Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu - Chapter 225

Chapter 225

The Inugami Clan

On his deathbed, ruthless pharmaceutical tyc.o.o.n, Inugami Sahei, is surrounded by his family, including three grown daughters, by three women he never married, as well as an outsider, Tamayo.

Two of his daughters are accompanied by their husbands and sons, but the oldest, Matsuko, is alone.

When he dies before identifying his heirs, the will cannot be read until all the family is present, so Matsuko sends for her son, Sukekiyo.

When Matsuko’s son, Sukekiyo, arrives, his face is obscured by a skintight, white latex mask which arouses the suspicions of the other family members until Sukekiyo rolls up his mask uncovering a horribly burned visage.

Sahei unexpectedly leaves the family fortune to the attractive Tamayo on the condition that she marry one of the Inugami grandsons – Sukekiyo, Suketake , or Suketomo – pitting blood against blood. If she doesn’t, she will forfeit the inheritance.

Foul play ensues.

Hmhmhmm~

Sitting on my little finger was a gorgeous, lovely, pink gold pinky ring.

During our free day in Paris the girls and I all bought one each together.

While Enjou had been giving me advice, Serikchan and the others had gone off to look for something we could remember the trip by.

In the end they went with the most adorable design. Little flowers lined up along the ring.

When we were middle schoolers we had bought matching necklaces for the trip. This time it was rings.

The proof of our relationship.

Wah, so happy~

I was sitting there on the bus from the airport in Rome, smirking as I looked at my hand, when Kikuno-chan asked if I was listening.

“I just heard, but they say Kaburagi-sama visited a jeweller in Paris,” she repeated.

“A jeweller!?”

What was he buying jewellery for?

“Kaburagi-sama was in a great mood this morning, wasn’t it? Could it be that he bought jewellery as a present for someone special?”

“Someone special!?” I shouted.

Geh!

Don’t tell me that because his date in Paris went smoothly he was planning on jumping straight to marriage!?

No, no, not even that guy could be so stupid.

…Right?

The terrible thing was that I couldn’t say for sure.

“What do you think, Reiksama?”

“Even if you ask me that…”

“Enjou-sama was there too.”

“Emjou-sama…? Then in that case, perhaps it was Enjou-sama who was buying a present for someone special,” I suggested.

Like an engagement ring for Yuiko-san.

“Enjou-sama!? Please no!” cried Kikuno-chan.

“Even if you tell me that…”

“Don’t you mind, Reiksama?”

“I suppose not.”

“Ehhh!? Well we mind! Right, Seriksan?!”

“Yes.”

“Uwah!” I squealed.

Staring out from between the gap in the chairs was Serikchan’s eye.

That’s scary, Serikchan.

You’re giving me the Shining flashbacks, okay!

“Could you ask Kaburagi-sama for us, please?”

“Eh!? Me!?” I exclaimed.

Why me!?

No way! Ask yourselves!

“You’re the only one who could ask about something like this. Pleaaaase, Reiksama.”

“Ah, but…”

“Reiksama~! We won’t be able to enjoy Rome if we don’t know!”

“Kikuno-san is right.”

“You think so too, don’t you, Seriksan?”

Ehhhhhhhh!?

…

And so that’s how, unable to refuse, when we arrived at the hotel lobby I found myself trudging towards Kaburagi.

I had to psyche myself up a little because he was literally surrounded by boys.

It didn’t take long for him to notice my approach.

“What’s wrong, Kisshouin?”

“Um, Kaburagi-sama, could I have a word…?”

“A word?” he asked.

We left his group and after a momentary frown his expression turned agreeable.

“I want to say yes, but we’re about to be a.s.signed our rooms. Come to the lounge in thirty. We’ll talk then.”

“Eh!? Just for a small chat!?”

“It’s not something that can be finished in a few words.”

I was planning to just find some pillar to stand behind to ask about what he was doing yesterday.

A few words would have been fine.

But before I even had a chance to stop him he walked back into his ring of boys and headed up the elevator.

Ehhh~!?

I had to come all the way down to the lounge just to hear about this pointless topic!?

Such a bother…

When I told the girls what happened, their eyes sparkled instead. “An invitation for tea…!”

That’s really not it.

After unpacking in my room I headed down to the hotel’s café lounge as per our one-sided agreement. Kaburagi was already waiting, and he raised a hand in greeting.

Sitting elegantly next to him was Enjou, who had a smile and a cup in his hand.

Mm? Why was he here?

“Masaya said he was having a secret rendezvous with you, and it sounded too interesting not to come,” he explained.

I sighed.

Even if you smile like that, it doesn’t look cute on a schemer like you.

No sooner had I sat down did Kaburagi shoot me a knowing look.

“Kisshouin. I know what you wanted to ask me,” he said smugly.

I was pretty sure that he didn’t.

Leaning in, he continued full of confidence.

“You wanted to ask me about my date in Paris, right!” he declared.

“Absolutely not.”

“Eh?”

See? You had no idea at all.

Wow, what was this look of shock? He looked like a pigeon knocked out of flight.

Hmm. Pigeons… My natural enemy…

“I heard that you were a patron at a Parisian jeweller yesterday.”

“Eh? Yeah, I went to one but?”

“Might I inquire about your purchase?”

