Volume 8 Chapter 15 Shirogane Aqua, a Tumultuous New Home Life and a Transfer Studen
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
This weekend was truly eventful. It started with winning the CR Cup, then preparing for the new house, and finally, a dinner with Hakuryuu-sensei at night… I never expected to be confessed to and kissed by Hakuryuu-sensei, so I was even more surprised by that turn of events. It’s my fault for reacting even though I have a wife, and I think it’s because I was too lacking in caution, considering what happened with Miyuki-san. I also feel sorry for Kanon, so I’ll make sure to apologize when we start living together tonight.
”Polygamy, huh…”
Afterward, when I got home, I did some research. In this world, polygamy is a common practice, and it’s not something my mother mention as a joke, including consanguineous marriage. I actually searched and studied real-life examples as well, so I think I’ve learned about it in my own way. That night, when Euris couldn’t make it, I consulted Kanon, who was helping me prepare the new house. I told her that it would just be the two of us for dinner, and her response was unexpected. In hindsight, her reaction was surprisingly casual, I think.
”Huh? It’s okay, no big deal. Is there something wrong with that?”
At first, I wondered if she trusted me, or maybe Kanon was not the type to get jealous or think about things like that, but I felt that her fundamental way of thinking or common sense might have been different. I’m at home right now, but I’m planning to live together with Kanon in the new house starting tonight, and I’ve arranged to come home to the new house after school instead of going to my parents’ house. I hope we can discuss these things calmly tonight. While thinking about that, I get into the car that came to pick me up.
”Good morning, Aqua.”
”Good morning, Toa.”
When I arrived at school, I ran into Toa in front of the shoe lockers, and we headed to the classroom together. Since Toa started attending school from the second term, scenes like this had become common. But still, I couldn’t help but wonder if I encountered Toa at the shoe lockers more often than Shintaro and the girls in my class.
”Have you heard about the Halloween festival?”
”Yeah… I’m looking forward to this one; it sounds interesting.”
When I answered that way, Toa turned around in front of me and looked up at my face as if peering from below.
”Is everything okay? You seem a bit distracted. I’m looking forward to this festival, so if you’re tired, make sure to take a break.”
”Haha, sorry about that. Between moving preparations and the CR Cup, I might still be a bit tired. But I’ll be sure to get into the spirit for the actual event.”
Toa’s concern made me realize that I needed to be more focused. While I might be a bit tired, I’d also been preoccupied thinking about Hakuryuu-sensei, Miyuki-san, and even Kurumi-san’s serious confessions. Of course, I needed to balance both sides, but I couldn’t let my work slack. Toa always noticed these things at times like this, and I was truly grateful.
”Shintaro, good morning.”
”Good morning, Shintaro.”
”Good morning, Aqua and Toa.”
When we entered the classroom, Shintaro, who had already arrived at school, was reading a book on Japanese sweets.
”What’s that about?”
”Oh, well, Aqua and I are in the tea ceremony club. Since we’ll have to help with the cultural festival as part of the tea ceremony club, I thought it might be interesting to have some knowledge about Japanese sweets. At least I’m trying to study in terms of knowledge.”
While Shintaro was only in the tea ceremony club, I belonged not only to the tea ceremony club but also the drama club and, strangely enough, the home economics enthusiasts club. In the first term, I occasionally showed up, but in the second term, I hadn’t been able to attend once.
”For the cultural festival, the tea ceremony club will be holding a tea ceremony. Kurogami-san asked if Aqua could participate at least once, so I’m looking forward to it.”
”Got it. I’ll talk to Kurogami-san later. Also, with Washimiya-san from the drama club and Kurumi-san from the home economics enthusiasts club…”
”Aqua, why are you in so many clubs by yourself? Are you trying to—uh, never mind.”
Oh, it’s okay, Toa. Yeah, I’m basically an idiot. I’m weak-willed, and in the end, I couldn’t turn anything down. Well, I couldn’t turn down just Kurumi-san’s request, but I joined the tea ceremony club and the drama club because they seemed interesting. But then, I immediately started my activities as an idol, and I became too busy to attend club activities, so I really feel sorry for everyone in the clubs.
”Ah, but you know what, since we’re at it, maybe I should join a club too. If Shintaro is in the tea ceremony club, I might go for the drama club?”
Toa said that and headed towards Washimiya-san after placing his bag on his seat. I thought about it this morning too, but seeing Toa being so proactive at school made me happy. At first, Shintaro used to overheat and go to the nurse’s office when girls talked to him, but recently, I hadn’t seen him like that. On the contrary, he was having normal conversations with the girls in the class. I strongly felt that both of us had changed since we first met.
”Take your seats.”
As the chime rang, Sugita-sensei entered the classroom and briefly checked my face before scanning everyone’s faces.
