“It’s not that. I just think you seem more... natural when you’re being yourself.”
As I spoke, scratching my cheek, Mirei’s expression brightened with joy.
“I suppose so. To be honest, these clothes are a bit unsettling. If I were my usual self, I would... carry myself with far more grandeur!”
Mirei placed a hand over her heart and declared this with regal pride.
“I’m the one guiding you today, remember? We’re not going anywhere dangerous, but I plan on taking you to places that aren't exactly becoming of a daughter of the Tennoji family.”
“That will not be a problem. That is what this disguise is for. Even if we are seen, as long as my identity remains a secret, the Tennoji family’s reputation is safe. I intend to enjoy myself to the fullest today.”
She wore a triumphant look, clearly convinced her disguise was impenetrable.
“I’m asking a bit late, but I'm surprised your parents gave you permission. And without a guard, too?”
“Yes. Both my father and mother are quite lenient.”
Mirei said this with a hint of pride.
“Conversely, Itsuki-san, were you able to obtain permission without any trouble?”
“Yeah. Well... I’d be lying if I said it was entirely smooth, but...”
Ms. Shizune hasn't been restricting my movements much lately, so she agreed right away.
The problem was Hinako. When I told her I wanted to go out alone with Mirei, she became surprisingly sulky. Once I explained that I wanted to show my gratitude for everything Mirei had taught me, she eventually accepted it, though she crossly insisted I “make it up to her” several times.
“By the way, Itsuki-san,” Mirei asked in a small voice. “Is it... well, acceptable for me to interpret this as a date...?”
“Ngh—”
I found myself at a loss for words.
I had been trying so hard not to think about it, but I hadn't expected Mirei to bring it up herself.
“W-Well, I guess it is...”
When I confirmed it, her cheeks flushed a soft pink.
“...This is my first time going on a date with a gentleman.”
Saying so, she looked up at me from beneath her lashes.
“Therefore... I am looking forward to it, you know?”
She spoke with a mischievous smile, yet her eyes were shimmering with genuine expectation. Her attitude reminded me of our strict lessons. Thinking about it calmly, I had always been spending time alone with her. There was no reason to be so self-conscious now.
“Yeah. Today, I'll show you exactly how commoners have fun.”
I decided to enjoy myself to the fullest today, too. I set out into the city together with Mirei.
“What is this!? What is this!? What on earth is this—!?”
Mirei was in a state of utter confusion as she frantically spun the steering wheel.
While watching her out of the corner of my eye, I slowly tilted my wheel to the right.
The game center I hadn't visited in a while exuded the same old atmosphere. A cacophony of electronic sounds filled the air, and people of all ages, from children to adults, were immersed in play.
We were currently playing a popular racing game. Mirei’s car, visible in the corner of the screen, veered off the course and slammed into the guardrail.
“Ah!?”
Leaving the screaming Mirei behind, I leisurely cruised into the lead.
“—Alright! First place!”
I reached the goal and took my hands off the wheel, turning to Mirei in the next seat.
“And you were...”
“...Last place.”
I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight of her looking so visibly dejected.
“Please do not laugh! I was trying my absolute hardest!”
“S-Sorry. But even if it’s just a game, hearing you shout ‘That is a breach of etiquette!’ at a banana peel someone threw was just too much... Pfft.”
“I told you, do not laugh!”
It wasn't just me; the people nearby were chuckling as well.
Mirei pulled herself together and started looking at the other machines. She still seemed frustrated, likely still reeling from her defeat, but she observed the other games with intense curiosity.
Taking her to a game center had been the right call. Like Hinako, it seemed Mirei was completely unfamiliar with this kind of entertainment. I would definitely be able to show her a world she’d never seen before.
“Itsuki-san, what are these Japanese drums?”
“That’s Iron Drum Master. It’s a rhythm game... Let's try this one too.”
“A rhythm game?” She tilted her head as I dropped in a hundred-yen coin.
After I explained the controls, I selected a song. As soon as the music began, Mirei fell into a panic.
“T-This is not a musical performance!”
Where had her usual confident demeanor gone? She was flailing the drumsticks in both hands with utter bewilderment. Finally, our scores appeared on the screen.
“Nice, I win this one too.”
“Guh...! If these were real drums, I would certainly be more skilled than you...!”
That was a rather unique bit of sour grapes. Mirei immediately started hunting for the next game.
“Itsuki-san, what about this!?”
“Oh, air hockey? That takes me back.”
“These objects... are they small flying discs? Should I throw this?”
“Wait, wait! Let me explain the rules!”
I stopped Mirei, who was about to hurl the puck, and went over the basics. I couldn't tell if this person was sheltered or knowledgeable... but this unbalanced wisdom was exactly what I’d expect from a high-society young lady. Hinako was the same way.
We played air hockey together. Naturally, I won.
