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Even Koguma, who lived modestly on a scholarship after she lost her father and had her mother run out on her, had something to look forward to.
The monthly scholarship money deposit.
It wasn’t freely given money, but an interest-free loan for school expenses, and they said to fully pay it off by the time the linear motor car1 came to Yamanashi, but for now, the most reliable proof of the fact that she could live in this world was the balance in her checkbook.
On her way home from school, Koguma went to the ATM of the credit union and made an entry in her checkbook, and then stared at the records, which remained the same every month.
The amount of money that was deposited into her account from the foundation that supported the education of students was quite substantial, but after school expenses, rent, utility bills and other expenses, the amount of money she could spend purely on herself was very small.
That included money for food and daily necessities. In the past, she used to sigh at the amount of money she had to spend that made her feel like she was jumping into the deep end in order to afford just a little bit of luxury.
Now that she was riding a Cub, she felt like she was sighing less than before, even though the money she had been spending on things like gas and various parts had definitely increased.
After leaving the credit union, Koguma patted the seat of her Cub parked out front, wondering if this was what it felt like to have a pet or dependants.
Although her roommate was expensive, she had been able to go shopping at a distant shopping center instead of her fairly expensive local supermarket, which helped reduce her food and living expenses.
Koguma looked at her checkbook again.
Among the various withdrawals, there was an item called “reserve fund for school field trip.”
It was necessary money, but it was a little bit detestable that enough money to fill up her Cub’s gas tank was disappearing from her account every month.
The midway point of the second semester was approaching. The wind blowing at the foot of the southern alps was getting a little chilly. The day of the school trip, which was the thing that was tearing monthly travel expenses away from Koguma, was also approaching.
This year’s destination was Kamakura. She thought that they would only be going to a neighboring prefecture, but apparently, the founder of Koguma’s public high school was descended from a vassal of the Kai Takeda family2, and there was a historical background that they had a close relationship with the Kamakura shogunate.
Although Koguma wasn’t interested in that sort of Japanese history or the famous temples of Kamakura, perhaps because she was exposed to the excitement of the classmates around her, she began to look forward to the school trip itself.
Koguma didn’t have any friends to go around Kamakura with during the free activity period at noon, but Reiko would probably take her somewhere.
Even yesterday, Reiko came to Koguma with a magazine that contained an article about National Route 134, a road along the coast that was also called the Shonan Bullet Road3, and one-sidedly promised to take her to go see it.
A night’s stay at a ryokan was more appealing to Koguma.
She had heard that they were going to stay at a fairly high-class inn for their school trip, as they had cut down on the travel distance. For Koguma, who lived alone and spent her days cooking modestly for herself, just looking at the pictures of Kouza Pork ham, Misaki fish dishes, and Kamakura sweets―dishes that she didn’t usually see with her frugal diet―in the ryokan pamphlet that came with the school trip guidebook, made her stomach almost growl.
A meal set before her without having to do anything, a bath that smelled of hinoki cypress, and a fluffy futon on blue tatami mats. If she could experience such luxury, she would feel that the monthly reserve fund was not a waste.
Koguma had been looking forward to the school trip for one reason or another, but on the day of the trip, she had a very unpleasant morning.
On the morning of the trip, Koguma suddenly developed a high fever and became confined to her bed. She rarely caught colds, but she wondered if it was because of the weather this year, with its short late summer heat and sudden change to autumn, or if it was because she had been uncharacteristically excited on the day before the trip.
Either way, there was nothing she could do if she was sick. It was a small mercy that it was just a cold and she could sleep it off. After calling in sick to the school on her phone, Koguma pulled the covers over her head and laid in bed.
What really made her angry was the time when everyone in class left for the trip. She had got up from the futon, thinking that she should go to the hospital if her fever was getting worse, but before she knew it, her fever had gone down and she was feeling extremely well.
Her morning fever seemed to be temporary, and now she felt like she could go anywhere. But now it was too late for anything. The sumptuous meal at the ryokan Koguma had been looking forward to had slipped through her hands and disappeared into the distance.
Feeling very displeased, Koguma walked around her apartment.
She was unexpectedly blessed with three days and two nights off during the period of the school trip. And there wouldn’t be a gap in her perfect attendance record, like an absence because of sickness. But she still didn’t like it.
If she canceled on the day of the trip, she wouldn’t get a dime of the travel reserve fund she paid monthly back. The teachers and classmates would probably give her souvenir manju buns along with words of sympathy at most.
Koguma opened the door, wearing a jersey over her pajamas to get some fresh air as she was checking her mail. She looked up at the disgustingly fine autumn sky and kicked a pebble in frustration.
The pebble flew and made a clear sound as it hit the muffler of Koguma’s Cub, which was parked in the bike parking lot.
When she heard that sound, Koguma ran back to her apartment and took off everything she was wearing, ignoring her mail.
Now naked, Koguma grabbed her helmet with goggles and the pair of gloves she had left by the door of her apartment.
I’ve decided. I’m going to go to Kamakura. The school trip fund I've been contributing to until now has been withdrawn. I don’t have any reason to complain about going to eat at the ryokan. I’m going because I want to go. I have a Cub that will make that happen for me.
Koguma began to pick out clothes for the long ride to Kamakura, a distance she had never experienced before, in order to go on her solitary school trip.
1 A linear motor car is the Japanese name for a line of maglev cars, which at the time of writing is currently under construction between Tokyo and Nagoya. There is a test track in Yamanashi.↩
2 Kai refers to Kai Province, which was in the area that is now known as Yamanashi Prefecture. The Takeda clan was a famous clan that rose to prominence during the Sengoku period and was once ruled by Takeda Shingen, one of the most powerful warlords of the period. ↩
3 Bullet road (弾丸道路) refers to a long open-stretch of highway. Funny enough when you look up Shonan Bullet Road you get Super Cub (series) results. ↩
Thank you, latest chapter is really appreciated
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