”Today, I’ll introduce a new transfer student to everyone.”
A transfer student at this time? I could understand if it were right after the start of the second term, but it had been over a month already. It’s unusual. I casually thought about whether a boy might transfer in.
”You may come in.”
At Sugita-sensei’s words, I froze when I saw the person who entered the classroom. Huh…? Ka…non?
”Nice to meet you, I’m Shirogane Kanon. I transferred here from Mary Girls’ High School. I hope to have fun with everyone until graduation. Nice to meet you! Um, well… but, if possible, I’d be happy if you could talk to me casually as normal classmates without worrying about our positions or anything like that.”
Everyone applauded Kanon’s greeting. I quickly followed suit, clapping my hands. Wait a minute, why is Kanon here? Moreover, she’s wearing Otomezaki’s uniform… Well, I wanted to see her in Mary’s uniform too, but Otomezaki’s uniform is nice too. Actually, no matter what Kanon wears, I think she looks cute. She looked really cute when she cosplayed too.
”Well, since there doesn’t seem to be much surprise, it seems everyone already knew. Well, it’s natural for a wife to come to her husband’s school if they got married as students. You can’t really imagine high school students not knowing something even elementary school students would.”
I’m sorry… I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t know things even elementary school students do. I’m the one who messed up so many things last night…
”Kanon, your seat is behind Shirogane.”
”Yes, thank you, Sugita-sensei.”
I had always thought Kanon would continue going to Mary. So today, when I return home to the new house, I have to talk to Kanon about it properly. If Kanon transferred reluctantly for that kind of common sense, I’ll feel really sorry. Although it didn’t seem like that kind of atmosphere, I thought it would be better for me to communicate openly.
”Hehe, I came. From the looks of it, you didn’t expect it, right?”
”Uh, yeah.”
As we passed each other, Kanon stopped and smiled at me. Then, she gently approached my ear and whispered in a soft voice.
”Do you understand how everyone feels when you surprise them a little?”
”Yes… I understand now.”
Kanon smiled mischievously at me, then moved to the seat behind me and sat down.
”So, I’m going to start homeroom now, but as you all know, it’s about time for our school festival.”
At Otomezaki, the cultural festival was scheduled for two days on Saturday and Sunday, October 29th and 30th. It was open to not only families but also the general public, so a considerable number of people were expected to come.
”So, I want everyone to start thinking about what kind of performance or exhibit we should have with the people around us in class, starting now.”
Sugita-sensei’s words made the class noisy.
”Oh, by the way, Otomezaki’s general admission is usually done by lottery, and it’s always popular. Especially this year, I think the competition is fierce. So if you want to invite family or friends, you should apply early since we only allow one person to have up to three invitations.”
Sugita-sensei said just that and sat down at her desk. For my part, I arranged tickets for Mother, Shitori-onee-chan, and Lapis. Mother and Shitori-onee-chan seemed to be coming together, but Lapis planned to go around with Subaru-chan and Miyako-chan. Toa was handling Subaru-chan and Miyako-chan’s tickets, I heard. The remaining one ticket would be handed over to Mom, and I was determined to show her that I was attending school energetically. Tenga-senpai seemed like he wanted to come, but Shintaro was arranging that.
”Haa…”
I looked at Claire who let out a big sigh next to me.
”Claire-san, is something wrong?”
”Eh? Ah, it’s just a little thing. I’m having a dispute about who should get the tickets… One person is already decided, but the other two are, well, in a battle to claim them.”
”I see.”
Three tickets were indeed an exquisite few. If you gave tickets to your family, you’d have fewer to give to your friends. On the other hand, you couldn’t reduce the general admission slots, so there was no helping it. Otomezaki already had a high entrance exam competition rate, and I heard that many prospective students visited during the culture festival. Plus, a lot of alumni wanted to come, so the lottery rate for general admission tickets exceeded ten times every year.
”Kanon, do you have someone to give your ticket to?”
I asked Kanon, who was sitting behind me.
”If there are three, maybe Pegonia and… Morikawa-san, Kirika-san, Emily-san, one of those three? Morikawa-san, well, whether she can come back at all is a problem.”
Ah, I see. Come to think of it, Morikawa-san hasn’t returned yet, has she? She said she was going deep into the mountains of Stars, and I was really surprised because she’s a national broadcaster, but she went there herself to report. Hearing that Morikawa-san, who was usually bright and cheerful, was so earnest in her work, I thought she was someone I really respected, and I felt like I should learn from her as a person.
”Anyway, have you two thought about what you’re going to do for the class show?”
Kanon looks at me and then turns her attention to Claire-san who is sitting next to me.
”Well, you know, usually there are a lot of stalls, right? Like yakisoba stands or takoyaki stands… but those are popular, so it might end up being a lottery.”
