Uketsukejo ni Kokuhaku Shitakute Guild ni Kayoitsumetara Eiyu ni Natteta

Chapter 37: Pendant

T/N: Wtf, author had a field day. This chapter (in Japanese) has 6398 words. For reference, last chapter was 3.7k

The next day.

“Please lend me your hand! …No, that’s not it. Please give me your hand! …This is also wrong.” (Jade)

I stood in front of the full-length mirror—practicing holding hands.

I’m going out with Garnet-san today. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a date, so I want to escort her cooly like a lover.

And, there’s something indispensable in order to become a cool escort—yes, holding hands.

If you hold hands and take them somewhere fun, you could already say that it’s a successful date.

But I’m nervous about holding hands.

And, the more nervous a person gets, the sweatier their hands become, and it becomes even harder to hold hands.

That’s why I’m practicing right now.

“It’s pretty cold today, let’s warm our hands! …Today is actually pretty hot. Can I hold your hand so we don’t get separated? …I’d just be treating her like a child.” (Jade)

“…What are you doing?” (Dorami)

After watering Momochi, Dorami returned to the bedroom.

She put the flower pot by the window and pondered.

“I’m practicing holding hands.” (Jade)

“That’s easy. You just have to squeeze.” (Dorami)

“I guess so, but the other party is Garnet-san. I have to mentally prepare myself first.” (Jade)

“Why do you need to prepare yourself if it’s Garnet?” (Dorami)

“Because I like her.” (Jade)

“Dorami also likes Jade but she doesn’t get nervous.” (Dorami)

“That kind of love is different from mine… Well, you’ll understand one day.” (Jade)

“Dorami doesn’t really understand… But, if it’s practice, Dorami can help you!” (Dorami)

With her small hand, she grabbed my hand tightly.

While holding my hand,

“Jade is good at holding hands!” (Dorami)

“Thank you. That gives me a bit of courage.” (Jade)

“Did Dorami help you?” (Dorami)

“Of course. I’ll buy you the sheet music as thanks.” (Jade)

“Yay! With this, Dorami can also master the ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’!” (Dorami)

T/N: I don’t know if they’re going to say this a lot but would leaving it as ‘Kirakiraboshi’ be better? Also, if I translate it literally it’s probably Twinkling Star or Shiny Star and not twinkle twinkle.

While jumping for joy, she approached Momochi and said, “Dorami will let you listen too!”

Now then.

“After you finish changing, let’s go pick up Garnet-san.” (Jade)

Dorami hurriedly took off her pajamas.

She folded them on the bed and then wore some nostalgic clothes.

“Weren’t those clothes tight?” (Jade)

“It’s just a bit small.” (Dorami)

“I forgot about it but I did ask you the other day, do you want another one of those clothes made?” (Jade)

“Is that alright?” (Dorami)

“Of course. Let’s have it measured before we go on the trip, it’ll be ready by the time we get home.” (Jade)

“Yay! Dorami’s looking forward to going home~!” (Dorami)

Of course, she’s also looking forward to traveling~, so she said and we left the house.

When I went next door and knocked on the door, Garnet-san came out.

She was in her uniform on our first date the last time, but this time she’s wearing plain clothes. Compared to that, this feels more like a date.

I’m nervous…

“I’m glad it’s sunny.” (Garnet)

“It’s the perfect day to go out!” (Dorami)

Hearing Dorami’s excited voice makes me feel a little better.

If it was just the two of us on a date, it would be a bit awkward. But, with Dorami here, we’d be able to act normally.

“…” (Garnet)

Garnet-san was staring at my neck.

W-what is it?

“Is there something on my neck?” (Jade)

“There’s nothing.” (Garnet)

“I see. …By the way, what is that?” (Jade)

Garnet-san was holding a basket.

A picnic basket, to be exact.

Garnet-san answered me who was filled with anticipation.

“I made lunch.” (Garnet)

Alright! Garnet-san’s homemade lunch!

“Thank you very much!” (Jade)

“It’s thanks for the peaches that you gave me yesterday. …Would it have been better to eat at a restaurant?” (Garnet)

“Garnet-san’s home cooking is better!”

I can’t wait until noon.

To be able to go on a date with Garnet-san and even have her homemade food. This is the best day off ever.

“Is there a place you want to go?” (Jade)

“I’ll leave it to you two.” (Garnet)

“Dorami wants to go to the music store!” (Dorami)

“I want to get sewing tools!” (Jade)

“Dorami also wants to go to the laundromat later!” (Dorami)

“There are so many things that you two want to do.” (Garnet)

“We were really looking forward to today!” (Jade)

Since we decided where to go, we headed to the main street first.

