Chapter 6: The Lady Who Couldn’t Dance

 

 

 

Chapter 6: The Lady Who Couldn’t Dance

 

DANCE? Wait, a dance contest?

Wouldn’t that put Lady Chouko, the quintessential lady, at a huge advantage?

Aritomo and I looked at each other, wondering if this was going to work out.

“You really know how to go for a person’s weak points, don’t you, Saku?”

“Chouko, you’re one to talk.”

They were both smiling, and yet their words were dripping with disdain.

“Huh? Wait, can Tsukuyomi not dance?” Aritomo’s loud question ripped through the ice storm blowing between the two of them. Too direct, as always.

“She has never danced in her life. Not once,” Mochizuki told us. The air in the room grew even tenser as he turned to Shinmyou. “You knew that, and yet you still suggested this?”

“Of course. Chouko knew what she was getting into when she allowed me to select a challenge, and so should have you,” Shinmyou said, a hint of animosity in the way he addressed Mochizuki. He had been so volatile toward me, and now it would appear his relationship with the others was strained as well.

I couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty about that, but I had no idea what to say.

“It’s all right, Urara. This is our problem to address,” Lady Chouko said gently, likely noticing my distress.

“Right. And if this is what you want, then I’m not going to stop you. Not like I ever could anyway,” Mochizuki said. His words were terse, but his tone still held the softness he clearly felt for Lady Chouko.

“All that’s left is the date. I want to say two weeks, but it looks like we’ll need three.”

“Three weeks?!” Aritomo exclaimed, trembling as she held up three fingers.

“Aritomo, do you not have any dance experience?” I asked.

“I studied it a little...but I skipped lessons a lot...”

It was obvious just by looking at her that this challenge was going to be tough on Aritomo. When I turned to Shinmyou, hoping to see if an extension were possible, he merely met my gaze with a grin.

“I promised you complete support, and I intend to do that promise justice. I have prepared a teacher and a practice venue. I expect the contest on the third Saturday in August to be very entertaining indeed,” Shinmyou said flatly.

We don’t stand a chance. Let’s just give it up, Aritomo.

☾☾☾

“WHY, oh why, did it have to be dance? I suck at it!” Aritomo cried out. At least she had waited for the others to leave. She had matured a bit. If this had been April...

“But seriously, Tsukuyomi’s never danced before? Can that really be true?”

It was a fair question. When Shinmyou had proposed the dance challenge, I wondered the same thing.

“Everyone said so,” I said. “Mochizuki stressed it more than anyone.”

“True. They did...”

The others had left us in the clubroom to hold our strategy meeting. Our tea had grown cold, so I made a new pot. After a sip of that rich flavor, I felt at ease. I turned to Aritomo.

“I know you said you hate it and aren’t good at it, but you have learned how to dance, right?” I asked point-blank.

She told me herself she had studied a variety of things all for the sake of this otome game, so I had to believe this was one of them.

“...I...”

“You?”

“I’ve...had a trial lesson...you could say...”

“You’ve barely studied it at all, then.”

“...Yeah.”

“Outside of piano, you haven’t studied any of it, have you? Not cooking or horseback riding? What about etiquette? English conversation? Tea making? Flower arranging? Dance? Just be honest with me, Aritomo!”

Aritomo was panting heavily, trying to steady her breathing as I awaited her response.

“But...I...”

“You?”

“I’m the heroine, damn it! My position as heroine means I should be good at everything!” she shouted defiantly.

So this baseless confidence was the reason she had pursued this competition. She was the heroine, therefore that should have guaranteed she would win every time.

“What have you been thinking since the competition started?” I pressed.

“Well...it hasn’t gone at all like I expected. I mean, I lost to you, even. I’ve started to feel as if being a part of this competition is pointless.”

Exactly.

“But...”

“But?”

“I started this competition to play out the role of the heroine from Moonlight Beauty, but...I don’t really know if I care about the love interests anymore.”

“Huh?”

Was she giving up on the otome game, then?

“Just listen to what I have to say,” she insisted, holding up her hand. “Ever since I started spending time with you and Tsukuyomi, I’ve had so much fun, laughed and cried so much, that I’d almost forgotten I was inside an otome game.”

