Vol 2 Chapter 1 Part 6

We walked back the way we came, with Holmes pushing my bike again.

“His house is this way,” he said after a short while, turning onto a small road.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like.” I followed behind him, excited to find out. Will it be like a temple? Or maybe it’s a traditional townhouse?

“It’s over there.”

I looked at where he was pointing and felt lost for words. I’d have thought that building was a museum or something. It was a dignified, Western-style manor built out of gray stone that made it look like it was from the Meiji era. It felt like the kind of cultural heritage site you’d see in port towns like Yokohama and Otaru.

It’s, like, not Japanese-style at all!

“I-It’s amazing.” That was putting it lightly. It wasn’t huge or anything, but it was an imposing estate. It really did look like a small museum.

“It originally belonged to my grandfather’s uncle, who was his teacher.”

The black iron gate creaked as it opened.

“The owner’s uncle was a teacher?”

“Yes. He was a wealthy merchant as well as an extremely skilled appraiser of fine art. Or rather, it may be that his success was a result of his discerning eye. He had this house built so that he could decorate it with his collection for guests to see.”

In other words, it was originally designed for displaying art. No wonder the building itself looked like a museum.

“My grandfather said that he moved here in his forties, after his teacher formally appointed him as his successor and retired.”

“The teacher left the house to his nephew instead of his children?”

“He didn’t have any children of his own. Apparently he made it known that it would be given to the most fitting heir among all of his relatives and students. My grandfather said that he gave it everything he had in order to be chosen from among all of his rivals.”

“I-I see…” This estate is like a crown he fought to win…

Unexpectedly, surrounding the Western-style stone manor was a Japanese-style garden.

“It’s mismatched, right? My grandfather says he prefers the aesthetic of Japanese-style gardens. It’s designed so that you can enjoy elements of all four seasons.”

“Yeah, it might be mismatched, but it fits well when you look at it like this. It’s really nice.” It was a perfect blend of Japanese and Western styles. Now that I think about it, Kura was a fusion of East and West too. Maybe that’s one of the characteristics of the Yagashira family.

“This way, Aoi.”

“Oh, okay.” While I was thinking, Holmes had parked my bike at the edge of the yard. We walked up the stone stairs and he opened the large double front doors, revealing an atrium.

“O-Ooh.” I anxiously stepped inside. There was a grandfather clock and an extravagant chandelier. Paintings, vases, and sculptures lined the walls—it really did feel like an art museum.

“Um, where do I put my shoes? Am I supposed to keep them on here?”

“Keep them on for the first floor, then switch to slippers for the second floor.”

“Huh?”

“This first floor is generally used as a space for displaying art to guests.”

“Oh, I see.” So in a way, it really was a museum.

Once we stepped into the hall, an inner door opened and a beautiful woman wearing a chic black dress came out, saying “Welcome back, Kiyotaka.” She had chestnut curls and wore vermilion lipstick. There was an alluring mole near her mouth, and she had a slim yet curvy figure that was highlighted by her dress. She also wore bright red high heels. She was beautiful in every way, down to the shine of her hair. Age-wise…she was probably in her late twenties or early thirties?

Wh-Who is this? Is she Holmes’s girlfriend?

“Thank you, Yoshie. You seem to be all set.”

“You need to start getting ready too, Kiyotaka,” she chided, crossing her arms. It didn’t seem like she was his girlfriend. As I stood there intimidated by the two of them, she looked at me and smiled warmly. “Hello there. My name is Yoshie Takiyama. It’s nice to meet you.”

“H-Hello. I’m Aoi Mashiro.” I didn’t really know what was going on, but I introduced myself and bowed.

“I heard about you from Seiji. He said the store got an adorable, hard-working part-timer. Good for you, Kiyotaka.” The woman smiled happily.

Holmes nodded. “Yes, I’m lucky to have her.”

This is kind of embarrassing…but more importantly, who is this person? Before I could wonder more, the inner door opened again, and this time the owner came out.

“Thanks for today, Aoi.” He usually wore a stylish kimono, but today was different—he had a tuxedo on instead.

“Congratulations, Owner. Um, here’s a little something for you. It’s sake from Saitama,” I said, handing him the gift-wrapped box.

The owner made a wrinkly smile. “Thanks, dear. Kind of you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You’re wearing Western clothes today, huh? I’ve never seen you dressed this way before.”

“Nice, right? I’ll be wearing a kimono later, though.”

“Are you changing clothes as part of the ceremony?”

“Yep.”

The owner really was flashy, having a costume change like a bride at a wedding reception.

Yoshie eagerly walked up to him and said, “You look wonderful in Western clothes too, Seiji.” She gazed fondly at him.

“Don’t I?” A proud smile rose to the owner’s face.

Okay but really, who is this person? I tilted my head again.

Holmes noticed my confusion and whispered in my ear, “Yoshie is my grandfather’s girlfriend.”

“G-Girlfriend?” I squeaked.

“Surprised?”

“Y-Yes. That’s a really big age gap, right?”

“Indeed, there is a gap…but while she looks young, she’s in her forties.”

“N-No way!”

“I affectionately refer to her as a witch.”

Her youthful appearance is witch-tier.

“She manages a company that does art-related event consulting, and our store does business with them as well. She started dating my grandfather around ten years ago, but since both of them are self-centered, it’s a constant cycle of breaking up and getting back together. They just can’t get rid of each other.”

“O-Oh… That’s an interesting relationship.” I looked at Yoshie and the owner, dumbfounded. Now that I knew the owner had such a beautiful girlfriend, I felt like I understood the secret to his youth. “That aside, he must be really enthusiastic about this event if he’s even going to do a costume change…”

“Indeed. Just for today, he ordered a tailor-made suit and shoes from a shop in Yokohama, a hat from an artisan in Kobe, and a kimono from Miyashita Kimono Fabrics.”

