Akiha scene #2
"Oh? Do you drink tea after meals, too, Nii-san?"
"Ah, no... nothing like that. I just thought I'd come and talk to you."
My expression tells her, "I'll go away if I'm bothering you."
"Then, please, sit down. Is tea alright for you?"
"Ah, sure; I'll have anything that's nice."
I actually prefer Japanese tea, but I'll keep that bit of selfishness to myself.
Akiha takes the teapot and pours transparent red tea into another teacup.
"Thank you."
I sit on the sofa, and raise the teacup to my mouth.
...... Before my eyes is the cool and collected Akiha, and it makes me a bit uneasy.
I came to talk to her, but to be honest, I really don't know what to say now that she's in front of me.
"Nii-san? You're very quiet. Didn't you come to talk to me?"
Akiha stares.
The atmosphere is not so much that of a younger sister, but more like that of an unfamiliar young lady. It's not one in which I can speak freely.
"Well... I was just wondering, what you have been doing for the past eight years."
"It goes without saying. With Nii-san not around, father's attention turned solely to me."
Akiha glares in complaint.
It seems that the last eight years are a taboo subject.
"And what about you? What have you been doing for eight years? I sent many letters, but didn't receive a single reply."
"...... Ack."
I choke involuntarily.
Certainly, Akiha sent many letters.
But I never replied.
I was a poor correspondent, but at the bottom of my heart I wanted to sever all links with the Tohno mansion, and that made me reluctant to write to Akiha.
"Well, don't worry about the letters. Even if you had answered, I'm sure father would never have allowed the replies into the house.
More importantly, how do you feel, returning to the mansion for the first time in eight years? It has changed very little... though there was some restoration work done."
"-----"
In spite of Akiha's words, the mansion still feels completely unknown to me.
Eight years ago, I was just a child.
Even if I remember the mansion a little, I feel like I'm in someone else's house and it's very unsettling.
"Nii-san?"
"Ah, no, I was just lost in thought for a moment.
Um, you say this mansion's changed very little, but it's pretty unsettling for me. Though this sitting room and the lobby are kind of familiar, I can't really remember the corridor, nor my room."
"Really... I guess eight years is a long time."
I guess that's it.
It's like half my life so far. I can't really expect to have clear memories.
"Well, it's been eight years so it doesn't feel right, but I think I'll get used to it. I'll be thankful if you overlook my poor manners for a while."
"Please, don't be ridiculous. I can hardly look any more leniently upon Nii-san's manners than I do already."
"Buh...!"
Ugh...... That was close. I almost sprayed the tea I was drinking.
At supper, Akiha's look sent me into a cold sweat after all I did was use the wrong knife.
"...... I see. You were being lenient back then..."
"Yes. I am making concessions appropriate to your abilities. Nii-san has been brought up by the Arimas, after all.
As Aunt Keiko comes from a branch family, a certain amount of laissez-faire was permitted, and you were spoiled, Nii-san. The result is the supper we had a while ago."
"Well, it can't be helped, can it? We never really thought I'd be returning here."
"...... Is that so? You almost sound like you didn't want to return, Nii-san."
"Don't be stupid, it's not like that. I may have had my doubts, but I couldn't just leave you alone here, could I? What kind of brother would I be then?"
Yes. That's the reason I returned.
If it weren't for Akiha, I would never have returned----
"Since I heard nothing for almost eight years, I always wondered whether you were alright on your own.
I came back to the mansion because I was worried about you."
Looking a little off to the side, I put my honest feelings into words.
"Ah... well, then, thank--"
"But I guess I was just worrying over nothing. In the past eight years, you seem to have grown strong. I'm relieved, but a little disappointed."
No, a bit is saying too little.
Since I only had the image of the calm Akiha back when she was small, the sharp Akiha right now seems like a different person.
"---Really? I'm sorry I didn't meet Nii-san's expectations."
Akiha's eyes are scary.
...... Crap, I think I may have said too much again.
"Well then, Nii-san. How was life at the Arima residence?"
Akiha asks, still with the frightening expression.
I feel like I'm under terrible pressure, even though I'm only talking to my younger sister.
"Nii-san? Did you hear what I said?"
"I heard. Life at the Arimas, right? It was normal, there were no real problems. It seems it was more suited for me living there, too."
"That's not what I meant. How was your health? I have heard you collapsed a lot from your chronic anemia."
"Ah, yeah, I did for about a year after I left the hospital, but I'm okay now.
I only have problems occasionally, about once a month. I'm certainly not frail enough to be worried about."
Bluffing, I strike my chest with its scar.
Akiha nods in serious assent.
"But Nii-san, you've also started wearing glasses. After going to the hospital, did your eyesight fail, also?"
"......"
...... I see. Akiha doesn't know I wear glasses or why I wear them.
I can't just explain the lines along which things break, or that they don't appear when I wear these glasses.
"Well, it's nothing. My eyes became a little strange after the accident. But it's not like my eyesight's gone bad, so it's not really a serious problem."
"Really... I was... well, I was surprised when I saw you a while ago. I didn't know you had started wearing glasses, Nii-san."
"Really? You seemed pretty calm back then."
"Of course. I was meeting you for the first time in eight years; I couldn't let you see me acting strange."
Akiha's brow creases sullenly.
"Akiha-sama? The bath is ready; what should I do?"
"Really? Thank you, Kohaku. I'll go soon, so go ahead."
"Ah, is that alright? After all, you're relaxing with Shiki-sama. Shiki-sama might run away, but the bath won't. Please relax a little longer."
"It's fine. We weren't talking about anything important anyways."
Akiha stands, and walks past Kohaku-san into the lobby.
Kohaku-san follows Akiha.
Left alone in the sitting room, I finish the tea.
Akiha and Kohaku-san seem to be heading to the bath, so I guess I'll go back to my room.
"...... Hang on. Akiha and Kohaku-san aren't going to take a bath together, are they...?"
No, I bet they are.
Then maybe Kohaku-san would be washing her back...?
Of course, with another girl, that's no problem, but...
"---Well, you are free to imagine whatever you wish, Nii-san, but..."
"----!"
Akiha returns with amazing timing.
"Don't force Hisui to do stupid things. Unlike Kohaku, she doesn't really get jokes."
Akiha's looks accusingly as if she sees my thoughts.
I'm surprised...
Maybe this mansion has some listening devices.
"...... Wait, what are you doing back here? Weren't you taking a bath with Kohaku-san?"
"I forgot to tell you something about the bath. Nii-san, the large bathroom we used a long time ago isn't used anymore. It would be too much for Hisui and Kohaku to take care of, so it has been closed up."
"...... Large bathroom?"
Was there such a place?
I splutter a bit.
Unable to remember, I make a doubtful face.
Akiha's brows knit terribly.
"The bath in the courtyard. You don't even remember that?"
...... Well, now that she mentions it, I guess there was such a thing.
"...... But, this is a European-style mansion. Isn't such a thing a little out of place?"
"Father half-liked the Japanese-style of architecture. That is why the detached building is Japanese-style as well.
"Anyway, if you want to have a bath, please use your own; the second bathroom behind the lobby is yours, Nii-san."
With that, Akiha leaves.
"...... Alright."
With Akiha gone, there's no point in staying in the sitting room.
I'll have a bath, too, and return to my room.