“Huh? Why do I have to tell that to you?”

Right~?

I’m not asking you because I want to either. But you know, Serikchan and the others told me to, so…

“Ummm~ Although I do not believe it myself, could it be that you bought a present for her?”

“Her? Ohh, no, I didn’t.”

“Is that so.”

Haah, thank goodness.

My discipline might have no common sense, but I was glad to see he knew at least this much.

Still, if it wasn’t for Wakabchan then I wonder what it was. I couldn’t exactly go back to my group with nothing to show for it.

And so I sat there, staring at him silently.

Kaburagi scowled.

“Why do you even want to know?” he asked.

“A rumour has spread about your visit there, so I was asked to investigate.”

“What the h.e.l.l? Are you the reporter for a gossip magazine or something?”

Well that’s rude. Now I might just report that you two bought matching watches.

“Isn’t it fine?” Enjou said. “It’s not a big deal so you may as well tell her.”

Oooh, good job, Enjou! …Ah, but am I going to owe him another favour for this?

Enjou was like an amoral loan-shark. His interest rates were frightening.

Kaburagi just sighed.

“Fine. I just went there to pick up a watch for my mother. She left it there for repairs last month.”

“Eh? Is that all?”

“That’s all. It’s an antique, so only the main store in Paris had the experts for it.”

What the heeeck~ So it was just an errand for mummy in the end?

“I see. And you bought nothing else then?”

“Yeah.”

“And Enjou-sama, if I might ask?”

“Me? I didn’t buy anything either.”

Realllly now~? No presents for Yuiko-san~?

Uwa! The intensity from his smile just…! Okay, okay, I’ll believe you!

…But maybe I could spread a rumour about…

“Please don’t make up stories, Miss Reporter.”

He read my mind!?

“Thank you very much for telling me. Well then, please excuse me.”

I had what I needed so I promptly made to leave.

“Wait, wait!” Kaburagi stopped me.

What is it?

“This ain’t right. We haven’t even gotten to the main topic yet! Don’t you want to know about it? How my Paris date went!”

“No, not particularly,” I said frankly, and was treated to a wide-eyed Kaburagi.

By his side, Enjou stifled a laugh.

“…Don’t you want to know? You want to know, right?”

“No, not particularly.”

“You don’t have to be shy. Don’t you want to know?”

“No, not particularly.”

Wow, what an unhappy look. Did want to tell me about his fun date with Wakabchan that badly?

“…You’re my strategist. It’s your duty to know!”

“And as I have said before, I have no recollection of accepting that role.”

“…Isn’t your hair a G.o.d of love? It’s your duty to know!”

“And you have never left any offerings.”

What was with that pout.

Was he sulking or something?

What a gwumpy wittle boy, you are~

I wonder if he’d hit me if I said that.

“Now, now, we gave you some information too, so couldn’t you go along with Masaya for a bit?” Enjou persuaded. “As for those offerings, would the desserts from this café do? Tiramisu maybe? Would you prefer panna cotta? Shall I order both?”

Tiramisu is a coffee-flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa.

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings.

Uuu, tempting me with sweet things was cheating.

But since I was in Rome, I did want to try both…

Hang in there, Reika.

It’ll be dinner soon, and there are people watching.

Console yourself with just the tiramisu.

Enjou smiled. “A reporter for a gossip magazine, the host of a hair G.o.d of love. You sure have a lot of t.i.tles, Kisshouin-san.”

Shush, you.

Both of those were just forced on my by your best friend.

Oh! The tiramisu was coming!

Itadakimaaasu~

“Alright. You’ve had your offering, right? So anyway, about my date in Paris-”

“What a sudden transition,” I said.

“It’s all he’s been talking about,” said Enjou. “It’s actually endless.”

“Shut up, Shuusuke.”

“Fine, fine. Sorry for making you listen to this, Kisshouin-san.”

Kaburagi clicked his tongue before continuing.

“I did as you said and changed taxis to give everyone the slip, and met up with Takamichi where we promised.”

“It might be best not to mention her name here,” I advised.

“…Fine. Anyway, we met and then I led the way to the patisserie I mentioned. They were really happy. They said that they had fun the whole time.”

A gentle look replaced his normally severe expressions. He seemed really happy~

And wow, this tiramisu was pretty good~

“When we were in j.a.pan they gave me a list of cakes that they wanted to try. They seemed so excited, asking if I thought they could go here or there while we were on the trip.”

“Ohh~”

He was trying to cover it with his fist, but I could still see him smirking like an idiot.

“We tried different flavours of macarons and talked about which one was best. Then since there were still too many things they wanted to try we ended up sharing them…”

By now the smirk he was trying to hide had turned into a full-blown grin.

Sharing a cake between two people was a nice, sweet, romantic cliché after all.

“Since the day after tomorrow is another free day, we’re planning to sneak off and try dessert touring again, you know. Today she said to me, ‘I had so much fun. Every one of the stores you recommended was delicious!’. Geez, that girl.”

“Ohh~”

His little date in Paris was an even better success than I’d expected.

The cool Emperor of Zui’ran was practically dancing for joy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he screamed ‘La vie en rose!’ at any moment.

That might have been what he did last night, actually.

