Summer Vacation Arc: 79 Floor Cushion and Machine Gun Talk

Summer Vacation Arc
79 Floor Cushion and Machine Gun Talk

As Meru and Yuuri’s conversation settled, they left the room they were hiding in.

It was about time for breakfast, so the two of them headed toward the room where everyone always gathered to eat.

Approaching the room, the duo tilted their heads. The inside seemed a little boisterous. The ones likely to be inside were Hayate, Fuuga, Laila, Shoutarou, and maybe Kouri or Yuuri’s grandfather if they came to visit.

Thinking about who could make so much noise in front of Hayate, it was probably Yuuri’s grandfather.
Just as Meru came to that conclusion, Yuuri heaved a massive sigh.

“What’s wrong, Aidou-kun?”
“Nothing…”

Yuuri pressed his forehead and replied in a quiet voice.

“Your grandfather sure is lively, even in the morning.”

Meru said, imagining what was going on inside the room, and Yuuri replied with a foolish-sounding “Eh?” But then he seemed to understand something after that and made a helpless face.

“It’s true that my grandfather is lively, but… Right now, he should be in the middle of training, so I don’t think he’s here.”
“Huh?”

This time it was Meru’s turn to sound silly.
And at the same time, the shouji door behind Meru opened.

“Ruu-chan, Yuu-chan. What are you two being all sneaky about?”

Laila, who had opened the door, looked at the two of them, smirking.

“Hiiragi-san. We’re not really being snea…”
“Yuuriiii! Aren’t you late?”

Yuuri, who was about to complain to Laila with a slightly sullen expression, was interrupted by a woman who suddenly sprang toward him.

Meru blinked rapidly as that kind of scene occurred next to her.

“Meru-chan, over here. It’s dangerous to stay over there.”

Fuuga pulled the dumbfounded Meru’s arm and had her sit next to him.

Meru then consciously stared unblinkingly at the woman hugging Yuuri.

She had her hair up and was dressed in Japanese-style clothes. Her face was…identical to Kouri’s. No, more accurately, she looked more adult-like than Kouri and was an attractive woman.

“Rengetsu-kun, that person is…”
“Yeah. It’s probably just like you think. That woman is Yuuri-kun’s mom. She said she just came back.”

Fuuga told Meru about the woman in front of them. Meru turned her eyes back to Yuuri and his mother and somehow felt that she understood why he had sighed.

“Yuuri, it’s been a while, yet you’re as bad at expressing your emotions as always. I keep telling you to be happier, right? Kouri also has that obviously forced smile. It’s not how you should act upon meeting your parent after a long time! I can’t leave you to Father after all. More importantly, have you been well, Yuuri?”

It really was some machine gun talk.
Yuuri’s mother, who spoke for about three minutes without letting Yuuri get a word in edgewise, finally turned the conversation to her son whom she hadn’t met in a long time.

“Yes. I’m doing well. It seems that you are in good health as usual as well.”
“That’s what I mean, why do you speak so politely even with your family, Yuuri? No matter how much you say that it’s because your grandfather drilled etiquette into you during training, aren’t you so rough and tumble during training that it’s like you don’t even know the meaning of the word ‘etiquette’? I really don’t understand.”
“Haah…I’m sorry. Father is not with you?”
“Again with the politeness. Well, it’s fine. He’s still in Kyoto. It seems that he suddenly has to participate in a tea ceremony meet. The association president invited him directly, so he couldn’t decline.”

Perhaps having been satisfied by her conversation with Yuuri, Yuuri’s mother began to sweep her eyes around the room. She then began to confirm who all was in the room.

“Hmm…Kouri, Hayate-kun, Shoutarou-kun, Laila-kun, Yuuri and Fuuga-kun, and…ahh!!

Yuuri’s mother pointed at Meru who was next to Fuuga with a shout.
Everyone there was surprised by her shout, and with Meru behind him, Fuuga asked in a slightly cracking voice, “What’s wrong, auntie?”

However, Yuuri’s mother didn’t answer and simply passed by Fuuga, coming to a stop in front of Meru.

“Um…ah, I’m sorry. I’m late in introducing myself. I’m currently intruding here. My name is Kusuhara…”
“Kyaaa!”

Yuuri’s mother screamed while still pointing at Meru, then hugged her in the next instant.

“Eh?”
“…!?”

Seeing that scene, the others’ eyes widened in surprise. The person in question herself, Meru, was more surprised than anyone else.

“Um, well…”
“It was the right decision to come back after all! I should have forcibly brought that man back. It’s finally such a hard sought-after chance, and it’s better to get introduced early…”

Ignoring the troubled Meru in front of her, Yuuri’s mother continued to talk by herself. Then, when her speech reached a stopping point, she stared unblinkingly at Meru and said a few more words.

