56. Yamamine Megumi
「Eh, what’s wrong?! Please sing, Megumi-chan!」
Nei-san asks Yamamine-san who refused to hold the microphone.
「I’m bad at it」
「You don’t need to mind it!」
「But…Everyone’s good at it」
「Geez!…Maru-chan should’ve been here!」
「Eh…Margo-san, could it be?」
「That’s right, Yo-chan…Maru-chan’s such a hardcore rock girl, but she’s really bad at singing!」
Oh, though she had a guitar during the disguise, it seems that she really likes it.
Un, she surely seem to match rock.
「She’s good at instruments though!」
「Electric guitar?」
When I asked.
「No no, Clarinet!」
「…Clarinet? Could that be the 『The claarineet I got from papa…』something like that?」
「That’s right, that clarinet!」
However…I don’t know what kind of instrument was that.
「She said she took lessons when she was in the inst.i.tute in the America, they have such an educational program there」
「Oh, I see.」
「The teacher in charge pushes musical instruments just because he sees them as kids…『Hey you!1 You learn this today! You’re a big one so learn this! The small one there learn this piccolo!』she said」
「…Hee」
「That’s why, Maru-chan’s good with clarinet but…she can’t adjust her voice when singing! Whatever she sings will always come out as a death metal!」
Uuun. Margo-san’s voice is low though…
「In case of clarinet, does she perform cla.s.sical music? Like Mozart?」
Misuzu asks Nei-san
「No, Maru-chan’s the type who’d like Jazz. Look, there’re are jazz artists that are good in clarinet aren’t there?」
「…Benny Goodman?」
Yamamine-san unexpectedly joined the conversation…
「Right, Maru-chan likes his performance!」
「Benny Goodman is amazing isn’t he…?」
「Oh, Megumi-chan’s informed! Do you like Jazz?」
「…My late mother’s doing a vocals on Jazz.」
Yamamine-san’s…mother has pa.s.sed away…
「Oh right! Me too, I don’t have my parents anymore!」
「…Eh??」
「…Ehehe, they were both shot by a burglar when we were in US」
Nei-san…is that so…?
「When I was six…me and my bother were watching it…!」
「…Is that so?」
Yamamine-san’s face turned gloomy.
「My mother committed suicide. When I was 12」
「Is that so? Megumi-chan had a hard time…!」
Nei-san embraces Yamamine-san’s shoulder quietly.
「I’m fine. My adoptive parents are taking good care of me…」
Misuzu opened the karaoke list and spoke to Yamamine-san.
「Uhm…Megumi-san. Do you sing Cole Porter’s 『Night and Day』2?」
「…Yes, I know it」
「Please sing along with Misuzu!」
「…Eh?」
「…Misuzu loves 『Night and day』」
「…I also do」
「Then, lets sing it together!」
「Ah, me too!」
Nei-san too…!
「…Err, it’s in the karaoke isn’t it!
「Yes. If I recall, it’s in the Jazz page!」
Nei-san and Misuzu registers the music…!
「Yo-chan, want to sing too?」
「No…I don’t know that song」
「Then, Yo-chan should listen to the three beauties singing!」
「…O-Okay」
「Hey hey, Megumi-chan, stand up!」
「…But」
「We’re all singing together」
The jazz performance plays gently.
Then…the three sings.
Among the two microphones, Nei-san monopolizes one of them.
The other one has Misuzu and Yamamine-san drawing their lips close to each other…!
The English song unknown to me…!
Is a sorrowful and gentle…jazz melody…
Nei-san and Misuzu are smiling at Yamamine-san.
Yamamine-san…returned a smile…
Slowly…the wall in her heart melts.
The three of them sings happily…
Before long…the song ends.
I clapped my hands for the three of them.
The girls looked at each other and smiled once again…!
「Yamamine-san…aren’t you good at it?!」
「Un, it was a really beautiful voice!」
Nei-san and Misuzu praises Yamamine-san’s singing voice…
「No…I’m bad at singing…」
「That’s not true! Look, everyone give Megumi-chan an applause!」
We clapped our hands for Yamamine-san.
