HS Chapter 13: The hopeless sister goes flower viewing. (Part two)

The Tachibana sisters, me and Koma + Meiko Aunty were enjoying the flower viewing with obentos under a gracefully blooming cherry tree. The cherry blossoms petals that flutter in the wind like confetti and they create a brightful fluffy pink carpet where they fell, I thought it would be pleasant to take an afternoon nap in it.

While admiring the dancing petals, we eat the food that we made and enjoy idle conversations.

“The cherry trees are really pretty. I’m glad I came at a good time.”
“Yes, they’re beautiful.”

Yesterday night, I thought it would be troublesome when she suddenly said that she wants to go flower viewing, but… Turns out that flower viewing is pleasant.

In the lukewarm and calm weather we were eating our food and then we felt the arrival of spring on our skin with the cherry blossoms in full bloom… I love the lovely and neat Koma that won’t lose to the splendor of the cherry blossom. Flower viewing is a great way to conclude the start of the semester. It should be no surprise that Japanese people love flower viewing.

While we twin sisters were a bit moved by the cherry blossoms, our Aunty who organized the flower viewing was drinking sake and muttering something to herself.

“…I’m tired of it.”

“Haa?”

“Eh?”

“I’m tired of flower viewing.”

“”Eeeeeh….””

We had been flower viewing for only about 10 minutes however Aunty suddenly made a comment that would dampen the flower viewing. You’re ruining my monologue, you hag. What is this hag saying when people are just starting to enjoy it.

“But, you see. Eating, drinking and chatting is no different than being at home. Honestly said, I’m tired of it.”

“Er… But, Aunt. Do you not think it’s wonderful to feel the season while looking at the cherry blossoms outside like this?”

“It’s as Koma says. It’s a fun event that can only be done in this season.”

“You can see something like cherry blossoms on a TV program. Even like that, you can feel the seasons.”

“”…””

How dare you, you hag… I and Koma look at each other and chuckle without thinking much. Good grief… You’re still a writer who delivers excitement to the readers through the written words, Aunty.

Apologize, Koma who said so lovely things and to the cherry trees trying so hard to blossom, apologize to them. 

“That’s not something that should be said by the person who wanted to see them in the first place…”

“That’s right, Aunt. You may be able to see it on TV, but I think there is no substitute for experiencing the real thing!”

“Yes, yes. Isn’t it fun flower viewing (together with Koma)?”

“Is that so?… I’ll ask you then. What do you girls think it’s fun or interesting about flower viewing?”

“”Eh…!?””

Aunty asks us this question suddenly as she opens another bottle that I’ve lost count of. She’s really so spontaneous…

“Then, first is Mako. What do you think is interesting about flower viewing?”

“Me? That’s obvious. Koma—”

“I’ll say this beforehand. It’s not allowed to say things such as ‘Flirting with Koma is fun’…”

“…What? With me?”

“…Tch.”

Saying it beforehand… There’s nothing more fun than that and you’re harsh for ruining the current development.

“Etto… Other than that… Other…”

“See now? You can’t think of anything!”

“No, I’ll think up something soon! Hmm, for example… Ka… Karaoke… Something like that?”

“Karaoke…? How do I put it… That’s a simple answer, Mako.”

So rude. Is it not fun, karaoke? You were enjoying the karaoke earlier with the old men who were drinking with you… Probably there are people who think of flower viewing as karaoke…

“That’s not true at all. I think it’s nice to be flower viewing while doing a karaoke, Aunt.”

“See, I was right! Karaoke is fine, isn’t it!”

Koma backed me up. You’re really a good girl that loves her sister!

“As always, Koma you’re spoiling her. Well, I’ll leave it at that. So, Mako, since you brought up the idea why don’t you sing?”

“Guh… Saying unreasonable things again… You understand what you’re saying Aunty, right? Are you intending for me to humiliate myself?”

I know I’m the one proposed karaoke but I really don’t like singing that much. People—I especially love to hear Koma’s singing and chat with her during the break to change songs but I’m not good at singing. 

Why is that? It’s because I have a hopeless sense of sound.

“No, no. In a certain way, I like your singing. You’re so tone-deaf that I can laugh and it’s funny.”

“You’re being really rude, oi.”

I really want to punch this woman in the face hard one day, I really do.

“*Mumble*… Tone-deaf? Nee-sama is? Was that so…? I like Nee-sama’s voice the most in the world… but…”

“Then, if Mako isn’t going to sing. Koma, you sing.”

“Eeh?”

“Oooh… Koma’s karaoke!? I love to hear it!”

“…Yes? You want me to do it…? Etto…”

And now, Aunty urges Koma to sing instead of me. Koma is an excellent singer, unlike me. She is often called out to help in the chorus and her voice charms those who listen. 

