreover, those were apparently not murder hornets, but a different kind.

“Pochi-kun and Tama-chan were jumping all over the place. It was crazy!” he continued.

Jumping... Well, they are birds. I think I’ve wondered about this before, but I forgot—can chickens fly?

“I’m surprised they’re still out there at these temperatures,” I remarked.

“It was a pretty big nest. And there are kinds of hornets that can make it through the winter,” Mutsu-san explained.

Wow, I had no idea.

The other nest they’d found had turned out to be empty, and their search for a potential new queen hornet nearby had been unsuccessful.

“Maybe we should spray some insecticide tomorrow to be safe. You got anything for hornets?”

“I do, yeah,” I replied with a nod.

“We’ll do it tomorrow, then. Have it ready if you can.”

“All right, thank you.”

That was a prudent suggestion, given that hornets had a tendency to build their nests in the same spots, even if you got rid of them over and over. Basically, they try to secure spots that offer favorable conditions for them. I really wish my charcoal hut wasn’t so favorable, though... I understand hornets have their role in an ecosystem—like eating caterpillars, for example—but I don’t want them anywhere near me.

“You mind if I take this big nest with me?” Mutsu-san asked.

“Hmm? Oh, sure, no problem.” I wonder what he plans to do with it. Put it up as a decoration? Come to think of it, I think I’ve heard that hornet nests are considered an auspicious item—that there are people who display them at the entrances to their homes. Certainly not me, though...

That was about it for today. They informed me that their plans for tomorrow would be spraying insecticide and hunting boars.

After everyone had left, I turned to Pochi and Tama. “So, you guys ate some hornets?”

“Ate!”

“Ate!”

They both responded enthusiastically.

“Cool. Sounds like you had a good time.”

That earned me a couple of pecks from Yuma. You wanted to eat some too, huh?

“Looks like tomorrow they’re going for boars, not hornets,” I told her, and this seemed to shock her. What’s with the reaction? Does she prefer hornets? I’ll have to ask them to take Yuma along next time they find a hornet nest. Feels weird treating them like my chickens’ babysitters or something.

Later that night, although I was a little hesitant, I gave Aikawa-san a call.

“Hey, Sano-san. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to ask if my chickens are a burden on you.”

“Huh? Not at all—they’re actually a big help to us. I can’t let other people hunt on my mountains, because that’s Rin’s and Ten’s territory, so without your chickens, we wouldn’t have anyone to show us around. Why would you think they were a burden...?”

Although I felt a bit guilty about the question due to the audible concern in his voice, I was relieved to hear that. Still, that wasn’t quite enough to fully dispel my worries.

“You’re...not just saying that to be polite, right?”

“Come on now, what reason would I have to do that?”

“Sorry.” Ugh, I’m being too insistent, aren’t I? I don’t want to become a nuisance either. “Um, so...if you end up finding more hornet nests...can I ask you to take Yuma with you to see them?”

“Oh, I see. Yuma-san wants to eat hornets too, right?”

“It seems so... Sorry for—”

“No need to apologize—I understand how important your chickens are to you. I’m the same with Rin and Ten, so I can totally relate.”

This guy must be a saint or something... “Thanks...”

“I’ll have to talk to the others about it, but I can’t imagine they’ll refuse, given how much the chickens have been helping us out.”

Chickens helping people—sounds a little strange when you put it that way. But then, I could say the same, especially recently. Gah, I’m so unreliable... Why am I like this?

“Sorry, and thanks again. See you tomorrow,” I said before hanging up.

Tomorrow, I planned to go out and shop while the hunters were doing their thing. Wait a minute. Tomorrow...? I suddenly felt like I was forgetting something and checked my phone to find the following message: “I’ll be living with my sister in N-Town for a while starting tomorrow. Please come and say hi when you’re in town.”

Ah, right. Tomorrow’s the day the Katsuragi sisters are moving. “Let me know if you need any help,” I replied.

Compared to the mountains, the city had its own set of dangers lurking around the corner. For one, it’s still clear in my mind how scared Aikawa-san was to go to town by himself. And there were those guys hitting on Rie-san too. I think having people nearby actually makes me feel uneasy rather than safe. Not like I’m running away from someone or anything like that, but I’d still feel uncomfortable bumping into people I used to know.

“No worries! We’re fine. Thanks, though,” she replied.

“I sure hope so...” I muttered to myself. Here’s hoping her sister can get her license. And that nothing bad happens. I sent off a silent prayer to no one in particular.

***

The next day, I told the hunters about the Katsuragi sisters’ temporary relocation to N-Town. They asked me why I hadn’t mentioned anything earlier.

“What’re you doing here instead of seeing them off?!” Mutsu-san exclaimed.

“What? But they said they didn’t need any help...” I don’t understand why I should get scolded for this.

“Isn’t she your girlfriend?”

“Of course not!” And I especially don’t understand why they’re so quick to jump to that conclusion just because she’s a girl!

“Huh, she’s not? Did you hear what part of town they’re staying in?”

“Yeah, got the address just in case. I do plan to visit them soon just to check and see how things are going...”

“You sure she’s not your girlfriend?”

“I already told you that she’s not!”

While Mutsu-san and I were having this pointless quarrel, Aikawa-san just watched and laughed awkwardly. “Sano-san’s just very considerate, you see.”

“I’m...not busy anyway. Just gonna go check on them while I’m in N-Town shopping. That’s all.”

“Pretty unusual for someone your age,” Mutsu-san said.

Is it really? I just don’t want to regret my negligence if something happens.

They headed out to begin their hunt not long after. Unlike yesterday, they were carrying a lot of gear today—and this was before you even included their weapons. Aikawa-san’s bag looked particularly packed. Looks like they’re pretty serious about it, huh?

Pochi and Tama were joining the party, as they had yesterday. Pochi wore a determined expression—his tail looked stiffer than usual too. Tama, on the other hand, always looked like that, so I couldn’t tell if she was any different from usual.

Yuma seemed to have little interest in hunting wild boars. She would go in Pochi’s or Tama’s stead when needed, but that was about the extent of it.

“You’re not really into hunting, are you, Yuma?”

She pecked me lightly—much lighter than Tama did. That was probably her way of saying no. Why doesn’t she want to go, then?

“I’m heading to the village store. What about you?”

“Going!”

Sure feels nice having someone keep me company when I go out. Speaking of which, I think Rin-san stays on Aikawa-san’s mountain all the time now. Does she ever feel lonesome, I wonder? Then again, not everyone gets lonely as easily as I do...

There were no customers, probably due to it still being before noon. I bought some items I was running low on, like seasonings. I only notice I need to buy this stuff when I run out of it, sadly. Except for sugar, which I don’t use that much of. Soy sauce and cooking sake are the worst offenders. I also started using more mirin because of the recipes my mom sends me, though I still have no idea what it’s for, honestly. I guess it makes the dish taste more savory and full-bodied? This cooking stuff is hard.

But the only thing I’m actually making for lunch is miso soup. I’ll serve some pickled vegetables too, since I think every meal needs them. And then I guess I can add some onigiri, and that’ll be enough.

After finishing my shopping, I went home, checked on my crops, pulled out some withered weeds, and mused about what to do with the area where the abandoned buildings used to be. Before I knew it, noon had come and gone—the hunters still weren’t back.

“They’re pretty late...”

I didn’t want Yuma to get too hungry, so I fed her some Chinese cabbage as a snack.

“You can have more when they come back. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Good chicken.

I checked my phone to find a message from Aikawa-san: “Could you spread out a plastic sheet on the ground?”

“Hmm?” Are they planning to butcher something?

As instructed, I spread it out on a spot a short distance away from the house. I placed stones at the corners to secure it on the ground and keep the wind from lifting it. If they’re butchering a boar, they’ll probably need some water too. I checked my phone again—no further messages.

“Are you going to butcher something?” I texted him, but even after I waited a while, he didn’t read my message. Well, either he’s busy or he’s not getting any signal. I didn’t know what was going on, but I figured it was probably a good idea to boil some water for when they came back. I heard hot water makes it easier to scrape the hair off a boar. And hey, even if that’s not the case, I was planning on brewing some tea for them anyway. I also filled a large washbasin with water.

Soon enough, I spotted the hunters walking over.

“Welcome back!” Wait... Huh? Where’s the boar?

“Heeey, Sano-kun!” Mutsu-san called out to me in high spirits. “We caught one!”

So where is it? Wait... That plastic bag Aikawa-san is holding—don’t tell me...? “Is that...?”

“We brought just the innards. They’re clean—no sign of any diseases!”

So does that mean...? “You already butchered it?”

“Yeah. Well, we just gutted it, then soaked the rest in the river.”

He’s awfully nonchalant... “I...didn’t know you could butcher them too...” I blurted out. Only afterward did I realize how stupid I sounded.

Everyone looked at me surprised.

“Ah, right, because we always leave it to Akimoto-chan,” Mutsu-san said.

“It’s easier that way—he’s a pro, unlike us. We asked him this time too.”

“But since the carcass is in the river, there’s no need for him to hurry,” Aikawa-san added. “Anyway, it’s a bit late now, but shall we go for lunch?”

“Yeah. Sorry...” I was terribly embarrassed about my ignorance. Duh, of course. It’s totally normal that a hunter would know how to butcher animals...

“I didn’t do much this time, ha ha,” Toyama-san said, scratching his head.

Everyone washed their hands, and then they promptly cooked the boar kidneys. (As for the rest of the innards, I cooked those too—that was the chickens’ lunch. They were pretty happy about it, but I didn’t watch them eat it, for reasons you already know. Yeah...)

I felt really dumb, and I did my best not to let it show, but Aikawa-san could still see through me. He tapped me lightly on the shoulder, as if to say that it was no big deal, which made me feel a bit apologetic.

It turned out that the plastic sheet he’d asked me to spread out was so the chickens would have a space where they could eat the innards. I served them grilled organ meats and vegetables. The awful mess they made corroborated Aikawa-san’s judgment.

While I was washing the blood and guts off the chickens—all three were still giddy from the feast—the hunters were kind enough to help out by putting away the plastic sheet.

Wild boar kidneys were an ingredient that grew gamier with time, so Aikawa-san was quick to prepare and slice them, then grill them with salt and pepper. Hmm... I’m okay with it, but this flavor is definitely not for everyone.

“Now this is something you only get to eat when you have a freshly caught boar,” Mutsu-san remarked.

Toyama-san nodded. “Yep.”

They both ate heartily, which I was glad to see.

“By the way, where exactly did you soak the carcass?” I asked, since I was curious about it. They said it was submerged in a deeper section of the river running between my mountain and Aikawa-san’s—not in the area near my house—and that the water there should be deep enough to keep the rapid flow from washing the carcass away.

“It is on your mountain, but, like...just barely,” Aikawa-san said. I wasn’t too fussy about the exact property delineation. Guess I’ll go check it out sometime.

According to them, they had only taken the guts out of the boar before soaking it in the river—they hadn’t even drained the blood yet. “Doesn’t it start to smell if you don’t remove the blood?” I asked.

“If you’re quick to cool it down, the bacteria that cause the smell won’t grow very much,” Aikawa-san clarified. “If it ends up smelling too bad, we won’t be able to make blood sausage.”

“True...” Man, I really don’t know anything. Anyway, blood sausage... That’s a...German recipe, I think?

“There’s no shame in not knowing something, Sano-san. If you ask me, refusing to learn and sticking to your beliefs obstinately is what’s actually shameful. You shouldn’t mind it so much—just understand that we all make assumptions, and the important thing is to learn from them when they turn out to be wrong.”

“Okay...” I didn’t know Aikawa-san was a schoolteacher. I always learn so much from him.

After lunch, we took some time to relax and reward ourselves for a successful job. Well, I didn’t do anything this time.

Pochi and Tama looked invigorated from eating the innards. So they’re okay with having them cooked too.

“What are the plans for after this? More patrolling?” I asked.

“Nah, we’re calling it a day,” Mutsu-san answered.

I nodded. “So Pochi and Tama are free to do as they like, right?”

“Yup.”

Mutsu-san lifted himself up from his seat and stepped outside with me. The chickens were near the fields, pecking at bugs or something.

“Pochi, Tama-chan, thanks so much for today. We’ll be counting on you again, this time on the other mountain, starting tomorrow.”

They clucked at him in response. I know I’m repeating myself, but when you think about it, man, it’s pretty crazy that they can understand human language this well...

“Pochi, Tama, you can go out and play.”

Tama let out another short cluck, and the two ran off.

“Pretty lively, aren’t they?” Mutsu-san said.

“That’s how chickens are.” At least my chickens. No idea about other ones.

Yuma came up to me, her body swaying, and started pecking at grass. I appreciated how she kept me company.

“Say, Sano-kun.”

“Yes?”

“About the meat—are you okay with one fourth, as we agreed?”

“Huh? Can I really have that much?” The offer caught me off guard, as I really hadn’t done anything this time.

Mutsu-san chuckled. “You really are a bit too generous, huh?”

“Hmm? I don’t think so.” I’m actually happy about it, since it means more food for the chickens.

“All right then... You make sure to let us know if you feel we’re not giving you enough, okay?”

“Sure thing. Thank you.”

On the contrary, I would feel awkward asking for too much—their hunting on my mountains had nothing but benefits for me. That said, I did like getting boar meat, especially now that I knew how to make good use of it. Pochi and Tama also seemed to appreciate the chance to hunt alongside them. And since it’s on my property, they can go play in the mountains right away after they’re done.

About an hour later, Akimoto-san the butcher and his assistant, Yuki-san, arrived on my mountain. Aikawa-san explained the situation to them, and they all headed to the river to collect the carcass.

When I saw the thing, I couldn’t help but let out an “Ooh...” The boar was bigger than I’d expected.

“No party this time?” Akimoto-san asked.

“Nah. We took out the organs but haven’t drawn the blood. Can I ask you to cut it up into four equal parts?” Mutsu-san replied.

Akimoto-san seemed slightly disappointed. “Gotcha. Where should I deliver it to?”

“Just bring it back here. If you could get it done by tomorrow evening, that’d be great.”

“All right.” Akimoto-san said with a nod. He and Yuki-san started hauling the boar back down to his truck.

Suddenly, I realized something. “Ah, the butchering costs...”

“Don’t worry—we’ll cover it.”

“But I can’t just...”

I kinda feel like they spoil me too much. I’d like to at least contribute with money, but they won’t even let me do that. You know what? I’ll just talk to Aikawa-san eventually and pay him.

And thus, today’s wild boar hunt on my mountain came to an end. Starting tomorrow, they’d begin exploring my other mountain next to this one—I’d never even been there myself. Maybe I could tag along, even if just once or twice. Maybe wait for another day? Feels like a real adventure—I’m already getting excited.

2. Looking Forward to Exploring My Other Mountain

Thanks to the recent wild boar rush (weird way of putting it), the chickens had been able to eat boar meat to their hearts’ content. When I bathed with Yuma, I noticed that she’d grown bulkier—not taller, but rather, bigger in general. Perhaps more muscular. I hope it’s just my imagination.

“Yuma, will you let me check on something right quick?”

I gave her a hug in the bathtub. Yeah...definitely bulkier. I petted her feathers, and when I let go, her eyes were narrowed in bliss, which made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Ahh, Yuma’s so cute! I kinda get the feeling I’m forgetting something, but whatever.

“Ah...”

After getting out of the bath and drying her off, I finally remembered—I hadn’t told Old Man Yumoto about how the hunt had gone today—and hadn’t filled him in on the hornet stuff either. They’re going to my other mountain... Should I let him know? I mean, I dunno. I’m not going myself...

I was giving it some thought when I received a timely call from none other than Yumoto-san himself. “You there, Shohei?”

“Yumoto-san? What’s up?”

“Hey, I’m heading over to your place tomorrow. Got a call from Mutsu-san. They’re going to your other mountain, right?”

“Yup, that’s what I heard. Will you be joining them?”

“Yeah. Are the chickens helping out?”

“I think so, yes.” Considering how excited Pochi and Tama were. And I’m sure the hunters could use someone to show them around. If anything, I should go too. Gonna have to ask Mutsu-san first, though.

“All right, then. Just wanted to let you know. Also, no need to make any food for us.”

“Okay, got it. Thanks—I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After hanging up, I checked the calendar. Oh yeah, tomorrow’s a Sunday, so Kawanaka-san and Hatano-san are coming too, aren’t they? I’m sorta losing track of the days of the week... Guess every day feels like a Sunday when you don’t have a job. Not like I get to laze around that much, but I’m living here of my own accord, so it’s not too far off.

Now then... I don’t want to ask to join them all of a sudden tomorrow and catch them off guard. That said, it doesn’t have to be for the whole day, but I would at least like to get a look at my other mountain.

Welp, might as well text Aikawa-san. “Hey, do you think maybe I could join you guys tomorrow?”

“Hmm? You are coming, right? We’ve all been assuming so,” he replied.

“I am!” Yay, we’re going exploring!

I threw my arms up in joy and celebrated...until I noticed the chickens staring at me with weird looks. I grew embarrassed and lowered my arms. Tama gave me a frigid glare.

Please, Tama, that’s enough “tsun” for today. Can’t you be a little kinder? I’m your owner, you know. “Tsundere”? More like “tundra,” am I right? Brrr.

I went to bed, still a little bummed.

***

I’d told the chickens that we’d all be going to the other mountain today. I did say that, but... “Hey, Tama, Yuma, you’re pretty heavy, y’know. Mind getting off me?”

“Get up!”

“Wake up!”

“I can’t with you two on top of me! Come on, move it!”

What’s the big idea? Tama’s on my chest, and Yuma’s on my legs—I thought it was sleep paralysis!

And Pochi was in the hallway right outside, seemingly pondering whether he should also join in. Seriously, there are much better ways to wake someone up. What’re you gonna do if you leave me with a couple of broken bones? Well, maybe I should be grateful that they don’t take it to an extreme, like, say, jumping off the dresser onto my body or something like that. Could they even climb up there at their size? Who knows.

For breakfast, I served them some of the chicken feed from the farm, plus some komatsuna. I also collected Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs from the earthen floor, then turned to gently pet their feathers.

“Thanks as always for the eggs.”

As usual, Tama gave me the cold shoulder. Oh, come on, please be a little nicer...

Meanwhile, Yuma cocked her head and said, “Thanks!”

Looks like she doesn’t really understand what that means yet, but whatever—it’s cute.

I made miso soup with cabbage and fried tofu in a big pot, then prepared pickled Chinese cabbage and fried some boar meat, which I’d left marinating in soy sauce. Then I fried Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs, and that was my breakfast. I had some other pickled things ready to eat too, like radishes, plums, salmon flakes, and seaweed—there was no lack of options for things to go with rice. As for snacks, I had some rice crackers, but I thought maybe I should get something sweet too. I’ll buy that next time I go out.

Suddenly, I recalled the boar the hunters had gotten yesterday. They’d soaked it in a river, but I can’t remember exactly where that river is. If I’m not mistaken, I think a road runs next to it, but that road isn’t paved, so getting there won’t be easy. They said the river was near the boundary of my property, right? I gotta remember to ask Aikawa-san when he arrives.

It didn’t take long for their vehicles to come rolling in, one after another. Kawanaka-san was riding in Hatano-san’s truck. Those two are pretty good friends, even though sometimes it doesn’t look like it.

Kawanaka-san greeted me cheerfully, while Hatano-san was more taciturn.

“Hey there! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Hey.”

I greeted them back. “Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.”

Besides the two of them, Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Aikawa-san were also present, each in their own vehicles—there were enough of them that they almost completely filled the flat area I used as a parking spot. It’s always a sight to behold when there are this many people gathered.

The chickens stood next to me, clearly raring to go. Yeah, I can tell you guys have been pretty excited about this. I laughed to myself.

“Today, we’re going over to that other mountain—the one behind Brook Mountain,” Mutsu-san declared, addressing everyone. “As with last time, the chickens’ll be joining us and showing the way, so I don’t think there’ll be much danger, but don’t let your guard down!”

“All right!” we all replied.

I’d probably better warn Pochi and Tama too. “Hey, listen, you two. This is everyone’s first time on the other mountain. Try to avoid routes that might be difficult for us to get through. Okay?”

They let out loud clucks in response. Okay, guess that should do it. Yuma would be sticking next to me, so this didn’t concern her.

“Also,” I said, still to the chickens, “keep in mind that we’ll be coming back to the house for lunch, okay?”

I mean, it’s not like we’ll be leaving all the navigation to the chickens...but there’s no harm in giving them a heads-up that they need to keep pace with us humans. Who knows? If I didn’t, they might go too far too fast and leave us behind... Especially Pochi—it wouldn’t be his first time doing that.

Although the hunters had all brought their weapons with them, they weren’t planning to do any actual hunting today. Our group was large, so if we ran into something like a deer, it’d flee from us. And if it ended up being a boar, we would have to run away. “And if it’s a bear?” I asked. According to them, a bear would most likely also run away. Well, I hope that’s the case.

Starting from my house, we moved north and began descending the mountain. For a while, we made our way along a rather walkable path, but as soon as we began to climb up again, we were in unfamiliar territory.

“Hmm? Are we already on the other mountain?” I asked.

“I don’t think so. We probably still need to climb a little higher, then there should be another descent, and we’ll cross over to the other mountain after that,” Aikawa-san explained.

Within mountain ranges, it was often the case that there were small foothills between the mountains. It seemed we were in one such area. The first thing that stood out to me was the density of the dry vegetation. Had there not been other people immediately in front of me leading the way, I would’ve probably gotten lost in a heartbeat.

After a quick break to recover from the fatigue of traversing the untrodden wilderness, we were finally on the other mountain and ready to begin our climb. It had been about an hour since we’d set off from my house. It’s not as far as I thought, but all the obstacles like bushes and other untouched vegetation make it hard to walk.

“So this is what happens when you stop tending to your mountain...” I murmured.

“This isn’t even as bad as it gets, since it’s winter now. It turns into an honest-to-god jungle between spring and autumn,” Aikawa-san remarked.

“Is it the same on your mountain?”

“Yeah. It’s pretty tough keeping up with it,” he said with a rueful smile.

Yeah, I can definitely imagine. Must be even more difficult if we’re talking about this mountain in particular, since Yamakura-san was saying that it had been left all but untouched for years—maybe even decades. Not surprising if it turns into a jungle, then. I mean, even the area around my house gets pretty unruly if I slack off too much.

After climbing some more, we reached an area where some water had pooled. Oh? Maybe this is where Pochi and Tama come when they get home all covered in mud. I could also tell that there was a river running nearby.

“Say, Pochi, Tama-chan... Is this maybe a boar wallow?” Mutsu-san asked them with a stern expression.

Tama, seemingly reacting to the word “boar,” clucked at him in response.

A what, now? “Aikawa-san, what’s a wallow?”

“You can think of it as a spot where animals like wild boars or deer come to bathe...sort of. They roll around in the wallow to get rid of bugs and things stuck to their bodies.”

“Oh, I see...” Meaning that if this is indeed a wallow, it’s pretty much guaranteed that there are boars or deer not too far from here, huh? If so, then Pochi and Tama must have known about it for a while. Imagine that—two chickens stalking prey here. Pretty terrifying stuff...

We climbed a little farther before heading back home for lunch. My feet were hurting pretty badly, probably due to having hiked in an unfamiliar area. I should’ve paid more attention to the way I walked.

“I made miso soup,” I told everyone. “Help yourselves.”

“Thanks, Sano-kun!” Mutsu-san exclaimed.

I brought out the low table, leaving the kotatsu to the elders. “Oh, and I made these too, though they’re only lightly pickled...” I served the Chinese cabbage I’d pickled earlier in the morning. Better than nothing, right?

“You’d make for a great wife!” Mutsu-san guffawed.

“Wh-Whaat?!” Please, at least say husband!

“Pretty impressive stuff, Shohei.” Old Man Yumoto laughed heartily.

“Not as impressive as you and your homemade soba noodles,” I retorted.

“Nah, that’s just an occasional hobby for me, not an everyday thing.”

“You know who’s a great cook, though? Aikawa-san. Now he’s impressive.”

“Am I? I also think of it as just a hobby, if I’m being honest.”

I stopped and pondered for a moment. Me? I don’t view it as a hobby at all. If I had someone to cook for me, I’d never do it myself. I only cook because no one else is gonna do it. I think Aikawa-san’s cooking skills are pretty impressive, definitely. He never spares any effort. But if he wants to downplay it, then I’ll just drop the topic.

“Really, I’m a total amateur...” I said, and that was the end of the conversation.

Although I had plenty of tableware at home, I didn’t have that many bowls to drink soup from. I served the miso soup in the cups that they’d brought with them. Maybe I should keep some of those disposable paper cups at home.

“I might have to start leaving one of my bowls here so I can use it when I visit...” Aikawa-san suggested.

“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Yumoto-san all agreed.

Hey, Yumoto-san, you weren’t even supposed to be here originally.

“So what are your plans for the afternoon?” Mutsu-san asked me.

“Well, I’d...like to join in, at least for today. If that’s okay, of course.”

“Sure. Let’s go.”

We all—including the chickens—took a short postmeal break before setting off for the other mountain one more time. My feet were already nearing their limits, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t have the motivation to join them on another day, so I decided to push myself as far as I could go. Man, I’m still so weak and feeble... Ugh.

“Sometimes the folks living in the mountains have less stamina than us who live down there, weirdly enough,” Old Man Yumoto observed.

See? Even he agrees.

“It’s because, compared to the rest of the mountain, the area near my house is pretty well-kept, thanks to Yamakura-san...” I explained.

“Well, don’t beat yourself up about it too much!” he said, slapping me on the back.

I think comparing me to yourself is also a problem—you’re in a different class entirely. Seriously, how am I supposed to compete with someone who’s completely unfazed by murder hornet stings? (Note: Some people are just like that, though they’re a tiny minority.)

Mutsu-san stood up for me. “Thing is, even if you live in the mountains, you might not get that much exercise depending on your routine. I mean, you’d get more of it than people with a similar routine living in a plains area, but still.”

Thanks... Sorry for being so weak...

“I feel like I definitely have more stamina nowadays compared to before moving here. Then again, I used to be a sedentary office worker, so...”

Even after the whole ruined engagement thing, I’d still kept working my old job right up until moving here—I’d thought any amount of extra savings would be welcome, since even in the mountains you could incur all sorts of expenses.

I remember at first it was so cold here I thought I’d freeze to death. Then, by sheer chance, I went to the village’s spring festival and adopted Pochi, Tama, and Yuma, who were still dyed baby chicks...

Yeah, that’s right—they were just tiny baby chicks, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand! How the heck did they turn into these giant chickens...?

“Shohei?” I was spacing out, but Yumoto-san’s voice snapped me out of it.

“Hmm? Oh, uh...sorry. I was just wondering why my chickens grew so big...”

“Well, yeah... I don’t think anyone knows for sure.” He turned to Yuma. “Just a hunch, but maybe you grew big because you’re full of affection for Shohei?”

Yuma looked at him with a puzzled expression and tilted her head. Aah, she’s always so cute when she does that.

“You love him, don’t you, Yuma?” he asked.

She opened her beak for a moment, then closed it again before letting out a cluck and flapping her wings energetically. I could tell she had almost slipped up and talked. Such clever chickens!

“See? She says she does.”

“Thanks, Yuma.” I love you guys too.

We retraced our steps and made our way back to the other mountain. We didn’t take the path we’d hiked down that morning but instead went in the opposite direction. The trees and plants were growing so densely that barely any sunlight was able to peek through. So this is what a mountain is like when you don’t tend to it—a completely different beast. Exploring the mountain required a lot of caution and vigilance due to the fallen trees scattered here and there. It’d be a lot different if I took proper care of it like I’m supposed to... I gotta start doing that next year, even if little by little.

We explored for a while, then packed up and headed back before the sun set. The relief in the air was palpable the moment we got off the mountain and reached familiar territory. Exploring untrodden areas is kinda nerve-racking. While we’d been in the wilderness, Yuma had stuck close to me the entire time. Maybe she could sense my agitation? Kinda feels embarrassing, but I did get that impression, especially when we returned after lunch.

“Good work out there today, everyone!”

I stood in the kitchen, exhausted, legs trembling, and boiled some water.

Mutsu-san laughed out loud. “You’re definitely in for some soreness tomorrow.”

Yeah, definitely. Today I learned how incredibly difficult and demanding it is to make my way through uncharted wilderness.

“Ah, my feet hurt,” Kawanaka-san groaned. “Unfamiliar mountains really are huge challenges, huh?” I imagined it had been particularly taxing on him, an office worker by day. Or maybe he’s just saying that so I don’t feel too bad about myself.

“You could use some more exercise, you know?” Hatano-san told him.

I felt like that comment could also be directed at me. It seems the colder weather has made me less active than before. I haven’t been over to the river recently either, come to think of it.

“Oh yeah? And what about you?” Kawanaka-san retorted.

“Well, I work on my crops before going to work, for one.”

Hatano-san ran a farm as a side business. Doing that early in the morning must take some serious motivation.

“How big are your fields?” I asked.

“Not that big—about the same as Yumoto-san’s.”

That’s...pretty big. Maybe not if your point of reference is Mutsu-san’s farmland, but still plenty big if you ask me. “And you work on them every day?”

“Lately, no, not really. I don’t really bother getting rid of the snow, and besides, since we don’t have a greenhouse, they’re left fallow during the winter.”

Still, checking on them every morning already takes effort, and he probably gets busy with other stuff too. I mean, he’s a hunter, so there’s that. Must be pretty demanding to keep up the farmwork, even if it’s just a side business.

I turned to Kawanaka-san. “You live by yourself, right? Do you grow anything at home?”

“Me? Oh, I just have a small home garden. Certainly a lot smaller than your fields, and I don’t grow anything this time of year. Can’t be bothered dealing with moles. Plus, I’d rather not get up too early when it’s this chilly.” He laughed.

Yeah, I can relate. Moles, huh? I don’t think we’ve gotten any here so far. Is it because we’re up in the mountains?

As for me, I was still growing leafy vegetables, for two reasons: First, they were a source of food for the chickens, and second, since I mostly spent all day on my mountain, it was easy for me to tend to them. The chickens also helped out by eating bugs on the crops.

The water had finally boiled. I brewed tea and served it to everyone. As was typical of houses in the countryside, I had teacups to spare.

“Really hits the spot...” Toyama-san muttered. Yup, especially when it’s cold. “So are you coming with us again tomorrow?” he asked me.

“I...think I’ll pass.” I know I’ll end up being a burden. I’ll just wait until spring to explore it at a more leisurely pace with the chickens.

“Okay, got it.”

Embarrassing as it may be, if there’s one thing I learned today, it’s that mountains that haven’t been tended to are completely different from what I’m used to. No point in overexerting myself. I’m gonna be living here for a long time, so I can afford to take it easy.

After seeing them off, I made dinner. And as I finished up, my legs were suddenly assaulted by a sharp, shooting pain. I was caught off guard and froze in my tracks, yet the pain wouldn’t subside. It wasn’t bad enough that I couldn’t walk, but it hurt like hell. The silver lining was that it didn’t show any signs of worsening.

“Ouch, ouch...”

The sensation seemed vaguely familiar—I could feel my body telling me it wasn’t anything too dangerous.

Which means... “Is this...muscle soreness?” Seriously? On the same day as the exercise?! Is it supposed to happen so fast? Wait... But I do remember when we went on a school trip in junior high—which turned out to be a mountain climbing trip—my legs started hurting pretty bad on the way back. So I guess this is probably the same kind of soreness I got back then. On the bright side, getting sore on the same day shows that I’m still pretty young, right? I mean...I already knew that, obviously.

Getting in the bath with Yuma later proved to be an ordeal. But with her cuteness as my motivation, I managed to do it.

“Ouch...”

My body felt stiff—I ached all over. Do chickens ever feel like this too? I honestly have no idea. Well, when they spend all day running up and down the mountain, probably not. But what about Yuma? She spends a lot of time with me. Maybe she doesn’t exercise enough.

“You ever get body aches, Yuma?”

Instead of replying, she just cocked her head. It seemed she didn’t understand what it meant to ache. Good, so that’s probably a no. I guess she’s managing to get enough exercise after all.

After getting out of the bath, I made sure to go over tomorrow’s plans with Pochi and Tama. “You’re going again tomorrow, right? I’ll be staying home, so make sure you take good care of everyone, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

They both replied promptly. I bet we would’ve been able to move faster today if I’d stayed at home. Sorry, but I just really wanted to go. Learned my lesson, though—it was much tougher than I expected. Gosh, I’m so weak...

I was still sore all over the next morning. How are you supposed to deal with muscle soreness again? Exercise? Rest? I forgot. Not like I can afford to stay home resting, though.

Yumoto-san wouldn’t be coming today, although he’d said he would like to join the team every now and then. What for? He’s not a hunter. Well, not really my business. We were back to the usual crew consisting of Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Aikawa-san, plus Pochi and Tama, who were both really pumped up—so much so that I knew we’d be in for a pecking if we were to suggest that they didn’t need to go. I say “we,” but I know I’d take the brunt of it. Obviously.

It was a Monday, and we were already halfway through December. Man, that snuck up on me. About time for year-end cleaning, come to think of it.

I turned to Mutsu-san. “When do you do your year-end cleaning?”

“Oh, I think ours was yesterday,” he replied as though it didn’t concern him. Does it not?

“You didn’t help out?”

“Eh, I’ll take care of my part this weekend.”

“I’ll probably do mine soon too...” Toyama-san said, scratching his head.

I glanced at Aikawa-san. “Personally, I don’t really do year-end cleaning—not like a big, general cleanup. But maybe I should. After all, the god of the mountain is watching,” he said nonchalantly.

Maybe I should too. At least replace the washi paper on the sliding shoji doors—that’s around half of the doors in my house. Seems like a hassle...

“I mean, if you live by yourself, there’s no point in treating it as a seasonal thing, is there?” Mutsu-san reasoned. “You could just wait until it gets warmer or whenever it’s convenient for you.”

Yeah, I guess so. No need to make a point of doing it during the cold season.

Ah, but I’ve also got a god watching over my mountain...

“Hmm...” Aikawa-san and I both pondered over it. I live by myself, so although I do get dust piling up in the house, it doesn’t get, like, super dirty. Of course, dust is a problem too, but...

I decided to take advantage of the fine weather we were having today to do some dusting around the house while the others were out hunting.

It’s...pretty hard doing this with sore legs.

My muscle aches probably wouldn’t be an impediment to replacing the paper on the sliding doors, but it’d be difficult to flip over the tatami mats to clean them in my current state. Anyway, I still have to buy the paper.

After the hunters came back that afternoon, Aikawa-san, perceptive as ever, remarked, “Oh... I see you cleaned the tatami mats. Jeez, now I need to do year-end cleaning too, don’t I?”

“Well, I don’t think you need to be too thorough. Just do what you can.” I’m even starting to think that today’s cleaning was enough for me. Almost wanna forget about the paper on the doors...

Honestly, I was proud of myself for having managed to do all that despite the soreness. But after everyone went home, my leg pain worsened. I might’ve pushed myself too hard acting like it was no big deal in front of them. Me and my stubbornness. Ah well.

After preparing the chickens’ dinner, I was splayed out on the floor of the living room. Tama passed by and pecked my leg that was sticking out into the hallway.

“Hnrgh?! Ooooooouch!”

“Quiet!”

“Quiiiet!”

“Quiet?”

“Taaamaaa...!” I’ve just about had it with you! But alas, my body aches too much to act on it. “Just you wait. You’ll pay for this when I’m feeling better...”

Sadly, my legs hurt so much that all I could muster in my current state was an empty threat. Crap... Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to come up with a good way to get back at you. Ouch, ouch.

After that, I bathed with Yuma (with some effort on my part), called Aikawa-san, and went to bed early.

3. I Want to Replace the Paper on the Shoji Doors

“Would you happen to know where I could buy washi paper for shoji doors?” I asked Aikawa-san. He told me the hardware store in N-Town stocked it and invited me to go there with him.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the hardware store. Up until now, I’d never considered where you might buy washi. As children, my siblings and I would happily poke holes in the old paper about to be replaced—just around this time of year, in fact—and try our best to keep ourselves from doing the same to the new paper. Then, not even three days later, someone’s finger would end up going through the washi, and we’d be scolded. Can you blame us, though? It’s paper! It’s only natural to want to tear it a little.

Anyway, we’d be going to the hardware store tomorrow to buy washi for the doors. Mutsu-san and Toyama-san would take the chickens with them to the other mountain, so that was one less thing to worry about. I was reluctant to take Yuma with me to the store, since Rin-san is staying on Aikawa-san’s mountain all winter and she won’t be there to keep Yuma company...

The next morning, I told Yuma the plan—she seemed terribly taken aback by it, almost in a cartoonish way.

“Going out!”

“Rin-san’s staying on her mountain. She’s not coming this time. So even if I took you with me, you’d have to wait in the truck by yourself. I’d get worried.”

“Worried?” She tilted her head.

“Yup. Because I love you.”

“Love!” She flapped her wings giddily. I see she’s as adorable as ever.

“I love you, so I want you to go with Mutsu-san and Toyama-san and do as they say while I’m not here, okay?”

“Okay...?” she replied, tilting her head to the other side. She seemed to find my logic odd.

Nope. Nothing odd about it. It’s perfectly sound! (Not even I believe that.)

When the hunters arrived, I asked them if I could leave Yuma in their care today.

“Oh, Yuma-chan’s coming with us? Sure,” Mutsu-san replied.

“You too, huh?” Toyama-san said, looking at her with a warm expression.

Yuma let out a short cluck.

“I’ll be back before noon,” I told them. “Please look after her until then.”

“Hey, don’t worry—take your time. We’ll just be doing our thing. If you can just have the chickens’ lunch ready before you go, then you don’t need to worry about anything else. You could even stay out until this evening.”

“Gotcha, thanks. Also, I made miso soup.”

“Ah, great.”

Naturally, I couldn’t ask them to take care of the chickens’ lunch too. That’d be a bit too much. I brought out the chicken feed from the shed, served it in bowls, sliced up some vegetables—Chinese cabbage and komatsuna—served those in separate bowls, and set it all aside in three portions. Good thing I bought all these bowls, huh?

I left the house unlocked, then set off for N-Town with Aikawa-san.

The hardware store was on the west side of town. Due to its gigantic parking lot and the number of restaurants attached to the shopping center, this place also served as a resting spot for long-haul truck drivers on their breaks. It’s basically like a rest area, though there’s also one of those nearby.

“The rest area’s not too far from here,” Aikawa-san noted. “Location-wise, it’s more convenient than this spot for people who are headed to other towns.” That rest area was on the southwestern outskirts of town, apparently.

“I see.”

Inside the store, I went to look for the washi paper I’d come here for. These days they also made plastic film you could use to cover shoji doors—that stuff didn’t tear as easily, unlike traditional paper washi. One poke of your finger is enough to ruin lots of hard work... I also saw different options for patterns and designs. More variety than I thought.

“So you’re not able to poke holes in the plastic kind...” I muttered.

Aikawa-san shrugged. “I guess the intent is to eliminate the need to replace them.”

“Sure, doing it every year is kind of a hassle...”

But honestly, I’m a big fan of that unique feeling you get when you poke a hole through with your finger. Gotta make sure not to do it with the sliding door in my room, though, or the room’ll get drafty and too cold to handle.

In the end, I opted for the plastic. Maybe I’m being a coward. Whatever. Mornings and evenings up in the mountains are no joke.

I also bought some other tools that might come in handy at home and chatted with Aikawa-san about what to do with the area on my mountain where the abandoned buildings used to be.

“Well, let’s see. I think it’d be useful to have some kind of building there. Maybe something roofed? You could use it for all sorts of manual work. A normal earthen floor is probably okay for something like that. I remember you were talking about setting up a tent...” Aikawa-san paused and pondered for a moment. “How about we also ask the others what they think?”

“Good idea.”

Should I go ahead and buy the materials for the floor while I’m at it? Hmm... Not sure. Argh, I should’ve also cut down some trees around where I want to build.

As we were about to leave the shopping center and make our way across town toward home, Katsuragi-san’s face flashed across my mind. That’s right... I still haven’t talked to her—not even once—since they moved here.

I decided to text her. “Doing okay?” I asked.

Apparently, she just so happened to be on her phone, because her reply arrived almost immediately. “I’m bored. Is it snowing up there?”

“Nope, no snow yet.”

“Aww.”

Didn’t you leave your mountain because of the snow? Or are you regretting that? Still, it’s definitely pretty dangerous to drive around in the mountains early in the morning, what with how slippery the roads get this time of year. I’m being careful not to go out too early myself.

I got another text from her immediately. “Hey, you should come visit us!”

“Yeah, when I have the time.” It wasn’t a good day—I had Aikawa-san here with me—but I did intend to pay them a visit in the near future.

But then...what am I going to do when I go see them? Isn’t their building women-only, anyway? Uh...

Ah, wait. It’s also worth checking out the neighborhood their building’s in—see if the area is safe and all that. N-Town is, well, a town, but it’s out in the boonies, so I’d like to think it’s relatively safe. Still, there was the whole thing with her sister’s stalker. Can’t be too careful. I’ll definitely have to keep that in mind.

Just browsing around the hardware store had been plenty enjoyable, and I’d been able to buy everything I wanted. After leaving the store, Aikawa-san and I drove to the usual parking lot where we would carry out our lunch ritual.

Aikawa-san and I looked at each other. “Wanna go grab something to eat?”

We found ourselves in the supermarket’s bento corner—it happened so naturally that it was almost like we’d teleported there, much to my surprise. I mean, it’s become a routine. We leave Yuma and Rin-san in our trucks waiting, we come here... I was just about to go look for some veggies to buy for Yuma.

“You know, now that I think about it, we could’ve had lunch there...” That ramen place across from the hardware store’s parking lot looked pretty good.

“Wanna go for some ramen, then?” he suggested.

“Have you been to any of the ramen places around here?”

“No... I usually come with Rin, so I don’t know any of the restaurants. Plus, you know, I was trying to avoid contact with other people, so...” He let out an awkward laugh.

Oops. Me and my big mouth.

Although there seemed to be nothing off about Aikawa-san’s demeanor on the surface, when we bumped into the Katsuragi sisters, for example, he’d always take a step or two back and keep his distance. There’s no way someone like that would sit down and eat in a restaurant.

“So you basically stopped eating out completely?” I asked.

“Pretty much. A few times a year, at most.” Those were basically when he met with the person who’d sold him his mountains—they’d go wherever that person took him, so he had no particular recollection of the actual restaurants either. “This conversation makes me realize how aimless and unaware of my surroundings I usually am. It really is such a waste...” he muttered in a self-deprecating tone.

“Well, I...hardly ever ate out back in my hometown either...” Yeah, that was a pretty terrible attempt at consolation...

