It's been a great week! Not only were my coworkers able to gather some more stories, but we all also agreed to run the evolution of the base as the cover story! Very nice work, Aoba!
I'll take it easy today and brainstorm some ideas for next week's print!
I've decided to take a stroll around town to see if something's the talk. I hope I'll find something interesting for the paper!
I'll take a quick lunch break at Five Houshou's later~. For now, time to take a walk! It's been a long time since I've done something like this...
The town's been rather quiet for a population of over 2,000. It's probably because we're all doing our best to not spread the contagion that's been going around lately. We are, after all, humans. We left behind our kanmusu ways back at base, so we're just as weak to viruses as the admiral on base. Imagine being as weak as he is, ha!
There are a couple of people who have the same ideas as I do, taking this morning walk. I was so happy to see Tone! I had heard that she caught the sickness, but she's just as energetic as before!
The asphalt gave way to stone bricked boardwalks by the central river flowing through town. I sometimes forget how beautiful the Iniichin River is in the mornings! Flowing so gracefully downhill towards the naval base, the crystal-clear water from the spring up the mountains surrounding town. This entire landscape is breathtaking. Makes me think that I should head to the top of the town hall to snap a picture or two for the front page.
I'm on top of the observation tower in the town hall. Wow, the view's quite nice! The town hall itself is rather modern, contrasting with the mostly traditional-style buildings around it. I can also see the amazing mountains that surround town. They're so massive that the only way to quickly leave this valley is through a tightly controlled road near the shore that heads north, to the rest of the naval district. I hear that's where they dock big, steel boats, but I've never left this valley in my life.
Looks like the naval base is busy at the moment, with expeditions coming in and out. This looks like a nice shot to take～.
It's about time that I start heading over to the restaurant district of town! I'll stop by the light cruiser-dense area to chat some folks up before treating myself to lunch.
Ooo～, I heard some interesting talk around town! I heard that some men might move into town! Especially from what Abukuma said, it seems that they'll be here to stay for a while. Just for comparison, there's a number that I hear are employed on base, but only a handful in town. I wonder what business they have here in a town full of ladies～... word sure does spread fast in a town like this.
Enough of that! My stomach is growling, so I better head over to Houshou's!
Since this restaurant is on the other side of town, I never bothered to visit here often. Only a meal here and there, so this is definitely a treat! It must be a whirlwind in the kitchen with that many hands serving twenty-some tables. And the time it takes for the food to come out is amazingly fast!
One Shouhou works here, and she's so very polite. I hear that each employee is interviewed by all 5 Houshous... at once... geez, imagine the nerves.
Ah, the stir fry is here! I'm trying something different than normal, so let's see how that goes.
...
Amazing, as usual. Partly reminds me of when the Admiral would personally request dishes from his home country every Tuesday... the memories.
Out of all the restaurants here, this one is the busiest by far. One that doesn't see as much traffic is a dairy product place run by Inazuma with the help of some of her friends. She comes by after school in her free time to help serve the customers, and it's cu～te every time she does. The ice cream is on a whole new level over there, formulated after hundreds of trials, I hear. I wish I could treat myself, but I don't want to get in the habit of eating poorly.
Wait, don't they have a low fat & sugar variety? Oh boy, am I in for a treat!
I asked about it, and sure enough, they do! Only one flavor, though, and it's called "Original"... I've never heard of such a concept, but it's definitely worth a try.
...!
I see why now! Inazuma told me that this flavor is her favorite while serving this cup to me, and I can see why. It really brings out the original flavor of the milk! As expected from a milk enthusiast. By the way, her facemask is so cute! It even has a little cot embroidered onto it!
I asked Mutsu there how it's done, but she kept her lips shut. She just smiled and shook her head. After some thought, she said, "We only use the freshest milk for that flavor, while it's still warm from the cow. My, it's amazing, isn't it?"
I can't help but agree.
You know, I think this place deserves a spotlight in the community. Perhaps I'll consider a brief write-up about this place so it can get the attention it deserves. So underrated!
I'm feelin' upbeat, so I might as well go visit the Yuubaris' Ring! It's called that because they own all the buildings around a roundabout. Only about a 50-minute walk from here; shouldn't be bad.
The sun is so unrelenting, jeez! It's about 1500, though, so that's expected. Thank goodness I always bring a giant reusable water bottle every time I go out on an expedition like this. Water is important, you know～.
Reminds me of a funny story about the Admiral. He forgot his water in a conference room, and he was taking and sending orders amidst the beating summer heat. He almost fainted from heatstroke if it weren't for Ooyodo passing by. Everybody learned his lesson, and carrying tanks of water around isn't unheard of during hotter days because of him.
Only 20 minutes to go～.
Ah, I've arrived. It's been a while since I've been here as well. It's far upstream from where I live, anyway. The buildings here include Akashi's Repair Workshop, a radio station as well as a meteorological station. Yuubari's peculiarly too good with'machines, isn't she.
Wha- what's this? I've never seen this plaque before. Such a cute image of a Yuubari with some fairies.
... oh? That's what it's about? About the sinking of one Yuubari at the naval base. Truly saddening. I ought to pay my respects to her and the countless fairies who were lost in battle...
I didn't come here to feel doom and gloom, though! This place is amazing when it comes to technical prowess! Just in this little roundabout, there is a weather station, a machinist's shop for repairing just about anything, a radio station, and a small warehouse for various parts and materials. These four buildings are owned by the Yuubaris, barring the radio station, which is owned and funded by the town. I also hear that some navy repairmen are trained here, for every Yuubari is an amazing teacher! They even get some jobs from the outside world, so they can easily rake in a profit.
Usually, it seems quite busy, but today looks like an exception, so I'll pop in and say hi.
The one manning the weather equipment seems rather chill. She said she was showing some people around and was finishing up the hourly measurements. We chatted a little, but nothing really came up. It was nice dropping by～.
Since I'm in the mood, I'll head over to some of my friends' houses and say hi before heading back and writing a report on what I did and what I saw. I know I can divulge in a little secret information from my friend circle～.
I looked around, but nobody was home. Pity...
Oh well, it's about time that I head back now. It should be about 1800 once I get back, and I'll stay a little longer to jot down any last ideas into a report. Then I can try out the food I brought home from the market. Oh boy, I can't wait!
I better hurry back by then.
By