Chapter 1257. Afterglow / Reconciliation

Chapter 1257. Afterglow / Reconciliation

「 Well then, please enjoy chatting for a while 」

Nei, the host, speaks to the mic after the toast.

The victory party isn’t only with the family.

Sakurako, and Shie-san, the new family are here.

Edie’s friends in martial arts have come.

Furthermore, Yukino also called over Snatch, the comedian, and Francie, the gay talent.

We need some time before the atmosphere calms down.

「 Here, some plates and chopsticks! 」

「 We have a lot of food so eat your fill 」

Mana and Megu bring small plates and chopsticks.

「 Oh? You did all of it just as the recipe I left said 」

Katsuko-nee saw the dishes and said with a smile.

「 That’s because of their help 」

Megu points at Kuromiya Motoko-san and Mikuriya Kurumi-san who are wearing aprons.

Oh, these girls too.

「 No, no, we’re just… 」

「 We just helped out as Mana-san and Megumi-san instructed 」

The young ladies who use a spear as their technique speaks humbly.

「 That’s not true, Motoko-san’s better than me when to cooking 」

Mana said.

「 When you saw the recipe Katsuko-oneechan left, you already understood what she wanted it to taste like, so you moved at a really great pace 」

「 No, not at all, Kurumi and I are still novices 」

「 Please continue to guide us 」

Kuromiya-san and Mikuriya-san bow their heads to Katsuko-nee.

「 I see. It’s those girls. Kouzuki-sama told me about them 」

Minaho-neesan who lead the toast comes to me with a Champagne glass in hand.

「 We’re accepting them for now but you’re the one who makes the final decision 」

They’re accepted in the Kuromori mansion but I’ll have to decide if I want them as my concubines.

「 Katsuko talked directly to Kaan-sama and so I think that’s the end of pushing troublesome girls from the nobility 」

「 Oh, so no more girls like Sakurakoa nd Kuromiya-san for now 」

Misato and Arisu, the sisters from the collapsed Kurama house.

Mizushima Karen, who received punishment from the Kouzuki house.

Furthermore, Mariko, who has noble blood, but she’s not a noble daughter.

Erica, a girl from an ordinary household, but is a star in the school for young ladies.

Recently, young ladies with problems have been coming to me.

「 What are you talking about, Kaan Momoko-sama’s still there, right? 」

Minaho-neesan said.

Ugh, I was pretending to forget about her you know.

「 You have to do something with her too, you’re the only one who can talk to her on equal footing after all 」

Hmmm.

To Momoko-neechan, a young lady of the Kaan house, everyone is just inferior to her.

Even the girls who are close to her is just a protegee for her.

Geez, that personality of hers makes it hard to gain friends.

「 Yeah, I’ll do something about her 」

I told Minaho-neesan.

「 Thanks, well then, I’m going back to my work on the other room 」

Huh?

「 Minaho-neesan, the party just started you know? 」

She just toasted and drank Champagne, she hasn’t eaten any of the food yet.

「 The guests can’t calm down if I’m here, see? 」

Minaho-neesan.

True, Snatch and Francie, the Martial Arts women, they’re sending glances at Minaho-neesan who looks bizarrely intimidating despite looking so young.

「 You should enjoy the party yourselves 」

That’s…

Minaho-neesan’s going to put some pressure on them just by existing, but…

「 They can’t calm down not only because they’re afraid of you, Minaho 」

Then.

Margo-san comes close and told Minaho-neesan with a smile.

「 Those people have seen scary people like Minaho from their society and so they’re not as scared as a normal people would be 」

Yeah, the two who have shown great efforts in show business.

And also people who have shown their achievements in the martial arts society.

They’re accustomed to people out of the norm compared to normal folks.

「 But I still have a job I need to finish tonight. I still have to write letters to the old customers to inform them about the new brothel 」

Minaho-neesan said.

「 It would be rude if I, the owner of the brothel, don’t handwrite the business reopening notice to each one of them 」

The preparations for reopening the brothel are advancing steadily.

「 I see. then, I’ll drop by later. Minaho, are you staying over tonight? 」

Margo-san asks.

「 Yes, Tamayo-san’s taking care of the new kids today along with the other retired women. I’m sure that they’re having a good time talking behind my back 」

Minaho-neesan smiles wryly.

「 I wonder? I think that they’re talking about how Minaho’s fighting hard to keep the prostitutes of the brothel safe 」

Margo-san said, then…

「 Thank you for coming tonight, Minaho 」

She thanked Minaho-neesan.

「 It’s my little sister’s party, of course, I will come 」

Minaho-neesan speaks with a little bashful tone.

Even though she’s busy reopening the brothel and yet, she went all the way to here.