…That’s when.
Another sound of applause comes from the outside of the room…!
「Everyone’s good at singing. I’m jealous」
A tall woman in black clothing enters from the door…!
…Yamamine-san’s surprised!
「…Yuzuki-sensei!」
The teacher laughs.
「…Sensei, why are you here?」
「This is my house…」
Nei-san spoke to the stiffened Yamamine-san.
「Didn’t I tell you? We’ll be going to my friend’s house…!」
「…But」
「I’m sensei’s friend!」
Misuzu stepped forward and bowed to Sensei.
「Nice to meet you…I’m Kouzuki Misuzu!」
「…Is your grandfather well?」
「Yes I was told to 『Send my regards to Kuromori-sama』…!」
…Eh?!
Misuzu’s grandfather knows Sensei?
Not just that but also 『Kuromori』…?!
「Tell him『I’m very sorry for the long silence』…!」
「Yes, I understand…!」
Sensei once again looked at Yamamine-san
「Yuzuki is my mother’s family name…That’s what I use at school, my true name is Kuromori…Kuromori Minaho…!3」
「…Kuromori?!」
「Yes…I’m the current head of Kuromori house. Welcome Misuzu-san. Also…Welcome back, Megumi…!」
Megumi-san’s long and narrow eyes gradually opened wide!
「…We’re finally able to meet」
◇ ◇ ◇
「…Everyone, meal’s ready!」
Katsuko-nee jumps in the intense atmosphere!
「Katsun! Where are we going to eat today’s lunch/」
「Since the weather’s good, I’ve prepared it at the terrace!」
「Ah, that’s good!…Hey, Misuzu-chan and Megumi-chan, let’s go!」
Nei-san calls her out but…Yamamine-san is still looking at the teacher stiffened.
「…Let’s have a meal first. We can just leave the complicated talk later right?」
「Yes…got it」
Yamamine-san who had a gloomy face were pulled out by Nei-san and Misuzu…
We come to the terrace facing the backyard of the mansion…
The garden surrounded with high tree has good air.
There’s a big table in the terrace and a white tablecloth hung in it.
On top of it are a lot of platters…
「I was wondering if I’d go with Chinese or Italian but…I focused no making a pasta buffet today. Please take what you like and have a feast!」
I see, there’s different kinds of spaghetti in the platter. There are salad dishes too.
「Ojou-sama, would you want white wine?」
Huh…the butler on white hair I haven’t seen for a while appeared with a wine.
「…I’ll leave it to Morimoto」
The butler poured in wine gla.s.s for several number of people.
「…Please」
He poured into each gla.s.s in sequence, starting from Sensei.
Lastly, the butler poured into Yamamine-san’s gla.s.s…
「This wine was bought when you were born…Megumi-sama」
Yamamine-san looks up at the butler…
「Your mother was a very splendid one…I heard your singing voice a while ago but Megumi-sama’s voice resembles Emiko very much」
「Do you know my mother?」
「Yes…I know Megumi-sama’s experience too. I was the one who delivered you to Yamamine-sama’s house when you were a young miss…!」
Sensei spoke to Yamamine-san.
「You don’t remember since you were still small…I was a high school student back then」
Yamamine-san’s eyes…have tears shedding like rain.
「…I do remember. That’s right…It was you. The one who spoke to me with a very gentle voice inside the car…also, this scenery…I remember…!」
Sensei pours in two more wine gla.s.ses…
「Morimoto, Katsuko, take these gla.s.ses…we’ll all toast for this」
「…Ojou-sama!」
「I don’t mind…our cute daughter came home. Everyone must give her blessings…!」
The butler Morimoto-san and Katsuko-nee took the gla.s.s…and we too…
「Our Megumi has grown up healthily and beautifully…Cheers to Megumi’s return!」
「…Cheers!」
Everyone drinks their wine.
「…Now, I’m hungry! Megumi-chan, what pasta do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you!」
「…No, I’ll do it myself」
Nei-san embraces Yamamine-san who’s still crying…!