On the way, we stopped by the laundromat to drop off Dorami’s fancy clothes.

“There should be a music store around here…” (Jade)

“It’s over there.” (Garnet)

“Uooo! Dorami is going to get that sheet musiiiiiic!” (Dorami)

Dorami was the first to go inside.

I immediately chased after her and entered the store. There, Dorami was sitting on the floor.

“T-t-t-there’s a golden man-eating plant over there…!” (Dorami)

“That’s a tuba.” (Jade)

“A man-eating instrument…?” (Dorami)

“It doesn’t eat people. It makes a sound when you blow into it.” (Jade)

“B-but, if you get too close, you’ll be sucked into the hole…” (Dorami)

She must’ve confused it for the man-eating plant we saw in one of our quests.

Though the misunderstanding has been cleared, she still looks scared.

It’ll be sad if she just ends up being frightened at the music shop she wanted to go to so badly. I should entertain her somehow.”

“Ah, look over here, it’s a xylophone.” (Jade)

“A xylophone?” (Dorami)

T/N: Jade said 木琴 (Mokkin) in kanji but Dorami said もっきん (Mokkin) in hiragana, I don’t know if it means anything but my interpretation is that Jade knows the meaning while Dorami just repeated what he said.

“You hit it like this.” (Jade)

Garnet-san struck the tone plates and a pleasant ping resounded.

T/N: Jade talked, but Garnet was the one who did it. Weird, but the verbal tone was Jade’s so…

“Wow! There was a sound!” (Dorami)

“Dorami-chan, you should try playing it too.” (Garnet)

Dorami played the xylophone.

She seemed to cheer up as she began tapping the bars.

That’s good. I hope she enjoys being here.

As we got excited, the owner approached us.

“Jade-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m here to buy some sheet music for a flute.” (Jade)

“Dorami wants to play ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’!” (Dorami)

“I see. It’s over here.”

There were music sheets lined up on the shelf that we were guided to.

Dorami quickly flipped through each one and her eyes turned into dots.

“It’s full of weird marks…” (Dorami)

“Those are musical notes.” (Jade)

“How about this one?” (Garnet)

The sheet music recommended by Garnet-san had illustrations of fingers.

With that, she can play even without knowing the notes.

“Does this have ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’?” (Dorami)

“There are a lot of songs here, not just that.” (Garnet)

“It’d be nice if you can play all of them.” (Jade)

“Dorami will practice a lot! Jade, Dorami wants to buy this!” (Dorami)

I purchased the sheet music at Dorami’s insistence.

Probably because she enjoyed being in the music store, she proudly passed by the tuba and walked out.

We continued our outing by visiting the sewing shop, Garnet-san and I bought a matching knitting set.

The only thing left is… yarn.

“What color do you like, Garnet-san?” (Jade)

“I like blue and white.” (Garnet)

Blue and white huh…

In that case, let’s make the gloves white with a blue focal point.

Blue flowers, blue hearts, stuff like that.

When I got the blue and white yarn, Garnet-san took the same.

“I’ll make gloves your gloves with the same color.” (Garnet)

“We’ll be matching!” (Jade)

I can’t wait to wear the gloves that Garnet-san is going to knit for me!

I have to practice a lot and make gloves that can match Garnet-san’s beauty!

“…” (Dorami)

Dorami was glancing at me.

I know what you want, you don’t have to make that face.

“I’ll also knit some gloves for you, Dorami.” (Jade)

“R-really?” (Dorami)

“Of course. It’ll be cold if you don’t have gloves.” (Jade)

“But… wouldn’t it be hard to make both Garnet and Dorami gloves?” (Dorami)

“Then, I will knit the right hand. Is that okay?” (Garnet)

“Dorami’s happy with it! It’s a pair of gloves~!” (Dorami)

Dorami was overjoyed.

I have to learn well so that I won’t disappoint her.

We bought the knitting tools and left the store.

Since we’ve visited everywhere we planned to visit, what were we going to do now?

“Next, let’s go to where Garnet wants to go! Dorami recommends the square!” (Dorami)

T/N: I really need to settle on ‘plaza’ or ‘square’ cause they use it a lot but I keep using them interchangeably.

Dorami glanced at the picnic basket.

I completely understand what she wants to say.

“Should we have lunch at the square?” (Garnet)

“Yay!” (Dorami)

Dorami happily cheered as she grabbed our hands and led us.

T-that’s right! I need to hold hands with Garnet-san!

The date was so fun that I forgot…

I can’t miss the timing to hold hands!

