The Yamanba arc
This page is translated from the Japanese original. For anything drawn in the manga, the Japanese original is the reference. Read the Japanese original ↗
What is this story about?
While picking up sweet berries in the woods, the three get caught in a trap and can't move. At night, a white-haired old woman appears and rescues them, and at her hut she serves them pork miso soup and inari sushi with pickled red ginger.
Key scenes
Read the full summary (spoils the ending)
After a bath in a drum-can tub, they lie side by side in futons, and in the middle of the night a shadow that looks like someone sharpening a blade appears on the paper screen, frightening the three. When they peek, the old woman is shaving dried bonito.
The next morning, the three help make breakfast, and everyone gathers around freshly cooked rice and chikuzen-ni stew. The old woman says she loves this time when she gets to see her guests' happy faces.
Ending
The old woman suddenly collapses, but she had only fallen asleep, tired from preparing all night. The three leave the hut where they were so warmly welcomed and head home.
Story arcs
- The Siren arcExtermination jobs with 100 times the pay, plus limited-edition ramen and all-you-can-eat food. Lured by a flyer that fell from the sky, Chiikawa and friends head to an island with Rakko-sensei. The island they reach is lively, and for a while the trip is fun, with parfaits, hammocks, and the seaside at night.
- The Nightmare arcWhile studying for the weeding certification exam, Chiikawa hears a song offering to make a late-night snack. Following the voice into the forest, Chiikawa gets a snack from a black, elephant-like creature, and in return has to play a staring game.
- The Parallel World arcHachiware comes to deliver corn to Chiikawa, who is sick in bed with a fever. The moment Hachiware rushes over, light surrounds them, and when Hachiware comes to, they're in a world where familiar things are each slightly different.
- The Three-Star Restaurant arcAfter getting paid, Chiikawa and Hachiware find a reasonably priced “three-star” restaurant and nervously go in.
- The Muchau Man arcUsagi brings a flyer for an event with new-product tastings and an appearance by the hero Muchau Man. The three go together, and Hachiware is all fired up to take a photo with the hero using the camera.
- The Complimented Ribbon arcComplimented on a ribbon that came with some cookies, Hachiware happily displays it in a vase. But one morning, the ribbon in the vase is nowhere to be found.