Hanasaku Iroha – The Place That Blooms Someday Act 0

Act 0: The Exchange of Letters between Ohana and Sui

TLed by: TanoshiKara

Note: It is recommended that you first watch "Hanasaku Iroha: Blossoms for Tomorrow" before reading.

It has been a long time, Madam Manager! Have you been well?

Believe it or not, I have great news for Madam Manager today!! I have qualified for the hotel course at the technical school I picked as my first choice!

The essay's theme for the entrance exam was 'Self-presentation'. I recalled my time at Kissuisou as I wrote it, and it seems like they found that it was great. They complimented me during the interview!

I had actually thought about picking a school that was as close to Kissuisou as possible, but I am now thinking of learning in-depth about hospitality and the service industry to aid in Kissuisou's revival.

Ah, I will be commuting from my home, so my address will not change. It will be alright to send your reply to the usual address!

Also, Mum told me to thank you, so I shall take this opportunity to do so. Thank you very much for the offering on the seventeenth anniversary of his death.

Dad's peers and his friends, whom he knew through work, got together, and it was a very lively gathering.

He seems to have got along especially well with Iwasaki-san and Seya-san, so I asked them, and Mum, many things about Dad. Even though they were now a famous photographer and illustrator respectively, they sang praises about Dad's photos, and Mum looked ecstatic.

Even though Mum does not usually talk much about Dad, she shared a little on that day, and I heard that she met him through photography. However, Mum did not elaborate beyond that......

That's right, Iwasaki-san and Seya-san did talk about "calling Ayato down from the other side and holding a reunion". This reunion seems to be a retrospective exhibition of Dad's photos.

Also, I heard from Dad's elder brother, Uncle Hiroshi, that Dad visited Yunosagi many times.

There were many photos of Yunosagi among the photos that Uncle Hiroshi stored away. I think that it would be nice if many photos of Kissuisou were displayed, should the retrospective exhibition be held.

I will send Madam Manager an invitation should it be held. I would be happy if Madam Manager comes.

February 2013 Ohana Matsumae

* * *

Ohana Matsumae-sama,

*First half omitted*

Congratulations on qualifying for the hotel course at the technical school you have picked as your first choice.

Seeing as you have wrote about Kissuisou for your essay during the entrance exams, I am delighted that those days have been beneficial to you. That said, qualifying is not the goal, so do not take your foot off the gas and study hard.

By the way, I should have taught you a little about the ways of writing a letter. 

Please be very careful when writing a letter to a stranger in the future. I have no intention of saying that you should start off letters between family members with something as formal as seasonal greetings, but there is a convenient tool known as the Internet these days, so you should look it up.

Well then, traces of winter still remain, and the bellowing winds echo as they blow snow down the mountains.

Kissuisou and I remain unchanged. Rather, right now, you, Ohana, should prioritize what you should be doing and cherish each day as you toil away.

Yours sincerely,

February 2013 Sui Shijima

P.S. Although this is a letter addressed to a family member, I am no longer the madam manager, so I would like you to consider how you address me.

* * *

Sui Shijima-sama,

Hello.

Have you been well? It's Ohana.

Thank you very much for replying.

I apologize for the letter the other day. What Madam Manager had pointed out is most reasonable. You were extremely adept in your use of words as well, and it was educational. (However, I do think that I can be a little more candid as it is a letter addressed to a family member.)

Ah, of course, I am still learning the ways of writing a letter in the event that I have to send one to a stranger. Thank you very much for getting me started. Please correct me should you see any wording that should not be used when writing to others!

Also, to me, Madam Manager is Madam Manager, so please allow me to address you this way.

Well then, I have something to report to Madam Manager today! The retrospective exhibition with Dad's photos will finally be held!

I was able to see the many photos kept at Uncle Hiroshi's atelier today! I worked together with Mum, Uncle Hiroshi, Iwasaki-san, and Seya-san, who were the two people who planned the retrospective exhibition, to select photos for the retrospective exhibition, and there were a ton of them!

There were many photos of Yunosagi, and Mum as well, when she was young...... It was the first time I saw Mum sparkling the way she did, so it was an eye-opening experience! It was like that was the moment when Mum and Dad met, and it was very romantic.

According to Mum, those photos were the ones he took of Mum jumping into the pool when she was in high school, and he seemed to have developed them just to show them to Mum.

To borrow Iwasaki-san's words----

"Paying no mind to the tears dripping out of her eyes, she stretches out her hands in front of her."

"The exact moment, when she - surrounded by splashes of water, and balls of light, reflected on the water surface - looked like she would yell at the sky."

"Her figure, giving off a sense of tranquility as it floats somberly on the dark water surface."

Or so were the three back-to-back photos he took of her diving into the pool.

It seems like Iwasaki-san was impressed, saying that it was an amazing feat, and that those photos were able to prove that Dad's skills as a photographer were the real thing.

Mum also said that those photos were "how that person viewed me," and she shared a little about what happened that time.

