'He hit it! The ball is reaching! Reaching! And it's in! It's a hoome ruuuun!'
The shrill yelling of the live announcer was extremely annoying. Lin woke up because of it. He found himself on a bed. His memories were hazy. He did not remember anything past when he tried to get into Genzo's car. Did I collapse there? Because of his lightheadedness he must have lost consciousness.
'It's a walk-off three runs! He did it! He has beat his own record with 606 hits! Player Cabrera has settled this match with a record breaking hit on the extra tenth inning!'
"…..Damn that's loud."
Lin muttered quietly as he sat up.
"Ah, you're awake."
The man with the ruffled hair looked away from the TV and turned towards him. He was slurping the noodles in his cup ramen noisely. It was a familiar sight to Lin.
"How's your injury?"
Banba asked him while chewing his noodles. It was a familiar Hakata dialect.
"Will you have some too?"
He asked and held another cup of ramen for him. The familiar scent of Tonkotsu did not whet Lin's appetite.
"No thanks." Lin shook his head. "On the other hand, you sure can eat a lot considering the wound you got."
While Lin had been away, the Banba Detective Office had gotten horrendous. As he expected, there was trash and dirty dishes piled up. Lin looked around the room and sighed, I have a lot to clean up on. Tomorrow he would have to spend a full day cleaning and doing laundry.
"In the end, I couldn't go to the fireworks show."
Banba turned off the television and slumped his shoulders. He was disappointed that he was unable to participate in the Yamakasa and unable to see the Ohori fireworks.
"You can see fireworks whenever though."
Today was August 1st. They were still in the middle of the season for them.
"Then let's go to the one in the eastern ward with everyone." Banba suggested in a cheerful tone.
With everyone – the faces of his teammates came to Lin's mind. Everyone would be going? Seems like it'll be rowdy.
Lin was aware of how big the fireworks shows get, but he had never went to one before. That seems like fun, he imagined himself among the crowd of people. And he would put on a yukata and wear geta. He wanted to try toffee apples too.
"……Ah, that's right, Lin-chan."
Banba suddenly spoke as though he just recalled something.
"What is it?" Lin turned to face him.
Banba gave him a smile.
"Welcome back."
Lin gazed at Banba, taken aback.
Banba repeated to the stunned Lin once more. "Welcome back."
Yeah, he let slip.
Actually, I've never said it before, haven't I? Not anytime today or even now.
The feeling finally came to him. He was back. He managed to come back – to this place.
So he was able to say it at last.
"……I'm home."
For some reason, tears welled up in his eyes. His voice hitched, and he was unable to say it well.
Post-Game Ceremony
It was the first week of September. Today there was a fireworks show in the eastern ward. The Ramens cancelled their practice to go see the fireworks together, so Lin changed into a yukata at the bar Babylon that Jiro ran.
After Jiro finished outfitting him, he then went to style his hair.
"That short bob you had was rather cute though." Jiro stated proudly while working on Lin's long hair. "But this suits you best for sure."
"……You think?"
Lin muttered in indifference and then thought back on it.
A month ago, Lin had cut his hair.
'Is this really alright?'
Jiro questioned him in all seriousness. That had been the third time he had asked him that same question.
'Yeah.'
Lin was seated on the stool in Jiro's store and nodded to him in affirmation. The cloth that was wrapped around his neck completely covered his whole body.
'Is this really, truly alright with you?'
'I said it's fine. Stop being so insistent about it!'
Jiro held the scissors, hesitant.
'But hair is a woman's very life!'
'Hair will just grow out though. ……Besides, I'm a guy.'
'I can really just cut it all?'
'I said it's fine.'
Jiro relented reluctantly at Lin's firm reply. '……Alright then.'
He weaved the scissors through Lin's hair. There was nothing else but the clipping sounds in the quiet facility. Lin's brown hair dropped down in chunks onto the cloth he wore.
'Ah no, this is such a waste. It was such pretty hair…..'
Once Jiro had finished the haircut, he handed a hand mirror over to Lin. Lin peered inside the mirror. He gave a smile seeing himself with a short bob. 'This is great.' This suits me fine. And it was rather cool on the back of his neck. He felt refreshed.
'Still, why did you decide to do this so suddenly? I never expected you'd want to cut your hair short. ……Did you have a breakup, by chance?'
'As if.'
Lin snorted.
'I've had enough letting it grow like that.'
He felt his sister was by his side when he dressed as a woman. With the loss of his sister, he had been enveloped by loneliness.
However, he was alright. He felt he could live on without having to do that.
'I decided to stop crossdressing.'
Jiro's eyes widened seeing his bright expression and said in surprise, 'my.'
It had been a month since his haircut. Although Lin had proclaimed he would stop crossdressing he put on makeup and wore a female's yukata for the day. The design was a light blue morning glory on a white background. His long hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.
"Alright, I'm finished."
Just as Jiro had finished styling his hair, the door to the bar opened and Enokida and Martinez entered.
"Huh?"
Enokida, wearing a jinbei outfit, tilted his head seeing Lin.
"What's with that getup? Didn't you say you wouldn't crossdress anymore?"
"……I couldn't help it. Men's clothing is just so dull." Lin pouted.
Lin had resolved to no longer crossdress and had his hair cut. However, in the end he preferred this. He was unable to bear with it after three days and put on a skirt. He apparently liked to deck himself up in women's clothing. He put in hair extensions until his hair grew long again.
"See?" Martinez huffed next to Enokida. He wore a gray yukata and a boater. "I told you right? He just likes it."
"……So it seems."
What are you two talking about? Lin frowned. "What? Do you have a problem with me crossdressing?"
"Well, I think it's fine. As long as you enjoy it." Banba piped up from the stool he was sitting on. "Besides, everything looks good on you."
Lin immediately felt better at that sentence. "You bet." Lin grinned, showing his teeth. Life had a lot of restrictions. So he felt he could do whatever he liked.
"Shigematsu-san and Saitou-kun went ahead and picked a spot for us. Gen-san and Saeki-chan will head over once they finish up their work."
"What about Yamato-kun?"
"Said he was working."
"His host job?"
"No, pickpocketing. He said he was going there ahead of us to do work."
"It's a good time to make some money for him."
He must be wandering through the masses at the fireworks show pickpocketing the crowd. Lin gave a small sigh from imagining it.
Jiro walked outside, leading Misaki in her pink yukata by the hand.
"Let's get going. Everyone, get in."
Banba said as they got into the van.
"Sounds like they're gonna fire five hundred more this year more than last year."
Lin smiled while imagining the circular shapes blooming in the night sky. I'm excited for them.
Translation Notes: Morning Glory is a type of flower. Geta (下駄) is a traditional Japanese footwear you usually wear with yukata or a kimono. Yukata (浴衣) is a kimono made of a light cotton, and as such you wear these in summer since it’s lighter. Jinbei is a traditional Japanese clothing for men. It’s usually worn as more of a nightwear or something to wear around the house in the summer. Thank you Voissane for editing!