Chapter 65: Family Vacation

The first half of summer break had ended, so for the middle portion and the last half coming after it, we were going on a family vacation. We were taking advantage of my dad’s Bon holiday break¹ The Bon holiday honours the spirits of your ancestors. to go on vacation, so we scheduled it from the beginning of August to the middle of the month.

This trip was a family vacation within Japan, so it wouldn’t be that large-scale. Not to say that we always went on vacations within the country, but occasionally my mom said “We should go to our villa already,”, so we were taking a domestic family vacation.

The Kujou family had various villas in and out of the country, but on this trip we were going to the villa located in a famous summer retreat in Japan. We were tired of going to similar places every time, so we decided that we needed to use this villa that we hadn’t used in a while.

I had many troubles because of this family vacation. First, we had to ask Raihoukai to change their summer training schedule and focus it in the first half of the month. That’d be impossible with intensive training in a normal cram school. A lot of rich gentlemen and ladies were attending Raihoukai, so I thought that was why they could be flexible with the dates.

And Hundred Earth style training was made extremely difficult since I wouldn’t be there from the family vacation. In addition, I got extra training added on because I slacked during the early part of summer vacation. It was really hell. I really felt that I had lived a good life.

Well, I hadn’t gotten worse at training because it was the beginning of summer, but because Enju said those pointless things to me… That wasn’t related to Master, so his anger was inevitable.

In that way, I endeavoured with my cram school and training and accelerated and accelerated my homework until the day of our family vacation finally came.

This trip we were going to a summer retreat inside the country, so transporting us there was simple. It was my first family vacation since I had become completely conscious,  but Lady Sakuya had memories of going on vacation every summer and winter. If you went abroad imprudently, it’d take a long time just to travel, and it’d be exhausting for a child.

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This was definitely living extravagantly well, but it made me, who was a commoner in my past life, shrink back in fear or something…

“Lady Sakuya, let us go change.”

“Huh?”

Momiji, who wasn’t part of the group that had arrived the day before but had instead ridden another car here like I did, recommended that I change. I didn’t get it at all. Why would I need to change?

“That is your travel clothing. Let us change into something more comfortable here.”

Huh… Young ladies did even this? Oh, they did do this… In Lady Sakuya’s memories, I could see that she always changed after long-distance trips. There were of course stains from the travelling time, and the environment while you were travelling was different to the environment at your destination. It looked like you adjusted to that and changed.

From my point of view, it was a waste and a hassle to change clothes that often and every single time. It made me wonder if you could just not change that often… My mom was looking intently at me, so I didn’t have the option to refuse. I went to another room, accompanied by Momiji, and changed.

　　～～～～～～～

For the first few days since I came here, everyday was lazy… well, not really, but I spent time more leisurely compared to when I was in my own home. The reason for that was simple. I didn’t have training or lessons here, so…

When I was in my own house, I did some type of training or lesson every day. When I had school, I trained when I arrived from school, and when I didn’t have school, I trained from morning onwards.

Since we came here, I didn’t have any of that. I had no restraints on my time and could spend it however I wanted to. 

That would normally be something I’d be happy with. I could spend all my time playing. But I… for some reason… couldn’t calm down.

Up until now, I had been doing this and that every day, but now that it was gone and I could do whatever I want, I didn’t know what to do. I even felt restless like I should be training now. I really couldn’t calm down at all…

“Sakuya, you’re bored, aren’t you? Maybe you should move around a little?”

“Brother?”

Did I look that bored? My brother called out to me. Then…

　　～～～～～～～

“The cold feels good, right?”

“It does…”

Right now, my brother and I were in the pool for some reason. I had no idea why. No, I could understand getting into the pool during summer, but I couldn’t understand this situation.

Why were we swimming in an air-conditioned indoor pool when we were in a summer retreat…

If we wanted to go to the ocean or a pool, there were plenty near our house, right? So why were we swimming in an indoor pool when we went all the way to a summer retreat?  It wasn’t that I didn’t get it, but that I couldn’t agree with it.

The Kujou family definitely wouldn’t be going to those pools or areas of the ocean that were packed with people. No matter the ocean or pool that you went to, it’d be hot outside and get sunburnt. Maybe that was why we were swimming in a controlled indoor pool.

But, you know… we were already in this summer retreat in the countryside… so did you really want to go into this indoor pool in the villa?

I wanted something more like… jumping in a river, climbing a mountain, swimming in the ocean; those kinds of things. Well, this summer retreat wasn’t facing the ocean, so we couldn’t go there. There must be a river or lake somewhere around here, right? We were surrounded by a mountain, right? Why didn’t we go and play there?

“Also, you’re amazing, Sakuya. You’re not tired, even though you’ve been swimming since earlier?”

“Huh? Mm… well…”

I had swam more at the fitness club “Grande” and the Hundred Earth style. Swimming this little was just warm-up for me.

“And you’re not scared that your feet aren’t touching the floor? You’re swimming pretty strangely, though.”

“I am fine.”

What did he mean by a strange swimming style…? This was an old swimming style with an ancient and honourable origin, you see? It was just treading water. When I swam, I was always wearing a hard-to-swim in kimono and lifting heavy weights that a first-grader shouldn’t carry for hours on end, however? Lately, I had additional weights tied onto my legs as well, did you know that?

“Since you’re that good at swimming, maybe you should compete, Sakuya?”

“I would be far too disadvantaged.”

