Time passed, and after several days of hard work, we finally had a good harvest. At first, I knew absolutely nothing about farming, but I did my best to learn. I wouldn't say I became an expert, but I gave it everything I had… and for some reason, that made me feel really good. Satisfied. Proud, even.
The next morning was the big day—market day.
It was just past five a.m. when I opened my eyes. This time, I didn't wait for Mr. Hanabira to come wake me up like he usually did. Today, I wanted to surprise him. I wanted to be up before him, ready to help load the produce.
But to my surprise…
When I stepped out to the small shed behind the house, he was already there—as if he'd never even gone to bed. Under the faint light of dawn, he was arranging boxes filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, edamame, and other fresh vegetables we'd picked the day before.
"Good morning, Mr. Kazuo!" I greeted cheerfully, trying to ignore the morning chill. "Can I help with anything?"
"Good morning, Haruki," he replied without looking up, still focused on packing the tomatoes. "Well now, what are you doing up so early? I figured you'd still be asleep… you worked hard yesterday."
"It's the least I could do," I said with a smile. "You and your wife have done so much for me since I got here. This time, I wanted to be the one helping from the start. Can I carry out these boxes for when the truck arrives?"
He looked at me with a gentle, almost nostalgic expression.
"You really are just like your grandfather described," he said with a warm smile. "No doubt about it… this farm has accepted you, too."
Those words hit me deep. I nodded with determination.
"Then I'll take these two, and come back for more."
For the next thirty minutes, we worked side by side in silence, moving box after box. The crisp morning air surrounded us, and though my body still ached, there was something comforting about it all.
The land, the effort, the reward…
For the first time, I understood what it meant to earn something with your own hands.
Just as we finished loading the last boxes, Mrs. Hanabira appeared at the back door… followed by Ailany, still yawning, her eyes half-lidded with sleep. She was wearing simple cotton pajamas, her long brown hair tousled from a night of deep sleep.
"Good morning, Mrs. Hanabira," I greeted, turning around as I checked the boxes one last time.
"Good morning, Haruki," she replied in her soft, motherly voice. "My, you're up early today."
"Yeah, I wanted to beat Mr. Kazuo to it this time… but turns out he was already up and working like always."
As I spoke, my eyes drifted toward Ailany. She looked completely half-asleep, her expression dazed from just waking up. For a moment, I just stared… it was the first time I'd seen her like that—so natural, not worried about how she looked.
And honestly, I found it kind of adorable.
"Good morning, Ailany," I said gently. "Still sleepy?"
She squinted at me and replied with a groggy voice:
"Morning, Haru… wait—what are you doing up at this hour?! You were supposed to be resting!"
Her cheeks flushed the moment she realized I was seeing her like that. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to fix it without drawing attention.
I stepped a little closer and whispered:
"Hey… no need to be embarrassed. Actually… I think you look really cute like this. Natural."
"W-what!? W-what are you even saying…?"
She let out a soft, surprised squeak as her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red. Her green eyes looked at me like she didn't know how to respond.
I just smiled and stayed quiet.
Mrs. Hanabira was watching us with a warm expression.
"You two seem to get along really well," she said with a small smile. "I don't think there's going to be any issue with that trip you're planning…"
Still clearly flustered, Ailany nervously played with a strand of her hair.
"W-well… I guess there's no problem… but… it might take me a while to get used to you seeing me like this, Haruki…"
That's when Mr. Kazuo, who'd been quietly closing up a box of tomatoes, spoke up in his usual relaxed tone.
"When you two come back to visit us… maybe you'll already be married. Who knows! Might even have a little grandkid with you."
"G-grandpa!!" Ailany shouted, turning beet red as she buried her face in her hands.
"Don't rush them, Kazuo!" his wife laughed, shaking her head fondly.
"Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it," he said with a grin. "They're still young, sure… but time flies, you know? So enjoy every moment while you can."
I looked away, my ears burning. Ailany avoided my gaze too, but I caught the little smile she couldn't quite hide.