Chapter 12: The Gyaru Pal Holds a Secret

“Heya, Keiji.”

“Glad you could make it, Maki.”

“Eh?”

During lunch break, I was just about to open my bento box when someone called out to me. There’s a small landing at the top of the stairs leading to the rooftop that I’ve been using without permission—a forgotten space where a few desks and chairs had been left behind, making it perfect for eating alone.

“Wh-what’s with you, Keiji? What happened to your usual salty attitude? That’s not the Keiji I know!”

“I don’t know anything about your Keiji, but I just felt like changing my response for once.”

“Aww, and here I was thinking you’d finally awakened to the charms of a blonde gyaru.”

“No plans for that at the moment.”

…is what I say, but I’m feeling kinda at ease, aren’t I? Until just recently, Maki was about the only person I talked to at school, and I think I used to enjoy this kind of pointless banter.

“So you’re having lunch in a place like this, Keiji? Total loner.”

“Shut up. It’s a perfect spot for eating alone. Besides, Sayaka actually made me a bento today, which is a rare treat.”

“Then why not eat with Sa-chan?”

“Eating lunch alone with a girl is a little…” Sayaka didn’t seem too keen on the idea either, so here I am, eating by myself. Besides, that very same Sayaka is lost in her own world at her desk in the classroom, eating while holding a paperback. Not exactly the best manners.

“Well then, why don’t I join you two and we can eat as a trio?”

“You’re barely around during lunch break anyway, right?” I never have a clue where Maki is or what she’s doing on any given day.

“That’s ’cause I’m free, y’know?”

“There it is, the Maki Dance.”

Waving her supple limbs, Maki started to dance. She was in the dance club back in middle school and apparently did quite well in competitions. In high school, she’s enjoying being in the go-home club-slash-information broker, but it seems her body can’t forget its dance club days. Suddenly breaking into dance is bizarre behavior, to say the least, but she only does it in front of me, her friend.

“It’s good exercise, too. Gotta move your body after a meal, y’know?”

“Come to think of it, you’re pretty slim too, Maki.”

“Well, duh, Maki-chan is a girl, y’know? I worry about my weight.”

“That’s surprising. I didn’t think you had that kind of normal sensibility, Maki.”

“Hey, you little—” While still dancing, Maki landed a light low kick on my leg. “You don’t even think of me as a girl, do you? Seriously, you have no idea how many guys confess to Maki-chan just ’cause they’re after my body.”

“After your body…?”

Sure, Maki is cute and has a great figure, but are there really guys who confess with such blatant desire?

“The Sogano family is a minor one, and I’m not all modest and proper like the other Ojou-samas around here, so they probably think they can get away with lewd stuff easily. Sheesh, no matter how much they act like young masters from good families, when it comes down to it, Keiji’s still a beast after all…”

“Why’d the end of that suddenly become about me?!”

We were talking about the guys hitting on you! It’s not like I’m hitting on you, Maki.

“But hey, if we’re gonna be serious for a sec.”

“Hm?”

Maki abruptly stopped dancing, striking a pose. Is she really about to have a serious conversation?

“Keiji, you’re planning on forming a faction, right? Isn’t it about time you made a move?”

“…I still haven’t cracked the top 10 on the exams. If I start talking about factions without any results to show for it, people will just laugh at me.”

“Since when do you care about being laughed at?”

“It’s about not being laughed at. That’s what ‘shedding the trash’ is all about, right?” If people are laughing at me, looking down on me, I won’t even be able to protect the “servants” as a member of the Kiyomiya family. That’s right. I’m trying to become a man worthy of the Kiyomiya name for the sake of the maid who works for me. My resolve has been wavering ever since I learned the secret of my birth, but—that resolve is the one thing I must not forget.

“Hmm, I don’t think getting good grades is the only way to form a faction, you know. Being smart isn’t the only thing that makes a person attractive. For the leader of a faction, charisma as a person is what really matters.”

“I know that. It’s just that school grades are an easy way to show results, so I chose that as my first step.”

