“No... well, that might be true, but...”
There was a reason I simply couldn't look. Explaining it, however, was a challenge.
While I was wondering how to make her realize the situation, Tennoji-san grabbed my face and forced me to look straight at her.
“Look, see? You have to look at me properly.”
Tennoji-san’s face was right there, just inches from mine.
Directly below it was her gym uniform, damp with sweat and clinging to her skin.
“Um... Tennoji-san. This is very difficult to say, but...”
I really couldn't keep staring like this.
Steeling my resolve, I decided to confess.
“Your... your uniform is see-through from the sweat...”
“My clothes?...!?”
Finally understanding the situation, Tennoji-san covered her chest with both hands.
“Wh-wh-where are you looking!?”
“I’m sorry!”
But you were the one who told me to look.
After Tennoji-san changed into a fresh gym uniform, we resumed our practice, continuing to dance the waltz for nearly another hour.
“...You are starting to look quite the part.”
“Thank you very much.”
I performed the clockwise natural turn and the counter-clockwise reverse turn in a fluid motion.
The timing for opening and closing the feet was crucial. If those two beats didn’t match your partner's, the dance would fall apart in an instant.
The reason I was dancing with more ease than I’d expected was that Tennoji-san was adjusting to my movements. Even when the angle of my step was too wide, she responded flexibly. Her body was remarkably supple; as I followed her graceful movements, even my own stiffness seemed to melt away.
“Let’s end it here for today. Since it was our first practice, I may have been a bit too enthusiastic.”
“You’re right... I’m at my physical limit.”
We both took a moment to catch our breath. My muscles were exhausted from using parts of my body I didn't normally exert.
“By the way...”
As I was packing my things, Tennoji-san spoke up, looking somewhat hesitant.
“...In the future, if my clothes are ever transparent like that again, please tell me as soon as possible....It’s quite embarrassing to realize it after the fact.”
She spoke with a fidgety, shy demeanor.
“Well, but... it would be better if you noticed it yourself, if possible. If I’m the one telling you, it means I’m the one looking...”
“I-it is not a problem. I trust that you aren’t that kind of man, Tomonari-san...”
It was a bit troubling to be trusted so easily. Having spent so much time with Hinako, I’d developed some resistance to these things, but even I had my limits.
Still, it was proof of her trust. To honor that, I simply nodded.
After tidying up the equipment and stepping out of the gymnasium, the orange sunlight bathed my face. The world outside was completely dyed in the colors of the sunset.
“I am accustomed to ballroom dancing, but this might be the first time I have danced for such a long duration,” Tennoji-san murmured, lightly smoothing her damp hair.
“As expected of your family background. Do you have many opportunities for ballroom dancing, Tennoji-san?”
“It depends on the person,” she explained as we walked. “Unlike a simple dinner party, a ball is an event that requires extensive preparation. In most cases, an invitation arrives beforehand with an RSVP. People who dislike ballroom dancing usually choose not to attend at that stage.”
“I see. So unlike dinner parties, it’s easier to decline. That means people are divided into those who enjoy it and those who don't.”
“Precisely. However, if one does happen to participate in a ball... showing off a poor dance would be a disgrace, and being a wallflower is equally dishonorable. It should be considered a necessary part of one's education.”
I nodded in agreement.
“I’m rarely invited to things like balls, so I don’t know when I'll get the chance... but I’d like to be able to dance in front of people by the next opportunity.”
Now that I was actually learning the skill, I found myself wanting to put it to use. If Hinako ever attended a ball, that might be the place where I made my debut.
“...You cannot afford to be so complacent.”
Tennoji-san cast her gaze downward.
“Once my marriage arrangement is finalized, I will no longer be able to spend my afternoons with you like this.”
“...Is that so?”
“Of course. Since there will be a gentleman to whom I have pledged my future, I should spend as much of my free time as possible for his sake.”
Now that she mentioned it, it made sense. Since she would have a fiancé, meeting with another man privately would be inappropriate.
“That... makes me feel lonely.”
The thought slipped out as a murmur. Tennoji-san looked at me with wide eyes.
“Lonely, you say?”
“Yes. I’ve realized it again today, but doing things with you is fun, Tennoji-san. It’s honestly lonely to think this time will just disappear.”
When I shared my honest feelings, Tennoji-san averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing red.
“I-I see...”
I tilted my head at her reaction, wondering if I’d been too familiar.
“...Hehe.”
With her back to me, she let out a small laugh.
“Um, Tennoji-san?”
“I-it is nothing.”
She shook her head in a fluster.
