#still trying to get their dialogue in a place that honors their dialect without it being too overwhelming
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Hakuouki SSL: Chapter 2 (Heisuke)
Hello, I’m sorry for the wait! As stated in my previous post, a lot has changed behind the scenes of this translation since I last posted. While I have gained proof readers, I have decided to post my raw translations here for now. Additionally, due to various format complications, I have stopped using honorifics towards the end of this section. Here is Heisuke’s chapter 2. Translation begins under the cut!
(scene change: sky)
Chizuru: Time passed in the blink of an eye: one semester was already over, and it was already August.
In other words……
It was time for what everyone had been waiting for: Summer vacation!
The cicadas sang their song enthusiastically. And then, one day when summer was at its peak-----
(phone vibrates: receive “Kazama 1” and “Ryuunosuke 4”
A friend invited me to go shopping, and I was visiting the square in front of the station.
“....but by the look of things, I wonder if I came a little too early?”
I looked around the area, but I didn’t see the figure of my friend in the place we agreed to meet.
I only saw the flickering heat haze rising up from the asphalt.
“I wonder what I should do…?”
I muttered that while I tried to take out my cell phone. Just then:
???: “Hey, wait, you young lady. If you’re free, why don’t you go to a cafe with me?”
Chizuru: “Eh…?”
A voice suddenly echoed, and I felt a tap on my shoulder.
(Shiranui appears)
Shiranui: “......just kidding. I thought I had seen your face somewhere, but it really is you, huh?”
Chizuru: “S-Shiranui-senpai!?”
Shiranui: “What are you doing here? I know you mistook me for a pick-up artist, but that's not a good way to greet someone, is it?”
Chizuru: “A….A pick-up artist, you say…..”
When I was called out to a moment ago, I was startled, but……
Relieved that it was someone I knew, I let out a small breath.
Chizuru: “I’m here waiting to meet a friend. Why are you alone, Shiranui-senpai?”
Shiranui: “I’m buying clothes for a little while. When I’m with Kazama, I can’t move around freely……”
“Amagiri’s fashion sense is too much, so I definitely can’t consult him. That’s why being by myself is the most comfortable.”
Chizuru: “It seems like each of the three of you each have different taste in clothing, huh?”
Shiranui: “I guess. I like leather and silver accessories, but those guys don’t get it at all.”
Chizuru: As Shiranui-senpai gave an exaggerated shrug, I found myself smiling unintentionally.
…...now that I think about it, this may be the first time I’ve talked with Shiranui-senpai one-on-one.
As he casually spoke to and listened to me, Shiranui-senpai casually looked at his watch.
Shiranui: “....oops. Come to think of it, you were waiting for your friend, right?”
Chizuru: “Ah, yes…”
[I think they will come soon.] Or [I still have a bit of time.]
Chizuru: “Timewise, they should be coming soon, but……”
As I answered him, I checked my cell phone again. At that moment:
???: “Hey, you pick-up artist guy! Why don’t you get away from my friend?”
Chizuru: A sharp voice echoed around the plaza.
(footsteps: Sen and Kosuzu appear!)
Chizuru: “Ah! You two….!”
Shiranui: “Huh? Pick-up artist? …….you couldn’t mean me, right?”
Kosuzu: “Well, who else would she mean?”
Sen: “Your clothes and aura are both so gaudy. No matter how you look at it, you’re a skirt-chaser!”
Chizuru: “W-wait a minute, both of you…..!”
The people I was waiting to meet-- Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan, cut into the conversation and defended my back. (pretty sure this is a colloquialism…. I think it means something like “had my back” or “jumped to my defence”)
While those two watched him carefully, Shiranui-senpai grinned and looked like he was having fun as he turned to look at me.
Shiranui: “....yeah. It looks like that from the outside, huh?”
Chizuru: “Um, Osen-chan, Kosuzu-chan, he’s not really a pick-up artist----”
Shiranui: “-----And if I am a pick-up artist, what are you going to do? Should I take all three of you on a date all at once?”
Chizuru: “Ehh!?”
Shiranui-senpai wore an expression that completely overflowed with his teasing intentions, and he threw out the one phrase that would disrupt the situation even more.
But because he said such a thing, Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan couldn’t remain silent either……
Sen: “Rejection-sama. From here on, us three girls plan to have a fun time together.”
(The kanji for what Sen calls Shiranui is oiniku-- which means “sorry, but….”--- combined with the prefix o- (meaning great or honorable) and the honorific -sama (which is used to refer to those who are revered). If i had to guess-- and I do, I’m the translator-- I would say Sen is calling him “The Honorable Lord of Romantic Rejections,” or something along those lines!)
Shiranui: “Oh Oh, very scary. I get it, so don’t glare at me like that.”
“Well then, I guess this nuisance better hurry up and leave. See you later, have as much fun as possible.”
Chizuru: While lightly waving his hand and laughing, Shiranui-senpai left just after saying that.
Kosuzu: “Are you alright, Chizuru-chan?”
Sen: “Because you’re so nice, I don’t think you spoke bluntly enough……”
“With that kind of person, don’t you think you need to clearly refuse and reject him?”
Kosuzu: “If you show sweetness to that kind of guy, soon he’ll take advantage of your kindness.”
Chizuru: “.......um…….”
Anyway, for the time being I had to explain to these two that that person was an acquaintance of mine, and not a pick-up artist…….
I opened my mouth while letting out a sigh, but it took a long time to get those two to accept my explanation…….
Sen: “Even so, it's been a long time! I’m so glad to see you~!”
Kosuzu: “Osen-chan and I both have extra-curricular activities: that being so we still tried to make plans to meet, but…..” (Kosuzu is speaking in the Kansai dialect, which she also used in her original appearance in Reimeiroku. I have some serious problems both reading her dialogue and listening to her speak, so I’m afraid that her dialogue will partially be an approximation. Sorry! 人(_ _*) )
Chizuru: “It's also thanks to summer vacation.”
Sen: “Yeah. Now that it's the long-awaited summer vacation, I want to meet up as close to every day as possible, not just today!”
Chizuru: “E-every day!?”
Kosuzu: “If you had just come to Shimabara Girl’s Academy with us in the first place, we could have seen each other every day.”
Chizuru: This girl is Suzuka Sen. She is my friend, and a second-year student at Shimabara Girl’s Academy, which is next to Hakuo Academy.
I call her ‘Osen-chan.’ She is about one year older than me, is reliable, and she really seems to care about me…….
