Just laughing.
The president, who had gone into the restroom inside the tourist information center, came out after about five minutes.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I was just looking at a map of the Asakusa area."
As I said this and pointed to a large map on the bulletin board in front of the information center, the president peered at it with a curious expression.
The path we had walked, centered around Asakusa's landmark, Senso-ji Temple, was summarized on the map.
"Come to think of it, I heard there's a famous walking path around here."
"Shall we go for a walk there after we're done picking out gifts?"
"That sounds wonderful. The wisteria should be just starting to bloom."
When one thinks of flower viewing in Japan, cherry blossoms are usually the first to come to mind, but the wisteria that blooms from April to May is no less beautiful.
The sight of purple flowers hanging in clusters along the path is quite a magnificent spectacle.
We chatted amiably as we headed to our final destination, a kimono shop in Asakusa.
***
The kimono shop was located inside an arcade shopping street, a short distance from Senso-ji Temple in the heart of Asakusa.
With fabrics of various colors hanging outside the shop like noren curtains, it gave off the distinct feel of a traditional draper's shop.
*Slide—*
"Excuse me."
As I opened the sliding door and stepped into the old-fashioned shop, the middle-aged owner, who was at the counter, greeted us.
"Oh my, what are you students looking to buy?"
The president then tapped her fan against her palm and spoke.
"I'd like to see some kimonos and yukatas. Price is no object, so please bring out the finest ones you have in this shop."
Hearing this, the shop owner flinched for a moment, then rose with an "ohoho" laugh.
"If that's the case, please wait just a moment~"
As the owner said this and began to rummage through a chest of drawers behind the counter, the president turned to me, who was standing behind her.
"What color do you think would suit a foreigner well?"
I stroked my chin and replied.
"The color that suits someone best really depends on the person. I think a simple, classic color would be the safest bet. Something like black, white, or maybe blue?"
"Hmm. Then let's take a look at them in person and narrow it down to a few of the best-looking ones."
Soon after, the kimono shop owner brought out five boxes woven from bamboo from the drawers.
Placing them on the table, the owner explained their contents.
"These three here are kimonos, and these two are yukatas. Of course, the price of clothing can vary wildly, but unless it's a custom order, the best ready-made kimonos in our shop go for about 500,000 yen. The yukatas are a bit cheaper than that."
As she explained, she opened the lid of the first box, revealing a black kimono embroidered with a splendid floral pattern.
It certainly possessed a level of luxury on a completely different plane from mid-range kimonos.
However, the president, who had a discerning eye for such things, seemed slightly dissatisfied and pointed to the next box with her fan.
"May I see the next one?"
"Of course."
From the second box emerged a beautiful kimono with plum blossoms embroidered in gold thread on a white background.
Unlike the black kimono we had just seen, this one had a sense of restrained beauty.
This one seemed to please the president, as her stiff expression softened slightly.
But it appeared she intended to see them all before deciding, as she promptly asked the owner to open the next one.
And so, one by one.
After examining all five types of kimonos and yukatas, the president finally selected two.
The white kimono she had liked from the start, and a slightly more modest blue yukata with a morning glory pattern.
To be honest, I thought they both looked beautiful, but the president wore an expression of intense deliberation.
As it seemed her contemplation would drag on, the shop owner, who had been watching from the side, offered a clever suggestion.
"Young lady, if you're having so much trouble deciding, why don't you try them on yourself?"
"Pardon? Me?"
"Even if it's a gift, when you can't decide what to buy, trying it on yourself isn't a bad idea."
It must have been a tempting suggestion, as the president hesitated for a moment before asking me.
"What do you think, Kim Yu-seong?"
I hadn't expected the question to be turned on me, but it didn't sound like a bad idea to me either.
"Trying them on might help you decide, don't you think?"
At that, the president nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Fufu, very well then. I shall try them on."
"Then please come this way. There's an empty room inside."
The president followed the shop owner's guidance and entered an empty room in the back of the shop.
Putting on a kimono would likely take a while, so maybe I should play a game on my phone for a bit.
***
"Welcome, my lady."
"Eek!"
Saionji Kumiko, who had followed the shop owner into the empty room, was startled to see Minami, who had arrived much earlier and was already waiting.
"M-Minami, how did you get here?"
"While you were buying time, my lady, I came here myself and rented the shop for an hour. It was possible because the owner graciously agreed."