Swimming for a long time and for a long distance and swimming quickly were completely different things. My swimming practice was basically just techniques for swimming with heavy equipment. And even though they practiced the front crawl and other modern techniques in Grande, I couldn’t swim fast even if I had the strength to do so because my physique and muscles didn’t match up with that strength.

From what I’d seen so far, my brother was a good swimmer too. I couldn’t catch up to him, even if I beat my personal record. I could probably win when swimming long distances or for a long time, but I had no hope of winning in speed.

“More importantly, do you want to enter too, Momiji?”

Right… No offense to my brother, but I had no fun looking at a guy in a swimsuit. I also didn’t want to look at an older maid wearing a swimsuit. I definitely wanted to see a beautiful energetic big sister type wearing a swimsuit.

“No… I…”

“You do not need to restrain yourself, alright? Let us play together.”

“Um…”

Momiji, who’d usually do what I said to some degree, seemed somewhat reserved today. What on earth…

“Kukuku… Sakuya… don’t say something so pointless… hehe!”

For some reason, my brother was laughing in a way that hid some meaning. Maybe…

“Is Momiji perhaps… a hopeless swimmer?”

“Bahaha! Ahaha! If you say it that obviously, it sounds so sad!”

“…”

My brother laughed even harder and Momiji started pouting. It looked like she really couldn’t swim. I could swim in my past life too, so I didn’t understand how hopeless swimmers felt. I just knew that swimming was something that anyone could do with practice. It wasn’t anything to worry about.

“Then, let us do this! Momiji, while we are here, what about you practice swimming with me? We will make you able to swim before we leave here.”

“No… I am sorry, but no matter what you say, Lady Sakuya, I will not lend my ears to you.”

Hmm… she was being pretty stubborn… Maybe she was embarrassed that she couldn’t swim? I thought it’d be worse if she couldn’t swim forever, but…

Even if you decided that you wouldn’t go to the ocean or a pool, you didn’t know when you might drown. You might fall into a river or the cruise ship you were in might sink. Even if it didn’t sink, you might fall off the cruise ship. At those times, it’d be too late to think “I should’ve practiced swimming”.

Well… I honestly just wanted to see Momiji in a swimsuit… but since she herself said she didn’t want to, I wouldn’t force her to.

　　～～～～～～～

Tonight was the last night we’d be staying at the villa. And today, accompanied by the household servants, we had a fireworks display. During the day, we had a barbecue and would be having fireworks at night.

The barbecue had already ended and the sun was setting. We could start the fireworks show in a few minutes. Our stay at the villa had passed in the blink of an eye. We had stayed for quite a few days, but looking back on it, it had passed so quickly.

In the beginning, I just had free time, so I didn’t know what to do, but… it was a fun vacation. My mom and dad got along really well with each other. This couple were so friendly. I didn’t think that I could have a younger brother or sister now, but…

Huh? But they were still at the age when it wouldn’t be strange for them to have more kids. My mom was still in her late thirties… oh, she was glaring at me… she was still in her mid-thirties, so… When I changed my wording, she stopped glaring at me. Maybe she had some ability to sense any disquieting signs?

Well, anyway, she was in her thirties, so it wasn’t like she couldn’t have kids. Any later and she’d be having a geriatric pregnancy, where the danger would increase for the mother and child, but she was still fine for now.

In the game “Love Flowers”, Lady Sakuya didn’t have any brothers. It wasn’t even included in the setting. Even so, I had a brother, so it wouldn’t be strange if any younger brothers or sisters appeared, but… that couldn’t happen… right?

“Then, let us start the fireworks display. Lady Sakuya, take this.”

“Thank you?”

Huh? Wasn’t this a smoke bomb? Why that all of a sudden? And giving it to a young lady?

“Um… Momiji? Why have you given me a smoke bomb…?”

Would you not normally give a young lady a cuter firework?

“You know of it…? Then, take this…”

“Yes… wait, huh!?”

No, no… this was a black snake firework… her choices were weird! No matter how you looked at it, they were weird!

“Why a black snake firework?”

“Do you know of this as well…? It cannot be helped. Then, take this.”

“This is strange! Are these not sparklers!? Would you not normally leave these for last!?”

What was this? The fireworks Momiji was giving me were clearly strange. It was like she was harassing me… Wait! Was she…

“Momiji… perhaps you…”

“…”

When I stared at Momiji, she looked away just slightly. As expected…

“Are you holding a grudge because I had asked you to swim in the pool earlier!?”

“…”

Oh… she didn’t conceal her strange expression, avoided my gaze, and sweat flowed down her face. I was just guessing, but it looked like I was right.

I see… On top of caring that she couldn’t swim, she held a grudge against me, who proposed that we should practice her swimming…

“Pfft.”

“——hm!?”

“Ahaha! Ahahaha!”

“Lady Sakuya, it is cruel to laugh.”

“Because… ahaha!”

I wasn’t laughing at Momiji’s inability to swim. I was happy that the usually-composed Momiji minded these things and made slightly angry appeals about them.

Our relationship had been that of a young lady and the maid accompanying her. Momiji was restrained, like she was a step away from me.

She was hired here, so she may have thought she couldn’t be casual with the young lady she was accompanying—the daughter of the person hiring her, but… that feeling of distance was somewhat aggravating.

But today, Momiji overcame that restraint with me and even pulled a prank like that. It made me happy. I enjoyed our family vacation, but… the best gain was that Momiji showed me more of her human side.