At lunch, the two males disappeared to take care of all the formalities and arrangements that needed to be done for the upcoming match. Until the match would take place, it has been agreed that scholarship students would enjoy a "temporary" immunity, and thus, no further incident occurred for the rest of the day.
When the final bell rang, announcing the end of classes, I was about to get out of my seat when, a pair of hands came down onto my shoulders out of the blue. It caused me to jump, and I lifted my head immediately to see Shunsui and Gōjun standing on either side of me, each having a hand on my shoulder.
I tensed up at the look they were giving me; their expression was- pitiless.
'Say, Hime,' uttered Shunsui, in a low voice, 'you didn't forget our small arrangement, did you?'
All color drained out of my face and I broke into cold sweat. Indeed, it had completely slipped out of my mind!
'I'm at your service!' I exclaimed, with as much zing as I could put in it, springing to my feet. 'What do you want us to do today?'
'That's good!' he commented on my attitude, in half a chuckle. Looking upward then, and cupping his chin, thoughtfully, he replied, 'I was thinking that we could go to my place. Yesterday, I couldn't eat any sweets and so, you're going to prepare me one today! Or even, better, a different sweet every day!'
Eh?
His tone was filled with excitement now, and looking back at me, he continued, 'Your grand-mother owns a Japanese traditional sweets shop, doesn't she? So, you must know all the recipes of wagashi! That's perfect, because I prefer wagashi above all other sweets!'
'W-Well,' I said, closing my eyes and smiling goofily, 'If it is- what you want!'
Fortunately, Obā-san has been kind enough to teach me how to confection all types of wagashi!
Of course, I wasn't as good as her, but I was going to give it my best.
And on this, we left without any delay.
As we came down the building to onto the street, I saw that there was a car waiting for him. The driver was the same old man whom we had met us outside of the dessert shop on the previous day.
'Hime, I present you Takara-san!' declared the reddish-brown-haired young man, as he gestured at the old man, and looking at him then, he informed the man, 'From now on, Hime will be traveling with us quite regularly!'
'It's nice to meet you, sir!' I murmured, very shyly, bowing down in greeting.
The old man returned the bow, a smile coming to his lips.
For a minute, I had the impression that I was standing in front of my grand-father. Both men shared the same allure, and seemed to be similarly good-natured.
He opened the backdoor of the car for us, and Shunsui, Gōjun and I hopped in.
I felt a little anxious to be visiting Shunsui's home, but soon, this anxiety tripled when I realized that it was not in front of the mansion that we came to a halt, but in front of another property at the very extremity of the same neighborhood- almost on the outskirt of the city.
The property in question was sizable. The house, which was one-storied and white in color, stood in a plain; the walls surrounding it being quite low. There was a pond on the left, with the house standing on the other side of it and facing it.
Takara-san dropped us in front of the gate, and left with the car to station it close-by.
The gate was made of metal and equally low. Shunsui slid it open, and Gōjun and he entered the property.
Hesitantly, I tagged along with them.
The reddish-brown-haired young man had the key of the house, and when he let us in, I finally dared to ask him, in a murmur, 'Where are we?'
He turned to me to give me a flick on the forehead, answering, 'This is where I live, of course!'
Rubbing my forehead with my hand, I gave him a confused look.
He lives here? He doesn't live at the mansion?
'Come! I'm going to give you a guided visit!' he declared, and sending an arm around my shoulders, he began to lead me further into the house, while Gōjun told us that he was going to wait for us there itself.
The house comported a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, four bedrooms- each having their own bathroom- as well as a store room. The walls of the interior of the house were of matching color as the outside walls, the floor wooden and dark-brown.
After the guided visit, we returned back to the living room to find Gōjun again. The latter had taken out a cigarette and was standing in the far corner of the living room by the sliding door, which gave off directly onto the pond, smoking. He was gazing outside at the pond and had set his school bag down on the furniture standing by the side wall, next to him.