“We’ve arrived~!” (Dorami)

After reaching the square and making sure the bench was clean, we sat down.

Garnet-san’s homemade meals were sandwiches.

An egg sandwich, a ham & cheese sandwich, and a crisp lettuce & tomato sandwich.

“I made a lot, so don’t hesitate to eat.” (Garnet)

““Thank you for the meal~!”” (Dorami and Jade)

The moist bottom and crispy texture of the bread is irresistible.

T/N: Idk how moist bread can become crisp, but I translated this over and over and that’s what it says. しっとりとしたパンにしゃきしゃきとした食感がたまらない

Thinking that it was made just for us, my vision blurred with emotion.

As I was eating that sandwich while wiping my tears, Garnet-san was watching the street.

That’s… a theater.

Garnet-san, are you interested in the play?

“Do you want to go to the theater after eating?” (Jade)

“Jade-kun, are you interested in the theater?” (Garnet)

“I’ve always wanted to see it once. How about you, Garnet-san?” (Jade)

“I want to see it too. It’s hard to enter if you’re alone.” (Garnet)

Alright, it’s just as I thought.

It’s our first time seeing a play. This looks like it will be a good memory.

After eating, we went straight to the theater. After buying three tickets for the afternoon session, we sat down.

The information at the entrance says that they’re doing a love drama today. It’s perfect for a date. When you’re in the right mood, it’s easier to hold hands.

While I was excitedly waiting, the curtain rose.

Some music played, and an old man in armor swung his sword. It looks like a battlefield.

Then, the scene changed. There was a frail woman praying. She looks worried about her uncle that was fighting on the battlefield.

And then, a knight and a princess—it looks like it’s a romance drama depicting love between different social statuses.

“…” (Jade)

It’s obvious that their feelings are mutual.

However, I empathize with the knight’s reluctance. He just can’t be honest because of the difference between their social status.

I get you, I really get you. It takes a lot of courage to tell someone you love them.

But, you need to do your best! Don’t worry about the difference in status! I cheered them on in my heart, but their relationship didn’t progress.

Ugh, it’s frustrating. Even though the princess is trying to appeal to him…

Is it this difficult to fall in love if you hold different statuses?

I’m really glad I don’t have a social disparity with Garnet-san… Well, she’s a princess to me.

Then, the princess came up with the idea of a marriage proposal. The partner is the prince from an enemy country. It looks like they plan to make a truce after getting married but… it’s a trap.

The truce will lower their guard, and the enemy will attack and destroy them all at once.

A knight who hides his feelings and blesses her marriage, and a pitiful princess who accepts her fate for the sake of her country.

The story progressed and it was the day of the wedding. The attendees all became hostages as the enemy country attacked.

The knight gave in to his anger and swung his sword, mowing down enemies one after another. Although he was covered in wounds, he fought off the enemy country’s troops and went to the wedding ceremony.

He defeated the panicking prince, but the knight also ran out of strength.

Nestled in the princess’ arms, they confessed the feelings that they had been hiding for so long and together, breathed their last.

As the play ends, sobs and applause resounded.

It’s a tragedy… But, from the princess’ and knight’s point of view, it might have been a happy ending since they could never get married.

“It was a sad play…” (Garnet)

“Yeah. But, I’m glad I watched it.” (Jade)

That knight gave me courage.

Unlike the knight who was troubled by their social status, I’m blessed.

I have to follow the knight’s bravery in the last scene and hold hands with her!

“…guu.” (Dorami)

Dorami was sleeping next to me.

I tried shaking her lightly but she didn’t wake up.

She slept soundly last night but…. I wonder if she’s still tired from the long trip.

I won’t be able to hold Garnet-san’s hand but I don’t want to force her to wake up, so I decided to just give Dorami a piggyback ride.

“Where are we going next?” (Jade)

“I want to go to a place where we can relax.” (Garnet)

A place where we can relax, huh…

It was quite a long play, so it was almost evening.

In that case, maybe over there.

“Would you like to sit on the bench again?” (Jade)

At this time, the fountain should be bathed in the setting sun’s light and looks stunning.

The children who were playing should already be at home, so we can relax there.

“I do.” (Garnet)

We left the theater with Dorami on my back.

When I sat Dorami on the bench, she leaned against my shoulder.

At this rate, I don’t think she’ll wake up until we get home.

I guess I have to put off holding Garnet-san’s hands until our next date.

“…” (Garnet)

Garnet-san was looking at my neck again.

“…Is there something on my neck?” (Jade)

“There’s nothing.” (Garnet)

It was the same exchange as when we went out.

She might just be being considerate and there’s really something there.

