Editing Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko:Volume7 Chapter3

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==Chapter 3 - Ending No. 2: The Earthling in the Town Observed by Aliens==

“Mofuffuffufu”

“…Hey, now that’s nostalgic.”

When I turned to face Erio, who was sitting in the back of the shop, she broke into a smile and slowly stood up. A girl who was sitting and minding the shop, wrapped in a futon, toddled over to me. The sensor at the entrance of the candy store beeped. The little girl wrapped in a futon, or Little Smakin, was the height of a fourth- or fifth-grader but wrapped in an adult-sized futon, so her balance wasn’t great. It looked like the insides (a girl’s torso, legs, etc.) were protruding from a long, thin tube. I lightly tapped her. I had a pretty good idea who she was, but I was drawn in by the nostalgia and decided to play along.

“Show your face.”

When I gave the command, the girl obediently peeked her face out from above the futon and laughed carefree, “Hee hee”.

“Hi, Grandpa!”

“If it isn’t my great-grandchild. What’s with the futon?”

“I’m copying Grandma Eri!”

Well, that was obvious at a glance. What I asked was where she got it from. I looked up at Erio, who had come over to beside me, and we both smiled. We’ve both got more wrinkles now.

“Until what age were you doing that?”

“Twice a week.”

“You’re still doing it?”

I chuckled at Erio’s peace sign, shaking my shoulders and thinking, “Well, indeed I do see her do that sometimes.” As I was laughing, Erio, who had come down to the shop barefoot as usual, stroked her great-grandchild’s head.

Her great-granddaughter’s hair was a thinning, ephemeral light blue. And Erio’s hair had lost that shimmering, particle-like light blue to become a silvery white. The light no longer scattered around my cousin but seemed to flow down smoothly.

“Don’t shorten it. She is Grandma Eri*o*.”

“Alright, Grandma Eli!”

That habit of not listening to people with a big smile on her face, did she inherit this from her great-great-grandmother? Erio pouted like a child. Her great-grandchild buried her face in the futon and danced around, making “moffufuuu” sounds.

There were no other children in the shop. This candy store, which could almost be registered as a natural monument in this day and age, could be considered successful if it got one or two customers a day. It was run entirely as a hobby. I couldn’t guarantee the consumption or expiration dates of the detergents and snacks on the shelves in the back. No suppliers came here either.

But still, just drifting off to sleep in the stagnant, detached atmosphere that permeates the shop brought a warm, happy feeling. If this place existed for that reason, then it wasn’t all bad.

A slow, undulating, and pleasant time unfolded. The gentle warmth from outside filtered in just right, and the sunlight streaming through the glass at the entrance, the moment it entered this side, softened its sharpness and spread warmly once more.

I felt incredibly happy that these days continued, days when I could doze off in this air and think, “I wouldn’t mind dying like that.” If this were the old me, the one chasing after Youth Points, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been content to stay put and would have started running again.

I, too, have grown old, along with the world I’ve lived in.

Even if I started running now, I’d probably hit a wall in no time.

“Mofuu.”

My great-grandchild, who had been dancing, suddenly fell backward with a thud. It seems her centre of gravity was still too high. Erio bent his knees and helped Little Smakin back up. She was really getting the hang of being a great-grandmother. Though I was not really in a position to say that, considering how much I spoilt her.

“Mofuffu.”

I smiled at my great-grandchild, who was wriggling her body and blanket in a strange way, presumably to express her gratitude. I remembered our own children and grandchildren all imitating her when they were little. The transmission rate was incredibly high.

“Bloodlines really do exist, don’t they?”

I murmured, watching my great-grandchild spinning around and around. Then Erio, who was sitting beside me and pushing her long hair back, smiled at my profile. Erio, who should have lost her brilliance like a burnt-out star, at the moment she smiled, released the remnants of particles, causing me to hallucinate “that” light blue. I blinked many times.

As if scattered by that blink, Erio returned to a black and white colour scheme.

“So, is this girl going to become a scent fetishist?”

“…… Don’t take that joke to the grave.”

I snorted, “Huph”, and turned away. I also twitched my nose and sniffed the candy store.

A smell of dust mixed with the scent of old wood hung in the air. It was our smell right now. Like trees, we’ve rooted ourselves down, patiently waiting for the end. Living each day without any ups and downs, smoothly.

I wondered if I could smell Tamura-san’s scent here.

I wondered if the scent of Meme-san still lingered on Erio and me.

Scent could be the evidence of a person’s life. Could it be considered proof that they were here?

