《Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu》 Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu Reika-sama With Marin-senseis help, I managed to get past a term-end exam. I dont think I did well, though. Thats why I decided I would enroll for summer cram school.I guess Im too weak-willed for self study. Theres just too much temptation lying around the house. Each time there was some problem I couldnt solve I found myself needle felting, or rearranging my room, or something else.Ive decided that if I like the cram school Ill continue doing it in Term 2 as well. So please, anything but the remedials again&h.e.l.lip; The day of the last exam. It finished in the morning so I went home and got changed. Today I had somewhere to be.The post office. I wanted to deposit some money, and to buy some postage stamps.Its actually a small hobby of mine, stamp collecting. Its fun keeping some of the cute ones. I dont have anybody to send letters to, though.I particularly like some of the anime ones, or the ones with cute figures on them. I have some robot anime ones, and some with characters from picture books.There was also this Rococo Queen one. Naturally I bought some. I think youre meant to use multiple stamps or something so I bought extras just in case. Not that I have anywhere to send anything right now.I was a little embarra.s.sed because I was worried somebody would think I was cosplaying her, but I liked these the most so Im glad I found the courage.I hope Ill get to use them though. Aoi-chan would probably accept it with a smile. Maybe Ill send her something then~ I was wearing something more casual than most of my other outfits, a feminine dress with a ribbon below the chest. There was somewhere else I wanted to go today, so it wouldnt do to look too much like an ojousama.Before going to the post office, I was going to have lunch at a soba restaurant, so I chose something less eyecatching.Geez, Im so hungry. What should I have~ The soba place was in a mall building. Looking at the menu I found myself at a loss. Sansai vegetable soba would be good, but then chilled soba sounded appetising too. Aah, but it has to be tempura soba in the end! It came with two prawns, and was delicious. Im glad I picked this. It had plenty of spring onion too, which is good for the blood, right?Actually it was so delicious that I ended up draining the broth dry. Mn, so satisfied! After relaxing a bit, I headed to the post office, a large one nearby.The counter was packed with people so I got a ticket and went to browse the stamps.These animal stamps are pretty nice, but I like these traditional art-themed ones too~ Maybe Ill get a few of these j.a.panese Waka poem stamps.In the end I found some cute animal ones so I decided to buy those this time. I made up my mind to come again someday.Happily making my way back to counter, I discovered that there was still quite a while until it was my turn. It was packed so there probably wasnt anywhere to sit either.Ah well. Im still young so a bit of standing wont kill me.Just as I was thinking that, some salaryman gave me his seat.What a gentleman! I guess even j.a.pan has learnt the ladies first custom. Thank you, nameless salaryman.I thanked him with a smile and took a seat.Its funny how small acts of kindness can really pick up your mood.Not that I wasnt still feeling a bit ill from all the tempura soba I ate. I mean, I drank all the broth too.As I rubbed my tummy unconsciously, the lady next to me asked, How many months? Months? What months? You look around 5 months, Id guess? I hope you give birth to a healthy child. &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;Eh? Dont tell me&h.e.l.lip; Dont tell me Ive been mistaken for a pregnant woman!?Why!? Because I rubbed my tummy!?Im not! Its just because my stomach is full! &h.e.l.lip;Im&h.e.l.lip; not pregnant&h.e.l.lip; Eh? Theres no baby in there&h.e.l.lip; I tensed my muscles and pulled in my stomach as far as possible. Which wasnt far, mind. Oh, oh goodness, Im sorry, she said, looking incredibly awkward as she found somewhere else to sit. Gasp! Dont tell me!I turned around and the salaryman from earlier averted his gaze.You too!?So he gave me my seat because he thought I was pregnant!? Holy h.e.l.l&h.e.l.lip;Apparently I became pregnant without realising. Ill bet some archangel will descend to announce my pregnancy at any moment now. Son of the G.o.d of the Fat Country, please hurry up and be born. If not Ill be stuck with this belly forever. &h.e.l.lip;Haha. I really need to stop escaping reality. I was just getting fat.And there was one other thing I needed to accept.Could it be that Im aging? Do I look old enough to be happily pregnant already?Not only am I fat, Im older-looking too?Wow, these lights are kind of dazzling. So dazzling that my eyes are tearing up&h.e.l.lip;And it still wasnt my turn at the counter yet After trying not to cry as I made my way home, I shut myself in my room and transformed into a hula-hooping devil.Then I did sit-ups and crunches too. I noticed that I was less fit now. Starting from the next day my lunches were going to be basically salad. I told the girls at school, The heat has been a bit much so my appet.i.te has been dwindling&h.e.l.lip; Although they replied with stuff like Get better soon, Ill bet they all realised&h.e.l.lip;At the Pivoine I only drank tea. Apparently todays snack was blueberry tarts but I couldnt have any!People keep recommending this or that but I could only reject them with an excuse about my appet.i.te.Even looking hurt.While that was happening, Enjou who happened to pa.s.s by suddenly smiled and said, Do your best, before leaving. He noticed too? Dont say needless things! Youre making me even hungrier. When I texted Sakura-chan my grievances, she suddenly replied, Zazen meditation, and waterfall training. Which do you want? Apparently she thought I ought to fix my weak will first. Not that she didnt have a point. Im honestly one of those people who are harsh on others but easy on myself.Anyway, thats why I now had a trip to a zazen session with Sakura-chan planned.By the way, Sakura-chan, Ill probably fall asleep if I keep my eyes shut for more than three minutes but is that okay?Also for some reason Okaasama suggested I go to some fasting camp with her. So there was that planned too.Apparently my entire summer break was going to be dedicated to training and losing weight.Is my third eye finally going to open!? Chapter 1 I have memories of my previous life No, Im not a headcase. Its too embarra.s.sing to tell anybody at all, but its the truth. I realised it around the time I was about to take my elementary school entrance exams. Ive always kind of thought, Huh, I think Ive seen this somewhere~ about my name Kisshouin Reika. It happened on a day when Okaasama said, Reika-chan, this is the school youre going to attend starting next year, you know. and brought me in front of this building surrounded in a brick wall. to that large gate were the words Suiran Academy C Primary School Section, and in particular, the words Suiran Academy shot through my head. Suiran Academy and Kisshouin Reika? They were the names of the school and the character that appeared in Kimi wa Boku no Dolce or You are my dolce!! And as for that feeling of joy you get from solving a vague mystery thats been bothering you for many years (having said that though, its only been a few since I was born), I didnt really get it. I see, I see. Kimidol, huh~? Woww, I feel so refreshed now. I see~. or so I was thinking, when in the next moment, my face paled at my own situation. You are my dolce. It was a popular shoujo manga in my past life. After the serialisation finished, it was turned into a drama with popular idols as the cast. The story began when a commoner scholarship student protagonist entered the high school section of private school that girls from decent families attended. The commoner protagonist couldnt get used to the rich students who were incredible with everything they did. Even so, she somehow made friends with the few commoner students there, and worked hard every day at her hobby of making sweets. And one day, she met with the boy known as Emperor within the school, and fell in love. However, his followers wouldnt allow the commoner protagonist to get close to him, and relentlessly hara.s.sed her. Well, the ringleader of the hara.s.sment was Kisshouin Reika though; in other words, me. In the end, after overcoming numerous hardships, the two of them got together and lived happily ever after. However, at the very, very end, Kisshouin Reika who had continually bullied and tormented the protagonist once again got in their way, and using her parents influence even went as far as getting engaged with the Emperor. And so, during the party where the engagement was to be announced, she was completely and utterly taken down. In front of all the guests, the Emperor gave the shocking announcement that he was engaged to the protagonist, and on top of being majorly humiliated, as revenge for all the bullying she had done until then, the Kisshouin company had its stocks bought up and was taken over, Reikas fathers fraud was exposed, and the entire family fell into ruin. Reika who had a strong sense of being chosen above others and who had looked down on commoners was expelled from the upper cla.s.s, and fell to the commoner cla.s.s. With her prided curls disheveled, Reika gave a mad scream, and with the readers thinking back on her villainous ways until now, they all thought Serves you right! and felt refreshed. In my past life, I screamed h.e.l.l yeah! as well. However, if this is how my current life ends, then the situation has changed. Its definitely no good, that kind of thing is no good. As for why, its because Ive become that complete villain, Kisshouin Reikaaaaa!! Please, if this is a dream, let me wake up from it. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Unfortunately, I did not wake up from the dream. The shock to my five-year-old body was too great, and I collapsed on the spot, and stayed in bed with developmental fever. While having feverish nightmares of my certain future of ruin, I cried in terror. To begin with, in my old life I was a complete commoner. From my primary to high school, all of them were public schools, and in my high school days I worked a part time job to save up for a mobile. I was born to an incredibly average salaryman family, and with a medium build and a common face, I was honestly a girl you could find just about anywhere. I remember as far as graduating from vocational school and looking for a job. I cant remember anything from after that. I have absolutely no memory of getting married, or having children, or approaching old age. Could it be that I died around 20? Thats what it means to have no memories past there, right? Or could it be that for some reason or other Ive become a vegetable, and right now Im continuing to dream of a manga that I liked from back when I was healthy? Rather than a reincarnation story that Id see in a dream, a story about dreaming as a vegetable seems more likely though. Only, it was tough when I had the fever, when I fall over it hurts, and my meals are yummy too. The sensations were too realistic. As long as I knew how real these sensations were, I just couldnt really decide Its just a dream anyway, so its fine~. It didnt matter if Id reincarnated or if this was a dream, but if I was possessing someone elses body, anybody was fine, so I really wished it could be anyone other than Reika. I sincerely thought so, you know. After recovering from my teething fever, the first thing I thought was Wouldnt it be fine to fail the exam to Suiran Academy then?. Suiran Academy is the pinnacle of schools for rich people. Just going to the school is a better status symbol than anything else. My Kisshouin family is a famous one that hails from n.o.ble blood, and manages a number of companies. Both of my parents believe in the importance of bloodline, and are basically lumps of pride that believe that theyre a special type of human. And so, from before I was even a year old I was going to infant cla.s.ses, in order to hammer in what I needed for the Suiran Academy entrance exam. Even the kindergarten I went to was one that boasted high rates of Suiran entrances; a famous brand kindergarten, you see. I think at this rate, with my lineage, parentage, and a.s.sets, Im going to get into Suiran. But if I go to school there, Ill meet with disaster in the end. If I dont get involved with the main characters and live my own life, perhaps Ill be able to avoid destruction. I mean, Suiran isnt the only rich people school. There are plenty of schools for Ojousamas, arent there? Right! Thats what Im going to do! Or so I had determined, but the moment I saw my parents faces, my determination wavered. As lumps of pride, wouldnt my parents treat the daughter who failed to get into Suiran as the dregs of our family and just abandon me? I do have the memories as an adult from my old life(?), but living as a 5 year old whose parents treat her coldly would be tough. And also, even if I failed to get into the Primary School Section, I can still get in during the Middle School Section. Well, Suiran has that, so only those who get in during Primary School are real Suiran Students, and even if I got in during the Middle School Section, I doubt my parents would fully approve. Okaasama is acting like Ive already gotten in (she told me this is the school youre going to attend. before I even took an exam, after all). And almost all my relatives are attending Suiran, or have graduated from Suiran. As for the courage Id need to purposefully fail in an environment like this, its absolutely impossible for me now that Ive gotten back the memories of a cowardly super-plebeian. Cant be helped. Guess Ill resign myself and go. But Im going to give it my all to avoid becoming a villainess character like in the original manga. Its tough being hated, right? And even if I cant avoid that, I want to at least start planning for what happens after my family is ruined. 1. Cherish harmony amongst others. Dont make needless enemies. 2. Do not waste money. Steadily save up the pocket money you get. Set aside college tuition for after the fall. 3. Do not get involved with the Emperor. Naturally, do not get involved with the Protagonist who will appear during the High School Section. 4. Show no interest in other peoples romance, or else show a smile and faintly flaunt the fact that you wont get in their way. Faintly is important here; you cant have too much of a presence. 5. Even if you do fall into ruin, make sure to find a job that will provide for your meals. The goal is a government worker. Alright. Guess thats good enough for now. Unwilling villainess, Kisshouin Reika, will now give it her all to lead a life of peace and tranquility! *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 2 Im in. Suiran Academy, that is. Its completely different to the primary school I attended in my old life(?). The exterior looked like a European cathedral, befitting a school of long history. There was beautiful stained gla.s.s glittering at the entrance. But inside, everything was completely new. Of course having aircon was standard for every room, but more than that, every cla.s.sroom had its own humidifier and water dispenser. Floor heating for the winter too. There was a heated swimming pool, and a tennis court, and a soccer field, and a baseball field, and a concert hall too. Even a mini theatre. Even a planetarium. While Im at it, they even had a dome-shaped greenhouse and a tea room. Besides these ones were plenty of other common sense-defying facilities as well. Though there were a few facilities that were shared between the primary, middle and high school sections, anyway, it was all stuff that overturned my idea of what a primary school was like. Anyway, even though Suiran is in the middle of the city, it takes up a huge amount of land, and because of all the greenery around, its nicknamed Suiran Forest. The uniform was designed by a famous designer, and is a blazer type uniform, as opposed to the sailor f.u.ku types. For the middle and high school sections, the uniforms are white blazers with embroidered lines, and while the girls wear ribbons, the boys have a necktie, which are both burgundy for middle and dark blue for high. Perhaps so that any dirty spots wouldnt be obvious, the primary blazer is navy with light blue ribbons and neckties. All of them are terribly cute. As expected of a famous designer. Just being able to wear the uniform made me happy that I came here. Suirans uniform monopolises first place in the uniforms people want to wear rankings, and is admired by all the girls. If I remember correctly, one of the reasons that the protagonist wanted to come here was because she adored this cute uniform. Mn, mn, I totally understand. Only, because the protagonist was bullied, her uniform was dirtied a lot In the middle and high sections you either choose from bringing your own lunch or buying food at the cafeteria, but in the primary section school lunches are provided. But the ones who make the lunch arent your usual cafeteria obasans; theyre chefs. Theres no cafeteria duty for the students either. I mean, the cafeteria has full-time waitresses after all. And the menu is so luxurious that Im not even sure its okay to call it a school lunch. Things like vichyssoise or veal terrine are on the menu like its totally natural. I think we learn table manners here as well. Black tea for drinks. If youd prefer, you can add lemon or milk. By no means would you ever find a kid with a white moustache from gulping down milk. For dessert we dont have frozen mikan; we have crpe suzette. Aah, it feels like it cant get any more impossible. This is what you call a culture shock. I bet this is how the protagonist felt when she entered the high school section, huhh. I wonder just how much the tuition fees for this place are. Its scary so Im trying not to think about it though. Finally, the most important feature of Suiran Academy is a society called the Peony Society, or the Pivoine. The Pivoine is a gathering comprising students who not only entered during the primary section, but who pa.s.sed strict requirements for lineage, parentage, and monetary a.s.sets. The Pivoine exists in the middle and high sections, and all Pivoine members receive various special treatments from the school. In the primary section, we instead have the Pet.i.te Pivoine. Once Pet.i.te Pivoine members enter the middle school section, they become Pivoine members. Because it comprises only purebred Suiran students, no matter how great your lineage, parentage or a.s.sets are, if you enter Suiran during the middle or high school sections, its impossible to join. A society that only the chosen can enter; truly the adoration of all Suiran students. And I, Kisshouin Reika, am naturally a member of the Pet.i.te Pivoine. Hmm, Reika abused her authority as a Pivoine member and did whatever the heck she wanted in you are my dolce as well. Just being a member of the Pivoine meant that most things were allowed. But I really wonder about something like that being allowed in an inst.i.tution thats supposed to teach its students how to live properly. Pivoine members pin a peony badge under the Suiran crest on their uniform. Its made from real gems, so it sparkles beautifully. And at the same time, it functions as a school-wide pa.s.s for exemption from the rules. Once I considered that although it was pretty, it felt a little scary too Ah, and as for why its the Peony Society, apparently in the language of flowers, the peony means the the bearing of a ruler. Honestly, theres just a lot of things scary about the way they think. Being a Pivoine member means the other students look at you in half admiration, and half fear. And thats natural. If you start trouble with a Pivoine student, itll be hard for you to keep going to school here. And their families would also be pressured by the people behind the Pivoine members, sometimes even harmed. Basically If you know whats best for you, dont get involved with the Pivoine. I also want to follow that rule. But well, thats impossible, huh. Im a member after all. And Im in really deep. Aah, so scary. And whats even scarier is their sense of money. I mean, when I was in high school my monthly allowance was only 5,000 yen, so I cant help but see money differently, right? Just how much money are they giving to these primary schoolers? Its already gone past the level of pocket money into the realm of living expenses. Well, Im the same though. Anyway, the point is, thanks to my familys influence and money, Im fairly comfortable at school. No, calling it fairly is being extravagant, I guess. Im extremely comfortable at school. Even though Im only a Year 1 student, Ive already got followers after all. These girls were Reikas followers in you are my dolce as well, werent they. Have they been currying favour this far back? Even though theyre only six years old, they already know how to get ahead in life, huh~ Aah, what a harsh world this is. Even children are having it rough. But if I had to be a bit greedy, Id prefer friends over followers. Hm? you are my dolce didnt have any Kisshouin Reikas friend characters either. Could it be that Im going to stay friendless like this? Ah-, oh no. Tears are The manga only began when the protagonist entered the high school section so I dont know what kind of school life Reika lived before that. But Ill bet she looked down on people beneath her in her Reika Pose with left hand on hip, and laughing into the back of her right hand, doing whatever she pleased. All whilst following Emperor about. But the current me will absolutely not do the same. After all, I can hear destructions footsteps on my door. And also I honestly dont have the nerves to go OOOHOHOHO as anything but a joke. Even I know what shame is. But well, I get the feeling that in a school like Suiran, plenty of other students will be using the Reika Pose *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 3 Now then, the Pivione has its own salon inside the school grounds. A luxurious room thats already gone way past a school room, and is more like the living room in a royal suite in some first cla.s.s hotel. Whats more, it even has its own exclusive concierge. The Pet.i.t Pivione salon is inside the primary school section, and as a member I need to show my face there. If I never a.s.sociate with the Pivione even though I was privileged enough to be chosen, its quite possible that the backlash would make me some enemies. When it comes to human relationships and contact, communication is important. Honestly, I dont actually hate going to the salon. Theres yummy sweets after all, and I even hear information about the school from my uppercla.s.smen. If that was all it was, then I might have been happier to go there. But the salon has that person. that person Right, Kaburagi Masaya, the Emperor. To begin with, the Kaburagi family is a group that has hands in businesses around the world. A wealthy clan that leads j.a.pan. And of course, just like the Kisshouin family, theyve inherited blood from former n.o.bles. In terms of peerage, the Kaburagi are apparently higher ranked though. Apparently some of their ancestors had a really esteemed lineage. Honestly, were not on the same stage No flaws in any aspects. A perfect clan. Thats the Kaburagi. And the direct descendent of that lofty family is Kaburagi Masaya. The boy himself has already displayed the necessary calibre to inherit the family. Even though hes only a Year 1 student, he already has this aura that makes people want to obey, and when he glares over the people with this beautiful face that reminds you of a blue flame, he really does seem like an emperor. Even right this very moment, hes sitting boldly in a special seat like its natural. Even the idea of giving this seat up to somebody else doesnt seem to occur to him. As expected of the Emperor. Just like bees gathering around honey, people are gathered around Kaburagi Masaya. And hes paying almost no concern to them, and is instead looking out the window in boredom. Just what kind of upbringing would you need to raise a six year old so bored of life. A sovereigns upbringing? If you give a child a sovereigns upbringing, is this what they turn into? If its that boring, how about you go outside and play some dodgeball or tag? But well, unfortunately there are no such children in the Suiran schoolyard. I wonder if this kid can actually play like a normal child. The image of Kaburagi Masaya going kyaa kyaa kyaa on a unicycle comes to mind. Uu-pfft-pfft, just imagining it is funny. Or so I was thinking as I was watching him from a distance when he suddenly looked me right in the eyes. Geh-, hes frowning at me. Could it be that he read my mind!? Hieeeeee, IM SORRY, IM SORRY! Faking the body language of somebody thinking My! I have suddenly remembered something I needed to do in the cla.s.sroom. I must return at once! and then casually, CASUALLY, averting my eyes from him, I left the salon like nothing happened. S-, Scary. I couldnt find the courage to look back. *imouto* Reika-sama, did you go to the Pet.i.t Pivione salon? When I returned to the cla.s.sroom, a girl from my cla.s.s spoke to me. Yes. I had some tea. Another girl came to my side and asked, Umm, was Kaburagi-sama there? with a blush on her face. Yes. He was in fact there. My! The girls began kicking up a fuss, going kyaa kyaa! These girls arent members of the Pivione, and Kaburagi Masaya is in a different cla.s.s to us, so they havent really had many chances to get close to him. Are you close with Kaburagi-sama, Reika-sama? What kind of conversations do you have in the salon? Im not close, and Im not planning on getting close. Kaburagi-sama is a taciturn person, and I have basically never spoken to him. Most of the time I chat with the uppercla.s.smen Oneesamas after all. My, is that so The girls immediately lost their excitement. Mm~mm, Im sorry. If possible Id love to tell you some wonderful stories too, but this has to do with my future, so. Im sorry. I couldnt meet your expectations. Ah-, but he was eating chocolate. Perhaps he is fond of sweet things. For these depressed girls, I tried my best to reveal the fruits of my observation. Its nothing big, but how about it? Wahh, Kaburagi-sama eating chocolate. I want to seee. I love chocolate too. Im just like Kaburagi-sama! If he likes chocolate then Id better prepare some high cla.s.s stuff for Valentines! Ooh, they liked it more than expected. For now, Im glad that theyre happy. But isnt it a bit early to be thinking about Valentines? To think that you girls would try to ask Reika-sama about Kaburagi-sama. Honestly, how rude. Oh! Its Kisshouin Reikas followers #1 and #2. Kazami Serika-chan and Imamura Kikuno-chan. In Kimidol they also adored Emperor together with Reika and chased him around, but it seems that theyre already fans of his in primary school. Theyre acting like theyre angry for my sake, but they actually just dont like the fact that other girls get to hear stories about him too. Theyre my followers so I guess they want me to give them exclusive information. It was unbecoming of me to carelessly spread rumours about Kaburagi-sama. Serika-san, Kikuno-san, Im sorry as well. Ah-, no- For Reika-sama to apologise, The two of them panicked and followed up with a smile. Since theyre all fans, wouldnt it be fine to just happily talk about their idol(Kaburagi Masaya) together? Later, Ill make sure to tell the two of them what brand of chocolate he was eating, so I hope they get along with these girls. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 4 gokigenyoh: if you havent experienced marimite or anything featuring a lot of rich girls, gokigenyoh is basically the h.e.l.lo and goodbye for rich girls. Reika-ojousama, welcome home. A car from my family came to pick me up at school. It was to avoid abductions and the like, and with study and practice materials already onboard, I headed to my afterschool lessons instead of home. The life of an ojousama is hectic. After school I almost always go to practice of some sort. Unlike the children going to public primary schools in their neighbourhood, the students at my school all live at different places, so to begin with we couldnt just leave our stuff and go play together, but even without that everybody was busy with lessons, so after school it was just gokigenyoh. Now then, todays lessons are for flower arrangement and piano. *imouto* I have returned. Aahh, so tired. It really is hard studying two things at the same time. Piano is pretty fun in its own way, but flower arrangement is Honestly, its all ones sense in aesthetics for that. Once again, my flower arrangement was a mess today, and it didnt turn out too well. Apparently my arrangement didnt look complete to my teacher, because she asked me what I was going to do next, but that was pretty much the limit for my pleb aesthetics, so no matter how much you ask, Teacher, nothing else will come of it you know? In the end my teacher said, Now wouldnt it be better like this? before plucking things out and rearranging it, and the end result was an arrangement that had nearly none of my work in it. Im sorry for being a poor student, Teacher. After changing out of my uniform I headed to the living room and found that Oniisama had just returned home. Welcome home, Oniisama! Im back, Reika. Right. I didnt know it, but Kisshouin Reika had a brother, you know. To begin with, Kisshouin Reika only appeared as a villainess, so unlike the protagonist or the Emperor, we never got to learn much about her family. At most, her parents appeared a little during the engagement incident. And the readers didnt want to know to begin with. Ah-, tears are Oniisama, were you at club activities today? Yeah, thats right. My brother Kisshouin Takateru is 13 years old, and 7 years my elder. Right now hes in his second year of Suirans middle school section. Hes in the kyudo club, and goes there a few times a week. Takateru-oniisama is such a gentle and upright person that I couldnt believe that he was that Reikas sibling. Your private tutor is coming after dinner tonight, right? Then until dinner, wont you listen to my story? I love Oniisama. In my past life(? Can we just settle on it being my past life? This is getting annoying.) I only had a little sister, so I cant help but having an older brother that spoils me. Sure. What do you want to talk about? How was your day, Reika? Oniisama patted the seat next to him while he said that, so I immediately sat down next to him like a doggy being called by its master. Today I had piano and flower arrangement practice, you see. I happily told him about how piano was fun, and how I messed up in flower arrangement. Today Oniisama wasnt doing quite so well at kyudo club, so, Oniisama, shoot this fan do~wn. I said, as I waved a fan made from a magazine I found on the table. Nasu no Yoichi? You sure know some difficult stuff for being so little, huh. He was a little surprised. Hmm? I cant tell what common knowledge is for a Year 1 student. *imouto* After I had dinner with my family, Oniisama returned to his room with his tutor and began to study, so I sat down in the living room to spend some time with my parents. How was school, Reika? It was fun. Reika-san, how was the Pivoine? Everybody was wonderful, and made for good models. After I entered primary school, Okaasama stopped using -chan with me and switched to -san instead. Im her daughter so she could just call me Reika, but apparently this is how people do it in high society. Okaasama is from Kyoto, so she never went to Suiran, and because of that, it seems that shes fixated on it, and the Pivoine in particular. With her own daughter as a Suiran member, and whats more, a Pivoine member, apparently she couldnt help but feel proud. Whenever I talk about the Pivoine, just like I am now, she looks as happy as she can be. Speaking of the Pivoine, have you become close with Masaya-kun of the Kaburagi family? Eh- Otousama looked at me with expectant eyes. No, not particularly. That personage is only close to certain friends of his. When I said that, Otousama looked obviously disappointed. Otousama is trying to use Reika to become friendly with the Kaburagi family, isnt he. Perhaps her fathers influence is part of the reason that even after being coldly rejected multiple times, Reika never stopped chasing Emperor in Kimidol. Of course it also had to do with Reikas natural disposition though. However, Father! Destruction visits the overly ambitious, you know! No, seriously, we really will be crushed, so Otousama, for now please just stop your dishonest management. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 5 In the Suiran primary section, the results of the tests we regularly have arent published. When we enter the middle school section, the top 20 students overall, and in each subject are pasted up on a board, and each student is privately told what their ranking is, but even that doesnt happen in the primary section. Theres a report card at least, but its all based on a non-relative evaluation, so it isnt really dependable. Because of that you dont get a good idea of how everybody else is doing. Nor do you get a good idea of how you yourself stand in the school. Most of the girls who attend Suiran from the primary section tend to enter a political marriage after graduating from university, or find work through their parents connections, or go looking for somebody to marry, so basically none of them will really give it their all studying. But Im different! I havent incurred Emperors wrath as of this moment, but I cant ignore the possibility that by some chance I b.u.t.t heads with the protagonist in high school and anger the Emperor, and end up having my whole family destroyed. And it seems that the pattern of Fathers dishonesty coming to light people demand Fathers resignation our a.s.sets are seized our family falls into ruin is set pretty firmly. Aahh, Otousama, please turn over a new leaf. (Although I dont actually know if he is doing anything dishonest. Its fine even if its a false charge!) If our family falls into ruin then I probably wont have anyone to marry after all, so I need to earn my own living expenses. To that end, I need to study. In preparation for if I dont have the fees to pay for a private university, I want to have enough academic ability to get into a national or public university. In the future, I want to make enough money not just for me, but to take care of my parents as well. Because of all this, I asked my parents to let me go to cram school. *imouto* You are a girl, so isnt there no need to study so hard? As expected, Okaasama was negative. How about flute or violin instead? she suggested. Incidentally, Otousama completely leaves child-raising to Okaasama. Hes completely useless at times like this. But Okaasama, I find studying very interesting. Hm~mm, I wonder if that was too weak an excuse. Well then, When we enter the middle school section, talented people from other schools will enter. When that happens, I will be left behind. Just to make sure, I added, Even though I am a Pivoine member, to have something so shameful happen is which made her eyebrows twitch. Pivoine is like a magic word when it comes to her. Youre right. Then shall I find you a private tutor? That would be troubling! I dont want a tutor, I want to go to cram school. Besides becoming smarter, I have one other goal too. I want to go to cram school. I want to see how people from other schools are doing as well. I bend my upper body forward as I begged her. I had to go to so much infant cla.s.s before I got into Suiran, so cant you just let me go to cram school as well! But as a daughter of the Kisshouin household, there shouldnt be any need to get along with ordinary children. And whats more, in a place like that, there are children from public schools too. It would be terrible if they hurt the cute little you. Its here. That sense of being a cla.s.s of chosen ones. Shes saying stuff like You need to choose who you a.s.sociate with, okay?. Didnt the Kisshouin Reika in kimidol turn out to be that useless rich girl because she chose who to a.s.sociate with? It is fine, Okaasama. I will just be going there to study. I will make sure to remember your teachings, Okaasama. Im a little irritated as somebody who once went to a public primary school, but Ill endure here, endure. Okay? Please, Okaasama. I clasped my hands together in front of my chest like I was praying. Hows this? My Cute Daughter Begging Beam! Isnt it fine? OOOHH! Sudden reinforcements from the rear! Hearing our conversation, Oniisama supported me. Its not often that you get somebody who wants to study. What if she went to the cram school that I attended when I was in primary? The lessons there are thorough and easy to understand, you know? The cram school that Oniisama went to! That sounds really reliable! How about it, Okaasama. Even Oniisama is supporting the idea. Come, come! Give me a positive reply! After looking at the two of us and giving a small sigh, Okaasama said, I understand. Then tomorrow I will take care of the enrolment. YAHOOOOO! Hooray! Hooray! I can go to cram school! Thank you, Okaasama! I couldnt hold back the smile from inside me. With this, my dream will come true *imouto* Oniisama, thank you for earlier. While we were returning to our rooms from the living room, I chased behind Oniisama in the hallway and thanked him. As expected of my kind Oniisama~ Uhuhu. It wasnt much. More importantly, I know that you really want to go to cram school for some reason, but I wonder if you have some other motive as well. -creak- Was it that easy to tell? Mm~mm, if I study at home Ill probably just relax and get lazy~ And I want to become close to kids outside of Suiran too, so~ While my eyes swam about in a corner, I somehow managed to wring that out. Hm~mm. Oniisama looked right at me for a while, but when I began to pout, I got it, I got it. Lets go with that then. After giving me two pats on the head, Oniisama smiled. So youll be understanding, Oniisama? But you know, Reika. Oniisama brought his face close to my ears. When people lie, they look to the top right, you know. And then with a smile, Oniisama said Well then, good night. before returning to his own room. *imouto* Eh-, what was that just now? Gosh, what a scary 13 year old. Why does he know something like that? Could it be that the kind and gentle Oniisama is actually a crafty type? Like, what if he knew how to see through lies to hide his own lies. Oniisama, please stay as my mental oasis. Anyway, from now on Ill be careful when I lie *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 6 Again, let it be noted that healing or soothing is a very, very common term in j.a.panese for things that sooth the heart, whether through gentleness or cuteness. Also fujoshi = women that enjoy imagining BL pairings, and literally means rotten woman. Its a pun/h.o.m.ophone for lady with cla.s.sDŮӣ. In the end, the plan was for me to attend cram school starting the end of the summer holidays in September. Not only is it a clean time to join, but it matches up with the schedule of the curriculum too. Theres still two months until September, but I wont say anything greedy. As youd expect theyd be suspicious if I insisted on going right this moment after all. I sure am looking forward to it. *imouto* But first is summer break! As a wealthy primary school, they didnt give us any dull holiday homework like writing an observation diary of a morning glory. Although I actually quite like raising morning glories and sponge gourds and the like. Tsk. Where are you going during the summer break, Reika-sama? Also, since the summer holidays are a few weeks long, the entire school is excited. Follower #1, Serika-chan seemed to be really looking forward to it, just like Follower #2 Kikuno-chan was. And of course I was too! I am going to Tahiti with my family. My, how lovely! Beaches really are the best in summer, arent they! Ive already bought a new swim suit, so Ill show them the swimming skills of the j.a.panese! As soon as the holidays begin, my family is going to our holiday home. After that, is Hawaii. Hearing Serika-chan say this, Kikuno added, My family is going to Hawaii as well! Perhaps well meet over there! Eeh-, really!? Their eyes sparkled at the unexpected coincidence, and began comparing their itineraries and destinations. Looking across the cla.s.sroom, all my other cla.s.smates were excitedly talking about their travel plans as well. People often say that the moments leading up to the trip are the most fun, but it really does look like it. You just look forward to it so much. But from what I hear, almost all of them are going overseas. Apparently this school doesnt have any kids that go to the beach at Chiba or Kanagawa In my old life, they were my familys standard beach trip spots. Aah, I miss the grilled corn that I ate at Bousou in Chiba. -drools- Speaking of which, have you heard? They say that Kaburagi-sama is going to the Mediterranean sea. Serika-chan whispered with a smile, like she saved that best bit for last. Hmm, the Mediterranean huh. Ill bet theyre going to stay at a hotel owned by the Kaburagi Group, and spend almost all of the holidays overseas. I dont think Ill be able to handle not seeing his face for a whole month. Serika-chan spoke happily about Emperor, and then spoke sadly about not being able to meet him. To that, Kikuno-chan replied, Ill bet hes going together with Enjou-sama. Aah, if only I could go to the Mediterranean with those two. These two have a good grasp of Kaburagis information even though theyre in different cla.s.ses. As expected of the fan network. You two sure are informed. I praised, but they told me that it was natural to know at least that much. Is that how it is? But still, Enjou Shuusuke is going on vacation with Emperor? Those two sure have been getting along from way back, huh. In you are my dolce, Enjou Shuusuke was a character introduced as Emperors childhood and current friend, and supported the protagonists romance with Emperor. There were few people who could speak with Emperor on even terms, and one time when the protagonist and Emperor had a disagreement, Enjou Shuusuke even rebuked him. Unlike Emperor with his cold and overpowering atmosphere, Enjou who always mediated with a soft smile was popular as a soothing character amongst the readers. And amongst the more rotten women, he was treated as Emperors bride But when it came to anybody who tried to harm his friend the Emperor, he became quite harsh. There were even times when he was harsher than Emperor, huh~ And of course Kisshouin Reika was an enemy to him, and occasionally she would be brutally cut down. Even now I sometimes see them together in the Pet.i.te Pivoine or the hallway, and it seems that their relationship is already just like the mangas. If I recall, they were supposed to have attended kindergarten together as well. If its just the faces, I was in Team Enjou. In the coloured ill.u.s.trations he had honey-coloured hair, and was just like a prince. When I first enrolled and I saw his black hair, boy was I shocked. Was that honey dyed!? Was that hair colour non-natural!? I thought. But that makes sense I guess. He wasnt a half-j.a.panese character, so of course he couldnt have that hair colour. Did he dye his hair at some point? Did he suddenly have a honey-dyed make over? What did everyone around him think? Ill be looking forward to seeing what happens, while smirking inside a little. Speaking of which, is hair dye okay in this school? *imouto* The Pivoine is going to have their customary summer party. In the end, its mostly for the real Pivoine, and we Pet.i.tes are just tagging along. But since they sent us invitations as well, lately the salons been filled with talk about the party. The girls have been talking about what dresses theyre going to wear. And as for me, Im looking forward to it too. I mean, it sounds so fun, right!? Picture it; a dazzling hall with Oneesamas in beautiful dresses, being escorted by all the Oniisamas. And in the middle of the hall are people doing the waltz. Just watching it alone sounds fun! The drawings in the manga were gorgeous too. The protagonist got bullied by Kisshouin Reika and the followers though I ended up remembering something nasty. Well, whatever. Lets get back in gear and think about fun things. I heard that Kaburagi Masaya wont be in j.a.pan this year, so while hes gone Ill enjoy the Pivoine! *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 7 The trip was fun. When I saw the blue sea in front of the hotel, my mood shot up. Naturally we stayed at suite rooms. I was in a suite with Oniisama, with separate bedrooms on either side of the living room. My parents went sunbathing on the beach and to beauty salons and stuff, and almost never went to the beach. Ridiculous. Going to the beach and not swimming? What on earth are you doing here! At times like this Im glad I have an older sibling. He can act as both my guardian as well as somebody I can drag to the beach as my playmate. I invited Oniisama to the beach from the very morning, and indulged myself in the sea. I did stuff like snorkeling, as well as clinging to Oniisamas shoulders and swimming like a baby turtle. Oniisama is actually already in his second year of middle school, so he should have actually found it boring to play with his little sister though. Maybe he actually wanted to invite his close friends like Kaburagi Masaya did, but in that case I would be myself, so he probably held back. I got a little ahead of myself and started swimming boldly. Well, even professionals make mistakes, so I drowned a little, but Oniisama came to save me in a panic. That was a good memory too. I did put on sunscreen, but I turned pitch black anyway, so Okaasama was like The Scream when she saw me. After coming back from the trip and basking in the good memories, I also had more piano lessons and concentrated for the autumn recital, as well as other lessons as well, and also going to family gatherings and stuff too, and because each and every day just seemed to have something planned, I spent all my time busily, and before I knew it the holidays were almost over and the summer party was just ahead. *imouto* Reika, are you ready? Having finished his preparations first, Oniisama waited for me by my room. Yeees! Today was my first summer party, so I was being escorted by Oniisama, a middle section Pivoine member. How rea.s.suring. Your dress is cute. It suits you well. Is that a real flower in your hair? Ehehe. Geez, Oniisama. What a silver tongue you have. I also quite like this dress. When I first saw this sherbet green flare dress in the shop, I was taken by it at a glance. Its summer-ey, and really cute. I bought it before the trip so I thought Isnt my atmosphere kind of ephemeral? Muhuhu. when it went with my pale skin, but because of this unexpected tan the image has gone a bit off. But still, isnt this child-like healthiness also quite good? Okaasama had gone to buy this dress with me. She looked a little crestfallen when she saw me just now, but Ill pretend I didnt see that. I had my hair done at a salon, and in place of a hair accessory I had a fresh white flower placed in. Aah, I feel like a princess. Im really starting to feel like a stylish girl. Honestly, I cant stop my smirking anymore, you know? I mean Im wearing my favourite dress, and Ill be going to the summer party! But this kind of smile isnt very ladylike, so I need to be careful. Still, my cheek muscles wont listen to me. -smirk smirk- Shall we go then? Yes! A car was taking us all the way to the hotel venue, so I was fine even with these heeled sandals on. Aah, Im so excited~ Hey, hey, Oniisama. Wont you tell me about the summer party? Again? Didnt I talk about it just recently? Were almost there, so you can see it for yourself. Oniisama gave a wry smile, but I couldnt help it. I just really want to know. I feel bad for making Oniisama have the same conversation over and over again though. The meeting place was a hall on the first floor in a hotel in the middle of the city, and the room faced a private garden so you could relax on the terrace. According to Oniisama, there was a really pretty rose arch in that garden. Its a garden I think youd like, Reika. he said. The summer party usually began during the evening, but given how late the summer sun set, it was apparently possible to enjoy the garden in both the sunlight and the night lights. We must definitely go to the garden! Okay? Yes, yes. The food is being served as stand-up buffet, but there are also tables and chairs for people who want to sit down and eat properly. But most people attended to socialise, so n.o.body actually sat down to eat a lot, Oniisama said. What a waste~ Its cuisine from a high-cla.s.s restaurant too! When I was planning on going to a buffet in my past life I would fast all day so that I could eat to my hearts content, too I mean, in my mind buffet = eat until you die! after all Speaking of which, I often went with my friend to dessert buffets, didnt I. Each time I went with the goal of conquering every dish they offered, but not once did I get around to them all, huh~ I wonder if everybody is doing well Reika? Hah-! No good, no good. I went into my own little world. Id better make sure not to think about anything unnecessary. Its exciting, isnt it, Oniisama. After all, Im Kisshouin Reika now. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* In case you guys arent familiar with the imagery, something like a baby turtle is basically a small thing on top of a bigger version of itself. This is because some species of turtle carry their baby/babies on their back. Its really cute when theres just one. Ah, and is a type of beauty in j.a.pan thats delicate, very fair-skinned, slender like a willow, and generally softer in expression and more subdued in demeanour. Chapter 8 People were already gathering at the hall. Fuwahh~ A stupid sound escaped me because of how moved I was. The hall was overflowing with Oneesamas in fluttering dresses of various colours. Together with the vivid rings of flowers decorating the hall here and there, the room was like a sea of flowers. Although the Oniisamas werent dressed as gorgeously as the Oneesamas, they were dreamy in their formal attire too. Hahh, so this is the Pivoine Summer Party that everybody adores. Its like everything is glittering! To begin with, almost all the guests here were students from Suiran, so the place was filled with youth. Ive been to various parties as the daughter of the Kisshouin family before, but they were focused around the Ojisamas and Obasamas of the upper cla.s.s, so they just stressed me out and werent fun at all. Because I was still a child, I tried my best to avoid going. Apparently my parents wanted to bring me with them though. Reika? Are you okay? Oh gosh. Did I leave my mouth open? I hurriedly put my fallen ojousama mask back on. I am fine, Oniisama. But please make sure to stay by my side, okay? Although we were only supposed to be lightly linking arms, I was firmly wrapped around. Sorry if it gets your jacket wrinkly, Oniisama. But if I let my guard down, Im confident that Ill end up lost while my eyes are glued on something. Look, Oniisama. Everything is sparkling so radiantly. Isnt it just the reflections from the chandelier? Its thanks to the calculated lighting. Please dont pour cold water over a maidens dreams. *imouto* Now that the party had begun, everybody was chatting and smiling with a gla.s.s in hand, so I quickly invited Oniisama to come look at the rose arc with me. I wish to see it before the sun sets! You recommended it to me, didnt you? Yes, yes. Oniisama escorted me out onto the terrace and furthest back in the garden with a small white fountain and tables sets There it was! A rose arch! Its even cuter than I imagined! The arc decorated with red roses was tied by ribbons of white chiffon, and blowing in the wind made it look like a wedding veil. And at the top was a bell! I want to ring it! Oniisama! Could it be that its one of those bells that grants you happiness if you ring it!? I wonder. I havent heard that, but You want to ring it? Uu- With such a cute bell, anybody would want to ring it, right!? I wonder if I cant. There are lots of people around me, after all. Would I look like a b.u.mpkin? Come. Oniisama took me by the hand and brought me in front of the arch. Excuse me. It seems that my younger sister would like to ring the bell. Would that be all right with you? Oniisama spoke to the senpai closest to the bell. The senpai happily gave the spot to us, and Oniisama urged me forward. But. With all these people watching now, ringing it needs courageD! Oniisama sure has guts~ But they went out of their way to give me this chance. I guess Ill take advantage of everyones good will and ring it? Its embarra.s.sing by myself, so Ill do it together with Oniisama. Oniisama was making a complicated expression, but I wont mind it. When the two of us rang the bell, somebody said My, its like a pair of newlyweds at their wedding. and Oniisama made an even more complicated expression. Dont mind it. Apparently girls from the primary section saw me happily ringing the bell because they gathered here and wanted to ring it too. Right? Right? I knew it. Everyone actually wanted to ring it. Its because I did the embarra.s.sing thing of going first that they had the courage to do so, right? Good job, me. After having my fill of the rose arch I returned inside to find that people in the middle of the room were dancing the waltz! Party! Waltz! Oniisama, Sensing something from me, Oniisama averted his face and tried to head to the buffet corner. But he had his armed linked to the unmoving me. Oniisama, its the waltz. Dont wanna. An immediate reply? As a daughter of the upper cla.s.s, I take ballroom dance cla.s.ses as well. Apparently Oniisama isnt taking them now, but of course he took them in the past. Since he went to the trouble of learning it, wouldnt he want a chance to put it to use? Otherwise what did he learn it for, right? After ringing the bell on the rose arch Ive been on an odd sort of high. Normally Id be too embarra.s.sed to decide to dance of my own accord. Just one song, Oniisama. Okay? Okay? Please say yes. Its to make good memories for your cute little sister. Hahh Oniisama gave a big sigh before dropping his head dejectedly. Just one song, okay? YAYYYY! *imouto* The orchestras song flowed through the hall. One, two, three. One, two, three. Straightenn your back. Dontt lower your arms. Now! One, two, three. One, two, three. While recalling my teachers lessons, I span around, and around. The chandelier up on the ceiling sparkled with light. The hem of my favourite dress danced in the air. Aahh, this is so much fun. Its like a dream. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 9 In j.a.panese, you refer to other peoples family members by their t.i.tle. Like, How is Okaasan? means How is your mother?. -san and Otouto-san are standard polite-ish ways of referring to other peoples younger siblings. We finished the one dance we agreed on, and as I was thinking about how fun that had been, my gaze clicked in place with someone elses. And in that instant, I turned to stone. I tripped on my own legs because of the shock and almost fell, and then Oniisama immediately caught me, but more importantly, WHY IS KABURAGI MASAYA HEREDDDD!! Even though they werent supposed to be in j.a.pan for the entire holiday, standing right here were Kaburagi Masaya and Enjou Shuusuke. How long have they been there? How much did they see? Werent you two supposed to be in the Mediterranean? Its because I thought you werent in j.a.pan! Its because I was relieved that you wouldnt be here that I casually did something eyecatching as being the only little kid dancing here! If I knew you guys were gunna come I definitely wouldnt have stood out so much! Reika? Calm yourself. Calm yourself. For now lets leave aside the reason why theyre here even though theyre not supposed to be, and figure out how to naturally leave the area. First Ill remove my gaze from those cursed eyes, and undo the Petrification spell. Naturally, naturally GYAH-! Even though I was supposed to move just my eyes, my neck turned by itselfD! Doesnt this look like I turned my head in scorn now? Will he think Im picking a fight with him!? Cant be helped. Whats already been done cant be helped. Ill just naturally leave the area. GYAH-! My knees wont bend! Im walking like a soldier nowD! Maybe those cursed eyes attacked my brain because I cant stop all these involuntary movements. Aahh, what do I dooo? Reika, are you listening? ReikaD Anyway, I need to slip into the crowd and disappear, or else. Ill make a beeline for the drink corner since it has the most people. [Monotone:] I am not particularly paying any special attention to you, all right? My throat has simply become parched from the dancing, and I have begun to desire a drink. [Monotone:] Indeed. That is simply it. [Monotone:] You, over there. May I have some juice? Reika! Somebody struck me on the back and dispelled the Confusion spell. Aahh, I went completely weird just now. Thanks for returning my sanity, Oniisama. Casting both Confusion and Petrification at once. As expected of a last boss. Whats wrong? Youve been a little strange. Mn, Im more aware of that than anyone. Oniisama, I am going to make a small trip to the restroom. I want to be alone for a little to reset myself. I want to hole up in the toilet and calm myself down. All the reflecting I need to do comes after that. Are you okay? Are you not feeling well? Should I have somebody go with you? No, I am fine. Hmm, but Perhaps I was being pretty suspicious because Oniisama seemed to be worried. Im sorry for worrying you, Oniisama. Sup, Takateru. Imari. With good timing, somebody who seemed to be his friend called out him, so Ill leave while I can. It is nice to meet you. I am his sister, Reika. Oniisama, I will be fine by myself, so please excuse me for a little. Giving friend-san a quick bow, its now time to GO! Whats wrong with -chan? She seemed to be in quite a hurry. Ahh, the toilet. Dont say it! *imouto* I rushed into the dressing room, and after entering a private room, I collapsed onto the seat. HaahDD. I suddenly felt tired. It was like the excitement from just now had been a lie. That surprised me. Why were they here? Was that stuff about them staying in the Mediterranean all holiday just nonsense? I even heard at the Pet.i.te Pivoine that they were going to miss out on the summer party. Still, that expression. It suure was scary. It was like he saw me happily dancing the waltz and thinking, What the h.e.l.l is this girl doing?. I definitely came off as some ugly chick who thought of herself as hot stuff! If I knew he was going to come, I wouldnt have gotten ahead of myself and waltzed! *imouto* Hey, Masaya-sama was there, wasnt he. Wasnt he supposed to be skipping this party? While I was in the pits of depression, I heard the voices of some girls who were probably older than me. I think they might be from the middle or high school section. Right. He was actually supposed to spend the whole holiday overseas, but I heard he came back early enough to make Yurie-samas birthday. My, is that so? My younger sister was making a huge fuss about Masaya-sama being there. But with Yurie-sama as the rival, she really doesnt stand a chance. Huhu! Isnt it still too early to say? Shes your own sister, so you need to cheer for her. It looks like there are lots of rivals though. True. My, Maika-sama. Gokigenyoh. Gokigenyoh. Apparently they stopped talking because yet another acquaintance came in, but with this, the mystery was solved. So it was Yurie-samas birthday! Suzushino Yurie-sama is Emperor and Enjous four years elder childhood friend, and shockingly, Emperors first love. In you are my dolce, Yurie-sama was a dignified and radiant beauty who was admired by all the girls in Suiran. Kisshouin Reika admired her as well. Since Reika also admired Yurie-sama who detested the unjust, I dont think it wouldve hurt if she learnt from her example a little, but Reika was a villainess character, so I guess it cant be helped? How pitiful, Reika And so, Emperor loved her up until high school, but Yurie-sama had always thought of him as just a little brother. In the end his love ended in an honourable defeat, and there was also a scene where he lashed out at the protagonist to vent, but before long his interest in the protagonist turned into love, and he completely got over his first one. But even so, Yurie-sama was a childhood friend who was like an older sister, and as a special existence to Emperor. Being a person filled with independence, when she graduated from university she stood her ground against her parents, and when she decided on her own to go overseas to look for work in an American company, Emperor lent his help in convincing them. When Yurie-sama was about to leave for America, he said If you have any trouble, contact me. Ill definitely come to your side no matter where you are, Yurie. and the readers remembered her as somebody who would always be special to him. When the protagonist saw this, she did get nervous and say Is he actually still in love with Yurie-san? though. Being who she is, if Yurie-sama had a birthday, of course he came back. I understand it now. Even in the Pet.i.te Pivoine, whenever he speaks to Yurie-sama he always breaks into a smile after all. He always goes Yurie, Yurie, and tries to get her attention doesnt he. First love, huhh? It sure is bittersweet. Mmn, but that love never bears fruit, does it. Aah, how sad. Considering how I sneakily observe those two and get all excited about somebody elses love affairs, my personality is pretty bad, isnt it. But wellll, at any rate, I now know why Kaburagi Masaya is here when he isnt supposed to be. Theres no use crying over spilt milk. I cant change the fact that he saw me doing the waltz. Lets forget about it. Ill consider this some dark history and sink it into the swamps of my heart. Mn. Upsie daisies. Now then, Ive probably worried Oniisama as well, so Ill head back. I spent too long in the toilet, didnt I. What am I going to do if they get the wrong impression, and my honour as a maiden is besmirched? Should I really drive in the fact that my stomach is completely fine? *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 10 Tsukemono are a j.a.panese pickle used as a side dish. Also j.a.panese apparently have a dish thats basically leftovers and bread. Sometimes its eaten like a sandwich, but recently(ish) they have taken to selling it as its own dish, and baking various ingredients into the dough itself. With the summer break over, I entered term two and began going to cram school like I had hoped. Oniisama used to go here so it should be quite good. Apparently its a really high level cram school, filled with students from private schools and high level national schools. Completely different from the cram school I went to in my old life, which had but flyers going for it At the moment were only learning j.a.panese and arithmetic so following the lessons is no problem at all. Rather, this feeling of invincibility is amazing. Well, its just Year 1 work after all. It would be a problem if I didnt understand. One of the reasons I wanted to go to cram school was of course in preparation for my future, but it was the other reason that was the important one. Eating sweets. I do go to a few different lessons, but the Kisshouin chauffeur takes me to all of them. They drop me off in front of the cla.s.sroom before the lessons begin, and pick me up in front of the cla.s.sroom when the lesson ends. Indeed! I have no time to move about freely! To begin with, I cant even walk outside alone. Somebody is always by my side. But thats troubling. Why its troubling is because I cant buy sweets to eat. If you want to laugh at me for my gluttony, go ahead and laugh. However! Each and every day, the sweets I get are all high cla.s.s, and even my meals are always a menu like some high cla.s.s restaurants. I am thankful, you know? It really is delicious, you know? But this commoners tongue from my old life wants junky snack food. It wants to eat simple stuff like tsukemono on plain rice. It wants to eat leftovers baked into bread! And so I started thinking. Wouldnt it just be fine if I just went to a lesson where I didnt have an attendant? Cram school has a j.a.panese cla.s.s, and then an arithmetic cla.s.s; between those two cla.s.ses is breaktime, you see. Couldnt I use that time to sneak out and secretly buy snacks? I thought. If possible, I wanted the cram school to be close to a convenience store. If I sneak out too often, the teachers at cram school might find it a problem and report it to my parents, so I need to be careful when doing so. Ill only buy things small enough to fit between my cram textbooks and into my bag. No way will I ever get greedy and try buying something as big as potato chips. Even small packets are bulky because of the air in them. And one day Ill buy onigiri too. Whenever I started daydreaming about that, it became impossible to stop. Thats why I wanted to go to cram school no matter what. There was a convenience store about 2 or 3 minutes walk from the cram school that Oniisama used to go to. How splendid. I was a newcomer, and on top of that a student from the famous Suiran, so I couldnt slip out due to the attention at first. I go to cram school once a week now, and it was two months since I started attending that I was able to somehow sneak out to the convenience store *imouto* The first thing I bought were two Tirolian chocolates and caramel. I obviously couldnt leave the cram school with my bag, so I was limited to buying things that I could fit into my pockets. We only get fifteen minutes break, so I had to hurry back. The following 2 hour lesson didnt sink in at all. When I returned home, the Tirolian chocolate that I secretly ate in my room tasted so nostalgic that I cried. I took care to slowly enjoy the other Tirolian chocolate and 8 caramel pieces as well. Cheap food, banzai. *imouto* *imouto* In autumn we have stuff like the athletics carnival or the Suiran presentation day so its busy. As for my private life, I have a piano recital as well. Its so hectic. Naturally, the two tops of our grade, Kaburagi and Enjou flourished at the athletics carnival. They even overwhelmed some uppercla.s.smen. Thanks to that, their fans increased, in the upper grades as well. Unfortunately I couldnt become our cla.s.s hero. Ill try my best in other fields. The Suiran presentation day is something like a cultural festival, so the place will be decorated with artwork created by the students, and well have a choir contest and a bazaar and stuff too. It was much harder to prepare for presentation day than the athletics carnival, and so in order to replenish my body, I would eat snacks at the Pet.i.te Pivoine in between preparations. Being able to eat sweets on school grounds really is a special privilege. Lately at the salon, its all been talk about the choir programme or the artwork that each cla.s.s has been creating. The cla.s.s artwork becomes harder as you go up a grade, so its tough. Apparently in the upper years of the primary section, they even create dioramas and stuff. Reika-san, today we have Pierre Evan macarons, you know. Will you eat some? Gosh. I definitely shall. This person is an Oneesama in Year 5, Minazuki Aira-sama. Unique for a girl in Suiran, she has short hair and a bit of a boyish appearance, and gives the impression of growing up to be the lead male-role actor in an all-female theatre troupe somewhere. Ever since Aira-sama saw me waltz with Oniisama at the summer party, shes been on good terms with me. Apparently seeing me try my very best to dance was cute. Im thankful that she feels that way. She said stuff like You have such a kind Oniisama. I sure am jealous. and although I didnt know where she got it from, she gave me a picture of Oniisama and I ringing the bell as a present. As it turns out, apparently an acquaintance of Aira-sama had been there to take the picture. They were a lovely couple, so I wanted to give them a picture later. apparently. Oniisama, theyve decided were a couple, you know? I had thought it was a needless and huge embarra.s.sment in front of Kaburagi Masaya and Enjou Shuusuke, but when one door shuts, another opens, huh. But theres just one very big problem with Aira-sama. That is Yurie. This limited-time macaron is delicious, you know. Right. Aira-sama is that Yurie-samas good friend. Mn, then perhaps Ill have just one more. What about you two, Masaya, Shuusuke? Ill have one. Hmm, I think Ill pa.s.s. The spot next to Yurie-sama is almost always occupied by I ? YURIE Kaburagi. And Yurie-sama and Aira-sama are close friends. And recently, theres been this undercla.s.sman that Aira-sama has taking a liking to; me. Im in a pretty dangerous position. Lord Emperor basically pays no attention to anybody but the people he has an interest in, so up until now hes been completely disregarding me. But one time when Enjou Shuusuke said Oh, arent you the girl from the summer party who did the waltz in the middle of the dance floor? and Emperor went Ah That time. and looked my way. Enjou Shuusuke, dont say unnecessary things! Masaya, are you making sure to properly help with your cla.s.s presentation? Well, I get around. Thats no good. You have to do it properly. Aahh Mn. Whats with that response? Im going to see you all the way to cla.s.s. You know what to do, right? I get it, already. You sure are noisy, Yurie. What was that!? Joking. Geez, sorry. You get angry so easily. I sneakily watched them as I munched on a macaron. Despite his abusive tongue, he looks quite happy, doesnt he. I see, I see. So thats what you like? Emperor is always smiling when he talks to Yurie-sama. Plenty of expressions, like a completely different person from that bored-looking and expressionless Emperor everywhere else. Geez, look, isnt he blushing too? Hey, your love is leaking outside, you know? While I was observing this incredibly funny Emperor, I met eyes with Enjou. Im sorry, I wont look anymore. Ill still be eavesdropping on their flirting though. Anyway, while all that was happening, my busy, but peaceful, autumn pa.s.sed by. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Unique for a girl in Suiran, she has short hair and a bit of a boyish appearance, and gives the impression of growing up to be the lead male-role actor in an all-female theatre troupe somewhere. I added in the all-female part because shes referring to the Takarazuka Revue, which English readers might not immediately understand. Chapter 11 In j.a.pan, the piano song, The Flea Waltz, is known as I stepped on a cat. Sometimes it comes with lyrics. Kisshouin Takateru I have a sister 7 years my junior. Lately shes been acting strangely. Because of her upbringing at the hands of my pampering parents, my sister was a wilful and brazen child. Because mother was always around her, mothers influence affected her tastes and thoughts, and she turned into a miniature version of mother. As I watched all this happen with slightly cool eyes, I thought, At this rate shes going to to turn out like those haughty rich girls at the school that I go to, isnt she. I do respect my parents, and I cherish my family too. But my parents, and the way they look down on people below them is just something I cant get used to. Even though, its those same people that they look down on who are the ones supporting our company, you know? Im the first son, and one day Ill take over the family and company. When it happens, I might oppose my fathers way of doing things. Anyway, about my sister. The girl that I thought was a miniature version of mother changed around the time she entered the primary section of my school. How do I say this, she turned into an idiot. In a good way. Should I call it innocent instead? And she seems to be sneakily up to something. Apparently her grades arent bad. Shes even diligently attending the lessons that she used to skip because she felt like it. Even though shes only six, she knows right from wrong now, and occasionally she even says things that would be difficult for a child her age. Seeing just this, you would think that shes a talented girl. But well, she really does do weird things on occasion, and I find it a little funny. Recently Ive taken to observing my little sister. My sister has always been attached to me, but recently her attachment has become quite intense. Whenever she sees me, her face lights up and she runs to me. Shes kind of like a puppy. Her invisible tail wags about. And well, shes being this open about her attachment to me, and shes my real sister after all, so as youd expect its quite adorable. And when Im kind to her because of it, she gets even more attached. The spot next to me on the sofa has basically become her default seat. One day she suddenly said that she wanted to go to cram school. She insisted that she wanted cram school, and not a tutor. The reason she gave was a fishy one. But that enthusiasm was real, so I just helped convince our parents a little, and she thanked me with a broad smile. When I questioned her a little because I felt like teasing her, as expected, her eyes began to swim. So she really did have some other motive. Well, thats fine though. When I told her that her eyes were giving her away, she stiffened enough that anybody could tell. My sisters reactions are really too interesting. Because she looked foolish with her mouth hanging open like a haniwa statue, I couldnt help but laugh. The next time she turns into a haniwa statue, maybe Ill try throwing candy into her mouth. I was telling the truth about her looking upwards to the right, but theres actually another habit that she doesnt even notice herself. When my sister tries to bluff through something with a smile, her dimples twitch. Its something Ive noticed because weve been spending more time together recently. Im pretty sure she has no idea herself. But Im not going to tell her. Its more interesting this way. On our summer trips so far, under my mothers influence, my sister would avoid the beach because she didnt want a tan. This year, that same girl ran to get there first. Perhaps she wanted to show off the results of swimming school, because she enthusiastically started swimming, but immediately drowned. It was such a perfect example of drowning that its a mystery why she was so confident. What the heck are you doing, little sister. I became worried about her after that so I was always keeping an eye on her. At some point she discovered the technique of climbing onto my back to make things easier. Because she conceitedly told me to go here and there while clinging to my back, I occasionally sank into a wave on purpose. She looked like an idiot being drenched by the waves, and was quite funny. When I apologised for not noticing, she told me that the wave was the bad one, not me. It really is true, what they say about stupid kids being cuter Even though up until last year, she almost never went to the beach, this year she did nothing but, and got darker and darker. I thought that mother was going to get angry later, so I told her to properly reapply her sunscreen, but she just said yep, yep and went back into the sea. As expected, she flew into a panic because of mothers shock at her black skin though. Thats why I told her. Honestly, what an idiot. I came back home one day, and found that my parents were out. When I headed to the piano room, I dont know why, but my sister was playing Der Flohwalzer, ridiculously happily. She even added Bun cha cha~ and weird lyrics like that, and cheerfully swayed her body to the music. But later that evening when mother asked her what she was doing, she nonchalantly said I practised my piano. The music set for my piano recital. Liar! What you played was Der Flohwalzer! When did that turn into the recital piece! When my sister is by herself, I have no idea what shes doing, but its incredibly suspicious. On Valentines Day, she was careful to check through the chocolates I brought home. She demanded that I show her our grade photo, but definitely not. She kept smirking at me. It was a little gross. I also got what was allegedly a hand-made chocolate from her, but because I was preparing for my year-end exams, I was hesitant to eat it. She insisted that it would be okay because she got one of the maids to help, so I found my determination and ate it but it didnt have any taste. What the heck is a tasteless chocolate. My sister waited for my impressions with a completely confident smile. For now, I just decided to tell her that it was delicious, and thanked her. I wonder if next years is also going to be hand-made year I have my high school section entrance exams as well, so if possible I want to find some skilful way of avoiding it. The clincher for her weird behaviour was this: One night, I woke up and went to get a gla.s.s of water. The door to my sisters room was a little open, and I could hear a weird voice from inside. Wondering what was going on, I peeked through the gap and found that in the room with only the bedlight on, sitting on the ground between the bed and closet with her back to me, was my sister, laughing eerily. I thought it was a youkai or something. Not realising I was there, my sister was muttering something as she laughed. It was scary, so I just quietly shut the door and went back to my room. I wonder if something weird has taken ahold of her. Ive decided to watch over her for now. And make sure to absolutely never go near her bedroom at night. Chapter 12 Escalator schools are j.a.panese (usually private) schools that have a.s.sociated sections. For example, it might have everything from primary school to high school, meaning that unlike other high schools, there arent any tests to get in, and its easy to not get kicked out. In j.a.pan, getting into good middle schools or high schools involves testing, and schools where you just go straight up are thus compared to an escalator. I entered Year 3. In the primary section of Suiran, we change cla.s.ses in Years 3 and 5. The praying I did every night during spring break seemed to work because I ended up in a different cla.s.s to Emperor. I won against the 1:4 odds. Oniisama graduated from the middle school section and entered the high school section. Now that hes a high schooler he seems more busy than ever, and he spends even less time at home now. Thats no fun. Both Yurie-sama and Aira-sama graduated from the primary section and became middle schoolers. For some reason they suddenly looked a lot more mature once I saw them in their middle section uniforms, and I ended up feeling the difference between primary schoolers and middle schoolers. I wonder why. Its only been a month since summer break. Is it the magic of uniforms? Mm~mm, the middle section uniform sure is cute. Because Emperor visits a different salon to Yurie-sama now, his mood has been pretty bad. They say to leave sleeping dogs lie, so I decided just to watch. With such a dark aura around him, basically only Enjou can talk to him without a problem. As expected of Enjou. It would be absolutely impossible for me. When I look at how beautiful Yurie-sama is becoming, I can understand Emperors anxiety about their age difference though. When youre an adult, 4 years difference isnt a big deal, but to children its much too wide a gap. Theres no way a 1st year middle schooler could look at a Year 3 kid romantically, right? Maybe its because Emperor understands that quite well. Whenever theres a guy who tries to approach Yurie-sama, Emperor just silently threatens him with eyes filled with bloodl.u.s.t. From Yurie-samas point of view, she probably doesnt feel anything except a cute little brothers jealousy, which is yet another tragedy for him. Sometimes he goes to the middle school section to wait for her, apparently. What a loyal one you are, Emperor. *imouto* *imouto* Also, the cram school that Ive been attending since Year 1 had a few Suiran students enter. Suiran is an escalator school, so as long as you arent exceptionally bad, youll go straight up into the next section. Thanks to that, there isnt really any sense of crisis pushing the students to study. Whats more, almost everybody hires a private tutor instead of cram school. And despite all this, a number of Suiran boys started going to mine. It felt like the thing Id been dreading all along had finally came around. So you were going to this cram school too, Kisshouin-san. A boy from my Year 3 cla.s.s called out to me. Yes, well Um, would it be okay if I sat next to you? Please help yourself. I get it. That feeling when youre heading somewhere new for the first time, and while youre anxious about not knowing anybody, you suddenly spot an acquaintance. You unconsciously want to stay near them. Its rea.s.suring, right? Its relieving, right? But to me, its a terrible development. Some other guys are going to start going as well, but theyre going on different days to me. I thought I was going to be alone, but to think that Id find you here, Kisshouin-san. Ah, are you starting this year too? No, I have been attending since Year 1. Ehhh!? Really!? Thats surprising. I didnt know you were such a studious typ- ah, no, umm, Mn. I dont mind, so dont worry. As the de facto leader of the ojousamas at Suiran, I probably dont look anything like the studious type whod join a cram school in Year 1, right? I wished to attend because of Oniisamas influence. Well, I suppose Ill just give him a safe answer here. At some point I already had the label of brocon stuck to me after all. Wow, I see. By the way, how is this place? Is the work harder than the stuff at school? Hmm. This cram school is focused on preparations for entrance exams, so I suppose it is quite difficult after all. I seee. After that he asked me various other things as well, but naturally he was somebody who already knew me, so it got harder and harder to ask. Whats your name? that is. This sure is troubling. Even though hes being so friendly, if I told him that I didnt know his name, hed feel hurt, right? Isnt there some kind of hint? Ah-, I know. Cla.s.s is about to begin, so it would be best if you took out your exercise book. Have you taken a look at the contents of the textbook? Ah, youre right. After rummaging through his back, he took out his j.a.panese study books and placed them on the table. Lets see, lets see. The name written on the exercise book is ɽ(Aki-Sawa Tak.u.mi)-kun. Alright, got it. Im not sure if his surname is read Akizawa or Akisawa though. What cla.s.s did you end up in during the cla.s.s changes, Akisawa-kun? I casually emphasised that I already knew his name. Ah-, Kisshouin-san, you knew my name? I was sure that your group had no idea who I was. Um, Im in Cla.s.s 4. Also, my surname is read as Akizawa, not Akisawa. If you were thinking that I didnt know your name, then introduce yourself first, dammit. Here I was, worrying over whether a cla.s.smate would have his feelings hurt because I didnt know his name. Is this boy actually a bit of an airhead? Cla.s.s began before long, and brought an end to our conversation. The contents were a little difficult for a Year 3 cla.s.s, but for now Im still fine. Sitting next to me, Akisawa-kun, now known as Akizawa-kun, looked nervous, but he was trying his best to listen to the cla.s.swork and answer the questions in the exercise book. After that came break time. Aah, I was so nervous! Its a lot further ahead than our cla.s.ses at school, isnt it. Akizawa-kun stretched as he spoke to me like it was natural. Of course, right~? This was what I was afraid of. If a Suiran student entered my cram school, then naturally they would notice me. And then after that, they would pay attention to me. Either that, or like Akizawa-kun, they could come over to talk to me. I didnt expect that there would be someone so friendly from our first conversation though. But like this, it gets in the way of my original purpose of going to the convenience store! Aahhh~ I knew this would happen I think so too. In exchange, the cla.s.ses at school become easy though. I seee. Your grades have been good, havent they, Kisshouin-san. You didnt seem the type at all, you know. This boy really is an air-head. His tongue slipped. Do I appear that lax a person? I decided to give him a jab. Thats not what I meant! Umm, how do I say this, it felt like you lived in a different world to hardcore students, I guess? The girls around you are like that too. And also, youre a member of that Pivoine, after all. Well, thats true. Even amongst my peers, my family is quite powerful, so in a school that emphasises tradition, being descended from a n.o.ble family really gives you influence. Because of that, those kind of girls gather around me, and I naturally end up with the most intimidating group amongst all the girls. Everyone feels more like followers rather than friends, so its a little sad though. Rather than Reika-sama, it would be great if they called me Reika-chan, huh~ I wonder if I actually have any friends in that school Im pretty surprised! Kisshouin-san, youre hard to approach and I thought you wouldnt give me the time of day, but to think that youd be this easy to talk to. Akizawa-kun laughed happily. Mn, so I really am hard to approach after all. Do you think it would be okay if I sat next to you next week as well? I suppose I wont be able to go to the convenience store either way now, right? Whats more, there arent that many people I can talk to so closely. Yes, of course. I wonder if Akizawa-kun will become my friend. Chapter 13 I think everybody knows already, but j.a.panese schools go Primary: Years 1~6 Middle: First to Third Years High: First to Third Years Uni: First to Fourth Years(Generally) Uu huu~ Opening the box in front of me, I smirked. It was the middle of the night, and I was alone in my room. Theres a box I keep in the depths of my closet, and occasionally I take it out to examine the contents. Ive saved up quite a bit, havent I. Inside the box were rolls of banknotes. Im currently saving up money at home. In the Kisshouin family, the pocket money I get is an unthinkable amount going by my common sense. Each month (although its not like theres some set amount), I usually get x0,000 Yen from my parents. Its not money that youd be giving to a primary schooler as pocket money, right? If you give somebody this much money from their childhood, I dont think theyll grow into a decent adult. It seems like its in case I ever need money while hanging out with friends, but to begin with I go to lessons after school and basically never go out to play, so theres nowhere for me to use it. My family buys me what I need for school after all, and when I need something from outside, our chauffeur-c.u.m-helper goes out to buy it. Thanks to that, Ive done nothing but save it. Im keeping this money in case our house falls into ruin by some chance. I want it to help pay my tuition. But well, even I have something I want to buy in secret (mostly cheap sweets), so Ive decided on my own my monthly spending money. Its 500 Yen. I think this is about right for a primary schoolers pocket money. And the rest of the money, I place in this locked, and slightly largish jewellery box. It would be too weird for a little girl to want a safe, so while I was looking for something else with a lock, I came across this in a jewellery shop. Its small enough that a child can carry it in their two hands, and its perfect for putting notes into. Okaasama had come with me, and I immediately pestered her for it. Im sure everybody around me thought I was a little girl drawn to it because of how sparkly and pretty it was, but I chose it entirely for practical purposes. It was a miscalculation that she bought me a pink sapphire necklace to go along with it though. *imouto* That night, I tore out the soft velvet dividers without hesitation, and turned it into a normal rectangular box. And then, I took out all the notes Id been hiding in dictionaries until now, and moved them into the jewellery-box-turned-safebox. Just as expected, there was plenty of room left afterwards, and it looked like it would do just fine as a safe. I sure found something good. To make sure I absolutely dont lose the key, I keep it taped far inside my drawers. *imouto* And now, sometimes at night Ill take open it up and chuckle, like an evil governor looking at his urn of gold coins. One note, two notes U hu hu hu hu I cant stop the laughter. *imouto* *imouto* Although its still a bit vague, each time we go up a year, the caste divisions become clearer and clearer. The ones at the top are, naturally, the members of the Pivoine. There are only about 10 of them in each grade, so this never changes. As for the rest, the very fact that they entered Suiran during the primary section means that theyre all members of the upper cla.s.s to a degree, so the division into middle and bottom castes is more about the person themselves rather than how powerful their families are. The upper-middle caste are the followers of the upper caste, and behave conspicuously. The lower caste kids are all meek children who pa.s.s the time quietly. And as for me, Im the top member of the top faction amongst the girls. Thanks to that I dont get bullied or anything, but its saddening that the quiet kids are afraid of me. If I had to say it, Id prefer to spend my time leisurely talking to the meeker kids. Despite being children, the girls in my group are quite haughty already. Theyre all girls that would never ever buy cheap sweets from a convenience store. We have a few members of the Pet.i.te Pivoine too, so the group values tradition and social status. The followers are more proud of it than the actual Pivoine members are, so its pretty tiring. When I consider that one day they might catch me without my fake Ojousama mask, it sends chills down my spine. I cant hurt the honour of the Kisshouin family, so I smile along with my surroundings. Even though Im only a primary schooler, interpersonal relations are already pretty tough. While I was walking with those girls in tow as usual, I found Akizawa-kun coming down from the opposite side of the hallway. Noticing me, he smiled and was about to wave, but perhaps he was overpowered by the girls around me, because he averted his eyes and walked past me looking a little frightened. Uu, I knew it. A group of girls is scary, isnt it. But my group is particularly so. Im really sorry, Akizawa-kun. Recently weve always been getting along next to each other at cram school, so I finally thought Male Friend GET! but if he got scared of me and avoided me at cram school because of this, it would be really sad. Today when I go to cram school, Ill apologise. *imouto* Nah, dont worry about it. I ignored you too, so arent we even? When I got to cram school, I immediately said Sorry about making it hard to talk to me. Im sorry about ignoring you. but Akizawa-kun forgave me with a smile. What a good boy. It requires courage to call out to somebody amongst a crowd of girls, doesnt it. Yeah. And especially for your group, Kisshouin-san. Thought so. Akizawa-kun belongs to a group in the middle caste in our grade. He doesnt follow around somebody in the upper caste, but isnt meek like a lower caste either. Truly smack bang in the middle. As for me, I think being in that kind of the position seems the most fun and free, so Im envious of him. Do your friends know that I got to the same cram school as you? No. To begin with, I have not spoken about the fact that I attend one. Ah, I see. Would it be better not to say? Ive already told a few of my friends though. I am not particularly concealing anything, but Well, I suppose it might be better not to speak of it. I lied. Im totally hiding it. I mean, if I told somebody, what if they wanted to come as well? In that case, my original goal of going to the convenience store would be out of reach. Hmm~ Then maybe it would be better not to talk to you at school, Kisshouin-san. I wouldnt be able to explain why I knew you after all. I dont think it is necessary to go that far. It would be like shunning him, and Id feel bad. And also, because hes already here in cram school Ive already given up on the convenience store, so it isnt that much of a problem even if they find out Im going now. Mn, but well, I think its better like this. Youre kind of different at school after all. Oh? I am? Yeah. To begin with I was the one who spoke to you first. I didnt think youd be this easy to talk to. Like, I thought your att.i.tude would be a bit more like, Hmph. I dont want to be spoken to by the likes of you. Ehhhh!? Ahaha. Is that the kind of image I had? No, I mean, I did have a faint idea, but it really is a shock. Do I appear that unpleasant a person? Eh-? Sorry, did I hurt you? I didnt mean it in a bad way. Its just like, the Pivoine members are sort of in a different world to me, I guess. Your friends call you Reika-sama after all. Ahh Using -sama is just like gokigenyoh, and is something left behind in Suiran as a remnant of the past. Its particularly easy to be called -sama if youre a Pivoine member. Ah-, would it be better if I called you Reika-sama as well? Absolutely not. Well you never know without asking, he said with a laugh. Chapter 14 Uh, in j.a.panese you dont need to say I, I, for every little thing. They only occasionally use it. For that reason, even when mothers refer to themselves as Okaachan or sisters refer to themselves as Oneechan or this little girl here refers to herself as Riri, its nowhere near as annoying as in English. How it sounds in JA: Riri went to the shops today. (I) saw a great big bear, and (I) thought to (my)self, wouldnt this be perfect in Riris room? How it sounds in EN: Riri went to the shops today. Riri saw a great big bear, and Riri thought to herself, wouldnt this be perfect in Riris room? And so, like Ive done in Tileas worries and other translations, Im just going to go halfway. Youll get used to it in no time, I swear. >_> Summer break is a gathering of troublesome relatives. Naturally they bring children, or rather, sometimes I think children is all they have, but amongst the children is my natural enemy. Taka-niisama~ Ive missed you! Hugging my Oniisama was the daughter of my fathers younger sister, and a girl 1 year my junior, Kotou Ririna. In other words, my cousin. Riris wanted to meet you allll this time, but Taka-niisama, why didnt you ever come visit me? I was busy with school, you see. Ehhh~ But Riri wanted to meet you! In exchange, stay with Riri for all of today! Okay? Yeah. With Reika too, okay? Ririna finally looked this way after 100% ignoring me all this time. Ahh, Reika-san. So you were here. Gokigenyoh, Ririna-san. Of course I was. Right next to Oniisama! Didnt you purposefully push me away when you ran to hug Oniisama? d.a.m.nitt~ This girl isnt cute at all! Ririnas an only child, and she apparently wants an Oniisama, so shes always been clingy with my Oniisama. Incidentally, she apparently doesnt need an Oneesama (me). Hmph! Hey, Taka-niisamaa. Lets have a chat over there. Riri has plenty of things she wants to tell you. With that, she pulled my Oniisama away. With Oniisama taken away, I was suddenly by myself. Endure it, endure it. Im an adult. Im an adult. Its childish getting angry over a little girls selfishness. Its only for today after all, so it doesnt matter. Ill lend him to you. My Oniisama! Reika, you come too. Oniisama turned his head to call for me. Waa~hh, Oniisamaa! The enemy skilfully chose a two-seater sofa and secured the position next to Oniisama. The topic of conversation is nothing but Ririnas bragging. About where she went, the various things she bought, how she was praised at a recital And the kind Oniisama listened to her with a smile. Honestly, Riri wished she went to the same school as you, Oniisama. Then we could have been together. One of the requirements for the Suiran primary section is living somewhere less than an hour commute away, so Ririna couldnt get in. Honestly, Im relieved about that. Id absolutely hate to go to the same school as her. After that, Ririnas boasting continued. While completely ignoring my existence. When I first met Ririna, I was thinking of getting along with my younger cousin. But the moment she saw me, she registered me as an obstacle and enemy, so I gave up on getting along before long. Aahh, I got completely ignored and refused. At the very least I dont respond when she picks a fight, but I cant stop the sparks silently flying between our eyes. With his gentle and refreshing looks, and his gentle personality as well, naturally Oniisama is popular amongst the other children amongst our relatives as well. Children steadily started gathering around him, and Ririnas mood took a nosedive. She started glaring in every direction. Amongst them were distant relatives in middle and high school, who were Ririnas biggest rivals. There were those who genuinely dreamt of Oniisama, but some of them might have also been spurred on by their parents, because they looked like they were aiming to become the wife of the Kisshouin heir. Takateru-sama, it has been a while. Do you remember me? Of course I do, Kasumi-san. Ive looked forward to meeting you as well, Takateru-sama. I see. Thank you very much, Maya-sama. It seems youre doing well. Hey! I was talking to Taka-niisama! Dont b.u.t.t in! Ririna clung to Oniisamas arm and barked at them. I see youre the same as always, Ririna-san. Dont trouble Takateru-sama so much. Huh! Theres no way that Riri is troubling Taka-niisama! Taka-niisama loves Riri! Dont say whatever you want! Go away already! Ririna became really irritated. In the end they could have just ignored it as the nonsense of a child, but everybody was more or less troubled by her normally selfish behaviour and many found it irritating. Given how often Ririna tries to monopolise the precious Oniisama, she often b.u.t.ts heads with the older girls who dont back down. Takateru-sama, there is some summer homework that I dont understand. Could you please teach me? Hahh? Go ask your tutor or cram school! n.o.body was speaking to you. Takateru-sama, is it no good? Mm~mm, well, just a little is fine. I guess well do it together with anybody else who has problems. Taka-niisama! You didnt bring any homework, Ririna-san? Then perhaps you should go read a picture book somewhere. What was that!? Im not at the age where I read picture books anymore! The smaller kids were frightened by their fighting, so Ill call them over and play with some toys prepared in advance. Fights between women are scary so I immediately retreated from the frontlines. Oniisama, try your best. Now then, should we go with something easy like playing cards? Calm down, Ririna. You can stay by my side, but only if you behave, okay? But Taka-niisama! Youre Riris Taka-niisama! Why do we have to be with these people!? Apparently Ririna couldnt endure the fact that she couldnt monopolise him. Riris Taka-niisama, you say? Takateru-sama has a proper young sister in Reika-sama. Takateru-sama is Reika-samas Oniisama. Ah-, the taboo words. After hearing the number one thing she didnt want to be told, Ririna trembled in mortification then for some reason sharply glared my way. Whoa, whoa, its not like I said it, right? I definitely wont forgive you lot! Ill tell Okaasama on you! After screaming that, Ririna flew out of the room with a bright red face and teary eyes. Ill talk to Ririna, so everybody, please study first. Saying that, Oniisama chased after Ririna, and everyone left behind started to complain at once. Whats with that girl. Even selfishness should have its limits. Shes being spoilt because Takateru-sama is kind. Whenever theres something she doesnt like, she immediately thinks she can just go tell her parents! It was an explosion of displeasure at Ririna stealing away their long awaited chance to get close to Oniisama. With that girl treating Reika-sama as an enemy, even Reika-sama must be angry, right? Right, right. Just now she was clearly ignoring Reika-sama, wasnt she. Oop, the conversation turned my way. Well, by no means does she visit each and every day, so I personally do not mind. Ririna-san must be lonely from being an only child. Ill give a safe reply just in case. If I joined in on their badmouthing here, thingsll probably get annoying later. Although the girls seemed dissatisfied that I didnt join in, even without me, they began a huge Ririna Badmouthing Festival. Scary. Ririna really is younger after all, so honestly I should be trying to persuade them to stop, but no matter how much I think I cant come up with any good points about her, so Ill just pretend I didnt hear anything. This is exactly why family gatherings are so tiring. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 15 Autumn was busy as usual with the Athletics Meet and the Learning Presentation, you see. Emperor who was the anchor for the baton relay, managed the shocking achievement of pulling the cla.s.s from last place to 1st place, so its been really noisy with the squealing of the girls. *imouto* *imouto* It was a shame about your cla.s.s wasnt it, Akizawa-kun. Akizawa-kuns cla.s.s had been 1st place until Emperor overtook them. Whats more, Akizawa-kun was the anchor. We were up against Kaburagi-kun so it cant be helped. Maybe it might have been different if Enjou-kun had joined in though. The truth is, Akizawa-kun and Enjou are actually in the same cla.s.s. This time Enjou injured his leg before the Athletics Meet or something, so he couldnt partic.i.p.ate in the baton relay or any of the other main events. But you were the anchor, so you are fast too, arent you. As I recall, you partic.i.p.ated last year as well, did you not? I only got chosen as the anchor right as it started though, thanks to Enjou-kuns injury. But running isnt a bad feeling. When we enter the middle school section, I want to join the track and field club. Oh, I see. I havent thought as far as middle school yet. To begin with, I guess there isnt anything I want to particularly do. Maybe if I had to say something, then eating a lot of cheap sweets? Uu-&h.e.l.lip; Im talking about myself here, but its pretty bad&h.e.l.lip; You were part of the ball-toss game, right, Kisshouin-san? Yes. I was first place. Since ball-tossing was something he could do even with a busted leg, Enjou joined in. Though, with him there, the girls in his cla.s.s were more interested in getting close to him than the ball-tossing, and a whole different kind of compet.i.tion began. Because of that, Akizawa-kuns cla.s.s did really badly. Giving all that a small glance, I diligently continued to toss the b.a.l.l.s into the nets, and turned into a ball-tossing machine. Since Im not all that great with sports I wouldnt have been able to help in the other events, so I had just wanted to try my best in ball-tossing at least. Im more than satisfied with 1st place in ball-toss. For a while after the Athletics Meet, all these girls kept barging into Kaburagi-kuns cla.s.s to see him, didnt they? The uproar was really intense, huh? Apparently Kaburagi-kun got angry in the end though. Indeed. But that uproar is an annual occurence. Girls are always in an uproar around Kaburagi Masaya, but after events like athletics meets, the magnitude is on a different level. And he flips out each year as well, so I kind of think they should just learn their lesson already, but apparently a maiden in love cant be stopped. The uproar on each Valentines Day is also a sight to see, isnt it. Yeah, that was pretty crazy too! There was even a line of girls in the corridor waiting to give him chocolates, and it ended up as this mountain on his table, you know? Wow, it was crazy~ Someone like me only gets chocolate from Mum, Oneechan and my childhood friend. I understand. I too, only gave chocolates to Otousama and Oniisama. Starting two years ago, I started giving handmade chocolates to Otousama and Oniisama. This year Oniisama tried to be polite about it and told me It must have been difficult for you to make it yourself, so just buying me chocolate is fine, okay? but how could there possibly be too much time or effort for my beloved Oniisama! And whats more, this year has the all-important exams for the high school sec(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});tion, so I stuffed my prayers for his success into the chocolate as well, along with my love for him. And Oniisama seemed to find it delicious too, so Im super pleased. Since he seemed so happy about it, Ill definitely try my best next year as well. Oh? You didnt give Kaburagi-kun any chocolate, Kisshouin-san? Eh-? Why would I? What the heck? What a disturbing idea. No, I mean, I thought for sure that you were in love with him too. Definitely not. I accidentally gave a blunt denial. This isnt a joke. Just who the heck would pursue such a dangerous romance. I see. Ah-, could it be that its Enjou-kun? That is also not the case. Um, seriously though. Why are those two the only choices? To begin with, I dont like popular people. Looking at them objectively theyre certainly cool, but if theyre so popular theres gunna be too many rivals, and its just scary. Mm~mm&h.e.l.lip; But romance, huh&h.e.l.lip;? Thinking about it, Ive never had a crush on anybody in this world. Maybe its still too early for me. In my old life, my first love was my older cousin, wasnt it. Geh-! Arent I just like Ririna then? But I dont think I was such a troublesome child&h.e.l.lip; If I remember correctly, we went kite-flying on new years and he played with me, so I liked him because he was kind to me. The fact that he wasnt rowdy like the boys in my grade gave him a lot of points. In my old life, when I was in primary school the boys in my grade would do stuff like play hockey with the broom sticks and accidentally hit girls with the ball, or have milk-chugging compet.i.tions (which I still dont understand), or steal the sweets that I brought with me on excursions and even tell me Its cause you keep eating stuff like this that youre a fatty, you knooow! as they walked off with them, so they really were just a bunch of idiots. What do you mean fatty, you stupid brats! My size at the time wasnt fat yet, it was plump! I was just a bit round. When it snowed, I packed some snow into a rock of a s...o...b..ll and pegged it at those fools. And then immediately hid. They were super mad because they didnt know who did it. Serves them right. Thanks to that, although there arent any big idiots like that in Suiran, thanks to the shining presences of Kaburagi and Enjou in our grade, unfortunately the impressions left by the other boys in our grade are weak. Although I think once we get a bit older and their own individuality starts to bloom, therell be a few other popular guys in their own right. Endure until then, unfortunate boys. But still, kind boys, huh? When it comes to boys who are kind, I know basically Oniisama and&h.e.l.lip; I stared at Akizawa-kun next to me. Eh-? What? Akizawa-kun is a nice kid too, isnt he. At cram school hell talk to me without reserve, and I get the feeling that Im more myself around him than when Im with any of the girls at school. And the other day when I was going home, he opened the door for me. Hes a gentleman. His face and brown hair remind me of a squirrel, so hes cute. Um, Kisshouin-san? Did I do something? No, nothing of the sort. I smiled to blow things over. Akizawa-kun is a kind and very good kid, but for some reason I can only think of him as a good friend. Friendzone. I think I can kind of see his future Having no idea of the stupid things I was thinking about, Akizawa-kun took out the learning materials with a smile. &h.e.l.lip;Sorry, Akizawa-kun. Chapter 16 I became a 4th year, and it was around the time that the weather was starting to grow warm that it happened. A boy from another school confessed to Yurie-sama. The news arrived just as school ended, and Kaburagi Masaya was in the Pet.i.te Pivoine salon. I had been killing time in the salon to wait for my lessons to begin, so I was present to witness the moment that a human transformed into the devil. Enjou chased after Kaburagi who had made a mad dash out of the salon, leaving the rest of us who were left behind, wondering if it was okay to talk about it. After some silently exchanged glances, it seemed that we all decided just to wait it out and see. The result was that the student from the other school was instantly taken down by the sprinting Emperor. The Emperor had Yurie-sama board his car, and the two of them rode off, leaving the boy behind on the floor. Ever since that day, in order to exterminate every boy who approached Yurie-sama, Emperor would always go to and from school with her in the Kaburagis car. Even when he wasnt with her he had middle school students affiliated with the Kaburagi family standing watch in cla.s.s, and even during Yurie-samas lessons, he would try to spend as long as possible with her. His Majesty the Emperor, the idol of all the girls, had become a splendid stalker in the making. If it continued like that, naturally even Yurie-sama would feel suffocated by it. Even if it was just the clinginess of a cute little brother, she still had a limit to her patience. And naturally, Yurie-sama eventually got angry at him, and partially to have him reflect, she declared that he was forbidden from approaching her. Well, yeah. I mean, now that shes in her second year of middle school, naturally shed want to hang out with her friends after school once in a while, and thered be times when shed want to be by herself too. Think about it; keeping watch 24-hours a day, sticking to you like glue, and on top of all that, growling like a mad dog the moment a guy approaches you. Far from blaming her, I take my hat off to Yurie-sama for putting up with it for as long as she did. And now, with Yurie-sama angry at him and having forbidden him to approach her, Emperor is down in the dumps. Hes just like a wilted plant. Hes not a ridiculously arrogant person or anything, but he normally has this confidence, and this regal aura like the world belongs to him. And today it was nowhere to be seen. With dead fish eyes and a hunched over back, what he wore was the aura of a loser. Apparently even Enjou didnt have a way to revive this sh.e.l.l of a person, and he was just watching over from the side, helplessly. Perhaps they didnt want to get wrapped up in his bad mood, because for a while now, the salon has had less people than before. Certainly, its what a wise person would do. But as the careless person that I am, I thoughtlessly opened the door to the salon today, looking for sweets. Even thoughtlessness should have its limits&h.e.l.lip; I had comrades in my thoughtlessness, so we quietly had tea together. Todays tea is a black tea that the British royal family uses. The ginger cookies of the same brand are sweet. Aah, so yummy. But lately, maybe because I quit swimming school, but I get the feeling that Im getting a little round&h.e.l.lip; Ive heard that your fat cells multiply during p.u.b.erty. And apparently those fat cells dont disappear all your life. How horrific. Id better be careful&h.e.l.lip; I think Ill have just one more of these yummy ginger cookies. Im done for&h.e.l.lip; I think I just heard something that I wasnt meant to. Yurie wont even pick up the phone&h.e.l.lip; Even after all thats happen(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});ed, hes still been persistently calling her? Even though thatd just get her more mad&h.e.l.lip; Yurieee&h.e.l.lip; With his head in his hands like that, hes the very picture of a useless husband whose wife has run away from him. I cant watch this any longer. I know what Yurie-sama is actually thinking. The truth is at the English school that Ive been attending since April, Aira-sama shares the same cla.s.sroom as me. When my lesson finishes, Aira-samas begins, so we have chances to meet. And the other day, Aira-sama told me about her best friend, Yurie-sama. According to Aira-sama, Yurie-sama didnt think Emperors excessiveness was good for his future, so she was keeping him away in hopes that he would reflect on his selfishness and grow. Apparently just raking him over the coals a little. I think those coals are just a little too hot though. Emperor doesnt think of Yurie-sama as an older sister. Even though its obvious to everyone that hes the very picture of a boy in love, has Yurie-sama really not noticed? Wondering that, I asked Aira-sama, but apparently Aira-sama didnt know either. She probably has noticed Masayas feelings, but maybe shes reluctant to acknowledge them because it would ruin their relationship~ Yurie herself can only see Masaya as a little brother after all. From an Oneesama in her second year of middle school, it probably would be pretty hard to do something as cruel as rejecting a little 4th grader and forcing him to see reality. You sure have it tough, huh, Emperor. Ah, speaking of which, in the manga he also had his heart broken by Yurie-sama, and ended up tattered as well, didnt he. I had no idea that he was this bad from this age though. While I was s.p.a.cing out and thinking about that, perhaps his beastly instincts noticed, because Emperor suddenly glared my way. Geh-, this is bad. Oi. You there. Y-, Yes?! Awawah, this is bad. I stepped on the tail of a wounded tiger! If theres something you wanna say, then say it. S-, Something I wish to say? Something I want to say, something I want to say&h.e.l.lip; What the heck do I want to say? Aah, the fear is sending me into a panic. U-, Umm, apparently Yurie-sama wants to rake you over the coals a little! HAHH&h.e.l.lip;? UU HYOHHH! MY TONGUE SLIPPPEDDD!! Why do you know something like that? I, I HEARD FROM AIRA-SAMAAA! AIRA-SAMA, IM SORRY! Aira? Youre close with Aira? We go to the same English tutor! English tutor&h.e.l.lip; I see. Emperor started to mutter to himself as he thought about something, but then he suddenly looked up and stared right at me. And his eyes were filled with power, like the cicada-sh.e.l.l-man from earlier was a lie. Alright. You. From now on youre my spy on Aira. EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!? Chapter 17 I, Kisshouin Reika, have been appointed by His Majesty the Emperor, the role of spy, or in other words, gopher. *imouto* *imouto* After that, the Emperor drove everybody else out from the salon, leaving me, Emperor and Enjou, at which point the strategy meeting began. First of all, what did you hear from Aira? Uuu, his glare is so scary&h.e.l.lip; I wanna run away. L-, Like I said, that Yurie-sama wishes to rake you over the coals&h.e.l.lip; Why did you hear something like that from Aira? When we met by chance at the English tutoring school, Aira-sama a-, asked about you, K-, Kaburagi-sa, ma, and I replied that you did not seem well, at which point she informed me of Yurie-samas feelings. Scary, so scary. Please dont glare at me~ Also I ended up using his name for the first time to his face. Because I was so nervous, I bit my tongue. Please, somebody just save me already~ The h.e.l.l do you think youre doing, casually spreading rumours about others? Quite right, Your Majesty. Anybody would be unhappy if people talked about them behind their back. I&h.e.l.lip; might be done for, even before I meet the protagonist&h.e.l.lip; Now, now. Dont intidimate her so much. Youre scaring her. Right?, asked Enjou with a smile. Can I trust that smile? Shaddup, Shuusuke. To begin with, right now pretty much the whole school is talking about you, right? Right, Kisshouin-san? Please dont look to me. Because even if I agreed with you, theres no way Id be able to say it. Even if its the truth. Shuusuke, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d&h.e.l.lip; Masaya, you want information on Yurie too, right? Then instead of threatening her, request it of her properly. Well, if its Aira, then I could ask for you though. Yes, yes please, please do. And even a second earlier, please liberate me from this place. No. Aira definitely wouldnt tell you. Ill use this woman instead. Aah, that might be right. Then, Kisshouin-san, can we ask this of you? Specifically, we want to know how angry Yurie-sama is, for example, or when she plans on forgiving him perhaps. Masaya, is there anything else? &h.e.l.lip;Whether or not Yurie even plans on forgiving me. Hm~mm, well Yurie herself said that she just wanted to rake you over the coals, so I dont think shes cutting you off. If you convey to her that youve really been reflecting, she might forgive you. I SEE! He suddenly got livelier. This guy&h.e.l.lip; isnt he surprisingly simple? GYAH-, Im sorry for being cheeky! Im sorry! Dont glare at mee~ Im starting to think Emperor really can read minds. Alright! You there. Whens your next English cla.s.s? I have one the day after tomorrow. The heck. Isnt that still ages? Better that you go there right now and ask Aira for me. Dont ask for the impossible. If Yurie founds out that youve been overbearing again, shell get even angrier, you know? In this case, you should quietly wait out these two days. !! I see. Itd be bad if she got any angier. As soon as Yurie-samas name appears, Emperor listens obediently. He really is simple. And thats how it is. Well be relying on you, Kisshouin-san. ~smiiile~ It doesnt matter what I have to say? Is that how it is? You there! What was your name again? &(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});#8220;It is Kisshouin Reika&h.e.l.lip; Youre asking after all this time? Not that I mind. Alright! Kisshouin! Become a splendid spy, and fulfil your duties! Hah&h.e.l.lip; What spy. Im just a gopher, arent I. Completely energised again, perhaps he was hungry now, because Emperor went to get sweets. Hes not a ridiculously arrogant person or anything. Who was it that said this? It was me. You really have no eye for people, me~ If this isnt ridiculously arrogant, then just what on earth is? Why is it that even though weve pretty much never spoken before, and even though he doesnt even know my name, he uses me this much like its natural? Should I just tell Aira-sama, and have her snitch to Yurie-sama? Hes been threatening a helpless girl into being his gopher, she could say. &h.e.l.lip;Nonono, dont do anything desperate now. If you do that, youll be killed, one hundred percent. Yes. Absolutely. Try your best, okay? Kisshouin-san. If you succeed, your adored Masaya will be grateful. I dont particularly adore him or anything&h.e.l.lip; Because of the ridiculous treatment, I accidentally muttered a bit as my real self. Any adoration I had for Emperor was cleanly left behind in my old life. Yeah, I adored a 2d character and I was a bit of an embarra.s.sing girl. Problem? Right now Emperor is synonymous with destruction for me, so I havent an atom of adoration for him. Oh? Really? I mean, I notice you looking at him a lot. Thats why I thought that you liked him too. I mean, look, all your friends loiter around us too. What a way of putting things. And whats more, he noticed my secret observation. The two of you are quite conspicuous, and so I could not help but look your way. If I have troubled you by doing so, I apologise. I shall pay more attention henceforth. For now, what I need to do first is pull myself together. Now that Im not under Emperors glare, the lion big cat in my heart has returned. As if I would lose to Enjou on his own. Well then, if this is all that you have to say, I shall take my leave. Gokigenyoh. I want to leave this demons lair as quickly as possible. I want to sprint full speed out of this place with my tail between my legs. Yeah, goodbye. Take care, okay? Enjou gave me a gentle wave. As I was leaving, Emperor spotted me as he nibbled on a biscuit and said, YEAH! Gopher, make sure to do your job! So he even called me a gopher in the end&h.e.l.lip; Wasnt I supposed to be a spy! Jeez. *imouto* *imouto* The mouth is the mother of all calamities. Honestly, I think Im about to cry. About all sorts of things. Its said that in all times and places, spies that failed their mission were disposed of by their organisations. Will tomorrow bring me success or failure? *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* TL note: Again, gokigenyoh is a veeeeery traditional, feminine greeting. So dated and ojousama-esque that the average j.a.panese person will never hear it said in real life. Well, I say average because it really depends on the circles you run in&h.e.l.lip; Think, I bid you bonjour and I bid you adieu for all greetings, except, you know, not French. Chapter 18 In j.a.pan, texting isnt done via sms phone numbers. Its done by email. Hence exchanging addresses is sort of like exchanging mobile numbers, except that you arent given their call number, only their text number so to say. Akizawa-kuns innocent smile awaited me at cram school. Compared to that black duo, Akizawa-kuns smile is like a polar opposite. Aah, hes so soothing&h.e.l.lip; Whats wrong, Kisshouin-san? You seem kind of tired. Yes, well, various things happened, you see. Right. Various things. I was supposed to be living in a way that bothered Emperor as little as possible, but to think that I would be nominated as gopher. What the heck are you doing, me? I see. Are you okay? No, Im not okay at all. But I cant get the untainted Akizawa-kun wrapped up in it. If I fail my mission, please pray for my well-being in the afterlife&h.e.l.lip; Huh? To begin with, even if I asked Aira-sama the questions that Emperor gave me, would she even answer? Aira-sama treats me more closely than others, but would she go as far as to answer questions like that? But if she wont answer, then what the heck will happen to me? Will I be yelled at and called a useless gopher? Well, if its just that much, I dont really care. Being the woman hated by Kaburagi Masaya would leave me in a precarious position at school though. Or rather, I was designated as spy in front of all the kids who were in the salon at the time, so wont they all know that Im a gopher now? &h.e.l.lip;The day that my in-school position falls might be sooner than expected. Aahh, the bad possibilities keep on growing. Hey, Kisshouin-san. Wanna eat these? Eh- Akizawa-kun took out individually-wrapped financiers. My mum gave me these in case I got hungry. Eating sweet things might improve your mood. After saying those words, Akizawa-kun smiled at me. A-, AKIZAWA-KUUUUUUUUUUUUN!! What a good kid. Youre an angel! Its like heaven and earth when compared to those two. Im so glad that I became your friend! Thanks, Akizawa-kun! After eating his financiers, I really did feel better. I even thought that it might be okay to share my treasured kinakomochi flavoured Tirolian chocolates with him. *imouto* *imouto* And so finally, the day of English school arrived. Ever since that day, Ive been avoiding the salon. But today, the moment that I stepped out of the cla.s.sroom to leave school, I found Emperor standing in the hallway giving me a You get it, right&h.e.l.lip;? look with his eyes, so as the spy that I was, I replied Yes, of course! with my eyes as well, and immediately headed to the shoe rack. Honestly, now that its come to this, I have no choice but to keep my head down and play the gopher. After my English cla.s.s finished, I waited anxiously for Aira-samas arrival. I already let my chauffeur know to come a little later, so things were fine in regards to when Id be leaving, but the problem was what time Aira-sama would be coming. If she came just as cla.s.s started, then we wouldnt have any time to talk. As youd expect, I wouldnt be able to just wait here until her cla.s.ses finished. Please, Aira-sama. Come quickly. Perhaps the heavens were on my side, because Aira-sama appeared almost right afterwards. Aira-sama! My, its Reika-san. Gokigenyoh. Aah, Aira-sama, thank goodnesss&h.e.l.lip; Um, the truth is, there is in fact something I wish to ask you, Aira-sa(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});ma! Hm? Ask me? I didnt want anybody else to hear, so we ended up chatting on the landing of the staircase. The truth is, it is about Yurie-sama. Yurie? Aira-samas expression turned puzzled. Y-, Yes. Um, just how angry at Kaburagi-sama is Yurie-sama? And when is it that she intends on forgiving him? There wasnt any time so I just cut right to the chase, but Aira-samas expression turned more and more suspicious. And why would you want to know about Yurie and Masaya, Reika-san? Enough that you came out of your way to ask me. Well yeah, that is pretty suspicious. When Im not close to Kaburagi at all, I went and stuck my nose in their business, so Aira-samas reaction was natural. I wonder if I seem like some nosy onlooker to her. I dont know why youre asking, but if youre prying into this on a whim, youll make Masaya angry, you know? Ive already made him angry. And Im doing this at Kaburagi Masayas direction. Should I just try telling her the truth? But if I do, theres no way she would give information to Stalker Kaburagis underling. Mm~mm&h.e.l.lip; Seeing me fall silent as I agonised over it, Aira-sama narrowed her eyes. Could it be that Masaya said something to you? Goodness! How did you know! Could it be that Aira-sama can read minds just like Emperor!? Em, umm&h.e.l.lip; But should I just come clean? Or should I struggle to keep up my act? Ah, mn. Got it. Its probably just Masaya telling you to ask about Yurie, right? Thats exactly it! Youre amazing, Aira-sama. How did you see through everything!? Looks like he hasnt reflected at all. I wonder if he even understands why Yurie was angry. You can just ignore what Masaya has to say, or so Id like to say, but youre in a spot where you cant do that, right? Yes. Exactly right. I nodded up and down. Alright. Ill ask Yurie for you. As for how angry she is, tell him that threatening unwilling people and working them hard for his own matters like this will just get her even angrier. That is&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;definitely not something a coward like me could say. Huhu, but my cla.s.s is about to start, and Ill only be able to ask Yurie after I come home, so&h.e.l.lip; Naturally, next weeks English tutorial would be too late, right? I cannot say for certain, but probably&h.e.l.lip; Given that he couldnt even wait until the day after next I cant imagine that hed be able to wait until next week. Got it. Then, Reika-san, do you have a mobile? I dont have many chances to use it, but it has a GPS with it, so its more like a crime deterrent. Thats why when I go to the convenience store during cram school, I naturally leave it in the cla.s.sroom for alibi purposes. Well then, lets exchange addresses. Once I have a talk with Yurie, Ill send you an email. Can we really!? Oohhh, to think that I would get Aira-samas address! The truth is, Aira-sama sports an androgenous short haircut, so around here, shes even more popular than the boys are. There are plenty of girls who seem like theyre even in love with Aira-sama, and some of them have bewitching fantasies about the beautiful princess Yurie-sama and her gallant knight Aira-sama. &h.e.l.lip;And Im also one of the girls who secretly admire Aira-sama! Thats right! The one that I admire isnt Emperor. Its the Peony Knight, Aira-sama! So dont get so c.o.c.ky, you d.a.m.ned tyrant duo! Or so I was thinking, but theres no way a coward like me could ever say it to their faces, so its more like the rant of a loser but&h.e.l.lip; Anyway, that doesnt matter. For now, it looks like Ive been able to follow my directives. After all, it looks like Aira-sama is going to help me out because she understands my circ.u.mstances. Whats more, I even gained her email address as an unexpected reward, so Im feeling completely pleased right now. Now then, shall I go home? Today Oniisama is going to be late due to prep studies isnt he. Tsk~ Thats no fun. I wonder if hell make time for me tomorrow. Lala, la~ *imouto* *imouto* Watching me walking out of the English cla.s.s elated with my worries gone, was a boy in front of a black car, standing with his arms folded. Kaburagi Masaya. Chapter 19 And so just like that, I was abducted by the Kaburagi car, and they immediately demanded the results of my spy work. How was it? I trust you did your job properly? I saw Aira walk into the building after all. Oh my G.o.d. This person really is a stalker. So dangerous. And perhaps, also somebody with too much free time? Aira-sama promised that she will ask Yurie-sama later for me. She should be contacting me in the near future. Im definitely not telling him that we exchanged addresses. If I let him know, then Emperor, now Stalker In-the-Making would definitely demand mine as well, and send me orders by email day and night. Thats just how stalkers are. I see. Did she say anything else? Hm~mm, I really cant say it, can I. What. Answer me. Uu, dont glare at me. Its scary. Umm, Aira-sama said, threatening unwilling people and working them hard for your own matters like this will just get Yurie even angrier. Waa, I said it. But this is what Aira-sama said, okay? It wasnt me, okay? Kaburagi blinked blankly. What unwilling people? Eh-, could it be that this kid is an idiot? Not just a stalker, but an idiot too? Incredibly arrogant, a stalker, and an idiot. So a total failure? Oi. You. You were thinking something rude just now, werent you. No, I would never dream of such a thing. Stop reading my mind! Kaburagi stared hard at my face for a while, but he eventually snorted and stopped. Well whatever. When will Aira be contacting you? I cannot say. Perhaps on Monday? How is she contacting you? Are you going to go to the middle school area to ask? Ummm&h.e.l.lip; I wonder? He hit me where it hurttt! What the heck. Go find out then. What now. Are you going to wait here until Airas lesson ends? Dont joke with me. Why do I have to do that much. No. In that case, I shall go ask Aira-sama on Monday. For now, lets just avoid the problem with this. Hmm? Alright, got it. Monday, right? You better not forget. Yes. I understand. Can I go home now? Oh yeah. You got a mobile? No. When lying, absolutely do NOT look to the top right. Its what Oniisama taught me. Really? My parents decided as such. Kaburagi is looking at me suspiciously. Oh yeah. This guy can read minds. Keep calm, keep calm. May I leave now? My chauffeur will be worried. I want to retreat before I let up anything else. Eh, ahh, yeah. Well then, Monday then. Yes. The moment that I stepped out of the Kaburagi car, as though he just remembered, Kaburagi added, By the way, who was that unwilling person that you mentioned earlier? Flashing him a smile like Enjous, I said, That would be me, of course. Well then, gokigenyoh, Kaburagi-sama. Leaving behind the gaping Kaburagi, I walked towards my familys car. *imouto* I said it. I said it! &h.e.l.lip;But what am I going to do if he gets revenge. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Oniisama is coming home late today, so I was having dinner with just my parents. That was when the bombsh.e.l.l dropped. Otousama was smiling in a good mood when he asked, I heard from Sagami today that Masaya-kun from the Kaburagi clan went all the way to your English cla.s.s to meet you. Chapter 20 Aira-sama messaged me on Sat.u.r.day. We chatted via email, and summing up the main points of our conversation, Yurie-sama is angry at the fact that he went too far, scrutinising her every action, and even using people in middle school to stop her from talking to male students. Yurie-sama is also angry at the fact that even though the boy who confessed to her was from another school, Kaburagi did something as violent as suddenly drop-kicking him. When he clearly understands why Yurie-sama is angry, and has reflected, she intends on forgiving him. When that happens, he will swear that he will honour her own desires, and will refrain from unreasonable surveillance and inteference. Also, and this is big, He will swear not to get other people wrapped up for Yurie-samas sake. Naturally this includes me. In fact, Aira-sama told Yurie-sama about Kaburagi forcing me to be a slave, and Yurie-sama apparently apologised to me. Also, when I told Aira-sama about my lie about the mobile, she suggested that we meet early Monday morning to talk. As expected of Aira-sama. *imouto* With my spy report with me, I triumphantly walked into school. I was casually thinking that I would just go to the salon at lunch break to hand it to him, but I had forgotten about how little self-control he had. Shortly after I arrived at school, Kaburagi barged into my cla.s.sroom. My cla.s.smates fell silent, and the jealousy and envy of the girls was particularly bad. I mean after all, Kaburagi Masaya who paid basically no attention to girls had now come all the way to another room to meet a female student (me). What the h.e.l.l has he done&h.e.l.lip; Oi, how was it? Without even greeting me, suddenly jumping into that? Good morning, Kaburagi-sama. It would not do to speak here, so perhaps we should speak at lunch. So that the crowd couldnt sense my inner turmoil, I stuck with my calm facade. Im begging you, please dont say anything unnecessary in front of them. This stalker is an idiot so I have no idea what kind of dangerous things he might say. Aah, what am I going to do if the cla.s.s finds out that Im a gopher? My position would plummet to the ground! No, say it now. Im not gunna wait. Waittt daamnnn youuu~ Its this lack of self-control that makes Yurie-sama angry, so hurry up and notice already. At this rate you wont be forgiven no matter how long you wait, you know? Very well. In that case, it is not a matter that we can discuss here, so shall we change locations? Anyway, I have to go somewhere without other people. If he calls me Gopher here, Im done for. Also, the gazes from the crowd are too scary. Alright. Follow me. Arrogant as always, huh~ The moment that we stepped out of the room, I could hear the girls screaming What on earth was thattt!? from behind me. It looks like my days of peace are over. Aahh, my head hurts&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* Now then, speak your results. We didnt have time to go to the salon, so we just spoke in the corner of the hallway. Even though this place should be filled with people right now, with a glare from the Emperor the place cleared out. Although Im painfully aware that theyre all paying attention from afar. Understood. I took out the report from my pocket. To begin with, would a normal person think to ask for the results first thing in the morning even though I was supposed to be talking to Aira-sama the very same day? Is he really just an idiot without a brain, or could it be that he expected me to prioritise his orders over everything else? If its the latter, then all the more reason to hate(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});it, huh~ Stalker Kaburagi read the report with much intensity. &h.e.l.lip;I suppose you can call this honest in a sense, huhh~ When I was unrelated, I saw a primary school boy being this affected by his first love, so I had thought mellow stuff like How bittersweet~ How heartrending~, but now that Im actually wrapped up in it, he just looks like a d.a.m.ned stalker that keeps causing me trouble. &h.e.l.lip;So if I reflect like it says here, and I swear that Ill stop keeping Yurie under surveillance, shell forgive me, huh? That appears to be the case. Kaburagi fell into thought. So when is that going to be? Hah? What the heck is this guy saying. As I said, when you reflect&h.e.l.lip; Ive reflected. Totally reflected. And I swear that Ill respect Yuries decisions. Look, its just like Yuries demands. So today? Tomorrow? Or is she going to forgive me right now? Uehh&h.e.l.lip; What an annoying guy. Was the Emperor always such an annoying kid in his youth? Because hes always got a cold and bored expression, all the girls make a fuss and say stuff like Hes so cool and dreamy! and I also thought he was pretty cold for a primary schooler, but what cool? Hes just an idiot. Everyones been totally fooled. Masaya. And at this point, Enjou Shuusuke came walking along. What are you doing in a place like this? And with Kisshouin-san as well. Aaah, the annoyances have multiplied. Oohh, Shuusuke! Look at this! The spys done good work! Eh-, Kisshouin-san, have you already gone to ask Aira? You sure work fast, huh~ Enjou peered in from the side at the report Kaburagi was holding. Hm~ I see. Well, isnt it just as we expected? I said this just now as well, but Ive already reflected, and Ill accept Yuries conditions. So its about time that Yurie forgives me, right? He really is a simple-minded idiot, huh~ You sure are an idiot, Masaya~ Uwa-, for a moment I thought my mind was being vocally projected. Shuusuke, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, are you picking a fight with me? Hey now, reflect, reflect. That short temper of yours is another reason Yurie is angry, you know? Nothing like that was in the report! Didnt they teach us in j.a.panese cla.s.s to read between the lines? Look, right here it mentions that you flying kicked a middle schooler from another school. Yurie was angry at your short-tempered actions. Get it now? Kaburagi fell into frustrated silence. Anyway, she isnt going to believe that youve reflected from just your words. You need to show it in your att.i.tude. Then what the h.e.l.l should I do. Lets see~ Kisshouin-san, do you have any good ideas? Eh-? Why me? I did just as instructed and went searching for Yurie-samas thoughts on the matter, so arent I relieved of duty already? Your trusted friend has come already, so you shouldnt have a use for me anymore. Or rather, I dont want anything to do with you. And with good timing, the bell for cla.s.s rang. Goodness. I must be leaving for cla.s.s. Well then. Hurry, hurry. Wait, Spy. Kaburagi called for me to stop. You come up with something too. Its your a.s.signment until lunch break. HAHHHHHHHH??? Why the heck should I do that!? And plotting isnt the job of a spy, right? Please just give me a break already&h.e.l.lip; Enjou gave a troubled smile. Uh, no, youre the one who turned the conversation to me, right? Honestly, this is just the worst&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* The moment I returned to cla.s.s, the homeroom teacher came in, so for now I managed to avoid my hounding cla.s.smates. Although its just putting it off the short time until this one hour lesson is over. My relationship with Kaburagi&h.e.l.lip; What kind of lie would be good? Even if I die, I wont admit that Im his gopher. What if I just said something normal like There has been a small matter he entrusted to me.? Id be troubled if they asked about what the matter was though. Aahh, this week is off to such an unlucky start. Chapter 21 Just as expected, the moment that the hour-long cla.s.s ended, people began to swarm around my desk. What on earth was that, Reika-sama!? The first shot was fired by my cla.s.smate since year 1 and Follower #1, Serika-chan. Youve never told us that you were close to Kaburagi-sama, you know? This too was a cla.s.smate since first grade, Follower #2, Kikuno-chan. Amongst all my followers, these two are the ones known as the closest to me, and at times like these, theyre the first to speak up. Please calm down, everybody. Kaburagi-sama and I are not particularly close. But for Kaburagi-sama to go out of his way to meet with a girl is, The truth is, I have been entrusted with a certain matter, and we were simply discussing it, all right? A certain matter? What kind of matter? That is, something I do not have the right to talk about&h.e.l.lip; At that moment, a sudden chorus of squeals came from around the door to our cla.s.sroom. Kisshouin-san, are you in? ENJOU-SAMAAA! The girls around me began kicking up a fuss about him. What the heck is this guy here for&h.e.l.lip; Ah, there you are, Kisshouin-san. About our conversation with Masaya from earlier, when youre finished with lunch, come to the Pivoine salon, okay? That line just caused a bigger fuss. Aahh, my days of peace are&h.e.l.lip; U-, Umm, Enjou-sama? Is it true that Reika-sama has been entrusted something by Kaburagi-sama? Aah, mn. Thats right. Again with the squeals and cheers. What is it that shes been entrusted with? Sorry, but I cant really say. If you girls pry too much, Masaya will get angry, you know? Wont that be bad? Kisshouin-san is keeping quiet too, see? Indeed. See you later then, smiled Enjou, before leaving the cla.s.sroom. Although the girls were still excited from Enjous sudden visit, his mention that Kaburagi Masaya would get angry at their prying stopped them from doing anything more, even though they would have happily hounded me otherwise. Did that guy come to visit me during our short period-break just to tell me to come to the salon? Hm~mm. Could it be that he knew that people would hound me about my relationship with Kaburagi, and came here to cover for me? Hmm, is he really nice enough to do that? But in the manga, he always casually covered for the protagonist, didnt he. I guess that means he has it in him. Hmmmmm&h.e.l.lip; Well, either way its fine. With this, perhaps even the girls who heard me become a gopher will keep quiet too. To begin with, those guys began all this, so covering for me this much is a given! *imouto* *imouto* At lunch break, I was too afraid of what might happen if I didnt go, so although I was reluctant from the depths of my heart, I headed to the salon. Emperor was sitting c.o.c.kily on his special seat as usual. Isnt he pretty energetic compared to last week? Even though it would have been great if he just stayed a husk like that&h.e.l.lip; Too slow! Honestly, Im just not going to comment anymore&h.e.l.lip; Kisshouin-san, how about you sit down for now? Enjou-sama, thank you very much for following up earlier. Hearing my words, Enjou replied with a smile. Hm~mm, so that really was his aim. Not that Im really grateful though. Oi, what are you guys on about? Nothing. More importantly, arent we here to discuss what youre gunna do? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});220;Oh yeah! What do I do to convince Yurie that Ive reflected? Youre seriously relying on others for this? How about you start with what you think, Masaya? I think that in order to convey my feelings to Yurie, I should visit her each day to apologise! A STALKERS IDEA!! This guy hasnt reflected at all, has he? Masaya, I think that would have the opposite effect. WHY!? Hes so stupid that its almost refreshing. Then what do you think I should do!? Dont contact her at all until it all dies down, and then quietly wait for forgiveness. VETOED! Well, its true that Stalker-kun here wouldnt be able to handle it. Alright then. Spy! What do you think? Honestly, please just stop with that name already. Kaburagi-sama, my name is Kisshouin Reika. Please desist with the spy. It would be the absolute worst if he called me that in public. Thats right, Masaya. Shes helping you with advice, so at least use her name properly. Hmph. He suuure has a c.r.a.ppy att.i.tude. Well, I already know he was this type of person though. Well? Do you have a good idea or not? He flicked his chin to prompt me. Tsk&h.e.l.lip; I suggest that you write a letter each day. Letter? Right, a letter. Although I think that Enjous idea of behaving quietly for a while is best, this earnest guy (read: stalker) wouldnt be able to bear it. How much you have reflected for example, or what you think of the situation and the like. Well, what they call a reflection essay, I suppose. I believe that a message through your phone would feel too impersonal, and would not convey your feelings as well. For that reason, a handwritten letter would be best. Write a letter that conveys your feelings to Yurie-sama. Since ancient times, j.a.pan has always had the tradition of romances that begin with a love letter. Is that true!? Well, who knows. Please write it carefully and wholeheartedly. Choose paper and an envelope that you think Yurie-sama would like. Doing things this way will also serve as a way to show that you are thinking of her feelings without impressing your own on her. Perhaps a small bouquet from time to time would also be appropriate. And never, ever send a large one. Why? If Im going to show my feelings for her, bigger would be better, right? That would be too pushy. A smaller bouquet is a way of expressing your first love as a junior. Appeal to Yurie-samas feelings. F-, First love!? What are you saying after all this time? The entire school is aware. More importantly, once school ends today, please immediately go shopping for a letter-writing set. Kaburagi turned red and sputtered for a moment at the words first love, but he eventually pulled himself back together and said, Alright! Ill use your suggestion! After school were going shopping for a letter set! You two know your jobs, right! Eh-, what the heck is he on about? I will not be going. Hah? Why? Thats what I should be asking. Why the heck do I have to go? I have lessons after school. And in addition, Kaburagi-sama? I believe it was written in my report earlier. He will swear not to get other people wrapped up for Yurie-samas sake. If you involve me in this matter, Yurie-sama will become angry again. After falling silent for a while, Kaburagi replied, &h.e.l.lip;Got it. Good work. Yes. Well then, I take my leave. Gokigenyoh. I flashed a smile, and left the salon. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Afterwards, the letter strategy was a success, and feeling moved, Yurie-sama apparently forgave him. The strategy succeeded without a hitch. In the end I retired from my life as a spy, and returned to being just a normal girl. Please dont look for me. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 22 After I retired from spying, I had almost no contact with those two, and spent my days in peace. The fact that I was turned into a gopher wasnt revealed either, and I managed to escape the downfall in hierarchy that I had dreaded. Actually far from it, theres this misunderstanding now that Reika-sama is close enough to that Kaburagi-sama that he would personally rely on her and Im even the target off some weird envy. No, no, were not close, I said. Since then, weve almost never spoken, so please dont look at me with those expectant eyes. *imouto* As for Aira-sama, since then weve continued to message each other once in a while. What an extravagant mail buddy! Aside from advice with studying and talks about her middle school life, she also tells me about how Kaburagi and Yurie-sama are doing. It was also though Aira-sama that I heard about the success of the letter strategy. With a letter written with all of Kaburagis heart, and a cute bouquet arriving every day, Yurie-sama folded pretty quickly. Apparently Aira-sama didnt get to actually read it, but the envelope and writing paper that Yurie-sama showed here were all different varieties, and had cute flowers and animals drawn on them. It looks like he properly followed my advice. Since letters about how lonely he was and how hard it was by himself came every day on that cute kind of paper, given that Yurie-sama thought of him as a cute little brother to begin with, apparently her maternal instincts and guilt shook her resolve. Persuasion by sob story, huh. Im sure it was Enjous idea. Cunningly, he even wrote about how he wanted to dance with her at this years summer party and got a promise from her. As expected of Enjou. Turning even bad luck into opportunity. And truly, when it came to the summer party, maybe he was hiding his shyness because his face looked unhappy and he was all red and stuff, but he really did end up dancing with Yurie-sama. Could it be that he saw my waltz with Oniisama and longed for the same thing? That he hoped that he could do it one day as well? Even now, Kaburagi is a little shorter than Yurie-sama, but the difference in their height has shrunk since my dance with Oniisama, so maybe hes been biding his time. As for the waltz itself, even if hes like that hes still Kaburagi, so he lead Yurie-sama even though hes just a little primary schooler. All the Ojousamas were entranced by it. I just wanted to snort, and chewed on some roast beef instead. Also, apparently he really did reflect, because Kaburagis stalker att.i.tude calmed down as well. It seems like hes training himself each day to become more suitable for the older Yurie. At school, hes got the same cool poker face as usual, and the girls all squeal and make a fuss, but now that I know his true face, I cant help but want to tell somebody. But if I did that, itd set me straight on the path to destruction, so when I get home I sink my face into my pillow and scream HES ACTUALLY AN IDIOT YOU KNOWWWW! AND HES ALSO A STALKER YOU KNOWWWW! DONT BE FOOLEDDDD! to relieve my stress. *imouto* And so as days like that pa.s.sed, one day I suddenly received an email from my (in my mind, at least) mail buddy Aira-sama, inviting me to go out during the school anniversary. A DATE WITH A KNIGHT!! Of course Ill go! No matter what, Ill go! Aahh, oh my goodness! The role of princess is always played by her best friend Yurie-sama, but for just today Ill get to be the princess that she protects!? The maid helped me curl my hair into the usual hairstyle that my mother likes. She even added a ribbon to the back of my head, and I lo(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});oked like a fake Rococo Queen. [Mary Antoinette] But with this Fake Rococo Queen Hair, isnt it kind of like that manga I read in my past life? The one about the French revolution, with the beautiful cross dressing female knight, and the tragic queen that she protected? UKYAAAAAAH! When I quickly went to brag to Oniisama about my outing with Aira-sama, he said that it was dangerous for just two girls, so he and his friend Imari-sama would be coming along as well. Aahh, oh my goodness! Not just Aira-sama, but Oniisama and Imari-sama as well! Aira-sama in my right and, Imari-sama in my left, and Oniisama at my back! Hah-!? Could this be that situation thats all the rage in shoujo manga? The so-called reverse harem situation!? Aahh, my spring has finally&h.e.l.lip; Momozono Imari-sama has been Oniisamas friend since primary, and is a splendid person that Ive had the pleasure of meeting a few times. The truth is, Imari-sama is actually the one who gave me the idea for the small bouquets. When Imari-sama comes over to play, he always gives me (his friends little sister) a small and cute bouquet, and a few sweets and the like. As for the sweets, theyre things like honey in a beautiful jar, or a box of a.s.sorted flower-shaped chocolates; just things that a girl would very likely appreciate. Even though he shouldnt have any sisters, at 11th grade hes already splendid at dealing with girls, and really seems like the type that trouble will follow. But he always gives me lots of stuff. Of course, I do like Imari-sama whos both kind and somewhat dangerous, you know? Women prefer men with a little danger over a plainly kind and no-risk guy. Thats why I think that in the future, Imari-sama will become an enemy of womankind, and honestly Im quite looking forw-, &h.e.l.lip;quite worried about him. Anyway, Imari-sama is a different kind of ikemen to Oniisama. Its the same with Enjou and Kaburagi too, but why do hot guys always seem to be friends with other hot guys? Speaking of which, I wonder who Akizawa-kun is good friends with&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;I think Id better stop playing innocent while thinking about these no-good ideas. I mean, Akizawa-kun has big round eyes, and is cute in his own way too, isnt he. I love your friendly face, Akizawa-kun! *imouto* When I asked Aira-sama whether it was okay for the two of them to come, she happily agreed. The place were going is the most popular amus.e.m.e.nt park in j.a.pan. I wonder if everybody will be willing to wear animal-ear headbands with me. Oniisama seems like hed definitely hate it. Were going on a weekday, but itll probably be really packed, huhh&h.e.l.lip; Id better eat and sleep well so Im in peak condition for the day. Just a little bit longer until my bewitching reverse-harem date! *imouto* *imouto* By the way, according to my Aira-sama Intelligence, Kaburagi and Yurie-samas school anniversary date (at least thats what he thinks of it) went splendidly without a hitch. They went to a museum. I wouldnt expect any less. Chapter 23 I return from Ze Tian Ji and A Mistaken Marriage Match with more Reika. Just a note, but strictly speaking, if youre being polite in j.a.panese, you refer to a persons siblings etc. by honorific terms, e.g. oneesan, imouto-san, otousan, otouto-san etc. The day of the schools founding anniversary was met with clear blue skies. Perfect for a day at the amus.e.m.e.nt park. Being surrounded by three people who each sparkled in their own way, my mood was as good as it gets. I wanted to get on as many rides as possible, so we arrived just before it opened. The first rides were naturally the famous rollercoasters. You have to get on the most popular ones before the place gets packed, right? Apparently some rich kids will hire somebody to stand in line for them, but we lined up ourselves. Getting somebody to line up for you feels kind of unfair, and it would make all the other visitors unhappy, right? It was tiring standing there the whole time, but if you spend the time chatting, its fun too, isnt it! Both the middle schoolers and high schoolers at Suiran share the same Pivoine, so although they werent particularly close, apparently the three of them had spoken a few times before. Aira-sama was happily listening to Imari-sama talk about high school. Thank goodness. Since she didnt know them very well, I was worried about whether Aira-sama would be bored. If shes having fun, then Im happy too. The other guests lined up occasionally glance our way. Aahh, I see. They cant help themselves because these three are so sparkly, right? I know how they feel. The three being looked at didnt seem to enjoy it very much. Please just think of it as providing entertainment for everybody else bored in the line, and allow it. Having a look around, I found that it was mostly groups of friends, but there was the occasional couple too. From an objective point of view, do we look kind of like a double date? When Imari-sama and Aira-sama stand next to each other, they look like an attractive couple. Mn mn. Then what about Oniisama? A pitiful person who had no girl to bring to the double date, and so brought along his little sister instead? Oh no! My Oniisama looks like a hopeless case to people!? My Oniisama is really popular too, okay!? On Valentines Day he got heaps of chocolates too! Hes not some sad case who has n.o.body to invite but his sister, okay! Reika, are you thinking about something weird again? Oniisama looked my way suspiciously. What on earth could you be speaking of? I got on the ride together with Aira-sama. I mean, its common sense that the escort for the Rococo Queen has to be a knight, right! Imari-sama seemed to have complicated feelings about riding together with a guy, but this is natural. Also, I need to protect Aira-sama from Imari-samas charm! Hm? Am I being a third wheel? After having a try at all of the rollercoasters, it was about time to head to the less extreme rides, or so I was thinking when shockingly Imari-sama bought us churros! Food tasting! Ive always wanted to go food tasting! Happy! Yummy! Tasting foods from stalls and the like would normally be absolutely forbidden as the young lady of the Kisshouin family. But its okay today! Amazing! Im so glad I came! Thanks for buying this, Imari-sama. As expected of a lady killer who understands what a girl wants! An enemy of womankind! It feels like I might accidentally fall for him. Aahh, Im so happy. As I was walking about, nomming with a smile, a group of girls called out to Oniisama and Imari-sama. Apparently they were high school girls from Suiran. Since its Suirans founding anniversary, they probably came to play just like us. To think that we would meet Momozo(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});no-sama and Kisshouin-sama here at the park! Honestly, Imari-sama, youre here even though you turned us down when we invited you. You know, I saw Kisshouin-sama when I went to watch the match at the kyudo dojo. He was sooo wonderful. My! I saw it too. Amazing. Its like watching fans who have spotted an idol. Theyre making such a big deal of it. Aira-sama and I were quietly eating our churros a distance away, while watching to see how things played out. Could it be that one of these girls was one of the ones who gave Oniisama a Valentines chocolate? Including courtesy chocolates, each year Oniisama brings back 20~30 of them. Ah, there are girls whose hearts are captured by Oniisama among them as well. Alright. Sister-in-law Switch, ON! Momozono-sama, Kisshouin-sama, is it just the two of you today? No way. Were here with Takaterus imouto-chan and her senpai. His, imouto-sama? You notice now, after all this time? Gokigenyoh. I am Kisshouin Takaterus younger sister, Reika. Im a second year in the middle school, Minazuki Aira. Please take care of us, Senpais. I probably dont look too great with a churro in one hand, but I greeted them with a smile. Goodness! Kisshouin-samas imouto-sama!? It is a pleasure to meet you! They each began to introduce themselves too. But although they smiled at me just fine since I was Oniisamas sister and a primary schooler, the looks they gave Aira-sama were a little harsh. Did they recognise her as a rival? But Aira-samas enemies are my enemies! My Sister-in-Law Radar is beeping, you know. Besides, Aira-sama was introduced as my senpai, so arent their judging gazes pretty rude? Well, being a beauty with a dignified bearing, it looks like theyre faltering a little though. Its wonderful how Aira-sama isnt perturbed by anything. Oh? There are also a few oneesamas who are blushing at Aira-sama. So these are my rivals!? Heyy, Momozono-sama, isnt it fine if you come hang with us a little? Well, I mean we did meet up here after all. Right, Momozono-sama? Kisshouin-sama? Kisshouin-sama really is kind, spending a holiday on an outing with his sister. Kisshouin-sama, have you eaten? Should it please you, we would very much like you to join us. Imari-sama. *imouto* Sorry, but, Oniisama gave a gentle smile, I promised that I would spend the day with my sister and her friend Aira-san. I apologise, but could we perhaps do this some other time? Eh-, but&h.e.l.lip; I dont want my sister to hate me for neglecting her. Sorry about this. said Oniisama, with a troubled smile. It seems that when they saw his face, they couldnt say anything forceful anymore. I dont want -chan to hate me either~ Sorry. Cya tomorrow at school. &h.e.l.lip;I understand. It is a shame, though. Imari-sama took advantage of Oniisamas response. I dont doubt Oniisamas love for me, but didnt Imari-sama totally use me as an excuse? Well, since he treated me to churros, Ill forgive him I guess. I thought that the girls might secretly follow us anyway, but it looks like they properly observed etiquette. And so we went back to enjoying the amus.e.m.e.nt park. *imouto* *imouto* Since there was a middle schooler and primary schooler in our group, we decided to head back home before it got too dark. We each had our own cars coming to pick us up, so we said our goodbyes right there. Oniisama and I both got onto our Kisshouin familys car. Reika, since were already outside, do you want to eat out? EHHH!? Dinner with just Oniisama! I definitely wanna go! I do! Mn. Then is there anything you want to eat? Something I want to eat? Hm~mm. Since we may as well, I want to eat something simple and plebby. My tongue is starving for the taste of commoner food. Since its Oniisama, he might let me. Curry rice, pork fried with ginger, grilled fish set meal, ramen&h.e.l.lip; Omurice! The omurice of a good set-meal shop is yummy. Ive had the Kisshouin chef make it a few times, but a normal shops omurice is just different, you know? Omurice, huh. Got it. And then the place I was taken to was the Marunouchi commercial district, and a high cla.s.s restaurant with a nightview far from anything youd see in a set-meal shop. The place was dark, with a weak spot-light for each table, so it was crazy atmospheric. Huh? This is kind of different from what I was thinking. The price next to the omurice on the menu was something unimaginable for a former commoner like myself. S-, So expensive&h.e.l.lip; Even though this was supposed to be a commoner dish. When they brought in the omurice, the golden egg and demi-glace sauce glittered in the spot lighting. I unconsciously wanted to use honorifics with it. The flavour was absolutely not plebeian, but it tasted incredible, so I guess this is fine too. Speaking of which, you and Imari-sama were quite popular today, werent you. When I said that, Oniisama looked a little unhappy. Leaving you aside, Oniisama, would Imari-sama not have preferred playing with those girls over children like Aira-sama and I? &h.e.l.lip;Its because Imari has a girlfriend. EEEH!? Thats the first Ive heard of it! This is the first time I have heard of it! Well thats because I didnt say. Then all the more reason. Would it not have been better to spend the holiday with his girlfriend instead? She goes to a different school, so. Oh my G.o.d! To think that Imari-sama had a girlfriend! But well, given how cool and kind he is, its not really that surprising I guess. Aira-sama seemed to be getting along with Imari-sama today, but she definitely hasnt fallen for him, right? On the car home, I immediately texted Aira-sama to thank her for today. And while I was at it, before she could say anything, I made sure to write, Just now Oniisama told me that Imari-sama has a girlfriend. I was so shocked! I wonder what kind of person she is. Ah, please keep this as a secret between just the two of us, okay? Aira-sama. I dont think it would happen, but if on the off chance that Aira-sama fell for Imari-sama and she confessed to me The truth is I love Imari-sama or something, Id be really troubled. I love Aira-sama, so Id hate for things to become awkward between us more than anything. The reply that came later said, I heard about this from Imari-sama today, you know? I heard about how their relationship began as well, but would you like to know? so it turns out I was just totally worrying for nothing. What the heck am I even doing. Set-Meal Shop Basically a restaurant that specialises in set meals. In most Shokugeki no Souma translations, its translated as Special-of-the-Day Shop but considering what it is, I decided to go with what I did. Marunouchi What PIN spot lighting looks like Chapter 24 A stalking-horse character is, in romance stories, the rival used to urge the main characters into a relationship. Or into a deeper relationship. Basically they had no chance to begin with, and were only introduced into the story to push the main couple along. Like um, what was his name? The werewolf dude from Twilight. He had a team, and&h.e.l.lip; Was it Team&h.e.l.lip; Jacob? Also, sliding dogeza at 5s An ojousama has her own ojousamas circle of acquaintances. Myself included, an ojousama has lots of different lessons to go to. And those lessons often have showcases or recitals. Honestly speaking, I cant imagine that anybody outside of family would want to watch a bunch of kids dance or perform. But with just family alone, the seats wouldnt fill up and it wouldnt look very good, so those in high society often go to each others events, which also serve as chances to socialise. And so, today I went to a violin recital because of that. Okaasama came with me to the recital, and apparently she hadnt given up on her dreams of me learning the violin yet, because she asked me stuff like How about you use this opportunity to start learning yourself?. No thank you. At my mothers strong insistence, I went to a trial cla.s.sroom once, but the finger that held down the string hurt. There was so much friction that it felt like my fingerprint would burn off. That day I decided that I was a bit too squishy for violin. Likewise, at my mothers recommendation, I tried the flute as well, but I still have nightmares about my last life when during the recorder recital I could only blow this pathetic and ridiculous puupiiii~ sound from beginning to end and ruined it for everyone, so Ive got a bit of a trauma about wind instruments now. When everybody returned to cla.s.s afterwards and yelled Who the h.e.l.l made that sound!? and began searching for the culprit, I was seriously terrified. I joined in and made this Ehh~ I dont know either~ face, but inside, my heart was pounding. The fact that the kids who sat next to me were tightlipped was the only reason I barely escaped my death. So when it comes to music, please just give me a break, and let me stay with just piano. *imouto* When the recital was over, we headed out to the lobby to hand out bouquets. While I was waiting, I looked about randomly and spotted somebody surprising. Akizawa-kun? Just like us, Akizawa-kun was standing there a little distance away with a bouquet in hand. I told Okaasama that I had a friend here, so I left her and headed over to him. Akizawa-kun? Whatever are you doing in a place like this? Eh-, Kisshouin-san!? When he turned around, Akizawa-kun was shocked to see me too. Why are you here, Kisshouin-san? Umm, today my childhood friend was in the recital, so I came to watch, but what about you? Something similar as well. A friend was performing. While we were talking, Okaasama, and a person who seemed to be Akizawa-kuns okaasama came over. Reika-san, who might this gentleman be? Ah-, Okaasama. This is Akizawa-kun. He is in my grade in Suiran, and we attend the same cram school, you know. Its nice to meet you. Im Akizawa Tak.u.mi. When Okaasama found out that he was a student at Suiran, she smiled happily. I greeted Akizawa-kuns okaasama as well. While our mothers were exchanging greetings, we went back to our own conversation from before. By childhood friend, do you perhaps mean the one that gave you chocolates on Valentines? Ah, thats the one. To think youd remember that.(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});She lives in my neighbourhood, so our families have been close since we were little. Shes in the same grade as us, but shes like a little sister to me. A little sister? Yeah, since we were small shes always been following me around, and we went to the same kindergarten. When we had to go to different schools, she started bawling. It was terrible, you know. For today too, she told me that I absolutely had to come. Akizawa-kun, you&h.e.l.lip; At that moment, the performers and their families started to enter the lobby. Tak.u.mi! A j.a.panese-styled beauty with long black hair called out his name, as she trotted over to him. Ahh, Sakurako, good job! Your performance was great. Akizawa-kun met her with a smile. When the girl heard his praise, she smiled happily with a flushed face, but the moment she saw me standing next to him, her expression turned bewildered. Tak.u.mi, whos this person? Ahh, this is Kisshouin-san. Shes in my cohort at Suiran, and were in the same cla.s.s for cram school. Our cla.s.ses at school are different though. Right? he asked me with an innocent smile. Seeing that, Childhood Friend-chan started to look sullen. And this is the childhood friend I mentioned, f.u.kioka Sakurako. I am Kisshouin Reika. It is a pleasure. &h.e.l.lip;f.u.kioka Sakurako. Her face clearly says that she isnt happy to see me. Aahh, this settles it. Tak.u.mi, it cant be that you came with her, right? Nuh uh. Apparently Kisshouin-sans friend was in the recital as well. We met by chance a little while ago. Right, Kisshouin-san? Once again, he smiled at me, at which point f.u.kioka-sans expression grew more and more severe. Ah-, shes glaring. I never heard about any of your friends being female, Tak.u.mi. Even though when you talk about them, only male names come up&h.e.l.lip; Really? Well, we basically only ever talk at cram school, so, Are you&h.e.l.lip; close? Ehh~ I wonder about that. We dont hate each other, right? Eh-? Y-, Yes. That is true. f.u.kioka-san looked sadly at Akizawa-kun. *imouto* Oh my G.o.d. I made light of this guy. Even though I thought he was just a loveless, normal primary schooler like me&h.e.l.lip; To think that he was holding the hidden trump card of all romantic cliches, a sizzling love with a childhood friend!! Akizawa-kun who I thought was my comrade in no-romances was actually in a completely different realm to me to begin with. I should have realised the moment he mentioned the yearly chocolates from her. It wasnt courtesy chocolates, nor was it friendship chocolates, it was the real d.a.m.n thing chocolates. To think that I grouped myself together with a guy who had such a powerful romance card. I want to apologise to Akizawa-kun with a sliding dogeza now. Apparently Akizawa-kun had no idea why f.u.kioka-san was upset, and carelessly asked Whats wrong?. Cliche. Its so cliche. The romantically slow childhood friend cliche. Akizawa-kun, it feels like youre so far away now&h.e.l.lip; To f.u.kioka-san, Akizawa-kun is the childhood friend that she loves, and who has always been by her side, so I guess that makes me the suddenly-appearing villainess rival character. Even though Kimidols protagonist hasnt even appeared yet, why the heck do I have to be the stalking horse in some random other place? A sordid love triangle even in primary school? No thank you. My ojousama companions who invited me appeared in the lobby, so I gratefully used them to retreat. Okaasama, Emiri-sama is here. We must hand her the flowers. My, so she has. Well then, Akizawa-sama, I look forward to our next meeting. Well then, please excuse us. We shall be leaving first. Please excuse us, and gokigenyoh, Akizawa-kun, f.u.kioka-san. See you at cram school, Kisshouin-san. &h.e.l.lip;Gokigenyoh. I could feel f.u.kioka-sans gaze stabbing painfully into my back. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* When I left the venue later, it was snowing. No wonder I felt so cold. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Chapter 25 The next week at cram school, I asked Akizawa-kun about how f.u.kioka-san was after that. Mmmm, for some reason she seemed awfully conscious of you. I thought so. In her position, Id be interrogating him to the end. I think she had some weird misunderstanding about you. A weird misunderstanding? Specifically? She kept asking if I liked you, or if you liked me instead. Ah-! Of course, I denied it, okay!? Because I definitely dont think that you like me in that way! Sorry if I made you feel bad. No, it is fine. Im not angry. Its quite often that thats how it is, after all. It looks like f.u.kioka-san likes you, Akizawa-kun. I decided to say it with conviction. Ueeeh-!? What the heck are you saying so suddenly. Eh? Eh? Now now, calm down. Well? How about it? Have you noticed her feelings? Feelings? I mean, were like siblings&h.e.l.lip; What on earth are you doing saying such tepid things. The fact that f.u.kioka-san is in love with you is as clear as day. Well, how about it? Are you saying that you have not noticed her feelings? Akizawa-kun went silent. Even if you fall silent, you shall not escape me. Uu&h.e.l.lip; Arent you acting a little differently than usual? Aahh, as for Sakurako liking me, Im not really sure. I know that shes fond of me, but it might just be as childhood friends, right? Ah, but in kindergarten she said&h.e.l.lip; Umm, she said that she wanted to marry me, so, Cliche. And so since then, she has been giving you Valentines chocolate each year. After all, you two are always visiting each others homes, correct? Eh-, you could tell? Of course I could tell. Ive seen through it all. I suppose that given that your families are close as well, since little, they have been saying things such as Itd be great if these two got married, huh~ or I wonder if Sakurako-chan would be willing to join our family as a bride~ My! Please do take her. as well? How come you know!? Thats exactly right. Of course, of course. I can see your future, Akizawa-kun. Eh-, what the heck? In the future, if you marry anybody other than f.u.kioka-san, the relationship between your Okaasama and your wife will be strained. How come? Your Okaasama has been thinking all these years that it would be good if you married f.u.kioka-san, whom she dotes on. And f.u.kioka-san desires this as well. But then, if you brought along some other woman, naturally they would feel unpleased. If f.u.kioka-san cried in secret, things would be terrible. Your Okaasama would hate your wife. Mum wouldnt&h.e.l.lip; In my past life, on the Thursday night drama I watched, it was terrifying when the guy married a woman his mother didnt like. And so, Akizawa-kun, you must be prepared to choose. Prepared? Akizawa-kun turned a little pale. In the case that you choose to accept f.u.kioka-sans feelings, you must be prepared to eventually marry her someday. At the end of the day, you two are family friends. If the two of you break up midway, things will become extremely awkward. If in the case that you choose not to accept her feelings, then it would be better to say so as soon as possible. If you continue to drag this out, one day&h.e.l.lip; One day? &#(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});8220;One day it will be a bloodbath. Since the teacher arrived, cla.s.s began. Akizawa-kun was pale and couldnt concentrate on cla.s.s, but I said what I needed to, so I was feeling refreshed now. Its definitely not because Im jealous of his cliched protagonist position, and felt like bullying him a little. *imouto* *imouto* Since then, for some reason Akizawa-kun started consulting me about f.u.kioka-san. When they were in kindergarten, his childhood friend f.u.kioka Sakurako failed the Suiran entrance on purpose, and decided to commute to a Catholic-style ojousama school. Since their families lived nearby, theyve been close since they were born, and it was the same even in kindergarten, so she wanted to go to the same school as Akizawa-kun, but because f.u.kioka-sans okaasama is an alumni of Yurinomiya Girls School, she wanted her daughter to go to the same school no matter what, and so f.u.kioka-san tearfully gave up on Suiran. But lately, that f.u.kioka-san has been talking about wanting to join Suiran again. Nine cases out of ten, its because of me. When I met her the other day I thought that she was a graceful and proper j.a.panese-styled beauty, but when it comes to romance, she seems to be the reckless type. A female mini-Kaburagi, I guess? What am I supposed to do. Let us see&h.e.l.lip; Honestly speaking, I have absolutely no experience outside of reading shoujo manga in my past life. Im not the type of person who should be giving out romantic advice to others. Now then, what to do. For now, f.u.kioka-sans greatest worry would be myself, correct? In that case, what if f.u.kioka-san attended this cram school as well? After all, the two of us rarely interact at school. To be honest, this seems like itd be even more bothersome, so I actually dont want her coming here. But its for Akizawa-kuns sake. Cant be helped. So well, I guess if she sees for herself that Im not a rival, you know~ Im just a normal friend to him, you know~ then its all good. *imouto* Akizawa-kun immediately suggested this to f.u.kioka-san, and apparently she would be attending come Spring, when we enter 5th grade. And to Akizawa-kun who hadnt quite made up his mind, the fact that her Valentines chocolate was even grander this year, was a little scary to him. As for me, I guess as usual, I was just pulling the noose around my own neck. Chapter 26 Spring came, and I entered Year 5. In 5th Grade, our cla.s.ses change around. Perhaps my desperate prayers worked because I avoided the Kaburagi-Enjou duo again. My own luckiness terrifies me. Given that we change cla.s.s two times, I thought that I would end up in one of their cla.s.ses at least once. There are only four cla.s.ses each time after all. But despite that, I won with a powerful draw! Aahh, with this, Ill be able to spend my time peacefully until I graduate from primary. *imouto* Now that I was in Year 5, the number of my undercla.s.smen continued to grow, and the number of Enjou and Kaburagi fans grew as well. As for the girls in our grade, my two followers glare at the younger girls and say stuff like I would really appreciate it if younger students knew their place, and stopped acting so friendly with Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama.. Not only that, girls in the same cla.s.ses as those two had their guards particularly high. Even when some brave undercla.s.sman gains the courage to stand outside their cla.s.s to watch, those girls never let them close. Truly an impenetrable defence. When I watch all those girls, I start to want to scream Dont be fooled by their appearances!. *imouto* *imouto* f.u.kioka-san started attending cram school. Even though Akizawa-kun was supposed to have fully explained things, as I thought, she still hadnt cleared all her misgivings about me. The girl her self is from an all-girls school, so I suppose it cant be helped that she worries about Akizawa-kun going to a co-ed. It would be better if he was at least in an all-boys school, huh? Sakurako. Kisshouin-san is the one that suggested you come to cram school, okay? Get along with her. &h.e.l.lip;Good afternoon. Um, thank you for inviting me. While quietly holding onto Akizawa-kuns sleeve, she greeted me. Mmmmmn. A j.a.panese-style bishoujo. And with a cuteness that makes you want to protect her, I see. Thank you for coming. Isnt it wonderful that you can spend more time with your beloved Akizawa-kun? Eh-? Hey-, Kisshouin-san! Fujioka-san flushed red at my words, but Akizawa-kun flew into a panic. Give it up already, Akizawa-kun. Being a kind person like you, its already impossible for you to escape from her. If your cute Childhood Friend-chan starts crying in front of you, I doubt youd be able to leave her. To begin with, as a fellow girl, it seems to be as though the types that boys like to protect are actually the most stubborn and firm ones, arent they. Although almost none of the boys ever realise it, huh? Just how many times in my old life had I been used and betrayed by those types&h.e.l.lip;? No, its not like Im saying f.u.kioka-san is like that, okay? *imouto* *imouto* Ever since that first greeting on the first day, Akizawa-kun and f.u.kioka-san have been sitting together, and Ive been by myself. Being the kind person that he is, Akizawa-kun invited me to sit with them, but f.u.kioka-san looked unhappy about that, so I decided to pa.s.s on it. I dont have a hobby of interfering with other peoples romances, okay? And so, for the first time in a while, I went to the convenience store. There were new sweets out, so I bought them to try. And while I was at it, I wanted the taste of the plebs, so I bought a nattou roll as well. Quite a good haul. It was about time to head back to cla.s.s, so I had(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});decided to go to the bathroom when I suddenly heard the sounds of girls gossipping. Drill Hair got her boyfriend stolen by the new girl, didnt she? Yeah, yeah. She got dumped, and now shes all alone. The poor thing~ Isnt it tough to go to the same cla.s.s as your ex and his new girlfriend? Right? Shes probably too proud to quit. Well yeah, Drill Hair looks like the proud type. Shes a Suiran kid after all~ And shes even got drill hair, so. *imouto* What the!? It looks like thats how everybody else interpreted what happened. What completely off-base accusations. And whats more, they actually all call me Drill Hair&h.e.l.lip;? Drill Hair&h.e.l.lip; At least call me Rococo or Antoinette or something. Doesnt drill hair''(JP: vertical roll) sound like the name of some sort of bread? Uwahh, Im getting depressed. Im not a proud type, you know? I do have drill hair though&h.e.l.lip; If were talking about the Kisshouin Reika in the manga, then she absolutely wouldnt allow such a rumour, but I dont have any of the courage needed to march up to them and complain, so I just walked right past the bathroom and went back to cla.s.s. When I got home, I binged in stress. *imouto* *imouto* Theres one other thing I should mention about cram school. Up until now, Ive only been attending cla.s.ses for j.a.panese and maths. But my grades in science and social studies are starting to become dangerous, so this year Im attending those cla.s.ses for cram school as well. The truth is, Ive actually been suspicious about these last few years of science and social studies. When Im in cla.s.s, the content makes me wonder if I really actually did this stuff in primary school. Well, of course I probably did. I guess I just totally forgot. Basically the only thing I remember about science in primary was playing around with magnets and iron sand. Even Orion is basically the only constellation I remember. Useless&h.e.l.lip; As for social studies, the merging of cities and towns has been really intense, and the names that come up are all places Ive never heard of. I dont know much about the regional specialties of j.a.pan either. Far from it, I dont even know what prefectures are in the Sanin region. I have nooo idea about the names of rivers. I canttt remember the names of fields. I have no advantage at all over the other kids. Ive completely lost all academic advantage from my previous life&h.e.l.lip; Useless&h.e.l.lip; Old Me, youre useless! Its because you did nothing but relax with sweets everyday as you giggled to yourself reading shoujo manga, you brain-rotten idiot! Even though you remember all this useless stuff, you forgot everything you learnt at school! If that brain of yours is only going to remember fujoshi c.r.a.p like how Tokugawa Iemitsu was a hmo, then just have some dignity and forget everything to begin with! So far Ive somehow managed by studying by myself and getting Oniisama to tutor me, but the cla.s.ses are getting harder, and Oniisama is busy with his own studies, which is why I decided to go to cram school for those subjects too. In my new science and social studies cla.s.ses, there were a few boys from Suiran. But none of them spoke to me like Akizawa-kun did. Although they seem to be glancing my way for some reason. Hmph. I bet theyre afraid of my drill hair. Thinking about it like this, Akizawa-kun was pretty precious. I only realise it now that Ive lost him. How blessed I was to have him. That feels nostalgic to me now. Ive been feeling a little sentimental these days. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Her final line is written in a style that j.a.panese diary entries often end with. Chapter 27 褤ä磨yoissho (int, vs)(expression of) effort of strain; Yo-heave-ho! YOISSHOOOOO! Lately Ive been getting the feeling that Im getting a little chubby, so I decided to exercise each night. Its a routine of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. And at present, Im currently tackling a 50-continuous-squats challenge. YOISHOOOOOO! Its pretty tough. I folded my arms behind my head and tried following the diagram, but my legs started shaking in no time. But this is all a matter of spirit. Just a little more. YOISHOOOOOO! You cant become beautiful overnight. Its important that you build up your hard work every day. Now then, just three more! YOISHOOOOOO! *imouto* Phew, I sure worked up a sweat. I got out of the bath just a while ago, but Ill probably have a quick shower now too. Just as I left my room, I b.u.mped into Oniisama. Oh my, whatever is the matter, Oniisama? For some reason his expression seemed perplexed. Well, I think I heard some weird sounds just now. Sounds? I didnt hear a thing though. Ha-! Could it be a thief? It cant be a ghost, right? Is this house haunted by a ghost? Oh gosh, so scary. Even though Im terrible with ghost stories! What should we do, Oniisama? I wanted to go take a shower too. I hear that ghosts always appear in bathrooms. Even in horror films, its always in the shower room that serial killers attack. What do I do. Should I just bear with it and go without a shower tonight? I dont think so. Ive never heard about a ghost in this house after all. Just relax and have your shower. But~ I think the weird sounds were just my imagination. Sorry for scaring you. Truly? If you say so, then I shall believe you. Mn. Oniisama gave me a rea.s.suring smile, so Ill trust him for now. But maybe Oniisama is tired from all the exam preparation. His complexion seemed a bit pale. As his cute little sister, would it be better if I made a midnight snack for him? Ive never done any cooking outside of home ec cla.s.s at school though. Well, I suppose things like this are more about the feelings of the cook. Im sure Oniisama will be delighted. And as for midnight snacks, theyre generally onigiri or ramen? No, no, thats too ill-matched with this family. But something too heavy at night is, you know~? Should I challenge myself to make zousui rice soup? red snow crab zousui Yeah, tomorrow Ill make sure to talk to our maid about it. As youd expect, I was still pretty scared, so I slept with the light on that night. There werent any strange sounds. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* We go on excursions every May. This year were going to an animal farm. Before I left, Okaasama warned me to properly cover myself with and reapply sunscreen as she handed it over. As for the farm, were going to be experiencing things like milking cows, or riding a horse, or rafting. When we arrived, it was a place filled with nature, and the air was clean and fresh! I found myself taking in large breaths of it. Occasionally there was the stink of p.o.o.p though. When it came to the milking, the sheltered Ojousamas were afraid of the cow(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});217;s size, but I excitedly went first. UOHHHH~ Its warm! When I finished, they even said stuff like Reika-sama is so daring and brave. and praised me. Its fun, you know? There were also goats and sheep and rabbits, and was really peaceful. I decided I was going to try out every bit of it. R-, Rabbits are so cute. I wanna keep one! The rabbits are tempting me with their round eyes, and I seriously wanna take them home with me. While I fed the carefree goats with feed, I heard cheers from afar. Wondering what was happening, I looked over to see the dashing figures of Kaburagi and Enjou on horseback. Perhaps they had experience because both of them were bold and undaunted. They truly looked like princes on white horses. (The horses werent white though.) The girls made a huge fuss. It seemed like a number of other students had horseback experience as well, but unfortunately they were completely overshadowed. Kaburagi-sama, so dreamy&h.e.l.lip; Like a real prince. Kyaa! Enjou-sama looked this way! There were even girls waving at them. Of course they didnt wave back though. Even so, seeing these new sides of them, all the fan girls were in really good moods. Even the normally poker-faced Kaburagi would occasionally talk to the horse with a smile. To my great shame, even I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw that. No good, no good. Animal Magic, how fearsome. Because everybody spent the morning frolicking with the animals, when meat was brought out for lunch, everybody had difficult expressions. The cold milk that we squeezed was yummy though. After that, we spent the afternoon rafting and hiking, and thanks to moving about the whole day, everybody was fast asleep on the bus back. Because of the spray from the river, my trademark curls are a little frazzled. I cant get up anymore&h.e.l.lip; I just pray that I dont drool. *imouto* *imouto* But still, that Kaburagi kid and Enjou sure looked cool on horseback. Ive also had some experience sitting on a horse as it was pulled along, but Ill bet riding by yourself like that is much more fun. When I asked, I found out that Oniisama used to learn horseback riding as well. Because hes in the kyudo club, apparently he also did horseback archery. What the heck! I had no idea! Even though Id definitely love to see his gallant horseback archery! As I was thinking how great itd be if I could learn too, I tried asking Okaasama, but she said that it would be terrible if girls hurt themselves, and refused. Hm~mm, what a shame. Ive even heard that horse riding was good for dieting. Chapter 28 Yurukyara or yuru-chara are mascot characters of sorts, and like, different prefectures have their own mascots and stuff. Also, I use the term tiny to describe a girl, but it could very well (and probably does) refer to her posture and bearing as well (and not just her physique). Lately in my science and social science cram cla.s.ses, Ive spotted this girl Ive really got my eye on. Shes a tiny and docile looking girl, and she occasionally sits next to me you see, and so one day I spotted a certain keychain on her bag that I just couldnt take my eyes off of. A Tarow the Taro plush toy keychain! Tarow the Taro is just as youd expect, a taro yuruchara mascot character. Hes a mascot created for a town that produces taros, but even if hes a yuruchara (relaxed/lenient character), whats really too yurui(relaxed/lenient) is the quality of his conception! He looks exactly like a taro with eyes, a nose and a mouth stuck on. And whats more, his face is pathetic looking. His eyebrows slant downwards pitifully, after all. Perhaps the person(mascot?) himself is painfully aware of how pathetic his looks and popularity are, because during yuruchara events, he always stays in a small corner to avoid getting in the way of the stars. Hes a complete extra. And as for me, I actually really love this weird little yuruchara! He kinda makes you wonder if they couldnt do a little more for him. At festivals, hes overwhelmed by the star yurucharas, and has really little presence. But because of the occasion, he wears a little tie to make himself a bit more presentable, and youre just left with this odd sense of melancholy. The first time I saw him, I thought, Whoa, definitely not popular. Hes so plain, and his face isnt even cute. but after seeing him a few times I started feeling sorry for him, and before long I was starting to think that maybe his lazily created face was kind of cute too. Even though he was a mascot character created to revitalise the town, he doesnt have any self-a.s.sertion at all. But that timidity and cowardliness, I totally get it too. I have a Tarow in me as well! If I dont cheer for him, who will! Or so I thought as maternal instincts started firing up inside me. And thats who Tarow the Taro is. And a girl with his goods hanging from her bag is sitting right besides me. I wanna be friends! Its not often that youd find a girl who likes such a plain and inconspicuous yuruchara. I wanna talk to my hearts content about Tarow. Or rather, I had no idea they even made Tarow merchandise! But I havent been able to find a good way of becoming friends with her. If I suddenly went Please become my friend. Id seem way too suspicious. How are you supposed to break the ice again? At school, its always people around me that approach me first, so Ive never had to make the first move. Uwah~ Just how useless am I. Anyway, Ill just speak to her casually. Right! Think back to Akizawa-kuns friendliness. First is the greeting&h.e.l.lip; But even if I had decided that I wanted to call out to her, Tiny-san didnt show any signs of looking my way at all. Its like the mood is some kind of wall around her. No, no, this is where you need courage! Umm, your bag&h.e.l.lip; Eh-!? The girl turned my way, looking at(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});me tensely. Ah-, it was getting in your way, wasnt it. Sorry, Ill move it right now! No, ummm&h.e.l.lip; Im really sorry! She hastily moved the bag with the keychain to the other side of her desk, and distanced her body a little while she was at it. Doesnt she seem kinda, scared of me? Could it be that Im actually scary? This time she really has created a total wall of rejection, so I couldnt find the courage to speak to her anymore. Ehhhh~!? Why!? But I wont give up. Each time, I sat next to her again, or sometimes even closer, and I desperately tried to give off an Im not scary at all, you know~? aura, and whenever our eyes met I gave my best smile. Maybe she noticed that I was totally staring at her, but she almost never looked at me herself. Arent I like, totally the same as Stalker Kaburagi right now? *imouto* *imouto* Hmmm&h.e.l.lip; I stared at myself in the mirror. Hmmmmm&h.e.l.lip; Reika, what are you moaning about in front of the mirror for? While I was thinking by myself in the living room, Oniisama came along. Perfect timing. Ill try asking Oniisama. Oniisama, do I have a scary face? Hah? My face isnt that mean looking, right? Its true that I dont think I have a particularly approachable face either. Well, I think I look like I dont have many openings. Because of Okaasamas taste, my hair is curled neatly, and everything I wear is brand-name clothing. Since its all childrens wear, the moment I grow a little all this clothing will just go to waste, but well, as the young lady of the Kisshouin family, I dont suppose wearing fast fashion would do. Since I have so many clothes, maybe Ive never worn the same thing to cram school before. So it was that after all, huh? My lack of openings might be the reason people are scared of me. Or rather, is it because I have intensity? Itd be nice if it wasnt because I have a mean-looking face, wouldnt it&h.e.l.lip; My eyes arent sharp-looking, right? Who told you that you had a scary face? No, nothing like that happened. I looked at Oniisamas face. Maybe Oniisamas inner-self projected from his face or something, because although it wasnt too sweet-looking, you could feel the kindness from it. Whenever I talk to Oniisama, the corners of his mouth curve up a little, and I think thats part of why he feels so easy to get along with. So its not just eyes. The mouth is important too. I looked at the mirror and smiled. Yeah. Suspicious-looking. I dont think your face is particularly scary. Although you standing here changing expressions in the mirror is. Anyway, why are you so worried all of a sudden? &h.e.l.lip;There is a girl I would like to get along with, but I get the feeling that she is frightened of me. Hmm~ Is this a girl from school? No, a girl from cram school. I have been trying my best to appear friendly, but the more I try, the more frightened she becomes. I wonder why. Is it because my appearance truly is scary? What kind of girl is she? Depending on what shes like, your approach should change, right? What type? Docile, and somewhat small. But cute like a small animal. Quite different from the girls normally around you, isnt she. In that case, if youre too a.s.sertive about it, its true that she might get scared, huh. How about thinking about if you were in her position? If I was in her position? That girl isnt plain, but she seems the docile type, so she probably wouldnt be in the centre of her cla.s.s. I get the feeling that the old me wouldve gotten along with her without a problem. I wasnt docile, but I had friends like her around me. In that case, could the old me have become friends with a girl like Kisshouin Reika&h.e.l.lip;? &h.e.l.lip;No way, huh. I mean, I doubt our conversation would mesh, and itd probably get troublesome if an intense ojousama like Reika got angry at me. Aahh, I guess its true that if I didnt want to become friends with her but Reika continued to forcefully approach me, it would be kind of scary. Just like how Im afraid when Stalker Kaburagi approaches me to make me a spy, huh? But I never went and ambushed her, did I~ If I cut my hair and wore cheaper clothing, I wonder if she would be less vigilant. I dont think our parents would ever let you though. Yeah~ Okaasama wants me to act like an ojousama from a proper family. Im sure she has her own ideas of what I should be like. But her taste&h.e.l.lip; like this curled hair for example, her taste is pretty cla.s.sical, huh? Could it be that she really wants me to become like the Rococo Queen? Then whatever should I do? Lets see. I guess there isnt any other way except diligently have her understand you, huh? Because youre an honest, and good girl. Oniisama!! I understand! I shall do my best! Yeah. You really are honest, arent you. For the first time in a while, Oniisama rubbed my head. My mood is on the rise. Im impatient to talk to her about Tarow the Taro, but just like Oniisama said, it might be better if I slowly get closer to her. Ill learn from Kaburagis bad example, and try my very best! Chapter 29 Everybody, please check the FAQ first before asking me questions. If its not on there, please feel free and ask. I only get annoyed at questions when the same one has been asked 10+ times, and by then Ill have updated the FAQ. Thank you for your consideration, guys! Kisshouin Takateru//Momozono Imari Apparently my sister has begun dieting. It looks like shes doing stretches in the living room. She doesnt look particularly fat though, you know? Rather, isnt she a bit too skinny? When I told her not to overdo things, she smiled happily at me. Simple-minded as usual. And I also know the truth about the weird yells coming from my sisters room. I didnt hear what words she was actually saying, but Im worried now that shes shouting strange things again. I can hear your shouts from outside your room, you know? I casually told her, and in response she replied Eh-, you heard me? Oh gosh, I need to be careful. in shock. Yeah, I heard you, alright. And not just your yells. I heard your weird moans too, and its scary. I managed to solve another one of the problems caused by my sisters weird behaviour. I am technically taking my university exams this year, so Id appreciate it if she behaved. *imouto* *imouto* One day, my sister brought me some zousui rice soup in the name of a late-night snack. It hadnt been too long since dinner, so I honestly wasnt hungry at all. Its not like I had been planning on studying all night, and I had planned to sleep an hour later. So if I ate it, it would probably be bad for my body instead&h.e.l.lip; But my sister looked my way expectantly, wanting me to hurry and eat. Im troubled&h.e.l.lip; This pot is big enough for two peoples worth, isnt it. My sisters eyes were completely glittering. Cant be helped&h.e.l.lip; Preparing myself for the worst, I opened the lid, and found a steaming egg zousui with spring onions spread about. I scooped some into a bowl, and with a soup spoon, I brought some to my mouth. &h.e.l.lip;Salty. Youve put way too much salt, my little sister! My tongue is tingling from it. I want some water, now. Ah c.r.a.p, theres no water. All she gave me was hot tea. Hot food, and hot drinks. &h.e.l.lip;Little sister. I hurriedly pulled out some cold water from a small fridge in my room and gulped it down. Thank goodness for putting a refrigerator here. I bought it in the past. Its so that if I want a drink, I dont have to risk heading outside and encountering some of my sisters weird behaviours. How was it, Oniisama? It was salty. You put in too much salt. Did you even taste-test this? &h.e.l.lip;It was delicious. When she looked at me with those round eyes, I couldnt tell the truth. Honestly, how troubling. Rather than tasteless chocolate, the hurdle is higher for salty zousui. I dont have the confidence to finish the stuff I ladled into the bowl. But&h.e.l.lip; My sister simply believed me, and smiled happily. Cant be helped&h.e.l.lip; I guess Ill try my best to at least finish the stuff in the bowl. Without letting it show, I desperately ate. The 500ml bottle was gone in an instant. I immediately opened another bottle. As youd expect, I couldnt finish the stuff left in the pot, so I apologised and told her that I wasnt so hungry at night. Saying something like Maybe I should have some too&h.e.l.lip;, she took a spoon to her mouth. Hmm? I wonder if its a little salty. So youve noticed, little sister!? But this isnt at the level where youd call it a little, you know. Even so, my sister continued eat(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});ing with an unconcerned expression. My sisters sense of taste is wayy too rough. And what about her diet? Carbohydrates before bed are scarier than monsters, you know. In the end, my sister finished all of the leftovers. At this rate, I might have to continue to suffer this h.e.l.l of supper attacks. What do I do. Reika, thanks for making me a snack tonight. But eating makes me sleepy, so you dont have to worry about it from now on. I wont be studying too late either. Is that so? Yeah. Im happy with just your feelings. And also, I might get fat eating before sleep, right? Ah-, that is true! Looks like it had quite an effect on my dieting sister. Thank goodness&h.e.l.lip; After seeing out my sister with the pot, my stomach was bloated from all the water, and I was exhausted. I feel sick from all the water&h.e.l.lip; Maybe it might feel better if I just throw it up. But she did try her very best making that, so Id feel sorry for her if I went and did that. And so that night, I fought with my nausea until I somehow managed to digest it. As for the tasteless, yearly Valentines Chocolates, I discussed it with Minadzuki-san, who I went to an amus.e.m.e.nt park with last year. My sisters handmade chocolates are too flavourless, so I was wondering what I could do about it. I feel bad for her when she tries so hard to make them, so Im sorry about this, but could I perhaps get you to casually teach her how to make them, Minadzuki-san? When I asked her this, although she asked flavourless chocolates? confusedly, she happily agreed, and some time later they made chocolates together at our home. A few days later, the chocolates that my sister gave me were sweet like they were supposed to be. Just what kind of magic did Minadzuki-san use, to make that girls chocolates actually taste sweet. When I asked her this she replied, I dont know for sure what the reason was, but she heated the chocolate in water for too long, which dispersed it, and well, just a whole bunch of other mistakes. But its fine now. Reika-san seems to know what to do, and what not to do in making chocolates now, so from next year the chocolates should be delicious as they should be. I was relieved. Should I get Minadzuki-san to help this time as well? But my little sister really looks up to her. If she shows her mistakes in front of her adored senpai, she might get depressed. For the sake of her future as well, perhaps I should casually recommend cooking cla.s.ses to her. *imouto* *imouto* In public, my sister does quite a good job in playing the ojousama. Like somebody truly befitting the name of the Kisshouin familys daughter. My parents havent noticed either that shes actually rather disappointing(pitiful) on the inside. Anyhow, as time goes on, her mask comes off more and more when shes in front of me, and the stupidity and silliness on the inside is really starting to show. Shes probably just that trusting of me, but if she does something too weird itll scare me, so I wish she would stop. And little sister, dont try and do chin-ups inside your closet. Its scary. My friend, Kisshouin Takateru, is a pretty splendid guy. To begin with, he rarely gets angry. Ive almost never seen him get emotional, and he basically treats everybody politely. In the archery club hes captain too, and all the undercla.s.smen rely on him. His results are always in the high ranks, but hes never shown off about this. He almost seems like a human with no flaws, but hes actually pretty black-hearted, and he uses his gentle-looking smile to get people to do what he wants. At a glance he looks like a kind person wholl accept everyone, but the number of people he actually lets down his guard around are pretty few. But at heart, hes a straight-forward guy. Somehow or other, hes just good at taking care of others. For people he considers friends, he definitely wont ever betray them. Its these parts of him that I like. *imouto* Anyhow, that Takateru has a little sister. Shes a cute girl, who looks like a well-made western doll. When shes quiet, she looks just like one, but when she smiles her dimples come out, and its cute. Whenever I bring -chan a present, she always seems to smile happily from the bottom of her heart. Unlike her brother, she doesnt have a hidden side to her. Sometimes the three of us chat together, and she happily eats the sweets I bring her. I guess she likes sweets, huh. A while back when I went with her to an amus.e.m.e.nt park, her eyes shot between this stall and that stall, and when I bought her sweets that I thought she would like, she was so grateful to me that it was shocking. Just a few hundred Yens worth of food is enough to get her eyes sparkling and saying Thank you very much, Imari-sama! so it made me want to tell her that Id buy her any food she wanted. It felt like feeding a bird chick. -chan always happily listens to my stories about Takateru. She really loves him. I could totally feel her feelings towards her beloved Oniisama. *imouto* And as for Takateru, he totally dotes on her. Takateru is a guy who hates people who stick to him without a sense of distance. But apparently its a different story when it comes to his own sister. -chan is adorable. She really thinks that Takateru is a gentle, wonderful Oniisama. She doesnt notice that he occasionally plays with her reactions. She just dances on his palms as much as he wants. Apparently Takateru doesnt think of himself as a siscon, but from my eyes, hes plenty siscon enough. When theyre sitting on the couch in the living room, he always has her sit next to him. Never, ever next to me. When he listens to her talk, its not some statues archaic smile, but an actual smile that he has. When -chan gets her head patted by Takateru she smiles happily in response. These siblings really do get along. All I have is a c.o.c.ky little brother, so sometimes I get jealous of him when I wonder how things would be if I had a cute little sister attached to me too. One day in the Pivoine salon, I heard Takateru discussing handmade chocolates with Aira-chan. When I asked him about that, he told me I asked her to teach my sister how to make handmade chocolates for Valentines. Valentines huh. Apparently he gets handmade chocolates from -chan each year. When I said I wonder if this year Ill get some from -chan too~, he just stared blankly at me and asked back Why does my sister have to give a Valentines chocolate to you?. d.a.m.n siscon&h.e.l.lip; Once when I thought about teasing this siscon and joked with a smile, If -chan and I got married, youd end up as my Oniichan as well, huh~ What should I do?, I ended up eating a strong hook to the solar plexus. &h.e.l.lip;Sorry, I wont say it again. Theyre a funny pair of siblings. Rather, when -chan gets involved, Takateru immediately becomes funnier. Today as well, Im heading to the Kisshouin house with sweets in hand. Chapter 30 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Lately, things between Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan have become strained. The cause was Kikuno-chan being in the same cla.s.s as Kaburagi. When we realised it after the cla.s.s announcements, Kikuno-chan was dancing for joy. Since then, every day, its been talk about Kaburagi. Stuff like When he was reading the pa.s.sage out during j.a.panese cla.s.s, it was so dreamy. or After Kaburagi-sama used the piece of chalk, I ended up using it too. From my perspective its just idle gossip, but apparently that wasnt the case with Serika-chan. Reika-sama, dont you think that Kikuno-san been getting ahead of herself lately? Just because shes in the same cla.s.s as Kaburagi-sama, every single day she does nothing but boast about it. What on earth is with her! Oh my my~ Even though Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan are like a duo, now that one sides been stealing a march on the other, cracks are appearing in their relationship. Arent you frustrated, Reika-sama? Kikuno-san is acting as though shes closer to Kaburagi-sama than you are! So arrogant! Im not frustrated at all, but&h.e.l.lip;? I mean, I dont particularly like him after all. Only, considering how many fans those two have in school, theres no reason for me to stir up trouble by admitting that. So thus far Ive just been randomly following along with everybody and saying stuff like How wonderful. when appropriate. She says things like how Enjou-sama occasionally comes to visit her cla.s.s! And lately, that girl hasnt even been spending lunch time with you, Reika-sama! Shes betraying us! Uwahh~ Shes getting all heated up. I wonder what I should do. Perhaps Kikuno-san is merely doing so because she felt that you would be happy to hear such stories. I do not think that she means ill, you know? &h.e.l.lip;I cant imagine that she doesnt, but&h.e.l.lip; Her expression clearly says that she doesnt believe me. But well, I also think that Kikuno-chan was just happily bragging. After all, Kikuno-san seems to think dearly of you, Serika-san. A while back when she was ill and you waited with her in the infirmary, she told me that she was very grateful to you. She even said that when push comes to shove, you were the one that could be relied on, you know? Eh-&h.e.l.lip; This is half truth and half lie. Its true that she was grateful about Serika-chan accompanying her in the infirmary. As for the stuff about being reliable, I said Serika-san is reliable, isnt she. and Kikuno-chan just replied Yes. Kikuno-san said&h.e.l.lip; I think that Kikuno-san is just ecstatic about joining the cla.s.s of the one she admires. I am sure that she will calm down, given just a little time. To begin with, Kaburagi-sama is more or less indifferent towards girls, after all. In the end, rather than the far-away Kaburagi-sama, it will be you that she values more. Thats true&h.e.l.lip; Oooh, she bit! In that case&h.e.l.lip; Serika-san, please take this. Eh-, a macaron? I had given Serika-chan a pink macaron. It is a limited time cherry-flavoured macaron. Kaburagi-samas favourite. EH-!? Kaburagi-samas!? Yes. Earlier when I went to the Pivoine salon, Kaburagi-sama was eating them. I helped myself to one as well, but brought it here without eating it. You should eat it, Serika-san. Keep this a secret from Kikuno-san, all right? Goodness&h.e.l.lip; Serika-chan happily accepted the macaron with two hands. It isnt often that you get to see Kaburagi-sama eating sweets, is it. My. That is not the case at all. He has quite the sweet tooth, you know? He eats sweets in the salon a lot, and he was a sweet tooth in Kimidol as well. For a while when he was in Kyoto, he was totally in love with this old tea shops matcha chocolate after all. I dont think hes hiding the fact or anything, but to begin with we arent allowed to bring sweets to school, so the only chance of seeing him eating them is in the salon I guess. Since Serika-chan is in a good mood again, I guess thats good enough for now. Umm&h.e.l.lip; Reika-sama. What I said earlier&h.e.l.lip; Of course, I did not hear a thing. After all, it was not how you truly felt, was it. No. Thank you very much, Reika-sama. No, no. Youre welcome. *imouto* *imouto* Reika-sama, what do you think of Serika-sans att.i.tude lately? Shes jealous because Im in the same cla.s.s as Kaburagi-sama! This time Kikuno-chan timed it so that Serika-chan wasnt there, before coming to talk to me. If shes envious, then she should just say so. Even though I went out of my way to tell her stories about Kaburagi-sama, all she does is glare at me. Dont you think her personality is terrible? Oh my, oh my~ Thats quite an arrogant att.i.tude, huh~ I think both of you were in the wrong. Serika-san was sulking because all you spoke of was Kaburagi-sama. Sulking? Please keep this a secret, but, Serika-san was complaining to me about how Kaburagi-sama is more important to you than she is. Even though Im closer to her, she said. I think that she might be lonely. Eh-&h.e.l.lip; Serika-san likes you very much, after all. But lately all you speak of is Kaburagi-sama. Wouldnt you feel ignored? Dont you think that perhaps her jealousy is directed at Kaburagi-sama instead? Now this is a total lie. But you must not go to Serika-san to confirm this. Serika-san is quite the stubborn one, so if you knew how she really felt, she would likely sulk even more, you see. To think Serika-san said&h.e.l.lip; In this case&h.e.l.lip; What if you act like the mature one, and take the first step? I am certain that if you do so, Serika-san will immediately feel better. She likes you a lot. The two of you are best friends, after all. Best friends&h.e.l.lip; Youre right. Were best friends, arent we. It looks like shes a little happy about the specialness of best friends. And it seems like her anger has subsided too. Reika-sama, what I said earlier&h.e.l.lip; Of course, I did not hear a thing. After all, it was not how you truly felt, was it. No. Thank you very much, Reika-sama. No, no. You two are quite similar, you know. *imouto* After that, they immediately made up. And it looks like my lies werent exposed. The two of them are lovey-lovey and following each other everywhere again. Im a coward, so absolutely no thank you to trouble. Its scary. I mean, you never know when youll get wrapped up in it, after all. Peace is definitely the best. *imouto* Speaking of which, in you are my dolce, didnt Kisshouin Reika feed Emperor with lies about the protagonist, that led to a falling out scene&h.e.l.lip;? Chapter 31 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Yurukyara or yuru-chara are mascot characters of sorts, and like, different prefectures have their own mascots and stuff. Also Ive never been to j.a.pan, nor seen how they sell these tourism yuru-charas, so this chapters translation might have a few mistakes. Even though its already summer, I havent made any progress with the girl at cram school. But I know her name now. Its Yorino Aoi-chan. As per usual, I stole a look at the name written on her books. Aoi-chan. What a fitting name. I kind of get the feeling that my stalker traits are getting stronger and stronger. I dont think I can laugh at Kaburagi anymore&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* But a chance suddenly appeared. As usual, I was on stand-by next to Aoi-chan as I watched the situation. And while I was doing so, Aoi-chan suddenly dropped her pen! At the speed of light, I picked it up! Ah-&h.e.l.lip; Having lost her pen, Aoi-chan looked at me in a panic. Its my chance! My once-in-a-lifetime chance! Umm&h.e.l.lip; I-, I-, I am Kisshouin Reika! Gokigenyoh! Aoi-chans hand reached towards the pen I was grasping and hesitating in mid-air, but it was a precious hostage. I wouldnt hand it back so easily. Hmm&h.e.l.lip; Aahh, shes frightened of me. Why? Is it because my eyes are shining like a predators? It is because of my drill hair? Nooooo, Im not scary, you know!? An opening, look for an opening&h.e.l.lip; I too like Tarow the Taro! Eh- I decided on all or nothing. To begin with, the reason I wanted to become friends with her is because I saw the unpopular yuru-chara on her bag. Ever since I saw your, um, Tarow the Taro keychain, I have always wanted to speak to you. Aahh, this kind of feels like a love confession. My hands are shaking from the nervousness. My heart is pounding away. So, um, could you perhaps be my friend? &h.e.l.lip; Uwahh, Im about to cry from the nervousness. Oniisama, I meant to earnestly get closer to her, but I ended up jumping the gap in one go! What do I dooo? Saveeee meeeeeeeeee! &h.e.l.lip;Um, my pen, please return it. &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; Aahh, its over. Aoi-chan is frowning just like Tarow is. Of course she wouldnt want to be friends with a girl like me. Of course. A fake Rococo would be the type that Aoi-chan is worst with, after all. Im just a drill hair girl. I see, I see. Im sorry. I wont follow you around anymore. Drill hair girl will quietly leave&h.e.l.lip; I held out the pen to Aoi-chan. Definitely, dont cry. Oniisama, Ive been rejected. OTL&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;Please take care of me. After grasping the pen tightly, Aoi-chan had fallen into thought for a while, but then she raised her head to look at me before saying that. Huh? Im, Yorino Aoi. I know. Because Im a stalker in the making. Please be my friend. After saying that, Aoi-chan smiled. EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!? Really? Mn. Eh-, why!? Even though you were that scared of me, why!? But, werent you avoiding me? When I said that, Aoi-chan looked a little awkward. I asked something unnecessary. Because, you said that you liked this, she said, pointing at her Tarow strap, n.o.body has said that they liked him before. Same here! Ive never actually asked around, but far from people telling me they like him, n.o.body has even mentioned him before. They probably dont even know about him. I also want to talk to you about Tarow. Mn! Did it! I did it! Oniisama! I tried my best! And it looks like Aoi-chan is willing to be my friend! Cla.s.s began so we stopped talking for a while, but the moment that it ended, we started talking again. About how Aoi-chans grandpa lives in the countryside, in the area that Tarow the Taro came from. About how she bought her keychain last year when she went over there to play. About how Tarow the Taro goods were only sold in his hometown. I see~ I also searched the internet, but n.o.body was selling Tarow goods anywhere, and I was really wondering where on earth you got your keychain, you know? I even thought that you perhaps made it yourself. Ahaha, hes not very famous so I dont think theyd sell him on the internet. There isnt much variety in his goods, and I dont think they sell very well. Truly? Yeah. Where he comes from, they sell a Tarow pouch with a picture of him in it, and in shops they sometimes have cardboard printouts of him, but the time that I went there, n.o.body was buying Tarow goods except me. My~ So Tarow really is a pitiful kid&h.e.l.lip; So like me, Aoi-chan also became fans of him because she felt sorry for him. Can Tarow not get any fans outside of sympathy votes? Looking carefully, hes got quite an interesting face, huh~ At a glance he looks plain though~ Mn&h.e.l.lip; Hes mostly a light brown, so he really is quite plain. After that, we continued happily talking until second period began. It was really fun. We promised to sit next to each other next week too. Im so happy. *imouto* When I got home, I immediately let Oniisama know. I did it, Oniisama. I became friends with Aoi-chan! Aoi-chan? The girl that you said you wanted to become friends with, last time? Yes. Today we had a good time chatting about Tarow. Aahh, the&h.e.l.lip; weird little yuru-chara that you like&h.e.l.lip; The other day I showed Oniisama Tarow the Taro on the internet. Oniisama wasnt sure what to say about him that time as well. Oniisama, you still havent understood Tarows charm yettt? Looks like it. I dont think itll ever happen. Ehhhhh? Oniisama, why wont you understand its cuteness. But Oniisama gave me advice about Aoi-chan didnt he. As thanks, should I try making him dinner again? Oniisama, look forward to it! Aahh, what a good day its been! Chapter 32 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Its autumn again, and the athletics carnival came around once more. Now that were the seniors in primary school, its become our turn to act as the executive committee. And for some reason I was nominated as the female executive from our cla.s.s. Im not particularly good at sports, and my planning ability and dynamism isnt anything to write home about either, so why me? Or so I was wondering at first, but apparently the teacher secretly decided that it would be better to have somebody with enough authority to handle the undercla.s.smen smoothly. Honestly speaking, its a d.a.m.n ha.s.sle&h.e.l.lip; Were still primary schoolers so its not like the executive committee actually does anything important. Just stuff like collecting the partic.i.p.ation lists from each cla.s.s, or doing odd jobs for the teachers, or well, small stuff like that. And also, on the day of the athletics carnival, were supposed to stand in our tent and make sure everything comes along. *imouto* The executives from 5th and 6th grades gathered before the real preparations for the athletics carnival, and we introduced ourselves. Amongst these people, I spotted Enjou Shuusuke. The girls here were all excited about it. Apparently they hadnt expected that Enjou would be an executive committee member. I didnt either. I looked at everybody else too, but concluded that Enjou was probably chosen for the same reason as me. The two of us are the only Pivoine members. But unlike me, I would have thought that Enjou would have been able to refuse. Maybe hes a surprisingly cooperative guy. Speaking of which, in Kimidol, Enjou was like the mediator between Emperor and everybody else, wasnt he. After the introductions and the explanation of our duties, we were about to begin our work when a problem occurred. The girls were swarming about Enjou and didnt look like they were going to do anything. Enjou himself was doing stuff like printing out the printouts or organising the numbers, and properly doing what he was supposed to, but the girls around him were just talking to him and not working at all. Even when the boys in the committee gave them a warning, they would declare Im helping Enjou-sama! and far from doing work, would actually look down on the boys by saying Are you sure you arent just jealous because you boys arent popular~? and so the boys couldnt say anything more. Enjou warned them as well, and they did start to work, but the moment they left his side, their hands would completely stop. This was a total mistake in personnel selection&h.e.l.lip; While all this was happening, I was quietly sitting away from the trouble and folding the programmes. Thanks to the Enjou Harem, Im missing a lot of help and its terrible. These programmes were ordered from elsewhere, but for some reason the task of folding them in two was left to the executive committee. If youre going to order them from some shop, cant you just have them finish the job? I dont really get it. The paper was stealing the moisture from my hands, and I had trouble picking up one at a time. This is hard&h.e.l.lip; Itd be great if there was a thimble but&h.e.l.lip; Looking around, I couldnt find one, but I did find a rubber band instead. I wrapped it around my thumb. Then I tried picking up a page. Oooh! Its easier! Here we go, here we go. Take and fold, take and fold. Like a machine, I continued to repeat this. Like I was possessed by a mother working a side-job from home, I worked single-mindedly. Boys walking past exclaimed Eh-, rubber band!? beneath their breaths, but I wont pay any mind. Like a worn-out housewife, I prioritised efficiency. The happy voices of the harem were audible from where I was. Work, d.a.m.n you. *imouto* Even after that, the girls of the committee continued to orbit Enjou, and basically did no work at all. Apparently the boys in the committee had long given up on trying to make them. And as time went on, more and more odd jobs got pushed my way. From the next day onwards, I provided thimbles. I was also equipped with odourless muscle ointment for sore shoulders. Im completely used to clerical work now. Using the copy machine has become my specialty. Im good with shrinking, magnifying, and double-sided copying too. The Year 6 boys all praised me and said As expected of Kisshouin-san and pushed more odd jobs onto me. Do you really think Ill be fooled with such obvious flattery? But I couldnt refuse, so from copying to printing to stapling, just everything, everything, everything got pushed onto me. Hm? Thats weird. Im part of the elite Pivoine, and Im supposed to be in the top caste amongst the girls, but before I knew it, I became the number one gopher. Could it be that Side-Job Reika has gotten too powerful due to her talent? I actually get the feeling that Im doing every single job that was a.s.signed to the Enjou Harem. Dammmiiiitt! Work, you lot! *imouto* At one point, we realised that one of the undercla.s.sman cla.s.ses had an overlap in their event selections, so I ended up heading there to warn them directly. It was for times like this that Enjou and I were meant to use our authority as Pivoine members, but if Enjou moved then his harem would move, and we didnt need a whole d.a.m.n court procession so I went by myself. The Year 3 cla.s.s in question was having a break, so the boys in particular wouldnt listen to what I was saying. Because of the stress from the committee lately, I was starting to really sulk in my heart. You lot, do you know who I am!? Im Kisshouin Reika-sama!! The one and only!! I screamed in my heart. I didnt have the courage to actually say it aloud. Dammmiittttt! Every last one of them is&h.e.l.lip;! Thankfully the girls properly listened to me, and tried to help me out, but a number of the boys just wouldnt listen. Or rather, isnt that kid the one that had the overlaps!? Listen, d.a.m.n you! As I said, you cannot partic.i.p.ate in both of these events. Choose one, and let other students have a go at the other. Ehhhhhhhh, but then were not gunna win! Like I care, r.e.t.a.r.d. At any rate, you cannot partic.i.p.ate in both. This event will begin immediately after the other, and you will not make it in time. Then Ill run. That is not the problem here. Whats with this idiot? Is he really a student at Suiran? He brings to mind the boys from the public school in my old life. Hey, listen to what Reika-sama says! Hah? Who? What did you say? Dont think I wont punish you! Before long, the girls and boys ignored me and started arguing by themselves. Aah, its beyond my control now. Okay, enough. Enjou clapped his hands together as he entered the cla.s.s. Katsuragi, could you perhaps cause a little less trouble for Reika-san? Just hurry up and fix your event entries already. Apparently the naughty kid was acquainted with Enjou, and immediately turned obedient. Even the noisy cla.s.s instantly began to behave, and the girls were entranced by Enjous show of leadership. Dammnnnn ittttt, is this the difference between a leader and a faker!? With Enjous arrival, the problems were resolved in an instant, and the two of us returned to the committee room. Reika-san, if you were going to go, you could have told me too. It seemed busy around you, so I supposed that you were busy. I made sure to p.r.i.c.k at him. Ahh, that huh? Im troubled about it too. It looks like quite a bits been left to you. Ill help out too. Youre going to come along with useless extras, so no thank you. I will be fine. Please do your own work, Enjou-sama. I see. When we got back, the women of the harem swarmed around their lord. Enjou-sama, we wanted to go too. We completed the work that you left us, Enjou-sama! I reported the corrections that the senpais made, and then gathering up the remaining doc.u.ments, I headed to the staff room. Aahh, I need soothing&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Dont think I wont punish you! Actually, Ill subject you to the sour plum (force feeding) punishment! Take and fold, take and fold. Like a machine, I continued to repeat this. Like I was possessed by a mother working a side-job from home, I single-mindedly worked. In j.a.pan, there are some side-jobs that you can do from home. Basically they send you like&h.e.l.lip; well, its hard to explain, but its basically odd jobs like folding things, or sewing things, and you can work from home. and we dont need a whole d.a.m.n court procession so I went by myself. Rather than court procession, the term used actually refers to members of the inner palace (i.e. harem) lining up in two columns on each side to greet their husband. Dammnnnn ittttt, is this the difference between a leader and a faker!? Is this the difference between a real charismatic person, and a papier mache? Chapter 33 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. On the day of the Athletics Meet, I went around with the teachers greeting the guests, so things were busy from the very start. I get the feeling that the teachers completely used my name as a proud Pivoine and Kisshouin clan member. And I think it was the same for Enjou who was standing next to me. Immediately after that, I returned to the executive tent to be stationed as the person in charge of announcements. I had thought that people in the broadcasting committee would be doing this, but theyre in charge of the music for the event, and dont have a mic. The role of announcer is pa.s.sed to whoever isnt partic.i.p.ating in a current event. People who arent good at the more ostentatious roles take a role in the background. Of course, I wanted to work behind the scenes as well. Ive got stage fright, so when I was doing announcements my voice was totally trembling. After checking that there wasnt any misprint in the programmes and ma.n.u.script, I handed it over to an announcer. Besides that, I also did the boring job of moving the point flags for the relays. It looks like Ill get a lot of use out of the sunscreen that Okaasama plastered me with. *imouto* I carried out the odd jobs that the teachers a.s.signed me, and then returned to the tent to finally have a breather. While drinking cold tea, I watched the obstacle relay in a daze. As youd expect, they dont have bread eating compet.i.tions in this school, huh~ Even though I wouldve totally gone if they had anpan. Youve done a great job, Kisshouin-san. A teacher called out to me. You think so? Thank you very much. Youve been working all morning, right? In the afternoon, leave it to others, and rest a little. Which events are you partic.i.p.ating in? The borrowing race. I thought that it was a pretty safe game to enter, since it was more reliant on luck than physical ability. Also I entered the dance, and the foot race, and the ball toss. Im sure not looking forward to the race~ At least let me get into the top three somehow. It was time for the borrowing race now, so I returned to my cla.s.s. Itd be great if I didnt get some weird item. Just gla.s.ses or something would be good. Just to be safe, I looked over the guests to see who had what items. At the very least, I dont want to show something shameful like panic. The other kids who were entering said things like Lets do our best, okay? to cheer each other up. Uuu, my heart is pounding. The borrowing race began, and the partic.i.p.ants all ran this way and that to look for their items and people after drawing their cards. Please let me draw something simple! My turn came up, and what I drew was a fast-running friend. Who the heck is that? Faster than my head could turn, my body ended up moving. Theres only one friend I know that runs fast. Akizawa-kun! Come with me! I pulled on the arm of the surprised Akizawa-kun and aimed for the goal. Although he didnt seem to know what was going on, he ran with me. The boys who had been with Akizawa-kun were making a fuss. Dont misunderstand, d.a.m.nit. When I reached the goal and handed the paper over to the attendants, they read it aloud. As I recall, Akizawa-kun was in the baton relays. It looks like I somehow managed to contribute to my cla.s.s. A fast-running friend, huh~? I sure was surprised. Mn, sorry about that. He was the only one I could think of! If it was fast-running person and not fast-running friend, then I might have found a number of people though. Everyone might get angry at me for helping another cla.s.s. As he said that, Akizawa-kun smiled. I might have gotten him wrapped up in something troublesome. Im reflecting. If anybody says anything like that, please do tell me. I shall deal with it. Its fine, its fine. After that, while I was standing at the goal, somebody came to get me. A boy from some other cla.s.s pulled me and had me run. Im the item? We ran to the drawing spot once, and then back to the goal. What they announced when we reached there was a girl with a ribbon in their hair. Thank goodness. It wasnt a girl with drill hair. Because many of the slips this time had things related to people, there werent any particular rumours about Akizawa-kun. I was wondering if I had made trouble for him, so I was relieved to hear that. Incidentally, a slip that read person you like appeared, and a girl was reckless enough to call out to Kaburagi, resulting in a splendid rejection. Dont try the impossible. *imouto* In the afternoon was more work in the tent. Now that I had the knack of it, it was easier than in the morning. Right now I was sitting on a metal folding chair, and watching the events. Besides the baton relays, there was also the main event of the Athletics Meet; the cavalry battle with the Year 5 and 6 boys. The cla.s.ses were broken into two teams, and would s.n.a.t.c.h at each others headbands. Boys from my cla.s.s also formed horseback units and partic.i.p.ated, but people said there was a favourite team this year. Kaburagis. Naturally he was the rider. Theres no way that guy would be a horse. Kikuno-chan who shared a cla.s.s with him had told us excitedly, With this, the cavalry battle will be our cla.s.s win!. Even though he would probably just fall off right away and get laughed at. I was a fool for thinking that. The moment the start signal rang, Kaburagi freely moved about on his horse, and s.n.a.t.c.hed headband after headband. There were units that resolutely faced him down, but they would be rammed, have their arms twisted by Kaburagi, and sent tumbling from their horse free of their headbands. Honestly, it was just too huge a difference in power. I bet you lot practised heaps, to play Kaburagis horse so perfectly. From their point of view, theyd make heaps of enemies if they let Kaburagi fall, so Ill bet they practised like their lives depended on it. For those units that ran away scared, the Kaburagi Unit would hunt them down from behind. It was like the hunt of a carnivore. Ill bet they were scared. Before long at all, the units from my cla.s.s were done. No, no, I think you guys put up a pretty brave fight. Aa~ah, Masaya has no mercy at all, does he. Enjou smiled wryly from his seat behind me. Yeah, absolutely no mercy at all. In the end, only the Kaburagi Unit was left, and they seized a complete victory. *imouto* *imouto* Later on, somebody would compare his gallantry in this battle to the legendary Napoleon, and eventually that turned into an Emperor. It was the start that would cause Kaburagi to gain his famous nickname. Chapter 34 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Ever since people started calling him Emperor, Kaburagis popularity rose again. Because of his achievements during the cavalry battle, it seems that his adherents amongst the boys have gone up. Particularly amongst the undercla.s.smen. Amongst all the clamour, apparently the boys who served as The Emperors Horse were boasting about doing so. I cant say I understand how they feel, but as long as the people themselves are happy, then its fine I guess. Emperors fame wasnt contained to the primary school section either. Apparently the stories went as far as the middle school, and I got a mail from Aira-sama reading Apparently Masaya is being called Emperor now, isnt he.. When particularly excited kids called him Emperor to his face though, he would look at them with an icy gaze. So in the end, everybody had a tacit agreement that Emperor would just be an informal nickname, and would never be used in front of him. I think Emperor made the right choice. If he got on board with it like I am the Emperor! then it would definitely turn into dark history and the source of future cringing. Just to be safe, I mailed Aira-sama with It appears that the person himself has not authorised the nickname, so please take care.. But man, to think that the nickname Emperor actually came from Napoleon. As the fake Rococo Queen, he really has terrible compatibility with me. In you are my dolce he had always been called Emperor like it was natural, so I never really paid it much mind. I thought for sure that it was because he ruled over the school like a monarch. But to think that it was an old nickname from primary school. And whats more, the reason it came about was a childrens cavalry battle&h.e.l.lip; If it got explained to you once he was already an adult, wouldnt it sound pretty stupid? Upfffpftt-! Incidentally, I should note that my Drill Hair nickname is completely unauthorised. Rather than a nickname, thats more like an insult after all. *imouto* Anyhow, unrelated to my personal opinions on it, the girls around me were completely in love with the Emperor nickname. Isnt it truly a fitting nickname for Kaburagi-sama? To our cla.s.s, he was like a conquering hero from the legends~ He was so cool during the cavalry battle~ Hahh~ Emperor is so dreamy&h.e.l.lip; A refreshing breeze blew in from the window. Autumn really is the most relaxing season~ With my tummy also filled with food from lunch, Im starting to feel sleepy. Dont you think so too, Reika-sama? Eh-? Think what? Er, I wasnt listening at all. Reika-sama, you also think that Emperor is cool, dont you? Y-, Yes, well, yes. Cant go against the majority. I knew it~ All the girls around me nodded in agreement. All of them like the same people, after all. I think Reika-sama would be well-matched with Emperor. Hah? Right. Its frustrating, but if it was Reika-sama, I could accept it. If some normal girl was paired with Emperor I definitely wouldnt allow it, but Reika-sama has both the pedigree and refinement worthy of him. But I still dont want Kaburagi-sama to belong to anybody yet~ If its Reika-sama, Ill definitely cheer for her. Right. Reika-sama, try your best! &h.e.l.lip;Hang on there. Whats with this sudden development? To begin with, Kaburagi has Yurie-sama. Although its completely one-sided on his part&h.e.l.lip; Everyone, are you not misunderstanding something? My, what would that be? I do not particularly desire to date Kaburagi-sama or anything as amazing as that. In the end, these are simply feelings of admiration. I would never dream of such a thing. Seriously, please stop with this! Its a matter of life and death for me, okay!? But, dont you like Emperor too? It is admiration. Simple admiration. Something quite different from love. The girls tilted their heads in confusion. Then, Enjou-sama? You were together in the executive committee, werent you? My, so Reika-sama was actually in Team Enjou-sama. Oh my, youre my rival then. But he really is so gentle and dreamy, isnt he~ The other day when we b.u.mped into each other, he asked me if I was okay and then smiled at me! Hey, are you sure you didnt b.u.mp into him on purpose? I didnt~! Sorry for breaking it to you while youre all happy and stuff, but thats also a misunderstanding! I do not hold any special feelings towards Enjou-sama. Although, naturally I admire him as you all do. My, is that the case? That is so. Need to say it clearly here. Then, just who on earth do you like, Reika-sama? Eh- &h.e.l.lip;n.o.body in particular. Reika-sama, you dont like anybody? Well, no. n.o.body at all? I do not think so, no. Never ever? Thus far, I do not suppose there has not been anybody like that, no. Yeah, my first love is still to come. Everybodys eyes turned pitying. So Reika-sama was actually still a child&h.e.l.lip; GAAHHH&h.e.l.lip;!! OTL I got called a child by a child! What is this silent damage that Im taking&h.e.l.lip;? I mean, there havent been any princes on white horses yet, so it cant be helped, right!? My ideal is a calm, dreamy, gentle person wholl laugh and forgive my selfishness. Overbearing types like Emperor from the manga are great for screaming Kyaaa! Emperor, so dreamy~~ when its just a manga, but in real life he just causes you trouble. I mean, come on. Barging in uninvited to the house of the girl you like? Who on earth does that. You just cause huge trouble for their family, or the neighbourhood, you know. And confessing in the middle of a crowded road? Mannn, no way, no way. Being forgiven for everything you do because youre a hot guy? Thats only the case in manga. At least in my opinion. And so, in that sense, a logical and gentle person is best, hey? Where can I find my ideal man, I wonder~ Huh? Isnt he sitting at my house studying for his exams? What do I do. Could it be that I really am a brocon&h.e.l.lip;? *imouto* Later after school, I, Reika the child, was called to the staff room. Kisshouin-san, could you join the executive committee for the Learning Presentation? I decline. That thing is even harder than the Athletics Meet. Just who on earth would say yes. Ive retired from being an odd jobs master. Even if you flatter or soothe me, Im definitely refusing. The tears of an old guy wont move my heart at all. *imouto* Ever since my experiences during the Athletics Meet, I gained the courage to refuse. Chapter 35 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Winter came, and Oniisama entered the home stretch of his exam prep. The department that Oniisama wanted to enter only admitted a small number of students and was strict with its selection, so he probably had it tough. But he never displayed anything less than composure. As expected of Oniisama. I wondered if I could do anything to help him, so I decided on the late-night snack after all, but the maid said that it would disrupt his rhythm and stopped me. She persuaded me that it was best just to pray in my heart for him. Praying, huhh. Mm~mm, should I do the thing where you walk back and forth a hundred times while praying in front of a shrine? *imouto* *imouto* When I went to j.a.panese and Maths cram cla.s.ses as usual, Akizawa-kun who was supposed to be next to me was absent, and instead it was just f.u.kioka-san by her lonesome. Hm? I wonder whats going on. As I wondered that, f.u.kioka-san noticed my presence and gave a small bow. And so I returned the bow, and walked over to her. Gokigenyoh, f.u.kioka-san. Is Akizawa-kun not with your today? Gokigenyoh. Tak.u.mi is down with a cold today. He even had a fever, so hes bedridden at the moment. He should have been absent from school as well. Did you not know? Akizawa-kun and I are in different cla.s.ses, and so I did not know about his absence. But a cold, is it? Just when did he catch it? It began the day before yesterday. After that, apparently it got worse and worse. It doesnt seem to be influenza though. Ah-, if youd like, please sit down. Saying that, f.u.kioka-san invited me to sit by her side, so I decided to take up the offer. I wonder if I can stay here for the duration of cla.s.s too. Even though it is so very close to winter break, Akizawa-kun caught the cold. What dreadful luck. A number of my cla.s.smates are absent due to the cold and influenza as well. My cla.s.s is the same. After that, we chatted lightly about our own cla.s.ses, before f.u.kioka-san fell into silence. And then, &h.e.l.lip;Um, Im sorry. Eh- About what? Umm, what might this be about? &h.e.l.lip;I didnt want Tak.u.mi to be taken away from me, so I was malicious with you. Even at cram school, you had always been next to him, but I took that seat from you and made you sit by yourself, right? Even though Tak.u.mi told you to sit with us, because I looked unhappy&h.e.l.lip; Aahh, that? That is nothing to worry about. Im saying that for real. At first I felt a little lonely, but I started going to the convenience store, so I immediately got used to it. Fundamentally, Ive always been a person who never really stays angry about anything. I was like this in my past life too. Except when it comes to food. Speaking about it in reverse, when it comes to food, my wrath is terrifying. And well, I wasnt angry with f.u.kioka-san to begin with. I just thought she was a little scary, thats all. Tak.u.mi explained that you were just a friend from cram school, but once I thought about how you knew Tak.u.mi in a school that I knew nothing about&h.e.l.lip; Im sorry. Today without Tak.u.mi, I felt incredibly forlorn. And I realised that you must have felt the same way all this time. No, I didnt really feel forlorn or anything though&h.e.l.lip; Please do not mind it, truly. As a rule, I am generally quite fine with being alone. Youre strong, arent you, Kisshouin-san. f.u.kioka-san looked at me with eyes of respect. When a j.a.panese-style beauty looks at you like that, its kind of embarra.s.sing. You know, I was very worried about whether or not Tak.u.mi liked you, Kisshouin-san. No, rather, even now, I still worry. I mean, youre so cute. Eh-, me, cute!? Oh geez~ I dont think thats true at all though. Ehehe. I do not think something like that would ever happen though. &h.e.l.lip;You think so? I do. I too have never thought of Akizawa-kun as more than a friend, after all. But he is a really good person. And hes kind too. But hes not really the type that gets my heart pumping, hey? Thinking about it, hes actually pretty close to my ideal, so I wonder why. Im sure its the difference between ideals and reality huh? You truly, wont come to like him? No. She smiled in relief. Such a worrywart. Whats the saying again? No husband so desirable as his wife is jealous? Basically, women tend to think of their men as much more popular than they actually are, huh? Ah, no, its not like Im saying Akizawa-kun isnt popular, okay? Hes got a cute face like a squirrel after all. At school, are there any other girls that Tak.u.mi is close to? I wonder. We have never shared a cla.s.s together, after all. Occasionally when I spot him in the hallways, only boys surround him. Neither have I heard any rumours about him, or any word of girls who have fallen for him, you see~ I see&h.e.l.lip; Relieved huh? Thank goodness, thank goodness. To begin with, our school has a preeminently popular duo, after all. The other boys get very little attention. Ah-, Ive heard about that from Tak.u.mi. And I hear rumours of them at my school as well. Apparently theyre incredibly cool. &h.e.l.lip;Yes. Rumours about them even in other schools? Thats amazing. f.u.kioka-sans Yurinomiya Girls Academy is a Catholic style school so its a little different from Suiran, but its famous as an ojousama school. The rumours might have spread through the network of high cla.s.s girls. Theyre all gokigenyoh comrades, after all. Could it be that you like one of the two, Kisshouin-san? f.u.kioka-san asked me with an excited expression. Maidens in love all apparently have great interest in the love stories of others. I do not feel anything like that in particular. I have n.o.body like that. And then she looked a little bored and let-down. Sorry for failing to meet expectations. But still, dont think that everybody is just like you, and its somehow natural that they have somebody they like. Even though youre going to a co-ed school&h.e.l.lip; Hm~mm. Even if Im going to a co-ed, people unrelated to this stuff just arent related. Like me, in my old life. Ah-, tears are&h.e.l.lip; Huhu, somehow youre quite different from my first impression, Kisshouin-san. Really? Mn. When I met you at the recital, you had a more unapproachable atmosphere. Like the very model of a Suiran ojousama. Tak.u.mi is definitely going to get taken from me! I panicked. Unapproachable&h.e.l.lip; So it truly is because of my hairstyle? Rather than your hairstyle, its more like the atmosphere that you exude all around, perhaps. There are girls like you in Yurinomiya as well. But once I tried talking to you, you were completely different. I think I understand why Tak.u.mi became friends with you. &h.e.l.lip;Um, would you become my friend as well? Eh-! Suddenly, Friend GET!? Whoa, but still, I bet more than half of the reason is that you want to use me as an information source, right? Even though I shouldve already retired from being a spy~ Umm&h.e.l.lip; I truly am in a different cla.s.s from Akizawa-kun, so I really do not know how he is at school, you know? Ah-, you think Im trying to use you, Kisshouin-san? Thats not what this is. I just wanted to talk to you more. And well, if you did tell me stuff, I would be happy though. Huhu. Really? Yes. In that case, I guess being friends would be fine too. Id find it more fun as well, being friends rather than ignored. Then, let us become friends. Really? Yay! Seeing her smile as she clapped her hands before her chest, I really did think that this was the type of j.a.panese beauty that youd want to protect. Shes cute. I want to learn from her. *imouto* After that, we chatted about our schools or Akizawa-kun and the like. She and Akizawa-kun were neighbours, so their parents were close as well, and apparently they had been together since before they could remember. Akizawa-kun would always pull her hand and take her out to play, and she first started liking him in kindergarten. But apparently Akizawa-kun wouldnt notice her feelings at all. Akizawa-kun is really thickheaded, she said. Yeah, I thought that too. But that thickheadedness is seriously on the straight path to your standard childhood friend route, huh~ f.u.kioka-san didnt want to be separated from her beloved Akizawa-kun and wanted to go to Suiran as well, but because her Okaasama was an alumni of Yurinomiya she had to go there and so she bawled in front of Akizawa-kun. And also, even though Yurinomiya is a Catholic-style school, f.u.kioka-sans family has always been buddhist, so apparently she feels like a reverse-hidden Christian. Apparently when she first enrolled, her heart was pounding all the time from the fear of being exposed and tried as a witch. *imouto* Shes a totally different type to Aoi-chan, but I managed to make a new friend. Chapter 36 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Oniisama safely made it into his department of choice. And so because of that, in order to celebrate with a banggg, I think Ill open the lid to my safe! Oniisama! I shall get you a present to celebrate your pa.s.s! What do you want? At first I thought about making it a surprise, but I couldnt come up with any good ideas? Would a watch be good? or so I thought, but a watch worthy of the heir of the Kisshouin family wouldnt be within my meagre power to buy, so I had to give up on it. Well, if I used all of the money, I might have gotten somewhere but&h.e.l.lip; Even if I thought about this and that, I couldnt think of any wonderful ideas, so in the end I decided that I could only ask the person himself. Now come, Oniisama! I didnt use my new years money, so Ive got quite a bit, you know! Dont be shy! Its my savings for my future, but its a celebration for none other than my Oniisama so of course I shall use it! I have been saving up in my piggy bank. So please tell me what you want! Eh-! Were using your money!? So far shopping for Christmas presents or birthday presents has been done with Okaasama, so Ive always used the Kisshouin family card instead of my own money. And apparently Oniisama didnt know about me saving money. He was shocked when he heard the amount. I really do have that much money though. Lets see. I think just your feelings would be plenty, but&h.e.l.lip; That will not do. I want to wish you congratulations, no matter what. Even though Oniisama has been trying so hard, I havent given him a thing. I persuaded the hesitant Oniisama, and what he ended up choosing was a high cla.s.s ballpoint pen from the familiar white star makers. I didnt expect to spend this little. But its true that we already have a number of fountain pens and ballpoint pens from this place. I like how easy the pens from this place write. Since you went and got me it, I think Ill use the pen you get me at university. Oohh! That would be great! If Oniisama uses my present every day, Id be really happy too. Now that its come to this, lets hurry up and buy it! *imouto* I went with Oniisama to the store, and after having him try a bunch of them, I bought him one that he liked. Oniisama was really happy. Him being happy makes me super happy too. And after that I had Italian for lunch with Oniisama! Oniisama has been busy all this time with studying, and then after that he got his drivers license and went out with friends, so he hasnt really had time for me, which is why I was so happy today. What will you be having, Reika? Let me see~ I wracked my brains as I looked at the menu. Oh, ravioli. That would be really yummy, huh~? After having decided on our orders, I was happily chatting with Oniisama when, Excuse me. Might you be Kisshouin-samas two children? A woman called out to us. !! Why if it isnt Kaburagi-sama. It has been a while. This girl is my sister, Reika. Oniisama stood up to greet her, so I did the same in a panic. I-, ITS KABURAGIS MUMMMMMM! Kaburagis mum was a neat beauty, and Ive met her once or twice at parties before. Although both those times I basically only greeted her. Yes, I remember of course. Reika-san, its been a while, hasnt it. Youve gotten taller since the last time we met. Kaburagi-Mother smiled at me, but all I could do was return a cramped courtesy smile. Its fine even if you dont remember someone like me. Rather, please forget me all your life. After chatting about a few things with Oniisama, Kaburagi-Mother started with Speaking of which, before looking at me. Reika-san, youre in the same grade as my son Masaya, arent you? Are you close with him? GEHHHH! No, unfortunately Masaya-sama and I are in different cla.s.ses, and so we do not have very many chances to interact. And I intend to keep it that way. My, is that so? Then by all means come over to play. That Masaya only ever brings Shuusuke-kun over, you know. It would be wonderful if a girl came over. The place would brighten up. DEEEEEEEEEEEEFINITELY NOTTTTTTTT! And if you want a girl, theres Yurie-sama isnt there! Yurie-sama has been coming over since she was little hasnt she! Absolutely no! ABSOLUTELY NO! Unaffected by my inner panic, Kaburagi-Mother gave a beautiful smile before excusing herself. Oh my G.o.d&h.e.l.lip; The fun atmosphere from earlier has been totally blown away, and Oniisama looked curiously at the dazed me. Whats wrong? You seem kind of off. &h.e.l.lip;No, I am simply shocked by Kaburagi-samas sudden appearance. Kaburagi-Mother remembered my name. She remembered I existed. Just that much is fine, but to a coward like me, just being related at all to Kaburagi is scary. That mum of his appeared a few times in the manga after all&h.e.l.lip; Ah-, thats right! Oniisama, you will be telling Okaasama and Otousama about how we met with Kaburagi-sama today, correct? Yeah I guess. When you do, please do not tell them about how she invited me over to play. Because that was just being polite! If they mistake her for being serious I shall be terribly troubled! &h.e.l.lip;You dont want to go over to the Kaburagi house? Of course I dont want to go! Well, if thats all, then sure I wont say anything. Do you hate Masaya-kun? Did he do something to you? No, nothing of the sort! Only, Otousama and Okaasama are expecting me to become close to him, and earlier they had a weird misunderstanding too. So because of that, I am a little&h.e.l.lip; I see. Its too early for you, huh? Oniisamaaaa. Youre my last ray of hope, you know. The dish that got brought in later should have been my beloved Italian, but because of the shock I couldnt really tell how it tasted. *imouto* Later when we got home, I just flopped onto my bed and remembered Kaburagi-Mother in you are my dolce. As I recall, she supported Kaburagi-Father in his job, and was a talented person. There was also an episode about how she was a powerful mum, and ever since Kaburagi was young, whenever he went and played a prank she would punish him mercilessly. The fact that she has a gorgeous face and an intense glare is just like Kaburagi. I guess he takes after his mother. Wait-, who cares about that right now. She disapproved when the heir as well as her cute, only son, Emperor, began dating a commoner girl, and chided him a number of times too. Pushed by the lies and cajolery of Kisshouin Reikas parents, she held an engagement party for her son and Reika, but then she was touched by her sons resolve and dedication to the protagonist, and blessed the two of them. Without caring about Reika and her family falling beyond repair&h.e.l.lip; Uwahh&h.e.l.lip; I definitely dont wanna get involved. White Sta Chapter 37 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Oniisama graduated from high school and entered university, while I entered Year 6. Once I considered that I wouldnt see Oniisama in uniform anymore, I felt a little lonely, so I took a few photos of him. The Suiran high school uniform really is so cool! I asked him to wear it occasionally at home, but he refused&h.e.l.lip; Isnt it fine if its just in the house~? *imouto* Yurie-sama and Aira-sama also graduated from middle school and entered the high school section, and Emperor Kaburagi got depressed that he was stuck in primary and the gap was even wider now. I mean, a love between a primary schooler and high schooler is just impossible, right~? I think he should just give up already, but this first love of his is supposed to continue until high school, so I guess theres no reason hell give up now. According to Aira-sama Intelligence, Kaburagi isnt stalking Yurie-sama, but because they dont get to meet often, hes expressing his feelings by letter. It worked last time, so it looks like hes encouraged because of it. *imouto* Since I also became a 6th Grader, next year Ill be riding the escalator system into middle school. Having said that though, Im preparing for our internal examinations, so I ended up getting a home tutor. My home teacher is Ousaka Karin-sensei and she goes to a national university. She comes over twice a week. In my cram school exams, I rose in the rankings from upper-middle to lower-upper. I thought I made a good effort amongst all these kids from prep schools, but I really do wonder how Im supposed to feel when I cant even get first place amongst primary schoolers. Once I enter middle school, maths and arithmetic are going to turn into a monster. I need to try hard while I still can. Karin-senseis explanations are easy to understand and I make progress studying with her. Even if I dont get it the first time when I see it at cram school, it really helps that I can have her follow up. For a while now, sometimes Oniisama teaches me as well, but the feeling of tension is different. I just keep spoiling myself with him since hes family. You learn quickly, dont you, Reika-san. Really, well done for getting this far. Karin-sensei often says stuff like that to praise me. Apparently shes the type who praises people to get them to try harder. And Im the type that gets fired up when Im praised or flattered, so we have pretty good compatibility, I think. *imouto* *imouto* Ever since that day in winter, Ive been sitting with Akizawa-kun and f.u.kioka-san in my Maths and j.a.panese cram cla.s.ses. f.u.kioka-san sits right in the middle, with Akizawa-kun and I to her sides. f.u.kioka-san wouldnt let Akizawa-kun sit in the middle, you see. I also exchanged mail addresses with f.u.kioka-san, and weve gotten quite a bit closer. Contrary to her appearance as a j.a.panese-style beauty, f.u.kioka-san has quite the venomous tongue. On Valentines Day that year, I gave my hand-made chocolates to Aoi-chan and f.u.kioka-san. At Suiran we expect that Valentines chocolates are better quality than even high-cla.s.s stores, so its my first time giving hand-made chocolates to anybody but my family. Last year Aira-sama taught me how to make them, and Otousama even said This is the best one youve made so far., but this year Aira-sama was also busy with exam prep, so I tried using the recipe that she taught me last year to make it. Oniisama also said Making one like last year would taste good. So I handed them over to them filled with confidence. Aoi-chan told me It was yummy. but f.u.kioka-san said Its not very good.