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“DO you a feel a bit better now?”
“...Yes. I’m so sorry for all the trouble...”
I blew my nose once again. Somehow, I’d managed to regain my composure.
Aritomo had taken me by the hand along the side of the busy road and into a small café off a side street. The café was managed by an older person. It was quiet with a retro feel.
Aritomo went ahead and placed an order for us, then guided me to a table in the farthest back corner. I was still sniffling.
“So? What the heck happened? You suddenly burst into tears and ran off. You shocked all of us.”
“...Well, I...” I hesitated. Aritomo stifled a laugh.
“Actually, I was more surprised when you slapped Tsukuyomi’s hand away. I’ve never seen you have an outburst like that before.”
I was so embarrassed, I just wanted to crawl in a hole.
I struggled to explain my actions when I myself didn’t even understand them. It wasn’t an excuse, but I had never raised my hand to another, not in this life nor the last one.
To not only have that happen, but to do it to Lady Chouko...
“I’ll never be able to look her in the eye again.”
I slammed my head into the table with a loud thud. I knew it was terribly rude, but I couldn’t help it.
“Come on, you don’t need to be so worried. Well? What was it that upset you so much anyway?”
“It wasn’t...that I was worked up...”
“Well, I mean, you smacked Tsukuyomi’s hand, though?”
Ugh. My mind was looping back to that moment again. I warned her that I didn’t completely understand it myself.
“Seeing that dress...it hurt somehow.”
“Dress? Oh, that expensive-looking wedding dress? What did that gown do to you?!”
Wedding dress! Hearing it said so plainly caused my chest to tighten.
“That dress, uh, well...it...”
Emotions I couldn’t put into words were binding my heart. As I struggled in silence, a gentle, deep voice spoke, accompanied a lovely fragrance.
“Here are your two café au laits.”
Having the drink placed before me made me realize I hadn’t ordered black tea. In my past life, I always drank black tea, so it was what I often made and drank. I had never tried coffee before.
“Well, just have a drink and try to calm down.”
“This...is coffee, right? I’ve never had it before.”
“Well, technically it’s café au lait. Yeah, I guess I’ve never seen you drink anything but black tea. So I thought I’d get some for you to try,” Aritomo said, lifting her coffee to her lips.
I couldn’t very well refuse after that, so I picked up the cup and slowly brought it to my lips.
I prepared myself for the bitterness, but when I drank it, the soft and gentle taste of milk filled my mouth. A unique aroma tickled my nose. I found myself enjoying the aroma.
“...This tastes good.”
Not only that, but the subtle sweetness of the milk was soothing.
“Right? You always order the same things, but I think sometimes it’s good to try something new.”
I thought she’d merely ordered it on a whim, but I was wrong.
Both Aritomo’s casual concern and the warmth of the café au lait loosened the knot forming in my chest. I took another sip of my drink and heaved a sigh, allowing the words to form as they came to me.
“When I thought about Chouko wearing that wedding dress and standing next to Mochizuki, I was just overwhelmed with despair,” I confessed.
“...Urara?” She said my name, her mouth agape in shock and her body trembling.
“Yes, I know. I don’t have any right to say anything about the two of them being together. So I don’t know why...”
“No, that’s not it! Are you...by any chance...”
“Yes?”
“Do you like...the Prince...Mitsuru?”
“...Come again?”
What exactly was she trying to say?
Her face was a little red as she rattled off many different things, like “Aw, come on” and “Just say it already” and “The best part is, I’m not even interested in him anymore.”
No, I knew she had stopped pursuing Mochizuki long ago. That wasn’t it.
“I don’t like him.”
“...But weren’t you jealous?”
“Of whom?”
“Of Tsukuyomi!”
“How could I be?!”
“Well, because you smacked her hand away?”
“I don’t see Mochizuki as anything more than a friend,” I stated.
I did feel a little sorry for how Lady Chouko treated him, but that was all.
Aritomo did a dramatic head tilt. Her neck was almost at sixty degrees. It was quite a sight. Was her neck all right...?
“Hmm?”
“I just couldn’t stand to see Chouko in a wedding dress,” I clarified. “That was all.”
“Mmm-hmmm?”
Her neck tilted even farther, almost to her shoulder, and I really was starting to worry if she was going to end up snapping it.
“U-Um...Aritomo?”
I was getting concerned. I called her name and waved my hand in front of her face.
“Ah, yes. Yes, yes, yes.”
“What?”
“I totally get you. She can be pretty cool. I mean, I guess she’s kinda pretty and handsome at the same time. And, at least to you, she’s sweet and nice. She loves to dote on you. She might feel the same.”
She massaged her forehead, as if trying to smooth its wrinkles, and mumbled to herself. “But then, if Urara feels that way, then how does... Oh, but then? Hmmm...hmmm...?!”
I left Aritomo to her thoughts for a moment and drained the remainder of my café au lait. Mm, it was still delicious even after it cooled off. I was still on Team Black Tea, but this experience taught me coffee could be good as well.