Credits
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Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou—Mite, Aruki, Yorokobumono by Teriha Katsuki.
Illustrations by Hitoshi Ashinano
Originally published by Kodansha on October 23, 2008.
Based on Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano, published in Monthly Afternoon (1994-2006)
Raws provided by /u/horu_hosu
English translation by H. Berry (aitch99berry@gmail.com)
Cleaned color illustrations by Arturo Songor (@artson593)
An Azure Shadow
Gathering up my courage, I turned the doorknob and shouted at the top
of my lungs, “Hi, Alpha!”
Startled, she looked up from the wooden tools she was fiddling with at
the table by the window. “Oh, Takahiro… don’t scare me like that.”
She adjusted the strings of her apron and stepped behind the counter.
I often come here with my grandpa, but this time was different, as I
was alone. Just pulling out a chair and sitting down made my heart race.
“You came alone? That’s unusual,” she said with a curious smile.
I nodded. It was the first time I’m here by myself. When Grandpa is
around, I barely get to talk to Alpha one-on-one. This was my chance.
“Is the usual okay?” she asked.
“No, no. I’m having coffee this time.”
Her purple eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. “Wow! Coffee?”
Grandpa still won’t let me drink coffee. But I’m ten years old now,
it’s time to have something grown-up, not just a sweet drink.
There was a small fish sculpture on the table—a keychain, maybe? It
looked like something Alpha would like.
As she placed the coffee cup in front of me, Alpha gave me a look of
concern. “I don’t think you should be doing this yet.”
“That’s not true,” I retorted, slightly annoyed.
To prove my point, I took a big gulp.
Instant regret. The bitterness hit like a wave, numbing my tongue. How
do people drink this stuff and call it delicious?
Alpha giggled, her voice light as
the breeze through the window. “If you mix it with mapolo[1], syrup,
it’ll be easier to drink. Want some?”
Reluctantly, I nodded. She quickly sweetened the coffee with a deft
motion.
Her slender fingers poured the syrup with practiced ease, her pink
nails gleaming in the sunlight. Her smooth, white arms extended from the short
sleeves of her blouse, and her long lashes framed her clear purple eyes as they
suddenly flicked to meet mine.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. She wasn’t human—that much was
obvious—but maybe that was why she was so beautiful.
“Is there something on my face?” she asked, tilting her head.
I shook my head furiously, snapping back to the moment. This wasn’t the
time to get lost in admiration. There was something important I needed to say.
“Alpha, you see…”
“What is it?” she prompted, her voice soft.
“I saw something scary…”
Her smile faltered. I knew Alpha didn’t like scary stories, but Grandpa
had gone out drinking with his friends and hadn’t come back yet. Alpha was the
only adult I could talk to. And I needed
to talk to someone.
“Last night, I was looking for clams in Koajiro Bay. I found a lot, but
after digging for so long, I got tired and stretched out. There was a school of
fish in the water, shining under the moonlight.
“Then, out of nowhere, something came flying behind me at incredible
speed—like a skipping stone shooting toward the fish. There was a huge splash,
and then it came flying back, kicking up waves.
“I turned around, and on Okameiwa
Rock,[2] I
saw… her. A woman, crouched on all fours, completely naked. Her arms and legs
were long and slim, kind of like yours. Her skin was tanned, and her dark hair
was soaking wet.
“At first, I thought she wasn’t
human, but then I saw her holding a fish. She’d hooked her middle and ring
fingers into its gills, blood was dripping out.
“She looked at me and grinned, and…”
My voice dropped to a whisper. “From the corner of her mouth, two sharp fangs
gleamed.
“I got so scared, I ran home,
leaving all the clams and tools behind. I ran so hard that by the time I got
back, my heart felt like it was going to burst. I was terrified she’d chased
after me. And of all days, Grandpa didn’t come back. I hid under the covers
until morning.”
Alpha lowered her coffee cup, her
expression unreadable.
“Alpha, do you know what I saw?”
Her wide eyes locked onto mine.
“…The Misago…”
“Misago?”
She nodded. “Owner once told me
about a mysterious woman who lives around Koajiro Bay. She survives on fish and
only shows herself to children. Adults never see her.”
“Does she… eat the children?”
Alpha chuckled, her laughter light
and teasing. “Don’t be such a scaredy-cat. Owner said she likes playing with
kids. He told me he saw her too, back when he was your age.”
“Really?”
She nodded again. “He was fishing
near the cove, and the Misago appeared and stole all his fish. But she brought
them back later. The Misago loves pranks.”
“That’s… weird.”
