I'd completely forgotten. No, I hadn't forgotten at all! I remembered, but just put it off. I couldn't do anything about this setup, though. Well, I should just give Ibuki the return gift already.
"Konoe-sama, this is a return gift for the other day. Please accept it."
"Yeah!"
Huh? Hadn't he been saying nothing but "Yeah" since earlier? Well, alright, but… and also, what was with that slight smile? It was gross…
Well, that was also alright. Ibuki had gotten the return gift I gave him. Yeah, in front of the Five Norths Association members too. That was important. I had bought the present yesterday, but I waited until the next day so everyone could see me giving it to him. It should've become clear to anyone that I didn't owe Ibuki a single debt now.
"Then, I shall…"
While everyone was talking about Ibuki and looking over at him, I tried to slip away from the Five Norths Association salon…
"Sakuya, where are you going?"
Brother..."
Hey, I got caught by Yoshimi-kun. Isn't it the kindness of an older brother to ignore that? Now that I've finished paying back to Ibuki, there's no longer any reason for me to be in a place like this. I want to leave as soon as possible, but...
However, even if I get out of the salon, there is still time until the car comes to pick me up. If I have to kill time somewhere along the way, it's the same even if I stay here. No... it would be better if there were no Ibuki or Maki, but it would be troublesome if her mother found out that I ran away from the salon.
Having been caught by my brother, I reluctantly took a seat in the back by myself. It's becoming a favorite of mine because it's secluded and nobody comes here. This is my reserved seat! No one is coming!
"Thank you, Kujo-san."
"…………teeth?"
When I was sitting in the back seat, which is becoming my favorite, and drinking tea, Soba came over. But it doesn't make sense to me at all. I wonder why I was thanked by Ms.
"Ibuki is really happy. It's been a while since I've seen you so happy."
"Is that so…"
No… I won't care if you say those kinda things… that's not related to me…
Ibuki liked chocolate from that particular store that much? In "Love Flowers", he definitely said that nama chocolate reminded him of when he received chocolate from his first love. If he liked it that much, then he could just go buy some himself…
The chocolate was definitely slightly expensive. It wasn't priced ludicrously high, but just a little more expensive than normal chocolate. It wasn't limited in quantity, so he could've bought it at a regular store without going through any special procedures.
I glanced over at Ibuki and saw him holding the package like it was something important. I thought that he would've immediately opened it, checked the contents, and eaten it right there, but this was slightly unexpected. But there was chocolate in that package, so he definitely should've held it in a way where his body heat wouldn't transfer to the chocolate.
"Takatsukasa-sama, there is chocolate inside that package. If Konoe-sama holds it like that, the chocolate will melt and it's flavour will be ruined. Please tell him that."
"If you say so, then okay, but… well, it's fine. I got it. See you, Kujou-san."
Enju said just that and left. Thank goodness. It was finally peaceful again. Now I could relax and enjoy my tea…
"Hey, Sakuya-chan, what about me?"
"Hirohata-sama…"
Why would I give you any presents? I only gave Ibuki a gift because he'd given me one, so I had to give him a return gift right away. Were you watching us? Then you should've known immediately that it was a thank-you gift. Why would I ever give you a gift when I didn't even owe you anything, huh?
"Oi, Mizuki… I told you not to lay a hand on my sister, right?"
"Brother."
Go, Yoshizane-kun! Drive this guy away! He was my enemy! A normie bastard! He was the natural enemy of a non-normie like me! This womanizer! The enemy of all women! In the first place, girls who get fooled by a guy like this were also at fault! They ignore the honest, quiet good guy type like me, but when a playboy like this guy asks them out, they go along with it!
"I really didn't put my hands on her, you know?"
"What'll you do if Sakuya gets corrupted by you? Don't do weird things."
Thanks to my brother stepping in, Mizuki started talking to him instead of me. But I wanted them to stop talking near this seat. My peaceful, calm time was destroyed…
In the Five Norths Association salon, even Azami-chan and Satsuki-chan didn't come near me. That was weird… they always clung to Lady Sakuya in-game. Even though this wasn't the game, it wouldn't have been too strange for us to sit at the same table and talk…
I thought our conversation at lunch had gone well, so it wouldn't be too strange for us to sit at a table here and laugh together. Then, why weren't we?
