Summer Vacation Arc: 80 Tea Ceremony and Yukata

Summer Vacation Arc
80 Tea Ceremony and Yukata

After they finished breakfast, Kouri took Meru along and headed toward Yuuri’s mother’s room. It was hard to talk to Kouri so soon after what had happened yesterday. Above all, every time she saw Kouri, what Yuuri had told her that morning flitted through her mind.
She really couldn’t picture Kouri always smiling that innocently.

“…Kusuhara-san.”
“Eh, ah, yeah?”
“This is my mother’s room.”

They arrived at their destination while she was pondering all that.

Opening the shouji door, Yuuri’s mother was directly in front of them, sitting elegantly while making tea. Seeing her like that, Kouri flusteredly said, “I’m sorry for disturbing you,” and moved to close the door.

“It’s fine, Kouri. Meru-san, you come in as well.”

While wondering if they were getting in the way of her tea ceremony etiquette, the girls did as Yuuri’s mother instructed and entered the room.
Her air was completely different from the scene at breakfast when Meru first met her.
In the silence and calmness of that space, Meru and Kouri watched her make the tea without speaking.

“Please, have some.”

Yuuri’s mother placed the bowl of tea directly in front of Meru with a beautiful smile.

“Mother…?”

Kouri looked puzzled. She had only prepared Meru’s portion of the weak green tea. It even appeared likely that her mother was testing Meru’s etiquette. However, Yuuri’s mother hadn’t taught Meru the etiquette for receiving tea. Kouri sighed lightly, feeling she was doing this in an awfully unreasonable manner.

While on the one hand Kouri was thinking about that, Meru gazed at the weak green tea Yuuri’s mother had prepared for a short moment.
Taking a breath having seemingly guessed Yuuri’s mother’s intention, Meru slowly bowed to her, turned the bowl with her right hand to change its direction, then politely said to Kouri, “Excuse me for partaking before you.”

“…Eh?”

Surprised by Meru’s actions, Kouri unintentionally let out a sound.

However, Meru didn’t react to that sound and returned to facing forward, formally replying to Yuuri’s mother with, “I will partake of your artistry.”

She took the bowl of tea in front of her with one hand and placed it in the other. With her hand still supporting the bowl, Meru lightly bowed her head.

Even though she hadn’t necessarily been instructed, Meru didn’t show a single shred of confusion in regard to the etiquette.
While under the gaze of Kouri and her mother, Meru turned the bowl twice and drank its contents in one go, then turned it back two times in the opposite direction and placed it on top of the tatami.

With everything finished, Meru looked back at Yuuri’s mother.

Kouri was staring in amazement at Meru’s series of actions while her mother sitting in front of them had narrowed her eyes.

“You were very proper, I’m surprised.”

Yuuri’s mother’s words all expressed Kouri’s thoughts.

“I dabbled a little in it a long time ago.”

Meru spoke with a nonchalant expression.
Seeing her reaction, Yuuri’s mother burst into laughter as if she couldn’t bear it anymore.

She knew that Meru’s performance was not something someone who had just “dabbled a little” could do. That went even more so because her style didn’t have the unique characteristics of a particular school, but was exactly the proper etiquette.
Even supposing her understanding of the etiquette really was only to the extent of having “dabbled a little,” Yuuri’s mother would also be delighted by Meru’s courage to act confidently and with every courtesy in front of someone who had married into a tea ceremony family.

“My specialty is flower arrangement and I’m still a novice at tea ceremony, so I can’t speak lightly about it and won’t question you. I’m satisfied being able to see Kouri’s face like this.”

Kouri came to her senses when her mother pointed her out. Then, she looked at Meru with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“You’re more interesting than I expected. I’ll also endorse you as Yuuri’s bridge candidate.”
“I’ll decline that.”

Meru decisively rejected her, and Yuuri’s mother smiled playfully. This aspect was exactly like Yuuri’s grandfather, and they really gave off the feeling of a parent and child.

“Um, mother.”
“What is it?”
“For what reason did you go to the extent of summoning me as well?”

At Kouri’s question, her mother tapped her fist against her hand and pulled out a wooden box about one meter long and fifty centimeters wide from the closet behind her, placing it in front of Meru.

“I thought I’d have Meru wear this.”
“Eh?”

What came out from the box was a lovely pink-themed yukata with a red obi.
While Meru’s eyes widened in surprise at those unexpected words, Yuuri’s mother answered her.

“Tonight is this year’s final fireworks display. The executives all went last year, so I imagine they’ll go this year as well. And incidentally, I recalled earlier that I happened to have a yukata that would suit you, so I thought I’d have you wear it. I hoped Kouri could help me get you dressed.”

With no reason to refuse Yuuri’s mother’s suggestion, Meru ended up wearing that yukata.

“Kouri, tie that.”
“Yes.”

Their two voices sounded out surrounding Meru. She herself was just standing there. While she was zoning out, Yuuri’s mother spoke to her.

“Meru-san, could it be that you could also put a yukata on by yourself?”
“I wonder…”

Meru spoke ambiguously. The truth was that she could. However, it had already been a number of years since she had worn a yukata, so she wasn’t sure if she could do it well. More than anything, though, it was hard to readily confirm that with the two of them currently dressing her.

“But it really has been a long time since I wore a yukata.”
“Oh my, Meru-san, you’re the type who goes to festivals in casual clothes?”
“I don’t really have a preference, but…to be honest, it’s been about five years since I last went to a festival.”

Yuuri’s mother was keenly interested in Meru’s words and spoke again.