"Fufu, it's my first time acting, but it's quite fun."
"You are doing splendidly, so please continue just as you are."
It seemed the two had already coordinated, as they conversed nonchalantly.
Seeing this, Kumiko covered her mouth with her fan and said.
"Then the suggestion to try on the kimono was also!"
"I guided the conversation that way. It seems you did not notice, my lady."
"Kuh! You're right, I didn't notice at all."
As Kumiko clenched her fists with a look of frustration, the shop owner standing beside her placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Now, now, we don't have time. Your boyfriend waiting outside must be getting impatient, don't you think?"
"Wh-wh-wh-what! He and I are not yet in that kind of relationship!"
"'Not yet,' you say. Ohoho. How adorable."
As the shop owner, who had been acting so naturally outside, said this and covered her mouth with her sleeve to laugh, Kumiko's face turned as red as a tomato.
As she was led by the shop owner's hand to stand before a mirror, Minami bowed her head slightly and placed her hands on Kumiko's body.
"Then, my lady. Excuse me."
"I'll make you look as beautiful as possible."
"Aah! Not there!"
*Rustle! Shh-shh!*
***
*Slide!*
At the long-awaited sound of the door opening, I lifted my gaze from my phone screen.
And I found myself holding my breath.
"H-how do I look?"
The president asked, her gaze slightly averted as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
But I couldn't answer her question right away.
That was because the sight of the president in a kimono was beyond anything I had imagined.
Golden plum blossoms were embroidered along the white lines of the sleeves.
The obi, tied around her waist to keep the kimono from coming loose, added a splash of red to the otherwise white garment, making it look even more beautiful.
And the finishing touch was the president's delicate features.
Her long, black hair, cut straight like a princess from a bygone era, scattered beautifully against the white kimono.
Her lips, perhaps touched with rouge, were redder than usual, creating a captivating contrast with her naturally fair skin.
"...You look beautiful."
It was the only word I could utter after a long moment of deliberation.
Honestly, no better word came to mind.
Just as the thought that it would be nice if she dressed like this all the time crossed my mind—
"I-is that so?"
The president nodded, her face blushing as she spoke. Then, as if to hide her embarrassment, she snapped open her black fan and let out her usual laugh.
"Ohohohohot! It's only because I usually hide my power. When I get serious, this is the result!"
Only then did she feel like the president I knew, and I clapped in response.
"You're amazing, President."
"Excellent! I'll go change into the yukata now, so just wait a moment!"
The president pointed her fan at me as she spoke, then scurried back into the room.
I watched her familiar back with a wry smile, then went back to my phone game while I waited for her to change again.
***
Saionji Kumiko had thought.
If she showed Kim Yu-seong how she looked in a kimono, he would surely fall for her.
That was how confident she was in her own beauty, so she opened the sliding door without any hesitation and stepped out before him as he waited outside.
But the moment their eyes met, her mind went completely blank.
Just before coming out, she had thought of all sorts of flirtatious lines, but when she tried to say them, nothing came to mind.
It felt as if her brain had turned into a blank sheet of paper.
Averting Kim Yu-seong's gaze, she managed to utter a single phrase.
"H-how do I look?"
But whether her voice was too soft or he needed time to think, Kim Yu-seong gave no reply.
*Does it not look good? Was I the only one who thought I looked pretty? What if he says it doesn't suit me?*
In that fleeting moment, as all sorts of negative thoughts raced through Kumiko's mind.
"...You look beautiful."
With that one phrase uttered by Kim Yu-seong, all her worries melted away like snow.
"I-is that so?"
Her face grew hot.
Though she had done nothing, it felt as if the heat in the entire shop had been turned on, her whole body warming up.
Just like that day,
The day she had reunited with Kim Yu-seong under the pretext of scouting him for the student council, an undeniable feeling of affection threatened to surface on her face.
"Ohohohohot! It's only because I usually hide my power. When I get serious, this is the result!"
That was why she covered her face with her fan.
She no longer had the confidence to face him.
"You're amazing, President."
"Excellent! I'll go change into the yukata now, so just wait a moment!"
*Slide!*
*Thud!*
Hiding from his gaze, Kumiko quickly ducked behind the sliding door. She pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks and murmured.
"What am I going to do..."
Saionji Kumiko, a direct descendant of the great Saionji family and the student council president of Ichijo Academy, was now—
lost in the fever of a sickness called love.