“Why? What’s it to you? The owner of this establishment happens to be a longtime business associate of our family. So what? Did you just come here to interrupt your cousin’s business?”
“What’s this gotta do with business?!”
Shizuku looked a little disturbed at the intensity of their argument.
“What do we do?” she whispered to me. “I never thought Oboro would really show up here...”
“Really? Were you hoping for Shimozuru to show up all along?” I asked.
Her eyes were a little red, and as she danced her fingers along my shoulder, she continued to whisper to me. “Well, no, it’s just, it is his cousin’s boutique, so maybe I was hoping. Ah, but that’s not why I brought you here.”
That’s clearly why you brought me here.
But I understood. We were both maidens in love. We were so fixated on the objects of our affection that we could see nothing else.
She had only to say that I might find out about Chouko to lure me here, so I was in no position to talk.
But seeing the two of them argue...they really did seem like little boys.
“You’re so annoying. She didn’t ask you to come.”
“M-Maybe not, but...” Holding his breath, Shimozuru shot Shizuku a look.
“And anyway, Aritomo thinks Bergamot is cute. So I thought I’d show her the real thing,” Mochizuki said with a loose grin. Shimozuru’s face went pale at those words.
Ahh, so Mochizuki really did only share Miss Bergamot with those he was most fond of.
That didn’t seem to be registering with Shizuku at all, though...
“Huh? What? I never said anything like that. I don’t care about seeing your cat,” Shizuku said, dumbfounded.
Mochizuki was flabbergasted.
“Huh? You did. You said she was ugly but cute. So clearly you think she’s cute.”
“No, I think she’s ugly!”
I didn’t think Miss Bergamot was that ugly, but I also reckoned Shizuku’s words were less genuine and more a way of getting back at him. After Shizuku firmly rejected him, Mochizuki blinked in rapid succession, clearly at a loss for words.
Shizuku leaped to her feet. She then stood before Shimozuru.
“Aritomo...”
Shimozuru called her name. I was relieved, but the next second, she slapped him across the face.
“Ow!”
“Don’t ‘ow’ me! You hurt me more! And worst of all, you were late!”
I expected nothing less from Shizuku. She had some nerve, blaming him, and yet he was still going along with what she was saying, so it must not have bothered him much. After all, I had no room to argue.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t ‘I’m sorry’ me! Why haven’t you called or messaged me since that day? You didn’t even try to come after me.”
“Well, you told me not to come after you. And you were so mad, I thought it was better to give you time.”
“I was mad. I’m still mad...but...”
“But?”
Her words were so harsh, and yet she seemed so bashful. Slowly, the color returned to Shimozuru’s face, and he began to look happy.
“I hated not being able to see you more than anything! You big dummy! Get it through your thick head already!”
“...Aritomo!”
Her feelings finally out in the open, Shimozuru was so overcome, he threw his arms around her.
She let out a weird cry as he hugged her, but I pretended not to hear. I, too, was a love newbie.
“I hated it, too. It was so hard seeing how well you danced with Mitsuru. But I had to bite my tongue.”
Shizuku lowered her arms and patted Shimozuru’s lower back.
They slowly peeled apart, gazing into each other’s eyes.
“But the one I had the most fun dancing with was you, Oboro. There is no one else. You’re the only one I want.”
Shimozuru pulled Shizuku back into a tight embrace. This time, she didn’t make a sound. In that moment, she looked so adorable.
“Well, I wasn’t expected Oboro and Shizuku to put on a love scene for us today,” Mikazuki whistled.
“Things all worked out in the end, I’d say. Oboro was on their side from the beginning,” Izayoi said.
Now I understood why Shimozuru had been so kind to us. In the beginning, it hadn’t been love, but over time, he must have been impressed at watching how hard Shizuku fought for her own happiness.
Watching the two off in their own little world, happily confessing their feelings, I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.
Oh, if only that were Chouko and me... The thought made my face suddenly flush.
“Urara, what are you thinking? Is it maybe ‘Oh dear, oh dear, whatever shall I do’...?” Mikazuki asked playfully at seeing my red cheeks.
I didn’t want him to realize my feelings, but I also wanted to ask him about Chouko. I opened my mouth, trying to figure out how to word it, but was saved by a loud clatter.
“I’m done.”
Now cast aside and all but forgotten, Mochizuki leaped to his feet.
“Hey, Mitsuru. Wait up.”
“No. I’m leaving.”
With that, he strode toward the door. Looking defeated, Mikazuki and Izayoi trailed after him.
All of a sudden, it was just the two lovebirds and myself left.
I couldn’t help feeling like an intrusion, so I quietly excused myself.
Congratulations, Shizuku.
As I passed through the salon door, I found myself wishing for her happiness.