Chapter 7 – Summer (Part 7)
Summer, Part 7
Novel Title: ツァイガルニクの恋の沼 (Zeigarnik’s Love Swamp)
Author：月村奎著 (Tsukimura Kei)
Illustrator：志水ゆき (Shimizu Yuki)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 市川春音 (Ichikawa Harune -MC) & 二ノ宮航輝 (Ninomiya Kouki -ML)
*Please read at universalnovel.com, the original site of translation. TQ*
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“Sure. Next time, let’s do it together. You’re great at kneading dough, after all.”
“Can we make bunny-shaped bread again?”
“Sounds fun, let’s do it.”
Harune watched their exchange as he chewed on the plump shiratama. Mafuyu’s wide-set eyes and love for knitting reminded him of himself, while her full lips and interest in cooking were just like Kouki’s.
Even though Harune and Kouki weren’t related by blood, it felt strange to realise they were connected through Mafuyu.
Is this what it feels like to be married and have kids? Kouki would be the dad, and I’d be the mom? Harune absentmindedly imagined this scenario and, startled by his own thoughts, ended up accidentally swallowing a whole shiratama.
“…!”
As he choked and coughed, his eyes wide, Kouki leaned in and asked, “What happened?”
“I… swallowed a shiratama whole.”
“Be careful.”
Kouki laughed as he brought over a glass of water.
“Thanks.”
No, if you think about it, Kouki is way more nurturing, so he’d definitely be the mom. Wait, what am I even thinking? In this genderless era, assigning roles like ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ is nonsense… but that’s not even the point here.
“By the way, you’ve been hanging around here for a while. Is your work okay?”
Trying to calm himself down, he changes the subject.
“It’s fine. I’m free anyway.”
“Don’t say ‘anyway’.”
Besides, he knows full well that Kouki isn’t free at all. According to what Natsuno said, Kouki’s chair is so popular that it’s booked up for the next two years.
If Kouki focused solely on his craft, he could probably handle even more orders, but instead, he helps with deliveries for the family business and spends a lot of time hanging around Harune’s shop, working at his own pace.
“Hey, Haru-nii, let’s do a quiz.”
Mafuyu, who had just finished slurping up the syrup from his shaved ice, came over to Harune’s lap, smiling brightly as he presented the question.
“What’s a shrimp’s blood type?”
Harune couldn’t help but smile back at the innocent question from the kindergartener.
“I got it! Since it’s a shrimp, is it AB?”
Mafuyu flashed a cynical, mature smile.
“Nope! Since shrimp aren’t humans, we don’t know their blood type!”
“Wait, that’s the answer?”
“That’s right, Harune. There’s no way a shrimp could have an AB blood type.”
As Kouki teasingly joined Mafuyu’s playful banter, Harune suddenly felt a shadow of the past flicker through his mind. And with it, old feelings of love rushed to the surface, making his face flush with heat.
The shop’s doorbell jingled softly, its peaceful sound rescuing Harune from the moment, and he quickly headed toward the storefront.
“Welcome…- Oh, it’s just you, Nacchan.”
His older sister, Natsuno, entered the shop carrying her son, Akira. Today was Akira’s vaccination day, so she had left Mafuyu at Harune’s shop while she took care of it.
“What do you mean ‘just’? Are you disappointed it’s me?”
“No, it’s just that I was hoping for a customer.”
“Hoping for? Does that mean business isn’t doing well? I told you over and over that you shouldn’t have quit your company job.”
He regretted saying too much, knowing what was coming next—her usual lecture.
“I’m managing just fine. There’s no staff, so as long as I’m not in the red, it’s all good.”
“But that kind of zero-margin business won’t last forever. What are you going to do in the future? You’re going to get married or have kids eventually, right? Can you support a family?”
―――Actually, since there’s a zero percent chance of getting married or having kids, I’ll be fine.
But if he came out and said that, it would only cause another commotion, so he deflected with a smile.
“Hey now, saying that will just make Haru-chan feel bad.”
The one who came to his rescue was Naoki, peeking his head through the open door.
“Oh, Naoki-san.”
Harune used to call his older childhood friend ‘Nao-chan’ when they were kids, but now that they were adults, calling him that felt a bit awkward.
“Hello, Haru-chan. Thanks for looking after Mafuyu today.”
His kind and cool brother-in-law, who had always been that way since childhood, now exuded the dignity of a senior executive at Ninomiya Furniture Store. Even in the middle of summer, he wore his suit gracefully, with his neatly combed bangs showing a perfectly shaped forehead, without a drop of sweat.
“Naoki-san, are you sure you’re okay with work?”
“I just came back from a client meeting. I figured I’d stop by and pick up my wife and the little angel. Good job with the shop, huh?”
While holding the baby he had taken from Natsuno’s arms, Naoki looked around the shop.
“Still, since you came back, Haru-chan, this shop has gotten a lot more stylish.”
“Oh, so you’re saying it was tacky when I was running it?”
“No, no, I liked the old vibe that your predecessor had going. After all, it’s the place I shared so many memories with Natsuno as kids.”
Naoki frantically tried to explain himself, which made Natsuno burst into laughter.
“You don’t have to say it like you’re forcing it. I acknowledge Harune’s sense too. The sample displays at craft stores often end up looking a bit dull, but when it’s styled like a corner of a fashion floor like this, it really makes you want to try making something.”
That was something Harune had always thought about. While the unorganised displays common in craft stores had their own retro charm, he felt that they often emphasised the clunky, homemade aspect too much, which didn’t seem to attract new craft enthusiasts.
By creating displays like those in an apparel shop, he wanted to share the value and joy of handmade items with a broader audience.
“Thank you.”
He was happy with Natsuno’s compliment and responded with a smile, but she shot back a sharp glance.
“But with sales barely trickling in, is this really the time to be spending money on renovations?”
“No, I got those mannequins and glass cases for free, and Kouki made the showcases and tables, so it didn’t cost much at all.”
“You’re making a popular woodworking artist do that?”
“I didn’t make him do anything.”
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*Translator’s Note: Shrimp in Japanese is EBI so…AB, ya’ know? -K
Illustration 3:
Next update: 2026.06.13
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