“I thought you were doing this for your love interests,” I said, my face growing hot. “And if not, then why keep doing the challenges at all?”

“Because actually having friends has been fun on its own,” she muttered, looking away.

She really had changed. When we first met, all she cared about was the otome game, but somewhere along the way, she’d had a change of heart. Such as when she’d managed to put her faith in Roselila during the equestrian contest.

“Oh, but I mean I still wanna win. It is the fifth and final challenge, after all! So I wanna give it my best!”

That was the Aritomo I knew. I’d had no idea she’d been feeling this way. But if she was ready to give this last challenge all she had, then I would teach her every technique I knew.

“Wait... Urara, what’s that look in your eye...? I’m getting chills here!”

The Vices of Oboro Shimozuru

“I thought you’d refuse the dance contest, Chouko.”

I was impressed with Chouko for taking on the challenge, but I was also worried about whether it’d really be okay.

That’s why I’d used the pretext of returning a book to visit and ask point-blank. The response when I did only left me more in shock.

“Oboro, call me Kogetsu. No need to go to so much trouble in the privacy of my own room.”

“...Really?”

I sat down on his bed. It was the only other place, as he had just a bed and his desk. Not so much out of some pursuit of simplicity, but more so that he hadn’t bothered to get anything else.

“Okay, then. But why the change of heart, Kogetsu? You’ve gotten so stubborn lately.”

He had a bad habit of playing dumb even when he knew the answer, but he also seemed more reserved and even bashful about certain things than he ever had before.

“Whatever. It’s because of her, I’m sure, so I won’t push you any further.”

“It drives me nuts how you keep trying to force me to say it, even though you’ve already got it figured out.”

Well, looks like I was right on the money.

We’re the same age and have a lot in common. We’re close enough that we can often tell what the other is thinking. At times like this, though, it can be frustrating. The others, especially Saku, have had it drilled into their heads that they’re to protect and serve Kogetsu. So they wouldn’t dare go against him or Mitsuru. And Kogetsu knows that.

“But why would he choose to do this now?”

“You mean Saku?”

He got it.

“Huh? You don’t seem mad.”

Kogetsu didn’t really care much about anything, so his mood swings were hard to read, save for when he got really angry. When he got angry, it was a quiet, sullen anger.

“Not really. That’s par for the course for him. But I still haven’t forgiven him for what he did to Urara,” he said in a cold voice.

Whoa, scary.

She was somehow the only window into his true feelings. Urara Tendou. No matter how hard Saku investigated our classmate, he couldn’t find a thing to validate his suspicions.

She had been born and raised a commoner, with no record of studying horseback riding, piano, or dance. Especially weird was the way she carried herself.

“By the way, have you gotten any more information on Tendou?” I asked.

“...Information?”

“Come on, I don’t have the time for head games. Did she tell you why she’s so good at everything without even studying it?” I pressed.

It really is an obnoxious habit, the whole playing-dumb thing.

I began tapping my foot to show my irritation and finally got an answer out of him.

“I asked her, but she hasn’t given me an answer yet.”

“Oh, so you have tried to find out.”

Kogetsu was being surprisingly patient with her.

“It’s fine. I don’t want to force her,” he said softly.

The gentle look my childhood friend got on his face when he talked about her wasn’t something he could show out in public. It was a little shocking seeing how much love could change a person.

I heaved a slight sigh, which Kogetsu must have heard.

“You of all people shouldn’t be giving me crap about it right now. You know Mitsuru likes girls who are a little weird like her, so you’d better make your move while you have a chance.”

My heart pounded. I was at a loss for words.

I realized he was talking about Aritomo. I thought she was weird at first, too, but spending more time with her made me realize she was both tough and funny. Not only that, but the face she made when she was anxious about something was so cute, I could hardly stand it.

But it was clear from the start that she was more interested in Mitsuru. She even called him the Prince. I knew that, and so I tried not to get attached. Over time, he had become increasingly kinder to her.

Spurred on by the thoughts in my head, I rose from the bed. “Well, if you’re fine with all of this, then there’s nothing more for me to say. I’m not Mitsuru, but I say do what you want.”

“Yeah. I will,” Kogetsu said with a smile. His words held neither enthusiasm nor deceit, so I thought it might be a good time to leave and put my hand on the door.

