Wheelchair Girl: Chapter 4-4

RAWS: https://novel18.syosetu.com/n2611p/20/

Chapter 4-4: Okonomiyaki Restaurant 3

―4―

They were devouring the hot okonomiyaki with relish.

When there wasn’t much left, Haruka touched her bangs and thought to herself while muttering:

“Hair salon huh…”

“Hm…?”

Kazutaka raised his face and looked at her. It seems she was bringing up the earlier talk about her hairstyle again.

Haruka wore a rather listless expression while she was twirling her hair with her fingers.

(Did I perhaps step on a landmine…?)

She was obviously strange for some reason, sighing heavily and giving off this rather gloomy aura.

Kazutaka plucked up his courage and asked her anxiously:

“Uhm… did something happen at the hair salon once?”

“…No, not really.”

She claimed it was nothing and shook her head.

“What’s up with you then? If something did in fact happen, please tell me.”

As Kazutaka continued to pursue the truth, Haruka hesitated for a bit, unsure if she should really reveal this or not but then eventually began to talk.

“You see… Right before moving here, I was actually considering getting a haircut. So I went to the hair salon.”

“Ah, so you DID go after all?”

Kazutaka tilted his head.

Still, the ends of her hair weren’t really well aligned. Maybe it wasn’t a good hairdresser?

“Well, if you ask me if I went or not, I did go but…”

“But?”

“They refused to let me in.”

“They what?”

Kazutaka couldn’t believe it.

It just didn’t want to sink in.

“Wait… so you’re telling me… They refused to give you a haircut?”

“Yes”

“What? Did you maybe ask for a strange haircut?”

Haruka struggled to find the right words, it was definitely something that was hard to say for her.

“No, I just wanted to ask them to give me a normal haircut, at least that was the plan but when I was about to enter, they told me they couldn’t give me one.”

As Kazutaka could do nothing but just stare at her in astonishment, she stared right back at him.

“Hah… what’s that about?”

He frowned and then asked in a cautious tone:

“Don’t tell me… They refused to let you in because… because you were in a wheelchair?”

In response, Haruka cast her eyes down and replied with ‘Yes, probably’ and nodded.

“The worker at the hair salon said ‘I’m sorry but we don’t offer such service’”

“‘Such service’? They don’t offer ‘such service’?”

Kazutaka found himself repeating Haruka’s words. He honestly couldn’t understand it.

Right then, he was reminded of a scene.

He saw how Haruka had come to the hair salon to get a haircut.

But the hairdresser looked down on her wheelchair and said:

“I’m sorry, we don’t offer such service.”

…What the fuck is this?

It seems Haruka was told this:

“We don’t have the equipment for handicap accessibility. It might cause you discomfort, so I suggest you should go to another place instead. You can also request a mobile hairdresser or get in touch with an on-call hairdresser. Wouldn’t it be okay to use those?”

(TLN: So the Kanji for this is 出張美容 and if you google this, you see a picture of a hairdresser giving elderly people a haircut, so they’re really emphasizing the fact that Haruka is disabled.)

Kazutaka looked at Haruka with a face in disbelief.

“…You… Something like that happened to you? That’s what they told you?”

“Yes… Well, that’s how they phrased it.”

She nodded vaguely.

Kazutaka was at a loss for words and didn’t know how to respond to this.

What the…. What is this…

Even if they tried to mince their words, in short, they just told her to fuck off because she’s disabled.

“I too think I should have first called them and confirmed it beforehand.”

Haruka talked about this as if it was her own fault.

Kazutaka raised his voice.

“No, it’s not about that. It’s not about that at all!”

With his brows furrowed deeply, Kazutaka made a bitter expression and his hands stopped reaching out for the okonomiyaki.

The harmonious atmosphere from earlier was thrown out the window.

“Seriously… Seriously… what’s up with that…”

Kazutaka muttered in annoyance.

“Oi, where is that hair salon?”

“The one close to the cake shop…”

Hearing that, Kazutaka nodded to himself, getting a better understanding of this.

Kazutaka never used that one himself but it was a rather stylish place with a blond manager. It was what you could call a place for playboys.

(TLN: チャラ男の店)

He could easily imagine how those dudes saw Haruka come by with her wheelchair and thinking to himself ‘Ah, I don’t want to deal with that’, hence they just told her something suitable and sent her away.

Haruka revealed something unpleasant in addition to this story.

“Well, something like that happened in the past as well. That’s why I think even if I go to one, it’ll just happen again and eventually I just kind of stopped wanting to go to such places. Even if they tell me to get in touch with these on-call hair salons, I have no idea who I should contact.”

“What…”

Kazutaka found himself at a loss of words once more and stared at Haruka.