Even though she is the daughter of a big/important house, she is not the least bit pretentious. I think she is a lovely person.
And this girl is Suzuka Kosuzu. She is a freshman at Shimabara Girl’s Academy, and I always call her ‘Kosuzu-chan.’
Due to various circumstances, she lives with Osen-chan’s family. I guess she is Osen-chan’s sister-in-law.
With her looks and her wonderful, straight-forward personality, I want to learn to be like her…. That’s what I thought.
Sen: “Right? I invited you to “come with us” so many times, and yet!”
“In the end, you entered Hakuo Academy, which is riddled with men…..!”
Kosuzu: “Well, since you chose your own path, the course you take can be helped, but……”
“Anyway, for today-- since we don’t usually get the chance to meet-- why don’t we socialize a lot?”
Chizuru: “Yeah. Lets have as much fun as possible!”
I nodded in agreement, and the two of them smiled happily.
Sen: “Then, first up is shopping!”
Chizuru: With Osen-chan beginning to walk first, we headed as a group down the street.
(scene change: sky)
We three girls looked around the various stores, focusing on clothing.
I decided on my own clothes rapidly. However, Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan……
Somehow, I ended up getting caught up in the incredible momentum of events, and I tried on set after set of clothing.
That being the case, it was a little bit rough, but…..
Even so, this time spent in the company of other girls was fun and different from usual.
(scene change: shopping district)
Kosuzu: “All the stores just have autumn things. Even though it's still the height of summer…..”
Sen: “At any rate, isn’t it good for summer items to be cheaper? Look, things like this are 30% off!”
Chizuru: Both Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan bought a bunch of clothing, seeming very satisfied. They laughed with matching friendly grins.
As for me, after trying on item after item, I was a little tired……
Kosuzu: “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it's already noon. If you’re hungry, why don’t we take a break?”
Chizuru: “That’s true. I wonder if we should sit down and take a short break…..”
Sen: “Then, here is…”
(scene change: restaurant)
Chizuru: My favorite fast food place was packed with students taking shelter from the heat.
We finished placing our orders, and each of us took our respective trays and immediately hurried to our seats.
As I bit into my hamburger, we engaged in easy small talk.
What type of shoes would match the dress I bought earlier?
At Shimabara Girl’s Academy, had there been a ball game tournament?
But, soon enough…….
Sen: “Summer is the season of equal love, right?”
Chizuru: I noticed that Sen’s attack was apparently aimed at me---
Because her intensely curious eyes brightened as she stared at me.
Sen: “Hey hey, Chizuru-chan. Since spring, you’ve only been with men at Hakuo Academy, but……”
“Do you have someone you like?”
Chizuru: “!?”
At the question that was asked too suddenly, I almost spat out my orange juice.
Kosuzu: “That reaction…. Could it be that you got a boyfriend?”
Chizuru: “!!?”
Sen: “Eh!? You really do have one!?”
Chizuru: While I was busy choking on my juice, the conversation was progressing rapidly without me…..!
Sen: “If you really do have one, you absolutely have to introduce me. I’ll inspect/check him for you!”
Kosuzu: “Me too, me too. If someone weird is with Chizuru-chan, leave him to me!”
Chizuru: “T-that’s okay! Because there is no such person!”
Sen: “But, it's your precious summer vacation. Don’t you long for the feeling of a ‘summer date?’”
Chizuru: “.....that is, um…….”
I felt some longing when I heard the phrase itself, but….
Kosuzu: “If so, let’s go look at swimsuits later, and then everyone can go to the pool during summer vacation.”
Sen: “Ah, good idea! If there are any good men there, it could be an opportunity to get one, right?”
Chizuru: “E-eeh…..!?”
The conversation progressed steadily without me. Meanwhile, I was only confused, but….
The grin of enjoyment that Sen-chan had been wearing since earlier only intensified.
Sen: “You know, I want Chizuru-chan to daringly wear a bikini…..”
Chizuru: “I-I can’t wear many things with that kind of skin exposure!”
My goodness…..!
As I flushed bright red and refused, this time it was Kosuzu-chan’s turn to open her mouth from next to me.
Kosuzu: “Osenen-san, I’m against it. I think a one piece would suit Chizuru-chan best.”
Chizuru: “I-I wonder…..?”
I really don’t know myself if it would suit me or not, but….
I really thought I was grateful for the suggestion of an inoffensive/safe design.
Kosuzu: “The feeling you get while boldly exposing your back rewards you with feeling more like a beautiful lady----”
Chizuru: “Wait, please wait.”
Kosuzu: “After all, it's still a no? I think it's necessary to be adventurous sometimes, though……”
Chizuru: “It's still too early for me to go on such an adventure!”
Sen: “Hehe…… Well, that being as it may, why don’t we still go shopping for swimsuits?”
Kosuzu: “Everyone wants to go to the pool, right? Since it's our precious summer vacation.”
Chizuru: “..............”
I got the feeling that their smiling faces hid an impending crisis, but I firmly and intentionally pushed that feeling aside.
“For me, I want to properly select my swimsuit myself!”
Sen: “..............”
Kosuzu: “.............”
Chizuru: Upon hearing my assertion, for some reason the two of them smiled meaningfully.
I’m very uneasy…..
(scene change: sky)
After that, we left the store and went shopping for swimsuits, but…..
How do I put this? The only designs that were recommended to suit me were something that your older, adult sister would wear. (I don’t really get this… maybe the designs were very revealing?)
Ultimately-- as I declared in advance-- I chose my swimsuit myself, but……
…..it was really hard……
(scene change: station square)
Kosuzu: “Today was really fun, huh? Thanks for agreeing to hang out, Chizuru-chan.”
“Now that we’ve bought some cute swimsuits, we definitely have to go to the pool, too.”
Sen: “Ah! Good, now hurry up and say ‘how about next Sunday’?”
Chizuru: “Hehe…..sure. Sunday is fine.”
Sen: “Thank goodness! Then, see you next Sunday, ok?”
(Sen and Kosuzu leave)
Chizuru: Since I was the only one who lived in a different direction, I bid the two of them farewell there.
I knew I had been manipulated, but I was really looking forward to playing with those two again.
(scene change: Yukimura residence)
Chizuru: The next day-----
“I’m heading out~!”
As I left the doorway, I called out and looked over my shoulder as a force of habit, although there was no one else in the house.
Outside was suitable for summer vacation: it was almost too hot, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
“First, to return the book that I finished reading, and then:”
“Ah, that’s right. And next, I wonder if I should do my homework…..”