Alpha shrugged. “He said it happened
about thirty, no… forty years ago.”
“That’s impossible! The Misago looks
your age. But you said that happened before you were born!”
Alpha tilted her head thoughtfully
before breaking into an awkward laugh. “Maybe the Misago stays the same
forever.”
“You mean it doesn’t age?”
“Maybe!” she said with a playful
nod.
“That’s so weird!”
Alpha chuckled. “Then I’m weird
too—I don’t age either.”
My jaw dropped. “You don’t…?”
She scratched her cheek, almost
embarrassed. “I’m a robot. We don’t age. Or at least not in a way you’d
notice.”
“…So, you’ll never change?”
“That’s right.”
“Even after ten, twenty years?”
“I won’t change much.”
“Incredible! Then you’ll always be…”
I caught myself before blurting out, as
beautiful as ever, and swallowed the words quickly.
Alpha smiled, but it didn’t feel
triumphant. “I don’t think it’s that great, though,” she said, glancing at the
sky through the window. The once-brilliant blue sky had darkened, clouds
gathering on the horizon.
“So… you’ll never get old, no matter
how many years go by? You’ll never get all wrinkled like my grandpa?”
Alpha glanced at me, then laughed,
her eyes sparkling with mischief. Every small change in her expression etched
itself into my memory. And every time she smiled, my heart thudded louder for
reasons I didn’t yet understand.
“Even though he’s wrinkled and
hunched over,” she said, her voice softening, “I’m a little jealous of him. Not
just him—of the rest, and of you too. I’m jealous of everyone.”
“Why? They are always complaining
about stiff shoulders and back pain. It’s weird to envy getting old.”
She turned her gentle gaze to me,
and warmth flooded my chest, as though I were wrapped in something soft and
safe.
“Because you and your grandpa are on
the same boat.”
“Same boat?” I echoed, confused.
“All the people who grow old are on
the same boat. Even if your back aches or your shoulders stiffen, you grow
older together. You’re still a child now, but soon you’ll grow taller, and one
day you’ll become an adult. That’s a wonderful thing.”
She took a sip of coffee, her eyes
drifting to the window where the sky continued to darken. “I’m here with you
for now, but I won’t be in the future… Maybe I’m just watching everyone else’s
boats from the shore.”
It felt like she was speaking more
to herself than to me. I fiddled with my cup, unsure of how to respond.
Then, Alpha stretched and patted my
head. “Sorry—I rambled a bit.”
Her tone was light again, but the
warm color in her eyes now matched the overcast sky. For some reason, the image
burned itself into my memory.
As I left, Alpha waved me off with
her usual cheerful energy. “Come back anytime, even if you’re alone!” she
called.
She handed me a freshly carved
wooden fish as a souvenir and warned me that a storm was coming. I waved back
but didn’t turn around.
On my way home, I stopped and lay on
the grass for a bit. Grandpa would probably scold me for being late, but I
couldn’t shake the conversation I had with Alpha.
How do we get Alpha on our boat?
Can we catch her like a fish?
Normally, ideas would come to me
when I lay on the grass, staring at the sky. But today, I was at a loss. Her
words lingered in my mind.
A raindrop splashed onto my nose,
startling me from my thoughts. Moments later, the sky was pitch black, and the
rain came down in torrents.
I jumped onto my bike and pedaled
furiously, looking for shelter. Eventually, I spotted a dilapidated barn and
raced inside.
Stripping off my soaked clothes, I
sat on the straw and hugged my knees. A cold wind blew through the cracks,
chilling me to the bone. My teeth clacked as I shivered, my body feeling like
ice while my head burned feverishly.
I clutched the wooden fish Alpha
gave me, longing for any connection to someone kind.
“Grandpa…” My voice cracked, barely
audible. What if no one came for me?
“Alpha…” I buried my face in my
arms, tears threatening to spill.
Suddenly, warmth enveloped me—soft
and human. Long, slender arms and legs wrapped around my trembling body, and a
gentle cheek pressed against my forehead.
Shocked, I turned to look. Could it
be Alpha?
The Misago.
She smiled at me as I froze, too
stunned to speak. Her sharp fangs gleamed at the corners of her mouth, but I
felt no fear.
(I like you. Let’s play.)
The words echoed faintly in my head,
though her lips never moved. It felt as if The Misago’s voice bypassed sound
entirely, reaching directly into my mind.
(You, friend. We, together.)
“Where are you taking me?” I
croaked, my throat raw and aching.
(Place with no humans.)
“What are you talking about? I’m a human.”
(You, child. Not human.)
“…Huh?”
(I hate humans. Humans are scary.
