REIKA-SAMA – 093

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 wouldn’t get invited. But thank goodness. I guess I was just paranoid.
I made sure to mention that I was okay with us using my family’s holiday villa, but in the end we seemed to have decided on another girl’s. 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 aren’t 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! I’m going this year too! Long live babes in bikinis!”

“…I see. You prefer girls with good figures?”

“Yeah, I guess! I mean, the hourglass is a guy’s dream, right? If my Bea-tan was a human girl I’d bet she’d be the coy, sexy, bewitching type! Don’t you think so too, Kisshouin-san?”

“I suppose.”

“I knew it. I wonder if there’s a girl like that out there. A girl like Bea-tan!”

…Aren’t 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 I’m not coy or sexy 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, Bobcut’s 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 don’t 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 didn’t 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 I’m not your rival, okay?

“Eh-!? Really!? Who, who? Somebody from Suiran?”

Bobcut really fell for it.
Who indeed… Who?
Naturally nobody 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! What’s 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.”

“What’s this, what’s 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 that’s the complete opposite of Umewaka’s type, isn’t it! He’s 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-kun’s preference is for ‘coy, sexy, bewitching’ girls with hourglass figures. He mentioned as such to me, and openly wondered if such a girl existed out there for him.”

“He said something that retarded? But huh. Hourglass, huh.”

Bobcut gave me a once over and then smiled brightly.

“Umewaka’s suuch a jerk. If that idiot gives you any trouble, just give me a shout, okay? I’ll come running.”

“Thank you.”

Apparently my meagre assets relieved her…
The 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, I’d 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 didn’t see me as a rival anymore.
We headed back into the classroom while we continued chatting about my fictitious crush. My chocolates were shared with them – and them only – 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-kun’s dog. He incessantly compares the two of us. He actually once mentioned that his dog’s 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 main street 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 Japanese 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. I’ve 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 can’t 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. We’ve liked them for so much longer.”

Hmmm… Should I try some of that blueberry jam? But it’s night time. Maybe I shouldn’t. But if it’s just one bite…

“Which are you, Reika-sama?”

“Eh-, sorry, what was that?”

“Gosh, Reika-sama, haven’t 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, she’s 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 doesn’t Enjou-sama occasionally call out to you? He’s never done that to any other girls.”

“…Ummm, I actually heard that you attended a tea party at Kaburagi-sama’s house… Did that really happen?”

Where did you hear that!?

All the girls started squealing.

“That’s so wonderful! The Kaburagi family approves of her!”

“Reika-sama! I’m actually so jealous, but if it’s you I’ll definitely cheer for you!”

“Wai-!”

“I can’t 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, don’t you? Could it be you’ve been having trouble with your studies?”

Eh? What’s this all of a sudden?