Ui Mikazuki’s Insights
“THEY are both working hard on building up their physical strength,” I told Chouko, but she merely sat there sipping her tea, ignoring me. I dropped by her house after dinnertime, but she was being cold.
Resigned, I moved so I was right in front of her and started talking again. “Are you sulking again? You’re such a spoiled brat.”
Despite her composed features, she wasn’t speaking to me, clearly proof that she was in a sour mood. This was getting obnoxious.
“Which reminds me, Urara—”
That caused her ears to perk up and her teacup to stop just short of her lips. So she was listening. Why did she always have to be such a pain?
“Honestly, it’s shocking how good she is with the horses. But why? Has she really never ridden before?”
“No, not as far as I know...”
What is she, a stalker now? I don’t know if Chouko could read my thoughts, but she narrowed her eyes at me just the same.
“It’s not like I investigated her or anything.”
You totally did.
Well, Chouko hadn’t completely crossed the line into self-absorbed, all-must-bow-to the-mighty-king territory yet. She was more like the Ice Queen, the cool beauty, attached to very little. She wasn’t really trying to control anything or anyone.
One time when we were kids, she came close to exploding, but it seemed the best thing was to let her be to cool off on her own.
However, the way she had become so protective of Urara was so out of character. It seemed best to let her pursue Urara for now. At least, that was what I thought.
“Wasn’t that Haruto kid you used to dote on a Tendou, too?”
She continued ignoring me. Bingo.
Haruto was a year younger but had studied kendo longer, and even as Kogetsu got stronger, the two of them had a strong rivalry.
It still feels to me like something must have happened to make him quit going to the dojo so suddenly like that.
And while I don’t know if that somehow involved Urara...something did happen.
At any rate, I have to give Urara props. I had never seen Chouko so obsessed with anyone.
I mean, maybe Chouko’s matured a little from not caring about anyone else? Though I don’t think anything good will come from her getting so fixated.
“So, I think you should start coming to the stables to practice with us. I know you can ride, but if you get too cocky, you’ll lose to them,” I said, trying to use the sweetest tone I could manage, but she still continued to ignore me. No, I got an even worse vibe from her than before.
“You know, Urara’s not mad at you anymore.”
Oh, she moved at that. Maybe I could push just a little more.
“Really, she’s not. Actually, I think she’s worried about you. And there have been other club members messing with those two while you’re not around...”
“What?! Ui, why aren’t you doing anything about that?”
Whoa, there it is! Kogetsu rears his head for the first time in forever. How long had it been? This would’ve been hilarious if it weren’t so scary. I’m sure Saku and Mitsuru would love to have seen it.
“Ui!”
I gave Chouko a look, imploring her to tell me what was wrong. So this was the “king” side of Chouko, then.
“Well, you know, guys are like that. And anyway, they’re just admiring them from a distance, so don’t sweat it.”
“Tch.”
Wow, an actual tongue click.
“I don’t want them looking either.”
Ah, jealousy. This was really bad. And weird. What happened to our flawless Lady Chouko? So just hinting that someone was messing with Urara was enough to spur her into action. She angled her chin as if to wordlessly demand I tell her who it was. Say it with words, damn it—come on!
“Well, it’s not even boys...”
“Girls, then?”
“Yeah, well, pretty much.”
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Those girls better keep away from my Urara!”
Don’t you mean both girls? What happened to poor Shizuku?
But the reason was obvious...
“Maybe I shouldn’t be hanging around them...”
A loud bang reverberated throughout the room. Chouko smacked me, open-handed! On the head!
“Stop! Ow, hey! Don’t hit me so hard! I don’t have the brain cells to spare!”
“Don’t worry, you were born stupid.”
What was her problem? But I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Students can join the equestrian club starting in middle school, but there were some, many of them the absentee members of the club, who joined in name alone. They could ride horseback, but they were probably just there to try to hit on me or Mitsuru.
“Plenty of students fawn after you guys. Why would they cause trouble now?” Chouko asked, eyeing me in annoyance.
“But some of them are a real pain and might go the extra mile to cause problems. There’s this second-year, Hattori, who’s just so clingy and obsessive, y’know?”
Chouko glared at me out of the corner of her eye and began drumming her fingers on the table.
“I’ve been a very attentive teacher for the two of them. And Mitsuru and the others seem pretty interested in what they’re doing as well. Aren’t you?”
“The hell do you mean by ‘attentive’?”
That’s what she was bothered by?
I was trying to warn her to look out for Urara, and she had completely missed the point.