“Mofuufuu”

With my throat and ears scratching at the sound of my great-grandchild singing from deep within the futon, I turned my head to the ceiling.

Just like them, I should be able to leave this world feeling satisfied, just like those people.



I moved to this town and graduated from high school, and yet I stayed here.

How many decades have passed since then? I felt like I stopped counting the years after we stopped celebrating each other’s birthdays in a big way. Or maybe it was after Meme-san passed away.

Even now, I still couldn’t quite believe that Meme-san was no longer here.

“I always thought my mother would be alive and well even after she turned 100.”

Erio muttered to herself, closing her eyes and swinging her legs back and forth.

“…Well, I guess so.”

Err, please keep the same appearance you had when we first met.

It was as if she were peeking out from the entrance of the candy store, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pop out. I sometimes found myself looking at the store door with an indescribable feeling, whether it’s anticipation or something else. I strained my eyes to look at the view that now stretches far into the distance, since the house across the street has been demolished.

Of course, there was no sign of Meme-san’s inappropriate adult-child smile. Instead, there was an endless, empty landscape. And after confirming this, we were puzzled by that “obviousness”. Both Erio and I. It wasn’t loneliness or regret, but rather a feeling that something in our bodies was missing, yet we still felt connected to that missing part. We were tossed about by that feeling.

“But Cousin, if you say that, then it’s strange that you’re all wrinkled.”

Erio stroked my cheek with her thumb. She rubs it against it, as if to confirm its texture.

“I still feel young inside, you know.”

I could now truly understand how Meme-san felt as she resisted ageing. Though, I didn’t think I could have resisted to the point where I would manage to look younger. I wasn’t a ''youkai'' after all.

“I never thought your hair would turn completely white. I always thought it would be kind of sparkly.”

Such vague predictions of the future were meaningless in the face of time. Erio and I grew old, and the beautiful girl who defied Earth’s standards became a beautiful old woman who fit within Earth’s framework. As for me, I was just a grumpy old man now. I had children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. All my old friends are no longer here.

Both Ryuushi-san and Maekawa-san had passed away. I believe I remained good friends with them until their deaths. Including Erio and I, the four of us hung out together even after graduating from high school. In a way, the ideal relationship we had as second-year high school students continued, at least in the parts I could perceive, and I was happy about it. Somehow, I felt that if I had dated or become friends with anyone else, a visible rift would have formed between us. There was no right answer to what I might have done about the possibilities I didn’t choose. But I had no regrets about being an old geezer here and now.

“Her sleeping face is so cute.”

Erio smiled as she peered at his great-grandchild’s sleeping face, and I replied with just my lips, “Absolutely.”

My great-grandchild took off the futon that was wrapped around her, lay down, and went straight to her nap. At least she doesn’t fall asleep wrapped in the futon, so she has more common sense than the first Smakin. She had a promising future, yup yup.

Even though they lived nearby, having a great-grandchild who comes to visit regularly was quite a treat, wasn’t it? The grandchildren themselves rarely showed up, but the great-grandchildren are very fond of Erio and seemed to enjoy the atmosphere of the candy store. The fact that the candy was practically all-you-can-eat was probably another big plus. Or maybe it was the real reason?

“Hmm…”

From my granddaughter’s perspective, we might be mean grandparents who bribed her beloved daughter with sweets, and she might be gossiping about us behind our backs. Especially now that elementary school was on spring break and she was visiting more often. I worried that she didn’t have any friends to play with. Playing Smakin wasn’t something all friends could do together, after all.

“Cousin, what would you like for lunch?”

Erio, looking weary, put her hands on her knees and slowly stood up to ask for my requests. Her back was bent, and her posture was mature for her age, but the only thing that hadn’t changed was that she was barefoot. Her demeanour reminded me of Tamura-san, and I involuntarily narrowed my eyes. My eyes too have been getting smaller lately. I couldn’t go without my reading glasses anymore, but today I’ve forgotten where I put them.

“Hmm… then ramen.”

I ordered my great-grandchild’s favourite food. I also took into consideration what Erio could cook. Thanks to Meme-san’s guidance, I’ve become reasonably competent at cooking, but wasn’t something I was particularly good at.

“Hmm.”

Erio nodded slightly and headed towards the back of the candy store. After vaguely watching my wife’s retreating figure, I sat back down by the cash register, where I could see the front of the store. The cash register, whose age was uncertain and whose surface was yellowed and sticky, still worked perfectly. I hardly ever entered numbers anymore, but it was strange how the mere fact that it was still functioning made my heart flutter. I sat cross-legged, resting my elbows on my feet, and gazing out the window.