「Katsun and I are children of this mansion too. That’s why we’re Megumi-chan’s onee-san! Ah…I came here latter so Megumi-chan’s the onee-san…?!」
「…Uhm, everyone’s…a『Kuromori』?」
Yamamine-san looks at us timidly
「Misuzu’s not…!」
Misuzu answered radiantly.
「Misuzu’s Danna-sama’s pet…!」
「…Pet?」
「Yes, I’m being cherished by Danna-sama!」
Yamamine-san looks at my face in surprise!
「Wrong, wrong!…Yo-chan’s not a 『Guest』 Yo-chan’s a member of 『Kuromori』 One of Sensei’s 『Toys』…!」
Nei-san explains laughingly
「…A member of『Kuromori』? Is that so? Yoshida-kun?」
「Un…I became one before I noticed」
「…Is that true?」
「I am Yuzuki-sensei’s 『Seventh Toy』 A member of 『Kuromori』…!」
Saying it with my own mouth…feels strange.
But…there’s no regret.
It turned this way…it has come to this.
This is my fate, I think.
「That’s right! Everyone’s Megumi-chan’s ally!」
「Megumi-sama…please think of me as your onee-san!」
「Ah, you’re so sly Katsun! Megumi-chan’s my little sister!」
Misuzu spoke to the frolic Nei-san and Katsuko-nee.
「Uhm…is it no good to be a little sister of the two?!」
「Ah, As expected of Mii-chan, you said something good!」
「Then, Nei-sama…let’s have it like that!」
「Un, Katsun…you’re our little sister!」
Nei-san jumps around Yamamine-san in pleasure…!
「Oh right oh right…let’s make Mii-chan our little sister while we’re at it!」
「You can’t, Misuzu’s Danna-sama’s pet!」
「Isn’t that fine?! Yo-chan’s pet and also our little sister!」
「I don’t want that!…Danna-sama’s the only one for Misuzu!」
「Uwaaa, Mii-chan declined!!!! Yo-chan, cheer me up!」
Nei-san clings to me this time!
My face got buried under her huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s!!
「Aah, Nei-san you’re so sly! Danna-sama, me too, me too!」
Misuzu clings to me too…!
Ah, her small beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s is. .h.i.tting me!!!
Though the feeling of Nei-san’s huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s is good…
I can’t just throw away the elasticity of Misuzu’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s…!
「Hey, the two of you! We’re in the middle of the meal! It’s bad manners!」
「…Katsun scolded meeeee!!」
Nei-san pressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s even further!
「Megumi-san…I can’t become Megumi-san’s sister. I don’t think of wanting it either」
Misuzu smiles and spoke to Yamamine-san…
「In exchange…let’s become close friends throughout our life…!」
「Misuzu-san…!」
「Now…let’s eat!」
「Un un, meal meal!」
「Please eat…!」
The meal finally started.
「Danna-sama, which pasta do you like?? Misuzu will feed you!」
Misuzu spins the pasta on the fork and holds it to my mouth.
「Okay…Aaahn!」
…M-Misuzu.
T-This is embarra.s.sing.
Everyone’s looking…
「…please, Danna-sama!!!」
No good…I can’t stand against this lovely face!
…Aaahn.
「Ufu…Is it delicious?」
「D…Delicious…!」
Ah, when I look at her…Nei-san’s eyes is burning!
「Mii-chan…I’ll do it too!」
「No, that kind of job is for the Maid Katsuko!」
Katsuko-nee interferes…!!
「Then…Let’s do it in turns. Nei-san, Katsuko-sama…!」
Ah…Yamamine-san’s looking at us in amazement.
No more, I’m giving up.
Sure sure, I’m such a shameless man…!!
The racket with me at the center finally settled after a while.
Right now, I’m eating between the happy girls.
I took a look at the wine in my hand from a distance.
「All of the spaghetti is delicious. Are this all Katsuko-sama’s cooking??」
「That’s right! Katsun’s very good at cooking!」
「If you want then I can teach you anytime you want!」
「Please teach Misuzu! Hey, Megumi-san, let’s learn together!」
「…yeah, sure」
She’s still awkward but still, Yamamine-san seems to be able to blend with the girls somehow.