“They loved the chocolat too. There are some good places in j.a.pan, so I’m thinking of inviting them when we get back…

“As for good gelato places in Rome…

“They said they wanted to try pizza too, so I could take them to…”

Since I’d finished the tiramisu, I was wondering if I could head back to my room now.

Next to the gushing Emperor, Enjou was sipping at his cappuccino like it was none of his business.

Was this what he went through last night…? Friends could be such a pain sometimes.

After a while, Kaburagi had finally stopped to catch his breath so it was time to leave.

Oh? You still haven’t talked enough?

Well that’s none of my business. I’ve listened enough to make up for the offering already.

Just as I had gotten out of my seat, Enjou whispered into my ear.

“Rather than a couple, don’t you think that going around and touring dessert places sounds more like two girlfriends?”

d.a.m.ned venomous schemer.

When I got back to my room I let the girls know that it was just an errand for mummy.

After our grade all had dinner together, for some reason Kaburagi pa.s.sed me a box of a.s.sorted macarons on the way back.

Ladurée. 75 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France btw.

“Since you said you needed offerings, here, I’m sharing the joy. These are the macarons that they said were particularly delicious. Besides these there’s also…”

Apparently he was going to use the macarons as an excuse to talk about Wakabchan some more.

The way back to the hotel was filled with more of his sugar-sweet nonsense.

Enjou was right. It really was endless.

Speaking of Enjou…

He was standing a ways away, waving at me with a smile.

So he escaped.

Anyway, thanks to all of this, for the next few days there was a rumour that Kaburagi had been talking to me joyously after handing me a gift.

Such a nuisance!

Incidentally, the dessert for dinner that night was tiramisu.

I should have gone for the panna cotta…!

As for the macarons, I shared them with the girls.

Today we were sightseeing in Rome.

Amongst the places we visited were the Roman Forum,

the Mouth of Truth,

the Pantheon,

and the Colosseum.

The whole day was packed with famous landmarks.

The Mouth of Truth had a huge line in front of it, so I decided not to stick my hand in it this time.

It wasn’t like anything happened once you’d stuck your hand in, so doing it once in my life had been enough.

Unlike me, this was Wakabchan’s first time in rome, so I spotted her in line with a camera in hand.

When we pa.s.sed by the Trevi Fountain I throw in two coins just to be safe.

An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. The money has been used to subsidise a supermarket for Rome’s needy.

Please grant me marriage with somebody I love! Please grant me a fulfilling love life!

I want to go on a date where I share food with the boy I like too!

Ah! We were in a Christian country right now, but I’d forgotten to put my hands together when I prayed.

Yesterday I said that Kaburagi’s Paris date was really more like a date between two girl friends, but the truth was I was envious of him.

It was too jealousy-inducing for the Chief of the Forever Alone village…

Moving on though, Rome sure was brown-coloured. At least that’s the image I got.

Maybe it was all the historical ruins.

If Paris was Kyoto, then I guess that made Rome Nara.

Anybody who was a fan of Imperial Roman history was sure to be drooling.

But wasn’t the culture of ancient Rome a bit too intense?

Like, the ancient Romans would eat up until they were full. But instead of stopping, they’d shove a peac.o.c.k feather down their throats, throw it all up, all so that they could enjoy more of the food.

Like, the ancient Romans would eat up until they were full. But instead of stopping, they’d shove a peac.o.c.k feather down their throats, throw it all up, all so that they could enjoy more of the food.

Who came up with that. It was such a gluttonous concept that it was kind of disturbing…

But the Vatican was nice.

The St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel were both solemn and amazing.

Designed princ.i.p.ally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world.

The Pietà is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.

The Pieta was amazing, and the paintings on the ceiling were overwhelming.

The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art.

The only downside was that there were so many people it was hard to just take your time and look. It was one of those places you could spend a whole day in.

As a postage stamp collector I couldn’t resist the allure of the beautiful Vatican-exclusives. Since that was the case, I was going to use them to send air mail back to everyone in j.a.pan.

Of course I’d be back in the country before the mail arrived, but if you visit the Vatican you just have to get some stamps, right~?

Who could resist sending mail from here?

The day before I’d gone to buy some lovely postcards from a store near out hotel.

They were of the paintings in the Vatican, and already had everyone’s addresses and my messages to them.

I had expressly prepared them so that all I needed to do now was put on a postage stamp and send them.

Ideally I’d have bought the postcards inside the Vatican City, but it would just be hard to find the time to write all my messages here~

Maybe I could just buy some of them as souvenirs.

Waah, there were so many pretty postage stamps.

I’m gunna bring a bunch of you back for memories.

My blood as a stamp collector was just boiling~

Gosh, they were just drawing me in!

This was the one I’d bought last time, wasn’t it. But this one, I don’t think I had…

Was it new?

Angel postcards were just perfect for Yukino-kun and the kids!

As for Oniisama and Ririna, I’d go with the holy mother and child.

And I loved how beautiful this one was.

I’d go with St. Peter’s Basilica for Otousama and Okaasama.

Sakurchan, Aoi-chan, and my mother friends though… I think I’d go with paintings for them after all.

Finally, I’d send a few to myself in secret, too.

‘Dear Reika,How are you?’

“Kisshouin-saaaan. It’s time for our cla.s.s to meet up,” called Satomi-kun.

“Okaaaay,” I called back.

