March Comes in Like a Lion (３月のライオン)

The Other House

While I was hanging up the laundry, the phone rang.

When I picked up the receiver, a thin voice said, "Hello?"

He continued, "Is now a good time?"

I thought this might be that "Hey, it's me" scam I heard on the news, so I raised my guard.

But then the voice said, "It's been a while. It's Rei."

Hello.

The owner of the voice was a boy who had lived in my home up until a few years earlier.

Long time no see, Tarou. How have you been?

Tarou's become an old man, huh?

Lately all he does is sleep there.

Is that right, Tarou?

How is Ayumu doing?

And Kyouko, too.

Ayumu is going to a prep school, and I guess you'd say Kyouko is a temp worker.

She works here and there.

As I answered him, I was relieved that he came to visit when I was alone.

If Kyouko and Ayumu were here, this living room would have become cold in an instant.

Just like it did back then.

Um, these are sweets from a shop run by a family that's been helping me a lot lately.

CRESCENT MOON

So please.

That's right. These days, in this house, no one speaks his name anymore.

I apologize for not being able to visit in a long time.

"I was worried about you since you never came by."

I was going to say that, but stopped myself.

This boy understood everything

and did us a favor by staying away.

As I awkwardly sat with him, unable to look him in the eyes,

he still sat across from me.

So mellow...

That's it, mellow.

He seems much more mellow now.

He'd become an adult.

Is he the same age as Ayumu? I can't believe it.

My son hasn't even changed, and he's still a child.

I realized my children were no match for him at a fairly early stage.

It was a simple situation.

Anyone could see that the amount of practice he did was unbelievable.

But if they didn't want to lose to him, they would have to practice even more than he did.

It was a simple answer.

However, could they do it? No, they couldn't.

He silently embodied sound reasoning and in his presence,

my children's own weakness made them lose their equilibrium

and they collapsed into pieces.

When my own children turned against me, I was lost,

and my husband silently watched it all unfold.

"People who need other people to motivate them will eventually come up against a brick wall."

That was his view.

Unable to look at their weak selves,

they became caught up in enjoyments within their reach.

One day, Ayumu declared, "Being able to make an effort is a talent too!"

To those words, my husband just chuckled, "Haha."

I think that was the moment he gave up on Ayumu becoming a professional shogi player.

Being around that boy, they realized that people who wanted to reach a certain place

had to pursue it to that extent.

I always thought "only a small handful of people can become what they want to be."

and I never thought about what you have to do to become something.

And so that boy's situation was a dreary weight on my chest.

And then one day, I finally came to a realization.

That my husband had a similar childhood as that boy.

I thought I understood, but I really didn't.

Looking past shogi, out of all the people in the house,

the person my husband related to the most wasn't a family member, but that boy.

He was wholeheartedly dedicated to shogi,

silently studied and did homework,

and even helped out around the house.

He really was a good boy.

But that made my children suffer all the more.

Why is he such a good boy?

Why didn't my children turn out like that?

What were the differences between the way his mother raised him and how I raised my kids?

Did I fail in raising my children?

Or is he just playing the role of a "good boy" as best he can since he's a freeloader?

Maybe he's laughing at us behind our backs.

No...

That's wrong.

He was...

Rei really was...

just a really good boy.

My children understood that, and so did I.

We took advantage of him.

We took advantage, pushed him away, treated him shoddily,

and didn't give him a place to belong.

And so he felt like...

"The longer I'm around, the more strained everyone's relations will become."

But he didn't even say that.

He just quietly left the house.

When the five o'clock bell rang out, Rei got up from his chair.

He said, "Well..." and skipped any other closing remarks,

apart from, "I'll come again."

"Yes, come again," I answered.

After all, what else could I say?

See you, Tarou.

Live a long life, okay?

Take care.

After Rei left, I started preparing dinner in the kitchen.

As always.

Even if no one calls me, I stand here every day.

I make dinner and wait for everyone.

That night, I had a dream.

In the dream, Rei was really my son.

Now that he was my son,

Rei was sprawled out in the living room, eating junk food, watching TV,

and when I told him to go to bed, he retorted, "Oh, be quiet!"

I thought to myself, "Well! He's the same as Ayumu and Kyouko."

I was disappointed and yet also...

profoundly relieved.

The Other House

Child of March Town

"Let's go to a monjayaki place."

Kiriyama invited us...

before Takahashi left for Kouchi.

MONJA JIROU

Well, um, both of you, congratulations on your graduation.

And I wish you the best of luck at the private school in Kouchi.

Uh, cheer—

Wait a second.

Also...

Kiriyama, congratulations on your promotion to B-2!

Thank you!

C-Congratulations, Kiriyama!

JUST FOUND OUT

That's amazing!

ADMIRE

My grandpa was so psyched about personally knowing a B class shogi player.

Yes! My teacher made it to B class!

He was so proud that he couldn't contain himself.

Kiriyama is a future Meijin!

I appreciate that.

I apologize for losing so quickly at that last NHK Cup.

And they were really looking forward to it.

Aw, naw, Grandpa was like, "Next up is the Lion King Championship!"

He's already excited about that.

Thanks for waiting.

Salmon monja and mentai mochi with cheese.

- Thanks. - Thank you!

Kiriyama, you're totally my grandpa's idol.

Before he would mostly be in bed, but recently he popped in at the neighborhood shogi club.

SHOGI CLUB

My parents are happy too that he's back on his feet.

They're like, "Professionals are incredible!"

I want to become a professional soon, too.

"I want to become a professional."

Not "someday." He said "soon."

Oh, I'll do it.

- Are you sure? - Leave it to me.

That's right.

In Takahashi's mind, becoming a professional has gone from a "dream" to a "goal."

MONJA JIROU

A person who helped me back in little league is now the coach of the school in Kouchi.

All the best players are concentrated in Tokyo, and there are a lot of infielders.

On top of that, there are dozens of schools.

I want to raise my chances of getting to the high school nationals, even by a little.

So I decided to go where that coach is.

With Takahashi's practiced hands and the clanging of the spatula,

the familiar sizzling sound and delicious scent rose up.

But this spring, Takahashi will be leaving March Town.