The place I am headed to is the school library, which is open even during summer vacation.
(black screen)
As I donned the school uniform that I hadn’t worn in a long time, the fabric made me feel itchy as I headed toward the school…..
(scene change: school front)
The moment that I passed through the school gate, I could hear an energetic, cheerful voice from somewhere.
I thought it was probably the shouts of encouragement from students participating in a club activity.
“That reminds me, did Heisuke-kun say that he and the others also had club activities during summer vacation….?”
Before summer vacation began, I remember Heisuke-kun telling me that I should ‘come and show my face and see him, if I was free’.
“...........”
I felt like I wanted to see Heisuke-kun and the others while they were doing their best at Kendo, but…..
If I visited all of a sudden today, I wonder if I would become a nuisance….?
[Go straight to the library] Or [Try and stop at the Kendo Hall]
Chizuru: Since I was specifically called, after all, I want to take a peek at the state of the kendo club.
If it seems like I’m becoming a nuisance, I’ll return home soon.
(scene change: outside the kendo dojo)
As I walked down the passage, the figure of a person I recognized came into view from the direction of the kendo dojo.
“Good afternoon, Hijikata-sensei.”
(Hijikata appears)
Hijikata: “Yukimura…..? You, what are you doing in a place like this?”
Chizuru: Seeming hot, the teacher was pulling on and flapping the collar of his shirt to allow air inside. He opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“I thought I would come today and study in the library, but…..”
“Before that, I was hoping to take a quick look at the condition of the kendo club, as well.”
“.....By the way, Hijikata-sensei, are you on your way back from coaching the kendo club?”
Hijikata: “Yeah, I just changed shifts with Kondou-san.”
“If something were to happen during the kendo club and a teacher wasn’t there to supervise and take responsibility, various annoying things would happen.”
Chizuru: The advisor of the kendo club is Principal Kondou-sensei, but…..
When Kondou-sensei is absent, Hijikata-sensei often acts as the coach.
I heard that Harada-sensei and Nagakura-sensei also hold a dan rank in kendo…..(the upper six skill levels in kendo)
Because there are so many coaches, everyone agrees on the strength of the Hakuo Academy kendo club.
Hijikata: “Well, if you’re going then prepare yourself. The air in the dojo is heavy with humidity. If you draw out your observation, you’ll collapse in a heap.”
Chizuru: Shrugging his shoulders, Hijikata-sensei began to walk off, but----
I called out to his back to stop him.
“......Hijikata-sensei, where are you going?”
Hijikata: “The cafeteria. It's about time for Gen-san to prepare lunch for those guys.”
“Even though it's a break, he intentionally keeps the cafeteria open. No one goes to help him.”
Chizuru: “Ah…. Well then, please allow me to help as well.”
I said that and offered/raised my hand, but Hijikata-sensei shook his head slightly.
Hijikata: “I’m grateful for that feeling, but…..”
“When it comes to the club/staff members, the amount of food is not terrible. But also, it takes a lot of manual labor and time.”
Chizuru: When I was told that, I thought for a little…..
[After all, I will help!] Or [I’m sorry I can’t be of use to you.]
My shoulders slumped at Hijikata-sensei’s words.
Chizuru: “I’m sorry I can’t be of use to you…..”
If its physical labor, the truth is I can’t be of much help.
If I unreasonably say I’ll help, far from helping, if I don’t drop it I’ll just get in the way.
Hijikata: “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I’m your manager or something.”
“Besides, if you want to see it, come later. It's almost time for lunch break to begin.”
Chizuru: I silently saw off Hijikata-sensei’s back as he said such a curt thing and departed.
“Sigh….”
I let out a sigh, and-----
(cat meows)
“Eh…..?”
At the sudden cry of a cat, I looked around my environment for the figure of the animal.
Thereupon, a nearby thicket shook, and the shape of a black cat appeared.
“Cute……”
I wonder if this cat is used to people? When I gently reached my hand out to it, the cat nuzzled against my body.
I stroked its back, and its eyes narrowed happily…
(cat meows)
Unfortunately, before too long the black cat lost interest, and it ran away from me.
And then, it turned back to look at me, seeming to invite me to it.
“This is….”
Do you mean “follow me”?
[Chase after it] Or [Leave it alone]
Chizuru: I don’t understand the language of cats, plus…..
As HIjikata-sensei had communicated to me, the kendo club will soon enter their lunch break.
“If that’s the case, I have to hurry to get there before then.”
Parting from the cat who was running off somewhere, I hurried to the kendo dojo----
(scene change: kendo dojo)
By the time I could see the kendo dojo, I could clearly hear a vigorous, loud voice.
(sound of a bamboo sword swinging, Kondou appears)
Kondou: “Alright, we’re done!”
Chizuru: The kendo hall, air heavy with enthusiasm, shook with a voice more tense/proud than any other. (the character for enthusiasm is also the character for ‘hot air’, so it's unclear which of these the kendo hall is filled with…. Perhaps it's a pun, and it's both?)
(further sound of bamboo swords)
Kondou: “Your movements are dull. I know you’re tired, but summon all your strength and put forth your best effort!”
“It’s too early to rest! It’s a weakness of the mind/heart to decide you’re already at your limit!”
Chizuru: Kendo club members struck at Kondou-sensei from all sides.
But…..
(sound of bamboo swords clashing)
Sensei easily deflected the approaching members with the point of his bamboo sword.
They were such simple movements, but still members of the kendo club were scattered, falling over across the dojo floor.
Kondou: “Souji, your flanks are too soft!” (he’s not guarding his sides well, in a way that is naive/inadequate)
Okita: “Yes sir!”
Chizuru: “Wow….”
I inadvertently let my voice leak out, because---
Because up until now, I hadn’t seen Okita-senpai wear such a serious face.
While keeping his movement to a minimum, Okita-senpai aimed with certainty for the plastron of the other club members, stopping just before hitting them. (plastron is the guard worn in kendo)
I got the feeling that his movements somehow resembled those of Kondou-sensei.
Heisuke: “URYAAAAA!!”
Chizuru: When I looked in the direction of the lively voice, I saw Heisuke-kun just about to strike one of the other club members.
He was dripping with sweat from the intense training, but he wore a happy-looking expression.
I had heard rumors that the toughest club activity at Hakuo Academy was the kendo club, but…..
It’s really amazing…..
I couldn’t speak, my breath taken away as I stared at the practice session in front of me.