Sitting here like this, I find myself reminiscing about all sorts of past events. Different versions of me, at different times, have sat here in this candy store, taking a breather under the guise of minding the shop. After graduating from high school, I looked for a job in this town. While I was still in high school, Tamura-san passed away, and Erio took over the candy store.

And so we all lived together in this town. Of course, Meme-san continued to live in the same house. The three of us continued that life, living in the Touwa family home. Meme-san’s personality really didn’t change even when she was fifty or sixty years old. If anything, it felt like her mischievousness got worse. She even started using old lady jokes, and it was impossible to control her. Even in such circumstances, true to form, he never failed to dote on his grandchild. It’s such a shame that she passed away before she could see her great-grandchildren. I still felt dissatisfied about it, thinking it just wasn’t like her. It really didn’t suit her to disappear so suddenly.

Eliott-san didn’t attend Meme-san’s funeral. Or rather, all the alien types disappeared without a trace. Hoshimiya Yashiro vanished without a warning, as did Princess Kaguya’s family. At the time, I imagined something big had happened in space and chuckled a little. But Erio had stayed in town all this time, and I felt a strange sense of relief that she was a human after all, which now made me cringe wryly.

“In one year, two years… Elio or I, one of us will die first… huh?”

We didn’t have much time left. That’s what I felt. Looking back at it, both Tamura-san and Meme-san exhibited behaviours and words in their later years that suggested they sensed their impending death. Perhaps, rather than sudden death, the body sent some kind of signal when it was reaching the end of its lifespan. I had no scientific evidence for this, though.

Life was like a board game. Towards the end, the number of spaces where you “stop and die” increased. We tried to avoid them by using the chance card of medical facilities, and sometimes we were saved by sheer luck.

Lately, when I got into bed at night and closed my eyes, I often find myself drifting off into a hazy state. Would I sleep like this forever, without ever waking up? What does sleeping even mean? Such thoughts swirled around in my head, becoming vague and indistinct like a mist, and then I drifted off to sleep.

And today, once again, I wake up in that state of uncertainty, basking in the morning sun and chuckling muffledly. The town welcomed dawn, and we, who live there, rubbed our eyes in the light, continuing to live along with its rotation.

I had no regrets. Perhaps, as my brain ages, I would forget even that. Wasn’t that a blessing?

Listening to the sound of aeroplanes rattling the old roof, I surrendered myself to the passage of time.

Patiently, patiently. Until a gentle warmth slowly enveloped my palms and my body.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Ooh.”

I gathered around the table with my great-granddaughter, who had slowly woken up at the smell of the ramen Elio cooked, and we slurped it down. It was instant ramen, and actually the kind you’d find at a candy store, but it was delicious if one overlooked that fact.

“Morumoru”

My great-grandchild’s nose, a mix of slimy and fluffy, was glistening with ramen oil. When I wiped it with a tissue, she grined, showing her teeth. Yup, I’d like her to be my daughter.

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

I tentatively made a suggestion to Erio, who was sitting across from me.

“How about we go looking for aliens together tomorrow?”

Erio’s eyes widened. Immediately afterwards, she looked as if she doubted for a moment about whether I was senile. How rude of her.

“Looking for aliens? I’ll go, I’ll go!”

A girl with hair the colour of an alien happily raised her hand, saying, “Yay, yay!” Ramen broth splattered from the tip of her chopsticks onto the table. “Woups,” she said, rubbing it with her finger and licking it.

“Destruction of evidence.”

“Hey. Wipe it properly with a tissue.”

Erio scolded his great-granddaughter. Anyone who knew her past would want to retort, “You’re one to talk,” but I held back. I also raised my index finger to remind her that I’ve been telling her for decades to get into the habit of wearing shoes, but for the sake of her great-grandmother’s honour, I cleared my throat and brushed it off.

“So, what do you think? It’s like an alien hunt combined with a picnic.”

“Aliens.”

Erio mutters without any emotion. She arranged her chopsticks and placed them on the table, then stared at me. Her eyes. The edges were droopy and wrinkled, but the light blue pupils shining deep inside hadn’t changed since the first time I untied her futon.

In the middle of the night. Illuminated by the bright lights of a convenience store. With pizza stuck to her head and face.

Her expression was as unchanging as a Noh mask, yet light blue particles swirled around her, subtly repainting the world and my perception of reality. Those light blue eyes stared straight at me, and I was completely overwhelmed.

From the moment I peered into her eyes and confirmed their gleam, I was captivated by Erio.

Erio’s radiance still lingered like a planet. As I find myself speechless, Erio smiled faintly and asked me a question in a more formal tone. Her somewhat affected demeanour was both pleasant and slightly embarrassing.

