Megumi spent a pleasant hour with Sanosuke through the estate's beautifully landscaped gardens. As with the house's history, Sano showed himself well-versed with the ground's history as well. Megumi was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Sagara's kept a few horses and Sano readily agreed that they could go riding sometime over the weekend.
The SUV with both sets of parents was pulling up the driveway when the two walked back to the house. Instead of entering through the back, the pair went around front to welcome the others.
"Hello, darling!" Sano's mother called out with a wave as she exited the vehicle. The Yoshida's were once again on hand to welcome the party. Greetings were exchanged and everyone trooped into the house.
"So, Megumi, has my son given you a tour of the place?"
"Hai, Oji-san. Sano was extremely informative and told me of the impressive history of your home."
"Good, good."
"It's very lovely. I look forward to enjoying my stay here."
Sagara Tamayo beamed at Megumi. "I'm glad you like it, Megumi-chan. Kaoru and Yahiko are arriving tonight. You've met them before, ne?"
"Yes, a few times."
Kaoru was eighteen and a college freshman. Megumi had met her when she visited her relatives during the summer and though they weren't very close, Megumi considered the younger girl a friend and enjoyed her company. Yahiko was an energetic boy of thirteen who loved to tease his older sister as a funny way of showing his affection. The boy idolized Sanosuke and was a chatterbox with Megumi. It would be a lively weekend.
Everyone dispersed to their respective rooms with the exception of Sano who went back to the study to consult with Mr. Yoshida.
Megumi woke up and noticed the shadows across the tatami mats on the floor. She had lain down to take a short nap but a glance at the clock said otherwise; she had fallen asleep for almost two hours. She changed into a different blouse and braided her hair. Knocking, and getting no answer, she peeked in on her parents' room and found it empty. She made her way to the living room and found her and Sano's mother having tea. Tamayo saw her and patted the couch next to her.
"Come, my dear. Join us!" Megumi sat down and asked where the men were. "Sano-kun is still with Toshio-san and the other two are probably outside somewhere." Tamayo served Megumi tea. "How are your studies, Megumi-chan?"
"She's graduating at the top of her class." Megumi's mother beamed.
"Okaasan." Megumi said, embarrassed.
"Don't be embarrassed!" Tamayo exclaimed. "Parents are allowed to be proud of such wonderful and talented children. You'll know what I mean when you have your own." A wistful look came across the two older women then as they looked at Megumi whose cheeks tinged pink. Suddenly Tamayo switched gears. "Now, Hitomi-san tells me Sano is cooking lunch tomorrow. He's rather good, if I do say so myself. He learned when he went abroad a few years ago…"
Megumi listened attentively as Mrs. Sagara regaled her and her mother with story after story of Sanosuke. The women were laughing hard when Sano found them an hour later. "Dare I ask?" He asked in amusement as he entered the room, taking the seat next to Mrs. Takani and across from Megumi. Sano thanked her when Megumi served him tea, unaware of the pleased looks on their mothers' faces.
"Your dear mother was just sharing stories about you, Sano-kun."
Sano placed a hand over his heart and groaned, trying to look mortified. "If you were hoping to impress them, Mother, I'm afraid that was the wrong way to go about it!"
"Oh, but you're wrong! You were such a cute child. Remember that time, Tamayo, when he called my house to ask after Megumi after the dog incident? He sounded so concerned!"
Megumi looked at Sano. She didn't' know he had done that. Sano avoided her gaze and intently studied the pastry on his napkin. He was saved by the other two men joining them.
~O~O~O~
Sagara Shiro hung up the phone and informed everyone that the Kamiya's were arriving in a few minutes. They would just be in time for dinner.
"Sano, why don't you and Megumi go to greet your cousins?" The two obediently stood at the front door to welcome the last of their party and were surprised to find Katsu, the eldest Kamiya cousin driving.
"Megumi!" Kaoru jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped and ran up the steps, giving her a hug.
"Hello, Kaoru-chan." Megumi smiled at the younger woman. Yahiko followed close at his sister's heels.
"Hello, onna-sensei!" He had taken to calling Megumi 'lady doctor' after she had washed and bandaged his scraped knees after a skateboard trick gone wrong two summers ago.
"Hello, Yahiko. You've grown a lot since I last saw you." The boy already stood a little higher than her shoulder. Yahiko nodded happily.
"Yep! I eat a lot and exercise. I'll be as tall as Oniisan in no time!"
"I'm sure you will," Megumi said. "Wha—" She gasped when she found herself lifted off her feet into a bear hug. She could see Sano with a scowl on his face walk up the steps from the car where he had been unloading the trunk and calmly smack the back of his cousin's head.
"Itai!"
"Unhand m—Megumi, ya big lug." No one else caught it but Megumi could swear he almost said my fiancée.