(screen wipe: time has passed)
Heisuke: “Huh, Chizuru….!?”
Chizuru: Eventually, when the instructional voice ceased to speak, Heisuke-kun noticed me and stared in amazement.
Heisuke: “You came to watch!”
Chizuru: He broke out into a happy expression, and quickly ran up to me.
Kondou: “Hmm…. It’s just about the right time, isn’t it?”
Chizuru: When Kondou-sensei checked the clock for confirmation, he looked around at the club members and then called out to them.
Kondou: “Well then, let us have our lunch break!”
“After lunch, put on your protective equipment: it will be time for a full-effort practice session! Make sure to not neglect the maintenance of your personal bamboo sword!”
Club members: “Yes, sir!”
Chizuru: The club members straightened their spines and replied vigorously. But, in the moment afterwards---
Everyone’s mood seemed to relax, and the dojo was engulfed in the tumult of loud chatter and laughter.
Kondou: “It’s been a while, Yukimura-kun.”
Chizuru: Kondou-sensei smiled cheerfully , and his eyes narrowed as though he was seeing something radiant.
Kondou: “There is a saying that young men can change a lot, even in three short days, and I want to say that…. But wow.” (proverb in japanese, very difficult to translate….)
“Girls can also change a lot. During summer vacation, you seem like you’ve become more lady-like and more beautiful!”
Chizuru: “!? S-such a thing--”
Seeing me panic, Okita-senpai made a stifled laugh from the back of his throat and smiled.
Okita: “Kondou-san, don’t you think it’s bad for a teacher to seduce a student?”
Kondou: “T-that’s a misunderstanding. I was only stating my honest impression. I didn’t have any ulterior motives.”
Okita: “But, it was a misleading thing to say. If Hijikata-san heard you say that, he would be furious.”
Kondou: “I-I guess….”
Chizuru: Kondou-sensei made a flustered face, and tried to change the topic of conversation by trying to arouse Heisuke-kun’s interest.
Kondou: “B-by the way, was Yukimura-kun called here today by Toudou-kun?”
Heisuke: “I told her to come see me if she had time during summer vacation.”
Kondou: “Is that so? I wonder if it would be good to restart practice one more time then….”
Heisuke: “Eh?”
Kondou: “She just came here, right? Then, we should show her an especially manly training scene…”
Chizuru: Generated by Kondou-sensei’s words, and indescribable feeling of tension engulfed the training hall.
Okita: “If that’s what Kondou-san intends to do, then I don’t mind. I’m not hungry anyhow.”
Chizuru: “N-no! it’s fine!”
I would feel incredibly guilty if they restarted such harsh practice just for my sake.
Before Kondou-sensei could respond to Okita-senpai, I rushed to open my mouth.
“I’ve actually been observing for a while now!”
“It’s hard to describe, but….. It was a really amazing practice session.”
When I voiced my honest feelings, Kondou-sensei puffed out his chest proudly.
Kondou: “My students have a lot of talent. Day after day, without losing their passion, they work their hardest.”
Heisuke: “Now if Chizuru became our manager, everything would be amazing….”
Chizuru: “Manager?”
Kondou: “Ah, that’s a good idea! We don’t have a manager in our kendo club…”
Club Member A: “I want a manager.”
Club Member B: “If it was Yukimura, that would be incredible!”
Chizuru: The club members around me all agreed and nodded to one another.
“U-um…….”
It was an option I had never thought about, and I unintentionally faltered.
But…..
Okita-senpai alone was not smiling, and he spoke in a dispassionate tone.
Okita: “Knock it off.”
Chizuru: When I received everyone’s hopeful gazes and Okita-senpai’s words, I……
[I’ll think about it……] Or [Please let me think about it.]
Chizuru: “I’ll think about it….”
I thought that this was something I could do, not only for myself but for everyone else, so I offered to do it, but…..
Heisuke: “Yes! From tomorrow, it looks like club activities will get more and more fun!”
Kondou: “Indeed. As long as you accept, then we’ll begin the club entrance procedure immediately---”
Chizuru: “Eh, N-no, I haven’t decided yet---”
I intended to think about it from now on----
Before I could say that, the club members flooded toward me.
Club Member A: “I’m a third year, so if there’s anything you don’t understand-- anything at all-- ask me!”
Club Member B: “More importantly, let’s exchange emails, since we’re practically friends already…….!”
Heisuke: “W-what’s this all of a sudden, guys…..!?”
Okita: “This is why I spoke up before……”
Chizuru: As Heisuke-kun rushed to defend me, Okita-senpai shot him an exasperated side-long glance.
Okita: “In the first place, Chizuru-chan shouldn’t be something like the manager to the kendo club---”
“It’s like releasing a lamb into a cage full of hungry lions. Of course things turned out like this.”
Kondou: “That’s true, this is……”
Chizuru: Seeing the state of the kendo club members as they vied with one another to crowd around me, Kondou-sensei’s brows scrunched in what seemed like distress.
And then, as my back began to tremble in the beginnings of panic, Heisuke-kun raised his voice.
Heisuke: “You guys are swarming! Can’t you see that Chizuru is scared!?”
Club Member A: “Shut up! I don’t understand how someone like Heisuke can have such a cute childhood friend!”
Chizuru: Listening to the jeers and cries flying back and forth, Kondou-sensei sighed.
Kondou: “The way things are going, it seems like a pointless argument/rivalry will be born….”
Heisuke: “Chizuru joining is not alright! Absolutely not alriiiiight!!”
Chizuru: Heisuke-kun’s yell reverberated throughout the kendo hall.
After that, the talk of me joining the club was returned back to a blank slate.
(scene change: sky)
After that, I was invited by Kondou-sensei to eat lunch with the kendo club.
During the meal, Heisuke-kun thoroughly discouraged the members who wanted to strike a conversation with me from doing so.
I thought it was ok to converse normally, but……
Maybe because everyone was strangely excited, he seemed very worried.
So that I wouldn’t have to move, he was overly helpful with one thing or another. On one hand, I felt guilty….
But on the other hand, I was a little bit happy.
After lunch, I headed to the library, and started to unravel my homework.
(scene change: upstairs hallway)
(phone rings: receive Heisuke 3)
Chizuru: (After I finished studying and left the library, it was already sunset.
The library had been cool, so I guess coming to school during summer vacation is not a bad thing…..
(scene change: school front)
(cell phone rings)
As I left the school behind and approached the school gate, my cell phone rang.
It was an email from Osen-chan.
