“Hey Shino-kun, there’s this story I’ve heard from a friend—” Tendou Tsukasa started talking on the way home after the last class of the day, and I just go, “sure,” and nodded while thinking in my heart: I see, Tendou’s story, huh.
I, Shino Iori, am serving as the assistant apprentice candidate fiancé of her, who is final boss-like existence for a virgin, for having an absurdly beautiful dainty face, having a model-like body who’d look good in anything she wears, being a natural young lady who’s not a lot these days, and boasting a notorious, dreadnought-class near triple-digit person count experience.
If I were a battle-race prince, I’d be clattering my teeth and uttering despair.
“Hey, you’re not listening, aren’t you?”
“Wrong, you got it totally wrong. I’m just being a little absent-minded.”
“You’re not listening,” Tendou got sulky, and grabbed my elbow to strongly drag me to a bench. She got slender arms but surprisingly strong.
“Tsukasa-san, I gotta get home before dark.”
“It’s okay, the days are already getting pretty long, and that’s not something a boy1 about to turn twenty should say, don’t you think?”
If she’s saying that, am I at an age where I can be called a boy in the first place?
In the meanwhile I got urged to sit, and Tendou sat next to me, sticking close, and intertwining her arms with mine as if saying: you’re not going anywhere.
“—So, there’s this story I heard from a friend.”
Anyway, she’d never separate once it got to this, so I got no choice but to give up.
Well, but then there’s not gonna be a problem with the rest of my schedule, so she’s probably doing this with an understanding of my circumstances in her own way as well, but if that’s the case it’s frightening, isn’t it?
Well if push comes to shove, running away is gonna be fine since the differences in our leg strength and feet, I guess. Unlike me who wears sneakers in general, Tendou’s is always fashionable and not suited for running instead.
“So the other day, it seems this friend of mine had a girls-only meetup with a friend.”
I nodded while guessing: About the Friday before last, isn’t it?
Actually, what’s the meaning of talking about the events of the day I’m also aware of like it’s gossip?
“Ah, before that, are you comfortable with scary stories, Shino-kun?”
“If it’s not scarier than finding out that a notorious girl on campus became my fiancée, then no biggie.”
“Well even if you’re not comfortable with it, just bear with it.”
Also, did you just casually acknowledge an engagement matter isn’t scary?
In the world in general it’s a pretty horrifying experience, alright? Probably.
“So, that girl has a lover who’s somewhat very possessive, and so like, it’s been a while since she’s gone out to hang out at night.”
It’s a classic to talk while covering it up in a true story-like ghost story, but it’s another shameless, self-serving alteration of the facts. Or maybe it’s a sad pretense.
“Oh really?” When I passed it up with a warm feeling, Tendou’s nicely trimmed eyebrows twitched.
“Errr, and so you know, that girl accidentally got herself drunk on too much alcohol she’s not used to yet. Going home alone’s gonna be dangerous so she decided to call her lover to pick her up, it seems.”
“I sure regretted not ignoring that past-eleven worrying call.”
“And so, the lover came to pick her up.”
“The one you went with was, Eri-san, was it? I got stared at hard by that blonde girl, you know…”
It was like that the first time we met, but she sure is kinda seeing me as hostile.
Moreover it’s a situation where both were brought about by Tendou, but I wonder if I can have her put in some words.
“Ah, and speaking of which, have you properly apologized to Eri-san? Seems like she’s also gotten a bit of a hard time from looking after you and all.”
“Hey Shino-kun, I told you in the beginning it was about a friend of mine, didn’t I?”
“So you’re not gonna let your own disgraceful behavior get pointed out, huh…”
That said, there’s no benefit for me to prolong the talk, so when I urged her by saying, “continue,” Tendou stroked her own lips with a somewhat sullen expression.
“Eri’s family name. You’re gonna get glared at again if you call her by her first name, you know?”
“Ah, roger. It’s Minase-san then.”
Certainly, she seems like she would at least say: I’ve got no reason to be called by my first name by you, though?
I don’t really know why Tendou deeply nodded her head like going, ‘alright!’ though.
“Well so you know, that day was the weekend, and the two are lovers, it’s also already late, moreover the girl’s home is much farther away than his home, also than the nearby hotel, you see.”
“We’re not there yet. Actually, there’s nothing scary about it all, right!?”
To think that my chastity was in danger without me knowing it. Eh, could it be that she got herself dead drunk with calculation to that extent put into it?
Do I have to grasp with each and every detail where I’d be called to from now on?