Well, it couldn't be helped… rushing didn't equal good results. We still had plenty of years together. Let's try getting just a little closer to them.
At the salon, I had erased my presence and sat unobtrusively as my brother and Mizuki talked. Now, I was inside the car with my brother, heading home.
"Brother… I should actually learn etiquette somewhere, right?"
"Huh? Why? I thought you could already do it perfectly, Sakuya?"
Huh? That wasn't true, though? Satsuki-chan had made some sorta weird face. I hadn't learned etiquette from anyone apart from Master Momochi, so maybe that ninja gramps had taught me something weird? I thought learning the real thing somewhere else was a great idea.
"I was actually with Saionji-sama at the school cafeteria today, and…"
I told my brother about the exchange that happened between Satsuki-chan and I today. If it was my brother, who really didn't seem like an elementary student, he'd surely be able to understand something from that. Also, I should probably fix my etiquette if something was wrong with it. There would be more parties and events I had to go to as the daughter of the Kujou family, even if I didn't actually want to attend.
If I attended those and my manners and etiquette still weren't up to par, I wouldn't be the only one embarrassed, but the whole Kujou family. Also, I couldn't rule out the possibility that said embarrassment might be a flag for the fall of the Kujou family. I should definitely avoid failures and unnecessary risks as much as I can.
"Hmm… if you're that worried, then you could take a look at other places, but… I don't think you need to worry about it."
My brother seemed to be thinking of many different things as he said that. This brother was definitely reliable. He was so reliable that you wouldn't think he was a sixth grader… and speaking of that, you wouldn't think that Azami-chan, Satsuki-chan, and the other members of the Five Norths Association were kids that young… that thing called education really was important.
Anyway, leaving it all to my brother made me feel relieved. So now, I won't worry about those things and head home… yeah, I can't do that. After this, I'd be sent to the Hundred Earth dojo and get harsh training from Master. Maybe I shouldn't have called him gramps…
I didn't have to go to the Five Norths Association today and could head straight home! Well, not straight home, but the fact I didn't have to go to the Five Norths Association today made me happy.
Since earlier, or rather every day since I'd entered the school, I'd been forced to go to the salon. I sat there in a corner, staying quiet while staring at people. But today, I had mom and brother's approval to go straight home! That was because…
"Brother, will you be accompanying me?"
"Yep. I'm going to take a look too."
I was supposed to have an etiquette teacher who wasn't Master Momochi observing my etiquette today. I wouldn't have had time to do that on days when I had training with Master Momochi. If I was even a second late, my training increased 1.5 times in intensity, so I didn't dare come late.
Raihoukai classes had a set time too, since it was only a cram school. The teacher in charge, Ms. Takatsuji, was also watching other students' lessons, so I couldn't just change my own time slot…
So, the remaining one was swimming at the fitness club 'Grande', which was the only time I could change. I told Mr. Kohori that I might be late. There wasn't anything saying that I couldn't go to the fitness club outside of a specific time.
Mr. Kohori was a popular trainer, and there were a lot of madams who wanted to receive training from him. I felt bad for abusing the convenience a little, but if I was late at Grande, there wasn't any decided time for our lessons, and Mr. Kohori could do what he wanted as well.
I didn't go to the Five Norths Association salon today and instead headed out the moment classes ended so I wouldn't be that late. I wouldn't be learning proper manners today. The teacher would just be looking at how much I had already learned, so it wouldn't take too much time… apparently.
"Kujou-sama, we have been waiting for you. Please come inside."
"Yes."
Woah! Now that was a woman who seemed like a very capable teacher. She must've been middle-aged, but her back created an attractive line and her gestures were beautiful. I wasn't that amazingly old in my previous life and I'd never really been interested in mature women, so she unfortunately wasn't my type. But, if I was a bit older, a woman this stunning would've definitely been in my strike zone.
"Then, put this kimono on first…"
"Ah, I am fine."
I was still wearing my Touka Academy uniform, so I had to change first. The teacher offered to help me put the kimono on, but I rejected her offer and did it myself. It took me less trouble to put it on myself than for another person to help me.
"Th-That was fast… have you learned from somewhere?"