------
From: Osen-chan
Sub: Looking forward to the pool!
It was hot again today, right~! I want to hurry and jump into a pool!
-------
“Hehe……”
I briefly stopped walking, and replied that I was looking forward to Sunday.
When I checked my phone again, I suddenly felt a presence behind me.
Is it possible---
(Okita appears)
“!”
When I fearfully turned around, Okita-senpai was there, peering at me.
Okita: “It hasn’t been a while, Chizuru-chan.”
Chizuru: “Y-yes……”
Okita: “Are you going home after this? Be careful.”
Chizuru: Looking at senpai’s uniform-clad figure, the first thing that came out of my mouth was:
“Y-yes….. Thank you very much.”
Okita-senpai grinned, and waved lightly as he saw me off.
(scene change: street)
Ultimately, we parted and I returned home without any problems, but…..
I felt anxious about my senior’s smile.
(scene change: Chizuru’s bedroom)
After that.
By the time I arrived home and took care of my chores, the sun had set completely.
“I guess it’s about time I got started on dinner…..”
What should I do tonight?
To decide tonight’s menu from what ingredients I had, I imagined the contents of the refrigerator---
(scene change: Souji scene, street at night)
At that time, Okita Souji, who had returned to club activities----
Okita: “Getting a head start by yourself isn’t bad, but….”
While playing around on the smartphone in his hand, the corners of his mouth lifted in enjoyment.
Okita: “This seems interesting, it would be a shame to overlook it.”
“.....all right, it’s done.”
(sound of a message being sent)
When he finished preparing the contents of the messages for the recipient, he sent the emails one after another.
“If this makes things even more interesting, that will be good….”
(phone chimes)
(scene change: night sky)
‘This sunday, Chizuru-chan is going to the pool. Let’s follow her.’
Heisuke: “Chizuru is going to the pool!? I have no choice but to go…..!”
(phone chimes)
‘This sunday, Chizuru-chan is going to the pool. I’m going with her, too.’
Kaoru: “Okita is going to!? For such a guy to be allowed to see Chizuru’s swimsuit….!”
(phone chimes)
‘This sunday, Chizuru-chan is going to the pool.’
Kazama: “What is the meaning of this….! Why does Okita have such information…….!”
(phone chimes)
‘This sunday, everyone is going to the pool. How about you, Sensei?’
Nagakura: “Ah. The pool, huh? Sounds good, it's been way too hot lately!”
(phone chimes)
‘This sunday, we’re all going to the pool, so won’t you guide/lead us?’
Harada: “Being high school students, they wouldn’t need a chaperone, right…..? Well, it's fine, though.”
(phone chimes)
‘This Sunday, Chizuru-chan and everyone else are going to the pool. Hijikata-san is coming too.’
Saitou: “I’m worried about the disruption of discipline, and if HIjikata-sensei is also coming…..”
(phone chimes)
‘This Sunday at the pool, an interesting incident is planned to occur.’
Sannan: “Fine, then. If I have heard that it will be interesting, I can’t help but go.”
(phone chimes)
‘This Sunday at the pool, I plan to cause an incident. Feel free to go ahead and stop it if you want to.’
Hijikata: “Hah!? What kind of mess is that punk Souji planning to make…!”
(phone chimes)
‘If you want to prevent Hijikata-san’s death from overworking, you should come to the pool this Sunday.’
Yamazaki: “The pool….? However, if ‘death from overworking’ is mentioned, I can’t ignore it…..”
(phone chimes)
‘This sunday, a duel at the pool.’
Ibuki: “Huh? What’s this….? Some sort of letter of challenge…..?”
(back to Chizuru’s perspective)
(scene change: sky) (personal note: beginning of sheet 122)
And then, a few days later.
Today is the day we promised to go out and have fun on. The eagerly-awaited Sunday!
(phone rings: receive Okita 1)
I arranged to meet with Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan at the pool…..
I came early, changed into my swimsuit, and arrived at the pool side.
(scene change: pool-- honestly more like a water park!)
“Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan….. It looks like they’re not here yet.”
When I looked around superficially, I saw many guests enjoying the pool as they pleased.
But, everyone around me was in swimwear…..
The figures with their arms and legs completely exposed, somehow it made me uneasy.
As I thought that---
???: “----Ah. So you were here, huh?”
???(2): “Even though it’s the long-awaited pool visit, why are you wearing such a face?”
Chizuru: As voices called out from behind me, I looked over my shoulder in that direction.
(Sen and Kosuzu appear, wearing swimsuits. They look very cute, but you still can’t date them. (￣︿￣))
Sen: “Today, let’s keep playing and playing with all our strength until we can’t play anymore!”
Kosuzu: “Since we specifically bought swimsuits, we should at least wear them as much as possible.”
Chizuru: Osen-chan was all smiles, and Kosuzu-chan was wearing a mischievous-looking smile as well.
“Wow… The two of you are so cute……!”
Sen: “Thank you. But, I don’t think I’m as cute as Chizuru-chan.”
Chizuru: “Eh? T-that’s not true….”
Kosuzu: “It’s not a lie or flattery. That look really suits you.”
Chizuru: “......thanks.”
Maybe the two of them really did think so, but….
Even if that’s true, it was incredibly embarrassing.
Sen: “...but, it really is a shame. A bolder one would have been better, after all.”
Chizuru: “That’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
As I was vigorously shaking my head, suddenly a voice lept in from somewhere.
???: “I swear. Exposing my wife’s soft, fair skin to the eyes of the public more than is absolutely necessary…. It truly is an unforgivable violence/reckless act.”
???(2): “From the bottom of my heart, I don’t care about your situation, but….”
???(2): “Because even my younger sister was led astray, doesn’t this need to be stopped?”
Chizuru: I turned my face towards the voices, and there----
(Kazama and Kaoru appear. Kaoru looks fine, Kazama is wearing leopard-pattern swim trunks.)
“Kazama-senpai and Kaoru….!?”
“Why are you here? Did the two of you come to play?”
No matter how you look at it, the two of them have awful chemistry, so I really don’t think they would arrange to go to the pool together, but…..
When I blinked at them, sure enough, the two of them turned their faces away, wearing unpleasant-looking expressions.
Kazama: “We happened to meet by coincidence. To imply that I would take any sort of action along with such a child, it is completely unspeakable.”
Kaoru: “I agree with that, and that alone. That’s why you should leave for somewhere else.”
“Don’t you think I don’t want any annoying outsiders intruding on our harmonious sibling time?”