「 I always had a dream since Minaho picked me up from America. Thank you, Minaho 」

「 You’re talented, you would’ve succeeded even without meeting me 」

Minaho-neesan said. Margo-san shook her head.

「 You’re wrong, if I didn’t meet you Minaho, then I would’ve been stuck in that orphanage in Rural America. I would’ve dried out there, unable to step out of my dark past 」

「 That’s your misunderstanding, Margo. You’re much stronger than you think. Weren’t you able to carry your plan forward even without my help? 」

Margo-san didn’t borrow the power of the Kouzuki house nor Minaho-neesan’s.

She and Nei are pushing forward with their dream of advancing to America.

「 Yes. We’re not getting help because this is our dream. Minaho has something she has to do by herself, and so I’m going to do mine too 」

Margo-san said with a smile.

「 Even so, we’re always receiving Minaho’s strength. We can feel Minaho close to us 」

「 Me? 」

Minaho-neesan looks at Margo-san curiously.

「 Yes, I was talking to Nei before the interview, when I was looking for a sponsor on the show. We ask ourselves, “What would Minaho do when talking to someone like this.” We do that all the time 」

Margo-san;

「 And so, when we’re on our operation, since I’m just 19, and Nei’s 18…when old men of age 20, 30 talks us down, we tell ourselves that “Minaho won’t lose to someone like this,” and so we desperately fight back 」

She laughs lightly.

「 Nei and I have become little Minaho in our hearts. And every time we face a problem, Minaho in our heart always gives us encouragement. No matter what time of the day it is, the Minaho in our hearts is fighting alongside us, and it’s reassuring. 」

「 Margo 」

「 So, thank you Minaho. Stay in our hearts all the time. Thank you for being our big sister. Thank you for giving us this wonderful family. I’m able to do my best because Minaho’s there. Thank you 」

Minaho-neesan;

「 D-Don’t be silly, if I were in your heart, then you won’t be able to stand the nagging. Anyway, I have work to do. Congratulations on your victory 」

She told Margo-san and walked out of the dining room.

「 Hmmm, Minaho-oneechan’s quite a shy person~ 」

Before I knew it Nei’s next to us, watching Minaho-neesan leave the room while giggling.

「 But, isn’t that great that she came here? 」

Nei is also happy that Minaho-neesan came to the party today.

「 Yoshinobu-kun too, thank you 」

Margo-san told me.

「 Huh, for what? 」

I didn’t do anything deserving of thanks.

「 Minaho changed since meeting you. If this was Minaho before, she would never even entertain the idea of honoring the toast 」

「 Right, she would just watch us have fun through the cameras and prepare for her next conspiracy 」

Nei laughed.

「 Yo-chan, let’s bring some food to Minaho-oneechan later. It doesn’t have to be right now 」

Right, let’s bring her some of the party dishes later.

「 Yeah got it 」

I replied, Then, Nei looked around the dining room.

「 Well then, how’s the chatting with everyone? 」

I also took a look around.

Then…

「 Here you go. 」

「 Should I bring more? 」

Kuromiya-san and Mikuriya-san are stuck on the food table, serving everyone else.

「 Those spear sisters seem to be very human 」

Nei said.

「 Ya-chan, spear sisters? 」

「 If they were lesbians, then I would’ve called them Yuri sisters, but they don’t seem like it. They both seem straight to me. Also, they use spears, right? So Spear sisters(Yari Shimai), it’s not like they’re called sluts(Yariman)! 」

Hmmm.

「 I’ll take your place, you should eat and talk with the girls 」

Katsuko-nee told the spear sisters.

「 No, we’re… 」

「 We’re here to serve everyone 」

Oh, they did say that they’re in the lowest among my women.

「 But, we can’t let that 」

Katsuko-nee said.

「 Tonight, you’re our guest 」

「 No, we have our resolve 」

「 We would like to do whatever we can to help 」

Haa, they got us.

「 Agnes, come here 」

I called Agnes.

「 Yes, desuno! 」

Agnes comes over.

Of course, Luna and Koyomi-chan are with her.

I went to the spear sisters together with Agnes.

「 Kuromori-sama, what would you like to have? 」

「 I’ll bring everyone’s food too 」

Mikuriya-san takes a plate and welcomes us.

「 Agnes, these people 」

「 Yes, desuno! 」

Agnes looks up at me with earnest feelings.

「 They say that they want to be our family, but I still haven’t decided on what to do yet 」

「 Yes, desuno 」

Kuromiya-san;

「 Please don’t mind it and use us 」

「 We’ll do anything that we can 」

Mikuriya-san said without breaking her smile.

