Tsunagari

Chapter VII.

At lunch, the two males disappeared to take care of all the formalities and arrangements that needed to be done for the upcoming match. Until the match would take place, it has been agreed that scholarship students would enjoy a "temporary" immunity, and thus, no further incident occurred for the rest of the day.

When the final bell rang, announcing the end of classes, I was about to get out of my seat when, a pair of hands came down onto my shoulders out of the blue. It caused me to jump, and I lifted my head immediately to see Shunsui and Gōjun standing on either side of me, each having a hand on my shoulder.

I tensed up at the look they were giving me; their expression was- pitiless.

'Say, Hime,' uttered Shunsui, in a low voice, 'you didn't forget our small arrangement, did you?'

All color drained out of my face and I broke into cold sweat. Indeed, it had completely slipped out of my mind!

'I'm at your service!' I exclaimed, with as much zing as I could put in it, springing to my feet. 'What do you want us to do today?'

'That's good!' he commented on my attitude, in half a chuckle. Looking upward then, and cupping his chin, thoughtfully, he replied, 'I was thinking that we could go to my place. Yesterday, I couldn't eat any sweets and so, you're going to prepare me one today! Or even, better, a different sweet every day!'

Eh?

His tone was filled with excitement now, and looking back at me, he continued, 'Your grand-mother owns a Japanese traditional sweets shop, doesn't she? So, you must know all the recipes of wagashi! That's perfect, because I prefer wagashi above all other sweets!'

'W-Well,' I said, closing my eyes and smiling goofily, 'If it is- what you want!'

Fortunately, Obā-san has been kind enough to teach me how to confection all types of wagashi!

Of course, I wasn't as good as her, but I was going to give it my best.

And on this, we left without any delay.

As we came down the building to onto the street, I saw that there was a car waiting for him. The driver was the same old man whom we had met us outside of the dessert shop on the previous day.

'Hime, I present you Takara-san!' declared the reddish-brown-haired young man, as he gestured at the old man, and looking at him then, he informed the man, 'From now on, Hime will be traveling with us quite regularly!'

'It's nice to meet you, sir!' I murmured, very shyly, bowing down in greeting.

The old man returned the bow, a smile coming to his lips.

For a minute, I had the impression that I was standing in front of my grand-father. Both men shared the same allure, and seemed to be similarly good-natured.

He opened the backdoor of the car for us, and Shunsui, Gōjun and I hopped in.

I felt a little anxious to be visiting Shunsui's home, but soon, this anxiety tripled when I realized that it was not in front of the mansion that we came to a halt, but in front of another property at the very extremity of the same neighborhood- almost on the outskirt of the city.

The property in question was sizable. The house, which was one-storied and white in color, stood in a plain; the walls surrounding it being quite low. There was a pond on the left, with the house standing on the other side of it and facing it.

Takara-san dropped us in front of the gate, and left with the car to station it close-by.

The gate was made of metal and equally low. Shunsui slid it open, and Gōjun and he entered the property.