He turned his head around to look at us when we returned, his expression showing nothing, while Shunsui moved up to one of the sofas in the middle of the room to flop himself down, and declare in a casual tone, 'Ah! I'm so happy that the house is so clean! Hatsuko-san has come to clean up today. I hate it when there is dust everywhere!'
'Why- Why don't you live with your mother anymore?' I dared to ask him, at last, in a timid tone.
I didn't know much about his family. The only thing that I knew about Tsubasa-sama was that she is a kind lady and the chairman of the Zaibatsu. As to his father, the ex-chairman, I only knew that his name was Hayate Shigeizumi and that he died in a car accident when Shunsui was still a child. What little that I knew, I had learned it from Ojii-san.
I regretted my question immediately at the change in his expression. He was looking at me over his shoulder, where I was standing a few feet away behind the sofa. It was too personal, just like I feared.
'Don't ask too many questions!' he told me.
His tone wasn't angry. Just serious.
'You know where the kitchen is. You've seen it. Now, let me think about what I want you to prepare for me.' He had cupped his chin now to ponder over the question, and after a second or two, he put his forefinger up and declared, with returned joy, 'Ah! I know! Daifuku! I want you to make Daifuku, with strawberry filling for me! You'll find everything that you need in the kitchen! And you, Gōjun? Is there anything that you would like?'
Eh? I followed his eyes onto the latter on the spot. When did I become his slave?
'Dango! I want three-colored Dango!' Gōjun replied, bluntly, and I shrank.
Dango! Couldn't he, at least, have asked for the same thing?!
'Well, you're going to prepare him that!' Shunsui concluded.
'Hai! Hai!' I replied, pressing my eyes shut and smiling awkwardly. 'Daifuku and Dango, eh?! Here I go!'
Setting my school bag down on the floor, I made for the kitchen without wasting a minute to get started.
***
Once the dark-haired girl had gone out of view, Gōjun turned his attention back onto Shunsui, to ask him in an incredulous tone, 'Are you serious?'
He couldn't believe it that Shunsui was actually making her work as a maid. And that on both their account.
'I am!' the latter replied, simply.
Gōjun contemplated him for a minute. He was sure that the reddish-brown-haired young man was up to something. But exactly what? He couldn't tell.
'What are you up to?' he decided to ask him, directly.
This time, Shunsui didn't try to deny it. Putting his forefinger up and smiling cheerily, he replied, 'That's a secret!'
At this, Gōjun brought his cigarette back to his mouth and took a long puff on it, while he continued to study Shunsui intently.
Normally, they never kept anything from each other. But Shunsui has been behaving very secretive recently. It had all started sometimes after the episode with Kitsune. He completely changed his lifestyle overnight, and he left the mansion to live all alone, without giving any proper explanation to anyone. When Gōjun had asked him why he had moved out, Shunsui had simply replied that it was more convenient for him given his present lifestyle. But Gōjun didn't believe him. Shunsui was hiding something; of that, Gōjun was absolutely certain. And now, there is this girl. What is he up to with her?
'Well, how about a small poker match until she comes back with our wagashi?' proposed the reddish-brown-haired young man, snatching the set of cards up from the coffee table and holding it up in invitation.
***
The kitchen was of average size, with cupboards beneath and above the kitchen counter, which lined the side and opposite wall from the doorway. The counter had an in-built oven with stove, as well as a sink. This, was situated beneath a large window just across of the door, which allowed air to pour in freely. On the right-hand side, was a tall furniture with countless small drawers, and next to it was the refrigerator. And in the middle of the room, sat a table with four chairs.
I found everything that I needed in the kitchen as Shunsui had said and got to work rapidly.
Once the Daifuku and Dango were ready, I returned to the living room to serve them to the boys.
The two had put themselves down comfortably on the floor around the coffee table, and were playing a card game. Each had a cigarette in-between their fingers and were smoking, and all around them, on the floor, were several empty cans of beer.
I faltered to a stop at the view.
Not only was I surprised to find them consuming alcohol at our age, especially at this time of the day, but I had not been aware that Shunsui Shigeizumi smoked too.
