Vol 1 Chapter 14 (2/2)

It wasn’t because she had been told to, or because her grandparents had been like that.

She simply understood by instinct – maybe because her whole body felt numb, the burning sensation, or the embarra.s.sing, yet pleasant, feeling that she was experiencing for the first time.

A sweet mist was clouding her mind.

She sneezed.

…Arisugawa-san looked kind of strange.

We faced each other across the desk and she was absorbed in something. Her face was slightly blushed, her eyes clouded or intoxicated by something. Did she have a fever?

“Arisugawa-san?”

“Ah—— yes…?”

A bit of a delayed response.

“Please excuse me, I was thinking about something.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes… thank you for your concern…”

We were in the middle of practicing conversation during English cla.s.ses.

Seikain put considerable emphasis on foreign languages like English.

As many of the present young ladies would likely be in positions where they’d talk with important people from overseas or their wives; it served as preparation for such.

In the formal, wooden cla.s.sroom, the ojou-samas, those who had paired with someone else, showered me with somewhat envious looks.

By the way, Aika had paired up with the teacher. It had a ‘…Oh, of course…’ feeling to it.

“Then it’s my turn, right?”

“Yes.”

“…Yu nou[2].”

“Yuinou[3]?!”

Arisugawa-san’s showed a startled reaction. She got restless.

“That can’t be, so soon… Ah, but back in my grandmother’s days marrying and leaving school within a term wasn’t out of question…”

“Ehm, Arisugawa-san?”

“First of all, I should go and greet Kimito-sama’s parents… Ah, I’m getting a bit tensed now…”

“Arisugawa-san?”

“——Yes…?”

“Something wrong?”

“Ah— N-No, it’s nothing! For me of all people to get absorbed in…”

As if to deceive me, she let her eyes wander around restlessly.

“…Can I move on?”

“Yes, please do.”

“——Weiding fo—”

“WEDDING?!”

*RATTLE*—! She stood up.

“NOW?! …Ah, but it’s true, isn’t it?! We should start preparations right away so that we can entertain everyone with a wonderful ceremony, it can never be too early…”

Wai— Why are you starting to fold origami so fidgety for?! And why out of the textbook pages?!

“Please leave it to me. Allow me to have the privilege of devoting my everything to the ceremony preparations. Ah, but I also want to follow Kimito-sama’s wishes. If we don’t be careful, I think I’ll be overcome by the desire to decide just about everything by myself… Aah ♡”

*tear*, *tear*…

“You mustn’t tear the pages, Arisugawa-san! Actually, what’s with this awe-inspiring origami?! Just what kind of cultural heritage are you trying to shape?!”

Arisugawa-san was being weird.

“…Turewel… Yes, where might it be nice. Within the country? Abroad…?”

She muttered along as if it wasn’t strange during her own turn.

“It should be someplace warm, after all, shouldn’t it? Or should we rather go north and gaze at the aurora together? I’d like to try going to a hot spring too. But anywhere would be fine… anything would be fine ♡”

She placed her hand at her cheek absentmindedly.

“…Reiko-sama, is something the matter…?”

The surrounding ojou-samas were watching her uneasily.

Really, what was wrong with her?

Translator notes and references

[1]Try Google or watch Outbreak Company for an explanation.

[2]Imagine awkward English from here on. Wait, you’re already reading it, never mind.

[3]She means “yuinou (結納)” which means “engagement gift” and sounds like “you know” (kind of).

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