I then turned back, and he gave me a look that asked “What are you still doing here?” So I blurted out what had been on my mind all along. “If the Tsukuyomi family ever tosses you out, you can come make your debut with us. You’ve got a lot to offer.”

“Ha! I’ll pass! Go scout Ui if you want someone.”

“You’re right.” I nodded, laughing, and left his room.

Anyway, don’t expect me to keep calling you Kogetsu when you’re dressed like Chouko, I thought, feeling jittery as I left his house.

☾☾☾

“THE most important thing when it comes to dance is posture.”

For some reason, Aritomo’s lips were twitching.

“U-Um, Urara?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Uh, how long do I have to keep this up— Ugggh!”

Aritomo and I had just started our lessons in the studio Shinmyou had promised us, but already she was full of nothing but complaints. I decided to start by teaching her proper posture, since we were far from ready for a professional instructor.

“All we’re doing is standing still.”

“What kind of training is standing still for two hours?!”

It had only been an hour and a half.

“Come on now, your posture is important.”

Shimozuru nodded in agreement.

What was he doing here anyway? He must have noticed I was staring at him.

“You need a partner for your dance lessons, don’t you?” he said, holding up his hand.

“Yes, we do, but is this really okay?”

I got the feeling we’d get an earful for having help from anyone other than our advisor.

“I got Saku’s permission, so it’s fine.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“He owed me one.”

I was a bit surprised to hear that, but the mischievous look on his face when he said it left me feeling as if I didn’t want to press him any further.

“All right, Oboro, you do the lesson, too, then!” Aritomo commanded.

“Shimozuru’s posture is good, so he doesn’t need to practice,” I stated.

“Whaat?!”

Her body seemed to be getting tired, but her mouth was moving just fine, so I decided she could handle another thirty minutes. I kept trying to encourage her, but I was also going to correct her when she needed it.

“You’re a monster.”

“Who is?”

“You are, Urara.”

So I was. What we were doing was exactly what I had been forced to do as a young child first learning to dance. I hadn’t realized it was so hard. Being a teacher is tough work.

“Aritomo, no leaning on the table for support.”

It was time for a break, but that didn’t mean she was allowed to slouch. As I was making tea at the tea corner they had provided us with, I decided to give her an etiquette lesson as well.

Her body trembled as she struggled to straighten out, but somehow, she managed.

“Hmph, I know, I know.”

“Try not to hold your teacup in both hands.”

“...Oh, shut UP already!”

It seemed that my kicking her while she was down had exhausted the last of her patience.

“I’m done for today!”

She leaped out of her chair and walked out the door of the studio, tottering as she went.

“Aritomo...”

Perhaps in my enthusiasm as a first time teacher, I had pushed her too hard.

“I’ll go get her!” Shimozuru exclaimed and rushed after her.

Left alone in the studio, I heaved a sigh and cleaned up. I felt a pair of eyes on me from the door.

“Chouko...”

“Oh, Urara, are you alone? I brought you all some refreshments,” she said, holding out a box of snacks. The moment I saw her, I burst into tears.

☾☾☾

“DON’T you think you’re pushing just a bit too hard?” Lady Chouko asked, gently comforting me after my shameful outburst.

“You’re probably right. Also...”

“Also?”

“This is a bit embarrassing, but this is the first time I’ve ever made a good friend. ...Perhaps I was too pushy.”

I was happy to have something to teach my friend, and so I forced my lessons on her without considering her feelings.

I had been arrogant and suddenly felt very guilty about how I treated Aritomo. As I stewed in my own self-loathing, Lady Chouko stroked my hair.

“But, Urara, I thought I was your first real friend,” she said, a bit sullen.

“Pardon...?”

“I asked to be your friend before she did... This is so not fair.”

“No, wait...”

I mean, she was right. She had asked to be my friend first, and I had said yes. Somehow we ended up in this competition, encouraging each other on even as we were on opposite sides. As time went on, we got closer.

I would be too embarrassed to be so honest with her about the uglier parts of me and be comforted in return if we weren’t real friends.

Even so, something didn’t feel right about calling her just a friend. I gazed up at her, still mired in my own gloom, and realized that today, her long hair was pulled back in one ponytail and she was wearing a simple outfit with shorts. I wasn’t used to seeing her out of her school uniform, so unexpectedly seeing her like this made me blush.