Nah, I suppose it’d be safer to ignore the call from the beginning. Let’s do that.
“And so, her lover just took her home in a taxi, you know? What do you think?”
“I think he got a decent sensibility, though…” Unlike Tendou.
“Why!?” Tendou, however, protested my words that I said neither in jest nor in self-justification.
“Eeh…? Well I mean, the girl was dead-drunk unconscious, right? I think it’s more normal to take her to her home rather than to his home or a hotel, though.”
“‘Cause if things went that way, it’d be that date rape thing, right? It’s a crime, you know?”
“Eh, but they’re both lovers, you know? It’s not a relationship where there’s gonna be any problem with doing lewd stuff, you know?”
“Isn’t having proper consent the right thing exactly since they’re lovers? I think there’s no need to do anything when she’s dead drunk and couldn’t even give consent, though.”
Seeing Tendou who began to look up for something on her phone while saying, “wait huh?” I renewed my mind that I absolutely won’t go out drinking alone with her even if there would be an opportunity in the future.
“—Well let’s just put that aside.”
I knew it, or maybe I should say as I thought, Tendou didn’t seem to have changed her mind.
There sure are hard-to-fill difference in sexual moratlity between the two of us…
“Well Tsukasa-san, date rape in a very close relationship might not be applicable to rape crime etc. in Japan, but I’ve passed on the information with my understanding, okay?”
“Let’s put that, aside! Actually can you stop talking like I would do something like that!? There never has been and never will be any such reality!”
Well indeed, there probably was never any reason for Tendou in the first place to have to obsess over someone who wouldn’t take up on her invitation. Before me that is.
No good, that means I can’t have any sort of peace of mind, can’t I.
“And so, there’s still more to the story. Ah, Shino-kun, what are your plans after this today?”
“I wanna get home before dark.”
“There’s none, I see. That’s great.”
Fufu, she’s not listening to me.
In the sky I looked up to, the curtain of evening has been slowly rising to cover the daytime blue.
The eastern sky is painted with deep, deep dark blue, and tiny stars are glittering. Seeing that bright color of the night that can’t be seen much in the dark skies of winter, I thought: Ah, looks like summer’s just around the corner.
“Hey.” As I was immersed in a sentimental mood while escaping from reality, hands were placed on both my cheeks to hold my face, and whoop, made to turn towards Tendou.
It was a hand movement as gentle as that of a hairdresser when getting a haircut. Also, it smelled good.
“—So you know, my friend’s lover took her home in a taxi, and requested the occupant of the house who welcomed them to take care of her, it seems.”
“I never thought I’d hear the words ‘occupant of the house’ outside of fiction and news…”
Tendou was called ‘young ladyojou-sama,’ so maybe it’s the live-in housekeeper or something.
And about the building of the Tendou family that looks like it’s a samurai residence, we’re in the 21st century, alright? That caught me off guard.
“And so about him, you see. He defended my friend who was dead drunk, and mediated it like, ‘it’s the fault of me, her lover, I’m sorry,’ it seems”
“Yeah, sure. I’d say without doubt your friend was thankful for that.”
I don’t mean to emphasize the favor I’ve done, but it’s true that I’ve put the effort to slightly adjust the story to fit the situation for Tendou who more or less appears to be behaving as a proper young lady at home.
“Yep, yep, that’s right, and so apparently my friend’s family was telling her to invite him to her home again because they wanted to apologize for the inconvenience.”
“In this case, what do you think is the right way for my friend to invite her lover to her home?”
“Nope nuh-uh impossible really impossible absolutely impossible for certain it’s impossible.”
The dining together at the hotel with all our family members already made me want to puke, but to be invited to such a gargantuan residence is so impossible that I shudder just imagining it.
Moreover the conversation at that time proceeded almost entirely under the lead of Tendou’s parents while I just gave my greetings, and also Tendou’s grandmother in question didn’t step forward.
To ask me to deal with that alone, moreover in the opponent’s homeground is just so unreasonable it’s not funny. It’s a big load to carry no matter how I think about it. I’ll die.
“Tell this to her for me that going out of their way to thank him is just too much of an exaggeration and they better reconsider it.”
Receiving my fervent appeal with an unimpressive, “I see,” Tendou cleared her throat softly. “And so Shino-kun. It’s totally off-topic, but how about a dinner together at my home next Wednesday?”
“Don’t wanna!! It’s totally not off-topic at all!!!”
She said that as if nothing happened, but so far there hasn’t been such a blatant trap.
