Hakumei and Mikochi (ハクメイとミコチ)

I just can't relieve my aching shoulders.

You've been busy recently, huh?

I want to go to a hot spring or something.

Yeah, like one around Kiou or North Makinata...

Konuta Bath House

But it really is far...

Konuta Bath House

It's close!

What is?

A hot spring! A hot spring! It says there's one close to here!

What'd you say?!

It looks like it draws water from Mt. Konuta.

So that's why it was under construction for so long.

What kind of hot spring is it?

Let's see,

it's a constantly flowing stone bath with moisturizing water,

where you can enjoy cold sake and a Konuta-fired sake cup,

and when you return to your room slightly drunk you can have knotweed sweetfish and their salted innards...

We can stay at this hot spring!

Nice... This is nice!

Let's go now, Mikochi!

Wait, I'm going to prepare a change of clothes!

Yuuyake ni tsukamatte tabi ni deyou

Tsubasa wa itsumo mimamotte kureru no

Bokuratte doko ka

Nika yotte hikareatte no?

Hora sora ga chikazuita sekai no mama de ne

CLEANING IN PROGRESS

I sincerely apologize for this.

Episode 21 Hot Bamboo Bath

At the moment, the drainage is clogged up due to the hair shed by a group of cats.

So right now it's all...

...being cleaned?

If you only want to have a meal and stay the night...

Oh, no...

We'll come again.

What should we do now?

Things are not working out...

It'd be really nice to gaze at this bamboo forest from an open-air bath.

It really would...

Will you plant bamboo around our house?

Should I make one?

One what?

An open-air bath!

Huh, you can make one?

I dunno. I've never made one before...

If it's a stone bath, you can probably make one, right?

For stone, it'll take several days for the foundation and the joints.

Then, wood? How about cypress?

Making a tub is difficult, you know. That being said, hollowing it out is also tough.

Hmm. I wonder if there's some good raw material around here...

Bamboo!

Oh!

A "bamboo pipe bath" type thing, right?

No, because that one uses pretty huge bamboo.

I'll split it in half and make a bath.

Like for somen noodles, right? But isn't it hard to cut down the bamboo?

If it's the whole bamboo stalk, yeah.

If it's just the root, I can manage.

I'll borrow a saw from someone around there.

Oh, there's one here, after all.

Leftover roots.

Why are there so many leftovers at such an odd height?

When they're cutting bamboo this big, they ask a taller worker to do it.

That's why the bottom part is left. This is about the height of the vice chairman.

Oh, I see.

Well, guess I'll cut it now.

This is pre-bath exercise, huh?

First of all, you make a diagonal notch with the hatchet, and then put the saw in horizontally.

Okay, okay.

I need you to do the same thing, Mikochi.

Okay, got it.

Well, I wonder where to cut something this size?

Hm? What do you mean?

Whack

If you cut just one side of a grown bamboo, it will split under its own weight and spring up.

Whack

Whack

Whack

Whack

Whack

Whack

Whack

Huh?

And it'll have a huge amount of force behind it.

Sorry if you sustain any serious injuries.

This is really okay, right?

Alright. I think this will work.

Mikochi, move away a little bit.

Hakumei?

It still won't come down, huh?

Mikochi, we'll combine our strength!

Huh? Am I gonna jump too?

Okay, it's down.

Ouch... How will we bring this home?

Roll it!

Aren't your shoulders even more stiff than before we went to the hot spring?

Definitely.

What kind of drink do you want? Ginjo or Junmai or...

We have the storehouse variety, right? Let's open that one.

We'll put heated rocks into the bamboo pipes that are under the water in the tub first.

It's like a hot pot.

That looks good.

We can get in already at this temperature.

Speaking of, where's the screen?

Oh, I forgot!

Feels nice!

Doesn't it?

I really did make an open air bath.

Great work! Let's have a drink.

What are we having to eat?

Roasted, salted squid.

Also, wakame seaweed stems and okra with sesame sauce.

It looks a bit rich to go with the flavor of the storehouse variety.

That's great.

I want to go to sleep right here, just like this.

We have to add more stones when we change them out...

We need to make a reservation and go to that hot spring after all, sometime.

Yeah. Steal their way of making stone baths.

To Mt. Kazami Kusuno Nutria Bus

Episode 22 Daikon and

Pipes

Today's morning market was nothing but food.

Just looking at it made me hungry.

We didn't buy anything, though.

We're saving. We still have food leftover.

Delivery coming through!

One whole daikon, huh?

That's impressive...

I wonder if they'll be having an oden festival.

Even if they are, it's too much.

I wonder where it's being delivered to.

Sign the receipt, please!

Oh, sure, okay.

Mi... ko... chi...

How much was this, again?

It's 2,500.

Okay, here it is exactly.

Indeed.

Ayune?!

Oh my, welcome back, Mikochi.

Who is this?

Wh... Why are you-?!

Are you Hakumei-chan?

"-chan"?! Yes, I am...

Thank you for always looking after my sister. I'm Mikochi's older sister, Ayune.

You don't look alike.

Is that so?

Why did you come here?

I came to see you.

Heave ho.

Always a pleasure!

Hey, what's that daikon for?

Oh, they were selling it in the city, so it's a present.

Oh, I see...

Well isn't this a nice house. Would you call it folkloric, maybe?

What is that?

Here's some coffee.

Thanks.

How is Makinata?

It's a good place. The prices are a bit high, though.

How is it where you are?

The same as always.

It's a bit lonely since you're not around, though.

That's out of character for you to say...

Is it?

Since you left, I've started remembering so many things...

Uh... Is that so?

I'm sorry, Hakumei-chan. I've made you listen to such boring talk.

Oh, no...

But I apologize if you're trying to watch out for me. Ayune?

Hm?

You're faking it, aren't you?

You're perceptive. I can't believe I've already been found out!

Huh?

I tried to come across as a good older sister, but how'd I do?

So saying you came to visit me was...

A lie.

I thought so.

I'm sorry, Hakumei-chan. Were you surprised?

What's surprising if I'm meeting you for the first time?

So, what do you want?

I'm in a bit of a slump now. This is a change of pace.