Kazama: “Idiot. The one who should go somewhere else is you, not me.”
“It is only natural that a wife should be near her husband. Otherwise, won’t men with the wrong idea come and crowd around?”
???: “‘Men with the wrong idea,’ huh? Have you tried looking in a mirror and saying that?”
???(2): “You don’t have a wife in the first place.”
Chizuru: “!”
The voices that interrupted the situation were familiar ones, after all.
(Okita, Saitou, and Heisuke appear)
“Okita-senpai, Saitou-senpai…..! And even Heisuke-kun….!”
Why are the three of them here, too?
While I was still shocked at the unexpected encounter, Heisuke-kun smiled brightly.
Heisuke: “Chizuru, you look amazing in that swimsuit!”
In contrast, Saitou-senpai seemed a little bit bashful, and he opened his mouth reservedly.
Saitou: “If I were to say my personal opinion, I think the level of exposure is more than is necessary.”
“You are sufficient without changing.”
Chizuru: “Thank you…….?”
Okita: “Still, this is an amazing coincidence. To meet in such a place.”
Chizuru: “Y-yes…..”
Okita: “Maybe, this is what they call fate.”
Kaoru: “Hmph. It’s quite artificial for fate.”
Kazama: “Don’t get the wrong idea, Okita….. The one who is bound together with my wife by the red thread of fate is no one other than myself.”
Saitou: “Don’t you think that Souji is not the only one who can be accused of being mistaken….?”
(translation needs a second opinion)
Chizuru: Because Kazama-senpai and the others kept interrupting one another, they began to glare at each other once again.
Myself and the two other girls didn’t know what to do, and for a little while we were at a loss for words.
Sen: “Um…. What kind of situation is this?”
Chizuru: “It’s not like everyone could gather like this, one after another, by sheer coincidence…..”
Heisuke: “It’s an amazing coincidence, yeah….”
Saitou: “...that is right. I am surprised.” (he is lying, poorly)
Chizuru: I glanced around in wonderment at the strange situation, but Heisuke-kun and Saitou-senpai both blushed and averted their eyes.
“...........”
Heisuke: “W-well, don’t worry about that! Since we all went to the trouble of coming here, let’s go swimming!”
Saitou: “I suppose. After all, this wave pool-- no, this rapids/waterfall pool-- is difficult to cast aside. (the kanji here means both waterfall and rapids, with ‘rapids’ being an anachronism…. I feel like rapids are more comparable to ‘waves,’ and I feel like Saitou is inclined toward anachronisms.)
Kazama: “Hmph. For you bastards, the kiddie pool would be much more suitable.”
Kaoru: “I think it would suit you even more, considering your mental age.”
Chizuru: Are they on good terms or bad terms….?
While each speaking on their own disparate topics, everyone walked towards the pool.
To those of us still standing around in a daze at the sudden situation, Okita-senpai gave a cheerful smile.
Okita: “Here, Chizuru-chan, let’s go. You two over there, too.”
Chizuru: “Eh, ah, y-yes…..”
“Osen-chan, Kosuzu-chan, is this ok….?”
Kosuzu: “Hah….. In truth, I wanted to play peacefully with Chizuru-chan, though.”
Sen: “Well, we can’t just tell them to go somewhere else, so there’s nothing we can do but play along.”
“Let’s pull ourselves together, and play as much as we can!”
(screen wipe: time has passed)
Chizuru: Because it was summer vacation, the pool was overflowing with people.
In addition to people here with their families, there were a lot of people who looked to be students like us.
Everyone was full of a boisterous energy, jumping and frolicaling in the water, seemingly able to forget the heat.
Kazama: “Still, what is with this crowd of filth? Don’t they have any reservations at all?”
Chizuru: “Please stop saying things like that…..”
Saitou: “Indeed. You are an annoyance to people, and should reflect on your actions a little.”
Chizuru: As far as the eye could see, various things were packed together in the pool facilities.
There was a diving board into the wave pool, a rest area pool-side, and even a bar, and…..
In the competitive pool, there were a number of 25-meter lanes.
Saitou: “Yukimura. Is there some place you want to go?”
Chizuru: “Hm, let’s see….”
I was puzzling over this, and many other things.
And, at that time:
Heisuke-kun’s eyes began to sparkle.
Heisuke: “There’s a water slide! Let’s all slide down from the top!”
Kaoru: “A water slide…..?”
Kazama: “How foolish. You expect me to associate myself with something so childish?”
Okita: “Yeah, yeah. Well, leaving behind the group that can’t read the situation, I’m going.”
Chizuru: While saying such a thing, for some reason Okita-senpai was smiling with his whole face.
“Um, Okita-senpai. Why are you smiling like that….?”
Kaoru: “You’re planning something after all, aren’t you?”
Okita: “Not at all. I wasn’t even thinking about shoving Heisuke from behind when he slides at all.”
Heisuke: “Wait….Souji, you seriously need to stop! Definitely!”
Okita: “I got it, I got it.”
While saying that, Okita-senpai pushed Heisuke-kun’s back strongly to usher him away.
Saitou: “Heisuke…. I will gather your remains.”
Kosuzu: “If everyone is going, should we wait for them all to go down the slide?”
Chizuru: “I suppose. You two, be careful!”
While Heisuke-kun and Okita-senpai were climbing the stairs,
Those of us who remained below decided just after to dive right into the pool.
Sen: “Ah~! It feels so good! Chizuru-chan, hurry, hurry!”
Chizuru: “Y-yeah!”
Kaoru: “Wait. Before you just jump in, you need to warm up properly…..”
Kazama: “My wife, come here. I will grant you a lecture on swimming.”
Kaoru: “What do you mean, lecture? Don’t touch my little sister……!”
Chizuru: Kaoru and Kazama-senpai were once again making jabs, glaring at one another abrasively.
While I was looking down in a panic, Saitou-senpai grabbed my wrist and pulled.
Saitou: “It’s fine, leave it alone. Let’s go, Yukimura.”
Chizuru: “Y-yes!”
(scene change: pool interior)
Decisively jumping into the pool, my whole body was enveloped in a pleasant, cool sensation.
While I was floating lightly in the water, it almost felt like I was drifting through the sky…..
Before too long, a voice echoed from the top of the water slide.
(scene change: water slide)
Heisuke: “Alright then, Souji! I’m going on ahead---”
“Uwa, idiot, stop, stop you idiot! Don’t push me! Don’t---”
Sen: “....That sure was flashy~.....”
