In the evening I decided to go to Koyama to talk about the organization of the reception. And just relax, enjoy dinner from Kagami. Kasai, as I expected, managed to freeze my blood and take out my brain, but I still knocked out money for the purchase and arrangement of a new territory. He knocked out his own money! Fie on his soul.
The courtyard was empty, and the door of the mansion, as always, was open. Going inside and shaking his head, he headed for the kitchen. He walked down the corridor and, looking into the doorway, was slightly surprised to find there as many as three representatives of this noble family. Kagami was wielding a ladle at the stove, Sheena was slicing vegetables, and Akeno was huddled in the corner at a small table, drinking... uh, tea, probably. And he looked a little downcast.
After knocking on the door jamb, he greeted everyone at once:
- hello. Am I out of time?
— Shinji! the man exclaimed. — Hello, hello. You're always on time in this house. Come in, have a seat," he waved towards the table where Sheena was working. — Although you'd better come to me, you shouldn't disturb the women in the kitchen.
After his words, a Tire snort sounded quite clearly.
—You're right, Akeno-san. We don't rule in the kitchen.
— Exactly, exactly. Here, sit down here, let me pour you some tea. — Somehow it's all suspicious.
—Sit down, tea—drinker," Kagami said. — Sheena, watch the sauce.
— Okay, Mom.
I don't know what Akeno wanted from me, but he wasn't going to start a conversation before I had a cup of tea in my hands.
—As always, excellent, Kagami-san," I said after taking a sip. "So what happened, Akeno—san?" Why are you sitting here like a lost man?
— Ahem. Everything is fine. Yes. It's all right," he replied, looking away. — Mizuki is just angry.
Oh-oh-oh! Mizuki is angry. Just two words, and how many emotions. Akeno's daughter is generally quite a versatile person, but at such moments it seems to me that she is just a little... that. Think for yourself, combining the character of a little restless girl, a wise woman and an evil bitch — it looks strange, anyway. In this case, Mizuki turned on the bitch mode, and even Kagami can't calm her down in this state. The younger Koyama did not stop obeying, but it did not work out calmly with her. In fact, her family had only two ways out of the situation: by order to send the girl to her room or somewhere else, where she would cool down much longer, or not to touch her at all, trying not to catch her eye. And Akeno suffered the most at such moments. Having no soul in his girls, he could not say anything across the word to her at all, which the girl used.
— And what does she fail at this time?
Akeno only shrugged his shoulders to my question, and Sheena, once again snorting, replied:
— Volumetric techniques.
— And what's her problem?
This time even Sheena shrugged her shoulders.
"Not enough control," Kagami replied without turning around from the stove.
"Where's Kenta-san?" — I asked another question. It was clearly not worth talking about the organization of the reception with Akeno now.
"At the emperor's reception," the man replied. — Something about negotiations with the Germans.
I said, raising the cup to my lips.
— Talk to her, huh?
M-m-mother! Well, I didn't have time to take a sip. I would definitely choke right now. I froze with the cup at my lips.
—I-I'm sorry?"
— Mizuki. Talk to her. Only you can calm her down.
— Why is that? Where did such loud statements come from?
— But it worked before?
— Yeah. Twice in all the time I've known her.
"But you've only encountered this twice," Kagami chimed in.
— Well, yes, — I smiled wryly. — The first time I was not in the best mood myself, because of which everything resulted in a banal altercation, in which I simply and without fuss morally crushed her. And the second time she almost calmed down herself. And I just came to the cap analysis.
"She didn't calm down," Ake—no was even a little indignant. — She's just afraid of you after the first time, that's all.
And how, I wonder, did that help me calm her down? It's all nonsense. Grasping at straws. They can't handle it amicably themselves, so they want to send me to the slaughter.
— You know, it's all for me…
I was interrupted by Mizuki, who came into the kitchen from the courtyard. Stopping at the entrance and instantly taking in the eyes of those present, she fixed her gaze on me.
—And you're here, then," she said. Then, turning around, she went back.
Sheena said that Mizuki always, when in this state, hammers a punching bag in the yard, visiting the house from time to time to spoil someone's nerves. Unless Kagami or Kenta snapped and sent her to their room.
— Well, have you seen it? Akeno said in a loud whisper. "I'm telling you, she definitely doesn't want to mess with you.
— And in my opinion, she didn't want to get involved with the whole family together.
"Believe me, I know her. The reason is you.
"I know her," I mimicked Akeno to myself. And here's how to argue with this? Absolutely hopeless.
— Well, what do you want from me? How do you think I should CALM her down?