Now that I think about it, I’ve been too busy to go to a karaoke so I really like to hear Koma’s singing voice. Me and Aunty look at Koma with expectant eyes…

“Err… I’m sorry Nee-sama, Aunt. It’s different from singing when it’s just the two of you but in public as I thought it’s a bit… I’ll be embarrassed in many ways…”

“Aah, un. Certainly, it’ll be like that. I’m sorry.”

Koma apologizes humbly. Uun, truly unfortunate. Well, it would be sacrilegious to let all these passerbys hear Koma’s angelic voice for free, wouldn’t it? Koma, let’s go to a karaoke just with the two of us one of these days, okay?

“Koma also won’t sing. Why not sing without worrying about that?”

“Or better to say, you’re making others sing. Aunty, why don’t you sing?”

“Ah, I also want to hear Aunt singing.”

“Don’t wanna, I’m tired.”

“”…””

Truly, this woman is…

“Nobody is going to sing in the end. Sigh, as I thought then flower viewing is no fun.”

“I think it’s Aunty’s intentions that are boring. … Then, I’ll ask you in return, what would satisfy Aunty’s taste in flower viewing?”

“Sake.”
“”…””

Aren’t you already drunk… What is this woman talking? I’m certain that you were drunk since earlier, weren’t you? Everything you say and do is incoherent. Wait… But, when I think about it Aunty has always been like this.

“Mako’s opinion is not helpful. Which leaves, Koma. What do you think is fun about flower viewing?”

“Ah, I’m a bit interested in it. Koma, please show your Nee-chan the ideal answer.”

“What I think is fun about flower viewing, is it?”

Aunty is naturally vexing but certainly my opinion is not that helpful. In that case, my wise Koma-sensei is going to give us an ideal answer on the fun of flower viewing.

“Etto… That’s right. The karaoke that Nee-sama mentioned and then Aunty mentioning sake— What I want to say is, of course both and banquets are fun ways to enjoy flower viewing. And, I also want to add an open-air tea ceremony as a fun way to do it.”

“Oooh. Open-air tea ceremony, that is very elegant and good.”

Open air tea ceremony—- Yes, that’s a tea ceremony where you can enjoy making tea and eating Japanese sweets outdoors. Honestly said, tea ceremonies are difficult and tedious due to needing etiquette however in open air tea ceremonies you don’t have to mind etiquette so much, and it’s an event where you can enjoy the flower viewing while drinking tea hence it’s just perfect for it.

I see, as I would expect from Koma, your point is so fitting that Nee-chan is amazed.

“Eeeh… I’d rather drink sake than tea…”

“Shut up, you alcoholic woman!”

“Ahahahaha…”

Why does this old hag have to keep ruining my excitement every time? I thought that I would let her drink until we had to go, but as I thought I should confiscate her alcohol.

“Well, for those who drink alcohol a banquet might be more fun than an open air tea ceremony. And then… That’s right, in my opinion the most fun part about flower viewing is—-”
“Komaa~, you have email. Komaa~, you have email.”

“””Hm…?”””

 As Koma was about to say something, my voice came from her phone— Or, more precisely, I’m hearing the ringtone of my voice recorded.

“I’m sorry, it seems I have an email. Nee-sama, Aunt, I’m going to check it for a bit.”

Koma says that and quickly checks the email she received…. Fumu, an email at this time? Probably it’s from that person… I think? It’s about time to come.

“…. As always, you and Koma both have each other’s voices as ringtones. Even as your family, I’m a bit taken back…”

“Eeeh? Why?”

“Why, you say…”

When I bought my cell phone, I asked Koma ‘I want to use your voice as a ringtone, let me record it.’ In return for letting me record her voice, I recorded mine and gave it to Koma. From that moment on, our ringtones were each other’s voices.

Koma is also happy using it all the time and despite that Aunty says strange things.

“… I’m sorry, you two. I’ll leave you two for a moment…”

She checks her email and then looks at me for a second and gets up… Apparently, my guess was right. Is that so, it has finally arrived.

“Un, got it. Take care, Koma. Be careful!”

“Yes, Nee-sama. I’ll be back soon.”

She waves and runs with a smile on her face. Aunty looks at her curiously and says something while pouring more sake into her cup.

“What is it, Koma? Where are you going? Is it perhaps to the toile—–(*Smack*) Ouch, that hurts!”

I immediately slapped Aunty who said such remarks without any delicacy.

“What are you doing out of nowhere!? It huurts!”

“You’re noisy! Why are you saying such things outside that can humiliate Koma!? Are you an idiot? Are you an idiot, Aunty? Have you not heard the words delicacy and such!?”

“Aaaahn!? I don’t want to be told that by you who’s always saying things that humiliate Koma!”

“Ha!? How rude! When and where did I humiliate Koma!?”

