Chapter 15 (1/2)

TN: Change Takamine to Houmine

Season changes as the time slowly entering month November.

Few days passed after Tsubaki took the entrance exam of the Houmine Academy’s preschool, Yuriko received a notice from the academy that Tsubaki, and of course Kyousuke, had safely passed their entrance exam. Hearing this information from her mother, Tsubaki was sighed in relief.

As a matter of fact, Tsubaki was looking forward to the second school life she will have.

And it was not only the school life she was looking forward to.

This year, the Asahina house would hold a Christmas party at a private villa they owned, and of course, Tsubaki and her parents were invited too.

Because all of the attendees would be the member of the Asahina house, they don’t have to be so formal with etiquette and so on.

Actually, Tsubaki had yet to attend a party of the high social class people.

That’s because her uncle and her parents thought she’s still too young, although they also didn’t want her to be showered with inquisitive gazes.

After thinking and searching for the reason of this, Tsubaki believes they might allow her now to collect more experience from now on.

Seeing Tsubaki who was so quiet, Asahina thought that Tsubaki was nervous with her first party and began to talk with her.

“Well, although it was called an ‘Official Party’, there’s only our relatives who would be attending so you should take it easy.” (Asahina)

“Tsubaki-chan, let’s go buy some new dresses later okay? You have a white skin so I think a somewhat strong colored dress will suit you very well.” (Yuriko)

“Hmm… Wafuku will suit her well too, don’t you think?” (Asahina)

“That would be reserved until the New Year’s greetings.” (Yuriko)

At her mother’s words, Tsubaki suddenly had a premonition where she would be used as her mother personal dress-up doll.

Now that I think about it, is this would be the first time for me and mother to go out together? Thought Tsubaki.

Tsubaki never had any need for new dresses because she doesn’t have to attend a party, and the Wafuku she had right now, Yuriko once told Tsubaki that those were the Wafuku she once uses when she still a child.

As for Yuriko, she’s more into the indoor-type of a person so the chance for her to going out was almost nil. For daily necessity, there would be a person from the department store they had a contract with will come in a routine, so if she needs something she only has to say the words. And for the other things, her brother will take care of them. There aren’t any inconvenience for Yuriko and her daughter’s daily life.

Next day, as Tsubaki had expected, she was turned into her parents dress-up doll and was exhausted where they would always drag her into every clothing store they know.

Woah, so it was true that the rich could buy anything without hesitation. Tsubaki could only have this thought while looking at her parents.

Because we didn’t go to the register and pay it up right on the spot, I don’t know the exact price of these dresses. Although these dresses are for use by children, these must cost a lot. Tsubaki then began calculating the price of the dresses by their quality and design in her mind, but when she arrived at the answer she suddenly got a shudder.

Tsubaki was reminded again that even if Asahina was a person who was so easy going and had a lack of self-regard, he is still a person of a high society from watching this spectacle.

Yes, even if he had kept glancing on Tsubaki’s way which had a meaning like “I wish she would start calling me Father~(Glance).”

It had started to happen since Asahina said “It’s okay to call me daddy you know?” to Tsubaki.

The truth is Tsubaki had been troubled about on what order should she change the way she addresses him from “Asahina-sama” to “Father”.

The parents of Tsubaki from her previous life did not divorce so she had never been troubled by how she should address them.

Adding to that, the thoughts of a 6-year-old child, Tsubaki had no idea on their thoughts pattern at all. Because of that, she had been late in giving a response to Asahina.

Asahina, who took it as Tsubaki’s refusal, had begun to sulking since then.

And at the time he kept glancing on Tsubaki, it’s the same as he was asking “You won’t calling me daddy?”

Either gave up or fed up with Asahina’s persistence, Tsubaki had started to call him “Father.”

And there’s a detail on how that has happened.

At that time, it was to the extent where Tsubaki had begun to grow suspicious about Asahina’s origin.

Asahina’s grandmother in Tsubaki’s eyes was a woman who had a high self-esteem and she was like your strict career woman out from a textbook.

By the way, from the family name to household register, Asahina was officially Tsubaki’s step-father. But since the time she was born, Tsubaki had never addressed her biological father with “Father” and since she also didn’t want to admit Kurahashi as her father, she started to address Asahina with “Father” because of this sentiment.

And thus at the appointed day of the Christmas party.

Tsubaki and her parents get into the car and headed for the villa at the Kamakura city.

Inside the car, the newlywed had a sweet conversation to the level it was sickening for Tsubaki that she wants to vomit sugar for a few times already. Encouraging each other through the car’s rearview mirror, Tsubaki and the chauffeur, Fuha, could pass their hardship together and safely arrived at the Asahina household’s villa.

Step out from the car, Tsubaki was overwhelmed with the villa’s size in front of her eyes.

“Waa. What a big house. Father, what is that building over there? It looks like a westernized building.” (Tsubaki)

“Ahh that, that’s the Dancehall. The party will be held over there. That building has been built since Meiji era, that’s really an old building if I had to say.” (Asahina) (TN: the Meiji era is around 1868 – 1912 AD.)

“Amazing! Ah, but I can’t dance.”

Realizing that she never had any dance lesson at this late hour, Tsubaki drops her shoulder.

I never thought there would be a Dancehall. Tsubaki began to made excuse for herself.

“The children usually gathered up together with other children and there’s a resting room right next to the Dancehall, so if you feel tired it’s okay for you to take a rest there.”

