ZLS Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – Spring (Part 2) -END-

Spring, Part 2

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 knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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For now, Harune concluded that this semi-cohabitation, with some distance, was just the right balance.

Kouki, noticing the flush in Harune’s ears as he recalled their New Year’s escapades, seemed to catch on.

“I’ll hold back as much as possible. Maybe not twice a week, but I’ll try to limit it to three times.”

“That’s impossible. If we’re together, I won’t be able to hold back either,” Harune blurted out without thinking, panicking immediately afterward.

The truth was, Harune wasn’t opposed to Kouki’s advances at all. In fact, he was really happy about them. But physically, it was exhausting.

Kouki’s face lit up with joy. “If we’re on the same page, then there’s no problem.”

“I’m telling you, my stamina can’t keep up! And if you keep this pace, you’ll get bored of me soon,” Harune retorted, trying to cover his embarrassment.

Kouki’s eyes widened. “Bored? Me? With you? That’s impossible. You’ll realise that once you move in already.”

“I’m telling you, this back-and-forth situation is perfect for now.”

“It’s not perfect for me. On the nights you don’t come over, I’ll just yobai (night crawl) to you.”

“What’s yobai?” Mafuyu, who Harune thought was absorbed in the TV, innocently asked with wide eyes.

“Yoba…,” Harune stammered, his gaze darting around in panic. “Yoba… koba… Kobae! Yes, He said kobae (fruit flies)! You need to eat quickly before the fruit flies start gathering.”

Harune’s clumsy attempt to change the subject made Kouki double over with laughter. 

Whose fault do you think this is? You just wait and see.

After finishing breakfast, Mafuyu helped by dusting the shelves with a handheld duster (although she occasionally knocked things off, making more work for them). Kouki tightened loose screws on the display stands and fixed the splinters on the wooden chest. 

Harune, while changing the outfits on the store’s mannequins, paused for a moment and looked around the shop. 

The store was filled with precious memories of his grandparents, a place that held deep nostalgia for him.

But it wasn’t exactly the same as it used to be; now, half of the store reflected Harune’s touch. His ideas, combined with Kouki’s craftsmanship, had brought a new kind of magic to the place.

Recently, a customer had shown great interest in one of the stools Kouki had made. When Harune told them about Kouki’s workshop, they immediately made a reservation. Harune felt quietly proud that his store had brought Kouki’s stool and the customer together. It was a reminder that this store wasn’t just his anymore—it was Kouki’s, too.

At the same time, even though they weren’t fully living together yet, Harune’s presence was slowly blending into Kouki’s home. 

In the workroom Kouki had set up for him, Harune had already brought in baskets filled with yarn, and had decorated the room with his favourite curtains and rugs. 

Not only in his workroom, but also in the living room and bedroom, Kouki had eagerly requested Harune’s handmade and carefully selected décor, which was now gradually filling the house. 

The way their lives and tastes were slowly merging made Harune feel incredibly happy and excited.

Before the shop opened, Natsuno came back to pick up Mafuyu, who grumbled about wanting to stay and play more. She gently calmed her down and took her home.

As they watched Natsuno leave, Kouki began packing away the toolbox he had been using to make repairs.

“I should head back and get some work done,” he said.

“Thanks for everything,” Harune replied.

Kouki gave a mischievous smile. “There’s something I want more than words.”

“What? A hundred kunugi acorns or something?” Harune teased.

“I’ve told you, you’re the only one who’d be happy with acorn currency.”

With that, Kouki pulled Harune into the back of the store and pressed his lips against his.

It was an intense, electrifying kiss—surprisingly heated for the morning—and Harune found himself rising onto his tiptoes.

“… A hundred acorns would definitely be more valuable,” Harune muttered, trying to cover his embarrassment.

Kouki, still wanting more kisses, whispered, “Then how about I gather a hundred ubamegashi acorns, and in return, you let me take things further tonight?”

Harune, with a serious face, replied, “If you’re offering a hundred ubamegashi acorns, how could I possibly refuse?”

“Deal sealed.”

They embraced again, sharing another deep, lingering kiss.

Maybe they would spend every day like this, continuing their silly exchanges, full of love and laughter. 

Even when they fought over trivial things or shared moments of joy, their days would always be filled with happiness.

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*Translator’s Note: It’s the end… Next, I might work on another 3P novel or another one of my fav or maybe I’ll complete the ‘The Beasts…This Way’ last volume. Wish me luck and time to finish them, though. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

Yobai: a traditional Japanese custom, literally meaning “night crawling”. It was an informal nocturnal courting practice where a young, unmarried man would silently slip into a woman’s bedroom at night. If she consented, they would have sex, and he would leave before dawn.

Kobae: a Japanese word that means “small fly” or “gnat”. It is most often used to describe tiny, annoying household bugs like fruit flies or drain flies that hover around overripe food or indoor plants.

Kunugi Acorn: 

Ubamegashi Acorn:

Illustration 11:

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*Author’s Postscript: 

Hello. How are you doing? Thank you very much for picking up this book.

Once again, I’ve packed this story with things I love, and it has become a simple, everyday tale. The seasoning, the stimulation, and the surprises are all kept mild. But I hope you’ll enjoy reading it like a light snack, something to soothe you when you feel like you’ve had too much of the ‘rich’ stuff and want to rest your mind a bit.

The story may be light in flavour, but the illustrations are incredibly luxurious, giving the whole experience a three-star upgrade in terms of happiness.

I’m always overflowing with gratitude, admiration, and awe for Shimizu Yuki-sensei, who kindly creates so many different drafts, starting from the rough sketch phase, despite being so busy. I recall a time when I was feeling very worn out, and attending Shimizu-sensei’s art exhibition struck me like lightning, instantly restoring my motivation.

Shimizu-sensei, thank you so much for your wonderful illustrations and for nourishing my soul.

Over the past year and a half, with the prolonged period of staying at home, I’ve spent more time indoors and made many discoveries that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

First, I realised that I can see rainbows quite often from my living room. I feel like I’ve seen them at least ten times this year alone, which makes me wonder how I hadn’t noticed them before.

Since I couldn’t travel far, I started taking walks in a nearby park, and for the first time in my life, I witnessed a woodpecker pecking at a tree. Once I became aware of it, I started hearing the *kan-kan* sounds of woodpeckers pecking trees all around. It surprised me that there were so many of them in such familiar places.

Also, because I had exhausted my supply of books during all this staying-at-home time, I finally managed to finish reading ‘The Brothers Karamazov’, a book I had once given up on and left unfinished. It turned out to be unexpectedly fascinating.

Even though I thought I was already more than grown up, I realised that I’m still a beginner in life. There are so many first-time experiences and new discoveries, even in the most familiar places, like acorns scattered around. It’s been a daily source of wonder for me.

I hope this modest little book can become one of those acorns for someone.

📝 Tsukimura Kei

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