"… and then my uncle picked me up with one hand, turned to mum... I mean my mother… and said 'Sister, there is no way this bean sprout could be a Tanaka's. Could you check back with the hospital, you might have picked up a wrong one'… "
"No way…"
"That was so mean. I have mum's eyes. See? …" Mai pouted, while point to her right eye
I don't know how the conversation has gone from my past to this. But as soon as I managed to break the ice with this girl, she immediately turned into a bundle of joy.
This is more like the girl whom Ayase told me about.
"… and I practiced my kneeling form so much too… if I was nearly as tall as Mom, I could even qualify as a Yamato Nadeshiko. See?"
Mai kneel up in full seiza, but still way shorter than Ayase sitting nearby despite the later was leaning on the table…
"…and I am always being treated like a kid around here…." She started to tear up a bit as she buried her face onto her palms
Won't blame them. Uhhh…. This kid is adorable… Can't believe that she is just a year younger than me.
Before I realised it, I already reached my arm over the table to pat on her head
"There… there… But your small stature is what made you cute through"
"Cute? Me ? No way… stop teasing me Gokou-senpai." Mai's hands were on her blushed cheeks as she frantically shook her head
"That's the truth through. Don't you think so, Ayas…?"
I turned to Ayase expecting a response. But Ayase were just staring at the window, apparently losing her thoughts to somewhere…
Tch… and I planned to tease her a bit more…
"Ayase. Are you alright? Do you need some rests?" Mai reacted first.
"I'm… I'm alright… maybe I really need some rests…"
"My break was about to end also. Sorry, senpai, I have to take my leave…By the way, Ayase…"
Mai turned to Ayase, and whispered into her ears (I still could hear what she said through)
-"… I leave you to have some private time with your 'black cat' (kuro neko)… also I have a special present for you… but will tell you later…"-
Ah, she thought that my alias is a private nickname Ayase used to call me… I have a feeling I need to correct that later through.
But for now, I only smiled back and waved as Mai left the room with the empty stack of food trays…
"Such a lively friend you have there. Ayase…"
"Umm…"
Ayase immediately drop her head down the table, and bury her face onto her folding arms
"I'm surprised that you could pick up such a good girl despite only having such a selfish bitch like Kirino as your best friend through middle and high school…"
"…"
Hmmm... Insulting her dear Kirino didn't even get me a response …
Maybe she was just really tired… Was a long day for her after all…
"Take a quick nap. I will look for a convenient store to pick up some items. Tell me if you need something …"
Without raising her head, Ayase just put her hand up and waved me goodbye…
"Oh… isn't it Ruri-chan. Do you need something?"
Rie-san spotted me as I passed by the inn front counter.
"Ah…. no…"
"Heading for the beach? Ayase-chan is not coming with you?"
"She was just having some rests. Probably was just carsick due to the trip. And thank you for the room, it was lovely…"
"It is our pleasure. And if you need something just tell me or Mai"
"Hmmm…since you ask…. Rise-san, do you know if there is any convenience store around here?"
"There is one a bit far away. Let's see… do you still remember the way back to the train station?"
"…"
"Wait a sec…"
Rie-san just stood up and walked away from the counter. And when I thought she was just looking for a map…
"Mai, come here…"
Tatatata…. You can hear the footsteps heading our way from apparently the kitchen
"Yes, mum"
Mai appeared holding a daikon on one hand and a kitchen knife on another.
"I told you many times already not carrying a knife around like that. And put that daikon back, wash your hand, I need you to run an errand"
Mai disappeared for a couple of minutes. Meanswhile Rie-san started to write down a note and handed it to Mai as she returned.
"Here, buy these. And show Ruri-chan the way to there as well"
Mai looked at the list. Then stared at her mother face. Then looked at me, before looked at the list again.
"Here take this money."
She gave her a couple of 1000 Yen notes
"Thank…mum…"
"Thank you Rie-san. Mai-chan. Shall we go?
Mai-chan put on her wooden sandal, and immediately hid the shopping list and the money into her yukata pocket .
I managed to spot what was written on her "shopping list" through, they were:
'Buy your favourite snacks…
After going to the convenience store, show her the way to the beach,
Buy her some ice creams from Uncle Take
As long as you can return before dinner, I will take care the rest'
Uh…..
So it was a bit of awkward silence from us as we walked side by side, heading down the road.
Mai was, because of her being shy. In my case, it was because I don't know if I should apologise
Even if I do not. I am better to break the silence at least.
So here we go
"It's hot today isn't it…"
"It surely is"
"Is it hot wearing your yukata in this sun"
"It's not. In fact, it would be worse for me if it was cooler like yesterday. As I would have to wear a full kimono."
"Was it because of Rie-san…?"
"Yes"
"Is she strict?"
"She is very…. But… she is also not…"
"…?"