“Looking for aliens?”

“Yes.”

Erio turned her face towards the entrance of the shop.

“Want to ride a bicycle?”

“Yes.”

Just you and me. Riding a bicycle.



“I’ve made the plans suddenly, but thankfully it’s sunny.”

I looked up at the high-rising sun, its rays burning deep into my eyes. The road in front of the candy store was deserted, with few people or cars passing by. In fact, the houses in the neighbourhood had all been torn down, making it look like a wasteland.

The sky wasn’t exactly crystal clear but rather hazy. However, I liked this kind of weather. I appreciated that it offered more flexibility than a sky that was just a single shade of blue and didn’t allow for any other expression.

“What were you going to do if it rained?”

Erio asked as she polished her bicycle, almost as if testing me. I tilted my head and thought, “Well… We would just do it tomorrow. There’s not much else to do anyway.”

While I was turning my head back, I readjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder. Doing this reminded me of my high school days.

But I was just an old man. The fate of a human who had lived in this town for decades.

Taking care of my great-granddaughter was the most challenging, yet also the most enjoyable. What an ideal retirement life!

Of course, this was all assuming that the two of us were still alive tomorrow. When we were younger, that was a normal occurrence, but at this age, it wasn’t not so easy.

However, I didn’t believe in living life while neglecting the future.

“……Kay”

Erio stood up after finishing polishing the pedals. I wonder how many bicycles we’ve owned now, or rather, how many generations we’ve gone through. We never even got our driver’s licences, so we were still riding bikes. At least Erio didn’t fit in the basket anymore. “She’s grown up,” I thought “to myself, nodding as I watched her.

“What, Cousin?”

“The fact that you didn’t try to prepare a futon in a situation like this shows how much you’ve grown up.”

She was the kind of girl who, when it came to travel, when it came to going far away, when it came to going out, was always in her futon. When I pointed that out, Erio turned away. It seemed like she was going to pretend she hadn’t heard anything.

Meanwhile, our great-grandchild was running around as Little Smakin. Her parents would surely be worried if they saw this. They’d probably be furious, asking what kind of things we’ve been teaching their child.

“Moofufuffufu”

I picked up my great-granddaughter, who was trying to climb onto the bicycle with just her feet, making a clattering noise, and put her back on the ground. “Mofuuu?” “I don’t know.” She poked her head out. “What are you doing?”

“It’s dangerous, so don’t get in the basket.”

“Well, E.T. rides in a basket. That’s what Grandpa said.”

“You’re not E.T. Your grandfather’s driving skills aren’t improving, so you can’t do anything dangerous.”

I tried to persuade my great-granddaughter while criticising myself. She was a precious treasure entrusted to me by my grandchild, so I had to treat her with care. “Uhh,” she grumbled, just like Erio used to grumble. Then, for some reason, I heard another “Uhh” from behind me, so I turned around. Erio was sulking.

“What is it?”

“You weren’t that careful with me when I got in the basket.”

“No matter how many times I told you, you’d only say ‘mofumofu,’ so I guess I gave up.”

She groaned and scratched my back. Ugh, don’t get jealous at this age. I was at a loss for how to respond when Erio and my great-granddaughter growled at the same time, and I was doubly confused as to why I was troubled by something so simple.

“Cousin, take good care of me.”

Erio, who was leaning on my back, was demanding a change in how she was being treated. I thought I was treating her well enough. “I made that promise with Meme-san,” I muttered casually, and Erio stopped leaning on me.

“With Mom?”

“Yeah, well, I guess I made a promise to take good care of you.”

The old woman had jumped at me, saying, “And of Meme-tan too!”, it was really bad for my heart. Calling herself “tan”? Come on!

“Hmm… but you haven’t been able to keep it.”

She pointed at me with a happy expression, as if to say, “Yay!” My great-granddaughter then imitated her.

“Grandpa, you’re stingy.”

“Oh, so you want some pocket money? Guess it can’t be helped. Here, I’ll give you some payment in kind.”

I took out from my pocket the candy I always kept with me and offered it to my great-grandchild. “No way,” she said, but took it anyway and popped all three into her mouth at once. She would have done the same thing even if I gave her ten, and I think we should do something about this habit of hers of rolling them around in her mouth all at once. She looked like a frog with its cheeks puffed out.

Yet, her adorable, almost alien-like, refined features remained unchanged. Just like Erio’s.

“By the way, have you learned to ride a bicycle yet?”

My great-granddaughter laughed, her lips twisting into a deep grin. Then she made a peace sign.

