Chapter 11 (1/2)
Today too as usual, Asahina visited the Mizushima residence and had fun chatting with Yuriko.
Every time he visited, Asahina always gave Yuriko a gift, such as brooches, hair clips, and handkerchiefs, while he brought sweets or picture books for Tsubaki as presents.
“Asahina-sama, if you don’t mind, would you like to have dinner with us?”
After finishing his conversation with Yuriko, Asahina checked his wristwatch to confirm that it was already time for dinner.
“Is that okay? Even though it’s a time for family?”
Asahina knew that he should turn down the offer, but he wanted to spend some more time with Yuriko if possible.
Upon hearing Asahina’s reply, Yuriko asked the servant to prepare dinner for Asahina too.
The servant left the room and returned soon, informing that the dinner has been prepared.
As expected from the servant of the Mizushima family, Asahina could not help but admire their quick work.
They headed to the dining room to find Haruki and the two children already waiting for Asahina and Yuriko to arrive.
“Geez. Coming over week after week. Are you an idler? Go work!” (H)
“I work! But I’m not an executive or something, just a normal employee, so I can have some flexibility!” (A)
As expected, even Asahina won’t ditch his work just to see Yuriko.
Asahina knew that Haruki didn’t really mean when he said that, and so didn’t really hate his broken tone.
“Onii-sama! That was rude to Asahina-sama. He’s just trying his best to encourage me from being depressed” (Y)
“Yuriko, you… do you.. really believe it?” (H)
At the same time, Haruki gave a sympathetic look towards Asahina.
He just didn’t have the courage to say that he came to see Yuriko..
Unable to bear it anymore, Asahina changed the topic to tonight’s dinner.
“Oh, it’s French today!”(A)
“You’re really …well whatever. It’s because we have been having a lot of Japanese food lately.” (H)
“Onii-sama, it’s been a long time since we had a meal together like this, so let’s have a pleasant talk.” (Y)
And so, as the dinner went on, it turned into a situation where Asahina was bullied by Haruki, who was then scolded by Yuriko.
The servants who have been working for the Mizushima family found this scene rather nostalgic, as those three have been like this since the high school days.
As for Kyousuke, who already knew Asahina from all the visits to the Mizushima residence, ate silently in front of this familiar scene.
On the other hand, Tsubaki’s hand paused while eating as she gazed at this unfamiliar sight.
Segawa looked at the current Tsubaki, and said, “your hands have stopped,” softly. Coming back to her senses, Tsubaki resumed eating.
It was time for desserts after the meal. The servant brought out a tea set for making black tea.
Looking at the tea set, a huge smile broke out on Yuriko’s face.
“Oh, this is the first time I have seen this tea set. It is very beautiful and elegant. Which manufacturer’s product it is?” (Y)
” … It’s from Asahina Pottery. Kaoru designed it about 3 years ago and then he forcefully pushed it onto the house.” (H)
“It wasn’t forced! I designed it with Yuriko-san as the inspiration and thought it turned out well so gave it to the Mizushima family as a present!” (A)
“Eh? A design inspired by me? There really is a lily on it..” (Y)
Asahina became flustered and then panicked at his own words.
Although he wanted to clear his name, he didn’t want to expose that he used Yuriko as his inspiration.
Paying no mind to Asahina’s feelings, Yuriko picked up the cup in her hands and carefully observed the pattern.
Asahina, who didn’t want to live anymore, glared at Haruki, who was the main culprit. But the person himself was feigning ignorance.
“As expected, Asahina-sama is really talented. It’s a wonderful design. Nee, do you still remember? Long time ago, you gave me a ceramic cup similar to this?” (Y)
” … Yeah.. I remember.” (A)
There is no way he’ll forget it. It’s not an exaggeration to say that it was this event that turned him into what he is right now.
Besides, it also made him fall deeply in love with Yuriko.
“When you two returned from the school trip, Asahina-sama visited us with presents. The ceramic cup brought as a present, also had a lily painted on it.” (Y)
“Even though it was made for me, Yuriko stole it from Kaoru.” (H)
“It was a design to my liking after all. And I didn’t steal it! I took it with Asahina-sama’s permission, isn’t that right?” (Y)
Yuriko asked for Asahina’s agreement to wipe out her dishonorable past behavior.
Asahina didn’t remember anything other than handing the cup over to Yuriko, so he agreed with her statement.
“Yeah. I willingly gave it to Yuriko. Haruki, it’s not good to alter memories, you know!” (A)
“That’s right!” (Y)
Yuriko, who added Asahina as an ally, cornered her brother, Haruki, with a slight laughter.
In response to that, Haruki raised his both hands and made a ‘surrender’ pose.
“I admit that I remembered wrong.” (H)
After hearing Haruki’s words, Asahina and Yuriko looked at each other and laughed.
“That reminds me, after washing the cup, the painted design disappeared. I cried and caused a lot of trouble for Onii-sama.” (Y)
“In the end, didn’t you calm down only after we had Kaoru draw it again?” (H)
“I was really surprised when you came to me with the cup while Yuriko-san was crying.” (A)
“I caused you a lot of trouble that time. But I still have that cup, you know? I felt really nostalgic when I saw Segawa bring it out at the time.” (Y)
Asahina felt happy knowing that she still had it.
That cup helped Asahina to decide his future.
Asahina Kaoru was the third son of the president of Asahina Pottery.
Despite being a man of few words, his father was an understanding husband and a doting father. And by his side, was his mother who supported her husband. He had two excellent brothers and a tomboyish younger sister.
The relation between his family was quite good.
However, the outsiders talked as they pleased.
“The third son couldn’t even become a spare,”
“No good compared to the two elder brothers,”
“A pitiful child who can’t follow the trace.”
“Talented at painting? The future seems bleak.”
But his parents never treated him that way. The four siblings were showered with love equally, without any discrimination. That’s why, every day he would constantly think about what he could do for himself and for the Asahina family.
The turning point in his life came when Asahina was 6 years old.
He thought that he would take the exam and attend the same private school as his two elder brothers. However, his parents told him to take the entrance exam for Houmine Academy’s elementary school.
It was said that Mizushima Haruki, the heir of the Mizushima group, would enter in the same year as Asahina.