Part 2: Celebrating the New Year

Lilja: Fuwaah… Good morning.

Ramona: Morning, Lilja. Today youʼre up pretty early.

Hikari: Morning, Lilja-san! Happy New Year!

Lilja: Happy New Year. Hikari, you’re greeting new year full of energy.

Hikari: Yeah! Iʼm always full of energy! Lilja-san, would you like to have a specially made osechi too?

Lilja: Yes. If you’d be so kind. What are the dishes?

Hikari: This is rafute*! Here are sata andagi**! And hereʼs something from Ramo-san: the special Wurst!

Lilja: Is this what you call osechi?

Ramona: No, this is nothing like the traditional Japanese osechi. But itʼs nice to have something like this once in a while too, don’t you agree?

Lilja: Hmm. If itʼs fine for you, Ramo, then itʼs fine.

Ramo: For me?

Lilja: It’s your first New Year in Japan, right? Thatʼs why.

Ramona: Oh, so thatʼs what you mean. Iʼm enjoying it a lot, so donʼt worry.

Lilja: That’s good. And what about Xue? Is she still asleep?

Hikari: Sheʼs working!

Hikari: “Holidays are a perfect time to make money! My New Year is in February anyway!”

Hikari: Or so she said. She left early in the morning.

Ramona: Haha, thatʼs so like her.

Hikari: So what are we gonna do? Koyomi-san must be busy at home, so itʼs just the three of us, but maybe we can come up with something?

Lilja: For example?

Hikari: Well… Maybe letʼs go play in the snow? We had a lot of fun with Panda-san and Kamira-san when it was snowing the other day.

Lilja: But the snow has already melted since then, hasnʼt it?

Hikari: Youʼre right… Then, maybe letʼs visit a shrine?

Ramona: A shrine! Thatʼs a perfect idea! I wanted to visit one ever since coming to Japan. If weʼre doing it, we should draw omikuji as well!

Lilja: Omikuji?

Ramona: It’s fortunes you draw to see what the year has in store for you. You try your luck. I heard some shrines also offer a variety of goods.

Lilja: Hmm.

Hikari: Lilja-san, could it be that you aren’t very fond of the idea?

Hikari: If you’re worried about getting tired of the crowd, maybe letʼs choose a shrine thatʼs not very popular? Probably, this time it’s gonna be even more crowded than at the summer festival.

Lilja: No. If there are many people, it means Iʼll be seen by many, too. It would actually make me feel good.

Lilja: Iʼd love to start the year with showing myself to as many people as possible.

Hikari: Alright! Then, let’s go!

TL note
* Rafute is a traditional braised pork belly dish in the Okinawan cuisine.

** Sata andagi are sweet deep-fried buns of dough in the Okinawan and Southern-Chinese cuisine.

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Pub: 10 May 2024 18:51 UTC
Edit: 14 May 2024 11:42 UTC
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