It’s also gonna be rather hard to make any refusal when you’re diving deep into the opponent’s homeground, and moreover when it comes to an apology. I can also imagine the giving of engagement gifts to tie the knot happening in just one breath if I’m careless.
It’s just cowardly to exert the pressure from your parents just because I won’t yield.
“How can you say that, until just now it was my friend’s story, remember?”
“Don’t lie to my face! Then why am I invited to your home for dinner!?”
“It’s Tanabata that day, isn’t it? Every year we decorate bamboo in our garden and have soumen, and so it led to us talking about also bringing you for it.”
“Eh, so rich people also eat soumen.”
“You’re surprised there? It’s not like it’s weird even if we eat it, right?”
When I thought, ‘well it’s certainly a traditional food,’ but then I remembered her eating Sichuan dish noodles, and I agreed with her.
“Somehow I feel like I’m being agreed to in a slightly unpleasant way, though…”
“No, I didn’t. So, how should I refuse it?”
“Why’re you consulting on how to refuse? C’mon it’s fine, we’re just gonna eat soumen.”
That’s a lie. It won’t be just that, something very bad is definitely gonna be waiting for me.
“It’s all right, there’s really nothing to it. We’re just gonna have some meals with my family. It’s gonna be just for a bit.”
“Amazing, the feeling of wanting to believe it isn’t coming up at all.”
I wonder why in this world there are girls who would end up getting brought back home with this logic. Nah, I guess that’s just reciprocal back scratching.
“Ah, that’s right. How about I wear a yukata to welcome you that day?”
“You have my honest respect for being able to say that like it’s a perk.”
Really, I wonder just how much self-confidence she got in her own face.
Speaking of whether or not I want to see her in a yukata, it’s the truth that I somewhat want to, though. Also if the content isn’t Tendou, I want to have a walk together in a geta that would go clack-clack, though.
“Well sorry, but that day I have urgent things to do so no can do.”
“You sure did come up with a blatant half-hearted excuse…!”
Tendou got mad, but I really want her to think this through.
At this rate if I’m thoughtlessly being invited to Tendou’s home, and I fall into a situation where I could neither move forward nor backward, I might be forced to announce on the spot that I’m breaking off the engagement.
I wonder if she understands that part there.
Welp, she probably doesn’t I suppose.
“Then Tsukasa-san, are you also okay if it turns into me telling them then I’m breaking off the engagement?”
Despite her visibly angry face, Tendou was enjoying annoying me and now, sure enough, she stiffened like, click.
That was a stiffening so beautiful that I’d like to add a sound effect already.
“…Eh, wai, you ca… death—?”
“Well, don’t you think that your grandmother would restrain herself in front of a guest?”
No, maybe she’d order her to take responsibility by committing suicide on the spot? In present day Japan? In the 21st century?
And as I was thinking, ‘also that’s not gonna be any consolation at all,’ Tendou rebooted.
“—Fu, fufu, stop with the bad joke, I mean, you also wouldn’t want to do something like that while surrounded by my family, right? The real scary one is Grandmother, but my father’s face is also scary, you know?”
That assessment of her own parents makes me want to scratch my head, but he’s certainly someone with a real punch in him.
“Well I sure don’t wanna get assertive, but if things seem like I’d be made to get married if I’m staying silent at that time, even I’d get desperate, you know?” And when I continued with, “that’s why I thought it would be fair to tell you this in advance,” Tendou, maybe sensing my seriousness, suddenly pulled herself even closer to me and pressed this soft and tender sensation on my—whoops hold yourself together boy, don’t think too much about it, ah, but it really is considerable—arm.
“Shi-Shino-kun? Don’t you think we should get to know each other a little more deeply before rushing to conclusions?”
The elephant in the room is the discrepancy in sexual morality, and that’s a rather unchangeable problem, and at the same time the more I get to know her the more I’d keep getting bonded to Tendou, so we should keep more distance instead. Essentially.
I wonder if this is a situation brought upon by my lack of virtue, which ended up giving her strange expectations in the time we’re associating like this and that.
“Tha-that means you think about it for a little, doesn’t it? Also even if the engagement with me is broken, I believe you’d just be told to take my second older sister instead! You can’t escape from the Tendou family!”
“Is your family a great demon lord or something?”
Actually, that’s my first time hearing that.
Tendou is the youngest child of three sisters, and I’ve heard the eldest sister is married.
