An after-rain with a rainbow - Episode 5

"Ehehe, gotcha. It's a bit embarrassing for me to be fully open about my hobbies."

Author: Kanata Haruka

Characters: Souma, Izumi, Shu, Aira

Season: Winter

Aira: —I see. I had thought it was a rare sight.

You all came to the shopping district to look for souvenirs for his friends in France, huh?

It’s true, choosing souvenirs is hard when you travel abroad a lot.

Shu: Mhm. I have no trouble buying something suitable, but I have to be careful about what I choose because it becomes a question of taste every time..

Aira: I don't know how much I can help, but if you want, I can send you the list I compiled of sweets I've been wanting to try through "HoldHands".

Shu: Oh, I’d be thankful for that. Please send it to me. There might be other ones that look good.

Aira: Ehehe, gotcha. It's a bit embarrassing for me to be fully open about my hobbies.

Shu: There is no need to be shy. Your sense of aesthetics has now inspired my sensibilities and paved the way/opened a new path for me.

Izumi: Yeah, yeah. You’re always so over the top, aren’t you?

By the way, Shiratori, can you send me that list too?

It's not as urgent as Shu, but I'm also having trouble finding souvenirs from living overseas.

Souma: I too would like to learn of Shiratori's "taste" for future reference. Of course, I don't want to force you to do so…

Aira: Don't worry! Japanese sweets seem to have a good reputation among foreign people. At least, that's what I've learned from what I've read about on the Internet.

Souma: Hmmm. Since you’ve gone through the trouble of reading about it, does that mean Shiratori often buy souvenirs to bring overseas?

Aira: It's not like that. You see, I'm a quarter mixed! [1]

I used to be worried about how I looked different from Japanese people, so there was a period where I’d search for what "Japanese-ness” was that meant to be “Japanese”.

Izumi: I see. For you, it was a means of self-discovery…

Aira: No, no, you don't have to take it so seriously!

I just started looking into it thanks to it. When it comes down to it, it’s just me writing down the things I like with my interests running at full speed.

You see, in terms of what it means to be “Japanese”, it's easier to imagine what Kanzaki-senpai taught us.

Souma: Mhm. The spirit of harmony and traditional Japanese taste is also a beautiful culture that Japan prides itself with.

When I think of sweets, things like dorayaki and yokan are the first things that come to mind, but that is not the case with Shiratori.

Aira: No, I think that's the first thing that comes to mind when someone says "what it means to be “Japanese" to me, too.

But I don't think that's all there is to Japan these days.

These days, souvenirs are not just about the appearance of the sweets themselves, but also about the cuteness of the packaging and containers!

The collaboration cookie tin I just showed you is a perfect example! Japan is now an advanced country in creating cute things like this!

For example, Loose Characters, or "Yuru-chara," are cute characters each locality creates to promote the local area!

Fashion and sweets have also evolved to create the “Yumekawa” genre!

There are also more and more idol-related goods that are "cute" and very rabu~i!

Izumi: Hey, how long is this conversation going to go on? We're getting sidetracked, aren't we?

Aira: Wha?! I'm sorry, I was rambling on like I was the only one here. I guess my otaku side just came out...

Izumi: No, I'm not mad at you. In fact, I don't even disagree with you.

Shu: I have also witnessed its influence firsthand in France. It is not something that should be mocked.

Anyway, I'll use the list you gave me for future reference. Thank you Shiratori.

Aira: No need to thank me! I'm honored that my otaku knowledge is useful to my seniors!

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Notes:

[1] he says that he’s クォーター (kuoota) meaning that he’s quarter non-japanese since his parents are half.

Translated by: @art_herolic
Proofread by: @mika_enstars

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Pub: 30 Oct 2023 13:40 UTC
Edit: 30 Oct 2023 14:10 UTC
Views: 631