We settled on a chain ramen place—neither of us had the gall to try a completely unfamiliar restaurant. Kinda sad when you put it this way, but since both of us almost never eat out, we don’t want to risk a bad experience. The ramen itself, my first bowl in quite a while, was passable. It certainly wasn’t a failure but not quite a success either.

We sat there in silence for a while until he blurted out, “Want some dumplings?”

“Oh. Yeah, thanks.”

We shared a plate of gyoza dumplings. These are just okay too.

“Ever tried making dumplings with boar meat?” I asked, breaking the silence again.

He shook his head. “Nope. Might be worth trying, though.”

“Would the recipe still work if I just roughly chopped the meat?”

“Might be better with a food processor if you’ve got one. Do you?”

“I don’t think I do. Did they have those at the hardware store?”

Given the topic of the conversation, it came as no surprise to me that I ended up buying dumpling wrappers at the supermarket later. I’ll just chop the meat with a knife. Aikawa-san also bought wrappers to make spring rolls. Huh, didn’t know they sold those.

“This is my first time trying my hand at spring rolls,” he admitted. “I’ll treat you to some if they turn out well.”

“Sweet, thanks!”

I headed back home in an enthusiastic mood. The hunters happened to be at my house enjoying a postlunch break when I arrived.

“Hi, I’m back.”

The chickens were over by the fields, pecking at something or other. They raised their heads to look when they heard me arriving, but Pochi and Tama soon lost interest and went back to minding their business. Don’t you think that’s a bit too curt? Yuma flapped her wings a little and came trotting in my direction. Oh, Yuma... You’re the only one I can count on to soothe my weary soul!

Or so I thought, but...

“Yuma!” I called out to her.

She stopped about a meter away from me, then suddenly turned the other direction and went back the way she’d come.

“Y-Yumaaaa!” I fell to my knees on the spot. What did I do to deserve this?

“Uh... Is Yuma-san a tsundere, by any chance?” Aikawa-san asked.

I’ve already got a tsundere at home, and one is more than enough! Plus, Tama has too much “tsun” and too little “dere.” Please don’t follow in her footsteps, Yuma.

“Yumaaa...”

“Come on, Sano-san, let’s go...”

Guh... I shook off the tears welling up in my eyes and carried my stuff inside. When I passed by the fields, Yuma came up to me again, pecked me lightly, then went back.

“Yuma’s...” So cute...! I couldn’t help but break into a smile.

“Wow, Yuma-san is quite...cunning, isn’t she?” Aikawa-san asked.

I glared at him. She is, but she’s cute, and that’s what matters!

He chuckled. “Sorry.”

“No, I... Sorry...” I’m starting to think I might have an unhealthy level of adoration for my chickens. I should probably try to police myself a bit.

I pulled myself together and slid the glass door open.

“Hello. We’re back.”

Mutsu-san and Toyama-san greeted us with smiles on their faces.

“Oh, welcome home. We’ll be setting off again in a bit.”

“Hi there, Sano-kun, Aikawa-kun.”

“Hold on, I still have some stuff outside,” I said.

“Sure, don’t mind us.”

I had to make a second trip to the truck to grab the roll of plastic “washi” I’d bought for the shoji doors—it was rolled up but too bulky to carry along with the other stuff. Aikawa-san had only bought refrigerated foodstuffs, and thanks to his trusty cooler, there was no need for him to hurry back home to put anything away.

After that, Aikawa-san quietly prepared his gear and joined the group on their expedition to the other mountain. He hadn’t brought his rifle today—it would’ve been a problem to leave it unattended at my house or in his truck. Firearms had to be handled with the utmost care and attention.

Yuma stayed with me, so I was in a fantastic mood. Not because it’s Yuma. I’m just happy to have company.

Okay... That was a lie, I admit it.

“Hey, Yuma, can I ask you to join me for a bit?”

“Okay.”

After seeing the hunters off, I walked over to the river with Yuma. I also took the opportunity to check and see if there was anything wrong with the water filter—misaligned pipes and such. I wonder if it might be time to replace the filter itself. Either way, I’ll have to hire someone to do it.

Oh yeah, we draw water from the river, but does the river ever freeze over? Or does that not happen as long as the water is flowing? And even if the river itself is not a problem, what if the insides of the pipes freeze? I really gotta ask Yamakura-san about all this.

As soon as I got back home, I decided to give him a call before I forgot about it. He happened to be home.

“Thanks again for helping me out the other day,” he said.

“No problem. I’m glad it was nothing serious.” Well, a strained back can be serious, but it wasn’t life-threatening.

After exchanging greetings, I asked him about the river, the water drawn from there, and the pipage. He told me that if I was worried about that, I could leave water dripping from the faucets overnight, and that’d prevent it from freezing. Okay, so you do need to take measures against it.

“I’ll stop by your place in the spring,” he told me. “See you then.”

“All right, I’ll be waiting.”

Yamakura-san would be coming over to pay his respects to the god of the mountain—and his son would be coming too and bringing the hokora with him.

And I still need to do something about the path up there... I definitely can’t reach the top on my own without the chickens guiding me. It also depends on how much snowfall we get this winter and, consequently, how long it stays muddy.

Either way, all that stuff’ll have to wait until spring. But it might be a good idea to cut down some trees now. If I prune the branches periodically, I could use them as firewood too. Thinning the trees, as they say.

I decided to postpone replacing the shoji screens until tomorrow. It’s just my bedroom and the other room in the back anyway. Ah, wait, but then I’ll also have to tidy up that room. What a pain...

The hunters came back before sunset. As with yesterday, they’d spent the day exploring the mountain.

“It’s much deeper and wider than we thought. We still have to do a more thorough survey of the wildlife there... Doubt we’ll be able to hunt anything before this weekend at the earliest.”

“Thanks for your efforts.” I served them warm tea and some sweets—yokan azuki bean jelly—as a token of my gratitude. For the chickens, I washed some leafy greens, which they munched down on with nice, satisfying crunches. Sometimes I forget how sharp their teeth are...

“I like that sound,” Toyama-san commented.

“Well, you see, they’ve got some pretty sharp teeth...” I explained.

“Huh? Chickens have teeth?” He wore a mystified expression, which was unusual for him.

There really is something off about my chickens, no matter how you look at them... Wait, no. I’m sure it’s just some kind of atavism. Yup, that’s it.

“Who knows, maybe some do,” Mutsu-san remarked casually.

Nice one!

“Having said that... Pochi, Tama-chan, Yuma-chan—I’d suggest you avoid opening your beaks when you’re around strangers. Some people will make a big fuss for no reason other than the fact you might be a little different from what they know.”

The chickens clucked.

“Okay, good. We’re all hoping you live long and healthy lives.” He let out a hearty laugh and reached for a piece of yokan. “Ooh, this is good stuff. I’ll have to buy some for myself...”

“I bought it from the general store in the village,” I said.

“I see. Glad to hear I don’t need to go far to get it.”

Sweets like this are fantastic for when you’re tired and beat. Rice crackers, on the other hand, are good for when you just need something to munch on. Seems like almost all the rice crackers you can buy here in the village are hard-baked. A good way to build strong, healthy teeth, I guess?

They went home before it got dark. Tomorrow, they’d resume their survey of the mountain. There were more mountains to the north of my second mountain—this village and the one next to it were near the outskirts of this prefecture.

“The area beyond your other mountain is probably forest land owned by the government. We’ll check on that tomorrow.”

I didn’t quite understand how things worked when it came to mountains that weren’t connected by roads. Sure, I suppose they either belong to the government or they’re privately owned, but how do you even access those mountains to the north of mine? By foot? Is that the only option? Seems like it’d be extremely exhausting to even get there.

“Have you heard anything about the area beyond your mountains?” I asked Aikawa-san.

“Government-owned, I believe. Seemed like a pretty huge area when I looked at it. I doubt it’s accessible by car, but there might be some other way to get there.”

“Maybe there’s a town somewhere beyond the mountains?”

“That’s a possibility.”

I imagine there’s very little interaction between communities separated by mountains. I mean, when you think about it, some villages exist as separate entities because people in the past didn’t see eye to eye on certain issues. The villages might’ve even been enemies at some point in history—having some distance between them might have been a necessity.

At night, even though I was aware it might be a bother for her, I beckoned Yuma over and spent some time petting her feathers. It helped me relax and calm down. They’re not actually that soft to the touch...but they belong to my precious chicken! What more could I ask for? Sadly, Yuma’s the only one who’ll let me do this.

“Let’s go out together sometime, okay?”

“Go out!”

She seemed very content as she flapped her wings slightly. We were only halfway through December, but I was already starting to pine for spring.

***

They had this thing called a “hunter map”—basically, a map of the region that compiled information that might be relevant to them, like the general locations of wildlife protection areas where hunting wasn’t allowed. My mountains, as well as Aikawa-san’s and Katsuragi-san’s, weren’t included, since they were private property. Whew, got worried for a minute there. They shouldn’t be able to arbitrarily designate private land as a wildlife protection area. I mean, they haven’t, but still.

It came in especially handy when hunting on publicly owned land, which often had enclaves designated as wildlife protection areas or special protection areas—a good map was a must when hunting there.

The next morning, the hunters were in my living room poring over their hunter map.

“Looks like we can hunt in the areas behind Sano-kun’s and Aikawa-kun’s mountains this year. To the east of Katsuragi-san’s mountain is a no-go, though.”

“Wait, to the east of her mountain? But people live there, right?”

“There must be someone around taking care of the place, but they might not live there. That land’s part of the neighboring village, and the area with three peaks to the southeast is a special protection area.”

That’s...around where Mutsu-san’s property and the chicken farm are, right? It seemed the area behind Matsuyama-san’s mountain, in addition to being public land, had also been designated as a protection area. And I’d heard there were people living there... Goes to show that you can’t believe every rumor you hear.

“Come to think of it... I’ve never seen any vehicles heading that way...” Not that that means all that much. It’s not like I spend a lot of time watching the roads.

There was a bridge across the river at the foot of Katsuragi-san’s mountain, which led to the village. The road beyond that continued farther to the east, into the mountains. I’ve never been that direction myself, but I do believe it’s supposed to be a dead end. Maybe I’ll check it out sometime. There are still a lot of local spots I’ve never been to, even after almost nine months of living here.

“Anyway, if it’s not a protection area, we don’t have anything to worry about,” Mutsu-san concluded.

“That’s great.”

Do they ever actually go that far, though? Hunting across several mountains... That’s pretty crazy.

“There are mountains of all different sizes, huh?” I remarked as I pored over the hunter map. Nowadays, this sort of information was readily available on the internet. I’ll have to look this stuff up sometime.

“Yeah. Lots of variety, both in height and scale.”

The protection area with the three peaks covered a huge amount of land. Might double as a boundary marker too, considering how the area encompasses the mountains between this village and the neighboring one.

“By the way, anything of note in this other village?” I asked.

“Well, it’s kind of a long way from here... Don’t think there’s much reason to go unless you’ve got relatives living there.” Mutsu-san turned to the others. “You know anything?”

“I’ve heard the spring water there is fantastic, but that’s about it.”

“Might be better to ask the police stationed on the outskirts.”

Oh yeah, the police stationed on the eastern edge of the village divide their time between the two villages, huh? Seems like hard work, considering how much distance they have to cover.

“I think there’s a small soba restaurant there,” Aikawa-san added. “And they also have a tofu shop on the outskirts, but, well...we already have that here.” Apparently, he’d been there before.

“A soba restaurant, huh? How was it?”

“It definitely proved that the village’s reputation for quality water is not for show. There was one thing about it that I found unusual—they had carp tempura on the menu...”

Everyone grimaced slightly. Carp was a fish commonly associated with a muddy, unpleasant smell.

“So...did you try it?”

“Yeah, I thought I might as well try it, since it’s not something you get the chance to eat too often. It was pretty good, actually. No strong smell.”

“Huh. Must be because of the water, I guess?” Still, I’m not sure I’d bother going to the next village over just to eat soba noodles and carp tempura. Even if I did, it won’t happen anytime soon—probably around next summer or so. And I don’t want to make plans I’m not going to act on. I’m pretty busy in the summer. Mostly because of all the weeds...

“All right, I think that’s enough chatting for now,” Mutsu-san declared. “We should get going.”

“Yeah, true.”

“Okay.”

They all stood up to leave just as the chickens were peering in with expectant looks on their faces.

“We’ll be back for lunch.”

“Got it. Please take care.” I saw them and the two chickens off, then turned to Yuma. “Y’know, you can go with them if you want.”

She turned away—apparently her way of saying she wanted to stay behind with me. I’m kinda worried that she’s not getting enough exercise, though... I can tell when we bathe together that she’s not getting flabby at all, but I haven’t compared her with the others. Pochi... He’s a rooster, so his physique is probably different. That leaves Tama... Would she let me touch her like that? I can already imagine how hard she’d peck me. I guess I’ll have to wait until spring and get Kimoto-san, the vet, to do a checkup. I certainly wouldn’t want Yuma to get fat... (Yeah, yeah, I know I should worry about getting enough exercise myself.)

“All right, let’s replace the paper on these doors.”

Around half of the shoji doors had glass panels. As for the other half, I removed them, then used a brush to wet all the wooden frames and let them sit like that for a little while. Once that had soaked in, I tore off the paper—Yuma helped with that by pecking. After removing all the old paper, including anything left on the wooden frames, I left them outside to dry in the sun for a bit. I remember hearing from my parents that you can’t leave them out in the sun for too long or the wood will warp... Is that really true? After they were all dry, I installed the new plastic screens I’d bought. Okay, now I don’t need to replace them next year. The whole process was more involved than I’d expected—for example, you had to pay attention to make sure you applied the glue evenly.

“Yuma, no more pecking these screens, okay? They’re all new now.”

“Okay...?”

She didn’t quite seem to understand, but I figured I had nothing to worry about—these were plastic screens, so they shouldn’t be able to poke holes in them. They shouldn’t...right? I grew slightly worried.

I got a call from Old Man Yumoto a little before noon, saying he’d be here tomorrow. Sure, he did say he’d be coming by often, but is Machiko-san really okay with that? I know it’s none of my business, but still...

The hunters returned briefly for lunch before setting off again. They were back a few hours later, before sunset. I’m impressed they keep at it every day.

“Welcome. How did it go?”

“We were reckless—went all the way to the other side of the mountain in a day.”

Wait, you did? Seriously? We were talking about a mountain path, completely unpaved and unmaintained. The short path connecting this mountain to my other one wasn’t too bad, but once you stepped foot on that side, it was the real deal. If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that you absolutely can’t take the mountains lightly.

I’d climbed mountains before—properly maintained ones, that is. I recalled my school trip. That was a mountain just like the ones here, but there was an actual path we could hike on. We didn’t have to brave our way through the wilderness or anything like that. I guess that’s a given, considering people go there on school trips.

But this place is a completely different story. Take my second mountain, for instance, or even the area near the summit of this one—places that have been left untouched for years and years. Maybe they did have hiking trails at one point, but they’re all gone now. And I think they’re likely to stay that way. I doubt there’ll be that many people venturing there, except for hunting expeditions like this one.

“Yumoto-san said he’s coming tomorrow,” I informed them.

“Oh, okay. I’ll talk to him,” Mutsu-san replied, clearly in a pleasant mood. “We found traces of a hornet nest—I bet he’ll be happy to hear it.”

Yeah, I bet so too. Looks like he’s built up a reputation as a hornet hunter, huh?

They said they also came across footprints suggesting the presence of large animals. “And considering there’s that wallow the chickens showed us, I’m sure there are bound to be boars or deer inhabiting the area,” Mutsu-san elaborated.

“How about bears?”

“I’d wager there are some on the other side of your second mountain. We still haven’t run into any, though... Probably hibernating, I reckon.”

I sighed in relief. Ah—wait. “The hunting season here lasts from November until mid-March, right? But what if nuisance bears wake up from hibernation outside of the hunting season when it’s illegal to kill them?”

“Well, actually, most of them do wake up later. The idea is to return them to the mountains whenever possible, but every now and then one might make its way down to a populated area. When that happens, it doesn’t leave us with much choice but to take it out.”

Fair enough. I imagine it can’t be easy capturing one. And besides, they pose a big threat to humans. It’s easy to talk about catching it and returning it to the mountains until you’ve actually got one in front of you.

“If we encounter one in the mountains and it runs away, we won’t give chase. Unless you want us to, I mean.”

“Well, uh... That really depends on where you encounter it. I might ask you to hunt it if you find it near this mountain,” I said.

“Right, I guess it’s a case-by-case thing.”

“Yup.” Unlike wild boars or deer, which were considered pests, bears weren’t harmful animals, per se. They could pose a threat, depending on the location. Having said that, an active effort to cull them could become necessary if their population grew too large. Though that’s not really my decision to make.

“Well then, I’ll see you again tomorrow!”

They left for home before the sun went down. Good job today, guys.

“There really is a lot to it, huh?” I muttered to myself. Makes sense—we’re dealing with living creatures, after all.

The chickens seemed content with the situation. As they should—I’m feeding them boar meat on a daily basis. It’s only a little every day, but it seems to do the trick. For dinner, I made myself an oyakodon with Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs. These are just the best! I love my chickens!

Lately, as soon as the sun set, the temperature dropped rapidly, and it turned pitch-black outside. I stepped out for a moment but soon came to regret it.

“Man, it’s pretty dark out here.” You can barely see a thing. So this is what literal darkness looks like. You couldn’t even walk a few steps without a powerful flashlight guiding you. Among the few things I could see was my breath turning white in the cold air.

It also got noticeably quiet around this time of year—you couldn’t hear any sounds that might indicate the presence of animals, only the rustling of leaves and plants when the wind blew.

“So this is where I’m gonna be spending the rest of my days...”

It hadn’t been a year yet, but I was starting to feel a little sorrowful, thanks in no small part to the cold chilling me to the bone. I wonder how Aikawa-san and Katsuragi-san deal with this loneliness.

Okay, that’s enough. Back inside. I turned toward the house and found the chickens staring at me curiously. Their eyes seemed to say, What the heck are you doing there? which made me feel a little embarrassed.

Oh god, good thing it’s just the chickens and there’s no one else watching. There isn’t, right? I looked around nervously. Whew. No, there isn’t.

“Sano!”

“Weird!”

“Weird?”

Hey, where did you learn to say that?! Urgh! Okay, I was being weird. Sorry.

Still feeling despondent, I got in the bath with Yuma and hugged her. She cocked her head in confusion but let me stay that way. She’s so sweet and adorable... Please never leave me. (I’m clingy as heck, I know.)

***

The next morning...I found out that it didn’t matter what they were made of.

Tama came to my room, and apparently, the pattern on the shoji door caught her eye. I heard a rapping sound, and then...

“Wh-Whaaat?!”

She didn’t poke a hole in the screen, but her pecking was enough to peel it off the frame and send it tumbling down, despite me having made sure to glue it on properly yesterday.

This seemed to come as a surprise to Tama herself, who let out a few loud clucks and stomped on me, still in my futon, before darting off.

“Taaaamaaaaa!!!” Ouch! Hey, don’t run away! “That freaking huuuuurts!!!”

Maybe I should be grateful she didn’t stomp on my head or chest. I guess she’s prudent enough to avoid sensitive spots. Still... Ow, my legs... Hope she didn’t break any bones.And she even left the door open.Brr, and it’s cold in here now. Only the upper half was a shoji door, with the lower half being a glass sliding door, but not having the screen on that upper half was enough—cold air was flowing in from the veranda, even though I had the shutters to the outside closed. As I turned on the halogen heater, I thought, Man, a single extra sheet of plastic really makes a difference...

“Damn you, Tamaaaa!” I yelled out.

I spotted Yuma on the other side of the door, peeking in with a concerned expression.

“Yumaaa!” I know I can always count on her to soothe my weary soul! Tears welled up in my eyes, and I threw out my arms from under the futon, despite the cold, so I could hug her.

“Tama...”

“Yeah?” What about her? Don’t tell me you came to apologize for her. You shouldn’t do that stuff for others. I felt a bit of blood rushing to my head.

“Angry?” Yuma asked.

“You bet I am. But I’m willing to forgive her if she says she’s sorry.” I mean, let’s be rational here—no point in getting mad.

“I’m...sorry?”

“No, I don’t mean you. I want her to apologize.”

“Okay!” She nodded and strolled outside. Ah, and close that door too if you can... Eh, I don’t think you can.

Boy, it sure is cold... I gotta watch out for hypothermia. It might be time to start wearing one of those thermal HeatT*ch T-shirts to sleep.

Deciding to leave the shoji door for later, I got changed, still shivering from the cold, and made my way to the living room. Two fresh eggs had been left in the corner of the room, and I collected them. Gotta be careful not to step on them. The spots on my skin where Tama had stomped were developing visible bruises, but they didn’t really hurt anymore.

“Tama,” I called out.

She came up to me in the living room and stopped at an arm’s length away. “Sorry...”

Honestly...that doesn’t sound much like a proper apology—more like one of those movie scenes where people say sorry even though they’re clearly not at fault and they know it. But meh, I think this is the best I’ll get out of her. Sure, Tama, I’ll accept it. Jeez, I’m way too soft on my chickens.

“Tama, don’t peck the shoji doors, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And don’t step on me.”

“Okay...” Wait, what’s with the hint of hesitation there?

“Tama...” I beckoned her over and gave her a hug. What am I going to do with you, you tsundere chicken? But you’re cute, so it’s okay.

I spent some time petting her until she clucked at me angrily, as if to say, That’s enough already! She jumped back and gave me a peck. Ouch, that hurts! Still, I felt relieved to see that she was back to her usual self.

Pochi and Yuma stared at us with confused looks and tilted their heads in sync, which made me break into a smile. They really do soothe me like nothing else...despite their enormous size.

“I’m gonna make breakfast. Thanks for the eggs.”

I went to the kitchen and got to work. It’s really thanks to the chickens that I’m able to maintain a regular routine like this. I bet if I were by myself, I’d be spending all day lazing around in my futon.

I was making miso soup with cabbage and tofu when Old Man Yumoto showed up. Whoa, he’s pretty early.

“Hey there, Shohei. They’re not here yet?”

“Uh... I think they’ll arrive in about an hour or so, probably.”

“Oh, okay. I’m the first, then.” Of course you are—do you know what time it is? You must be pretty darn excited, huh?

“I’m just about to have breakfast. Would you care for some miso soup? Same one we’re having for lunch.”

“Sure! Thanks!”

I grilled up some boar meat marinated in miso, and I also served pickled vegetables—Chinese cabbage, turnips, and some radishes I’d gotten the other day. All this stuff goes great with rice. For the chickens, I had the feed from the farm, plus Chinese cabbage and boar meat. A nice, hearty meal to start the day on the right foot.

It was my mom who used to say you couldn’t do anything if you didn’t eat a proper breakfast. I felt like that should be especially true for the chickens, who spent all day running around in the mountains. Sure, I guess they eat all sorts of bugs and other edible stuff along the way, so I don’t need to worry that much.

I sipped soup with Yumoto-san.

“Nothing like some good old miso soup, eh?” he said.

“Yeah.” I didn’t realize back when I still lived with my folks, but it really is a must. And speaking of which, I think I’m running low on miso. Actually, I needed to stock up on miso anyway, didn’t I? I still gotta put up the screen on that shoji door again, but maybe I’ll go to the general store first.

“I’m gonna step out in a little while to go to the general store, okay?” I told Yumoto-san.

“Sure, no problem.”

Oh yeah, he came today because he heard about the hornet nest, right? “So, did you come here for the hornets?”

“That would be nice, yeah. But I’m sure there’s other stuff out there that’s worth a look.” Heh, he sounds like a kid on an adventure looking for treasure. Well, I’m glad he’s having fun.

Soon enough, the others arrived. “Off to an early start, are we, Yumoto-chan?” Mutsu-san said.

“Yeah, too early, it looks like.”

They both laughed heartily. Yumoto-san had brought a huge backpack with him—I tried not to think too much about what might be inside. The hunters were donning their fluorescent orange hunting vests—they’d brought their gear and weapons.

Yumoto-san, eager to leave, stood up, but I stopped him. I wanted to serve them a cup of tea before they went.

As we enjoyed our tea, I told them about the shoji doors. They found it all very humorous.

Toyama-san laughed out loud. “She pecked at it, and it fell down? I can imagine that must’ve been a surprise!”

“Tell me about it. I gotta put it back on later.”

“It’s a good thing she didn’t poke a hole in it,” Aikawa-san remarked. “Just a single small hole is enough to let the cold in...”

“Right?”

“I guess Tama-chan’s the inquisitive type, eh?!” Mutsu-san guffawed.

After drinking tea and snacking on some pickled vegetables, we all stood up. Pochi and Tama seemed peppier than usual, perhaps due to Old Man Yumoto joining them today. Guys, please, don’t get carried away.

“I’ll be leaving soon for the village’s general store,” I told them. “I should be back before noon, but just in case, I left a bunch of miso soup in that big pot.”

“All right. Thanks, as always.”

I waved as I saw them off. It was still a bit early to go out, so I spent some time looking in on my crops and checking out the area around the house. These tasks were much easier now than they’d been in the summer, since all the weeds had withered.

The ground outside was all white again, but that was frost, not snow. The weather actually was relatively mild.

Snow is an inevitability, though, sooner or later. I remember that when I first came here, there was still some snow left on the ground, and I regretted my move a bit—that was in March. Well, it’s just something you gotta learn to deal with if you wanna live in the mountains. I wonder how the chickens are gonna handle the snow if it piles up on the ground. Last time, we just got a little bit—not enough to keep them from running around like usual. I was a little curious to see how they’d react.

4. Surveying a Mountain Takes Time

“Yuma, let’s go check out the river.”

I got an urge to see if everything was okay with the river, so I headed there with Yuma by my side. Suddenly, she made a quick, jolting motion, and I noticed she now had something in her beak.

“Huh? A viper?” At this time of year? It’s winter already.

She cocked her head, still holding the snake, as if to ask for my permission to eat it.

“Oh, uh, sure. Go ahead...”

She took a few steps away from me, turned the other direction, and went at it greedily. Why are there still vipers out...? Anyway, that one was pretty unlucky, huh? My condolences. I mean, I don’t wanna get bitten, so of course I’m all for getting rid of them. I wonder if it just happened to wander to this spot, or if it’s been around for a while now.

After Yuma was done eating, we went back home so I could wash off her bloodstained beak. Not exactly a pretty sight...

A while later, we drove down to the village. The store closest to my mountain opened at irregular times, and if it was still closed, we’d have to go a little farther to the next one. Luckily, it was open.

“Hello there.”

“Oh, hi, Sano-kun,” the lady at the store greeted me. “I heard the village hunters have been going over to your place recently.”

“Yup, they’re all there right now. From what I hear, it’s a great hunting spot.”

“That’s nice. I’d love to eat some boar meat every now and then.”

Uh, is that a request? I dunno. It’s not like we’re that close... “Yumoto-san is also there today. They might be able to catch something if they’re lucky.”

“Oh? Maybe I’ll try asking him, then.”

If I recall correctly, the old man who runs the store is a relative of Akimoto-san’s, isn’t he? Well, Akimoto-san himself is a butcher by trade...

I bought a pack of miso and remembered that they also sold miso at the tofu shop, if my memory wasn’t failing me. Are they open today? I think generally speaking, miso lower in salt is better for miso soup. I’m running low on tofu products too, so I guess I’ll pay them a visit.

At the tofu store, Yuma stayed outside near my truck, pecking at the ground.

“Hello.”

“Hi there, Sano-kun. No snow yet, eh?”

“Yeah, not yet.” And that’s a good thing—I wouldn’t be able to come to the village if it snowed. I could mount those snow chains, sure, but that wouldn’t necessarily make the snowy mountain roads any less dangerous. It’d probably be safer to walk down, even if it takes much longer. No way I’m driving around the mountains in the snow.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. When it snows, how about you get yourself a sled and get your chickens to pull it while you ride on it?”

“A sled, huh?” I pictured Tama and Pochi in harnesses, pulling a sled. Yeah... I’m pretty sure they’d fly off the handle and break the sled. And that’d be after poor old me falls off and gets seriously injured. Nope, absolutely no way we’re doing that. “I don’t know. I doubt that’d work out...”

“Oh, really? I thought it might be a good idea,” she said cheekily.

Good for whom?

Anyway, I bought a bunch of different tofu products and also got a fair amount of okara to take with me as a freebie.

“So do you also buy chicken feed for them?”

“Yeah, I get it from the chicken farm. They put a real dent in my pocket with how much they eat...”

“Well, at that size, I can only imagine.”

Everyone in my household ate okara, so the more, the merrier. I think I’ll stir-fry it with seaweed and carrots.

After making sure I wasn’t forgetting anything, I went back to my mountain. Gotta stock up on food so I’m properly equipped to deal with the snow. I’d also bought some snacks and several other random supplies.

I got home well before lunchtime, so I spent some time cleaning and checking up on the storage shed before starting meal prep. Today’s menu for the chickens was boar meat, okara, and Chinese cabbage. I only gave them two pieces of meat each, with a larger amount of okara and Chinese cabbage to make up for it. I remember hearing that chickens can’t actually tell when their stomachs are full or empty. Not sure if it’s the same for other birds too. Either way, it’s the owner’s responsibility to take good care of their pets and make sure they’re healthy. Not that they’re exactly pets...

It was now noon, but the hunters still hadn’t come back. No missed calls or unread messages either. Maybe they’re not getting any signal there. I don’t really have any choice but to wait, do I? I reheated the miso soup and waited for them.

Just as the soup warmed up, I got a text from Aikawa-san that said, “We’ll be there soon. If you’ve got any empty plastic bottles we could use, please set them aside.” Yeah, looks like they weren’t getting any signal after all. And plastic bottles... What for?

I had fewer plastic bottles lying around compared to the summer, since I didn’t drink as much now. I guess the bigger, the better? I’ll go with those larger ones. And some half-liter ones too, for good measure. The caps... I think I put them away somewhere else. Where was that again?

Soon enough, I heard cheery voices coming from outside. Oh, looks like they’re back. I finally found the bottle caps too. I put them down next to the bottles, then opened the glass front door.

“Wh-Wha—?”

The sight that greeted me made me doubt my eyes for a moment. Yet, no matter how hard I looked, the scene before me remained the same. I even rubbed my eyes, thinking that maybe I was just tired and seeing things, but that didn’t work either.

“Whaaaaat?”

Old Man Yumoto was leading the way, holding some sort of long...things in his hands. And there’s nothing wrong with my eyes. Which means...

“Heeey, Shohei! Gimme two bottles!”

“Seriously...?”

I brought out two of the larger plastic bottles and helped him slide the two vipers inside.

“Just...where did you find those? And two of them at that...”

Toyama-san and Aikawa-san wore awkward smiles on their faces, while Mutsu-san seemed unfazed by it all. Yumoto-san was in high spirits, of course. The chickens, on the other hand, seemed a little sullen. Uh...

“Um, so... Maybe I’m just showing my ignorance here, but...I had no idea there were still vipers around at this time of year.”

“Yup. Especially on relatively warmer days like today,” Mutsu-san explained. “You won’t run into ’em if it snows, sure, but they’re actually some of the last animals to hibernate.”

“I see... I really had no idea.”

It seemed they would usually go into hibernation around November, but due to the lack of snowfall this year (it’d snowed just that one time, and only a little bit), they might have been starting to come out again, still a little groggy from their sleep. Which means that Pochi and Tama were really looking forward to eating snakes along the way, huh? And today they’re in a bad mood because Old Man Yumoto snatched their prey from them?

Everyone washed their hands, and we went inside.

“So did you come here to catch vipers, then?” I asked Yumoto-san.

“Not really. Those were just a nice bonus. I came for the hornet nest.”

“Oh... So? Had a look at it already?”

“We’re going over there this afternoon. Anyway, we came across these vipers sunbathing on a big rock. Pochi and Tama were really happy about the free food. I managed to catch two for myself too. Boy, I sure do love the mountains!” Yumoto-san’s face broke out into a huge grin.

Yikes... Well, I’m glad for Pochi and Tama, I guess. Yuma ate one earlier too. They don’t need so much for lunch, then. I sneakily removed one leaf of Chinese cabbage from each of their meals.

“It’s weird, though. Last time I saw vipers here was in the summer...”

“Well, must be because the chickens were hunting ’em all, yeah?”

I guess that does make sense. I told them previously that they didn’t need to bother bringing them to me anymore, so they must’ve been eating any vipers they came across. Which means...

“Actually, we ran into one near the river earlier today,” I told them.

“Oh, so there are still some closer to your home, huh?”

“Yuma caught and ate it before it could do any harm. Have I just been lucky up until now?”

“Yeah, they’re pretty common near bodies of water. If you’ve never seen any until today, that’s probably thanks to the chickens,” Mutsu-san said.

I guess that does make sense. And recently, they’ve been spending most of their time on my other mountain, which means that they haven’t been patrolling this mountain as thoroughly as before. Most likely, the vipers have been around for a while—I just hadn’t noticed it. I thought I was getting the hang of life in the mountains, but it turns out that things have been easier for me thanks to the chickens’ efforts. Kind of a bummer.

“At any rate, they do hibernate, and besides, your second mountain was all but untouched—no wonder there are snakes there,” Mutsu-san said, probably trying to console me. Ugh, I’m such a loser... “Caught me off guard, I must admit, even though they’re less nimble than usual now.”

“They sure did,” Toyama-san agreed.

“Shohei, can I come again tomorrow?” asked Yumoto-san.

“Sure, if the others are also okay with it...”

While I was feeling bummed, in stark contrast, Yumoto-san was in an extremely bright mood. I wish I had some of that pep... Really, even just a little.

I served them miso soup and pickled vegetables, then gave the chickens their lunch. Pochi and Tama, who’d been visibly moody, went back to their usual selves. Nothing a nice meal can’t fix.

“Sure, Yumoto-chan, you’re welcome anytime! We could always use more help exploring the mountain.”

“Yeah, doing a thorough search takes time.”

“We’ve already got the general picture. Next, we wanna ask Kawanaka to lay some traps around the place.”

“Like a test run for trapping?”

“He’s got a knack for luring ’em in. I figure if we can hunt without using our rifles, that’s great too.”

As someone clueless about hunting, I couldn’t really keep up with their conversation. I do remember hearing that Kawanaka-san was adept at hunting with traps—he said he could do it on weekdays too, unlike normal hunting with weapons. Sounds like it’d still be a lot of work, though, checking the traps every morning and every night.

“Traps might not be enough for larger animals, though.”

“So there are big ones too, huh?”

“Probably, yeah.”

Larger-than-usual wild boars... I don’t mind if they’re dead, but I sure as heck want to keep my distance from live ones. Those are definitely lethal.

“Currently, we’re surveying the other side of the mountain, farthest from here, so it’ll take a while,” Aikawa-san explained to me.

“I see.”

We chatted for a bit while taking a break after lunch. Afterward, they’d be going to the mountain again.

“Gotta have miso soup!”

“Thanks for the meal.”

After a filling meal and a postlunch break, the hunters got up and set off. I admired their tenacity, while at the same time feeling slightly uneasy about the plastic, viper-filled bottles on my shelf. Yuma also kept staring at them for some reason.

“Hey, Yuma, let’s go check on the crops.”

I had a feeling that if we stayed in the house, she might snatch the vipers for herself, so I took her outside with me. Whew.

Over by the fields, she began to peck at the grass. After seeing how my crops were coming along, I told her I’d go back inside to do some cleaning—I returned to the house, leaving her to do as she pleased. The room in the back still had a bunch of stuff that the former village head, Yamakura-san, and his family had left here. I spent a while sorting that into trash and things that I might have some use for. Eventually, I heard Yuma’s voice coming from the other side of the hallway.

“Back?”

Oh, are they back? I interrupted what I was doing and headed toward the entrance, which I’d left open for Yuma. Outside, I could see the hunters coming this way, with Mutsu-san leading the group. I stepped outside, waved at them, and said, “Welcome back!”

Yumoto-san was holding a large transparent plastic bag. Inside...was a giant hornet nest. He seemed to be in a great mood, understandably.

“Whoa... That’s really something. Are there still any hornets left inside?”

“We’ll find out when we try smoking the thing. Hopefully the queen’s still there.”

Even at that size, it could possibly be empty. In fact, that seemed to be the norm at this time of year—you were supposed to be careful, since there could still be hornets inside, but generally speaking, there usually weren’t. In that sense, Mutsu-san was lucky the other day... Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it?

“If the queen isn’t in there, where could she be?” I wondered.

“Hibernating somewhere nearby. They usually prefer to stay in their nests. We did search the area but couldn’t find her,” he said with a stern look.

Apparently, if there were any hornets inside, they would generally come out while you were moving the nest, and if they didn’t, that tended to mean there weren’t any. Still, there were no guarantees, so they would ultimately need to smoke the nest to make sure. Can’t imagine what goes on in their heads... Why go to such lengths for the sake of a hornet nest?

“I get the feeling there must still be a couple of nests somewhere on the mountain,” Yumoto-san muttered.

“And you...plan to go looking for them?”

“Well, if we can find ’em, it’s a good idea to get rid of ’em.”

“Sure, I guess so.” They could end up as nests for other species of bugs too. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it—my pleasure!” Yumoto-san laughed heartily and gave me a few slaps on the back. Ow.

“So are you going looking for nests again tomorrow?”

“Eh, we’ll see,” he answered, staring off into the distance.

Hey now, what does that mean?

“We wanna get started with the real hunting pretty soon. Pochi and Tama-chan are all pumped up too.” Mutsu-san laughed. True, I can see that they’re restless.

“Pochi, Tama, c’mon, I’ll give you a wash.”

I filled the washbasin with water, added some hot water to adjust the temperature, and scrubbed the two of them clean. If I don’t make sure to tell them that’s it for today, they might run off again. Jeez, what am I going to do with my chickens and their thirst for blood? (Weird way to put it.) At least the hunters’ll be keeping an eye on them now.

Mutsu-san went over their plans for tomorrow. “We’ll be following footprints tomorrow. If we can hunt something, great, but there’s no need to get too reckless.”

Pochi and Tama let out short clucks in response. The crazy thing is that they can actually understand him...

“And we’ll be taking the day after that off.”

“Oh, okay.” Looks like they’re not coming on Saturday.

“If we don’t get to helping out with the year-end cleaning at home, we might just get kicked out, heh.”

“Ha ha ha.” Toyama-san scratched his head.

Well, yeah. Can’t afford to stay out hunting all the time and not help at home.

“As for me, I plan to throw out some trash tomorrow...” I said. I’ve got a fair amount of oversized trash lying around that I need to dispose of.

“Do you have that much trash?”

“It’s probably not the end of it, but I’d like to go while I have the chance.” I mean, we could get snow anytime.

“Fair enough.”

After discussing the next day’s plans for tomorrow over tea, they all went home. Sure is getting dark early these days.

5. How Is Katsuragi-san Doing in the Neighboring Town?

The next morning, I was relieved to see that once again, it hadn’t snowed. I’m even starting to think we might not get much snow this winter. But maybe I’m just being too optimistic. Who knows? Perhaps we won’t get any this year, but as soon as the holidays are over, we could get a ton. Hope not.

Speaking of the holidays, I planned to spend them hanging out with Aikawa-san. I guess we’re gonna be at his place? I’ll probably take the chickens too. I could get stuck there for a while because of the snow, after all. Can’t leave them at home starving...

I soon got a message from Aikawa-san. “Hello. Sorry if I’m being impudent, but do you think you could perhaps take some of my trash with you to dispose of? It’s about a third of a truckload. Mostly oversized trash.”

He must mean about a third of my tonneau’s capacity. I loaded all my trash yesterday, and I think there’s still some space left.

“Sure, no problem. Just bring it over.”

“Thanks.”

I understand why he’d ask—going to the disposal site really is kind of a hassle. It takes up your plans for half the day, pretty much. I decided to leave Yuma at home this time and go by myself. She’d probably join the others and head to my other mountain.

She seems excited to go out, though. She’s loitering around me, acting all fidgety. I mean, that’s cute, but... “Listen, Yuma, today you’re going over to the other mountain with everyone, okay?”

She stared wide-eyed, shocked in an almost cartoonish way. Man, she really loves going for drives, huh?

“I’m going out to throw this trash away, and I also want to check on Katsuragi-san,” I explained.

“Going out. Rie!” She flapped her wings around and spoke in a coaxing tone. Aww, that’s adorable. But no means no.

“I don’t think Rie-chan will be there. Look, I’ll get you a present, okay? Oh, and also, they’re gonna look for hornet nests. You like hornets, right?”

“Hornet...”

She turned the other way, looking terribly lonesome. Oh, please, you’re gonna make me feel sad too... I’ll have to make sure to buy her something like I promised... A present for a chicken... Uh, pork? Or maybe some veggies that you can’t buy in the village? I’m planning to stop at the supermarket anyway, so I can think about it later.

Today’s miso soup had komatsuna and tofu in it. You had to be careful with how you sliced the komatsuna—it was hard to eat if it was cut too long. I feel like two or three centimeters is the sweet spot. I guess this is the kind of thing you figure out by yourself with experience. I enjoyed my breakfast, which featured a scrambled egg from one of the chickens (not sure which one). Aikawa-san arrived just as I finished.

“Good morning. Thanks again.”

“Morning. I just hope it all fits in my truck...”

I loaded his trash on the tonneau, and it fit almost perfectly in the remaining space. Whew.

“This is for the disposal cost,” he said, handing me a ten-thousand-yen bill.

“Uh, it doesn’t cost this much, though.”

“It includes your compensation too.”

“Well, I can use it to buy some stuff for you in town—if there’s anything you need. Might be back a little late, though. I’m planning to visit Katsuragi-san.”

“I’d appreciate it. Tell me later if that’s not enough, and I’ll pay the difference. And if there’s any change, just keep it.”

How nice of him. He’d be sending me the shopping list later, and he also said not to worry if I couldn’t find something. Soon enough, other vehicles came rolling in—Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Yumoto-san.

“Morning. You’re pretty early today, Aikawa-kun.”

“Sano-san’s going to help me out with my trash.”

“Oh. Didn’t think of that. Good idea.”

“I don’t mind doing it,” I said, “provided I’ve got the space.”

We spent some time idly chatting away. Old Man Yumoto had again brought a large backpack with him.

“I’d like you to look after Yuma today too.”

“Sure, leave it to us!” he replied energetically.

I told them I’d leave the house unlocked—they could come in at lunch for some miso soup and pickled vegetables (which were in the fridge, second shelf from the bottom).

“Thanks as always, Sano-kun.”

