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Yang Yuhuan , often known as Yang Guifei (literally: “Imperial Consort Yang”), was known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Yang was known for having a full and voluptuous figure, which was a much sought-after quality at the time. She was often compared and contrasted with Empress Zhao Feiyan, the wife of Emperor Cheng of Han, because Yang was known for her full build while Empress Zhao was slender.
Lychee was a favorite fruit for Yang Guifei, and the emperor had the fruit, which was only grown in southern China, delivered by the imperial courier’s fast horses, whose riders would take shifts day and night in a Pony Express-like manner, to the capital.
Also Aoyama is a rich people place.
The new middle school 1st years had their first tea party with us today.
As the president, Kaburagi gave a brief greeting, before the new faces began introducing themselves.
After that we all just had desserts while chatting about our spring breaks.
Speaking of the dessert, it was ispahan macarons today.
The ispahan macaron is a mix of rose cream, lychee, and fresh raspberries sandwiched between two macaron shells, created by Pierre Hermé, a patissier reknowned around the world.
The rose, and raspberry, and lychees came together like the dreams of a maiden made manifest.
It was one of my favourite desserts.
Aah! It was so precious and cute that I could hardly bear to eat it.
Truly, a dessert fit for I, the Rococo Queen!
Mmhu!
I was sitting in my usual seat on my own and enjoying the dessert.
Of course, that was when my unworthy new disciple traipsed along.
“I’ll report what happened first.”
Not even a ‘hello’?
Well whatever.
Hm!?
Oi, disciple, you’re going to sit next to your master without invitation?
What is the meaning of this?!
“Coro was a girl.”
I know.
Aah~
The tartness of these raspberries was to die for.
And they looked as lovely as they tasted.
Rapsberries were the best.
“Oi, are you listening?”
“I certainly am. Please continue at your leisure.”
And lychees brought to mind Yang Guifei, didn’t they~?
I didn’t think I liked them as much as she did though.
She liked them enough to have them brought over the Silk Road, after all~
If I was Yang Guifei, I wonder which food would be my equivalent to lychees.
“I mentioned her friend Gorou-chan to her, just like you said. She laughed and said that it was Coro-chan, not Gorou-chan.”
I think I like cherries.
I wish it was cherry season already.
“She’s a girl, and Coro is her nickname. What a false alarm.”
But when you’re eating cherries, it’s a bit scary, isn’t it?
There’s that old wives’ tale about swallowing seeds and appendicitis.
I know it’s fake, but it’s still a bit nervewracking, isn’t it~
“Oi.”
“I am listening. She is a girl, and Coro is her nickname, you said. And then?”
Kaburagi looked at me in dissatisfaction for a while, but he said “Just listen,” in defeat and continued.
“On the last day of spring break, I invited Takamichi to the library.”
“I see.”
I discreetly surveyed the room.
Somebody was playing the piano right now, and nobody was in our immediate surroundings.
Given how quiet he was being, I probably didn’t need to worry.
“Apparently she’d been going there to study almost every day of the holiday. Since that was the case, I casually suggested we go together.”
“Well good for you, then.”
“It was, up til that point.”
Kaburagi’s expression turned bitter from reminiscence.
“When we arrived at the library that she recommended, of all people Mizusaki was there!”
“Mizusaki-kun!?” I exclaimed.
“Yeah. He was surprised to see us too. But it turns out that he was the one who told her about the place to begin with. And that’s not all! Apparently the two of them had already studied together a bunch of times!”
“Aahh~”
Wakaba-chan did mention something like that.
“Well what happened then?” I asked.
“The three of us studied together. Aside from a short break at the cafĂ© there, the rest was just studying. That wasn’t a date; that was a study group!”
“My~”
“To be honest I was planning on inviting her to dinner after that, but when it was closing time for the library she said she had to help out around the house and that was it. I didn’t even have a chance to ask her.”
“Dinner, is it? Did you not arrange it with her beforehand?”
“Yeah, I guess I didn’t.”
What on earth was he doing?
“I mentioned last time that you should be asking her what her plans are first. Where were you planning on taking her, anyhow?”
“A French place in Aoyama.”
“Are you a dumbass!?”
“Aah!?”
Oh!
I accidentally voiced what I was thinking.
“You. Just now you called me a dumbass, didn’t you?” he accused me angrily.
Oh dear

“Heavens, no! I asked if it was Le CafĂ© Dumas. You must have misheard me,” I insisted.
He was still looking at me in suspicion, so I continued the conversation to distract him.
“You know, Kaburagi-sama, if you suddenly invite a girl to dinner at a French restaurant then she is more likely to be troubled than glad.”
“How come?” he asked, clueless.
This guy really was a dumbass

“Some casual restaurant would be a different story. But a French restaurant, especially a high class one at Aoyama? Suddenly bringing her along in whatever she’s wearing is basically a form of torture. A girl wants to look her best when she visits a place like that!”
Looking fashionable is a girl’s weapon and armour, you know!
And choosing her outfit in anticipation is just part of the enjoyment.
To be taken there in your casual clothes

And worse than just lunch, it was dinner.
Looking at all the gorgeously dressed adults around you, and then looking back at yourself.
Would any girl want to stay there?
“It’s not a place with a dress code, you know. I go there in casual dress all the time.”
Your casual clothes blow the casual clothes of a normal higher school girl out of the water, you know!
Plus, even if someone like Kaburagi wore rougher clothing, the natural grace would still shine through.
Far from being criticised, girls would squeal over how unpretentious and dreamy he was.
An Emperor like him couldn’t understand the feelings of a commoner.
“You really do not understand
” I sighed.
Kaburagi was peeved.
“What don’t I understand?” he demanded.
“Anything
”
For the sake of Wakaba-chan, I realised I’d have to give it to him straight.
“The way you are going about it is just going to cause her trouble! You have neglected a number of things to begin with. That you need to set a time and date with her beforehand. That you need to explain to her what exactly you even plan to be doing. That you need to respect that she has her own life and schedule. If that is not clear enough, then for example, you should have invited her to a place she would normally visit on her own if you were planning on casually inviting her. If you really wanted to bring her to a fancy French restaurant, then at least let her know in advance!”
Kaburagi stared at me wide-eyed.
I was familiar with what Wakaba-chan liked to wear.
Her casual outfits were cute, normal clothing that you’d find with any regular high school girl.
If she was heading to a library a bit further away, then maybe something just a little more stylish.
Being suddenly dragged to a French restaurant while she still had her bag full of textbooks would just trouble her.
Kaburagi sunk into thought.
He stood there, looking like he was solving a difficult problem for a while, but eventually he nodded.
“I get it. From now on I’ll do my best to accomodate for her.”
Oh!
He gave in!
Was this the power of love!?
*
*
*
“Kisshouin, what is love?” he whispered to me.
It was the next day, and we had just happened to pass each other in the hallway.
“Hah?”
“What is love, Kisshouin?”
What was this guy on about?
‘What is love’?
Was this some koan now?
Love, love

Oh. Right

“A star, enshrouded in mist.”
“Good answer,” he nodded.
Satisfied that I had the correct answer, he walked off.
Annoying

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stand it if he was going to drop these stupid pop quizzes in the future.
I had to quickly find an elegant solution to deal with that poem anthology, or else