REIKA-SAMA -273

Summer vacation hadn't started yet, but the the students seem giddy with the exams over. Tsuruhana-san's group is a textbook example. I hear the grasshoppers say things like, "my new swimsuit…" "going on a cruise…" I guess that the entrance exam doesn't exist in their brains.

"I've had so many invitations that it's hard keeping track of my schedule. On that day, I'm headed to a pool with everyone during the day, and having dinner at a new restaurant at night. I can't enjoy catch the 'break' in summer break." I thought that Aya from that fashion magazine was a writer's imagination, but she was here!

"After graduation, I have an appointment to go directly to a beauty salon to dye my hair."

"Maybe I should get a perm over the summer so it could get wet."

I've confirmed that Tsuruhana-san's group already planning to break school rules won't be attending summer supplemental classes. Humph. Fool around all you want, grasshoppers. When summer ends, it's me, the ant, who will be laughing.

I work as the class rep with Satomi-kun after school. Class rep has tons of busy work, so it's a hassle, but my class has very few students turning in anything late, and they quickly bring it in after apologizing, so it's relatively easy. After confirming that we have collected documents for everyone, we just need to drop them off at the teacher's lounge.

"Hmm… I guess I can't fool around this year."

"Are you saying that you'll have to study for entrance exams this summer?" I ask.

"Something like that." Satomi-kun who just barely dyes his hair not to get caught for rules infractions is a grasshopper.

"Are you going to the summer classes?"

"Sort of."

"So you intend to study hard this summer?"

"Not really, but somewhat. And you, Kisshouin-san?"

"I plan on attending the cram school's summer session, and perhaps Zuiran's supplemental classes as time allows."

"Oh, so you are motivated."

"Not especially." I have a tutor on top of that, but I don't want to be seen as a study freak, so I don't mention it. "It seems even internal students are all studying for entrance exams this summer."

"You would think." Yeah, I can't relax listening to all the loud grasshoppers. The ants are quietly preparing for winter.


But here's another grasshopper being merry looking ahead to summer vacation. The grasshopper named Kaburagi Masaya.


As directed by Enjou and myself, Kaburagi called Wakaba-chan and told her about applying to her cram school. She even told him, 'let's work hard together!' Huh? So you weren't turned off by that stalker, Wakaba-chan? Wow… He even got her to promise sitting next to him when they were in the same class. He just had to express his joy to someone, and sent me a longwinded message that night with plenty of exclamation points. I didn't want to be seen as always doing nothing, so I waited before responding. I lounged around, looking to reply in about an hour when he called about 10 minutes later. This is the worst… If only I had replied immediately…!

The next day, I watched him try to act indifferent, but he couldn't stop the sides of his mouth from twitching.

And today, he called me to the small meeting room after I went to the Pivoine Salon. As he poured over the latest summer event magazines, he declared, "I plan to ask her for some okonomiyaki after classes. It's a time when we should be hungry. Going over the day's lecture in a café may be good. Is there a nice café nearby? I should check. I know. An occasional break would be nice, so I should ask her on a date further away." Etc. etc.

Kaburagi drones on, and I can't tell if he telling me or just talking to himself, and I want to lecture him repeatedly, 'what are you going to cram school for, it's not to fool around! Don't forget about studying!'

"I'll let you know how things go with Takamichi, Kisshouin. Look forward to it." I don't look forward to it, and I'm not waiting for it. He apparently wants to talk about his romance even during the vacation. Is he a maiden in high school? Maybe I should throw my phone in the water…

"Once again, don't get in the way of Takamichi-san's studies." Wakaba-chan's an ant, like me.

"As if I would," he frowns at me, but he's not convincing. Look at all those magazines he has.

"I wonder about that," Enjou noted with a smile, as if he read my mind. Say it again!

"Are you attending the supplemental classes this summer, Enjou-sama?"

"Me? I have a personal tutor who arranged a curriculum for me, so I won't. Normally, Masaya would be the same," he smiled wryly after gazing pointedly at Kaburagi.


Kaburagi called me here today over how to get closer to Wakaba-chan with the summer classes. Dunno. Why doesn't he ask her to lunch when they have morning and afternoon classes?

I start flipping through one of Kaburagi's magazines. The special on popular stores caught my eye. Oh, the quiche store looks delicious. A desert quiche with fruits. Thinly sliced orange filled quiche looks cute, too.

"Did you find something you liked?" asked Enjou having noticed me not flipping the page.

"I thought about going to this quiche shop."

"Ooh." I spread the magazine on the table, so that Enjou could see from his corner seat. "This?"

"Yes. Aside from the quiche for meals like the potato and bacon quiche and the tomato quiche, they have desert quiche. Like this orange quiche and chocolate quiche."

"I see. Girls might like this place." I like spinach quiche, but I'd like to try something different. "You want to go, now?"