”Then how about a haunted house? Something like an exhibition or a dance that everyone can participate in? Aqua, do you have any good ideas?”
Here it comes! I had been anticipating this question from Kanon, so I had been thinking about it since earlier.
”As for other common ideas, how about a cosplay cafe? The usual maid cafe, and also a cat-eared cafe, cosplay-themed concept cafes, and, uh, a host cafe?”
Cosplay cafes were one of the staples of cultural festivals. In other words, if we did something like that, I could legally—yes, legally—see Kanon in a maid outfit or cat ears! Of course, I had a feeling Kanon would do it if I asked because she was so kind, but there was no way I could say something so embarrassing. If someone said, “Oh, Aqua, you have that kind of hobby, huh?” to me on that day, I would be completely unable to get up anymore. That’s why I decided to take full advantage of the wonderful pretext called the cultural festival. I struck a cool pose in my mind, thinking it was a perfect plan.
”Hey, um, does that mean…”
Kanon looked at me with surprise. Ugh, did she notice my 100% pure motives!?
”Ah, is Aqua going to wear cat ears or cross-dress as a maid?”
Why, you! I unintentionally used Inko-san’s Kansai dialect. I was so surprised by the unexpected response that I nearly slipped off my chair.
Clutter, clutter
Huh? It’s not me, right? When I looked towards the source of the sound, half of my classmates, including Ayana, had fallen out of their seats.
”Hey, cat ears…”
”How many casualties do you think Aqua-sama’s cat ears will cause?”
”Do they compete in the culture festival based on the number of corpses, not sales?”
”Oh… this is bad. Aqua-kun in a cross-dressing maid outfit might open up a whole new world…”
”Ah, Aqua-sama!”
”One maid outfit for takeout, please, Toa-chan.”
”Mayuzumi-kun wearing a maid outfit, and he should look at us disdainfully, preferably with tights and heels.”
”Put cat ears on Toa-chan and have three of them, for dine-in.”
”Mayuzumi-kun with glasses and cat ears, being ignored with indifference, preferably in a butler outfit.”
”That’s going a bit too far, isn’t it? It’s too extravagant!”
”Shhh, everyone, please talk in a lower voice! The conversation about indulgent desires could be overheard by the boys!”
Everyone trembled on both legs as they clung to their chairs, trying to stand up. Is, is everyone okay? When I looked at the table next to us, I saw Shintaro, who had been talking to the nearby girls just moments ago, giving me a look that said, “What are you talking about?” And Toa was giving me an intense glare. Ugh, could it be that they also caught on to my ulterior motives!?
”By the way, what’s the last host cafe?”
Ah, right, in this world, since there are fewer boys, there might not be a concept of a host.
”Well, basically, it’s when boys serve girls… It’s hard to explain in words. Kanon and Claire-san, can you help me demonstrate a little?”
”Uh, sure, but please don’t do anything too heart-pounding, okay?”
”Yeah, my stomach can’t handle anything too extreme.”
”It’s okay, don’t worry. It’s just a little bit of service.”
I stood up and placed my chair next to Kanon’s chair. Then, I unbuttoned a few buttons on the front of my shirt and pulled the shirt out.
”Long time no see! Have you been well?”
”Uh, yeah…”
I greeted Kanon and then sat down in the next seat. Maintaining the right distance is important when hosting. I spoke to Kanon with a distance where I could reach her if I reached out my hand. The words I used should not be too informal, but also not too stiff. I played the role of a host, completely immersing myself in the role.
”Thank you for choosing me again today. Did you come with friends?”
I looked at Kanon with a relaxed expression, then turned my gentle gaze towards Claire-san.
”Uh, yeah… This is my friend, Claire.”
”Nice to meet you, Claire. My girl here is always in your care.”
What’s important here is to politely greet the friends they brought along and subtly appeal to the one who brought them, too. Saying something like, “My girl is always in your care,” is a phrase that, frankly, only someone who lacks self-confidence would say, and I don’t have the confidence to say something like that. That’s why, as a host, it’s important to use words that wouldn’t be said in everyday life to give the girl a sense of specialness and an otherworldly feeling. That’s what my host teacher from a previous life, who taught me conversation skills, said.
”My, my, my, my, my girl…”
For some reason, Kanon next to me became strangely suspicious. I mean, I don’t think she’d react so excessively to something like this, right? After all, we’re already… well, you know. Besides, she’s already my wife, so if she reacts so shyly, I’ll get embarrassed and go back to normal. So, in order to prevent her from realizing it, I played the role of a host to the fullest.
”With that cute face, what’s wrong?”
”C-c-c-c-cute…”
Hey, hold on! When Kanon almost fell over to the opposite side, I grabbed her arm, and from somewhere, Pegonia-san appeared to support her on the other side.