「 I want to hear Agnes’ opinion. She’s the center of the young group after all 」

I told the spear sisters and looked at Agnes.

「 With that said, have a talk with these girls while eating. Then, Agnes will tell me if they should be in our family or not, okay? 」

「 Aye, aye sir!! 」

Agnes salutes, then…

「 Luna, and Koyomi-chan, help me out! Agnes doesn’t know much about strangers, and so Agnes might get fooled by bad people 」

「 We’re not bad people 」

Mikuriya-san said, but…

「 No, bad people say that line, so you have to be careful! That’s what they taught Agnes 」

「 Who did? 」

Kuromiya-san asks.

「 Mao-chan taught me!! 」

The 12-year old Agnes learned that from the 4-year-old Mao-chan.

「 Starting tomorrow, Agnes has to go outside 」

Yeah, tomorrow is a Monday, and so Agnes and the girls will attend the school for the young ladies.

「 Agnes. Kuromiya-san will be your senior at school so listen to them at school, okay? 」

「 Certainly, desuno! 」

Agnes nods to me, then…

「 Karen-chan, Haiji-chan, come here too, desuno! 」

She calls Karen and Haiji.

「 Even if anyone tries to fool Agnes in school, Karen-chan will notice it! 」

No, sure, Karen’s a student in the same school, but…

Why are you so cautious of Kuromiya-san that much?

「 Oh, I knew it. She seems to feel that she can’t trust those spear sisters 」

Nei whispered to me.

Yeah, let’s go see Agnes’ reaction to them.

I mean, Luna and Koyomi-chan are already checking the spear sister’s mind.

「 Then, let’s begin our investigation while we’re eating!! 」

Err. Who let Agnes watch police drama?

Kuromiya-san and Mikuriya-san’s taken to the young group.

As for the one serving the table.

「 Katsuko-oneesama, Yoshiko and I will do it 」

Ruriko and Yoshiko-san came over.

「 Then, please. I’m a little worried so I’m going to watch over Agnes-chan 」

Katsuko-nee goes to Agnes’ table too.

On the other hand…

The newcomers, Sakurako and Shie-san have Erica and Marika, Arisu, Kinuka, and Mitama, then Erica and Kana-senpai gathering around them.

「 Hey, can I? Kana? 」

Mariko whispers.

「 Huh, what? 」

「 You actually want to be at the table with the celebrities over there, don’t you? 」

Kana-senpai.

「 I’ve got no interest in the comedian. Neither the other one 」

She speaks bluntly.

「 Well, I don’t really care about hot actors and whatnot, I’m all for Nobu 」

She told Mariko with a smile.

「 I’d rather talk to a female actress or musician, but… 」

「 Hmm, I see. I hardly watch TV so I’m not interested in celebrities either. 」

Seeing that the two high school girls have no interest in them, Snatch;

For some reason, they joined the table of the female athletes.

「 And so, Edie-oneechan’s really strong! 」

「 Michi-san is also strong! 」

Seems like the twins who want to play with Snatch and Francie brought them to the table.

Yukino, Mana, Edie, and Michi. Megu’s also on that table.

Nagisa, Mao-chan, Kudou Haruka and Kendou Maria.

Oh, the ordinary girls, not young ladies have gathered there.

They’re interested in celebrities and fighters.

「 Yeah, I experienced how awful she is firsthand 」

Monkey Mimi told Michi.

「 You’re the little sister, aren’t you? 」

Kudou Haruka asks.

「 I’m the “incompetent sister” of this girl 」

Kudou Haruka says standoffishly.

「 What do you mean? 」

Rodulfo Seiko-san asks.

「 We have Kudou arts in our home. It’s something passed on since our ancestors. but… 」

「 I learned everything in the Kudou arts from Grandfather 」

Michi said.

「 That’s why this girl is strong. Much stronger than her sister, me 」

Haruka said.

「 But why is the elder sister not using that same art? 」

Monkey-san asks.

「 I didn’t want to learn it. Well, I thought back then that Kudou arts are old-fashioned, lame, and totally useless. So I chose Karate 」

「 Why? Despite saying that your little sister is strong 」

Poron asks curiously.

「 That’s because our father uses the same Kudou style, but he’s very lame at it that I can’t stand it! I always hated the happy-go-lucky attitude of father, and so I hated Kudou arts too 」

Kudou Haruka said.

「 His clothing sense is weird, his behavior is incomprehensible, his friends are weird, and his martial arts skills are weird. Like calling one of his techniques Kudou Arts “Never Say Never Again” 」

Oh yeah, I saw Kudou-papa do that before.

「 That’s Father’s Original. There was no technique like that in Kudou arts before 」

Michi said.