"Huh? Um… well…"
I could say that I had… right?
Master Momochi always told me to put this or that on when I trained with him. With swimming training, he made me put a hard-to-move bathrobe on and dumped me in a pond…
And Master was impatient. My training became twice as hard if I was even a little late with changing or preparations, so I didn't have any time to leisurely change. If I did manage to change quickly but hadn't put the clothes on perfectly, then that tripled the training difficulty level, so I had to quickly, cleanly, perfectly, and properly get changed.
As I trained, I had also become able to change quickly. But I learned how to wear a kimono the Hundred Earth style way. Maybe the accepted way of wearing kimono was different. I thought of getting them to take a look at things like that and tell me the proper way to do them.
The ultimate changing and dressing method of the Hundred Earth style was probably… taking off your clothes in an instant and changing into a log. No, I said that, but I hadn't actually seen it happen, so that was just my personal image. I was selfishly wondering if there really was an unorthodox method to wear those kinds of things easily.
"There's something wrong with the way I am wearing my kimono, right?"
"No, it is remarkably beautiful… (If you can do that much, there's no need to go learn more, right….)"
For some reason, the teacher's answer sounded a little offended. Why was she mad? She had muttered something, and I hadn't heard that last thing she said. Maybe I'd done something to make her mad…
Anyway, I finished changing, so next was training. It looked like there were other students in this classroom, so I'd be joining them today for a trial membership.
"This is Kujou Sakuya-san. She is taking a trial class today, so she will take lessons with everyone."
"I'm Kujou Sakuya. Please take care of me."
I entered the classroom where the teacher and other students were waiting. The teacher introduced me to the class, and I introduced myself to my senpais and lowered my head.
But, for some reason… my senpais started talking to each other the moment I'd finished my introduction. When I looked towards the teacher standing beside me, her face had slightly stiffened too.
…no way! Something was wrong with my etiquette, right!? Was it so bad that it ruined the mood, too? What should I do?! Maybe I shouldn't have learned from Master Momochi after all? But I was just a commoner in my past life, so I didn't know what to do in these times.
For example, if I'd made a mistake… Anyway, let's try to do what Master Momochi taught me just this once. If there was something off, then this teacher could tell me. I'd just go with what master taught me so all the mistakes could be identified!
"Alright~…. then, Kujou-san, please show everyone what you are able to do."
"Yes."
Huh? What? Without a single explanation or lesson? In front of all these watching students so suddenly? Was this some sort of public shaming…
But I had to do it! No matter what happened, I'd go with what Master Momochi taught me!
"Kujou-san…. you had said… 'There may be something wrong with my etiquette, so I want you to take a look at it'. However…"
"Yes. There is something wrong after all, correct?"
They asked me a lot of questions and made me do this and that. They were all things I'd learned from Master Momochi and could handle, so I just did the Hundred Earth style, but… my senpais were all quiet, while the teacher's face was twitching slightly. There was unmistakably something wrong with my etiquette. Everyone was containing their laughter.
"Have you… learned the Hundred Earth style, by any chance?"
"Hundred Earth style!?"
"That's…"
"I thought no one could learn the Hundred Earth style anymore…"
"I asked too, but they rejected me…"
Huh? What? What was this atmosphere… the senpais were whispering to each other. I couldn't quite hear everything they were saying, but things didn't look good… Should I just keep quiet? But that was dishonest. I should definitely just honestly say it.
"Yes. I am learning the Hundred Earth style."
"I am sorry. There is nothing this classroom can teach you."
"…huh?"
The teacher… lowered her head deeply. Huh? What did this mean? They couldn't teach anything to someone who'd learned the Hundred Earth style? Was the Hundred Earth style ostracised in the business world? Wh-wh-wh-what should I do? Maybe I wouldn't be able to learn anywhere else just because I'd learned the Hundred Earth style…
But I couldn't stand the 'go home already' atmosphere of this place, so I quickly left the classroom.
After Sakuya left, the classroom fell completely silent.
"Teacher… that kid… was just old enough to enter elementary, right? Is it normal to be that good?"
"Maybe she's even better than our teacher…"
"Shh! Don't say thoughtless things!"
She couldn't refute the students' whispers. Rather, she thought so too. She knew that what she had just seen clearly surpassed her own ability.