Chizuru: “A-are you ok, Heisuke-kun!?”
Heisuke: “S….somehow…..”
Kazama: “Bastard…..! To throw water on me, it looks like you are prepared to die!”
Heisuke: “I didn’t know about that! It’s your bad for standing around spacing out, right!?”
Chizuru: Kazama-senpai, who was completely drenched, was pursuing Heisuke-kun with a furious expression on his face.
Kazama-senpai and Heisuke-kun chased one another into the water.
Okita-senpai, who had slid down successfully, was grinning while watching the figures.
Okita: “Fufu….. Photo op. Getting the waterproof feature was the right choice.”
Chizuru: “Don’t say such a thing, and please stop!”
Okita: “.........”
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
Chizuru: Okita-senpai looked bothered, and he gave up. Meanwhile, I looked around my surroundings.
“......if it’s Saitou-senpai, he should be able to stop this……”
Hopefully, I cast my gaze around for him.
But, what I saw was….
Saitou: “......zzz…..”
Chizuru: A pool float had been taken out before I could notice, and sleeping peacefully on top of it was the figure of Saitou-senpai.
Kosuzu: “I-it looks like he’s sleeping, huh….?”
Kaoru: “Suddenly, I’m completely annoyed….. Should I flip that float over and capsize it…?”
Chizuru: “Don’t say such scary things, Kaoru!”
In that manner, everyone began playing, and soon the time had flown by….
“Well then, I’ll get out for a little bit. I’m going to look around at the other pools.”
(beginning of Nagakura’s scene)
Chizuru: As one would expect, I was worn out from playing, and so I took a break, got out of the water, and took a walk along the pool side.
“I wonder what caused that situation before, but….” (presumably she’s wondering why everyone coincidentally showed up at the pool)
Realistically, it was a horrible thing at first.
Kaoru and Kazama-senpai were angry, Heisuke-kun was complaining; Okita-senpai kept agitating things and Saitou-senpai would stop him.
At first, the atmosphere had been like that, but now things had calmed down considerably.
Everyone cut loose just when it counted, and it became like they were having fun with friends. (Alt: Everyone went over the top at a critical moment, and it became like they were having fun with friends.)
But, the moment I zoned out---
???: “UOOOORYAAAA!!!”
(screen flashes)
Chizuru: “Kya!?”
As I was walking along the side of the diving pool, a sudden spray of water caused me to draw back.
Covered in water from head to toe, I hurriedly looked around in a panic, and heard a voice echoing from somewhere.
???: “*Cough*---!That was bad, I narrowly missed landing outside the water.”
???(2): “What did you do, Shinpachi? That was too much force/momentum.”
Chizuru: “Eh…..”
Those voices are…..
(Harada and Nagakura appear…. Just guys being dudes.)
“H-Harada-sensei, Nagakura-sensei!?”
Nagakura: “Yo, Yukimura-kun! Today is the best kind of day for the pool!”
Harada: “You really did come too, huh? Just as according to the information.”
Chizuru: “According to the information…..?”
Harada-sensei-- who was wearing a wry smile-- and Nagakura-sensei-- whose eyes sparkled happily--were no exception to the rule, and were both wearing swimsuits.
Tilting my head, I opened my mouth.
“Did you teachers come here because you also wanted to swim….!?”
Harada: “Yeah. Not just us, either: others came too, right?”
Chizuru: “Eh!?”
Harada: “Here, look over there.”
Chizuru: When I turned my eyes as I was told, I saw two people getting up from their lounge chairs in an annoyed-looking manner.
(Hijikata and Sannan appear)
Hijikata: “.........”
Sannan: “Good afternoon, Yukimura-kun. What a coincidence it is to meet here.”
Chizuru: “!!!”
I was too shocked, and my voice wouldn’t come out.
“S-Sannan-sensei, and……. ……..Hijikata-sensei…..?”
Hijikata: “.....who else does it look like?”
Chizuru: Seeing that irritated face, there was no mistaking that this was the genuine Hijikata-sensei.
Even setting aside Harada-sensei and Nagakura-sensei, the fact that these other two are also here, something is definitely strange/suspicious….!
Sannan: “Since it appears that the other students have also come, it seems like you’ve been able to have an especially lively day.”
“Don’t you think so as well, Hijikata-sensei?”
Hijikata: “......I don’t think so. I don’t want to think about it.”
Sannan: “Hah…...good grief. Now that you’ve come, there's nothing more to do about it. Things will be simpler if you stop being so defiant.”
Hijikata: “........”
Chizuru: I was far too tongue-tied to say anything, but…..
The main factor in my confusion was not this alone.
???: “Certainly, this is….. I agree that this conversation points to the ‘death-from-overwork’ crisis I heard about…….”
???(2): “I don’t like this…… No matter what happens, I’m not going near those guys.”
“Yamazaki-senpai, I’m going to leave things to you from here on out. Because I’m already going to go home.”
???: “I’ll be in trouble if you leave it all up to me! You don’t mean to say, I’ll have to shoulder the burden of this trial in its entirety…..!” (TL: translation is a little shaky, it’s something like “shouldering this burdensome trial without it being cut”, so I took that to mean without the burden being divided amongst anyone else.)
Nagakura: “Hey! You two over there!”
??? & ???(2): “!”
Harada: “Why are you sneaking around? Hurry up and come here!”
Chizuru: Harada-sensei seemed to have noticed something, and made a large gesture with his hand to beckon forth something from its hiding place. (hiding place can also be from the shade, from the bushes, etc: just somewhere out of view)
The figures that revealed themselves after a hesitant pause were once again faces that I knew.
(Ibuki and Yamazaki appear)
Yamazaki: “...........”
Ibuki: “.............”
Chizuru: “Yamazaki-senpai and Ibuki-kun…..?”
For some reason, the two of them had extremely complicated expressions on their faces.
I was dumfounded, and I couldn’t say anything--- I could only stare at the two of them.
Yamazaki: “Um, before you get the wrong idea, let me just say that we are…..victims, so to speak.”
Ibuki: “Yeah, more precisely, I really didn’t feel like coming here in the slightest….”
Chizuru: “..........?”
What in the world is going on?
I only planned to come to meet at the pool with Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan, but…..
People kept ‘coincidentally’ coming. Heisuke-kun, Okita-senpai, Saitou-senpai and the others showed up, and we ended up playing together….
And it’s not only that. People who should absolutely not be here, like Harada-sensei and HIjikata-sensei, kept appearing.