The tips of her hair were uneven, sticking out. He gazed at that head.

Was that the reason she was stuck with this hairstyle?

Unable to go to a hair salon, stuck with the Sadako look.

“It’s not just limited to the hair salon. Once in a while, that kind of stuff happens. They don’t outright tell me to not enter but they do make an unpleasant face.”

Haruka forced herself to talk about this in a rather casual manner to not ruin the mood.

“Well, it just can’t be helped, right?”

She shrugged her shoulders as if she had given up already.

It can’t be helped huh…

However, when he gazed at the face of the girl who claimed such, the smile she was wearing felt awfully sad and lonely.

☆

Kazutaka was clenching his fist tightly in anger.

“Oi, now it’s not the time to casually continue to eat okonomiyaki like this, you should have told me this earlier!”

He grasped the okonomiyaki spatula tightly and stood up suddenly.

“Let’s go to that hair salon right now and file a complaint! Let’s raid ’em!”

Kazutaka was breathing heavily while throwing punches in the air. He wanted to see them get out of business ASAP. The other customers looked in their direction, wondering what was going on there.

Opposing Kazutaka who was totally pissed, Haruka seemed awfully calm and composed.

“Nono, there is no need to go that far.”

She was sitting on the tatami mat and had a troubled look on her face, trying to appease him with a gesture.

“First of all, please calm down Akasaka-kun.”

“There ain’t no way I can calm down now!”

“But that story happened already quite a while ago, you know?”

“You can’t just accept and take it. You have to fight back and give them a good talking.”

She was taking it all by herself, hurt herself…

If this continues, she’ll just continue to accept the injustice thrown at her.

“Actually, why are you getting so angry about this?”

“Because you aren’t angry.”

Kazutaka seriously wondered what was up with her. How could she not get angry about this?

“Ah, the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off.”

Kazutaka was ruffling his head.

Seriously, who the fuck do you think you are!

(TLN: Kazutaka presumably cursing the hairdresser in his head)

Afraid that Kazutaka was about to storm out of the okonomiyaki restaurant and actually raid the hair salon, Haruka spoke up.

“No… really… I’m already fine now. I don’t want to cause an uproar…”

She was chiding Kazutaka, as if she had really given up on everything, shaking her head.

“But…!”

Kazutaka was about to shout.

However, Haruka interrupted him.

“Akasaka-kun, those feelings alone are enough. I’m fine, really.”

I’m fine…

With such words, Haruka smiled weakly.

“I’m already used to that kind of stuff. I don’t think we’ll get anywhere if we actually went and scolded them for it. I’d just feel like an idiot… Yes, I’m fine.”

“…”

Kazutaka held his tongue and bit his lip.

If she really felt that way, it couldn’t be helped. It’d be just him raging for no reason, causing her trouble.

Suddenly he felt the strength leaving his body.

Kazutaka sighed and sat back on the tatami mat.

To distract himself from his irritation, he stuffed his cheeks with the okonomiyaki in front of him.

That didn’t satisfy his hunger and thus he requested something from the manager.

“Gramps! Bring the alcohol! Gimme alcohol!”

Kazutaka was in the mood for sweet potato shochu.

“As if I hand out alcohol to your brat, you damn fool. You’re ten years too early.”

His request was rejected immediately.

He looked at the other side of the table. Haruka was looking down, feeling like it was her fault for bringing down the mood.

“…I’m really sorry for bringing up that story. We were enjoying ourselves just earlier and yet I…”

Silence overcame them.

They couldn’t come up with any topics.

Thus it was just okonomiyaki sizzling on the griddle in front of them.

The students around them chatted happily, they were having a good time it seemed.

“Hah…”

Kazutaka sighed once more and clenched his fist tightly.

He recalled what Haruka had said before they started grilling okonomiyaki.

“Before coming to this place, I’ve led a life that consisted of me just going back and forth from home to school.”

…Most likely, it has not been the first time something like that happened.

Not just at the hair salon but at various other places, ‘that’ must have happened. Be it on the bus, on the train, or any kind of public transport. She must have experienced the same thing again and again.

Well of course she would find herself not wanting to go out after such. Of course, she’d turn into an indoorsy person.

Haruka has lived through something Kazutaka had no idea of.

She kept living after hitting countless walls on her path.

It was a world that Kazutaka who could still freely move with his legs not even imagine.

Even after this, she will continue to face various obstacles in her path as someone tied to a wheelchair. Even though they were claiming to make life easier for the disabled, there still was a limit.

All kinds of fetters and anguish of this world will assault her and slowly but surely carve the letters ‘resignation’ in her heart.