Or could it be that she’s still minding Yuzuki-sensei?…She’s looking at Sensei from time to time.
Sensei kept eating while talking to the butler…
「…You’re still worried?」
Nei-san whispered as she saw Yamamine-san’s state.
「…No, I」
「Don’t mind it, donmai…We’ll be taking care of Megumi-chan’s anxiety ahead!」
…Anxiety??
「The 『Kuromori』right now is no longer a prost.i.tution section… That’s why I’m still a virgin…」
「…Eh?!」
Yamamine-san’s surprised.
Those words seems to be shocking for her…
「Katsuko too, she’s not inviting a visitor for nearly a year too…!」
「That’s why, Megumi-chan will never have to be taking care of a guest from now on. Don’t worry!」
「…But」
「Don’t worry. The current head of 『Kuromori』is Ojou-sama…!」
「Un. Sensei would never do anything that we’d hate!」
In other words.
The head before Yuzuki-sensei…forced Katsuko-nee, Nagisa-san and Iwakura-senpai to prost.i.tution.
It was overturned one year ago…
At those days when Yuzuki-sensei’s the actual head…?
Sensei’s listening to the conversation of the girls?…She stood from her seat and came to me.
「…I have to explain to Yoshida-kun and Misuzu-san…Megumi’s mother, Emiko came to this mansion a decade ago. My father was the head of the at that time. Emiko got pregnant here…and gave birth. Then, the two of them lived here until Megumie became 6 years old…」
Yamamine-san’s lost mother…was a previous generations 『Kuromori』member.
Having her pregnant here means…Just like how Nagisa-san got pregnant with Mao-chan, Yamamine-san’s mother got pregnant with a 『Guest’s』child…?!
「I played with Megumi a lot when I was young but…Megumi doesn’t seem to remember me」
「…I’m sorry」
「It’s fine…I’ve also changed a lot since the old days」
Sensei…wasn’t like this before
「…Kuromori-sama」
「Please stop calling me that formal…Megumi, do you remember how you call me before??」
「…Minaho-san」
「That’s right. That’s better…use that please」
「…Okay」
「Megumi…Was everyone from Yamamine gentle to you?」
「Yes…I was raised like their real daughter」
「I’m glad…I was worried all this time. About you」
「…I’m sorry for making you worry」
Sensei paused for a moment…then spoke
「Megumi…You can freely decide what you want to do from now on」
「…Eh?」
「I know the talk about you coming out of Yamamine house towards Shirasaka house. You can ignore that…!」
…Shirasaka house?
…Yukino’s house?
Speaking of which, there’s the talk of Yamamine-san being in a distant relative of Yukino…
Why is Yukino’s house involved…?/
Yukino’s house…is related to 『Kuromori』too…?!
Oh right…Yukino?!
「Katsuko-nee…what time is it?!」
Katsuko-nee took out a wrist.w.a.tch for women that seems expensive when I asked her…
「…12:23!」
Yesterday…Yuzuki-sensei told Yukino that they’d meet at school at 11:00!
Where is Yukino right now!?
「Yoshida-kun…calm down. There’s nothing for you to worry about…」
Sensei told me as she look at my panicking face.
Sensei’s not saying 『Yukino’s』name on purpose.
To not let Yamamine-san know.
「Megumi…I’ll be making the road for you. You can choose the road by your own will…」
「My will…」
「Yes…you can live as the child of Yamamine-san. I can return your Hashimoto family name as Hashimoto Emiko’s daughter. You can live outside the residence just like the old times…If you want to live outside then I can rent an apartment. I will bear all the school expenses before graduating, your living costs and also university. You don’t need to worry because it won’t trouble Yamamine-san…!」
「…Minaho-san」
「You’re Emiko-san…『Kuromori’s』daughter but, you don’t need to become a member of 『Kuromori』 You are yourself. But…I have the responsibility of protecting you in Emiko-san’s place. I will solve all of the problems you are feeling right now. …You’re free! You can freely choose your future!!」
Yamamine-san shook her head greatly…
「I’m not free」
「…Megumi?」
「I…I understood it from Minaho-san’s talk right now. It was Minaho-san who sent the expenses to Yamamine house for my upbringing, isn’t it」
「…That’s right. Your real father refused. Everything about your upbringing」
「I…was abandoned?/」
「No…That person doesn’t mind the burden of money at all, he opposed you leaving the mansion. He thinks that you being here would be a drawback for 『Kuromori』 Thus, he pushed you to Yamamine-san…」
「…Yes, I know that」
「That person entrusted you to Yamamine-san’s house and is still thinking that he’s ruling you」
「That’s what I think too…if you think of that person’s relation to Yamamine house…!」
Yamamine-san’s eyes had tears spilling.
