Red Data Girl - Series 1 & 2

The First Makeup - 23

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Red Data Girl: The First Makeup
By Noriko Ogiwara
A Translation

Notes on this week’s translation:

In Japan, sun showers are often called ‘a fox wedding’ or ‘kitsune no yomeiri’. This phrase actually came up in conversation a few times right before I left Japan. When I finally asked one of my teachers where the phrase came from, she told me it was from an old folktale but I would have to ask an older person for more details. Most people don’t really know anymore. I never got a chance to speak to anyone else about fox weddings but luckily, we have the internet! It turns out there’s a lot of history behind the term and it can refer to more than just sun showers. Learn more about fox weddings here.

Red Data Girl: The First Makeup
By Noriko Ogiwara
Chapter 4: Hodaka
Part 2 (1 of 2)

“Hey! You’re here! Yuki!” Manatsu yelled. He and the other student in question were standing in line in the cafeteria.

“Hey! Yuki! I’m calling your name!”

Manatsu was yelling at Miyuki. Miyuki looked over at him in surprise.

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why are you calling me Yuki?”

“You got really mad at me when I called you Miyuki last time. So I’m calling you Yuki now.”

Manatsu looked rather proud of himself. He pointed to the table where Izumiko and Mayura were already sitting with their food.

“Eat with us over there.”

Miyuki glanced in the table’s direction, but his response was noncommittal.

“Sorry. I have a meeting with a teacher.”

With that, Miyuki left quickly, forcing Manatsu to return to the table alone.

“He got away again!” he declared. Manatsu didn’t seem discouraged at all considering how cold Miyuki’s manner had been.

Mayura stared at her brother.

“You ran into Sagara? How’s he doing?”

“He’s doing fine,” Manatsu replied cheerfully. “Masumi was happy to meet someone like him. He said he thought he was a good guy.”

“Really?”

Mayura glanced at Izumiko who tilted her head in response. Truthfully, Izumiko hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of Masumi long enough to notice Miyuki’s response to the third triplet.

Sitting down, Manatsu grinned at Izumiko.

“Even though you were a little cautious around him, Masumi liked you too, Izumiko. That much was clear.”

Manatsu began to eat. When he ate, he was incapable of noticing anything else around him so Mayura didn’t bother lowering her voice.

“It’s unusual for Manatsu to take to someone new. I understand why he likes you, but it’s rare that he’d like someone like Sagara. Sagara doesn’t look like the kind of person who likes animals.”

“When you say it like that, Mayura, it sounds like Manatsu is an animal too.” Izumiko pointed out quietly.

Mayura shrugged.

“Manatsu sympathizes more with dogs and horses and another animals than he does with us I think. Or at least that’s what it seems like.”

Izumiko looked down. No matter the reason why Manatsu had taken a liking to Miyuki, chances were that Miyuki would never sit at the same table with the Souda siblings. Izumiko knew very well that she was the reason for that.