Her gaze as she peered directly into my face, with my cheeks reddening, was almost painful. Somehow I shook it off and told her how I felt.

“I’m sorry about the first-friend thing, Lady Chouko, but the truth is, I really like you!”

The second those words left my lips, her face glowed bright red, and with a smile that consumed her whole face, she responded, “Urara, so do I.”

Her face was radiant, and I suddenly became very anxious, desperate to run away. She repeated my name again, making me even more flustered, and when I looked up, I realized her face was right in front of mine. Nervous, I squeezed my eyes shut. Just then—

“Urara! I’m sorry! Really sorry!”

“Aritomo?!”

Aritomo charged into the room, slamming the door behind her, and rushed right toward me.

“I won’t complain anymore, so please keep training me. I really will give it my all this time!” Aritomo said with tears in her eyes. Her words moved me. I apologized as well for pushing too hard, and we promised to both do our best from then on.

“Ah, sorry! I wanted everyone to make up, but I didn’t mean to interrupt! Please don’t get mad!” Shimozuru begged Lady Chouko.

While Aritomo and I were hugging things out, we heard a verbal cold war breaking out behind us, but I couldn’t be sure what exactly had happened.

We decided instead to make a new practice plan.

“Posture is still important, but we’ll only work on that at the beginning of each day, then I’ll check it for you throughout.”

“Okay then, let’s use the rest of our time to practice our steps.”

Lady Chouko and Shimozuru watched us make up with smiles on their faces.

After Aritomo had run off, Shimozuru had gone after her to make sure she was okay. He tried to make her see that even though I was a bit harsh with her, what I was telling her was right, and that I wasn’t doing it just to pick on her or anything.

I was incredibly grateful to Shimozuru for smoothing things out between us and helping her understand what I failed to explain.

When I tried to express my gratitude to him, smiling broadly, Lady Chouko insisted I was just being polite because he had helped us and that there was nothing more to it.

“No, I like him, too,” I insisted.

“You don’t have to go that far,” she pouted.

Lately, her moods had been shifting rapidly. Was I weird for finding that somehow endearing?

“Wait, Tsukuyomi, is it really okay for you to be here? Won’t Saku get upset?”

It was a fair question.

“Oh, it’s all right. He set up this place to practice dancing, didn’t he? So why would he get mad about me being here?” she said, answering Aritomo’s question with another question, though not necessarily one rooted in sound logic. I wasn’t sure how the others felt, but I didn’t think Shinmyou would agree. I just didn’t want to see that volatile side of Lady Chouko again.

“Well, I can always step in if he has a problem,” Shimozuru said.

“Part of the debt he owes you?” I asked.

“Guess so,” he said with a wry grin. “That slip-up the day at the stables was pretty rough, y’know.”

He must have been referring to what was said during the horseback riding incident.

I hadn’t realized it was such a big secret. Aritomo knew as a result of the otome game, so I assumed it was just common knowledge.

“Do we really have to keep the fact that Tsukuyomi is heir to the family empire a secret?”

Why would Aritomo bring that up now? You were asked to act as if you never heard any of that.

Chouko and Shimozuru exchanged glances and chuckled.

“It’s not that big of a deal, not to me at least,” Lady Chouko said.

“What?! Then why was Shinmyou so upset about it?”

Shimozuru shrugged. “Saku seems to view it as earth-shattering if it gets out, but Chouko doesn’t see it that way,” he said nonchalantly.

“I don’t get it,” Aritomo responded.

“Hahaha, I know. But it would still be a pain if that info went public, so please keep it quiet. ...Especially for now,” Shimozuru said, putting a finger to Aritomo’s lips. As he did, her cheeks flushed. I pretended not to see that.

I brought out the tea set I had cleared away earlier and made a new pot of tea. With the snacks Lady Chouko brought along, we had a lovely afternoon tea party.

It was so relaxing that our troubles earlier seemed like a distant dream.

...Or at least they would have, if Shimozuru hadn’t started acting stranger and stranger.

“Besides, our group is full of flawed guys. One guy is smart but stuck in his stuffy ways, while another isn’t so intelligent but has a knack for things, while yet another is a good student but can’t read social cues. We’re just a group of problems.”

