The Rose Garden Left Behind
(We’re at the last stop for our KOBE trip! I’m happy to see that Kafka is feeling better enough to join us. But…)
(I still wanna tell Renga-kun about what Liguang-san said yesterday. I can’t stop thinking about it…)
What’s this? An observation deck? Hmph, HAMA has places with nice views too…
(We made it all the way to the lantern festival without a chance for me to bring it up. Plus, Renga-kun’s still in a bad mood…)
Howdy there! ♪
That’s…
Tengen Koharu. Folks call me the charismatic KOBE Ward 0 mayor. Pleased to meet ya!
Been waitin’ for y’all, HAMA Tours.
(Huh, he knows who we are…?!)
Well, well, well…
Thank you for the warm welcome. I’m Oguro Kafka, HAMA’s Ward 0 mayor.
Khaha! Ain’t needa be so formal. Heard our Ward 1 mayor caused y’all some trouble yesterday, so I wanted t’ say sorry!
You’re talking about…Yuzuriha Kotonojo, right?
(If the Ward 0 mayor came to apologize, does that mean Kotonojo-san said all of that knowing that she was talking to HAMA’s mayors? I can’t believe it…)
Oh, I see. It sounds like news travels fast in KOBE.
Shiver shiver… He probably has a lot of power… I-Is he scary too…?!
Are you gonna buy us lunch too?
Kotonojo’s a real smart one, but as stubborn as a bull. I’d love to take y’all to the lantern festival t’ make up for it!
Huh? We didn’t ask you…
Well, sun’s already settin’. Y’all were fixin’ to go anyway, so might as well hightail it on over there ‘fore it’s too late!
(He doesn’t leave any room for argument…)
Bam! ☆ This right here’s our famous KOBE drone lantern. Ya use this li’l microcassette to record a message an’ throw the whole thing into the sky…
Your voice will play from way up high and deliver your feelings far an’ wide… Romantic, ain’t it?
Hm. I expected them to be lit using a flame, but they fly using drones instead?
Well, usin’ fire’s dangerous as all get out. An’ these are biodegradable lanterns made t’ dissolve in the ocean, so we ain’t gotta worry about alla them microplastics.
…So they’re made from that new material invented a few years ago. Every region in JPN uses the same material for their special events.
Well, I’ll be. Sounds like y’already knew! Figures, it was a real big deal on SpiNet. We started rakin’ in a whole lotta revenue once we started producin’ it locally. Khaha!
……
Y’gotta work on improvin’ the local economy if you wanna boost tourism. It ain’t all ‘bout attractin’ new guests. Gotta get two birds with one stone.
I see. I agree with you on that.
Alright! Get on with makin’ those recordings, y’all!
You’re pushy, aren’t you? Well, whatever. Is there something specific we should say?
This festival was my idea, so say anythin’ y’all want. But I reckon most folks make a wish.
Hm… Maybe I should make a wish so I can do the program I want to…
(I’ll wish to find him as soon as possible. Then…)
…No, never mind. I’ll wish for my family’s health.
A wish, huh? Man, I got so many I dunno what to say.
(This sucks. I’ll just pretend to record something.)
I wanna go to another ido— No, I can’t! Debt repayment first and foremost!
(…I’ll wish for my body to hold out until HAMA’s fully revitalized.)
(What should I say? Should I wish for our tour to be a success?)
……
Chief, you should wish for your mayor buddies t’ take things a li’l more seriously.
…Huh?
Y’gotta throw out all the bad apples. Keepin’ the likes a’ them around prolly ain’t the best idea.
?!
I reckon you’re the only one here who can change things.
(What…? What’s he trying to say?)
Khaha! Just tryna be nice.
……
Nishizono Renga, you havin’ a hard time thinkin’ of one?
…How do you know my name? Are you a fan?
Ahaha, nah. I jus’ know every ward mayor’s name is all.
…I’ve heard rumors that the KOBE Ward 0 mayor is quite the genius. Looks like they’re true.
Oh, hearin’ that’s got me over the moon, Lu Liguang.
Gh…
If y’a’int got a wish, whole lotta folks like t’ leave messages for their passed loved ones.
Like a goldfish that up an’ died after they brought it home from a festival! Why don’t ya take that for a spin? ♪
(H-His example’s a little grim… But if that’s an option, Renga-kun could…)
……
Who cares if my message is gonna be played in the sky? It wouldn’t reach them. Dead people can’t hear.
So what’s the point?
Tch… You’re always like this.
Huh? Like what…?
Are you not satisfied until you disparage everything in your line of sight? Does it distract you from your own shortcomings? I suppose even the incompetent have the capacity to complain.
……
You’re angry because you know I’m right. You spend all of your time posing as a critic to denunciate others, but have you done anything worthy of praise yourself?
If your skills start and end at being able to kick up a fuss, then you’re better off quitting. Nobody needs someone like that around.
Nobody needs you.
…!
Sh… Shut the fuck up! Who the hell would do something this stupid?!
Renga-kun!
Tch… Throwing a tantrum again. This is why I can’t stand him.
Woah, y’all were goin’ at it real good.
Nishizono Renga, you’re runnin’ towards the bathroom over there! Head t’ your right if ya wanna avoid folks!
(Ugh… Why does this always happen? I need to find Renga-kun and bring him back!)
That asshole…
…Renga-kun.
……
What do you want? Are you here to nag me or something?
……
…Say something.
…I don’t know what to say. But I want to hear how you really feel, Renga-kun.
…I always say what I feel.
I don’t think you do… There’s something important you want to tell your grandmother, right?
I already said that there’s no point.
But that means you still have something you want to say. Are there any feelings you want to express to her?
…Who cares if there are?!
Don’t say that! Why don’t you try telling her?
Why the hell are you telling me all of this?! It won’t mean anything…!
Because I couldn’t say it before…
I had a chance to, but I didn’t… So why… Why now…
……
Renga-kun.
What’s wrong with me? I’m Nishizono Renga, so I… I can’t cry like this…
……
…I know already. I know that Liguang’s always right.
…!
But so what?!
If I agree with him, then… Then I really will be unwanted.
Unwanted…? Who told you that?
…I don’t need anyone to tell me to know it’s true. Everyone around me, my father, my grandmother, they always… That’s why…
When my grandmother was in critical condition…I was taking care of her, but I couldn’t say anything.
If I did and she regained consciousness…
She’d tell me that she regrets bringing me into the Nishizono family.
She’d tell me to get out, that nobody wants me around. And…
I was never able to tell her “thank you” or “I’m sorry” just because of something that selfish! I can’t live with myself like that…!
……
I don’t know what the hell I was supposed to do! I tried so hard, but in the end I’m just stupid, and I… I couldn’t become the grandson she wanted me to be.
I always fought with her, and I kept making her hate me more… But I still inherited the most from her…
She left me the rose garden she loved so much… I wish I could ask her why she did that, but I can’t anymore…
I keep living with the regret that I never said anything to her, but I don’t deserve to be sad about this…
…I guess I don’t know anything because I’m so stupid. Liguang’s right. All I do is complain… But…
Nishizono Renga, the celebrity, got all of his fans by having a big ego… I can’t think of anything else I’ve succeeded at…
If I can’t be proud about that, then I don’t even know what I should be living for…
……
(I didn’t know Renga-kun’s struggles were so deeply-rooted…)
(He feels like he’s not good enough. And to distract himself from that feeling, he puts up a front…)
I never intended to tell anyone all of this… Dammit…
Renga-kun.
…?
Come with me.
N-No, I’m not going back looking like this…
Just do it! I promise…with all my heart that I’ll be on your side…!!