So much happened during these weeks, but everything is bound to end. There's a saying: don't be sad because it ended, but happy because it happened.
Anyways, right now we are preparing to go back to our home.
"Did everyone get your stuff?" — asked Mom.
"Yes!" — My sisters and I replied in unison.
We headed to the entrance of the ryokan to check out. This time, it was Grandma who was working at the counter.
"Thank you very much for staying in our humble ryokan. I pray for a wonderful trip!"
"Goodbye, Grandma!" — Miyuna-chan happily said.
"Fu... fu~ take care, young miss."
I wonder if they know each other.
"Grandma, where's Ayame-san? I wanted to say goodbye and thank her." — I asked.
"Yesterday she went with Akane to her house."
"I see, I'll message her later. Stay healthy, Grandma, and send my regards to Grandpa."
"Fu... fu~ sure thing. I hope you come again."
And so we headed to the car and got in.
"Everyone with seatbelts?" — Aunt Mizuno asked.
"Yes!" — My sisters and I replied.
Goodbye, Ryokan. Next time we'll come in the winter season.
Anyways, time to head back—
♦♦♦
Yawn.
Tomoki-kun and his family must be returning to their home. I still remember like it was yesterday when I met him in the ryokan for the first time. I really thought for a moment that it was the person he liked, but if you think about it, the chance of it being his sisters would be much higher.
I thought we would be able to talk more, but since I was busy and he was with his family, that was impossible.
But even so, I'm happy I was able to share a little time with him. When Grandma was eagerly talking to him, deep down I was happy that she enjoyed talking to him. However, when Grandma teased us that we were like a married couple, it gave me chills when he didn't react at all. Like it didn't bother him to beginning with.
After that, Grandma tried to console me, after all she noticed it was him when I talked about the boy I started to like. To make it worse, she and Grandpa even arranged a meeting with a boy I never met. They told me it's important to broaden my interactions with people, and that way I would be able to find the perfect match.
But there's no one like Tomoki-kun.
When I met that boy, I could see he was able to hold a conversation with me without any hint of discomfort or fear. I wouldn't be surprised if he got the male scholarship.
However, the moment we talked about who's popular, little by little I could see his true nature. The moment he mentioned he was indecisive because of me, I tested him to see if he stayed true to all the compliments he gave me.
In the end, they were only empty words.
Of course, if by any chance he had decided to choose me, then I would decline and apologize for testing him.
But as I thought, he was just seeing me like another girl to go with. Not only that, when he noticed that I didn't fall for him, he started to show his rudeness. Maybe because he was accustomed to girls falling for him, he became overconfident. To be fair, I was already expecting this.
But what I didn't expect was Tomoki-kun appearing to stand up for me. I could see a hint of his anger toward that boy. I was worried but at the same time, happy.
This is the second time he did that for me. And that raises the real question: do you really see me only as a friend or more than that? Maybe little by little you're starting to be conscious of me?
Either way, I was finally able to see him all frustrated, and I couldn't stop teasing him for that.
Fufu~ it's kind of funny remembering that.
Well, I should get ready. Sasaki-san will call me anytime.
"Excuse me, my lady, but today there's visitors."
"... who are you? You're not Sasaki-san."
It's clearly a man's voice, but I can tell he's forcing it to sound older through the door.
"I'm the newly hired butler. It'll be my pleasure to serve you."
"Just give me a few minutes."
So I tidied my hair a bit and opened the door.
And to my surprise...
"Good morning, my lady. How can I help you today?"
"... Am I dreaming? Because I can't think of any reason for you being here."
"This is not a dream, my lady. It's real."
"Then explain to me why you are here, Tomoki-kun."
"Well..."
♦♦♦ A few hours ago ♦♦♦
BOOM.
"Crap! I think the car engine stalled!" — Aunt Mizuno said.
"Everyone, let's get out of the van." — said Dad.
Dad started calling a tow truck and checking if there was a mechanic that could solve the problem.
"It's gonna take all day." — complained Hiyori-chan.
And then, Ayame-san's grandma was walking toward us.
"Oh my! What happened?"
"The car engine stalled. We already called a tow truck." — answered Mom.
"All of you can rest in our ryokan until the problem is fixed."
"Actually, is there a room to rent for a day? I talked with a nearby mechanic and she said she needs at least one day to fix it."
"Sorry, but all the rooms are already occupied. I can ask some of my friends who could give a good discount for their rooms."
But then, a familiar voice could be heard.
"Don't worry, Mother, there's enough space in my house for everyone."
Everyone was looking at her in awe, after all she was a well-known person in this country standing right in front of us.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm Edomae Akane. I couldn't just ignore this, so if you want, feel free to stay in my house until your van is fixed."
"We don't want to cause more trouble to you. Thank you for the offer." — Mom said.
"Oh my! You must be Morikawa-kun's mother. I always wanted to meet you!" — Akane-san was really excited to meet my mother.
"A—actually, I should be the one saying this, Edomae-san. Thank you for taking care of my son when he studied with Ayame-chan." — Mom was a bit startled.
"It was nothing, besides I'm grateful that your son became friends with my daughter."
And after that she looked at my father.
"And you must be his father. It's my pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine."
"Your son is really incredible. I still remember when I interviewed him for the male scholarship program."
"Yes, before I knew it, he really grew up."
Then, she turned to Aunt Serina.
"Serina-san, it's been a while. I must say, I really liked the project you were working on."
"I'm glad that you liked it."
"You're really good, and give another chance to the proposal I made for you, okay?"
"Thank you very much, but I still need some time to think."
And now she looked at all of us.
"So, if you need some place to stay until your van is fixed, feel free to come to my house. Don't worry, there's enough room for everyone."
It was clear that Akane-san really wanted to invite us to her house, and refusing her would be kind of hard. That's why, after Mom, Dad, and my aunts exchanged some glances, they all accepted.
♦♦♦
"... and that's how we came here." — Tomoki-kun said.
"So you'll stay a night here!?"
"I'm afraid so. Sorry for barging in like this."
"Not at all, if you want you can stay here forever!"
"Thank you for the offer, my lady. Maybe in the future, when I can't get any job, may I ask you to hire me?"
"Okay, Tomoki-kun, you can stop now. Besides, how did you even get this uniform?"
"You see!"
♦♦♦A few minutes ago♦♦♦
...