(TLN: Dramatic way of saying that a society that looks down on disabled people will make her lose hope. Idk if this worry still holds, maybe in Japan in 2010 but now?)

“I’m stuck with this body after all, it can’t be helped…”

With such words, she’ll just give up.

Her heart will sink down into despair like sediment.

Getting completely wrecked.

Thinking about such a scenario, Kazutaka felt like crying.

―5―

“…Let’s look for another hair salon instead.”

Kazutaka broke the silence with those words.

“If you feel anxious to go by yourself, I’ll just come with you then. Even if you decide to get in touch with the ones that come to you, I’ll be there with you.”

“Uh… No, it’s fine, really.”

Yet she shook her head and gently rejected his suggestion.

“I’m aware that it doesn’t look too great and they’ve kind of grown out of control but in the end, I myself didn’t really want to cut my hair.”

Haruka explained herself in a listless tone.

It felt like she was making up another reason for not wanting to go to hair salons, trying to conceal the truth that way. She seemingly felt guilty about this and hung her head, unable to face Kazutaka properly.

(Why…?)

Seeing her like this, Kazutaka furrowed his brows once more.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me there is another thing that happened as well?”

Did perhaps something in addition to that happen as well? Driving her this much to a corner?

Seriously, how much does this girl want to carry her load all by herself?

“If you’re worried about something or if you’re also just uncertain about something if you’re fine with me, I can lend you a hand anytime.”

Kazutaka continued while looking into Haruka’s eyes.

“I know that I might be a bit unreliable and I kind of suck at talking with people as well but… Carrying everything by yourself… That’s tough, you know?”

He had no idea what she was carrying with her, how deep that wound was, but he wanted to be there for her, do something for her.

Even if you find yourself having a really bad day, if someone is willing to listen to your complaints, you’ll feel better. If it was him, he’d be willing to give her hours to vent.

“If you think I’m no good, you might wanna consult Gramps.”

“…Gramps?”

Haruka looked up at Gramps’ back with a surprised face. He didn’t notice any of that and was happily chatting with a high school student.

They say the older the wiser. Gramps was older than a pine cone.

(TLN: Apparently just a saying that hints at the experience of older people)

Although he played the boke earlier. he kind of acted like the priest of a church in this okonomiyaki restaurant, helping out kids who felt lost in their lives, hearing them out, and guiding them.

If there is a Shinjuku Grandmother, then there is an Okonomiyaki Grandfather.

(TLN: Shinjuku no Haha, apparently an old TV drama involving a fortune teller.)

Although it’s not like Gramps will provide Haruka with a solution, many students say they feel a weight off their chest after consulting him, and their problems were resolved soon after.

“I see, I see, so you’ve been worrying about this for a long time. Good job bearing with it until now.”

Hearing such words from good ole Gramps and then getting your head patted with his old bony hand, it’s hard to describe but your heart starts to feel lighter, as you realize that you’re not alone anymore. Kazutaka too had experienced this and often consulted Gramps in the past.

Haruka was a girl who really didn’t want to trouble her surroundings and thus never asked anyone for help, killing her feelings in the process. 

To such a girl, Kazutaka spoke with all sincerity.

“Anyway, all I want you to know is that you should stop saying stuff like ‘I’ll be able to manage somehow myself’ and try to bear it all alone. Please, let me take some of your load, I’m your ally, I promise you that.”

He repeated those words once more.

“Regardless of what anyone says to you, I’ll be your ally. I’ll stay by your side. Even if you don’t want me to.”

As if I let you be all alone by yourself.

Trying to deal with everything by yourself, is not independence, it’s isolation.

(TLN: Bruh…that one hit)

Isn’t it fine? Just rely on people once in a while. Make your complaints, I’ll hear you out.

“Akasaka-kun…”

Returning Kazutaka’s gaze with her own, Haruka muttered his name.

☆

Kazutaka stood still for a while, thinking about something while looking at Kazutaka. Her pretty black eyes were staring at him deeply through the crevices of her bangs.

Picking her words carefully, she finally started to speak.

“You know Akasaka-kun, I…”

Haruka was about to say something but then she started to hesitate, muttering: ‘But yeah, after all…’

Kazutaka didn’t interrupt her and just waited for her words.

After hesitating for a bit, Haruka made up her mind and spoke again.

“So, Akasaka-kun. There is something that is on my mind, would you listen to my request?”

“Of course, shoot.”

Kazutaka nodded. He was ready for everything.

Haruka looked into his eyes and said:

“In that case, would you like to cut my hair for me?”

After the brief silence that followed, Kazutaka reacted.

“…Yes?”

This girl really comes out with the most unexpected stuff, doesn’t she?

