Volume 23 Chapter 7 (1/2)
At 6:30 the followingtheir eyes, they stood on their futons and Rei-sama led them in a round of radio calisthenics
Sachiko-sa it she apparently didn't want to be the odd one out and reluctantly joined in
”Did you have your first dream of the year?”
Naturally, this was the first topic of conversation thatHowever
”I sort of did, and I sort of didn't”
”I dreamed that I ate so much I couldn't move”
”I think I had a dream but I can't remember it now that I've woken up”
Surprisingly, that was hoas Drea about one of the lucky oplants, see the lottery
They walked through the house together in their light sleeping clothes, then brushed their teeth and washed their faces before getting changed
shi+mako-san swiftly dressed herself in her kiular clothes It seemed that she was so used to this that she didn't even need to thher kimono today She was dressed simply in a sweater and skirt
After they'd finished dressing they split into the cooking group and the cleaning group The former was made up of the two third-years, while the latter comprised the second- and first-years
The cleaning group folded up the futons then tossed the sheets and pillowcases into the washi+ngthe room
Normally the tatami mats may have been swept clean of stray tea leaves with a brooive it a quick clean with the vacuu so they weren't used to
”Just that room's fine”
Sachiko-sama called out from the kitchen
”Oka~y”
But it was kind of fun, so Yu-pants Yoshi+no-san raced each other in cleaning the long hallway
As shi+mako-san tweaked the ikebana display in the alcove, an enticing aroma wafted in from the kitchen
”Itadakimasu”
When Sayako-oba-sama joined them, the seven of them started breakfast At 7:30am
The breakfast menu:
A clear soup rilled mochi rice cake for each of them The color of the japanese parsley, wheat balls and mushrooms made it look quite pretty
Fried eggs and non-fried prosciutto (Was it okay to call this Bacon and Eggs? … It was a bit of a quandary)
Finally, Rei-sama's red and white radish salad
It was a mix of eastern and western cuisines but there were no co
”There's soy sauce, salt and pepper, Worcestershi+re sauce, ketchup, and ht?”
Rei-saathered from the kitchen on the table
”As they say, to each their own”
Referring to how they seasoned their eggs
Sachiko-sama reached for the soy sauce, and Yoshi+no-san for the ketchup Rei-sama for the salt and pepper, and Noriko-chan for the Worcestershi+re sauce shi+mako-san took the soy sauce after Sachiko-sa herself by trying the e
”What about you, Yumi-chan?”
Rei-sa noticed that Yumi hadn't reached out for any of the containers
”Ah, I' to decide which one to have”
If she wanted to have the same as Sachiko-sama, it would be soy sauce But there was also the option of trying so different, like Sayako-oba-sama
”Which one of these do you have at home?”
”Well”
Which one of these, she'd asked
”Wait, you can't mean … ”
At which point Rei-sama acted totally shocked
”You have so that's not here?”
” … Yeah”
Bingo Although, naturally enough, she'd had eggs with ketchup or Worcestershi+re sauce when she was a child, but, unfortunately, she'd been having the else almost exclusively of late
”Is it a special sauce? Or is it a household staple?”
Yoshi+no-san leaned forwards, her excite out
”A staple, but … ”
”Is it vinegar?”
”No”
Yumi shook her head, and shi+mako-san and Noriko-chan joined in
”Is it salad dressing, perhaps?”
”Is it kimchi stock?”
” … No, it's neither of those”
Salad dressing was one thing, but what family would have a supply of kimchi stock on hand?
”Don't tell me it's miso soup?”
That would be so It didn't sound like it would taste that bad, but wouldn't the egg be more of an accompaniment to the soup than the other way around?
Sachiko-saot tired of waiting and said:
”Stop acting so self-important and just say it already”
Yu self-important, but it was hard for her to say what it was now that it had turned into such a big deal
”Well … it's mentsuyu[1] sauce”
”Mentsuyu sauce!”
Everyone else cried out in unison
”Mentsuyu sauce, huh?”
”I suppose we'd probably have that at home”
No-one had guessed it, but they all responded favorably
”Sachiko-san, we have soerator”
”Yes, we do If you're alright with store bought sauce”
As she responded to her mother, Sachiko-sama finally looked at Yumi
”Ah, of course”
The stuff they used in the fukuzawa household had been bought from the supermarket in a ”one-per-custo pressed into service to line up at the register because her mother had to have two bottles of it
The bottle Sachiko-saerator was the same brand as Yu that they would use soasawara household, but the truth was apparently so else
”Grandpa doesn't like noodle broth that doesn't have dashi+, so the chef uses this to add so”
After taking the offered bottle, Yumi basked in everyone's attention as she poured the sauce over her egg yolk Now the conversation turned to how they ate their eggs Whether they attacked the egg yolk first, or saved it for last, or ate the white and yellow parts proportionately, or whether they usually had it cooked on both sides Fro yolk Then it broadened from just themselves, as they discussed the preferences and idiosyncrasies of other people they knew, and the dining table became quite lively
Fried eggs was such a siht out the eater's personality
They chatted and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, then cleaned up, hung the linen out to dry once the washi+ng machine finished, had a nice tea break, and by then it was already 11am
”I suppose we should be heading off soon”
Rei-sama broached the topic and the two day New Year's party was brought to a close
”You don't have to be in such a rush”
Sayako-oba-saretful Yurandfather were returning that evening and the house staff would probably be back before then, so it see
”Coain”
Sachiko-sama smiled
”Okay”
Her words had probably been intended for everyone but Yumi answered the loudest
”Ah, wait a minute”
As they were putting on their shoes in the entry, Sayako-oba-sama scampered up to the second floor and quickly returned with so wrapped in a furoshi+ki cloth
”Yu”
”I did?”