“I trained with Grandma Eri!”

“Heh?”

When did that happen? I glanced at Erio, and she, too, puffed out her chest proudly and said, “Hmm.”

“Knowing the secrets of the park is a basic skill for elementary school students. And also she is Grandma Eri*o*.”

“There wasn’t anyone close to me who was undergoing special training, though.”

“It was a secret. You are dense, so you didn’t notice.”

“Okay, okay, let’s go. Come on, get in.”

I straddled the bicycle saddle that Erio had polished. My hips made a satisfying snapping sound. My back was stiff from lack of exercise, and my whole body felt cramped. I still used the bicycle as transportation, but it was gradually becoming a struggle. I wonder how old Meme-san was when she stopped riding her bike. As I wiped the sweat from my nose, I felt the impact of someone sitting on the luggage rack. Then a slender hand wrapped around my waist. It was Erio’s arm. Even without turning around, even though it was thin, even through her clothes, I could recognise her immediately just by touch. It’s like how I could close my eyes and remember the placement of things in my own home and move around freely. Erio and I had a well-established relationship.

“Where am I going to ride?”

My great-grandchild, still wrapped in a blanket, ran around the bicycle.

“Haven’t you learnt to ride a bike? Where’s your own bike?”

“I’d rather be with my great-grandparents.”

The way she puffed out her cheeks, combined with the length of her hair, reminded me of Meme-san. “Oh yeah,” I thought, glancing left and right across the road to see if she wasn’t hiding there. To my surprise, I found no sign of her.

“She’s not here.”

Erio said, as if he could see right through my thoughts.

“…That’s unusual.”

Without turning around, we both laughed and rocked the bicycle. Our great-grandchild stretched on tiptoe and looked up at us, saying “Nuu”. She was giving us a piercing “Don’t ignore me” look, so we reluctantly slapped the basket. Our great-grandchild’s face lit up, and she tried to jump on, so we stopped her. “Wait.”

“Make sure you take off your futon. Look, even your great-grandmother isn’t wearing a futon today.”

“W-what does ‘even’ mean?”

“Well, in that case, there’s nothing we can do.”

My persuasive words convinced my great-grandchild, and she rushed into the candy store with a somewhat convinced look on her face.

“Cousin, what do you mean by ‘even’?”

“Locking up the candy store is fine, I guess. The only thing I’d be really upset about losing is my life, ha ha.”

“Uhg, ugh.”

While I was trying to distract her, our great-grandchild, who had taken off her futon, returned. She jumped into the bicycle basket and settled in. Seeing that, Erio asked me a question unrelated to “even”.

“Cousin, where are we going?”

“Well, where are the aliens?”

“D-don’t ask me. I don’t know.”

“Oh, really?” I tried to play dumb. If their whereabouts were known, there would be no need to search for them in the first place. Besides, there were no aliens. I’ve lived in this town and encountered countless self-proclaimed aliens, but I was utterly disgusted by how much they acted like Earthlings. They were far more Earthling than I, a pure-blooded Earthling, had ever been. A lot of them were gluttonous.

“Okay, then, shall we go to the beach?”

Whenever I was unsure where to go, I always decided on the beach. I’ve been doing that for decades.

“The beach? I don’t have a swimsuit.”

My great-grandchild pouted.

“It’s too early in the season to swim. The sea is cold at this time of year.”

I’ve dived in before, so I was sure of it. Huh? Or was that in May?

“Then, in summer! In summer too, to the beach! I’ll swim!”

She spoke in an infantile manner, yet with great enthusiasm, trying to secure a promise.

“Tell your parents to take you there.”

“My great-grandparents must come too!”

“Ah… well, if we have some free time. Careful, it’s dangerous, so face forward.”

I turned my great-grandchild to face me and griped the steering wheel tightly. I needed to drive especially carefully today.

Erio hugged me tightly around the stomach. Then she rubbed her cheek against my back.

“Cousin.”

“Oh.”

“You must not pant when you see our great-grandchild’s swimsuit.”

“Shut up, you idiot.”

I started pedalling. Every time at this moment, I felt a definite force of gravity rushing up from the soles of my feet to my knees. It was heavy. I winced at the weight of the movement and the bitter taste of my clenched molars, and then…

Nevertheless, I will put all my heart and soul into moving forward in my own way as an inhabitant of Earth.

I was still striving for that miracle of hanging on just five more centimetres.

I was worried about whether I’d have enough energy to make it to the sea, but as the saying goes, “Old habits die hard.”

To ensure that those words and my life up to that point weren’t a lie, I pressed down hard on the pedals.