"But somehow you managed to do it twice," the man said. — Shinji, I'm asking you. Just talk to her or sit next to her, or... just try, it won't work, and that's fine.
Damn it! He beats me to pity, Master Horseradish.
— Oho-ho. Okay, but I can't guarantee the result.
— Of course, of course. Just try it. — A man has completely lost his head.
The second exit from the kitchen led to the courtyard of the Koyama mansion. A considerable yard. Less than Ohayashi's, but also nothing. In the corner of the yard farthest from me was Mizuki's piglet — several exercise machines and three types of punching bags. Now Mizuki was practicing the speed and ejection of her hand on a pneumatic pear mounted on a special column in the form of the letter "G". Red shorts, a black T—shirt with fingerless gloves, hair tied in a bun - her usual equipment during training. From the everyday image, only the waves of "yaki" emanating from the fragile girl were knocked out. She didn't look like herself at all in this state — having dropped her childish image, she looked almost older than Sheena.
Having approached and sat down on one of the simulators, I began to observe her training. After a couple of minutes, she couldn't stand it.
— What do you want? — she said, turning around abruptly and flashing a "yaki" flash.
— Have I ever told you that you have a cool T-shirt?
— What?
— You look tempting, I say.
"Ah..." she was lost for a moment. - what? You? Need to?
— So that you tone down your tone.
"It's none of your business.
— What the fuck am I doing here then?
— Are you drooling on the inaccessible?
— Mm... — I thought for show. — I don't think so. Besides, you're not my type.
— Oh, right? You... yes, I love you…
— Yes, yes, I'm listening carefully.
— Get out of here, pervert.
"Pervert"? What's she up to?
— And you make me.
— So that you die accidentally? I don't want to listen to my mother's teachings.
— Ho-ho. — Ugh, that's attached. — As I see, megalomania is already with you. - hm. Maybe it will work. And maybe it will get even worse. On the other hand, do I really care? — And let's have a sparring match? But not simple. If I win, you won't use bahir for two weeks. Except in life-threatening cases. If you win... um... I will fulfill your every wish. Within reason, of course.
Hearing my words, Mizuki fell into a reverie for a whole minute. She froze completely. No flashes of "yaki", no evil looks. She answered me with a question, exactly sixty-one seconds later.
— Conditions?
—The conditions..." I said thoughtfully. — Sparring without restrictions, without a time limit. The winner is the one who drops his opponent to the ground three ... well, let it be five times.
— Without restrictions? Do you think I'm going to give in to you?
"I rely on your discretion," I bowed slightly, keeping a smile on my face.
— I don't have it, it's time to understand it already.
— Heh. I'll keep it in mind for the future. But if you agree to a bet, let's get started.
Mizuki's jump and the step with the punch were quite fast. Faster than two-thirds of the Warriors I've dealt with. But not fast enough for me. Leaning back a little, I avoided a direct blow to the head and went for a rapprochement, going sideways and intercepting the second blow with my hand. A turn, a footrest and a slight push in the shoulder. As a result, Mizuki tumbles on the ground. One—zero.
Quickly jumping up from the ground and hissing something, she headed in my direction again, this time not jumping up to me, but not slowing down either. I took a sharp and very fast blow to the body on the elbow block. Last time, she clearly did not hit at full strength and speed. And if with the speed of figs with it, and I've seen something like that, then it wasn't worth taking a hit on the block — it was painful enough. The first was immediately followed by a second blow, and also to the body. It was possible to dodge or take her aside, but I took a step and caught her hand in a grip, pressing it to her side and taking it on a break.
— Ay-ay-ay!
A slash, a push, and Mizuki falls on his side like a sack of potatoes. She didn't have time to group, so now she was having a hard time.
— What are you so, — I said to the girl who rolled away. — Two—zero, by the way.
And yes, if anyone didn't understand, I didn't intend to lose. If it would help to calm her down, then no questions asked, but so… I can't even say exactly why I'm sure it won't help, I know, and that's it. I've known her for six years, talked to her every single day... okay, not every day, but also a lot. Of course, we do not have an understanding without words, but I have enough to say that my loss will not give anything. True, and the winnings, quite possibly, too.
The third time she came up to me with small steps, slowly, but with a determined expression on her face. At the moment of the attack, I felt a look from the kitchen, so I was not the only one who witnessed the epic somersault of the girl. Irimi-nage is one of the main throws of Aikido, when, moving simultaneously with the attacker, you pull him into your movement in a circle and throw him to the ground. A very effective thing, if you manage to grasp the opponent correctly, which is not easy in real combat. As a result, when Mizuki started to get up, I was facing the house and looking at the grinning Akeno.
"Damn you," the girl muttered.