Chapter 76. Summer Festival 2: The Yogi-Mogi-Sashi-Mo Dyed Shawl

Author Note:

Note: This is a setting detail many may have forgotten, but just in case—the protagonist tries to speak in a lower voice and dresses in a way that makes their gender hard to discern.

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I spread out the outfit in the bag Milia-san had given me.

It was a one-piece dress with wide sleeves and a soft, flowing skirt, embroidered with fine detail. A cord crisscrossed at the waist—it was very elegant.

“This was from my younger days. It’s the kind that tightens at the waist, and we’re about the same height, right?”

This was a full festival outfit Milia-san had kept from when she was young. She had embroidered it herself, apparently.

“I can’t wear it anymore,”

She said, gazing at it fondly.

“It’s a festival, and at the night festival, there’s an unspoken rule not to question who anyone really is. So I figured… it might be perfect for you.”

Um, so… judging from the flow of conversation, this is clearly being offered for me to wear.

Which means… she knows I’m a girl.

Even though I’ve been lowering my voice and wearing loose clothes that don’t reveal my figure.

“…Since when? I mean—sorry for deceiving you…”

For now, let’s apologize.

And then—she laughed.

“You didn’t deceive me. Not saying something doesn’t mean you’re lying. I understand. If I were alone in a foreign land, I’d probably do the same. But hey—it’s just a festival, right?”

Then she added with amusement,

“Oh, but I don’t think he’s noticed at all.”

Yeah, I get the feeling that Dawn is like that. And Milia-san doesn’t seem to dislike that about him. If anything, I think she sees it as one of his good traits.

…Is it really okay for me to accept this?

To go to the festival in this outfit?

To use this as an excuse—a chance—for someone like me who lacks courage…

“Thank you, Milia-san. I’ll borrow it.”

As I bowed my head, Milia-san smiled brightly, like a sunflower in full bloom.

Anyway, I figured I should properly tell Grandpa Jill.

So I went to visit his home.

He was telling me about the festival.

And I got to hear the dramatic story of how grandpa jill met Grandma at the summer festival.

I think the story of how he dashingly swooped in to save a beautiful young woman from some thugs… might be… a bit exaggerated.

When I tried to find the right timing to tell him, I just couldn’t quite do it.

So I thought, “Maybe next time…”

Then, Jill-san started rummaging through the shelves.

“Ah, here, take this,”

He said, handing me a mask. It was a finely crafted mask that covered the upper half of your face.

“I made this one myself. Now, about the costume… My wife’s old one is probably too outdated…”

Apparently, some outfits had been stored away with no one to pass them down to, since he only had sons.

“Um… Grandpa Jil?”

This conversation flow feels oddly familiar…

“I can see better now,”

He said, pointing to the reading glasses perched on his head with a grin.

Well, yeah… I guess ever since I came here, aside from Mimi and the others, I probably spent the most time around him. So maybe he didn’t notice when his eyesight was worse, but now…?

Actually, I think he probably knew from the beginning—even without the glasses.

It seems just like Milia-san, Grandpa Jil knew—but said nothing, and simply accepted me.

That realization filled me with a strong sense of… not defeat exactly, but something like ‘I can’t win against people like this’.

While I was at it, I decided to tell Grandpa Jil everything. That I’m from another world, and about Mimi and Kirara too.

Because honestly, at this point—even if, by some miracle, Grandpa Jil turned out to be deceiving me or betrayed me—I think I’d still be okay with it. That’s how much I trust him. And if something like that did happen, I’m sure there’d be a good reason. I’d accept it.

“Oh, is that so?”

After hearing this, Grandpa Jill closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and summed it up with one word. Just like that—he accepted it. What a generous soul.

Since I had the chance, I asked to see the old outfits. They were clearly old, but also well cared for. The hems and sides were slightly yellowed, but it was a beautiful garment.

Whoever had worn this must have been someone lovely. Grandpa Jil looked at the clothes with such a gentle expression.

　

My eyes were drawn to a soft piece of cloth that was stored with the clothes. It had a warm yellow hue, faintly tinged with olive green. I thought—it’s a color I really liked.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, that used to be a nicer yellow. It’s faded a bit now. It’s a yogimogi sashimi-dyed shawl.”

This is faded? It’s such a beautiful color. Wait—*Yogi-Mogi-Sashi-Mo*?! So it can be used for dyeing too? It reminds me of the ingredients I used to apply to Grandpa Jill’s moxibustion.

It feels like there’s some kind of connection here.

“Grandpa Jil, can I borrow this?”

“This old thing?”

“Yeah, I really like it.”

I told him that I already had something else to wear.

Grandpa Jill looked slightly pleased and said,

“I see.”

Yeah…

Little by little, I’m finding people I can rely on.

“That shawl was dyed by an alchemist. Bit of a jerk, but quite skilled.”

Oho, interesting. Was there something going on between him and Grandma, perhaps?

The story sounded interesting so I asked him a bit more.

Yeah—it really was interesting. But now I want to hear Grandma’s and that alchemist’s side of the story too. I bet their versions would be completely different.

I have made some minor corrections to the description of the shawl’s color.

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