It seemed to be harsh criticism of his friends. He wasn’t naming names, but for the most part, we could tell who was who.

“Pff! What’s that supposed to mean? You’re acting so weird!” Aritomo, three times as cheerful as usual, cut in. Something was off about her, too. Concerned, I glanced at Lady Chouko, but she just tilted her head and stared back at me.

“Okay then, Oboro, what about you and Chouko? What about the Prince? How do you all stack up, then?”

Even the way Aritomo articulated her words was weird as she made a question mark gesture. She had even called Lady Chouko by her first name.

“Me? Well, I would be the boring one who has a knack for things. While Kogets—cough, cough!”

Lady Chouko cut him off before he could continue.

“What exactly are you trying to say, Oboro?”

Her lips were smiling, but her eyes definitely were not. She took her eyes off Shimozuru and instead inspected one of the chocolates she had brought as she spoke.

“Were these a little too strong, perhaps?”

“They’re whiskey bon-bons, right? They were quite good.”

In my past life, back in Lacrofine, we had chocolate treats with high alcoholic content like those, but these were much richer, full-bodied, and definitely tastier as well.

“Urara, you can really handle your alcohol, can’t you?” Lady Chouko said, glancing at me.

She sounded a little disappointed, but she was handling hers just as well. Almost too well.

“Well, what shall we do now?”

Aritomo and Shimozuru seemed to have talked themselves out, both suddenly falling flat on the table, apparently passed out.

“I suppose that’s it for today’s practice, then. I’ll call Aritomo’s family. Can you take care of Shimozuru, please?”

After clearing off the table, Lady Chouko suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Do you have to go home now?”

The way she asked me, her eyes gazing up into mine pleadingly, made my heart pound. The shorts she wore today in lieu of her school uniform really looked good on her.

“I’m heading home. I mean, there’s no point in staying...,” I replied, glancing at the door, but Lady Chouko continued to stare at me. She hesitated for a second.

“...Urara, why don’t we have a dance?”

“...Chouko...can you dance?”

I had been caught off guard by her request, so my response had been equally as strange. Mochizuki said she didn’t dance, but that didn’t exactly mean she couldn’t dance.

She had a difficult time with horseback riding because she didn’t get along well with animals. But with a little bit of practice, she was a capable rider, so it was clear she wasn’t lacking athletic skills. Actually, Mikazuki had insisted there were no sports other than horseback riding where Aritomo and I even had a chance against her.

Which meant that the only reason Lady Chouko hadn’t danced up to this point was because she didn’t want to.

Even so, why was she asking me to dance now? While my head teemed with these questions, my heart could focus on only one thing.

“You’d dance with me?” I asked her. As I did, she squeezed my hand tighter.

“I want to dance with you, Urara.”

The way she looked into my eyes made my face flush with heat.

As I gazed back at her, I realized her face was turning red, too. Her expression made me feel a bit bashful. I nodded back at her, and the second I did, I realized something.

“Oh! But we can’t!”

“Huh? Why not?” she asked, sounding shocked.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to. It was just...

“I hardly remember the steps for the guy part...”

Even if she could dance, there was no way Lady Chouko could manage the male part, right? Which meant the role would fall to me, and while I had done it for fun, I hadn’t practiced it all that much.

“I’ll practice the steps for that part on my own, so why don’t we try it another day?” I suggested, but Lady Chouko responded by placing her hand on her forehead and murmuring something. What was she saying? When she gazed up at me, it was as if she was peering into my soul.

“U-Urara!” she exclaimed.

“Y—”

“Hey! Your ride home is here.”

Another interruption. It seemed as though today was just not our day.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Mochizuki leaning against the wall with his arms folded for some reason.

“Mitsuru, what are you doing here?!”

“Did you not hear me? I came to take you home.”

“I didn’t ask you to,” Lady Chouko replied, sounding pouty, but Mochizuki didn’t seem to care. He strode over to the table and smacked Shimozuru on the cheek a few times to wake him up.

“Saku figured you would make your way here and asked me to come get you. You didn’t forget about the party tonight, did you?” he asked as he lent Shimozuru, who was still moaning in his sleep, his shoulder and dragged him to his feet.

“I didn’t...forget.”

Lady Chouko seemed as if she couldn’t care less about the party, but I implored her in my heart to keep her promise.

