ch29

p157
Things had been going well for a while.

We’d started rebuilding in Sannomachi…

…and in Ichinomachi we’d begun marking the plot on the burned ground.

Chapter 29

p158
Chapter 29

p159
But then the following event occured.

p160
By the way…

Ritsu…

I’ve been thinking about expanding the kids’ room as well as yours.

Both of them are rather narrow and impractical, don’t you agree?

Expand?

p161
My room as well?

…

What’s up?

My room is big enough.

Stuff like that costs money.

Hey, I’m a carpenter! And we have all the materials we need…

…I’d just work on it with the apprentices in our spare time, so don’t worry.

p162
…

No.

You don’t have to do my room!

Huh?

Please only work on the children’s room.

Ah, and if you guys want something to work on anyway: The outer sliding doors don’t close properly. Could you repair them?

Ah, look at the time…!

p163
I haven’t…

…packed your bento yet.

What was that about?

p167
On that day I had finished work earlier than usual…

and when I came home…

…I heard a child crying in the entrance area…

…and the voice of a man who shouted something about theft.

p168
Three people stood in the entrance.

One of them gripped Matakichi’s arm, he was sobbing tremendously.

Ritsu…

…bowed her head in distress. (ashamed? troubled? “betreten”)

p169
Toku?

Shigeji!

Haven’t seen you in a while. Splendid (/ impressive) beard. I nearly couldn’t recognise you.

One of the three people was Ittoku, a friend from when I was a child, who had a supermarket on Ichinomachi’s shopping street.

The second, a woman, seemed to be an employee.

Also there was…

…a policeman from Ichinomachi’s police station, I knew him by sight.

p170
What’s wrong? Did something happen, Ritsu?

He stole sweets from the supermarket.

I’m sorry! I’m sorry!

The employee said…

I witnessed it.

I caught this kid red-handed and chased him (because of if).

No! Ritsu?

You don’t say, Ritsu from back then? Small, but had a strong will all the more. (urgh that doesn’t work at all…save me, Jen.)

I didn’t recongnise you at all, but now that you’ve told me…

p171
bow(s)

You can apologise for it as often as you want, it won’t change a thing…

You’re only employed as a home helper, right? I’d heard that you work(ed) in a hostess bar in the neighbouring town.

p172
Then, talk with me.

Err… Uh, alright.

p173
Ah!

Go back to your room this instant!

Sniff…

Just drop the mother act.

p174
Toku… Of course the boy did something that wasn’t right.

And I know, I’m not in the position to say this, but… Can’t you forgive him?

p175
I told him, that we’d been negligent, of course we’d pay for the sweets and would punish the boy accordingly. (urgh what’s the right word for this?)

Even if you apologise, they’re not your children. It would be better to entrust them to the police.

p176

I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!

Toku’s words flipped a switch somewhere deep inside my heart.

I’m so sorry!