Sorry, Satomi-kun. I’m supposed to be a cla.s.s rep too.

“Say, Kisshouin-san, are you going to see any of the catacombs tomorrow?”

As if, idiot!

What do you mean ‘it’ll be super fun, we’ll get to see mountains of skeletons’?

Satomi-kun was definitely doing this on purpose, wasn’t he!?

Maybe instead of purifying my room I should use what was left of my salt on Satomi-kun…

“Hmm? Kisshouin-san, together some of the curls on the back of your head turn into the number of the beast, you know? Isn’t that pretty bad here in the Vatican?”

…I’ve decided.

I’ll throw the rest of my salt at Satomi-kun!

The next day was free time.

Naturally we weren’t going to anywhere dreadful like a catacomb, and instead we had enjoying delicious Italian food, and shopping planned.

“Pizza is just a must in Rome, isn’t it~?”

“There was a great place I ate at the last time I was in Rome.”

“Should we go there, then?”

While we were walking along and having fun, sometimes people whistled at us, or messed around and said “Hey! j.a.panese!” or “Pizza? Pizza?”.

It was uncomfortable.

We were basically on the doorstep of the headquarters for Christianity across the world, so why were these guys messing around when it wasn’t even noon yet?

Stop saying ‘siesta, siesta’ and get to work!

We went to a trattoria that was well-known for its pizza and ordered amatriciana and margherita, before heading to the Piazza di Spagna for some gelato.

Next was tiramisu!

Once ours stomachs were sated it was time for shopping.

I decided to get Akimi-san some olive oil.

And I just wanted to buy all the cheese, from Pecorino Romano, to Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of cheese!

I’d even heard stories about some of the banks around Italy storing Parmigiano-Reggiano in their vaults. I wonder how true they were.

As for sweets, since I’d already gotten a bunch in Paris I decided to lay off a little.

Not on the gianduja, though.

Gianduja or gianduia is a sweet chocolate spread containing about 30% hazelnut paste, invented in Turin during Napoléon’s regency.

Had to get that.

Wah! Stylish Italian stationery! I wanted sealing wax!

And the rose seal was just fashionable beyond belief!

I had to get one that said ‘R’!

Isn’t sealing letters with wax stamps just so ‘aristocrat’~!?

And the bottles of scented ink were just so cute.

I could get a gla.s.s pen and then give them together as a souvenir.

Maybe I ought to buy a quill too?

“We bought too much, didn’t we, Reiksama?”

“Quite…”

My arms were being torn off.

On the last night of the trip we gathered in a room together and lounged around in masks, since the air in Europe had been a bit dry.

By now, we were all pretty beat.

“The scheduled was a bit packed, but it was fun, wasn’t it.”

“It really was. But it would’ve been nice to stay in each country a bit more.”

“Let’s all go again together. We can make it our graduation trip.”

Graduation trip! I wanted in!

I shot to my feet.

“A splendid idea! A graduation trip! Shall we go?” I said.

“We should! Where do you want to go, Reiksama?”

“Hmmm. Just Paris or London again would be fine too, but how about Spain or Northern Europe? If we go to Italy, then what if we visited Milan or Florence?”

“I want to go to Venice too.”

Venice, huh?

It was a minor dream of mine to ride on a gondola with my sweetheart.

I’d be holding up a fancy parasol by his side, as he smiled gently and whispered sweet nothings in my ear. My future lover.

How dreamy.

“Gondolas come to mind, and the boat trip down the Seine was great fun, wasn’t it?”

“It was! I’m glad we went.”

Me too. It was a bit cold, but it was a great time.

“Quite a few others took the boat tour as well.”

They did. But I’d been hearing stories about couples forming because of it, in quite a few cla.s.ses.

Unforgiveable…

In the end, I didn’t have a single romantic encounter during the whole trip.

Not even a single boy had suggested spending a free day together as a group.

Even the Kaburagi-obsessed Tsuruhansan’s group had enjoyed a Parisian sidewalk café with some boys.

I thought I had heard her laughing at me when we walked past that. I wonder if I was just hallucinating because of my inferiority complex…

So later, when I spotted Kemari Dainagon trying to talk to girls at the Piazza di Spagna, I made a beeline for him and stood right between them to get in his way. Kekeke.

But anyway, people did say that the couples that formed on trips like these broke up soon enough. It was just temporary, I bet.

They’d definitely be returning to my village soon enough.

Hohohoho.

“Are you okay, Reiksama? You started glaring into the distance…”

Ah, oh my. I accidentally let my jealousy show.

Since my mask had set in, it was time to peel it off.

Let’s see, how was my skin doing?

I was just about to marvel at how glossy my skin looked when I was. .h.i.t with a horrifying discovery.

“It’s gone…! My urna is gone!”

Impossible!

I looked over my hairline, again and again.

No way…!

It was really gone!

My symbol of good fortune, my urna!

Back when my eyebrows had gone partially bald I received this symbol of fortuna in return, so why was it gone now!?

“What’s the matter, Reiksama!?”

“What’s gone?”

“My urna is gone! The urna I had growing on my forehead!” I desperately explained.

When had it disappeared!?

Had I taken it off along with the mask!?

But it was just a sheet mask! It shouldn’t have pulled anything off!

“What’s an urna…?”