Scary, scary…) The word repeated in a steady rhythm, each utterance a ripple of
fear that washed over me. Her thoughts, like an unseen tide, pressed into my
own until my chest tightened with unease.
“Alright, I get it! Let’s talk about
something else!” I blurted, desperate to shake the creeping terror.
She fell silent, her luminous eyes
unreadable. Then, unexpectedly, her arms tightened around me in a warm,
protective embrace. The Misago pressed her forehead to mine, and in an instant,
vivid imagery unfurled in my mind.
It was dusk at a quiet bay. The wind
was still, and the water mirrored the pale orange and pink hues of the setting
sun. Everything was calm—time seemed to have stopped. The gentle scenery
wrapped me in a profound sense of peace, filling my heart with a strange,
bittersweet comfort.
(Fun, always. Fun, always…)
Her voice reverberated in my mind.
(Because you, child.)
The warmth of her touch made me feel
weightless, as if I were being drawn into her world. My thoughts grew hazy, but
then, a solid, familiar sensation broke through.
I was holding the wooden fish Alpha
gave me.
Grandpa’s face surfaced in my mind,
followed by Alpha’s gentle smile. The idyllic vision The Misago offered began
to dissolve, its hold on me fading.
“No,” I said, my voice firmer than I
expected. “…It looks nice, but I can’t go with you.”
For a moment, The Misago was
motionless. Then, a clear blue light emerged from her chest, flooding the dark
barn in its glow. It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold either—it was simply
there, like the moon.
Her voice fell silent. The light
softened, and I felt a strange, hollow stillness in its absence.
I suddenly understood.
The Misago was alone. Forever
unchanging, watching the seasons pass like a spectator on the shore.
…Maybe I’m just watching everyone else’s boats from the shore.
That wasn’t The Misago’s voice—it
was Alpha’s. Her words from before came back to me, and this time, their
meaning was clear.
The Misago’s light dimmed, and she
disappeared as quietly as she had arrived. The warmth she left behind lulled me
into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Alpha found me the next morning,
buried in the straw. Everyone had been searching for me all night. Grandpa
scolded me, but his relief was obvious. Surprisingly, I didn’t catch a cold
despite everything.
I didn’t tell anyone about my
encounter with The Misago. Not Grandpa, and not Alpha.
“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Alpha’s
voice called out as she jogged up to me, her scarf fluttering in the early
morning breeze. The moon was still out, beginning its descent westward.
Three months had passed since that
stormy night with The Misago. The trees around the café were tinged red, their
leaves announcing the arrival of the New Year’s cold. This morning, Alpha and I
were heading to the eastern cape to see the first sunrise of the year.
“You surprised me when you asked to
come along,” she said, climbing onto her scooter and flipping the kickstand.
The engine’s rumble mingled with the distant sound of waves.
“I just… want to see it,” I said.
“How cheeky,” Alpha laughed,
wrapping her scarf snugly around her neck. She wore a thick, cozy-looking coat.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay without one?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, shivering
slightly. “I’ll just use you to keep warm.”
“Hey!” She grabbed my cheeks,
tugging them lightly. The familiar tingly sensation warmed my skin. “You’re
impossible.”
I laughed as she let go.
“Hold on tight, okay? You’ll fall
off if you don’t!” she called as I climbed onto the back of the scooter.
“I know, I know!”
The sharp, wintry air stung my face
as the scooter sped down the road, but I didn’t mind. Alpha’s warmth, just
ahead of me, made it bearable. Each bump in the road made me cling tighter,
earning an occasional laugh from her.
When we arrived at the plaza on the
eastern cape, the area was alive with activity. About fifty or sixty people
were gathered around bonfires, some selling food and drinks. Grandpa once told
me about a drink called amazake that people used to have during this season,
but it disappeared long ago.
Alpha and I joined the crowd by one
of the fires. My thin shirt offered little protection against the cold.
“What’s wrong? Cold already?” Alpha
asked, her tone teasing.
“N-no, I’m n-not!” I stammered,
teeth chattering.
“Hmm,” she said, smirking. Without
warning, she opened her coat and hugged me from behind. “I’m cold, too. Let’s
warm up together for a bit.”
“…Okay,” I muttered.
A delicate fragrance surrounded
me—sweet, like tangerine blossoms, but with a hint of something earthy and
comforting. Was it something in her pocket? Or was it simply… her?
Even through her clothes, I could
feel Alpha’s warmth clearly. My heart began to race, as if I were sprinting at
full speed. This was a first—a strange, fluttering sensation I’d never felt
around her before. I wanted to both run away and cling to her at the same time.
