Chapter 60: Holiday… No, An Eventful Holiday

“This store…despite its appearance, the owner seems to be quite skilled…”

“Yeah, a little, no, very deep!”

“Right?”

It was just before noon, and the three of us were having ramen at a ramen shop that I frequent near the outskirts of Trinity.

Since my Onee-chans weren’t familiar with this kind of shop, they were a little skeptical at first, but even though I hate to admit it, I was recognized by the Gourmet Research Society,

who pursue gourmet food, so the restaurants I frequent are generally guaranteed to be good.

That’s why both of my Onee-chans didn’t spare any praise.

The fact that this shop was located in the outskirts of Trinity and not very crowded due to accessibility was also perfect for our situation.

After the last commotion, the…um…Onee-chans and I started to increase the time we spent together, reminiscing about the time we couldn’t spend together due to being busy.

The weekend mornings were spent meeting up with my Onee-chans as soon as I woke up.

The constant practice and work for the Great Athletics Festival had exhausted us a little, so it was good to have a day to recharge.

However, Seia-onee-chan was a little late due to personal reasons, so we didn’t do anything special, just took a walk around the neighborhood, but even that was a peaceful and satisfying page.

Initially, unlike Mika-onee-chan, the other two had no chance to meet me alone, so there was a debate, not a debate, about taking my time.

In the meantime, I was clinging to Mika-onee-chan and a lot…anyway, the story went strangely, so to restore it, it ended up with the four of us meeting as a group.

“I’m sorry I’m a little late.”

“Ah, welcome Seia-sen, Onee-chan…”

“I’m sorry I’m late, it’s hard to explain, but I had a personal matter.”

Seia-onee-chan belatedly opened the entrance door of the shop and came in.

As for the reason for her lateness, well…since it’s Seia-onee-chan, I naturally passed it over, thinking that there must be a complicated reason.

Seia-onee-chan is sitting in the position of a faction leader with her wisdom as her greatest weapon, so if Seia-onee-chan can’t say it, there must be a good reason.

“Ahaha☆ Sora-chan, you’re still not used to it?”

Well…yeah…after that mess, all three of their titles were fixed to Onee-chan.

It’s true that the Onee-chans were wrong to stalk the Sensei and imprison him…but they said they needed something to completely eliminate the misunderstanding…

I don’t think this will prevent misunderstandings…but at least this title is a kind of safety device that is only used for these three.

Again, I don’t think this will block any misunderstandings.

Unlike Mika-onee-chan, there was no preparation period, so I wasn’t used to it…so the word senpai often came out and went back in.

“Ugh…it’s a little cold…”

“Ah, here you go.”

Since it was a hot season, the shop had the air conditioner on high, and it wasn’t a good element for the weak Seia-onee-chan.

The fact that her clothes were thin because of the hot weather was also a factor, and I was also wearing thin and short clothes with relatively little fabric, so I was feeling a little cold.

There are many shops that turn up the air conditioner strongly in the middle of summer like this, and I don’t like the cold very much,

so I brought a jacket, and it wasn’t so strongly operating that I couldn’t give the jacket to a sickly person who was cold, so I subtly approached Seia-onee-chan and put the jacket on her.

Of course, even if it was terribly cold, it’s clear that I’ll take care of my Onee-chan first, but that’s that and this is this.

“…I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, I’m pretty strong…”

Onee-chan didn’t refuse even though she was sorry for it, but another problem arises.

“Oh my, Seia-san…fufut…”

“Wow-oh, Seia-chan…put…fu…hahaha!!”

“Ahem…kub…I’m sorry…Onee-chan…”

Yeah…a new problem…the size difference between me and Seia-onee-chan was…a little…no, quite a big problem.

It was like a child borrowing clothes from someone several years older than her, and the sleeves completely covered her hands.

Seia-onee-chan was originally wearing clothes that covered her hands, but that was only her clothes when she was performing official duties at the Tea Party,

I’ve seen them a lot, and they were good enough to make me think that it was designed that way from the beginning.

But now Seia-onee-chan is in plain clothes, completely oversized in the jacket alone, and everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

It’s a little sad that I couldn’t move for a while to soothe the slightly sulky Seia-onee-chan…but maybe it was a bit of a prank, but Seia-onee-chan,

who completely wrapped my wings around her like a blanket and sat down to eat ramen…that’s…that…I don’t know if it’s okay to say this…but she was very cute.