“No idea…”

“It’s like a long white hair, apparently.”

“Ah, like those old man eyebrows?”

No!

You’re thinking of a Taoist immortal!

The urna the curly one that Lord Shakyamuni has!

And strictly speaking the colourless hair I had wasn’t an urna but a blessed hair!

A curse comes home to roost…

Is this because I was too envious of the people in the Fulfilling Romance Village that my good fortune ran away!?

Was this an omen for worse luck in romance when I got back to j.a.pan!?

“Now, now. Calm down, Reiksama.”

“You must be tired, Reiksama. Come on, it’s time to sleep.”

“But, my urna…! My blessed hair…!”

“Everything’s going to be *juuust fine~”

Still wearing their masks, Serikchan and the others pushed me into bed before surrounding it on all sides.

“It’s bedtime~ There’s a good girl~” they cooed, waving their hands back and forth.

Eh!? Was this some sort of black ma.s.s!?

“U-Umm…” I tried.

“Everything’s going to be juuust fine, Reiksama~ It’s time for bed now.”

“Reiksama is very tired. Sleep~ Sleep~”

“It’s okay, Reiksama~ Sleep~”

And so there I was, laying in a dark room, surrounded by a group of singing Sukekiyo’s.

What did I do now?

Could it be that Serikchan and the others were actually part of some demonic cult?

Were they here for the 666 in my hair?

I’d already used all of my purifying salt.

And I had no urna to protect me.

I was helpless!