“Chouko, I promise I’ll practice, so let’s dance together next time.”

“Urara...”

“I’ll give it my all,” I said, clenching my fist with resolve. She heaved a resigned sigh.

“All right, then... But you really don’t have to practice, okay?”

“Why not?”

“Chouko, we need to go. The car is waiting,” Mochizuki pressed.

I thanked Lady Chouko.

“Somehow I always get the short end of the stick.”

Was that how he felt? Mochizuki’s words didn’t match his usual assertive demeanor, but I knew it might be tough for him, being entangled with Lady Chouko the way he was.

☾☾☾

“HEY, Kirara. Do you remember any of the dance steps I taught you when we were little?”

“Hwha? Ah...dance steps. Oh yeah. Maybe? I’m not sure.”

We had just finished dinner and were having salted rice cakes for dessert. Kirara chewed hers thoughtfully as she tilted her head. However, there was no confidence in her words.

When Kirara was a little girl and dreamed of being a princess, I would teach her simple dance steps. It was just for fun, but she seemed to enjoy it. Thinking back on those times made me realize I really had been harsh with Aritomo in comparison. I felt awful about it.

I had hoped that if Kirara remembered, she could help me practice the guy part, but that didn’t seem possible.

That’s too bad, I thought, tilting my head. All of a sudden, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“What is it, Haruto?”

“I remember.”

That was quite a shock.

Sure, I had taught him as well as Kirara, but it was more of a game for us. Still, it made me happy to hear that he remembered. He showed me the holding pose. His form was quite good.

“But what I need to practice is the guy part.”

“Come again?”

“Huh? What do you mean? Why?”

The two of them leaped on my response with rapt interest, but I didn’t see it as that big of a deal.

“I’m going to be dancing with a friend,” I responded.

“Ohh,” Kirara said flatly, and her attention drifted instead to an idol on the TV.

Haruto, however, looked unhappy.

“Are you...gonna be dancing with that Tsukuyomi friend of yours?”

Another surprise from Haruto. Come to think of it, he met her once. Still, did it really matter if I was?

“That’s right. What if I am?” I asked, trying to add a hint of mystery.

“No...never mind,” he responded, something lingering unsaid just beyond his words.

☾☾☾

IN the end, Lady Chouko and I weren’t able to have our dance.

“It was Saku’s decision to tell Mitsuru,” Shimozuru said in frustration, scratching his head apologetically. “Mitsuru said that as long as it’s only you two, it won’t get around. So just make sure not to tell anyone else. Not like I would have expected him to admit he was wrong,” he grumbled.

I understood then that Lady Chouko had been told to stay away, but was it really okay for Shimozuru to be here?

“Yeah, he said I could help out as Aritomo’s partner,” he said when I asked him.

We did need partners.

Summer break was well underway, so we practiced in the dance studio from the morning onward. Shimozuru was filling us in as we were doing our calisthenics.

He was clearly ready to fulfill his partner duties, showing up that day in a neat white shirt and black pants. It was an oddly appropriate complement to Aritomo’s loud pink jersey that would make anyone’s eyes sting.

Meanwhile, I was wearing a long, slightly worn cotton dress, but I figured it would be fine for dance practice.

“Aw, just you, Oboro? Then who will be Urara’s partner?”

Good point. Our teacher would be coming for one hour each day for the next week in the afternoons, but...

“...You don’t want to know...” He glanced my way with a guilty look in his eyes.

At that moment, a stern voice spoke up from by the door.

“I will handle that task.”

I recognized that voice and turned to see it was indeed Shinmyou. He looked a bit mysterious with his black shirt and black pants, an ensemble that gave him a sense of allure.

“I am your advisor, after all.”

“Hmph. You are our advisor...but I still don’t know if I trust you,” Aritomo said, her words accusatory.

“It doesn’t matter if you trust me or not. You still require a partner.”

That first part was directed at Aritomo, the latter part at me. With that, he held out his left hand. It was difficult for me to accept it without hesitation.

After all, I still hadn’t forgotten the pain that left hand had caused. However, thinking about how Lady Chouko and Mochizuki had punished him for it, I couldn’t just balk at his offer, either.

After giving it some thought, I took a step forward and faced him.