“My pleasure.” I really do appreciate them coming here. And this won’t last forever—they’re still gonna spend a while on my mountains, but after that, they’re moving their base of operations to Aikawa-san’s mountain. Considering how I’m possibly getting free boar meat and venison in return (I only asked for enough venison for the chickens, though), making miso soup and pickled veggies for them is really not a big deal at all.

Before heading out, I texted Katsuragi-san. I hadn’t done that earlier because according to her, she didn’t usually have any plans other than dropping her sister off at the driving school and picking her up. That said, I should’ve still at least dropped her a message... She’s clearly refraining from messaging me out of politeness.

“I’ll be in N-Town today,” I texted her. “Got any plans?” I mean, I guess she does now...

Her reply came almost instantly. “Nope! None at all! Can we meet around noon? I’ll text you again after I drop my sister off.”

“I still need to go to the garbage disposal site, so I’ll let you know when I’m done there.”

Maybe I should bring a change of clothes too. I don’t think spending a little time at the disposal site is gonna make my clothes stink, but just in case. Even if I view her as a little sister, Katsuragi-san is a girl—gotta be somewhat presentable.

I drank a cup of tea and saw everyone off. Yuma was marching right next to Yumoto-san. I felt a little sad that she didn’t turn back to look at me, but today, I had no choice but to entrust her to them. After they faded from view, I headed out, still feeling a bit lonely without Yuma by my side.

The nearest garbage disposal site was the one on the western outskirts of N-Town, in between mountains. Although they charged you by the kilogram, regardless of the type of trash, you might or might not be able to throw certain kinds of trash away depending on whether you were disposing of it as an individual or as a business. This was also where the garbage trucks came to unload after collecting trash throughout town. I hope I don’t get stuck behind any of those—I think I heard they all come back right before noon, so that’s a time slot to avoid.

I had my truck weighed, then disposed of all my trash as instructed. While I was at it, I tossed some of the regular trash I’d brought with me into the pit. It was a bit frightening how it sucked all the trash in. There was also a crane that repeatedly lifted and dropped the garbage. I thought that was supposed to go in the incinerator, no? I soon got out of there, unable to withstand the smell.

After that, I got my truck weighed again and paid for the difference. I also took the opportunity to ask about the crane. “So, that...crane? It looks like it’s just lifting the trash and dropping it back down again in the same place. What’s up with that?”

“Oh, it’s meant to stir up the trash to make it more combustible.”

“Like, adding air in between or something?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Huh, I see.

The disposal site was in the middle of a mountain range—after making my way out of there, there was a decently long stretch of road with not a person or building in sight. I stopped along the way to change from my work clothes into regular clothes. No one’s watching, right? It felt a little uncanny to be wearing street clothes, since during my time in the mountains, I’d been wearing work clothes pretty much exclusively. And it feels a little cold too. I’ve gotten too used to my work attire.

I messaged Katsuragi-san, “Hey, just finished.”

It seemed she’d been waiting, as her reply was prompt. “I’ll be waiting here,” her message said, and it had a map location attached. She’d pinned a spot near the center of N-Town.

“Heading over now. I’ll message you again if I get lost,” I responded, then drove off. I’m not too familiar with this town. I could definitely get lost, even with a navigation app.

In the end, I managed to make my way to the location she’d indicated—a casual restaurant.

“Joining a friend,” I said at the entrance, and I walked in, looking for her. She spotted me before I saw her and waved me over.

“Hey, long time no see.”

“It’s really been a while. Gosh, I’m so bored out here!” she grumbled in a lighthearted manner.

Did she get her hair done? Looks kinda wavier than before. And it’s got a nice brown tinge to it. Doesn’t look like she dyed it by herself. She was wearing a light pink sweater and a white pleated skirt—not her usual work clothes, obviously. Is she okay eating in those clothes? Doesn’t she worry about getting them dirty?

I recalled what she’d looked like doing manual work on her mountain. She looked plenty cute even in those clothes, but now she looks like a prim, beautiful young lady. Really makes you realize how much a girl can change with the right makeup and clothes.

“So how’s it going at your new place? Used to it already?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Other than all the noise. And also, how should I put it... Even though my house on my mountain is not that big either, it feels kind of closed and confined here. On the other hand, I realized detached houses really are a lot colder. But still, I already miss my house. Has it snowed in the mountains?”

“Nope, not yet.”

“Aww, really? I should go see Tatsuki, then...” she said feebly. Oh, right, I wonder how the big guy’s doing.

“No signs of snow anytime soon, I think. Maybe, if you want to, you could drive up there tomorrow and check on him? Or I could go in your place if you’d prefer that...”

“Tomorrow... Yeah, if my sister can’t get a spot, I think I’ll go!” she said, clenching her fist.

A spot... Is she talking about driving school? “Is it that hard to book driving lessons?”

“They also run a driving camp at the school, and it can get pretty hectic on weekends, apparently. Tomorrow’s a Saturday, so...there’s a chance there might not be a spot for her.”

“Oh. Yeah, it might be a good idea to check and see how things are back at home, then. Hopefully it doesn’t snow tomorrow...”

“You can never tell with the mountain weather...” She let out a deep sigh.

“And how’s your sister doing? Think she’ll be able to get her license?”

“Hmm. She’s doing great with the practical part, but her written test scores are... Yeah. She should be getting her provisional license soon. I wonder if she’ll be okay...”

“Well, there’s no shortcut there—you just gotta memorize it. That’s better than sucking at practical lessons, at least.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Oh, and just so you know, I eat a lot. Hope you’re not put off by that,” I warned her.

“I imagine it’s your first time dining at a place like this in a while, right? Don’t worry—if you order more than you can eat, I’ll help out!”

“That’s reassuring.” I don’t think there’ll be any need for that, but in any case, I’m going to enjoy this.

I ordered a delicious Hamburg steak—the first I’d gotten from a casual restaurant in quite some time. I considered ordering a steak too, but as far as meat went, I’d been eating a good amount of boar back at home, so I opted for a dish I never made at home (because I couldn’t be bothered).

“It’s pretty nice eating out every now and then, huh?” I asked.

“Sure is!”

“Do you cook at your new place?”

“It’s got an induction cooktop, so it’s a bit hard to make some of my usual recipes, like stir-fries. That’s actually been stressing me out a little. A lot of the time, I make do with ready-made meals. One of the reasons I miss my house...”

Looks like things are harder for her than I thought. “Yeah, I know how tiring it can be to move to a new environment.”

“Right? I’m starting to regret it a little, though it’s too late for that...”

“But you’re doing it for your sister’s sake. You’re an awesome sibling.”

Katsuragi-san’s eyes widened for a brief moment. “Oh, jeez, Sano-san... You’re always like that...”

“Hmm? Did I say something funny?”

“Nope! All right, I’ll psych my sister up! Please pray that it doesn’t snow tomorrow!”

“Okay.” Not sure what she means, but whatever.

After chatting for a good while, we parted ways. I was about to head straight home when I remembered that I still had to stop at the supermarket. I bought my stuff and Aikawa-san’s stuff—plus something for the chickens—and went on my way.

I got home later than expected. It wasn’t four o’clock yet, but everyone was back already.

“I’m home. Sorry I’m late...”

When I threw the glass door at the front open, everyone turned in my direction all at once, which startled me for a moment. Wh-What’s up?

“Oh, it’s you...” Mutsu-san said in a disappointed tone.

“It’s late already. I think we should leave it cooling in the river overnight,” Aikawa-san told the others.

“Huh? Did you manage to catch something?” I asked. They did say they were going to start hunting for real today, but I didn’t think they’d get anything on the first day.

“We caught a boar, thanks to the chickens’ teamwork,” Aikawa-san replied.

The three chickens clucked triumphantly. Why are you guys acting so smug and proud about it? You’re puffing out your chests! What does he mean by “teamwork,” anyway? Just waving their tails around? Well, their legs are pretty strong too... And they’ve got those sharp claws.

“S-So, how did they...” I reconsidered and waved my hands. “Ah, never mind. I’d rather not hear about it...” Probably better to leave it to my imagination...

“Really? It was pretty awesome...”

What does he mean, awesome? Wait, wait, I don’t wanna hear.

To his chagrin, I dropped that topic and asked, “So, what became of it? Did Akimoto-san already...?”

“No, not yet. They caught it just as we were preparing to head back,” Yumoto-san explained. “We gutted it and soaked the carcass in the river.”

Goes to show that you can never let your guard down on a hunt... “Oh... Well, given the time, seems like it’d be better to leave that for tomorrow. What about the innards?”

“They were nice and clean—no traces of any diseases. I’ve got ’em here.” Suddenly, Mutsu-san’s phone rang. “Oh, it’s Akimoto. Hang on.”

As expected, Akimoto-san said it was a bit late to come and pick the carcass up.

“Also, we left the innards in the fridge to cool. Sorry.”

“Sure, no problem. Did they fit?”

“We stuck them in the freezer, bag and all, since there was some space there. Sorry if your other stuff gets smelly.”

“Oh, no problem.” All I’ve got in there is meat anyway—smell is not really a concern.

“Shall we get going, then?” Toyama-san said. “All we gotta do is take the innards to Akimoto-chan, right?”

Everyone nodded.

Aikawa-san turned to me. “Sano-san, thanks for throwing out my trash—and for the groceries. I’ll come again tomorrow to hand over the carcass to Akimoto-san. When would be a good time?”

“Pretty much whenever. I’ll be home all day tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know later.”

They all had smiles on their faces, even as they moaned about how tired they were. Today, although my chickens had helped them score a boar, they hadn’t been able to butcher it or carry it back. Since there happened to be a river nearby, it was easier to disembowel it on the spot and soak it in the water. That said, even just the innards already weigh a ton. I’m glad they were all in good condition.

“Okay, Akimoto’s coming over tomorrow to butcher it, then...” Yumoto-san pondered. “Tomorrow night’s too early, huh? It’ll have to wait until Sunday night.”

Sounds like there’ll be a boar barbecue on Sunday night. “At your place?” I asked.

“Yeah, we’re in the middle of our year-end cleaning. I’m sure she won’t mind me taking some leftovers with me, but I don’t think the old lady’ll be too happy if I suggest we have a party at my place.” Mutsu-san laughed out loud.

I mean, I’m pretty sure the Yumotos are also doing year-end cleaning... I looked over at Old Man Yumoto.

He seemed to sense what I was thinking. “It’s just the two of us, so there’s not really that much to clean. It can wait until after the party.”

Ah well... Looks like I gotta come up with a gift for Machiko-san now. Maybe one of those year-end gift packages you can buy online? Wait, isn’t it too late to order those? Oh crap. I really should’ve taken care of that much earlier.

Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Yumoto-san went home first—taking the boar innards with them.

Before leaving, Yumoto-san turned to the chickens and said, “Come over to my place on Sunday night. Let’s eat some boar!” Thanks, Yumoto-san. Now they probably won’t keep pestering me and yelling “Boar!”

I handed Aikawa-san all the stuff I’d bought for him. We went over his plans for tomorrow again, and then I saw him off. I tried to give him back the change from the supermarket, but he wouldn’t accept it. I see what he’s doing—handing me more than I’ll need and refusing to accept the change. As far as stereotypes go, this is totally the kind of thing some cranky old Tokyoite would do. Though maybe my stereotypes are outdated.

“Look, if you’re not gonna take it back, don’t ask me to go shopping for you anymore, okay?”

“Oh, come on, don’t say that,” he replied, with a charming smile.

Man, this guy really is pretty good-looking, I gotta admit. And he has nice skin too. I bet he must have a whole skin care routine and all that. Katsuragi-san’s skin also looked clearer than usual. Is it because it’s winter? Or because of the different environment? Or was that just makeup? Either way, I bet it must be great having nice skin...

“See you tomorrow.” I handed him the keys to the gate down at the foot of my mountain, then watched him drive off. He’ll come back tomorrow anyway.

When I stepped inside again, I turned to the chickens. “Good job out there, you guys. Aikawa-san will be here again tomorrow, but they’re not going hunting, so you can do as you please.”

“Present!” They all screamed out in unison.

Oh jeez, couldn’t you at least say “Welcome back!” or something? Seriously... You’re making me sad. Still, I gave them the pork I’d bought. I’m such a nice guy, aren’t I?

It was already the eighteenth of the month.

After searching around frantically, I managed to secure a package of year-end gifts. It’s wild to think that all this stuff’s just a click away. Then again, the fact that it’s all so convenient is also why you gotta be careful. I hope it arrives before the year ends...

Oh, also, what about New Year’s cards...? Meh, I think I’ll pass on them this year. Or for a few years, maybe. Do I even have anyone I’d like to send them to?

Tomorrow, Aikawa-san and Akimoto-san would be coming over. When Akimoto-san arrived, we would have to take him to the spot where they’d soaked the carcass. They were saying it’s the same spot they used last time, so I’ll finally get a chance to see just where that is.

For Yuma, it seemed that the excitement of the hunt still lingered, and that was perhaps why she appeared to have forgiven me—she walked up to me as if I hadn’t left her behind today. I’m sure if they hadn’t caught anything, she’d still be mad at me. Sorry about earlier, Yuma.

“When Akimoto-san comes here tomorrow, we’re taking him to the spot where the boar carcass is. Who wants to go?”

“Go!”

“Play!”

“Go!”

Looks like Tama would rather do her thing. Nothing wrong with that, of course. “Okay, Pochi and Yuma, I’ll be counting on you two.”

I petted their feathers, and Tama’s too. She wouldn’t be joining us tomorrow, but she was always patrolling the mountains. I understood that, even though she seemed to only do as she pleased, she was also helping to keep threats like vipers at bay. I really have nothing but gratitude for my chickens and all that they do for me. And for the god of the mountain who brought us together.

I faced the direction of the summit, joined my hands together, and silently offered my thanks.

6. We Go to Pick Up the Boar

Akimoto-san said he would arrive at around ten o’clock, and Aikawa-san decided to come at the same time.

I woke up and looked outside, as I’d been doing every day for a while now. The ground outside was all white—frost, not snow, but my heart always skipped a beat the moment before I could tell for sure. Although I did make sure to check the weather forecast daily, I couldn’t rely on it too much as a mountain dweller. Well, I mean, if it’s snowing down in the village, it’s definitely snowing up here too, obviously. I found that a snow-covered landscape was a beautiful sight if looking was all you did, but if you had to go about your daily life, it was better avoided.

“Okay, no snow today either.”

Right, Katsuragi-san was saying she’d go to her mountain if her sister couldn’t book a lesson. Will she stay there overnight? Or is it too cold for that? I’ll ask her later.

I prepared breakfast and made miso soup in a big pot, as I’d been doing for the past few days. Today, I made it with seaweed, onions, and potatoes. I received all kinds of vegetables from the villagers on pretty much a daily basis. At first I’d felt sorry about it, but they’d explained that it was a way of showing their gratitude—after all, I’d given them access to my mountain and offered them a resting spot. Their arguments had convinced me that it was okay to accept the vegetables. Really, it’s not a big deal to me, and actually I feel grateful to them for coming here. I understand that having unrestricted access to a mountainous forest area means a lot to them, though.

I remembered what Mutsu-san had told me the other day. “You might find that strange, given that it’s pretty much all mountains around here. Thing is, hunters each have their own territories, so to speak. I’ve got a forest that’s right by a mountain, but the other side is a national forest. Anyway, I’m really glad Aikawa-kun joined us. Because of him, we also got to meet you. Thanks, both of you. We really appreciate it.”

Well, I’m happy to hear that I ended up helping someone by purchasing these mountains—even when it seems like I’m not getting much done or making any progress. Still, I can tell I’m spending less and less time thinking about my ex. Hopefully I can just forget about all that eventually.

Tama didn’t even take a short break after finishing her breakfast—she immediately bolted off into the mountains. “Make sure you come back before it gets dark outside, you hear me?!” I yelled after her, but I wasn’t sure if she’d actually heard me. Either way, I had a vague feeling that she’d spend the day patrolling this mountain.

Well, yeah. There’s no need for them to stay together all the time. It’s me and my chickens here, and we can each do our own thing. But I do wonder what they’ll do when it starts snowing.

I heard the sound of an engine approaching. Looks like Aikawa-san’s arrived. I was looking in the direction of the fields, where Pochi and Yuma were hanging around, pecking at the ground. “Hey, I think Aikawa-san’s here,” I told them.

Soon enough, a truck rolled in, parked, and Aikawa-san did indeed hop out. “Good morning. I see you’re all hard at work.”

I chuckled. “Morning.”

“Is it just Pochi-san and Yuma-san today?” He turned to them. “Hello there.”

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

You know, it’s okay to let your guard down when it’s just Aikawa-san here, but don’t forget that we’ve got another guest coming later. I feel like you’ve been getting sloppier with that...though it might be my fault. “Hey, you two, make sure you don’t say a word when Akimoto-san is here, got it?”

They both nodded in agreement, which seemed to make an impression on Aikawa-san as he watched.

Not too long after, I heard another vehicle coming in our direction. And it looks like it’s Akimoto-san this time.

“Hey, morning. Are we late?” Akimoto-san asked. He stepped out of his truck alongside Yuki-san, who got out of the driver’s seat.

“Good morning. No, I also just arrived,” Aikawa-san answered with a smile.

Why does he sound like someone reassuring his date that she’s not late? Or does it only sound that way because of his dashing looks? Gah, what the hell am I saying?

“Hey there. Is it only one boar?” Yuki-san asked.

“That’s right,” Aikawa-san replied. “It’s in the same place as last time. Sano-san is coming with us too so he can see where that is.”

We all headed toward the spot where they’d soaked the boar carcass. They said it was near the boundary between my mountain and Aikawa-san’s...but I’m not too sure where the border is exactly. Is that river shared between the two mountains? Or maybe they let the previous owner of West have it, since my mountain already has plenty of water—so much that they call it Brook Mountain. Well, whatever. I can ask about that some other time.

There wasn’t an actual path for us to traverse, so we had to push our way through the vegetation. Thankfully, since this was the winter season, the vegetation was now dry, and it wasn’t too difficult to walk through. After hiking for around twenty minutes, we finally reached the riverbank. Twenty minutes... On flat land, that’d work out to somewhere between one and two kilometers, but I don’t think we walked that distance, considering how hard it is to get around in the mountains. Aikawa-san led the way, with Pochi, Akimoto-san, and me following behind, then Yuma, and finally, Yuki-san.

“It’s farther out than I thought. Great spot, though,” Akimoto-san said.

Before us was a pool that had formed in the stream. The hunters had tied up the boar before sinking it and had then fastened those ropes to some nearby trees—this kept the boar from flowing away. After undoing the knots, I could see the boar’s legs just beneath the surface. The water was nice and clear but rather deep too.

“Oh wow... I had no idea the mountain had a place like this...” I murmured.

“You’d be surprised to learn how many interesting spots on your mountain you’ve never been to,” said Aikawa-san. “But be careful not to fall in here—it’s pretty deep...”

“All right.”

The carcass we pulled out of the river was fairly large. Even after they’d gutted it, the thing looked to be around forty kilograms or so. I once again had a flashback to Princess Mononoke.

Akimoto-san and Yuki-san picked up a pole from the ground, tied the boar’s legs to it, and hefted the ends atop their shoulders.

“Ooh, pretty heavy,” said Akimoto-san.

“Want me to help?” I offered.

“No, no, this is all part of our job. All right, so we gotta deliver it to Yumoto-chan by tomorrow evening, right?”

“That’s what I heard, yes.”

Despite the weight, Akimoto-san somehow seemed more energetic than he had a moment ago.

“Y’know, I’m glad you guys give us so much work, heh.”

“Yup, definitely.” Yuki-san nodded.

“Do people here not hunt as much usually?” I asked.

“It really depends, but boars this big are definitely rare, that’s for sure. And this one’s in fantastic condition too—barely any injuries apart from the broken legs and neck. The innards they brought me yesterday were also in great shape, though I guess that’s also because they’re good at stripping out the guts.”

“I see...”

Uh, hold on, I think I need a minute to process that... I looked at Pochi, who stared back at me with a clueless look and cocked his head.

“Broken legs, sure, I get that. But...a broken neck?”

Aikawa-san nodded. “Pochi-san was pretty awesome,” he said nonchalantly. “Truly a sight to behold.”

Look, I don’t wanna hear about it!

Akimoto-san chuckled. “It was the chickens who hunted it down, right? Boy, I wish you’d let me borrow them sometime.”

“Ha ha ha...”

I felt some amount of morbid curiosity about the details of the hunt. Pochi and Yuma were waving their long reptilian tails around as they walked. Come to think of it, their tails were a bit dirty yesterday when they came back... I washed them, of course... Aah, no, stop it! Don’t think about it!

On our way back, I stayed silent, staring at the scenery around me. I heaved a sigh of relief when the familiar road leading to my house came into view.

“Okay, we’ll be taking it with us,” Akimoto-san said as he loaded the carcass onto his truck. “See you tomorrow evening.”

Suddenly, I remembered all that miso soup I’d made, and I turned to them. “Um... Wouldn’t you like to stay and drink some miso soup at least? I ended up making too much of it out of habit...”

“Oh, can we? I was just thinking I could use something to warm me up. Sure, we’ll take you up on it. Thanks!”

“I can’t offer you anything other than soup and some pickled vegetables, though. Sorry...”

“Don’t worry about it. In this cold weather, nothing beats nice, warm miso soup.”

I felt a bit happy to hear that. I’m sure they must be feeling pretty cold after carrying that frigid carcass straight out of the river.

“What do you want to do with the boar?” I asked.

“It’s under the hood, so it should stay cool enough, I think?” He turned to Yuki-san. “Actually, can you get in the truck and park it again under the shade, just in case?”

“Sure.” He quickly moved the truck to a different spot. Sorry for the extra work.

We all washed our hands and went inside. Let’s see... Do I have anything other than soup and pickled vegetables I could serve them?

“Sano-kun, we’re okay with just miso soup.”

“All right.”

Contrary to my words, I also served them rice crackers and a few other snacks. I would’ve liked to serve some rice too, but I hadn’t cooked any extra.

After a few sips of warm broth, everyone’s expressions looked more relaxed. “Nothing beats some miso soup!” Akimoto-san exclaimed.

“Especially if it’s homemade,” Yuki-san blurted out.

Oh, is he not from around here?

Aikawa-san seemed like he wanted to talk about yesterday’s hunt, but I stopped him. Akimoto-san and Yuki-san had one more serving of miso soup, plus some snacks, then went on their way. I asked Aikawa-san to stay a bit longer—there was something I wanted to talk to him about.

“Got any requests for lunch?” I asked.

“Not really. I’m fine with anything you cook.”

Come on, man, quit it with the weird phrasing...

I rummaged through the fridge, thinking about what to make for lunch. I’d been shopping in N-Town only yesterday, so I had plenty of options.

I decided on grilled boar meat marinated in soy sauce and a stir-fry made with chives and eggs from the chickens. The stir-fry ended up being a pretty substantial dish, thanks to the size of their eggs.

“See? I knew I was in for an excellent meal,” Aikawa-san said cheerfully.

“You know I just threw a bunch of stuff together without much thought, right?”

The boar meat I set aside for the chickens was always unseasoned, but I’d also kept some marinating overnight to cook for myself. This helped get rid of the gamy smell.

“Tama-san’s and Yuma-san’s eggs are just the best!” he said, savoring the stir-fry.

I cut to the chase and asked him about the river we’d been to earlier where they’d soaked the boar carcass.

He pondered for a moment. “Hmm... To be honest, I doubt it’s demarcated precisely, certainly not down to the centimeter. Do you know what it’s like on your end?”

“No idea about the rivers, no...” The maps left some room for ambiguity.

“If there weren’t any rivers, we wouldn’t need to worry about this... Well, since the streams flow down from the top of your mountain, I think it’s okay to consider them part of your property. But if you want to make sure, you could try asking Yamakura-san about it.”

“Yeah, I guess. It’s not really a big concern—I just thought it’d be a good idea to figure it out while I’m living here. Who knows what might happen...” I mean, I’m still pretty young, but you never know. I got injured just the other day. Sure, it was just a finger injury, but if it was something major, or even fatal, my family living far away might need to get involved. That’s why I think it’s better to get rid of any uncertainties while I can.

“Ah, but...I think Rin and Ten do use that river sometimes.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem at all. It’s just that being sure about where my property begins and ends could help avoid trouble or misunderstandings down the line.”

“It’s...quite impressive for someone your age to think so far ahead.”

“What do you mean? You’re still young too,” I immediately retorted.

Aikawa-san snickered.

After finishing his lunch, Pochi turned to me and blurted out, “Play!” before running off to do as he’d just announced.

Thanks for keeping us company for lunch. “Make sure you come back with Tama before it gets dark, okay?” I mean, you don’t need to come back with her in the literal sense. I just want to avoid a situation where one of you doesn’t come back and the other has to go searching for them.

“Okay!” he dutifully replied.

Did he really get that? Ah well.

Yuma was outside patrolling the fields and the parking area. She didn’t seem to have much difficulty finding bugs to eat, even in this weather. Speaking of Yuma... I turned to Aikawa-san. “How is Rin-san doing? What does she do on your mountain?”

“Well, she’s gotten a lot more sluggish, but it seems she’s still doing her thing, hunting and all that. Also, you don’t need to worry about other people running into her here—I made sure to tell her to stay away from your mountain.”

“Gotcha. Good to hear...” Obviously, that’s a concern. Rin-san and Ten-san also use that river we were at earlier. Might not be a good idea to let people go there too often. “Anyway, seems like it’ll be the usual feast tomorrow at the Yumotos.” Not that I mind when boar hot pot is so delicious.

“Yeah. I’ll be coming here before that, though. We have to let Kawanaka-san and Hatano-san in on the fun too...”

“Oh, right... They can only come on Sundays for the time being.” December can get pretty hectic. “What if you manage to catch something tomorrow, though?”

“We’ll rush to Akimoto-san’s place, if possible. Gutting the carcass and soaking it in the river might not be a good choice this time—we don’t know for sure if we’ll be able to come pick it up on Monday.”

Yeah, I guess that’s a valid point, considering we’ll be drinking tomorrow evening.

“That said, I doubt we’ll get anything. We’ll probably need to go a bit deeper if we wanna hunt for real.”

“Huh, I see.”

Regardless of a mountain’s altitude or size, the fact that you needed to brave the wilderness made exploration quite laborious. Yeah, I suppose if they do manage to catch something, that’d be cool, but even if they don’t, it seems everyone’s having a good time.

“Do you think I could have another serving of miso soup?” Aikawa-san asked.

“Of course!”

It seemed I wouldn’t need to worry about leftover miso soup, thanks to everyone’s help. I’ll make more tomorrow. What should I put in the next batch? Lately, I’d been having a little fun thinking of ways to spice up my miso soup.

7. Time’s Short, but They’re Still Exploring the Mountain

The next day was also mild and sunny. Not a snow cloud in sight... It’ll stay like this for a few days, according to the forecast.

I made a large pot of miso soup again since we’d be having a lot of visitors today. Pochi and Tama were acting all fidgety, probably because I’d told them the whole crew would be coming over. I added the enoki mushrooms I’d bought in N-Town to the pot—today’s miso soup featured seaweed and enoki. Speaking of mushrooms, I think Aikawa-san grew some... I’ll ask him how those mushroom growing kits work when I have the chance.

A little after nine, the trucks started rolling in, including Kawanaka-san and Hatano-san, each in their own vehicles.

“Good morning, everyone. Here’s to a good hunt today.”

“Morning. Eh, don’t hold your breath.”

I smiled at their exchange. Yup, looks like it’s business as usual.

Oh, I just remembered... Apparently, Katsuragi-san didn’t go to her mountain yesterday after all. Her sister was able to book a lesson. Not today, though. I guess Sundays are the busiest.

I’d gotten a message from her that read, “We’ll be at Yumoto-san’s tonight. See you then.”

She must’ve heard about the boar too. Anyway, I can ask Rie-san later about her driving lessons.

“This evening, eh? We’ll have to leave before it gets dark,” Kawanaka-san muttered.

“Same as always, no?” Hatano-san retorted.

Pochi and Tama joined the group, everyone prepared their gear, and they left for my other mountain. The chickens were visibly happy about getting to go hunt with them. They’re already part of the gang, huh?

I did my usual rounds near the house and the crops, with Yuma by my side. The leafy vegetables looked like they’d be ready to harvest in a couple of days. Pesticide wasn’t really a necessity for me, since the chickens were quick to spot and get rid of any bugs on the crops. And when I do use it, I spray the organic stuff. The chickens get mad when I do that, though.

The gift set I ordered for the Yumotos still hasn’t arrived. I’d like to bring them something today...but I’ve got nothing. I only found out about the boar after coming back from N-Town, so I couldn’t buy anything there. I should’ve gotten something from the general store yesterday. There’s still time—maybe I’ll go now. Or should I wait until the hunters come back for lunch? Hmm... Either way, I’m staying the night there, so I’d rather not go empty-handed.

“Gifts... Gifts...”

Maybe if we could find a viper somewhere... Nah, only Old Man Yumoto would appreciate that—his wife certainly wouldn’t. And he already took a viper home with him the other day. I wonder what became of it. Another one for the snake wine collection? Anyway... I suppose I’ll have to go with plain old rice crackers. Man, I’m really terrible at picking gifts, aren’t I?

Hey, wait! I could ask the Katsuragi sisters to get something for me!

I messaged Katsuragi-san, and she soon replied: “I’ll pick out something for Machiko-san.”

I thanked her and said I’d pay her later. That’s one less thing to worry about.

The hunters came back at around noon. “We could’ve eaten outside, but then we would’ve missed having some of your miso soup.” Mutsu-san guffawed.

Yeah, and I’ve got a nice kotatsu as well. It’s not snowing yet, but it’s pretty cold—I’m sure they appreciate the warmth after spending a few hours walking around in the mountains.

“Eating in the wilderness is probably the better choice as far as hunting goes, though,” Kawanaka-san remarked.

“Sure, but only if we’ve got our prey’s location narrowed down,” Hatano-san replied.

“We pretty much do, right?”

“Well, more or less,” Mutsu-san agreed.

Toyama-san was basking in the warmth of the kotatsu. “Ahhh, I love this. So relaxing... I’m still beat from yesterday...”

“Year-end cleaning, was it?” I asked.

“Yup. I had to polish all the glass doors and stuff... We managed to get it all done yesterday, thankfully. Hey, Sano-kun, mind if I take a quick nap?”

“No problem. Just please make sure to keep yourself hydrated. Hold on, I’ll bring you a blanket.”

“Thanks. Appreciate it...”

“Wait, what? Toyama-san, are you not coming with us?” Kawanaka-san complained.

While Toyama-san leisurely sipped his tea, I went to my room to grab a blanket from the closet. This should be okay... Yeah, doesn’t smell moldy. I do make sure to air out my blankets, futon, bedsheets, and all that regularly, but you never know. Plus, this stuff was already here when I moved in.

When I went back to the living room with the blanket in hand, Toyama-san smiled gleefully. “Thanks so much. You young folks are great. Really got a good head on your shoulders.”

“Well, I do live by myself,” I said, scratching my head.

“That’s true.”

If I were married, I might end up leaving all this stuff to my wife. But even if I try to think about marriage, I can’t picture anyone by my side. Uh, maybe Yuma? Maybe not—I don’t want to be viewed as a massive weirdo. Uh... Anyway, I’m totally fine with remaining single for the time being.

“Well then, we’ll leave Toyama-san in your care,” Aikawa-san told me.

“Okay. Well, I mean, he’s just gonna stay here sleeping anyway.”

“You’re here, so he’ll be fine.”

I saw them off again as they headed back to my second mountain. They said they’d be back as soon as the daylight started to fade, so I left everything ready for our trip to the Yumotos. That way, we could leave as soon as they came back. I made sure to pack enough stuff to spend the night.

Toyama-san was under the kotatsu, lying on his side with his head on a cushion and covered with the blanket. That should be enough to prevent him from catching a cold. He drank all his tea too. Yuma was outside, doing her thing.

While taking in the laundry and doing some other house chores, I thought about tonight’s gathering. I was looking forward to drinking and having a good time with everyone.

After about an hour, Toyama-san was back on his feet, visibly rested. I can tell he was feeling pretty tired before his nap.

“Ahh, that was a nice sleep. Thanks again, Sano-kun.”

“Don’t mention it. Gotta be well rested or you won’t be able to enjoy dinner.”

“You can say that again.”

Although Toyama-san would be turning seventy next year, I’d assumed he was a bit older than that due to the abundance of gray hair on his head.

“I’d like to think I’m still young at heart, but sadly, my body seems to disagree,” he lamented. “It’s pretty frustrating feeling like your body doesn’t do as you say anymore.”

“Really? You seem quite sprightly and full of energy to me.”

“You’d be surprised. Never thought it’d be like this when I was younger. Trust me—you should strive to maintain a balanced diet and exercise regularly. You’ll thank me when you’re older.”

“Gotcha.”

“If there’s one thing you shouldn’t skimp on, it’s food. Your body’s your greatest asset.”

“All right.”

They say experience is the best teacher—I definitely trust his opinion more than my own when it comes to this particular topic. Of course, listening to what your elders say is one thing, but in the end, it’s up to you whether you put that into action. But I think it’s good to learn from more experienced folks from an early age.

“Sorry, I bet I sound like a preachy old man, huh?”

“No, no, I appreciate the wisdom.”

The two of us stepped outside. Yuma noticed us and came trotting in our direction.

“Yuma-chan’s adorable, isn’t she?” Toyama-san smiled. “All three of your chickens are so nice and clever.”

I appreciated the compliment. “Yep... They sure are.”

“It’s because you take good care of them—they’re returning the kindness.”

“You think so...?” I blushed a little.

“It’s the same for both people and animals: The way you treat them comes back to you. If you treat them with little regard, they’ll treat you the same way, and if you respect them, they’ll respect you. There are exceptions, sure, but that’s what they are—exceptions.”

“I guess so...”

The way you treat them comes back to you, huh...? I was about to get lost in thought, but I jolted back to reality. I can reflect on my actions some other time.

“So, Yuma, anything interesting out here?” I asked. She tilted her head.

Guess that’s a no. I realize she stays nearby because she cares about me, but I wouldn’t mind if she went out to play. Then again, I know that if I said that to her, she’d just brush me off.

“Yuma-chan, do you know if there are any vipers around?” Toyama-san asked.

She started glancing to and fro, then headed over to the back of the house. Wait, seriously? There are?

I cautiously tagged along, but there were no snakes. I suppose she means to say that they tend to show up around this area. Yikes... After that, Toyama-san also asked her about crayfish. She cocked her head. That’s probably a no. The snakes managed to get rid of most of them, I think. That or they’re hibernating. Hopefully they don’t come out in droves when spring arrives... I’d like to see more fish in my rivers, personally.

Soon, the sun started to set. They’ll probably be back soon. I went inside and did some light cleaning. I also spotted a text from Katsuragi-san saying that they had already arrived at the Yumotos. Makes sense—she said they had no plans for today. The text continued: “I bought some Japanese sweets that we can all eat together. Don’t worry, I told them they were from you.”

“Thanks,” I replied. “Let me know later how much they were. I’ll be heading there with the others in a little while.”

I soon heard some voices coming from the north. Oh, speak of the devil. Looks like it’s them.

“Oh, they’re back?” Toyama-san asked.

“Seems so.”

We stepped outside.

Hmm? Pochi and Tama were leading the way, and they seemed to be in awfully high spirits. Did they...? “Welcome back! Catch anything?”

“Yup, we did!”

Another one? So soon after the last one?

“You did? Aww, I should’ve gone with you,” Toyama-san said, a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

Well, that’s just how it is. Looks like all the effort they put into exploring the mountain paid off. Goes to show how important it is to prepare properly.

“Yeah, a young boar. Aikawa-kun, can you get in touch with Akimoto-chan now?” Mutsu-san asked.

“Yeah, looks like I have signal again.” Aikawa-san gave the butcher a call. “Yes... Yes... Okay, got it.” He hung up. “He asked us to take it to Yumoto-san’s place.”

“All right, great,” Kawanaka-san said.

Hatano-san nodded. “We lucked out.”

They both had smiles on their faces. Looks like everyone’s in a great mood. As for the boar, it was larger than a piglet but not that big, so they’d put it inside one of the black plastic bags they’d brought along.

“We probably don’t need to worry about bugs on the carcass—the chickens took care of that. Well, as far as the outside goes, anyway. We won’t know what’s lurking inside until we butcher it,” Mutsu-san remarked casually. “Doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it, at least.”

Yeah, I guess with wild animals, you never know. Apparently, hunters could often identify certain diseases beforehand by observing the animal’s appearance or the way it moved. That’s pretty awesome.

After that, they all washed their hands and wiped the dirt from their work attire. One by one, we set off for Yumoto-san’s place.

“It’s on the smaller side, sure, but man, I’m impressed you managed to catch another one this soon!” Akimoto-san, who was already there when we arrived, chuckled. “Okay, I’ll get to work on it as soon as I can. I’ll bring you the innards after I make sure they’re good to eat, okay?”

“Thanks.”

He’d brought along the butchered boar meat from the last hunt, and they traded him the plastic bag with the new boar inside. “Make sure to leave some meat for me!” he said as he left for his place to get started on the butchering.

Uh, I’m pretty sure you don’t have to worry about that. Generally speaking, about thirty percent of a wild boar was edible. Even a voracious eater would probably feel satisfied after five hundred grams or so of meat. No way I could handle more than that.

The Katsuragi sisters, who were helping in the kitchen, came out to greet us.

“Sano-san, short time no see,” said Katsuragi-san.

Rie-san waved. “Hello there! Did the chickens come along too?”

“Yup, they’re all here,” I answered.

“Yaaay!” Rie-san exclaimed.

I wonder when they last checked on Tatsuki-san.

Tonight’s menu was boar hot pot, served in two separate earthenware pots. For the chickens, we had assorted innards, meat, and vegetables, served on a plastic sheet outside. Always a lot of food for them... They gobbled it all up, starting with the innards. I imagine they go for the most nutritious stuff first. And, needless to say, it was a terrifying sight—nothing like what most people imagine when they think of chickens eating. Usually, you’d want them to eat a lot and grow big and strong, but, I mean... Just look at them. I left them to enjoy their meal and went back to the house.

They’d kept one of the sliding doors open in spite of the cold, probably so I could keep an eye on the chickens. Sorry, everyone. The women sat farthest from the open door.

Apart from the hot pot, we also had pickled vegetables, several stews, and tempura. The vegetable tempura was particularly tasty, especially for me, since I normally didn’t get to eat fried foods at home.

“Really, Shohei, you should’ve seen the chickens. They were incredible!” Old Man Yumoto slapped me on the back.

Please be a little gentler. I’m eating...

“I bet. I heard it was Pochi and Tama who cornered it...” And then, Mutsu-san shot it from a different angle. Crazy to think that the chickens can coordinate so well with armed hunters. Even I am pretty damn impressed by that, and I’m their owner!

“Those chickens really are something else! Hunting chickens indeed!” Mutsu-san exclaimed.

“I wish I could’ve seen it... I’m a big fan of the chickens too,” Toyama-san said regretfully.

“They really can do anything, huh? They are chickens, right?” Kawanaka-san blurted out as he drank beer.

“Don’t think about it too hard,” Hatano-san muttered.

“I’m a bit curious to see what it’s like, but I’m pretty sure we’d just get in the way. Someone should film it next time,” Katsuragi-san said.

Ah, that reminds me. For a while now, I’ve been thinking of putting cameras on them, but I haven’t even bought them yet... I guess if it’s just a short video, a phone camera would suffice? How come I didn’t think of that sooner? I’ll give it a try and film them near the house sometime.

“Hmm...I don’t know. I kinda feel like it’d be best not to film it,” Rie-san murmured with a pensive expression.

“Huh? Why not?” her sister said.

“Think about it—if you had a video of that, you’d definitely wanna show it to other people, right? You might even think about uploading it on social media. Wouldn’t it just be a matter of time before he gets doxed? I think we should stick to pictures only! And no uploading them, of course!”

“Hmm, you think so?” Katsuragi-san didn’t seem fully convinced.

She does have a point there, I’d say. When I take pictures, I always get the urge to share them, and I’m sure the urge would be even stronger with videos. Suddenly, I felt someone staring. I lifted my gaze to find Kawanaka-san looking in my direction with an awkward, uncomfortable expression. Wait a minute...

“Kawanaka-san?”

“Huh? Wh-What?”

“What are you so nervous about?”

“O-Oh, I, uh... Oh, come on, Sano-kun, you’re imagining things.”

“Can I borrow your phone for a minute?” Aikawa-san, who was sitting next to him, picked up one of the phones from the table.

“Huh? Ah! Wait, wait!” Kawanaka-san’s phone, it seems.

“I see you have a lot of pictures of the chickens. I’ll send them all to my phone,” Aikawa-san said as he scrolled through the gallery and thwarted Kawanaka-san’s efforts to recover his phone.

I have my reservations about browsing other people’s phone galleries, but hey, these are pictures of my chickens. And I didn’t get to see any!

Aikawa-san turned to me. “Oh, and I’ll send them to you too.”

“Please do.”

“Uh... See? They’re cute, aren’t they?” Kawanaka-san said.

You know, I might have been willing to overlook this if we were talking about only a couple of pictures, but this is...way more than I expected.

“Kawanaka-san... You haven’t shown these to anyone, have you?” I went over the pictures one by one. Most of them had been taken from up close, making it hard to tell their actual size, but an observant person could probably still tell that something was off.

“Huh? Um, well... Just some people at work, I guess?”

“You...do realize these are my chickens, yes?” I’m not sure how it works with the rights to their images and likenesses and all that, but I mean, shouldn’t you ask for the owner’s—my—permission?

Hatano-san sighed deeply and took the phone. “Sorry, Sano-kun. I’ll make sure he learns his lesson.”

“Ah! My phone!”

Hatano-san fiddled with it for a bit, then tossed it aside.

“Hey! Watch it!” Kawanaka-san rushed to pick it up. After checking his gallery, he turned to Hatano-san. “Oh, come on! You didn’t have to delete everything!”

“And you didn’t have to take pictures of his pets without his permission and show them to other people, but here we are.”

Machiko-san and the Katsuragis threw frigid stares at Kawanaka-san. Uh-oh, looks like he earned their ire as well...

“Sano-kun...” he said.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about this. I’ll make sure to ask next time...”

“If you plan on showing them to others, I’m afraid I can’t give my permission. Look, even I don’t send pictures of them to anyone.” Well, except for those ones with the wonky perspective that I sent to my parents.

“Oh... Okay, got it. Sorry.”

Well, he’s a good guy at heart. “Just don’t do it anymore, okay? They’re my precious family.”

“I won’t. Sorry.”

The exchange seemed to have soured the mood at the table. Ah, crap...

But just then, Akimoto-san and Yuki-san came in from the veranda.