“I’m not lying. Your great-grandparents once flew through the air on a bicycle.”

“Wow! How far did you fly?”

“For about two seconds.”

“Wow, it’s the sea!”

Apparently, our great-grandchild didn’t like our heroic tale. She pretended she didn’t hear it.

I went through all the trouble of reminiscing about my wild days, even though I was out of breath. I still dreamed about those days occasionally.

“When I smell the sea, the inside of my nose gets itchy.”

“Cousin, is your scent fetish finally showing its true colours?”

“You’re going to be dragging around that joke until the day you die, aren’t you?”

She was tormenting me as if she were carrying on Meme-san’s will. With a feeling of nostalgia, deep emotion, and bitterness filling my mouth, I stopped my bicycle just before the beach. The brakes screamed, bringing the wheels to a halt. Looking up, blinded by the light, I saw that the road we used as a runway was still there.

“The seaaa.”

“The seaaaaaaaaaaa.”

My great-grandchild and Erio were experiencing a mysterious resonance. Together, they began to praise the green sea, swaying gently. I gazed at the sea, considering whether I should join in with something like “Seaaaaaaaa” in a round-like manner.

The sea here has become so polluted. It used to be much clearer and more exciting.

Even if we jumped over the guardrail into this sea, I would never be able to find Erio on the surface of the water. The sea, too, has grown old. Eternity didn’t exist, not even in nature.

However, the scent of the sea remained unchanged, no matter how many years passed. As if the air itself alone had transcended time.

After finishing singing the mysterious song, my great-grandchild jumped out of the bicycle basket and ran out onto the beach, shouting, “Wow!”

“Hey, it’s dangerous to go alone. Stop, stop! Come back!”

I warned her, not expecting to be obeyed. My prediction was spot on; my great-grandchild was running around on the beach like a puppy. Can’t help it; I got off my bike and hurried after her.

First, Erio, who was riding on the back, dismounted. Using my shoulder for support, she carefully lowered her feet to the ground and exhaled to settle her upper body. Due to a period of illness that kept her bedridden, Erio’s body had become weaker. I was not exactly strong myself, though, so I wasn’t in a position to call someone else weak.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been to the sea.”

Erio smiled, squinting her eyes and looking up at the blue sky as if searching for a UFO. She took in the sunlight directly in front of her, and her hair and skin seemed to regain their former lustre and radiance as they became moisturised. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of that illusion.

But in reality, Erio was Erio. An old woman, with withered hair that let nothing escape her lips.

I felt like if she really wanted to, she could even defy the passage of time. Perhaps she chose not to fight against her own ageing, instead matching my own steady decline. If so, I’m sorry.

“Shall we look for aliens?”

“Let’s play with our great-granddaughter first.”

After locking my bicycle, I pointed to the girl on the beach who looked like she was setting off a firework. Erio’s eyes drooped.

“I might not have that much energy left.”

“Well, if we’re completely exhausted, we’ll postpone our search for aliens.”

“What did we come here for, then?” chuckled Erio. However, she didn’t seem to disagree with my opinion.

We walked side by side, our feet crunching on the sand. A light, crisp sound enveloped the soles of our feet. With each step, with each foot I put forward, I was reminded of the moments I walked on this beach with Erio. How many times have we faced the sea together like this?

“Grandpa, Grandma Eri, hurry up and come!”

She urged me on, twisting her body in a strange wriggling motion. “Okay, okay,” I said, placing my hand on Erio’s waist for support, and we both quickened our pace slightly. Erio looked up at me with a wry smile, and I couldn’t help but let a smile spread across my face. So I pretended not to notice her gaze and looked out at the sea.

I couldn’t find a single alien I didn’t know of, nor any aliens I had encountered before.

“Alright, you’ve finally arrived. Good, good.”

My great-granddaughter, arms crossed and chest puffed out, had an incredibly arrogant expression. Her long hair was tossed about by the sea breeze, spreading out to the sides. The wind picked up particles hidden deep within her hair, sending them flying like confetti. Light blue particles.

I watched them with a sense of reverence and transience, a feeling mixed with a tightening sensation in my insides. The sea breeze gouged the side of my eye, and a deep, dull pain covered the side of my temple. But I was parched, and no tears came.

“Hey, Great-Grandpa, there are no aliens.”

My great-grandchild was stomping her feet and pleading with me. Hmm, I looked around in all directions, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. It was refreshingly quiet, with only three figures standing on the beach. The wind still carried a chill, making me shiver slightly.

“Shall we play until the aliens appear?”