That’s why it’s okay even if you do not dance. After heard this words from Asahina, Tsubaki felt relieved somehow.

At the entrance, the other Asahina family members who had arrived first were gathered together and exchange greetings.

Around this time Tsubaki realized there was a girl who had been watching her since her arrival.

From her appearance, she had a look like a foreigner with thin pigment, and she had a look that almost identical like Kaoru. From this Tsubaki guess she might be the daughter of Asahina’s little sister. But Tsubaki didn’t remember she had done anything that would made her to be watched like this.

For some reason the girl was being vigilant toward Tsubaki.

Is it because I am one of the Mizushima? Or maybe a jealousy because I had taken her beloved uncle? Even after thinking for a few possible reason, Tsubaki still couldn’t grasp the clear picture.

After exchange greetings with his relatives, Asahina began to move toward the girl, took her hand and walk toward Tsubaki.

“Tsubaki-chan. This is the girl I told you the other day, my sister’s daughter, her name is Anna. Now Anna, where is your greetings?” (Asahina)

“… Pleased to meet you. I am Yakumo Anna.” (Anna)

Somehow Anna was looking at Tsubaki like she was evaluating her.

“My name is Asahina Tsubaki. It is my pleasure to meet you.” (Tsubaki)

Tsubaki wanted to loosen Anna’s vigilance somehow so she shows her best smile to Anna, but sadly there’s no effect at all.

“What’s wrong? Usually, you are not a girl who would shy just by meeting a stranger though. Ah, are you feeling sick?” (Asahina)

“I have car sickness while on my way here.” (Anna)

“I see. Are you okay? Want to lay down somewhere?” (Asahina)

“No, it’s okay uncle. I will just take a seat and rest inside.” (Anna)

Right after saying that, Anna immediately took her leave and go inside the villa’s living room.

I see, so she was feeling sick, can’t be helped then. Stop thinking too deeply into this matter Tsubaki then continued her greetings with the other relatives.

When a notice about Anna’s mother’s, Yakumo Emily, arrival would be delayed because of her work was heard by Yuriko, she found it to be very regrettable.

Done with her greetings around the relatives that had come, Tsubaki entered the villa and go to the Living room. In there she found the other children have already made a group of their own.

Tsubaki was not really good with suddenly plunging into a group like that so she’s quietly taking a seat beside her mother.

“Tsubaki-san? You are not playing with the others?” (Yuriko)

“I prefer to be together with Mother.” (Tsubaki)

It has been decided that Yuriko will address Tsubaki as “Tsubaki-san” in this kind of social party, but Tsubaki still can’t get used with this way of act and speech of her mother even until now.

Yuriko’s image in Tsubaki was a woman who lacks general common sense and a little air-headed. When seeing her mother’s camouflage that was so perfect like this at her first time, Tsubaki was almost wanted to ask “Ma’am, who are you?” to her mother to make sure she is Yuriko.

At the other side of Tsubaki’s sentiment, the conversation of the madams of the Asahina household was getting more fired up. While kept their speech and act as elegant as possible, these madams were persistently wanted to hear more about Yuriko’s love story with Asahina from the person herself.

And about Yuriko, while she was narrating her love story on how she began to fall in love with Asahina, every time she opens her mouth, her cheek getting redder and redder while excluding an aura like a girl who was in love for the first time.

‘What a lovely person’ that was what each of the madams has in their eyes while looking at Yuriko and listening to her story.

“Isn’t that right, isn’t that right? My mother is the cutest, right?” Tsubaki was boasting her mother in her mind while took a sip of tea.

While the madams finished heard Yuriko’s love story, they began to change the subject to Haruki and Asahina.

“It was really a feast for the eyes when Mizushima-sama and Kaoru-sama are together.”

“The distance they have when being together was way too close. It is to the level of arousing one suspicion, don’t you agree?”

And etc, etc. The madams were talking while blushing.

In the middle of their talk, Asahina comes with glass in hand and took a seat beside Yuriko.

Since they spread a rumor while the person in question was not around, seems like the madams having a guilty conscience. Each of them holds their tongue while having an indescribable expression.

However, Asahina just smiles as if he didn’t mind what they had said—- and drop the bomb.

“Ah, that reminds me when I was still in the university sometimes I heard the girls were saying ‘Even the thin book was pale in comparison when seeing Mizushima-kun and Asahina-kun are together.’ I still don’t get it what they meant by that even until now.” (Asahina) (TN: The Thin book here mean Doujinshi. I don’t have to explain it further, right? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )

“!? BUFFUUUUU!!” (Tsubaki)

The tea Tsubaki drank was magnificently coming out from her mouth.

OI! Fujoshi!! What did you teach to those girls!!?

Yuriko just saying “Ara ara” while took out a handkerchief and wipe Tsubaki’s mouth. Tsubaki could only stay still at her mother’s mercy.

After her mouth being wiped, Tsubaki looks at the children’s group. There, Tsubaki found Anna was looking at her with her mouth wide open.

Is it so unusual to seeing someone spewing their tea? Well, of course, it is. Thought Tsubaki with consent.

Evening. The invitee began to come into the Dancehall one after another.

Different with the Mizushima house, the Asahina house had a lot of relatives. That was one of the reasons why the Asahina household gathering needed a wide and big space.

What’s more the family from Asahina’s grandmother seems to be attending too. The place was filled with foreigner here and there in no time.