“Uhm, come again?”

“As I said, I wondered if Akasaka-kun could cut my hair for me.”

Seems like he didn’t mishear her.

“Wait, you want ME to cut your hair? Nono, that’s so not possible.”

Kazutaka quickly waved his hand. His cool line of ‘I’ll hear you out’ was thrown out of the window.

In the first place, why such a request?

“I don’t have the skill! Also, why me of all people? Shouldn’t you ask this kind of stuff a pro? Like a guy at the hair salon?”

“And what if they reject me again like last time? I’m not strong, I wouldn’t recover from that if that happened again. I’d find myself stuck with a phobia against hair salons.”

Although Haruka was seemingly making a joke there, the tone she had was indifferent, making you wonder if she was actually joking.

All the thinking from earlier pretty much resulted in this idea, with Haruka thinking to herself ‘WIth this, all problems would be solved!’ 

“Nono, didn’t I tell you I’d accompany you and make sure that something like that would never happen again? Wasn’t that where the flow of conversation was heading to?”

Kazutaka tried to persuade her but it had no effect on her.

“Ah, I’m so lucky that Akasaka-kun is such a good person. With this, my hair problem is solved!”

She was pretty much forcing him to do it for her now while nodding to herself in satisfaction.

“Wait a minute! I didn’t agree to it yet!”

Haruka responded with a pout.

“Wasn’t it Akasaka-kun who brought up the whole talk about getting a haircut? And also wasn’t it Akasaka-kun who encouraged me to not keep stuff to myself and ask people for help?”

“Well, yes but even if you make that kind of request I…”

“Was it perhaps a lie? Were you trying to trick me with smooth words? Trying to take advantage of my weakness and deceiving me?”

She was looking at him with the purest eyes she could muster up. Like a puppy that was put inside a cardboard box in the rain. Her damp eyes were directly staring at him.

“No, I didn’t try to trick you or anything… Hah, you really don’t want to listen, do you?”

Kazutaka made a troubled expression and scratched his head.

He was quite confused about this whole situation. Didn’t her character just make a one-eighty out of nowhere? Was Harukawa Haruka such a character?

Kazutaka tried his best to convince Haruka to not follow this plan.

“Even if you ask me to cut your hair, I never once in my life cut anyone’s hair. I’d be a total amateur at this, you know?”

The only experience he has with scissors would be in primary school when he was cutting papers with it.

“Are you really okay with asking a guy like that to cut your hair?”

To his surprise, Haruka responded with a quite cheerful and optimistic tone.

“Yes, I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s so simple after all, just pick up some scissors and cut-cut and we’re done.”

She boldly claims that’s all. Why did she say it like a handsome man? 

(TLN: Extremely unsure about this one.)

“Even if you say it’s just ‘cutting’… We’re still talking about YOUR HAIR, are you really okay with me fiddling with it? What if I mess up?”

“We’ll worry about that when it happens. If we worry about things that haven’t even happened yet, we would have still accomplished nothing as mankind.”

“No, well, you DO have a point but…”

Her argument was actually quite solid and Kazutaka was at a loss of words.

In order to end the conversation and make this a done deal, Haruka clapped her hands loudly.

“Anyway, please take care of me, okay Partner?”

Haruka, who was right on the other side of the table, made a face as if she had finally broken through something.

She was giving him a very refreshed smile.

Kazutaka couldn’t help and just responded.

“You’re seriously making me do it after all?”

Translator’s note:

So this sentence caused me some difficulties. I don’t use MTL and MTL is extremely dogshit on this one but I couldn’t really figure it out.

女は度胸という風に、ドーンとしている。何だこの男前っぷりは？

Context is relatively important, so although there is the Kanji for ‘woman’ (女) there, it just feels weird for Kazutaka to make some statement about women. So I assume he was referring to Haruka, thus we read this as ‘she’ instead. 度胸 can be read as courageous or bold and という風に usually is used when you say “something is done like something”, resp. “something という風に something.” Then we have Katakana with ドーン which either means ‘dawn’ or ‘done’ or perhaps it’s one of these onomatopoeia things and it translates more to something like ‘boom’ or ‘bang’ in English. Lastly, Kazutaka wonders why Haruka did something that seemed like something a handsome man would do. So that’s what I came up with:

‘She boldly claims that’s all. Why did she say it like a handsome man?’

Instead of ‘done’ I use ‘that’s all’ because of context, she made the act of cutting her hair sound easy as heck. But again, idk. I more or less learned Japanese on the fly during Covid in order to read visual novels and then also read some web novels and now I’m here translating stuff and regretting picking a work with such long chapters but will not drop it.

Anyway, see you in three days.