Erio suggested, scooping up our great-grandchild’s flowing hair with her fingers. Our great-grandchild jumped up and down, exclaiming, “Whoa!” Was that good or bad? Which is it? I just didn’t get young people these days.

“What should we play?”

She asked this with a smiling face, so she apparently agreed. I exchanged glances with Erio. What should we do for fun at the beach? I remember worrying about that before. After several decades of life, I had to come up with an answer. Rather, if I couldn’t come up with one, what had I been doing with my life? I nodded to Erio. Erio also nodded, “Hum”, silently accepting my instruction.

It appeared we were both prepared for the possibility that we wouldn’t be able to stand up tomorrow or the day after. That’s fine then.

I rummaged through the bag I was carrying on my shoulder and pulled out three short, soft vinyl swords. Needless to say, they were weapons for sports ''chanbara''. I used them whenever I went to the beach with my son in my younger days, but with some maintenance, they were still perfectly usable. I handed one sword each to my great-granddaughter and Erio.

“Oh, so that’s what I’m going to play with my great-grandparents?”

Our great-granddaughter’s eyes lit up as she swung the dagger around excitedly. Erio nodded, “Hum”, and aimed her sword at her great-granddaughter. Great-grandma was full of enthusiasm. It was as if she could see Ryuushi-san on the other side of her blade. That summer beach trip back then was fun. I could even still remember the feeling of the hangover.

[[File:DTS Vol 07 109.jpg|thumb|“And now, the new generation steps in! Ta-daa!”]]

That’s why, whenever I was at the beach, I only did sport ''chanbara''. It’s not like I was too lazy to think of anything else.

“Fu fu fu, Cousin, let’s settle it.”

Declared Erio defiantly. Settle it? Have I ever actually fought you? I swallowed the question and stomped my feet hard on the sand. My breathing, which had been ragged from cycling this far, slowly calmed down, converging like the tip of the chanbara sword. The sound of the waves faded into the distance.

“I’ll beat you up on behalf of Ryuushi-san.”

When I dared to mention that name, Erio’s lips twisted into a sly grin. She’s really become more expressive.

Perhaps, by abandoning her alien identity, she has become a complete Earthling.

“And now, the new generation steps in! Ta-daa!”

My great-grandchild attacked with a sword, accompanied by a mysterious sound effect. Towards me. Her great-grandmother also attacked at the same time. Huh?

My great-granddaughter was short, so she was at a disadvantage against us. I was worried that she might get upset if I hit her too hard, so I had to go easy on her. But those fears were unfounded. We were practically powerless against our great-granddaughter’s energy. For every time I swung my sword, she’d hit me five times. We couldn’t keep up with her incredible speed, as if she were constantly doing side-to-side jumps.

Erio, who was accompanying her, widened her eyes and said, “Ah, ah,” her sword was unstable, swaying from side to side.

“Buiiin, jakiiin, clack-clack-clack-clack!”

With her hair flying and particles flying around, accompanied by sound effects, it really looked like she was wielding a Force-like sword. Erio and I were quickly out of breath, but our smiles never faded.

No matter how much pain my lungs were in, my cheek muscles tried to smile regardless. For instance… There were people suffering on the other side of the ocean, and many people were still suffering and dying. But we were so happy right now that we couldn’t bring ourselves to let it go. We had no intention of going to the other side of the ocean.

Amidst the widespread misfortune in the world, a smile that resembles pure happiness. Genuine, unadulterated feelings.

As I raised my arm, drawing all those feelings from within, I questioned the unchanging scent of the sea.

I wonder if that sports ''chanbara ''old guy met an alien in this ocean.



“It’s lunchtiiiiime!”

“Ru ru ruuu.”

“No, Great-Grandma, this isn’t time for ‘rururu’, help with the preparations.”

Unfortunately, the beach huts weren’t open because it was out of season. So, it was time for our ''bento''. We spread out the rice balls that Erio and I had prepared that morning on the breakwater, which was half-buried in the sand. Picking up the oddly shaped rice balls wrapped in plastic wrap, I was reminded of the day when Maekawa-san brought some for us during a casual baseball game. Maekawa-san’s rice balls were much nicer shaped, I thought, smiling at my defeat.

With my great-grandchild sitting between me and Erio, it made me think that we looked like parent and child.

I moved my arms, which were more than just exhausted, and prepared a water bottle. It contained barley tea. I poured it into a cup and offered it to my great-grandchild. My great-grandchild took it and swallowed it down in one gulp. And then let out a sigh of relief.

“I want barley tea too.”

“Yes, yes.”