But, before I went out, I made sure to check at a full-length mirror…

Then, Garnet-san asked.

“By the way, when is your next trip?” (Garnet)

“I’m thinking of resting for a few more days before leaving, why?” (Jade)

“I was able to get a few days off for the week after the next, so I thought I’d show you two to my parent’s house.” (Garnet)

“S-so it’s finally time…” (Jade)

“…Are you nervous?” (Garnet)

“I’m very nervous. I’m worried about whether or not Garnet-san’s mother will accept me as your lover…” (Jade)

Garnet-san smiled to ease my anxiety.

“Don’t worry, if you show her how we get along, there won’t be any problems.” (Garnet)

The way we get along…

That’s like… holding hands and going home together, right?

If so, I need to practice.

At this point, we’re too unfamiliar with holding hands, so it might not look like we’re on good terms.

In that case—

“I-if you don’t mind, can we hold hands right now?” (Jade)

Mustering my courage, Garnet-san flashed me a big smile.

“I wanted to hold hands with you too.” (Garnet)

“Really? I’m glad… Actually, I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to do so…” (Jade)

“If it’s with you, Jade-kun, you can hold my hands any time… But, right now is a bit difficult.” (Garnet)

“Eh? Why is that…?” (Jade)

“My heart is pounding so much so my hands are sweaty. And, I have something to say to you…” (Garnet)

“Something to say…?” (Jade)

Garnet-san gave me a small nod and took out a pendant from her pouch.

“Huh? That’s…” (Jade)

It’s the same pendant on Garnet-san’s neck.

Noticing my gaze, Garnet-san touched the pendant around her neck.

“This is my mother’s. My mother and father wore their pendants until they got married.” (Garnet)

So it’s something like an engagement ring.

It’s a wonderful story, but why is she showing it to me?

“I’m giving this to you.” (Garnet)

“Eh? Onyx-san’s pendant?! B-but, it’s really important to you…” (Jade)

Garnet-san shook her head.

“On the day I left for the capital, my mother told me, “If you meet someone you love in the capital, give this to them.” She told me that we’d be able to get along for the rest of our lives just like my mother and father.” (Garnet)

“F-for the rest of our lives…” (Jade)

“I want to always be on good terms with you, just like my parents.” (Garnet)

‘Is it no good?’ I immediately shook my head with all my strength.

“Let’s get along! Forever! I also want to! With Garnet-san!” (Jade)

What should I do? I’m so happy that my emotions are going wild!

Am I smiling right now?! Or am I crying?! Do I have a big smile on my face?!

I don’t know. I don’t know, but I’m happy!

She handed me the pendant and under her gaze, I was trying to put it on but… I couldn’t do it.

My heart was pounding too much and my hands were shaking.

“I’ll help you.” (Garnet)

“P-please.” (Jade)

I handed her the pendant—Garnet-san gave me a hug!

N-no, she’s just helping me with the pendant from the front.

Her face is so close…! Her sweet breath is caressing my cheeks!

Garnet-san’s face gradually turned red, but it was definitely no match for mine.

“My heart was beating so fast.” (Garnet)

“M-me too…” (Jade)

“The pendant looks good on you.” (Garnet)

“T-thank you very much…” (Jade)

It’s kind of embarrassing, I couldn’t make eye contact with Garnet-san.

Just then,

Fuwaaa~ There was a yawn.

“Why are we outside…?” (Dorami)

Dorami woke up.

“You fell asleep in the middle of the play.” (Jade)

“It was sad, but it was a good play.” (Garnet)

“Yeah, yeah. Also, we’re going to visit Garnet-san’s house the week after the next.” (Jade)

“Oooh! Alright! Dorami can play with Marin~!” (Dorami)

She was in high spirits as soon as she woke up.

Hearing Dorami’s excited voice calmed me down.

It’s already evening. The sun has set and it’s getting chilly, so that’s it for today’s outing.

“Um, if you don’t mind, can we hold hands?” (Jade)

“Of course. Let’s.” (Garnet)

The results of my practice are bearing fruit…! I’m really moved!

Dorami clapped loudly.

And so, we went home while I held Garnet-san’s hand, had her home cooking, and learned some tricks about knitting.

======================================

Translator’s Corner:

Garnet straight-up proposed.

This took a while to translate. It typically takes me 2-3 hours to translate a chapter (focused) and just a few minutes to add the names and edit anything I see but this one took around 4 hours lol. It’s nearly twice as long as the previous chapter.

I want a laptop so I can just do it on my bed. I’m getting used to this though and I eventually want to simultaneously translate two novels (and learn kanji).