“Why is that? Meru-san, wouldn’t you be forcibly dragged along even if you refused?”
“What kind of image is that?”

Meru spoke with a helpless face.

“I went with my younger brother before, but then he made friends…and he now goes with them, so I just didn’t go because I didn’t have anyone to go with.”
“Eh…”

The first one to react to Meru’s words was Kouri. Her eyes locked with Meru’s, but she quickly averted them.

“Meru-san, you seem like someone who would have a lot of friends, though.”
“I don’t. To the extent that it’s strange how things are now.”
“Huh, that’s surprising, isn’t it?”
“Is it?”

Meru smiled wryly. Kouri’s face had disbelief written all over it as she stared at her.

Then, Yuuri’s mother tied the obi tightly and finished dressing her.

“Perfect, even if I do say so myself.”

She said in satisfaction, looking at Meru in the yukata. Hearing that, Meru looked in the full-length mirror next to her. The dressing was, just as she said, perfect, but Meru wasn’t sure if it suited her. Her honest opinion that it would suit Kouri a lot more if she wore it.

“Meru-san, why don’t you show the others? I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”

Meru was just about to say she should take it off after all, but Yuuri’s mother stubbornly told her again to go show them, so she reluctantly left the room in the yukata.

Kouri and her mother were left alone in the room. Thinking she didn’t have any more business, Kouri bowed to her mother and went to leave the room.

“Kouri.”
“…What is it?”

Kouri slowly turned around and looked in puzzlement at her mother who was currently smiling happily.

“I heard that she was a good kid from both Yuuri and my father, so I thought that Meru-san was without a doubt feigning innocence…that she surely had a lot of friends. But don’t you think that she’s completely different from the impression you get from hearing about her?”
“…”
“People’s outlooks get quite limited by preconceptions, you know?”
“…Excuse me.”

Kouri stood up with an expression as though she had swallowed a bug. Then, she hurriedly left the room without answering her mother’s question. Seeing her daughter like that, her mother heaved a heavy sigh.

Being scrutinized by the Aidou family’s disciples and maids she passed as she walked down the hallway, Meru became rather disgusted with her own careless appearance.

“Hm, Meru-cha…Meru-chan!?”

As she was walking with her eyes cast downward, she was called twice for some reason. Furthermore, the second time, the voice had gotten rather falsetto.
When Meru raised her head, the voice’s owner–Fuuga–ran up to Meru.

“Ah, Rengetsu-kun. We just saw each other.”
“Meru-chan, that outfit…”
“Yeah. I know it doesn’t suit me, so you don’t need to say it. You can relax because I’ll take it off after I show it to everyone.”

Meru interrupted Fuuga and replied quickly. Fuuga hurriedly refuted Meru’s opinion.

“It looks good on you, so you should wear it. But why so suddenly?”
“Aidou-kun’s mother said it’s because there’s a festival today.”
“Ah, that’s right! …And just at the right moment, Hayate-kuuun!”

Fuuga looked behind Meru and waved. Meru’s shoulders twitched upon hearing the name Fuuga called.
Hayate came up to Meru and Fuuga, raised his eyebrows for an instant at Meru’s appearance, then immediately moved his gaze to Fuuga.

“…What’s wrong, Fuuga. Do you want to work?”
“Hayate-kun, please have mercy. I was already beaten up more than enough by Shoutarou-kun today.”

Fuuga said on the verge of tears. Hayate smiled thinly and said, “So then?” to encourage Fuuga to continue.

“They said there’s a festival today.”
“That’s true.”
“We went last year, so let’s go this year, too. Meru-chan is even specially wearing a yukata.”

Fuuga pulled Meru’s arm and drew him toward her. As she entered Hayate’s view, Meru blatantly averted her gaze. Understanding that, Hayate had a slightly saddened expression and turned his back toward the two.

“You should go.”
“What about you?”
“I have something to do, so I’ll stay here. Then, I’ll see you later.”

Hayate said and walked quickly down the hallway.

“Hayate-kun is acting weird… Right, Meru-cha…n?”

Fuuga wanted Meru’s agreement, but he stopped speaking.
Upon seeing Meru’s hanging head and complicated expression, he lost his ability to speak.

“…Eh, ah, Rengetsu-kun. Did you say something?”
“No, nothing.”

Fuuga grinned. He himself knew his smile was stiff. He also knew that there was no way Meru didn’t notice that. Fuuga smiled wryly as Meru looked up at him apologetically.

“Sorry, Shoutarou-kun scolded me too much, so I’m a little down. Oh right, did you show your outfit to anyone else?”
“Nope, not yet.”
“Then I’m the first one, right? Lucky!”

Fuuga smiled with true happiness at that. Meru giggled at Fuuga’s innocence.

“You’re going to show everyone, right? I think that they are probably in their own rooms.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”

Meru said and as Fuuga had said, headed toward the other executives’ rooms.
Fuuga waved until he couldn’t see Meru anymore. He stared at his hand after he finished waving and let a dry laugh slip out.

“What ‘first one.’ I’m so uncool…”

He crumpled his bangs in his grasp.

I don’t want you to be troubled over other guys…

Having those thoughts since the first time he was born, Fuuga found himself pathetic, and he was irritated at himself for being unable to do anything about it as various thoughts flooded his mind.

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<TLN>
Meru be like it’s been five years since I went to a festival, and here I am only one year (so far) without festivals (because of Covid) and super sad about that. T_T

5 chapters left in the summer vacation arc!

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April bonus chapters funded: 0/3 ($15/$30 to the first chapter!)