They really are two big delinquents, aren't they? I thought to myself, uneasily, and I almost felt like crying. Kami-sama! Save me!
'Ah, Hime!' Shunsui called at me, suddenly, when his eyes fell on me, and breaking out of my thoughts, I hurried up to the other male and he to set the plates of Daifuku and Dango down on the coffee table in front of them.
Shunsui put his cards away, exclaiming with delight, 'Yatta! They look delicious!'
'Really?' I asked, blushing a little.
'There's a bottle of saké in the kitchen! Go fetch it for us!'
I shrank. Sa-Saké?! More liquor?!
Scratching the back of my head and giggling awkwardly, I pointed out, 'It's usually enjoyed with... green tea!'
'Come on, hurry up!' he urged, without losing his good humor; my words falling on deaf ears. 'And don't forget the chōshi!'
'Hai!' I responded, deciding to obey, and on this, I half-ran to the kitchen to fetch what he had asked for. When I returned with the saké and chōshi, Shunsui had stubbed his cigarette to bite into one of the Daifuku.
'Wah! It's truly delectable!' he exclaimed, cheerily, and Gōjun, having stubbed his cigarette too, picked one of the three-colored dango up to taste it.
I saw his eyes widen a little, and he commented, 'It's really good!'
'Really?' I asked again, with another blush.
'Yes,' Gōjun answered, and unexpectedly, he picked another Dango up and brought it to my mouth, pressing it slightly against my lips.
I was forced to open my mouth and bite one of the balls off from the skewer. I covered my mouth with my hands immediately after that, my cheeks taking a deeper shade of red at his action. When the taste of the pink dango came to my palate then, I couldn't help but exclaim that it was, indeed, delicious.
I poured saké for the boys after that as Shunsui ordered me to do, and I watched the two males with a certain cynicism as they swallowed it down, as though they were drinking tap water. The bottle was almost empty within hardly half an hour, by which time Shunsui received visitors.
A small knock came onto the front door of the house, the next second, three young women walked in, calling Shunsui's name and giggling amongst themselves.
They appeared to be older than us, being most definitely university students, and they were all very pretty. They were dressed in fashionable clothes, and were wearing beautiful make-up and several accessories.
'Hey, girls!' Shunsui called at them, in a pleasant tone, getting to his feet. 'You're quite early!'
'Yes,' one of them replied, in the same tone, as they made their way up to us. 'We were impatient to come!'
Shunsui proceeded to present Gōjun and I to them rapidly, before he asked them to join him on the sofa.
The girls sat by his sides comfortably, and he sent his arm around one of the girls' neck, while engaging into a conversation with all three of them.
I gawked at him.
Are they his girlfriends? Yesterday, it was a girl from Korea. And today, university students! He's really, really very popular!
As I was watching, suddenly, he kissed one of the girls at the jaw, just beneath her ear, sensually.
My face flushed tomato red.
He seemed to remember my presence at that moment, and smiling apologetically, said, 'Ah, Hime! I completely forgot about you! You may leave for today! See you tomorrow at school!'
Bobbing my head up and down rapidly, I hurried to pick my bag off from the floor to rush away.
'You don't want to stay and join me, Gōjun?' he, then, said, and I paused down to look at the latter.
Gōjun had also grabbed his bag, and was preparing to leave equally.
'I could share with you,' Shunsui told him, with an inviting look, combined with a tempting smile.
The girls giggled coyly at this, while I flushed even deeper, if that was even possible. I didn't even dare to think about how the girls and he were about to spend their time together.
'No, thanks,' Gōjun replied, as he strode for the door, his expression bored.
Giving Shunsui a goodbye bow, I tagged along with the latter without losing another second.
As we came outside of the house and were walked side by side towards the gate, I took several secret looks at Gōjun Shoran. I had to admit that I was bit surprised by his attitude. I would have thought that perhaps he would have wanted to stay. I had noticed that he seemed to keep away from girls. At first, I had thought that it was because he was not interested in the girls of our school, or girls of our age. But then, I remembered that when we had been searching for the father of the little boy Yōsuke yesterday, I had been able to observe him; he wouldn't pay any attention to the girls we came across on the street.