"That is not normal… someone who Mr. Momochi took as a disciple… that alone makes her a special kid. Then! Everyone! This is not the place to worry about others. Everyone can do their own things. Let us all work hard."
The teacher and students zealously continued their lessons, dismissing what they'd seen earlier as an example from an outstanding teacher.
Aah! There really was something wrong with my etiquette! And it looked like I was a black sheep in the business world just from learning the Hundred Earth style!
What to do? What should I do? Maybe next time I should stay quiet about the Hundred Earth style, pretend I knew nothing at all, and then try to enter some classroom?
But the Hundred Earth style was already ingrained in my body. I could do it instantly, without even thinking about it. In the beginning, I even dreamed about practicing it… I even started doubting if that was the sleep-learning method Master had mentioned.
…it wasn't, right? I was just imagining it, right? Had I really even been sleep-learning…
Well, anyway! It'd get super bad at this rate!
"Brother… I was driven away from this classroom, unable to learn anything from there…"
I had done something inexcusable, even though Yoshizane-kun had found this place for me. Maybe what I'd done had disgraced him…
"Oh, well, that's true too."
... Isn't it? Is that what I'm thinking? No way to really sleep learning ...
Well anyway! At this rate, it's going to be very bad!
"Onii-sama... I was turned away because there was nothing to teach in this classroom..."
I'm sorry that Yoshimi-kun took the trouble to find me. I wonder if he smeared mud on his brother's face...
"Oh, well, I guess so."
Despite that, my brother is smiling and looking calm. Oh brother! Please forgive this incompetent sister! Laugh at this poor little sister who smeared mud on her brother's face!
"What should I do..."
"What do you need to worry about so much? Why don't you learn from Mr. Momochi?"
Brother~! If that's the case, even if I go out into society from now on, I'll be laughed at! It's good that I'm taken aback and made fun of. Other than that, I don't care. But it's no good for the Kujo family to be embarrassed because of me. I can't do anything to defile the name of the Kujo family.
"At this rate, I'm going to spoil the name of the Kujo family..."
I have to do something about it... At this rate, it's really going to be a ruin flag...
"Sakuya, you don't have to think about ruining the name of the family or for the sake of the family. I will inherit the Kujo family and I will do something about it. Sakuya will live as she pleases. You should go."
"Yoshimi Oniisama...
What… what a reliable older brother!!!! He'd work that hard for his younger sister! He really was someone who didn't seem like a sixth-grader!
I was definitely a more stupid kid in sixth grade. I wouldn't have been thinking about the future or about my younger sister. I didn't have a younger sister, but, you know? Anyway, I was sure I wouldn't have thought that far ahead: not only about my family, but also my own future.
Then, what about my older brother? He'd thought about his younger sister that much, worried about her, and would do everything for her… he'd even thought about the family and said he'd do something about it. Amazing! The Kujou family was safe if Yoshizane-kun was there!
"Lady Sakuya, we have arrived."
As we were having that conversation, we arrived at the fitness club. My brother didn't have anything to do here, so the car left as soon as Momiji and I got out of it. Momiji, holding my change of clothes, and I were entering 'Grande', when…
"Hey, Sakuya-chan. You said you'd be late, but you arrived earlier than usual."
"Mr. Kohori, greetings."
I coincidentally bumped into Mr. Kohori just as I was about to enter. It looked like he was making preparations for my training. There wasn't a set start nor end time, so I thought that if I did arrive a little earlier than usual, we could just start training sooner.
"And you're in Japanese dress today."
"…huh? Aah!?"
I had completely forgotten. I ran like I was being chased away from the etiquette classroom wearing these clothes, and I hadn't changed.
…well, it was fine. It wasn't the Hundred Earth style, and I wouldn't be swimming in a kimono. Momiji was anyway holding the usual swimsuit and training wear that I'd change into. I could enter the changing room like this, then change.
"Excuse me. I will change."
"You don't have to hurry."
I bowed slightly to Mr. Kohori, who was smiling brightly, then headed to the changing room.
In the changing room, the madams were wandering around with a bam! bam! bo-boom! like usual. Why did changing take so long? The madams wasted a lot of time in scrupulously changing clothes.