“Honestly, you haven’t done a very good job earning my trust. But if we’re to be partners, I do need to be able to put my faith in you. So...can you rebuild my trust?” I asked, offering my right hand.

Shinmyou wrinkled his brow for a moment before returning to his normal, cold expression and offering me his right hand instead.

“At the very least, I believe we can reach an understanding as dance partners. ...Let’s work hard together.”

His words didn’t seem very sincere. I accepted them just the same, but even so, I was feeling skeptical.

After learning the basic steps, we took advantage of the fact that we had partners and got straight to actual practice. I split my time on practicing and keeping an eye on Aritomo, as she was as reckless as ever. Still, I didn’t want to stumble into the same rut as last time.

“Please try to remember your posture while you’re performing each step.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I watched her but tried to minimize my comments. Getting the posture right was more important than the steps. We practiced the steps over and over in triple time. After a while, Aritomo’s arms and shoulders started to droop.

“Doesn’t instill confidence, does it?” Shinmyou commented in a prickly tone.

“I disagree,” I insisted. “Shimozuru supports her very well. And they both look like they are enjoying themselves.”

“...Pretty sure this is supposed to be a competition, not a dance in the park,” Shinmyou shot back.

“All the more reason.”

The two of them chatted happily, seemingly having a good time practicing.

The point of this contest wasn’t dancing as a competitive sport. I was sure that even someone with a discerning eye like our judge, Mochizuki, would prefer we made the dancing look easy over the minute details of each step.

I brought up the time with Mikazuki with a laugh, and immediately, Shinmyou got a sour look on his face.

“...You really have a way of annoying me,” he grumbled.

Oh, well, I hadn’t intended to. After all, I have my own reservations about you as well. I was beginning to regret having him as a partner, as it seemed unlikely he would win back my trust.

At that moment, Shinmyou offered me his right hand. “Would you do me the honor of this dance?” he asked, trying in his own way to lighten the mood. I had been so preoccupied looking after Aritomo that I hadn’t had a chance to dance with him yet.

He certainly came across as someone who knew how to escort a lady. According to Aritomo, Shinmyou was the sexy love interest, so I could see how he made the otome gamers swoon with lines like this.

“Yes. I look forward to dancing with you.” I accepted his hand without hesitation. He, however, seemed perplexed by my open acceptance. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll try something again?” he asked.

Compared with the things I got into in my past life, things that could result in my being cut down with a sword, there was little here that frightened me.

“The only thing I fear you could do to me here is step on my feet,” I responded honestly. “And that isn’t much to fear at all. So no, I’m not afraid.”

His narrowed eyes opened wide, and he bent over, holding his stomach as he laughed.

“Ah...right. Sorry to have asked. I’ll do my best not to step on your feet,” he said, pulling me into his arms.

The cold attitude Shinmyou had toward me up to that day seemed to have relaxed a bit, and it made me wonder if he had really undergone a change of heart in such a short time.

“Spin like a mummy...,” I thought I heard Shimozuru saying under his breath behind me, but I elected instead to focus on my own practice.

“Urara...you’re incredible...” Aritomo said in awe.

“Yeah. You’re really good,” Shimozuru agreed. “Like a pro.”

We were supposed to only be practicing our steps, but with my partner taking the lead, the steps flowed more and more naturally.

“It’s because Shinmyou is such a good leader,” I said.

In ballroom dancing, the male lead could make or break a dance, so if it seemed as though I was doing a good job, it was actually a reflection of Shinmyou’s skill. Actually, dancing with him was quite a pleasure. No wonder he was the love interest with the most sex appeal.

“No, you deserve credit as well,” Shinmyou chimed in. “This is the first time dancing with someone has been so enjo...so smooth for me.”

“No, no, it really is because of your prowess as the leader.”

“...Not at all, really, you...

“Aww, enough, enough! Stop trying to ‘out-modest’ each other!”

I wanted to respond that it wasn’t modesty, but Shimozuru had already pulled Shinmyou away in a panic, so it was clear the conversation was done.

I could hear some unsettling words of inquiry, so perhaps this way was better. Luckily, as all that was going on, the dance teacher arrived and began instructing Aritomo and me.

“This is how a professional teaches,” I said, thinking back on the mistakes I made during my earlier lessons. Our partners also joined us in our lessons. “It’s good that she’s been pointing out my flaws, too, so I can try to improve them during practice.”