The eastern sky gradually
brightened. A soft, pale glow heralded something shimmering in the distance.
Around us, people began to gather, murmuring in anticipation.
“The first sunrise!” someone
exclaimed.
I grabbed Alpha’s hand and pulled
her toward the edge of the crowd, desperate to find the perfect spot.
“I’ll go with Takahiro!” Alpha
shouted to Grandpa as we ran.
We stopped at the tip of the cape,
where the ocean stretched endlessly below. I hadn’t let go of Alpha’s hand the
entire way. I silently prayed I’d never forget this moment, standing here with
her.
The sun rose little by little,
golden light spreading across the mountain ranges. Rays of sunshine painted the
pale blue sky, sweeping away the last traces of darkness. The fiery orb climbed
higher, its radiance too intense to look at directly.
I glanced at Alpha. Her wide, purple
eyes were fixed on the expanding light, her gaze intense and unblinking. Her
lips pressed tightly together, her expression serious. A single strand of her
green hair danced in the breeze.
“What’s the matter?” she asked,
turning to me with a curious look. My staring must have been obvious, because
she chuckled softly.
“Hey, Alpha,” I began, mustering my
courage. “Let’s see the sunrise together every New Year from now on.”
“Every year?” She tilted her head
slightly, as if surprised.
“Every year. Forever.”
If we could share this moment, this
symbol of change and the passage of time, then wouldn’t we feel like we were on
the same boat? That’s what I thought after meeting The Misago on that stormy
night.
Alpha fell silent, turning her gaze
back to the rising sun. Finally, she murmured, “Yeah, that sounds good…”
She placed her hand on my shoulder
and gently pulled me closer. Before I realized it, I was inside her coat again,
enveloped in her warmth. If scents had colors, hers would be a pale, calming
green.
“Look!” she said softly. “It’s the
first sunrise of the year.”
“Yeah,” I replied.
We laughed together, light and
carefree. For a moment, I thought I felt her arms tighten slightly as she held
me.
Omega sat motionless as the memory faded.
The connection was severed, but the feelings lingered. His body
couldn’t replicate them, yet he felt… something. That warmth, that security—it
filled his chest, vivid and aching.
For as long as he can remember, he’s never experienced anything like
that.
It felt nice.
He savored the thought: the gentle warmth of another’s embrace, the
unshakable sense of being protected. If only, just once, he could feel that
peace for himself.
He was jealous of the boy named Takahiro.
It dawned on him then—how had he accessed this memory? He was supposed
to be reviewing Alpha’s experiences, but somehow, these weren’t hers. They were
Takahiro’s.
Only Alpha’s own sensory data should have been recorded. How could
someone else’s memories be stored within her?
Omega frowned. There was something unusual about Takahiro.
For him, Alpha appeared as any robot would—a collection of shapes,
colors, and details. Yet Takahiro saw something else. That glow he described;
the one Omega couldn’t detect—what was it?
Can the human eye perceive
things a robot’s cannot?
Omega tried to imagine Alpha as Takahiro saw her. Her bright smile, her
steady gaze fixed on the sun. That radiant image filled his mind, and with it,
the memory of being held came rushing back.
He wanted to feel it again.
Omega reached out to Alpha’s sleeping form, seemed so calm, so
peaceful. The sight of her stirred something inside him—something tender,
almost reverent.
Gently, as if she were a delicate glass vessel, Omega kissed her.
Reconnecting, he plunged into the haze of scattered memories, searching
for the brilliance of the morning sun. Finally, he spotted it—a sharp light
that cut through the fog like a beacon.
This must be it, he thought.
But the moment he reached out, a blinding flash erupted. It slammed him
back, the force sending him sprawling to the ground. His vision flickered as he
struggled to process what happened.[3]
[1] The name of a fictional tree in the YKK world. Its sap is used as a
sweetener. Using Seven Seas translation here, Roselia translated is a meiporo.
[2] Lit. Big turtle rock. It’s a real place, as the name suggest, it’s a
large rock that resembles a turtle’s shell.
[3] Takahiro’s memories are of Ch2: The Misago of the Bay (Taka tells
Alpha about the Misago) and Ch6: Sleepless New Year (They go to see the year’s
first sunrise. The illustration of this chapter is nearly lifted from the
original manga.)
Contents
Prologue
The Colors of Evening Calm
An Azure Shadow
Warm Hands
A Robot Dancing in the Light
Stars at the Bottom of the Cove
Time Spiral
The One Who Travels Through the Skies
Heron Cross
Flying Eyes
Epilogue
Afterword, Interview and Download links
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