Thirty-Siiix, Thirty-Seveeen
Thirty-Siiix, Thirty-Seveeen
Thirty-Siiix, Thirty-Seveeen
To make up for the time we didn’t see each other, I enjoyed a date with Eu.
We went to the planetarium Tomonori and I had gone to, ate at a maid café, then stopped by the department store to buy clothes.
“Which is better, the lavender shirt or the black one with pink?”
“Hmm. Let’s see… lavender, I guess.”
“I thought lavender was better too.”
What a coincidence. I could feel my face breaking into a wide grin.
“Anyway, the places we went today are the ones I visited while you weren’t around.”
“I see. It was very fun.”
“I’m having fun now too. So… where were you, and what were you doing?”
“I was in the Underworld.”
“You didn’t go anywhere else? Other countries, maybe?”
“Wherever I went, I would just be a burden. I had no place to belong.”
“A place to belong, huh. I want this to be your place to belong.”
“I tried to forget about you all. I tried so hard. But I couldn’t. Whatever I did, I kept thinking, ‘Haruna would do it this way, Ayumu would do it that way.’ I couldn’t throw away the small happiness I’d come to know.”
“So, that’s why you came to my house.”
“The tea in the Underworld tasted awful.”
During the date, Eu kept glancing behind her. No wonder. Haruna and Sera were tailing us the whole time.
“Hey, hey! Isn’t this super cute?”
“Yes. It looks great on you, Haruna. If you match it with this…”
“Whoa! You’re the best!”
They were enjoying themselves way too much. It looked more like they came here to hang out.
Unable to stand it anymore, Eu turned to face them.
“Ah, busted.” Haruna’s cowlick stiffened.
Busted, my ass. You were totally busted from the start. Eu stretched a hand forward and beckoned them over. Haruna and Sera exchanged looks, then dashed our way.
Good grief.
I get it, though. Things were best with the four of us.
After enjoying shopping together for the first time in a while, the four of us sat around the table. Haruna was on my right, Sera sat across from me, and Eu was on my left.
Yeah, this formation was solid. None of us could be missing.
Eu tilted her teacup as usual, watching a variety show on the plasma TV. No one condemned her actions. She came back, and that was enough. This small bit of happiness was all that mattered.
I figured everyone felt the same.
When the four of us were together like this, that fog in my chest never came. It had been a long time since I felt so refreshed.
Meanwhile, Haruna sat with her arms crossed, groaning to herself.
What was she thinking about? In times like this, paying attention to her never ended well.
“I’ve been thinking.”
Whether I ignored her or not, the result was the same. Letting out a deep sigh, I asked, “What is it?”
“Whoever went rogue deserves a penalty,” Haruna said, pointing straight at Eu. “You gotta take some punishment, ‘kay?!”
“Come on. She came back, didn’t she? There’s no need to—”
“I don’t mind.” Eu’s eyes were firm.
Sera clapped her hands once. “Then, how about making her wear that creepy outfit Ayumu always wears for a whole day?”
“That’s not really a punishment, but not bad. No, wait. I’ve got an idea. Hold on.”
While the three gave me puzzled looks, I pulled out my cell phone and called a certain someone.
“Oh, what’s up?”
“Sorry, but I need you to bring something for me.”
“Bring something?”
“Yeah. I remember you talking about it once.”
About twenty minutes later, he showed up.
“Hello! Long time no see, Yuu. You’re still cute as ever. Lemme pat your head.”
The spiky-haired guy plopped himself down between Eu and me, immediately trying to make a pass on her.
I grabbed one of those horn-like spikes on Orito’s head and yanked it hard. “Touch her, and I’ll turn you into a zombie. So, did you bring it?”
“Of course!”
From an overstuffed paper bag, Orito pulled out a maid outfit and a headband.
That’s right. He once bragged about getting a maid outfit during cooking class.
This was just the thing for a punishment.
“Now that I think about it.” Sera raised her hand, her face as calm as the Buddha.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Didn’t you also go rogue?”
“When you put it that way, so did you.”
“Then you both need to be punished too,” Haruna said.
“Wait a second,” I said. “Haruna, you go rogue all the time.”
“Huh? I’m all good!”
“No, you’re not!”
“I knew this might happen, so I brought enough for everyone,” Orito said.
The paper bag was stuffed because it held four maid outfits.
“Why the hell is there one for me too?” My mouth twitched as Orito shoved a maid outfit into my hands. “O-Oh, Eu. Sera actually plays a mean violin. Sera, why don’t you grab your violin?”
“Understood. I’ll get it while I change.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Eu clapped her hands together.
Oh no. I had to do something, or I’d end up in a maid outfit, too. Fine. I’d unleash my sealed guitar technique!
“Eu, just wait a sec!”
I grabbed a dust-covered folk guitar from my dad’s study. Ah, this take me back.
Back then I practiced like crazy, thinking it would make me popular. All right, time to show off that forbidden routine!
I strutted back into the living room and struck the strings.
“Now, please enjoy my slow number!”
Haruna stared blankly. Eu gave me a slightly curious look.
“Ooone, twooo, threeee, fooour.”
I was playing numbers slowly for them. Get it? Ahahaha!
“…”
Huh?
Orito shook his head with pity, silently mouthing, “Yeah, no.”
“Eleveeen, tweeelve.”
Why?
“Thirty-siiix, thirty-seveeen.”
Why was no one saying anything? No quips whatsoever.
“All right, I’m gonna change too,” Haruna said. “Ayumu, hurry up and change, ‘kay?”
Okay.
And so, somehow, we ended up holding a concert in maid outfits. The whole thing felt bizarre. It reminded me of Tanabata. Back then, everyone wore ponytails.