“Next! Let us go!”
She searched for another game.
“Is that... horse racing, perhaps?”
“A horse racing game. Want to give it a try?”
“I must not! One must be twenty years of age to purchase betting tickets!”
“It’s fine, this is just a game,” I told her, stifling a laugh at her panic.
The user registration was a bit of a hassle, but we were soon playing.
“I lost again...!”
“Well, this one is mostly down to luck.”
It seemed luck wasn't on her side today, either. Mirei tried to look for another game, but I decided we should take a short break first. After buying drinks from a vending machine, we sat down on a bench near the stairs.
“Itsuki-san, did you use to play here often?”
“Rather than playing, I worked here part-time. The manager let me play a bit when friends came by, though.”
That was why I wasn't about to lose to a complete beginner like her.
“A game center... I see. This is a very stimulating place. It is my first time visiting a location with such an atmosphere.”
I bet, I thought. To put it bluntly, the place wasn't exactly known for its safety or class. Mirei’s parents might be lenient, but Kagon would never let Hinako set foot in a place like this.
However, there are experiences that can only be found here. Mirei had clearly been captivated by the novelty; during the games, she had been alternating between joy and sorrow like an innocent child.
“...Hm?”
Suddenly, I felt a gaze on me. Behind a crane game, on the other side of the window, someone was watching.
The girl was wearing the uniform of the high school I used to attend. I broke into a cold sweat as she glared at me with eyes that looked as if she were staring at a pest.
“Crap.”
Why hadn't I been on guard? This area was my old stomping grounds. Encountering an acquaintance was highly likely.
The last time I had spoken with that girl—my childhood friend, Yuri—was on the day I was appointed as Hinako’s caretaker. It had been over a month. Even then, we’d only exchanged messages on our phones. I hadn't contacted her since... and it appeared she was absolutely incensed.
However, after looking back and forth between Mirei and me, Yuri silently turned on her heel and walked away.
“Is something the matter?”
“...No, it's nothing.”
Contrary to my expectations, Yuri left without a scene. It weighed on my mind, but for now, I had to focus on Mirei.
“Shall we try bowling next? Or maybe karaoke?”
For the current me, today's expenses were trivial. Whether it was bowling or karaoke, I wanted to give Mirei as many new experiences as possible.
As I was thinking that—
“...We are going to all of them,” Mirei declared, her voice sounding strained. “We are going to all of them! I will not let you leave until I have won!”
I might have pushed her competitive spirit a bit too far. But since that was exactly what I wanted, I nodded and said, “Alright.”
Before I knew it, the sky was shrouded in twilight. The sun had set, and it was just before seven in the evening. As we walked leisurely toward the station, I stretched to loosen my muscles.
“It's been a while since I played this much...” I muttered, turning toward her. “Mirei-san. How was today?”
“It was the absolute worst!!” Mirei shouted. “In the end, I did not win a single time at the games, and I was utterly defeated at bowling as well!”
“But you put up a good fight at karaoke, didn't you?”
“I cannot be satisfied with getting a high score on nursery rhymes!”
Since I had won overwhelmingly at the games and bowling, I thought karaoke would be easy, too, but that wasn't the case. Mirei had received professional voice training, and her singing ability was remarkable.
However, her repertoire was limited. While she was knowledgeable about classical music, she didn't know any of the popular bands I usually listened to. In the end, she’d had no choice but to sing nursery rhymes that everyone knows. The look of utter humiliation on her face was etched into my mind.
“I figured you liked a challenge, so I planned today around that... I'm just glad you enjoyed yourself.”
“Yes... thanks to you, my blood hasn't boiled like this in a long time,” Mirei said, clenching her fists.
“What now? Want to go somewhere else?”
“I would love to, but... it is already quite late.”
“...I guess so,” I agreed as she looked up at the dark sky. “Well then, let’s call it a day.”
Hearing those casual words, Mirei flinched.
“...That is a cruel way of putting it.”
She stopped walking and stared fixedly at her feet. As I thought, she had been viewing today as a final memory before leaving the Academy. But whether today was the end or not depended entirely on her.
“If you turn down the marriage arrangement, we can do this whenever you want.”
“...Even if you say that, my decision will not change,” Mirei said in a trembling voice. “Certainly, I was able to spend a very enjoyable time today. However, if you ask if that would be for the sake of the Tennoji family—”
“Is being ‘just fun’ not enough?” I cut her off. “Is that alone not enough of a reason to turn down the arrangement?”
She rounded her eyes in confusion.
“That... that is impossible. What happened today is a personal matter for me. In contrast, the marriage arrangement is a matter for the Tennoji family. The scale of the two is far too different.”
Passersby looked at us curiously as we stood there. I spoke clearly to her as she bit her lip.
“Then, Mirei-san—would you throw away everything for the sake of the Tennoji family?”