“Well then, Tomonari-san, until tomorrow.”
“Yes, until tomorrow.”
We parted ways at the Academy gates. Her departing figure looked a little happier than usual.
“Hehe.”
After parting with Itsuki and returning to the mansion, Mirei couldn't help but smile as she walked toward her room.
“...Hehehe.”
Her steps were light. Despite the grueling dance practice, her fatigue seemed to have vanished into thin air.
‘Doing things with you is fun, Tennoji-san. It’s honestly lonely to think this time will just disappear.’
His words played on a loop in her mind. Every time they did, she felt a warm glow.
The one who thought it was lonely...
She placed a hand over her heart.
The one who thought it was fun... was not just me.
This buoyant feeling wasn't hers alone. The emotions she had held unconsciously had been validated. It wasn't a misunderstanding or an illusion; she harbored the exact same feelings as Itsuki.
How can I make days like these continue...?
The thought struck her suddenly. Once the marriage arrangement was finalized, her time with Itsuki would vanish.
I have it! If I were to invite him as a dependent of the Tennoji family...
Then she could still see him. They could have tea parties, study together, and practice dancing just like they did now. For a moment, her eyes sparkled at the "brilliant" idea.
“...What a foolish thing to think.”
She snapped back to reality. Such a thing was impossible. To the Tennoji family, Itsuki Tomonari was merely a student. There was no legitimate reason to bring him in as a dependent.
“Mirei?”
A voice called out from behind. She turned to see her mother, Hanami Tennoji.
“Oh, Mother. Is something the matter?”
“That’s my line. You were groaning in the hallway, so I thought something had happened...”
“It is nothing, I was just lost in thought,” Mirei said, trying to brush it off.
“Mirei, lately... you’ve looked like you’re having so much fun.”
“Eh?”
“Haven't you noticed? Ever since you started spending your afternoons with Tomonari-san, you’ve looked happy every single day.”
Mirei had only just realized it herself, but she hadn't imagined it was so obvious to others.
“Won't you tell me? What kind of person is Tomonari-san to you, Mirei?”
“Even if you ask me that... why are you so interested in him, Mother?”
“Oh, he’s someone who has influenced my daughter so much. It’s only natural for me to be curious.”
Hanami spoke with a visible sense of delight. Sensing her mother’s genuine concern, Mirei let out a small sigh and began to speak.
“Let me see... Tomonari-san is a very earnest individual.”
She recalled the days they had shared.
“At first, he seemed somewhat weak—or rather, lacking in confidence—but he has a great deal of aspiration. His desire to improve himself is strong, and it is clear that he treasures his time at the Academy.”
When they first met, his posture was poor and his attitude timid. But his behavior over the last month—during tea parties, study sessions, and their recent afternoons—had completely overturned that impression.
“His table etiquette, which was nothing more than a quick fix at first, has become completely natural by now. While my instruction was undoubtedly excellent, he learned quickly because he approached his studies with such a serious attitude.”
She honestly hadn't expected him to master it so fast. He was likely studying on his own at home as well. That level of dedication was worthy of respect.
“Even in today’s dance practice, he worked with all his might... I am looking forward to seeing how much further he will grow.”
She wondered if he was reviewing the steps at home right now. The thought brought another smile to her face.
“It sounds like you’ve met a wonderful friend.”
“Yes. Watching him provides me with a great deal of stimulus. If possible, I would like to continue with him—”
Mirei’s mind suddenly cooled. She realized she cherished their time together far more than she had admitted to herself. The desire was about to spill from her lips.
But those days were numbered. From now on, she had to spend her life with the partner her parents chose.
“...I hope the partner for the marriage arrangement is that kind of person as well,” Mirei said, her voice strained.
She couldn't let it show. She couldn't let her mother know that she felt even the slightest regret about the arrangement.
“Mirei. I always tell you this, but you don't need to force yourself to be so stoic. You have a habit of taking everything on your shoulders, but you should really be more free...”
“...There is no need for concern, Mother,” Mirei said, cutting her off. “I am living freely.”
“...I see.”
Mirei maintained her usual dignified, enchanting smile. Her mother, however, nodded with a look of quiet sadness.
“Regarding the marriage arrangement, we’re moving toward a formal introduction. So, Mirei... could you make some time in the near future?”
“Of course.”
Forcibly suppressing the emotions rising within her, Mirei nodded. As a daughter of the Tennoji family, she wasn't allowed to acknowledge these feelings.
—Even so.
If she could be forgiven for just one complaint.
She wished she had been told about the marriage arrangement before she met that man—before she met Itsuki.