Chapter 58

1) Since some people wanted to know, I asked Estelina what she thought of my blog name and scanlation group name.

“Huh? Oh. Nothing? Imouto means, little sister, right? Is it supposed to be offensive or something? I guess some people get offended over anything, huh.”

2) Kryto bought me a founder’s pack for Tree of Savior! So I guess I’ll be playing. But with all my other commitments, I probably won’t get very far. Still! See you there, maybe?

3) I have a friend living in my‘garage’now. So if you come across him while looking through my teasers and stuff, do not be alarmed.

Mats...o...b..shou was the most famous poet of the Edo period in j.a.pan.

Bashou was born in 1644, near Ueno, in Iga Province. A place famous for him, and ninjas.There’s a rumor that the famed haiku poet Mats...o...b..shou wasn’t just a master of poetry, but a master of the art of Ninjutsu, the art of stealth, subterfuge and spying. The art of the Ninja!

So was Mats...o...b..shou just a wandering master poet, or was he a master spy? During the cautious years of the early Edo, or Tokugawa period, people were not permitted to travel freely around the country, however Bashou managed to obtain permission. His position as a celebrated poet gained him a close access to the n.o.bility. He was able to enter castles and palaces, view the estates of the lords and spend time chatting with them. Speaking directly to the various lords, he would have been able to discover their hidden thoughts as they composed poems together. Wonderful opportunities for intelligence gathering.

It took no time at all to hear about Ririna from a friend in Kaburagi’s cla.s.s.

“Yes, that girlhasbeen loitering about Emperor recently. Ah-, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to badmouth your cousin.”

“No, you are right. I should be apologising to you on her behalf.”

I see. So everybody’s been careful not to badmouth a relative of mine in front of my eyes.Please just give me a break, Ririna~

“Well, could I ask what she does, specifically?”

“Well, things like calling out to him, or sometimes even coming to our cla.s.sroom. She hasn’t done anything too eye-catching quite yet though.”

It’s plenty already. The thing that the female uppercla.s.smen hate the most is a first year girl following about uppercla.s.smen boys.Even in my old life, the relationships between females was in a strict grade-based hierarchy. If you didn’t greet them in the hallway, they would say stuff about you “getting ahead of yourself”. I guess when you’re at that age, you start to want to act like you’re a senpai.For girls of that age, if a younger girl starts making eyes at a boy in their grade, the girl’s name immediately spreads throughout the grade and every girl becomes their enemy.It’s really scary when that happens, you know. The more extreme senpai will call you out and lecture you too, you know.I don’t know if the same thing happens at Suiran, but they should at least be feeling the same way, so I can’t help but worry about Ririna.Oh, no, rather than worrying about Ririna as a person, I’m just worried that I’ll get into trouble for being her cousin.

“I must warn my cousin as well.”

“Yes. Umm, we don’t really mind, but Tsuruhana-san’s group is&h.e.l.lip;”

Uwah, she’s being targeted bythem?My stomach is really hurting.

The last time I spoke to Ririna was when she came over with her parents before I entered Suiran.That girl has always hated me. But I guess that goes the same for me.But even though she always used to go “Taka-niisama” “Taka-niisama” when the heck did she turn into an Emperor fan.And it’s Kaburagi, of all people. Even Enjou would have been better. It’s like a landmine around that guy. Things are going to get bad if she carelessly approaches him.I could already envision a future where my slowly heaped efforts and reputation were being smashed to pieces by Ririna.I see. So there was this kind of problem too.Even if I try my best not to incur Emperor’s displeasure, and even if I stop Otousama’s dishonesties, there’s still the plot device of having my relatives do something instead.Guilt by a.s.sociation is truly terrifying.Ririna is selfish and high-handed and spoilt by her parents, so she’s like a miniature version of Kimidol’s Kisshouin Reika, after all.What do I do, what do I do? I definitely don’t have the skill to rehabilitate that girl!