”P-Pegonia-san!?”
”…Master (Danna-sama), please look around carefully.”
”Look around?”
When I looked around, all the female students except for Claire-san and a few others had fallen out of their chairs.
By the way, Claire-san, along with Shintaro and Washimiya-san, who were sitting next to her, remained completely frozen, while Ayana and Sugita-sensei lay flat on their desks. Kurogami-san was the only one who seemed to be operating somewhat normally, and she tapped her desk lightly while trying to stifle her laughter. What on earth was happening here?
”Well then, I will escort the young lady to the infirmary.”
Pegonia-san carried Kanon as if she were carrying a bale of hay and walked briskly out of the classroom. Wait, should we take everyone who’s fallen on the floor, including Claire-san, to the infirmary? As I pondered this, one by one, they started to stand up. I hope everyone is okay. I don’t know what happened, but do they really need to go to the infirmary?
”I’m going to take a poll. I’ll distribute the forms now, so please write down the performance you’d like to do.”
Huh? Already? I was thinking it’s fine since Kanon isn’t here, but Pegonia-san somehow returned and was filling out the form on behalf of Kanon. By the way, I wonder where Pegonia-san got the Otomezaki uniform she’s wearing. I want to ask, but in a way, I’m scared to. I submitted “Cat Ear Maid Cafe” on the form, but unfortunately, the results were disappointing.
34 votes for Host Cafe, including 1 proxy vote.
4 votes for any food stall (preferably one where Aqua doesn’t appear).
1 vote for Cat Ear Maid Cafe (mine).
It was almost unanimous that it would be a Host Cafe. As for the other 4 votes, I can guess who one of them is, but… who are the remaining 3 votes from? By the way, it somehow became known to everyone that I voted for the Cat Ear Maid Cafe. That’s because when it was read aloud, everyone, including the teacher, turned their gaze towards me. Ugh, am I that obvious!?
”Aqua-sama, does he like cat ear maids…”
”I might not be able to marry him, but I might have a chance become his maid.”
”I don’t mind not getting married if I can be his maid maid forever.”
”So, does that mean I can get a job at Aqua-kun’s?”
”We might not be able to file a marriage certificate, but if we can connect with Aqua-kun through an employment contract, that’s good enough. After all, it’s the same piece of paper, and all you have to do is write your name and stamp it, so it’s almost like a marriage certificate, right?”
”In that case, it’s practically half of a wife.”
”Understanding the equation: Aqua-sama’s maid = practically a wife. Will this be on the test?”
”Indeed… then, how about Host? For those who won’t participate as hosts, can they support or work behind the scenes as cat ear maids?”
”””””That’s it…!”””””
I don’t quite understand, but it seems like they sympathized with me, and it was decided that everyone except the hosts would become cat ear maids. Yes! Sympathy is fine by me now!! With this, I can openly and squarely, and carefully from the front, look at Kanon in her cat ear maid outfit!! While I was thinking about that, Pegonia-san from the back seats tapped my shoulder.
”Master, should I wear cat ears from today as well?”
Pegonia-san pressed her reddened cheeks with both hands and sent me flirtatious glances. She seems to have become much more emotional or less reserved than when we first met… Is it just my imagination? Naturally, I ignored Pegonia-san. I felt like if I reacted, it would be bad.
”So, our class’s performance has been decided as a Host Cafe. I’m pretty sure… no, I’m almost certain it will be approved, so please be prepared for that.”
Afterward, the class culture festival executive committee member went to the student council room, and our class’s performance, the Host Cafe, was approved on the same day. It was decided that the shortage of male performers would be compensated for by girls cross-dressing as guys. After school, Kurumi-san, who had been absent from school, visited the tea ceremony club and the drama club to discuss things. By the way, Toa seems to be seriously joining the drama club, and he came with me to the drama club’s clubroom, and it was decided that he would also participate in this year’s performance. With everything done, I took a taxi provided by the school and headed home alone. Kanon still hasn’t come back. Is she okay?
”I’m sorry, Shirogane-sama. Miss is… she’s too inexperienced and has fallen ill, so she’ll be resting in her room today.”
”Seriously…”
I had been thinking about cuddling on the couch today, but upon hearing Pegonia-san’s words, I collapsed to my knees in front of the entrance.
”Do you want Pegonia to put on cat ears and cuddle with you as a substitute? By the way, I also have sheep horns prepared. Which one do you prefer?”
At some point, Pegonia-san had put on sheep horns, and I elegantly ignored her as I returned to my room alone. By the way, we also have a marital bedroom, but we have separate bedrooms as well. I never expected something like this to happen on our first day living together… I reflected on the fact that I may have gone too far, alone in my room.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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