Adachi to Shimamura - Volume SS1 - Chapter 11

Unspoken Acceptance of Our Choice

 “PARDON THE INTRUSION.”

“It’s fine. Come on in.” 

For once, she walked in from the direction of the front door. Notice that I didn’t say she let herself in through the door, since little things like its lock didn’t seem to slow her down. Our Earthling security systems evidently had a long way to go before they would keep aliens out; every year on December 26, Yashiro waltzed in as though invited. 

“We’re cleaning the house right now. Go find a corner and entertain yourself.”

“You will find I am quite good at sitting around.”

“Oh, I’ve found that, all right.”

She toddled down the hallway, dressed in an animal onesie as usual, though I couldn’t identify the species. 

“What’re you supposed to be this time?” I asked.

“A dugong.”

“Aha.” How specific.

“I saw them during the family aquarium visit not long ago.”

“Oh yeah?” Apparently, she was invited to all my family’s outings by default now. That didn’t surprise me in the least. “What’d you guys have for dinner last night?”

“A scrumptious curry.”

With each passing year, my family’s Christmas traditions mystified me more. But since the biggest mystery of all stood right in front of me, I figured I could shrug the others off. 

Adachi looked up from her vacuuming. “Oh. You again.” 

“Hello there,” the dugong behind me greeted her.

“Uh…hi?”

Yashiro laughed out loud, seemingly delighted. “Today I am not simply intruding. I have come for another reason.”

“Are you implying that you ‘intrude’ on purpose…?” I didn’t think of it that way at all, and I was starting to wonder whether she just didn’t fully grasp the nuance of that word.

“You see,” Yashiro continued, “Mama-san asked me to deliver your gifts.” 

“She did, did she?” Odd. Couldn’t she have waited a week until we visited on New Year’s Day?

“One moment, please.” 

For some reason, Yashiro slipped into our bedroom. Ducking behind the door for a second, she came back out with a plush toy in each of her previously empty hands. I didn’t immediately recognize either creature. 

“This one is for you, Shimamura-san.”

“Okay…?” 

It was…a walrus, probably, judging by the big pearly whites.

“That walrus is from the aquarium.”

“Ah, so it’s a souvenir.”

“Heh heh heh! For the record, I’m taller.”

“Nobody asked.” The plushie’s mouth opened wide enough to fit my hand inside. With one hand “devoured,” I used the other to stroke the walrus’s back. “Nice and soft.”

Knowing my mother, she’d been too embarrassed to give it to me directly. Despite her general shamelessness, she could be surprisingly bashful when it came to sentimental moments. The apple sure didn’t fall far from the tree, did it?

“I’ll let you have some cake later as thanks.” I was going to give it to her regardless, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Yaaay!” Yashiro turned to Adachi. “And this is for you, Adachi-san.”

Adachi switched off the vacuum cleaner and gingerly accepted the other plushie. Unlike mine, it didn’t appear to be from the aquarium. “Uh…th…thanks?”

“That one is from your Mama-san.”

“What?” She froze, staring down at the toy’s button eyes and prominent nose. “Oh, it’s…it’s the elephant…from the zoo…” 

“Heh heh heh! For the record, I’m still taller.” This little dugong seemed needlessly competitive. “It is a souvenir from a family visit to the zoo.”

“The zoo and the aquarium? You’ve been busy.”

“Ho ho ho! It has been quite fun.” 

Adachi’s mom went with my family, no less? My mother must’ve dragged her along against her will. Part of me found that surprising, but on second thought, maybe it wasn’t. And even though the gift wasn’t for me, it made me feel…kind of nice. Yeah, like… “Aww, nice.”

“I’m happy for you, Adachi.”

“Thanks.” 

Her reaction was muted. Holding the elephant, she walked into the bedroom and added the new friend to the shelf that held my seal plush and bear keychain. That left no room for my walrus, so where would I put him? He was still chomping on my hand, which I’d forgotten until now.

“Hmmm…” Adachi gazed at the elephant on the shelf, then mumbled again. “Hm.”

“I’m happy,” I repeated. This time it wasn’t merely on her behalf—the joy was my own. 

Adachi glanced at me, then looked back at the elephant. Her lower left cheek twitched. Then, finally, she nodded in acceptance. “Me too.”