"I wanted a hug too." Katsu whined, unapologetic but he released Megumi. Sano ignored him.
"You could have greeted me like a normal person, Katsu." Megumi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Katsu gave her a puppy dog look and Megumi rolled her eyes at this antics. It was heard to imagine that he was the same age as his more mature cousin.
"Carry your own luggage." Sano dumped a large duffel and a small case into his cousin's arms as he marched past him into the house with a suitcase in one hand. Or not. Katsu grunted at the load and trudged in after Sano.
"Sano's jealous." Kaoru said unnecessarily to Megumi who simply giggled, a foxy smile on her lips.
~O~O~O~
At dinner, Megumi was seated between Mr. Sagara to her left and Katsu to her right. Dinner was underway with more of Mrs. Yoshida's delicious cooking.
"So Megumi, how long have you and my lucky cousin being dating?"
"We're no—"
"If you're not together yet, he better watch out or I'll charm you away from him." Katsu smiled roguishly. Sano glared at him from across the table but was unable to do anything lest he attract the older folks' attention.
"Really, Katsu. Don't be a tease." Megumi scolded the man for his audaciousness.
Megumi noted the similarities between the cousins; both were well-built and dark-haired. Sano stood an inch or two taller than his cousin and wore his hair shorter, with gravity-defying spikes. Katsu's hair fell to his collar and could rival even Megumi's in shine. The similarities ended there. Sano, though not anti-social, was definitely not as talkative as any of his Kamiya cousins. Megumi had seen have playful before but not flirtatious in the way Katsu was. Megumi knew Katsu meant no harm so she didn't mind his outrageous overtures but found them entertaining instead. Sano didn't seem to share her sentiment.
"Now that everyone's here," Shiro began, "let me officially welcome you. Please consider this your home and do whatever you'd like. You are all here for a relaxing time." Everyone expressed their thanks.
"Oji-san, may we ride the horsers?" Yahiko asked from his seat between his aunt and his brother.
"Hai. You may but you can only do it when you're supervised. The horses are well-mannered but I would feel better if you didn't go out on your own." Yahiko promised he wouldn't.
~O~O~O~
After dinner, Kaoru convinced Megumi to go with her for a bath in the external bathing house. "After all, a hot soak would be the best close to our day after all the travelling." The girls changed out of their clothes and into yukata. They wrapped towels around their hair and headed to the bathhouse.
The bathhouse was actually a section of the property that was set up around a small hot spring. The original spring had been expanded to accommodate two medium-sized pools, the pools separated by artfully placed boulders and shrubs. The area was surrounded by a wooden fence and tall hedges, protecting the occupants from the wind and any unwanted eyes. The girls picked a pool and shed their coverings, slipping quickly into the hot water.
"So good," Kaoru sighed, leaning back against the side of the pool.
"We should to get massages too, then it'll be perfect." Megumi added. They closed their eyes and relaxed, taking sips of cold water from their canteens every few minutes to keep hydrated. A happy bark intruded on their repose and Megumi opened her eyes to see Notaro come bounding toward the pool. She treaded across the pool to the side closer to him. Rising a little higher above the water, she leant forward on the ledge, reaching to pat the dog's head, her earlier fear of him a distant memory.
"What are you doing here, huh?"
"Notato!" A voice called out accompanied by the sound of running feet. Sano appeared where the path broke through the hedge and stumbled to a stop. Megumi shrieked and sank into the water. Sano turned red and flung a hand over his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were here!" He backed up and almost fell over Notaro who was circling him, tail wagging. "I didn't see anything, I swear!" His ears and neck had turned red as well.
"Baka!" Megumi threw a washcloth at him which hit him squarely on the chest where the piece of terrycloth clung for a moment then slid off, leaving a darkening trail of water on his shirt. Sano backed up, followed by Notaro.
Kaoru giggled and swam over to Megumi's side. "His face!" She chortled. "He couldn't look away!"
"Oh, stop it." Megumi protested, cheeks pink. Kaoru laughed louder.
Oji-san means 'uncle' or is used to refer to someone old enough to be your father. The female equivalent is 'Obasan'.
Oniisan is older brother. Yahiko uses it for Sano as a term of respect. He'll call his own older brother Oniichan which is basically the same thing.
Just a recap on the parentals' names:
Sagara Shiro and Tamayo
Takani Akio and Michiko
Katsu wasn't originally planned to be a part of the Kamiya family and I had already written Yahiko as having a crush on the onna-sensei which irritates Sano but then, what better fun than to have an older guy flirting with Megumi? Tada! Enter cousin Katsu. He's harmless, but Sano still doesn't appreciate it when he turns on the charm. Haha *wicked laugh*
To native Japanese speakers, please do point out any errors I make with the titles and whatever else you notice. I would really appreciate it!