Just what the h.e.l.l happened
Yamamine-san’s past…?!
「Megumi-chan, stay here! Together with us!」
Nei-san embraces Yamamine-san’s shoulder…!
「Katsuko will be making you meals everyday!」
…Katsuko-san too
「…I feel sorry for Megumi-san!」
Misuzu clings to me and bursts into tears…
…I
「Yamamine-san, fight! It’s no good to give up! If you don’t you’d just regret it for your whole life!」
Yamamine-san got startled with my words then she looked at me.
「…Yoshida-kun?」
「I don’t get it but…But, I don’t think that you should entrust your life to someone. You have to get hurt to gain it…!」
「…Is that okay for me? To fight」
「…Isn’t it Yamamine-san’s life?!」
I shouted.
I don’t know why…
That’s right, I can’t help but shout…!
Yamamine-san turns around to Sensei!
「Minaho-san…I!」
Yamamine-san said it clearly…
「I…I want to avenge my mother…!」
Sensei’s surprised!
「…Megumi, you!」
「I could… never forgive that person!」
Yamamine-san shouts while grasping both her hands tightly…!
「Are you sure Megumi?…You’re going to fall to h.e.l.l you know…!」
「I don’t mind…!」
Yamamine-san’s eyes are determined.
Sensei opened her mouth.
「The current 『Kuromori』are all acting only for revenge. Your revenge would be included in that revenge. That’s why, there’s no need for Megumi to defile her body… You can stay as clean as you were…!」
「I don’t want to just watch! If Minaho-san gets dirty, then I’ll get dirty too…! I’ll follow you until h.e.l.l!」
「…Megumi」
Nei-san spoke quietly.
「Sensei…Sensei’s revenge is our revenge. Sensei didn’t just drag us…we’re all fighting the same fight」
「That’s right, Ojou-sama…Ojou-sama released Katsuko and the others. Ojou-sama’s pain is Katsuko’s pain1」
「I’m sure Maru-chan would say the same thing. If we’re not called out by Sensei, I think we might’ve been killed by those people…!」
Sensei looked at me and Misuzu.
「Sorry…Yoshida-kun and Misuzu-san’s not related here. Especially Yoshida-kun…you were just dragged into this plan of mine…」
…I see
Sensei’s plan was towards the Shirasaka house since the beginning.
She just chose me as a piece to make Shirasaka Yukino fall.
…But
The me right now…
「No…I’m also Sensei’s 『Toy』 A member of 『Kuromori』 Sensei’s revenge will be my revenge…I will follow everyone to the end…!」
Misuzu jumps at my words!
「That’s my Danna-sama! Misuzu is everyone’s ally! I love you everyone…!!!!」
Misuzu smiles…
Nei-san and Katsuko-nee too…
「…Everyone」
Sensei looks at Yamamine-san
Yamamine-san looks straight at Sensei…
「Megumi…Are you really going to do anything for the sake of revenge?」
「I will…」
「I won’t go easy」
「I’ll do anything Minahio-san orders…」
「…You might get prost.i.tuted?!」
「…I’m ready for it」
「…You might even kill a person」
「I’m fine…I’ll endure anything」
「…Got it」
Sensei embraced Yamamine-san.
「…Megumi, from now on, you’re my 『Eighth toy』…!」
1. This is in katakana english ↩
3. My name’s Bond. ↩