サクヤさんの腐れ縁
Sakuya-san's Dirty Manacle
And so, after seeing off Tsudzura-chan, who returned a step ahead of us, Sakuya-san and I set out together down the shopping street.
Kei: Okay, what do you think you'll make us, tonight?
Sakuya: Hmm, let me see.
This shopping street doesn't have a supermarket, so for fish, we'll have to visit the fishmonger, the fruit stand for fruits and veggies, and several other specialty shops to get the ingredients we need.
In this instance, without deciding a menu and making a shopping list, we can't shop very efficiently.
Sakuya: Kei, you have any requests?
Kei: Hmm, I guess curry is the thing for times like this.
Sakuya: Well now, aren't you the one playing it safe? You don't believe in my cooking, do you?
Kei: I'm not saying that......
It's not that I doubt her. I just suggested it because it's standard fare for sports camps and such.
As for why curry rice is the standard, that's because you can make a great amount in one batch, not to mention almost anyone can make it taste pretty good.
Sakuya: Well, not that I mind, but------ my specialty is Japanese food, you know. Isn't that your favorite?
Kei: In that case, miso soup...
Sakuya: Yes, yes, rice, miso...
Kei: I wonder what the side dishes should be. Come to think of it, I haven't had a simmered dish in a while.
Sakuya: Yes, yes, simmered sides------
Kei: Fuwa!?
Suddenly, Sakuya-san's legs come to a halt, and without stopping, I plunge into her.
The back that catches my cheek is stiff, the sinew pulled taut.
Kei: Sakuya-san......?
This tension... isn't just from me colliding into her------
When I lift my face to look, her laid-back attitude from before is a thing of the past.
Sakuya: I don't know whether the timing's good or bad... who knew I'd bump into that punk here, of all places......
Kei: Who......?
In search of "that punk" who stopped Sakuya-san in her tracks, my eyes drift------
---Surfacing clearly from the tranquil air of Hemidzuka's Ginza Street is a character who would draw stares merely by walking, and my eyes fix upon her, as well.
Her body enwrapped in black clothing, with long black strands of hair hanging down, she is a girl with a well-proportioned, slender figure.
The only features that touch the sunlight are her face and the hands beyond her wrists, while her arms are surrounded by a long-sleeved blazer, and her legs encircled with black stockings.
Even as she wears that painfully hot outfit, her cool footsteps are strangers to any shred of heat, as she walks in our direction.
As she crosses the distance, I can clearly see...
Ahh, she's that person......
The person I met when I first stepped upon this land of Hemidzuka.
Like me and Sakuya-san------ and Tsudzura-chan as well, she is a visitor from the world outside.
And with several steps yet between us, she stills her feet, and after a single glance my way, fixes a stare on Sakuya-san.
Her hardened eyes, rather than shining obsidian, are better likened to lodestone. As if emanating an unseen power, there is an inexplicable strength behind them.
Kei: Is she someone you know, Sakuya-san?
Sakuya: Well, about as much as a dirty manacle on my leg. You see that long thing she's holding?
Her hands hold the sort of cloth a kendou girl would use to carry a wooden sword (except for being far more elegant).
Sakuya: And she's just as ruthless as she looks.
Kei: She looks a lot more pretty than ruthless, if you ask me......
It's true that with all the atmosphere about her, there's a lot more pressure than an average person would have, but...
As my thoughts begin to wander, her footsteps carry her close in front of us, where she stops.
Girl in uniform: What would you be doing in a place like this?
Sakuya: You might not think much of a place like this, but it's like a second home to me. Even if I go to my real hometown, it's not like I'll find anything there.
Girl in uniform: ............
Girl in uniform: ......Have you come to interfere with my duties?
Sakuya: I'm not so blessed as to have the time to waste, you know.
Kei: Umm---......
Sakuya: Yeah, I'll introduce you. This is Hatou Kei.
Kei: Pleased to meet you, I am Hatou Kei.
I give a formal bow of my head.
Girl in uniform: I am Senba Uzuki. Sakuya-san and I are------
Senba: Well, dirty manacles, so to speak.
Kei: *pfft!*......
It's as if they conspired beforehand to use the same word, so even though it's rude, I can't help but laugh.
Kei: What brings you to Hemidzuka, Senba-san?
Senba: I've come with regard to a family errand.
Kei: Is that so... Sakuya-san came here because of photography work, so maybe you two really do have a connection.
Senba: ............
Sakuya: ............
Kei: Sakuya-san is staying with us, but, umm......
Senba: At the Hazama Mansion, you mean?
Kei: Wah, you know about it?
Senba: It is a well-known landmark.
Kei: In that case, it helps that I don't have to explain. There really is little to see there, but please come by if you have the time.
I lift the shopping bag in my hands and show it to her.
Kei: We will even be cooking our dinner today. There will be a feast, if you come.
Sakuya: Wait a sec, Kei......
Kei: It's all right, isn't it, Sakuya-san? After all, she's someone you know.
Sakuya: Oh well, I hate to be the one to say it, but in an emergency, you can at least count on her as a guard dog......