Summer Vacation Arc: 69 Straw Hat and the Aidou House

Summer Vacation Arc
69 Straw Hat and the Aidou House

There was just over a week left of summer vacation.
People were rushing to do their homework and enjoying the last days of the break to the fullest.

Amidst all that, Meru, wearing a refreshing dress, had been in the kitchen since the early morning.

“Mom, I separated the side dishes for each meal and froze them, so take those out for Kei and Dad.”

Meru said to Mariko behind her as she stuffed Ziplocs into the freezer.

“Meru-chan.”
“What is it? You can use the microwave, right?”
“Of course! You’re so mean, Meru-chan.”

Mariko said, pouting before she immediately turned back to face Meru.

“That’s not it… Don’t worry about us and go have fun, ok?”
“Even if you tell me to have fun, I think we’ll just be working.”

Meru smiled wryly while carrying a slightly larger amount of baggage. Seeing her like that, Mariko heaved a great sigh.

“Training camp is mostly just a pretense, you know? Plus, with those members, I don’t believe they won’t play around at least a little bit.”
“Is that how it is?”
“That’s how it is.”
“Hmm.”

Meru headed toward the entryway after giving a half-hearted response. Then, in the end, Meru turned her head toward Mariko and smiled.

“I’m heading out.”
“Have a good time.”

Today, the student council training camp begins.

The executives other than Meru had visited Yuuri’s house numerous times and knew where it was, so they were all meeting there. Yuuri was picking Meru up at a bus stop near the academy since she didn’t know where he lived.
Meru put her slightly bigger bag on the ground and leaned back against the stone wall while she waited for Yuuri.
A few minutes after she arrived, the person she was waiting for appeared at a jog.

“Kusuhara-san!”

To protect herself from the sun, Meru had pulled down the straw hat she was wearing. Upon hearing that voice, she pushed the hat up lightly with her index finger and gave a smile.

“Aidou-kun. It’s hot, so you really shouldn’t have run.”

Seeing the sweat on Yuuri’s light skin when he finally reached her, Meru spoke helplessly.

“No, I left the house a little late. I’m sorry for making you wait in the heat.”

Yuuri bowed while panting slightly. Meru felt bad for making him come pick her up. Despite that, Yuuri apologizing like this was very much like him.

“Alright, raise your head. There are still five minutes until the agreed time, you know? I just came a little early.”
“But…”
“I won’t listen to any ‘buts’. More importantly, if we don’t leave soon and end up late, His Imperial Majesty will get mad at us.”

Meru said with a laugh. Since Meru was right, Yuuri reluctantly raised his head and took Meru toward his house.

“Kusuhara-san. I’ll take your bag.”
“Eh? It’s fine. It’s not heavy or anything.”
“No, I won’t compromise on this.”

Yuuri quickly took the bag from Meru. She’d realized it several times when he’d helped her with her work, but though he looked frail, Yuuri was more than twice as strong as the average guy. Seeing him carrying her bag so effortlessly, Meru couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What happened?”
“Nothing, I was just thinking that you’re strong.”
“Don’t make fun of me.”

His expression was faint as usual, but his cheeks were a little red. Not noticing that, Meru carefreely walked alongside Yuuri while humming.

Yuuri’s house wasn’t far to the extent of needing to use a train or bus, so the two of them walked.
They headed toward their destination while talking about what they did when they hadn’t been together during summer vacation. After walking for a while, they came to a stop in front of the gates to a splendid estate.

“I’d heard about it, but…it’s a wonderful house, isn’t it?”

Meru stared with squinted eyes at Yuuri’s house, a Japanese-style house with an air of antiquity set behind a beautiful garden.

“We’re more or less a notable family…and we have a lot of disciples from respectable families, so it’s just for appearances.”
“You don’t build a magnificent house like this just for app—”
“Meru-chaaaaan!”

When Meru and Yuuri were having that exchange in front of the gates, an excited guy came flying out from Yuuri’s entryway.
Meru let out an ‘eep’ and hid behind Yuuri. In doing so, she clung to Yuuri’s back with everything she had, and Yuuri also naturally widened his eyes in surprise.

“Ah, sorry, Aidou-kun. Your clothes are going to get stretched out.”
“No, that’s fine, but…”
“Yuuri-kun! That’s no good! Move away!”

When Yuuri looked over his shoulder, the distance between him and Meru grew even shorter, and Fuuga began to rage with a pale face seeing that.

“Even though it’s this hot, Fuu-chan sure is energetic.”
“Making a fuss even though it’ll make you hotter, even idiots should have a limit, right?”

Laila and Shoutarou, having come out with Fuuga to meet Meru and Yuuri, murmured together in the shade in front of the entrance.
Sitting on the step in front of the entrance, Laila was wearing his usual female attire. Seeing him with Shoutarou who was leaning against the door, they really did seem compatible.
Thinking like that, Meru waved and asked about the one she had yet to see.

“Where’s Kamishiro-kun?”
“He’s keeping Yuu-chan’s grandpa company.”
“Grandpa is at it again…”

When Yuuri heard Laila’s words and heaved a heavy sigh, Shoutarou guessed what he was thinking and promptly added on.