"You won't know what your sparkle is like on your own......There's no such thing as not sparkling if you don't achieve your goal. That's why you should fret over it a ton and get into conflicts. Even such a process is this beautiful, or so he said......"

It seems like those were the words Dad told Mum as he gave her those photos. It felt so much like a drama, and my excitement did not die down the entire time!

And so, Mum was embarrassed, but she agreed to display those photos during the exhibition.

I think that the photos of Mum, Yunosagi, and Kissuisou would be the focus of the retrospective exhibition.

I shall notify you once the details about the schedule are out.

October 2013 Ohana Matsumae

* * *

Ohana Matsumae-sama,

*First half omitted* With the color of the plum trees growing ever more vibrant by the day, the signs of fall have become quite apparent.

Thank you for inviting me to the retrospective exhibition.

With regards to working around my schedule, I am currently under the care of Fukuya, so I will not be able to attend at my own discretion.

I do not quite understand the difference between a good and a bad photo, but I feel it is good that there are many materials left behind, allowing you, Ohana, to learn about the days when your father was still alive.

Artists are known to be blessed. Those photos, and his many friends, would surely speak of your father better than I ever could.

Although I will be of little help, I will be praying for the success of the retrospective exhibition.

Yours sincerely,

November 2013 Sui Shijima

P.S. Along with the ways of writing a letter, be sure to learn about the usage of honorific language as well. It is alright because you are writing to me, but it is currently not something you can use when writing to others. Additionally, you should aim to write a candid letter that suits you best.

* * *

Sui Shijima-sama,

*First half omitted*

Are you well? It's Ohana.

About Dad's retrospective exhibition, the schedule is not set in stone yet, so I would very much like for you, Madam Manager, to attend should your schedule allow it.

Also, well-written letters and postcards have their charm, but will you not consider buying a smartphone so we can contact each other more frequently?

There are many convenient messaging services these days, and it seems like many people use them for work. Are waitresses at Fukuya not using them for work?

Well then, I will write to you again.

December 2013 Ohana Matsumae

* * *

Ohana Matsumae-sama,

*First half omitted*

The mountains, blanketed in snow, have me feeling that the winter intensifies with each coming day.

I think even Tokyo has likely gotten extremely cold in the morning and at night. Please be sure to take care of yourself.

Well then, you have suggested that I get a smartphone, but letters and postcards suit me better than having to spend ten or even twenty minutes selecting something that looks like a face.

Writing each letter, sincerely, line by line; The leeway to exchange letters is something that this era needs.

Doing this provides you with the opportunity to learn, after all.

Yours sincerely,

December 2013 Sui Shijima

* * *

Sui Shijima-sama,

*First half omitted*

Have you been well? It's Ohana.

I have been busy with my hotel internship. I will also be graduating from the technical school this spring!

Regarding job hunting, I did ponder over whether I should return to Yunosagi, but I think I will build up more experience in Tokyo for a little longer in hopes of honing my waiting skills to rival Madam Manager's.

However, please be sure to contact me when Kissuisou is back in business!

Additionally, I have another important matter to inform you about.

The aforementioned retrospective exhibition of Dad will finally be held.

It has been around two years since I went to Uncle Hiroshi's atelier to select the photos, and there were no updates whatsoever until this year rolled around, so I was worried, but it seems to have successfully reached a point where it will be held.

I have received the information brochure, so I shall enclose it along with this letter.

It will be held at the 'Ginza Art Space' in Ginza.

You have mentioned that you are busy with your job at Fukuya, but I would be delighted if you were able to attend.

The family photos with Mum, Dad, and me will also be displayed. Has Madam Manager seen these photos before?

Should you attend, I think that it would be nice if Mum, you, and I tour the photo exhibition together.

I will be waiting.

January 2015 Ohana Matsumae

* * *

Ohana Matsumae-sama,

*First half omitted*

Congratulations on the confirmation of the retrospective exhibition. I have read the information brochure enclosed with the letter.

As the next day happens to be the day when a large group of guests will arrive, I will, unfortunately, be unable to attend.

I did consider attending and returning on the same day, but it seems, perhaps due to my age, that it would be difficult, in recent times, for me to spend hours, jolting on a train, to go to Tokyo. (I have a feeling that, if I word it this way, you would reply with, "It won't jolt if you ride the bullet train," but that is merely sophistry.)

I did have the desire to catch a glimpse of your face and the retrospective exhibition, but I guess there is no winning against one's age.

It is not to say that this will suffice in exchange, but please let me know your thoughts on the retrospective exhibition

Yours sincerely,

February 2015 Sui Shijima

P.S. In conjunction with the confirmation of the retrospective exhibition, I have put up a photo that I received from your father in my room. Looking at a photo of myself from twenty years ago seems to have brought back intriguing memories. (I guess it might be because I have never looked back at my life, as I thought an opportunity like this would never come)

--------

Thank you for reading, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!