“I don’t think you need to be so fixated on it, y’know? Lighten up, Keiji. Be more flexible, all soft ‘n’ squishy.”

“…I get the feeling your head’s a little too flexible, Maki.” Maki, you’re not plotting something, are you?

“Alright, then let’s have a strategy meeting after school.”

“A strategy meeting?”

“About your faction. And while we’re at it, you can tell me aaaall about your marriage interview with the Ojou-sama of the Maritsuji family.”

“………”

I see, so that’s her main objective. There’s no way Maki wouldn’t jump at a juicy story like this. I’m sure I never told Maki where I went yesterday… but I guess you can’t hide a big event like that from an information broker.

After school, Maki and I left the school grounds together. I was straight with Sayaka and told her I was going out with Maki. It felt like I was making excuses to my girlfriend, like, “I’m going out with a female friend, so please don’t get the wrong idea”…

“Karaoke, huh…”

The place Maki brought me to was a karaoke box inside a multi-tenant building. Maki seemed used to it, breezing through the reception process in a flash.

“You don’t come here much, do you, Keiji? The rooms are soundproofed, and the whole place is noisy as hell anyway, so it’s perfect for secret talks, y’know?”

“You come here often, Maki?”

“Not with other people. As you know, I don’t have many friends. It was great to become friends with Sa-chan in addition to you, Keiji.”

“Umm…” I have my doubts as to whether Sayaka considers Maki a friend. Doesn’t she probably see her as more of a troublesome freeloader?

“Huh?”

After entering the private room and sitting on the sofa, a thought suddenly struck me.

“Does that mean you usually do solo karaoke, Maki?”

“You got a problem with solo karaoke?” Maki shot me a sharp glare. This girl is usually so friendly; it’s rare to see her make such a scary face…

“N-no, solo karaoke is pretty normal these days. It’s just that you seem more like the type to have fun in a big group.” Maki is a social butterfly with great communication skills, after all. If she weren’t at a school like Sōshūkan, where status is everything, she’d probably be the center of the girls’ social circle.

“Hm? It’s not like you can’t get along with other girls because you’re busy dealing with me… is it?”

“Ah, just figured that out? That’s right. Because I’m friends with the trashy bastard son, Kiyomiya Keiji-kun, the other girls tend to keep their distance.”

“M-Maki, if that’s the case, you should stop hanging around me and—”

“Pfft, as if! It’s the opposite, the opposite. Since I’m the daughter of some obscure family, no one paid me any mind except for guys with lewd intentions. Having you around, Keiji, who’s in the same boat, trash or not, has been a real lifesaver, m’kay?”

“…You, really.” She had me worried for a second there. I was wondering what I’d do if Maki was having a lonely school life because of me.

“Hehe, you’re a good guy, Keiji. I like that about you.”

“Don’t say things like ‘like’.” Damn it, I lost my cool for a moment and showed concern for Maki. We’re not supposed to have that kind of buddy-buddy relationship.

“Besides, you were the one who approached me first, weren’t you, Keiji?”

“Eh, did I?”

“I think it was in the fifth year of elementary school. I knew your face before then, but we’d never spoken, right? But then, you suddenly started talking to me.”

“…I don’t remember.” I’m not the type to get involved with girls for no reason. Why would I have talked to Maki…? I seriously can’t remember. I felt like Maki and I had just become friends at some point without me noticing.

“Oops, enough about the old days. We’re on a time limit, so we better start singing.”

“Hold on, weren’t we going to have a strategy meeting?”

“Before that—ah, I forgot one important thing.”

“What is it?”

Maki didn’t answer, just gave me a grin and left the room. We already got drinks, so I can’t imagine what else she could possibly need.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“That was fast!”

The Maki who returned was—wearing a pink headband, a red-based one-piece dress, and a frilly white apron. The hem of the one-piece was terrifyingly short; it looked like her underwear would be visible with the slightest movement. In other words—a miniskirt maid Maki was standing right there.

“You can’t do karaoke without cosplay!”

“…Why a maid outfit?” Apparently, this place also rents out cosplay costumes.

