I'm Suzume.
I'm a maid who serves at a mansion in the UK.
However...
Due to various circumstances, said mansion has collapsed.
EEK!
Until it's repaired,
I'll be staying here in Japan for the next year!
Done!
What shall I have today?
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"One of the highlights of Japan in June..."
"Hydrangeas glistening in the rain are a must-see."
GRIN
SILENCE...
Huh?
BUMMED
OUT
I'm still heading toward the park...
But if there's no rain, should I just come back another time?
HYDRANGEA SOFT SERVE
Do I walk to the park or go home?
I need a pick-me-up to make up my mind...
HYDRANGEA
SOFT SERVE
A pick-me-up...
Hydrangea soft serve!
BAM
Let's try it!
I get a gentle, sweet-yet-tangy aroma that's oh-so-luxurious.
With a tartness like blueberries...
IS THIS BLUEBERRY?!
Wait, is this really blueberry flavored and not hydrangea?
Chyun!
The flowers and leaves of hydrangeas are toxic, so they're not edible!
This is why "hydrangea" flavors
are often created using blueberries or sweet potatoes.
As long as it's delicious, that's fine by me!
Chyun...
By the way, ice cream is sold frozen at -18 degrees Celsius or lower,
while soft serve is sold at around -5 to -7 degrees Celsius!
It's not as firm as ice cream, and it's known for its light, creamy texture.
The toasty, crispy cone and the cold soft-serve ice cream...
They pair so perfectly. It's delightful!
Look at this fanciness hidden by the paper!
I wonder what color actual hydrangeas are.
The color is a lot deeper than the soft serve earlier.
Almost like the color of wine!
I'm glad I came.
THE NEXT DAY
CHYUN GUIDE ALL OF JAPAN
If there's a dead body buried under a hydrangea, it blooms blue?!
So if you see a blue hydrangea...
It's true that the color of the flowers is influenced by soil composition,
but with selective breeding nowadays, you can't really generalize...
I want to go see them, but now I'm scared!
Chyun, chyun! Did you hear what I said?
That was the last one.
Remove the stems and wash the plums.
Wipe them with a clean cloth.
In a heat-sterilized storage jug,
alternate adding plums and rock sugar.
Like layers in the earth.
Then finally, pour clear liquor over the top, and...
The plum wine is done!
TA-DA
I can't wait to try it.
Grandma should be back any minute.
I'm home.
Welcome back—
Why, hello, Suzume.
Ricotta-chan!
Thank you for taking care of things and getting it all set up.
I bumped into Ricotta just now.
She came by to say hello.
Yay!
Great! Suzume is here too!
Ricotta-chan?
So you're visiting as well, Suzume?
Yes! I'm here to help make plum wine.
Speaking of!
I just finished prepping it.
Would you like to try some, Ricotta-chan?
It won't be ready for another six months.
Head Maid, this is just a small token from me...
I'm now the former head maid.
You will always be the head maid to me.
Why, thank you.
You know, you could've stayed with us instead of renting a place by the month.
Please, that would be asking too much.
Well, do come over anytime.
Thank you. I'd love to visit again.
Suzume.
Suzume!
We have plum wine we started last year, so please serve some to our guest.
We do?!
Head Maid, it's still only noon.
Plum wine is good for you, so it's okay.
Plum wine has medicinal value in traditional herbal practices,
and is supposedly good before meals!
That said, it's still alcohol, so don't overdo it!
Chyun!
Can you get it? The jug is in the back of the kitchen cupboard.
Hooray!
TUNK
It smells wonderful.
The rock sugar has all disappeared.
And the plums are all wrinkly.
Wait a minute. Are you two old enough to drink?
The drinking age is eighteen, so we're good!
No, that's in the UK.
Ricotta, take that away from her.
At once.
Have this instead.
Plum syrup soda!
All right, now at last...
A toast!
Cheers!
The richness and aroma of the plums are incredible.
It's delicious.
Indeed, it came out well.
The plum syrup is nice and refreshing as well!
In any case, I never expected you'd come to Japan too, Ricotta.
It was on the master's orders.
She brought me my summer outfits.
We also had biscuits together!
Oh my.
Ricotta-chan, do come over for biscuits again.
I'll be waiting!
S-Sure... When I feel like it.
When will that be?
As I said, when I feel like it.
When do you think you'll feel like it?
Gosh, you're being pushy, Suzume!
Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow!
I won't know until tomorrow.
Great, I'll be expecting you!
The plum wine you just prepared, Suzume...
Why don't we save it until you're old enough to drink?
It'll keep that long?
Chyun!
Depending on how it's stored,
homemade plum wine can be kept for about a decade.
Both of you come back when you're of age, all right?
B-Both of us?!
Okay!
Huh?!
Um, I...
Ricotta, calm down.
Head Maid!
THAT WAS DELICIOUS!
All right! That takes care of my errand for Grandma.
The rainy season is over, and we've now entered summer in Japan.
Oh, right! Grandma sent me off with this when I left the house.
Barley tea in a thermos!