She fell silent.
“I can't even imagine the kind of pressure you’re carrying. But after meeting your parents, there’s one thing I’m certain of. Those people wish for your happiness. They cherish Mirei Tennoji, not the Tennoji family name.”
When I visited her house, her mother, Hanami-san, had asked me, “I wonder if Mirei is enjoying herself at the Academy?”
From the beginning, she hadn't cared about social standing. She simply wanted her daughter to be happy.
“That is... just your imagination,” Mirei said, her head down. “Both my father and mother are kind, so they simply do not force me. I am certain that in their hearts, they want me to live for the sake of the family—”
“—There’s no way that’s true!”
I couldn't let those words slide. I was actually feeling a bit angry now. Why couldn't she see it?
“Dyeing your hair gold! Using that bizarre way of speaking! Do you honestly believe that’s for the sake of the Tennoji family!”
“Wha—!? Wha-wha-wha...!”
Mirei’s face turned bright red, stunned that I had actually said it. When she was a child, she might have believed those quirks helped her family. Now, she was simply sticking to them of her own volition.
“Even so, Masatsugu-san and Hanami-san haven't complained once, have they!?”
Mirei gasped. I might have been shouting, but I wasn't going to take it back. This was different from Hinako’s situation. Hinako had been suffering because of the family’s pressure and Kegon’s decisions. But Mirei was just trapped in a prison of her own making.
I simply couldn't stand it.
“Those people... they prioritize you over the family.” I stated the obvious truth once more. “Are you actually facing their feelings, Mirei-san?”
Unlike me, she still had parents she could talk to. I kept that thought hidden in my heart and simply looked at her.
The serious gaze of the boy standing before her pierced her heart. Mirei Tennoji recalled the events of her childhood.
“Mirei, we want you to be happy.”
Her parents had told her that several times after she was adopted. It was a promise to face her as parents, and a kindness that refused to bind her. She had felt that since she was small. That was why she had always wanted to repay them. Once she realized the fame of the Tennoji family, she thought she had found the way.
“Mother. If I work hard at my studies, will it be for the sake of the Tennoji family?”
“Yes,” her mother had answered happily.
“Father. If I become famous, will it be for the sake of the Tennoji family?”
“That’s right,” her father had laughed heartily.
From then on, Mirei devoted herself to her studies, dyed her hair, and practiced her regal persona. She worked so hard she felt like she was spitting blood, pushing herself until her past self faded away.
“Mirei. You seem to be working until late every night... but you know, you can live more freely.”
“There is no need for concern. This is the path I have chosen.”
She had answered with a smile, but her mother’s face had remained anxious. She thought they would eventually understand that she just wanted to repay them for taking her in.
“Mirei. It’s good to maintain etiquette, but it’s alright to relax once in a while.”
“It is no problem. As a daughter of the Tennoji family, I can handle this much.”
Since when had it started? Before she knew it, she was shaking her head at her parents' concerns without a second thought.
(Ah... I see.)
Itsuki’s words echoed in her mind. Are you properly facing your parents' feelings? The question shook her very foundation.
(I’ve been... running away, haven't I?)
Because she didn't have the confidence to just be their daughter. She had chosen the path of being the "Tennoji daughter" because it was easier to understand. Getting perfect grades and acting with perfect poise was far easier than truly responding to her parents' love.
Itsuki had made her realize she was hiding behind her duty.
“Why...”
The word spilled from her lips.
“Why... why do you go so far for me, Itsuki-san...?”
Even though he wasn't family, he was facing her with such sincerity. Itsuki answered her with a serious expression.
“Because I... want you to live as happily as possible, too.”
He said it boldly, without any shame.
“If you think today was precious... then please, don't throw it away.”
Mirei thought back on the day. The game center, the bowling, the karaoke... none of it was necessary for a high-society lady. But for Mirei Tennoji, it had been everything. Today, she had enjoyed herself from the bottom of her heart.
“...Swindler,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
It wasn't just her parents. There was someone else right here who cared about Mirei Tennoji as a person, rather than as a title.
“Swindler, swindler, swindler... you really are quite the smooth talker...”
She was desperate to hold back the tears pooling in her eyes. Her emotions were a mess. She was behaving in a way unbefitting a lady of her station. But it was fine. This boy didn't look at her like that anyway.
“...I shall let myself be deceived by you.”
Wiping her eyes, Mirei finally smiled.
“I shall refuse the marriage arrangement. I cannot afford to let go of something this precious.”
“...I see.”
Itsuki looked visibly relieved. Just seeing that expression made the decision feel right.
“Well, to be honest, if you ask me if today's experience was really that precious, I'm not so sure—”
“That is not what I meant.”
She hadn't just been talking about the date. Honestly... she couldn't tell if this person was incredibly sharp or incredibly dense.
“It is you who is precious.”