"Huh?" Me and Enjou!? Now? I was surprised, and immediately suspicious. Why would Enjou ask me to a quiche store now? What is he planning!?

"And with Yukino, if it's okay."

"Huh? Yukino-kun, too!?" I picture the angel's smile.

"I couldn't be with him around the exams, so I promised to pick him up at the Petit and do something. I thought that he enjoy being with Kisshouin-san, who he loves, though I feel bad about pushing him on you." Of course not. I'd love to see that cute Yukino-kun.

"I'll go."

"Really? Thank you."

If that's decided, I can't remain here. It's still early, since we have shorter classes after exams, but the elementary school should have been over long ago. Yukino-kun may be waiting anxiously. I stand up and say, "Let's go pick to the Petit, quickly." What is he doing, making Yukino-kun wait?

Then Kaburagi declared, "I'm coming."

"Huh?" Why is he getting up? "If it's nice, I'll use it on a date with Takamichi." So declares the grasshopper.

I glanced at Enjou, who shrugged with a smile.

"Reika-onee-san!" Yukino-kun rushed to me when we arrived at the Petit. When Enjou told him that we were headed for some quiche together, he exclaimed, "Wow!" and smiled broadly.

I saw Mao-chan and Yuuri-kun, so I asked if they'd like to come, but they had lessons coming up. It's unfortunate, but we promised to get together some other time.

The four of us arrived at the quiche specialty shop, and Yukino-kun sat down next to me talking about what to order.

"This grape quiche, or maybe this chocolate quiche?"

"They both look delicious."

"What about you, Reika-onee-san?"

"I'm still undecided, but maybe this orange quiche."

"That looks nice, too. Maybe I'll try that." But he seemed to still want the chocolate quiche.

"Should we split ours?" I proposed.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Thank you very much," he smiled. Ufufu.

Enjou apologized, "Sorry," watching our exchange, but I'm grateful for being able to try the chocolate quiche. I wanted to try it after seeing it in the magazine.

"A cherry quiche…" murmured Kaburagi, looking at the menu.

"Do you like cherries, Kaburagi-sama?"

"I do." Oh, I like cherries more than most fruits. I've already had many this year. Kaburagi was hungry, so he ended up ordering the mushroom quiche. Enjou tried the standard, potato and bacon.

We talked about Yukino-kun's summer vacation, and he was going to camp overseas. I wondered if he was going alone, but he was only headed to a children's camp after separating from the rest of the family overseas. He was looking forward to summer camp, so I didn't want to say it, but I wondered about his asthma. I was worried, so I asked Enjou quietly.

"Yes, I thought the same thing, but he really wanted to go, and we'll have a doctor with him, so he should be okay."
"I see. That's good."

"Thanks for worrying." No, no. Yukino-kun is an important angel to me, too.

Kaburagi asked about Yukino-kun's knowledge of camp. Kaburagi and Enjou had spent time at summer camp in grade school. Maybe Yukino-kun wanted to try it, since his brother did.

The quiche arrived, so Yukino-kun and I shared with each other.

"Delicious!"

"Yes!"

The orange was a good pick! It was sweet and sour and tasty! The chocolate quiche was delicious when combined with the cream that came with it! The sweet and sour orange and the sweet chocolate. When tasting them in turn draws out their taste even more. Great idea to share them. Yukino-kun and I smiled that it was delicious.

Kaburagi seems to have chosen this as a possible date spot.

We went on to talk about what we thought of the quiche, about how much Yukino-kun could swim at camp. Yukino-kun was going to swim school right now. Wow, I went, also, but I could only do freestyle and breaststroke. I could never keep my head above water to do backstroke, and would drown, unable to breathe. Not that I ever need to do backstroke in real life.

Enjou paid the tab saying, "I invited you today." I'll gratefully accept this time.

"Oh, that was fun!" Yukino-kun and I smiled, holding hands. "So, Reika-onee-san. Will you play with me over summer vacation?"

"Huh?" Summer vacation… I'd like to see him over the summer, too, but…

"Yukino. Kisshouin-san's busy, so don't trouble her like that," castigated Enjou. Yukino-kun looks dejected…Oh…!

"Um, Yukino-kun…?"

"Yes?" Oh, when he looks at me with those round eyes…

"I'm not that busy, maybe…"

"Really!?" His face immediately brightened. Yes, not busy. Not busy at all.

"Oh, so Kisshouin has plenty of spare time this summer." Good, nodded Kaburagi, as if confirming something. Oh, no! Now, Kaburagi will be contacting me without any regard this summer…

Since the Emperor of Zuiran always treats me to meals, I brought him some cherries.

"Satou-nishiki?"

"They're Napoleon."

"…"

I hand Enjou my favorite fruit, peaches, to share with Yukino-kun. He asked, "There's no sarcasm hidden in these?" What is he talking about?

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