“Evening. I brought the kidneys... Uh, did something happen?” Akimoto-san was visibly confused.

“Oh, you did? Thanks. I’ll get right to cooking them.” Machiko-san stood and took the meat off his hands, then stepped into the kitchen.

“It’s nothing,” Yumoto-san told him. “Come on, have a drink!” He, Mutsu-san, and Toyama-san beckoned them over.

I’m sure Kawanaka-san’s far from the only person who’s gotten that idea. Nowadays, with phone cameras, it’s easier than ever to take pictures and shoot videos whenever you want. I sure am glad Rie-san brought it up.

We let the elders have the boar kidneys, stir-fried with salt and pepper. They’re not bad, but they’re not really my thing either.

“Guess you young folks haven’t learned to appreciate this flavor yet.” Mutsu-san laughed out loud. Toyama-san and Yumoto-san also relished the delicacy.

I think it’s just a matter of taste, not necessarily age, but... I smiled awkwardly. It’s probably better to keep it to myself. They hunted it, anyway. And Yumoto-san is our host, so he also deserves it. But me? I didn’t do anything.

The other innards were stored away at Akimoto-san’s place—he’d flash frozen them—and I’d be getting them back tomorrow or the day after.

I did ask them if they were really okay with letting me keep everything—Mutsu-san said the chickens had earned it. I guess they really were the MVPs.

I glanced over at the chickens every now and then to see how they were doing. Looks like they’re winding down—should be done soon, probably. I imagine they’ll go take a walk around the area after they finish. I decided to call it quits for the night as far as drinks were concerned because I still had to clean up after them later.

I know that someone’ll do it for me in the event that I pass out from drinking, but I wouldn’t want to do something so unseemly. I feel grateful to Kawanaka-san for doing it last time, but they’re my chickens—I’m responsible for them.

So, I kept eating boar meat to my heart’s content. Man, I love hot pot. Not really something to eat by yourself, though. I’ll leave it for when I have visitors.

Oh yeah, I guess I’ll ask them. “Hey, so, is Tatsuki-san hibernating?”

Katsuragi-san nodded, smiling. “Yup. I went to have a quick look before I came here. He was...a little dirty, so I gave him a wipe-down. I was relieved to see that it’s not as cold inside the house this year. All because of you—thanks again.” She bowed her head.

It was no big deal, really.

“That’s great to hear.” He sleeps on a straw bed on the earthen floor, if I recall correctly. And then she also covered him with a blanket. I turned to her sister. “And how’s driving school?”

“Ugh. You really want to know?”

“All I heard was that you still don’t have your provisional license.”

“Oh, please. This is so embarrassing...” She covered her face with her hands.

“But you’re not having any trouble with the practical lessons, right?”

“I forgot I had a written test. I’m not good at studying, you see. Sure would be great if someone could take the test in my place...”

I gave her a look. “Yeah, as if.”

“Thought so...” Rie-san sighed.

Sounds like she really is having a hard time. “Uh... You have a scooter license, right?”

“No, I don’t...”

Oh. Maybe she just doesn’t know how to study for that kind of exam.

“How are you studying? Workbooks?”

“Nooo, stop... You’ll give me a headache...”

I chuckled. Thatbad, huh?

I was reminded of when my sister got her scooter license. She was a fairly good student, and she’d gone to take the test after working her way through a whole book. Naturally, she’d managed to get it on her first try, but she’d told me about this guy she’d talked to who’d been sitting in front of her.

“So, did you pass? Me? I definitely did. Of course—I’m on my fifth try!”

She’d been shocked and had thought, Took you five tries to pass? For real?! He’d invited her to go grab something to eat with him after the test, but she’d politely declined his invitation and had come straight home. According to her, that had been the first time she’d encountered something she simply couldn’t wrap her head around.

I suppose everyone’s got their strengths and weaknesses. I didn’t have any difficulty with the written test part of the provisional license exam, but I have no idea what it’s like for Rie-san.

All I could say was “I mean, I think you should be okay if you pay attention to the lessons and read the textbook.” If she’s got the practical part down, it should only be a matter of time.

“Urgh... But that’s the difficult part for people who aren’t good at studying!”

“Uh, well... I’m rooting for you.”

“Waaah!”

Besides, you can’t actually ask someone to take an exam for you. And also... “Just...remember that the point is to teach you how to handle a machine that can turn into a deadly weapon depending on the circumstances... If anything, they should make everyone pass their exams with flying colors before they let them have their licenses.”

I soon realized that I was being tactless, and I slammed my mouth shut. Whoops, that was a bit of a faux pas there. Why am I always like this? Oh well. It was too late to regret it—Rie-san was staring back at me wide-eyed. She must think I’m an arrogant jerk now.

“Wow...” she murmured.

“Hmm?”

“You’re so right! Cars can totally be dangerous. Yes! This is important! I’ll do my best!”

“Oh, um... Okay.” She seemed impressed by what I’d said, but I was impressed by her newfound determination. She’s even got a sparkle in her eye. What a nice, kindhearted girl.

Everyone smiled as they watched her.

“Ah, to be young again... How old is she again?” Kawanaka-san asked, a lecherous glint in his eye. Hatano-san hit him on the head. “Ouch! Hey! What was that for?!”

“For acting like a menace to society.”

“Say what?!”

“Shut up, Kawanaka!”

“Kawanaka-kun, let’s pipe down a bit, okay?”

“That’s so unfair! Why pile on me? I’m the one who got hit!”

I also disagree with resorting to violence, but... Yikes, check out the looks the women are giving him. I’ll just stay quiet and pretend I didn’t see anything.

“Jeez! I’m just gonna have to drink my sorrows away!” He poured himself some beer.

Wait, isn’t tomorrow a weekday? Uh...

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?” I asked.

“I’ll take the morning off!”

“I respect the dedication...” He could take the whole day off if he wanted, but I imagine he doesn’t want to do that, considering how busy his workplace must be now. And he’s diligent enough to avoid driving under the influence.

Meanwhile, the others were pestering Akimoto-san to have another drink.

“Come on, just one more!” Mutsu-san said.

“Give me a break, will ya?”

“Don’t be like that!”

“You know I can’t, Yumoto-chan.”

Come on, guys, driving under the influence is serious business. The Katsuragis were also appalled by their behavior. See? They’re losing the respect they had for you.

Aikawa-san came over to me quietly and asked, “Sano-san, what about the chickens’ plastic sheet?”

“Ah, right, I’ll go clean up.”

“I’ll help.”

Thanks to his stealthiness in approaching me, we managed to sneak out without being noticed. We headed over to the garden to clean up after the chickens, who were nearby pecking at the ground.

“Had a nice dinner?” I asked them as I cleaned up. “Come inside the house later, okay?”

Everyone enjoyed the gathering in their own way. Hatano-san didn’t drink at all, so he drove home normally. Kawanaka-san kept being a bother until the end. I guess he’s got a lot going on too. I can only imagine.

The next morning, I woke up feeling rather refreshed—probably because I’d mostly abstained from drinking last night. Even so, I woke up later than Aikawa-san. I wonder if he’s the type who can get by on just a few hours of sleep. Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Kawanaka-san were still passed out. I folded my futon, went to the bathroom to wash my face, and made my way to the living room by the front door.

“Good morning...” I greeted everyone.

“Oh, Shohei. Morning. I see you were able to get up by yourself this time.”

“Good morning, Sano-san.”

“Morning!”

“Good morning. I was just about to go wake you up.”

“Oh, hi there, Sho-chan. Good morning.”

Old Man Yumoto, the Katsuragi sisters, Aikawa-san, and Machiko-san greeted me back. I couldn’t quite catch everything in my grogginess, but I understood that they were all basically saying good morning.

“What would you like for breakfast?” Machiko-san asked. “Looks like Tama-chan and Yuma-chan laid eggs. I could make something with them.”

The chickens had already gotten up, eaten their breakfast, and gone off toward the fields. Business as usual for them, I see. I really appreciated that the Yumotos had fed them.

“Oh, great,” I replied. “If anyone wants to eat their eggs, go ahead—you can have them.”

Everyone exchanged stares. Huh? Did I say something weird?

Rie-san raised her hand enthusiastically. “Me! Me, me! I wanna try them! Even just a little is fine!”

Her sister followed. “Me too! How about Rie, Machiko-san, and I share one of the eggs?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll scramble one of them for us.”

“Then me, Shohei, and Aikawa-kun can have the other one,” Yumoto-san decided.

“Sounds good!”

“Ha ha ha...” Looks like there won’t be any left for the others this time. My chickens’ eggs are pretty sought-after, huh? Honestly, I wouldn’t mind letting someone else have my share, since I get to eat them almost every day. I don’t wanna stir things up, though, so I’ll go with their suggestion.

Due to the size of Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs, even though there were only two of them, we ended up with a pretty hefty portion of scrambled eggs. Machiko-san divided everything up into six equal parts while we observed. I’m sure this must look like a bizarre situation from the outside, but it shows how serious everyone is about these eggs.

Once everyone was served, we dug in. We all seasoned our portions to our own tastes—Machiko-san had already seasoned the eggs lightly with salt and pepper, but if you wanted some extra flavor, you could try adding other stuff. For me, it was mayonnaise and a dash of soy sauce.

Yup, this is great. For some reason, my chickens’ eggs had a very rich flavor compared to regular ones. Hard to feel satisfied with plain, store-bought eggs after you get used to these. I mean, I do still eat them, but yeah.

“Yum...”

“Ahh... So delicious!”

The Katsuragis muttered to themselves in ecstasy, their hands on their cheeks. Everyone wore blissful expressions. You really gotta hand it to my chickens.

“I’m not sure if this is the case—and correct me if I’m wrong—but chickens only lay one egg a day, right?” Rie-san asked me. “Or is it possible for them to lay two on the same day?”

“Hmm, well, I read up on that a while ago. Apparently, it takes somewhere between twenty-three and twenty-six hours for them to lay an egg, so basically, there’s a hard cap of one egg a day, and some days you won’t get one.”

“Huh, I see. But I’m sure Tama-chan and Yuma-chan are the only ones who can lay eggs this tasty, right?”

“Who knows? There might be other chickens like them out there somewhere. Oh, and there’s one thing you gotta be careful about—you can’t eat them raw. I let the chickens roam freely, so we don’t really adhere to egg safety rules and all that.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that!” She held her head.

“Yeah, you can only eat raw eggs from farms that handle them with the utmost care and hygiene. That’s why people say Japan’s the only country where you can eat dishes like TKG that use raw eggs,” Katsuragi-san added.

Rather, I think Japan is just about the only country where people want to eat raw eggs.

“Gotta watch out for salmonella. Even in Japan, you can get sick from raw eggs if they’re not kept cold enough.”

“That’s true...” Katsuragi-san said sheepishly.

Anyway, the point is, if you wanna eat raw eggs, use store-bought ones.

Soon enough, we heard voices coming from the other side of the glass door. It seemed the others were up. The Katsuragi sisters scrambled to finish their eggs, which elicited some laughter from me.

“Ahh, that was a good sleep. Morning, everyone.”

“Morning.”

“Good morning...”

Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Kawanaka-san came out and greeted us. The women got up and let them have their seats.

“Good morning,” Aikawa-san and I said.

Yumoto-san laughed. “Hey, morning. Breakfast’s ready.”

Kawanaka-san still looked drowsy, but when he saw my plate, his eyes widened. “Sano-kun, are those...”

“Sorry, this is mine.” Whoops. I still had a bite left. I scooped up the last bit of egg and finished my meal.

“Aaaahh! Those are your chickens’ eggs, aren’t they?! I wanted some too!”

“Shut up, Kawanaka.”

“Kawanaka-kun, pipe down, will ya?”

I should’ve finished before they got up. Ah well...

As for what had become of Akimoto-san last night, Yuki-san hadn’t been drinking, so he’d driven Akimoto-san home afterward.

On Tuesday, the hunters decided to take the day off. No wonder—it’s only been two days since we had a big gathering with lots of food and alcohol. Plus, I bet their families appreciate them staying home every now and then. When I suggested that, Mutsu-san laughed it off and said, “Nah, I just get in the way at home,” but I’m sure that’s not true. I wonder what his wife thinks about her husband going out to hunt almost every day, even if it’s just during the winter. Well, to be fair, they don’t have any kids to raise, and they’re already retired, so maybe it’s not a big deal to her.

Before the chickens geared up to go hunting, I broke the news to them. “They’re not coming today, so you can go ahead and do as you please.”

Yuma and Pochi ran off to play. Their long tails, waving back and forth excitedly, looked kind of cute to me for some reason.

“Those are definitely not chicken tails, no matter how you slice it. They’re something you’d see on a lizard or some other reptile. Dinosaurs...?” They felt solid to the touch too—so much so that you might think most of the chickens’ weight was in their tails.

The month of December was already nearing its end. We could be getting snow any time now. I feel like it’s gonna be pretty soon, considering how cold the mornings have been.

Yesterday, before heading back to N-Town, Katsuragi-san had asked me, “If it doesn’t snow by the end of December, how about joining me for the first shrine visit of the year?!”

I’d exchanged glances with Aikawa-san, whom I’d be spending the year-end holidays with, and he’d nodded. “Sure, if it doesn’t snow.”

Inexplicably, despite the positive reply, she’d glared at me sharply. “I know there’s nothing like that going on between you guys, but...jeez, sometimes you two really give off that impression...”

“Huh?” Sometimes, I seriously have no idea what she’s talking about.

“Instead of overthinking it, how about you just ask them?” Rie-san had told her.

“Absolutely not! That ‘will they or won’t they’ dynamic is the whole point!” She’d then turned back to me. “Anyway, I’ll message you later!”

Really, what are these two on about? Sometimes I don’t understand women.

Yesterday, Kawanaka-san had left the Yumotos promptly after eating breakfast. Was he really sober already? I felt a bit worried. It’s been a day, and I haven’t heard anything from him... Well, I guess someone’ll let me know one way or another if something happened.

The weather outside was nice, except for how cold it was. I did laundry and put the futon out to dry, then also harvested some leafy greens from the garden. Nice thing about komatsuna is that you can harvest it year-round. As a kid, I wasn’t a big fan, but I’ve grown to enjoy the taste. Maybe this is what they call a mature palate.

And what about the river? It’s pretty cold—doesn’t it freeze over? Guess I’ll take the opportunity to check while I still can. I’m gonna go to the cemetery too, maybe pull out the dead weeds, do some cleaning. The store... I already went yesterday, so no need to go again today.

Cozying up under the kotatsu in the living room, I took out a piece of paper, wrote down everything I had to do, and crossed items off the list one by one. I could just do it on my phone, sure, but there’s always the risk I might forget to check it. Plus, writing by hand helps make it feel more tangible, I think.

“Hey, Tama, let’s go check out the river.”

“Okay.”

The two of us made our way over to the riverbank, although perhaps the area at the margins wasn’t quite large enough to call a “riverbank,” properly speaking.

“Looks the same as always...”

The river showed no signs of freezing over. Tama glanced around, then jumped into the stream and stuck her head in the water.

Doesn’t she feel cold? “Anything in there?” I asked. Really, it must be frigid.

She dunked her head a few times but didn’t manage to catch anything.

“Nothing,” she said in a peeved tone.

That’s...kind of a good thing? I certainly hope there aren’t any crayfish in there at this time of year. “Oh.”

I grabbed Tama as she got out of the river and tried to shake the water off her body. Instead, I dried her off with a towel. Not here, please—you’ll get me soaked.

After wiping her off hurriedly, her feathers were all disheveled and standing up in all directions. I tried to stifle my laughter, but it almost burst out. Tama noticed and pecked me.

“Sorry, sorry! I’ll straighten them right away! I will, so stop pecking me!”

I wiped her with the towel again, this time taking care to straighten her feathers. Then she shook her body to get rid of any lingering water. No pecking this time—does this mean I’m off the hook? Whew.

Afterward, I drove up to the cemetery, with Tama in the passenger seat. The two of us also checked on another river nearby, which hadn’t frozen over either. She didn’t get in the water this time.

I also thought about visiting the summit, but I decided that there probably wasn’t enough time for that. Still at the cemetery, I faced in the direction of the peak and joined my hands. “Sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to wait until spring.”

Turns out it’s near impossible to find the time to do everything I gotta do. Wait... Huh? Didn’t I come to the mountains to take it easy and live as a hermit? And haven’t I already had this exact same thought a few times before?

Thanks to all the boar meat I’d gotten to take home with me, the chickens were all in a great mood, and tomorrow, Akimoto-san would be bringing us the innards. And I’ll have to lay out a plastic sheet for them.

I ate lunch, did some light cleaning, and brought in the futon and the laundry. After completing so many tasks, I started feeling drowsy. Come to think of it, I haven’t been taking naps during the day lately. I hung the laundry that was still slightly damp on a line inside the house, then decided to go for a nap in the living room.

“Sorry, Tama... I’m gonna take a nap. You can go play outside...”

I doubt someone who spends all day running around would care to join me for a nap. But then, one of them—usually Yuma or Tama—always stays with me while I’m on the mountain. Not too sure why. I mean, it’s my mountain, so I should be safe, right?

Or...do the chickens think this mountain’s not safe?

There wasn’t much point in mulling it over, and I soon drifted to sleep. It seemed I’d been more exhausted than I’d thought, because I ended up sleeping a lot more than originally intended. I was woken up by Tama getting on top of me. Tama, you’re heavy... Your love’s too heavy...

“Hmm? Say, did you gain weight?” I mumbled without thinking, and I got pecked pretty heavily. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. “Ouch! Hey, stop it, Tama! I’m sorry! Sorry!” Looks like that’s a taboo topic even for chickens. Well, she is a girl...

Although their silhouettes did look rounder, I’d assumed that was due to the fluffier winter plumage—I hadn’t thought they’d actually gained much weight. Makes sense that they’d store more fat in winter, though. And I’m sure they must have a lot of muscle too, given how much time they spend running around.

While bathing with Yuma that night, I grabbed her and placed her on top of me, just to check.

“Sano?”

“Hmm... Yeah, she does seem a little heavier. Is it fat or muscle?”

The buoyancy of the water made her feel a bit lighter than her actual weight, but I could tell she’d probably gained a little. And when I put her back down, she pecked me. Why?!

I guess women are sensitive about certain topics...even if it’s female chickens we’re talking about. But I’ll probably never find out. I exchanged glances with Pochi, and he seemed just as clueless as I was.

8. Snow

The next morning, my bedroom felt incredibly cold. Despite being inside the house, my face felt so frigid that it ached. Holy crap.

“Brr... So cold...”

Even with the halogen heater running, the cold today felt palpably harsher than usual. I checked my phone—it was working normally, but it seemed the battery had drained overnight more than it usually did. I’ve heard that batteries drain faster when it’s cold... Curling up to defend against the chill, I laboriously made my way to the warm living room.

“Morning, guys...”

I hadn’t realized at first because I could only think about escaping the cold, but I soon noticed that the landscape on the other side of the glass door looked all white.

“You gotta be kidding me...”

Even unlocking the door felt like a hassle, but I walked over and slid the glass door open.

“Wh-Whoa...”

The whole area was covered in a layer of white.

“Seriously...?”

No wonder it’s so cold, even inside. Shouldn’t have trusted the forecast... Well, I already knew it wasn’t too reliable for us mountain dwellers.

That said, it was still snowing lightly, and it wasn’t as cold outside as one might think. It gets a lot colder when it stops snowing. If I need to do something outdoors, now’s the time. Only because the snow’s fairly sparse, though—I wouldn’t say that if it was snowing more heavily or if the wind was strong.

“It’s snowing...” I murmured. I shut the door again.

At a rough estimate, there seemed to be around ten centimeters of snow piled up on the ground. Must have started snowing during the night. What are they gonna do about today’s hunt? At any rate, I turned on the TV to check the forecast.

“For real...?”

They said it would be snowing throughout the day. We’d be getting clear weather again tomorrow. I wonder if certain spots will freeze over tomorrow morning. Looks like now’s the time to finish any last-minute chores outside. I prepared breakfast, thinking about how to deal with this weather—whether I should put chains on my truck’s tires, how much I should wait until I remove snow from the roof, and so on. After that, I put on snowshoes, stepped outside, and headed toward the shed. I should’ve brought in the chickens’ feed yesterday... Leaving my footprints in the snow made me feel unexpectedly giddy, like the excitement from my childhood had come flooding back.

I set aside about three days’ worth of chicken feed and vegetables that I’d stored in the shed, then brought them into the house.

“Hold on a sec,” I told the chickens. Tama and Yuma had laid eggs again. “Thanks for these.”

I checked for any cracks on the shells, then wiped them lightly—apparently, that was safer than washing, since there was a lower risk of bacteria making their way in—and stored them in the fridge. I couldn’t use the egg holder due to their size; instead, I used a custom-sized holder I’d made from cardboard. Including the one left over from yesterday, I now had three of their eggs in there. I got excited thinking about what to cook. Some egg soup, maybe?

Suddenly, my phone rang. I checked it to find an unexpected number caller on the screen: Akimoto-san. “Hello?”

“Hey, Sano-kun. Some weather we’re having, huh? Your boar innards are ready—what do you want me to do with ’em?”

Oh, right, he flash froze them and is storing them for me. I doubt he’ll be able to come deliver them in this snow, though... Hmm... “Um, sorry, but could I ask you to wait a little bit? I’ll get back to you by the end of the day. I believe the hunters are supposed to be coming over, so...”

“No problem. I’ll leave them as is. Call me back when you’ve got the time. If you’d prefer to wait until tomorrow or later, that’s also fine with me.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

I do wonder if they’re actually coming, though. It’s still snowing. Guess I’d better check. I gave Aikawa-san a call.

“Sano-san? Is it snowing over there too? How much has it piled up?”

“Uh, I think like ten centimeters or so?” Maybe I’ll actually measure it with a ruler later. The chickens were currently enjoying their breakfast. My own would still have to wait a little longer.

“Hmm... I see. I’ll tell Mutsu-san and Toyama-san to stay home today, then. If it’s ten centimeters by now, it should be at around thirty by the time we leave.”

“Wow... I had no idea it would pile up that much...” Oh jeez...

“If it continues to snow at this pace, that is. Even then, I think that’s probably just in the mountains. It shouldn’t be snowing as much down there.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think so...” The higher you are, the harder it snows. “Actually...”

I told him about how I’d gotten a call from Akimoto-san, who was holding on to the boar innards for me. He offered to meet Akimoto-san at the foot of my mountain and bring them up to me.

“Huh? No, no, I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that!”

“Rin happens to be clearing the snow away just as we speak. I should be able to go out in about an hour or so. Tell Akimoto-san to come by around then.”

“Wait, wait, but if the other hunters aren’t coming today, then you have no reason to come here either, right?”

“Dunno. I’m kinda bored. Can I sleep over at your place?”

“Wait, whaaat? Well, sure, I guess... Anyway, what are you doing about the snow on your roof?”

“I’ve got a roof heater, so that’s not a concern for me.”

“Oh, wow... I wish I had one too...”

Sadly, I did not and would most definitely need to remove the snow manually. Some parts of the house have been renovated, but not the roof—we’ve still got a plain old tile one. Also, I’ve been wondering... He said Rin-san is “clearing the snow away,” but what does that even mean? I feel like he’s mentioned it before.

“Hey, uh... There’s no need to come help me out under the guise of ‘being bored,’ you know,” I told him.

“It’s true, though. I really am bored. And I don’t mind helping. You can ask me for help anytime.”

“Come on, you know I could never be so pushy!”

Aikawa-san had a tendency to be excessively considerate. No wonder he’s had stalker problems in the past—with those looks and that personality, I’m sure most girls would fall for him at the drop of a hat. Good thing I’m a man.

In the end, he was more persistent than me, and I agreed to him coming over. Too persistent, I’d say, but perhaps he’s got a reason. Did something happen, maybe? After making sure that Rin-san would be staying home, I informed the chickens that he’d be spending the night here.

“Okay,” they all said, although Tama seemed to have her misgivings. Now that we had their permission, Aikawa-san would be heading over later.

Really, though, did something happen?

Akimoto-san would be coming over to hand the boar innards to Aikawa-san at the foot of my mountain. I really appreciate both of them doing this for me. I do, but...all that blood and guts splattered on the snow is definitely not gonna be a pretty sight, even with a plastic sheet underneath to help keep the mess contained... Yikes. Well, I guess there’s always the option of waiting another day to feed them to the chickens.

Anyway—it’s still snowing. After feeding the chickens breakfast, I asked, “What’re you guys gonna do in this snow? Still gonna go out?”

Pochi tilted his head as if he had no idea what I could mean by that—he clearly didn’t see this as a problem.

“Okay, I’m not saying you can’t, but make sure you come back early, okay?” I slid the glass door open.

“Snow?”

“Snow!”

“Snow!”

Pochi and Tama ran outside, unfazed by the snowy landscape. They made a subtle cracking sound as they walked.

I peered from inside, watching them walk around in the snow and listening to their crunchy footsteps. They seemed to be enjoying the feel of the snow beneath their feet. That thing people say about chickens being resilient to cold must be true. Oh, right, this also happened before with those frost pillars.

Pochi picked up some snow with his beak. That’s fairly dirty, you know. It’s got debris and dust from the air. Still cleaner than snow in the city, though.

“Cold!” he exclaimed.

Watching him, Tama got curious and did the same. “Cold!”

Yes, snow tends to be cold.

They kept doing that for a short while. Seems like it can’t be too good for their stomachs... Are they going to be all right? “Don’t get carried away, or your bellies will get cold too.”

You’re not little kids, so show some restraint. Uh, actually...they’re not even a year old yet, come to think of it. Maybe they are kids, and it’s up to me to make sure they behave? Or so I thought, but soon enough, they zipped off like they usually did. Not even the snow can keep them down.

“Be careful out there!” I yelled. My voice didn’t resonate as much as it usually did—the snow also absorbed sound. However, I did hear a loud “Kwaaah!” coming from a distance, indicating that my voice had reached them. Phew, good.

I was about to close the door again when I noticed Yuma right behind me, staring outside with curiosity.

“Do you wanna go too?”

She cocked her head. “No.”

“Oh, okay. Let’s go check on the crops, then.”

“Go!”

She seemed giddier than usual. Guess she was curious about the snow. This wasn’t the first time it’d snowed here, but it hadn’t piled up this much last time. Makes sense that they’d find it fascinating—it’s their first time seeing this scenery.

“Yuma, the ground’s pretty cold, so watch out for that.” I warned her about it despite not having said anything to the other two. I love them all equally, but Yuma’s just more ditzy than the others. You know, like, the kind of adorableness that triggers your protective instincts. Uh, she is pretty huge, though.

I stepped outside, wearing snowshoes with my boots. The fields were covered in snow, and only a few leaves peeked out here and there to show that there were things growing.

“Hmm, is komatsuna okay? It’s covered in snow.” I’ve heard of carrots that grow under the snow, but I have no idea about komatsuna. Probably better to ask Aikawa-san when he’s here instead of removing the snow now. Especially considering it’s still falling.

Yuma seemed to be enjoying the feel and crunching sound of the snow beneath her feet.

“I’m gonna stay here watching, so you can go ahead and run through it,” I said, pointing at the untrodden snow.

“Run?” She tilted her head, then proceeded to do as I’d suggested. It’s hard to resist stepping on fresh white snow, isn’t it? I nodded as I watched her leave footprints. Yup, this is what snow’s all about.

I glanced at the roof of my house. Not too much snow up there yet. Still, I should probably clear it away before this evening.

Contrary to my expectations, the chickens hadn’t been particularly taken aback by the snow, nor had they found it too cold to stay outside. They really are pretty hardy in a lot of ways. Fine by me. Yuma seems to be having fun, so I have nothing to complain about. Yup, that’s what matters.

As for the other two... I wonder how far they went. There’s not that much snow now, but if it keeps snowing until evening, will they become unable to find their way back home? Or they might fall into the river... I started to grow worried. Having said that, I wouldn’t want to make Yuma go look for them and expose her to the same risk...

Before long, I heard the sound of an engine approaching. He really came, huh?

“Yuma, it’s dangerous—you can go back home now.” She could slip on the snow.

As I’d thought, it was Aikawa-san’s truck. He drove up the mountain road slowly and carefully before eventually stopping at the parking area. I thought about asking him to park in the garage, since I had an empty spot, and it seemed better than leaving the truck outside exposed to the snow.

“Thanks for coming!” I said.

“Hello there.” Aikawa-san had a smile on his face, but he seemed somewhat melancholic. That said, I don’t want to just ask him if there’s anything wrong out of the blue.

I told him to park his vehicle in the garage. He brought out the cooler that contained the boar innards, and I carried it inside, stored the innards in the fridge, and gave it back to him. He’d also brought along some side dishes he’d made at home. The snow made the distance from the garage to my house feel much longer.

Inside, I brewed us some tea. “Funny how it feels warm outside when it’s snowing, huh?” I said.

“It really does.”

“Ah, that’s right—did you have any trouble driving up here? I haven’t done any shoveling.” Even though I knew he was coming by. Sorry, Aikawa-san.

“Not really, no. There wasn’t that much snow on the road, probably thanks to the trees. In fact, there was more snow piled up near the foot of the mountain.”

Oh, makes sense—snow getting caught on branches and stuff keeps it from collecting on the ground. But then, that gives me another thing to worry about: trees falling over from the weight of the snow. There could be some blocking the road tomorrow morning if we’re unlucky. Not like I can go around cleaning the snow off the trees, though. I guess this is just another thing you’ve got to deal with when you live in the mountains.

“It’s probably a good idea to sweep the road a bit, though,” he added.

“Sweep?” Like, with a broom?

Aikawa-san chuckled at my confused expression. “Yeah, I think that’s enough for now. Though having a snow shovel would also help. If you want to do it, I can help.”

“I guess I should.”

“Yeah, there’s no sign of the snow letting up. But if you’re shoveling, it’s better to wait until the afternoon.”

I glanced outside and saw large snowflakes falling, one after the other. True—no signs of it stopping. “Has it been snowing since last night?” I asked.

“I think it started...a little after midnight? Well, it’s not like I could do anything about it that late, so I just sulked in bed...” He seemed crestfallen.

“Sulked...?”

“Yeah. Sulked.” He wore a rueful smile.

He’s just waiting for me to ask about it, isn’t he?

“May I ask why?”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to... Well, actually, I kinda did. Do you mind if I vent a little?”

“Not at all. I’ll make coffee.” Our teacups happened to be empty, so I decided to try some coffee for a change. Just instant coffee, though, sadly.

But even the instant kind had the nice, fragrant smell of coffee. We both took a sip, and Aikawa-san started to explain the situation.

Back in the summer, he’d finally managed to break free of his stalker-related trauma. (You already know how that went—I’ll spare you the details.) He’d told his lawyer about it as well, and his family had been quite happy for him.

Then, it seemed his family had contacted him, asking him to leave his mountain and go back to his hometown.

“So I figured, sure, I’ll think about it... Maybe go visit them and spend a couple of days there.” I’m sure even that much is a big step forward for him. “But...” He was smiling, but he seemed like he was about to cry. “I learned that they’d been going around using my pictures without my consent and setting up blind dates for me.”

“Huh?” I had no idea that was also a thing for guys.

“My family’s...sort of a big deal back at home, for better or for worse. And with this kind of traditional family, they say it’s unbecoming to have an unmarried son in his thirties. I thought that stuff was none of my concern anymore after moving out...”

A lot of people assume that if you look all right, you really are all right—emotional wounds are invisible to the eye, after all. But that’s absolutely not the case. Some people never get over their traumas, and some wounds continue to bleed, unbeknownst to anyone else.

“So...you turned them down?”

“Yup, I did. I can’t really think about that sort of thing for the time being, and besides, I have brothers. Though I don’t keep in touch with them at all. Anyway, I don’t see myself going home again.”

I can imagine, after they tried putting him through that... I mean, come on, people—do you realize what year it is? Talk about outdated. “That...really sucks. I’m sure it feels terrible hearing that from your own family...”

“Sorry for venting...”

“Oh, no, it’s okay. It could happen to anyone.” I’m still in my twenties, but who knows. I might go through a similar thing if I’m still single in my thirties.

I understand that as far as parents are concerned, we remain children forever, no matter how old we grow. Still, I think we should have a say in our own lives. I mean, think about it—isn’t it bizarre that when someone of age commits a crime, people try to pin it on their parents raising them wrong or whatever? If they’re legally adults, I don’t think it’s got anything to do with their parents anymore. But that’s the kind of country we live in, and so I guess that’s reflected in parents’ inability to let go of their kids. But that’s just my perspective, whatever it’s worth. It might also have to do with Confucianism and that kind of stuff, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t know.

“The snow’s so quiet...” I murmured.

“It is, yeah.”

“I bet if I were all by myself right now, I’d feel terribly lonely.”

“I bet.”

He’s got Rin-san by his side, but that’s probably not enough sometimes. “How’s Rin-san doing these days?”

“She’s not too fond of the snow, so she’s going around clearing it away—she’s been hard at work since the wee hours.”

I remember he told me about how she’d clear the snow away with her tail. She really dislikes snow, huh? That’s a bit surprising to hear.

“So are you all by yourself when it’s snowing?”

“That’s right. I do appreciate her clearing the snow off the road for me, though.” He chuckled.

I glanced outside. Yuma was running around the place, enjoying the falling flakes. That’s adorable.

“Can I ask you to help me clear away the snow after lunch?” I asked.

“Of course. Leave it to me.” Aikawa-san seemed a little more energetic than he had a moment ago.

He had brought his own lunch with him—three onigiri. I complemented that with egg soup and pickled vegetables, which he seemed to greatly appreciate. As for me, I ate a bowl of rice topped with a stir-fry of marinated boar meat and onions. It was pretty good. I could probably go with just salt and pepper for seasoning, but boar meat’s got that gamy smell, and the best way to get rid of that is to leave it marinating for some time. Anyway, this goes fantastic with rice. I shared some with Aikawa-san too, of course.

I also served Yuma some boar meat, although hers was raw and unseasoned. As usual, she gobbled it all up, along with the chicken feed.

“Hey, Yuma, I’m thinking of going out to clear the snow later. Would you mind helping?”

“Clear snow?” She tilted her head.

According to Aikawa-san, we could probably do it more effectively by attaching a broom head to her tail and having her swing it around. That’s what Rin-san did, minus the broom head. I bet it’d hurt like hell to get hit by that. Yikes...

“Okay!” she replied, probably unaware of what it actually meant.

Awesome! You’re the very best. Like no one ever was.

“Thanks. I’ll be counting on you.”

After drinking some tea and winding down for a bit, I stood up with a heave-ho. (Yeah, I know that’s an old people thing. Shut up.)

I had a bunch of brooms lying around. I searched the shed for one that had an easily detachable broom head—Aikawa-san and I removed it. Then, with Yuma’s permission, we attached it to her tail.

“Do you think you could swing your tail sideways?”

“Okay.”

I’d worried that my explanation might be a little complex for her, but after a few tries and corrections, she managed to get it down. She could now swing her tail horizontally in a smooth motion, just as I instructed.

We stepped outside to put it into practice. It worked as intended—Yuma left a trail in her wake, with nearly no snow left behind her. Almost like a machine, in a way.

“If you have her do this on the road, it should help. Only help, though—we’ll still have to sweep and clear away most of the snow ourselves.”

“All right. Thanks.”

We also equipped ourselves with brooms, plus a snow shovel, and proceeded to clear snow from around the garage and on the road. Since the snow was still soft, even a broom could push it away easily. And we just shoveled the few spots where the snow had hardened a little. We continued this for about an hour, and despite getting all sweaty, we weren’t able to make much progress.

“Sano-san, let’s go back and take a break.”

If we stayed outside in the cold wearing sweaty clothes, we could get frostbite. Aikawa-san had brought a few extra changes of clothes with him to prevent that.

“Yuma, we’re gonna rest for a bit,” I said.

“Fun!” Waving her tail, she just kept going.

“Yuma! Look, Chinese cabbage! Aren’t you gonna eat?”

She stopped dead in her tracks. “Eat!” She ran back in our direction, swinging her tail around. I sighed in relief.

Judging from her reaction, maybe Pochi and Tama would enjoy clearing the snow too. “Not gonna get my hopes up, though...” I know how fickle and unpredictable my chickens can be.

Back inside, I fed Yuma some Chinese cabbage, and we got changed. I had a working dryer at home, so we would be fine even if we had to do a little laundry. Not a big fan of drying clothes inside, though—they don’t feel properly dry.

“You can just put those in the washing machine. I’ll wash them all together later,” I told Aikawa-san.

“Thanks.”

He put his clothes in there too, and we enjoyed a nice respite with tea and snacks before getting back to work—or our attempt at it. Yuma and her tail are putting us to shame, I have to admit.

“At this rate, I bet if we got all three of them to work on it, they’d sweep away all the snow down to the foot of the mountain in a day...” I blurted out.

“Who knows? They’re chickens.”

“Yeah...” I still don’t know if it’d work this well with Pochi and Tama.

I showered Yuma with praise. She raised her head proudly, which I found incredibly cute. And even after I removed the broom head, she kept swinging her tail vigorously. Whoa, gotta watch out for that.

“Yuma, you were a huge help. Thanks so much. Good girl!”

“Good girl?”

“You sure are!”

“Good girl!” She flapped her wings happily. Gosh, she’s just so adorable!

“Sano-san, you’ve got the goofiest grin on your face right now.”

“I know... But she’s just so cute! I can’t help it.” I need to show her how much I appreciate her.

Not too long after, Pochi and Tama came back, covered in snow. They walked up to me, flapping their wings to shake it off.

“Eek!” Hey, don’t do it right next to me! “Welcome back, guys. Did you have fun with the snow?”

“Cold!”

“Cold!”

“I see, I see. Come on, clean your feet and come inside.”

I wiped the snow off them as well as I could and let them inside. I understand that they’re pretty good in the cold, but they spent all this time outside. I dried off their feathers with a towel. Aikawa-san also helped dry off Pochi.

We’d been able to clear away some of the snow from the road and near the house, but other than that, it was still piled up on the ground.

“Ah, the roof... Guess I gotta do something about that too.”

“Do you have a sturdy stepladder?”

Just when I thought we were done working—more work. I brought out a stepladder I’d found in the shed, and we managed to clear the snow off the roof. However, the snow was still falling, with no signs of stopping.

“Pretty sure the weather forecast said it was only supposed to last until early evening...” I muttered.

“Remember that we’re in the mountains—don’t put too much stock in the forecast.”

“It really is a no-man’s-land here...”

Jeez, I’m aching all over. I can tell I’m in for a lot of soreness tomorrow. I gotta admit...pathetic as it makes me feel to say it, I couldn’t have gotten much done if Aikawa-san weren’t here to help. Well, in general, I definitely wouldn’t be able to manage living here without all the people who are always helping out.

Our dinner menu consisted of the dishes Aikawa-san had brought with him (mostly Chinese-style dishes), plus grilled boar meat marinated in miso, and since I’d made a lot of egg soup for lunch, there was still some left over. Aikawa-san explained that he’d gotten a craving for Chinese food last night and had made too much. He’d brought mapo tofu and stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts—dishes that still tasted great after reheating in the microwave. Thanks to him, we were able to enjoy a splendid dinner.

“You used chicken stock for this soup, right?” he asked.

“Yeah. It’s gotta be chicken stock for egg soup.”

“I’ve kinda gotten a craving for Chinese-style corn soup now.”

“Oh, I could definitely go for that.” That corn soup you can get at Chinese restaurants. Great stuff. They generally only serve that at specifically Chinese restaurants—not ramen restaurants and the like.

“It’s pretty easy to make if you have canned corn and cream.”

“Seriously?!”

I wasted no time in asking him for the recipe and jotting it down. Okay, so, chicken stock... I gotta figure out the appropriate amount. I bet the soup’ll warm me up real nice if I thicken it with potato starch... Never thought I’d be able to enjoy that same dish I eat at restaurants from the comfort of my home. I don’t have cream, though. Gotta make sure to buy some next time I’m at the store... Hmm, so a little squeezed ginger juice can be a nice touch too... Apparently, this Chinese-style corn soup recipe was called su mi tang.

“Were you always into cooking?” I asked.

“Hmm... Not really, actually. I just thought if I learned to make the dishes I enjoyed, I could eat them whenever I wanted.”

“That makes sense, yeah.” If you learn how to make good food, you can eat good food all the time. A convincing argument if I’ve ever heard one.

“I’m a big eater, you see.” He chuckled to himself.

“I think it’s great to have an interest in exploring different kinds of food and honing your skills. Me...I’m just happy to have something to eat.”

“But you’ve got a good repertoire of recipes too, don’t you?”

“Uh... Well, you get tired of eating the same stuff all the time.” Living in the mountains is all about getting enough energy, and if I have to eat, I’d rather eat something tasty... That’s how I view it.

I tried to see how things were outside, but it was pitch-dark already. All I could faintly make out from the other side of the frosted glass was that it seemed to still be snowing.

“I wonder if it’s gonna keep going until tomorrow.” I certainly hope not.

I turned on the TV, just in time for the news. What I really wanted to know about was the weather. The forecast said it should be cloudy around this area tomorrow, and after that, it was supposed to be sunny for a few days. Hopefully that helps melt the snow away.

“I think it’s probably stopped down at the foot of the mountain by now, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. It’s all mountains around here too.”

“Yeah...”

Guess I’ll just have to deal with it. Like Aikawa-san said, other than the south side of my property, we were surrounded by mountains here. No wonder it snows for so long.

“Which means...you probably won’t be able to go hunting tomorrow, right?” I asked.

“I’ll call the others.”

I figured the other hunters had also assumed that tomorrow’s hunt wouldn’t be happening, but it was a good idea to talk to them in advance anyway. Aikawa-san called Mutsu-san and Toyama-san.

“Yes, I’m at Sano-san’s place, and it’s still snowing here. We’re not sure how deep it’ll get. Huh? Yeah. Oh, sleet...? Yeah, it’s pretty cold.”

He hung up.

“They called it off. Looks like we’re in for another day of clearing snow.”

“So it seems...” I said in a disappointed tone.

“Clear snow?” Yuma inquired.

“Yeah, tomorrow. It’d be nice if you could help again.”

“Clear snow!” She flapped her wings giddily.

Heh, never heard of a chicken who likes clearing snow. That’s cute.

“Clear snow?”

“Clear snow?”

Pochi’s and Tama’s interests were also piqued.

“Yeah, with your tails. Wanna give it a shot tomorrow?”

“Okay!”

“Okay!”

I sure am glad my chickens are so nice. Of course, they’d still be, even if they didn’t help out.

“And if they find it boring... Well, whatever. I’ll try to keep my expectations low.” I’d feel pretty disappointed if I got my hopes up only for them to get bored and quit soon after starting. I nodded to myself.