&h.e.l.lip; Its not bad, but the taste is kind of lacking. Did you use cheap chocolate to make this? she said. So rude! I used chocolate from Belgium! When I told her that in complaint, she ended up replying Apologise to Belgium&h.e.l.lip; f.u.kioka-san, the gap between your appearance and inside is too huge&h.e.l.lip; Incidentally, I didnt give one to Akizawa-kun. Whether its a friendship chocolate or a courtesy chocolate, f.u.kioka-san would probably get mad regardless. In my mind, f.u.kioka-san is under the cannot make into an enemy category. Apparently shes learning to cook to prepare for her future as Akizawa-kuns wife. How amazing. Shes got a much better idea of her future than I do. Shes actually planned so much that its even a little scary. And you know, Akizawa-kun, its impossible for you to escape now. Im scared of f.u.kioka-san too, so Im afraid I cant help you. Forgive your cowardly friend! And so, f.u.kioka-san asked me, What if you learnt as well? but Ill probably be busy with the internal exams this year, so I turned her invitation down. When I got home, I told Oniisama My friend told me the taste was lacking. and he replied The persons feelings are more important than the taste in situations like this. and I wasnt sure how to feel about that. When I get into middle school, maybe I really should start learning&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* *imouto* Right now, Aoi-chan is my Soothing Friend. Shes docile and seems withdrawn, but once youre closer with her, she starts laughing a lot. She would definitely never say something like the taste is lacking. What a good girl. And whats more, shockingly! Aoi-chan told me that she went to visit her grandpa on New Years! She got me a Tarow the Taro plush keychain! Im so happy! When I got home, I immediately put house keys on it. Theres always a maid around and somebody chauffeurs me places and back, so to begin with Ive never used a key before. But I do carry one around just in case. And my keys were now hanging from Tarow. His pathetic face is really cute. Aoi-chan has amazing sense for souvenirs. She totally knew what I wanted. And shocking! For the holidays in spring, she got me region-exclusive potato chips! Aoi-chan said stuff like Although Im not sure if you would even eat this sort of stuff&h.e.l.lip; in embarra.s.sment, but Ill eat it, you know! Or rather, its my favourite! Ive wanted to eat potato chips for six years now, you know! The potato chips were in a souvenir bag, and I carefully snuck it into my room so that Okaasama wouldnt see. It was late at night when I sneakily ate it. So nostalgic. My body trembled from the cheap taste. It would be a shame to eat it all in one go, so I decided to treasure it and eat it little by little, but the next day I cried when I found it soggy. Incidentally, I call Aoi-chan Aoi-chan in my mind, but in front of the girl herself its Yorino-san. I dont have the courage to use her first name. I mean, Id hate it if she went Eh-? Whats with that all of a sudden?. Its hard to find a chance to start things like this, isnt it? *imouto* *imouto* My homeroom teacher wanted me to be cla.s.s rep. It sounded troublesome so I said that I sucked at management and refused, but they pressed me and said that vice rep was fine, and in the end I became vice rep&h.e.l.lip; or rather I got stuck with it. That was probably the plan from the beginning. After all, the position of cla.s.s rep went to this boy who had done it a bunch of times already. Teacher swindled me using that ask big first, then go for small trick. I got totally fooled. In the end, I was stuck as the odd job girl again. Though its true that my thimbles still lie sleeping in my pencilcase though. But this time its just within my cla.s.s, so without my natural enemies here, things went smoothly. Collecting forms was easy too, since the scary army of girls behind me made everybody cooperative. Cla.s.s Rep even said, As expected of Kisshouin-san. I dont think he was praising me though. It was like I was the bodyguard of some debt collector. This is weird. This isnt how things were supposed to be. I get the feeling that recently Ive been losing my elegance. Chapter 38 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Few things to note first. Primary schoolers in j.a.pan apparently go to Kyoto and Nara for their cla.s.s trips. Generally. A ryokan (^) is a type of traditional j.a.panese inn that originated in the Edo period (1603C1868), when such inns served travelers along j.a.pans highways. They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Kaiseki (ʯ) or kaiseki-ryouri (ʯ) is a traditional multi-course j.a.panese dinner. Served on these things: During a proper meal with these things, you are NOT supposed to leave your seat. Kyouyasai, or Kyouto(Kyoto) Vegetables, is the term for a number of heirloom vegetables originating in the Kyoto Prefecture of j.a.pan. The characteristics of these heirloom vegetables are odd shapes and the rich nutrient profiles, thus they take a lot of time to grow because they arent easy to cultivate. Because of this, Kyo-yasai are very costly and much more expensive than ordinary vegetables. Thus, they are often eaten in the home, or in upscale restaurants. June came, and so did the excursion. Suiran is a primary school filled with rich kids, so I thought for sure that wed be going overseas for our trip, but to think that it was Kyoto and Nara. So normal&h.e.l.lip; Well, the level of the hotels and food that were getting is a totally different level from normal primary schoolers though. We ate lots of Kyoto cuisine filled with Kyoto vegetables, as well as boiled tofu kaiseki meals, and relaxed in the place we were staying; a high-cla.s.s and very old j.a.panese-style ryokan inn. Its all too refined and austere for a primary schooler. But man, if we let loose and had a pillow fight in a high-cla.s.s ryokan like this, itd be terrible if we missed and tore a hole through the paper of the shoji sliding doors. Id better keep a good eye on everyone. To think that of all possible years I could become vice rep, it would be one with our cla.s.s trip. I have to go look for students late to meeting points, and warn students talking during a tour guides explanation, and just lots of other annoying stuff. But my cla.s.s is still on the better side of things. We dont have Kaburagi, Enjou or anybody else disruptive like that, so my cla.s.s is actually pretty tame. The girls have been cooperating with me from the beginning and doing things like supporting me with the roll-call, or making sure we get lights out on time, and thanks to them Im having a way easier time than all the other reps. Cla.s.s Rep is also doing his best to manage the boys after all. Occasionally when there are some guys who are too excited for him to stop, Kisshouin Reika and her friends surround them and silence them with smiles. So my cla.s.s is on the peaceful side of things. Im sure the teacher gave me this role because they suspected this would happen. I mean, even though there are girls more serious and diligent than I am, with experience as cla.s.s reps too, I was the one who got nominated. Well, if my presence helps this trip to go smoothly, then I guess its fine being used like this. All the reps from the other cla.s.ses seem to be having a dreadful time of it, after all. Apparently the reps cant stop the girls from noisily following Kaburagi and Enjou about. Enjou at least tells the girls himself to calm down, but Kaburagi has no reaction so its a lawless zone. During our meals the girls all left their seats as they please, and you seriously want to ask them Are you girls actually young ladies from good families?. The cla.s.s reps couldnt stop them, so they only reluctantly returned to their seats after a warning from their homeroom teachers. The atmosphere feels pretty strained, huh~ When they made this fuss when they were small, it was still just little girls being cute, but the older they get, the more annoying girls appear, and you need quite a bit of effort to deal with them. There are even girls who seem like theyll become the flashy nouveau riche-type ojousamas in the future, and theres a bit of a hard-to-describe enmity between our groups. Aahh, Im glad theyre all in a different cla.s.s~ Or so I was thinking, like somebody uninvolved, when the cla.s.s rep of Kaburagis cla.s.s suddenly screamed Please help me! with his eyes. I pretended like I didnt notice. Nah, I mean, its not my place as an outsider to say anything, and if I did say something, normally youd react like G.o.d, just how controlling is this chick? right? Ive got my hands filled with my own clas- Kisshouin-san. Umm, it looks like the cla.s.s rep of Cla.s.s 3 is sending an SOS signal, but&h.e.l.lip; Dont report things that n.o.body wanted to know, Cla.s.s Rep. Is it not simply your imagination? No, well~ His eyes are completely serious, so. And even though its almost lights out time, the girls are making a fuss and showing no signs of heading back, so. But it is the problem of another cla.s.s. Well yeah, but, itll trouble the people of the inn. Well, I do feel sorry about that. To begin with, these primary schoolers are a bunch of kids who wouldnt understand mature aesthetics if it hit them in the face, so its weird that youd pick such an elegant and traditional ryokan to bring them to. Then perhaps you should go, Cla.s.s Rep. &h.e.l.lip;Youre saying that even though you know its impossible for me, right? Well, yeah. Girls are scary in groups, arent they. But Im scared too. Hm? Hey, it looks like girls from another cla.s.s are swarming Kaburagi too. Their cla.s.s rep couldnt stop them either? It must be scary, huh~ But you knowww, as a fellow rep, I understand your toils. Cant be helped. Kikuno-chan is relatively moderate even within the boisterous girls of Kaburagis cla.s.s, so I headed over to her first. Kikuno-san. Ah-, Reika-sama. Quite noisy over here, is it not? Even though it is almost time for lights out&h.e.l.lip; Thats true. Those girls dont think about how theyre bothering Kaburagi-sama&h.e.l.lip; Kikuno-chan replied with a sour look. Quite true. This inn is a favourite of his Okaasama, and each time she visits Kyoto she stays here. And yet, if she knew that there were girls bothering the people here with their noise, I wonder just what she would think of it. Aira-sama Intelligence. Eh-, the regular inn of Kaburagi-samas Okaasama!? Girls who heard our conversation glanced our way. You have your act together, so it does not matter for you, Kikuno-san, but perhaps it would be better if your cla.s.s took care not to trouble her favourite inn, lest you earn her ire. I heard that she is a strict woman when it comes to discipline. The girls who were eavesdropping on my conversation with Kikuno-chan all started to fall quiet. Ahh, it appears that it is time for lights out now. Good night, everybody. Good night, Reika-sama. Good night, Reika-sama. Things seem okay for now. There would be too much conflict had I warned them directly. I dont want more enemies. If I overdo things, people will hate me for being a goody-two-shoes. Or rather, Kaburagi, warn them yourself! Its an inn that your own mum likes, you know? Well, even if it wasnt, being too noisy isnt a good thing. And although he was gazing into the distance unconcernedly, Ill bet his head was just filled with thoughts of what souvenirs to buy Yurie-sama anyway. Theres no mistaking it. I suppose theres no choice but to inform Yurie-sama through Aira-sama, and get her to give him a scolding, huh. *imouto* *imouto* During the day, we went visiting shrines and temples, and souvenir shopping. The matchmaker shrine was the most popular spot for the girls. After all, their romantic interest was close by, which just made their prayers all the more earnest. Apparently Kikuno-chan who was in Kaburagis cla.s.s even made sure to introduce him to G.o.d with, The one standing beneath the willow tree is Kaburagi Masaya! I leave things in your capable hands!. They also had to buy love fortunes and amulets for romance, so everyone was really rushing in the short time frame we were given. I had thought that it would only be girls who would enjoy the matchmaker shrine, but quite a few boys were earnest in pulling fortune slips for romance too, so I was a little surprised. Cla.s.s Rep was one of them. I wonder who the girl is. *imouto* I went with all the girls and got one as well. future blessing Im not sure how to feel about this&h.e.l.lip; If you want more pictures of high-cla.s.s ryokan inns to help you imagine the scene, click here. Also, for the fortunes, (, dai-kichi): great blessing (м, chuu-kichi): middle blessing (С, shou-kichi): small blessing (, kichi) blessing (뼪, han-kichi): half-blessing (ĩ, sue-kichi): future blessing (ĩС, sue-shou-kichi): future small blessing (, kyou): curse (С, shou-kyou): small curse (, han-kyou): half-curse (ĩ, sue-kyou): future curse (, dai-kyou): great curse Chapter 39 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so lets have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does. Unfortunately, there is a lot of prerequisite knowledge for this chapter. A lot of it is probably learnt in school for j.a.panese. The Manysh is the oldest existing collection of j.a.panese poetry, compiled sometime after 759 AD during the Nara period. The anthology is one of the most revered of j.a.pans poetic compilations. i.e. an anthology of cla.s.sic j.a.panese poems written when Nara was still the capital of ancient j.a.pan. Princess Nukata (~ Nukata no kimi?, c. 630C690 CE) (also known as Princess Nukada) was a j.a.panese poet of the Asuka period. Nukata was one of the great female poets of her time; thirteen of her poems appear in the Manysh. The below poem alludes to her illicit affair with her younger-brother-in-law, Emperor Tenmu, where waving refers to beckoning or soliciting. akane sasu The madder-shining murasaki no yuki Purple murasaki fields he goes around, shimeno yuki The staked fields around: nomori wa mizu ya Wont the guardsman kimi ga sode furu See you wave your sleeve, my lord? Hry-ji (¡, lit. Temple of the Flourishing Law) is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, j.a.pan. Its full name is Hry Gak.u.monji (¡ѧ), or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as both a seminary and monastery. Yumedono (, lit. Hall of Dreams), a hall in Hry-ji, a.s.sociated with Prince Shtoku. Masaoka Shiki ( Ҏ?, October 14, 1867 C September 19, 1902), was a j.a.panese poet, author, and literary critic in Meiji period j.a.pan. Shiki is regarded as a major figure in the development of modern haiku poetry. Haiku on Nara by Shiki: Persimmon and Temple Bell kaki kueba as I eat a persimmon kane ga narunari the bell starts booming houryuuji Hry-ji Hi Izuru Tokoro no Tenshi (Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun) The name of a j.a.panese manga written and ill.u.s.trated by Ryoko Yamagishi that tells a fictionalised account of Prince Shtoku. Incidentally, the t.i.tle is derived from a diplomatic letter to the Sui Emperor, allegedly written by Prince Shoutoku , that reads: ճ̎•՛]̎ӟoơ The Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun writes to the Emperor of the Land of the Setting Sun, and I hope you are well. A record of this remains in the j.a.panese Nihonshiki and Chinese Book of Sui. [Story begins!] Nara turned out to be mostly shrines and temple visits as well. Honestly speaking, justtt as I was kind of getting fed up with it, there was a girl reciting the manyoushuu. The girls around her were giving her looks of respect. A primary schooler chanting poems from the manyoushuu. So this is what refinement is!? This is true refinement!? I definitely want to follow her example! Of the poems in the manyoushuu, the only one I remember is from my old life, Princess Nukatas akanesasu. Id play Princess Nukata with my friends and wed wave our hands jokingly saying, If you wave your hand so much, the guardsman will see you, you know~ It would be weird if I suddenly remembered Princess Nukatas poem here when his place has nothing to do with it, and itd be bad if I flared up her sense of rivalry, so I decided just to keep quiet and watch as they proceeded to display their refinement. Apparently lots of other girls had the same idea, because from here and there, I started hearing kaki kueba and houryuuji. Far from refined, they just seemed silly. Naturally I didnt partic.i.p.ate. Only, when we visited the Yumedono, I accidentally muttered the Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun. The tour guide heard me and said I was wonderful, praising me, which in turn caused the girls around me to say As expected of Reika-sama. All I did was mutter the name of a shoujo manga though&h.e.l.lip; But I decided against clearing the misunderstanding. *imouto* At Nara Park, an incident occurred. I was walking gracefully about the park with crackers for the deers in my hand, when I was suddenly surrounded by a herd of them. The girls with me immediately ran, but I alone was too late to! Huge! Deers, huge! Scary! Horns, scary! Hurts! Being jabbed in the back! GYAHH! They took the crackers! Reika-sama, run! KYAAA! A deer is, Reika-sama&h.e.l.lip;! Reika-sama, throw the crackers far away! I tried tossing the crackers far away, but they flapped in the air and landed right at my feet. GYAAHH! I was being kicked, and rammed, and only when they realised I had no more crackers in hand did they finally look for for another target, one by one. Reika-sama, are you all right!? Aahh! Poor Reika-sama! &h.e.l.lip;I am fine, everybody. Thank you. What the heck was that. A gang? A deer gang? A deer mafia? Werent they too d.a.m.n rough&h.e.l.lip;? Even though I recall them being more heartwarming when I came here in my last life, what the heck happened to them? The girls around me helped my dust the dirt off my clothing, and just as I had finally managed to get my clothing in order and started to calm down, I met eyes with the Kaburagi, who was looking my way with a grin. That guy freaking laughed at me&h.e.l.lip; So mortifying! I wanna throw deer crackers all around him! But right now I have a more compelling problem. n.o.body has noticed. The fact that I stepped on deer p.o.o.p. It is about time to return. Reika-sama, that must have been truly rough on you. Right? To think that deers were actually so scary. Even though the ones I gave my crackers to were all so cute. Does it hurt anywhere? GEEZ! None of the boys even tried to help! Youre all pathetic! While walking happily with everybody, I sneakily slid my loafers to get the p.o.o.p off with absolutely n.o.body the wiser. I made sure to hint that the reason I was walking like this was because I had hurt my leg when the deers kicked it. *imouto* After that, we went to Kasuga Grand Shrine, and I made sure to ask the G.o.ds to discipline those deers properly. The place had cute deer fortunes and up until yesterday I would have flown right over to buy one, but the scars in my heart still hadnt healed from that deer a.s.sault, so I even looked at the cute deer carvings with dangerous eyes. But everyone was making a fuss about how cute they were, so when they went to buy some, I went as well. blessing Again, not quite sure how to feel about this&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* The one good thing about the Deer a.s.sault Incident was that it felt a bit like I was closer to the girls around me now. Itd be nice if they slowly turned from followers to friends. I decided to begin by casually playing up our friendship. Really, thank you for earlier. Friends truly are the most important thing, arent they. Everybody smiled happily. Could it be that weve actually been friends for a long time now? *imouto* But after the Deer a.s.sault Incident, every time I pa.s.sed by Kaburagi, his shoulders would start to tremble. KIIIIIIIII!!! Thats it, Im telling Yurie-sama on him. Laugh all you want. When we come back to Tokyo, the one crying will be youuu. *imouto* *imouto* I had bought soaps from the inn, and some cute konpeitoh rock candies for Aoi-chan and f.u.kioka-san. konpeitoh rock candy I had originally been choosing between the traditional oil-removing facial paper or yatsuhashi, when my stylishness sent a flash of inspiration through me. Yatsuhashi is a j.a.panese confectionery made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and cinnamon. Apparently f.u.kioka-san told Akizawa-kun in advance to buy them a matching pair of romantic luck charms. Getting him to buy a pair of matching romance charms was apparently also part of the scheme to hold back the Suiran girls. As expected of you, f.u.kioka-san. Even though I bought Oniisama a safe driving charm, he refused to hang it on the car mirror, so I was a little dissatisfied. He muttered This is a little&h.e.l.lip; but why? *imouto* Apparently Yurie-sama got mad at Kaburagi for not warning the girls around him not to cause trouble for others. Serrrvesss youuu righttttt. Ukyakyakyakyakya! And then the next day, through Aira-sama, I received a certain photo from Yurie-sama. It was a photo of me being beaten up by a herd of deers. Aira-sama ended up sympathising with me, and said That must have been harsh. Yurie was shocked to see this too. UKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!! IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGIVE!! Aburatorigami (֤Ȥ꼈) is a traditional j.a.panese facial oil blotting paper. The direct translation of the term is oil removal paper. As the term implies, aburatorigami absorbs excess oil, thereby eliminating shine from the face. Aburatorigami has traditionally been used by kabuki actors and geisha to keep makeup looking fresh throughout performances. In modern times it has been growing in popularity for everyday use amongst women for its various skincare and makeup benefits. Chapter 40 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school reallllly soon. Were almost there, guys! Remember that j.a.panese kids graduate in spring! As autumn deepened, we began choosing photos for our graduation alb.u.m. Im not a member of the graduation committee, but I decided to cooperate as proactively with them as possible. I think it should be alright, but on the off chance that somebody entered a picture of my shame during the Deer a.s.sault Incident, itd become the shame of my life. At the moment there arent any weird photos of me, but you can never be too careful. The photos in the alb.u.m are being chosen from those taken by Suirans exclusive cameraman as well as photos that the students want in them. Well, its something I knew would happen, but the photos are kinda biased towards certain students, huhh~ The ones contributed by the students were almost all Kaburagi and Enjou photos, and mostly ones with the contributors in it. Stuff theyd want to remember I guess. If we accepted all of these, it would end up as a Kaburagi-Enjou alb.u.m, so we rejected most of them. There are lots of photos of the more salient students, and the more docile and plain students are getting overlooked, so theyre checking the photos carefully. If after we graduated and some kid said Im&h.e.l.lip; not in a single photo&h.e.l.lip; or something, theyd really feel hurt after all. Their happy parents would be sad too. And were carefully comparing the photos and student roster. It really helps that youre a.s.sisting us, Reika-sama. The one who said that with a smile was Honda Miharu-chan from my cla.s.s. Were in different groups, but shes a serious and diligent girl, and was the vice rep from last year. Besides the cla.s.s and group photos, it takes a lot of work to check the student-contributed photos, after all. Yeah. I almost missed one. The docile kids dont submit their own photos, and sometimes there isnt even a single photo of them. In those cases, members of the alb.u.m committee go take photos of school lunch or the like. And if possible, take photos where the kid isnt by himself, but instead having fun with their friends. The teacher in charge of the alb.u.m is checking it together with us, so it should be fine though. While Im at it, Im trying my best to select the cuter ones. Im helping out, so just this much bias is okay, right? This is a photo of the Pet.i.te Pivoine isnt it. The photo being held out to me was from the other day, when our cameraman came to the salon. Each year the Pivoine has its own special group photo. We are technically the face of the school, after all. In the centre of the photo was Emperor on the couch with Enjou next to him, with the other members surrounding them. On each side of the photo was a red peony, the namesake of the group. But the problem was that I was sitting next to Emperor. Even though there were heaps of other girls who wanted that spot, why me? But everybody else was like, Please, go ahead Reika-sama and recommended it to me without listening, so I couldnt refuse. If I made it too obvious I didnt want to, Emperor would probably get upset after all. At the very least, next to Enjou then&h.e.l.lip; I thought, but Enjou refused me with his smile. &h.e.l.lip;So mean. Thanks to that, I got warned a bunch of times by the cameraman for having a stiff smile, and the guy next to me started clicking his tongue, and I had a horrible time of it. This photo had that kind of backstory. So this is the Pivoines salon. How wonderful. Its like a dream&h.e.l.lip; So said the alb.u.m committee members as they looked at the photo in a daze. Mn, its a needlessly luxurious room, isnt it. The bearing of a ruler peonies just make it even more luxurious. Because even in this Suiran Academy that feels all rich already, the Pivoine is just in a different cla.s.s. After all, the normal students arent allowed in. Even though the truth is that all we do is drink tea, eat sweets, and laze around. Mn? Could that just be me? More importantly, let us hurry and decide on the photos. Because they seemed to be forgetting why we were here, I called out to them and we started working again. Oh! Its a picture of Akizawa-kun in the baton relay. I wonder if f.u.kioka-san has this. If I tell her about it, shed probably tell me to bring it to her. Naturally, the photo of Kaburagi in the cavalry battle is definitely going in. Rather, if we didnt, wed definitely meet some ma.s.sive booing. In this years cavalry battle, Kaburagis unit was unchallenged again. Apparently they practised in secret. Even though he always acts so cool and uncaring, he actually hates losing. After showing unrivalled strength two years in a row, Emperor began a legend. Upfftpfft. It was hard picking from the huge number of photos, but there were photos with unexpected sides of kids that I didnt often talk to, so it was pretty interesting too. The photos go back as far as Year 1, so there are some kids who look completely different now too. Six years for children changes them a shocking amount, doesnt it. Since Year 1, Ive always been a fake Rococo. I seriously want an image change already&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* *imouto* For a while now, my eyes have been meeting with Cla.s.s Pres a lot. He keeps looking my way, and when I return the gaze, he immediately averts his eyes. I tried asking if he needed anything a few times, but he would always turn red and avoid a proper answer. Even at lunch just now, our eyes met. I wonder whats up. Reika-sama, is something the matter? Honda-san from the photo committee called out to me. No, it is nothing. I gave a smile as I replied. Well, maybe its just my imagination. &h.e.l.lip;I never expected the day to come that Id be able to talk to you like this, Reika-sama, so Im kind of happy. Honda-san said that with a shy smile. Wah, so cute! Honda-san is a diligent-type that youd expect to be a cla.s.s rep, so shes kind of different from the types in my group. Because of that we havent spoken much outside of pa.s.sing on messages. But this girl gives off the same cuteness as Aoi-chan. Shes definitely a good girl, Im sure. I wanna be friends. I am also glad that we became friends, Miharu-san. Because of my success during the school trip, Ive taken a liking to this high-pressure salesman style of getting friends. Its better to speak first for things like this. Although in secret your heart kinda thumps as you wonder what youre gunna do if they say Huh? I never thought we were friends. So pushy.. Eh-, friends!? Ah-m, Im happy too. Uhuhu, another friend GET. *imouto* With graduation approaching, as is customary, signature books began to pop up. Speaking of which, I had one too didnt I, a signature book. How nostalgic. Back when I was lazy in my old life, at first I was happy to sign things, but along the way I started to get annoyed, and stopped caring what I wrote. And also, you dont do it often, so its surprisingly hard to write a short message, isnt it? You only get as many variations as New Years cards, and there really isnt much to say. You try and write stylish and mature things, different from everybody else, and so it ends up as more dark history. Thats why signature books are actually really dangerous. I was the same in the beginning. Each time I remember the stuff I wrote, it makes me want to bang my head on a desk. Its just that embarra.s.sing. Even weird poems and stuff&h.e.l.lip; Aahh-! If only I had psychic powers and could burn those books right now! Anyway, some people came around asking for me to sign their books too. Even though pretty much everybody here at Suiran just moves onto the middle school section, why bother with these signature books? Or so I thought, but then I considered that it would be sadder if n.o.body asked for mine, so bothersome as it was, I accepted with a smile. I just used a beautiful seal and signed in coloured pen to get out of actually writing anything. Reika-sama, could I have you write something in my signature book? Honda Miharu-chan came asking as well. Were friends so of course I accepted, and I had her sign in mine too. Incidentally, my signature book was prepared by Okaasama, and was apparently made by some royal purveyor of stationery in Europe. Just a cheap one with cute pictures would be enough, you know&h.e.l.lip; Apparently a long queue formed to get the signatures of the famous two. The girls in my cla.s.s were really pumped to get them too. Ever since Kaburagi got told off by Yurie-sama, hes gotten a little more cooperative in the past, and although he had an annoyed look on his face, he did sign them properly. Just his name though. Seriously, just a signature. Apparently some kids even said stuff like Please address it to _____!. Are they movie stars or something? Some of the girls showed me their books, but it was seriously just Kaburagi Masaya in the middle of the page. Incidentally, he did write their names. As youd expect, his penmanship was fantastic. As for Enjous, besides their names he also wrote congratulations on your graduation on each one. Well, theyre both pretty bad. To a person like me whos struggling to come up with original messages, I kind of envy their boldness. *imouto* *imouto* Anyway, while thinking about all these things, after school I was walking down a hallway by myself as I was heading to the salon. That was when a nervous looking Cla.s.s Rep called out to me. Chapter 41 This is my Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school reallllly soon. Were almost there, guys! Really so soon! Umm, Kisshouin-san. Theres a little something Id like to talk to you about. Is that okay? From his face, it looked like something pretty big, so we went behind the school building where less people were around. What might this be? It looks like hes been wanting to talk to me for a while, after all. But Cla.s.s Rep just fidgeted, and didnt manage to start speaking. Seems like it was something hard to say, so I just stayed quiet and waited. Umm, since youre a smart person, Kisshouin-san, I thought maybe youd already noticed. My, me, a smart person? Not at all. I wonder if thats how he sees me in his head. But still, I wonder what this is about. I really cant think of anything at all~ Ah-, his face turned red. Seriouslyy, whats up~? The truth is, I like Honda-san. &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Im sorry. I was conceited. I ended up wondering if he maybe liked me. I wonder what it is I have no idea what this could be this is definitely a confession, I thought. AAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! IM SUCH AN EMBARRa.s.sING PERSONNNN!! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU GETTING ALL CONCEITED FOR! Has my time finally come!? I thought! But Im so troubled~ I dont think of him that way at all~ I thought! Delusions, and on top of that, condescending delusions! Im sorry! Im sorry for not knowing my place! I wanna be one of those bobble head toys and just continue to bow in apology! I mean, Ive never been popular before. Its always been a bit of a fantasy. Is it finally my turn for a shoujo manga development!? I accidentally thought. Um, Kisshouin-san? Is something wrong? &h.e.l.lip;No, nothing at all. Pulling myself together and changing gears, I faced Cla.s.s Rep. Fortunately, he didnt seem to notice my conceited misunderstanding. Lets just continue the conversation like nothing happened. Well? You say you like Honda-san, but why speak to me about it? Yeah, seriously. To begin with, why speak to me about this? You know&h.e.l.lip; its Cla.s.s Reps fault as well for being misleading, right? If he likes Miharu-chan, then cant he just tell her that? Why keep glancing my way, and call me out to a place like this? It has nothing to do with me, right? Or so I was thinking, getting angry even though I was in the wrong. Because youre like the leader of the girls, Kisshouin-san. I thought maybe you could cooperate with me, or something like that. Cooperate? Helping you confess? Confess!? I just wanted to find out more about her. Also, if possible, I want you to use this. What he shyly handed over to me was a picture of Cla.s.s Rep and Honda-san together in cla.s.s. I guess he wants me to put this in the alb.u.m? After that, Cla.s.s Rep started talking his heart out to me. About how he was cla.s.s rep with her last year and ended up liking her. About how when he cut his finger, Honda-san bandaged it for him, and about how she did girly things. About how he thought hed get to be cla.s.s rep with her this year too, but got depressed when it was somebody else. (Well sorryyy that it was me!) Also, I want her to write on this too&h.e.l.lip; He brought out a signature book. I thought that only girls did this stuff, but do boys do it too? Speaking of which, there were boys all into the matchmaker shrine too, werent there. I may have a surprisingly high number of effeminate boys in my grade. Cla.s.s Rep, you also pulled a love fortune at Kyoto, didnt you. It was great blessing. Again, his face went red. Well, good for you then. I got future blessing, you know? Leaving the photo aside, what if you asked for the signature yourself? Why is there a need for me to ask? Because its hard to suddenly ask for one, you know? Were not even cla.s.s reps together anymore, so we hardly even talk. &h.e.l.lip;Well, I apologise for becoming the vice rep then. I stabbed right into his happy att.i.tude. As expected, Cla.s.s Rep went into a panic and started saying stuff like Not at all! Youve been really, really helpful!. Hmph. I understand. Very well, then. In that case, while Honda-san and I are together, come casually asking for my signature. You can use our being cla.s.s reps as an excuse. At that time, I will casually bring up the fact that Honda-san also served with you last year, and from there, please ask her for her signature. Eh-, can I really pull off so much acting? Ah-, but Ill do my best. He looks uneasy. Was Cla.s.s Rep this kind of boy? I thought he was more of a diligent, and stereotypical cla.s.s rep type, you knoww? *imouto* On a later day, Cla.s.s Rep came along with signature book in hand, and subjected us to some monotone acting. Miharu-chan showed no signs of noticing his feelings, and happily accepted. While she was at it, she asked for Cla.s.s Reps signature as well, so he turned red. After that, when I asked Miharu-chan if she liked anyone at the moment, she said that she didnt but her type was something like Enjou-sama. And so I went and pa.s.sed that info to Cla.s.s Rep, who went Enjou-kun, huh&h.e.l.lip; and got depressed. Its not like she actually likes Enjou himself. Her type is simply similar to him. Doesnt that mean you still have hope? I said in consolation, but it didnt look like it had much effect. Sorry, Cla.s.s Rep. I was a little mean to you. *imouto* And also, it looks like girls and boys who got close because of the signature book popped up here and there. Nothing particularly happened to me though. The adult me thinks that romance is way too early for primary schoolers, but who really knows, huh~? Its not like Im saying this because of an inferiority complex, okay? *imouto* Aahh, were graduating next year, huhh? Once I enter middle school, I wonder if spring will come for me this time. I only got future blessing so my hopes are slim though. Chapter 42 This is my final Christmas present to you, and Id be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Share the love! Glory to Reika-chan! These are Reikas last moments in Suirans primary section! Thanks for reading my translations so far, and if you love Reika like I do, I hope youll look forward to her life as a middle schooler too! In j.a.panese, the two main characters for flower(hana) are and A. The latter is rather more poetic/fanciful, and is actually used in Reikas name. Specifically, AReika means beautiful flower, graceful flower, lovely flower etc. The characters can also be as urara. An ephemeral-type beauty in j.a.pan is somebody thats typically delicate, very fair-skinned, slender like a willow, and generally soft or fragile somehow. Like, somewhat fairy or sylph-like, with an atmosphere thats faint and somewhat unreal. Like a beauty that you might see in a pa.s.sing dream or something? Well, it sounds a bit exaggerated, but if the description wasnt then it would be a bajillion-times harder to explain. The day of the graduation ceremony came. Everybody is going up the escalator together, so well all meet again in Suirans middle school section. Although well be in a different building, were all on the same property, so Im not really feeling lonely about it. Maybe everybody else was thinking like me, because n.o.body cried. Only, this would be the last time we would be wearing this navy uniform to school, so everybody was busy taking photos. Of course, I took some with my friends too. Because today was a happy occasion, Okaasama was more fired up than usual, and had my hair even curlier today. Also, both Kaburagi and Enjou have been surrounded by girls since this morning. Heaps of boys from the lower grades who went out of their way to attend were also photographing and filming the Hero of the Cavalry Battle . *imouto* Besides my parents who were here, Oniisama brought me a bouquet of flowers! There were pink roses, carnations, garberas, and a bunch of other really cute flowers. Thank you, Oniisama! As for not just giving me a bunch of bright red roses, as expected of you! In Oniisamas mind, my image is more like these cute pink flowers, isnt it! Or so I was thinking, feeling deeply moved, when Oniisama pointed at a deeply coloured rose and said, These flowers are called Urara, you know. Theyre your flowers, arent they, Reika? -ZUKKYUUUUUUN!!- Oniisama! Just what manner of being are you!? My flowers! My roses! My maidens heart is so moved that I dont think itll hold! It looks like today, with just Oniisama, Im already feeling totally popular! His smile is so dazzling-! Or so I was thinking, as I writhed about in happiness on the inside, while my friends around me were also saying Reika-samas Oniisama, so dreamy&h.e.l.lip;, spellbound. Isnt he! Isnt he! My Oniisama is the best in the world! Still, although theyre minors, theyre still maidens and Oniisama pierced right through their hearts. I was actually a little nervous, secretly wondering where on earth he learnt this skill. Oniisama doesnt work any strange jobs, does he? Watching Oniisama, Okaasama looked satisfied and said as expected of my son while Otousama looked a little ashamed and embarra.s.sed for not bringing anything. Its fine, Otousama. For things like this, its your feelings that count. Rather, if the chubby Otousama did the same thing as Oniisama, Id be a little grossed out. While I was happy about the roses with my name, and getting photos under the sakura trees with my family, a parent and child group came along. Congratulations on your daughters graduation, Kisshouin-sama. Oohh! Why if it isnt Kaburagi-sama! Congratulations on Masaya-kuns graduation, I should say! UHIIIII! Its gone from heaven to h.e.l.l! Why did they come talk to us!? Reika-san, congratulations on graduating. What beautiful flowers you have. They fit you perfectly. T-, Thank you very much. Today Mrs. Kaburagi was wearing a vivid, deep blue suit, and was even more beautiful than when I met her in the restaurant. Quite a contrast to the elegant white suit that my Okaasama was wearing. Reika-san, please do get along with Masaya in middle school. My! Our Reika as well! We certainly hope Masaya-kun gets along with her. Right, Reika-san? Without affirming or denying Okaasama, I simply smiled away. What a horrible development. A horrible, horrible development. Please, just go away without causing any trouble. My prayer bore no fruit, because our parents just continued to chat, and chat. When I happened to look forward, I met gazes with the bored-looking Kaburagi. Hmm, he huffed, as he looked away. Uwah~ Totally indifferent to me. Dont think I want to get close to a guy like you, either! Reika-san, do you remember what we spoke about earlier? Please do come over to play. Hah? Kaburagi wrinkled his nose in displeasure and looked at his mother. Thank you very much. For now I just smiled. Im definitely not going, okay. Look, Kaburagi is looking all unhappy about it. Hes got a Why the h.e.l.l is she coming to our house? face on. Wah-, hes glaring! My, myy! Reika-san, you must definitely visit them! Isnt that greatt, Reika? Ahaha, our Reika adores Masaya-kun, you see. I dont adore him! Why the h.e.l.l are you spouting bulls.h.i.t, Otousama! Okaasamas eyes are sparkling! Aahh, what do I do&h.e.l.lip; Why dont they notice Kaburagis displeased aura!? I dont adore you, okay! I have no intention of going, okay! So please just stop glaring at me so angrily! I entreated the nearby Oniisama with my eyes, but he just made a troubled expression and seemed to decide on watching things pan out. Somebody save meeeee! Mum, Shuusuke and the others are here, so Im going. My, Shuusuke-kun? Enjou and a person who seemed to be his mother came out from the school building. Its my first time seeing her. Such an ephemeral-looking beauty~ Oohh, Enjou-samas! I certainly do wish to greet them. GYAHHHH! Otousamas words just made things even worse! Dad, Mum, I think Reika wants to spend the last moments of primary with her friends. Would it be okay if she went? Its her graduation ceremony, after all. Oniisama! However&h.e.l.lip; I also wanna walk around the place with Shuusuke. Kaburagi got on board. What a helpless boy, you are. Very well, go have fun. My apologies, Kisshouin-sama. Masaya is quite a wilful child. No, no, not at all. The rumours of Masaya-kuns excellence have reached my ears, you know. After saying his goodbyes to my family, Kaburagi immediately headed off to Enjou. I need to leave now as well! Well then, I shall also be heading to my friends. Kaburagi-sama, please excuse me. Giving a small bow, I hurried over to the ring of girls. Ill leave the rest to you, Oniisama! *imouto* Just as I thought I had finally escaped from my parents, Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan had been lying in wait to get stories about the Kaburagi family from me. Please, just give me a break~ Since its our precious graduation ceremony, I wanted it to end more enjoyablyy. Even though the incidents lasted just a few minutes, Im dead tired. Or rather, if things fall into the same pattern at the middle section entrance ceremony, what am I going to do&h.e.l.lip; I hugged Oniisamas bouquet tightly. But uraras, huhhh? I had no idea roses like that existed. Rococo and roses. Kuh-! Its way too fitting, if I do say so myself. Isnt this exactly a shoujo manga development? But its a little sad that things only happen with my blood-related brother. But well, thats good in its own way too. This is also part of the future blessing curse, after all. Im sure once I enter middle school, a wonderful lovey dovey development will await me too. *imouto* When I got home, my excited parents pestered me about visiting the Kaburagi house, but I gave excuses and told them that Kaburagi hated women, and so going would actually bother him. But looking at these two, theyre deeefinitely not gunna give up, are theyyy? Honestly, I wish they would just stop with their weird ambitions already. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Oohh! Why if it isnt Kaburagi-sama! Congratulations on Masaya-kuns graduation, I should say! (said Reikas dad) My! Our Reika as well! We certainly hope Masaya-kun gets along with her. Right, Reika-san? (said Reikas mum) Her mother refers to her as Reika-san, but her father doesnt. Oniisama doesnt work any strange jobs, does he? e.g. host, gigolo etc. Chapter 43 Its been a while. Sorry for the wait! With this chapter begins Reikas adventures in Suirans middle school section. (: Ive entered Suirans middle school section. The blazer jacket has changed from navy to white, and is quite a cute design. The wine coloured striped ribbon just accentuates that cuteness, and even though its only been a month since Ive entered, just changing the uniform makes me look like quite the oneesan. How mysterious. *imouto* Now that weve entered middle school, 30% of our cohort is now new students who entered after taking an exam, the Externals. And this new group of students managed to get into our school after rigorous examinations, so theyre all really smart. In general, Suiran students just ride the figurative escalator up from primary school, excluding special circ.u.mstances. Because of that, people sometimes talk about how the Internal Students are less bright than the Externals. Once we enter high school, there are going to be even smarter kids coming in. In fact, by the time were in high school, with the exception of a small group of students, its the kids who have been here since primary that people take to be the dumbest. But then usually the Internals themselves dont really mind, so I guess thats fine. Theyre at least not dumber than your normal kid after all. From the staffs perspective though, it wouldnt be good for the traditional and prestigious Suiran to be seen as a den of idiots. Thats why they gather smart kids from outside to make up for it. Thanks to Suirans brand power, as well as their splendid facilities and teaching content, weve got strong popularity, so its not a problem gathering gifted students at all. Particularly exceptional students are even taken as scholarship students, so theyre exempted from school fees. And amongst them, those that perform above a certain level in the national mock exams are even given scholarship money that doesnt need to be returned. In other words, theyre buying academic ranks with money in order to preserve the schools honour, right? *imouto* Kimidols protagonist also entered Suiran as a scholarship student. She entered Suiran because she didnt want to pay school fees. Whats more, if she tried hard, she could even make money from the scholarship system there, which is why she wanted in. But when she entered, their sense of money value was just too different from hers, and she suffered quite a culture shock. And well, yeah. Normally a school wouldnt do things on such a crazy scale. I know how she felt because I experienced the same thing when I entered as a primary school student. What the h.e.l.l is this!? This isnt how I remembered primary schools! I thought with my mouth agape. But shell definitely get used to it, so three years from now, I hope the protagonist will give it her all. *imouto* *imouto* The biggest difference between the primary section, and the middle-high sections is the existence of the Student Council. The Student Council is a meritocratic organisation formed from good students. In comparison, the Pivoine stresses lineage, pedigree, and a.s.sets more than individual power, and only people who can fulfil these and have been purebred Suiran students since primary are allowed in. The Pivoine think of themselves as the true embodiment of Suiran, and because of that the Student Council are an arrogant and loathesome group of outsiders. On the other hand, the Pivoines power doesnt come from their members as individuals, so the Student Council thinks of them as a harmful group that only knows how to abuse their power. Although the traditionalist Pivoine and the meritocratic Student Council dont b.u.t.t heads on the surface, friction between them goes back a long time. I dont know what kind of person the inc.u.mbent Student Council President is, but I hope they dont kick up a fuss while Im here. *imouto* *imouto* The middle and high school students belong to the same Pivoine. The Pet.i.te Pivoine in primary is in the end just an extra, and the middle-high section Pivoine is the real thing. When I opened the door to the salon, I was met with furniture known for its beautiful curves, as well as flower arrangements of moth orchids and other spring flowers. A flower arrangement of m(kochouran; lit. b.u.t.terfly orchid), known as Phalaenopsis or moth orchids in English. There was even a grand piano by the window. I became particularly fond of this one-person sofa by the wall, with this cute art noveau style lamp next to it, so I ended up sitting here most of the time I went to the salon. How nice. This lamp is so cute. I want one for my room too. Since the salon was shared by both middle and high school students, Yurie-sama was naturally there too. Emperor seemed incredibly happy, since it was the first time in years they had been enjoying school together. He tried to hide it, but the corners of his mouth would curve up. Hes pretty easy to understand. Lately he hasnt been acting like a stalker either, and perhaps as a result of Yurie-samas teachings, apparently he can think about others too now. I guess he matured as a human, huh~ As long as hes with his beloved Yurie-sama, Emperor is always in a good mood, so Ill probably be able to relax for another two years. Thank goodness. Reika-san, have you gotten used to the middle school section? Aira-sama came over to talk to me with some sweets in hand. Todays was sachertorte, a type of chocolate cake with apricot jam. Seeing the l.u.s.trous chocolate made me gulp. Yes. Being able to go to the school cafeteria instead of being given a school lunch was quite a fresh experience. Once you enter middle school here, you can choose whether to go to the cafeteria or to bring lunch from home. The cafeteria seems like your normal fancy restaurant. Pretty much everything on the menu is over 2000 Yen. Quite expensive for your average student. Its delicious though. Ive actually got this secret goal of conquering every item on the menu, so for now Im one of the kids that goes to the cafeteria. And even in the cafeteria there are exclusive seats for the Pivoine. Theyre seated by the window in this well lit area. Speaking of which, in Kimidol there was this one scene, wasnt there. The protagonist had no idea that it was Pivoine exclusive, and tried to sit down there, displeasing them. Yeah. Try your best, protagonist. Although, the one who was the most angry and shouted A commoner would dare!? Know your place! was actually Kisshouin Reika though. Are things going well with the External Students? Well, there is still a wall between us, you could say. Well, I suppose there would be. There are roughly ten External kids in each cla.s.s. Unlike the scholarship students that will enter in the high school section, the Externals in middle school are still kids from families who can pay Suirans expensive school fees. Because of that, there isnt too much of a difference in their sense for spending money. Thats why I think well all settle down after a while. Probably. Im still thinking about whether or not to enter a club. There isnt anything I really want to do after all. Oniisama suggested that I enter the cooking club, but the activity days overlap with my lessons. I also have my cram school and lessons with Karin-sensei as well. The first test since middle school is coming up soon, so Im pretty busy at the moment. Lately Ive sort of been getting a lot of as expected of Reika-sama so Im secretly struggling really hard not to let my true colours show. Especially maths. Maths is suffering to me. I remembered the word factorisation but Id completely forgotten what it entails. I just barely remembered that it has something to do with x and y. What the h.e.l.l is going on with my memory. Did I really learn this in my last life? I did, right? I mean, its part of the compulsory curriculum. Since I felt a huge crisis impending, I had Karin-sensei drill it into me. Id already decided to stop expecting anything academic from the past me. I should have already known as much after my experience in the primary school section&h.e.l.lip; But I just keep having these faint hopes. Theres no such thing as miracles though. I guess Ill just keep trying my best from scratch&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 44 A Tenugui ä is a thin j.a.panese hand towel made of cotton. It is typically about 35 by 90 centimeters in size, plain woven and is almost always dyed with some pattern.It can be used for anything a towel could be used for C as a washcloth, dishcloth, but often as a headband, souvenir, decoration, or for wrapping items such as bottles. Towels made from terry cloth have largely replaced it in household use. However tenugui are still popular as souvenirs, decorations, and as a head covering in kendo, where it functions as a sweatband, as extra padding beneath the headgear (men), and to identify the partic.i.p.ants by team color. Nerima Daikon is one of j.a.pans main daikon radish breeds, named such because it was once cultivated in Nerima, Tokyo. Shougoin Daikon}oԺ is one of the traditional daikon radishes of Kyoto. Daikon-Ashi(lit. daikon legs) is the j.a.panese equivalent to thunder thighs, in reference to the shape of daikon radishes. Aodakefumi is simply a piece of smooth, hard bamboo that is naturally and ideally cut and shaped to provide the bottom of your feet with an amazing ma.s.sage, simply by gently stepping on it. Believed by some to encourage weight loss. The cram school Id been going to had been focused exclusively for primary school, so now that Im in middle school I needed to find a new one. For my middle school one as well, I picked one that Oniisama used to attend. Im not with Akizawa-kun and f.u.kioka-san anymore, but Aoi-chan was with me instead! Aoi-chan had been attending a primary school that was attached to higher-tiered schools. Because of that, even though it was a primary school attached to a bigger school the same way Suirans primary school was, the system it used wasnt an escalator and unless you pa.s.sed the entrance exams, they would mercilessly expel you. Thanks to that, Aoi-chan had bags under her eyes since New Years. Now that shes made it into the a.s.sociated middle school without a problem, shes been chatting with me about Tarow the Taro just like we used to. Apparently theres this new tenugui merchandise for him. Why a tenugui instead of a handkerchief or hand towel? Im still talking to f.u.kioka-san by email and phone calls. People with a sharp tongue like her are surprisingly rare, so I want us to stay friends. Last time we talked we mentioned going somewhere together. Its so friends-like! But wouldnt it be better if she spent time with Akizawa-kun? Or so I thought, but it seems that Akizawa-kun is busy that day. Thought so~ *imouto* Now that Im a middle schooler, Im allowed to walk outside by myself now. Only during the day though. On weekdays I have cla.s.ses, so I dont have much free time. But the fact that I have a few hours to wander about during the weekends now makes me pretty happy. Now that I can just go to the convenience store to buy snacks, I dont need to use cram school as a cover anymore. If I bring a large bag with me to bring home snacks and sweets, I doubt Okaasama will find out. Okaasama thinks beautiful skin is a girls life, so she definitely wouldnt allow me to eat snacks with cheap oils in them. And whats more, my next goal is eating fast food. I really want some. Its the embodiment of junk food. Why do chips taste so good. And I definitely want ketchup with it. Chips. Also known as french fries in certain other places in the Anglosphere. Suiran has students coming from all over, so even if I head far away from home to buy snacks, theres still a chance Ill get spotted. Because of that, I still cant let my guard down. Also, I want to eat at the food stands in festivals! Because festivals happen at night, itll be hard for me to get permission, so at the moment its nothing more than a dream. But festival yakisoba is yummy isnt it~ Yakisoba. Fried buckwheat, flavoured with a sauce that is more or less a mix of oyster sauce and thickened Worcestershire sauce. Ah-, and I want to eat takoyaki as well. Takoyaki. Typically batter filled with octopus, tempura sc.r.a.ps, pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with mayonnaise, thickened Worcestershire sauce, seaweed and bonito flakes. Ikayaki grilled squid would be great too~ Ikayaki. Grilled squid on a stick, topped with soy sauce. The number of dreams I have keeps increasing&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* Even though I thought Id be released from it after leaving primary, I ended up being nominated as vice rep again. And my partner, the cla.s.s rep, is Cla.s.s Rep. Hes in my cla.s.s again. For some reason it feels like were just the cla.s.s rep pair, but huh~ Unlike Cla.s.s Rep, Im not even a stereotype cla.s.s-rep character. Cla.s.s Rep feels like he was born to be a cla.s.s rep. Everybody calls him Cla.s.s Rep like its natural. What was his real name, anyway? *imouto* In May, we have the customary excursion. And its mountain climbing. Ugh. Mountain climbing. I really dont wanna go. Apparently the idea behind it is to help the Internals and Externals bond through agonising physical activity, but rather than mountain climbing where everybody is too busy going hahh hahh wheeze wheeze to even have a decent conversation, wouldnt it be better to have an outdoors cooking session or a barbeque at a camp site somewhere? At least I think wed bond a lot better that way. Its unfortunate, but I cant understand the appeal behind mountain climbing at all. Apparently Cla.s.s Rep actually quite likes mountain climbing. When I asked him what was fun about it, he listed the nature, the clean air, and the feeling of accomplishment for reaching the summit, but sorry. I still dont get it at all. Were all a bunch of weak-limbed ojousamas who get chauffeured everywhere, so please dont make us do something as harsh as mountain climbing. Speaking of which, for a while I used to do squats in primary school, but I ended up stopping at some point, didnt I. I still do my stretches before bed though. You know, lately, Im getting the feeling that my legs are getting fatter than they used to be. Well, compared to my last life theyre still totally thin though. In my last life, when I stopped growing taller in middle school, I started growing sideways instead, which was horrifying. The ruder boys called me Nerima. When I went to Kyoto, they called me Shougoin. I cursed all of them to stop growing. Even though there were plenty of girls with thicker legs than mine! Even though my weight was average! Even though my legs werent fat, they were just a little swollen! Why are middle school boys so insensitive. Cause theyre idiots I suppose. Its definitely because theyre idiots, yep. I also cursed them to be unpopular. This cursed worked quite well, kekeke! I also tried a diet to make my legs skinnier, but they sure didnt work at all. Tsk. All these unpleasant memories are surfacing. I think Ill buy an aodakefumi the next time I have a break. *imouto* During the mountain climbing, my group fell behind. Cla.s.s Rep, Ill leave the rest to you. Im struggling just taking care of myself here. My lungs are making a weird noise. Im suffering. I have to keep watching my feet so that I dont fall, so I cant look at the scenery at all. Just what the heck is fun about this. Whenever I look behind me, here and there I spot other kids on the verge of death. &h.e.l.lip;Thank goodness, Im not the only one. When I finally made it up to the mountain somehow, kids who arrived way earlier were already eating their lunches. Oi! Werent we supposed to be deepening our bonds today. I was so tired that I couldnt even find the energy to eat. Us weaker kids are all hunched over, exhausted. While I was sitting there, I could hear the girls around Kaburagi and Enjou happily kicking up a fuss. Even though my group hasnt even opened our lunch boxes yet, those guys are already done eating. Theres this somewhat gyaru-group thats been forming since we entered middle school thats for some reason full of athletic girls. Im jealous. After resting for a while, just as I regained the energy needed to eat, I saw some of the External boys chatting amicably with some Internal girls. Goodness! While we were here dying, some of the Externals and Internals got closer together! Could it be that the mountain climbing worked!? Nothing so wonderful happened for me. Is it because I look weird sporting drill hair with a tracksuit? Oh? Isnt that Miharu-chan over there? Miharu-chan is the vice cla.s.s rep for another cla.s.s. She also fits the image of a cla.s.s rep to a tee. Anyway, there she was, chatting with an External boy. Ah! She laughed. I wonder if Cla.s.s Rep felt jealous seeing that. Even at normal times, hes already so panicked about Enjou being in her cla.s.s. Before long, hes going to come for more advice, I bet. *imouto* Aahh&h.e.l.lip; When its time to leave the mountain, I wonder if its possible to have the Kisshouin family send me a helicopter. Chapter 45 Right after the excursion was the mid-semester exam. I studied for my life. I found out from Aoi-chan that the amount people study in prep-schools was even more than I imagined, so I gave it my all. Whenever there was something I didnt understand in the middle of the night, I would invade Oniisamas room to ask. Because I was studying so desperately, my family started to worry. But I cant let my As expected of Reika-sama reputation go to waste after all this time, you know~! After cramming as much as I could, I faced the mid-sems. The moment that the two-day examinations finished, I could feel the vocabulary and formulas spilling out of my head. I cant study any more. Im burnt out&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* *imouto* Today is the day that the exam results are posted. While pretending that I didnt care at all about rankings, I went to have a look with my friends. My heart was pounding hard. G.o.d, O G.o.d, please give me results for my efforts! Please have pity on me! I desperately ran my eyes over the names. &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; Ah-. Its there. 18th C Kisshouin Reika Goodness! Youre amazing, Reika-sama! 18th place, Reika-sama! Congratulations, Reika-sama! 18th place. The girls around me started clapping and congratulating me. &h.e.l.lip;I did it. I really did it! It was worth it! I studied so hard that I had nightmares about it, but it was worth it! Thank you. Despite myself, a relieved sigh escaped my lips. But I definitely cant let them know how much I studied. I dont want to be labelled a swot. Hahhh. Looks like Ive somehow managed to defend my as expected of Reika-sama position. Thank goodness. 18th place out of 200 people. I tried pretty hard, didnt I. Aahh, really, thank goodness. Everyone started squealing Kyaaa! all of a sudden. Look! Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama! 1st C Kaburagi Masaya 2nd C Enjou Shuusuke To be able to hold back the External Students and take 1st and 2nd place! As expected of them! They really can do anything~! &h.e.l.lip;Truly~! The girls are in a trance again. Unlike me, those two didnt seem to have studied much either. Is this just the difference in talent? Normally in the first middle school test, the top ranks are the External Students who pa.s.sed through examination h.e.l.l just to get in here. Geez, as expected, I suppose. In the end, a faker like me cant compare. I didnt know any of the names 3rd place and below, so I guess most of them were Externals. Ah-! I found a name I do know. Hm~mm&h.e.l.lip; I looked here and there for the person I wanted, but couldnt find anything in the sea of black hair. Well, I guess theres no way he has silver hair now. If he did, theres no way hed pa.s.s the interviews to get in here. &h.e.l.lip;Well, whatever. *imouto* *imouto* Today Im going to f.u.kioka-sans house. It might be the first time Im going to a friends house to play. Im so happy! f.u.kioka-san is an Ojousama that goes to an ojousama school, so even when I asked Okaasama for permission, there wasnt any problem. I dont think its good to discriminate friends based on cla.s.s, but&h.e.l.lip; Since it was my first time visiting, Okaasama gave me a present to bring. Its cookies from a western confectionary store that even needs an introductory from a regular customer to buy from. A standard present for the Kisshouin family. After I greeted f.u.kioka-sans mother, she led me to f.u.kioka-sans room. Could you sit on that sofa please? Yeees. Her room was girly and cute. I did as asked, and sat down on the cute, flower-patterned sofa. Its been a while, huh. Have you been well? I have. Havent we already gone through this by email and phone? f.u.kioka-san started giggling. Even though its only been a few months, now that f.u.kioka-san is a middle schooler, she somehow seems more mature than before~ By the way, I heard from Tak.u.mi. Apparently you did very well on your exams. Congratulations. Thanks. But it was just a fluke, you know? He even tells her about that? Also, f.u.kioka-san showed me earlier through the window. Akizawa-kuns house is diagonal from here. They really are neighbours. Apparently hes busy with Track and Field Club today. f.u.kioka-san, have you entered a club? Ive been considering maybe the Koto Club or the Wind Instrument Club, but Im not sure. The Koto instrument. What about you? In the end, I havent entered one either. There isnt anything I really want to do, and Im pretty busy after school. Truee. I have violin practice too. The two of us nodded in agreement. But arent you a member of that whatever club at Suiran? I forget the name though. Ahh, you mean the Pivoine. Yes, that one. Its a club that only chosen people can enter, right? People talk about it a lot at my school too. Eh-, why? Because its filled with people who are powerful, even amongst Suiran right? Yurinomiya is a girls school. We pay quite a lot of attention to good men from other schools. Hm~mm. She mentioned the names of a few boys from grades above me, but they were all people I didnt know. Thats pretty amazing&h.e.l.lip; And as youd expect, amongst them, the Two Tops in our cohort are by far the most popular. Ahhh&h.e.l.lip; I dont even need to ask for their names. The young master of the Kaburagi family is called the Emperor right? There are people in my school that call him Emperor as well, you know. EEHH-!? Could it be that the origin of that name is&h.e.l.lip; Yes. As I recall, Tak.u.mi told me that it started after the Athletics Meet. Uwahh, this is bad. Even people from other schools knows about the Cavalry Emperor name. Does the guy himself know that? Im starting to sympathise a little&h.e.l.lip; Whats wrong? Ahhh, welll, I was just wondering whether its okay that his Emperor nickname comes from a childrens cavalry battle. My. Is that so? Anything is allowed as long as theyre a hot guy, you know. Who cares where the nickname came from. Is that how is it? Thats how it is. The girls at my school are all happily saying stuff like The Emperor is such a dreamy name you know. Ohh? So thats how it is? Well, its true that back when I read Kimidol, I did say something like Emperor, what a cool name! without really caring how it came about. By the way, about the way youve been addressing me. Yes? You dont need to call me f.u.kioka-san. Just Sakurako will do, you know. After saying that, she turned away in a pout. OOHHH! f.u.kIOKA-SAN IS GOING DERE ON ME! Ummmm, then, lets go with Sakura-chan. &h.e.l.lip;Fine. Geez, your lips are always so proud, Sakura-chan you tsundere. But if Im not calling you f.u.kioka-san, then you have to call me Reika! I see. Then lets go with Reika-san. EHHHH! If Im calling you -chan, wouldnt it be normal to call me -chan back!? I want my friends to call me something casual too. Maybe she could tell that I was sulky, because after a sigh, she said, Fine then, Reika. WHA-!? Suddenly jumping over the -chan altogether and just using my bare name!? *imouto* At Sakura-chans house, we quickly became closer friends. Chapter 46 After school as I was walking to the Pivoine salon, I spotted Kaburagi and Enjou up ahead with a gaggle of girls. Kaburagi used to outright ignore them, but recently hes been replying at least. Some incredibly vague replies though. He really has matured, hasnt he. But unlike his overbearing self, his manga equivalent was just strong of will, so I wonder how close hell get to his manga version in these next three years. The two of them reached the entrance, and then headed into the salon without hesitation. Because the salon is forbidden to anybody who isnt a member, the girls around them were forced to stop before the door. They stayed there looking reluctant for a while, but giving up, they turned to head back down the hallway and noticed me coming from behind. Im not close to these girls, so I was going to just pa.s.s by them and head into the salon. Ah. Im being glared at. One of the girls was definitely glaring at me as I pa.s.sed. Im surprised. I may be saying this myself, but as a Pivoine member, Im shocked that theres a girl who would so daringly glare at me. The Pivoine is a privileged cla.s.s here at school, so there arent many people who would pick a fight from up front. I suppose just the Student Council, really. My group and this girls group havent been getting along for a while now, but does this mean theyre finally declaring war on us? Hmmm&h.e.l.lip; Ive definitely never thought of getting close to flashy girls like that, but I dont like troublesome stuff eitherrr. *imouto* While I was s.p.a.cing out in the salon and thinking about the earlier events over some tea, Aira-sama and Yurie-sama called out to me. You had some fantastic results for the earlier test didnt you, Reika-san. Congratulations. It looks like youve been trying hard for your English cla.s.ses too, Reika-chan. Uwahh, the Princess and the Knight appeared together. So dazzling-! Thank you very much. But it was merely a fluke. Im very glad that Im close to Aira-sama, but unfortunately Im not as close to Yurie-sama. And thats completely because of the idiot thats always next to her&h.e.l.lip; Yurie. Geh-! He appeared. As expected, Kaburagi appeared right behind Yurie-sama. And Enjou too. I look up to Yurie-sama and definitely wanna get closer to her, but because Kaburagi is always close-by, I keep my distance. Even just now he ruined a perfectly good chance! Apparently she could somewhat tell that I was bad with Kaburagi because Aira-sama gave me a worried look. I feel bad for making her worry about me. Id better take a harmless and inoffensive stance here&h.e.l.lip; Ah, that reminds me. Reika-sama, it must have been dreadful experiencing that deer attack. The photos gave me a shock. You must have been terrified. &h.e.l.lip;Yurie-sama, why are you bringing that up now. A certain Mr. Eternally Unrequited Love is desperately stifling his laughter next to you, but&h.e.l.lip;? &h.e.l.lip;Yes, well. I was not injured, so it is no matter. Just how long is this idiot going to laugh for. Urghhhh, Ill get him for this! Speaking of which, I heard from a friend of mine, but apparently the name Emperor is well known even at Yurinomiya. The shock showed on his face. KE KE KE! Goodness. It looks like itll be impossible to extinguish the flames now, Masaya. Yurie-sama laughed in amus.e.m.e.nt. &h.e.l.lip;Thats fine. Ive already given up anyway. Kaburagi sighed. Oh ho? Its not like I came up with the name on my own after all. Also, I guess this is still better than being straight-out called Napoleon&h.e.l.lip; He looked incredibly fed up with it. Thats true. If I walked around town and somebody called out Ah! Its Napoleon! I dont think Id ever live down the shame after all. But you being called Emperor in the middle of town is pretty bad too, huh. If I was with you at the time, I might even back away and pretend not to know you. Shuusuke, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d&h.e.l.lip; Kaburagi glared so hard it was like he was trying to shoot Enjou down with laser beams, but Enjou just laughed it off without a care. Who knows how long Masaya is going to be called Emperor. Since n.o.body is calling you Deer Girl, arent you much better off, Reika-san? That doesnt console me at all. Or rather, I bet you arent even trying. Your eyes are laughing after all. What Deer Girl. Thats even worse than Drill Hair isnt it. If somebody called me that, Id cry, you know. One day Ill give you a dumb nickname too, exclaimed Kaburagi in frustration. A line like that isnt going to scare him at all, Kaburagi. Look, Enjou is laughing even harder now. Aahh, but I also wanna find out Enjous weak point. I want to find it, and then rub salt all over it. Its unfair that hes the only one that can be calm like this. What Deer Girl. As I was seething inside, my eyes met with Kaburagi. After staring at me for a while, Kaburagi gave a small shake of his head. Mn? What was that just now? Why did he look at me like some pitiful disappointment? Ill let you know, but in terms of disappointment level, right now youre basically my level, okay! Speaking of which, Okishima-senpai and the Student Council President were going at it again. Goodness, what was it this time? Who knows. Those two *always go at it, after all. I was relieved that the conversation moved away from deers, but more importantly, Is the Pivoine on such bad terms with the Student Council? Okishima-senpai is the former President of the Pivoine. If somebody like that often argues with the StuCo, it might be really serious. No, it isnt like that. Of course we arent on good terms, but those two are special. Theyve always been on bad terms, on a personal level. After they became the Pivoine and StuCo Presidents respectively, theyve b.u.t.ted heads in their positions quite a bit. I suppose how the Pivoine and Student Council interact depends quite a bit on whether the presidents are aggressive or moderate that year. Hmmm&h.e.l.lip; I havent heard of the middle school sections Student Council getting into fights with the Pivoine, so Ive never really paid it much mind. Are the high schoolers this year just particularly belligerent? Must be rough. But you know? The current Student Council President is trying his best to improve the school, so he isnt a bad person, you know? As long as you spend your time normally, he wont really say anything about you. Once I met him by coincidence in the music room, and he opened the door to let me go first. Just because the presidents are like cats and dogs, doesnt mean that theyll extend that att.i.tude towards us. Isnt that just because Yurie-sama is beautiful? The eyebrows on Mr. Eternally Unrequited Love have been twitching, you know? It would be terrible if Okishima heard you just now. Mmmn? Could it be that Okishima-Kaichou is aiming for Yurie-sama!? Oohh, Mr. E.U.P.s mouth has turned into an . *imouto* *imouto* But still, the Student Council huhh. I wonder what kind of people they are. Im a little curious now. And hey, me, what the heck are you getting all familiar with Kaburagi for&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 47 Some foods to introduce first: Takikomigohan is a j.a.panese rice dish seasoned with dashi and soy sauce along with mushrooms, vegetables, meat, or fish. Nikujaga. A j.a.panese dish of meat, potatoes and onion stewed in sweetened soy sauce. Oden is a j.a.panese winter dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon, konjac, and processed fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth. Hamburg steak is beefsteak that is shaped into a patty to be cooked after being chopped. It is closely similar to the Salisbury steak. Chawanmushi. A savoury egg custard meal. The custard consists of an egg mixture flavored with soy sauce, dashi, and mirin, with numerous ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko, yuri-ne (lily root), ginkgo and boiled shrimp placed into a tea-cup-like container. Unfortunately this chapter isnt really about food, but these do get mentioned, so I thought I would mention anyway. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Now that Im a middle schooler I can walk about on my own, and theres a place that Ive always wanted to go to. The home that I lived in, in my old life. The world that I live in now is almost exactly the same as my old world. Even the landmarks and station names and addresses are the same. But there are some parts that are different. Naturally Suiran Academy is the first difference, and then there are the families, societies, and people that appear in Kimidol. Only, aside from these, it really is just like the place that I knew. In that case, just maybe, the home that I lived in, and my family, might be here. Ive always, always thought it. That perhaps, just maybe, I could meet them. *imouto* *imouto* The place I used to live with my family was a town just outside of Tokyo. Together with my parents and younger sister, the four of us lived there in an apartment. Dad was a normal salaryman. After getting out of the bath, he would wander about in his underwear and get booed by the rest of us. A dad who was just a tad hopeless at home. Mum was a housewife, and she was good at cooking. Whenever I came back from a school trip or camp, she would always make the dishes I liked. Takikomigohan, nikujaga and oden. When it came to my sister, it was hamburg steak with ketchup, chawanmushi, and miso soup with nameko mushrooms and tofu. So I would come back home in the first time in days, and opening the door I would smell the foods that I loved. Id feel relieved at coming home. What was it that she made when Dad came back from business trips? Aahh, it was always beer and the like. Hed say that beer was really something, and happily drink it. In my old life I would always laze about at home, and Mum would get angry because of it. Why was it that when people tell you to go study before you get to it, you lose all motivation? When I wasnt around she would clean up my room without permission, and wed even fight about it. Even if they were meaningless to Mum, they were important to me, so how could she just throw them out, I would argue. My little sister was a shrewd one. She was smart enough to run away when she saw me getting yelled at. Whenever adults told me to bear with it because I was the older one, or give things to her because I was the older one, I would always wonder why in frustration. Sometimes I hated her a little. But on nights that we saw scary things on television, we would sleep in the same futon together. And when we went to the toilet, we would hold hands, and then wait outside singing songs to calm each other down. For my coming-of-age ceremony, she gave me a bag and zori that she bought with money from her part-time job. With a laugh she told me to pay her back when it was her turn. Dad was always lazing around on the couch. He was like a beached seal, really. Mum would tell me that I was like him. But on weekends, even if it was just close-by, he would drive us places. We went to the ocean or the mountains to play. The road safety amulet charm that I bought on a trip would hang from the mirror of his car. *imouto* *imouto* I arrived at the station of my old town. The front of the station seemed the way I remembered it. The large supermarket, and a few other little things were changed, but it was still a nostalgic view. The distance to my home was ten minutes by foot. After leaving the main street and entering the residential zone, it was on the 7th floor of an apartment complex. Just a little further. Just a little further. After turning this corner It wasnt there. In place of the familiar brick apartment complex, was an old, beige building. Neither the home that I lived in, or the family that I lived with, had been there. *imouto* *imouto* I had the family car pick me up. The first train ride in a while had been nerve-wracking. Having a car take me to and from is a lot easier. Once I get used to this, I really cant return to being a commoner. Because this lifestyle is going to continue anyway. It cant be helped. *imouto* *imouto* When I came home, Oniisama was there for once. Hes been busy ever since he entered university, and lately I dont even see him at dinner. Because Oniisama was relaxing on the living room sofa, I sat down by his side and clung to him. Mn? Whats wrong, Reika? Nothing really. I just wanted to cling to you. Please dont mind me, and continue reading your book. I rubbed my head into his arm. And he sat there, silently accepting me. *imouto* When I was there I knew it, I thought. I knew that this was the world of a manga, so of course they wouldnt be there. But I had hoped. If I could see them, once more&h.e.l.lip; I wanted to tell them that I loved them. I should have had Mum teach me how to cook. I wont be able to taste her food again. I never helped her do anything after all. This is my punishment. I should have gone to watch baseball with Dad. Instead I wasnt interested, so I just stayed in my room to read manga. Since I was just his seal daughter anyway, I should have at least lazed about in the living room with him. I should have been kinder to my sister. When she used my accessories without permission, I seriously grabbed her and fought. I was the older sister, so I should have just let her. *imouto* Im sorry. Im so sorry. Im sorry for being useless. I want to see you. Just once more, I want to see you. Im so lonely. Ive always, always been lonely. Dad. Mum. Yuka-chan&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* Apparently I had drifted off before I knew it. Id been laying on the couch with a blanket on me. Was it Oniisama who covered it over me? There wasnt anybody in the living room right now. Its the Kisshouin house. Im Kisshouin Reika. My family right now is Otousama, Okaasama, and Oniisama. This time Ill treasure them. Ill definitely protect them. Thats what Ive decided. *imouto* Oh? Youre up, Reika? Oniisama came back into the living room. Ehehe. So I jumped at him. Chapter 48 For some reason as I was translating this chapter, I kept thinking of midoriha&h.e.l.lip; It was our job to get a list of names and club affiliations in order to bring to the Student Council. We had our cla.s.smates fill out the forms, but just when I was about to head to the Student Council room to deliver it, Cla.s.s Pres suddenly suggested, Why dont I go alone? Why ever would you do that? Eh-, I mean, look, people say that the Pivoine and Student Council dont really get along&h.e.l.lip; And you are technically a Pivoine member. What is technically supposed to mean? How rude. There is no issue. More importantly, it was implied that this task is to be taken as a way to introduce ourselves to the Student Council, and I shall thus be accompanying you. We will be leaving right after, at any rate. Im fine if you are, but&h.e.l.lip; Then let us tarry no longer. The sooner we complete this task, the sooner we can head home. After waving the papers in my hand to urge Cla.s.s Rep to hurry, we headed to the StuCo together. *imouto* Its my first time coming here. There arent any 1st years in the Student Council, so were rarely familiar with them at all. After knocking on the door and stating our purpose, we were given permission to enter. Please excuse me. Inside the room were desks, shelves and lockers, as well as a sofa and table in the middle. Quite a simple room compared to the Pivoine salon. But well, if you use the Pivoine as your standard, then most everything in the world would feel simple. The room had a really meritocratic feel. Even so, being a room in Suiran, the furnishings were of high quality. After the two of us introduced ourselves, we stated our purpose once more. Ah, the club registrar. It goes in the box over there. I followed the senpais instructions and placed it in the box. &h.e.l.lip;Well that was quick. Just as I was about to excuse myself, the door suddenly opened with a bang. Oi! Im back with food, so lets eat! To be honest I nicked it from the Pivoine though! My heart skipped a beat. President! This girl is a Pivoine! Eh- The newcomers eyes focused on me. A powerful and piercing gaze, a daring smile, and a presence like the sun. The moment I saw him, it felt like a grand orchestra played in my mind. A throbbing melody in my heart. This person is almost like Orffs O Fortuna! Why is there a Pivoine girl here? What do I do? I cant look away. My heart is pounding. What do I do, its pounding! Oooi. *imouto* Oh no! I think I might have fallen in love! *imouto* *imouto* After that, I somehow managed to pull myself together and smooth things over. Thankfully, the uppercla.s.smen in the room had conveniently taken my pause to be shock from I nicked it from the Pivoine. The President simply said, Geez. Lets keep this a secret from the rest of the Pivoine, okay? with a dazzling smile. I swore in my heart that I would die before I talked. *imouto* The person who made the dramatic entrance against the backdrop of O Fortuna, turned out to be a third year in middle school, Student Council President Tomoe Senju-senpai. Thats all I know for now. But even that much is plenty. Since then, Senpais theme song has been playing endlessly in my head. Uu-, my heart hurts each time I think of Senju-senpais face! But that smile was so cool&h.e.l.lip; Lets keep this a secret from the rest of the Pivoine, okay? UHYAAAAAAAAAA~!! I rolled around and around in bed. By the time I got up, I was completely dizzy. *imouto* But still, what do I do from now on? Were in different grades. Im not even a StuCo member so I have no point of contact. And whats more, hes the President of the organisation thats been at odds with the Pivoine for years. Theres no chance of getting close at all. If only Senpai wasnt the StuCo President at least! Mn? &h.e.l.lip;Isnt this kind of, Romeo and Juliet-ish? UKYAAAAAA~~! If Senju-senpai is Romeo, then that makes me Juliet! Romeo, doff thy name! &h.e.l.lip;Lets calm down. Im part of the Pivoine, so I cant enter the Student Council. To begin with, hed have graduated middle school by the time I entered. Theres no point in doing it. &h.e.l.lip;Senpai is graduating. Romeo-senpai is graduating! Romeo-senpai is&h.e.l.lip;! &h.e.l.lip;Calm down, me. To begin with, lets have him remember my name and face. Ah-, today he went to get food, so maybe he gets hungry after school. What if I made him handmade cookies? Its delicious. Youre talented as expected, Juliet. Oh goodness, Romeo-senpai&h.e.l.lip; If I got told something like that, what would I do!? What!? Okay! Cookies it is! All thats left is&h.e.l.lip; I pulled out a new rubber from my drawers. Um, you know, its not like I actually really believe in this stuff, you know? But I mean, like, when I was a middle schooler in my past life, for a while I was really into this. Its just this charm that goes, If you write the name of your beloved on a new rubber, as long as n.o.body else touches it before it runs out, your love will be requited. Like, I reallyyy dont actually believe it, you know? But like, I mean, I may as well, so Im just going to try a bit. You know? I pulled off the case, and wrote in small red letters, Tomoe Senju Putting the case back on, I prayed to Rubber-sama. Please, G.o.d! Grant me a chance! *imouto* *imouto* Using my head makes me hungry. Its already time for dinner. Lately Oniisama has been coming home early. Today he was home in time to eat dinner with us. Eating together with family really does make things yummier. Aahh, but my heart is so full that I might not be able to eat&h.e.l.lip; Im being tormented by an affliction of the heart. Oh my! Beef cheek simmered in red wine is my favourite! Each time our eyes meet, Oniisama smiles at me kindly. Hmmm. If Romeo-senpais character theme is Orffs O Fortuna, then Oniisamas character theme is Ravels Bolero I guess. Then Aira-samas is Liszts La Campanella while Yurie-samas is Schuberts Ave Maria. Enjou is Saties Gnossiennes, while Imari-sama is&h.e.l.lip; Hm, maybe In a Persian Market. Which means Kaburagi is Mussorgskys Night on Bald Mountain. *imouto* *imouto* A few days later, Mr. In a Persian Market, Imari-sama, came over to play, so I secretly went to consult him. Eh-! Reika-chan, theres a guy you like!? Please remember to keep this a secret from Oniisama. &h.e.l.lip;Ahhh, yeah. Without telling him exactly who it was, I asked him for a way to get closer. Unfortunately I didnt get any good advice from him. But he did tell me that handmade cookies were a bit intense to get from somebody you barely knew, so I followed his advice and stopped it. Its true that handmade Valentines chocolates arent really favoured at Suiran, so maybe cookies get the same treatment. But geez. I even went out of the way to practice. Tsk. *imouto* Ah-, but since falling in love, Ive been having fun every day! Romeo-senpai: Oniisama: Aira: Yurie: Enjou: Imari: Kaburagi: (LOL) Chapter 49 Kisshouin Takateru My sister has been acting weird. The other day she went out somewhere, but the moment she came home she stuck to me. My sister always fawns on me, but that night was different. Because shed been clinging to my arm with her face buried, I couldnt see her expression. Still, I could tell that she was down. After a while, my clothes felt cold. She was crying. I wanted to find out what happened exactly, but my sister can be surprisingly stubborn. So I pretended that I didnt notice, and just lent her my arm. Id been busier lately, so I didnt get home as early. Because of that, we had less time together. Even though it was something sad enough to cry about, my sister wouldnt speak. Maybe shed been lonely. So I decided at that moment that it might be better to make the time to come home a little earlier. My arm started feeling heavier, and when I turned to look, I found that she had cried herself to sleep. I would have felt bad waking her up, so I went to get a blanket for her, but when I draped it over, her stomach grumbled. She was chewing in her sleep too. &h.e.l.lip;Apparently she was hungry. So I went to prepare food, so that she could eat the moment she woke. *imouto* *imouto* Since that day, for some reason my sister has been really lecturing our father. She casually whispers things in his ears like, The Heavens see through all or Bad news travels quickly or Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know and I know. Well, to be honest, my sister has always treated him like this, and shell say stuff like this on occasion, like she suddenly remembers to. But its frequency has been increasing. Even though she says Otousama. I believe in you, Otousama. with a serious expression, it seems like she doesnt at all. And being a father who isnt trusted at all by his daughter, naturally he feels down. She even came up to me and said, Youre the only one I can rely on, Oniisama. Please rehabilitate Otousama for me. Little Sister&h.e.l.lip; Our father is right behind you&h.e.l.lip; Apparently in my sisters mind, our father is an unbelievable villain. I heard him mutter I wonder if its her rebellious phase&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;How pitiful. *imouto* *imouto* But lately, her weird behaviour has taken another strange turn. She sighs a whole lot, and will suddenly grasp at her chest in pain. A disease!? A spasm!? Or so I thought as I ran over in panic, but she just said something weird like This is a maidens affliction. I was still worried about whether it actually was some disease, but at dinner she was eating happily as usual, so I figured that she was alright. As for my father, in order to raise her opinion of him, lately hes been diligently buying all sorts of rare pastries and cakes and fruits for her. And shes been dilligently eating them all. Well, Im glad that shes healthy. *imouto* *imouto* This one time, she whole-heartedly plucked petals. She would pluck at them, and sigh, then pluck at them and sigh again. Only after a number of flowers were left bald did she stop, after one final, big sigh. Then after that, she silently cleaned up the pitiful remains of the flowers. Had she simply been really stressed? *imouto* *imouto* Most recently, it happened while my sister was doing homework. One of her answers were wrong, so to rub it out, I picked up the rubber from her pencil case. And then she screamed AAAAHHH! like it was the end of the world. After s.n.a.t.c.hing it in panic from my hand, my sister dropped her shoulders in gloom. Just what was going on with that rubber? Oniisama, youre too much&h.e.l.lip; After leaving behind those mysterious words, my sister picked up all her things and left my room. What the? And Little Sister, are you fine with leaving that answer wrong? *imouto* *imouto* Wasnt that flower fortune telling? I spoke to my friend Imari about her. She consulted him about something quite pa.s.sionately, when he came over to play the other day. Even when I asked her what it was about, she just replied Nothing at all, and wouldnt reply to me. &h.e.l.lip;No fun at all. Flower fortune telling? What, youve never heard of it? Its pretty common, isnt it? That thing where they go, He loves me. He loves me not. as they pick at petals and stuff. Dont you remember the girls doing it, back when we were kids? Aahh, I think I did hear something like that. Flower fortune telling, huh. Seeing my sister rend petals with ghastly vigour, that kind of maidenly idea never came to mind. Rather, I had wondered if she had some sort of grudge against them. But flower fortune telling, huh. Wasnt that a love fortune? Love? &h.e.l.lip;Imari. What did my sister talk to you about? Eehh, well, nothing big&h.e.l.lip; Imari. Ehh~ I mean, I already made a promise with -chan, so&h.e.l.lip; Imari. Come on, Takateru, even you have heaps of stuff your sister doesnt know, right? GUHOH-! Silence, fool. As warning, I gave him a second punch. Even though he started coughing and spluttering, he still wouldnt talk. I sighed. Professor k.u.mesukes wife. At the Academic Meeting UGEH-! How did you know about that-!? What did my sister talk to you about? &h.e.l.lip;Its what you suspect. Hm. Who is it? I dont know. I tried asking, but she wouldnt tell me. Ah-, but she did say something about Romeo. Romeo? Are we still talking about a real person here? Could it be that my sister has an imaginary boyfriend? Considering who were talking about, its certainly possible. Perhaps my sister has a foreign boyfriend that only she can see. Also she started talking about giving handmade cookies as a present, so I told her it would better not to. Cookies? Ah-! I remember! Just a while ago, my sister made my father and I eat cookies. Because of my mothers diet, she doesnt eat sweet things at night. The cookies were burnt bitter here and there, but the rest of them were sweet, so perhaps you could say that my sisters cooking was slowly approaching the average persons. The cookies on my fathers plate were far more burnt than mine. He asked, Oh, were these choc chip cookies? causing my sister to grow sullen. Dad, those cookies might be pitch black, but theres no chocolate in them at all. Theyre plain cookies. My father wordlessly washed them down with his tea. So it was that huh. Oh! Do you know something? I guess. In order to give cookies to the person you like, you used me as a lab rat, huh. Burnt foods are bad for you, you know. Know our fathers grief. Well? What are you going to do? Nothing at all, of course. Oh? I thought youd try and stop it. As if. Well, I will check to see that he isnt a weirdo though. If somebody was tricking a lady of the Kisshouin house, and planning to do bad things to her, Id be troubled. As long as that isnt the case, Im fine with anything. After all&h.e.l.lip; I cant even imagine that absurd little sister actually succeeding in her romance. To begin with, Im not even sure hes real. Hmm, she mentioned before that she wanted to see the zoo in Hokkaido. Once its done, Ill take her there. But Little Sister, if you really have fallen in love, maybe you should hold back on our fathers tributes. After all, your face is getting a little round. The Heavens see through all or Bad news travels quickly or Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know and I know. All of these are j.a.panese sayings. The first(Wֻ֯Eˤ©餵) is literally, Heaven has large meshes, but nothing escapes. and comes from Lao Zis Wֻ֣ʧ. The secondǧߤ룩 is literally, News of misdeeds spread across a thousand li. and comes from the Beimeng Suoyans Good deeds do not go beyond the door, evil deeds spread a thousand miles or in Chinese, ²T‚ǧ. The third֪롢֪롢֪롢֪룩 is literally, The Heavens know, the Earth knows, I know, and you know. actually comes from a quote from an Eastern Han official by the name of Yang Zhen. When a man named w.a.n.g Mi visited Yang Zhen at night and attempted to bribe him 10 catties of gold, Yang rejected the gift. w.a.n.g Mi persevered, saying that n.o.body would know. Yang Zhen famously retorted Heaven knows it, G.o.d knows it, I know it, and you know it. How can you say that no one knows it? or in Chinese, ֪֪֪֪^o֪ shaming w.a.n.g Mi into leaving. Chapter 50 Ive been over the moon since falling for Romeo-senpai.So over the moon that I cant do a thing about it. Awake, asleep, my mind is always filled with Romeo-senpai.Ive been doing things like checking his cla.s.s schedule to see if I ever have a chance to pa.s.s by him, or staring hard out the window to see him during P.E. cla.s.s.Even when I get home, before I know it Im thinking about Romeo-senpai, and end up picking at flower petals.My the results of myuraraflower divinations was unfavourable. But using the flower with my name, Ill break through with guts and willpower! Anyhow, as I was spending my days like that, my ranking fell on the end-of-term tests. Hard.Of course it did. I pretty much never studied, after all. I was too busy being happy.And honestly, even I didnt think I would fall this badly. When I realised my name wasnt on the published list, the girls around me said stuff like What a shame~ but I thought that Id fallen only 2 or 3 places at most.But when I looked at my slip, I had fallen over thirty ranks.This is a critical moment. Critical like trying to keep my balance on the point of a cliff. As expected of Reika-sama is in the past now. It was incredibly short-lived.Honestly, these marks are just horrible&h.e.l.lip; Or so I was thinking to myself, depressed, when my homeroom teacher suddenly called for me. And to the student counselling room, no less.Ive got a terrible, terrible feeling about this.I wondered what she was going to say as I headed there in depression. When I arrived, my homeroom teacher asked me for my thoughts on my term-end results.Well, even if they ask me that, Im so shocked by my ranking drop that I honestly dont know what to say. WhatshouldI say?Or so I was wondering in a daze, when she made a difficult expression and looked at me. Honestly speaking, it was completely unexpected that you would fall this far, Kisshouin-san. Ive seen your grades in primary school, and they were exceptional. I asked all the other teachers as well, and they all told me that you took your lessons seriously, your exams results were splendid, and that you were an excellent, model student. I thought so too. As a teacher, I had almost no worries about you. And yet, she continued, how do you explain this drop in results? If something happened, please speak to me about it. Well, even if she asks me how, its simply that I fell in love and didnt study, so I definitely cant tell her the truth. I believe that I was simply lacking in effort this time. I truly apologise. You know, things have become a problem. It isnt just your results. Lately your att.i.tude in cla.s.s has been an issue as well. A number of teachers have told me that in cla.s.s you simply sit there in a daze, without really trying. And the result can be seen in your grades. Just what on earth happened, I wonder. Eh-, its become this big of a deal? Just because my marks fell!?Or rather, isnt this the kind of thing you say to problem students!?Far from as expected of Reika-sama, Ive turned into one of those problem children that get called in to the counselling room! You know, Kisshouin-san, could it be that some bad boy is tricking you? Hah? Whats this all of a sudden? When it comes to girls worsening their behaviour, most of the time a boy is involved. That the diligent model student that you were has changed this much&h.e.l.lip; Could it be that you have begun dating some strange man? Sensei leaned forward as she asked this.In other words, I began dating some bad man, and I fell onto the path of a delinquent?Oh my gosh.To think that while I was being over the moon, I almost got the label of delinquent girl attached to me! No, absolutely not. Far from a bad boy, hes the esteemed Student Council President, famous as a model student, and loved by all the teachers.And far from dating him, I havent even had a chance to talk properly before.All that I did was go Guhuhu, Romeo-senpai~ and roll about in my room.Even though this is all just because I accidentally lost control of my lazy side, the situation turned into a surprisingly huge matter! It has reached the point where we believe it would be best to try contacting your guardians. EEHH!? ITSTHATBAD!?And Im even being brought up as an issue at your staff meetings!?Arent there plenty of girls with way worse grades than me!? Why am I the only one being portrayed like Im on the straight road to delinquency!? Umm, it truly is not big deal. I simply became a little too relaxed this time. I am reflecting on it, and will try my best next time. &h.e.l.lip;The staff here has great trust in you, Kisshouin-san. The shock we received from this was not small, you know. Also, would you consider taking summer remedials? Remedials? In the middle school section, they have remedial cla.s.ses during the summer break for kids with bad grades. Kids that are particularly studious also attend them, but theyre in the minority.Remedials&h.e.l.lip; As-Expected-of Reika-sama going to remedials&h.e.l.lip;But going to those remedials also serves as a way for them to keep an eye on my behaviour.After all, sometimes there are kids who undergo shocking changes during the summer break. Thats exactly when kids start making bad friends.But Sensei, far from bad friends, I barely have any normal friends. I have almost no friends who will play with me outside of school&h.e.l.lip;Just how on earth am I supposed to turn into a delinquent if Im just sitting at home all day? Well, cant be helped. You reap what you sow.Now that its come to this, all I can do is repair my reputation. I understand. I shall attend the remedials. My first summer break as a middle school student, turned into quite a tearful event. *imouto* *imouto* On the first day of remedials, I headed for school. After I came out to my family about going to remedials, they were in shock.Okaasama was bewildered, saying With grades like this, must you go to remedials?, but I think its more about the drop in my rankings thats shocked the teachers.But if I went with a stupidly honest reply like, The teachers think Im being tricked by a bad man. things would really blow up, so I didnt say a thing though.As for Oniisama, he fell into thought as he looked at my report card.Im sorry for being a disappointing sister. But I really have reflected a lot, this time.Although it was pretty shocking that just a drop in grades turned into such a huge matter.Still, Ill admit that my lifestyle turned quite lazy.I also inconvenienced a lot of people, and caused them to worry too.My home tutor, Karin-sensei, became a little depressed because she thought it was the fault of her teaching style. And also, becoming fatter because of my idle lifestyle is actually the biggest issue here.I used to have these clear dimples when I smiled, but lately theyve become harder to see because of the meat.Ive been ignoring it as just my imagination, but my big tummy was yelling at me, This is your reality!This wont do. I like A-line dresses, but an A-line figure is definitely a no.This rounded tanuki stomach is definitely a no! Ive decided that this summer break, Im going to turn over a new leaf and try my best. *imouto* The remedial lessons werent arranged in cla.s.ses, and instead each grade would be grouped together in one room.When I entered the cla.s.sroom, the students already in there looked at me in shock.Gokigenyoh, everyone.Even though I was supposed to have put on a friendly smile, all of them averted their eyes. Why. Almost all the kids in the room were those with bad grades, and not only that, the ones that didnt stand out at school. Well, I suppose you could say that theyre the bottom caste in the school hierarchy.Even the kids here out of enthusiasm are all just swots and hardcore crammers.Not a single person from my caste was here.Even within my very own group, there are kids with grades worse than mine, but those girls all have a private tutor, or go to cram school, and would never go to remedials.And neither would any of the more rebellious kids come.Pretty much everybody here belongs to the harmless, docile type, and theyre all the type that quietly live out their lives at school.When I took a seat at the back of the cla.s.sroom, one of the students sitting near me, slooowly moved to another seat.Some of the kids with friends were forming small islands, but I was stuck living on a deserted one. When I looked out the window, oh my? Was that a mirage just now? The scenery swayed.&h.e.l.lip;Im definitely not crying or anything. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* The recompense for being over the moon about love, turned out to be quite large.This heartrendingly lonely remedial lifestyle, was only just beginning. Chapter 51 Its been a few days since my remedials began, but Im still living on a deserted island.Even when the printouts were being pa.s.sed from the front, they were oddly careful with me. And they wouldnt look me in the eyes, either.Am I scary? Everybody, am I really that scary?Are you afraid that Ill show you h.e.l.l if you displease me? I dont mind at all when Im alone at cram school. Id be fine with it even now.But to think that I would have to endure being alone at school&h.e.l.lip;Normally at school its always lively with my friends and followers around me.But despite being in that very same school, right now Im alone.I finally know what Sakura-chan meant, that time when Akizawa-kun was home sick from cram school.If youre alone from the beginning then it doesnt matter, but if youre always with somebody else and have them suddenly taken away, it makes you feel really vulnerable and lonely.Hmmm~ At this rate Im going to start chatting with an imaginary friend, so this is getting quite scary if I do say so myself.Because I dont really want people to think Im lonely, Ive got thisIm completely finelook on my face, with my textbook open in front of me. Im not lonely, Im a loner. Im proud, and lofty and aloof.But thanks to that, everybody is too afraid to approach me, so its just a vicious circle.I wonder if by the time this ends, Ill have made even one friend.Because Im Pivoine as well as the daughter of a powerful family, my appearance is flawless from my curled hair, to my nails, but Im actually quite a nice girl, you know~ I wont bully you, you know~ Im not scary, you know~ I started my diet recently, so I havent been eating my favourite foods. Because of that, my heart is a bit weak it seems.Before I began my tanuki stomach removal plan, I warned Otousama to stop bringing me presents.Lately, he seemed to be bringing a lot of stuff, so although I was wondering what was up, I happily ate it anyway since he went out of his way to get it.Im just a poor person at heart, so I never leave behind food. Naturally, I appreciated Otousamas feelings, but I was also thinking about the farmers and workers who would feel hurt if their efforts were thrown into the bin, so I couldnt bring myself to waste any of it. I enjoyed every last bit.And so I got round.Otousama seemed shocked when I told him to stop, but when I bluntly said that I was getting fat, he replied with, Girls are cuter when theyre a little round. Naive! If I get fatter, my clothes wont match me. Ill get flabbier too, and theres nothing more disgraceful than having my stomach poke out when I sit down.And to begin with, its a defeat for me as a girl. It has nothing to do with the tastes of men.Okaasama was completely supportive of me. And she also said, Actually, Ive been thinking for a while now that youve been getting fatter, Reika-san. &h.e.l.lip;Please say that sooner. Okaasama dragged me to a beauty salon, and I had my tummy meat ruthlessly ma.s.saged, and then warmed with infrared rays.The result? Beauty salons cannot help me defeat my flab.Anyway, right now Ive gone back to my original plan of quietly and steadily exercising with a hula hoop in my room. Lately, Ive even picked up the skill of spinning a hula hoop while walking. The plan is going well.When school begins after summer break, I shall unveil Kisshouin Reika C The Remake! *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* During the summer, besides my remedials I also have summer courses at cram school, as well as private lessons with Karin-sensei, so the days are filled with studying.I think Im studying even more than I did for my middle section entrance exams. I finished all of my holiday homework by halfway through July. Honestly, what a model student I am.As for cram school, Im happy that I can meet Aoi-chan there.After experiencing days of being lonerised in my remedials, my time with Aoi-chan always soothes me.Speaking of which, Aoi-chan used to be afraid of me too, didnt she. I am actually attending remedials at my school at the moment, but it seems that I am being kept at a distance by my cla.s.smates. Am I truly so loathsome to befriend? Do I seem so malicious to others? Ehh- Aoi-chans eyes began to swim. Umm, rather than loathsome to befriend, maybe its more like, youre so gorgeous and flashy that theyre shy? I dont think its stuff like looking malicious or anything. Yeah. Shy, is it. Mn. Youre a beautiful ojousama, so it doesnt seem like youd give normal people the time of day, or maybe I should say that it seems like youd ignore us even if we spoke to you. Yeah, something like that, I think. But once they get to know you, Im sure youll get along. Okay? she added with a smile. AOI-CHAAAAAAAN! Thank you, Aoi-chan! I said in the confusion. She looked a little shocked, but then she immediately smiled again and said, Try your best, Reika-chan. Anyway, Aoi-chan advised me that rather than awkwardly complimenting them, it would be better to try greeting them first.Basically, if I keep greeting them each day, perhaps theyll feel closer to me. She said stuff like, Im sure theyll be happy to be greeted by a person like you, Reika-chan, so Im totally happy right now. Try your best, me! *imouto* *imouto* Today my parents are out, so Oniisama is picking me up from cram school, and then were going out to have dinner.When I told Aoi-chan about it, she said What a wonderful Oniisan. How nice~ Oniisama has come to pick me up a few times already, so Aoi-chan has met him too.Ever since, she often says Im jealous that you have such a wonderful Oniisan.Apparently she has two older brothers as well, but in the past when I asked her about what they were like, she only muttered &h.e.l.lip;Muscles, and otaku, before averting her eyes.The atmosphere that she gave off made me reluctant to press further, but I actually still want to know so badly. What exactly does she mean by muscles, and otaku? Anyway, after Oniisama picked me up, we went and ate at an ethnic French restaurant.An excessive diet is bad for the body, so Ive been making sure to eat properly, and to just cut down on sweet things.But you know, cutting down on sweet foods is really hard for a person like me~When I looked at the menu, my eyes kept getting drawn to them. But Ill endure.If I eat it, Ill be a baby tanuki for life. Are you, having trouble with remedials? asked Oniisama. Once I grew used to it, they were fine. Although, having both homework a.s.signed for the holiday, as well as homework for each day of remedials, might be a little difficult. I see. Youre thinner than usual, so I was worried that it might have been the remedials. Eh-, I have gotten thinner!? So the effects of the diet are&h.e.l.lip;! Ive been too afraid to use the scales, but when I smile in the mirror, I see my dimples have returned, so could this mean that Ive gone back to normal?Then maybe itd be fine to order dessert&h.e.l.lip; If youre overdoing things, then you can take a break from cram school, okay? I truly am fine. This is thanks to cutting down on sweets, and doing stretches every night. Ah, and the hula hoop as well. You saw me with it the other day, did you not? Ahh,that, huh&h.e.l.lip; The other day, Oniisama visited my room while I was in the middle of challenging my record, so he knew what I was talking about. Well, leaving the hula hoop aside, Reika, I heard that you have somebody you like now? EHH! The sudden change in subject caused my heart to stop. Why so suddenly&h.e.l.lip; Ah-! Could it have been Imari-sama!? Yeah. Ehhh~! Even though he promised to keep it a secret from youu&h.e.l.lip; Its your fault for talking to someone likehimabout it. Its because I thought that Imari-sama would be able to give me some good advice. And he even came to our house at just the right time. Well, who is it? Eh~&h.e.l.lip; So you can tell Imari, but not me&h.e.l.lip; Oniisamas expression turned sorrowful. That is not the case at all! It is the Student Council President of the middle school section! I immediately confessed. The Student Council President. Hmm~ What kind of kid is he? He is a person who well suits Orffs O Fortuna. But I have scarcely had the chance to talk to him. I simply watch him from afar. Suiting that song is&h.e.l.lip; Isnt he pretty dangerous then? Goodness, no. He is a very dynamic and cool person. As the Student Council President, he has leadership as well. Hmm. I havent seen Romeo-senpai ever since summer break began. How lonely. That cookie practice was to give him some handmade sweets, right? Yes, but Imari-sama advised that I did not, and so in the end I never did. Yeah. Thinking about it, if some strange undercla.s.sman suddenly gave you some kookies, you might really be surprised, huh.Thank goodness I listened to Imari-sama. Oh yes, that reminds me, Oniisama. Will Imari-sama be coming over to play soon? Last time I received a wonderful biidoro gla.s.s toy from Nagasaki from him, remember? It is terribly cute, and I have grown quite fond of it, so I wish to thank him again. A biidoro toy from Nagasaki. He bought it for me when he went to visit relatives there, and its really pretty and colourful.When the light shines through it, it sparkles, and when you blow on it it makes cutepakkin pakkinsounds. Only, its supposed to be makingpoppinsounds instead, so why&h.e.l.lip;?But geez, Imari-sama really knows what girls like, doesnt he. Imari is busy, so I doubt hell be coming over for a while. Oniisama gave me a bright smile. Well thats a shame&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 52 In the end I never did make a friend.I followed Aoi-chans advice and each day I could greet kids sitting near me with a smiling Gokigenyoh, but on the first day a few of them acted strangely. I continued doing that each day, and eventually they became able to greet me back normally.But it never developed further. I decided to think of it as lucky just that they werent afraid of me anymore. *imouto* *imouto* After that, school began again. When I met my group again for the first time in a while, they said, My, Reika-sama. Have you slimmed down? You guys&h.e.l.lip; You reallydidnotice that I was getting fat, didnt you.I wont forgive you if you were secretly calling me drill-hair tanuki, okay?Once they found out that I had been going to remedials, for some reason they said As expected of Reika-sama. Truly devoted in your studies. and interpreted things conveniently for me. I decided not to correct them. *imouto* *imouto* The first order of business after school began again was working out the partic.i.p.ation lists for the athletics carnival.Now that were middle schoolers, we have a student council, meaning that we now had representatives from the clubs, as well as an athletics committee to do the work, instead of an executive committee like in primary.Although, cla.s.s representatives had to do various jobs together with the athletics committee instead.I was enthusiastic about it.I finally had a point of contact with the student council!If its for Senpais sake, then Ill move my hands and feet as much as he needs!I immediately headed to the Student Council room to help organise! There are more relays in middle school. I hate running, so Im trying to avoid them as best I can.Aside from the great skipping rope and ball toss events, I was invited by my friends to join the three-legged race. The most troubling event was the boys cavalry battle. We had a hard time deciding on the candidates. And of course. Becausethatguy is going to appear in it for sure.From the boys who had competed with him in it before, I once heard that he was apparently terrifying in his pursuit, and completely different to any other contender.I bet that Emperor is busy deciding on his horse right now. Apparently if youre chosen as the horse, youll be forced into secret after school training. That way even his horse stands above the rest.Considering that, yeah, I doubt anybody would want to join. Im glad Im not a boy.In the end, we decided to send some Externals who didnt know the story, and some unlucky boys who lost in rock-paper-scissors. Try your best, guys. Anyway, now that we managed to somehow get the partic.i.p.ation sorted out, I was on my way to the meeting for the athletics carnival, organised by the Student Council. Come on, Cla.s.s Rep, lets go. Dont dawdle like that.Because Miharu-chan is going to the meeting as well, Cla.s.s Rep was standing there, using the reflection in the window to do his hair. Hes a total maiden. *imouto* When we got there, everybody else had already arrived. And naturally, sitting in the middle was President Romeo-senpai.Aahh, its been so long since Ive seen him up close!Perhaps he went to the beach during the break because he had this tan that gave him even more of a wild look.The corners of my mouth started to rise naturally, so I grit my teeth to stop it. I dont want him to think of me as some weirdo girl who smiles to herself all of a sudden. But my muscles just keep moving on their own!Our gazes met! He looked at me weirdly! Do I really look strange after all!? The meeting went over the a.s.signment of responsibilities and important points to remember, and at the end of the meeting we handed in our cla.s.s partic.i.p.ation lists.Suddenly, looking at printouts, Romeo-senpai said, Speaking of which, apparently theres a crazy strong guy appearing in the cavalry battle? Ill be partic.i.p.ating too. I wonder if I can win. WHA-!?Romeo-senpai is partic.i.p.ating in the cavalry battle!? Then I definitely have to cheer him on! When it came to my turn to hand my list over, Senpai. Please try your best in the cavalry battle, I said, after gathering my courage. Although Senpai looked a little surprised, he immediately smiled at me and said, Thank you. I did it! *imouto* *imouto* My plan to get close to Senpai during the preparations went almost entirely unfulfilled.The cla.s.s reps did nothing but odd jobs for their cla.s.s, and the preparations for the athletics carnival was almost all handled by the Student Council, the sports clubs, and the athletics committee.Even so, whenever there was even a slight reason to head to the student council room, I would take the initiative to go.The student council members gave me ambivalent looks, so I silently threatened them not to say anything uncalled for.Just one time, when there were snacks left over in the Pivoine Salon, I secretly stole them all and presented them to Senpai. When I did, he said, Oohh! These are delicious. Thanks! with a dazzling smile, and I almost blurted out, For that smile, Ill smuggle you as many sweets as you want! But geez, even though Senpai eats so many sweets, he doesnt get fat at all. Speaking of which, Kaburagi is always eating macarons and chocolates in the salon, but he doesnt have any needless flab either.Isnt that kind of unfair? *imouto* *imouto* The day of the athletics carnival arrived. I once again put on the high strength sunscreen that Okaasama gave me, and partic.i.p.ated as well.I didnt partic.i.p.ate in any of the main events, so I tried my best to cheer for them.When it came to the great skipping rope, the other cla.s.ses made some mistakes, and it ended quite well for me. I never even imagined that it would be this tiring though.For the club-vs-club costumed relay, Akizawa-kun from the Track and Field Club ran in a Snow White costume so I took a photo with my digital camera. Ill show Sakura-chan later. You actually turned kind of beautiful, you know, Akizawa-kun. As for Kaburagi and Enjou in their relays, they ended up surrounded by girls bringing honeyed lemon. Even if you give them that many, they wont be able to finish them&h.e.l.lip;Honeyed lemon appears a lot in manga and novels as the clichd thing you give to people in sports clubs, but Ive never actually tried them. Are they yummy? Anyway, the events went on, and in the afternoon, it was finally time for the cavalry battle.When Team Emperor arrived, the cheering got noticeably louder. Emperor sitting with dignity on his heavily breathing horse. They must have trained a lot. Their confidence was palpable.I could hear Kaburagi-samaaa! and Emperor! from here and there. Upfftpfft. And then, Romeo-senpai and his team entered as well. Try your best, Senpai!I wanted to actually say it aloud, but because of all the people around, I could only say it in my heart. Uwahh~ So vexing!Besides the loud cheers for Kaburagi and Enjou, there started to also be cries of Tomoe-kuuun! Try your beeest! mixed in too.This is bad. Senpai seems more popular than expected. I have lots of rivals. This is terrible.While I was panicking, the battle began. Kaburagi crushed nearby teams one after another, charging at teams that were trying to escape. T-, That was a team from my cla.s.s. Hes being dragged along. Hes falling. Ah. He fell.Yeah, you guys did your best. It looked like the other people crushed by Kaburagi were consoling each other. May you rest in peace.Romeo-senpai hasnt lost yet. While giving out accurate instructions, he captured enemies. How wonderful, Senpai! After the battlefield ran out of prey, it was only Kaburagi and Romeo-senpai left over.Romeo-senpai! Romeo-senpai, do your best!While I was praying with all my heart, one of my friends sitting next to me said, Dont worry. Kaburagi-sama will surely win. Youre wrong! I was praying for the other one! As Emperor and Romeo-senpai fought, they seemed about even. Neither I nor the audience had ever seen the undefeated Emperor struggle like this. We were shocked.Could it be that hell win!? Or so I thought, when Senpais horse stumbled, and Kaburagi used that gap to steal his headband.The field was blanketed in loud cheers. It was the loudest it had ever been today.Although Senpai lost, he still smiled like he was having fun. As for Emperor, who had been forced this far for the first time, seemed a little frustrated despite his victory.That guy is definitely going to practice even harder next year, huh&h.e.l.lip; *imouto* *imouto* After the tallies, it was Romeo-senpais cla.s.s that won overall. But the MVP was the Emperor, who won in both relays and the cavalry battle.Emperor held his trophy in one hand, and raised it towards the sky. You really are having fun, huh. Chapter 53 Im feeling so lethargic today. Studying is tiring. Reading is tiring. Even typing is tiring. Did some Mexicans visit me in my sleep and siphon away my life force? This is exactly why Australia needs a great wall as well&h.e.l.lip; Right after the athletics carnival was the mid-sem exams, and thanks to my remedials and cramming, I somehow made it back as far as 16th place. I let out a secret sigh of relief. With this, the teachers should trust me again.But Enjou and Kaburagi are at the top as always. This time it was Enjou that was 1st place though.I bet its because ofthat, right? Kaburagi was too busy training for the cavalry battle. I wonder what on earth makes him so obsessed with that. Our next cla.s.s was in another room, so I was walking with the friends in my cla.s.s when I noticed a girl walking our way with her head hanging.Hm? Wasnt that girl in my remedials? What was her name again?As she got closer, I noticed a group of girls laughing from behind her. When the girl noticed, she left with hurried steps. What was the name of the girl who just walked past us, again? Who knows. Ive seen her face though. That girl is in the same cla.s.s as Ayame-san, isnt she? Remember? The one who messed up during the great skipping rope event. Aahh,thatgirl. Great skipping rope event? Speaking of which, I do believe I heard something about a big failure in Ayame-sans cla.s.s for that event. Apparently she practised quite a bit, so Ayame-san was frustrated as well, wasnt she. I see. So thats the girl who stacked it?The girls behind her seemed to be in the same cla.s.s. I wonder if shes finding it uncomfortable to be there. *imouto* Ah, Mochida-san. Shes being isolated in cla.s.s at the moment. At lunch break, I tried asking Oomiya Ayame-chan about the earlier girl, while we were eating together. Isolated? Why? Everybody practised really hard for the event, so when she messed up at the very beginning and disqualified us, she earned a lot of ire. My cla.s.s had quite a bit of confidence that we would do well, after all. Ehh~ Because of something like that? When it happened I was angry as well, but of course I am not angry any longer. Only, the problem is that it wasnt just the skipping. She stumbled during the three-legged race as well, and even injured somebody else. She injured somebody? It was simply a sc.r.a.pe on the knees, but the issue is that the injured girl belongs to Tsuruhana-sans group. Tsuruhana Maki. The leader of the gyaru group, huh. What terrible luck to injure a girl from that group.I did the three-legged race too, but the girl I was paired with said Reika-sama! Let us pace ourselves loudly! and pulled me along, so we managed to run smoothly until the end.If I remember correctly, one of the contending cla.s.ses for top suddenly dropped in rankings. So that was Mochida-san, huh~ Ever since then, Mochida-san has been eyed by Tsuruhana-sans group. Is she being bullied? I wouldnt say that. But I do hear them bad-mouthing and blaming her. Isnt that bullying then? All this just because of the athletics carnival? I understand what you mean. To us, simply watching Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-samas exploits is enough, but Tsuruhana-sans group is a lot more athletic, and seem to be enthusiastic about sporting events like that. Aahh~ Yeah, there are girls like those too, huh.The girls around me started to heatedly discuss the Two Tops. The dead heat during the relay! Enjou-sama was so cool during sprint! But the coolest really was the Emperor during the cavalry battle. He was so skilled~ Speaking of the cavalry battle, the Student Council President was wonderful as well, wasnt he. WHAAT!? Yes, certainly. I had no idea that the middle school StuCo President was such a dreamy person. Tomoe-senpai, wasnt it. Yes, Tomoe Senju-senpai. He joined the middle school as an External, and his grades are always in the top three; a model student. Hes skilled in basketball too, you know. Hes a little scary when hes silent, but once he smiles hes cute. I know exactly what you mean~! OH MY G.o.d!When did I get all these rivals!? And some of them know even more than me!Pretty much the only thing Ive ever done for him is smuggle him some sweets from the Pivoine after the athletics carnival.When he thanked me with a smile, my heart fluttered so much. I really wanted to bring him some more stuff, but then I realised that with my personality, I might really be tricked by some bad guy, and turn into his wallet, so lately Ive been a little uneasy. *imouto* *imouto* *imouto* In order to give her the Snow White Akizawa-kun photo, I met up with Sakura-chan for the first time in a while.Shockingly, we were chatting and drinking tea at a stylish open cafe. Having tea at acaf? Its like were totally friends! So nice!Ive been keeping in touch with her through lots of emails, because our schedules havent lined up, I havent been able to see her recently.I only went to her house once during the summer break. That day I told her to keep our conversation a secret from Akizawa-kun, and did nothing but talk about Senpai. So since then, youve made no progress? Thats hopeless. You even had a chance to get close to him during the athletics carnival. But&h.e.l.lip; Getting closer to him, is actually pretty difficult you know?Sakura-chan is tough when it comes to love, so if I let her be shell just keep lecturing me.I changed the subject. Audibly badmouthing them? Yes, that does happen a lot, doesnt it. Mn. I decided to tell her about Mochida-san.Shes been on my mind since then, and I tried observing her, and it turns out that she probably was being targeted after all.They werent openly bullying her, but would whisper stuff while walking past her, before snickering to each other. They were clearly hurting her. It happens in my school as well, but I dont suppose theres much you can do about those things except wait them out. I see. In my old life, there was a time when people suddenly started ignoring me. They wouldnt even tell me why. But after a while, the target would change, and they would speak to me as well.I guess this sort of stuff happens no matter the age or world, huh.I feel bad for Mochida-san, but were in different cla.s.ses, and dont know each other at all, so it would be hard to help her.But at the moment theyre just hara.s.sing her with sharp words, so I guess it might be fine? Sakura-chan was really happy about the Snow White photo. *imouto* After I left the Cafe, I went and looked at some cute accessories with Sakura-chan at a miscellaneous goods store. A miscellaneous goods store in Shimokitazawa. Having a look at misc. goods stores on a day off? Its like were totally friends! So nice!Anyway, while we were in the area, Sakura-chan suddenly said she wanted to go to a nearby shrine to a marriage G.o.d.I wasnt really into it, but Sakura-chan wanted a charm no matter what, so I decided to follow her.Sakura-chan got middle blessing. I thought it was a plenty good result, but she said I dont know about that. Tak.u.mi still isnt decisive about us, you know, with a frown.I brought Senpais face to mind, before pulling a charm. Bring it on! My first charm since future blessing! Hii! Shockingly, it was curse. Its my first time getting a curse. So they really exist&h.e.l.lip;Sakura-chan peered in from the side, and then immediately backpedalled. Stop that! Stop treating me as cursed! The awaited person, will not come. The things you lost, you will not find. Chance of proposal is far off. Very dim prospects. Ummmm, when you get a bad fortune, apparently youre supposed to tie it to a tree with just your left hand, okay? &h.e.l.lip;Really? Y-, Yeah. I folded up my terrifying fortune, and tried to tie it just like Sakura-chan said.But it was harder than expected.It was so hard that I messed up and it fell on the ground.Should I purify myself and go home? Ive been keeping in touch with her through lots of emails, because our schedules havent lined up, I havent been able to see her recently.A reminder that j.a.panese phones use an email system in place of SMS. If youve forgotten about the charm results, you can refresh yourself here:https://oniichanyamete.wordpress.com/2015/12/25/reika-sama-038/ The awaited person, will not come. The things you lost, you will not find. Chance of proposal is far off. Very dim prospects.The way it was written was obviously done in the way of shrine charms, but since I dont know of any famous precedence of those being translated into English, I just translated it however I liked. Chapter 54 Sensei told me to collect the notes we made in cla.s.s for her.Together with Cla.s.s Pres, I brought them to the staff room just as Sensei had created some doc.u.ments to hand over to the Student Council.I immediately declared that I would deliver them.The committee chairman was giving me an ambivalent gaze again. I dont care! *imouto* When I entered the student council room, Romeo-senpai was eating a high cla.s.s Ginza rusk. When I handed him the doc.u.ments, he gaze me a dazzling smile. Uu, his gaze is shooting through mee! Youre such a hard worker, Kisshouin-san. How about entering the Student Council next year? Should I recommend you? No&h.e.l.lip;! I would not be suitable at alll&h.e.l.lip; Theres no meaning in a Student Council with no Romeo-senpai. The only reason Im so hard-working is because I have another motive. I dont think Id agree, but, well, you are still a Pivoine huh. I guess itd be impossible for you to join. I personally think itd be great if you acted as a bridge for us, though. That is&h.e.l.lip; But if there is something I can do, I will do my very best to a.s.sist. Really? Then if anything happens, Ill count on you, okay? Yess&h.e.l.lip;! My wonderful senpai saw me out with a smile.Man, hes cool as everr.But&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;A high cla.s.s Ginza rusk? After that, I headed straight for the Pivoine Salon. *imouto* *imouto* A few people were in, and drinking tea gracefully while chatting.An oneesama from the high school section was playing chopin on the piano.I looked at the various things on the platter on the table. Financiers. Dacquoise. Galette. Nougat. Rusk&h.e.l.lip; High cla.s.s Ginza rusk. Theres no mistake.A Pivoine member other than me has been smuggling sweets to Senpai. *imouto* When I first met Senpai, what he said at the time made me go, Huh?I nicked it from the Pivoine though!How, I wondered. Only Pivoine members were allowed in the salon, so sneaking in to steal them would make you an amazing thief. And since it was the Pivoine you were stealing from, it would turn into a huge issue too.But I never heard anything about a person charging in to steal things. Of course, neither did I hear anything about Senpai getting permission to enter.But despite that, Senpai occasionally eats sweets. In Suiran, you arent allowed to bring sweets. Although, for events like Valentines, theyll turn a blind eye.Anyway, the only ones who can eat snacks at Suiran are the Pivoine, inside the salon. Of course, the Student Council, who are supposed to act as models for the ordinary students, are definitely not allowed.Then that means one of the Pivoine members supplies him with the sweets.Who?Its time to make a comeback as a spy. *imouto* *imouto* Starting the next day, I began keeping a lookout in the Pivoine Salon, and started to check who was bringing snacks home with them.Normally, you wouldnt expect anybody to regularly do this.Even I worry about what people think, so Ive only procured offerings for Senpai a few times.Anyway, while I was watching, I noticed a senpai get the concierge to separate a few snacks for her.She left the salon, so I followed.If I remember correctly, thats f.u.kakusa Kasumi-sama from the middle schools third year.She isnt as gorgeous as Yurie-samas group in the Pivoines main faction, but shes tidy, clean-looking and peaceful.f.u.kakusa-senpai went as far as a small flowerbed behind the school building.She started looking left and right, as though to check for any onlookers, before a voice called out, Kasumi. It was Romeo-senpai.f.u.kakusa-senpai ran over in delight. Then, the two sat down by the flowerbed, and enjoyed a happy chat together.They were talking quietly so I couldnt hear the contents, but from stuff like how f.u.kakusa-senpai happily watched him eat the sweets, or how Romeo-senpai stroked her head, I could more or less guess.I left. After a while, f.u.kakusa-senpai emerged from behind the school building. She seemed like she was about to leave for home, so before she reached the parking lot, I called out to her. f.u.kakusa-senpai. Kyaa-! When I did, she let out an adorable scream. Eh-, Kisshouin-san? Whats the matter? Senpai, I shall go straight to the point. Are you in a relationship with the Student Council President? Her face immediately stiffened. Why? Earlier, I spotted the two of you by chance. And occasionally, the Student Council President will eat sweets from the Pivoine. And thus I wondered whether he was close to somebody on the inside, you see. &h.e.l.lip; After that, I found out various things from her.About how they were in the same cla.s.s last year, and gradually grew closer.About how after they changed cla.s.ses in third year, Romeo-senpai confessed to her.About how Romeo-senpai was the StuCo President, so they had to keep things a secret from everyone else.About how Romeo-senpai got hungry a lot, she would occasionally bring sweets from the Pivoine to him.About how so that she wouldnt be found out, he claimed that he nicked them etc. etc. Must you go so far to hide it? Because the Pivoine and Student Council have always opposed each other. And this years Pivoine President, Okishima-senpai, really loathes the Student Council. Senju said that we should just be open about it, but Im afraid. The Pivoine might give me the cold shoulder. Ah-, she just called him Senju like nothing.Kasumi and Senju. Hehh~ Hohh~ Hmmm~ Please, Reika-sama. Dont tell anybody about this. I shall not. I do not know if I can help you in any way, but I hope that you will be happy together. Really!? Thank you! You know, Senju said that you might be able to become a bridge between the Pivoine and Student Council. I think so too! You overestimate me. I have no intentions of entering the Student Council, either. Did he recommend me out of self-interest?After all, at this rate the two of them wont be able to openly date in high school either.But with him openly eating Pivoine sweets like that, I think theyll be caught eventually.Could that also be part of his plans? Youre strong, Reika-sama. Even though youre younger than me, I admire you a little bit, you know? Umm, I was thinking that it would be great if we could become closer. Is that no good? No, I would be honoured. f.u.kakusa-senpai smiled happily at me. She seems unreliable, and cute. I wonder if this is what drew Romeo-senpais attention. Shes the complete opposite of me.After that, I started calling her by name, and I agreed to occasionally hear her out about love. *imouto* *imouto* I rode the car home, and then collapsed onto my bed. Tomoe-senpai was Romeo, but his Juliet was f.u.kakusa-senpai.Somebody like me was just a mob character, or Juliets wet nurse at best. &h.e.l.lip;I wanted to get all excited about love as well. Everybody always talks so happily about love, but only Im the one living a dull life.What the h.e.l.l. Couldnt they have let me dream a little longer?I shouldnt have investigated. All it did was needlessly show me reality. UOHHH! What the heck am I going to do if Im single for the rest of my life?For some reason I cant even picture myself in a proper relationship.I mean, I got curse!I bet in both lives, Ive been stuck with the fate of being forever unpopular. UOHHHH! I dont want to spend life being a stalking horse! UOHHHH!UOHHHHHH! &h.e.l.lip; *imouto* *imouto* The next free day I had, Oniisama brought me to a zoo in Hokkaido. Ive been wanting to go for a while now, so Im super happy!A polar bear! A seal! A penguin! Oniisama, please bring me again, okay!? Yeah. I really wonder when the next time will be. ?? Does that mean Oniisama will be busy?But he promised that he would definitely bring me here again someday, so I decided not to think about it. No&h.e.l.lip;! I would not be suitable at alll&h.e.l.lip;No, I would not be suitable at all. (spoken ecstatically and breathily) Chapter 55 I thought the situation with Mochida-san would return to normal after a while, but it dragged out unexpectedly.Sometimes she would be called out and have complaints said to her face, and other times she would have her things hidden. Not full-blown bullying, but things like whispering Youre so d.a.m.ned gloomy. or Youre ruining the mood. and then snickering to each other.They sure seem to be having fun, I thought.As for Mochida-san, it would have been fine if she just ignored them and lived normally, but she became more and more timid, and more and more gloomy, and just made herself needlessly vulnerable.Once humans start feeling negative, theres almost no end to how bad it gets, huh.I only have whatever impression I formed of her during the remedials, but she already seemed like quite a plain girl at the time. I guess she was the easily bullied type to begin with.Even Aoi-chan is good at studying despite her quietness, and apparently shes actually good at sports too, and since shes an energetic girl that likes the outdoors, girls like her dont get targeted for bullying so much.Mochida-san, on the other hand, is bad enough at academics to have to go to remedials, and from her results at the athletics carnival, I a.s.sume shes bad at sports too, and on top of that she looks plain. Just full of openings.I heard she has friends, so she probably isnt completely isolated, but I wonder when this will cool down. But well, even if Im thinking about that, shes a total stranger from another cla.s.s. Not only that, it isnt even full-blown bullying, so I had decided to just watch from the side, when one day, I went to the infirmary and met her by chance. I hurt my finger with a papercut, so I went to get a bandaid, and met Mochida-san, since she was there to get medicine for stress-related gastritis. Uwahh&h.e.l.lip;I startled her when I entered the room, and she began trembling all over with a frightened expression.Sorry for looking so scary.Mochida-san looked worse for wear than when I saw her during the remedials, and she was skinnier too.Apparently shes even more sensitive than I expected. Gokigenyoh, Mochida-san. Is the nurse in? I am here for a bandaid, but&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;Ah, she had something to attend to, so she left just now&h.e.l.lip; My, is that so. Then would it be fine if I simply enter? Its just a cut on my fingertips, so it isnt a big deal, but it hurts so I wanted a bandaid.My friends all told me Reika-sama, please quickly treat your hand! too. They actually wanted to come with me to the infirmary, but I thought it was a bit much for such a small injury, so I turned them down and went by myself.Im glad I did. Imagine how much worse it would be if they were here. I grabbed one of the cotton b.a.l.l.s soaked in disinfectant with some tweezers, and then sterilised my fingertip.I wasnt using my good hand though, so it was quite hard and clumsy. Mochida-san, could I trouble you to help me with the bandaid? I do not think it would go well using my left hand. Eh- Mochida-san had been sitting there with her head hung, and her hands over her stomach. When I called out to her, she looked up at me in surprise.I held out the bandaid to her.Although she was timid, she took it from me, and taped up my finger. Are you all right, Mochida-san? Eh- You do not look well. Ah-, &h.e.l.lip;yes. Im fine&h.e.l.lip; I see. The world isnt filled with heroes wholl save people from their crises. In the end, you have to take care of your problems yourself.But I think that you still need emotional support for that. Hey, Mochida-san. Wont you become my friend? Eh-! It probably wouldnt be possible to have her join my group. Shes just too different. If I asked it as a favour, I think the other girls would agree, but it would be hard because they would still have nothing to talk about. Greeting each other in the mornings, and emailing each other on our phones. That kind of friend. Ah, which reminds me, do you in fact have a phone? Y-, Yes. Then wont you exchange your mail address with me? Message me when you have nothing to do, or when you feel like talking, for example. I mightnt be able to answer straight away, though. When I was given the silent treatment in my old life, it was during break times and lunch times that I had it the hardest.Because I couldnt talk to anybody, I spoke to imaginary friends in my mind.If Mochida-san has somebody to talk to, maybe things will be easier on her.And if people know that Im on good terms with her, the way people see her should change. Umm, I am actually somewhat aware of the situation you have found yourself in. But I do not think that it would be best for you if I confront them directly. It would probably only add oil to the fire, and you too would not appreciate being outed as a bullying victim in front of everyone, correct? &h.e.l.lip; So please hold on for a while longer. Just do things with your head held high. There isnt any reason to hang your head. And perhaps, trim your fringe a little? I think it might make your face look a little brighter. If you have complaints, then I will listen, so message me. All right? If after all of that, you still find it too much, then at that time I will definitely help you. Mochida-san began to cry. Large tears dropped from her face.I just stayed quiet, and stroked her skinny back. Starting the next day, I began intimately greeting her whenever we pa.s.sed in the hallway.My friends all looked shocked, so I explained to them that she helped me with my bandaid in the infirmary. One of the older sister-types in my group said It looks like Reika-sama has been in your care. Thank you very much. like she was my guardian or something, so we all had a good laugh. Later on she sent me faint-hearted messages like They talked about me behind my back earlier and Everybody laughed at me. It hurts.Hmmm~ When you mistake the school for the whole world, things like that really hurt, huhh.She told me before that she liked to draw, so I decided to try advising her to find some hobby friends on the internet and outside of school. As the days pa.s.sed by like that, one day, I came across the gyaru-group in the hallway.Tsuruhana-san looked at me, so I silently looked back.I dont know what the future holds, but right now Im higher in the school hierarchy, and the leader of the biggest girls group in our grade. Right now, I cant lose. I glared at her, and with my gaze I asked her, Do you intend to pick a fight with me?I could feel the air around my friends becoming belligerent as well.After a while, it was Tsuruhana-san who averted her gaze first, and her group simply continued down the hallway. &h.e.l.lip;I won. T-, That was scary. Ive never been good at dealing with flashy girls like her. Thank goodness they backed down. The girls around me got angry, saying things like Whats with her att.i.tude! but shell hear you guys, so please stop.Im a coward, so fights are scaryy&h.e.l.lip; After a while, Mochida-san grew gradually more cheerful, and she started being able to talk to her old friends again.From what I could tell, she was gaining her weight back too. It looks like my weight-gain advice has been working. The trick is to snack before sleeping.I hear that the badmouthing from Tsuruhana-sans group has been dying down as well. About a month later, the messages from Mochida-san finally stopped altogether. Chapter 56 Its almost Oniisamas coming of age ceremony.I bought him cufflinks as a celebratory present.I actually wanted to buy him a necktie he could use for the ceremony, but Oniisama got an entire suit set from a British tailor, so I didnt have the composure to say anything.Also, I dont really have much dress sense for ties&h.e.l.lip;I dont really know what sort of ties are stylish and stuff. And for some reason my eyes keep going to the really striking patterns.If he was wearing a suit from a splendid tailor, but only his tie was crazy, everybody would laugh at him. That would be horrible!Oniisama is the heir of the Kisshouin family so for the ceremony hes going to greet lots of people and see lots of people! If everybody there started laughing at it, it would be the worst!And so, in order to smooth over my slightly odd tastes, I decided on cufflinks. Oniisama agreed too.Anyway, I went with Oniisama to a store to pick them out, but there were too many interesting designs so I didnt know which to pick!They ranged from your normal innocuous gemstone cufflinks to vehicle and animal motifs, and even mascots designs. Vehicles might be good, but Im not really into them. Ah-, the ones with star and snow crystals sure are cute. A broken heart is unlucky! Maybe animals after all? Uwah, reptiles are a bit&h.e.l.lip;In the end, I remembered the zoo he brought me to in autumn, so I went with the polar bears, as well as dolphins for summer. Ah-, Ill get the penguin ones too.This should tell Oniisama that I want him to take me again. I do think they were a little childish, but Oniisama said they were fine, and cufflinks arent all that obvious anyway, so I guess its fine, right?Also you can get order-made cufflinks too, so maybe Ill get them to make some Tarow the Taro ones and give them to Oniisama. &h.e.l.lip;Hes definitely not going to use them. After Oniisamas coming of age ceremony, hes going to be attending cla.s.ses while learning about the Kisshouin businesses on the side. Apparently hes going to follow around Otousamas secretary and learn all sorts of things.Oniisama is diligent and talented. If Otousama is committing fraud, hell definitely notice.For a child like me, all I can really do is steadily brainwash him onto the path of righteousness. Oniisama is my only hope. Oniisama. You will be helping Otousama with his work from now on, will you not? If Otousama does anything bad, please, you must correct him, okay? But please do not publicly denounce him either. Just gently. Okay? When we finished shopping, we went to a caf where I implored Oniisama to deal with him.Oniisama made a slightly troubled expression, and asked me, Hah? He continued. Reika, ever since you were a child, youll occasionally say things like that, huh. You keep talking like youre sure Dad is doing something bad. I feel a little sorry for him. A dad whose cute daughter doesnt trust him at all. But&h.e.l.lip; He did that in the manga.Otousama might have some troublesome parts to him like his ambition for our family, but hes essentially a good person who loves his family. Even though hes rich, he doesnt have any mistresses either, you know?But just because hes a good father, and a good husband, doesnt mean that hes a good person.There are plenty of people who turn into criminals for their families. Oh right! The stocks! Oniisama, you must make sure that people do not buy up our stocks and take over the company! &h.e.l.lip;Whats influenced you this time? Rather than influence&h.e.l.lip; I suppose you could call it precognition? I see. Thats amazing. Mu, he isnt believing me at all. But its true, okay!Because even if we make an enemy out of the Kaburagis, as long as Otousama isnt doing anything wrong, well be safe for a while. Anyway, Oniisama! I beg you! Please gently, andsecretlydeal with his crimes. Hahh, I get it already. Its all on you, Oniisama. As for me, I should strengthen my brainwashing. Term three began, and the third years are almost graduating. My first love, Tomoe-senpai, is graduating as well. Having said that though, hes just going to enter the high school section. Still, that means we wont be seeing each other in the same school building anymore, huh.Anyway, while I was thinking about these things, I got an invitation from Sakura-chan for lessons in hand-making Valentines chocolates.I never give chocolates to anybody but Oniisama and Otousama, so I dont really want to learn though. I dont plan on giving Tomoe-senpai chocolates either, after all.But Sakura-chan was being persistent about it, so I gave in, and made plans to go with her to chocolate brownie lessons at a famous patisserie. Hey-! Measure the grams properly! Eh-, I did measure them, you know? Each time I didnt use the spoons or measuring cups, Sakura-chan would scold me, so it was a little annoying.Skilled chefs use their eyes to measure, you know? In my old life, Mum would never use spoons or whatever for cooking. She just threw in salt and sugar like that. Theres really no need to fuss so much over these things.Ah-, I spilled a little cocoa powder. Well whatever. Heyy! Ehh? But it was just a littleee. Sakura-chans eyes are scary when she gets mad&h.e.l.lip; Anyway, I tried the brownies a little once they were done, but they were really yummy. As expected of lessons from this patisserie! These are probably the best things Ive ever made.But apparently Sakura-chan was dissatisfied. I was an idiot for inviting you, Reika. To think that it would be this bad&h.e.l.lip; Eh? What is? After Sakura-chan compared the brownies we made together with the one the teacher made, she sighed. Of course you wouldnt think its tasty after comparing it to a pros. Sakura-chan, arent your ideals set a bit too high? You know, Reika, measurements are everything in sweets. You have to measureeverythingproperly. Could it be that all your handmade chocolates so far were made sloppily like todays? I wasnt being sloppy. I measured everything. But when it said one teaspoon for example, you didnt flatten the surface. You just scooped and dunked. Well, I guess? But its fine. It was more or less measured. Reika, I wont say anything cruel. For the sake of your future, attend cooking cla.s.s. Eehhh~ When I got home and gave the brownies to Oniisama and Otousama, I got more praise than ever before.See? Youre being too uptight, Sakura-chan.But if they praise me this much, Im starting to actually want to take lessons.The next day when I handed them to Aoi-chan, she said Theyre really good! I was so surprised! as well.Both Oniisama and Otousama supported the cooking cla.s.s idea as well, so maybe Ill think about it.I want to go with Sakura-chan, but if shes going to nag at me each time like that, then&h.e.l.lip;Sakura-chan, you know, I think itd be better if you were a little more relaxed in life. Chapter 57 One more for neoshadow and Mach (:If you have time, write novelupdate reviews for my projects please! Think of it as a birthday present! I became a second year.But more importantly, this year Ririna will be entering Suiran.So that girl was smart enough to make it in as an External&h.e.l.lip;Lets keep it a secret that I made light of her because I thought she was too wilful to study.But now that Ririna is here, I guess that means my days of peace are at risk now.Id be happy if she didnt wrap me up in anything troublesome, but&h.e.l.lip;With her personality, will she be able to make any friends?Or so I was wondering, but apparently with her overbearing personality, she immediately gained a bunch of lackeys and formed her own faction.I had to sort of admire the way she was already walking about like she owned the place, even though she just got here.Youre amazing, Ririna. Also, one ominous thing has happened.Apparently my prided luck in cla.s.s changes has come to an end.I ended up in Enjous cla.s.s.When I saw the cla.s.s roster, I almost fell to my knees. Its over&h.e.l.lip;But at least its not Kaburagi I guess. As long as I dont become enemies with Kaburagi, Enjou shouldnt be any problem.Right, there shouldnt any problem. There was a huge problem.The cla.s.s was so noisy. Not just the girls inmycla.s.s, but even the girls from other cla.s.ses came to make a fuss during the break. While I wasnt in my best condition in the morning, the high-pitched sounds of girls damaged me further.Ive never been in their cla.s.ses before, so Ive gotten used to peace and quiet. This is pretty harsh on me.Enjou himself wouldnt really pay too much attention to the girls, and he spent most of his time with guy friends, but girls would still want to be with him and would squeal about him.This noisiness doesnt really harm me as an outsider, but Enjou didnt look happy about it either, so I ended up sympathising with him. I guess things are bad when youre too popular as well, huh.There are times when you want some quiet too. Aahh, I guess thats why they always come to the salon.More than me at least.I want to escape to the quiet salon too, now&h.e.l.lip; The teacher tried getting me to become cla.s.s rep this year too, but I refused.If not the cla.s.s representative, then at least the vice? they asked, but I wont fall for that either. Its impossible for me.If it was the peaceful cla.s.ses I was used to, then perhaps I might have accepted, but Im no match for this one. Its obvious that Id suffer.In Enjous cla.s.s, it seems hard to get anything done.Just a.s.signing seats was a huge fuss. The intensity for drawing the random seats was so intense. In all my other cla.s.ses so far, people made a fuss too, but it was just at the level of wanting to be near the back or near the person they liked, but this was on another level.It was the same for picking the various duties and the cla.s.s reps. The girls all wanted to do something with Enjou, so it was hard getting it decided.But too bad. Enjou isnt doing a thing. The noisy girls were all crestfallen.Thats right. Id forgotten, but the privileged Pivoine members pretty much never do odd-jobs like this. They dont work for the students, the students work for them.So then why have I been working so&h.e.l.lip;?But then Enjou also joined the executive committee for the athletics carnival in primary, didnt he. If Sensei asked him, maybe he would be cla.s.s rep as well?Rather, since the fuss is all centred on him, I think everything would go smoothly if he did it.The two cla.s.s reps that were chosen were exhausted before a month had even pa.s.sed.Last year Miharu-chan was the cla.s.s rep for Enjous cla.s.s, so maybe shes grown sick of him? Nows your chance. Do your best Maiden Cla.s.s Rep. Aahh, this is going to be a difficult year&h.e.l.lip; So its that difficult being in Shuusukes cla.s.s. Aira-sama smiled happily as she listened to me. Well, there is no direct harm to me, but I am unaccustomed to the noise&h.e.l.lip; Today the duo didnt come to the salon, so I could talk to Aira-sama about this.Aira-sama is a third year this year, so shes been busier with studies than ever. Once I considered that she would be coming here less and less, I felt a little lonely.Kaburagi was the same, since this is the last year he has with Yurie-sama in the salon. He wants to spend more time with her, but doesnt want to disturb her studies either, so apparently hes been agonising over this dilemma.Hes gotten better at hiding his emotions than he used to be, so I dont think hed show it too much on the surface though.But well, in exchange, he cheerfully sends her to her prep school. Do your best&h.e.l.lip;While we were talking about that, Enjou came to the salon. Its rare to see him without Kaburagi. Shuusuke, its just you today? Yeah. Masaya is sending Yurie off. You know that already, Aira. With that, he came over to us. Ugeh. I just thought it was rare that you were coming to the salon alone, Shuusuke. I thought youd immediately head home if Masaya wasnt with you. I have something after cla.s.s, so Im killing time until then. And itd be annoying in cla.s.s, so. Ive heard. Youre in Reika-chans cla.s.s, apparently. Uwah, please dont say anything strange, Aira-sama.Enjou looked at me and smiled. Yeah. But although were in the same cla.s.s, we almost never talk. Indeed. Because theres no reason to. Shuusuke, dont cause her too much trouble, okay? Apparently a lot of girls are really lively around you. I warn them, but its hard getting them to listen. So as long as they dont do anything extreme, Im just ignoring them. Reika-san, cant you do something about them? Hah? Why mustI? Because youre the leader of the girls, right? If you speak out, wont they behave? Please dont talk about people like theyre the Grand Chamberlain.And also, the ones making the most fuss is Tsuruhana-sans group. I think the girls in my group are quite respectable in their fusses. Probably. I do not have such power. Why doyounot speak out? I do, you know? But if Im too harsh like Masaya, then they start crying, and it gets even worse. Enjou looked a little fed up.I guess it really isnt something to be happy about. Speaking of which, dont you have a cousin, Kisshouin-san? I hear that lately shes been approaching Masaya and getting into fights with the second and third year girls. EHH!? Ririna! What the h.e.l.l are you doing!I beg you, dont do anything thatll pull me down too! My stomach started to really hurt.It looks like this year is going to be really troublesome. Chapter 58 1) Since some people wanted to know, I asked Estelina what she thought of my blog name and scanlation group name. Huh? Oh. Nothing? Imouto means, little sister, right? Is it supposed to be offensive or something? I guess some people get offended over anything, huh. 2) Kryto bought me a founders pack for Tree of Savior! So I guess Ill be playing. But with all my other commitments, I probably wont get very far. Still! See you there, maybe? 3) I have a friend living in mygaragenow. So if you come across him while looking through my teasers and stuff, do not be alarmed. Mats...o...b..shou was the most famous poet of the Edo period in j.a.pan. Bashou was born in 1644, near Ueno, in Iga Province. A place famous for him, and ninjas.Theres a rumor that the famed haiku poet Mats...o...b..shou wasnt just a master of poetry, but a master of the art of Ninjutsu, the art of stealth, subterfuge and spying. The art of the Ninja! So was Mats...o...b..shou just a wandering master poet, or was he a master spy? During the cautious years of the early Edo, or Tokugawa period, people were not permitted to travel freely around the country, however Bashou managed to obtain permission. His position as a celebrated poet gained him a close access to the n.o.bility. He was able to enter castles and palaces, view the estates of the lords and spend time chatting with them. Speaking directly to the various lords, he would have been able to discover their hidden thoughts as they composed poems together. Wonderful opportunities for intelligence gathering. It took no time at all to hear about Ririna from a friend in Kaburagis cla.s.s. Yes, that girlhasbeen loitering about Emperor recently. Ah-, Im sorry. I didnt mean to badmouth your cousin. No, you are right. I should be apologising to you on her behalf. I see. So everybodys been careful not to badmouth a relative of mine in front of my eyes.Please just give me a break, Ririna~ Well, could I ask what she does, specifically? Well, things like calling out to him, or sometimes even coming to our cla.s.sroom. She hasnt done anything too eye-catching quite yet though. Its plenty already. The thing that the female uppercla.s.smen hate the most is a first year girl following about uppercla.s.smen boys.Even in my old life, the relationships between females was in a strict grade-based hierarchy. If you didnt greet them in the hallway, they would say stuff about you getting ahead of yourself. I guess when youre at that age, you start to want to act like youre a senpai.For girls of that age, if a younger girl starts making eyes at a boy in their grade, the girls name immediately spreads throughout the grade and every girl becomes their enemy.Its really scary when that happens, you know. The more extreme senpai will call you out and lecture you too, you know.I dont know if the same thing happens at Suiran, but they should at least be feeling the same way, so I cant help but worry about Ririna.Oh, no, rather than worrying about Ririna as a person, Im just worried that Ill get into trouble for being her cousin. I must warn my cousin as well. Yes. Umm, we dont really mind, but Tsuruhana-sans group is&h.e.l.lip; Uwah, shes being targeted bythem?My stomach is really hurting. The last time I spoke to Ririna was when she came over with her parents before I entered Suiran.That girl has always hated me. But I guess that goes the same for me.But even though she always used to go Taka-niisama Taka-niisama when the heck did she turn into an Emperor fan.And its Kaburagi, of all people. Even Enjou would have been better. Its like a landmine around that guy. Things are going to get bad if she carelessly approaches him.I could already envision a future where my slowly heaped efforts and reputation were being smashed to pieces by Ririna.I see. So there was this kind of problem too.Even if I try my best not to incur Emperors displeasure, and even if I stop Otousamas dishonesties, theres still the plot device of having my relatives do something instead.Guilt by a.s.sociation is truly terrifying.Ririna is selfish and high-handed and spoilt by her parents, so shes like a miniature version of Kimidols Kisshouin Reika, after all.What do I do, what do I do? I definitely dont have the skill to rehabilitate that girl! But, I did at least give her a phone call to give her a few words. Ririna-san, I hear that you have been following Kaburagi-sama about? I think it might be better if you abstained from bothering your uppercla.s.smen. My. Whatever I do should be my own business. And Kaburagi-sama has never really said that I bother him. And the moment he does say it will be your last. But, More importantly, Reika-san. I want to have a look at the Pivoine salon. Take me there. This little! The Pivoine is off-limits to Externals. And not more importantly, we were talking about Kaburagi-sama. You have a terrible reputation amongst the girls in the higher grades, you know. Hmph. So? Im not scared. Arentyoujust jealous that Im getting close to Kaburagi-sama? HAHHH?! Ririna-san, Suiran has its own rules. If you ignore them, you will be crushed. Yes, yes, got it, got it. Goodness, Reika-oneesama. She hung up.&h.e.l.lip;Annoying. Annoying, annoying, ANNOYINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!Whats with her att.i.tude! Somebody was calling her because they were worried! Or rather, youre going to bothermeso stop it already!GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! ANNOYING!I suppose people do say that every family has its annoying members. Ririna is so tiring to handle.If I ask Oniisama to help, I think evenshellbehave a little, but Oniisama is busy with work and studies, so he doesnt have the time for this. I dont want him to have to deal with something so bothersome.But is it even possible for me to stop her?!UGAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The stress is building up!I opened up a packet of You Cant Stop, You Wont Stops that I had hidden in my closet, and began devouring them by the clawful. If I get fat because of that girl, I wont forget! This years excursion was to a mountain temple. Why a temple?After we got on a bullet train and bus, there was a long, long staircase. Youre telling me to climb this?Because I heard it was a temple, I let my guard down. Isnt this exactly the same as last years mountain climbing h.e.l.l?But before long, my calves started acting up. My body is slanting forward. Somebody, somebody please bring me a cane.While wheezing just like last year, I saw Tsuruhana-sans group snickering at me as they pa.s.sed me by. I didnt know what to say.Apparently this temple was a temple featured in a famous haiku by Mats...o...b..shou. Bashou climbed this horrifying mountain too? That theory about him being a ninja might actually be true.O Heavens, please sever my inauspicious connections. I have many of them. Ririna, Kaburagi, Enjou, Tsuruhana&h.e.l.lip;Names kept coming out. Thanks to that, my heart was pitch-black. Making a pilgrimage with such a negative mindset, will the G.o.ds even grant me a miracle?After somehow making it to the top, it was already time to descend. WHY!? Apparently they were waiting for us. Im sorry&h.e.l.lip;After that, they took us to have a stroll around the Five Coloured Swamps Goshiki-numa, a collection of five multicoloured volcanic swamps. But once I saw the boats on the swamps, my mood suddenly shot up. I want to ride one! I want to row one!I invited my friends, and quickly got on one.Its not moving. Even though Im desperately rowing, why isnt it moving. I just keep spinning around on the spot. Whats going on here?Unable to watch any longer, one of my friends took over the rowing for me. Thank you, Ayame-chan.It felt great sitting on the boat as it smoothly glided through the water. When I looked around, suddenly there were boats with couples on them! When!?Before my eyes was a smiling girl. No, Im thankful that youre rowing for me. But even I wanted to try a boat ride with a boy&h.e.l.lip;But looking carefully, Kaburagi and Enjou were on a boat together. Two guys, riding a boat together&h.e.l.lip;? Upfpftpft&h.e.l.lip;Ill just consider it a good thing that Im with my friends. By the time I got home, I gradually started feeling the muscle pains. Aahh, tomorrow is going to be rough&h.e.l.lip;Ah! I forgot to try the Tama Konnyaku! Chapter 59 Apparently Ririna completely ignored my warning, and continued trying to get close to Kaburagi. But apparently the uppercla.s.smen girls were like a wall and things didnt go as she wanted.Anyway, thanks to that, I lost my composure and spoke to a first year Pivoine girl in Ririnas cla.s.s.When I asked her, Is Ririna causing you trouble? she answered, Not at all, but expression told a completely different story. So I told her Im so sorry. I will speak to her later, and apologised.The girl was fl.u.s.tered that I was apologising to her, but I asked her to immediately tell me if Ririna was causing problems. Anyway, if shes doing crazy stuff where I cant see her, I need to know. Once time when I was heading to the salon, she ambushed me and pestered me to take her along. I told her that I couldnt but she wouldnt listen. Thankfully, Aira-sama happened to be walking past, and she gently persuaded her.Later on she called me and asked, Who was that wonderful person!?In the end, I heard from her that her mother was originally a Pivoine member, and as a child she talked to her about it. She claimed that if she lived close to the primary school, she would Definitely have gotten in!But well, even if she told me that, the reality was that she entered as an External from middle school, so she was disqualified from it. The rules are the rules.Apparently her conceit is coming from the misconception that shes actually Pivoine as well.What an idiot.Later, Tsuruhana-san told me sarcastically, What a cute cousin you have. I couldnt find anything to say.I think my stress is. .h.i.tting its peak. And so, Ive come to a fast food place.I havent entered before out of fear that somebody would see me, but I dont care anymore.With all my stress, I have to eat, or else!I ordered my first fast food since being born in this world with a pounding heart. I asked for a cheeseburger, and a large chips. For my drink, I went with oolong tea.Just in case, I sat in the corner. And I felt a little out of place too.I took a bite of my cheeseburger. Uwah, so nostalgic! I remember this taste!A ketchup covered meat patty, with pickles, onion and cheese! What a cheap taste!Maybe because Im always eating good food, I was a little shocked at how it tasted even cheaper than I remembered, but I guess thats fast food for you.The chips are so yummyy. Theres heaps of ketchup too.It felt like the more I filled my stomach, the more the stress melted away. Hahh, Im so glad I came.But I wonder what I should do about Ririna.Thinking about it carefully, she has similar tastes in men to me.We love Oniisama, but then as a romantic partner, we go for the complete opposites to him, Tomoe-senpai and Kaburagi. We admire Aira-sama as well. Uwahh, I really dont wanna be similar to her.But then I used to loiter about Tomoe-senpai as well, didnt I.Earlier, I apologised to Aira-sama. She gently consoled me, telling me You have it rough, dont you, Reika-chan. If theres anything I can do to help, just tell me, but I absolutely couldnt bring myself to trouble her like that.As for Kaburagi, Im so scared that I cant look him in the eye anymore. Just imagining how angry he must be gives me the shakes. But I guess maybe I really should gather my courage and apologise once?Aahh~ Why did that girl have to make it into Suiran?I gulped down the watery tea. Maybe because of what Aira-sama said, Ririna didnt try and push her way into the salon anymore.But she was still following Kaburagi as usual.Even my group was starting to really frown. This is bad&h.e.l.lip; At this rate, my position is in danger.When I said Im really sorry, they said It isnt your fault, Reika-sama, but I doubt theyll be saying that forever.Lately, my stomach has been hurting often since 1st period.I cant go without stomach medicine. It hurts too much now.Should I just flip out? One day, Ririna finally angered Kaburagi.While he was seeing Yurie-sama off, she tried to get close to the two and speak to them.Its a rule amongst his followers that they should never approach Kaburagi when hes with Yurie-sama, and especially not get in his way, but Ririna ignored it.Kaburagi is fundamentally indifferent to the noisy girls around him. No matter what they do, he pays them no attention. But when it involves Yurie-sama, its a different matter.When it comes to those who interrupt his precious time with Yurie-sama, he takes off the mask of indifference he usually wears, and shows his emotions.Its because they know this that the girls around him will never approach him at these times.But did Ririnanotknow that? Since the other nuisances werent here this time, she ran over to Kaburagi like it was her chance, just as he was trying to get into a car.And even though Yurie-sama needed to go to prep school, she ignored the atmosphere and tried to hold them back, so Kaburagi snapped.He shouted Cut it out! Never come near me again! and left Ririna standing there, before riding off with Yurie-sama trying to calm him down.When I heard all this from Ririna on the phone, I felt dizzy. What the heck had she done&h.e.l.lip;She asked me to do something about it, but what can I possibly do.The person himself said not to come near him, so I warned her to learn from her mistake and just give up, but apparently she hadnt given up yet.Somebody save me. The rumour that Ririna angered him spread in an instant, and I was having trouble keeping my chest high anymore.Sometimes there are girls that anger him by kicking up too much of a fuss, and it never becomes too big of a deal though.Still, the stares from Tsuruhana-sans group are really uncomfortable. When I went to the Pivoine, I found Kaburagi and Enjou there, so I braced myself and went to apologise. It seems that my cousin caused you problems yesterday. I am truly sorry. I said, and bowed.There were other people in the salon, but it wasnt the time to worry about how I looked.After staying quiet for a while, Kaburagi gave a huge sigh and said, Its fine. Really? Its not really your fault or anything. But she is my cousin. Then do something about it. I have been trying to do something about it, but&h.e.l.lip; Youre pretty useless. Kaburagi chuckled at me.It looks like hes not angry anymore. Thank goodness.Feeling relieved, just as I was thinking that I would help myself to some tea, somebody dropped the bombsh.e.l.l, Your cousin is here looking for you. I headed for the hallway in a panic and found Ririna talking about wanting to directly apologise, and asking me to get him to meet her.Just how stupid is this girl!?Anyway, even when I told her to leave, she just dragged things out and kept talking.After we continued that countless times, the door to the salon opened, and Enjou appeared. Hey, you should really cut this out already. If you anger Masaya any more than this, I dont know whatll happen to you, okay? I bet you dont know that your cousin, Kisshouin-san, has been lowering her head to various people for your sake. After all, if you did, you wouldnt be doing something so shameless, right? The reason that youre still fine after making so many enemies out of the uppercla.s.smen is because Kisshouin-san has been doing nothing but apologising for your sake. Its because Masaya knows this that hes stayed quiet all this time. But even thats coming to an end. Enjou pierced Ririna with a cold gaze.When a normally gentle person turns angry, its really, really scary.Speaking of which, the manga Enjou got angry like this a few times too, when it came to Kisshouin Reika.Ririna turned bright red, and then ran off like she was escaping.At least say goodbye, dammit. Umm, I am truly sorry for this. I even bothered you, Enjou-sama. She was bothering us as well. I thought it was about time to do something. Is that so. Ririna, you were really on the brink, you know. But Kisshouin-san, this means that you owe me one. Heh? It cant be that you thought I was helping you for free? Youre really na?ve, huh. Enjou gave a sweet smile and before he headed back in, he left me the words, Ill be collecting my debt one day, so dont forget, okay? EEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!? Because of Reika, I am off to McDonalds at midnight.C Estelion Chapter 60 Evil G.o.d Army members, a.s.semble:https://discord.gg/0usrKNKKbEkpFdiV I was struck by a craving for cup ramen.To begin with, I dont even eat real ramen. At the Chinese restaurants that my family goes to, at best they have high cla.s.s soup noodles.What I want is miso ramen with lots of bean sprouts and corn!But the hurdle for this is probably higher than the one for fast food, isnt it.If some middle school girl went to get ramen on her own, shed stand out heaps after all.So I thought that I could just compromise and eat cup ramen, but then it would probably stink up my room and expose me, and I wouldnt know what to do with the remaining rubbish either. As for packet ramen, you need to drain the first batch of water after cooking the noodles, and if I messed about in the kitchen, theyd catch me for sure.But I really wanna eat it&h.e.l.lip;Or so I was thinking, when a marvellous idea struck me like lightning.I had dried noodle snacks in my closet. Baby Ramen If I put them in hot water, wouldnt they be like instant ramen?So I immediately went to get a mug of hot water.I placed the baby ramen into the mug. Then I waited. I stirred it up with a fork.Itadakimasu. &h.e.l.lip;Bland. Eh-, what the-? This isnt yummy at all. The taste of the broth is like a few drops of soy sauce in a bucket of water, and the ramen noodles are just all squishy.It wasnt supposed to be this way. I even wasted one of my precious few snacks.But its a waste to throw it out, and I need to dispose of the evidence too, so Ill just force it all down. If I dont hurry, its going to swell up and become even bigger. What a terrifying food! That night I learnt that making strange modifications to ready-made food is never a good thing. Since that time with Enjou, Ririna stopped hanging about Kaburagi, and even stopped making a fuss about entering the Pivoine too. Im thankful to Enjou.Still, if you asked me if she became completely obedient, thats not the case either. She was high-handed as always around the first years, apparently.But well, if she suddenly became like a different person, that would be even more worrying, so I guess this is just right. I feel bad for her cohort though.Once, I quietly went to see how she was in cla.s.s, and when I found that all her underlings were quiet-looking girls, my heart really hurt.But with Ririnas rampage settled, and some semblance of peace back in my life, both my stomach pains and gluttony were cured. Thank goodness.If I continued eating the way I did, Id turn into a baby tanuki again, you know?Also, theres the matter of my debt with Enjou, but he hasnt come to talk about it at all. How disquieting. Was it a joke, maybe? No, I doubt it.My mum from my old life would always go on and on about how I should never be in debt, so I wish he would just hurry up and collect it already. Anyway, while I spent my days like that, one day a notification for Summer Camp came.It was going to be held at a health resort linked to Suiran, and would be held for three days and two nights.Last year I couldnt partic.i.p.ate because of my remedials, but this year I want to join in if I can!Only, even though it seems so fun, apparently not many people partic.i.p.ate. None of the girls around me seemed to have any interest either?Why? I asked, only to find out that everybody else had their own plans over the summer, or they hated being woken up early, or that they didnt think there was anything fun about going to some plateau in the middle of nowhere.Yeah&h.e.l.lip; I dont suppose itwouldhold much appeal to a bunch of rich boys and rich girls.But I want to try it. When I got home, I immediately told my parents my intentions.But Okaasama didnt look very happy to hear it. She gave me reasons like, A daughter of the Kisshouin family, partic.i.p.ating in such a plebeian event? and Your skin will burn, and Reika-san, you would never be able to handle such a Spartan lifestyle.Even if you call it a Spartan lifestyle, its aSuiranSummer Camp so the health resort is on par with a hotel. Not only that, all of the cooking preparations and cleaning is handled by the staff, so its really nothing more than a holiday.But maybe there are so few people who partic.i.p.ate because the mainstream view is the same as Okaasamas? Speaking of which, I never heard about Oniisama going to Summer Camp either.But I wanted to go no matter what, so I begged her and somehow got permission. When I handed my application form to Sensei, she seemed incredibly shocked that I was partic.i.p.ating. Is it really that minor an event?But its true that none of the girls in my group were partic.i.p.ating at all. And once I realised that, I started to feel a little nervous. What am I gunna do if it ends up as a repeat of last years remedials?Whether or not she knew what I was thinking about, Sensei immediately said Then please be the leader for the girls!Eehhh. This is my first time partic.i.p.ating, so perhaps I am not the most suited to be leader&h.e.l.lip; Its fine! I believe in you, Kisshouin-san! In the end she forced it on me, and I once again ended up as the odd-jobs person. Aaah~And I found out that the leader of the boys was the maidenly Cla.s.s Rep.Long time no see, Cla.s.s Rep. Youre partic.i.p.ating in the Summer Camp, Reika-san!? Yes. They say that everything is an experience. I see. But if youre the leader of the girls, I can really rest easy. Ill be in your care. And I in yours. When I checked the itinerary, I found barbeque and fireworks written. This is it! This is what Ive been waiting for! This so-called plebeian event!Ive always wanted to play with fireworks, but I never did have a chance. Im so looking forward to it.And given how pleb-like and minor this event is, naturally that duo wont be partic.i.p.ating, and neither will those gyarus.Aahh, I think Illfiiinallybe able to relax a little! I was so excited that I even began packing, even though it was still far into the future.Because Okaasama has been so noisy about it, I made sure to pack sunscreen. Insect repellent spray, to torches, to medicine, to emergency rations. Also, hmmm, maybe a bell and flute too&h.e.l.lip;? Or so I thought as I crammed stuff in, and I ended up with an unthinkably huge luggage for a two-night trip.If its only 3 days and 2 nights, I wouldnt even need a suitcase, would I.But I dont know what to take out. Should I just send it there? Ahh, Im so looking forward to this! To clarify, a health resort orB(hoyoujo) is sort of like a lodge or resort-type thing that major companies have, and is used for training camps and recreation camps (often for relaxation and bonding).Suiran is obviously not a company, but the term literally means recuperation place so its probably more in-line with a health resort, hence my translation choice. Chapter 61 Summer Camps finally here.I cut down on my luggage quite a bit, but my suitcase was still ready to burst. Its weird to be asking this myself, but what on earth did I bring.When we arrived at the health resort, it turned out to be on the level of a hotel. Even our rooms were just suites. Rather than a camp, isnt this basically just going on a vacation?The girl a.s.signed to my room was Nonose Maho-chan from another cla.s.s. Weve basically never spoken, but I wonder if well get along. She seems kinda nervous though.After resting in our room for a while, we had a barbecue in the hotel garden. All of the ingredients were prepared in advance, so all we had to do was roast them and eat.Since Im still technically the leader of the girls, I went with Cla.s.s Rep to check if everyone had cutlery and a drink. But well, there were full-time staff there, so it was just for show.Still, this is my first time eating barbecue in this life. Its a lot more extravagant than I remember it being though.Ooh! They have roast corn! Oh my, but they dont have yakisoba. I wanted some yakiika too. What a shame. Since its a Suiran-style barbecue, it feels more like a refined lunch than what I had in mind, but this kind of thing is fun too.I decided to try casually sitting next to Nonose-san. None of my group came, so today has been a total away game for me.Ill act low key and mix in with them. I never thought that you of all people would be coming, Reika-sama. I was surprised too, Reika-sama. Truly? But I have always wanted to try it at least once. You didnt last year, right? Because last year I was stuck in remedial h.e.l.l. Did all of you partic.i.p.ate last year as well? This year is my first time. This is my second. Over half of the girls here turned out to be first timers. Thank goodness. By the way, tomorrow is going to be hiking. Are you going to be all right, Reika-sama? Uu-, thats what Im most worried about. According to the itinerary its only going to be a two-hour walk, but I wonder if Ill really be able to follow. I shall do my best, I declared with clenched fists. After the barbecue was a short ceramics course. I used the manual potters wheel, but mine turned out a little warped. Im just really no good with my hands, am I. Well, whatever.Once night fell, after dinner was the fireworks event Id been waiting for!Perhaps because watching fireworks isnt something that upper cla.s.s think is suitable, Ive never had a chance all this time.But just the smell of fireworks really brings summer to mind, doesnt it. Today we only had handheld fireworks, so there was nothing like a rocket firework or one of those dragon things though. When I was a kid, those mouse fireworks really scared me because you could never tell which way they would fly. Speaking of which, what on earth do people find fun about those snake fireworks. All they do is grow. I never understood it back then, and I still dont understand it now. The fact that theyre still selling them means that people are buying them, right? Hmmm.Anyway, since Cla.s.s Rep was playing with hanging sparkler fireworks a little further away, I decided to come closer. So you chose hanging sparklers? You would not prefer something flashier? I really like these ones. Hmm~ As expected of Cla.s.s Rep, the maiden. It seems that Honda-san has not come, I whispered, just loudly enough for him to hear. In shock, the ember of the sparkler dropped to the ground. She even came last year, so why&h.e.l.lip; I see. You did not end up in her cla.s.s either, this year. Have things progressed since last time? He shook his head. What should I do, Kisshouin-san? What, you ask? Could you not simply confess? Thats impossible. If I got rejected, my whole school life would be over. It might go well though. But Honda-sans type is Enjou-kun. Cla.s.s Rep began sulking. Given that she was cla.s.s representative with him last year, perhaps she may have changed her mind after all the hardships she surely faced. &h.e.l.lip;Kisshouin-san, could you go ask her for me? We are in different cla.s.ses, so that may prove to be difficult. At any rate, everyone finished playing with fireworks while the two of us spoke, and began to tidy up. After the firework event ended, I returned to my room and then took turns in the bath with Nonose-san.To tell you the truth, I actually got a light perm as per Okaasamas instructions. I really wonder just how fixated she is on this stuff, but well, cant be helped.Anyway, as long as I followed the existing bends, it was possible to fashion some decent curls.Although, I didnt really want people to know about the perm, so I made sure to dry my hair properly. Reika-sama. I find it hard to sleep with the lights on, so would it be possible to turn them off? Certainly. Well then, let us turn off the lights. I brought some playing cards too, but it looks like there was no time to play them. I wonder if Ill get to tomorrow.Anyway, time to turn off the lights and go to sleep. I was woken up early in the morning and after being made to exercise amongst nature, we finally had breakfast. Im not so good with mornings, so it was pretty tough.Since were hiking today, I made sure to put on sunscreen and a hat.My rucksack feels so heavy&h.e.l.lip; Im starting to regret coming here a little.Before long, the hiking finally began. It was a fairly gentle incline so I thought it would be fine, but it just kept going, and going, and it didnt take long for my will to break.And not only that, none of my other soft friends were here. I was now undeniably the last one. The leader of the girls was the last one. Argh, it hurts. I wanna go home.Nonose-san stuck with me to cheer me on. Im really being treated like extra baggage now. I wanna cry.After two hours, I somehow made it to the top. I got to enjoy cold milk and lunch here.Since I was close to collapse, Nonose-san acted as leader in my place. I really felt bad about it.On the way back to the hotel, with the heavy rucksack on my back, I thought to myself,I probably wont be going next year&h.e.l.lip; Perhaps because of my exertions at lunchtime, at the stargazing event after dinner, the teachers explanations felt like a lullaby to me.Thanks to that, I immediately had a bath when we got back, and slept right afterwards. And then I woke up in the middle of the night.&h.e.l.lip;Im hungry.I was too tired to really have an appet.i.te. Thanks to that I didnt eat much at dinner, did I. I might not be able to go back to sleep like this.But if I remember right, I brought some crunchy ume plums, didnt I. Maybe Ill eat those.Since Nonose-san cant sleep with the lights on, I put on a white cardigan and brought the pickled ume with me into the hallway.Before I began eating, I found a dim staircase landing in a corner, and sat there so that I wouldnt be seen.They were covered with honey and sweet, which made them easy to eat. Crunch crunch, crunch crunch&h.e.l.lip; KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! Eh-? I heard the nearby scream of a girl, and then the sound of somebody running away.Since I didnt want anybody to find out that I had snuck out of my room to snack, I rushed back into my room in a panic.Stripping off the cardigan, I tossed it ume and all into my bag to remove the evidence.As Nonose-san got up, I was all like Uh, yeah, I just got up as well, so we left our room together to see what was going on.Oh gosh, my bed hair is terrible. I guess this is because I didnt dry my hair properly before crashing. Ill tidy it up with my fingers. Whatever is the matter? I dont know either. Only girls stayed on this floor. As everybody left their rooms to see what was happening, one of the girls suddenly screamed, Over there on that staircase, there was this ghost and it was gobbling on b.l.o.o.d.y flesh! The moment the other girls heard this, they flew into a huge panic, screaming ghosts and goblins, and in an instant the whole place turned into pandemonium.Uh, could it be that she was talking about me? Its true that my hair is a bit of a mess right now, and I was definitely eating red ume plums, but I wasnt gobbling anything, okay&h.e.l.lip;Apparently the one who spotted me was Occult-san. Occult-san woke up thirsty so she went to get a drink apparently. And then she apparently met a ghost. And so she started saying stuff likeI have asixth sense.andTheres a dark presence on that staircase.andHer face was just filled with hatred.and before I knew it, some other girls started sayingNow that I think about it, I got a bad feeling too.andFor some reason I havent been able to stop shivering for a while now.and started to agree with her too. What do I do&h.e.l.lip; After all this time, theres no way I can tell them that it was me. If I tell them that I snuck out to have a snack, theyre definitely going to think Im some huge glutton.I feel really bad about slandering the hotel with ghost rumours, but I care even more about protecting myself, okay~While I prayed that I wouldnt be busted, Nonose-san and the others came up to me and said, Its okay, Reika-sama. As long as were all together, theres nothing to be afraid of. Right. You dont need to be so frightened. and tried to encourage me. Guh-&h.e.l.lip; my chest hurts! Thank you, everyone. Im sorry. I wont come next year, okay&h.e.l.lip;? And so the whole ghost ruckus continued until the next morning. With the crunchy ume plums hidden deep in my bag, and with my hair curled to perfection, I set out for home. Hanging sparklers, orsenkou hanabi (lit. incense stick fireworks)are a j.a.panese sparkler firework thats different to the sparklers we know. Instead of waving them about to have fun, you just hold them and enjoy watching them. Its uh, quite a clich in anime, so I think you guys know what Im talking about: Chapter 62 The Staff of oniichanyamete(OCY) Issue a Challenge to All Readers C Post a video of your saying this as many times as you can in a row without stumblingC If we judge that you made no mistakes or pauses, we will reward you.C If you wish to wear a mask, it must not cover the mouth area. Kilimanjaro Kirilimanmajanranjo Estelion Sharlulu Asheel Vinchance Celenalia di ef FalufiluuLuufilaafee (The 35th) da ne! The prizes are as follows, x3 or more within 15 seconds: a bear picture drawn by Estelionx5 or more within 35 seconds: a picture of your favourite OCY character, drawn by Amex7 or more within 55 seconds: a picture of you (a stick figure), hanging out with your favourite OCY character, drawn by Komorebi Term 2 is busy.Right after the Athletics Carnival is the School Festival.As usual, I only partic.i.p.ated in the events where I wouldnt hold back my cla.s.s.On the other hand, all the gyaru-type girls eagerly signed up for the relays.Speaking of which, Mochida-san ended up bullied last year because she messed up during the Athletics Carnival, didnt she.Well, I doubt that even I would end up bullied, but Id better be careful regardless.Enjou signed on for the relays, but apparently not the cavalry battle. How surprising. I wouldve thought hed be as excited for it as the Emperor.But thinking about it, I didnt see him in it last year either. Although if he did join, everyone would be even more excited, wouldnt they.When I told him this, he replied with a laugh, Unlike Masaya, I dont really have much zeal for the cavalry battle. When I see him all eager from up close, it really makes me want to avoid it. Eventually we decided that the sacrifices would be chosen by rock-paper-scissors, and the unlucky candidates would try to increase their meagre chances of survival through training. It was around that time that Enjou dropped the bombsh.e.l.l, Apparently hes been really frustrated ever since that close game with the Stuco President last year. Hes even reading books on war strategy now, sending the already depressed boys into further depression. Thank goodness I was born a girl. As usual, the girls were drunk on Enjou during practice, so I encouraged them to cheer for the other boys a little more. Those guys are working hard for our cla.s.s too, so the earlier treatment was a little too pitiful.Ive never been in either of their cla.s.ses before, so I was shocked by the fervour. I remember my peaceful days last year. How nostalgic.But apparently my cla.s.s isnt even that bad. Maiden Cla.s.s Rep whos in Kaburagis cla.s.s already looks exhausted, and the Athletics Carnival hasnt even started yet. And with the girls cheering for Kaburagi in stuff like the baton relays too, all the boys competing with him were being pressured like crazy. Id hate to be in their place.Thank goodness Enjou isnt the hot-blooded type&h.e.l.lip; In the end, an External from the Student Council survived to the end, but now that Kaburagi had learnt war strategy as well, he wasnt a match for him.I wonder if Kaburagi is going to try even harder for next year. Well, good luck, Silver Hair-kun. After the Athletics Carnival was the midterms. And after the midterms was the Cultural Festival. So busy.It was only optional for cla.s.ses to get involved, but apparently mine was. There were the options for a haunted house or a refreshment booth, but to begin with, none of these kids had ever had takoyaki or pancakes or the like, so we couldnt come up with any good ideas.Somebody suggested a caf as well, but all the girls were like, but itsourEnjou-sama and quickly shut down the possibility of him being taken by girls in other cla.s.ses.In the end, that only left a handmade candle store. Together, we made stuff like aromatic candles, gel candles, mosaic candles, flower candles, just lots of candles.n.o.body was ever thinking of making a profit, so we used all sorts of good materials and I think we ended up with fairly good products considering a bunch of middle schoolers made them.Enjous candles already have preorders.I got involved too, and melted hot wax to make small flower-shaped candles.They had some pink to them, and were pretty cute. I mixed some blended aroma oils in as well. Isnt this pretty good for something Reika-made?Before long, some of the girls started mixing in perfumes and stuff to, and because there were so many smells in the cla.s.sroom, some people started complaining of headaches and we had to ventilate the area. Once we all finished our quotas, we were ready for the day of the Cultural Festival.Apparently we sold quite well.The customers were people like other students, fathers, brothers, old girl alumni as well. To prevent crime, Suirans guests are carefully selected, so most of the people who came were relatives and the like.Eventually people started bidding for the Enjou candles but since the prices skyrocketedDDwhich was ridiculous for candlesDDthat was eventually put a stop to, and there was a lottery instead.When I nervously glanced over to see how my candles were selling, I gave a quiet sigh of relief when I saw that a few people had bought some. What was shocking though was that one of them was Ririna, who had brought along her underlings too.Since we only needed a few people there to take care of the sales, everybody else went to other cla.s.ses, or their clubs, or just the refreshment booths and exhibits.I decided to tour the place with my friends as well.Since we didnt know where to start, we sat down in a caf with high cla.s.s French tea and helped ourselves to cookies and tea as we read a pamphlet.Wow. Theres a bunch. Theyre all pretty plain though.It was all stuff like flower arrangement exhibitions that only middle-aged women would go to.In the end we all decided to give everywhere a once over, and maybe see what was most popular.When we walked past the literature club, I remembered that Cla.s.s Rep was in it, so I decided to go in and have a look.It was stuff like book reviews, or student-written novels, haikus and poems.As I was having a casual look through them, my eyes became nailed to something shocking. On a light blue postcard with a drawing of the sea were the words, My ashen grey world was painted with vivid colours. I see. So Ive fallen in love. CLAAAAAAa.s.sS REPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!! Cla.s.s Rep, what the heck are you doing! Are you okay!? What went through your head!? His name was written clearly underneath the love poem.I was so shocked that I staggered.I-, I see. So this is what people meant by that incurable illness that you contract in eighth grade.Cla.s.s Rep, you sure are bold for a guy who couldnt even confess.So after talking about how you were afraid of being rejected, you go and announce your unrequited love to the ma.s.ses?Is he tired? It must have been rough taking care of the Kaburagi cla.s.s through both the Athletics Carnival and Cultural Festival. My, isnt this that Cla.s.s Reps entry? He fell in love!? With whom!? That serious-looking Cla.s.s Rep huh~ How shocking&h.e.l.lip; Does anybody have any idea which girl it is? My friends began growing noisy. My heart was noisy too.Cla.s.s Rep. I really admire your courage. So go use that courage to freaking confess already.With just this, I really dont think Miharu-chan is going to realise, you know&h.e.l.lip;?Or could it be that you never meant to let her know to begin with? Did you just want to express your poets soul?Aaah, Cla.s.s Rep&h.e.l.lip; You really gave a shock to little old me. Chapter 63 First, on Valentines in j.a.pan, women are supposed to give chocolates to guys. Sometimes its out of courtesy (obligatory chocolates/giri choco) and sometimes an expensive or homemade one for the person you actually like (forrealz chocolates/honmei choco). Its also not too weird to give them to friends as a sign of affection (friend-chocolates/tomochoco).Dont ask why. Its some marketing thing, like how people buy diamond rings for weddings now. Shimazaki Touson is the pen-name of Shimazaki Haruki, a j.a.panese author, active in the Meiji, Taishou and early Shouwa periods of j.a.pan. He began his career as a romantic poet, but went on to establish himself as a major proponent of naturalism in j.a.panese fiction.First LoveWhen I saw you under the apple treeWith your hair swept up for the first timeI thought you were the flowerIn the flower comb you wore in front When you gently extended your soft white handAnd gave me an appleIt was the very first time I loved someoneWith the pale red of the autumn fruit When my sigh unknowinglyPa.s.sed through the threads of your hairI drank of your pa.s.sionFrom the cup of my tender love The narrow, natural pathUnder the trees in the apple groveWho first trod this path?Whose steps left the first traces?You asked, you lovely, I thought Taken from the Columbia Anthology of Modern j.a.panese Literature Now that Aira-sama and Yurie-sama had gained entry into the schools they wanted to join, all that was left was waiting for their graduation.Since Yurie-sama wont be coming to the salon once she graduates, Kaburagi has been secretly depressed under his mask of composure. It seems that he was. .h.i.t pretty hard by the even greater difficult of a middle schooler dating a university student. But no matter how hard you try, you cant really do anything about an age gap.I heard from Aira-sama that Yurie-sama was spending more time around him out of consideration.Still, on days when Yurie-sama is too busy to come, Kaburagi just sighs as he looks out the window.I wonder if hes going to start writing poems again. Maybe I should teach him flower divination.Ah, and I also know a good matchmaker shrine, okay? The fortunes are really accurate. You should go too, Kaburagi-sama. Speaking of poems, Cla.s.s Rep made no progress at all despite his daring show of his love.I had been sure that he would confess after that, but since he showed no signs of it, I went and asked him. He replied that he was too embarra.s.sed to try.I really dont get how this guys criteria for embarra.s.sment&h.e.l.lip;Thinking this, I asked him why he did such a thing&h.e.l.lip; and he replied that he was influenced by Shimazaki Touson, and had done it before he realised. That disease really is terrifying.Apparently he actually wanted Miharu-chan to realise his feelings through that poem.You think that because Miharu() has waves() in it, shed realise because you drew a picture of a sea? Who the heck would!If you were in the same cla.s.s and were close to begin with, then sure, maybe, but considering the situation shed be a total narcissist if she thought it was her.In the end he asked me for advice on his next moves, so I suggested that he give her Valentines chocolate. In the end I guess he really liked the whole reverse Valentines chocolate idea because he went and prepared something expensive.Not only that, but apparently he was too embarra.s.sed to give it to her, so he came and asked me to do it instead. Just how much of a maiden are you.I even told him to at least include a card with a message or something, but in the end he didnt have the courage for that either.Thiswould have been the time to use the poem. Hm, or maybe follow Tousons example and draw a picture of an apple or something?In the end, for some reason I ended up giving it to Miharu-chan as a friend-chocolate. She was surprised at the sudden gift, but I was troubled too, okay. I just gave an obviously pa.s.sion-filled chocolate to a girl Im not even that close with. What if she misunderstands me and weird rumours spread.Well, she actually did misunderstand, but in a completely different way. Somehow the story in her mind became one where I actually had somebody I really liked, but gave the chocolate to her because I lacked the courage to confess.Miharu-chan looked at me with understanding and nodded, Try your best next year, okay? in a completely unnecessary consolation.How are you going to take responsibility for this, Cla.s.s Rep!And now Miharu-chan thinks I like someone!As for Cla.s.s Rep, he was incredibly moved when I pa.s.sed her White Day present onto him.Im getting the feelings that hes transforming further and further into a maiden. I wonder if I can start treating him like a girlfriend already. One day, I received a bit of news from Serika-chan about Tsuruhana-san. Tsuruhana-san got ear piercings. Eh- Piercings in middle school!? What a delinquent!Isnt that forbidden by the school regulations? Ah, well, I guess a drill-hair like me cant speak. Some of the other girls have gotten piercings too. Unbelievable. Its unacceptable. Kikuno-chan and the other girls started joining in too.Unlike other schools, Suiran is filled with kids from good families, so image is a huge deal to them. Thanks to that, the school regulations on personal appearance is strict too.Dyed hair is basically banned. But well, I hear some girls secretly use just a tiny bit so that it looks natural.And Ive got my curled hair too.But piercings, huhh. I wonder if theyd even do it for a middle schooler without their parents consent. Does that mean her parents are fine with it?Or perhaps, surprisingly, she pierced them herself.If thats the case then shes really bold. Leaving perms and dyes aside, a lot of traditional families frown upon piercings. Okaasama told me that she wouldnt allow it either.Anyway, Tsuruhana-sans group is getting more and more overbearing. My group is still higher than theirs, but the day that changes might be close.Serika-chan and the others began a sneaky discussion about whether or not to tattle on them.I really hope theyd stop. Our group has weak points like my curled hair too. Let us watch them for a little longer. I do not think it would be a good idea for us to inform the teachers. I somehow managed to calm everyone down, but maybe things are going to get even more heated once we become third years.Gosh, Id hate that. For some reason people think of me oddly highly, but Im actually the first to run when it comes to a cat fight. Girls are scary. While all this was happening, I heard that Kaburagi attended the high school graduation ceremony with lilies (yuri).Cla.s.s Rep, Kaburagi, why are all these guys turning into maidens? I was a little envious.But lilies, huh. Could it be that he saw the time Oniisama brought me uraras, and actually really liked it?Actually, there was the time when he danced the waltz with Yurie-sama too.Leaving Oniisama aside, perhaps Kaburagi should become Imari-samas disciple or something.The other day, Imari-sama came over for the first time in the while, and he gave me some boxed flowers. Boxed preserved flowers. Super stylish. Great for Valentines and Christmas. So stylish! As expected of Imari-sama!Kaburagi, apparently men cant stick to just bouquets, like a one trick dog! Around the time cherry blossoms began to fall in full bloom, we all advanced into third years. Chapter 64 Aahh, it looks like my cla.s.s-changing luck has finally run dry&h.e.l.lip;For my final year of middle school, I finally ended up with His Majesty the Emperor. Serika-chan was in the same cla.s.s as well, and was jumping for joy about it. Weve finally done it, Reika-sama! Weve really had such bad luck so far! Ive really had such good luck so far. This year is looking so bright! Dont you think so, Reika-sama? Thinking about it, nothing has gone wrong since that bad fortune. Should I go get purified?I wonder if theres a famous place for exorcisms. As I was dragged along to cla.s.s by the jubilant Serika-chan, along the way we ran into Enjou, who was surrounded by girls. Kisshouin-san. Thank goodness. Theres been something I wanted to talk to you about. This is a great chance. Eh- The girls around us all began screaming because of his words. What are they going to talk about!? It cant be, a confession!? A love triangle!? Stop it! Stop with your strange guesses! How could this black-hearted schemer do something as cute as confessing! Its a bit hard to talk here, so could you come with me? His smile placed a huge pressure on me. I cant fight back with my cowards heartt!My senses are tingling and Im getting a horrible feeling about thiss! I dont wanna goo!But although I screamed that in my heart, I accepted his request with a face filled with composure.Serika-chan watched with glittering eyes as I was sent to the gallows.In the end, I was taken to the base of a staircase.Suspicious. Super suspicious. What part of this smile plastered onto his face is supposed to be trustworthy. You see, I actually have a favour to ask of you. A favour? Yeah. You ended up in Masayas cla.s.s, right? Could you become a cla.s.s rep, please? HAAH? Cla.s.s Rep? Why me! Or rather, just, why! You should know already that the girls in Masayas cla.s.s are noisy each year. Since this is the last year of middle school, and a year with a school trip too, I think its going to be especially bad. A normal girl wont be able to handle it. Thats why I thought of you. Eh- &h.e.l.lip;But why doyoucare? Worrying about another cla.s.s? This guy definitely isnt doing this because hes filled with love for the school or anything.If he was a person like that then shouldnt he have taken the initiative to become cla.s.s rep last year? Mmmm&h.e.l.lip; The truth is that somebody asked me as a favour. The guy whos going to be your cla.s.s rep. Since he didnt think hed be able to manage on his own, he was thinking of getting you to act as vice. Apparently your homeroom teacher plans to ask you the same. But you refused last year, didnt you? Thats why he wanted me to persuade you. No way! No way no way!Just remembering the weary face of last years cla.s.s rep is enough to write the option off forever!How are you going to take responsibility if I get burdened by stress, go crazy, and start writing poems too!Ive already got a previous offence from my last life!After watching a certain movie I was influenced so badly that I started reading Rimbaud and Verlaine, and I still remember how I wrote c.r.a.p about sighs and eternity!As I recall, I came back to my senses the next day and should have disposed of it, but did Iactually? I wouldnt have just gotten lazy and hidden the notepad in a draw or something, right?GYAAAAAAAAAHHH! If my family found it and read it, I wouldnt be able to rest in peacee! Kisshouin-san? Are you okay? Eh-, ah, yes. I am fine. The past is the past. Forget about it. Its okay. You definitely threw it away.UWAAAAHH! But I wrote poems in other peoples signature books! Scary! Actions that leave evidence are scary! Kisshouin-san? I am fine. Forget it, Reika! Theres n.o.body who doesnt have a little bit of dark history, okay!Poems are something that everyone experiences once. Well then, become cla.s.s rep, was it? I must apologise, but I do not believe I have the ability, so could you possibly ask somebody else? I dont want to get involved with anything troublesome. I see. I guess it cant be helped. Enjou showed me a dark smile. Say, Kisshouin-san&h.e.l.lip; Dont you still owe me a favour? Hah? Favour? Uh, favour&h.e.l.lip; Favour&h.e.l.lip;?Ah-! When Ririna&h.e.l.lip; Yup. Remember it now? I think its time to pay your dues. Youre bringing up something from over a year ago!?I thought that expired long ago!My old mum was right. You definitely cant get involved with debts. Itll come back to get you with ridiculous interest! My new homeroom teacher called me out right after.Next to him was some boy with a buzzcut like a monk. Is this the culprit?What on earth have you done, Monk Boy! Oh geez, Im really glad that you agreed, Kisshouin-san. If youre doing it anyway, how about being the lead rep? No, vice please. Im not good at refusing people, but Im outright refusing this. Um, Im Bouda(). Ill be in your care. Eh-, the Monks(;Bouzu) surname is Monk Field(; Bouda)?Thats way too fitting. Yes, likewise. Please take care of me. Im super unwilling about this, but since Ive already agreed, it cant be helped. Lets get along this year, Monk-kun. Bou- &h.e.l.lip;da-kun, are you close with Enjou-sama? To think you would be able to ask him to persuade me. On the way back to the cla.s.sroom, I voiced the question I had been wondering the whole time.I cant really picture these two being close. Close? Heavens, no. Last year we were in the same cla.s.s, and he helped me with a lot of things. Hes a really amazing person! So Monk-kun is in the Enjou Faction. Looks like he looks up to him.Enjou just looks like a huge villain to me, though. Sensei wanted me to be cla.s.s rep again, but since theres the famous Kaburagi-kun in our cla.s.s, I thought it was impossible for me. At that time, Enjou-kun had just arrived in the staff room by coincidence, and suggested that you act as the vice rep. If you controlled the girls, then everything would be fine, he said. He even said that he would ask you himself. Enjou-kun is just such a kind guy. Hes just so considerate of others, isnt he. Enjou was the one who suggested this!? What the. Thats completely different to what he told me!That d.a.m.ned schemer! What the heck are you planning! With no idea what I was thinking, Monk-kun continued praising him to the skies.Apparently this kid has no eyes for people. When I returned to the cla.s.sroom, it was an even bigger fuss than last years Enjou thing.A huge group of girls were causing a racket.Uwahh&h.e.l.lip; Am I really going to bethiscla.s.s vice rep for a whole year?And everyone seems to have conveniently forgotten, but Im technically a Pivoine, okay.Ah-! And Serika-chan was right in the middle of it all. She was in the very best spot! Its your turn, Kisshouin-san. Its impossible for me, Monk-kun&h.e.l.lip;My stomach should have been healed, but it started feeling weird again.Having spotted me, the girls all rushed over with excited expressions. Reika-sama, what was that talk with Enjou-sama about? Could it have been a confession? Kyaaa! How dreamy! My stomach started hurting again.What were the foods good for the stomach again&h.e.l.lip;? Chapter 65 Kaburagis female fans have been creating a fuss in cla.s.s, but never go as far as actually causing trouble for others. They just get really loud during breaks is all. It was just like last year with Enjou.Except, since Kaburagis temper has a lower boiling point than Enjous, theyve been probing for his limit as they enjoy being around him.At a glance, it seems like theres no problem as long as you deal with the noise, but since there are more people in the cla.s.sroom, sometimes there are kids whose seats get stolen by these girls. So a few timid kids have been having trouble with not being able to sit at their own desks.What should I do. If I keep warning them every time, theyre going to think of me as a nag, and as a cla.s.s rep, its not like I can turn a blind eye either.I wonder what Enjou did last year. I wasnt a cla.s.s rep, so to be honest I didnt really pay attention to the others.And I recall Enjou gently chiding them not to invade other peoples cla.s.srooms.In Term 1 they really were noisy, but after a while things worked out pretty fine, I think. Well, maybe we just got used to it though.Still, Im definitely not going to start managing Kaburagis fans.And Monk Boy keeps looking at me with pleading eyes. Its impossible, I tell you.Tsuruhana-san is in that fan group. Ill create even more conflict if I say something to her.Aahh, the silent complaints from all those victims are&h.e.l.lip;Hah, cant be helped. Tsuruhana-san, I am sorry to disturb you during your conversation, but it seems that this girl needs her seat back, so could you move? &h.e.l.lip;Hmmm~ Whose seat was this again? She looked around the room with a challenging gaze.The eyes of the seat owner began to swim. Hey, could I borrow your seat for a little? Ah&h.e.l.lip; yes, please do. I dont need it yet&h.e.l.lip; Geh-! Ive been abandoned!Hey, you cant do that, okay? Its because you complained that I came here to say this to her. So she says. That fine? Kisshouin-san? Tsuruhana-san chuckled.Shes a real p.i.s.s-off. But since theres no victim, I cant say anything back. I see. If the girl herself is fine with that, then I have nothing to say. My apologies for bothering you. It must be roughh huhh~ Being cla.s.s rep. I walked away with a smile of composure, somehow managing to hide the stiffness.d.a.m.nniiitt! I lost!Serika-chan welcomed me back with a disgruntled expression. Im sorry for being a coward!This wont do. At this rate, far from a showdown between our two groups, I might be overthrown in my own one.All of this is Kaburagis fault! Its because hes so irresponsible! Well, Im aware this is just an excuse though!Kaburagi was paying no attention to the girls at all, instead talking happily to the boys about sports.He has no idea how much other people are suffering&h.e.l.lip; Heavens above, please let a bird p.o.o.p on that guys head.Maybe I should just bring some folding chairs into the cla.s.sroom and set up a Kaburagi Viewing Corner or something. Lately Ive been trying to avoid buying sweets when I go snack shopping at the convenience store.Im afraid of getting fat and pimples, you see.In exchange, Ive started eating more onigiri and sandwiches. Its healthier and more nutritious than sweets, you see. Its a shame that it doesnt keep well, though.I get chauffeured on weekdays, so I secretly do my snack-buying on weekends and during the breaks in cram school.Lately there have been a lot of new onigiri flavours. But in the end, yakishake grilled salmon is my favourite.And recently Ive been immersing myself in some stupid hobbies to forget about my troublesome school life when Im at home. Yes, I realise that its just escapism&h.e.l.lip;Anyway, for today Ive got my Convenience Store Onigiri Rankings.Right now, Ive got yakishake at number 1, Onigiri made with yakishake grilled salmon mixed chicken rice at number 2, Gomoku Five Ingredients mixed rice typically come with some of the following: matsutake, shiitake, bamboo shoots, burdock root, fresh soybeans, chestnuts, chicken, fish, or oysters. and maybe mentaiko roe at number 3? Mentaiko(̫) is the marinated roe of pollock and cod is a common ingredient in j.a.panese cuisine. The taste is salty, spicy, savoury and ocean-like. Ah, but the omurice one from the other day was yummy as well. Omurice in portable form As I gobbled down my onigiri, I suddenly got a call from Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan? Whats the matter? Theres a little something Id like to ask. Hm? Are you eating something, Reika? I just had fondant chocolate. Youre going to get fat eating that at night, you know. &h.e.l.lip;Ill be careful. Anyway, what was it you wanted? Oh right! There was this girl who gave Tak.u.mi a Valentines Chocolate! Valentines? Its been a pretty long time since. Why are you talking about it now? And who? Becausee! I only just found out today. I heard it from Tak.u.mis oneesan. The girl is his track and field club kouhai. Do you know her? Uh, you didnt even tell me her name, but no, I dont know her. Isnt it just obligatory chocolates? Reika. Youre making light of Tak.u.mi. Ridiculous. Its true that in primary school he had a cute face like a squirrel, but maybe because of the daily training, since entering middle school I think hes gotten pretty sharp-looking , okay? Find out what kind of girl she is. Mm~mm, if its just having a look, I dont mind. But Ive got a lot on my hands right now. Exactly what problems do you have? I started grumbling to Sakura-chan about my troubles as a cla.s.s rep. Reika, isnt it because youre so meek that theyre looking down on you? Go let them have it. And then maybe talk to Emperor too. Eehhh~ I cant do eiitherr of thosee~ Then give up. Uu&h.e.l.lip; Theyre not causing too much harm right now, so I want to avoid directly confronting them. Reika, you have a bad habit of running away and binge eating as stress relief, so you really need to be careful. What about doing yoga? Im doing yoga at home right now. Yoga, huhh. I know the word yoga, but all that comes to mind is Indians in acrobatic poses. Yoga calms the heart, you know. Eh-, but your heart isnt calm at all. But youre scary, so Im not going to say that. Since Sakura-chan gave me some recommendations on yoga DVDs, I guess Ill check them out later. Ive gotten pretty sick of hula hooping, so its good timing I guess. And maybe Ill even open my third eye? The next day, I went to have a look at that kouhai as per Sakura-chans orders.From what I could see as I peered into her cla.s.sroom from the hallway, and observed the surroundings, she was a tanned, energetic-looking girl. The complete opposite type to Sakura-chan, the archetype j.a.panese beauty. Now then, coming here was fine and all, but what do I do after this? What are you doing here, Reika-san? I jumped at the sudden voice from behind. When I turned around, I found Ririna standing there. What areyoudoing here, Ririna? What, you ask? This is my cla.s.sroom. Could it be that you needed me for something? This was Ririnas cla.s.sroom? Then does that mean shes in the same cla.s.s as that girl? Say, that Toriumi girl. What is she like? Why do you want to knowthat, Reika-san? There are some circ.u.mstances. Well apparently, shes a sports committee member, and her energy is her good point. Im not all that close to her yet, so I dont know much more. Do you guys know? Ririna started asking her subordinates instead.Her meek-looking subordinates gave answers like, I think shes in the track and field club. and Shes cheerful, and has a lot of friends. I see. Thank you. Also, thank you for getting along with Ririna. I hope you will continue to look after her. Why areyousaying that! Its none of your business, okay! Ririna turned a little red. Hey, ifyoufall, it gets me wrapped up as well, okay? More importantly, umm&h.e.l.lip; Ririna suddenly grabbed my arm, and brought me further into the hallway away from the others. Lately that Tsuruhana-senpai and her friends have been getting bolder towards your group but, are you okay? Even Ririna sees it that way? I am fine. They have nothing to do with us. Take care, alright? Ifyoufall, it gets me wrapped up as well, okay? She was thinking the same thing?This whole thing has turned into something pretty annoying. Anyway, I messaged Sakura-chan with exactly what I hear from Ririna and her group.She replied, I need you to continue your observations.Geez, I dont think you need to worry so much. Im sure they were obligatory, okay? Chapter 66 Tsuruhana-san has been getting bolder and bolder by the day.It looks like she doesnt even put me in her eyes anymore.Her and her friends always kick up a huge fuss to gain Kaburagis attention. Annoying to the extreme. How on earth could Kaburagi hold any interest towards her because of something like this.And my groups dissatisfaction has only been growing.A number of times now, the strong-willed Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan have led my group to b.u.t.t heads with them.And apparently each time, theyd be mocked Woww~ These goodie two shoes are soooo scaryyy~ which just angered them more. I cannot stand this any longer! They just keep getting noisier and dont reflect on how theyre bothering Kaburagi-sama at all! Reika-sama, please say something to them as well! Yeah! Even Tsuruhana-san shouldnt be able to stand up to you, Reika-sama! Whoawhoa, I dont have that kind of power, okay? Tsuruhana-san completely looks down on me.After all, Im pretty sure when we went on that excursion and she saw me struggling to climb the mountain, she decided that I was nothing to fear.I really struggled that day. Around the time I was only halfway up the mountain, she and her friends had apparently already been kicking a fuss around Enjou and Kaburagi on the summit.In the end Kaburagi snapped and yelled Shut up! though. And while all this was happening, I was getting the label of totally useless stuck to me.This is badd&h.e.l.lip;Isnt there some way to settle things peacefully?A few days later during a break, somebody stormed into our cla.s.sroom to yell.It was the new Student Council President. Oi, Tsuruhana! Stop barging into other peoples cla.s.ses! Youre causing trouble for the students here! Hahh? Who do you think you are, External? I dont want to be told that by vacuum-brains like you. Do as I say and come back. And also, dont think I cant see those piercings through your hair. Theyre against school regulations. Take them off. What did you say! Although a group of girls started glaring at him, he showed no signs of budging. Dont make me repeat myself. Take out your piercings, and get out of this cla.s.sroom. Weve received a flood of complaints about you. Maybe they were pressured because he was a whole head taller than them, but they harrumphed and then left.It felt like the whole room let out a sigh of relief.My cla.s.smates started looking at the President with a gaze of respect.Yup, as expected of you, Silver-Haired Stuco Pres.While I was applauding him in my mind, Silver Hair turned my way. And do your job as cla.s.s rep properly. I got scolded.Uu, sorry.Having said all that he needed to, the Student Council President left as well. This new Student Council President might be a little cool. Yeah, hes so manly. Ah! But he was so rude to Reika-sama. How unforgivable. No, I did not mind at all. The girls who were in a daze suddenly followed up on their comments to appease me.I really dont mind. Instead, Im thankful for his rescue. Yepyep, you really were a righteous guy, werent you, Silver Hair-kun.But wow, good job seeing those tiny piercings beneath the hair. Or was it that somebody tattled? As I recall, it was this Student Council President that went head to head with Emperor in last years cavalry battle, wasnt it. Actually, I thought he was cool too&h.e.l.lip; Eh-, actually, so did I&h.e.l.lip; Oh ho~? It looks like he already has a number of fans. And hes more approachable than the unattainable Kaburagi and Enjou duo. What was his name again? Minasaki-kun. Minasaki Arima-kun, I answered fluently.Everyone gaze me a surprised look, but of course I know him.Because Ive always secretly sympathised with him!As for why, its because he was in Kimidol, and as Emperors love rival who lost in the end, to me, hes a fellow stalking horse!Arima(has a horse) is an Atema(stalking horse)? Pfftpfftpfft, so silly.But although were both stalking horses, his position was decisively different to Kisshouin Reikas. He never did anything dirty like Reika did, and fought Emperor head-on until the end. Because of that, he even formed a friendship between men with Emperor.After spending all that time expressing your love for her, in the end you have your heroine s.n.a.t.c.hed away? Truly a stalking horse! If Im the evil stalking horse, then youre the good stalking horse! Were stalking horse comrades!You had silver hair in the manga, so it feels a little odd that your hair is black, but I think you look great like this too, Fellow Stalking Horse.And well, to begin with n.o.body in j.a.pan, or rather, n.o.body on earth actually grows silver hair. I think youd look good if you dyed it silver too, but you definitely wouldnt, would you.You know, it really was cool seeing the manga cover with black-haired Emperor and the silver-haired President flanking the heroine.But anyway, Im your ally, Fellow Stalking Horse. Ill watch over you, so feel free to head straight down your stalking horse highway! Reika-sama? Is something the matter? No, nothing of the sort. Everybody watched me with strange expressions. No good, no good.I smiled and pretended nothing happened. Fellow Stalking Horses warning was of no use because Tsuruhana-san and co. were indulging in Kaburagi appreciation as usual.And their hostility towards us became more and more obvious.Just recently, Tsuruhana-san finally knocked into me on purpose. My, Im so sorry, Kisshouin-san. Are you okayy? &h.e.l.lip;Yes. Youre not very athletic and youre slow too, so you really need to take more care of yourself. TWITCH.Tsuruhana-san and a few girls were snickering, but the other girls around realised things were bad and exchanged a look. Hey! What do you think youre doing to Reika-sama! It was an accident, I said. Youre so annoying. Whatt did you sayy! Oh c.r.a.p, its turning into an issue. I stopped them in a panic.It looks like Serika-chan and the others are close to their limit.I guess I cant hold on for much longer&h.e.l.lip; Today I went to my favourite hair salon.Phew, I can finally relax. At Okaasamas orders, I had the usual. Treatment for my hair, and a trim for its ends too.I elegantly enjoyed the herb tea they brought out. Ah-, this is&h.e.l.lip; The beautician was fiddling with my hair when her eyes went wide.Mn? Whats wrong? Reika-sama, you have a white hair back here. EEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! W-, White hair!? Yes. Its the middle so it isnt very noticeable though. See? It felt like my heart would stop from the shock.In the opposite mirror, there certainly was some white hair on the back of my head.Speaking of which, lately the back of my head has been feeling a little funny. I thought that perhaps a spirit was possessing me, but that was me growing white hair?Its the stress. I grew white hair because of stress. Didnt that happen to the Rococo Queen as well!A maiden in her third year of middle school with white hair&h.e.l.lip; Its okay, Reika-sama. Itll go back to normal in no time. It wouldnt be good to pluck it, so Ill snip it at the base. And lets give you a head spa too. Its not too good to be too tense. &h.e.l.lip;Please. I walked unsteadily over to the shampoo stand. Im done. At this rate, my whole head will turn white.Trading the silver-haired President for the white-haired Queen&h.e.l.lip; I resolved myself and made my decision. Yeah, hes so manly. The word used here was actually wairudo-kei, (wild type). If anybody has watched Ouran Host HS Club, the tall dude is often referred to as the wild type.According to my internet research, wild types are vaguely a.s.sociated with the following ideas: Instead of cultured and refined, theyre more rough and rugged.Instead of reserved, theyre bold.Instead of having pale skin, theyre tanned.Instead of having carefully done hair, more likely its messier or unstyled.Theyre vigorous and full of life and vitality.Theyre more muscular, and of a less skinny build.They look like theyd have a better chance of surviving if you threw them into the wild.Chopping wood (LOL) Oh, if youve read Mei Gongqing, theres a decent example. then if w.a.n.g Qiland is the refined type, then that makes Murong Ke the wild type, and maybe Ran Min too. Chapter 67 Today, my hair was curled extra perfectly. Last night I used a sheet mask that cost as much as 10,000 Yen per sheet, so my skin was soft and glossy too.My appearance was completely faultless today!After washing down my stomach medicine with some water, I took out my favourite fan from my chest of drawers. Its been getting warm recently, so I dont think it looks unnatural.Its a dainty and beautiful European folding fan with b.u.t.terfly-pattern black ribs, wrapped in violet and wine red leaves of a flower design. A perfect prop for my battle.I grasped it tightly in my hand.I am an actress, I am an actress&h.e.l.lip; An actress! Actress! Actress!Sally forth! To the frontlines! The issue is when to take action. Id like to avoid doing it during breaktime because of all the people here.I guess theres no option except after school. They dont usually leave right after cla.s.s, so I guess thats my chance.I hope it goes well. What a lovely fan, Reika-sama. Thank you. I very much like it too. I fiddled with the folding fan in my hand.When our eyes met, Tsuruhana-san snorted again as well, today.I cant delay things any longer. I need to settle this before any more white hairs appear.I waited impatiently for school to end. And I had plenty of stomach medicine to accompany me while I did. Since its scary by myself, I think Ill have Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan flank me. After a long time, school finally ended. With fan in hand, I left my seat. Serika-san, could you accompany me for a little while? I was thinking of having a word with Tsuruhana-san and her friends. Serika-chans eyes glinted with a sharp light.She began texting for her best friend Kikuno-chan. Serika-chan was thirstier for blood than I was.The other girls began gathering around us too. Well then, shall we go? When I curled my lips upwards, everyone gave a cold smile to match. When we left our cla.s.sroom, it didnt take long to find her . She was coming our way, surrounded by her gyarus.All the students who planned on leaving early had left, leaving us a hallway devoid of others.As I continued to open and close my fan, my eyes met with Tsuruhana-sans. Youre in my way, Kisshouin-san. Mind moving? Tsuruhana-san gave me a challenging smile, and her followers all started to snicker too.The girls around me immediately seethed with malice.Shutting my fan with a snap, I said, Tsuruhana-san. Who exactly do you think you are speaking to? Hah? Taking a step forward, I continued. Say, Tsuruhana-san. When on earth did you gain the right to speak tomein such a manner? A normal student like you, to a Pivoine member like me. I pointed my fan at her and suddenly glared dangerously.I could see the confidence in her eyes shake. It appears that the Pivoines influence has dwindled quite a bit. It surely has, has it not? For a personlike youto take this att.i.tudewith me. I drew closer. Oh. Or were you perhaps instead implying that the Tsuruhana family is even greater than the Kisshouin family?I had no idea. I never knew that my Kisshouin family had grown inferior to the Tsuruhana.But it seems thatyouat least, see it that way, correct?Or is that how theentireTsuruhana family sees it? That the Kisshouin family is one to make light of, that is.If that is the case, I must really have a word with my father. It seems like we will havea lotto deal with. Say, I continued with a smile, as she grew paler and paler. You know, I very much dislike conflict. Because of that, I have overlooked your behaviour for a long time. But lately, you seem to have gottena littlefull of yourself. Do you not think so? &h.e.l.lip; Or could it be, Tsuruhana-san, that your behaviour was actually a declaration of war? If that truly is the case, then with my power as a Pivoine, as well as with all my power as a Kisshouin,I do not mind keeping you company. Finally, grazing her cheek with my fan, I whispered into her ear, Well? Tapping the silent and still girl with my fan, I prompted her for an answer. &h.e.l.lip;My deepest apologies, Reika-sama, she replied bitterly and painfully, her skin still white as a sheet. I responded with the sweetest smile I could muster. Goodness. As long as you understand, I shall not give you any trouble, you know? Because I truly find no amus.e.m.e.nt in crushing you. As long as you refrain from irritating me, all shall be well. Are we clear? &h.e.l.lip;I understand. Well then, good friends of Tsuruhana-san, are we clear as well? Of course, if you are dissatisfied, please feel free to speak. As long as you are prepared for the consequences, I added, slapping the fan onto my palm. All of her friends hung their heads as well, expressing their joint agreement. Good. It brings me such joy that you are all so understanding. Please have a little moderation in your actions from now on. Well then, everybody, gokigenyou. After giving a final, dark, Enjou-styled smile, I turned my back to them, my skirt fluttering behind me.All of my followers followed suit and bade them farewell, before following behind me.Because I suddenly noticed a gaze, I looked forward to find Kaburagi giving me a disgusted look before walking away. You did it, Reika-sama! I feel so refreshed! That look on her face! It serves her right! When we arrived back in the cla.s.sroom, all of the girls erupted in joy.But almost none of their voices reached my ears.What the h.e.l.l was that look.That look that was completely looking down on me. What the h.e.l.l was that!Who do you think pushed me into doing something like this!DONT MESS WITH ME, YOU DUMBa.s.s! I need to head to the Pivoine for a little! Eh-, Reika-sama!? I flew out of the cla.s.sroom. The last thing I wanted was to use the power of my family.But I didnt have any other way. Could I have helped it?I know that if our family ever falls into ruin, doing this is only going to bite me back. What would I do if I get treated like Sara?The prosperous eventually decline. Pride will have a fall. I dontwannalive in a city beneath the wavesss!Wai-, hey! Even while Im agonising here, he still has no idea, does he!Kaburagi, I hope your whole head turns white! When I arrived at the salon, Kaburagi was enjoying tea with Enjou. I strode right towards them, and Kaburagi gave me a puzzled look. Kaburagi-sama, I need to have a word with you. &h.e.l.lip;What? Could you take some responsibility and begin cleaning up after your own messes? Could you not at least control your own followers? Its not like I tell them to follow me. They just make trouble on their own. To begin with, I dont even pay attention to them. And I have no recollection of accepting them as my followers. Because they made the decision to follow you, it is none of your business, you say? So you dare to say something so irresponsible. It truly makes one question whether you even have what it takes to be the next leader of the Kaburagi Group. What did you say! Did I misspeak? If you cannot even properly handle such a tiny group of people, I can scarcely imagine the difficulties you will have in the future. Since he glared at me, I glared back at him.Around that time, Enjou stepped in. Now, now, you calm down too, Kisshouin-san. Arent you letting the blood rush to your head a little? This time I glared at him. Couldyoustop pushing your friends problems onto me? I believe I have more than paid back the debt. Imsickof cleaning up after you. Oi! Masaya. Yeah, sorry about that. Ive caused you trouble, huh. I dont feel even a speck of sincerity from your apology, you know. Well then, I take my leave. Gokigenyou. Leaving the salon, I decided to just skip my lessons, and headed straight home. I was excited from my victory against Tsuruhana-san, and rash because of my anger at Kaburagi, but once all that cooled down I became terrified.I went and said something unbelievable to Kaburagi.Because I was so agitated, I had lost all sense of judgement. And of all things, I went and picked a fight with Kaburagi!Ive done it now. Ive so done it now.Oh my G.o.dd&h.e.l.lip;But it was all his fault, okay! I didnt do anything wrong! The moment I reached home, I hid under my futon and trembled.And then at some point I grew angry again and fell asleep as I sulked.When I woke up, I binged on salad-flavoured rice crackers. Even though I tried so hard to become an easy-to-get-along-with character, because of that stupid Kaburagi, I sped straight down the road to Domineering Reika-sama, didnt I!G.o.ddammmitttt, Ill open a pack of mugichoco too! Chapter 68 The next day, I was afraid of going to school.I was already nervous about people looking at me differently because I unveiled Domineering Reika-sama, but I also went and disparaged Kaburagi in the salon, so if that spread Id be completely isolated.And as for how angry Kaburagi was&h.e.l.lip; Just imagining it was terrifying!Looking left and right for any enemy attacks, I carefully entered the cla.s.sroom.He wasnt here yet. But I cant let down my guard. Good morning, Reika-sama. Gokigenyou, Reika-sama. My friends all greeted me with a smile. What nice smiles. Is it because they got to vent their pent-up feelings? Gokigenyou. I sat down at my seat. And then people gathered around me. Uhuhu, yesterday was terribly refreshing, wasnt it, Reika-sama. Serika-chan was wearing a cruel smile.One of Tsuruhana-sans group was sitting in the corner of the cla.s.sroom, and when our eyes met by chance, she looked away frightened.Uh oh. Did I threaten them too much? Say, everybody. Those girls seem to be reflecting already, so let us not continue this. I have already forgiven them. Eh, but, I do not think that Kaburagi-sama would look well upon us girls being so vicious to each other. Everyone looked like they realised some shocking revelation.Well, its not really something I should be saying after picking a fight with him though. Ifyousay so, then&h.e.l.lip; After giving each other a look, everybody nodded. Thank goodness. Kaburagi is incredibly effective, isnt he. On the other hand, I can only imagine how quickly theyll abandon me if they know I became Kaburagis enemy. Kyah! Its Emperor and Enjou-sama! Eh- Kaburagi, and for some reason Enjou as well, suddenly entered the cla.s.sroom. Oh c.r.a.p, are they here to announce my death sentence!? Are they here to take me to the guillotine!?My heart pounded as I waited for the enemys move. Geh-! Hes coming this way!The girls sitting around me displayed some unwanted consideration and parted left and right. Kaburagi was right in front of my eyes now.M-, My stomach&h.e.l.lip;Suddenly, his fist smacked down on my head. NGYAH-! OW! I-I BELIEVE IN NON-VIOLENCE! AND I LET OUT A WEIRD VOICE! Were even now. As I was cradling my head and moaning, Kaburagi left those words before heading back to his seat. Hah? Aahh, sorry about that, Kisshouin-san. I kiiinda have something to talk to you about. Are you free? All of my followers started kicking up a fuss again. Ah, deja vu.But it was impossible to refuse this time. I want a peaceful school life.My friends seemed to be having another terrible misunderstanding, because I was seen off under their envious gazes. As I rubbed my head, I was once again taken to that staircase.Scary&h.e.l.lip; Is this guy my executioner!? Is your head okay? He really shouldnt have hit you. But well, at least thats his way of apologising. Apologising? You apologise by punching people in the head? We had a good talk after you left, yesterday. We realised that we were being kind of irresponsible, and reflected on it. But Masayas just stubborn, so he couldnt bring himself to apologise honestly. Thats why he said stuff about being even instead. What the heck. What a loser emperor.But then, does that mean that Kaburagi isnt angry anymore?Im not going to be enemies with all the Kaburagi fans? I explained to everyone in the salon. I told them that we did something to make you angry. Luckily there werent too many people. I made sure to forbid them from speaking, so there shouldnt be any rumours. Um, thank you very much. Also, Ive reflected on what I did as well. Sorry. Enjou gave me a bow.Uwah, being apologised to makes it scarier and scarier! Ummmmm, so does that mean that we will forget about what happened yesterday? I asked timidly. Of course, he nodded. Is he reallly being honest~? Is he acttuallyy still plotting something~? Sooo suspiciouss~ Your expression says that you dont trust me at all. Am I really so untrustworthy? Er, I cant really say that to your face, so Im going to pretend I didnt hear it. What a great skill this is. I really do feel bad though. As an apology for Masayas punch too, please give me a good hit. Ehh, is this his plan to get more blackmail material?But well, I still want vengeance for my stomach and hair.But Ill pa.s.s, since its suspicious. And Im an ojousama. Violence is just beyond me. If you dont at least hit me, I wont be able to feel at ease. Dont worry, and just hit me. Although Im not Masaya, this time well really count it as even, okay? You truly will not hold a grudge? For example, using this to threaten me later. I wont, I said. Hmmmm~ Then should I just do it?Enjou leant his face forward a little to make it easier to punch.I see. Well then. GUH-! A gouging hook to the solar plexus.If I hit you on the face, everybody would see, right? Its a basic skill to hit where they cant see. Well then, I suppose we truly are even now. Right, Enjou-sama? Enjou quickly nodded again and again as he clutched his stomach.Alright!I left Enjou behind and returned happily to my cla.s.sroom.I dont really get it, but I somehow managed to escape the guillotine! Looks like the Rococo Queen escaped being turned into a dullahan!Maybe Ill reward myself later with some high calorie Annatorte~ Annatorte, a signature cake of Caf Demel, famous also for its Sachertorte. Layers of chocolate sponge and chocolate b.u.t.ter cream, with a strong chocolate taste and a hint of hazelnut. With all of the annoyances settled, I pa.s.sed each day in great spirits.At Sakura-chans demand, I went and investigated Akizawa-kun and that kouhai girl.Hmmm~ I guess youcouldsay that theyre close?But in the end I wasnt sure, so I decided to ask the man himself.I quietly followed Akizawa-kun and waited for my chance. When there was n.o.body else around, I softly whispered out to him. Akizawa-kun, Akizawa-kun. UWAH-! Kisshouin-san!? Why are you in the shadows like that? Is there really a need to be that surprised? There was a little something I wanted to ask you. Eh-, what? To be blunt, what kind of relationship do you have with Torishima-san? Eh-! Akizawa-kun gave me a startled expression. Oh my? Why are you asking something like that? I was told to investigate. &h.e.l.lip;Sakurako, huh. Kisshouin-san, you seem to be quite close to her. Even though shes so afraid of strangers. Afraid of strangers? That queen with the tongue of poison? Does Akizawa-kun not know her true self? I cannot reveal my client. Well? What kind? Ehhhhh&h.e.l.lip; I dont really&h.e.l.lip; Just a normal senpai-kouhai relationship? Hmmmm. What a terribly vague att.i.tude. She gave you a Valentines chocolate, did she not? Was it obligatory? It cannot be that it was a serious one? &h.e.l.lip;I guess she might have written something like that in the card? What the! So Sakura-chan reallywason the mark!? Im sorry for making light of you. Dont tell anybody, okay? Naturally. Well, what did you do? I told her sorry and rejected her. And she said that she understood. That should have been the end, but the other day Neesan went and spoke about how I got a chocolate from a girl in front of Sakurako. Apparently Neesan just decided to enter my room. Goodness. And then Sakurako asked me why I kept it hidden. Uwahh, interrogation by Sakura-chan? How scaryy. It feels like Sakurakos been angry the whole time since then. What do I do? Hmmm. How about asking her out on a date? Eh-, a date!? Yes. Lately you have been doing nothing but training, so I think she has been lonely. I am sure she would be overjoyed to go on a date with you. As for where, let me see&h.e.l.lip; How about paddle boating at Inokashira Park? It is quite a standard couples spot. Inokashira Park in western Tokyo. A popular tourist attraction. But a date? Were not really like that, but&h.e.l.lip; Mn, Ill try it. Thanks, Kisshouin-san. Not at all. I saw him off with a smile.But maan~ I did pretty good, huh!I even received some info on Torishima-san from one of Ririnas underlings, but it looks like I wont have to use it.May fortune smile upon the clichd osananajimi couple! Chapter 69 Its time for the cla.s.s trip again, or the learning excursion as its officially called.The middle school trip goes to Los Angeles in America. I tried my very best to cut down on the luggage, but I ended up needing both a suitcase and a carry on bag.But I had to pack enough blouses for a few days, as well as spare uniform jackets and skirts. I needed clothes other than my school uniform too, and Im bringing a few shoes too, so in the end my suitcase was full in an instant.Then again, vacations with your family would have even more luggage, so I think I did pretty well this time.I sure am looking forward to it~ The trip is technically for learning, but were just sightseeing and arent learning a thing.For example we went to visit places like the Chinese Theatre and Beverly Hills, and then did some shopping at Rodeo Drive.There, we went to that famous jeweller known for its blue box, and my close friends and I bought matching necklaces to commemorate the occasion.We discussed the motifs like the heart, keys, leaves etc. and in the end we chose a cross.Everyone put theirs on right after purchase. The blouse of my uniform covered it up, but it was new and matching, so just wearing it lifted my spirits. Its so friend-like to have matching stuff! I kind of want to shop even more now.Everything was listed in dollars, and since Im paying for things by card, my money sense was a bit messed up. Before I knew it, my two hands were filled with spoils of war. Its scary how I bought all this stuff I dont even need. Im not going to look at any windows anymore. The hotel were staying at is a first cla.s.s hotel fit for Suiran. Dinner was mostly hearty meat dishes. As expected of America. There was a lot.I felt bad leaving stuff on the plate, so I decided to clean up every meal. It was delicious, so it was no problem.Or so I thought, but it didnt take long for my stomach to feel weird. I guess eating so much eat everyday might be a bit much for me. And it wasnt just dinner, it was lunch too. Does this country have nothing but meat!Anyway, there was just a lot of it, so I desperately needed bread to go with it. Actually, just the bread enough would have been fine. I love carbohydrates, so eating meat, meat, meat is really tough on me. I want to eat tofu. My stomach feels oddly heavy&h.e.l.lip;Serika-chan, who was staying in the same room as me, said, Its a bit hard eating all this before bed, isnt it. But Serika-chan, you left some meat on your plate, didnt you?I get the feeling that everyones faces have gotten rounder during this trip&h.e.l.lip;I brought some snacks as emergency rations in case I didnt like the food here, but my stomach feels so bad I dont even want to touch them.At night I did some exercises with Serika-chan said to help with digestion, but it didnt feel like it worked at all. After that we went on a field trip to a protestant school.Its not even a sister school, so why are we here?I thought, but just going around eating, buying, and playing at amus.e.m.e.nt parks wouldnt const.i.tute much learning, so I guess they added this to itinerary for show.In front of real Christians, I suddenly felt guilty about the cross I was wearing under my uniform. I noticed the other girls were looking around at each others blouses too. Perhaps we really should have gone with flowers or a heart. Yes&h.e.l.lip; But it was a lovely school with a nice sense of freedom. When I saw all these American schoolgirls lying about on the wide garden, I was likeIts just like a foreign drama!and got all excited. It kind of made me want to study abroad. We ended up having lunch at that school as well.Ive actually been secretly looking forward to it. The school is vegetarian so there wont be meat! My stomach can finally have a break!Now then, I wonder what well have? Or so I wondered with sparkling eyes, but they carried out something completely brown.I timidly had a taste&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;This is bad. What is this strange flavour.I dont know what this is, but it might be worse than hospital food. I dont think evenIcan eat this. Whats gluten?Thanks to the rapid meat attack Ive been forced to endure, Id be fine skipping a meal but&h.e.l.lip;Looking around, I found that n.o.body else was really eating either. I guess theyre the same as me. Why couldnt they have just given us salad. Why did they give us this weird-tasting weird-textured stuff.Incidentally, Kaburagi was eating indifferently.Its a little surprising.I was sure that Kaburagi was the type to leave behind anything he didnt like.This food is definitely untasty, but Kaburagi hadnt let out a peep about it.