Late at Night, Sweet Things
Eating something this sugary this late at night… is that really okay?
Even though Minamoto Senya understood what Yōko was thinking, the moment he accepted the pudding cup from her, the thought still popped unbidden into his mind.
"Alright, go on now. I'm feeling a bit woozy, so I'll head back to rest. I won't be joining you two tonight, so don't stay up too late."
Tōma Yōko waved her hand lightly. Her cheeks were flushed, and the faint scent of alcohol lingered on her breath.
But mixed in with her expensive perfume, it wasn't unpleasant at all.
Senya nodded and stepped into the practice room.
As expected, Tōma Kazusa was there, seated in her usual spot. Tonight, though, she wasn't playing. Instead, she was quietly wiping down the piano keys with a lint-free cloth.
When she heard footsteps, she turned her head, glanced at him, then faced forward again without expression. She showed no particular reaction to Senya's arrival.
Still, Senya could tell. She wasn't in the best of moods.
He'd just experienced a similar situation himself a few hours earlier.
At the celebration party, after finally escaping the endless congratulations from all directions and making his way to his friends… two long-haired girls—who insisted their names not be mentioned—had given him the exact same frosty treatment.
…Is this just how it is with long-haired beauties?
Feeling like a tired husband finally returning home after a day of work, Senya loosened his collar and walked over to Kazusa's side.
He held out the pudding cup. When she paused in her wiping, he leaned it a little closer.
"I brought this back just for you. Isn't this your favorite?"
A bit of sleight of hand.
He had brought it back especially, though he didn't say who had specially gotten it for her.
The icy, distant aura Kazusa usually wore, like an untouchable iceberg, softened visibly.
She inhaled faintly, caught his sincere expression, and at last accepted the pudding.
Mothers really do know their daughters best. Yōko's simple, effective solution worked perfectly.
"Sorry I couldn't look after you tonight. I was so busy. I even asked Rokka to keep you company for a bit, but by then you'd already left."
Senya pulled over a tall stool and sat beside Kazusa.
He immediately lowered his posture, apologizing as the evening's host for not attending to her better.
This was something he'd already had to do twice earlier tonight. By now, it came naturally.
"I get it. You were the star of the whole event. It's impossible to give everyone equal attention."
Kazusa nodded.
Surprisingly docile. No need for extra sweet words or explanations.
By comparison…
Senya recalled those two who had given him cold sarcasm and exaggerated pouting.
Kazusa's dissatisfaction could be dissolved with just a pudding cup.
The difference in magnanimity between the three was staggering.
"Come on." Kazusa stood, pudding in hand, and gestured to the piano.
Senya blinked. "Come on what?"
"The first round of the competition is coming up. With your half-baked level, you need every moment of practice you can get."
Half-baked, huh…
Senya looked at the clock on the wall. "It's nearly one in the morning."
And he'd been up since early morning for the Yulong Banner kendo tournament, fought most of the day, then mingled through the evening's banquet.
Body and mind alike were worn down.
Even with his stamina, he wasn't a machine.
Kazusa tilted her head, her expression somewhere between pity and mockery. "So what if it's one? You… can't handle it?"
"…"
Alright. So that's how it is.
He took back everything he'd thought about her magnanimity. She clearly had her own mean streak.
But even if it was a clumsy provocation, he couldn't back down.
Fine. Practice it is. Not to prove anything, but… this was why he'd stayed at the Tōma household—to sharpen himself right before the competition.
Senya sat on the bench, looked up at Kazusa, and said, "If you get sleepy, go back and rest anytime."
Kazusa leisurely peeled open the pudding package, poking at its glossy surface with the spoon. "If you keep playing, I'll stay right here."
"If you stay here, I'll keep playing."
A strange competitiveness sparked between them.
"…"
Kazusa didn't answer, but a faint, teasing smile curved her lips.
Her mood was truly much better now.
No matter what had come before, at this moment—he was here with only her.
Meanwhile, after her bath, Tōma Yōko was applying body lotion in her room.
Her skincare done, she was about to slip into bed when worry tugged at her.
So she crept to the practice room, cracked open the door, and peeked in.
As expected, she found Senya still practicing, Kazusa beside him, well past two in the morning, working on the piece Yōko had helped him choose.
Yōko's lips curved into a smile. Youth really is a marvel.
She left quietly without disturbing them.
Seeing Kazusa now was like looking into her own younger self.
Let them enjoy this, just the way they like~