"Ah I mean she is very strict on me since young. She wanted me to inherit the inn you see. As it was passed down in her family since my great great great grandparents…."
"…"
"My father is actually a seaman, he married into my mom family"
"…"
"… but she was not against it when I told her I want to go to college. She said I can do and become anything I want. Because she and the inn won't run anywhere, and I could return anytime…"
Rie-san is a tsundere I see. Definitely a tsundere
"…"
"…"
So we walked in silence for a bit more, before this time it was Mai's chan to break the silence
"Hmm…. is Ayase OK?"
"Yes, I think she was just tired, so I let her rest"
"But…hmmm. Won't she be lonely if you are not around…?"
"….She…. "
I paused for a second, wondering how much I should tell this girl. But there is something telling me that I should.
"I think it was opposite… I have a feeling that she wanted to be alone…"
"No w…hmmm….I see…"
"…"
"…"
"Ruri-senpai…"
"Yes"
"I could be rude here. No, forgive my rudeness, but can I ask you something"
"Sure …" I nodded
"You…hmmm…."
Mai struggled to let out her voice
"You are going out with Ayase right?"
Since Ayase already told this girl, I guess there is no point to deny
"Yes, I am…"
"So hmmm… Ruri-senpai…"
"…"
"Do you… love her…? "
"…"
"I means not just 'like'… Love, you know?"
"I….I…"
I stuttered with shocks at how bold this girl suddenly was.
"I… I… I think I do…"
"Hmmm… senpai… do you often tell Ayase that…?"
"…"
What does she mean? Have I? Have I not?
"I'm… I'm sorry. It's just… It's just….please forgive my rudeness here….But she is my friend and I…."
"…"
"I think… I think Ayase will feel hurt if you don't tell her how much you love her. Like…. she was always very insecure whenever she talked about her relationship"
I started to feel dizzy. Mai really caught me of guard here. As I totally didn't expect this development…
"And meeting you… I could see that you like her a lot. But I also could see why Ayase has been troubled so much…"
"…"
"Be…because I think you were just treating her like a younger sister… a beloved kouhai…. maybe a best friend …. Ah… no… what I am saying here…"
I actually could see where Mai heading to
"I … I means… I could see that you want to make Ayase happy….Like It seemed you tasked yourself with making Ayase happy. But it was just one way, and that … that made Ayase really insecure about it"
"…"
And that hit home.
Was it just a fluke, or … could it be, that this girl is much sharper than I thought?
"Ah, I don't know what I was saying anymore. Please forget all of those blabbering …"
Mai was almost in tear by now.
"No, I think you were right".
I firmed up my tone
"Eh….were I? "
Mai started to question herself. She looked absolutely confused, like she still couldn't believe that I actually could understand her disjointed thoughts
Looking at her confused face, somehow that cracked a relief smile from me.
"Thank you Mai-chan, you were absolutely right. Thank to you, I realised what I have been missing, and what I need to do now…"
And strangely as something was pushing on my back… (and I know this was very unlike me) but I started to tell her more about my relationship with Ayase.
Not everything through as I still hid a lot of details. After all this girl is still too innocent for them
It started a bit at first, but slowly for the rest of our trip I even mentioned things to Mai that I never told Kirino about.
And time flied before I knew it. It was almost dinner by the time we got back. So Mai escorted me all the way back to my room.
"I don't know how else to thank you for today, Mai…"
"It is opposite. It was my wildest dream for me to be able to have a date with senpai like this… Ehehehe…. Rise and the other girls will be so jealous…Ah… but I will never tell any living soul about what you told me….Please trust me on that"
"Don't worry. I believe in you" I turned and looked into Mai's eyes as I said that
"Ah… Stop…"
Mai blushed red all over her face…..
"I…I… I gotta go. "
…before she pretty much ran away
Looking at Mai's small back disappeared from the corridor. Suddenly I started to miss Kirino a lot.
I should buy some souvenir and visit her place when we are back from this trip.
As I was thinking that, I unlocked my room door and step in…
Ayase was sitting at the exact same spot as before I left, facing away from the door
But she already changed into the inn's yukata. And rather than sitting, she was kneeling on full seiza.
And without turning back to face me…
"Where did you just go?"
Uhhh… I know this tone of her. Without even be able to see her face, I know that she is very angry.
"As I mentioned earlier, I went to the convenience store. It was just further than I thought…."
"You also went to the beach, with Mai, didn't you?"
"Yes, she showed me the way there as well. It was a very good spot. We could go tomorrow morn…"
That's when Ayase suddenly turned back to face me. She obviously was very mad. But unlike her normal cold killing aura, her face this time was full of angry emotions…
…and her eyes were a bit teary and red…
"You damn cat. You leave your GIRLFRIEND alone in her room during your first trip, meanwhile, go out and enjoy the beach with another girl….?!"
"No, Ayase, you misundersto…"
"I don't care… Punishment. Punishment. PUNISHMENT!"