The Inugami Clan On his deathbed, ruthless pharmaceutical tyc.o.o.n, Inugami Sahei, is surrounded by his family, including three grown daughters, by three women he never married, as well as an outsider, Tamayo. Two of his daughters are accompanied by their husbands and sons, but the oldest, Matsuko, is alone. When he dies before identifying his heirs, the will cannot be read until all the family is present, so Matsuko sends for her son, Sukekiyo. When Matsuko s son, Sukekiyo, arrives, his face is obscured by a skintight, white latex mask which arouses the suspicions of the other family members until Sukekiyo rolls up his mask uncovering a horribly burned visage. Sahei unexpectedly leaves the family fortune to the attractive Tamayo on the condition that she marry one of the Inugami grandsons Sukekiyo, Suketake , or Suketomo pitting blood against blood. If she doesn t, she will forfeit the inheritance. Foul play ensues. Hmhmhmm Sitting on my little finger was a gorgeous, lovely, pink gold pinky ring. During our free day in Paris the girls and I all bought one each together. While Enjou had been giving me advice, Serika chan and the others had gone off to look for something we could remember the trip by. In the end they went with the most adorable design. Little flowers lined up along the ring. When we were middle schoolers we had bought matching necklaces for the trip. This time it was rings. The proof of our relationship. Wah, so happy I was sitting there on the bus from the airport in Rome, smirking as I looked at my hand, when Kikuno chan asked if I was listening. I just heard, but they say Kaburagi sama visited a jeweller in Paris, she repeated. A jeweller What was he buying jewellery for Kaburagi sama was in a great mood this morning, wasn t it Could it be that he bought jewellery as a present for someone special Someone special I shouted. Geh Don t tell me that because his date in Paris went smoothly he was planning on jumping straight to marriage No, no, not even that guy could be so stupid. Right The terrible thing was that I couldn t say for sure. What do you think, Reika sama Even if you ask me that Enjou sama was there too. Emjou sama Then in that case, perhaps it was Enjou sama who was buying a present for someone special, I suggested. Like an engagement ring for Yuiko san. Enjou sama Please no cried Kikuno chan. Even if you tell me that Don t you mind, Reika sama I suppose not. Ehhh Well we mind Right, Serika san Yes. Uwah I squealed. Staring out from between the gap in the chairs was Serika chan s eye. That s scary, Serika chan. You re giving me the Shining flashbacks, okay Could you ask Kaburagi sama for us, please Eh Me I exclaimed. Why me No way Ask yourselves You re the only one who could ask about something like this. Pleaaaase, Reika sama. Ah, but Reika sama We won t be able to enjoy Rome if we don t know Kikuno san is right. You think so too, don t you, Serika san Ehhhhhhhh And so that s how, unable to refuse, when we arrived at the hotel lobby I found myself trudging towards Kaburagi. I had to psyche myself up a little because he was literally surrounded by boys. It didn t take long for him to notice my approach. What s wrong, Kisshouin Um, Kaburagi sama, could I have a word A word he asked. We left his group and after a momentary frown his expression turned agreeable. I want to say yes, but we re about to be a.s.signed our rooms. Come to the lounge in thirty. We ll talk then. Eh Just for a small chat It s not something that can be finished in a few words. I was planning to just find some pillar to stand behind to ask about what he was doing yesterday. A few words would have been fine. But before I even had a chance to stop him he walked back into his ring of boys and headed up the elevator. Ehhh I had to come all the way down to the lounge just to hear about this pointless topic Such a bother When I told the girls what happened, their eyes sparkled instead. An invitation for tea That s really not it. After unpacking in my room I headed down to the hotel s caf lounge as per our one sided agreement. Kaburagi was already waiting, and he raised a hand in greeting. Sitting elegantly next to him was Enjou, who had a smile and a cup in his hand. Mm Why was he here Masaya said he was having a secret rendezvous with you, and it sounded too interesting not to come, he explained. I sighed. Even if you smile like that, it doesn t look cute on a schemer like you. No sooner had I sat down did Kaburagi shoot me a knowing look. Kisshouin. I know what you wanted to ask me, he said smugly. I was pretty sure that he didn t. Leaning in, he continued full of confidence. You wanted to ask me about my date in Paris, right he declared. Absolutely not. Eh See You had no idea at all. Wow, what was this look of shock He looked like a pigeon knocked out of flight. Hmm. Pigeons My natural enemy I heard that you were a patron at a Parisian jeweller yesterday. Eh Yeah, I went to one but Might I inquire about your purchase Huh Why do I have to tell that to you Right I m not asking you because I want to either. But you know, Serika chan and the others told me to, so Ummm Although I do not believe it myself, could it be that you bought a present for her Her Ohh, no, I didn t. Is that so. Haah, thank goodness. My discipline might have no common sense, but I was glad to see he knew at least this much. Still, if it wasn t for Wakaba chan then I wonder what it was. I couldn t exactly go back to my group with nothing to show for it. And so I sat there, staring at him silently. Kaburagi scowled. Why do you even want to know he asked. A rumour has spread about your visit there, so I was asked to investigate. What the h.e.l.l Are you the reporter for a gossip magazine or something Well that s rude. Now I might just report that you two bought matching watches. Isn t it fine Enjou said. It s not a big deal so you may as well tell her. Oooh, good job, Enjou Ah, but am I going to owe him another favour for this Enjou was like an amoral loan shark. His interest rates were frightening. Kaburagi just sighed. Fine. I just went there to pick up a watch for my mother. She left it there for repairs last month. Eh Is that all That s all. It s an antique, so only the main store in Paris had the experts for it. What the heeeck So it was just an errand for mummy in the end I see. And you bought nothing else then Yeah. And Enjou sama, if I might ask Me I didn t buy anything either. Realllly now No presents for Yuiko san Uwa The intensity from his smile just Okay, okay, I ll believe you But maybe I could spread a rumour about Please don t make up stories, Miss Reporter. He read my mind Thank you very much for telling me. Well then, please excuse me. I had what I needed so I promptly made to leave. Wait, wait Kaburagi stopped me. What is it This ain t right. We haven t even gotten to the main topic yet Don t you want to know about it How my Paris date went No, not particularly, I said frankly, and was treated to a wide eyed Kaburagi. By his side, Enjou stifled a laugh. Don t you want to know You want to know, right No, not particularly. You don t have to be shy. Don t you want to know No, not particularly. Wow, what an unhappy look. Did want to tell me about his fun date with Wakaba chan that badly You re my strategist. It s your duty to know And as I have said before, I have no recollection of accepting that role. Isn t your hair a G.o.d of love It s your duty to know And you have never left any offerings. What was with that pout. Was he sulking or something What a gwumpy wittle boy, you are I wonder if he d