Aikawa-san smiled. “I admire their willingness to try new things. They don’t show any hints of hesitation—I feel a little jealous about that.”

“Well... The flip side to that is that they can act pretty reckless too.” Like, say, hunting down wild boars without a care in the world. They might go for a bear one of these days. I’ll have to be careful when spring arrives.

“They say it’s better to regret what you’ve done than what you haven’t.”

“If you ask me, regrets are regrets. If you wanna do something, go ahead, and if you don’t, that’s okay too. Different strokes for different folks.” I don’t think there’s any need to force yourself to do something you don’t wanna do. Maybe I’m just making excuses so I don’t have to feel bad about running away from my problems. But I really don’t feel any need to stay in my hometown and bear with it. And hey, maybe I’m the only one who still cares about the whole fiancée fiasco, and no one else gives a damn. But I don’t want to go back—simple as that.

“That’s a very considerate way to look at things.”

“Nah, I’m just lazy.”

I let him take a bath before I did, and since I’d feel bad about making him sleep in a cold room, we all decided to crash in the living room. There’s the kotatsu here too. The weird thing was...there were more chickens than humans. Anyway, thank god for my oil heater.

I woke up feeling terribly thirsty. The air must be really dry. I heated up water with my electric kettle, then poured it into a teacup and added some cold water from the fridge before taking a sip. I got my water from the river, and it wasn’t suitable for drinking straight from the tap, even though it was filtered. I always had to boil it first, then let it cool and store it in the fridge. In summertime, doing it too often proved to be a bit of a pain, so I bought bottled water by the case. But in the winter, there wasn’t as much need for that. I also had a thermal bottle, which came in quite handy when I went out.

“Good morning. Could I have some hot water?” Aikawa-san asked.

“Morning. Sure, I’ll make us some tea.”

The tea leaves had been a present from the Yumotos—they grew tea shrubs on a corner of their property. “Not that much tea, but enough to share,” according to Yumoto-san. I’d taken them up on it.

“Morning, guys,” I said to the chickens. “Thanks again for these.” I picked up their eggs from the earthen floor and gave them a wipe, then turned to Aikawa-san. “Does more miso-marinated boar meat and a fried egg sound okay for breakfast?”

He smiled. “Sounds fantastic!”

Wow, people really do love my chickens’ eggs, huh? Of course, I’m no exception. I made miso soup with komatsuna and the enoki mushrooms Aikawa-san had brought, and for the chickens’ breakfast, I served them feed from the farm, boar meat, and komatsuna.

Ah, that reminds me... “By the way, Aikawa-san, I wanted to ask—the komatsuna I planted are buried under the snow. Is it okay to leave them that way?”

“In the fields?”

“Yeah.”

“The mountains here are not all that cold, so generally it’s fine to leave them as is and only harvest them when you need to, provided they don’t stay beneath the snow all the time. Harvesting everything all at once and storing them in the freezer is also an option, if you’re concerned.”

“I see. Thanks for letting me know.” I’d been worried about that. Glad I could ask. Storing in the freezer... Isn’t that more or less the same as leaving them in the snow, though?

“That’s quite the meal you prepared there for the chickens, huh?”

“Yep, I want them to stay strong and healthy. Plus, they are pretty big.”

Buying all this food for them puts a big dent in my wallet, but it’s an absolutely necessary expense. Thankfully, I still had plenty of boar meat left and a nice amount of vegetables in the shed too if I wasn’t being picky, not to mention the leafy greens waiting to be harvested. That helped cut back on our food expenses—without all that, I’d be looking at a significant increase.

The one thing I couldn’t cut back on was utilities, but that was a matter of life and death. “My electricity bill is...yeah...” I groaned.

“How about making firewood?”

“I’m not too confident about using a wood stove...”

“I can understand that, since you have the chickens with you. But I could buy firewood from you if you did. I need lots of it for my bath.”

“Oh, right.” Firewood, huh? Hmm... That would help me save on electricity and gas. And people used to do all cooking with firewood back in the day. That’s why they had those earthen floor areas, in fact. “I don’t think I’ve ever really used an axe before. Can you teach me how to do it?”

“Sure, no problem.”

All right, that might give me something to do in my spare time.

After finishing their breakfast, Pochi and Tama were acting all fidgety. I turned to them and asked, “Hey guys, can I ask you to help us clear the snow today?”

It had stopped snowing overnight, and I could see from the other side of the glass door that there were probably around twenty centimeters of pure white piled on the ground. And that’s after all our hard work yesterday. What a bummer...

“Sure,” they both replied.

Aww, I’ve got the nicest chickens in the world!

I reached for the handle of the sliding door. “Hopefully this’ll open...” It should, at least.

“Hmm... If it doesn’t, you could try pouring warm water on it to melt the snow,” Aikawa-san advised. “If you can manage to open it even a little, it’ll be easy to deal with.”

I gave the door a yank. It seemed the rails had seized up from the cold, and I could only manage to open it about five centimeters. But after pouring warm water on the rails, I was able to slide the door completely open.

“I guess it’ll be the same thing tomorrow...” I muttered.

“Might be a good idea to always carry some hot water with you.”

Wait, does this mean that if it gets too cold, I might not be able to open the door when I get home? Holy yikes.

Just like yesterday, I picked out a couple of brooms and some detachable broom heads from the shed. I walked up to the chickens, who were already outside swishing their tails around, and asked if I could attach them.

“You just swing the brooms from side to side. Lower your tail a bit, Pochi. Yeah, like that. Whoa... You guys are doing great!”

Pochi and Tama got the hang of it in no time, and soon, all three were standing there sweeping away snow. Before I knew it, most of the snow beneath them had disappeared. There was still a layer of white obscuring the ground from the snow that had already hardened, but with the chickens’ help, we would have a much easier time clearing the road.

And thus, the snow-clearing chicken squad set off on their mission. Aikawa-san and I tagged along, equipped with brooms of our own and a snow shovel, but we soon realized we were out of our depth.

At first, the chickens were treading cautiously, still not used to clearing snow, but they gradually increased their speed until they eventually left us in the dust.

“Heeey!” I yelled out. “Don’t run so fast. You guys okay?”

We followed in their wake, descending carefully down the road. In the end, it took us over an hour to reach the foot of the mountain—usually, it was a ten-minute drive. Walking down a snowy mountain demanded tremendous caution and concentration. I bet climbing back up won’t take this long. The chickens were there when we arrived, swinging their tails at the ground while they waited for us.

“Pochi, Tama, Yuma, good job! How was it?”

“Fun!” they all cried out in unison. Well, that’s great to hear.

There was still some amount of snow left on the road, but visibly much less than before, thanks to their hard work. As soon as we caught up with them, they turned back and were about to start climbing back up. I opened my backpack, took out the Chinese cabbage I’d brought along, and gave it to them to snack on. Pretty shabby reward, I know, but I gotta have something for them.

The climb back up to the house took us a little under an hour. The chickens cleared away the snow on the way back as well.

“That was so impressive,” Aikawa-san said in a tone of admiration. It was still a bit dangerous for him to drive back to his place, so he’d be staying the night again. “I’ll be looking forward to having you over during the holidays.”

“Same here.”

Back at home, we ate lunch—a bit later than usual. I hope we get nice weather tomorrow... But will that stop the road from freezing over? Winters here might be rougher than I thought.

We decided to leave the area beyond the foot of the mountain for another day, but we did clear the snow off my roof. Looks like it’s not snowing tomorrow anyway. Everywhere I look it’s snow, snow, and more snow.

“With this much snow piled up, you could even have a snowball fight...” I muttered carelessly. That soon proved to be a mistake. I saw Aikawa-san’s eyes light up. Huh? Wait, don’t tell me...

“That sounds like fun! I haven’t done that since I was a child.”

“Seriously...? You wanna have one?”

“We could have the chickens hit the snowballs with their tails.”

I was the one who had initially brought it up, but Aikawa-san seemed far more enthusiastic than I was.

“That...wouldn’t really be a snowball fight, would it?”

We thought of ways that the chickens could join in, since that seemed more fun than just the two of us tossing snow back and forth. Maybe instead of throwing snowballs at each other, we could throw them at the chickens and have them hit them back at us with their tails. I mean, it would have to be their tails, since they don’t have hands, obviously. It’d be pretty freaky if they did...

When Aikawa-san and I started making snowballs, Pochi and Yuma came over and stared with curiosity. Tama also observed us, although from a distance. She’s always got her guard up.

One after the other, we cupped our hands and packed snow into tight balls. “Like this?” I asked.

“I imagine they have to be firm enough that they won’t break if you drop them on the ground.”

“Hmm. Probably need to press them tighter, then.”

It was an odd situation, to be sure—two grown men sitting around making snowballs—but being able to unwind and have some fun was also important. (Not an excuse, I swear.) After a short while, I finally managed to make a satisfactory snowball that seemed sufficiently firm. I made two more for a total of three, then turned to the chickens to explain how it would go.

“Okay, so I’m gonna throw this at you, and you hit it back at me, got it?”

“Hit?”

“Back?”

Pochi and Yuma tilted their heads, both in the same direction. Okay, I’m guessing that’s a no. Aikawa-san covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. Huh, was it really that funny?

Anyway, let’s try Tama. “Hey, Tama. I’m gonna throw this snowball at you, and I want you to hit it with your tail real hard. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Okay, here we go!”

I threw the snowball at her, aimed at her tail, and, as instructed, she did hit it...except she swung her tail downward, slamming it into the ground. Naturally, the snowball shattered into countless snowflakes.

“Gaaah...! Okay, that was my fault. I should’ve explained better...”

The conclusion that Pochi and Tama had drawn from that was that I wanted them to break the snowballs. They smashed apart the two remaining ones with their tails.

What the heck am I even doing?

“Sano-san, I imagine you don’t have any baseball bats, but would you happen to have any pieces of wood of around that size?”

“Oh... I can go look for some branches around here, if that’ll do.”

I told the chickens to stay put and went to look for appropriately sized tree branches. I didn’t even need to break them—I found some lying on the ground.

“Here, watch this.” I threw a snowball at Aikawa-san, and he hit it with a branch. Though the snowball partially shattered, it did fly a little. “I want you to do the same, but with your tails.”

Tama ran up to me and pecked me.

“Ouch! Hey, what was that for?!”

“Ha ha ha... Probably her way of complaining that you didn’t explain properly.”

“But I did! Just now!”

We started one more time—I made snowballs and threw them at the chickens, who hit them back. Hmm... Yeah, looks like they break two in every three snowballs. Pochi seems to be the best at controlling his strength. I wonder if that’s also how it goes when he spars with Kakegawa-san’s rooster.

We were already drenched in sweat. “This...isn’t really a snowball fight, is it?”

“I...don’t think so.”

We looked at each other and laughed. The chickens also seemed to be enjoying it in their own way.

“Snow?”

“Ball?”

“Fight?”

“Uh, well, this wasn’t exactly a snowball fight...probably?” More like snow baseball? I think? No idea.

I also went ahead and built a snowman. I could build an igloo too if there was more snow. “First time making a snowman since I was a kid...”

Aikawa-san smiled. “You can build them every year here.”

“Oh... Maybe an igloo too, if it snows more?”

“Oh, maybe. I’d like to try sometime.” I wonder if he ever does this kind of stuff at home too.

The snowman I built was slightly larger than the chickens. They were all staring at it. Uh-oh... They won’t get aggressive, will they? “Don’t break it, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Whaaat?”

“Okay.”

Hey now, Tama. Listen up. “Look, it’s not alive. You can’t eat it. It’s just decorative! So leave it alone.”

“Whaaat?”

It seemed Tama had a bone to pick with the snowman.

Oh, now that I think of it, Aikawa-san said Rin-san dislikes snow, didn’t he? “Do you ever build snowmen on your mountain?”

“I did once, back when I first moved here. Rin destroyed it.”

She must really hate the snow. “You hear that, Tama? Rin-san destroyed one of these. So if you do the same, that means you and her are friends, right?”

She pecked me ferociously, as if to say, Don’t lump me in with her!

“Ouch! Hey! Ow! That hurts! Am I wrong?! If you do! That makes you the same as her! Ow, ow!”

Stop! It’s hard running away in the snow! How come she’s not having any trouble? Aikawa-san just stood there laughing out loud. And I can’t really ask him for help either. I’d feel bad if he met the same fate.

Nearing my limit, I asked for help. “Yuma! Help meee!”

She went up to Tama and pecked at her tail lightly. Reluctantly, Tama let me go. Phew. Am I off the hook now?

“Look, just leave the snowman alone, okay?” I told them one more time. I mean, it’s not such a huge deal, but I did go through the effort of building it.

“Okay.”

“Okay...”

“Okay.”

Aikawa-san was still laughing. “Was it really that funny?” I asked.

“Pfft... Sorry... Yeah... It was like you and your chickens were doing a comedy routine or something.”

“You like comedy?”

“I do, yeah.”

Oh.

All that playing outside had made me chilly all over, so I hurried back inside and got in the bath. The laundry I’d hung inside yesterday was completely dry already. I changed and did another batch of laundry. Can’t stay all sweaty with this weather, or I’ll catch a cold.

“Didn’t expect we’d be able to sweep that much snow away...” I said.

Aikawa-san nodded. “Good thing we asked them, huh?”

After enjoying a break with tea and rice crackers, I started to feel sleepy. Yawning the whole time, I took out the laundry, left it to dry inside, set the alarm on my phone, and then Aikawa-san and I decided to take a nap. Pochi and Tama seemed to still have plenty of energy left in them, and they set off to patrol the mountain. No, but seriously, what is the deal with these chickens? Yuma joined us inside—she also took a nap, though she sat on the earthen floor. Ahh, I love this.

Do I have any plans for tomorrow? Looks like we’ll be getting nice weather for the next few days... Eventually, I drifted to sleep.

Some time later, I was awoken by the alarm. Man, this living room just feels so comfy. I’ve got the earthen floor area and the kitchen right there, and it’s nice and warm thanks to the oil heater.

I got up and stretched. Aikawa-san and Yuma were already up.

“Haven’t had a nice afternoon nap in a while...” Aikawa-san murmured.

“Well, yeah, you’ve been hunting nearly every day.”

“Yeah, but that’s not it—I’m just not in the habit of napping. Kinda feels like I’m slacking off and neglecting my duties...”

“I hear you need more sleep in winter, though.” But that might be a hoax. It could just be that people sleep more because the days are shorter. “Honestly, if anything, I say you work too hard. Unlike me. I take naps all the time.”

I fed Yuma some Chinese cabbage as an afternoon snack, which she munched on happily. So adorable.

“You think so? I dunno... How late is it?” He checked the time. “I imagine Pochi-san and Tama-san should be back anytime now.”

“Probably, yeah.”

Speak of the devils—it didn’t take long for the two to come running back with loud footsteps, their bodies covered in snow from head to claw. I’m amazed that they can run that well in the snow. I took a quick glance outside. Okay, looks like the snowman is still safe and sound.

“Welcome back!” I greeted them outside. They shook their bodies vigorously, leaving me covered in snow. “You guys...” Okay, guess it was my fault for getting too close to them. But still... Ugh, this freaking sucks.

Aikawa-san and Yuma had probably seen the whole thing—Aikawa-san was trying to hold back his laughter again. Sure, sure, my whole life’s a comedy...

Pochi and Tama seemed to realize that they were also in the wrong, and they soon ran off again. “Heeey! Don’t stay out too late!” I yelled. Unlike yesterday, I could hear my voice echoing faintly.

Now then, gotta get changed again... Meh, I was already going to take a bath tonight anyway.

All this snow-related stuff was new to me, and I still hadn’t gotten the hang of dealing with snow here on my mountain. I let out a loud, exaggerated sigh.

9. Skies Are Clear, but When It’s This Cold, the Snow’s Here to Stay

Pochi and Tama came back not too long after that. They flapped their wings and shook their bodies to get the snow off them—and this time, they stayed a good distance away from the front door. I can only hope they learned their lesson. Then again, they might forget about it and do the same thing tomorrow...

After getting settled inside, we all fell asleep. It was sunny the next morning, but still quite chilly. The bottom rail of the glass front door had frozen over again. I poured warm water on it before sliding it open. Am I gonna have to do this every day?

“Good morning,” said Aikawa-san. “I just talked to Mutsu-san—they may or may not come today, depending on the condition of the roads down at the village.”

“Oh... Did it snow a lot down there too?”

“There are probably a few spots where they haven’t cleared the snow yet. It’ll depend on that.”

“Makes sense. I have no idea how much it usually snows around here—is it always this much? Or is this light snowfall for this area?”

Aikawa-san stopped and pondered for a moment. “Hmm... Generally speaking, this is not too much, but it’s not a small amount either...”

“I see...” Which means that we do get heavier snowfall. I can picture Rin-san clearing away the snow with an angry look on her face. “Must be rough for Rin-san.”

“Heh... It’s tough for everyone, really. They said if they’re not here by ten, it’s canceled.”

“Gotcha. Tell them to please take care on their way.”

He promptly called them, then hung up after a short conversation. “Now then, shall we sweep the snow from the area beyond the foot of the mountain? We can go with my truck—there’s room for the chickens too. Ah, but if the others are coming here...”

Looks like he’s got a lot on his mind. He’s better than I am at logistics, so I’ll leave it to him. Sorry.

We ate a light breakfast and drove both our vehicles down to the base of the mountain with the chickens in tow. It ended up being a fairly long drive—even with snow chains on our tires, we still had to be cautious and stay wary as we descended. Down there, we parked our trucks in a wide, open area on the other side of the fence and began clearing the snow.

“Go down from here, swing your tails like yesterday, then when you’re near the bridge, come back here,” I instructed the chickens. I knew that they’d go at their own pace and leave us behind anyway, so I thought it’d be better to give them instructions in advance while they could still hear me.

It turned out that there were quite a few spots where the snow had hardened and couldn’t be swept away. Bah, I should’ve done it more thoroughly yesterday...

With a snow shovel and brooms at our disposal, Aikawa-san and I were able to clear away an area of about ten meters of snow from the ground.

“You know... At this point, I think we could really use a machine.”

“Ah...” Aikawa-san pondered for a moment. “Maybe if Mutsu-san can lend it to us...”

Oh, right. I forgot Mutsu-san owned some equipment. How come I forgot? He even helped clear out those abandoned buildings. “But he’s probably using it at his place. I’m not sure about asking him to bring it here.”

That concern was quickly dashed when we heard a rumbling sound coming from far away. Aikawa-san was the first to notice.

“Hmm? What’s that? Sounds like a construction vehicle.”

The chickens, who were supposed to be away doing their thing, came back to us. We glanced around. That’s weird. There’s only this one road, and it leads to my house. I mean, it’d also be weird if the sound was coming from somewhere else, though.

Soon enough, the source of the sound—an excavator—came into view and slowly approached.

“Oh? Hey, Sano-kun. You came out to greet me? Thanks!”

In the driver’s seat was Mutsu-san, a helmet on his head and a grin on his face. He was wearing work clothes and had a cigarette in his mouth. Whoa, that looks pretty badass.

“Good morning! I see you’ve brought out the heavy machinery,” Aikawa-san called out cheerfully.

“You know how mountains are—I thought you might be having trouble with the snow.”

I really gotta find some way to thank him for this.

We heard a horn honking from behind the excavator. There was a truck tagging along behind him, which turned out to be Toyama-san’s. “So, how does it look?” he asked.

“This area hasn’t been taken care of yet,” Mutsu-san replied, “but it looks like it’s much better as we go up the road. Seems Sano-kun and Aikawa-kun did a pretty good job, eh?”

“Oh, um... Actually, you see, my chickens...” I pointed at the broom head attached to Yuma’s tail.

Their mouths fell open. Mutsu-san stared at Yuma’s tail and, in a deeply impressed tone, muttered, “Chickens really are something else...”

Needless to say, not all chickens are capable of feats like this. I feel sorry for the other chickens living around here—looks like mine really raised the bar...

We drove back to my house, with Mutsu-san leading the way.

“I know it should be a good thing that our help is not needed, but...it’s a bit of a weird feeling...”

Mutsu-san and Toyama-san were still reeling from the shock. Sorry, I know my chickens can be pretty...uh, unusual...

“No, I appreciate you coming here with your excavator,” I replied. “Even with the chickens’ help, we were only able to get as far as that fence down at the foot of my mountain. I was actually at a loss trying to figure out what to do about the area beyond that.”

“Oh? Well then, that’s good to hear.” Mutsu-san and Toyama-san were both smiling now.

Really, you gotta keep in mind that my chickens are extraordinary in a lot of ways. It’s no use trying to pit yourself against them.

I served them some tea and pickled vegetables while we all took a break. Then the hunters prepared their gear and set off to survey the mountain with Pochi and Tama.

Even after all our effort removing the snow, it was cold enough that the ice would remain without melting. My snowman was still going strong too.

“Guess I’ll make some miso soup...”

I had prepared a smaller amount of soup than usual, since I hadn’t been sure whether they’d be coming today. I transferred it to the big stockpot so I could make more.

Feels kinda weird... It’s like I’m adding miso soup to miso soup, but whatever. Better than not having enough. Thankfully, we’ve got all this convenient stuff like miso with dashi mixed in and instant dashi powder. Feels great being able to drink delicious miso soup every day.

Today’s miso soup featured seaweed and cabbage in it. You can’t feed regular cabbage to chickens, apparently... But hey, I’m a human. Turns out there’s a surprising amount of stuff you can’t feed them. Gotta watch out for that.

I brushed snow off the clothesline and put the futon out to dry, trying to take advantage of the fair weather we were having. It was still pretty cold out, so I brought it back in not too long after. I also did a batch of laundry.

I decided to stew some Chinese cabbage, thinking it’d be nice to have another warm dish to eat in this chilly weather. First, I stir-fried pork belly with ginger, then added Chinese cabbage, just a little water, consommé, salt, and pepper. Finally, I covered the pot and let it simmer. (By the way, you can use soy sauce and mirin, and it’ll turn out pretty good too.)

I can check later and add more seasoning if it tastes too bland. Chinese cabbage’s got a ton of water in it. I had no idea about that—I remember once I added water when making a stew, and it ended up spilling over the rim of the pot. I learned my lesson that day.

The snow outside seemed to have mostly hardened. Maybe I could make an igloo with this. Boy, I really don’t know when to give up, do I?

I brought out the sled—a basic one made of plastic—from the shed, loaded it with some snow from the ground, and carried it over to where the snowman was. Yuma watched me with a puzzled look.

“I’m gonna use this snow to build a house,” I explained.

“Snow? House?” She cocked her head and stayed that way.

“Yeah, watch me.”

I haven’t looked up how to build one, but I should be fine, right? I piled up some snow to form the walls, then realized my mistake. Okay, I’ve got walls on the sides and at the back...but what about the roof?

The easiest igloo-building method for me would be to pile up snow in a dome shape, then dig out the center. You’d need a lot more snow for that, though... I felt embarrassed after my failure, so I took the snow I’d piled up and moved it to a sunny spot.

“Looks like I couldn’t do it. My bad.”

“Bad, no.”

Yuma didn’t really seem to understand and just snuggled up to me. Gosh, I love her so much.

After that, I spent some time checking on the crops and doing chores alongside Yuma until the hunters came back. Hopefully that snow from my failed attempt at an igloo is all gone.

“Boy, sure is cold!” Mutsu-san exclaimed.

Toyama-san nodded. “I’m freezing!”

Despite their complaints about the cold, they both had smiles on their faces as they walked toward us. They really love doing this, huh? Pochi and Tama were full of energy, as usual, and covered in snow. How does that even happen? Aikawa-san seemed to be in a good mood as well.

“Welcome back. How was it?”

“We spotted a couple of fallen trees, but nothing major. It’s just...pretty hard to walk in the snow.”

“I thought so.” We didn’t actually go into the mountain wilderness when we were clearing the snow, let alone step foot on my other mountain—that was where the hunters had been today, and it’s pretty much untouched. I’ve only been there once myself. “By the way, uh... What happened to Pochi...?”

“Oh, your chickens are so funny! He fell over a bunch of times trying to run and ended up like that.”

“Seriously...?” Do they not learn from their mistakes? That’s...a bit worrying. “Pochi, Tama... Are you hurt anywhere?” They might have sprained ankles from overexertion. Or maybe not? At least they don’t seem to be limping.

With an expression that seemed to say, What the heck are you on about?, they both tilted their heads simultaneously.

Hey, I’m worried about you, y’know. They ran a short distance away from the house; then suddenly, both of them tripped and fell over with a soft thud.

“P-Pochiiii?! Tamaaa?!”

“Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!”

“Ah ha ha ha ha ha!”

“Pfft...”

I ran over to them, but by the time I got there, they’d already gotten back up and were glaring at me.

“You guys all right?”

They turned away grumpily and trotted away.

Yeah... I guess that must’ve been embarrassing for them. “Pochi, Tama, I’ll leave your lunch here, okay?!” I shouted.

I heard a “Kwaaah!” in the distance. Okay, they should be all right. Back at home, the hunters were all still laughing. Look, I understand it’s funny, but these are my dear chickens you’re laughing at...

“Ha ha ha, these chickens are such a riot...”

“Did you get a load of that? When they fell over? That was straight out of a cartoon...”

“Pfft, ha ha ha!”

Can’t exactly blame them. I bet I’d be laughing my butt off too if they were someone else’s pets.

“How about we go inside for lunch?” I suggested.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Right, I guess it’s about time...”

“Yeah, we should...”

Even now, they were all still chuckling.

We all went inside, including Yuma, and it was business as usual. Well, except for the fact that I’d made a Chinese cabbage stew in addition to the miso soup and pickled vegetables.

“Ooh. Thanks as always, Sano-kun.”

“This Chinese cabbage’s great.”

“And it’s nice and hot too.”

“There’s plenty left, so please help yourself,” I said.

Everyone was all smiles at the table. The onigiri were cold, so I reheated them in the microwave before serving. (The only caveat, which I told them about, was that the microwave didn’t distribute the heat evenly.) We enjoyed a nice meal together, and Pochi and Tama came back home sneakily—or at least, as sneakily as possible at their size—so I served them their lunch.

“So, were you all on my other mountain?” I asked.

“Yeah. We didn’t go too far, though. Or rather, we couldn’t—all the snow made it hard to walk. Well, there’s no hurry anyway.”

“It’s hard to walk, sure, but there’s also something quaint and charming about a snow-covered mountain.”

“Everything being white might make it easier to spot wild boars too,” Aikawa-san added.

“Yeah, but we’d probably need to go deeper into the mountain for that.”

Everyone seemed to be in a great mood, but as it turned out, they hadn’t made as much progress today as they’d hoped. Even with clear weather, the temperature’s not high enough to melt the snow. They’d be going out again this afternoon. At least they’ve got plenty of stamina. Still, they wouldn’t be out for too long—it’d get even colder after the sun set.

After seeing them off, I was about to go bring in the futon when my phone pinged. It was a text from Katsuragi-san. Oh yeah, I wonder how things are going on her mountain. I only thought about that now... Pretty cold of me, eh?

She was telling me about how it had snowed in N-Town and how her sister had complained that the snow had made her driving lesson much scarier than usual. That does sound pretty scary, yeah. Do driving schools around here teach people how to put chains on their tires?

“It’s best to simply avoid driving in the snow when possible, but since she’s got an instructor to help her, this seems like a good opportunity to ask for tips about driving on snowy roads,” I replied.

Her reply said, “Yeah, that’s true.”

I think I’m being a bit arrogant again... Speaking for myself, though, I didn’t learn about that in driving school, and now, I sure wish I had the chance. I do think it’s worth your while to learn how to deal with these kinds of difficult driving conditions. Then again, she might end up having even more difficulty and spending more money on driving lessons.

I hauled in the futon and the laundry from outside. The clothes still felt a little cold, so I hung them out to dry in my bedroom. I planned to move them to the living room later, after everyone left—my bedroom was just about as cold as outside.

While I was in the house, Yuma was patrolling the yard, and when I stepped outside, I saw her staring at the snowman with her head cocked.

“Yuma, what’s up?”

“Not person?”

“Oh, you thought the snowman was a person? No, it’s not.” Snowmen... At least in Japan, they’re generally thought to resemble or be modeled after Daruma dolls. And Daruma dolls are modeled after Bodhidharma meditating... Uh, anyway... “Hmm, well, you can think of it as a doll made of snow, I guess?”

“Doll?”

Oh, does she not know what a doll is either? Fair enough. I don’t think I have any at home. “It’s a thing that’s shaped like a person, but it’s not a person.” Pretty hard to explain this sort of stuff.

Yuma tilted her head again.

It’s interesting to see that she’s curious about this kinda thing. I glanced over at the fields. Maybe I’ll clear out the snow and harvest my crops tomorrow. Though I’m not sure if they’re quite ready yet.

Huh? Wait a minute... Today’s Christmas, isn’t it? And a white Christmas at that, though it’s not snowing right now. No one brought it up, so I guess they don’t really care either. I mean, at least in Japan, Christmas is really a holiday for couples... Yup, today’s just another Friday, same as always. And couples are all about Christmas Eve anyway, not Christmas itself, and that’s over already. Yup. Man...I feel a bit pathetic making these excuses to myself.

Around this time last year, I still had a girlfriend...

Ugh, that’s enough.

That train of thought put me in a sour mood.

I already have Yuma. I don’t need other girls.

Huh? Why is there sweat coming out of my eyes?!

Stop. Don’t think about it.

I did my best to forget about the current date. Over and over, I told myself, Don’t think about it.

I felt a little miserable, so I decided to take a nap. (Or you could say “sleep it off,” maybe.)

I managed to wake up before the others came back. Aikawa-san would be going home today. I really appreciate him staying over two days in a row. Ah... I don’t have anything to give him as a token of my gratitude. I guess I’ll have to come up with something later.

The hunters soon returned—they hadn’t been able to catch anything.

“Here’s hoping we can manage something tomorrow or the day after,” said Mutsu-san.

Seems likely. It is a pretty big mountain, after all.

“And in the new year,” he continued, “we have Aikawa-kun’s mountain to look forward to.”

Aikawa-san smiled. “You’re welcome anytime. Whenever you’re up to it.”

Oh, right. Come January, they’ll be moving over to Aikawa-san’s second mountain. It’ll be a bit lonely without them here... But then again, it’ll just be going back to the way things were before—back to normal.

Aikawa-san turned to me. “Sano-san, please let me know if you need anything. I’m going shopping tomorrow.”

“Oh, I think I’m good for now. I stocked up on groceries in case something like this happened. Thanks, though. Sorry I couldn’t offer much in the way of hospitality...”

“No problem. We gotta look out for each other in the mountains. Thanks for having me.”

The two of us bowed to each other, then I also thanked the other hunters and bowed my head to them. I really appreciate them coming. The road might still be frozen over and dangerous in the morning, but at least we managed to get rid of the snow all the way down to the foot of my mountain. I might even be able to go shopping tomorrow.

The chickens stared at us in amusement. Yeah, I know this must seem strange to you, but it’s a human thing. Well, to be fair...Japanese people might be the only ones who bow this much.

I wiped the chickens clean, saw the hunters off, and was thinking about what to make for dinner when my phone rang. Katsuragi-san again... What is it this time?

“Hello?” I answered.

Rie-san’s voice came through loud and clear. “Hey there! Merry Christmas!”

“Ah, um... Yeah...”

“Come on, what’s with the low energy?! Anyway, you talked to my sister earlier, huh? You’re totally right—this is a rare opportunity for me. I’ll give it my all!”

“Huh? Oh. Uh... Okay. I’m rooting for you...?” What’s she on about?

“Ah! You forgot already, didn’t you?! Jeez, why do you have to be like that?” She huffed. “Anyway, when I get my license, I’ll give you the honor of being my first passenger!”

“Uh, I’ll pass.”

“That’s so mean!” she said with a laugh. “Okay, see you later!” Having had her fill of rattling on and on, she hung up. Whew. The girl is like a hurricane.

“Ah, I guess I should at least send a Christmas message...” I forgot to wish her “Merry Christmas” back. What was that all about, anyway?

Now, what should I have for dinner? Hmm... I glanced at Yuma, and that brought to mind the usual dinner menu. Yum, nothing quite like scrambled eggs made with Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs. I’m so blessed. Thanks so much, you two. This makes everything worth it.

And that was how I spent my Christmas night.

As soon as Christmas was over, I switched gears into New Year mode. Then again, in Western countries, Christmas and New Year are more or less lumped together. Japan’s different—Christmas is a tradition imported from overseas, so the holidays are treated as separate things. I remember I’d wake up on Christmas morning to find a present from Santa, then I’d go to the closing ceremony at school, and at night, we’d eat dinner and Christmas cake. The main dish was always fried chicken...but traditionally, you’re supposed to eat turkey, I think? Who came up with the idea to eat fried chicken for Christmas, anyway? A certain colonel, perhaps?

Should I get some New Year’s decorations for the house? Kadomatsu and stuff like that. I wonder if they sell those at the general store. A bit too late to think about that, yeah, but up until now, my parents always took care of that, so I forgot. I got so used to seeing decorations every year that I took them for granted. They say you follow in your parents’ footsteps, but it turns out that you often don’t really pay much attention to their efforts.

Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Aikawa-san came again today. Kawanaka-san and Hatano-san had to work tomorrow and would be getting time off starting from next Monday, the twenty-eighth.

“They’re working tomorrow?” I asked.

“They were saying they wanted to take the twenty-eighth off—otherwise, they won’t be able to join in.”

“Is Kawanaka-san not visiting his family?” I remember he mentioned he moved here on his own, meaning he’s got family to visit.

Mutsu-san shrugged. “Nah, he says family visits are a pain in the butt. He’s fifty and still single, so I reckon they should give up on that ever happening... But hey, not my family.”

Oh, they still pester him about marriage? I recall him saying he seldom got to meet new people—if that’s the issue, and he does intend to marry if given the opportunity, then I feel like he could give those matchmaking apps a shot. Not my business either, though.

“And Hatano-san... He lives with his wife, right?”

“In Hatano’s case, he’s still got their year-end cleanup left. Probably best to assume he’s not coming.”

That’s too bad, but yeah, it’s only natural to prioritize his home over hunting.

“As for me, I’m worry-free. I’ve got nothing else I need to take care of,” said Toyama-san. “Though I can’t come during New Year, of course. I’ll be gone for a few days starting on the thirtieth.”

Mutsu-san nodded. “Same here—twenty-ninth’s the latest I can manage.”

Looks like they really want to squeeze in every minute of hunting that they can. Hopefully their wives are also okay with it.

Pochi and Tama joined them on their expedition today, looking weirdly triumphant. Before the hunters left, I asked them about New Year’s decorations, and they told me I should be able to buy some from the store in the village. I made plans to check it out later, since it was still early.

“Hey, Yuma, we’re going shopping later, okay?”

“Okay.”

I cleared away the snow from the crops and harvested the leafy vegetables. Surprisingly, they hadn’t wilted and seemed to be in good condition. I fed Yuma a leaf.

“Tasty!”

She seemed very happy. I nibbled on one as well. Hmm... Tastes a bit sweeter than usual. I remember hearing somewhere that carrots grown under snow taste really sweet.

“Let’s eat these later.”

After filling my basket with vegetables, it seemed like a good time to go to the general store. Come to think of it, I’ve only ventured down the road once since it started snowing—and only to the fence at the foot of my mountain. The snow’s not that bad anymore, but I’m still feeling insecure about driving on a snowy road. Can’t make fun of Rie-san...

We drove down the mountain, and the ride was so rough that Yuma’s beak and teeth kept clattering together.

“Yeah, the road’s pretty bad, isn’t it? Can’t help it, though—we just had snow.”

Up until the bridge, there was little to no snow on the road, but I spotted piles here and there after entering the village, mostly in places that were shaded from the sun. My truck rattled up and down as we drove over the snowy roads. Yuma seemed to enjoy the ride—she even bobbed her body along with all the bumps. I, on the other hand, still felt a little nervous.

“Oh, right. Guess I’ll pay Old Man Yumoto a visit too.” I can get some rice crackers at the store. I wanna ask him how he deals with the snow.

The store was already open when I arrived.

“Hello there,” I called out.

The lady who ran the store came out to greet me. “Hey, long time no see! Were you all right up there with the snow?”

“Yeah, I managed. I had some acquaintances help me shovel it with an excavator.”

“I see. With that much snow, no wonder you needed some heavy machinery.”

I bought some traditional New Year’s decorations, plus some mandarin oranges and a lot of rice crackers.

Outside the store, I called the Yumoto residence. Machiko-san picked up the phone. “Oh, hi, Sho-chan. Have you been all right?”

“Yeah, the hunters helped me deal with the snow. I’m in the village right now—would you mind if I paid you a quick visit?”

“Not at all! You’ll join us for lunch too, won’t you?”

I explained the situation to her and turned down her invitation. I gotta be back home by lunchtime.

“Let’s go to the Yumotos,” I told Yuma. She let out a short cluck.

I find it impressive how they switch between speech and normal chicken sounds depending on the situation. My chickens really are clever.

There wasn’t much shade on the roads to Yumoto-san’s house, so the majority of the snow had already melted away. When I arrived, I parked my truck in the usual spot. Yumoto-san came out, looking a bit listless. “Hey, Shohei. It’s been a while, eh?”

I chuckled. “Didn’t we meet up just the other day?” I guess maybe the past couple of days have felt longer than usual because they were so eventful, what with the snow and everything that followed.

I handed Machiko-san the crackers. “Oh, really, you didn’t have to!” she exclaimed.

I chuckled. Can’t simply intrude empty-handed, now can I? With Yumoto-san’s permission, Yuma ran off toward the fields.

Actually, it does feel like it’s been a while, even though I was here just the other day. Must be because of the snow, yeah.

“Here you go,” said Machiko-san as she served me tea, pickled vegetables, and snacks.

“Thank you.”

“I bet the snow was pretty deep up there, huh?”

“Yep. I didn’t think it’d keep falling for so long. It even froze my front door shut—I couldn’t slide it open.”

“Oh, wow, sounds like you had a hard time.”

“How was it here?”

“My back hurts.” Yumoto-san bent his back and tapped it. I bet shoveling snow must’ve been tough on him.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “I can finish shoveling if you’re not done yet.”

“That’s very kind of you, Sho-chan. But don’t worry. I already had him get rid of all of it.” Machiko-san wore a smile on her face, while her husband grimaced.

Yeah...sounds like it was pretty tough for him.

“So how are things on the mountain?” Yumoto-san asked.

“The hunting, you mean? They went out to survey it yesterday and again today.”

“Surprised they can keep it up in this snow.”

“Yeah.” It’s cold as heck, and it’s hard to get around, yet they don’t seem to mind it at all. I couldn’t do it, that’s for sure.

“Oh yeah, and what are you doing for New Year’s? Visiting family?”

“Not this year, no,” I answered firmly.

“Oh... Ah, right, I remember you said you were spending it with Aikawa-kun, right?”

“Yeah, he invited me over. I’ll probably spend a couple of days there.”

“Come over here after that if you’re free. We’ll probably be by ourselves anyway.”

“Yeah... Because of all the snow, our kids said they’d be visiting their wives’ families,” Machiko-san added, sounding slightly dejected.

“Oh, I see.” Well, that’s understandable. This is a village in the mountains where it can snow anytime. Can’t expect them to visit every single year. “Sure, I’ll come visit if you don’t mind.”

“You can stay over if it snows.”

“Okay...” But if it does, I’d also like to deal with the snow as quickly as possible, or the road’ll freeze over. I now know from experience that even just sweeping the snow away early on makes a huge difference. I definitely do appreciate having people who want to spend time with me, though. “I’ll see how it goes at Aikawa-san’s place.”

“How about you invite him to come here too?”

“Oh, if that’s okay, then I will.”

“I was wondering... Is it even possible to hunt in this snow?” Machiko-san asked.

“Wild boars and deer don’t hibernate,” Old Man Yumoto explained.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Some venison would be lovely!”

Is she trying to tell me something...? I don’t have a hunting license, though.

Yumoto-san grinned. “We might be able to get some if there are any deer roaming Shohei’s mountain.”

Hunting is not that simple, I’m afraid. But I see everyone’s got high hopes for my chickens. Sure, it’d be nice if they could catch one. Just no need to push themselves too hard.

“Now that you mention it, they do catch boars somewhat regularly, but I don’t think I’ve seen deer on my mountain. Maybe because it’s relatively high in elevation...?”

Yumoto-san nodded. “Could be. Deer are found more often in forests than in mountainous areas.”

“There might be some on Katsuragi-san’s property, then.”

“Oh... Right, I think we saw a deer that one time. Remember? When we went looking for the hornets...”

When was that again?

“Ah!” That’s right—I think I spotted one when we went to investigate that destroyed hornet nest that she found. But what I saw after that left such a deep impression on me that I forgot all about the deer. I wish I could forget that nightmarish hornet-filled scene. It was like watching one of those monster movies...

“Boy, that was fun!” exclaimed Old Man Yumoto.

“Y-Yeah...” I remember him going R*mbo on those hornets, catching them one after the other bare-handed. My chickens were no slouches either. Man, that was crazy... I stared into the distance.

“Oh, stop giving Sho-chan a hard time, will you?!” Machiko-san bonked him on the head lightly while he guffawed.

Sure, now you’re laughing, but that could’ve been pretty dangerous. I wish you’d be more careful in the future.

Time flew by while we chatted idly.

“My, would you look at the time? Sho-chan, are you sure you don’t want to stay for lunch?”

“Ah, sorry for intruding for so long. I already had plans to eat lunch with the others at home, so...”

“At least take this with you, then!” She handed me some pickled vegetables.

“Thank you very much.” Machiko-san’s pickled vegetables are great. Quite a bargain if you think of it as exchanging rice crackers for these.

Incidentally, the year-end gifts I’d ordered online had arrived. I gave one of the boxes to Machiko-san. “Oh my! Gosh, Sho-chan, you really didn’t have to!” She gave me a hearty slap on the back.

I mean, this is the least I could do, considering everything you do for me. Feels kinda weird having it delivered here and giving it to her on the spot, but oh well.

I summoned Yuma back and carefully drove home. The ascent was nerve-racking in its own way. Really could use some proper fencing along the road.

I sighed in relief when I arrived at the house. Even after all the work we did removing the snow, driving on a snowy road raised my stress levels. And I had no other choice, since I lived here. Being home was a load lifted from my shoulders.

It seemed the hunters weren’t back yet. I hurriedly reheated the miso soup. Maybe I should go ahead and put the decorations up. Let’s see what the internet says... Okay, looks like you’re supposed to wait until the thirteenth to put them up, so we’re good. I’ll do it later.