“Phew…I ate well! Yeah!”

“That’s right…yes…the broth is very deep, so even if it’s oily, it’s not a repulsive taste.”

“Ugh…I’m a little full…”

“Ah, then shall we buy something to drink at a nearby cafe?”

Certainly, it would have been a bit of a heavy meal for Seia-onee-chan and Nagisa-onee-chan.

At least she moves her body often, so she eats a little more than the two of them…it’s not excessive…anyway, it was just right for Mika-onee-chan and me.

I remembered that there was a cafe with a good reputation nearby, so we decided to go in to buy a simple drink to soothe the two of them who were full.

“It’s here…? Huh?”

“Huh? Sora-chan, what’s wrong…wow! It’s that girl from back then? Nice to meet you~!”

“Huh? Sora?”

“Fufu, once a connection is made, it’s not easily broken…”

A familiar chuunibyou-esque nonsense and a familiar voice, the dessert club was sitting in the cafe as a first-come, first-served customer.

It’s not strange that the children of the dessert club go around shops that sell delicious desserts every weekend, it’s just that today, our destination overlapped with our group.

It is strange.

Mika-onee-chan and I were in a state of forming a connection with Kazusa through the case of Yumeka, a child I met in my daily life as a very short connection.

Even if it’s a connection, we only know each other’s faces and don’t know each other’s names.

Nevertheless, the reason why Onee-chan is so friendly is probably due to Mika-onee-chan’s unique sociability.

“Mika-san and Sora are acquaintances?”

“Yeah! Once or so? Actually, we don’t even know each other well!”

“…Yes? Sigh…”

As soon as I heard Mika-onee-chan’s answer to Nagisa-onee-chan’s question, who came into the cafe later, Nagisa-onee-chan froze a little.

Nagisa-onee-chan knew about Mika-onee-chan’s friendly attitude towards everyone…but still, it was an attitude that anyone would see as seeing a close friend, but in fact, it was the first time,

so she must be thinking about what to do with this person…

“How…can you be so friendly to everyone…Mika…”

“Ahaha☆ It’s my strength, isn’t it? Yeah!”

Seia-onee-chan also spoke as if in agreement, although they didn’t say it to each other.

Of course, Mika-onee-chan passed it off brightly as always…

“Ahem…Senpai? What kind of drink do you want?”

“What, ah yeah!”

I subtly change the title.

Even the Sensei doesn’t see it particularly badly anymore, but this type of relationship won’t be seen positively, and since the Tea Party still maintains a considerable amount of secrecy,

that’s the reason why we finished talking with everyone to hide our identities or relationships a little.

Mika-onee-chan seemed to be startled by the flinch, but she quickly understood the situation and started choosing a drink.

“Hmm…Darjeeling for me!”

“I’ll have Lady Grey.”

“I’ll have Earl Grey, please.”

Now I’m used to it, but when I first recalled the memories of my previous life, I used to feel a sense of incongruity that various types of black tea were sold in ordinary cafes as if it were nothing special.

I quickly adapted to my current life, but maybe it’s a kind of body memory that happened while I was frequenting cafes in my previous life…huh? My body has changed, can I call it body memory?

Anyway, maybe I used to go to cafes a lot in my previous life, and I was too used to the existing appearance.

“Then…I’ll have Lady Grey too…and dessert…will you have some?”

“Since we just finished eating, please make it a small amount.”

“Yes.”

I finish ordering all the drinks and desserts through the kiosk.

There were quite a few people in the cafe, so we naturally had to choose a secluded seat on purpose, and we ended up joining the children of the dessert club unintentionally.

“As expected, you’re a high-ranking person in the Tea Party? It’s hard to meet you often…?”

“Ugh…I’m a low-ranking member, you know…? It’s true that I’m busy because of the Great Athletics Festival, but…”

I explain that I’m a low-ranking member as always to Kazusa, who is joking around as always.

However…

“Ahaha☆ Sora-chan is a low-ranking member? That’s not quite right, is it?”

“What?! You weren’t really a low-ranking member?!”

“Fufu…as expected, I can’t fool my eyes. Hmm!”

Yeah…the playful Mika-onee-chan wouldn’t miss this, and she naturally planted a second misunderstanding in everyone.

Nagisa-onee-chan and Seia-onee-chan didn’t stop this kind of prank.

Rather, unlike usual, they were looking at me with a playful face that didn’t suit them, so it’s clear that those two are already full of thoughts of teasing me.