"Well! Sakuya-chan, you're wearing a kimono? How cute."
"It's a beautiful kimono. It looks perfect on you, Sakuya-chan."
"Thank you very much."
The madams surrounded me, making a fuss, since they thought it was unusual that I was wearing a kimono. Mr. Kohori had said that I didn't need to hurry, and I was a lot earlier than my usual time… I wanted to change, but the madams weren't leaving me alone. Everyone kept gathering around me, noisily judging and evaluating me.
"If you wore a slightly paler colour, Sakuya-chan…"
"No, she is a young girl after all. If she wore more patterns…"
Everyone made a spectacle of me, so I couldn't change. It'd never end if I kept quiet and continued listening to them, so I interjected.
"Everyone, I am sorry. Mr. Kohori is waiting for me, so I shall…"
"Oh, is that so~?"
"Sakuya-chan, you are welcome to come over, okay?"
"Yes, yes. Come over to my party, alright?"
"Yes. Thank you very much. If you invite me, I will look at my schedule and respond to you. Well, then…"
I finally left the madams behind, so I started changing out of my kimono and folding it. Was I the only one thinking that these madams seemed more like those old ladies in markets than madams from wealthy and distinguished families…
There was a madam trying to invite me to a party in the turmoil, but I'd just brushed her off. I hurriedly changed into my swimsuit and headed to Mr. Kohori.
The fitness club had ended and I was eating dinner at home when the topic turned to today's etiquette class.
"So, how was the class you went to today?"
"Well… that is…"
I answered vaguely to mom's sharp questioning. If she knew that they had driven me away, saying they couldn't teach me anything, what would she think… maybe mom would scold me harshly.
"They said they couldn't teach her anything and refused her entry."
Brother! Why'd you say it so easily!? You wanted your younger sister to experience trials and tribulations that much!?
"Well! …that may also be true, but it is expected, or perhaps nothing special… Sakuya, you understand now, right? Please continue learning under Mr. Momochi."
"Yes…"
It looked like I wasn't allowed to learn in other classrooms… Was this okay? Mom. And, older brother… I didn't tell dad about it. Even if I did, it'd be pointless.
I was okay with people laughing at me at parties or in school because I couldn't do proper etiquette. But that'd make people look down on the Kujou family. It might even lead to some kind of destruction flag.
"Don't go learning this and that and instead focus on mastering one thing, Sakuya. Mastering anything at all is an amazing thing. Papa thinks that learning random things halfway isn't good."
"Father."
Kuh! I didn't think that this sly old man could ever say something that good.
But it was just like father said. Even if the Hundred Earth style was considered improper by society and didn't receive much reception, it'd be great if I could fully master it. Wasn't it good to work hard to change how the world valued it in the end? I wouldn't be submissive. I would stand tall. I was Momochi Sadao's disciple!
"Thanks to you, father, I can sleep soundly today!"
"Is that so? Thanks to Papa, right? Then, can you call me Papa?"
"I will now return to my room. That was a delicious meal. Thank you, 'father'."
"Aah… okay…"
There seemed to be a dejected sly old man, but I didn't mind him. I returned to my room with a skip in my step, ready to work hard and change the verdict on the Hundred Earth style.
Recently, my everyday life has been fun. I enjoyed talking to Azami-chan and Satsuki-chan in Touka Academy, and, no matter what I said, I didn't hate master and the Hundred Earth style. Well, I didn't hate it in the beginning, but ever since recent matters, I'd steadily grown to like it more.
My master's training was definitely hard, however… the joy of knowing things you didn't know before, and doing things you couldn't do before, was irreplaceable. I still couldn't get master to compliment me, though…
"Greetings, Satsuki-chan."
"Sakuya-chan, greetings."
I greeted Satsuki-chan and she responded with a greeting of her own. But there wasn't any energy in it for some reason.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"…huh?"
I asked her that, and she looked up, surprised. I crouched down a little so my eyes were at the same level as Satsuki-chan, who was sitting at her desk. When having a serious conversation with someone, you had to talk at the same eye level, making sure you made eye contact.
"Why…? No… it's nothing. Nothing at all, you know?"