“Flaws? Impossible for one who dances as well as you do.”

Yes. No matter how vital dance was for nobles like myself in my past life, I still was no professional.

Especially since Shinmyou was twenty centimeters taller than I was. Even with heels, there would still be a considerable height difference. The teacher warned me to be diligent in standing up straight while dancing with him. They caught me trying to stretch to match his height and warned me accordingly.

In my past life, most of my partners were shorter than I was.

My heart was suddenly overcome with nostalgia. Being called Annerosa, having partners who insisted I dance only with them...and after that, I...

“Hey, Urara, do you know that guy?”

“Pardon?!”

Aritomo’s voice brought me back to the present.

That hardly ever happened to me, but whenever I reminisced about my past life, it was as if part of my consciousness were spirited away.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” I said, offering an honest apology.

“Like I said, do you know him?” she repeated with a huff and jabbed her thumb at the door. Through the glass, I spied a familiar jersey.

“Haruto!”

“Who?” Aritomo responded in confusion as the door was yanked open. Standing there was my younger brother.

“Big Sister.”

“What are you doing here?”

I remembered telling him about the dance lessons but didn’t think I had told him where. I hadn’t intended to hide it, but since we were all practicing here, it would be inappropriate for a member of my family to show up.

I couldn’t hide the dissatisfaction in my voice, but Haruto was unaffected. He merely continued glancing around.

“Haruto?!”

I called out to him in a louder voice than before, and finally he looked at me.

“Where is he?”

“He who? Who are you looking for? No one is here but my friends and me.”

I wasn’t comfortable referring to Shinmyou as a friend, but it would have to do for now. How does that saying go? “The friend of my friend is also my friend”?

Haruto glanced at Shinmyou and narrowed his eyes.

“Haruto, let’s step out for a bit. We don’t want to disturb the others. They can’t practice with outsiders here,” I said, tugging on his sleeve, but he showed no intention of leaving.

I pulled on his sleeve once more, but peering into his wide eyes, I could see they were fixed on someone.

“Sakutarou...?”

“Do you know Shinmyou, Haruto?”

He had addressed Shinmyou by name. When Shinmyou spun around and looked at him, the wrinkles on Shinmyou’s forehead deepened and he heaved a small sigh.

Haruto stepped onto the dance floor without waiting for permission and planted himself in front of Shinmyou, glaring up at him.

Shimozuru was standing right next to him, and from the sullen look on his face, he seemed to understand what was happening here as well.

Still, Haruto was my younger brother, so I couldn’t have him disrupting everyone without cause. I rushed over to him and urged him to return home, but he merely continued to square off against Shinmyou without looking at me. This was the first time he had ever ignored me like this. I was aghast at his behavior.

“It’s been a while,” Shinmyou said to him gently. “Are you stronger now?”

“Stronger than you, Sakutarou.”

“Hmph. Even stronger than Ui?”

“I could probably take him.”

“You’re certainly confident.”

They were...talking about kendo, right? Haruto had been attending a kendo dojo since elementary school, so if they knew each other from there, this would all make sense, but...

“Anyway, where is he?”

“...He? To whom are you referring?”

There didn’t seem to be fond feelings of nostalgia between them.

“Can I say his name? Can I say it...in front of her?”

Who on earth was he talking about?

“Ahh, you guys, this is a touching reunion and all, but it’s time for everyone to go home.”

Shimozuru didn’t seem terribly sorry about breaking them up, but he was right. It was three p.m., and it seemed a good time to stop for the day.

However, neither Shinmyou nor Haruto seemed keen to take their eyes off the other. And it didn’t seem as though they were planning to forget about whomever they were discussing.

I reached out, ready to drag Haruto away so we could leave, but just then, someone else pulled my other arm in the opposite direction.

“All right then, Urara and I are leaving. You boys do what you want.”

“What? A-Aritomo?”

“Don’t forget to lock up, now!” Aritomo called out and dragged me off to the locker room.

“A-Ah, wait, Aritomo. I need to talk to Haruto...”

“Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine. I’ve got things of my own to talk to you about, so let’s go have some tea.”

She had my arm in a viselike grip. There was no way I could say no now.