Summer Vacation Arc: 74 Older Brother and Younger Sister

Summer Vacation Arc
74 Older Brother and Younger Sister

Dawn broke with the arrival of the early morning.
The sound of a bamboo sword swinging echoed out.
There was enough power in those swings to make one think that scores of people were practice-swinging in time, rather than just one person.

It was about time for the other disciples to begin training. Yuuri returned the bamboo sword to its original place.

“Brother.”

Around when Yuuri finished cleaning the dojo, Kouri appeared wearing a pale yellow kimono. It seemed that she had brought Yuuri a towel and water.

“Thank you. Is everyone already awake?”
“Yes. Hayate-san said that everyone will have breakfast as soon as you have completed your preparations.”
“Is that so?”

Yuuri wiped his face, pushing aside his bangs that were sticking to his forehead with sweat.
Looking at how much he had sweat, it was clear that he’d put in all of his effort into his training as usual.
Kouri stared at Yuuri with a complicated look before turning her back toward him.

“…Brother.”
“Yes?”

Yuuri looked over his shoulder at Kouri. Even from his position with her back turned to him, he could tell that she was looking down. Thinking that she was behaving strangely, Yuuri tilted his head.

“Kouri, what’s wrong?”
“…In the past, you never let outsiders into the dojo.”

Yuuri didn’t have anything he could say to that. Since he didn’t speak, Kouri continued.

“But last night…you let Kusuhara-san inside, did you not?”
“…Yes.”

Kouri very frankly grimaced at Yuuri’s reply that came after a brief moment.

“Why?”
“…Because Kusuhara-san came right after I finished training. It wouldn’t have been polite if I made her wait outside.”

Kouri bit her lip when Yuuri stated his reason with a calm expression.

“Brother, aren’t you giving higher preferential treatment to Kusuhara-san than to Hayate-san and the others?”
“I have no intention of doing that. It’s just that Kusuhara-san is the only girl amongst the executives…”

As Yuuri spoke up to there, Kouri snorted.

“You never learn your lesson either, do you?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Have you forgotten what kinds of people have approached you up until now?”

Kouri glared at Yuuri.
Yuuri understood what Kouri wanted to say. It was because he understood her feelings that he couldn’t run away from her sharp gaze.

“There is no way I would forget.”
“If that’s the case…”
“But Kamishiro-san and Katsuragi-kun, as well as Hiiragi-san and Rengetsu-kun are different from those others up until now. You should know that as well.”
“I do. But I can’t believe that Kusuhara-san is the same type of person as Hayate-san and the others.”

Kouri asserted her position clearly. However, Yuuri responded to that remark with a strong tone.

“You are misunderstanding Kusuhara-san. Kusuhara-san is different.”

Yuuri spoke while staring straight at Kouri. Unable to endure his gaze, Kouri averted her eyes.

“You…don’t understand anything. I…don’t want you to ever that kind of thought again.”
“Kouri.”

Yuuri caught Kouri’s arm as she tried to run off. However, Kouri shook him off with all her might.

“If you’re going to go that far, you should do as you like with putting your trust in Kusuhara-san or not. But, even still…”

It’s enough if you master my part of the martial art path as well.

“Please at least keep the promise you made me.”

Kouri said and left the dojo. As she did, she ran into her grandfather who had come to train in the dojo.

“Kouri, what brings you here? Were you helping Yuuri?”
“Grandfather. I just came to deliver a message. Excuse me.”

Kouri told her smiling grandfather indifferently and left.

“That Kouri, she’s really irritated. Did I do something?”
“No. It’s my fault, I’m sorry.”

Yuuri bowed his head to his grandfather.

“What happened? Foh foh. Did you shout while wielding your wooden sword or something? Your split personality is scary, you know.”

Yuuri’s grandfather was smiling cheerfully, but Yuuri’s expression remained clouded.

“Grandfather… Is it wrong to place your trust in people?”

Looking at Yuuri who pulled his words together in a murmur-like tone, his grandfather gave a small sigh.

“People live while being helped by others. Living without trusting others is nothing but a harsh existence.”
“…Kouri has always been carrying those painful memories since that day five years ago.”

Damp hair clung limply to Yuuri’s downcast head. Even though he couldn’t see Yuuri’s face, just hearing Yuuri’s frail voice told his grandfather his current thoughts.

“Yuuri. You can’t move forward if you get caught up in the past. Kouri herself has to be the one to do something about it.”
“There’s no way I can say something like that to her, right…?”

Yuuri spoke with frustration.

The previous innocently smiling Kouri was already gone. It was not wrong to say that Yuuri was the one who had stolen that smile of hers.

“Yuu…”
“Grandfather. I can’t make everyone wait for me, so…please excuse me here as well.”

Yuuri crossed his grandfather in a stately manner and left the dojo.

“…Such troubling grandchildren.”

Looking where Yuuri had left, his grandfather muttered botheredly.

“I wonder what changes Meru-bou will cause…”

Despite what he said, Yuuri’s grandfather seemed somehow cheerful as he took a wooden sword in hand.

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<TLN>
Like I mentioned in the last chapter, this one’s a bit shorter, but the next one is longer.

11 chapters left in the summer vacation arc!

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March bonus chapter funded: 0/1 ($15/$30 to the chapter!)