I poured barley tea into the cup my great-grandchild handed me, even though Erio kept urging me on. Erio also swallowed it down with a gulp and wiped her mouth. She seemed to have caught her breath, and the tension in her shoulders slowly subsided.

“What flavours are there?”

My great-grandchild asked, peering into the rice balls. I compared the rice balls and handed one to my great-grandchild.

“This is your favorite. ''Furikake''<ref name="ftn23">''Furikake ''is a dry condiment that is sprinkled on food. The mixtures vary a lot but they typically contain salt, sugar, seaweed, sesame seeds, dried egg, dried fish, etc.</ref> flavour.”

“Wow. Great-granddad, you’re high-tech!”

My great-granddaughter clapped her hands and took it. She quickly tore off the plastic wrap and took a bite without so much as a courtesy<ref name="ftn24">In Japan, you’re supposed to say a courtesy formula (''itadakimasu'') before starting eating, especially in a group. Not doing so is bad manners.</ref>. Erio, who had been watching from the side, made a loose fist and lightly tapped her great-granddaughter on the head.

“Make sure to say ''itadakimasu''.”

“Oh, I forgot. ''Itadakimasu''.”

She put her palms together while still holding the rice ball. Erio was as much of a nagger as ever, sticking to the rules taught by her Meme-san. I also put my hands together and said, “''Itadakimasu''”, before she would get angry at me.

I grabbed a rice ball at random and munched on it while facing the sea. The sound of the waves rolling in and out reached me without any noise. Was the sea this quiet in the primordial days, before life teemed on Earth? The more I pondered about ancient times, the fewer moving shadows I could see besides the waves. The movement of the clouds floating in the sky was so slow that one wouldn’t notice it unless they watched them for a long time, just like Erio and me right now.

“Are the rice balls good?”

Erio asked her great-grandchild. Her great-grandchild had already finished the first one and nodded enthusiastically. “Mmmm!”

Then, she looked up at my face and Erio’s face alternately, her cheeks curving into a grin.

“Aliens, hi.”

“Hi.”

Erio started imitating her. Her habit of mimicking people’s gestures and words seemed to be alive and well. I was tempted to be drawn in too.

“Maybe aliens don’t exist after all.”

I grumbled, wiping the grains of rice off my mouth with my fingers. Erio nodded, “Hum”, and then…

“I think that’s fine. Cousin and this child are on Earth, after all.”

The former futon-spinning ''Denpa Onna'' was now easily denying the existence of aliens.

And she was doing it with a positive attitude. While it was refreshing, as someone who remembered her earlier days of eccentricity, I couldn’t help but think, “Hold on a minute.”

“Well, you know, people say I look like an alien.”

In response to her great-granddaughter’s remark, Erio pouted and spat out something. Then she rolled up his sleeve with a grunt and bent her withered arm, which looked like it would make a satisfying crackling sound if stepped on.

Rather than showing strength, it evoked a sense of ageing that made me feel uneasy. It looks as if she were about to be broken by the waves.

“Do you ever get into fights with kids who say things like that?”

“Not really. They compliment me. They ‘I’m jealous’ and ‘You’re so cool.’ Hehehe,” said our great-granddaughter, shaking her hair. Erio also shook her head, saying “sapapapa” for some reason.

“If a fight breaks out, Grandma Elio and Cousin will come to help.”

“Huh, me too?”

“Hmm,” “Hmmmm,” the great-grandchild imitated her great-grandmother. But could she count on a wrinkled duo as helpers?

Just playing chanbara with my great-grandchild left my whole body aching, and I was dreading the bike ride home. I glanced at the bike I’ve parked just before the beach, with the vision of a bleak future ahead.

I’ve lost count of how many bicycles I’ve owned, and this one was a far cry from the colours E.T. usually favoured. That bicycle will never fly, and it served that purpose admirably. We, too, could no longer fly.

That’s why my partner even said that we didn’t need aliens.

“…Yeah, I guess so.”

Just as we were unaware of the misfortunes beyond the ocean, we could not find aliens. The dreams and hopes of the far reaches of the universe, encompassing miracles, prayers, and superpowers, were no longer necessary for us.

What was important was the time being. In a world that stretched out as far as the eye could see, my great-grandchild and Erio were there.

Having a son and grandchildren and having contributed to the future of the Earth.

To this coastal scenery, where a youthful man’s youth came to an end.

The happiness that Erio and I sought kept coming and going.



“Hey, hey, the wind is strong. So hide behind your great-granddad, he he he.”

“Ah, Mako-kun-kun has been defeated (already no longer paying attention to Cousin beside her).”

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