&h.e.l.lip;Yeah. This school prepared us with this food, so it would be rude to leave stuff behind. Im reflecting.I began learning from Kaburagi and forcing myself to eat. But, uu&h.e.l.lip; It tastes so bad. How on earth is he keeping his poker face, eating this stuff!?In the end, we were offered between carrot cake and mint cake, and when I chose the latter out of curiosity, this bright blue cake was brought out to be. This is impossible&h.e.l.lip;I met eyes with Kaburagi. He looked at me, and then at my cake, and then had this expression like I was some pitiful weirdo. What the heck! After that, we just went to amus.e.m.e.nt parks every day.Thinking about it, this is my first time going with my Suiran friends. That kind of makes me happy!In my excitement, I rode one ride after another, and then ended up motion sick&h.e.l.lip;Americas D*sneyland is a lot more exciting, and also a lot scarier than j.a.pans. And arent these rides a lot longer too?Maybe its the curse of the meat dishes, but Im feeling terrible.I guess Ill need to rest for a bit. Are you all right, Reika-sama? Yes. I think I will be fine after a little rest. Please pay me no mind and continue enjoying the rides. Worried about me, Serika-chan and the girls suggested staying with me, but I had them enjoy themselves instead. They said they would come back to check on me after the first ride, but I told them not to worry and just have fun. Plus, some other girls seemed to want a rest too. While I was sitting on a bench and s.p.a.cing out, I saw Kaburagi and Enjou walk past. Kaburagi seemed to be enjoying himself, unlike his usual poker face. So he actually liked amus.e.m.e.nt parks?Together with his guy friends, Kaburagi was briskly walking from ride to ride. And behind him followed Tsuruhana-sans group. Theyve all got so much energy.Everyone is in casual clothing today, so it was hard to tell Suiran students from the other tourists. Well, its a big place. I wonder if theres anyone else I know~Wha-, ah!Its Maiden Cla.s.s Rep walking together with Miharu-chan!There were other kids with them too, but Cla.s.s Rep and Miharu-chan are going to the attractions together!d.a.m.niittt! An amus.e.m.e.nt park date? Im so jealouss! A while later when my friends came back, a bunch of male students were with them. Apparently they met each other in the lines, so they rode the rides together. Theyre kinda looking at each other and smiling. Eh-, why did everyone go on pseudo-dates while I wasnt around!?And why did the boys leave once the girls reached my side? Arent we supposed to go on more rides together?Could it be&h.e.l.lip; No, its your imagination. Its okay, Reika. Dont think about it. At night we went to the haunted house. It was night, so somehow the atmosphere was just better. Speaking of which, apparently a ghost appeared at last years summer camp. Right, right. A girl from Cla.s.s 5 saw it. A dripping wet yuurei woman! I heard that she was gnawing a corpse. Everyone started talking about how scary it was.Im the one whos scared, okay. The rumours just keep spreading&h.e.l.lip; Reika-sama, didnt you partic.i.p.ate in last years summer camp as well? Yes. But I dont know anything about it at all. Im definitely not going again this year. After coming back from my meat galore trip, I gained three kilos. What do I do!And it feels like all the girls except me are closer to the boys now! Why!? There, we went to that famous jeweller known for its blue boxShe refers to Tiffanys. Chapter 70 Year 5 was my first time being in the same cla.s.s as Kisshouin-san.She was a particularly conspicuous girl, so I had known about her before that, though.A member of the famous Pivoine, and the young lady of the Kisshouin family. A hairdo like a princess. Beautiful, but a little scary, and very difficult to approach.That was my first impression of her. And once she was surrounded by her friends, her impact only increased.I dont know why, but somehow I ended up being cla.s.s representative with her during Year 6.Normally, n.o.body from the Pivoine would agree to such a role. And of all people, to think it was that Kisshouin-san who ended up as cla.s.s rep.But thinking about it now, in 5th Grade she was part of the executive committee for the athletics meet. Looking back, I was surprised back then too. I was a little nervous about being cla.s.s rep with her. Kisshouin-sans group is quite harsh to boys that arent Kaburagi-kun or Enjou-kun.But surprisingly, Kisshouin-san did all her jobs as vice rep properly. Particularly striking was that her grip on the girls made everything go more smoothly.And once Kisshouin-san came around, even the boys who often forgot their hand-ins would hurriedly bring them the next day.Its amazing. Its not like she threatened them either, but there was just this silent pressure around her.It kind of made you want to shout The Boss Lady is here! Anyway, about that Kisshouin-san. When I called her out to help with work, she would respond quite normally.She looks likethat, and even the way she speaks is your model Suiran ojousama, but she was surprisingly&h.e.l.lip; amiable?Even when I asked her to help with ch.o.r.es, she agreed without a problem. Could it be that shes actually one of those people that cant say no?I actually wanted to be cla.s.s rep with Honda-san just like last year, but I might be lucky to have gotten Kisshouin-san since we have our cla.s.s trip this year. Honda-san. I have a crush on Honda Miharu-san.I started liking her last year while we were cla.s.s reps together, but I couldnt find the courage to really talk to her.When I went to the matchmaker shrine, I got Great Blessing though.I wonder if Kisshouin-san could give me some advice. Im kind of hoping to get a message from Honda-san in my graduation yearbook. When I told Kisshouin-san this, she happily agreed to help me. Ever since that day, Ive occasionally consulted Kisshouin-san for love advice. When I became a middle schooler, I ended up in Kisshouin-sans cla.s.s again. And again, we ended up being cla.s.s reps together.Im not timid around her any more, and the two of us talk without a problem. But her appearance is as hard to approach as ever.If you look carefully though, sometimes there are moments when her image collapses.One time, she was walking through the garden at lunch break. I was pa.s.sing by coincidentally, but a bird p.o.o.ped on her head in that very moment! Kyaa! Reika-sama! A bird&h.e.l.lip;! On Reika-sama&h.e.l.lip;! The girls around her started shouting things like, Quickly! To the infirmary! and Its all right! It will come off in a flash! Please keep a hold of yourself! and took the dumbfounded Kisshouin-san away as though to hide her. And to think that it hit her out of all those girls&h.e.l.lip; Ill never forget how her eyes almost rolled back.Speaking of which, she was surrounded by deers during our primary school cla.s.s trip too. Maybe she has some bad karma with animals.That day, Kisshouin-san left school early. Kisshouin-san fell in love.The guy was a third year, the Student Council President. Kisshouin-san seems to be trying to hide it, but I immediately noticed.After all, even when I was given things to take to the Student Council Room, she could s.n.a.t.c.h it away from the side.And each time she came back from the StuCo Room, she would be muttering to herself with a smile.You cant, Kisshouin-san! If somebody sees you like that, theyll think that youre a weirdo! I tried telling her in a round-about way. Kisshouin-san, did something good happen? You seem really happy. Goodness&h.e.l.lip; she replied, with her face covered by her hands. Thank goodness. She stopped after that. But the Student Council President, huh. Is she into those charismatic types? Kisshouin-sans love didnt seem to be working out. I havent made any progress with Honda-san, so I really know how you feel!While we were talking, she told me about a matchmaking shrine here in Tokyo.Its embarra.s.sing for a guy to go by himself, but since she went out of her way to tell me, I decided to go after all. Kisshouin-san, I checked out the shrine and got a fortune too. My. Is that so. How was the fortune? Mn, unfortunately I only got Middle Blessing. I see&h.e.l.lip; You got one too, didnt you. How was it? &h.e.l.lip;I got Blessing. Ah, I see. Thats a shame. &h.e.l.lip; Is she making that weird expression because she got Blessing? Then again, you cant really call it a good result, so.Kisshouin-san quietly clucked her tongue. A girl shouldnt do things like that, Kisshouin-san. After a while, Kisshouin-san completely stopped making her visits to the Student Council.Oh? Thats weird,I thought, so I asked her, You havent been going to the Student Council recently, have you? but with a dreadful expression she said, Did you know, Cla.s.s Rep? First loves never bear fruit, you know~ They never bear fruit~ Cla.s.s Rep! and chased after me like she was cursing me. Thats scary, Kisshouin-san! When we parted that day, just before she left, she turned around and grinned at me. Demons, begone! When I got home later, I wrote my first love poem. Ill exorcise this taint through poetry! Incidentally, for some reason Kisshouin-san will say pensively every autumn, Its the season for moon viewing, isnt it~ I guess despite all her quirks, shes still Kisshouin Reika. How refined.She might be an oddball in a few places, and sometimes she looks at couples with resentful eyes, but the soft-hearted and occasionally silly Kisshouin-san is somebody I really like. But I have to say,heobserves her quite a bit too. During the bird p.o.o.p incident, he was smiling away. ????? Enjou-kun is my idol. He does everything with a smile on his face, and even though he never looks like he studies very hard, his grades are always top cla.s.s.Rather than Kaburagi-kun whos like an absolute and charismatic ruler, I prefer Enjou-kuns gentle atmosphere more.Even when Kaburagi-kun stays quiet, people get this urge to serve him. Hes good at sports and academics. His pedigree and wealth are beyond criticism too. Hes perfect. Sometimes when I see him gazing out the window, I cant help but feel how much more mature he is than me. But all that makes him too scary to approach.In that regard, Enjou-kun is the opposite because of how he always talks to people with a smile. When I entered my first year of middle school, I ended up in the same cla.s.s as Enjou-kun. I was cla.s.s rep, but between the schism with the Internals and Externals, and all the girls gunning for Enjou-kun, everything was just insane.Each time it was Enjou-kun who would ask me Are you okay? and help me out. Whenever the girls who liked him became too much, he would always warn them gently so that they wouldnt be hurt. When it came to the Externals, he would direct them to the right people and committees to help them acclimate to the school.That casual consideration for people&h.e.l.lip;! My fellow rep Honda-san was entranced by him too. In my third year of middle school, I was worried about how I was cla.s.s rep for Kaburagi-kuns cla.s.s. Enjou-kun suggested Kisshouin-san for the vice rep.Isnt Kisshouin-san the female version of Kaburagi-kun!Shes always smiling and surrounded by her friends, the number one girl that you dont want to make an enemy of.If Kaburagi-kun is the Emperor, then Kisshouin-san is the Empress. Scaryy!But in the end, Kisshouin-san agreed. As expected of Enjou-kun. To think he could even persuade Kisshouin-san.As for Kisshouin-san herself, she turned out to be easier to talk to than Id expected.But Im still a little nervous. The pressure from the girls behind her is especially nerve-wracking&h.e.l.lip; Anyway, a certain group of girls waved the flag of revolt against her. It was Tsuruhana-sans group.Sparks flew between the two groups for a while, but Kisshouin-san herself simply wore a relaxed smile like they were no threat.As vice rep she occasionally warned them for their conduct, but Tsuruhana-sans group would shrug it off, and Kisshouin-san would leave right after.Personally, I think it would be better if she told them off a little more harshly though. But its Kisshouin-san. She probably has some plan.Because of the two groups, the atmosphere of the cla.s.s grew strained. The only ones who didnt seem to care were Kaburagi-kun and Kisshouin-san. As expected of them. Theyre different to the rest of us.But I have the feeling that something is going to happen soon. After all, Kisshouin-sans smile never reaches her eyes. It finally happened.This morning Kisshouin-san came in with a fan. She had more impact than ever. It was like some strange aura was being emitted from her body.After school, Kisshouin-san left the cla.s.sroom smiling, flanked by her close friends.The remaining cla.s.smates exclaimed things like, So shes finally making her move!? and G.o.ddess Kali is here! in their excitement.But everyone was too afraid of going to watch.The next day, Tsuruhana-sans group didnt come to our cla.s.s. When I asked my friends in other cla.s.ses, they told me that the group was acting abnormally quiet.Apparently the fight ended in Kisshouin-sans overwhelming victory.A hero who secretly watched the fight told me in shivers, Her Majesty the Queen struck down her hammer of wrath. You definitely cant oppose the Queen! After that, Kaburagi-kun, famous for being cold to girls, gave Kisshouin-san a friendly rap on the head, which caused the girls to go wild. Not only that, but she was getting along with Enjou-kun too!She really is from a different world to us. Kisshouin Reika, the scariest person to make an enemy of.Although, when I talked to the cla.s.s rep from Cla.s.s 5, he told me, Shes just a funny person. Even Enjou-kun said, Kisshouin-san is a fun person, so maybe I should start looking at her without preconceptions. But there wasnt anything particularly funny about her.At most there were just a few instances. Like the time during the cla.s.s trip when there was blue cake that everyone else gave up on, and she finished with a smile. Or how after eating that blue cake that n.o.body else did, she seemed to be sick for the rest of the trip. Or how at D*sneyland, for some reason she was the only one who ended up soaked, and her friends were cheering her up.Oh, and that one time at the hotel when I caught her standing on one leg in the hallway. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me, This is the Tree Pose in Yoga. Is she doing Yoga because shes the G.o.ddess Kali? She told me, I recommend the Firefly Pose and the Eagle Pose, but I politely declined. Kisshouin-san was spotted by her roommate Kazami-san, who quickly dragged her into their room. I guess ordinary people like me will never understand somebody amazing like Kisshouin-san. Chapter 71 During the summer break, I bought a stepper machine to vanquish my excess flab.Although becoming a high schooler is pretty much guaranteed in an escalator school like Suiran, Im still technically preparing to take an exam, so I thought it would be good if I studied and exercised.With a reference book in hand, Ive been stepping on the stepper. Step step step.Recently I saw this supermodel in a magazine say, I dont drink anything with calories in it, The scales really fell from my eyes. I decided to stop drinking my favourite sweet milk tea. I gradually grew thinner as I continued this lifestyle. At summer cram school, even Aoi-chan told me, You look a bit smaller now. Yes! Speaking of Aoi-chan, apparently she was aiming to get into a national high school so the exam is going to be pretty hard. Thanks to that, she has to start studying now. I hope she takes care of her health&h.e.l.lip; Thanks to using the stepper all summer, I ended up back at my original weight. After that I was so sick of the stepper that I chucked it into the same corner as my hula hoop. When Term 2 started, I went to school for the first time in a while. Even though it had only been a month, I was a little shocked at how everyone seemed just a little more mature.Especially the boys. They were just shooting up like bean sprouts. Some of them were completely different.Ive stopped growing ages ago, but I guess this is when boys really start to grow. During your growth spurts, sometimes your bone pains keep you awake, dont they. Sounds rough.While everyone was talking about their holiday, I overheard that no ghosts appeared at this years summer camp. Apparently the hotel performed an exorcism before the camp began&h.e.l.lip; Im so sorry. After clearing the hurdle that was the mid-term exams, it was finally time for the Athletics Carnival.It happens every year, but this year was special. I was in Emperors cla.s.s this time.As the cla.s.s reps, Monk-kun and I had to find out who was partic.i.p.ating in which events.After everyone filled in the spots for the safer options, all that was left was the cavalry battle.His Imperial Majesty was sitting in his chair with his arms crossed, gazing over the citizens.One by one, boys who seemed confident in their arm or leg strength were nominated.The nominees all had grim expressions on their faces. Yeah. Try your best.There were other strong-looking boys but since they had grown taller during the break they werent used to their heights yet. Thanks to the trouble with their balance, it seems they were exempt this time. Isnt that great? Be thankful to your growth spurts.The chosen horse members were apparently going to undergo special training at the Kaburagi house. Ive always wondered where he did that each year. After all, I never saw him doing it at school or anything.Apparently what the training actually involves is top secret, as are the tactics. I wonder what on earth is driving him to take this cavalry battle so seriously&h.e.l.lip; Since Im the cla.s.s rep, I ended up going to the Student Council Room a lot to help prepare for the Athletics Carnival.The President is Stalking Horse. I couldnt help but observe him in curiosity. His hair really is black to the roots.Stalking Horse noticed my gaze and looked at me suspiciously. What? Eh, ahh~ I was just wondering if you were joining the cavalry battle as well. As I recall, last year he battled it out with Emperor until the end. Naturally he was no match though. &h.e.l.lip;Are you scouting? No, no, nothing of the sort. I am, but thats all Im telling you. Goodness, hes so guarded. Also, Yes? Dont think that Ill go easy on anybody because theyre a Pivoine. He looked at me with a strong gaze.Aahh, this guy was anti-Pivoine wasnt he. That sounds perfect. Please give your all. But the enemy is much more of a cavalry battle maniac than Stalking Horse suspects. I bet hes at home practising right now.Having finished what I needed to do, I exited the StuCo room. But before I left, President, have you ever wanted to dye your hair silver? Silver? No way. Thought soo~ On the day of the Athletics Carnival, the sky was nice and clear. Perfect for the Emperors arrival at the battlefront.Since Emperor was doing the baton relays as well, he practised for that too. Over and over, he drilled into the relay members how important a smooth transfer of the baton was, and made them practice countless times. So fired up. Just how is this guy supposed to be the cool-type.Emperors Horse members got pretty ripped in the short time since they were chosen. Just what on earth did he do to you&h.e.l.lip; And its scary how your eyes are all fiery.But anyway, Id better be careful as well. If I mess up, I might anger the Emperor. After I partic.i.p.ated in the spoon relay and tug of war, I went to do the ball-toss event.Maybe thanks to my stepper machine, it felt like my legs had more strength now. Picking up and throwing the b.a.l.l.s was easier than last year.Around that time, a ball smacked me in the back of my head.I yelled out, Ow! in reflex, and when I turned around I found a male cla.s.smate frantically apologising, Im sorry! I didnt mean to! I didnt mean to! Yeah, I get that already. Could you not be so frightened of me? For some reason it looked like everyone was throwing carefully away from me. Is this just persecution complex?In the end, my cla.s.s didnt do well in the ball-toss. Thanks to that, the Emperor was in a bad mood when we returned. Geez~ Eventually, the fated time arrived. The cavalry battle.The Emperors team arriving with the dignity of a ruler, and the one other team from our cla.s.s that was being treated like a sacrificial p.a.w.n. Apparently they didnt get any special training. Try your best on your own.When they gave the start signal, the teams around Emperor were taken down one after another. Perhaps the other teams were trying to avoid him because they were all gathered far away.Emperor moved to hunt them. For the first time in a while, Night on Bald Mountain played in my head. Thank goodness I was born a girl. As the Emperor was taking down his enemies&h.e.l.lip; suddenly, a 1st year team charged in at the Emperor! How reckless! UOOHHHHHH! The 1st year rider bravely attacked, but he was still no match for the Emperor. First his arm was grabbed, and then not only was his headband was ripped out along with his hair, he was tossed to the ground as well. d.a.m.nNIITTTTTTTT! No, no, I really admire your spirit, First Year-kun. You look like a muddy mess though.Emperor snorted at him atop his steed, before heading off to battle Stalking Horse. At some point, the two of them had become the last riders.Stalking Horse was fired up too. The two riders measured the distance between each other before breaking into a gallop.Stalking Horse was even stronger than he was last year. But the difference in the quality of their steeds was evident.Even whilst the two riders battled up top, the horses were engaging in a kicking contest to destroy the others balance.In the end, Emperor timed his attack with the kicks below, and splendidly protected his victory by defeating Stalking Horse, steed and all. After the battle, Emperor announced that he would be retiring from his partic.i.p.ation in cavalry battles. The Cavalry Battle Emperor became a legend. What the heck is retire from cavalry battles supposed to mean, anyway&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 72 Winter came, and I began seriously studying for my entrance exams. I know it doesnt really matter in an elevator school, but well, may as well.Once I enter the high school section, the newly arrived External Students will drop my rankings even lower, after all. I have to start studying now to prepare. And so today, once again, I was studying with my home tutor.Since Karin-sensei was looking for a job now and quit her role as tutor, the one teaching me was her younger sister, Marin-sensei. Just like Karin-sensei, shes a student at a national university. These sisters sure are smart~ At this rate, I think youll definitely pa.s.s your internal exams. Really? If you continue studying like this until the last day, that is. I see~ But if you tell me something like that Ill get lazy in no time, so please dont praise me so much.Procrastination has been engraved in my karma since my previous life. Speaking of which, I rarely ever do see your Oniisama, Reika-sama. Yes, now that you mention it. Ever since his coming-of-age ceremony, Oniisama has been busy with both school and our family business, so things have been hectic for him. Most of the time he isnt even back in time for dinner so I cant just casually ask him to play anymore.But even though Oniisama is so busy that he can never get home in time for dinner, why is it that Otousama never comes home late? Otousama, arent you overworking Oniisama?*gasp!* Could it be that he found some fraud and has been busy with the cover-up!? That has to be it. Try your best, Oniisama!Ill make him a bentou sometime. A hand-made bentou filled with his little sisters love. Ill bet hell be happy. Ill use sakura denbu to draw a heart on the rice. Sakura denbu, pink fish flakes often used as a topping for rice. Get ready for a surprise, uu-pft-pft. Bentou drawings should be a good challenge for me. Your Oniisama is so dreamy. From all the rumours I hear, I cant even imagine that hes younger than my sister! My. I had no idea. Karin-sensei was actually the type who loves celebrity gossip?But Oniisama really is dreamy. When he studies or reads books he puts on his gla.s.ses, and always looks really intellectual. As a fan of pretty boys with gla.s.ses, it really sends my heart beating. Is Oniisama your type, Karin-sensei? Well, its a bit hard to say this but Takateru-sama is for viewing and admiration. If I was looking for a boyfriend, Id go for somebody more normal. Is there somebody like that in mind!? Well, no. But I guess theres a guy in my grade whos been going after me~? Hes the opposite of my type though. Its a bit embarra.s.sing, but I prefer guys more like the vocalists in visual kei bands. Goodness~ So you prefer skinny and fair-skinned guys in leather? Yeah. Its embarra.s.sing though. You say you prefer normal guys, and then go for visual kei singers?What a surprising side to a studious girl like her. By the way, whats your type, Reika-sama? Eh&h.e.l.lip; Just what, I wonder. Perhaps somebody earnest and kind. Im not sure since I havent liked anybody since Tomoe-senpai.Sometimes I hear Juliet-Kasumi-senpai brag about him though. How nice~ Everyone seems to be so happy. The guy whos been coming after me is earnest too but, hes kinda&h.e.l.lip; overwhelming. Is he troubling you? In that case, what if you got on a boat with him at Inokashira Park? Hmm, but isnt that only for couples? It is said that, if you ride the boats on Inokashira Parks pond with a girlfriend, you will surely break up soon. Really? Sakura-chan was completely enraged though. She was like a real-life Hannya. The Hannya () mask is a mask used in Noh theater, representing a jealous female demon. It possesses two sharp bull-like horns, metallic eyes, and a leering mouth. Honestly terrifying.Really, it was just a bit of a joke. JUST BECAUSE YOURE SAD AND ALONE, DOESNT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TEAR OTHERS APART! she said. Her expression was incredible but, Sakura-chan, you two arent actually a couple yet, right? And if youre really a fated couple, then small tribulations like this are essential. Confidence in your relationship is important, okay? Forever Alone Village, currently accepting villagers. It was still technically an entrance exam, so I decided for a change of pace to visit a shrine and pray to the G.o.d of Learning.I knew that they sold Praying for entrance pencils, but I had no idea they even had Victory headbands too.But then on the news you often see reports about kids skipping New Years celebrations and studying frantically with a headband on their foreheads, so maybe these Victory ones are actually pretty standard?Once you consider Emperors abnormal obsession with headbands, maybe theres just something about them that makes people try harder.It seemed interesting, so I bought myself one along with the pencil. And then extras for Aoi-chan too. None for Scary Hannya Sakura. Shes a nagging youkai.Aoi-chans been getting more and more ragged by the day. Im really worried. I wrote Please let Aoi-chan pa.s.s on my wooden prayer plaque, and prayed hard for her.But even though people call Tenjin-sama the G.o.d of Learning, in life he was actually demoted wasnt he. Can he really bless us like that?Or so went my blasphemous thoughts when a bird p.o.o.p attack came. It came right down in front of me, but just as I thought I was safe I realised it hit my stockings in exchange!!Im sorry. I was wrong for doubting you. Please forgive me.&h.e.l.lip;Vengeful spirits are so scary. Just please dont drop lightning on me. I never told the Nagging Youkai, but the truth is that after the Athletics Carnival, Toriumi-san spoke to me.Naturally, about Akizawa-kun.Apparently, she occasionally saw me chatting to Akizawa-kun about Sakura-chan, and ended up with a strange misunderstanding. Could you be dating? she asked. Noooo wayyyyy~ This girl, Sakura-chan, why does everyone look at things through this weird romance filter?And its weird to say this myself, but good job calling out to me, Toriumi-san. The power of love is amazing, huh.In respect of her courage, I made sure to clear things up about Akizawa-kun and I, as well as mention, Apparently he is going out with his childhood friend. So he is dating&h.e.l.lip; she said, depressed. In response, I told her, I think there is somebody else even more suitable for you, Toriumi-san. I heard from one of Ririnas underlings, Gla.s.ses-chan, that theres actually a boy who likes her. When I subtly suggested to Toriumi-san, What if you turned your eyes to the club members in your own grade? She was shocked. Ummm~ Judging from the ways her eyes swam, perhaps spring is coming quite soon for a certain boy in the Track and Field Club.Okay,this time, I think I did pretty good!Nagging Youkai, Ive been working pretty hard for you in the background, okay. I, the Village Chief, have a magnanimous heart. But anyway, that Gla.s.ses-chan might look really docile but she actually has quite the gossip. Compared to a fake spy like me, shes like the real thing.From funny stories to useful intel, she tells me all sorts of things.I dont have many kouhai who look up to me, so Gla.s.ses-chan makes me really happy.I asked her to call me Reika-senpai instead of Reika-sama.She also told me that the 1st Year who got beaten up in the cavalry battle started having these weird feelings of rivalry with me. Why? People say that Katsuragi-kun is an idiot, so please be careful, she warned. Im surrounded by idiots, arent I~ From Kaburagi to Katsuragi. Even their names are similar. Life is hard. Later on when I walked past that idiot first year, he suddenly declared, The likes of you arent suitable for Enjou-san! The rantings of an idiot are too crazy for me to understand. Anyway, that sad case first year might have been ambushed by my followers later&h.e.l.lip;It must be tough being singled out by a group of girls. Maybe itll even give him a trauma.If your hair turns white, you can come talk to me. Chapter 73 Its time for the middle school graduation ceremony. Unlike the primary graduation, Im feeling pretty moved this time.After all, when I enter the high school section next month, the protagonist will be entering with me. I wonder whats going to happen.Ive had some small troubles here and there, but my life at school so far has been pretty peaceful. But I cant say if that will change. Im starting to wish Kaburagi had just stuck to Yurie-sama.Should I try and talk up Kaburagi to Yurie-sama through Aira-sama? Nothing good about him comes to mind though&h.e.l.lip; Speaking of which, Aoi-chan and Sakura-chan said that theyd be graduating today too, didnt they. Unlike Sakura-chan whos in an escalator school system like me, Aoi-chans been studying so hard that even I was getting stressed.When I saw her text me I pa.s.sed without a problem, I felt relieved from the bottom of my heart. Reika-chan, its thanks to your pencil and headband, she said. How nice. Ive been studying at home with my headband on too. Although, when I wandered about the house with it still on, I gave my family a shock. You dont have to take it so seriously, said Okaasama, but I was just wearing the headband to get in the mood. I wasnt feeling pressured at all. Actually, what wasreallypressuring me was how much hot chocolate Id been drinking. Its delicious and I love it, but my tummy got just a little bigger. Drinking it on the daily was a bit much, huh.I brought back my hula hoop to stave off the fat though. The graduation address was done by Kaburagi. He has the traits of a stalker, and hes an athletics carnival-loving cavalry battle idiot, but hes still the most outstanding in our grade.I thought that these were normally given by the student council president, but hmm. Hang in there, Fellow Stalking Horse. He certainly looked majestic reading out his address on stage. It wasnt just the female students; even the male students were captivated by him. It seems that the Emperors display of indomitability had captured their male hearts.Earlier, having already declared his retirement form cavalry battles, the Emperor was met with a flood of disciple applicants. That first year who got owned at the end was amongst them. Apparently he was a bundle of ambition who wanted to become the Emperor of the next generation. How nice~ that kind of determined stupidity. But geez, just how much do the boys at Suiran love cavalry battles. The Emperor turned them all down. According to him, Techniques arent things you are taught; they are things you plunder. All of the boys seemed incredibly moved by his words. Idiots. The boys at Suiran are all idiots. We might be in trouble.As for Enjou, even though hes usually right next to him, during the fiasco he was standing a little further away. You could tell that he was trying to declare that he had nothing to do with these dumba.s.ses. Anyway, thats how it is so I was sure hed mention cavalry battles during his address too, but it never turned up once. And the cavalry battles were definitely the highlight of middle school for him too. You endured well, Kaburagi. Lollipop lilies are a breed of lilium maculatum, a lily flower native to j.a.pan. When I headed outside after the ceremony, Oniisama was there!I wasnt sure whether or not to invite him since he was so busy this year, but Oniisama guessed my feelings and told me he would come.Since he was spoiling me anyway, I asked him to bring Urara flowers with him.And just as promised, Oniisama brought a bouquet of flowers with Urara mixed in.Even though youve been so busy&h.e.l.lip; Thank you, Oniisama!Since Oniisamas university graduation is coming up, I told him that Id come running to his too, but he turned me down with a smile&h.e.l.lip; Why. Besides Oniisama, my senpai from the Pivoine came to congratulate me with flowers too, and shockingly, even Ririnas underlings brought some for me! And of all things, Ririna brought flowers too &h.e.l.lip;and then gave them to Oniisama instead of me. OI! Taka-niisama, please bring me lilies next year for my graduation! Lilies are Ririnas flowers! Wont the Emperor get angry if you claim lilies as yours?See? Because you spoke so loudly, he turned around just now. Would red spider lilies not be more suitable to you, Ririna? They suit you very well. What on earth are you saying! Those arent even real lilies! My flowers are the madonna lilies! Uwah, so shameless. Hmmm. Ill be working next year, so I cant really promise. Ehhhhhh? Dont worry, Ririna. Ill come with flowers for you next year. Lollipop lilies just right for you. Ririna, should you not be going over to congratulate Kaburagi-sama? Of course Im going. Just like an idol, Kaburagi was holding a handshaking event in the middle of a horde of girls.With a bouquet of blue preserved roses in hand, Ririna excitedly charged towards the circle with her gang.Just before she was gone, she turned her head around and said, Oh, while Im at it, congratulations Reika-san. before completely running off.Goodness, what a little tsundere&h.e.l.lip; It looks like you two really get along now. Do you think? But I suppose they do say that stupider kids are cuter. While I was nodding in agreement with myself, &h.e.l.lip;Thats true. Dumber kids really are cuter, he agreed. This time, Otousama made sure to bring a bouquet to compete with Oniisama. The Queen of the Orchids, the Cattleya. Perfect for you, Reika, he announced proudly. I bet it was Okaasama who picked them anyway. I cant imagine that this pot-bellied tanuki could come up with something like this.Hm, am I looking down on my father too much? Ah-, Miharu-chan rushed into the Enjous crowd with a digital camera in hand. My my~And following behind her was Cla.s.s Rep with his own camera&h.e.l.lip; Cla.s.s Rep, shot down!? Arent you a little too trusting in your Middle Blessing slip? Having taken enough photos of Kaburagi and Enjou for now, Serika-chan and the others came and invited us too. Wait, together with your Oniisama? Was that the aim from the start!?Still, I ended up taking photos excitedly with the girls I was close to.Unfortunately there were no guys who asked for a photo. Are there no boys out there who like me? You dont have to be shy, okay? If you come out now, Ill even throw in a handshake. &h.e.l.lip;Well whatever. My luck with boys is definitely going to blossom in high school. Today, I bid farewell to my Curse fortune! But I really am a lucky girl. So many people came to congratulate me.I hope that in high school, and even after high school, Ill continue enjoying this happiness. Translators Note: That concludes the middle school arc. I hope youve been enjoying the series as much as I have, and if you havent already, that youll write a reviewhere, mentioning both how you find the story, and how youve been finding my translation quality and style. If you have complaints, please include them as well! Chapter 74 The day has finally come.Will the protagonist really be coming to my school?My heart is pounding. The next three years are going to determine the path of my life. Here we go! The high school section entrance ceremony was held on a bright April day, sakura petals dancing in the breeze.I turned about and scanned the auditorium, but I couldnt find anybody who matched the description.Since about a hundred new External Students will be joining us, it makes sense that I couldnt spot her.I suppose Ill just watch the ceremony.The representative of the current Suiran students was Tomoe-senpai, the Student Council President of the high school section, and it was him who gave the speech too.He sure has matured in the time I havent seen him. A totally different person to the middle schooler who snacked on sweets with a smile.As I was thinking about how cool he is, next up was Kaburagi, representing the new students.When he reached the podium, the audience grew noisy. He does have pretty stunning looks, so I can hardly blame them for being shocked. His black hair together with the tinge of coldness on his face made him look like a black panther. Leaving the Internals aside, it must have been pretty shocking for the Externals with no resistance yet.Anyhow, eventually the ceremony ended and we headed to our cla.s.srooms as we looked at the sheet with our cla.s.ses on them.After I found my name, naturally it was her name that I looked for next.Doesnt seem to be in my cla.s.s at least.As I continued looking through the list of first years&h.e.l.lip; umm&h.e.l.lip; Oh! Takamichi Wakaba. &h.e.l.lip;Her name was really there.Wakaba-chan. The protagonist of you are my dolce, and the heroine who ended up with the Emperor after many twist and turns. And the important girl who will determine my future.Where is she? I wanna see her. I wanna see what Wakaba-chan looks like.But since everyone needs to quickly make their way, I dont have time to visit another cla.s.sroom.Cant be helped. Ill have plenty of other chances to see her. Ill give up for now.I decided to just give up and headed for my cla.s.sroom. When I entered my new cla.s.sroom, the students were divided firmly into two camps: the new Externals who were sitting nervously by themselves, and the comfortable Internals who were happily chatting in groups of existing friends. Ah-, Reika-sama! Reika-sama, gokigenyou. It appears that were in the same cla.s.s this time! Starting with my own group, girls began to form a ring to welcome me. Gokigenyou, everybody. It overjoys me that we will be together this year. Please take care of me. Gokigenyou, Reika-sama. Im feeling terribly relieved to be in the same cla.s.s as you. Reika-sama, gokigenyou. Everyone started greeting me with a smile. A few Externals glanced my way. Some of them seemed familiar somehow, so I suppose they must be members of upper society. There arent that many scholarship places, so the rest of the Externals have to be from fairly high backgrounds or at least rich enough to pay tuition. The number of genuine commoners is surprisingly little. And Wakaba-chan is one of those few genuine commoners.She must be getting hit by such a culture shock right now. This is just totally different from any school shes been to, after all. I was shocked too when I entered the primary school section. But boy is she going to be even more shocked once they introduce the students to the facilities. When our new homeroom teacher entered the cla.s.s, everybody took a seat and we began our introductions. I am Kisshouin Reika. I sincerely hope that we shall get along this year. When it was my turn I gave what I thought was a fairly standard introduction, but for some reason a number of people started applauding me.Wha-, stop that!I know that you kids dont mean anything bad, but please stop that!Look! Look at the Externals! Theyre all shocked! Theyre all shocked and thinking, Holy s.h.i.t, this girl is bad news!Im not bad news at all, okay~ Im not scary at all, okay~ Im not a threat at all, okay~After that, Sensei picked out people for cla.s.s representative. I had the faint feeling this was going to happen, but I ended up as the female cla.s.s rep. Ehh~ Id already planned on being a proper Pivoine and staying away from ch.o.r.es and everything too&h.e.l.lip;There were some other girls who seemed like they could do it, but Sensei just looked at me with these eyes that said, Hey, you wouldnt refuse, right? Hey, youll do it, right? so in the end I accepted. Ueh~ Must be hard on you, Sensei.The other cla.s.s rep was a boy who entered Suiran in middle school.Deciding the people for the various other roles as well as a tour of the school would be taking place during tomorrows home room period, so with that, cla.s.s ended and we were all excused. In the end, I never got to see Wakaba-chan today.In the manga she was a cheerful girl, but I wonder what the real Wakaba-chan is like.At any rate, now that Wakaba-chan has entered school, I dont have any time left to lose.When I got home, over and over, I told Otousama, Fraud is bad. Otousama was playing dumb and said he had no idea what I was talking about, but Im begging you here, just tell the truth.I have no plans of getting in the way of Kaburagi and Wakaba-chan anymore, but if youre still committing fraud then theres a chance somebody else will report you, right?Aaah, Im not making any progress with Otousama. I have to talk to Oniisama instead! The next morning, it was time for the various other responsibilities to be handed out.Speaking of which, last year Little Monk mentioned something like, Enjou-kun handed out the roles to the External Students who were less familiar with the school, didnt he. Should I copy him?But it would be mean to suddenly force them into it, wouldnt it. Maybe it would be better to have them help out as half members or something just to get them to partic.i.p.ate.Anyway, I decided to take a stab at it. Those of you who have just entered, I encourage you as well to proactively volunteer. Still, not many of them raised their hands. Hmm~ Guess it cant be helped.In the end, most of the representatives were Internals, so I suppose Ill just have to slowly get them to partic.i.p.ate from now on. After that was a tour of the school. Sensei and the cla.s.s reps led everybody else in a row.Because there are more people in the high school cohorts, the facilities were larger than the ones in middle school, but most of it turned out to be the same. Because of that, the Internals, myself included, were all fairly relaxed. In contrast, every one of the External kids were shocked and bewildered. Well, thats how it is.The next place on our tour was the cafeteria. Wow, its larger than the middle school one too. I wonder if the menu has increased too.Ah! Speaking of which, the cafeteria was where Wakaba-chan stirred up trouble by trying to sit in the reserved Pivoine seats, wasnt it. What do I do. Should I warn all the Externals here? But in that case, wed have to explain what the Pivoine is first, and having me openly declare all the privileges that we Pivoine get is a bit&h.e.l.lip; you know? Maybe I should just get somebody to tell them in secret later.How did it go in middle school again? They just seemed to all know after a while. After that, we continued touring here and there, and just as the tour was about to end, we finally arrived at the Student Council room. Oh! So its your cla.s.s, Kisshouin-san. Come in, come in. When we entered, Tomoe-senpai and the rest of the members introduced themselves to us. Kisshouin-san, youre cla.s.s rep even though youre a Pivoine? Geez, you should just go all the way and enter the Student Council already, said Tomoe-senpai with a cheerful smile. That would be impossible for me. Yeah. I mean, youarestill Pivoine, huh. Oh, you External kids, the Pivoine is a group that receives special treatment here at Suiran. For the details you can ask some of the Internals. Incidentally, that red flower badge that Kisshouin-san is wearing is proof of membership, so be careful about those who wear them. Tomoe-senpai, explanations are fine and all, but the way you said it sounded like you were warning them to be careful aboutme, you know!?Isnt your girlfriend a Pivoine too! Im definitely going to tattle to Kasumi-sama.Look, arent all the External kids looking even more frightened of me now&h.e.l.lip; If you have any problems at all, come talk to the Student Council. But well, I guess things should be fine since you have Kisshouin-san anyway. Shes great at looking after others. If theres anything you dont know, just ask her. Shes a really good girl. Kyau~un! Tomoe-senpaaai! I really do love you after allll! After saying goodbye to the wonderful Tomoe-senpai and co., we were heading down the hallway as another cla.s.s came from the opposite end.And for a moment, a familiar face pa.s.sed by me. Wakaba-chan! The Wakaba-chan I spotted was just like the Wakaba-chan I knew.As usual, her hair was a bit messy, and her eyes were filled to the brink with curiosity. That girl was the real Wakaba-chan.Uwahhh, this is kinda moving.After that, I kept turning around to look at her, and the new cla.s.s rep started looking at me with worry. Oops, look at me, making mistakes so soon after entering. Im n.o.body suspicious, okay~ Yesterday I only saw her name, but seeing her in person today moved me a little.Again, I decided to carefully explain to Otousama the meaning of the idiom, Swift is Heavens Judgement.As expected, he probablywasdoing something shady because he escaped to the study and holed himself up in there. That why to be doubly sure, I stood in front of the door and said, The heavens are always watching, okay! when Oniisama came home and dragged me into the living room and got angry at me, saying, Ive already checked the records for the last two years, and theres nothing like that, so just stop with the weird worries already. Really, Oniisama? Can I trust you, Oniisama? Dad is getting depressed because his daughter keeps falsely suspecting him, he said, so I decided to reflect a little on wronging Otousama.I understand. Ill believe in you and Otousama then. Were family after all. But just to make sure, Ill just make sure to remind him once in a while that the Heavens = Me.Hey, its just to make sure, okay? Chapter 75 Its been a few days now since I entered high school but there havent been any problems. I havent heard about Wakaba-chan causing any trouble either.I popped down to stealthily check out her cla.s.sroom, but she seemed to have friends at least, so I think shes doing okay.I judged that it was safe to leave her alone for the time being.Thats why Ive decided to work on building up the friendship in my own cla.s.s. The new External Students havent been acclimating too well. Even the Internals are a bit stiff around people they didnt talk to in middle school.Thats why Ive decided to hold a social gathering! And social gatherings mean food! You want to have lunch together as a whole cla.s.s? Yes. I believe that we should attempt to deepen our bonds by having lunch together. I immediately decided to see what my fellow cla.s.s rep, Satomi Yukinari-kun, thought.I was thinking that it would be difficult to make do with just the breaks between cla.s.ses, so it would be better to try having lunch together one time and having a nice chat together.After all, if its lunch then even if you cant find something to talk about you can just recommend foods to each other. Its easy and inoffensive, right? I wonder what Satomi-kun thinks. Hmmm~ Im not against the idea itself, but would we really be able to secure enough seats together for the whole cla.s.s? Good point. Usually people just sit wherever theres room, so it would be rather difficult to prepare a group of 40 seats.However! Satomi-kun has forgotten one very important thing! There will be no issue. CCHACHING!-I flashed my red peony badge at him. Hm? Pivoine? Eh-! Dont tell me youre going to use the reserved Pivoine seats!? That would be beyond even for me. However, reserving a group of fortynormalseats may not be. At first I considered sitting in the garden and eating packed lunches together, but once I considered the rain I thought it would be better to host it in the cafeteria. Wouldnt our senpais be annoyed if a group of new students suddenly occupied a part of the cafeteria? -CHACHING!-I flashed the badge again. You can simply say that it was allmyplan. Perhaps I will also have a word with the Student Council President, just to be safe. It is only a one-time event so I am sure that they will be magnanimous about it. Oooh! As expected of you, Kisshouin-san! Satomi-kun began to applaud.Ho ho ho! If you have any complaints then bring it up with the Pivoine!&h.e.l.lip;Hm? Is it just me, or did that line sound like something the Rococo Queen would say? After receiving Student Council President Tomoe-senpais OK, my cla.s.s was able to have the lunch without a hitch.When I brought up Kasumi-samas name, Tomoe-senpai accepted with a defeated smile.It wasnt a threat, okay? It was just a request, okay?Id feel bad taking up any particularly good seats, so I decided to just use somewhere out of the way and out of sight. Id hate having to sit right in the middle under everyones stares anyway. Well then, ladies and gentlemen, shall we dine? There were kids eating cafeteria food, as well as kids eating their bentous. Its completely acceptable to eat home lunches in the cafeteria, but there were some kids who had been hesitant so far, so hopefully this is a good chance for them to start.As the lunch progressed, even the initially silent and stiff members of my cla.s.s began to talk happily to the people around them.There was a nice mood going, with Internal Students teaching Externals various things about the schoo. And so, those seats way over there are reserved for Pivoine members so you absolutely musnt sit there if youre a normal student, I heard one of the Internals saying. Mn, but those seats have a sign that says theyre reserved for Pivoine, so I think anybody would realise.Incidentally, I rarely ever use them. Ever since I entered middle school, Ive almost always had lunch with Serika-chan and co. and my experience with the Pivoine seats are limited to when I get invited by other members. Back when I was in my first year of the middle school section, Kasumi-sama would sometimes invite me. Mostly to listen to her talk fondly about Tomoe-senpai.To begin with, lunch is when most of the talking and gossip gets done in a group of girls. If you miss out on that, youll have trouble keeping up and theyll leave you behind. Thats why if youre in a girls group, having lunch together is something thats pretty important.Kaburagi and Enjou are always in the reserved seats though. Its probably so that their fangirls cant get to them. I guess even theyd want to have lunch peacefully. By the time lunch was coming to an end, everybody had really loosened up around each other. As for me though, I was just sitting with my group as always, so I didnt get to make new friends&h.e.l.lip;Well, whatever. At least a few of the girls spoke to me. Ill just have to keep at it.But is it just my imagination that most of the boys were avoiding eye-contact? Im a cla.s.s rep too, so if you have any questions feel free to ask me, okay~Even though Im being so welcoming, why are they all asking Satomi-kun instead. After our lunch event, I think my cla.s.smates all got along a lot better. Thats great, thats great. It looks like everyone is closer thanks to your idea, Kisshouin-san. As expected of you, praised Satomi-kun. Speaking of which, unlike the other boys, Satomi-kun has always spoken to me quite normally, hasnt he. I was under the impression that boys were frightened of me, but you seem to be speaking just fine. Eh-, afraid of you!? Ahh&h.e.l.lip; Ummm, I wonder about that. Isnt it kinda more like, you know, like youre a flower beyond reach? &h.e.l.lip;I have serious doubts about that. But anyway, Im friends with Akizawa so I occasionally heard about you from him. You were friends with Akizawa-kun!? Thats the first Ive heard of this. And Akizawa-kun, what on earth have you been spreading about me. He told me that you two went to the same cram school in primary, and youve been close ever since. And also, how right now youre apparently good friends with his childhood friend. I think her name was uh, was it f.u.kioka-san? You know about Sakura-chan? Yeah. I met her when I went to Akizawas. She was quiet and gentle, like exactly what youd expect from a Yurinomiya girl. Youre being fooled, Satomi-kun! She might look like a traditional beauty but inside shes just a nagging youkai with the tongue of a venomous snake!But wow, Sakura-chan is so good at faking it.I should really learn from her example. Chapter 76 Ill be meeting with Aoi-chan for the first time in a while. The last time was in spring break so Im really happy.Unfortunately Aoi-chans been attending a different cram school ever since high school started, so we cant see each other on a regular basis anymore. It had been my emotional oasis too&h.e.l.lip;But weve been talking via text and phone so I think well stay friends forever. I wont let you escape, Aoi-chan! The two of us went to a caf known for its cakes. True to its reputation, the menu boasted quite a large selection.The banana tart looks really nice. But its so hard to ignore the black tea chiffon cake. Maybe it would be fine if I bought the swiss roll to take home. After agonising over my choice for a while, in the end I went with a cake made from milk chocolate. Aahh~ How can just a bit of cake send me to heaven like this. It seems that your complexion has improved a lot since spring break, Aoi-chan. Im glad. Mn, thank you. Aoi-chan had completely recovered from her haggard self, and the gaunt cheeks from right before the exams were back to their fluffy selves. Have you acclimated to your high school? The moment I entered there was a test. I thought I was free from studying for the moment but then they hit me with that. My~ As expected of a prep school. But Im done with studying for now. Ive been thinking about joining a club so Ive been having a look around. A club, huhh&h.e.l.lip; I was in the go-home club as a middle schooler. Maybe I should try joining one too. It might lead to some new meetings too! I was thinking that since Im joining one anyway, it might as well be a sports club. Maybe ballet or badminton or something. I was in the basketball club in middle school, after all. A sports club? Thats nice, moving your body around. Most importantly, itll help you slim. Perhaps I should join one too. A sports club, that is. You, Reika-chan? I think thats a great idea! Lets see, I think tennis would suit you! I am open to all suggestions except tennis. Tennis is the only club Im absolutely against joining. Even though Id be a complete beginner, I can already super see people expecting me to be some expert.Its one ofthosethings, you know? Like when some boy is named Tsubasa and everyone just expects him to be great at soccer.Its scary how easy it is to see myself being stuck with the name Madame. I think I may simply have a look around as well. I still have only a faint idea of what clubs my school offers. I did have a quick look at the list earlier, but&h.e.l.lip; Yeah. Its hard to really know what you want without seeing it first, right? Aoi-chan laughed happily as she took a bite of her black tea chiffon cake.I knew that was going to be good. Maybe I should place just another order&h.e.l.lip; Now that your exams are over, you seem to have having fun each day, Aoi-chan. Im glad. Hmmm&h.e.l.lip; Its not all smooth sailing, you know. Its not school this time, though, its home. Home? Yeah. My Oniichan suddenly awoke to his guitarists soul, so now its just dundundundundun every single day. Its driving me crazy, but he wont reflect. My, my&h.e.l.lip; Not only that, hes even starting singing along these days. Its just a nightmare. Dundududundundun aah aaa aaah aah~ The whole neighbourhood is filled with his c.r.a.ppy guitar and weird cries now. You know, the other day somebody told my mum, Your son is such a talented guitarist. It was completely sarcastic! she shouted, something incredibly rare for her gentle self. Incidentally, which of your two oniisamas is it? &h.e.l.lip;Muscles. Muscles and guitar? Is he the hot-blooded type that would sing at the base of a volcano or something? Im just so sick of it already. Its so embarra.s.sing I cant even walk outside. You have it hard. Mn, nodded Aoi-chan, before letting out a big sigh. But although I feel sorry for thinking this, Aoi-chan, I kinda wanna meet that brother of yours. Would it be possible for me to meet&h.e.l.lip; Never. I see. Sorry for bringing up a weird topic. Enough about Muscles. How has school been, Reika-chan? Well, it appears that others think of me as difficult to approach. Especially the boys. Youve said something like that before as well, havent you? I think it was during your remedials? Oh, yes, thats right. Things are undoubtedly better thanthattime, at least. I stayed a deserted island until the very end, after all. Could it be that I truly do have a bullys face? You know, it seems that there are lots of kids who avert their eyes in fear. Eh&h.e.l.lip; But dont you have some close friends too? And I mean, you said you had that male friend from cram school too. Well, yes, I suppose. Akizawa-kun, huh. What if you had that boy spread your good points amongst the others? You could ask your girl friends too. You might makes lots more friends that way. Isnt that just a ma.s.sive farce? If it was ever found out that I orchestrated it all, I would die from the embarra.s.sment. And to begin with, it would be much too embarra.s.sing to ask anyone for that favour. Well, thats true&h.e.l.lip; I dont want to believe that Im cornered enough to do that. Then it has to be a club after all! Youll definitely make new friends! I think so too. I should go look at the clubs the next chance I have! Yeah. Ill make lots of new friends once I join a club, and then maybe Ill even start up some romance with a dreamy senpai!I wonder what club I should join. When they heard I was joining a club, the Tennis Club immediately came to invite me. I told you guys, the Tennis Club is just out of the question.And what the heck is the Tenni-Pong Club. Isnt that like tennis too? And its way too niche. I never even knew you guys existed.And the Tennis de Table Club? Please just call it Ping Pong. Have some confidence in your own club, d.a.m.nit.And if you lot want to make me hold a racket so badly then maybe Ill compromise with badminton. Aoi-chan was considering it too, after all. Lots of the friends from my old life did it too. Mn, that might be a good idea. I went to the Badminton Club without much thought, and was sent trembling by the speed of the shuttle. Impossible. Ill die if that hits me. And it looks like the running is really intense too. For me, running is a bit&h.e.l.lip; Sometimes when I run I swear I can taste blood. I dont think Im quite suited for it.At my friends invitations I went to look at the various sports clubs, but the intensity of it all steadily disillusioned me. After all of that touring, I think that sports clubs may be a bit much for me. I am sorry for making you accompany me, I apologised to my friends, but everyone had this expression like, I thought so. Im sorry, guys.While I was walking around, feeling a little depressed at my own weakness, by chance I came across Cla.s.s Rep who invited me to the Literature Club. Cla.s.s Rep, are you still writing poems there?Anyway, poems aside, maybe the Literature Club would suit me. I might make some kind friends. Maybe Ill have a look tomorrow. Yeah. Ill do that. In the end, despite my optimism towards them, the members of the Cooking Club and Handicrafts Club were incredibly nervous when I came to have a look, so I decided against them.I actually wanted to try making a plushie though&h.e.l.lip;The hurdle for joining a club are actually really high, arent they&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 77 Today,at Kasumi-samas invitation, I was having lunch at the Pivoine seats. I feel like Ive been eating nothing but sweet foods recently, so today I went with a healthy spring greens and bacon pasta. I heard that you planned a lunch event for your cla.s.s, she said with a teasing expression. Ill bet this is about how I used her name on Tomoe-senpai. Yes, both the Student Council President and the cafeteria staff happily agreed, you see. Thanks to that, everybody was able to have a pleasant lunch together My! Huhu, she laughed. Suddenly, some others joined our conversation. Was there any need to go out of your way to ask the Student Council? Why, it almost seems as though the Student Council is ranked above us. Yeah. When everythings said and done, its us Pivoine thats the highest here at Suiran. Oh dear~ Things have become annoying.The Pivoine Supremecists really hate the Student Council after all.Kasumi-sama was hanging her head awkwardly. Considering their reactions, it would be impossible to come clean about her boyfriend.Unlike middle school, the tensions between the Pivoine and Student Council are quite p.r.o.nounced here.Its probably because the power of the Student Council is a lot greater in the high school section. Well, considering who our current StuCo President is though, I doubt itll turn into an all-out confrontation, but still&h.e.l.lip; Because I am still only a new student, I felt that perhaps it would be safer to notify the Student Council as well. However, if my conduct has caused anybody discomfort, I am truly very sorry&h.e.l.lip; Ah, no, its not your fault, Reika-san. Sorry about that. Just dont worry about it. Once I started acting feeble and pitiful, they backed down surprisingly quickly. Uhehe.That was the end of that, and lunch progressed peacefully again. Both Kaburagi and Enjou occasionally joined in on the conversation too. Apparently they werent going to join a club. Although, it seemed that a lot of sports clubs invited them. Which club did you want to join, Reika-sama? I heard that you went to check them out. Yes, although I am still having trouble deciding&h.e.l.lip; Although, the truth is that there are a few cultural clubs that I want to enter. But all of them are filled with quiet kids, so it would be like a sudden wolf in a pen of little rabbits. They definitely wouldnt welcome me. How about the Tea Ceremony Club or the Flower Arrangement Club? I have teachers that I have been learning both under since young, so there is really no reason to join those clubs as well. I see. Is there anything else you wanted? At first I was interested in the sports clubs, but&h.e.l.lip; Suddenly, Kaburagi and Enjou glanced my way. What the heck. So what if I wanted to join a sports club.Its true that I dont have a good history with mountain climbing but my P.E. results are at least average, okay! And didnt I do pretty well during the Athletics Carnival!Its not that Im bad at sports. Im just lacking the willpower, okay. Ive heard that the Suiran sports clubs lean towards the intense side. Wouldnt it be a little harsh for you, Reika-sama? Yes. I realised that it was impossible for me after having a look. I heard Kaburagi and Enjou quietly stifling their laughter. Annoying. Huuuh~? These seats are free, guys~ At that moment, Wakaba-chan suddenly came this way with a bentou.No way! Why!?I got careless because of how far into lunch break we were. Did her cla.s.s get held back or something!?The plate! Wheres the plate that says theyre Pivoine only!? Its gonee! Who was it!? Who was it that removed it!?As Wakaba-chan came over with an innocent smile, the atmosphere around the Pivoine senpais grew severe. This is bad&h.e.l.lip; It seemed like the Pivoine Supremecists would explode at any moment. U-Umm! These seats are reserved for our use only, so normal students cannot sit here, you know? Before I knew it I had stood up and warned Wakaba-chan.For a moment she stared blankly as our eyes met. Then she turned around and found her pale friends, and finally realised that she was in trouble. Im sorry! I didnt realise. I sincerely apologise, she exclaimed as she bowed, low, before rushing back to her friends. Safe! What was that meant to be. A new External? Lets find her name later and issue a formal warning. Shes setting a bad example for the rest. That girl did not seem as though she belonged here. Could it be that she was a scholarship student? Thatd make things all the worse. Gegeh-! Umm! There is really no need to go that far. I am sure she is simply still acclimating. Could you perhaps turn the other way just this once? However&h.e.l.lip; Of course it would not do to simply leave things, so I will personally talk to her cla.s.s representative to give her a warning, as well as properly teach her about the Pivoine. Please? &h.e.l.lip;Then just this one time, in deference to you, Reika-san. &h.e.l.lip;Yes. If Reika-san is willing to go that far, then&h.e.l.lip; My! Thank you very much! Scaryyy~ The Pivoine is so scaryyyy~Theres no need to get so angry just because somebody wanted to sit in a chair, okay~?And Wakaba-chan, youre way too careless. The friends with you all noticed, didnt they? And friends of Wakaba-chan, youre supposed to tell her. Dont just go pale and stand there. Also, all throughout this little drama, Kaburagi and Enjou continued eating like nothing&h.e.l.lip; But wow, what happened just now was that scene when Kisshouin Reika got angry and screamed Know your place! at Wakaba-chan, right?In the manga, the whole cafeteria went silent, and made Wakaba-chan rather infamous right at the start of school. It marked the beginning of a lot of troubles.Still, I managed to avoid it, right? Although I did sort of stand up and warn her without much thought. I mean, things would have gotten extremely troublesome had I stayed still.Aahh, but what happened was almost like the manga&h.e.l.lip; Uu, my stomach is kinda hurting again.But Ill finish make sure to this pasta. Vegetables are good for you, after all. I spoke to her cla.s.s representative about what happened at lunch, and asked them to discreetly teach the new students what to watch out for. Itd be nice if there was a Pivoine manual or something, though. Perhaps Ill have a word with Tomoe-senpai about it&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 78 This years excursion was to Kamakura. A city! Its finally a city! Goodbye, mountain climbing! Or so I thought until I heard that, yep, we were going to be hiking. To think that even Kamakura had hiking&h.e.l.lip; But well, I guess I was already kinda prepared for that. The real problem was the food. After spending the whole gruelling morning on hiking, next was returning to the reserved hotel banquet hall to have lunch together as a whole grade. I was told that we were going to have seafood. Seafood is great stuff. The problem comes after. Apparently its Suiran tradition to have the External Students of each cla.s.s gather together to prepare some kind of skit for the lunch. Like a baptism of sorts for them. But a skit! And in front of three-hundred odd people! Its a total punishment game. When the Externals in my cla.s.s heard about it, all of them went deathly pale. Not like I dont understand though. After asking around a bit, apparently the previous years were pretty much all choirs and concerts, with the occasional dance or magic trick. A few oddb.a.l.l.s apparently banded together to recite j.a.panese waka poetry or haikus, too. That day, each time we had spare time, the Externals would group together and plan for the lunch skit. Mn, for things like this you have to decide what to do first after all. Cant we just sing something? But whatever would we sing? And would it be possible to sing loudly enough for a large hall such as this? But that makes it even harder to see a skit. Hmm~ Looks like theyre having trouble. Satomi-kun and I called out to them. How goes it? Have you yet agreed upon anything? They all shook their heads at me with troubled expressions. Apparently most people just sing or perform on instruments, I added. But itd be difficult to bring instruments&h.e.l.lip; I believe it quite possible to have them loan you at least a piano or a guitar. And the hall is furnished with a screen so with a microphone small magic tricks or juggling should be possible. Really!? Looks like they had more options now. By the way, whats the most popular thing for us to do? From what I hear, some students with particular confidence in their singing voices decided to sing Nessun Dorma. Apparently they were met with quite an applause, and were called the Three Tenors of Suiran or somesuch. They were so popular in fact that the popularity of doing mini operas sky-rocketed in the following years, or so the story goes. Opera&h.e.l.lip; The Three Tenors&h.e.l.lip;? But if there were only three singers, what was everybody else doing? Lighting and sound, it seems. Having it focused around one person might not be a bad idea. However, pushing the pressure onto a single cla.s.smate is not ideal, so generally things of more equal partic.i.p.ation are expected. The exceptions are only when somebody is particularly talented at something. Talent&h.e.l.lip; They looked at each other. Unfortunately none of them seemed to be superstars of any sort. They all looked a little crestfallen. Dances are popular too but it kinda depends on how tired each cla.s.s is after the hike, advised Satomi-kun. Yeah~ If it were me Id be half dead after all the walking. But theres been all kinds of dances too. Stuff from proper dances, to waltzing to piano music or something. Ive never waltzed before. Me neither&h.e.l.lip; Outside of folk dancing at school, Ive never really&h.e.l.lip; Folk dancing, huh. If somebody did like an Oklahoma Mixer, Id probably end up laughing. Ah, maybe a Mayim Mayim would be more exciting? It turned out to be a unanimous vote against folk dancing. After long deliberation, they chose on the safe option of choir singing. They immediately went to practice after school but the kids from the other cla.s.ses were thinking the same thing obviously, so it was quite a scramble for the piano. After all, whether for choir or concert performances, the piano is a key part, right? The music rooms in the high school section werent enough so I went and negotiated with the school. In the end I got permission for them to use the middle school ones as well. Youre amazing. You got us permission to use the middle school rooms? Umm, I guess you used your power as a Pivoine, right? asked a girl hesitantly. Hmmm. I cant really say. When I went talked to the teacher I was just like, Say, since you made me take up the cla.s.s rep position and all, just lending me a room or two is nothing, riight? so Im pretty sure I wasnt demanding anything. Mn. That sounds right. It was just a request. I should think it was because the school cooperates with its students, I smiled. Please dont look at me so suspiciously. Anyway, I was pushing for them to sing gospel music but they were like We dont have enough people for that&h.e.l.lip; and refused. Hm, do you really need that many people? I mean, the Three Tenors of Suiran managed, so cant you get loud enough if you try? I was so sure itd be popular too. In the end they chose something easy. Well, its a song I quite like anyway, so its all good I guess. After entrusting the key to the music rooms to the External students, I headed for the Pivoine. Just to be safe, Ill check up on the Externals once more before I go home later. On the way, I b.u.mped into Katsuragi Boy in the hallway. Ah! Why the h.e.l.l areyouin the middle school! I checked the hallway in all directions. Hmm~ n.o.body seems to be here. Alright. OWWW! I sentenced the rude little junior to a facial noogie. I didnt hold back at all so Im sure it hurt quite a bit. Since he we were the same height though, he pulled me off rather easily. What the f.u.c.k are you doing, violent woman!? Is that how you address a senior? My, such a dullard, you poor thing. I henceforth name you Birdboy. The bird-brained Birdboy. f.u.c.k you! My, are you not satisfied? Then go learn some manners and I shall promote you back to a full human once more. Well then, gokigenyoh, Birdboy-kun. I walked away with a HO HO HO! when I heard the idiot call out, A b.i.t.c.h like you will never be worthy of Enjou-san! So of course I headed right back. W-What are you doing? Since he had his guard high, I kicked him in the shin. OWWWWW!! Hurt, didnt it. Even the legendary warrior monk Benkei would cry from a shin kick. Truulysuch a cretinous bird. Worry not. I have no feelings towards Enjou-sama at all. I will not get in the way of your love for him. Society still has much progress to be made towards completely understanding h.o.m.os.e.xuality, but there is no harm in fantasising as you please. Do as you deign appropriate. Wha-, Im not- OHOHOHOHOHO, I cant heaar youuu~ With that, I left my mentally challenged kouhai behind. The Externals in each cla.s.s continued to practice each day. One time in the hallway, I caught sight of Wakaba-chan running around covered in some weird cloth, but, eh, dont tell me its really some dress-up skit!? One time in the hallway, I caught sight of Wakaba-chan running around covered in some weird cloth, but, eh, dont tell me its really some dress-up skit!? Kasou Taishou: Kasou Taishou is a semi-annual show on NTV in which various amateur groups perform short skits, which are rated by a panel of judges. Especially in recent years, many of the skits have revolved around clever methods of fakingcinematicspecial effects on a live stage. The show is hosted byKinichi HagimotoandShingo Katori. Worldwide, the most famous of these skits, and among the most successful at fake special effects was a skit which is widely known as Matrix ping pong. Chapter 79 Kenkyo 79 On the day of the trip, the weather was beautiful, I had a good Breakfast and am going Full throttle.Every single trip before was painful, but this one will be different. I was taught the proper way to walk by my brother this year! Every year I always try to go forward as much as possible by always taking large strides. But for mountain climbing and to hike its better to take small strides and go at slow pace is what my brother had taught me! Someone really should have told me this years ago! Every single year how much pain I went through&h.e.l.lip;. Besides learning how to properly walk, I also took out my trusty and rusty stepper and trained my legs. So long the me who cant climb! Well even though I did all that I am still in the back end of the group. But I am able to keep up and am not that fatigued, I am quite enjoying this. The act of taking small strides and bringing out the stepper really helped. I might start to actually want a hiking trip every year. As I am a very kind person, I told my friends about the act of taking small strides will greatly help. But are there really people who have worse physical ability than me? I see those types of kids retiring early and taking a different route, what, they are drinking tea while taking the easy route. Isnt that quite unfair? I also want to retire! But since this is my first time on this trip, I dont know at what point they will let me retire. Well since I dont know at what point they will let me retire, might as well climb this slump. I can retire due to my anemia problem but I strangely am fine form, maybe I got better at controlling my blood you know, well since I am still fine I dont want to bring up my anemia yet. From what I see, there were many people who had retired, they were on a car elegantly while breathing very hard. I saw many people from the Pivoine in that group as well. For example I saw the Heian princess Hagi Shouji Hagino Koji Furuko Fuyuko-sama. TLNote: It really did say that, and the j.a.panese wiki for the novel also confirmed that this is the name. I would be thankful if someone could help decipher this name. TLNote: OüƺϤƽcС·ϤΤܽӤդ椳Ȥ͡ Fuyuko-sama family is in the same group as us because it is the biggest faction, but the section of business it belongs is different than us. Also maybe it because of the face, she looks really similar to Sakura-chan, maybe G.o.d ran out of faces&h.e.l.lip;. Sakura-chan is more modern j.a.panese style while Fuyuko-sama is more old j.a.panese style, but for her I think a shogun-mistress style kimono will fit better. TLnote: I am not trying copy oniichanyamete style, its just even I didnt know what type of clothes it was describing so I put a pic to help you guys Reika-sama, look you can see the Ocean (Serika) True, How Beautiful (Reika) Looks like I can still speak even after finishing the hike, I am in perfect condition this year. If the trips are like every year, I think I will really like going on these trips. I think as long it is not a mountain I will be fine. Now that we are in Kamakura, I want to eat Warabi Mochi and also Pudding with my friends. I would like to show this scenery to someone someday. We finished hiking and now it is time for lunch at the hotel, I change my clothes back. Oh thank G.o.d, the jersey is off. I really dont look good in a jersey. Thats why I dont really wear that much. After I fix myself up a little, I go to the lunch hall and see that seats has been provided for each cla.s.s. The menu consisted of Seafood and of various soups. After a good exercise, a good meal is always welcomed. The soup in Kamakura is delicious. I look at the external students and see they were getting ready for the performance. They had all the external student group leaders together, it must be tough. Now that the main dish was over, the performance have started with cla.s.s 1. It was the cla.s.sic chorus as the opening event, their voices were kind of off. but of course it was. I was thankful from the bottom of my heart that I was not an external student. Afterwards there was an ensemble, some magic tricks and the people in our cla.s.s had brought tambourines to the piano accompaniment to play with their chorus. They practiced a lot and it paid off. There was one ensemble where a student with disheveled hair was playing the violin, was he not in the right school? TLnote: I think it Kudo Shinichi from detective conan Ah it Wakaba-chan cla.s.ses turn. Wakaba-chan cla.s.s did the skit Tenjo and the Five Headed Dragon The story goes as long, long ago, in the beautiful waters of Kamakura there existed a Five Headed Dragon. It caused ma.s.sive floods, and required that the villagers sacrificed children.The heavens sent a very beautiful maiden down from the heavens to quell the dragons wrath. The dragon bewitched by the maiden beauty asked the maiden to marriage but the maiden would agree if the dragon stopped and repented for all the bad things he did or so the story went A boy was playing the dragon dressed up with 5 heads and was wrapped in a black cloth. The heaven sent maiden was played by a girl who wore a crown and a pure white cloth around her. All the other students were either playing villagers or children while one person was doing the narration. Wakaba-chan was the role of the sea and swaying a big blue cloth back and forth to make the movement of the sea while going zazen,zazen. when the part of raging sea came, she had started swaying the cloth very fast. &h.e.l.lip;really well done Wakaba-chan, that performance was wonderful, it was a shining performance. Though n.o.body noticed, and the entire time she kept up the swaying motion while switching from hand to hand torest.As.e.xpected of you Wakaba-chan. you truly had it hard did you not Wakaba-chan? But I think it was just my imagination since there was also the role of Island that was done by other student. The sea is still better than being an island isnt it Wakaba-chan? After all the performances were finished, the externals from my cla.s.s came up to Satomi-kun and I and thanked us. Thank you very much for your help (External A)Thank you very muchReika-Sama (Ikoma) I just secured the music room, but apparently Satomi-kun helped out with the practice, showed what to fix and improve on also showed where to get the tambourines from. Satomi-kun is really good at looking after people. Everyone was very good, you all performed great, it showed the results of practicing (Satomi) The external students all had very good expression on their faces, and the bonds between them and in the cla.s.s has strengthened. But it is not a good idea to put the external student through this again, lets keep it in moderation. The grand prize for this year external student performance went to Wakaba-chan cla.s.s. The prize was a meal ticket to all the students in the cla.s.s, Wakaba-chan was very happy as her eyes was shining. As the school meals are expensive and quite hard for commonpeople to buy it. Arent you glad Wakaba-chan, I should tell her my recommendation of the menu. Well these performancesaside, I made a new friend, Ikoma-san who is an external student. I got a new friend!!!? Ikoma-san is great except for the fact she is kinda looking at me with eyes of admiration which a little problematic. Please Ikoma-san dont construct a weird image of me. Ikoma-san who looks at me with her eye shining, I am just a meager person please do not expect much from me. Well I will try not to disappoint her as much as possible. Ikoma-san do you really like my hair style that much, why do you not roll it together, I can help? Chapter 80 REIKA-SAMA C 080 After the excursion comes the mid-term exams.Because of all the smart External Students that flooded into my school, I need to study harder than ever.Actually, Ive been taking it easy these days so I havent enrolled in a new cram school for high school yet. Right now Ive only got a home tutor. Before the exams began I decided to increase my lessons with her. Reika-san, you just always seem to struggle with maths, dont you. I think you can improve if you keep up the practice though, so keep trying. Yes. But thats the hard part. I hate doing these questions&h.e.l.lip;If I dont though I might get called in for remedials again. Ill pa.s.s on those days of isolation again. And even though Im really just some small fry I want everybody to keep saying As expected of Reika-sama!For the sake of this petty pride I continued to battle with these baffling equations. For the upcoming exams, this time I got my hands on some energy drinks. After all, I normally sleep 7 hours a night. If I get any less I start wobbling with sleepiness.But when I was in the store seeing them priced at over 1,000 Yen each, they suddenly seemed like a bit much to drink casually. These felt more like something youd buy for desperate cramming.Thanks to that I decided to just buy a three-pack of the popular stuff to start off with.Hm, the taste was pretty nostalgic. I did drink it from time to time in my old life after all.Im not sure if it helped at all but I used them to study as hard as I could so I feeling pretty satisfied.Although, when Okaasama saw my empty bottles in the bin she started worrying about me and said, Youre a girl so you really neednt push yourself too far. She gave me a lot of scarily expensive beauty drinks so I drank those too.Well whatever. Come at me whenever, mid-terms! So, about those mid-terms that I drank a bunch of energy drinks to study for&h.e.l.lip; Well, it was still me doing the tests after all&h.e.l.lip;Anyway, Okaasama dragged me to beauty and hair salons after the exams ended. She really is fussy about how I look, isnt she. Totally fixated on making sure I look like her image of an ojousama. Thank goodness said image wasnt dressed in goth loli or something.Oh, and that random white hair seemed to be gone now. I never want to experience that tragedy again. Thats why from now on Im going to make sure to get full workovers more often at salons.A few days after those treatments left my skin and hair sparkling, the results of the mid-terms were posted. At Suiran, only the top 30 are posted. Since we have roughly 300 students its absolutely impossible for me.&h.e.l.lip;But although I say absolutely, I still cant help but hope somewhere in my heart. Why is that?Even though Im wearing this modest expression that says I cant imagine being up there, Im still going to check it out.I looked up nervously, but yep, wasnt there.Still, there sure were a lot of new names up there. They had to be all the Externals. As expected of them.And at the very top, shining brilliantly were two names: 1. Kaburagi Masaya2. Enjou Shuusuke Just how crazy are these guys. Their c.u.mulative result was pretty much full-marks. Just what do they have there inside their heads. Im so jealous. Since middle school theyve always been unshaken in the top two places. Well, the two of them would swap positions though.Also, although 1st and 2nd place were these two, 3rd place was Wakaba-chan! And her marks were super close to theirs as well. Isnt it completely possible for her to overtake them next time!?The girl herself was staring dumbly up at the board with unruly hair as always. I just cant see her as smart&h.e.l.lip; Wakaba-chan, your mouth is hanging open! You look ridiculous, so please close it already!The students around me were murmuring about the ident.i.ty of this mysterious Takamichi Wakaba but I cant imagine anybody would connect that name with the s.p.a.ced out girl in front of me. I guess shes like the perfect example of that saying about a capable eagle hiding its talons.On another note, Stalking Horse managed to grab 5th place despite all these new Externals. Thats amazing, Stalking Horse! As a fellow stalking horse, Im proud of you!Anyway, when Wakaba-chan noticed her name up there, relief flooded her expression. I guess this is pretty much life or death for a scholarship student. Congratulations. It was around that moment that Kaburagi and Enjou came along. They normally dont care at all about these but I guess theyre here this time because of all the new students?As they came sauntering down, the students all parted left and right for them.After confirming their own names at the top, Kaburagi muttered, Whos this Takamichi Wakaba? Some of the students heard him and pointed her out to him.After taking one look at her, he simply left with Enjou. Although Kaburagi was expressionless as always, Enjou had a faint look of interest on his face.The moment they left the crowd grew noisy. It felt a little dangerous, actually. One phrase I managed to catch was &h.e.l.lip;knowing her place though&h.e.l.lip; n.o.body was mad enough to publicly attack her, but it seemed like there were a lot of people quietly dissatisfied with her threatening the pairs dominance on the rankings. The fact that she was poor and stuck out like a sore thumb certainly didnt help.But wow, even if they say that, Wakaba-chan is a scholarship student, you know? Shehasto get good marks. And if youre worried about people threatening those two, why didnt you complain when Stalking Horse took 3rd place all of middle school.When I asked out of curiosity they told me, Mizusaki-kun is different.What the heck. Is it his face? Is it because his face looks good?Not only that, but according to the others, Stalking Horse had a charm that both the boys and girls were drawn in by. Well, I guess thats not really surprising since he made it to StuCo President.That doesnt mean that you can blame your own shortcomings on some innocent External girl though. The External Students entered only after pa.s.sing some very rigorous tests after all. That they have good grades is a given. Instead we should be marvelling out how Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama defeated them all despite that, I commented. Truly! As expected of those two! Its almost never a mistake to use the names of those two when dealing with girls. The atmosphere was filled with their delighted squealing now. When I got my report card handed to me, it listed my rank as 73. Hmmm&h.e.l.lip; Should I be feeling happy about this rank? Recently Ive found a new method of stress relief. Its called needle felting.Youve got this ball of wool and you poke at it with needles. Its actually weirdly fun. Ive been following the instructions in the textbook, and my latest creation is a snowman. Well, its basically just two white b.a.l.l.s and two dots for eyes though.Also when I get too into it my eyes start to hurt so I have to pay attention to the time. MY EYES-! MY EYEEEES-! I usually do this in my room, but occasionally I camp out in the living room too.Today Im making a Tarow the Taro. Im using brown felt this time. -poke poke poke&h.e.l.lip;- When Oniichan saw me after a late night at work he asked me, Whos the target!? Its not a voodoo doll&h.e.l.lip; Geez. I wish I had some friends in the arts and crafts to understand my feelings. I wanna join the Handicrafts Club&h.e.l.lip;Should I pretend to be socially oblivious and just force my way in?But if I do that Ill just end up isolated in the room again. Uuu, these tears are just because Im straining my eyes, okay? MY EYES-! MY EYEEEES-! is a reference to the typical stereotypical chuunibyou phrase, My eye-! My eyeeee-! when their left eye goes red and they unleash their power or whatever. j.a.panese has no plurals, so Reikas line is exactly the same as the above. Chapter 81 REIKA-SAMA C 081 After entering high school the Emperor became even more popular. I could see in their eyes that the oneesamas in the 2nd and 3rd years seemed especially serious about catching him.So far theyd always seen him as a middle school kid, but then now he was a high schooler just like them. Not only that but his appearance was mature so he didnt look younger than them, and most importantly he was the heir to the Kaburagi group. Youwouldbe pretty serious considering all that.Outside of close friends though, Kaburagi himself has been silent as usual. Thanks to that n.o.body noticed his faults. Silence truly is golden.Hm. Is it my imagination that a lot of girls are wearing Yurie-samas haircut? Anyway, about Emperor. One day dear Emperor was seated in the salon, partaking in a crme chiboust. I always start gaining weight the moment I eat anything sweet so why is it that boys never gain weight despite gobbling everything down. So jealous.Thinking about it, rumour has it that the Emperor goes horseback riding as a hobby. Maybe it reallyisall the exercise. He turned down the Horse-riding Club, but I bet he would have joined had it been a polo club, right? After all, hes the Emperor of Cavalry Battles. Upfftpftt. Maybe I should try swimming or something. But for some reason I have trouble staying underwater. Even though Ill try my bestttt to dive downwards, I immediately start floating upwards. What the heck is that. Would it help if I went and took lessons? While I was thinking about stupid things, a 3rd year boy came up to me. Reika-san, is anything bothering you? You seemed to be deeply considering something. Deeply considering? Uh, I thinking about how I wanted a crme chiboust too, and that I should hurry home so I can needle felt&h.e.l.lip; No, nothing of import. I was simply pondering the theme for my next flower arrangement. Ahh, thats your hobby isnt it. Should I find the chance Id definitely want to have a look. Goodness, my creations are certainly not good enough to be shown. Hmmmm. All these guys have been randomly approaching me since Ive entered high school. And I keep getting party invitations too. Ive been trying to turn those down though.I mean, Im interesting in romance but guys who come after me all calculating and stuff are a bit&h.e.l.lip;After that I continued discussing flower arrangement with the few other people who came along. Today was the first time Sakura-chan had come to my house.Shes an ojousama from Yurinomiya Girls School, so Okaasama quite liked her. After seeing Oniisama off to work, I lead Sakura-chan to my room. Wow, as expected of the Kisshouin family. Even in Yurinomiya there arent many girls with such big houses. And I met the heir too. Maybe I should brag to my seniors or something. The very moment she stepped through the door she stopped bothering with the pretenses.I put down some chilled tea on the table, as well as the luxury fruit jelly that Sakura-chan brought as a gift. About Oniisama? Is there any other heir? Amongst older girls hes like the prime pick right now, you know? Hmmm. Is that so. Gosh, Id hate that. What if Oniisama married a gold digger. I want him to be happy.Ah, but well, I doubt Oniisama would get caught by such a person anyway. Wow, this Kiwi jellys pretty good. You really do like sweet things, dont you Reika. Uu. Ive actually been wondering about my weight again recently&h.e.l.lip; Am I still in the clear? Have you been continuing yoga? Mmm, just the Mountain Pose and the Corpse Pose though. Thats basically just standing and lying. But its cause it gets so boring doing it by yourself in your room. Guess it isnt really interesting outside of a cla.s.sroom. Do you do anything active, Sakura-chan? Ive been doing Nichibu dancing ever since primary school. Ooh! A perfect fit for the j.a.panese-style bishoujo! Ive been thinking about picking up swimming lessons. &h.e.l.lip;I can already see you skipping the moment winter comes along. Oh my gosh! I can see it too! Ummmmm, have you entered any clubs? The Wind Instruments Club. I wanted to try the cello, and yeah. Huhh. The Wind Instruments Club. And you, Reika? I wanted to enter the Handicrafts Club, but&h.e.l.lip; Handicrafts&h.e.l.lip; It doesnt really suit you, does it. You think so too? All the club members seem scared of me for some reason so Ive been worried that joining would bother them&h.e.l.lip; Well, at a glance you seem like the perfect ojousama and all. And youve got authority too. &h.e.l.lip;Oh, what if you brought them some homemade sweets? Itd totally destroy your image and then theyd feel closer to you. Handmade sweets? I can see that happening. Thanks, Sakura-chan! Ill try making some now! Eh- &h.e.l.lip;Serious? Now what should I make. When Oniisama got home and I asked him what sweets I should make for school he told me not to give my handmade stuff to new people. To begin with, why this all of a sudden? I want to enter the Handicrafts Club but I dont feel very welcome so&h.e.l.lip; Handicrafts, huh. Speaking of which youve been making something or other with the stabby needle, havent you. Thats what you want to do in your club? Mmm, well, at the club theyve been knitting dolls. Ive tried learning through books at home but it hasnt been going well. And then at some point I got distracted by needle felting and&h.e.l.lip; Why not just be honest and tell them that youd like it if they taught you to knit? But would they&h.e.l.lip;? Itll be fine. Oniisama patted me on the head. Wow, this brings me back. How come when Oniisama says itll be fine I really start to feel that way. What a mystery.Alright! Ill try just that then! The next time the Handicrafts Club had their activities I visited by myself to avoid needlessly scaring them.Although their faces seemed to be saying, Shes hereagain!? Umm, to be frank there is something I would you to teach me. Would that be acceptable? What is it? asked the club president. I took out my ball of yarn and the book on knitting dolls. To truth is I have been trying to knit. It has not been going terribly well, however. I thought that perhaps I could enter the Handicrafts Club and have somebody instruct me, but&h.e.l.lip; Knitting? You, Kisshouin-san? The club president seemed awfully surprised. What are you trying to knit? This. I pointed it out in the book. Aah, theres actually a simple trick to this. &h.e.l.lip;I could teach you if youre okay with me. Truly!? Yay! I should have just asked to begin with!With Club Presidents help, I immediately started knitting away at the brown wool.Since I was a beginner, and the doll was going to be rather big, it seemed like it would take quite a few trips. Over the days I visited, the other club members opened up and started giving me all sorts of advice.Lately they dont even look scared when I come anymore. Im super happy.We talk about silly things too, and its just a relaxing time in general. But to this day, they still havent given me a club entry form&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 82 REIKA-SAMA C 082 Hmm hmm hmmmm~ My doll knitting has really coming along. Ive been using the expensive stuff so it always feels good to touch it! I think Ill have a lot of fun rubbing my cheeks against it when Im done.Ive been knitting at home as well. After dinner I usually laze about in the living room and work on it. I wonder if itll be done soon.Im also happy that immersing myself in this has been reducing my snack breaks. Why do humans always go looking for food when theyre bored&h.e.l.lip;Anyway, maybe Ill go back to needle felting once this is done. I think Ill try making a cat this time. Hmm hmm hmm~ As usual, today I headed to the Handicrafts Clubroom with my knit doll. It seems to be progressing quite nicely, Reika-sama. It should be done soon. Yup, its looking quite cute. I like how youve done the belly. Thank you. I have been knitting at home as well. I was particularly careful about how I introduced a different colour for the seams. The curvature of the belly was done super, super carefully too. I was thinking of using needle felting to create a cat after this is complete. If I am not mistaken there are a few members of this club that practice needle felting as well, correct? Yes, thats right. I beamed at the Felting Group.They smiled back at me. Yup, I really think were getting along.So Club President, please let me into the club already. I know youve got the register in a clear folder in that schoolbag over there, okay?Dont think you can get rid of me after this knit doll is done. One day while I was heading the Handicrafts Club, as I pa.s.sed Enjou in the hallway he said to me, Kisshouin-san, Kaburagi has been calling you the Violent Woman. Do you have any idea what he means? so I replied, Not the faintest. I have not the slightest inkling of what on earth he means. He smiled at me and drawled Of course. Youre ever so graceful after all. so I smiled back and replied, Of course. before making my way to the clubroom. That little snitch. He brings shame on the entire male s.e.x&h.e.l.lip; Its settled. My next needle felting project will be a birdbrain. Eventually my doll was finally complete. I brought it with me to the living room where my parents and Oniisama were relaxing with some tea. Oh? Reika. Is your doll done? Yes, it is. Youve been knitting quite a bit, havent you. Did you make a doll? Tadah!I revealed my doll to the family. It was a small tanuki with gla.s.ses. This is you, Otousama. Eh- I handed it over to him. I made the animal that I think suits you best, Otousama. I made it just for you. Will you accept it? For me? Holding it in two hands, he stared at it.Back when Wakaba-chan first entered Suiran I was so shocked that I might have repeatedly and vocally doubted Otousama. He got completely depressed and Oniisama told me off. Im reflecting.Everyone knows it, myself included, but Im kind of a brothers girl. Still, Otousama has always spoiled me since I was little. Thats why I like Otousama as well. Plus, seeing a man his age look so sad made me feel pretty guilty too.Thats why I made this as an apology.I know that people hate getting hand-knitted stuff because its too intense, but were father and daughter so its totally okay, right? I even added gla.s.ses, see? Dont you think it looks just like you, Otousama? I took a seat next to him. Yeah, its well made. Thanks, Reika. Im really happy. But you see me as a tanuki, huh. Is it because you think Im cunning like an old tanuki&h.e.l.lip;? No, the tanuki has a fat belly just like you do. But hmm, an old tanuki. I suppose that fits you as well. &h.e.l.lip;I-, I see. Otousama made a somewhat difficult expression as he kept looking at the doll. It was my first time knitting so the seams are a little off, but you can barely see it if you avoid looking closely, right? This is my first completed knit doll. Ooh! So the first one goes to me. Otousama looked at Oniisama smugly.Otousama, you really look like an evil tanuki when you do that, you know. Good for you, Dear, added my mother. Yup, yup. But Reika, do you really think my tummy is that big? he asked as he rubbed his belly. Yes, it is. Being overweight is bad for your health, so I think you should take a diet. &h.e.l.lip;I suppose. I know a way to get rid of a stubborn tummy; hula hooping. I shall lend you mine, Otousama. You have something like that? &h.e.l.lip;Shes at it again&h.e.l.lip;? Eh, Oniisama, did you say something just now? Let us hula hoop together. After all, I hope that my beloved father will stay healthy forever. Ohh! So thats how it is! The moment he heard beloved his mood shot through the roof.Is Otousama going to be okay? Im worried hell get scammed one day. You really shouldnt trust everything people say. With the doll in hand, Otousama headed to my room. Its a bit embarra.s.sing entering my daughters room, he said, oddly happy. Oh gosh. Could it be that it wasnt fraud that gets him in trouble, but s.e.xual hara.s.sment? Now then, Otousama, really put your back into it and work off your tummy! Alright! Otousama began vigorously hula hooping. GYAH! Otousama!? Otousama was admitted to hospital for back pains.Okaasama got incredibly angry at me.In the hospital room I just happened to say, Sorry. I should have known better than to push the elderly. Oniisama said Hes at a delicate age, so pick your words better! and got angry at me too. Im reflecting&h.e.l.lip; Anyway, after Otousama left the hospital my handmade doll found a place in the study.I heard that sometimes Otousama would happily pat it. Since he liked it so much, I decided to be a bit cheeky and give it a cane for its back when Oniisama yelled, Have you reflected at all! and got angry at me yet again. Of course I have. Im teasing him because I love him. Chapter 83 REIKA-SAMA C 083 One day in June, Kasumi-sama pa.s.sed words to me that Tomoe-senpai was calling me to the Student Council room. Apparently it was some secret&h.e.l.lip; I opened the door in trepidation to find Tomoe-senpai and Stalking Horse there. Sorry for calling you out here, Kisshouin-san. Come sit down. Tomoe-senpai beckoned me towards one of the couches. Right next to Stalking Horse. Who glanced at me for a moment before averting his eyes. After sitting down on the sofa opposite ours, Tomoe-senpai looked at my face, and then Stalking Horses. I actually called the two of you here because I wanted the two of you to serve in the Student Council next term. Hah? Eh? Serve in the Student Council!? In middle school the member of the Student Council served until the end of Term 2, but in high school its only until Term 1. Right after the Summer Break the Student Council President retires and an election is held. Once the new Student Council President and Vice President are elected they nominate the other members. The students they nominate are told in advance though. And apparently I was one of them. Arima, I know you were the Student Council President in the middle school section. Youre an obvious choice. Youll accept, of course? Yeah, well, I dont really have a problem with it but&h.e.l.lip; Stalking Horse looked confused as he glanced my way. Mn. I know what you mean. Why the h.e.l.l is a Pivoine girl like me here, right? Im basically asking the same thing. True, Kisshouin-san is a member of the Pivoine, but since primary school shes served as Cla.s.s Rep a number of times. Not only that but shes honest and hard-working. This is something I know very well too. Not only that, but shes one of the Pivoine members who get along more amicably with the Student Council. Its really a new faction, you could say. Thats why I really hope that shell accept. Uwahh~ Im happy that Tomoe-senpai trusts me so much, but defying the Pivoine like that is really too scary. Id completely ruin myself if I did. I am terribly sorry, Tomoe-senpai. That is probably asking a little much. Iamstill a Pivoine member in the end. You cant be both? I would probably be seen as a spy by both sides&h.e.l.lip; Scaryy. Im actually in the Pivoine so I know better than anyone else just how scary it would be to anger them. At worse I might be bullied until I drop out of school. Ah, but well, its the Student Councils job to help with bullying isnt it. Anyway, the elitist Pivoine and egalitarian Student Council are like, conceptually opposed, so theres no way I could be a member of both. It wouldnt make sense. Mmn, I guess you cant after all. Tomoe-senpai stretched. You know, I thought you might say that but since it was you I was just hoping that you might. Youd be like a bridge between us after all. But I guess the divide between the two groups is even more intense during high school, isnt it. Yes. Its not just a divide, its like the Mariana Trench. Then just you for Student Council then, Arima. But Kisshouin-san, youll help out in your role as Cla.s.s Rep? Yes. Whatever I can. Next to me, Stalking Horse was looking at me suspiciously. What the heck. Didnt we get along in middle school? I was Cla.s.s Rep then too. Aah, but then again I was the one who collected the handouts while it was Monk Boy who actually brought them to the Student Council Room. Dont tell me that he thought I pushed all the work onto Monk-kun!? Thats offensive! I worked my b.u.t.t off! And I thought we were stalking horse buddies too. Why are you looking at me like that! Youre supposed to be the Vice Chief of the Forever Alone Village! What. Nah, nothing. Tomoe-senpai smiled helplessly at the two of us. Arima. Kisshouin-san is somebody you can rely on in a crisis. Dont be prejudiced just because shes a Pivoine. You need to have an open mind. &h.e.l.lip;But then whats with that nickname of hers. Nickname!? I heard his mumble with my super hearing. Mizusaki-kun. What nickname might you be referring to? Uh&h.e.l.lip; Its nothing. How can it be nothing! Are people calling me by some weird nickname behind my back!? Could it be thats why the boys all avoid me!? Mizusaki-kun. I dont know anything! You lie. When a person lies they look up and to the right. Just as you did a moment ago. Why do you know stuff like that! Oniisama taught me. Problem? Anyway, I said I dont know, okay! Its Makkie or something, okay! Makkie? Makkie because Ive got makigami(curled hair)!? Im not sure if I should feel offended or not. I mean, at least its not Curls. Isnt it a bit cute? Makkie. Boys, you can call me Makkie if you want! Stalking Horse was covering his eyes with his hands. Is he that afraid of me seeing through his lies? Bro, the moment you do that I can tell youre lying. Is there some other weird nickname? Now, now, you two, said Tomoe-senpai as he came between us. Youre the two kouhai I trust the most. Thats why once I graduate and leave, I hope that youll support the Student Council together. Since he stopped us Ill leave it for now. I can always investigate later. More importantly&h.e.l.lip; Graduating, huh&h.e.l.lip; Even though Im finally in the same section as him again, hell be gone after just a year? Thats so lonely. Oh? Is something wrong, Kisshouin-san? No&h.e.l.lip; Wow. Thats really so lonely. Tomoe-senpai is really balanced so things arent too bad between the Student Council and Pivoine right now, too. Actually, its really only him that doesnt mind the Pivoine. The next Student Council President wouldnt want me in it anyway. I wonder whats going to happen after he leaves. I dont want things to get tense. Anyway, thats all I had to say. Arima, well hammer out some of the details for next term, so please stay behind for a bit. Kisshouin-san, thats all I had to say. Thanks for coming. I understand. Then Tomoe-senpai, Mizusaki-kun, gokigenyou. Take care, and stay safe. &h.e.l.lip;You too. After that I headed straight for the car waiting for me. Im feeling a bit down for some reason. I know! Tomorrow Ill eat some snacks! Its been a while! Maybe the Lucky Turn crackers Ive hidden in my closet. The next day I caught hold of Satomi-kun and questioned him about my nicknames. Your nicknames? Yes. Yesterday Mizusaki-kun mentioned something to that effect. I heard about Makkie, but are there any other nicknames I should know about? Makkie? Oh, because of your hair. Ahh, I dunno, not right now? Right now? Then in the past I have had other nicknames? What were they? Eh&h.e.l.lip; Ahhh, G.o.ddess&h.e.l.lip; I guess&h.e.l.lip;? G.o.ddess? Ahh! I really dont know much about it! But n.o.body uses it now, okay! It was just in middle school! Ill make sure it doesnt happen again, promise! G.o.ddess&h.e.l.lip;? The first that comes to mind is Aphrodite, but thats already taken. That boy who got rather enthusiastic with his violin performance on our trip. His hair is a bit of an afro so everyone calls him Afrodite. Except thats a bit of a mouthful, so really its just Dite now. As for other G.o.ddesses, theres like Venus or like Athena and stuff? Those are the famous ones after all. But there are so many Greek G.o.ddesses, arent there. Well whatever. I suppose that will do, for now. Satomi-kun let out a huge sigh of relief and ran back to his ring of friends. &h.e.l.lip;G.o.ddess, huh. But gosh, what if its really Venus. Oh no! Chapter 84 REIKA-SAMA C 084 Cream cheese is delicious with honey.Its great just to eat it like that but I like to eat it on scones. Its even more delicious that way.My family buys high cla.s.s honey from specialist honey stores without an issue. What a wonderful life.I wonder which honey I should have today. Maybe the lavender.I spread it generously on top of my cream cheese and then gobbled it all down with a scone. Wow. This is true bliss.Im feeling full with just one. But Ill have another just to be safe.Eating it two days in a row has brought about some terrifying consequences though. Weight-wise.Truly the food of the devil! Anyway, while I was wallowing in my lack of self-control I received a phone call from Aoi-chan. Oniichan is getting weirder and weirder, she said. Ah, the muscley guitarist? Is he still playing every day? Hes singing too now&h.e.l.lip; My my&h.e.l.lip; Her voice was grim. You know, apparently he started this whole guitar thing after he met somebody he liked. And so hes going to confess to her with a self-written love song&h.e.l.lip; Every day he submits his own flesh and blood to his horrible love songs. Its terrible, right? All of my family has been telling him to stop but he doesnt listen. And oh G.o.d, the lyrics.?Ever since meeting you??Theres been a thump thump in my chest??And my heart is light and tender?Who writes c.r.a.p like that. Some days I feel like I could die from the embarra.s.sment. Whenever Oniichan starts to sing my mum will cover her ears. Its miserable being his sister. A self-made love song? At least it isnt a poem, I guess.Sometimes you see people singing and confessing to girls on t.v. but the girls always seem happy enough though. Id probably run away in embarra.s.sment, personally.But then its usually guys who write love songs and poems, isnt it. I dont think a guy would really want to listen to a love song. Maybe thats why girls make things instead?Maybe theres some male-only disease going around that makes them want to spontaneously write stuff like that. Scary&h.e.l.lip; Thank goodness Oniisama never caught it.Oh, but sometimes Oniisama does play Schuberts St?ndchen (Serenade). Its wonderful!Mn. I guess its better to leave song-writing up to the professionals. Were somebody to suddenly sing and confess to me I might run from the shock. And what if the girl in question dislikes that sort of thing&h.e.l.lip; Yeah. But apparently the girl he likes is really into music. She likes musicians and that. Oh~ They takes cla.s.ses at uni together and he tried his best to get her but its been hard. Apparently that was when he turned to song writing&h.e.l.lip; My~ Cla.s.ses at uni together, huh. I forgot he was in university. Mari~ Mari~ My beloved Mari~ You have taken me pri-soh-nah~Good G.o.d, I cant take the idiocy anymore. I guess he really doesnt have any talent. Wow, this might actually be worse than Cla.s.s Reps poem. If Cla.s.s Reps disease gets any worse, do you think he might start breaking into song? Anything but that, Cla.s.s Rep.Hm, but Mari&h.e.l.lip; Incidentally, might I ask which university he attends? Aoi-chan answered with Marin-senseis university. Huh, theyre the same grade too.Wait, no way&h.e.l.lip; My tutor is apparently one of your brothers cohorts. Her type is visual kei musicians too. EHH!? Her name sounds a little close too. I cannot give out her personal information, though. I see. Then it might be the same person, huh. Visual kei, though? Oniichans stuff is more like folk songs though. Thats totally different. Well, it may just be a coincidence after all. Yeah. Maybe I should talk to Oniichan though. With that, Aoi-chan hung up. No matter what she says, shes actually pretty worried about her brothers love-life isnt she.Still, Aoi-chans oniisan and Marin-sensei? What a small world. The next day I arrived at the salon to find Kaburagi playing Liszts Liebestr?ume (Love Dream). EHHHH!? WHAT THE HEEECK!? SO COOL!! The light from between tree leaves was filtering into through the window, and combined with Kaburagis amazing and emotional piano, I am ashamed to admit that my heart fluttered for a moment. No, Reika! Open your eyes!But wow, who knew this stupid horse riding maniac could actually play the piano. I guess this is what they call gap moe? G.o.dd.a.m.n, what power.Man, but Ill bet you anything hes thinking about Yurie-sama as hes playing. Its a bit sad&h.e.l.lip;Oniisamas Serenade is great too, but Kaburagis Liszt was also nice. Exactly what a young maiden would love.Pretty much all the other girls in the room were completely entranced. A true privilege of being a Pivoine member.I wonder if hed take requests? After hearing Kaburagis piano, I was certain. Writing your own song is a bad idea.I messaged Aoi-chan: The wise stick to existing songs. Writing your own is high-risk high-return. The reply I got though&h.e.l.lip; Oniichan cant stop his fiery pa.s.sion. After I told him what you mentioned, he became convinced that it was the same person. Apparently the girl he likes is the tutor to some incredibly rich ojousama. Hes changed over from folk songs to visual kei stuff and now hes even added weird shouts to his song. Oh G.o.d. &h.e.l.lip;Muscles Oniisaaaaan! For Aoi-chans sake, I decided to help as well. I was going to sell her Oniichan to Marin-sensei. Once the two of them got together her brother would stop playing guitar all the time and then peace would return to her family.I tried it the next day I had tutoring. Marin-sensei, as I recall you mentioned somebody rather incessant in their wooing? The rather overwhelming one&h.e.l.lip; Ah, I did. What about it? Is he still interested in you? Gosh, Reika-sama, what are you asking all of a sudden. &h.e.l.lip;Well, yes? I knew it! You said that he was not truly your type but what if you gave him a chance? I am sure he is a good person. What if you discovered that you liked him? Eh-, well, yeah. Indeed! If he suddenly begins singing to you, I hope that you will not run away! Singing to me? I wonder what you mean. He doesnt have any interest in music at all. What if he does now! Hes going to sing and play to confess to you! Oops. Confess&h.e.l.lip;? Ah, that was supposed to be a surprise so&h.e.l.lip; Im not sure what you mean by confess. I mean, were already dating. &h.e.l.lip;Eh? Dating? Yes. He was just so earnest about it all that I couldnt help but say yes. Marin-sensei showed me a picture of the two of them together. The man was a diligent-looking man who wouldnt look out of place as a researcher.Slim, and definitely not muscley. Eh-, I thought you said that he was overwhelming&h.e.l.lip; And the complete opposite to the visual kei type&h.e.l.lip; Aah, well, he just kept saying he liked me over and over again so it was a little overwhelming. And dont you think these serious types have the complete opposite personality to visual kei rockers? Aah&h.e.l.lip; I see&h.e.l.lip; Ah! Umm! Were there any over men that were interested in you? Like perhaps a muscley man. Nope. No? Nope. I GOT THE WRONG GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUY!! Of course. How could there be such a convenient development!What do I do. I have to quickly let Aoi-chan know or else.While Marin-sensei was boasting fondly about her boyfriend I got permission to send a text to my friend. Just as I was about to write something a text from Aoi-chan came. What do I do!? Oniichans gotten into death metal! Hes even started using Mums make-up and shes super angry at him now! Its scary! How am I going to sleep tonight!? WHAT DO I DOO!? Oh man. Oh man, oh man. I dont think Ill be able to face her family now.With trembling hands I told her that it was the wrong person, as I prayed that it wasnt too late. &h.e.l.lip;Muscles-oniisan, wanna join my Forever Alone Village?AAAH! IM SO SORRYY! Chapter 85 REIKA-SAMA C 085 As an apology for confusing the c.r.a.p out of him, I sent Aoi-chans brother some high cla.s.s protein supplements.Apparently the girl he liked was named literally just Mari. I should have checked to begin with. Hes a nice guy so he told me that it wasnt my fault and not to worry, and Aoi-chan wasnt angry at me in the slightest so things were settled for now.Because of the strong opposition from all around him, Aoi-chans oniisan stopped with the song writing. Hes still been playing the guitar though. One day Aoi-chan called and told me, Oniichans started a weird guitar comedy routine&h.e.l.lip; Stay strong, Aoi-chan! fo Anyhow, life pa.s.sed by and one day I received an invitation to an opening party for one of the Kaburagi Groups a.s.sociate companies. I recall declining last time. Otousama, Okaasama, just go by yourselves. Yeah, but last time when I met Chairman Kaburagi we talked, and when I mentioned you he told me to bring you next time. Ever since I gave him that tanuki doll hes been going around talking about me like Im some sort of fathercon. I first heard about it from somebody in the Pivoine: I hear that you get along very well with your father, Reika-sama. First Id heard of it. Boy was that a surprise. Everybody in the upper cla.s.s already knows about me as a long-time brocon but recently fathercon has been added to the list too. I find that offensive.But in the end its just Otousamas boasting. The brocon stuff is all true but the fathercon rumours arent really sticking. And for good reason. Its all baseless. I am still in high school so I shall decline for now. Yeah, but Ive already told him that you were going. So come with, Reika? HAHH?Forcing me to go to a Kaburagi party of all things!? Reika, Okaasama cut in. Masaya-sama might be at this party! How about we show him your new dress? That was what I wanted to avoid the most though. Okaasama was rather too cheerful about the whole thing. And Ive got my end of term exams too. Instead I have to play dress-up doll for her? Its fine, said Otousama. Ill make sure to escort you, Reika. What on earth is this tanuki saying. No, Ill have Oniisama do so if you please. Hmph! You think looking depressed like that is enough for me to feel sorry for you! For a while I considered telling Kaburagi I was coming, but in the end I decided against it. To begin with I dunno if hes even comming, and if he said So? I wouldnt know what to say.Anyway, the day of the party came in no time at all. Corporate parties are really boring. Growing up I avoided as many as possible on the basis that I was still a child, but I suppose Ill be seeing more and more of these from now on. What a pain, geez. Incidentally, Kaburagi didnt come.Oniisama escorted me as I kept a smile on my face. Some of the parents of fellow Pivoine members were there so I made some polite conversation. Most of it was talking about how wonderful their children were.Both my parents were doing basically the same thing elsewhere. Tired, Reika? I am still fine. Yeah? Itll only be a bit longer, so hold on. Supported by Oniisamas soft encouragement, I fired myself up for another meet and greet. Gokigenyoh. I am Kisshouin Reika. At that moment a voice called out from behind. Thanks for coming, Takateru-kun. Why if it isnt Chairman Kaburagi. Thank you for the invitation tonight. Chairman Kaburagi!? Kaburagis dad!? I turned around in a hurry. -DOKKINNN!!- Kaburagis dad was this unbelievably stylish ojisama.Ive always avoided their family so it was my first time seeing him up close.Hes probably Otousamas age by what the heck is this different!? His belly isnt coming out at all! And even his crows feet make him look refined instead of old. Not only that but his eyes seem both sharp and magnanimous! Its a flood of charisma! SO COOOL!!! And WHOA, hes freaking tall!Hes like Beethovens Emperor Concerto. Completely unlike his sons Night On Bald Mountain. This man is atrueemperor! He was just so awesome that I couldnt help but stare dumbly for a while. This is my younger sister, Reika. Come on Reika, its Chairman Kaburagi. Good evening, Reika-san. Thank you for coming tonight. The elegant ojisama smiled at me.Oh no! This isnt the time to be s.p.a.cing out! Thank you very much for your invitation tonight. I am Kisshouin Reika, I replied politely, suppressing the wild beating of my heart. Holy c.r.a.p, please let me leave a good impression with *him at least. No need to be so polite. Youre in Masayas year, arent you. I hope he hasnt been causing you trouble. No, not at all. Masaya-sama is an amazing and talented person. Were not close enough for that. I hear that youre doing well yourself, Reika-san. Your father must be proud of you. I heard that you always bake sweets for your beloved father. Ah, and there was a plush toy recently too, wasnt there. Goodness, I wish I had a daughter. Im envious of your father. Otousama, youre exaggerating too much!What the heck has he been saying about me. Its so scary I cant even think about it. Chairman Kaburagi, thank you for earlier. Speak of the devil. Ah, its you, Chairman Kisshouin. I was just speaking to the children you and your lovely wife are so proud of. Reika-san really is a lovely young lady. I expected no less from your beloved daughter. Haha, thank you, Chairman Kaburagi. Oi, youre supposed to say you flatter us there, Tanuki.Next to the chubby Tanuki, Kaburagis otousan looked even cooler than usual. I have to hand it to Okaasama, shes pretty amazing for not feeling disappointed when her husband is standing next to this guy.After that, the tanuki began to share secret and vastly exaggerated tales of how well he got along with his daughter.Somebody save me.The big-hearted Chairman Kaburagi went along with the tanukis delusions with a smile.At the end of it all, Chairman Kaburagi told me, I hope well meet again, Reika-san. Again with a dazzling smile. Wow&h.e.l.lip; So dreamy&h.e.l.lip; Wai-, this isnt the time for this, Reika! You vowed to stay away from the Kaburagi family so what are you doing getting familiar&h.e.l.lip; I have to get back on track! A few days later in the salon, Kaburagi came up to me and laughed, Heard it from my pops but not only are you a brocon, youre a fathercon on top of that? TANUKIIIIIIIIIII!! Chapter 86 Cla.s.s Rep pa.s.sed me in the hallway so I grabbed his arm and dragged him off. Eh-, whats wrong, Kisshouin-san? Cla.s.s Rep, I cannot imagine that it is true but in addition to your poetry, by any chance have you also dipped your toes into composing love songs? EH!? How did you know!? I freaking knew it!His disease is getting worse by the day. What a tragic discovery. I will not speak ill of your hobbies, Cla.s.s Rep, however I sincerely hope that you are not thinking of singing to the girl in question.Gasp!It cannot be that you intend to do so at the school festival again!? Nono, even I know that would be bad. Oh! Has he grown? Incidentally, what genre of song is it? &h.e.l.lip;Its a secret, he said with a blush. d.a.m.ned maiden. &h.e.l.lip;I guess girls just find it a bother when somebody suddenly sings a song written for them? I suppose. Not every girl is the same. I suppose the average girl would be shocked before happy. I see&h.e.l.lip; Cla.s.s Rep dropped his head. So he really wants to sing, huh.Perhaps I should confirm his intentions one more time when the school festival comes. I cant discount the possibility that hell go into a frenzy and sing anyway. Instead of singing a strange song that you wrote, you might be better received singing an existing song for her instead. I see. Indeed. A while back, a certain person played a love song on piano. It was wonderful, and the girls were all over it. It shames me to say that even I felt a little something. It was surprising, coming from him. That is the key, Cla.s.s Rep. Gap moe. Gap moe is everything. Gap moe&h.e.l.lip; Im surprised you even know the word, Kisshouin-san. But hm, a gap in my image&h.e.l.lip; Would it be surprising if I started playing instruments? The diligent cla.s.s representative playing a pa.s.sionate song of love. I suppose it would be quite a gap indeed. Take care to choose the right song, though. Like what? Something that brings to mind the ocean after all? Or would a song on piano be better? The piano might be nice. The problem is when I can play it&h.e.l.lip; Suddenly&h.e.l.lip; Cla.s.s Rep, whats wrong? Are you okay!? While the two of us were chatting in secret, Fellow Stalking Horse suddenly rushed out at us. Ah, Mizuzaki-kun. Did you need me? No, I was going to ask if anything was wrong. She brought you over here, after all. Over here? Uh, were just in a normal hallway, but? Huh? I was just talking with her. However&h.e.l.lip; Stalking Horse seemed really worried for him. He even casually shielded him from me.Hey, Stalking Horse, am I like some unthinkable fiend in your mind? &h.e.l.lip;Umm, I dont really get it, but I think you might be misunderstanding Kisshouin-san. Its impossible that shed do anything bad to me. I mean, shes my love guru. Love guru? Yeah. Since primary school. She always gives me advice. Cla.s.s Rep started shyly fiddling with his hair. d.a.m.ned maiden. A love guru. For a love guru Ive heard very little word about you having your own boyfriend. Oi, the h.e.l.l are you saying, Stalking Horse. You picking a fight here? I dont wanna hear this sa.s.s from the d.a.m.ned Vice Chief.&h.e.l.lip;I mean, I know Stalking Horse is pretty popular with the girls and all, but like, dont they call me G.o.ddess too? More importantly I had no idea there was a girl you liked. EHH! Gosh, Mizusaki-kun, keep it a secret okay? The maiden blushed harder.If Stalking Horse didnt know then I can only a.s.sume that people had slowly forgotten about the poem. Good for you, Maiden. Ill never forget it though. Should I help out then? Eh-, really? Cla.s.s Rep seemed ready to take up Fellow Stalking Horses offer so I quickly grabbed his arm. You mustnt, Cla.s.s Rep! Eh, why? Leaving Stalking Horse, I started to whisper in his ear. I hear that when a friend offers to help out, it is often the case that the girl will fall in love with said friend instead. Worse yet, Mizusaki-kun is a popular boy. You mustnt. That way lies danger. That makes sense. One day she might even ask you to help her together with him. Uwah. Thatd be the worst. But I can see it happening~ Right? Discussion concluded. Im grateful that you offered, Mizusaki-kun, but I think Ill just keep getting help from Kisshouin-san, he said, with his hand up. Stalking Horse looked at me with suspicion again. You really are just talking about love, right? Cla.s.s Rep, shes not threatening you or anything? EH! Of course not! Did I do something to Stalking Horse? He seems convinced that Im a villain. Kisshouin-san really does give me good advice. She even told me about this great shrine for matchmaking. &h.e.l.lip;Thats really not much, is it. No, it was plenty. It worked. Eh-, worked!? Wait, Cla.s.s Rep, what might you be talking about? I was grabbing his arm again. You know the school trip? We walked about the park together. It wasnt just us, of course, but wow, I had fun. Oh, the time when I was about to turn into a merlion. Something like that did happen, huh. Thats nice~ Making great memories on your trip. I didnt have anything like that at all. Anyway, the point is that I dont have any problems with Kisshouin-san so you dont have anything to worry about, Mizusaki-kun. &h.e.l.lip;I see. Why do I have to be doubted like this. I might have to talk to him about this. Mizusaki-kun, might I have a word? What? I asked Cla.s.s Rep to give us some room but he looked at me in worry and asked, Is everything okay? This time it was Stalking Horses time to be bewildered. Hah! See! Cla.s.s Rep thinks that youre the dangerous one, not me!Anyway, the two of us left Cla.s.s Rep behind but he was still looking worried. Say, Mizusaki-kun. Why is it that you seem to have such a bad impression of me? I cannot say I recall doing anything. To me, at least. What? In our last year in middle school you threatened Tsuruhana, didnt you. You said that if she disobeyed, you would crush her. And that you had the power to do so. I happened to see it by chance. THE TIME WITH THE FOLDING FAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!?! I knew that somebody might have seen that. And to think it was Fellow Stalking Horse.I suppose that explains my image then&h.e.l.lip; I know she was reaping what she sowed. But I cant stand people who threaten others with their authority. Not even if its how the mighty Pivoine like to do things. Ill protect the students from you if I have to. WHOAAAAA, hes like totally casting me as the villain here.But I guess it cant be helped after seeing that&h.e.l.lip; I cant even defend myself here. &h.e.l.lip;Well, there were certain circ.u.mstances involved in that. Still, I understand your point. That all? Im leaving then. Sure. Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know and I know. I keep telling the tanuki that, but to think Id need hearing it myself. What a terrifying tanuki boomerang. Its going to be hard clearing my image, isnt it~ And to be honest Im still embarra.s.sed about that fan thing so please forget about it already&h.e.l.lip; Chapter 87 With Marin-senseis help, I managed to get past a term-end exam. I dont think I did well, though. Thats why I decided I would enroll for summer cram school.I guess Im too weak-willed for self study. Theres just too much temptation lying around the house. Each time there was some problem I couldnt solve I found myself needle felting, or rearranging my room, or something else.Ive decided that if I like the cram school Ill continue doing it in Term 2 as well. So please, anything but the remedials again&h.e.l.lip; The day of the last exam. It finished in the morning so I went home and got changed. Today I had somewhere to be.The post office. I wanted to deposit some money, and to buy some postage stamps.Its actually a small hobby of mine, stamp collecting. Its fun keeping some of the cute ones. I dont have anybody to send letters to, though.I particularly like some of the anime ones, or the ones with cute figures on them. I have some robot anime ones, and some with characters from picture books.There was also this Rococo Queen one. Naturally I bought some. I think youre meant to use multiple stamps or something so I bought extras just in case. Not that I have anywhere to send anything right now.I was a little embarra.s.sed because I was worried somebody would think I was cosplaying her, but I liked these the most so Im glad I found the courage.I hope Ill get to use them though. Aoi-chan would probably accept it with a smile. Maybe Ill send her something then~ I was wearing something more casual than most of my other outfits, a feminine dress with a ribbon below the chest. There was somewhere else I wanted to go today, so it wouldnt do to look too much like an ojousama.Before going to the post office, I was going to have lunch at a soba restaurant, so I chose something less eyecatching.Geez, Im so hungry. What should I have~ The soba place was in a mall building. Looking at the menu I found myself at a loss. Sansai vegetable soba would be good, but then chilled soba sounded appetising too. Aah, but it has to be tempura soba in the end! It came with two prawns, and was delicious. Im glad I picked this. It had plenty of spring onion too, which is good for the blood, right?Actually it was so delicious that I ended up draining the broth dry. Mn, so satisfied! After relaxing a bit, I headed to the post office, a large one nearby.The counter was packed with people so I got a ticket and went to browse the stamps.These animal stamps are pretty nice, but I like these traditional art-themed ones too~ Maybe Ill get a few of these j.a.panese Waka poem stamps.In the end I found some cute animal ones so I decided to buy those this time. I made up my mind to come again someday.Happily making my way back to counter, I discovered that there was still quite a while until it was my turn. It was packed so there probably wasnt anywhere to sit either.Ah well. Im still young so a bit of standing wont kill me.Just as I was thinking that, some salaryman gave me his seat.What a gentleman! I guess even j.a.pan has learnt the ladies first custom. Thank you, nameless salaryman.I thanked him with a smile and took a seat.Its funny how small acts of kindness can really pick up your mood.Not that I wasnt still feeling a bit ill from all the tempura soba I ate. I mean, I drank all the broth too.As I rubbed my tummy unconsciously, the lady next to me asked, How many months? Chapter 88 The joke is that it took me over a month to release this because I finished it two weeks ago but then went to sleep and forgot I ever did it! HA HA HA! Are you guys laughing too? The results for the finals were out. Naturally my name was nowhere to be seen.The top-three were the same as ever. Kaburagi, Enjou, and Wakaba-chan in that order. Wakaba-chan really is such a smart cookie. Youre amazing, Wakaba-chan~ This is going to make some people really unhappy thoughOh! And Fellow Stalking-Horse dropped to 7th! Are you being a little careless about your studies, my comrade?! Im not that smart so its up to you to drag up the Stalking Horses, okay? Youre the hope of our village. As candidate for next village head, you need to make us proud.Anyhow, I ended up at rank 86. Uguh, its so bad that I cant even talk about it! At this rate I might actually end up in the triple digits. Better take the summer studies seriously. Studying, dieting, spiritual training This summer is going to be busy. Hey, Kikuno suddenly said. How about we all go somewhere together this summer? Ehhhh! An outing with friends! That sounds wonderful! Do you think well be able to book anything in time? My, what if you simply came to my familys villa? The girls began kicking up an excited fuss.Since we basically all have villas, they started discussing which one we were going to use. Id better ask my family as well.I mean, Im a.s.suming that Im included of course. I am, right? Right? I mean, Ive got a villa too, so let me into the conversation? On the last Sunday before the summer break officially began, Sakura-chan and I went to do that Zazen meditation I mentioned.First the Zen Master taught us how to sit and meditate properly, and then had us enter the temple. I was happy to find that it was cool inside. I dont think I would have been able to meditate if it was humid.I couldnt manage the full lotus position so I sat down in the half-lotus instead, and half-closed my eyes. Focus. Control your breathing. Control your heart.I mean the breathing part is fine and all but controlling my mind~? Weird thoughts kinda keep popping up.Or so I thought, but with the room so quiet my mind started to calm down. My heart quieted down, and my eyes began to close.Ah-, Zen Master-san suddenly stood behind me. Could he tell I was falling asleep? I leant to the left so that he could tap my shoulder with his stick. It hurt less than Id expected. Was he holding back because I was a frail girl? But thanks to that I was getting sleepy again -smack- By the end of it I was so drowsy that my body was swaying all over the place. I cant even remember if he hit me again. After a thirty minute session of that, we had some tea and then the Zen Master gave us a sermon. Then it was onto rewriting sutras. Wow, I thought it was just going to be the meditation.I placed the paper on top of the original and then began to trace it. Oh. This was easier than I thought. I used to do the same thing for writing practice as a child.Turns out it wasnt that easy. Zen Master-san told us that by tracing this our hearts would be revealed. I looked at Sakura-chans perfect kanji, and then looked at some of the weird squiggles on mine. Ill bet this one over here happened while I was thinking about the j.a.panese-style caf wed be going to after. My mind really is filled to the brim with worldly desires, isnt it.After submitting our copies to the temple, our day at the temple was brought to a close. Reika. You didnt learn a thing, did you, said Sakura-chan, the very moment we reached the caf. Oh. I had originally planned to reflect during the training, hadnt I. Seriously, because of all the smacking sounds coming from the side I could barely concentrate myself. And I swear you started rocking back and forth near the end too That was a test of your heart and spirit, Sakura-chan. If something so little can sway you from the Path then I dont know what to say to you. He should have smacked you with a real cane instead. I was just reciting what the Zen Master had said. And a real cane would have actually hurt. And today was so easy because I deliberately chose a mellow place for you, okay. Had we gone to one of the hardcore places youd be tenderised steak right now. Ehh~ But you got hit too. I asked him to. Wow, youre amazing. Well? Did you reflect at all? She sighed as I stared at the sweets menu. Guess not, huh. Youre wrong. I was just looking, thats all. I wasnt planning on eating at all, I swear. Ahh~ Nirvana isnt such an easy place to get into, you know~ I hope you fall onto the path of the chubster. Stop that. Dont you remember what Mr. Zen Master said? Words have power so you shouldnt say cruel things to others, remember? How are you going to take responsibility if I really turn into a fatty? Look, you really need to start exercising, Reika. How about that hot yoga stuff, or maybe aerial yoga? You sure do love yoga, Sakura-chan. Ive been doing my best with sit-ups and hula hoops, and I can just do yoga at home. If Im going to go out of my way then maybe some other sport would be better.Anyhow, I somehow managed to restrain myself from ordering one of the j.a.panese-styled sweets and forced myself to settle with a cold matcha drink instead.When I dont eat my tummy shrinks. But it swells again the moment I do. Geez, this is why its so easy to get careless~ It feels like Ill lose weight as soon as I start eating less.But I was determined to stick to my guns this time. That time with the pregnancy misunderstanding was a huge shock. I was actually still pretty depressed about it.I sealed away the dress from that day too. It had to be part of the problem.And when I sit down my flab comes out, so I was sitting with my stomach clenched at all times. Say, Sakura-chan? Do I look too old? Huh? No? Your face has been getting rounder these days so if anything you look awfully young. Dont worry about it. So my face has been getting rounder Today was the first day of my summer cram school.And wow, was this on a different scale to my middle school one.We were allowed to sit wherever so I picked a middle seat, a bit further back than average.I wonder if there are any Suiran kids. Hmmm. Everybody looks so smart. While I was looking around, a group of boys and girls took the seats next to me. They all seemed to be friends. Whoaa What is this feeling unbelievable sense of isolation.The bag of the boy next to me steadily encroached on my territory. But he had his back to me and was completely focused on the conversation with his friends. Why am I feeling so ignored.Oh no. The trauma from my remedialsJust as I was moping, the boy suddenly laughed like crazy and smacked me with his hand. Ow Ah, soz. It is fine. More importantly, Id appreciate it if you noticed your bag as well. Whoa! This chick is like a total rich girl ojousama! And her hair is done up so neatly~ Urgh. Hey, hey, what school you go to? asked the boy behind me. And he had a bunch of earrings too. So gaudy. I attend Suiran. Whooooooooa! Suiraaan! Total rich girlll! I dont know what was so interesting about it but they all seemed really intrigued.And although the girls had smiles on their faces, I could see them secretly appraising me. Scary Hey, so whats your name? My name is Kisshouin Reika. Even your name sounds rich! Dooope! What the h.e.l.l.I picked completely the wrong seat.No, I picked completely the wrong cram school.This has got to be the first time Ive ever been treated so carelessly in all my time as Kisshouin Reika.This has got to be the worst treatment Ive had short of that pregnancy incident. I have complete confidence that if I drew a fortune right now it would say Huge Curse. Cmon, cut that out. Youre troubling the poor girl. The ojousama of Suiran are just totally different from us, you know? said one of the guys next to Gaudy Piercings. The girls started staying stuff like Yeah, guys~ Cut it out~ as well. Hmph! As if anybody thinks you mean it! I played up my indifference and began looking through my coursework. It was time to make use of the mindset I cultivated at the temple!But despite my best efforts, the idiot behind me wouldnt stop pulling and playing with my hair! My hair of all things! Had we been born an era earlier Id imprison you in the G.o.dd.a.m.ned Bastille for that!And who the heck pulls on a girls hair! Are you actually a high schooler? Are you actually?The final straw was the fact that when cla.s.s actually started all of the idiots around me turned out to be way smarter than I was. Thats it. The moment I get home Im performing a salt-exorcism on all four sides of my room. Chapter 89 A ryoutei (ͤ) is a type of luxurious traditional j.a.panese restaurant. Often used in important dinners or high-cla.s.s banquets for important business meetings, or in low-key meetings between VIPs, celebrities or statesmen, traditionally ryoutei only accept new customers by referral. Also a reminder that j.a.panese food in America is not necessarily actual j.a.panese cuisine. In the same way, Chinese food in America isnt necessarily actual Chinese cuisine either, nor is Chinese food in j.a.pan. Ever since that first day, Gaudy Piercings continued to sit near me. Apparently his real name was Umewaka. Gaudy Piercings is enough for the likes of him. Hey, hey, Kisshouin-san! Say, you guys at Suiran are all like, Gokigenyoh right? Say it to me too! Gokigenyoh~ Annoying. Sure, my secondary goal in coming here was to make some friends but it definitely wasnt going to be those guys.I continued to concentrate on my questions. Woooow. Youre so serious about studying, Kisshouin-san. Oh, you got that one wrong. Tsk! Soon enough it was lunch. The cram school had one after each morning lecture. Almost all of the students went out to buy something to eat. Apparently Gaudy Piercings and his buddies were going outside as well.I had my own lunch though, prepared by a chef hired by my family. Whooooaaa! Kisshouin-san, did your bentou come from a ryoutei or something!? I should have waited for them to leave before opening this. Todays lunch was a well-balanced square bentou. Looks yuuum! Lemme have one? Hey cretin, do you really think I would? Let me tell you now that Im stingy when it comes to food. Especially today. I actually wanted a little bit more than this but because of the diet thing I tried to cut down. You really think theres enough for you as well? Umewaka~ Its time for us to gooo! pressed the girl with the short hair. You hear that? Its time for you to go. Ohh! Bye then, Kisshouin-san! Yes, yes, go, go. And dont come back, either. I immediately got started on enjoying my tiny, but delicious lunch. The boiled fish was delicious. It went perfectly with my chilled gyokuro tea. Gyokuro (j.a.panese: ¶?, jade dew) is a type of shaded green tea from j.a.pan. It differs from the standard sencha (a cla.s.sic unshaded green tea) in being grown under the shade rather than the full sun. Gyokuro is one of the most expensive types of sencha available in j.a.pan. Anyhow, once the break was over, it was back to concentrating on my studies. My days at cram school were pretty much a repeat of that. Until one day, disaster struck. That Gaudy Piercings stole one of my chakinzushi! Whoooooooooooooa! This is suuuuper good! Kisshouin-san, dont tell me your family actually owns a ryoutei!? Chakinzushi Fresh ingredients mixed with vinegared rice, wrapped in a delicate layer of egg and something that I only had two of My chakinzushi Mm? How come youve gone all still, Kisshouin-san? Did that maybe give you a shock? Dont worry, Ill treat you to lunch as an apology so come eat with us? I silently packed my things away, left my chair, and then left the cla.s.sroom to make a call. My favourite man was busy right now, so I dialled my doormat backup. Take me to some good food right now! I jumped into a taxi and sped to my destination. Waiting excitedly for me at the company headquarters my doormat tanuki. It makes me really happy that youve gone to visit me. Come in, sit down! Otousama, I only have an hour and a half. Let us hurry up and go somewhere! I replied before dragging him by the arm. Ooh! Got it! After getting some quick directions from the secretary, we were exiting into the hallway when I b.u.mped into my real man instead. Oh, Reika. Why are you here? asked Oniisama. It seems Reika here wanted to have lunch with me. She came all the way here, my father replied smugly. I notice that he particularly emphasised with me. Unfortunately for you, Otousama, youre just a man of convenience. A foody call, if you will. Regardless, Oniisama saw us out with a smile. But the whole time that doormat tanuki kept emphasising to all the employees we pa.s.sed that I was a ma.s.sive fathercon and saying, My daughter just wouldnt stop asking me to go out with her somewhere so Ill be back after lunch. It felt a bit like a public execution. d.a.m.n tanuki. Anyhow, Otousama took me to a high-cla.s.s Chinese restaurant close by. It was multi-storied, had a nice view, and had private rooms as well, so you could eat in peace. Thanks to that it was popular.Im impressed that we even managed to get a reservation on such short notice. Impressed by Otousamas secretary, that is. Dont wait up, Reika. Eat as much as you want. So first I started with my favourites. Ebi Chili (Ӥ ebi chiri?) is a j.a.panese dish derived from Shanghai-style Szechuan cuisine. It consists of stir-fried shrimp in chilli sauce. It has a history in j.a.pan. Chilli-fried prawns, Shark fin soup (or sharks fin soup) is a traditional soup or stewed item of Chinese cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets, or as a luxury item in Chinese culture. shark-fin soup, Guoba is a Chinese food ingredient consisting of scorched rice. Guoba is also served in soups and stews and prominently featured in Szechuan cuisine. It is known as okoge in j.a.pan. and scorched-rice with seafood. Otousama had whole-boiled shark fin and Shanghai Mitten Crab fried rice. Pretty extravagant for just a lunch, Otousama. In the end we ordered some sides like dim sum as well, and it all became a little too much in terms of volume.Today was special though. After all, tomorrow I was stuck fasting with Okaasama. It felt like I was having my last meal. Hows cram school, Reika? I am giving my all. And I had better hurry up and finish this all before my lessons began again.Speaking of which, I wonder if Otousama leaving so suddenly was a problem. It was worrying to think about. Then again, everybody we pa.s.sed looked like super-elite professionals, so. Are you doing your job properly, Otousama? What are you saying, Reika. Of course I am. Right, Sasajima? Incidentally, his secretary Sasajima-san was sitting at the table with us. At first they tried to decline because it was just lunch between father and daughter, but we ordered so much and I had to go soon too, so I asked them to help eat as a favour. Yes. The President is extremely busy each day. Well of course youd say that, youre his secretary. And also I note that extremely busy doesnt necessarily mean actually getting work done. I hear that you have been training my brother since he was in school? Yes. Takateru-san is truly outstanding. He is presently working with the sales department as well. I see. Oniisama did look busy. I wonder if hes making sure to take lunch breaks.We continued to talk about Oniisama for a while so Otousama began to sulk a bit. Wow, your immaturity is showing, Otousama. Now stuffed with food, I thanked Sasajima-san for keeping the time for us and then left my seat. Otousama wanted me to stay a bit longer but I was going to run late for cla.s.s at this rate. Farewell, Otousama! Even if you try to lure me with dessert it wont work! I just barely made it back in time for cla.s.s so all the seats were pretty much taken. I ended up on one of the last chairs in the corner. Which happened to be far away from Gaudy Piercing & co. so I wasnt unhappy about it. My stomach was unhappy though. I had to use my bag and scarf to hide my tummy from view. The next day was fasting with Okaasama. Apparently we were going to spend the next two days getting into jacuzzis, going to beauty salons, and taking walks in the hotels famed garden. Fasting in style in other words. The other people were pretty much all Okaasamas acquaintances; married women from the upper cla.s.s. According to her she couldnt turn down the invitation so she dragged me with her instead. Well yeah, I mean, Okaasama was completely skinny so I dont suppose she would need to fast.To think that maintaining a social life would even call on you to fast. Terrible. After getting a private medical check, the hotel staff explained our itinerary to us. Apparently the hotel would provide water, tea, and rice congee, but we were free to eat out, and they had a pool and gym too. The women all immediately chose to go to the beauty salon. I ended up going with them as Okaasamas extra. One rotund older woman brought along a round ojousama. Her name was Narutomi Akimi, and she was 20. We were the only two young partic.i.p.ants. Madam Narutomi said that she really hoped we would get along when she introduced us. Akimi-san kind of hid behind her mother with her head hanging.Wow, kind of shy for somebody older than me. Come on, I wont bite~ At that moment, Madam. Kaburagi gallantly strode in. It was like the whole room started sparkling with her entrance.Thats right. Apparently this hotel was owned by the Kaburagi group. Apparently she heard that we were partic.i.p.ating so she came here to say h.e.l.lo. Of all things, a Kaburagi hotel That was my first thought. But then I realised that just by being here it was like broadcasting that I was in need of a diet Kaburagi couldnt know. And I didnt want that dandy Kaburagi Papa to know either.I guess this is what you call a maidens heart. After Mrs. Kaburagi finished her greetings she spotted me hiding away, so she walked over with a smile. Reika-san, Im glad youve come! Its going to be a difficult two days, but hang in there! Im cheering for you. Yes, thank you very much Embarra.s.sing. So embarra.s.sing. It was like admitting that I was fat. Im still in the skinny zone for BMI measurements, okay!Also after she mentioned cheering for me all the other madams started paying more attention to me. I endured with a forced smile. After that, Mrs. Kaburagi flashed everybody one last smile before leaving like the wind. I suppose its time to check out our accommodations. Even if you try to lure me with dessert it wont work! Incidentally it was a type of almond jelly called annin tofu. Chapter 90 I was led to a twin bedroom suite filled with amenities. I wouldnt have expected less from a hotel owned by the Kaburagi group.Unfortunately the fridge had nothing except water and ice thanks to the nature of our visit. It really hit me that I wasnt going to be eating for a while.I decided to relax on the sofa for a bit with herbal tea. We were going to meet up with the others later for a walk in the park. Say, Okaasama, would Otousama not have been a better choice to bring to a fasting? I do believe that he needs it the most in our family. Your father has work. And fasting would not make him skinnier. Ruthless. More importantly, it seems that Kaburagi-sama is very fond of you, Reika-san, she commented happily. I suppose it might have seemed that way to others. As expected of my daughter! You are so terribly cute after all. Of course she thought you were a match for Masaya-san! Whoa, whoa, stop that, Okaasama. You just made a leap across the Grand Canyon of logic. After spending some time getting Okaasama back under control, we went and met up with the others.The staff led us on a stroll through the huge garden, and the older ladies were apparently still talking about what happened earlier. Even Kaburagi-sama approves of Reika-san. Your daughter certainly has a different kind of quality to her. My, ohoho! Ladies, please dont flatter her so. Okaasama sounds arrogant even when shes turning down praise. I could tell she was in a fantastic mood. As the women continued to pay my mother lip service, suddenly, I remembered that there was one other person here my age. I started feeling a bit bad for Akimi-san. After that we all headed to the same room and had drinks for dinner. I was still completely hungry Couldnt we have at least had seconds? I wasnt looking forward to repeating that on the next two days. Next on the itinerary was a ma.s.sage as the beauty salon. It was actually kind of focused on my midsection. A stomach ma.s.sage? Uhyahyahyahyahya! It tickles! Gueh! I woke up the next morning with a sad-looking stomach. Breakfast was in drinkable form again. I want to eat something solid There was a pool and gym available for us to use, but I could muster up the energy for a walk at best. How do you expect people to move without food As for Okaasama, after our lunchtime drinks she immediately headed back to our room to sleep. I guess she was basically giving up. In her place I went with the madams to do some yoga. It was easy yoga; simple poses designed around a cla.s.s to help us relax. I was so hungry though that my stomach kept making embarra.s.sing gurgling sounds. The housewives around me were happily chatting away. They sure had energy~ Where on earth were they getting that stamina from. Actually they were so energetic that they started asking me questions like, Reika-san, do you have anybody you like? Masaya-san from the Kaburagi family is in your school year, isnt he? What about Shuusuke-san from the Enjou family? Has your Oniisama decided on a lady yet? They sure loved gossipping about the lovelives of the young Dinner was in drinkable form yet again. I was sick of this Sure, they changed the flavours each time but still Okaasama was whining on the phone to Otousama. Since it was night time I had time to study from a textbook, but my empty stomach had completely removed the will to do a thing. I decided to go for a walk to help my mood. Just as I stepped out, I came across Akimi-san. Oh, thats Hidden behind her back was a bag from the hotel patisserie. Awkward Just as I had decided to pretend that I didnt see anything, Akimi-san hesitantly brought it forward. The drinks just wouldnt fill me up she said with a self-depreciating smile. Yes, I understand. I certainly feel famished, I smiled politely in return. Ah, come on now. Dont look like that. Its not like were hospitalised or anything, so if you want to eat, just eat. Reika-san, could we chat a little? The two of us went for a walk in the garden. The had lighting made it incredibly beautiful. The two of us made our way over to one of the benches and sat down. After meeting you, Reika-san, Ive been thinking I really am a cowardly waste of s.p.a.ce, arent I. Eh?! Not at all! On the contrary, I dont think youll ever meet a bigger coward than me. The j.a.panese have a saying, you know? A Three-Day Priest; basically somebody who gives up at the drop of the hat. If I didnt know any better Id say they created that phrase just for me. The more they tell me that I cant eat, the more and more I want to. I understand how you feel, I nodded vigorously. Why does my stomach always growl the moment I decide to diet? Ive been fat since I was little. Ive tried losing weight a few times, but I always give up The name Akimi(refulgent beauty) is wasted on me. Whoa, whoa, you think the name Reika(resplendent flower) fits me any better? It means that Im supposedly as lovely as a flower, you know? So lovely that all I do is eat all day, a lay-about tanuki pup who even got mistaken for a pregnant woman once.So theres really no need for you to smile so sadly with your bag of pastries, okay? It must be nice being you, Reika-san. Youre so beautiful. I often hear rumours about Takateru-sama taking his younger sister out. He must be so proud of you. Im envious. Umm, I am not quite sure what you mean I have an older brother too. But he hates me because Im fat and ugly, no doubt. Not once has he invited me anywhere. Uhhh, yeaah, I think thats less Oniisama bringing me out, and more me tagging along, but? Even Kaburagi-sama has her eye on you. Youre really so amazing, Reika-san. Your father, Chairman Kisshouin, brags about you everywhere too, you know? Gosh, its amazing how proud of you he is. What the heck are you doing, d.a.m.ned tanuki! Just wait til I get home! My father is too doting with me. Goodness, this is embarra.s.sing. I must warn him the next time I see him. And I will have you know that I am simply fat in places that others cannot see. My midsection for instance. Something that I seem to have inherited from my father, unfortunately. My stomach is a veritable marshmallow at the moment. A veritable marshmallow? Goodness, you do say hilarious things, she laughed with a kind smile. She was definitely on the chubby side, but that just made her cuter and more relaxing to be around. Really, there wasnt any reason for her to look down on herself so much. I suppose she kind of reminded me of Hanachirusato from the Tale of Genji? I decided on cheering her up. Thats why I started telling her all kinds of stories where I was the b.u.t.t of the joke. Stuff like, Actually, once while wearing my school uniform the hook on my skirt popped when I sat down, or So the moment I put it on in the changing room I heard a rip, so I bought it and never wore it again, or This one day I ate a whole cake by myself and was bedridden from the stomach ache. Akimi-san listened to me as she laughed, but I had an inkling that she thought I was just exaggerating. Naive. Far from exaggerating, these stories were just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately I still had plenty of embarra.s.sing stories like that time I was swinging from a rope and nearly stacked it, or that one time I crashed into the cla.s.s rubbish bin, and other such unmentionable tales. Still, it looked like it worked a little. Akimi-san offered me a b.u.t.ter cookie in the shape of a leaf from her bag. b.u.t.ter cookie! I wanna eat! But Im fasting right now! Why must you tempt me so! Sensing my inner turmoil, Akimi-san smiled and told me, You know, it isnt just me thats sneaking out at night to eat, you know? Pretty much every single partic.i.p.ant has been doing the same thing. Ehhhh!? I think it might only be your mother and you thats actually fasting properly. The hotel staff keep quiet even if they see you. If they didnt, how would I have bought these? Okaasamaaaa, weve been deceiveeed!Id wondered how everyone else was so energetic. And here I was, so hungry that all I could think about was food Huhu, then shall we eat? No, I think I shall hold on for a little longer. It would feel somewhat frustrating otherwise. I suppose you would, Reika-san. Do your best. Since the air was beginning to get a bit chilly, the two of us decided to return to our rooms. Just to keep appearances up, I lent her my scarf to hide the bag of pastries with. She thanked me with a smile. Do you think weve gotten a little closer? Our final meal consisted of rice congee. Haaah~ Yummy Next to me, Okaasama seemed to be in total bliss. I get how you feel. I really do. The fasting course is now complete, announced the staff. And with that, we all prepared to live. Time to go home. Please let me go home. The two of us went through our goodbyes before climbing into the awaiting car. Akimi-san even waved me goodbye as I left. Im hoooome~! Otousama and Oniisama were waiting with warm food prepared.Obviously due to her weakened spirit, Okaasama was overcome with emotion and clung to Otousama in an embrace. Truly the Beauty and the Tanuki.I tried the same thing with Oniisama as well, but when I did it he dodged. Why! Chapter 91 Four days later I was suddenly rushed by Gaudy Piercings, right as I returned to cram school for the first time in a while. Kisshouin-saan! Im so sorry! Uwah!? Whats with this guy!? It creeped me out so I had taken a step back in reflex, but the guy didnt mind and continued to rant. Since that happened, you havent been coming to cram school at all! Ive been feeling so bad about it. Im really sorry! Can somebody tell me what this guy is on about? Then, who knows why, but he suddenly slumped in depression all on his own. You rushed out of the cla.s.sroom right after, and you only came back when lunch ended. I was so worried that you were off crying somewhere. Hmm? Oh! That time with the chakinzuchi!?Thats right! I forget not the enmity you sowed on that day, scoundrel! And then you stopped coming as well. Was it because you didnt wanna see me? Have you been crying at home every day? Oh yeah. Come to think of it, the day after the chakinzushi incident I skipped cram school to do that fasting course, didnt I. Wow, it feels like so long ago. Aah, that course was h.e.l.l~Thanks to that though, apparently Gaudy Piercings came up with the idea that my feelings had been hurt, and had been arbitrarily wallowing in guilt for the last three days. My condolences.Im not going to tell him though. He stole my precious chakinzushi, so this is his punishment. Kekeke!The enmity sowed due to food is a terrifying thing. I never thought youd be hit with so much shock. I should have realised though. Youre a real ojousama. Youre more delicate than guys like us. You even look like youve lost weight over it. Eh!? What was that!? Did he just say what I thought he did? Did he just say I look like Id lost weight!?Gaudy Piercings, Ill make an exception just this once! Please do not trouble yourself over it. I was simply feeling under the weather, and had been resting at home, I smiled as I forgave him. Just this once Id let go of the grudge. It could disappear along with the fat Id lost. Really!? Thank goodness! If youre still feeling bad, then dont overdo it, okay? Come on, sit down. Originally I had planned on sitting away from them, but before I knew it he had brought me over to his group. Ununu, what a crafty one. been a while, Kisshouin-saan. Soorry about this idiot. Hes such a jerk for stealing your food like that. Ojousama suuure are delicate~ After all, Kisshouin-san stayed at home just for something like that. Bobcut was really casually being caustic. Kisshouin-san said she was ill. Hey, if you dont feel well then you have to speak up, okay? Thank you for your concern. Gaudy Piercings was oddly gentlemanly. I guess its because he came up with this image of me being some dainty, sheltered rich girl. Naive. While Gaudy Piercings was feeling guilty, I was living it up in a high cla.s.s Chinese restaurant, stealing shark fin soup from Otousama. But he said Id lost weight My last checkup said that Id lost two kilos, certainly, but I knew the weight would return the moment I started eating again. I decided that I would put in the effort to keep my midriff like this though. Gaudy Piercings, thank you for the motivation. Also, Gaudy Piercings, what was your real name again? Break time came, and Gaudy Piercings group went out for lunch. As usual I had my bentou. After having a relaxing lunch, I had a skim through my textbook. I had already planned to have Marin-sensei help me catch up, but it wouldnt hurt to try a bit on my own.Coming back from his own lunch, Gaudy Piercings pa.s.sed me a bag from a coffee shop. Confused, I looked inside and found a proscuitto and vegetable panino. This is for last time. Im not sure if food like this would taste good to an ojousama like you, but if youre okay with it then please take it. Ehhh!? Thank you! I love this stuff! What the heck! Youre actually a pretty good guy, Gaudy Piercings. Thank you. I will definitely enjoy it later, I smiled brightly. Smiles are cheap for people who give me panino. Gaudy Piercings seemed happy as well. Umewaka~ Lend me your electronic dictionary~ called Bobcut. Oh, thats right. Umewaka. Thanks for reminding me, Bobcut.Umewaka-kun, who gave me a panino, went to give Bobcut his e-dictionary, and then happily played around with his phone. Since that day, I started talking to Umewaka-kun a little more. He was oddly overprotective. Like, hed ask if my bag was too heavy, or mention that it was hot today and ask me if I was okay.And each and every time, Bobcuts eyes would be lit up in jealousy. She was really easy to read. Sometimes shed drop in a comment like, It must be nice, being a pampered ojousama~ Really, really easy to read. Umewaka-kuns group of friends was made up of three guys and two girls. The other girl was the one who sat next to me on the first day, and it seemed like she was close with the brown-haired guy. Thanks to that, she didnt seem to mind me as much as Bobcut did. One day Bobcut caught me in the bathroom. Youre really girly, Kisshouin-san. Me, Im more frank and chill, and kind of like a guy, so all the boys treat me like one. I see. Its also common-sense to girls that on the inside, the self-proclaimed frank, chill, and kind-of-like-a-guy women are actually the most frighteningly jealous women of all.It was honestly a bother, so I just left. Umewaka-kun continued to worry about me, telling me to be careful about the heat, or asking if it was hard keeping my hair tidy.Once I was curious enough to ask him why he bothered with me so much. His eyes lit up and he said to me, Because my beloved Beatrice is just like you, Kisshouin-san! So I asked him who Beatrice was, and he pulled out his phone to show me. It was a dog. See? Isnt she cute? Shes an American c.o.c.ker Spaniel and shes got the roundest, cutest eyes. And your hair is just like my Beatrices, Kisshouin-san. The first time I saw you from behind, I thought, oh my G.o.d! Its my Beatrice! My Bea-tan is such an angel. Umewaka-kuns beloved dog was one of the types with wavy long hair, and she was wearing a ribbon on her head too.After that, even though I never asked for it, Umewaka-kun started showing me pictures of his adorable Bea-tan, one after another. Bea-tan running happily. Bea-tan rolling on the floor. Bea-tan asleep. One after another, he continued animatedly showing them off to me.Umewaka-kun was a hardcore dog lover. Beatrices hair is really long and its so hard to get the kinks out. I make sure to brush her hair everyday, too. How do you take care of your hair, Kisshouin-san? Its really hard maintaining Bea-tans sausage curls. The former Umewaka-kun, now revised to Dog Lover-kun, apparently wanted my advice on long hair.Dog Lover-kun, I might look like this but Im still technically a human. You truly love dogs, Umewaka-kun. Yeah. Oh, look at this! he said as he pointed proudly to his earring. Looking carefully, it was a silver earring of a dog paw. He was an honest-to-G.o.d dog lover. This is my favourite one, but Ive also got a bone earring too. Wanna see? Ill show you next time, okay? He was an honest-to-G.o.d, maniac dog lover. I might not be a dog, but perhaps it would help to know that I use a brush that a salon recommended me. The teeth are very fine to avoid tangles. Oh, my Bea-tan has an exclusive brush too. I might not be a G.o.d, but perhaps it would help to know that I visit a salon at least once a month for hair treatment. My Bea-tan also gets a tr.i.m.m.i.n.g once a month! Really, can you just give up on this comparison already, Dog Lover-kun? Also American c.o.c.ker Spaniels get fat really easily, so I have to take care about her food and exercise. Were the same species! I arrived home to find an invitation to tea, from Madam Kaburagi. Is it even necessary to add in a picture for a simple Western food? Chapter 92 I didnt wanna go.To begin with I didnt want anything to do with that family. Going now would be even worse because that fasting course would definitely come up. It would be as good as announcing,h.e.l.lo everybody! I was fat enough to warrant fasting!Yeah, no wayyy. But thinking about it, a tea party probably meant that she wanted to get to know the kids in her sons school year. With a lot of other people there it wouldnt have been too bad. If it wasnt for the fasting issue, that is.Actually, I had been invited to something like this a few times before, but I got out of it by pretending to be shy. Its a shame that something like that wasnt possible at my age. How depressing The days continued to pa.s.s by. Dog Lover-kun continued to force his I ? Beatrice! photo collection on me. Okaasama got excited about the tea party and began dragging me to beauty salons and clothes shopping. Before long, the day of the tea party had arrived.It was a casual thing so I just brought some flowers and chocolates with me. Well, I say just but this chocolate was actually from bought the newly opened j.a.panese branch of a French chocolatier. A rising star of the chocolate world, they call him. I decided on this since I figured the sweet-toothed Kaburagi might appreciate it.Anyhow, I arrived there for the first time feeling nervous. It didnt take long for Madam Kaburagi to show me in, and I was brought to a large room overseeing the garden. Actually there were already a number of people there. Pretty much everybody was somebody from the Pivoine, so I let out a sigh of relief. Although naturally Kaburagi and Enjou were there too. Reika-san, might there be some people you havent met before? Allow me to introduce you, said Mrs. Kaburagi before doing exactly that. Once she was done, she left to greet new guests. I decided to just approach someone I knew. Nouzen Sarara-sama was here.She was a Pivoine member, but spent most of her time reading quietly by herself. Sarara-sama had this tranquil and dignified air to her, and it felt like she lived in her own world, never taking part in the pointless conversations that the rest of us had. Any conversation I made might have seemed inane to her, so Id always shied from talking to her. Thanks to that we werent really close.I had to say though, I admired her constant composure. That was something I knew I had trouble with.At any rate, it was surprising that somebody like Sarara-sama would even come to an event like this. Id never seen her really talk to Kaburagi in the Pivoine salon, and neither he or Enjou seemed to pay much attention to her.Could it be that she was forced here by her parents like I was? Gokigenyoh, Sarara-sama. I must admit I was not expecting you here. Gokigenyoh. Of all places, I wouldnt have expected you here either, Reika-sama. I must admit that this is my first time as a guest here. And you, Sarara-sama? I do in fact visit here on occasion. The Kaburagi family are kind enough to allow me to peruse their book collection. Chairman Kaburagi is in fact a rare book collector. Goodness, truly!? That dreamy Kaburagi-Papas hobby was books!? Gosh, why havent I been reading more books! I dont know a thing about rare books! And what a refined hobby too! In my mind, I pictured Kaburagi-Papa sitting in his study, dignified, reading from an old, leather-bound book It fits him so well! And what does my familys Tanuki do for fun!? Collecting reading gla.s.ses for his eyesight!? Truly. In his spare him he tours Europe looking for rare books on his own, you know. This wondrous collection is the direct result of all that effort! Is that so? It is! Think about it! Early copies of Huysmans works! When I found out about it I couldnt stop the trembling! My. It was the first time Id ever seen the collected Sarara-sama talking so excitedly. I mean, I knew that she really liked her books, but I never thought she took them this seriously. I guess she had that same something that led people to getting dog paw earringsWe chatted some more. Apparently she was particularly fond of French literature. Scouring my brains for my meagre knowledge on that field, I managed to squeeze out the names Cocteau and Wilde. Her eyes lit up, and she began to, even more excitedly, list t.i.tle after t.i.tle, and pa.s.sionately discussed(?) their contents. Um, thats nice and all, Sarara-sama, but could you stop closing in on me like that? At that moment, Mrs. Kaburagi came back with another girl. The girl had hair up to her shoulders, and the tips were lightly curled. Wow, what a casual. This is Maihama Ema-san from Yurinomiya. Everyone get along with her. Now that everybody is here, shall we begin the tea party! And thats how it began. Maybe because his mother was right here, Kaburagi was even more silent than usual. He was literally giving only the bare minimum replies to Maihama-san who was desperately trying to start a conversation. Not that I couldnt sympathise. A high-school boy being forced to attend a tea party with his mother? It was like some sort of strange punishment game, if you thought about it. Worse yet, there was no Yurie-sama here.Apparently Yurie-sama and Aira-sama were the UK right now, spending their break living with some host family.Ill bet anything that that Kaburagi had wanted to go with.Anyhow, Kaburagi, still morose, picked up a chocolate and put it into his mouth. His face betrayed faint surprise. Gotcha!The chocolate that he ate just now was none other than the one I brought with me as a gift. Hows that, Kaburagi! Its good, right!Madam Kaburagi, sharp-eyed as usual, was quick to point out that it had been brought here by me. Hmm Whered you get this? I replied. So they opened a store in j.a.pan he muttered. He really knew his stuff. You like chocolates, Kaburagi-sama? Chocolat isnt bad. Ooh, shoh-koh-lah. Sorry, for being a commoner, Mr. Frenchman. Reika-san, the other day you stayed at one of our hotels with your Okaasama, didnt you? How was it? Yes. Your exclusive amenities were excellent. It was almost a shame to use them. I also enjoyed your garden. The way it lit up at night was simply magical. My! Thank you! Im glad that you enjoyed it. Kisshouin-san, you stayed at one of the Kaburagi Groups hotels? Enjou suddenly asked. Well, yes Our hotel had some fasting course. To lose weight. KABURAGIIIIIIIII!I knew you knew! And youve revealed me here!?What is wrong with you!? Havent you heard of tact!?You dont understand a girls heart at all! Fasting? Its one of the courses our hotel offers. Wow. So Kisshouin-san was fasting Enjou looked like he was struggling not to smile. Everyone else started talking about it as well. Wasnt this like publicly acknowledging that I was a fatty! My, it might have been a fasting course but it wasnt just for dieting, began Madam Kaburagi. It was a detox course. Reika-san is skinny, so she wouldnt have needed to diet. Unfortunately I doubt anybody believed her. Reika-san came to accompany her mother. Shes very close with her parents. Chairman Kisshouin told me all about how she makes handmade chocolates for him every Valentines. Tanuki! Youve been spreading trouble again! Gosh, I wish I had a daughter Sons really arent cute at all. Kaburagi looked put out by his mothers words. Then Maihama-san cut in. I know that you have a rule against home-made chocolates, but Im attending desert school so please try one of mine! Also she was looking at me like I was some kind of rival. Dont want. If Im going to be eating some rank amateurs mistakes, why shouldnt I eat a professionals successes instead. Maihama-san, shot down. Kaburagi, one of these days you should really learn the art of subtlety.After that, people kept coming over and asking about my fasting, so I got offended and blurted out, Recently I went with a friend to clear my spirit with zazen meditation as well, when a senpai from the Pivoine replied with a shocked, Eh-, Reika-san, youre one of them? Enjou was facing away from me, breathless with laughter. I wished I had a zen stick with me to teach him some manners. Anyhow, as a result of me regaling my experiences, a number of people said that were interested in trying the fasting course as well. When it was time to leave, Madam Kaburagi commented, Today was really lively thanks to you. Come again, okay! It wasnt fun for me at all though Also Maihama-san huffed, and turned away from me. What a funny person. Returning home exhausted, I was ambushed by Okaasama who asked me all about the tea party, but when I mentioned that they found out we were fasting partic.i.p.ants, she was crestfallen.Half of that was her fault though. Chapter 93 Serika-chan contacted me about our outing. I was so looking forward to it!Actually, being honest with you I was a bit worried that I wouldnt get invited. But thank goodness. I guess I was just paranoid.I made sure to mention that I was okay with us using my familys holiday villa, but in the end we seemed to have decided on another girls. Gosh, I was really looking forward to it. Kisshouin-san, you seem really happy today, Umewaka-kun said when I arrived at cram school. I guess it was showing. Yes, some friends of mine have decided on where to stay for our trip. Oooh, good for you! Going to a beach? No, a summer resort. Whoaaa! As expected of an ojousama. You arent going to the beach? I thought everyone went to the beach in summer! You may have a point. You like the beach, Umewaka-kun? Yeah! Im going this year too! Long live babes in bikinis! I see. You prefer girls with good figures? Yeah, I guess! I mean, the hourgla.s.s is a guys dream, right? If my Bea-tan was a human girl Id bet shed be the coy, s.e.xy, bewitching type! Dont you think so too, Kisshouin-san? I suppose. I knew it. I wonder if theres a girl like that out there. A girl like Bea-tan! Arent you the one that claimed I was the spitting image of Bea-tan? So it was just the hair? Only the hair was the same? So Im not coy or s.e.xy or bewitching, huh? I was going to give him these cute dog-shaped chocolates that I found, but fat chance now. The silver bone earring glinted in the light as Dog Lover-kun continued to laugh like an idiot. I was in the bathroom when Bobcut and her friend walked in. As I began talking to Dog Lover-kun more and more, Bobcuts gaze grew harder and harder. I had been considering staying at this cram school after the summer course ended, so this was becoming a bit of a problem. It was about time that I did something about it. Kisshouin-san, you and Umewaka seem to be getting awwwfully close these daaays. You actually dont talk to anyone except Umewaka-kun. Oh boy. I am a little shy so I have problems approaching people first. I have actually wanted to talk to all of you more, Moriyama-san. Hmmm~ Moriyama-san referred to Bobcut.Bobcut who didnt seem to believe me at all.She was casting me a suspicious glance through the reflection of the mirror. All of my friends at Suiran are female too. Hmmm~ Is that soo~ I was so suure that you had your eye on Umewaka, you know~? Wow, that was blunt. Certainly not. I already have somebody I like. So Im not your rival, okay? Eh-!? Really!? Who, who? Somebody from Suiran? Bobcut really fell for it.Who indeed Who?Naturally n.o.body like that existed. I came up with him just now to get her off my case.But who would be good. If I described somebody I had too much contact with it could have huge potential to backfire on me in the future. Kaburagi and Enjou were completely out of the question, obviously. A friend of my older brother. It is only a one-sided affection, however. Wow, I had no idea! Whats he like? Mature, and completely dreamy. Whenever he comes over to visit he always brings me a cute bouquet. I have liked him since I was little. Wow. Whats this, whats this? Kisshouin-san is into older guys? cut in the other girl. It seemed that Sakaki-san was interested as well. Yes. I prefer the gentle, calm, and magnanimous types. Like Oniisama. I see. So you were into older guys, Kisshouin-san. Then thats the complete opposite of Umewakas type, isnt it! Hes always so excitable. It looked like Bobcut had relaxed quite a bit. I suppose if I had to say it, Umewaka-kun reminds me more of a younger brother. Yeahh, spot on. That idiot always needs someone looking after him, you knooww? Kisshouin-san, could it be that the person like is some sort of celebrity? asked Sakaki-san. I would hesitate to go as far to call him that, however I suppose he is the heir to a large company. Uwahh, I kneww it. The types that ojousama pair up with are all celebrities. No wayy would you be interested in someone like Umewaka~ agreed Bobcut. I should also note that Umewaka-kuns preference is for coy, s.e.xy, bewitching girls with hourgla.s.s figures. He mentioned as such to me, and openly wondered if such a girl existed out there for him. He said something that r.e.t.a.r.ded? But huh. Hourgla.s.s, huh. Bobcut gave me a once over and then smiled brightly. Umewakas suuch a jerk. If that idiot gives you any trouble, just give me a shout, okay? Ill come running. Thank you. Apparently my meagre a.s.sets relieved herThe self-proclaimed frank, chill, boyish woman was apparently also a self-proclaimed older sister type, so I suddenly found myself with some support. She would be a powerful ally in disputes with other girls. In a dispute with a guy though, Id probably find her promptly on the other side. I actually have some delicious chocolate with me today. If it pleases you, would you two like some? Oh, I love chocolate. I wanna try rich people chocolate too, added Sakaki-san. I was still walking on a tightrope, but for now Bobcut didnt see me as a rival anymore.We headed back into the cla.s.sroom while we continued chatting about my fict.i.tious crush. My chocolates were shared with them C and them only C when Dog Lover-kun shouted, Bea-tan chocolates! I ignored him. Taking the chance to be extra sure about it, I spoke to Bobcut. Apparently my hair looks exactly like Umewaka-kuns dog. He incessantly compares the two of us. He actually once mentioned that his dogs hair was glossier. What the heck! Hey, Umewaka! Apologise to Kisshouin-san! she shouted, as she happily went off to accost him. Still sitting there eating chocolates, Sakaki-san smirked at me. Not bad, Kisshouin-san. We were finally here at Karuizawa! Ginza Street in Karuizawa, Nagano It was just the six of us. The villa belonged to Kikuno-chan.I was going to be sharing a room with Oomiya Ayame-chan. I opened the window and found that the air was a little less humid than in Tokyo, which was wonderful.After we got our luggage unpacked, between bouts of excited squealing, we all headed to the living room to talk about our plans.Breakfast was taken care of by some staff here, but we decided on eating out or cooking for ourselves for our other meals.We then headed out down the to have fun, eating sweets and picking up souvenirs like jam along the way. Karuizawa is famous for its jam. The region was one of the earliest j.a.panese producers of jam, owing to Karuizawa being a popular summer holiday destination for foreign tourists in the Meiji era. Jam stores with over a hundred years of history still exist there, and it continues today in both its capacity as a major jam producer as well as a popular place for holiday homes. Eventually we ate out for dinner, and then finally returned to the villa. With some snacks on hand, we spent our time chatting like crazy.Gossip and rumours from school were some of the topics, and naturally the conversation turned to those two as well.Were you one of the girls who preferred Kaburagi-sama, or one of the girls who preferred Enjou-sama? It has to be Kaburagi-sama for me. Ive been in Team Kaburagi since primary school. I think I might prefer the gentle Enjou-sama~ But of course I like Kaburagi-sama too! Wha-! You cant just choose both! You know, it really gets on my nerves when people who just joined in middle school or high school try and get close to those two. Me too. Weve liked them for so much longer. Hmmm Should I try some of that blueberry jam? But its night time. Maybe I shouldnt. But if its just one bite Which are you, Reika-sama? Eh-, sorry, what was that? Gosh, Reika-sama, havent you been listening at all? Kaburagi-sama or Enjou-sama. You prefer Kaburagi-sama for sure, right Goodness, but Reika-sama and Enjou-sama get along so well. Hey, shes close to Kaburagi-sama too. What an outrageous misunderstanding! I am not particularly close to either of them. Please let go of these strange misunderstandings. My, but doesnt Enjou-sama occasionally call out to you? Hes never done that to any other girls. Ummm, I actually heard that you attended a tea party at Kaburagi-samas house Did that really happen? Where did you hear that!? All the girls started squealing. Thats so wonderful! The Kaburagi family approves of her! Reika-sama! Im actually so jealous, but if its you Ill definitely cheer for you! Wai-! I cant believe you, Reika-sama. How could you hide something so important? Please stop saying these horrifying things! Please calm down, everyone! Really, enough with all of these odd ideas. Ehhhhh~ None of them seemed to accept that, so I cut them short. Kaburagi-sama has already set his heart on someone, has he not? Ah Everyone glanced at each other. It was well-known that Kaburagi had a long-time crush on Yurie-sama. The room was quiet after that, so we all turned in for the day. The next morning Ayame-chan suddenly spoke to me. Reika-sama, you go to cram school, dont you? Could it be youve been having trouble with your studies? Eh? Whats this all of a sudden? Chapter 94 Moving into the second half of summer break, it was time for the annual Pivoine Summer Party.It was still gorgeous and a good time, but after so many years a lot of the magic had worn off for me. Oniisama had graduated too. Okaasama was in high spirits since parties were always a chance to dress me up like a doll, so she dragged me all over the place to choose a dress. This year we decided on a layered chiffon dress in light pink. Personally I thought it was a little too cutesy for me, but Okaasama was really pleased with it. Thinking it was a good chance, casually I said, Say, Okaasama, since is it summer after all, I was thinking about changing my hairstyle My, that wouldnt do. Okaasama loves your hairstyle as it is, Reika-san. Thought so. I mean, I knew this would happen. I just wanted to try. You know, as a child your Okaasama really loved Jumeau bisque dolls. It was my dream that if I ever had a daughter I would dress her up to be just as cute as one. Um, I think that might be a bit impossible. Arent they blonde for starters?Thank G.o.d though that she never tried hair dye with meIf you actually did have a kid like an antique doll, wouldnt it be kind of scary though? Shed be just like a living doll. That has to be scary. Id be scared. Ive always hated dolls.I mean, some of them are so realistic. Wouldnt you be scared that theyd come to life at night? Particularly the j.a.panese onesYou know, my house still has some of them around. Some of them were bought when I was just born, and some of them were pa.s.sed down. And the older they were the creepier they were.And each year when we brought them out it would always be like, Huh? Were the eyes this squinted before? Was the mouth smirking like this before? It gave me the shivers. I swear their expressions changed each year.And I know for a fact that they get hair cuts when we bring them to doll makers for maintenance.Does the hair grow or something? Ive always been too scared of the answer to ask though.Thankfully I at least stopped Okaasama from putting them in my room. Whenever I visit the doll room though, I swear theyre watching me.I wouldnt be surprised if that one antique one actually walked about at night. People always say that the old ones gain souls.Lets stop this. If I keep thinking about this I might really wake up to find her standing on my chest. And when wed look each other in the eyes and my hair would turn white in an instant. It actually seems like it could happen. But bisque dolls, huh. Cant be helped. I decided to bear with my Rococo hairstyle for a little longer to help Okaasama fulfil her childhood dreams. When I arrived at the Summer Party, Kaburagi and Enjou were already surrounded by a throng of girls.Yurie-sama was still in the UK. I had been sure that Kaburagi would have skipped because of that, but I suppose he still had the sense to take these things seriously.I exchanged greetings with other attendants with a drink in hand before heading out into the garden.There was wind now that it was late, but it was still a little stuffy outside. It didnt change the fact that the rose arch was still my favourite place each year. Looking at the garden, I recalled how I rang the bell with ONS during my first time here. How nostalgic.I still had the photo framed in my room. I continued standing there looking at the rose arch when I noticed a little boy and girl nearby. They were small enough that they were probably from the Pet.i.t Pivoine, and seemed to be hanging around hesitantly. Oh, could it be? Do you want to try ringing the bell? I asked. With a start, the two of them turned to face me. I realised they were holding hands. It was adorable. No, umm They exchanged a look but didnt know what to do. I have rung it before, myself. It was very fun. Go on. I will be right here with you. Can we really? Of course! Bells are made to be rung! They held the rope together and hesitantly pulled a little. My, the bell will hardly ring with a tug like that. With a bit of encouragement, the two of them pulled again, harder this time, and the bell began to ring. I pulled out my camera and took a photo.A crowd started to form from the sound of it. Although the two kids were turning red, they were wearing happy smiles. Satisfied? Yes! Thank you very much! Thank you very much. Other people began to happily ring the bell as well. It felt like dj vu.I told the two of them that I would give them the photo at school later, and then they introduced themselves. Apparently they were in the same year, and were very close. How nice~ I didnt come out of primary school with any sweet memories like that. We spoke for a little longer after that before the pair began heading back to the hotel building as they waved at me. Before they left though, the girl stopped and bowed to me. Thank you very much, Reika-oneesama, she smiled shyly before disappearing. Reika-oneesama So wonderful!! Thinking about it, I dont think I had ever been called that before. The only exception was when Ririna was being sarcastic. It was oddly moving. I didnt have much experience with being looked up to by somebody younger. Good evening, Kisshouin-san, interrupted Enjou while I was basking in afterglow of the oneesama. I hadnt noticed him approaching at all. Are you a ninja or something!? Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama, I replied with a fake smile. I made sure to be on guard. Interacting with this guy was like navigating a minefield. Youre not going to ring the bell this time? Eh- Didnt you ring it before? With your Oniisan, if Im remembering right. Why did he know that! Its because Masaya looked like he was really envious of you. Oh my G.o.d. Not only did he see the waltz, he even saw that!? And stop it! Stop reading my mind! The dress youre wearing tonight really suits you. It looks like your dieting really paid off. Thank you. He still hadnt forgotten about that? Tsk, what an unpleasant guy. Masayas mum really loves you now, you know. She was talking about how she wanted to invite you to her dinner party too. Eh. A dinner party? Dont joke with me! That would be even worse than the tea party. You dont look happy to hear that. Oh, no, I feel very honoured. Oh c.r.a.p. Was it showing on my face? Hmmm~ I hated how it felt like he could see right through me. Why were there so many mind-readers around me. The wind is getting a little strong. I think I shall head back inside. With brisk steps I left him behind. Somehow it felt like he was laughing at me though. Enjou had the same dark, unknowable depths as my j.a.panese dolls. Scary. Chapter 95 School began again, and the results for the term-end exams were back. Students who did particularly had their results posted up, and in the midst of all the scholarship students (Wakaba-chan included) were those two, as well as Fellow Stalking Horse again. They really were amazing~Wakaba-chan seemed really happy about it. Good for her.Thanks to all of these guys, the rest of us Suiran kids could save face. Thank you, thank you. Not long after, it was time to elect the new Student Council President and Vice-President. It was a little lonely when I realised it was finally time for Tomoe-senpai to step down. Despite it being officially an election, there werent really many candidates and the majority were previous members of the Student Council. Because of that there wasnt much excitement.This years election wasnt any different. Our new StuCo President was pretty much who we all expected.The new StuCo President didnt have Tomoe-senpais charisma but he was a good enough leader amongst the second years. As for the Vice President, it was a diligent-looking senpai in gla.s.ses. Usually youd expect the Vice President to be a scheming four-eyes, but this one seemed like the earnest sort.Finally, Fellow Stalking Horse did as Tomoe-senpai suggested last term, and entered the StuCo as a 1st Year. Okay everybody! We are now choosing the partic.i.p.ants for the Athletics Carnival! It was the next big event after the StuCo elections. I felt a bit sympathetic for how busy the new StuCo members would be, but they had veterans to help them so I hoped that would be enough.This athletics carnival was going to be the first experience of the sort since I had become a high schooler. I was a little nervous too. I had to be careful not to make an idiot out of myself. Thankfully n.o.body in my cla.s.s seemed to be too hung up over victory, so at least I wouldnt be hounded for a mistake. Next is the baton relay, I announced. Satomi-kun was the first to volunteer for it, with others following behind him. We all had to partic.i.p.ate in at least one event, so there was a lot of demand for the easy ones. I was going for the ball-toss as always. Next is the cavalry battle. Suddenly all the males looked grim. Thankfully, however, the legendary Emperor Kaburagi had already announced his retirement from the cavalry battles. It probably wouldnt be the bloodbath it was in middle school. Well, if the Emperor isnt partic.i.p.ating Eventually some of the more athletic boys started discussing the idea with some enthusiasm. Among the topics discussed were who were going to be the riders, and who the strong enemies from other cla.s.ses would be. Mizusaki is definitely gunna partic.i.p.ate. Hes strong. Remember last year? He squared off against Emperor at the end. Satomi! You join too! Hmmm. Ill think about it. The boys seemed really excited now. This school really was filled with cavalry battle maniacs.Anyway, eventually we managed to get our elite cavalry squad picked out, so it was onto the next event again. Next up is a dance available to all grades. This year, partic.i.p.ating students are to be performing the quadrille, I read. For some reason a number of them looked up at me and then suddenly averted their eyes. Eh? What?Anyhow, the dance event was included for the less athletically inclined so it wasnt surprising that I immediately got volunteers. But the quadrille was supposed to get faster near the end. Were these guys going to be okay? One of the boys falteringly raised a hand and asked, Umm Kisshouin-san, you wont be partic.i.p.ating in the dance? No. I plan on competing in the ball toss. I see. He looked a bit disappointed. Eh, why did he look so let down. Huh? Some of the other boys looked the same way. How come?Dont tell me they wanted to dance with me?Well, with my upbringing I wasnt totally unfamiliar with dancing after all.I wouldnt be totally surprised if somebody asked me to dance. Maybe it was finally my time to be popular. I signed up for the three-legged race as well. Thats why I was here to train with my partner, Ikoma-san. Ill give it my everything to avoid letting you down, Reika-sama! Please take care of me. Thus we began running around the yard, calling out a rhythm. It was more important to avoid falling than to go fast in this event, so the key was a lot of practice and synchronisation.Other people were training too, in particular the people doing the baton race, which was the main event, really.Tsuruhana-san was confident in her abilities, so she was amongst the ones running right now. She was as fast as youd expect. Some other Outers werent bad either, so they were competing against each other. Gee, I wish I could run that fast.Some shrill squealing broke me out of my reverie. I looked over to find Kaburagi and Enjou running. So fast!In lieu of the cavalry battle, Kaburagi was going to join the relay and the sprints this year. The guy was staggeringly fast. Just before the goals though, Enjou pulled out ahead. Shuusuke! One more! Ehhhh~ Cmon! Again! Enjou went along without a break. It was hard work being a friend to somebody stupidly pa.s.sionate about athletics carnivals.I got off my break, and then the two of us began practising again. My legs were exhausted from all the practice.I was walking down the hallway, complaining to my friends about it, when suddenly Katsuragi Bird-Brain Birdboy came sauntering down the other way. Ah! The Violent Woman! Goodness, why if it isnt Bird-Brain-kun. What might a middle schooler be doing in the high school section? None of your f.u.c.king business! Oh, I see. How dare you talk to Reika-sama that way! Birdboy was being outrageous as always. Reika-sama, what do you mean by bird-brain? It is his nickname, of course. I bestowed it. My! It fits him perfectly! Hohoho! laughed my followers. Birdboy turned bright red. Shut up! Youre just a-! Youre just a girl with oversized screws attached to your head! S-Screws!? Aah I was feeling faint Reika-sama! Reika-sama, get a hold of yourself! Screws Reika, the Rococo Screw-Head Just how rude can you be! Reika-samas hair isnt that curly! Yeah! d.a.m.n you, Birdbrain! Calm yourselves, everyone. I was probably just shocked because n.o.body had insulted my hair to my face before. The boy is simple. Pay no heed to his words. I certainly do not. As expected of Reika-sama. Youre so big-hearted. Hohoho! I left that idiot behind and continued on my way. The idiot continued to scream from behind me though. I swore that one day I would definitely have my revenge. TL Note.Extra reading for anyone who actually cares about exactly how Reika and her schoolmates were ranked (the hensachi): Chapter 96 Note that the word for mouse and rat are the same in j.a.panese. Incidentally theres no such thing as a lobster. Spiny lobsters are Ise Prawns while the clawed lobsters that Americans are more familiar with are Sea Crayfish. Honestly, the genetics kind of cements the fact that lobsters arent real. If lobsters arent real, how can our mouths be real. At lunch I headed to the StuCo room for athletics carnival business. Tomoe-senpai was waiting inside. Tomoe-senpai! Oh~? Kisshouin-san, long time no see! Ukyaa! He was as cool as ever! So why are you here today? Oh, permission to use the sports field, right? Yes! What are you doing here, Senpai? Hm? Oh, Im just here to help out. It hasnt been long since weve changed members after all. I see. For the next few weeks all cla.s.s rep work involving the Student Council was going to be handled by me. So which events are you competing in, Kisshouin-san? This year I shall be appearing in the ball toss event. The three-legged race as well. Ah okay. Dont get injured, alright? Yes! What about you, Tomoe-senpai? Me? Im going to be doing the cavalry battle. The cavalry battle! I cant believe I forgot! Tomoe-senpai was the one who squared off with that legendary cavalry maniac at the very end of their match, and almost won too! It was thanks to the battle with Tomoe-senpai that the idiot even began reading The Art of War to prepare for the next year. If Tomoe-senpai of all people was going to be partic.i.p.ating this year then Emperor was sure going to regret his retirement. I-! I shall be cheering for you! Im happy to hear you say that but shouldnt you be cheering for your own cla.s.s? Its fine, its fine. If its for my first love Ill be a thought-traitor as many times as it takes. It is no problem, Senpai! Please win! I shouted with a fist pump.Alright! If youre going to be cheering me on then I guess I have to give it my best. Oh, by the way, you were partic.i.p.ating too, right? he called out to someone behind me. I turned around and Fellow Stalking Horse was there. Ah-, F- unny finding you here, Mizusaki-kun. Close call! Good save, Reika! I never called him anything else in my head so I almost slipped up. If I actually called the guy Fellow Stalking Horse to his face Im pretty sure he would murder me. I promised myself to be more careful in the future Anyhow, Fellow Stalking Horse was looking at me with suspicion. What was that just now? Eh? What might you be speaking of? Ah. My eyes were looking up to the right again. The suspicion on his face intensified. Oh dear Arima. Youre joining the cavalry battle too, arent you? Thankfully, Tomoe-senpai drew Fellow Stalking Horses attention.Phew Ah, yes. I am. I knew it. My cla.s.s speculated that you would be a strong opponent, Mizusaki-kun, I chimed in. Oh? So Arimas strong then. Sounds like Id better put some oomph into it. Tomoe-senpai, faito! Yeah! As we cheered, Fellow Stalking Horse just regarded the two of us with bewilderment.After a while, he held out a sheet of paper to Tomoe-senpai. Sorry to interrupt while youre having so much fun, but I wanted to talk to you about the proceedings of the athletics carnival. Hm? What about it? Fellow Stalking Horse had taken Tomoe-senpai from me. Not that it could be helped though. This was more important. The two of them began to talk about greeting visitors or something, so I decided it was time to excuse myself. Well then, please excuse me, Tomoe-senpai. Also Mizusaki-kun, I suppose. You suppose Ahaha, thanks for your hard work, Kisshouin-san. Tomoe-senpai saw me off with a smile, and I left the room feeling elated. Mizusaki Fellow Stalking Horse Arima(Has a Horse) riding a horse. Upfftpfft. Three horses(R) made a herd(Q). I headed back to homeroom while thinking up stupid rhymes about it, only to find some kind of debacle with Satomi-kun in the middle of it. Is something the matter, Satomi-kun? Ah, Kisshouin-san. Actually According to Satomi-kun, the girl who was going to be competing in the costume race sprained her ankle during lunch and suddenly couldnt compete. Right now she was in the nurses office.Iwamuro Takashi-kun, a large boy in the Judo Club, was going to be the cross-dressing Cinderella. As for the injured girl, she was going to be the The girl who was just injured was supposed to be carrying a pumpkin in a rat costume. Who will replace her? Do we have a girl who can replace her? A number of girls hadnt returned from lunch yet, and none of the ones here seemed too enthusiastic. I guess n.o.body really wanted to dress up as a rat.Hmm~ But dressing up in a costume?I raised my hand. Shall I take her place then? Eh-, you, Kisshouin-san!? Reika-sama!? Everyone looked at me in shock. Yes. I was entered into the ball-tossing event, but I believe she can do so even with a sprained ankle. There should be no problems if the two of us exchange events, in that case. Of course, unless anything is stopping me I plan to partic.i.p.ate in the ball-toss as well. Are you really okay with that, Kisshouin-san? Satomi-kun asked with some hesitance. The costume race was a joke event, after all. I was probably one of the last people theyd have expected to partic.i.p.ate. Admittedly I never would have if it wasnt for this accident. I am fine with it, I nodded. I cannot promise that I will run particularly swiftly, however. Satomi-kun smiled. Then the replacement will be Kisshouin-san. Just as things were about to be settled, this time it was the girls in my group that complained. How could you make Reika-sama dress up like a rat! Shes right! How could a rat costume be suitable for Reika-sama! A so the cla.s.sroom turned noisy again. For some reason some of the other girls started vocally agreeing about how cruel it was to me.Um, guys? I dont actually mind this, you know? And youre calling it cruel now, but you do remember that the person Im replacing is a girl too, right?I tried to calm them down, but they wouldnt budge at all, shouting things like, How could you make Reika-sama dress up like some kind of amus.e.m.e.nt park mascot! When we realised we werent going anywhere, people started suggested alternatives. Then cant we just have Kisshouin-san take the part of Cinderella instead then? said one boy. More and more of the cla.s.s seemed to get on-board with the idea. Kisshouin-san would be spot-on for a princess, after all. I thought itd be pretty funny to force Iwamuro into crossdressing, but doing the costume seriously might be pretty good too. The girls in my group seemed tentatively appeased. And so after all that tumult, I went from being the rat to Cinderella.Me as Cinderella. But the problem was Iwamuro, good for you! Looks like youre off the hook! I remember you grumbling about it too! said a friend as he thumped Iwamuro-kun on the shoulder. Yeah, thank goodness, he replied. But I knew that was a lie. Because in the dress-fittings after the cla.s.s had decided on Iwamuro-kun as our Cinderella, I noticed he looked a little happy to be wearing it.I suspected that he was crestfallen inside. Even now he looked a little sadder. Please wait, everybody. I am fine being the rat. Everyone looked shocked again. The costume is tailored to Iwamuro-kuns measurements. Additionally, Cinderella is to be the anchor of the relay race. That would be too heavy a burden for me. But Reika-sama In exchange, would it be acceptable for me to simply wear a grey dress, mouse ears, and mice slippers instead? Honestly, I was completely fine with the full body costume too but the girls around me werent likely to agree to that. Hence the compromise. I thought it would look pretty cute. Are you truly okay with that, Reika-sama? I am. It would be dangerous to run in clothing ill-fit to me. And I must admit, I have been looking forward to seeing Iwamuro-kun in a dress! My cla.s.smates laughed. Iwamuro! Now that Kisshouin-sans nominated you personally, theres no more running away from this! Give it your best, tranny Cinderella! Although Iwamuro-kun made resigned comments, his mouth was curved upwards. You really wanted to wear that Cinderella dress, didnt you.I decided that tomorrow Id gift him some of the unused make-up from home.He would probably be even happier that way. Quite possible that hed open a door to a world he could never come back from, though. The next day when I brought the make-up kit, Iwamuro-kun exclaimed, Ehhhh! but didnt resist at all. I put on some cream blush on his cheeks and then painted his mouth with lipstick, but he seemed delighted when he stoof in front of the mirror.In the end I secretly gave him a high quality facial mask to use the night before the athletics carnival. This way his skin would be silky smooth.Iwamuro-kun teared up and declared that he would follow me. I had to say no to that. Somehow a huge guy with a penchant for cross-dressing ended up attached to me Chapter 97 When I arrived at school on the day of the athletics carnival, Iwamuro-kun whispered for me to come with him. He wanted me to check his skin for him. Reaching out, I touched his face with the back of my hand. Mn, smooth and supple.I told him as much and he thanked me happily before returning to the other boys. Perhaps it was impossible for him to go back now. In the main events I was relegated to only cheering. My friends and I were watching from inside a tent to avoid the sun. Maybe I should have asked Iwamuro-kun for some sunscreen.People had been gossiping about how Emperor was channelling his frustration from being unable to compete in the cavalry battle into training his team for the baton relay. They must have been true because his team pa.s.sed over the baton like clockwork and took first place by far. It was actually a little scary how they seemed like some kind of army As for the girls in our grade, Tsuruhana-san did really well. I could already see her being c.o.c.ky for a while.Eventually it was time for the three-legged race so I headed to the starting line and tied myself to Ikoma-san. That was when I noticed that Wakaba-chan was at the starting line with me.So Wakaba-chan was competing too? In the same group as me too. Was Wakaba-chan supposed to be good at sports again?I decided not to worry about it though. I didnt have time to focus on others. We had trained pretty hard for this, so I wanted first place if possible. Ill give my all, Reika-sama! Ikoma-san was plenty fired up too. With the signal fired, the two of us shot off while chanting in time. I heard a pair fall down behind us. We were near the finish line. Im aiming for first place!But just as victory was in our grasp, a pair shot past us from behind and took the prize!Because of the shock I missed a step, and we stumbled into second place. I looked up to find Wakaba-chan with the flag for first. We did it! First place! Wakaba-chan seemed overjoyed, but her partners face screamed oh no and she frantically tried to stop her. Eh? How come? Wakaba-chan asked blankly. Her partner whispered something in her ear, and then Wakaba-chan looked my way. Hm? The girl pulled Wakaba-chan away and disappeared into the crowd. Im sorry, Reika-sama. I cant believe I let you down Ikoma-san looked discouraged and incredibly frustrated. Eh!? You dont have to take it that seriously! It was not meant to be. There was simply a faster pair than the two of us. But Shall we try our best in our next event? We still have the ball-toss, correct? Yes Id never particularly cared about winning at anything at an athletics carnival, but I guess some people did. That very same ball-toss event turned out to have Wakaba-chan once again. She appeared and competed, couldnt control her ball toss, and hit somebody from another cla.s.s running nearby.As it turns out, that victim was Afrodite who caused a huge fuss, screaming, MY HAAAANDD!! MY LIFEE AS A VIOLINISTT!! which ended with a frantically apologising Wakaba-chan. While she was busy dealing with Afrodite, she ended up in last place. My condolences. In the afternoon finally came my costume race.My costume comprised a grey dress, grey leggings, and a large mouse-ear headband. We didnt have mouse-pad gloves, so I was using ones for a cat instead. For safety, I was wearing running shoes on my feet. For the same reason I wasnt allowed to carry a pumpkin in the other hand, so it was turned into a backpack instead. Compared to my team-mates who were obviously a Cinderella, a prince, and a fairy G.o.dmother, my costume felt a little more vagueWearing a blonde wig as well now, Iwamuro-kun came over to show me he looked. His lips and cheeks were painted pink.I mentioned that I had some gloss as well and asked if he wanted some. Definitely! was his reply. Thats how I ended standing in front of a 170cm+ Judo Club member as he knelt in front of me with his eyes closed and lips puckered.Eh? Was I supposed to do it?Iwamuro-kun had climbed the steps of maidenhood a lot faster than expected. I made sure to use extra glossy lip gloss for him, and wasnt stingy with it either. Mn, mn. Youre totally cute.He stood in front of the mirror and then snuck in a few duck lips. Come back to us, Iwamuro-kunFor some reason when it was my turn to race, the cheers of the crowd turned to noisy chatter. When I looked at the audience, a few of them even turned their eyes away uncomfortably. Why? Was it weird? Reika-sama! Youre so dignified! And Serika-chan, Kikuno-chan, and my other girls began giving me weird cheers. In the end we didnt get first place, but we did become the talk of the school. Cinderella seemed to be having a blast the whole time too. I gave him glittered gloss as a present. After a lot of other events, it was finally time for the cavalry battle.The partic.i.p.ants from my cla.s.s were some of the buffer guys, Iwamuro-kun included. He was a maiden on the inside though. Was this going to be okay? When some of the more popular teams pa.s.sed through the gate, the cheering seemed to erupt further. When the first years came out, Fellow Stalking Horse gained quite a lot of cheers from the girls. He was supposed to be my Vice Village Chief but he was popular. It was somehow really frustrating.The one who gained the most cheers though was my beloved Tomoe-senpai. I clapped like mad for him. Do your best, Tomoe-senpai! The battle was even more intense than in middle school. I think it was because of the huge difference in physique and power.But despite that, Fellow Stalking Horse was still fighting on par with our seniors, taking headbands left and right. O comrade! Bring glory and honour to our village! Thinking about the maidenly Iwamuro-kun, I looked for him in worry but found a completely different person to the guy who had happily worn the Cinderella dress.He was roaring a war-cry as he charged through his enemies. Do your best too, Judo Club! While all this was going on, Tomoe-senpais team was mowing everyone down, racking up victories without a sweat. Youre so G.o.dd.a.m.n cool, Tomoe-senpai!!! For the first time in a long time, I could hear O Fortuna roaring in my head! I ended up entranced and stopped watching everybody else. When I snapped out of it, Iwamuro-kun had already lost. Sorry I wasnt watching. Ill lend you some facial toner to take care of that sunburn.Fellow Stalking Horse was among the survivors. Youre amazing, Fellow Stalking Horse!But Fellow Stalking Horse was targeted by Tomoe-senpai. After falling for Tomoe-senpais feint, he left an opening which Tomoe-senpai used to steal his headband. The bad boy grin that Tomoe-senpai wore when he did that sent my heart pounding!Suddenly I wondered what Emperor was doing. I looked over and he was frowning with his fists clenched, staring doggedly at Tomoe-senpais team. He looked positively mortified to be sitting out.If youre going to be this upset about it you should have just competed. I wonder why he even announced his retirement. What an idiot. At the end, Tomoe-senpai squared off with another 3rd year team and won, becoming the king of this years cavalry battle.I stood up and vigorously applauded his gallant figure. It was a struggle just to not jump up and down while waving at him.While I was clapping, Tomoe-senpai looked my way, and then gave a thumbs up as he winked and smiled. Eh-! Me!?I couldnt help but look around and behind me, but Tomoe-senpai pointed right at me. He waved at me, before heading back with his friends, arms on shoulders. I saw a phantom fountain of blood splurt from my nose. by Moya() Chapter 98 After the athletics carnival, Tomoe-senpai and I became a small topic of discussion. I had no idea you were so close to the former President. To think hed announce his victory and smile at you like that. Could it be that theres actually something between you two? My friends loved talk about romance, so all of them were looking excited and expectant. I admire and look up to Tomoe-senpai very much, but we are not in the sort of relationship you are all imagining. If strange rumours caused trouble to him, I would not be able to face him I made sure to quickly put out the fire. Ehhhh~ But you were cheering for him so pa.s.sionately, Reika-sama. When I saw you two like that it sent my heart pounding, you know! Me too! But gosh, the former President was so dashing~! And he was even champion! He really was cool! I actually found out that he won last year too! Hes the two-time champion! My! It looks my heart wasnt the only one pierced by his smile. Everyone was using our interaction as an excuse to keep talking about him.Hmmmm~ What do I do. It was basically nothing, but a rumour was a rumour When I heard the same rumours at the Pivoine Salon, that was when I started to worry a little.After all, his actual girlfriend Kasumi-sama was here. I had no idea you were close with that Tomoe guy, started a third year uppercla.s.sman. Yes. He helped me a great deal when I was a cla.s.s representative in middle school. I was made the vice representative of my cla.s.s again this year, so he has been helping me once again. Ah, I see. Im begging ya, at least dont tell me you like him or something. Goodness. Tomoe-senpai is somebody I respect very much. Uuu, Kasumi-sama didnt seem too offended, butI couldnt imagine it was a good feeling to watch people gossip about your boyfriend and some other girl. I was rash.Some of the older girls began talking about Emperor, so I used that topic change to get away. Kasumi-sama was sitting further away on a sofa, so I sidled down next to her. Kasumi-sama. My, Reika-sama. Gokigenyoh, she said, meeting me with a smile. Ummm I am unsure how to apologise for this, but I whispered. My! Huhu, dont tell me you were worried about me? Im completely fine. Truly? Truly. And hes honestly surprisingly popular so this isnt even close to the first time this has happened. Eh-, is that so!? Yep. So dont you worry, Reika-san. Senju was happily telling me about how you cheered for him, you know? Ahhaha Since she really didnt seem to mind, I let out a tentative sigh of relief. I was like the homewrecker villainess by birth, so I was worried I might one day break up some couple by accident. More importantly, you really gave me a shock when you appeared in that rat costume. Whatever came over you? Eh? Kasumi-sama gazed at me worriedly. The girl who was supposed to partic.i.p.ate injured herself, so I became the replacement. I see. But a rat costume You really take your role as the cla.s.s representative seriously, dont you, Reika-sama. Ummm Kasumi-sama was looking at me heartbroken, like I was some tragic heroine. I really didnt know how to respond. Was the costume really that bad? I thought it was pretty tame compared to the gaudy Cinderella and Prince costumes.Speaking of which, my friends kept trying to cheer me up when I got back from the costume race. And even when people in my cla.s.s joked about Iwamuro-kun, n.o.body ever mentioned me. Was my costume so strange? Not at all! You were very charming! However, I cant save I have really ever heard of a Pivoine partic.i.p.ating in the costume race before She was right, come to think of it. Maybe I shouldnt have done that as a Pivoine member. Was it perhaps the wrong decision? I wouldnt go that far, but I think I could have done quite a few things better this athletics carnival. I made a note to reflect on it. I happened to glance at my watch and realised it was time to be picked up by my chaffeur. I need to take my leave for today. My, already? Yes. I have lessons soon. I see. Gokigenyoh. After packing up, I was about to leave when I pa.s.sed Kaburagi and Enjou.Our eyes met. Oh, the stupid mouse. Masaya. The whole salon went dead silent. I forced a stiff smile onto my face. Gokigenyoh, Kaburagi-sama, Enjou-sama. You must be excusing me. I was about to leave again when Kaburagi looked at me seriously. Where was your mouse nose? What were you even supposed to be? Put in a bit more effort next year. Masaya. Shut up, you athletics carnival lunatic! Who let you decide that I would even be competing next year!They wouldnt let me have the nose, and to be honest even I have a little self-respect! I stalked down the hallway and headed for my car. When I returned home from piano practice I found Imari-sama there for the first time in a very long time. Imari-sama! Hey, Reika-chan. Howve you been? Very well. And you, Imari-sama? Ive been great too. Today he was wearing a suit. Wow, this was the charm of an adult! What brings you to our home today? I had something I wanted to borrow from Takateru. Gee, youre still as cute as a doll, arnet you Reika-chan. He patted me on the head. Imari, stop touching peoples sisters, said Oniisama after flicking off Imari-samas hand. Gosh! Youre Oniisama is so scaaary, isnt he, Reika-chan. But youre like the little sister Ive always wanted. My family is filled with nothing but brothers. I know! Reika-chan, why dont you marry my little brother? Then youll be my little sister for real. Ah, but Id be more than happy to marry you too, you know? Marry you, Imari-sama? Why, that would be like a dream come true. Wouldnt it? Ill marry you any time, Reika-chan. The two of us laughed together, but Oniisama looked irritated for once. Imari, come to my room. Im sorry, Older Brother, it was just a joke. Shut it and come. Now. Imari-sama was literally dragged away. It was nice to see that they were as close as ever. Speaking of which, hadnt I made up a story about being in love with Imari-sama? I had totally forgotten about it. I decided to tell them when they got back. Apparently Ive always been in love with you, Imari-sama. I was sure that he and Oniisama would find it a riot as well. When Imari-sama came back to the living room he looked gaunt. Talking business must have been exhausting. He was probably buried in work. After all, he said, I dont think I can come here for a while, again Left: Kisshouin Reika Right: Takamichi WakabaYoung Kisshouin ReikaTakamichi WakabaLeft to right: Oomiya Ayame, Shirasagi Rune, Kazami Serika, Imura KikunoLeft: Tsuruhana Maki Right: Maihama EmaLeft: f.u.kioka Sakurako Right: Yorino AoiKotou RirinaNouzen SararaHaginokouji FuyukoLeft: Suzushino Yurie Right: Minazuki AiraFinishing off with Kisshouin Reika again All the art seen above was drawn by . Chapter 99 Maki means curl. Raijin is a G.o.d of lightning, thunder and storms in the Shinto religion and in j.a.panese mythology. He is typically depicted as a demon-looking spirit beating drums to create thunder, usually with the symbol tomoe drawn on the drums.Fuujin is the j.a.panese G.o.d of the wind and one of the eldest Shinto G.o.ds. He is portrayed as a terrifying wizard-like demon, resembling a red headed green-skinned humanoid wearing a leopard skin, carrying a large bag of winds on his shoulders.Together, statues of Raijin and Fuujin are found all over j.a.pan at the gates of j.a.panese shrines and temples as protectors. Visitors to these sacred places must pa.s.s by the intimidating gaze of the G.o.ds before entering. Raijin (left) and Fuujin(right) Maruyama Oukyo, born Maruyama Masataka, was a j.a.panese artist active in the late 18th century. He moved to Kyoto, during which he studied artworks from Chinese, j.a.panese and Western sources. Maruyama Okyo was well known for his true-to-life paintings. The story, ill.u.s.trated by the below print, tells of the time Oukyo painted a ghost so realistically that it came to life and frightened him. A Girl With a Name / A Boy Without a One My cla.s.smate Kisshouin Reika-sama was idolised by all the girls.It was no surprise; Reika-sama looked like a princess and was as gorgeous as her name sake. Not only that but was a member of the elite Pivoine, and on top of that she was smart too. She was like the perfect girl.A lot of girls had dreams about becoming close to her. I did too, but her group was filled with nothing but girls as beautiful as she was. When I thought about what might happen to me socially if I somehow upset her I could never find the courage to try.Sometimes I wondered what her life was like.I pictured her sipping tea gracefully as she sat in a garden field of flowers, maybe hosting a poetry recital. Mn, it fit her so well! When I entered my second year of middle school came an unbelievable chance to get closer to her.Of all things, Reika-sama was coming to the summer camp! It should have been one of the last places anyone would expect her.None of her other friends were partic.i.p.ating. It was just her, which was how I ended up sharing a room with her.Sharing a room with Reika-sama! My heart was beating so hard from the anxiety that I might do something to offend her, but thankfully she just smiled at me and said, This will be my first time at Summer Camp, so I hope you will look after me. Even though Reika-sama was our age she was always calm. I had hardly ever seen her lose her composure. I wished I could be like that. When night fell, it was time for the fireworks event. Reika-sama had started off by my side, smiling happily as she watched, but before I knew it she had disappeared. I looked around for her a little, only to find Reika-sama and Cla.s.s Rep alone in a corner enjoying sparklers together. Eh-!? Dont tell me it was a forbidden love between lady and servant!? Not that I actually believed that, but it was fun to interpret it that way.My friend Miharu-chan couldnt come this year because of her family so I decided to text her about it later. It was like the love between a princess and the chamberlain. Miharu-chan would definitely find it interesting too.To be sure, amongst us girls it was agreed that the one who suited Reika-sama best was Kaburagi-sama. But out of nowhere, a shocking rival appeared in the form of the Imperial Chamberlain, getting in between the Princess and the Emperor. I wondered what would happen next. I never could quite fall asleep unless I was in complete darkness. When we found out we were sharing a room I told her about my worries, but Reika-sama agreed with a smile. Thank goodness.When it came time for lights out, it was time for bed. I had been lying in the darkness for a while when suddenly I heard Reika-sama. Daro da- de ni da na nara! Eh? What was that just now?For some reason it sounded like the mnemonic for remembering na-adjectivesWas she awake? Reika-sama? Whats wrong? Um, Reika-sama? Eh Dont tell me, sleep-talking!?But she was speaking so clearlyNo, it must have been my imagination.I decided to try and sleep. After a little while, Reika-samas voice rang out in the darkness again. Karo ka- kuu ii kere! This time was the mnemonic for i-adjectives!? Reika-samaa~? Are you awaake~? Apparently Reika-sama studied even in her dreams. As expected of her.I pulled my futon up over my head. I hoped she wouldnt begin reciting the Tsurezuregusa essays next The next morning was the hike. For some reason Reika-sama had taken a metal pole from somewhere and was using it like a travellers walking stick.Reika-sama? That night, a ghost appeared.When the noise woke me up, Reika-sama was already awake and peering into the hallway as she combed her hair. Having just woken up, her curls were a little looser than usual.There was a huge fuss in the hallways. I asked someone what had happened and they told me that a girl had seen a ghost. It had been eating gore when it turned around and glared at her with eyes filled with hatred! So scary!Everyone was in a terrified panic, but Reika-sama calmed us down and took control. No ghosts will appear again, she declared. Reika-sama was amazing! Just hearing her say that made us feel like nothing would hurt us!Soon afterwards our teacher came and promised that they would carefully patrol the hallway. Appeased, we all went back to our rooms.When I went back inside mine, I said to her, That was scary, wasnt it? Im not Maruyama Oukyo She seemed despondent. I didnt quite catch what she said, but knowing how diligent she usually was, she must have felt responsible for all this as the leader of the girls. Even though it wasnt her fault at allJust as she said, the ghost didnt appear again that night, and morning came around. I thought that it was wonderful how she could act and think so calmly in a situation like that. From summer camp onwards, I could now chat with Reika-sama.Reika-sama was a rare type of Pivoine member who would accept the duties of a cla.s.s rep. As another cla.s.s representative, sometimes we planned and consulted with each other for the various school events. As somebody who really admired her, I was really happy about being able to do so.Sometimes I saw Cla.s.s Rep talking to her intimately as well. Reika-sama was like a rose beyond anyones reach, so it was rare for any boy to casually speak to her. Not bad, Chamberlain. One day the shadow of another boy appeared around Reika-sama!It was none other than the burly Iwamuro-kun from the Judo Club. Standing next to each other they looked like a princess and her mercenary bodyguard.I asked about it with my friend in her cla.s.s. Apparently Iwamuro-kun was Reika-samas favourite these days, and she had had fun making him crossdress during the athletics carnival and school festival.Iwamuro-kun hadnt been able to refuse her, and had obediently let her put make-up on him. The Beauty and the Beast thing is surprisingly nice, said my friend, but I was staunchly in the Emperor camp. None of us wanted to see Kaburagi-sama end up dating someone unsuitable. If he had to date somebody anyway, then we wanted it to be somebody wonderful that we could accept.Of course, everyone knew that Kaburagi-sama had been pining after Yurie-sama all this time, but if it had to be somebody other than Yurie-sama, we all agreed that only somebody as wonderful as Reika-sama would do.Honestly, compared to some other girls I didnt even like Kaburagi-sama that much. If he ended up with some boring girl, though, I had no idea what some of his more hardcore fans would do. In Suirans first year high schoolers, there were three people that you absolutely could not cross. One of them was the Last Boss of the girls, Kisshouin Reika.She was the daughter of the prodigious Kisshouin family, and a member of the Pivoine.It was whispered that making an enemy out of her equated to making one of every girl in Suiran. She was that powerful.It was rare to ever seen her angered, true, and she was always surrounded in her clique with a confident smile, but rumour had it that when Tsuruhana Maki conceitedly tried to overthrow her, she used her folding fan to slap the girl into submission.It must have been crazy Fights between aristocrats are incredibleTsuruhana Maki and those like-minded friends of hers had really kicked up a fuss, but in the end they werent a match for G.o.ddess Kali(Curly).Having said that, it wasnt like we were a match for Tsuruhana either. That chick is scaaary.And G.o.d was it heaven and earth with how she treat us and Kaburagis like. When it came to me she just dropped all honorifics and ordered me around! And if you tried to refuse shed start threatening you! If Tsuruhanas gang go too far again, well snitch on her to Kali-sama! we said amongst ourselves. Actually directly talking to Kali-sama too scary to actually do, though! Anyhow, Kisshouin Reika was guarded by her own Raijin and Fuujin. Kazami Serika and Imamura Kikuno. These two were scary too.If anybody slighted Kisshouin-san, these two would lead a huge group of girls to pressure them.It had happened to me too, one time. I had just entered the same cla.s.s as Kisshouin-san and happened to forget one of my forms.Her followers all surrounded me and glared. Stop making trouble for Reika-sama or else. I immediately got somebody to bring the form from home. One time, this one guy got dared to say Kali as she pa.s.sed by. He was taken away by Kazami and Imamuras gang later that day. When he came back he was deathly pale, and quiet like somebody else. What on earth did they say to youThank incident scared the c.r.a.p out of us, so we all decided not to use that name anymore. After all, what if by some chance Kisshouin-san herself found out? Maybe it wouldnt be her group this time, but shed come after us with her fan herself! Actually, Kisshouin-san had a lot of other nicknames that we called her in secret. Right now there was Maki Maki Makkie, which her group hadnt seemed to know about yet.Hm, also D(olly Gi)rll I guess. During the athletics carnival we had this huge joke about D(olly Gi)rll doing the quadrille. I was kind of looking forward to it too, but Kisshouin-san didnt partic.i.p.ate. What a same. Even leaving the pun aside, it would have been cool to see somebody with hair like a princess do the quadrille. For some reason though she entered the costume race dressed as a rat carrying a pumpkin!All of the laughter from the previous entrants suddenly stopped. The Empress dressed as a ratWere we supposed to laugh like all the other entrants? Were we supposed to pretend we hadnt seen it? n.o.body knew what to do.Its so tragic! seemed to be written all over the faces of Kazami and Imamuras group as they cheered her on though, so we realised that the right choice was not to laugh.The Emperor and Enjou-kun were wide-eyed at her costume too, but Do your best, Kisshouin-saaan! laughed Cla.s.s Rep as he cheered her on. What a shock. Was Cla.s.s Rep actually a huge deal!? Still though, once her cla.s.s realised that Kisshouin-san was okay with costumes, this time theyd decided on a cross-dressing caf for the school festival.Since Satomi was in her cla.s.s, I asked him about it. Kisshouin-san was pretty cute as a mouse, but shes cute as a butler too. You should come see, on the day, he laughed. So they really were making Kisshouin-san cross-dress!?There were definitely roles in the back she could have taken instead I asked Satomi why she wasnt in one of those instead but he replied, Well lots of people know our cla.s.s for being the one with Kisshouin-san in it, so why not use that to attract customers? Wouldnt it be a waste otherwise? What the h.e.l.l. Arent you afraid? Of what? Of treating Kisshouin Reika that way. Wasnt she outraged? No wayy. Kisshouin-san is a big softy. Shes like a sheep inside. Oh! Maybe she could wear sheep ears on top of that. Ill go ask about it! SATOMIIIIIIIIII! THERES SUCH A THING AS TOO MUCH GUTS! Reika-san in a male butler suit with sheep ears I decided I would go see the train-wreck. ??????? by Chapter 100 I am in need of a cleaner and redrawer for a few small things. Kenkyo-related. Please contact me on discord if youre interested in helping out as a favour. Ira.s.shaimase(ee-rash-hai-ma-seh) means please come in, and is used to welcome guests to restaurants and stores. Im leaving it as-is because Im pretty sure they shout these in j.a.panese restaurants in a lot of countries. Even when those j.a.panese restaurants are actually owned by Chinese or Korean people. Or sometimes even Mexicans, in the southern USA, so my friends tell me. For the school festival, my cla.s.s decided on a cross-dressing caf.At first it had just been a caf but after seeing how popular Iwamuro-kun as Cinderella was, we thought, Hey, why not make the other boys put on a dress too?So then we thought, Why not go all the way and have the girls cross-dress too? which is how we ended up with the boys as maids, and the girls as butlers. But it was maids of all things. Maids.Somebody said that if we were going with maids we might as well go deeper and suggested goth loli maids instead. We immediately agreed.Iwamuro-kuns eyes were sparkling. I decided to give discuss the specifics with him later. As for me, at first the plan was just to help out preparing the food in the kitchen, but Satomi-kun said, Kisshouin-san absolutely needs to be out front! Thanks to that I ended up with a butler outfit as well. I didnt know why he wanted me though.My face was pretty girly and I had sausage curls too, so I doubted I could have become some hot guy butler.Which was confirmed when I actually tried on the costume. I didnt look very boyish. Maybe Ill tie up my hair?Still, it probably wouldnt matter. I doubt anyone would really notice me once I was standing in a terrifying horde of cross-dressing boys.While I was thinking about it, Satomi-kun handed me a headband with animal ears on it. What might this be? Sheep ears. A sheep(Hitsuji) butler(s.h.i.tsuji). Wouldnt it be cute? I really want you to wear it. Oh, and dont tie up your hair like that. Its your trademark. Dont you think your curls look a bit like a sheeps? Here, he said, putting them on my head. An animal again? Still Just the ears? Yeah. Why? After the costume race, Kaburagi-sama asked me why I was not wearing a mouse nose. Eh I dont think even I could ask you to wear one of those things. It does not sound very comfortable at all. Yeah, lets just go with the ears this time. You seem terribly set on these ears. Yeah! And so with a brilliant smile on his face, Satomi-kun sealed my fate as a sheep. His reasoning was, Because youre a sheep in wolfs clothing, Kisshouin-san. Its perfect for you! Satomi-kun, do I really look that scary? Now with wearing ears along with the butler uniform, I had hard look at myself in the mirror.I hoped this wasnt too bad. What if I was heading into some crazy direction like Iwamuro-kun. I was supposed to be a Rococo Queen but somehow it felt like I was becoming a weird joke character Iwamuro-kun and I discussed the maid outfit. Were they going to wear bonnets or a headpiece? Were they going to wear a dress, or a blouse with a corseted high-waisted skirt? Were they going to use side hoops to make the skirts puffy? The point is we discussed a whole bunch of stuff.Iwamuro-kun was insanely pa.s.sionate about it and wouldnt accept anything less than the ideal.In the end we settled on a bonnets with sausage curl wigs. Somehow the wig looked familiar Was that supposed to be my hair? Well, not that my hair was as curled as that, though. I admired how your hair was like a princess, Master he said, as he fidgeted with his huge body. It looked like he was finally beyond return. I needed to apologise to his parents.And also I dont recall ever becoming a master, or taking a disciple. Dont be led astray. Your master is in the Judo Club.Still, I did up his make-up to make him a cute goth loli maid.Unlike the costume race, I had time to spare this time, so I decided to give him fake eyelashes with teardrops. Maybe fake nails too.Mn, mn. Youre very pretty, Iwamuro-kun. Our caf was prospering from the get-go.The boys had original whined about not wanting to do it, but once the skirts were on they gradually started to compete in looking gorgeous. By the end, some of the quality was mind-blowing. Could it be that there were actually a lot of boys who wanted to cross-dress?Thanks to that, us butler girls were the complement to the maids.Our caf, Caf Sheep Dolly, was the sort where you could ask for a specific maid to serve you. Thanks to that, some of the popular maids were incredibly busy.Anyhow, apparently the name of our store came from sheep butlers and doll-like maids, but I was the only one wearing sheep ears, wasnt it?By the way, Caf Sheep Dolly does not use, and has never used, Genetically Modified Food. Suddenly, somebody asked for me.The first person to select me was Tomoe-senpai! Tomoe-senpai! Ira.s.shaimase! I came, Kisshouin-san! Cute ears. A sheep(hitsuji) because youre a butler(s.h.i.tsuji)? So it appears So it was weird? A bit late to change though. Well then, Miss Sheep, Id like this rum raisin pound cake set, please. Yes, coming up! I quickly left to take his order to the kitchen.He came just to see me! I was so happy! Ehehe, and he said that my sheep ears were cute!Somehow it felt like things were really about to pick up! After Tomoe-senpai, some of my friends from other cla.s.ses came to visit. At one point Ririna even swaggered in and said, Hey you! The weird butler! Bring me some tea, now! I had quite a number of people ask for me. I was quite proud of my number, but in the end I still lost to goth loli Iwamuro-kun. Satomi-kun praised me too. As expected of Kisshouin-san! Her ability to bring in customers is amazing! Tomorrow the school festival would be opened to the public. Better do my best! When it was time for my shift break I went to visit the Handicrafts Club.Each year they would make a wedding dress for the school festivals. Today they were unveiling the dress that they had begun designing and creating since April, the combined effort of the entire Handicrafts Club.It was embroidered with intricate designs up to the cuffs, and amazing in a way that youd never have expected it was made by high schoolers.Since I was a (provisional) member, I added just one fabric rose to it. Back when I was silently watching them work on the dress, they invited me to help. I definitely didnt pressure them into it.A number of people were in the room looking at it, Cla.s.s Rep included. Truly a maiden entranced. I snuck up behind him. Did you also want to try it on, Cla.s.s Rep? Uwah!? Kisshouin-san! The maiden Cla.s.s Rep was visibly reddening. I see, I see. I hope your dream comes true, one day.At that moment, Iwamuro-kun suddenly showed up as well. Yet another maiden entranced by it.The maiden Cla.s.s Rep, and the maiden from the Judo Club. It was a chance meeting of maidens. The next day, Caf Sheep Dolly was. .h.i.tting it big. Although the school festival was opened to outsiders now, they still required a ticket to get in so only friends and acquaintances of the students here could do so. Invite me too! Dog Lover-kun had asked, but it would be annoying to be called a dog at school, so I politely declined him. Also I could already see him suggesting dog ears instead of the sheep ears. I was already being treated like some kind of sheepdog here so I didnt need anything to jinx it. Aoi-chans school festival was today as well, so she couldnt come. What a shame. As I was recalling this, somebody nominated me. Sakura-chan! It was Sakura-chan and Akisawa-kun. Gokigenyoh, Reika-san. h.e.l.lo, Kisshouin-san. Sakurako came to visit so I brought her here. Our cross-dressing maids grew noisy at the thought of Akizawa-kun bringing a girl along. Reika-san, that butler outfit suits you very well. Those ears are interesting, too. Her eyes were totally laughing at me. Hmph.Satomi-kun appeared from the staff-only area too. Welcome, f.u.kioka-san. Are you touring the school with Akizawa today? Long time no see, Satomi-kun. I heard that Reika-san was wearing mens clothing and I simply had to see. I see. You two were friends as well? Yes. I have been friends with Reika-san since our early days in primary. Id been wondering for a while now, but what happened to not using honorifics? And what was with that modest smile she had on?I could hear words like pure and yamato nadeshiko muttered amongst our cross-dressing maids. Amazing, Sakura-chan. Youve fooled them all. Your abilities as a faker are something legendary. The two of them were going to tour the school now. It seemed that her real goal was to let the whole school know that she existed, and thus holding back any other girls who would think to get close to him.That fact that Akizawa-kun had no idea about her plots made him lucky in a way. In the afternoon, things suddenly got noisy. It turns out that Emperor and Enjou had come to Caf Sheep Dolly! And following in behind them were Yurie-sama and Aira-sama! Oh, and Maihama-san too I guess.The whole place descended into chaos at their arrival. Since they didnt ask for anybody in particular, I went to serve them. Long time no see, Reika-chan! called Aira-sama. I greeted everybody in return. Kisshouin-san, Enjou smiled, First a rat, and now a sheep? Everybodys talking about it, you know. Wheres the sheep nose? criticised Kaburagi. A nose would make it difficult to breathe. Take this more seriously. What the h.e.l.l was this guys problem. For the lady of the Kisshouin-family, you sure wear strange things, jabbed Maihama-san as she fiddled with her hair. I guess she wasnt happy that Kaburagi had spoken to me. Ema, Yurie-sama chided Im sorry about her, Reika-san. Yurie-oneesama~ whined Maihama-san, before continuing. Dressing up, fasting, you sure do a lot of odd things, Reika-san. Huhu, she laughed. Dont bring up the fasting! That sounded an awful lot like criticism of Masayas mum. Maybe I should tell Obasama about this, smiled Enjou. Suddenly Maihama-san was eager to change her mind. Idiot. Also, well said, you d.a.m.ned schemer. When I had finished taking their orders and stepped into the kitchen, the five of them were still the centre of attention.Maihama-san was sitting next to Kaburagi and trying all sorts of conversation starters. Kaburagi looked fed up as he diverted every attempt. Yurie-sama and Aira-sama were having fun evaluating each maid. Getting so friendly with Kaburagi in Suiran was the same as making an enemy of many of the girls. Because of that, the caf was increasingly filled with dangerous glares. Maihama-san only responded with with a triumphant smile though. Scaaary! Here, Kisshouin-san. Satomi-kun handed me some tea, and the complimentary sheep cookies that we only gave to female customers.I placed one down in front of each of them. Yurie-sama and Aira-sama had yellow sheep b.u.t.ter cookies. Maihama-san got a black sheep cookie.Those black sheep cookies were ones that only certain customers got. Now get the h.e.l.l out, you troublemaker! When the five of them were leaving, Aira-sama looked apologetic. Sorry for making you uncomfortable, Reika-chan. It hadnt been her fault at all. As for Kaburagi, Maihama-san was still orbiting him, and he still looked fed up as he left. While I was feeling exhausted, Iwamuro-kun stood next to me. What half-baked curls. Shes nothing compared to you, Master. Yeah. Thank you, Iwamuro-kun. A month later when the term-end test results were posted, Kaburagi Masayas name was not amongst them. Reika-sama and Her Happy Friends (pt2) by . Chapter 101 Special thanks to clipped104, who graciously answered my call for aid. A little while after the school festival, Sakura-chan contacted me. I heard that Maihama Ema came to Suiran. Mmn. Do you know her? She goes to your school, right? We go to the same school. We are not close. Take care around Maihama Ema. That girl doesnt hold back against girls that she doesnt like. There are plenty of her victims in Yurinomiya. Oh okay. Wait, dont tell me that shes bullied you too? Hah? Who? Thouught soo~ Even I couldnt pick a fight with Sakura-chan and win I saw Maihara Ema sticking around that famous Emperor so I was wondering if she was causing you problems, Reika. Shes been going around Yurinomiya boasting about how close she is with your Emperor. Huuh~ She did get invited to the tea party, and Yurie-sama seemed to know her well too, so maybe she was relatively close with him, but the guy himself seemed to have no desire to deal with her.Ah, well. As long as it didnt harm me. So anyhow, the school festival ended on a nice note. I chatted with friends as usual. Sometimes I would go to the Handicrafts Club, and sometimes Id drink tea in the salon. It was a peaceful autumn.After a whole month like that, the term-end exams began. I studied desperately hard with Marin-sensei and on my own as well, and took the test with incredible vigour. It was the hardest I had ever studied since entering high school here. Maybe I could even reach the top 30! A few days later the results were announced, and the school was. .h.i.t with a bombsh.e.l.l. 1. Takamichi Wakaba2. Enjou Shuusuke3. Mizusaki Arima Kaburagis name wasnt there.Why, Emperor!? Youve fallen more than thirty places in one go!? Did you forget to write your name or something!? Did you shift all your multiple choice answers down a box!? Far from just the first years, even the uppercla.s.smen were speculating about what happened to the perfect His Majesty the Emperor.And the Emperor himself hadnt come to school.I joined in on the discussion too, while giving the leader-board another once over. My name wasnt there.When I got my report card back it said I was rank 31.I was really too unlucky. Emperor didnt come to school in the next few days either.At first people whispered about him falling ill, but nothing was ever made clear. As for his best friend Enjou, the guy wouldnt say anything either. Thanks to that it seemed like everybody had their own explanation.He never appeared at the salon either. I could see our members growing worried. Really though, what on earth was up with him. Was the shock from falling in rankings so bad that he changed schools or something!? Ah-! Was he skipping school because he didnt want to do remedials!?Hmmmmmm Huh? Speaking of which, when was the last time I even saw those two? Before the exams the salon was basically closed, and before that wasWell whatever. More importantly, for some reason Kaburagis fall from grace and absence was directly a lot of criticism towards Wakaba-chan. Not only did she steal first place while the Emperor was sick, she even went and took Enjou-samas place! But how was that even her fault? And I guess it was a pretty bad idea of hers to be happily shouting First place! while half the girls were in shock about Emperor not being up there. Kaburagi and Enjou fans began talking about how she did something or other to take 1st place from them. Complete nonsense.Worse yet, the new president of the Pivoine was a Pivoine supremacist. Losing face to a commoner like Wakaba-chan was something incredibly unamusing to them.Wakaba-chan, your position went to h.e.l.l in an instant! Are you going to be okay!? I was heading to the Handicrafts Club by myself when I crossed paths with Enjou, who was carrying his bag and heading to a car.Ugh Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama. I wanted nothing more than to ignore him, but I was a human being so I at least gave him a greeting. Hey, Kisshouin-san. He was smiling, but his face looked a little tired. You seem weary. Are you all right? Hm? Oh, Im fine. Ive just got a lot of things going on, you know? Ill bet you do. Right now the school is talking about nothing except your things going on. Are you curious too, Kisshouin-san? About whats happening with Masaya. Eh? Honestly speaking I was a little. Who wouldnt be, with all this fuss? But curiosity killed the cat. No. I simply worry that he is in ill-health. Ill health, huh Ummm might he have truly fallen ill? Hes not well, in a sense. Im not really sure myself. Eh!? Not sure? Arent you supposed to be his best friend!? I havent really seen him, you see. Were you unable to visit him while he was ill? Kisshouin-san, why dont you come with me? Well go visit him together. h.e.l.l to the no Just kidding. Hes not even at home, you know. Right now hes on a journey. A journey, you say? Yeah. Thats a secret though. You wont like whatll happen next if you tattle. I shall not speak a word of it. Even if you pried my mouth open I wouldnt. But in that case I really wish he hadnt told me to begin with. It was human nature to want to tell things that they were ordered not to tell. Who would have thought he would suddenly change cla.s.ses from Best Friend to Traveller. Hahhh You actually went on a journey, Kaburagi? What, are you searching for yourself or something? When might Kaburagi-sama be returning from this journey? Its because I dont know that this is such a pain. Im calling him again today to try and talk him out of this. Hah Well then Anyhow, its a secret okay? he said once more, putting his index finger over his mouth. It was tough stuff, having a troublesome friend But a journey Where did he even go. North, I bet. I could already see him with his coat lapels up, travelling through a snowstorm or something. Thinking about it, it was almost time for winter break. I wondered if Kaburagi would be back for the New Year.Also I wondered if this would be the year Id become a full-fledged member of the Handicrafts Club.With my needle-felting project in my bag, I hurried to the clubroom.Apparently it was traditional for all the members to go have tea on the last day of club activities. I wasnt invited though. It was the last day of school this year. I had no real plans for anything, so I was leaving the school building with my friends to go home. That was when I came across a familiar face.Katsuragi.The one who called me a screw-head. I had thought of the perfect revenge. Katsuragi-kun, theres something you need to know. What! Do you know about the Sha Wujing of the morning? Hah? Long ago there was a terrible battle. Soldiers died by the number, and in horrifying ways too. So horrifying that the soldiers couldnt able to pa.s.s on. Their spirits decided to find the enemies that put them friends through that suffering, and now they wander every night, blood running from severed necks, shallow whistling from the cuts in their necks, all the while moaning Shaa Wujing of the Mooorningg~. And you see, Sha Wujing of the Morning was part of a code used to find out if somebody was an ally or the enemy. And the people who couldnt answer the code were their enemies, and they would end up haunting them to death. And the thing is, once youve heard the story theyre sure to visit you that night. They stand at your bedside and if you dont tell them the meaning of the code, theyll kill you and drag you into the next world. Haaaaah!? What the f.u.c.k is that!? I held out my arms floppily like a zombie, and began walking closer to Birdbrain. The truth is they came to my house too, the Bloodstained Warriors. Thankfully I was safe because I figured out the pa.s.sword. Youre a smart boy, Katsuragi-kun, so Im sure youll realise it in no time. When the half-decapitated warriors visit you tonight, make sure you tell them. Also if you tell anybody else about this story theyll visit them too, so be careful okay? O-, Oi! Well then, thats all I wanted to say. Gokigenyoh, Katsuragi-kun. I turned around to leave. Wait! Screw-head! Come back and tell me! I have no reason to tell a person who cant even use peoples names correctly. Ugh-! Kisshouin. Senpai. Kisshouin senpai tell me. Im soooorry~ If I tell somebody else the pa.s.sword then Ill be killed~ Do your best, okay~? Well then, for real this time, gokigenyoh~ Have a good year~ You-! Wait! Oiii! My steps felt light as I left him behind.I did it. That guy is an idiot so I doubt hed figure it out soon. And hes an idiot so I bet hed actually be scared. KEEEKEKEKEKEKEKE! Serves you riiight! This is revenge for screw head! Um, Reika-sama. Just now, I heard that story as well Eh-, ah, that was complete lies~ It was a lie? Yes, it was a lie. The soldiers had their throats cut and they were wheezing air from the wounds. In that case, how could they speak properly? Also the real pa.s.sword was actually asa no sangogyou. Well, not that it matters either way, since it was all just a lie anyhow. Katsuragi as his face turned white as a sheet! Of course hed believe it, he was a chuunibyou after all. Not that he could help it, he was an idiot after all! Ahh, so happy. This years grudges are water under the bridge next year, they say. Do you know about the Sha Wujing of the morning (Asa no Sagojyou)? This pa.s.sword was originally taken from another stupid story. A priest came to a cliffside where many suicides had taken place to try and stop them. He said, This is the curse of a wraith. We must not allow more suicides to happen. After putting up a certain paper seal, he left. Later, when people came to see, they saw the battered seal said thus: AGYOUSANSAGYOUGO The above phrase is written as 礦󤵤礦 in j.a.panese. It can be broken into a-gyou-san sa-gyou-go or, -Column 3, -Column 5. or uso as some weebs might recognise, means lie or joke. Reika-sama by Chapter 102 Woke up at 4. Couldnt go back to sleep. Translated a Kenkyo chapter, b.i.t.c.h n.i.g.g.as. Okay, going to work now, bye. Kurikinton is candied chestnuts mixed in mashed sweet potatoes and candied chestnut syrup and is considered a traditional New Year food. I was eating kurinkinton on New Years when I came to a shocking realisation.Could it be that Kaburagi had been rejected by Yurie-sama!?What if those test scores were the result of being in such shock that he couldnt concentrate. And then because of that he went on a journey to deal with the heartbreak.Whoa, Im so sharp this yearBut that wasnt what happened in Kimidol. I mean, he never went on any journey in the manga, and he should have been rejected after he was a little closer with Wakaba-chan. Hmmm Maybe the story had changed from the manga a little bit. To begin with, the main perpetrator of the bullying campaign was sitting here eating.And it felt like the personalities of the main characters were a little different too. The Emperor who I fangirled over in the manga would absolutely never have had such a deviant-level of pa.s.sion towards cavalry battles, nor was he some weirdo athletics carnival maniac who would criticise others over their lack of animal noses for the costume race. He was cooler. And Enjou had been the kind and gentle person who watched over Emperor and Wakaba-chan, not this scheming b.a.s.t.a.r.d. To begin with, just failing to have honey-brown hair was a departure from the manga.Also it kind of felt like Wakaba-chan had become little bit of a dope Why was it, I wondered. Why had all the main characters turn into such unfortunate alternates of their manga selves.And on the other hand, people who hadnt appeared at all in the manga like Oniisama and Imari-sama and Tomoe-senpai were so d.a.m.ned cool! If they had been in Kimidol they would have been so popular too! Especially Tomoe-senpai. Hes cool like the manga Emperor had been.With all these other irregularities, would things progress differently than the manga? Well, as long as my own life was nice and quiet I didnt particularly care though.Anyhow, I saved away all of the New Years money that I got. Although the one that I got from Oniisama was going to be enshrined next to my bed. Kaburagi wasnt there at the Term 3 opening ceremony. Was he still on his journey?Even the middle schoolers were talking about his absence by now. It was astounding how one student truanting could have such an effect.When I went to the salon, Enjou was there for the first time in a while. He was surrounded by people asking about Kaburagi. Masaya caught a cold during the New Year, so hes been resting. He should be back at school in a few days. A cold? Had he finally returned from dealing with heartbreak? No, no, its not like I knew for sure that he had been rejected. He could have been purely soul searching. Not that I personally held much stock in going on a journey to do so When Enjou spotted me, he excused himself and came over. Happy New Year, Kisshouin-san. Happy New Year, Enjou-sama. Enjou led me to somewhere there were less people and then handed me some kind of sack. Here, this is for you. Technically a souvenir from when I went here and there to fetch Masaya. Actually your hush money. Eh This is kind of scary. I, thank you for the consideration. And so with a smile, Enjou handed over the most unwanted gift. So Enjou actually went out to get Kaburagi. And by here and there, that means he had to go to a lot of different places? Even during the busy New Year, he was still so serious about his friendships. Whatever else, he was actually pretty good at looking after others. You mentioned that Kaburagi-sama was down with a cold? Yeah. Hes at home resting right now, actually. He went somewhere awfully cold, you see. But I guess its true what they say about sickness beginning with the heart. He was really weakened. I see Somewhere awfully cold? Sickness beginning with the heart? Then he really did go on a heartbreak journey!? If he was somewhere cold, then I suppose it must have been northern Europe or Russia maybe. Oh, but wouldnt it be pretty bad to have Emperor Napoleon travel to Russia?But imagining Kaburagi travelling the Siberian Tundra was kind of funny in a way. I pictured him discovering a mammoth. Uppftpfftt. But hes not feverish so hell be fine in no time. Once Masayas back, Ill leave things to you. Huhu? I had no idea what he was on about, so I just laughed to avoid the subject. When I got home, I opened up Enjous souvenir bag. Toujinbou Cookies Toujinbou is a well-known place in j.a.pan to commit suicide. According to statistics, as many as 25 people commit suicide by jumping off the 70-foot-high cliffs annually. Kegon Falls Shortbread The Kegon Falls are infamous for suicides, especially among j.a.panese youth. Sea of Trees Manjuu Aokigahara, also known as the Suicide Forest or Sea of Trees borders Mt. Fuji. Statistics vary, but there were around up to 105 doc.u.mented suicides a year. Im sorry for laughing at you, KaburagiWho would have thought that youd try and go even further in your journey Kaburagiii Come back!!But to think the journey taken by the esteemed scion of the Kaburagi not even failed to leave j.a.pan, but failed to even leave our Honshu island. It was a little surprising. A few days later, for the first time in about a month, Kaburagi showed up. He looked exhausted.His skin looked dull, and his eyes were dead. Uwahh This settles itHe was difficult to approach, but in a totally different way now. n.o.body was sure what to do. I pretended I didnt see him.Most people thought he was like that because he had just fought off an illness, but that was absolutely wrong. Also some of the girls were talking about how his exhausted self was dreamy as well.I was depressed too when my love for Tomoe-senpai didnt work out, but even I wasnt that bad. A lot of it probably came down to how unlike my crush of a few months, his was over ten years.Sometimes it was a bit painful to see normally energetic people weak, wasnt it. Kaburagi, its time for a new love, d.a.m.nit! Youve got a destined love named Wakaba-chan right here! Speaking of Wakaba-chan, she was still couldnt hide her happiness at the results of that last exam. Her scholarship was relying on it after all.While the whole school was worrying about Kaburagi, Wakaba-chan didnt seem to care at all. I suppose sometimes she did look at bit confused about the mood though.Since they werent in contact, he wouldnt vent on her. To begin with, he didnt seem to have the energy to do that. Maihama-san came to pick Kaburagi up. Normally he would have totally ignored her, but this time he didnt resist as she took his arm and brought him into the care.Plenty of people had seen Maihama-san during the school festival, so there was a huge fuss when they saw the two going home together. Who is that girl!? Maihama Ema from Yurinomiya! Apparently because shes close to Yurie-sama shes been clinging to Kaburagi-sama! How could Kaburagi-sama go home with any girl other than Yurie-sama! Uwaa, uwaah, its pandemonium.Everyone was making faces like ogres!Even the girls in my group were glaring dangerously in the direction of the departed car. Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan were spouting curses.Kaburagi, are you really okay? Speaking of which, where on earth was Enjou?I looked around but he was simply staring severely in that direction as well.All of this was making me kind of scared, so I pretended not to notice and quietly slipped away. That night, Aira-sama sent me a text saying that she wanted to meet and talk.My stomach was hurting again for the first time in a while. Chapter 103 Bara (Nޱ, rose), also known by the wasei-eigo construction Mens Love (ML 󥺥, menzu rabu), is a j.a.panese technical term for a genre of art and fictional media that focuses on male same-s.e.x love usually created by gay men for a gay audience. Mount Hiei is a mountain to the north-east of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, j.a.pan.Enryaku-ji is a Tendai monastery located atop Mount Hiei by the monk Saichou in 788.Mount Kouya is the name of mountains in Wakayama Prefecture to the south of Osaka. First settled in 819 by the monk Kuukai, Mt. Kouya is primarily known as the world headquarters of the Kouyasan Shingon sect of j.a.panese Buddhism. Saigyou was the name of a monk said to have created an artificial human. Recalling tales of lonely ogres gathering human bones to create a person, Saigyou was said to have used the secret necromantic sance teachings of the Tokudaiji n.o.ble house to create a human from human bone remains. I met Aira-sama in a caf the next Sunday in the early afternoon. Sorry for making you come out here, Reika-chan. There is nothing to apologise for. Being able to meet with you is a pleasure. I ordered a latte. This caf did latte art, so I asked for a sheep. Cute sheep. Speaking of which, you wore sheep ears during the school festival didnt you? Yes. The reception that my sheep butler costume received was surprisingly good, so I had become a little fond of sheep since. Hmm, it was a bit of a shame to ruin this by drinking it.While I was appreciating my latte art, Aira-sama began speaking hesitantly. So you see, Im sure youve already guessed why Ive called you out today. Its about Yurie and Masaya. Here it was I had pretty much guessed it. I took a gentle sip to avoid ruining the sheep. It was delicious. Youve noticed too that Masayas been acting strangely, right? Yes. After seeing that it would be stranger if anybody failed to notice. He was like an empty cicada sh.e.l.l of himself. Even if I had somehow missed that, Enjou had already told me about how he went on a journey, and then handed over those unlucky souvenirs. You see, Yurie has finally given him her decision. Aahh I thought so Yurie cares about Masaya a great deal as well, but its always been the love for a younger brother. Thats why she thought it was about time to make things clear. I mean, the two of us are already twenty. In a sense you could say she was taking responsibility. Hahhh It was more or less the same in Kimidol. I cant see you as anything other than a brother, so I cant answer your feelings or something. Kaburagi had still replied No! I wont give up! and was pretty persistent about it. In the very end though, Yurie-sama wouldnt take back her words, for both their sakes. It happened a little while after the school festival. Truthfully though, Yuries been trying put some distance between them since Masaya entered high school. Shes been trying to create chances for him to notice other girls as well. Remember the girl she brought with her to the school festival? Ah, Maihama Ema-san. Right. The two of them studied under the same tea master and go back quite a while. Ema-san looks up to Yurie and adores Masaya too, and has been to his house a few times with Yurie. Since Yurie dotes on her, Masaya cant flat-out reject her either I see Originally we had planned to come with just Yurie and I but Ema-san came along to the school festival as well. Masaya was really unhappy about that. He had planned to walk around with Yurie but then Ema-san was stuck to him the whole time instead. And then later when he went to Yuries house to visit, Ema-san was there again Eventually the stress built up and he demanded that Yurie tell him what was going on. And so Yurie told him that she could only see him as a little brother and asked him to give up on her. It went something along the lines of telling him that her feelings wouldnt change no matter how much he pined after her. She thought it was a good opportunity to set things straight. So the exam results Yeah. Masaya of all people dropped ranks, didnt he. I heard about it later. Yurie was worried too. Whats worse is that after that a young man we met in the UK came to j.a.pan on business. Yurie and I had gone to welcome him, but then Masaya saw. He a.s.sumed that Yurie had said all that because she had found a boyfriend and flipped out. The guy took a lot of care of us while we were overseas so Yurie was furious at how rude Masaya had been. So she went and said Who I date is none of your business, Masaya! I dont want to see you anymore! Of course, they werent actually dating, you see. I see So thats why he went on his journey.But wow, Kaburagi hadnt matured since primary school at all. It was the same mistake all over again. Did Shuusuke tell you that Masaya went missing? We had a decent idea of where he had gone, but Yurie was white as a sheet what with the destination and all. She came crying to me that she hadnt expected him to take it that badly and asked me what to do. Shuusuke spent each day talking Masaya down until he knew enough to go pick Masaya up Ojisama and Obasama were obviously horrified and wanted to know what happened to their son, so it was chaos over there too. Yuries been depressed and guilty towards them and told me that she couldnt face them. Its been a horrible start to the year. To think that while I was nomming on red bean soup and New Years mochi broth, these guys were going through something like this Anyhow, we managed to somehow bring Masaya home, and you remember his cold? Because of that he had to call off the rest of his journey, but hes been completely listless, like a different person. Weve all been really worried. I see. This went into a lot more detail than I expected I wasnt liking where this was going. Are you certain that you should be telling an outsider like me about all this? I made sure to stress outsider. Not that I thought it would save me at this point Aira-sama leant forward and continued. You see, I was hoping you could lend your help in getting Masaya back on his feet. Please, Reika-chan. I question what aid I could possibly lend The two of us are not particularly close, after all. What if you asked Maihama-san, or? Aira-sama shook her head and took my hands into hers. Thats not true. I know you can do it, Reika-chan! Back at the school festival the only time Masaya stopped looking moody was when he saw you in your butler outfit. He said something about you not listening to what he said at all. Masaya rarely shows any interest in any girl that isnt Yurie, you know! He wasnt interested in me so much as in pointing out why my costume was bad, though. And I feel a little bad for saying this, but I dont think Ema-san could move Masayas heart, she declared. Ah, but~ Please, Reika-chan! Yuries been feeling responsible for it all and has been in really bad shape. Couldnt you give Masaya some advice or something to cheer him up? Please? Uuuu It was really hard to refuse Aira-sama like thisBut I didnt wanna do itttt. I had no idea how to cheer somebody like that up, and to begin with I didnt want to get involved. Reika-chan. Uu I understand. I had taken the first step into a bottomless bog. Advice What kind of advice was I even supposed to give?Ways to get over heartbreak? This was actually the best chance for him to start a new love with Wakaba-chan, but there were no signs of that at all.What if I tried spurring Wakaba-chan on? No, no, it wouldnt do to cross any more dangerous bridges than I already had.Oh, how about Umm, Kaburagi-sama? I called out to Kaburagi while he was sitting blankly in the salon. Sitting next to him, Enjou smiled. Why not leave behind the troubles of the material world and join one of the strictly male convents in Europe? How about it? The World of Roses awaits you. Kisshouin-san, could I have a word with you? smiled Enjou as he grabbed my arm and pulled me away. Why exactly does Masaya have to get a tonsure and join a convent? And in Europe too. As a scion of the Kaburagi house, I believed it suitable for him to go to the true home of convents. Vetoed. Wow, somebodys being picky. I returned to Kaburagi for another try. Kaburagi-sama, j.a.pan has Mount Hiei and Mount Kouya. How about it? Throw away your worldly ties, shave your head, and enter the service of the Buddha. I think the shaved-look would suit you very well, Kaburagi-sama. You might even get a chance to meet Saigyous homunculus. Kisshouin-san, could I have a word with you? said Enjou, grabbing my arm a little stronger than last time and pulling me away. Do you think you could maybe step away from advice that involves running away from home? Kisshouin-san, youre really just trying to seal something troublesome far away, arent you? Goodness, no! I thought that it might be best if he had a change of pace. My intentions are entirely pure. Liar. How mean. Doubting peoples sincerity like that is just proof that his own heart is twisted. A tonsure Monkhood we heard Kaburagi mutter. You see? Kaburagi-sama seems to be interested as well. Kaburagi-sama, I personally recommend the tonsure! Kisshouin-san, thats enough out of you. Despite the efforts I used to come up with this advice, Enjou shooed me away. I thought it was pretty good advice too.I only wanted the best for him. Well do something about Masaya on our own. Thanks. said a message from Aira-sama. Goodness, is that so? I apologise for not being able to help. Based Reika. Chapter 104 It was just starting to become cold when the snow began.I had been excitedly hoping that with all this snow school would cancelled, but alas, no such announcement came and so I had no choice but prepare to head out. It was probably quite hard on those who were commuting by train but I was fine and dandy in my car.Honestly, there wasnt anything more dangerous than wearing loafers on a snowy day. And it got into your shoes too. Times were hard back in my old life as a commoner.Only primary schoolers would feel happy about snow. As I was watching from the comfort of my car, I saw a number of people slip on the snow. It sure was dangerous. Most students are Suiran were driven, but a few of the ones that lived close-by would walk with friends. I caught a few of them here and there. The loafers were sinking into the snow so they were having a hard time of walking.Despite that, there was a student walking properly through it. It was Wakaba-chan. Wakaba-chan was wearing rain boots. Not the plain ones that fishmongers wore. On the side of her boots were flower patterns. Still, I could respect that she chose practicality over fashion. Just what youd expect from her. Wakaba-chans nose was all red, and her face was buried in her m.u.f.fler. m.u.f.flers I had the sudden urge to knit a m.u.f.fler.I was almost always dropped off by car so there really wasnt much reason to own one. Except as fashion, that is.I immediately headed to the Handicrafts Club with some yarn. Knitting was popular here in winter, so plenty of them were sitting around with knitting needles.It sure looked fun. I wasnt very skilled so my knitting was loose or crooked in places. Knitting, Reika-sama? Could it be that you had a tangle again? asked the senpai who became the new Club President. No, I was simply thinking of trying a m.u.f.fler this time. My, a m.u.f.fler. For your own use? Or were you thinking of giving it as a present to somebody? I had not truly considered it I just wanted to make one. Im pretty sure even Oniisama or Otousama would be bothered if I foisted one of my m.u.f.flers onto them. I had bought some of the softest wool, so I planned to just unravel it at home later. Ummm Speaking of which, Reika-sama, I need to speak to you about something. What might the matter be? The Club President seemed like she had a hard time finding the words. I had a bad feeling. Everybody else seemed to be glancing this way too. The feeling was getting worse and worse. Youve really been coming to our club a lot, Reika-sama Yes Uohhnn, was it finally time? After a year of nonchalantly coming here, it was about time that somebody asked what the heck I was doing here. Despite her gentle face, it seemed the Club President could deal with conflict.What was I going to do? Huh. What if when she evicted me, I just pretended not to hear Reika-sama, would you like to join our club? Eh!? The President gently handed me an application form. Last year on the last day of club activities, all of us discussed it. You seem to love handicrafts, and you helped us with the bouquet for the school festival, didnt you? So we wondered why not have you join us officially. They were talking about that during that tea party I wasnt invited to!? May I truly join the club? Yes, of course. But did you not find me a bother at first? No, not at all! The Presidents eyes were swimming. I knew it Um, we would be happy too if you joined us, Reika-sama, one of the members spoke up. Really? I looked around, only to find the other members nodding with smiles. After a whole year, I finally got in! I could get rid of the Provisional now! I gripped the application form tightly in my hands. I shall join the Handicrafts Club! I declared. Everybody clapped in welcome. Happy! So happy! My mood suddenly sky-rocketed. So happy I was that before I knew it I had stood up and placed my hands on my hips. Then as an official member, I shall spare no effort in working for the club. My first act will be to negotiate with the student council, claim the budget that we deserve, and guarantee a larger and better club room for us! Eh-, n.o.body really asked for that Leave it to me, everybody! The most conspicuous location shall be allocated to us, next school festival! Reika-sama, were happy the way we are! And being somewhere too eye-catching is a little Please, Reika-sama! Please quit this My new club members stopped me in a panic. Oops. The happiness almost ran to my head. The new Club President was already half pulling at my application form. What are you doing? I wont return it now. Ill bring it back tomorrow with the stamps on it. Accept it without crushing it, okay?And to that last girl, you werent telling me to quit this club, were you? Im not leaving this place until graduation. Today, Kisshouin Reika became a full member of the Handicrafts Club. Uhohooi! I texted Aoi-chan and Sakura-chan about my acceptance into the Handicrafts Club. Im so happy for you! I knew they would see what a good person you were! came Aoi-chans heart-warming reply. After silently pressuring them for so long, no wonder they folded. As always, stubborn persistence will win the day, said Sakura-chans. Sharp-tongued as always. After that, Sakura-chan mailed me about Maihama-sans situation. Apparently at Yurinomiya she was all but boasting that she was Emperors girlfriend. She told everybody about how Emperors mother, and the woman he idolised as an older sister had already approved of her. Uheeh~ Maihama-san sure was running her mouth, just because she went to a different school. Had this happened at Suiran she would have been lynched in a day. Even though she had only come to pick him up from Suiran the one time, according to Sakura-chans information, she had gone to the Kaburagi house a number of times. Anyhow, maybe thanks to Enjous encouragement, Kaburagi was slowly getting better. The damage still seemed quite deep though because he hadnt taken care of Maihama-san yet. Being perfectly honest, I think the best way to get him his energy back would be to hold a s...o...b..ll tournament.It wouldnt be surprisingly, considering the way he treated cavalry battles. I could already see him gathering an army of follows, and shouting Left and right wings, flank them!I doubted that the school would organise a s...o...b..ll tournament just for his sake though. Going back to Maihama-san though, she was kind of like a mini Kimidol-Kisshouin Reika, wasnt she. After officially joining the club I wanted to be a model member, so I made sure to come each day and furious knitted away. Thanks to that my scarf had become oddly long and was kind of a weird shape, so I converted it into a lap blanket instead.Once it was done though it wasnt very good, so I gave it to Otousama.Of course, the tanuki got ahead of himself, and said Reika is such a daddys girl, p.i.s.sing me off.And then I heard from his secretary Sasajima-san about how he was running around showing the thing off, so right now I was in the middle of deep, profound regret By the way, a reminder that they used emails with their phones over there. Like, they never used SMS texting, it was always a changeable email-address registered to the phone number. Chapter 105 Wakaba-chan wearing rain boots that day turned into a bit of a fiasco. Some people were claiming that it was affecting Suiran''s image and dignity. I thought it was kicking up a huge fuss about nothing but a lot of people were quite proud to go to Suiran and it looked like they were finding her actions hard to accept. While I had been joining the Handicrafts Club, apparently the President of the Pivoine herself was busy giving Wakaba-chan a severe verbal lashing. Because the President had her eye on Wakaba-chan, yet more students were avoiding her. Wakaba-chan simply gave an earnest apology and swore not to wear them to school again. I wondered where Kaburagi had been during a time like this, but it turns out he was sitting around depressed and reading Heine. Did that make Yurie his Amalie? So troublesome On the other hand, if Kaburagi was this subdued until graduation, wouldn''t that mean a relaxing high school life for me? Was it actually better for me if he didn''t get back on his feet?! Since Kaburagi was done with his journeys, even Enjou was leaving him be. Somehow this was shaping up to be a fantastic year. It was close to Valentine''s, so when I arrived at cram school Moriyama-san and Sakaki-san were discussing chocolates. The self-proclaimed boy-ish Moriyama-san would apparently be hand-making chocolates. "Kisshouin-san, are you planning on giving him chocolates?" Oh yeah. I forgot I had that kind of background story. It''s not like I saw Imari-sama all that often, and it would have been weird to go out of my way just for that, so I hadn''t actually ever done it. "Not as such. I only ever give chocolates to family members." "Ehhhhhh? You have to be more pro-active about these things." "I simply appreciate him in secret so I would not want him to realise." "Hmmmmm." That was when the three guys of the group came barging in. "What''s this about Valentine''s!?" "Since you won''t get any chocolates anyhow, I''ll give you some," Moriyama-san said with her best impression of casual. Shocker. Apparently the gazes that the boys got from their family physically pained them so they begged us for quant.i.ty. That''s how it was decided that they would get one from each of us. For some reason me included. I hadn''t ever given anybody courtesy Valentine''s chocolates though. "I bet Kisshouin-san''s courtesy chocolates are going to be super high cla.s.s!" Moriyama-san''s eyes turned sharp at his comment. Scary. Since the other two girls were just giving normal chocolates, I decided that Umewaka-kun would get special dog chocolate for Beatrice. At least I wouldn''t be giving him chocolates now. Aahh~ A Valentines without a crush to give a proper Valentines chocolate to was boringg. At school my friends discussed giving chocolates to Kaburagi and Enjou so it was lively every day. Since it didnt cost me anything, I gave them some advice. Kaburagi-sama is fussy about calling it chocolat instead. Anyhow, since this Valentines talk didnt have much to do with me, I was left feeling a little bored. Thats why I ended up wandering the school for a while when I suddenly b.u.mped into Tomoe-senpai coming out of the staff room. Tomoe-senpai! Oh! Kisshouin-san. I trotted over to him. Chances like these were precious now that we were so close to his graduation. Tomoe-senpai, I heard that you made it into the university you wanted. Congratulations! Thanks, he said, and flashed an honest smile. Uhuhu, wasnt this a feast for the eyes. I had wanted to give you something to congratulate you, but Congratulate me? Thats fine. Just hearing that is enough. Thank you. Mmmn. I guess. I suppose it would be a bit heavy to receive a graduation gift from somebody who was just an undercla.s.sman But there wasnt much time left until graduation, so I wanted to do something.I told him as much, and he suggested, How about Valentines chocolate for my present then? Eh!? Valentines chocolate for Tomoe-senpai!?Was I dreaming!? I knew I was lucky this year!I swore that no matter what else happened, I would give him one! Thus, I rushed towards the 3rd year cla.s.srooms. I was of course overjoyed at the chance to do this, but first I needed permission from Kasumi-sama, his girlfriend.I told her what happened and asked her what she thought, but she gladly gave me permission. Senju loves sweets, so choose something delicious, okay? Leave it to me! I began b.u.t.ting into my friends conversations, asked Sakura-chan for help, and researched various sources as to exactly what chocolate to pick. I even personally taste-tested them all.Even romantic delusions like this were fun. I dont think I had ever chosen a chocolate so seriously. Was this how fans felt when they picked out chocolates to give to idols? On the day of Valentines, I handed over matching chocolates to Kasumi-sama and Tomoe-senpai. In the message card I wrote S & K. In my capacity as the Village Chief of Forever Alone Village, I bless you, O happy couple! Out of all the chocolates I gobbled down, this was the yummiest one, you know! Thank you! he smiled. Kyuun! I know it isnt official yet, but congratulations on getting the offer you wanted, Tomoe-senpai. A consumable as a gift really was the best choice. I never expected that I would get some too. Thank you, Reika-sama. Kasumi-sama happily accepted her bundle as well. Theyre delicious, so make sure to eat them, okay? By the way, Kasumi-sama, what kind of chocolate did you give him? Oh, I made a cake and Ohh! For a boyfriend it really did have to be hand-made!How niice. Im so envious. I wonder if Ill ever get to give somebody a hand-made chocolate. Kasumi-sama and I spoke about Valentines for a while. Arent you going to give chocolates to the person you like? she asked, so I replied, n.o.body like that exists at the moment. If there was somebody else like Tomoe-senpai it would be a different story, however, so she happily replied, My! Theres n.o.body else like Senju, you know? Uhuhu. Urggh! Next year! Next year for sure Ill find somebody! All that was left today was to go home and make chocolates for Oniisama and Otousama. Thats why I quickly said goodbye to my friends and left the school building. As I was heading towards the gates, though, I saw a huge crowd gathered there.Curious, I went to have a look only to find Maihama-san who had come all the way to Suiran just to give Kaburagi her chocolates. Her curls casual as usual, Maihama-sans mouth was curved upwards proudly. Masaya-sama, the Valentines chocolates I promised. Ah! Werent those the same chocolates that I brought to the Kaburagi tea party! If youre giving chocolates to somebody you love then put in the effort to make them yourself, d.a.m.nit! And chocolates! She just said chocolates! Are you an idiot! While the girls of Suiran were seething with hatred, Kaburagi just accepted them without much care.The amount of chocolate that Kaburagi received was incredible, so he always had some of his familys employees accept them. The chocolate from Maihama-san was dangling from his hand however, and the expressions of the girls were getting more and more dangerous.While I was watching everything unfold next to my enraged friends, Maihama-san suddenly noticed me. My, Reika-san. Uwah, annoying. Gokigenyoh, Maihama-san. Masaya-sama and I are going home to eat my Valentines chocolates together. I see. His Okaasama invited me, after all. Are you going to his house too, Reika-san? No. Oh myy! Were you not invited, Reika-sama? Oh my, Im so sorry. Were you expecting something? With those insults, my friends eyes now promised murder. Although Maihama-san was acting like she was better than me, while she was busy looking down on me Kaburagi had gotten into his car by himself and was about to drive off. Oh. There he goes. Maihama-san had been left behind. Masaya-sama!? In a panic, she got into her own car to chase him down. Ridiculous. How dare that woman speak to you like that!? growled Serika-chan holding one arm. Unforgiveable! Reika-sama! Punish that upstart! snarled Kikuno-chan with my other. Now, now, dont be so angry. Didnt she just give us a hilarious show? She will never amount to much, I said simply. That seemed to calm my group down. Really though, you could tell as much by her curls. She was from another school too, so honestly I couldnt care less.More important than her sad little sideshow was getting home in time to get the chocolates prepared. I probably wouldnt miss anything except my friends badmouthing her some more. As I was finally leaving the school ground, I caught sight of Wakaba-chan. Wakaba-chans pastime was baking sweets. I wonder if she had made anything for Valentines. This year I was making a simple chocolate cake.First I mixed the ingredients I had prepared. This was a Reika-original recipe.I wanted it to have a mature taste so I used less sugar to being with. Instead, I put in some liqueur. The subtle flavours of an adult.To make the liqueur flavour a little more original, I secretly used multiple kinds. Hmm hmm hmm~Maybe it would be a good idea to submit the recipe to a cooking website. Oh! Then it would have been even better to have pictures of the process! What a shame! Oh well. Next time The finished cake smelt of alcohol. Hm, this was okay, right?I tried a bit. It was a little bitterCommoners wouldnt know, but high quality chocolate was actually kind of bitter. Sweet chocolate tasted a bit cheaper. Oniisama would be late coming home today, so in the end I gave Otousama his share first. The tanuki took a bit and then said stuff like, Ah, Otousama has a few health checks coming up and Stop chewing already and swallow, you tanuki. This cake is filled with love from your daughter, you know. As for Oniisama I decided to cut him a smaller piece. Chapter 106 It was finally here. The day of Tomoe-senpais graduation. First I congratulated the graduating Pivoine members as a fellow member. After that I made my way towards Tomoe-senpai. Around him was a huge crowd of other graduates. It was a little nerve-wracking. Congratulations on graduating, Tomoe-senpai! Thanks, Kisshouin-san. Uu, being so close was making me teary Its going to be so lonelyy. Thanks for the chocolate the other day. Kasumi was overjoyed too. Yes! Ah, he just said Kasumi. Was that okay now?I looked at him questioningly, and he smiled and nodded. Kasumi! Kasumi looked up with a start amidst her group of friends a distance away.Seeing us, she walked over and then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and dropped her bombsh.e.l.l announcement. Everybody, were dating! As the former Student Council President and a member of the Pivoine, the news caused quite a stir. I was moved though, and began clapping pa.s.sionately. Uwaah, uwahh, this was the world of shoujo romance that I admiredd!After graduating they didnt really have much to with the Pivoine or StuCo, right! Now they could walk happily through university with their hands held, right! Influenced by my own clapping, other people began to follow. The applaud grew louder and louder.Tomoe-senpai smiled and waved, but Kasumi-sama had turned beet red. She seemed happy though. Aaahh! Kasumi-sama was crying! Oh no, now I was crying! Im so happy for you, Kasumi-sama! Youve had to hide it for so long. It must have hurt not being able to tell anyone. The two of them slipped out of the crowd of shocked onlookers and came to where I was.I gave them another clap of the hands. Thank you, Kisshouin-san. Thank you, Reika-sama. Cob-, cobgrajul-, leshonss!! Oh no, my nose was all stuffy from the crying.I pulled out a handkerchief and stealthily wiped away the mucus along with my tears. Phew, I could finally breathe again. I am so glad for you, Kasumi-sama. You can finally love each other in public. Thank you for everything, Reika-sama. I was really happy to have somebody like you to talk to. Kasumi-samaaa~! And now I was crying again. And she was too, as we held hands. Oh, no, Kasumi-sama, this handkerchief has my snot on it Kisshouin-san, Ive always thought of you as a cute little sister as well. Thanks for everything. I hope you and Kasumi will stay close even after were gone. Yes. I will always wish you two well. Tomoe-senpai rubbed me on the head. Uwaaan! Are you really okay with this good-for-nothing as a sisterrr!? Oniisama, Imari-sama, and now Tomoe-senpai. I was blessed by wonderful Oniisamas all around! After seeing them off, I realised that my tears had finally stopped. Hahhh. It was amazing how much better I felt now. But Tomoe-senpai really was amazing. Even once would do, I wanted to experience having somebody profess their love to me at graduation like that! I turned around to find Kaburagi, standing there looking sorrowful.What on earth was he doing here? Umm is something the matter? It was a completely reasonable question. Hand still on my shoulder, the sorrow on Kaburagis face deepened before he spoke. Youre amazing Eh? Amazing? At what? Youve liked him all this time, right? The Student Council President. Eh? It must have been tough being told that you were like a little sister to him Eh? Ah, well Kaburagi had a knowing look on his face as he slapped my shoulder a few times. That hurts, d.a.m.nit. And stop misunderstanding things on your own. Seriously, what the heck was this guy saying. Im in the same position as you, so I know. Being told that youre a sister by the person you love! Kaburagi gripped my shoulder as he was overcome with emotion. Oww oww owwww! But you were amazing. You even smiled as you congratulated them. You did great. This time it was my back that he was smacking. That hurts, G.o.dd.a.m.nit!! Im not a sumo wrestler so stop hitting me already! Kaburagi-sama, might you be misunderstanding something? I casually put some distance between us and escaped the reach of his hand. But this time he grabbed me by both shoulders. Dont worry. I wont tell anyone. Seeing you really encouraged me. The way you watched those two! Youre so amazing, Kisshouin! After watching you, I realised that I wanted to follow your lead and start facing forwards as well So I dont let yourself lose to a broken heart either! Grind, grind, grind. Oww, oww, owwww! He was pushing me into the ground!My shoulders and my back hurt so much that I was starting to tear up, but then Kaburagi saw and started tearing up as well. If it gets to be too much, come talk to me. We both have to try our best We can both get over this, I know it Kaburagi turned away from me to hide his tears as he wiped his face. Dont do anything rash, he said, before leaving. What the h.e.l.l was that? And what do you mean rash? Did you think I was going to go on a journey as well? Um, Im really not, okay? Toujinbou is freaking cold. But wow, did Kaburagi have some strong ideas about things. Arbitrarily getting the wrong idea about Tomoe-senpai and I, too. That was ages ago. And it was a bit troublesome how because of the little sister comment he started thinking of us as comrades or something.Sometimes I called people idiots in my head, but just now was the real deal. My shoulders still hurt The next day I went to school with some a.n.a.lgesic strips on my shoulders. When I got to school, Kaburagi silently handed me a poem anthology.Eh-, I dont want this, I thought and tried to hand it back, but he slapped me on the shoulder again so I nodded. Our feelings are in this book What do you mean our I told you to stop lumping us together. Heine was the one who said love is always a kind of madness. You spent all that time reading poems, but you didnt learn a thing, did you Kaburagi. Also, Kisshouin, take care about your crying face. You look pretty horrible. Hah? Apparently having said everything he wanted to, Kaburagi left for his own cla.s.sroom with a satisfied expression.Enjou, looking extremely pleased with himself, came over and spoke to me. Because of you, Masayas looking a lot better now. Thanks. Haaah!?Dont feel better by making out other people as heartbroken rejects! And sorry for being ugly when I cry! Instead of bringing me a poem anthology, bring me some heat strips instead! Odourless ones! Since people were watching I couldnt exactly throw it away, and so I was left bringing it back with me. Kaburagi-sama gave Reika-sama a love poem anthologyy! they squealed as I entered the cla.s.sroom. G.o.d, could this get any worse!? Giving a girl a poem anthology!? Hes so sensitive and dreamy! some other girl pitched in. You think so? Im not happy at all. The thing was an anthology of poems read over two months by some sobbing reject. Just having it in my bag felt like it was harming my love fortunes. It was like a ma.s.s of bad luck! When I got home and slammed my bag down, the head from a j.a.panese doll fell off. love is always a kind of madness Apparently the original and full quote was, Die Liebe ist immer eine Art Wahnsinn, mehr oder minder sch?n for any of you Huns out there. I dont read German unfortunately, so I cant verify that it actually was Heinrich Heine who said that. Id like to learn German one day, but the genders just make it soooo haaaard Chapter 107 On White Day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Day#Observation On the legend of Izanagi and Yomi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izanami-no-Mikoto#Death_of_Izanami-no-Mikoto Also, probably the only chapter tonight due to its length. Around the time that I took the unlucky doll out for repairs, the finals came around. A few days later when the results came out, this is was what the ranking board looked like: 1. Enjou Shuusuke 2. Takamichi Wakaba 3. Mizusaki Arima 5. Kaburagi Masaya He had been a walking corpse up until the exams happened. Why did he shoot to 5th place the moment he recovered?! I was at my best but I failed to get in again! What the heck was this!? The curse of the doll?! The girls around Enjou and Kaburagi had been celebrating Enjou getting 1st place and Kaburagi''s revival.That was all when and good until I overheard, "How cunning of her! She sneaked in between Enjou-sama and Mizusaki-kun!" How was that her fault? Meanwhile, Kaburagi was staring expressionlessly at the ranking board. I wondered if he wouldn''t take that anthology back.I had glanced through it at least, but the thing was tagged whenever there was a poem that he liked. So pushy Maybe I could sneak it into his desk. If not, then what if I burnt it instead? The anthology felt like it was filled with his bad luck The 14th of March was White Day. While I was chatting with my group over lunch as usual, my phone received a message. The moment I saw the contents I sprinted towards the school gates. My sides immediately started hurting though so I slowed down. Kasumi-sama! Tomoe-senpai! I waved at the pair standing by the gates. Its been about two weeks, hasnt it, Kisshouin-san. Gokigenyoh, Reika-sama. Yes! Gokigenyoh, Kasumi-sama, Tomoe-senpai! Tomoe-senpai in casual clothes! He looked even more mature out of his school uniform! So coool! Sorry for bothering you during your lunch. Not at all! I am overjoyed to see the two of you again! Were actually here today to give you this. Here, its your White Day present, said Tomoe-senpai. What he handed me was a bad from a shop famous for their French marshmallows! Yay! I loved these things! In my past life I had enjoyed marshmallows for sure, but the expensive French guimauve marshmallows would melt away in your mouth in an instant, leaving behind a juicy fruit flavour. Whats more, the bag I was holding was pretty heavy too. There were definitely a lot in there. It was really nice. One more thing. This is from the both of us. With that, Tomoe-senpai held out a shopping bad from a jewellers. Eh! We picked out something that we thought would look good on you, Kisshouin-san. Reika-sama, I would be happy if you liked it. May I open it and see? I asked. Tomoe-senpai and Kasumi-sama smiled in acquiescence so I didnt hold back.Inside was a beautiful flower necklace! And in the middle of it was a little aquamarine. Cute! May I truly accept something so wonderful for just a little bit of chocolate? Of course! We picked the flower because its you, Kisshouin-san. Youll look great wearing it. So Tomoe-senpais image of me was a flower!? Ah-, another phantom noosebleed Thank you very much. I will treasure it forever! Forever? Gee, Im happy to hear that. The two of us are happy that you like it, Reika-sama. As Kasumi-sama laughed gently with a hand over her mouth, I noticed a ring on it! Kasumi-sama, that ring is? Eh, ah. This is Senjus White Day present to me she said, turning bright right. Kaaah! Im so happy for you! What a happy couple! But wow, I was so satisfied just getting this necklace.Even though they were on holiday after graduating from school, they came all the way here just to give me these. I was really so happy. Apparently the two of them were headed for a date after this. Tsk, and here I still had more cla.s.ses. So lucky. Since lunch break was about to end, I reluctantly bade them goodbye. They said they would come visit even after they entered university, so I was holding them to it. Overjoyed, I practically skipped into the school building when I sensed an oddly strong gaze. With my present in hand, I looked around only to find Kaburagi standing a little distance away.He was staring riiight at me. Eh Whats with him? He was staring at me so silently that I could almost hear the silence. I stepped backwards due to the discomfort. Ummm Is something the matter? Staaaaaaaaaare What the heck? Do you want something or what? Im not a mind reader so just staring at me wont get you anywhere, okay? And its scary too. Just say what you want already. Kaburagi continued to stare in silence. I continued to slowly back away. To my misfortune, n.o.body was in front of the school building with us. Whaaaat the heeeck Hm? Paying a bit more attention, I realised that he was actually staring at the present in my hand.Could it be that he wanted to say something about me receiving this even though I was supposed to be a comrade in heartbreak? Did he think I was a traitor now? The shopping bag even had the jewellers brand on it Oh, or could it be that he wanted some reference before choosing White Day presents himself? Kaburagi-sama Today is White Day isnt it. Kaburagis eyes shot wide open.Oh no! A mine! I bed this guy didnt receive Valentines chocolate from Yurie-sama this year! If he didnt get anything, then of course there was no reason to give anything back!His gaze was condemning me for being the only one feeling good out of the two of us!Nooooo! This guy hadnt gotten better at all! His sickness was way too deep! Stop it! Dont get me sick too!Nooo! Run away! I wanted to run away! No choice!I tore open the marshmallow bag. There it was.A clear case with French marshmallows of different colours. Pink ones were raspberry, the light blue ones were lime, the orange ones were mango, the white ones peach I pulled a peach-flavoured one out of the case and then wrapped Kaburagis hand over it as he stood there frozen.Then I made a run for it! Since time immemorial, the peach plant was said to have powerful anti-evil properties. According to the Kojiki, on his escape from Yomi, Izanagi was said to have thrown peaches to scatter the oni that followed him.Which made this hallway the Yomotsuhirasaka! If I wanted to return safetly to the real world, I couldnt look back!Pa.s.s on peacefully, Kaburagi! Today was the middle school graduation ceremony, so here I was, waiting to congratulate that uncute cousin of mine. Not only did I have bouquet of lollipop lilies for her, I had even gone out of the way to prepare an Oniisama. Oniisama was really busy at work but after some begging I got him to slip away for a while. Ririna, be grateful to the compa.s.sionate Reika.I handed the bouquet to Oniisama to give. "Why don''t you just hand them over yourself?" Ririna will be happier receiving them from you, Oniisama. Ririna and her cla.s.smates began filing out of the building. The moment she spotted Oniisama she abandoned her friends and sprinted here full-speed. Taka-niisama! You came! Congratulations, Ririna. Lilies! Ririnas flowers! Thank you, Taka-niisama! Ririna beamed blissfully as she received the bouquet from him. I supposed she could borrow him for today.Instead, I began handing out smaller bouquets to her friends as I congratulated them. Thank goodness I prepared extras. Thank you, Reika-senpai! To think Reika-senpai gave me flowers! Thank you very much, Reika-senpai. Similar things could be heard from the rest of my little kouhai. Not Reika-sama, Reika-senpai. Of course I was the one who asked them to call me that, but still, uhuhuhu, it had such a ring to it. Was this how it felt to be respected and idolised? Thank you all so much for staying friends with that wilful girl. It must have been trouble. Ririna can be such a child. Hey! she b.u.t.t in, What the heck are you saying!? Ahh, stop being so louuud. Goodness, Ririna. So rowdy even at your graduation. Whose fault is that!? Hahh. So noisy. This is why I called you a child. What did you say!? Get along, you two. Its graduation day. But Taka-niisama! she whined as she pulled on Oniisamas cuff. What are you even here for, Reika-san? You havent congratulated me once. My, I must have forgotten. Congratulations, Ririna. Say that earlier. Sooo not cute. Oniisama glanced at his watch. He came here while busy so I guess time was up. Sorry, Ririna. Ive got to get back to work. Ehh~ I greeted Ojisama and Obasama earlier, so Im going to head off now. Give them my regards. Fiiine. Its a shame but work is work. Thank you for coming today, Taka-niisama. Yeah. Congratulations. I think I shall leave as well, I chimed in. Congratulations once again, everybody. Please excuse me. Gokigenyoh. I waved to everyone and was about to leave when Ririna called out to me. Reika-san. She was standing with her face buried in the flowers. Thank you for the flowers Hmph. You are 10 years too early for madonna lilies, you brazen girl. Lollipop lilies are more like it. Shut up! Tired of dealing with my uncute younger cousin, I hurried to Oniisamas side. Really, what on earth are you two doing? Goodness, Oniisama. Do try to avoid lumping us together. Aaah, dealing with children had made me hungry. Since Oniisama was heading back to the company I thought about getting something to eat instead. Eating at home was fine, but eating out was an option too. I was feeling like Nagasaki champon. Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is then added. Ramen noodles made especially for champon are added and then boiled. That was when a lone boy appeared. Oi! It was the bird-brained Katsuragi boy. Long time no see, Katsuragi-kun. How are you feeling? You! I figured out your trick! It was a lie! Trick? What was he on about? A lie? That pa.s.sword! Dont think I didnt solve it right away! And no bloodied soldiers ever came, either! Aah! That! Wow, considering his tone just now he must have really agonised over it. And obviously no ghost soldiers ever came. Huh? Could it be that he didnt solve it that night and was actually frightened that they would come for him? Sounds like you got lucky. Anyhow, were leaving now, so bye. Is that all you have to say!? Goodness, did you want to hear another story? Katsuragi turned around and prepared to run, so I used the chance to urge Oniisama towards the parking lot.Birdbrain was still cawing behind us. Gosh, life was peaceful~ Spring was around the corner too~ Is it alright to leave him, Reika? Oh yes. For some reason I seem to be surrounded by buffoons Im pretty sure thats because Oniisama gave me a complicated smile, and rubbed me on the head. ** I hoped spring break would come soon~ Chapter 108 Woke up early this morning to do this before work. Read this short story: Skim these short articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koban_(coin) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanasaka_Jiisan Mmhuhuhuhuhu! I looked at all the zeroes in my bank book. There was now enough to put me through four years of private university. If somehow I failed to make it into a public one, I could still get an education. Hmmm But expenses besides the tuition were still a worry. Would I be able to earn enough if I worked a part-time job while attending? If it was just myself it might not be too bad but paying for my familys food would be tough. That tanukis in particular.Maybe Id really have to study harder to earn a scholarship. I wonder if there isnt some get rich scheme out there somewhere Maybe finding buried treasure or something.I had a look around my house and our villa before but nothing ever came up. I had hoped to find at least one koban.Hahhh Get rich quick Easy money What wonderful words. To be honest I was more the type who preferred to wait around for good fortune.Huh. Wasnt there a story about a dog finding treasure? Maybe I could take Beatrice with me into the mountains to look for some. c.o.c.ker spaniels were originally hunting dogs, werent they? Maybe Id try Mount Akagi first? This is just for you, Kisshouin-san. Umewaka-kun the dog lover gave me some sweets for White Day along with a self-made postcard of Bea-tan. Thanks for the chocolates. They were really yummy! said the message from Bea-tan. Moriyama-sans reaction to the words just for you was a little scary. You can have it if you want. The postcard. It seems that Dog Lover-kun was working to support Beatrice. And apparently that was where he had made the money for his White Day presents to Beatrice. Clothing and a hair accessory.To begin with, giving a White Day present meant that he got Valentines chocolate from Bea-tan, right? I joked as much to him, only to be told, Of course! Our love is mutual! with a smile. I see~Sorry to Moriyama-san but it might have been better to give up on this guy Apparently he already had a girlfriend. I wonder if a dog spoilt so rotten would still have their instincts. Some of the photos Id seen hav featured Bea-tan frolicking in the waves at the beach but Id never seen her muddy on a mountain. Maybe my dream of having buried coins dug up left and right would be a bit much for this sheltered girl.Aahh I suppose if I had time to daydream I might as well spend it thinking about ideas I could actually implement. A life of living on royalties My life of living on unearned incomeI headed to my grab my notepad from my desk. Maybe Id consider household goods first. I met up with Sakura-chan during the spring break. It was getting warmer these days. I ordered a hot chocolate, thinking it might be my last for a while. Hot chocolate was delicious. My. Thats cute necklace, Reika. Uhuhu, isnt it? I got this from Tomoe-senpai and Kasumi-sama for White Day. I held it up proudly so that she could see it better. By Tomoe-senpai, you mean that boy you used to like? Did you still like him? No, no, I just think hes really cool. Plus, Tomoe-senpai already has Kasumi-sama. I told her about what happened at graduation. Sakura-chan seemed to find it really dreamy too. I wonder if Tak.u.mi wouldnt come for my graduation. Maybe he could make a dramatic statement at Yurinomiya. Nah, something like that might be a bit much for him. Hey, are you making fun of Tak.u.mi? Thats not what I meant. Some people are just suited to different things. Speaking of which, her unrequited love had actually been going for a long time. It sounded fine put like that, but if you thought about it maybe this kind of stubborn love made her similar to Kaburagi. Since they were the same sort, maybe Kaburagi should have asked Sakura-chan for advice?Oh, I know. Maybe Id give her that anthology. I didnt have it with me today so maybe Id mail it to her house later. Thats some expression youre wearing. What are you scheming, Reika? Eh-, youre imagining thingsss~ I dont know what youre thinking but if you do something stupid I wont forgive you. Okay Tsk. Speaking of which, on White Day Maihama Ema was kicking up a fuss about how she was going to get something from your Emperor. Ehh! Kaburagi-sama gave her a White Day present? Maihama-san? Kaburagi got a mountain of chocolate each year but Id never heard of him giving anything back. Except to Yurie-sama of course.Was he really treating Maihama-san as special? It was hard to imagine from his behaviour on Valentines though. Then the next day she started avoiding the topic. She wouldnt tell us what she received, so it was probably a lie. She probably needed to show off to girls who actually got something from someone. There are actually a lot of girls there who believe that shes close with the Emperor, but whats the truth like? Who knows? Im not all that close with Kaburagi-sama myself so I couldnt say. I was surprised that she came all the way to Suiran to give him Valentines chocolate though. Ahh, she did say announce something about giving him chocolate and then spending time with him. Tak.u.mi said it almost caused a riot. Maihama Ema has always been acting like Emperors girlfriend but its gotten even worse this year. As Emperors girlfriend shes even been complaining to girls who gossip about how great he is. Uwahh Maihama-san was even more embarra.s.sing than expected. Even Kisshouin Reika in the manga hadnt spread terrifying lies about being his girlfriend.Oh, I know. What if I gave the anthology to her? Shed treasure it if she knew it was Kaburagis beloved book. Since she wasnt given anything on White Day, it could be a consolation prize from me. Now then, how would I send it over? Since there was homework for the break I had Marin-sensei help. I had things to learn during the spring break too so it felt like I would be spending the whole time studying. Some of my friends were going out to have fun though Maybe Id get in touch with Aoi-chan?While I was in my room, seeing how long I could keep a pencil on my lip for, my mother came smiling with an invitation in hand. It was an invitation to a sakura-viewing party hosted by the Kaburagi family.Most of the invitees to this party were adults so each year I had gotten out of going with my parents. This time it had specifically mentioned Reika-san though, so it would be hard to get out of.Ugehh~ I really didnt wanna go. Obviously I didnt want anything to do with them, and I didnt even like viewing cherry blossoms at night. I mean, sure, sakura were pretty in the daytime, but at night they became a little scary.Didnt people used to say that there were corpses buried underneath them? Okaasama was already talking about picking out a furisode for me. A girl in a furisode, at night, with a cherry blossom tree. It was already starting to sound like some horror storyWhile I was thinking about how to get out of it, I decided to fall ill.First I tried a cold bath. It was so cold that I couldnt stay in for more than a minute. I thought my heart was going to stop. My lips were all purple and I couldnt stop the chattering. Cold! Dying! But maybe Id catch a cold and get out of it all! I could already see a fever tomorrow.Cold, cold, so d.a.m.ned cold. I got into bed shivering but when I woke up there wasnt even a sneeze.I checked myself for any signs of illness, but I still had my appet.i.te and health.My body was surprisingly tough. d.a.m.n it Okay then. Maybe Id try eating something rotten next Chapter 109 I bought a handmade bentou from a bentou store. It then sat around for two days in the warmth of my room.I took the lid off and looked at the contents. The carrot was a bit sticky. This might really work.Saying my prayers, I plopped it into my mouth and chewed. Urgh. The texture was horrible so I skipped the chewing and just swallowed. Why had things come to this It was disgusting. So disgusting that I wanted to hurl. Was it really necessary to go this far?Despite my misgivings I continued to eat the spoilt vegetables. The mixed fried rice was weirdly sticky too. This was actually so dreadful. Even the smell was off already.But a real woman was fearless! I stuffed my cheeks with the rice! !!!!! It was like the cells in my body were rejecting it! Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Everyone, positions!A chemical stench and bitterness filled my mouth. I quickly spit it out but my gag reflex had already been flipped.Even compared to the boiled vegetables, the destructive power of this fried rice was something else. It was on the level of biological hazards. The inside of my mouth was still a mess. It was so bitter that I cried. And then another wave of nausea hit me.I ran to the bathroom and threw up. There was red mixed in it. Blood! I threw up blood! Threw up blood! I was going to die!Lord, Lord in Heaven, Im sorry. I wont do anything stupid like eating rotten food again. I swear Ill obediently go to the flower viewing, so please save me. Save me from this nausea. Saaave meeeHow did it turn into something like this. It was the first time in my life that I had ever thrown up blood. What if I really died!I had another look through my teary gaze and I shivered.It was some capsic.u.m I threw up again.Thank goodness it hadnt been blood My stomach still felt like c.r.a.p though.I tottered out of the bathroom, and the maid looked at me in worry. Some stomach medicine and a hot bath please Since the rotten food was still sitting in my room I asked to make sure n.o.body went inside. No matter how bad I felt, I had to dispose of that myself.After taking the medicine I retreated to my room and hid the bentou in a garbage bag. Tomorrow I would secretly throw it away. I spared one more glance at the fried rice and nodded grimly. Spoilt meat was not something to take lightly I was ill for a while. My family called over our doctor but I obviously couldnt tell him the truth. I have been feeling unwell recently. In the end I was ill. He diagnosed me with a possible stomach flu. Nope, I just deliberately gave myself stomach poisoning. Thanks to the medicine and some good sleep, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling a little better. I was still a little dizzy, so maybe some food would help.I left my room for the kitchen when Oniisama came out of his room. Whats wrong, Reika? How are you feeling? Oniisama? I am fine now. I thought it would be better to have something to eat, so I was on my way to the kitchen. Food? Do we have anything for the ill? If there is not then I will just make some myself. Ill make the food. I wanted to refuse since I didnt want to bother him this late at night, but Oniisama insisted. Youre sick, he said. Oniisama was so kind. Sorry for being an idiot sister who ate rotten food on purpose. I did as he said and went back to bed to wait for him.I wonder what he was making. What be brought me was simple congee. There was dried plum in it.I took a bite. Yummy! This perfect level of saltiness! Aahh, the gentle sustenance spread inside me I thought about putting spring onion in, but until youre a little better I think just salt and dried plum is better. It is delicious, Oniisama. Id never even seen him cook but of course he was good at this too. Better than me, I think. I decided to try and make my own tomorrow. Was it good enough to just boil rice in some water? After that you just added salt, right? Everyones worried about you, Reika. Im glad youre feeling better. Yes. I was reflecting on it I was still hungry though so I went for seconds. It was just salted congee so why was it so good.In the end I finished all of it. It really was delicious.Oniisama took care of the dishes. I felt bad about it but went back to sleep.Aahh, so satisfied. Id hoped I could skip the flower viewing party but they found out that I was healthy again. And I suppose I had sworn to G.o.d. Whatever. At least I didnt have to wear the furisode, having just been ill and all. Instead, I was going with a ribboned flared dress in champagne gold.Okaasama had preferred a dress in sakura pink, but I could already imagine hordes of people in that colour. I did at least paint my nails that colour, and I had a hair ornament with a sakura-motif too. The flower viewing party was being hosted at the same hotel where I had the fasting course. It really did have a wonderful garden.Since Oniisama was busy he wasnt coming today. How nice. If only I had a job. The hall where the lighting complemented the sakura the best had been chosen to host the event. Specifically, there was a venerable weeping sakura tree of over fifty years old. It was so venerable that it frightened me. Weeping Cherry Blossom Besides that there were a few standard yoshino cherry blossoms in full-bloom too. Gorgeous as youd expect from a Kaburagi flower viewing party. People were sipping wine and the like, while taking in the view. Some were drinking amazake too. I liked that stuff.I was still a minor though, so I helped myself to a non-alcoholic c.o.c.ktail. It was bubbly and pink, and there was a sakura petal in it. Pretty.I gave it a sip, but the taste was hard to describe.There were a lot of odd products that came from using flowers in food. Rose jam. Lavender ice cream. Actually, my first time having rose jam gave me quite a shock. I had tried it out because I thought it fit me as a Rococo, but it had quite the punch to it. The candied violets I had tried were the same.I think maybe using flowers in food was less for the taste and more for the pretension. Anyhow, I was wearing my well-practised smile as I greeted the other guests with my parents while I looked for anybody I knew. I hoped Sarara-sama would be here today~A lot of younger guests had gathered around Kaburagi and Enjou. Some were even Pivoine members.I told my parents I was going to look at the flowers and excused myself. I guess I wasnt all better if a crowd was making me this dizzy. I looked around for somewhere to rest and found a seat where the sakura were still visible. With a new drink in hand, I took a seat. Somehow I wasnt feeling very hungry. Maybe I was nervous. My stomach felt weird. Why, if it isnt Reika-san. Standing in front of me was Maihama-san in a sakura-pink dress. Heh. Simpleton. This place was filled with people wearing the same thing. Gokigenyoh, Maihama-san. You look awfully lonely sitting over here by yourself, Reika-san, she smiled. She didnt seem at all concerned for me. Geez, this girl was awfully intent on seeing me as a rival~ I was simply resting. Hmmmm~ Her expression was nasty. She was probably plotting something. Now what was I going to do about it?With good timing, Kaburagi had broken out of his ring of followers and was headed our way. Look, Maihama-san. Kaburagi-sama is coming. Eh!? Goodness, Masaya-sama! She rushed over towards him. He glanced at her once before he grunted in an incredible show of dismissal.Oho? Masaya-sama, thank you very much for inviting me today. Im so happy that you called me here! Thank my parents. Im not the one who invited you. Despite his curtness, Maihama-san didnt seem discouraged at all. Instead she grasped his arm. Masaya-sama, I hope youll invite me to your home again. Your Okaasama said I was always welcomed. If you wanna meet my mother then go ahead. Its none of my business, he said, slipping out of her hold. Maihama-san tried reaching for him again. Wow You came too, Kisshouin? he asked after discovering me behind Maihama-san. It would have been fine if he hadnt I suppose I had to at least greet him though. I stood up with some effort. Thank you very much for inviting me this evening. Yeah. Maihama-san seemed sullen that he spoke to me. Masaya-sama, even though you went out of your way to invite her, Reika-san doesnt seem to be having much fun, does she. An eyebrow rose on Kaburagis face. Maihama-san seemed to take this as a sign of victory because she shot me a smug smirk. Your evil small fry is showing.Not that I had any interest in competing for Kaburagis affections, but if rumours spread about me backing down, my reputation was going to drop. Ah well. Speaking of which, Maihama-san, I heard that you received a wonderful present for White Day. Eh- she flinched. So Sakura-chan was right. The mystery man is all anybody is talking about at Yurinomiya. How nice. Just who was it? Please do tell. Thats Her eyes swam. What are you going to do? I still have one other tidbit. Shall I share it with Kaburagi here?While the two of us negotiated with our eyes, Kaburagi suddenly spoke up. Speaking of White Day, that marshmallow was good stuff. I suppose those were time-limited, huh. Huh? Marshmallow? asked Maihama-san. Geh. Why did he have to speak up now? Her gaze turned suspicious. Masaya-sama, what do you mean by marshmallow? His mouth opened and said something else unnecessary. I got a peach-flavoured marshmallow from Kisshouin on White Day. From Reika-san!? she exclaimed as her head snapped my way. She was really glaring now. Almost like she was accusing me of stealing a march on her. That had just been for exorcism though. Masaya-sama didnt give you a White Day present so you give him a marshmallow yourself? That sounds like a pushy hint to me. Guess she really didnt get anything from him. Hint? To begin with I never gave him any chocolat. The marshmallow was just sharing a treat. Youre lying! What do you mean you never gave him chocolate! It is the truth. Is that not so, Kaburagi-sama? I urged him. I dont remember who I get chocolat from, he said, off-handedly hurting her deeper. But since I gave you that poem anthology I guess the marshmallow counts as your thanks. And so he casually dropped a bombsh.e.l.l. Poem anthology!? The jealousy and shock were mixing into something incredible on her face. Cmon, stop glaring.Spotting Enjou again in the crowd, Kaburagi said Cya and left us behind. The atmosphere was tense and dangerous. Mostly from her side. Explain. Explain what? Explain what Masaya-sama meant by giving you a poem anthology! Who knows. Perhaps he did it on a whim. Her glare was getting more and more intense. If you want to know so badly, how about transferring to Suiran? Well, supposing you pa.s.sed our exams of course. What was that? I noticed Sarara in the distance. My! I seem to have found my friend, so please do excuse me. Oh, and the rumours in Yurinomiya are terribly interesting. a.s.suming that they are true of course. ! And so I left her behind and began walking towards Sarara-sama.I had my folding fan in my bag but I was hardly going to use it on small fry.Oh, but d.a.m.n. If she wanted the anthology that badly then I should have brought it with me to give to her. Thanks to my food poisoning I had forgotten all about it. I stopped and walked back to Maihama-san. If you want it that badly, shall I gift it to you? The poem anthology from Kaburagi-sama. Her face flushed deep red. Goodness, high blood pressure at this age? You should take more care of yourself. I dont need it! Maihama-san gave me one last glared before storming off. Really, these people who cant accept others good will. Hohoho. Incidentally this is what I translated this whole chapter to. Chapter 110 Sarara-sama was chatting with Kaburagi-papa. Ill bet it was some crazy hardcore book discussion. Would I be bothering them?As I hesitated, Chairman Kaburagi noticed me first. Good evening, Reika-san. My wife and her friends were looking forward to seeing you, you know? Good evening. Thank you for giving me the chance to see such beautiful cherry blossoms. The beauty of the weeping sakura was incredible. It honours us that you enjoyed it. His smile was as dignified and dreamy as always. How nice. If I had a man like this as my dad Id show him off everywhere. Sarara-sama, gokigenyoh. Gokigenyoh, Reika-sama. Sarara-sama also welcomed me with a smile. I was still worried about disturbing them though. She seemed to be having so much fun. Am I perhaps interrupting? Please pay me no heed and continue talking. Not at all, Reika-san. I was just telling her about how I found a rare book in Germany the other day. Germany!? Dont tell me it was Kaburagi-papa who suggested Heine to him!? Might it have been a Heine? No? It wasnt. Are you partial to Heine, Reika-san? No, I immediately replied. I wonder if he wouldnt take responsibility as a father and take his sons love poem anthology back. It looks like Takateru-kun isnt attending today. Yes. My brother was simply too busy at work, unfortunately. We are terribly sorry. Dont worry about it. Words of how impressive he is at work reached me too. Anyhow, just having you here is enough, Reika-san. Hauu, what a dazzling smile. Chairman Kaburagi and your older brother have been hiding you away like a treasure, so I dont often get a chance you meet you. Goodness. I hear you really get along with your Otousama. The other day you knitted a lap blanket for your beloved Otousama, right? Well, hohoho. I never said beloved anything, Tanuki! It looks like you havent learnt your lesson if youre still going around exaggerating things. Youll learn when I get home, just you wait. I heard that when you were little you said youd marry him when you got older. Ahh, how envious. Haah!? Not only was he unsatisfied with exaggerating things, this time he was even telling full-blown lies!?Oniisama might be a different story, but not once had I ever said I wanted to marry Otousama! Its lies and slander!Was it that? Was Otousama going senile!? Reika-san, said Sarara-sama, You were a fathercon? Nooooooooooooo!! This is some incredible misunderstanding, Sarara-sama. I have no recollection of saying such a thing. Even after I tried my best to deny it, Kaburagi-papa simply nodded magnanimously. Ahh, p.u.b.erty, of course. I suppose I must apologise. But you should know that your Otousama understands how you feel. Ahh, how nice. I wish I had a daughter that loved me that much. But youre wrong! Im offended that you think my ideal husband would be that chubby tanuki!I mean, if my dad had been somebody like Kaburagi-papa then maybe I would have said that. But unfortunately my father was just a big-bellied tanuki. You know, Chairman Kisshouin sometimes complains about how closely you stick to him, but everyone can tell hes happy about it. That lyingg tanukiii!! I searched the venue for the tanuki. Lying tanuki get to be made into tanuki stew!! It felt like I would just take more damage by staying there so I excused myself.I had to do something about this reputation as a fathercon My pride depended on this. I spent the next while wandering the venue as I gazed at the cherry blossoms.There was food all around that seemed delicious enough, but I still didnt have the appet.i.te.I had technically eaten the Swiss roll Oniisama gave me as a get-well gift, but I guess my stomach wasnt up to full speed. Drinking so much was going to mean a lot of trips to the bathroom. And I was cold too. Maybe a warm drink would help. They had probably run out of hot chocolate, so I tentatively decided on milk tea. Oh! They had jasmine milk tea. Finding myself a seat, I was enjoying my milk tea when some guy stopped next to me. Good evening, Reika-san. Good evening. Who was this again? Oh c.r.a.p, I couldnt remember. He was about Oniisamas age? And cool-looking in a j.a.panese kind of way. Slender, light-skinned, almond-shaped eyes, hobby is probably traditional j.a.panese flute? You know the type. He looked really good in his kimono.He seemed kind though Seriously though, who was this!? Im Ichinokura Haruto. I think this is our first time speaking. I hope well get along. My! It is a pleasure to meet you. Kisshouin Reika, at your service. What the heck. So this is the first time weve met? Thank goodness. I was so worried about how to fake remembering him. May I sit down? Why yes, go ahead. So Inokura-san sat down next to me. He had champagne with him. Definitely over 20 then. Ive actually come here to thank you, Reika-san. Thank me? Huh. Didnt he just say this was our first meeting? My niece was in your care, actually. Sawarabi Mao, from Suirans primary school section. Aah! Mao-chan! Sawarabi Mao-chan was the little girl I met at the Pivoine Summer Party. The one who rang the bell with the boy. When I went to give her the photos she was so happy, and she called me Reika-oneesama and everything. That girl was just so cute! You know, Mao was telling everybody about how the wonderful Reika-oneesama was really good to her, and even told me the story a few times. You encouraged them while they were hesitating to ring the bell, right? Thank you for that. That girl was so happy that she hung up the photo you took in her room and wont stop showing it off to people. I see. I did very little but if Mao-chan was so happy about it then I am happy too. And truth be told, I was overjoyed to be called Reika-oneesama. Especially by somebody as cute as your niece. Thank you. It was my first time having a niece so I might have spoilt her a bit. Before I knew it I was buying her everything she wanted. Inokura-sans smile was extremely gentle whenever he spoke of his niece.Maybe because of all the distinctive people around me, somebody tranquil like Inokura-san was really soothing to be around. The two of us continued to chat about Mao-chan and life at Suiran. Inokura-san went to a famous boys school instead of Suiran so he was interested in hearing my opinions on Mao-chans school. By the way, Reika-san, have you eaten at all? You havent been doing anything except drinking. Should I get you some food? Mmmm I dont think it would fit. No, but thank you kindly. Really? Have you already eaten then? No. I suppose I have not eaten since coming here. Inokura-san looked at me in shock. Apparently it was past 8 already. Did you have dinner before coming here? Well no. Reika-san, he started seriously, Reika-san, are you really eating properly? You shouldnt skip your meals. You look like youre about to snap. Eh!? About to snap? Eh!? Me!? About to snap!? Youre about to snap is one of the top ten things a girl wants to be told once in her life! (Source: The Reika Rankings) You look like youre about to snap You look like youre about to snap You look like youre about to snap Aahh Inokura-sans words were echoing endlessly in my head. About to snap? I a.s.sure you that I am fine. I most a.s.suredly enjoy all three meals a day, you know? Really? Youre not lying? he shot a half-suspicious look at me before offering again. What if I got you some fruit? Should I bring some? No, I really am fine. I do not each much Yeah, I can tell. But you really do need to eat properly, okay? Yes. Thank you for your concern. Inokura-san gave a troubled smile. Youre really dainty, Reika-san, so I cant help but worry. Eh-!? Dainty!! Youre so dainty is one of the top five things a girl wants to be told once in her life! (Source: The Reika Rankings) Youre really dainty, Reika-san Youre really dainty, Reika-san Youre really dainty, Reika-san Aaah, I must be dreaming Im so glad I came today! I was so happy that it felt like Id grow wings and fly! Just snap and dainty were enough fuel to send me into the stratosphere! And also Inokura-san had treated me from beginning to end like some fragile and delicate princess. Are you cold? hed ask. Are you tired? hed ask.Thinking about it, he might have been the first person to ever treat me this way. Guhuhu, Im so happy.Oh no, I think I might really fall for him Kisshouin Reika, 16 years of age. May have found a new love. Celebrate with me! Chapter 111 Starting today I would be a 2nd year in Suirans high school section. I wished for this every year, but I hoped I would end up with some girls I was close with~ I dont want to be aloneAnd also, I hoped that all the troublesome people would end up in another cla.s.s. I stepped outside only to be buffeted by heavy winds. Maybe because it was spring. Since I was dainty and so delicate I looked like I was going to snap, maybe I would even be blown away by the wind~It was going to mess up my hair though so I hurried into the car. I pulled out a mirror to check myself. I couldnt give a bad impression to my new cla.s.s, after all! I smiled into the mirror. My dimple was perfectly visible. Okay! When I arrived there were already plenty of students crowded around the noticeboard. Some students were overjoyed, some were being consoled, the responses were all over the place.I didnt have any guys I liked so most important to me was ending up with friends. I was the Chief of the Forever Alone village, but that was forever romantically alone. I fully intended to be surrounded by friends.First I checked the list of girls in the same cla.s.s as me. Shirasagi Rune from my group was there! h.e.l.l yess!Rune-chan was one of the girls who I went to Karuizawa with, and was one of my closer friends in the group. Thank goodness. At the very least I managed to avoid a bitter year of isolation. Besides Rune-chan were a few other girls from my clique as well. Phew. As for the boys Oh, Cla.s.s Reps name was there. Oohh, Cla.s.s Rep! My first cla.s.s with Cla.s.s Rep in quite a while! One of my few male friends. This was a happy occurrence indeed.Aside from him, the other boys were relatively harmless. All of the troublesome ones were in a different cla.s.s. h.e.l.l yesss! I really was lucky this year. I had a bit of bad luck after receiving a cursed item but it looks like my fortunes were picking up again. The anthology in question had already been plastered with an anti-evil seal, wrapped in a cloth, and then sealed away in the same storage room as the dolls. Fight fire with fire and all that. Of course, if anybody ever wanted the anthology they were free to take it.I looked at the other cla.s.s lists and realised that of all things, Enjou and Wakaba-chan would be together. Worse yet, the 2nd-in-command of Tsuruhanas group was in that same cla.s.s. This was bad I decided to stay away. Reika-sama! Were in the same cla.s.s! said Rune-chan as she ran to me with a smile. We were overjoyed to be with each other. Some of the other girls came over and we chatted about the cla.s.s allocations. I had great friends with me and no troublemakers. This was going to be a peaceful year. Cla.s.s Rep ended up as cla.s.s rep again like natural. Since Nonose-san was in our cla.s.s I had hoped that I would get out of it, but both my home room teacher and Cla.s.s Rep had insisted on me. As for Nonose-san herself I think youre the best suited, Reika-sama. And thats how I ended up as the Vice Cla.s.s Representative again. Honestly I had already half given in by now. It could be worse, I suppose. I had Cla.s.s Rep as my partner, and there werent any real troublemakers. Lets have another good year together, Kisshouin-san, smiled Cla.s.s Rep. Oh yes, I hope so too. Then, secretly, And Id like some advice with romance, he said. Advice on romance Thinking about it, he had quite a long history with unrequited love as well, didnt he. Alright, leave it to me. I was going to make him a fine villager! First Id have time read that anthology, maybe. Kisshouin-kun. Huh? Kisshouin-kun?Who was it? Who was it that added -kun to my name? It was Dite. Kisshouin-kun, may I ask you a question? Dite-kun, or Afrodite, was sporting his namesake as always. Maybe it was the hair but wow, did his face look big up close. And apparently people who were individualistic in their appearances also did the same with their speech. We were in the same cla.s.s this year. I had ignored him though since I judged him harmless. Will the cla.s.s be performing at this years cla.s.s trip? Performing? I cannot say. I have not heard anything of the like. I see. But when you require the services of my violin, you need only but speak. No need for hesitation. Even if the other students cannot reach my level of violin skills, I have no qualms with performing by myself. This is my opinion. What say you, Kisshouin-kun! Eh, huh? In other words, Afrodite wanted to perform in front of us so badly that he came and asked about the excursion? Well, I suppose I can not see the harm in it? Not that I even knew if there was going to be cla.s.s performances in our itinerary last year. I thought as much! Truly, you were as reasonable a woman as I had judged! Kisshouin-kun, I antic.i.p.ate a good year with you! Let us get along. Satisfied, Dite-kun nodded and headed back to his seat, the Afro swaying in the air as he left. He was kind of incredible muttered Cla.s.s Rep. Dite-kun just completely ignored you. Is that okay? There are a lot of eccentric artists he continued, Last year he wouldnt stop playing the violin on the bus, so n.o.body got any sleep. Speaking of which, I remember hearing that from a girl in his cla.s.s. I retract my statement. We had the one troublemaker. After school I headed to the Pivoine salon. Todays sweets were apple pies. I loved these.The pie crust was crunchy, but the apple inside was soft and delicious.It was so delicious, in fact, that I finished the whole thing in no time. I was still craving it While I fought an internal war against my appet.i.te, somebody told me that somebody had come to visit me.It turns out it was Mao-chan from the primary school.It was unusual for her to come all the way here from the Pet.i.t Pivoine. Everyone here was older than her, which seemed to make her a little nervous. Is something the matter, Mao-chan? Come and sit down. Yes. I led Mao-chan over to the sofa I had been sitting on. What will you be having? Ah! Todays food is apple pie. You must try some. Eh, but I guess it was nerve wracking to be the only one eating. Geez. I shall have some as well. This way there should be no problems, correct? Yes! Thank you very much, Reika-oneesama. You are very welcome. The staff brought down apple pies in front of us so the two of us ate happily. It overjoys me that you come to visit, Mao-chan. Was there something you needed me for? Ah, yes! Umm, I was having a birthday party on this day. I was hoping that you might want to come If you cant, then I understand. A birthday party? Yes. Haruto-niisama said he would be going as well, and I was hoping you would as well. I see A birthday party, huh I hadnt actually checked my schedule yet, but Mao-chan of all people was inviting me. I could at least show up for a little. I understand. I shall check my plans and let you know. Mao-chan smiled happily. So cuute. A present for a young girl What should I get? I want to choose something that would build on my image as a wonderful oneesama. The two of us continued to chat harmoniously as we ate out delicious apple pies. Kept you waiting, huh?~ Punished Sneika, 3:46AM Chapter 112 Ririna was a high schooler now. Despite my apprehensions, she didnt go on a rampage like three years ago, and she didnt have problems making friends either. To my surprise she was actually doing pretty well for herself. She had rounded up the External Students and was ruling over her own clique now. And since she wasnt just some External but my younger cousin, apparently even the Pivoine members in her grade couldnt make a move against her. Using my name like that while I had no idea. What a terrifying girl. I had asked her friends before to tell me if she ever went crazy again, but things seemed to be fine for the moment. Although, I did receive one report before that she had b.u.t.ted heads with some undercla.s.sman. Despite my worries though, it turned out just to be Bird-Brained Katsuragi so I ignored it.Later, Ririna came up to me breathing excitedly. I wasted that idiot! she boasted, like some kind of thug. Kind as I was, I decided not to mention birds of a feather. Anyhow, I hoped she wouldnt do anything to harm my reputation here. In primary and middle school, the girls of my grade had only two major cliques; mine and Tsuruhana-sans. Ever since we entered high school though, all of the new Externals were leading to a new, third faction being born. It wasnt something you could afford to ignore. Also Fellow Stalking horse was getting more and more popular amongst the girls. Even though we were both stalking horses, how come the guys were all avoiding me!? Wasnt this unfair? I want to be popular too! Thats what I had concluded, when a few days later I saw Ririna in the cafeteria surrounded by boys, giving me such a shock that I couldnt stop trembling. What was it just me Wondering if there wasnt at least one boy interested in me, my eyes darted around the crowd but every single boy I met eyes with looked away in fear. Oh no What if I was the Village Chief forever I had a ray of hope though. Mao-chans party was coming up.After she invited me I checked my schedule, only to find out I was free indeed. When I told her she was so happy she started clapping. How much cuter could she get! And what was even better was that Ichinokura-san would be coming too. Ichinokura-san who had treated me delicately like I was a princess. A ray of light to sooth the discomfort of my heart! It was making weird noises, actually. Was it because I hadnt used it for a while? Maybe it was too old? Anyhow, I was exercising while watching informercials. Oohh Some of these looked interestingBefore I knew it, I was off the stepper and on the phone, ready to order. Today was Mao-chans birthday party so the moment my cla.s.ses were finished I rushed to her house.The party had already begun at the Sawarabi household, and Mao-chan was surrounded by cla.s.smates. Reika-oneesama! You came! Happy Birthday, Mao-chan, I said as I held out my present. It was pretty hard finding something for a little girl, but after a lot of searching I decided on a finely ornamented music box that looked like some sort of antique. When you opened it up, a little prince and princess pair danced to Someday My Prince Will Come. I had been really worried about whether shed like it, but when she opened it up her eyes sparkled. Hahh, thank goodness. Isnt that great, Mao-chan? Yeah! Sitting next to Mao-chan was Yuuri-kun, the boy who rang the bell with her during the summer party.It seems like Mao-chan didnt need to wait for someday since her prince was sitting beside her. Kuh-, so I lost here too Where was my prince candidate? I looked around but unfortunately he still hadnt come due to work reasons. I had so carefully done my hair too Anyhow, apparently they had already done the cake cutting, because a waiter brought me a slice. I thanked him and then took a bit. It was delicious. Shockingly, Mao-chans mother had made not only this cake, but the rest of the food too. Normally people in the upper cla.s.s left the cooking to full-time chefs or maids, or so I had thought. I tried some of the other food next. All of it was just delicious. Not only did it taste like a professionals, but somehow it had that tough of a mothers home cooking, which just made it all the better. The Sarawabi family was powerful enough to get Mao-chan into the Pivoine. There was no way that Mrs. Sarawabi couldnt hire somebody else to do this. But her cooking skills were amazing regardless! I was shooting the food a look of respect when Mao-chans mum, Inokura-sans older sister, smiled at me and said, Cooking is my hobby. Her hobby, huh. How niice. I wasnt very good at it. Well, not that I was terrible either. In the future, if the Kisshouin family ever collapsed, the ch.o.r.es would probably all fall to me. I doubted Okaasama could cook. Id never even seen her stand in the kitchen before. In that case, I had no choice but to do my best. I wish Mao-chans mum would take me as a student. My first act as a prospective disciple was to sample all of the masters cooking. At first the primary schoolers had kept their distance because they didnt know me, but after seeing me happily chatting and eating with Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun they gradually warmed up to me. They started calling me Oneesama too. They were all so cute! They all listened enthusiastically as I told them stories of my time in primary school. When I told them about how you could become a hero by winning Suirans cavalry battles, with glittering eyes one boy said, My Oniichan said the same thing! Theres a legendary man called the Emperor! Both me and Oniichan are aiming to be just like him! Uwa The children brought food to me, telling me how this or that was delicious, so I thanked them and tried it all. The spinach quiche was yummy. So was the meat pie. Mmm, and the seafood paella. Mao-chan and all the other cute little kids kept bringing my yummy dishes. Aahh~ Im so glad I camee~ I was chewing on some bruschetta when Ichinokura-san came here from work. Haruto-niisama! Youre laate! complained Mao-chan, but she hugged him all the same. Sorry, sorry, he apologised, handing her his gift. Haruto-niisama! she said as she held the gift. Reika-oneesama came too! Reika-san? He discovered me surrounded by children. So youre here too, Reika-san. Thanks for coming. I am grateful to have been invited. I truly had a good time today. I gently dabbed away the tomato sauce on my lips and gave him a smile. Mao here kept everyone about how she hoped you would come, Reika-san. I am honoured. Mao-chans mum came over with a plate of food. Haruto, you must be hungry after work, she said, handing him the plate. Mind if I sit next to you? he asked me. Have you eaten too, Reika-san? Neesans cooking is pretty good, you know? Yes, I had some. Your oneesama is truly a splendid cook. You dont seem to be eating all that much though All I had in front of me was the bruschetta. After all, I had already cleaned everything else up. I ate more earlier. Really? Speaking of which, I was supposed to be one of those girls without much appet.i.te, wasnt I. I was thinking of furthering that impression when an unexpected curveball was thrown at me. Reika-oneesan really ate a lot just now, didnt she! one of the children innocently exclaimed. Maybe they had meant to support me since Ichinokura-san was doubting my words. They started talking about how I ate this dish, and that dish, one after another. Ichinokura-san seemed dumbfounded. I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself Embarra.s.ssingggg!* The small eater character transformed into a mega glutton! I see. So youve eaten quite a bit, Reika-san. Yes. I wanted to run. Thinking about it, I may have eaten more just now than any normal girl would. And at somebody elses house too. After thinking for a moment, Ichinokura-san smiled brightly. Then shall we go somewhere to eat together? I like people who can eat. Eh! The Heavens had not forsaken me!! Thank G.o.d I was a such a glutton! A few days after the party, when I went to the Pet.i.t Pivoine to hand over the photos, an angel of a boy greeted me. Kept you waiting, huh? played Nier Automata all weekend. Chapter 113 When the door to the Pet.i.t Pivoine opened, I saw an angel glowing in the light. In front of me smiled a little white-skinned, amber-haired angel. S-, So cuuuuuuuuuuuuute! This world actually had children as cute as this!? Was he even really human? He wasnt some kind of finely crafted android, or a real angel or something!? h.e.l.lo, high school oneesan. Did you need something? The little angel spoke with a voice like a bell. Even his voice was so lovely!And his expression as he tilted his head in confusion! I wanted to show him to my doll-loving Okaasama! Would it be okay if I took him home? Oneesan? The little angel looked a little troubled now. Oh! Oh no! Did the adorable angel think I was some suspicious person!? Did I seem like some kind of dangerous deviant because I kept staring silently at him? No! Youre wrong! I just wanted to admire your beauty, little angel! Im just a harmless Rococo! Ah, my apologies. It seems I was lost in thought for a moment. I have come here looking for Sawarabi Mao-san. My name is Kisshouin Reika, a 2nd year Pivoine member of the high school section. Angel-chan accepted my words with a smile and nod, before taking my hand and welcoming me in. His little hand was soooooo sooooooooft! It was like marshmallows! Ukuuuu! Seriously, can I take him home!? Upon entering the room, Mao-chan immediately noticed me and greeted me with a huge smile. Reika-oneesama! Mao-chan. She rushed up to me and then glued herself to my other arm. Thank you for coming the other day, Reika-oneesama! I was really happy! I really like the music box. I listen to it every day. Goodness, I should thank you for inviting me. I had a wonderful time. And I am very glad that you liked the music box. While the two of us were talking, Angel-chan let go of my hand and headed further in. Aahh! Angel-chan! Wait! Reika-oneesama? Sorry, it was nothing. I had wanted to touch his fluffy hair Did you come to see me today? Ah! Reika-oneesama, please sit. Yuuri-kun was already sitting on the sofa she brought me to, and the two of them seemed to be in the middle of having tea and cake. Ah, h.e.l.lo Reika oneesan For whatever reason, Yuuri-kun was embarra.s.sed to call me oneesan, and would always get all shy right after. How cute. Life was great again. h.e.l.lo there. Today I came to give you the photos I took during Mao-chans birthday party. I handed Mao-chan a photo alb.u.m with Happy Birthday! written on the front. Wahh! There are many photos of two together. Oh! Its true. Mao, lemme see too. The two of them began browsing the photos. Originally I had considered a fancier one like a photo shoot, but that planned involved asking Umewaka-kun for help, and talking about photos with him was opening a can of worms. I had exchanged email addresses with the Dog Lover in a moment of carelessness, and now I got regular photos of Bea-tan sent to me like I was subscribed to some magazine. I tried to give him a hint and replied, It has been cold recently. Might Beatrice have gotten a cold? only for him to reply that night, Its Beatrice. I sleep next to Aa-tan every night so Im fine. I wear fluffy warm pajamas too. Mail from a dog Or rather, mail from a high school boy happily pretending to be a dog Oh my G.o.d Oh, incidentally Dog Lover-kuns first name was Asuka, apparently. Asuka, hence Aa-tan. He was using that to refer to himself? Aa-tan?Honestly, I was starting to just wish they would get married already. In ancient j.a.pan it was traditional to sneak into your lovers bed, but this brought a whole new meaning to that. While I was lamenting over my friends future, Angel-chan came over, carefully holding onto for dear life a tray of tea and cake.Aahh, Angel-chan! Youre so cute when youre giving your all! Here, Oneesan. Eh!? This was for me!? Thats why he let go of my hand to leave!? To prepare this for me!? Aahh! What a good kid! Angel-chan! The cake was a Crmet dAnjou. Of course Angel-chan brought me a cake made by the angels! In j.a.pan, Crmet dAnjou is something akin to a fluffier cheesecake served with a raspberry coulis (usually as the centre). Thank you. It must have been difficult bringing this all the way here by yourself. No, something like that was easy. But yours palms are still red from holding onto the tray, you know? Please eat, smiled the little angel. Haaah~ Cute! Angel-chan, how would you like to become a child of the Kisshouin house? You brought Reika-oneesama her tea? Thanks, Yukino-kun. Youre welcome. Yukino-kun? So your name is Yukino-kun? I asked. Yukino(field of snow). A perfect name for the pure white Angel-chan! Yes. My name is Enjou Yukino. Im very pleased to meet you, Reika-oneesan. Yukino-kun the angel smiled adorable at me. Hm? Enjou? Ummm Yukino-kun? Could it be that you have some relation to Enjou Shuusuke-sama? I asked in dread. Please say you dont know him. At least say that youre just distantly related. Please, anything but that. Enjou Shuusuke is my older brother. GEHHHHHHH! Enjous little brother!? Why? Hes not like him at all! How could that scheming devil possibly have a little brother like this pure little angel! I supposed their faces looked a little similar. Their hair colour was different though. Actually, wasnt his hair colour kind of like the Enjou from Kimidol? That was honey-coloured, but his was amber. Oh. Could it be that not only the hair colour, but the kind heart that manga!Enjou had were both inherited by his little brother? I was so hoping to avoid this clich though Ummm Is there some problem with my brother? Maybe the frown showed on my face. Yukino-kun was looking at me with an anxious expression, so I quickly put on a smile. Oh no. I was simply surprised as I happen to be in the same year as him. I had no idea Enjou-sama had such a lovely younger brother. Is that really all? Oh no! Please dont make that worried expression. Yes. Why, your brother and I occasionally chat in the Pivoine salon. Oh! And just recently I received some souvenirs from him! Souvenirs from Niisama? Yes, allegedly he travelled to some famous waterfalls and forests. They were delicious. I see. Finally, Yukino-kun was back to smiling. Um, may I sit next to you too? Of course! Yukino-kun sat meekly down by my side and gave a little smile. An angel Of course, I knew intellectually that I should have kept my distance, given the ident.i.ty of his older brother, but I just couldnt resist this angels smile! I took a bite of the white angel cake that Angel-chan had brought for me. It was fluffy, and melted in my mouth! Simply delicious. Thank you, Yukino-kun. Yes! Yukino-kun smiled happily at my thanks. Apparently he had just entered 1st grade in the primary school section this year. He really did seem unused to this, come to think of it. And he was tiny too. Yukino-kun gallantly offered to refill my tea. So cute! Id never even seen his older brother pour tea for anyone, you know? Reika-oneesama, I want to talk to you too, said Mao-chan as she pulled on my arm, sulking just a little. One arm with Yukino-kun, and the other with Mao-chan. Was this paradise!? Sorry, Mao-chan. Its fine. Say, Reika-oneesama, youre going to go eat with Haruto-niisama, right? Yes, I am. We scheduled something like that the other day. Haruto-niisama knows lots of good places to eat. You can look forward to it! I see. I think I will. After being soothed by the children, and having my fill of the cake, I left the Pet.i.t Pivoine. They were all so adorable. When I got home, I received a mail from Ichinokura-san to confirm our schedule.I was so looking forward to this! Ah, but was it okay just to be the glutton girl? Was it better to double down and continue pretending to be a small eater? Which was the right choice as a maiden? The cake was a Crmet dAnjou. Of course Angel-chan brought me a cake made by the angels!In j.a.pan, Crmet dAnjou is something akin to a fluffier cheesecake with a raspberry coulis (usually as the centre). First of all, making it yourself. Ive consulted various online j.a.panese recipes, and this (completely English) recipe seems pretty much the same. Next point I have no idea what the name means in France. Apparently the French dish is some kind of regional dessert or something? Somebody French clarify for me, please. The wikipedia article looked badly sourced too, so maybe its not even real. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A9met_d%27Anjou The background melody works really, really well with his rap. It seems like this was one song, even. That just makes it all the more surreal, considering all the h.o.m.ophobic and hilariously thug lyrics juxtaposed against all the incredibly gay music and j.a.panese girls. And holy s.h.i.t, that ending. It actually sounds so real, like he really was just crying out in partial-defeat, and it was meant to be comedic all along. I AM THE HOOD! I AM THE STREETS! YOU b.i.t.c.h a.s.s n.i.g.g.a!10/10, listened to it all day at work. Finally, I can enjoy DMX in a way beyond just ironic appreciation. Chapter 114 Not long after I met Yukino-kun, the word was spreading that Enjous younger brother had entered the Suiran primary school section.According to the rumours the boy was as good-looking as his older brother. Hordes of girls went to the primary school section to see him, and when they came back they said he was adorable, which just fed back into the problem.But Enjou responded to it. With an unusually stern expression, he said, My brother has a weak body, so could you please not cause such a fuss? Thanks to that, the building rampage dissipated into nothing. Yukino-kun even came up as a topic in the salon, but I guess even Enjou couldnt treat the Pivoine members that way. We had no idea that you had a younger brother, Enjou-sama. You should bring him here to visit, said the President. Sure. Should we get the chance. Apparently many girls have already gone their way into the primary school section to see him. They say he looks just like his older brother and is terribly cute. He is cute, but my little brother has always been ill with asthma, so Im worried that hell have an attack if people cause too much of an uproar. I want him to have a nice, peaceful time here. Goodness! Why that is terrible. Then we will ask the Pet.i.t Pivoine to cooperate in helping Yukino-kun enjoy a peaceful school life. It wouldnt do to have fools loitering around him. Please. Enjou smiled, causing the girls gathered around Kaburagi and him to turn red.And so, with the President of the Pivoine as an ally, Enjou solidified his protection. So Yukino-kun had a weak const.i.tution I suppose he was a bit pale.But huh. That schemer cared so much about his younger brother. Didnt expect this side to him. I was drinking milk tea when I met eyes with the devil in question. Urgh. Kisshouin-san, I heard you met my brother? Eh I could feel a cold sweat forming. Could it be that the one who started all this was me?! Oh dear Ah, yes, I happened to meet him when I visited the Pet.i.t Pivoine. I was there to hand something to a girl there. The one who opened the door happened to be your younger brother. Truly, what a coincidence, I said, making doubly sure to emphasise that it was a coincidence. Stop it! Im not your enemy! Mm, my brother told me. Thank you for keeping him company. No need Was he really thanking me? Unlike Yukino-kun, there was no trusting this guy. Kisshouin, you met Yukino? interrupted Kaburagi. So he knew him too. Well, it made sense considering he was best friends with Enjou. Yes, well. Hmmmmm Um, he is very sweet and kind boy, is he not. Hmmmmm For some reason Kaburagi frowned. Enjou was still wearing that unreadable smile as he thanked me. I was getting a bad feeling so I hastily retreated from the salon. Right now I had a bigger problem than the incident with Yukino-kun. The 1st years were deciding which clubs to join. Honestly speaking, the Handicrafts Club was kind of a plain one. All the members were the quiet types, and there werent many of them either. Thats why I had to pull my weight to get new members! Ever since becoming an official member, I had pretty much come every day they were open. It made sense. I was an official member, after all. Today was no exception, as I hurried to the clubroom. My bag was filled with snacks that I had just stolen from the Pivoine salon, which I was going to use to entertain prospective members. Hows that for being a hostess!Generally it was forbidden to bring snacks to Suiran so this would probably give us quite the advantage. Hu hu hu While I was making the club great again, some new students came to look. I shot up. Fresh meat!For split second they seemed startled.Oh? How come? Were they nervous? Ohh! I know! Thats what the snacks were for! With a smile, I beckoned the younglings over to a seat. Come in, sit down. We have sweets, you know? Eh- How about some tea? We have some good blends. Blends that I also stole from the salon.Despite the tea and sweets in front of them, the newcomers seemed to shrink in on themselves. What was stopping them from just relaxing and having a chat about club activities? Being the gentle senpai that I was, I gave them a heartfelt smile to help them relax. Smile smile. Hmm? Why did they keep shooting glances at the door? They had only just come. Feel free to take your time. Now come, eat up. Umm But, eating outside the dining hall is And bringing sweets is against the rules as well My! There is no problem, I guarantee. After all, these were taken from the Pivoine salon. The colour drained from their faces. Was that one girl over there trembling? Ummm Before I could say another word, the newcomers shot up and made a break for the door as they repeated apology after apology. Could it be that I was the reason? But how come? I was so friendly and everything. Far from eating the snacks I prepared, they didnt even take them with them Some more girls appeared after that, but they all had the same reaction. Even though they were supposed to be having a look, they all left the moment they arrived. And not only did they not eat the snacks, they didnt even touch the tea. The worst one was when the girl shut the door the moment she opened it and ran. What the heck!I got a little annoyed after a while and wouldnt let the next one leave without eating the snacks, but the girl turned blue and muttered, If I eat this Ill Youll what? This isnt food from Hades, you know. Now come. Eat. Eaaaat. With teary eyes, the girl nibbled on a madeleine. She just swallowed, didnt she? She would never escape now. One new member, confirmed. It was time to take her signature. After a while, the Club President moved me as far as possible into the clubroom. Ehh~? But I want to contribute as an official member of the club. Ill serve tea or whatever you need. Then, the Club President ordered a line of club members to sit in front of me like a wall, blocking me from view. But would we even get members now? I was worried. Maybe I really should Ah, I cant see. C-, Can you move? Today I was going to eat with Ichinokura-san.He asked me how I felt about j.a.panese food, so I OKd it. Where was he going to take me though? One of those fancy, traditional kaiseki places? Instead he took me to a kamameshi place. Ingredients and rice are cooked together in a pot which they are served in. Kind of like a slant-eyed paella. Mentally a.s.sociated with what people were eating after the disastrous 1923 Kantou Earthquake. This is a picture of a fancier snow crab one. When you came down to it, kamameshi wasnt something you would a.s.sociate with the image of haute cuisine, so I was genuinely surprised. I loved eating this in my last life though. Actually I just love rice in general. Viva el arroz! Maybe this is a little plain for you. If youre not okay with this place, I was going to take you to a great Italian restaurant instead. No, this place is perfect. Kamameshi~ Kamameshi~ Apparently by choosing this kamameshi place instead of some fancy French restaurant Ichinokura-sans opinion of me shot up.Actually, this place was at least fancy enough to have private rooms, so it wasnt like we were slumming it up. This place does amazing kamameshi. I really wanted you to try it, Reika-san. My sister told me that you seemed to enjoy her paella, so I thought you might like this too. My. Exactly right! There were so many different kamameshi dishes on the menu that I just couldnt choose. The red salmon and ikura one look sooo good~ Red salmon and ikura(salted salmon roe). And the chicken one was such a close compet.i.tor. Chicken kamameshi. The prawns were tempting too. But you couldnt go wrong with the cla.s.sics like five-item gomoku Gomoku kamameshi. I think Ill be ordering the red salmon and ikura set. What about you, Reika-san? Then I shall go with the gomoku set. It was a difficult decision. I didnt regret it though. I loved quail eggs. But still, that red salmon When they brought us our food, besides the kamameshi, the set meal came with chawanmushi, deep-fried tofu, pickles, and a clear soup broth too. I loved chawanmushi! And it had gingko inside! And the broth in the kamameshi was amazing! Choosing this place was the right choice! Hm, I think Id leave the quail egg for last. Reika-san. If youd like, shall we come here again? Holy h.e.l.l! What a wonderful idea, Ichinokura-san! I carefully moved my quail egg to my chawanmushi, and then exchanged kamameshi. Red salmon was great! When I realised it, I had been speaking pa.s.sionately with Ichinokura-san about the kamameshi and chawanmushi, and he was telling me about his favourite foods too. Apparently he preferred taste over form. I totally get you, Ichinokura-san. I could really get onboard with his preferences.We spent our time chapping happily about food, and began ordering one thing after another on the menu. The two of us finished it all. The matcha green tea ice cream for dessert was delicious too. Apparently they made it in this restaurant. How splendid. When it was time to go, we made a firm promise to do this again sometime. It seems like I had met someone I could show all of the real me to. Chapter 115 Apparently we were slowly gaining new members. I say apparently because I wasnt there to see it myself. Actually I wasnt allowed to interact with them directly.According to Club Pres, my t.i.tle as a Pivoine member was scaring away from of the newer students, so she hoped that I would make myself scarce just for the duration of the recruitment period. I couldnt really fault that logic. Everyone who joined that club was the same timid and quiet type, so I could see how they might be afraid of us. In Suiran, the Pivoine were like the ultimate predators, after all. The one group that you shouldnt ever offend. I knew that feeling too. But I was an official member of the Handicrafts Club. Wasnt there any way I could help!? Anyhow, I was sitting in a corner and needle-felting, sparing the occasional glance at the visiting students, when one of them called out to me falteringly. Heck yes! Did you have a question? Yes. I was hoping somebody could tell me about the sewing machine that this club uses, but Sewing machine? I wasnt proud of this, but I had never used it before. Actually I sucked at them in general. Things just got out of hand, and then the threads started to get tangled and Anyhow, it was just hard. Come to think of it, when I was younger the threads got tangled and the sewing machine stopped moving. So I tried yanking it out, but the struggle ended with the machine giving off smoke. Machinery was difficult to use, wasnt it. But it was a chance to help. I decided to try my best! What did you want to know about it? I wanted to know which company made the overlock sewing machines. Also whether or not you had any 4-thread overlocks. What on earth was an overlock machine. And what was this about 4-threads? Ive only ever used a 3-thread. I was hoping to get the chance to try my hand at a 4-thread. Oh no. I was trying my best but it was all Greek to me But I was an official club member. I couldnt let her know. Please wait a moment. I am a little tied up at the moment, so I will find somebody to answer your questions. You wanted to know about overlock sewing machines, yes? Anybody! Isnt there anybody who knows about these overlocked machines!? While I was looking for somebody who could answer, another one of the visitors came up to that girl and said, That miss over there is a member of the Pivoine, you know! You cant just send her on ch.o.r.es like that, what if you make them angry!? I returned with a girl who knew more about the topic but Overlock-chan said, Im so sorry! Im an External Student and only joined this year, so I really had no idea! earnestly apologising to me. It wasnt a problem at all, though I was just pretending to be busy so I didnt have to explain. So seriously, please dont look so scared of me~ Im part of the commoner-faction, you know? Maybe I should learn more about sewing machines Around that time, Ririna showed up with her buddies in tow. Geez, Reika-san! What a boring club youve joined! That stupid girl! Flames of rage were beginning to grow in my heart but she had a lot of followers. If she joined the club, wouldnt we get a whole wave of members!? Goodness, welcome, Ririna-san. Did you have some interest in handicrafts? I asked as graciously as possible but As if! Like Id ever join such a minor club. I just came to make fun of you! Since that was the case, I immediately kicked her out. Unfortunately some of the other club prospectives happened to see it all, and they ran away in fear. Curse you, Ririnaaaa! Club President put her hand on my back, and gently returned me to my corner. This time a bunch of mannequin torsos were set in front of me like a wall. It was a little lonely here Cla.s.s Rep was looking gloomy. When I asked him what was wrong, it turned out that Miharu-chan was getting along with a boy in her cla.s.s. Were in different cla.s.ses too. Looks like Im at a major disadvantage, huh? What do I do. Do you think Honda-san really likes him? Hmmm. I wasnt all that close with her or anything, but maybe I would have a chance to ask her. Cla.s.s Rep looked desolate.Thinking about it, wasnt Nonose-san friendly with Miharu-chan? I saw them having lunch together quite a lot. Shall I find out for you? Eh!? You would do that!? Thank you, Kisshouin-san! The maiden beamed with surprised joy. I didnt mind doing this but what was he going to do if she really did like somebody? The next day I greeted Nonose-san in the morning, and used that as an exchange to engage in some small talk. Obviously I couldnt just walk up and demand she explain Miharu-chans relationship with him. I still owe you for taking care of me during the summer camp in middle school. Thank you for supporting me, especially while I was struggling with leading. I have ended up as a cla.s.s representative again, but I hope for your continued support. Of course! I dont know how I can help but I can then I will. Wow though. Summer camp. Thats nostalgic. We had fun chatting about it for a while. Come to think of it, Miharu-san attends every year, but she was strangely absent the one year I attended. Oh, now that you mention it she did miss out. I remember mailing her while I was there. Oh my. What did you say? Ummm Ive forgotten. Probably something about the fireworks. I see. It would have been nice to be in the same cla.s.s together. Yes. We thought it was a shame too. I see. Had Miharu-san been in our cla.s.s, she would certainly have been the cla.s.s representative instead. And she gets along with Cla.s.s Rep. You think? I think Cla.s.s Rep makes a better pair with you, Reika-sama. What do you think of him? Cla.s.s Rep? I suppose I find him earnest and diligent? I thought so~! Reika-sama, youre close with Iwamuro-kun from the Judo Club too, arent you? What do you think about him? Iwamuro-kun, you ask? Why, I think he is a man who knows what he wants, and is willing to put in the effort as well. Ever since I gave him that facial mask, apparently he never stopped maintaining his skin. Thanks to that, he could boast the most flawless skin in the Judo Club. I see~ I didnt know why, but Nonose-san was nodding in enjoyment. Who cares about me, were supposed to talk about Miharu-chan. Speaking of boys, is Miharu-san close with any in her new cla.s.s? Boys? Hmmm, I cant say Ive heard her say anything like that. Oh my, Reika-sama, youre actually interested in these kinds of gossip? Eh-, I, well Id love to hear more about your romances~ Ah, but I suppose I shouldnt ask, right? She looked a little disappointed. Uh, no, I actually dont have any wonderful stories to tell. Every love rumour we hear about you is romantic. Im envious. Huh? Love rumour? Like the love poem anthology. The story had me spellbound. The chamberlain and mercenary just werent the best choice. Reika-sama, Ill support you! Eh? Chamberlain? Mercenary? I had no idea what she was talking about but the bell rang so our conversation was cute short. What on earth was that? But she mentioned something I couldnt ignore. Love poem anthology. Dont tell me she was talking about Kaburagi!? What on earth was romantic about that!? It was a cursed item, d.a.m.nit! Cla.s.s Rep glanced my way during cla.s.s, but sorry. I didnt get anything out of it. Dite came and pressed me about the performance for our cla.s.s trip.Sorry, I forgot.He handed me a CD and asked me to choose one of the tracks on it. Apparently he had recorded his violin performances. Did I really have to listen to this? Chapter 116 Not only did I have another food outing with Ichinokura-san, we were going to bring Mao-chan this time. He spoke about her last time. Apparently she was about to become an older sister.Her grandparents and relatives were all ecstatic about a Sawarabi heir being born. So ecstatic that kept saying careless things in front of her like, We finally have a boy! or I didnt know what we would do if it was a girl again. Not that they meant to hurt her, but they did all the same. Since all anyone was talking about was her brother, Mao-chan in a sulking mood. Both Ichinokura-san and her parents were quite worried for her. I guess that was why Mao-chans mum made all of the food for her birthday. Even for a hobby that had been an incredible amount of effort. I guess that was her way of telling her daughter that she treasured her. Mao-chan seemed really happy to eat her mums food too. Life was pretty harsh for an eight-year-old though I hadnt noticed at all. In my old life I had a younger sister but no brothers. In this life I had Oniisama. Not once had I ever been told that they wished I hadnt been born a girl though. If it happened now I would only feel annoyed, but it must have been a shock to somebody Mao-chans age. Ichinokura-san told me that he wanted to prioritise her to make up for all of the relatives who put her younger brother first. Mao really idolises you, Reika-san. That night after the summer party where she met you she told us all about how she met a wonderful oneesama. You took photos of her and Yuuri-kun and gave her the framed photo as a present, didnt you? Mao was overjoyed. You started to pop up in her conversations. She told me about how well you treated her. I think she was just happy that somebody was willing to pay attention to her instead of her brother. Im sorry if this seems shameless, but as the oneesama she adores, I hope you can spare her just a little attention. I dont want her to be lonely Please. Ichinokura-san lowered his head to me. I accepted without thought. Mao-chan was adorable and I loved her, so I would have done it anyhow. The bow was actually making me uncomfortable. I wasnt spending time with Mao as some favour to him. I was doing it because I wanted to. Actually, wasnt Ichinokura-san underestimating Mao-chans cuteness? When I told him as much he broke into a wide grin. We segued into scheduling the dinner with Mao-chan instead, and promised to contact each other once we had a better idea of when we were all free. Later I heard from him that Mao-chan had been ecstatic at the idea. Apparently it took him quite a lot of effort to calm her down from trying to go right that minute. Dinner with Mao-chan and Ichinokura-san I was really looking forward to it. There was going to be no student performance during the 2nd year cla.s.s trip. I relayed the information to Dite who visible deflated. Why didnt this guy go to a music school, anyway We were going to be staying at Nikkou City, in Tochigi. Nikkou city in Tochigi. Its mountains, forests and hot springs make it a popular tourist destination. Despite being only an hour or two away from Tokyo, its height above sea level makes it rather cold. Since we were high schoolers and all, I was wondering why they chose somewhere so close. As it turns out, they also had a popular hiking course. Considering we were supposed to be a school for pampered rich kids we sure did go through some really athletic excursions. According to the rumours this hike was going to be way tougher than last years so I was honestly kind of worried. My other worry was that Kegon Falls was also in Nikkou, so would Kaburagi really be okay? It hadnt even been a year since I got that shortbread from Enjou. I just hoped that this trip wouldnt reopen his wounds. I could expect a lot of trouble if it did. We gathered early in the morning on the day of the trip. SleepyIn consideration of the hiking course, I drank one of the slightly more expensive energy drinks before I left the house. I could only hope that it would work. When we began, I made sure to take small steps, but it was as bad as I had imagined. It felt like I had been walking forever.Fuyuko-sama and the others had given up early on. Uuu, I wanted to as well. But how could I as a cla.s.s rep! I was at the end of the line though, so its not like I was actually helping though! I didnt expect I would be much use by the end of this, so I asked Nonose-san to organise our cla.s.s once we reached the goal. Just take it easy, okay? Rune-chan encouraged me, as I lagged slowly behind the majority. Looking around, it was the same group as always. When we finally reached the goal, everyone was, as usual, already having lunch. Shouldnt they have waited for us to show cla.s.s spirit or something? I was feeling a little resentful as usual. Exhausted, by the time I had begun with my own obentou some of the other students were already done. Wakaba-chan was amongst them.She was strolling around the place, looking at flowers here and there. It was nice that she had energy. Suddenly, Enjou came and talked to her. Eh!?I couldnt hear what they were saying, but I saw her smile and nod along with him. When did they get so close!? And Kaburagi was noticeably absent.Since I was looking their way, some of the girls around me noticed as well. Whos that girl speaking with Enjou-sama? That scholarship student, Takamichi-san, I think. Remember? The one always on the ranking board? Why is she being so intimate with Enjou-sama!? Oh dear. I caused a minor uproar. Before I could try to distract them, Wakaba-chan and Enjou split up. Thank goodness. This time it was somebody who approached Enjou. The No. 2 in Tsuruhana-sans group sidled up to him first, which was the cue for a lot of other girls to copy her. No. 2 was glaring at Wakaba-chans back from afar. In the afternoon we got on the coach and headed to Kegon Falls. Kegon Falls is a scenic and popular tourist destination, located in a national park in Nikkou. Naturally, considering how famous it was.So this was the waterfall that Kaburagi visisted in the winter The temperature had gone a bit further than refreshing into cold. I wasnt surprised that Kaburagi caught a cold coming here in the dead of winter. I found myself looking for Kaburagi in the crowd. He was staring into the water at the base of the waterfall. Ah Did his wounds reopen?Enjou was glued to his side, holding his arm. Mn, he was a good friend When it was time to leave, Kaburagi didnt seem to respond. He must have been thinking about something. Scary.In the end Enjou had to pull him away. I wonder if Enjou had to do the same thing back during Kaburagis journey When we returned to the bus, Wakaba-chan showed Enjou a souvenir bag. Thank you for recommending these! Kegon Falls Shortbread it read. That souvenir muttered Kaburagi as he stared from the side. Enjou smiled. I never tried them myself, but I gave them to somebody who told me they were great. At the next place we visited, No. 2 b.u.mped into Wakaba-chan on purpose. Chapter 117 By Mao-chans request, we were going to eat pancakes.Id wondered this before, but wasnt pancakes more of a snack? The menu was filled with pictures of whipped cream towers. I couldnt understand how Hawaiians could eat pancakes as a staple. Wouldnt you get heartburn eating this for breakfast? Was it just a matter of getting used to it? Still, I was pretty excited for it. I went with a chocolate, banana and whipped cream. Mao-chan went with strawberry, while Ichinokura-san went with fruit pancakes with no cream. Wahh! It looks so yummy! Her eyes seemed to sparkle as our orders were carried to us. They were bigger than expected. Yours looks yummy too, Reika-oneesama! Want to try some? Can I!? Then please eat some of mine! And thats how we happily split our orders. The chocolate banana pancakes were delicious! I liked chocolate and bananas with my crepes too, incidentally. Still wasnt entirely sure how I felt about eating these sweet foods for dinner, but as a snack they were the best. I wondered how on earth they cooked these so neatly though. In my old life the batter was always really thick, and Id use a lot of it because I wanted my pancakes to turn out thick like in the pictures. The thickness worked of course, but they were always shaped more like weird pillows instead. And they were huge. And undercooked. On the inside at least, because the outside was always burnedI doubted that anybody could really make such nice pancakes at home. It was probably impossible. Most likely those photos were faked. Wah! Mao-chans strawberry and powdered sugar pancakes were delicious too! Would you like some chocolate banana pancakes, Ichinokura-sama? They are delicious, you know? Try some of my strawberry too, Haruto-niisama! Mmmm~ I think Im good. Oh? He didnt seem as enthused about our pancakes as he was about my kamameshi. Are you perhaps not so fond of sweet foods, Ichinokura-sama? No, no, I do. Its just that the cream looks a little overwhelming, he said with a difficult smile. I could kind of understand. Haruto-niisama, did you not want pancakes? Mao-chan looked a little sad. Ichinokura-san flew into a bit of a panic to rea.s.sure her. No, I did, Mao. Maybe I will try some of yours. Really? Really. He cut off a bit of her pancakes. Mn, delicious. Thank you, Mao. Youre welcome. You can have more, you know? But then thered be less for you. Ive got my own. Actually, you should try some of mine. Want a little? Yeah! Mao-chan stuffed her cheeks with the fruit-laden pancake. Yummy! Ah, but I took too much of your fruit. Im sorry. You can have some of my cream instead! she said, before piling a mountain of cream onto his food. Mao-chan I really love you and Reika-neesama so Im really happy that we came here. Mao-chan, what adorable things you say! Ichinokura-san was smiling too. It looks like Mao adores you, Reika-san. Mn. Reika-neesama is pretty and nice and smart, you know. Shes amazing. Mao-chan, I think youre overestimating me a little I am glad that you think so highly of me, but I am nowhere near so special. For one thing I am not very smart Thats not true! Sensei says that you had really good grades! And that you took the initiative to lead the cla.s.s too. Sensei? Apparently her current home room teacher was the one who pushed me into being a member of the executive committee for the athletics meet as well as being cla.s.s rep. When exactly did I take the initiative. Sensei said that you were reliable and smart when you were younger too. As expected of you, Reika-oneesama! Umm, Mao-chan Ohh? Youre actually quite amazing, Reika-san. She is! I want to be like Reika-oneesama too! I see. Then youll have to study, Mao. Yes! My primary school self was being incredibly glorified in Mao-chans mind. Id better study like h.e.l.l for the mid-terms Speaking of which, Yukino-kun said you were nice too, Reika-oneesama. Eh, Yukino-kun did!? That little Angel-chan said I was nice!? Yukino-kun is really popular, you know? Hes like a little prince, so even people from middle or high school come to see him. But his body isnt strong so the Pivoine told us to look after him. I see. I did recall Enjou doing something like that. Is this Yukino-kun that cool? Ichinokura-san sounded interested now. Your cream isnt decreasing at all, you know Hes more cute than cool. Right, Reika-oneesama? Yes. We all say hes like an angel. Aha. I knew everybody thought that too. He really was an angel.I nodded along in a.s.sent. An angel. I think Id like to meet him once too. And Yukino-kuns oniisama is dreamy too. One time he came to the salon to pick up Yukino-kun and he smiled at us and asked us to take care of Yukino-kun! All of the oneesamas in the high grades were in love. He was like a prince. That sounds kinda amazing. Prince? Enjou a prince!? Noooo! My cute little Mao-chan is being deceived! And the Prince had a really cool friend too. Reika-oneesama, youre in their year arent you? Ahhh, well How nice. You must be close, right? Yukino-kun was happy since it seemed like you and his brother got along. Eh!? Yukino-kun, Im sorry but thats a huge misunderstanding! Actually was this my fault~?Oh no! What if Enjou started thinking like, Wow. What is this woman doing claiming that were close to my little brother!? Besides Mao-chan who was smiling innocently, I could feel my stomach dropping. I learned at that dinner that Mao-chan had somehow misunderstood me to be some kind of superwoman with brains as well as beauty. Since I didnt want to disappoint her, I studied extra hard. I even started seeing my notes in my dreams. After drinking two energy drinks at once night after night, I made it into the ranking board for the first time. 29th place. After all of that study, and I was only 29th That was barely on it. No, but I really did try! Still, everybody was focused on what was written on 1st place. 1. Takamichi Wakaba2. Kaburagi Masaya3. Enjou Shuusuke4. Mizusaki Arima So Wakaba-chan had finally overtaken both Kaburagi and Enjou to take first place The last time she had taken first it was because the Emperor was heartbroken. This time was different though. She beat him out with pure ability. These were the first test results since entering 2nd year. The people around me seemed disquieted. Kaburagi and Enjou came along. After looking at the board, Kaburagi raised an eyebrow. Shuusuke, this Takamichi Wakaba was in your cla.s.s, right? Yep. Shes a girl with a lot of energy. Hmmm~ Ah, speak of the devil. Takamichi-san, congratulations on 1st place. With bad timing, Wakaba-chan had come along right that moment. Eh-, 1st!? Th- Thank you very much Wakaba-chan was a lot more hesitant this time. Somebody must have given her quite the verbal lashing last time. So youre Takamichi? Eh- Yes Wakaba-chan shrank further under his gaze.After staring at her silently for a while, he simply went back. Bye then, waved Enjou, before following after. Wakaba-chan was left sitting on a bed of nails Ummmm~ By the way, I made it onto the ranking boards for the first time since getting into high school. Did anybody notice?Its right there you know? Kisshouin Reika, right next to the 29~ Chapter 118 It seems that recently a certain 2nd year has been getting ahead of herself, began the President of the Pivoine. After Wakaba-chan made 1st place, the way certain students treated her became noticeably more harsh. I thought it was completely pointless, seeing as she made it there through ability. I hoped that I could make 1st place one day. First place How nice No, even just the Top 5 would be great No, even 10th place If I ever made 10th Id be so besides myself with joy that Id break into a belly dance. Getting back to the point though, Kaburagi and Enjou were considered the pride of the more pure bred Suiran students. That Wakaba-chan had threatened their places even as far back as 1st year was something many of them couldnt endure. Plenty of other External Students did really well too, but Wakaba-chan was probably targeted because of her appearance. She looked like a total commoner. Not only that but sometimes shed stare into s.p.a.ce with her mouth hanging, like some kind of simpleton. Thanks to that, plenty of people made comments like, Thats supposed to be who beat them? Are you sure she didnt cheat? And the fact that she was a girl that Enjou and Kaburagi spoke to made everything even worse. And Enjou was one thing, but Kaburagi almost never spoke to girls. For him to speak to her of his own volition stirred up some incredible jealousy. Some of the girls in my group werent too fond of her either. Actually, sometimes theyd give me weird encouragements like, Do your best, Reika-sama!. What exactly was I supposed to be doing my best in? And you know, I did do my best for the mid-terms but even now none of them had noticed. Next to the great 3-way struggle between Takamichi, Kaburagi and Enjou, n.o.body had any attention to spare on the story of Kisshouin Reika, 29th place. In the end the rankings notice was taken down without anybody noticing I tried so hard but n.o.body even praised me. n.o.body noticed. That was so sad Which is why I decided to plan a little farce for myself. I made sure to time it so that my results were casually lying around the living room when Oniisama came home. Of course, just having it lying around on its own was a little too obvious, so I made sure to have exercise printouts and stationery and textbooks and stuff as well. I was totally just looking through my bag for something when my results just happened to fall out. Oh? Thats weird. Oniisama wasnt home yet? In the end I was forced to put the stationery back into my bag and wait. I took it out again. He wasnt coming. I put it back in. Then took it all out. After repeating this again and again, Oniisama finally appeared. Welcome home, Oniisama! Im back. Whats all this on the table, Reika? I was simply looking for something I rustled my hand in my more-or-less empty bag. Oniisama! Look! Your little sisters grades are right there! To stall for time, I took out the contents of my pencilcase one by one. Oniisama! Right there! Right in front of you! Hm? Oh, are these your grades? Oniisama finally noticed and picked it up. Goodness~ Oniisama! Stop! How embarra.s.sing~ Oh my~ With my bag in my hands, I was completely unable to stop Oniisama from picking it up~ Wow! You made it to 29th place this time. You really did your best, Reika! Ehh~ You exaggerate~ 29th place in high school means your name was put up, right? Youre amazing. After trying so hard, I think you deserve a present, dont you? Ehh~ 29th place is nothing so deserving~ I dont think thats true. Its a reward for all your effort. With that, Oniisama smiled and stroked my head. Oniisamaaa~!! I really did my best, you know? But n.o.body noticed. Hahh, it finally, finally paid off. Ichinokura-san brought me out to eat in celebration of the end of exams. This time Mao-chan was absent. We were going to be eating at an Italian place he recommended. Not one of the fancy expensive places, but like a small trattoria. The moment we stepped inside, I could already smell the scent of roasted garlic. I went with a bolognaise pasta. On the other hand, Ichinokura-san decided on a pescatore. We were also ordering a pizza margherita. Youll have the bruschetta, obviously. Well, yes. Maybe we should get some salad too. What kind of salad do you like, Reika-san? Caprese salad would be nice. Then well get that. Ah, but wont that be a bit too much tomato? Ill change my pasta order then. What should I get I used to worry about whether or not to keep faking my eating habits, but ever since that night with the kamameshi I stopped with all pretences. Ichinokura-san said that it was more fun to dine out with people who could eat a lot anyhow. The food came one after another, so much that it felt like I was at an eating compet.i.tion. Bring it all out! Yummmyyy! The bolognaise was delicious. And the flat pasta was just the best! And the cheese on the margherita just stretched* out! Actually, G.o.d, why were Italian tomato dishes all so delicious? Apparently tomatoes were good for burning fat too. Delicious *and good for dieting? It was too good for words! Even I was full after all of that. But I ordered some tiramisu for dessert. When Ichinokura-san asked me how my exams went, I modestly told him that they were acceptable. Mao tells me that youre quite impressive at school. She misunderstands. I think she overestimates me. I hope youll help her with her studies too. Uhuhu, leave it to me. I, rank 29th Kisshouin Reika, can do primary school homework with my eyes closed. When it was time to leave, Ichinokura-san bought some sweets to take back to Mao-chan since she couldnt come today. Thats why I asked to pay for that instead. After being treated to so many meals, I wanted to at least do this. And I ate quite a bit, too I eventually convinced him. When I went to pay at the register though, I spotted some amaretti so I bought it to bring home for myself. Thank you for the sweets. Ill make sure to tell Mao that it was from you. Thank you for always treating me. Todays food was just delicious. The caprese salad was one of the best three I have ever had. Really? Im glad you enjoyed it so much. That place is really picky about tomatos. No wonder it was so delicious then. But the cheese was wonderful too. The cheese? Then how about I take you to a risotto place next time? Theres this blue cheese risotto you just have to try. Risotto!? I love risotto. Then that settles it. When I returning home from great dinner with Ichinokura-san, I saw Oniisama reading a travel magazine. Was he planning on going somewhere? I entered my room and then had just one of the amaretti. Yummy Tsuruhana-sans group tried to trip Wakaba-chan in the hallway, but Wakaba-chan vaulted over each one like an athlete doing hurdles. And in her gym cla.s.s, only Wakaba-chan was forced to play dodgeball during a basketball game I was starting to worry about her a little, but she still seemed totally unaffected, so I hoped she could get through this. As bad as I felt about it, if the President of the Pivoine really had it out for her, there wasnt much I could do. Tsk. I was shifting responsibilities now, but what the heck was Kaburagi doing. What happened to his destiny? Chapter 119 Normally I had lunch with Serika-chan and the others. Today was an exception to that. At the behest of the President of the Pivoine, every member was currently a.s.sembled in the cafeteria together. Its nice having lunch to strengthen the bonds within the Pivoine once in a while, she said, And to begin with, these seats were arranged for our exclusive use, so I think this is the best place for us anyhow. The Pivoine elitists nodded at her words. The President seemed to be in a good mood. Ah, it would have been nicer to eat with my friends though If possible Id rather not become the leader of yet another village. Unfortunately I wanted to avoid drama, so here I was, giving her words vague smile as I ate my lunch. Enjou and Kaburagi usually ate here anyway. Despite the crowd today, they seemed to be ignoring it all and talking about sports. I knew it would be calming to spend time with proper students of Suiran. Ever since entering high school there have been so many outsiders unaccustomed to our ways. I know how you feel. Itd be nice if theyd stop harming our image, chimed in one of the boys. How are the new first years? Its still too early to tell, but at least n.o.body has stirred anything up yet. I see. If anything happens, as a Pivoine you should teach them their proper place. I understand. We wont let them do as they wish in our school. Its fine that they admire Suiran and all, but overreaching their stations will bring them more trouble than anybody else. Wow Usually I just treated the Pivoine as a nice place to eat snacks in, but there were a lot more elitists than I had expected Some of them were extraordinarily proud about being a member of the Pivoine. No wonder they got along so badly with the Student Council. At least last year they had Tomoe-senpai to even things out, but By the way, theres actually a 2nd year causing problems Called it. Ah. That Takamichi girl? Yes, answered a girl, When I saw her wearing gumboots with our uniform I felt faint That was certainly astounding. How could anybody have so little sense I know, right? agreed another boy, I cant believe the way she shamed us in public. This is how were representing ourselves outside? And the other day I saw her jumping along down the hallway, added yet another girl. Shes so barbaric that just seeing her irritates me. Doesnt she come to school with bedhair at times? Does she not even know how to take care of her own appearance? asked somebody else. Saw her running to the train station too, you know? It was so disgraceful that I very nearly got out of my car to tell her off. Heavens At any rate, we can all agree that she doesnt belong in Suiran. To begin with, who knows if those grades are her own ability Beating Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama? How could that ever happen With that, the conversation shifted to complaints about how she was basically tarnishing the twos reputation. Honestly, I didnt know what they were clamouring about. What were they even expecting? For Wakaba-chan to lower her marks on purpose? She was a scholarship student. If they really had problems with this then they should have just told Kaburagi and Enjou to study harder. Just kidding. Of course n.o.body could do that. But still, it would have been a lot more constructive than all of this grumbling. Also Im pretty sure the jumping in the hallway was because people were trying to trip her. And why were we even complaining about her hair or gumboots or running? Were we her mother-in-laws or something? At any rate, that girl needs to be watched. Those of us in 2nd year need to pay special attention to her. Reika-sama. Eh!? I was supposed to be in invisible-mode so why did my name get called? I hope youll cooperate with us on this matter as well. Please purge the undesirables. Please what? Her choice of words was so scary that it was all I could to smile. I looked around the table for help, but Sarara-sama was already in her own little book-world having already finished lunch. Fuyuko-sama in the same group was just smiling leisurely as always. Enjou and Kaburagi who were the cause of all this were still chatting happily amongst themselves Uu, purge? Am I Catherine de Mdicis? I dont have it in me to send Wakaba-chan a poisoned glove Im just a Rococo Queen. Oh, but the Rococo Queens beloved macarons were introduced by Catherine de Mdicis werent they? O great macaron bringer, I pay my thanks to thee. I think Ill buy some on the way home. Exhausted from that lunch with the Pivoine, I was on the way back to my cla.s.sroom when I spotted Wakaba-chan. She was tottering along with a heavy-looking pile of exercise books. Maybe somebody had pushed the job onto her. There were a number of people walking nearby, but none of them offered any help, either What happened to being raised as gentleman here! That was when Fellow Stalking Horse ran over and took half of the pile from her. Ill help. Eh? But were in different cla.s.ses. Its fine. So were bringing these to the staff room? No, to a faculty room, but Okay. Stalking Horse began walking briskly away. Recovering from her surprise, Wakaba-chan quickly followed after him. Ooh! It was good to see Fellow Stalking Horse doing a proper job of the Stalking Horse thing. Well done, Comrade. I expected no less from a righteous Stalking Horse like you. Unfortunately some of the girls who saw this were muttering loathingly about cosying up to boys. I wonder if shes going to be okay over the next two years. Feeling even more exhausted, I headed to the Pet.i.te Pivoine for some soothing. It was arranged that I would help Mao-chan with her studies. She was in 2nd grade, so it was obviously no problem. Once I arrived she and Yuuri-kun welcomed me in with a smile. So cute. The two of them began working on their arithmetic homework. While they were doing that I pulled out my needle felting work and began poking away. Whats that? I looked up to find that it was Yukino-kun the angel looking on in interest. This is needle felting, a method of creating shapes made from thread using a needle. Oh, that seems fun Since he seemed pretty enthused, I considered letting him try. I asked him as much and he nodded with a resplendent smile before sitting down next to me and going at it. Try making a circle first. Okay. With just a little guidance, Yukino-kun was getting better and better at it. Maybe he was just good with his fingers.Maybe the obsession that boys had with things actually made them pretty suited for handicrafts. Oh, speaking of which we had a new 1st year boy join. Even though he was new and a boy, he was without doubt way above my level. Its done! His completed work was a white hemisphere with green ears and red eyes. A rabbit? Is this a rabbit? Yes. Its a snow rabbit. Im not very healthy so when I was smaller I couldnt play in the snow. Thats why Niisama made snow rabbits to give to me. I see. Who would have thought that villain had done something so cute! Niisama and Masaya-niisama used to make snowmen that I could see from my window. Masaya-niisama said that snowmen always had to wear red buckets, so he went and bought small buckets just for that. Kaburagi!? And to think that he had weird fixations for his snowmen too You get along very well with your Oniisama then? Yes, he smiled bashfully, Can I keep this rabbit? I want to show it to Niisama. Cuuuute! Somehow I had just a tiny bit better opinion of Enjou and Kaburagi now Chapter 120 In order to maintain Mao-chans image of me, I was going to work hard at cram school once again. Next time I was aiming for rank 25. For now I was just taking little steps. But one day With renewed determination in my heart I opened my exercise book. It was around that time that Umewaka-kun and his friends arrived. Hey Kisshouin-san, he said, I just heard but apparently the guy over by the door, second row from the front, is actually from Suiran too. Do you know him? Eh? This was the first Id heard of any Suiran student going to my cram school. I squinted to get a better look at him but I had no idea who he was. I cannot say that I do I suspect that we have simply never had a cla.s.s together. Really? But he seems to know you, Kisshouin-san. Truly? I hear he only started coming to this cram school this year. If youre from the same school, maybe you could talk to him? I suppose I could. Since he was from Suiran I decided I should at least greet him.It wasnt possible now that our teacher had arrived but I could do so during the break. When that break came around, I walked over to him but when he saw me his expression turned obviously frightened. Eh? How come? I have been told that you attend Suiran. Might this be true? Ah! Yes Apparently this diligent and somewhat plain-looking boy was named Tagaki-kun, and had entered the high school as an External. My name is Kisshouin Reika. May we get along. Yes, I know who you are of course he said oddly fearfully. Come on, is there really a need to be like that? What cla.s.s are you in, Tagaki-kun? Who do you attend Suiran with? Ummm Im in Enjou-sans cla.s.s Enjou-sama? Didnt that mean he was in the same cla.s.s as Wakaba-chan? Then that would place you with Takamichi-san. Are you close with her? Eh!? No, not particularly I see. What is she like in cla.s.s? Does she have friends? Ah I think she does So she made friends too. Thank goodness. I was worried she would be completely isolated. It made sense though, since it wasnt like the whole school hated her. Only some people hated her. Some rather troublesome people, though.Before I returned to my seat, I told him to talk to me if he had any questions since he was attending here alone. He was from Suiran, right? Yes. But because our cla.s.ses are different he is honestly little more than a stranger. He seems to know of me, however. Whats this? Kisshouin-san, are you famous at your school? Kisshouin-san stands out after all~ Actually, I explained, I have been attending Suiran since primary school, which is why I am better-known than those who joined later. By some chance my eyes pa.s.sed over Tagaki-kuns back. Maybe he noticed somehow because he turned around and our eyes met before he quickly turned away. Hmmm~ I wonder how he saw me Oh? Kisshouin-san, could he be scared of you? Leave it alone, please. Later at home I got an email from Bea-tan. Do your best! Im your friend, Reika-tan! Your confidante, Beatrice. Thank you, Bea-tan On a clear, beautiful morning, I b.u.mped into Enjou at the entrance to the school building. Morning, Kisshouin-san. Good morning, Enjou-sama. And then for some reason we ended up heading to cla.s.s together. We pa.s.sed by a number of girls who stopped to stare at him in a daze.I was so jealous I wasnt even doing anything but pretty much every boy averted his eyes from me in fear Whats wrong, Kisshouin-san? Nothing. I see, he smiled brightly. Some of the girls watching on began squealing. Are you not with Kaburagi-sama on this morning? Well its not like we go to school together. Wait, dont tell me you think that each morning we happily ride the same car here? Wouldnt that be pretty creepy for two high school boys? We go to school at the same time, so I guess we b.u.mp into each other a lot. My, is that how it was? But Ive seen you two get out of the same car a few times, yanno. Maybe he noticed something from my expression because he added, Speaking of which, there actually was a period when I went to pick him up. I couldnt really take my eyes off him at the time. I still have you thank you for your help back then. Enjou flashed another smile. Back then, huh. It was thanks to you risking life and limb that we somehow got Masaya to cheer up. Thanks again. You are welcome The way he worded that sounded particularly annoyed me. So he was the one who made me out to be a reject woman! And it looks like my brother has been in your care too. The other day he brought home this toy that he said you taught him. Oh, the snow rabbit! Yukino-kun. He was a pure-white little angel-chan, unlike his wicked black-hearted older brother. I prayed that he wouldnt be led astray by Enjous evil influence. So its called needle felting. I had no idea you had that kind of hobby. My brother was quite happy about it. I see. Then it makes me happy that he enjoyed it. I thought back on his innocent smile and couldnt help but smile myself. It seems that the snow rabbit had special importance to him. He told me about how you and Enjou-sama built snowmen for him. You really spoil him, Enjou-sama. Well, weve got quite an age difference after all. And he hasnt got the best const.i.tution either. Doesnt your own brother spoil you quite a bit too? Why according to the rumours, youre practically a brocon, Kisshouin-san. Although lately its been leaning towards fathercon instead. Tanuki! It is certainly true that my brother and I have always been close, but I have not the faintest idea how the accusations of being a fathercon came about. Ohh? I see. Enjou gave an amused smile. Still under the gaze of other girls, we walked together as far as the front of his cla.s.sroom, before he stopped at the door-frame. Oh, by the way, he muttered, Is it because you love your much older brother so much that your taste is also for older men? Eh? Enjou grinned at me and then headed inside.Scary. Who was he talking about just now? Feeling gloomy despite the nice weather, I headed for my own cla.s.sroom when a small racket caught my attention. It was an excited-looking Nonose-san and Miharu-chan. I told you that the chamberlain wasnt suited for the princess! A princess needs a prince! But I was rooting for the chamberlain. Why not console him? Whatever it was, they seemed to be having fun chatting about it. Nonose-san and Miharu-chan went and called out to Cla.s.s Rep. He seemed delighted that Miharu-chan was coming over to talk to him. As for me, Rune-chan and the others mobbed me and asked what Enjou and I were chatting to happily about. ??????? by . Chapter 121 Ichinokura-san had completely settled into the role of my foodie friend. Our preferences in food just meshed really well.Thanks to that we would eat out together roughly once a week. Just the other day before I had school and he had work, we ended up having sushi for breakfast at the Tsukiji fish markets. Ikura is the best!Because it was a little rushed though, I didnt get to eat as much as I usually did for breakfast. I was starving before lunch even hit Anyhow, over half of my outings with Ichinokura-san had Mao-chan with us. Sometimes even Yuuri-kun was in attendance. Thanks to that I grew closer and closer with her, and even Yuuri-kun seemed to be relaxed around me. Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun were family friends and had gone to the same kindergarten. I couldnt help but think of Sakura-chan and Akizawa-kun. But while Sakura-chan was actively removing obstacles and responsible for any and all progress, Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun seemed more like a proper couple. Mao, have you decided on desert? Mmmm Im stuck. The two of them were sitting in front of me and peering at the same menu together. Which ones are you stuck on? I cant decide if I want this chiffon cake with the fruit ice cream, or if I want the blueberry cheesecake tart. Then how about I order the other one and go halves with you. Okay! Thanks, Yuuri! Hahh, how heartwarming. Going halfsies so that your cute girlfriend can get both. I couldnt keep the smile off my face. Reika-san, said Ichinokura-san from beside me, Have you decided on your dessert too? Oh. Right. No time to be staring at these two.The strawberry tart looked really good, but lately I was really rocking the tiramisu. I was trying them out all over the place and deciding on a ranking. Whats up? I cannot decide between the tiramisu and the strawberry tart. Oh, is that all? Then you should just eat both. It should a piece of cake for you! Yes, I suppose it would be. But I had just finished a main course meal. Eating two desserts afterwards would be pushing it even for me. I mean, sure, I could definitely finish both, but it would be pushing my dignity as a young girl. And also I was kind of scared of ruining the image that Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun had of Reika-oneesama. There was something wrong when your respected oneesama was a ma.s.sive glutton. No, I think I really will simply go with just the tart I said bitterly. Were here already. You should just have both. No, just the strawberry tart is enough. Forgive me, Tiramisu. We ordered. Ichinokura-san was just having coffee. Huhu, this cheesecake is so yummy too. Thanks, Yuuri. Mm. Mao-chan seemed to be really enjoying herself over there with Yuuri-kuns dessert. Theres something about eating sweet things that just make you smile, isnt there~ Aah. Im going to get fat at this rate. Mao-chans words were a shock. Actually, after going eating every week like this I was starting to suspect that I was getting a little round again What are you talking about, Mao, said Ichinokura-san, Kids shouldnt worry about that. You need to eat lots so you can grow up. But I dont want to be fat. Girls are all like that, right, Reika-oneesama? Eh!? Well yes See! Reika-oneesama said so too. Youre skinny, Haruto-niisama, which is why you dont get it. Come to think of it, he really was still skinny ever after eating so much. I dont think I could be any more jealous of him. Could it be that he was one of those types who just couldnt get fat? The dream of all girls!? Ichinokura-san sighed. I dont know why you want to be so skinny for, but I think girls who are a little rounder are much cuter than the really skinny ones. I can tell you that guys all think this. I dont know Really~? I dont know Really~? Yuuri-kun, you agree with me, dont you? What? Do you, Yuuri!? Mao-chan turned an intense gaze on him. Ah I think youre perfect the way you are, Mao Despite being overwhelmed by her att.i.tude, Yuuri-kun still managed a perfect response.Thanks to that, Mao-chan was in a great mood again and went back to eating her chiffon cake. Reika-san, I dont think you should force yourself to diet either. Youre skinny even without all that. Eh-, me, skinny!? What the heck. Maybe my stomach just my imagination then Oh, by the way. When I told Yukino-kun about how I go eating with you, Reika-oneesama, he said he wished he could go too. Eh-, Yukino-kun did!? Apparently hes really taken an interest in that crafts thing you taught him the other day. He told me to ask you to teach him again. My! Maybe I was about to get an angel for a disciple! Aahh, but behind the angel was a wicked older brother that I didnt want to get involved with What was I going to do? For now I decided to finish up the strawberry tart. The four of us went for a walk afterwards. On Ichinokura-sans shoulder was something shiny. I reached out for it and silver hair? Whats wrong? Ah, you had something stuck to your shoulder, Ichinokura-sama. What? Oh, this might be from my cat. Cat? You have a cat? Yeah. Might I ask what breed? Shes himalayan. Her names Alice. Himalayan They had long hair. I was starting to recall a certain someone Reika-sama, Reika-sama, whispered Mao-chan as she tugged on my sleeve, The cat that Haruto-niisama has is a little bit of a fatty, she said like it was some kind of secret, covering her smile with her hand. Ichinokura-san turned around and glared jokingly at her. I can hear you, Mao. Huhuhu, its the truth~ Alice isnt fat. Her fur just makes it look like that. Mao-chan turned to me and shook her head. Its absolutely not the fur. I was more worried about finding out how much Ichinokura-san loved this cat though. One dog maniac was enough for me. Luckily, it turns out that his love for Alice-chan was at a very normal level. Thank goodness If I suddenly got an email from him that read, Im Alice! Nice to meet you! Today I snuggled to sleep with Haru-tan! I dont know what Id do. Wakaba-chans enemies werent limited to the girls who made up Kaburagi and Enjous fans. Some of the boys, particularly the Externals who entered in high school, were hostile because they were jealous of her grades. Being too exemplary could be rough too, couldnt it But like Tagaki-kun had mentioned, a number of girls were friends with her, so Wakaba-chan seemed okay. Sometimes people would badmouth her, but she seemed to be filled with energy each day, so I was hoping that things would stay peaceful. I was na?ve. One day, the Pivoine President brought her 3rd year followers and paid a visit to the 2nd year floor. Chapter 122 Tree doctors (jumokus) in j.a.pan are officially certified arborists who have pa.s.sed an examination accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanakusa-no-sekku Seven Herbs of Spring. The custom of eating seven-herb congee on the Festival of Seven Herbs is said to bring longevity and health. Wakaba-chan happened to have been walking down the hallway and talking with her friends when it happened, which is why it took the President no time at all to spot her. Takamichi-san. Yes? Ah! The moment she saw who had spoken her expression tightened. The girls who had been with her discreetly moved away. Takamichi-san, is enough not yet enough? How much further must you besmirch the name of Suiran before you are satisfied? Eh? Have I done something again? timidly asked Wakaba-chan. The Presidents eyes immediately narrowed. Done something! Today you rode to school on a bicycle, didnt you. A student of Suiran, riding to school on a bicycle? What on earth were you thinking! The bystanders in the hallway began to whisper amongst themselves. Wakaba-chan, you rode to school on a bike? Im sorry Umm There wasnt anything in the rules forbidding it so I thought it would be okay Rules!? Its because n.o.body at Suiran has ever done so that such a rule wasnt necessary! Shameful! Disgraceful! Im sorry Wakaba-chan lowered her head in a bow. By now a number of students were directing unhappy expressions at her. A bicycle?! frowned my friends from beside me. Takamichi-san, this had better not be happening every day. It isnt! Its just that today my train was cancelled because of an accident, and then I was worried about being late, so I thought maybe riding a bicycle would No. Im really sorry But Wakaba-chan didnt live very close to school did she. Just how freaking far did she pedal that thing!? Amazing. Oh, I suppose now wasnt the time to be feeling admiration.Wakaba-chan was looking really down. The President kept her eyes on her while letting out an affected sigh. Takamichi-san. Are you sure youre attending the right school? If you wanted to ride a bicycle to school then wouldnt it have been better to attend one of the public schools at your house? Im really very sorry At any rate, there will not be a second display of this disgrace. Your actions are becoming too much to bear. You had best be prepared if you bring any further shame upon Suiran. Im really sorry! Wakaba-chan continued to bow over and over while the Presidents followers chirped comments like Arent you getting full of yourself just because your grades are good? and Learn your place already. I suppose it was pretty bad for a student at Suiran to ride a bike to school, but was all this really necessary? Whats wrong, Takamichi!? Attracted by the disturbance, Fellow Stalking Horse rushed onto the scene. And what are you supposed to be? glared the President. Im Mizusaki, a member of the Student Council. I know that, obviously. Im asking what a Student Council member thinks hes doing here. Resolving the problems in the school is the duty of the Student Council, he replied with a severe expression. Despite the way Stalking Horse towered over her, the President wasnt cowered in the least and snorted mockingly at him. You seem to be feeling quite good about yourself for a lowly Student Council member. Even impudence has its limits! Wha-! Stop, stop Mizusaki-kun! I was wrong, okay? Please, just stop, begged Wakaba-chan in a panic. She was pulling on his arm and quietly trying to stop him. I guess she didnt want the incident to get any bigger than it already was. Im sorry. From today onwards I wont do such a thing again. Im terribly sorry about today, bowed Wakaba-chan once again. The President huffed, but decided that it was enough. There will not be a second time. I understand. After directing a cold gaze at Wakaba-chan and Fellow Stalking Horse, the President turned on her heel and left. She was walking down the hallway when she spotted me and smiled. My! Reika-sama! Gokigenyoh. Gokigenyoh, Youko-sama. Uwah, she found me I know it must be rough being swarmed by all these stray dogs. If anything happens, dont hesitate to tell us, okay? Goodness, hohoho Stray dogs? I could feel my expression cramping. Everyone was looking at us now. My stomach hurt Stop glaring, Fellow Stalking Horse. I hear that we have new tea at the salon today. You must come by. Yes, I look forward to it. The President nodded magnanimously at me before heading back to the 3rd year cla.s.srooms. Once they were gone, the people left behind in the hallway went into an uproar about what happened. The students that were particularly proud of being from Suiran began scolding her, so Wakaba-chan apologised to them as well. Fellow Stalking Horse shielded her from them and then asked what happened. Actually, I end up biking it to school today Bike!? Why were you doing that? This morning my train was stopped and it didnt seem like Id be able to find another way here on time. I didnt want to lose the money for perfect attendance so I just Couldnt you have just gotten a late note in that case? Aahh! Her whole body slumped. Wakaba-chan, I think the cost for that money is getting a little too high Later that day, Wakaba-chan stealthily rode her bike home Ever since incurring the wrath of the President, criticism of Wakaba-chan increased sharply. What was particularly rough was the way some people would pretend that she wasnt there and badmouthed her. Was she going to be okay? She looked happy enough, but she had to be hurting inside One day I caught sight of Wakaba-chan heading into the Suiran Forest after school. Suiran was well-known for all of the greenery it had. We called the most thickly grown region the Suiran Forest. With how thickly the vegetation grew, the centre was dim and dark. Because n.o.body really wanted to get dirty, pretty much n.o.body went in there. So why was Wakaba-chan I suddenly gasped as the words Sea of Trees Manjuu flashed through my head. It cant be! I rushed after Wakaba-chan in panic. Dont be hasty, Wakaba-chan! When I caught up with her I spotted Wakaba-chan together with the gardener. The man had a tree doctors certification and worked here exclusively for Suiran. They talked for a bit before the gardener handed Wakaba-chan some sort of bag. Huh? After talking for a while longer, Wakaba-chan waved goodbye and then went back the way she came with a smile. I made sure she was gone before approaching the old gardener. Could it be that he talked her down? My apologies for interrupting you at work. That girl from before. What was she doing here? Eh! He turned around in surprise. Ohh, you scared me. I didnt think anybody else was here. Are you asking about Wakaba-chan? She was here looking for wild vegetables. Vegetables? There are a lot of weeds that grow around here, you see, and sometimes she comes looking for them. Taranome angelica shoots, renmai fern, myouga ginger, that sort of thing. Those grow here!? I had no idea! There was food growing here in Suiran!? Lots of them do. Although n.o.body really notices since they have no interest I suppose. This is the first time any student has gone looking for them. Last year I caught Wakaba-chan wandering around here with an encyclopaedia of wild herbs. I asked her what she was doing and she told me she was looking for ingredients. She was interesting so I told her where she could find the good stuff. Is that not a problem? Well they just sort of pop up on their own.n.o.body really planted them there. Picking flowers from the gardens would be one thing, but I dont think the school would mind these at all. My. I see. Thank G.o.d Wakaba-chan hadnt been implicated in thievery. Apparently she was here looking for tempura ingredients today. She really wanted the myouga it seems, but its a bit early for those. She told me she wanted to spice them eat them with hiyayakko. Hiyayakko (ū cold tofu) is a j.a.panese dish made with chilled tofu and toppings, above with myouga. In the end I told her to come back in a week. Oh, and she was looking for Jews ear as well. Said she wanted to make cellophane noodle salad. Far from suffering, Wakaba-chan was enjoying every bit of Suiran to the fullest. Wakaba-chan is growing her own herbs and small vegetables too, so she comes here a lot for advice on growing them. Why, the other dat she came here telling me about how she was in a bit of a pickle because her mint had overgrown. Because she didnt know what to do with it all, she tried making mint tea she told me, and had brought a flask of it along. She really is an interesting girl. The gardener laughed. I wasnt without worries though. Just because the staff and administration were okay with it, if her hater or the Pivoine heard about this it would probably only fuel the fire. I could already hear rumours about how she was too poor to buy groceries Not that her family actually was in poverty. Umm Her ingredient searching is all well and good, but if possible could you keep it a secret from any other students who come asking? Some people might have a problem with it Hm? Really? Well, come to think of it maybe some people would. Then its just going to be a secret between us then. Id feel bad if anything spoilt her fun. Ah, speaking of which, she came here in the middle of winter looking for spring herbs. Later she told me that she ended up making seven-herb congee and now she would be healthy all year. She has refined taste, doesnt she. Seven-herb congee? Would you really call that refined? A high school girl who braved the cold of winter to go ingredient-searching at her school, all because she wanted to make fresh seven-herb congee. Apparently Wakaba-chans personality was both more bold and more shameless than I could have ever imagined But, well, as long as she was having fun For you, I head out to the fields to pick spring greens while snow falls upon my sleeves The last line:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_K%C5%8Dk%C5%8D#Poetry Chapter 123 In j.a.pan, there is a folk belief regarding wooden buildings. When a tree is cut and used as a wooden pillar, if it is placed upside-down relative to its position in life, it can make strange noises at night, bring the house misfortune, or even engender disasters. In a twist of the regular folklore are the patterned pillars of the Youmeimon gate at Nikkou Toushouguu shrine. One of them has reversed patterns but is said to be deliberate as a means of warding off a calamity that was prophesied to occur upon the perfection of the temple. I woke up early the next morning and went to school an hour early. After walking down the empty hallway I glanced into Wakaba-chans cla.s.sroom. Good. n.o.bodywas here yet. I had already checked in advance which desk was Wakaba-chans. All that was left now was to hide my letter in it. I then dashed out of the room before anybody caught me! When I entered my own empty cla.s.sroom, the elation of accomplishment welled up inside me. Mission complete. Inside that letter was a list of things to be careful about if you were going to attend Suiran. No running outside while wearing our uniform, no napping on the train in our uniforms, avoid running in the hallways, stuff like that. Also other things like no rainboots, no raincoats, fans were fine but only folding fans and not uchiwas, no earm.u.f.fs, just as many things like that that I could think of. I mean, I didnt think any high school girl in Tokyo was going to be wearing a raincoat to school, but after remembering the gumboots I realised that it could actually happen one day so I wrote it down anyway. I also made sure to write down warnings for the Pivoine. Actually, you could say that this was the key focus of my letter. Dont approach the reserved seats, move out of the way for members if theyre coming the other way, oh, and when it came to uppercla.s.smen pretty much everybody did that along with a greeting and bow while waiting for them to pa.s.s. I even added in little details like which the Presidents favourite menu items were and that it would be better to avoid ordering those. I also included a list of every Pivoine member in high and middle school. The little peony badges could be hard to see so it was better to know them by face. I didnt know all of the Pet.i.te members myself so I didnt include them. The Pet.i.te salon was separate from ours so it would probably be okay. I did note that they sometimes had older siblings in the Pivoine proper though, so it would be better not to make light of them for being little. Of particular note was Yukino-kun in year one who was better to stay away from entirely. Other advice included a list of names of the more reliable teachers, as well as a list of teachers who were completely in the Pivoines camp. The letter also included a warning that if she went looking for ingredients in Suiran or if she was feeding a cat or other possible scenarios that she made sure to check her surroundings for possible onlookers first. Of course I couldnt just write Be careful while foraging for food! it would pretty much give me away right off the bat. Ah, yes. This letter was written anonymously of course. To avoid being identified the envelope was blank and I avoided handwriting as well. For a while I considered using gloves to avoid fingerprints too, but then I remembered that this wasnt a crime or anything so I decided not to bother. My own safety came first which is why I couldnt just cover for her in public, so the best I could do was help her avoid trouble with this. My apologies. Just in case, the letter included an afternote that asked her not to show it to anybody else. Im counting on you, Wakaba-chan. Please dont suddenly go Huh~? Whats this letter here~? the moment you step into cla.s.s. I had come a whole hour early so now that I had delivered the letter there wasnt anything for me to do. What now I looked out the window and saw members of the sports club already hard at practice. I never really thought about it. After thinking about it for a little, if Wakaba-chan came early and saw the letter, with n.o.body else around I would be outed on the spot. It might be a good idea to find somewhere else to spend the time, at least until more students came. Maybe the salon~? Suddenly, the idea of going to the usually abandoned library occurred to me. I could begin secretly studying in preparation for the next exams. Ohh! What a model student I am! So when I arrived at the library I was shocked that people were already there. It occured to other students to study early in the morning!? I took a seat in the corner and began skimming through todays work. I was making a lot more progress here in the library since there were less distractions than in my room at home. Maybe it would be better to do all my studying here. In my concentration I didnt notice the time pa.s.s. Before I knew it the majority were at school already, so I picked up my bag and went back to cla.s.s. Taking the chance, I took a peek at Wakaba-chan as well, but she didnt behave any differently so I could relax for the moment. Waking up early was starting to take its toll on me. I was really sleepy. I decided not to fight it so I opened mr textbook, leant my chin in my hands, faced downwards and then took a nap as I pretended to study. Thanks to this flawless technique and my mastery of it, not once had I been caught napping in cla.s.s before. Later that day I stayed back because of my duties as a cla.s.s rep. I hadnt managed to get the busywork for the handouts done during break time, so I was doing them now. Not that I minded though, since I didnt have club activities today anyhow. While we were working, Cla.s.s Rep lowered his voice and began to tell me about his progress with Miharu-chan. You know, it kind of feels like recently Im getting to talk with Honda-san more. Nonose-san is in our cla.s.s so she comes to visit sometimes too. When that happens the two of them sometimes come talk to me. Goodness, lucky you. Hehe. We only began talking after that field trip when Nonose-san took over your cla.s.s rep duties. Honda-san helped that time too, and we ended up chatting a lot. After that Nonose-san and I started to get to know each other better. She was the one who told me that Honda-san was getting close with a boy, remember? It turns out that it wasnt anything romantic. Well, not that I asked directly though. I see~ It turns out that Honda-san just thinks that Enjou-kun is really cool. Apparently that isnt the same as liking him romantically though. Actually, she said she thought he suited you. Haaah!? What on earth does that mean!? I couldnt help but shout. That wasnt something I could overlook. Eh-, ah, ummmm~ On the other hand, Nonose-san said that Kaburagi-kun was more suited to you, but I told them that I was neutral. Wha-! You were supposed to deny them! Oh my G.o.d. Yet another crazy conversation happened without my knowing. Are you not supposed to be on my side, Cla.s.s Rep! Mm, of course I am. If I can help then I will. The reason I got closer to Honda-san recently is thanks to you being late during the excursion as well, Kisshouin-san. I knew I could count on you, Love Guru! Well, you are welcome. But more importantly, you need to dispel strange rumours about Enjou-sama, Kaburagi-sama and I! Mmmmm Cla.s.s Rep! I mean, I want to help, but these rumours have been around since primary school. Im not sure it would even be possible to clear them up. What!? Why!? I almost never interacted with them! I fell onto my desk in shock. I didnt want to gain enemies because of these baseless rumours that I didnt know about, and if those two knew then what was most mortifying was if those two thought I really was interested in them! And what if I became even more unpopular because of this Oh? Kisshouin-san, some of your curls are going the other way you know? Eh? I raised my head from the desk to find Cla.s.s Rep lightly pulling some of the hair behind my head. See? Just this area. I used a pair of mirrors to check the back of my head. It was true. Looking carefully, about ten of the curls further in were actually going the wrong way. What on earth!? A flaw in my perfect hair! n.o.body would have noticed since theyre so far in. I only saw them by chance too. My hair was permed, so it must have been a careless mistake Oh no It might have been hidden, but would it be better to get my hair permed again? I might not have noticed so far but now that I knew it was really bothering me. It feels like a good omen somehow. Cla.s.s Rep was carefree while I was upset about it. Stop treating my hair like the pillar of Youmeimon! The next day I arrived at school to find a pleased-looking Cla.s.s Rep headed my way. Today I happened to meet Honda-san in front of the gates, and then we talked about cla.s.swork all the way until the cla.s.srooms. Its thanks to your blessing, Guru! I see This morning I checked countless times to make sure that they werent visible. I wonder how that even happened though. Could it be that they foresaw calamity upon the perfection of my hair and deliberately left it incomplete!? Then maybe these locks of hair were actually Evil-Warding Hair Locks! Those reversed curls are a bit like a four-leafed clover arent they. As expected of the maidenly Cla.s.s Rep I see. So to a maiden a four-leafed clover would come to mind before a temple warding against evil then. Ive even got plans with Honda-san and Nonose-san to study for the upcoming exams together. Ive been really lucky since discovering those curls yesterday. Good for you Well, I suppose if he was happy about it then I was too. Studying with the person you like. It was a heart-thumping and irresistible scenario to any maiden. Ive liked the idea since my last life. Not once had it actually happened though. So apparently these arent anti-evil curls, but good-luck curls instead. If you happen to catch sight of them, theyll bring you good luck, you know? Chapter 124 I think Wakaba-chan read my letter. When I was walking down the hallway she stepped out of the way and bowed to me. Personally I didnt really like the idea of her bowing to me but it demonstrated that she was willing to accede to the Presidents wishes. Hopefully this would make things easier on her. Mao-chan told me that Yukino-kun had fallen ill because of all the rain. Oh my G.o.d! The poor boy!I hoped he was okay. They did say that he had a weak const.i.tution.Just remembering the little angel call me Reika-oneesan was making my chest hurt now Enjou was in the salon so I called out to him on impulse. Ummm, Enjou-sama, is it true that Yukino-kun is feeling ill? Hm? You heard about that fast. Yeah. We had him admitted into hospital because of his asthma. Eh!? Hospital!? It was that bad!? I thought he was just resting in bed, but now I grimaced as I imagined him suffering in hospital. Oh, its not that big of a deal, okay? It happens every year around this time. Were just having him stay in the hospital in case. But if it warrants a hospital admittance then is that not quite bad already? Well, not exactly? Its just quicker to have responders if hes already in hospital. And I think hes used to being admitted to hospital already. Ehh!? In both my lives not once had I ever been sick enough to go to the hospital. Id never ridden an ambulance either. Going to the hospital felt really serious to me. Yukino-kun Its fine. My brother himself is just feeling bored from lying around in bed all the time. I visit him every day after school and its always complaints from him. I see He was only six still. It must have been incredibly lonely and discouraging to be separated from his home and family like thatAnd hospitals had to be really scary at night I hoped he wasnt crying. Enjou-sama! If that is the case then should you not be heading there right now instead of wasting time drinking tea? He must be so lonely! Theres no need to rush. Hes used to it already, so its fine. How cold! How could it be fine for a child to be hospitalised so often he was used to it. Right now Yukino-kun must be staring out of his rainy window, waiting silently for his oniisama to visit him. Is Oniisama coming yet? Its so lonely Uuu, Yukino-kun! Once I imagined it in my head I just Im pretty sure hes watching a DVD or playing a game right now. Haha! Sorry. Anyway, you really dont have to worry so much. Today Im going there with Masaya so well be heading out the moment hes here. Goodness. Kaburagi-sama is going as well? Yukino-kun must have been happy to be getting more visitors. He did mention something about Kaburagi making a snowman for him, didnt he. What on earth was he doing anyway. Hurry up already, Kaburagi! Yukino-kun is waiting, you know! Kaburagi-sama is taking a while. I wonder what his cla.s.s is doing. I couldnt help but begin tapping my foot. Well, I think he should be here soon See? Speak of the devil. Kaburagi opened the door to the salon. About time! Shuusuke- Huh. What are you frowning about? he asked me in confusion. What was I frowning about?* Kisshouin-san here has been getting annoyed at how slow you were. Right, Kisshouin-san? Annoyed at me? Did she need something with me? No, I did not. More importantly, I think you should hurry along. Visiting hours might be ending soon. Huh? Get a move on! If you dont Kaburagi-samaaa! How about having some tea with us? See!? The President and her friends saw you already! Dont sit! Dont tarry!Guohhhgh! Yukino-kun is waiting, d.a.m.n you! d.a.m.n you! I got the feeling that Enjou was giving a knowing smile to my side. The next day I prepared a get-well gift for Yukino-kun. I remember that in my old life, once when I was sick with the cold my older cousin came to visit me. He gave me a fairy tale book as well as a letter written on a sheet with a cute snowman picture on it. Anyhow, I was trying to get Enjou alone so that n.o.body would get weird misunderstandings about this but I was having a lot of trouble with it. It wasnt until after school that he was alone and heading to the car park that I caught him. Enjou-sama! Kisshouin-san? It was showering faintly but I couldnt be bothered with the umbrella and just ran over. Enjou covered me with his one. Whats up? Could you please hand this to Yukino-kun? I held out a ribboned cloth parcel to him. Whats this? A book. I thought it might help with his boredom. Oh? Well thanks. Can I ask what kind of book? Das Wirtshaus im Spessart. A fairy tale that I enjoyed as a child. Fairy tale? Yes. Eh!? Could it be that Yukino-kun does not enjoy fairy tales? Oh no! Had he already grown out of them by Year 1!? No, thats not it. He loves books, so Im sure hell appreciate it. Thanks for this, he smiled after calming me down. Was he lying? Anyway, Ill make sure he gets this. Thank you. I apologise for holding you, Enjou-sama. I shall take my leave. Gokigenyoh. Yeah. See you tomorrow. Oh, and take this umbrella. No need. It is but a short run away. Goodbye! I began running back to the school building. Oh. Even though I told Wakaba-chan not to run, here I was as a Pivoine running with all my might n.o.body was looking, right? Two days later I got a letter back from Yukino-kun. Thanks for the book and the letter, Reika-oneesan. The book was really interesting. It so interesting that I stayed up reading it and then had a fit and they had to give me emergency treatment. Just kidding. Did I scare you? My favourite story was Das kalte Herz. Which did you like the most? Tell me all about it when Im back at school. I go to the hospital a lot so Im fine. The other day Masaya-niisama came by and we played games together. When we were done, Masaya-niisama gave me a DVD for a zombie movie but Ive been too scared to watch it. What should I do - Yukino Kaburagiiiiiiiiiiii! Das Wirtshaus im Spessart. A fairy tale that I enjoyed as a child.The Inn in Spessart or C The Inn in Spessart Forest is a tale written by Wilhelm Hauff.My favourite story was Das kalte Herz.The Cold Heart or The Heart of Stone is written by Wilhelm Hauff as well. Chapter 125 Enjou told me that Yukino-kun had be discharged so I immediately went to the Pet.i.te salon to visit him. Yukino-kun! Welcome back! Reika-oneesan! He greeted me with the smile of an angel but I noticed that he was a little thinner than the last time I saw him. Maybe he wasnt all better yet. Was it okay for him to come to school? Unaware of my worries, he stood up from the couch and trotted over to my side. Ahh! You should stay seated, Yukino-kun! Ehh~ I can at least stand, you know? No, no, you only just left the hospital. Come now, sit. Okayyy. It was a relief that he did as I asked. You were unwell recently, so you must avoid pushing yourself. But Im not pushing myself. Im fine. But Im really fine. But thanks for worrying, Reika-oneesan. Uuu If he smiles at me like that I cant really keep nagging him. But hes really okay, right? Sitting beside me, Yukino-kun was enjoying warm black tea. Oh, that reminds me! Thank you so much for the book. It was really interesting. Really? Thank goodness. Your oniisama told me that you were feeling bored so I wondered how I could help with that. Yeah. It was so interesting I read it twice. I am glad that you enjoyed it. Was it rough living in the hospital? No, it was just like usual. Like usual How many times have you been hospitalised? Ehh~ I dont really remember How many times has it been? Eh!? Hes been in hospital more times than he can remember!? Ive always gone to the hospital whenever I have a bad attach. But there are lots of kids my age there, so its fun, you know? And the doctor puts on a Santa costume during Christmas and we have a party. Eh!? Youve been to hospital during Christmas as well!? Yes, just the once though. No! Christmas should be one of the most important days for a child! To think that he was forced to spend his Christmas in the hospital instead of having fun with his family at home Here I was, living happily and thoughtlessly while somebody his age was suffering. It made me feel kind of guilty Dont look like that, Reika-oneesan. My family came to visit me and gave me lots of presents. And last year I was feeling better so I celebrated at home too. I see. Then you enjoyed yourself with all of your family last Christmas? Yes. Ah, but Niisama wasnt there. My! And after you were finally at home to celebrate too! d.a.m.n that Enjou. How could he leave his cute little brother like that. I bet a popular guy like him was on a date with some girl. A little harem world where he was waited on hand and foot by all of his little followers. What an unbelievable guy. Unforgivable. Going on harem dates while I spent every Christmas single Niisama went with Masaya-niisama to the Sea of j.a.pan. He brought back crabs as a souvenir, you know? I heard that because of the blizzard the sea was really dark and stormy. Sorry for the misunderstanding, Enjou. You had an even rougher Christmas than I did, didnt you A Christmas, spent with another guy, at the Sea of j.a.pan, in the middle of a snowstorm. And with that other guy completely unresponsive because of heartbreak. I bet you had to experience it yourself to really understand that kind of suffering Still, I had no idea that you were so ill that you had to be repeatedly hospitalised The treatment must be rough. Its just inhalers and an IV, so its fine. So they give you an IV as well Given that my health was one of my few redeeming features, I had never used an IV before. It sounded so scary, having a needle stuck in your arm the whole time Id always been afraid of needles Actually this time they couldnt use the vein in my arm so they used the back of my hand instead. See? Eh-, the back of your hand!? He showed me the red mark on the back of his hand. They stabbed his hand for this!? Just looking at it was painful! It doesnt hurt that much, you know? What really hurt was when they used the back of my foot. Just once was enough. Foot!? There was almost no flesh there! Uooohhhh! Painful!Why did Yukino-kun who was as cute as an angel have to keep suffering these things! Yukino-kun! If there is anything I can do to help, let me know! Thanks, Reika-oneesan! Im serious, you know? Im kind of useless but for you Ill do anything, you know? After that he told me about how he liked animals but couldnt keep one because of his asthma, so I showed him the pictures of Bea-tan that Umewaka-kun sent me. He found her cute and lit up. All of the affection her owner gave her wasnt just for show. Her hair was definitely glossy and cute. That owner on the other hand Yukino-kun said that he liked cats too, so I decided to ask Ichinokura-san for photos next time. This year the Handicrafts Club had a boy member join. His name was Minami-kun and he was really good at it. Particularly his embroidery. Thanks to that we were hoping a lot out of him for the wedding dress we were making for the school festival this year. And it was Minami-kun that I spotted being teased by other boys in the hallway leading to our clubroom. Minami, I heard you entered the Handicrafts Club? Are you a tranny or something? So you knit and stuff? Holy s.h.i.t, youre a loser! Minami-kun was a quiet type, so he was standing stock and bearing it. Ah. They poked him. Oi, Minami, show us what youre making! Stop it! They were trying to s.n.a.t.c.h his bag from him now. This wouldnt do. What might you all be doing? I asked. All of them turned my way at once. Who are you supposed to be? You dumba.s.s! Thats the 2nd year Kisshouin Reika-san! From the Pivoine! Eh-, the Pivoine!? Minami-kun is a member of my club. Did you need something? I walked up to them, making sure my Pivoine badge flashed in the light, but the boys picking on Minami-kun flinched and backed away. Ummm Um, we were just They looked at each other for help. Just now I think I heard you make light of the Handicrafts Club. Was it my imagination? Eh!? They stiffened. No, we didnt mean it like that Right? Yeah, one agreed. Yes agreed another. Oh? I asked, Minami-kun is somebody very important to my club. Please do not forget that if you come up with any strange ideas about Minami-kun then you can consider having made an enemy of me. All right? I flashed a bright smile to finish it off. The boys who had been teasing Minami-kun all gave very acceptable responses before hurrying off. Goodness, you shouldnt run in the hallways, you know? Umm! Kisshouin-senpai, thank you very much! bowed Minami-kun. It was no problem at all. Protecting my kouhai is my job as a member of the club. If anything happens again, do tell me. Now come. Shall we head to the club? Yes!! he nodded energetically. As if I could allow one of our key strategic resources to run off because of some idiots. I couldnt do embroidery at all. With his bag held tightly in both hands, Minami-kun half-ran after me. I heard that the next day Ririna declared to him, Well, if youre Ririna-sans kouhai then I guess I have no choice but to protect you too. Wasnt he basically invincible amongst his peers now? Chapter 126 I continued to eat out with Ichinokura-san and Mao-chan each week. Ichinokura-san really did seem to love food. The other day when I told him I felt like xiaolongbao, he replied, I know the best place. Ill take you. It seems that he meant it because that weekend we ended up in Taiwan. After leaving the airport we headed directly to the restaurant where they brought out xiaolongbao in those stacked bamboo steamer things, so we ate and ate. Xiaolongbao is a type of steamed bun, traditionally filled with pork. One popular and common variant is pork with minced crab meat and roe. At first I had wondered if there was any need to go to Taiwan just to eat xiaolongbao but by the end of it I was convinced. This was definitely the best xiaolongbao I had ever had. When I heard about red bean xiaolongbao I thought it was some mistake, but when I tried them they were delicious too. Besides the xiaolongbao we also had steamed jiaozi and siu maai and stuff. By the end of it I was so full I could burst. After that we went and bought some tea as a souvenir. Some Jasmine tea, as well as this other tea whose name caught my attention. Dongfang Meiren(Oriental Beauty). It was advertised as being good for weight loss, so I ended up buying it too. If possible I would definitely be onboard with burning away all that I ate today. I was so full that it felt like my stomach would burst. I also bought a tea set with a cute drawing of a pigtailed girl. Drinking from this would probably be fun. It gave the right atmosphere. There was apparently something popular with women around so I had a look and found a flower blooming in boiled water. It was flowering tea. I bought it without a thought. I could gift this to Mao-chan. We never went to a sightseeing location during out blitz tour. All we did was eat xiaolongbao and then come back from Taiwan. It showed me just how seriously Ichinokura-san took food. But it was fun, even if all we did was eat. I wanted to go there again with somebody else, this time for longer. The problem was that I didnt have somebody to invite Id rather not go along. When I got home I excitedly tried some of the flowering tea. But when I poured the how water in, it turned out kind of gross. Like a bundle of caterpillar fungus Sorry, Mao-chan. I hated how it rained every day. Feeling a bit gloomy, I opened the door to the salon to Kaburagi playing Chopins Raindrop. The people in the salon were enchanted. It wasnt often that hed play the piano here but sometimes hed feel like it and show us just how skilled he was in music. Before I realised it I was drawn in as well. Just standing there and listening. I even unknowingly swayed my body to it. When he was done, everybody broke into applause. Myself included, of course. He was really good. My mood seemed to have lifted as well. Maybe had I come earlier I could have heard the start too. What a shame. That was a wonderful performance, Kaburagi-sama! Hearing you play Raindrop makes me think that the rainy season might be a good thing. Kaburagi-sama, could you not play us another song? The girls were already surrounding him. I was just watching them blankly when Enjou came along. Since youre already listening, how about a request, Kisshouin-san? he said as he pushed me into the ring. Masaya, play a song that Kisshouin-san likes. Eh!? I was startled. What on earth was he saying! I looked at him with wide eyes but he whispered, As thanks for Yukino. Hah? Everybody was looking at me now. Kaburagi was looking as us suspiciously. Were always in your care, Kisshouin-san. So any song, just name it. Oi, whos supposed to be playing this exactly? Hm? Well you, Masaya, smiled Enjou. Everybody was already well aware that Kaburagi only played the piano when Kaburagi felt like it. He wouldnt play just because you requested something. Wouldnt this be shaming me if he said no!? Gahhhh! What song? Eh!? Kaburagi stared at me. Dont tell me he was really going to play?! I could already hear the girls sighing dreamily. Ummm Oh no, oh no. I hadnt thought about what song to ask for so my eyes were swimming and I was completely panicked. Aah, stop looking at me!Fine! Something upbeat then! Then, Chopins Fantasie-Impromptu please. After saying it I realised it was a hard one so I was about to take it back, but Kaburagi looked up in thought for a moment and agreed. Got it. Eh!? Was he going to play without any rehearsal!? The Fantasie-Impromptu!? Leaving me to my shock, Kaburagi stretched his fingers and then began to play with vigour. Today I was having another outing with Mao-chan and Ichinokura-san. Although Yuuri-kun usually came, he wasnt here today. Will Yuuri-kun not be joining us today? I asked. Mao-chan puffed her cheeks out. I had a fight with Yuuri. A fight? But you seem to get along so well. Yuuri said to me, Did you get fatter recently? Fatter!? Dont you think that was so mean? I dont need Yuuri anymore! Oh my G.o.d. Yuuri-kun!? How could he said that to a girl. Hes the worst! Dont you think so, Reika-oneesama? I suppose. Mao-chan was in a really bad mood. After being told that, I could see why she was hurt and angry. Ichinokura-san was listening as well, so he consoled her. You arent fat at all, Mao. Youre still growing so you shouldnt worry about these things. Actually, it makes you even cuter. Reika-oneesama, did I get fat? Of course not! You are adorable, Mao-chan. But now that I looked closer, she did seem a little rounder than usual Its not cute when girls are all skin and bones. Youre always cute, Mao, so you shouldnt worry. It took some effort but we finally cheered her up and went for some delicious dessert. Asking if somebody got fat recently n.o.body had actually said that to me yet, but was I still okay? But then Ichinokura-san said that plump girls were cuter than skinny ones So I was still fine, right? Mao-chan and I ate our desserts with smiles. Chapter 127 Because of my grandmas influence Ive enjoyed handicrafts since I was young. Whenever winter came I would always begin to knit with her. Anything simple enough to make, I made. Whenever I finished something I could show it to everyone, and it really made me happy when they praised me for it. My favourite had to be embroidery. Creating a complex design with nothing but thread took a lot of hard work. It was hard to describe just how fulfilling it was when I completed one. But it wasnt long before I found out that boys were mocked for doing these things. I was teased quite a lot in primary and middle school because of it. I didnt join the Home Economics Club in middle school for that reason. I figured that I could just do it at home. I hadnt planned to change my mind in high school either. But Suiran was my first choice and I went to their school festival to scout it out. The moment I laid eyes on the wedding dress centrepiece for the Handicrafts Club, my heart was stolen. I heard from others that the club had worked together to create it. I wondered if I could make something like that too if I joined After desperate study, I managed to get accepted. It was overwhelming just how incredible the facilities were compared to any other school I knew. In my middle school I had been one of the more well-off students, but the wealth of the Internal Students was a different order of magnitude. And the students called the Pivoine were simply beyond comparison. I had heard stories about them before entering. About how not only were they wealthy, but they held the power at school. There was a room called the Salon that was exclusive to them, and it was unthinkable to cross them because they could do anything they wanted without consequence. According to the rumours, if you angered one they could torment you until you dropped out of school It was frightening. My own grade supposedly held ten of them. I realised that I had to avoid their attention or else Despite the trouble I had adjusting to a new school, I was ready to visit the club that I longed for.Completely as expected, the club was nothing but girls. I wasnt sure what to do, and considered giving up on it after all. But the new model of embroidery machine had gotten hold of me. I was a firm believer of manual embroidery but I wanted to try all of it! The weaving machine seemed like fun! I happily listened to all the senpai speak about handicrafts. I would probably be made fun of again, but I really wanted to join. At some point I noticed of a row of torso mannequins in the back of the room. By chance I caught sight of a full mannequin wearing our uniform. My curiosity drew me over. What lay beyond was an intricately made life-sized doll of a girl with ringlets. Or so I thought but she was alive! She was a human! Eh? Why on earth was she sitting there, I wondered. The girl didnt notice me and never lifted her head. Upon closer inspection I realised that she was absorbed with stabbing something with a needle. Eh A voodoo spell? She seemed like a dangerous person I wondered if this club was actually suspicious While I was stuck watching with my heart thumping in my chest, somebody called me from behind. I couldnt help but let out a small shriek. Is something wrong? the Club President had whispered. Umm Who is that person? I whispered back. For a moment I saw her eyes swim. Thats a member of our club from 2nd Year. I fearfully asked just one more question. Just what is she doing? Black magic? We were talking right beside her, but Ringlets-senpai was completely engrossed in her work. Actually it was like she couldnt hear us at all, and continued stabbing obsessively at the figure in her hand. Ohh. We call that needle felting. Its a crafts technique thats been pretty popular recently. You stab wool with a needle to create shapes out of it. So thats what she was doing. I had no idea. Reika-sama. Reika-sama? The President had moved one of the torsos out of the way, and called out to Ringlets-senpai who looked up at us in blank bemus.e.m.e.nt. She had the face of a doll as well. This is a 1st year whos come to see our club. I think hes interested in your needle felting, Reika-sama. Suddenly, Ringlets-senpais face lit up. This is needle felting, where you use a needle to make things. It is simple and fun, you know? This is the red panda I am making. Look! She held out the figure in one hand to show me, but instead of looking like a red panda on two legs, it really just looked like a voodoo doll to me But she told me Please do join our club! and her smile was so bright and happy that I couldnt help but smile back. Reika-sama might seem unapproachable at first, but once you talk to her youll realise that shes very kind and loves handicrafts a lot. You wont have to worry, all right? Yes. The club had a rather odd senpai in it, but the club members seemed to freely enjoy themselves which is why I made up my mind to join. Never would I have imagined that the funny senpai I met was actually a member of the Pivoine, and one of the most powerful people in 2nd Year Not long after the term began, Kisshouin Reika-senpai became well-known amongst my grade as well. There were a number of famous senpai at our school, and the most famous amongst them was the Emperor, Kaburagi Masaya-senpai. The first time I saw him I was overawed by his presence and charisma. Amazing, I thought. This person who people called an emperor was like a different existence to me. He brought the words ruler and conqueror came to mind. Kisshouin Reika-senpai was included amongst those celebrities. She was the daughter of the Kisshouin family, and was the leader of the largest faction of 2nd year girls. It was said that if Kaburagi-senpai was an emperor, then Kisshouin-senpai was an empress. When I heard that story I finally realised what an outrageous person I had gotten entangled with, and couldnt stop the shivers. How could that have been a voodoo doll. There was no need for voodoo. If she wanted she could erase anybody she wanted with ease. I didnt know what to do. How could I have known that an una.s.suming club like the Handicrafts Club could have had a Pivoine member. And not just any Pivoine but the Empress of all people. People had told me that if a Pivoine ever bothered with a club, then the girls would almost always join the Flower Arrangement Club or the Tea Ceremony Club After realising the truth I was terrified for a while. But despite my apprehensions, Kisshouin-senpai always attended the club with pa.s.sion, and was always enthusiastic about partic.i.p.ating. She might have been clearly different to everybody else there, but she seemed strangely at home to me. Your embroidery is amazing, Minami-kun. I already know you will shine during the school festival, Kisshouin-senpai smiled brightly at me like always. Thanks to that, before I knew it I was replying to her normally. When I mentioned that I was thinking of embroidering a tapestry for the school festival she praised me and cheered me on. I asked her what she was planning on doing, but her expression turned troubled and she told me, Actually, I might really like handicrafts but admittedly I am not very good at them Whats your favourite technique? I asked, and it was, as expected, needle felting. I asked her why she couldnt just go with that then but she was worried that it would look pathetic next to the rest. Hmm Then why not use needle felting to make something wonderful that you can be proud of? I asked. I held out my hands and gestured something large enough to hold in both arms. Senpais face immediately lit up. I shall go discuss this with the Club President at once! With that, she flew off. She might have been a member of the Pivoine, but Kisshouin-senpai really wasnt scary at all, was she. At least that was what I thought. One day I was being hara.s.sed by boys from my cla.s.s, and was being mocked for enjoying handicrafts again. They had done this a lot since finding out what club I had joined. I spent each day nervous that it would finally escalate into bullying. I had hoped that I could just endured it. But when they s.n.a.t.c.hed the bag with my tapestry in it I couldnt bear with it any longer. It was at that moment that Kisshouin-senpai appeared. She was like a different person to the senpai who attended club activities with a carefree smile. Kisshouin-senpai confronted my cla.s.smates head-on, and gave them a terrifying warning with a smile. Panicked by the appearance of a big-shot from the Pivoine, my cla.s.smates ran with their tails between their legs. I was really happy when she said that I was important to her. And just a moment ago she had the same aura of a ruler that the Emperor did. It was so cool. I decided that until she graduated I would follow her all the way! When we entered the cla.s.sroom, senpai had transformed into her usual self completely. With a new pair of mens socks in her hand, she said to me, I want to embroider a tanuki on these, so could you please help? Why tanuki on socks, I wondered, and asked her as much. To hara.s.s a lying tanuki, she replied. After I taught her how to do it, she muttered, None of the socks will escape as she began embroidering some mysterious creature onto it. I supposed that a commoner like me would never understand the taste of a n.o.ble The next day I was summoned by Kotou-san from the cla.s.s next door. Kotou-san was a famous External Student who entered during middle school. Despite that she was bold and unrestrained, and back when she made an enemy out of scores of Internal Students she shot back, Not only do you second-rates have worse marks than me, but you have less money as well! A half-baked rabble like you have no grounds to complain! At the end of it all she even formed her own faction. She was scary. And I had no clue why she had called me out While I was standing there filled with anxiety, Kotou-san raised her chin haughtily and declared with equal arrogance, Well, if you''re Reika-san''s kouhai then I guess I have no choice but to protect you too. If anybody bothers you, report to me. Ill crush them! Surprised, I asked her why she was doing this only to find out that shockingly, Kisshouin-senpai was her cousin. I commented that they must have gotten along well, but she denied it and yelled at me instead. With Kisshouin-senpai and Kotou-san behind me, the boys in my cla.s.s had all gone quiet. Speaking of Kotou-san, although she was wilful and had a strong ego, she was the type to protect her own. Thanks to that, she had a lot of companions, both boys and girls. Now it looked like I was set to be one as well. One day she gave me an order. Reika-san has been getting fat recently. Shop Boy. Go and let her know that shes getting fat. Naturally there was no way I could say that! I flat-out refused, but instead she replied, Then Ill go tell her! before trying to rush out of the cla.s.sroom. Noooo! Please dont! screamed a number of my cla.s.smates. Somehow they succeeded in stopping her but now Kotou-san was pouting. But Reika-san she sulked. She really did love Senpai, didnt she? Anyhow, I wasnt exactly happy about it but she gave me the nickname Shop Boy. It had all begun with this. So your name is Minami Raita? Then its Minarai(Apprentice) for short, isnt it. From today on youre Apprentice. I told her that I didnt want a nickname like that. Oh. Then since youre an apprentice, Shop Boy it is. That was how I was stuck with something even worse Urgh But oddly enough, it seemed like people started talking to me more after I turned into Shop Boy. Because I had Senpai and Kotou-san, n.o.body used me as a gopher even though I was a Shop Boy, and everybody remembered me now too. I guess in that sense being a Shop Boy wasnt so bad then? My new friend, who was oddly well-informed, told me a rumour. Apparently the Emperor had given Kisshouin-senpai a love poem anthology, and had played her a song on the piano. Not only that but his best friend, Enjou-senpai, had shared an umbrella with her on the way home, and had gotten a gift too, and she was just living an incredibly splendorous life. That was Kisshouin-senpai for you~ When I looked out the window I think I saw Senpai and her friends being attacked by a flock of pigeons. But I must have made a mistake. How could that have happened to Kisshouin-senpai? The senpai in the Student Council often worried about Externals like us. The other day they told me, If you end up in trouble with any of the Internal Students, and particularly any of the Pivoine, please come and talk to us. I threw out my chest and replied, I have Kisshouin-senpai so Ill be fine! Translators note: I was really happy when she said that I was important to her. To clarify, the line she originally used in chapter 125 was literally, Minami-kun is my clubs daiji na kouhai Daiji literally translates to important, but can generally be taken as meaning valuable (in the sense of strategic or exhaustible resources), precious (in the sense of friends, family, or a loved one), or somewhere in-between. The joke is that (although she obviously doesnt really mean it) shes treating him as a valuable war a.s.set, but he thinks that shes saying that she and the club cherish him as a member. "Minami-kun is somebody very important to my club. I was really happy when she said that I was important to her. was how I tried conveying the misunderstanding. What do you think? Chapter 128 I was studying for my term end exams at night when I suddenly felt a little hungry. Thats why I began eating some chocolate snacks made by a company named after the Rococo Queens dynasty. Crunchy and delicious. They were light too, so I couldnt stop eating them. I hadnt skipped dinner or anything either. Actually, lately I was starting to feel suspicious that whatever controlled fullness in my brain had gone haywire I think maybe my stomach had gotten bigger after all the times with Ichinokura-san Still, you couldnt win a war on an empty stomach. Although n.o.body had noticed, I had still gotten rank 29 last time. I fully intended to hold the line. Even as my hands provided supplies to my brain, I was memorising and memorising. It was all part of my plan. I had heard that after memorising you could move it into long-term memory by sleeping. Thats why I went to bed fully expecting success so why was it that after I woke up everything had gone!? What was the meaning of this!? Far from long-term memory I had to painstakingly re-memorise almost half of everything I did last night. I couldnt go on. It was going to be a failure for me Aahh, just how on earth did Wakaba-chan study? I really wanted to know. I thought that maybe better blood circulation to my brain would help with memorising so I got in the bath an tried to remember the timeline for my history course but then I just got dizzy and things got even worse. Do your best, Reika! Anyhow, I studied, the exams came, and then I did the exams. The result was me at rank 30. Uohhh! I just managed to stay on the ranking boards by the skin of my teeth, but I did it! Goodness! Reika-sama, youre rank 30! Youre amazing, Reika-sama! This time, the girls around me noticed. I was so happy! But I couldnt exactly show it. Oh. So I am, hohoho, I laughed, pretending like I didnt care. Little did they know that I had actually studied half to death for that result. And they never would. As expected of you, Reika-sama! Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan kept praising me, so I said, Thank you. But in truth I actually dropped in rankings, you know? I could not quite find the time to study this time around casually emphasizing my previous achievement. Truly!? Dropped to 30th place? You really are different to us, Reika-sama! To think that you made 30th place without studying! The praise came more and more. I was so happy that I started to smirk, so I had to quickly cover my mouth with my hand. I think that will do, everyone. My results were nothing special. Kaburagi-sama and the others are the ones we should be praising, no? I changed the subject because they were praising me so much it started to sound like sarcasm. Oh, youre right! As expected of the Emperor of Suiran! This time Kaburagi had made a comeback and reclaimed his spot in 1st place. Not only that but Enjou was 2nd place. Wakaba-chan was 3rd. With Kaburagi and Enjou in 1st and 2nd place, unlike last time everybody was celebrating instead. Did you see that!? Thats the power of our representative! was the feeling they gave. Wakaba-chan was staring at the board with her mouth hanging open. Some girls who didnt like her started talking about how it was just a fluke last time. Its Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama! Like Moses parting the ocean, the crowd moved out of the way as they came. Everybody watched as they looked at the board. Oh, for a moment one side of Kaburagis mouth twitched upwards. Kaburagi-sama, congratulations on 1st place! Youre amazing, Enjou-sama! Enjou smiled and gave his thanks amongst the storm of praise, while Kaburagi acted as though his result were natural. Somebody said As if he could lose to the likes of Takamichi-san, which caused him to look her way. With a smile, he approached her. Ah well. Do your best next time, he said, giving her a pat on the shoulder, before leaving magnificently together with Enjou. Left behind, Wakaba-chan was now suffering from some inexplicable jealousy at being pat on the shoulder Kaburagi really hated losing. Kaburagi, I bet you studied your b.u.t.t off this time, didnt you. Since the exams were over, Ichinokura-san invited me out to celebrate. And this time he said there was somebody he wanted to introduce. Apparently it was his lover! Apparently Mao-chan had no idea about Haruto-niisamas lover so it came as quite a shock to her. When I went to visit her in the Pet.i.te salon she was looking a little down. And Yuuri was absent from her side again. Apparently he had asked if she had gotten even fatter. I had no idea that Haruto-niisama had a girlfriend Yes, it was my first time hearing it too. To Mao-chan, it must have felt like her beloved Oniisama was being taken away. She seemed lonely, so I wrapped my arm behind her and patted her on the shoulder. If Oniisama was taken away by a lover, would it be as shock to me as well? I wanted Haruto-niisama to date you, Reika-oneesama Eh!? That was I mean, there was quite an age difference. Ichinokura-san was 26 now, wasnt it? Dating me would be a crime, you know? He used some killer words back at the flower viewing party so my heart had throbbed a little, but once we got to know each other better he was more like my foodie comrade. And he said that it was fun eating with somebody else who really enjoyed their food. He was really relaxing and soothing to be around, and was comfortable in a different way to Oniisama. Even if he had a girlfriend, I hoped our relationship could continue. There was n.o.body else whose taste in foods meshed this well, after all. Mao-chan, Ichinokura-sans happiness is important, yes? Should you not be happy for him? Yes. She gave a little nod. I wonder what kind of person she is. Ichinokura-san chose her after all. She must be wonderful. I think she must be somebody who loves eating with Haruto-niisama! said Mao-chan with a smile. It looked like she was feeling better now. And mmn, I agreed. I could see somebody touring restaurants with him. She must be somebody plump the way Haruto-niisama likes. I think I agree. Since it was Ichinokura-sans girlfriend, she had to be a huge eater. I find myself looking forward to this weekend. Mao-chan and I nodded to eat other with a smile. That weekend, Mao-chan and I met his girlfriend in the early afternoon. She was slender and dainty like a model. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!? Incidentally, the brand she was talking about at the beginning: Chapter 129 She was my cla.s.smate in high school. This is Yumiyama Erika-san. h.e.l.lo. Smiling besides Ichinokura-san, Yumiyama Erika-san was slender like a model. Actually not like. I had seen her in fashion magazines before. She was literally a model. What are you having, Reika? Ill just go with a salad. I have a photo shoot soon. Mao-chan and I had arrived earlier and already ordered, so sitting in front of us now were countless plates. Mao-chan looked at her own orders, and then looked at Reika-sans salad. We couldnt exactly waste food that we ordered either, so in front of Erika-san and her tiny salad, Mao-chan and I were forced to awkwardly eat our usual fill of calories. Ive heard so much about you two from Haruto, she smiled. Hes always talking about how cute his niece and her friend are. And gosh was he right! You really are as cute as a doll~! She clapped her hands together in happiness. Didnt I tell you? Mao and Reika-san are like adorable little sisters. Just going out to eat with them is enough to do away with all my stress. Ichinokura-san flashed a smile beside her. Youre such a gourmand, Haruto~ she replied. Actually, Ive known about Mao for quite a while now, but recently he began telling me about you as well, Reika-san, and I just had to meet you. I was startled. Umm, I apologise for always going out to eat with him. I had no idea he was taken, and did not mean anything by it If I upset you in any way, I will make up for it. Uh oh. Dont tell me she had to meet me to stop taking her boyfriend out to play?! We werent playing though. We were eating. Ah! Didnt we go to Taiwan the other day!? Although to be honest it was a one-day trip so you couldnt really call it going on vacation with somebody. But still! Dont tell me I was in the position of some housewrecker!? Aahh! Reika! Didnt you learn anything after that time with Kasumi-sama!? Adultery Demanding reparations No! I didnt mean it like that! You didnt do anything to upset me at all! she exclaimed as she waved her hands in denial. Actually, Im really happy that he finally has somebody to eat with, you know? Really? You know how much Haruto loves food, dont you? Ive been trying to eat out with him as much as I can, but I just cant. But then recently I heard that you and Mao were going places with him and I was just so relieved. Haruto always tells me how much he enjoys his meals with you two, you know? I put on a smile and nodded along. Youre just a small eater, Erika, said Ichinokura-san, You dont have to force yourself to come with me. And Reika-san, when I first met you you wouldnt even touch the food. I was really worried, you know? But thankfully when we met again at Maos birthday I found you happily eating away. Erika has never eaten much, and now her job needs it too, but these you are still growing so you need to eat him. Oh, what should we get for dessert? With that, Ichinokura-san showed the dessert menu to the two of us, even after all of the food We talked about how they first met, or about Erika-sans modelling job, and to be honest it was a nice enough lunch. And there had been no need for me to worry about Taiwan either, because Erika-san had said to me with a smile, It must have been tiring going to Taiwan. Im glad the xiaolongbao were good. Ive been drinking the tea Haruto got me every day. Ichinokura-san spoke. Now then, what shall we do? Erika wanted to go with you wherever you two wanted. Yes. How about shopping? I could get you two clothes that would look good on you. Oh, or did you want to go eat something else? Mao-chan and I made eye contact. No, I am afraid I must be excusing myself. I would not want to disturb you on your date. Me too! Im full so Im going to go home now! Eh? You dont have to worry about that, said Ichinokura-san. Yeah! We only just met too, and youre leaving already? agreed Erika-san. I simply cannot accept disturbing you two further, I said cheerfully. Youre right, Reika-oneesama. Haruto-niisama, youre the one who shouldnt be holding back. Go enjoy your date! smiled Mao-chan. The two of them gave slightly troubled smiles at our teasing. Then at least let us send you off, he said. No need. My family will send a car. Please, go on. Reika-oneesama, in that case could you drop me off too? Of course, Mao-chan. Hmm Is this really okay? he asked. It is, it is the two of us cheerfully rea.s.sured him. Well definitely meet again right? asked Erika-san, Mao-chan, Id be really happy if you called me oneesan too. Mao smiled at her bashfully. And so the two of us saw the couple off with a smile before silently walking in the other direction. Mao-chan, shall we go somewhere? Yes The two of us entered a nearby caf and ordered something sweet to drink. What the heck was that! Haruto-niisamas girlfriend was exactly skin and bones! exploded Mao-chan. She was a model after all Unbelievable! He kept saying over and over that plump girls were better than skinny ones and then he chooses a skinny model!? Whats wrong with him! Mao-chan was clenching her fists in rage. I thought it was unbelievable too. Erika-sans legs were as skinny as my upper arm. Were her legs too skinny, or were my arms too thick She truly ate nothing but salad, it seems. Even though Ichinokura-san had completely denounced diets to the two of us Right!? We ate so much but she was the only one eating just a salad! It was like she was laughing at us for eating so much! Mm I was sure that the person Haruto-niisama chose would be a plump girl who loved food and was good at cooking. But instead she was a dieter who ate nothing but salad! Mao-chans cheeks were turning red from rage. I silently drank my banana au lait. Mao-chan was hanging her head when she muttered. Ive gotten fat. Eh!? You and Haruto-niisama said I wasnt but Ive been thinking about what Yuuri-kun said I got on the scales and they said I was fatter. But Okaasama said I didnt look fat at all, so I thought that maybe I was still okay Are you actually me, Mao-chan? Yuuri-kun was right Haruto-niisama is a big fat liar! Mao-chan looked bitter and frustrated. I see I guess I got fat too Reika-oneesama! Mao-chan looked at me in shock. I have somewhat noticed it as well. That my weight has increased recently. But I turned away from reality. No, Oneesama! You dont look fat at all, Oneesama! No. I look like a pear under this ! Mao-chan and I held each others hands tightly. Looking around, all of the girlfriends in the caf had tiny cakes, and they used forks to make even tinier bites to eat from. Every one of them without exception was cute and skinny. n.o.body ate more than two or three bites. I was fooled by Alices owners sweet words, and before I knew it I had transformed into Humpty Dumpty When I got home, a happy tanuki came over. Reika! Otousama bought you your favourite cakes, so come eat with me! I glared at him and returned to my room. Hate! I hated all the men in this world! Liars! Liars! Liars! They spouted lies about men liking plumper girls and but in the end they always chose the skinny ones! What they said and what they thought were complete opposites! They said they liked girls who could eat a lot but in their hearts they were laughing at us! That was the truth! Nuoooooohhhhhh!!! I vented all of my hatred and frustration into my needle felt. Stab! Stab stab stab! Eloim, Essaim! Eloim, Essaim! Uohhhhhhh!!! My roar filled the Kisshouin house. A pox on all the lying men in the world! Chapter 130 Woke up a bit early to do this so likely to have mistakes though, so if you see one please comment. Actually, please check the comments before you comment. No matter how many times you guys notify me, I can only fix the chapter once after all. It appears that for a moment I may have lost myselfHow scary. I hope that was not possession.Thank goodness I regained my sanity before delving into the world of onmyou and dark magic. Now then. If I wanted to look reality in the eyes, then I needed a suitable advisor.When I left the room for some reason Otousama was standing silently right outside my door. Scary! What was he trying to accomplish by invading outside his daughters room like this. Did you need something, Otousama? Reika-chan, did something happen? You can talk to Otousama about it. Otousama would do anything for you, you know? Come! Voice your worries to me! Hah? What was all this, all of a sudden? Was he in shock because I rejected those cakes?I didnt quite understand but right now I was busy, so sorry, but I rejected him and headed for the living room. The tanuki called Reika~ Reika~ from behind me. Ugh, that was actually really scary Wasnt Otousama the one with worries here? Okaasama was drinking tea in the living room. Reika-san, please be quiet indoors. I heard something like a wild animal. Ah, my apologies. So they heard the scream of my soul. Is that why Otousama was trying to peep on me? In that case sorry. Dont worry. I just accidentally tapped into my demonic side for a bit. I saw down besides Okaasama. Say, Okaasama. Have I gotten fatter? Having thought about it for a while, I realised the only person I could ask in this household was Okaasama. Otousama was sweet on me and he was tubby himself, so no way would he called me fat. Oniisama on the other hand was a gentleman, so he definitely wouldnt be clear with me either. In the end I could only ask a fellow woman like Okaasama if I wanted it to be given to be straight. When Okaasama heard my words, her eyes widened. Then after a moment, she nodded quietly. I knew it! So youve noticed as well, Reika-san Okaamsaa! Why did you not tell me earlier! Isnt a parent supposed to be strict sometimes for their childrens sake!? Im sorry. Okaasama just couldnt say it Okaamsama I suppose as the mother to a girl at a delicate age, there were just some things hard to say. When did you notice, Okaasama? Lets see. I suppose for one or two months now I see The other day we went to a hotel lunch buffet at Mao-chans request too. I shouldnt have done something stupid like trying to conquer all of the desserts But you know, Reika-san, I have some terrific news for you! Suddenly Okaasama looked really happy as she handed me an envelope. I looked inside and there was a pamphlet for a detox course, run by the Kaburagi Groups hotel. This is Remember that fasting course we went on last year? They invited us this year too. But its a detox instead this time. Apparently well go to health salons, eat macrobiotic foods, and exercise. So, Reika-san, come with Okaasama? Okaasama Okaasama, this was premeditated wasnt it?While I was getting fat, the reason you didnt say anything was because you wanted me to go on this course with you, wasnt it? Its because you didnt want to go by yourself, Okaasama!You fiend! There was a real fiend in this room! To be blunt, I do not think I could burn off my fat with such a mild course. I was annoyed at Okaasama, so I refused. For her own purposes, she sat by and watched her daughter grow fat.Okaasama begged me in panic. Reika-san! Please, come with me? If you hadnt been there last year Okaasama wouldnt have been able to bear it. Please? Please, Reika-san! No. I turned my head away. Mrs. Kaburagi said she wanted you to come too. She told me during that last party. Youll come, wont you, Reika-san? Ehhh~ Now that she had brought up Kaburagis mum there was even more reason to refuse. Okaasama started pointing out stuff in the brochures like developing a body that gains less fat and natural-style cooking and stuff but I was having none of it.Irritated by my complete refusal, Okaasama changed her tune. Then are you saying you want to be this fat forever, Reika-san! Its summer! The season where you wear less clothing! Are you going to pa.s.s summer with that thick waist of yours! Oww! Okaasama, that hurts! Okaasama was pulling at my midsection with both hands. Oww! You must come, Reika-san! I wont accept a refusal! She was getting angry at me now!? The victim!? People often said that guilty people would try to hide their sins with anger. Okaasama was the very picture of that. Having lost to her intensity, I trudged back to my room. I didnt wanna go The spirit of my hatred was still lying around in my room, so I gave it a small pyre as a funeral. On Monday morning I was putting my shoes away at school when Ririna came up to me and pointed right at my face. Reika-san, youve gotten fat! A moment later, Minami-kun and companions had taken her away. That idiot came up to me first thing in the morning to say that? Should I punch her? The summer holiday was coming soon, so Cla.s.s Rep and I were collecting the printouts for that. When we headed to the Student Council room, Fellow Stalking Horse was there. Come to think of it, the summer break would be when the Student Council members pa.s.sed their roles over, wasnt it. I guess that made Fellow Stalking Horse the next President after all. Kisshouin-san, could you take this half? Okaaay. He may have said half, but the ratio was actually 3 to 2 his way. He might have been a maiden in his heart, but that didnt mean he wasnt also a gentleman.After we made sure we had them all, the two of us were about to leave when Stalking Horse called out to stop me. Did you need something? I asked. Im sorry for the bias I showed you back then. Pardon? What was this? Tomoe-senpai also told me off for having preconceived notions of you. Eh-, Tomoe-senpai did!? Whats this? Whats about Tomoe-senpai now!? I want to hear it! Tell me about Tomoe-senpai! The other day I met with him, and you came up in conversation. That was when he scolded me Ehhh~!? Stalking Horse met with Tomoe-senpai!? Sneaky! I wanted to meet him too! If you have any complaints about what Ive done, Im willing to hear them. I have no complaints against you in particular, Mizusaki-kun. Mm. I just wanted to know how Tomoe-senpai was doing. I have nothing to say to you, Comrade. I suppose if I really had to say something, Id be telling you to actually do your job as the village vice-chief. Dont think you can graduate from this village before I do! Obviously I couldnt actually say this, so I left the room even as he looked dissatisfied. Kisshouin-san, did something happen between you two? Who knows. I cannot say I quite understand it myself Nothing bad happened though, so pay no mind. That makes sense. After that he talked about his love life until we reached the cla.s.sroom. Apparently Honda-san is going to be doing the summer vacation remedials, so Im thinking about doing them doo. I was listening to him talk when a while later Iwamuro-kun came down in the other direction. Master! Let me carry those! And so even though we were in different cla.s.ses, he ended up carrying them for me. Also, I have something I want your advice on, Master Advice for Iwamuro-kun I bet it was about avoiding tanning for the summer. In the hallway with our cla.s.srooms I saw Miharu-chan and Nonose-san talking merrily to each other. When Cla.s.s Rep saw them, he turned into a maiden. I think the two of them liked the fantasy genre. I overheard them speaking about it a lot. By mercenary did that mean they were reading a war novel at the moment? I just accidentally tapped into my demonic side for a bit.Originally actually referenced Chapter 131 It took no time at all after that for Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun to make up. By now they were back to their lovey-dovey self. How envious. I hope she spent her whole life away from the Forever Alone Village. Thanks to us sharing both a mutual enemy and a mutual problem, the bonds between Mao-chan and I rapidly deepened. Mao-chan told me, Im not going eating with Haruto-niisama anymore! which was a sentiment that I shared. It wouldnt be nice to Erika-san after all. Besides, she said, If Haruto-niisama likes trying restaurants so much then he has Erika-san. Shes his girlfriend after all, so she should go. And then, all we have to do is wait for her to get fat Ku ku ku ku ku! Nooooo! Stop ittt! Stop using your adorable face to laugh like a villaaain! Go back to being the innocent Mao-chaaan! But right after that her expression turned a little anxious. Even if I dont have Haruto-niisama, youll still go out with me, right, Reika-oneesama? It was so cute that I hugged her just on instinct. What a cute little sister I have! Unable to bear her cuteness, I invited her to come over and play during the summer. We were going to have a lot of fun, the two of us. Oh, and Yuuri-kun too, of course. As for Ichinokura-san, apparently he had received quite a shock from being suddenly hated by his beloved niece. I got a panicked phone call from him. Mao-chan is angry at me, and says she wont come eat with me anymore Oh my. What should I do, Reika-san? Cant you talk to her somehow? I apologise, Ichinokura-sama, but Mao-chan is more important to me than you are, so I am on her side in this. Reika-san You need not worry. Once she calms down a little I am sure she will forgive you. Mao-chan loves you very much, Ichinokura-sama. I hope so The other day when I met her, she told me that since I was her mothers brother she would call me Ojisan from now on. It was quite a shock I could hear the emotional damage even over the phone. It must have been rough for a man of only 26 to be called an ojisan. But the punishment for hurting a maidens feelings was severe. Ukekekeke! Today, Mao-chan told me she wanted to try visiting the salon of the Pivoine proper, so I brought her and Yuuri-kun with me. On the way though, she started to get cold feet. Maybe I shouldnt after all I wouldnt want to bother anyone. No need to worry, I rea.s.sured her, We are all members of the Pivoine, after all. And did you not visit once before? I guess I remembered her coming all the way to the salon to invite me to her birthday party. n.o.body had any problems back then either, so there was no need to worry at all. Sure enough, the adorable couple were welcomed the moment we arrived. My! How cute! These two are from the Pet.i.te, arent they? I am Okishima Fuyuko, the current President of the Pivoine, and Im very pleased to meet you. Yes! I hope well get along! They really are so cute. Since the President was fond of them they could expect smooth sailing at school. We were entertaining my tiny guests when Enjou and Kaburagi came along. The two of them looked confused about the two kids in the room. Mao-chan on the other hand had lost her cool because the famous Emperor and his friend appeared. Enjou must have noticed because he put on a kind smile and spoke to her. h.e.l.lo. Might you two be from the Pet.i.te Pivoine? Yes! Do you know my brother then? His name is Enjou Yukino. Yes! I talk to him quite a lot in the salon! I see. Thanks for getting along with him. Youll keep looking after him, wont you? Yes, I will! So whats he like in the Pet.i.te Pivoine? Ummm Enjous charming smile was causing her to flush. Huh. Friends of Yukino, then? asked Kaburagi in a rare show of friendliness. He tapped her on the shoulder lightly. If Yukino causes you any trouble, lemme know, he said. By now, Mao-chan had turned as red as beetroot. I was just waiting for the steam to start shooting from her ears. Yuuri-kun on the other hand looked a little sullen. So cuuuuuute! Oblivious to his mood, the blushing Mao-chan began telling Enjou all about how Yukino gave it his all at school. Kaburagi on the other hand did notice. Youre jealous? he asked. Yuuri-kun looked startled. Kaburagi! Dont you have any delicacy!? Get your act together, man! Are you going to let Shuusuke of all people take her from you! he joked before mussing Yuuri-kuns hair. That isnt it at all! In that case tell me all about it. Cmon, lets hear your love troubles, he said before dragging Yuuri-kun over to a sofa in the corner. What the-! Kaburagi! n.o.body asked for your indoctrination! And to begin with, Mao-chan likes him back so Yuuri-kun is already in another realm compared to you! You should be asking him for advice! You havent made any progress with Wakaba-chan at all, have you! Whats the meaning of that! Anyhow, I was worried so I tried to listen in on their conversation. Not that I was expecting differently, but Kaburagi was totally useless at romance so it took no time at all for them to start talking about soccer instead. Thank goodness It would have been terrible if Kaburagi had influenced him badly. Mao-chan, finally noticing that Yuuri-kun was gone, rushed over to him in a panic. Maybe she was feeling worried. Kaburagi seemed to find the little couple amusing, and went over to play the Minute Waltz on the piano. Mao-chan ended up entranced and excited again, and Yuuri-kun ended up pouting That day, Kaburagi took every one of Mao-chans requests, and pretty much had his own little piano retical. Thanks to that, all the female Pivoine members begged her to come again. On the way back, Mao-chan placed her hands on her chest and muttered, That was so dreamy but for never lying to her, and always being by her side to protect her, I thought Yuuri-kun was a much more wonderful man. Still though, the power of music was incredible~ Not that Id ever heard any rumours of Dite being popular. The next day, Enjou would tell me with a beaten smile that when Yukino-kun heard that we had gone to the Pivoine proper, he ended up sulking a little. Im sorry, Yukino-kun! When I came home, Oniisama suddenly asked me, Would you prefer the aquarium or the zoo? I had no idea what was going on, but it was summer so I told him the aquarium. The damage didnt seem too bad this time, so maybe just a one day trip? Seriously, what was he muttering about? Still, did this mean Oniisama was going to take time out of his busy schedule to take me to the aquarium? Id be so happy if it were true! Oh, I know! I could invite Mao-chan! If the position of Oniisama was taken from him, I could already see Ichinokura-san taking another blow. Ukekekeke. Chapter 132 The summer holidays were right around the corner. It was a lot of fun last year when I went to Karuizawa with Serika-chan and the others. I wondered if anybody wanted to go this year too. When I asked them I was filled with hope but the responses werent good. Our schedules wouldnt line up, myself included. Thanks to that we just couldnt find a time. That was a shame. We didnt even have to stay anywhere. I would have just been happy meeting up and going somewhere to play. Come on, guys~ Speaking of my group, it had gotten pretty big by now. Thanks to that it actually comprised smaller groups of closer friends. For example, my one was the one with Serika-chan, Kikuno-chan, Ayame-chan, Rune-chan etc. Anyway, on a more hopeful note, bringing that up had stirred the enthusiasm in my friends, so we decided to see about rearranging our schedules. Hooray! Itd be nice if I could see Sakura-chan and Aoi-chan too. Still feeling exciting, I headed to the Handicrafts Club to find everybody there. Apparently each year they all gathered to discuss the wedding dress for the school festival. I was only a provisional member last year so I wasnt called. I obviously did this year. I was totally useless with the sewing machine and embroidery so they couldnt count on me. I attended though. If I didnt I would shame my position as an official member of the club. I could help clean up the sc.r.a.ps of cloth and thread that fell around when they were creating the dress. While I wasnt cleaning I could focus on my own exhibition instead. I took Minami-kuns advice and decided to create as large a doll with needle felting as I could. With my meagre skills I needed to start now or Id have no chance of finishing it in time. That meant I had to decide on what I wanted to make, and quickly. At first I thought about making a teddy bear, but there was already a girl planning on making plush doll teddy bears. She was so much better than me that I chickened out. Still, a cute animal would be nice~ Maybe rabbits, or dogs, or cats~? Hmm, but it wouldnt be very impressive if they were too small either Oh, something perfect came to mind. It was my confidante, Beatrice. The first thing I did at cram school was ask Umewaka-kun if I could use Beatrice as my model. He happily agreed. A doll of Beatrice What a wonderful idea, Kisshouin-san! You think? Yeah! I understand, Kisshouin-san. By doing this, we can immortalise Beatrices cuteness forever. Bea-tan is the cutest in the world, isnt she! Ah, but what if more Bea-tan fans appear in Suiran because of this!? Umewaka-kun was uncontrollable. I really should have just asked somebody else or gone to the zoo If by some chance I made her ugly I could see a huge mess coming from this. Better make her 30% cuter than she is. And so, Umewaka-kun, I would like to have her measurements, as well as photos of both her entire body and individual body parts. Could you prepare these for me before we meet next time? Size? Beatrice is 32 centimetres long. Her weight is No, no! Shes a girl so I cant tell you! Bea-tan would get angry if I did! I see He began to happily speak nonsense so I ignored him. 32 centimetres though. She was surprisingly small. Wait, so maybe I could make her life-sized then!? The weight is fine, but if possible could I have her girth and other size measurements? If possible I would like to create something life-sized. Eh!? Really!? A life-sized Bea-tan doll Shell be so cute once youre done Oh! Then what if you measured her directly? Wouldnt it be easier to measure what you want yourself then? And I think it would be easier for you to picture her after youve really met her. May I truly!? Yeah. We can meet at a park sometime. Is that okay? Most definitely! This would make my life so much easier! I could even take photos of all her parts now! Then when shall we do it? I will be happy to do this whenever is convenient for you. Please let me know when and where. Hmmm Oh! But you need to wait a little! Right now Bea-tan is in the middle of exercising and dieting. She ate a little too much and hadnt been exercising properly so shes gotten a little fat. Please just give us a bit more time! Oh my G.o.d! I feel you so bad, Bea-taaaaan! Are you actually my doppelganger!? Of course! A girl must be at her best for these things. I will wait. To do otherwise would only be humiliating for her! Thanks, Kisshouin-san! Well definitely make the cutest Bea-tan possible! The two of us exchanged a firm handshake. Oh. Dog Lover-kuns silver ring was actually designed after a dogs footprint. Maybe I could thank him with a matching necklace and collar. I got another email from Bea-tan. Im so happy that you chose me as a model! Ill do my best with Aa-tan to diet, so just you wait! Bea-tan wont lose to an empty stomach! Since the other me, Beatrice, was giving her all, I had to be doing the same. After some thought, the way I spent lazing around each day was making me slack, both in body and mind. So to counteract that my first idea was running. It was inexpensive too, since I only needed my body. It was summer though. Since getting a heatstroke would be pretty scary, maybe I could run around the neighbourhood in the early morning or maybe in the evening instead? At dinner I brought the topic up with my family, and somehow ended up with a dedicated bodyguard for when I went jogging. Was it that big of a deal? It was just going to be around the neighbourhood, so I told them so many times that it would be fine, but every single one of them told me it was too dangerous to go by myself and rejected the idea. Ehhhhhh. If they got me a bodyguard just for jogging then wouldnt that make it really hard to give up? I knew myself really well, so I could already see what was going to happen. What was I going to do Take back what I said? Yeah, that sounded good. Or so I thought, but they had immediately prepared the bodyguard for me so I had no path of retreat Mmmmm It was going to be really warm I was thinking of changing to doing radio callisthenics instead~ Haha, no good? When they introduced me to my bodyguard he was a tanned, muscular ojisama. Reika-ojousama! I had track experience back when I was a student, so I can guide you on your running form as well! Please dont worry about a thing! Lets try our best together to improve your records! Today well start with a light 3 kilometre run! Lets begin! Just how enthusiastic was he about athletics Oh dear Perhaps instead of jogging, we could do radio callisthenics, I tried, but I understand! Lets add radio callisthenics on top of the jogging then! What was I going to do. I was filled with anxiety now. I couldnt even run 500 metres, you know!? Okaasama took me to the beauty parlour, maybe in preparation for the detox course or something. They oiled up the fat I had gained from eating these last few months and then began ma.s.saging it mercilessly. I suddenly remembered The Restaurant With Many Orders. Were they rubbing the flavouring into me to make a French tart or something? Aahh And so my 2nd year summer holidays began. Chapter 133 My first time jogging was one early morning, where the sun had only just appeared. Even though it was so early in the morning, my bodyguard, Mihara-san, was already greeting me with a lively smile. Good morning, Reika-ojousama! Come! Well do our best, starting today! Good morning I will be in your capable care. After doing some leg stretches in the garden, we began slowly running around my neighbourhood. Mihara-san had suggested 3 kilometres for our first day. I told him that I had never run for 3 kilometres before but he told me that I had to run at least 3 kilometres for it to have any point, so in the end I had no choice but to bear with it. We arent worrying about your time today, so just go at your own pace! I understand. Under his encouragement my running was energetic at first, but before long my feet were leaden. My lungs hurt too. Eh-! Reika-ojousama, whats the matter!? It hurts. Weve only just run 500 metres, you know?! Like I care. I dont think I can run 3 kilometres unless we drop the pace more. The hot-blooded exercise enthusiast Mihara-san was having none of it though. Reika-ojousama! Youre running slower than you walk, you know!? Come on! Impossible. It hurts. I want to give up I was already heaving before we reached the 1 kilometre mark. I was slumped over as I ran, and my arms looked more like I was dog-paddling than I was running. And my lungs my lungs were burning I swear I could taste blood Reika-ojousama! Swing your arms more! Come one! One! Two! One! Two! Mihara-san began to count out a rhythm to encourage me as he ran beside me. Dont give in to yourself, Reika-ojousama! Reika-ojousama! We havent even reached the halfway point! Give it some oomph! Keep your head up and keep at it! Go! Go! Go! Mihara-sans voice rang out through the affluent neighbourhood. Pain Why did had I ever thought this would be a good idea When were the endorphins going to come I kept waiting, but the runners high never came for me Pain Painnnnn In the end, it came down to him pushing me from behind, but I somehow managed the 3 kilometres back to the house. With shaking legs, I collapsed onto the garden without a care. The gra.s.s was sharp and p.r.i.c.kly but I couldnt bring myself to bother. Reika-ojousama! After the jog we still have your stretches! Impossible I didnt have the energy to get up anymore My heart was pounding dangerously in my chest. A wide-eyed Oniisama discovered me laying around in the garden. Reika, you okay? I tried to speak but only strange wheezing noises came out, so I shook my head instead. Mihara-san, how far did she run? Roughly 3 kilometres. Hmmmm, this bad after just 3 kilometres? said Oniisama, sounding troubled. Sorry for being useless, you two. But no need to worry! With daily running shell have the stamina in no time! Eh-!? Im going to be doing this daily!? I wanted to reply but it hurt too much to. Please no, just today was enough already Please, no more running But Mihara-san had been hired specifically to guard me during my jogs. Hiring him based on a whim, and then quitting after one day? I couldnt bring myself to be so selfish But I hated this The sunlight was getting stronger now so if I lay there I would tan. Somehow gathering the strength to get up, Mihara-san and Oniisama supported me as I headed indoors. Inside I lay down again. Thanks to Mihara-sans hot-blooded pep talk the whole neighbourhood was aware of what a sorry sight I was. And given how much Okaasama cared about face, she was absolutely livid about it. Things were just horrible Starting from the next day we were driven to a nearby park to do the jogging. But Okaasama was still in a bad mood. Things were just horrible The only spot of encouragement came from Beatrices emails. Today I ran 5 kilometres! Today I ran in the evening too! Thank G.o.d I wasnt alone I had no choice but to agree to the detox thing to cheer Okaasama up. I still didnt wanna go But if I said that now Okaasama would finally throw a fit for real. This was my punishment for shaming her in public. But at least it was just a detox course. It couldnt be as bad as last years fasting I arrived with Okaasama at the Kaburagi groups hotel. The hotel porter helped us with our luggage and we were guided into a room where acquaintances of my mother were waiting. They were older women from the upper cla.s.s, and after looking around, many of them had been at the fasting last year. I supposed that a few of them were into dieting fads, and had invited all the rest along. What a pain That was when I noticed Maihama-san present, who was for some reason looking dressed up. She noticed me too, and came over. Goodness, you came too, Reika-san? she said with a challenging look. Yes. You too, it seems, Maihama-san, I replied with a smile. Fasting last year, and now a detox this year? You sure are working hard. You must really be desperate for her approval. Masaya-samas Okaasama, I mean. Haah? You seem to be misunderstanding, but I am simply here to accompany my mother. The shocking addition here is you. For all that you mocked it last year, you seem to be standing right here. How the direction of the wind changes. They say that to slay the general you must first begin with the horse, but just because you yourself are in that position is no reason to project onto me. It is offensive. What was that!? Hmph. She could glare all she wanted, it wouldnt make her scarier. And once again, her curls were half-baked today. I bade her gokigenyoh with a smile and then left. This trip was already turning into something annoying though Oh! Akimi-san! Hiiiii! I could feel Maihama-san glaring from behind but I ignored it. When everybody was here, Kaburagis Okaasama appeared on scene with a bang. Chapter 134 We all sat down and welcomed Madam Kaburagi. Thank you all for partic.i.p.ating today! This detox plan is the course that our hotel has the most confidence in, and we recommend it one hundred percent. With that, she came around and greeted each guest with a fabulous smile on her face. Maihama-san had chosen her seat to make sure Mrs. Kaburagi would notice her. She was really too easy to read. The hotel staff came out to explain the details of the course to us. Besides the difference of eating macrobiotic foods, the itinerary was more-or-less the same as the fasting course. Basically a lot of visits to the beauty salon, and some elegant exercising at the gym. I thought it was a waste to be spending time here instead of on my summer cram school course but Okaasamas orders were absolute. I resolved to study while we werent doing anything. After the explanations we had some free time so Maihama-san immediately sidled up to Madam Kaburagi. Sales time, huh. As for me, since Okaasama was chatting to some women I a.s.sumed were her friends, I went to chat with Akimi-san instead. Were together again, Reika-sama. Im really glad that I have somebody my age to talk to. I feel the same way. And we will be eating this year, so I feel a little more hopeful this time. Huhu. We chatted peacefully for a while when Madam Kaburagi came over with Maihama-san in tow. Reika-san! And Akimi-san too! Thank you for coming! Im glad to see the two of you here today. And you in particular, Reika-san. You wouldnt come to any of our parties so Ive missed you. Gokigenyoh. I will be in your care today, I said after standing up. It has been a while, Kaburagi-sama, followed Akimi-san. Reika-san, how has school been? That boy Masaya wont tell me a thing. Please tell me all about it instead. Well Nothing truly comes to mind but Masaya-sama constantly tops the exam scores, and seems to have fun each day with his friends. Really? Were talking about that unsociable boy of mine, arent we? Are you sure he hasnt caused you some kind of trouble? If he does something brusque be sure to tell me. Masaya-sama being brusque is unthinkable. Why, the other day when it rained he played Chopins Raindrop My! That boy did something like that!? she laughed happily. Maihama-san glared at me venomously while I spoke about a side of Kaburagi that she didnt know about. Dont hurt yourself over there.While I was talking one of the staff members came looking for Mrs. Kaburagi. Ill be having dinner with you all later. We can continue this then. I understand. I will be looking forward to it. When Mrs. Kaburagi left, Maihama-san spat out a parting line before leaving herself. Youd better not get too full of yourself just because Masaya-samas Okaasama likes you a little bit, okay!? Akimi-san looked a little frightened. Um, is that okay, Reika-san? Youre being glared at quite a bit Nothing at all to worry about. For some reason that girl seems to have arbitrarily designated me her rival. Akimi-san looked at me with sympathy. I see It must be rough It wasnt though. If she wanted to squawk at me whenever we met it was no skin off my back. Of course, if we went to the same school this would be an entirely different matter. Since Okaasama was heading back to our room now, Akimi-san and I promised to talk more later, before I followed after her. They told us that before dinner we were free to go on a walk or exercise, so I made for the gym. It wasnt really in my nature to sit there, impa.s.sively forging my muscles with the gym equipment, so there wasnt much of that going on. Still, I decided to at least try the exercise bike for today. I was just heading towards it when Maihama-san came along. Eh-, this girl was going to do it too? She noticed me too, and frowned. Ah well, I thought, nothing to do with me. Following the instructors advice I set the weight and then started biking. Oh! This was kinda fun! On the bike next to mine, Maihama-san started pedalling faster than I did. She glanced at me and then shot me a victorious sneer. Annoying. I began pedalling faster than she did. This is my win! But then Maihama-san increased her speed again. Grrr! I wont lose to you! The two of us started crazy pedalling like real athletes. I could hear Coach Mihara in my mind. Dont lose to yourself! Yes, Coach! You can do it! Yes, Coach! The two of us kept our pace. We ignored the instructors calls for us to stop and continued pedalling away. Uryyyaaahhh! But for some reason Maihama-san suddenly stopped and got off the bike. Arent you taking this a bit too seriously, Reika-san? Your hair is a mess. Its unsightly. I dont know why youve one-sidedly decided this was some compet.i.tion but Im not going to play along. Haahh!? The one who started this compet.i.tion was her! And she was soaked in sweat herself! Coach! This girl ran away because she was about to lose to herself! Wooow, look at how hard youre breathing. Thats just sad. She was putting up a tough act as she mocked me but she was breathing harder than I was. It was rare to meet a woman who so perfectly fit the word boomerang. Since the instructor was looking pretty nervous, I decided to take my leave. You seem like the one who has been pushing herself, I began, There are bags under your eyes, you know? Oh wait, my mistake. Excuse me for my impertinence, Maihama-san, but would it not be better to invest in some waterproof mascara? Eh!? While Maihama-san was taking out her mirror in a panic I used that opening to escape the gym. Hoooohohohohohohohoho! Relying on mascara even though youre just a high school student? You only have yourself to blame, fool. Now then, Ms. Instructor, please show me to the next machine! At dinner Maihama-san had lost the mascara and was using fake eyelashes instead. I see. So her weak point was her eyes. If she caused too much trouble Id rip those stupid eyelashes off. I turned to her and fluttered my naturally long lashes. Hows that? Jealous? Before we began eating, there was a lecture on macrobiotic theory. Lots of foods were forbidden, and following the theory closely would be too hard on a white rice lover like me. I loved it. I loved it so much that I had considered buying a rice cooker to keep in my room. Yamagata Dashi on white rice A regional dish from the Yamagata region named dashi (no relation to the stock). Generally minced vegetables, other leafy greens, and soy sauce etc. I wanted some of that now. Pickled food was amazing. The madams around me seemed pretty impressed with it all but high society was filled with gourmands. It was impossible for them to change to a macrobiotic diet. Surprisingly though, the shy Akimi-san was listening pa.s.sionately and even asking questions. When the lecture was done we changed venues for dinner. I had come in expecting something like the vegetarian meal I had during the middle school trip, but it was actually really delicious. I suppose I should have expected this from a hotel owned by the Kaburagi. High standards in all things, huh. The madams seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. Since we werent just starving ourselves on drinks, this time the conversation was a lot more lively too. Even I was talking a little. Akimi-san was trying one dish after another, and sometimes even asking the chef questions about it. Who knew she was actually interested in this stuff. Even after we were done eating she kept asking questions and taking notes with a pen in hand. Mrs. Kaburagi who had planned this course, seemed quite pleased that she was interested, and ended up joining in on the discussion. When it seemed to be finished, I called out to her. Akimi-san. Ah-, Reika-san. Whats wrong? You were quite pa.s.sionate just now. Did you have an interest in macrobiotic foods? Yes. I got to learn about some very interesting things. Im glad that I came today. Huh! Last year she was so unenthusiastic that she was hiding and eating snacks. She had come a long way. Akimi-san, shall we have some tea? If possible I would like to hear about this too. It would be my pleasure, if youre fine with me. The two of us moved to the hotels tea room. Actually, the truth is that Im interested in cooking. Truly? Yes. My major in university was in that field too, and I planned to become a chef of some sort My. I was a little surprised that somebody shy like Akimi-san had such clear ideas of what she wanted in life. Plenty of rich girls just prepared to get married. Do you mean to open your own restaurant? No, Im nowhere near that talented I just think it would be nice if I could teach at a cooking school one day Akimi-san gave an embarra.s.sed smile. I see. Thats why Im trying to learn as much about cooking as I can. This macrobiotic cuisine was just some of it. Im actually enrolled in a few cooking schools, you know? Truly! She began to happily tell me about the different kinds of flavourings and broths used around the world. Apparently she was also a collector of soy sauce and ponzu. Its because Im like this that Im fat, isnt it Please do not think that way. I myself would love to try your food one day. Really? Ive still got along way to go though, okay? I was glad to have somebody so responsive to talk to this time. I wish she had opened up to me a bit sooner. Maybe I would have enjoyed last year too. Then again, it would have been some new form of torture to talk about food during a fasting course. When I returned to my room, I realised that Umewaka-kun had sent me an email. Everyone wishes you were here doing the summer course with us. Beatrice is more or less back to her ideal figure, so lets decide when to meet next week. Attached was a picture of Beatrice kissing him on the cheek. I decided to give my all too. I wouldnt lose to Beatrice. The next day during the stroll and yoga sessions, I was swamped by housewives asking about Kaburagi. Come to think of it, this happened last year too, didnt it~ These aunties loved hearing stories about youths. Reika-san, are you close with Masaya-san? No, not particularly. My. But thats not what the rumours say. Ive heard that you two are quite close. Masaya-san sounds so dreamy~ If only I were a bit younger. Goodness! Youre scandalous. But me too. I know, right! Uhuhu, it seems like were all fans of Masaya-sama. You are too, arent you, Reika-san? They still hadnt run out of energy yet. As for Maihama-san, apparently she was jealous when some of the madams joked about my being perfect for Kaburagi. At some point she tried to trip me, but I jumped over it without a word. Suiran or Yurinomiya, small fry were all the same. One persons recipe for Yamagata Dashi Chapter 135 The Tale of Genji C Chapter 25 (Firelies) C Summary & a.n.a.lysisThere are several men making advances to Tamakazura, but Genji keeps them away from this child in his care. Genji is eager to marry the girl to someone worthwhile, so he arranges for Prince Hotaru to visit her. Then, when the prince is visiting, Genji carefully orchestrates a way for Prince Hotaru to actually see Tamakazura in the light of fireflies. Of course, Genjis ploy works and Hotaru is taken with the beautiful woman. Unfortunately, it also throws Tamakazura into even more confusion. On the second day of our detox course, I followed Okaasama around. We went to a beauty salon, and then a ganbanyoku stone spa where we lay on heated stones. At the yoga studio I was ecstatic when the instructor said I was good at it. Outside of our meals I never saw Maihama-san so things were more or less peaceful. That night, Madam Kaburagi appeared to have dinner together with us. I realised while I was eating that although brown rice and other cereals werent bad once in a while, eating this every day was a little much. I was thinking about the food when Madam Kaburagi changed seats to talk to me. Uu Reika-san, how are you finding the current course? The course let me grow familiar with natural foods. It has been a very worthwhile two days. Im very happy to hear you say that. Youre skinny after all, so you dont need to diet, after all? Goodness, that is not true. Thank you for the flattery at least. I know better than anybody what the state of my body is. It was so obviously flattery though that I couldnt even feel good about it. I gave her a polite smile. How are you planning to spend your summer break, Reika-san? A summer study course at cram school, lessons as usual, meeting up with some friends. Just a few things. Oh, and going on a trip with my family, I suppose. My, that sounds fun. Where are you going this year? My mother is thinking of Austria. She wants to see an opera on the water. Okaasama enjoys things like ballet and opera because she loves being immersed in worlds that are beautiful and fantastical. As to be expected from the woman who tried turning her daughter into a bisque doll. My, what a wonderful time that would be! Ive been to see the Seebhne as well, before! It had incredible impact. Do you like opera as well, Reika-san? Whenever we were in Europe, my mother would take us to the theatre if anything she liked was playing. I am ashamed to say that although I enjoyed myself each time I am not very familiar with opera in and of itself. I do understand that I would enjoy it more if I had a deeper understanding, but Well thats not true! I think simply opening your heart and enjoying it the way you do is much better than doing going in there to a.n.a.lyse and evaluate it. Which operas do you like? Although this is quite a mainstream answer, I like The Magic Flute and Lohengrin. You like Lohengrin? Then what about Tristan and Isolde from Wagner as well? It was very pa.s.sionate. My! she smiled. We continued to talk about opera for a while when she clapped her hands together. Oh, thats right! Im organising a firefly catching event. Please do come! I know you like fantasy worlds so I think you would definitely enjoy it! Eh That was a bit If possible, I wanted to completely refuse. Even now I was only here because Okaasama had half threatened me into it. I spent some time thinking about how to refuse when Mrs. Kaburagi called out to Okaasama sitting next to me and sealed the deal. Ugh! Firefly catching! That sounds wonderful. Isnt that great, Reika-san? You liked the Tale of Genji, didnt you? Oh, Reika-san likes the Tale of Genji? Then it sounds like you must become the Tamakazura of the night. My, hohoho, laughed Okaasama, Then who would Prince Hotaru be? How about my Masaya? My, Reika-san! How about it? Isnt that great? Without any input from me, the two of them had begun getting excited all on their own. Please give me a break And to begin with, Okaasama, when did I say I liked the Tale of Genji? Why did the husband and wife of the Kisshouin family have a habit of suddenly making up lies. Maihama-sans eyes were something to behold as she listened to our conversation. After finishing the 3 day 2 night detox course, we were finally going home today. Okaasama had been in a terrific mood ever since the invitation I received last night. When we were back in our room she kept whispering, Masaya-sans Okaasama seems to like you, so this is your chance to get close to him. like some sort of brainwashing tape, which was scary so I went to sleep with my futon covering my head. We were gathered in the meeting room to listen to the staff recap the course when Madam Kaburagi appeared, along with her son. The ladies around me squealed in excitement at Kaburagi Masayas sudden appearance. Everybody, thank you for the last two days. Today Im here with my son Masaya. Goodness! Were overjoyed to meet with Masaya-san! The madams began to surround him like housewives swarming a popular Enka singer. Wow, so this was strength of Obasama Power. Even Maihama-san was overpowered by it, meandering here and there outside of the ring of madams. My own Okaasama wasnt amongst them though. Thank goodness Anyway, apparently Kaburagi had been brought here as a reward for them. He was standing there congratulating each one on a job well done. Hmm. Kaburagi might not have had a shred of courtesy while we were at school, but apparently he behaved like a proper heir outside. Over the last two days, Akimi-san and I had become really friendly, so the two of us exchanged our email addresses. Finally freed from the madams, Kaburagi came this way. Huh, youre here too? Gokigenyoh, Kaburagi-sama. Just so you know, this course isnt going to lose you any weight. Exercise. Wow, flat-out denying the effectiveness of your own hotels course? I was simply here to accompany my mother I was not here hoping to lose weight, you know? It was embarra.s.sing so I pushed the blame onto Okaasama. And it was true, anyhow. Hmmm. Well whatever. If you dont care, then dont say it. But man, must be rough going on some diet course with your mum even though its summer break. It was technically a detox course, though. And did your mother not make you do the same thing, today? It does not seem all that different. Guess so. Maihama-san ran over and shot in from the side. Masaya-sama! Im so glad that I could meet you today! We didnt get to speak much at the last party. Do you have any plans after this? How about having some tea with me in the loungeroom downstairs? Sorry, Ive already got plans, he said disinterestedly. Despite that, Maihama-san continued to cling to him. Insistent, wasnt she. See ya, he said before turning around and leaving, all while still trying to get rid of Maihama-san. Naturally, Maihama-san ran after him. She did remember to stop and glare at me though. Yesterday, Reika-san stepped on my foot~ she tattled to Kaburagi/ Uh huh, he replied without much thought. I felt exhausted When I arrived at cram school, Umewaka-kun and I immediately discussed when to meet. It was going to be warm, so in consideration of Beatrice we decided on a place with an indoor dog park. We might have just meeting up because I wanted to meet Beatrice, but if we met up alone I was liable to be considered an enemy by Moriyama-san again. Thats why I suggested inviting everyone else along. Moriyama-san was obviously fine with that. Everyone else seemed like they could come too, which was great. Umewaka-kun began pa.s.sionately telling everybody about how much he loved his cute dog. I got the feeling that recently I was hanging around a lot of pa.s.sionate people Well, by lots I just meant Mihara-san and Umewaka-kun, of course. At night I received more lovey-dovey pictures of him and Beatrice, along with an email. Im going to dress up in my favourite ribbon when we meet! How exciting! Do you have any clothes you want me to wear? Bea-tan, is really excited to meet you, Reika-tan! Yep, yep, Im looking forward to meeting you too. If partially because I want to see this trainwreck couple in person Chapter 136 The Tale of Genji C Chapter 25 (Fireflies) C Summary & a.n.a.lysisThere are several men making advances to Tamakazura, but Genji keeps them away from this child in his care. Genji is eager to marry the girl to someone worthwhile, so he arranges for Prince Hotaru to visit her. Then, when the prince is visiting, Genji carefully orchestrates a way for Prince Hotaru to actually see Tamakazura in the light of fireflies. Of course, Genjis ploy works and Hotaru is taken with the beautiful woman. Unfortunately, it also throws Tamakazura into even more confusion. On the second day of our detox course, I followed Okaasama around. We went to a beauty salon, and then a ganbanyoku stone spa where we lay on heated stones. At the yoga studio I was ecstatic when the instructor said I was good at it. Outside of our meals I never saw Maihama-san so things were more or less peaceful. That night, Madam Kaburagi appeared to have dinner together with us. I realised while I was eating that although brown rice and other cereals werent bad once in a while, eating this every day was a little much. I was thinking about the food when Madam Kaburagi changed seats to talk to me. Uu Reika-san, how are you finding the current course? The course let me grow familiar with natural foods. It has been a very worthwhile two days. Im very happy to hear you say that. Youre skinny after all, so you dont need to diet, after all? Goodness, that is not true. Thank you for the flattery at least. I know better than anybody what the state of my body is. It was so obviously flattery though that I couldnt even feel good about it. I gave her a polite smile. How are you planning to spend your summer break, Reika-san? A summer study course at cram school, lessons as usual, meeting up with some friends. Just a few things. Oh, and going on a trip with my family, I suppose. My, that sounds fun. Where are you going this year? My mother is thinking of Austria. She wants to see an opera on the water. Okaasama enjoys things like ballet and opera because she loves being immersed in worlds that are beautiful and fantastical. As to be expected from the woman who tried turning her daughter into a bisque doll. My, what a wonderful time that would be! Ive been to see the Seebhne as well, before! It had incredible impact. Do you like opera as well, Reika-san? Whenever we were in Europe, my mother would take us to the theatre if anything she liked was playing. I am ashamed to say that although I enjoyed myself each time I am not very familiar with opera in and of itself. I do understand that I would enjoy it more if I had a deeper understanding, but Well thats not true! I think simply opening your heart and enjoying it the way you do is much better than going in there to a.n.a.lyse and evaluate it. Which operas do you like? Although this is quite a mainstream answer, I like The Magic Flute and Lohengrin. You like Lohengrin? Then what about Tristan and Isolde from Wagner as well? It was very pa.s.sionate. My! she smiled. We continued to talk about opera for a while when she clapped her hands together. Oh, thats right! Im organising a firefly catching event. Please do come! I know you like fantasy worlds so I think you would definitely enjoy it! Eh That was a bit If possible, I wanted to completely refuse. Even now I was only here because Okaasama had half threatened me into it. I spent some time thinking about how to refuse when Mrs. Kaburagi called out to Okaasama sitting next to me and sealed the deal. Ugh! Firefly catching! That sounds wonderful. Isnt that great, Reika-san? You liked the Tale of Genji, didnt you? Oh, Reika-san likes the Tale of Genji? Then it sounds like you must become the Tamakazura of the night. My, hohoho, laughed Okaasama, Then who would Prince Hotaru be? How about my Masaya? My, Reika-san! How about it? Isnt that great? Without any input from me, the two of them had begun getting excited all on their own. Please give me a break And to begin with, Okaasama, when did I say I liked the Tale of Genji? Why did the husband and wife of the Kisshouin family have a habit of suddenly making up lies. Maihama-sans eyes were something to behold as she listened to our conversation. After finishing the 3 day 2 night detox course, we were finally going home today. Okaasama had been in a terrific mood ever since I received the invitation last night. When we were back in our room she kept whispering, Masaya-sans Okaasama seems to like you, so this is your chance to get close to him. like some sort of brainwashing tape, which was scary so I went to sleep with my futon covering my head. We were gathered in the meeting room to listen to the staff recap the course when Madam Kaburagi appeared, along with her son. The ladies around me squealed in excitement at Kaburagi Masayas sudden appearance. Everybody, thank you for the last two days. Today Im here with my son Masaya. Goodness! Were overjoyed to meet with Masaya-san! The madams began to surround him like housewives swarming a popular Enka singer. Wow, so this was strength of Obasama Power. Even Maihama-san was overpowered by it, meandering here and there outside of the ring of madams. My own Okaasama wasnt amongst them though. Thank goodness Anyway, apparently Kaburagi had been brought here as a reward for them. He was standing there congratulating each one on a job well done. Hmm. Kaburagi might not have had a shred of courtesy while we were at school, but apparently he behaved like a proper heir outside. Over the last two days, Akimi-san and I had become really friendly, so the two of us exchanged our email addresses. Finally freed from the madams, Kaburagi came this way. Huh, youre here too? Gokigenyoh, Kaburagi-sama. Just so you know, this course isnt going to lose you any weight. Exercise. Wow, flat-out denying the effectiveness of your own hotels course? I was simply here to accompany my mother I was not here hoping to lose weight, you know? It was embarra.s.sing so I pushed the blame onto Okaasama. And it was true, anyhow. Hmmm. Well whatever. If you dont care, then dont say it. But man, must be rough going on some diet course with your mum even though its summer break. It was technically a detox course, though. And did your mother not make you do the same thing, today? It does not seem all that different. Guess so. Maihama-san ran over and shot in from the side. Masaya-sama! Im so glad that I could meet you today! We didnt get to speak much at the last party. Do you have any plans after this? How about having some tea with me in the loungeroom downstairs? Sorry, Ive already got plans, he said disinterestedly. Despite that, Maihama-san continued to cling to him. Insistent, wasnt she. See ya, he said before turning around and leaving, all while still trying to get rid of Maihama-san. Naturally, Maihama-san ran after him. She did remember to stop and glare at me though. Yesterday, Reika-san stepped on my foot~ she tattled to Kaburagi/ Uh huh, he replied without much thought. I felt exhausted When I arrived at cram school, Umewaka-kun and I immediately discussed when to meet. It was going to be warm, so in consideration of Beatrice we decided on a place with an indoor dog park. We might have just meeting up because I wanted to meet Beatrice, but if we met up alone I was liable to be considered an enemy by Moriyama-san again. Thats why I suggested inviting everyone else along. Moriyama-san was obviously fine with that. Everyone else seemed like they could come too, which was great. Umewaka-kun began pa.s.sionately telling everybody about how much he loved his cute dog. I got the feeling that recently I was hanging around a lot of pa.s.sionate people Well, by lots I just meant Mihara-san and Umewaka-kun, of course. At night I received more lovey-dovey pictures of him and Beatrice, along with an email. Im going to dress up in my favourite ribbon when we meet! How exciting! Do you have any clothes you want me to wear? Bea-tan, is really excited to meet you, Reika-tan! Yep, yep, Im looking forward to meeting you too. If partially because I want to see this trainwreck couple in person Chapter 137 I was already having trouble. With reference to designs for a dog in a needle felting book, I was trying to come up with a design for Beatrice. Holy h.e.l.l, though, did I have no artistic talent. I had been given art lessons before, back as a child when we wanted to guarantee my entrance into Suiran, but apparently none of that had stuck at all I mean, the body was fine since I could just follow the book, but I couldnt decide on how I wanted the face. The face was the most important part for dolls! After discarding design after design, by now I was fully aware of how little artistic merit I had, so in the end I enlarged a photo of her instead. Knowing when to give up was an important skill for a person. But wow was realism hard. Maybe it would be better to practice a few times? Come to think of it, what was actually hard was my choice in a model! Was it actually a huge mistake to choose a long-haired breed!? When I went cram school, Umewaka-kun unknowingly applied pressure to me. Hows the Bea-tan doll coming along? It just made it really hard to say I think I cant do it after all. The expectations were heavy. What was I to do? I had overestimated my own ability. Was I really going to get this done in time!? Umewaka-kun gave me a photo of Bea-tans head peeking out from the carry bag I gifted them, so I came up with the idea of just buying another bag and only doing the head How little time would it take to realise that it was just a cop-out? Since I had needle felting stuff everywhere I was finding it really hard to study without distraction. And I had so much homework too Speaking of which, I made quite a lot of progress studying in the library hadnt I? That was it. I could go to the library. I was worried that a small library wouldnt have any seats so I went to a large one instead. It was busy, true, but there were free seats here and there so I took one of the closer ones. I was taking my stationery out when I caught sight of the person sitting opposite me. A shock ran through my body. Naru-kun!? The person studying in front of me looked just like the cousin I had in my previous life, Naruhito-kun. It was Naru-kun. Naru-kun. My cousin Naru-kun was older than me and always looked after me whenever we met. He was my first crush. Incidentally, Naruhito()-kuns name came from his birthday. He was born on the 15th of January, so his parents had simply named him after the Coming of Age Day(ˤ). Who would have known that the government would invalidate the whole thing by changing it to the 2nd Monday of the year instead. The origin of my name mourned poor Naru-kun. It was a nostalgic memory. Its okay, Naru-kun. Ill always remember your birthday, okay? I remember trying to cheer him up. Naru-kun who was kind to me, and who had a habit of sometimes playing dumb. The boy in front of me was the spitting image of Naru-kun back in his high school days. No To be honest I couldnt tell if he really did look identical. Although I thought about them on occasion, I was starting to forget the faces of my old family. Even so, I was sure that this boy resembled him. He had been a kind person that Mozarts Twinkle Twinkle Little Star would have suited. I ended up pretty much ignoring my homework beginning to end, in favour of observing Naru-kun as my heart pounded. After dinner I complained to Oniisama about my lack of progress. I couldnt even draw the design properly so it has been all failures since the beginning. I thought to use the photos instead, but even that has been difficult Hmmmm, could I see those photos and the design you drew? I went to my room to fetch them. Here. I see. Oniisama looked over my sketchbook and the the many photos. Waaah! My shame was on display for Oniisama to see! Ive changed my mind, please dont look! I tried to get it back from him, but Oniisama was quicker than I was and began sketching Beatrice in it. And he was so skilled! Oniisama, you know how to sketch!? Not really? I just gave it a shot. Here, he said, holding out a realistic drawing to me. Youre so good, Oniisama! Since he was so good I tried asking him to draw me a design to, and in no time he had drawn things exactly as I wanted. Heavens! To think that the Messiah was living with me all along! But we were related, so how come there was such a difference in talent I was just a tiny bit jealous. There truly is not a thing you cant do, Oniisama! Now thats not true. You just need to know the trick to it. I had no clue there was even some trick to it Oniisama smiled helplessly at me. By the way, I hear a little friend of yours is coming over to stay? Yes. Sawarabi Mao-chan is attending the primary section of Suiran. She is the most adorable thing! Mao-chans parents had already approved of her coming over to play, and we got permission from her to sleep over as well. She was ecstatic about it. I see. You must be looking forward to it. If I remember correctly, shes the niece of the Ichinokura familys Haruto-san? She is. It seems you know of Ichinokura-sama as well, Oniisama. Mmn. Ive met him a few times, you know? He thanked me because you looked after Mao-chan at a party. I see~ The one being looked after was actually me, though. Remember those times he took me out to eat? Ahh, come to think of it he did. I actually have a request for you, Oniisama. Remember how you promised to take me to the aquarium? I was thinking that since Mao-chan was coming over, we might as well do then. Would that be a problem? Im fine with it. Then well go on the day that Mao-chan comes over. Since were bringing her along, would somewhere closer-by be okay? Yes! Mao-chan will love it! Uhuhu, I couldnt wait. I think Id keep this a secret from her until the day. I decided that I was going to skip cram school on the day Mao-chan came over, Naturally I would be skipping my morning jog that day too. Lately I was jogging every morning at the park with Mihara-san. I could run a little smoother and a little longer now. I had asked him not to keep shouting my name, but he still shouting Ojousama! which was making me rather conspicuous. Sometimes while I was running, people I didnt recognise at all would shout Do your best, Ojousama! and cheer me on. I was getting the strange feeling that I had turned into some kind of attraction for this park Youve gotten a lot more comfortable with running, Ojousama! Lets aim for the Imperial Palace before your summer break ends! Ehh!? The Imperial Palace!? Impossible! That is impossible for me! Werent all the people running there pretty much athletes? Whoa, whoa, I ran slower than people walked. If I went there I would stand out like a sore thumb. Ojousama, you must set your goals high. Dont worry, a lap around the Palace is only 5 kilometres. Well begin training you for it now! Ehh!? Now!? You are going to suddenly add 2 kilometres to my run!? You can do it, Ojousama. Well train every day, and next year well go to Honolulu! Ehhhhhhh? Honolulu!? That was actually impossible now! Just how many kilometres would I have to run in the Hononlulu Marathons!? Dont give up before you run! he cheered. Show me the hard work you need to defeat the weakness of your self! he cheered. Trying to persuade Mihara-san was actually even harder than running. Mao-chan and her Okaasama appeared on my doorstep with her luggage. Gokigenyoh, Reika-oneesama! Please look after me today. Mao-chan gave a slightly nervous but happy bow. Welcome, Mao-chan. I will be in your care as well. Reika-san, my daughter will be in your care. I am afraid we do not have much to offer her here, but I will definitely look after her so please be at ease. That was when Okaasama came along to greet them as well. My, Sawarabi-sama, Gokigenyoh. It seems that your daughter will be staying with us tonight. Gokigenyoh, Kisshouin-sama. My daughter will be troubling you tonight. Please take care of her. Please take care of me, bowed Mao-chan. My, what a cute daughter you have. It seems that Okaasama had already taken to her. After we all chatted for a bit, Mao-chans Okaasama went home so I led Mao-chan to my room. Mao-chan, will you be lonely without your Okaasama? Ill be fine. Waaah! Youre room is so cute, Reika-oneesama! Mao-chan eyed my canopied bed with sparkling eyes. She began a happy exploration of my room.I had already stored the weird stuff like my hula hoop or my stepping machine in the storehouse so I was okay wherever she looked. I hoped this was going to be a fun stay over. Mao-chan, lets make some nice memories this summer! Okaasama began to talk about wanting to bring Mao-chan shopping. She had found a new dress-up doll Okaasama, please spare her hair at least! Ruuuuuun, Mao-chaaaaan! Chapter 138 Mao-chan had been hesitant but Okaasama had half forced her to accept, so in the end Mao-chan turned into her dress-up doll. Sorry, Mao-chan I apologised as Okaasama was happily choosing dresses. I was used to it, but Ill bet Mao-chan wasnt. No, Im fine with it, but is it really okay to buy me something? Im starting to feel really shameless Okaasama might get angry at me No, that is not something you need to be worried about. In fact I should be apologising for forcing you to go along with my mothers fun. I will make sure to speak to your parents, do not worry. And perhaps you should try to at least let her know which you like. If not, she will choose everything on her own. Okay. Mao-chan was still a little hesitant at first, but before long she was happily trying on this and that for Okaasama. As I watched I started to want to choose clothes for her too, and in the end I joined in. Could you blame me? Mao-chan was just so cute that everything looked good on her! The one that they settled on was a cute lemon yellow party dress, with a wide, light skirt. Cute! It suits you so well, Mao-chan! I clapped, causing Mao-chan to thank me shyly. What I had picked for her was a white flower-patterned summer dress. It was maidenly and very cute too! Mao-chan wore the white dress out of the store. Okaasama looked a little dissatisfied about that but the party dress was too fancy to walk about in, so there wasnt any choice. But Mao-chans next words cheered her up right. Do you think it would be okay if I wore that dress to the summer party this year? Sorry that you had to worry about her feelings, Mao-chan. Then Okaasama brought her to a hair salon and curled her hair. Uwaahh! She had turned into me in miniature. The two of us stood in front of the mirror like sisters with perfect curls. I was genuinely apologising to her in my mind but Its like Im a princess! Mao-chan seemed overjoyed. Ive always adored your hair, Reika-oneesama. I thought you looked just like a princess from a fairy tale, she said as she happily touched her own hair. Mao-chan kept glancing back to her reflection in the mirror. Eh? She actually thought that? Apparently I really was the Rococo Queens successor. After a visit to a tea shop and then some more shopping and whatnot we returned home to find Otousama coming back with a cake. The tanuki had literally no other ideas for gifts to women except sweets. It was no wonder he was tubby if food was all he could think of. I was a little worried because Mao-chan was on a diet but she was kind so she thanked him with a smile. What a good kid After an enjoyable dinner where we asked Mao-chan about her school life, the two of us returned to my room and relaxed. Mao-chan seemed interested in my needle felting things, so I told her about what I was making for the school festival and then showed her the photos and the sketchbook. Waah! These are so good! Did you draw these, Reika-oneesama. No, it was my Oniisama that drew these. Your Oniisama is amazing at drawing. Ah! This one is wonderful too. Waah Hm? Huh? Whats this one? What? Ahh! That was the one that I drew! Ummm, what is this? she asked me awkwardly. Ah, that was the one that I tried using my left hand to draw. I wanted to see how well I could do it. Wow, is that what this was!? No wonder it looked so strange. But if you drew this with your left hand then arent you pretty talented? My, hohoho Can I cry? I hurriedly put the sketchbook away and decided to help Mao-chan with her summer homework instead. The truth is I havent done it at all Truly? Then shall we work hard at it together? Yes! Teaching Mao-chan how to do her homework. The oneesan feeling I got was amazing. She was so cute. If only she really was my little sister. A while later Oniisama came back from work and popped into my room. Good evening, Mao-chan. Im Reikas brother, Kisshouin Takateru. Its nice to meet you. My name is Sawarabi Mao! Ill be intruding tonight! she replied with a bow. I always wondered this but even though Oniisama always worked so late, how come Otousama could always came home early? Wasnt he pushing all the work onto Oniisama? Oniisama spent a bit of time in my room, kindly helping Mao-chan with her homework before heading back to his own room. After some more homework the night was getting late so I thought it would be good to prepare for bed. Mao-chan was really excited to try the canopy bed. I was fine as long as she was happy, but if you slept in one each day it took surprisingly little time to get bored of it. It got dusty too, you know? The two of us climbed in next to each other. Sorry for treating you like a doll today, Mao-chan. It must have been tiring. No. I had a really good time. I had planned to played more with her, but the unexpected Okaasama attack threw the schedule off course. Honestly! But Mao-chan said that she had fun. I asked a little more and found out that her grandparents and relatives had come over again this summer. They had only paid her brother heed again and she was feeling a little lonely because of it. So thats how it was. They might have been annoying, and swarmed her with attention, but I suppose my parents were at least a little use. I guess it was okay then. But I went to sleep next to her with thoughts of tomorrow on my mind. Tomorrow was going to be mine turn to play with her. At least thats what should have happened but there was another a.s.sault in the form of Ririna. For whatever reason she came to visit the following day. Reika-san! Good news! Ive come over to play! Uh, n.o.body asked you to. Look. Mao-chan has no idea why youre here. Oh? Whos this girl? Ririna stared without restraint at Mao-chan who was doing needle felting next to me. Her name is Sawarabi Mao-chan, and is something like a cute little sister to me, I said to look out for her, She goes to Suiran in the primary section. Mao-chan, sorry for surprising you. This girl is Kotou Ririna, my younger cousin. Sister? Ririnas eyebrow twitched. Sister Ririna looked back and forth between us unhappily, and Mao-chan seemed frightened of her. It was situations like this that I had to tell her off! Ririna. Mao! I was about to chide her when she suddenly stepped forward, pushed me aside, and put her hands on her hips. Y-Yes? So your name is Mao. Very well! From today onwards you have the privilege of being my little sister! Ririna announced. Eh!? Mao-chan exclaimed. Haaah!? I blurted. It was so shocking that I couldnt help myself. Making Mao-chan her little sister!? What the h.e.l.l was she on about!? Ummm If youre Reika-sans sister, then youre as good as mine. Call me Ririna-oneesama from today onwards! Eh Ririna oneesama? Ririna gave her a contented nod. Wai-, Ririna So youre from our primary section, Mao. I see, and youve come over today to play? Wai-, youre staying over!? Then Ill stay over too. I called out to stop her but the conversation was progressing quickly without me. Before I knew it, the two of them were really getting along. Wai-, and it was settled that Ririna would be staying over too!? Just like I had yesterday, Ririna was enjoying the feeling of being an oneesan. She told Mao-chan that she would teach her, and then began helping her with homework. I was about to stop her but Ririna was surprisingly good at teaching. And she was smart, too. I casually asked Ririna how she was doing in her exams only to find out to my shocking truth that she ranked 20th in her last one! Wahh! Youre so smart, Ririna-oneesama! 