That said, she was definitely carrying her packed shoulder-bag The presents she'd brought when she arrived had mostly been eaten, but even if there were leftovers she wouldn't have taken them home
”Here you go”
Sayako-oba-sahtly to shoas inside Yunized the paper case It contained the kimono of Sayako-oba-saht Yu it off prior to her bath and that Sachiko-saer
”You can wear it with obi sashes and accessories you have at home”
”Ah, but”
”Don't be so oroku If you like it, please take it”
”Wha-!?”
This was the first she'd heard of that
”I'm sure I told you that I did, didn't I?”
Sayako-oba-sama asked for confirmation Yumi answered, ”No,” but the Yellow and White Rose soeurs all answered, ”Yes”
”Huh?”
Why were there two different answers?
With questionaround Yumi's head, Sachiko-sama smirked and said:
”You and I were on the second-floor when she announced the prize, Yumi Mother made the announcement as soon as shi+ the fact that eren't present Then father and Suguru-san appeared and she ht?”
”Yes, yes That's it”
Sayako-oba-saed
”It's folded over to make it easier to carry, unfold it to its noret home”
”… Is it really okay?”
For her to take so so expensive and laden with memories
”Take it I had one pushed onto ht too”
Sachiko-sa team
”Okay Thank-you very ood care of it”
Yumi accepted it with both hands, then bowed deeply It would be a treasured heirloorandchildren That was how she felt Even though she wasn't even married yet
”You don't have to worry about returning the furoshi+ki cloth It was the wrapping for a thank-you gift we received for attending a wedding ceremony”
Sayako-oba-saed on the knot of the furoshi+ki cloth The cloth was made from a thin felt-likecererilled breas wrapped in a furoshi+ki cloth like this one
”Ah Is that the one Kashi+wagi-san brought back?”
Rei-sama asked
”Yes, that's right, it hen you were visiting But there was so to question hiot”
H, Kashi+wagi-san had come over just to return this one furoshi+ki cloth
”Huh, that's - ”
She felt like she'd heard that story Yumi cocked her head as she tried to remember, and Sayako-oba-sama said:
”Incredible, Yuht, it's the one I wrapped Suguru-san's mille-feuille in back then”
”Ah, so that's it I knew it”
Despite laughing and agreeing, Yui-san e of mille-feuille wrapped in a furoshi+ki cloth like that one on the day of the aotten about that
She was stuck on so else
One day when Rei-sai-san had shown up Yumi hadn't been there, but she knew this
(Ah)
It was the day that Touko-chan had run away froi-san had told her about Rei-sama's visit
Kashi+wagi-san would surely have been acting strangely Since he had to visit the Ogasawara household while Touko-chan was stilldeal And, to this day, Kashi+wagi-san still hadn't told the people of the Ogasawara household that Touko-chan had run away from home
”What's the matter?”
”Ah, nothing I was just thinking that since you gave me this kimono, I should learn how to put it on by myself”
Since Kashi+wagi-san hadn't said anything, she should probably re decided this, Yumi turned the conversation in a different direction
”It's alright to get assistance with putting on a long-sleeved kimono”
Then Sayako-oba-sama said, ”You seemed to enjoy it, so next ti on kimonos when she visited next Incredible That was different to ”Wearing a ki”
The five girls said their farewells to Sachiko-sa down their offer of an escort to the gate, and headed out
The weather was fine and it was pleasantly warm for January
Ring-ring
Yumi and the White Rose soeurs walked ahead, but Rei-saht up with the their bicycles from the car park
”I'm off”
It was inevitable that Yoshi+no-san would enjoy herself on her shi+ny new bike Rei-saain
”Yoshi+no, wait up”
Rei-sama frantically chased after Yoshi+no-san It was the same as alith those two Yuhed
The gate was already open, since it was controlled froate and aiting for everyone else to arrive
”Next up is the school opening ceremony”
”That's right”
”It's soon”
”Yeah Real soon”
The five girls exchanged farewells of ”Gokigenyou” and split into two groups
Ahead of her, the two bicycles slowly shrunk into the distance Yuether with shi+mako-san and Noriko-chan, retraced the path they'd taken yesterday
Since they didn't have to wonder about which road to take, they made it to the station in 15 minutes
They said goodbye to shi+ot on the train with Noriko-chan and then they split up at M Station
Yumi flopped down into a bus seat and looked out theToday was the third of January She could still see people dressed in their finery here and there
As she watched the scenery flow by, her thoughts turned to Kashi+wagi-san for some reason
When Touko-chan ran away froasawara's house to find out whether or not she was there Sayako-oba-sae, and that was because he was hiding so
That said, there had also been soht
If there was a reason for his ”strangeness,” then it see from someone, like he had when Touko-chan had run away from home
”I' of the fifth”
nobody had asked him, so why had he said that?
”The winter break will be over by the time I return”
The winter break will be over He would have been referring to his winter break, right?
But she'd heard that university holidays were h-school holidays Nonetheless, he'd said that the break would be over by the time he returned There's no way he'd still be blithely skiing when classes had already begun Despite his appearance, Kashi+wagi-san was surprisingly studious and it seemed rather unlikely that he'd make such rash plans with his university friends
(Then whose?)
He wouldn't have been referring to winter vacation in general That would have no bearing on Kashi+wagi-san's ski trip
(He couldn't be … No, I suppose he could)
”So if there's anything you need me to do”
(Kashi+wagi-san was telling me)
As she thought about it, she cai-san's statee because they were directed at only one person
No-one else knew that Touko-chan had run away from home
”If you ask me about it next time, I'll tell you”
Yui-san about the proble with
It was a secret shared just by the two of them