A travel story written by Hokkaido-born poet/novelist Chie Kato: Part 2 "Reasons for Becoming an Adult"

Related link: Part 1 of a tour of Asahikawa, Hokkaido: "Winter in Winter"

The plane rose, and the lights of Hokkaido that I had been looking at just a moment ago faded away. Even after there was almost nothing left to see in the night sky, I continued to look out the window for a while. My face reflected in the window still had plenty of excitement from the trip in it, even if I did say so myself.

A little while later, while I was reading an essay in the in-flight magazine, the drink service was brought. The girl next to me, without even taking or looking at the menu that was handed to her, asked for consommé soup, please. Although I was attracted to the consommé soup, I had had it on the flight there, so I decided to choose a different drink, kiwi juice.

The kiwi juice in the paper cup I was given was chilled and delicious. It had a sweet and sour taste. As I drank it, I realized I was thirsty.

"I like consommé soup."

When I told my sister, she nodded as if it was obvious and said that it was delicious, as if that was also obvious. I nodded in agreement.

I flipped through the in-flight magazine again, and while I was reading a page that interested me, my sister closed her eyes. Her hands were folded on her lap. I thought she was still awake, but she looked like she was trying to sleep. In fact, she might actually be asleep. Last night, at the hotel in Asahikawa, she took a shower and fell asleep immediately. Although I wouldn't call it snoring, she was breathing loudly. I was a little disappointed because I had expected her to complain about her ex-boyfriend, which was the reason for this sisters' trip.

I put the in-flight magazine back in the seat pocket and closed my eyes. Sleepiness didn't come over me, so I recalled the memories of today's trip to Sapporo.

My sister had written down the itinerary for me on an A4 size sheet of paper, so my sightseeing went smoothly. It took about an hour and a half by express train from Asahikawa, where I had been sightseeing and stayed the previous day, to Sapporo, and about 30 minutes by express train from Sapporo Station to New Chitose Airport. I was reminded of just how big Hokkaido is, but even those moments were fun. I felt the sense of being on a trip growing stronger.

The Red Brick Government Building, the TV Tower, the Clock Tower. We visited the famous tourist spots in Sapporo that you would see in a guidebook. We were saying to each other that it was cold, but I also felt that the cold was different from that in Tokyo. Of course, the temperature is lower in Hokkaido, but the cold wind and the piercing cold feel even stronger in Tokyo. When I said that, my sister strongly agreed, saying that she thought the same thing.

For lunch, we went to Soup Curry GARAKU and were saying how delicious the mellow soup curry was, with lots of ingredients and the flavor of each ingredient coming out in its own unique flavour, when suddenly my older sister said something.

"I couldn't come. I feel like I deserved it."

There was no subject, but of course I knew immediately who she was referring to: her sister's boyfriend, who she had just broken up with.

I wasn't sure how to respond. Last night, we had exchanged childish, insulting words about the man who was apparently cheating on her, calling him a monster and such, but my sister's words sounded somewhat lonely, so I didn't know whether I should join in with the same tone as last night.

I took a piece of pork shabu-shabu from my plate and handed it to my sister, who placed the soup curry in front of her. The pork shabu-shabu was only on the menu I ordered, not on the menu my sister ordered.

"Is this some kind of comfort?"

My sister laughed, took the pork shabu-shabu I had just put in with a spoon and took a bite. She said it was delicious, but laughed again and said, "I wonder what it's like to be comforted by a pork." I replied, "It's not like I'm comforting you or anything," and only thought to myself that I felt sorry for you because you looked lonely.

"awake?"

The girl sitting next to me started talking to me, and I opened my eyes and said "yes" at the same time. My consciousness shifted back to the plane.

"Hey, I forgot to buy souvenirs for Mom and Dad."

"Oh, really."

"We were such bad children, even though we were all staggering around at the airport."

"What should I do? Should I just keep it a secret?"

"Indeed, if I suddenly said that we were traveling together as sisters, I'd be asked in detail about what happened, and it would be a pain to tell them about the youkai Yonmata."

"You're a terrible sister."

"You're a terrible sister."

We said to each other and laughed softly. In the end, we came to Hokkaido without telling our parents about the trip. As a token of my gratitude, I decided to go back to my parents' house for a long time during my university spring break.

"You're an adult, so you're free."

My sister said. I remembered what she said at Rokkatei today.

The Rokkatei coffee shop has six different desserts that are only available at this store, and as I was looking at the menu and wondering which one to get, unable to decide, my sister suddenly said something as if she had suddenly realized something.

"Okay, let's order everything and share."

"All of them?"

When I cried out in surprise, loud enough for the surrounding customers to hear, Onee-chan spoke to me, for some reason in a low voice, as if she was telling me a secret.

"You know, people become adults so they can order as much of their favorite food as they want, when they want it."

When I asked her what it was, she laughed and said she didn't know either, but the six desserts we ordered went ahead and we actually shared them all. If what she said was true, I'm happy to be an adult and I want to be even more grown up.

Next month, I will start job hunting. I will become a member of society and come back to Hokkaido. As I stare into the darkness outside the window, I quietly make a decision.