20th place isnt much. I actually dropped ranks compared to my mid-terms. I had lost Mao-chans eyes were filled with complete respect for Ririna. I quietly left the room. Oh? Whats up, Reika? Wheres Mao-chan? asked Oniisama. Today was his day off, so he had just been leaving his room in preparation to go out. I answered him with a glum face. Ririna came over Ririna? After a quick peek into my room he muttered I see. Even from outside, I could hear their excitedly voices. So Ririna stole Mao-chan from you. Yes Well, just try to have fun, the three of you. When Im back Ill join in. Truly!? Oniisama was going to come home early then. I saw Oniisama out and then headed back to the storehouse by myself. The other day I discovered something terrifying when I came in here to store my hula hoop. There was a large wooden box in the back of the room. Out of curiosity I opened it up, Inside was a bobcut j.a.panese doll in a red Kimono. Gyaaaaaahhh! I had screamed. I hated dolls. Worse yet, it turned out to be one of those mechanical chahakobi dolls that could walk and carry tea. Despite knowing better, I wound up the spring and it began walking my way with clattering noises. Scaaary! Dolls were scary already, but dolls that could move on their own were too much! Behind me was an antique hinamatsuri doll whose hair grew. In front of me was a creepy chahakobi doll who could move. Had that happened at night my hair would have turned white from the fright. I had quickly returned the doll into its box and then made my escape from the storehouse. All while trembling at the worry of those dolls visiting me in the night Now was the time to reawaken her. I took the chahakobi doll out of the storeroom and began winding up the spring. When it was ready, I put it down in the gap between my opened door and the doorframe. It didnt take long before the whole house heard the screams of Ririna and Mao-chan. Uhehehehe. This was punishment for taking away my position as oneesan~ Afterwards, Ririna furiously demanded to know what the h.e.l.l I thought I was doing, and I ended up apologising over and over as Mao-chan was half in tears. Later at night when Oniisama was back, the four of us played games like cards and jenga. It was nice having the numbers for things like these. My bed wasnt huge so I told Ririna so many times to go sleep in the guest room, but she wouldnt budge and kept saying that she was going to sleep with us as well. In the end the three of us ended up glued to each other in bed. Cramped When Ririna heard about Mao-chans family situation she was infuriated. Whats wrong with them! Thats so exasperating! You should have just come clear and given them a good telling off! But Ririna, Mao-chan is not like you. She is a gentle girl, I objected. Hmph. Then if she isnt going to tell them off she should just s.n.a.t.c.h the heirship off her brother. Show everyone just how much better she is. Huhuhu, fool brother. Youll rue the day you made an enemy of us. Eh Umm, I dont hate my little brother or anything And I dont really want the heirship either. Really? asked Ririna. Yes, replied Mao-chan. Thats right. Thats because Mao-chan was the successor to the Rococo throne instead. Huh. Then all you have to do is start laying the groundwork so that you can marry the man you want when the time comes. Where did marriage come from. I commented. The conversation was making so many leaps that I couldnt keep up. Obviously because if we dont pay attention well end up in some political marriage chosen by our parents. If she already has somebody she likes then she has to start planning now. Hahh You are still just a child and you already think about these things? Of course Im thinking about these things. Im an only child so I have to get married. Youre being too carefree, Reika-san. You never think about anything, do you. Sorry. That night I realised that for all that she acted spoilt, Ririna had a serious side to her that was already prepared to take a husband. I only ever thought about how I would live my life after my family fell to ruin, but if I continued on the way I was would I eventually end up in an arranged marriage as well? No, no, I had to marry for love. Ririna was right, I had to start preparing! Not that I had a partner in mind, though! While I was muttering to myself, Ririna and Mao-chan had fallen fast asleep, I had once heard that sleeping in a symmetrical pose made you more p.r.o.ne to sleep paralysis. As Ririna slept soundly, I gently moved her arms and legs so that they matched. A chahakobi doll is a traditional mechanical doll powered by varying mechanisms, designed to carry tea to somebody, stop, and then turn around and leave, a prestigious luxury toy for its high complexity. Read more here: Chapter 139 On the last day of Mao-chans stay with us, we were taking her to the aquarium. The place we chose was the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise. The aquarium in the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise contains over 500 different varieties of fish with more than 100,000 sea creatures in all. It is one of the largest Aquariums in j.a.pan. A romantic play-island! was the catchphrase for the place, which felt like it was picking a fight with me. As the Chief of the Forever Alone Village, I wasnt exactly happy about it. Mao-chan had a man in Yuuri-kun. When I met them at the summer party last year I had noted to myself how heartwarming it was to watch the two of them, but you know, sometimes I was just a liiittle jealous of them. But the real problem was Ririna. Ririna. That incredibly spoilt and wilful girl. But last night one thing led to another and Ririna casually dropped the ma.s.sive bombsh.e.l.l that a number of boys had already confessed to her. It was like my entire world-view had been turned on its head. Shock! Ririna had been confessed to!? And more than once!? A mindblowing reveal from the girl I had under-evaluated as being a fellow loner in romance. It had been so shocking that I was fl.u.s.tered and didnt know what to say when Ririna looked at me strangely and put the nail in my coffin. What? By the time were in high school, pretty much everyones been confessed to once or twice, right? Noooo! Not right! n.o.bodys confessed to me even onceee! Even if you add in my past life, not even onceee! Whether in studies or in romance, Ririna had crushed me in every contest She was just a Ririna! A Ririna! Dark emotions seethed inside like volcanic fumes, but I put a lid on it and greeted Ririna and Mao-chan with a smile. Since Mao-chan asked for it, I began to brush her hair. Mao-chan would be heading home after this so we loaded her bags into the car, and then it was off to the enemy island!Being summer break and all, the aquarium was packed with people. If we werent careful we could get separated. The tiny Mao-chan in particular warranted special care. I decided to hold her hand. Mao-cha-" "Mao, hold my hand so you dont get lost." Yes, Ririna-oneesama. The two held hands in comfortable companionship and then entered the aquarium without another thought. Leaving me behind. That was fine. I had Oniisama. Right, Oniisama? Oniisama, please stop playing with your phone and pay me attention. Mao-chans favourite attraction had been the beluga whales. I on the other hand had always loved polar bears. Bears that were white. They were so cute, werent they. I had postage stamps of them too. After last nights games, Mao-chan had opened up to Oniisama. Today they were hitting it off, and she was calling him Takateru-niisama now. Having been demoted to Ojisama, I bet Ichinokura-san would be pretty devastated if he learnt that Oniisama had taken the -niisama t.i.tle The underwater gla.s.s tunnel with the dolphins had been nice. We spent a while just watching the dolphins from there. Just the scenery made you forget about the heat outside. Still, white bears took the cake for me. After enjoying every bit of the aquarium, we left for downtown Yokohama as we discussed the idea of going to the aquariums in Osaka or Okinawa next time. Right now though, we were going to eat and shop. I invited somebody else with some free time today, so mind waiting a little bit? Somebody else? Gasp. Dont tell me youre introducing a girlfriend, Oniisama! Ah, see? Here he comes. Somebody was waving to us as they came down from the other end of the street. Imari-sama!? Wahh! It had been so long. Whao, that cool guy aura was amazing as always. Dont just summon me out of the blue. As if you were doing anything. Wow, youre rude. After a bit of friendly verbal sparring, Imari-sama flashed us a friendly smile. Its been a while, Reika-chan. And I dont think Ive met these two before. Im Monozono Imari. For whatever reason, Ive been friends with Takateru here since primary. Im Taka-niisamas cousin, Kotou Ririna. Nice to meet you! Im Sawarabi Mao! Nice to meet you, he said as she shook hands with them both. Ah, he said, Something for the girls. Here. Salt and b.u.t.ter. Great for warding off heatstroke, you know? What he handed us were nice caramel sweets from a French store well known for it. They were over 150 Yen each. I expected no less from Imari-sama. I tried one of the red-wrapped caramels and a fruity flavour spread through my mouth. Yummy! Wont they melt in this heat? asked Oniisama. Well try not to walk outside then. I hate the heat, Imari-sama replied. Imari-sama guided us into a shopping centre. I thought it might be boring for him to wait while us girls shopped, but instead he played along with a smile, mentioning that something suited us, or that we looked cute in something else. When we went up the escalators he even casually took Mao-chans hand, who ended up completely entranced by him. Its terrible, Yuuri-kun! Youve even got rivals here! When we went accessory shopping I found this lovely gla.s.s hair ornament that chimed when you move your head. Wah! Those are so magical, exclaimed Mao-chan as she looked at them. They came in different colours too, so Imari-san asked which she liked. You two are fond of this one? In that case Ill make them a commemoration present for all three of you. Ehhh!? At first we tried to refuse, but Imari-samas tongue was so smooth that we ended up obliging before we knew it. Mao-chan went with pink, I went with red, while Ririna went with blue. Imari-sama personally helped Mao-chan put hers on, so she was completely captivated by him. Uwawawa, but Imari-sama really was dreamy! I was watching him when Ririna tugged on my sleeve and brought me to a corner. That gentleman is dangerous, so you cant fall in love with him, she warned. What on earth are you doing, Ririna. Suddenly, I happened to hear Oniisamas conversation with him from behind us. You know, if you keep doing stuff like this, somebody is going to end up stabbing you again. Eh? Apparently Ririna had quite an eye for things. In the evening we dropped Mao-chan and Ririna off at their houses. The three of us entered returned to my home, but after a while Oniisama and Imari-sama went out again. Since I was tired from having fun all day, I opened the door to my room only to meet with the bobcut doll from yesterday, clattering and walking my way. Today was the firefly catching party, hosted by the Kaburagi family. It was being held in a j.a.panese-style garden at their hotel. Okaasama had excitedly dressed me in a kimono. It was made from blue-green silk, and looked suited for the summer. Otousama had said something or other about Okaasama looking beautiful in her deep purple kimono. We arrived on scene, and greeted the Kaburagi couple before doing the same to some of the acquaintances closer to our family. All of the walking around had tired me, so after the greetings were done I went to look for a seat. That was when somebody held a drink out to me. Here. Enjou-sama. Good evening, Kisshouin-san. So he was here too So youre wearing a kimono today. It really suits you, you know. Thank you very much. I looked around for anybody else when he gave me some rather misinformed help. Masaya is over there. I was not particularly searching for Kaburagi-sama. Oh, okay then. I just thought that youd want to greet him as the son of the hosts, thats all. What, are you trying to say that I dont have manners or something? The party had already started, so the night garden was filled with flying fireflies. Wanna go look? That sounds like a good idea. Since I was already here, I did want to. Then again, they had said all that stuff about Tamakazura hadnt they. And I was wearing a kimono too. Id hate for anything weird to happen because of this. Masaya seems to be going over, so lets head over too. All right. I already told you I dont care about Kaburagi. Countless fireflies were flying in the garden. The way they floated around the guests looked like something out of a fantasy. Uwahh! How dream-like! I tried to approach them too, but the fireflies floated away. Huh? I approached. They ran. I approached again. They scattered to run away. This was weird. I knew there were chrysanthemum-based insecticides, but the perfume on my kimono was absolutely not that. Why. Goodness! Maihama-san seems so popular! somebody exclaimed. I looked over to find the fireflies gathering around Maihama-san, turning her into a modern day Tamakazura. When she noticed that all of them had avoided me, Maihama-san began to chuckle. I lost The role of Tamakazura for this chapter went without a doubt to Maihama-san. Stop laughing, Enjou! Youre standing right beside me! How do we know it wasnt you!? At that moment, the President of the Pivoine, Fuyuko-sama, appeared on scene with a beautific smile, other Pivoine members in tow. Oh dear. I had a bad feeling about this I win. Actually I forgot about the media thumbnails and scared myself just now while uploading the aquarium pictures. Otousama had said something or other about Okaasama looking beautiful in her deep purple kimono. Specifically the colour was s...o...b..iro which is the colour of s...o...b.. flowers. Iris sanguinea.You can google ѡ in images for an idea. In general though, the colour is like a deep purple on the more cooler side of the red-blue purple spectrum. Chapter 140 Mushi mezuru himegimi, or The Lady who Loved Insects (Ť늪), is the twelfth-century j.a.panese tale of one who defies social convention and breaches the decorum expected of a Heian court lady. The protagonist befriends insects, names her attendants after them, and engages in poetic exchanges involving furry caterpillars, leading to laughter on the part of others. Portrayed as even more eccentric is her disregard for her physical appearance: she leaves her hair untrimmed; has unplucked eyebrows; neglects to blacken her teeth; and allows herself to be seen by men. Donald Keene has suggested that, while the reader may be attracted by her independence of mind, the author was probably trying to satirize those with eccentric behaviour and unconventional tasteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_who_Loved_Insects Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama, Reika-sama. The President and her followers greeted us as they came our way. The fireflies are splendid, arent they? It truly transports you to another world, murmured the President as she gazed out over the garden. I couldnt help but give a self-depreciating comment. It would be nice if they flew a little closer though I heard Enjou stifle a laugh in the background. Stop laughing! We still havent established whose fault this was! Perhaps. But who is to say that the loveliest view isnt from here? As expected of the President. What a great way of putting things! Kisshouin-san, said Enjou, If you really wanted to see them up close, shall I go catch one for you? Just the thought is enough, Enjou-sama. Your eyes are totally laughing at me, Enjou. Who knew he was so easily amused. I heard people laughing melodiously from Maihama-sans direction. Surrounding Kaburagi, and Maihama-san next to him, were countless fireflies floating about. Look, Masaya-sama! The fireflies are! she exclaimed proudly, trying to stress that it was like the two of them were being blessed as a couple. Why were all the fireflies gathering around such a noisy person? Had she prepared some kind of bug attractant? In contrast to her high spirits, Kaburagi seemed expressionless and gloomy. Being popular had its own troubles, didnt it. The young miss besides Kaburagi-sama Maihama-san, was it? From Yurinomiya The Presidents gaze turned sharp. Yes, Fuyuko-sama. She has intruded on our school a few times. Some of the students at Yurinomiya called her the Queen. The words of the Pivoine member shocked me. The Queen of Yurinomiya!? I had thought she was some small fry but she was ruling as the Queen of Yurinomiya!? Goodness the President smiled sweetly. Her eyes werent smiling at all. They wouldnt say anything rash with Enjou here, but I was already looking for a path to retreat. But, tired of dealing with Maihama-san, Kaburagi suddenly spotted his best friend and came over. So here you were, Shuusuke. Oh? Were you looking for me? Kaburagi-sama, thank you very much for inviting us today, thanked the President as our representative. The rest of us began to follow suit. Kaburagi exchanged a few words with us before telling Enjou that he had something he wanted to talk about. He obviously just wanted to escape from Maihama-san. Lets talk inside then, agreed Enjou. The two of them tried to leave but Maihama-san stubbornly followed after. Or at least she tried, but Enjou gently rejected her. We just want to speak alone for a little bit, so do you think it would be possible to just give us a bit of time? You wont see these fireflies every night. Try and enjoy yourself, added Kaburagi. With that, this time they really did leave her to head inside. A splendid escape, Kaburagi. Now that we had n.o.body we needed to watch our words around, the atmosphere exploded in tension. Maihama-san wasted no time in beginning her attack on me. Goodness, Reika-san. I saw you earlier. It must be so pitiful that even the fireflies wont pay you attention. What a shame that you couldnt become Tamakazura tonight. So she was listening that time with Mrs. Kaburagi Maihama-sans face as she glared at me was a sight to behold. My! Reika-sama is unlike a certain somebody who the fireflies pay any attention to. I must say, you reminded me less of Tamakazura, and more of the Lady who Loved Insects. For one thing those are quite the eyebrows you have, retaliated the President before I got a word in. Hohoho, laughed the other girls. The Lady who Loved Insects!? Thats quite a rude thing to say, Maihama-san glared at the President. The President smiled, unbothered. I suppose it might be. Perhaps we shall say that the insects were simply attracted to Kaburagi-samas brilliance instead. Watching the two of you made me think of a bug zapper. My, thats a beautiful dress you have on. Let me guess, inspired by the j.a.panese Moon Moth? Wha-! Hmph! If Im a moth, I suppose that makes you the carniverous plants trying to eat me. How scary! Id better get Masaya-sama to protect me! Hohoho, its a shame then that Masaya-sama wont pay you attention at all. Is that something you lot should be saying? Even though youre in the same school, and some in the same year, no matter how much time pa.s.ses you still seem to be just part of the crowd to him. Maihama-san had quite some guts to pick a fight with her From a distance it might have looked like two young girls chatting amicably, but in truth they were trying to kill each other verbally. Unfortunately for you, Reika-sama over here is close enough that Kaburagi-sama played a song on the piano for her. That Chopin piece was wonderful, Reika-sama. Eh!? Ah, yes-! Uwah, youre throwing me onto the frontlines too!? My hair was tied up to match my kimono though, so my offensive power is reduced by 20%, you know? And my sword is made of foam. Kaburagi-sama played the Fantasie Impromptu and the Minute Waltz for her. His rendition of the Turkish March was wonderful too. Ah! She casually added in the songs played for Mao-chan too! Oh? I see. Then perhaps I should ask him to play me some piano as well. Perhaps you should. Whether hell agree is a different matter, though. S-, Scary The exit strategy! Whats the exit strategy!? And even though it was all the President and Maihama-san talking, why was it that Maihama-san was staring venomously at me!? Their battle continued for a while longer, until Maihama-san left. The President gazed at her leaving. That girl is quite unrestrained in Yurinomiya, you know. Putting on the airs of a Queen and telling her followers to isolate those that she doesnt like, she commented, Using a group of people to isolate a single girl. You can tell what kind of person she is just from that. I feel sorry for the girls of Yurinomiya, to have people like those in charge. Eh Is that something you girls can be saying? One mans fault is another mans lesson. People in the past said really wise things, didnt they. I gazed at the fireflies in the garden and brought my thoughts elsewhere. It would have been nice to see them from closer. Suddenly my arm felt itchy, and I realised a mosquito had bitten me. The fireflies avoided me, but the mosquitoes were okay? What was the meaning of this. I wasnt allowed to scratch it despite how itchy it was, so I used my nails to carve a cross on it. So itchy! I had better go to a dermatologist tomorrow. Protecting the members of the Pivoine is my duty as the President. Reika-sama, if anything happens with Maihama-san, come and tell me immediately. Ill always be on your side. Thank you very much No matter what, Id never tell her a thing. Just thinking about a battle between Suiran and Yurinomiya was scaring me. Uhuhu. Hohoho. We laughed into the night. The next day Enjou had sent me a bug cage with a single firefly inside. During the day, the firefly was just some black bug. j.a.panese Moon Moth: Chapter 141 Would like to remind you of Mats...o...b..shou who I first introduced to you in . Hes written a number of famous poems on cicadas, for example: yagate shinukeshiki wa miezusemi no koeThe cry of the cicadaGives us no signThat presently it will die.~ translated by William George Aston shizukasa yaiwa ni shimiirusemi no koeSuch stillnessDDThe cries of the cicadasSink into the rocks.~ translated by Donald Keen Hi guys! Final note before we get into the chapter, just a heads up to anybody who used to follow our that Komorebi bugged me into getting things running again, so expect fortnightly releases. came out about a week ago, and translations/redrawing/cleaning is complete for Chapter 13, so expect it soon. I suppose you have to thank for all this. It was a bit of a waste that the firefly only had the lifespan of a week. I couldnt bring myself to have it spend the rest of its life in a cage so I decided to let it out in the Suiran Forest. To be honest I had actually wanted to show it to Mao-chan. Ah well, I was sure there would be another opportunity. Anyhow, that was how I found myself at school during the summer holiday. I opened the cage and I thought it was going to fly away, but it just landed on a nearby bit of gra.s.s and stopped moving. Dont tell it was it dying already!? I picked up a stick and poked at it only for it to fly off and land on another blade of gra.s.s. Apparently it wasnt dying, it was just taking a rest. Die well, firefly! I left the forest after cheering it on in my heart. Places with vegetation really were cooler, it seems. The moment I left the forest I was a.s.saulted by a wave of heat. Shielded from the glare by my parasol I lightly jogged for the school building. Those athletics clubs members really impressed me with how they trained in this heat. I hoped they watched out for heat stroke. After entering the school I was cooling down in the hallway when Cla.s.s Rep and Iwamuro-kun came along. Oh? Kisshouin-san, youre here today? Cla.s.s Rep asked. I had an errand. Are the two of you here for the remedial? Mhm. The school ran remedial cla.s.ses for those who were interested. Unlike my time in middle school where I was going because of my grades dropping, these remedials were special cla.s.ses for those willing to study more. I recall that you said Honda-san would be taking them as well? I asked quietly. After checking that n.o.body was around, Cla.s.s Rep happily affirmed nodded. Were even in the same cla.s.s. Since Iwamuro-kun is in the cla.s.s cla.s.s too, together with Nonose-san, the four of us are studying together. My. It looks like the remedials are working out for you after all, Cla.s.s Rep. Arent you making a lot of progress this summer? They came over and commented that the two of us seemed close with you, Kisshouin-san. Somehow it all feels like its thanks to you. Ohh? Thanks to me, is it? I didnt actually do anything though. If I was of at least some help to you, then I am glad. Youre my Love Guru. And Iwamuro-kun as well. The two of us get along strangely well. Right, Iwamuro-kun? Guess we do. I see, I said, I had always thought you two would. At first glance, Iwamuro-kun and Cla.s.s Rep didnt seem to have any similarities at all, but in truth the two were both members of the Maidens Society. At that moment, something flew in through the window and hit me in the back of the head. Oww! Eh!? What!? Did somebody throw a rock at me!? But I could feel something on my head. Suddenly a piercing noise like an alarm clock came from the left side of my head. Eh!? This sound was! Dont tell me! Kisshouin-san, theres a cicada on your head! Aaaaah! I knew it! I knew it! Gross! Scary! Noisy! The noisy cicada on the side of my head continued to sing. I didnt want to touch it, just from the size alone! Dragonflies might be one thing but not cicadas! Having lost his cool as well, Cla.s.s Rep reached out for my head but he stopped when the cicada threatened him with its wings. I was frantically shaking my head left and right as well but it wouldnt let go. In fact I caught a glimpse of it during the process, which just gave me gooseb.u.mps. Gross! Scary! Noisy! Gyaaaah! By now I had completely lost my mind and only cared about getting rid of it. I was shaking my head back and forth like a half-crazed rock star. Leggooo! Please hold still for a bit! said Iwamuro-kun before adding, Sorry if this hurts. Tall as he was, he reached around me and smacked the cicada off my head with the back of his hand! You did it, Iwamuro-kun! Kisshouin-san, its gone! Ueeh!? I was dizzy from all the shaking but I caught sight of the cicada on the ground, lying on its back. Maybe the smack had rendered it unconscious or something, but after laying still for a while longer it go up and flew out the window. Are you okay, Kisshouin-san? asked Iwamuro-kun. You dont look well. Shall we go to the nurses office? asked Cla.s.s Rep. Thank you, you two. Sorry for panicking and scaring you The cicada had scared me so much that I had been screaming without thinking. Ill never be good enough to understand how Bashou-sensei can find that noise poetic Aah, that really scared me. Ah! Kisshouin-san, theres a broken cicada leg in your Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaahgh! After the nightmare with the cicada I immediately booked a shampoo at my hair salon for right after. I didnt explain to them why. I just asked them to give my hair a thorough washing. After Iwamuro-kun and Cla.s.s Rep got rid of the leg for me I had them make sure nothing else was weird about my hair, and asked them to keep the whole thing a secret. In Southern France they say that a cicada is good luck. I bet something great is going to happen! they said to cheer me up. Do you really think so? Then while Cla.s.s Rep continued checking my hair, Iwamuro-kun said, If you find a reversed curl, there might be good luck for your too, causing Cla.s.s Rep to search more fervently. Apparently he even found one. Good for him A few days later I visited Sakura-chans house for the first time in a while. Since it was summer I brought her ice cream from a chocolate chain famous around the world. The strawberry flavour was rich and delicious! And the chocolate chips inside were great too! The two of us were hanging in her room and just enjoying our ice cream as we told each other about how we were doing. Is Akizawa-kun not here today? Oh, club activities? Yeah. Training camp, and practice matches, hes just been really busy. And hes got a summer cla.s.s at cram school too. Even though its summer break I dont have much time with him. I see~ And speaking of Track Club! Hey, do you know that 1st year who became the manager for the club? Eh? Nope. I didnt even know our track club even had a manager. You do. You need to pay attention to that girl for me. Managers have ulterior motives. They always do. Uwah, what the heck is this bias. Think about it. At an all-girls school like mine none of the athletics clubs have managers. At Suiran the Track Club for both the boys and the girls shares the same Manager position, but pretty much all the girls who take it act as the Manager for the boys athletics clubs. n.o.bodys even heard of a girl doing it because she just loves the sport. I need to go cheer for Tak.u.mi at their next meet to stop this girl. I cant wait for the next School Festival. Ah well, give it your all~ Sakura-chans Akizawa-kun-defences were rock solid as always. You dont seem to care at all. Well, whatever. How about you, Reika? Anything happen recently? Hmm~ Not really? Oh, I guess Maihama-san picked a few fights with me. Maihama? Did she do something to you? Not really. At worst she badmouthed me a little, or started a row with me. For some reason she sees me a rival for Suirans Emperor. Oh. Speaking of which, a little while ago I happened to overhear her talking about some girls at Suiran being eyesores and loitering around the Emperor. Dont tell me she was talking about you? Huh? I dont recall ever loitering around the Emperor, but But that probably was me she was talking about. I mean, considering the way she glared at me So whats this about Maihama-san being the Queen of Yurinomiya? She just pretends to be one. She doesnt have the ability. I see~ Are you really okay, though? If she gets too bad Ill help. Thanks, Sakura-chan. But its totally fine. I mean, sorry to her, but Ive never found her scary. Like at all. I do find her annoying though. Thats fine then. But Maihama-san, huh~ Kaburagi doesnt seem to be interested at all, but I guess he cant reject her too harshly thanks to Yurie-sama. Whatever happened to Yurie-sama. She wasnt there at the firefly-catching party, and I never heard anything about her. I wondered how things between her and Kaburagi turned out. Was Kaburagi over it yet? He hadnt made any progress with Wakaba-chan yet. He wasnt going to have one more relapse into Yurie-sama was he? But then Yurie-sama was slated to go to America after she graduated from university. Hmmm Ah well, not like other peoples romances were anything to do with me Tomorrow I needed to go to the library again. Sometimes Id sit next to him and have delusions in my mind about being a high schooler couple. This summer I had, without even realising, become a fine stalker in the making. I was shaking my head back and forth like a half-crazed rock star.was literally,I was shaking my head back and forth like I was performing the Renjishi. The Renjishi is a kabuki lion dance. Since it was summer I brought her ice cream from a chocolate chain famous around the world. The strawberry flavour was rich and delicious! And the chocolate chips inside were great too! I figure it was inspired by this. Chapter 142 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . My summer break was busy. Jogging in the early morning, going on trips, sometimes going out with my group or Sakura-chan too. Sometimes Otousama or Okaasama would drag me here or there. And then heading to the library between that. My goal there was, of course, the boy who looked like Naru-kun. I tried to sit as close to him as possible but things didnt always work out. When it didnt I would sit somewhere else and study properly, but when a seat freed up I would move to shorten the distance. The times when I was lucky and the seat next to him was free, I could feel my heart throbbing in excitement.I had leered at his belongings once to see if I could get his name but it didnt work out. I was pretty much one step away from being a stalker wasnt I? I vowed to never follow him at least. If I did that I think it would be over for me as a human being So for now Id stick with being a stalker in-the-making. I didnt have much time left to make my dream come true either. What on earth was I doing Since my previous life, my dream was to have a date in school uniforms. Walking together in uniforms, going home together after school! And awkwardly holding each others hands Kyaaah! How niiiice, how cuuuute~ Oh, and it would be dreamy to ride on the back of their bicycle too. Sitting sideways on the bicycle rack Waahh! In the past when I had ridden on the back of Naru-kuns bicycle I liked to imagine that we were lovers. Oh boy. When it came to romance I hadnt aged mentally at all, had I. Speaking of which, when Naru-kun was in high school, I received quick a shock when I saw him walking with what seemed to be his girlfriend. When I asked my aunt about it, she said that her son was dating a girl from his school. It just left me in a slump though. I was in primary school at the time. Aah, curse the age difference! Because Obasan had told all our relatives about it, at New Years Naru-kun was teased to death by all the uncles and aunts. Large family gatherings will never stop being a bane for young people Anyhow, the date in school uniform. I only had about a year left with my uniform. Please, G.o.d! Grant my romance spring before then! The President wanted to show off the Pivoines power, so they put in extra effort for the Pivoine Summer Party this year. A result of that was an abundance of old boys and old girls in attendance. Besides the alumni were the Pet.i.te of course, and anyhow it was just a lot of people. When I arrived I went over to greet the President. My, what a wonderful dress, Reika-sama. The kimono from the firefly party suited you as well, though. Thank you very much. Youko-sama. The way your pearls look against the colour of your dress reminds me of the moon in the summer dusk sky. I inherited these pearl earrings from my mother, she smiled happily. By the way, Reika-sama, she began, Has Maihama-san from Yurinomiya said anything to you since then? No, but thank you for your concern. Since everybody else was arriving to greet her, I decided to take my leave. After looking around a little I spotted Sarara-sama, so I headed over with quick steps and called out to her. Sarara-sama, gokigenyoh! Gokigenyoh, Reika-sama. Although I knew she wasnt some aloof loner anymore, unfortunately I still didnt talk to her at school so much. Still, I really admired the way she firmly she lived in her own world. Thats why whenever we met at a party or the salon Id take the initiative to speak to her first. How have you been spending your summer holiday, Sarara-sama? I havent been doing anything really worth mentioning. Although, I did manage to get my hands on a book that was out of print. Ever the bookworm. She only ever brought up crazy-complicated t.i.tles. I honestly never had a clue. Usually I would just smile along. We were still chatting when I noticed a brightly smiling Mao-chan, coming my way with Yuuri-kun in tow. Reika-oneesama! Mao-chan! And Yuuri-kun too. Tonight she was wearing the lemon-yellow party dress that Okaasama bought her. Mao-chan, you look so cute in that dress! Thank you very much. Yuuri-kun complimented me too. The two of them smiled at each other. My, what a gentleman you are, Yuuri-kun!Id better keep the incident with Imari-sama a secret from him. I was listening to the pair talk about their summer holiday when suddenly things grew noisy. Eh? What was happening? I looked towards the entrance where it was the noisiest and saw Yurie-sama being escorted in by Kaburagi. Ehhh!? And then in behind them came Aira-sama escorted by Enjou. What was the meaning of this!? Whether it was because she was avoiding him or simply because he was being considerate of her, the two of them hadnt been seen together in public since that winter. n.o.body openly discussed it, but those of us in the Pivoine, and even people outside of it could more-or-less sense that something had happened between the two. And little wonder. Kaburagi who had always been by her side for one reason or another had stopped chasing after her entirely. And neither hide nor tail of Yurie-sama hadnt even appeared at the firefly-catching party. On top of that once you consider that this all coincided with the drop in his marks pretty much everybody wanted to know what had happened. Treading clumsily around the topic would have just enraged Kaburagi though, so everybody kept their speculations silent. That was the situation when the two of them showed up at the summer party. Everybody was focused on them. They paid it no heed though, chatting amiably with drinks in hand as they had always done so in the past. Before long Kaburagi whispered something in Yurie-samas ear. After looking surprised for a moment, she smiled and the two joined the rest of the dancers doing the waltz, Kaburagi leading skilfully. His expression was gentle, and his eyes were filled with affection for her. Could it be that Kaburagis long-time long had finally borne fruit!? Now that he was in 2nd year, both his face and physique were mature and I could even see the two of them looking good together. Enjou and Aira-sama joined the waltz as well, and with four of the most attractive people in Suiran dancing there, the whole hall felt dazzling and fantastical. Its so magical I wish I could be down there, Mao-chan sighed dreamily. Then shall we dance too? asked Yuuri-kun. Mao-chan seemed shy so I placed my hand on her back and pushed. As I watched Mao-chan dancing with an excited expression, I thought back to my waltz with Oniichan when I was her age. Are you not going to dance, Reika-sama? asked Sarara-sama. Eh? Did she think I wished I was down there? Hmm The waltz? Oh! If you wish to see me dance then I ask for the head of Jokanaan~ I said, holding out a silver platter, posing like Salom. I see, she replied without a change of expression. The best literary joke I could come up with was a complete dud I put the platter down on the table and pretended that this hadnt just happened. That was when Yukino-kun came along. Ohh! An angel to save me from this awkwardness! Good evening, Reika-oneesan. Yukino-kun! I was in a good mood because it had been a while since Id seen him. Sarara-sama, this is Enjou-samas younger brother, Yukino-kun! I proudly introduced him. Gokigenyoh, Yukino-san. I am Nouzen Sarara. Im Enjou Yukino. Its nice to meet you. His smile was so cute! You arent going to dance, Reika-oneesan? he asked as he watched his own brother dancing. Unfortunately I have no partner. After staring blankly at me for a moment, his burst into a bright smile. Then please dance with me! Ehhhhhhhhhh!? Ah, but Am I not good enough? Guh Dont look sad! Then, if you are fine with me, shall I accompany you for a song? Yukino-kun immediately beamed, before taking my hand. Please! Sarara-sama saw us off as the two of us joined the dancers. Chapter 143 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Its basically always the cradle or the grave for our dear heroine. The two of us drew circles to the music. Despite the height difference, Yukino-kun was doing his best to lead. And he was only six! What an amazing boy! You dance well, Yukino-kun. Really? Its not hard to dance because Im too short? Why, not at all. I happen to be enjoying myself immensely, thanks to your leading. Ehehe. Im having a lot of fun too. Soooo cuuuuute! Dancing with an adorable little angel like this? Im so happy! We were moving through the hall, step after step, when I made eye contact with Mao-chan whose eyes were glittering. Then Enjou who was still dancing with Aira-sama. He looked taken aback. I was probably going to hear complaints about this later, but I hope Ill grow taller soon. I wonder if Im this short because I hate milk. Yukino-kun was actually so cute that all thoughts of Enjou disappeared for the moment. To think that he was worrying about his height. He really was a boy. It wasnt something to concern himself over at all. He was still in 1st grade so there was a lot of growing left to do. Actually, I kind of wished hed stay cute like this forever. His hair glowed amber in the light as I continued to follow his lead in circles around the hall. After that one song we left the dance floor, since I had to think about his body as well. Cheeks slightly flushed, Yukino-kun drank plum juice, while I helped myself to a non-alcoholic margarita. Yummy! Are you all right, Yukino-kun? Are you tired? Im fine. How about you, Reika-oneesan? I still feel fantastic. Maybe the jogging I did over the summer was why my stamina seemed better than before. The day after tomorrow I was headed to the Imperial Palace with Mihara-san as the culmination of my summer training. I wonder if I would be okay. It was five kilometres after all. I could already see all of the real joggers looking at me like I was completely out of place. You know, Yukino-kun, for a 1st grader you are very good with the waltz. Did you practice a lot? Thats not true. Compared to Niisama Im not much. Yukino-kun watched his brother again. I think you were plenty skilled. Actually, if Yukino-kun had danced as flawlessly as Enjou, it might have been a little creepy even. Have you finished your summer homework? I asked him. Yes. I finished most of it in July, so when I was done I stayed at a cool villa for a while. Goodness, is that so! What a good boy you are! It was too hot for me to go outside so I didnt have anything else to do. Niisama helped me with the parts I couldnt do. Enjou-sama did? Id been thinking this for a while now but Enjou sure was sweet on his brother. Yes. Although Niisama was too busy to really be around much Oh, Niisama is coming over. Having finished dancing, the four of them headed our way, still the centre of attention. Niisama! Yukino. With one hand Enjou signalled a waiter for a drink, while he plopped the other down on Yukino-kuns head. Yukino, you havent been causing trouble for Kisshouin-san have you? Of course not, he sulked in offence. Ohhh! It was rare seeing this expression on Yukino-kun. I guess he was more comfortable acting childishly when it was his older brother. Aira-sama greeted me with a smile. Long time no see, Reika-chan. It has been been a while, Aira-sama. And it really had. The last time I met her face-to-face was actually during that incident with Kaburagi, right? Not that we hadnt sent each other the occasional email. Its been a while, Reika-san. Do you remember me? Of course I do, Yurie-sama. Was there anybody who could forget as wonderful as person as her? Yurie-sama laughed gently at me. Yukino! How you been! said Kaburagi before ruffling Yukino-kuns hair. Yukino-kun tried to swat his hands away, but his hair was already a mess, and Kaburagi was having fun holding on. Stop it! Dont be so rough with him, you fool! Youre going to snap his poor little neck! Before I could stop him, Aira-sama and Yurie-sama delivered Yukino-kun from evil, and the two of them tidied his hair again. What are you doing, Masaya! scolded Yurie-sama. Whoo! Kisshouin-san, thank you for looking after my brother. You mean the dance? In that case it was very much the other way around. I owe him my thanks for being considerate of a wall-flower like me. Whether it was Yuuri-kun or Yukino-kun, the Pet.i.te Pivoine was just filled with gentleman. Honestly, I was envious. See? Off in the distance some primary school girls were sneaking glances our way. Apparently Yukino-kun was already incredibly popular in the primary section. I felt a little bad now for monopolising him. Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun came over to greet Yukino-kun at those girls request. Yukino-kun? Say, how about you come talk with everybody at the Pet.i.te? Okay. Niisama, Im going. Yukino-kun waved goodbye and headed for his own friends. Had you planned on coming to this party, Aira-sama, Yurie-sama? I hadnt heard a thing about that, you know. Youko-san invited us quite pa.s.sionately, but I was still on the fence about it, explained Yurie-sama before giving a happy smile, But then Masaya invited me to come with him, so Kaburagi invited her!? And Yurie-sama agreed Dont tell me his romance really bore fruit!? Enjou gave me a helpless smile. I think youre misunderstanding, Kisshouin-san. Eh? Theres nothing going on between Yurie and I, said Kaburagi. Eh? This time the four of them smiled at me. Masaya came over, you see, and told me that he had come to terms with things. He apologised for everything, and thanked me for waiting all that time. Yurie-samas eyes seemed a little wet. It was my fault for not being clear with him. Because of that I hurt him so much. When I heard that he had gone to Toujinbou, and then again when he went to the Sea of Trees, each time it felt like I was being gutted. I wasnt sure I was alive Her hands began to tremble, like she was recalling those very moments. Kaburagis one man heartbreak journey had caused a lot of shock for those involved, hadnt it. You know, the destinations being what they were. Even when I heard that Masaya was getting a little better, I hadnt thought Id ever be able to face him again. I didnt think he could forgive me. But then Masaya came to visit me the other day This time Yurie-sama had finally broken into real tears. Kaburagi looked apologetic, and handed her a handkerchief. She must have really suffered Yurie-sama had always thought of him as her adorable younger brother after all. This time it was Kaburagis turn to talk. It wasnt like I didnt know how she felt. But fourteen years of those feelings werent so easy to deal with Im sorry, Yurie. She shook her head to let him know it was fine. But I finally got over it, he continued, I might not love you in that way anymore, but youll always be special to me. Thats why if you ever need me, Ill always come to help. No matter where you are, Yurie. Ah! That was the line from Kimidol. I see. This meant he really had gotten over her then. It might have been annoying with the poem anthology and all that, but seeing all of them smile made me feel happy for them. Reika-san, I heard from Aira that we caused you quite a bit of trouble. Sorry. But thank you as well. Oh gosh, no, I did really nothing at all. Yeah, commented Kaburagi, The two of just shared the pain of heartbreak. Oii! What the h.e.l.l are you saying! Eh-, your heart was broken too, Reika-chan? By who!? Goodness, Reika-san. It must have been rough. Stop! Please! Stop looking at me with pity like that! Stop asking who did it! Kaburagi, stop nodding knowingly like that, d.a.m.nit! And now Enjou was sn.i.g.g.e.ring in the background, d.a.m.nit! Ahhh, geez! Come back, Yukino-kun! I need your soothing angel blessings! And so the summer break ended, and what I had to show for it were memories of finishing the Imperial Palace run, half-dead. Today I would enter 2nd Year. And then that morning of the opening ceremony, an incident rocked the school. Kaburagi and Wakaba-chan arrived at school together, chatting happily all the while. Reika-sama, what on earth is that supposed to be!? Reika-sama! Why is Kaburagi-sama with Takamichi-san!? With Serika-chan shaking my left arm, and Kikuno-chan shaking my right, I was rocked too, physically. I! Dont! Knoooooow! Chapter 144 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Not long after the opening ceremony, the incident with Wakaba-chan and Kaburagi was the talk of the school, and already it had caused waves to spread. Plenty of students had come to them to find out the truth, but both of them gave the same answer. We just met at the gates by chance. Whoa, whoa, you think any girl who Kaburagi just met at the gates would be able to walk in while having a friendly chat with him? When they pressed her further though, she said that mostly they were just talking about that last exam before the break, or about maths, or physics, and pretty much all about their little compet.i.tion for better grades. Thanks to that, everybody tentatively accepted it, for now. It wasnt a secret that Kaburagi had called out to her at the rankings boards for the term-end exams. But you knooow Although everybody else might have believed that Kaburagi was only interested in her as an academic rival, as somebody who had read Kimidol this whole situation just reeked of suspicion to me. As if that wasnt enough, at the Summer Party I found out that he had gotten over Yurie-sama. Im pretty sure it was true. I think that waltz with her was his farewell to his first love. Even I couldnt help but feel sad for him. Id never experienced anything like a love of over 10 years, but it must have been hard. It wasnt unreasonable that it took him over 8 months to get over it. He had liked her for 14 years after all. Not that I didnt pity Yurie-sama for being wracked with guilt all that time, though. A first crush of 14 years was pretty long though. Kaburagi must have been 2 or 3 at the time. Who knew that a 2 year old infant could even have a crush. I voiced my thoughts to Enjou and he told me that Kaburagi had just said that because that was when he first met Yurie-sama. The crush actually really began when he entered kindergarten. At least thats what Enjou thought.I heard that the kindergartener Kaburagi had followed her around crying Yurie~ Yurie~ and Yurie-sama said that he was so cute that she couldnt help but always play with him. Yurie-sama had been in primary, and considered him a bold but adorable little brother who adored her.Kaburagi had been a preschooler who was glued to her, and thought of her as the girl he liked.Despite the disparity in how they saw each other, it was still the closest they had ever been. Perhaps it might have been the happiest time in his life to Kaburagi Ah, but when I met them at the summer party, both of them seemed happy and well, so alls well that ends well, I supposed. No sooner had we entered 2nd Year did they hold the election for Student Council President and Vice President. This year the strongest candidate for President was, obviously, student council member Fellow Stalking Horse.Not only were his grades good, but he had served as the StuCo President in middle school as well. Plus, he was popular with the girls. In the end n.o.body could rival him and he won the place without any trouble. And then, instead of being voted in, the President chose their Vice President from within the Student Council, and of all people Fellow Stalking Horse nominated Wakaba-chan! Eh!? Wakaba-chan was part of the Student Council!? I mean she had great marks, so I guess it was pretty natural but Huh. This had never happened in the manga. Manga!Wakaba-chan was already hated by everyone by the time she entered 2nd Year, so it wasnt possible to begin with. But although some people still hated her in this world, she had almost no connection with the Emperor. I guess thats why she managed to join. If you looked at it a certain way, Wakaba-chan was so talented it was almost crazy, so she would definitely help them a lot. Do your best, Wakaba-chan! Ah But then the Pivoine never switched presidents until the end of the year. Youko-sama wasnt stepping down any time soon. Was Wakaba-chan going to be okay? The 3rd years were stepping down everywhere else but it had nooothing at all to do with me, so I was as carefree as could be when the Club President dropped a bombsh.e.l.l. Reika-sama, would it be possible for you to take over as President of the Handicrafts Club? Ehhh!? Me, the President of the Handicrafts Club!? The President was checking my interest. Who could have foreseen this happening. But gosh~ Me? Its me, you know? The girl who was stuck as an provisional member until last year, you know? Still the least skilled member of the club, you know? I Although I enjoy handicrafts, I lack much knowledge and I only recently became a full member. Would it not be pushing it to have me as the President? I can hardly see the others agreeing When there were so many skilled and orthodox members of the club around, I didnt think they would agree to making a maverick like me the President. Thats not something you need to worry about. This was something we decided on together. Everybody else wants you to be the next club president as well. Eh-, they said that? Yes. Dont you love handicrafts? Everybody knows that you came during the summer and tried your best to help with the wedding dress. Well, she wasnt wrong. During the summer break I tried to come here as often as possible. Even if I couldnt embroider, and was almost no use in helping with the dress, I did make some decorative roses and I helped with the clean-up. Compared to ability or knowledge, what I think is most important is how you feel about the Handicrafts Club. I dont think its so easy to find somebody who loves this club as much as you do, Reika-sama. Reika-sama, well all be here to support you as well, so could you please become our President? asked Azai-san from my grade. Before I knew it, everybody else was gathered around and asking me to be President as well. Me, as the President of the Handicrafts Club Are you all truly fine with me? Of course! Everyone nodded with a smile. Last year I was resigned to being a (provisional) member. This year I had finally become an official one. And now, to be the President of the Club!? If this wasnt a vigorous climb in ranks then I didnt know what was! I shall do my best! I declared, and everybody cheered and clapped. From today onwards, I was Kisshouin Reika, President of the Handicrafts Club! Ah. But the newest Club President hadnt made any progress at all on her school festival submission. What to do? I cant wait to see the Bea-tan doll~ Please make me really cute, okay! Bea-tan is so looking forward to this! Aa-tan is too! came the email from Bea-tan, which just piled on the pressure When I tried making the face, one of the eyes half came off and turned into something from a horror movie. Dog Lover-kun could never know. It seemed that during the summer remedials, Cla.s.s Rep and Iwamuro-kun had really grown friendly with Honda-san and Nonose-san. Recently I occasionally caught sight of them together. Apparently Iwamuro-kun liked Nonose-san. I see he still liked girls, even with his crossdressing hobbies Besides them, I often saw Fellow Stalking Horse and Wakaba-chan together, since they were both Student Council members. Sometimes I even saw Kaburagi casually saying hi to her. I was in the salon when Youko-sama muttered something between sips of her tea. The new Student Council is going to be a problem, one way or another I immediately escaped the salon to head to the Handicrafts Club.G-, Gosh, Im so busy now that Im the Club President. Chapter 145 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Kaburagi had no interest in any girl outside of Yurie-sama. Unless he had some reason to, he would never speak to a girl of his own accord. Yet Sup, Takamichi. Ah-, h.e.l.lo. Each time he pa.s.sed her in the hallway he would greet her just like that. It was like they were good friends. Whats more, from what I heard, Kaburagi would call out to her in the same way when he came to her cla.s.s to visit Enjou. It wasnt something that people could brush off with meeting by chance anymore. Kaburagi wasnt the sort to call out to a girl just because he met her by chance. Even worse was that thanks to that, Enjou was calling out to her like a friend as well, these days. The result was that Tsuruhana-sans No. 2 and her friends were picking on Wakaba-chan even harder now. And my friends were all gossiping as well. Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan even asked me to ask Kaburagi about it at the salon. Ehhh~ Honestly though, what on earth happened during the summer, Wakaba-chan? Wanting to seek refuge from the powder-keg the high school was turning into, I often hid in the Handicrafts Club or the Pet.i.te Pivoine. After school today I was heading there to meet with Mao-chan. The weather forecasts had predicted a typhoon, and the skies were beginning to grow cloudy I gazed out the hallway window as I headed to the Pet.i.te salon. While I was doing so I caught sight of a small crouching figure. Eh-, Yukino-kun!? Upon closer inspection I realised that it was Yukino-kun crouched in the hallway and grasping his chest painfully. I rushed over in panic. Whats wrong, Yukino-kun!? He wouldnt answer. Yukino-kun was paler than usual, and just continued to wheeze shallow breaths. Is it an asthma attack!? Yukino-kun nodded. This was bad! While struggling to breathe, Yukino-kun was looking through his bag for something. Huh? What he pulled out was his inhaler. His arms were trembling and he was struggling to shake it, so I took it from him and shook it in his stead. Would this help him? He inhaled the drug with a whoosh, but his wheezing hadnt gotten better. Maybe it wasnt something that worked right away. Yukino-kun, lets just head to the nurses office, okay? Okay he quietly replied. I held my hand out and helped him up, but he was too unsteady on his feet to walk. Yukino-kun! I quickly stopped him from falling but we wouldnt be able to get there like this. What was I to do? I desperately searched my mind for ideas when it hit me. Yukino-kun! Climb onto my back! Eh? I squatted down and faced my back to him. There wasnt anything I could do except piggyback him! But Yukino-kun was hesitant but now wasnt the time for that. His face was still as white as a sheet. Maybe the medicine had worked because he looked a little more comfortable than before but in no way did the attack look over! Come on, hurry! At my urging, he timidly let me carry him. I immediately felt the burden. He might have been thin, but he was already a 1st grader. It was heavy. Would I really be able to stand like this!? But Yukino-kun was struggling to breathe right next to my ear. The hands around my shoulders were ice cold. Fine! Women were all about guts! Awaken, the power of the muscles I gained during summer jogging! Nuoooooooooooooooooohh~!! With Yukino-kun on my back, I stood up and steadied myself. I could do this! Yukino-kun, hold on tightly, okay? By a stroke of good luck, somebody from the Pet.i.te Pivoine had come by, so I asked them to bring our bags to Mao-chan before heading straight for the infirmary. Goooooooo! Show them your guts! Aim for Honoluluuuuuuuu! Uoooooooooohhh! I ran steadily through the hallways of the primary school building with Yukino-kun. When we got there, the nurse immediately had Yukino-kun lie down on the bed. Are you all right, Yukino-kun? The nurse said that she would contact your family as well as your Oniisama so they should be here right away, all right? Yes Thank you very much Reika-oneesan Lying down made breathing harder, so right now his upper body was propped upright. Does it happen often? Attacks like these Todays attack was because the typhoons coming Apparently his asthma got worse during weather like these. It was just terrible! Typhoons came every year! Did he end up like this each and every time!? Im fine, he smiled weakly while sipping warm black tea. He wasnt. You arent fine, Yukino-kun! That was when Enjou arrived. Yukino! He made a beeline for Yukinos bed and began checking up on him. Did you use your inhaler? Yeah A car is coming to take you to the hospital. Weve let the hospital know already. Okay With Enjous help, Yukino got down from the bed. Can you walk on your own? Yeah Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun had brought our bags here so we brought them to the carpark to see the Enjou brothers off. Kisshouin-san, thank you for helping my brother. Ill definitely repay the favour. Yukino-kun is a precious and adorable kouhai of mine. Thanks are unnecessary. Please do hurry to the hospital. Could you let me know how he is tomorrow? Yeah. Sorry, and thanks. We waved as the car drove into the distance. Yukino-kun looked like he was in pain Yes. Please let Yukino-kun get better The next morning, Enjou called me into the hallway. I flew through the greetings and immediately asked him about Yukino-kun. Enjou-sama, how is Yukino-kun doing!? Were hospitalising him just to be safe but it wasnt too bad this time. I think hell be discharged tomorrow or the day after. I see Yukino-kun was being admitted again. Poor Yukino-kun Kisshouin-san, yesterday you carried him all the way to the infirmary, didnt you? Thank you. He must have been heavy, right? It gave me a shock when Yukino told me. No, he was not particularly. Rising up to Mihara-sans relentless daily training had really been worth it. My pitiful muscles had definitely shown growth. Admittedly I didnt train my arms at all, so they were shaking with muscle pain this morning, though! Yukino was a bit depressed about being carried by a girl, you know. My! I didnt hurt his pride as a boy, did I? Speaking of which, he was worried about his height during the summer party, wasnt he. Then please apologise to Yukino-kun for me. Why are you apologising? I really am grateful that you went that far for him. Thanks. Enjou bowed to me. I quickly stopped him since I noticed pedestrians looking at us. Please give me a break here. That was when I noticed Kaburagi and Wakaba-chan heading down our way. So the two of them had arrived to school together again. I wonder why they had suddenly grown so close. I sooooo wanted to know Do you want to know? Uehh!? Enjou read my mind again! Want me to tell you? Why Masaya suddenly got closer with Takamichi-san Eh It felt like Enjous eyes had lit up in mirth. No! I am fine, thank you! Never play with fire! Oh boy, oh boy! That was close. Now, please excuse me! I said, and headed right back to my cla.s.sroom. After all, I had to hurry to cla.s.s! Today was the day we would be picking which events we would be entering for the Athletics Carnival! There wasnt any time to concern myself with other peoples romances! Actually, after the incident with Yukino-kun, I was feeling a little more confident now. Maybe I would enter one of the races this year. Reika-sama, will you be entering the costume race again? Yeah. Not that race. Chapter 146 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . The Tosa Nikki (Tosa Diary) is a poetic diary written anonymously by the tenth-century j.a.panese poet Ki no Tsurayuki. The text details a 55-day journey in 935 returning to Kyoto from Tosa province, where Tsurayuki had been the provincial governor. The prose account of the journey is punctuated by j.a.panese poems, purported to have been composed on the spot by the characters. The Tosa Nikki is the first notable example of the j.a.panese diary as literature. Until its time, the word "diary" (nikki) denoted dry official records of government affairs, written by men in Chinese. By contrast, the Tosa is written in the j.a.panese language, using phonetic kana characters. Literate men of the period wrote in both kana and Chinese, but women typically were not taught the latter, being restricted to kana literature. By framing the diary in the point of view of a fict.i.tious female narrator, Tsurayuki could avoid employing Chinese characters or citing Chinese poems, focusing instead on the aesthetics of the j.a.panese language and its poetry. Around the time when each student was decided in their cla.s.s which events to appear in, Iwamuro-kun wanted to talk to me. Actually, Im slated to appear in the costume race again but This time his cla.s.s was going with Peter Pan as their theme. Wasnt that fine? Youll get to wear cute outfits again, you know~?Ah, but I guess he wouldnt have been picked for Tinkerbell My cla.s.s were pretty enthused about the Cinderella we did last year. Thats why they bugged me to do it this year too I mean, I dont mind of course but Ive been wondering what Nonose-san would think of that Apparently this was about the maiden in love worrying about what his crush would think about his cross-dressing. I think Nonose-san would find it funny and have a great time. Maybe. You dont think shed be disgusted? Then what if you just didnt partic.i.p.ate then? Ah, he was conflicted. I see, so he wanted to cross-dress that badly. There werent all that many chances for him to openly cross-dress after all. Theres something wrong with me, isnt there? What do you mean? Its weird that I have so much fun dressing like a girl Iwamuro-kuns expression was depressed. Eh!? Was he agonising over his secret hobby!? That is simply not true! It hardly hurts anybody so you have the right to do what makes you happy! And you do not need to worry! The world is overflowing with men who secretly wish they could try being a girl! Eh? Really? Absolutely! Please think back. Think about last years cross-dressing maid caf. Do you not remember all of the boys who gleefully put on the maid uniforms? It was certainly not just you, Iwamuro-kun. Have you ever read Ki no Tsurayukis Tosa Nikki? Even a thousand years ago there was a senpai of your hobby. It is okay. You are not the only one, Iwamuro-kun. If you still feel worried then I will ask Nonose-san myself what she thinks about the cross-dresser in the race. Youd do that!? Yes, leave it to me. I am absolutely on your side, Iwamuro-kun. Master! With a brighter expression than before, he told me, Even if I end up as Wendy, Im going to curl my wig! before heading off. I suppose I needed to track Nonose-san down now. Iwamuro-kuns awakening was probably in large part due to my temptations, so I felt a kind of responsibility for him. I found her chatting with some friends in the cla.s.sroom. Nonose-san, I said casually. Yes, Reika-sama? Actually, during the Athletics Carnival, would it be possible for you to take over the cla.s.s for the periods when I am partic.i.p.ating myself? I do apologise for this. I still feel bad for the time we went on that excursion Of course its possible! Ill help as much as you need me to. Please ask whatever you need! she said. Reika-sama, if theres anything we can help you with then dont ever hesitate to ask for our help! said one of her friends. Thank you. Hearing that overjoys me. Her friends all agreed to help. Now was time for the main topic though. Speaking of the Athletics Carnival, apparently in the other cla.s.ses they have been having a great time forcing the costume races female roles onto their boys. It sounds like fun, does it not? Goodness! Is thats what theyre doing!? Actually, the cla.s.s I was in last year had a boy who played Cinderella. That was a great time. Huh. Ahh! Wasnt it Iwamuro-kun that did that? she said as her face lit up in remembrance. Why yes, it was. Iwamuro-kun is a diligent person so he truly gave the role his all. Because of that, I think the costume was very polished. It was, wasnt it. I feel a bit bad but I was dying from laughter as well. Who could have imagined that huge frame in a dress Haha, she chuckled. At the very least, Nonose-san didnt seem to be disgusted. Alright! Say, Nonose-san? Could I speak to you for a moment? She followed me away from her group of friends. The truth is, Iwamuro-kun is cross-dressing again for the costume race this year. Eh, really? Yes. Although the details are being kept hush-hush until the day, that is what I was told. Huuh~ Iwamuro-kun is cross-dressing again. Maybe I should tease him about it later. The issue is that the person himself is a little worried about how others will see him. Gosh. He shouldnt have any reason to worry at all. I actually really want to see it again. I thought you would say that! Then please tell him that as well! Let him know that you look forward to it. I will then. Maybe if the circ.u.mstances permit Ill get a photo to commemorate it too. But huh, cross-dressing again. Maybe our cla.s.s should do something like that too. Incidentally, my cla.s.s had decided on The Town Musicians of Bremen for our costume race, with the compet.i.tors dressed as different animals. And as for why it ended up as Town Musicians of Bremen, thanks to my mouse and sheep costumes last year everybody had this weird idea that I liked costumed animals. Thats why they, in a show of misguided consideration, decided to try and put in as many animals as they could for me. Hold on guys, I dont actually have much interest in costumes. I just wore those because I had to. Anyway, although they had chosen that theme for my sake I firmly rejected it. As for my reason Last year Kaburagi-sama cautioned me for my lax att.i.tude in failing to wear a nose. But running while trying to breathe in that would be too much for me Just bringing up his name had caused an immediate effect. As expected of the Emperor. But after that they stressed to each other that the Emperor is fussy about noses and began preparing them for the costumes. Oh boy~ At any rate that was what was happening with my cla.s.s as a whole, but right now I was talking to Nonose-san about Iwamuro-kun. I brought up the idea of having her help me with Iwamuro-kuns transformation. Last year I gave Iwamuro-kun help with make-up and his clothing. I must admit I had a lot of fun. Really!? That sounds so fun! Well, this year pretty much everybody in his cla.s.s is helping him, so I am unsure how well they will take if we intrude. Still, I think just a little bit would be fine. Yeah. I want to try putting make-up on Iwamuro-kun too. I have no doubt that he will allow you if you but ask. I even managed to get her to invite Miharu-chan and Cla.s.s Pres. Gosh, what a skilled cupid I am! Now that he was discharged and healthy, Yukino-kun gave me scented candles and towels from the UK as a thank you for carrying him to the nurses office. Unfortunately he wouldnt be allowed to partic.i.p.ate in the athletics meet. Please do your best in my place. I got you the towel for when youre training. Id be really happy if you used it, he told me. Yukino-kun! Youre such a good boy! The aromatic candles are like the ones that Niisama uses at home. They smell really nice, so I think youll like them, Reika-oneesan. The same scented candles as Enjou I wasnt sure how I felt about that. But Yukino-kun had meant well by them. In that case Id accept them gratefully. I was going to be competing in the three-legged race with Rune-chan. Last year I suffered a frustrating loss against Wakaba-chan but this year I was taking 1st place! The two of us headed outside to train when I caught sight of Wakaba-chan being bombarded by bean bags. Dont tell me she was competing in the ball toss event? So reckless Youre going to end up black and blue, you know. Rune-chan and I began our three-legged training. While we were training I heard girls cheering from the other side. In the ring of girls were Kaburagi and Enjou, training for their own races. It was nice to how lively they were. The longer I practised with Rune-chan, the more our breathing grew in sync. Seeing our progress, we decided to take a short break. I immediately used the towel I got from Yukino-kun. It was a towel that hed picked as being the softest one, so little wonder that it felt wonderful against my skin! Oh my. Doesnt it the towel that Reika-sama is using seems to match Enjou-samas? Eh? Somebody with a sharp eye had noticed the towel I was using. When they brought it to attention, everybody who had been cheering for those two began to compare our towels. My! They really do match! I know that brand! Very few shops in j.a.pan sell it! Could it be that one of them had given the other as a present? No! I received this from Enjou-samas younger brother! Goodness! Even your families know each other! That is not what I! I tried to deny it but n.o.body could hear me over the noise of the girls. Yukino-kuuuuun! It wasnt just the candles that matched!? Thats something you really need to tell me in advance, okay! Sometimes the pure and good-natured Yukino-kun would create dilemmas without knowing I sealed that towel away as something to only be used at home. Ah! My Bea-tan doll hadnt progressed at all!! Chapter 147 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Tsukimi (Ҋ) or Otsukimi (Ҋ), literally moon-viewing, also known as Jugoya (ʮҹ), refers to j.a.panese festivals honouring the autumn moon, a version of the Mid-Autumn Festival.Tsukimi traditions include displaying decorations made from j.a.panese pampas gra.s.s (susuki) and eating rice dumplings called Tsukimi dango in order to celebrate the beauty of the moon. Seasonal produce are also displayed as offerings to the moon. The shadow on the moon is said to be the result of the shade of the magic Katsura Tree, which cannot be cut down. A man being punished by the G.o.ds was sentenced to cut down a giant Katsura Tree on the moon, but it grows back and he can never leave. With the Athletics Carnival coming up, as well as cram school, my after-school lessons, as well as the Bea-tan doll, each week was just swamped with things to do. The Bea-tan doll was particularly bad. Since training for the Athletics Carnival made me so physically exhausted that I always went to bed the moment I got home. At this rate the doll wouldnt have any progress at all! I had planned on asking the other club members for advice but they were so busy with the wedding dress and their own projects that I couldnt find the chance to. I was actually the club member with the most free time. I should probably help somehow~ But there just isnt much that I could do~ I had thought, but my new Vice President, Azai-san, told me, As the boss, all we need you to do is be our rock. Boss I was the boss, wasnt I? What if the day came when they all started calling me Boss Lady? Anyway, our only male member, Minami-kun, was really proving his worth as far as the wedding dress was concerned. Your embroidery skills are truly remarkable, Minami-kun I praised him. Im not that good. Ive just been doing it for a long time is all he shyly disagreed. No, really, he was so good that it would be fine even if he boasted about it. Ummm By the way, Minami-kun. Is it true that Ririna has been calling you Shop Boy? Eh-, ah, yes, he replied as his eyes swam. Oh my G.o.d! That idiot, Ririna! I must apologise. I only just heard about it. That girl has been too disrespectful of you. I will make sure to tell her off myself, so could you please forgive her? I truly am sorry. No! I dont really hate it or anything! Well, I mean I did at first but Im actually quite fond of it now. Really. Eh-, you like it!? Was Minami-kun actually some sort of m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t?! Ummm Ever since Kotou-san began calling me Shop Boy other people who never spoke to me before used that name to talk to me. Ive made more friends thanks to that too. And before I was Shop Boy she called me Apprentice(Minarai). My name Minami Raita can be shortened that way, right? And isnt Shop Boy better than Apprentice? I honestly have no idea Really? I think Shop Boy is definitely better. Minami-kun, are you sure you havent been brainwashed? Well, as long as he was happy I suppose. If Ririna ever causes you trouble, please do let me know at once. Gosh, she wouldnt. Oh, but could I actually ask you one thing? What is it? Minami-kun looked down as he fiddled with his knitting needles. What do you think Kotou-san thinks about boys who like handicrafts? Eh? The towel thing had blown up even more. Oh yeah. Shuusuke lent me it once, and I liked it so I bought one too, Kaburagi had said, which caused a little boom. By now pretty much all the girls in Suiran were using that towel. I asked Yukino-kun, Enjou-sama uses that towel as well, does he not? Did you not like it? Im sorry It just seemed so nice that I bought one for Oniisama as well He seemed so down that I denied it in a panic. I liked it very much! Yukino-kun was kind, so it made sense that he bought one for his beloved Niisama. I guess it couldnt be helped then? Yeah. More confident now after the summer, I had put my name down for the 100 metre sprint. Just like I did every morning with Coach Mihara, I made sure to stretch before I began training. Thanks to school I could only run on weekends now but 100 metres was still no problem for me. Just running 100 metres that is. My speed was another matter, I soon realised. Oh dear Still, now that I was registered for it I could only give me all! During my practice sprints, sometimes I ended up with Wakaba-chan once in a while. I guess she signed up for it too. Today, Wakaba-chan and I were lined up at the start line. I overheard a girl from her cla.s.s whisper, You get it, right? Hm? Throughout the sprint, Wakaba-chan was making good time. But then just before we reached the finish line, she began to slow. Eh!? What the heck was this!? You were so fast, Reika-sama! the people around me praised when I pa.s.sed the goal, but just now that match was totally fixed, wasnt it What the heck! What happened to sportsmanship!? I wouldnt be happy even if I won like this! Wakaba-chans expression didnt betray a thing. She didnt look like she minded at all. But I* minded. It was match fixing. I could let it slide this time since we were just practising, but it would be a huge issue if we did this on the day. I called out to her without hesitation. Excuse me, Takamichi-san. Yes? she asked in surprise. You lost on purpose just now. Eh? I, uhhh I could see her looking at our spectators, unsure of what to do. It was obvious that everybody was watching us, my followers included. Winning because somebody handed me the victory does not make me happy in the slightest. Stop trying to accommodate me and just run as fast as you can. If I lose to you then that is simply proof that I am lacking. Aahh All right. Ruining the race with match fixing would just spoil everybodys fun. It would spoil my fun too. Plus, if that Athletics Carnival maniac found out about it he would be angry for sure. I think everybody cooperated because I lost pretty much every time after that. The group I was a.s.signed to for the real sprint was filled with girls even slower than I was. They really were accomodating me Each night I worked on Bea-tans parts while I fought to stay awake. The Kaburagi family invited me to a moon-viewing party but I of course declined. As If I had time for that. Moon-viewing parties were just eating parties for me anyway. I made sure to eat a lot at home. Since it was a waste not to celebrate though, I decorated my room with susuki pampas gra.s.s and watched the moon on my own with salted bean daif.u.ku to eat. Sometimes I shocked myself with how refined I was. Since tomorrow was a weekend I stayed up extra late to get more needle felting done. Lately I had been shutting myself in my room the moment I got home. I guess Otousama finally got curious became he came to my room to check up on me. Otousama has been worried about you, Reika, he said, Lately you havent been leaving your room except to eat. I apologise for that. However, I am quite busy preparing for the school festival, I replied without stopping my hands. I have no idea what he was thinking but he began talking about helping me out. Maybe he was trying to bond with me or something. Apparently he thought he could do it too after just watching me a few times. What do we have here. Otousama will do the torso, he said. Do you know how, Otousama? What do you mean do I know. Its easy. Leave it to Otousama. But despite talking big the Tanuki was unbelievably bad! Otousama! You have broken off part of the needle inside! Aah! The torso is all flattened now! Ohh! Sorry! Dont worry though, if I do this Noooo! Just stop touching it! This part is dented now! Waaaah! Dont joke with me, Tanuki! The torso was half-done already and you ruined it! G.o.d, what the h.e.l.l! What the h.e.l.l was this! Get out! I screamed on the verge of tears. G.o.d, I quit! I was going to sleep! Otousama was wrong. Forgive me, Reika, I heard from beyond the door, but it was no concern of mine! This tanuki could just go repent by cutting down the katsura tree on the moon! I was laying in bed with my pillow over my face. It was impossible for me to make it on time now! G.o.d, I was just sick of everything! The next morning, Otousamas secretary Sasajima-san came to visit. Reika-ojousama, apparently something happened? Since Oniisama was on a business trip and apparently Otousama couldnt wipe his own b.u.t.t, he even went and called Sasajima-san here on a day off. What the h.e.l.l was this tanuki doing! Sorry for wasting your weekend, Sasajima-san. Please do not mind it. Do you think you could show me the handicrafts project you were working on? I said that it was fine again and again but he insisted, so I reluctantly brought the parts to the living room. I see Sasajima-san began examining the torso from multiple angles. Ill be borrowing this for a moment, said Sasajima-san before using the needle to pull on the wool in the dented parts. Ehhh!? Before long, Sasajima-san had skilfully restored the parts that Otousama ruined, and after some consultation of the design sheet, even finished the torso entirely. Youre amazing! I am honoured. That was a capable secretary for you! To think that even handicrafts was childs play! All that was left were the head and legs. And the legs were almost done. Didnt think mean I would make it on time!? Thank you so much, Sasajima-san! It was no problem at all. Ojousama, do you think you could make up with your father now? Yes. In consideration to Sasajima-san who had given up his day with his family for this, I decided to forgive Otousama. I still had to think him as well though. We had received a lot of dried fish as mid-year gifts, so I offered him as much as he wanted. Oh! Otousama had some good alcohol too, didnt he? Here, take some! Oh, and some of Okaasamas super high cla.s.s bathing powders from France. I really recommend them, theyll help keep you moisturised in the coming season. Oh, and sweets! Take some sweets too. And Sasajima-san, please do not forget to claim weekend penalty pay as well, all right? You say some surprisingly working cla.s.s things, dont you, Ojousama With gifts in both hands, Sasajima-san was seen off by Otousama and I. Otousama, please do not trouble your secretary with every little thing. Got it And besides the weekend rates, make sure to give him a bonus too. Got it Naturally all of this will be coming out of your own pocket, Otousama. Got it Chapter 148 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . While many of the girls as Suiran were using the same towels as Enjou and Kaburagi, a select few of them secretly used towels that matched their crushes instead. Some girls even gave matching towels to their boyfriends to deepen their love. Suiran was undergoing an unprecedented towel boom. And shockingly, Cla.s.s Reps quartet were all using the same towels! Oh, we just got these to commemorate our friendship, thats all. It isnt what youre thinking, Kisshouin-san~ he said shyly. That was his reply when I went to question him about it. Friendship huh. In that case, why wasnt I invited. Wasnt I in on the whole make-up Iwamuro-kun thing? Actually, wasnt I the one that started it? And yet here I was Ah well, I wasnt going to get into it. And it was fine, right?. They were having fun. And sure, there definitely were a few girls who used matching friendship towels. Honestly I was envious. The rumours regarding my towel matching Enjous had finally cooled down. I wasnt about to use them at school and risk starting the flames again. My friends on the other hand were naturally happily using the same towels as the Emperor and Enjou so I was the only one amongst them feeling left out with my normal towel. Tsk~ Invite me too, Cla.s.s Rep~ One day Ririna came up to me and threw a towel at my face. Use this! Ow. When I picked it off my face I discovered that it was a cream-coloured towel with the letters R. K. sewn on in red. Ririna, you I gratefully made use of it. That girl had a surprisingly cute side to her. Did she sew in my initials herself? Mn, you did very well, huhu. After my sprint training I was sorting through my bag in the Handicrafts Club when Minami-kun saw the towel in my hand. Ah! The towel that I embroidered to give to Kotou-san he muttered. I immediately ran to Ririna and used the towel to strangle the outrageous girl. Ririnaaaaa! Youre unbelievableeee! Give me back my fuzzy feelings! More important was Wakaba-chan. Kaburagi casually called out to her every time they met. Sometimes you could see her, Kaburagi, and Enjou standing around and talking together. Enjou might have been one thing but it was rare to see Kaburagi use any girls name. For every Takamichi that came out of his mouth, his fans glared hatefully at her. Thanks to him, Wakaba-chan came back soaked whenever she went to the taps, and it was common to see girls badmouthing her like she wasnt right next to them. One day I was heading to the taps, having just finished my practice for the three-legged race. What does she think shes using? That towel looks like a dish rag. Can she really help it? She has no money. If I had something like that at my house the only use it would have is cleaning the floors. Gosh. Doesnt that mean that dust cloths are good enough for a certain somebody? A group of girls were sneering behind her while saying hurtful things. Wakaba-chan just pretended not to hear them and washed her face dispa.s.sionately. The girls seemed to take offence to that because Tsuruhana-sans Number 2 b.u.mped into her on purpose and even tossed Wakaba-chans towel onto the ground. Goodness! Myy baaad~ Without missing a beat, the girl used her other hand to splash water onto Wakaba-chan whose face and fringe ended up dripping wet. She didnt have her towel to dry herself with anymore. It was lying on the ground and there were even footprints on it. Should I go save her? Lets go, Reika-sama, said Rune-chan without much interest. Mm, but At that moment a group of boys just happened to be coming back from their own training. Those girls noticed too and quickly distanced themselves from Wakaba-chan. In the centre of the group was Kaburagi who raised an eyebrow at Wakaba-chan. She was standing there soaked and trying to dry her face with her hands of all things. What the heck are you doing. Dont you have a towel? Ummm I kind of dropped it What are you even doing, you idiot. Here, use this, he said before tossing over his own towel. I could see the instant the expressions on the other girls changed. Eh!? Its fine. You dont need to! she said, trying to hand it back in a panic. Wakaba-chan had sensed it too. Kaburagi hadnt noticed at all though. Just take it. And you can keep it. Dont worry about giving it back. He refused her with one hand and simply headed into the school building with Enjou and the others. Left behind, Wakaba-chan picked up her own towel and threw out an excuse. Um, Ill give it back to him she said, before running off behind him. Tsuruhana-san and her friends were furious. What the h.e.l.l was that!? Kaburagi Seriously, what the heck was that? There was a lot of trouble in my life recently. Compared to the the storm of rumours that Kaburagis towel had caused, the towel incident with Enjou and I was nothing. And each day it was jealousy-fuelled open season for Wakaba-chan in my group. I tried to stop them a few times but it didnt go well. It was hard just staying silent while I saw Wakaba-chan being bullied. Even though I wanted to do something, I couldnt. I was pathetic And whenever I went to the Pivoine Salon, the President was always in a bad mood because of how active a leader Fellow Stalking Horse had been since becoming the Student Council President. This new Student Council sure are an insolent bunch The other day that Mizusaki guy was even running off his mouth about us. He really doesnt know his place. The lot of them are behaving as though they own the place after misunderstanding their own positions. President, what should we do? The Pivoine elitists were gathered around the President and discussing how we were going to treat the Student Council from now on. For now we will wait and see what they do. If they disrespect the Pivoine any further we will not lie still. Scary I didnt know what to do about the Pivoine either. And with the needle felting for the Bea-tan doll face not going well, or how my love at the library was not progressing at all, I just had a lot of worries these days. To help change gears a little I decided to go for a walk on the weekend. I got off at a train station far away from home and was just strolling about when I caught scent of something delicious. Gasp! I knew this smell! A temple festival in Tokyo Following the smell, my nose led me to a temple fair stall with ikayaki. Ikayaki, or grilled squid, is a fast food favourite, often served as just a sauced up tentacle at temple fairs. I knew it! I bought one and bit into it on the spot. Yummy! It was my first time having festival ikayaki since becoming Kisshouin Reika! Sooo yummmyy! I couldnt get enough of this cheap flavour! Maybe it would be better to eat some takoyaki as well. But first things first, there was this ikayaki to finish off! Aahh, why did eating yummy things just melt the stress away? Thinking back, I used to eat these a lot in my old life, back when I visited festivals. I used to go with my little sister Yuka-chan, and my cousin Naru-kun. And I used to buy fairy floss at these things too. And candied apples, and yakisoba too! Wed buy all sorts of food and share it between us. I missed that. Dad liked ikayaki the best, didnt he. It had been so long that the ikayaki had sent me into my own world. I had totally lost myself in it and completely left my guard down. Eh-, Kisshouin-san!? The blood drained from my face at the voice. Chapter 149 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . There I was, in the middle of biting into it. There Wakaba-chan was, staring at me in shock. Ummmmm She was the first one to say anything, but she was obviously at a loss for words. I was in a worse state, having fallen into complete panic in my mind. My heart was beating uncontrollably. What was I going to do. Why. I had always been so careful not to let anybody I knew spot me.Why had I a.s.sumed it was impossible for any Suiran student to be at this tiny festival. Any other time I would have taken care to eat it somewhere n.o.body would see me.I had been stupid beyond words. What was I going to do. Somebody from Suiran had seen me! Ummm. What a coincidence? she said a little awkwardly. Indeed it is. An ojousama frozen in the middle of biting into ikayaki? I must have looked so unbelievably stupid! Aaaahh! Why did you lose to your gluttony, Reika! You were too caught up in nostalgia, you idiot! One by one, I could see the faces of the students at Suiran. Serika-chan, Kikuno-chan, Ayame-chan, Rune-chan All the members of the Pivoine. The President. Ahh! If Youko-sama found out about this I was done for! The shame of the Pivoine! Images of an enraged Youko-sama flashed before my eyes Umm, are you okay? she hesitantly called out while I was drowning in negativity. Oh right! I had to silence her! Takamichi-san! Yes!? Wakaba-chan immediately stood at attention. Could you, perhaps, keep quiet about this? By this you mean what happened today? Yeah, that we met today, or rather about how you caught me biting into stick of ikayaki Ummm Just, everything in general Mmm, I dont really understand but okay. Got it. I wont tell a soul about what happened today! Eh-, truly!? Really!? She really wouldnt tell anyone!? Yeah! Its a promise! she nodded firmly. Thank you! Its really a promise, okay? Im believing in you! I stepped forward towards her. Y-Yeah, she back-pedalled in the face of my intensity. Still, she gave me another nod. Alright! If she was anything like the mangas Wakaba-chan then I really could trust her! Definitely! Probably! Or more like Id have to trust her if I ever wanted a good nights sleep again. Well then, please excuse me, I said. For now I just wanted to get away. I was keenly aware that she was not going to forget the sight of the ojousama fleeing with the half-eaten ikayaki in her hand. I was more than ready to forget about reality. After forcing myself to smile at her, I was about to leave when she stopped me. Wait, Kisshouin-san. Are you going to go home looking like that? Eh? Looking like what? Uwah! The sauce from the ikayaki was all over the breast of my white dress! Gyaah! And there were even specks of it on the skirt!? Nooo, what is this! Aahh! What am I going to do!? I hurriedly took out a handkerchief from my bag but it was hopeless. Maybe I could soak it in water. Or better yet, buy some bleach G.o.d, I had some on my hands too! And everything was made even harder because I was still holding the d.a.m.ned ikayaki. Aah, I wanted to cry Um, Kisshouin-san. How about you come to my house? I think we can get rid of the stains if were quick Eh-!? Wakaba-chans house!? Ah, no, that couldnt be a good idea, could it? No, it is no problem, thank you. I will take a taxi home, I turned her down with a veneer of fake calm. But Id be in trouble if I came home looking like this. Okaasama and the rest of my family would find out about my gluttony today It doesnt look like no problem to me Itll be really quick, so how about we just give it a wash and then you can go home. Okay? But- We can still get the stains out if we go now. Okay? Under Wakaba-chans strong persuasion I ended up going after all. How did this happen So much had happened that I just didnt want to think about it anymore Apparently Wakaba-chan had been on the way home from somewhere and just happened to pa.s.s through there. Some girl in a white dress had been looking like the very picture of a rich girl, so naturallyit caught her eye. And that girl had turned out to be me Was I very noticeable? You could say that~ Holy c.r.a.p Dont tell me that other people had noticed me too? I thought my clothes were pretty casual for a dress. Wakaba-chan was kind enough to walk in front of me, in order to hide the stains. I was still quietly wondering what to do with this ikayaki in my hand. After walking for a little while longer, Wakaba-chan turned her head to me. Were here~ Her house was your everyday cake shop. Not the fancy patisseries that the kids of Suiran frequented. Just your normal, average cake shop. With things like strawberry shortcakes, chocolate cakes, mont blancs and the like at 200~300 yen each and even cream puffs for 150 yen it was the very picture of a cake shop for commoners. The only difference was that the taste of the cakes was a well-known 10/10. When I read the Kimidol manga I often wanted to try the cakes from this cake shop. They were just drawn so beautifully after all. And right now that cake store of my dreams was right before my eyes! The entrance is at the back. I circled around the back with her and she opened the door to let me in. I was idling while she was busy with that and happened to look to the side. Sitting there was a bicycle with the front half completely bent out of shape. Huh? Wasnt this the bicycle that Wakaba-chan rode to school that one time? Ehh? What the heck happened to it!? Was she okay!? Wakaba-chan noticed what I was looking at and smiled. Ah, that, she laughed, During the summer break Kaburagi-samas car b.u.mped into me and it broke, haha. Eeehh!? She got hit by Kaburagis car!? b.u.mped? Were you okay!? Were you injured!? I was fine~ I was trying to pull over to the curb when the car hit from the side. It sent me flying away with my bike but I jumped off so I got away with just some bruises and sc.r.a.pes. That sounds like a huge deal to me. I mean, just look at the shape the bicycle was in Wakaba-chan just laughed and welcomed me in. Please excuse the intrusion Yes, yes, come in~ I suppose getting out of those clothes should come first, huh. Ill go grab a change of clothes, so could you head to the laundry room to change first? Ah, what are you going to do with that? Wakaba-chan pointed at the ikayaki in my hand. What indeed. Well, for now Ill just hold onto it for you. You can wash your hands over here. Ummm, right, clothes, clothes Wakaba-chan ran off further into the house with my half-eaten ikayaki and came right back with clothes for me. Just tell me when youre done changing. Ill give your clothes a wash when youre done. Thank you. I accepted the clothes with a bow, but at that very instant my stomach growled! Just let me disappear already. Its already 3 isnt it. Have you eaten lunch yet? I could make you some yakisoba or something? No! You have been so much help already! I havent had lunch either so why dont you eat with me while we wait for your clothes? Oh, I suppose you dont eat stuff like yakisoba, huh No, I do! I loved that stuff. I had actually planned on eating some after I finished with that ikayaki. Ill go make some then! What were you going to do with that ikayaki? What if I cut it up and put it in? Please take care of it Got it~ she smiled brightly before clothing the door to the laundry room. I changed into the T-shirt and elastic waist shorts. It was funny. I was here in the house of Kimidols protagonist. It somehow didnt feel real. My knowledge of her was one-sided and before today we had hardly exchanged a word. Doesnt suit me I muttered as I looked in the mirror. The horrible combination of the T-shirt, shorts, and ringlets just depressed me. When I left the room and called out hesitantly, Wakaba-chan came running. Ill take care of those stains then. Eh-, are you using the washing machine for just one piece of clothing!? Think of the electricity and water bills! It was so wasteful! And I felt really bad for imposing too! Just running the stains under the tap would do! Electricity? Ummm, the sauce is pretty much everywhere though, so I thought washing the whole thing would be better. Would that damage the dress though? I honestly do not care about that Then Ill just stick it in the wash. Dont worry! Ill use the dryer too! With practised hands, Wakaba-chan sprinkled stain remover on the stains before putting the dress in a net and starting up the washing machine. Lets eat while we wait. I truly am sorry for causing you trouble Ahaha, its fine, its fine~ I followed her into the dining room and then was treated to Wakaba-chans homemade yakisoba. Sorry for not having anything better. Im not sure that itll suit the tastes of an ojousama like you. Goodness, that isnt true! I shall be helping myself then. Eat up. I could see the sliced up ikayaki in it. Thank you, Wakaba-chan. I took a bite of the food. Oh, this taste! Is it okay? Think you can you eat it? It is delicious, I answered her as I gobbled it down. The taste reminded me of the cheap 3-pack yakisoba that I often bought in my old life. So nostalgic. This would definitely never appear on the Kisshouin dinner table. Even if we did have yakisoba by some chance, it would definitely be some sort of refined dish from a high cla.s.s Chinese restaurant. G.o.d, I loved this sauce so much! In the blink of an eye it was gone. Hahh, thanks for the meal. Afterwards I gulped down the barley tea that Wakaba-chan gave me. So nostalgic It seems you ended up taking care of me from start to finish Dont worry about it. Wakaba-chan cheerfully sipped her own barley tea. For a while we were silent. Um, Takamichi-san Yes? I voiced the thought that had been bothering me all this time. Um, how do you think of school? It might have been a weird way of putting it, but I couldnt exactly say Are you being bullied? now could I. How? Um, what do you mean? Yep. It really was a vague question. Ummm I suppose that I am asking what you think of your life at Suiran. Its pretty great I guess? Eh-, really!? I mean, dont you get badmouthed and tripped and soaked with water every day!? Was she just answering that way to avoid worrying me? She wasnt just acting tough was she? Yes. Im really lucky to have gotten into Suiran. Lucky I had thought for a moment that she might have been making a jab at me, but Wakaba-chan smiled without any deeper meaning. Isnt it though? I get to use those amazing facilities and take high-level lessons, all for free, right? Not only that but to even get paid scholarship money for getting high marks Uku- Wakaba-chans mouth curved into a grin. For the mock-trials the other day, I got the best results I ever had. Just between you and me, the bonus money that they gave me for that Wakaba-chan brought her hand to her mouth to stifle the laughter. Apparently it was quite a lot. A school that pays you money just for studying. Its the best school ever. I honestly thought it was the worst school ever for buying good grades with money, but whatever. I mean, even I think its impossible to hit the digits that I want before graduation, but if I tried hard enough, maybe half of it would be Ukukukukuku! Wakaba-chan couldnt control herself anymore and began laughing uproariously. Digits!? How many digits did she mean?! Just how much money was Suiran paying scholarship students? Umm, but are there not other matters? For example, the badmouthing I asked awkwardly. Oh, I dont really mind it, she answered without missing a beat. Eh-, you do not really mind it? Yes. I mean, its nothing physical, right? Um, but it totally was. Like they physically splashed water onto her and hit her with b.a.l.l.s and stuff. Does it not hurt? Being treated that way Hmmm It was only now that Wakaba-chan looked like she needed to think about it. Wakaba-chan was even bolder, and even more shameless than I could have ever imagined Then, just one more question. About being hit by Kaburagi-sama I finally asked what I had been wondering since I got here. Ill go grab a change of clothes, so could you head to the laundry room to change first? Ah, what are you going to do with that? Usually Id put this stuff at the top but coming out of a cliff-hanger this time, it wasnt appropriate. The laundry room she was talking about was actually the changing room in front of the bathroom. j.a.panese housing typically has multiple rooms for what in Western housing is the bathroom. Separate rooms for the j.a.panese toilet, sink, and ofuro (bathing room) are common. Small apartments, however, frequently contain a tiny single bathroom called a unit bath that contains all three fixtures. A small sink may also be built into the top of the toilet tank - there is a tap, with the top of the tank forming the sink, and the water draining into the tank - which runs during the flush cycle; this is particularly common in mid-20th century buildings. The room with the sink, which is called a clothes changing room, usually includes a s.p.a.ce for a clothes-washing machine. The room containing the bathtub is waterproof with a s.p.a.ce for washing, and often for showering, adjacent to (rather than in) the tub. As a result, bathwater is neither soapy nor dirty, and can be reused. Many washing machines in j.a.pan come with an extension pipe to draw water from the tub for the wash. Chapter 150 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . The legend of the Straw Millionaire is a j.a.panese Buddhist folk tale about a poor man who becomes wealthy through a series of successive trades, starting with a single piece of straw. A hard-working but unlucky peasant named Daietsu-no-suke prays to Kannon, the G.o.ddess of mercy, to help him escape poverty. Kannon tells him to take the first thing he touches on the ground with him and travel west. He stumbles on his way out of the temple and grabs a piece of straw. While travelling, he catches a horsefly that was bothering him and ties it to the straw. In the next town, the buzzing horsefly calms a crying baby and the thankful mother exchanges it for three oranges. Taking the oranges, he continues on his journey and encounters a dehydrated woman. He gives her the oranges and she thanks him by giving him a rich silk cloth. The peasant meets a samurai with a weak horse. The samurai demands the silk cloth in exchange for his horse. The peasant nurses the horse back to health and continues west. A millionaire is impressed by his horse and invites him to his home. The millionaires daughter turns out to be the same woman he saved with his oranges. Seeing this as a sign, the millionaire insists that the peasant marry his daughter, making him a millionaire. She might have casually deflected the question earlier but I couldnt ignore that she had been hit by a car. Kaburagi-sama ran you over with his car over the summer? Ahaha, I guess. Oh my G.o.d. The reason the two of them suddenly seemed so close after the summer break was because he sent her flying with his car!? It really wasnt as bad as it sounds. And the car wasnt going all that fast either. Anyway, it sort of hit me and then I got bowled over and went rolling, like this, she said, first posing like a frog and then rolling like a ball. Anyhow, I jumped right off so I wasnt really injured, okay? I suppose since they actually ran over the front of the bike a little it might have been worse had I still been holding on though~ Ahaha. Not just hit by a car, but then literally run over? Thats not something to be laughing about, Wakaba-chan. I presume that Kaburagi-sama took the appropriate measures, then? I asked, It did not, heavens forbid, turn into some hit-and-run incident? G.o.d, nooo~ He apologised and everything, and even though I said I was fine he took me to the hospital too. Obviously. But I didnt hit my head or my back so rather than being hit by a car, its better to say that it just kind of knocked me over. I mean, I was wearing summer clothes so the asphalt grazed my arms and hands a bit but that was it~ Well, that and the bruises hurt for a few days I guess. The whole time she was speaking, Wakaba-chan was wearing a carefree smile. But you did get injured, I stressed, And even if you got off lightly, you saw what happened to your bicycle. You did press him for reparations? Ehh~?! Reparations? No way. What are you saying! How can you give up like that! You must squeeze him for everything he has! Squeeze Wakaba-chan looked a little disturbed at my suggestion, but Kaburagi was rich. If he just settled out of court with her he was hardly going to miss the money! But actually, you know, he did offer me reparations money. And his lawyer came over to my house a number of times too. It was really exciting actually, meeting my first lawyer! He seemed really capable too! As expected of the Kaburagi familys legal advisor! Ah, but I suppose you dont really care about that, huh. Ummm, anyway, we refused. I mean, I didnt really get hurt or anything, you know? But then he kept offering money as a get well gift and in the end we didnt manage to refuse that too. It was less than the reparations offer but it was still a lot of money, you know! Actually, the number for the reparations was so huge that when we heard it my whole family started trembling. My The get well gift he wouldnt budge on at all, so in the end he handed over this huge get well soon envelope, she gestured with her fingers. From the s.p.a.ce between her finger and her thumb there had to have been half a million at least. What really surprised me was that the envelope had his family crest on it. I guess big families even have their envelopes custom made, huh~ Could it be that the Kisshouin family does that too? Well, yes. I see~ Thats amazing~ Wakaba-chan, its really not the time to be focusing on that. Oh! And you know? He got me back for the bike too. I was so surprised when I found out it was some super expensive Italian bike! My. Somehow my 10,000 yen bike turned into a something a few dozen times more expensive. Isnt it a bit like the story of the Straw Millionaire? Um, not quite I was actually worried somebody would steal it, you know, it was so expensive. Its actually still sitting in my garden. The wire lock Im using to keep it safe even has a bell! I see. You know, my old bicycle had a traffic safety sticker on it and when I was. .h.i.t by the car I was totally fine. Im starting to think of it as a lucky sticker. Thats why I tried to put it on the my new one too, but Kaburagi-sama begged me not to and said that it would be blasphemy against the bike. Oh, and since the bike is customisable I said I wanted to get a basket and luggage rack but then he started talking about the design of the bike and stuff~ Yeah, I suppose Kaburagis sense of aesthetics wouldnt allow that. Wakaba-chan said that the washing machine seemed to have stopped, so she left for a bit and came back with my dress on a coat hanger. It all came off~ I put on the dryer for a bit so if we hang it outside itll dry right up~ Thank you for this. We left my white dress fluttering outside to dry. The weather was still warm so Wakaba-chan was probably right. Just then, a woman who I a.s.sumed to be her mum walked in. Wakaba, has one of your friends come over? Oh, Mum. Ummmm, I guess? This is Kisshouin-san. Shes in my grade at Suiran. Pleased to meet you. I apologise for suddenly intruding. I am Kisshouin Reika, and I have the pleasure of being in the same grade as Takamichi-san at Suiran. Goodness! I cant even see you as her friend, youre so refined~! Really, as expected of Suiran! Mum! Wakaba-chans mum was cheerful and kind, and somehow brought to mind my own mum in my old life. Mum, is it really okay to leave the shop alone? I just wanted to have a little look. And Wakaba, since your friend came over did you treat her to any cake? Look, Ive got it, okay? Kisshouin-san, would you like some cake? Eh!? Cake made by Wakaba-chans family! I had already decided that I had to buy some before I came home, but I was going to be able to eat it now!? Would that be all right? Its nothing like the cakes Im sure youre used to eating, so you really dont have to if you dont want to. It really is just cake for ordinary people. No, I would love to try some! Well okay. Help yourself then. And that was how the two of us went into the front of the building to look at the cakes. Waah! Cake from the Takamichi cake shop! They were simple and mainstream, but they all looked delicious! Which one would I choose? Decided? Um, perhaps this mont blanc Okaay! Maybe Ill have one too then. Mum, two mont blancs please~ Ah-! I can pay! Nah, dont worry about that. I must! These are your stores stock! Ahaha, its fine I said. Ehhhhh. This wasnt right. I was being beyond shameless now! In the end Wakaba-chan kept refusing me with a smile so the two of us returned to the living room with our cakes. Sorry. Thank you. I shall help myself to some now. You dont have to keep thanking us for something as small as this. Go ahead. Ah, but Im not sure itll suit your tastes though I carried the bit of mont blanc on my fork into my mouth. Yummy! Really!? Thats great! The cake that I had dreamed about eating, ever since reading Kimidol It was a sweet, light, and gentle flavour. Yes, it is simply delicious. I will buy some to bring home with me, without a doubt. Thank goodness~ Were just a small shop but lately people have been blogging about it on the internet and stuff and apparently some people even come from far away to buy from here, you know? she told me happily before starting on her own mont blanc. I can certainly understand travelling for a cake like this. There were a few customers in the store too, just now. Ehehe, thanks. Oniisama would be coming back from his long business trip today. I was definitely going to bring some cake home. I bet he was going to love it. Huhu! Aah, so yummy. Speaking of cake though, remember how I said I turned down the reparations money? Yes. Since I said I wouldnt accept it no matter what, he replied that he would buy all of the cakes in the store instead. Haah!? What the h.e.l.l was that guy doing! I told him that his feelings were enough and refused. Boy was I not expecting that. What a nuisance There were people who were coming all the way here to buy these cakes. Just how much of a nuisance would it be if one idiot went and bought them all. There was a lot of back and forth between us and in the end he compromised by taking one of every cake. I see Things have been rough on you. Honestly, what was that guy thinking. Anyway, we decided not to tell anybody at Suiran about this whole thing. It wouldnt sound good for his reputation right? That his car hit somebody, I mean. Indeed. She might have escaped with just some bruising but that was still absolutely being hit with a car. No wonder neither of them would tell us how they had gotten closer. But in that case, is it all right to be telling me all of this? I asked. Yeah. I mean, its just going to stay between the two of us, right? Were not telling anybody about today, after all, she grinned. Oh. Right. The ikayaki incident. Could it be that she told me all this because she didnt want me to worry about my own secret? I understand. I will not tell a soul! Yeah. I wont either. Its a promise. When the evening arrived, Wakaba-chans younger siblings came home. My dress was dry by then as well, so I got changed and excused myself. You may as well have stayed for dinner, her mum said. Thank you very much for the offer, I replied, But I have a curfew, you see I was happy that she offered but I hadnt said anything to my family. It wouldnt have been good to stay out too late. With my objective (the cake) secured, I bade everybody in the Takamichi family goodbye before leaving for home. Now then, I had to casually drop Oniisama the news that I had become President of the Handicrafts Club. What really surprised me was that the envelope had his family crest on it. I guess big families even have their envelopes custom made, huh~ Could it be that the Kisshouin family does that too? Well, yes. Chapter 151 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . I owed Wakaba-chan a lot now. I wanted to thank her somehow but couldnt think of any good gift ideas. Normally Id be gifting something from the stores that my family were in with. Fruits from an expensive fruit store, or cookies from an exclusive confectionary that you needed connections to buy from. But it would be a bit rude to give cakes and stuff to a family of bakers, huh~ And it felt a bit like flaunting my money. Hmmmm After a lot of deliberation I ended up gifting her family some black tea and coffee that would go well with cakes. As for Wakaba-chan herself, I gave her some stationery with Suirans crest on it. Notepads and other consumables. After all, gifts that you could use up felt a lot less serious than durable gifts, didnt they! Since we were keeping that day between us, we still never really talked at school. After a while I started to wonder if I really had gone to her house. It couldnt have been a daydream or something? I really did go, right? There was only a little time left until the Athletics Carnival so every cla.s.s was practising harder than ever. Everybody in my cla.s.s was aiming for high scores as well, but I wonder how we would really go~ Everybody seemed to laugh as they trained, so it felt like we werent being serious enough. The boys were training for the cavalry battle too, by the way. I wonder if it was because of experience that running away from the start was a valid strategy to them. But considering the compet.i.tion this year, wouldnt they have a fair chance of winning as long as they tried harder? Emperor was still sticking to his retirement. According to the girls in his cla.s.s a lot of people had asked him to partic.i.p.ate but the Emperor had silenced them all with a wave of his hand. He had retired, and there was no two ways about that. Some people insisted anyhow, so the Emperor said this: Im retired so I wont partic.i.p.ating. But Ill be happy to train you. Mmn. Thank goodness I wasnt in his cla.s.s. And more importantly, thank goodness I wasnt born as a guy. Watching those poor boys train under him was like watching drills performed by the Spartan army And it was scary the way their eyes shone. One day, the Pivoines President b.u.t.ted heads with Fellow Stalking Horse. Apparently it had all started when some Pivoine members demanded a couple of students yield some seats with a good view to them. Worse yet, those Pivoine members were only first years whilst the students sitting there were in Third Year. Fellow Stalking Horse had been of the opinion that the Pivoine kids should have respected their uppercla.s.smen. The President and her Pivoine supremacists on the other hand had taken exception to that. They came in and demanded to know who dared to question the Pivoine. Right now, the air in the cafeteria was like a powder keg. To begin with, demanding that somebody give up a seat when they got there first is nothing short of tyranny. As if that wasnt enough, they were uppercla.s.smen as well. That would offend anyones sensibilities. Uppercla.s.smen or not, they were Pivoine. This is Suiran, Common sense dictates that being a Pivoine takes precedence above all else. It matters not who they are. And even by your own admission, uppercla.s.smen should be respected.. Are you not violating decorum right this moment by arguing with me? Im the Student Coucil President. Protecting the students is the duty of the Student Council. Youre mistaken if you think the Pivoine can do whatever they want. You already have seats reserved for yourselves. And there were plenty of empty seats. But instead they decided that they wanted that seat and forced the person sitting there to vacate it. Dont you think thats being a little too outrageous? The Student Council wont overlook selfish behaviour like that. Outrageous!? Who do you think you are! How dare you speak to us like that! Anger crossed her beautiful features. But Fellow Stalking Horse was unperturbed. A member of the Pivoine is a student like any other. If they have done something wrong then I believe it falls to the Student Council to warn them. Enough, you hateful upstart! Upstart!? At the end of the day is your Student Council anything more than a collection of upstarts? The only reason youve been able to throw around the words Student Council to have your way around here is because we have kindly allowed you to. For you to misunderstand, and even defy the Pivoine Know some shame! The Pivoine is the symbol of Suiran! Comparing our positions with a gathering of glorified commoners like your Student Council is like comparing heaven and earth! ! The Presidents excessive words caused anger to flash across his face. That was when the teachers rushed in to stop them in a panic. Fellow Stalking Horse allowed himself to be led away, whilst the other Student Council members followed behind in worry. The President and her supporters watched their retreating figures with baleful gazes. I was frightened so I had hid amongst Serika-chan and the others early on. All I had done was watch how things developed but my stomach was still hurting and I had lost all appet.i.te. This has turned into a huge deal, hasnt it Mizusaki-kun should have just picked his words a little better. I hope hes okay As I considered my position as a Pivoine member, my hands couldnt help but shake in the face of the inevitable conflict to come. Scary I wish I had a tougher heart. I might have looked like a Rococo Queen on the outside, but inside I was just a petty bourgeois. Where had Kaburagi and Enjou been for all this? I looked around and realised that Kaburagi had been sitting at the reserved seats, right in the middle of the fiasco. He had a fed-up look on his face.When he noticed Wakaba-chan following after Fellow Stalking Horse in worry, he stared at her until she was gone. The Princ.i.p.al personally cautioned Fellow Stalking Horse. Naturally he said nothing to the Pivoine.I personally thought it was ridiculous too, but this was Suiran after all. Fellow Stalking Horse must have been incredibly frustrated, but there was nothing he could do about it. Since the school administration had given the Student Council a warning over their att.i.tude towards the Pivoine, the incident with the seats was tentatively settled. I could only pray that no further troubles arose though. The day of the Athletics Carnival came. Emperor and his Spartan Army were taking heads from the get-go. I could only imagine the h.e.l.l they had gone through in training. Their enthusiasm was on another level. It didnt even feel like an athletics carnival to them. Well, the girls in their cla.s.s were just cheering and squealing without a care in the world though. Fellow Stalking Horse was doing just as well. Yep, yep. Exercise was the best for releasing your stress, wasnt it. Do your best, Fellow Stalking Horse. Before long it was time for my 100 metre sprint. When I arrived at the gathering point, Wakaba-chan looked me in the eye and pumped her fist. Im going to give it my all! Ahaha! Somebody was enthused. Wakaba-chan, were not even in the same group. I smiled and was about to reply when some of my partic.i.p.ating group members moved between us. Who are you acting so familiar with! Do you know who this person is!? They glared at her and pulled me away. Come, Reika-sama. That girl really needs to learn her place! And you even went out of your way to talk to me. Im sorry, Wakaba-chan Still, I mean, it was a bit weird saying this about myself, but Wakaba-chan sure was fearless to talk that way to Kisshouin Reika of the Pivoine Considering they were basically there to give me a good experience, naturally I came first in my group. You were magnificent, Reika-sama! clamoured my followers as they added to the experience with clapping. Could it have gotten any more fixed. I wanted to bury myself in a hole Wakaba-chan only made 2nd place, unfortunately. She seemed to have fun though. There was still a lot of the day to go. Chapter 152 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Urashima Tarou is a j.a.panese fairy tale. Long ago, a man named Urashima Tarou found a turtle on the beach being tortured by a group of children, and rescued it. Later, while he was fishing on a boat as always, the grateful turtle came and told him he would carry him on his back for him to see the underwater palace known as the Dragon Palace. At the palace, the princess, Otohime, thanked him for saving the turtle, and was entertained for many days with a rich feast and dances performed by various sea creatures. But remembering his mother and father and feeling homesick, he bid his farewell to Otohime. The princess tried to dissuade him from leaving, but finally let him go with a parting gift, a mysterious box called tamatebako which he was told never to open. When Tarou returned to his hometown, everything had changed. His home was gone, his mother and father had perished, and the people he knew were nowhere to be seen. Thinking that opening the box might do some good, and not remembering the princesss warning, he lifted the lid of the box. A cloud of white smoke arose and touched his face, turning him to a wrinkled old man, his hair and beard turned completely white. For the boys baton relay, Kaburagis team formed a huddle and gave a warcry. Uwah One team was very out of place here The starting signal fired and the athletes all shot off at once. Ohhh dear! Team Kaburagis first runner was trying too hard and tripped over! His baton went flying through the air! Even if he ran to pick it back up, he just lost Team Kaburagi some crucial seconds in the race. Uwahh, uwahhhh, I couldnt imagine how he was feeling right now When that boy finished his lap his face was sheet white. Anybody would be. But Kaburagi just slapped the boy on the back in consolation. He even whispered something in the boys ear. I guess he wasnt angry about the mistake. Thank goodness, boy-I-dont-know. When it was Kaburagis turn, as the anchor of the race, his team was in 4th place thanks to the Spartan-like efforts of every runner since. Kaburagi took the baton in hand and began running like the wind, immediately pa.s.sing somebody to 3rd place. Before long he caught up to 2nd place, and then brought himself in range of 1st place. He was so fast! The crowd roared in excitement. The goal was just in front. Could he do it? He did ittttt! When Kaburagi broke past the goal tape all of his runners ran up to surround him. Ah, the first runner was openly crying. He must have felt so responsible Kaburagi saw him and smiled with a thumbs up. Yet another person joined the Kaburagi Sect that day. My next game was the ball-toss. Since it was a team game there would be no accommodating for me! Id show them I could win for real! I looked to see who our opponents were only to notice that Wakaba-chan was standing next to Enjou of all people. Eh-, Enjou was going to be competing in the ball toss!? With Enjou standing next to her, hitting him with the sacks accidentally would be too big of a risk. Even the girls who had come in determined to throw b.a.l.l.s at Wakaba-chan gave up and meekly aimed at the basket like they were supposed to. Could it be that he was looking after her? Was it a coincidence? Unremarkably, we came 3rd place. The costume race was held in the afternoon. I was looking forward to seeing just how Iwamuro-kun would look after they were done with him~ One by one, each cla.s.s filed out. Hmm!? Even though my cla.s.s was supposed to be the Town Musicians of Bremen, for some reason every animal had a head of roll-like locks. What the heck was that supposed to be!? Cla.s.s Rep! Cla.s.s Rep! Whats wrong, Kisshouin-san? It was so strange that I came all the way over to demand an explanation. Why do all of those animals have that strange hair attached to them!? Ohh, that. Its supposed to be your hair, Kisshouin-san. I knew it! Youre the face of our cla.s.s, so I guess they wanted to show that off? Hm, or maybe more like honour you? Mmn, something like that. Something like that, you say I have heard nothing about this, you know! Aaah, well, I guess they thought that youd tried to stop them if you knew. Sorry, Kisshouin-san. I mentioned to our cla.s.s about how Iwamuro-kun was wearing a wig in your hairstyle, but then they got weirdly compet.i.tive. You were in their cla.s.s, so Iwamuro-kun was intruding, or something like that. Are your heads on right?! What were these guys smoking?! And anyway, their wigs werent anything like the quality of Iwamuro-kuns. Rather than the Rococo Queen they looked more like the King of Reggae! Look! They were getting weird laughs already! It even felt like I was being laughed at! Kisshouin-san, the race is starting. Cmon, lets cheer. Even if he told me that, I couldnt bring myself to cheer properly for those animals with the weird rolls attached to their heads. Oh! Iwamuro-kun came out! Iwamuro Wendy burst forward with splendid golden locks and a sky blue dress. In no time, he overtook the Reggae Artists of Bremen. The one in the full-faced donkey mask was clearly dragging the team down. Must have been oxygen deprivation. Actually Wakaba-chan was competing too. The theme that her cla.s.s picked was Urashima Tarou. Behind Urashima Tarou and Otohime was Wakaba-chan, plastered head to toe in sea bream and hirame and other sea creatures. Wakaba-chan I had wanted to say a few words now that my cla.s.smates were finished with the costume race, but my three-legged race was coming up next. I decided instead to use these feelings to fuel my performance in the race instead. While I was heading to Rune-chan and thinking about the difference between ringlets and dreadlocks, Kaburagi approached me from in front. Kisshouin! And for some reason called out to me. Rune-chan was showing consideration in a weird way again, and put some distance between us. Kaburagi-sama. As always, there was a huge crowd of girls gathered around him from a distance away. Was he the Pied Piper of Hamlin or something. Kaburagi placed a hand on my shoulder. The girls around us started squealing in response. I finally realised your ultimate goal for these school festivals. Youre trying to complete the Chinese Zodiac, arent you! Huh? Zodiac? Suddenly grabbing me and then talking about ultimate goals, or the Zodiac As usual I had no idea what this guy was talking about. Kaburagi paid no heed to my confusion though, and nodded to himself knowingly. You werent competing in the costume race this year so I thought you had run away from the nose problem. Who would have thought that youd be using copies of yourself to compete instead. Last year were the rat and sheep, and now this year you have the Bremen animals. It didnt take long for me to realise you were aiming for the Chinese Zodiac. Haaah!? What the h.e.l.l was he on about?! Was he actually an idiot!? Not once had I thought about completing the Chinese Zodiac in costume since the day I was born! And to begin with, look carefully! Wasnt there a cat in the Bremen animals? There was no cat in the Chinese Zodiac! Everyone knows that the Rat had cheated the Cat out of it! And why was he nodded to himself again!? No, stop, stop coming up with your weird conclusions. Its scary! You made up the numbers this time, so you might make it before graduation. Well, do your best. Satisfied, he pat my on the shoulders before walking away like some war hero. Come baaaaack! By no means was my goal in high school life to complete something as stupid as the Chinese Zodiac in costume! Dont lump me in with athletic carnival maniacs like you! No normal person behaves like this! Wait, Kaburagi! Um, Reika-sama Im sorry for interrupting while youre still feeling moved and all, but if we dont hurry Rune-chan said hesitantly while I was frozen on the spot. Huh? Moved? I guess they couldnt really hear our conversation over all of the cheering. I could hear girls here and there commenting enviously, Kaburagi-sama came to cheer Reika-sama on. Youre wrong! Isnt that great, Reika-sama? said Rune-chan. You too!? The only thing that happened was that an idiot arbitrarily branded me as some strange woman who was fixated on completing the Chinese Zodiac in costumes! Thanks to Kaburagi I was feeling out of it during the three-legged race and didnt do as well as Id hoped. Its a shame, consoled Rune-chan, After Kaburagi-sama came to cheer you on too. I told you, that wasnt it There might have been troubles along the way, but the Athletics Carnival moved into its final stage. It was time for the cavalry battle. The teams trained by Kaburagi were raring to go. This was what everyone had been waiting for. Even Kaburagi was standing watch with folded arms. Fellow Stalking Horse appeared. The cheering got even louder. Even though he had bad blood with the Pivoine President, Fellow Stalking Horse was popular. Why. Was it the face? Mizusaki-kun! President! Princeee! Prince? Apparently Fellow Stalking Horse had been nicknamed Prince without me hearing about it. Prince I guess maybe based on Prince Arima of Asuka? The real Prince Arima was tragic, though. Was that okay? Oh, but I suppose Prince Arima was like a stalking horse as well. I guess that actually made it the perfect nickname then? They gave off completely different images though. Not that it would fit the likes of Afrodite better. Anyway, Prince Arima took the headbands off his opponents, one by one. His aim was none other than the teams trained by Kaburagi! But the two teams surrounded him. Despite that, he grabbed the headband of one with his right hand, and used a daring headb.u.t.t to crush the other. There was even a standing ovation for his gallantry and prowess. Even Kaburagi, who had just seen his personally trained team crushed, was standing there clapping with a grim expression. Ahh geez. He was frowning now. I thought this last year too, but if he wanted to be involved this badly why not just compete? And as pained as his expression was, it all just seemed stupid once you remembered it was about. Chapter 153 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Prince Arima was son of Emperor Koutoku. It is said that Emperor Koutoku was blessed with his heir, Prince Arima, because he stayed at the Arima Hot Springs in Hyougo Prefecture. He was accused of, and executed for treason. In part due to two famous poems that he wrote shortly before his death, he is remembered in j.a.panese culture as a tragic hero. As for another prince accused of something similar, Prince Sawara was the heir presumptive to the throne when his older brother was inaugurated as Emperor Kanmu. There were plans to move the capital city but Prince Sawara was opposed, and implicated in the a.s.sa.s.sination of a key individual, Fujiwara no Tanetsugu, supposedly in order to overthrow the court with the aid of the Ootomo and Saeki families. His brother, Emperor Kanmu, confined him in Otokunidera Temple, and then exiled him to what is now somewhere in Hyougo prefecture, but Prince Sawara died from causes that are still disputed. After his death though, things did not go well. The Empress Dowager and then the Empress died in succession, and the new Crown Prince, Ate, fell deathly ill. Divination revealed that the cause was Prince Sawaras vengeful spirit. In fear, Emperor Kanmu posthumously awarded Prince Sawara the t.i.tle of crown prince, and then soon afterwards was posthumously raised to the rank of emperor, and bestowed the posthumous name Sudou(, Path of Worship).Changing just two strokes in the character (worship) gives you (curse). Incidentally, Kisshouin(Ժ) literally means house of good fortune. While the Athletics Carnival was over, there was still something I couldnt accept. After the Athletics Carnival, I went and asked the costume race team why they had worn reggae curls. The story they told me was shocking. Earlier I had used Kaburagis costume criticism from last year as an excuse to get out of partic.i.p.ating. Apparently the boys had actually believed me, and decided to humour Kaburagis expectations by going in my place. What the h.e.l.l. So it was him again? So it was all his fault again!? One of the boys even happily told me that that athletics carnival maniac had told them that it was a funny idea. And then the boy said, Actually, he also told us to do our best because the dragon and the serpent were going to be difficult. Do you know what he meant? The Chinese Zodiac again! Huh? But if I was trying to complete the Chinese Zodiac Set, did that mean Wakaba-chan was trying to complete some kind of ocean set? During the excursion in first year she played the sea in the play. First the sea, now the fish. I wondered what she was going to do next. Seaweed? Boats? Wai-, was the idiocy contagious!? Now I was thinking like that idiot too! Nooo, I didnt wanna complete the Chinese Zodiac I still didnt know who had come up with it but the nickname Prince had managed to stick, at least among some people. The Arima Onsen was a great place, wasnt it~ j.a.pans oldest hot spring. In my old life Id enjoyed bath salts from the Arima Hot Springs in my family bath, but since I was rich this time around I had gone to the real thing.Haahh, it was a great trip. My skin was silky smooth when I got out of the water. And the eggs cooked in the hot springs that I had for dinner that night were delicious too! Onsen-boiled eggs were an excellent idea. They went great with caesar salad! Going back to the nickname though, was Fellow Stalking Horse okay with this? Being nicknamed after that tragic prince I mean. On the other hand, I suppose the Pivoine was lucky that he wasnt named Sawara. Curses were scary. This school, or rather my grade, was oddly fond of nicknames. We had the Emperor, the Prince, Afrodite Hm, and I suppose my G.o.ddess or something? Mmn, I still didnt really get it but the boys called me G.o.ddess for some reason, according to Satomi-kun. I mean, I suppose I did have a certain refinement that could remind people of a G.o.ddess. Actually calling me a G.o.ddess was stretching it though. And kind of scary, besides. And I still wasnt sure which G.o.ddess they meant. The G.o.ddess of happiness, Kisshouten() maybe? It was just a character away from my surname. It was the same sort of thing as the Prince Arima nickname. Oh, speaking of which, Kisshouten was known as a G.o.ddess of beauty too, wasnt she. Not that it really meant anything. I just happened to remember, thats all. Really. No sooner had the Athletics Carnival ended did the mid-term exams arrive. Last time I was rank 30, and the time before that rank 29, so I wanted to get onto that ranking board again this time! Sure, it was /em>not a good sign that my rank was actually going down with time, but I was hoping that the studying I did during all those trips to the library would kick in. I sat down at my desk and opened up my textbook. I wonder if Wakaba-chan was studying right now~ You know, Wakaba-chans family wasnt poor or anything. For one thing they were living in an actual house, and for another their cake shop was doing pretty well in their area. By no means were they using milk cartons as flower vases, or saving their bath water in plastic bottles for later use. I saw no signs of such money-saving techniques. Well, not that I had actually seen them taking their baths, but at the very least they hadnt done that in the manga. Just the other day they were using the aircon when I visited. It was just that she had a lot of siblings. After Wakaba-chan was two younger brothers, and a younger sister, so four of them in total. Thats why Wakaba-chan was trying to save money by becoming a scholarship student at Suiran, in preparation for her siblings futures. She was a really filial girl. Her younger siblings were a naughty bunch, and werent attending Suiran. Uwah! This oneechans hair is like chocolate cornets or something! was the first thing her brother said when seeing me. Owww! was the second thing because Wakaba-chan had immediately smacked him across the head. The Takamichi household really seemed like a fun place. Mmn! I decided that I would follow Wakaba-chans example and study. I was going to cling to the ranking boards with everything I had! That was the mindset I faced the exam with. I think I did pretty well, for met at least. For me at least Anyhow, during the days after the test when I was waiting eagerly for the results, I was spending all my time on the Bea-tan doll. There was only about a month left until the School Festival. I needed to finish it on time. Thanks to Sasajima-sans help the torso was done, as were the arms and legs now. All that was left was the face, but it just wasnt going too well. I had made a number of them all of them were different to the Beatrice photos. And thanks to the regular photos that Umewaka-kun sent, I already had Bea-tans face memorised anyhow. Maybe it was the position of the nose and eyes And I hadnt added the curled hair yet, so maybe thats why it looked different. The plan was to add on Bea-tans iconic curls later, in order to avoid tangles. Maybe Id talk to the Handicrafts Club for some advice, Finally, it was the day of the results. As for my own results Ohh! 28th place! I went up! And by two ranks, compared to last time! Youre amazing, Reika! Goodness, Reika-sama! 28th place! Thats spectactular! Reika-sama was 28th place! Last time you were 30th, werent you? Thats wonderful! I was basking in the glow of the compliments from Serika-chan and the others. Thank you, everyone. But is 28th place a good score, or an average one, I wonder I am not quite sure myself. Goodness, I think thats a splendid achievement already. You probably dont understand since you dont have much interest in these things though. She really doesnt. Reika-sama, you should be a little more proud of your own achievements, you know? Goodness I replied. Ohohohohoho. Praise me more. Still, there were plenty of people beyond me. This time 1st place was taken by Kaburagi again, with Enjou in 2nd and Wakaba-chan in 3rd. Sometimes I wondered what was inside of their skulls. Wakaba-chan had learnt from her past experiences. She was standing there looking at the rankings, but her mouth was set in a straight line, and not an speck of celebration could be seen on her face. But. Wakaba-chan, your nostrils are twitching in excitement, you know. Ill bet she was happy. She was probably thinking of the scholarship bonus that she was getting again. She told me a while back that she on days when she received a bonus she would quietly treat herself to one of the luxury items on our cafeteria menu. Good for you, Wakaba-chan. I wondered what shed get this time. This months theme was nouvelle cuisine. Youre amazing, Wakaba-chan! exclaimed a student council member. Ehehe, thanks. Apparently Wakaba-chan had grown close with some of them since entering the Student Council. Sometimes I spotted her with them. Looks like I lost to you this time, Takamichi, sighed Fellow Stalking Horse in good humour. He was 4th. Ah well. Try harder next time, she said. Somebody sounds d.a.m.ned confident, he joked. The two of them seemed pretty close as well. It was good that she wasnt alone. The looks she was getting from Prince Arima fans were pretty harsh though. That was when Kaburagi and Enjou came along. Although the people around them made a fuss about their arrival, they just came, looked at the results, and then casually walked away. Wakaba-chan was still talking to Fellow Stalking Horse. I did not miss the glance that Kaburagi gave her as he walked away. I wonder how Kaburagi actually felt about her With the Athletics Carnival and the mid-terms over now, all anybody had on their minds was the School Festival. My cla.s.s was doing a Chinese tea caf this time. I had a bunch left over from that time with Ichinokura-san in Taiwan. Hopefully I contributed something with the idea. Besides that was the preparations for the Handicrafts Clubs exhibit. I was the Club President, so I couldnt be dragging us down now, could I! Alright! Leave it to me, your Club President, everybody! And my first job as Club President was to get my own exhibit ready. Today I brought my Bea-tan doll to school, hoping to get everybodys advice. Before heading to the club, I popped into the salon for a bit to have some tea. I looked into my bag at the doll. I had what I thought were the three best heads with me, but which would I go with~? Personally, I thought all of them were cute, but While I was sitting in the corner of the salon, holding each head up to compare, Kaburagi suddenly came over with a confused look on his face. The heck is that? The Cerberus? Haaaaaahhh!? Fight me, d.a.m.nit! Chapter 154 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . I was furious. Kaburagi had called Bea-tan, the crystallisation of my efforts all these months, some guard dog of h.e.l.l. The Cerberus!? Was he trying to imply that I was committing the deadly sin of gluttony or something!? Was Bea-tan guarding the third circle of h.e.l.l or something!? In the Divine Comedy, Beatrice was Dantes love you know! How could you call her the Cerberus!? Apologise to Mr. Dante Umewaka! Pape Satn, Pape Satn aleppe! d.a.m.n you, Kaburagi! Go to h.e.l.l! I picked up the bag as I cursed him internally and fled from the Salon. I needed somebody to vent to! When I arrived at the Handicrafts Club, I began telling them all about my Bea-tan project, and the photos, and the three heads and everything. Whether or not it actually looked like Bea-tan, it was still so cute, so how dare he! My club members gave me vaguely worded sympathies. Three might have been a bad number said one of them. She might have been right, but look! Look at how cute! How could you call it the Cerberus just because it had the right number of heads! There there, Reika-sama, my former club president gently consoled me, You should just make a doll adorable enough to surprise him. Ill help out too. You want the face to look like the dog in this picture, right? That was it! This wasnt the time to be feeling indignant about that athletics carnival-loving idiot. What I needed to be focusing on was getting this Bea-tan doll looking as close to the real thing as possible! First I needed to choose which of the three heads to use! Reika-sama, it might be better if you dont pace around with animal heads in your hand Huh? Oh. I took the former Club Presidents advice and instead started to fix up the heads. By the way, Reika-sama, tomorrow the club presidents are all meeting to discuss the School Festival. Speaking of which, there was something like that going on, wasnt there. Was it some meeting to decide what each club would be doing? Id never gone before so I wasnt sure. Is there anything that I should know? I asked. No, not particularly. The agenda is mostly which rooms well be using, but usually its the same as the year before. The budget is already decided as well. I think you should be fine just going along with it. I see. So it was just a formality then. Still, you could say that this was my first battle as the President of the Handicrafts Club. I wouldnt be much of a club president if I didnt take this seriously. Everything was for the club! I will apply everything I have in order to protect this club from harm. I flashed her a cheerful smile. After school the next day, the lot of us met up. Every club president was in attendance, and officiating the meeting was the Student Council. It was actually my first time learning who the presidents were for a lot of the clubs, you know? I hadnt ever had that much interest in clubs. I had no idea that Cla.s.s Rep was the president for the Literature Club. The presidents of the culture clubs were sitting quietly in their designated spots. On the other hand, a lot of the delegates from the sports clubs were being pretty noisy. It was rather irritating, but they were from famous clubs that did well in compet.i.tions, so I supposed it was to be expected. The meeting progressed as expected until it was time to discuss the room allocations. The former Club President was right; they were planning on handing out pretty much the same rooms as last year. I hummed to myself as I looked down at the handouts for the meeting. But suddenly, a number of the sports clubs a.s.signed areas outside began to complain. Yanno, if were stuck outside were at the mercy of the weather. Dont you think its time for us to get a room inside? Yeah, what he said. Dont you have any free cla.s.srooms anywhere? A big one, obviously. I mean, thats fair, right? Our club is doing well every year. Our club has done quite a bit of the school, so I think we deserve a bit of flexibility. Arent there a bunch of clubs that n.o.body visits anyway? Why dont we just put them all in the same room so that other people have some s.p.a.ce too? Oh, good idea! Theres Photography Club, the Literature Club Oh, and the Biology Club too. Dont we have like Go and Shougi Clubs too? What do those guys even do for the School Festival? Beats me. Like an exhibit or something? Each president went rigid as their club was named. Fellow Stalking Horse tried to warn them with an Oi, but they were already too carried away and continued like nothing. Honestly I opened my bag and began to unseal my weapon. Hardly anybody visits them anyway, so you should just make them place their exhibits in the same room. If we had those rooms, wouldnt our clubs more than make up for the popularity? What other clubs were presenting exhibits. The Art Club, the Calligraphy Club Yeah, and theres also the Handicrafts Club! I used his words as the cue to stand up and audibly slap my fan onto my palm. What was that about the Handicrafts Club? Suddenly, the room froze over. There was no sign of the clamour about taking the rooms of the clubs with exhibits any more. With a smile, I looked at the faces of the offending presidents, one by one. Just a moment ago I had the strange feeling that somebody mentioned the Handicrafts Club. Did somebody need anything with it? Ah, my apologies. I forgot to mention. I am the President of the Handicrafts Club. Pleased to be here. Eh? Apparently none of the noisy ones had been aware that I was the club president for the Handicrafts Club. They looked awfully startled behind those stiff expressions. I guess they let their guard down since Pivoine girls usually joined the Flower Arrangement or Tea Ceremony Clubs. I notice that they never saw fit to mention the Flower Arrangement Club despite it doing an exhibit for the festival as well. The fools! The main perpetrators were the presidents of the Soccer Club, Baseball Club, and Basketball Club. Every one of them was a prided club of the school that performed well in inter-school compet.i.tions. I wouldnt be surprised if that was the reason for their arrogance today. But no matter how well their clubs were doing, none of that mattered at all. What did matter was that today they had made an enemy of my Handicrafts Club. I leisurely made my way to them. The sound of each slap of the fan was clear in the silence of the room. Slap. Slap. Slap. I began by standing behind the president of the Soccer Club. He tried to turn around, but I restrained him by placing my fan on his right shoulder. He had no choice but to face forward as he sat there stock still, with my fan now tapping his shoulder. Tap. Tap. Tap. The Soccer Club is doing well, I hear. Ye- Not really.. Now, now, no need to be humble. Even I have heard about your splendid results in the inter-school championships. Im flattered I wonder, though I stopped tapping my fan and instead stopped it right on his carotid artery. It is all well and good to reserve a shop for your celebration party, but as minors should you not be respecting the law? Say, Club President, how was it anyhow? Getting drunk on the taste of victory? Eh Next, I made my way over to the president of the Baseball Club and placed my fan on his shoulder. Tap. Tap. Tap. The training in the Baseball Club is incredibly tough, I hear. I wonder, though Could the rumours I hear about beating members for mistakes be true? Society does not look kindly on corporal punishment these days, does it. Some schools would even ban offenders from playing, you know? I said, tapping his carotid artery and holding the fan there in time with the last line. Last was the Basketball Club. Oh my, no need to look so scared. I only have one line for you. You laid your hands on your senpais girlfriend, did you not? After verifying that the three statues were subdued, I leisurely made my way back to my seat. When I sat down, I smacked my closed fan onto the desk. Now then, I said before giving the Presidents of the Soccer Club, Baseball Club, and then Basketball Club in turn, Going back to the previous conversation, I believe you were saying something about room allocations? You must forgive me, I seem to have forgotten. Could you kindly say it once more for me? The Soccer Club is fine with their booth being outside. The Baseball Club too. Same for us Not one of them looked me in the eyes as they replied. Truly? But I seem to have heard the names of other clubs such as the Literature Club, though? No! The Soccer Club is fine being outside! Actually, the Baseball Club prefers being outside! We want the outside even if it rains! Goodness! What gentlemen! What kindness and magnanimity to turn over the rooms to our pitiful culture clubs! Why, the gallantry that you have demonstrated has me positively quaking in emotion. I covered my mouth with my fan as I gave an Ohoho of victory. Fellow Stalking Horse sighed, whilst Wakaba-chan watched blankly with her mouth hanging. Ooohohoho! Chapter 155 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . When the meeting was over the presidents of the targeted clubs approached me with thanks. Yup, yup, to a culture club the School Festival was their only chance to shine, after all. Completely unlike people who just manned refreshment booths for fun! Just how much time do you think Ive put into my Bea-tan doll! For a while I thought I was going to get another lecture from Fellow Stalking Horse, but in the end he never said anything. I guess he decided to turn a blind eye this time. Anyway, it was time to get to the Handicrafts Club. Recently I got an email from Beatrice. Have you finished the Bea-tan doll? Bea-tan looks forward to it! You have to make me really cute, okay! Bea-tan wants to see soon~ Do your best, Reika-tan! ~ From Beatrice I was feeling the pressure now. Never would I be able to tell Umewaka-kun that I turned her into the Cerberus Not only was I the President of the Handicrafts Club, I was also the vice-rep of my cla.s.s. Thanks to that the day of the School Festival was going to be hectic for me, since worrying about the food and tea and costume etc. for our caf fell to me as well. The menu we were using was decided when I brought samples of the teas I bought in Taiwan and had some of the more knowledgeable members of my cla.s.s try them. Who would have thought that my xiaolongbao trip to Taiwan would come handy in a way like this~ I wonder how Ichinokura-san was doing, anyhow. Since that day I was declining his invitations in consideration of his girlfriend so I wasnt too well-informed. Maybe I was being ungrateful after all the delicious food he treated me to. Mao-chan had asked me to come to the Pet.i.te Pivoine a number of times, so I supposed I could visit her and ask how his life was going. I immediately headed to the Pet.i.te Salon. Walking through the primary sections school building I could hear song and music from here and there. Instead of the School Festival, the primary school held the Learning Presentation instead, where the students would do things like hold plays or sing in a choir, or present the results of their research for the parents to see. I worried that Mao-chan would be busy as well, but she mentioned earlier that she would be at the salon today. I picked up my pace a little when I b.u.mped into Katsuragi Boy turning the corner. Ah! Its you! My, why if it isnt you, Katsuragi-kun. Long time no see. He had gotten quite a bit taller compared to the year before when I last met him. It wasnt going to be simple to hit his head anymore. What a shame. Why are you here!? Because I have business here, obviously. I seem to meet you quite often in the hallway. Dont tell me I have a stalker? As if! Who would bother stalking you!? A noisy fellow as always, arent you. Well? What are you doing here? Ahh, wait, dont tell me. Your grades were so bad that they had to drop you back into primary. None of your business! I see. Well then, gokigenyoh. Ah-! Hang on! I tried to leave but he called out to me. Whats the matter? You better not be getting close to Enjou-san. Haah!? Katsuragi Boy frowned. The girls in middle school are gossiping about it. Apparently you two are close Haah!? Close!? With whom!? Excuse me, but I dont remember ever getting close to him. I cant say I know very much about these rumours, but Enjou-sama and I are hardly in the relationship youre worrying about. Please continue pining for him as you have been. Wha-!? Pining!? The reason you always seem so fixated on him is because you secretly harbour feelings towards him, correct? I personally dont see why you feel the need to hide it from me. I pride myself on tolerance to minorities. f.u.c.k off! Stop coming up with weird s.h.i.t on your own! he screamed with a bright red face, I just cant stand letting somebody like you loiter about him! And Im not a h.o.m.o either! Ah yes, of course. Dont worry, I believe you. Whats with that tone! You dont believe me at all, do you!? Uhuhu, what should I do? This Bird Boy was too amusing. He was so fun to tease. To begin with, a woman like you-! What are you doing? called a cute voice. Yukino-kun was standing behind me. Goodness, Yukino-kun! But Yukino-kun ignored my happy call, and stepped between the two of us with a harsh expression before suddenly holding his arms up at Katsuragi Boy. A boy shouldnt be bullying girls! Eeeehhhh!? Umm, Yukino-kun? Uh, I wasnt bullying this You were bullying her! I heard you shouting at her! A boy should always treat girls gently! Y-Yukino-kun! I cried. Oh my G.o.d! Yukino-kun was protecting me! I was so moved! Id never been protected like a boy like this before. Oh my G.o.d! Lets go, Reika-oneesan! As I suffered from a phantom nosebleed, Yukino-kun gallantly pulled me past Katsuragi Boy by the hand. Eh, but muttered Katsuragi Boy. He seemed to still be in quite a shock about Yukino-kun being angry at him. I kind of felt bad for leaving him like that. To begin with, I wasnt being bullied for one thing. But Yukino-kun must have thought that I was scared of Katsurabi Boy because as he led me away he turned his head to comfort me with a smile. Dont worry! Im here to protect you so everythings going to be okay. I decided just to leave the misunderstanding alone. This is the result of how you usual behave, Bird Brain. Accept it already. Anyhow, if inside Yukino-kuns head I was some delicate girl, then I wanted to stay that way. He said he would protect me! That was the first time anybody outside of my family had said that to me! I ended up smiling goofily all the way to the Pet.i.te Salon. So much that I ended up worrying Mao-chan. Sorry, that must have been creepy, right? Time to snap out of it. I hardly wanted the cute kids of the Pet.i.te Pivoine to change their impression of me. Yukino-kun, you are acquainted with Katsuragi-kun? Yes. Sometimes he comes over to my house. I see. I dont really get along with him though Hmmmmm About earlier however, I was not in fact being bullied by him, you know? Really? Yes. He is simply a loud person by nature, so he is easily misunderstood. Still, you made me very happy when you said you would protect me. Thank you, Yukino-kun. He seemed a little bashful to hear that. What a good boy! Apparently he was going to be playing the piano for the Learning Presentation. An angel playing the piano! That was something I had to see! Speaking of seeing, Yukino-kun and Mao-chan were coming to our high school sections School Festival too. Maybe I would see them. But as Enjous little brother, a visit from Yukino-kun might cause a pandemonium. If that happened, it would be my turn to repay the favour from just now! Mao-chan said that she would be visiting the School Festival with Ichinokura-san. Unfortunately for him, he was still being called Ojisan Do your best, Ichinokura-san! Hold out for the day you become Haruto-niisama again! Sakura-chan invited me out the next time I was free. According to her, my negligence had resulted in some girl buzzing around Akizawa-kun. Uwahh Chapter 156 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Sakura and I visited a chocolatier. This store had a high cla.s.s (and indulgent) chocolate parfait that it was well known for. People often said that chocolate calmed the nerves, didnt they. By all means, please let Sakura-chan eat some. Come, Sakura-chan. Mmhu~ Yummy. Luxuriating in the taste of parfaits is the best. Theres been a girl trying to get close to Tak.u.mi, she began. I see~ You dont believe me. Well thats just not truee. I was lying of course; I didnt believe her. Akizawa-kun honestly wasnt anywhere near as popular as Sakura-chan seemed to think. Youre underestimating him too much, Reika. Dont you remember how there was some kouhai that liked him before? Kouhai? Ah, now that you mention it. She had a point. Back then I thought she was just being blinded by jealousy, but when I asked a well-informed friend of Ririnas it turns out that there really was a kouhai in the track club that had a crush on him. Im pretty sure that girl gave up on him in the end though, so it all turned out okay. So who is it this time? Didnt I tell you during the summer? The 1st Year manager of the track club. According to Sakura-chan, that manager girl had sent Akizawa-kun quite a few emails. Wasnt she just sending him updates on the club? She wasnt. Does Senpai, how about we go out with everyone sometime? sound that way to you? Eh-, youve gone through his emails? As if I would just secretly go through his phone. While Tak.u.mi was looking at his emails I pretended to cosy up and flirt with him and used that chance to look. Youre amazing Anyway, its just too suspicious, right? I only saw a few of her emails but I bet the rest were like that too. And during the Athletics Carnival she gave him a towel and there were other incidents too That was just cheering on the Track Club as the manager, right? I remember her telling me at the time about how she gave him a towel as well to even the odds. And hasnt Akizawa-kun been using the towel you gave him? Theres nothing to worry about then. You just cant understand the anxiety of somebody whose crush goes to a different school, Reika. Im more than just a childhood friend but I still havent become his girlfriend yet. As if that wasnt bad enough I have to go to a different school too, which is why Ive been asking you to keep a lookout for me but what have you been doing instead. Sorry I suppose I should have at least given a cursory check of it. Uuu, Sakura-chan was making a scary face She was calling me useless with her eyes I uh, think Ill go look at the chocolates on display, I said to escape from her reproachful gaze. Hopefully the chocolate parfait would work its calming wonders on her while I was gone. The display was filled with delicious chocolates being showcased. I considered bringing some of these back with me. Oh, and then I could give some to Yukino-kun. A token of thanks for the little prince that protected me from a scoundrel. Yukino-kun was so cute back then. Reika-san? Eh- I turned around to find none other than Maihama-san. Gokigenyoh, Maihama-san. What a coincidence. Yes, it really is. Are you here on your own, Reika-san? No, I am accompanying a friend today. Hmmm~ Maihama-san gave me a once-over. You had better not be following Masaya-sama about again. Youre being an eyesore, you know? That was my line. Who else but her was following Kaburagi about. Ah, but it isnt just Masaya-sama, is it. At the firefly-watching party you were making eyes at Shuusuke-sama from the Enjou family too, werent you! Dont you have any principles? Hey! There are people watching so stop saying weird things! Wai-, was it intentional!? I would appreciate it if you refrained from making scandalous accusations, I replied, You are free to love Kaburagi-sama as you wish but could you perhaps keep me out of it? To be frank, you are irritating me. Hmph. Like you can talk. Dont think I cant see what youre planning! Stop shouting, d.a.m.nit! When my mouth pouted unconsciously, Maihama-san sneered. Are you trying to store food in those cheek pouches of yours? You look disgraceful. How about going on another diet? Cheek pouches!? This b.i.t.c.h! Was she trying to say I had fat cheeks!? I was done with this. Fine! If she wanted a fight then she had one! I was going to end her! That was when I noticed that Sakura-chan had appeared at my side. What are you doing, Reika. Sakura-chan. f.u.kioka-! For some reason Maihama-san had let out a small moan and taken a step backwards. Whats wrong, Sakura-chan? You were taking your sweet time so I came to check up on you. Well? What are you doing? Sakura-chan looked between Maihama-san and I. Why are you here, f.u.kioka For the chocolate? What else do you come to a chocolatier for? Not much going on between the ears, huh, she replied casually. Wha-!? In contrast, Maihama-san was fl.u.s.tered. Where had all that bl.u.s.ter gone? Why are you and f.u.kioka Reika is my best friend. Is there a problem, Maihama? Eh!? I could clearly see the shock on her face as she looked back and forth between my blank look and Sakura-chans expressionless mask. Youre best friends with f.u.kioka!? She is. After looking here and there, f.u.kioka began to leave in a panic. I see Then I shall take my leave and leave you two to it. Gokigenyoh. Sakura-chan, what on earth are you? Maihama-san was like a rich bully who got rid of anybody she didnt like at school. But the moment she saw Sakura-chan she ran away scared Could it be that Sakura-chan was actually Yurinomiyas Last Boss!? Also, there was something I just reaaally couldnt get out of my head Now then, shall we head back to our seats? I followed after her. Sakura-chan What? Im your best friend!? I couldnt help it any more and latched onto her arm! So you thought of me as your best friend! Im so happy, Sakura-chaaan! Hey-! Youre creeping me out! Get off, youre crowding me! Sakura-chaaaaan! Despite how slender they looked, Sakura-chans arms tore me off by force. It hurts, Sakura-chan! Your grip strength is too crazy! Youre so mean, Sakura-chan. Were supposed to be best friends Who are you calling your best friend, you shameless thing! Sakura-chan ignored me and went back to our seats on her own. Sakura-chan was actually a tsundere! Geez, she was being so mean. But since we were best friends I guess Id forgive her! Uhehe. Stop laughing like a creep. Are you really an ojousama? Youre such a tsundere, Sakura-chan. Dont get carried away! Geeez~ Shes was so shyyy~ Were best friends here, so you should just be more honest! Sakura-chwan, the tsundere~? I said as I poked her cheek with my finger. That finger was immediately caught in a vice grip and bent in a way it wasnt meant to. It hurts it hurts it hurts! Im sorry Im sorry Im sooorryyyyy! I got ahead of myself! Please forgive me! Remember this. Yes. That joint lock felt a little serious just now, Sakura-chan Anyway, why did Maihama-san look so scared of you, Sakura-chan? Probably because when she tried to target me a while back, I turned the tables on her. Turned the tables? Eh-, dont tell me you used violence!? As if. I just let her know that I knew her biggest secret, and that if she angered me I would seriously ruin her life. Ehhh~ Using somebodys weakness to blackmail them like that isnt good, Sakura-chan. No wonder somebody like Maihama-san was so scared. As long as she doesnt do anything to me Im hardly going to harm her. Youre so scary, Sakura-chan. Were the students at Yurinomiya actually all afraid of her? I hoped she had friends. Oh! But since she had me for a best friend I guess everything was okay! So what was it, anyway? Thats a secret. Still, if that girl ever causes you any trouble, just smile at her knowingly. Her paranoia will do the rest. Uwahh So how did you find out that secret anyway? Just watch what they say and do, and pay attention to which topics they act suspiciously around. Once you have a clue, just find the proof. Uwahh Then does that mean you know what secrets Im trying to keep? Sakura-chans gaze moved downwards from my face. Amazing So she knew that the parfait and chocolates werent enough for me! Its that tummy that hasnt disappeared with all that running, right? Oh my G.o.d. What clairvoyance was this!? Once again I reaffirmed the belief that I could never cross Sakura-chan, which was why I promised to look into that manager girl for her. Sakura-chan gave a terrifying smile. Ill have to go to your School Festival to make sure everybody knows their place. Scary It seemed that the already busy School Festival was going to get a little busier for me. Maybe I could get Ririnas friend to check for me. Aah, Bea-tans face just wouldnt look right! Kaburagis cla.s.s was apparently doing a haunted house. At the rate this doll was going, it would be better displayed there instead! Kisshouin-san, you dont mind us all coming to your School Festival, right? Im looking forward to seeing my Beatrice. Gyaaaaaaaaah! There were only a few days left. I picked up my Cerberus and ran crying to Oniisamas room for help. Chapter 157 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . If you dont already know it, may as well familiarise yourself with the story of Hoichi the Earless. Its not terribly long. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoichi_the_Earless#Legend_summary Below this is some general knowledge that actually comes up quite a bit, so you should probably have a read as well: Wu Zetian Wu Zetian was a Chinese sovereign who ruled unofficially as empress consort and empress dowager and later, officially as empress regnant during the brief Zhou dynasty (684-705), which interrupted the Tang dynasty (618-690 & 705-907). Wu was the sole officially recognised empress regnant of China in more than two millennia. The importance to history of Wu Zetians period of political and military leadership includes the major expansion of the Chinese empire, extending it far beyond its previous territorial limits, deep into Central Asia, and engaging in a series of wars on the Korean Peninsula, first allying with Silla against Goguryeo, and then against Silla over the occupation of former Goguryeo territory. Wu Zetian was born into a rich family. She had servants at her disposal to perform routine tasks for her, so there were not many domestic jobs that Wu would ever have to learn. Because of this, Wu was encouraged by her father to read books and pursue her education. He made sure that his daughter was well-educated, a trait that was not common among women, much less encouraged by their fathers. At age fourteen, she was taken to be an imperial concubine (lesser wife) of Emperor Taizong of Tang. It was there that she became a type of secretary. This opportunity allowed her to continue to pursue her education. She was given the t.i.tle of cairen, t.i.tle for one of the consorts with the fifth rank in Tangs nine-rank system for imperial officials, n.o.bles, and consorts. When she was summoned to the palace, her mother, the Lady Yang, wept bitterly when saying farewell to her, but she responded, How do you know that it is not my fortune to meet the Son of Heaven? Lady Yang reportedly then understood her ambitions, and therefore stopped crying. The traditional Chinese historical view on Wu Zetian generally was mixed admiring her for her abilities in governing the state, but vilifying her for her actions in seizing imperial power. Wu Zetian (690-705) was an extraordinary woman, attractive, exceptionally gifted, politically astute and an excellent judge of men. With single minded determination, she overcame the opposition of the Confucian establishment through her own efforts, unique among palace women by not using her own family. Her rise to power was steeped in blood. Ann Paludan Xu Fu Xu Fu was born in 255 BC in Qi, an ancient Chinese state, and served as a court sorcerer in Qin Dynasty China. He was sent by Qin Shi Huang to the eastern seas twice to look for the elixir of life. His two journeys occurred between 219 BC and 210 BC. It was believed that the fleet included 60 barques and around 5,000 crew members, 3,000 boys and girls, and craftsmen of different fields. After he embarked on a second mission in 210 BC, he never returned. Those who support the theory that Xu Fu landed in j.a.pan credit him with being the catalyst for the development of ancient j.a.panese society. The Jmon culture which had existed in ancient j.a.pan for over 6,000 years suddenly disappeared around 300 BC. The farming techniques and knowledge that Xu brought along are said to have improved the quality of life of the ancient j.a.panese people and he is said to have introduced many new plants and techniques to ancient j.a.pan. The worship of Xu Fu as the G.o.d of farming, G.o.d of medicine and G.o.d of silk by the j.a.panese is attributed to these achievements. Numerous temples and memorials of Xu can be found in many places in j.a.pan. Yang Guifei Yang Yuhuan, of the highest consort rank Guifei, was known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. In 733, fourteen-year-old Yang Yuhuan married Li Mao, the Prince of Shou and the son of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Wu.After Consort Wu died in 737, Emperor Xuanzong was greatly saddened by the death of his then-favorite concubine. Some time after that, however, Princess Yang somehow came into Xuanzongs favor and the Emperor decided to take her as his consort. However, since Princess Yang was already the wife of his son, Emperor Xuanzong stealthily arranged her to become a Taoist nun, with the tonsured name Taizhen, in order to prevent criticism that would affect his plan of making her his concubine.Yang then stayed, for a brief moment, as a Taoist nun in the palace itself, before Emperor Xuanzong made her an imperial consort after bestowing a new wife on his son Li Mao. Yang became the favorite consort of the Emperor. During the An Lushan Rebellion, as Emperor Xuanzong and his cortege were fleeing from the capital Changan to Chengdu, the emperors guards demanded that he put Yang to death because they blamed the rebellion on her cousin Yang Guozhong and the rest of her family. The emperor capitulated and reluctantly ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to strangle Yang to death. Yang was known for having a full and fleshy figure, which was a much sought-after quality at the time. Thanks to Oniisamas miracle hands, the Bea-tan doll was somehow finished before the School Festival. That was horrible Trying to create long hair for her was already harder than expected, but trying to create the same perfect curls just made it worse. Originally I was going to use wool that was curled to begin with but it turned out to be a little off compared to the real Bea-tan. As it turns out the reason was that it was all one colour. I ended up buying curled brown wool in every shade I could find, and after a lot of trial and error I managed to mix together a shade that looked right. You did it, Reika Thanks to that adventure my room was filled with brown wool right now. Maybe I could make some animals with it after the School Festival was over. Probably not soon though. I wasnt sure I wanted to jump right back into needle felting again The wedding dress that was the crystallisation of our clubs effort and pa.s.sion stood in the centre of our exhibition room, while our personal projects lined the walls. It was amazing what my club members have come up with on their own. Of particular note was Minami-kun. Despite all the time he spent doing the silver embroidery on the club wedding dress, he still managed to submit an amazing tapestry of the madonna and child. In comparison the Club President had hardly contributed to the wedding dress at all At best I helped out with some of the bouquets. Sorry for being useless. Still, my life-sized Beatrice doll was cute and had a nice realism to it, so I dont think I shamed my club. Oniisama, Sasajima-san, everybody who helped me at the club, thank you. Unlike some other attractions, the Handicraft Clubs exhibition was free to enter and leave. Thanks to that we didnt need much manpower outside of a small rotating staff of guides. Since they didnt really need me here, I was going to use my effort on my cla.s.s attraction instead. Chinese Tea Caf, Xu Fu. The setting of our caf was that we were the disciples of the Court Magician Xu Fu, who came to j.a.pan with him in the Qin dynasty. Thats why we were advertising our teas as elixirs of immortality. It felt like a bit of a scam. We had quite a few types of with us; normal stuff like oolong, jasmine or pu er, as well as some more exotic types like flower teas and flowering teas. The flowering tea had been quite popular with the girls in my cla.s.s so we were hoping it would be popular with the customers too. For snacks to go with it we were selling annin tofu, mango pudding, black sesame pudding, and various types of moon cakes among other things. Annin tofu (ʶ) or almond tofu is a soft, jellied dessert made of almond milk, agar, and sugar, allegedly eaten in China as far back as 2000 years ago. We bought them all, obviously, so the taste was guaranteed. I had made sure to taste test each one myself. They were yummy. The shop itself was decorated with a chinoiserie theme, served by boys in changpao, and girls in pants and china-dresses. Originally the girls wanted to wear hanfu like celestial maidens but we decided against it because it wasnt very disciple-ish. Anyhow, with this, the theme would have been perfect if not for Dite.Given how he jumped at any opportunity to play his violin, it came as no surprise that he was pushing for a part in the School Festival too. Everyone told him that the violin wouldnt fit the theme, and that if he really wanted to play something then he should get an erhu instead, but Dite wouldnt budge. In the end he was so annoying that we just relented. The excuse was that he was some foreign guest from the West, and hence the sight of his afro bobbing away as he played away in a trance. Welcome, customer. These are elixirs of immortality from the famed Mount Penglai. With but one sip your youth will be returned to you I was busy serving customers myself. Some people came for the variety of teas, while others came to visit friends in our cla.s.s, so the sales werent doing too badly. Still, they werent looking amazing either. I mean, I had nothing personal against a nice relaxed pace like this, but I had the niggling feeling that I was supposed to be doing more as the vice cla.s.s representative. Maybe by standing outside and attracting more customers. I stepped into the hallway for a moment and looked at who was pa.s.sing by. Oh! Wasnt that the president of the Soccer Club? I waved my hand to beckon him over. When he noticed me he cried, Hii, Wu Zetian! before running away. But Im not Wu Zetian. Ive always thought of myself as Yang Guifei in my heart. The attraction by Kaburagis cla.s.s was the one most looked-forward to in our grade; they were doing one of those sound-based haunted houses. Pretty much all the guests had come here. Considering the size limitations of the cla.s.sroom they were using, the audio haunted house with 3-dimensional was probably as good as it could get. And given how picky Kaburagi was about these things in general, thanks to the audio equipment the haunted house was so good youd never expect it to be something from a school festival. The programme was Hoichi the Earless. Before you entered the haunted house, a guide in white clothing put a heart sutra seal over your face. After that they led you into this room with will o wisps and wooden grave markers. After taking a seat, you put on the headphones provided. That was when h.e.l.l began. The gloomy sound of a biwa played. Along with it was an eerie singing voice. Since it was 3-dimensional, it supposedly felt like the spirits of the Heike were chanting right by your ear and chill ran down your spine. It was like they were standing right behind you. When the spirits came to claim you after you had the heart sutra written all over you, apparently some of the more timid customers took off their headphones to escape back to reality. The only heart sutra actually on them was the one plastered on their face after all. As the climax when your ears were torn off, apparently some of the guests actually ran screaming down the hallway. Given that I was a coward myself so I definitely didnt want to go, but Cla.s.s Reps quartet had apparently promised to go with each other. What the heck. Was that like a double date? So envious. But since everybody was seated in their own little area, I doubted they could do that haunted house thing when you screamed and clung to each other. A while ago when Ririna visited Xu Fu with her friends, she told me that they were going to the haunted house as well later. Minami-kun was the odd one out, with an aura of I dont want to go coming out of his entire body. I wonder if hed be okay Anyway, Ririna had ordered the flowering tea and seemed to be really taken with how it bloomed like a flower underwater, so I made a note to give the rest to her that I had at home. *When it was time for shifts to change, my friends and I went walking around the school as well. Since it was turning out to be impossible to properly see everything today, Id do the rest tomorrow. Enjou and Wakaba-chans cla.s.s was doing a caf too. Cafs were easy to do, after all. Unlike our cla.s.s Chinese tea caf, they were going with a completely normal one. Given that it was a rare and limited chance to see Enjou in a barista outfit so it was popular enough already. On top of that, they implemented a numbered ticketing system for people who wanted to enjoy his latte art. Everyone was talking about how there had been a huge queue of girls outside since the morning. Come onn, Reika-sama. Lets go see Enjou-samas caf! Rune-chan said. I have no objections, but without a ticket he will not make us latte art, you know? Im disappointed about that too, but we should still go. I want to at least see him in the barista outfit. Rune-chan had missed out on her chance to get a ticket. I guess she had underestimated how popular he would be. We entered the busy shop only to find that Kaburagi was there too. The girls were overjoyed. There he was, sipping away at his coffee with home-made biscuits. Which was surprising enough, since Kaburagi never ate home-made food. n.o.body had expected him to actually eat any of them but contrary to expectations he took a bite. Bring me the one who made these, he said with slightly widened eyes. Confused about why she was being called out, Wakaba-chan stepped out from the back of the store. Um, was there something wrong? Takamichi. You were the one who made these? Eh, yes. I did, but? While Wakaba-chan was looking confused and uncomfortable, Kaburagi suddenly chuckled. They were delicious. Kaburagi, who never ate home made food, had eaten a home-made biscuit. A home-made biscuit baked by a girl, that he even praised as being delicious. The news spread through Suiran like wildfire, and there was a rush of female customers to The Golden Dawn, the fortune telling shop that Fuyuko-samas cla.s.s was doing. Did this mean that Kaburagi was starting to fall for her? Here, Kisshouin-san. This one is on me, Enjou smiled, as he left a latte art of a rabbit in front of me. Chapter 158 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Kaburagi had never eaten handmade sweets. Even as far back as primary school, he never once touched the food the girls made in cla.s.s, or the valentines chocolates that they made him. That same Kaburagi had eaten the handmade biscuits that some School Festival caf had made. Not only that but he had gone out of his way to praise the baker, and even gave a rare smile to a girl. The shock that this gave Suiran was worse than even the time when they had come to school together. Before this, the only exception that Kaburagi had made to date was food that Yurie-sama had made. A flood of girls had wondered if perhaps the Emperor had changed his position, and frantically brought him food, but as usual he shot them down. I dont eat handmade food. Then what was eating that biscuit about!? was the natural reaction, intensifying the rumours. Since n.o.body could actually ask Kaburagi, some of the girls even started relying on fortune tellers. Thanks to that, Wakaba-chan was under unnecessary scrutiny once again, making enemies of a bunch of girls once again. n.o.body was saying it aloud, but you could tell that they were wondering if Kaburagi had feelings, for her. I wondered that too, but unlike me, the Kaburagi Fans were pressured by it. Apparently some girls went to the caf just to see what those biscuits were all about and left after leaving a slew of insults. This isnt anything special. Dont get c.o.c.ky just because he praised these measly biscuits. Stuff like that. I personally thought they were pretty good myself, though But well, its not like they came there to actually taste them or anything, I suppose. Anyway, besides the biscuit incident, there was one other little topic people were discussing. It was about how Enjou treated me to a latte art. I heard that even though she didnt have a ticket, Enjou-sama especially made a latte art for Reika-sama! Gosh! So Enjou-sama really does like!? I could hear comments about it here and there. What a nuisance. Something just for Reika-sama! Im so envious! And it was such a cute rabbit too. Even the girls who came with me were causing a fuss. It was surely just some whim of Enjou-samas, I insisted. Thats not true. This is Enjou-samas way of being a gentleman, Reika-sama. Gentleman!? This guy was just trying to use me to draw attention away from what Kaburagi did. And he chose the rabbit because no doubt he heard about Kaburagis crackpot Chinese Zodiac theory and picked it to make fun of me. That was just the kind of guy Enjou was. You could totally tell from the smile. And even though he was just some amateur, why was it done so well. I was so frustrated that I ignored everyones pleas and messed it up with my spoon. Completing the Chinese Zodiac? How could I possibly have such a dopey ambition! Honestly This School Festival was supposed to be fun, but thanks to those two the first day had turned into a fiasco. On the second day, the School Festival was open to anybody with a ticket. Umewaka-kun and co. had wanted to come to last years too, but I politely turned them down. After all, I was wearing sheep ears, and I didnt exactly want him to (good intentions or not) spread word of how I looked just like his beloved dog. This year though, he helped me out with the Bea-tan doll, and he seemed to be really looking forward to it, so I decided to hand them all tickets. And I very, very carefully warned him not to talk about my similarities to Bea-tan. Besides their entrance tickets, I had given them a bunch of coupons as well, since none of the attractions were taking real money. It was a system where we instead purchased coupons to use in advance. As a form of contribution to the school, each year the Pivoine would buy these coupons in bulk and then distribute them to its members. I pretty much never spent all of mine. Since Umewaka-kun and the others were coming this year, I ended up dividing the coupons between the five of them. Although they were overjoyed to be getting them they were worried that I wasnt getting enough. That was no issue, of course. After all, besides the bunch that the Pivoine bought on their own, the parents of its members bought a bunch of coupons as their own contribution to the school. If coupons were money, I was as good as a millionaire. If you five dont have enough, you can always come asking for more, you know? Since youre coming, you may as well enjoy everything you can. Since it was open to people outside of just our high school section, Day 2 of the School Festival was crowded beyond measure. Even the Xu Fu caf was so badly crowded that the orders never seemed to end. Things were really flourishing, werent they. Anyhow, Mao-chan came to visit too, with Ichinokura-san and Yuuri-kun in tow. Reika-oneesama! Welcome, Mao-chan. Yuuri-kun. Ichinokura-san. Mao-chan was all dressed up, and I noticed that she was wearing the sparkling gla.s.s hair ornament that Imari-sama bought her over the summer. Going on a date with her boyfriend whiel wearing a present from another man! Mao-chan was such a sinful woman! Reika-oneesama, you look so cute in that outfit. Doesnt she, Yuuri? Haruto-ojisama? Mhm. She really does, Mao. You look great in it, Reika-san. Goodness, thank you all very much. Mao-chan, youre still calling him Ojisama, arent you. Did she think of him that way now? Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun were happily sharing an annin tofu and black sesame pudding between them. How enviable. Thanks to you bringing me to Taiwan, I was able to contribute a little to my cla.s.s caf this time. Thank you very much, Ichinokura-san. Ah, Taiwan? That brings back memories. Those xiaolongbao were really good, werent they. Its been lonely recently without you two to go eat with. Because you have Erika-san, Haruto-ojisama. Mao-chan turned away with a huff. Ichinokura-san smiled, not quite sure what to do. Now, now, Mao-chan, I said, Is it not about time that you let him off the ojisama punishment? Ichinokura-san seems a little devastated each time you call him that, you know? But pouted Mao-chan. I couldnt help but smile at how cute she was. Ma~o~chan. You actually love your Haruto-niisama, no? Fine. Ill forgive him. Just this once, since you Reika-oneesama asked, Haruto-niisama! How are you so cute, Mao-chan! Yuuri-kun rubbed her head with praise, while Ichinokura-san seemed awfully moved that his beloved niece was calling him niisama again. Thank you, Reika-san. Im really glad I came today. I see. Oh, Mao-chan. How about you come over to my house again? Oniisama said that he wanted to meet you again too. Waah! I want to see Takateru-niisama too! Haruto-niisama, remember how I told you? Takateru-niisama is super dreamy, you know! Ohh, I see Ichinokura-sans smile turned a little stiff. Ukeke. Ah! Yuuri-kun was frowning again. Oh no. Sorry, Yuuri-kun. When the three of them were done, Mao-chan told me that they were off to Ririnas cla.s.s next. Given that it was Ririna, I could already see her telling everyone about how Mao-chan was like her little sister. The next to come and visit me was Sakura-chan and Akizawa-kun. Sakura-chan had told me that she was going to spend the most time around the 1st year attractions, to let everybody know that she existed, as well as scout out her rivals. Despite her deranged intentions, outside she was still the perfect traditional beauty, neat and proper. Reika-san, gokigenyoh. Welcome, Sakura-chan, Akizawa-kun. The people who were familiar with him were completely curious about this girl from another school that he brought along. Despite noticing their stares, Sakura-chan pretended that she didnt and said cutely, I wonder what I should pick, Taku. I expected no less from her. What would you suggest, Reika-san? she asked. Let me see. Since this is a rare occasion, how about something more exotic, like our flowering teas? Flowering teas? Yes, it is a specially arranged tea that blooms like a flower when- Sakurako-saan! somebody suddenly interrupted. It was none other than the travelling musician from the West, Dite. Sakurako-san! Who would have thought that I would meet you here! Could it be that you came to listen to my violin!? he asked, afro swaying as he closed in on her. Since she was sitting on a chair, the only place she could escape to was Akizawa-kun. Eh-, Sakura-chan, you know Dite? I asked. Weve met a few times at violin recitals, she whispered, sounding rather chagrined. Come to think of it, Sakura-chan had been learning violin since she was little, hadnt she. Who would have thought that shed know him thanks to that. And from the way Dite was behaving Even when the tea arrived, Dite doggedly kept trying to talk to her. Even when I told him that the musician had to go back and perform, he wouldnt listen. Mmmm I mean, pretty much anyone would come to the same conclusion as me, right? And even though Akizawa-kun was calmly drinking tea at the start, as time went by his mood worsened. Oh? Akizawa-kun was a gentle person, so it was really rare seeing a frown coming from him, you know? And Sakura-chan seemed to notice too. Sakura, its about time to go, dont you think? Taku? He drained the rest of his tea in one gulp and then brusquely left his chair with Sakura-chan in hand. Ah! But Sakurako-san and I were still- Kisshouin-san, thank you for the tea. Lets go, Sakurako. Y-, Yes. Well then, see you, Reika-san. And with that, Sakura-chan was dragged out of the store. Oh ho ho? Dont tell me he was jealous? And as Sakura-chan left, I glimpsed a wicked smirk on her face. Kisshouin-san! Just what kind of relationship do Sakurako-san and that Akizawa-kun have!? This time it was me that Dite pestered. I suppose as of right now, more than childhood friends, but less than a couple? But then thanks to Dite, maybe that was going to change. Wow, you were a complete stalking horse today, werent you, Dite. Could it be that Dite was going to join my Forever Alone village? Please no. If one of our villagers played violin from morning to night, every day Dite returned to his stage and put his feelings into his violin. Chapter 159 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . My phone buzzed. Were here~ read the message from Umewaka-kun. Umewaka-kun was really eager to see the Bea-tan doll but the others, Moriyama-san in particular, wanted to go around and check out the attractions and food first. Thats why we agreed that we could meet up during my shift at the Handicrafts Club. I hoped my Bea-tan doll was good enough for Dog Lover-kun. Oniisama fixed up the face quite nicely, so it looked a lot like the real thing Id like to think. Still, considering that it was Dog Lover-kun I could imagine him roaring, This is no Bea-tan of mine! and storming off What if that really happened If that wasnt enough, my phone received an email from Sakura-chan too. I was able to give the Track Club Manager a warning without issue. What did you do, Sakura-chan During my shift break I listened to the blushing Cla.s.s Rep report on how the four of them had explored the School Festival yesterday. It seemed like quite a good time. Apparently they bought sweets and shared them. Thats fine. I had fun too with just my girl friends. Cla.s.s Rep said that they had the most fun with the haunted house. It was even scarier than theyd expected. Just remembering it shuddered Cla.s.s Rep as he covered his ears. My shift in the Handicrafts Club was in the afternoon. Not that I really did anything. My job was basically just to sit on a chair and watch out for anybody touching the exhibits. Minami-kun was on shift with me. Speaking of which, didnt he and the rest of Ririnas gang go to Kaburagis haunted house yesterday? How was it? The haunted house, I mean. It was terrifying. Im ashamed to say that I took my headphones off midway And then Kotou-san noticed and yelled at me afterwards for having no guts. Goodness. I am sorry you went through that. Let me have a word with her later. No! It was my fault for being a wimp Geez! That Ririna! Anyway, I had to say, we werent getting an awful lot of guests I think I was starting to understand what the sports clubs were thinking Just as I thought that, Umewaka-kuns crew came along. Heyy! Kisshouin-san! Welcome, everyone. They had quite a few bags on them. Spoils from all across the school, no doubt. Thanks for inviting us, Kisshouin-san. The school festivals at Suiran are freaking amazing! said Kitazawa-kun. The group was all smiles as they thanked me. I am glad to hear you say that. Did any of the attractions stand out? I had clam chowder. In a bread bowl. It was really cool that you could eat the bowl too. What about that piadini stuff! The crepe-thing with the meats and vegetables inside. That was amazing! There were like lines waiting up for it, yanno. Thats why we tried it. Thank G.o.d that we did. Ahh, the Soccer Clubs refreshment booth, I realised. d.a.m.ned Soccer Club. Seems like you werent just all talk. Oh and gosh, those donut bites were great too. And the fruit juice. I liked the ph?, added one of the boys. You seemed to do nothing but eat, I noted. No, no, we played some games too. Like darts. And it wasnt even just some dart board, but a darts machine! Thats Suiran for you. It was like we went to a real darts place. And you know? We went to the haunted house too! I have to say, that was the best thing here. It was so freaking scary! I underestimated it because this was just a school festival but hot d.a.m.n was that scary. It was like my ears really were being torn off! Kitazawa was in tears~ Shaddup. Yup, yup. I was really glad to see that they were having fun. There was a lot of money put into this, so it made sense that the attractions and food stalls were better than your average school. Oh yeah. By the way, when we were entering the school, the ticket person got really fl.u.s.tered about this red flower on the ticket. Does it have some special meaning? Kitazawa-kun asked. It meant that the holder of the ticket was somebody that a Pivoine member invited. Not particularly. Hmmm But when they gave us all these complimentary tickets so I thought that it might. Oh, and the girls here call each other -sama dont they? Could it be that they call you Reika-sama too!? Well, yes Reika-sama. It sure fits you~ How about we start calling you Reika-sama from now on? Absolutely. Do. Not. They all seemed to find the idea really funny and laughed away. Oh hey! began one of the girls, A while back when we were tired we found this caf, but when we entered there was this hot barista guy who was like a prince! Who was that? Do you know, Kisshouin-san? I think he should be in your grade. And he was really popular too, with all these girls around. Are you two close? Hot barista guy Enjou then. We know of each other. What the heck. What a shame. Both Moriyama and Sasaki-san looked crestfallen. Are there any other hot guys? they tried instead, which prompted the boys to ask, What about cute girls? Cute girls? Theres one right here, isnt there? More importantly! Lets go see Bea-tan already! Umewaka-kun said impatiently. The time of judgement had come This way. Follow me. I anxiously led the group towards my Bea-tan doll. Ohhh! Umewaka-kun seemed deeply moved. How is it? Its perfect Its perfect, Kisshouin0san! Truly!? I did it! I pa.s.sed! Youve really outdone yourself in capturing Bea-tans loveliness. Youre amazing, Kisshouin-san! I see, I see. So this is what it means to have your hard work pay off. Hey, Kisshouin-san? Could I touch this? I mean, it was technically against the rules to touch the exhibits, but since it was just my one I didnt mind. Go ahead. But please take care not to bend it. That can happen with too much force. Thanks! Umewaka-kun gently held the Bea-tan doll. And then just stared. What the The moment I began to wonder Bea-tan! Overcome with emotion, he gave the doll a tight hug. Bea-tan, Bea-tan! Youre so cute, Bea-tan! he said as he began to nuzzle it against his cheeks. I was watching a tall high school boy with piercings shower a doll with kisses as he exclaimed Lovely! in English over and over This was surreal Kitazawa-kun went to stop him while everybody else looked this way and that for onlookers. I realised that Minami-kun had actually been staring, slackjawed. The few guests we had were quickly leaving the room Aah, sorry about that. I got a little too excited. But Kisshouin-san, how come this Bea-tan doll smells so good? Could it be that this is the smell of your house? He brought it close and began sniffing at it. Hu hu hu, so he noticed. The truth is that there is rose potpourri inside. Rose potpourri? Thats right. I decided not to mention it, content to let just the people who noticed it realise. This was how you did casual cla.s.siness! It was by keeping little additions like this casual that you could show how good your taste was! Ohohohoho! Wow, I see. But she really is cute. She looks just like Bea-tan. I want her. Hey, Kisshouin-kun, couldnt you give her to me? Eh? Come on, please! Ill take care of her, I swear! Shell be like Bea-tans adopted little sister. Come on, Kisshouin-san! Ummm Come on, please! The intensity of his eyes was kind of scary Everybody else was creeped out too. Moriyama-san, didnt you have a crush on him? Kisshouin! I turned to find Fellow Stalking Horse, standing by the doorway. Id like a word. With a stern expression, Fellow Stalking Horse called me out into the hallway. Eh? What had I done this time? Chapter 160 Hi guys! Since you punk a.s.s b.i.t.c.hes kept complaining about cliffhangers, I delayed the release of this one until I could get the next one done too. Enjoy! Ririna KGB Agent C Saika Tsugumi My friend Ririna-chan has an older cousin named Kisshouin Reika. She loves her very much. I entered Suiran through its primary section. My family was decently well off, but not so wealthy that I could enter the Pivoine either. And I didnt think of myself as the type who liked attention, so there was no reason for anybody to pay attention to me. The next six years were enjoyable enough though. I spent them with girls who were more like me, and never drew the notice of the showier girls. When I entered the middle school section I ended up in the same cla.s.s as Kotou Ririna-chan. Despite being a new External herself, Ririna-chan was never afraid of anything, and even the Internal Students were given no face. That was just the kind of girl she was. To be honest I thought she was a little scary at first. She was bold and wilful, and nothing like me at all, so naturally we would never have anything to do with each other. That was my impression at the time. At Suiran there was an uppercla.s.sman in the year above. His name was Kaburagi Masaya-senpai but we also called him the Emperor, and everybody adored and admired him. The Emperor was constantly surrounded by his female fans, and his fan club even had its own hierarchy. New fans had to give way to the older fans, and it was an unwritten rule that undercla.s.smen could only gaze at him from behind their senpai. Despite this, Kotou-san took no notice and of all things began to follow the Emperor around and talk to him. Naturally the many oneesama in the higher grades and the girls in our own year were both scandalised and outraged. But no matter how many times they summoned her and berated her, the result was always the same. Who I like is my own business! Who gave you the right to complain about it! Kotou-san would become enraged at them instead. Because of her att.i.tude her enemies increased, and near the end everybody was sure that she would be consigned to isolation. But the most famous girl in 2nd Year, Kisshouin Reika-sama, began to apologise to each one of Kotou-sans detractors. As it turned out, Reika-sama and Kotou-san were cousins. With Reika-sama bowing in apology, even the Pivoine girls from 1st Year, who hated Kotou-san the most, were forced into inaction. But now n.o.body could touch her. It was unfortunately a matter of course that Kotou-sans behaviour grew more outrageous. With Reika-sama as her backer, Kotou-san was able to avoid any retribution. One day Kotou-san suddenly stopped following the Emperor around. Perhaps because of the rumours I heard about her enraging him. But if that was true then the consequences should have be dire. Kotou-san was coming to school as normal. Something else to note was that her behaviour was more restrained than before, and she was less careless in what she did. Rumours ran abound in our grade, but without a confirmation from Kotou-san herself, in the end n.o.body knew what had happened. She hadnt lost any of her strong will, but from that day onwards she stopped crossing the line. As a result she gradually gained friends. Of course, I still had no intention of getting involved with her, but because Kotou had the East character while Saika had West, the teacher grouped us together at every chance. Before I knew it, Kotou-san would hold my arm and walk with me whenever it came time to switch cla.s.srooms. And Kotou-san began calling me Tsugumi, even though I had no recollection of allowing it. Huh. This is the same model that Im using. I think Ill exchange addresses with you. Somehow she even spotted my cellphone and forced her email address on me. Each day after that came a flurry of messages. I guess she thought well of me for whatever reason. I noticed this when she followed the Emperor too, but Kotou-san was really pushy By now I had pretty much given up. I didnt think it was possible for me to escape this person any more Still, although she was overbearing and somewhat wilful, Kotou-san was by no means a bad person. As long as she acknowledged you she wouldnt hesitate to defend you with all her might. One day, some boy called me midget four-eyes. Kotou-san rushed out and began shouting at him. Make fun of my friend again and Ill damage your hair so badly the roots will never grow anything again! As the frightened boy tried to escape she chased after him and continued to threaten him. How about a widows peak! Or a tonsure! Maybe Ill just take it all! Kotou-san was incredible But just now, she said my friend I decided to give calling her name a try. Thank you, Ririna-chan. For a moment Kotou-san, now Ririna-chan, looked surprised, but that quickly changed into a satisfied smile. From that day onwards, we really were friends. Ririna-chans conversations often involved Reika-senpai. I was a plain and easily overlooked girl, but because of my friendship with Ririna-chan I was allowed to call her Reika-senpai. It was wonderful. Anyhow, Kisshouin Reika-senpai was the perfect oneesama to us. Not only was she beautiful, but she was charismatic and intelligent too. Ririna-chan didnt seem to think so though. Geez, Reika-san has gotten fat again. Apparently Reika-san was dropkicked by a monkey at Nikkou, but she couldnt even counterattack. Reika-san said that her dream was to be proposed to with too many flower bouquets to carry. And the other day she said that she wanted to exchange her vows on Christmas, in a church decorated by little lights, you know? Reika-san might really be tricked by a marriage swindler one day Reika-san keeps buying worthless mail order stuff that she sees on television. The other day when I went to sleep over she proudly brought out this kaimaki futon sleeping bag thing and told me to sleep in it. You know, Reika-sans whole family came down with food poisoning because of her home-made yoghurt. When I asked Reika-san what her ideal type was, she told me that it was somebody who would chant the Spell of Destruction with her. Laputa? Geez, Reika-san really never grows up. I had no idea if these were truth or lies, but each time Ririna-chan would let out a huge sigh and say, Its tough having an older sister that you always need to take care of. I think as an only child, Ririna-chan actually really wanted siblings. Being the stubborn person that she was, Ririna-chan would never admit it, but she actually really loved Reika-senpai. During Reika-senpais middle school graduation, Ririna-chan said, Reika-san wont get flowers from anyone else, anyway! as an excuse to bring her flowers. But even though Ririna-chan tried her hardest to choose, for some reason she had Reika-senpais oniisama hand them over. I think she was upset because of all the flowers that other kouhai gave Reika-senpai. During our own ceremony the next year, Reika-senpai and her oniisama came to offer their congratulations as well. They gave Ririna-chan a bouquet of lollipop lilies that was just perfect for her. Although her tongue was venomous as always, after Reika-senpai and her brother left, Ririna-chan hugged the bouquet and secretly cried just a little. These days there are lollipop lilies and urara roses growing in the garden at Ririna-chans house. The rumours about Reika-senpais love life seemed to be endless. I suppose that was little surprise, though. Reika-senpai was like a beautiful queen, always surrounded by other people. First was the pairing that was considered not only the most enviable, but also the most dreamy; none other than the Emperor himself. The Emperor was a person who rarely paid girls any attention, and Reika-senpai was one of the very few girls he was close to. For example, when he gave Reika-senpai a love poem anthology, or when he played a song on the piano for her. It was sooo dreamy! According to rumours, somebody had spotted them behind the school building, the Emperor with a hand on her shoulder, looking like they were about to kiss at any moment. If that was true then this was a huge scoop. The next love interest was Enjou-sama, the other major source of adoration for Suiran girls. He was the Emperors best friend, and treated as something like the Prince of Suiran. There were rumours about how Enjou-sama loved Reika-senpai as well, for example stories about how the two of them shared an umbrella home, or how he brought back souvenirs for Reika-senpai. According to the girls in the Pivoine, the two of them often happily chatted in the salon or at parties, and although this next bit was also just a rumour, apparently Reika-senpai had wanted a firefly, so Enjou-sama caught one and gifted it to her as a present. The most important piece of evidence was the time with the matching towels! Reika-senpai said that it was a present from his younger brother, but n.o.body believed her. Apparently when people asked Enjou about the match, he replied, Im quite fond of these towels, you see. There was also news about how Enjou-sama had especially given Reika-senpai a cappuccino with latte art. Did this mean that Enjou-sama was one point in the lead? There was another rumour about how Reika-sama had received from one of them, or both, a cute necklace as a present, which the girls were all squealing about. But according to my investigations, this one was a little wrong. Still, to the girls, the three of them almost lived in another world, so the girls liked to imagine fantastical stories of romance between them. It wasnt just the Emperor and Enjou-sama though. In Reika-senpais own grade was a diligent-looking senpai who was the Cla.s.s Representative, as well as the brawny senpai from the Judo Club, both of whom were often spotted acting quite intimately with Reika-senpai. There were accounts of them sometimes speaking happily to Reika-senpai with a red face, so they definitely liked her, or so the rumours went. Besides that were plenty of rumours about other men too. For example, how in truth her oniisamas friend was carefully grooming her to be his future wife, just like Hikaru Genji. Or how, no, that was completely wrong, because she was actually involved with a commoner boy from another school. Or how younger boys looked up to and adored Reika-senpai and were competing for her affection. The point was that the rumours were endless. Not everything could be trusted though, because I knew that were some definitely falsehoods mixed in. For example, there was a rumour that one of those younger boys was Shop Boy-kun. We were all quietly aware that Shop Boy-kun actually liked Ririna-chan though. And speaking of Ririna-chan, sometimes I didnt know what to do with her. Even though Shop Boy-kun had finally gained the courage to gift her a towel with her initials in it, she excitedly ran to give it to Reika-senpai instead. That was honestly just shocking~ But Ririna-chan had probably just wanted an excuse to give Reika-senpai a towel. And later on she bought the same towel. Ririna-chan, if you were going to do that anyway, why didnt you just give Reika-senpai the new one? When Reika-senpai found out that it had been Shop Boy-kuns gift she was enraged, so Ririna-chan was depressed for a while.Thats why I gave Reika-senpai some information about the presidents of the sports club and asked her to forgive Ririna-chan. That information was very handy. Thank you very much, she told me with a smile later. I was glad that I told her. Before the School Festival, Reika-senpai asked me to investigate the manager of the Track Club. Apparently that manager was possibly a love rival for Reika-senpais best friend. In the past Reika-senpai had actually asked me to find out of anybody liked Akizawa-senpai. If I remembered correctly, there was a girl with a one-sided crush on him. In the end she ended up dating a boy that had liked her instead though. This time, as it turned out, Reika-senpais worries were founded; the manager was guilty. Akizawa-senpai already had a childhood friend he was dating from another school, and that girl even showed up for large track matches or the school festivals. But the manager didnt care at all. She often had conversations with her friends along the lines of, That childhood friend doesnt seem to like track at all. I think Id understand senpai better than she would. And I spend more time with him too Well in that case you should keep trying. s.n.a.t.c.h him from her. When I reported this to Reika-senpai, Reika-senpai turned sheet white with panic and said, What do I do? Im going to be killed Ririna-chan saw her expression and asked me what was going on, so I explained. Reika-sans best friend? she said with a twitch of her eyebrow. Tsugumi! Were going to thoroughly investigate her friends boyfriend, as well as that manager! she declared. Aah~ Ririna-chan was going to rampage again In the end though, during the public day for the School Festival, the manager had apparently seen the two of them flirting with held hands so she gave up. Maybe she thought that she couldnt compete after seeing them together. Not only that but the girlfriend in question was what you would expect from Reika-senpais best friend. Elegant, quiet, and the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko. She must have felt a little uneasy being in a strange school, because she was gently holding onto his arm with her free hand. Exchanging looks with each other, she asked him what this or that was with a reserved smile on her face. Honestly, they were so lovey-dovey. Sometimes that Yamato Nadeshiko-san would mention Reika-san in her conversations. When Ririna-chan heard it she had rushed up and introduced herself. So you must be Reika-sans best friend! My name is Kotou Ririna, Reika-sans younger cousin. I leave my unworthy older cousin in your care! Thanks to that, word quickly spread that Akizawa-senpais girlfriend was actually Kisshouin Reika-samas best friend. Perhaps that was also part of why the manager had given up. If she made Reika-senpais best friend cry, she would be making an enemy of Reika-senpai too, after all. According to my sources, the boys in 2nd Year had actually given Reika-senpai quite a rude nickname. Not only that but they said things like, When Kisshouin Reika draws her Demon Fan, the school is soaked with a rain of blood. What on earth were those people treating her as. Despite going on about how scary she was, they sure didnt hesitate to disrespect her. I definitely couldnt let Ririna-chan know. If she did I could see her charging into the 2nd Year cla.s.srooms screaming, Reika-san shall be avenged! But, the Soccer Club, Baseball Club, and the Basketball Club seemed genuinely afraid of her. It was probably because of that information that I gave her. Perhaps they issued a gag order for that meeting because no information on it reached me. Even when I asked Reika-senpai, she just smiled, That was a very productive meeting. What the 2nd Year boys said was nonsense, but perhaps one thing really was true. The Demon Fan seemed to have been drawn The other day I spotted Reika-senpai taking a stroll through the courtyard. Even though it was still autumn she had a parasol with her. As expected of Reika-sama. But for some reason her friends were carrying shiny CDs with them. Was that some kind of good luck charm? And what did she mean by Fight me, Hitchc.o.c.k! Aah~ But at the moment people were said that the biggest threat to Reika-senpais romance was Takamichi Wakaba-senpai. Perhaps it would be a good idea to investigate her as well Ririna-chan wasnt too familiar with rumours, so she hadnt seemed to have heard yet, but eventually this was going to turn into a huge mess, wasnt it Still, Reika-senpai had asked us to look after Ririna-chan, so if Ririna-chan went on a rampage then it would be up to us to stop them, wouldnt it. Both of them asking the others friends to look after them. They really were cousins. If I ever said this, I could see Ririna-chan shouting, We arent alike at all! Still, Id bet that she would be really happy inside. Finally, going back to Enjou-sama, I was hearing a weird rumour. I wonder if it was true TL Note: The Birds is a 1963 American horror-thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchc.o.c.k, regarding a series of sudden, unexplained violent bird attacks on the people of Bodega Bay, California over the course of a few days. Supposedly CDs will scare off pigeons and other birds. Also this is a kaimaki futon lol. Apparently its a traditional blanket thats quite popular in the far north where its easy for your nipples to freeze off. Supposedly the shape of it covers up your shoulders which leaves you quite warm. I a.s.sume that the sleeves are for tradition because n.o.body actually puts their arms through them. Chapter 161 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Is something the matter, Mizusaki-kun? I mentally ran through anything I might have done to p.i.s.s him off. Mn. Probably something to do with the Pivoine again. While we were standing together in the hallway I noticed him shoot a harsh glance in the direction of the cla.s.sroom. Fellow Stalking Horse shifted his position so that he was shielding me from it. Are you okay? Okay? Huh? Whatever do you mean? Arent you being extorted? Hah? Extorted? Me? By Umewaka-kun and the others? Um, might I ask how you came to that conclusion? Ive had reports about them using coupons with the Pivoines crest. At first it was something to just keep in mind, but I was patrolling just now when I saw them pester you for something, so I stopped them just in case. Aahh So that was it. It wasnt just the tickets that set him off, but the coupons with the red peony symbol. After all, given the brown hair and piercings, they didnt exactly look the part of somebody closely acquainted with a Pivoine member. Kisshouin, if theyve been pestering you for money but youre finding it hard to refuse, Ill talk to them. Umm, Mizusaki-kun, it seems that you are misunderstanding, but those people over there are actually my friends. Friends? Yours? Those guys? I didnt know a face could look so doubtful. Yeah, they were my friends. True, when we first met I thought they were annoying, and loud, and gaudy-looking, but even after I was cold with them they kept trying to befriend me. I considered them real friends now. Kisshouin, are you sure youre not being tricked? A lot of the students here at Suiran are sheltered, so they make for easy targets. You might not even have realised. Hold on, Mizusaki-kun. Fellow Stalking Horse really didnt think well of them. Look more carefully, Stalking Horse. Umewaka-kun might be wearing gaudy silver earrings, but those are actually pad pads, you know? And none of the group are all that uncultured. I think you could say theyre well brought up, relatively speaking. Its easy to get the wrong idea at a glance though. I am grateful for your concern, but not once have they pestered me for anything. We interact a lot at cram school, but never have they asked or expected me to treat them. Actually, they are the sort of people who gathered in the middle of the sweltering summer in order to help me with my exhibit for the Handicrafts Club. And I cannot know how exactly you see them, but let me tell you now that every one of them is a better student than I am, with far better grades. And it was true. Even though they knew that I was a rich girl, n.o.body had ever asked me to shout them. Actually when I gave Umewaka-kun that bag for Beatrice he even treated me to some popular convenience store treats as a thank you. Incidentally, what you overheard earlier was my friend begging me to give him the dog plush toy I made. I modelled it off of his beloved dog, but apparently it looked so close to the real thing that he could scarcely help but ask for it. I suppose without context it might have been easy to misunderstand though. Plush toy? Indeed. In fact, he has been waiting quite excitedly for this day. As for the coupons, every Pivoine member ends up with much too many to ever spend on their own, so since they were coming here anyhow I wanted them to enjoy it. I peeked into the club room for a moment only to find Umewaka-kun still being restrained by everybody. Hadnt stopped him from burying his face in Bea-tan though. Yeah. That guy was not giving up until I agreed. Spying on the same scene from behind me, I think Fellow Stalking had finally seen the truth. Whats wrong, Fellow Stalking Horse? Is this your first time seeing a Dog Maniac? Youre naive if you think this is his worst. Shall I show you the Bea-tan role-playing emails? Ah, but if I showed you those youd probably be wary in a different way, and try and convince me to break it off anyway. I hope that this has cleared things up. My bad. Sorry for doubting your friends, Kisshouin. But as the Student Council President I have an obligation to protect the students. I see. Well, I sincerely thank you anyhow for your concern. I must say, however, that I am a tad surprised. I would never have expected the Student Council President to concern himself over a Pivoine member like myself. That has nothing to do with it. If a student at Suiran is in trouble, then its the Student Councils job to help. Even if this was the Pivoines President? Of course, he nodded. There was no hesitation in his eyes. Hmmm~ But hed gone through a pretty hard time because of her. Not only had she completely thrashed him with her mouth, he even got in trouble with the school staff because of her. In his position I definitely wouldnt help her. With that in mind, I realised once again what an impressive person Fellow Stalking Horse was. I thought a little better of him. Well then, since things are clear, please excuse me. I have to return to my post. Sure. If my behaviour has upset them, please let them know that Ill be happy to apologise. I understand. Also Kisshouin, I might have overlooked it last time, but youre not allowed to bring that fan to school anymore. I doubt anybody would disagree with me now that its a weapon. Eeehhh!? Its not a weapon, its just a Rococo Queens prop! That guy just now was so cool! Who was he? Do you know him? Doesnt the hot-guy ratio seems higher in Suiran? the girls asked me, the moment I stepped back into the cla.s.sroom. Moriyama-san, what happened to Umewaka-kun? Speaking of Umewaka-kun, since he was still begging to adopt it, I told him to wait until the School Festival was over. Umewaka-kun was overjoyed, and finally parted after giving it a kiss goodbye. Anyhow, apparently everyone was going to the Science Club next for the planetarium. Also I think Moriyama-san had completely given up on him. Not that anybody could have helped it He loved his dog so much that the love even extended to plush toys that resembled her. Youd be hard pressed to find a high school girl willing to accept a boy like that. That was an experience Minami-kun murmured after the left. Sorry. Once my shift was done, I met up with my group to tour the School Festival again. Reika-sama, apparently Kaburagi-sama went to Enjou-samas cla.s.s again and had some of Takamichi-sans biscuits. My, I see. Kaburagi, huh I suppose that settled things then. Things were going to get bothersome again after this school festival But I could enjoy what time I had left. Umewaka-kuns crew said that the Soccer Clubs piadini was good, right? Maybe Id try some. So I suggested it to my group and we headed right over. When we arrived the Soccer Club President began pushing food onto me. You dont need to pay! The same thing happened when we arrived at the Baseball Club and Basketball Club. Eh-, wasnt I doing the extorting then? Now it looked like I was travelling from place to place collecting protection money, didnt it? Maybe Fellow Stalking Horse had a point about the fan When I returned to my cla.s.sroom I changed and began serving again. I was going to do my best for the remaining hours! Oh, huh? Umewaka-kun and the others hadnt contributed to the Xu Fus sales? Tsk, what worthless friends. Kyaa! Its Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama! The squeals of girls filled the store as the pair entered. What were they doing here. Oh, right, we were selling tea here. Although the room suddenly got a lot noisier, at least the number of female customers was increasing. I suppose that was all right then. Then I realised it wasnt just these two. Popping out from behind Enjou was Yukino-kun. Immediately my mood soared. Good afternoon, Kisshouin-san, began Enjou, Yukino said he wanted to come here, so I came with him. I see youre wearing a cute Chinese outfit today. Good afternoon, Reika-oneesan! said Yukino-kun. Good afternoon~ Yukino-kun, I am so glad you came! And welcome, Enjou-sama, Kaburagi-sama. Is it okay to leave your own cla.s.s caf, Enjou-sama? My cla.s.s has been packed since morning, so weve already sold out. Thats why we closed shop. My, that is certainly Tch. Thanks to the Enjou Effect, no doubt. My caf still had plenty. If we still had some by the end we were going to split it between us. What the h.e.l.l, Kisshouin, Kaburagi exclaimed, Wheres the dragon on your back? The road to completion is harder than it looks, isnt it. I do not harbour such an eccentric ambition, so What the h.e.l.l! Stop saying weird things in front of Yukino-kun! And look! Enjou was sn.i.g.g.e.ring to the side! I knew it! That rabbit from the other day was some sort of hara.s.sment! Anyhow, Kaburagi went with Tieguanyin tea, Enjou with chrysanthemum, and and Yukino-kun with the flowering tea. Their orders reflected their personalities, didnt it. When their orders were ready I added some mooncakes on the house. After all, hara.s.sment or not I was still treated with a latte art without a ticket. Not that Kaburagi ate any. Ive had enough sweet things for today, he said. Kaburagi, did you have too many of Wakaba-chans biscuits? Still, although Kaburagi didnt eat any, he didnt ignore the moon cakes either. I watched him still some into his pockets. I guess he was taking them home. He was surprisingly dutiful about these things. Yukino-kun was watching his tea flower in the water, so I couldnt help but smile myself. Maybe hed like some annin tofu as well. The time pa.s.sed with mostly Yukino-kun and I doing the talking. When it was time for them to leave, I saw them off in the hallway. I had a lot of fun today, Reika-oneesan, he smiled. I was glad to see you too, Yukino-kun, I smiled back. We shared a little laugh. How on earth was this little angel born to the same household as that scoundrel Enjou? Kaburagi was headed back to his own cla.s.s, since they were holding a party to celebrate their hard work. I guess Kaburagi wasnt as anti-social as I thought. I had only come out here to see them off, but somehow I ended up in another chat with Yukino-kun. He was just so darn cute after all. Enjou just stood to the side with a smile on his face. That was when a girls voice interrupted. Shuu. Shuu? I looked on reflex, only to find Bird Brain Katsuragi, and some delicate-looking girl with black hair down to her shoulders. Eh? Who was this? Yuiko, Enjou noticed her, looking a little surprised. Was it somebody he knew? Enjou smiled gently and approached her. Standing beside me, Yukino-kun gripped my hand. Hm? Whats wrong, Yukino-kun? What are you doing here, Yuiko? I heard that you were doing latte art at your school festival so I had Haru bring me, she said with a soft voice. Was I a little too late? She tilted her head a little in question. It was a striking sight, with her stark white skin and faintly moist eyes. The previously noisy hallway was silent now, and all eyes were on Yuiko-san. Even the ordinarily noisy Katsuragi Boy was behaving himself. My cla.s.s caf closed quite some time ago. But if you wanted to see some latte art there was no need to come here. Ill draw you as many as you want at home. Really? Then Ill look forward to it. Got it. The two of them seemed rather close. I wonder what this meant Yukino, its about time to go home. Yuiko, what are you going to do? Hmmm I think Ill go home with you too, Shuu. It wouldnt be very fun without you, anyhow. Yukino-kun let ho of my hand and returned to his brothers side, his expression a little stiff. Well then, Kisshouin-san. Thanks for today. Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama. Good bye, Yukino-kun. Good bye, Reika-oneesan. Yuiko-san gave me a smile before comfortably slipping her arm around Enjous, the two of them leaving the hallway. I stood there stunned for a little as the subdued Katsuragi Boy ran over to me. Yukiko-san is Enjou-sans lover, and dont you forget it, he whispered in my ear before running after them. When the four of them were out of sight, the hallway erupted. Who the h.e.l.l was that!? Dont tell me that was Enjou-samas girlfriend!? n.o.body told me about this! She was so beautiful Yuiko-san I wonder if well meet again That was when, oblivious to their surroundings, my cram school friends happily approached me, having had their fill of the planetarium. Whoaa! Kisshouin-saan! Youre wearing a cheongsam! Camera! Wheres my camera! Wearing a cheongsam with your ringlets is kind of fresh in its own way. In the face of all the excitement and their care-free mood, I kind of just gave in and stopped thinking as I started striking poses for them. Maybe I should get Beatrice to wear a cheongsam too Hey. Why not. TL Note: Incidentally, Tieguanyin (Iron Guan Yin) tea is my favourite.It has a pleasant flavour, and this lovely and sweet aftertaste. Chapter 162 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . So, to everybody I pinged on Discord Friday night, you may have noticed that this was delayed by two days. I have a very good reason for that, so good that it absolves me of all wrong, but Im afraid Im not allowed to tell you. Ever. Instead have a double release I guess. Oh, and if anybody hasnt read it yet, Id like to recommend which is a more wilful personality is dumped into a trash girls body in (sometimes faux) Ancient China story. Id prefer not to spoil things since the author (shockingly) understands that dumping information on people will not necessarily make them care, but its a fun and surprisingly refreshing read. Right after the School Festival finished, two rumours were the talk of Suiran; The Emperor ate Takamichi Wakabas hand-made biscuits two days in a row and Enjou-sama has a mystery woman. When the School Festival was over, all anybody could talk about was how the Emperor ate Takamichi Wakabas hand-made biscuits two days in a row, and how Enjous mysterious girlfriend had appeared. Thanks to that, things were noisier for me too. What do you think about all this, Reika-sama? How could Kaburagi-sama of all people eat home-made sweets? And he even went there two days in a row, and even bought extra to bring home with him! Bring home? As I recall, those biscuits just extras for the tea. They were not for sale, unless I am mistaken Well, its Kaburagi-sama, so who would refuse But its not even that he really liked the biscuits. They were made by a number of people, but he only wanted the ones made by Takamichi-san. Youre being way too blunt, Kaburagi Apparently on the second day all of the girls involved with baking the biscuits tried to give him theirs. The only ones he touched were Takamichi-sans though. Goodness The biscuits Takamichi-san baked must have truly matched his palate. Why are you being so carefree, Reika-sama. Come on, you need to get your act together! sulked Kikuno. There wasnt much I could do though This morning Kaburagi-sama greeted Takamichi-san in the hallway again mumbled Ayame-chan. I heard from girls in her cla.s.s that whenever he comes to greet Enjou-sama he always greets her as well. It couldnt be that Kaburagi-sama truly Hey-! Dont say something so extreme! Serika-chan said before covering her ears. Reika-sama? Have you heard anything from Kaburagi-sama? What do you mean by anything? Like we were saying, something about Takamichi-san. Has it ever come up in the conversations in the Pivoine? Not so far as I can remember. The girls all sighed. Sorry for being useless, everyone. Should Kaburagi-sama not be free to love whomever he wants, though? Reika-sama! How could you say that! I dont like it! How could somebody just monopolise Kaburagi-sama like that! All of the girls in Suiran agree with me! You must be exaggerating No, its true! declared Kikuno-chan without a shred of hesitation. Everybody nodded along like it was natural. I guess since Kaburagi was like an idol, it wasnt strange that his fans acted the way idol fans did. Even if Kaburagi-sama did find a girlfriend, she would have to be somebody we could all accept. If it was Yurie-sama then all of us would have felt that it was inevitable, but I dont think anybody would accept Takamichi-san. Right? Her background is unsuitable for him, and arent her looks just normal? Shes basically only good at studying, right? Oh no. What if Takamichi-san only came to Suiran to look for a rich man? Thats horrible! Whoa, whoa, please dont just randomly decide that Wakaba-chans a gold digger. Does Takamichi-san seem so ill-natured? Goodness, are you taking Takamichi Wakabas side over ours, Reika-sama? That was not my intention Oh boy. I could even make things worse if I wasnt careful. Worse for both Wakaba-chan and me. By the way, who was that woman with Enjou-sama Ayame-chan changed the subject, with an expression that I couldnt quite place. Everybody exchanged glances. They seemed rather close She linked arms with Enjou-sama. And she even called Enjou-sama Shuu Enjou-sama called her Yuiko too. It cant be Everyone seemed to be bitterly thinking the same thing. Was that his girlfriend? What do you think, Reika-sama? I have no idea either Katsuragi Boy called her Enjou-sans lover didnt he. Not that it meant that it was true What I did know was why Bird Brain had picked so many fights with me now. The adulation in his eyes when he looked at her was something else. Not that I couldnt understand it. We only met for a short while, but Yuuko-san had a special atmosphere. It was transient and ephemeral like the moon rippling on the water. I think my friends realised it too. They had none of the energy, unlike when it came to Wakaba-chan. Yeah. That girl was scary. I dont think I could win. By the way, Reika-sama, who on earth were those boys taking photographs of you? I think one of them had a lisp. When he said Reika-san, come over here~ it sounded like he was saying Reika-tan, come over here~ Please dont bring that up Thanks to the stupid Kaburagis thoughtlessness, girls were getting more and more jealous of Wakaba-chan. Not a few times I saw them muttered ugly or dont get ahead of yourself as they pa.s.sed her. I guess it was a relief that Wakaba-chan didnt seem fazed though. One morning I came to school earlier than usual, and came across Wakaba-chan in the shoe hallway. I thought that I should at least greet her. When I walked over though, I noticed that she seemed troubled. Gokigenyoh, Takamichi-san. Is something the matter? Eh- When she turned to face me, in her hands were a pair of in-door shoes stained with ink. Aaah Yeah, uh, for some reason these turned pitch black Obviously somebody did this. So mean. How about borrowing some slippers for now? I do not see you wearing those again. Once the school store opens you can buy yourself another pair. Hmmm I guess even washing these wouldnt work, huh. No, I suspect it would not. That does not look like watercolour ink. Perhaps it is brush ink Who knows. But I really need it to wash off. Its really going to hurt my wallet otherwise Oh right. The rest of us would have bought a new pair without another thought, but I guess it would be quite a burden on a commoners budget. The stuff that Suiran used was pretty expensive after all. I dont mind insults and stuff but this kind of bullying is really a problem. Hmmm Would bleach really not work though? Id be okay with it for now if I could just get it to a light grey. Suddenly, I remembered. I actually had bought a new pair without a thought before. Umm, I actually have a pair that are a little dirty, if you are fine with that. Ehh!? For now we had Wakaba-chan put on some slippers, and then we headed to the locker room. I opened my own locker, and brought out a bag from the very back of it. Inside were a pair of indoor shoes. Here. Eh!? These dont look dirty at all. They are dirty at the bottom. She turned them over but still couldnt seem to find anything. They look clean, though? Actually, I stepped in pigeon droppings with these. Pigeon droppings? Indeed, I nodded gravely. It was a nice early afternoon. I had been on a stroll with my friends after lunch, happily thinking about how full I was, and what great weather it was. That was when I stepped right into the bird p.o.o.p. Fresh bird p.o.o.p, still warm even, which was why I slipped a little. Aahh! Reika-sama stepped in p.o.o.p! Reika-sama! Lets wash it off for now! I was led by the girls to the taps, still in shock and feeling a little dazed. We used a brush somewhere to clean it off, and it wasnt hard since the soles were rubber. When we were done we even used disinfectant. It was still gross to me though, and I didnt want others to think I was wearing bird p.o.o.p shoes, so I ended up just buying a new pair. I have washed and disinfected it, but Is it really okay for me to take this from you? It looks brand new, you know? True. But it has still been in pigeon droppings. Even you mind, surely? No, not at all, she declared. She hadnt hesitated at all. These look brand new. Actually Im really thankful for them. Ah, but would the size fit? Ive got pretty big feet. Im a size 23.5. I am a size 24. Eh? Then isnt that just perfect? Ehehe, she laughed. Thank goodness. If I managed to help Wakaba-chan then that there was a meaning in stepping in that bird p.o.o.p! Did they do this to your shoes yesterday? Or had they come to school earlier? Maybe they were still watching Hard to say. Ah! It looks like it fits perfectly! Thank you very much! No, they had pigeon dropping on them so pay it no mind Still, thank goodness I happened to come early today. I was actually here to prepare for one of my weaker subjects in the library. Yeah. Thanks to that I came away with shoes that were even cleaner than my own ones. What luck! G.o.d, she was such an optimist. You seem quite early yourself, Takamichi-san. Was there some reason to it today? Oh, I always come early just to make sure Im not late. Since I catch the train here there are accidents and delays sometimes, you know~ Cant let that perfect attendance award go! she clenched a fist. Aah~ So she was worried about the train. Thinking back, that incident with the bike was because of a cancelled train too, wasnt it. And wow, was she eager for perfect attendance. Going after the money bonus, huh. But if that is the only issue, then could you not simply apply for proof of lateness? Well yeah, but that feels like running away to me. And Id miss out on cla.s.s too. Wow! Youre amazing, Wakaba-chan! As expected of one of our grades top 3 talents. Anyway, since people were going to come soon, I said goodbye to Wakaba-chan and headed for my own room. Chapter 163 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Id like to introduce you to our newest translator, Mitsu! Mitsu translates car doc.u.ments from j.a.pan! Also cute stuff. Behold: Also Ph. D translated a short story a while ago, so check that out too: Even though it was his fault that Wakaba-chan was being bullied, Kaburagi was sitting in the Salon, happily sipping away at tea. Apparently he talked to Wakaba-chan again. Dumba.s.s. I was enjoying matcha rolls on my favourite sofa when Enjou came along. Kisshouin-san, thanks for humouring Yukino during the School Festival. It was my pleasure. I hadnt been to the Pet.i.te Pivoine since the School Festival ended. I wonder if he was doing well. The two of us chatted about Yukino and the School Festival for a while. Recently Yukino has been obsessed with trying to do latte art too. Goodness, Yukino-kun is? Im the one who has to drink his creations though. Every day my own little brother makes me drink a coffee he drew a heart on. Still not quite sure how I feel about that, Enjou smiled helplessly. I, on the other hand, was busy imagining little Yukino-kun, trying his very best to make latte art. It was so cute that it was all I could do to avoid squirming. Speaking of latte art though, wasnt Enjou going to draw Yuiko-san some~? Maybe now would be a good time to ask about her. Speaking of which, Katsuragi-kun from our middle school section came to visit. With a girl in tow, as well. Well Enjou made a show of trying to remember, before breaking into an amused smile. Yuiko and I have become quite the rumour, havent we. That does seems to be the case. Are you interested too, Kisshouin-san? Why, not at all. It was kind of irritating to be treated like some gossiper. Well, I actually was interested though. Ive told quite a few girls already, but Yuiko is a relative. I see. Id heard this tidbit as well. But for relatives they were awfully That was basically my thoughts on it. It looks like theyre still saying that Yuikos my girlfriend though/ That seems to be the case, yes. I have heard the rumours myself. Yuiko isnt my girlfriend. Eh-, really? But Katsuragi Boy claimed that she was your lover, you know? Oh? Was that unexpected? Well, yes. Katsuragi-kun told me as much, so I sneakily tattled on him. Aaah. Well, hes always kind of adored her, so Enjou gave another helpless smile. Adored. Mmhm, that seems about right. Shes not my girlfriend though. Aah. Shes my fiance. Aah!? Fiance!? Enjous!? My eyes shot open and my whole body radiated shock when Enjou suddenly burst into laughter. Aah? Just now you made an incredible expression, Kisshouin-san. Dont tell me you believed me? Haah? Was that a joke!? Which was it!? Stop making fun of my, you twisted guy! To be accurate, shes a candidate for my engagement. Candidate? Yep. Since we were basically the same age, theres always been talk about that. Since there was nothing official, shes a candidate. I see Fiance Hmmm For some reason I was in a bit of a funk when I got home. It felt like I was being left behind, somehow. Even though were were all still high schoolers, some of the people in my grade were already thinking about engagements. It had me shaken. Since Id known Enjou since primary, my feelings were a little complicated. To me, marriage was something Id always thought of as some far-off future. The future, huh I rolled atop my bed for a while. If I was being honest with myself, I never really thought about my future seriously. I spent most of my days focusing on the present. As long as Otousama and Oniisama kept working hard at the company, our family wasnt going to collapse either. Id be able to do whatever I wanted without worrying about earning money for the family. But that was the problem. I didnt have anything I wanted to do. How could anybody have no dreams like this! Still, maybe it was because of how I grew up, but I really wanted a real job. Not even in my dreams would I ever think about becoming an idol or something. Being a civil servant would be ideal, but Im not sure if it would be okay for the Kisshouin familys only daughter to become one Maybe it would be a good idea to start looking into good jobs. The future Tsk. Thanks to Enjou my mind was filled with serious thoughts now. When I arrived at school the next morning I saw Kaburagi speaking to Wakaba-chan at the entrance. Pay attention to the eyes around you, Kaburagi! When Wakaba-chan noticed me, she gave a little hop and tapped her shoes together. Kaburagi noticed and asked her, Huh. Takamichi, are you studying tap dancing? Thank goodness he was an idiot as usual. When the weekend came around I visited the library. Since Id been so busy with Bea-tan, it was the first time in a while. Maybe Naru-kun would be here~ Oh, there he was! With a reference book for job requirements in hand, I picked a seat next to Naru-kun that was luckily free. Since Naru-kun was busy with his exercise book, he didnt notice my pa.s.sionate gaze at all. Aah, wasnt there anything with his name on it? Since I couldnt exactly turn my head and start staring at him, I pretended to read my book while leering to the side. If only I had a second face for times like this! Maybe I could pretend to drop my pen. It worked in shoujo manga. Wait, what was I even doing. I wasnt going to deny that Naru-kun was part of it, but my motivation for today was also supposed to be thinking about my future. What kind of qualifications would be good for my future? Tax consulting, accounting, law All of them looked too hard for me.I mean, I loved looking at my bankbook, but I sucked at maths, and I wasnt prepared to be responsible for somebodys life either. What else then. Yeah, I think a civil servant with lots of fringe benefits would be best. Suddenly, I noticed Naru-kun taking some printouts out of a clear plastic folder. Wasnt this my chance to finally get his personal information!? With my very best efforts at sneaking a glance, I found the name of a national high school at the top of what looked to be a practice test. Wasnt this the name of Aoi-chans high school!? It had to be fate this time, right!? I immediately pulled out my phone to contact her when a message from Aira-sama arrived. Masayas found a new love!? Chapter 164 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Kaishi (, lit. pocket paper) is white paper used for miscellaneous purposes. It is usually in the form of a pad of paper folded in half. The name indicates that it is paper kept handy in the bosom overlap of the kimono. According to the email from Aira-sama, Kaburagi had shown interest in a certain girl. It was without a doubt Wakaba-chan. Since I wasnt quite sure how to respond, I put it on the backburner for now. Instead, I decided to message Aoi-chan about Naru-kuns name first. Next to me, Naru-kun was still engrossed in his studies, oblivious to what I was doing. I never got the chance to see the real Naru-kun do so, but there must have been times when he looked like this too. Aoi-chan hadnt replied yet so I began seriously looking through my own book. Sitting juust a little closer to Naru-kun. I replied to Aira-samas message when I got home. I decided to avoid going out of my way to spread more rumours about Wakaba-chan, so instead I just replied, Oh? Truly? Who might the girl be? Not long afterwards she called me. Long time no see, Reika-chan. Have you been well? It has been a while, Aira-sama! It had been a long time since we had spoken like this, what with how busy she was with university. It was really nice to talk to her again. Both Yurie-sama and Aira-sama had something on this year so they hadnt come to the School Festival. I spent a while chatting with her about what attractions we had this year, and what I did with the Handicrafts Club. Anyway, about that girl I mentioned in my email. Yes? Apparently Yurie-sama was the first to realise. It was because Kaburagi had been acting strangely since the summer break. The other day Masaya went to Yuries house to visit. The thing is, the gift he brought were some really plain looking desserts that hed never touch. As it turns out, it was made by the family of a girl from Suiran. He even boasted that he had tried all the cakes from their shop, and that this was the best one. The problem was that it didnt seem like he was just fond of the cakes. Shes a pretty interesting one. Shes a weirdo. She tried to put this strange sticker on her bike. Yurie said that all he could talk about was this girl. Kaburagi went to Wakaba-chans house!? His stalking tendencies were still healthy and well, it seemed. And more importantly, he had already conquered all of the cakes in her family store!? That sneak! How dare he get a march on me! I wanted to eat them too! There was that clair I still wanted to try! When I think about it, it might have been this budding new love that helped him get over Yurie. She was really glad to see how happy he was. I see. Although to be honest I was secretly hoping for you two to get together, Reika-chan. What on earth are you saying, Aira-sama. I really wish she wouldnt say such ominous things. Getting involved with Kaburagi was as good as plunging into a Bad End. Do you have anyone you like, Reika-chan? Eh!? Somebody I like? Ummmm. I suppose right now I was most interested in Naru-kun from the library but Not in particular. Oh my~ Why isnt that lonely. Do you, Aira-sama? Hmmmmm~ Ngn, I really wanted to know. What would I do if my respected Aira-sama ended up falling for some weirdo? After that I listened to Aira-sama talk about the Suiran girls in uni, and what they planned to do after graduating. Aira-sama was planning on looking for a job, but quite a few people were planning on just getting married or staying at home to learn how to be a bride. And apparently basically n.o.body was planning on becoming a civil servant Thanks to Kaburagi, Wakaba-chans bullying was worse than ever. These days it was often to see Fellow Stalking Horse escorting Wakaba-chan like a bodyguard. This just worsened the opinion of Wakaba-chan amongst the girls. Speaking of Wakaba-chan, in Suirans high school section, once a week it was necessary to attend one special elective cla.s.s from flower arrangement, tea ceremony, calligraphy, kendo, or kyudo. The main reason this system was in place was for the sake of the External Students joining our high school section from normal households. Most girls picked flower arrangement or tea ceremony. I for one had been doing the latter since 1st Year. The reason I didnt pick flower arrangement was because the school of flower arrangement that I attended followed a different style to Suirans. Dont let anybody tell you it was because I had no confidence in my sense of flower arrangement aesthetics. Because thats not true, okay? It was an artistic decision on my part that I would only ever use warabi-grip shears. Thats why I couldnt partic.i.p.ate in Suirans flower arrangement cla.s.ses. I wasnt running away. Dont doubt me, okay? Im the sort of girl who can do anything she puts her mind to. Wakaba-chan was probably trying to experience everything Suiran had to offer. Unlike last year when she did flower arrangement, this year she changed to tea ceremony. The problem was that she really should have done it the other way around Unlike flower arrangement, the content for tea ceremony changed a little bit each year. Last year we were practising the basis like how to use the f.u.kusa cloth, up to making usucha with the Bonryaku Temae procedure. That would have been easier. The Bonryaku Temae didnt use many tools so it was harder to fail. But this year we were moving onto the Furo Temae. Just the fact that it had more steps to remember made it more difficult. It wasnt something you could succeed in after skipping the basics. Even if you could memorise all the steps from a book, actually performing it right was a different story. Honestly, tea ceremony was just a pain. There were so many things to remember. Even the number of steps you walked mattered. Basically it wasnt something you could learn overnight. Based on that point alone, it would have been easier to start flower arrangement in the second year instead. As long as you remembered the basics, the rest was up to your sense of aesthetics. Plus, you were allowed to bring home the flowers you used. It was a pretty good deal. Suiran being Suiran, the flowers available for use were both plentiful and gorgeous. Worlds apart from the gloomy arrangements you might find for funeral altars. Anyhow, the point was that today was Wakaba-chans turn as the host of the tea ceremony. I prayed that she wouldnt mess up. But contrary to my wishes !? The ladle that she left on the kettle fell onto the ground! I could already hear snickers. Red-faced, Wakaba-chan bowed and apologised as the sensei made her clean it. Aaah! I know how you feel, Wakaba-chan! G.o.d, do I know how you feel! One time during a tea ceremony, the confection I had in my kaishi paper fell out and rolled right across the room! It was amazing just how far it rolled, honestly. I think it was because of the shape. By the time I had reached out with my hand it was too late. If I didnt know better I would have thought itd never stop. That was a horrible day. At the time I had wished that I could just become an amnesiac and never have to remember it. I was even seriously considering pretending to pa.s.s out from anaemia to save myself the shame. Uugh! My stomach hurt just remembering it! Since then my heart would begin to thump whenever the confections for the day were round. To begin with, why was it necessary to balance them on kaishi just to eat them. Bring me a plate, d.a.m.nit! Well, with her upbringing So disgraceful The girls in the room werent letting go of the opportunity to badmouth her either. Aah, what was I supposed to do Ah, umm, might this confection be a sasanqua? I tried to change the subject. Thankfully the teacher was all about it. Goodness, Kisshouin-san. Well done. You are quite right. Although it is easy to mistake it for the camellia j.a.ponica, the confection today was indeed modelled off the camellia sasanqua. Everyone was focused on the confection! Now, Wakaba-chan! Nows your chance to move onto the next step! Oh no! She was nodded along with interest too! Nows not the time for that, Wakaba-chan! In the end, although she messed up a number of times and the teacher had to correct her, Wakaba-chan eventually managed to finish her temae procedure. I was worried that she would be upset after being laughed at so many times, so I checked up on her. Instead, I found her having fun sneakily packing away the leftover confections that sensei gave her for trying hard. Mn. That was Wakaba-chan for you It was my first session in a while with Mihara-san at the Imperial Palace. I had my hair in a ponytail and was ready to go! I think I was doing quite a lot better than when I first started during the summer, even if I did say so myself. My stamina was better too. Huu huu, haa haa. I was still running when the flying lady of a white Rolls Royce stopped beside me. While I was wondering what was happening, Mihara-san had already stepped in front of me protectively. Thinking about it, he was actually hired as my bodyguard, wasnt he. Dont tell me I was about to have an encounter with the underworld? I hoped it was just somebody who wanted to cheer me on. While I was thinking, the rear window wound down and out popped Kaburagis face. So it really was you. Kaburagi-sama! So the owner of this ostentatious car was Emperor Kaburagi. Dont tell me this was the car he used to run down Wakaba-chan? If it was then I was impressed she got off with just some bruises. Still, if she was run down by this imposing beast of a car then it was little wonder that her family turned down the compensation money. This did not look like the car of somebody in a respectable occupation What are you doing here? What, you ask? Why, I was jogging, as you can see. If you understand then dont make me talk so much, dimwit. Isnt it obvious what I was doing? I was still out of breath from it, actually. Jogging? All I saw was somebody running on the spot. People were walking faster than you were. It was weird so I stopped to see what was going on when it turned out to be you. What the heeell!? What do you mean running on the spot!? I was making progress, d.a.m.nit! d.a.m.n you! d.a.m.n you! d.a.m.n you! You dont have a shred of courtesy or consideration or delicacy at all! Even though youve got that Jamaican hairdo going on, you kind of put their runners to shame, huh. Ah well, do your best I guess. Cya. After running his mouth off, he got back into his mobile Parthenon and drove off as I trembled in anger. Ojousama, theres nothing wrong with going at your own pace, okay? Get dumped, Kaburagi. Get dumped by Wakaba-chan, d.a.m.n you! You should just get dumped and go on a journey again! I began cursing at the long-gone car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBn7mdV7-tQ If I didnt know better I would have thought itd never stop. It rolled like the rice ball in The Rolling Riceball. Watch the story in the link below. Its pretty cute, haha!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgTooPDko6U Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Aoi-chan messaged me today. When I first emailed her a few days ago she replied that she didnt know what Naru-kuns name was, but would look into it. According to the message just now, the result of her investigation was that there was indeed somebody like that in 3rd Year. Thank you for going out of your way to find out for me, Aoi-chan! A third year student. Thanks to my efforts in leering I had managed to see his name and school, but I didnt manage his cla.s.s or grade. Now I had moved forward a step, uhuhu. In that same email though, was the line, Actually, the truth is I have something Id like your advice on, Reika-chan. Advice? Mine? For Aoi-chan? Given how much more reliable Aoi-chan was compared to me it wasnt often that she asked me for help. As her friend I had to give my best this time! Since we were going to be talking anyway, I thought it might be a good idea to just meet up. The two of us immediately checked our schedules and promised to meet up on a day when we had nothing after school. When my car arrived at the caf I got off and began walking the short distance to the entrance. The further we got into winter, the colder the air got. It wasnt too bad for me since I was driven everywhere, but for people like Wakaba-chan who commuted by train it must have been terrible. In my past life I went to school with two pairs of stockings and hand warmers stuck to my back. Wearing a second pair of stockings made the st.i.tching stand out in a strange wood pattern, but wearing a skirt was just so cold in the middle of winter so I had no choice but to bear it. Winters sure were rough back then I wonder what Wakaba-chan was going to do once the snow began to fall this year. It wasnt like she could wear gum boots after all Before long I made it to the caf. Looking inside, I realised that Aoi-chan was already here. Aoi-chan, sorry Im late! Reika-chan! She looked up from her phone and greeted me with a smile. Aahh, I was being healed already I ordered an apple cinnamon tea for myself. So whats wrong, Aoi-chan? You wanted my help with something? Well, you see, theres actually this 2nd year boy who goes to Suiran she explained before giving me his name. Reika-chan, do you know him? Sorry, but Im not that familiar with boys names. Maybe if we were in the same cla.s.s, but Hmmm It didnt sound familiar at all. I guess wed never been in the same cla.s.s before. What about him though? Well, the truth is Hes just been a little persistent Eh? According to Aoi-chan, this Suiran boy was attending the same cram school as her. Since the summer cram course they had together, he had continually asked her out. Even after she refused him, he stubbornly kept trying to get close to her Something like that really happened? Mhm. I told him that he was bothering me but then he even ambushed me on my way home Ambushed!? How scary. Yeah But I suppose you could say that he was just driven by his feelings of love I couldnt criticise him too much since I had asked Aoi-chan to look up Naru-kuns personal information for me. You could even say that he was more respectable than I was since he wasnt sneaking about. So you arent interested in dating this boy at all? Well, I cant say that I am. To begin with, Im already seeing someone. Eh!?! Aoi-chan just casually mentioned something huge! Aoi-chan, you had a boyfriend!? Mhm. Ehh!? My ears hadnt failed me! She had a boyfriend! I havent heard about this at all, Aoi-chan! Since when!? Eh? Since a bit before the summer break, I guess. Ehh!? But we met up during the summer break! How come she wouldnt tell me something so important!? Im in shock, Aoi-chan! Shock! I had no idea Aah~ Well, I didnt think it was something to go out of my way to bring up I guess? And youve never really seemed one for romance, Reika-chan. But I am! Actually, my half of my mind is filled up with nothing but topics of romance! Its so bad that I became a mini-stalker just because I spotted some guy in the library! Not that I wont still be village chief by this Christmas! Well!? Whats your boyfriend like? Hm, hes in the Tennis Club with me. When we entered 2nd Year we started walking home together. In the end he confessed to me, and we ended up dating. I see. Dates in uniform, like I used to dream about in my old life. Not only was she studying hard at a national high school, and having fun playing sports in her Tennis Club, Aoi-chan even had a boyfriend. She really seemed to be living a fulfilling high school life, didnt she. With the exception of Minami-kun, every member of the Handicrafts Club was female. The only boys I was close with were part of a maidens society. Far from having a boyfriend, I hadnt even been confessed to, so instead of a spring, each day was like frosty winter. Reika-chan, for some reason your face has kind of turned into a noh mask Youre imagining things, Aoi-chan. Right. I had to be happy for my friends. Be more large-hearted, Reika! So anyhow, basically that boy is bothering you, right? Yeah. Even after I told him that I had a boyfriend he wouldnt give up Hmmm. Then why couldnt she just get her boyfriend to protect her. No, no, stop sulking, Reika! Aoi-chan is an important friend! Got it. Ill do something about him. Eh-, really!? But are you going to be okay, Reika-chan? Aoi-chan might not have known the kind of position I held in Suiran, but I was obviously going to be fine. Still, it wouldnt be very prudent if I didnt investigate him first. I didnt want to hurt this boys pure heart. Or so I had been thinking, but the guy making pa.s.ses at Aoi-chan had turned out to be one boys leading the attacks on Wakaba-chan. It wasnt only girls bullying her. Some of the boys were hara.s.sing her because they were jealous of her scores. The verdict was pretty much out, right? I was considering meeting the problem boy after school when it suddenly got noisy outside the window. Reika-sama, Kaburagi-sama arrived at school with Takamichi-san! one of my group members rushed into the cla.s.sroom to report. Oh my. Again? As I recall, last time they met by chance outside. Is there really any need to cause such a fuss? Its different this time! Takamichi-san was riding in his car! Ehh!? Even I was shocked. Why was she coming to school in his car!? What do you think this means!? I am not sure Even Kaburagi wouldnt have gone to her house to pick her up, right? Then again, this was Kaburagi we were talking about Everybody was watching the hallway as Kaburagi came in chatting happily with a troubled-looking Wakaba-chan. If gazes were lasers then Wakaba-chan would be completely burnt right now. Masaya. Enjou had arrived at school first and was coming out now. Oh! Morning, Shuusuke! Youre already here, huh. Morning, Masaya. Good morning to you too, Takamichi-san. Good morning. So why might you two be together today? Enjou had asked the question that everyone here wanted to know. Ah, well I saw Takamichi walking outside by chance, and since it was raining pretty hard I had her get onboard. Oh, I see. Judging from Wakaba-chans uncomfortable laughter, I was pretty sure he had forced her in. Tsuruhana-sans group was standing in the hallway with the eyes of hitmen Kaburagi, you one-track-minded idiot!! The squad of hitmen made their move at lunchtime. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Thanks to that thoughtless, one-track-minded, idiot Kaburagi, Tsuruhana-sans group was completely gearing up for war. I was having lunch with my friends in the cafeteria when it happened. Quite a while into lunch break, Wakaba-chan entered the cafeteria in a tracksuit. And looking closely, wasnt her hair drenched? Wakaba-chan made her way over to the closest table and began quickly eating her simmered food bentou. Whaat on earth is that girl doing? muttered one girl. Beats me. Who can tell with a weirdo like her, snarked another. Amidst all our white uniforms, Wakaba-chans tracksuit stood out all the more. You could hear whispers here and there. I scanned the room and realised that Tsuruhana-sans group seemed to be having a lot of fun ridiculing her. Dont tell me they did something? Apparently the people at the Pivoine table had noticed her too because Kaburagi was making his way over. Takamichi, whats with the outfit? A shock ran through the cafeteria. In front of this entire crowd, the Emperor was going out of his way to talk to a girl. A girl who was none other than Wakaba-chan, who was the centre of all manner of rumours these days. All eyes were on them. Wakaba-chan quickly chewed and swallowed before answering. My uniform kind of got drenched so I changed into something else. Drenched? How come? he frowned. I went outside for a bit. Outside? In this rain? Without an umbrella? I couldnt help but look outside. It had been pouring since morning and was showing no signs of letting up. Aah, well What the heck are you even doing. Sorry. Wakaba-chan bowed. Well? Why were you running outside in all this rain then? Tsuruhana-sans group was looking a little worried now. Aahh, I had something to do Im asking what that was. Wakaba-chan floundered, her eyes swimming here and there. It didnt seem like she was going to tell him the truth. That was when Fellow Stalking Horse came over in worry for her. Are you alright, Takamichi? Mizusaki-kun. Kaburagi seemed a little sullen at the new arrival. What do you want, Mizusaki? Takamichi and I were talking. You cant guess? The entire room is watching you two. Pay some more attention to your position, and your surroundings while youre at it. How can you not tell that Takamichi is being troubled by you Haah? Kaburagi glared at Stalking Horse who gave him a strong gaze back. While sparks seemed to fly between the two boys, Wakaba-chan was fl.u.s.tered, and quite obviously fretting about running out of time for her lunch. Not content to just watch, Enjou intervened and somehow defused the situation. Pitifully, that was when the bell began to ring. In a last act of desperation, Wakaba-chan tried to shovel as much of her lunch into her mouth as possible before slowly closing the lid. Enjou led Kaburagi out of the cafeteria. Fellow Stalking Horse was about to leave with Wakaba-chan when the President of the Pivoine approached from behind with her followers. Takamichi-san, although that tracksuit suits you better than the Suiran uniform, I hope you are not thinking of doing something as absurd as returning home in that. I would much appreciate that you by all means refrain from such a thing. After shooting Wakaba-chan a cold look, she turned away and walk ed off. Some of the girls began to laugh at her. Serves her right. Shes such an eyesore. Grill her more. That was when I realised some of the voices were male. When I turned around, I found a group of boys to be the source, the boy who liked Aoi-chan among them. He was standing there with a disgusting smile as he joined in on bad-mouthing Wakaba-chan. This boy really wasnt fit for Aoi-chan. After school I went to the salon to fetch what I needed before heading right back to the 2nd Year cla.s.srooms. The boy that had been bothering Aoi-chan was in the same cla.s.s as Fellow Stalking Horse. Fellow Stalking Horse noticed when I called him out into the hallway, and moved to casually listen in. Gosh, Mizusaki-kun. You dont have to worry. My fan is sitting safely at home. Um, can I help you? he asked uncertainly. The boy was very obviously confused at the sudden summon. Hmph. Quite a different att.i.tude to when he was badmouthing Wakaba-chan. From what I had heard, he had a university faculty that he wanted to join but didnt have the grades for. So instead he had done all sorts of things to make life hard for her because he was jealous. Yes. The truth is I have called you here in regards to my friend. Your friend, Kisshouin-san? Yes, my friend. Her name is Yorino Aoi. Eh-, Yorino!? The colour left his face in an instant. Wow. Who knew that humans could change colours this quickly. Um, so what does that have to do with? You still fail to understand? Eh? I flourished the peony branch before him like a conductors baton. His expression stiffened as he backtracked a step. My dear friend is being troubled by somebody. This makes me incredibly sad. So sad, in fact, that I have no idea what I might do I stabbed the branch at his throat. You will stop, no? !? I will-! He was standing at attention now. I nodded with a smile. Also, it is very unbecoming of a man of Suiran to be jealous of a girl for her good grades, you know? I brandished the peony branch again, and then watched as he scrambled back into his cla.s.sroom. Mission complete, I suppose. Now I just had to message Aoi-chan. What was that about? asked Stalking Horse as he appeared from the shadows. He has a crush on a friend of mine but was a little too persistent, so she came to me for help. I see But Kisshouin, you realise that using that branch is even worse than the fan, right? he sighed as he pointed at my branch. Resting his chin in the other, he continued. Anyhow, do something about that weapon in your hand. Im pretty sure a peony in the hands of a Pivoine member is as good as a lethal weapon. Even if you tell me that~ At that moment, by unlucky coincidence the Soccer Club President was just heading past us to get to his club. When he saw me he shrieked, so I handed him the branch as encouragement. His hands were ice cold though. I wonder if he was coming down with something. Are you trying to finish him off or something!? Hes the ace of our Soccer Club! Goodness, no. How could you blame me when I only ever have the best intentions in mind? When I arrived at the carpark I witnessed Kaburagi forcing Wakaba-chan into his car again. This was actually an abduction now. What on earth are you doing, Kaburagi. Chapter 167 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Shichi-Go-San (, lit. Seven-Five-Three) is a traditional rite of pa.s.sage and festival day in j.a.pan for three- and seven-year-old girls and three- and five-year-old boys, held annually on November 15 to celebrate the growth and well-being of young children. Children are dressed up and then brought to a shrine for good fortune. Hinamatsuri (r Hina-matsuri), also called Dolls Day or Girls Day, is celebrated each year on March 3 when people pray for the happiness and healthy growth of girls. Families with young daughters mark this day by setting up a display of dolls inside the house. They offer rice crackers and other food to the dolls.These dolls, often expensively made, are placed on stepped shelves covered with red fabric, and girls invite their friends to admire them. The next weekend I used the excuse of buying cake to visit Wakaba-chan. Her mum still remembered me, and greeted me with a smile. Oh my, welcome! Good afternoon. Thank you for everything, last time. Not at all! Thank you so much for the wonderful tea and coffee. Are you here to see Wakaba? Yes, but I planned on buying some of your cakes as well. The ones I tried last time were simply delicious. Really? Aunty was a little worried that it wouldnt suit the tastes of an ojousama from Suiran. That was not the case at all. They were fluffy, and sweet without being too sickening. I could eat any number of them. I had eaten two in a row when I got home. Then I waited a little while and ate the rest too. They were great I wondered what I would bring home this time. It makes me really happy to hear that. Wakaba still hasnt come back from her part-time job yet, but she should be back any moment so come on inside. Eh? No, I really should not. I think I will head home for today. It was my fault for coming here unannounced. And to begin with my first goal was simply to buy some cakes. Geez, you can worry about the cakes later. Do you have anything else going on today? No, not particularly As the Chief of Forever Alone Village, my weekends were almost completely free. Then just stay! Youve already come all the way here. Dont be shy now. Wakaba will be back any moment now. Okay? But Its fine, its fine. After asking the other staff member to take over for a bit, she came out from behind the display counter. Taking my hand, she rather a.s.sertively ushered me into the house. As I headed in, I noticed an awfully expensive-looking flower arrangement in the corner of the shop. I had a bad feeling about it. Kisshouin-san, wasnt it? Come in, come in. Here, sit down! After sitting me down on the couch she even brought out some black tea. Sorry. Not only have I arrived unannounced, I am even causing trouble for you like this Its fine! A friend of Wakabas has come all the way here to play, so this much is natural. Oh, I know! Ill go message Wakaba and let her know not to go on any detours. I truly am sorry, I bowed again. Not everybody had as much free time on their hands as I did, after all. I was definitely in the wrong here for showing up without checking with her first. But since I was here to eat something and bring some cakes home too, I just thought it would be nice if we could hang out a little. Um, it is not much but Karintou is a traditional j.a.panese snack food. Sweet and deep-fried, it is made primarily of flour, yeast, and brown sugar. I held out the box of a.s.sorted karintou. Hmm? What might this be? Oh my, you didnt need to. Thank you though. Oh! Its karintou. How cute~ There were different flavours like plum and chilli, and they were divided into cute little sacks. The presentation was great. It was one of my favourites. Plus, part of the reason I choose these was because I wasnt sure if it would be rude gifting j.a.panese sweets to a family that ran a cake shop. If my anklebiters spot these theyll be gone in an instant. Aunty will make sure to hide them somewhere safe, she said as she hugged the bag with mock protectiveness. Huhu! I liked this interaction. It reminded me of my mum from my old life. Wakabas shift finishes at 2 so she should be here soon. Oh, I see. It was almost half past two when I checked. How is Wakaba doing at school? Is that girl doing alright at a school like Suiran? Ugh! She hit where it hurt. No way did she know how hard Wakaba-chan had it at school. Yes. Takamichi-sans grades are exceptional, and recently she even joined the Student Council, you know? She seems to be getting along splendidly with them. I see. Im glad that shes managing, she smiled in relief. It hurt to see. Im back! That was when Wakaba-chan came back. I heard her footsteps against the floor as she ran into the room, taking off her scarf. You said that Kisshouin-san came over? When she saw me sitting on the sofa, she smiled. Welcome. Her mother and I welcomed her home, and I apologised to her for intruding. Since youre here now, Ill be heading back to the store, said her mum, so I thanked her again before she left. So whats up, Kisshouin-san? Did you need something? Well, no I just wanted to eat some of your cake again because they were so delicious last time. Since I was coming here anyhow, I just thought it might be nice to see you, was all. Oh okay. Sorry for making you wait then. No, it is my fault for suddenly coming here I had no idea you worked though. Eh? Ahh, yeah. Just for lunchtimes on weekends at a family restaurant. That time when I met you I was coming back from work too. Oh, I see. That time when I was biting into the ikayaki huh. ikayaki flashbacks Aah, Im pretty hungry. I havent had lunch yet so Im going to get some curry. If you havent had lunch yet, do you want some too? No, but thank you. Really? Wakaba-chan stood in the kitchen and began heating a pot up. It didnt take long for the appetising smell of curry to waft over to me. Uu my appet.i.te From the rice cooker, Wakaba-chan spooned out rice onto a dish, and then on top of that she put her curry. Hauu, it looked so good. Do you want a bite too? A bite Just a bite wouldnt be too shameless, right? Then, perhaps just a bite, since you offered. Okay~ And so Wakaba-chan placed two peoples worth of meals onto the table. Itadakimasu~ Itadakimasu. Carrot and large bits of potato in a curry sauce bought from the supermarket. Just a normal households meal. How I missed this. I tried a bite. Yummy! It is delicious. Yeah~ Its because I left the vegetables to soak in the curry overnight. Aahh, food after a day of hard work is so good! We smiled as we ate. Still, working part-time is forbidden at Suiran, so it might be best if you did not go broadcasting that. Oh, youre right. Ill take care! She really had to. It would be dreadful if her enemies found out. By the way, thank you so much for the shoes again. You really saved me. I tried washing those stained ones and it really didnt help after all. Oh I see. Please forget about that. I was never going to wear them again any how. I couldnt bring myself to throw it away, but I didnt want to wear them either. If anything I felt thankful that she took them off my hands. By the way, Takamichi-san, about what happened the other day It was hard to ask, but I still brought up the tracksuit incident on that rainy day. Was that something that Tsuruhana-san and her friends had a hand in? Eh? Hmmm Wakaba-chan had a troubled expression on her face. When she went home that day she was wearing her uniform, which was soaked just like she said, but I was sure that Tsuruhana-sans group was somehow involved. Despite some subtle investigations though, I never did get the truth. Takamichi-san? Umm, at lunch they called me out to the 1st floor emergency exit, said a bunch of things to me, and then shut me outside. Since the door was locked I couldnt get back in, so I ran around to the front entrance. The rain was pretty bad though, so I guess I got kinda soaked~ So that was what happened I had thought it wouldnt be much worse than having a bucket of water poured on her. How could they have locked her out during the freezing November rain. Just so you know, this is just between the two of us, okay? The two of us? Are you not going to report them? You could talk to Mizusaki-kun about this. Mizusaki-kun huh~ He was pretty persistent in asking what happened too, but I didnt want to make a huge deal out of it. But Its fine. Nothing really happened. Um, something did happen though. Say, Takamichi-san. Yes? If things ever get too bad for you, I can have a word with Tsuruhana-san, you know? Although honestly she had even more influence than in middle school. Unlike back then, there was no guarantee that Id come out on top. This newcomer was giving me just a bit of trouble. Ehh!? Its totally fine. I wouldnt want to trouble you. Its fine, fine. But Are you worried about me? Thanks, she beamed. If only Kaburagi-sama thought a little more about his actions Ahaha, Kaburagi-kun is a pretty funny person, isnt he? Kaburagi-kun? I asked. Ah, she exclaimed before covering her mouth. Ummm, Kaburagi-sama said since you use -kun with Mizusaki, do that with me too so Kaburagi Youre such a d.a.m.ned child. Im sorry, apologised Wakaba-chan, I wasnt thinking about how you felt. She must have misunderstood my frown. Eh? Why are you apologising? I was simply thinking about how much trouble he must be causing you. Huh? But, dont you, you know, like him? Hah? Like? Who are you talking about? Surely you cannot be speaking about Kaburagi-sama and I. Because if you are, you are very mistaken. Really? Yes! I stressed. This was important, so I was being extra clear. I see. I heard the rumours, so I was sure that Rumours are nothing to put stock in. I see~ she nodded with newfound enlightenment. By the way, I noticed some rather gorgeous flowers in your shopfront. Could those be Ah! You noticed? Yeah, Kaburagi-kun gave us those. The other day he came here to buy cakes and Goodness! So he really was coming here! Curse that guy for conquering all the cakes before I did. So did he come back here, or? Oh no, he didnt. But he has been here before a few times while we were working out the bike incident. Heh. I won. Not only was I allowed into the house, I was even treated to curry. Umm, would you be all right with me coming to buy your cakes again? Of course! Youre super welcome here! And if possible, keep this a secret from Kaburagi-sama? Ahaha, then itll just be our secret then. Gotcha~ After that we exchanged emails, and with newly bought cakes in hand, I hummed as I made my way home. I opened up the message I just received. Umewaka-kun sent me photos of Beatrice in a red kimono for her shichigosan. She even had chitose ame next to her. It was a proper shichigosan. Chitose ame (ǧr), literally thousand year candy, is given to children on Shichi-Go-San. Chitose ame is long, thin, red and white candy, which symbolizes healthy growth and longevity. It is given in a bag decorated with a crane and a turtle, which represent long life in j.a.pan. And wow, I never knew dogs wore kimono too. Whoa! Dont tell me that that Dog Maniac made it himself? No, no, it couldnt be. Bea-tan is three years old! The kimono fits me, right? Yup, yup, it looks great on you. The next photo was of my Bea-tan doll in a matching kimono. Apparently Umewaka-kun was a broadminded man who did not distinguish between his real and adopted daughters. Hmm, but shichigosan huh. At this rate he was definitely going to buy Beatrice a full set of dolls for Hinamatsuri. May Dog Lover-kun and Beatrice live happily ever after! Chapter 168 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . To my fellow Reika slaves, How are you? Im doing quite well myself.Its been two weeks since weve last spoken, hasnt it. Lately Ive been quite busy between university finals and some minor re-skilling at my job. I apologise for the lateness of this translation. I do have some good, if unrelated, new though! Second Life is getting official translations! The author and editors were all really nice about it, so Im 100% happy for them! Please support these translations if youre still interested. Aoi-chan messaged me. Apparently that stubborn boy from my school was now completely avoiding her at cram school. But when it was me, he wouldnt listen no matter how many times I tried. Youre so amazing, Reika-chan! How on earth did you do it? Geez. I just talked to him a little, thats all. As for the boy, he even reformed and stopped hara.s.sing Wakaba-chan. Alls well that ends well, huh? After all, before getting jealous of other people, you should think about improving through your own efforts first, right? Yup, yup. Haha. Not that this was just somebody elses problem. The term-end tests were fast approaching. If I wanted to cling to my position on the rankings board then I needed to study for my life. Wakaba-chan was always topping that list. How on earth did she study, I wonder. And just as I was determined to spend all my time studying, Otousama told me that I had to attend our familys corporate party. I was still a high schooler, as a minor to boot, so I always insisted on avoiding these business parties. This time, though, I apparently had to show my face as the chairmans daughter. Urghh~ Okaasama was in high spirits about it. Between dragging me to beauty salons, hair salons, and dress shopping, I was finding no time for studying at all. This was bad. This was really bad. I guess my only choice at this point was to cut down on sleep to get some studying done. Ugaaaaah! Despite my lack of time, at school I still had to hide that I was frantically studying. I avoided my textbooks during lunch breaks and instead hung out with my friends. Have you heard? Apparently Kaburagi-sama visits Enjou-samas cla.s.sroom every day. I have. He speaks to Takamichi-san every time, right? What on earth is Kaburagi-sama thinking. I still think its just a whim, but Right? It was almost certain that Kaburagi liked Wakaba-chan. Everybody knew this too, but they didnt want to admit it. Both Tsuruhana-san and the other girls who didnt see Wakaba-chan kindly were using every opportunity to pick on her. Unfortunately it wasnt something so obvious that Kaburagi noticed. Maybe that was why, unlike in the manga, their relationship hadnt progressed at all. I suppose a clear threat like the mangas Kisshouin Reika was necessary after all. Not to say I was even thinking of sticking my neck out for their romance. They would just have to work something out on their own. Besides their lack of progress though, I got the feeling that both Kaburagi and Wakaba-chan were in quite a different relationship to their manga counterparts. In Kimidol, Kaburagi was more mature. He was normally cool and collected, but when it came to Wakaba-chan he burned with pa.s.sion; the kind of character that could tickle a maidens heart. How on earth he turned out as an athletics carnival-obsessed man-child instead I have no idea. And Wakaba-chan wasnt any different. In the manga she was more Well, she was more normal I suppose Never in anybodys wildest dreams would she have stood around with her jaw hanging open, or have come to school in gumboots of all things, or gone foraging in the Suiran Forest, or, and I stress this, have been the kind of steel-skinned girl who paid her bullies absolutely no mind at all. Ah, no, I mean, I know that the real Wakaba-chan is doing her best too, though, but I still couldnt help but think she was a completely different person to the Wakaba-chan I knew. Really, it was throwing me all off. The tests were coming soon so I was taking a break from my club. I couldnt avoid at least showing up at the salon though. Haah, socialising was such a pain. Lately I noticed the Presidents faction discussing something with complicated expressions. It was kind of scaring me I wasnt sure what they were talking about but I could guess it was something to do with Wakaba-chan or the Student Council. Let sleeping dogs lie. I didnt see anything. I didnt hear anything. The only thing Im thinking about is the dessert in front of my eyes, I swear. Which was a charlotte aux pommes today, incidentally. Charlotte aux pommes, or an apple charlotte cake. What Reika enjoyed was most likely a bowl made from cake similar to bread or spongecake, and with layers of things such as custard, apple slices, fresh cream, mousse, apple puree, or crme bavaroise. The faint tanginess of the apples was delicious. I actually liked apple pies better, but having a charlotte sometimes was fantastic. While I was indulging in sweets-a.s.sisted escapism, shockingly Yukino-kun had entered the room with Enjou! Yukino-kun! Reika-oneesan! he beamed the moment he spotted me. Yukino-kun ran over to me. Yukino-kun, why are you here today? Ehehe, I asked Oniisama to bring me here to play. Aaah! What an angelic smile! All of the stress and weariness in my heart was disappearing! Yukino, make sure to greet everyone else first, Enjou said as he placed a hand on Yukino-kuns head from behind. Ah, oops, said Yukino-kun as he turned around and bowed. My name is Enjou Yukino. Pleased to meet you. With the smile of an angel, naturally. Just that was enough to lift the mood of the salon. The girls in particular had their hearts taken by his adorable charm. What a wonderful day it is that Enjou-sama has brought his younger brother along! Yukino-sama, we are very pleased to meet you. The President sat Yukino-kun down in the middle of the sofa, and had tea and sweets brought over to the table. Despite looking troubled by the crowd of surrounding oneesama, he answered each question with a smile. Off on the side, Enjou watched Yukino-kun as he spoke to me. Yukino said that he wanted to see you no matter what, so I gave in and brought him here. Goodness! I am very happy to hear that! He said he wanted to see me! I wanted to see you too, Yukino-kun! Still, since he had been taken by the President and her friends, I would just wait here quietly until he returned. Until then I suppose I could keep chatting with Enjou~ Is Kaburagi-sama not with you today? Apparently he had something on. I see. Something huh. He better not have gone to Wakaba-chans cake shop or something. Masayas been kind of restless recently, he said as his lips curved upwards. Your smile is scaring me. I see. The best choice was probably just to ignore it until the subject changed. Yeah. And lately he keeps coming to my cla.s.s for some reason. It doesnt seem to be me though. Geh! And hes telling that to me!? My, is that so. It is. We smiled at each other. Yukino-kun, hurry up and come baaaaack! Your Oniisan is scaring meee! By the time Yukino-kun had been released by the Presidents crowd, I was exhausted from the probing. I was curious about what Kaburagi wanted, yes, but on the other hand hearing all of this from Enjou was triggering danger signs in my head. Enjou pretty much only smiled like this when he was plotting something. Yukino-kun, who was totally unlike his two-faced older brother, told me about how he had been practising his latte art recently. Reika-oneesan, I heard that youre particular about the Chinese Zodiac. Ill try my very best so that I can finish all twelve of them! Who was it!? Who was it that put weird lies into Yukino-kuns head!? I tried to clear up the misunderstanding but Yukino-kun wasnt listening at all. Right now Im working on making the Ox. Drawing an ox with milk huh. Well, I suppose its not like it didnt fit, but Chapter 169 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . On the day of the party I was told to immediately head to the hair salon after school. There, they did my hair and make-up, before leaving with Okaasama straight for the hotel where the party was being held. Otousama and Oniisama would be headed here after work so until then I decided to just have a sandwich and study in the waiting room or something. I didnt want to get my dress creased so Id leave it off until the last minute. Tonight I would be wearing a loose dress. Hm, this ham sandwich was pretty good. Reika-san, you shouldnt eat too much. You wont be able to fit in your dress. Okaay Apparently they hadnt been lying to me about this being an important party for us. Even Ririna who was just a relative was here. Her exams were coming up too. I could sympathise with her family issues cutting down on her study time. Huh, Ririna had better grades than me, didnt she. Maybe I could ask for her study methods later. As for me, although I was the daughter of the chairman, not only was I still a high schooler, but I wasnt even the heir. Today I was basically just here as an extra. All I had to do was stand with my family and keep smiling. After a while, Otousama was surrounded by other important men, while Okaasama was surrounded by ladies she was close with, so I decided to leave and wander about to see if there was somewhere with less people. Oniisama had already been caught by the same girls who were aiming to be his bride. G.o.dspeed, Oniisama. I greeted people with a smile as I walked about until I came across Narutomi Akimi-san. She was the woman woman I met at the fasting course. Akimi-san. Ah, Reika-san. A little chubby-looking, for some reason I felt really warm and relaxed around her. Thank you very much for inviting me tonight. Thank you for attending when you must be so busy. She noticed me looking at the food in her hands. The food here is really good. I think I might have eaten too much, she smiled in embarra.s.sment. My, I am overjoyed that it is to your taste. I constantly told Otousama that the most important thing for these parties was the food. These corporate parties were already boring at best, so if the food wasnt even yummy what the h.e.l.l was even the point. And since I was talking about food anyhow, I made sure to tell him to make sure the company cafeteria was good too. If the employees had good food then theyd be more motivated. That meant one step further away from our downfall! Its important to start with the small things. Will you not be eating, Reika-san? Ehh, perhaps later Yeah. Even if the food was great, it was difficult as an ojousama to eat your fill at these parties. Reapplying the gloss was a pain, and if you ate too much your stomach would bulge too. And for careless people like me it would be a disaster if I accidentally got some sauce on my dress. Still, wed be bringing home the food that you could take home, so I could enjoy myself later~ The scallops meunire that she was having looked great. I think I wanted some too. I wonder if it was on the list of take-home foods. A few men suddenly pa.s.sed us. Of course the fatty is eating, said one of them, and the others laughed along. Akimi-sans expression changed in a heartbeat. What a.s.sholes! I had just taken a step in their direction when Akimi-san stopped me. Akimi-san? Its fine, Reika-san. But I am fat she smiled feebly. What did that have to do with anything. Somebody needed to teach those insensitive a.s.sholes the fear of G.o.d! She didnt have to worry so much. Its wasnt like I was going to charge up and tell them to apologise. Any apology I could wring out of idiots like them would just be insincere, and in the process it would turn her into a spectacle. You had to fight fire with fire. Instead, I was planning to flick some brown demiglace sauce on the b.u.t.t of their trousers. Then all I had to do was shame them! Goodness. What in heavens is that stench or something like that! You guys should just be forever known as the p.o.o.p boys! Ukekekekekekekekeke! Please excuse me. Im going to touch up my makeup Akimi-san placed her empty dish down and she left the room as I watched her go. Once she was gone, I headed off for my journey of revenge. When I came back from my journey, I noticed Imari-sama waving at me. Imari-sama! Good evening, Reika-chan. And goodness, he was just radiating mature charm once again. That wine red dress youre wearing this evening is a bit more mature than usual. I couldnt help but stare. You were like a rose spirit. Hauu! An arrow of bewitchment shot through my heart! Luckily I had high resistance from knowing him since I was little! Imari-sama picked out a gla.s.s of non-alcoholic wine for me in the colour of my dress. Popular men were always attentive to these sort of things. We chatted about Oniisama for a while before touching on the topic I was most interested in. By the way, Imari-sama, is the story about you being stabbed by a woman true? Eh!? Reika-chan, how did you know about that!? Did you hear it from Takateru? A little bird told me. I couldnt exactly answer Eavesdropping. now could I? Ah boy, I never would have thought that you knew, Reika-chan. But calling it stabbing is just exaggerating. Is that so? Yeah. I just got into a bit of a tiff with a woman who was holding a knife, and it just happened to cut my left palm a bit. Look. See? Thanks to that the fortunes off my palm readings have completely changed. When I looked there really was a small white scar. Still, stabbing or not, blood really had been spoilt. What kind of life was Imari-sama even living Oh, hang on. Could it be? Come to think of it, when you were a high school student in Suiran you were in the Basketball Club, were you not? Ohh! So you remembered~ Thats right. I was in the Basketball Club. G.o.d, that brings back memories~ Oh my G.o.d! So being some womaniser was actually characteristic of the Suiran Basketball Club!? Suiran Academys Boys Basketball Club. A.K.A. the Casanova Village, sworn enemies of the Forever Alone Village. Reika-san! While we continued to chat, Ririna came trotting over. Oh, Ririna. Its been a while, Ririna-chan. Gokigenyoh, Imari-sama. Geez, it took so long to get away from Okaasama! she huffed as she took a drink from a server. After having a gulp, she sighed. My condolences, I offered. Ririna-chan, youre wearing a bit of lily perfume today, arent you. Its a perfect fit for your name, isnt it, just like your dress tonight is a perfect fit for you. Oh my G.o.d! Apparently the Chief of the Casanova Village possessed a skill that allowed him to identify womens perfumes too. No wonder he was Chief. Thank you replied Ririna as her mouth threatened to smile happily. Her mood had taken a 180 with just a few words. One day Imari-sama was going to get stabbed for real. Since I noticed Akimi-san coming back, I signalled her over. I hoped she was okay now. Maybe it was just an excuse for her to go cry She was smiling as she came over, but she was startled when she realised Imari-sama was standing next to me. Akimi-san. I think you may already know, but this is Momozono Imari-sama. He and my Oniisama have been friends since they were young. Imari-sama, this is Narutomi Akimi-san, whose care I have enjoyed. As for this girl, her name is Kotou Ririna, my younger cousin. U-Um, please to meet you. My name is Narutomi Akimi Nice to meet you. Reika-chan never told me she had such a lovely friend. So how do you write Akimi? U-, Umm, aki as in refulgent, and mi as in beautiful I see, I see. It suits you perfectly. Perhaps a drink then, for the lovely lady. Akimi-san was fl.u.s.tered and bright red. I wasnt surprised. Casanova Village Chief, I see what kind of life you live Ah well, as long as Akimi-san wasnt sad anymore. But Akimi-san looked completely entranced by him. Oh dear. Akimi-san, thats a bad man, you know~ Good evening, Kisshouin-san. This time it was Kaburagi and Enjou. Ueeehh Oh. In front of the three shining young men, Akimi-san had blown a fuse. Hang in there, Akimi-san! Oh my G.o.d! So the Suiran Basketball Club was actually characteristic of being some womanisers hang out!? Excerpt from Chapter 154: Last was the Basketball Club. Oh my, no need to look so scared. I only have one line for you. "You laid your hands on your senpai''s girlfriend, did you not?" Chapter 170 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Aside from Akimi-san, everybody here was either a student or alumni of Suiran, so there wasnt much introduction to be had. Come to think of it, Ririna had followed Kaburagi like crazy when she entered Suiran. Then when Enjou told her off she started behaving herself. She never did mention liking Kaburagi again, but I wondered if she had any feelings left. I glanced over at her but Nope, didnt seem so. All I registered was wariness. Against whom though? More Enjou than Kaburagi it looked like. Well, maybe when he chewed her out she realised what a troublesome person he was. Enjou had enough sense for some polite flattery for the three of us, but all Kaburagi mentioned besides the scope of the party was: The foods pretty good. Thats what he was praising!? Not that I wasnt okay with that, because it was honestly what I was happiest to hear. Well Chairman Kisshouin is known as the Gourmet President, and the Connoisseur Chairman after all. Eh!? Seriously!? I had no idea people thought of him that way! Hmph, pretty pretentious for a tanuki. Kaburagi asked if we had eaten, but Ririna and I had only touched the drinks. Are you on some stupid weight loss scheme again? No, that is not I simply have not found the time to eat yet with all the guests to greet, I explained. Im the same echoed Ririna. Kaburagi shot us a dubious gaze. Hmmmm The chefs have invested so much skill and effort into these dishes and youre alright wasting them for some diet? I hate people like that. The two of us flinched. Come on, Kisshouin-san isnt that kind of girl, right? Enjou stepped in, She never leaves any of her lunch behind, and isnt she always eating desserts at the salon? Right, right, followed Imari-sama, To begin with, Takateru told me the reason these Kisshouin parties are known for their food is because of Reika-chans advice. True Kaburagi nodded in acceptance. Kaburagi turned his gaze to Akimi-san next. I-I think the temarizushi was really good, she reported, a little frightened. Ahh, women do love that kind of thing. Im more partial to something with a bit more meat, myself, he chuckled. I suppose praising the food was the right answer to him. The two of them began chatting about which foods were good tonight. You know, Kaburagi, I have to wonder what you mean by talking to a young woman about nothing but food. Were at a high cla.s.s party here, filled with girls in their youth. Dont you have anything cooler to talk about? As for Akimi-san, her eyes were swimming all over the place. it looked like she was. .h.i.tting her limit. Do your best, Akimi-san~ Oh yeah, by the way, Kisshouin. Youve been jogging, yeah? Cant say it seems to be working though. Hah? Working? What did he mean working? As in my stamina wasnt any better? As in I was still slow? Or did he G.o.dd.a.m.n mean that the weight loss wasnt working!? Ill kill him! Ill definitely curse him to death! What do you mean jogging!? Jogging is jogging! Despite being silent all this time, Ririna looked like she was ready to argue now and took a step forward. Goodness, excuse you! Reika-san might have been fat for a while, but right now her stomach is slim as anything! she patted my tummy for emphasis. Everybody stared at my stomach. Ririna looked smug and triumphant, but I was feeling faint from the embarra.s.sment. What are you doing you idiot!! Dont you know that that kind of help just deals the finishing blow!? As for Akimi-san, she couldnt stomach the looks of jealousy she was getting for being around these hot guys anymore. Please excuse me. Im feeling a little tipsy so I think Ill sit down for a while Of course Imari-sama couldnt just let that go either. Are you all right? he asked, Let me escort you over to the chairs, he said as he gently held out a hand. Stop ittt, Casanova Village Chief! Youre going to finish her off in another sense! Red-faced and tottering, Akimi-san was escorted off by Imari-sama. Ill go as well, said Ririna before chasing after Akimi-san protectively. I suppose that was fine though. As long as Ririna was there, none of his fans would get off lightly for bullying Akimi-san. Hm? Wai-, huh? Didnt this mean I was left with just these two? Wha-, wait up! Ill come too! But before I had a chance to leave, this time it was Enjous okaasama that appeared. Guwahh, my chance to get away! This is where you were, Shuusuke? Good evening, Reika-san. My son has been in your care. I wasnt too familiar with her, and had only seen her a few times at graduation and the like. I had been using my age as an excuse to get out of these parties after all. No, no, it is always I who troubles him I said with an insincere smile. Unlike Madam Kaburagis gallant impression, this woman seemed softer and reserved. Maybe Yuiko-san was a relative of hers. Oh, come to think of it, if Enjous parents were here, and Enjou was here, did that mean? Ummm Is Yukino-kun at home by himself tonight? I hoped he wasnt too lonely. He was too young to be staying at home alone. Back when I skipped out on the parties I still always had Oniisama around. Yes, but he has a minder. He should be just about done with his tutor right about now. My, a home tutor? That was harsh for a 1st grader. Yukino is always being hospitalised so he needs a way to catch up on his studies, Enjou explained after noticing my concern. So that was why. Oh, but come to think of it, didnt I start cram school when I was in Year 1? Yukinos gotten quite attached to Kisshouin-san. Truly? Hes always so hard to please though. Hard to please? Was she talking about the gentle, angelic Yukino-kun? I personally think Yukino-kun is a very kind and well-behaved boy, I said earnestly. Mrs. Enjou smiled at me. Why thank you. Yukino has been ill since he little, so sometimes he can be a little demanding but please get along with him, all right? Of course. I love spending time with him. That d.a.m.ned kid has been all about imitating Shuusukes latte art recently, Kaburagi suddenly added, The last time I went over to Shuusukes that kid had already managed a heart, you know. He said that he wanted to make one for you, so I told him Kisshouin would be happier to get the Chinese Zodiac. Kaburagi, the one spouting weird lies into Yukino-kuns head was youuu!? Chinese Zodiac? Speaking of which, recently my son has been practising an ox That was thanks to you, Reika-san? The kid told me that hed mastered the rat already. Isnt that great, Kisshouin? Oh G.o.d, please just stop! Youre giving his mum the wrong idea! Youre wrong, Mrs. Enjou! Im absolutely not some kind of Chinese Zodiac-obsessed weirdo! Please dont think of me as some bad influence! Im not some strange woman! While all this was happening, Enjou was smiling at ease. Do something about your best friend already! And fix this misunderstanding with your mum! That was when Mrs. Kaburagi came over. At some point this situation had turned into a total Away Game for me. I was surrounded by enemies in every direction. Imari-sama, Akimi-san, Ririna, comeee baaaack~! But my telepathy failed to activate, and Mrs. Kaburagi ended up inviting me to some Christmas party. I already have some plans with friends I desperately turned her down. Please dont ask me what friends~! It was a total lie! Aah, my stomach Im done for In the end it was Oniisama who saved me. It was your sixth sense as a sibling wasnt it, Oniisama! In the end the only one I could rely on was Oniisama wasnt it! The temarizushi was part of what we took home later. With one hand I ate them, and with the other I stabbed the black panther doll I was making with Kaburagi in mind. A pox, a pox, a pox, a pox, a pox An email came from Akimi-san. A wallflower like me got to experience such a wonderful dream Its fine that you enjoyed it, but Imari-sama is the only person you cant fall for, Akimi-san! Chapter 171 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Hans Axel von Fersen (4 September 1755 - 20 June 1810) was a Swedish count, Marshal of the Realm of Sweden, a General of Horse in the Royal Swedish Army, one of the Lords of the Realm, aide-de-camp to Rochambeau in the American Revolutionary War, diplomat and statesman, and a friend of Queen Marie-Antoinette of France. He died at the hands of a Stockholm lynch mob. Charles-Henri Sanson, full t.i.tle Chevalier Charles-Henri Sanson de Longval (15 February 1739 - 4 July 1806) was the royal executioner of France during the reign of King Louis XVI, and High Executioner of the First French Republic. He administered capital punishment in the city of Paris for over forty years, and by his own hand executed nearly 3,000 people, including the King himself. Louis Antoine Lon de Saint-Just (25 August 1767 - 28 July 1794) was a military and political leader during the French Revolution. He spearheaded the movement to execute King Louis XVI and later drafted the radical French Const.i.tution of 1793. He became a close friend of Maximilien Robespierre, and served with him as one of the commissioners of the powerful Committee of Public Safety. Maximilien Fran?ois Marie Isidore de Robespierre (6 May 1758 - 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and politician. He is perhaps best known for his role in the French Revolutions Reign of Terror, a period during the French Revolution characterised by ma.s.s executions. Anyhow, what I took away from that last party was that there were no signs of our family being destroyed at this point. Everyone from our company screamed Elite! and Capable!. Not only were they all quite accomplished at work, but their expressions seemed positive too. Thanks to my constant reminders Otousama wasnt doing anything dishonest, and best of all Oniisama was working there! I could count on Oniisama to stop Otousama trying to do commit fraud or attempt any hostile takeovers. And we had the secretary Sasajima-san too. Okaasama might have been quite a spender, but it wasnt so much that our family was in danger, and I liked to think that I was spending modestly too. As for our destroyers from the manga, while we werent particularly close to the Kaburagi family, neither were we on bad terms. At the very least they didnt have a reason to destroy us. Probably. At this rate I didnt think Id end up needing to go to another university. Suiran University probably wouldnt be a problem. Because geez, if it wasnt for the school fees I reaaally wanted to go to Suiran. I was humming thoughtfully to myself with a pillow in hand as I sat in the living room after my dinner and bath. Oniisama came back from work and asked what I was doing. Hmmm, I suppose I am wondering about what I want to do in the future. Future? You werent planning on going to Suirans university? Well that would be ideal but Oniisama slackened his tie as he took a seat next to me. Then whats the problem? Are the grade requirements for your major too high? No, I am not even sure what faculty I want to enter yet. I suppose I was just kind of wondering about the school fees? School fees? Oniisama looked at me strangely. Well, of course he did. Why would a daughter of the Kisshouin family have to worry about paying her school fees. For example, if our family suddenly became bankrupt I was wondering if I could afford them in that case Bankrupt? You always have the most negative daydreams, dont you, Reika. Youve been like this since you were a kid. Is there some reason, or? Not exactly I couldnt exactly say I read a manga in my last life, Oniisama. Hed think I was mental. I sat in silence as Oniisama sighed, placing a hand on my head. You know, Reika, I dont know why youre so worried about that, but both our company and our family are doing just fine. And even if something did happen to our family, I at least have enough money to pay for one sisters tuition fees. If you have a university you want to go to, then just go. Alright? His rea.s.suring smile cleared away my worries. Of course! I had Oniisama, didnt I. Of course everything was going to be alright. I wasnt alone. You should rely on your family more, Reika. Yeah. Thank you. This morning Kaburagi visited Wakaba-chans cla.s.s, as was the norm. Although Wakaba-chan referred to him as Kaburagi-sama now, when speaking to him directly she used Kaburagi-kun as he instructed. Even though he basically forced her into it, people were still unhappy about it. In the salon the President was coldly listening to her daily report on Takamichi Wakaba. The use of Kaburagi-kun by an ordinary student like Wakaba-chan was outrageous to her group. A number of the Suiran supremacists had already warned her to know her place but since she told them that it was at Kaburagis instruction, none of them could escalate further. Which of course just worsened their ire of her. The Presidents group were gathered in their corner, as usual, whispering about something or other. Since I had tests to study for I left the salon early today and made my way to the car park. On the way I happened to meet Kaburagi. Gokigenyoh, Kaburagi-sama. Are you leaving for the day? Yeah. I bet he was secretly studying away to keep his ranking. Thank you finding the time to come to our humble party, the other night. No, thanks for inviting me. I had fun. Whoa! Of all people, Kaburagi was being polite to me! Kaburagi suddenly glanced into the distance. At the end of his gaze was who seemed to be Wakaba-chan.He stood there watching until the figure left. Kaburagi-sama Hm? he continued staring in that direction. Were you aware that a great many people are jealous because of all the attention you pay to Takamichi-san? Eh? He turned to face me but I bade him farewell and got into my car. I somehow managed to finish the end-of-term tests. They were always hard because of how much more content you had to study for than the mid-terms. I didnt have much in the way of memory storage, so whenever I remembered something new it just pushed out what I studied earlier. Wasnt there some way of fixing this? During the test there was something related to the test written on Wakaba-chans desk. Thankfully she realised and notified the teacher beforehand. If she hadnt she might have been accused of cheating. I hoped the scare didnt affect her performance My Vice President at the Handicrafts Club came to my cla.s.s. Um, Reika-sama. Club Activities will be recommencing today. Will you be attending? I was super happy that she was here to invite me, but I already had that planned for today. I am sorry. Today I must head to the Pivoine salon no matter what. If I can find the time afterwards, I would certainly like to head to the club, but The President of the Pivoine had asked me to come to the salon after the term-end exams. I didnt want to be I had a bad feeling about this I see. Well, weve all just finished our exams, so I dont think many people will be coming today anyhow. Please dont push yourself and just head home. I see. Thank you. If I had my way then Id be heading to the Handicrafts Club too. It was getting cold, so I was thinking about knitting myself a haramaki belly warmer for winter. But I couldnt exactly refuse the invitation of the President of all people. I trudged my way there with heavy heart, and when I arrived at the salon I was met by the smiles of the President and her friends. Sorry for calling you here so soon after your exams, Reika-sama. No, please do not be. Was there something you wished to speak about? Yes, we did. Right, everybody? Everyone nodded. The truth is that we would like you to be the next President of the Pivoine. Eh!? Me!? Me!? Thats impossible! To begin with, why me!? The President needed the power to control these people! How on earth could I even go about controlling the likes of Enjou and Kaburagi. Particularly Kaburagi! If there was somebody who continually undermined the words of the leader, pretty soon everybody would follow. And if the non-members saw that n.o.body was listening to me theyd think of me as an easy mark as well. And then at the end theyd stage a revolution! Oh no, Id be headed for the guillotine If I was the Rococo Queen then that made Fellow Stalking Horse Robespierre! Eh!? Then did that make Wakaba-chan Saint-Just!? Nooooooooooooooo! Save meee, Ferseeeen! Reika-sama? Whoa! Talk about losing a grip on reality! I am unsure that I am suited for Everything will be fine! We will persuade younger members to see things our way. The Pivoine wont lose to the likes of the Student Council! No, no, I dont want to fight it out with the Student Council at all. Dont tell me she was going to turn me into a puppet President and control the Pivoine after graduation? Please, Reika-sama, for the good of the Pivoine. Impossible I couldnt see any future in it except for isolation. Sanson the Executioner was already beckoning for me Oh dear, I think my hair was going to turn white from the stress Since the exams are done, wanna come over and hang? came the message from Wakaba-chan. I super do! Youre the only one I can voice my complaints to, Wakaba-chaaan~! Hi ! Chapter 172 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Oh whoops. I mistyped, haha! Sorry to expectant Wakaba shippers! Ah, but dont worry. Better things are coming up on that front, so give it a few weeks! Oh, and after much neglect, going to start finishing off the Evil G.o.d Volume 3s free chapters, as well as start up Tileas Worries again, since exams are finishing soon. Also Christmas is considered by j.a.panese as also being a romantic occasion. When I met up with Aoi-chan that weekend I started ranting about being asked to become the Pivoines president. In other words you dont want to become the president of that group? Mmn. Absolutely not. Its too heavy. Cla.s.s president is about as much responsibility as I can handle. I see Then is there anybody else suitable? In my opinion it should have been Kaburagi as the most influential member. If not then Enjou maybe. But Kaburagi would never agree to something so trouble. I couldnt see him being interested in the power over the Pivoine either. But obviously Youko-sama and co. knew all of this or they wouldnt have come to me to begin with, huh I can only think of two others but theyd never accept I suppose there was at least the possibility that Enjou would accept if he was asked, but I didnt have high hopes for it. Is the workload really that bad? I dont think the work would be all that bad The work for the Summer Party and other events were all outsourced, and the Pivoines concierge did all of the clerical work. Compared to the Student Council President, you could say that the President of the Pivoine did basically nothing. I think that was why the role wasnt pa.s.sed on until December, despite the exams. But you still dont want it? Yeah Thats rough, she consoled me when my phone, which I had left in silent, began to vibrate in my bag. Oh? Arent you going to get that, Reika-chan? Sorry. Could I? Of course! The sender field read Sakura-chan. It turned out to be an invitation to hang out since she was free right now. d.a.m.ned Sakura. Did she think I just sat around at home every weekend? A friend of mine was inviting me to hang out. Oh okay. No problems? Yeah. I texted her back and said that I was already with another friend so I couldnt. Hehe, even I have friends to hang with on a weekend, you know. Shes from Yurinomiya. We met while we were in primary and for a while we went to the same cram school. Even though she looks like a perfect j.a.panese doll, her personality is actually pretty funny. Huh~ Then why dont you invite her here? Eh!? Is that okay!? Yeah. Im fine with it. Being fine with a stranger coming along would have been unimaginable in primary school, given that she was shy enough to run from me. Huh. Or was it just that I was that scary back then? Haha, no way, right? Well then, I guess Ill ask her. Actually it was Sakura-chan who was liable to turn this down. After all, she was always playing the sweet girl with other people. Or so I thought, until her next message arrived. Im already close by. Be there soon. Ehh!? Everyone was so sociable today! Shes coming, I said. Oh okay, she smiled. Does she know where the place is? Wow, so she really didnt care Sakura-chan wasnt lying about being close-by. She was there right away. Hi, Im Yorino Aoi. Nice to meet you. Im f.u.kioka Sakurako. I had been worried that it would be awkward, but the two of them really hit it off. Mostly with love-talk. So youre going out with a guy from your school, Aoi-chan. Thats sooo nice. But dont you have a boyfriend in Suiran, Sakurako-chan? Were not officially dating yet though. I just need to give him a bit of a push. I had heard from Sakura-chan that Akizawa-kuns att.i.tude had changed after the School Festival. Apparently he finally realised his feelings for her after what happened with Dite. Well done, Dite. And speaking of Dite he hadnt given up on Sakura-chan yet. Sometimes he spoke to me about his pa.s.sionate feelings for Sakura-chan, and even made poured those feelings into violin CDs that I ended up having to listen to. Yet another troublesome thing in my life. Please help me, Kisshouin-kun! hed say each time, but since there was no way Sakura-chan would ever give up on Akizawa-kun, I couldnt do anything except advise him to search for a new love. And getting rid of that afro would be a great first step. So Ive been making him one lunch a week, you see? said Aoi-chan, But compared to the lunches I actually put effort into, it was only when it was a simple ginger pork on rice did he really enjoy it. It was sooo depressing. I know what you mean! I spend so much time making some of these things for Tak.u.mi but he prefers the karaage of all things. Its really discouraging. I make lunch for his track and field championships but each time he just keeps asking for karaage, karaage, like a broken record. Why do I even bother. Aah, I know how you feel~ Fried food is a winner with them, isnt it. My boyfriend loves fried prawns too. Mmn. Making anything else feels like a waste of effort. But then Tak.u.mi always says You make the best karaage, Sakurako so I cant help but keep making it for him, you know~? Ah. So youve gone back to praising him? Uhuhu~ Sakura-chan and Aoi-chan continued talking about what they were making their boyfriends. What did you make recently? Hmm, deep-fried pacific saury? He liked that it was salty and sweet. Oh, and some cabbage rolls. Cabbage rolls are a good choice. Made in broth though? Or is it tomato sauce? My family uses broth, but tomato sauce is nice too. And if you use dried parsley with the tomato sauce the colour is fantastic. Mhm, mhm. I was being left out. The two of them could cook as though it was natural I could barely make desserts. For some reason it was making me anxious. Maybe it wouldnt be a bad idea to learn, for my future boyfriend So what are you doing for Christmas? My school is Catholic so well be busy with a bazaar, and a musical performance with handbells at the church. Every year we have a Christmas party at Tak.u.mis though, so thats what Ill be doing in the evening. As expected of family friends. It seemed that each year Sakura-chan roasted turkey with his mum and older sister. Given that she was his childhood friend, and his mother already doted on Sakura-chan like her own, Akizawa-kun was probably going to have to just accept his fate. I want to see the Christmas lights too. That sounds nice~ Ive thought about going myself, but maybe before the day since its going to be packed. That was my plan too. Where are you going, anyhow? And then they began happily talking about their Christmas plans. I sat there silently and sipped on my tea. Tsk. What Christmas. A blizzard ought to just come in and clog up the traffic. Through Enjou, Yukino-kun told me that he wanted to show off the results of his latte art training, so I happily headed to the Pet.i.t Pivoine. When I arrived I was greeted by little angels. Reika-oneesan, quickly sit down! guided Yukino-kun. I did as he said, and he began demonstrating his latte art skills. Yukino-kun, will you make some for us too? asked Mao-chan. Sure. And so after that he drew three hearts in a row. For some reason there was a beautifully drawn ox sitting in front of me instead. Huh. Was this a holstein? You did a splendid job drawing this cow. Ehehe, I tried really hard, he smiled happily. I took a picture of it before helping myself. Mn, yummy. Oh yeah, Reika-oneesan, thank you for the cake the other day. The little pistachio cake was delicious? Oh? I am happy to hear that. Since Yukino-kun had to stay at home during the party the other day, I had Enjou carry a set of the hotels mini cakes home for him. When I was small Oniisama would always bring cakes and desserts back from the parties for me, so I was just following his lead. What are you doing for Christmas, Reika-oneesan? Me? Oh, I have a few things planned with some friends of mine I unconsciously put on airs since Yukino-kun asked. Ehhh!? exclaimed Mao-chan, But I wanted you to come to my Christmas party, Reika-oneesama! Youre dropping in too, right, Yukino-kun? Yes, he nodded. Ehh!? Really!? Why did I have to satisfy my stupid pride Thanks to that I wasted my own chance at spending Christmas with cute little angels! Reika, you idiot! I couldnt just take back my words now either Mao-chan suggested exchanging presents and they began to talk about their plans for the party. Uuu, I wanted to come too. Today was the day of the term-end exam results. With my face beaming the usual I dont really care about my ranking at all~ I made my way to the board, only to find that I really wasnt in the top 30. Guoooh!! I just had no luck recently. Maybe the curse I set on Kaburagis panther totem had come back to roost Cabbage roll in broth Cabbage roll in tomato sauce Chapter 173 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Ever since Oniisama told me not to worry about school fees I felt so relaxed~ I suppose that was why I was slacking off lately. Having to go to that party hadnt helped. I still like to think that I studied properly though. Part of the reason I didnt make it onto the ranking board was probably that some people were beginning to study properly now. It was coming to the point where we had to start thinking about our futures. Internal students like me were at least guaranteed a university entrance, but that wasnt to say that getting into the popular courses would be easy. Aaah~ If I didnt get my act together my grades were probably going to keep slipping Anyway, it was Kaburagi in 1st place and Enjou in 2nd this time. They really were something else. Even though they were both at the party, unlike a certain somebody their grades hadnt dropped at all. I liked to think it was because their mothers hadnt dragged them around to beauty salons and hairdressers. Yeah, thats what Im going with. As for Wakaba-chan whose bullying had escalated to being framed as a cheater, she was at 4th place having been beaten out by Fellow Stalking Horse. 4th place after all that was amazing. I wished she could share some of those smarts with me. Even though she was the smartest girl in the grade youd never know from looking at her. As usual she was standing around with her mouth hanging open, and hair on the back of her head was sticking this way and that. Please be a bit more careful, Wakaba-chan! There are so many things to tease you on! Studies are all that ugly b.i.t.c.h has, after all. She studies to the point that she doesnt care about how she looks anymore. Can you even call that a girl~? Despite people badmouthing her from right behind, Wakaba-chan paid them no heed at all. No doubt she was daydreaming about the lunch shed be treating herself to. Takamichi. Ah, Mizusaki-kun. The girls who had been badmouthing her scattered at Fellow Stalking Horses arrival. Geez, I lost to you this time. Youre still 4th. And I barely beat you this time. Not that I wont be studying hard to do this again though. Yeah. Do your best. You still have room to say that? Ahaha. The two of them seemed to be getting along quite well. Was it because they were both in the Student Council? And Wakaba-chans att.i.tude was relaxed in a way that she wasnt during interactions with Kaburagi. Uwah, the faces of the Prime Arima fans were kinda terrifying right now. The squeals of girls heralded Kaburagi and Enjou. Perhaps because the rings of girls had already informed them but they simply glanced at the top of the board and that was it. What the h.e.l.l. Be a little more glad about this. I wasnt even on the list. The two of them were about to head back when Kaburagi caught sight of Wakaba-chan and stopped. Sup. Ah, congratulations on 1st place. Isnt it a given? Aah. His expression had softened a bit. I guess he was happy to see her in the morning. Given the difference in treatment with other girls I could see why everyone was so jealous of her. As Wakaba-chan stood with her back to the board, Fellow Stalking Horse stood to her side. In front of her stood Kaburagi. And a little distance behind him was Enjou. One girl, surrounded by the three boys who were arguably the most popular in the entirety of the high school section. And that girl was Wakaba-chan. Wasnt this kind of bad? Look! See! People from the Presidents group were glaring at them right now! Wakaba-chaaan, theres less than a month left until graduation. Pleaaase dont get in trouble until then. Of course she was immediately surrounded in the locker room after gym cla.s.s. Youre really getting ahead of yourself! You werent fine with just Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama but even had to force Mizusaki-kun to wait on you!? You suuure are good at sucking up to boys~ By the time I heard about this Wakaba-chan was already surrounded by a ring of girls. And since no boys were here to see, none of them were holding back. Is it true that you came here as a gold digger? With that face? Are you joking? But shes not doing too bad at deceiving Kaburagi-sama, is she~ Just as planned, right? Wakaba-chan didnt say anything in return. She should have. Then again it would have just made things worse. Wakaba-chan didnt seem to mind, but it was hurting me to watch. Your family owns a cake shop, I hear. That got a twitch out of her. The girls seemed to notice because they smiled nastily and picked that to attack. Gosh. It must be a famous patisserie, Im sure. Why, the patissier has probably competed in the La Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie. Right? Theres no way Suiran would let in a child from some tiny local bakery after all. I heard it was a pretty cheap place. I wonder what they use as ingredients. That crossed the line. How could they talk about her parents like that! Wakaba-chans expression had changed. She loved her family after all. They were so cruel! I couldnt watch any longer! I enjoyed it. Cake from Takamichi-sans store. Reika-sama! I entered their little ring. Eh, umm, Reika-sama It was a soft and pleasant flavour. It only took one taste to make me a fan. Both the strawberry shortcake and cream puffs were delicious. When I bought some to bring home with me, Oniisama loved them too. Apparently he liked the Swiss rolls the most. But perhaps the two of us simply have no taste. According to you girls. I leveled a harsh gaze over the girls who had been laughing at her. Each of them hung their heads as I looked at them. Some of them had a crush on Oniisama while he was enrolled here, and some others had cousins or older sisters aiming for him. Protect me with your powers, Oniisama! Reika-sama and Takateru-sama muttered one. We didnt mean Didnt mean what? I questioned. The changing room was dead silent. I am not fond of that way of doing things. The group of girls began to disperse. As my heart went crazy in my chest I left as well, somehow managing to cover up the shaking in my legs. Later on Serika-chan and the others asked why I had been to Wakaba-chans place, so I just said that I had entered the place on a whim only to find out it was Wakaba-chans. Aahh, what was I going to do about this if the President heard That night Wakaba-chan messaged me for the first time. Im going to especially make you a Yule Log as thanks! According to your choice of words is more literally According to the tone and choice of words I heard just now. Chapter 174 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Also, please fix up as required: Yesterday, that Takamichi Wakaba girl caused problems again, I see. The President stopped to enjoy a sip of tea. Because of that one girl the entire school has been thrown into chaos and ill-discipline. Dont you all agree? Her allies agreed and their dislike of Wakaba-chan showed in their expressions. I just smiled and stayed silent. Since yesterday I had been terrified that she would call me out on defending Wakaba-chan and I could tell the moment was here. The moment I arrived in the salon after school today, the President called me over for some tea. My heart hadnt stopped thumping since. This wasnt going to be a problem was it? There was an urban myth that mammals were born with a set number of heartbeats. I hoped I wasnt using mine up. What do you think, Reika-sama? I knew it! Not much, but I From what I hear, you stopped a group of girls from confronting Takamichi-san? Ueegghh, there were little waves in my teacup from the shaking Come on, Reika! Youre an actress right now! Yes. I was told that there was a disturbance so I went to investigate, only to hear something that I could not accept and, well My Even if Takamichi-san herself has problems, I cannot agree with insulting her family as well. It would hurt me deeply if anybody disparaged my own family I said as I placed a hand to my chest and tried my best to look sad. The people around began to sympathise with me, because Everybody knows how close Reika-sama is with her family Youre a kind person, so no wonder you couldnt overlook that. Insulting family is certainly cla.s.sless. Yes But if we examine the root cause, this was all because Takamichi-san earned the enmity of so many people by failing to understand propriety. If it wasnt for her lack of consideration, Reika-sama would never have had to have been hurt. Eh Everybody voiced their agreement. Poor Reika-sama. Why did Reika-sama have to suffer for a girl like that? Without even knowing how it ends up hurting Reika-sama, Takamichi Wakaba continues to have the Student Council President wait on her hand and foot. How very convenient for her. With the way the Student Council have been spoilt its little wonder that that girl has been getting ahead of herself, complained one of the boys. Very true, agreed the President. Because the current Student Council has been pushing their luck, that girl has felt no reason to reform. The President took my hands into hers. Reika-sama. I know full well how kind you are. But kindness is not enough for the President of the Pivoine. There are times when we must be harsh as well. If not, the Student Council will only grow more impudent. No, but as I mentioned earlier, I am not capable enough to The current Student Council is truly an aggravating. It appears that they even harbour ambitions of supplanting the Pivoine. Umm After that the conversation turned to their latest skirmish with the Student Council. Aahh, so they still hadnt given up on making me president I quietly left my seat and headed for my usual sofa by the wall. I suppose I can at least consider having dealt with the repercussions of yesterday? Ahhh Around the time that I was on my second cup of tea, Kaburagi and Enjou finally came along. They had no idea about how other people suffered! Perhaps my displeasure was oozing from my body because Enjou spoke to me. Whats wrong, Kisshouin-san? You seem worn out today. I am! The end of the year is a busy time. Recently it was one worry after another. I was actually checking for white hairs you know. Well, given all the scalp ma.s.sages I was getting from both the beauty salon and myself, I think it was in pretty good shape though! On days like this I just wanted to head to my club and begin knitting already. You can really lose yourself in knitting, after all. I bade the two of them goodbye and left the salon. The Handicrafts Club was heaven! Everyone happily knitted as we discussed the tea party on the last day of club activities for the year. Since I was only a (provisional) member last year I didnt get to partic.i.p.ate, but this year I could boldly do so. Wahh, so happy. When I mentioned the tea party to Kotou-san she said she wanted to join in. My, my, that would simply not do, Minami-kun. Tell her that if she wants to partic.i.p.ate then she should join the club. Geez, that Ririna is so spoilt. Even a (provisional) member like me wasnt allowed to. The road to the end-of-year tea party is that tough, you know. Definitely not a party that just any outsider can join in on. Are you making a neck warmer, Reika-sama? Uhuhu, that is a secret. I couldnt admit that it was meant to be a belly warmer yet If I screwed it up, I could always give it to the tanuki. A nice, cute pink one for him! After the conversation between Sakura-chan and Aoi-chan the other day, I was starting to feel anxious about cooking. Were girls just supposed to know? If so, that was bad news for me I casually asked the girls in my group, and a lot of them couldnt cook either. Plenty of them had employees to do that after all. It wasnt enough to set me at ease though. I couldnt say for certain that Id never have to cook, after all. Like what if there was some day when I had to cook for a boy I liked!? In the past I tried teaching myself through experiments a few times, but I got bored straight away. Maybe learning under an expert was the right idea after all? While I was thinking about it, I suddenly thought of Akimi-san. I think she might have said something about becoming a cooking teacher? Just between you and me, I actually dont know a whole lot about cooking. I would probably have to start with the basics of the basics. I had the feeling that Akimi-san would be a gentle teacher to a clumsy person like me. In the end I sent her a message about it. Ooh, I hoped that shed say okay. She immediately replied that as long as I was fine with her. She even asked me to try her cooking to see if I was okay with her sense of taste first. Yaaay! Now even I was going to be able to cook for my future boyfriend! Wait for me, my yet unknown love! Since it wasnt set in stone yet, I only told Oniisama that I might be learning how to cook. He gave me a strange look. Why? I even told him that Id be giving him the most of my cooking. For some reason Kaburagi gave me a book on acupoints. It was tagged on the pages for acupoints good for lessening fatigue. What the heck. Hmmmm, now wheres the acupoint for smaller stomachs Chapter 175 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Also Im going overseas for a few weeks soon, so less releases until December. The book on acupoints I got from Kaburagi was pretty interesting. The human body suure had a lot of acupoints. For swelling and water weight was the Water Separation Shuifen Point on your tummy, apparently. I gave it a press. Hmmmmm. Was this working For leg fatigue and swelling there was the Mountain Support Chengshan Point in the middle of the calf. Whoa! That hurt! I think it was working! I was using the rounded end of a pen to push one of the nerves on the sole of my foot. Owowowow I had gotten into acupoints so much that the next day I went out and bought some of the stick-on moxibustion kits. I had always been a little curious about this, after all~ Since I was worried about scarring I tried the sole of my foot first. First was the Gushing Spring Yongquan Point. Whoaa! Hot! It hurt, but it felt like it was working! So this stuff was real!? When it was done, the skin underneath had gone red. Best not to do this with sensitive or visible skin then. It wasnt all that comfortable laying face down, so I changed from the bottom of my feet to my palms. Umm, the one in the palm of your hand was the Toil Palace Laogong Point, right? Got it. It felt pretty good just pressing on the Fish Border Yuji Point at the base of the thumb. One for there too. Hmm, and maybe all my fingertips While I waited for them to burn with my hands palm up, I stimulated the acupoints on my feet with the foot ma.s.sager I bought earlier. It reaaally hurt the arch of my foot! But it was good for me! I heard a knock on my door. Reika, mind if we talk? asked Oniisama from outside. I asked him to come in, since I could hardly get the door with moxa on every finger. When he came in, Oniisama was wide-eyed and speechless. I apologise for my appearance, Oniisama. How about you join me? I offered as I stepped on my foot ma.s.sager. Also known as green bamboo since apparently thats what they were before. Reika, when work calms down a bit, how about we go and eat somewhere? If youre worried or something, you can talk to me about it Wah! Thank you, Oniisama. Eating out with Oniisama, huh. Then until then, I needed to keep up with the stomach acupoint. At first I thought this was ridiculous, but now I was so glad I got this book~ Kuuh~! I can feel it working! It was finally here; the day of the tea party where the 2nd and 3rd year Pivoine members discussed the next president. It was discussion mostly in name of course; usually the candidate was already chosen in advance, meaning that the President simply had to announce who it was. Aah, in the end I failed to refuse My stomach felt like it had a weight in it. Could I spend my next year peacefully, do you think? Probably not, huh. I thought about asking Enjou to do it just in case, but he avoided giving a straight answer with a smile, and even if he did accept I could only see trouble for myself. Owing a favour to that guy was like owing money to a loan shark. But I was resigned now. If ever there was some problem that I couldnt deal with myself, I was resolved to go crying to Oniisama. Maybe even Imari-sama could help me. With Oniisamas smarts, and Imari-samas way with women, there werent many problems that we couldnt resolve. To calm myself down, I pressed on the acupoints on hand. Well then, is anybody interested in becoming a candidate for the next president? began Youko-sama after a round of pleasantries. Naturally my hands werent raised. Even I wouldnt nominate myself If there isnt, then I nominate- Ill do it, somebody interrupted. To everyones shock, it was the Emperor, Kaburagi Masaya himself. Eh? Kaburagi-sama? I was shocked as well, of course. Kaburagi trying for the next president!? Impossible. This was Kaburagi! He obviously had no interested in working as the president at all! No freaking way! What the h.e.l.l was happening!? Am I not good enough? he lorded over us, sending the room into a panic. So youll be willing to undertake the position, Kaburagi-sama? We could not wish for somebody better, Kaburagi-sama, but I dont think any of us think that youre unsuitable, Kaburagi-sama, but But was he serious? That was what everybody was asking in their heads. Starting with Youko-sama, a huge slew of people would have loved Kaburagi as the next president, but they gave up from the start because they knew he would never accept. At least thats what we thought. In other words there are no objections to I, Kaburagi Masaya, as the next President of the Pivoine? Everyone nodded in a.s.sent. I see. Then thats that, he said before arrogantly relaxing back into the sofa with tea in hand. Once the discussions were done, Youko-sama came over to me apologetically. Reika-sama, Im truly sorry about this. I hadnt even considered that Kaburagi-sama would be interested, and No, I was shocked as well. But in fact, this is a great weight off my mind. Youre right. Afer all, Kaburagi-sama is the face of Suiran itself, not just our Pivoine. With Kaburagi-sama as the next president, the likes of Mizusaki Arimas Student Council are as good as rabble. Truly. A Pivoine led by Kaburagi-sama, with you and Enjou-sama supporting him. How wonderful Isnt it, Reika-sama? Hohoho, she laughed happily. I still wasnt quite sure what happened, but at least I got out of being president. I wouldnt have to worry about white hairs now. h.e.l.l yeah! After a storm comes a calm, d.a.m.nit! Ah, maybe that was the wrong phrase? Good things come to those who wait? Maybe that wasnt it either. Well who cares! Whoooo! I left the room feeling so euphoric I could skip. Of course, Kaburagi had to stop me. Eh? What is it now? Dont tell me you dont wanna do it after all? Well too late, buddy! Can I help you? Were you planning on being president? Eh? Why was he asking that? Ohh, did he overhear my chat with Youko-sama? If there was n.o.body else then they planned to give it to me, but I myself had no interest. It was a responsibility that I hoped somebody else would take up. I see. Good. Huh? Masaya was worried he had taken it from you, explained Enjou who was standing next to him. Oh, so that was it. I had absolutely no aspirations towards the position of president, so please be at ease. I wish you luck as our next president. Yeah. Oh, and I almost forgot. And Kaburagi-sama, the book you gave me was very interesting. Thank you very much for it. Well then, gokigenyoh. My worries were gone now. Maybe Id try some more moxibustion tonight. I wonder why he suddenly decided to be the next president though. Ah well, whatever. After I woke up early that morning, I had my morning bath. Haah, so warm. Without washing my hair in the morning it was hard to turn my bed hair into my perfect curls after all. After getting out of the bath, I stood in front of the mirror for some skin care. Couldnt be stingy with the facial lotion. Huh. Waaaaaaaahhhh!! Gone! My eyebrow was gone! I gripped the mirror in both hands and stared at my eyebrow. Gone Where my right eyebrow should have been was instead just the two ends of it. An eyebrow missing almost the entirety of its middle When I looked at my left eyebrow to compare, it was missing a part of it as well. My face looked so weird right now No, no, it wasnt the time for this morbid fascination. Where the heck had my right eyebrow gone!? And since when!? I had to do something about this. At times like this, the most reliable one was Okaaaasamaaaa! I covered my eyebrows with one hand and ran for her. When she saw what had happened to them she screamed as well. Reika-san, what have you done to yourself!? I have no idea, Okaasama! When I saw myself in the mirror just now they were already like this! So you didnt shave them off by mistake? No! Absolutely not. And why would I ever shave off just the middle!? True Then why Reika-san, could it be that you plucked them off yourself during your sleep? I doubt that I have the dexterity for that in my sleep. True. What do I do, Okaaasamaaa! Well, well have you take school off for today. Okaasama will take you to the hospital. I nodded tearily. Uooohnnhoo! I didnt want to go outside with this stupid looking face! What the heck happened to you, eyebrow!? An insect bite!? Otousama and Oniisama came to see what the fuss was about, but I didnt want them to see! Especially never Oniisama! At the hospital I was diagnosed with spot baldness. Apparently it wasnt limited to the hair on your scalp. I was careless. Its actually quite common. With men it can happen with their facial hair too. I see. My mind had the toughness of a blancmange so I had probably failed in handling the stress They prescribed me some medical cream, and Okaasama supported me home. What if I was like this forever No, no, I couldnt stress. I would only get balder. In front of the mirror I swabbed on some of the medicine. I wasnt sure how much I needed, but I wanted to be careful about applying it evenly. It would be terrible if only my right eyebrow suddenly grew back. I hoped I could hide this tomorrow with just an eyebrow liner and my fringe. Aaahh I was definitely performing some purification rites come New Year. And for now, Id press the acupoint for hair growth. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 I used a waterproof liner to carefully draw in a natural looking eyebrow. Since it wasnt all gone, it wasnt so noticeable if you werent looking carefully. And besides, if you took everyones make-up off there were plenty of women who had plucked their eyebrows off! Compared to them I still had the ends! Plus, my hair was long enough, so as long as I didnt run and was careful in the wind it could be fine! Thank G.o.d for being driven to school. After having a seaweed-based breakfast I prepared to leave for school. When I arrived, my group was really concerned because I had suddenly skipped a day. You seemed healthy enough until the other day. I was so worried to hear youd suddenly caught a cold, you know? I apologise for worrying you. I felt ill when I woke up in the morning Perhaps it was just fatigue. Gosh, please dont push yourself. I know. We visited the hospital too. I am fine now. Thank goodness. Its almost winter break, and Christmas is coming up too! Christmas What is everyone doing for Christmas? I asked. All sorts of answers came out, like going to a party, or going on a trip with family. Everyones schedules were filled. Tsk. So it really was just me with nothing to do. What are your plans, Reika-sama? Just a small party with some close friends My! Any party that youd attend could only be magnificent! No, it truly is nothing like that. Its just a party with some imaginary friends. I changed the topic to avoid letting something slip. Has anything changed while I was away? I asked. No, not really. No, there was, wasnt there! Huge news too, Reika-sama! Yeah! Yesterday everyone was talking about how Kaburagi-sama was going to be the next President of the Pivoine! Oh, that. Thanks to waking up to bald eyebrows my day was quite hectic yesterday, so I had completely forgotten about it. That tea party felt like so long ago. Who would have thought that Kaburagi-sama would be President! Fuyuko-sama said that he volunteered himself, or something? n.o.body could have imagined hed ever do that. Actually we were talking about it yesterday, but Kaburagi-sama led his cla.s.ses during the athletics carnivals and school festivals, didnt he? Hes perfect for leading the Pivoine. True~ Im so looking forward to next year! But the people from the Student Council seemed pretty tense Really? I prompted. The Student Council President didnt look like he cared, but everyone else had serious expressions. They all looked pretty grim when they realised theyd have Kaburagi as their opponent next year. I think only the Student Council President and Takamichi Wakaba didnt seem all that worried. Takamichi-san? I bet her head was empty as always. Shes always looking into s.p.a.ce like an idiot, after all. It makes you wonder if shes really smart enough for the scholarship. Honestly unbelievable. But apparently in the Student Council shes the best with the calculator. What is that even supposed to mean. Does that have anything to do with being smart? Beats me. Hmmm. Quite a lot happened while I was away. Naturally the news about Kaburagi was blowing up. Well, b asically any news about Kaburagi blew up. I doubt everyone would have cared so much if I had taken the seat. Thinking about it again, though, thank G.o.d I hadnt. I was grateful to Kaburagi for this. Had I ended up pushed into being President both my eyebrows would have fallen off completely, no doubt. Whoa ho! Could you please not thoughtlessly open the window, guy over there? Wont my fringe fly about if you do that? When I arrived at the salon everyone asked about my cold. People worrying about my fake illness all day was really doing a number on my conscience I was sitting in my usual spot with some camomile tea when Kaburagi and Enjou arrived. Kisshouin-san, I heard you were done with a cold yesterday. Are you feeling better now? Yes I gave a weak smile to play up the getting better thing. Karin fruits are good for coughing, you know. Yukino drinks a lot of karin tea when he has an attack. Karin fruits, also known as Chinese quinces I see. Thank you for letting me know. Of course, the truth was that I was fine besides my eyebrows. Id prefer him telling me some medicine for hair growth instead. When I came back today I was surprised at how quickly the news of Kaburagi-sama had spread. Kaburagi had been sitting there legs crossed and enjoying some black tea. He looked up at me when he heard that. Pretty much he agreed. It was even crazier yesterday, added Enjou. Really? I asked. I mean, Masaya hates being bothered, so everyone was sure hed never do it, right? That I can understand. I wonder what changed his mind, Enjou smirked. Kaburagi suddenly looked away. I stared at him for a while. When he realised he looked back with a frown. What. Oh no, nothing. Why on earth did you decide to do that, Kaburagi? Enjou had left for some new tea, so it was just the two of us when he muttered, There are a lot of people in the Pivoine who dont think well of her. His voice was low and quiet, but I heard every word. Hmmm So it really was for Wakaba-chans sake. He really was the type to do anything for his special person. What do you Eh? What do you think about her? I felt my heart thump as I was fixed by his strong gaze. Nothing in particular. I see. Scary. Maybe it would have been better had I emphasised that I wasnt her enemy instead. Maybe itd have helped avoid any misunderstandings that would lead to my family being destroyed. I was about to say something but Enjou returned, and Kaburagi left his seat instead. I had missed my chance. Oh dear, dont tell me my left eyebrow was next!? The moment I returned home, I made should to apply the medicine. We agreed that Id be coming over during the weekend up pick up my specially made yule log. Yaay! I was looking forward to it! I wonder what Wakaba-chan would be doing for Christmas. Chapter 177 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Today I was picking up the yule log. As planned, we met at the train station closest to her house. Here it is! I feel bad making you come all the way here just to get it! No, no. I am feeling rather shameless for having you make a cake just for me. Dont be! Yule logs are pretty easy to make. Ah, but it wasnt sloppy work, okay? Of course. I already knew that. The reason why we met here was because Wakaba-chan had a train to catch today. Since home was in the same direction we were waiting to catch the train together. So you use the train too, Kisshouin-san My, my, that was how I arrived here today. She seemed surprised to hear that. I suppose she couldnt help it. I was driven to school each day, after all. I thought people from the Pivoine never rode public transport. I suppose there certainly are many like that. Then could it be that youve ridden a bike before, Kisshouin-san? Of course. Eh!? Really!? Was it that surprising? I used to ride my bike every day in my old life, and in this life I had taken bicycle cla.s.ses for my primary school entrance exam too. Not that I had touched one since though. Since a pair of seats were free we sat next to each other. Wakaba-chan was wearing a red duffel coat today. I felt that it suited her energy. Where are you headed today? Well its nearly Christmas, right? Ive gotta buy my little siblings their presents. I see. It had to be tough with as many siblings as she had. Speaking of Christmas, what are you doing this year, Takamichi-san? Me? Im just going to be helping at the store, same as always. Its always busiest near Christmas. Its almost winter now, so every day Ive been hard at work since the morning, you know~ That must be tiring. Yeah. Some of the orders from a while ago had overlapping delivery times. It was a nightmare. And for some reason its always at times like that that random customers pop into our store. Oh my~ In that case you are certainly not going to be spending Christmas with a special someone. Unfortunately~ But once opening hours are over my family is going to have a party. Well, probably not the types of grand parties that youre used to, though, she laughed. After all, the parties at Kaburagi-kuns house hire orchestras and opera singers and magicians and stuff, right? That must be so cool~ Did you hear that from him? Eh? Yeah. Could it be he invited you? Yeah That idiot But Ive got to help out at my store. And besides, Id be so out of place there it wouldnt be funny. Its kind of a shame Ill miss out on a real magicians show though. I see. And I bet the cakes are going to be amazing too, right~? My. I think the cake you gave me today will outshine them by far. Ehhh~ But my dad didnt make that one, you know? I did. Im a bit worried about the taste. If it was one of Dads I could definitely boast about it. Huhuhu. So when you defended our familys cakes I was really very happy. Thank you. Takamichi-san Ah, this is my stop. Cya then, Kisshouin-san! Sure. Gokigenyoh. As my train left, Wakaba-chan waved at me from the platform. When I got home, I discovered that it came with a little meringue Santa Claus, standing besides a little meringue girl with ringlets. Ehh!? Could that be me!? This was sooo cute! Thank you, Wakaba-chan! I had to take a picture! It was so cute that I couldnt bear to eat them, so I left the meringue girl in my rooms refrigerator. I was going to show it off to Oniisama later! I took a photo of myself with the meringue figure and sent it with a thank you message to Wakaba-chan. When I pa.s.sed by Kaburagi in the salon it took everything I had not to show off about the meringue doll. I wonder if hed feel bitter though. Casually asking Wakaba-chan out though. That was pretty a.s.sertive of him. Too bad she turned him down, though. Uupfftpfftpfft. Maybe he read my mind or something because he sent me a questioning look. Oops, put on a neutral expression, Reika. Oh yeah, Kisshouin-san, began Enjou, apparently Yukino has something he wants to give to you, so do you think you could visit the Pet.i.t salon sometime before the day of the closing ceremony? Yukino-kun? What does he want? Apparently he has a Christmas present for you. He actually wanted to hand it to you on the day, but none of us will be at school on Christmas. Heavens! A present from Yukino-kun!? Oh my G.o.d! I was going to get a Christmas present from an angel!? I didnt think I could quite make it on the day of the closing ceremony, so I told Enjou I would go some day before then. For some reason Kaburagi said hed come with. I kinda wanna see how hes doing in the Pet.i.t. Ehhh!? Then just go on your own sometime! Youre completely uninvited, you know! Today was the day of the Handicrafts Club tea party. Last year I wasnt invited. This year however, I could brazenly partic.i.p.ate. After all, I was a full member, and the Club President. Ku hu hu! Ordinarily we were forbidden from bringing snacks to school, but the teachers turned a blind eye on special days like this. We put down the tea and sweets on the table. This was so fun. After that a number of club members brought out home-made foods like quiche and stollen. I made this, if you feel like it. Waah! It looks delicious! Teacakes were all rather sweet so I was glad for something else. Bread with dried fruits is good stuff, isnt it~ Everyone enjoyed the food as we chatted happily about our year. Its embarra.s.sing but Ive almost never cooked, said a nearby girl with quiche. Actually, neither have I, admitted another girl, and then another. There just isnt much chance to cook at home. Yeah. Theres never really a reason to. What about you, Reika-sama? Ugh! Me!? I suppose if I had to say something, I enjoy baking sweets. Nothing complex though, all right? Hmm, my father and brother like chocolate brownies so I make them each Valentines. Hmm, and some yoghurt, or cookies with garden roses mixed in That sounds wonderful! Not really. It was not anything special. Although you can make something feel more home-made by adding your own touches. I never realised. As expected of you, Reika-sama. Wed all love to try your sweets, Reika-sama. Uhuhu, but my brother made me promise to only let my family try my desserts. Really? Your oniisama really dotes yon you, Reika-sama. You think? I asked. Uhuhu, we all chuckled in harmony. Phew. I somehow made it out of that topic alive. I really needed to start Akimi-sans lessons. We agreed to start after the New Year. No way could I have told everyone that I couldnt even use a kitchen knife properly. Speaking of cooking through, Wakaba-chans yule log really was amazing. The mix of tart strawberries inside the sweet chocolate was just perfect! Wakaba-chan said it was easy to make, so I was thinking of trying my own hand at it. Oh, maybe using lavender jam instead of the strawberries might be nice. It was worth trying out. Minami-kun, the only male here, had looked a bit uncomfortable at the start, but once the topic changed to handicrafts he turned lively and partic.i.p.ated. Minami-kun, whatever happened to Ririna, anyhow? She was a little sulky but she accepted it. Good. That girl must always be causing you guys so much trouble. Not at all. Its easy to misunderstand Kotou-san, but shes kind and cares a lot about her friends. A red-faced Minami-kun took a sip of his tea. Hmmm~ Heeeh~ To each his own, I guess~ Well anyway, club members, I hope well have another great year together! I went to Kyoto and bought some . Chapter 178 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Today I had two nuisances along on my trip to the Pet.i.t salon. This was supposed to be my sanctuary I ended up swinging the bags in both hands as I walked. Seeing this, Enjou spoke up. That looks pretty heavy. Ill help you carry it. Oh? Well in that case. I handed him the largest one. Whoa. This is pretty heavy. Whats inside? Some season-limited Christmas chocolates for the kids. Since I was told that Yukino-kun had gotten me a present, I thought about getting presents for him, Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun. Then I thought about how bad I would feel for the other kids, so in the end I decided to prepare enough chocolate for all of them. Food and consumables were great for casual presents. Huh. I didnt realise that brand produced Christmas chocolat, Kaburagi mused. It is an a.s.sorted set. Some of them are shaped like Christmas trees and the like, I replied. Youre pretty knowledgeable about time-limited products, huh, he said as her peered into Enjous bag from the side. Also we werent close enough for him to know that about me. Oh, was it the peach marshmallow that I gave him to ward off evil? When we arrived at the Pet.i.t salon we were immediately greeted by smiles. Reika-oneesan! Gokigenyoh, Yukino-kun. Gokigenyoh to you as well, Mao-chan, Yuuri-kun. Gokigenyoh, Reika-oneesama! h.e.l.lo Reika oneesan Yuuri-kun was still as shy about calling me that as ever. Mhm, mhm, he was a boy after all. If its too hard for you, Yuuri-kun, you can just call me Reika-chan instead, you know? Anyhow, n.o.body had any idea that Enjou and Kaburagi were coming. Given how standoffish they generally were, the kids were excited about the rare opportunity to meet them, and immediately crowded them. Huh. All this time I was the only visitor here. Id been monopolising the popularity of being a visiting uppercla.s.sman and yet today all their hearts were taken away in an instant. Even Mao-chan who was like a little sister to me was taking glances over at those two! Arghhh! I really shouldnt have brought them here! Reika-oneesan? Whats wrong. Come sit down? Aaah! Yukino-kun! Youre my only ally here! I did as he suggested and took my seat on the sofa. Ah, Enjou-sama, please just give out the chocolates however you like. You know, there was actually something I wanted to give you, Reika-oneesan. Yukino-kun held out a red-ribboned box in his two small hands. Reika-oneesan, its a little early, but Merry Christmas! Thank you, Yukino-kun! I opened the box. Inside was a snow globe with a boy creating a snowman in front of a Christmas tree. So cute! Is this boy you, Yukino-kun? Mhm! he nodded with a smile. Given how frail his body was, perhaps hed never done this before in real life. I think I remember being told that Enjou and Kaburagi would build snowmen in view of his window when he was sick. I hoped that he could one day build one himself. Then it is my turn next. Merry Christmas, Yukino-kun. My present for him was a thick scarf to match his uniform. At the ends of it were little white snowflakes. I wasnt sure though, since he might not have much need for a m.u.f.fler being driven to school and all. He wrapped it around his neck. Wahh! Its so warm~! exclaimed Yukino-kun as he rubbed his face against the scarf fringe. Is the snowflake because my name is Yukino(snowfield)? It is. The snowflake is your symbol. Thank you, he beamed. I specially ordered it, actually. I was glad that he liked it. As for Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun, I got them matching lesson bags; tote bags large enough to carry things for both school and extracurricular lessons. Having matching things sure was nice for a couple~ I wanted to try something like that myself one day. Ah, not matching clothing though. Thank you, Reika-oneesama! Ill take care of it. Also Yuuri-kun and I got you something too! The two of them had gotten me fluffy boots for indoor use. It was completely adorable with little ribboned bonbons attached! My! Thank you! I think I shall be using them quite a bit considering how bad I am with the cold. They were pink and would match my belly warmer perfectly. With this I was set for winter. We relaxed for a while, before Enjou and Kaburagi came over having distributed the chocolates. Mmn. Well done, you two. You can keep the remaining chocolates as thanks for your hard work. Yukino, did Kisshouin-san give you that m.u.f.fler? Thank you, Kisshouin-san. My pleasure. I should be giving thanks instead for these cute presents I received. Thank you very much. That was when the other kids began to thank me for the chocolate, and I ended up surrounded by smiling children myself. Nuhoho, the presents were super effective. I wish you could come to my Christmas party though, Reika-oneesama, pouted Mao-chan. Mao. Reika oneesan, also has her own plans, so you cant be so selfish. But Uuu, I want to go too, Mao-chan! Why did my pride have to get in the way back there! Reika, you idiot! What if I told her that I could come now Youre coming too, right, Yukino? Thanks for looking after him, Enjou smiled. Yes! said Mao-chan as she blushed. Mao-chan! Yuuri-kun is right next to you! By the way, Masayas mum said it was a shame you couldnt come to her party, Kisshouin-san. Yeah, Kaburagi nodded without much care. During my familys party last month his mother had invited me, and then my parents told me a number of times to go, but completely refused. It was tiring having to keep up appearances. All those parties were like that. My parents had stopped trying once the thing with my eyebrows happened though. All it took was some fake tears and a I cannot possibly show up like this! As a fellow woman, Okaasama could sympathise. Life is all about turning misfortune into fortune. Will you be attending their party, Enjou-sama? Nah, Ive got some things to do that day. Oh? All right then. Seeing Yukino-kun turn with a pout, Enjou smiled helplessly and patted him on the head. Ill be right back, he said. So the little angel showed his brother these kinds of faces. How cute~ Will you be attending your familys party then, Kaburagi-sama? Pretty much. I didnt last year, so this year my mother told me to at least make an appearance. Im planning on heading right home though. I see. Last year Oh, you were on your journey, werent you. Kaburagi seemed bored, because he got up and began gathering the children. What was he planning. You said you were going to spend Christmas with your friends, Kisshouin-san? Well, yes, I told Enjou. He was a sharp person. What if he realised I was spending time with my air friends What if he realised and then thought of me as some sad case I had to change the subject somehow Yukino-kun, what are you hoping from Mr. Santa this year? Eh? He looked startled. How come? As long as Mr. Santa chooses it, Im okay with anything, he replied with a smile. What age did children stop believing in Santa Claus again? Kaburagi made a coin disappear, and then made a tissue float, and then some other stuff to the applaud of the children. Party tricks? And so Suiran entered its winter break. I found the Tohsaka house. Chapter 179 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . I was attending a special winter holiday course at my cram school. My marks had fallen in the most recent exam so I had to get it together! A students main concern was studying, so naturally Christmas wasnt a priority. Christmas had nothing to do with students. Naturally. With that in mind I strode into cram school only to be invited by Umewaka-kun and the others to a 1000 yen random present exchange. Present exchange?! Count me in! This kind of thing really brought back memories. In my old life my friends and I had gathered together to do a 500 yen random present exchange. It was extra hard getting presents without knowing who would get it. If I knew that then I could at least try to get something theyd like. It was even worse this time because we had both s.e.xes in the pool. If it was all girls then I could get some cute lip gloss or a nail set, but I didnt think the boys would appreciate that. Oh, well maybe Iwamuro-kun might, but After agonising over it for a while, in the end I decided on a famous onsen bath salt set. It wasnt something youd have to keep around after using, and if you didnt like it then your family could. I wondered if this was the right choice. It was better than some cute bath bombs at least, since the scent of those might be too sweet for a boy. During our lunch break on Christmas Eve, we had lunch together in the cla.s.sroom before singing some songs and exchanging presents. It was a little embarra.s.sing because there were other people in the cla.s.sroom, but it was best to be festive for these things, wasnt it! I wondered who would get my present. We sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as we pa.s.sed the presents along in a circle. When the song was done I ended up with a green-ribboned present, just about large enough to fit in both hands. I wonder whose this was. My present ended up in Sasaki-sans hands. Ahh, had I known itd end up with a girl I would have just gone for the bath bombs! How was she going to react! Wah, bath salts. Theres actually quite a bit here. Whose was this? It was mine, I raised my hand to looks of surprise. This is yours!? Wouldnt have really expected this from you. Yeah. I thought Kisshouin-san would have picked something more, rich person? High roller? Uu Sorry for failing to meet expectations I see. So they werent expecting a young lady of Suiran to have chosen something so plebeian. Sorry. I messed up. No, no! Sorry! Thats not what I meant! I was just surprised, thats all! I love bath salts, so Im really glad to get this. Onsen bath salts though. Youve got some pretty mature taste, huh. I knew I should have just gone with some la bath salts fran?ais! Who cares if they had salts from Beppu and Arima After that I opened up the present I got myself. Inside was a single heart-shaped plant of some sort in a little pot? Oh, I got that one. Isnt it cute? Its a hoya kerii. Sometimes people call it the love-heart plant. The hoya kerii, I read, and began looking at the attach instructions for raising it. Bad with the cold, less water needed in winter Huh, and you didnt need to water it every day. Maybe it would be easy to keep it. Thank you, Kitazawa-kun. I will try my best to take care of it! Yeah! A plant shaped like a heart though. Guy or not, I had to admit it was a pretty stylish choice. Everyone else excitedly opened their own presents too. Hand creams, sweets, Christmas mugs and citrus-scented soaps My onsen bath salts were the least cute thing here Still, the Christmas mood was great! I handed out the sweets I had left over from the Pet.i.t salon, and we had that instead of Christmas cake. Yummy. When I got home my parents were about to head out for a party. Naturally they invited me, but I declined. Have fun. When I got back to my room I put in The Nightmare Before Christmas. I ended up watching it while I had dried squid from the convenience store, with soy sauce and mayonnaise. Somehow or other I ended up watching this every year, didnt I~ Munch munch. I gulped down some green tea. Oniichan was going to be out late with work and then the party, but that was fine. I was fine just watching DVDs all by my lonesome and then falling asleep. I wasnt quite sure what I wanted to watch after this one yet. Wakaba-chan was probably quite busy at her family store right now. Sakura-chan was going to be ringing bells at the church before heading to a party at Akizawa-kuns place as I recalled. And Aoi-chan was on a date? Maybe Id email her. Ah wait, no, then shed realise that I had nothing better to do right now. I had to control myself Umewaka-kun sent me a photo of Beatrice in a red nose and antlers. I was expecting a photo like this, but I had expected a Santa costume instead. But with those antlers on, considering the Cerberus incident Kaburagi would probably call her a baphomet or something. I had Christmas cake with A-tan! He got me a flower collar as a present. Isnt it cute? Merry Christmas, Reika-tan! Merry Christmas, Bea-tan. Late at night I sensed a presence and shot to my feet. There was a suspicious figure in the dark! Ghooooost!! I leapt onto my bed so that I wouldnt be possessed. Spirit begone! Spirit begone! Why!? I thought ghosts were meant to appear on Halloween, not Christmas! Reika, Reika! Its your Otousama! Im not a ghost! Otousama? I turned on my bed lamp. In its dim lighting stood a tanuki. What are you doing, Otousama! My heart almost G.o.dd.a.m.n stopped you know! You stupid tanuki! Im all dizzy from standing up too fast now! Ah, I mean, you were at home all by yourself, so your Otousama thought hed leave you a present by your side. Present? I looked around and found something left by my bedside. A present whose wrapping paper was a little ruffled. I must have stepped on it in the confusion. Still trying to play Santa at this age, huh. Youre wasting your life on dreams, Tanuki. Well thank you. At any rate I am going back to sleep, so please return to your room. Okay Otousama left my room dejectedly. I heard Okaasama talking to him from just outside. Didnt I tell you this would happen? Okaasama, if youre going to dissuade him then do it properly please. When I woke up the next morning I opened Santa Tanukis present. It turned out to be a ladies watch with diamonds that tumbled above the dial. Cute. I had no doubt that it was Okaasama who chose this When I arrived at breakfast two Christmas cakes from Otousama and Oniisama sat there, staring at me. Just who was supposed to eat these. Maybe if I brought them with me to cram school everyone would finish them for me I received a message from Sakura-chan. For Christmas, Akizawa-kun had given her a ring. What the heeeeeell!? I gave a prayer to my love-heart plant as I watered it. I think I should upload some of my photos from my holiday in j.a.pan sometime. Chapter 180 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . The r? is the thirty-first physical characteristic of Buddha. It is generally thought to be a whorl of hair and be a mark or sign of the Buddha as a mahpuru?a or great being. Happy New Year. I gained an urna. Well, strictly speaking its just a straight white hair on the right edge of my hairline, so maybe its not an urna but just a lucky hair? I realised it after the New Years holiday, just as everyone was returning to their jobs and school. I was tying up my hair as always to dab medicine onto my eyebrows when I discovered on my forehead what seemed to be a shining clear thread. What a shock. Apparently I was the reincarnation of a bodhisattva. Late last year was just packed with so much trouble that I even lost hair. Thats why on New Years I very thoroughly purified myself. I even used my own money for very generous donations. Maybe thats why a few hairs on my eyebrows were starting to grow back. Youve been working hard, my hair roots! Still kind of spa.r.s.e though. But still, I bet this was because my biggest cause of stress was gone now. As for this urna, or lucky hair or whatever, didnt this mean I was bound to be lucky this year!? Both in money and love. Ah, but as a young girl I couldnt exactly just leave some random hair growing on my forehead Maybe it would be fine if I covered it with my fringe? It was nice seeing all the familiar faces again after the break. I think every school was like this. Happy New Year, I said as I stepped into my group. Happy New Year, Reika-sama! they replied. We began to chat about winter break. Im fat from all the food I had on New Years day. Dont say that, Kikuno-san. Ive gotten fatter too~ Me too, me too. It was the same conversation that every girl had after New Years. Why did New Years food make you so fat? Maybe it was all the rice cakes. A j.a.panese soup containing mochi rice cakes. Considered the most auspicious of the dishes eaten on New Years Day. Ozouni. Sweet red bean soup, often with mochi rice cakes for New Years. Oshiruko. Mochi coated with a mixture of soy sauce and sugar, and wrapped with nori seaweed. Also eaten on New Years. Isobeyaki had rice cakes too. Every New Years you ended up with this weird sense of duty to finish the rice cakes off. Thanks to that you just ended up eating, didnt you. I wasnt that fond of ozouni, but isobeyaki was delicious. Goodness! What a precious watch you have, Reika-sama! Oh, this was my parents Christmas to me, I explained. My! How did you spend your Christmas? somebody asked. Nothing special, I said. I just spent it with a small gathering of friends. And you all? I went out to eat with my family, and then they got me the bag I wanted, said one girl. I was invited to a party, answered another. I was abroad the entire winter break, explained a third. How nice. I wish I could have spent Christmas and New Years overseas. When I was little my family went to Hawaii for Christmas. The mood was great, with costumed merrymakers all across town. I could still remember being stunned by my first encounter with a real drag queen. Oniisama had gotten a kiss on the cheek Lately Oniisama was too busy to travel though. Without someone to have fun with, vacations hadnt been as fun recently. What was fun about swimming in a pool by yourself. Itd be nice if I had a sister my age, or maybe a friend to go vacationing with. While I was daydreaming the hallway grew noisy. Its Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama! The girls voice heralded their first appearance of the year. Every girl began to vacate their cla.s.srooms to watch. Lets go too, Reika-sama! Ehh I couldnt be bothered, but if everyone else was going Up we go Did the pair seem more tan before? Maybe it was my imagination. Then again, maybe they went somewhere. The girls around them sent their New Years greetings. While Enjou responded with a smile, Kaburagis responses were uninterested. So cool~ I greeted them! Dont they seem even more masculine than before the break? The girls in my group were watching with their hands clapsed together, entranced. Has it also been since before the break for you, Reika-sama? Yes. Thats a shame, isnt it. Um, not really Anyhow, since today was just the ceremony, we were out of school before noon. The Pivoine had its own greetings, so we all gathered at the salon. When I arrived, my first greetings were for the new President of the Pivoine for this year. Not that the Presidents of the Pivoine really did anything. Very Kaburagi of him, I supposed. After that we relaxed, and greeted each other with some tea. I was just doing so when Enjou and Kaburagi came along, so I said h.e.l.lo again. Happy New Year, Enjou-sama, Kaburagi-sama. Happy New Year, Kisshouin-san. Happy New Year. They really did seem kind of tanned, now that I was looking from up close I said as much, and they responded that theyd gone skiing in Canada. Hmm~ Skiing gracefully in Canada, huh. Quite different from how they spent their last winter, I had to say. Ah, but I suppose the cold was the same. Oh, this is your souvenir, Kisshouin-san. Maple syrup. It was the tastiest one, Kaburagi added. Why thank you! Quite unlike the unlucky souvenir of last year. I wanted to cook up some pancakes already. Incidentally by that tastiest one comment, Kaburagi, dont tell me you went and compared them all? Anyway, if the two of them were on holiday then I wonder what Yukino-kun was doing. He wasnt well, so I couldnt imagine he could have gone skiing. Was Yukino-kun alone at home? I asked. He went with my parents to Okinawa, Enjou replied. I think hes looking a little better after relaxing somewhere warmer. That sounds wonderful! I was finding it hard to mesh Yukino-kun and the tropics, but still, Okinawa was a nice place! But can Yukino-kun swim? Technically. Hes been doing it to help his endurance. I had no idea. Apparently he was swimming in Okinawa too. Ive seen some photos of my him and my parents at the beach or in the pool. My, that sounds like fun. I hope to see these photos too. We should visit the Pivoine again sometime. Indeed. But I have to wonder if Yukino-kun hadnt wanted to go with his oniichan. d.a.m.ned Kaburagi, how could you separate the two. By instinct I sent him a look of blame. He looked back at me and said, Miruku. Ha? Miruku? Ah, nothing. Sorry, I was thinking about Okinawa when I saw your face and that word just came to mind. I see Dont worry about it, Kisshouin-san, agreed Enjou. I see Wondering what on earth was going on, when I got home I looked the word up. Miruku, Okinawan G.o.d of fertility Kaburagiiiiiiiiii! My face brought Miruku to mind!? Are you saying I look like him!? This ridiculous face!? Youre slandering a bodhisattva like me!? Unforgivable! I ended up venting to Hoya-chan the hoya kerii. After all, people said that talking to plants would make them grow faster! I spoke to Hoya-chan every day. Later on I had some pancakes made, and then I ate them with the Canadian maple syrup. What the h.e.l.l!? So delicious! In light of this wonderful maple syrup, Ill forgive you just this once, Kaburagi. Mn. Ill upload some pics this weekend then. Chapter 181 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Apparently Fellow Stalking Horse was quite popular. His looks were pretty good and he demonstrated ability in his role as Student Council President. He treated everyone the same, even if they were a Pivoine, and he was both trustworthy and reliable. As a result he was popular with both s.e.xes. I suppose it just came down to the authors taste, but in the manga he and the Emperor were kind of similar. Both of them were charismatic and had presence, and masculine faces. In the colour ill.u.s.trations their hair colours had made them look like a black panther and silver wolf. In any other romance novel youd expect them to be complete opposites though. That fact that they werent had pretty much convinced me back in the day that the author was simply into this type of overbearing guy. I suppose there was only one huge difference between them. While the Emperor was cold and aloof, the Student Council President was approachable as youd expect from his position. He was sincere with everyone he spoke to. The result was a boatload of confessions. Apparently the StuCo President was confessed to again. Who was it this time? That first year, I hear. The one thats supposedly somewhat cute. You know the one. We had barely begun the new term and already somebody had confessed to him? For a man that was supposed to be the vice-chief, why was he so different to the chief? Anyway, whether you were cute or not, Fellow Stalking Horse treated you equally and was never cruel in his rejection. It was admirable. After all, there were plenty of guys who changed their att.i.tude based on who was confessing. You dont have to go out with me. I just wanted you to know how I felt. Girls who told him this were never-ending. Huh. I supposed the Emperor was like that too. After all, whether you were cute or not, the Emperor treated you equally. If you werent Yurie-sama it was a frosty Not interested. Thats why almost n.o.body confessed to him, despite his popularity. Speaking of which, I wonder how Maihama-san was doing~ Anyway, going back to Stalking Horse, rumour had it that he had his first shrine visit of the New Year with Wakaba-chan. It was a famous shrine, so apparently plenty of people spotted them. When girls questioned him about it, he claimed that he had gone with the entire Student Council, not just with her. Still, it hadnt changed the fact that in the bustle of the shrine the pair had been together the entire time, and looked awfully close. Making matters worse, Emperor Kaburagi was still greeting Wakaba-chan just like last year, and would strike up a chat whenever he went to Enjous cla.s.s. Whether the StuCo Pres or the Emperor, Wakaba-chans intimacy with the two was already seeing her glared at with jealous eyes. I was on my way back from club activities. There was a textbook that I needed for studies tonight, so I was heading by my locker to pick it up. I was walking down the empty hallway when I spotted one Wakaba-chan heading into the bathroom. Since there was n.o.body else around, I figured I may as well wish her a belated Happy New Year. Thats why I followed her in, only to find her in just her blouse, washing her jacket in the clean washbasin. Takamichi-san? I called out quietly. Wakaba-chan turned around with a start. Oh, it was you, Kisshouin-san. Whats up? Whats up, you ask? I wanted to ask that. I glanced at the dirtied white jacket in her hands. Now that I was looking carefully, I realised her skirt was in the same condition. Is that paint water? Eh? Yeah, somebody b.u.mped me with it earlier. Whom? I didnt really see their face. They said sorry, and then disappeared. Disappeared? They dirtied your clothes and then ran!? Ahh~ Yeah That was absolutely intentional. Even their membership in the Art Club was dubious. But I cant get the stains out of white clothing. I might have to send it for dry cleaning This is horrible. You should find the culprit and demand the dry cleaning funds! And from the looks of these stains, who knows if even that would do the job! Ive got a coupon for dry cleaning, so dont worry about that. I got a bonus from last years term-end exams too. Ill just have to rely on the dry cleaners to do their best Its going to be rough without a jacket tomorrow thoughhh. Eh!? Is this your only one!? Mmn. Overcoat or not, commuting by train without a jacket in this weather was unreasonable. And to begin with, although I wasnt sure if it was actually against regulations, not wearing the jacket could make her stand out as much as the gum boots did for all I knew. Coming here without a jacket may be a problem. Particularly when it comes to the former president of the Pivoine. Ah, thought so. Wakaba-chan frowned. And I dont even know if the stains will even come out. I guess I have no choice but to buy one then. Man, this is going to be tough on expenses I was hesitant, but I couldnt help but speak after seeing how troubled she looked. Umm, I have a spare set so, what if I gave it to you? Ehh!? Even Id feel bad about that! I had a number of spare uniforms in case some got dirty. Giving her one wasnt an issue at all. Stains just wouldnt do on white clothing after all. These uniforms are expensive. I cant take something like that from you! This is completely different to slippers, you know! But at this rate you will have to pay yourself, no? Hmmmm The school uniforms were expensive. I wasnt sure exactly how expensive but I wouldnt be surprised if a set cost more than 100,000. Ah! Eh? Oh! I did have one I didnt need! One that Id probably never wear again! I have one spoilt one that I wear no longer. It would put me at ease if you could find a use for it. Ummm Is this spoilt one cleaner than what Im wearing? Yes. I had it sent to the dry cleaners so it should be clean. However originally it had bird faeces on it Eh!? Again!? Indeed, I nodded gravely. It happened on a chilly afternoon. I was going on an after-lunch walk with my friends. I had been looking to the side at the time when from the skies above a bird dropped its p.o.o.p onto my head! Even though it missed my head, it still handed on my skirt. Since it was soft and still steaming fresh it bounced off my skirt and ended up dirtying my jacket too. A bird p.o.o.ped on Reika-sama again! Hold on, Reika-sama! Its not too bad! It only hit your uniform today! Everyone brought me to the school infirmary as my mind struggled to reboot from shock and it somehow managed to get off with detergent. After that I immediately had somebody bring me a new change of clothes from home, and then sent the bird-p.o.o.p set to the cleaners. Still, I didnt feel too good about it and never ended up wearing it again. Why was it just me that had to get p.o.o.ped on. Grrrr, it was outrageous! I suppose it was a matter of outlook though. There were islands made of bird p.o.o.p in the world that you could get phosphate from and make a fortune, so maybe the bird p.o.o.ping on me would one day lead to the same. Yeah. No. Its impossible after all. Anyway, although she was hesitant I managed to convince Wakaba-chan and I brought her home with me in my family car. What a huge house~ Wakaba-chan was just staring in shock with her mouth gaping. Thank goodness, my parents werent home yet. We headed to my room. I took out the p.o.o.p uniform and handed it to her. How is it? Wah! It isnt dirtied at all! Can I really take such a new uniform off you? I do not intend on wearing it again, and have plenty of spares besides. Please stop hesitating and take it. Really? Thank you! Ah, but will the size fit? Were about the same height, but Im pretty thick, you know? Im not skinny like you are. Nonsense~ We look the same~ Ohohoho. I was in a pretty good mood. Wakaba-chan tried it on. Hmmm? Apparently the waist for my uniform was loose on her Shall I lend you a sewing set? Umm, I can do it at home! Out of consideration, Wakaba-chan just smiled past the awkwardness. Not that Im making excuses, but that uniform was back from when I was eating out with Ichinokura-san, okay! Im way skinnier now! Thanks for this, really. I want to pay you back so come over and play sometime, okay? My family wants to meet you too! Yes, I look forward to it. I saw Wakaba-chan off at the nearest station. After pa.s.sing through the ticket gates, she turned and waved at me with energy before leaving. I couldnt help but wonder who had done this. A fan of the Emperor, or a fan of Fellow Stalking Horse Chapter 182 Hi guys! Looking for experienced cleaners or type-setters to help with the . Last year I asked Akimi-san to teach me cooking. We had a talk over the phone recently to discuss exactly what type of cooking shed be teaching me. The type of dishes Id bring out at a house party? Or did I want her to teach me home cooking instead? In the end I chose the latter without hesitation. I wasnt exactly planning on too many house parties, and even if I was I could just ask for catering services. On the other hand, if I was ever going to live alone, or get married and live without a maid, I was going to need to know how to cook. Plus, in the short term I wanted something like Aoi-chan had! She was cooking meals for her boyfriend right now! Then she asked if I wanted to learn j.a.panese dishes or Western dishes, so I went with the former for now. If I got down basic traditional stuff like nimono would it make me seem more filial and down-to-earth? Nimono is a category of traditional stewed recipes. Pictured above is a nitsuke dish, specifically black halibut nitsuke. Well, whatever else aside I liked j.a.panese foods. That was the biggest reason. Anyway, after getting all of this sorted out eventually I visited her house. Welcome, Reika-san. Akimi-san, gokigenyoh. I will be in your care today. I had heard that her family was well-off, and now it showed. Her house was both newly built and large. Please just make yourself at home. My father is out playing golf, and my mother is having lunch out with her friends right now. Thank you. After handing over my gift to her I followed Akimi-san into the house. Just like we discussed, first Ill have you try some of my food, and then if you like it Ill teach you how to make it. Does that sound okay? Yes. Theyre all just simple dishes today. Would you like to try them now? My, you prepared them in advanced for me? Yes. Its just simple soups and side dishes though. She guided me into her large living room where a number of dishes sat ready. Whoa! They looked good. But for some reason there were two of everything. Theyre the same dishes but I prepared them in different ways. Different ways? Yes. I A guest, Akimi? called a male voice. Turning around, I saw a familiar face enter the dining room. It was the guy who I exacted demiglace revenge on for being rude to Akimi-san, Demiglace! Oniisama Oniisama!? Demiglace was Akimi-sans oniisan!? No way! I framed him with demiglace without even knowing who he was!? You must be Reika-san from the Kisshouin family. Y-Yes. Forgive my late introduction. I am Kisshouin Reika. Thank you for having me today. What brings you to our home, Reika-san? Akimi-san was going to teach me cooking today. Cooking? Akimi? Demiglace, now identified as Akimi-sans oniisan, looked at the dishes on the table only to frown. Akimi, dont tell me you were planning on teaching Reika-san how to cook menial dishes like these. Hah? I looked at the table. There was chikuzenni, buridaikon, and shiraae with spinach and fried tofu. Buri Daikon (֤) is simmered yellowtail (buri) and daikon radish in a seasoned broth. A cheap winter dish.Chikuzenni (ǰ chikuzen-ni) is a dish that originated from northern Kyushu, j.a.pan, made of braised chicken and vegetables.Shiraae (׺ͤ) tofu paste mixed with spinach and fried tofu. You brought out these lowly meals for the daughter of the Kisshouin family? What the h.e.l.l were you thinking. Wait- Akimi-san hung her head sadly. Please wait. I asked her for this, and these are my favourite dishes. Is there something wrong with buridaikon? Eating fresh seasonal ingredients is the height of luxury! Huh. Yellowtail was in season, right? I swear I heard somewhere that yellowtail was in winter G.o.ds above, please let me have been right. Well, if you say so, Reika-san, he said hesitantly, before continuing. But Akimi, are you even fit to teach somebody like Reika-san? You should be getting her to teach you manners and grace instead. In my eyes, Akimi-san is already a splendid lady, I countered. Akimi-san is curling up here, so could you go away already? Well then, I have plans, so please excuse me Reika-san. Maybe my prayers had worked because Demi-brother left after excusing himself. Sorry, Reika-san. I put you through something unpleasant. Nothing of the sort! But I had no idea that man was your oniisama Yes It seems that he detests me for being so fat and unsightly But demi-brother seemed pretty plump himself. Her okaasama was round too, so maybe the Narutomi family was just like that. More importantly, Ill have go reheat the food. I only hope it suits you. I look forward to it. Right. Now that the rude interlopers were gone, it was time to get back to the food sampling. Akimi-san came back with the reheated food and placed it in front of me. The reason I actually have two of each is because Ive made them different ways. One is made with a standard recipe and proper ingredients, while the other is the kind of commoners flavour that I prefer. I thought it would help to see what you liked. I see. Then may I help myself? Please do. I began with some of the miso soup with green onions and tofu. Mn, yummy! So this was the standard one. Next was her commoner recipe, huh. Oh Whats wrong, Reika-san? This tasted like the way Mum used to make it Reika-san? Oh no, my eyes were tearing up. It was Mums miso soup. Reika-san Was it not to your taste? No. It was very delicious. Really? You dont have to force yourself. I didnt use much katsuobushi in this one so it might not taste that good No. Please teach me how to make it like this. This one? Are you sure it isnt too common tasting for you? Please. I lowered my head to her. I never had Mum teach me so I was sure Id never get to eat it again. But now the taste was almost in reach. If I learnt how to make Akimi-sans food, then perhaps one day I could recreate Mums. That was my goal now. Please. Well, if you insist In the end, all of the side dishes were delicious. And unsurprisingly, the commoner versions were nostalgic. Mn. Id definitely go with those ones. Akimi-san seemed a little taken aback when I asked though. I never would have imagined that youd prefer these ones. It makes me happy though. Is this how you normally cook these dishes? Oh no, when my family is eating I use the expensive ones, she smiled. Its embarra.s.sing, but my family are nouveau riche. Did you know? Oh, come to think of it, her father had built his fortune with real estate, hadnt he In my grandmothers generation we were an average farming family in the outskirts of the city. It was nothing but mountains and fields and countryside where we lived, but the value of the land jumped up with suburban planning, so the money from that helped my fathers business. I see. When my brother and I were born, our family was already wealthy. We grew up in luxury. But my grandmother still kept her habits of economising, or being a poor person if you like. Right. My brother often tells me this too, but Ive been clumsy since I was little. Sometimes other children would call me an upstart as well, so whenever that happened Id run crying to my grandmothers house. My After helping her cook for a while, I grew to love cooking as well. I mentioned earlier though that my grandmothers habits were set. She was stingy with her cooking too. Stingy? Yes. She was quite stingy when making broth. She wouldnt use much stock base, and even made second or third brew, you know? I see. Second or third brew? I just nodded like I knew what she was talking about. You might find this hard to believe but you can actually use the katsuobushi to make furikake afterwards. You can also actually eat the leaves of the daikon and turnip, and even grow them yourself. Grow them? Yes. You water them near the top and theyll start to grow leaves. Oh! Mum used to do that in the kitchen! For a while I thought it was for decoration or something. When I cook for others Im generous with ingredients. But Id still like to cherish the taste of my grandmothers cooking too. I think this is actually what food is like in normal households, you know? I understand. Come to think of it, at home I sometimes saw the cook fill the entire pot full of katsuobushi. I never saw Mum do that in my old life though. Thinking about it, Mum had been pretty stingy herself, hadnt she. Her food was yummy though. Huhu. I never would have thought a genuine ojousama like you would have picked these ones though. Obaachan might be happy to hear that. I will be in your care, Sensei. Gosh, dont call me that. Akimi-san was a genuinely good person. If I was in her position Id never admit that I was from an upstart family. I was convinced now. Akimi-san would never laugh if I admitted I couldnt really use a kitchen knife. Akimi-san, the truth is, um, I cannot even cut vegetables with a knife properly And I was just pretending before, so please tell me what that second broth thing is. Chapter 183 Daji was the favorite consort of King Zhou of Shang, the last king of the Shang dynasty in ancient China. She is portrayed as a malevolent fox spirit in legends as well as novels. Daji was from a n.o.ble family called Su (K) from the state of Yousu (K). Hence, she is also known as Su Daji. In 1047 BC, King Zhou of Shang invaded Yousu and took Daji as his prize. King Zhou became extremely infatuated with Daji and started to neglect state affairs in order to keep her company. He used any means necessary to ingratiate himself with her and to please her. Daji liked animals so he built her a zoological Xanadu with several rare species of birds and animals. He also ordered artists to compose lewd music and ch.o.r.eograph bawdy dances to satisfy her musical taste. He gathered 3000 guests at one party to indulge in his pond of wine and forest of meat. He allowed the guests to play a cat and mouse game nude in the forest to amuse Daji. When one of King Zhous concubines, the daughter of Lord Jiu, protested, King Zhou had her executed. Her father was ground in pieces and his flesh fed to King Zhous va.s.sals. Dajis greatest joy was to hear people cry in physical torment. Once, she saw a farmer walking barefoot on ice and ordered his feet cut off so she could study them and figure out why they were so resistant to low temperatures. On another occasion, she had a pregnant womans belly cut open so it satisfied her curiosity to find out what happened inside. To verify an ancient saying that a good mans heart has seven apertures, she even had the heart of the minister Bi Gan (King Zhous uncle) dug out and subjected to her scrutiny. Daji was best known for her invention of a method of torture known as Paolao (). A bronze cylinder covered with oil was heated like a furnace with charcoal beneath until its sides became extremely hot. The victim was made to walk on top of the slowly heating cylinder and he was forced to shift his feet to avoid the burning. The oily surface made it difficult for the victim to maintain his position and balance. If the victim fell into the charcoal below, he would be burnt to death. The victim was forced to dance and scream in agony before dying while the observing King Zhou and Daji would laugh in delight. Daji was executed on the orders of King Wu of Zhou after the fall of the Shang dynasty on the advice of Jiang Ziya. In j.a.pan she is sometimes conflated with Tamamo no Mae. Boy were my arms sore. I spent a long time cutting vegetables at Akimi-sans cooking cla.s.s. Because I was so worried about slipping and cutting myself I held onto the knife for dear life. And even when I wanted to peel things thinly I couldnt help but imagine cutting my thumb. In the end they all ended up with large chunks hewn off. Akimi-san peeled them all so smoothly but I was awkward and stiff. Maybe it was time to give up and just use a peeler. Even when we were slicing vegetables with the claw grip I kept picturing cutting my own joints and couldnt hold it properly. Why are you such a coward, Reika! In the end she lent me protectors especially for that. You inserted it between your knife and the vegetables. It didnt look very cool though Akimi-san said we should take it easy and start with the basics first. Thats why I wanted to hurry up and master them. When I got home I began practising with a carrot in the corner of the kitchen. I think maybe I was a little better now. Ah, I got ahead of myself. I cut my finger. I decided to buy a protector tomorrow. When the school term began I could see Tsuruhana-san and her friends growing more imperious again. Apparently over Christmas they hired an event hall and had their own party. Among the attendees were External boys from 2nd and 3rd year, and it got pretty big. Thanks to the party they all deepened their bonds, and even got some new members or something. That was bad news. They werent the only other minor faction in our school either. If the Pivoine was content to just coast on their authority they might get the rug pulled from under them. So far I had been pretty a.s.sured in my position thanks to the Pivoine, but this year the president was Kaburagi. Youko-sama would have protected any Pivoine member without a thought. On the other hand, I couldnt see that indifferent guy lending me a hand. This year I had to protect my position on my own. Hmmm I had been hoping to spend the year peacefully, too Unaware of my worries, the new President of the Pivoine spent each day sipping tea peacefully in the salon. Ah c.r.a.p. Had it been a mistake to let this guy become the president? But there wasnt anyone else either Maybe if only I had somehow gotten Enjou to accept Ah, but then Enjou wasnt the type to b.u.t.t into fights between girls either. Maybe it would be best to quietly discuss this with my group first. I discussed it with my group. The result was that they were raring for a fight now. Youre completely right, Reika-sama! Weve all been thinking that those girls have been getting arrogant lately! Ever since we became high schools theyve been strutting about like they own the place. They even provoke us sometimes. It looks like theyre already forgotten the lesson you taught them in middle school, Reika-sama. Speaking of which, thsoe externals that cosy up with the Student Council have been more audacious too, I think. Yeah, yeah! Ever since high school began theyve all been really arrogant for Externals. Theyve really forgotten whose school this is. Huh? All I said was, It seems that Tsuruhana-san, as well as the External Students have been building up power. What should we do if they challenge us? Never, ever did I say Those b.i.t.c.hes p.i.s.s me off so lets f.u.c.k em up! Umm, everyone, perhaps a more peaceful And you know what else! I overheard a most outrageous plot! Whats this? A plot? A horrendous plot devised by the External lackeys to pair Takamichi Wakaba and Kaburagi-sama together! Oh my G.o.d! Whats the meaning of this!? Everyone was practically frothing at the mouth. Apparently they think they can use Takamichi Wakaba to make the Emperor their ally and then take over the school. What the h.e.l.l!? Is she Daji!? Unforgivable! Eeehh Ummm Do all of the Externals think this way? No, just a portion of them. There are a lot of Externals who admire Kaburagi-sama instead and arent really pleased with Takamichi Wakaba themselves. The External Students arent a monolith after all. I see Wakaba-chan, somehow youve gotten yourself into something crazy again. I wonder if shed be okay Thats why you need to try harder, Reika-sama! Eh, me? I asked. Yes! You need to punish Tsuruhanas gang and that insolent Takamichi Wakaba too! And then take the Emperors heart for yourself! Haah!? And so they sunk into a sea of delusions, far beyond my reach. And thanks to this chat, things had gotten even messier Scary. To heal my weary heart I headed to my garden of angels. Welcome, Reika-oneesan! Gokigenyoh, Yukino-kun. I had been greeted with a beaming smile when I opened the door to the Pet.i.t salon. Haah, my worries were melting away. Yukino-kun and I sat on the couch and chatted between snacks. Yukino-kun, did you have fun with your parents in Okinawa? Yes. We went to the aquarium and went whale watching too. I see. I love aquariums too. There was this huge manatee at the aquarium and he began recounting. I wanted to see some manatees too. Did you go anywhere, Reika-oneesan? he asked. I went to Kyoto. My mother has family there, I explained. It was so cold I thought I would die. The chill in Kyoto reached right into my bones. Id bought the kids some fox mask rice crackers and konpeitoh as souvenirs. I was particularly proud of the crackers. They were cute, so perfect for children. Here, these are for you, I said as I began handing them out to Mao and the others too. Wah! Thank you very much! The kids seemed overjoyed. Yay! Huh? Reika-oneesan, what happened to your finger? asked Yukino-kun. He gazed at my bandaged hand in worry. This? How embarra.s.sing. I was doing a little cooking and slipped up a tad. You can cook, Reika-oneesan? Yukino-kun asked with sparkling eyes. Ehh, well, just a little bit of home cooking. Why kind of foods do you make? Only very simple dishes. Nimono and the like. I may have boasted a little to keep him impressed. Thats amazing, he gushed- -before dropping a bombsh.e.l.l. I want to try your cooking too, Reika-oneesan! Eh!? My birthday is coming up soon. Do you think I could try some on the day? Eh!? I just got landed a crazy request. Akimi-saaaaaan!! What do I dooo!? Is Yukino-kuns stomach going to be okay!? Chapter 184 Thanks to my big lying mouth I now had a sword above my head. And I put it there! When are you going to learn your lesson already, Reika!? Do you have the brain of a goldfish or something!? I immediately sent Akimi-san an SOS. I obviously couldnt bring homemade nimono to his party. To begin with I couldnt cook nimono! And to think that just a few days after picking home cooking over party foods Id need to know how to cook party foods. Haah, Im so beat~ Enjou spoke to me first thing next morning. Yukino tells me that apparently youre going to be coming to his birthday party. And with your own cooking no less. Uuu Yukino-kun, have you already told your whole family? My escape was looking less and less likely. Yes But bringing poor food on such an important day feels like an insult instead of a gift, so I was thinking of declining this time Yukino was ecstatic, you know. Apparently hes already looking forward to it. I Yukino-kuuuun I felt like I was going to lose my eyebrows over the pressure again. Its not that big of a party since we have to take care of his condition too. Itll just be a few of his friends from primary, so dont worry so much. Well, I wont force you though, he said as he glanced at my fingers. Dont tell me he could tell my skill? I didnt want to disappoint Yukino-kun by refusing. But I didnt want to disappoint him with my actual cooking either. Akimi-san, save me. Youre my only hope, Akimi-san! Ill practice cutting vegetables every day! Ill even memorise all the recipes so please, lend me your strength! Still Please at least tell him not to expect too much Food-Poisoning at the Enjou Residence! Id do my best not to make that headline a reality. After school, Cla.s.s Rep and I were headed for the staff room to submit the reports our cla.s.smates did. Apparently Cla.s.s Rep had gone with the other three for their New Years shrine visit. We all got our fortunes and wrote our wishes on ema, he bashfully told me. Going on your New Years shrine visit with your crush What the h.e.l.l, that sounded super fun. Why wasnt I invited? In-vi-t-e me. Arent I the one who introduced you all to begin with~? And I prayed that Honda-san and I would grow closer this year. Hmm~ And Honda-san and Nonose-san are making their Valentines chocolates together, and they said theyd give some give Iwamuro-kun and I Ah, as friends of course! I already knew that. Mn. Hmmm~ But I hope one day Ill be able to get a real one from her. Hmmmm~ Valentines huh. I didnt even have somebody to give romantic chocolates to this year. I was running out of time I only had one year left in high school. I wanted to have a dreamy Valentines too. Maybe I could just bite the bullet and give it to Naru-kun. But then how would a real guy feel about being given chocolates by complete stranger? It was how they did things in shoujo manga though. Plus, I didnt know what I wanted to make this year. Kisshouin-san? Still listening? Oops, he realised I was just nodding along. Why dont you take those feelings and make her chocolates instead? I joked. His eyes sparkled. Eh? Really? After we handed over the reports we said goodbye and headed to our respective clubs. I was already done with the belly warmer so I needed to make something else this year. Kisshouin-san, came a voice from behind. It turned out to be Wakaba-chan. Is something the matter, Takamichi-san? She looked around to check we were alone before walking over to me. Say, are you free to come over? Eh!? Wakaba-chan was inviting me over!? Why so suddenly!? She lowered her voice further before speaking again. Dont you remember? You gave me your uniform the other day. Thats why I wanted to thank you. I, you really should not worry about that. To begin with I was never going to wear those again. Yeah, but still I got something so expensive for free. Ive been wondering how I could make up for you all this time, you know. Not that just a cake could really pay you back this time You really need not worry about that. I mean it. Still, I am very happy that you have invited me over. Really? Then is there anything you want, or that youd like me to do? There isnt much I can help you with though. Just being able to ear your familys cakes are more than enough. And Ive been saying that that isnt enough. We were going down the stairs together when I suddenly remembered the manga. There was a scene when Kisshouin Reika had shoved Wakaba-chan down stairs just like these. I quickly put some distance between us. Whats wrong? Ah, nothing to worry about. Not that Id ever do that now, but I stayed away just in case. Wakaba-chan seemed perplexed about it. Ah, by the way. Takamichi-san, could you teach me how to make Valentines chocolates? Valentines? she asked. Yes. What a great idea. Wakaba-chan loved making desserts. If I made it together with her then Im sure something delicious would come of it. Not that there was anybody to receive it but my family though! You could have asked for that whenever, she objected. It seems that I shall be in your care then, I smiled broadly. After I bought the claw grip protector I stopped cutting myself. The cut from the first day was almost healed too. I was putting a new bandage on it when Oniisama came home with Imari-sama as well. Imari-sama, long time no see! Belated Happy New Year, Reika-chan. Happy New Year, Imari-sama. Youre sparkling as usual, Imari-sama. You look wonderful in that suit. Ive actually got something to give you, Reika-chan. What is it? He reached into his bag and brought out a ribboned box. Here. A souvenir from Nagasaki. Wahh, thank you very much. Your parents live there, no? Yep. I showed up for New Years. My younger brother had just come back from America so we went there together. I see. Imari-samas younger brother was staying in America as an exchange student at the moment. Apparently he liked it better than stuffy old j.a.pan. I unsealed my present. In the past Imari-sama had gifted me cute marbles from Nagasaki, or castella sponge cakes. I still loved those marbles. Imari-sama had a good sense of what girls liked. Wah! Pearls!? I opened the velvet case to find a necklace, with a pearl embedded in a silver heart like a teardrop. How lovely! Nagasaki is famous for its pearls, after all. I think they suit you. Shall I put it on for you? Dont touch peoples little sisters whenever you want, Imari, Oniisama said with a chilling glare. Reika-chan, your oniisan is so scary. You know, people say that pearls are the tears of mermaids and fairies, but if thats true Id rather that girls cry tears of joy than sadness. Oniisama brought down an iron fist onto the smiling Casanova Village Chiefs head. Owowowow! Die. Kill yourself! Drown at sea and become the core of some pearl! He began strangling Imari-sama with force. How rare for somebody as kind and peaceful as Oniisama. They sure got along. Thank you for the wonderful present, Imari-sama. Oh, I know! I shall make a pearl chocolate for you for Valentines! Ehh? Chocolate from Reika-chan? That sounds great, he smiled happily, even as he was being beaten across the head. Having someone outside of your family to give chocolates to really got your motivation up, after all! Reika, that You can look forward to it too, Oniisama! Hmmm, and I also need to get started on Yukino-kuns birthday food, and Chapter 185 The custom of eating seven-herb congee on the Festival of Seven Herbs(January 7th) is said to bring longevity and health. I wasnt sure what exactly I wanted to make for Valentines Day yet. Thats why I decided to talk to Wakaba-chan about it when I went to her house. She asked me when would be a good day for me, so I picked the soonest day we both had off. Wakaba-chan laughed at me. Maybe she realised I never had nothing else to do. But I was a pretty busy person too. I had jogging on the weekends, and I had lessons to go to every fortnight too! It wasnt like I sat around at home every weekend! Going to Wakaba-chans house always required a change of trains. Brr, it was cold. As I stepped past the ticket barriers I saw Wakaba-chan waving energetically at me. Kisshouin-saaan! Sorry, did I keep you? No, no, dont worry about it. Today she was wearing a red duffle coat and a lively smile brightened her face. Have you had lunch yet? Weve got some hayashi rice at home, but we can eat out too if you want? A beef-based dish with demiglace. No need to trouble yourself. Will you be all right? Im fine too. Then my house it is. We set off at a relaxed pace. Say, Takamichi-san? How has it been since we last spoke? The bullying. Eh? Ahh, mmn. You know how it is. I see. From what I heard, sometimes thered be footprints on her desk, and other times people would purposefully b.u.mp into her. They were still b.i.t.c.hing about her right in front of her too. But they havent touched my uniform since then. Of course. How could you bear it if they did it regularly. No arguing that, she guffawed. If there is anything I can do I began. Youre doing plenty. Youve given me shoes, and even a uniform set. Im really super grateful to you, you know? But And if you go around openly supporting me your position will worsen, right? The people in the Pivoine dont seem to like me after all. Eh She was spot on, of course. It was hard to say what would happen to my influence and position if we openly a.s.sociated. Dont worry about it. I already have people to look out for me. Like everyone at the Student Council. Ahh Right. Since she had Fellow Stalking Horse and her friends at the Student Council, theyd protect her from open attacks. That would make things worse with Stalking Horses fans though. And umm, it really is just a tiny minority, but you know that there are people who dont think well of the Pivoine, right? Well, yes. There had always been people who thought we were all a bunch of bullies who used our connections and family to do whatever we wanted. The current Student Council and its followers were the same. The Pivoine and Student Council had a deep-rooted hostility. Tomoe-senpai was great at balancing the two. He even hid his relationship with Kasumi-sama until graduation. Hahhh~ Fellow Stalking Horse was quite popular too, and although he wasnt a match for the Emperor, he was quite charismatic as well. Had I been made the President of the Pivoine then I could easily see anti-Pivoine elements rising up at the worst time possible. That was why I was so scared when they asked me to step up. It wouldnt be something to laugh off if the Pivoine was destroyed while I was in office. Just thinking about it had been enough to make my eyebrows fall off. I was actually so lucky that the Emperor had taken the mantle instead! Even if Im like this, Im still technically a Student Council member, and youre a pretty famous member of the Pivoine. If people realised we spoke wed probably both be labelled traitors, huh~ Indeed Social ties were soooo bothersome. How come we couldnt just be friends with who we wanted. So Im fine with you not doing anything. Ill make it work on my own. Well, I say that but youve helped me so many times already, said Wakaba-chan as she stuck her tongue out. Weve been talking about this for so long that were here already. Lets stop talking about it, okay? Especially in front of my family. I understand. It sounded like she hadnt told her family how she was being treated at school. n.o.body wanted to worry their family after all. I stepped into her house for the third time. Today my visiting gift were arare crackers. You dont have to bring a gift every time, you know. From now on dont bring anymore, okay! Were not all that fancy! It is really nothing much though. I said that you dont have to. Im happy, but if you keep giving us stuff each time it makes it hard to invite you over. Really? Was that how it was? Huh. Come to think of it, maybe I hadnt brought gifts like this in my old life. But you know, my family gobbled up the karintoh from last time, so thanks! It was my pleasure. Wakaba-chan took my gift with both hands and then bowed politely. Now then! You wanted to make something for Valentines? Yes. Please look after me, Sensei. Ahaha, but are you okay with me? I cant really make anything too fancy, you know? I like your cooking the way they are. The yule log you gave me for Christmas was delicious as well. Do you think I could make a little meringue person too? Ohh, that. Yeah, once you master the trick its just artistic talent. Artistic talent I didnt have much confidence in mine. I was thinking that they might be happy to receive little dolls of them, but What have you been making for the previous Valentines? Hmmm~ I made chocolate brownies a few times. My friend had invited me to a patissiers cla.s.s. Oh, last year I made chocolate cake. Hmm, also truffles, ganache Youve made quite a lot then. Yes. But it was always amateurish and never compared to what you could buy in a shop. Hmmm~ Well, those are pros after all. Quite so I suppose it would be asking a bit much for your everyday person to match them. You can definitely get better though. And m.u.f.fins and stuff are better when theyre right out of the oven. m.u.f.fins! Chocolate m.u.f.fins for Valentines might be nice as well! Yeah, sounds fine. Might feel a little plain though. Hmmm, certainly I suppose chocolate m.u.f.fins might be a little plain for something that only happened once a year. Then how about fondant au chocolat? That sounds wonderful! Fondant au chocolat Id wanted to try making one for a long time now. So youre fine with fondant au chocolat? Then shall we practice today? Or would you like to try making something else for now? Something else? For example? Lets see For Valentines Ive made like chocolate cheesecakes, French chocolate cakes, opera cakes and stuff like that. Chocolate cheesecake sounds interesting. If I could make that myself then that meant I could make normal cheesecake too. That could be nice. I see. Then lets try making a chocolate cheesecake today. Understood! I said as I shot to my feet. Just as my stomach began to rumble. Gyah! Was it all the talk about food!? How about some lunch first? No, I really am d.a.m.n you, stomach! Stop rumbling! How much do you want to embarra.s.s me before youre satisfied!? Oh right! I put some to the side! she said with a clap. Wakaba-chan ran off and heated up a pot of something. Was it the hayashi rice she mentioned earlier? In the end she came over with a small bowl of okayu congee with egg and greens. Here you go. Thank you. Itadakimasu. I wasnt really all that hungry, but since she had warmed it up for me Id happily eat it. After blowing on my spoon a bit, I scooped some up and tried it. Hot! Hot! How is it? Hot, but delicious. Mn. I wasnt sick or anything but okayu could be nice too. Why okayu though? Didnt she say she had hayashi rice? And what was this green vegetable mixed in with the egg? Wait, were these wild vegetables? I scooped some up with my spoon and had a look at it. Wakaba-chan beamed at me. What youre eating is seven-herb congee. I know that the 7th of January is already way gone, but still. Now youll be healthy all year. Ah, so this was seven-herb congee. I had not realised with all the egg. Seven-herb congee huh. Hm? Seven-herb congee? Wait, did she pick these vegetables in Suiran Forest? Im glad that you seem to be enjoying it, Kisshouin-san~ So basically you turned me into an accessory to your wild vegetable theft, Wakaba-chan? Happy New Year, everybody! Have you all got resolutions? Chapter 186 After I cleaned up the rest of the seven-herb congee it was finally time to make the sweets. I put on the ap.r.o.n I brought from home. Hmmmm, the utensils are here and the flavourings are over here. As for the recipes its right here in this book, said Wakaba-chan as she showed me her notebook. Did you come up with these yourself, Takamichi-san? Dad taught me some of them, and some caught my eye in recipe books. A number I heard from other people too. I see. My cooking was usually wherever my inspiration led me in the moment so I didnt have much regarding recipes. Not that any of my creations were worth recreating with a recipe. Lets break out the ingredients then. First we need cream cheese, chocolate, and eggs. Eh? I found a familiar jar in her fridge. This is Hmm? Ohh, that. I got it as a souvenir from someone else. Its actually amazingly good! Do you wanna try some, Kisshouin-san? There was no mistaking it. It was the very same maple syrup that I got from Enjou and Kaburagi. Could it be that you received this from Kaburagi-sama? Eh-, howd you know!? I received some as well. To be honest my preferences lean towards honey, but this was so good it beat out everything in my honey collection. So thats why! It was so delicious that I couldnt bear to make stuff with it so Ive just been eating it a bit at a time but everyone finds it so delicious that there isnt much left. And its sooo good on vanilla ice cream. That does sound good! Putting it on ice cream, huh. It was a bit cold for ice cream, but maybe I could try it after my next bath. But man, it sounds amazing going to Canada for a skiing vacation. Ive never been overseas before. You have the shop after all. With so many family members and the cake shop too it couldnt have been easy to organise an overseas holiday. Hm? Aahh! Id almost forgotten! Pa.s.sport! Huh? Takamichi-san! Do you have a pa.s.sport!? A pa.s.sport? No? At Suiran our high school trip was obviously overseas. And at Suiran it was almost a matter of course that everyone had a pa.s.sport. It was actually a plot point in the manga that she didnt have one. In the end she just managed to get one in time, but everyone mocked her for not having one to begin with. You know that we will be going to Europe for the field trip, no? Almost everybody at Suiran has a pa.s.sport already so n.o.body mentions pa.s.sports until it is almost time to go. I see. I think it would be best if you applied for one soon. It takes times to gather the doc.u.ments and the photos, and it takes another 10 days after that to receive it. Oh okay. I hadnt thought of that at all! Thanks for letting me know, Kisshouin-san! Ill go get one soon! Ahh, thank goodness I remembered. She had been pretty ashamed in the manga. It had been over 15 years since I last read it so it was hard remembering all the little episodes. You did well reminding me, Kaburagis maple syrup! Although I wonder when he even gave it to her. All right then! Shall we begin? Okay~ Under Wakaba-chans instruction I began making the chocolate cheesecake. I mixed ingredients as I followed the recipe. Wakaba-chan was really particular about it. You really need to follow the amounts that the recipe says. Yes. Ah Just now you put in the cream cheese without measuring, didnt you. I thought it would be nice with a little more Its going to clump up. A few lumps gives it character, no? No. Mix it in properly. Okaay. Youre pretty strict, Wakaba-chaan. Im home! called an energetic voice. Her oldest younger brother had just come back. Welcome back. Welcome home, I said as well. Ah! Its the cornet girl! he said, pointing right at me. Kanta! chided Wakaba-chan, Her name isnt cornet girl, its Kisshouin-san! And dont point at people! Yeah, yeah. Answer me properly! Alright, alright, he waved her off as he headed off to wash his hands. Sorry about him, she apologised. No worries. It must be rough being an older sister. Hes been so full of himself since entering middle school. He doesnt listen to anything I say. Geez, she muttered as she began mixing up the bowl again. Hey, Cornet, called Kanta-kun while I was looking at the notebook. Yes? Look at this! Neechan got it from some guy! Kanta-kun was holding a teddybear. Kanta! You went into my room again, didnt you! fumed Wakaba-chan. From his face, Kanta-kun didnt seem too bothered. He sent it to her on Christmas! he revealed. Could it have been from Ah, well, she said awkwardly. Kaburagi, huh. Isnt it kind of childish to send her a doll though? Kanta! This teddybear is a limited edition Christmas product from Germany, I noted. Really? So its not just some bear? Kanta-kun asked. Well, it certainly is a teddybear, I conceded, but I would feel bad for it if you lumped it together with the others. It comes with a serial number too. A very respectable teddybear. Buying her this, huh. Despite making fun of me for liking limited-edition products he went and bought one himself. I accepted it because it was just a stuffed toy, but dont tell me this is expensive? Wakaba-chan seemed almost afraid to ask. Just a few tens of thousand yen, I recall. Tens of thousands!? she cried. Thats freaking expensive! baulked her brother. Both siblings seemed horrified at it. Youre freaking expensive for a doll, arent you! What do I do. It was a doll so I was just like yeah, thanks! While the two of them kicked up a fuss, I didnt really see the big deal. Why not just accept it? You know, this is actually rather cheap for a present from Kaburagi-sama. Holy s.h.i.t. A doll that costs tens of thousands of yen While the two of the were reeling from shock, I took the change to continue making the cheesecake. Oh, maybe I could add some liqueur for extra flavour. Here we go. Ah!? Kisshouin-san! What are you doing!? Hm? Adding some liqueur. Why are you adding it to begin with? The recipe doesnt list it, right? Well, I thought it might taste better. Both Wakaba-chan and Kanta-kun stared at me speechless for a while. He was still holding the bear. Ive been thinking this for a while now, but could it be that youve always been cooking like this? Adding things however you want, I mean. Well, perhaps not however I want. But sometimes inspiration just strikes me. Every meal should be a unique experience, and all that. My G.o.d she muttered. Off to the side, Kanta-kun took a spoon of the mixture to taste. Urgh! he grimaced. What the h.e.l.l is this supposed to be!? Its sour! And bitter! So you added enough liqueur to make it bitter, Kisshouin-san Youre exaggerating, Kanta-kun! I only put in a little! Even the aftertaste is bitter! As the son of a baker I cant accept this! If youre baking a cake then always follow the recipe! That cannot be I think Kantas right said Wakaba-chan. When it comes to making sweets you need to be exacting with the amounts. This might be why your cooking hasnt been as good as what youve bought After that, Wakaba-chan adjusted the batter while Kanta-kun guarded me from doing anything unnecessary. Eventually we somehow managed to make the cheesecake. Yummy! It was probably one of the best two things Id ever made! This was huge! This isnt good at all Yeah The verdict of the siblings was harsher though. They went back into another lecture on how important it was to follow the recipe. Then her dad showed up and repeated it again to me. How important it was to measure the ingredients properly. I felt enlightened. So unlike regular cooking, the knack to making desserts was following the recipe. I vowed to improve. When it was time to leave, Wakaba-chan came with me to the station . Since we had the time, I asked her about Christmas again. Ummm Well, when we were about to close up the store, Kaburagi-kun appeared and said that it was a Christmas present. I see. He was wearing this jet black coat and seemed more mature than usual. And the streetlights seemed to make him shine so I was like, whoa, this is a real Emperor! Hmmmm~ So that d.a.m.ned Kaburagi slipped out from his familys party to hand this to her? Apparently quite a few things were happening without my knowledge. I decided to ask him next time. Well then, goodbye for now. Yeah. Stay safe! I pa.s.sed through the ticket barriers as she waved goodbye. Chapter 187 I decided to just completely rely on Wakaba-chan for Valentines Day. We were going to make fondant au chocolat on the day. Normally I only had Oniisama and Otousama to give chocolates. I just followed recipes on my own. Learning from somebody was a completely different experience. This year, Valentines would be in Wakaba-chans hands. Still, this wasnt anything serious, since it was basically between family. If I couldnt make something delicious for Imari-sama then I could just buy him something. Yukino-kuns party food was an entirely different story. For one thing it wasnt my family doing the eating. For another it was going to be the Enjou family of all things. Bringing something weird over was unacceptable. After some discussion with Akimi-san, we decided to make chirashizushi. Literally toppings on sushi rice. For one thing I could distract them with pretty colours, and for another the vinegar in the sushi rice could ward off any chance of food poisoning. Yukino-kuns birthday was on a Sat.u.r.day this year so Akimi-san could come over in the morning to help with the food. After that the plan was for me to head straight to the party. Before that day I had been reading over her recipe every day, and practised making kins.h.i.tamago egg strips by myself. It was burnt. I couldnt cut it thinly. Mmn. Id leave this part to Akimi-san. Kisshouin-san, Im sorry for my brothers wilfulness. If its too hard to make the food you can just refuse, you know? Enjou said. Perhaps he noticed that I was reading cooking books at the salon too. It is no trouble. I hope I will not disappoint when I say that I am only bringing something simple. I was only reading the book because I had some interest in it. And I was telling the truth. After all the cooking lessons with Akimi-san and the vegetable cutting practice I did at home, I was really starting to gain an interest in cooking. The house chef had been throwing the vegetables I used for practice into a blender to make soups and dressings and stuff. Apparently none of the vegetables I practised with were good for main dishes. The potage they made from the potato the other day was really good. I was feeling pretty bad about always getting them to clean up after me so these days I had been looking up recipes I could use them in myself. Curry was probably the best choice in the end. Next chance I had, maybe I could try making curry with pre-made curry sauce. The family cook never used store-bought sauce. All of it was made from scratch. I did kind of miss the flavour of supermarket curry though. Like the curry I had at Wakaba-chans house. In my old life, Mum used to blend two different brands together. It was tastier like that. Plus, I knew the trick to making it perfect. You had to add chocolate or yoghurt to it. Chocolate or yoghurt though. Basically anything sweet would do, right? In that case, what if I added flan? If I used milk pudding instead, wouldnt that dissolve easier? Then again I wasnt really into the really sweet curries. In that case maybe I could use spicier curry sauce to balance it out? It would be nice if I could bring out an original flavour even after using store-bought sauce. Maybe I could add some miracle fruits. I decided to ask Akimi-san what she thought. Kisshouin-san? Still here with me? Eh? Ah, my apologies. I am listening. Oops. I was so lost with the thought of curry that I hadnt noticed what he said. I just hope that the cooking wont trouble you too much. There arent even twenty guests, so dont worry about it too hard. I understand. Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun would probably be there too. There was the pressure of her mothers cooking now. But I had Akimi-san with me! Shed make it work somehow, so there was no problem! On the day, Akimi-san came over in the morning, as promised. Gokigenyoh, Akimi-san. I feel bad taking up your weekend like this. Dont be. Lets do our best together. Yes. The ingredients were already prepared in the kitchen. All I had to do now was have Akimi-san work her magic. I thought of having her take a break in the living room first but my family knew about her visit and waited for her at the entrance. Welcome, Akimi-san. Thank you for helping my sister today. Apparently Reika has been learning cooking from you, said Otousama. My daughter will be in your care, Akimi-san. Please take care of my daughter, Akimii-san, said Okaasama. Apparently the son of the Enjou family requested Reikas cooking, continued Otousama. After all, all of the Enjou family will be eating this, continued Okaasama. Dad, Mum, just leave it at that, Oniisama stopped them. Akimi-san, Ill send you home, so just let me know when youre done. Y-Yes Since Akimi-san seemed visibly overwhelmed I shooed my family off and then brought her to the kitchen. Thank goodness for Oniisama. What should I do. Theres so much pressure now Sorry about them, Akimi-san. Originally I wanted to have tea with you in the living room first, but what would you prefer? I have no doubts my family will be waiting there. Its fine. Im okay. I want to start as soon as possible. We need time in case we mess up. Even though she was so happy just a moment ago, Akimi-sans expression was all business now. Im sorry I mentioned learning cooking from her earlier, but I only recently slipped up about the party. As soon as they heard that they kicked up a huge fuss and kept trying to convince me to let our cook do it, or to hire some restaurant make the food instead. I couldnt lie to Yukino-kun about it so I refused them each time. I told them that it would be fine with Akimi-sans help, but they were still nervous about it. Especially Okaasama. She was really something else. She even said that if I brought bad food this time it would affect my prospects of marriage in the future. I knew it would end up like this so I hadnt really been planning on telling them. Then again it affected them too so I couldnt just keep mum about it. Shall we begin then, Reika-san? Yes. At first we had planned to do equal shares but in the end Akimi-san basically made it herself. Especially the seasoning. That was all her. As for what I did, it was mostly fanning the sushi rice with a fan But I did beat the eggs, and I put the rice into the bucket too. I also pa.s.sed her ingredients, moved the utensils out of the way, and made sure to a.s.sist her. I mean, this counted as making it together, right? The finished chirashizushi went into stacked boxes, and the rest was left for my parents and Oniisama to try first. They seemed to be worrying about it the whole time after all. This is delicious! exclaimed my mother. The Enjou family can eat this without issue! exclaimed my father. Its delicious, Reika. Thank you, Akimi-san, Oniisama thanked her. Thank you so much, Akimi-san! After seeing the exaggerated response, Akimi-san finally seemed to relax. Thank goodness Since I had the party to get to, I left my seat first while Akimi-san rested in the living room. I came back after changing and found her chatting amiably with Oniisama. Are you ready, Reika? In that case Ill take you as well while I send Akimi-san home. Please do, Oniisama. I have a lot to carry, so could you help with that? Youre carrying quite a lot already, Reika-san. Are you okay? Huhuhu! In the end in was bringing quite a bit. We had the chirashizushi too, after all. Shall we go? Wait for me, Yukino-kun! Ah-, I forgot to talk to Akimi-san about the curry. Chapter 188 The Enjou estate was a Western-styled mansion in chalk white. It was the kind of place youd expect the two brothers to live in, really. Since I had so many things to carry, Oniisama escorted me to the door. Enjou was the one to receive me. Welcome, Kisshouin-san. Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama. Good afternoon, Shuusuke-kun. Thank you for having my sister for the day. Shes very welcome. Oniisama and Enjou shared a smile, before he handed over the goods to Enjou who welcomed me into the house. Be polite now, Oniisama reminded me before heading off. Today he was wearing a rough, grey cardigan. I rarely saw him outside of uniform or formal-wear for parties. Thanks to that my maidens heart couldnt help but skip just a little. d.a.m.n it. If youre attractive enough then anything looks good on you Youre wearing all white today, huh. Its cute on you. Youre like a rabbit. Ueh!? I was so surprised that I made a weird sound! I thought my heart was going to fly out of my chest! R-R-Rabbit!? Casually dropping a line with that while smiling at the girl? What kind of skill was this! Enjou was actually a provisional resident of the Casanova village!? Wait, or was he a permanent resident!? Oh my G.o.d, dont tell me he was Imari-samas successor!? Send out the alarms! Send out the alarms! Ah, this way to the party. Unconcerned with my inner turmoil, Enjou guided me through his house. Urghh, wasnt there some way I could sneak revenge on him for this? I looked for any hairs on the back of his cardigan. If a stranger plucked off a hair from you it could jinx your next crush. Enjou was too well-groomed though, so there was nothing for it. Tsk. After walking for a while, eventually I heard the happy laughter of children at the end of a hallway. Yukinos friends are already here so its lively. Was I late? Perhaps I should apologise. Not at all. The party wont start for a while yet. Plus, Masaya told me hed be coming late today. Kaburagi-sama is coming? Yup. Hmmm~ So he had enough sense to come to Yukino-kuns birthday party. Then again, Kaburagi did seem to dote on him. I opened the door to excited children. Yukino, Kisshouin-sans here. Yukino-kun had been having fun with a lot of friends but his brothers words caused him to turn and flash a dazzling smile at me. Reika-oneesan! Happy birthday, Yukino-kun, I waved. His mother, who had been giving instructions to the house staff, noticed and came over as well. Welcome, Reika-san. Gokigenyoh. Thank you very much for inviting me over today. Her impression might have been sylphlike and transient, but her smile was all Yukino-kun. I should be thanking you for coming here for Yukino. Umm, this is the homemade food that I promised Yukino-kun, but My, thank you. I heard about it. Im sorry about that, Reika-san. He can be so wilful. Not at all. It was truly nothing much. How about you leave that with me for now? Or would you prefer to hand it to him yourself? He has been looking forward to it. While we were chatting, Yukino-kun reached out and beckoned me over. Over here, Reika-oneesan! Come sit here! He seemed more lively today. Cute. Honestly, that boy of mine. Sorry again, Reika-san. Could you bear with him for a little? Huhu, of course. Madam Enjou gave a helpless smile as I made my way to Yukino-kun. Since I had missed my chance to hand the food over, I was still carrying the chirashizushi in my hand as I sat down near him. From his smile he seemed to be having the time of his life. Enjou left to receive more tiny arrivals to the party. It turned out to be quite a few kids together, leaving only Kaburagi to arrive. Since we were only missing him, the party began. They darkened the room, and we all began singing. An extravagant two-story cake with seven candles on it was placed in front of Yukino-kun. When our song ended, he blew them all out to our applause. Happy birthday, Yukino-kun! Happy birthday! Yukino-kun flushed and thanked us with a happy smile. While everyone was busy giving him presents, the staff cut up the cake and left servings at everyones seats. I handed Yukino-kun my present as well. Thank you, Reika-oneesan! Happy birthday, Yukino-kun. What is it? Its kind of big, huh. Open it later and see. I hoped he liked it. It was hard because he was both a kid and a boy. The table was filled with foods catered to children, and Yukino-kun opened a few presents at random while he ate his cake. Reika-san, could you bring your food out over there? Ah, yes. Uu, so it was finally time. I unwrapped the layered boxes, and did as Mrs. Enjou said, placing it on the table. Yukino-kuns face lit up into a smile. Wah! You really made food for me! Yuki-chan, wheres your thanks? Thank you, Reika-oneesan! You are very welcome. I only hope that it suits your taste I watched a little nervously as the children peered on at the lid being lifted. Chirashizushi! Its so pretty! Did Reika-oneesama make this? I want to try it too! It looks good. Ooh, at least the appearance seemed okay. Thank goodness. The one who put the strips of nori seaweed was me, you know. Youre so good at cooking, Reika-san. I heard from your mother that you often cooked at home. No, it is embarra.s.sing but I am still learning. Apparently Okaasama had had a lot of fun boasting about me outside the family. Was that why she was so worried about the food I brought? My cooking would have revealed quite a number of things about us. Honestly, as if one parent hadnt been enough Since Reika-san went to all the trouble, how about you try some of her food right now, Yuki-chan? Yeah. Madam Enjou served some onto a plate for him. I could feel my heart pounding in antic.i.p.ation. Yukino-kun tried a bite. Yummy! Its so good, Reika-oneesan! he exclaimed. The little angel was smiling. Thank goodness! His mother, Mao-chan, and everyone else praised it too. We did it, Akimi-san! Since the boxes werent all that big the chirashizushi disappeared in no time. I was soooo relieved! Mm, it really was delicious. I didnt know you were that good at cooking, Kisshouin-san. Enjou had finished everything on the plate too. I guess unlike Kaburagi he was totally fine with homemade food. Oh, or had he forced himself? I didnt force myself. Gyaah! He read my mind! I knew he was scary! No, its just written all over your face. Really? Oh my G.o.d, he read it again! I was terrified at having any more thoughts read so I turned my back to him and began awkwardly eating cake. Reika-oneesama, youre even amazing at cooking, Mao-chan gushed in admiration. She really is, added Yukino-kun. Uuu, the purity of these children was making me guilty I actually made this together with my cooking teacher, I admitted almost immediately. Really? But that means you still made it, Reika-oneesama. Well, I suppose. Since I had help, getting all the praise to myself made me feel bad for her. Although, I really did help, and although we arranged the toppings together, the praise belonged to Akimi-san. Huhu, youre a upright person, Reika-san. Who was it that taught you? asked Mrs. Enjou. It was Akimi-san from the Narutomi family. She cooks as a hobby, so she has been teaching me as a personal favour. I see. The daughter of the Narutomi family is still a student, if I remember correctly. She is. After that Mao-chan said that she wanted to try cooking lessons too. Although since her mum was such a good cook, she could honestly just have her teach her. When Yukino-kun finished his cake he began opening his presents among his friends. It was time for mine next I realised while I was watching him react happily to the last one. I hoped it was fine I wonder what it is. Its pretty big. Hurry and open it, Yukino-kun. Okay. Wahh, what is this? Since he had asthma, I decided to get him a humidifier. Not just any humidifier though. There were two layers of transparent globes, and between them were little figures of sea animals floating in a mixture of water and blue oil. There were dolphins, whales, clownfish, even the manatees that he had been fond of in Okinawa. It made for a rather cute piece of interior decoration. A mini-aquarium that doubled as a humidifier. To be honest, the humidifier was the less impressive half. So cute! Theres dolphins swimming about. There are the manatees you love so much too, you know? Eh-, where? While he was happily looking for manatees I contentedly handed him one more box. Yukino-kun, open this too. This is a little extra. Eh? This too? he asked in surprise. Hmm? Opening it up, Yukino-kun looked a little confused. What is this? he asked in wonder. Inside the box were numerous puzzle rings, from beginners to some really difficult ones. Those are puzzle rings, I answered. Have you heard of them? You need to use your head to untangle them. Oooh! They were perfect for killing time. Since I knew he had to stay home a lot, I thought they would be good to play with by himself. When I was small I liked jigsaw puzzles and stuff too. The children seemed interested enough and began trying to solve them. Hmm, this is hard. I cant do it at all. Wahh! Yukino-kuns Oniisama solved one! Earlier, one of the girls had asked him for help, so he had untangled the rings and gently pa.s.sed them back. Mmn. I was glad that everyone had fun with them. I had actually brought Jenga and boardgames with me too. Would those be a good idea? That was when one of the staff announced Kaburagis arrival. Chapter 189 Im late. Sorry. A ripple of noise and excitement, particularly amongst the girls, ran through the kids as Kaburagi made his dashing entrance. Today he was wearing mostly all black so he gave off the impression of resplendent black quartz. No, Mao-chan, being entranced is bad! Yuuri-kun is still right next to you! Kaburagi made a beeline for Yukino-kun. Happy birthday, Yukino. Here. Your present, he said as he handed it over. I bought some cake too. I realised he was holding a bag from a cake store in his other hand. Wakaba-chans cake store. Masaya, dont tell my you were late because you went to get that? Pretty much. Ehh!? What the h.e.l.l!? He came late to the party because he wanted to go meet Wakaba-chan!? Or was it that he went to pick up the cake only to forget the time with her? Either way, he still used the birthday cake as an excuse to go meet her! Yukino-kun opened up the cake box with his mother. Oh, a snowman. It was a simple white birthday cake with strawberries on top. Written right in the middle with chocolate was Happy Birthday Yukino, and to the side was a little meringue snowman. You like snowmen, dont you? They asked me if I wanted anything else on the cake, so I had them made that for you. Wow. Its cute. Since we had the cake anyway, we lit up another set of candles on it. The fancy cake from earlier was delicious, but if I had to say, simple strawberry birthday cakes like this were my favourite. We began to sing Happy Birthday again. I was doing my best to sing, but Kaburagi just clapped. Sing! Happy Birthday, Yukino-kun! The cake wasnt all that big so each portion was smaller. Since I was an adult I left the strawberries for the kids. Even though cream with strawberries was delicious. Even though I loved that stuff. I was an adult after all. Yukino-kun was being adorably conflicted about whether or not to eat the snowman. I totally understood how he felt. When I saw the little Reika-chan figure I couldnt bear to eat it either. In the end it had actually met the new year from the inside of my freezer. I wonder how long meringue lasted The cake from Wakaba-chans family store was delicious even without the strawberries! Maybe Id buy some the next time I was there. Yuki-chan, why dont you open your present from Masaya-san? Mm. Wah, its heavy. As it turned out, Kaburagi had gotten him a large book of Eschers art. I chose it since you seemed interested in Escher. Something to look at the next time youre bedridden. How could he bring up being bedridden on a birthday!? Yukino-kun didnt mind the ill omen though. He just thanked him before fervently examining the book. I wondered though. Could it be that Kaburagi actually liked gifting books to people? I remembered getting an anthology of Heine poems from him. His father had a rare book collection too. Maybe he was influenced. Would everyone else like to look too? asked Yukino-kun. Sure, I answered. So we sat down next to him, as he skimmed through the book. This is making me a little dizzy, his mother commented at some point, so she left. Before long the other kids went off to play the board games I brought, or video games on the big screen t.v., so Yukino-kun shut the book and joined them. Maybe I would join them. But Jenga was too nervewracking even though I was the one to bring it, so perhaps a nice boardgame. The Kaburagi family were celebrating the birth of new children again, this time a pair of twins. Your family sure has a lot of children I muttered. Masaya-niisama has a big family, said Yukino-kun. Scamming the government for money, Masaya? laughed Enjou. Shut it and send over the gifts already, Kaburagi replied. Oh my. I seem to have found oil in my back yard. Thats amazing, Reika-neesan! Next is Masaya-niisamas turn. Oh, Masaya-niisama, your investments suffered a huge loss. What the h.e.l.l! This roulette has to be broken somehow! Whatever, Masaya. The bank is waiting. Pay up. d.a.m.n it! Huh. So I get to seize property from one player? mused Enjou. Masaya it is then. Haah!? Why the h.e.l.l did you pick me!? Pick the person with the most money instead! It was a process of elmination. The criteria was the one Id feel the least bad taking from. f.u.c.k off! Ah, I get to seize property too~ Yukino-kun exclaimed. Please pay up, Masaya-niisama. His Majesty the Emperor was bankrupt. The two Enjou brothers had mercilessly squeezed him for everything he had. Kaburagi was in a terrible mood, but since Yukino-kun was having fun it wasnt an issue. Kaburagi looked like he was about to steam though. What happened to the cool-headed and capable Emperor that everyone talked about? You could really see peoples personalities by playing these sorts of games. Kaburagi who boldly displayed the money he had on hand. I, who hid my fortunes from view with a handkerchief. Enjou who kept his money in plain view, but probably had secret stashes elsewhere. Speaking of Enjou. I was surprised that you knew about these sorts of games, Kisshouin-san, he said. Really? I asked. I suppose I did wonder if it was a bit too commoner before the party. I wasnt much older than my little sister in my old life so we used to play games like this a lot. And for New Years when grandpas family, and all our cousins and stuff gathered, wed all play board games or card games as well. It was really fun. It was harder playing these games with siblings further from your age, so I thought it was fair to let me indulged in these once in a while. One more time! Im done. Running away, huh. Im not running away! Im just sick of childrens games, thats all. Youre the most childish one here though. Kaburagi just clicked his tongue and stomped off. Since the sucker of the game had run off, the three of us began playing peacefully with the new children who had come to play. At some point I heard shouts of amazement. It turned out that Kaburagi had become a hero in Jenga. I won because of careful a.n.a.lysis and the courage to take a risk, he proudly explained. The fun pa.s.sed in a flash, and soon it was time for the party to end. They were all in primary school so it wouldnt do to stay out late. I was getting ready to leave too, when Enjou and his mother thanked me for coming. Thanks to you the party was even livelier. Thank you for coming today, Reika-san. Yukino was overjoyed too, added Enjou. Yukino-kun himself came to thank me too. Thank you, Reika-oneesan, he said with an angelic smile. Thank you very much for inviting me. I had a wonderful time. Goodbye for now. Come play again. Come again, Reika-neesan. Huhu. With the children all gone, only Kaburagi was left. Apparently he wasnt leaving yet. Gokigenyoh, Kaburagi-sama. I will be taking my leave first, I said, meeting at least the bare minimum of etiquette. Yeah, he said without lifting his head. He was locked in a battle with the puzzles rings. He was even frowning. Kaburagi, that ones aimed at experts, so I really dont think youll get it tonight The Enjous saw me off at the doorway. I was about to get into the car when another car arrived in front of the house. From inside the car stepped Yuiko-san from the School Festival. When she noticed me, she gave me a soft smile before walking towards the Enjous. I got in my car and left. Chapter 190 The day after the birthday party, Enjou thanked me again in the salon. Thanks for yesterday, Enjou said, Yukino had a lot of fun thanks to you. He immediately started using your present in his room, you know. When he plugged it in and the lights came on he was surprised by how much it resembled the sea. That makes me very happy to hear. He seemed to really enjoy himself in Okinawa so I thought he liked marine animals. Apparently he does. He keeps talking about how he wants to buy some tropical fish. Is that so. Afterwards when my dad came home we had another celebration with our family, you see. He asked my grandfather for some. My. A family gathering, huh So that was why I saw Yuiko-san. Yuiko-san, a candidate for Enjous fiance. She still had the same otherworldly impression that I saw during the School Festival. Speaking of which, Masayas still trying to figure out that puzzle ring. Hes gotten really worked up about it. In the end he stayed over, you know. Apparently he stayed up almost until sunrise trying to work it out. Thats why his eyes are all bloodshot and scary today. I That sounds rough. Did Kaburagi-sama manage to solve it in the end? Apparently he did. He came up to me with this bright smile and showed me the separated pieces. His eyes were still bloodshot though. I see. Kaburagi I dont even have words. It was just so pathetic. Is that why Kaburagi-sama is absent today? He seems like he could use some sleep after all. Nah, the reason hes not here has nothing to do with that. Hell be fine even missing a bit of sleep. Hes got stupid amounts of stamina after all. Oh my, ohohoho I couldnt publicly comment. Ah, and my mother wanted me to tell you to come over again. Thank you. Perhaps if circ.u.mstances permit Touch wood. Oh my, its about time for me to go to the Handicrafts Club. I picked up my bag, said goodbye to everybody, and then left my seat. Valentines Day was all the girls were talking about. It was the right season for chocolate companies to be releasing limited-time products, so everyone was exchanging information about that. I was excited too. I had plans to visit Wakaba-chan again, since I still had to learn to make the fondant au chocolat. The members of my club had been chatting to each other about knitting. Mn. Not me though. Still, they seemed to have been having fun. Who are you giving yours to this year, Reika-sama? At lunch I was heading to the faculty room for some cla.s.s rep stuff so Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan had come along with me. I was feeling quite grateful since the two of them werent even in my cla.s.s. The same as usual. Just my family and the like. My, only them? Why do you never give any to Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama? Because I had no reason to. What about you two, Serika-san, Kikuno-san? Im, probably going to go with the Emperor, said Serika-chan. Right? We have to be careful about which chocolate to choose. We cant pick the wrong one, agreed Kikuno-chan. You have to say chocolat in front of Kaburagi-sama. Oh, thats right. It was very valuable advice from Reika-sama. Im happy just to have him accept something from me. Im the same. But handing it to him personally is important. Id hate to just leave it in the special bag that he prepares, or on his desk. That sounds a bit like a shrine offering, I noted. Gosh, dont put it like that, Reika-sama, complained Serika-chan. You should give him something together with us, Reika-sama. Itll be fun, Kikuno-chan said. And if you get to brush against his hands at the time Kyaah! Gosh, what are you saying, Kikuno-san! My, my, werent planning the same thing, Serika-san? Wha-! You promised to keep that a secret! While the three of us walked down the hallway, we suddenly noticed Tsusuhana-sans group coming from the other side. Without skipping a beat, Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan moved to each of my sides. Gokigenyoh, Reika-sama. Gokigenyoh, Tsuruhana-san. We might have been smiling, but neither of them reached our eyes. One of her lackeys was holding a Valentines special magazine. Tsuruhana-san noticed my eyes drifting to it. What are you plans for Valentines, Reika-sama? Nothing in particular, I replied. My! To think that of all people, Reika-sama, you would be spending a lonely Valentines! she said particularly loudly. This b.i.t.c.h! Arent you being a bit rude here, Tsuruhana-san? glared Serika-chan. Oh dear, Im sorry. People have told me Im too honest sometimes. She and her lackeys were snickering audibly. But suddenly her expression turned serious. Its because youre always wearing that nonchalant expression of yours that you had your prize stolen from under your nose, you know. What did you just say!? Prize stolen from under my nose Wakaba-chan and Kaburagi? The day that a lowly External steals away your throne as the queen isnt far away, wouldnt you agree? After all, shes already won over the hearts of the two most influential people here, hasnt she? Tsuruhana-san! Watch the way you speak to her! Perhaps the age of a certain someone is already over Tsuruhana-san! You had better not get ahead of yourself! Unacceptable! How dare you speak to Reika-sama like that! Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan looked just about ready to brawl. It was going to be chaos at this rate. Ohohoho, I laughed. People do often say that empty vessels make the most sound. I can hear you loud and clear, Tsuruhana-san. I smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt. If you want a fight, shall I give you one? Youko-sama hadnt graduated yet, so I could totally do it! At least I hoped so. Id make use of Youko-samas power as much as I could! For a while it seemed like sparks flew between us. Even if its scary, dont avert your eyes, Reika! Hmph. Lets go, everyone. She folded. Serika-chan and Kikuno-san were still fuming after they walked past and left. What the was that!? Absolutely unforgivable! Ever since the year started shes been acting more and more out of hand! Shes asking for war! The two of them were boiling with rage. Youre kind of scary, you two. Since there were a lot of onlookers, I quickly left. As I was doing so, I overheard a boys comment. The three Gorgon sisters are freaking scary Three Gorgon sisters!? The three of us turned in sync to glare at the source who squealed a little before running away. Even if you run, you wont escape us. I already have your face. How about I turn you to stone as well! Reika-sama! We will make sure to punish that insolent boy properly! When Im through, he wont have a place in Suiran! Enough, you two. It was just a bit of nonsense. Still, hmm, I think I know what to do with him. I sent out a notice to all girls. Until graduation, n.o.body was to give that boy a single Valentines chocolate; absolutely no courtesy chocolates, to say nothing of romantic chocolates. He would be part of the village, whether he liked it or not. Chapter 191 At lunch on Sat.u.r.day I went to Wakaba-chans house. Today I was going to learn to make chocolat au fondant with her. Its soooo cold! I think its gunna snow soon! Your nose is all red, Kisshouin-san. Are you going to be okay? Yes. And the sky is all grey so you may be right. Today Wakaba-chan had come to meet me at the station. I have to apologise again for taking up so much of your free time. Its fiiine, I said. The only other thing I have is my part-time job after all! Wakaba-chan worked lunchtimes at a family restaurant, weekends only. You only just came back from work today, no? I hope you did not rush on my account. No, no, I always head straight home after changing so dont worry about it. Arent you way busier than I am? Not at all All I had on these days were extracurricular lessons every fortnight, and cooking lessons with Akimi-san. When Yukino-kuns birthday party was over I phoned her and told her how much everyone liked it. Having been worried about it like she was the one being judged, she finally let out a sigh of relief to hear that. I suppose she was though. Not only were the Enjou family and all their guests going to taste her cooking, but my parents had told her this could make or break our daughters reputation so it must have been quite some pressure. I really did feel bad about it. What would I do if she stopped teaching me because I was such a troublesome student? Dont abandon me, Akimi-san! It must be rough working part-time. Do you ever get a break? I take time off work before exams. Try not to let the school know. Ah, about that. I actually got permission! Permission? To work? Yeah! Remember how you told me that we werent allowed to work? Well, since I work in the kitchen I didnt think it was going to be a problem, but just to be safe I talked to Mizusaki-kun about it. Mizusaki-kun? Yeah. I thought that the Student Council President was the best one to speak to about these things. He was all like, What the h.e.l.l are you doing!? and got reaaally mad at me. Dont you understand that you could lose your scholarship over this!? He was right, of course, and I had a long hard think about it. Wakaba-chan hung her head in remorse. But then Mizusaki-kun went and obtained permission for me. We said it was to pay for school fees and supplies and somehow got them to agree. Since I was already receiving a scholarship I wasnt sure if itd work but thank goodness it did! Good for you. Yeah! Im so thankful to Mizusaki-kun! she smiled. Apparently she thought pretty well of Fellow Stalking Horse. Just the fact that she discussed it with him meant that she trusted him. On the one hand, Fellow Stalking Horse who was reliable and dependable. On the other hand, the Emperor who brought nothing but trouble. Wow. Youre in trouble, Kaburagi. Now I dont have to worry even if someone realises! I have to thank you too, Kisshouin-san. I do not recall doing anything. Thats not true. I wouldnt have realised it if you hadnt told me. Lots of my friends secret worked during middle school, and a lot of them still did it in high school so I hadnt paid it much thought. I see. Plenty of people do work in high school. Yeah. Ah, but Im surprised you knew that, Kisshouin-san. Its hard to imagine part-time work occurring to anyone from Suiran. Ahh~ Well In my old life too I used to worked part-time a lot. Whenever there was something I wanted and there wasnt enough money from my parents, for example. But I guess the idea of working part-time would be a really foreign concept to the girls at Suiran. Youd expect them to say something like, Goodness! What is this par time work you speak of? I had better change the topic before I outed myself. By the way, Kaburagi-sama ordered a birthday cake from your place, no? Ooh, howd you know? He did. I was working that day too, so I couldnt come home until 2. So to avoid talking about part-time I just told him that I wouldnt be at home until 2:30 only for him to say that was when hed come. That guy! He actually came late just so he could see Wakaba-chan! He totally used Yukino-kuns birthday as an excuse to go see her! To begin with, who even asked him to pick it up personally? Using an angel as a pretext to advance his love What a guy! It was for Enjou-kuns little brother, wasnt it? Since his name had yuki(snow) in it so he told me he wanted a Swiss meringue snowman. It was very cute. You went to his birthday party? How was it? I hope his little brother enjoyed it. The snowman was so cute that he couldnt bear to eat it. As for the cake itself, all the children loved it. I see! Thank goodness. Im a little relieved, you know. I wasnt sure if rich kids would enjoy it Hehe. Your otousamas cakes are delicious, so you should have a little more confidence. Thank you! And you just called him -kun, no? Ah! Oh d.a.m.n! said her expression. Sorry I couldnt ignore this. Ummmm~ Since I was talking to Kaburagi-kun that way, Enjou-kun told me to use -kun as well I see Try to be more careful at school, please. Yes If she seemed close with both of them, life was going to get a lot harder for her. And I was a little surprised. I had no idea when Enjou became close to Wakaba-chan. My siblings are at home today so it might be a bit noisy. Okay, come in. Please excuse me. Im home! she said energetically as she opened the door. Welcome back! Ah! Youre with the Cornet! Welcome home, Oneechan~ Welcome, Cor-chan. Welcome home~ Standing in her living room were Kanta-kun, as well as the twin brother and sister in Year 5. Oi! I told you not to call her that! Her name is Kisshouin-san! she quickly scolded them, but apparently everyone in her family already thought of me as Cornet. That was what they probably called me in private, wasnt it. Sorry, Kisshouin-san~ No need to worry. Kanta-kun who wasnt fazed at all said, Hey, Cornet. You better not do anything stupid today! I already know that. He got so angry last time. You must be cold, Kisshouin-san, said Wakaba-chan. Let me get you something warm to drink. Thank you. That was when her mum slipped out from the storefront. Welcome, Co-, Kisshouin-san. Thank you for having me, I bowed. My goodness, youre a polite one. Thats an ojousama from Suiran for you. Shes the Ohoho Cornet Girl after all. Kantaaaa! Wakaba-chan brought a vicious fist down onto his head. The Ohoho Cornet Girl Even I couldnt let that one go. Get him good, Wakaba-chan. Umm, this is some konpeitoh. Please take it. Gosh! Thank you as always. You really dont have to keep bringing things. Were not some fancy family, said her mum. I told you last time you didnt have to worry about this! scolded Wakaba-chan. Geez, now we feel bad instead! I know. This is just something I brought from home. Please excuse me for giving you something that was just lying around. Not at all! her mum exclaimed. Well in that case well accept it. Come empty handed next time, okay? Yes. Maybe it was ingrained in me now, but it was really hard showing up without a gift. Still, this time I managed to keep it to some souvenirs I had from Kyoto over New Years. Oh right. Kisshouin-san, how about I roast some mochi for you? her mum suddenly asked. Okay? We can make kinakomochi, agemochi Its yummy, you know? What kind do you prefer? Mochi? Then I suppose I am particular to isobeyaki I see. Then Ill cook some up for you. The truth is weve got a lot of mochi from New Years left over. Wakaba, you still havent had lunch, right? Help us eat some. Okaay. Well have some too! said Kanta-kun. Her mum went into the kitchen with the kids. Your family eats rectangular mochi, I see. Yep. Doesnt yours, Kisshouin-san? No, we do, but my mothers maiden family lives in Kyoto, and over there they eat the round ones. Round ones? Round mochi? asked Kanta-kun. Yes. Also they put the mochi in their ozouni is not roasted, but boiled. And instead of osumashi soup, they use something with a shiromiso base. Eh!? That doesnt sound like ozouni at all then! he said. I suppose not. When I was first served it in Kyoto I was like, Eh!? I lived in Tokyo in my old life, so I was really used to the way we did things. The world of cuisine was deep and profound, wasnt it. Is there anything I can help with? I asked. Its fine. You can go choose which toppings you want, though. Toppings? It was mochi. Wasnt it pretty much just seaweed, kinako dust, and red bean soup? Ill go with cod roe and cheese! he said. Cod roe and cheese? You could even make mochi like that!? Wasnt this the best opportunity to express my creativity then!? Stay out of the kitchen, Cornet. Kanta-kun had very little faith in me, it seemed. Chapter 192 Sorry for the delay, guys. I was exhausted last week, and then spent the weekend translating Tilea, some manga, and playing warframe. Heyy, Kanta-kun. What if I put yoghurt on mochi? Give it up. Here. Some coe-roe-and-cheese mochi for you, Cornet. Thank you! Wahh, so good! Hey, Kanta-kun? What if I put jam on the mochi? Sounds disgusting. Here, mochi pizza. Waah, this is my first time having a pizza mochi! It was so good! Kanta-kun had turned down all of my ideas. But all of the things that Kanta-kun made for me were delicious, so I guess it was fine? Still, it was actually pretty hard trying to match sweet things with the mochi. If it was shiratama dango instead would it be easier? Hmmm Hey Cornet, do you ever eat them normally? I do eat them normally. But I just wonder about more unique ways to do them sometimes Yeah, but why. Like, could you honestly say that youd enjoy eating jam or yoghurt on mochi? Uu Food isnt your toy. Guh There was nothing I could say to that. To begin with, why do you always try and put weird spins on these? It was the same with that cake as well. Uu, that was because ..out working What? Nothing. I daydreamed that if I came up with my own original recipe, I could get rich without working. Then my daydream got even bigger. I would be this amateur chef who posted her original recipes on the internet. Then people started talking about me, which would be when I published my own cooking book. The media all started featuring about me and Id suddenly find myself a celebrity. That was when a hot young actor with an interest in cooking would sudden invite me to have a chat! The two of us would hit it off. Eventually it turned into love. But the love between the popular young actor, and j.a.pans foremost young lady was not to be. The people around us tried to tear us apart. While I was locked at home and I spent every day crying, one day I overheard my family talking about a political marriage! I wanted to see him. But I couldnt. Eventually I made up my mind. I would abandon my family! It wasnt only me risking her future though. I slipped out at night to meet with him. While throwing off my pursuers I ran onto a road where I was. .h.i.t by a truck! n.o.body could find a blood donor for me, but just when it was about to be too late, shockingly that young actor had the same blood-type as me! For the girl he loved, he let them take almost all the blood he could spare. In tears, my family thanked him. No, he said, As long as its for her, I dont care how many times I risk my life! I was safe from death now. In my deluxe suite, I watched him on t.v. holding an emergency press conference. I have somebody I love. Before Im an actor, Im a man in love! I couldnt see him properly through my tears! Since he had saved my life, my family finally approved of him. As for his agency, they allowed it as well after seeing his resolve. All of j.a.pan blessed our pure love, and as we had our wedding in an old European fortress, a double rainbow spanned the sky as exchanged our vows. What a touching finale! And that was how my grandiose delusions went. What happened, Cornet? Youre all smirking now. Its creepy. Eh? Kanta-kun looked at me in suspicion. Apparently I had been smirking while I thought back to my delusions. I decided to be more careful while daydreaming in public But man, did I used to love that rare blood-type cliche. AB Negative and that. Was it because it was nice being special? Incidentally my actual blood type was the second most common in j.a.pan. Anyway, just follow the recipe for all cooking! Okay He was being pretty bossy for a 1st year middle-schooler but since he helped his parents and sister with the shop he could cook even as a child. I respect you, Kanta-kun. The isobeyaki you made for me was exquisite was well! After eating the delicious mochi, I began learning how to make the chocolat au fondant with Wakaba-sensei. Today not only was Kanta-kun joining us, but the twins were watching as well. It made me a little more nervous than usual. I get it, okay? Ill follow the recipe already. Kanta-kuns looking pretty strict, after all. First we sieve the flour, okay? said Wakaba-chan. Yes, I replied. Cornet, you better do this right, warned Kanta-kun. Yes I replied. Do you best, Cornet! said the twins. Next well melt the chocolate and batter in the warm water. Yes. Warming it up with water, huh. You know, I began, In the past I failed to understand the importance of warming it with water like this. Since I figured it was just melting and casting it, I put it in a pot and just heated it directly. Eh!? What the h.e.l.l were you doing!? The Takamichi siblings looked like they had discovered some kind of impossible creature. What happened then? Wakaba-chan asked. It burnt in the saucepan and the resulting chocolate was gritty and terrible. Heating it up with water is a very important step, I lectured. We already know that they replied. I had planned to break the ice with the story but Kanta-kuns gaze just got stricter. Maybe I shouldnt have said that I let my guard down because I was too relaxed here. Maybe because it reminded me of my old life somehow. Done! The outside was crumbly while the inside was gooey. It hadnt taken all that long to make, but the chocolat au fondant was sooo good! Wakaba-chan had an amazing recipe! And the powdered sugar looks like snow, so it is good on the eyes too, I noted in admiration. The chocolate cheesecake we made last time was great too, but todays creation was leagues ahead! This was definitely going to be this years Valentines chocolate! I decided to teach Sakura-chan and Aoi-chan the recipe too. See! Kanta-kun boasted. Look at how delicious it is when you dont add weird s.h.i.t! Kanta! his sister scolded him. I had learnt an important lesson It was night-time when it was time to leave. Looking up at the night sky, I realised that it had suddenly started snowing. Are you going to be okay? Want an umbrella? No, thank you. When I reach my station I shall call for a car. Since I was keeping these visits a secret I couldnt get picked up from here. But just a bit of snow was fine. Thank you for putting up with me today. I must have caused you a lot of trouble. Not at all! I still havent paid you back at all, Kisshouin-san! You mean the uniform and the shoes? It was really nothing much, so please forget it. I cant do that. They were so expensive. I still wonder if I shouldnt try and pay some of it back. Ehh!? I had no idea she was trying to do that! I mean, they were all bird-p.o.o.ped and all. They were only about a hundred thousand Yen though Eh? Its more than that, Kisshouin-san. You dont know the cost of the uniforms youre using? And besides, even if it was a hundred thousand thats a lot to me. I suppose so. A hundred thousand was a lot to me too, though. Wakaba-chans expression turned serious. Ummm, you know, its a bit hypocritical of me to say this, but Ive been thinking that maybe you should cherish the things your parents give you a bit more. Eh? The uniform you gave me was something bought with money that your dad worked hard for. Id feel a bit bad for him if you didnt treasure it a bit more Sorry, that was rude of me. But I know how hard my mum and dad work, so the things they buy to me are precious to me. I mean, its hard making a hundred thousand, you know? Yes In my past life I would never have forgotten how lucky I was to have that money. When had I become numb to it? Unlike Wakaba-chans dad, I never saw Otousama working of course, so maybe that factored into it. I never even bothered to find out how much the uniform they bought me cost. I just accepted it without a thought, because it was natural. Even though Otousama had worked for that money. What on earth was I doing. This wasnt being humble or reliable at all. Are you okay, Kisshouin-san? she asked me worriedly. I had fallen silent for a while. Oh yes. I am. Sorry for saying something weird. I just No. I was in the wrong. Thank you. I have realised it now. But please forget about the uniform. I have many spares, after all. I kept thinking about her words on the train ride home. When I got home, Otousama was relaxing on the sofa. Otousama! Oh, welcome home, Reika. I am back. I walked over and sat down right next to him. Oh? Whats wrong? Somebodys clingy today. Thank you for everything, Otousama. Whats the matter, Reika? Otousama seemed confused. I realised again that it is only because you work hard every day that I live as luxuriously as I do. My school fees and everything I wear was bought with money you earned through work. Thank you. And sorry that I always spend so much without realising how much you labour for that money Reika Youre such a good girl! Just buy anything you want, Reika! Ill pay for anything you want! Lets go on a shopping spree tomorrow! Eh? That wasnt what I was trying to say at all But the Tanuki was so ecstatic that he wasnt going to listen anymore. Are you trying to earn more points with your daughter by showering her with gifts, Tanuki? Ah, no, no, I was being grateful to Otousama. Right, right. Otousama, today I was learning to bake a cake for Valentines day. I will try my best to make something delicious for you on the day, so please look forward to it! To date, all of the things I gave Otousama was just made on the side while I baked for Oniisama. But this year I would make sure to put my heart into it! Ah, you know, this year your Otousama is stuck going to that compulsory Human Dry Dock medical examination My! That sounds so rough! Then from today onwards I will make healthy meals for you! I could get Akimi-san to teach me how to make healthy food. I wonder what kind of dishes there were. Stuff like tofu steaks or something? It sounded tough, but Id do my best. It was for Otousama, after all! My Reika, just your feelings are enough, so Worry not, Otousama. From today onwards I will show my grat.i.tude by making sure you are as fit as a fiddle! Leave it to me! Oh geez, Otousama. He seemed so moved by his daughter that he was in tears. Oh, I know. Maybe I could become a nutritionist in the future. Then I come up with a revolutionary nutritional plan. Renowned across the country, Kisshouin Reika, the beautiful nutritionist. Suddenly, an offer by a superstar athlete to work as his dieticians. Under my meticulous plan, his results begin to skyrocket. Before he knew it, his grat.i.tude had turned to love To be continued Chapter 193 The snow that appeared Sat.u.r.day night kept falling well into Sunday. Although it had stopped by the time Monday had come rolling around, looking out the window of my car on the way to school, it was plainly obvious that it *had snowed, and parts of the road were still frozen over. Oh. A salaryman just slipped. How dangerous. With this much snow around I wondered if Enjou and Kaburagi were going to build Yukino-kun another snowman. I arrived early, having left early to taken into account the road conditions. Cla.s.s Rep was already there. Good morning, Kisshouin-san. Gokigenyoh, Cla.s.s Rep. Somebody is early today. Yeah. Its been snowing after all. Plus, the exams are coming soon, so I was thinking of studying. My, what a model student you are. Perhaps I should follow your example and study now as well. After all, I was left out of the top 30 for my end of year exams. It was about time that I got a bit serious. Oh, right. Remember how I told you Honda-san gave me chocolates for Valentines? Did you now? I did. Anyway, since the two of them said theyd make handmade chocolates for us, I thought I should return the favour by handmaking some for them. Eh!? Handmade!? I turned to him in shock. Well, I thought it was a good chance to try. Anyway, I was thinking about what to make and I thought Sachertorte would be nice. Sachertorte!? The cake consists of a dense chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam on top, coated in dark chocolate icing on the top and sides. It is traditionally served with unsweetened whipped cream. What a crazy hard choice for a first-timer! Is that not a little difficult? I was about to ask but Cla.s.s Pres showed me a picture on his phone. It was a wonderful example of a Sachertorte. Ive never baked a cake before, but it turned out pretty well, I think. I see, I deadtoned. Apparently the maiden was even equipped with dessert-making skills. Even though I had been doing this for years and was only just recently seeing results. Disgusting. I didnt know how good Miharu-chan was, but I had to wonder how youd feel if a boy gave you better-made chocolates than you could manage yourself. At the very least, I would get an inferiority complex. People at Suiran prefer buying expensive chocolates, so perhaps you should reconsider, I told him. Besides, if you trade your home cooking with her you are only a single mistake away from being treated as her girl friend. Eh-, girl friend!? I really wouldnt want that Cla.s.s Rep was fl.u.s.tered now. Or were you intending on confessing to Honda-san with that Sachertorte? In that case I will now stop you, but Ehh!? No! I havent been thinking about confessing at all yet! he exclaimed, red-faced. I just wanted to thank her! In that case buying a few expensive limited-edition chocolates, as well as some accessories like a handkerchief or some gloves would achieve something closer to your desired effect. Well, some people do say that handkerchiefs are a sign of a goodbye, so perhaps something else. I see. As expected of a Love Guru. I better tell Iwamuro-kun too! Besides some small gifts, I had been happy enough to receive a small bouquet in the past, but if you go down that route you had better have somebody take care of it during cla.s.s. Otherwise it may have wilted by the time school is out. Perhaps it would be better to forget about those for now. Yeah, you might be right. But how did you learn all these things about romance anyway? I learnt about the presents from Imari-sama, and everything else from the shoujo manga I read in my last life. Ive been talking to Iwamuro-kun about it, but I think my luck in romance has been better after touching that reversed curl of yours. Thank you for always blessing me. Apparently in his head I was one of those bronze ox statues you rubbed for good luck. People believe in the strangest things. But I got my hair fixed at a beauty salon so they were all curled the right way now. In exchange I grew an urna! Say, Cla.s.s Rep, if some strange girl you had never spoken to suddenly gave you a Valentines chocolate, how would you feel? Eh-, strange girl!? Hmmm, Id be happy, but I guess a little troubled too if I didnt know her As I thought For an instant I had considered gaining the courage to give one to Naru-kun from the library, but since it would probably only make me look like a stalker I decided against it. I guess the Village Chief was having another boring Valentines. I wonder if there were any new applicants to the village. Were still taking new people, you know? Rune-chan and the others arrived so I apologised to Cla.s.s Rep for disturbing his studies and said goodbye. Reika-sama, gokigenyoh. Its cold today, isnt it? Gokigenyoh. It is indeed. I had trouble getting out of bed. Me too~ Still, everyone came to school in a car so there was only the walk from the car park. Its got to be rough for people walking to school today. I have to agree. I saw quite a few people losing their footing today while being driven to school. Wow, thats dangerous. Before long, Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan arrived as well, and the conversation turned to excited talk about the snow. Suddenly another girl from my group ran into the cla.s.sroom. Its terrible, Reika-sama! Takamichi-san got out of Kaburagi-samas car again! Eh? Kaburagi-sama!? Apparently right after Kaburagi and Wakaba-chan parted, everyone swarmed her to ask what was going on. And according to Wakaba-chan, he had spotted her on the way to school. Rather than let her ride the train and then walk through the snow, he told her to get in instead. How many times has that been now? That that girl has been in Kaburagi-samas car, frowned Kikuno-chan. Everyone else muttered about how shameless she was too. But I was focused on something else. Before she rode the train and walk through the snow? Didnt this mean he had been lying in wait in her neighbourhood then? Scaryy! Stalker!! Scaryyy!!! Could we speak, Kisshouin-san? somebody asked. The girls in the cla.s.sroom erupted in squeals. It had been Enjou, standing by the cla.s.sroom door. Is something the matter? I asked, having joined him in the hallway. We were still being showered by curious gazes. The truth is that Yukino was hospitalised last night, he smiled helplessly. Ehh!? Yukino-kun!? Yeah, but we admitted him more as a precaution than anything else. Its nothing serious. How terrible. Being in hospital is such an unpleasant experience. Ahh~ Well, I guess. Anyway, sorry to bother but do you think you could write him a get well message before school ends? A message? Yeah. Hes been whining about the hospital quite a bit this time since he only had a minor asthma attack. Yukinos been in a bad mood, so I thought you could cheer him up. My It had to be so rough on a child. If just a letter from someone like me could help cheer him up a little, I will write as many as it takes! Thanks, and I really am sorry for the bother. Ill definitely make this up to you. No, no. I am simply doing this for Yukino-kun, so no thanks are needed. I went to my locker to get my letter set and began writing. After school, he thanked me politely again when I handed him the letter. Apparently he was skipping the salon today and heading straight to the hospital. While we spoke about Yukino-kun, I ended up seeing him off at the carpark. See you tomorrow then. Thanks for the letter. Not at all. Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama. He waved at me and then got in his car. Hmmm? The person in the car with him, didnt she look an awful lot like Yuiko-san? Chapter 194 I have an older sister. Neechan is four years older than me. When she was in her last year of middle school she suddenly started going on about taking the examinations for this school for rich kids. The famous Suiran Academy. It caused a huge fuss. My parents and her teacher had thought that she was going to a public school after all. Why Suiran!? In fact, her teacher told her, With your grades I think you could get in on the scholarship, but that place isnt like other schools, you know? Is that okay with you, Takamichi-san? Mum and Dad were worried that she wouldnt fit in there as well. Neechan insisted. If I get the scholarship then I can go there for free. Plus, if my marks are good enough, theyll even give me money that I wont have to return. The curriculum is leagues more fulfilling than other schools too, so I want to go there, she explained. My parents werent having any of it of course. Dont worry about the school fees. Just go to a school where youll fit in. School fees, huh. I suppose we did have quite a few siblings. But Neechan didnt change her mind. It isnt just the school fees. I want to see a new world and experience something different. Plus, the uniforms are cute. That last reason was a pretty girly one. Since she was so determined, in the end our parents consented. Well, if you insist, they relented. And so she ended up taking the examinations. Deciding on your school based on the uniforms though I really dont get girls. According to Mum, Neechan has always had a strong sense of curiosity. One time she chased a b.u.t.terfly all the way into the next town, and they only found out where she was when a police officer contacted them. Another time she had an insect guide. She went around all day looking at bugs with a magnifying gla.s.s, and ended up collapsing to heatstroke. When it was a star guide instead, she stayed on the veranda stargazing all night long and ended up bedridden with a fever. Neechan loves those encyclopaedic picture guides. Anyway, since Mum figured Suiran was another case of her curiosity flaring up, she decided to let her be. After Neechan made it in she tried on the uniform. Does it suit me? Do I look like an ojousama? I dont know how many times she asked that. She only left the mirror when we finally replied, It does, its cute. But after that she started going, Did you know they say gokigenyoh at Suiran? Kanta, Gokigenyoh. She wouldnt stop, and it was annoying, but Mum told me to deal with it. She made it past a very difficult examination to be accepted there, so just bear with it. So bear with it I did. Neechan had just begun ecstatically attending Suiran when she suddenly said to me: That school is even crazier than I imagined. Whats so crazy about it? Hmmm, all sorts of things. Really makes you realise that out there there are worlds like that too. Yeah she nodded to herself. Im still wondering whats so crazy, d.a.m.nit! And man, seeing the real thing sure was different to my own gokigenyoh. It sounded completely natural coming from them. Whenever I say it theres some part of me embarra.s.sed about what the heck Im doing, you know? But in that world its a matter of fact, isnt it. And they throw about topics about high society so fast that I dont know whats what. It was like listening to another language, she said in wonder. Hearing that just made us worried. Are you going to be okay, Wakaba? Mum asked. Are you sure you shouldnt have gone to another school? But Neechan wasnt worried at all. Ah well, Im sure Ill get used to it sooner or later. Once I do, Ill be a splendid ojousama as well! Is this the face of an ojousama to you? That got me a punch. That hurts, d.a.m.nit! Is your school really all that amazing? Yeah. I hadnt heard of half the items on the cafeteria menu. I gave one of the soups a go, and it came out cold! At first I was like, Ah! they forgot to heat it up! but it turns out that its meant to be like that. Vichyssoise is this cold, potato soup. Vichyssoise. And even though we were speaking j.a.panese they all p.r.o.nounced the v. It was crazy. Vee, Kanta. Vee. Enough already! Man. I had no idea food in a school cafeteria could be so good. Of course it was as expensive as it was surprising, though. Since I cant eat there every day I think itd be nice if I treated myself there whenever I get some money. Oneechan! I want some too! Me too! The twins joined the conversation out of nowhere. Alright. I guess Ill try making it at home sometime! What was good about cold soup? In the days following, my sister would come home influenced by something that happened there. The time when she learnt flower arrangement she came home and decorated the foyer. The time when she learnt tea ceremony she began mixing tea in a tea bowl. Today I learnt this flower arrangement type called moribana. At the start you pick the grandest, longest branch and place it right in the middle of the kenzan stand~ Right here, see? They call it the shin branch. When youre done with that, the next one is the soe branch and put stick it in here~ *When you drink the tea you move the brush over like this, and take a sip while avoiding it. *When you pick up your chopsticks you have to grab them from above with your right hand, hold them in your left, and then swap them back to your right hand. Each time Neechan showed off something she learnt to the family, everyone ood and ahd in admiration. As expected of Suiran, theyd all praise. Yep, she would laugh. Your dad and I were worried that youd have a hard time there. Its a relief to see you enjoying yourself. It was one culture shock after another, and they have so many customs too. But Im having fun, and Im learning a lot there. Neechan, did you make any friends at a place like that? Im surrounded by young masters and ojousamas so I dont have a lot, but I definitely do have friends so dont worry. I hoped that was true. Ever since Neechan had entered high school, she had begun working a part-time job. Apparently her scholarship money was for the future, so she needed a source of pocket money. Ill be out and working by the time its your turn for university, so Ill take care of the fees, okay? she once told me, but I was going to get a part-time job in high school anyhow. Neechans everyday life was busy, from studying to her job. But even in middle school, friends from around the area would come over to play. There didnt seem to be any sign of that here, so I knew that Mum and Dad were still secretly worried. Neechan was. .h.i.t by a car during summer break. The culprit was somebody in her year at Suiran. Although her bicycle had been completely dented at the front, Neechan had only suffered some bruises and sc.r.a.pes. When that schoolmate had brought her to the hospital, the examination diagnosed her with no serious injuries. Anyway, he came to our house to apologise that day, with a huge bouquet and a lawyer in tow. We had first realised when my little sister excitedly notified us about some kind of hea.r.s.e car parked in front of our house. Your cherished daughter has been injured because of me. I sincerely apologise and have no excuse, the cla.s.smate bowed low when he brought Neechan back from the hospital. Neechan had told us that it was nothing serious, but ordinarily Mum and Dad would still be worried and furious. Instead, seeing the boy refuse to stop bowing sent them into a fl.u.s.ter instead. It sent Neechan into an even greater one, actually. K-Kaburagi-sama! Please raise your head! Look! Right as rain, see?! My daughter is right. You brought her to the hospital as well, and we can all see that you genuinely feel sorry. And youre our daughters schoolmate so we werent thinking of pressing charges at all. After a lot of convincing from the three of them, he finally lifted his head. As it turned out, he was super handsome. Then lets talk about reparations, said his lawyer, but my parents refused them on the grounds that they wouldnt feel at ease with it. In the end we only agreed to take this huge envelope of get-well money from them. We will also reimburse you for the bicycle, and the medical fees are a matter of course, said her schoolmate. Ehh!? Just this get-well money is more than enough! That will not do. This and that are two different matters. Neechan tried to reason with him. Kaburagi-sama, umm, youve already paid for the hospital and medical bills today. Since I dont have any broken bones, I dont think think Ill be going to the hospital either so there wont be any medical bills to pay Unacceptable. You have to keep going until the doctor says that youve fully recovered. n.o.body can say that there wont be medical complications, he replied severely. I understand she replied meekly. When it was time for him to leave, he told us he was buying all the cakes in the store. Id feel bad for the other customers who came here to buy things, so just your feelings are enough~! she stopped him in a panic. After the boy and his lawyer left, Dad had to go back to the store. Everyone else was still gathered in the living room. For a high schooler, that boy really has his act together Yeah Do you think we breached some etiquette by serving him barley tea, Mum? Youre asking that now? That oniisan was so cool! His car was cool too! Thats the car that hit Neechan, yanno? Oh no, that wasnt the car that hit me. It wasnt any less expensive though. Are you for real!? They had more than one car like that!? The car that hit me got a bit scratched after all. I was actually worried about what wed do if they asked for compensation, you know? Its good that he was a decent person, wasnt it, my Mum commented. By the way, Neechan, I asked, How come you were being so polite to him? Isnt he your age? And why the -sama? Oneechan, was he your friend? Whoaa, no way! Thats somebody special even for a Suiran student, you know! If it wasnt for the accident Id have graduated without ever saying a word to him! Huh. He was some kind of big shot then? I asked. He is. Weve got two, ah, three? people at our school that everyone acknowledges as special. Kaburagi-sama is one of them. That boy who everybody acknowledged as special ended up visiting Neechan a bunch more times during the summer break to drive her to the hospital. He even got her an expensive Italian bicycle which Neechan promptly remodelled into a city bike with a basket. What a waste. But yeah, people from Suiran really were different to your average high schooler. When I got back from school, something crazy was waiting for me in the lounge room. Her hair was curled like chocolate cornets or something, and she even had a ribbon attached. It was like somebody had pulled an ojousama out of some manga or drama. But for some reason she was wearing one of Neechans T-shirts and shorts. It couldnt have looked any worse on her. Neechan had made some yakisoba for us when she came back. She asked the Cornet girl if she wanted seconds. Apparently Cornet had eaten before we got here. No, I am Well, if you insist then perhaps just a bite, since you offered, was her reply. She ended up eating with us. Youve got nori on your face, you know? Oh goodness. She even went ohoho as she wiped the nori I pointed out. Ohoho I said. Who knew there were really people who laughed that way in real life So she was both an ohoho and a Cornet. After that day, Cornet visited us on occasion. Each time she came over she ended up eating something. And her just a bite was always a huge serving. She always said then, just a bite but would end up demolishing the whole plate. And whenever Neechan asked if she wanted seconds the reply was always something like, No, I am quite full. Although if you insist then perhaps just a bite and shed end up eating even more. Hey Neechan, even though Cornet always eats until the end, why does she always refuse once first? Hmmm, maybe its etiquette for an ojousama? I dont get it. Actually the other day she ate quite a lot of the mochi too. Since she was eating so well, I thought she might be hungry. Chikara udon is mochi rice cakes on an udon dish. Want me to throw some chikara udon together? I asked, but this time she really refused. Perhaps next time, she said before muttering, Udon zousui would be nice too Was she planning on adding zousui to her chikara udon? There was honestly no helping her. Hey, Neechan. Cornet is your friend, right? Ive told you her name isnt Cornet, its Kisshouin-san! But my friend, huh Id like to think so at least. Shes actually as amazing a person as Kaburagi-kun is. But, Kisshouin-san is always helping me out, you know? She might have actually proven to be the most trustworthy person there. Huh. Then I suppose Cornets welcome in my home! c.o.c.ky brat. And shes Kisshouin-san to you! Cornet-chans a good girl. Always so polite, added Mum. Your mum can rest at ease knowing you have a friend like that. Youre calling her that too, Mum? But mmn, sorry for worrying you. Ive got friends there, and Im having a lot of fun. Im glad to hear that. So? Whats Cornet-chan like at school? Shes a pure-bred Suiran, I have to say~ Lots of girls really look up to her. They treat her like the ideal girl, I guess? Buhaha!? Cornet!? The same Cornet whos been eating yakisoba, or curry, or mochi every time she comes to our house!? The one that actually laughs ohoho? The Ohoho Cornet Girl? Kanta! But well, even I had no idea shed be so easy to get along with I think Id like to get to know her better. Hmmmm~ Alright then. What about Kaburagi-kun? Mum asked. Is he your boyfriend, Wakaba? Haah!? No way! Dont say stupid things! shouted Neechan. Ehh? But he keeps coming to visit you, and he even came here to give you a present on Christmas. Seriously! Stop it! If by some tiny chance a person from Suiran overheard that Oh my, should we keep it a secret from Cornet-chan too? Ive already told Kisshouin-san but But just dont say these things outside, okay! You never know who might overhear! Not just you Mum, everyone else too, okay!? She seemed awfully serious, so we reluctantly replied. Then who was the boy you went to your New Years shrine visit with? Remember? The one that you showed me the picture of. Hes just a friend Im in the Student Council with! And didnt I show you pictures of my other friends!? But that boy was so cool. Hes! Just! A! Friend! Im done with this conversation! Done! Your dads been worried too, you know? Hes been asking me if youve gotten yourself a boyfriend. Neechan, are you aiming to marry into money? Im nottt! Whatever the case, Kaburagi-san definitely liked Neechan. I mean it was on Christmas Eve. Would you go out of your way like that for a normal friend? At first I laughed at giving a high schooler a present like that, but then Cornet told us about how famous and expensive it was and shocked the c.r.a.p out of Neechan and I. Tens of thousands of yen for a stuffed toy!? It was b.l.o.o.d.y insane. The teddy bear had actually come with a coat and a heart necklace. My little sister wanted the necklace since she thought it was cute. Since she was in elementary, Neechan figured it would be fine even though it was for a toy. It was pretty sparkly for a toy, so she quickly came to adore it. Even the dolls accessories were crazy good! Anyway, it had decorated the house until the end of the year, and was sitting in Neechans room now. I wonder if Neechan was planning on giving Kaburagi-san some Valentines chocolates this year. I was pretty sure he was waiting for them. Speaking of Valentines, I was really d.a.m.ned worried about Cornets Was that girl going to be alright? Shed better follow the recipe properly! Chapter 195 The day after seeing off Enjou and who I thought was Yuiko-san, Enjou himself came and thanked me again. Yukino was overjoyed. He even started talking about how he was going to write you a reply. Ill bring it to you tomorrow. My! I would be overjoyed too if I managed to help his mood even a little! I apologise for not being able to write anything meaningful. Dont say that. He had a lot of fun reading about your recent endeavours with dessert making. I truly wrote nothing but trifling nonsense Speaking of the dessert making, could it be that youre preparing for Valentines? Well, yes It was kind of embarra.s.sing to be asked that It made you seem like you were really excited about it I see. Have you already got a list of who youll be giving them to? Eh? Why was he asking me this? Mmmn, well, I think that brat Yukino is hoping for some from you. Eh!? Truly!? He wont out and say it though, but yeah~ Ever since reading your letter hes been asking us what we think youre making. Normally if you hear that a girl is making desserts youd think of Valentines, right? I do believe that there are people who make desserts even beyond Valentines Day. I have thought about giving Yukino-kun some chocolate before, so I am glad to hear that he wants some. The issue is that my handmade desserts are not good enough to share beyond my family. I would rather buy some cute white chocolate that suits his name better. Thanks. I guess his hopes arent unfounded now. Its pretty rough being a guy, you know? You wait, and you wait, and the more sure you are about getting chocolates, the bigger the shock is when you dont. Huhuhu. Considering the stacks of chocolates that you receive each year, I am sure that such a feeling is foreign to you two. Well, who knows. Oh my. Look at the smug smile of a popular guy on his mug. Tsk. But still, he had a point. Whenever Valentines day came around I was particularly glad I wasnt born a guy. Considering my current record with love I probably wouldnt get a single chocolate My, my, I need to expand the Forever Alone village. Reviving this village is going to be a tough job. A few days later Yukino-kuns reply letter came, along with desserts from their okaasama as thanks. I had to quickly write a reply! The closer to Valentines it got, the more Wakaba-chan was harra.s.sed by Kaburagi and Fellow Stalking Horses fans. She was their biggest rival after all. I was worried about her so I gathered my courage and called her. She told me that she had put a lock on her locker, and she had been keeping her s...o...b..x locked since the last incident. She never left anything at her desk before going home either. Since she wasnt getting anything vandalised anymore, she a.s.sured me that there wasnt any real harm. Still, she added, when I dropped my rubber and go to pick it up, I was really surprised to find an ofuda stuck underneath it. Ehhhh!? Was that a curse or something!? Scary! Wakaba-chan needed to go get exorcised! What did you do? Huh? I peeled it off and threw it in the garbage of course. Youre too strong, Wakaba-chan It was pandemonium at Suiran on Valentines day. Queues of girls had lined up outside of Kaburagi, Enjou, and Fellow Stalking Horses cla.s.ses. Hordes of chocolate-holding girls from the middle school section had come too. Since it had nothing to do with me, though, I was actually having a lot of fun watching them. At the moment I was wondering how much chocolate it would be by the end of the day. The particular bold girls were handing them to Enjou and Kaburagi directly. Serika-chan and the others had obviously given chocolates to them. It was nice that they seemed to be enjoying themselves. What I brought to school was mostly chocolates to exchange with girls, and the chocolates for Yukino-kun. I was heading to the Pet.i.t Salon after school. Or so I had planned, but after the cla.s.ses ended, Enjou stopped me. Sorry, Kisshouin-san. Yukino went to hospital today, so he left earlier. Ehh!? What the heck!? I should have given them earlier then! Then, what should I do with these? I held out the chocolates for Yukino-kun. You could give them tomorrow, or I could hand them over for you today It would be better for him to receive these today, I think. In that case, could I trouble you to deliver these? Yeah. Sure. Sorry about making you do this. Not at all. Just as I handed these to him, I had a suddenly realisation. Didnt this look like I was handing chocolates to Enjou on Valentines day!? Oh c.r.a.p! Enjou-sama! You must absolutely deliver these chocolate to your esteemed brother! These chocolates are for your esteemed brother! I said loudly, putting stress on who they were for. Enjou seemed to understand my worries because he was smiling in enjoyment. Buzz off! I turned around to hurry home only to spot Kaburagi loitering like he was looking for someone. Just like Wakaba-chan and Kanta-kun had taught me, I followed the recipe to the letter. When I tried one of the resulting fondant au chocolats, it tasted exactly the same as the one at Wakaba-chans! So, so delicious! So I was wrong about home made food being unique experiences after all! I hurried to Otousama to hand him his. Taste it, Otousama! Taste the fruits of my labour! Thank you, Reika. Im really happy, he said. For whatever reason he was being really slow about it. Then he broke off a dainty piece with his fork. Huh? Are you a girl? Go for a big chunk. When he finally put it into his mouth, Otousamas eyes shot wide open. What happened, Reika!? These are delicious! Your mouth slipped, Tanuki. Otousama, what is that supposed to mean? Ahh I mean, youve gotten really skilled at making desserts. Did you learn this from the Narutomi familys Akimi-san as well? In a completely different picture to before, Otousama was happily gobbling it down. No. I learnt this from another friend. Oh? A friend from Suiran? Well, yes Was it one of the girls that came to our house a few times? asked Okaasama as she sat down beside him. The ones from primary. I think their names were Serika-san and Okaasama didnt eat sweet things often in consideration for her looks, so she never touched any of the chocolates I made. In any case, I was a little surprised that Okaasama still remembered the names of my friends. They had only come over a few times in total It was not them, Okaasama. This is somebody I interacted with during club activities. I decided it would be better not to mention her. Plus, I never said it was somebody in my club. As a club, we definitely interacted with the Student Council. I see. A girl from a nice family, then? Dont hang out with anybody strange. Yes After all, in the high school section its a mixed bag. Be careful in who you a.s.sociate with, Reika-san. It is not a problem. By the way, Otousama, would you like one more? There are still many left. Really? Since you made them for me, maybe Ill have one more. Dear. Eating before bed like this will make your cholesterol rise again. I suppose. Oh gosh, Otousama. You have high cholesterol? Id better get that healthy food program started right away. I decided to learn from Akimi-san as soon as the exams were over. I gave Oniisamas portion a proper cling wrap before putting them in the fridge. Apparently microwaving them would make the insides nice and soft again, so he could have some when he came back from work! Haaah. In the end I never gave any proper chocolates to a boy I liked. I did pop into the library after school, but Naru-kun wasnt there. Even if I didnt have the guts to give them over properly, I thought it would be nice to sneak some into his bag while he wasnt looking. Thinking about it later, though, it would have been scary to find food you didnt know about in there Thank goodness I didnt do it I got sleepy while waiting for Oniisama in my room, so in decided to take a nap in my bed and ended up sleeping soundly until morning. Geez, Oniisama. What time did you come home anyway? Since I didnt know when Id see Imari-sama next, I had somebody send over the fondant au chocolat, as well as some coffee from a chocolate shop. After all, there was no way the Chief of the Casanova village wouldnt have plans on Valentines day, right? I was sure he had a lot of chocolates already, but I hoped hed try mine. Well, it was Imari-sama though, so I was sure hed have a bite at least. It would be days later when Imari-sama sent me a sachet and herb tea set from the oldest pharmacy in the world in Florence. Imari-sama, dont tell me that you send something to everyone that gives you a chocolate!? As expected of Imari-sama The day after Valentines, Kaburagi was looking lifeless Was this the phenomenon that Enjou was talking about? Chapter 196 The day after Valentines, the thing with Yukinos chocolate had, as expected, been completely misunderstood. Reika-samas real interest was in Enjou-sama! I was so sure it was Kaburagi-sama! But Enjou-sama is broadminded like she is, so dont they go well together? And Ive seen them talking to each other a lot recently. Even my own group was using me as a topic for gossip. Youre wrong! Ayame-chan, the Enjou fan in our group, suddenly took my hand. Ive admired Enjou-sama for a long time, but since its you Ill cheer you on, Reika-sama! I mean this: you really dont need to. I have mentioned this before but those chocolates were for his younger brother. Not for Enjou-sama himself. Geez, youre so shy, Reika-sama. The girls all smirked at my teasingly. Hey, my stomach is really starting to hurt so please stop that. I am not being shy. The chocolate was for his esteemed brother, Yukino-kun. I am making at least that much clear! These baseless rumours needed to be crushed. There was only about a year left until graduation. If because of these Enjou rumours I somehow became even more unpopular it would be a nightmare. Like, what if C and I really just mean what if C but what if there was a boy who secretly had a crush on me? If that boy heard that I liked Enjou then wouldnt he give up on me? That would be a huge problem! Well, if youre that serious about it, then well just take your word for it, Reika-sama. They seemed to sense my discomfort because they let it drop. Will you help me clear up the rumours? We will. If anybody asks, well say that you said it was just for his younger brother. Please, please do, okay? Everyone acquiesced to my desperate plea. Thank goodness. Im relying on you guys! It wouldnt be funny if the boy who secretly had a crush on me heard weird rumours and gave up just as he was thinking of confessing. Dont give up! Speaking of confessions though It was the dream, wasnt it? Being asked to meet after school, and then pretending not to know they wanted to confess I have something Id like to talk about, so could you stay back? Hmm? What about? And then in the empty cla.s.sroom, illuminated by the evening sun The truth is, Ive always liked you. Eh?! Waah! That sounds so nice! I wanted to experience it too. Speaking of which, Kaburagi-sama doesnt seem too lively today. Apparently he was sighing by himself in cla.s.s. I wonder what happened. Im worried So you were looking forward to a chocolate from Wakaba-chan, and then got depressed when you didnt get some? Sprint is ever distant, isnt it, Kaburagi. In the manga the two of them were already attracted like crazy by now, but reality was harsh. It must have been irritating though, having the most salient kid in your cla.s.s moping and sighing. But the feeling of melancholy he gives is dreamy too. His expression really plucks at the heartstrings. Eh? Really? So as long as you were hot, gloominess would transform into melancholy in peoples heads? The world was so unfair. The rumours about my Valentines chocolates gradually died down thanks to my complete denials and Enjous own answers to people who asked. A few days later, Yukino-kun himself came to the Pivoines salon. Reika-oneesan! Thank you for the Valentines chocolates! This was just more evidence. Yukino-kun is really such an angel! I was worried about him though. Maybe the air was too dry, because he coughed from time to time. Are you all right, Yukino-kun? Yeah, Im fine. Is your cold better, Reika-oneesan? Yes. I am very well. I didnt have the most robust body, but I never got really sick either. I hear you were admitted to the hospital a little while ago. Try not to overdo it, all right? Yes. He smiled happily as he blew on the hot tea in his hands. The other members of the Pivoine were all enraptured by him too. They gathered around our sofa and asked him this or that. The former President Youko-sama was there as well. Even after retiring, Youko-sama was still the radiant centre of the Pivoine. Kaburagi didnt do much as President, so Youko-sama still held a lot of influence. What was troublesome was that our salon was host to both members from high school and middle school. Because of that, the high school first years were already very familiar with her. Not that I dont think Kaburagi could bring them under his own influence if he could just be bothered to use his charisma. The guy himself was useless due to lovesickness though. You know, Kaburagi, Wakaba-chan still irritates Youko-sama. If you became the president to protect her, shouldnt you get your act together! Reika-oneesan, is something wrong? Eh? You expression looked a little scary for a moment. Oh goodness, I apologise. I was distracted for a moment I guess without realising I had been glaring at Kaburagi. I mean, he was just sitting there carefree, reading some book. I quickly put on a smile for Yukino-kun. Wow. It must be nice, relaxing over there, oblivious to everyone elses worries. What was he reading, anyhow? Dont tell me it was another poem anthology!? G.o.d, what if it was Heine again? I sealed the last one away because it had the stench of being dumped. I wonder if having it nearby was the cause of my love troubles. Maybe there was a better way of disposing of it. Oh, maybe I could give it to Tsuruhana-san. Shed always been fond of Kaburagi, after all. I bet shed be overjoyed. But despite being his fan, apparently she gave chocolates to a whole slew of boys. Some uppercla.s.smen confessed to her too. Why! She had such a bad personality, so why was she so popular!? Did n.o.body care about youur personality as long as you were a beauty!? So boys were all like that after all! And why not me!? Reika-oneesan? Oh gosh. Did I make a scary face again? Ah well, whatever. While everyone was caught up in romance, I was going to study my b.u.t.t off and make a come-back on the ranking board. Just watch me! Tonight I was studying past midnight. For supper, Id have red udon for good luck. Anyhow, after Yukino left with Enjou, I stayed back at the salon for a bit before heading to the carpark. Katsuragi was glaring at me there. Did you really give chocolates to Enjou-san!? You dont have to shout. I can hear you just fine. And wow, is your information network slow. They were for his brother, Yukino. Since it was cold I just walked right past him. Enjou-san already has Yuiko-san! You got that? Dont get in the way! Aah, shut up already. That was something to think about, though. There was a chance that Yuiko-san might have heard about the chocolates too What a pain. Chapter 197 Kaburagi discovered graffiti on Wakaba-chans desk. He normally came to school a bit later. That day he just happened to come early, so he headed to Enjous cla.s.sroom, spotted Wakaba-chan cleaning her desk, and then noticed what she was cleaning off. Ugly! Disappear! When he saw the insults he flew into a rage. Who was it!? Who did this!? People could hear his voice from down the hallway. Speak up! Who wrote this!? My friends and I were amongst them, so we left our cla.s.sroom to investigate. What might be going on? Well And that was how I found out what had happened. Kaburagi glared this way and that, pinning people under his gaze. Answer me. Who did this? The Emperor of Suiran was truly angry now. Scary. Besides my own group, plenty of other people who had come out of curiosity were standing frozen. Wakaba-chan timidly came up to him, still holding her cleaning rag. Kaburagi-sama, um, please calm down she tried to stop him, but How am I supposed to calm down!? he yelled at her instead. Its bulls.h.i.t! Arent you angry at all about this!? Ah, I mean Dont tell me this wasnt the first time? Putting the graffiti aside, most of the bullying was done in a way that the boys wouldnt notice. Thanks to that, I suppose, Kaburagi hadnt had much of an idea of what she had to go through. Well, he still didnt have one, actually. The majority of it was insulting her when Kaburagi and Enjou werent around, or talking behind her back right in front of her. And it wasnt all girls either. There were the guys jealous of her grades. Ummm Her eyes swam and she looked for an excuse, and Kaburagis expression grew even harsher. Who was it!? It wasnt often that you saw this much emotion from him. Kaburagi then proceeded to question each and every person there. Most of them said they didnt know, but sometimes one would let it slip they didnt know about todays incident, which caused them to be questioned further. In the end, a few people admitted that they had seen Tsuruhana-sans group or some other girls writing on Wakaba-chans desk a few times, causing the girls in question to pale. So it was you You could almost see the black rage he was seething with. I-It wasnt us! And look, we only just got to school! It wasnt us either! Despite being afraid of him, they still managed to find excuses. Youve done it before. We We dont So in other words you might have asked someone else to do it today. We didnt! To begin with, everyone in the school hates Takamichi-san so its ridiculous that youre pinning it all on us! What did you say!? That was when Enjou arrived. He looked a little surprised to see his best friend causing a fuss in his cla.s.sroom. Morning, Masaya. Whats wrong? he asked. Whats wrong!? Kaburagi bellowed, and pointed at the desk. Takamichi has been putting up with all this senseless hara.s.sment! The desk still had some marker ink on it. It was the first time somebody had used something other than pencil, so it stood out a lot more. Ah I see, Enjou nodded. Being that he shared a cla.s.s with her, he was probably more aware of her plight than Kaburagi. Anyway, Im going to find out who did this. Isnt that the Student Council Presidents job, Masaya? Kaburagi frowned at the mention. They arent even around when they need to be. What can they do? Ummm The President, Mizusaki-kun, is having a meeting with the teachers about the graduation ceremony next month, so Wakaba-chan explained. She was in the Student Council too, after all. Kaburagi snorted. Takamichi, do you have any idea who did this? Eh? Ah, who knows Probably so many that she didnt know where to start. Kaburagi began looking for the culprit again. Enjou just observed from the side. Wakaba-chan herself was just ignored, and looked to be at a loss. It wouldnt be good to let this drag on. Still, I loathed getting involved. Cla.s.s is about to start, so shall we just clean up her desk for now? I said quietly while giving her a glance. Youre right, she agreed, after coming back to herself in a start. She began cleaning the desk with her rag again. Some girls from the Student Council brought their own rags to help. The ink was apparently water-based, so before long it was cleaned away. Thank goodness it hadnt been oil-based. Since people had been arriving at school, the crowd outside the cla.s.sroom was even bigger now. Whats going on? called a sharp voice. The crowd parted and revealed Youko-sama and her followers. Uergh! The last person I wanted here had appeared. Youko-sama looked over the cla.s.sroom. I arrive at school in the morning to this huge uproar. Somebody explain this to me. The appearance of the former president of the Pivoine had the noisy cla.s.sroom silent. One student whispered something in her ear, causing her to let out a huge sigh. She gave Wakaba-chan a cold glance. You again, Takamichi-san? Im sorry she said in a small voice. How many times are you going to cause chaos before youre satisfied? Is that not a little inappropriate? Kaburagi said protectively. She is the victim. She may indeed be the victim. But is this not the consequence of her regular behaviour? I have heard much about her history of problematic. To Youko-sama, it was a chance to air her own dissatisfaction. Could I ask what problematic behaviour you refer to? You could call it behaving in a manner unbecoming of a student at Suiran. Unbecoming? Indeed. Takamichi-san? Could it be that in order to have these people protect you, you drew on that desk yourself? Ehh!? She was going that far!? Kaburagis expression changed. Okishima-senpai. Isnt that being a little too cruel? Please apologise to Takamichi-san. He was glaring now. Uwawawawah! Shes your senpai, you know! Youko-sama on the other hand seemed offended that he would ask for that. Thats quite impossible. The heart of the matter is that Wakamichi-san has done unbelievable things, time and time again. Okishima-senpai! If you go any further his fists shook as he warned her. This was looking really bad Just when things were about to explode, Enjou stepped between them. Okishima-senpai, Masaya has always despised cowardly acts like this, so the blood must have gone to his head. Could you give me some face and back down just this once? Enjou smiled disarmingly. Youko-samas expression softed after seeing this. Well if *youre asking, Enjou-sama, then I suppose I must. Thank you very much. Since cla.s.s is starting soon, please allow me to escort you there. And with a smile, Enjou escorted her out of the room. S-Scaryyyy! You did well, Enjou! I think I speak for everyone when I say that! The period bell rang, so the peanut gallery all began leaving for their cla.s.ses. Kaburagi on the other hand held Wakaba-chans shoulders tightly. If anything happens, you tell me. Ill protect you. Eh!? Her face turned red. Ehh!? Did her heart really just throb to Kaburagi!? And Wakaba-chan, your mouth is hanging open! Youko-sama was right, muttered a girl, Wasnt all this just a farce to get the Emperors attention? Sounds like something shed do muttered another. From that day onwards, Kaburagi was often spotted at Wakaba-chans side. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Ever since that day, Kaburagi seemed to think that he couldnt protect Wakaba-chan without gaining proper control over the Pivoine. He seemed a little more aware of his position than before. Only a little more though. Still, Enjou helped him out where necessary, so the era of President Kaburagi was finally here. Probably. The day of graduation for Youko-sama and the third years had come. I wasnt so optimistic to think that things would calm down because of that. The elitists in the Pivoine were still strongly influenced by her. Even if Kaburagi had a lot of support because of his charisma, I doubted it was so easy to deal with the antipathy towards Wakaba-chan. Actually, the more people liked Kaburagi, the more they would disapprove of a commoner External Student as his girlfriend. If you cant be with the person you adore, then you wanted the person they chose to at least be somebody so wonderful that you could never compare. It was a self-involved line of thought, but plenty of people thought that way. I mean, in my opinion it wasnt anyone elses business who somebody had feelings for, but it wasnt like I couldnt understand at least a little. If Oniisama introduced some strange lady as his girlfriend I really doubted I could be so magnanimous as to accept her. In fact Id definitely get in her way. Also Id probably be disappointed about how little taste Oniisama had. Ah, no, no, I still believe that Oniisama will bring home somebody wonderful, okay? While I was thinking about that, the ceremony had continued. Kaburagi walked to the podium. He was giving the farewell address this year. Since he was the President of the Pivoine as well, he was perfect for it. He looked really dignified up there, voice projected through the auditorium. Graduates, younger students, and even some of the parents were sighing in admiration. From the outside he was outstanding after all. A shame about the inside. Given that the majority of Suiran students stayed here most of their schooling life, there wasnt much in the way of crying at either the primary or middle school graduation ceremonies. On the other hand, that meant that the high school graduation signified a separation with some of the same people youd grown up with, so here and there you could hear sniffling. Now that the ceremony had finished, people were leaving the auditorium. Youko-sama, congratulations on graduating. Other members of the Pivoine were also handing flowers to the uppercla.s.smen in it. Thank you. Everyone, please take care of the Pivoine after were gone. We nodded obediently. Alumni sometimes still showed up at parties, but this was still the end in a lot of ways. Reika-sama, I hope that youll support Kaburagi-sama as well. Please lead the girls of Suiran. I will. Although in my opinion supporting Kaburagi was Enjous job. Ah well, just nod along, Reika. Kaburagi was wearing a rare smile as he and Enjou congratulated our senpai on graduating, much to their delight. No matter how deplorable he might have been, Kaburagi was still the son of a distinguished family. He knew how to do at least this mmuch. As for Youko-sama, the members of the Pivoine who particularly adored her had gathered around as she instructed them on something or other, before leaving the school. Right on the heels of the graduation ceremony were more tests. I know it might not have looked like it, but I really did my best. Every day I secretly exhausted myself studyin g. I had asked Wakaba-chan when she studied, and she told me usually in the morning and evening on the train. Desperately, I even went out of my way during the weekend to study with flashcards on the train. Ririna who had great grades without trying had also mentioned studying on the car to school. Did the movement from transport help you remember things or something? All it did was make my drowsy. Anyway, the point was that I studied really hard, okay? All for the sake of regaining my glory on the ranking boards. To be honest I was actually pretty depressed about my marks dropping back in Term 2. I had been really hoping to get good marks near Christmas. Huh? Why? Because I could use them to get Christmas presents. Not that my family didnt buy me presents every year. But that wasnt what I wanted. I wanted Oniisama to say, Reika, heres a present for trying so hard on your tests. I love being praised. I really got a wake-up call when I saw the rankings without my name. Why are you messing around during the most important tests of the year? I thought. Thats why I studied like mad this time. White Day was coming up soon, after all! And the results of all that effort? Rank 29. I just barely made it The wall of rank 25 was too crazy for me. I mean, I suppose 29 counted as pretty decent at Suiran, but Id have a hard time measuring up at a national school. Over the next year, students everywhere else were really going to kick into gear to study for their university entrance exams. I still wasnt sure if I wanted to go to a national university or Suirans. Although considering how little I liked pain and effort, Suiran was looking pretty attractive. Plus, Kaburagi wasnt my enemy at the moment, and neither Otousama nor Oniisama seemed to be doing too badly at work. Maybe I could change up my goals. I had my end-of-year report card sandwiched in my textbook as I waited for Oniisama to come home. When he did, he had company in the form of Imari-sama. Yaay, Imari-samaa! Ah, but then I couldnt boast about my marks in front of him. I was planning on accidentally letting it slip from my textbook. Ah well, Plan Textbook could wait until tomorrow then. Good evening, Reika-chan. Thanks for the Valentines chocolate. It was great! Gokigenyoh, Imari-sama. Thank you instead for the wonderful return gift. No, no, it was my pleasure. Youre great at making desserts, arent you. When I think about how Takateru gets to eat your delicious, love-filled chocolates every year I start to get pretty jealous. My~ Guhuhu, thank you, Wakaba-chan, Kanta-kun. I know that was half flattery, but compliments are so nice to hear. Although Oniisama looked like he had eaten something bitter. Anyway, the reason Im here today is actually because there was something I wanted to give you, he said, before presenting me with a bag. Here, its a little early, but Happy White Day. Goodness You have already given me something wonderful for the Valentines chocolate.! Is this all right? Of course it is. Oh! Honey candies from that famous honey store. These are acacia candies and eucalyptus honey candies! They look wonderful. You like honey, dont you, Reika-chan? Thats why I thought about going with these. Do you like them? I love them. Thank you! Theres actually one more thing. Imari-sama placed a square box onto my hand. I opened it up to find a silver ball inside. Some kind of modern art? What is it? My, my, what indeed? Pick it up and give it a shake. I did as told, and the globe chimed melodiously. Waah! They call it a spherical music box. It chimes when you shake it. Sounds great, doesnt it? It does. It sounds like a suikinkutsu. I shook it against my ear. Aah, it was so lovely. You have exams this year, dont you? When youre tired, give it a listen. Okay? he smiled as he tilted his head. S-So dazzling! Haaahh This was truly what it meant to be the village chief of the Casanova Village. I was going to hold this when I studied! If thats all, go home, Oniisama said coldly, before shooing him out. You should at least get your friend some tea, Oniisama. The next day, I executed Plan Textbook, and not only did I extract a White Day present from him, he also promised to take me out to eat sometime. Mmhuu~ But he didnt say on White Day. Hey, Oniisama. Dont tell me youve actually got a secret girlfriend youre hiding from me? Chapter 199 Cla.s.s Rep and Iwamuro-kun asked me for advice on what White Day Presents to get Miharu-chan and Nonose-san. Since that was the case, I immediately recommended the honey candies that I got from Imari-sama. They were sweet and delicious, and good for your throat on top of that. Wow! Maybe I should go with those, said Cla.s.s Rep. But I guess the two of us cant get the same thing, huh, Iwamuro-kun commented. I would also like to suggest caramel candies, in that case, I said. I received them from Imari-sama during the summer. Caramel? Yes. There are many different types, all bursting with flavour. Then maybe Ill go with those The French marshmallows I got from Tomoe-senpai and Kasumi-sama were good too. It had Kaburagis mark of approval. I decided to tell them about those too. Those sound good too. Then what should we give them alongside the sweets? Honda-san loved the mittens she got for Valentines. Actually I bought matching gloves in a different colour but I couldnt say it Ive just been using them in secret. Cla.s.s Rep was a maiden through-and-through. Listening to a blushing Cla.s.s Rep talk about how the hand-made chocolates from Honda-san were the sweetest Ive ever tasted was somehow even more embarra.s.sing to listen to than Shimazaki Tousons First Love. Anyway, a cute present, huh From my experience, perhaps a spherical music box, or a necklace, or perhaps a sachet and herb tea set I might also suggest boxed flowers since they would be easy to carry home. All of these were presents I had received from Imari-sama of the mighty Casanova Village. What are boxed flowers? asked Cla.s.s Rep. When you take off the lid of the box, inside are flowers all around. Oh okay. That does seem cute admired Iwamuro-kun. He did love cute things after all. To be honest he seemed better suited to receiving flowers than giving them. Anyway, there was no reason to restrict the present to items. Perhaps another option would be to invite them to an amus.e.m.e.nt park during the summer break, and hand them a free pa.s.s Thats such a bold idea, Master! At Suiran, most people hand out store-made chocolates. If the four of you are close enough to be receiving hand-made chocolates, then I think they would happily accept the invitation. Kisshouin-san! Please grant me strength! Master! The two of them chanted Bless us. Bless us. as they bowed to me. I couldnt refuse these cute disciples of mine, so I gave them the little luck in romance I had and sent them off. I hope things went well. Haah So dizzy. Dizzy and nauseous and cold too Even breathing was hard. It was a struggle to keep my eyes open Whats the matter, Reika-sama? Good heavens, youre so pale! Are you okay, Reika-sama? It was getting so bad that I couldnt respond. I was feeling really sick Lets go to the infirmary, Reika-sama. Thats a good idea. Can you stand? Her hands are ice cold. Are you okay, Reika-sama? I stood from my seat but lost consciousness for a second. Aah~ This wouldnt do. My ears were ringing and it was hard to listen to them. In the end they supported me on each side and I was brought half-unconscious to the nurses office. Sensei, Reika-sama is feeling ill. My! Could it be anaemia? Have a lie down on the be.d With the help of the girls, I did just that. I closed my eyes, but somehow the world kept spinning. Leave the rest to me, girls. You should get back before the next cla.s.s starts. Yes. Get well soon, Reika-sama. I managed to squeeze out a thank you before they left. According to the nurse I was feeling giddy because of lack of sleep. I actually spent the last three days reading this series of full-length novels, so I wasnt getting more than 5 hours each night. Huh. Come to think of it I didnt sleep at all last night since the story had reached its climax To get some oxygen into my head I went without the pillow, and put it under my ankles instead. Have a little rest like this. If youre not feeling any better later, then go home. I did as she said and closed my eyes, falling asleep in no time. I got up feeling totally fine. Sleep is pretty important, huh! The nurse was sitting at her desk and writing something, so I called out to her as I got out of bed. Sensei, I seem to be feeling better now. Youre feeling all right? Yes. I feel good as new. I was still a bit sleepy, but was like I had never felt ill to begin with. Youre looking better as well. Dont stay up too late now. I will not. Thank you for looking after me. And sorry for being so much trouble. Im reflecting. The period is about to end, so you woke up just in time for the next cla.s.s. Do you want to stay here until the bell? No, but thank you. I would like to visit my locker. I said goodbye and left. Since cla.s.ses were still in session, the hallway was devoid of people. The only sign of anyone else were the voices that I occasionally heard from inside the shut cla.s.srooms. Besides that, all I could hear were my footsteps. At any rate, I headed for my own locker. I was going to need my books for the next cla.s.s. When I arrived on the second floor, I heard something being dropped, and then somebody speeding away. Hm? Strange. Werent cla.s.ses still going on? I wondered if some cla.s.s had gotten an early mark when I came across a felt-tipped marker on the ground. I suppose this was what I heard then. I picked it up and looked for whoever dropped it but there was n.o.body in sight. Maybe I could just drop it off with the Student Council then. I continued onwards to my locker only to receive quite a shock. Stop coming to school! What the heck The nametag said Takamichi Wakaba. This was Wakaba-chans locker. So the person I heard earlier was the culprit and they were running away from me! Of course that was when the bell rang. Some of the cla.s.srooms emptied out right on the dot. And they noticed both me and the locker. Eh Eh? Wai-, aahh! Dont tell me they thought I was the culprit!? No, this is not what it looks like! I only just got here too, I babbled, but people gathered around and began gossiping anyway. Whats going on? Takamichi-sans locker? Whats happening? came another voice. Ehh~? What the heck!? Of all people, it had to be Tsuruhana-sans cla.s.s that finished first The girl gave a malicious smirk when she saw the locker and the pen in my hand. What do we have here? After all the self-righteous talk, the great Reika-sama is secretly doing the same dirty things as everybody else, she exulted. It was not me! I didnt see anybody else around. What were you even doing here out of cla.s.s? I was just coming back from the infirmary. Youre even holding a felt-tip marker and youre still not owning up? I had simply found it on the ground here. How very convenient. It is the truth! We all know that you secretly hate her too. Thats why youre hara.s.sing her in secret, right? No! But of course, it was undeniable that I was the most suspicious person here. Everyone else had an alibi, being in cla.s.s and all. And while I was stuck here as a suspect, more and more people came to gather around. What was I going to do!? The teachers were trying to sort out the mess but n.o.body was listening. It was too interesting. Reika-sama! Serika-chan and the others had heard and come as well. Whats your problem, you lot! As if Reika-sama would ever do something like this! But the proof is right here. What proof!? Didnt you lot do this to frame her!? Hey! Dont blame the uninvolved! Youre the ones accusing Reika-sama! Then, with the worst timing possible, Kaburagi came along. Whats going on? He had one look at Wakaba-chans locker before his eyes turned angry. This again!? The culprit is Reika-sama over there, Tsuruhana-san declared. Kisshouin? Kaburagi frowned and looked over at me. Oh no! Oh no, oh no! It was not! But you were the only one here, Reika-sama. And you were even holding the pen. No, but Kisshouin Kaburagi seemed undecided. She might pretend to be a good person but in secret she hates Takamichi-san more than anyone, right? I bet all the past bullying has been her work too. But Kisshouin is We just didnt know about it. shes been looking into Takamichi-sans day-to-day life and hara.s.sing her in a way that n.o.body would find out. I bet that afterwards she had girls from Takamichi-sans cla.s.s report to her, where shed gleefully listen to Takamichi-sans reactions. Thats you, d.a.m.nit! Only you would come up with that! Or so I was about to say when I was attacked again from an unexpected angle. Come to think of it, at cram school Kisshouin-san asked me how Takamichi-san was doing in cla.s.s muttered some boy. Who was that!? I turned around and it was Tagaki-kun from cram school! Ehhh!? Tagaki-kun, youre picking now to say that!? I mean I asked but I didnt mean anything bad about it! Maybe he was just muttering to himself, but that was the worst timing ever! My position grew ever more precipitous. Kisshouin, dont tell me you really Kaburagi seemed dumbfounded. No way! Dont tell me he really thought I was the culprit!? That I was bullying Wakaba-chan and the enemy!? Gyaaaah! It was here! The ruin of my family had finally come! Our company was going to be taken over, and then wed be out on the streets! Aaah! I had to fix this somehow But how!? It wasnt Reika-sama! somebody suddenly screamed. Eh? Reika-sama would never do something like that! they said. The crowd split apart to reveal Mochida-san, walking forwards with trembling legs. She was the girl who was bullied by Tsuruhana-san back in middle school. After it was over, we still said h.e.l.lo to each other sometimes, but that was about it. She was a shy girl as always, so it was to my surprise that she even spoke up. Whats your problem? glared Tsuruhana-san. Mochida-san flinched but shakily repeated herself. Reika-sama would never do something like that! she yelled. Reika-sama would never bully someone else! She helped me Reika-sama was the one who helped me when I was alone! Her eyes were teary and her face was red. Tsuruhana-san and her friends used to bully me. Every day was so hard that even coming to school was a struggle! The girls in question looked a bit awkward under everyones gazes. n.o.body came to help me! I was on the verge of quitting school! But Reika-sama offered a hand to me! She said h.e.l.lo to me! Every day, she encouraged me! She saved me! Openly crying now, Mochida-san continued to scream It wasnt Reika-sama! It wasnt Reika-sama! M-Mochida-san? I asked hesitantly. Suddenly it seemed like something inside her snapped, because she started moaning Uuuuu~! as her whole body convulsed and her eyes rolled back into her head! Uwaaahhh! It was like Mochida-san had been possessed! Im so sorry for saying this after you did your best to protect me but Im sorry, its scaryyy! Well said, Mochida-san! Ive rethought my opinion of you, Mochida-san! Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan praised her bravery as they supported her on either side. She was breathing heavily now, and her eyes were back to normal. Thank goodness She came back to herself Thank you so much, Mochida-san. She was so terrified that she even went mental for a moment. It must have been so tough for a shy girl like her. I dont think it was her either, declared Wakaba-chan. I didnt even know when she arrived, but she had Enjou with her, and went to stand next to Kaburagi. Takamichi Kisshouin-san isnt the type to do these things. Absolutely not! Im certain of it. Her only involvement was picking up that marker. W-Wakaba-chan! You believe me!? Even with all this proof against me? Haah? And you can just decide that? Dont tell me youre trying to suck up to her? Or was it like Youko-sama said, and all a farce that you set up yourself? Oi, Tsuruhana! Its my objective opinion. First of all, Kisshouin-san isnt the type to do underhanded things like this. Next, if Kisshouin-san did have a problem with me, shes powerful enough that just muttering Shes an eyesore would be enough to make my life h.e.l.l. Y-, Yeah. Am I supposed to feel happy or sad about this It is true that Kisshouin is the type that crushes you head-on. Yeah. And that woman goes for the throat from the start. She only needs to strike once. A killers instinct What the-, who was saying strange things this time!? You again, Soccer Club President!? Stop looking away! At least have the guts to look me in the eye! And hey! Wasnt my image just getting worse and worse, here? And you, please tell me you actually just meant killer instinct. The point is that Im certain that it wasnt Kisshouin-san, declared Wakaba-chan. Since the victim herself said so, that brought the incident to a close. Plus, after the teachers heard about what happened, they confirmed that I had been in the infirmary until just before the bell. Not only that, but since I was part of the Pivoine the teachers would have gone easy on me anyway. It didnt take long for them to judge me as innocent. Not that people still didnt suspect me You were so unlucky, Reika-sama! Seriously. As if Reika-sama would ever do something like that! Thank you for cheering me up, guys. Still. My opinion of Takamichi-san might have changed, just a little. Same Because she covered me, my groups att.i.tude towards Wakaba-chan was a little different now. Speaking of which, I wanted to have a talk with her, and ask her why she believed me while I was at it. I sent her a message asking her to meet me after school today. I couldnt find an equivalent joke for the below so I didnt even try. Okay, thats a lie, I tried for 2 days and came up blank. She only needs to strike once. A killers instinct And you, please tell me you actually just meant killer instinct. The original, much funnier line, was, She has the presence of a yokozuna which is an innocent enough phrase that means the bearing of a king or the aura of a champion. Of course, a yokozuna is actually the champion sumo, which is why Reika exclaims, And the person who called me a yokozuna, what exactly did you mean by choosing that phrase? Depending on your answer I might track you down afterwards! Chapter 200 Chapter 200 In order to avoid being spotted by anyone from Suiran, we agreed to meet up one station down from her house, in a lonely little caf that none of them would ever visit. Just being extra careful, right? A cow bell rang as I opened the door, and I stepped into a caf with a retro aesthetic. Wakaba-chan was reading a textbook at a seat near the back. I see. So the smart kids made use of this time to study too! Sorry, did I keep you waiting? Nope, not at all. I actually thought youd be a little longer, really, she smiled, closing her book. On a day like this Id normally have gone to the salon, and then to the clubroom, but I told them all that I was feeling bad. On the way out Kaburagi seemed like he really wanted to say something, but that was scary so I power walked to the car park. Thank goodness he hadnt asked me to stop Since this place didnt serve hot chocolate, I went with milk tea instead. Wakaba-chan was drinking a hot coffee. Shes so mature. I was surprised you would be here so early, Takamichi-san. Was there no Student Council work today? There was, but I said I had some family matters to take care of so they excused me. I see Fellow Stalking Horse had also asked me what happened in his capacity as the StuCo President. All I could tell him was that I heard somebody while on the way back from the nurses office. I picked up the marker and discovered the graffiti. I wonder if he believed me. The other members of his Student Council seemed to be suspicious of me. At any rate, regarding todays incident Yeah. It must have been rough, Kisshouin-san. Was everything okay after that? You really had it tough. The first words that came out of her mouth were sympathies. Ah So you really believe me when I say it was not I, then Of course I do! she nodded. Her expression told me that it wasnt even in question. Not even a doubt in her mind. Why are you so certain of that? I am quite sure that I was the most suspicious one there. I would have thought a little doubt to be natural Ehh? Its because Ive always considered you my closest ally, I guess. !? What the h.e.l.l!? Uuu, Im so happy, Wakaba-chan! Thats what youve thought of me!? But On what basis? What if Tsuruhana-san was correct, and I actually despise you in secret? I said a little contrarily. There were people like that in the world. I knew what kind of person Wakaba-chan was, but she didnt know me nearly as well. Certainly not well enough to be certain that I meant well, right? No way, she laughed. In secret youve been helping me out too, right? I wasnt sure why she could smile so confidently about that. I was a little confused about it. I recall doing nothing of the sort. Eh, really? Yes. She folded her arms and hummed. Well if shes that keen on keeping it a secret, maybe I shouldnt say anything? Ahh, but is she really keeping it a secret? I mean, that wasnt keeping it a secret at all, right? she muttered. Takamichi-san? Ahh~ Umm Kisshouin-san, a while back you uh, wrote me a letter filled with what to look out for in Suiran, didnt you? Eh!? How come!? Why did she know it was me!? Ah Going by the look on your face, you really were trying to hide it then? Wakaba-chan smiled a little helplessly at me. Eh? Eh!? How!? And I was so careful to keep it anonymous too. So how did she realise it was me!? How long have you known!? Well, from the start. From the start!? Yeah. Eeehhh!? If you looked at the inside of the envelope under a light there was a little Kisshouin crest. So yeah, when I first opened it I realised it was from you. Ehhh!? What the h.e.l.l!? I didnt know about that at all! Its true that I used our familys letter set since the one I had was a little plain, but I thought I was in the clear since I avoided the one with our crest on the back! But despite all that there was a watermark on the inside!? I had no idea! You didnt sign the letter, but since the envelope had your familys crest on it I figured that you were using that instead. But after a while, from your att.i.tude, I started thinking that perhaps you had been trying to keep it a secret I thought about thanking you so many times, but if you were trying to hide it then I thought maybe it would be better to avoid mentioning it. Which is why I hadnt mentioned it until now. I mean, you even referred to yourself in third person. UGYYAAAAAAAHHH! THIS IS SO EMBARRa.s.sINGG!! Kisshouin-san I called myself! I even thought I was so clever about it! Even though she knew from the start! This is h.e.l.l! Somebody kill me! Kisshouin-sans group wields the most influence amongst the 1st Year girls of Suiran, so take care around them? Hahaha, who actually says that about themselves? Seriously, Kisshouin-san!? Arent you the one who wrote it!? I thumped my head onto the table and began grating my head against it. Ah geez, Kisshouin-san, are you okay? Im not okay Im about to die of shame. Sometimes I sent you little signs though. Like when I made the seven-herb congee for you. Your letter warned me to be careful while picking wild herbs after all. So that really was pre-meditated! Plus, around the time I got your letter, the gardener told me to be careful as well. You told him to warn me too, right? I guess she knew it all, then. At this point the only thing I could do was sulk. I see. Well thank you very much for all your consideration I was the one who wrote it, oh yes. Mmn Wakaba-chan gave another helpless smile as I sulked. Well anyway, thats why I think youre on my side. Yes And I finally get to say it now; thank you for being sincere, and always coming to help me, Kisshouin-san. Uu You are welcome I was so ashamed that I couldnt even look at her in the face After that I listened to her talk about the Student Council. Apparently Fellow Stalking Horse didnt think I did it either. It doesnt fit her M.O. he apparently said. Just the time you shut up those sports clubs was enough to remember you did things completely differently. Man, that fan was something else! laughed Wakaba-chan. Is that so? When I got home later that day, I checked what I thought were unmarked envelopes. Just like Wakaba-chan said, it seemed plain on the inside until you shone a light on it, and our familys crest appeared. Geh, it was true. But Im impressed that you even found this, Wakaba-chan I vowed never just to slack off and use my familys stationery to send anonymous letters ever again. Wakaba-chan might have believed me, but the problem was Kaburagi. If he ever decided that I was Wakaba-chans enemy, my future was over. I needed to find a way to make him understand, and secure the safety of my family. But how. If I revealed the nature of my relationship with Wakaba-chan then it would certainly solve the current issue. But if the whole school realised it as well, it would make life a lot harder for me. Well, whatever the case, Id have to see how Kaburagi behaved tomorrow If he didnt say a word to me, then Id just leave it be. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. But despite that, no sooner had school ended did Kaburagi call out to me. Hiiieee~! We werent in the salon right now. Instead, he had brought me to a small conference room. I guess he asked for permission so that hed have a place where we wouldnt be heard. Scaryy. What was I going to do if he sentenced me to death? Umm, so what was it you wished to speak to me about? I asked nervously. Yeah. About yesterdays locker incident. I knew it! It was not me! I know. Heh? So he hadnt called me here because I was a suspect? Ill admit that I was a little suspicious. But afterwards Iwamuro told me that you were absolutely not the kind of person to do that. Iwamuro-kun did? He and Kaburagi knew each other!? Apparently Iwamuro had once been his horse. Your cla.s.s rep came and told me the same thing. Youre pretty popular, Kisshouin. Maidens SocietyDD! You came through for me! Sorry for even doubting you. No But I see now. In that case, what was it you wished to speak about? Its a bit hard to say, but Kaburagi hesitated for a moment. The truth is, I actually have a girl I like I see. I already know that. And? Id like your help with that. Ehh!? Why me!? Why me!? Both Iwamuro and Cla.s.s Rep said that your hair was a G.o.d of love. Ehh!? What the h.e.l.l do you mean my hair!? Apparently by touching it youll be granted luck in romance. They say its super effective. Ehh!? Cla.s.s RepDD! Do you truly believe such a story? Ah, I mean, not really but honestly I just wanted a girl to talk to about these things. And you were the best suited for that. Ehh~ Choose somebody else, please. Please, Kisshouin. I wont ask anything unreasonable. Ehh~ No way. In the past you used me as a gopher, didnt you. And I dont want to get involved in your romance either. But I doubted Kaburagi would back down. I probably couldnt even leave until I accepted. Ugh. I didnt even have a choice, did I!? Hm, but if I had to do it either way, then I suddenly had a wonderful idea. I understand. But I have a few conditions. Shoot. You will not at any point in the future attempt to uncover evidence of crimes committed by my family, nor will you attempt to destroy us. Please swear on this. Is your family involved in crime? Absolutely not! It was simply an example! Yes, an example! Uh oh, I might have made him suspicious for no reason. His eyes were certainly looking suspicious. Any how! As long as you refuse to swear this I will not aid you in the slightest! Haaah. Alright, alright. I just have to promise, right? A verbal agreement is not binding. I took out a sheet of writing paper from my bag. Please print the following: I, Kaburagi Masaya, swear not to partic.i.p.ate in activities leading to the ruin of the Kisshouin family. Are you guys really doing something that shady? The heavens as my witness, we are doing no such thing! Now, come! Please hurry up and write it. And sign it as well, please. What a pain Although he complained to himself, he did as he was told and thrust the completed declaration at me. See? Done. Not yet. I retrieved a box cutter from my pencilcase. Please use your blood to sign with your thumb print. Haah!? Blood!? What the f.u.c.k are you saying!? Scaryy! What the f.u.c.k!? Is this a pact to murder the King or some s.h.i.t!? A signature is simply not enough. Please show me your resolve. Now come. The blood seal please. Come. Come. No f.u.c.king way! Thats f.u.c.king heavy! Your folks are definitely up to some f.u.c.ked up s.h.i.t, arent they!? Just what kind of crazy stuff are you involved in!? No f.u.c.king way am I giving you a blood seal! He even tucked his thumbs into his fists. Are you a child? Phew, I suppose I have no choice. In that case, as a compromise just using ink will do. Since I didnt have the traditional red ink on hand, I provided him a red marker instead. A thumb print? Well, if thats all Kaburagi coloured in his thumb and gave me what I wanted. Of course none of this would hold up in a court of law, but at least Kaburagi would think twice before breaking this promise. Thank you very much. Well then, I promise you my cooperation, Kaburagi-sama. Alright! Well then, lets Hang on, Im going to go wash this ink off first. Kaburagi left for the bathroom. I carefully placed his oath into my bag. A while later he burst into the room screaming, Oi! This ink is freaking oil-based, d.a.m.nit! It wont come off at all! Geez. What an excitable guy Both Iwamuro and Cla.s.s Rep said that your hair was a G.o.d of love. The original line is, Both Iwamuro and Cla.s.s Rep called you the Hair of Luck in Romance. Ehh!? What on earth did you talk to those two about!? Who, exactly, is this G.o.d of Luck in Romance!? The joke is that hes used the intonation for hair(kami), but she hears it as G.o.d(kami) since it just makes more sense to her that way. Chapter 201 Aahh, its finally gone After finally scrubbing his thumb clean, Kaburagi returned to the small conference room. I scrubbed so hard that my skins all dry. Kisshouin, do you have any hand cream? What a high maintenance young master~ Honestly. I took my hand cream out of my bag and handed it over. He rubbed a bunch of it into his hands and looked pretty satisfied. Curious, he turned it over to look at the brand. I suppose he liked it. They dont sell that in j.a.pan yet, so you cant have it. Give it back. Anyway, Id like to talk about what were gunna do next. Next? Oh right, I was supposed to help him with Wakaba-chan. I happy to just go along with it, all things considered. For one thing he didnt believe that I was the bully. For another he had vowed not to attack my family. I see~ Ah, what the h.e.l.l. I put on some hand cream too. When you moisturised, you had to get right down to the fingernails. Hm, it was feeling a bit dry, actually. I made a note to use some nail oil when I got home. Oi, sound a bit less uncaring. Come on, I need your help. Your hair is the G.o.d of love, isnt it? Youre supposed to have made a lot of loves bear fruit. I have no recollection of my hair becoming such a thing, but And also, neither Cla.s.s Rep nor Iwamuro-kuns crushes had borne any fruit yet. At least in my opinion. Speaking of which, I wonder how Sakura-chan and Akizawa-kuns Valentines went. I should ask her later. Oi, Kisshouin. Are you listening? I most certainly am. Kaburagi looked at me incredibly suspiciously. Did I seem that unconcerned? Oh, was he angry? Uh oh I quickly changed gears. You wanted to discuss our future plans, yes? Please continue. After a few more looks of distrust, Kaburagi sighed in defeat and continued. Kisshouin. Do you, uh, know which girl I like? he asked hesitantly. Takamichi-san, no? I replied as a matter of course. I was treated to a look of shock. So Kisshouin had noticed he muttered. Hm? Kisshouin? You know It is probably not just me. In fact, the odds are that the entire student body knows. Eh!? I dont know what he was so surprised about. I mean, with the way he was behaving anybody would notice. Dont tell me he thought he was hiding it!? Kaburagi-sama who only ever says the bare minimum to any girl is suddenly talking with fervour to Takamichi-san. How could anybody miss it? Youre right he exclaimed with his hand raised to his mouth. Please do not tell me that that was your idea of hiding it? No, I mean, I wasnt really trying to hide it but being told that flat-out was I guess he was embarra.s.sed. And considering Wakaba-chans position, you should have been trying to hide it. You know, the major reason Takamichi-san is being harra.s.sed is because other girls are jealous of the attention you give her. His expression turned severe. So it was my fault Well, it was not the only reason. For one thing, she was a commoner. For another thing, despite having her own charm, she looked a little dopey, and was a far cry from the image of a capable woman. And this was the girl who beat out Suirans pride and symbol in the exam rankings. Considering the stock they put Suirans image, there were plenty of people who would find Wakaba-chan unacceptable. Do you have any idea who the culprit was yesterday? I truly cannot say I had no idea, but I would look into it. Do you know how the staff investigation is going? I asked. They wont bother looking. Theyre pushing it under the rug to avoid a fuss, he spat. Well, I could understand that. If the culprit happened to be a big wig theyd really be stuck between a rock and a hard place. A member of the Pivoine for example. In the past there was a Pivoine member who bullied somebody into dropping out so it wasnt impossible. But denouncing a member of the Pivoine would result in plenty of alumni lashing back. Since the victim was just a powerless External Student they probably figured it would be better this way Im still looking for them myself, but Ive got nothing so far. I see. Plus, there was no guarantee that the person from yesterday was also responsible for the graffiti on her desk. Actually, there were still people who suspected me of being the one behind yesterday. I needed to do something about that. First of all I needed to spread rumours about Tsuruhana-san and her friends trying to frame me for their own hara.s.sment. Thanks to what Mochida-san said Im pretty sure people would believe it. They had history of bullying, after all. Reika-sama was just a poor girl being blamed for no reason. Yeah, that sounds good. Besides that, all that was left was finding the culprit. How do you think I can help Takamichi? Considering her situation she would probably be best served with you leaving her alone. Oi! Leaving your love for the sake of your love Yeah, from his expression hes not buying that, huh. Are you telling me to give in to these cowards!? That is not what Those tactics will never work against me. Ill protect her. Just watch! Ill never give up! I see I might have flipped some weird switch in him. What a bother. Hm? Kaburagis show of pa.s.sion was interrupted when he suddenly checked his phone. Oh, Shuusukes asking where I am. Apparently people are talking about how were not in the salon today. Good timing. I can finally get the h.e.l.l out of here. Well then, we can continue this next time. I will be heading home now, but I suppose you will be returning the salon, no? I will continue my own investigations with the girls, so rest a.s.sured. Yeah? Well thats one thing, but we still havent discussed my love life at all yet. Ah well, its getting late I guess. Alright, well continue another day. Quite. Well then, please excuse me. I quickly made for the exit before he came up with anything else. Unfortunately, before I made it, he stopped me again. Oh yeah, pa.s.s me your email address, Kisshouin. Geh! I, I do not have a I know youve got a phone, Kisshouin. That play wont work. Hand it over. Geuhhh! I bitterly handed it over. I had wanted to avoid this I wonder if I could ignore his messages by claiming my phone was out of batteries. Anyhow, just as I left the room he sent me a message to check that it worked. I ignored it, only to receive another message every five minutes. I need to change my email! Chapter 202 The next Tilea chapter is over half done. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration_(game)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_(card_game) After ten of those messages, I finally replied. Strange. Even though his test messages were all blank, somehow I could feel the anger. I think I even hallucinated the word. Scary. I chickened out and told him I didnt notice because I was walking. He complained, so I replied that patience was a virtue when it came to romance. I was simply testing him. I wonder what hed say if I actually told him that. Its going to be a huge problem if you only ever think about yourself, stupid Kaburagi! Bleh. Going back to the original topic, getting messaged all the time like this was going to be a pain. If it got to be too much, would it be better to drop my phone into some water, or have a car run over it? My plans to make the locker look like a frame job from Tsuruhana-sans crowd went surprisingly well. It wouldnt work with the girls in my group since they seem like they would stand up for me no matter what. Diligent-looking girls like Miharu-chan and Nonose-san, or the girls from my Handicrafts Club on the other hand I feel so bad for Reika-sama. Shes been made out to be the culprit Ive never seen Reika-sama hara.s.s anybody. She just happened to be there. How can people be blaming her like that? Why does Reika-sama have to be suspected like this? It didnt take them long at all to net me a bunch of sympathy votes. My group followed up on it afterwards of course. Reika-sama has been framed. By whom? Wasnt there some group that told everybody that they were going to replace her? Ehh? They said that?! Takamichi-san said that it wasnt Reika-sama who was responsible, but she never said a certain somebody wasnt. That says it all, dont you think? How you behave in everyday life is pretty important, Tsuruhana-san. Anyhow, pretty much everybody was convinced that it was some plot by Tsuruhana-san to frame me. And somehow there seemed to be more solidarity in my group now. I guess its true what they say about making up an enemy to bring a group together. In the end n.o.body ever found out who had done it, but the hara.s.sment had cooled off since that day, for now at least. But hopefully the peace would continue until I was a 3rd year at least. Hm hm hm~ I was happily enjoying tea in the salon until Enjou came along. Kisshouin-san, given that tomorrow is White Day, apparently Yukino wants to head you some sweets in person. Do you think you could find some time tomorrow? Gosh, Yukino-kun does!? Gladly! And it was almost spring break so I wanted to visit the other kids before that. But spring break is already so close. The kids in primary school are already having half-days. Dont worry about that. Lately hes been bringing the boardgames you showed him at his birthday party to the pet.i.t salon. Apparently the kids there have all been playing. My. The Pet.i.t salon, previous filled with children gracefully talking as they sipped tea, was now basically a playhouse? I suspect he wants to play them with you, but if you have plans then dont feel bad about refusing. Plans? My plans were the same as always. Oh, was he worried that Id be busy because of White Day? No need to worry, Im completely free. Speaking of which, are you also going on a date tomorrow, Enjou-sama? Basically. I was just making conversation, but surprisingly got an answer. I was a little surprised. And kind of felt like a loser. Hmmmm, a date on White Day huh? Tsk! Well how awfully nice for you. A dateless woman like me will just go and play cards with the Pet.i.t Pivoine then! Welcome, Reika-onesan! This place was a soothing paradise. I entered to Yukino-kun and the other childrens adorable smiles. Haaah, so warm and fluffy. Over here, Reika-oneesan. Why thank you, Yukino-kun. My White Day present from him was rusk in a cute little jar. Rusk is great, isnt it. I love it too! Its crunchy and light, and you cant stop eating it! I decided to just open it now and try a piece. Mm, yummy! How delicious. Thank you for the lovely gift. Yukino-kun laughed shyly next to me. An angel! Still, despite the lightness in your mouth, rusk was heavy on the calories. I made a note not to overeat. After that I talked with him and Mao-chan and stuff about what we were going to be doing during the spring break. For me, I was going to be taking some cram courses, as well as lessons from Akimi-san on cooking. She had already taught me a few times before. Akimi-san was kind and never mocked me, even when she had to teach me things as basic as chopping vegetables or making stock. With her, it was easy to admit what I didnt know, so I was glad I had come to her. For now we were just following the recipes and practising different dishes. Maybe once I had mastered the basics I could start looking for my own flavour. And then I could start getting popular on the internet with them. Give a boost to your romance with Reikas cupid recipes! Maybe nikujaga for appealing to the male instinct That sounds so nice, Reika-oneesama. Do you think I could come too? Mao-chan asked entreatingly. Come to think of it, she said something similar a while back. Hmmm, I shall have to ask Akimi-san for her permission, but how about coming to my house to have a look? Mao-chan gave a happy cheer. How could anyone refuse a cute girl like this! I sure couldnt! Yes, it was going to be a bit rough revealing just how bad at cooking I was, but I could always use a vegetable peeler, and to be honest Akimi-san was praising me more these days. Youve gotten really good at cutting vegetables, Reika-san. Youre really fun to teach since youre so enthusiastic. Youve got really good taste in food presentation. I was the type of person who reacted really well to compliments. Hearing them made me happy, and want to try harder, so Akimi-san was the perfect teacher for me. Reika-oneesan, wanna play a game? said Yukino-kun as he pulled me by the arm. Ohh! Id forgotten about that! Come to think of it, kids were already playing jenga, cards, and other things here and there around the room. It was like some high society nursery. At first I was peacefully playing games like Bozu Mekuri or Concentration, but at some point we started playing Speed instead. Somehow my memories as the Speed Queen in my old life flared up, and I ended up playing seriously against small children. I know, I know, it was childish of me. Im reflecting on it, but just so you know, I beat them all. Some of the older boys seemed pretty frustrated about it. Train harder, boys. My wish to get to spring break without any further troubles was of no avail. My propaganda campaign against Tsuruhana-san had pushed her so far that she apparently decided that confronting us in the cafeteria was the answer. Youre a scary girl, Reika-sama, said Tsuruhana-san. Pinning the blame for your own crimes on us without batting an eye. What are you talking about? The one who tried to frame Reika-sama was you! yelled my group. Ehhh~? Come on, not out here, girls Just as the two groups were starting to really yell, another group of girls came along. Please be quiet. They were from the Student Council. Haah? Externals like you lot dont have the right to tell us what to do, Tsuruhana-san glared venomously. What does this have to do with being an Internal or External Student? Were the Student Council, the girl replied. And Im saying that your Student Council doesnt amount to anything, she sneered, causing the girl to flush with anger. Things got even more heated, except now it was a three-way fight. Come onnn guys, lets just stop! Look, everyones looking at us, so lets just calm down! Theyre seriously all staring! Whos causing problems, Reika-san!? Of course that was when Ririna decided to swagger in with her own underlings. Why did an even bigger troublemaker show up!? Chapter 203 Ririna The biggest troublemaker of all had appeared. From her expression, she was positively raring to go. No seriously, somebody had practically sharpied Which b.i.t.c.h-a.s.s needs a smackin? onto her face, it was that obvious. I know everything, Reika-san! Somebodys been putting you through h.e.l.l with slander. Why didnt you come to me for help!? Because if I came to you for help then something like this would happen! Well, whatever. So these girls are the enemy, then. Ill help! Hey, you lot! Pick on somebody your own size! I knew it! Stop! Stop! Dont make this any bigger than it has to be! My feelings failed to reach a single person, however, and in front of my eyes Ririna donned phantom knuckledusters and a deuce deuce. Are you serious!? You have nothing to do with this, you first year! Im Reika-sans cousin! If you have a problem with her, tell it to me! I dont care whose cousin you are! Its none of your business! Unless of course you were part of her plan! Weve already told you to stop slandering Reika-sama! Who do you think she is!? Shes a member of the Pivoine! The Student Council doesnt care if shes Pivoine or not! And we dont care about you! The Student Council should mind its own business! You low-bred Externals dare behave like this in front of true-blood Suiran students!? Exactly! Youre just Externals! You think that just because youre part of the Student Council that you can suddenly forget your place!? External, External! How does attending a school since primary give you the right to think youre better than us!? Right!? The Internals are basically all idiots, anyway! What was that!? Hey! Dont you dare ignore me! What the heck!? Let go of me! Kyaah! Youve done it now, you b.i.t.c.h! Oww! Dont pull the hair! Get her! Ririna-san! We need to avenge Reika-sama! Ah!? Tsuruhana-san! Those are piercings! Thats a violation of school regulations! Shut it, External! You dont have a boyfriend because you dress like that, you ugly b.i.t.c.h! What did you say!? A group of rich girls were screaming and shouting, wearing terrifying expressions as they yanked at each others hair and clothing. Hiiiiie! It was like a vale tudo free-for-all in here! What happened to Suiran being a good school with good kids!? What the h.e.l.l are you all doing!? Cut that out this instant! roared Fellow Stalking Horse. The girls all turned to glare daggers as the crowds parted for him. Ririna even had a clump of hair in her clenched hand. When he realised exactly what had been going on, Fellow Stalking Horses went as stiff as a board. He was an exceptional Student Council President, true, but no boy would ever want to b.u.t.t in on a cat fight like this alone. They began flooding him and showering him with complaints. They were the ones who picked a fight first! Haah!? That was you b.i.t.c.hes! As for us, all we did was try to stop a pointless quarrel. Stop playing the goodie-two-shoes! Youre the one who hit me! Reika-sans enemies are my enemies! a certain somebody declared. Alright! Alright already! Fellow Stalking Horse shouted. I get it, so just calm down! Each faction regrouped, checking their warriors for harm, and giving them thanks and encouragement. So what started all of this? he asked once they seemed calm enough. Tsuruhana-sans group suddenly picked a fight with Reika-sama. Reika-sama was the one who tried to slander me with false accusations! As part of the Student Council, I was just giving them a warning Were supposed to be stopping the trouble, he sighed. What good are we if we magnify the issue? There was a pause, and then he turned to Ririna. Youre As Reika-sans cousin, I couldnt just ignore her crisis! Ririna declared grandly. Fellow Stalking Horse looked at her, and then brought a hand to his forehead. Right, its time for you to leave he said as he chased her off. Anyway! If you girls have a problem with each other then talk it out calmly. A group of young ladies getting into a fistfight is ridiculous! President! The girls all surrounded him and tried again to bring him to their way of thinking, but another voice interrupted. Shut up, Kaburagi eyed them coldly. Not only are you an earful, but youre disgraceful too. The cafeteria turned to silence. The girls in question looked awkward as they flushed in embarra.s.sment. We still havent discovered the culprit for Takamichis locker, he continued, so enough causing trouble with your pointless guessing. He was overwhelming. Totally different to the child who threw a tantrum about giving a tiny blood oath. Are we clear? he asked, prompting. They all nodded. Seemingly done with this, Kaburagi turned to leave. Please wait! called Serika-chan. U-, Um, Kaburagi-sama! called Kikuno-chan, as the two of them stood a little fearfully in his way. Kaburagi-sama, Reika-sama has never bullied anybody. If you have to believe anything, please believe that! Its true! Everything with Reika-sama is just a misunderstanding! That was surprising The pair had been huge fans of Kaburagi as long as I could remember. They adored everything he had done, as far back as our days in primary. Id never have expected them to confront him like that. They had chosen my side over him. I was more than a litte touched. Kaburagi looked at them for a little while before giving his reply. I do believe that. With that, Kaburagi left the cafeteria again. There was silence for a while after he left, before the room exploded in the pa.s.sionate screams of girls. Reika-sama! Kaburagi-sama believes you! Isnt that great, Reika-sama!? I was surrounded by my group as they cheered. Yes. Thank you, Serika-san, Kikuno-san. Everybody else, too, I told them earnestly. They all smiled brightly at me. Really, thank you. Thanks to Kaburagis statement of belief, the last few people who suspected me were convinced as well. As expected of the Emperor. Back to my other problem though, I wasnt sure what to do about the tension. I mean, yes, I had flamed it with my actions, but still Wasnt there some fun topic to help people forget about the locker incident? That was the only solution I could think of. Something that both my girls and Tsuruhana-sans would really care about Oh! I know! I sacrificed Enjou. I have heard that Enjou-sama enjoyed a date with somebody on White Day, I informed them. As expected, it erupted into a huge scandal. Good Good It was better for Suiran to be flooded with talks about romance, rather than talks about conspiracies and ploys, so I spread gossip like there was no tomorrow. One day I was walking down a hallway, happy at how well my plan had gone, when somebody tapped me on the shoulder from behind. Enjou stood there, smiling. Since I have a debt to you, Ill overlook things just this once, okay? The cold sweat wouldnt stop. Anyhow, have a nice day, he chuckled darkly. Aaaahhh! Why wont spring break come already!? Chapter 204 A+A-Chapter 204 It was here! Finally, the spring break was here! It was a th.o.r.n.y path getting here. The rumour strategy backfiring, the tense atmosphere that resulted, trying to change that by using the school idol Enjou, and then immediately being found out by him. That was some scary stuff After that, every time we met in the salon or in the hallway, Enjou would give me this smile that sent me trembling. Stop giving me that look, Enjou. Yes, it was my fault, but my stomach hurts so stop. I learnt my lesson this time. It was important to think before you acted. Spring break was basically an escape from all that. Of course, I still went to cram school. Umewaka-kun and co. were doing the spring break course as well. I still had sessions with my private tutor though, so I spent a bit less time there than they did. Since this was going to be our last year in school, everybody was preparing for the university entrance exams now. Everyone was studying seriously. I sat with the others and we chatted for a bit before cla.s.s began. Moriyama-san was messaging somebody on her phone the whole time. Apparently she had a boyfriend now. It was a boy from her grade at school. I guess despite how long she had crushed on Umewaka-kun, all the encounters with his Beatrice obsession gave her pause. That time at the school festival where he started kissing and nuzzling the Beatrice doll in public was really something. I think it might have been the last straw for her. Anyway, around that time their school went on an excursion and Moriyama-san started dating a boy that she hit it off with. That kind of event is a staple for co-ed schools, isnt it~ Kaaah, Im so jealous! Coming back to Umewaka-kun though, I wondered if hed ever get a girlfriend. I mean Moriyama-san was crushing on him hard and he even scared her away. I turned to have a look at him. Umewaka-kun noticed my gaze and spoke to me. Oh, did you notice? he pointed at his earring. The design was round, with two depressions. At a glance it seemed to be a skull motif, but when I looked carefully it turned out to be dogs nose. It really suits you, Umewaka-kun. How silly of me. Why would he need a girlfriend when he already had an everlasting romance with Beatrice? May they live happily ever after. Anyway, going back to the the spring cram course but Tagaki-kun was in our cla.s.s. He probably enrolled before his slip-up during the incident. Sitting in the cla.s.sroom, it was obvious that he was terrified of me. I mean like, it-looked-like-hed-seen-the-apocalypse-every-time-our-eyes-met terrified. Kisshouin-san, whats up with him? Hmmm Something of a misunderstanding, but at the same time not. According to the rumours, Tagaki-kun had been living every day in fear for his life after his careless comment got me in hot water. Not that I was still mad after Kaburagi believed me. The tongue begets disaster, they same. That was something both Tagaki-kun and I had learned personally. And speaking of Tagaki-kun, it wouldnt do to leave him like this. I decided to speak to him at lunch. Tagaki-kun, I began gently. He jumped in his seat and began to apologise madly. Im sorry! Im sorry! he repeated. Wha-, hey! Um, Tagaki-kun Waaah! Im sorry! Forgive me! Save me! Everyone else was starting to stare. What the h.e.l.l. Didnt it look like I was bullying him now? Stop that! Whats that guys problem, Kisshouin-san? My friends stared wide-eyed at him. Dont look at me. I dont get it either. At any rate, I had to calm him down. I am not angry, Tagaki-kun. Shall we calm down a little? Im sorry! Im sorry! Uh, Im not hitting you so you dont you dont have to cover your head like that. Tagaki-kun, Umewaka-kun patted him on the shoulder, Kisshouin-san has something to say, so could you hear her out first? Everyone else joined in too. Its okay, calm down~ Come on, take a deep breath. Although he kept his hands on his head, he finally quieted down. Tagaki-kun slowly looked up at me with teary eyes. Just how scared of me was this guy? I accept your apology, so there is no need to be so frightened, Tagaki-kun, I smiled kindly. He looked even more scared now. Why!? Huh? Did Tagaki-kun do something to you? Kitazawa-kun asked in interest. It was not anything big. Since Tagaki-kun seemed to be hung up about it I wanted to tell him not to worry, but Everyone hummed in thought as they looked at him. Hey, Tagaki-kun, are you afraid of Kisshouin-san? Umewaka-kun asked bluntly. The boy in question struggled to answer as his eyes swam. Hmm~ While we dont know what the situations like at Suiran, but Kisshouin-san isnt really somebody you need to fear like that. Everyone else nodded in agreement. You really dont have to be so afraid of her. Shes not a bad girl, said Moriyama-san, clapping him on the back. Besides, if Kisshouin-san ever doesKisshouin-san ever does something to you, Ill save you! Tagaki-kun finally lifted his head from his hands and looked at me properly. It cannot be comfortable living in fear like that either, I said. How you forget about that incident and just live normally again? I gave him one last smile before returning to my seat. I had my doubts, but hopefully hed act a bit more normally now. I didnt know how Id deal with the guilt if he failed his exams because he was feeling pressured about me. It would be nice if I seemed more approachable. The next day Tagaki-kun gifted me a whole heap of luxury creme caramel from the food section of an expensive department store. Apparently the boys had told him that desserts were a good way of apologising to girls. Thank you very much. At lunch I invited Tagaki-kun to share them with me, and wouldnt take no for an answer. He ran away the moment he finished his. Am I really that scary? Hes downright terrified of you, isnt he. Where in the Suiran hierarchy are you, anyhow? Im part of an exclusive club with powerful privileges, and happen to lead the largest group of girls in my grade. Chapter 205 A+A-Chapter 205 Like Id promised, today Mao-chan was invited to my cooking lesson with Akimi-san. Because I wanted to recreate the food that my mum made in my last life, most of the recipes that I was learning from her were for j.a.panese home-cooking. And since most of it was brown and boring-looking, I suggested that we do something a bit more interesting for Mao-chans visit. After some discussion, we decided that it would be gratin for today. Gratin is a widespread culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or b.u.t.ter. In j.a.pan it typically refers to meat or vegetables topped with a layer of bechamel, then cheese, then bread crumbs. Wah! I love gratin! exclaimed Mao-chan in her cute little ap.r.o.n. Kids do love their western dishes. First we had to mix the flour and milk until there were no lumps. I already knew the importance of removing the lumps, thanks to my lessons with Wakaba-chan. Akimi-san taught us that it would be good to remember how to make the bechamel sauce, because it was used in a lot of other dishes too. Ohh? Come to think of it, Mum always used supermarket roux in her dishes, didnt she. Maybe I could just use that I mean, it was delicious, okay? Besides the gratin we also made minestrone. Minestrone is a thick soup of Italian origin made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice, sometimes both. In j.a.pan, minestrone is typically a tomato soup with pasta. This dish needed vegetables, so I was a little worried. Somebody was going to have to cut them, and I really didnt want mess it up in front of Mao-chan. The carrots I managed, because I had practised a lot at home. I used a vegetable peeler on it, and then cut them into 1 cm cubes. Always considerate, Akimi-san took care of the things she knew I was bad at, and somehow I managed to save face in front of Mao-chan. Thats a lovely necklace, Reika-san. When the two of them realised the pearl necklace was from Imari-sama they began to squeal and compliment him. I told them a few stories about him and they seemed really taken with him. Mao-chan had Yuuri-kun so that was one thing, but I really didnt think it would be good for Akimi-san to be too adoring of him. And Oniisama always grimaces and tells me Anybody but Imari. Apparently beyond just the crazy stories Id heard about, he had caused countless other incidents. Imari-sama For lunch we had the gratin and minestrone, along with some baguettes that Akimi-san made. It was delcious! Bread was good stuff. Id been looking for a good bakery, but making it yourself was fun too. Mao-chan said her mother baked bread too, sometimes. Hm, maybe I would learn to bake bread next. Akimi-san told us that making baguettes was difficult, so maybe wed start with bagels first. Bagels! I loved bagels! Bagels sandwiches were great too. In just the course of the day, Mao-chan had become good friends with Akimi-san. Akimi-san was gentle and kind, and she was a bit round too, so she was relaxing to be with. Mao-chan asked if she could come next time when we were making bread, so Akimi-san told her that of course course she could. Oniisama wasnt at home today, so I told Akimi-san that Id get a driver to send her home. Instead, Mao-chan suggested that she drop Akimi-san off as well. They were really getting along~ The one picking her up turned out to be Ichinokura-san. Good afternoon. Weve really troubled you with Mao-chan today. Thank you for everything, Reika-san. Not at all. Thanks to Mao-chan we all had a great time. Haruto-niisama, this is Narutomi Akimi-san. She was our cooking teacher today! Please to meet you. Im Ichinokura Haruto, Mao-chans uncle. Ah, Im Narutomi Akimi She seemed a bit nervous about meeting a stranger. Haruto-niisama, can we drop off Akimi-san too? Its fine, right? Mao-chan asked. Um, Mao-chan, I can catch a taxi she demurred shyly, but Ichinokura-san was already answering Mao-chan. Of course we can. Akimi-san, please let us drive you home. She must have been nervous because instead of some old Sawarabi chaffeur, we ended up with a handsome young man instead. Mao-chans invitation was hard to turn down though, so in the end she agreed and left with the three of them. Hmmm~ I wondered if Mao-chan was trying to matchmake them. She was really acting like a meddlesome aunty just now. Since it was spring break, I decided to visit Wakaba-chan. It was a bit blunt to just say Lets hang out though, so instead I sent her a message that said, I was thinking of buying some of your cakes. Would it be fine to come over? Yeah, lets hang out! came the reply. Man, it was convenient having an excuse like that. And so today she was waiting for me at the train station again. The brats at my home are always are always asking me, When is Kisshouin-san coming over again? you know. When is Cornet coming over? more like. Ahaha~ Sorry. I keep scolding them about it but they just wont listen. Nothing to worry about. To be honest I have already resigned myself to it. Besides, it sounded closer than the distant-sounding Kisshouin-san anyway. How were things afterwards? I asked. The bullying, I mean. Mmn, nothing really happened since the locker incident. It really blew up, so everyone was being watched too carefully to try anything, I guess, she said. I see. It would be nice if that continued until graduation, I said. It would be, she agreed. Since she was the smartest girl in our grade, I think people would have respected her more if she seemed a bit more together. I think people thought she was an easy target because she looked a bit dopey or undignified sometimes. Its pretty hot, huh~ Like just now. Her mouth was still hanging open. She was the most relaxed-looking person I knew. Say, Takamichi-san? Your mouth is still open, I couldnt help but say. Wahwah! In a panic she clamped it shut. You seem to have a habit of that It was a little rude, but I tried asking about it anyway. Maybe she hadnt even noticed herself. In that case, addressing it would be the first step to making her look capable. Ahhh, yeah Its because I have a bad habit of clencing my teeth. That was surprising. Clenching your teeth? Yeah. When I sleep I tend to grind them, so I actually have a line on the inside of my mouth where my teeth meet. My dentist told me that it would wear both my teethboth my teeth in the long run, so it would be better to address the habit while I was young. Since then I loosen my jaw a bit whenever I remember. What the h.e.l.l!? So her stupid-looking expression actually had such a reasonable explanation behind it! It wouldnt be a problem if I could just keep my lips shut, but my whole mouth opens when Im not paying attention, she laughed. Still, it wouldnt make sense to tell her to stop doing it then. So your gums have a clench mark? Its pretty obvious in the mirror. It looks like a horizontal white line. I can feel it with my tongue too. Huh. I curiously licked my own mouth and found that I had one too. Eh!? Was I clenching my teeth as well!? Maybe it was the stress It wasnt because I had fat cheeks or anything, right? But when I ate, sometimes I ended up biting them Kanta-kun greeted us when we arrived. I followed the recipe and the fondant au chocolat turned out well, I reported. He pridefully huffed that of course it would. I commented that I was thinking of learning to bake bread, and got a whole lot of points to be careful about when baking it. Apparently it was quite similar to baking desserts. And then again, I got an earful about the importance of following the recipe. Okay, okay, I get it already. The three of us had a chat, and ended up deciding to just make something since I was here already. I was excitedly discussing what to make with them when Wakaba-chans mother came into the house from the storefront. Wabaka, Kaburagi-kun is out front in the store. Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Chapter 206 Sorry for the lateness. Bad stuff at work. Projects being late etc. Oh no, oh no! What was I supposed to do now!? He could not know that I was here! I shook my head furiously at Wakaba-chan. She nodded in understanding before leaving for the entrance. Im counting on you, Wakaba-chan! My palms felt sweaty, and my heart thumped while I waited. Whats wrong, Cornet? Kanta-kun asked. I do not want Kaburagi-sama to know that I am here, I said. Why? Dont you go to the same school? he asked. That is exactly the problem, I replied. Lord in heaven, please protect me! Kanta-kun looked at me for a moment before sinking into thought. In that case, lets watch them in secret. Ehhh!? Id be lying if I said I wasnt curious, so I agreed. He led the way into Wakaba-chans room on the 2nd floor. Kanta-kun, is this not Takamichi-sans room? Should we be here without her permission? Its fine. Look, I knew theyd be down there. Her window overlooked the back of the store, which was where the two of them happened to be chatting. Wakaba-chan was holding a bouquet that she definitely hadnt had earlier. I wonder if Kaburagi had brought it. The two of us peeped, one-eyed, through the small gap in the window curtains. I havent found them yet. But I will. Its fine, already. I dont want it to blow up any further. Mn? From what I heard just now, were they talking about finding the culprit behind the locker? Ah, but Wakaba-chan didnt want her family to know about the bullying, so maybe it wouldnt be good to have Kanta-kun here Did something happen to Neechan? whispered Kanta-kun. I hummed noncommittally. I couldnt think of anything on the spot. What now. Maybe I could distract him somehow. Say, Kanta-kun? Does he come over often? About once a month to buy cake. Ugehhh. Monthly visits? This was definitely not the last time I was hiding then. d.a.m.ned Kaburagi, you sure have been busy in places I wasnt looking. Come to think of it, the teddy bear on the shelf over there was his Christmas present too. Hey, hey, are Kaburagi-san and Neechan going out? I suspect not, but But Kaburagi-san definitely likes Neechan, right? Hmmm. Did Takamichi-san say anything? She keeps saying that he doesnt and gets mad when we bring it up. I see. At some point the two of them had started chatting about the break, and the mock exams we had just before it. As expected of our top students. But although they were talking about studying, for some reason Kaburagi sounded oddly cheerier than usual. Wow, he even laughed. Mn, its nice being able to talk to your crush, isnt it. By the way, Takamichi, what are you doing over the spring break? Helping out at the store, studying at the library, that kind of thing. I see. Say- Whatever it was he was going to say, it was cut off by Natsumi-chan coming back home. Im home. Ah, Kaburagi-san, h.e.l.lo. h.e.l.lo there. Wow, so youve been over enough that her little sister remembers your d.a.m.n, d.a.m.ned Kaburagi. Oneechan, Oneechan, she suddenly said to Wakaba-chan. Is Coro-chan over? Uewaaaaahaah! For a moment I went blind. That almost gave me a heart attack. Oi! Are you okay, Cornet!? Huh. Apparently my eyes had rolled back into my head. Coro-chan? Kaburagi muttered curiously. Oww! My stomach! Did you have a guest over? he asked. Umm, yeah. Actually, a friend came over today! Nacchan, go inside, okay? Okaaay. I see. A friend came over he muttered again. Hey, you better not be thinking of inviting yourself in as well. You better not be! Read the mood, Kaburagi! Then Ill be heading back now. He read the mood! Thanks for going out of your way to visit. Ah, and for the flowers, too. I was just in the area. Love the cakes, too. As if you were just in the area! And you even brought a bouquet! Think of a less obvious excuse, Kaburagi! Huh. But had I not been here, then his plan to spend time work her would have worked. Oops? Kaburagi gave a casual wave to her before getting into his car and leaving. Haaaah. But wow, that surprise attack from Natsumi-chan really did a number on my stomach. I decided to ask the whole family to only refer to me as Coro-chan from now on. And just now Wakaba-chan called me her friend, didnt she. Do you think she meant it? After seeing Kaburagi off, Wakaba-chan came back into the house and placed the flowers in a vase. Oneechans been learning flower arrangement at school. She always teaching me, you know? her little sister said proudly. Hey-! Can you please not say such embarra.s.sing things to Kisshouin-san? complained Wakaba-chan. But Natsumi-chans next comment sent her into an embarra.s.sed panic. Why? You tell us how to drink tea too. Gotta turn the tea bowl in your hands, right? So Wakaba-chan had been telling her family about what she learnt at Suiran. It was nice to know she was enjoying the lessons, then. Wakaba-chan turned to me and laughed shyly. Ehehe, actually Ive been thinking about taking calligraphy in 3rd year, now that Ive tried flower arrangement and tea ceremony. It was nice that she was looking forward to it, but wouldnt she just get ink poured on her head? Natsumi-chan said that she was hungry so Wakaba-chan was going to make okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki! Wouldnt this be the first time in my current life!? Okonomiyaki is a j.a.panese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients which vary based on personal taste, and more widely, region.The most standard types will have cabbage and meats and stuff inside, topped with shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi). That is then topped with a sweet thickened Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise. Typically cooked on a hot plate or flat grill. Wah, I could see the katsuobushi bonito flakes waving in the steam! And the smell of the okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise was irresistible! I loved battered food like okonomiyaki and takoyaki! Wakaba-chans other little brother came home too, so we had a little okonomiyaki party with a hot plate, cooking and then eating, cooking and then eating. The one that I flipped myself broke apart completely. Why. Kanta-kun gave me one look and benched me from the cooking team. Sob. Wow, Wakaba-chan was just demolishing that cabbage with her knife. Want one more, Kisshouin-san? No, I am afraid I am quite full. Ahh, but if there are still some ingredients left over, then perhaps just a bite This was so fun. Being here was so comfortable. It feels as though I always make you treat me, I said apologetically. Before I knew it, every visit to Wakaba-chans house had involved her feeding me. Just how shameless was I? Maybe I ought to bring them some nice meat next time. Seriously, dont worry about it~ Everyone has a great time eating with you. Come over again, sometime? Thank you. Geez, if you say something like that Ill be back over in no time, you know? Speaking of which, about Kaburagi-sama Ahh, yeah. He was in the neighbourhood so he came to buy some cakes. Also he came to tell me that he hadnt found the culprit behind the locker yet. Yes, I know. I was eavesdropping, after all Do you want to find out who it was? Not really. I just dont want it to get any bigger. I told Kaburagi-kun the same thing, and that he didnt have to keep looking. I see. If he was involved, it was bound to get bigger after all. Takamichi-san, what do you think of Kaburagi-sama? Eh!? She looked really startled to hear that. Should I not have asked? Erm, I mean, I was simply wondering what do you thought of his character In the manga she would have already been head-over-heels for him, with story arcs about misunderstandings and overcoming obstacles. The real pair wouldnt be overcoming anything, I didnt think. Hmmm~ At first I thought he was really unapproachable, like somebody from a different world, you know? But my impression changed after talking with him for just a bit. How do you mean? Hmmm Well that time with the car accident he was really earnest with his apologies, and came to take me to the hospital each day. Is that not the normal response? Im not sure. I guess I was just impressed that he didnt try to solve it with money and wash his hands of it. Hmmm~ We talked quite a bit during those visits. I was surprised that hed laugh at jokes told by someone like me. I mean, this was the Emperor of Suiran, you know!? Yeah, but that nickname came from a childrens cavalry battle. Not that an External Student like Wakaba-chan would know. Anyway, I guess I just felt a bit closer to him after that. Its a bit strange. Hes usually so mature, but sometimes he acts just like a kid. Oho? So the way Wakaba-chan saw him was just like the Kaburagi from the manga then. Dont tell me he actually had a chance? She was spinning things in an awfully positive way though. Rather than sometimes acts just like a kid Id go further and say his mental age is lower than Kanta-kuns. I really wanted to ask if she liked him or not, but that was definitely prying too much. She looked so startled earlier. Aah, but I really wanted to know Whats wrong? Eh? Nothing. Are you going to be studying at the library during the spring break? Yeah. Hmm? Did I mention that to you? Anyway, the kids are too noisy at home, so I like to study at the library nearby. Sometimes I go a bit further and travel to a bigger library too. Mizusaki-kun told me about it a while back. Its even got a caf. My, Mizusaki-kun did? Studying together? Do you study with Mizusaki-kun in the library too? Sometimes. Usually I just go by myself though. Ah, but were planning on meeting there and studying again. Wasnt that the library date that I was dreaming about for myself? Geez, Wakaba-chan! The truth is that weve been talking about claiming the 1st and 2nd ranks for the Student Council. Taking down the Pivoine and all that. Ah, that was just a joke though! Were not really trying to overthrow the Pivoine! Sorry, I hope I didnt offend. Not at all. But Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama will be tough to beat, you know? Thats true~ Kaburagi! The distance between Fellow Stalking Horse and Wakaba-chan is steadily closing without you realising, you know!? This isnt the time to be pretending to buy cake, you know!? But yeah. Since coming to Suiran, Ive really realised how many people are different from their impression once you start talking to them.But yeah. Since coming to Suiran, Ive really realised how different a person can be from your first impression. Oh? Yeah. When I first entered the school I didnt think wed become so close, Kisshouin-san. I see. She thought we were close. Wah, that was really nice to hear. And earlier she told Kaburagi that her friend was over. Maybe she really considered me her friend. Did I come off as such an atrocious person? Thats not what I thought at all! Its just that, you know, like Kaburagi-kun you seemed to be like someone from another world. And now? Do you still think of me like that? Nope. Although I cant quite say youre from my world either. Oh? I would be overjoyed to consider you a friend, though Really? Ehehe, to be honest Ive already considered you one for a long time now. Wakaba-chan! I emotionally took her hands into mine. After that I advised her to change her mind about the calligraphy club and we said goodbye in front of the ticket gates. Come again, sometime~ Well all be waiting. Thank you! A gale pa.s.sed us by, and fluttered my hair in the wind. Ah, my hair kind of smelt like okonomiyaki! I had better take a bath when I got home. Still, today was a great day! I took out my phone while I was on the train and realised I had a message from Kaburagi. I want to talk about what we discussed earlier. Ugeh. Heading to Wakaba-chans house, and then immediately messaging me about advice, huh? What a botherrrr. Hm!? Dont tell me he realised that I was Coro-chan!? Still, as bothersome as this was, I was the one who got in his way today, so I felt just a little bit guilty. Especially after seeing how happy he seemed to be around her. I guess Kaburagi wanted to spend time with Wakaba-chan as well. Sorry. I decided to be especially generous. Rather than text, let us speak over the phone. It will have to be quick, however. His replied said: In that case, lets take our time and talk at the sakura-viewing party. Haaaaah!? When the h.e.l.l did I end up RSVP-ing for the Kaburagi family flower-viewing event!? Chapter 207 Due to how quickly the flowers stop blooming, as well as various legends and myths (and cla.s.sic literature) regarding them, sakura are connected to the concept of death in j.a.panese folklore. There lie cadavers buried under the cherry blossoms!This is a truth that you must accept. For how else could the flowers of the cherry tree be so magnificent in their bloom? I spent the past several days feeling terribly ill at ease, as I was unable to accept such a beauty. But now, at last, the truth has finally sunk in. There lie cadavers buried under the cherry blossoms. You must accept this.My house is one that contains a mult.i.tude of tools and implements?-so why then, from among such trinkets and baubles, did the blade of a safety razor come to me like a vision to a clairvoyant every night on my way home? You say you know not why, whereas I myself cannot comprehend it?-the two of which verily amount to the same thing.A flowering tree, on the other hand, gives forth its essence when it reaches that stage known as full bloom, and in doing so, it emanates a mysterious aura comparable to the state of perfect stillness approached by a fast-spinning top, or perhaps the fleeting sensory impressions roused by a spectacular musical performance, or something like the afterglow that follows the burning act of consummation. It is this beauty, wondrous and vivacious, that never ceases to captivate the human spirit.Nonetheless, yesterday and the day before, it was the selfsame thing that caused my heart to fall under an intense spell of gloom. I was unable to accept such a beauty. On the contrary, I became anxious and fell into a state of melancholy, and a feeling of emptiness overtook me. But now, at long last, I understand.You see, beneath the splendor of those cherry trees blooming in profusion, cadavers had been buried one by one, if you can imagine for a moment. Then, soon enough, you''ll understand just what sort of anxiety I''d been feeling.The cadavers of horses, the cadavers of dogs and cats, and it seems, the cadavers of human beings too. Rotting cadavers, crawling with maggots, reeking of a most intolerable stench, all the while seeping a liquid so pure and clear. The cherry tree, as if it were the rapacious octopus, extends its roots outward to grasp. Like the feeding tentacles of the sea anemone, its roots enfold to partake of that liquid.What could form such a petal? What was behind the creation of such a stamen? I had envisioned it in dreamlike detail: The roots had gathered silently, matter-of-factly, to siphon that pure, clear liquid into its vascular system.How you must be grimacing at the very thought! Not a very pretty way of looking at things, is it? Finally, I had come to see the cherry blossoms for what they were, and it freed me from what had been an unsettling mystery yesterday and the day before.A few days earlier, I had descended into a nearby ravine, scrambling down the rocks. There in the splashing water, hither and thither, doodlebugs were coming into being in the manner of the birth of Venus herself. I watched them soar into the hollow where, as you may know, they perform their beautiful mating ritual. After walking a little further, I came across something horrifying. On the banks of the river, where the shallows ought to have been, there was no such water to be seen. A brilliant shimmer resembling an oil slick drifted across the entire surface. You must be wondering what it was. There, the countless thousands of cadavers of doodlebugs perforated the water''s surface. They lay piled in mounds, their wings curling in the sunlight, glistening like spilled oil. There, after they had finished sp.a.w.ning, became their grave.At the sight alone, I felt as if I had suffered a blow to the chest. In bearing witness to the gradual process of decay that appeared to be taking place in that grave of doodlebugs, I had tasted a cruel delight.There was not a single joyous thing to be found in this ravine. The warbler and the t.i.t, the pale sunlight, and saplings too, were but a distant notion. That tragic fate, it seemed to me, was unavoidable. It was then that the picture became clear in my mind for the first time: It was a counterbalance. My heart had been pining for melancholy as if I were an evil spirit. That state of melancholy had been brought to an end, and now my mind was at peace once more.By now, your armpits must be damp with sweat, just as mine are. Nothing to be ashamed of. After all, they are certainly no stickier than s.e.m.e.n. And on that note, let us conclude our melancholy.Alas, there lie cadavers buried under the cherry blossoms!As for what on earth brought about such a wild flight of fancy involving cadavers, it appears to be anyone''s guess. That it may be part and parcel of the cherry blossoms is a notion I cannot seem to shake out of my head, no matter how I try.I believe I have hereby earned the right, like the many locals flocking to the festivities taking place under those flowering trees, to drink merrily in celebration of the cherry blossom viewing season! C translated by Bonnie Huie from Kajii Motojirous Under the Cherry Blossoms My parents thought that since I went last year, I was obviously going to the flower viewing party again. Ask me first! Say something at least! I bet they kept it on the down-low on purpose! I didnt wanna go. But neither did I have the courage to try getting food poisoning again. Never again, Reika. I seriously thought I would die. I swear I saw a bright light at the end of a tunnel Okaasama was determined to pair me up this year so she enthusiastically dressed me in a furisode. A style of kimono distinguishable by its long sleeves. Furisode are the most formal style of kimono worn by young unmarried women in j.a.pan. Cherry blossoms at night, and a furisode. Scary Please, no. Maybe if it rained then all the sakura would be washed away, along with the party. The skies were clear. Oniisama was busy with work, so hed be arriving later. He was busy quite a lot, recently. He still hadnt taken me out to eat like he promised for White Day either. My! Reika-san! Thank you so much for coming! greeted Mrs. Kaburagi, with literally open arms. As usual, she was eye-catching and beautiful. And Chairman Kaburagi still had that mature adult charm! His legs were so much longer than Otousamas! And he wasnt overweight, either! Haah, so cool Anyway, after Madam Kaburagi gave me some truly ridiculous praise for my furisode, the topic changed to her son. I hear that that boy actually became the President of the Pivoine. Will that surly kid really be able to manage? Masaya-sama is very popular, so I do not believe there is anything to worry about. You think? He isnt causing you any problems, Reika-san? Heavens, no. Masaya-sama is competent and always has it together. And his grades are always at the top, and Since we werent all that close I was struggling to find things to praise him for. Hmmm Good points, good points What are his good points? Too bad. Nothing comes to mind. Dont hesitate to let me know if that stupid boy of mine causes you any trouble. Ill really let him have it. My Ohohoho He was causing me trouble right now, actually. Anyway, please look after Masaya, okay? I am in his care I really didnt want to look after him though. Uu, even my smile had gone stiff. The Kaburagi pair gave me brilliant smiles before leaving to greet other guests. After that, Otousama brought me around the venue to greet people. It was exhausting keeping this act up After we were done greeting my parents closer acquaintances, I was finally given my freedom. Recently a lot of people had been recommending their sons to me, so I was having a rough time dodging all the bullets. Thanks to that I had no appet.i.te, despite the feast before me. I picked up some sakura jelly and helped myself to a few bites while I took a breather. Oh. This was pretty good. Good evening, Kisshouin-san. Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama. Someone thoroughly unpleasant had come my way. So youre wearing a furisode this time, in deep scarlet, I think you call this? It suits you. You look lovely tonight. Thank you very much Haah, his smile was suspicious I wonder if he was holding a grudge after that White Day rumour. I just wanted to make a break for it Arent you going to look at the flowers? I admired them up-close not too long ago. At any rate, I think that the night-time sakura should be enjoyed from a little further away. I could hear the guests praising the weeping sakura again. It had bloomed as gorgeously as last year. Weeping Sakura And the yoshino cherries had bloomed just as well. It almost looked like another world, which to be honest was a little scary. I think I know what you mean. Dont the sakura seem a bit scary at night? Its almost like they bloomed by using human lifeblood as fertiliser. Say, isnt there a tale about burying- A corpse under the roots of a sakura tree! Exactly! Exactly! Sakura are scary at night, right!? I mean I like sakura, and theyre beautiful at night, but its because theyre so beautiful that it creeps me out! Why? Why did anybody think it would be a good idea to have a night-time banquet under the sakura? You know, when I read Kajii Motojirous poem, I thought, I know exactly what he means. Theres just this indescribable discomfort when you see them in the night like this, isnt there? Yeah! Yeah! I know what you mean! But they hardly seem so frightening in the daytime, do they? Its because of the way the flowers seem to float in the darkness. It feels like youll get pulled in too. That makes sense. The weeping sakura here isnt too bad, since its just barely 50 years old. But as for those sakura that have lived for hundreds of years I can only imagine how much human blood theyve drunk. You are scaring me, so please stop! Youre going to make me imagine it. How mysterious. Even though they are all flowers, neither the plum nor the peach blossoms feel at all scary at night, do they? Ume plum blossoms at night.Peach blossoms at night. Shhh. If Masayas mum hears you say that shes going to plan something big, and all because Reika-san likes peach and plum blossoms okay? Oh dear. I quickly clamped my mouth shut. Madam Kaburagi loved her events, so I could actually see her doing it. Enjou smiled at me in amus.e.m.e.nt. But as scared as you seem to be of the sakura at night, youre fond of sweets made from them, no? For example, sakuramochi. Why and how did he know this? Sakuramochi is a j.a.panese sweet consisting of sweet pink-colored rice cake (mochi) with a red bean paste center, and wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom leaf. Eaten during the spring, especially on hinamatsuri, or at flower viewing parties. The ball-style is endemic to the Kansai region, while the wrap style is the traditional style for the Kantou region, including Tokyo. Flower-themed sweets from the West tasted a bit strange, and I wasnt sure what I thought of them. Rose jam for example. But I was really quite fond of the j.a.panese equivalents. Sakuramochi for example, or umegaemochi. Umegaemochi are roasted rice cakes with red beans inside, branded with an ume plum blossom design. Huh. It was all mochi. Yes. I enjoy eating them because of how festive they are. It really drives home that spring is here. I think this is the same for all the desserts of each season. I made very sure to emphasise that I wasnt some glutton character. Didnt mean I wasnt gulping down green tea at home as I nommed on sakuramochi though! I see. Wow, youre so refined, Kisshouin-san. Thats right. I am refined. Im not a glutton at all. d.a.m.ned Enjou. I could see the laughter in his eyes. He didnt believe me in the slightest, did he? As expected of you, Kisshouin-san. No wonder you seem to be enjoying that sakura jelly so much. See? There he goes. I had to get back at him somehow. Speaking of which, Masaya was looking for you. Is that so? So Kaburagi was serious about talking about his love troubles in the middle of this huge crowd? Speaking of which, are you not together with Kaburagi-sama this evening? How novel. Why does it feel like you think of us as a set? Well, you two are famous for being awfully intimate Come on, you wouldnt call that intimate, right? Kisshouin-san, did you just choose that wording just to mess with me? Ah, did I go too far with my teasing? This snake could show his true colours. Oh dear. Was he going to do it? Was he going to attack!? While I was looking at him guardedly, somebody else appeared. Here you are, Shuu. Coming in from my five was a white hand that softly took Enjous arm. It was Yuiko-san. So she was here too Yuiko. I was worried when you suddenly disappeared like that, you know? she looked up at him, leaning into his shoulder. Yuiko-san, beautiful and fragile, had drawn the attention of all the males around us. You seemed to be having fun with those guys, so I thought it would be fine to step away. My, is somebody jealous? Who knows. I looked around at all the men staring jealously at Yuiko-san and Enjou. Apparently they had all been fussing over her until very recently. Unfortunately they didnt stand a chance against Enjou. The two of them were picture perfect, after all. Enjou gently tapped the hand on his arm. Yuiko, this is Kisshouin Reika-san. Shes in my grade at school. Kisshouin Reika-san? she asked as she distractedly turned my way. Big, dark eyes took me in. I shivered a little. You know about Yuiko, dont you? Shes a relative of mine. Uryuu Yuiko. Gokigenyoh. My name is Kisshouin Reika, I smiled, as confidently as possible. Uryuu Yuiko. Have we perhaps met before? Why yes. At the Suiran School Festival. Languid eyes gazed at me for a while, before Yuiko smiled softly. Ah, I remember now. You were wearing a lovely china dress, no? Yes. Huhu, she laughed, seemingly pleased with hitting the mark. That smile had entranced everyone around us. Hey, Shuu? Im a bit thirsty. Then shall we go get something for you to drink? Kisshouin-san, will I think I shall admire the sakura from a little closer. Please excuse me, Enjou-sama, Yuiko-san. Enjou frowned faintly. Yuiko-san looked at me again with those jet-black eyes of hers, and smiled at me. Good joke, Enjou. Who on earth would go anywhere with you two? Scaryyy. To escape as quickly as possible I busted out my ultimate skill, power-walking, but my furisode was making it impossible! I messed up! A penguin! I looked like a penguin right now! Ahh, and somehow I could feel Yuiko-sans eyes on me from behind Happy thoughts, Reika, happy thoughts. I swear I saw a bright light at the end of a tunnelwas actuallyI saw higanbana(red spider lilies). ˰ҊThese are said to bloom in the Buddhist underworld. Happy thoughts, Reika, happy thoughts.What she actually said was tsurukametsurukame, a charm to ward off bad luck. Cranes and turtles are fortuitous symbols of longevity.QwQw(tsurukametsurukame; crane, turtle, crane, turtle) Fan art by . Relevant chapters are linked for your convenience. C Sherbet-green dressC White flower in hairC Rather tanC Elegant sandals with heels C Powder pink layered chiffon dressC Cute design C Ribboned flare dress in champagne goldC Nails are sakura pinkC Sakura motif hair accessory C Turquoise kimonoC Hair done up C Wine red dress High School 3rd Year: Flower-Viewing PartyC Deep scarlet furisode High School 3rd Year: TanabataC Intricately designed white and light blue layered organdy dressC Black scarf Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Bringing your lover along to view the sakura, huh? Tch, what an eyesore. To begin with, they remembered to hold this happy flower viewing event, but not the Festival of Appeasing the Flowers? From ancient times, the end of March, when the sakura bloomed, necessitated a purification ritual to appease the evil G.o.ds of pestilence. Thats right. This was spring. A most terrifying season, when the G.o.ds of pestilence most exercised their power. Making out? Flirting with your lover at a time like this? Those louts were just asking for divine retribution! Kiii! Out of sight of the two, my cowardice had transformed into hatred. What the h.e.l.l was that att.i.tude? Acting as though I was some kind of third wheel! As if that wasnt enough, my anger had now made me hungry. You think I would let the tightness of my obi stop me!? I grabbed some food and sat myself down in the closest chair. As I sat there, people came to chat with me from time to time. Some of them were my parents acquaintances. Others, I knew because of the circles I moved in as a Pivoine. More importantly, for some reason they really believed in the rumour that I was a fathercon, and made comments to that effect. Sometimes older men even asked me for help, like, My teenage daughter is really cold to me these days. What should I do? In the end I just gave them some vague advice. Dont make lame dad jokes. Pay attention to your appearance. Dont go on and on about stories from when you were young, especially if youre lecturing them. Dont leer at young women. Praise her, but dont try to flatter her too much. Basically stuff like that, and all of it with Kaburagis stylish gentleman of a dad in mind. Any girl would be proud to have a dad like that Gasp! Bad Reika! You need to accept reality! The tubby tanuki over there is your father! After facing reality, I went back to eating when two beautiful women came my way. Reikchan, its been a while! Airsama! Yurie-sama! Uwahh! It really had been a while. Although we still messaged each other on occasion, Airsama had gotten even busier since her 3rd year in university started. But wow, the two of them were as gorgeous as ever. I was really happy to see them! Have the two of you been well? You must be positively swamped. Yeah. You really need to commit to a path when youre our age, so everyone has their own stuff to do, said Airsama. Have you two already decided on what you want to do in the future? The two of them shared a glance and broke into hopeless smiles. I mean, Ive got something that I want to do, you know? But my parents are adamant about me joining the family company, or the company of one of their goods friends, said Airsama. My parents dont agree with what I want, so Im having a lot of trouble as well, said Yurie-sama. They let out a huge sigh. Finding a job was hard stuff, wasnt it. And when it came to the parents of rich women, they probably didnt think of this as much more than decoration for ones marriage profile. Of the girls from Suiran that actually joined the workforce, most just landed a job through connections, and plenty just treated it as something to do until they could get married. That made Airsama and Yurie-sama all the more admirable for trying to strike it out on their own. I didnt want to join my familys company either. Id just be nothing more than the chairmans daughter. Id be given a wonderful position, but theyd tread on eggsh.e.l.ls around me, and Id basically be isolated. And the political marriage that lay at the end of that road? Ueghhh~ I didnt want my family to crumble, but I wasnt fond of that option either. I was going to marry for love! Yurie, if it comes down to it, wanna run off overseas with me? asked Airsama. What the heck are you saying? Yurie-sama laughed. The two of them really had it rough. Hey, hey, more importantly. Reikchan, I hear that something interestings been going on with Masaya. The two of them sat down on either side of me and leaned in, eyes gleaming for gossip. They seemed to be enjoying this quite a bit. Ineteresting, bit. Ineteresting, you say? I asked. Hes found a girl that he likes, said Airchan. Do you know who it is, Reiksan? Yurie-sama followed up. Eh!? How did they know!? Did Kaburagi tell them!? Going by your expression, it seems that you do, huh? Did you hear this from Kaburagi-sama? I asked. Tell her, Yurie. He was all nervous at Christmas, so I suspected. I asked him, Have you found a girl you like? and he actually said I did! Geez, when he came to my house he even suddenly started looking through my womens fashion magazines, and around Valentines he got all down. Such an open book~ The two of them guffawed together. I mean, when he gave up on Yurie Id already suspected it was because hed found someone else. It was pretty suspicious, come to think of it, mused Yurie-sama. Do you know who it is? I asked. An External girl, right? Do you know what kind of girl she is, Reikchan? asked Airsama. Well, yes I said evasively. Since I didnt know what Wakabchan wanted, it wouldnt do to say anything careless. Diseases come in through the mouth, but disasters come out of it. After chatting for a while longer, the two of them left after some other senpai from the Pivoine went calling for them. Since that was the case, I decided to move a little to help with the digestion. I wandered the area for a while when I happened to make eye contact with Kaburagi, who was surrounded by girls. Oh. Kisshouin. He immediately excused himself and headed my way. Gokigenyoh, Kaburagi-sama. Thank you very much for extending your invitation to me this evening. Yeah, thanks for coming. Kaburagi led me near the wall, where even the sakura couldnt be seen anymore. n.o.body was nearby here, so the chances of being overheard were slim. As expected of the hosts son. He knew the location quite well. Well, sit down. Then excuse me Well then, what did you want to discuss? Well that was blunt. Basically I want to talk about her. I understand. What else, right? Starting at the beginning, the two of us were involved in a little accident during the summer. Kaburagi began telling me about how the two of them became closer, became closer, and that sometimes he went to her house to buy cakes. Mhm. I knew it all, already. But things havent progressed since then. Haah. What do you think I should do? Eh!? Thats where he was going to start!? Why not just confess? I suggested. Wh, you-! he spluttered. You were about to call me an idiot, werent you? Not yet! Thats still way off! I see. Kaburagi was so fl.u.s.tered that his eyes were swimming. Wow, as a man, this guy was even more useless than I thought. Well then how about inviting her to a date to deepen your bonds? I thought about that too. But I just cant find the right timing to. Shes pretty busy in her own right. And besides, I have a lot of things on my schedule too. Like just the other day Id finally found some time, but she already had a friend over so I couldnt invite her out. Ah, that was me Why did you not contact her beforehand? Uh, I wanted to surprise her Youre bothering people by doing that! People like me! I was so surprised that my stomach hurt, okay! I think that showing up unannounced and uninvited can only cause trouble for the other party. Really? Most certainly! From now on, please do not forget to schedule an appointment with her first! Mn. Because if I b.u.mped into you while I was at Wakabchans, it would really cause me problems. Actually I would prefer that he never came at all, but that was just me being selfish. If I had to compromise though, then I wanted some forewarning at least. Seriously. But I havent actually been coming there to meet her. Ive been going there to buy cakes, he said. As an excuse to meet her. Well yeah, he admitted. In that case, why not tell her that you were planning to come down someday to buy some cakes again, and casually ask her when she might be there? Got it. Ill take measures, he nodded obediently. What is that even supposed to mean? Anyway, going back to that friend who was over when I came My heart stopped. Dont tell me he noticed!? Yes? Apparently their name is Coro-chan. I see. Whats Coro-chan? Hah? What do youCoro-chan? Hah? What do you mean Whats Coro-chan? Coroyama? Coroda? Coroko, Coromi, Coroe None of them sound like real names. Whats Coro-chan supposed to be? Haah The correct answer is cornet. Then, I realised it. I had actually just misheard the boys name Gorou! To think that he concluded that it was actually Gorou-chan I was suddenly exhausted. So what do you think of my theory? Who knows Come on, give me a proper answer, Advisor. Apparently I had become his advisor. If you are truly bothered about it, then why not just ask her? So who was your friend Gorou-chan from last time? If she corrects you and tells you its Coro-chan then it might be a girl, and if she does not, then it means that they are a boy. Hmmmm he hummed indecisively. Its me. Im a girl! Well then, shall we discuss inviting her to a date first? Right! Where would be good? His expression had turned bright. Hmmm, a place that would const.i.tute a casual invitation Ah, I know. How about inviting her to study at the library together? Library!? How the h.e.l.l is that a date!? Dont look down on my fantasy library date, d.a.m.nit! I began explaining to him that because we were all 3rd year students it was low risk with a high chance of success. I honestly thought it was the best place for him to start. Fellow Stalking Horse has already cleared the library date event, you know! Anyway, as the son of the host he couldnt be hiding in a corner forever, so right after that Kaburagi had to head back. Oniisama would be taking me back, so we went and had one final look at the sakura together. Chatting with sensuous beauties in front of the sakura was Imari-sama. Since he hadnt seemed to notice us, we headed around to avoid disturbing him when we suddenly heard him pa.s.sionately quote the Kokinshuu anthology. A mountain cherry. Through the drifting mists, faintly seen thus there is a lady I long for all the more In the face of the natural talent displayed by the Casanova Village Chief, Oniisama simply clicked his tongue, while I could not help but prostrate myself in awe. Chapter 209 T-T-The Tashinami chapters are coming. Honest! Seriously. Also sorry for the delay of this chapter. Had a busy week at work last week, and didnt want to use more brainpower while I was at home. Also got stuck into this, which is hilarious and adorable: Today Oniisama and I were going to a French restaurant for some duck. It was a little late, but this was his White Day present to me. Apparently the reason he had been so busy recently was because he was given responsibility for a major project. He really had come back late every day, and even when he was home I often caught him in front of his PC. It was rough being an adult, wasnt it. Anyway, since things were finally easing up on that end, tonight he was taking me to the dinner he had promised me. It was the first time in a while that he had taken me out to eat. So happy. I put a bit more care than usual into my curls tonight. My dress was a new favourite as well. With Oniisama escorting me, I felt like a princess~! Sorry that this took so long. Please do not be! I know how busy you are with work, so please do not mind it. Beyond the candlelight, Oniisama smiled kindly in response. I do hope that you are not pushing yourself too hard though, I said. You must take care of your health, Oniisama. Thanks. Its just that this project had to succeed. Everyone knows Im going to take over the company. If I didnt get some achievements on my own, theyd look down on me for being a useless rich kid. Im hoping that with this Ive changed their minds across the board. My! Youre so admirable, Oniisama! Not just coasting on the fruits of your family, but working hard to make everybody accept you. That was my prided Oniisama for you! I really respect you, Oniisama! As your younger sister I scarcely be more proud! I said with a clenched fist. Youre exaggerating, he laughed between sips of wine. How is it, Oniisama? The wine today, I clarified. I think youd like it. Its not too strong. Since he liked it, I had the sommelier take the label off for me. I was collecting the labels of wines that my family enjoyed. If my family hadnt fallen into dest.i.tution by the time I was 20, I was planning on trying every one of them. Oniisama said that the company was going well, so happy days of chugging expensive wines were soon to come. My past life experience with alcohol was more or less limited to the sour I had at an izakaya. Thats why I was really looking forward to this. I wasnt the best drunk in my last life, but I was pretty sure it would be fine this time around! Hmm, but wow. Mr. Duck was pretty delicious. I opened wide for another bite. By the way, Reika, how have you and Kaburagi Masaykun been recently? Guhoh! The duck was stuck in my throat! I couldnt do anything shameful in a place like this, so I tried my best to swallow it. Are you okay, Reika? Yes, Oniisama. As expected of Oniisama. Cutting to the chase just as his opponent was about to inhale. That shook me up. His interrogation tactics were top notch. Even if you say recently, nothing in particular has changed Really? But at the flower-viewing party the two of you were pretty close, right? So he noticed But we were mostly definitely not close! We do speak to each other, yes, but neither do we particularly like nor dislike each other, I explained. I didnt have anything to feel guilty about, but it still felt a little awkward. I pretended to concentrate on the food and avoided looking at him. I see, he said. Then what about Shuusuke-kun from the Enjou family? Guheh-! Same as the above. Give me a break I want to talk about Enjou even less He had a pretty girl with him that night. Do you know her? I have heard that she is a relative of the Enjou family Oh? A relative, huh? Oniisama gave a meaningful smile. Eh? What now? Ah well, if anything happens, you let me know, alright? Yes, Oniisama, I nodded obediently. Ive been pretty worried recently. Youre hiding so many things from me now. Eh!? I looked up in shock to find Oniisama smiling happily at me. Oniisama, just how much do you already know? Today was Buddhas Birthday. At the temple I placed hydrangeas by the Buddha statue. Lord Buddha. I am a pious, and diligent buddhist. Unlike the ma.s.ses who are influenced by Western culture, I have never celebrated such heathen events as Christmas or Valentines Day. Today on your birthday, I have come to pay my respects to you. Please, grant me a dreamy romance! And also a peaceful year at school! There was an excursion scheduled for 3rd years later on. Thats why it was a big deal who ended up in your new cla.s.ses. When I nervously checked the cla.s.s roster myself, somehow I managed to get both Serikchan and Kikuno-chan in my cla.s.s this year! I dont think this had happened since primary school! Were in the same cla.s.s, Reiksama! The three of us are going to have a great year! Im so happy! Please keep looking after me this year! We were all overjoyed. Could this be the power of Lord Buddha at work!? But its a shame that Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama are in different cla.s.ses this year, isnt it~ Serikchan said regretfully. Kaburagi, Enjou, me, and Fellow Stalking Horse. All of us were in different cla.s.ses. Maybe this was a deliberate move from the school with the power balance in mind. It was going to be a rough excursion for whoever was in Kaburagi or Enjous cla.s.ses, so I was really very lucky. Could this be the power of Lord Buddha at work as well!? Anyway, I ended up as cla.s.s rep again. It was pretty much custom by now, so I just stayed silent and accepted it. My partner was Satomi-kun from my cla.s.s in 1st Year. I was pretty happy about that. Since I already knew what kind of person he was, the job had just gotten easier. Ill be in your care, Kisshouin-san, he said. Likewise, I replied. There was one other person of note in my cla.s.s. Sitting in the cla.s.sroom, looking towards us like he had seen the Four Hors.e.m.e.n, was Tagaki-kun. In the end, Tagaki-kun had been terrified of me the entire Spring Holiday cram course. I headed over to give him an extra gentle h.e.l.lo. With Serikchan and Kikuno-chan, the three of us surrounded the seated Tagaki-kun at his desk. Tagaki-kun, I have been entrusted with the role of cla.s.s representative this year. I trust that you will cooperate with me, no? Hmm? The plan was to speak to him kindly, so why did it come out like I was threatening him? Um, Tagaki-kuns complexion had turned from ashen to deathly white. Serikchan, Kikuno-chan, maybe if you could stop asking him Capisce? Tagaki-kun, dont cry? After the opening ceremony finished, I headed to the Pivoine salon. Greeting the new 1st years was one of the reasons, but another was a message I received last night from Kaburagi. Went to the library with her today, but had an incident. Details tomorrow, so come to the salon! Ahhh geeez~ I guess I was stuck going along with his romance consultations again Going back to the message though, Kaburagi had always been the type to immediately put my suggestions to action. Would I call this being willing to learn, or being an idiot? When I reached the salon, Kaburagi was already waiting for me. Chapter 210 T-T-The Tashinami chapters are coming. Honest! Seriously. Really. Yang Yuhuan , often known as Yang Guifei (literally: Imperial Consort Yang), was known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Yang was known for having a full and voluptuous figure, which was a much sought-after quality at the time. She was often compared and contrasted with Empress Zhao Feiyan, the wife of Emperor Cheng of Han, because Yang was known for her full build while Empress Zhao was slender. Lychee was a favorite fruit for Yang Guifei, and the emperor had the fruit, which was only grown in southern China, delivered by the imperial couriers fast horses, whose riders would take shifts day and night in a Pony Express-like manner, to the capital. Also Aoyama is a rich people place. The new middle school 1st years had their first tea party with us today. As the president, Kaburagi gave a brief greeting, before the new faces began introducing themselves. After that we all just had desserts while chatting about our spring breaks. Speaking of the dessert, it was ispahan macarons today. The ispahan macaron is a mix of rose cream, lychee, and fresh raspberries sandwiched between two macaron sh.e.l.ls, created by Pierre Herm, a patissier reknowned around the world. The rose, and raspberry, and lychees came together like the dreams of a maiden made manifest. It was one of my favourite desserts. Aah! It was so precious and cute that I could hardly bear to eat it. Truly, a dessert fit for I, the Rococo Queen! Mmhu! I was sitting in my usual seat on my own and enjoying the dessert. Of course, that was when my unworthy new disciple traipsed along. Ill report what happened first. Not even a h.e.l.lo? Well whatever. Hm!? Oi, disciple, youre going to sit next to your master without invitation? What is the meaning of this?! Coro was a girl. I know. Aah~ The tartness of these raspberries was to die for. And they looked as lovely as they tasted. Rapsberries were the best. Oi, are you listening? I certainly am. Please continue at your leisure. And lychees brang to mind Yang Guifei, didnt they~? I didnt think I liked them as much as she did though. She liked them enough to have them brought over the Silk Road, after all~ If I was Yang Guifei, I wonder which food would be my equivalent to lychees. I mentioned her friend Gorou-chan to her, just like you said. She laughed and said that it was Coro-chan, not Gorou-chan. I think I like cherries. I wish it was cherry season already. Shes a girl, and Coro is her nickname. What a false alarm. But when youre eating cherries, its a bit scary, isnt it? Theres that old wives tale about swallowing seeds and appendicitis. I know its fake, but its still a bit nervewracking, isnt it~ Oi. I am listening. She is a girl, and Coro is her nickname, you said. And then? Kaburagi looked at me in dissatisfaction for a while, but he said Just listen, in defeat and continued. On the last day of spring break, I invited Takamichi to the library. I see. I discreetly surveyed the room. Somebody was playing the piano right now, and n.o.body was in our immediate surroundings. Given how quiet he was being, I probably didnt need to worry. Apparently shed been going there to study almost every day of the holiday. Since that was the case, I casually suggested we go together. Well good for you, then. It was, up til that point. Kaburagis expression turned bitter from reminiscence. When we arrived at the library that she recommended, of all people Mizusaki was there! Mizusaki-kun!? I exclaimed. Yeah. He was surprised to see us too. But it turns out that he was the one who told her about the place to begin with. And thats not all! Apparently the two of them had already studied together a bunch of times! Aahh~ Wakabchan did mention something like that. Well what happened then? I asked. The three of us studied together. Aside from a short break at the caf there, the rest was just studying. That wasnt a date; that was a study group! My~ To be honest I was planning on inviting her to dinner after that, but when it was closing time for the library she said she had to help out around the house and that was it. I didnt even have a chance to ask her. Dinner, is it? Did you not arrange it with her beforehand? Yeah, I guess I didnt. What on earth was he doing? I mentioned last time that you should be asking her what her plans are first. Where were you planning on taking her, anyhow? A French place in Aoyama. Are you a dumba.s.s!? Aah!? Oh! I accidentally voiced what I was thinking. You. Just now you called me a dumba.s.s, didnt you, he accused me angrily. Oh dear Heavens, no! I asked if it was Le Caf Dumas. You must have misheard me, I insisted. He was still looking at me in suspicion, so I continued the conversation to distract him. You know, Kaburagi-sama, if you suddenly invite a girl to dinner at a French restaurant then she is more likely to be troubled than glad. How come? he asked, clueless. This guy really was a dumba.s.s Some casual restaurant would be a different story. But a French restaurant, especially a high cla.s.s one at Aoyama? Suddenly bringing her along in whatever shes wearing is basically a form of torture. A girl wants to look her best when she visits a place like that! Looking fashionable is a girls weapon and armour, you know! And choosing her outfit in antic.i.p.ation is just part of the enjoyment. To be taken there in your casual clothes And worse than just lunch, it was dinner. Looking at all the gorgeously dressed adults around you, and then looking back at yourself. Would any girl want to stay there? Its not a place with a dress code, you know. I go there in casual dress all the time. Your casual clothes blow the casual clothes of a normal higher school girl out of the water, you know! Plus, even if someone like Kaburagi wore rougher clothing, the natural grace would still shine through. Far from being criticised, girls would squeal over how unpretentious and dreamy he was. An Emperor like him couldnt understand the feelings of a commoner. You really do not understand I sighed. Kaburagi was peeved. What dont I understand? he demanded. Anything For the sake of Wakabchan, I realised Id have to give it to him straight. The way you are going about it is just going to cause her trouble! You have neglected a number of things to begin with. That you need to set a time and date with her beforehand. That you need to explain to her what exactly you even plan to be doing. That you need to respect that she has her own life and schedule. If that is not clear enough, then for example, you should have invited her to a place she would normally visit on her own if you were planning on casually inviting her. If you really wanted to bring her to a fancy French restaurant, then at least let her know in advance! Kaburagi stared at me wide-eyed. I was familiar with what Wakabchan liked to wear. Her casual outfits were cute, normal clothing that youd find with any regular high school girl. If she was heading to a library a bit further away, then maybe something just a little more stylish. Being suddenly dragged to a French restaurant while she still had her bag full of textbooks would just trouble her. Kaburagi sunk into thought. He stood there, looking like he was solving a difficult problem for a while, but eventually he nodded. I get it. From now on Ill do my best to accomodate for her. Oh! He gave in! Was this the power of love!? Kisshouin, what is love? he whispered to me. It was the next day, and we had just happened to pa.s.s each other in the hallway. Hah? What is love, Kisshouin? What was this guy on about? What is love? Was this some koan now? Love, love Oh. Right A star, enshrouded in mist. Good answer, he nodded. Satisfied that I had the correct answer, he walked off. Annoying I wasnt sure Id be able to stand it if he was going to drop these stupid pop quizzes in the future. I had to quickly find an elegant solution to deal with that poem anthology, or else The poem above was probably translated wrong into j.a.panese. Du fragst mich, Kind, was Liebe ist?Ein stern in einem Haufen Mist. You ask me, child, what is love? A star mired in dung. I guess they thought Mist was the same as in English. Chapter 211 Tashinamis been taken over by another group. Thank goodness. It hadnt been that long since the school year began, but the cla.s.s reps were already having meetings to prepare for the excursion. Speaking of which, we would be going to London, Paris, and then Rome in May. We were going to be spending 3 days in each. Usually the first was scheduled sightseeing, the second was free time, and the third was used for travel to the next city. Quite a packed schedule. I wonder why they even picked May for it. The new 1st years were looking for a club to join, so I had my duties as the President of the Handicrafts Club as well. I grumbled as much to Satomi-kun as we headed to the meeting room. But Im glad Im doing this with you, Kisshouin-san. Some people really cut loose during the excursion, but theyll all listen to you. Im counting on you, Kisshouin-san. So he said, but in 1st Year he did quite a good job himself. And he wasnt one of those dead serious types, so he had the flexibility for it too. Ill be counting on you, Satomi-kun. When we arrived, the other cla.s.s reps, and members from the Student Council were already waiting. Oh, it was Cla.s.s Rep. When our eyes met I gave him a small wave, which Cla.s.s Rep and Miharu-chan next to him returned with a smile. This year Cla.s.s Rep wasnt in my cla.s.s anymore, but managed to make it into Miharu-chans cla.s.s. The two of them were the cla.s.s representatives for it. Not only that but he had taken my advice on the White Day present. During the spring holidays the two of them went with Iwamuro-kun and Nonose-san to an amus.e.m.e.nt park together. Cla.s.s Rep had told me all about it in his and Iwamuro-kuns first report since school began. Thank you, Kisshouin-san! he had said. As expected of my master! You see, the four of us went on all sorts of rides but since I was a bit scared about going on the rollercoasters, Hondsan tried to cheer me up while I was depressed about it. Geez, I really dont have any face left as a guy~ But when I actually did ride them, they werent as scary as I expected. Just a day wasnt enough to try all the rides, so the four of us agreed to go there again, and The four of them basically had a double date, didnt they. So jealous! Group dating was what spring was all about! I wanted to try going on a double date to an amus.e.m.e.nt park too! In the end I just listened to the two of them talk fondly about the girls, before they handed over a cute set of sweets as both souvenirs and thanks. Mn, thanks for that. It was delicious. Anyhow, right now Cla.s.s Rep and Miharu-chan were happily chatting as they looked over the printouts for the cla.s.s trip. Maybe they were planning on spending time together during the second day of the trip. Unuu, werent they enjoying a little too much romance? Had I blessed them too much? While they were off enjoying themselves, their master was the chief of the Forever Alone village. Werent disciples supposed to be a bit more considerate of their masters? No, no, a master was supposed to be happy for their disciples. They were members of the Fulfilling Romance village now; a village separated from mine by a large river Although this meeting was mostly to get the cla.s.s reps familiar with each other, we still discussed group and room allocations, as well as what to look out for during the second days free time. Although the groups and rooms were basically split within the cla.s.s, during the second day you were free to join your friends in other cla.s.ses, so special care had to be taken to avoid any trouble. The cla.s.s reps from Kaburagi and Enjous cla.s.ses already looked a little exhausted. Free time was going to mean a flood of girls about them, after all. Good luck Anyway, what most of my grade were discussing these days was the cla.s.s trip. Where are you going during the second day? Paris is going to mean shopping, of course. There are handbags that havent made it to j.a.pan yet. I was thinking of getting some shoes. Although handbags would also be nice. Got a shop in mind? Lets watch a musical at Piccadilly Circus! Piccadilly Circus is a London road junction, close to major shopping and entertainment areas in the West End. It is surrounded by several notable buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theatre, and is frequently used as a meeting point. That sounds amazing! In that case, the Phantom of the Opera would be nice. I saw it in London with my family once, and it was great. I think Id like to see Les Misrables. Isnt that a bit dark? What about a ballet then? I want to watch an opera in Rome! Musicals, ballets, and opera? If were watching a ballet Id like to see Le Corsaire. And maybe buy some nice stamps for my secret hobby. Maybe I could buy some at the Vatican City and send some air mail to my friends and family. But what if I got back to j.a.pan before the letters did? Changing topics, Moriyamsan from cram school had gotten together with her boyfriend during her cla.s.s trip. You do hear a lot of stories about new couples forming on these. Maybe Id have a dreamy encounter as well I was wondering where Wakabchan would be going during the cla.s.s trip, so I gave her a call. The British Museum, hands down! I want to see the cat mummies! I want to see the Rosetta stone! And best of all, the admission is free! What a big-hearted country! Hmm, aside from that though, I want to try gelato at the Piazza di Spagna! Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Plaza), at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, is one of the most famous squares in Rome. It was going to be her first trip overseas, so no wonder she was excited. Unfortunately, eating at the Piazza di Spagna might be forbidden Ehh!? Wakabchan seemed crestfallen, but you could still see the plaza from the gelato stores nearby. Oh yeah! Since you warned me about getting the pa.s.sport in advanced, all the paperwork went smoothly. Thank you! You are very welcome. Since I had been to the three cities before, Wakabchan listened fervently as I told her my impressions of them for a while. By the way I began, before asking her if she made much progress studying at the library. Yeah, I did. It was pretty quiet~ Made it easy to concentrate. I am glad to hear that. So you went by yourself? More or less. I did go a few times with Mizusaki-kun though. Oh, and once with Kaburagi-kun as well. My. With Kaburagi-sama? Yeah. Kaburagi-kun suggested we go to a library to study. He didnt seem to be familiar with any, so we went to the place that Mizusaki-kun told me about. When we got there, Mizusaki-kun was coincidentally there as well, so the three of us found a place to study together. I see~ That lined up perfectly with what I heard from Kaburagi. The moment when he was thrust from Heaven into h.e.l.l. Did the three of you have fun? Well, not so much fun, but it did help with our studies. Mizusaki-kun showed us the questions from his cram school, and Kaburagi-kun told us which textbooks he was using. That really wasnt a date but a study group. The pitiful Kaburagi. Anyways, more importantly we going to make teppanyaki with a hot plate at my house. Wanna join us? Eh!? I do, I do! After that we worked out a time. Teppanyaki~! Chapter 212 Tashinamis been taken over by another group. Thank goodness. Although the cla.s.s trip had made me a busy cla.s.s rep, I wasnt neglecting my duties at the Handicrafts Club either. It was around the time that new students really began to visit the clubs. Last year I had just become an official member, so I had gone a bit overboard. But as the president, this year I was going to show proper restraint and secure as as many members as possible. We needed more boys like Minami-kun! We sat there, chatting relaxedly about it as we knit. This place was so soothing~ It would be nice to just chat and knit, without worrying about my troubles ever again~ The world of humans was filled with complications. Wakabchan and Kaburagi werent in the same cla.s.s anymore. But in 3rd year, we had even more electives, which was why they did have a few cla.s.ses together. Still, the fact that they were separated at all was, and I quote, Disappointing to the extreme! and so to make up for it he would use schoolwork as an excuse to speak to her whenever possible, both before and after cla.s.s. Wakabchan being Wakabchan was more than happy to discuss schoolwork, and so from the outside at least, their relationship seemed to be going swimmingly. I had been hoping that the Spring Holiday would be enough to cool down the rumours and ill-will towards Wakabchan, but from the way Kaburagi was behaving I couldnt see the jealousy dying down. I was beginning to consider telling him to get his act together and stop talking to her. He really needed to start thinking about how his behaviour was affecting her. But they were already in different cla.s.ses. On top of that, Wakabchan was always busy with the Student Council after school, and it wasnt easy for him to find an excuse to see her on the weekends. Given all of that, the periods between cla.s.ses was one of his only chances to talk to her. He was holding back as much as any boy in love could. And Id be lying if I said I didnt understand An ordinary boy would never have to worry about what others thought about who he crushed on. How much he spoke to her, and how often he spent time with her was his business, and his alone. Kaburagi was already limited in that respect. If I told him, You should just give up on her, it would be really too heartless. He was an idiot, yes, but he was sincere about her. Something else that the Spring Break hadnt helped were the rumours around Enjou. The new year had begun with rampant rumours about how at the Kaburagi Flower-viewing party, Enjou and Yuiko-san had been spotted intimately linking arms. The origin were probably the few Suiran students who had been invited. Enjou blew off any questioning with Shes just a relative, but it was hard to see the two as anything but an intimate couple. There wasnt the sense of them being family at all, was there? Which was why I was questioned a lot as well. Is it true that Enjou-sama was cuddling a beautiful girl? Is it true that the girl was the same one who came to the School Festival? All I could say in response was a harmless, I did spot him together with a girl, but I really do not know much more. Either way, they werent going to get anything if they were expecting gossip from me~ Reiksama, could you ask Enjou-sama how he feels about that girl? As if! At any rate, Suiran was buzzing with rumours about Kaburagi and Enjou. Business as usual. Getting used to Third Year, dealing with the cla.s.s trip, and on top of that being tossed about by the romances of total strangers. The Handicrafts Club was truly a bastion for my weary heart. Here I could knit away, forgetting about the troubles of the outside world. I wish I could rest here forever~ But the cause of my troubles had messaged me with another summons today. Tsk. There went my plans of avoiding the salon and staying here all afternoon. Even if I ignored this message, another would just arrive five minutes from now This was basically as bothersome as it got. I was beginning to entertain the thoughts of dropping my phone into water again Youre late, he said. I go out of my way to come here, and thats the first thing you say to me? Just how self-centred could this guy get? I was irritated, so I decided to lecture him a bit. Kaburagi-sama. It pains my heart to say this, but I too have plans. I cannot always throw everything away for your convenience. I, too, will be keeping a close eye on any further hara.s.sment of Takamichi-san, but for your own romantic troubles you need to put in the effort yourself first. Please only contact me when you need advice. Can you agree to that? Kaburagi looked at me wide-eyed. Got it His one redeeming quality was that he earnestly took your advice. As long as you understand. Well then, what did you wish to speak about? I dont know how Takamichi feels. We were using a small cla.s.sroom again, so there was no need to worry about being overheard. Well, even if you ask me How do you How do you think I can get her attention? our cool and talented Emperor hesitantly asked. Honestly, you would expect a line like that to come from a lovesick maiden instead. I have suggested this before, but why not simply confess? I asked. Like I said, its too early for that! I might have imagined it, but I think he was blushing. But you want to know how she feels, and you want her to have some awareness of you as a potential boyfriend. Would confessing not be a simply way of accomplishing both? But But I want the situation to be perfect when I confess to her. I still havent prepared everything! What, was he thinking of doing it on a cla.s.sroom after school, or in a park during the evening or something? Situation? For example? Like, for example Id have a few dozen fireworks blooming in the sky, or maybe I could use skywriting to confess in the sky. Ehh!? Those are for proposing, d.a.m.nit! Youre going to go that far for a confession!? I blurted. The shock was so crazy that I forgot to watch my tone. But seriously, skywriting!? Like getting a plane to write I love you in the sky, right!? What was wrong with this guy!? Its important. I want her to remember it, he said without a shred of self-doubt. Whoa, whoa, I really, really suggest that you reconsider. While I shant deny that there are girls who are moved by that sort of thing, I doubt that Takamichi numbers among them. Far from it I could even see her being creeped out by having that much money spent confessing to her. Really? Yes, really! This was the same girl who was gobsmacked just from being given an expensive uniform. It was hard enough for her to empathise with my sense of money. Even if she hypothetically had feelings for him, seeing him spend a few million yen on a confession would be a sure-fire way to disillusion her. Then what if I fill her whole house with roses to symbolise just how much I love her? Romantic, right? On top of having no place to stand, it would be a pain for her to clean up afterwards. Just how many garbage bags do you think that would need? You sound like a poor person. I am being realistic. Then what if I reserve a hall and have an orchestra play exclusively for her? Again, please stop trying to impress her with money. Takamichi-san was raised in a normal family, with a normal sense of money. The things you suggested just now are more liable to scare her off. Whats a normal sense of money even supposed to mean? Isnt it more like you just dont have a romantic bone in your body? Absolutely false. At any rate, putting on an exaggerated performance like that would probably work with any other girl in Suiran, but Takamichi-san is different. She already knows how hard it is to make money. If you begin wasting your parents money left and right like that it would make her more guilty than happy. And being honest, your ideas were clichd and tacky anyhow. Arent you being a little harsh? It pained my heart to say it as well, but honest advice is the best way that for me to help you. Then what am I supposed to do then? Why not simply tell her that you like her? Thats too ordinary. Id have to at least give her a ring with her birthstone or something. Heavy! You arent even dating yet! And what are you going to do with the ring if she rejects you!? Saying that is bad luck, d.a.m.nit! As for the ring Ill get rid of it. Maybe toss it into the ocean or something. Uw! The type that Takamichi-san hates the most are people who dont value their belongings, you know. And throwing it into the ocean? Uupftpft You Apologies. Well, at any rate, going back to the matter of the ring for a moment, if something like that ever does happen then how about selling it off and donating the money to a charity? It is a very meaningful way of using your money. I wonder if I picked the wrong person to talk to about this Seriously though, a ring? That sounds like a disaster in the making. It becomes more apparent each time I talk to this guy just how little skill in romance he has. Girls like accessories, dont they? Hmm but come to think of it, I never did see her wear the presents I gave her. Eh!? You gave her accessories as a present!? When!? And Wakabchan never mentioned it either! When did you give her such a thing? At Christmas. Christmas? I thought he got her a German-made teddybear for Christmas. It was a bit on the expensive side for a normal girl, but you could say that it was a very sensible gift for Kaburagi. It seems that I gave him too much credit. I gave her a teddybear. Indeed. I know. So I put a diamond heart necklace around its neck. Haah!? Was it wearing something like that!? It was wearing cute Christmas clothing so I hadnt noticed at all! The heart motif was filled with my feelings for her. What are you doing before you have even confessed!? And I thought she might be hesitant to accept a brand-name item, so it was custom made. Who made it? I did. By I did, you mean? I hand made it. I went to a workshop and used lost-wax casting to make it. I put all of my feelings into it. Heavy! Even receiving a hand-knit scarf would be ten times less heavy than that! And more importantly Do you think that perhaps she has not noticed the meaning behind it? Eh!? Maybe it was buried beneath the clothing, or perhaps she had taken it off to store elsewhere, but I hadnt seen any necklace when Wakabchan showed it to me. No, no, she had to have noticed, right? I wonder about that. The Takamichi siblings had all been shocked about the price of the bear. If it had come with a necklace, they definitely would have mentioned it to me. Dont tell me that Takamichi really didnt notice? I cannot say. To begin with, why did you give them to her together like that? To make it romantic. Its just confusing, d.a.m.nit! If you want to put on a performance like that then you need to pick the right one for your partner! Still, a handmade accessory? How on earth did you come by that idea? I must applaud you for coming up with something like that. What are you trying to say? Nothing in particular. Well, in one of Yuries favourite movies the guy proposed with a ring he made himself. Which was why each year I gave her an accessory that I made myself. I only started in middle school, but for the first year it was a necklace with a lily motif, since her name is Yurie. The next year was lily designs, but for earrings instead. And when I was going to become a high schooler I thought to give her a lily-themed ring but Aah, but he was rejected before that. I guess he must have been remembering the struggles of that year, because Kaburagis expression turned dark. The centrepieces of the necklace and earrings had Yuries birthstone. The ring was supposed to be both of our birthstones around a diamond Diamond? That means it was an engagement ring, right!? I wouldnt be surprised if the reason she suddenly rejected him was because she panicked after realising a ring was coming next. Scaryyy. Anyone would want to run away from that. I was at a loss This guy was even more hopeless than I thought Perhaps this idiot was beyond my help Chapter 213 Fifteen hours late, but hey, better than never, right? Tired Kaburagi was so much worse than I expected that I was honestly at my wits end. After that, even after we returned to the salon, Kaburagi kept talking to me about his ideal confessions. He was like an bottomless well of worthless ideas. Naturally he never brought up Wakabchans name, but anyway, all of his ideas were needlessly bombastic and unrealistic. This wouldnt do. In the end I concluded that I had to put off the confession for now. What I needed to do first was teach the idiot some common sense. Uwah, the road ahead was tough Kisshouin-san, I hear that youve become Masayas strategist? Haah!? Since we were in public now, and I was more than a little sick of him, I had told Kaburagi to think about how to word his confession first. Having given him his homework, I shooed him off and helped myself to some tea, but this time a smiling Enjou had come to accost me. What in heavens name are you talking about? Hm? I heard it from Masaya. Apparently he employed you as his strategist. What the h.e.l.l!? Doesnt that make me his subordinate then! Ive never heard of a disciple this arrogant! That position seems much too important for one such as I. You are Kaburagi-samas closest friend. This role can only be entrusted to you. Oh no, I could never he waved me off. Hmph. Thats not something I want to hear from a member of the Fulfilling Romance village like you. Youve got plenty of experience. Cant you just use some of it to give him advice? Do you know what it is Kaburagi-sama is asking my advice on? I asked. Yeah, more or less, he said, sending a glance Kaburagis way. The boy in question was sitting cross-legged by the window, quietly reading a book. No doubt it was another stupid love poem anthology. I could already see him sending weird quotes my way While I was thinking that to myself, I heard dreamy sighs from here and there. They could only react that way because they didnt know what a loser he was inside. In that case, I started again, would it not make even more sense for you to advise him? Why do you say that? Because youve got a G.o.dd.a.m.ned girlfriend! To begin with, I wasnt even close to Kaburagi. Shouldnt Enjou have been considered for the role before any thoughts came my way? Ah, hang on. I guess it was because of Iwamuro-kun and Cla.s.s Rep I think a girls opinion would be a lot more useful than mine, he smiled brightly. Kisshouin-san, Ill leave Masaya to you. Even though I had an urna on my forehead, why was this year full of trouble? Aaah~ What a pain. While I pondered this on a particularly lazy Sat.u.r.day, I suddenly received a message from my fellow Pivoine member, Fuyuko-sama. Might we meet for a chat? It would be lovely if we had a chance to better know each other, Reiksama. Being overjoyed at the chance to meet a friend outside of school, I agreed without another thought. Fuyuko-sama had always been in my group. Moreover, she was even a member of the Pivoine like I was. Despite all that though, we never really had a chance to really know each other. I guess it was because we were on different frequencies. She really gave off the vibe of an ancient n.o.ble. But maybe today was my chance! She was inviting me out on a weekend after all. What if I was about to make a new friend!? I arrived at our meeting place full of antic.i.p.ation; a lounge in some hotel. It wasnt long before I spotted her, as well as an older woman I didnt know sitting next to her. Hm? Was this her oneesama? I made my way towards them. Fuyuko-sama. Reiksama! she exclaimed. Thank you so much for coming! Please, take a seat! Why, thank you, I replied. I sat down opposite the two of them and ordered a herb tea. Umm, so, regarding our meeting today Ah, of course! You see, I very much wanted a chance to get to speak with you. I see. I mean, I was happy to hear that, but in that case what was the strange lady for? I had a closer look at her. She was wearing a suit, and seemed to be about 25, but she didnt have make up on and looked like your everyday woman. At least, she didnt look like she was related to Fuyuko-sama. Seriously, who was this? I was slightly regretting coming here. Ive noticed recently that you seemed a little threadbare. Its been on mind for a while now, she told me. Haah, I see. Indeed. Reiksama, has something been bothering you? she asked. Bothering me? I asked. I would not say so, no Goodness, havent you been having a lot of trouble with Kaburagi-sama and that commoner girl? And youve been speaking with him in the salon too. A lot of girls were envied you, but not me. You never looked happy to me. I see She was normally so quiet. It was rare to see her so animated. Umm, at any rate, might I ask who this miss is? Oh, of course! This is lady Lyuleiah! A greater healer! Hah? Hiilah? What was a hiilah? Hira? I looked at her suit. As in short for hirashain(rank and file worker)? Healer, as in the English word. A healer refers to a person with the ability sooth and cure. They can use their powers to heal the body and soul! Pleased to meet you. I am Healer Lyuleiah. I gave her another once over. This woman who didnt seem to have a drop of foreign blood in her was apparently named Lyuleiah. That is quite an unusual name. It is my Healer name. It was bestowed upon me by the Virtues of the Second Sphere when they commanded me to heal and guide the people. Haah She handed me a violet business card. Blessed by the Virtues. Greater Healer. Ryu-Rei-A (Dragon Spirit Love) Apparently her name was supposed to be j.a.panese. Lady Lyuleiah saved my heart during a rough time in my life. Since then, I have been guided by her teaching, Fuyuko-sama told me. Ah, excuse me, I called out to nearby waitress. I would like to order your special for today, the 3-cake sampler. There was something really alluring about the idea of trying 3 different little cakes. And lately you seemed to be having a rough time, Reiksama, which was why I really wanted to introduce Lady Lyuleiah to you. Hmm~ For a while I listened to her confusing explanation, but since I ever showed much interest, eventually the greater healer glared at me. You have been possessed by a fox spirit, Lyuleiah concluded. Oh goodness! This is horrible, Reiksama! Fuyuko-sama exclaimed. I see I replied blandly. So here it was. And a fox, huh? Honestly, at this point I didnt care anymore. Unless we promptly exorcise you, your future will contain dark omens and even greater misfortune Lyuleiah warned me ominously. There is no need for that, I said bluntly. After all, the spirit that plagues me is not a fox, but a tanuki. Huh? The curse that ails me is the curse of the tanuki pup. It is a terrible curse that tanukifies your stomach if you so much as let your guard down. And the worst news is that this curse cannot be broken. Reiksama, what are you saying? However, I have grown fond of this tanuki, and am prepared to have him with me for life. Annoying perhaps, but quite cute once you get used to him. For this reason, I must decline your exorcism. Dark omens will be crushed, misfortunes conquered, should they ever impede my path. Having finished up the cakes and herb tea, I gave a confident, Well then, gokigenyoh. And promptly took my leave. I had thought Fuyuko-sama was somebody who lived in another world, untouched by our common troubles, but it turned out that she was actually one of those types Geez When I returned home, the evil tanuki spirit was lying in wait with tarts of this seasons fruit in order to curse me. Eei! Your dark magic tempts me not! Chapter 214 Today was teppanyaki day at Wakabchans house. I had some high-grade beef with me as a present. What do you mean I just want to eat it? Takamichi-san, please have this meat. If it pleases you, shall we all try some later on? Ehh!? You even brought us high quality meat!? Thats so nice~ Wah, so heavy. Thanks! No, no~ Uhuhuhu, teppanyaki, teppanyaki~ Cooking on a hotplate is teppanyaki~ Please come in, Kisshouin-san. Please excuse me~ I followed her into the living room where her siblings were already waiting. Welcome, Coro-chan! So youre finally here, Coronet! Welcome. h.e.l.lo, everybody. Thank you for having me, I said. I was basically established as Coro-chan by now Kantkun was standing in the kitchen and making something. Kisshouin-san, take a seat? asked Wakabchan. Is barley tea okay? Yes, thank you. Kantkun, what is that you are making? I asked. Milk pudding. Youll get some too, dont worry, he replied offhandedly. My, how delightful! I exclaimed. Thank you, Kantkun! Shall I help? No. You just sit there, he said. Okay, I obeyed. Kantkuns manner of speaking was a little rude, but he was actually a much nicer kid than he let on. Huh? What do you mean Im being influenced by food? I sipped at the barley tea that Wakabchan gave me and just rested for a bit. Haah~ It was relaxing here. But there was actually something I planned to ask the next time I came here. Naturally it was regarding that necklace. From what I understood, it had been around the teddybears neck. I was scared to ask, but now that I knew about it I had no choice but to do so. While Wakabchan was talking about her studies since the beginning of the school year, I very casually brought it up. Say, Takamichi-san? I do recall that Kaburagi-sama gave you a rather cute teddybear, no? It would be nice if I could have another look at it. Eh? Oh, sure. Suspecting nothing, Wakabchan went to her room to retrieve it. Here you go. Thank you. Just like I recalled, there was no necklace around its neck. I stealthily shifted its collar just to make sure. Nothing. Its really cute, isnt it? I was pretty shocked to hear the price though, she laughed. Its round eyes are rather adorable, I said, as I casually patted it down for any sign of metal. Nothing. Because it was a limited Christmas special it came with a rather festive cape. But other Christmas bears held presents, or came with other accessories. Did this one not come with any? Nothing at all! Ehh!? Then where on earth had Kaburagis overly heavy present gone!? I looked and touched it all over, in every nook and cranny. Nothing! You seem awfully interested in that teddybear, Kisshouin-san, commented Wakabchan. Eh? Ah, well, I do have an interest in handicrafts after all, so I was thinking of making one myself sometime. Sorry for being strange, I apologised. I guess I was acting a bit too suspiciously. Ohh, not at all, she said. Id forgotten that you were with the Handicrafts Club. Dont mind me. Look as much as you want. Thank you Say, is this a girl? Girl teddybears often come with accessories, no? They do, dont they. Hmm, I guess the cape is a bit girlish. Right? So nothing else came with her? No accessories or the like? Accessories? I dont think so I see But just as I had given up, and handed the teddybear back to her Ah! I remember now. She came with a necklace. Eh!? She did!? So there was one! Yeah. This cute heart-shaped necklace. Id forgotten that it had come with it. Where is it!? I exclaimed. My sister has it. Natsumi-chan!? Why with her!? Yeah. My sister really liked it. Shes at that age when youre starting to want to dress up, right? But I thought real accessories were too soon for a primary schooler, so I gave her that toy necklace instead. Oh my G.o.d, Kaburagi Might I see that necklace? Eh? Sure, I guess. Then let me go call Nacchan! Nachaaan! What do I do, Kaburagi? The price of the necklace, the meaning behind it, Wakabchan didnt notice a thing. Her little sister came out with the necklace. Here you go. It was a platinum necklace, with an open heart pav diamond pendant. It doesnt look like a toy at all, right? Natsumi-chan, thats because it isnt a toy Youd never think that it came with a toy. Wakabchan, thats because the toy came with it I looked over the necklace in my hand. When he said he had handmade it I had expecting something a bit less professionally shaped, but apparently Kaburagi was stupidly good with his hands. I could literally see this in a shop. You must have really tried, Kaburagi I guess all those presents to Yurie-sama must have paid off after the years. When I spotted the little M&W on the back, I began crying inside for Kaburagi. This necklace was filled with all of his weighty feelings inside. Kaburagi had toiled in a workshop to make it. But after seeing Natsumi-chan wearing it so happily, I just couldnt bring myself to tell the truth. She really seemed to love it, after all Mn. I saw nothing, today. See not, hear not, speak not Ah, but I ought to at least make sure she didnt lose it or throw it away because she thought it was a toy Natsumi-chan? This necklace came as part of a Christmas special, so this accessory is actually well-made enough that people can wear it. Take care of it, all right? Ehh!? I had no idea! Did you hear that Nacchan? Treat it well, okay? Yeah! I was going to forget all about it. That Kaburagi had designed it while thinking of her, that he had painstakingly crafted it while thinking of her, that he had attached it to the bear and anxiously wondered about her response, I was going to forget all about it. Unnoticed by the innocently smiling sisters, I silently wiped away the tears in my heart. Chapter 215 TPO is a j.a.panese abbreviation of time, place, occasion. Its used in the sense of Theres a time, place, and occasion for everything. I forgot about that tragic present for now. After returning to the living room I ate the tasty milk pudding that Kantkun made while Wakabchan and I spoke about the school trip. She seemed to be quite excited for it, having bought a location guide book and everything. Im so excited. This is my first time going overseas, you know? Hey, Kisshouin-san, did you ever see the changing of the guards? I did. I watched with my own eyes as guards with these huuuuge hats marched down the street. Im so jealous! I wanna see it too! Her siblings joined in and we happily chatted together about good tourist spots as they looked through the guide. When it was about time that we began preparing dinner, Wakabchans mother came back. Welcome, Coro-chan! she greeted me. Thank you for having me here today, I said. Wakabchan handed my present over. Mum, look at what Kisshouin-san got us. My, thank you! Gosh, what good meat! Wakabchan got up to help her mother in the kitchen while Kantkun and I set up the table and brought out the hot plates. We were using two of them since her family was quite large. I liked being able to help like this. It felt like I wasnt just some guest that they still had reservations against. Maybe I counted as one of them~? Ehehe. Hey, Cornet. At Suiran you greet each other with gokigenyoh, right? How come you dont say gokigenyoh then? he wondered. TPO, I answered. If I came here and said that, Id look pretentious. Life is all about adapting yourself. But then the twins wanted to hear me act like an ojousama instead. Coro-chan, say gokigenyoh for us~? Do an ohoho. So they really did think of me as an ohoho The Ohoho Cornet Girl I had better pay attention to the way I laughed while I was with them. By the time Wakabchans father had come back from work, the cooking was about to begin. Wakabchan, Kantkun, and I were using one hot plate together. Holy s.h.i.t! he exclaimed. Theres a lot of meat today. Coro-chan brought it over, explained his mum. The meat on this plate is the good stuff, so try some later. You did good, Cornet! he laughed. Their family seemed to be enjoying the meat I brought. Thanks to that, I was able to eat with fewer reservations. Mmmmm, food was somehow better when eaten with lots of people like this. Aaah~ This ponzu sauce was great! It was a bit nostalgic. In my old life too, we used a hotplate like this to have yakiniku. Seeing the normal family in front of me, I couldnt help but relax and accidentally said Wakabchan a few times, before hurriedly correcting myself. Sometimes I just slipped up. Wakabchan didnt seem to mind though. I wondered if that meant I could call her that at school too, then After having my fill I had to go home. The Takamichi house was accepting and comfortable so I would have liked to stay, but I had my own curfew and had to hurry. When I left they gave me some cake to bring back home. Sorry that its only leftovers. Then Wakabchans father drove me to the train station. There was nothing more I could want from them. When I got off the car, Wakabchan and her dad waved goodbye and saw me off. See you tomorrow! I waved back. Aah, that was fun. I wanted to visit again already. While I sat on the train I wrote Wakabchan a thank you message. Since Otousama and Okaasama were out at a party tonight, n.o.body asked me where I had gone. I had just made it in time for my curfew, and only Oniisama was there. Welcome back, Reika. I am home, Oniisama. Oniisama gave a sniff. You smell like cooked meat, he said. Oh gosh! To the bath it is! After washing my hair carefully with some fragrant shampoo, I changed into some home clothing and brought the cake out into the living room. Oniisama, I have some cake. Have some with me? Thanks, I will. After making some tea, I took a seat next to Oniisama and began eating the strawberry shortcake. Say, Oniisama? What kind of friends do you mostly have? Friends? Hmm, I guess the majority of them are ones I made as a student. After joining the workforce most of my relationships became tied to my job, so its hard to call them true friends, I guess. I see. Then by student days, you mean from Suiran? You could say that. Hmm, besides them, also some people I knew from other schools, or people I hit it off with while travelling. Different sorts. I see Oniisama? Are any of your friends from normal households? By normal households, you mean people from the normal working cla.s.s? Well, yes Oniisama looked at me for a while, before he eventually replied. I do. After I became a high schooler, I made some External friends, and I have a lot of friends like that from university as well. I see I muttered to myself. Having finished eating, I put down my fork and sank into thought. Oniisama seemed to realise something and patted my head. Reika. Dont worry about how our parents think. Dont worry about where they come from. If you think theyre worth it, then be with them, he told me. Yeah I hoped that one day I could introduce Oniisama to Wakabchan. I was a bit worried about meeting Fuyuko-sama the next Monday, but she didnt really say anything different to me. Phew, thank goodness Hopefully n.o.body would find out about the things the tanuki spirit had made me do during the weekend. Still, the person I was even more awkward about meeting was Kaburagi. At first I had just considered his romance somebody elses problem, but having seen what happened to the fruits of his efforts with my own eyes, I just couldnt help but sympathise with him now. Thanks to that, it was hard to treat his issues as flippantly as I used to. G.o.d, seeing that necklace was sorrow itself. If I left that guy alone, he was just going to produce tragedy after tragedy for himself, mark my words. And the one whod end up watching every step would be me. Which was bad, because eventually Id cry. Like, seriously bawl. I mean that necklace was bad enough. Just how long did he spend making that? Id never done anything like that myself, so I didnt know how tough it was, but it had to be like when a girl knit a scarf for her crush. Well, leaving aside how much heavier the jewellery was, at least For my own ease of heart, I was going to have to be a bit kinder to him during our discussions. Chapter 216 By the way, did you know that the name of the school that Reika attends is actually read as Zuiran? Due to historical reasons I ended up imitating this one facet of the first translators translation. Originally I was translating a few teasers like 70 chapters down from where he was translating, and for that reason took Suiran as the translation. This was despite ignoring all his other unique takes on translating names, which bothered me a lot more. (Enzo, Kishouin etc.) When I began re-translating the series as a whole, I stuck to Suiran, figuring that it was already a point of familiarity, and by the time I reconsidered, I was already like 40~50 chapters in. Recently, however, I went back and made edits to a large amount of Tileas Worries chapters, so its probably not as big a deal as Im thinking. If youd like me to use the proper translation of the name (and replace it in all previous chapters), say so down in the comments. If youd prefer Suiran just out of familiarity, please also let me know in the comments below. It doesnt bother me either way, personally. The Kaburagi Masaya from You Are My Dolce was absolutely not this ridiculous emperor Handsome and sharp, they called him the Emperor of Suiran, and despite having a cold and unapproachable exterior, when it came to romance he was pa.s.sionate and overbearing, earnest in the pursuit of the girl that he liked, even if he was a little clumsy at times. Sometimes he didnt use enough words to clarify, which turned into misunderstandings, but those few moments of incompetence stirred up the maternal instincts in the readers. Particularly heart-pounding was that scene by the ocean, alight with sea sparkles, where he held out his hand and said, Im sorry. Waah~! Anyway, he was basically all the attributes that young maidens found charming, rolled up into a single character. And yet The Kaburagi Masaya I knew in reality was, yes, still handsome and sharp, and still called the Emperor of Suiran. And yes, I was not arguing that he had a cold an unapproachable exterior. But the inside. His mind was on the level of a primary schooler, unable to read the mood, and with a disposition towards stalking. The type of loser who would hand-make an accessory and then engrave their initials into it despite not even dating the girl or even securing her love. This was just cruel. Give me back the excitement from my previous life. And the nickname Emperor was supposed to be because he had the bearing and charisma of a ruler. It wasnt supposed to be because he was the Napoleon of childrens cavalry battle! Unlike this laughingstock, the Emperor from the manga was dignified. The difference was just too much Although I could admit that he did a good job of hiding it. I had even begun to suspect that most people thought of him as the same sort of person as his manga counterpart. Even Wakabchan said that he was mature. Of course, his true self was that, though Life sure was convenient for hot guys! Well, not that I really cared. He could fail at romance as much as he wanted so long as he did it out of my sight. The problem was that now that I did know, it was only a matter of time before he made me bawl out of pity. Why did I have to ask her about that necklace? It would have been better not to know. Anyhow, ignorant of my inner thoughts, Kaburagi continued brainstorming his next plan for a present. I dont know what women want, he said helpfully. What do you think they want? I was sitting in my usual spot in the salon when he had come over for another consultation. Since by all appearances he was discussing something serious with me, everyone around us had given us s.p.a.ce out of consideration. As long as there was no shouting, we wouldnt be overheard. Your best bet are consumables or perishables, I told him without hesitation. Things like flowers or food were good because the receiving end didnt have to think too hard about it. Actually, food was really good. You just ate it, and it was gone. Perishables!? No way. I want to leave behind some proof of my feelings. Something that she can always keep near, so that she can always keep my heart near. The man with the heart of a stalker, ladies and gentlemen. Every one of his ideas gravitated towards heavy c.r.a.p like that. But I couldnt just leave him be either. If I did, I could almost guarantee that hed come up with another insane present. I had to course-correct before it was too late. I believe it would be best if you refrained from presents that are too expensive, I said. Why, he demanded. Because in consideration of her personality, she is more liable to feel guilt or discomfort from receiving a present bought with a mountain of your parents money. Being the case, would she not be much happier to receive a cheaper present bought with money you earned yourself? I asked. I was pretty much certain about that. All I needed to do was think back to how she reacted when I handed over my expensive uniform, paid with my parents money, and without an inkling of how much they cost. Wakabchan loved her parents, and on top of that she already knew how hard it was to make money. So youre telling me to get a job, and buy a present with that? Well, I suppose that is what this comes down to. Wasnt it moving to receive a present that somebody worked hard to get you? Still a bit heavy though Especially considering they werent even dating I do have some money that I earnt myself, you know. Eh!? Truly!? How? That came as a shock. Suiran forbade its students from working part-time after all. Mostly investing. Investing Stock trading, in other words. Hmmm~ Making money through stocks? Would that count as money you earned yourself, then? Stocks Wh!? Stocks!? I did a double-take. Kaburagi-sama! Are you planning on buying all of our companys stocks and initiating a hostile takeover!? This is not what we agreed on! I accused. Haah!? Why the h.e.l.l would I do that!? he yelled. The noise caused everyone to glance our way for a moment but I was in no state to care. Stocks! Take-over! Destruction of my family! I retrieved the oath from my bag. Do you dare claim that you do not remember this!? I demanded. Uwah! Did you seriously go get that laminated!? Youre really creeping me out here Did he really think that I wouldnt? With it laminated Id never have to worry that Kaburagis oath would get dirty. It would never be damaged by rain nor wear now. But the oath by itself wasnt enough to rea.s.sure me anymore. Not now that Kaburagi was trading stocks. Kaburagi-sama. If you desire my help then I will require another written oath from you. With a proper blood seal this time! I had been right. A thumb print would never be enough. I needed to carve the promise into his body. Again with the blood seals!? What the f.u.c.k is your family up to!? Keep your voice down. What will you do if somebody hears you? Is it fraud!? Dont tell me youre connected to the underworld!? Leave me out of this already What the heck? The company run by the Kisshouin didnt have a single tie to anything shady. We were 100% above the board. Look, Im trading in stocks but Im not making enough to take over any companies, okay? Truly? Truly. With how little time I get to spend on it between studying, I barely make anything. Just how much money do you think youd need to buy up the majority share in your familys company? So you already know exactly how much money is needed to forcefully take over our company then! I accused, bearing down on him. Even if I knew, I wouldnt and couldnt! he defended as he drew his body back. He had better not be lying. Lives were depending on this. There was no place for lies here. I stared at him a while before he averted his gaze. Just how f.u.c.ked up is this company? he muttered. How rude! Were 100% above the board! But fine. If he was willing to go that far, then Id believe him. For now. At any rate, Id be keeping a close eye on him. It would also be best to confirm with Oniisama that we werent in a position to suffer a hostile takeover. I understand. I shall believe you. Well then, shall we return to our previous topic? Yeah. Kaburagi sighed in relief. Im trusting in you, Kaburagi. Well then, in regards to the present, you can increase the chances of her accepting your gift by making them easy to accept. Foods, consumables, perishables. Besides, girls love to be given beautiful flowers, or charming little desserts. Leaving that aside, would it not feel like bribing her into dating you if you brought her expensive gifts every time? That is true he nodded. You should save the expensive gifts for when it counts. Like Christmas. I wonder what happened to the handmade necklace I gave her Wah! Please stop! Dont make me remember that! Your M&W necklace has been given to Wakabchans little sister. Well, forget about that for now. Ah, that reminds me. I think that that teddybear was a good idea. And the maple syrup from Canada too! Wakabchan had been pretty pleased with that maple syrup. I thought it was pretty delicious too~ Could we find it in j.a.pan? I see. Hm? How come you know that I gave her maple syrup? he asked. Eh!? Had he never told me!? Oh no! Oh? Did I not hear about it from you? Strange, I recall you telling me I couldnt let him see my eyes. They were the window to the soul, after all. Instead, I pretended to examine the contents of my tea cup. What, didnt you know? Im well versed in tea leaf reading. This kind of behaviour is totally natural for me. I really dont remember though he muttered. His memory seemed to be stupidly good. Dont tell me he remembered everything he ever told anyone? As Kaburagi seemed to be going through our conversations in his head, I hurriedly interrupted him instead. That maple syrup was delicious, no? How was it? Her reaction? Yeah. She told me it was great when she thanked me, he said a bit happily. Maybe he was recalling the memory. See? That was a splendid brand that you chose! I praised, hopefully b.u.t.tering him up. It was pretty good. To be honest I wanted to get her something better than just maple syrup, but Shuusuke stopped me. He said that since I had already given that kind of Christmas present, a small souvenir would be just right. My! Nice save, Enjou! Enjou-sama has been giving you advice as well, then? Sometimes. I see. In that case would it not be better to seek advice from him rather than me? Come to think of it, wasnt that guy part of the Fulfilling Romance Village? Kaburagi, that guy definitely has a lot of real experience, so you should go get your advice from him. Shuusuke told me that for romance it was better to get a girls perspective. What did you say!? Enjoooouuuuu! So all of my suffering right now was because of you! That b.a.s.t.a.r.d! He came up to me commenting about how hed heard that I was Kaburagis strategist when he was the mastermind all along! Baastard schemer! Where was he right now!? Dont tell me he went home! Kiiih! So I was wondering who I could even ask, continued Kaburagi, When Iwamuro and Cla.s.s Rep told me to ask you. Aah, Iwamuro-kun, Cla.s.s Rep No, it wasnt their fault. The one at fault was Enjou. If you wanted a female perspective, why not simply ask Yurie-sama or Airsama? Those two are busy thinking about what they want to do in life, you know This is my last year in high school too, you know? Hmm? He was looking oddly grumpy. Could it be that he was sulking because Yurie-sama hadnt paid more attention to him? Wakabchan, just what part of this guy is normally mature? Honestly. Those two told me about how your hair was a G.o.d of love, but I havent seen a difference at all. That is because you lack faith. Pray, ye faithless. I raised my right hand into the Abhaya Mudra for bestowing courage, while my left pointed downwards to form the Varada Mudra of fortune bestowal. Allow me to gift you with some advice from the divines. Push not your own preferences, and match the likes of the girl instead. If you do so, your path will surely become clearer. So dodgy Dodgy!? If thats the att.i.tude youre going to take, then forget about any fortune! Hmph, Kaburagi wasnt getting a drop of my romantic luck! Then in light of your deficits in both comprehension and imagination, allow me to give you something concrete instead. The thing that would make Takamichi-san the happiest is probably a reference book for her studies. Haah!? As if preparing for uni entrance exams wasnt enough, Wakabchan was also a scholarship student. Those reference books were indispensable for her. Plus, reference books and exercise books were both pretty expensive. What a cynical and unromantic present I really did choose the wrong person. Shoulders slumped, Kaburagi walked away. Kaburagis only redeeming factor was his obedience in learning though, so despite his parting words he still did as I said. He came and told me that Wakabchan was overjoyed and thanked him. And thanks to that, they even ended up agreeing on another visit to the library together. Youre pretty good, Kisshouin. Apparently I had gained his trust. I didnt want it!!! Sorry for the wait. Also unrelated, but I really like this chicks voice! Also by mecha, do you think shes saying that she wont draw robots having s.e.x, or wont draw robots at all? Chapter 217 Hi guys. The first week of no Reika I spent thinking about the Suiran/Zuiran thing, and went with Zuiran in the end. The second week of no Reika was because I was in Melbourne on a business trip. The third week of no Reika was because Vampyr was out. But Im back now. Wew~ Kaburagi was walking on clouds. Ever since he gave Wakabchan those reference books and exercise books, the two of them would discuss difficult questions with each other. Were competing to see how who can get further in the exercise books. Hmph. Who was it that called it cynical and unromantic? That girl hates to lose, after all, he said between smug sips of his tea. You are working hard together, I praised. See? Look at where my perfect advice got you. By solving the exercise book together, the two of you have even more to talk about. As expected of me. We talk on the phone or message each other about questions that we cant solve. You have her mail address!? I asked in shock. When did that happen!? Yeah. There was an accident during the summer, so Ive had it since then. I see Dont tell me he did the same thing to her as me, a.s.saulting her with messages every five minutes if she didnt reply? That was horrid. And scary too. Sending too many messages may bother her, so please show some moderation. I know. Even I know restraint, he declared rather proudly. I didnt have much confidence in his idea of restraint though. Truly, now? Women despise men who will not give up, you know? Yeah. If she does not reply to your email, you must not pester her, you know? Youre the one who wont give up! What kind of guy do you think I am!? A stalker-in-the-making? Kaburagi huffed and turned away unhappily, so I decided to leave it at that for today. This wasnt over. I took a sip from my hibiscus tea. The faint tang was delicious. Well be going to the library, yeah? he asked, seemingly over his bout of unhappiness. Yes, you did mention something like that. I was thinking of asking her out for a meal this time I think last time he mentioned bringing her out to a French restaurant in Aoyama, didnt he? Please try not to bring her to anywhere too unapproachable. Unapproachable? Like, how unapproachable is unapproachable even? Hmmm. Well, having dinner at a French restaurant certainly qualifies. If you are going for Italian, then go for somewhere informal like a caf or a regular restaurant, not one of the expensive ones. I suppose if I had to add to that, go for a restaurant that is well lit. Thats hard. Do I have to follow all those restrictions? Exactly what is hard about that? What kind of restaurants do you usually go to, exactly? Last time I went with her to a restaurant, she didnt seem to mind that much. Eh!? When was this!? During the summer. Again!? Was it dinner? No, it was lunch that time. We stopped by after coming back from the hospital. I see Right. Back then he was taking her to the hospital every day. Where did you take her, incidentally? The restaurant that he named was an all-organic hidden French restaurant. That place, huh? Yurie liked it. So Yurie-sama liked it Hmm~ So did you suddenly invite her too, that time? Huh? Yeah. It was just about lunchtime so I suggested getting some food before taking her home. That restaurant allows last minute reservations after all. Suddenly his expression looked a bit awkward. But its not like she was wearing anything weird, alright!? And she said the food was good! And also it might have been French but it was a relatively casual place, okay! he argued. I guess he remembered what I said just now. It sounded like excuses, actually. Also he was being loud. How was he going to take responsibility if we were overheard? Shhh! Casual, huh? Well, I suppose it would be fine for lunch That place wasnt too fancy after all, and if Wakabchan knew she was meeting with Kaburagi then her clothing couldnt have been too bad either. I suppose that is fine then But I had no idea you were so fond of French. You wanted to bring her to Aoyama for French food as well. Ah, its not like I really like it or anything, but Yurie liked it, he said without an ounce of shame. This idiot Kaburagi-sama Huh? I slide to the side so that I was right in front of him now. Kaburagi-sama, please stop making all of your decisions based on Yurie-sama. Hah? he replied blankly. Notice it already Buying presents that Yurie-sama would like, taking her to restaurants that Yurie-sama would like, with cuisine that Yurie-sama would like. Everything you have done has been with Yurie-sama as a basis, with the a.s.sumption that if Yurie-sama would like it, Takamichi-san would as well. But the girl you like is supposed to be Takamichi-san, is it not? Then should you not be thinking about what kind of presents would make her happy, and what kind of food she might want to try? Thats Yurie-sama might indeed be fine about being suddenly taken to a fancy French dinner, and certainly her clothing would not be out of place. I can understand why you might not have thought too deeply about it because of that. But Takamichi-san is not Yurie-sama. An expensive French restaurant is not somewhere that a normal high school girl often goes to, I said, before looking at him straight in the eyes. Who are you really looking at? Kaburagis eyes went wide. I mean, I didnt entirely blame him. Yurie-sama had been by his side since he could remember, and given his long crush on her it was natural that she had left a deep impression on him. It didnt help that he kept every other girl at arms length, either Still, it was just weird that he was using somebody else as the basis for his decisions with Wakabchan. I was starting to feel sorry for her. I looked back at Kaburagi, still silent and hanging his head. Oh, was that too much of a shock? Was he feeling depressed now? Oh dear, maybe I went too far What now? And wow, Kaburagi was surprisingly sensitive to these things. Ah, ummm But at least you meant well, right? Mmn, I could tell. Oh! I know! That maple syrup was a great choice, right? I said hastily. And that teddybear was a good idea too. I approve. His only response to my consolation was to mutter something quietly. Pardon? What was that? The maple syrup was Shuusukes idea, and the teddybear was something that I picked because Yurie liked them Uwaahh Far from consoling him, I just rubbed salt in the wound Oh geez, his head was hanging even lower now~ I know! At times like this, what he really needed was somebody who understood him better than anyone else! Now where was that best friend of his? Eh!? He wasnt here today!? Useless! I looked straight ahead as I sipped my hibiscus tea, trying not to look at the boy sitting with me. After a long while, Kaburagi finally raised his head. Got it. Hm? What did he get? I need some time to think. Lets talk again tomorrow, he said before standing up. Ah, was he going home now? But My apologies, but tomorrow I already have plans and cannot come to the salon. Sorry But Im already going to Mao-chans birthday party, you know~ Wah! Come on, dont blame me with your eyes like that~ What if I bring you some sweets from the party? Would you like that? Eh? You dont want them? Okay then. Reikoneesama! Welcome! Gokigenyoh, Mao-chan. Happy birthday. She was wearing a white dress. With Yuuri-kun in his little bowtie next to her, the two of them looked like a tiny bride and groom! You look adorable in that dress, Mao-chan. You just need a bouquet and you would be the spitting image of a bride. So I handed over a bouquet. Mao-chan met Yuuri-kuns eyes, looking both happy and shy. Mmmn, its spring. Since the primary school section finished cla.s.ses before the high school section did, the party had already begun. By now all the kids in the Pet.i.t Pivoine were familiar with me, and they came in turns to say h.e.l.lo to me. So cute~ So soothing~ Haah~ Today was stressful since I was worried Kaburagi would summon me. But he didnt say anything in particular, and from what I saw he seemed normal, so I supposed that I was safe for now. I took a seat next to Mao-chan and handed over her present. Reikoneesama, did you come straight from school? she asked. Yes. Please do excuse me for coming in my uniform, I smiled. No, Im just really happy that you came, she told me. For her birthday, I got Mao-chan a Swarovski pendant. Girls loved sparkly things. Wakabchans little sister was a good example of that. So was the time when Imari-sama bought Mao-chan that gla.s.s hair ornament, so I hoped shed like my present too. Wah, its so cute! Thank you so much! Can I wear it now? Please do. Im so glad that she liked it! Putting it on, she turned to Yuuri-kun and asked, How do I look? It really suits you, Mao, he smiled in return. Wow. I think maybe even a primary schooler had better skills in romance than Kaburagi When Mao-chans mother came over to thank me for the present, she encouraged me to try some of the cooking, so I began to help myself. Most of what was presented to day was cooked by her mother. As expected of her~ Mmm, this chicken in boiled tomatoes was really good! I actually wanted Akimi-san to come too, but since we only just met I wasnt sure if she would be happy to get an invitation, Mao-chan told me. Ah, I see. Mao-chan had taken a liking to Akimi-san ever she came over that time during the spring holidays. Im really excited. Shes going to teach me how to bake bread next time! Haruto-niisama loves bread, and they talked for ages the other day about which bakeries were good. I see Akimi-san said that she loves freshly-baked raisin bread. Haruto-niisama went and bought some to try afterwards, and he said that it was delicious too. My He said that Akimi-san really liked sweet things. Should we go together sometime? Me, and you, and Akimi-san, and Haruto-niisama, and Yuuri! Mao-chan Yes? Could it be that you are trying to pair Akimi-san with Ichinokursama? Uhuhu. I knew it. She had seemed rather forceful in insisting that Akimi-san go home with them that day. Ichinokursan is already officially dating somebody, is he not? That beautiful model of a girlfriend. Apparently they havent been meeting much, recently. Truly!? Yes. So now is my chance she smirked. Oh my G.o.d! When did my pure little Mao-chan learn to smile so evilly like this? If I could choose, I would have actually preferred you to marry him, but Ehh!? I gave up on that, though. After all, you already have somebody as dreamy as Imari-sama, and at school you have the Emperor and Yukino-kuns oniisama as well, right? Haruto-niisama would just have too many rivals. Hmm? Um, I think I just heard a name that I couldnt ignore Ummm, Mao-chan, are you perhaps having a terrible misunderstanding about something? Dont worry! Instead, youll help me with Akimi-san, wont you? Wont you, Reikoneesama? Ugh! How could anybody refuse those adorable puppy eyes of yours? When she grows up, Mao-chan is going to have all the men wrapped around her finger, isnt she Good luck, Yuuri-kun! Chapter 218 Chapter 218 I was happily digging into the salmon marinade when I felt someone poke me in the back. Reikoneesan. Yukino-kun! It was Yukino-kun, ever the picture of a smiling angel. Its been a while, Yukino-kun~! I had been busy recently so I hadnt turned up to the Pet.i.t. Thanks to that we hadnt seen each other at all. May I sit next to you? he asked. By all means, I said. Have you been well? Yes, he said, politely taking a seat. But its been lonely without you around Guhaah! W-What power! Are all the kids in the Pet.i.t Pivoine such little heartbreakers!? Uuu, I want to headpat so badly! I have missed you too, Yukino-kun! I exclaimed with all sincerity. Yukino-kun flashed a bright smile in response. Guooh! I-I was having a nosebleed in my mind! Have you been busy? he asked. Yes, quite so. With the new semester starting, there was work as cla.s.s rep, dealing with new visitors to the club, dealing with my troublesome disciples love problems, honestly I had my hands full. And there was one particularly troublesome disciple that really ate into my time How is being in Year 2, Yukino-kun? Hmmm, Im not sure yet. But I made new friends in my cla.s.s. Goodness, what wonderful news. What kind of people are they? One of them really likes stars. I like stargazing too, so we talk about stars together. My, I had no idea. Yukino-kun and the glittering stars in s.p.a.ce. It suitsedhim so well! He was like the Little Prince! I look at them through my telescope sometimes. When there was a meteor shower I couldnt help myself and secretly got up to watch them, even though they told me not to. Goodness, staying up late is bad for your health, you know? You did not catch a cold, did you? Hopefully not an asthma attack? Huhu, it was fine. Niisama found out even though I was in my room, so he brought me some hot chocolate. My! So even that blackguard could do something good once in a while. And then we watched the meteor shower together but I accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning I was in bed, he laughed shyly. Sooo cute! After that I chatted with Yukino-kun some more, and then had some fun with the other kids too. Unfortunately, the time seemed to pa.s.s in a flash, and before I knew it it was time for the kids to go home, meaning that it was time for me to leave as well. That was when Yukino-kun suddenly tugged at my sleeve. Hey, Reikoneesan? Why dont you let us drop you home? Eh!? Uh, thats a bit I mean, I already have a car waiting for me, and even if I didnt I could still get home on my own Getting driven home in the Enjou family car is We havent met in ages. I want to talk some more! Cant you? Guh! How could I say no to such an adorable request!? I had really missed him as well. But Uuu, come on, dont look at me like that, Yukino-kun I cant say no to those puppy eyes Hmmmm. Then perhaps I will Yay! I folded. There was no going against this angels adorable eyes. I guess Id just have them drop me off, and then give the Enjou family a proper thank you some time later. Yukino-kun, your car is here. Okaaay. He led me by the hand as the two of us headed to the entrance. Waiting there was Enjou I groaned in reflex. He went out of his way to pick up his brother? I was surprised he had the time for that. Good evening, Kisshouin-san. Gokigenyou, Enjou-sama It was getting dark now, but under the streetlights his hair seemed to glitter, making his smiling self seem even more princely than usual. Niisama, Reikoneesans going to get driven home with us! Eh? Ah, I mean Yukino-kun, perhaps this is not such a Reikoneesan? Uoooaah! His cherubic expression seemed to be asking me, You promised, right? How could I say anything now~!? Reikoneesan? Aah~ Y-Yes. While I struggled to recompose myself, Enjou seemed to have grasped the situation. Oh, I see. Then get on. Is your house okay? Yes, that would be perfect, thank you. And thats how I ended up getting driven home in their car. In the back seat was, in order, me, Yukino-kun, and then Enjou. The moment I stepped into the car, I noticed a pleasantly sweet fragrance. Have fun at the birthday party? Enjou asked him. Yeah, he replied, before turning to me. Yukino-kun pointed out the window. You cant quite see Spica yet. But the sky isnt cloudy today, so well be able to see the Spring Triangle. Are you two talking about stars? Yes. Yukino-kun is actually quite studied. Yeah. But its a problem because he stays up late all the time. Yukino-kun pouted. Not every night. When we went to Karuizawa during the spring holidays, you stayed up all night and couldnt get up in the morning, Enjou pointed out. But that was because the air was really clear, so the stars were extra extra pretty My, my. Looking for an ally, Yukino-kun tugged at my arm. You can even see stars that are invisible from Tokyo, he reasoned. Okay, okay, I understand, Yukino-kun. Its clearer without all the light pollution, right? Unable to help myself, I gave him a pat on the head. Whoaaaaa, his hair is so soft~ Yukino-kun smiled in embarra.s.sment. Say, Reikoneesan! Why not have dinner with us before you go? Ehh!? Where did this come from, Yukino-kun? Dinner? I asked. Yeah. Id love to have dinner with you and Niisama. He looked at the two of us in turn. Its okay, right? Eh, but I just ate at Mao-chans house And I really ate, so I wasnt hungry at all. But Come on, Yukino. Dont be so selfish, Enjou said chidingly, as he placed a hand on Yukinos head. Uuu~ I was feeling guilty now. What was I to do? Yukino-kun, dont look so down. And d.a.m.n you, Enjou, werent your words too harsh? Yukino-kun I continued calling out for him to cheer up in my head, but it was to no avail. I looked over the top of Yukino-kun as he hung his head, and found Enjou giving me a troubled smile. What now? Kisshouin-san, are you free after this? Eh? Im sorry, but would you be willing to go along with my brother for a little while? If youre okay with heading to a caf for a little, then Ahh Yes, that would be fine. Yukino-kun immediately beamed at my affirmative response. Really!? Yes. Wah! Yay! Thank you, Reikoneesan! The three of us entered a caf attached to a restaurant. Since I was already here, it would be better to order something a bit different from what I usually drank. Oh my, and there was quite a selection of cakes too You mustnt, Reika! The curse of the tanuki was flaring up again! I think I shall have the lavender tea. Darjeeling for me, then. Done with our orders, Yukino-kun and I began looking through the cakes in the menu. I started thinking about who to bring here next time so that we could share a cake set. You seem rather fond of desserts, Yukino-kun, I realised. Yes. But Niisama doesnt. Breaking his silence, Enjou nodded and said No, I dont, before returning to his tea. Do you dislike sweet things? I asked. I dont exactly hate them, but I guess I dont go out of my way to eat them, he explained. Come to think of it, while I often spotted Kaburagi eating sweets at the salon, I couldnt recall many times Id seen Enjou doing the doing the same. Even for those few times that he did, they were small portions. Its so good. I turned back to Yukino-kun. It really is, he agreed. Enjou could only give us a helpless smile. By the way, I hear that youve been giving Kaburagi some good advice. Like suggesting reference books as a good present for a girl. Only you could come up with that, Kisshouin-san. Although its such a utalitarian gift that youd never suspect it was supposed to be romantic. Ugh! Were we really doing this now?! Enjou was even giving me a meaningful smirk! Besides, if he knew about it then shouldnt he have known about the thing from yesterday too!? Did Kaburagi say something today? Whatever do you mean? For example, did he say that I had been cruel to him, or that I had hurt him? Ah! Or what if he said something like, Never have I been treated with such disrespect! This wont go unpunished.!? He didnt say anything in particular. I see. What the heck. He seemed to receive quite the blow so I thought that hed still be hung up over it, but maybe I was overthinking things. Thank goodness~ But he did seem oddly quiet today. Eh!? I knew it! Was he still depressed over it!? Had he really been hurt that badly!? I guess I went a bit too far. I mean, it wasnt like he meant ill, it was just that he was a bit too much of a dumba.s.s. Hmmmm Whats this, whats this? Ah, now Yukino-kun seemed to be interested. It hurt to see his innocent smile Heh You really are soft-hearted, Kisshouin-san. How about we get you some cake? I am fine What the heck. If you think you can lift my mood by feeding me, youre in for something else, buddy. I wasnt so simple. And besides, this was all his fault for going home early and leaving his best friend bereft! Right, right, so this was actually Enjous fault. Lets go with that. In the end though, I wondered what kind of conclusion Kaburagi would come to. I was scared of coming to school tomorrow. What if he ended up obsessed with another poet? It was going to end up as another curse on my luck in love Reikoneesan, is that tea any good? I have to say that it is. But to be honest 30, 40 percent of the reason people even drank this stuff was for the pretenses, right? Could I try a sip? Why of course. Help yourself. I pushed the lavender tea in front ofin front of him and watched him excitedly take a sip. Then I watched his face fall. How was it? I asked. Ummm Thank you very much. He pushed my cup back to me. I guess it didnt suit his taste. Say, Reikoneesan. Could you come over again to play? Eh!? I had a great time when you came over for my birthday. Could we play games together again? Ahh Id prefer to pa.s.s on any visits to the Enjou family home, but since Yukino-kun was asking Ah, then couldnt I just visit him in the Pet.i.t salon instead? Right, that was perfect. Games, huh? Enjou suddenly said. That was fun. Especially since Masaya was crushed. Wow, despite his nonchalant tone, what he said was pretty brutal. By the end Masayniisama was droening in deby wasnt he? And he had a huge family, too. Picture it: Masaya pushing a pram while hes wearing a baby sling. Pfft! Ahaha! I had to stifle a laugh. I couldnt help it. Just picturing that emperor waving a baby rattle in front of a baby he was carrying So mismatched! But it might actually suit him better than we think. When Yukino was just born, Masaya sometimes poked at him and made him cry, or picked him up out of the crib because he wanted to hold him, and caused everyone a lot of trouble in general. My, he did something like that? Yeah. Actually, most of the time he was in my house hed have Yukino sitting on his lap. At first Masaya almost dropped him a few times, but once he got the knack of it he seemed pretty at home with it. He even played lullabies on the piano for him. Not that Yukino ever fell asleep to that though. I dont remember that. Of course, you were a baby, Yukino. Hmm~ So Kaburagi was fond of children. Come to think of it, he played with the kids quite a bit at the Pet.i.t salon, or at Yukino-kuns birthday party. It was surely because his mental age was close to theirs. We continued happily talking about Yukino-kuns baby years when Enjous phone rang. When he looked at the screen, his smile disappeared. When he looked back at us, it was time to go. Its about time that we went home. Ehhh~ Its getting late, Yukino. Fine. Reikoneesan, can we come here again? Of course. Let us try the cakes next time, I said. Yeah! Holding his hand, I got in the car, and they dropped me home. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 The truth is a bitter pill to swallow. That was the first thing Kaburagi said to me after calling me to the usual conference room. Pardon me? What you said to me that day. They were too painful and harsh for me to accept on the spot. I see Well, he did seem to have suffered quite a blow. I mean, I even started to feel a bit guilty about it. Mentally, I was just a squishy blancmange, but perhaps Kaburagi wasnt much better. Blancmange is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin, cornstarch or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured with almonds. But as much as I wanted to, I couldnt in all honesty deny it After a night of thinking about it, I was forced to accept that you were completely right. Ill admit it. Ive been using Yurie as the basis for my decisions. I see So he spent the whole night thinking in that state? Im sorry. Even though I was the one who said that to you, I was fast asleep around that time. But I was really impressed that he managed to acknowledge his own faults. That was his only good point for you; being earnest and honest. Ive spent my whole life with Yurie I havent ever looked at any girls besides her, so I dont know anything about them. I think Aira might be the only exception, but the two of them have basically the same taste to begin with. Thats probably why. Right. Since Yurie liked it, Takamichi would probably like it too. That was the way I was thinking. Yes Kaburagi hung his face in shamed frustration for a moment, but quickly lifted his head. But Kisshouin. He met my eyes with a serious gaze. The one I love right now is without a doubt Takamichi. ! Y-Yeah. Even though it wasnt me he was talking about, being stared at like that and hearing things like the one I love was setting my heart off like a jackhammer. In the end I had to avert my eyes in a panic. That was too much stimulation for a person from the Forever Alone Village. Guh, one day even I would have something like! Kisshouin. She and I have completely different ideas of normal high school life, dont we? I believe so. She attended public schools until she entered high school. That upbringing is completely different to what a Pivoine member would experience. So thats how it is he nodded. Then in that case, Ill learn about her way of life and her way of thinking. I certainly do not see why not. That was basically the first thing anybody did. Learning more about the person they liked, I mean. But theres a problem. Yes? I have no idea what this normal high school life is supposed to be to her. Thats where we had to begin? I suppose it made sense. He was His Majesty the Emperor, after all. As if he had any idea where to even begin learning about the way a commoner lived. Actually, I wondered how much he even knew about how regular people lived. Kaburagi-sama, have you ever been to a conbini? I asked him tentatively. Dont take me for an idiot. He grew a little sullen. Ive obviously done at least that much. Then have you ever been to a fast food joint? Fast food? Ive never tried any What about a family restaurant? I havent. A sheltered rich boy, as expected. Apparently the look I gave him had ill.u.s.trated what I thought of that, because he suddenly snapped at me. What! he demanded. Have you ever been to one!? What was this guy saying? Of course I had. Just who did he think he was talking to? Reikas Cheeseburger Rankings was a thing, you know. Some people thought of cheeseburgers as all the same, but the actual burger could vary wildly from shop to shop. Cheeseburgers. They can vary wildly from shop to shop (lol). Otherwise I wouldnt have had to spend so many days in the field investigating. Ive almost never eaten junk food. I see. Junk food is an old friend to most commoners, you know? And standing in front of you is the Junk Food Queen! Werent you raised pretty much the same way? How come youve been to those kinds of places before? Because everything is valuable life experience, I answered. Good joke, me. The real reason was just because I liked them~ Then Takamichis been to eat fast food too? I would certainly think so. She didnt seem like the type to fastidiously avoid it, meaning that she probably did have it sometimes. Is that so. Alright then. In that case, please take me to a fast food joint right away! Hah!? Right now!? Yeah. Lets strike while the iron is hot. I need to know right now. Come on, lets go. Eh!? Why did I have to!? Could you not simply ask somebody else? Why me? Youre the only one I know thats ever been to one of those places. You must be joking. It is just fast food; you definitely know others who have been. Actually, Takamichi-san certainly qualifies. Why not use this opportunity to have her take you? A little date of sorts. A perfect fit for a a normal high schooler. No. I dont want her to know that Ive never been before. If I ever go with her, I want to be able to smoothly lead. What the heck kind of stupid pride was that? Does she really need somebody to lead her in a fast food store? Just trust me. Ive got to scout the location before a date. Lets go. I actually have cram school today Then we just have to hurry before your cram school starts. Hurry up and get ready. This guy This was the same guy who promised earlier to be more considerate, right? On the other hand, he didnt look like hed be easily convinced to back down. Were we going to be going in our uniforms like this? I was worried wed stand out. And what if somebody we knew saw us? Then we should at least pick somewhere further away where we will not b.u.mp into cla.s.smates. Why? The rules say that we are only to go to lessons or cram school right after school, you know? And who exactly would stop us? Yeah~ Good point. I couldnt imagine anybody with the guts to tell off the Emperor of Zuiran just for stopping by a fast food place after school. Besides, plenty of other people couldnt be bothered to go home and change before going shopping or eating anyway. It would not be good for others to know that the daughter of the Kisshouin family has been to a fast food restaurant! And our uniforms are too eye-catching! Did he have any idea how much care Id taken not to get caught all this time!? As if I was going to let all my efforts go to nothing thanks to this stupid disciple! Plus, the biggest problem was that being seen with him would start weird rumours! Hmm Alright. And please avoid telling anybody else about this. Fine. He had better mean it. I wouldnt allow anyone to get in my way. Still, I supposed I could go with him for today. After all, I was a bit harsh to him that day. And that was how I ended up getting in his car to head to a far away fast food joint. We had ourselves dropped off near a train station, and walked into a nearby fast food restaurant. All over the place were students from other schools. Oi, Kisshouin! Teach me how to order! he whispered to me. You simply line up at the counter and tell them what you want when it is your turn. I see. Kaburagi complied and lined up in a queue. He seemed to be standing there rather arrogantly, but a closer inspection revealed inspection revealed that he was actually staring at the menu up top. Gosh, did this guy stand out. Everybody was looking at us. Some of the girls were taken with Kaburagi and began whispering furiously, but the guy himself paid them no heed and kept his gaze nailed to the menu. It was normal for Kaburagi to ignore the girls around him, but this time it seemed to be out of a genuine focus on the menu. Eventually it was our turn. Kaburagi ordered an iced coffee and a hamburger. Would you like fries with that? It would upgrade your order to this meal set, suggested the employee. Kaburagis eyes swam about, suddenly overwhelmed. I tugged on his sleeve to snap him out of it. Since we are already here, why not? I suggested to him. Good idea, he immediately agreed. In the end I got a cheeseburger meal as well. Trays in hand, the two of us went to find somewhere to sit on the second floor. This was cheaper than expected Kaburagi muttered to himself in awe. Well yeah. But when he took a sip of the iced coffee, he grimaced. This is really watered down, he said. That is how they are, I replied. There was no use in expecting anything out of the drinks from these places. I took a sip myself of my oolong tea and unwrapped my burger. After watching me, Kaburagi copied my actions before taking a bite. I see. He seemed to come to some sort of realisation before nodding to himself in admiration. Kaburagi looked around. There are a lot of high schoolers here he muttered. It is the right price for a small snack after school, I explained. It is also another chance to spend more time with your friends. I see If you feel a little more hungry than that, usually you would head to a family restaurant instead, or if you are a boy, then perhaps a ramen stall. I see Kaburagi went back to his chips. French fries were good stuff~ I never went to a fast food place without ordering chips, you know? Naturally there was a Reikas Chips Ranking as well. French fries were my favourite. I took a mouthful of fries as well. Oops, nearly forgot. I opened up my tomato sauce. Tomato sauce was essential to french fries, after all. Kaburagis eyes widened. Oi! What the heck is that!? he demanded. Tomato sauce, I answered primly. After dipping a chip in, I carried it into my mouth. Kaburagi began searching his own tray. Why? Why doesnt my tray have done!? If you do not ask while ordering, they will not give you any. Why didnt you say it for me!? I didntme!? I didnt hear anything about this! Oh, did you want some? Kaburagi glared at me in vexation. Huhu. I paid him no mind and continued to eat my sauce-covered french fries. Yummyy~ Tomato-sauce covered french fries are so good. Let me borrow that. Out of the question. If he used some too, there wouldnt be enough for me. I was one of those types who had to have tomato sauce with her chips. Then couldnt you go get some for me too? No. Why do you not go yourself? Going up and down those stairs was a pain. I still havent had enough experience with fast food restaurants to go by myself. What in heavens are you talking about? There are so many people lining up. Should I really join the queue just for tomato sauce? You can simply ask from the side of the counter. But the staff are so busy. Its too hard for me, he shook his head. Then just give up. Arent you a bit too cold? A painful mistake is the best lesson. From now on, will you ever forget to order tomato sauce again? This is a learning experience. Isnt that great, Kaburagi? Youve learnt something else about fast food chains. Kaburagi just looked at me bitterly as he chewed on his hamburger. It occurred to me again that His Imperial Majesty Emperor Kaburagi was sitting next to me, chewing on a cheeseburger from a fast food joint. This was beyond the wildest dreams of anybody from Zuiran. And to think that hed be so lost in here too. Anyway, I think Ive mostly grasped how these fast food joints work. How na?ve. What? I took a sip of my tea before replying. Unlike this store where your food is mostly prepared beforehand, there are fast food places where they begin cooking after you order. What did you say!? In those cases, they give you a ticket and you have to wait until the cooking is done. Is such a thing even possible!? They may all be fast food stores, but each one has their own characteristics, and most importantly, their own menus. You would be making a grave mistake if you thought today was all there was to it. Kaburagi looked thunderstruck by my revelation. Fwohfwohfwoh! The commoners way of life has profound depths! After we finished our meals, we stood up from our seats. Oi, Kaburagi. This guy was actually just going to up and leave. Your throw your own rubbish away here, dude. This isnt the time to be going I see and nodding to yourself. You better take notes on everything you remember from today. Because Im not going to teach you again, okay!? Next is the family restaurant, he announced. Go by yourself! Chapter 220 Chapter 220 The new 1st years were starting to look for a club. If the Handicrafts Club wanted to thrive, what it needed was to secure new members. I was going to show off Minami-kun to try and get some male members in. Plenty of men worked in fashion and clothing so there had to be a few boys in Zuiran that were interested in handicrafts. I didnt know where they were hiding, but I was going to s.n.a.t.c.h them all! Or so I had thought, but it didnt go as well as I wanted. Wondering how the other clubs were doing their recruiting, I went over to the Soccer Club. On the sports field, they were having a compet.i.tion to see who could juggle the most times, which everyone was having a lot of fun with. Hmm, so they were going for the thing where you gave newcomers a taste of the club, huh? The 1st years seemed to be rather enjoying it. In the end, the person who won the compet.i.tion was the President of the Soccer Club. Hmmmmm~ So he was actually the most skilled, then. Even now, the president was effortlessly juggling the soccer ball as the spectators clapped go, go, go, go. Walking over, I joined in and clapped along too, but the moment our eyes met he tripped over his own feet and dropped the ball. My, my~ What a shame. Ah well, you did your best, buddy. Clap clap clap. No sooner had I started applauding did he entirely ignore the ball in favour of running over to me. Ah, was he here to thank me for cheering for him? Are you here to get dirt on me again!? Oh my, what a terrible case of persecution complex! All I wanted to do was see how your club was doing, and this is how you treat me So mean~ So cruel~ And from your phrasing, can I take it to mean that theres still some dirt on you to use? I leant around him to get a good look at his club members. Oh my. Were those boys from my cla.s.s that I spied? So they were in the Soccer Club? I waved at them. Ah-, they ran. Suddenly, the President of the Soccer Club took a step to the side. In other words, so that he was right in front of me. By the time I got to have another look, the club members were long gone. Tsk. What my club was doing? The President of the Soccer Club was looking at me dubiously. Why, yes. I happened to be pa.s.sing by when I noticed how much energy there was, so I simply wandered over. I must say that you are exceptional at juggling. No wonder the presidency went to you. I was very impressed. Why, it was though I was watching the Kemari Dainagon reborn. Kemari Dainagon Apparently in the Heian era there was a Dainagon who was an expert at kemari, and he juggled a ball as he made a lap of the Kiyomizudera stage guardrail from on top of it. Kiyomizu-dera (ˮ), officially Otowsan Kiyomizu-dera (ɽˮ), is a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. Great place to visit, btw. They even called him the Football Saint for that, but in my opinion being so obsessed about kemari that youd dare yourself to juggle as you balance on the railings to a 13 metre drop actually makes you a Football Idio- Wait, no, no. Being so whole-heartedly dedicated is something to respect. Yeah. For your next challenge, I personally recommend that you try walking on the gym room balance beams as you juggle the ball. Soccer Club President, go forth and become the Kemari Dainagon of the modern age! Even though I praised him, and even graciously offered some advice, the Kemari Dainagon just tried to shoo me away. Youre scaring all of my club members. Im begging you, please go back to your own club. Here, please take this. In the end he even gave me a sports drink. Oi, Kemari Dainagon. Dont think you can appease me with just a bit of protection money. In the end I went to look at how the other clubs were doing. The majority just did as normal while the new students watched. The Choir Club invited their guests to sing along, which seemed like a lot of fun. In the Go and Shogi Club, they played a few rounds together. Yeah. The places that got the 1st years involved tended to do a lot better. And since training often brought cheering fangirls, one of the sports clubs was even luring in 1st years with women. Speaking of which, the Chief of the Casanova Village had once been in this very club As I was walking along, I dropped by the Judo Club for a peek, only to find Nonose-san calling out to Iwamuro-kun. Takashi-kun, Ill leave a towel here, okay~? Ta ka shi ku n? Maiden No. 2, dont you have something to report to your Guru? Spywork done, I decided it was about time to head back to my own club. I had just started walking back when I b.u.mped into Birdbrain Katsuragi. Oh right, this guy was a new student as well. The moment he realised who I was, his face turned sour. I thought I told you to stay away from Enjou-san. He was speaking to a third year, and that was the first thing he said, huh? Since he had no manners, I simply ignored him and moved on. Oi! Pardon me. I have have no time to spare on birdbrains that cannot even manage a greeting~ Leaving a parting line, I ohohohohod away. Enjou-san already has Yuiko-san! Stop making a fuss, you noisy thing. How many times are you going to repeat that the moment you see my face? My, what true love for your dear Yuiko-san~ How gallant of you~ I mocked. Birdbrain flushed and was at a loss for words, so I just left him and quickly made my way. Tsk. Things were going to get annoying with that guy around. If he had any complaints, he could take them to Enjou. Our recruitment efforts had previously amounted to explaining our club activities, and showing the 1st years around the club room. However, after the new information I got from scouting, we were now incorporating activities so the guests would get a taste of what our club was like. In front of the clubroom we placed a poster that read, Free workshop currently available. Try your hand at handicrafts! Since it needed to be something simple, we decided that the course would involved making their own pocket tissue case. We werent exactly 100% sure about the pocket tissue case, but at least the program showcased the atmosphere of our club to the visiting 1st years. Plus, it also made it easier for them to ask us questions, and by the time the course was over they were comfortable enough to chat about things besides the club activities too. I cant believe we overlooked a trial program. As expected of you, Reiksama. Thanks to you, weve been getting more visitors than last year. Even a few boys. Should we have a corner for something similar during the School Festival, Reiksama? Showered in praise from my club members, I smiled happily to myself as I counted the application forms. Looks like I had Kemari Dainagon to thank. I decided to grab some more application forms before we ran out, so I found myself heading to the Student Council Room. Fellow Stalking Horse was inside, working with the other members. They seemed rather busy, actually. Wakabchan was wearing thimbles and flipping through what seemed to be balance sheets, using her other hand to tap rapidly at a calculator. It was rather incredible to see. So this was the rumoured calculator technique of Takamichi Wakaba! Need something? Fellow Stalking Horse asked from his seat. I let him know what I was there for. Ah, hang on a moment. He got up to grab some for me. Hmmm~ Why did it feel like a section of the room seemed to be on guard against me? Did they see this as a trespa.s.s because I was with the Pivoine or something? Fellow Stalking Horse came back with the forms for me. Is this enough? Yes, this much is plenty. is plenty. Thank you. On the contrary, it would be great if we could actually get enough recruits for all of these. By the way, Kisshouin, theres something Id like to show you if you have the time. What might that be? President! One of the others jumped out of their seat. Youre letting her know!? Isnt that as good as showing our hand to the enemy!? Eh? What was this? Kisshouin is one of their most reasonable members, so its fine. Having reined in his subordinate, Fellow Stalking Horse held out a piece of paper. Here, have a look. Manual for Dealing with the Pivoine A lot of the new Externals mess up in their interactions with the Pivoine. Thats why we thought a manual would be good. My. I didnt see why they shouldnt. Usually it fell to the cla.s.s representative or an Internal Student to subtly teach the newcomers, but it was hardly comprehensive. As a result, it wasnt uncommon to see some External breaking out in a cold sweat after making a mistake. Even the Internal Students had trouble sometimes deciding how much they could say. Weve had something like this before, but parts of it were vague and unhelpful, so this time we clarified and itemised it all. What do you think? It sounds like a good idea. Will you be providing these to all of the External Students? No, just the cla.s.s representatives. I dont think it would be a good idea to hand these out, so they can pa.s.s the word on instead. I see. The things on that list were unspoken rules rather than official ones, after all, so it wouldnt do to leave evidence. Fellow Stalking Horse looked at the manual with an ambivalent smile. Personally, I dont know how I feel about the Student Council being the spearhead for a manual that promotes preferential treatment of the Pivoine. Takamichi was the one who argued that without the manual, it would be the Externals getting the short end of the stick. Wakabchan!? Come to think of it, most of this manual was identical to the letter that I gave Wakabchan, the one with the list of things to be careful about. I looked towards her, still clicking away at her calculator, and hearing her own name she looked up in my direction as well and flashed us a smile. In your opinion, is there anything missing, Kisshouin? Let me see Hmmm Do not sit in the reserved Pivoine seats. Do not casually abandon decorum with the Pivoine. Give way if you come across them in hallways. Do not step on peony flowers nor handle them roughly while on school grounds Is she the Dog Shogun or something? somebody whispered. My, that was a good one! I smiled affectionately at himaffectionately at him like he was a dear friend, but he suddenly looked downwards and fell silent. My~ Since the contents of the manual were basically the same as my own thoughts, there wasnt much to add. I think this is fine as it is. Going into too many trivialities would become its own problem, after all, I told Fellow Stalking Horse. What if instead of leaving it as a manual for dealing with the Pivoine, you incorporate it into a list of customs endemic to Zuiran as a whole? Things to watch out for that you would not have to in other schools. I think you would get less backlash that way. I see. That might be a good idea. As it is now, its a bit too blunt about the special treatment that the Pivoine get. Still, customs that youll only find in Zuiran, huh? Like what? I have one! The ban on gumboots! Wakabchan suddenly offered, shooting her hand up energetically. Is that something youd really put in the manual? I dont think anybody but you would have done that anyway, Takamichi. No way! Im serious. Come on, you should have noticed it from the fact that theres no exclusive Zuiran version of it. Ehhhh. Then how about no running in the hallways, or not taking the stairs two at a time then? Takamichi, there are rules against those in normal schools too. Ehhhh. The two of them seemed to be getting along really well. This Then what is one of Zuirans special customs? asked Wakabchan at a loss. Suddenly all eyes were on me again. Let me see For example, a note that only the girls are to use gokigenyoh, perhaps. Ohh~! I see~! clapped Wakabchan. As almost everyone here entered Zuiran during middle school or high school, what if you wrote down a list of what you were taken aback by when you first began? I suggested. I see. Lets try that. Any ideas, guys? asked Fellow Stalking Horse. Homemade Valentines chocolates are frowned upon. Why is that? Beats me. I guess to avoid food poisoning? I have one! The ban on using promotional towels with company logos on it! Takamichi-san, the issue there isnt some custom, but that you have no hope left as a girl. Ehhhh. Still, I can see some of the boys doing that, so maybe well put it in anyways. Bowing in front of the school gates. Isnt that actually in the school rulebook? The ban on conbini bentou. Thats an important one. It is, isnt it. I stood out so badly during my first few lunches because of that. I have one! The ban on wearing raincoats! Takamichi, I think thats just you. Geez, Mizusaki-kun. Ive never worn one either, okay? Good luck, guys~ With my application forms in hand, I left the Student Council Room. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 The following Monday, no sooner had I reached the entrance to the school building did Kaburagi approach me. Dont forget our promise to meet after school, he said, sounding a little more excited than usual. Okay, okay. Kaburagi had gone on a library date with Wakabchan yesterday. In the evening I received a message from him that read, I went to the library today. Ill tell you the rest in person, so lets meet after school in the usual room. I suppose it must have gone a lot better than last time. What an open book Youre late, Kisshouin! Incapable of hiding his good cheer, that was the first thing he said to me when I arrived at the conference room. Knowing him, he wanted to talk about it so badly that he couldnt help himself. I was still taking a seat when he began recounting his Sunday with great gusto. Learning from my previous mistake, this time I suggested going to a local library. That way we wouldnt meet Mizusaki by accident. My~ So the two of us managed to study together without any interlopers. Unlike the previous library though, this one didnt have a caf, so after a while we ended up going outside for a break. Ohh~ The problem was that there werent any good cafs outside. What the place did have was a fast food chain. My~ So that was when I said it: How about here? Takamichi was shocked. But as a man whos already pa.s.sed the fast food test, I walked in without hesitation. Obviously I upgraded my order to a meal. This time I went with a limited time offer. Did you know, Kisshouin? Fast food chains do this thing where they bring in special meal sets for a limited time. Yes, I do know. Didnt we see the ads last time? Naturally I asked for tomato sauce. And guess what? Takamichi forgot to ask for tomato sauce with her fries. That was when I suggested that we share mine. By now, Kaburagi had become unable to suppress his smile. After all, Im generous, not a hogger like you. Takamichi thanked me and said Since theres only one, lets use it carefully. Then I said Yeah and the two of us ate it little by little Wow, youre smirking real bad, Kaburagi. Since I got the tomato sauce even though you had to ask for it, Takamichi thinks that Im familiar with fast food. I had no idea people like you came to these places too, she said. So I said, Yeah, sometimes. It was actually only my second time though. I have to say I handled myself pretty well. We talked a lot more than usual after that. Since we werent allowed to talk much at the library we talked all the more about what questions we found hard, or how we were doing at school. It was great. Before I knew it, wed been in that store for over an hour. When it was time to head back to the library, Takamichi laughed and said We talked too much. Then she gave me a mint. It was so sweet Ohh~ I guess it was extra sweet because he got it off the girl he liked. This kid already had one foot in the world of maidens. Oi, Kisshouin! Are you even listening? Whats up with your responses!? I most certainly am. You were just talking about how your library date with Wakabchan was a huge success, right? Good for you~ I think going to that fast food place was the right move. Takamichi laughed a lot too. Perhaps she was more relaxed than usual because it was an environment she was used to. I imagine she also felt closer to you after finding out that you supposedly frequented the place. Yeah, I think so too. Kaburagi gave a large nod. Well what good news that turned out to be for you. Please keep at it. Well then, was that all you needed me for? Maybe after showing my face at the Salon for a bit Id Id head to the clubroom. I needed to come up with a plan to mingle with our new members as the club president. What are you talking about? I was just about to get into the main agenda. Eh? The reason I closed the distance between us this time was because I matched myself to her lifestyle. Thats why Im planning on learning more and more about the life of a commoner. Next is the family restaurant. Guh. I was getting a bad feeling about this Kaburagi shot vigorously out of his chair. Lets go, Kisshouin! To a family restaurant! I knew it! I tried in vain to tell him that I had plans, and was dragged away to a faraway family restaurant. A family restaurant is the same as a regular restaurant, so you did not have to do this Come on, dont be like that. Arent you my strategist? I have no recollection of accepting such a shady position Strategist? Are you kidding me? Our relationship is one of master and disciple, okay! As youd expect of him, Kaburagi paid me no heed at all and instead examined the menu with great interest. Listen to me, already. I ended up ordering a doria. A doria is a rice-based gratin dish, effectively endemic to j.a.pan. Kaburagi asked for the steak meal set. Like a kid who learnt a new word and was bursting for a chance to use it. There was a moment of shock when he found out that drinks were self-serve at family restaurants, which led to a lot of curiosity about the drinks dispenser. Wh, are you a kid or something? Youre only meant to take one drink at a time! There was a short wait when we returned to our table before the food arrived. Doria was amazing. You had to eat it little by little if you didnt want to get burnt though. It thought this last time too, with the hamburger, but this meat is different from what Im familiar with, Kaburagi muttered after a bite of his steak. No kidding. The steak. No kidding. The meat youre familiar with probably comes from the winning cow at an agricultural fair, with a pedigree that goes back a hundred generations or something. There are all sorts of meat in this world. I see That was all he had to say, and he continued his meal in silence. By the way, apparently Takamichi studies every day on the train. Arent trains packed, though? So instead of trying to study in that cramped environment, Im thinking about suggesting to her that I start driving her between home and school from now on. That is an absolutely horrible idea. Not another one of his stupid suggestions Why? This is for her sake. What do you mean her sake? Its obviously that you just want to spend more time with her outside of school. Takamichi-san has her own routine and her own way of living. It may be that she even studies better on the train. There are many people in this world who study better during transit. Your suggestion might actually bother her. Cant you be in transit in a car instead? So even though you go out of your way to pick her up from her house and Can you really see her happily studying without a care as you sit in silence right next to her, after having gone out of your way to pick her up right from her home? I know you have driven her to school a few times. Do you ever recall her pulling out a textbook and start reading? No You see? Most people would be unable to. If Takamichi-san herself said that she was struggling it would be one thing, but if not then stop meddling with her life. You understand? Alright He gave a reluctant nod. Was there any need to look so depressed? This guy never came up with anything good, did he. Well, onto the next topic then. I wanna go with her to somewhere besides a library. Wheres a good place? Hmmm, well it certainly depends on thedepends on the preferences of the girl in question. Being brought to somewhere you have no interest in would simply be a study in boredom, after all. That makes sense. What if you brought up our cla.s.s trips, subtly probe her interests, and begin looking for places based on that? It would also make for a conversation that is not about studying. Thats a great idea! Ill try it right away! Whether you are messaging them, or giving them a call, please take a moment first to consider other partys circ.u.mstances first. Thats all you ever say. I told you already, Ive got it. If you got it then who was it that dragged me to a family restaurant just now!? Anyway, since the Emperor had successfully cleared the Family Restaurant dungeon, it was now time for us to leave. Besides being made for commoners, these family restaurants arent all that different from regular restaurants. I told you that at the start! But well, since we were already here, I took the opportunity to show off a technique that Kaburagi had definitely never seen before. We brought our receipts to the register. I would like to pay separately. Splitting the cost is a thing that people do, okay? Dont forget it. The 23rd of April was the La Diada de Sant Jordi. Men gave women roses, and women gave men a book. Truly a holiday that smelt of a secret cabal of bookstores and florists. Naturally, I wouldnt let this chance escape me. Kaburagi-sama, please take this. Whats going on? Today is the La Diada de Sant Jordi. It is customary to give books to your friends, family, lovers, or benefactors. Along with some book that I picked out at random, I returned the unlucky poem anthology that had been sealed in my storehouse. I did it! What the h.e.l.l!? If you knew about it then why didnt you tell me earlier!? Aaah! I completely forgot! I missed such a good chance! Dashing out of the salon, Kaburagi sprinted off to a florist. Dont forget to think about the number of flowers~ Chapter 222 Chapter 222 A rumour had formed around the fact that I was seen constantly getting into Kaburagis car . Kaburagi-sama and Reiksama went home together today . This morning, Kaburagi-sama told Reiksama not to forget about their promise after school . This was horrible . Since this was all Kaburagis fault, even if by some chance he came to blame me for it this time I was going to bite him back . Seriously though, it was actually so depressing having these unfounded love stories being told about yourself . Gosh, Reiksama . When did this happen? Ive always thought that youd be a great match for Kaburagi-sama . Say, Reiksama, wont you tell us what kind of chats youve been having with him? Waah! Me too, me too! At lunch, the girls pestered me for love stories with stars in their eyes . What kind of chats, you ask? Mostly about Kaburagis ridiculous romance, and lectures on how commoners live . Did you know, girls~? Kaburagi wanted to light up fireworks for his confession, and he gave a girl he wasnt even dating yet a handmade ring with their initials carved into it~ We shared a car because I had some business with him, but nothing like what you girls are imagining, all right? Ehh? But people saw him take your hand too . Probably that time I really didnt want to go, he got tired of my trudging, and then dragged me away by the arm . Perhaps it was the time he pulled me forward because I was walking too slowly . I doubt it was more than that . I heard that the two of you seemed to be talking quite cordially with each other . About studies, I suspect . Like that time I suggested textbooks and workbooks as a present, or the time Kaburagi told me about his library date . The girls seemed put out by my boring explanations, but who was going to take responsibility if these baseless rumours drove the boys even further away from me? Right now I still had the faint hope that somewhere in this school at least one boy secretly had a crush on me . Since I recently rid myself of that unlucky poem anthology my love life was definitely going to get better from here . Kisshouin-san, Ive gathered the free time plans from the boys . Satomi-kun came my way with the papers for the cla.s.s trip . I had already collected the same forms from the girls . Shall we hand them in then? I can go by myself, you know? he suggested, being considerate of the fact that I was chatting with my group . No, that is fine . Let us go together . And so we left for the Student Council in order to hand in the plans that everyone had for their free day . Most people were going to the same places anyway, though . Serikchan and the others waved us goodbye . Where are you girls going on your free day? Satomi-kun asked me . We plan on seeing a musical . Oh? Quite a few people are doing that . Which one you watching? The Phantom of the Opera, I replied . The one with the falling chandelier? Yes . And where might you going? Were gunna watch a soccer match . I see . So that was what the boys were interested in . We were going to Europe after all . Where else would the Kemari Dainagon and his friends go? My mum wants me to buy some stuff for her though . Its pretty bad . My . I mean I looked at the shopping list but didnt really get it, so some girls agreed to let me tag along when theyre going to each brands shops . Oh my G.o.d, this guy already had a plan to spend time with girls on his free day! d.a.m.ned Satomi, Im so envious . This was an overseas cla.s.s trip, okay? Moriyamsan said there was this boy in her own cla.s.s trip, and after visiting temples and shrines, and eating dango and just hanging out together they ended up dating . As for me, far from having a boy in my own group, none of them would even talk to me . So lonely . I was supposed to be in a co-ed school, so how come I had been surrounded by girls since primary school? Its not like I was wearing a t-shirt telling the boys to keep a polite distance or anything . By the way, Kisshouin-san, have you heard of the ghost of the London Tower? That sounds scary, so please stop talking . Talking about ghosts was liable to attract them, you know . Ehhh~ Doesnt it get you excited though? Apparently Anne Boleyn appears with both her head and without it . It does not . Let us change the subject . How many coins are you planning to toss into the Trevi Fountain? Satomi-kun was definitely the sort to go look at the blood ceilings of Kyoto, wasnt he? Hiiee~ Scaryy . As we made our way to the Student Council room, the two of us continued chatting about what sights we wanted to see or what foods we wanted to try . Excuse me, we are here to submit the plans for the free day . Thanks for your work . Besides Fellow Stalking Horse, today there were also two other boys and Wakabchan present . It must have been rough having to come here even during their lunch breaks . You working hard, Mizusaki? So-so . You doing your job as cla.s.s rep properly? Obviously, bro . Look, Im even running errands at lunch time, right in front of your eyes . Show a bit more appreciation why dontcha . As if . The two of them seemed to be good friends from the way they bantered . Oh? What are those cookies? Satomi-kun gestured towards a clear bag filled with cookies atop the Presidents desk . Takamichi brought them in . Takamichi-san did? Wakabchans handmade cookies!? I baked some some cookies yesterday, so I thought Id bring them in for everyone~ Wakabchan explained with a cheery smile . Ah, so thats how it is . Can I have one too? Ill keep quite about you guys snacking in the Student Council Room . Ahaha, help yourself~ He picked one up and took a bite . Its great . Youre really good at this, Takamichi-san . That was the daughter of a cake shop for you . Would you like one too, Kisshouin-san? she offered without worry, so I accepted without hesitating . Thank you . I think I would . They were chocolate cookies, delicious and sweet with just a hint of bitterness . Maybe I could learn to bake cookies next . Putting that aside though, the people in the room seemed a bit taken aback by my casual show of eating one . Oh, so thats what it was . n.o.body else here was aware that Wabakchan had already won over my stomach . That was delicious . Thank you . I wanted another one but I thought better of it . Afterwards we were given some things to look out for during the free day and then we left the room . Hmmm~ Judging by what Id seen, it didnt seem like her first time bringing her homemade food to the Student Council . If Kaburagi knew, hed definitely be jealous~ In terms of time spent with her, Fellow Stalking Horse was overwhelmingly in the lead . Can you turn this around, Kaburagi!? That night I called Wakabchan, which made for a good chance to thank her for the cookie too . It was crunchy and amazing . Would it be all right if I came over again to learn how to make them? Of course . Youre welcome any time . The other day with the teppanyaki was fun, wasnt it? The meat you brought over was delicious! Huhu, it was . That was a fun day~ I even got so relaxed that I called her Wakabchan a few times . Do you often bring snacks to the Student Council Room? Sometimes . Everyones so busy after school that we often run late enough to get peckish . Tomoe-senpai used to eat quite a few snacks too . How nostalgic . Back then he was still growing after all . A special privilege of the Student Council, I see . Ahaha . Oh, that reminds me . The manual from the other day is finished now . Oh! How was it? Apparently its been quite useful to new students . We guessed right about there being a lot they didnt know . I see . That is good news then . A few of them had already brought convenience store lunches to school though . After all, its normal in other schools . Quite . Everyone did it in my old life . Ive been wondering if the students at Suiran have Suiran have even ever tried a convenience store bentou before . Hmmm~ I wonder . At the very least I dont think the Internals had . I often bought onigiri though . There were lots of types, but in the end Id just choose salmon~ Ah, but the other day I went to a fast food joint with Kaburagi-kun! Oh!? We were talking about this now!? My, with Kaburagi-sama? Yeah . We were studying at a library, right? And then we went out for a little break but there werent any restaurants that suited Kaburagi-kun . I was wondering what to do when suddenly he asked me, Is this place fine? and suddenly walked right into a fast food shop . I was sooo shocked . I was sure that people from the Pivoine had never even step foot in one before! Mn, youd be right . Kaburagi had only had his first time a little while ago . It seems like he goes there quite often . Apparently he normally orders the burgers, but goes for seasonal items when they appear . Ohh~? I thought Kaburagi-kun only ate at like 3-star restaurants . Who wouldve thought he ate fast food . I was really surprised . Apparently he started because he wanted to see what the rest of society was like . Ah, he stole my line about life experiences didnt he . d.a.m.ned Kaburagi . I mean I know weve been going to the same school, but I always thought of him as living in another world . I didnt think he was so normal . I feel a little closer to him now . I see . Oohh, so the plan to raise her familiarity worked then . Go me . Good advice, me! Anyway, Kaburagi-kun called me a little while ago to talk about the cla.s.s trip . I mentioned that I wanted to go to some famous sweets stores, and he offered to take me . We ended up planning to go together . What do you think, Kisshouin-san? Haah!? Kaburag! What the heck was he doing this time!? I know I told him to research her likes but I never told him to force his way into her free day! I You must have your own plans as well . If he is bothering you, then I think you should turn him down clearly . Ahh, that idiot, that idiot If he got himself hated it was nothing to do with me . Mmmm, hes not botheirng me at all . Im actually glad that he offered . Eh!? Now that was a surprise! I mean, Wabakchan had to have had her own plans with her friends, right? What about your friends, Takamichi-san? Ah, well you see, my other friends are all going to go shopping . Im not really that interested in brand clothing, so I was planning on going to the famous confectioners and cake shops instead . I had actually planned to go on my own, but since its going to be my first time overseas, walking on mywalking on my own is going to be a bit scary, right? I mean I dont really understand the tip system, and I see . I told Kaburagi-kun, so he suggested that he come along . I know he offered, but Id feel bad about making him spend his free day accompanying me . He has to have places he wants to visit too, after all Places that Kaburagi wants to visit? As if that stupid disciple of mine had anywhere hed want to see more than spending his free day with Wakabchan . I truly wonder about that . Kaburagi-sama has been to Europe countless times before, so I doubt he has anywhere left he really wants to go . You think so? Quite . Besides, Kaburagi-sama has quite a sweet tooth, so he perhaps he wanted to go as well . I see . Then do you think itd be okay to accept? You know, Kaburagi-kun said that there was a dolce shop in Rome that he recommended . When I heard him say that I honestly really wanted to go! Eh-, dolce!? My heart skipped a beat . The protagonist of You Are My Dolce suddenly using that word? I almost dropped my phone . Being a sweet-tooth, in the manga the Emperor had compared his love to sweets(dolce) . And now the real-life Emperor was inviting Wakabchan to go try some together . Was this a sign that things between these two were about to pick up their pace!? Uhyohh! I didnt really understand why, but I was just so excited right now! If you want to go, then by all means go! Dolce! What a great idea! Dolce! Y-Yeah, thank you I was still in high spirits after we hung up, when a message from Kaburagi arrived . Were going to be spending our free time in Paris and Rome together! I wish you luck! I replied . Are you going to say You are my dolce to her one day!? Are you!? Kaburagi! After sleeping on it and coming back to my senses, I sent him some advice . Do not do anything too ostentatious . Do not draw attention from other Suiran students . Do not try to keep her with you longer than she wants to stay . I hoped this trip went well . We have a new manga project . From back alley brawls to bashful bonds, two former-delinquents face their next fight: long-term relationships . During her high school years, Takebe was the top dog at her school . But with her old friends now living as happy riajuu, Takebe was faced with an impending sense of crisis . Takebe thus resolved herself to quit delinquency, but the result of that was a fated meeting with her old rival, Soramori . Losing a fist-fight against Soramori, for some reason or other Takebe was now dating her . What kind of relationship did the two of them have back in high school? And would Takebe ever manage to graduate from delinquency!? A rumour had formed around the fact that I was seen constantly getting into Kaburagi s car . Kaburagi sama and Reika sama went home together today . This morning, Kaburagi sama told Reika sama not to forget about their promise after school . This was horrible . Since this was all Kaburagi s fault, even if by some chance he came to blame me for it this time I was going to bite him back . Seriously though, it was actually so depressing having these unfounded love stories being told about yourself . Gosh, Reika sama . When did this happen I ve always thought that you d be a great match for Kaburagi sama . Say, Reika sama, won t you tell us what kind of chats you ve been having with him Waah Me too, me too At lunch, the girls pestered me for love stories with stars in their eyes . What kind of chats, you ask Mostly about Kaburagi s ridiculous romance, and lectures on how commoners live . Did you know, girls Kaburagi wanted to light up fireworks for his confession, and he gave a girl he wasn t even dating yet a handmade ring with their initials carved into it We shared a car because I had some business with him, but nothing like what you girls are imagining, all right Ehh But people saw him take your hand too . Probably that time I really didn t want to go, he got tired of my trudging, and then dragged me away by the arm . Perhaps it was the time he pulled me forward because I was walking too slowly . I doubt it was more than that . I heard that the two of you seemed to be talking quite cordially with each other . About studies, I suspect . Like that time I suggested textbooks and workbooks as a present, or the time Kaburagi told me about his library date . The girls seemed put out by my boring explanations, but who was going to take responsibility if these baseless rumours drove the boys even further away from me Right now I still had the faint hope that somewhere in this school at least one boy secretly had a crush on me . Since I recently rid myself of that unlucky poem anthology my love life was definitely going to get better from here . Kisshouin san, I ve gathered the free time plans from the boys . Satomi kun came my way with the papers for the cla.s.s trip . I had already collected the same forms from the girls . Shall we hand them in then I can go by myself, you know he suggested, being considerate of the fact that I was chatting with my group . No, that is fine . Let us go together . And so we left for the Student Council in order to hand in the plans that everyone had for their free day . Most people were going to the same places anyway, though . Serika chan and the others waved us goodbye . Where are you girls going on your free day Satomi kun asked me . We plan on seeing a musical . Oh Quite a few people are doing that . Which one you watching The Phantom of the Opera, I replied . The one with the falling chandelier Yes . And where might you going We re gunna watch a soccer match . I see . So that was what the boys were interested in . We were going to Europe after all . Where else would the Kemari Dainagon and his friends go My mum wants me to buy some stuff for her though . It s pretty bad . My . I mean I looked at the shopping list but didn t really get it, so some girls agreed to let me tag along when they re going to each brand s shops . Oh my G.o.d, this guy already had a plan to spend time with girls on his free day d.a.m.ned Satomi, I m so envious . This was an overseas cla.s.s trip, okay Moriyama san said there was this boy in her own cla.s.s trip, and after visiting temples and shrines, and eating dango and just hanging out together they ended up dating . As for me, far from having a boy in my own group, none of them would even talk to me . So lonely . I was supposed to be in a co ed school, so how come I had been surrounded by girls since primary school It s not like I was wearing a t shirt telling the boys to keep a polite distance or anything . By the way, Kisshouin san, have you heard of the ghost of the London Tower That sounds scary, so please stop talking . Talking about ghosts was liable to attract them, you know . Ehhh Doesn t it get you excited though Apparently Anne Boleyn appears with both her head and without it . It does not . Let us change the subject . How many coins are you planning to toss into the Trevi Fountain Satomi kun was definitely the sort to go look at the blood ceilings of Kyoto, wasn t he Hiiee Scaryy . As we made our way to the Student Council room, the two of us continued chatting about what sights we wanted to see or what foods we wanted to try . Excuse me, we are here to submit the plans for the free day . Thanks for your work . Besides Fellow Stalking Horse, today there were also two other boys and Wakaba chan present . It must have been rough having to come here even during their lunch breaks . You working hard, Mizusaki So so . You doing your job as cla.s.s rep properly Obviously, bro . Look, I m even running errands at lunch time, right in front of your eyes . Show a bit more appreciation why dontcha . As if . The two of them seemed to be good friends from the way they bantered . Oh What are those cookies Satomi kun gestured towards a clear bag filled with cookies atop the President s desk . Takamichi brought them in . Takamichi san did Wakaba chan s handmade cookies I baked some cookies yesterday, so I thought I d bring them in for everyone Wakaba chan explained with a cheery smile . Ah, so that s how it is . Can I have one too I ll keep quite about you guys snacking in the Student Council Room . Ahaha, help yourself He picked one up and took a bite . It s great . You re really good at this, Takamichi san . That was the daughter of a cake shop for you . Would you like one too, Kisshouin san she offered without worry, so I accepted without hesitating . Thank you . I think I would . They were chocolate cookies, delicious and sweet with just a hint of bitterness . Maybe I could learn to bake cookies next . Putting that aside though, the people in the room seemed a bit taken aback by my casual show of eating one . Oh, so that s what it was . n.o.body else here was aware that Wabaka chan had already won over my stomach . That was delicious . Thank you . I wanted another one but I thought better of it . Afterwards we were given some things to look out for during the free day and then we left the room . Hmmm Judging by what I d seen, it didn t seem like her first time bringing her homemade food to the Student Council . If Kaburagi knew, he d definitely be jealous In terms of time spent with her, Fellow Stalking Horse was overwhelmingly in the lead . Can you turn this around, Kaburagi That night I called Wakaba chan, which made for a good chance to thank her for the cookie too . It was crunchy and amazing . Would it be all right if I came over again to learn how to make them Of course . You re welcome any time . The other day with the teppanyaki was fun, wasn t it The meat you brought over was delicious Huhu, it was . That was a fun day I even got so relaxed that I called her Wakaba chan a few times . Do you often bring snacks to the Student Council Room Sometimes . Everyone s so busy after school that we often run late enough to get peckish . Tomoe senpai used to eat quite a few snacks too . How nostalgic . Back then he was still growing after all . A special privilege of the Student Council, I see . Ahaha . Oh, that reminds me . The manual from the other day is finished now . Oh How was it Apparently it s been quite useful to new students . We guessed right about there being a lot they didn t know . I see . That is good news then . A few of them had already brought convenience store lunches to school though . After all, it s normal in other schools . Quite . Everyone did it in my old life . I ve been wondering if the students at Suiran have even ever tried a convenience store bentou before . Hmmm I wonder . At the very least I don t think the Internals had . I often bought onigiri though . There were lots of types, but in the end I d just choose salmon Ah, but the other day I went to a fast food joint with Kaburagi kun Oh We were talking about this now My, with Kaburagi sama Yeah . We were studying at a library, right And then we went out for a little break but there weren t any restaurants that suited Kaburagi kun . I was wondering what to do when suddenly he asked me, Is this place fine and suddenly walked right into a fast food shop . I was sooo shocked . I was sure that people from the Pivoine had never even step foot in one before Mn, you d be right . Kaburagi had only had his first time a little while ago . It seems like he goes there quite often . Apparently he normally orders the burgers, but goes for seasonal items when they appear . Ohh I thought Kaburagi kun only ate at like 3 star restaurants . Who would ve thought he ate fast food . I was really surprised . Apparently he started because he wanted to see what the rest of society was like . Ah, he stole my line about life experiences didn t he . d.a.m.ned Kaburagi . I mean I know we ve been going to the same school, but I always thought of him as living in another world . I didn t think he was so normal . I feel a little closer to him now . I see . Oohh, so the plan to raise her familiarity worked then . Go me . Good advice, me Anyway, Kaburagi kun called me a little while ago to talk about the cla.s.s trip . I mentioned that I wanted to go to some famous sweets stores, and he offered to take me . We ended up planning to go together . What do you think, Kisshouin san Haah Kaburag What the heck was he doing this time I know I told him to research her likes but I never told him to force his way into her free day I You must have your own plans as well . If he is bothering you, then I think you should turn him down clearly . Ahh, that idiot, that idiot If he got himself hated it was nothing to do with me . Mmmm, he s not botheirng me at all . I m actually glad that he offered . Eh Now that was a surprise I mean, Wabaka chan had to have had her own plans with her friends, right What about your friends, Takamichi san Ah, well you see, my other friends are all going to go shopping . I m not really that interested in brand clothing, so I was planning on going to the famous confectioners and cake shops instead . I had actually planned to go on my own, but since it s going to be my first time overseas, walking on my own is going to be a bit scary, right I mean I don t really understand the tip system, and I see . I told Kaburagi kun, so he suggested that he come along . I know he offered, but I d feel bad about making him spend his free day accompanying me . He has to have places he wants to visit too, after all Places that Kaburagi wants to visit As if that stupid disciple of mine had anywhere he d want to see more than spending his free day with Wakaba chan . I truly wonder about that . Kaburagi sama has been to Europe countless times before, so I doubt he has anywhere left he really wants to go . You think so Quite . Besides, Kaburagi sama has quite a sweet tooth, so he perhaps he wanted to go as well . I see . Then do you think it d be okay to accept You know, Kaburagi kun said that there was a dolce shop in Rome that he recommended . When I heard him say that I honestly really wanted to go Eh , dolce My heart skipped a beat . The protagonist of You Are My Dolce suddenly using that word I almost dropped my phone . Being a sweet tooth, in the manga the Emperor had compared his love to sweets dolce . And now the real life Emperor was inviting Wakaba chan to go try some together . Was this a sign that things between these two were about to pick up their pace Uhyohh I didn t really understand why, but I was just so excited right now If you want to go, then by all means go Dolce What a great idea Dolce Y Yeah, thank you I was still in high spirits after we hung up, when a message from Kaburagi arrived . We re going to be spending our free time in Paris and Rome together I wish you luck I replied . Are you going to say You are my dolce to her one day Are you Kaburagi After sleeping on it and coming back to my senses, I sent him some advice . Do not do anything too ostentatious . Do not draw attention from other Suiran students . Do not try to keep her with you longer than she wants to stay . I hoped this trip went well . We have a new manga project . From back alley brawls to bashful bonds, two former delinquents face their next fight long term relationships . During her high school years, Takebe was the top dog at her school . But with her old friends now living as happy riajuu, Takebe was faced with an impending sense of crisis . Takebe thus resolved herself to quit delinquency, but the result of that was a fated meeting with her old rival, Soramori . Losing a fist fight against Soramori, for some reason or other Takebe was now dating her . What kind of relationship did the two of them have back in high school And would Takebe ever manage to graduate from delinquency Chapter 223 Sorry, been exhausted with work. There is a j.a.panese superst.i.tion of hiding your thumbs when seeing a hea.r.s.e, especially amongst children, supposedly to protect your parents from an early grave. The reason is because the thumb in j.a.panese is literally called parent finger''. The Phantom of the Opera is a novel about a deformed builder guy, who is really good at singing. He tutors a Swedish songstress named Christine, who he goes crazy over, and whose childhood friend and love interest is a handsome vicomte named Raoul. Stuff happens, love triangle. Our first destination was London. At first we all went to the usual sightseeing locations together. The Big Ben, London Tower, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, among other places. For most of us they were all places we''d visited countless times in the past but it was a different experience when you were here with all o f your friends. At the Buckingham Palace, my group and I had quite a bit of fun taking photos of the Changing of the Guard. Mister horse, you ran past too quickly~! They looked just like those toys soldiers. As I faintly wondered just how capable they actually were, I smiled to myself about just how foreign this place felt! London Tower was scary and I ended up hiding my thumbs without thinking. It was Satomi-kun''s fault for telling me those stories when I was in j.a.pan Eh!? They were taking photos here!? Was I going to be okay? I couldn''t hide my thumbs if I was making a peace sign Next up, you''ll be able to see the London Bridge and the Tower Bridge from your window, said the tour guide as we rode the bus. The London Bridge Somehow just hearing that name was enough to play the nursery rhyme in my head. Kisshouin-san, are you feeling okay?, Satomi-kun asked in concern. You''re swaying. Oh gosh. Apparently I was rocking back and forth to the song in my head. Say, Satomi-kun? When you hear the words London Bridge'' does it not bring that Mother Goose song to mind? You know the one, London Bridge is falling d Ah, the one about child sacrifices? Child sacrifices SAAAATOOOOMIIIII! Why would you bring up something so scary just as we''re crossing it!? I''m a coward, okay!? Stop it already! Look! I''m hiding my thumbs again thanks to you! Before this I had been thinking of buying a copy of Old Mother Goose''s Rhymes as a souvenir. I didn''t think I would now These were supposed to be nursery rhymes for children so why were the contents so brutal? Taking an axe and giving her mother and father forty and forty-one whacks How on earth did the children of Great Britain fall asleep to these? Thanks to Satomi-kun scaring the c.r.a.p out of me, while my roommate Kikuno-chan was in the bath I took the chance to purify the room with salt. Sorry about the floor, Kikuno-chan. The main event for my group during our free day was going to be a musical. Since that was happenig at night though, before that we were going to do a little shopping and then have some afternoon tea. We weren''t lacking in things to buy. Maybe I''d get those rocking horse ballerinas this time around. Not that I was going to wear them outside, if I did buy them. Walking around in heels like that was too scary for me, so I''d just try them on at home. Hmm, to buy or not to buy Aaah, but more importantly I wanted aromatic candles and essential oils too! And of course some English tea for a souvenir. Some pretty books in English too. I could get Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Gla.s.s for Mao-chan. Maybe Peter Pan for Yuuri-kun. Yukino-kun had wanted Old Mother Goose''s Rhymes as well, but was it really okay to get him a book filled with songs about murderers and psychopaths? Oniisama liked English brands, so I wanted to find him something too. Oh, cute cufflinks locked-on! Maybe I''d buy some ties too! Haah, shopping is bliss. When there were too many bags to carry we popped down to the hotel before heading out for more shopping. After that was what everyone had to try while visiting Britain: afternoon tea. We pa.s.sed by a few places that brought out their desserts on plates, but what I really wanted to try was eating from one of those 3-tiered silver stands! It was like being a princess! I wasn''t going to compromise on those 3-tiered stands! Appearances were important. This scone is quite good. It really is. It goes perfectly with the jam and clotted cream. Truly. Great Britain had a reputation for disgusting cuisine, but the food we had seemed crazy good. Maybe it was the atmosphere. Atmosphere was really, really important, after all. Scones weren''t exactly a big thing in j.a.pan, but I think after today they''d be a big thing with Reika. Maybe I could look for a place that did nice scones once I got back home. n.o.body had to know that I actually preferred the biscuits (scones) from a certain American chicken fast food restaurant. They never gave enough maple syrup though. But wow was this jam and cream combination proving itself a formidible adversary to a maiden''s stomach. I wasn''t the sort to run and hide from an enemy though. d.a.m.ned scone, prepare yourself! This is so fun~ sighed Ru''ne-chan. NY and LA are nice too, but Europe is just I know, right~? Europe is my favourite as well. I could understand why they all agreed. I mean, Europe had castles and ancient cityscapes, fantasy and cute cakes, wasn''t it just a girl''s dream come true? Serikchan suddenly sighed. But it would be even better if Kaburagi-sama or Enjou-sama were here Right. What was missing from this fairytale atmosphere was a Prince Charming. Apparently those two fit the bill for her. Their looks were the only thing going for them, so I supposed they qualified in that department at least. Afternoon tea with Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama! Goodness, if it were me I''d be too nervous to eat! Me too! I wouldn''t have eaten more than a bite of the sandwiches from before. Right? Don''t you think so too, Reiksama? one of the girls asked me as I was busy duking it out with the scones. Eh? Ah, well, I suppose? I offered. I suppose if there was a boy I liked nearby, I wouldn''t want to look like a glutton either. But you must spend time with them all the time in the salon, don''t you? Kikuni-chan asked. That''s true. Having tea with them must be everyday for Reiksama. I''m so envious. What are they like in the salon? Tell us, Reiksama~! Hmmmmmm. I mean, they just drank tea and ate food like normal people, I guess. Not that I could say that without disappointing the girls. Being the considerate friend that I was, I decided to help out with their fantasies a little. They do not do antyhing special, I began. I suppose they just spend time together like we are now. Kaburagi-sama sometimes plays the piano if he feels like it, so we occasionally have the privilege of enjoying that with our tea. Myy! Their dreaminess meters filled up at once. What about Enjou-sama? Hmm. He often smiles as he quietly drinks his tea. Most of the time he spends his time chatting with Kaburagi-sama. As you all know, the two of them are very close. When Kaburagi-sama plays the piano, Enjou-sama stands by him to enjoy the music. I have even seen them leaning against each other''s backs while reading. How wonderful! A world with only the two of them It''s beautiful Well, that last bit actually happened during primary school, but it''s not a lie since I never specified when. My group stared into s.p.a.ce together, no doubt daydreaming about it. While they were distracted, I got back to my scones. Don''t rush, Reika. There''s still the cake monster waiting for you at the top of the tower. I wonder what the two of them are doing now I heard that they were going to watch a soccer game Oh? So that''s what they were doing. We can relax then, since it''s just boys that went to that. Yeah. There are lots of girls who are planning to worm up to them during the trip after all. So shameless! It''s especially bad when one of the outsiders try it! I know. I wonder where they''re going when we get to Paris. Touring Paris with them would be like a dream come true. It would, wouldn''t it? In Paris and Rome, Kaburagi was planning on touring dessert stores with Wakabchan though~ You better keep the tag-alongs away, Kaburagi! After we finished up the cake at the top-tier of the platter, we began talking about where to go next. We''ve already done our shopping, so what should we do now? We could just rest here. Hmmm. Everyone was a bit tired from our earlier shopping but since we were already here I wanted to have some fun. Say, since we still have time until the musical, what if we went to the British Museum? It was Ayame-chan that suggested this. The British Museum? Come to think of it, it was what she was looking forward to the most the whole trip. I wonder if we''d get to see a cat mummy. Good idea. Shall we go? I asked. It was a shame to be parting with something as dreamy as afternoon tea, but we had to get going now. When we got off the taxi we had called, I saw some other Zui''ran students here and there. Since we didn''t have anything we wanted to see in particular, we all sort of just walked about as we chatted. Hmm? Hey, isn''t that? I looked in the direction that Kikuno-chan pointed, only to find Wakabchan, Fellow Stalking Horse, and a number of other boys and gears. So they were here too. Her bag was strapped to her chest so there was nothing to stop Wakabchan from excitedly taking photographs or taking notes. Sometimes Fellow Stalking Horse would point at an exhibit and say something to Wakabchan, which she nodded at in return. They seemed to really get along. Takamichi-san seems awfully friendly with Mizusaki-kun, doesn''t she Serikchan commented. They are in the Student Council together, after all The girls were just staring now. Oi, stop that, guys! I hurriedly moved them along before Wakabchan noticed. Ah, Kisshouin-san, said a surprised voice. I turned to find Cla.s.s Rep, Iwamuro-kun, Miharu-chan and Nonose-san in front of the Rosetta Stone. My! You all came here as well? I asked. So these four were spending their free day together, huh? Kuh-! So envious! Mhm. The British Museum never gets old. The four of them nodded together. Wow, they really got along. Mn, the happiness of a disciple was the happiness of their master. And I was happy but it was a little vexing. Wakabchan was with a mixed-s.e.x group as well. Now that I was looking, I could spot other mixed-s.e.x groups from Zui''ran here and there. It was nothing surprising. We were a co-ed school after all. So why was it just me that was in a girls'' school!? After talking to them I found out that the quartet were going to watch the Phantom of the Opera as well. Ohh~? Not a surprising choice for a blushing maiden like Cla.s.s Rep. Also, the four of us were thinking about going on a boat tour of the Seine once we get to Paris. Right, guys? Mhm. Yes. Oh? Two couples going on a boat tour down the Seine Well wasn''t that just romantic. I was so d.a.m.ned jealous. Fine then. Whatever. I''d already been on one with Oniisama, so there! And one day I''d definitely find a boyfriend and do the same! After some parting greetings I watched the four of them leave. The Seine. How nice The girls happened to overhear me and thought I was interested in the river itself. In that case let''s go on a boat your too! they suggested. Mm. Thanks, girls There was still some time until the musical began so we decided to eat dinner first. But we had eaten quite a bit during afternoon tea, so we weren''t exactly starving either. Oh, I know! Say, how would you all feel about trying fish and chips? Fish and chips were like the national fast food here in Britain. I knew of it, but I hadn''t had the chance to try it before. After all, every time I''d been here I was with family, so eating something so plebeian was out of the question. It was something I''d wanted to try for the longest time~ Would the girls go for it? Fish and chips? came the bewildered response. Yes. I have seen it mentioned in quite a few books, so I have always wanted to try it, came my excuse. Ah, so that''s why. I''ve seen it mentioned too, but I''ve never tried it before. Me neither. I might be a little curious Since we are in the right country for it, I said, why not try some? Okay! Agreed! Yay! Fast food in London! Since we obviously had no experience, none of us were sure where to find some, which was why we decided to try looking it up. In the books I''d read, fish and chips were something that came wrapped in newspaper that you could eat in a park and such. In the place that chose, though, apparently it would come to us on a plate. Fish and potato chips were big favourites of mine, so I was curiously looking forward to it. But when the food came Fish! Chips! It was literally just some fish, and some chips. It kind of made me wonder if they couldn''t have prettied this up a bit, or at least made them bite-sized perhaps. I looked a bit low effort. Also there was a lot of it B-But perhaps it would taste good! It was so famous after all! I took a bite. It tasted as average as it looked. Considering that this was their national food I guess the rumours about British food were spot-on Long live j.a.panese commoner food. Um, sorry, girls. Bellies filled with grease, we returned to our hotels to change. Geh, my stomach was bulging a little because of the food I reminded myself to stretch before going to bed tonight. We arrived to a crowd of Zui''ran students. It was a popular story after all. Plus, tomorrow we''d be going to Paris where the real Palais Garnier would be. It was a must-see then! It wasn''t long before the musical began, and it was wonderful. The venue wasn''t that big, but the stage was close so it was crazy immersive. I was completely enraptured. And when the falling chandelier scene happened I couldn''t help but scream, even though I knew it was coming. Eh? No! Christine! Don''t cry, Phantom! Phantom, you''re the Chief of Paris'' Forever Alone Village, aren''t you! Since you''re a fellow village chief, let me give you a hearty round of applause. When the musical finished, even when we left the venue I still felt like I was in a dream. Everybody else seemed to be under the same effect. Going to a performance was the right choice! Aah, I felt like breaking into song now! On the way back to the hotel I spotted Cla.s.s Rep in tears about it, and Miharu-chan stroking his back. I spent the whole day moving around, so I was beaat~ The moment we got back to the hotel I stepped on golf ball I brought for rolling over my acupoints. Haah! So good! At this point I''d probably be comfortable walking around with it strapped to my foot. Slowly though. Roll roll roll~ Haah~ The Phantom of the Opera was great. Sad ending, though. Today I was sharing a room with Serikchan. While she was in the bath I channeled Christine and sang quietly. At some point I started getting into it and began dancing randomly as well. I sang a little louder. While I was happily singing and posing at some point my eyes made contact with Serikchan''s, who had at some point come out of the bathroom. We froze. She saw meeeeee! But then Serikchan silently closed her eyes before suddenly walking towards me and gently taking my hand. Christine! Phantom! Clad in her bathtowel robe, Phantom Serika beckoned songstress Reika into the darkness. Let us dance! Laaa laaa~ Lalalalala~! And that was how the two of us, hand in hand, sang together as we made our way into the bowels of the Palais Garnier. Chapter 224 Tomorrow is going to be the start of a rough two weeks of work, but hopefully I''ll still get some translation progress going. I''ve decided to put in more photos of the places she''s talking about. I figure that if I leave the captions blank, they won''t be too intrusive. Then I realised that I like London better than Paris, so I went back to Chapter 223 and added photos there too. Our second destination was Paris, France. Goodbye, London! I''ll come again! And bonjour, Paris! Paris! Paris was the Rococo Queen''s second home. Wah, it was stylish everywhere I looked! Even though the people walking on the street wore normal clothes, somehow they looked stylish too. This was some French magic at work. But even though Paris was supposed to be my second home, for some reason I felt a little out of place each time I came here. London was populated and tight, and its pace of life somehow reminded me of Tokyo. When I was in London I felt comfortable. In Paris though, how could I put this The way the Parisians, or perhaps the French, seemed to think that their fashion, food, and arts were the best in the world rather reminded me of Kyoto. Ah, naturally I loved Kyoto as well, though. Anyhow, just like our day in London, Paris began with a structured tour. Amongst the places we visited were the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame, the Sacr-C?ur Basilica. Just a photo of the Eiffel Tower was a bit like saying I was in Paris! wasn''t it? That was France''s fame for you. Tokyo Tower couldn''t even compare in stylishness. Oh, and there was the Palais Garnier opera house! The Palais Garnier (p.r.o.nounced [pal? a?nje]) is a 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was the setting for Gaston Leroux''s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera and its subsequent adaptations.Phantom, this is where you are! Lahlalah~ Everybody who''d seen the Phantom of the Opera in London were as excited as I was. And little wonder~ The setting of the musical we''d seen only a little while ago was right in front of our eyes. It was like the excitement from watching the production was coming back to us. The inside of the building was so gorgeous that I was enchanted. Ah, so this chandelier would fall then~ The whole place was just so resplendent that I think it would have been worth visiting even without the musical. But after the musical, the place just had so much more appeal. Since we''d seen a musical in London, it would have been great to see some theatre in Paris. It was just a shame that I couldn''t fit it into our schedule. The Place de la Concorde was where the Rococo Queen had been beheaded. Eeek~ I unconsciously placed my hands around my neck. Guillotines were scaryyy. It must have been pretty crazy seeing people beheaded in public A person''s head flying off became some kind of sideshow. What a fearsome people these French were. I definitely wouldn''t be able to watch something like that. Uoohh~ Just thinking about it was making me shiver. Ah-, Satomi-kun was coming my way. You''re here to say something scary again, aren''t you! Did you know, Kisshouin-san? Apparently the guillotine was still used for executions until very recently~ Saaaatooooomiiiiii! What was I going to do? What if some headless person visited me at night!? Thanks to Satomi-kun I was going to have to salt this hotel room too! The Pont des Arts bridge that ran across the Seine was also known as the Lovers'' Bridge. The Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge which crosses the River Seine, linking the Inst.i.tut de France and the Louvre. Since late 2008, tourists have taken to attaching padlocks (love locks) with their first names written or engraved on them to the railing or the grate on the side of the bridge, then throwing the key into the Seine river below, as a romantic gesture. Couples would write their names on padlocks and attach them to the fence as a vow of love. In other words, this bridge was straight-up picking a fight with me. Keh! Why were we even here? Let''s just walk faster and head to the Louvre already! Eh? There were people just standing still! Don''t tell me every one of them was a member of the Fulfilling Romance Village!? Hey! Are you seriously running off to buy a padlock!? You''re not supposed to walk off during the first day, d.a.m.nit! Kaburagi-sama seems to be in a good mood. Apparently people were talking about it. Do you think he did something fun? He went to see a soccer match in London, so perhaps his team won? Ah, that might be it. Kaburagi-sama loves his sports. The reason Kaburagi was in a good mood was probably, no, definitely, thanks to his plans to tour Paris with Wakabchan tomorrow. He was probably completely giddy about it. The d.a.m.ned idiot was like an open book. Kaburagi, you''d better not have bought a padlock for this. On the other hand, I noticed that my maiden friend Cla.s.s Rep had bought one but couldn''t work up the courage to mention it. The focus of my free day in Paris was shopping. A lot of things weren''t being sold in j.a.pan yet, so we got up nice and early to start. Bags, shoes, accessories, trinkets, sweets Les Champs-lyses was a battlefield! Ah! Thanks to Satomi-kun, his group was going shopping with some girls! Thanks to that same guy, I spent last night trembling in fear! And yet there he was, happily walking down the street surrounded by women! Unforgivable. Deadly Sin Envy, activate. Just see how I put a curse on your love-life as you walk away from me, Satomi-kun. Hmmmm, a lot of these cosmetics were sold for a lot more in j.a.pan. Like this hand cream that I really liked. I decided to get some for Sakurchan, Aoi-chan, and the girls at cram school. But then what about the boys that I knew from there? I was easy to get presents for girls, but the boys had me stumped. I mean, there was a reason I was the village chief. And speaking of boys, Imari-sama was always bringing me souvenirs. I definitely had to get something back. As the Chief of the Casanova Village, Imari-sama''s demeanour might resemble an Italian, but his taste in clothing leaned towards the elegant fashion houses of France. Which is why while it would be easy to decide to get him something from Paris, picking something that met his fashionable tastes was a bit too high of a hurdle~ Thanks to our many years together I had a pretty good idea of Oniisama''s taste, but I was at a loss when it came to anybody else. Again, there was a reason I was the village chief. Before I left j.a.pan I had asked Oniisama what he thought a good gift for Imari-sama would be, but all he said was, Consumables. So curt! Oniisama, can''t you put a little more thought into it? Do you want your best friend to think of your little sister as unfashionable!? I thought about it though It wouldn''t do to give Imari-sama sweets, but what about wine? But I didn''t know his palate, and it probably wasn''t as easy as just buying an expensive one. I was collecting wine labels for when I was old enough to drink, but honestly I had no idea what was good. And apparently the famous brands had good years and bad years too. Plus, a lot of this was coming from my idea that Wine = France, but Oniisama drank California wines quite often. Actually the first time I saw him drinking some I was shocked, but it turns out that recently California wines tasted better than French wines. Oniisama told me this story about how during a taste test in Paris French wines lost to California wines, and now they called it the Judgement of Paris. Since it was too profound for me, I was getting more and more reluctant to go with the wine~ Mmn, I think I would just stay away from Wine-sama for now. After a good bit of shopping, we decided to enter a caf for some lunch before we continued. Since we were taking a break, I decided to ask my group what they thought. Presents for a boy, is it~? Yes. I find myself unsure. Mmmmm! The French bread was yummy! As expected of its country of origin! Unlike London, the food was great everywhere we went here. It was so nice to be in a country with good food~ Naturally I ordered the crme br?le which featured in Amlie. I was in a different caf to the one in the film though. I felt a bit like Amlie as I cracked the caramel. Ehehe. I think neckties may be the right idea. I''ve bought neckties for my family too. Neckties, hmm? I hummed. I had considered those as well. That was why I had chosen Paris to get the souvenirs. Well then, after we finish eating how about visit some mens'' stores so that Reiksama can find a souvenir? Ru''ne-chan suggested. Waah! Thank you! Hmmm. Here I was in a men''s clothing store, and yet I was nowhere closer to a decision. I had this feeling that neckties were something men cared about. It wouldn''t be nice if he was given a tie he didn''t really want to use Lapel pins weren''t much easier to choose. But cufflinks could just be hidden by your suit jacket, so maybe those would be fine. Still Maybe clothing was a bad idea. Hmmmm I think it may take me some time to decide, so could we meet up afterwards? I suggested to the girls that came with me. I''d feel bad if their shopping time was taken up by my indecision in picking souvenirs. I didn''t think I''d be picking something anytime soon. But then you would be on your own, Reiksama. Isn''t shopping on your own is just tragic? It was nice that they were worried for me, but I was sure they still had places they wanted to see, and they had to be getting bored looking at mens'' clothing. I will be fine. Let us pick a time and meet up then. But Oh, Kisshouin-san? Eh? The owner of the voiced was revealed to be Enjou, who entered the store with a group of boys. Enjou-sama! the girls cried. Enjou walked our way as his sudden appearance caused a few whispered squeals among the girls. What are you doing in a place like this, Kisshouin-san? As you can see, I am shopping. Ahh, a present for your oniisan. Ah-, hey! Did he think Oniisama was the only person I had to gift mens'' clothing to!? Dah, this b.a.s.t.a.r.d was looking down on me! I know I''m unpopular, okay!? d.a.m.nit! No. In fact I have already bought my brother''s present while in London! Ah, really? Yes. The present I am picking now is for somebody else. Ohohohoho! Don''t think the Reika you know in Zui''ran is all there is to me. Hmmm. Enjou looked at me with an amused smile. Kuh, don''t look into his eyes, Reika. He''ll see through your bluff! Well what might you be doing here, Enjou-sama? As you can see, I am shopping. Tsk. So Enjou liked expensive brands, did he? Now that I looked at him he was wearing a fashionable scarf right now. This store was filled with the kind of elegant clothes that matched his style. Ah, umm, Enjou-sama, began Kikuno-chan, is Kaburagisam not with you? Enjou had come in with a group of boys, but we didn''t see Kaburagi amongst them. Hm? Masaya is busy with something else right now. We''re meeting up later. Enjou suddenly threw a glance my way. Ah, touring the dessert shops with Wakabchan, huh? According to Wakaba, this morning she would have gone to see the Palace of Versailles, just outside of Paris. Then, after lunch, she''d be hearing back this way, meaning that it was about time that she''d arrive. It was a pretty long time, but then the Versaille was rather far away. As the Rococo Queen it was a place I had to visit, but since shopping was our focus for today it was too far for us to consider. Besides, everyone in the group had already been before. Still, if time permitted I''d like to have gone. Oh, I know! Reiksama, why don''t you ask Enjou-sama for advice! Huh? What the heck are you saying, Ayame-chan! Advice? Enjou inclined his head in question, still smiling gently. Yes! Reiksama has been having a lot of trouble deciding on a gift souvenir. Do you think you could help her, Enjou-sama? Hey, come on now. My, that will not do, Ayamsan, I chided. Enjou-sama has his own If you''re alright with me, why not, Ojousama? he interrupted me with a bright smile. Geeeehhhhh! I looked back and the girls were all cheering. What the h.e.l.l!? The conversation just advanced without me! But Enjou-sama, your friends are They''re going to shop across the street, so it''s no problem if we split up. Uohh, is that so? Isn''t that great, Reiksama! Enjou-sama will know for sure what the best choice is! Ahhhh~ I mean, I guess that could be true But it''s Enjou. Kisshouin-san, am I not good enough? he wondered aloud. Guh! The way he said it would make me look like an ingrate if I turned him down now! So sneaky! I will be in your care, then. Kuh, I lost But since the girls had been dreaming of spending time with Enjou today, I supposed I had no choice Or so I thought when they suddenly told me, Well then, we''ll be going to another store now~ Please take care of Reiksama, Enjou-sama~ and left me behind with strange smiles. What the heck!? It looks like your friends are gone. So it seems. So mean Well then, shall we find that present of yours? I suppose we shall. Mn, fine then! Now that it had come to this I would at least make the best of Enjou''s good fashion sense. Do you have anything concrete in mind? he asked me. No, nothing so specific. I am finding it hard to decide I admitted. He would have his own taste in neckties, no? He probably would, he confirmed. But cufflinks and lapel pins are difficult to choose as well How old is he? Enjou asked. The same age as Oniisama. Enjou hummed. If it''s too difficult choosing clothing, then what if you bought him a business card holder, or a business card case? I see! That was a good idea! The problem is that some people match them with their clothing line. I see~ It was quite possible, since this was Imari-sama we were talking about. You didn''t consult Takateru-san? Oniisama was adamant that consumables would be best. Ahaha, as expected of him. What was expected? Well, whatever. Hm, as far as other gifts that don''t need much thought, I guess there''s ball markers? Ball markers? I asked. In golf, there can be a lot of other players'' b.a.l.l.s when you''re close to the flagstick. Since they roll around and get in the way, people place ball markers down in their place until it''s their turn to put, he explained to me. Ohho~! That was an option too!? I''d never tried golf, after all, and I didn''t have much interest either, so I had no idea these things even existed! But if he is already playing golf, then would he not already have markers that he likes? It was fine if he''d never played it before, but if Imari-sama was golfing then he obviously had one. That''s true, but you can have as many golf ball markers as you want, after all. Really? Yeah. A lot of people just pick one based on their mood for the day. That''s why they''re like cufflinks. I see~! If people kept a lot of them then maybe they wouldn''t be uncomfortable being gifted one more. In that case, might it be fine even if there is a problem with his taste? Ahaha! Don''t you have any confidence in your taste, Kisshouin-san? Well, should be fine though. Fashionable people often pick the most unique designs for their markers, after all. Ah, I see! As a bit of a joke! This had a low hurdle! It was settled then! My present to Imari-sama would be a ball marker! Aaah! Then in that case shouldn''t I have looked for one in England!? Golf was British! What an oversight! I wanted to go back now! Bring me back to England right this moment! What''s wrong? You suddenly look down. I wish I had known about these golf ball markers back in London. Ah, is that how it is? But I don''t think it matters, you know? Paris has some brands that are pretty famous for golf wear too, but he might appreciate it more if you pick him a brand he doesn''t know. Something he wouldn''t usually think to use. I see! Enjou was full of good advice! Alright, in that case I''d buy any golf ball markers that caught my eye in Paris and Rome, and then at the end I''d give the best one to Imari-sama. Then the rest could go to Otousama. Naturally I needed to find some for Oniisama too. This store was using ball markers as decorations. Oho, cute. I''d better check some other stores too. But thank goodness. With this, I''d addressed my biggest worry. For once, I was grateful to Enjou. Enjou-sama, thank you very much for your wonderful advice. You''re very welcome. It''s an honour to have been of use to you. Unexpectedly, Enjou might be a pretty good guy! We smiled at each other. Still smiling, Enjou placed his hand on my shoulder. Hm? No need to feel indebted to me, okay, Kisshouin-san? He was telling me I was indebted to him! Enjou left to meet Kaburagi, while I went on that boat tour down the Seine that we agreed on in London. And it was a stylish sunset cruise, no less! So dreamy! Unfortunately we were surrounded by couples. Ah-, those two were from Zui''ran! And they were holding hands! Didn''t they know that boys were supposed to keep a polite distance after seven!? Ah-, and that foreigner couple were kissing right now! What did they take public decency for!? So jealous. I suddenly remembered that I heard once. That being surrounded by girl friends with no boyfriends would make it so that you''d never find one either. Wasn''t that my situation right now? Maybe I was unpopular because I was surrounded by unpopular girls This is so fun, Reiksama! Going on a cruise was the right choice! Ayame-chan exclaimed with a smile next to me. Uugh! What on earth was I thinking!? Wasn''t it fine to have unpopular friends? We were on this cruise because I said I wanted to go on one, and we ate those fish and chips because I said I wanted to try some. Serikchan even turned into the Phantom for me. Right! Friends before romance! We weren''t unpopular, we just prioritised our friendships over anything else. It''s not that boys didn''t want us, but that we were staying away from boys. Right. On another note though, while cruising down the Seine was wonderful and all, it was a little cold doing this in May Chapter 225 Chapter 225 The Inugami Clan On his deathbed, ruthless pharmaceutical tyc.o.o.n, Inugami Sahei, is surrounded by his family, including three grown daughters, by three women he never married, as well as an outsider, Tamayo. Two of his daughters are accompanied by their husbands and sons, but the oldest, Matsuko, is alone. When he dies before identifying his heirs, the will cannot be read until all the family is present, so Matsuko sends for her son, Sukekiyo. When Matsukos son, Sukekiyo, arrives, his face is obscured by a skintight, white latex mask which arouses the suspicions of the other family members until Sukekiyo rolls up his mask uncovering a horribly burned visage. Sahei unexpectedly leaves the family fortune to the attractive Tamayo on the condition that she marry one of the Inugami grandsons C Sukekiyo, Suketake , or Suketomo C pitting blood against blood. If she doesnt, she will forfeit the inheritance. Foul play ensues. Hmhmhmm~ Sitting on my little finger was a gorgeous, lovely, pink gold pinky ring. During our free day in Paris the girls and I all bought one each together. While Enjou had been giving me advice, Serikchan and the others had gone off to look for something we could remember the trip by. In the end they went with the most adorable design. Little flowers lined up along the ring. When we were middle schoolers we had bought matching necklaces for the trip. This time it was rings. The proof of our relationship. Wah, so happy~ I was sitting there on the bus from the airport in Rome, smirking as I looked at my hand, when Kikuno-chan asked if I was listening. I just heard, but they say Kaburagi-sama visited a jeweller in Paris, she repeated. A jeweller!? What was he buying jewellery for? Kaburagi-sama was in a great mood this morning, wasnt it? Could it be that he bought jewellery as a present for someone special? Someone special!? I shouted. Geh! Dont tell me that because his date in Paris went smoothly he was planning on jumping straight to marriage!? No, no, not even that guy could be so stupid. Right? The terrible thing was that I couldnt say for sure. What do you think, Reiksama? Even if you ask me that Enjou-sama was there too. Emjou-sama? Then in that case, perhaps it was Enjou-sama who was buying a present for someone special, I suggested. Like an engagement ring for Yuiko-san. Enjou-sama!? Please no! cried Kikuno-chan. Even if you tell me that Dont you mind, Reiksama? I suppose not. Ehhh!? Well we mind! Right, Seriksan?! Yes. Uwah! I squealed. Staring out from between the gap in the chairs was Serikchans eye. Thats scary, Serikchan. Youre giving me the Shining flashbacks, okay! Could you ask Kaburagi-sama for us, please? Eh!? Me!? I exclaimed. Why me!? No way! Ask yourselves! Youre the only one who could ask about something like this. Pleaaaase, Reiksama. Ah, but Reiksama~! We wont be able to enjoy Rome if we dont know! Kikuno-san is right. You think so too, dont you, Seriksan? Ehhhhhhhh!? And so thats how, unable to refuse, when we arrived at the hotel lobby I found myself trudging towards Kaburagi. I had to psyche myself up a little because he was literally surrounded by boys. It didnt take long for him to notice my approach. Whats wrong, Kisshouin? Um, Kaburagi-sama, could I have a word? A word? he asked. We left his group and after a momentary frown his expression turned agreeable. I want to say yes, but were about to be a.s.signed our rooms. Come to the lounge in thirty. Well talk then. Eh!? Just for a small chat!? Its not something that can be finished in a few words. I was planning to just find some pillar to stand behind to ask about what he was doing yesterday. A few words would have been fine. But before I even had a chance to stop him he walked back into his ring of boys and headed up the elevator. Ehhh~!? I had to come all the way down to the lounge just to hear about this pointless topic!? Such a bother When I told the girls what happened, their eyes sparkled instead. An invitation for tea! Thats really not it. After unpacking in my room I headed down to the hotels caf lounge as per our one-sided agreement. Kaburagi was already waiting, and he raised a hand in greeting. Sitting elegantly next to him was Enjou, who had a smile and a cup in his hand. Mm? Why was he here? Masaya said he was having a secret rendezvous with you, and it sounded too interesting not to come, he explained. I sighed. Even if you smile like that, it doesnt look cute on a schemer like you. No sooner had I sat down did Kaburagi shoot me a knowing look. Kisshouin. I know what you wanted to ask me, he said smugly. I was pretty sure that he didnt. Leaning in, he continued full of confidence. You wanted to ask me about my date in Paris, right! he declared. Absolutely not. Eh? See? You had no idea at all. Wow, what was this look of shock? He looked like a pigeon knocked out of flight. Hmm. Pigeons My natural enemy I heard that you were a patron at a Parisian jeweller yesterday. Eh? Yeah, I went to one but? Might I inquire about your purchase? Huh? Why do I have to tell that to you? Right~? Im not asking you because I want to either. But you know, Serikchan and the others told me to, so Ummm~ Although I do not believe it myself, could it be that you bought a present for her? Her? Ohh, no, I didnt. Is that so. Haah, thank goodness. My discipline might have no common sense, but I was glad to see he knew at least this much. Still, if it wasnt for Wakabchan then I wonder what it was. I couldnt exactly go back to my group with nothing to show for it. And so I sat there, staring at him silently. Kaburagi scowled. Why do you even want to know? he asked. A rumour has spread about your visit there, so I was asked to investigate. What the h.e.l.l? Are you the reporter for a gossip magazine or something? Well thats rude. Now I might just report that you two bought matching watches. Isnt it fine? Enjou said. Its not a big deal so you may as well tell her. Oooh, good job, Enjou! Ah, but am I going to owe him another favour for this? Enjou was like an amoral loan-shark. His interest rates were frightening. Kaburagi just sighed. Fine. I just went there to pick up a watch for my mother. She left it there for repairs last month. Eh? Is that all? Thats all. Its an antique, so only the main store in Paris had the experts for it. What the heeeck~ So it was just an errand for mummy in the end? I see. And you bought nothing else then? Yeah. And Enjou-sama, if I might ask? Me? I didnt buy anything either. Realllly now~? No presents for Yuiko-san~? Uwa! The intensity from his smile just! Okay, okay, Ill believe you! But maybe I could spread a rumour about Please dont make up stories, Miss Reporter. He read my mind!? Thank you very much for telling me. Well then, please excuse me. I had what I needed so I promptly made to leave. Wait, wait! Kaburagi stopped me. What is it? This aint right. We havent even gotten to the main topic yet! Dont you want to know about it? How my Paris date went! No, not particularly, I said frankly, and was treated to a wide-eyed Kaburagi. By his side, Enjou stifled a laugh. Dont you want to know? You want to know, right? No, not particularly. You dont have to be shy. Dont you want to know? No, not particularly. Wow, what an unhappy look. Did want to tell me about his fun date with Wakabchan that badly? Youre my strategist. Its your duty to know! And as I have said before, I have no recollection of accepting that role. Isnt your hair a G.o.d of love? Its your duty to know! And you have never left any offerings. What was with that pout. Was he sulking or something? What a gwumpy wittle boy, you are~ I wonder if hed hit me if I said that. Now, now, we gave you some information too, so couldnt you go along with Masaya for a bit? Enjou persuaded. As for those offerings, would the desserts from this caf do? Tiramisu maybe? Would you prefer panna cotta? Shall I order both? Tiramisu is a coffee-flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. Panna cotta is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. Uuu, tempting me with sweet things was cheating. But since I was in Rome, I did want to try both Hang in there, Reika. Itll be dinner soon, and there are people watching. Console yourself with just the tiramisu. Enjou smiled. A reporter for a gossip magazine, the host of a hair G.o.d of love. You sure have a lot of t.i.tles, Kisshouin-san. Shush, you. Both of those were just forced on my by your best friend. Oh! The tiramisu was coming! Itadakimaaasu~ Alright. Youve had your offering, right? So anyway, about my date in Paris- What a sudden transition, I said. Its all hes been talking about, said Enjou. Its actually endless. Shut up, Shuusuke. Fine, fine. Sorry for making you listen to this, Kisshouin-san. Kaburagi clicked his tongue before continuing. I did as you said and changed taxis to give everyone the slip, and met up with Takamichi where we promised. It might be best not to mention her name here, I advised. Fine. Anyway, we met and then I led the way to the patisserie I mentioned. They were really happy. They said that they had fun the whole time. A gentle look replaced his normally severe expressions. He seemed really happy~ And wow, this tiramisu was pretty good~ When we were in j.a.pan they gave me a list of cakes that they wanted to try. They seemed so excited, asking if I thought they could go here or there while we were on the trip. Ohh~ He was trying to cover it with his fist, but I could still see him smirking like an idiot. We tried different flavours of macarons and talked about which one was best. Then since there were still too many things they wanted to try we ended up sharing them By now the smirk he was trying to hide had turned into a full-blown grin. Sharing a cake between two people was a nice, sweet, romantic clich after all. Since the day after tomorrow is another free day, were planning to sneak off and try dessert touring again, you know. Today she said to me, I had so much fun. Every one of the stores you recommended was delicious!. Geez, that girl. Ohh~ His little date in Paris was an even better success than Id expected. The cool Emperor of Zuiran was practically dancing for joy. I wouldnt be surprised if he screamed La vie en rose! at any moment. That might have been what he did last night, actually. They loved the chocolat too. There are some good places in j.a.pan, so Im thinking of inviting them when we get back As for good gelato places in Rome They said they wanted to try pizza too, so I could take them to Since Id finished the tiramisu, I was wondering if I could head back to my room now. Next to the gushing Emperor, Enjou was sipping at his cappuccino like it was none of his business. Was this what he went through last night? Friends could be such a pain sometimes. After a while, Kaburagi had finally stopped to catch his breath so it was time to leave. Oh? You still havent talked enough? Well thats none of my business. Ive listened enough to make up for the offering already. Just as I had gotten out of my seat, Enjou whispered into my ear. Rather than a couple, dont you think that going around and touring dessert places sounds more like two girlfriends? d.a.m.ned venomous schemer. When I got back to my room I let the girls know that it was just an errand for mummy. After our grade all had dinner together, for some reason Kaburagi pa.s.sed me a box of a.s.sorted macarons on the way back. Ladure. 75 Av. des Champs-lyses, 75008 Paris, France btw. Since you said you needed offerings, here, Im sharing the joy. These are the macarons that they said were particularly delicious. Besides these theres also Apparently he was going to use the macarons as an excuse to talk about Wakabchan some more. The way back to the hotel was filled with more of his sugar-sweet nonsense. Enjou was right. It really was endless. Speaking of Enjou He was standing a ways away, waving at me with a smile. So he escaped. Anyway, thanks to all of this, for the next few days there was a rumour that Kaburagi had been talking to me joyously after handing me a gift. Such a nuisance! Incidentally, the dessert for dinner that night was tiramisu. I should have gone for the panna cotta! As for the macarons, I shared them with the girls. Today we were sightseeing in Rome. Amongst the places we visited were the Roman Forum, the Mouth of Truth, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum. The whole day was packed with famous landmarks. The Mouth of Truth had a huge line in front of it, so I decided not to stick my hand in it this time. It wasnt like anything happened once youd stuck your hand in, so doing it once in my life had been enough. Unlike me, this was Wakabchans first time in rome, so I spotted her in line with a camera in hand. When we pa.s.sed by the Trevi Fountain I throw in two coins just to be safe. An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. The money has been used to subsidise a supermarket for Romes needy. Please grant me marriage with somebody I love! Please grant me a fulfilling love life! I want to go on a date where I share food with the boy I like too! Ah! We were in a Christian country right now, but Id forgotten to put my hands together when I prayed. Yesterday I said that Kaburagis Paris date was really more like a date between two girl friends, but the truth was I was envious of him. It was too jealousy-inducing for the Chief of the Forever Alone village Moving on though, Rome sure was brown-coloured. At least thats the image I got. Maybe it was all the historical ruins. If Paris was Kyoto, then I guess that made Rome Nara. Anybody who was a fan of Imperial Roman history was sure to be drooling. But wasnt the culture of ancient Rome a bit too intense? Like, the ancient Romans would eat up until they were full. But instead of stopping, theyd shove a peac.o.c.k feather down their throats, throw it all up, all so that they could enjoy more of the food. Like, the ancient Romans would eat up until they were full. But instead of stopping, theyd shove a peac.o.c.k feather down their throats, throw it all up, all so that they could enjoy more of the food. Who came up with that. It was such a gluttonous concept that it was kind of disturbing But the Vatican was nice. The St. Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel were both solemn and amazing. Designed princ.i.p.ally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peters is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. The Piet is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peters Basilica, Vatican City. The Pieta was amazing, and the paintings on the ceiling were overwhelming. The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art. The only downside was that there were so many people it was hard to just take your time and look. It was one of those places you could spend a whole day in. As a postage stamp collector I couldnt resist the allure of the beautiful Vatican-exclusives. Since that was the case, I was going to use them to send air mail back to everyone in j.a.pan. Of course Id be back in the country before the mail arrived, but if you visit the Vatican you just have to get some stamps, right~? Who could resist sending mail from here? The day before Id gone to buy some lovely postcards from a store near out hotel. They were of the paintings in the Vatican, and already had everyones addresses and my messages to them. I had expressly prepared them so that all I needed to do now was put on a postage stamp and send them. Ideally Id have bought the postcards inside the Vatican City, but it would just be hard to find the time to write all my messages here~ Maybe I could just buy some of them as souvenirs. Waah, there were so many pretty postage stamps. Im gunna bring a bunch of you back for memories. My blood as a stamp collector was just boiling~ Gosh, they were just drawing me in! This was the one Id bought last time, wasnt it. But this one, I dont think I had Was it new? Angel postcards were just perfect for Yukino-kun and the kids! As for Oniisama and Ririna, Id go with the holy mother and child. And I loved how beautiful this one was. Id go with St. Peters Basilica for Otousama and Okaasama. Sakurchan, Aoi-chan, and my mother friends though I think Id go with paintings for them after all. Finally, Id send a few to myself in secret, too. Dear Reika,How are you? Kisshouin-saaaan. Its time for our cla.s.s to meet up, called Satomi-kun. Okaaaay, I called back. Sorry, Satomi-kun. Im supposed to be a cla.s.s rep too. Say, Kisshouin-san, are you going to see any of the catacombs tomorrow? As if, idiot! What do you mean itll be super fun, well get to see mountains of skeletons? Satomi-kun was definitely doing this on purpose, wasnt he!? Maybe instead of purifying my room I should use what was left of my salt on Satomi-kun Hmm? Kisshouin-san, together some of the curls on the back of your head turn into the number of the beast, you know? Isnt that pretty bad here in the Vatican? Ive decided. Ill throw the rest of my salt at Satomi-kun! The next day was free time. Naturally we werent going to anywhere dreadful like a catacomb, and instead we had enjoying delicious Italian food, and shopping planned. Pizza is just a must in Rome, isnt it~? There was a great place I ate at the last time I was in Rome. Should we go there, then? While we were walking along and having fun, sometimes people whistled at us, or messed around and said Hey! j.a.panese! or Pizza? Pizza?. It was uncomfortable. We were basically on the doorstep of the headquarters for Christianity across the world, so why were these guys messing around when it wasnt even noon yet? Stop saying siesta, siesta and get to work! We went to a trattoria that was well-known for its pizza and ordered amatriciana and margherita, before heading to the Piazza di Spagna for some gelato. Next was tiramisu! Once ours stomachs were sated it was time for shopping. I decided to get Akimi-san some olive oil. And I just wanted to buy all the cheese, from Pecorino Romano, to Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of cheese! Id even heard stories about some of the banks around Italy storing Parmigiano-Reggiano in their vaults. I wonder how true they were. As for sweets, since Id already gotten a bunch in Paris I decided to lay off a little. Not on the gianduja, though. Gianduja or gianduia is a sweet chocolate spread containing about 30% hazelnut paste, invented in Turin during Napolons regency. Had to get that. Wah! Stylish Italian stationery! I wanted sealing wax! And the rose seal was just fashionable beyond belief! I had to get one that said R! Isnt sealing letters with wax stamps just so aristocrat~!? And the bottles of scented ink were just so cute. I could get a gla.s.s pen and then give them together as a souvenir. Maybe I ought to buy a quill too? We bought too much, didnt we, Reiksama? Quite My arms were being torn off. On the last night of the trip we gathered in a room together and lounged around in masks, since the air in Europe had been a bit dry. By now, we were all pretty beat. The scheduled was a bit packed, but it was fun, wasnt it. It really was. But it wouldve been nice to stay in each country a bit more. Lets all go again together. We can make it our graduation trip. Graduation trip! I wanted in! I shot to my feet. A splendid idea! A graduation trip! Shall we go? I said. We should! Where do you want to go, Reiksama? Hmmm. Just Paris or London again would be fine too, but how about Spain or Northern Europe? If we go to Italy, then what if we visited Milan or Florence? I want to go to Venice too. Venice, huh? It was a minor dream of mine to ride on a gondola with my sweetheart. Id be holding up a fancy parasol by his side, as he smiled gently and whispered sweet nothings in my ear. My future lover. How dreamy. Gondolas come to mind, and the boat trip down the Seine was great fun, wasnt it? It was! Im glad we went. Me too. It was a bit cold, but it was a great time. Quite a few others took the boat tour as well. They did. But Id been hearing stories about couples forming because of it, in quite a few cla.s.ses. Unforgiveable In the end, I didnt have a single romantic encounter during the whole trip. Not even a single boy had suggested spending a free day together as a group. Even the Kaburagi-obsessed Tsuruhansans group had enjoyed a Parisian sidewalk caf with some boys. I thought I had heard her laughing at me when we walked past that. I wonder if I was just hallucinating because of my inferiority complex So later, when I spotted Kemari Dainagon trying to talk to girls at the Piazza di Spagna, I made a beeline for him and stood right between them to get in his way. Kekeke. But anyway, people did say that the couples that formed on trips like these broke up soon enough. It was just temporary, I bet. Theyd definitely be returning to my village soon enough. Hohohoho. Are you okay, Reiksama? You started glaring into the distance Ah, oh my. I accidentally let my jealousy show. Since my mask had set in, it was time to peel it off. Lets see, how was my skin doing? I was just about to marvel at how glossy my skin looked when I was. .h.i.t with a horrifying discovery. Its gone! My urna is gone! Impossible! I looked over my hairline, again and again. No way! It was really gone! My symbol of good fortune, my urna! Back when my eyebrows had gone partially bald I received this symbol of fortuna in return, so why was it gone now!? Whats the matter, Reiksama!? Whats gone? My urna is gone! The urna I had growing on my forehead! I desperately explained. When had it disappeared!? Had I taken it off along with the mask!? But it was just a sheet mask! It shouldnt have pulled anything off! Whats an urna? No idea Its like a long white hair, apparently. Ah, like those old man eyebrows? No! Youre thinking of a Taoist immortal! The urna the curly one that Lord Shakyamuni has! And strictly speaking the colourless hair I had wasnt an urna but a blessed hair! A curse comes home to roost Is this because I was too envious of the people in the Fulfilling Romance Village that my good fortune ran away!? Was this an omen for worse luck in romance when I got back to j.a.pan!? Now, now. Calm down, Reiksama. You must be tired, Reiksama. Come on, its time to sleep. But, my urna! My blessed hair! Everythings going to be *juuust fine~ Still wearing their masks, Serikchan and the others pushed me into bed before surrounding it on all sides. Its bedtime~ Theres a good girl~ they cooed, waving their hands back and forth. Eh!? Was this some sort of black ma.s.s!? U-Umm I tried. Everythings going to be juuust fine, Reiksama~ Its time for bed now. Reiksama is very tired. Sleep~ Sleep~ Its okay, Reiksama~ Sleep~ And so there I was, laying in a dark room, surrounded by a group of singing Sukekiyos. What did I do now? Could it be that Serikchan and the others were actually part of some demonic cult? Were they here for the 666 in my hair? Id already used all of my purifying salt. And I had no urna to protect me. I was helpless! The Inugami Clan On his deathbed, ruthless pharmaceutical tyc.o.o.n, Inugami Sahei, is surrounded by his family, including three grown daughters, by three women he never married, as well as an outsider, Tamayo. Two of his daughters are accompanied by their husbands and sons, but the oldest, Matsuko, is alone. When he dies before identifying his heirs, the will cannot be read until all the family is present, so Matsuko sends for her son, Sukekiyo. When Matsuko s son, Sukekiyo, arrives, his face is obscured by a skintight, white latex mask which arouses the suspicions of the other family members until Sukekiyo rolls up his mask uncovering a horribly burned visage. Sahei unexpectedly leaves the family fortune to the attractive Tamayo on the condition that she marry one of the Inugami grandsons Sukekiyo, Suketake , or Suketomo pitting blood against blood. If she doesn t, she will forfeit the inheritance. Foul play ensues. Hmhmhmm Sitting on my little finger was a gorgeous, lovely, pink gold pinky ring. During our free day in Paris the girls and I all bought one each together. While Enjou had been giving me advice, Serika chan and the others had gone off to look for something we could remember the trip by. In the end they went with the most adorable design. Little flowers lined up along the ring. When we were middle schoolers we had bought matching necklaces for the trip. This time it was rings. The proof of our relationship. Wah, so happy I was sitting there on the bus from the airport in Rome, smirking as I looked at my hand, when Kikuno chan asked if I was listening. I just heard, but they say Kaburagi sama visited a jeweller in Paris, she repeated. A jeweller What was he buying jewellery for Kaburagi sama was in a great mood this morning, wasn t it Could it be that he bought jewellery as a present for someone special Someone special I shouted. Geh Don t tell me that because his date in Paris went smoothly he was planning on jumping straight to marriage No, no, not even that guy could be so stupid. Right The terrible thing was that I couldn t say for sure. What do you think, Reika sama Even if you ask me that Enjou sama was there too. Emjou sama Then in that case, perhaps it was Enjou sama who was buying a present for someone special, I suggested. Like an engagement ring for Yuiko san. Enjou sama Please no cried Kikuno chan. Even if you tell me that Don t you mind, Reika sama I suppose not. Ehhh Well we mind Right, Serika san Yes. Uwah I squealed. Staring out from between the gap in the chairs was Serika chan s eye. That s scary, Serika chan. You re giving me the Shining flashbacks, okay Could you ask Kaburagi sama for us, please Eh Me I exclaimed. Why me No way Ask yourselves You re the only one who could ask about something like this. Pleaaaase, Reika sama. Ah, but Reika sama We won t be able to enjoy Rome if we don t know Kikuno san is right. You think so too, don t you, Serika san Ehhhhhhhh And so that s how, unable to refuse, when we arrived at the hotel lobby I found myself trudging towards Kaburagi. I had to psyche myself up a little because he was literally surrounded by boys. It didn t take long for him to notice my approach. What s wrong, Kisshouin Um, Kaburagi sama, could I have a word A word he asked. We left his group and after a momentary frown his expression turned agreeable. I want to say yes, but we re about to be a.s.signed our rooms. Come to the lounge in thirty. We ll talk then. Eh Just for a small chat It s not something that can be finished in a few words. I was planning to just find some pillar to stand behind to ask about what he was doing yesterday. A few words would have been fine. But before I even had a chance to stop him he walked back into his ring of boys and headed up the elevator. Ehhh I had to come all the way down to the lounge just to hear about this pointless topic Such a bother When I told the girls what happened, their eyes sparkled instead. An invitation for tea That s really not it. After unpacking in my room I headed down to the hotel s caf lounge as per our one sided agreement. Kaburagi was already waiting, and he raised a hand in greeting. Sitting elegantly next to him was Enjou, who had a smile and a cup in his hand. Mm Why was he here Masaya said he was having a secret rendezvous with you, and it sounded too interesting not to come, he explained. I sighed. Even if you smile like that, it doesn t look cute on a schemer like you. No sooner had I sat down did Kaburagi shoot me a knowing look. Kisshouin. I know what you wanted to ask me, he said smugly. I was pretty sure that he didn t. Leaning in, he continued full of confidence. You wanted to ask me about my date in Paris, right he declared. Absolutely not. Eh See You had no idea at all. Wow, what was this look of shock He looked like a pigeon knocked out of flight. Hmm. Pigeons My natural enemy I heard that you were a patron at a Parisian jeweller yesterday. Eh Yeah, I went to one but Might I inquire about your purchase Huh Why do I have to tell that to you Right I m not asking you because I want to either. But you know, Serika chan and the others told me to, so Ummm Although I do not believe it myself, could it be that you bought a present for her Her Ohh, no, I didn t. Is that so. Haah, thank goodness. My discipline might have no common sense, but I was glad to see he knew at least this much. Still, if it wasn t for Wakaba chan then I wonder what it was. I couldn t exactly go back to my group with nothing to show for it. And so I sat there, staring at him silently. Kaburagi scowled. Why do you even want to know he asked. A rumour has spread about your visit there, so I was asked to investigate. What the h.e.l.l Are you the reporter for a gossip magazine or something Well that s rude. Now I might just report that you two bought matching watches. Isn t it fine Enjou said. It s not a big deal so you may as well tell her. Oooh, good job, Enjou Ah, but am I going to owe him another favour for this Enjou was like an amoral loan shark. His interest rates were frightening. Kaburagi just sighed. Fine. I just went there to pick up a watch for my mother. She left it there for repairs last month. Eh Is that all That s all. It s an antique, so only the main store in Paris had the experts for it. What the heeeck So it was just an errand for mummy in the end I see. And you bought nothing else then Yeah. And Enjou sama, if I might ask Me I didn t buy anything either. Realllly now No presents for Yuiko san Uwa The intensity from his smile just Okay, okay, I ll believe you But maybe I could spread a rumour about Please don t make up stories, Miss Reporter. He read my mind Thank you very much for telling me. Well then, please excuse me. I had what I needed so I promptly made to leave. Wait, wait Kaburagi stopped me. What is it This ain t right. We haven t even gotten to the main topic yet Don t you want to know about it How my Paris date went No, not particularly, I said frankly, and was treated to a wide eyed Kaburagi. By his side, Enjou stifled a laugh. Don t you want to know You want to know, right No, not particularly. You don t have to be shy. Don t you want to know No, not particularly. Wow, what an unhappy look. Did want to tell me about his fun date with Wakaba chan that badly You re my strategist. It s your duty to know And as I have said before, I have no recollection of accepting that role. Isn t your hair a G.o.d of love It s your duty to know And you have never left any offerings. What was with that pout. Was he sulking or something What a gwumpy wittle boy, you are I wonder if he d hit me if I said that. Now, now, we gave you some information too, so couldn t you go along with Masaya for a bit Enjou persuaded. As for those offerings, would the desserts from this caf do Tiramisu maybe Would you prefer panna cotta Shall I order both Tiramisu is a coffee flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers savoiardi dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. Panna cotta is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. Uuu, tempting me with sweet things was cheating. But since I was in Rome, I did want to try both Hang in there, Reika. It ll be dinner soon, and there are people watching. Console yourself with just the tiramisu. Enjou smiled. A reporter for a gossip magazine, the host of a hair G.o.d of love. You sure have a lot of t.i.tles, Kisshouin san. Shush, you. Both of those were just forced on my by your best friend. Oh The tiramisu was coming Itadakimaaasu Alright. You ve had your offering, right So anyway, about my date in Paris What a sudden transition, I said. It s all he s been talking about, said Enjou. It s actually endless. Shut up, Shuusuke. Fine, fine. Sorry for making you listen to this, Kisshouin san. Kaburagi clicked his tongue before continuing. I did as you said and changed taxis to give everyone the slip, and met up with Takamichi where we promised. It might be best not to mention her name here, I advised. Fine. Anyway, we met and then I led the way to the patisserie I mentioned. They were really happy. They said that they had fun the whole time. A gentle look replaced his normally severe expressions. He seemed really happy And wow, this tiramisu was pretty good When we were in j.a.pan they gave me a list of cakes that they wanted to try. They seemed so excited, asking if I thought they could go here or there while we were on the trip. Ohh He was trying to cover it with his fist, but I could still see him smirking like an idiot. We tried different flavours of macarons and talked about which one was best. Then since there were still too many things they wanted to try we ended up sharing them By now the smirk he was trying to hide had turned into a full blown grin. Sharing a cake between two people was a nice, sweet, romantic clich after all. Since the day after tomorrow is another free day, we re planning to sneak off and try dessert touring again, you know. Today she said to me, I had so much fun. Every one of the stores you recommended was delicious . Geez, that girl. Ohh His little date in Paris was an even better success than I d expected. The cool Emperor of Zui ran was practically dancing for joy. I wouldn t be surprised if he screamed La vie en rose at any moment. That might have been what he did last night, actually. They loved the chocolat too. There are some good places in j.a.pan, so I m thinking of inviting them when we get back As for good gelato places in Rome They said they wanted to try pizza too, so I could take them to Since I d finished the tiramisu, I was wondering if I could head back to my room now. Next to the gushing Emperor, Enjou was sipping at his cappuccino like it was none of his business. Was this what he went through last night Friends could be such a pain sometimes. After a while, Kaburagi had finally stopped to catch his breath so it was time to leave. Oh You still haven t talked enough Well that s none of my business. I ve listened enough to make up for the offering already. Just as I had gotten out of my seat, Enjou whispered into my ear. Rather than a couple, don t you think that going around and touring dessert places sounds more like two girlfriends d.a.m.ned venomous schemer. When I got back to my room I let the girls know that it was just an errand for mummy. After our grade all had dinner together, for some reason Kaburagi pa.s.sed me a box of a.s.sorted macarons on the way back. Ladur e. 75 Av. des Champs lys es, 75008 Paris, France btw. Since you said you needed offerings, here, I m sharing the joy. These are the macarons that they said were particularly delicious. Besides these there s also Apparently he was going to use the macarons as an excuse to talk about Wakaba chan some more. The way back to the hotel was filled with more of his sugar sweet nonsense. Enjou was right. It really was endless. Speaking of Enjou He was standing a ways away, waving at me with a smile. So he escaped. Anyway, thanks to all of this, for the next few days there was a rumour that Kaburagi had been talking to me joyously after handing me a gift. Such a nuisance Incidentally, the dessert for dinner that night was tiramisu. I should have gone for the panna cotta As for the macarons, I shared them with the girls. Today we were sightseeing in Rome. Amongst the places we visited were the Roman Forum, the Mouth of Truth, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum. The whole day was packed with famous landmarks. The Mouth of Truth had a huge line in front of it, so I decided not to stick my hand in it this time. It wasn t like anything happened once you d stuck your hand in, so doing it once in my life had been enough. Unlike me, this was Wakaba chan s first time in rome, so I spotted her in line with a camera in hand. When we pa.s.sed by the Trevi Fountain I throw in two coins just to be safe. An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. The money has been used to subsidise a supermarket for Rome s needy. Please grant me marriage with somebody I love Please grant me a fulfilling love life I want to go on a date where I share food with the boy I like too Ah We were in a Christian country right now, but I d forgotten to put my hands together when I prayed. Yesterday I said that Kaburagi s Paris date was really more like a date between two girl friends, but the truth was I was envious of him. It was too jealousy inducing for the Chief of the Forever Alone village Moving on though, Rome sure was brown coloured. At least that s the image I got. Maybe it was all the historical ruins. If Paris was Kyoto, then I guess that made Rome Nara. Anybody who was a fan of Imperial Roman history was sure to be drooling. But wasn t the culture of ancient Rome a bit too intense Like, the ancient Romans would eat up until they were full. But instead of stopping, they d shove a peac.o.c.k feather down their throats, throw it all up, all so that they could enjoy more of the food. Who came up with that. It was such a gluttonous concept that it was kind of disturbing But the Vatican was nice. The St. Peter s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel were both solemn and amazing. Designed princ.i.p.ally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. The Piet is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter s Basilica, Vatican City. The Pieta was amazing, and the paintings on the ceiling were overwhelming. The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art. The only downside was that there were so many people it was hard to just take your time and look. It was one of those places you could spend a whole day in. As a postage stamp collector I couldn t resist the allure of the beautiful Vatican exclusives. Since that was the case, I was going to use them to send air mail back to everyone in j.a.pan. Of course I d be back in the country before the mail arrived, but if you visit the Vatican you just have to get some stamps, right Who could resist sending mail from here The day before I d gone to buy some lovely postcards from a store near out hotel. They were of the paintings in the Vatican, and already had everyone s addresses and my messages to them. I had expressly prepared them so that all I needed to do now was put on a postage stamp and send them. Ideally I d have bought the postcards inside the Vatican City, but it would just be hard to find the time to write all my messages here Maybe I could just buy some of them as souvenirs. Waah, there were so many pretty postage stamps. I m gunna bring a bunch of you back for memories. My blood as a stamp collector was just boiling Gosh, they were just drawing me in This was the one I d bought last time, wasn t it. But this one, I don t think I had Was it new Angel postcards were just perfect for Yukino kun and the kids As for Oniisama and Ririna, I d go with the holy mother and child. And I loved how beautiful this one was. I d go with St. Peter s Basilica for Otousama and Okaasama. Sakura chan, Aoi chan, and my mother friends though I think I d go with paintings for them after all. Finally, I d send a few to myself in secret, too. Dear Reika, How are you Kisshouin saaaan. It s time for our cla.s.s to meet up, called Satomi kun. Okaaaay, I called back. Sorry, Satomi kun. I m supposed to be a cla.s.s rep too. Say, Kisshouin san, are you going to see any of the catacombs tomorrow As if, idiot What do you mean it ll be super fun, we ll get to see mountains of skeletons Satomi kun was definitely doing this on purpose, wasn t he Maybe instead of purifying my room I should use what was left of my salt on Satomi kun Hmm Kisshouin san, together some of the curls on the back of your head turn into the number of the beast, you know Isn t that pretty bad here in the Vatican I ve decided. I ll throw the rest of my salt at Satomi kun The next day was free time. Naturally we weren t going to anywhere dreadful like a catacomb, and instead we had enjoying delicious Italian food, and shopping planned. Pizza is just a must in Rome, isn t it There was a great place I ate at the last time I was in Rome. Should we go there, then While we were walking along and having fun, sometimes people whistled at us, or messed around and said Hey j.a.panese or Pizza Pizza . It was uncomfortable. We were basically on the doorstep of the headquarters for Christianity across the world, so why were these guys messing around when it wasn t even noon yet Stop saying siesta, siesta and get to work We went to a trattoria that was well known for its pizza and ordered amatriciana and margherita, before heading to the Piazza di Spagna for some gelato. Next was tiramisu Once ours stomachs were sated it was time for shopping. I decided to get Akimi san some olive oil. And I just wanted to buy all the cheese, from Pecorino Romano, to Parmigiano Reggiano, the king of cheese I d even heard stories about some of the banks around Italy storing Parmigiano Reggiano in their vaults. I wonder how true they were. As for sweets, since I d already gotten a bunch in Paris I decided to lay off a little. Not on the gianduja, though. Gianduja or gianduia is a sweet chocolate spread containing about 30 hazelnut paste, invented in Turin during Napol on s regency. Had to get that. Wah Stylish Italian stationery I wanted sealing wax And the rose seal was just fashionable beyond belief I had to get one that said R Isn t sealing letters with wax stamps just so aristocrat And the bottles of scented ink were just so cute. I could get a gla.s.s pen and then give them together as a souvenir. Maybe I ought to buy a quill too We bought too much, didn t we, Reika sama Quite My arms were being torn off. On the last night of the trip we gathered in a room together and lounged around in masks, since the air in Europe had been a bit dry. By now, we were all pretty beat. The scheduled was a bit packed, but it was fun, wasn t it. It really was. But it would ve been nice to stay in each country a bit more. Let s all go again together. We can make it our graduation trip. Graduation trip I wanted in I shot to my feet. A splendid idea A graduation trip Shall we go I said. We should Where do you want to go, Reika sama Hmmm. Just Paris or London again would be fine too, but how about Spain or Northern Europe If we go to Italy, then what if we visited Milan or Florence I want to go to Venice too. Venice, huh It was a minor dream of mine to ride on a gondola with my sweetheart. I d be holding up a fancy parasol by his side, as he smiled gently and whispered sweet nothings in my ear. My future lover. How dreamy. Gondolas come to mind, and the boat trip down the Seine was great fun, wasn t it It was I m glad we went. Me too. It was a bit cold, but it was a great time. Quite a few others took the boat tour as well. They did. But I d been hearing stories about couples forming because of it, in quite a few cla.s.ses. Unforgiveable In the end, I didn t have a single romantic encounter during the whole trip. Not even a single boy had suggested spending a free day together as a group. Even the Kaburagi obsessed Tsuruhana san s group had enjoyed a Parisian sidewalk caf with some boys. I thought I had heard her laughing at me when we walked past that. I wonder if I was just hallucinating because of my inferiority complex So later, when I spotted Kemari Dainagon trying to talk to girls at the Piazza di Spagna, I made a beeline for him and stood right between them to get in his way. Kekeke. But anyway, people did say that the couples that formed on trips like these broke up soon enough. It was just temporary, I bet. They d definitely be returning to my village soon enough. Hohohoho. Are you okay, Reika sama You started glaring into the distance Ah, oh my. I accidentally let my jealousy show. Since my mask had set in, it was time to peel it off. Let s see, how was my skin doing I was just about to marvel at how glossy my skin looked when I was. .h.i.t with a horrifying discovery. It s gone My urna is gone Impossible I looked over my hairline, again and again. No way It was really gone My symbol of good fortune, my urna Back when my eyebrows had gone partially bald I received this symbol of fortuna in return, so why was it gone now What s the matter, Reika sama What s gone My urna is gone The urna I had growing on my forehead I desperately explained. When had it disappeared Had I taken it off along with the mask But it was just a sheet mask It shouldn t have pulled anything off What s an urna No idea It s like a long white hair, apparently. Ah, like those old man eyebrows No You re thinking of a Taoist immortal The urna the curly one that Lord Shakyamuni has And strictly speaking the colourless hair I had wasn t an urna but a blessed hair A curse comes home to roost Is this because I was too envious of the people in the Fulfilling Romance Village that my good fortune ran away Was this an omen for worse luck in romance when I got back to j.a.pan Now, now. Calm down, Reika sama. You must be tired, Reika sama. Come on, it s time to sleep. But, my urna My blessed hair Everything s going to be juuust fine Still wearing their masks, Serika chan and the others pushed me into bed before surrounding it on all sides. It s bedtime There s a good girl they cooed, waving their hands back and forth. Eh Was this some sort of black ma.s.s U Umm I tried. Everything s going to be juuust fine, Reika sama It s time for bed now. Reika sama is very tired. Sleep Sleep It s okay, Reika sama Sleep And so there I was, laying in a dark room, surrounded by a group of singing Sukekiyo s. What did I do now Could it be that Serika chan and the others were actually part of some demonic cult Were they here for the 666 in my hair I d already used all of my purifying salt. And I had no urna to protect me. I was helpless Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Im pretty comfortable around strangers, and Im not picky about who I interact with either. That said, when I entered the high school section and my homeroom teacher told me that the Kisshouin Reika was going to be cla.s.s rep with me, Ill be honest: Uwaah, are you kidding me!? was my first thought. Kisshouin Reika A member of the privileged Pivoine group, and the Big Boss of all the girls. Rumour had it that if you crossed her, her subordinates would have you disappear into the abyss Well, jokes aside, the point was that a cla.s.s representative was just a glorified odd jobs position. n.o.body would believe that a member of the Pivoine would willingly clean up after their cla.s.s. Not only that, but I wasnt looking forward to bending backwards to avoid hurting her pride and feelings. While I was feeling rather gloomy, Akizawa suddenly called out to me. Satomi, apparently youre going to be cla.s.s rep with Kisshouin-san? Uh, yeah. Hey, speaking of which, arent you supposed to be pretty close with her? I vaguely recalled them speaking from time to time in middle school. I guess? Its more like my childhood friend that shes close to. That girl that came to the festival? Uh, f.u.kioksan? Yup. Akizawas childhood friend was a prim and proper, gentle yamato nadeshiko. And he kept calling her a childhood friend, but she was probably his girlfriend. Kisshouin-san and I went to cram school together in primary. We became friends, but after that she got to know Sakurako too, and now the two are best friends. Ohhh~? He just called Kisshouin Reika his friend without batting an eyelid. This guy was kind of amazing. Oh right. Giving her some sweets when shes tired will cheer her right up. What are you talking about? Since we were kids her mood has always soured a little when shes hungry. If you give her something sweet though, her mood shoots right back up. Even Sakurako says that as long as you give her food, that girl Ah, nevermind that, he corrected himself quickly. Anyhow, try talking to her without being biased. Shes easy to misunderstanding, but shes actually pretty earnest, and a good girl. With that said, he left the cla.s.sroom. An earnest and good girl, huh? I considered withholding my judgement for the moment. But as if a member of the Pivoine, and Kisshouin Reika no less, would be the type to cheer up just by eating some dessert. Anyway, after that I began my tenure as cla.s.s representative with Kisshouin-san. I have to admit that my expectations were overturned. Sitting there as her followers carried out her will with nothing more than a glance. That was the image I had of Kisshouin Reika but when we began working she proactively gathered the forms from everybody, and would head off to hand them in at the Student Council like it was a matter of course. She even replaced the cla.s.sroom supplies before I noticed that they were lacking. Being honest she was actually doing a better job of it than I was. Akizawa was right; I really shouldnt have judged by appearances. Another happy surprise was that having her around made form collections abnormally efficient. Even the newly enrolled Externals knew that going against her was a bad idea, to say nothing of the Internals. Compared to other cla.s.ses, everything went crazy smooth for us. Thank you, Kisshouin-san. Of course I couldnt just leave everything to her. But when I told her that Id take the forms to the StuCo room, she just s.n.a.t.c.hed them out of my hands. Uh, hey, you dont have to panic like that. Im not trying to steal your job or anything. Ah. She just tripped over empty floor. But she was still clutching onto the forms. I watched her go. Did this count as being earnest? I had the feeling that she had some sort of ulterior motive though Going back to those Externals, it was clear from the onset that there was a huge wall between the Internals and them. Its the same with any elevator school though. Still, with Zuirans unique traditions, maybe it was harder to a.s.similate here. As the cla.s.s representatives it was our job to reach out to them, so Kisshouin-san suggested having a cla.s.s lunch together. I liked the idea, but was it even possible to guarantee that many seats together in the cafeteria? I was also worried that the uppercla.s.smen wouldnt look kindly on some newcomers monopolising their own corner of the cafeteria. When I voiced my concerns, Kisshouin-san just proudly flashed the red peony badge on her chest, and everything was resolved. Ooh, as expected of a Pivoine! When I clapped my hands, the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile. Huh. Was this girl actually pretty weak to flattery? ** That same day we stayed back after school to tally up the print-outs. Kisshouin was tapping away at her flashily decorated calculator when she let out a tired sigh. Are you feeling unwell? I asked. Eh? Ah, no, I am fine. It didnt look like it though. Her trademark curls were even looking a little flat. I suddenly recalled what Akizawa said about giving her sweets. After fishing through my bag for a while I pulled out a cheap Tirolian chocolate. Would she even eat this? I decided to test it anyway. Kisshouin-san, would you like some chocolate? My! This is a Tirolian chocolate! she said as a sparkle returned to her eyes. Oh? Have I seen this flavour before? So she knew what they were. Apparently its region-limited. I got it off someone as a souvenir. Region-limited!? Heavens! To think that I had forgotten those existed What a grievous oversight! Eh? What was? I watched her clench her fist in regret for a while before she accepted the chocolate from me and popped it in her mouth. Her expression instantly changed into a blissful smile. As expected of a limited edition. Yummy! I see. Good for you. The chocolates were pretty small, so they didnt take long to finish. She looked a little forlorn that it was over, so I asked her if she wanted another one. I am fine. One was plenty. Thank you for the treat. Are you sure? I still have a bunch left, so you dont have to hold back. Truly? Well, if you say as much, could I trouble you for just one more? And that was how Kisshouin-san happily ate another region-limited chocolate. It was surprising how happily shed eat cheap chocolate. She was part of the Pivoine so I would have expected her to be more picky. Maybe only eating from companies with royal warrants to European royalty or something. Thank you very much, Satomi-kun. I know just how valuable that was. You have a generous heart. Huh? Oh, nah, youre exaggerating. It was just a bit of chocolate. My, I have heard that a bit of chocolate has saved someone stranded in the mountains before. You must not forget its worth. Were smack bang in the middle of Tokyo, Kisshouin-san. Anyway, having finished her 10 yen chocolate, Kisshouin-san produced a rather flashy-looking thimblette from her pencil case and began working again with renewed vigour. Just what the h.e.l.l was in that chocolate. Akizawa hadnt been exaggerating. A few days later, Kisshouin-san approached me while looking left and right for witnesses. Sidling up to me, she slipped a small package into my hand. Quickly! Hide it before we are spotted! Now! DEWIT! Eh Kisshouin-san was an illegal goods dealer? It was against my principles to get involved with that I snuck a look into the package and saw Tirolian chocolates decorated with cute mascots. Mmn. These goods were undoubtedly legal. Whats this about? Shh! Be silent! Think of this as a sign of my appreciation, just between the two of us, all right? It was something I obtained through special channels. The black market? I tried. The internet. Thats just mail delivery, Kisshouin-san. If you need more, just let me know, she whispered before slinking away. For a moment I saw a future criminal being led away in cuffs. Be careful you dont get stopped by the police, Kisshouin-san~ As we continued working together as cla.s.s representatives, I gradually began to realise that despite her lofty position and social power, the girl herself was fun to talk to, and a little bit air-headed. I began to see how far you I could push her before she got angry, but the answer was pretty far. Even if she did get a little mad, in the end an apology and a dessert would be all it took for her to say, Honestly, Satomi-kun~ Just this once, all right? The Queen of the Pivoine was weak to bribery. One day I caught her staring at my hair. Is that your natural hair colour? It looks like you have used a little dye. Ah, you realised? That is against the rules, she grinned at me. Well what about your curls, Kisshouin-san? Isnt that a perm? These are natural, she insisted. Liar. Closer to the root it wasnt curly at all. Geez, no choice. Please find it in your heart to overlook me, just this once. I pushed the bite-sized donuts I bought this morning towards her. You are quite the sinful one, she said, grinning wickedly like some corrupt magistrate. The Queen of the Pivoine could be bought over with a 100 Yen lolly. I continued poking fun of her after that. One day I was making my way down an empty hallway when suddenly I was grabbed by each arm. Holding me on the left and right were the Pivoine Queens closest aides, Kazami Serika and Imamura Kikuno. You. The way you have been behaving towards Reiksama has been becoming unacceptable. You had better not forget your place. Was I going to disappear into the abyss!? Could it be that most of Kisshouin-sans scary image was because of these two? One day Kisshouin-san asked me a difficult question. Satomi-kun, did you know that people have been nicknaming me? she frowned. Geeehhhh! Why did she know that!? I pretended to be calm as I asked her where she heard that. Apparently it had been Mizusaki that had told her. Why would you tell the person herself, Mizusaki!? Was that guy an idiot!? Kisshouin-san had quite a few nicknames. Most of them were related to her appearance, including Maki Maki Makkie and D(olly Gi)rll, but the one we used the most was G.o.ddess Kali after the Indian G.o.ddess of slaughter and destruction. It was originally because of her curled hair, and how scary she was supposed to be when she got angry, but obviously I couldnt tell that to Kisshouin-san herself! But then after the name became popular, we wondered that if she was Kali, who was the Shiva she was supposed to be dancing on!? Could it be one of those two!? Everyone wondered, but n.o.body had the guts to comment. After all, n.o.body was stupid enough to want to make an enemy out of the three greatest powers in the Pivoine. All of us wanted to graduate safely You okay, Satomi? Mizusaki suddenly asked from behind. At the moment our two cla.s.ses were having P.E. together. At the moment our two cla.s.ses were having P.E. together. Why are you asking? Youre cla.s.s representative with that Kisshouin Reika girl, right? Have you been having a lot of problems? None at all. It seemed like he didnt have such a good impression of her. Not that I could blame him, given her image. I used to be the same way after all. Still Shes probably not the kind of girl you think she is. Kisshouin-san takes being a cla.s.s representative more seriously than I do. You know she brings her own thimblette for sorting handouts? She even gave me one. Its this flashy thing with hearts and glitter on it. I basically regurgitated what Akizawa told me. Huh. Ah! That reminds me! Why the h.e.l.l did you tell her about her nicknames!? Youre shortening my lifespan here! Yeah, my bad. I realised that I shouldnt have right after I said it. What the h.e.l.l! Be more careful, d.a.m.n it! Im seriously going to disappear into the abyss at this rate! For the athletics carnival she dressed up as a mouse, and then for the school festival she dressed up as a sheep butler without complaint. It was nice how happily she went along with things. By this point I didnt find her scary at all. But unlike the girl herself, her followers flooded us with complaints. Whats the meaning of this!? Reiksama is being dressed up as a mouse! Even after she persuaded her friends, when they saw the mascot costume she was going to wear they blew up again. A grey mascot costume!? Shell look like a dirtied youkai of poverty! She cant wear a mascot costume! Are you trying to turn her into a giant rat!? A giant rat? Theyre going to turn Reiksama into a coypu! At least try and aim for a cute hamster! But Kisshouin-san didnt seem too unhappy when she had stood in front of the mirror and waved her b.u.t.t around to move the tail~ In the end we compromised and went with a grey dress and mouse ears. It wasnt much of a costume but the event was a success in the end, so all went well. I made a number of enemies amongst the girls, though When she put on the sheep ears for the school festival, we got a lot of customers who came to see something scary, as well as a number of VIPs thanks to Her Majestys connections. With the three great powers of the Pivoine there, the hallway became packed with students. Thanks to that, Caf Sheep Dolly had incredible sales. As the cla.s.s rep, I couldnt be happier. The death glares from her followers were a bit scary though Ah, something else of note was that at some point Iwamuro became acquainted with her too. It was a completely unexpected combo. When we switched cla.s.ses going into 3rd year I ended up with Kisshouin-san again. Not only that, the two of us were the cla.s.s representatives again. What was dangerous was that Kazami and Imamura were in the same cla.s.s too, but luckily there was n.o.body else troublesome. More importantly, with Kisshouin-san here, n.o.body was reckless enough to voluntarily start trouble. I had thought the year was going to be smooth sailing, but there was one person who was acting suspiciously. The dude seemed to be trying his hardest to curl into a ball. Whats wrong, Tagaki? If I was remembering right, Tagaki was an External Student that had joined in high school. If somethings up, you can tell me. I mean, I am the cla.s.s rep and that. Tagaki turned his head here and there to make sure of something, before nervously answering me. The truth is he began his story. Huh. Come to think of it, the guy who accidentally ran his mouth during that incident was this guy. It was something that happened near the end of our 2nd year. Takamichi Wakaba was an External Student on a scholarship. Somebody had graffitied her locker, and somebody claimed that it was Kisshouin-sans bullying. In the end it turned out that Kisshouin-san had been resting in the infirmary, and was heading back to cla.s.s when she noticed the locker. Coincidentally, cla.s.ses had just ended, so other students had spotted her standing by the locker as they left their cla.s.srooms, but it wasnt like they had caught her actually doing the vandalism Speaking of Takamichi Wakaba, her position at Zuiran was a little awkward. While Zuiran was a school filled with the children of j.a.pans most wealthy, Takamichi was just a girl from an average household who won a scholarship through outstanding grades. Not to say that alone was enough to make things awkward, but her grades happened to be good enough to threaten the position of Zuirans poster boy, our flawless Emperor. It wasnt a pleasant matter for a lot of Internals. The finisher was that that same Emperor, who had never before shown any interest in the girls that approached him, had now taken an interest in her. Apparently Takamichi had been hara.s.sed by jealous girls, and that hero of justice Mizusaki began standing up for her too. Of course this just made her all the more detestable to the girls. Not that I could blame them The Emperor is one thing, but you should think things through a little more, Mizusaki. So to conclude, she had great grades, and the three most popular guys were paying attention to her. These werent anything to fault her for, but jealousy knows no reason. Girls began slandering her as sucking up to men, and frustrated guys who were beaten by her joined in as well. Even the previous president of the Pivoine had begun targeting her, but Kisshouin-san stayed neutral like it was none of her business. I wasnt that well-informed about girl drama, but apparently Kisshouin-san leaned towards sympathy for her. Well, that was the background for the locker incident. Tsuruhanas group took the opportunity to blame it on Kisshouin-san. Naturally she denied it, but it was a little sketchy because she was actually holding the marker. Honestly, what were you thinking, Kisshouin-san? Things were looking pretty bad for her but the victim herself outright shot down the accusation, so in the end it didnt go beyond suspicions. I myself made sure to have a word with Mizusaki. Kisshouin-san might be a bit of an oddball, but shes not the type to do things like this. Back in 1st year he hadnt had a great impression of her, but contrary to my worries he nodded. Yeah, youre right. In our boys hierarchy, the Emperor was sitting firmly at the top, so things were pretty peaceful. In contrast, Tsuruhana would occasionally start trouble to try and topple Kisshouin-san, so incidents popped up from time to time. She had been the leader of a failed revolt back in middle school as well. She had been the leader of a failed revolt back in middle school as well. We named it the Tsuruhana Rebellion, but after the locker incident it was renamed to the Tsuruhana Spring Rebellion. After all, the locker incident had turned into the Tsuruhana Winter Rebellion. The Tsuruhana Winter Rebellion was a revolt in the second year of high school led by Tsuruhanas group, who had been defeated in a previous Rebellion. It culminated in a ma.s.sive three-way battle in the cafeteria between Kisshouin-sans forces, Tsuruhanas forces, and members of the Student Council. A few guys had been sent crazy glares when they said Girls are d.a.m.ned scary. Were these supposed to be the same girls that people knew as ojousama? The one who stopped it in the end was Zuirans absolute monarch, the Emperor. In the days that followed, I wondered whether this would finally put an end to the trouble started by Tsuruhanas group. That was when I happened to chance across Enjou-kun calling Tsuruhana herself out into an empty hallway. I could faintly hear his voice while I was pa.s.sing by. I usually dont get involved in arguments between girls, but youve gone a little overboard this time. Just letting you know, but if you continue slandering Kisshouin-san then Ill be taking her side, so what do you intend on doing? So that was how the Tsuruhana Winter Rebellion came to a close. And because of her two revolts, she ended up with the nickname the Tairno-Masakado of Zuiran. Incidentally one of the three most powerful wraiths in all of j.a.pan Why did the girls in our grade all have such terrifying nicknames? Anyway, bringing the topic back to Tagaki, he was afraid of retribution because of his involvement in it. To be fair his careless remark really did cause a lot of people to suspect her, but I didnt think Kisshouin-san was the type to cling onto grudges like that. Have you apologised to her properly? Y-Yeah We both went to a Spring cram course together, so I apologised there. And on the advice of one of her friends, I also gave her some pudding as an apology Did she forgive you? She said that she didnt mind at all Isnt that fine then? She accepted your pudding, right? Well yeah In my experience, an apology and a dessert was enough for her to forgive you for most things. Itll be fine, I said with a clap on the back. Why are you so d.a.m.ned scared anyway? Youre as white as a cheet. Cmon, its lunch soon. Try eating something sweet and cheer up, yeah? Yeah Youre right. Maybe Ill go for some pudding myself. Right? Just relax. Tagaki did as I suggested and ordered a custard pudding. That was when Kisshouin-sans group entered the cafeteria. Reiksama, what are you having today? Crema catalana was recently added to the menu, so I was thinking of enjoying some today. Crema Catalana is very similar to a Crme Br?le, the chief differences being that in a crema catalana the custard uses only milk and no cream, and that in a crema catalana the custard is not baked in a bain-marie water bath. Ahh! Come to think of it, its been your favourite recently. It has. I was looking forward to having it again, she smiled happily. Unfortunately she was struck by cold reality. Im sorry. Somebody ordered the last one just a moment ago. Immediately she became unsteady on her feet. Reiksama! Please hang in there! Who was it that obstructed Reiksama from enjoying her lunch!? Fuujin and Raijin glared into the crowd in search of the culprit who had taken the last one. It was Tagaki The pudding that Tagaki had ordered was the crema catalana that Kisshouin-san had been looking forward to. Tagaki You really have the worst timing And you even started eating the pudding before you touched your actual lunch Were you that worn out? The guy himself was pale, frozen with his spoon in his mouth. I mentally made the sign of the cross. Stay strong, Tagaki. The president of the Soccer Club was a guy named Azumi. The Soccer Club at Zuiran was one of our most famous clubs, and Azumi was its ace. He wasnt on the same level as the Emperor, but he still enjoyed popularity amongst the girls. You could say that he was pretty well-known here. Unfortunately for him, ever since Kisshouin-san had christened him Dainagon, that popularity was in danger. Dainagon? As in the fat azuki beans? Ahh, because his name is Azumi! Sup, Beans? And that was how he was nicknamed Beans. The man himself protested, No! Shes not talking about the beans! but it was too late for him, and the nickname settled. Poor guy Out of curiosity I asked the culprit about the origins of the name, but responded with a look of surprise. My! I would never give a pet name based on a pun like that. It is a dignified name with n.o.ble origins, named after the Kemari Dainagon who lived during the Heian Period, known for his prowess in kemari football. To think that you all thought it was a pun Ah, speaking of azuki red beans though, how do you prefer your ohagi? Koshian or tsubuan? Incidentally, I prefer tsubuan. Ohagi are sticky rice b.a.l.l.s covered in sweet red bean paste. The paste is fine and smooth in koshian ohagi, and rough and coa.r.s.e in tsubuan ohagi. Eh? Ahh If I had to say, I guess tsubuan? My. Then how do you prefer your sakuramochi? Choumeiji style or Doumyouji style? Incidentally, I prefer Choumeiji. Sakuramochi is a j.a.panese sweet consisting of sweet pink-colored rice cake (mochi) with a red bean paste center, and wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom leaf. Eaten during the spring, especially on hinamatsuri, or at flower viewing parties. The ball-style Doumyouji is endemic to the Kansai region, while the wrap style Choumeiji is the traditional style for the Kantou region, including Tokyo. Ahh I suppose I prefer the one with the skin folded around the red bean. The same as myself, it seems. Then when it comes to the leaf, are you the type who eats it, or? Even though we were supposed to be talking about Dainagon Azumis name, somehow it turned into a conversation about sakuramochi leaves!? And then speaking of leaf-wrapped desserts, whether I preferred sakuramochi or kashiwamochi? The topic of Azumi was kicked aside just like a soccer ball. Farewell, Azumi. Youre kind of a weird arent you, Kisshouin-san? I couldnt help but mutter. Huuh!? Her eyes shot wide. What do you mean weird!? Even though Im so normal!? Even though Ive never been called weird before!? Ah, my bad! Youre right. Of course I am! Sometimes you get people who say stuff like Im a bit weird, after all~ but theyre basically just boring people who wished they were weird. The real weirdos have no idea that theyre weird. n.o.body was allowed to use the word weird around the real weirdo, Kisshouin-san. But just look behind her. Her friends were all sneaking worried glances at her. We had our cla.s.s trip in early May. There were some odd jobs to do as the cla.s.s rep on the trip, but the two of us didnt have any trouble. Apparently our cla.s.s was the exception in that respect. I heard about it from Mizusaki when we b.u.mped into each other during the trip. Have you been having any problems with people breaking curfew, or anybody going overboard? The other cla.s.ses are having huge problems with it. Huh~ Come to think of it, Ive been hearing that too. But nah, the one who takes the night roll is Kisshouin-san~ n.o.body would be stupid enough to break curfew. To begin with, most of the girls in the cla.s.s were already happy to cooperate with Kisshouin-san, so they wouldnt do anything to bother her. As for the guys, n.o.body was gutsy enough to make an enemy of all the girls by angering her. Besides, if there was anyone who went overboard because they were having too much fun, it wouldnt take long for somebody to rat them out. It was on par with a country with secret police. Is this the Reign of Terror or something? Curfew-breaking will be purged. May the Kisshouin Reika dictatorship reign supreme. Kisshouin-san seemed to be angry at me after I brought up the ghost story of the Tower of London. I rather liked ghost stories, but the opposite seemed true for her. And for some reason she was clenching both hands unnaturally. Eh, dont tell me she was hiding her thumbs? Wasnt that what primary schoolers did when they saw a hea.r.s.e!? But since her reaction was so funny, I continued messing around with her. I guess that made me a primary schooler too. When we were at the Vatican I brought up the catacombs, since that seemed like something shed be weak with. As expected I was rewarded with a glare before she began stalking off. As she was leaving I realised that the hair swaying against her back kind of looked like the number 6. Hmm? Kisshouin-san, together some of the curls on the back of your head turn into the number of the beast, you know? She turned around with a startled look. Where on earth do you think we are! This is the headquarters of Christianity, you know! Show some restraint! she scolded. Sorry. From that moment until when we left the Vatican, Kisshouin-san would occasionally hold her hair down, looking left and right like a suspicious person. I think she was worried inquisitors would come for her. To disguise the 6s in her hair, Kisshouin-san would make little micro-shakes of her head, but in the end she got dizzy and needed her girls to support her. Ah geez After sightseeing Rome, it was time for dinner. I turned in surprise as I felt something strike my back out of the blue. It was Kisshouin-san, who was for some reason standing in a pitching position. Apparently she had thrown something at me. I rubbed the place where I had been hit and- eh, uwah! What were these weird grains? White powder? Are you serious? Some even got in my hair! It looked like I had dandruff now! Come on, give me a break! But after dinner, Kisshouin-sans girls finally called me out for a chat. How dare you show Reiksama such disrespect! Unforgiveable! Its because of you that Reiksama has behaving acting strangely! After a lengthy session of being chewed out by them, they all began to smile darkly. Scary! Satomi Yukinari. From what I heard, it seems you have a girlfriend in Second Year. Eh-!? Howd you know that!? I blurted. Do not make light of our information network, I was warned. It seems that you intend on buy her a souvenir in Paris, somebody else continued. Matching accessories, was it? another mused. So this was why people feared the secret police! The ring of girls around me tightened. My back was to the wall, with nowhere to run. You have a lovely girlfriend, I was told neutrally. Ah, well I trust you have not forgotten that Reiksamas cousin Ririnsan is in Second Year. And that Ririnsan adores Reiksama. It wouldnt take much to break you up. They were taking her hostage If you understand, then have a good think about your att.i.tude towards Reiksama. If you want to enjoy the rest of your high school days, that is. Your abuse has greatly saddened Reiksama! I understand, I said. I am reflecting. Im very sorry. It was never a good idea to go against a group of girls, so I obediently lowered my head. By the way, what was that white stuff that Kisshouin-san threw at me? Even with my friends helping me, I had a lot of trouble getting it off. I could actually still feel some, so I wanted to take a shower already. It was salt. Hah? Salt!? Where did you get so much salt? She couldnt have brought it with her from j.a.pan, right? It was a huge fist full, after all. Even Kisshouin-san wouldnt. But then where did she get it? W-, Who cares about that! one of them changed the subject. More importantly, you had better start paying Reiksama the respect that she deserves! Just who do you think Reiksama is!? Eh? Well, she was obviously My friend. Kisshouin Reika, that soft-hearted, earnest weirdo with a weakness to praise, was my friend. Im pretty comfortable around strangers, and Im not picky about who I interact with either.. That said, when I entered the high school section and my homeroom teacher told me that the Kisshouin Reika was going to be cla.s.s rep with me, Ill be honest:. Uwaah, are you kidding me!? was my first thought.. Kisshouin Reika. A member of the privileged Pivoine group, and the Big Boss of all the girls.. Rumour had it that if you crossed her, her subordinates would have you disappear into the abyss. Well, jokes aside, the point was that a cla.s.s representative was just a glorified odd jobs position.. n.o.body would believe that a member of the Pivoine would willingly clean up after their cla.s.s. Not only that, but I wasnt looking forward to bending backwards to avoid hurting her pride and feelings.. While I was feeling rather gloomy, Akizawa suddenly called out to me.. Satomi, apparently youre going to be cla.s.s rep with Kisshouin-san?. Uh, yeah. Hey, speaking of which, arent you supposed to be pretty close with her?. I vaguely recalled them speaking from time to time in middle school.. I guess? Its more like my childhood friend that shes close to.. That girl that came to the festival? Uh, f.u.kioksan?. Yup.. Akizawas childhood friend was a prim and proper, gentle yamato nadeshiko.. And he kept calling her a childhood friend, but she was probably his girlfriend.. Kisshouin-san and I went to cram school together in primary. We became friends, but after that she got to know Sakurako too, and now the two are best friends.. Ohhh~?. He just called Kisshouin Reika his friend without batting an eyelid.. This guy was kind of amazing.. Oh right. Giving her some sweets when shes tired will cheer her right up.. What are you talking about?. Since we were kids her mood has always soured a little when shes hungry. If you give her something sweet though, her mood shoots right back up. Even Sakurako says that as long as you give her food, that girl Ah, nevermind that, he corrected himself quickly. Anyhow, try talking to her without being biased. Shes easy to misunderstanding, but shes actually pretty earnest, and a good girl.. With that said, he left the cla.s.sroom.. An earnest and good girl, huh?. I considered withholding my judgement for the moment.. But as if a member of the Pivoine, and Kisshouin Reika no less, would be the type to cheer up just by eating some dessert.. *. *. Anyway, after that I began my tenure as cla.s.s representative with Kisshouin-san.. I have to admit that my expectations were overturned.. Sitting there as her followers carried out her will with nothing more than a glance.. That was the image I had of Kisshouin Reika but when we began working she proactively gathered the forms from everybody, and would head off to hand them in at the Student Council like it was a matter of course.. She even replaced the cla.s.sroom supplies before I noticed that they were lacking.. Being honest she was actually doing a better job of it than I was.. Akizawa was right; I really shouldnt have judged by appearances.. Another happy surprise was that having her around made form collections abnormally efficient.. Even the newly enrolled Externals knew that going against her was a bad idea, to say nothing of the Internals.. Compared to other cla.s.ses, everything went crazy smooth for us.. Thank you, Kisshouin-san.. Of course I couldnt just leave everything to her. But when I told her that Id take the forms to the StuCo room, she just s.n.a.t.c.hed them out of my hands.. Uh, hey, you dont have to panic like that. Im not trying to steal your job or anything.. Ah. She just tripped over empty floor.. But she was still clutching onto the forms.. I watched her go.. Did this count as being earnest?. I had the feeling that she had some sort of ulterior motive though. *. Going back to those Externals, it was clear from the onset that there was a huge wall between the Internals and them. Its the same with any elevator school though.. Still, with Zuirans unique traditions, maybe it was harder to a.s.similate here.. As the cla.s.s representatives it was our job to reach out to them, so Kisshouin-san suggested having a cla.s.s lunch together.. I liked the idea, but was it even possible to guarantee that many seats together in the cafeteria? I was also worried that the uppercla.s.smen wouldnt look kindly on some newcomers monopolising their own corner of the cafeteria.. When I voiced my concerns, Kisshouin-san just proudly flashed the red peony badge on her chest, and everything was resolved.. Ooh, as expected of a Pivoine!. When I clapped my hands, the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.. Huh. Was this girl actually pretty weak to flattery?. *. *. That same day we stayed back after school to tally up the print-outs.. Kisshouin was tapping away at her flashily decorated calculator when she let out a tired sigh.. Are you feeling unwell? I asked.. Eh? Ah, no, I am fine.. It didnt look like it though.. Her trademark curls were even looking a little flat.. I suddenly recalled what Akizawa said about giving her sweets.. After fishing through my bag for a while I pulled out a cheap Tirolian chocolate.. Would she even eat this?. I decided to test it anyway.. Kisshouin-san, would you like some chocolate?. My! This is a Tirolian chocolate! she said as a sparkle returned to her eyes. Oh? Have I seen this flavour before?. So she knew what they were.. Apparently its region-limited. I got it off someone as a souvenir.. Region-limited!? Heavens! To think that I had forgotten those existed What a grievous oversight!. Eh? What was?. I watched her clench her fist in regret for a while before she accepted the chocolate from me and popped it in her mouth.. Her expression instantly changed into a blissful smile.. As expected of a limited edition. Yummy!. I see. Good for you.. The chocolates were pretty small, so they didnt take long to finish.. She looked a little forlorn that it was over, so I asked her if she wanted another one.. I am fine. One was plenty. Thank you for the treat.. Are you sure? I still have a bunch left, so you dont have to hold back.. Truly? Well, if you say as much, could I trouble you for just one more?. And that was how Kisshouin-san happily ate another region-limited chocolate.. It was surprising how happily shed eat cheap chocolate.. She was part of the Pivoine so I would have expected her to be more picky. Maybe only eating from companies with royal warrants to European royalty or something.. Thank you very much, Satomi-kun. I know just how valuable that was. You have a generous heart.. Huh? Oh, nah, youre exaggerating. It was just a bit of chocolate.. My, I have heard that a bit of chocolate has saved someone stranded in the mountains before. You must not forget its worth.. Were smack bang in the middle of Tokyo, Kisshouin-san.. Anyway, having finished her 10 yen chocolate, Kisshouin-san produced a rather flashy-looking thimblette from her pencil case and began working again with renewed vigour.. Just what the h.e.l.l was in that chocolate.. Akizawa hadnt been exaggerating.. A few days later, Kisshouin-san approached me while looking left and right for witnesses.. Sidling up to me, she slipped a small package into my hand.. Quickly! Hide it before we are spotted! Now! DEWIT!. Eh Kisshouin-san was an illegal goods dealer?. It was against my principles to get involved with that. I snuck a look into the package and saw Tirolian chocolates decorated with cute mascots.. Mmn. These goods were undoubtedly legal.. Whats this about?. Shh! Be silent! Think of this as a sign of my appreciation, just between the two of us, all right? It was something I obtained through special channels.. The black market? I tried.. The internet.. Thats just mail delivery, Kisshouin-san.. If you need more, just let me know, she whispered before slinking away.. For a moment I saw a future criminal being led away in cuffs.. Be careful you dont get stopped by the police, Kisshouin-san~. *. *. As we continued working together as cla.s.s representatives, I gradually began to realise that despite her lofty position and social power, the girl herself was fun to talk to, and a little bit air-headed.. I began to see how far you I could push her before she got angry, but the answer was pretty far.. Even if she did get a little mad, in the end an apology and a dessert would be all it took for her to say,. Honestly, Satomi-kun~ Just this once, all right?. The Queen of the Pivoine was weak to bribery.. One day I caught her staring at my hair.. Is that your natural hair colour? It looks like you have used a little dye.. Ah, you realised?. That is against the rules, she grinned at me.. Well what about your curls, Kisshouin-san? Isnt that a perm?. These are natural, she insisted.. Liar.. Closer to the root it wasnt curly at all. Geez, no choice.. Please find it in your heart to overlook me, just this once.. I pushed the bite-sized donuts I bought this morning towards her.. You are quite the sinful one, she said, grinning wickedly like some corrupt magistrate.. The Queen of the Pivoine could be bought over with a 100 Yen lolly.. *. *. I continued poking fun of her after that.. One day I was making my way down an empty hallway when suddenly I was grabbed by each arm.. Holding me on the left and right were the Pivoine Queens closest aides, Kazami Serika and Imamura Kikuno.. You. The way you have been behaving towards Reiksama has been becoming unacceptable.. You had better not forget your place.. Was I going to disappear into the abyss!?. Could it be that most of Kisshouin-sans scary image was because of these two?. *. *. One day Kisshouin-san asked me a difficult question.. Satomi-kun, did you know that people have been nicknaming me? she frowned.. Geeehhhh! Why did she know that!?. I pretended to be calm as I asked her where she heard that.. Apparently it had been Mizusaki that had told her.. Why would you tell the person herself, Mizusaki!?. Was that guy an idiot!?. Kisshouin-san had quite a few nicknames.. Most of them were related to her appearance, including Maki Maki Makkie and D(olly Gi)rll, but the one we used the most was G.o.ddess Kali after the Indian G.o.ddess of slaughter and destruction.. It was originally because of her curled hair, and how scary she was supposed to be when she got angry, but obviously I couldnt tell that to Kisshouin-san herself!. But then after the name became popular, we wondered that if she was Kali, who was the Shiva she was supposed to be dancing on!?. Could it be one of those two!?. Everyone wondered, but n.o.body had the guts to comment. After all, n.o.body was stupid enough to want to make an enemy out of the three greatest powers in the Pivoine.. All of us wanted to graduate safely. *. *. You okay, Satomi? Mizusaki suddenly asked from behind.. At the moment our two cla.s.ses were having P.E. together.. Why are you asking?. Youre cla.s.s representative with that Kisshouin Reika girl, right? Have you been having a lot of problems?. None at all.. It seemed like he didnt have such a good impression of her.. Not that I could blame him, given her image.. I used to be the same way after all.. Still. Shes probably not the kind of girl you think she is. Kisshouin-san takes being a cla.s.s representative more seriously than I do. You know she brings her own thimblette for sorting handouts? She even gave me one. Its this flashy thing with hearts and glitter on it.. . I basically regurgitated what Akizawa told me.. Huh.. Ah! That reminds me! Why the h.e.l.l did you tell her about her nicknames!? Youre shortening my lifespan here!. Yeah, my bad. I realised that I shouldnt have right after I said it.. What the h.e.l.l! Be more careful, d.a.m.n it!. Im seriously going to disappear into the abyss at this rate!. *. *. For the athletics carnival she dressed up as a mouse, and then for the school festival she dressed up as a sheep butler without complaint.. It was nice how happily she went along with things.. By this point I didnt find her scary at all.. But unlike the girl herself, her followers flooded us with complaints.. Whats the meaning of this!? Reiksama is being dressed up as a mouse!. Even after she persuaded her friends, when they saw the mascot costume she was going to wear they blew up again.. A grey mascot costume!? Shell look like a dirtied youkai of poverty!. She cant wear a mascot costume! Are you trying to turn her into a giant rat!?. A giant rat? Theyre going to turn Reiksama into a coypu!. . At least try and aim for a cute hamster!. But Kisshouin-san didnt seem too unhappy when she had stood in front of the mirror and waved her b.u.t.t around to move the tail~. In the end we compromised and went with a grey dress and mouse ears.. It wasnt much of a costume but the event was a success in the end, so all went well.. I made a number of enemies amongst the girls, though. When she put on the sheep ears for the school festival, we got a lot of customers who came to see something scary, as well as a number of VIPs thanks to Her Majestys connections.. With the three great powers of the Pivoine there, the hallway became packed with students.. Thanks to that, Caf Sheep Dolly had incredible sales. As the cla.s.s rep, I couldnt be happier.. The death glares from her followers were a bit scary though. Ah, something else of note was that at some point Iwamuro became acquainted with her too. It was a completely unexpected combo.. *. *. When we switched cla.s.ses going into 3rd year I ended up with Kisshouin-san again. Not only that, the two of us were the cla.s.s representatives again.. What was dangerous was that Kazami and Imamura were in the same cla.s.s too, but luckily there was n.o.body else troublesome.. More importantly, with Kisshouin-san here, n.o.body was reckless enough to voluntarily start trouble.. I had thought the year was going to be smooth sailing, but there was one person who was acting suspiciously.. The dude seemed to be trying his hardest to curl into a ball.. Whats wrong, Tagaki?. If I was remembering right, Tagaki was an External Student that had joined in high school.. If somethings up, you can tell me. I mean, I am the cla.s.s rep and that.. Tagaki turned his head here and there to make sure of something, before nervously answering me.. The truth is he began his story.. Huh. Come to think of it, the guy who accidentally ran his mouth during that incident was this guy.. It was something that happened near the end of our 2nd year.. Takamichi Wakaba was an External Student on a scholarship.. Somebody had graffitied her locker, and somebody claimed that it was Kisshouin-sans bullying.. In the end it turned out that Kisshouin-san had been resting in the infirmary, and was heading back to cla.s.s when she noticed the locker.. Coincidentally, cla.s.ses had just ended, so other students had spotted her standing by the locker as they left their cla.s.srooms, but it wasnt like they had caught her actually doing the vandalism. Speaking of Takamichi Wakaba, her position at Zuiran was a little awkward.. While Zuiran was a school filled with the children of j.a.pans most wealthy, Takamichi was just a girl from an average household who won a scholarship through outstanding grades.. Not to say that alone was enough to make things awkward, but her grades happened to be good enough to threaten the position of Zuirans poster boy, our flawless Emperor.. It wasnt a pleasant matter for a lot of Internals.. The finisher was that that same Emperor, who had never before shown any interest in the girls that approached him, had now taken an interest in her.. Apparently Takamichi had been hara.s.sed by jealous girls, and that hero of justice Mizusaki began standing up for her too.. Of course this just made her all the more detestable to the girls.. Not that I could blame them. The Emperor is one thing, but you should think things through a little more, Mizusaki.. So to conclude, she had great grades, and the three most popular guys were paying attention to her.. These werent anything to fault her for, but jealousy knows no reason. Girls began slandering her as sucking up to men, and frustrated guys who were beaten by her joined in as well.. Even the previous president of the Pivoine had begun targeting her, but Kisshouin-san stayed neutral like it was none of her business.. I wasnt that well-informed about girl drama, but apparently Kisshouin-san leaned towards sympathy for her.. Well, that was the background for the locker incident. Tsuruhanas group took the opportunity to blame it on Kisshouin-san.. Naturally she denied it, but it was a little sketchy because she was actually holding the marker.. Honestly, what were you thinking, Kisshouin-san?. Things were looking pretty bad for her but the victim herself outright shot down the accusation, so in the end it didnt go beyond suspicions.. I myself made sure to have a word with Mizusaki.. Kisshouin-san might be a bit of an oddball, but shes not the type to do things like this.. Back in 1st year he hadnt had a great impression of her, but contrary to my worries he nodded.. Yeah, youre right.. In our boys hierarchy, the Emperor was sitting firmly at the top, so things were pretty peaceful. In contrast, Tsuruhana would occasionally start trouble to try and topple Kisshouin-san, so incidents popped up from time to time.. She had been the leader of a failed revolt back in middle school as well.. We named it the Tsuruhana Rebellion, but after the locker incident it was renamed to the Tsuruhana Spring Rebellion.. After all, the locker incident had turned into the Tsuruhana Winter Rebellion.. The Tsuruhana Winter Rebellion was a revolt in the second year of high school led by Tsuruhanas group, who had been defeated in a previous Rebellion. It culminated in a ma.s.sive three-way battle in the cafeteria between Kisshouin-sans forces, Tsuruhanas forces, and members of the Student Council.. A few guys had been sent crazy glares when they said Girls are d.a.m.ned scary.. Were these supposed to be the same girls that people knew as ojousama?. The one who stopped it in the end was Zuirans absolute monarch, the Emperor.. In the days that followed, I wondered whether this would finally put an end to the trouble started by Tsuruhanas group.. That was when I happened to chance across Enjou-kun calling Tsuruhana herself out into an empty hallway. I could faintly hear his voice while I was pa.s.sing by.. I usually dont get involved in arguments between girls, but youve gone a little overboard this time. Just letting you know, but if you continue slandering Kisshouin-san then Ill be taking her side, so what do you intend on doing?. So that was how the Tsuruhana Winter Rebellion came to a close.. And because of her two revolts, she ended up with the nickname the Tairno-Masakado of Zuiran. Incidentally one of the three most powerful wraiths in all of j.a.pan. Why did the girls in our grade all have such terrifying nicknames?. Anyway, bringing the topic back to Tagaki, he was afraid of retribution because of his involvement in it.. To be fair his careless remark really did cause a lot of people to suspect her, but I didnt think Kisshouin-san was the type to cling onto grudges like that.. Have you apologised to her properly?. Y-Yeah We both went to a Spring cram course together, so I apologised there. And on the advice of one of her friends, I also gave her some pudding as an apology. Did she forgive you?. She said that she didnt mind at all. Isnt that fine then? She accepted your pudding, right?. Well yeah. In my experience, an apology and a dessert was enough for her to forgive you for most things.. Itll be fine, I said with a clap on the back. Why are you so d.a.m.ned scared anyway? Youre as white as a cheet. Cmon, its lunch soon. Try eating something sweet and cheer up, yeah?. Yeah Youre right. Maybe Ill go for some pudding myself.. Right? Just relax.. Tagaki did as I suggested and ordered a custard pudding.. That was when Kisshouin-sans group entered the cafeteria.. Reiksama, what are you having today?. Crema catalana was recently added to the menu, so I was thinking of enjoying some today.. . Crema Catalana is very similar to a Crme Br?le, the chief differences being that in a crema catalana the custard uses only milk and no cream, and that in a crema catalana the custard is not baked in a bain-marie water bath.. Ahh! Come to think of it, its been your favourite recently.. It has. I was looking forward to having it again, she smiled happily.. Unfortunately she was struck by cold reality.. Im sorry. Somebody ordered the last one just a moment ago.. Immediately she became unsteady on her feet.. Reiksama! Please hang in there!. Who was it that obstructed Reiksama from enjoying her lunch!?. Fuujin and Raijin glared into the crowd in search of the culprit who had taken the last one.. It was Tagaki. The pudding that Tagaki had ordered was the crema catalana that Kisshouin-san had been looking forward to.. Tagaki You really have the worst timing And you even started eating the pudding before you touched your actual lunch. Were you that worn out?. The guy himself was pale, frozen with his spoon in his mouth. I mentally made the sign of the cross.. Stay strong, Tagaki.. *. *. The president of the Soccer Club was a guy named Azumi.. The Soccer Club at Zuiran was one of our most famous clubs, and Azumi was its ace.. He wasnt on the same level as the Emperor, but he still enjoyed popularity amongst the girls. You could say that he was pretty well-known here.. Unfortunately for him, ever since Kisshouin-san had christened him Dainagon, that popularity was in danger.. Dainagon? As in the fat azuki beans?. Ahh, because his name is Azumi!. Sup, Beans?. And that was how he was nicknamed Beans.. The man himself protested, No! Shes not talking about the beans! but it was too late for him, and the nickname settled. Poor guy. Out of curiosity I asked the culprit about the origins of the name, but responded with a look of surprise.. My! I would never give a pet name based on a pun like that. It is a dignified name with n.o.ble origins, named after the Kemari Dainagon who lived during the Heian Period, known for his prowess in kemari football.. To think that you all thought it was a pun Ah, speaking of azuki red beans though, how do you prefer your ohagi? Koshian or tsubuan? Incidentally, I prefer tsubuan.. . Ohagi are sticky rice b.a.l.l.s covered in sweet red bean paste. The paste is fine and smooth in koshian ohagi, and rough and coa.r.s.e in tsubuan ohagi.. Eh? Ahh If I had to say, I guess tsubuan?. My. Then how do you prefer your sakuramochi? Choumeiji style or Doumyouji style? Incidentally, I prefer Choumeiji.. . Sakuramochi is a j.a.panese sweet consisting of sweet pink-colored rice cake (mochi) with a red bean paste center, and wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom leaf. Eaten during the spring, especially on hinamatsuri, or at flower viewing parties. The ball-style Doumyouji is endemic to the Kansai region, while the wrap style Choumeiji is the traditional style for the Kantou region, including Tokyo.. Ahh I suppose I prefer the one with the skin folded around the red bean.. The same as myself, it seems. Then when it comes to the leaf, are you the type who eats it, or?. Even though we were supposed to be talking about Dainagon Azumis name, somehow it turned into a conversation about sakuramochi leaves!?. And then speaking of leaf-wrapped desserts, whether I preferred sakuramochi or kashiwamochi?. The topic of Azumi was kicked aside just like a soccer ball.. Farewell, Azumi.. Youre kind of a weird arent you, Kisshouin-san? I couldnt help but mutter.. Huuh!? Her eyes shot wide. What do you mean weird!? Even though Im so normal!? Even though Ive never been called weird before!?. Ah, my bad! Youre right.. Of course I am!. Sometimes you get people who say stuff like Im a bit weird, after all~ but theyre basically just boring people who wished they were weird. The real weirdos have no idea that theyre weird.. n.o.body was allowed to use the word weird around the real weirdo, Kisshouin-san.. But just look behind her. Her friends were all sneaking worried glances at her.. *. *. We had our cla.s.s trip in early May. There were some odd jobs to do as the cla.s.s rep on the trip, but the two of us didnt have any trouble.. Apparently our cla.s.s was the exception in that respect.. I heard about it from Mizusaki when we b.u.mped into each other during the trip.. Have you been having any problems with people breaking curfew, or anybody going overboard? The other cla.s.ses are having huge problems with it.. Huh~ Come to think of it, Ive been hearing that too. But nah, the one who takes the night roll is Kisshouin-san~ n.o.body would be stupid enough to break curfew.. To begin with, most of the girls in the cla.s.s were already happy to cooperate with Kisshouin-san, so they wouldnt do anything to bother her. As for the guys, n.o.body was gutsy enough to make an enemy of all the girls by angering her.. Besides, if there was anyone who went overboard because they were having too much fun, it wouldnt take long for somebody to rat them out. It was on par with a country with secret police.. Is this the Reign of Terror or something?. Curfew-breaking will be purged. May the Kisshouin Reika dictatorship reign supreme.. *. Kisshouin-san seemed to be angry at me after I brought up the ghost story of the Tower of London.. I rather liked ghost stories, but the opposite seemed true for her.. And for some reason she was clenching both hands unnaturally.. Eh, dont tell me she was hiding her thumbs?. Wasnt that what primary schoolers did when they saw a hea.r.s.e!?. But since her reaction was so funny, I continued messing around with her.. I guess that made me a primary schooler too.. When we were at the Vatican I brought up the catacombs, since that seemed like something shed be weak with.. As expected I was rewarded with a glare before she began stalking off.. As she was leaving I realised that the hair swaying against her back kind of looked like the number 6.. Hmm? Kisshouin-san, together some of the curls on the back of your head turn into the number of the beast, you know?. She turned around with a startled look.. Where on earth do you think we are! This is the headquarters of Christianity, you know! Show some restraint! she scolded.. Sorry.. From that moment until when we left the Vatican, Kisshouin-san would occasionally hold her hair down, looking left and right like a suspicious person.. I think she was worried inquisitors would come for her.. To disguise the 6s in her hair, Kisshouin-san would make little micro-shakes of her head, but in the end she got dizzy and needed her girls to support her.. Ah geez. *. After sightseeing Rome, it was time for dinner.. I turned in surprise as I felt something strike my back out of the blue.. It was Kisshouin-san, who was for some reason standing in a pitching position.. Apparently she had thrown something at me. I rubbed the place where I had been hit and- eh, uwah! What were these weird grains?. White powder?. Are you serious? Some even got in my hair! It looked like I had dandruff now!. Come on, give me a break!. But after dinner, Kisshouin-sans girls finally called me out for a chat.. How dare you show Reiksama such disrespect!. Unforgiveable!. Its because of you that Reiksama has behaving acting strangely!. After a lengthy session of being chewed out by them, they all began to smile darkly.. Scary!. Satomi Yukinari. From what I heard, it seems you have a girlfriend in Second Year.. Eh-!? Howd you know that!? I blurted.. Do not make light of our information network, I was warned.. It seems that you intend on buy her a souvenir in Paris, somebody else continued.. Matching accessories, was it? another mused.. So this was why people feared the secret police!. The ring of girls around me tightened.. My back was to the wall, with nowhere to run.. You have a lovely girlfriend, I was told neutrally.. Ah, well. I trust you have not forgotten that Reiksamas cousin Ririnsan is in Second Year.. And that Ririnsan adores Reiksama.. It wouldnt take much to break you up.. They were taking her hostage. If you understand, then have a good think about your att.i.tude towards Reiksama.. If you want to enjoy the rest of your high school days, that is.. Your abuse has greatly saddened Reiksama!. I understand, I said. I am reflecting. Im very sorry.. It was never a good idea to go against a group of girls, so I obediently lowered my head.. By the way, what was that white stuff that Kisshouin-san threw at me?. Even with my friends helping me, I had a lot of trouble getting it off.. I could actually still feel some, so I wanted to take a shower already.. It was salt.. Hah? Salt!? Where did you get so much salt?. She couldnt have brought it with her from j.a.pan, right? It was a huge fist full, after all.. Even Kisshouin-san wouldnt.. But then where did she get it?. W-, Who cares about that! one of them changed the subject.. More importantly, you had better start paying Reiksama the respect that she deserves!. Just who do you think Reiksama is!?. Eh?. Well, she was obviously. My friend.. Kisshouin Reika, that soft-hearted, earnest weirdo with a weakness to praise, was my friend.. Chapter 227 Everybody, please check the Everybody, please check the If it''s not on there, please feel free and ask.! first before asking me questions. Join the Evil G.o.d Army on discord! I''m back, j.a.paaaan! Haah~ Whenever I visit Europe the cities are beautiful, the atmosphere and people are stylish, and I have fun every day, but it''s still j.a.pan that I feel most at home in~ Green tea over black tea. Rice over bread. The first thing I did when I got home was eat some ume salmon chazuke! Hahhh~ This was the taste of j.a.pan~ In Zui''ran the high school cla.s.s trips were timed to the Golden Week holidays so that they wouldn''t affect our studies so much. My family had gone overseas as well, but they timed their homecoming to match mine. We had a fun talk about our trips while the living room was packed full of souvenirs. Naturally Oniisama was included! Did you have fun on your cla.s.s trip? Yes! Very much! And you all? We had a good time, but I''m a little tired, Otousama admitted. That''s because you golfed all day, dear. Okaasama''s skin was smooth and silky because of her stay at a beauty salon, but Otousama looked a bit exhausted. As for Oniisama, he had gone to Hokkaido with some uni friends of his. He even brought back a lot of my favourite desserts for me! Corn Chocolate was impossible to stop eating once you began~ I hadn''t felt any homesickness while I was gone, but nseeing my family''s for the first time in ten days made me awfully happy for some reason. I was all over them, and just chatted all night. Ehehe. I wonder if maybe I had actually missed them. I was even finding Otousama''s belly endearing. Homesickness was such a fearsome thing. Look, Oniisama! I got you all these souvenirs! Aah~ So happy. But still, it wouldn''t do to forget that I had lost something precious during my trip. My urna was gone now. During my last night in Rome I had noticed its absence and fallen into a panic. The next morning I had forgotten again, but now that my good luck charm was gone dark days were surely awaiting. The first order of business was sitting in the corner of my room. The hoya kerrii that I had received as a present last Christmas had withered up. What had once been a lively green heart-shape was now a rotten brown thing. I had given it extra water so that it could endure while I was on holiday, but it seemed to have been the wrong choice. The fact that the temperature had dropped while I was gone probably hadn''t helped either. I''m sorry, Hoychan! Forgive me! Hoychan who I spoke to every day, in the hopes that she would grow up faster. Hoychan who leant an ear to my daily complaints about being stuck as the Chief of the Forever Alone Village. It didn''t look like nutrition supplements would help her at this point. After all, I could smell a bit of rot How could I explain this to Kitazawkun? It hadn''t even been half a year yet, and I''d killed his present. I didn''t have the guts to tell him. Aah, I felt so guilty People called the hoya kerrii the love heart plant, and it was supposed to help your luck in romance. I myself had prayed to her that I would finally experience my own romance this year. It had come to nothing though. The fact that it had rotted spelled nothing but misfortune for my coming love life. I was feeling nervous now. Hoychan, please don''t curse me, okay? Just head straight to heaven. It happened during the morning of my first day going back to school. I awoke in bed to cacophonous warbling. Already having a bad feeling about it, I pulled back the balcony curtains to investigate. There were two pigeons there! So early in the morning and I was already meeting my natural enemy! Go away! I was too afraid to open the window though, so the best I could do was smack on the gla.s.s to try to scare them. Fortunately it worked, and my presence sent them flying away. Thank goodness What could have been a refreshing morning had already been ruined. They better not have p.o.o.ped on my balcony. I opened my window to check. Thankfully they hadn''t, but taking a closer look, there was a strange bundle of twigs under the air-con outdoor unit that sat to the side of my balcony. What on earth was that? Wait. Uwaaaaah! Inside there were a number of round white things! Don''t tell me they were eggs!? Those pigeons had left their eggs here! Plural! There were two! Oh my G.o.d. Those two birds had been a couple. While I was away they had taken the chance to build a nest and lay their eggs here. What was I supposed to do? I was too scared to get rid of them myself. Oh no, what if they hatched right now!? The only course of action I could think of was to get changed and call for help. Somebody please take care of this problem in place of my cowardly self The housemaid who replied to my call looked at the nest in surprise. While you were away I did some light cleaning and aired out your room, Reikojousama, but I overlooked the area under the air-conditioning unit. My apologies. No, it was because they picked somewhere so out of sight. You could not have helped it. To begin with, it was my request that they only did the bare minimum of cleaning while I was away. It was because I was hiding candy in my room, and secret savings, amongst other things. Instead, I relied a lot on a cleaning robot. The appliances of modern civilisation were wonderful indeed. Sometimes I do find a few dust bunnies living under my bed though. I hadn''t noticed anything while cleaning the windows the other day though, the maid mused. Then it must have been a recent development, I concluded. I hadn''t heard any chirping or flying before the cla.s.s trip after all. This must have happened because I lost my urna! Ah! The pigeons have come again! I shouted. On the handrail! Hey! Go away! my housemaid shooed them, but with their nest here I knew it was only a matter of time until they were back. They could hardly leave their eggs behind. What''s the matter? Oniisama asked from in front of my door. Oniisama! The noise must have brought him here. Oniisama, it is terrible! Some pigeons have built a nest on my balcony! And of all things they even laid eggs! I cried. Built a nest? Oh, so they have. Shall I put them in a nearby park? my housemaid suggested. Thank you! Could you? Unfortunately Oniisama stopped her. The Wildlife Protection and Proper Hunting Act prohibits us from disposing of the eggs of wild birds. Ehhhhhhhhhhh!? Then what were we supposed to do!? If the egg hatched then the whole family would be settling here for real! Didn''t they say that birds knew how to return home!? I couldn''t let that be my balcony! What if they lived out their entire lives here!? Please no! I can''t be room mates with the pigeons, Oniisama! I cried tearily. Please call the Office of Animal Control. Ohh! As expected of Oniisama! So reliable! The housemaid said that she would call them first thing, so that was that. Haah. Could I count this problem as dealt with, for now? Thank you, Oniisama. I apologise for the ruckus so early in the morning. No, no, it just really feels like you''re back now. I wasn''t sure what his smile meant, but Oniisama patted me on the head. Maybe Oniisama was worried about my frayed nerves because he drove me to school that morning. Yaaaay~ Oniisama looked so cool driving the car in his suit! I must say, that was surprised. When I woke up I hardly expected to find a pigeon nest in my room. I guess you would be. It was bad enough that they attacked me with p.o.o.p from the sky, but to think they even followed me home to finish me off, those d.a.m.ned pigeons! And a couple, no less. Even though they were just pigeons they sure had a lot of nerve acting all lovey-dovey like that. I guess it couldn''t be helped though. It was spring after all. I suppose this comes with spring, I sighed. I wonder if things will calm down after this. Unfortunately, pigeons are in heat all year around, so they lay quite a few eggs. Ehhhhh!? What the heck!? This was the first I''d heard of this! Reika, I''m driving so don''t grab my arm like that, okay? Sorry. In heat all year round!? Didn''t these pigeons have any morals!? These pigeons were unforgivable As expected of my natural enemy. As it turned out, pigeons were the chiefs of the Fulfilling Bird Romance village! Then that means that even if we get rid of the nest and eggs they might simply do this all over again!? This wasn''t a joke. How could they get s.e.xy on somebody else''s balcony!? Unforgivable! I''ve asked them to take measures to keep pigeons away, so there''s nothing to worry about. Oniisamaaa! Reika, I''m driving so don''t grab my arm like that, okay? Sorry. By measures'', I wonder if he was talking about nets and CDs. Or could it be traps instead? Oh, I just remembered, Oniisama. I bought some souvenirs for Imari-sama as well, so I was hoping for a chance to hand them over. Do you know if he plans to visit our house any time soon? Just have it sent by courier. Ehhh~? Imari-sama gave me so many presents normally, so I wanted to hand them over personally to show my grat.i.tude. Wasn''t having a courier send it a bit dispa.s.sionate? Although that was exactly what I did for Valentines, since it was food and all. Oniisama glanced over at my dissatisfied expression as said, I''ll let him know. I''m counting on you, Oniisama! When I arrived at school I spotted new members of the Fulfilling Romance village, thanks to the effects of the cla.s.s trip. d.a.m.n them all What phenomenon caused all these new couples after a school trip? It had been a mystery in my previous life too. It made no sense. Gokigen''yoh, Reiksama. We were just talking about the cla.s.s trip. Gokigen''yoh, everyone. When I arrived in the cla.s.sroom a number of my friends had already been chatting together. I want to talk about the trip as well. Lemme join in~ It certainly was quite a trip. Which city were you just talking about? Well Actually, in Rome some students apparently spotted Kaburagi-sama and Takamichi-san at a caf together Eh!? Oh my G.o.d. Just how many times had I told him to be careful about being seen! Are we sure it was the two of them? I tried. Perhaps they were mistaken. But would anyone really mistake somebody else for Kaburagi-sama? It was true that the idiot was stupidly noticeable. It didn''t take long for the rumours to spread like wildfire. According to the rumours it happened at a caf famous for its tiramisu. The two of them were seen happily chatting to each other before boarding a taxi and riding off. Since n.o.body had the guts to question Kaburagi, naturally they hounded Wakabchan instead. Fl.u.s.tered, she replied We just happened to meet but then they asked why the two of them boarded a taxi together in that case. The fact that they had been sampling desserts together the whole day was still a secret. Still, it was now a confirmed fact that she had at least spent some amount of time with him in Rome. Aaah, I just got back and I could already see the trouble brewing! When I returned home, I found blooming flowers on my balcony. The handrail had been wrapped in rose vines. It was lovely. Truly the balcony of a maiden. Ooh, and there were urara roses too. That said, I was confused about the change. As it turned out, pigeons apparently hated the smell of roses, so we had the gardener set this up after the nest was cleared away. It wouldn''t have done to have anti-pigeon nets, I suppose, to say nothing of CDs hanging on the balcony. It was the Kisshouin estate, so there were appearances to uphold after all. But I was concerned. If gardeners had green thumbs, then mine were definitely brown. I even managed to kill a cactus, so how long would these flowers last on my balcony? Please, G.o.d, let there be no pigeons tomorrow. Chapter 228 Everybody, please check the Everybody, please check the If it''s not on there, please feel free and ask.! first before asking me questions. Join the Evil G.o.d Army on discord! Hey guys! Fujima Sakura desu! This is actually the 11th day of the 14 days of the Arousing Imouto Scanlations anniversary celebrations! Let''s take a moment to think back to one of our earlier works. Back then we weren''t as large a group, and went by Inyuu scans, but most of our key members have remained, and I think you can see that it carries our DNA! Este: I really did translate and type-set this. Go back and re-read it with this in mind, but this time take a shot whenever the term KAGEYOWSI'' appears. Coorururu I opened my eyes to the sounds of pigeons Apparently after being stopped by the barrier of roses on my balcony, they took nest in my stomach instead. To give them their punishment I quickly changed and headed for food. Today was looking to be a fine day. Breakfast had been yummy, too. In the morning you just had to have rice! At Zui''ran, here and there you could spot members of the Fulfilling Romance village making themselves known. It was still early in the morning and yet I could already see their members strutting about. These I-Have-Experience villagers, these I-Suddenly-Got-Lover villagers, all absolutely unbelievable! Ever since the cla.s.s trip I was feeling a sense of crisis from the sudden depopulation of the Forever Alone village. Perhaps I ought to introduce the Gonin Gumi system so that we would all police each other As the village chief I couldn''t tolerate any more deserters. A severe warning was required here. Ah!? Those two over there were holding hands and gazing at each other! What an indecent Wait, don''t tell me that Zui''ran was allowed relationships!? I had to find out. Where was my student handbook!? Ah-, Kisshouin-san. Good morning. I was just looking for you. I was in the middle of peering into the dark swamp of hatred that was my heart when Cla.s.s Rep called out to me. Good morning, Cla.s.s Rep. Did you need me? Mmn, could I talk to you for just a bit? If course. Cla.s.s Rep took my sleeve and led me into a corner. He began to talk in a hushed voice. The truth is, during the free hours of our cla.s.s trip I went around with Hondsan and the others. I see. I do recall you telling me at the British Museum. A cruise of the Seine river, was it? You remembered? Mhm. We went on a cruise together. I had such a good time When we were getting on it was a little rocket, so I, I lent Hondsan my hand and Flushed with happiness, he continued recounting his experience to me. To think there was another new member of the Fulfilling Romance village I had to do something about my village''s depopulation problem, and soon. I see. And you were happy to hold hands. You have come to report to me your ulterior motives, then? Ehh!? I-I didn''t have any ulterior motives! I wasn''t thinking like that at all, Kisshouin-san! Hmmm~ I wonder about that. Did he really not intend that? After all, those boats had had handrails. Handrails that I had held myself while I was cruising alone. Well? Ummm, Kisshouin-san, it feels like you''re kind of in a bad mood I mean, it''s fine if I''m wrong but Ah, anyway, since Nonose-san was feeling cold, Iwamuro-kun lent his jacket to her. I think they had a good atmosphere going on. Ohhh~? For warmth, I had been forced to huddle up Ayame-chan and the other girls like a bunch of hamsters though? My, friendship between girls is a beautiful thing! I had actually wanted to put a padlock on the Pont des Arts with her, but I was too embarra.s.sed to ask. I just thought it would be nice if we could do that one day Ah! This is a secret, okay!? The Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge which crosses the River Seine, linking the Inst.i.tut de France and the Louvre. Since late 2008, tourists have taken to attaching padlocks (love locks) with their first names written or engraved on them to the railing or the grate on the side of the bridge, then throwing the key into the Seine river below, as a romantic gesture. In other words, it would be nice if they could go to Paris together, one day. That''s quite the proposal, Cla.s.s Rep. And although he didn''t get to place a padlock on lover''s bridge, he went on to tell me that he did throw two coins into the Trevi Fountain to spend his life with his love though. I see, I see. Incidentally I threw two coins in as well. Not that I had a love yet! Ha ha! They had even promised to go hang out once we were back in j.a.pan, the four of them. My, that sounds like so much fun. I simply must recommend they go on a boat tour of Inokashira Park. What are my intentions, you ask? Goodness, I meant nothing malicious by it. It is said that, if you ride the boats on Inokashira Park''s pond with a girlfriend, you will surely break up soon. Cla.s.s Rep, may you be sacrificed to appease this dark swamp of hatred The sacrificial maiden, knowing nothing of my thoughts, continued to smile as he talked to me. Pitiful thing. And so to thank you, Iwamuro-kun and I Ah, look, it''s Iwamuro-kun. Heeey~ Iwamuro-kuuun! To thank me? What was this about? Iwamuro-kun noticed Cla.s.s Rep''s waving from down the hallway and took large strides towards us. Good morning. Iwamuro-kun, I was just telling Kisshouin-san about our time on the trip. Anyway, how about we give her the present we got her? Good idea. From his bag, Cla.s.s Rep produced a bundle in adorable wrapping. This is a thank you from the two of us, Cla.s.s Rep explained. For always being there to give us advice. Thank you, Master, Iwamuro-kun nodded. Oh my G.o.d. I was ashamed of myself. I can''t my jealousy had made me wish for something so cruel to happen to such good people. I wasn''t qualified to be a G.o.d of Fulfilling Romance. Uuuu Thank goodness I hadn''t recommended Inokashira Park yet Thank you. I am overwhelmed, I said, hugging the present close. We got you oil and hair treatment products from France. It''s our way of wishing that your locks of fortune will always stay beautiful. Iwamuro-kun was the one who picked it, actually, explained Cla.s.s Rep. I really admire your hair, Master. I just hope you''ll like it As expected of the kind of maiden who was into beauty care. Even his choice of presents was maidenly and thoughtful. Even though his hair was cut short, it was l.u.s.trous and glossy. I could see the effort he put in every day to take care of it. As his teacher in beauty care, it made me proud to see. It was thanks to the generosity of these two that I managed to, just a little, find it in my heart to forgive the members of the Fulfilling Romance Village. After school I went to give the kids their souvenirs. That was how I found myself heading to the Pet.i.t Salon with presents in both hands. While I was on my way I received a number of text messages from Kaburagi but I ignored them all. I had zero interest in subjecting myself to his gushing over his Roman date with Wakabchan. Keh! Compared to a date with the soothing angels of the Pet.i.t Pivoine, his little stories were nothing but trash! As I opened the door I was met with Mao-chan who was nothing but smiles. Reikoneesama, gokigen''yoh! Gokigen''yoh, Mao-chan. Upon entering the room I was greeted one by one by smiling children. So cute. I was already relaxing~ Distributing the souvenirsDDchocolates, and french jelly they call pate de fruitDDwas met with a cute cheer from the children. Reikoneesama! Reikoneesama!'' I was thus surrounded by bundles of adoring children. My, my, I''m not going anywhere, so please don''t fight over me like that~ Haah, how I wish a time slip could make these childrens'' cla.s.smate I was born a little too early. If I had been their cla.s.smates then just imagine what a fulfilling life I''d be leading right now. This was a false paradise Good afternoon, Reikoneesan. Yukino-kun! And here came the boy who would have been the prince charming of that time slip scenario! Aah I was really born too soon. After I was done handing out the treats, I was ushered out of the ring of children towards the sofa. Sitting next to me was Yukino-kun. In front of me was Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun. Well then, it is time for your souvenirs, I said. Besides the sweets from earlier, for these three I also had foreign picture books and coloured pencils. The pencils that I bought were supposedly world-reknowned, and were even used in the colouring for famous picture books. You could use them to produce lovely soft colours. The faces of my adorable little friends blossomed into smiles. Also Mao-chan, could I trouble you to hand this to Ichinokursama? I had been treated to meals by her uncle countless times, so for him I got cheese, black tea, as well as a gla.s.s cat paperweight since I thought of his pet cat Alice. Maybe this was a bit much for Mao-chan to bring home, but she was going by car so it was fine, right? I understand. I''ll pa.s.s it to Haruto-niisama, right? Oh, that reminds me, Reikoneesama. Listen to this. Actually, while you were overseas I wanted to thank Akimi-san for her cooking lessons so I got Haruto-niisama to bring the two of us to eat! she beamed. Eh? Really? I asked, surprised. Yes. I''m sorry for not speaking to you first. But the two of us just happened to both be free that day, so Well, I hardly mind, but Anyhow, did you enjoy yourself then? Uhuhu. I asked Haruto-niisama to pick somewhere wonderful for us, and it turned out that the food was delicious and Akimi-san seemed to enjoy it too. See, the two of them both love eating, right? They seemed to have a lot to talk about, so I was thinking that maybe just the two of them could go next time~ My Oh my G.o.d. Without my knowledge, the adorable Mao-chan had transformed into a cunning matchmaker aunty! Without a doubt, this was her way of trying to get rid of Eriksan and replace her with Akimi-san, wasn''t it? Yuuri-kun who was oblivious to her hidden motives simply smiled and said, That''s great to hear, Mao. Why were boys so? No, of course. It was better that they didn''t realise. They''d live happier that way While this was happening, Yukino-kun was enraptured by the Mother Goose collection. Hmm hmm, what''s this you''re reading~? Mmn. Yukino-kun, how about we read something more pleasant? You might not be able to fall asleep at night, you know? The four of us spent the next while chatting, comparing the souvenir books, or talking about my trip. It was only interrupted when I heard the door opening to the squeals of the girls. Together we turned to the source of the commotion and Geh! Oh? It''s Niisama. In the middle of the uproar was Yukino''s brother, Enjou, as well as Emperor Kaburagi. What had he even come to the Pet.i.t Salon for? Niisama, what are you guys doing here? Yukino-kun asked blankly. The two of them had walked over to us. Enjou gave a helpless smile as Kaburagi stood with his arms crossed. Masaya over here has business with Kisshouin-san. Eh-? Business with me? I had an incredibly bad feeling about this Kaburagi nodded grimly and turned to me with a frown. You. I''ve sent you so many messages already, and you still haven''t noticed? Honestly, you''re hopeless. I had to come all the way myself. I knew it. Since I didn''t reply, he decided to come in person? What a born stalker The Natural-Born Stalker Kaburagi. That''d make for a good ring name if he ever got into pro wrestling, actually. My sincere apologies, I said to Natural-Born Stalker. My phone was in my bag and I had not thought to check. It was a reasonable explanation. I looked to up find Enjou smirking at me. Tsk. The two interlopers took the opportunity to join us at the table. Yukino, what are you reading? Reikoneesan gave it to me. It''s a souvenir from her trip, he replied. From Kisshouin-san? I see. Thank you for going out of your way for my brother, Enjou said. Not at all. It was but a trifle, so please do not mind it, I replied politely. From the side, Kaburagi peered at it in curiosity. What''s it about? It''s Mother Goose''s collection, answered Yukino. Mother Goose? Ah, right, we''ve got that in my family''s library too, Kaburagi mused. Come to think of it, the talk about rhymes reminds me. We used to have ten little Indian dolls lying around the house, but I found one of them mysteriously broken. I think it was at the end of 1st Year he finished in a mutter. At the end of 1st Year? Wasn''t that when he had his big heartbreak over Yurie-sama? A cursed Indian doll that broke because of his broken heart? And then there were none'' Scaryyy~! While I was lost in my own ominous delusions, the kids had begun asking them about their time on the trip. The conversation turned to the soccer match they saw in England, which really interested Yuuri-kun. We chat picked up to a swell, and we had just about finished the tea when Enjou''s phone rang. He excused himself, and after a chat from a small distance away, he came back and let Yukino-kun it was time to go. It looks like our ride is here. Let''s go home, Yukino. Ehhh? But I still want to talk more There''ll be another time. Come on, they''re waiting for us downstairs. Yukino-kun looked dissatisfied, but Enjou rubbed his head as he chided him, and so Yukino-kun reluctantly left his seat. Apparently Kaburagi planned to stay though. n.o.body asked him to stay Yukino-kun seems to want to talk more, so how about you go together, Kaburagi-sama? I tried. Unfortunately, Enjou denied it to me with his next words. Sorry, but I''ve got plans after this. Cheh. Is that so? Well then, we''ll be heading off first, he finished. See you tomorrow, Kisshouin-san. Gokigen''yoh, Enjou-sama. Let us speak again, Yukino-kun. Bye, Reikoneesan. Thank you for the book and pencils. And the sweets too! Huhu, you are very welcome. The soothing angel left us, and as I mourned that fact, somebody tapped my shoulder as a shadow loomed from behind me. Well then. Let''s go somewhere else. I''ve got heaps of stuff I want to talk to you about. I wonder if he couldn''t give me a report with just the main points summarised. I promise I''d read it when I had time. By the way, breaking news! Debt Girl, and/or Otoburi, along with maybe possibly probably not Bathroom G.o.ddess, are getting picked back up on a semi-regular-irregular-probably never basis! We''ll put up a chapter 9, and based on the reactions we get, we''ll see what we can do. Also, like, subscribe, click the bell-shaped notification b.u.t.ton, and donate to our patreon for more frequent, regular releases! We''re also on 1,000 posts! Chapter 229 Publishedat 15th of May 2019 09:15:24 PMChapter 229 After a tearful farewell with the little cuties of the Pet.i.t Pivoine, I was half-dragged by Kaburagi to our usual little room. I moaned to no avail about how I wanted to talk with the children more, or about how I still had plans after this. Kaburagi simply snapped at me to move it, and grabbed me by the top of my arm to take me away. What was particularly bothering was that when his fingers sunk into more flesh than expected, he gave me a shocked double-take. For a woman with a dainty, delicate heart like a fine blancmange, that kind of reaction was deeply upsetting. Youre wrong! Its just my clothes that are making me thick! Underneath this bulky blazer Im wearing my blouse too so its just all the clothes that make me feel fat! Stop it! Stop looking back and forth between my arm and your hand to compare! Well? Whatever might you wish to talk about~? I said with disinterest. The secret of my arms revealed, I now found myself sulking in front of Kaburagi. Thats not a good att.i.tude, he complained, but I ignored it. I still had cram school after this. I just wanted to go home and change already. And maybe buy some dumbbells along the way Seeing that I was determined to sulk, Kaburagi let out an exaggerated sigh before beginning his story. What I wanted to talk about was my time in Rome with Takamichi during the free period. No surprises there. Actually Id be surprised if it was anything else. Fine, fine, Ill hear you out. Stop glaring at me. Go on, continue, continue. Just like our time in Paris, the two of us toured the dessert shops that she wanted to try. At the tiramisu shop she couldnt pick because they all looked so good, so we ordered a whole lot of them are shared them between us. Strawberry tiramisu isnt really a thing in j.a.pan, but she liked it the most and asked if she could have the rest. I told her that I didnt mind, and she just thanked me with such a happy smile At this point Kaburagi began grinning to himself, seemingly lost in memories. It was kind of gross how womanly he was being. I swear his voice went soft and high just now. At any rate, he couldnt stop talking about it. After that they went to this shop, ate that, when they went for their same plate their fingers touched which had them both in a fl.u.s.ter etc. I wanted to roar and tear his head off. Villagers, charge! Enemy attack! Enemy attack! The enemy have come for us! There was one thing that couldve gone better though. She was going to meet up with her friends afterwards to go shopping, so she asked me if I had any souvenir ideas. Something did come to mind, but she didnt seem too keen on my suggestion. Hmph. This was Kaburagi we were talking about. No doubt he suggested something that was way beyond the means of a normal high schooler to buy. Oh, that reminded me. I had to remember to hand over souvenirs to everyone at cram school. I bought Italian stationery goods and sweets that hadnt reached j.a.pan yet. Compared to the kids at the Pet.i.t Pivoine, it had been way, way harder coming up with souvenir ideas for my cram school friends and my undercla.s.smen in the Handicrafts Club. After all, I really dreamed about being thought of as a stylish person by everybody else. Thats why I only bought these sweets after strenuous consideration. It would not do to think of these sweets as simple chocolates bought in a random gift store. This was a chance to show off my taste, after all. A stylish person would never stoop as low as simply buying yatsuhashi from Kyoto, or macadamia nuts from Hawaii. No matter how tasty they were! Not even if they were always so delicious that you finished the box in one go! Yatsuhashi is a typical Kyoto souvenir made from rice flour, sugar and cinnamon. The rectangular shape is said to represent the koto (a traditional string instrument of j.a.pan) or a bridge. Although the macadamia nut tree originated in Australia, Hawaii is well-known for its cultivation of them, and they are a popular Hawaiian souvenir. The idea of goods that werent being sold in j.a.pan yet was just so premium. After all, when they eventually made their way here it would be like, Oh! Kisshouin-san/Reiksenpai actually bought these as souvenirs a while back. As expected of her~ Right? So it would be like I was so stylish that I knew the trends before they became trends, even. I didnt really have much confidence in my taste. But that was why I so badly wanted to be seen as tasteful. I wanted them to look up to me as a stylish lady. I wanted to become the trendsetter for Zuiran Oi, are you even listening to me? Yes, why of course I am, I nodded vigorously. And so the Roman date continued. After eating they went on a stroll to help with digestion. They went and saw churches and ruins and whatnot. Wakabchan was overjoyed at how delicious the gelato place he recommended was. It seemed like he had a great day. By the end of it they were even careless enough to get out of a taxi together, not far from Roma Termini train station. Honestly, what were they thinking? After I warned him so many times to be careful too. Wasnt it this d.a.m.ned idiots fault that they got spotted, and now everyone was hating on Wakabchan again!? Since it was our last school trip, there was no end to girls who dreamt about making happy memories in Europe with everybodys beloved Emperor. People already had a bad impression of Wakabchan. If you added stealing a march on top of that it was little wonder that they were muttering about her being sneaky, or an ugly girl who thought too much of herself. And just when the bullying was dying down, too Worse yet, she was spotted touring London with Fellow Stalking Horse as well. Apparently he had jealous fans too. Oh. And according to the girls, apparently there were also rumours about me flying around. Like how Id had fun shopping with Enjou in Paris. Or how I had a chat over some coffee with Enjou and the Emperor at our hotel in Rome. Or how I received macarons from Kaburagi. In my rumours I was living as delightfully as Wakabchan it seemed. I feel empty Anyway, moving onto the main topic Ehh!? Dont tell me that long a.s.s talk about his never-ending date (Roman Edition) was just the introduction!? Its too long, Kaburagi. Too long. Its so long that Im actually dumbfounded. I really wonder if I cant get a summary report for this I feel like weve gotten a lot closer this trip. Truly, good sir? So Im thinking that Ill go with the flow and try inviting her here and there. That sounds like a fine idea indeed. Where do you think would be goo? I believe you must ask your heart that. Oi, can you answer seriously!? I cant, Ive already had my fill of listening to other peoples romances. What if you had this conversation with your best friend, Enjou-sama? I tried. Ive already talked to Shuusuke. He suggested that I talk to you. That guy pushed all the work onto me, huh? Then as I have mentioned before, I think the best place would be somewhere that will not intimidate Takamichi-san. Intimidate, huh? She did not take your souvenir advice when you failed to consider her scale of money, no? I pointed out. This is what I am asking you to pay attention to. Money, huh? How about checking some magazines? Perhaps an article on date spots, I suggested. But relying on a manual is a bit Kaburagi folded his arms and stared upwards. Come to think of it, Takamichi said something about going with a friend to a supermarket in Rome. Apparently she wanted to buy something that you couldnt get in supermarkets here Hey, Kisshouin, he asked, Have you ever been to a supermarket before? I have, I nodded, obviously, much to Kaburagis shock. What on earth were you doing in a supermarket? What, you ask? Replenishing food supplies, obviously. For sweets or cup ramen and the like, a regular supermarket will do. For the side dishes I snack on at night, or if I want some imported sweets, I can get them at a high end supermarket that I sometimes visit. I try my best to go to each one on days when theyre giving 5 times the points for your point card. Market research. Market research? To know what families put on their dinner table is to know modern day j.a.pan! Kaburagis eyes narrowed in question. How is that different to a convenience store? he asked. My! What in heavens are you saying!? The products are completely different! I exclaimed. Supermarkets sold sweets in family packs. You could never find those in a convenience store. Those ever alluring family packs! I hope that explains it, I finished. Kaburagi turned sullen after I shook my head at him in pity. Fine! In that case, lets go to a supermarket! he announced, shooting to his feet. Hah? That sounded like he was about to drag me off to a supermarket. Takamichi has an interest in these supermarkets. I want to experience it too. Also I can help you with that market research or whatever it is youre doing. Cmon, get to your feet and lets go! Wh, please hold on a moment. I have cram school today. Cram school? he parroted. Yes. His enthusiasm dampened, Kaburagi looked dissatisfied. But I wouldnt let him have this. The mid-terms are coming up soon, you know? Go and study, d.a.m.n it. Fine then. So when can we go? Well, one the mid-terms are over perhaps Thats ages away! How about tomorrow? Or this weekend? Tomorrow? This weekend? My, my, you do have too much time on your hands. You poor thing. To think that the Emperor of Zuiran actually had nothing on his schedule all day, every day. It was enough to bring a tear to your eyes. Uupftpft. What are you looking at me like that for? he asked. Nothing, nothing, I said. Ohoho, you must excuse me. My schedule is simply packed, and even if I make room for you it shant be until next week~ Im simply soenvious of people who have free time~ If you are truly so desperate to go, then how about going by yourself or inviting Enjou-sama? What are Shuusuke and I supposed to do at a supermarket? I opened the door as I laughed as his pouting face. Geez. Maybe I could do some research on normal date spots for him. Chapter 230 Publishedat 24th of August 2019 09:48:55 AMChapter 230 No sooner had I arrived at cram school did I start handing out my souvenirs. In Rome I had bought some notebooks, bookmarks, and pens with interesting, flashy designs, which were being met with a positive reaction. Good job, me. Oh, is this box chocolate? The package is so stylish~ Moriyamsan gushed. There is a chocolatier that is enjoying some popularity in Paris at the moment but I do not believe they have arrived at our sh.o.r.es yet, I explained. The concept behind these chocolates was chocolate that complements wine. The taste is admittedly a little mature but I have become quite fond of them, of late. If it pleases you then please give them a try. Oh wow. That sounds amazing. Maybe Ill open it now and try just one. Good idea. Wow, this is delicious! Its a little bitter, but theres a faint sweetness to it. Thats Kisshouin-san for you. Even her souvenirs are something else. Uhuhu, I am glad that you like them, I laughed. I could feel their comments arouse my sense of self-esteem. And just now Moriyamsan said the word stylish, didnt she? Nuhoho, you can keep using that word if you want, you know? Ah-! Oh, this is pretty good. Kitazawkun just gobbled one down like it was a dollar store chocolate! The stylish chocolate from a famous chocolatier in Paris, not even available yet in the j.a.panese market, and that I chose after many painstaking rounds of elimination and! Well, whatever. Have your fill. Going to Europe for your cla.s.s trip though. Thats Zuiran for you~ said one of the girls. My school went to Hagi and Tsuwano. Hagi and Tsuwano! Well, not that theyre bad places or anything but arent they a bit too austere for a fun cla.s.s trip? I wasnt asking for a trip overseas or anything, but couldnt we have at least left Honshuu? grumbled the other. My school gave us a choice between Kyushu or Hokkaido, so I went with the latter. Great fun. The food was great too, one of the boys chimed in. I picked Kyushu. Oh yeah. Come to think of it, you gave me some karukan. Karukan is a j.a.panese confection from Kyushu. The origin of the name is light yokan. And so we chatted about our respective cla.s.s trips as we snacked on the souvenirs I brought. You always get a few who go completely nuts on cla.s.s trips. Especially amongst the boys. I guess Id count. We broke the curfew, tried to sneak out of our lodgings, got seen, and then got chased down The most that happened to us was getting scolded by our cla.s.s rep because we kept being late for roll call, but Id hope that it isnt too big a deal. These other schools had it rough I was really feeling for my fellow cla.s.s reps. The members of my cla.s.s were all diligent and cooperative, so almost everyone was on time when it was time to meet up. For some reason Satomi-kun thanked me and said it was all because of me though. Once all of the snacks were gone, the boys started talking about the cram school lessons, so it was time for me to do my research. I turned to Moriyamsan and Sakaki-san. Frank advice from two actual schoolgirls would prove invaluable. Say, where would the two of you go for dates? I ventured. Eh? Are you going on a date, Kisshouin-san? Ooh, tell us, did you get a boyfriend? No, no. But the topic came up in conversation today and Well, Moriyamsan, you told me that you had a boyfriend, so I wondered where you two went on your dates. Ah, okay. The two of them fell into thought. I guess Id have to recommend amus.e.m.e.nt parks. Its expensive so you cant go all the time, but its fun and its exciting! Yeah, cant go wrong with amus.e.m.e.nt parks. Roller coasters, haunted houses, and then a Ferris wheel at the end of the day. Yep, that last one is a must. The view from up there is beautiful at night. I love Ferris wheels. Sometimes Ill pop in just for the Ferris wheel. I know what you mean~ Ferris wheels I muttered to myself. I mean, when you think of Ferris wheels you think of couples k-kissing when their car reached the top, right? Kyaaa! Oh no! Impossible! Thats impossible for me-! How was I ever supposed to invite somebody onto a Ferris wheel!? I-I mean, its basically asking for Outrageous! Scandalous! Were all just still high schoolers, you know!? But if one day my own love invited me for a ride on a Ferris wheel Uhyaaaaah! What would I do!? Oh goodness~! Kissing Kissing Your eyes are kind of scaring me, Kisshouin-san. Is everything okay? Eh!? Oh my. Apologies, lately my eyes have been a little dry. No good, no good. The stimulation was so great that I forgot to blink. While I was applying eye-drops, the two of them continued their date talk. I suppose we go to the movies once in a while. And my boyfriend loves sports so well play basketball at the part, or badminton or something. The park is nice, and easy on the purse, agreed Sasaki-san. Ive been on a date to a garden too. Got to feed the fish. Are you guys senior citizens? Moriyamsan joked. But hmm, I guess a lot of the time we just walk home together after school and talk. I guess that counts too? What are you saying, Moriyamsan!? Of course thats a date! Its exactly the sort of date Ive always fantasised about! H-Holding hands is a must, I think. Right, bashfully holding hands while walking along in their high school uniforms Kyaaaah! How nice, how nice! How very dreamy. I long to try it too. Aaah, but its me were talking about. What if I got too nervous and my hands got sweaty!? If your girlfriends hand was dripping with sweat youd be grossed out, right!? What should I do then? Flap my hands dry first? Use acupoints to disable my sense of nervousness? Who knew that holding hands could be such a challenge!? But as long as I can get over this hurdle, what awaits me is holding hands, being with the person I like in our school uniforms, Ferris wheels Ferris wheels!? In our uniforms after school on a Ferris wheel!? Kisshouin-san, your eyes are kind of acting up again Eh!? Ah, my apologise. Please do not mind me and continue. I think you should see an eye doctor Oh no, not good. Apparently the stimulation was too much for me again. I used some more eye-drops as Moriyamsan continued. Theres also karaoke, arcades, and studying together in a family restaurant, I guess. But we do all those with friends too. Eh-, with male friends? faltered Sasaki-san. Obviously not when its just the two of us. But like, dont you go with your cla.s.s to have fun after exams are done? Ahh~ Yeah, okay. Like after school well see whos interested in coming, and then go to a bowling alley or for some karaoke. The other day I was paired up with this guy who was crazy good at bowling, and we beat the rest of our cla.s.s. That was fun~ Yeah. We go bowling a lot, actually. In April my cla.s.s talked up this get together but in the end we just went bowling. And made the pair with the worst score pay for everyones drinks? Sakaki-san said knowing. Exactly! And when its time to choose your partner, theres always one person who rushes to cut up name tags to pick out of a box. In my cla.s.s the girls like to cheat to get paired up with the guys they like. Sometimes it even goes pretty well for them. What the-!? Is this the kind of fun that other co-ed schools were getting up to!? I stared transfixed as the two of them talked about these events like they happened to everybody. Going out to have fun after a test!? This is the first Im hearing of it! Why doesnt my school do this? Is it because of our culture? Oh my G.o.d. In all my years at Zuiran, not once had I enjoyed any benefits of co-education. I may as well have been attending a girls school. Where do you go with your Zuiran boys? I was suddenly asked. Eh!? The one thing I hoped theyd never ask me! Am I a joke to you!? And since Tagaki-kun went to this cram school I could even be caught out for lying. But then was I supposed to let them know that I lived in the Forever Alone Village? As the Village Head no less!? Was I supposed to let them know that far from a boyfriend, I basically had no male friends at all!? That I was basically attending a girls school!? Hmmm~ Come to think of it, everybody tends to have arrangements or extracurricular education, so it does not happen all too often. I suppose sometimes we meet up at a friends house and play games (the birthday party with all the primary school kids), or go out to eat (Mao-chan & Yuuri-kun). On some weekends we might head out to an aquarium or some shopping (Mao-chan, Yuuri-kun). Oh, come to think of it, this one boy wanted me to go shopping (at a supermarket) with him, but I had cram school so I had to turn him down. Huh, so thats what Zuiran is like~ I didnt lie. They were all Zuiran students. Its just that some of them might be primary schoolers, or some of them may have graduated. I just embellished the truth a little. I didnt lie. To avoid looking them in the eyes, I began flipping through my textbook. I guess that makes sense, she continued. Theres no way the boys from Zuiran would go to an arcade or to karaoke, right? Hmmm~ I could not say. While my group of friends do not, I could not speak for the others. But one of the friends I mentioned earlier (Yukino-kun) is a big fan of video games, so we play them at his house (during the birthday party). I am not very good at them, so I tend to just sit by and watch. All I did was replace some past tense with some present tense. There could be a second birthday party. I didnt lie. Then where did you go with them during your cla.s.s trip? Hmmm. I spent most of my cla.s.s trip with my girl friends. When I had some time though, I did take up a few of their invitations. Shopping in Paris for one thing, or when we had tiramisu in Rome. And so I used some of the rumours about me for good. Ehh~? Kisshouin-san, you rarely talk about boys but youve actually got so many guy friends!? Hardly, hardly. Plus, two of those guy friends I mentioned just now were in primary school Lies. Exaggeration. Misleading comments. The words floated through my head No, no I didnt lie but Geez, I honestly felt like crying right now. My eyes were starting to sting. I only had a year left until having a date in uniform was no longer possible, so what on earth was I doing? Before I left, I had stealthily handed something to Umewakkun alone. It was the brush and accessories for Beatrice. Later that night I got a thank you message. Thank you, Reiktan! It looks like Im a Parisian too, now! C Betan Then I received a more serious message from Umewakkun himself. Lately theres been this male dog hanging around Beatrice when Ive been taking her out for walks. It makes me so angry. And the worst thing is that Beatrice doesnt seem displeased by the attention! The dog lover might be joining my village quite soon. I should prepare him a nice spot of land with a lot of sun. Chapter 231 Publishedat 24th of November 2019 01:46:33 PMPlease help us improve Trinity AudioChapter 231 The next morning I arrived to find the girls discussing something with frowns on their faces. Gokigenyoh. Is something the matter? I asked. Gokigenyoh, Reiksama, Serikchan replied. Apparently, yesterday after school, that girl was in the car that came to pick up Enjou-sama. That girl? The one from the School Festival. Ahh Yuiko-san, smiling and otherworldly, appeared in my mind. After school yesterday That was when I met Enjou and Kaburagi in the Pet.i.te salon. Hmm, thinking back Enjou had suddenly taken a call, and it was why Yukino-kun suddenly had to go home. Ah, could that have been Yuiko-san that called him!? So thats what happened. His girlfriend had come to meet him at the gates so he pushed his annoying friend onto me and then happily went on his date. No, hang on. More likely hed intended to push Kaburagi onto me anyway, that d.a.m.ned schemer, and thats why he even came there in the first place! What a horrible guy! Just how much of my energy was sucked away after I was forced to listen to Kaburagis endless rambling about Wakabchan This is why I couldnt stand the inhabitants of the Fulfilling Romance village! All they did was oppress my people! Is Enjou-sama truly seeing that girl? I wonder if the rumours about their engagement are true. Enjou-sama said they were simply relatives, but Have you heard anything from him, Reiksama? Unfortunately I didnt have the answers. After all, it wasnt like I could just ask the guy himself all these nosey questions We werent all that close, after all. Plus, no way was I going to have him think that I was so interested in his life. Id lose all pride as a village chief if he thought I was envious of his villages good harvest. So yeah, even if they begged me to ask him, it wasnt going to happen. I was aiming to be Zuirans trendsetter, not its gossip columnist! But more info on Yuiko-san came to me anyway. It was during lunch break, while I was eating the salad that I was eating to watch my weight. Oh, right. And starting last night Id begun doing push-ups too. Naturally because of the Kaburagi Double-Take at My Arms Incident. Actually, after the talk about dates yesterday I ended up asking about what they did to diet as well. At first they said stuff like We dont really do anything special but after I kept asking, they eventually admitted Well, just a few push-ups before bed. I knew they were keeping in shape in secret! So I replied, Push-ups, is it? Perhaps I should try it myself. I have been a little conscious of my upper arms recently Ehh~ Youre so skinny already, Kisshouin-san. You dont need to diet~ Advertis.e.m.e.nt Kisshouin-san, you look perfect the way you are now~ Naturally I couldnt put any trust in their lip service. And so the first twenty pushes I had done in a long while were so painful that my arms trembled, but I had to push on. There was only one month left until it was time for summer clothes. Until that moment come, I had to work hard to exorcise the demons in my biceps! Reiksan, gokigenyoh. My! Ririna. Ririna and her friends approached me after they had finished their lunch. Well? What do you think? she asked and she held out her arm. Glinting on her wrist was the watch I bought her during my cla.s.s trip. Apparently she had come here just to show herself wearing it. It suits you. Huhu~ she hummed proudly. I could see the same emotion on her face too. The watch I had picked was girlish, but in a design that would be fine to wear every day. It looked like Ririna was quite pleased with it. After that her friends thanked me for getting them souvenirs as well. So I said that it had been my pleasure, and casually dropped that they were chocolates from a stylish chocolatier brand that hadnt made its way into j.a.pan yet. Hu hu hu, if I wanted a firm hold on the position of Zuirans trendsetter, Id have to begin with individuals. Gosh, I just cant stop wondering about it! one of the girls cried in frustration. Ririna looked over at the girls who were still talking about Enjou and Yuiko-san before turning to ask, What are they talking about? Enjou-sama and that girl from the rumours. Ahh, Yuiko-san? You know her too, Ririna? So even people in her year knew? Enjous popularity was impressive. Plus, there was a bespectacled information broker amongst her friends. At least that was my reasoning before Ririna dropped a bombsh.e.l.l on her. I do, of course. After all, I went to primary school with her. Ehhhhh!? My sudden outburst caused eyes to turn my way. Ah. I promptly tried my make myself invisible. Ririna lived a little far away, and it wasnt common for us to get students from that far out. But because her mother was a graduate of Zuiran, and of the Pivoine no less, Ririna had grown up dreaming about our school. Unfortunately for her, our primary school section had a restriction on how far away their students were permitted to live. In the end she unwillingly attended a famous local girls school instead. Ririnsan, could you please tell us about her!? Serikchan and the others pressed. The request came as a whisper because they were mindful of the surroundings, but it was fervent all the same. Well, I dont know her too well either, Ririna warned, but she began talking anyway. Yuiko-san was two years above mine. She was beautiful and refined, even back then. She was older than me!? She had always seemed oddly confident and calm around us. To think it was because she was an uppercla.s.sman. Dating an older woman even though he was just a little high schooler? That was potential for you. Potential as an applicant to the Casanova village, that d.a.m.ned Enjou! Plus, being as gorgeous as she is, she was very popular too. Even in primary school we heard rumours about all the boys that came to her middle school festival for her. There were plenty of them that waited in front of the gates for her after school as well. Thats something else. I spoke to her a few times myself, back in primary school. She was gentle and graceful, and everyone looked up to her. Hmmm~ The neighbouring schools began calling her the Miss of our school as well. Wow With each response, the girls around me became more quiet and subdued. She was so popular that there were even a few kids who worshipped her like a G.o.ddess. A G.o.ddess For a moment, everyone glanced my way. Eh? What is it? Normally a girl that popular would have more than a few jealous enemies, Ririna continued, But strangely Yuiko-san didnt have anybody like that. Maybe it was because she always looked so fragile and made you want to protect her. I could see it. All of the girls, present company included, had been so harsh when it came to Wakabchan, but strangely I hadnt heard anybody publicly criticise Yuiko-san in the least. Maybe it really was that atmosphere of hers. To bring up another comparison, Maihama Ema had stirred up a storm of abuse when she came to our festival for Kaburagi. What happened to her, anyhow? I hadnt seen her in a while. I decided to ask Sakurchan the next time we met up. The gentle and graceful type of beauty that stirs up the urge to protect her, huh? one of the girls mused. Well, shes basically the exact opposite to Reiksan, Ririna said. What the heck? So are you saying Im ungainly and nasty and the type to live as a loner then? Well excuse me! I think Id like that watch back! While I sulked, Ririna placed a hand on my shoulder as she smiled at me kindly. Dont you worry, Reiksan. Youre good in your own way too. Youre the last person I want to hear that from! I smacked her hand right off my shoulder. Speak of the devil. No sooner had I left the cafeteria for my cla.s.sroom did I come across Enjou, chatting with some other boy. Bird-brained Katsuragi, as it happened. If possible Id have liked to avoid the noisy b.u.g.g.e.r. But despite my best efforts at ignoring them and walking past, Enjou ignored my intentions and called out to me anyway. Kisshouin-san, thank you for yesterday. Yukino was absorbed in that book the whole way home. Truly? Then it was my privilege that he enjoyed it so, I replied under Bird-Brains crazy glare. Well, not that I was the least bit intimidated. Well, I was, but because of the intensely expectant gazes from the girls behind me Besides which, that smile Enjou was wearing was Was it just my bias speaking, or did that look exactly like the smirk of a man who had a gentle, graceful, beauty of an older girlfriend? Id appreciate it if you could spare some of your time for Yukino again. He keeps telling me to invite you over. My! Uhuhu. The words invite you over had Serikchan and the others riled up, but Bird-Brains expression just turned grimmer. This jacka.s.s was definitely enjoying this, wasnt he? He deliberately used those words just to cause me trouble. Im sorry, but Im not coming over, Yukino-kun. Your older brother is basically another pigeon to me. d.a.m.n you, Enjou! I hope you get p.r.i.c.ked by a rose bush! Ah, it is about time to return to cla.s.s I said to excuse myself. I could hear Serikchan and the others making sounds of dissatisfaction, but who would willingly get friendly with someone from the Fulfilling Romance village? Say No! to thoughtless mergers! The Forever Alone village stands alone! I was kind of beat Everything was Kaburagi and Enjous fault. Yesterday I was being toyed around with by other peoples love stories. Actually before yesterday too. Haah Sweet things were best when you were tired. I could start my diet tomorrow. After cla.s.ses finished I headed to the Pivoine for some sweets in the time before club activities started. I sat myself down on the usual sofa and enjoyed some spiced apple jelly. Yummy. Jelly seemed simple enough to make, so I decided to try my hand at it when I had the chance. Oh, and since it was apples, what if I made the compote base with cider instead of water? Maybe the hint of bitterness would make the taste more mature and adult. It was worth a try. Reiksama, might I sit with you? I looked up and found Fuyuko-sama standing before me. It was a rare thing for her to speak to me of her own accord, daydreaming and una.s.suming as she tended to be. I offered her a seat, and she took it before peering at me with worry. Reiksama, you look a little unwell. Do you think so? Maybe my exhaustion was showing. The jelly hadnt been enough. I had better eat some pastries too. You know, I have something with me that might help, she said. I came across the real thing while we were on the field trip. My, did you buy some essential oils? I asked. In a rarely excitement, Fuyuko-sama searched her bag for a little before bringing out a board with letters and numbers on it, along with a little heart-shaped coaster with a hole in it. Along the top of the board were YES and NO in English. Ah, of course. Fuyuko-sama was one of them after all. I knew I had seen one of these things before, and it was giving me nothing but bad feelings. Ummm. What might this be? I ventured. This is a ouija board! We can use this to communicate with spirits of the beyond. We hold this planchette on top of the board and ask the spirits a question, and they will borrow our hands to move the planchette to the YES or the NO. They can use the alphabet and numbers down here too. I was right to have a bad feeling. This was Kokkuri-san. Is this Kokkuri-san? I asked her hesitantly, to which she replied No, this is a ouija board. But the more I listened to her happy explanation of how to use it, the more it sounded exactly like Kokkuri-san. For all that Fuyuko-sama might have looked like a Heian-era n.o.ble, her tastes in the occult were decidedly Western You must have something on your mind. Come, dont hesitate to ask. No, no, if I have something on my mind Id prefer to discuss it with someone living! Its scary, okay. You shouldnt play with these things lightly, you know! I hear you can even get haunted, okay!? Oh my, look at the time. I am sorry, but I must simply head to my clubroom. Well then, gokigenyoh, Fuyuko-sama. I grabbed a few pastries before ohoho-ing away. For some reason the weight on my shoulders that the jelly had taken away was back again. Wait, what if this weight was a ghost!? Gyaaaaaah! Scaryyyyy! On the empty landing of the staircase I frantically smacked my back to chase away any evil spirits. Chapter 232 Publishedat 24th of November 2019 01:46:33 PMPlease help us improve Trinity AudioChapter 232 I hate work. I hate life. Usually by this time of year my work is winding down. This year its winding up, and now that I have a work laptop with VPN Im apparently expected to just worry about work over the G.o.dd.a.m.ned weekend too. Except the guy who I was told to ask to fix the data hasnt done anything all weekend because hes overworked and his kids are probably still sick, so tomorrow I have to go in and explain to that stupid boss that no, nothing has reprocessed over the weekend. I was tempted to just fix it myself because it didnt look too hard, but if I b.u.g.g.e.red it up itd cause even more problems. So instead Ive just been agonising about it all weekend. And thats about where my life has been. Also Code Vein. At least the next chapter is half done. Mary-san, urban legend. That day the girl was moving houses, so she threw away an old doll of Western-make named Mary. That night her phone rang. Its Mary. Im at the garbage collection Frightened, the girl hung up, but the phone began calling again. Its Mary. Im at the corner of the tobacco shop. Eventually the call came that said, Its Mary. Im in front fo your house. Although the girl was scared, she gathered her courage and opened her front door, but n.o.body was there. Just as she felt relief that it must have been somebodys prank, the phone rang again. Its Mary. Im behind you. And so I made my way to my clubroom. It was a shame that my interest in wool felting had died down a little because there wasnt anything I really wanted to make now. Without anything better to do I began making rounds around the room to see how my club members were going. There hadnt been any problems when us 3rd Years were away on vacation, and everyone was having fun today too. Wonderful, wonderful. I spotted a group of new 1st Years chatting happily while they worked on their craft projects, so I made my way over. Gokigenyoh, everybody. Is there everything all right? If anything is troubling you, as your Club President I encourage you to approach me, I said with my best smile. W-We understand! Unfortunately they reacted by stopping everything they were doing and huddling together timidly. I felt a bit like a farm dog herding some innocent lambs My, is there any need to stand on ceremony like that? We are all fellow club members, so just make yourselves at home. We understand These kids have been members for about a month now, but to my chagrin they werent warming up to me, despite opening up to all their other uppercla.s.smen. This wouldnt do. I was supposed to be the approachable club president. Im not a sheepdog, girls~ My wool might be a bit long but Im just a cute lamb like you~ I took a seat nearby to signal that I wasnt intending on leaving but the girls just openly gawked at me. Yes, thats right, Im staying. Smile at max power, I examined what they were working on, one by one. What is it that you girls are making? I tried, to which they reacted by hesitantly showing me their craft work. My, a quilt, I exclaimed. Do you already have plans for it? Yes, I was thinking of making a cushion cover How splendid! Are these the designs? How lovely. I look forward to seeing how it looks when it is finished. Do try your best. I turned to the others. And are you two girls working on embroidery? Yes Umm, I was cross-st.i.tching a book cover. Me too added the other girl. Advertis.e.m.e.nt I see. St.i.tching for your book cover. How wonderful. Are you making matching covers? No, I was using this design And I was using this as a reference I looked at the designs they were holding out. Ooh, how cute. Cross-st.i.tching was on the simple side of handicrafts, so maybe I could do it too. Perhaps I should give it a go, I mused. Eh, you, Reiksenpai? Yes. Seeing your work has made me interested in trying it for myself. I see Reiksenpai, your speciality lies in needle felting, isnt it? Well, I would hardly call it a speciality but Mostly it was just stabbing a needle into something for stress relief, and because I had nothing better to do. Felting is fun but recently I have been looking for something different to tackle. Might you have any suggestions? Suggestions The 1st Years exchanged a glance. Then the girl with the quilt suggested, Then how about tatting? Natori-san here is actually great with lacing, and shes working on tatting lace right now. Right, Natori-san? Eh!? My, is that so? I watched as the smallest and shiest girl amongst them panic at the sudden attention. I see. In her hand was the boat shuttle that she was using to weave her lace. A shuttle is a tool designed to neatly and compactly store a holder that carries the thread of the weft yarn while weaving with a loom. So weaving lace is your speciality? Eh? No, Im not good enough that its a speciality yet but yes, I like lacing. Ummm, my grandmother taught me she mumbled. I wasnt good with anything except for the crochet hook, but then Minami-senpai said that if I like lace so much then I should try other methods as well, and he taught me tatting lacing. My!, I exclaimed. Minami-kun did? To think that our only male club members wasnt only skilled with embroidery but was a lacing expert too! And not only were his skills incredible, he knew how to look out for his undercla.s.smen as well. Maybe Id just found my best candidate for next Club President! I reminded myself to see what the Vice President though of this. In that case might I trouble you to teach me? I couldnt! How could I possibly have anything to teach you, Reiksama!? Natori-san exclaimed in horror. Regardless, I picked up a weaving shuttle and some spare thread and just waited. As the Club President, it was important that I interacted with my club members. What are you making now? I, Im working on a beaded lace hairpiece for a dog Goodness, a hairpiece?! Natori-san held out a number of five-petaled flowers made from beads and lace. The flowers were being joined together to form the hair ornament. How lovely~ Please do allow me to help! Ehh!? What comes to mind when I think of lacing are useless white quilts that youd find in a grannys house, but the hair accessory on this design sheet looked really cute. A handmade hairpiece for your pet dog, huh? If I mentioned this to Umewakkun hed probably try it himself. After calming Natori-san down I had her teach me tatting lacing. In short the only real difference was whether you were using a shuttle or a crochet hook, right? Id already used a crochet hook to knit a doll before, so Id manage. Easy peasy. I was a fool for thinking that. It was crazy hard The threads used for lacing were really thin so it was a real pain to unlace the parts I got wrong. Still, since Natori-san was trying her utmost to teach me, it wouldnt do to quit now. Ah, I missed a hole. Do over! So, have you been adjusting to the high school environment? I asked while struggling with the lace. Please feel free to talk to me about any worries you might have, whether it concerns handicrafts or just your school life in general. In fact, Id probably give better advice if it didnt concern handicrafts. The girl who introduced me to tatting lace turned to Natori-san. Say, Natori-san? Since Reiksenpai offered, why not talk to her about it? My. Does something trouble you? If there is anything I can do to help, I would be more than happy to do a.s.sist, I offered. No Umm Natori-san lowered her gaze and seemed to struggle with whether she wanted to speak up or not, so her friend did so for her. The truth is that Natori-san has had some trouble getting closer to her cla.s.smates. Some trouble? Is she being bullied!? If that was the case then this was huge. As the Club President I couldnt just sit by while my precious members were being bullied! If people were picking on her then Id descend upon their cla.s.sroom and teach them some manners, starting with the ringleader of the scoundrels who thought they could hara.s.s my cute kouhai! I was getting ready to declare war when the girls must have noticed something because they began to frantically tell me that n.o.body was being bullied. Oh. She wasnt? We could still attack them first though? After a bit of explanation, the story was as follows. Even though Natori-san was an External Student transferring in from another school, a stroke of bad luck saw her down with a flu right after our school term began. Thanks to that she missed the cla.s.s trip for bonding with the Externals. It was the same cla.s.s trip where the Externals had to perform a side show for the Internals, meaning that she had missed bonding with the other Externals too. By the time she was coming to school again the cla.s.s trip had already resulted in a number of cliques forming, so it was hard for her to even get a foot in. Of course, things might not have been so bad if we had some other club members in her cla.s.s. After all, we had quite a number of new club members this year. Unfortunately she was suffering from bad luck again, because she was the only entrant from her cla.s.s. It isnt so bad at lunch because I can have lunch with my friends in the club, but between cla.s.ses I just sit at my desk alone That does sound awful. And also If people keep seeing me alone, Im worried theyll wonder whats wrong with me Aah~ Of course. If there was just one loner in the cla.s.sroom, youd start of wonder if she had no friends, or if people hated her, or if she was being bullied or something, right? I can certainly understand how you feel, I nodded to myself. The girls looked a little startled. Did they think it wasnt something I worried about? The truth was that every year I still got nervous about cla.s.s changes. Thanks to attending Zuiran since primary school, you could say I got along with a lot of people. Certainly the chance of being in a cla.s.s with a friend was high for me. That didnt mean that I didnt agonise about the off-chance of being stuck in a cla.s.s on my own. Worse yet, what if I ended up in a cla.s.s filled with girls from Tsuruhansans group? Geez, it was something I worried about every day, okay? I think everyone goes through something like this. Reiksama, what do you think she should do? her friend asked, while stroking the her back rea.s.suringly. Well I hummed. It would be best if she could be more proactive in talking to her cla.s.smates, of course, but the problem was that she couldnt do that. Hmmm, then what if we addressed the fact that she was alone between cla.s.ses? I recalled the time in my past life when I was being ignored by my cla.s.smates. Perhaps this calls for a book, I suggested. A book? she asked. Yes, a book. At least with a book you can present your lack of interaction as voluntary and deliberate. And they are a wonderful way to pa.s.s the time. Of course you could do the same with a mobile, but then you risk the chance of appearing like an addict. Huh I think back then I might have been using my little sisters book about j.a.pans most haunted locations. No idea why I had chosen that of all things, but it turned out to be pretty interesting. Before long I was using every break between periods to devour that book. Cla.s.smates who were drawn in by its t.i.tle came over to read it with me, which was a plus as well. They stopped ignoring me after that. Thank you, j.a.pans Most Haunted. Oh. Or could it be that my obsessing over ghost haunts was beginning to creep them out, so they stopped ignoring me out of fear? Ideally you would be getting to know your cla.s.smates better, no? In that case I would suggest a best seller, and see if that attracts the interest of anyone. I couldnt exactly suggest a book about haunted locations, so it had to be something else that would draw attention. I understand. Ill bring a book tomorrow. Pleased at her willingness to listen to me, I began to list more suggestions. Paying some attention to your accessories might help. A pen or a pouch with a lovely design is signalling to your cla.s.smates that you have an interest in these sorts of things, and might draw girls of like interests, I explained. Perhaps some hand-made accessories too. It would be telling everyone that you are a member of the handicrafts club, and with some luck might begin more conversations. And if it went really well, could I maybe even bag some new members!? I understand. Ill do my best tomorrow! Natori-san clenched her fist around her weaving shuttle. Mhm! Do your best! But I would never have thought you would give such specific advice, Reiksenpai, she added. I was surprised too, her friend added. I laughed. Huhu, I hope this has been of some help. If you couldnt start the conversation, then you had to bait in people who would. I called it the fly trap method. It wouldnt be a bad idea to see what topics everyone else thought would be interesting. I decided to find out. So what topics do you 1st Year girls find interesting? I broached. Interesting? Hmmm, well weve only just entered Zuiran so we share what weve learned about the school. Theres so much we dont know. Right, right. Especially the Pivoi- Ah! Hm? Whats this, whats this? She cut off midway, but I heard Pivoi- in there. Were you about to say Pivoine? I asked. Ah Yes. Im sorry! You can talk about it, I a.s.sured them. I take it that you girls have some interest in it? Yes. They all gave me meek nods. I see. I suppose it must have seemed like some sort of mysterious organisation to the normal students. In that case, what if they used it as more bait for making friends? Well, I may not look like it but I am in fact one of its members! I revealed. We knew that of course. Youre the most famous one. Im not sure if anyone doesnt know youre in it. Oh. Really? Lets try that again. What is it that you would like to know? I cannot divulge personal information about its members, but I would be happy to answer any other reasonable questions. At once, their faces lit up. And so while we all worked on our handicrafts, they listened with rapt gazes as I regaled them with talk of our salon and other safe topics. Maybe Natori-san could use this too. But as the conversation ran its course, naturally the conversation turned to their topic of greatest interest: Kaburagi and Enjou. They were so mature, and so radiant. I didnt think people like that really existed so it was a real shock. Out of reach was made to describe people like that. And Kaburagi-sama had an air befitting of his name as the Emperor of Zuiran. The 1st Years recounted as they gazed dreamily towards the sky. I could understand where they were coming from. From afar, Emperor certainly did seem cool and competent. The type of guy youd fawn over. But on closer inspection, all you got was a useless rich boy with no consideration, common sense, or delicacy. And that Emperor nickname actually came from a primary schoolers cavalry battle. Still, Id feel bad for destroying their dreams so I decided to phrase it as His hobby is horse-riding. Oh, I know! I actually brought some baked goods from the Pivoine salon just now. How about we share them! Maybe theyd even be able to brag about having tried food from the Pivoine. I opened my bag to grab them when I noticed some faint vibrations inside. My mobile? I guess it must have fallen further in while I had been using the bag to exorcise myself. I really hadnt noticed the vibrations at all. I checked my messages. In the Senders column was, line after line, Kaburagi Masaya. Ive got something to talk about. Come to our usual meeting place. Are you not here yet? Youre late. What are you doing? Contact me immediately. Where are you? Im heading to your clubroom. Im almost there. Nooooooooooo! Stay away, Mary! I tossed the cursed phone onto the desk, but just as I stood up the clubroom door opened with a bang. Kisshouin! How long are you going to make me wait for!? A ferocious black carnivore barged into my gathering of gentle lambsDD! Chapter 233 Everybody, please check the If it''s not on there, please feel free and ask.! first before asking me questions. Join the Evil G.o.d Army on discord! Please contribute: Also, thank you to , , and the others editing the wiki! Everything keeps breaking at work, but that''s okay. Only three weeks left until the holidays. Come at me, f.u.c.king d.i.c.khead RPC s.h.i.tc.u.n.t program! And thus the idyllic scenery of lambs grazing in the sun was suddenly intruded upon by the fearsome black beast Mary As the sheepdog I was charged with protecting these lambs but before this creature''s savage gaze there was nothing I could do but cower. Wait, no- wasn''t I supposed to be a lamb as well? Ahem. The herd of harmless lambs (also known as the Handicrafts Club) was lost to panic and fear at the Zui''ran Emperor''s sudden appearance. The little first years who had until a moment ago been praising this same Emperor were now petrified, wide-eyed, mouth agape. Kaburagi spotted me and boomed, Kisshouin! Didn''t I tell you yesterday to stop ignoring my messages! Oh my, welcome to our humble club room, Kaburagi-sama. You must forgive me. Your messages only just arrived, I replied with a feigned smile to try to protect my trembling lambs. How many times do I have to say it? You have a mobile phone for a reason. That''s what I want to ask. How many times do I have to say that you have to consider the other party too. Let''s go, he said, apparently not even considering that I might refuse. I put on my most apologetic expression as I bowed to him. I do feel terrible that you have come all this way, but I am afraid I am in the middle of some handicrafts. Unfortunately I will be unable to accompany you on this day. Handicrafts? he asked. Yes. As you can see, this is the Handicrafts Club, and I am partic.i.p.ating in club activities. I am also the President and therefore it would be inappropriate to leave on a whim. How''s that! If you think it''s always going to go your way then you''ve got another thing coming, buddy. The world doesn''t revolve around you! Unfortunately I was betrayed by my allies. Reiksama, if you have business with Kaburagi-sama then would it not be better if you left? said my Vice President, selling me out. I will take responsibility for looking after the club in your absence. Next, all the other club members started chiming in too. She''s right, Reiksenpai. Please don''t feel like you need to stay because of us. They were blatantly washing their hands of me The Emperor was alone right now so by all accounts this was their perfect chance to get close to him. So how come my club was filled with girls who would rather choose peace than take their chances? I wouldn''t give in so easily though. I am afraid not. I myself am in the middle of something and it would hardly do to abandon this midway. My apologies, Kaburagi-sama. Hehe. How''s that? I held out the proof in my hand like an imperial seal. What are you doing? My kouhai wanted to make a bead and lace hair accessory for her pet so, so I am helping her with that. And with that I also got to casually flaunt having undercla.s.smen. Ho ho ho. A hair accessory for a pet dog? he muttered before narrowing his eyes. Chairs fell over and pencils clattered to the floor as Kaburagi stalked over to the 1st Years'' panic. Where is it? Hah? Kaburagi''s expression grew ever stormier at my lack of comprehension. He stopped at our desk, and looked down at our work and took Natori-san''s beaded into his hands. After examining the design doc.u.ments and snorting, he sat down on the chair I had been using until recently. Give, he demanded. Hah? I looked at his outstretched hand. Don''t tell me Losing his patience with me, Kaburagi simply took the shuttle from me, lazily crossed his long legs, and then began nonchalantly knitting! The Zui''ran Emperor was sitting there, knitting. The sight of it was so surreal that the entire room was silent except for the loud ticking of the clock. You messed up this st.i.tch here, he commented. It was too much work to redo it, so it was better to leave it, I contended. Tsk, are you for real? And you''ve tangled the thread here. I am very sorry. And thus the Club President''s inadequacies were exposed for all the club to see. How humiliating! I had to keep myself from trembling in embarra.s.sment. Unforgivable. I glared at my sworn enemy, and tried to crush his hair whorl with the power of my gaze. Third Eye, Awaken! d.a.m.ned Kaburagi, I hope you''re stuck in the toilet suffering from the runs! But he must have sensed something because suddenly he turned his head and gave me a sidelong glance. What? Nothing, nothing. Third Eye, Deactivate. I watched Kaburagi easily undo a knot and smoothly continue knitting. Maybe he''d found the trick to it or something because he wasn''t even looking at the design sheet anymore. You are very skilled Have you laced before? As if. If you just do what the instructions tell you to, anyone can do it. He was taking all my effort for a joke. Third Eye, Aw Wah! He glared at me! How''d he notice? Kisshouin. Yes Don''t stand behind me. Are you some kind of hitman? While everybody in the room held their breath and watched him work, Kaburagi let out a small sigh and looked up at me. Done. In his hands was a little beaded lace flower, the result of his fluent and confident knitting. It was carelessly tossed over to me, so I examined its handiwork. Flawless. Already I could hear my club members sighing in amazement. In so short a time.. As expected of Kaburagi-sama. I hated to admit it but it was a much better job than I had been doing. I took Natori-san''s hand and placed the completed product on it. Eh!? Her eyes were wide teary in disbelief and she shook her head at me, but I simply smiled fondly at her and shook my head in return. After watching out silent exchange for a bit, Kaburagi came over and took it from her hand. Pointing here and there he said, The crooked bits here where the wrong holes were used are her work, Kaburagi jerked his thumb at me, destroying any remaining face that I had left as the Club President. Absolutely unforgivable! While he wasn''t looking I''d slip the smallest into his shoes. Suffer the discomfort as you walk! Natori-san reverently received the beaded lace flower from her Emperor. She was now in possession of beaded lace knitted by the Emperor of Zui''ran himself, handed to her directly while speaking to her directly. Even without the little tricks we came up with, Natori-san would definitely be the centre of attention for tomorrow Right. Time to go to the supermarket, Kaburagi announced. This was what he had dragged me to the cla.s.sroom to say. I confirmed that the surroundings were clear of witnesses before I began my counter-attack with a smile. How many times must I say it before you understand that I have my own considerations? My schedule is simply filled after this, so I cannot accompany you. What? You''re not gunna say that you have cram school or something, right? Oh no. I have an appointment with my personal tutor today. What the heck is that look for? How about you stop messing around so much and go study for a change? The mid-terms are coming up, you know. I opened my bag and retrieved the supermarket flyers I printed out last night. Here. What''s this? he asked. Supermarket flyers. This should be enough for your purposes. Now then, take these, go shopping, and educate yourself. He took them from my hand and began studying them with great interest. Meat day Fish day? he muttered to himself in thought. Righto. Well then, please excuse me, I said, and made use of his distraction to escape. Just now I saw some baked goods in your bag, he muttered. I stood stock still. Those were from the Pivoine, weren''t they? It wasn''t as if there was a rule about bringing the snacks home with you or anything. I did still feel a little guilty though. Kisshouin. Kaburagi-sama, please allow me to accompany you on this trip. The President of the Pivoine smirked at me. What an odious character. Mine, that is! d.a.m.n my hateful gluttony! Why did you have to bring some back with you, Reika!? And why did you have to let him see them, Reika!? Just barely managing to hide this complicated sense of defeat, I forced myself to change gears and began thinking about my trip to the supermarket. On the one hand it made the most sense to take him to the luxury supermarkets in upscale areas like Hiroo or Aoyama. Aaah, but then on the other hand, that would also make it that much more likely to b.u.mp into people we know, huh What''s wrong? Ah, I was simply wondering which store to visit Taking my words at face value, Kaburagi took out one flyer from the stack and held it out to me. This one. I took a skim of its contents. A bargain every day!'' Frozen products, half off!'' Basically it was promoting a discount supermarket for commoners. It was from a totally different world to him. Might I ask why this one in particular? I inquired. Of the pamphlets you gave me, this one was the most enthusiastic in trying to sell things to me. I see. Well, this one was far away, and the chances of anyone I knew spotting me was pretty much zero, I guess. Haaah. What a bother Haah What? he demanded. I hadn''t meant to do that aloud. Ah, nothing By the way, I am surprised you knew to find me in the Handicrafts Club. Oh, that? I asked some of your friends who were in the salon. Friends? Hmmmmm. Could it have been Fuyuko-sama? She told me that you two had been chatting but you had to leave for your club activities. Then she told me it was the Handicrafts Club and where to find it too. Fuyuko-sama, did you have to go out of your way? But I hadn''t realised that she knew I was in that club either. We were in the same social circle but Fuyuko-sama always seemed lost in her own world. I''d never really seen her looking particularly close to anyone, myself included, so I a.s.sumed she hadn''t had much interest in us. I suddenly found myself thinking about Natori-san''s situation. Fuyuko-sama was a Pivoine student from primary school0 and you could say she was part of the largest clique. In that sense she was as far from Natori-san as you could get, but Fuyuko-sama have come over to talk to me because she noticed I seemed to be worrying about something. I thought back to how happily she suggested using the ouija board together She always sits with our group but never starts a conversation on her own, just smiling in her dreamy way. Because of that I figured that was just who she was, but maybe she actually wanted to talk more with us, but just couldn''t get the timing right. At the very least she must have wanted to get to know me better, or she wouldn''t have tried so hard to start a conversation with me. Well, this was just my conjecture though. Still, if there was a change it was true, then what I did earlier was rather cold, huh? What''s wrong? Nothing I decided to strike up a conversation with her tomorrow. About anything other than the occult. Oi, Kisshouin! We don''t have time for this. Let''s go! Okaaaay What kind of answer is that!? Show me some spirit! But first I had to deal with my current problem. Chapter 234 Everybody, please check the If it''s not on there, please feel free and ask.! first before asking me questions. Join the Evil G.o.d Army on discord! Please contribute: Also, thank you to , , and the others editing the wiki! I hate Costing. I intend to start translating again, but as you know, my plans rarely mean anything. Since Kaburagi wanted to see a commoner''s supermarket I decided to pick a place far away, where the likelihood of b.u.mping into someone from Zui''ran was nil. We stepped through the automatic doors with a shopping basket. Kaburagi looked at our basket, and then looked at the other customers in the shop. We''re not using one of those? He pointed at a shopping trolley. We are not buying anything bulky or heavy and have no need for one, I explained. He hummed in thought. Although you couldn''t tell from his expression, I could sense some dissatisfaction in that sound. Had he wanted to use a trolley? d.a.m.ned child. Stop staring at the customers who are using one. Well then, shall we head to the food aisles? I guided him further into the shop. See this? I pointed. Are the drinks here not cheaper than in a convenience store? Buying sweets are by far more economical in a supermarket as well. Hmmm. He seemed a little lost. I bet the problem was that he''d never looked at a price tag before. Suddenly, from the side, somebody held a small plastic cup out in front of Kaburagi. We have a new vegetable juice on sale~ Would you like a try~? Kaburagi looked at the young woman like she was crazy and started to frown. Oh c.r.a.p I tugged him out of the way by the elbow. My, this seems delicious~ I said, taking the cup and drinking it. Wow, that was incredible. There was no bitterness to it at all, I shilled and took a bottle of it. Then, with a smile, I left the place while pulling Kaburagi along. What just happened? That was a product demonstration. They hand out samples of food and drinks in order to encourage purchases. So just because they suddenly speak to you is not a reason to take an att.i.tude with them! Hmmmm. Did this guy really understand? Just whose fault was it that I was now buying some vegetable juice I didn''t even want? Oho? I smell something good cooking. I was actually planning to buy some side dishes for a snack tonight, but I guess that''s out since I''m stuck here with Kaburagi. Ahh~ That yakisoba looks nice though. Maybe I ought to buy a microwave for my room. But then what kind of young miss would have a microwave in her room? That''d be weird, right? Wh, hey! Kaburagi! Kaburagi was wandering here and there curiously, so I couldn''t even take an eye off him! When I quickly went after him I found him caught by someone trying to sell ham steaks. Let me explain to you exactly what I was looking at. There''s a high school boy with an dignified and handsome face, and not the type you''d ever find in this part of town. In front of him is a middle aged lady cooking up pieces of ham like she''s ready to give them all to him, saying, Come on, mister! Eat up, eat up! This ham steak comes with a special sauce, so all you''ve gotta do is grill it up like this and it''s ready to eat. Hmmm. Ah, he ate it. How is it, mister? Delicious, right~? Not too bad. Uuu, it was hard walking away without buying something after having a sample! In place of Kaburagi who got walked into trying some food, I was the one who had to grab one of the vacuum-packed ham steaks. At least give me some to try too After that Kaburagi was stopped by someone selling a season limited jam, someone selling yoghurt good for your digestive system, someone selling freshly baked garlic bread, and each time I ended up with more and more unnecessary additions to my shopping basket. Product samples, huh? So this sort of thing existed too, he murmured admiringly between chewing his garlic bread. If it is product sampling you are looking for then department stores do so on their bas.e.m.e.nt floors. It is not exclusive to supermarkets. It was just something I happened to mention in pa.s.sing, but the next thing I knew Kaburagi was muttering Department store to himself. Ah, I''d done it now All right then. Next time we''re going to the bas.e.m.e.nt floor of a department store- I cut him off and began tugging him. Oh my! Look! That, there, is the sweets corner~ There should be plenty of chocolate: your favourite~ If I let him finish that sentence just now it would have been a real crisis. Hmm, since I was here anyway, maybe I ought to buy some sweets and then head home. Oh! Lucky Turns were on special! I put two packets into my shopping basket. You''re buying two? This is the lowest I have ever seen it, so I am buying some extras. Maybe I could buy one more? Oh dear, but these fried rice crackers were quite a steal too. Into the basket they go. Mmmn, and what about these biscuits with cream between them. After all, the slightly bitter chocolate-flavoured biscuits just went so well with the flavour of milk! Yeah, I''d just buy them all! You look really practised. So you come here often? Yes. For market research at the like. I am an advocate for getting your own hands dirty when it comes to these things. While I was shopping about for more sweets, Kaburagi wordlessly took the shopping basket off my hands. Eh? I''ll hold it for you. It actually occurred to the Emperor to hold someone else''s things! Kaburagi, the guy with no consideration whatsoever, the guy who unhesitatingly used a frail girl (that''s me by the way) as his gopher, had noticed that I was carrying a heavy basket and decided to hold it himself. Did anyone foresee a day such as this!? Wow. Humans really never stopped improving themselves. Still, if we wanted to be technical about this, normally you''d offer right after entering the store, huh~ While I was lost in the feeling of watching my unworthy disciple grow up, the boy himself had already walked off quite a distance. With the basket. Waah-! And now he was throwing whatever caught his fancy into it! A fish-shaped kitchen sponge? What dishes do you even clean!? And what are you going to do with that mapo tofu marinade! Put everything back right now! This is exactly why I didn''t want a shopping trolley! I took the shopping basket back. What''s that? he suddenly asked. Ah, the cup ramen section. I glanced at the prices and just kept going. These noodles could still go cheaper. The next area that drew his attention was the crowded fresh foods section. They were giving out melon samples here. Spot the handsome young man behind the crowd of housewives, the staff member who was handing them out pa.s.sed a toothpick with a sample on it to Kaburagi. Not this again I was pretty much resigned by now. I''ve never seen this kind of melon before, he muttered as he looked at the mountain of melons. It''s an Andes Melon, known for being sweet. And cheap, a friend to commoners everywhere, I left out. Oh? The big sucker that he was, Kaburagi nodded thoughtfully as he tried a piece of it. I sighed. While Kaburagi was enjoying himself again I picked out a pack of melon bites and put it into the shopping basket. Aah, we''d have to finish the fresh food today After making a round of the store Kaburagi seemed more or less satisfied, so it was time to head for the counter. I was buying more than I''d planned While we were waiting in line I pulled out my points card. Kaburagi noticed and asked me about it. This is a points card for this supermarket. For every 100 Yen you spend, you receive a point in return. On occasion there are days when they give out five times the points too. Hmmm. It was eventually our turn, so I was about to pay when Kaburagi stopped me from the side. It''s fine. I''ll pay. Will you? Well then, I will pay you back later. It''s fine. Eh? But It''s thanks for coming here with me. Kaburagi flashed a quick smile, which had the girl manning the register flushing. He didn''t seem likely to change his mind about it, so I decided to just accept his thanks this time. So let me have this. Those were my Lucky Turns! Mention that part beforehand! I placed the shopping basket next to the counter and began stuffing our purchases into the grocery bags there. Do we pack the bags ourselves? Yes. Supermarkets like these implement this sort of system in order to speed the process up. Kaburagi hummed in thought at that. After watching me work for a while though, he told me that he''d do it instead. I guess it''s like how pre-schoolers like to play shop, huh? I watched as he emptied out the bag I''d just filled and began methodically packing the heaviest items first, and then neatly putting the softer items on top. How conscientious of you~ You''re just too carefree. Look here. The bread is a little flat because of you. Kaburagi took the lion''s share of the snacks I''d picked out for myself. Oi! If you''re going to do that then take back this vegetable juice with you too! What I only drink freshly made! At least I managed to force the yoghurt into his bag. It was something else that he bought after having his interest sparked by samples. I figured he could probably do with it anyhow, since the curse I placed on him with my Third Eye back in the Handicrafts Club had to be reaching his intestines by now. When we left the supermarket my sense of smell detected an anomaly. In the parking lot next to the supermarket was a smoking yakitori stall! No, Reika. Kaburagi is with you right now. You can''t buy it. You can''t! Mister~ I''d like the negima please! I smiled widely, having run straight up to the yakitori stall. Coming right up! How many skewers do you want? Negima is a type of yakitori (grilled chicken) skewer that features spring onion and chicken meat. I was firmly in the negima camp when it came to yakitori. Naturally I''d order both salt-seasoned and sauce-seasoned. But then wouldn''t it be rude of me if I only ordered one each? In that case~ Give me five of each, Mister! That''s five of each, so ten in total, coming right up! Uhuhu, they looked delicious. I watched him put the skewers into a paper bag. You''re a gorgeous little missy, so I''ve included an extra skewer of each for you. Ehhh~!? You shouldn''t have! Thank you, Mister! You''re the best! I took out the freebie and beamed as I waved him goodbye and left. I love you, mister! Thanks so much! Man, what a steal, what a steal. Is this what they mean when they talk about the kindness of regular folks? Gosh, I wanted to start eating already. Oi Geh! Kaburagi. Thanks to the allure of the yakitori I''d forgotten he was there for a moment. What the h.e.l.l did I just watch? Whatever do you mean? I tried. It''s like you turned into some whole other person. You said I love you, mister'', what was _that_? Why, learning to adapt yourself to the people here is just one part of what composes fieldwork, Kaburagi-sama. After my previous display Kaburagi looked at me like I was some strange creature. Well, if it was for delicious yakitori I''d go any number of extra miles to appear friendly. Kaburagi-sama, would you like some yakitori? I would. There was a bench off to the side so we ate the yakitori there. This is pretty good. Right? Have one of the sauce-flavoured ones. Cheers. I''m getting a bit parched though. Would you like some vegetable juice? I''m good. I''ll grab some tea from that vending machine. You want anything? Then a tea for me as well. Thanks to the freebies I earned with my friendliness we ended up having six each, and when we finished that marked the end of our outing. That night I received a rather cheerful message from Kaburagi. That trip to the supermarket was genuinely fruitful. It was my first time trying cheap sweets too. Interesting flavour. I wanna try a different supermarket next time.'' I read the text in my room as I ate bread and ham and melon in between gulps of vegetable juice. That lady was right. This roast ham really was good cold. That night I woke up to my stomach disagreeing with me. Aaah, my curse had come back to roost! It''s an Andes Melon, known for being sweet. And cheap, a friend to commoners everywhere, I left out.