I gaped. This is that grand of a party? Yoshie’s wearing a beautiful dress too, but here I am in casual clothes, since I thought I was going to be helping set up!

…Then again, Holmes was dressed casually too.

“Holmes, are you wearing that to the party?”

“No, I’m going to change later.”

“C-Can I go home and change?”

“No, you’re lovely as you are.”

“Stop it with those empty compliments…”

“I mean it.”

Yoshie walked over and said, “Don’t worry.” She must’ve heard our conversation. “I have plenty of dresses, so I’ll lend you one. Come, let’s get changed.”

“Huh?”

“This way.” Yoshie grabbed my hand and pulled me into another room before I could even react.

“Pink, white, or light blue? Which do you like?” Yoshie asked cheerfully, opening her suitcase.

“Oh, um…light blue?” My face stiffened. I was still bewildered.

“Let’s go with pink. It’s a special occasion, after all.”

“I-I don’t know about pink…”

“Don’t worry. It’s light pink, not dark.” She showed me a dress that was pale pink—almost white. The design was simple but cute.

“That’s a lovely dress,” I said sincerely.

Yoshie giggled. “I brought the kind of dresses that young people would like, thinking you’d be able to make use of them.”

“Wait, really? Thank you very much.” Huh, maybe everyone who’s spent a long time with the Yagashira family is considerate like this.

“It’s my pleasure. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Aoi. So once again, nice to meet you.”

“O-Oh. Nice to meet you too.”

“Isn’t it unique how the Yagashira family doesn’t have any women in it?”

“I-I guess.”

“I’m sure you have to put up with a lot too when you’re dealing with those men. Feel free to vent.”

“Huh…?” Have I been putting up with anything? It was startling when the manager suddenly dashed out of the store because he hit a block in his writing, but that wasn’t really a problem. Holmes was wicked from time to time, but he was always good to me.

After thinking for a bit, I answered, “No, there hasn’t been anything.” If I don’t have any pent-up frustrations, does that mean I haven’t known them long enough to form deep relationships? “What kinds of things have you been putting up with, Yoshie?”

“For me, there’s the antiques.”

“The antiques?”

“He talks on and on about them, and he forgets I exist when he starts looking at them. And then he’ll suddenly fly overseas to look at them!” She leaned forward as she spoke, and I was taken aback. I see. That would be frustrating from a girlfriend’s point of view. “Seiji’s passion for antiques is abnormal. There was a time when he was so obsessed with one that it made me want to break it.”

“R-Really?”

“I wouldn’t actually do it. It’s just annoying that he’s more interested in them than me,” she huffed, crossing her arms. I could tell that she really did love the owner, and it was so heartwarming that I couldn’t help but smile.

“But you fell for him and his love for antiques, right?”

Yoshie hesitated for a moment. “Yes, at first. I respected his ability as an appraiser. But more than that, I’m a ‘grave robber.’”

“A what?”

“Oh, do kids these days call it something else? I’m into older men who are past middle age. So, Seiji’s looks were exactly my type.”

“I see!” It all makes sense now.

“But Seiji always loved antiques more than he loved me, and besides, he loves his freedom, so I can’t get a hold of him. I’ve given up on him many times to find someone else, but whenever we did break up and I went on dates with others, it just made me appreciate him even more! The Yagashira men are just so intense, right?”

“Yeah…they are.” I could definitely agree with that.

“Right! Their good sides and bad sides are all so intense—it’s too much!”

“I think I know what you mean.” I, too, had gotten accustomed to Holmes’s quirks despite being put off by them.

“Ahh, I knew it’d be a good idea to talk to you! None of my friends understand, you see.”

That makes sense. Only people who know the Yagashira family well would know.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better. Tell me all of your complaints,” Yoshie said happily.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, I’ll make sure to do that.” At first glance, I’d thought she was a sensual woman that I wouldn’t be able to talk to, but I was glad to find out that she seemed to be a really nice person.

We shook hands and then she said, “Okay, let’s get you changed!” I wasn’t sure how to respond to her enthusiasm, but I quickly got swept up by her pushiness and changed into the light pink dress. She tied my hair in an updo, saying “Oh, you have a lovely neck. This is a powerful weapon!” and even did my makeup, saying “See? Just lifting your eyelashes completely changes how you look. Let’s give you some light lipstick, too.”

When she was all done, she clapped her hands. “I knew you’d be adorable this way!”

I was embarrassed, but my reflection in the mirror really did look like a different person.

“Ahh, girls are great. My son is cute too, but I wish I had a girl.” She sighed passionately.

“Huh?” I turned around, surprised. “You have a child, Yoshie?”

“Yes, I’m once divorced. I have a son who’s a high school first-year, but he’s studying abroad.”

“A-A first-year?” That’s one year younger than me. I can’t believe she has a son that old! Oh, but then again, if she’s in her forties, then that’s not strange. I got thrown off by her appearance.

“Between my son, Seiji, Takeshi, and Kiyotaka, I’m surrounded by men. So, I’m very happy to be able to get along with you, Aoi.” She smiled cheerfully, looking absolutely gorgeous.

“Y-You look so young. It’s hard for me to believe you have a son in high school,” I said earnestly.

Yoshie laughed. “Seiji loves beauty, so I’m trying my best. It’s for my own sake, though. Not his.”

Those words rang through my heart. It’s amazing to be able to work so hard for the person you love, but it’s also admirable to be able to say that it’s for your own sake.

“By the way, Seiji and I both love ourselves,” she added at the end. I can tell, I whispered in my heart.