It sounds like a gentle bell...
Like treasure!
But why?
Let's try it!
Barley tea is made with roasted barley!
Since it's caffeine-free, it makes a nice drink any time!
Hey, there's ice!
Can I just get the ice somehow?
Ah, it's not coming out.
Got it!
The clinking of ice and cicadas crying...
It doesn't get more summery than this!
That math mini quiz was totally nuts!
Yujiro!
I wanted to talk to you... about something.
I got here too early.
I hope everything goes okay.
What? How do you ask for someone's name?
What kind of question is that?
I didn't know where to start...
So I figured I'd only ask the question at hand to keep it brief.
I need a little more context.
Anyway, can't you just ask normally...?
What?
BEAM
What?!
I see. You've already reached that point, eh, Sora?
Stop making that face!
I'm anxious... Terribly anxious.
Excuse me.
I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
She's really here!
I positively had to thank you for your help.
You're probably starting to get heatstroke, so drink this.
I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but this is all I need.
I'm okay—
Please just drink it!
STARE
Okay.
I know you bought those drinks for me,
but if I didn't return the favor, my grandmother would be cross with me.
Thank you for taking the time to meet up like this.
Really, it's fine. I'm just glad that you're okay.
Mission: Ask for her name!
ASK FOR HER NAME
So, what... what's your...
Don't just ask out of the blue.
First, get a conversation going by talking about
the weather or complimenting her outfit!
Your outfit... That's a maid uniform.
JUST A THOUGHT
Yikes!
Oh, yes. But it's lighter than the one I was wearing before!
I-I see.
THA-THUMP THA-THUMP
Wait, how do you compliment a maid outfit?
I don't have that kind of experience yet!
What about the weather?!
It's been hot lately, hasn't it?
I'm afraid that's why I was such a burden last time.
I'm very sorry for putting you through all of that.
So please enjoy these with your family.
Th-This isn't going anywhere...
A maid's intuition!
Pardon...
You're thinking about crepes, yes?
What?
Oh, right. There's a crepe shop across the way.
I totally understand. It can be nerve-racking to try a new place.
No, um... I...
It'll be fine if we go together.
So let us be off!
I guess that's fine.
Do I ask her name now?
Maybe it's not the right time.
She's so excited.
Do I ask now?
Well then, let's eat!
My head's so full of thoughts, I can't even taste this crepe.
Pardon, but...
This is delicious!
The cream is sweet, and the strawberries are tart!
The chocolate sauce adds a delightful accent!
The thin layers of crepe give it a delightful texture too!
It's sweet all the way through,
but the experience is so blissful, I don't want to stop!
It's good.
That was delicious.
That was fast!
By the way, do you happen to know why they're called crepes?
I don't.
She jumps topics a lot...
Chyun!
"Crepe" comes from a French word suggesting silk.
They got the name from the pattern on their cooked surface,
which resembles fabric.
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I see! So the origin of the name is...
Wait, names...
Excuse me!
We haven't really introduced ourselves yet, have we?
My name is Suzume Tachibana.
I really wanted to ask yours today!
He's laughing at me...
I'm Sora Endo.
Jeez, I should've just asked her from the beginning, like Yujiro said.
I've actually wanted to ask you your name all this time too.
That's nice to know!
Endo-san.
Tachibana-san.
Is this for real?
That's Sora!
Recently, someone new moved onto my turf.
This girl in strange clothes is eating something yet again today.
What the heck is it this time?
That's rice.
I know that's not very good.
What the heck is that?
LET'S EAT
Let's eat!
Could that be...
something tasty?
Raw egg over rice became popular in early Meiji times
when a certain journalist began eating it and spread the idea!
Eggs used to be a luxury item, so people didn't have them often back then.
By the way, rather than soy sauce,
they were seasoned with salt or chili peppers back then!
Doesn't that make you want to try it?
She's savoring every bite.
It must be really good.
Shoot! The second time she strikes that pose...
I knew it! She ate it all!
Give me some!
I prefer the canned stuff, but that will do!
Good morning.
I'll deign to eat the same food as you.
I'm sorry. I can't give you any rice.
I can sense she's holding out on me.
Hey, girl in the strange clothes!
Make sure you have something for me next time.
Got that?
Hey, did you get that?
You better have something for me!
How cute.
I should really take it inside now...
But this feels too good to move.
But I have to get to the prepared foods store at four!
Here you go. It's freshly made!
Okay, here we go.
That surprised me!
I'm glad the bedding was there...
Granted, it's what made me trip in the first place.
It smells like the sun...
It's so nice...
Huh? I fell asleep...
PITCH BLACK
O-Oh no!
It's totally dark out!
GRUMBLE GRUMBLE
I overslept big-time!
I'll be waiting for you... I'll be waiting for you... I'll be waiting for you...
I missed dinner!
It's said that naps from fifteen to thirty minutes are ideal.
Let's be careful not to oversleep.
Chyun!
Grandma always taught me that summers in Japan are hot,
so you should eat well and stay strong.
Let's enjoy the summer full of energy from delicious food!