Bab 178: The Stranger (Long Chapter)
"The stitching is so pretty, and the color combination is cute... you sewed it by hand... that's amazing, Kawasaki-san. I'm leaving the costume business to you~"
"Eh? Wait a minute! Why so sudden..."
Saki, who had tied her hair back up, showed an anxious expression. She was a bit confused because Ebina handed over the task so quickly.
Yui calmed her with a smile. "Saki, don't worry. Hina didn't decide this randomly. Didn't you also modify your own uniform? Like your top, which isn't the same as ours. Hina noticed that; that's why she's handing this job to you."
Seems like Yui notices everything, Hachiman thought.
He stood right beside the three girls. Ebina shot him a regretful look, forcing him to stare at the large leafless tree outside the window in a daze.
"Is that really so?"
Perhaps because she rarely communicated with others, Saki found it a bit hard to process this. She looked at Yui blankly—maybe also surprised that Yui noticed such a small detail.
"Exactly!" Ebina raised her hands excitedly. "Because you, Kawasaki-san, know how to use limited resources to achieve maximum value, plus you have the skills. That's why I'm comfortably handing this to you... Relax, it's fine. If there are problems later, I'll take responsibility!"
Ebina patted her chest, giving a guarantee with a confident expression that everything would be fine.
In Hachiman's eyes, even though Ebina's personality was a bit... hmm, unique, her way of thinking was surprisingly clear.
At least she had ability, surpassing most students!
This made Hachiman wonder if this person usually hid her smart side and purposely pretended to be a fujoshi.
Saki's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. She hesitated for a moment, then agreed. "If that's the case, I... am willing. I'm willing to make the costumes."
"Great, I'll leave everything to you." Ebina gripped Saki's shoulders firmly, nodded, and then got excited again. "That's right, the full-body costume for 'me'—the drama character—I'll leave that to you too. Just a small modification is enough; maybe add some stains that won't wash out... uhehe!"
At this point, Ebina let out a strange laugh, and her smart side instantly vanished without a trace.
I really still don't understand this person...
Hachiman immediately left that spot.
Once the costume part began, the students in the class dived into their respective jobs.
Only Hachiman had no business for the time being. Right now, Akishin should still be in the office flirting with Hiratsuka-sensei; he would look for him during lunch later.
He wondered what Yukinoshita was doing right now.
He shook his head, pushing away unnecessary thoughts, and took out a book to continue studying. Recently, he felt his study efficiency wasn't as high as before.
—The easy knowledge was already learned; what remained was the difficult stuff. Relying only on school materials wouldn't be enough to understand it.
Fortunately, Akishin had bought them many study guides. As long as he was willing to learn, it wasn't a problem.
...
The atmosphere in the meeting room was filled with tension, like a big storm was coming. Several people huddled in the corners of the room, forming a circle of onlookers.
Three people stood in the center of the meeting room.
Yukinoshita Yukino, Shiromeguri Meguri, and Yukinoshita Haruno.
In addition, Akishin and Shizuka were watching from a corner—no, they were observing the situation.
Yukino and Haruno stood facing each other with a distance of three steps. Shiromeguri Meguri hid behind Haruno, her expression looking rather confused.
"Nee-san, what are you doing here?" Yukino asked, staring at Haruno with a slight frown.
Haruno said with a wide smile, "How cruel~ Yukino-chan. I heard you guys were looking for groups interested in performing, so I came. I used to be in the orchestra club, you know..."
"I... I'm sorry, Yukinoshita-san. Actually, regarding Haruno-senpai, I was the one who looked for her." Shiromeguri Meguri stepped forward, speaking with an awkward expression. "Well, we ran into each other on the street earlier. Since we hadn't met in a long time, we chatted a lot, and by chance, the School Anniversary is having a problem with a lack of performing groups, so..."
Hearing this, Shizuka raised her eyebrows. She didn't believe for a second that Yukinoshita Haruno met someone "by chance." Otherwise, why hadn't they met all this time, only to run into each other just as the School Anniversary was near!
There must be a goal.
That annoying Siscon!
"Yukinoshita-san should know that Haruno-senpai once formed a group and performed at the School Anniversary during her third year, right? That performance was extraordinary, so... I thought of asking her to come... haha, that's the story."
Shiromeguri Meguri looked at Yukino with a worried gaze and a questioning tone.
"I was also on-site then; I know about that festival performance, but..."
Yukino sighed, her gaze fixed on the floor, avoiding eye contact with Shiromeguri Meguri.
She had been emotional for a moment, thinking her older sister had come again to meddle in her life. There's nothing left to fear; I have my own path, I just need to walk it.
Yukino was just about to speak, but Haruno broke the silence first. "Ahahaha~ Meguri, don't say it like that. That was just for fun back then. This year I plan to be a bit more serious. I wonder if the school will allow me to practice... So Yukino, how about it? You guys are short on performers anyway, right~"
As if she hadn't had enough, Haruno put her arm around Yukino's shoulder and kept pleading. Her appearance looked very intimate.