“You love maids, don’t you, Keiji? You can eat a meal with a maid as a side dish, right?”

“Since when did I become such a pervert?!” It’s not that I like maids, I like Sayaka—whoa, if I blurt that out, I’m in deep trouble!

“Maybe I should become a maid at the old manor, too. I’ve been feeling bad about getting free meals, y’know?”

“You know, leaving is also a solution.”

“Head Maid Sa-chan, and me as a junior maid. The sweet, plucky miniskirt maid-chan getting bullied by the strict head maid… Nice!”

“Not nice at all.” That makes Sayaka sound like a boss who power harasses her employees. Sayaka is more than enough of a maid for me.

“Well, whatever. First things first, a warm-up song!”

Maid Maki started happily operating the console. It seems she really is a regular at solo karaoke; she handled the device with practiced ease. It’s not like this is my first time at karaoke either, but I can’t even get used to the atmosphere, let alone operate the console.

“Aah, there are so many songs I want to sing.”

“If you wanted to sing that badly, you could have just invited me anytime.”

“You went occasionally, didn’t you, Keiji?”

“Yeah, I’d be smiling awkwardly and before I knew it, I’d end up going with some classmates, y’know?” I feel like I’ve explained this to someone before, but even the young masters and ladies go to karaoke, cafes, and convenience stores.

“I didn’t mind the awkwardly smiling Keiji, you know. I think it was one way of getting by in the world.”

“It wasn’t anything that grand, though…” I chugged the cola I’d brought from the drink bar.

“Ah, this one, this one! I wanted to sing this first.”

“Hmm? What song is this again?” The song that started playing sounded vaguely familiar, yet not.

“Eh, you don’t know AKIHO, Keiji?”

“An artist? I don’t really know much about music.”

“She’s a singer who releases her music on U Cube. ‘Lost Spring’ is super cool, y’know?”

With that, Maki started to sing, practically shouting. Maki stood up and sang with choreography—

“………”

Her frilly skirt swayed, and I could see something dark underneath. Shorts? Spandex? It’s gotta be something that’s meant to be seen, right? What’s more, her surprisingly large chest was emphasized, jiggling back and forth.

“Keiji, at least clap along or something!”

“A-ah.”

Maki was completely absorbed in her singing and didn’t seem to notice my gaze. That was close. If Maki caught me staring at her like a perv, who knows what she’d say. That’s not my character. I’d better focus on livening things up.

“Yeah! AKIHO is so cool. She’s tiny but has a great figure, and her face is just gorgeous.”

“So it’s about her face.”

Having finished her song, Maki looked satisfied. Well, as long as Maki had fun, I guess it’s fine, but—

“Apparently, it’s a song AKIHO wrote when she was in high school. Amazing, right? We’re both high schoolers, but all I’ve got going for me is being cute, kind, and good at gathering information.”

“Are you being self-deprecating or bragging? Which is it?” In many ways, Maki is no ordinary high school student.

“So, are you not going to sing, Keiji? You can, you know?”

“I wasn’t waiting for your permission. Feel free to sing as much as you like, but let’s get this strategy meeting over with. I can’t be playing around all the time.”

“Keiji, if you’re going to stop being trash, you need to learn how to have fun like this. Even if you’re book smart, you can’t build a faction if you can’t socialize and have fun, y’know?”

“Don’t suddenly get all serious. It’s annoying how right you are.”

“Between you, Keiji, who’s been a smiling piece of trash forever, and Sa-chan, who’s completely detached from the real world, I’m the one with the most common sense in our merry band of friends, okay?”

“…That’s the truth, isn’t it?” I have to admit that Maki is worldly-wise. Basically, she’s a social butterfly who just doesn’t belong to a group…

“But there’s something that’s been bothering me.”

“Huh? What is it now?”

“The Maritsuji family is an incredibly prestigious one. They have a lot of pride, and the current head, the old man, is said to be so obsessed with old-fashioned customs and formalities that you’d think he’s been alive since the Heian period, let alone the Meiji era, right?”