“You’ve been making sickening siscon comments every day whether at home or outside!”

It’s an expression of love and I’ve been picking the place and time for it.

“I think that since Aunty is Koma’s aunt and Koma is the most amazing and cutest, then Aunty should learn from Koma to become a wonderful aunt!  You’re always just slacking! At home you’re just a lazy hopeless woman who drinks day and night! Don’t you think that you’re embarrassing yourself!?”

“Do you think you can play innocent yourself, you worthless sister! You should fix several horrible things wrong with you, too! You need to think about your shamefulness, oi!”

We stood up quickly as we were cursing each other… Eeei… I can’t endure it. Today is the day I give her my final say…!

“Ou, wanna go at it, Mako?”

“Right back at you, Aunty.”

We go at each other while holding our stance. This is just perfect since Aunty took Koma’s lips without my permission so I have a grudge against her. I’m going to take out all my grudges until now and I’m going to hit all of you except your dominant arm!

As I think that I’m slowly closing on her. Aunty comes closer to me as well. Then when we were at perfect distance of each other, we launched our killing blo—-

“Ou, ou. What’s with the fighting, girls?”

“Hahaha! Dear, dear, girls.”

“Don’t lose either one of you!”

“”…Haaaa?””

—As we tried to give one to each other, before I knew it around me and Aunty… The drunk old men who had been making a noise with Aunty earlier were looking at us and drank to our fight. When did they…

“”…””

“*Cough*, let’s stop Aunty. It’s embarrassing in many ways for me…”

“…That’s right, it’s unsightly. Rather, you old farts! Whatcha looking at, break up!”

After Aunty scattered the drunk men away, we both sat down obediently. 

I’m glad Koma wasn’t watching… It’s a bit embarrassing for me to have such a brawl with Aunty when we’re not even in elementary school… Reflect, reflect.

“Hm”

“Ooh? What, so you can be smart from time to time, Mako.”

“Saying from time to time is unnecessary. Come, give me your cup.”

I decided to pour alcohol in Aunty’s cup to make up for my embarrassment. Aunty lets me pour her obediently.

“Un, delicious.”

“Sigh… I always thought you’re a good drinker, Aunty. Is it that delicious? Sake, that is.”

“Yeah, it’s delicious… If I could drink together with Mako and Koma it would’ve been even better than now.”

“Ha?”

Aunty says something strange. I wonder what she means by that.

“Aunty, why will it become more delicious when you can drink with us?”

“Hm? Aaah… Well, it’ll be better… That’s right. When you asked me earlier ‘What would satisfy me at flower viewing?’, I answered “Sake”, right?”

“Eh?… Ah, un. Now that you say it, yeah you did.”

“That, to be precise means ‘I’m satisfied as long as I have someone to drink sake with.’ It’s more fun and tasty to drink with someone than doing it alone.”

“Fuun, so it’s like that.”

“That’s how it is. That’s why grow up faster, you two.”

I don’t get it since I’m not at the age where I can and I’ve never had a drink before, but since Aunty who loves alcohol says that then it’s like that.

Or maybe it’s because she seldom meets people… No, that’s precisely why she wants company. Even so, sake…

“I don’t know what Koma thinks about it but I don’t really like drinking that much. Looking at Aunty, the hangovers are harsh.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, even with that it’s delicious. You’ll get it when you become an adult. Oh… I can’t wait until you girls are old enough to drink.”

“I don’t want to get it even when I become an adult…”

Every day without a stop, I’m forced to make miso soup with freshwater clams while watching Aunty dying from a hangover in the morning after drinking, I really don’t want to understand it.

“Aah! But even so, there’s one drink that I want to try when I become an adult!”

“Ooh! That’s good. What is it? Which sake is it? I’ll let you drink it when you become an adult. Tell me the name of the drink, Mako.”

When I say that, Aunty bites into it happily. Oh, that’s great. If I remember, it’s name was—–

“I think it was… That’s right, it’s kuchikamisake.” (TN: It’s basically sake made from rice or other cereal which is chewed before fermentation)

“Aah, so is that one? Kuchikamisake? Un? Kuchikamisake??”

“That’s right, don’t you know it?”

Kuchikamisake

It is an alcohol that was made by chewing rice and grain and then fermenting them in the past.

Apparently, it is also known as “beautiful woman’s sake” because it was made by having a young and beautiful priestess chew it to offer to the gods.

“I’m sure that the sake made by my beautiful and lovely Koma rice chewing will be the best quality! It’s a drink I really want to try when I grow up— Eh? Why did Aunty suddenly distance herself from me!?”

“Haha, you’re too creepy so don’t come within a three meter radius of me, Mako. Since you’re creepy.”

“Why did you have to say it twice!?”

Aunty’s pulling back from me. Muu… I’m sure it will be absolutely delicious…