People who didn't know would think the two were being lovey-dovey.
"For the sake of cute Yukino-chan, as long as it can be done, Nee-san is willing to do anything for you, you know~"
"Stop joking. Nee-san is always..."
Yukino pushed Haruno away, then took a step back while glaring at her.
"Me? What about me?"
Haruno returned Yukino's dangerous gaze without any intention of flinching. The smile that appeared on the corner of her lips was beautiful, yet it contained a firm authority that couldn't be argued with secretly.
"...No, it's nothing. Nee-san is very kind."
Yukino sighed again, as if giving up. She shook her head and said, "Nee-san can come anytime. Well... so can I start the meeting? If Nee-san wants to listen, please find a seat..."
After speaking, Yukino nodded to Haruno with a smile, then immediately sat in her usual place and called out softly to the spectators, "The meeting will begin. Everyone, please sit properly and prepare to give your work reports..."
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
A group of people immediately sat back in their respective places.
However, their eyes still occasionally drifted toward the beautiful senior in the center.
But...
Haruno was actually stunned by Yukino's reaction!
Something was wrong!
Why wasn't the result the same as what she thought?
Yukino wasn't supposed to react like this!
Plus, the look in her eyes made Haruno feel a bit of a stranger. So confident, her eyes were no longer full of hatred toward her as an older sister...
Ah! Is that it!
Did Yukino finally manage to get out and find her own path?
"I didn't expect Yukino-chan to actually be the Chairperson." She felt somewhat moved. Seeing the cohesive power where everyone sat down with just one sentence, clearly Yukino was doing well. The look in her eyes also no longer had the 'hating the world' emotion like before.
For some reason, Yukinoshita Haruno's heart felt a little empty. Her gaze unconsciously drifted to Akishin and Shizuka's position.
Akishin kept watching calmly, not focusing on her at all. Shizuka, on the other hand, glared at her once.
It seemed Shizuka could always see through her intentions.
Next, Hachiman and Hayama, who had been watching from the door for a bit, entered. Haruno greeted them very warmly, then sat beside Shiromeguri Meguri, ready to observe Yukino's meeting process.
"Sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei."
Hachiman approached Akishin and Shizuka to greet them.
Akishin nodded. Shizuka pulled Hachiman closer, then whispered in his ear, "Hikigaya, that Haruno is here. You have to protect Yukinoshita well later... that person is a siscon. Based on my understanding of her, she'll definitely cause trouble. With the excuse of creating difficulties for Yukinoshita so she can grow. So you must protect Yukinoshita; let the meeting run perfectly until the end. Alright, go quickly!"
After she finished speaking, Shizuka pushed Hachiman.
Hachiman wobbled and almost fell to the floor.
"...Fine, I agree."
Hachiman nodded, glanced at Haruno for a moment, and then sat to Yukino's right. Although he was also a bit afraid of Haruno, since this was Hiratsuka-sensei's request, he had to comply, even with a heavy heart.
After all, she was his future teacher!
Akishin's threatening gaze in the back wasn't just for show either.
A few seconds later, Yui arrived late. She felt the atmosphere today was a bit tense and felt like she didn't understand why.
Did something happen?
The meeting began; there were no changes at all. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion as before, only reporting things arranged in the previous large meeting. The whole process was very quiet, and most of the tasks arranged earlier had been done well.
Yukino only corrected a few minor errors.
Strangely, Yukinoshita Haruno didn't cause any trouble.
Until the meeting ended, Haruno only propped up one side of her face while looking at Yukino with a sense of pride.
Like... an old mother!
This was so shocking that Hachiman, who was constantly on guard, instead received several cold glares from Haruno as warnings.
Until Haruno said goodbye to Yukino and left, nothing happened. Not many words were spoken.
Yukino was also surprised.
But this is for the best, Yukinoshita Yukino thought.
Today, after school, was a rare moment of free time. She and Yui had made a promise to go drink coffee at a cafe.
...
In the near future, the School Anniversary would be held. Akishin originally wanted to postpone the work start time so that Kondo and the others would have more time to participate in the festival preparations.
However, they wouldn't listen, not wanting Sensei to sacrifice his time earning money again. Akishin and Shizuka no longer rode bicycles; they walked together every day when going to and from work.
Because of that, the group after school became more crowded.
Akishin, Shizuka, Yuika, Kaiko, Miyamizu Mitsuha, Kawasaki Saki, and Hachiman.
A total of seven people were heading toward the Chishima Residence together.
Akishin was the main chef, Shizuka was the lady of the house, Yuika was the apprentice, Kaiko was a waitress, Kawasaki Saki was a waitress, Miyamizu Mitsuha was the newly joined waitress, and Hachiman... was a free-loader.
