旅情

Anime-style illustration: “Now let’s go, Amuro. Our destination is Aizu, a town of history and steam rising from hot springs!” The group boarded a retro express train that still retained the vestiges of the Showa and Heisei eras. Spread out inside the car were local, simple ekiben (station lunch boxes) prepared by Rabbit Onee-san, and a ramune bottle. The carbonated drink, popping with a pleasant “shupōn” sound, gradually melts the lump stuck in Amuro’s chest little by little. The scenery visible through the train window changes from concrete cityscapes to the beautiful mountains of Aizu, painted in shades of red and yellow.