Chapter 52: Volume 2 - CH 2.5

The Angel in Plight

Translated by 64990022

Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight

Part 5

Our journey for matcha gelato began.

“Here! Hiura-san, Akashi-kuuun!”

Unlike the previous visit with Minato, our meeting place was at the underpass of Kyoto Station. When I and Hiura got down from our train, Fujinami called us.

“Yo.” Hiura held up her hand.

“Were you waiting?”

“We’ve just had our lunch here, so no worries!” beamed Fujimiya, enigmatic as ever.

By her side, Minato smiled a little and nodded. For some reason, though, her lips twitched a little.

“Good morning…Io.”

“Hi. Good to have you today.”

“Yep…”

Hm? What’s with the dialogue? Awkward!

Natural, I guess, this was the first time we got out together as friends. The last time was, after all, for the consultation.

I shook my head, but my feet got the better of me. I walked away from them a little, just where all of them can be seen in my frame of vision.

What a sight.

Minato was wearing a tight-fitting light blue knit with a high-waisted flare skirt. With bright floral emboss on the sides and a luxurious belt, it was a perfect combination of glamor and elegance.

Fujimiya was wearing a simple, cool white one piece, topped by a pink vest. The overall color was pale, but her red-rimmed glasses and camel bag accentuated the exquisite cuteness of her outfit.

Hiura wore a loose-fitting white patterned shirt of three-quarter length and a moss green cap with a star motif. Her slender legs were made shown by the denim shorts and folded hem.

[TN: There’s an illust later, so don’t worry if you don’t get the image.]

And well… that might be too intent an observation.

“They’re slaying it…”

There was no denying. Minato, a Top Three, Plus Four’s Hiura, and the Plus Four candidate Fujimiya. The lineup of these three beautiful girls was simply glorious. They transcended such mundane things like types, tastes and vibe. They were manifestations of beauty. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were to have a halo.

I’ve given them too little credit. I was pretty nervous last time, and that was one of them, let alone three…

I thought about disguises like last time, but Fujimiya shouted at me through LINE message, if such things can be done, it was terrifying.

“Hiura-san, your outfit’s cuuute!”

She tugged the collar of her shirt. “Really? Just throw whatever looks comfy on.”

She’s careless again. Hiura’s neckline and collarbone are out for the world to see…

“Ah, stop, stop! Akashi-kun’s watching!”

cough, cough

“Akashi? Cut it off.” Hiura said in annoyance.

“Io?! You looked?!” For some reason, Minato sounded even more concerned than Hiura herself.

“I…” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.

“Oh! Why don’t we take a picture?” 

Fujimiya’s not-so-obvious attempt to hold everyone together worked and we went to a wall with painting on it. It was the station’s iconic “Get on! Kyoto city subway.” advertisement.

“Akashi, crouch. Piggyback me.”

“Here?”

“I want to be taller than you.”

“Can I go stand next to Fujimiya? Surely you don’t–”

“Piggyback.”

She stood on tiptoes, trying to pull me down. Seeing no alternatives, I bend forward for her. She got on smoothly, her chin digging into my head.

Oh, God. Childish.

“Fujimiya? We’re clear here.” 

“Huh? Okay…?”

“H-hey! What are you doing, Io!” Again, Minato got mad at me.

“What do you mean? I’m getting on him?”

I bit my teeth, enduring the weight while they went on at it. Well, she wasn’t heavy, I was just weak. 

“Y-you can’t just ‘getting on him’! In front of…! Insolence!” It was Hiura’s idea, why are you pointing at me? Your sharp glare is also destructive, put it away please.

No, but “insolence”, really? Are you a samurai? 

Come to think of it, Minato and Fujimiya were still not Hiura-tolerant. “Ahh… don’t worry about it. She’s always like this. Ack… Heavy.”

“Akashi, minus points.”

“‘A-always’…” Minato echoed.

Minato seemed to be in no small amount of culture shock. Fujimiya didn’t look better either.

“Hiura, her sense of personal space and a lotta things are wacky. To someone she’s comfortable with, that is.”

Hiura began to yank my cheeks. “‘A lot of things’? Hm? Spill it.” 

Stop, that hurts!

“And you welcome it?!”

“Hn? Noway eye an enchoying dis.” She pulled and folded my cheeks like how a baker would do to a dough. I let her, waiting for her to finish, then, “I’ve learned to give up. There’s no use.”

“H-hmm… You’re so close…?”

“Maybe. Or she just has a few screws loose.”

But I don’t recall her doing this to Reiji, though. Or she was just picky about her prey? Or do I seem to be an easy prey?

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“Hey, hurry up and take the picture. I don’t think Akashi could hold it any more.”

“Yes, please kindly do so.”