"Mitsuha, have you adapted to school yet?"
"Ah! Kawasaki-senpai, thank you for your concern. I'm doing very well and getting along great with everyone..."
"Haha, exactly. Senpai is worried too much. Mitsuha's minor test result yesterday was third in the grade, you know! Better than me; I dropped to fifteenth..."
"That's great! Mitsuha is actually third in the whole grade..."
"Right, Sensei, Mitsuha is really amazing; even Zeromura-sensei specifically praised her!"
"This is actually thanks to Yuika and Kaiko's help; they're the ones who helped me study..."
"By the way, what was Yuika's rank yesterday?"
"Isn't it obvious, Sensei? Yuika definitely stayed at first place. First in the whole grade, you know..."
"First place, huh. As a teacher, I'll give you all a reward. Later, whatever you want to eat, I'll cook it all for you..."
"Really? Promise, Chishima-sensei! I want to eat sashimi, and also sushi..."
"Kaiko!"
"Ugh~ Yuika, why did you hit me? Why should we be too formal with Chishima-sensei..."
"That's right, Kawasaki-senpai. I heard you're making clothes in class, right? Could you teach me how to make them..."
"..."
The group chatted and laughed along the way, exchanging interesting stories from their respective classes until they gradually reached the Chishima Residence.
Just as they arrived in front of the gate of the Chishima Residence, they saw a woman standing there. Wearing a dark purple knitted sweater, with her purple hair tied in a bun behind her head, she looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with the appearance of a housewife.
Everyone didn't pay much attention, thinking she was a customer waiting for the shop to open. Even though it was only 4:20 PM, there had never been a customer this early.
Akishin took out his keys to open the door. Shizuka smiled and said to the woman, "Excuse me, customer, we only start operating at six in the evening. You still have a long wait. Why don't you come inside to sit for a while..."
Shizuka felt pity because of her overflowing kindness. She didn't know how long this woman had been here—it shouldn't have been long—but seeing her wearing high heels, if she really waited for more than an hour, her feet would definitely swell!
The woman seemed to be thinking about something, holding a handbag that looked a bit old while bowing her head. She didn't even realize when the group arrived in front of her. When she heard Shizuka's voice, she finally looked up.
Her face was quite beautiful, her black hair was shoulder-length, her nose was small, and her lips were pink. However, her originally clean white face was covered in heavy makeup, making her look unnaturally pale. Plus, she looked very tired; the dark circles under her eyes couldn't even be covered by foundation...
"Ah! He-hello! You guys are..."
The woman seemed very nervous. Her gaze, as she looked up, swept over Shizuka in front of her, then looked at the students behind, until finally stopping right on Akishin's face as he had just opened the door and turned around.
"Chishima-sensei, good afternoon. Is this lady your friend?" Mrs. Miyako, wearing a kimono, walked out from the shop next door, followed by Hotaru, whose mouth seemed full of something.
"Hello, Uncle Chishima. Hello, Auntie Hiratsuka, and... hello, big brothers and sisters, good afternoon."
Hotaru greeted everyone politely. Her innocent words sounded a bit unclear because of the food in her mouth.
"Hello to you too, Hotaru!"
Akishin first replied to Hotaru's greeting, then looked at Mrs. Miyako in confusion. "Mrs. Miyako, good afternoon. The friend you mean is..."
"Eh! Chishima-sensei doesn't know her? Why, this lady! She's been standing in front of your door for over an hour, here since three in the afternoon. I already asked her to come into the shop to sit, but she wouldn't, saying she had to wait until you came back..."
Mrs. Miyako looked at the woman in purple in front of Shizuka with confusion. She had never seen this woman and thought she was Akishin's friend or relative.
But at the same time, she felt a little familiar, thinking maybe they had met before but she had forgotten. Because of that, she specifically came out to check.
Akishin looked at the woman in the purple shirt, whom he had thought was a customer. Before he could speak, the woman stepped past Shizuka and stood in front of him. In a somewhat rushed tone, she asked, "Akishin... no, Chishima-kun, do you still remember me?"
Akishin frowned slightly, took a step back, and said hesitantly, "Miss, you are..."
"It turns out you don't remember. Well, it has been many years." The woman's face showed clear disappointment. Her hand holding the bag unconsciously clenched. She looked at Akishin again and introduced herself. "I am Nakamura Kyoko. Do you remember now?"
The frown on Akishin's forehead deepened, his expression serious. Nakamura Kyoko who? He didn't know, had never heard of her. A relative of the original owner? Or a friend?
He was still feeling confused, but on the other side, Mrs. Miyako, who heard the name Nakamura Kyoko, instantly showed a flash of realization in her eyes.
No wonder she felt this woman was a bit familiar; she had indeed met her before.
But that was a very long time ago.
So long ago that back then Hotaru didn't exist yet, back then Akishin was still in high school and hadn't moved out of the Chishima Residence...
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