hit me if I said that. Now, now, we gave you some information too, so couldn t you go along with Masaya for a bit Enjou persuaded. As for those offerings, would the desserts from this caf do Tiramisu maybe Would you prefer panna cotta Shall I order both Tiramisu is a coffee flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers savoiardi dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. Panna cotta is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. Uuu, tempting me with sweet things was cheating. But since I was in Rome, I did want to try both Hang in there, Reika. It ll be dinner soon, and there are people watching. Console yourself with just the tiramisu. Enjou smiled. A reporter for a gossip magazine, the host of a hair G.o.d of love. You sure have a lot of t.i.tles, Kisshouin san. Shush, you. Both of those were just forced on my by your best friend. Oh The tiramisu was coming Itadakimaaasu Alright. You ve had your offering, right So anyway, about my date in Paris What a sudden transition, I said. It s all he s been talking about, said Enjou. It s actually endless. Shut up, Shuusuke. Fine, fine. Sorry for making you listen to this, Kisshouin san. Kaburagi clicked his tongue before continuing. I did as you said and changed taxis to give everyone the slip, and met up with Takamichi where we promised. It might be best not to mention her name here, I advised. Fine. Anyway, we met and then I led the way to the patisserie I mentioned. They were really happy. They said that they had fun the whole time. A gentle look replaced his normally severe expressions. He seemed really happy And wow, this tiramisu was pretty good When we were in j.a.pan they gave me a list of cakes that they wanted to try. They seemed so excited, asking if I thought they could go here or there while we were on the trip. Ohh He was trying to cover it with his fist, but I could still see him smirking like an idiot. We tried different flavours of macarons and talked about which one was best. Then since there were still too many things they wanted to try we ended up sharing them By now the smirk he was trying to hide had turned into a full blown grin. Sharing a cake between two people was a nice, sweet, romantic clich after all. Since the day after tomorrow is another free day, we re planning to sneak off and try dessert touring again, you know. Today she said to me, I had so much fun. Every one of the stores you recommended was delicious . Geez, that girl. Ohh His little date in Paris was an even better success than I d expected. The cool Emperor of Zui ran was practically dancing for joy. I wouldn t be surprised if he screamed La vie en rose at any moment. That might have been what he did last night, actually. They loved the chocolat too. There are some good places in j.a.pan, so I m thinking of inviting them when we get back As for good gelato places in Rome They said they wanted to try pizza too, so I could take them to Since I d finished the tiramisu, I was wondering if I could head back to my room now. Next to the gushing Emperor, Enjou was sipping at his cappuccino like it was none of his business. Was this what he went through last night Friends could be such a pain sometimes. After a while, Kaburagi had finally stopped to catch his breath so it was time to leave. Oh You still haven t talked enough Well that s none of my business. I ve listened enough to make up for the offering already. Just as I had gotten out of my seat, Enjou whispered into my ear. Rather than a couple, don t you think that going around and touring dessert places sounds more like two girlfriends d.a.m.ned venomous schemer. When I got back to my room I let the girls know that it was just an errand for mummy. After our grade all had dinner together, for some reason Kaburagi pa.s.sed me a box of a.s.sorted macarons on the way back. Ladur e. 75 Av. des Champs lys es, 75008 Paris, France btw. Since you said you needed offerings, here, I m sharing the joy. These are the macarons that they said were particularly delicious. Besides these there s also Apparently he was going to use the macarons as an excuse to talk about Wakaba chan some more. The way back to the hotel was filled with more of his sugar sweet nonsense. Enjou was right. It really was endless. Speaking of Enjou He was standing a ways away, waving at me with a smile. So he escaped. Anyway, thanks to all of this, for the next few days there was a rumour that Kaburagi had been talking to me joyously after handing me a gift. Such a nuisance Incidentally, the dessert for dinner that night was tiramisu. I should have gone for the panna cotta As for the macarons, I shared them with the girls. Today we were sightseeing in Rome. Amongst the places we visited were the Roman Forum, the Mouth of Truth, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum. The whole day was packed with famous landmarks. The Mouth of Truth had a huge line in front of it, so I decided not to stick my hand in it this time. It wasn t like anything happened once you d stuck your hand in, so doing it once in my life had been enough. Unlike me, this was Wakaba chan s first time in rome, so I spotted her in line with a camera in hand. When we pa.s.sed by the Trevi Fountain I throw in two coins just to be safe. An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. The money has been used to subsidise a supermarket for Rome s needy. Please grant me marriage with somebody I love Please grant me a fulfilling love life I want to go on a date where I share food with the boy I like too Ah We were in a Christian country right now, but I d forgotten to put my hands together when I prayed. Yesterday I said that Kaburagi s Paris date was really more like a date between two girl friends, but the truth was I was envious of him. It was too jealousy inducing for the Chief of the Forever Alone village Moving on though, Rome sure was brown coloured. At least that s the image I got. Maybe it was all the historical ruins. If Paris was Kyoto, then I guess that made Rome Nara. Anybody who was a fan of Imperial Roman history was sure to be drooling. But wasn t the culture of ancient Rome a bit too intense Like, the ancient Romans would eat up until they were full. But instead of stopping, they d shove a peac.o.c.k feather down their throats, throw it all up, all so that they could enjoy more of the food. Who came up with that. It was such a gluttonous concept that it was kind of disturbing But the Vatican was nice. The St. Peter s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel were both solemn and amazing. Designed princ.i.p.ally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. The Piet is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter s Basilica, Vatican City. The Pieta was amazing, and the paintings on the ceiling were overwhelming. The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art. The only downside was that there were so many people it was hard to just take your time and look. It was one of those places you could spend a whole day in. As a postage stamp collector I couldn t resist the allure of the beautiful Vatican exclusives. Since that was the case, I was going to use them to send air mail back to everyone in j.a.pan. Of course I d be back in the country before the mail arrived, but if you visit the Vatican you just have to get some stamps, right Who could resist sending mail from here The day before I d gone to buy some lovely postcards from a store near out hotel. They were of the paintings in the Vatican, and already had everyone s addresses and my messages to them. I had