「 Father ran away from Grandfather’s home in the middle of his training and so he never had full mastership of the Kudou arts 」

「 I don’t care! Either way, that man’s loitering here and there, not even staying at home, and his income is poor. In the end, his relationship with Mother became poor, and since Mother is also an idiot, she went out with a weird guy, and it all ended up in divorce. Geez, what a useless man he is! 」

Kudou Haruka tosses her anger to her father.

「 That’s why I hated Kudou arts. I didn’t want to learn the skills Father had. You see 」

Then.

「 Oh, I think I get that 」

Monkey Mimi-san said.

「 My family runs a Houtou shop in Yamanashi, you know houto right? It’s flat udon 」

Houto?

「 Then, well, Grandfather started the store during the Showa era, I don’t know what he’s thinking but he named it “Houtou Musuko” Maybe it’s the curse of the name but his son, my father, has become the wasteful son (Houtou Musuko). He stole money from the store and spent it on gambling, had a mistress, and hid it from Mother. He’s a troublesome man. That’s why I hated my father since childhood 」

「 What about now? 」

Grace Marinka, who has been quiet until now, asks.

「 Hmm, I still hate him. That’s why I’m fighting under the name Monkey Mimi. I hate my real name, Hagiwara Misako. My father’s name is Hagiwara Misao, just a single letter difference. That’s why I remember my father’s name when I’m called, so I use Monkey Mimi instead 」

Mimi-san said.

「 That said., my father is already dead. He was drunk as usual and a typhoon happened to hit that day. It hit Yamanashi, you see. Then, that old man went to check on the store even though he was drunk, and somehow, while making his way from the shop to the drinking bar on the other side of the road, he fell to the canal and drowned. It was during my second year in high school 」

I see.

「 So some of my relatives say that “Now that he’s dead, let’s forget about the grudges and let bygones be bygones,” but I just can’t do that. I have no single good memory of my father. He never brought me anywhere to play. Even if I recall him, all I remember is his drunk face or how he kicks Mother when he’s angry. I have no good memory with him 」

Me too.

I have no single happy memory with my mother.

「 As for my family in Yamanashi, I have two older brothers but when my father died, my big brother said that he doesn’t want to inherit the Houtou shop so he started a car wash store instead. But, he wasn’t doing well management-wise. Then, the younger of my older brothers trained at a relative’s Houtou shop and started a Houtou restaurant near the car wash store. So, if he left the name of the store as Houtou Musuko, then he might have another wasteful child like Father. Thus… 」

Monkey Mimi said.

「 My older brother’s a Hanshin fan and the other is a car enthusiast, so they named their store as “Tiger Car Wash Porche Houtou” 」

Err.

I don’t get it.

「 Mimi, are we supposed to laugh at that one? 」

Poron Karisman asks.

「 Yes, it’s so stupid that it’s laughable 」

Monkey Mimi smiled.

「 There’s even Tamiya 1/16th scale plastic models at my brother’s Houtou shop 」

Hmmm.

「 Well, everyone has some kind of hardship with their parents anyway 」

Francie says.

「 In my case, I’m gay so my parents are troubled with me, but… You see, my real name is Aoi Ryuji 」

That’s a really manly name you have there.

「 Ryuji, if you write it in English then it’s “Dragon Slayer,” Furthermore, the Aoi is written like “Blue Dragon” 」

Francie speaks intensely.

「 That’s why I hated that name of mine since childhood. Furthermore, I debuted on a magazine serialization, you see? I didn’t want my real name printed in stores so I changed my name to Francie in a hurry 」

「 True, names are important 」

Rodulfo Seiko-san said.

No look, someone who named her Disciple’s name to “Line Haruko” should be the last one to say that.

Look, Line Haruko-san’s glaring at her master.

「 Thinking about it, the first thing your parents do when they have a child is to name it. After all, the parents have a huge responsibility 」

Poron-san says, and then…

「 Yoshida-kun 」

Ai comes over and pats my shoulder.

「 Hm, what’s wrong? 」

I turned around and…

「 Just a bit… 」

She points at the kitchen.

「 You see…I want you to come with me 」

What is it?

Ai said that she made a cake for everyone, so…

Maybe she wants me to help her out?

「 Okay 」

I went to the kitchen with Ai.

Huh? I thought that she was gone but Misuzu’s here too.

Also…

「 Y-Yo 」

Kudou-papa’s also here.

He’s wearing his usual thin black suit with a fancy colored shirt and tie.

It’s the detective look from the old comics.

「 No, well, I heard that it Haruka’s celebration party so I came over, but… 」

Kudou-papa smiled wryly.

「 I feel like the mood makes it hard to come out, right? 」

Yeah, it is.