“‘K-kay. Get closer, will you?”

After that, we took a few pictures with Fujimiya’s amazing selfie skills. The images posted on the LINE group were gorgeous, thanks to the quality of the three girls and their aura.

Also, one of the pictures had Minato glaring at me…

From the “Get on! Kyoto city subway.”, we got on the subway to Karasuma-Oike station. On the way, I was taken by the number of people getting on and off, Minato got dizzy and almost got lost at Shijo Station, Fujimiya showed me pictures of Nanaya. The journey was six minutes that seemed to be forever.

Even if I include the time I took from Shiga, it was only sixteen minutes. Shiga was, after all, very close to Kyoto.

“Just like the old days?” Minato said to Fujimiya as we climbed the stairs.

I stole a look at her. She seemed to be lost in her own memories, while still maintaining a glint of expectation for nex memories. It was a look that could make any man dreamy.

“Your middle school’s around here?”

“No, a little away from here. But Shiho and I’ve always hung out around here.”

“Because you can find everything here!”

Fujimiya led the way as we walked east along the wide Oike Street. A little more until Nanaya.

The whole town of Karasuma Oike was black, a chic Kyoto-esque design. The sidewalks are paved with tiles, and the wide, multi-lane roadways stretch straight across the street.

The buildings were all squat things, as if cut from the Edo-period. The blue sky was in contrast with the dark and somber buildings. The trees planted in equal intervals helped create an illusion of space in the tight-packed former capital.

“You know, elegance is almost the law for buildings. We don’t even have flashy billboards in the old town district.”

“Oh, so that’s why the McDonald’s sign was black?”

While my chatter about the cityscape with Fujimiya went on, Hiura, who was, by nature, uninterested in architecture and history, was listening intently to Minato’s review of each flavor. Minato too, was unexpectedly enthusiastic, showing pictures at appalling speed, making wide hand gestures.

“So, the seventh’s good?”

“That depends. It’s not that sweet, just pure, thick matcha.”

“Then the sweet ones?”

“Until the fourth are the sweet ones. The go-to is third, so you might want to try that.”

“Okay, third. And there’s more than matcha, right?” Hiura peeked at Minato’s phone with apparent annoyance. 

Because of the height difference, I might have thought of them as sisters.

On a side note, Hiura had quite a sweet tooth. She was a sucker for ice cream, cakes, and every sweet.

“Hojicha’s good, strawberry and milk are passable. But Nanaya’s known for tea, so better keep it to that.”

“You have a sound reasoning, I will adopt your approach.”

“Why so puffed-up?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Isn’t that my line??”

Hmm…they’re settling along well. As her guardian, I could say I’m proud of my daughter.

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“Fufu, Minato’s enjoying herself.” said Fujimiya with the relief of parents. “As you can see, she’s not good at socializing. I was worried.”

“Same goes for Hiura. She either likes or hates you outright. I never imagined she would invite you guys.”

Hiura who never showed any special treatment, and Minato who only had Fujimiya. I wondered how it would play out, but it seemed that Minato’s coolness was just right for the brash Hiura.

In retrospect, weren’t they made for each other?

She turned her face back to me. “Not an easy job having a problem child, eh?”

“Easy is an understatement.”

“Oof, that much?”

Also, Fujimiya sure had guts. No one in their right mind would call Hiura “problem child”

“This is a little surreal, actually. I thought Hiura-san would be a little more…”

“More of a ruffian? I can assure you she is.” The only ones holding her leash were probably me and Reiji. “But I can say that she’s reliable when it counts. She helped a lot last time.”

“Hmm” Fujimiya had a sly grin. Her eyes narrowed, as if seeing what I can’t. She leaned in and whispered. “You like her? Hiura-san.”

“No, if you’re asking about romantic ‘like’.”

“Oh? Hmm, I see… That’s how it is…” She dropped her tempo all at once.

“You think I do?”

“Half-half. I was more or less expecting that answer. And if you do, then your body language will tell me anyway.”

“Oh…”

Well, I was used to being asked that. Mostly by Yukito, by Yukito, and sometimes by Yukito.

“So, nothing at all?”

“No, not at all.”

“Ooooh, ‘Not at all’” This time, she had an exaggerated amusement. Before her expression began to darken. “But Hiura-san’s—”

“Akashiii.” A voice drawled.

My left arm was suddenly yanked. I struggled a little for balance.

“Hiura…” Not much to my surprise, I no longer felt exasperated. “I said stop doing that. I can fall, you know?”

“You’ll have a double scoop?”

“Yeah…”

“Then listen to my plan.”

“‘Plan’? You didn’t even listen to my complaints.”

From there, I humored Hiura’s plan with occasional grunts until we got to Nanaya.

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