“So we’re getting to the main topic. I know, they call him the ‘Modern-day Chancellor of the Realm’, don’t they?” The part about the Chancellor of the Realm is dripping with sarcasm. While it was the highest official post, it was also a title with virtually no real authority. It was probably a sarcastic nickname given to an arrogant old man who acts like he’s been alive since the Heian period.

“Would a person like that really approve of a marriage arrangement with a bastard son of the Kiyomiya family, even if it’s not set in stone?”

“That’s what I’m wondering too, but… you don’t think old man Maritsuji doesn’t know about this engagement?”

“No way, man.” Maki swung the microphone she was still holding back and forth. “The head of the Maritsuji family is the real deal. He literally holds all the power. Everything his son and daughter-in-law do is reported straight to the ‘Gozen’ in Kyoto, y’know?”

“G-Gozen… that’s intimidating.” Seriously, what era is this guy from?

“Apparently, only a few people a year are granted an audience with the Gozen. And it’s not uncommon for even his own family and relatives to be unable to get an appointment.”

“Isn’t that old man just a misanthrope?” Or maybe he’s up to some unspeakable evil.

“He has many sons, daughters, and grandchildren, but I heard there are even grandchildren he’s never met. However,”

“Yeah?”

“There is just one relative he dotes on and—”

“You’re not going to say Maritsuji Anri, are you?”

“Totally.”

Maki nodded with a serious expression, then put down the microphone and started operating her phone. Then, she showed me the screen. Displayed on the phone’s screen was a photo of a cranky-looking old man with long white hair, wearing a dark blue kimono and sitting cross-legged.

“So this is the current head of the Maritsuji family. This is the first time I’ve even seen a picture of him.”

“Apparently, his photos rarely get out to the public. And this, it goes without saying, is—”

“Anri-chan…”

Sitting on the lap of that cranky-looking old man was a cute little girl of about five or six. Her silky black hair was tied in a small knot on the right side of her head, and she was wearing a white one-piece dress. Even though she looked to be about kindergarten age, she was sitting with her knees properly together, smiling elegantly.

“Somehow… it feels like Anri-chan was already Anri-chan back then.”

“She’s already a finished product, isn’t she, Maritsuji Anri?” Maki didn’t seem to mind me calling her Anri-chan. Perhaps she already knew.

“They say that among all his children and grandchildren, Maritsuji Anri is the only one the Gozen has ever let sit on his lap.”

“So Anri-chan is the old man’s favorite, huh?” It seems to be true that the head of the Maritsuji family dotes on his granddaughter, Anri-chan. This old man doesn’t seem like the type to grin while holding a small child, even if it is his grandchild, on his lap. In fact, he’s stone-faced in this photo, too.

“Bright and elegant from a young age, with a beauty that captivates people. The Gozen apparently recognized this granddaughter’s talent early on and has been keeping a close eye on her, okay?”

“Can you really tell a child’s talent just by looking at them? But it’s a fact that Anri-chan is doted on.”

“Would the Gozen, who adores his granddaughter this much, really give her away to a Kiyomiya, even if he is a bastard son? If an engagement were to come up, wouldn’t he come to crush it in an instant?”

“So you’re saying there’s something shady about this engagement, huh?” It was sudden, and even without Maki pointing it out, I’ve thought it was suspicious that the Maritsuji family would propose an engagement in the first place. But right now, more than that—

“Oh, you want this photo too, Keiji? Lolitsuji-san is something else, isn’t she?”

“Don’t give the young lady of a noble family such an outrageous nickname!” As I was saying that, the photo was actually sent to me.

Lolitsuji—no, Maritsuji Anri. Why is someone so adored trying to become the bride of a guy like me? Does the Maritsuji family really approve of this engagement? I’m curious, but—

“………”

“What’s up, Keiji? You want a swimsuit picture of Lolitsuji-san or something?”

“I don’t!”

That’s not it. That’s not it at all—even for an information broker, how does Maki have a photo like this? She said the Sogano family was a branch of the Toyohara, but—I’m starting to feel like there’s some secret there.

And here I thought the secrets of my and Sayaka’s birth were more than enough.