First, however, there was a more pressing matter to attend to: Mitsuha was starving, and her throat was so dry she could hardly speak. She would take care of her needs first, and communication could come after. After motioning for the girl to stop speaking, she mimed out what she wanted. She cupped her hands, pretending to drink from them, then pointed to her mouth while rubbing her stomach.
There, that oughta do it. Even a monkey would get the message! Uh, maybe I shouldn’t make that kinda comparison when this girl probably saved my life.
Still smiling, the girl spoke a few words in response, then turned around and left the room. Yes! She understood me! I hope…
But Mitsuha had no reason to worry. After a few minutes, the girl returned with a woman Mitsuha presumed to be her mother, if their matching features were anything to go by. They brought with them a pitcher of water and two cups, one empty and the other full of some sort of porridge. With a hasty gesture of thanks, Mitsuha took the water and gulped it down.
“Phew! I feel alive again!” She sighed in relief, then turned to her hosts and bowed her head. “Thank you so much for saving me.” While they might not have understood her words, Mitsuha felt her body language sufficient to convey her gratitude. The girl’s mother appeared shocked for a moment, likely because of the foreign tongue, but her face then eased into a warm smile.
All right, got the thanks outta the way… Now it’s chow time! Mitsuha reached for the food. It seemed to be chunks of bread immersed in boiled, diluted milk─bread porridge, so to speak. While the food was simple, it would be nutritious and easy to digest, which was precisely what Mitsuha needed. Going by its warmth and how quickly they’d brought it to her, it was clear they had it already prepared for when she woke up.
What a couple of good Samaritans! I’ll have to thank them properly when I get back. They saved my life! Mitsuha decided while she ate.
Once she’d been fed, she felt drowsiness overtake her. Her earlier fainting spell and subsequent unconsciousness was far from actual rest. Nourished and relaxed, she closed her eyes once more and finally drifted off into the sleep she deserved.
“I do recognize this ceiling,” Mitsuha murmured. Of course; it was the same grainy ceiling she’d seen last time she’d woken up. The biggest difference between then and now was that she felt refreshed.
Just gotta ignore the cuts I’ve got all over, my twisted ankle, and my overworked thighs and calves. No big deal. Now, how can I make sense of this situation? she pondered.
Mitsuha had found herself in a crude building adjacent to the massive forest she’d traversed. She had initially assumed it was some sort of mountain hut, but it seemed to be a pretty standard house for the area. This led her to conclude she was in a very rural village.
Seems like I’ve gotta get to a bigger town and contact the embassy. I sure hope they’ve got phones there.
As she mulled over her thoughts, the door opened, and in walked the silver-haired girl from before. She probably came to check on me ’cause she felt me wake up. This little wood nymph’s got some sharp senses! Upon seeing that Mitsuha was awake, the girl beamed, charged at the bed, and leapt toward her. Her silver-topped head barreled straight into Mitsuha’s stomach.
“GUHHH! I GIVE UP! UNCLE, UNCLE!” Mitsuha struggled to break free of the bear hug that followed, which grew dangerously close to snapping her small frame. “MY SPINE! YOU’RE GONNA BREAK MY SPIIINE!” After a few taps on the shoulder, the girl let Mitsuha free from her vise. As Mitsuha fell back into the bed and writhed in pain, her adorable assailant tilted her head in confusion.
So that was just an expression of affection─a local greeting, probably. And if it was this intense coming from a little munchkin, an adult would probably crush me! Mitsuha made a mental note to dodge if she sensed incoming danger.
After recovering from the near-lethal hug, she sat on the bed with the girl and the two began to communicate. Words proved fruitless, of course, but given enough time, Mitsuha felt she could get the information she sought with mere gestures and expressions. It turned out that this girl was the one who had found Mitsuha after she fainted on the path, and had then called for her parents to take her in.
The girl showed Mitsuha around the house, which happened to be empty at present.
Her parents must be out working. Or maybe now that I’ve woken up, they went to tell someone about me…?
The pair had to go outside when Mitsuha expressed a desire to use the bathroom. Outside, really? Damn, we really are in the boonies. She had already deduced that much, but this was far beyond what she’d imagined. There was nothing in the area besides a few other cabins─houses, rather─made of barely processed wooden logs.
If I had to guess where the term “the sticks” came from, this would be it, she mused to herself. Also, umm, where are all the street lights and utility poles? Oh, I get it, they’re keeping the place looking scenic and homey by using underground cables, right? Ugh, as if! It looked as though she had to find a way to the nearest town after all.
After they went back inside, Mitsuha resumed her attempts at communication. The “conversation” was slow and awkward, but she was surprised by how much she was able to learn. It was possible she was missing the mark on some details, but she hoped she wasn’t too far off.
If she’d understood correctly, this girl─Colette was her name─was an only child who lived in this house with her parents. Their village was almost completely self-sufficient, surviving on simple industries like agriculture, forestry, and hunting. And as she’d said before, Colette was the one who’d discovered Mitsuha unconscious on the trail and called for help. After that, Colette had looked after her, wiping away her sweat, keeping her hydrated, and─
Wait, so she’s literally my savior! Mitsuha realized, and impulsively pulled the younger girl into a tight hug. Colette giggled a bit and reached out to hug her back. Sensing danger, however, Mitsuha reflexively pushed her away. She had always been quick on the uptake, especially when it was a matter of life and death. As she sat there, feeling somehow victorious, Colette’s shocked face began to scrunch up with tears.
Oh, no! Mitsuha desperately tried to apologize and put her back in a good mood. Colette eventually forgave her, even if she looked a bit sulky as she did. Good going, Mitsuha! You really messed up! But by the time Colette’s parents returned, she was back to normal. Whew.
Now that the parents were home, Mitsuha sought to communicate with them instead. After all, there was only so much one could learn from an eight-year-old girl. Yes, she had been mistaken about Colette’s age; she’d thought the girl to be ten at first, but found out she was two years off. It came as a surprise to her, and she felt the girl was rather mature for someone her age. That’s my savior for you!
Unfortunately, Mitsuha’s attempts to pull additional information from Colette’s parents resulted in disappointment. They had apparently been out working on their farm, not off telling someone about her. It wasn’t as though they were villains keeping her captive; they simply hadn’t even considered reporting her to the authorities.
Either way, Mitsuha was more than grateful for the food and hospitality they had provided. In worse company, she could’ve been sold to human traffickers and handled like a slave. All things considered, she felt her hosts were good people, and they had treated her favorably. What really disappointed her, though, was that she didn’t learn any more from them than she had from their daughter.
While there was the language barrier to consider, Mitsuha had advanced her method from gesturing to drawing pictures. Yet all she learned in the end was that the couple’s intelligence was likely on the same level as Colette’s. Was the girl some sort of prodigy, or were her parents a bit, well, unfortunate in that regard?
Mitsuha had drawn a simple world map and tried asking them to point out their location, but it appeared as though they couldn’t even read the map. I’m not that bad at drawing, am I? She had then pretended to use a phone, but they’d only tilted their heads in confusion. Mitsuha assumed they were stuck in a more primitive era, one deprived of push-button devices, so she dialed back her impression to a rotary phone, funny sounds and all. She was certainly putting in her best effort. Wait, what’s with the applause?! I’m not a mime, damn it!
And just like that, she gave up. Mitsuha decided to stay with Colette’s family, helping out around the house until she was completely recovered. She would then pack some rations and set off for town. I’ll send them my thanks when I get back to Japan. I have no other options here!