The railroad crossing’s warning bell kept its steady, peaceful rhythm. On the embankment by the tracks, canola flowers lit up like competing yellow flames, and each gust of wind carried their sweet scent past his nose.
“…Right, left, and — up. Alright, all clear!”
Kopo stood before the empty crossing, swinging a special yellow flag and striking an exaggerated pose. Beside him, Minico tilted his head, puzzled.
“Bro, do you really need to check up there too? It’s not like the Dragon God’s going to fall out of the sky.”
“You’re naive, Minico! In the city, you never know what might come flying in from where. Me protecting the town like this is exactly what makes the girls say ‘Kopo, how dependable’— guh.”
Carried away, Kopo thrust his flag out and, in doing so, backed straight into Mocchi’s big belly. Mocchi was easily carrying an old traffic sign he’d hauled in from a construction site on the edge of town.
“Kopo, you don’t have to push so hard. The road isn’t going anywhere. See, if you stop and wait, the wind brings you the next scene.”
As Mocchi set the sign down on the ground with a thud, the vibration sent a butterfly, which had been sipping nectar from the canola flowers, fluttering into the air all at once. From the shade of the weeping cherry tree, Sonchō approached, chuckling, “Feh-feh.”
“Rules, you know, aren’t there to bind anyone. They’re a promise, so that everyone can bathe equally in the same spring light. Kopo, that flag of yours — you don’t wave it to rush someone along. You wave it to reassure someone.”
Kopo rubbed his reddened nose and lowered his flag just a little. The crossing gate lifted, and the townsfolk began walking slowly through the spring sunlight. It was a gentle time that flowed only in Amencho Town, unlike the pace of the city.
Margin note: The yellow flag Kopo had been proudly waving turned out to be a scrap of fabric he’d secretly borrowed from Keromi’s costume.
【Today’s Drop】
- “Aiming for Zero Traffic Deaths Day” and the Spring National Traffic Safety Campaign: A day for raising awareness of traffic safety. Projected onto Kopo’s flag-waving and Sonchō’s talk of “a promise.”
- Ekiben (Train Bento) Day: The imagery of a railroad crossing and tracks, expressing the emotion of travel and the boundary with the edge of town.
This is an English translation of “春の交差点”, part of Tales of Amencho Town (蛙鳴町奇譚).