“Kamishiro himself chose to play go with him. I don’t think you need to worry.”
Hayate-kun’s grandpa hates to lose, right? Even though it’s impossible to imagine someone winning against Hayate in that kind of game…”
“Ahaha…”

Meru, who had won against Hayate in ‘that kind of game’ as Fuuga had put it, smiled wryly. In front of her, Yuuri sighed again at his own grandfather’s childishness.
In the end, Fuuga tore Meru away from Yuuri and grabbed Meru’s hand, dragging her toward the entrance. When Meru arrived at the entryway, Yuuri, who had entered before her, called for someone in a moderately loud voice.

“You called for me?”

The one who appeared, speaking in that beautiful voice, was a cute young lady dressed in a kimono.

She had long, jet black hair and white skin and large, black eyes framed by long eyelashes. Meru blinked in surprise at the appearance of a girl evenly matched in cuteness with Laila.

“Ah, could that person be…”

At the instant she saw Meru, that girl muttered as though she had understood something and looked at Yuuri.

“Kouri. This is Kusuhara Meru-san.”
“Ah, I’m Kusuhara Meru. I’ll be in your care.”

Meru didn’t really know what was going on, but she bowed to that girl who was a member of Yuuri’s family.
As she did, that girl directed a flawless smile toward Meru and spoke.

“My name is Aidou Kouri. I’ve heard about you from my brother and my grandfather. It’s just for a few days starting today, but I should be the one saying I’ll be in your care.”
“…Brother?”

Muttering Kouri’s words that she had gotten stuck on, Meru looked at Yuuri and he slowly nodded.

“Kouri is my little sister.”

Seeing Meru who was so surprised she couldn’t speak, Fuuga said, “So cute!” and hugged her.

“Rengetsu, you’re giving people the creeps. Cut it out.”
“But I understand why Ruu-chan is surprised. Yuu-chan and Kou-chan don’t look alike.”

Compared to Yuuri who was pale all over, Kouri had pitch black hair and eyes. It was true they didn’t look alike.
However, what had surprised Meru was that Yuuri had a little sister this cute.

“That’ll make your perception go weird.”

Facing such a beautiful girl every day and then going to school with Laila, it wasn’t impossible for one’s sense of what a beautiful girl is to shatter. That’s probably why he sometimes says I’m cute, Meru thought, coming to such a conclusion by herself.

“And so, Kusuhara-san. If anything happens, please talk to Kouri. I’m sure there are things you find difficult to talk about with the executives.”

Yuuri said to Meru with a slightly softened expression. Seeing him like that, Kouri narrowed her eyes slightly.

“Kusuhara-san. Your room is this way.”

Meru kept up with Kouri who guided her with a smile.

Meru followed after Kouri. Kouri’s beautiful hair that she had done to just one side swayed in front of Meru’s eyes.

“You have beautiful hair.”
“Thank you.”

Kouri replied while continuing to look forward. Her tone didn’t have any hints of happiness. Thinking she had said something to rub Kouri the wrong way, Meru tried to feel her out.

“Um…”
“As a daughter of the Aidou household, I take care of my appearance so as not to embarrass my family, so that is to be expected.”
“Ah, I’m sor—”
“Also, please stop using such polite language. I am younger than you.”
“Ahh….okay.”

Perhaps what she had said was rude in Kouri’s eyes, but Meru was bewildered by her response which was much colder than expected.
Clearly, she had a different air from when she was in front of Yuuri and the other executives.

“This is the room allotted to you.”

Opening the sliding door, the room that came into Meru’s view was much too spacious for her alone.

“Um, Kouri-chan. Is it really okay for just me to use such a spacious room?”

When Meru asked that with a troubled expression, Kouri’s eyebrows twitched for a moment.

“Eh?”
“…My brother was concerned about you being a girl and so chose this room.”
“Ah, I see.”

Meru smiled wryly at that Yuuri-like consideration. Seeing her expression, Kouri shot a sharp look at her.

“Not even the disciples who work hard every day nor Hayate-san and the others have used a room like this alone. In light of that, you’re quite the figure.”
“Umm…”

With Kouri having said that, Meru wondered what she should do, but on the other hand, she couldn’t say that she was fine being in a room with the guys. Kouri smiled faintly seeing Meru stumped for a reply.

“Though before that, it is quite strange that you can come stay over at a man’s house so lightheartedly.”
“…”
“Well then, it will be for several days, but I will be in your care.”

With Kouri shutting the door, Meru lost the place she was going to put her hand.
What Kouri had said was certainly correct. Nevertheless, it was weird that she spoke so harshly when they had just met.

“I wonder if she hates me?”

Meru gave a heavy sigh, clapped her hands against her cheeks, and left the room.

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<TLN>
Man y’all, I was hoping for just one female character aside from Maiko who wasn’t a complete bitch to Meru. T_T But now we got this bro con chick. I kinda hope they become friends in the end, but also…seriously. Please.

Anyway, 16 chapters left in the summer vacation arc!