“Kusuhara Meru-san. I heard about you from my father. You’re Yuuri’s bride candidate, right?”

That remark which Yuuri’s mother spoke without discretion caused the atmosphere in the room to crackle with tension.
Mainly Hayate, Yuuri, Kouri, and Meru were emitting a strange presence.
Sitting next to Hayate, Shoutarou especially felt that he was even being stabbed by that atmosphere and sighed. Even Fuuga, who would usually kick up a fuss, read the room and was quiet.

“Moth…”
“Yuu-chan’s mom.”

Laila stood up at about the same time Yuuri opened his mouth to caution his mother.
Laila passed in front of Yuuri gallantly and snickered in front of Fuuga. Just as Fuuga began to speak with a “Wh…”, Laila had already taken Meru back from Yuuri’s mother.

“Laila-chan?”
“Ruu-chan isn’t Yuuri’s, but mine.”

Laila said with a grin as he hugged Meru to his own chest. Understanding why Laila had laughed at him, Fuuga said, “Stop, stop!” and tore Meru away from Laila.

“Meru isn’t Yuuri-kun’s or Laila’s! She’s my bride!”

Fuuga said and approached Laila belligerently, prompting Yuuri and Shoutarou to intervene. Laila smiled at Fuuga’s predictable behavior.

“I’m not anyone’s possession, though…”

No one paid attention to Meru’s objection that she made with narrowed eyes. When she sighed, Yuuri’s mother stared at her playfully.

“Meru-san, you’re so popular.”
“No… They’re ignoring my opinion, so what exactly is this, I wonder.”
“Since it’s fun, it’s fine, right? Buuut this is a problem.”

Yuuri’s mother snickered while giving Meru a sidelong glance. Wondering what the trouble was, Meru tilted her head, and Yuuri’s mother moved close to speak directly into Meru’s ear.

“I mean, if everyone loves you, you can’t pick just one person from them, right? Especially if you’re a good kid.”

Yuuri’s mom said and then stepped a little away from Meru. Seeing Meru think about what her words meant with a difficult expression, Yuuri’s mother spoke with a smile.

“Yep, you’re definitely someone who my father would like. I’m really interested.”

Yuuri’s mother said and turned her back toward Meru.

“Everyone, enjoy your breakfast. Sorry for getting in your way. Please take care of my non-cute son. …Also, Kouri and Meru-san.”

After bowing to the executives, Yuuri’s mother pointed to Meru and Kouri.

“After you finish breakfast, come to my room. Meru-san probably doesn’t know where it is, so…Kouri, show her the way, okay?”

Yuuri’s mother left the room just like that. At her words, Yuuri, Kouri, and Meru had questionable expressions as was to be expected.

Just as the atmosphere seemed like it was about to worsen again, Laila began to play around teasing Fuuga again.
That was undoubtedly Laila’s consideration for softening the room. Though she felt apologetic to Laila, Meru was grateful.

“Katsuragi-kun.”

As though escaping from Yuuri who was calming the quarrel between Laila and Fuuga, Meru sat next to Shoutarou who was on the opposite side of Hayate.

“What is it?”
“Thanks, I was able to sleep well because of you.”

When Meru said that, Shoutarou pushed the bridge of his glasses up and chuckled for a brief instant.

“Should I tell Ruu-chan about the period when you lost your temper?”
“Lailaaa!”

Fuuga, who was in the middle of a fight with Laila, threw a floor cushion at him. However, Laila dodged it and that floor cushion smacked splendidly into Shoutarou’s face.

“Uwah…”
“Sh-Shoutarou-kun! Just now, Laila…”
“Rengetsu…”
“Yesssssssss!”
“Get outside. I have no more patience for you.”

Shoutarou stood up, grabbed Fuuga by the scruff of his neck, and left the room.

“Fuu-chan, my condolences.”
“Hiiragi-san…”

They could hear a strange voice coming from Fuuga outside the room. Inside, Laila was smiling cheerfully and Yuuri was sighing.

“…”

In that lively situation, Hayate, who would have normally cautioned them in some way, shape, or form, quietly drank his barley tea as though nothing was happening.

Meru didn’t look at him. She would start thinking of unpleasant things if she did.

At any rate, in order not to spoil the fun times in front of her right now, she focused on enjoying the breakfast that was brought in with Fuuga and the others.

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<TLN>
6 chapters left in the summer vacation arc!

I have enough chapters built up that I can comfortably go all-in on bonus chapters again, so I’m putting it back at 3!

Ko-fi link here.
April bonus chapters funded: 0/3 ($15/$30 to the first chapter!)