I met with Aoi-chan for the first time in a while. I haven’t seen her since the spring break, so I’m really happy.
Unfortunately since we got into high school, Aoi-chan’s been going to a different cram school. Because of that, we can’t meet regularly like we used to. Even though she was the oasis of my heart…
But because of mail and phone calls, we’ve been keeping in touch, so I think this friendship will continue forever. I won’t let you escape, Aoi-chan!
The place I went to with Aoi-chan was a cafe famous for its cake. There certainly are a lot of choices. The banana tart seems delicious. But I can’t abandon the black tea chiffon cake either. I wonder if I should get a roll cake for takeaway. [A roll cake is like a swiss roll, but with cream only.]
After agonising over this and that, in the end I decided on the milk chocolate cake. Aah~, cakes sure bring happiness to people, don’t they~?
“Aoi-chan, you look a lot better than when we met in spring break, don’t you? I am glad.”
“Mn, thanks.”
Aoi-chan who had become worn out due to studying for her entrance tests has returned back to normal, and the cheeks that had been thin right before the exams were back to their fluffy self.
“Are you used to high school?”
“There was this test that came out of nowhere right after I entered. Even though I was finally released from studyinggg.”
“My~”
As expected of a prep school, huh…
“But now I’m fine with not studying for a little while. I was thinking of entering a club, and I’m checking out a bunch of them right now. ”
A club, huh… In the middle school section, in the end I ended up in the going-home-club, huh. Maybe I should try entering something. And then I might have a new encounter, too!”
“Since I may as well, I was thinking of entering one of the sports clubs. Ballet or badminton or something. In middle school, I was in the basketball club after all.” [I see. So she picks sports that start with ‘b’.]
“Perhaps I should enter something as well. A club, that is.”
“Reika-chan will? Mn, I think that’d be great! Mmn, since it’s you, Reika-chan, it sounds like the tennis club would suit you great!”
“Anything other than the tennis club, please.”
The only thing club I’ll never, ever enter is the tennis club. Cause I’m super sure that even though I’m a complete beginner, for some reason they’ll have some misunderstanding that I’ll be ridiculously good when I start. [Because I’m rich and have curls.]
This is, you know, that. It’s the same situation as where a boy named Tsubasa ends up with his skills excessively anticipated by the soccer club.
I’m afraid because there’s a high chance that I’ll end up with ‘madam’ as a nickname…
“I shall have a look at the clubs as well. However, I am not that well informed about what clubs there are at my school. I did receive a catalogue about the club activities, but… you know?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to understand what their activities are like without seeing it for yourself, huh?”
Aoi-chan ate a mouthful of her black tea chiffon cake whilst she smiled happily.
The black tea chiffon cake really does seem delicious too, huh. Maybe I should order one more…
“Aoi-chan, It seems like you’re having fun every day, now that the study for the entrance tests is over. I’m glad.”
“Mmmm… I actually have a worry, you know. It’s not to do with my academics, but my family.”
“Family?”
“Mn. My oniichan has suddenly awakened to the guitar, and he bothers everybody every day, going playing ♪BEN BEN BEN BEN♪ without any reflection on his actions at all. It’s noisy, and there’s nothing we can do.”
“My!”
“Not only that, but lately he’s started singing along as well. It’s the woorst. ‘♪BEN BEN BEN♪ Aaa~aaa~aaa’, and his terrible playing and weird vocals resound through the whole neighbourhood. You know, just recently somebody said to my mum[/okaasan], ‘Your son sure plays the guitar very well, huhh’. It’s definitely sarcasm!”
For once, the mild Aoi-chan raised her voice.
“Incidentally, of your two brothers[/oniisamagata], which one is it?”
“…Muscles.”
Muscles and a guitar. Is he the type that sings by the foot of a volcano?
“I seriously want him to just cut it out already. It’s so embarassing I can’t walk outside.”
“It must be rough.”
‘Mn,‘ nodded Aoi-chan, before letting out a big sigh.
But sorry Aoi-chan, I kind of want to meet him once, that muscles oniisan of yours.
“Could I try meeting…”
“No.”
Seems that it’s no good.
“Sorry for bringing up something weird. Enough about muscles. How’s school, Reika-chan?”
“Let’s see. It seems that people hold me as somebody difficult to approach. The boys, in particular.”
“I think you’ve said something like that before, right? That time when you had supplementary lessons.”
“Ahh, I did, didn’t I? Certainly things are better than that time, but…”
That time with the supplementary lessons, in the end I stayed a deserted island to the very end, huh… [Island, as in, she’s sitting at a desk with nobody in the desks around her, I assume.]
“Perhaps