From everything I’ve heard so far, it’s looking like Tendou has been raised as a fiancée candidate for the Shino family, so I was so sure that the second daughter was out of the picture, though… No, the more I think about it, the more I wonder just who is that grandmother? It’s your grandchild’s life, you know? Aren’t you doing as you please too much?
It’s another family’s matter, but it sure is not so funny…
“Well it’s true Ryou-neesan is a virgin, though? And unlike me she’s a genuine sheltered girl, so it might be convenient for you, but!! Isn’t that a little too much!?”
“Well, of course I’m not that insensitive. I’ll make them pretend the topic never existed somehow by saying something like, ‘I’ve felt guilty about getting engaged with a lackluster resolve while I was with Tsukasa-san’.”
Well there are also simple facts mixed in about here, so it’s not a lie.
Also quit revealing the second daughter’s personal information in the midst of this mess. It’s gonna be awkward when I meet her.
“—I see, so you’re serious… Geez, now that it’s come to this…” Perhaps noticing that neither seduction techniques nor tears had any effect, Tendou separated from me, folded her arms, and began to brood over something, mumbling.
Even as the red, blood-like afterglow of the setting sun went away, and only the blue of the night remained dominating the sky, Tendou was still brooding it over, racking her brain and occasionally exchanging messages with someone.
“Tsukasa-san, can we go home now?”
“Wait a little longer… I don’t mind if we continue this in your room, though.”
“All right, I’ll wait then.”
“Hey, can’t you agonize over it a bit more?! Usually you’d be happy to have a girl with a nice face like me coming to your room, right!?”
“Nah, it’s simply a mess, and not in a condition to invite someone over.”
“~~~~, and stop being being uncautious from time to time like that.”
“Just what do you want me to do…”
She sure got high-class young lady mentality in such a place (it’s personal opinion).
And then after some “uh-huh uh-huh,” Tendou finally raised her face up from the screen after going through message exchanges for the umpteenth time.
“—What you’re worried about is whether they might take the opportunity of you coming to our home to progress with the marriage talk, isn’t it?”
“Well, sort of. I think it’s also not good to turn down an invitation that has a good reason.”
“Then just let yourself be invited this time. I’ve requested my sisters and gotten their cooperation to make sure the talk doesn’t go in that direction.”
“Ah, so you’re explaining the situation to your sisters?”
“I wasn’t. It’s still better with my second older sister, but if my eldest sister finds out, as expected I’ll die. But I suppose it’s understandable for a college student to feel pressured into going to the home of his lover’s parents.”
“You’re not a lover, but a fiancée, though.”
“Are you fine if the talk moves forward then?”
“Sorry, my bad.” I obediently apologized from the penetratingly cold voice.
But that we’re not lovers is also a fact, okay!? (In whisper).
“—In any case, it’ll certainly be fine if my two sisters are going to cooperate. Grandmother probably wouldn’t say anything to rush it anyway.”
“So, can I trust your word on that?”
“It’s all tied up, so sure. And if it still turns out to be iffy, do whatever you want, Shino-kun.” Tendou continued, “I won’t hold any grudge,” with her eyes like seriousness itself.
To say, ‘allowing me to go that far is just scary, so no,’ is I guess gonna be too unreasonable.
“—All right, I’ll go. And if you have any dying wish, I’d be here to hear it, alright?”
“Stop it, it’s a bad omen! I’ll hold grudge against you the rest of my life if you drob a bomb when nothing happening at all!”
“Nah, I won’t. By the way, what should I wear? I guess formal wear?”
“You can wear casual clothes. I think you’d better not wear jeans with a t-shirt, though.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have the guts to visit that residence looking like that…”
Come to think of it, I think I haven’t been to a girl’s home ever since elementary school, haven’t I?
While feeling nervous in a double meaning, I took out my phone to report it to my parents just in case.
I suppose it’s also necessary for my parents to be prepared in case I do mess up, and not Tendou.
“Ah, and Shino-kun, there’s one more important thing.”
When I looked up from the screen, Tendou was showing a stiff smile that I’d never seen before.
“I’ll say this because I think it’d be fair to tell you this—Grandmother, she’s taken quite a liking to you, you know?”
It’s the most horrified I felt today.
—And so, I was treated to a delicious soumen at Tendou’s home on Tanabata night.
After having a generally peaceful and harmonious dinner, we were gazing at the bamboo and night sky, and while at it I disposed of a tanzaku written with ‘engagement gift by the end of the year’ in a handwriting that looked like Tendou, and then safely returned home.
Later on, she got very angry at me.