But, I did at least give her a phone call to give her a few words.

“Ririna-san, I hear that you have been following Kaburagi-sama about? I think it might be better if you abstained from bothering your uppercla.s.smen.”

“My. Whatever I do should be my own business. And Kaburagi-sama has never really said that I bother him.”

And the moment he does say it will be your last.

“But,”

“More importantly, Reika-san. I want to have a look at the Pivoine salon. Take me there.”

This little!

“The Pivoine is off-limits to Externals. And not ‘more importantly’, we were talking about Kaburagi-sama. You have a terrible reputation amongst the girls in the higher grades, you know.”

“Hmph. So? I’m not scared. Aren’tyoujust jealous that I’m getting close to Kaburagi-sama?”

HAHHH?!

“Ririna-san, Suiran has its own rules. If you ignore them, you will be crushed.”

“Yes, yes, got it, got it. Goodness, Reika-oneesama.”

She hung up.&h.e.l.lip;Annoying. Annoying, annoying, ANNOYINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!What’s with her att.i.tude! Somebody was calling her because they were worried! Or rather, you’re going to bothermeso stop it already!GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! ANNOYING!I suppose people do say that every family has its annoying members. Ririna is so tiring to handle.If I ask Oniisama to help, I think evenshe’llbehave a little, but Oniisama is busy with work and studies, so he doesn’t have the time for this. I don’t want him to have to deal with something so bothersome.But is it even possible for me to stop her?!UGAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The stress is building up!I opened up a packet of You Can’t Stop, You Won’t Stops that I had hidden in my closet, and began devouring them by the clawful.

If I get fat because of that girl, I won’t forget!

This year’s excursion was to a mountain temple. Why a temple?After we got on a bullet train and bus, there was a long, long staircase. You’re telling me to climb this?Because I heard it was a temple, I let my guard down. Isn’t this exactly the same as last year’s mountain climbing h.e.l.l?But before long, my calves started acting up. My body is slanting forward. Somebody, somebody please bring me a cane.While wheezing just like last year, I saw Tsuruhana-san’s group snickering at me as they pa.s.sed me by. I didn’t know what to say.Apparently this temple was a temple featured in a famous haiku by Mats...o...b..shou. Bashou climbed this horrifying mountain too? That theory about him being a ninja might actually be true.O Heavens, please sever my inauspicious connections. I have many of them. Ririna, Kaburagi, Enjou, Tsuruhana&h.e.l.lip;Names kept coming out. Thanks to that, my heart was pitch-black. Making a pilgrimage with such a negative mindset, will the G.o.ds even grant me a miracle?After somehow making it to the top, it was already time to descend. WHY!? Apparently they were waiting for us. I’m sorry&h.e.l.lip;After that, they took us to have a stroll around the Five Coloured Swamps Goshiki-numa, a collection of five multicoloured volcanic swamps.

But once I saw the boats on the swamps, my mood suddenly shot up. I want to ride one! I want to row one!I invited my friends, and quickly got on one.It’s not moving. Even though I’m desperately rowing, why isn’t it moving. I just keep spinning around on the spot. What’s going on here?Unable to watch any longer, one of my friends took over the rowing for me. Thank you, Ayame-chan.It felt great sitting on the boat as it smoothly glided through the water. When I looked around, suddenly there were boats with couples on them! When!?Before my eyes was a smiling girl. No, I’m thankful that you’re rowing for me. But even I wanted to try a boat ride with a boy&h.e.l.lip;But looking carefully, Kaburagi and Enjou were on a boat together. Two guys, riding a boat together&h.e.l.lip;? Upfpftpft&h.e.l.lip;I’ll just consider it a good thing that I’m with my friends.

By the time I got home, I gradually started feeling the muscle pains. Aahh, tomorrow is going to be rough&h.e.l.lip;Ah! I forgot to try the Tama Konnyaku!