He intrigued me.
We parted ways once we were onto the street, and just like on the previous day, we didn't exchange any parting words with each other.
***
Next day, at lunch…
'Where are we going?' Gōjun Shoran inquired, and looking at him over his shoulder while they were walking, Shunsui Shigeizumi replied, smilingly, 'I know a better place to eat than the rooftop!'
They had come around the corner of the gymnasium by that moment, and instantly, Gōjun's eyes fell onto a certain dark-haired girl in the distance.
The latter had laid a cloth down on the grass under a tree to eat her bentō.
He staggered to a stop, his expression turning awkward.
He would never have thought to find someone doing a "picnic" during lunchtime in a school yard. It was kind of… rustic! However, surprisingly, he didn't find the idea unpleasant.
'Come on! What are you waiting for?' Shunsui called at him, giving him a wave of the hand, as he made his way into the girl's direction.
'We should probably not disturb her!' Gōjun said, when he caught up with the reddish-brown-haired young man, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Shaking his head a little at Shunsui, he wondered for the nth-time what the latter could be up to.
***
I had the impression that this school wasn't very lucky for me. The first day of my arrival, I became a servant. The second day, I took yogurt in my hair. Not to forget the up-coming match; I avoided to think too much about it.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I picked an ebi tempura up from my bentō box with my chopsticks and had been about to put it into my mouth when, out of nowhere, a masculine voice came in a ghostly manner, calling out my name.
It caused me to jump and pale, the tempura slipping my chopsticks to fall back into my bent shakujō box. Slowly, I turned my head to the side and shrank backward as I came nose to nose with Shunsui Shigeizumi's face. He had kneeled down by the side of tree standing behind me and stuck his head out to scare me.
'Shunsui!' I gasped, and he chuckled at my reaction.
Getting to his feet, he came around of the tree to sit by my side on the cloth that I had laid down on the grass, telling me, 'You don't mind if we take our lunch together every day from now on, do you?'
Eh?
Gōjun was with him, and sitting himself down too, he opened his bentō box, said "Itadakimasu" and began to eat without saying a word; his expression blunt.
I stared at the two males for a minute, feeling both surprised and awkward at our taking lunch together. It was the very first time that it was happening to me to have company at lunchtime.
'Oh?! What are you eating? Your bentō looks very appetizing!' the reddish-brown-haired young man declared, abruptly, as he took a peek at it.
To my great astonishment, he sent his chopsticks out for my box to pick an ebi tempura from it and bring it to his mouth, bitting into it.
'Yatta! It's absolutely delicious!' he exclaimed, on top of his voice, and picking another ebi tempura from my box, he brought it to Gōjun's mouth for the latter to taste it.
'Succulent, isn't it?!' he declared, with a large happy smile, before asking me, 'Is it you who have prepared your bentō box?'
'Yes,' I admitted, scratching the back on my head in embarrassment and smiling goofily.
'Well then, from now on, it's you who is going to prepare my bentō box every day, as well as that of Gōjun!'
Eh?! My mouth went agape.
'You'll prepare everything on the eve and put it in the fridge! I'll take care of the rest in the morning!' he stated, cheerily. 'Ah! And you'll also cook us dinner whenever I want you to!'
EH?!
This time, all color had drained out of my face and my head began to swirl.
He's really treating me like a slave! Help, Kami-sama! Okā-san!
Thank you for reading!
Glossary
Wagashi - traditional Japanese confections
Daifuku - a popular wagashi
Dango - Japanese dumpling; a wagashi
Saké - Japanese rice wine; an alcohol beverage
Chōshi - alcohol cup
Bentō - home-packed meal
Ebi - shrimp
Itadakimasu - it expresses thank you to the animals, plants, hunters, farmers, etc. involved in the meal, teaching respect