“The direct bodyguard of the Tea Party faction leader isn’t a low-ranking member, is it? Yeah!”

“Mika-san, that’s enough…”

“I know~ Nagi-chan~”

Ah, the decisive blow has been struck.

It’s a prank that’s possible because the children of the dessert club don’t know who these three are or what position they’re in.

Of course, they didn’t intend to cross the line, so Nagisa-onee-chan urgently stopped Mika-onee-chan.

And…it seems that a huge disaster has happened to me.

“…What…?”

“Wow…you were a very important person…”

“To be precise, you’re protecting an important person, Airi.”

“Hmm, I see, so the rumored Trinity knight was you…”

Damn…they already knew about the rumors…

In the end, I had to explain again for a few tens of minutes while sitting in the cafe that I wasn’t in a particularly high position.

Even this time, it was even harder because there was testimony from a person who seemed to be a senior from their point of view…

-Stare-

The gaze is stinging.

I didn’t do anything wrong, but one gaze was fixed on me.

“Here, Yumeka, open your mouth!”

“Ah…yes…!”

-Munch munch-

Yumeka, who was half-rescued by me and Kazusa and is now an honorary member of the After School Dessert Club by Kazusa, was sitting there.

The gaze that was fixed on me was cute, like a small child, as soon as Kazusa spoke, she made eye contact with Kazusa and put the dessert that Kazusa handed her into her mouth.

“Hmm…you’re still taking that girl from back then with you?”

“Ah…um…yes, Mika-senpai.”

Unlike Mika-onee-chan, Kazusa still couldn’t hide her awkwardness.

Still, since it’s Mika-onee-chan, shouldn’t they get along soon? While I was thinking about that…

“Onee-chan…what’s your name…?”

“Ah? Um…yeah, Sora, my name is Sora…do you remember me?”

“Yeah…”

Yumeka finally spoke to me! Finally! When I first met her, she was full of vigilance, let alone speaking, but she finally spoke to me.

I couldn’t even imagine that she would talk to me, so it was a touching change for me.

Maybe she’s relaxed enough after spending time with Kazusa, and I dare to think that maybe the first vigilance wasn’t me, but the Onee-chans sitting right next to me.

That means I’ve been able to ask the questions I’ve been curious about.

I ask because the sound of the piano I heard that day was somewhat familiar.

“By any chance…that piano…who did you learn it from?”

Self-taught…with a…book…”

Self-taught…? I’m surprised once because it’s not a level that can be reached by self-study with a suitable book.

The melody at that time was definitely a melody I had heard somewhere, so I wanted to know who she learned it from, but the answer was self-taught.

It wasn’t the answer I wanted, so I felt a little disappointed, but I swallowed it and organized my thoughts.

I already make a hypothesis that the case I think happened in the past of Kivotos and a hypothesis that it’s just a story due to coincidence.

However, this hypothesis eventually became more powerful in the latter.

Thinking about it again, it was familiar, but there were slight differences, so it was inevitable that I felt a slight sense of futility and disappointment.

While I was organizing my thoughts…

“Ah, by the way…I know you’re a senpai…but what’s your relationship with Sora?”

Airi opened her mouth.

I was maintaining a good relationship with the children of the dessert club, even though I couldn’t meet them often, so maybe she had a pure question about coming in with people she’d never seen before.

The answer to this is to let it flow well according to the story that Nagisa-onee-chan and Seia-onee-chan and I had agreed on in advance.

“We’re just senpai and junior? We’re in different departments, but we quickly became close because we had the same business visit.”

“Likewise, we’re just senpai and junior, but the difference is that we met through someone else.”

Mika-onee-chan was…harassing Kazusa over there. Did they already get along? Judging from Kazusa’s expression, which is a little bad, Mika-onee-chan must have completely taken her pace…

Anyway, the two of them are people who are not easily pushed around when it comes to eloquence in Trinity, so it wasn’t that difficult to tell the story that we had even agreed on in advance.

However, I had to upgrade Natsu’s intuition today…to be precise, her reasoning ability.

“…? Wasn’t it a little more special relationship….? I couldn’t have been mistaken…”

“Huh? Natsu? What do you mean? What do you mean by a special relationship…”

“Aren’t you in a relationship like lovers?”

At that moment, everyone in the seat froze.

“What…do you mean?!”

Until a girl much smaller than us opened her mouth first.