Super Cub Volume 1 Chapter 48 - Arriving

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Route 134, which ran along the Shonan coast, was like an amusement park in itself. A road you travelled along while listening to the sound of the waves.

On the ocean side of the road, there were windbreaks and sandy beaches, and on the land side there were rows of overly decorated buildings.

White stone-built cafe restaurants and wooden surfboard shops painted aqua. Each building seemed like they were made fashionable to the best of their ability, not only for the practical purpose of living, but also for the pride of their inhabitants who lived in Shonan.

Otherwise, it might be impossible to live by the sea, where the sea breeze rusted machinery and the risk of disaster was high. Koguma was reminded of the many log cabin villas in Hokuto City.

There were many people who dared to live in log cabins, which were not entirely suitable for the Japanese climate and cost more than prefabricated houses in terms of price and maintenance. They paid a reasonable price to feel like they were living in the mountains.

Koguma, who had never decorated her own life in that way, couldn’t find that ridiculous when she actually saw the buildings lining Shonan. 

If she did find a place where she would like to live one day, she might do something to at least reproduce that way of living. For example, like these houses in Shonan.

White walls with no physical function, or a garden porch that is never used, could pay for themselves with change included if it made coming home a pleasure.

Riding her extremely functional Cub through the decorated town, Koguma passed the Shonan Great Bridge and stopped her Cub as she approached Shichirigahama.

She had just taken a break, and from the looks of her watch, she would be able to get to her destination in no time at all, but for some reason, she wanted to stare at her Cub in this beautiful place.

She pulled her Cub over to the side of the road and parked it near the entrance to the swimming beach, where there were bicycles and mopeds parked here and there. She put down the stand and sat on the seat with her legs on one side.

When she took off her helmet, the sea breeze blew through her bobbed hair. She could smell the fishy smell of the sea. The ground beneath her was crunchy, and when she looked down, she saw that sand from the beach had piled up on the pavement.

The swimming season was already over, but she saw a lot of surfers in wetsuits when she looked at the sea. Some of the bicycles parked around her were equipped with carriers to carry surfboards.

While drinking tea from the plastic bottle hanging from the hook, Koguma stared at the sea for a while, but she seemed to lack the susceptibility for being soothed by looking at unchanged natural scenery, and she became a little bored.

She turned around and looked at the road along the coast. The cars on the road were ordinary local cars, but she saw open-top cars more frequently here than on other roads, as well as classic foreign cars and cars that were clearly owned by enthusiasts.

Darkly tanned boys and girls pedaled their surfboard-laden bicycles past Koguma. In the distance, she could see the tracks of the Enoden and a high school right in front of the sea.

She wondered what she would have been like if she spent her high school life in a place like this, but she knew that she would still be riding a Cub.

Koguma looked at her watch and realized that it was almost the arrival time for the bus, which was written in the school trip guidebook. She put on her helmet and started the engine of her Cub.

She took her Cub out to the national highway and rode along Shichirigahama while listening to the sound of the approaching waves.

Breathing in the sea breeze, looking at the same stylish buildings and passersby in wetsuits and Hawaiian shirts who looked like they were dressed for a festival, she crossed the small fishing harbor of Koshigoe.

Once her view opened up after it was blocked by a cut of rock, she rode to the end of the beach after it reappeared again and then turned left.

A two-kilometer ride along a road that stretched straight from the sea would bring you to Kamakura. According to her memory of the map, she had to turn left at the end of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and go up the slope. The ryokan that was her destination would appear right in front of her. 

As Koguma turned on her blinker to enter the ryokan, a tourist bus coming from the opposite side of the road turned right to follow her into the ryokan’s front yard.

She could see the passengers on the bus pointing at her and her Cub. As Koguma moved closer to the edge of the front yard so as not to get in the way, several buses in a row came to a stop in front of the main entrance of the ryokan. 

The doors of the buses opened, and a passenger in a school uniform and long hair came out from one of them. She ran straight up to Koguma. Koguma raised her hand lightly in greeting.

“You’ve come a long way.”

“Yeah.”

Reiko patted Koguma on the shoulder in appreciation, and then gently stroked the Cub’s body.

With Reiko’s intercession, Koguma was allowed to join the school trip midway after she rode her Cub to the ryokan and settled into her room there.

Her teacher lectured her about her reckless behavior and asked her to keep the Cub at the ryokan during the school trip and told her that for the return trip, she had to send her Cub back by a vehicle transportation service and ride the bus home.

“Yes!” Koguma gave a favorable response. 

However, that didn’t mean she would obey quietly.

Koguma exchanged looks as well as a secret smile with Reiko.

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