Strange… something had definitely happened. But maybe I shouldn't press her if she didn't want to say so. Of course, pointlessly pressing her would give us more time to connect than if I left her alone. But there were also times when it'd be better to leave someone alone instead of forcing them to say something they themselves didn't want to.
You wouldn't know what the right answer was unless you asked… that was also the problem of mutual relationships.
Maybe Satsuki-chan didn't want me to ask about overly complicated things because of our current relationship. Maybe it was the type of thing she'd talk about with a close friend, but not something she'd say to someone she'd occasionally seen at school.
Thinking like that, I felt a little lonely, but… even so, my relationship with Satsuki-chan was like that. We were just classmates who greeted each other and talked a little at school… maybe it wouldn't be great to pointlessly invade into complicated circumstances…
"Oh… I understand…"
"Ah…"
Saying that, I stood up and thought I heard Satsuki-chan saying something. She looked slightly apologetic. But I should stop asking her more pointless questions. It might seem heartless, but… I wanted to become closer to Satsuki-chan, but… so then, I…
"You said that it's nothing, Satsuki-chan, so I won't ask you any further… but, you know, I think of you as a friend. I'd want to help if a friend of mine is troubled, so if you think you need help or want to talk to someone, I'll respond to the best of my ability. So… if you think of me as a friend too, then… please tell me anytime if something's troubling you… okay?"
"…"
Satsuki-chan didn't say any more. But it didn't seem like she was rejecting me. She wanted to say it, but she couldn't. She wanted to talk about it, but couldn't do that. Maybe she was having that conflict.
Of course, I didn't know what Satsuki-chan was thinking, but… I didn't think that I ruined her mood, or that she was rejecting my offer. So, all I could do was wait for Satsuki-chan to talk to me afterwards. Thinking that, I returned to my own seat.
As expected, Satsuki-chan was acting very strange today. Everyone else didn't notice, or maybe didn't care, or maybe noticed but left her alone, but anyway… no one asked her about it.
Satsuki-chan had some friends, more than I did. For some reason, everyone just looked at me from afar, and I made no new friends. Why? Maybe it really was the Lady Sakuya curse…
Well, enough about me. More importantly, Satsuki-chan. She had friends other than me, but none of them noticed her condition, or noticed but left her alone… what should I do? Everyone was worrying as well, so maybe I just shouldn't stick my nose into it?
As I was thinking that, I was drinking tea at the Five Norths Association…
"Hey, you…"
"Huh? What's wrong, Azami-chan?"
Something rare happened… yes, something really rare, wherein Azami-chan started a conversation with me. She almost never did that. When it did occasionally happen, it was only for perfunctory things. When I started the conversation, she'd answer, but it was very rare she started it.
Especially in the Five Norths Association, where Satsuki-chan stayed with her clique and Azami-chan stayed with her own, so they had never talked to me or come over. Even so, Azami-chan had come over now and called out to me. It was an incredibly rare thing.
"Don't casually call me Azami-chan! I've told you that countless times before!"
Wasn't it alright… Azami-chan was Azami-chan after all…
"Then, Azami-chan, do you have any business with me?"
"I said don't call me… agh! Whatever! You can call me that now! More importantly, what happened to that girl?"
I insistently called her Azami-chan, and she folded. If she slowly got used to it like this, then maybe we'd become closer. She seemed like the type of person you'd easily get closer to if you pushed her. Satsuki-chan seemed friendly on the surface, but I could tell that she was a bit distant, or something like a step away.
"Who's that girl?"
"I said, that girl! The one you always talk to! Haven't you noticed that she's acting weird?"
It looked like she was talking about Satsuki-chan. I hadn't really always talked to her, but okay. It was more of a relationship where I could tell she was being slightly distant.
That was all well and good, but it looked like Azami-chan had also noticed something was up with Satsuki-chan. She cared about her, too; so much to even come ask me about her, since she thought that Satsuki-chan and I were close…
"Fufu."
"Hang on, something's weird, you know? Your own friend's acting strange, this isn't the time to laugh."
"That is true. I am not laughing at Satsuki-chan. I had thought that you were cute, coming to ask me about Satsuki-chan's condition. I was also happy that you care that much for her."
"Wha-! I don't really…"
Azami-chan was also very cute with her face bright red and making furious denials.