expressly prepared them so that all I needed to do now was put on a postage stamp and send them. Ideally I d have bought the postcards inside the Vatican City, but it would just be hard to find the time to write all my messages here Maybe I could just buy some of them as souvenirs. Waah, there were so many pretty postage stamps. I m gunna bring a bunch of you back for memories. My blood as a stamp collector was just boiling Gosh, they were just drawing me in This was the one I d bought last time, wasn t it. But this one, I don t think I had Was it new Angel postcards were just perfect for Yukino kun and the kids As for Oniisama and Ririna, I d go with the holy mother and child. And I loved how beautiful this one was. I d go with St. Peter s Basilica for Otousama and Okaasama. Sakura chan, Aoi chan, and my mother friends though I think I d go with paintings for them after all. Finally, I d send a few to myself in secret, too. Dear Reika, How are you Kisshouin saaaan. It s time for our cla.s.s to meet up, called Satomi kun. Okaaaay, I called back. Sorry, Satomi kun. I m supposed to be a cla.s.s rep too. Say, Kisshouin san, are you going to see any of the catacombs tomorrow As if, idiot What do you mean it ll be super fun, we ll get to see mountains of skeletons Satomi kun was definitely doing this on purpose, wasn t he Maybe instead of purifying my room I should use what was left of my salt on Satomi kun Hmm Kisshouin san, together some of the curls on the back of your head turn into the number of the beast, you know Isn t that pretty bad here in the Vatican I ve decided. I ll throw the rest of my salt at Satomi kun The next day was free time. Naturally we weren t going to anywhere dreadful like a catacomb, and instead we had enjoying delicious Italian food, and shopping planned. Pizza is just a must in Rome, isn t it There was a great place I ate at the last time I was in Rome. Should we go there, then While we were walking along and having fun, sometimes people whistled at us, or messed around and said Hey j.a.panese or Pizza Pizza . It was uncomfortable. We were basically on the doorstep of the headquarters for Christianity across the world, so why were these guys messing around when it wasn t even noon yet Stop saying siesta, siesta and get to work We went to a trattoria that was well known for its pizza and ordered amatriciana and margherita, before heading to the Piazza di Spagna for some gelato. Next was tiramisu Once ours stomachs were sated it was time for shopping. I decided to get Akimi san some olive oil. And I just wanted to buy all the cheese, from Pecorino Romano, to Parmigiano Reggiano, the king of cheese I d even heard stories about some of the banks around Italy storing Parmigiano Reggiano in their vaults. I wonder how true they were. As for sweets, since I d already gotten a bunch in Paris I decided to lay off a little. Not on the gianduja, though. Gianduja or gianduia is a sweet chocolate spread containing about 30 hazelnut paste, invented in Turin during Napol on s regency. Had to get that. Wah Stylish Italian stationery I wanted sealing wax And the rose seal was just fashionable beyond belief I had to get one that said R Isn t sealing letters with wax stamps just so aristocrat And the bottles of scented ink were just so cute. I could get a gla.s.s pen and then give them together as a souvenir. Maybe I ought to buy a quill too We bought too much, didn t we, Reika sama Quite My arms were being torn off. On the last night of the trip we gathered in a room together and lounged around in masks, since the air in Europe had been a bit dry. By now, we were all pretty beat. The scheduled was a bit packed, but it was fun, wasn t it. It really was. But it would ve been nice to stay in each country a bit more. Let s all go again together. We can make it our graduation trip. Graduation trip I wanted in I shot to my feet. A splendid idea A graduation trip Shall we go I said. We should Where do you want to go, Reika sama Hmmm. Just Paris or London again would be fine too, but how about Spain or Northern Europe If we go to Italy, then what if we visited Milan or Florence I want to go to Venice too. Venice, huh It was a minor dream of mine to ride on a gondola with my sweetheart. I d be holding up a fancy parasol by his side, as he smiled gently and whispered sweet nothings in my ear. My future lover. How dreamy. Gondolas come to mind, and the boat trip down the Seine was great fun, wasn t it It was I m glad we went. Me too. It was a bit cold, but it was a great time. Quite a few others took the boat tour as well. They did. But I d been hearing stories about couples forming because of it, in quite a few cla.s.ses. Unforgiveable In the end, I didn t have a single romantic encounter during the whole trip. Not even a single boy had suggested spending a free day together as a group. Even the Kaburagi obsessed Tsuruhana san s group had enjoyed a Parisian sidewalk caf with some boys. I thought I had heard her laughing at me when we walked past that. I wonder if I was just hallucinating because of my inferiority complex So later, when I spotted Kemari Dainagon trying to talk to girls at the Piazza di Spagna, I made a beeline for him and stood right between them to get in his way. Kekeke. But anyway, people did say that the couples that formed on trips like these broke up soon enough. It was just temporary, I bet. They d definitely be returning to my village soon enough. Hohohoho. Are you okay, Reika sama You started glaring into the distance Ah, oh my. I accidentally let my jealousy show. Since my mask had set in, it was time to peel it off. Let s see, how was my skin doing I was just about to marvel at how glossy my skin looked when I was. .h.i.t with a horrifying discovery. It s gone My urna is gone Impossible I looked over my hairline, again and again. No way It was really gone My symbol of good fortune, my urna Back when my eyebrows had gone partially bald I received this symbol of fortuna in return, so why was it gone now What s the matter, Reika sama What s gone My urna is gone The urna I had growing on my forehead I desperately explained. When had it disappeared Had I taken it off along with the mask But it was just a sheet mask It shouldn t have pulled anything off What s an urna No idea It s like a long white hair, apparently. Ah, like those old man eyebrows No You re thinking of a Taoist immortal The urna the curly one that Lord Shakyamuni has And strictly speaking the colourless hair I had wasn t an urna but a blessed hair A curse comes home to roost Is this because I was too envious of the people in the Fulfilling Romance Village that my good fortune ran away Was this an omen for worse luck in romance when I got back to j.a.pan Now, now. Calm down, Reika sama. You must be tired, Reika sama. Come on, it s time to sleep. But, my urna My blessed hair Everything s going to be juuust fine Still wearing their masks, Serika chan and the others pushed me into bed before surrounding it on all sides. It s bedtime There s a good girl they cooed, waving their hands back and forth. Eh Was this some sort of black ma.s.s U Umm I tried. Everything s going to be juuust fine, Reika sama It s time for bed now. Reika sama is very tired. Sleep Sleep It s okay, Reika sama Sleep And so there I was, laying in a dark room, surrounded by a group of singing Sukekiyo s. What did I do now Could it be that Serika chan and the others were actually part of some demonic cult Were they here for the 666 in my hair I d already used all of my purifying salt. And I had no urna to protect me. I was helpless