“Ah, I forgot to buy kagami mochi for the New Year... What now?” I think the general store had some big ones. I could buy those, but I don’t think I could eat all of it on my own. And mochi gets moldy pretty easily, so it’s better to avoid taking too long to eat it. I hear you can just cut off the moldy bits, but...I’d rather not have to do that.

I prepared some pickled vegetables to serve and waited for their return. They were taking much longer than I’d expected. I checked my phone, but there were no messages from them. They probably can’t use their phones anyway—no signal over there, I think. I wonder if they’ve got walkie-talkies... I don’t actually have a license to use them.

I stepped outside and looked around. Even with the sunny weather, the snowman showed no signs of melting. It’s pretty cold today, huh? Yuma came trotting toward me from the fields.

“Yuma, they’re not back yet, are they?”

“Not back.”

“Thought so. Thanks.”

Yuma seems to be doing pretty well in spite of the cold. I’m starting to think chickens don’t catch colds... They probably do, though.

It was too chilly to stay outside waiting, so I went back inside. The temperature up here feels completely different than it did in the village.

My phone vibrated. I quickly checked it to find a text from Aikawa-san: “We’ll be back soon.”

“Oh, good,” I murmured.

I touched the miso soup pot to see how warm it was. Looks like it hasn’t gone cold yet, so I guess I can just leave it. Ah, wait—it would help if I knew how long they’re gonna take to get back. I wonder if this is what my mom felt like waiting for me to come back home... I had a phone, so I could easily contact her anytime, but I hardly ever did. I bet she would’ve appreciated me touching base with her, even if it was just simple messages like “On my way home” or something.

Soon enough, I heard voices coming from outside. Looks like they’re back. I heard some knocks at the front door, and I slid it open to find Yuma. She must have come to tell me they’ve arrived.

“Thanks, Yuma.” My chickens are just the best! I broke into a smile. Stepping outside, I turned in the hunters’ direction and yelled, “Welcome back!”

Mutsu-san, following behind Pochi, waved at me. “Hey! We caught a deer!”

“Really? That’s awesome!” Looks like Machiko-san got her wish, heh.

Toyama-san and Aikawa-san carried the deer, which was tied to a wooden pole. “Man, it’s pretty heavy... But it’s the good kind of weight,” Toyama-san said.

“Look at those antlers!” Aikawa-san exclaimed. “Oh, and we already got in touch with Akimoto-san—he’s coming by later. We’ll take it to him when he gets here.”

“Wow, that definitely is impressive. Where did you find it?”

They explained that they’d found it on the eastern side of my second mountain. Meaning that it could have wandered in from Katsuragi-san’s property, possibly? It was a large buck with big, imposing antlers. Carrying it back here had been a bit of an ordeal, thanks to its size. Looks pretty heavy, yeah. Immediately after shooting it, they had bled the carcass and washed it in the river stream. They could’ve soaked it in the water and come back later to pick it up, but they’d been concerned that they might not be able to make it back if it started snowing again.

“Speaking of deer, Yumoto-san’s wife was saying that she could go for some venison...” I mentioned.

Mutsu-san pondered for a minute, stared at the carcass that they’d loaded onto Aikawa-san’s truck, then nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I guess it’ll be...a couple of days before it’s ready to eat. I’ll talk to Yumoto-chan.”

I wasn’t confident that I’d be able to make good use of the meat with my cooking skills, and I much preferred that we all gather and eat it together as usual. I’d just like to keep some of the innards for the chickens.

“And even then, I reckon there’ll still be some meat left after the party. Looks like we’re in for a good New Year’s celebration.”

Everyone was all smiles, happy that they’d managed to get in one last successful hunt before the end of the year. Much better than just surveying the area with nothing to show for it, that’s for sure. Pochi and Tama had come back covered in snow, as I’d expected, so I wiped it off their bodies and gave their feathers a once-over before letting them inside. Looks like they’re in a great mood too.

“I made the same old miso soup, if you’d like some.”

“Ooh. Thanks as always, Sano-kun.”

They must’ve been pretty cold out there. As soon as they got under the kotatsu, none of them would budge. It was a pretty funny sight, seeing them huddled around the kotatsu while still carrying all their gear. I served them miso soup and pickled vegetables, and to celebrate their success, I also made scrambled eggs with Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs (I still hadn’t eaten the ones from this morning), which were a big hit.

After that, we all relaxed and took it easy while we waited for Akimoto-san to get in touch.

***

When Akimoto-san called, we crawled out from under the kotatsu and wrapped up the day. We also discussed their plans for the next few days.

“Well, we managed to catch one today...” Mutsu-san sighed deeply. “I think we can call it quits for this year.”

“Sounds good.” Toyama-san turned to me. “Next year, we’ll start on Aikawa-kun’s mountain, then maybe we could come back here—if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure, I don’t mind at all.”

Coming back to my mountains is an option, yeah. Winter is far from over, which means hunting season is still in full swing. I’d be happy to let them hunt here again. Mutsu-san’s property is fairly large, but a lot of it is farmland, so it’s not exactly suited for hunting. And it seems they’ve got other spots they can use, but I guess they’d prefer somewhere close to the village.

“But...didn’t Kawanaka-san say he was taking a break from work starting on the twenty-eighth?” Aikawa-san blurted out.

“The twenty-eighth—that’s when we’ll have the party at Yumoto-chan’s place, right? Bah, but I doubt that’ll be enough to shut him up...” Mutsu-san groaned. “Sano-kun, can we come again on the twenty-eighth?”

I smiled. “Yeah, of course.”

“If it doesn’t snow too much, that is.”

“You can let me know that morning. I don’t have any plans for the day anyway.”

“Gotcha.”

That said, I really, really hope it doesn’t snow on the twenty-eighth—I’m looking forward to the deer banquet. If I don’t take the chickens there to eat their fill, they might go for poor old me... I guess I gotta make my way there no matter what, even if there’s a blizzard...for my own sake.

“Even if it’s snowing, I can come pick you up at the foot of the mountain,” Aikawa-san told me. “Well, if the weather’s not too bad.”

Oh, that’s nice to hear. Guess I really need to get a sled ready. I’ll have to rummage through the shed again.

“I might ask you to if it comes to that...”

I’m just really hoping it doesn’t snow.

After everyone left, I faced in the direction of the mountaintop and joined my hands together. “Here’s to hoping it doesn’t snow any more this year. Ah—it’s okay if it’s only a little, though. Just not too much. Please!”

Tama gave me a What the heck is this guy on about? type of look, as if to scorn my willingness to turn to divine help.

Hey, y’know, if we get too much snow, I won’t be able to drive, and we won’t be able to go eat venison.

I remembered that I didn’t know how much chicken feed we had left, so I went over to the shed to check. Looks like we’ve still got plenty, but it’s probably a good idea to buy some more while I can. I gave Matsuyama-san a call.

“How was the snow up there? Were you okay?” he asked. “We’re good to go anytime, so feel free to come by whenever.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow, then, if I can.”

It seemed they’d gotten a lot of snow over at Matsuyama-san’s place as well. He was complaining that getting the snow off the roof of the chicken coop had been particularly grueling. That’s definitely a priority—if you don’t remove it, the building could be crushed under the weight of the snow. This region isn’t an especially snowy one, but we are up in the mountains, so when it snows, it gets pretty heavy. It’s one of the toughest parts of living here, to be sure.

“Ah.”

That reminds me—I wonder if Yamakura-san, the former village head, is doing well. Pretty heartless of me to only think of him now... Jeez, I suck.

I decided to call him. His wife picked up the phone, and she explained how they’d been doing.

“Thanks for checking in, Sano-kun. He’s got a bad back, as you know, but we had help from the neighbors. I really can’t thank them enough. I bet it was pretty difficult for you too up there, right?”

“Well, you know... Ha ha ha.” I can’t say it was that difficult, what with all the help I had from Aikawa-san. I have gotten a little worried about whether I could manage it here on my own, though.

“My husband and son say they’ll be visiting you in the spring. Please look after them when they do.”

“I will. You take care too, please.”

“Thank you very much. Wishing you a nice holiday season.”

Oh yeah, it is the holiday season. “Thank you. You too,” I told her before hanging up.

Putting it into words really gets you in the holiday spirit. Well, I was supposed to be in that mood already, after having put up all these decorations. Still, it doesn’t quite feel like we’re about to enter a new year.

I made dinner and remembered about New Year’s greeting cards. I decided not to send any, but it feels a little weird after sending them out every year for so long.

“I mean... What would I even write about, anyway? ‘Due to certain circumstances, I’m living in the mountains’? Pfft...”

Like, yeah, that is what I’d probably write, but come on. That sounds so dumb. I have no idea what the people I know are up to these days, and I don’t particularly care either.

Yuma, having finished her dinner, came strolling in my direction.

“What’s up, Yuma? You want seconds?” Guess it’ll be Chinese cabbage.

“Sano.”

“Hmm?”

“Sano.”

I got out of the kotatsu and went up to her. She cuddled against me. So adorable. I cracked a smile and petted her feathers.

“What, me?”

“Sano.”

“You’re very kind, aren’t you?”

“Sano.”

You kinda smell like boar, though. I wiped her beak. Pochi and Tama raised their heads and said, “Seconds!”

“All right, all right. Just some Chinese cabbage and that’s it, okay?”

I served them some more Chinese cabbage, and some for Yuma too, of course. I really couldn’t manage it here without my chickens. I hope they stay strong and healthy for many years to come.

The wind was a bit stronger than usual tonight, which made the glass door rattle loudly. I bet my bedroom is even noisier.

10. Busy Days at the End of the Year

I woke up the next morning to find a message from my mom, probably because I’d sent her one saying I wouldn’t be visiting them for New Year’s.

“Still not coming home?” it said.

Even that short message was enough to put me in a bit of a sullen mood. Emotional wounds were hard for other people to understand.

I get that they’re worried about me, and I know that it can be hard to put your emotions into words properly. But I didn’t want to hear that from her. Children don’t understand how their parents feel, and parents don’t understand how their children feel either. It goes both ways. Communication gap plus a generation gap, I guess.

“I can’t. Too much snow. I don’t want to get stuck away from home. I’ve got my chickens to take care of,” I typed and attached a picture of the chickens before sending the message. It was hard to take pictures of them that didn’t look too unnatural—due to their size, I had to be careful about the background scenery and all that. I’d also asked the Yumotos not to mention anything about the chickens’ size to my parents in case they contacted them.

Old Man Yumoto had laughed and said, “I know, I know.”

Should be all right, then.

The villagers here are shocked to see how big my chickens are, but they never shun them or treat them like aberrations. The kids even said they wanted to buy their own when I told them I got them as dyed chicks from a festival stall. I warned them that they’d need a lot of area for the chickens to roam. I don’t remember seeing any stalls selling animals at the summer festival, though, apart from that one goldfish-scooping stall.

This is just a hunch, but I feel like maybe it’s a mysterious stall that only appears to certain people under certain conditions. I bet they must’ve sympathized with my situation and sent the chickens to help me. I have no idea what kind of deity that was, but I’m very grateful. I wasn’t too sure where or to whom I should show my appreciation, so I just turned in the direction of the Inari shrine where the festival had been held, bowed my head, and muttered, “Thank you.”

Wasn’t me. I felt like I heard a faint voice echo.

“Huh?” What in the world was that?

Come to think of it... Rin-san’s upper half suddenly turned human, Ten-san can speak, Katsuragi-san’s dragon is way bigger than even a Komodo dragon—more like a dinosaur if anything—and my chickens are pretty huge and have reptilian tails. Considering all of that, it seems reasonable to conclude that there might be some supernatural forces at play here. We just got so used to it all that it started blending into our daily lives.

“Wasn’t me...” Does that mean it’s not related to the Inari shrine? So those festival stalls have nothing to do with it?

“The plot thickens...” (I always wanted to try saying that in real life.)

Today, Pochi and Yuma went out to play, and Tama stayed home with me, glaring at the snowman again. It was still going strong, thanks to the frigid weather we were having. At this rate, I’m starting to think it’s gonna stay there until spring.

“Don’t destroy it, okay?” I told her.

It’s been a while since the last time we were all by ourselves here during the day, hasn’t it?

They say venison tastes better the more you age it. I suppose that’s why the party’s scheduled for tomorrow night. I’ve already told the chickens they’ll have to wait until then. No telling what they might do if we don’t make it...

“I wonder if I can reach the cemetery...” I haven’t cleared any of the snow from that area. I’ve got chains on my tires, so I should be able to get there.

I peered up at the road. It was fully blanketed in white.

“Yeah... Maybe not.”

I promptly abandoned that idea. It’d be one thing if it were freshly piled snow, but it’s probably already frozen solid. Maybe if I had skis? I don’t, though. I’ve gone skiing before, but the gear was always rented. Maybe I should look into buying my own set for next year. I made a note of it on my phone.

“Going up?” Tama cocked her head.

“Nope. I’d probably trip.” And that wouldn’t even be the worst fate I could suffer—if I’m not careful, I could end up falling down the mountain.

“Trip? Trip!” she said in a cheerful tone. That’s pretty cute, but y’know, it’s not a nice thing to say. I wish she’d let me pet her more often.

I joined my hands together facing the cemetery. “I’ll be sure to visit after the snow melts away.” Gosh, I really should’ve cleared the snow while I could. Oh well.

From the back of the house, I climbed down toward the charcoal hut. Getting there was a bit of a hassle, but things seemed to be okay there, even with the snow. Whew, good.

After doing all my chores, I got in the truck and headed for the chicken farm. Matsuyama-san had said his wife would be cooking for me, so I could join them for lunch. I’d tried to turn them down politely, but they’d told me that they appreciated the visit, since they’d be all by themselves for the holidays.

“It’s just me, my husband, and the chickens here,” his wife had explained. “The chickens’ food is always the same, and it’s hard to get the motivation to cook a nice, elaborate meal for only two people, you know? So go ahead and join us for lunch, Sano-kun!”

“In that case, I’ll take you up on it.”

Before leaving, I went over everything, pointing with my finger. Door—check. (Left it unlocked.) Present—check. Bucket for the chicken feed—check. Tama—check. When I pointed at Tama, she made an expression that seemed to say, What is it?! and pecked me.

Ouch! Looks like I should avoid pointing at chickens.

I’d also told Pochi and Yuma I’d be going to the farm, but as soon as they’d found out there would be no venison there, they’d decided to stay on the mountain. They’re all about food.

“All right, we’re off to the chicken farm. Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

Feels great to see Tama joining in. Wish she was always like this.

The roads in the village still had a few dangerous spots of snow here and there, where it hadn’t melted away yet. This is why I leave the chains on my tires. They’ll probably stay on the whole winter.

I drove toward the east side of the village, then a little to the north, turned right at the fork, and drove up the mountain road until the chicken farm came into view. The roof was clean of snow, as was the road, thankfully. Wouldn’t want to come all the way here only to find out that the road was blocked. Especially not with Tama by my side...

I parked my vehicle where I usually did—the area still had some snow left at the edges. “Hello there!” I called out in the direction of the house. I told Tama to stay put, made my way to the house, and rang the doorbell.

“Coming!”

“Hello.”

“Oh, hi, Sano-kun!” Matsuyama-san’s wife slid the glass door open.

“Excuse me, I brought one of my chickens with me—would it be okay to let her roam the mountain?”

“Of course! And if she could hunt a boar while she’s at it, that’d be fantastic.”

“Um, she’s all by herself this time, so...”

Even if she did catch one, I doubt she’d be able to bring it back here. Still, I’m glad it’s Tama here with me. If this were Pochi, I’m sure he’d take that seriously and run off to hunt. Tama is much more sensible.

“Tama,” I said, “make sure you’re back here before the sun moves to that point.” I gestured at the sky. She clucked at me and went out to play.

“Your chickens are so clever, aren’t they?”

“They sure are. I’m very proud of them.” I’m pretty sure Tama is far more clever than I am. I appreciate that she still respects me in spite of that. I’m always grateful for my chickens.

“It’s pretty cold out here, huh? Come in, come in!”

“Excuse me,” I said, stepping inside.

I handed her the year-end gift I’d gotten for them—a set of black teas. “Oh my, Sano-kun! You really didn’t have to buy us anything, you know!” She slapped me on the back.

Ouch, that hurts.

Matsuyama-san soon showed up. “Oh, you’re here. Bet it was pretty rough on your mountain with the snow, huh?”

“Hello there. Yeah, it was. Thanks for inviting me.”

Apparently, he’d just gotten back from working in the chicken coop—he was still shivering from the cold.

“You’re our first visitor in a good while, so you can look forward to today’s lunch!” exclaimed Matsuyama-san’s wife.

“Sounds great.”

“What about the people from the village who came to help with the snow? Were they not visitors?” Matsuyama-san retorted.

“That’s not the same! It’s way more rewarding to cook for someone young!”

I chuckled awkwardly. Well, she is a skilled cook, especially when it comes to her specialty—chicken dishes.

“Oh, so you had help clearing the snow?” I asked.

“Yeah, our regular clients who live nearby help out every year. This year it was...Mutsu-san, who lives up north from here. He brought out his excavator and everything. That was a big help.”

“Mutsu-san came here too?! Sounds like you had nothing to worry about, then.”

That does make sense—Mutsu-san lives pretty close by. Still, small world, huh? Me, on the other hand... If Aikawa-san hadn’t been there, I’m sure I would’ve been at a complete loss. Maybe Katsuragi-san had the right idea after all by getting away from her mountain.

“Lunch’s ready! You can eat to your heart’s content!”

The table was loaded. Pickled vegetables, bang bang chicken, lots of tempura—both vegetable and chicken tempura—Chinese-style fried chicken, chikuzenni, kung pao chicken, chicken soup... Everywhere you looked, it was chicken, chicken, and more chicken.

“Come on now...” Matsuyama-san said, dumbfounded. “Do you really think Sano-kun can eat this much?”

Probably not. But still, a banquet like this is quite the sight to behold.

I ate. A lot. Until I was about to burst.

“That was all...so delicious...”

“Oh, there’s still more!”

“I’m sorry. I’m at my limit...”

“Oh? Maybe I made too much food. Want to take some with you?”

“Can I?!” I took her up on that, and she packed up a very generous portion for me to take home. “I really appreciate it—I love your cooking.”

“My, I wish my kids were here to hear that! Thanks for eating so much.”

“No, it was my pleasure. Thank you for the delicious meal.”

With the tempura and fried chicken leftovers, I didn’t have to worry about tonight’s dinner or even tomorrow’s breakfast. I really appreciate it!

“When you eat, you always look like you’re really enjoying your meal,” she continued. “It’s so nice to see!”

“Well, that’s because I am enjoying it!”

Matsuyama-san is lucky to have married such a skilled cook. After taking some time to let the food settle, I bought two buckets’ worth of chicken feed.

“Looks like your chickens eat a lot too.”

“They definitely do. But they don’t get fat at all, probably because they spend all day running around the mountains.”

“Must be quite the workout.”

Not too long after, Tama came back. She had some leaves stuck on her body here and there, but she wasn’t covered in snow like when she spent her day on my mountain. Whew.

“So, find anything?” I asked.

She tilted her head. I guess that’s a no.

I turned to the Matsuyamas. “Thank you for having me today, and for the incredible meal.”

“Sano-kun, could you give this to your chickens as well?” Matsuyama-san’s wife handed me a large Chinese cabbage.

“Thank you so much. I suppose we won’t be seeing each other again this year. Wishing you a happy New Year, and I’ll see you later.”

“Happy New Year to you too.”

We bowed to each other, and I got going. On my way home, I picked a few leaves off the Chinese cabbage and fed them to Tama, who quietly munched. I drove straight home—no detours.

“I’ll get your lunch ready when we get back, so wait until then, okay?”

“Okay.”

Yup, the chickens are so darn clever. Almost so clever that they’re wasted on me, really.

Driving on snowy roads in wintertime was always a stressful affair. By the time I reached my house, I felt drained and mentally exhausted. And the snow’s not even that bad anymore... Sheesh. Anyway, gotta make Tama’s lunch...

I left the feed I’d bought in the tonneau and went inside to prepare food for her. I served the feed from the chicken farm in a bowl and put some Chinese cabbage leaves on top.

“Tama, time for lunch. Sorry there’s no meat, but you’ll get to eat some tonight.”

“Okay...” she said peevishly.

Well, yeah, I’ve been serving them meat scraps in pretty much every single meal lately. I’ll be sure to give her some for dinner. While she was eating, I unloaded the chicken feed from the truck and carried it into the shed, and then I stored the leftovers from my lunch in the fridge.

“Phew, I’m beat...” It’s not going out that’s mentally exhausting—it’s driving on snowy roads. I rolled into the living room and crawled under the kotatsu. “Tama, I’m gonna take a quick nap. You can play outside if you want.”

I know she’ll stay by my side regardless of what I tell her. But I really am pretty tired. If I don’t get some rest now, I don’t think I’ll have the energy to make dinner. I’ve been feeling more exhausted than usual these past few days—wasn’t expecting the snow to be such a massive hassle.

When I woke up, it wasn’t yet dark outside. Tama was also curled up on the earthen floor, which was unusual for her. It’s pretty cute how round and fluffy they look these days when they sit on the ground—their winter plumage is so big and soft. Well...their bodies are also pretty huge.

She must be fairly tired too, after all that hunting day after day. And since the chickens were joining the hunters, they couldn’t take things at their own pace.

“Thanks for everything, Tama,” I whispered. I could just tell her directly, sure, but I bet she’d give me that same usual weird look. She’s got way too much “tsun” in her... Oh man, I feel like crying just thinking about it.

Her eyes jolted open around the time the sun started to set. She peered over at me.

Uh, what’s with the silence? You’re scaring me.

Generally, my chickens weren’t that talkative to begin with, but this silence was giving me a bad feeling.

She got up and sauntered toward the corner of the earthen floor. Whew, okay, that was nothing...

Or so I thought, but then she turned around, sprinted in my direction, and then...

“Owww! Ouuuuch!”

This was probably her way of saying, Whatcha looking at?! She stomped me repeatedly. This is too mean! This is too cruel! She just wouldn’t stop.

“This is domestic violence! This is abuse!” I pleaded. “Listen, I might be a nice and gentle guy, but even I have things I won’t put up with, you hear me?!”

She jumped off me, turned the other way, and ran outside.

“Hey! Tama, wait!”

I already knew she was much quicker on her feet than I was, but I’d had enough this time. I went outside and picked up a bamboo broom that was leaning against the outer wall. Not that I intended to hit her with it—I just thought I needed something to show how furious I was. Tama zipped off in the direction she usually went when going out to play in the mountains.

Well, she’ll have to come back eventually.

I know my chickens are much stronger than me, but I’ve been with them since they were small dyed chicks. I’ll never forget that time they slept beside me under the futon on that cold March night and how I felt when I woke up the next morning.

I stood there waiting for a while. Hopefully Pochi and Yuma will run into her somewhere. I’ll have to give her a proper scolding this time, but that’s just how it is.

“What should I do...?”

It was fairly cold outside. I had to go back into the house to get something warm to wear. Gah, I’m so lame.

It felt a bit weird to just stay there standing by the front door the whole time, so I went to have a look at the snowman. No signs of melting today either. I wonder how long it’ll stay up.

Soon enough, I spotted Pochi’s and Yuma’s faces peeking over at me.

“Ah.” I was about to say “Welcome back” when I saw how absolutely dirty and disheveled they were. I was taken aback. “P-Pochi? Yuma...? What happened...?”

I soon spotted the reason for their filthiness, standing right behind them and looking just as awful.

“Tama...”

What the heck were you three up to? You decided to get into wrestling or something? I stared at them, stupefied.

“Yuma...”

She strolled in my direction and said, “Tama, mean, Sano.”

“Yeah...” So Tama told them about what happened?

“Yuma, angry. Pochi, angry.”

“I see...” I guess they scolded her in my place? And she’s telling me not to be angry at Tama anymore? “Tama,” I called out.

She came trotting over and said, “Sorry,” before walking away again. As usual, doesn’t sound much like an apology, but eh.

“Tama, never go after anyone else like that. Just me, you hear? Pochi, Yuma, thanks.”

I understand that Tama must’ve felt embarrassed, but she definitely went overboard.

But now, I had to deal with the real problem: The three of them were in such an awful state that washing them and grooming their feathers was going to be an incredibly arduous task. Seriously, please don’t fight each other, even if it’s over me. I had to boil water and wash them over and over, yet it never seemed to be enough.

And that was about how that day went.

That night, I checked the forecast for tomorrow. Looks like we’re having clear weather again.

The hunters would be visiting us again tomorrow during the day, apparently due to Kawanaka-san’s insistence. I got a call from Mutsu-san saying as much.

“Sorry, Sano-kun.”

“Don’t worry. It’s no problem at all.” Having people over means more work for me, yeah, but more importantly, it also means more fun. I turned to the chickens. “Hey, guys, the hunters said they’re coming again tomorrow.”

“Okay,” they all replied. Good chickens. I can tell there’s still some awkwardness in the air. Tama’s a good chicken too, even with her nasty habit of resorting to violence...

For dinner, as I’d promised, I served them some boar meat. Gotta keep my word.

At the chicken farm, I’d bought not only feed for the chickens but also chicken meat for myself. Now I can get as much protein as I need. And I’ve still got a good amount of boar meat too, so no worries there.

We went to bed after dinner and woke up bright and early the next morning. Tonight, we’d be gathering at the Yumotos to eat venison. I struggle to cook venison, so I’m glad there are other people who can make better use of it.

But that would be happening later. In the meantime, the hunters would be gathering at my place. Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, Kawanaka-san, and Aikawa-san came over a little bit earlier than usual. Looks like Hatano-san couldn’t make it this time.

“Hey, Sano-kun. Thanks for letting us come again.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

I could tell that Pochi and Tama were raring to go from the way that they were restlessly shuffling their feet. Just don’t go running off on your own. Please...

“Where’s Hatano-san?” I asked.

“He said he’d pop by tonight just to say hello. He’s got a family to take care of, so he won’t be joining us for the party,” Aikawa-san explained.

“Oh... I see.” Fair enough. I’m sure the holiday season must be pretty busy for people with families. Especially if they’ve got young kids like he does.

“Good thing we don’t need to worry about any of that!” Mutsu-san guffawed.

Toyama-san nodded. “Hear, hear.”

Yeah, I guess they don’t need to worry about children anymore.

“Sure, it’s one less thing to worry about...” Kawanaka-san sighed. “But it does get pretty lonely around this time of year, let me tell you... What about you, Aikawa-kun? Is your girlfriend okay with you going out hunting all the time?” His question came out in what I thought was a rather snarky tone.

Hmm? Girlfriend? Oh, right—he means Rin-san. Whew, almost had me there.

Aikawa-san smiled. “She’s not too fond of cold weather, you see... She prefers to stay cooped up at home, at least until it gets warmer. Until then, we mostly let each other do our own thing.”

“Aw, man, must be nice... Sano-kun’s the only one who understands how I feel! The holiday season feels pretty lonely for us, doesn’t it?!”

Hey now, don’t lump us together! “Well...I have the chickens to keep me company, and they also keep me pretty busy, so...” I didn’t bother mentioning anything about me going to Aikawa-san’s place. It’s true that the chickens keep me busy. It is enjoyable, yeah, but still.

“True, you’ve got three big chickens to take care of... Maybe I should get a pet too...” Kawanaka-san murmured.

Toyama-san walked over to him. “But you’re not at home during the day, right? Your pet’s the one who’s gonna feel lonely.”

Toyama-san sounds sorta emotional about it. I wonder if he’s had pets in the past...

The hunting party soon set off for my other mountain, where they’d stay until lunchtime. Pochi and Tama giddily tagged along. They can’t run all over the place as they please, but I suppose they must find it fun showing the others around the mountain.

Yuma and I spent some time checking around the house, then went to look at the crops. I hung the laundry out to dry and checked on the stuff I’d be taking with me tonight. I could probably borrow a change of clothes from the Yumotos if I forget to pack some, but I’d rather not trouble them with that.

I had plenty of miso soup with seaweed and komatsuna in the pot, and if I had leftovers, I could simply store it in the fridge, pot and all. Actually, I’ll be turning off the oil heater since we’re all going out later, so I imagine it’s fine to leave the pot on the stove—room temperature is probably as cold as the inside of the fridge. Still, I’d rather be on the safe side. Forecast says it’s not snowing tomorrow, but here in the mountains, you never know, so I could be delayed in getting home. Wouldn’t want to spoil any good food.

Aikawa-san said he’d left the door to his house unlocked for Rin-san. Since she generally procured her food outside, he didn’t need to worry about making any other preparations to leave her alone at home. Though he did turn off the stove, which she was okay with. She didn’t hibernate, strictly speaking, but she was currently in a state somewhat similar to that and didn’t need to have a steady supply of heat. No idea how that works.

“I wonder how Katsuragi-san’s dragon is doing...”

From what I’d heard from her, he would be hibernating the entire time she was away. I haven’t heard anything about him, so I assume he must be all right.

The hunters came back at around lunchtime. I served them the usual miso soup and pickled vegetables.

“Boy, the weather’s nice, but it’s pretty darn cold, eh? I bet if I had a kotatsu in front of me right now, no one would be able to drag me out of it!” Mutsu-san exclaimed, in high spirits despite the chilliness.

Agreed on the kotatsu. I would fall asleep.

“I hope we can catch something...” Kawanaka-san murmured.

I thought he was mostly into trap hunting, though. “You usually hunt with traps, right?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’d love to go and set some, but New Year’s is just around the corner. I do have a few near my house.”

Ah, right, I remember hearing that his property is decently large.

After finishing their onigiri, they left again. Pochi and Tama had looked somewhat surprised when they’d heard Mutsu-san talking about how today would be the hunters’ last day here. Pretty sure I already told them...

They probably wouldn’t be spending too long on the mountain today—they’d said they would be back at around three. Personally, I don’t really get why they bother when they know they’ll almost certainly come back empty-handed.

(Huh? Why don’t I go with them? Well, I don’t want to walk around in the snow. I’m a wuss, you say? Yeah, yeah, leave me alone.)

Having said that, I’d still harbored a sliver of hope that they might get lucky on their last day, but as it turns out, that sort of development is reserved for fictional stories and hardly ever happens in real life. Arguably a good thing—if they had managed to catch something, that’d mean more work for everyone involved.

“We did come across some footprints... No time to follow them, though...” Mutsu-san said in a despondent tone. Inevitably, hunting expeditions had a time limit, and even more so today because we had plans for later.

“Footprints, you say...?”

“It was definitely a boar.”

“If only we had just one more day, I’m sure we could track it down,” Aikawa-san said with a smile.

You’d need another whole day?

“But we’ve got a party tonight,” he continued. “We can leave the hunting for the new year. You haven’t had any trouble with animals ruining your crops, right, Sano-san?”

“No, they’re doing fine...” Or maybe I just don’t plant anything that they like enough to bother digging up.

I glanced at the chickens. Or maybe... I shook my head to dispel the vision that popped up. I imagine if we were having that sort of trouble, they would take it upon themselves to deal with the vermin. And I don’t remember ever seeing any traces of them having hunted near the fields.

Mutsu-san laughed heartily. “Maybe the animals stay away because they know you’ve got the chickens here.”

I scratched my head. “Hmm, I wonder...”

“No, really, that sounds plausible,” Aikawa-san agreed with another grin. “I’ve got more farmland than you, but I’ve also never had problems with that.”

Does he mean...? Rather than wild animals just staying away from his crops of their own volition, Rin-san and Ten-san are probably hunting them down and eating them. Yikes, I don’t even want to imagine what that might look like...

“I-I see... That could be it, then...” That response was all that I could muster. (Don’t call me a wuss. I’m worried not only about myself but also about my chickens—my dear family.)

After a while, it was about time for the party, so we all got in our vehicles and drove down the mountain and toward the Yumoto residence. I had all three chickens with me in my truck, plus a bag with a change of clothes and other stuff for a night away. I’d also packed some chicken meat I’d bought for the Yumotos. It’s nothing fancy, but I feel bad about getting treated to meals all the time.

At the Yumotos, we ran into Akimoto-san and Yuki-san—they’d obviously arrived before us. They were on the veranda, smoking cigarettes absentmindedly.

“Hello there!” I called out.

“Hey, Sano-kun. I see your chickens are as huge as always...” Akimoto-san remarked.

“Ha ha. Well, it would be pretty worrying if they got smaller.”

“Heh, guess so.”

I walked over to the front door to greet the Yumotos. The old man came outside to meet us. “Oh, hey, Shohei. We’re prepping the venison right now.”

“Hi there. Here—I brought you some chicken meat...”

“Ooh, nice!”

“Where should I tell my chickens to go?”

“Wherever they want is fine—near the fields, whatever. Just tell them not to climb the mountain, of course!”

“Gotcha.”

I handed him the frozen meat, then headed back to the garden-facing veranda, which was full of old guys staring off into the horizon.

“Pochi, Tama, Yuma, he says you can go over to the fields. Just stay away from the mountain.”

They clucked back at me. Guess that’s an “okay.” By now, I already felt at home here, and I knew where the plastic sheets were, so I got one and spread it out on the ground. Not too much wind today. Should be fine to just leave it here. I added some large rocks on top of the corners to be safe.

“Heeey, Shohei. Come and give us a hand here!”

“Okay!”

“I’ll help too.”

Aikawa-san and I made our way to the kitchen and helped carry some glasses, pickled vegetables, and all the other bits and bobs needed for the impending feast.

“Oh, I can help too...” Yuki-san offered, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

“Nah, don’t worry. You can stay there.”

Yumoto-san probably thought it was better to ask people like us, who were already well acquainted with the house. And it looks like things are particularly hectic today—Machiko-san is doing all of the cooking by herself.

Aikawa-san seemed to feel bad about that. “Machiko-san, I could help if you’d like,” he offered.

“Oh, I’m fine! Thanks, though.”

I see she’s still adamant about not letting men help in the kitchen. Aikawa-san didn’t insist any further.

“Thanks for the chicken, Sho-chan!” she called out. “Now I know what we’ll be eating tomorrow.”

“Don’t mention it. You’re always so kind to me.”

We brought out beer, sake, and other drinks from the large shed near the front of the house. Unlike before, this time we did ask Yuki-san for help. I’d rather keep my distance from this shed at night. I know that the top shelf is lined with bottles of homemade snake wine and hornet wine. I bet if someone walked in there unsuspectingly, only to be greeted by that sight, they’d scream out in terror. And he says he’s gonna leave them there for three years... Does he realize that the viper population increases every year? Well, maybe not anymore, as far as my mountain is concerned.

Once all the preparations were complete, the actual cooking didn’t take very long. Machiko-san showed off her impeccable culinary skill by briskly moving from tempura to stir-fries, one dish after the other. After we carried a stew to the table, she handed us a plate piled high with fried venison and said our work here was done.

With Aikawa-san’s help, I served the chickens’ food—deer innards and veggies—on top of the plastic sheet I’d laid out earlier. The chickens were lazing around listlessly by the fields but came running back at breakneck speed as soon as they heard me summoning them. I know you’re excited, but just don’t ram into anything, please.

I stepped up onto the veranda, ready to head into the living room, then turned to my diligently waiting chickens and gave them permission to begin. “Okay, eat up!”

I’m about to do the exact same thing.

I sat down with the other guests in the living room and dug in. There was stewed taro and oden—both delicious. The fried venison was gone in a flash. Good thing I secured some while I had the chance. Everyone just ate from the large serving platters while occasionally setting aside small bites on their personal plates.

Come on, guys, we’re all adults here, aren’t we? I chuckled.

“Thought of something funny?” Aikawa-san asked.

“Well...I couldn’t help but laugh at how everyone keeps eating from the platters instead of moving food to their plates first...”

“Yeah... This is a bit childish.” He giggled. Even then, he kept dexterously taking from the platters and storing away small morsels on his small plate. Good thing there are no actual kids here—we’d be terrible role models.

On top of that, some of us were also downing glass after glass of booze, which helped make the food disappear even faster.

Outside, it had already gotten dark. The days get so short in winter—that means more time struggling against the cold.

“Sorry I’m late.” Hatano-san suddenly popped his head in from the veranda, which startled me.

“Ah! You really are! Here, have a seat.” Kawanaka-san patted the spot next to him.

Despite their usual quibbling, they’re pretty good friends, huh?

I’d asked them to leave one of the windows facing the veranda slightly open so I could keep an eye on the chickens, and Machiko-san had kindly complied. I’ll have to give them more veggies if that wasn’t enough food.

As we ate, Machiko-san kept bringing us more and more food—tempura, sashimi, and to close it off, venison curry. Really, I think this is a bit too much food...

“Go ahead! Eat as much as you want!”

“Okay...”

She must have gone the extra mile for us since her kids aren’t coming to visit. Still, man, what a banquet. There was so much food, in fact, that we couldn’t drink as much as usual.

That wasn’t enough to stop Kawanaka-san from pestering me, though. “Heeey, what about Katsuragi-san?” he asked.

“She’s in N-Town and will be staying there for most of the winter.” I’m pretty sure I already told him that. Guess he assumed she’d be coming again today, since she was here for the last one? She can’t make it all the way here with snow on the road, though. She’ll probably be staying there until the snow melts. No one wants to risk driving on icy roads.

“Whaaat?!”

“What’d you expect? She lives by herself up in the mountains,” Hatano-san muttered.

“So she could come down to the village, right? She can come to my place anytime she wants... Ouch!”

I was listening to his nonsense with a forced smile on my face when Hatano-san gave him a chop to the head.

“No violence!” Kawanaka-san hollered.

“No sexual harassment,” Hatano-san replied.

“Huh? That wasn’t harassment. Just trying to find me a wife, that’s all! Gaaah, I gotta find someone!”

“Then go look somewhere else!”

Gotta agree—leave the Katsuragi sisters alone. I’m kind of in an older brother position too. I’ll have to look after them for as long as we’re here. I nodded to myself.

Aikawa-san chuckled. “If you’re aiming for the Katsuragis, you’ll need Sano-san’s permission first.”

Kawanaka-san stared at me wide-eyed. Hey, what’s with that look?

“Do you mean you... Both of them...?”

I see someone’s been watching one too many sketchy videos, huh?

Hatano-san, losing his patience, gave him a kick. “Just shut up already!”

“Ow! What’s with you, always punching and kicking me around?! You know what? I’ve had enough! Let’s take it outside!”

“I’ll take you up on that!”

Old Man Yumoto and Mutsu-san, both red in the face, egged them on.

“That’s right, show him who’s boss!”

“Give ’em hell!”

I felt a bit flustered. Wait, wait, are you guys for real? Seriously? I’m not used to this kind of stuff... Yeah, maybe I am a wuss after all...

Machiko-san just stared, looking like she was sick and tired of it. Looks like there’s no need to intervene.

Kawanaka-san and Hatano-san rolled up their sleeves and opened a window, letting a gust of frigid air rush in. Gah, so cold!

Then their eyes turned toward the garden, and they froze up.

“Hmm?”

I glanced in the same direction, wondering what the deal was, and saw the chickens with their heads raised. There was a dark, red substance on their beaks, and their eyes seemed to gleam as they reflected the light coming from the house. At their size, they look even scarier in the dark.

“Sorry... I went too far.”

“Sure, as long as you understand that...”

Kawanaka-san and Hatano-san seemed to immediately regain their cool, and they quietly went back to their seats. It was almost cartoonish.

“Oh, you’re not gonna do it?”

“That’s lame!”

Yumoto-san and Mutsu-san continued to egg them on. They’re not sitting close to the window, so they probably couldn’t see what we did. Kawanaka-san and Hatano-san said nothing and just gave the rest of us strained smiles.

I stood up and went over to the open window. “Hey, did you guys get enough food?” I called out to the chickens.

Yuma came strolling toward the house. I’m guessing that’s a no.

I reached outside and petted her feathers. “I’ll go get you some more veggies, then. Hang on.” I closed the window again.

“He’s completely unfazed...” Kawanaka-san mumbled. “No wonder he can handle both sisters...”

“Come on, give it a rest...”

Sounds like Kawanaka-san’s mind is still stuck in the gutter. Jeez... I headed to the kitchen.

After things settled down, Hatano-san went on his way—he hadn’t drunk any alcohol, apparently. Takes some willpower to stay sober all by yourself in a situation like this. I’m impressed. Aikawa-san and I had enjoyed our drinks as usual, since we wouldn’t be driving anywhere in the dark either way. Yuki-san had also refrained from drinking, and he went home with Akimoto-san. He’s not much of a drinker to begin with, if I recall correctly... Well, whatever suits him. Good job driving Akimoto-san home, anyway.

I threw out the scraps of food that were left on the plastic sheet, wiped the chickens’ beaks, brushed the dirt off them, and took them inside to the earthen floor area where they always slept while we were here. After that, with Aikawa-san’s help, I washed the plastic sheet.

“You really have a mind for details, huh?” he asked.

“You think so? That’s the first time someone’s ever said that to me!”

He chuckled. “I mean, that’s definitely the impression I get when I watch you taking care of the chickens. You prepare three meals for them every day and all that.”

“Well, in the summer, I only make their breakfast.” Then just give them some vegetables I have lying around for dinner.

“No, really, I can tell how dedicated you are. That must be why they love you so much.”

Hmm... Okay, yeah, I can tell Yuma loves me. As for the other two... Lately, I’ve been feeling like they only see me as a food provider.

After that, I helped with the cleanup and went to bed.

The next morning, Aikawa-san woke me up. Mutsu-san, Toyama-san, and Kawanaka-san were still deep in slumber. I’m always impressed with myself for being able to sleep soundly next to this symphony of snores... Almost sounds like an earthquake. As for why Aikawa-san woke only me up, leaving the others alone, it was because I’d asked him to do so if he got up before I did. I appreciate it every time...

I folded my futon, washed my face, and went to the living room. “Good morning.”

Yumoto-san was reading a newspaper, and he raised his head to look at me. “Morning, Shohei. Your chickens are already out and about.”

Looks like he’s doing pretty well himself. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Good morning, Sho-chan. What do you want for breakfast? Same as always? Or maybe some curry?”

I wavered but ended up going with the usual. There’s just nothing like some plum chazuke the morning after drinking. Aikawa-san seemed to be enjoying his breakfast as well. I guess we’re stuck here until early afternoon.

“Could we have curry for lunch?” I asked.

“Good idea. You can take it with you if there’s any left.”

“As always, thank you, Machiko-san.”

“Oh, you! My, you don’t need to keep thanking me for every little thing. It’s just me and my husband here for the holidays anyway. Speaking of which, do you have any plans for the first few days of the new year?”

Aikawa-san and I looked at each other. We’d already agreed to spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day at his place, but we had no plans for after that.

“Uh, would it be okay to come over? And if so, when?” I asked. When it comes to this kind of thing, it’s better to ask straightaway instead of dillydallying.

