Chapter 40 - After School in the Tea Ceremony Room (1/2)
After School in the Tea Ceremony Room
[Today after school, come to the tea ceremony room ♪]
That was written on a note that Hiiragi-chan had given me during world history class. Speaking of the tea ceremony room, wasn’t that the room of the tea ceremony club that was just shut down? That’s why it should be an unopened room right now. What was she planning on doing there…?
It just so happened that the home economics club didn’t have any activities after school, so there wasn’t anything I needed to do. While carefully watching my surroundings, I head to the back of the school grounds towards a single flat building. As I headed inside, Hiiragi-chan greeted me at the entrance.
“Ah, welcome.”
“Welcome? More importantly, why is this place open?”
“How did I do it? Isn’t it obvious? I used a duplicate key that I made.”
“Don’t make a duplicate key. You never know what’s going to happen if someone finds out.”
“Mou, you’re so serious as usual, Seiji-kun.”
Over here, over here, I was urged on to sit on the cushion. This Japanese style room used to be used by a club. As such, there was still some left over graffiti from former club members.
“Just wait for a bit, okay? The tea will be prepared soon.”
“What?”
It’s been a while, she said as Hiiragi-chan used the tools that he had just washed to prepare the tea.
“That tea, is it matcha?”
“It’s just as you see it.”
She was using a traditional tea set.
Moreover, she seemed very familiar with using it.
“Normally, we use stuff like the gas stove, or the water boiler to make tea, so I was just thinking that doing something like this would be fine every once in a while.”
“If you’re fine with it, then I guess it’s okay…”
Hiiragi-chan was currently wearing casual clothing so it didn’t exactly feel right, even if she was sitting in seiza and making the tea with practiced movements. However, if I imagine Hiiragi-chan in more traditional Japanese clothing.
… It’s amazing. It feels complete.
“Here, go ahead.”
She said as she served me a cup of tea.
“Ah, ummm, that’s quite some skill…”
“Ahaha. You should only say that after you’ve finished drinking it. I don’t think you would come up with some normal response.”
“I-is that so?”
“There’s no need to hold back, you know? Manners and such are quite a dull after all, right?”
Since that was the case, I decided to start drinking freely. Yeah. It’s bitter, as expected.
“Something to go along with the tea. Here.”
What Hiiragi-chan passed out next was a few small donuts in a bag.
“Tea and donuts… that’s really unbalanced.”
“It’s fine if it tastes good.”
The Hiiragi-chan who straightened her back as she sat in a seiza somehow looked very proper. Oh yeah, I know a lot about how Hiiragi Haruka is as a teacher and my girlfriend, but I don’t know much else about her.
“… Haruka-san?”
“Hmmm? What is it?”
With sugar stuck to her lips, Hiiragi-chan tilted her head. Mogu mogu, she was in the process of eating two or three donuts at once. It really looks like it tastes good when this person is eating it.
“———Ah! The tea ceremony room is open!”
A girl’s voice came from outside, causing the two of us to react at the same time.
“It’s true. That’s unusual. Maybe someone forgot to lock it?”
This time it was a boy’s voice.
“Let’s go in?”
“Yeah.”
The voices seemed to indicate two people. Most likely, it was a couple looking for a room where they could be alone together. Showing an unusual amount of agility for her, Hiiragi-chan quickly cleaned up the tea that was served and the trash from the snacks as well.
Our shoes that the two of us had lined up at the entrance when we first came in would probably be a problem though. However, our shoes were already not in sight.
“Seiji-kun, over here.”
Pulling me by the arm, she dragged me into the next tea room.
“This is great! It’s the best place! Close the door, lock it.”
At the sound of the male’s deep voice, the entrance was then locked with a clicking sound.
“Uuuuu! Even though I had taken the risk to make a duplicate key… they’re now barging in like this!”
Inflating her cheeks, Hiiragi-chan was pouting angrily.
I couldn’t decide who was in the wrong. Whether it was the one who made the duplicate key, or the one that ended up interrupting our time alone together. As such, I ended up staying quiet.
“Hmm? Did you hear a voice from over there just now?”
“Hey hey, stop that.”
“No, I didn’t mean to make it sound like ghosts. I was just thinking that there might have been someone in here before us.”
An awkward silence. After that, the sound of footsteps on tatami could be heard.
““—!?””
The two of us panicked as we jumped into a small closet. There was the sound of the sliding door opening, after which, the couple could be heard interacting with each other.
“There’s no one there.”
“Then, I guess it was just my imagination.”
Hiiragi-chan and I, with hearts pounding fast, both made a sigh of relief at the same time.
“Hmmmm? The key…? There’s no key…!”
“What is it?”
“Seiji-kun, do you know where the key to the room is?”
“No, I—”