After snapping a ridiculous number of photos, Orito went home, saying I could return the maid outfits later. He happily lent them out, since they were meant for Eu and Sera anyway.
We cleared the table, turned off the TV, and each of us picked up an instrument.
“So, what shall we play?” Sera rested her violin on her shoulder, the maid outfit emphasizing her chest.
Seeing a maid holding a violin, I couldn’t help grinning as I sat down and tuned my folk guitar.
“Obviously, Eine kleine Nachtmusik!”[1] Haruna stood tall, holding a keyboard harmonica, dressed in something close to a gothic lolita outfit.
“Don’t be ridiculous. How am I supposed to play that on a folk guitar?”
Eu stood idly at my side. The only same thing about her was her gauntlets, yet somehow, she didn’t feel any different from normal.
“You play the castanets, negamancer.”
With castanets strapped to both hands, Eu gave a small nod.
“Then, let’s play my original piece, Bronze Age Polyester.”
“You expect me to just be able to play an original song? Wait, that’s at least a step forward from the Neolithic era.”
“Then, how about Mondo Nakamura’s[2] theme?” Sera suggested.
“I don’t know that one. You sure like period dramas, don’t you?”
“What’s your original piece like?”
“It goes something like this.”
Haruna started to play her keyboard harmonica.
Oh? Not bad at all. It was a smooth, jazzy melody that soothed the mind.
“That was nice,” Sera said. “Then, how about each of us just plays however we like on top of that?”
“Sounds fun to me,” I said.
All right. Time to throw in some folk rock flavor. Just thinking about it got me excited.
“Okay, let’s start.”
Eu tapped out a beat on the castanets that almost sounded like drums. When Sera’s violin layered over it, the sound turned unexpectedly cheerful. Then came Haruna’s keyboard harmonica.
Matching the beautiful harmony played by the geniuses, I joined in with a smile, but for some reason, it didn’t come out folk rock at all.
Fine.
“Country toads! Take me foam!”
“Whoa, whoa. Stop, stop! Ayumu, your singing’s gross!” Haruna exclaimed.
“Nonsense!”
“No, it isn’t the singing,” Sera said. “It’s Ayumu that’s gross.”
“Since it’s not Japanese, I’ll give you some credit.”
We reset and tried again. Eu built the rhythm, Sera laid down the foundation, and Haruna’s notes wove across it.
“I belooong! Vest Virgeenia!”
“Quit singing already!”
“Let’s just play without Ayumu.”
“But you mostly got it right.”
I had no choice but to hum along silently in my head while the four of us played.
For our first time together, it blended shockingly well.
When we finished, Eu held up a note to me. “Sorry.”
“Hm? For what?” I asked.
“Because I had so much fun.”
Her gauntleted hand reached forward. Huh? Behind me?
I turned around and saw him. An elderly man with an impressive beard, his muscular frame stuffed into a black suit. He wore a hat and leaned on a cane.
Wh-What the hell?! Who just walks in here like that?!
“Grand Elder!”
Sera hurriedly summoned a black cloak and draped it over her maid outfit, then went down on one knee.
The old man looked incredibly imposing. If he was a Vampire Ninja, breaking in like this made sense.
“You must be here… to deliver my punishment.”
His eyes sharpened, and the mouth hidden under his beard moved. He exuded undeniable authority.
“Nah, it’s actually the opposite. Saras asked me to come, you see.”
This guy is ridiculously casual!
“Saras did?”
“Yup. She told me to forgive you, so here I am.”
Still holding his cane, he made a V sign with his wrinkled hand. Haruna tugged at his soft, gray beard.
“Haruna! What are you doing?!” Sera quickly pulled her away and prostrated herself.
“Is he some kind of bigshot?” I asked.
“Absolutely. You better watch yourself, Ayumu. Seeing you is gross as it is.”
The man cackled. “It’s fine. Anyway, your transgression has been forgiven, Seraphim.”
What a relief. So, Saras intended to repay her debt to Sera. Thanks to her, Sera’s life wouldn’t be in danger anymore. Thank goodness.
“Aren’t you supposed to give some kind of harsh trial in these cases?”
Keep your mouth shut, Haruna.
“Hmm… yeah. It didn’t quite sit well with me, either.”
No way.
“You will undergo a trial, Seraphim. Yeah, that sounds good.”
Aw, man. This matter was supposed to settle peacefully, but thanks to Haruna’s loud mouth, things were taking a bad turn.
“Understood.” Sera pressed her forehead to the floor. “I humbly accept.”
You could protest too, you know. Why does everything always go wrong?
“And on that note, there’s a perfect trial right now!” said Haruna gleefully, braiding the elder’s beard. “Apparently, not all of Big Teach’s magic bombs have been found.”
“Really? The last one is still out there?” I said.
“Nope, not one. Four.”
“Four?! That many?!”
“Do I have to find them?” Sera asked.
“Well, you could handle it with the Dragon Fang Thunder God Strike.” I buried my face in my hands, feeling embarrassed for blurting out the name I’d come up with myself.
“No worries,” Haruna said. “Ayumu’s the one doing it.”
Me?! How did this trial suddenly end up being mine?
“Bombs, you say! That’s serious business. Very disturbing indeed. Well then, I might as well ask for something while I’m at it.”
Haruna and the elder laughed heartily.
And just like that, a new wave of upheaval was about to unfold.
1. Eine kleine Nachtmusik is one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most famous compositions.
2. Mondo Nakamura is the iconic lead character of the long-running Japanese period drama series, Hissatsu Shigotonin, portrayed by actor Makoto Fujita.