She smiled. “Of course it’s okay! Are both of you coming? Then...how about you come over on the third and stay over for as long as you like? My husband got carried away and made way too much mochi, so we’ve got plenty for everyone.”

Aikawa-san nodded. “In that case, I’d like to stay over a couple of days starting on the third—if you don’t mind, of course.” He turned to me. “How about you?”

“Ah, um, me too... But if it snows...”

“We can cross that bridge if and when we get there.”

“Okay.”

If it does snow, it’s better to deal with it immediately, or it could spell trouble. But then, in that case, I’d also like to help the Yumotos with the snow on their roof. I’ve been too busy dealing with the snow on my own property to think about others too much, but I’m sure the villagers must’ve had a lot of trouble with it too. And also, it helps burn the calories from all the food we’re eating.

It’s really nice that living in the mountains has improved my functional fitness so much. I’ve never been much of a fitness guy, but I’ve learned how satisfying it can be to feel yourself getting into shape. Having said that, I still wouldn’t go out of my way to do unnecessary physical work—I’ll keep that to myself, though.

It was already close to noon when the others got up.

“Ahh, I slept like a log! Machiko-chan, give us some chazuke!”

“Sure, sure. Are you all okay with chazuke?”

“Yes, please.”

“Yes, please.”

It seems we all agree that plum chazuke is the best choice for a hangover breakfast. Glad to hear that.

I stepped outside to check on the chickens. They were over in the fields, pecking at spots on the ground where there was nothing planted and staring up at the mountainside—there was still some snow left up there. They stayed away from the greenhouse, as I’d told them to. The chickens are so bright and clever that I sometimes feel they’re wasted on me...if that makes sense. It probably doesn’t.

I got some vegetables from Machiko-san and fed them to the chickens. They happily gobbled everything up before returning to the fields. Are there even any bugs when it’s this cold? I don’t see any on my mountain these days.

For lunch, as per my request, we had venison curry and rice. I love the light, refreshing flavor. I understand game meat is a hit-or-miss affair, though. They offered me some venison to take home, but since I couldn’t prepare it, I only asked for some for the chickens.

“So, for our New Year toshikoshi soba noodles, we’ll definitely want some tempura, right?” Aikawa-san asked me.

“Hmm, yeah, that would be nice,” I replied casually. Hmm? Wait... “Ah, but obviously, I’m okay with no tempura too! Don’t wanna create extra work for you!”

“Don’t worry—it was my suggestion anyway.”

He seems to be in a great mood. I suppose from the perspective of someone who’s spent the holidays by himself ever since moving here, even someone like me makes for decent company. He says if we’re going to eat a New Year dish, he wants it to be as tasty as possible. The guy’s really into cooking, huh?

As usual, we said our goodbyes in the late afternoon, and after fetching the chickens, I drove back to my mountain.

Tomorrow, I’d be spending the whole day at home. I know it’s fine to stay home and take it easy, but because of the holidays, I kinda feel like I should be doing something.

***

On days when I had nothing scheduled, I took the opportunity to clean and do laundry. I threw the windows open, despite the cold, and dusted the house. My routine’s really changed a lot since moving here. I guess in a way, I didn’t really have a choice—there’s no one around to do this stuff for me. Still can’t claim to be much of a cook, though, but everyone’s got their strengths and weaknesses, right?

Today was another nice, sunny day. I checked the forecast, and it said tomorrow would be cloudy. Hopefully that doesn’t mean rain or snow. Not like you can trust the forecast up here, anyway.

Is there a weather forecast specifically for mountainous areas? Maybe some sort of app? Seems unlikely that I’d be able to get an accurate forecast for the particular area where I live... I know about those apps that show you the weather in real time, but they don’t really tell you much about what the weather will be like tomorrow or the day after. I’m probably asking for too much—I’d wager there’s no such thing. (At least, as far as I know.)

In the morning, Pochi and Tama went out to play like they always did. Usually, I wouldn’t pay it too much mind, but for some reason, I got curious and decided to ask them about it.

“So where are you guys going today? Here? Or there?” I asked, pointing at the ground (“here”) and in the direction of my second mountain (“there”).

They promptly craned their necks and replied, “There.”

Uh-oh, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Weren’t the hunters saying that they found traces of a wild boar there a couple of days ago?

Pochi tapped his feet anxiously, as if he were just waiting for me to give them the A-okay before zipping off. I mean, even if they hunt it down, they can’t bring it back here, right? Then again, these are my chickens we’re talking about...

“Hey, even if you find some boars, leave them be, okay? Save that stuff for the next time the hunters come over.”

“Whaaat?”

“Whaaat?”

So you were planning to do that.

“Now listen here... I can’t carry a boar down the mountain all by myself, can I? And everyone’s busy today, so they can’t come and help us. Just do as I say and give it up.”

“Okay...”

“Okay...”

“Thanks. And don’t worry—they’ll be visiting us again soon. When they do, I’ll be counting on you guys, okay?”

“Okay!”

“Okay!”

Yup, that’s right. Good chickens. I’m glad you understand. Still, I’ve gotten pretty good at sensing what they’re thinking, haven’t I?

In spite of that, they’d still be going to my other mountain—probably on patrol.

“Take it easy. Don’t forget that we’re going to Aikawa-san’s place tomorrow.”

After seeing them off, I spent some time taking care of house chores, and then I went to check on the river with Yuma by my side. There seemed to be nothing unusual going on with the water filter, nor with the pipes that pumped water to the house. Lately, I’d been worried about the pipes freezing, so I’d gotten in the habit of leaving just a little water dripping from the taps in the kitchen and bathroom. I only did this from sundown to sunup, but it seemed to help.

I had to be careful near the riverbank since I hadn’t gotten rid of the snow there—all I could do was check things out from a distance. Either way, it was important to make sure there was nothing visibly wrong. None of that seemed to pose a problem to Yuma, who haphazardly trod through the snow, pecking at the ground here and there. Is she eating the snow? Or is it ice? Could there be something down there?

I took my time checking various spots near my house—the fields and the area where the abandoned buildings had been—before going back home. I know I set today aside and planned to take it easy, but still, it feels a bit weird spending December 30th so aimlessly. I’ve already put up decorations, and I don’t think there’s anything else I need to do...so why do I feel this way?

I tried watching some TV, but since I wasn’t normally in the habit of channel surfing during the daytime, I couldn’t really tell if it was any different from usual.

“Something to do... Something to do... Guess I’ll eat something.”

I prepared Yuma’s lunch. I probably don’t need to bother checking on the charcoal hut. We haven’t had any snow since the last time I looked.

Ah, wait. Maybe I should gather some dead tree branches. I almost forgot. During winter, it should be easier to thin out some of the trees and their branches, since deciduous trees are dormant from November to February and don’t have any leaves. Or does that not matter when thinning out foliage? Not sure. I’ll have to look it up or ask someone if I can’t figure it out on my own.

For lunch, I ate pickled vegetables, scrambled eggs made with Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs, a generous serving of rice, and miso soup with nameko mushrooms. I’d gotten the mushrooms from the Yumotos, who grew them at home. It turned out there were actually a lot of people who grew them with those mushroom kits. Plenty of people picked them in the mountains as well, but I remembered Yumoto-san telling me that he wasn’t too knowledgeable about that and would rather not take the risk. Machiko-san knows a lot, apparently. He does pick other wild vegetables, but he lets her handle the mushrooms.

“This soup’s awesome...” Maybe I should start growing my own mushrooms too...

In the afternoon, I gathered some dead branches near the charcoal hut.

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner—just one more day. Aikawa-san had told me to look forward to our New Year’s meal. And I am. He’s a great cook.

Pochi and Tama didn’t do any hunting today, just like I’d told them. On the other hand, they did come back absolutely filthy. How does this even happen? Oh well... Business as usual, I thought as I washed them.

For dinner, I served them some deer innards—I had to spread a plastic sheet on the ground outside. I’d hoped to feed them dinner before it got dark, but with how short the days were, that was a tough proposition.

Man, they sure do look creepy as heck in the dark with all that dark-reddish gunk around their beaks... It’s the stuff of nightmares. I really should’ve waited until after dinner to wash them. I feel like this exact same thing has happened before... I never learn, do I?

But hey, at least the chickens seem happy, so whatever.

11. New Year’s Eve on West Mountain—My First Holiday Season in the Boonies

The last morning of the year was slightly cloudy. I imagine the clouds will keep getting thicker. No rain or snow, I hope. I faced the summit and prayed.

Tonight, I’d be staying over at Aikawa-san’s. He’d told me I could head over in the morning if I wanted, but I decided to go after having lunch at home. I appreciate having company to spend New Year’s with, but I really don’t want to impose on his kindness. And the chickens need to get their fill of exercise too.

As usual, Pochi and Tama bolted off into the wilderness. However, the clouds made it difficult to see the sun and gauge the time, so I told them not to stray too far—I wanted them in earshot for when I needed to call them home. Having said that, we still had some time before we departed. After some consideration, I came up with a plan: put a collar around Pochi’s neck, attach a watch to the end, and tell Tama they needed to come back when the short hand reached a specific position.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t forget, all right? Remember that we’re staying over at Aikawa-san’s place.”

Worst-case scenario, I’ll wait for them to come back for as long as I can, and if they don’t, I’ll simply have to go without them. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.

I’d harvested my crops just the other day, and nothing much had grown since. Thanks to the chickens regularly picking bugs off them, pests hadn’t been a problem. I’m sure if they weren’t around, the leaves would be all full of holes. Maybe not as much right now, since it’s winter. But I bet it’s especially bad with stuff like Chinese cabbage. Good thing I’ve got the chickens here with me.

“The year’s over already. Doesn’t really feel like it...”

Maybe it would if I had a job and went out every day, but I just lead a leisurely life here on my mountain. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that living in the mountains costs more money than I thought. I’m lucky I’ve got the passive income from that apartment building, or I’d be in deep trouble.

It’s easy to be an idealist, but sometimes, you gotta be more pragmatic. I feel like it’s only when you have the means to live comfortably that you can afford to be kind to others.

I turned on the TV while I made preparations to leave. I changed the channel, and they happened to be showing the news—it seemed the forecast hadn’t changed from yesterday.

“Here’s to hoping for no snowfall,” I muttered. Maybe if a girl fell down from the sky... Girlfall. Heh, as if. I’ll leave that sort of stuff to anime movies.

It was around noon, and I was about to get Yuma’s lunch ready when the other two came back.

“Oh, hey. Back already? What happened?”

“Food.”

“Food.”

“Okay, okay. I’m impressed you could tell it was lunchtime.”

It seemed they’d come back to eat lunch at home. As usual, they were fairly dirty, for who knows what reason. I lightly brushed the dirt off them, then fed them.

“Don’t go out any more today, okay? We’re leaving for Aikawa-san’s pretty soon.”

I checked to see that everything was in place. For the water, I had no choice but to leave it running the whole time we were away. The plumbing here hadn’t been done by actual pros, so draining the pipes wasn’t very effective. In the end, leaving it running was the best method I had to get through winter without burst pipes.

After making sure that all the doors and windows were closed (I pointed at each one to check), I stored the leftovers in the fridge and stepped outside. With everyone in their usual positions—Yuma in the passenger seat, Pochi and Tama in the tonneau under the cover—we set off for Aikawa-san’s mountain for the first time in a while.

When we got there, I was surprised—unlike on my own mountain, there was barely any snow left here. I could understand how the snow on the trees and leaves had melted away, but there was almost no snow on the ground either.

“Well, he did say Rin-san hated the snow...”

The question is, where did it all go? Did she eat it or something? I think there’s a rakugo story that went like that...

I closed the fence behind me and drove up from the foot of the mountain toward his house. I’d sent him a message before leaving my mountain, so he was waiting for me outside near the fields.

“Hi there.”

“Hello. Thanks for inviting me.”

He smiled timidly. “Don’t mention it. I should be the one thanking you for the company.”

I shrugged. I really am no match for him when it comes to politeness and tactfulness... I handed him the gift I’d brought—the usual rice crackers. I’d worried that might be too plain for a gift for someone who was letting me stay over, but I hadn’t really managed to think of anything better. We’ve been meeting up almost every day anyway. He even said I didn’t need to bother with gifts since I was doing the hunters a favor by letting them explore my mountain.

I spotted Rin-san by the house and greeted her. “Hello, long time no see. Do you mind if I let my chickens eat some of the bugs and stuff around here?”

“Sano, long time no see. Don’t mind.”

It could have been my imagination, but she looked somewhat paler than usual. Maybe that’s just how her body looks in the winter? I turned to Aikawa-san. “Did something happen to her?”

“Oh. Well...” He seemed to understand what I was getting at. “She just shed her skin, you see.”

“Huh, really? In the dead of winter?!”

“It seems the season doesn’t matter all that much, actually. You can think of it as like...taking off your clothes when they start feeling too tight. Something like that...”

Wait, so does that mean... I felt Rin-san glaring at me and decided not to think too much about it. Whoops, better not. Tama and Yuma seemed to sense some danger too, and they stood in front of me. Nah, don’t worry, it’s okay.

Aikawa-san chuckled awkwardly.

Will I make it through today? I’m starting to get a bit worried.

Since Aikawa-san’s bath was outdoors, I opted to bathe earlier than usual. There was a roof to keep off any rain, but it was otherwise open on all sides like a gazebo. Must be pretty rough bathing here every day in winter. But maybe the wonderful mountain scenery makes up for it. The grass around the bath was neatly trimmed, showing how attentive to detail Aikawa-san was. Yuma seemed quite pleased too.

I’d also brought him the branches I’d gathered on my mountain.

“Thanks.” He smiled as he carried them to the spot where he stored firewood. There was no bamboo growing near his charcoal hut, so there was probably no need to worry about anything catching fire and exploding. Apparently, bamboo was known to do that... “I’ve been able to secure a nice number of dead branches thanks to Rin, but it’s always nice to have more.”

The open-air bath here was heated with firewood, so he was always in need of it and constantly chopping more. When he didn’t have time for that, dead branches were the best substitute. Gathering them was moderately time-consuming, which was why my branches seemed to have been a good choice for a gift.

I sighed deeply as I settled into the warm water of the bath. “Ahh... Feels great, doesn’t it, Yuma?”

“Feels great...”

I gently poured hot water over her feathers. Aikawa-san’s bath was fairly large, enough to fit me and Yuma comfortably. The one I had at home was pretty cramped for the two of us—I’d already told her that if she grew much larger, we wouldn’t be able to bathe together anymore. Lately, I’ve been worried that at this rate, she might grow bigger than me. What am I supposed to do if that happens?

Once we were finished, we shot out of the bath—I rapidly dried us off, and we darted back to the house. There was a walkway connecting the bath to the house, which was covered and had duckboard flooring, but the roof was made of tin, and the boards that had been set up as makeshift walls were quite drafty. I was a little worried about hypothermia. I’m still young, but you never know.

“Thanks for letting us use the bath,” I said once I got inside.

“It’s pretty cold out there, isn’t it?” Aikawa-san served me a cup of hot tea and some lightly pickled Chinese cabbage.

“Thanks. So you grow these too, huh?” You can indeed grow Chinese cabbage on a mountain, though they won’t grow too big.

“Yeah, I’ve been eating it all the time recently. I’d appreciate some help getting rid of the stock.”

And so, the chickens’ dinner ended up consisting of boar meat and a large serving of Chinese cabbage. Rin-san also ate boar meat, but she consumed a lot at once and then went several days without eating—today just happened to be one of the days she went without. (Just between you and me, I felt relieved to hear that. I can’t really imagine what she looks like when she’s eating. I mean, that upper body’s just mimicry...)

As for our dinner, it was boar hot pot. Ooh, lucky! I grinned. There were also several excellent side dishes, including pickled vegetables, boiled komatsuna, spinach salad with sesame dressing, and lotus root stir-fry.

“So tasty!”

“Can’t really eat hot pot on my own. Good thing you joined me.”

“That’s true—it’s definitely a dish I’d feel weird eating alone.”

It’s hard to muster up the energy to make a hot pot when there’s no one to share it with. Nowadays, they sell those hot pot soup base cubes that you can use to make a single serving, but still, that probably feels a bit lonely. Oh, but maybe if you think of it as a way to boil a bunch of vegetables to eat as a side dish, that could work. Or add rice to make sort of a porridge. Actually, maybe I’ll buy some next time I’m in N-Town and give it a try.

“I’ll fry some tempura later. And I made soba noodles for toshikoshi soba.” And he’d be using the leftover hot pot soup to make udon tomorrow morning as well.

“Ooh...”

I’m already looking forward to it! Talk about five-star treatment! Speaking of soba noodles... Yumoto-san makes them too, doesn’t he? Mutsu-san as well. I wonder if there’s something in the mountain water that gives you the urge to do that. Actually, maybe it does have to do with the water—ours is clean and fresh, and perhaps that’s important for making noodles...?

Rin-san was already getting ready to sleep on the earthen floor. She slept a lot in winter, apparently. Aikawa-san said we didn’t need to worry too much about making noise, as she wouldn’t wake up easily. I stared at the chickens.

“Let’s eat the soba in the kitchen,” said Aikawa-san.

“All right.” That’s probably better, yeah. If we don’t turn off the light in this room until midnight, the chickens probably won’t sleep. To be honest, I’m a tiny bit curious to see whether they can sleep with the lights on all night. Not that I’ll actually try it, though. The last thing I want is for them to keep making a racket until morning.

I cleaned up and turned to them. “Good night. See you next year,” I muttered, knowing that they probably couldn’t understand. Not only next year, but also the one after that and many more years to come.

“Night!”

“Night!”

“Night!”

I was happy to hear them wishing me a good night.

“Don’t stay up late, okay?”

I know there are people who can’t sleep if they use a different pillow, but my chickens are not that dainty and delicate. I’m sure they’ll fall asleep right away after we turn off the light.

I decided not to drink, since I wanted to make sure I’d stay awake until the new year—though I did plan to crack open a cold one after midnight.

I laid out my futon in the room Aikawa-san had prepared for me. It was ready for me to fall into whenever I got tired. Well, I’m sure we’ll keep chatting until right before we go to sleep...about all the stuff that happened this year, events before that, all sorts of things. Not that we’ll reflect on our lives or anything, but I do feel like putting our thoughts into words might help us process the year and sort stuff out.

I wonder what next year has in store for us...?

***

At around midnight, we ate toshikoshi soba noodles with several types of tempura: potato, chicken, and mixed vegetable fritters. The potato one was especially to my liking—it was chunky but fluffy and warm all the way to the center. I liked it so much that I turned to Aikawa-san and exclaimed, “Wow, I’d love to eat this again!” and he cracked a smile.

The soba noodles were on the thicker side, clearly homemade. “What can I say? It’s pretty hard to cut them thin...” he said, scratching his head.

We ate the noodles, which were served atop bamboo zaru trays, with chopped green onions, ginger, and wasabi on the side. I don’t remember toshikoshi soba always being this elaborate of a dish. The food was all scrumptious, and I ended up eating more than I’d anticipated.

Before we knew it, the new year was upon us. We turned on the TV as background noise, but neither of us paid much attention to whatever was airing. In somewhat awkward tones, we said our New Year’s greetings.

“Happy New Year. Here’s to another great one.”

“Happy New Year. Wishing you all the best.”

We bowed at each other and laughed.

“So, it’s been...over three years since you moved here, right?” I asked.

“Yup. This year will be the fourth. I pretty much fled to the mountains with my tail between my legs...” Aikawa-san stared off into the distance.

That’s an apt way to put it. The same goes for me and Katsuragi-san too. Luckily, in my case, there isn’t anyone who’ll come looking for me, but the same can’t be said for Rie-san. At least she’s got her driving lessons keeping her occupied right now.

Speak of the devil...

My phone pinged with a message. “Ah, it’s from Katsuragi-san.” I excused myself and checked it.

“Happy New Year. Best wishes from me and my sister. We might go back once the snow clears up. See you then!”

Yeah, I’m sure she must have her reservations about leaving the house unattended until spring.

“I got a ‘Happy New Year’ message from her as well,” Aikawa-san said with a smile. “She’s very polite, isn’t she?”

Looks like he’s okay as long as they don’t get too close to him.

“That reminds me...” he continued. “Now that I think about it, I’ve heard about her reasons for coming here, but I haven’t told her about my own circumstances yet.”

“Oh, I don’t talk much about myself either,” I replied. “The only people who know about my stuff are you and the Yumotos.”

“I guess it’s okay not to tell her, then...”

“Yeah, I think so.”

I’m sure the Katsuragis can probably sense we’ve got problems of our own, but they don’t really try to pry into that kind of thing. Despite how ditzy they act and sound, they’re fairly tactful girls with good heads on their shoulders. (I’m being a bit rude, aren’t I?) That’s why I’d like to do everything in my power to ensure that they can feel safe here.

“You know, I kinda make an effort to look out for them.”

“Because they’re girls?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

That’s pretty much it, I guess. I know this might be an anachronistic way to view things, but it’s just a matter of fact that men have the upper hand physically. That said, if they were entitled girls who relied on others for everything all the time, I wouldn’t want anything to do with them. But they’re not—they’re actively trying to carve their own paths. I feel it’s only natural to want to root for people like that.

“I don’t really interact with them much, but...” He paused for a moment. “If you could use another helping hand, you can always count on me. We’re all fellow mountain dwellers, after all—we gotta look out for each other.”

“You’re right. Thanks.”

Fellow mountain dwellers... I like the sound of that. “As far as Rie-san is concerned, we’ll just have to wait and see how things’ll turn out. But, uh, surely Kawanaka-san is just kidding around, right?” That’s been one of my main concerns.

Aikawa-san pondered for a moment. “Well, he does have that side to him... Of course, that’s no excuse for being a sex pest. I’ll talk to Mutsu-san about it.”

“All right, thanks... He said he was fifty, right...? I guess he likes them young?”

He shrugged. “In general, I think men are drawn to younger women.”

Sure, I guess that’s what common sense dictates, but... “The young women might have a word or two about that, though...” I mean, let’s be real here—there aren’t too many girls around their twenties who’d harbor serious romantic feelings toward a man in his fifties. If you ask me, at least. I let out my first sigh of the year.

“At least in January, he’ll be spending most of the time on my mountain, so he shouldn’t run into Rie-san. And by February, I imagine she’ll already have gotten her license...”

“The problem comes after that, huh?” I murmured. It wasn’t really a big deal, but I was still a little concerned.

“Oh, also, totally unrelated, but I’m thinking of making some charcoal in January. Would you like to join?”

“Absolutely—I’d love to.”

Making charcoal was something that generally had to be done with other people due to how physically demanding the process was. For one, someone had to keep an eye on the fire the whole time. I think my water filter should be fine for the time being, but I could always use extra charcoal.

By now, the tempura and soba noodles were all gone. I sat on the floor, slightly tipsy after a can of beer.

“I ordered osechi for us to eat tomorrow,” Aikawa-san said.

I wonder what his New Year holidays were like before this year—after all, he was up here all by himself. Well, I can’t speak for the past, but he sure went all out for this one.

We would eat osechi when I lived at my parents’ place, but as I got older we stopped making them at home and started ordering them. Understandable. It is pretty elaborate. I think originally it was supposed to be enough food to last until the third. Unless I’m mistaken.

Aikawa-san had told me yesterday not to worry about his schedule and that I could get up whenever I wanted. I took his words to heart—after waking up, I stayed in bed daydreaming for a while until I heard light footsteps outside the room.

Oh crap. By the time I realized what they meant, it was too late already—I could feel Tama’s whole weight on me.

“Taaamaaa...”

“Wake up.”

“How do you expect me to do that with you on top of me?! Move!” She jumped off, flapping her wings. Phew.

I heard a heavier pair of footsteps approaching, and Aikawa-san showed up. He smiled when he saw me and Tama. “Oh, Tama-san came to wake you up? Nice to see that you two are still as close as always.”

“Good morning...” Nice? I’m not too sure about that. Especially considering she’s clearly put on some weight recently, despite not really looking like it.

“Look, I don’t mind you waking me up, but don’t get on top of me,” I told her. “Are you trying to crush me under your weight?”

She promptly pecked me. Why?!

I got up and made my way to the front of the house. The chickens were on the earthen floor, already eating their breakfast. On the dining table were some pickled vegetables and the three-tiered bento boxes featuring the osechi.

“Before breakfast, I’m paying a visit to this mountain’s hokora to place some rice as an offering. Wanna come along?” he asked.

“Oh, sure, I’ll go too.”

The hokora shrine on this mountain wasn’t too far from his house. It’d been built near the graves of the people who used to live here. We headed there, carrying a small plate of rice.

It was a beautiful sunny day. Oh yeah, I didn’t get to see the first sunrise of the year. Although we were on a mountain, the view of the horizon wasn’t unobstructed, so if we’d stayed up to see the first sunrise, we might’ve been waiting for a good while.

Soon after, we were standing before the hokora. We joined our hands in prayer, and Aikawa-san said, “I will be in your care again this year.”

Then, back at his place, we opened the bento boxes. Sure enough, there was indeed enough food to serve two. There were a couple of osechi staples—like black beans and these little candied sardines known as tazukuri—but the boxes mostly consisted of unusual picks for the occasion. A lot of Chinese dishes...?

“I went for a Chinese-style osechi this time, just to try it out. What do you think?”

“It’s certainly unique...”

He chuckled. The thing is, osechi is something you eat cold, so it feels kinda odd when you’ve got Chinese dishes in the mix. It’s pretty good, yeah, but I guess traditions exist for a good reason.

The chickens had now finished their food. They stared at us and cocked their heads, as if asking whether they could go play outside.

I turned to Rin-san, who was quietly coiled up on the ground, to ask for permission. “Excuse me, Rin-san. It looks like my chickens want to go play on the mountain. Would you mind if they ate some of the bugs out there?”

“Don’t mind.”

“Thanks.” I turned to the chickens and told them they were free to go, and they happily ran off.

“You’re very polite toward Rin,” Aikawa-san remarked.

“Well, I learned it from you.”

“From me?”

Huh, seems like he doesn’t pay it much mind. Back when I’d first moved here and Aikawa-san had introduced me to Rin-san, he’d asked the chickens for their permission before letting her roam my mountain. That had left a deep impression on me, and I’d been doing the same ever since, but he seemed to have no particular recollection of it. I suppose it goes to show how courtesy and good manners just come naturally to him. I really do have a lot to learn from him.

Rin-san soon took a cue from the chickens—she leisurely uncoiled and slithered outside, presumably to patrol the mountain.

After finishing our osechi, Aikawa-san served zoni, a traditional New Year’s soup with mochi.

“I’ve got plenty of mochi this year, so please eat as much as you’d like.”

Looks like he really gave it his all. “Oh, I can’t eat that much...” I relished my bowl of zoni with two mochi.

“What sort of recipe does your family use for zoni broth?” Aikawa-san asked. “Soy sauce-based?”

“Yeah, soy sauce.”

“So you don’t put any sugar in it, right?”

“Nope.” I know zoni recipes can vary a lot between different regions.

“My father puts sugar in his. A heaping spoonful.”

“Huh, really?”

“Only in his own bowl, thankfully.”

“I guess when it comes to this sort of dish, every household’s got their own recipe?”

“Yeah, maybe.”

The mochi were quite filling, and by the time I finished, I was rolling on the floor holding my stomach. Aikawa-san’s house feels really cozy—maybe too cozy.

“So have you decided on any plans for tonight?” he asked. “If you’d like to stay over again, that’s fine with me.”

“Hmm... Can I wait for the chickens to get back before giving you a definite answer?”

“Sure. There’s plenty of food, so please make yourself at home.”

Several hours of idleness passed. Lately, the chickens had been coming home around lunchtime, but today they were taking longer than usual for some reason.

“Don’t they get hungry?” I mumbled to myself.

I was just waiting for Pochi and Tama—Yuma had stayed near the house, loitering around. She could’ve gone with them...but I won’t insist. She’s got her own way of doing things, I’m sure. Though I don’t really get it. Unlike the other two, she’d already eaten lunch here at Aikawa-san’s place.

Where are they, anyway? How far could they have gone?

As for our lunch, Aikawa-san and I added udon noodles to the leftover soup from last night’s hot pot. The rich, full-bodied broth made for a fantastic meal.

“Ahh, man, I sure love hot pot.”

Aikawa-san chuckled. “Me too. Not really something you eat by yourself, though...”

“They do sell hot pot soup base cubes. Have you seen those?”

“Oh yeah. They can be used for single servings, right? My issue is more with the idea of eating it all by yourself, I think.”

I guess he’s squarely in the “hot pot is a communal dish” camp. Sure, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but personally, I’d like to give those soup base cubes a try sometime. “I’m thinking of buying some and trying them out.”

“Let me know how it goes.”

The broth from the hot pot made the udon noodles remarkably tasty—so tasty that I ended up asking for seconds and, once more, rolling on the floor with a full stomach.

“And for dinner, we can have osechi leftovers...and some mochi?” Aikawa-san muttered. “Yeah, that’ll do.”

The chickens came back as dusk settled. Judging from the triumphant looks on their faces, they seemed excited about having gotten to explore a different mountain. That’s also pretty adorable in its own way. (Yeah, I know, I’ll say that about anything when it comes to my chickens.) Because they came back so late, we would definitely be spending another night here.

I’d gotten a message from Katsuragi-san, and when I replied to her that I’d be staying over again, she replied, “Say, aren’t you guys a bit too friendly with each other?”

What does she mean by that?

I must have looked visibly confused, because Aikawa-san turned to me to ask if there was something wrong. When I told him about my exchange with Katsuragi-san, he laughed awkwardly and said, “Hmm... Well, this seems normal for people like us who live in the mountains, no? That said, you’re the only one I’ve told about Rin, so I personally do kinda feel like we’re in the same boat.”

Oh, true—I’m the only one who knows about her. As far as everyone else is concerned, Aikawa-san lives with his girlfriend. Huh...? Wait, wouldn’t that make me a third wheel getting in their way? Maybe... Ah, actually, I think he already took care of that. He told the villagers that she was visiting her family for the holidays, didn’t he?

“Now, how should I reply to Katsuragi-san...?”

“You can just tell her like it is, can’t you? Say that you have to stay over again because by the time the chickens came back, it was too late to go home.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Let’s go with that.

Yuma and I hurried over to the open-air bath, which Aikawa-san had heated up for us, and climbed in. Since the temperature dropped drastically after sunset, we had to be quick and bathe before the water got cold.

“There’s almost no snow here... Impressive...”

“No snow...” Yuma sounded a little disappointed.

“Yup.” Maybe Rin-san didn’t go out to patrol but to get rid of the snow.

Pochi and Tama had come back covered in filth, so I’d already given them a quick wash. Aikawa-san had boiled some water for us earlier so I could wipe them down. Sorry for the trouble, and thanks. Those two didn’t like getting in the bath, so as usual, I’d picked the dirt off their bodies, then poured warm water over them a few times. Honestly, it’s a hassle, but seeing their satisfied faces after I wash them makes it worth it.

I did the same with Yuma, but she also liked to bathe with me afterward. I did need to dry her off promptly after getting out of the bath, but I’d already gotten used to it all.

Aikawa-san got in the bath right after we got out. I would have preferred to let him bathe before us, but he insisted that, as his guests, we go first. Yuma was in a great mood after getting to enjoy the large open-air bath two days in a row. “Bath?” She cocked her head. So adorable! But hey, it’s no use looking at me like that! I’m not gonna remodel our bath.

“Our bath is not getting any bigger than it already is. And hopefully, neither are you!”

Aikawa-san laughed when he heard that. No, seriously—she won’t fit in my bathtub anymore if she grows any larger.

After he got out of the bath, we enjoyed the osechi leftovers with some mochi that he fried for us. We had some dipped in sugar and soy sauce and some coated with kinako powder—both were delicious. Even knowing I shouldn’t, I ended up eating a bit too much. Gotta watch out with mochi.

“Would you like some mochi to take home with you?” he offered.

“Ooh... Ah, but we’re going to the Yumotos on the third, so I won’t be home for very long. What to do...”

“Oh, right. I imagine we’ll be staying there for a couple of days.”

Yeah, guess we will—Machiko-san seemed really happy about spending time with us. Not sure if we’ll stay any longer than that, though.

I’d be going back to my mountain tomorrow to do some laundry and other chores, and then the next day, we would be headed to the Yumoto residence. I’ll try to stick to lighter meals at home. I’ve been eating too much recently. Stomach medicine... I think I have some in the medicine box.

“Sano-san, would you be okay with udon topped with mochi for breakfast tomorrow? That is, with plenty of veggies...”

“Sure, I’ll leave the menu to you. Thanks.”

Mochi again, huh? Sure, it is tasty. It is, but...kinda heavy on the stomach? It’s filling, but it’s the kind of food you get tired of if you eat it too often. I wonder why that doesn’t happen with rice.

“If you’re sick of mochi, you can just say so. No problem at all.”

Looks like he saw right through me. I shook my head. “No, not at all.” Not yet, at least.

And I bet we’ll be eating plenty of mochi at Yumoto-san’s place too. I can already imagine it—they’ll ask me how many mochi I want in my food, I’ll say “One!” and they’ll put two in there.

Good thing I didn’t buy those kagami mochi...

***

On the morning of January 2nd, I ate breakfast at Aikawa-san’s house—udon noodles topped with mochi—before going back to my own mountain.

Slightly melted mochi is pretty good too. That noodle soup base—I’m positive that it was Aikawa-san’s homemade recipe. We used to make it at home too when I was little, but at some point, my parents switched to the store-bought stuff. I remember I once drank some broth by mistake, thinking it was barley tea... Not my brightest moment. I guess kids these days probably can’t relate. I wonder if the Yumotos also make their own? I let my mind wander aimlessly as I did housework and anticipated our stay at the Yumotos.

Pochi and Yuma went out to play, while Tama stayed with me, pecking at something or other as I hung the laundry out to dry. Really, though, are there any bugs left this time of year? Or does she just keep pecking at the ground out of habit?

There wasn’t too much laundry to do, given that I’d only spent two days away from home, but I was in the habit of doing my laundry every day, so it was still more than usual. Washing clothes every day makes it easier to hang things out to dry. It was still chilly, but there was a lot less snow piled up—still a few spots where it hadn’t melted at all, though.

Hmm, I feel like I’m forgetting something... “Ah... A gift...” Since it was still early in the day, I decided to look for something on the internet that I could get delivered tomorrow. “Tama! I’ll be inside for a moment if you need me!” Don’t want her to be surprised that I disappeared inside...

“Okay.”

I hurried inside and sat in front of my PC.

Despite the New Year’s holidays, I was able to find a decent amount of products that had a next-day delivery option. Kinda unexpected. Shipping was a little more expensive than usual but still within a range that I found acceptable. I settled on dried fish and ordered it to be delivered to the Yumotos’ address. Pretty convenient times we live in.

I did some cleaning around the house, then went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. I called out to Tama, who was playing in the fields. “Heeey, Tama. Food’s ready.”

“Okay.”

It’s stuff like this that makes me feel like I’m not really living by myself, even though I technically am. Makes sense, given how my chickens reply to everything I say.

I served her chicken feed from Matsuyama-san’s farm, plus Chinese cabbage and some boar meat I’d left out to thaw. She gobbled it up happily. My chickens seemed to have a much easier time eating their meals now that I was placing their bowls at an appropriate height. That was definitely a good idea. At their current size, there’s no way they’d be able to eat comfortably from a bowl on the ground.

For my lunch, I made a stir-fry with Tama’s and Yuma’s eggs, along with some komatsuna. Yum! My chickens’ eggs are just the best.

Nothing of note happened for the rest of the day. After eating so much food over the past few days, my stomach wasn’t in great condition, so I just made rice porridge for dinner.

That reminds me—you’re supposed to eat rice porridge with seven herbs on the seventh, aren’t you? I believe it’s meant to help your stomach recover from all the feasting done around New Year’s. There’s an episode about that in the Otogi-zoshi, a collection of tales from the Muromachi period. That particular one is written in the style of those old Chinese tales about filial piety, but if it’s from the Muromachi period, does that mean it was written by a Japanese author? I looked it up later, and it turned out that the author was unknown. Goes to show how much we don’t know. Though I did go off on a pretty random tangent there.

***

It was now January 3rd, and I’d be going to the Yumoto residence this evening. There was still time in the day for the chickens to go out and play, but I made sure to tell them to be back at a reasonable time—I pointed at the sky to indicate when they should return.

“Okay,” Pochi and Tama answered.

“If you’re not back by the time it starts getting dark, I’ll just go without you—got it?”

“Please don’t!”

“Anything but that!”

Hearing their replies as they ran off, I thought, Where the heck do they learn these phrases? From TV? I scratched my head.

It was another sunny day. Come to think of it, I haven’t been to town since it snowed. I wonder whether the roads are okay. Well, the fact that I haven’t heard anything means it was probably not a big deal.

After finishing all my housework, I stepped outside and went for a casual stroll around the yard with Yuma. The snowman looked slightly smaller than before. It’s still about as chilly as it was, but it must be melting beneath the sunlight. The sun’s really something, huh? Even in this cold, the laundry still dries. Sure, I know, that’s far from the most important benefit of sunlight...but without that, I wouldn’t have any clothes to wear, now would I?

Pochi and Tama came back early, and we were about to head out when my phone rang—it was the Yumotos.

“Hello?”

“Sho-chan! What am I always telling you?!”

“Ah, did it arrive?”

“There’s no way we could accept a fancy dried fish set like this!”

“Of course you can, especially considering everything you do for me.”

“Oh, you! Just you wait! You better prepare yourself for the feast I’m gonna make for you!”

“Whaaat?” A feast so lavish that I need to prepare myself for it?

I checked my bag to make sure I’d packed stomach medicine and then got the chickens loaded into the truck. My drive down the mountain was filled with anticipation.

12. Business as Usual at the Yumotos, Even During the Holidays

I’d been told not to bring anything besides clothes and the chickens, so I packed lightly and went almost empty-handed.

I slid the front glass door open and called out, “Happy New Year! And here’s to another great one!”

I heard footsteps rushing in my direction as Machiko-san immediately came out to say hello. “Happy New Year! By the way, Sho-chan, don’t buy us any more fancy, appetizing gifts like that, you hear?!”

“I’m glad to hear you found them appetizing.”

“If you buy something like that again, we won’t let you into the house anymore!”

“Whaaat?” I buy a gift to show my gratitude, and they declare me persona non grata? “Uh, okay, sorry about that. Anyway, about the chickens...”

“Sure, they can go to the fields if they like. Just tell them to stay away from the mountain.”

“Gotcha.”

I relayed that to the chickens, who all clucked at me before darting off toward the fields. I like seeing them strong and healthy. Could do without all the tail swinging, though—looks a bit frightening.

I greeted Old Man Yumoto, who was hanging out on the veranda.

“Hey, Shohei. We’ve got plenty of mochi for you.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, I got carried away and made too many.”

“I see... So everyone makes their own mochi here...”

“That’s right.”

Sounds like there’s no way out—I’ll have to take some with me. I bet I’ll be sick and tired of mochi already by the time I leave. Oh well.

Soon, Aikawa-san’s truck rolled in. Yumoto-san, probably noticing that Rin-san wasn’t riding in the passenger seat, turned to me and asked, “His girlfriend...is visiting family, right?”

“So I heard.”

He laughed heartily. “Must’ve been boring there with only two guys.”

“Well, it is what it is.” It wasn’t actually boring, but sometimes it’s better to just smile and nod.

“Happy New Year,” Aikawa-san said as he unloaded a yellow case of beer from his truck.

“Same to you. Ooh, looks like we’ll have plenty of beer too!” Yumoto-san exclaimed.

“Ha ha ha...”

Aikawa-san went over to the entrance and called out to Machiko-san, then stored the beer in the shed as she instructed.

“Hello,” he said as he walked over to us. “Sorry, it seems like I’m always running late.”

“Nah, it’s all right. You’re staying over until the day after tomorrow, was it?”

“Yep. Thank you for inviting me.”

“And when’s your girl coming back?”

“Oh, it’ll be a while. It’s pretty cold up on my mountain right now.”

“Nice of her to put up with it, eh?”

“Definitely.”

True, it’s nice of her to put up with everything, and the same goes for my chickens. Although Yumoto-san probably meant it in a different way...

Some time later, the sun began to set. During winter, it seemed to get dark in the blink of an eye. The days had started to grow longer after the winter solstice, but we were still in early January, so the nights came early.

“Dinner’s almost ready!”

“Got it.”

“Okay.”

Aikawa-san and I got up and went to call the chickens back. Another peaceful, uneventful day.

True to Machiko-san’s warning from yesterday, dinner was truly a feast. It was a lineup sure to fill our stomachs to the brim: the usual pickled vegetables, chikuzenni, grilled shrimp, black beans, mashed sweet potatoes with candied chestnuts (called “kinton”), kelp rolls, sashimi, tempura, a stew with taro and squid, and simmered yellowtail with radish.

“Wow, it all looks so tasty...” I said in awe.

Aikawa-san nodded. “Sure does...”

“Come on, eat up!” Yumoto-san exclaimed.

No matter how you slice it, this is definitely not a dinner for only four people...

“Yes! Eat as much as you like!” Machiko-san told us. “And tomorrow, we’ll have mochi.”

Unfortunately, I’ve got a feeling I might end up needing that stomach medicine I brought. Oh well, guess that’s New Year’s for you.

“I wanted to make some vegetable nishime too, but it needs a lot of time to stew, so I had to cut it from the menu...”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” I assured her. Nishime is pretty good, but I heard it’s super time-consuming to make.

Aside from the usual veggies, we fed the chickens some venison and boar meat. I’d spread out a plastic sheet on the ground to heap the food on, and I could easily tell they were in high spirits by the way they swung their tails giddily. They deserve to enjoy the New Year’s holidays too. Go ahead and eat to your heart’s content.

I’d finished a can of beer earlier, but right now, I was far too busy with the food to bother with more drinks. The black beans, kinton, and kelp rolls—all homemade, it seemed—were excellent. Tastes completely different from store-bought kinton. That stuff’s way too sweet, probably because it’s made to last for a while. All the dishes were mouthwatering, but there was so much food that I could only eat a little at a time.

“Machiko-san, it’s all fantastic.”

“That’s nice to hear. Well, go ahead and eat some more!”

“Sorry, but I’ve reached my limit.”

Even then, my greed got the best of me, and I ended up getting another bite in, and another, until I literally couldn’t stomach another thing. I’ll probably regret this later... But what can I do? It’s all so delicious!

“There’s rice too.”

“No, really, I’m about to burst.”

My eyes nearly rolled out of my head when I heard the word “rice.” My stomach’s not a black hole, sadly. Aikawa-san was also clutching his belly.

“Oh my...”

“See? I told you you didn’t have to cook rice,” Yumoto-san grumbled.

“But what if it wasn’t enough?”

“As if that would ever happen when we have this much food!”

“Oh well...”

It seemed she had a tendency to make too much. So did my mom, come to think of it. I chuckled to myself. She insisted that I at least drink some egg drop soup, but I really didn’t have any room left, not even for liquids. She let me off the hook when I promised to eat it all tomorrow.

The next morning, I woke up holding my stomach and groaning. Yup—as I thought, it was a good idea to bring stomach medicine. Sheesh...

“Urgh, I ate too much...”

“Me too...” Even Aikawa-san wasn’t his usual self.

I wonder if it’s gonna snow today...

Though I still wasn’t feeling well, I managed to wake up, follow my morning routine, and drink some stomach medicine. This takes thirty minutes or so to start working, right? I’ll probably have to wait until then before I can eat something.

“Good morning...”

“Good morning? Oh? Is something wrong? You don’t look good.” Unlike the two of us, Machiko-san seemed to be doing fine.

“I ate too much...”

“My, I didn’t know you all had such weak stomachs.”

“It’s got nothing to do with weak or strong stomachs!” Even Old Man Yumoto didn’t seem to be in top condition—unusually for him, he was rubbing his stomach. That basically confirmed that she’d made far too much food.

“I used the rice from yesterday to make some onigiri. I was thinking about grilling them and making chazuke. How does that sound?”

Sounds great. “Yeah, please, after the stomach medicine kicks in.”

“My, my.”

The chazuke with grilled onigiri (instead of plain rice) was scrumptious. It was flavored with fragrant soy sauce, plus plum, seaweed, dried bonito flakes, and some tea poured on top—we dug in with our spoons.

“Ahh... This is incredible...”

Aikawa-san and I kept nodding to ourselves and mumbling about how delicious it was while we ate.

“Oh, it’s really nothing special,” said Machiko-san.

“But it is. This really hits the spot,” I replied.

“Oh, Sho-chan, could I have Tama-chan’s and Yuma-chan’s eggs?”

“Sure, of course.”

“Thanks!”

“Just don’t eat them raw, please,” I added. “We don’t have any proper hygiene control going on.”

The Yumotos looked despondent when I said that. I’m pretty sure I already told them before. Good thing I warned them one more time.

“No raw eggs, then...”

“You can eat eggs raw if they’re sourced from places like chicken farms that adhere to all those regulations and handle them hygienically. With my chickens, I don’t even know what they’ve been eating, so...”

“Too bad...” They still seemed rather disappointed.

“You know... Salmonella is serious business.”

“I guess so...”

“Yeah...”

Whew, looks like I finally convinced them.

The chickens were over in the fields, running all around.

“Oh, I was wondering—have you been having any troubles with boars recently?” I asked.

Old Man Yumoto paused and thought for a moment. “Not too much, but they’re still out there. I heard they showed up at one of the houses to the west of here.”

“Huh, did they decide to move there?”

“They’ll go wherever they can find food. Wild boars are not too particular about territory and all that. Worst-case scenario, you could end up with a bunch of separate groups targeting the same place.”

“Sounds like a major headache...”

To the west of here... That’s probably beyond the land behind the Yumotos’ fields. Technically they’re neighbors with the people who own that house, but it’s not like their properties are actually right next to each other. That sort of thing can get kind of fuzzy. Just like the boundaries between mountains, in fact. I’m lucky to be on great terms with both of my neighbors—otherwise, that fuzziness could lead to disagreements.

“If boars swarm our land, we can just get Mutsu-san to help, but the folks over there don’t have that luxury. I reckon they’ll probably have to get in touch with the hunters’ association.”

“It’s hard being a farmer out here, huh?” I feel like their crops should be sold at a higher price. It’s not easy at all to grow them. You’ve got to worry about diseases, the weather, vermin... Complex stuff.

“Well, it’s a matter of perspective, really. If you ask me, you mountain dwellers have it much harder.”

Aikawa-san and I stared at each other. Sure, it’s not easy by any means, but... “I don’t really think so.” The two of us ended up saying the same thing at the same time.

Yumoto-san guffawed. “I see, I see. We’ll leave it at that, then.”

We took a short break after lunch, then stepped outside. Up above, the sky was starting to get cloudy.

“This...doesn’t look good.”

“It could come down any time...”

Not really a problem if it’s just rain, but if we’re talking snow, that’d be an issue. I checked the forecast on my phone. Thirty percent chance of rain? I really doubt that.

I headed over to the fields. The chickens were near the edge, close to the foot of the mountain, pecking at the ground aimlessly. Any bugs down there?

“Heeey! Come back right away if it starts raining, okay?” If I don’t tell them, I know they’ll keep running around in the rain without paying it any mind. Goes to show how full of vim and vigor they are, but I don’t want them to catch a cold. (Apparently, chickens can catch them.)

They raised their heads and clucked. They’re being awfully obedient today...

“They really listen to everything you say, huh?”

“Well, my words sometimes go in one ear and out the other.”

“I’m sure they must appreciate you taking such good care of them...”

“Oh, no, I’m pretty sloppy about it.”

I watched the chickens for a while, then went back to the house. They stay away from the greenhouse, just like I told them. Good chickens. Well...sometimes one of them hits me with a flying kick, which isn’t great, but other than that, they’re good.

On my way back, I noticed it had started to snow softly. “Oh, come on... Seriously?” I felt dejected.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you shovel it if it piles up,” said Aikawa-san. “Anyway, we should let them know.”

“Yeah.” Hopefully it turns into rain or stops falling soon. We’ll have a problem on our hands if it doesn’t.

We told the Yumotos about how it had started snowing. “Oh, my. I hope it doesn’t get too deep,” Machiko-san said. We all nodded.

A little snowfall is generally not a big deal, but any substantial amount is a pain to deal with. I know it’s just something you’ve gotta learn to live with, but for people like me living in the mountains, snow can turn into a serious problem.

Although I’d told the chickens to come back if it started raining, I hadn’t said anything about snow. And so, they didn’t come back. Isn’t it the same thing? They both fall from the sky. Well, at least with snow I don’t need to worry that much about them getting wet.

I lay down on the floor in the living room and rolled over to face the garden. The Yumotos’ shoji doors had screened sections on top that could be slid open, while the bottom halves were stationary and made of patterned frosted glass. Since the top was open, we could see outside.

“That was a pretty uneventful New Year’s holiday...”

“Just eating, sleeping, and lazing around, but that can be nice too.”

Aikawa-san and I laughed. My days have been generally uneventful since moving here, I’d say. The place I used to live isn’t exactly the big city, but still, it was rare for me to have this much downtime.

“Kinda feels like I’m secluded from society and all its mundane troubles,” I said.

“I...think I pretty much was secluded, at least until you moved here, Sano-san... But I’ve got a good balance going on now—not quite completely excluded from society.”

“You think so...?” Yeah, maybe he’s right. If I hadn’t bought those baby chicks, I wouldn’t be able to manage it out here all by myself either.

The snow kept falling lightly, but the snowflakes looked to be on the larger side, possibly indicating that it would pile up.

“Now, what should we do about this snow...?”

“Let’s wait until around two and see how things look. If it’s still falling, then we can head to your mountain, and I’ll help you clear it.”

“All right, thanks.” In his case, he doesn’t even need heavy machinery—Rin-san does the job just as well. Speaking of her, is she okay? “Is it all right for you to be away from home while it’s snowing?”

“Well, actually...it might be better that I’m away. Rin really flies off the handle when it’s snowing...” He gave a rueful smile.

Off the handle... I wonder what she’s like. I’m kinda curious, but I also get the feeling I’d rather not see that... Yeah, probably better not to. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.

I paused and thought about what I should do if it kept snowing. Okay, I can help the Yumotos shovel here after I get back from removing snow at my own house... The main problem is snow piling up on the road back home. So with that in mind, I’d have to leave right after lunch and get ready. Any rain after that won’t be a problem.

I turned to Aikawa-san. “I’m thinking of going back to my mountain to check in after lunch.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go tell them.”

We went and told Machiko-san about the plan. “Oh, so would you prefer to have lunch early?”

“No, no, don’t mind us.”

I kept hoping the snow would stop, but sadly, my hopes were thwarted. After lunch, I got the chickens into the truck and drove back to my mountain. Should’ve brought a broom... Oh well, live and learn.

Aikawa-san came along, on the pretext of going back to his own mountain. There wasn’t quite enough snow to merit actual shoveling yet, but I swept up as much of the thin layer on the ground as I could. And to think that just a little while ago, we were talking about how lazy and uneventful our holidays had been.

“Clear snow!”

“No!”

“Clear snow!”

Tama didn’t sound too enthused about helping out. Well, to be precise, she didn’t seem to mind the sweeping part—it was the snow itself that she disliked.

The three chickens shook their bodies, causing snowflakes to fly around them.

“Tama, won’t you help us clear the snow?”

“Okay.”

Yeah, seems my assessment about her was correct.

After letting the chickens run wild all over the place, sweeping to and fro with their brooms, we managed to get rid of the thin layer of snow in no time. I hope it stops soon.

“They’re really something else...” Aikawa-san muttered.

“But Rin-san clears the snow on your mountain pretty thoroughly, right?”

“That’s different. She’s doing that to erase the snow from her sight, not to help...” He stared into the distance.

Isn’t that effectively the same? Well, whatever he says.

“Fun!”

“No!”

“Fun!”

Good, looks like they had fun. (Huh? Not all of them, you say? Well, you know, Tama’s a tsundere—that’s just how it is with her. And she did look like she was having a good time. I guess she’s just making it clear how much she dislikes the snow.)

All right, back to the Yumotos. I loaded some broom heads onto my truck and drove back with the chickens. When I left home, it wasn’t quite evening yet, and by the time I got there, the snow had turned to rain.

Oh, great. Looks like it’s not gonna pile up after all. Aikawa-san and I looked at each other and chuckled.

“Glad it isn’t snow.”

“Yep, same here.”

That said, just because it’s raining here doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the same up in the mountains. I might be greeted by a snowy white landscape when I go back tomorrow.

The chickens seemed to be in a sour mood because of the rain. They soon went inside and gathered on the earthen floor area.

“Aikawa-kun, Sho-chan, welcome back. What was it like in the mountains?”

“Kept snowing the whole time on mine,” I answered.

“Oh. The weather up there really is completely different, huh?”

It really is—the precipitation was closer to sleet after we crossed the bridge, and by the time we got down to the village, it had turned to rain. Must be because of the slight changes in temperature. Sure, I imagine the air up in the clouds is also a factor, but I don’t really know how that stuff works.

Old Man Yumoto was reading a newspaper when we walked in. “Hey, how was it in the mountains?”

“It was snowing on mine,” I answered. “Might have turned to rain by now, though. Dunno...”

He chuckled. “Yeah, there’s really no way to tell.”

“You two must be hungry, right?” asked Machiko-san. “How many mochi do you want?”

“Wh-Whaaat?” Seriously? We had a pretty filling lunch (no mochi, but still), and I haven’t fully recovered from that yet... Yumoto-san and Aikawa-san looked at each other and laughed. I hope they’ll let me off the hook with just one mochi.

However, things simply didn’t work that way. I ended up having one with kinako powder (which gave it that nice, nutty, roasted soybean flavor) and one with sugar and soy sauce. They’re tasty, but I really don’t feel well. This kind of food is meant to keep you full for a while—it’s not suited for the age of abundance we live in... It is pretty tasty, though.

The rain continued through the night. And it was cold rain too, so there was really no choice but to stay inside. The chickens went to sleep right after dinner, visibly disappointed about the rain. The sound of raindrops makes you sleepy.

“Are they tired from shoveling snow? They turned in pretty early,” Yumoto-san muttered as he watched the chickens. I’d told him about how they’d helped out with the snow.

“That was probably a factor, yeah, but I think it’s also because of the rain.”

“Huh, I see.”

He wasn’t used to seeing them during their downtime, and maybe that made him more curious.

He turned to Aikawa-san. “And how was it at your place?”

“Basically the same as Sano-san. I’m also hoping it’s turned to rain by now.” He chuckled.

He didn’t actually go there, but yeah, I’m sure it was more or less the same.

Yumoto-san nodded. “I see.”

When we sat down for dinner, we were faced with a tall stack of fried chicken. Oh jeez. I like fried chicken, I really do, but...you know...

I did eat, but I stayed away from the fried chicken. This nozawana’s great—stewed turnip greens are so tender. My stomach still felt very tired, despite having taken some medicine earlier.

“Oh, was the fried chicken not to your taste?” Machiko-san asked. “I used curry for the seasoning this time.”

I reached out, picked one up, and sniffed it. (Yes, I know it’s poor manners.) Sure enough, it did smell like curry. Just one bite was enough to put me under the fried chicken’s spell. The same went for the others—Yumoto-san, Aikawa-san, and I scrambled for the pieces of fried chicken on the platter.

Can’t beat curry. (I think I’ve already told you about how much I love it.)

Ugh, I ate too much... But what can I do? I’m a man, and men can’t resist the allure of curry. It’s just how it is. (In my opinion, at least.)

“I wasn’t expecting curry flavor...”

“Caught me off guard too...”

It was delicious, really, but...you know...

“See? They ended up eating more than they could handle!” Yumoto-san griped.

“That’s not my fault,” Machiko-san retorted. She had a smug look on her face.

This boiled spinach is amazing too. Especially with soy sauce and bonito flakes. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best.

“See? I knew you were hungry. Want some natto too?” Machiko-san asked.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Thanks for the meal.”

That’s a bad habit of hers, I think—she just keeps serving one dish after the other. My parents are like that too. I guess they think it’s better to have too much than not enough? Actually, I’m probably the same when I have guests over. Must be a universal thing.

We also had drinks, but not too many—only a large beer bottle for the four of us. It was the fourth of January, and by now, the excitement from the holidays had already started to fade away. Some people started work again today, or they’re starting tomorrow. I used to be an office worker like them until last year. Seems like that was forever ago. I wonder if I’d even be able to go back to that life if I wanted to.

“So... The hunters are going to your mountain this month, right, Aikawa-kun?” Yumoto-san asked.

“Yeah, that’s what they told me,” he promptly replied. “Oh, but please do let us know if anything comes up. It seems there are way too many boars and deer around these days.”

Speaking of which... “By the way... I remember you guys were talking about how you found traces of a wild boar on my mountain, right?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Well, it looks like my chickens are just dying to go look for it.”

Aikawa-san and Yumoto-san stared wide-eyed.

“That’s...very reassuring...”

“They really love meat, eh?” Yumoto-san remarked.

Yup. They’re carnivores, in the true sense of the word.

“In that case...maybe we should go to your place again. Do you think they’ll be satisfied if they can hunt one more boar?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to Mutsu-san.”

“Thanks.” That’s a big help. I’ve been worried about Pochi and Tama. They keep swinging their tails around vigorously—probably practice for the real deal, right?

“They sure eat a lot, don’t they? Maybe they grew so big because of all the meat.”

Hmm, well, at first they ate the same stuff as any normal chicken. And that didn’t stop them from growing to a ridiculous size. So it’s probably got nothing to do with their diets. “I wonder...” And I doubt the chickens themselves know either.

“I mean, we also eat food from the mountain, like boar meat and venison, don’t we?” Aikawa-san argued. “Maybe it’s better that we don’t know.”

Yumoto-san laughed out loud. “Yep! Some things are best left a mystery.”

Yeah. We might find out eventually, or we might not. Either way, I’ve got the chickens with me, and I think they’ll be fine as long as I get a vet to do regular checkups.

“Hmm...” Machiko-san also dropped the topic, although she didn’t sound too convinced. Not to sound patronizing, but I think she’s better than most at reeling in her curiosity and not prying too much.

I went to bed with a heavy stomach. Looks like I’ll need medicine again tomorrow... Oh well.

***

On the morning of the fifth, we had plum chazuke for breakfast. The rain had stopped.

We’d drunk alcohol yesterday, even if only a little, so I decided to wait until the afternoon to go home. I feel bad about giving them more work for lunch, but it is what it is. I apologized to Machiko-san.

“Oh, it’s not a problem at all. In fact, you can even stay over tonight if you’d like.”

“I appreciate it, but I need to get home today.”

“You sure? Well, feel free to visit us anytime. You too, Aikawa-kun. You both are like family to us.”

“Thank you.” I guess the cold weather makes people crave company. Still, I’m happy to hear that, even if she was just being polite.

We had mochi again for lunch—this time, fried mochi topped with lots of grated radish and natto, along with a dash of soy sauce. How come this stuff tastes so good? The other two men and I had grated the radish—we’d shredded so many that my arms hurt.

“There’s radish mochi too!” Machiko-san said.

By that, she meant radish cakes, made with radish and rice flour. Not really “mochi,” is it? We all enjoyed those too. I feel like I should avoid staying here for too long, or my hard-earned muscles will turn into fat...

“Gah... I ate too much again...”

“I just can’t... How am I supposed to resist all this delicious food...?”

Aikawa-san and I rolled over on the living room floor.

“I didn’t know we were having radish cakes too...”

“Me neither...”

I thought all that extra grated radish was for them to eat with fish. Who would’ve thought it was for radish cakes? Yumoto-san was chewing out Machiko-san for once again making too much food, but she paid him no mind. It was pretty good, I gotta say. I thought radish cakes were one of those dishes you can only eat at Chinese restaurants, so I was pretty excited to see them.

After taking a postmeal break, I put on my slippers, hopped down into the garden from the veranda, and gazed in the direction of the fields.

Yuma spotted me and came strolling over. She cocked her head.

“Yuma, will you tell the other two that we’re leaving soon?”

She let out a short cluck and strolled back the way she came. From the front, they look like massive chickens, but when you look at them from behind, that huge reptilian tail really stands out... I bet a thwack from one of those would leave you with a few broken bones. Her tail swung to and fro as she moved. They look kinda pretty, though. I should make an effort to take good care of their tails as well.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Aikawa-san remarked.

“Hmm? Oh... Yeah, you know how I am with my chickens.”

“They’re more like family than pets to you, aren’t they?” he said with a smile.

He probably feels the same about his snakes. “Ten-san is currently hibernating, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you feel a bit lonely without him?”

“Well... Yeah, can’t say I don’t...” Of course, he’s also got Rin-san, so it’s probably not too bad. “But generally speaking, we’re not that touchy-feely with each other, and it’s not like I feed them daily or anything like that, so...”

“Oh, right. They usually look for their own food, huh?”

“Yep. I mean, look at their size. If I had to buy all of their food myself, I would’ve gone bankrupt a long time ago.”

“Hmm, that’s true...”

Pets are not something everyone can afford. I know because my chickens eat quite a lot too. Sure, they’re not exactly normal chickens, so maybe they’re not a good point of reference, but it’s not just food expenses—you also need to take pets to the vet to make sure they stay healthy, and that costs money. Maybe not as much as raising a human child, but still, it’s costly enough that you really need to think things through if you’re considering raising a pet.

Since Yuma was busy rounding up the other two chickens, I stepped back into the house to prepare to leave. “I’ll be heading out soon,” I told the Yumotos.

Machiko-san seemed a bit disheartened. “Oh, are you sure? You don’t want to stay longer?”

“See, they’re leaving because you made too much food!” Yumoto-san grumbled in an uncharacteristically upset tone.

I mean, not really. It’s up to me whether I eat it or not.

“Come on, of course that’s not true,” I said. But it is true that if I stay here too long, I’ll have to buy myself some new pants. Then again, that’s really my fault for being so weak-willed. “Seriously, thanks so much for having me and for all the hospitality. The food was just terrific. I really appreciate everything you do for me.”

“Machiko-san, could you teach me that radish cake recipe some other time?” Aikawa-san asked.

“Oh, Sho-chan, please, you’re exaggerating! And Aikawa-kun, did you like them? I would be happy to!”

Nice, looks like that put her in a good mood. They gave me a bunch of vegetables to take home. I particularly appreciated the big Chinese cabbage, since the chickens loved that. I also got some mochi—actual mochi, not radish “mochi.” Now, what am I going to do with these...?

I helped the chickens up onto the truck, said goodbye, and drove off. Aikawa-san followed me to the foot of my mountain, ready to help in case there was snow on the road. Thankfully, it seemed to have rained after the snow, so none was piled up on the road up to my house.

I bowed to Aikawa-san, and we parted ways there. He would be contacting Mutsu-san regarding the wild boar on my mountain and getting back to me. Really can’t thank him enough.

I’m sure this year I’ll once again have to rely on help from many people. I don’t want to take it for granted, though, which is why I always make a point of showing my gratitude, and I also try not to depend on others too much if I can help it.

Back at home, the inside of my house was awfully cold. No wonder—I spent several days away. Brr... I turned on the oil heater and told the chickens to go play outside.

“Stay together,” Yuma said. Apparently, she wanted to stay with me. She tilted her head and shook her body. Aww, that’s so sweet of her.

“Okay,” I conceded. “But just so you know, it’s pretty cold inside, okay?”

I didn’t have any laundry to do today, since Machiko-san had been doing it for me every day. I did have a few garments that were still a little damp, and I hung them out to dry indoors. It was nice of her to do my laundry for me. You really have no idea how good you’ve got it living with your parents until you move out and realize how much they did for you. I might have never understood that if my engagement had gone as planned and I’d gotten married. Not that it makes me glad about what happened—not even a little.

Yuma went outside to take a walk in the yard. Ah, I forgot! The crops! I went to the fields to check on them. Hmm... Guess I should wait a few more days before harvesting.

“So, about these mochi...”

They didn’t give me that many, but these had been made at the end of last year. I heard you can freeze them... In the end, I decided to eat some every day, starting tomorrow. I planned to make them into mizumochi—this was a technique for preserving mochi that consisted of putting them in a container, adding enough water to cover them, and storing them in the fridge. I would need to change the water every day, and if I did, the mochi would last about a month. Should be more than enough time for me to eat all of them.

I wrapped the vegetables I’d gotten from the Yumotos with newspaper and stored them in the shed, taking the opportunity to also get two days’ worth of chicken feed. Now I can spend the entirety of tomorrow lazing around. I deserve a day off every now and then. (Huh? You think I already spent the past several days lazing around? Well, see, being fed like a foie gras duck is pretty taxing, I’ll have you know. Wait, who am I even making excuses to?)

I did some other random chores, like cleaning the bath, then finally took a breather. I stepped outside and stretched my arms out. I remember I used to watch a show about how important stretching is. Some educational kids’ show, I think. I wonder what that guy in the yellow suit is up to these days.

The chickens came home before it started getting dark. They had bits of dirt on their feathers here and there, so I brought out the big washbasin, filled it with hot water, and washed them as best as I could. Yuma kept watching us anxiously, as if she wanted me to wash her too.

“You’ll bathe with me later, okay, Yuma?”

“Bath!”

She hadn’t bathed in two days. I would’ve felt weird asking the Yumotos to let her use their bath... I cracked a smile seeing her flap her wings happily. Man, my chickens are just the cutest! I stared at Pochi and Tama. I washed them with hot water, yeah, but are they feeling cold?

Pochi tilted his head. “Sano?”

“Oh, I...I was wondering if you were okay with only a light washing. Would you like to get in the bath too?” I remember when they were still small chicks, I’d fill the basin with hot water and put all three of them in there. They were always getting covered in mud as soon as I took my eyes off them.

“Bath?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yup.”

“No!”

“No!”

“Bath!”

“All right...” Looks like Pochi and Tama are not into baths. Kinda weird that they do let me wash them despite that.

For dinner, I used some frozen rice I had at home to make rice porridge. Actually, I think I’ll stick to porridge for a while. My stomach could use the respite.

The chickens munched on their dinner greedily, as usual. It’s the same stuff I always feed them, so I guess that’s only natural. Still nice to see, though.

I took a relaxing bath with Yuma and dried her off thoroughly. Before I turned in for the night, I checked my phone—I’d gotten a text from Katsuragi-san. “Hmm?”

“N-Town to Sano-san, come in. Plenty of snow piled up here. How are things there?” The message had a picture attached—Rie-san in the snow, making a peace sign. Surprised she can stay so full of pep in this cold.

“Whoa... So it snowed there?” I muttered. I texted back that the snow had turned to rain here yesterday evening and asked if it hadn’t rained over there too.

Katsuragi-san’s reply said, “I wish it’d turned to rain here too.” Apparently, it would still be a while before her sister got her license. With driving school, I think it’s best to take it slowly—you pay individually for each lesson, anyway.

After that quick chat, I decided to turn in for the night. I’m feeling pretty tired for someone who’s just been eating and lazing around all the time. I guess spending time at someone else’s house must be mentally taxing.

I decided to spend the next few days taking it easy.

The rain had melted the snow on the mountain road, so I was able to drive up to the cemetery the following afternoon.

“I’m sorry for taking so long to come here,” I murmured to the graves.

In addition to the rain, it seemed the wind here had also been quite strong—the area around the graves was a mess, with strewn sticks, leaves, and grass scattered everywhere. I cleaned all of that up, lit some incense, placed mochi as an offering, and joined my hands together. I told the spirits about all that had happened over the past few days. Uh, not that I think they’re too interested in my life...

It went to show how important it was to tend to the graves regularly. Yuma had come with me, and she was pecking at the ground as usual. Are there any bugs down there in this weather?

“As for the god of the mountain...” That’ll have to wait a bit longer—I’m not too eager to climb an unmaintained mountain path this time of year. I faced the summit and joined my hands together. “I’ll visit you when spring arrives.”

A gust of wind blew—for a moment, it felt like it was wrapping itself around me.

“Huh?” Was that my imagination? Well, at this point, nothing around here really surprises me anymore.

Yuma raised her head and stared briefly before going back to pecking at the ground.

But really, what was that all about?

It was the beginning of a new year, and the mountains were as quiet and peaceful as ever.

Extra Chapter: Rin Pulverizes the Snow

Rin, one of two huge snakes who made West Mountain their home, loathed the snow.

Snow was very cold. Unlike rain, one could brush it off their body, but it also piled up, making it troublesome to deal with.

During Rin’s first winter on the mountain, she went to check on Ten amid the snow, bracing herself against the chill. He was staying inside a small cabin, which Aikawa, upon learning that he hibernated, had arranged for him to spend the winter in. Though Rin didn’t hibernate like Ten, she disliked the snow and how cold it was when it fell, but she did not want to give Aikawa more cause for concern.

On that day, she was surprised to find the cabin empty, for some reason.

Although her mobility had been reduced due to the snow, she endeavored to find Ten and began searching the cabin’s surroundings. Noting that the thin layer of snow on the ground showed no signs of having been flattened by Ten, she concluded that he must have left before it’d started snowing. She tried to think about where he could have gone.

She figured that he must have had a reason to leave the cabin, and surely it was to protect Aikawa and this mountain. That was reason enough for her to drag her body over to the other mountain on this property, even though she felt herself growing more and more sluggish as she passed over the frigid snow.

She found Ten on the mountainside, coiled up with his eyes closed.

Sensing her presence, he slowly cracked his eyes open and lifted his head.

She inquired about the situation, and he explained that several monkeys had wandered into their territory from beyond the other mountain. Ten had gone off to repel the stray animals, who had probably come looking for food, and on his way back to the cabin, snow had begun to fall.

Ten had resigned himself to staying in that spot until spring, but Rin laboriously dragged him back to the cabin—he was barely able to muster up the energy to move his muscles. Dragging him through the snow was difficult, and it even required her to use her arms—they weren’t real human arms, but merely a form of mimicry. By the time they reached the cabin, it was pitch-black outside.

Rin wondered if she would be able to make her way back to the house where Aikawa waited for her return. At the same time, she also understood that he was not the type to go out looking for her after only a single day. Thus, she elected to spend the night in the cabin with Ten.

It’s terribly cold here, she thought.

Ten was also complaining about the snow as he crawled under the futon Aikawa had given him—Rin only got the corner of the futon to herself. Even so, she felt glad that she had decided to come check on him.

Rin soon learned that it got even colder after the snow stopped falling and that snow hardened with the passage of time.

The next day, slowly but surely, Rin made her way back to Aikawa’s house. She arrived in the afternoon.

“Rin... It was cold out there, wasn’t it? Come on, get inside!”

Aikawa zipped to the door as soon as she rang the doorbell and promptly let her inside, despite how dirty she was. He carefully dried off her wet scales with a towel and wrapped her in a warm futon.

“Where were you? I was worried.” His tone contained no rebuke and was instead full of sorrow.

“Checked Ten.”

“Ah, you went to look in on him? Thanks. But remember...you’re just as important to me as he is, so please don’t do that again.”

Rin regretted having left Aikawa all by himself.

“Snow, fall.”

“We probably won’t get any tonight,” Aikawa assured her.

“Winter, snow, fall.”

“Yeah... We’re on a mountain, so it’ll snow for the entire winter season.”

Rin didn’t like that. “Snow, hate.”

Aikawa smiled ruefully. “I get that. I don’t think there are too many people living in a place like this who actually like the snow.”

“Snow, trouble.”

“Yep, it’s a lot of trouble dealing with it. That’s why we clear it away.”

“Clear, snow?” Rin cocked her head slowly. She wondered what he could mean by that.

“You move it out of the way. How about you help me do it tomorrow? I already cleared the snow from the area around the house, but I haven’t gotten to the roads yet...”

“Help,” she responded immediately.

The next morning, the once powdery snow had formed a hard crust, and many spots had fully hardened into ice.

“Looks like a broom won’t help much here...”

Aikawa brought out a shovel and began to dig into the snowy ground. A shovel wouldn’t be of much use to Rin—she didn’t have enough strength in her arms to make use of it.

After pondering for a moment, she decided to try using her tail.

She hit the snow with powerful blows, then swept away the crumbled piles, which fell with a crunching sound to the ground beside the road. She learned that this was a viable way to clear the roads—pummeling the snow, cracking the ice. It took effort, but it was worth it to her if it meant Aikawa would stay away from danger.

Aikawa stared in disbelief. “That’s...really amazing...”

“Clear snow.”

“Yeah, thanks...” he said absentmindedly.

Rin also learned that it was easier to remove snow if she started work shortly after it started falling. Henceforth, every time Rin sensed any signs of snowfall, she went outside to clear it away.

“Thanks, Rin. You’re a huge help.”

Once it started falling, she would work at it for a long time, almost uninterrupted. Aikawa tried his hand at making snowmen when it piled up enough for that, but snowmen were also made of snow and thus not immune to Rin’s ire.

Aikawa looked troubled. “You really do hate the snow, huh?”

“Snow, hate.”

Winter was bad enough already, what with how cold it got and how sluggish it made her. Snow was even worse—if it snowed and she didn’t do anything about it, the icy conditions could pose a threat to Aikawa’s life. That was why Rin was thorough about removing it and didn’t want to see snow anywhere near her.

“I see. Well, just don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Fine.” She made sure to tell Aikawa that she was fine.

Although Rin spent winter in a languid state somewhat similar to hibernation, as soon as snow began to fall, she turned into a completely different beast, one driven by a mission—pulverize it.

Extra Chapter: That Which Dwells on Brook Mountain

It spent a very long time in slumber.

It dwelled on a certain mountain.

Or, more precisely, It could be said to be the mountain itself—It had been borne from the locals’ worship of the mountain.

They had called It the god of the mountain.

People had lived on that mountain and worshipped It.

It had watched over many lifetimes.

Gradually, the population had begun to dwindle, and the hokora shrine at the summit of the mountain had stopped receiving visitors. The hokora had eventually fallen into disrepair, and It had begun to spend more and more time in a listless daze.

It was Its fate to fade away into obscurity if there was no one to remember It. Ultimately, Its existence would become one with the mountain, or so things had seemed.

One day, a young man came to the mountain.

It wondered what his purpose here could be.

Apparently, the young man had come by himself—he had moved into one of the abandoned houses that people had once inhabited. It thought that he might not last too long here, given how much he had complained about the cold.

It spent some time aimlessly watching over him.

Not too long after his arrival, the man brought several somethings home with him.

It was able to sense a somewhat divine air from these somethings, and It thought that they could possibly be subordinate to some other deity. However, It soon realized that this was not the case. The man called them “chicks” and gave them names. The chicks were very happy about that—names helped them define their forms and shapes more clearly.

It learned that they were not something to be feared.

Not even a month after, the chicks grew to resemble chickens. “Resemble”—it was clear that they were slightly different from the creatures It knew as “chickens.”

“You’re chickens...right? But I don’t think chickens are supposed to have tails that big...” the young man mused to himself. “Well, whatever.”

Amused, It agreed to call these creatures “chickens,” for lack of a more appropriate term. It was still able to sense a divine presence from the chickens, but that seemed to grow sparser by the day.

The chickens were very protective of the young man, which It was delighted to see.

After that, a lot happened, but one thing that left an impression on It was the time the young man suffered an injury.

There was little It could do but watch over the mountain and its inhabitants. At best, It could exert some of its power should a malevolent presence find its way into the mountain, but other than that, It couldn’t do much more than blow a breeze.

It felt relieved when the inhabitants of the neighboring mountains came to visit and aided the young man.

It had grown fond of the young man and his chickens.

It was also able to get a better bearing of Its surroundings as It watched the man tending to the mountain and the chickens exploring.

Eventually, the voices of the deities who dwelled in the surrounding mountains managed to reach It.

“October is almost upon us. This is the month in which gods gather at Izumo. Will you be attending?” they asked.

It replied negatively. It had been concerned about the young man’s well-being, even with the chickens watching over him—they might not be able to protect him from injuries.

Of course, neither could It.

One day, It spotted a familiar figure in the village at the foot of the mountain—an old man who had once lived on this mountain. The old man seemed to be terribly troubled by something, and It wondered if there was any way to help him.

The young man happened to be tending to the graves of the former inhabitants of the mountain. It blew a breeze to turn his attention toward the mountaintop, and that seemed to have worked.

The ruins of the hokora at the summit still remained, and the young man was quick to notice them. He piously washed the bowl, filled it with water, placed it where the hokora had been, and joined his hands in prayer.

This seemed to be a trigger of some kind—It could now see many things that had been obscured.

The young man called the old man’s residence—presumably to ask about the hokora. However, the old man wouldn’t pick up the phone, no matter how long the young man waited. The young man found this strange, and after making a few other calls, he managed to rescue the old man from his hardships.

That caused It to grow even fonder of him, as well as of the chickens who were always assisting him.

Around the time temperatures began to plummet, a different invitation, coming from a place a short distance away from the mountain, reached It.

At the summit of one of the mountains in the neighboring village was a deity that enjoyed treating other deities to meals. Although that did pique Its interest, It still had misgivings about leaving the young man alone, and It ended up declining the invitation. It intended to pay that mountain a visit on another occasion.

The young man joined his hands in prayer and turned toward the summit. “I’ll visit you when spring arrives.”

It was perfectly fine with that—in fact, as far as It was concerned, the young man could come whenever suited him. It blew a gust of wind to let the young man know.

The chicken who stood next to him raised its head and looked at It for a fleeting moment. Apparently, It had always been visible to the chickens.

It was so happy to learn that. It grew even fonder of them.

Extra Chapter: The Baby Chicks’ Adorable Daily Lives

The baby chicks soon grew a bit larger.

Their necks stretched longer, and their bodies were growing, little by little. But to Sano, they still looked like adorable baby chicks.

As for the chicks, they had been feeling a tinge of dissatisfaction toward Sano—more specifically, Tama disliked his penchant for overprotectiveness.

She was the first to realize how useful their tails could be.

At first, they had trouble keeping proper balance because of those tails. Pochi and Yuma also seemed to be unable to handle them properly. Tama tried to think of how she could use it more effectively.

First, she tried swinging it. She wanted to see how much of an arc she could make. Suddenly, she heard a shrill chirp coming from Pochi. It seemed she had hit him.

“Tama, you shouldn’t hit others with your tail. Did that hurt, Pochi?”

Sano ran over to them and petted Tama, while at the same time catching Pochi as he tried to flee. Tama turned to the hand that was petting her and pecked it.

“Ouch! Hey, you shouldn’t peck others either.”

Tama was not very fond of being petted. As far as she was concerned, Sano did it far too often—he should only pet her when she wanted to be pet.

Pochi took advantage of the fact that Sano’s attention had wandered elsewhere and escaped from his grasp.

“Whoops... I see he’s as full of energy as ever.”

Now that he’d left her alone, Tama moved some distance away from Sano and went back to swinging her tail. As she was getting the hang of using her tail to keep her balance, she felt it hit something.

It was a large insect, no longer in this world. Tama had struck it with a vigorous swing of her tail.

Tama now knew that her tail was powerful enough to kill insects. She also learned that she could make her strikes even more powerful by increasing the speed at which she swung her tail.

The fact that she could kill insects like this indicated to her that she had grown stronger than before. She thought that this would put Sano at ease, and she viewed it as her first step toward independence from his overprotective tendencies.

However, after swinging her tail so much, she felt exhausted. The sunlight was nice and comfortable, and it made her drowsy. Just as she was about to let herself drift into a quick nap, she felt a hand scooping her up.

“You must be tired after all that, huh? So cute.”

It was Sano. With a cheerful look on his face, he took her back inside, and Yuma tagged along behind them. Pochi had collapsed in the fields after moving around too much. Sano went out there and scooped him up as well.

***

Pochi, the most active and energetic of them, also had his own slight gripes about Sano.

The rooster was always on the move, and he found it hard to stay put in one place. However, Sano didn’t seem to understand his proclivities and would immediately give chase when Pochi ran off to play.

“Pochi! Don’t go near the river! Ah. Yuma?”

And wherever Sano went, Yuma often came along. She seemed to enjoy spending time with him and would follow him everywhere he went. Pochi thought that Sano should stop paying attention to him and go spend more time with Yuma.

“Yuma, are you okay?”

It seemed she had tripped and fallen down. Sano carefully scooped her up—Pochi took advantage of the fact that his attention had wandered elsewhere and bolted off.

“Ah, Pochi. I told you there’s a river that way! It’s dangerous!”

Sano ran after him, still holding Yuma in his hands.

Yuma chirped loudly, which was unusual for her—she was scolding Pochi. Reluctantly, he turned back.

“H-Huh?”

Pochi figured that if he was going to get scolded no matter where he went, his only choice was to turn back. He ran in Sano’s direction. Sano gently placed Yuma on the ground and got in position to catch Pochi. But Pochi didn’t like that—he tried to dodge Sano’s grasp just before it reached him...and tripped.

“P-Pochiiii?!”

It had been in vain. Sano was now holding Pochi in his hands. Pochi had intended to dodge him with a quick sidestep and run behind him, but he had misjudged the timing—all because of the pesky tail attached to his rear.

Their tails were fairly heavy, and even Pochi would often lose his balance if he didn’t pay attention. He had only recently become aware that he even had a tail.

Once, he had noticed something moving behind Tama and Yuma. He’d become curious and had given it a bite, but as it turned out, that thing had belonged to Tama, who’d given him a severe pecking.

Tama had been so furious—Pochi’d thought she might’ve hurt him if not for Sano’s intervention. Pochi had also thought she needed to learn to lighten up a little. Still, he’d understood that if he were to actually express this opinion to her face, she would peck him again, so he’d kept it to himself.

Anyway, Pochi was in Sano’s clutches once more. He chirped and tweeted, urging Sano to let him go.

“Listen, Pochi, if you’re tripping and falling over, doesn’t that mean you’re tired? You’ve already gotten more than enough exercise today. Let’s go back inside, okay?”

Pochi was shocked to hear that. He hadn’t been able to venture very far from the house.

Pochi had a craving for adventure. He wished to explore the wilderness, catch some bugs, and maybe even some other small critters. He wanted to procure his own food—he longed for independence and continued to protest against Sano by chirping loudly.

“Sure, sure. You did well today.”

Sano smiled as his eyes focused on Yuma, who was on the ground, walking by his side.

He wasn’t paying any mind to what Pochi was trying to tell him. Pochi tried to peck his hand, but he simply turned to him and said, “Pochi, no pecking,” as he brought him inside.

Yuma was following behind Sano, and Tama as well, after hearing from Sano that it was time for their meal. Even Tama hadn’t been able to resist the sweet temptation of food.

Inside, Pochi tried running around the house instead, but he soon found out that the floor was more slippery than he’d expected—he fell down in the hallway twice, giving Sano more cause for concern.

***

Yuma wasn’t dissatisfied with Sano.

When he’d first seen them at a festival stall, he’d picked her first, and she’d felt nothing but adoration for him ever since he had first held her in his hands.

The only gripe she had with their current situation was with Pochi and Tama, not Sano—they never listened to him.

Yuma understood that they found him overprotective, and she even agreed. At the same time, she could also vaguely understand that it was because of how frail and tiny they were.

Sano would occasionally watch TV. On one particular occasion, the screen showed footage of a large bird catching its prey.

“Yikes, that’s scary...” he muttered. “Come to think of it, I think I’ve seen birds like that around here before...” He glanced at the chicks. Although Pochi and Tama seemed not to notice, his concern for them was clear to Yuma.

Sano was worried that they might fall prey to a large bird or some other predator. That was probably why, even when he took them outside, he made sure to always keep an eye on them.

Yuma was very happy to see that he cared so much for them, and she would follow him everywhere he went.

“Yuma, don’t get too close. That’s dangerous. Ah, jeez, why are you so adorable?”

He scooped her up from the ground with a smile on his face and rubbed her gently against him.

Yuma chirped happily. She wanted to tell Sano how much she loved him.

“Ahhh, Yuma’s so cute! Well, all three are.”

Sano loved his chicks, and Yuma loved him.

“Is it just me, or...are they bigger than they were yesterday?”

The three chicks thought that maybe if they grew big and strong, Sano wouldn’t worry about them so much. Of course, that was easier said than done, but the chicks still did their very best, for Sano’s sake.

The end.

Afterword

Hello, this is Asagi.

Thank you for following this series. I’m very thankful to all my readers.

This is the fifth volume! I’m so happy! Woo-hoo! (Calm down...)

In this volume, we followed the characters through the holiday season. There are over twenty pages of new content, including some backstory regarding the god of Brook Mountain. That snowball fight (if you can call it that) with the chickens seems like a lot of fun. There are a few parts where the story differs from the web novel version too. I hope you enjoyed it.

As always, I’d like to express my gratitude to Shino-san, the illustrator, who drew an adorable Yuma for this volume’s cover art, W-san, my editor, who suggested that we add more scenes of the chickens playing in the snow, and everyone involved in the making and publishing of this book.

I’m also thankful to my family, who have eagerly looked forward to this volume.

And hey, there’s also a manga adaptation—the second volume came out on February 22nd!

Thank you so much, Hamada Mifumi-san!

I hope you will continue to enjoy the adventures of Sano-kun and his chickens!

Asagi