…..after all, something is strange.
I thought that and tried to open my mouth, but a party was approaching from the distance.
Heisuke: “Oh, there she is! Heey, Chizuru!”
Saitou: “So you were in a place like this. When you did not return, everyone was worried--”
Hijikata: “......Saitou, so you came too.”
Saitou: “.....my sincerest apologies.”
Kazama: “Tch. So another troublesome group is here.”
Chizuru: The group of seniors looked at Hijikata-sensei’s group of teachers at a loss for words.
After both parties stood in silence for a while, Heisuke-kun was the first to open his mouth.
Heisuke: “E-Even you teachers are here, what a strange coincidence--”
Harada: “It’s not a coincidence. Souji sent those emails, right?”
Sannan: “Indeed. He said that Yukimura-kun was going to the pool, and to come as well.”
Chizuru: “Eh!?”
Myself, Osen-chan, and Kosuzu-chan cast around an accusatory gaze.
However, Okita-senpai didn’t look even a little bit ashamed, and was smiling.
Okita: “At this kind of event, it’s more interesting the more people there are.”
Chizuru: “But, don’t tell me you emailed even the teachers……”
Hijikata-sensei in particular looked as though his irritation had already reached its zenith, and his gaze was incredibly severe.
Even though we were at the poolside in the summer, I felt that it was as if the air had gone cold.
Even so, when it came to Okita-senpai……..
Okita: “Hijikata-san, that’s an incredibly scary face you have there. Obviously it contrasts too much with this situation.”
“Since you specifically came to the pool, you should make a more fun-filled face---”
Hijikata: “Shut up! Shit, I knew you were this kind of guy, and yet…..!”
Saitou: “It wasn’t just us, Hijikata-sensei was also tricked…….”
Yamazaki: “Okita-kun! Your behavior really is completely intolerable, after all!”
Even though he was being criticized from all sides, Okita-senpai evasively did not respond.
Chizuru: “For the time being, what should I do about this chaos….?”
As I tried to escape the uproar, I turned my gaze towards Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan…..
Kosuzu: “......!”
For some reason, Kosuzu-chan was staring fixedly at Ibuki-kun.
Sen: “......Kosuzu?”
Chizuru: “By any chance, do you know Ibuki-kun?”
Seeming to notice the gaze upon him, Ibuki-kun began to approach.
Upon seeing his face-- which had an odd expression-- Kosuzu-chan let out a small breath.
Kosuzu: “It’s not like it’s a big deal, but……”
“When I dropped my commuter pass before, he returned it to me.”
Ibuki: “......Aha! I thought I had seen your face somewhere before, but you’re the girl from that one time, right?”
Kosuzu: “Thank you for that time. Thanks to you, I was able to make my way home.”
Ibuki: “Not really. It was just a commuter pass, so all I did was return it immediately.”
“I’m not proud of it, but if it had been cash, I definitely would have been more conflicted!”
Harada: “You really aren’t proud, huh….”
Chizuru: Before I could notice, Harada-sensei had arrived, wearing a wry smile.
Kosuzu-chan looked at Ibuki-kun after he made such a straight-forward declaration, and she smiled, too.
Kosuzu: “How do I say this? You’re so…….straight-forward……”
(screen wipe: time has passed.)
Then, by the time Ibuki-kun and Kosuzu-chan’s conversation had reached a stopping point, the situation around us had completely changed.
Chizuru: “Hmm……?”
I felt the gaze of the other murmuring customers, and I turned over my shoulder to look--
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
Before I had noticed, an intense stand-off had formed, and what’s more, the tension seemed to have reached a critical point.
Kaoru: “Those guys with their ulterior motives on full display, why don’t you stay away from my cute younger sister?”
“The person a younger sister should spend time with is her older brother: me! Isn’t that obvious?”
Kazama: “What do you think you're saying? At the time I came here, the one with the clear ulterior motive was you all.”
“In spite of the teachers coming here, Hijikata has been particularly unhelpful.”
Hijikata: “Shut it! You know, unlike you I didn’t want to come here!”
Heisuke: “I mean, the one who clearly has an ulterior motive is Kazama-senpai, right?”
“I just wanted to see Chizuru in a swimsuit, but I don’t think that’s something weird……”
Saitou: “True, I don’t think such an overt feeling qualifies as an ulterior motive, but……”
“Isn’t that actually some sort of problem?”
Yamazaki: “In the first place, the cause of this whole situation is Okita-kun!”
“If he had not broadcasted such emails, then everyone wouldn’t be feeling this way……”
Okita: “Eh? Even if you try to pin the blame on me, everyone else joined in and is equally guilty, right?”
Ibuki: “Wrong! At least, it’s wrong in my case! If I had noticed what was going on, I wouldn’t have gotten dragged into this!”
Harada: “Haah…. Well then, it’s exactly as Souji says: it's necessary for 1 or 2 people to lead the way.”
“This hasn’t been bad for a Elementary School field trip so far. Don’t you think so, Shinpachi?”
Nagakura: “Oh! According to this directory, there’s a water slide, isn’t there?!”
Harada: “......I shouldn’t have bothered to ask……”
Chizuru: With only this many people, it’s not as if things had reached a level where they were out of control.
Glancing at the disturbance, without thinking I unintentionally held my head in my hands.
“Is this situation…...my fault……?”
Sen: “Setting aside what’s happening internally, from the outside it looks like a group of handsome men have noisily assembled, which is why we’re drawing attention.”
Kosuzu: “But, this will be annoying for the other customers……”
Chizuru: “What should I do……”
I knew I had to do something quickly, and I began to hold my head more and more tightly.--
Sannan-sensei clapped his hands twice.
Sannan: “Alright, everyone. Why don’t we leave this argument here?”
“To cause such a ruckus without reflecting on your circumstances, and to cause an inconvenience for the other guests, is incredibly disgraceful behavior for a man.”
“Don’t you think so as well, Yukimura-kun?”
Chizuru: “Eh…...ah, yes……”
Hijikata: “Hmph……”
Kazama: “Tch……”
When I exchanged looks with Sannan-sensei and nodded, everyone fell silent all at once.
Sannan: “However, I want to say that from here on out everyone should play together peacefully, but that doesn’t seem very possible……”
“That being the case, let us play a game in order to deepen our friendship.”
HIjikata: “A game……?”
Harada: “What, we should all play something like beach volleyball?”
Sannan: No, no; since we specifically came to the pool, there are more appropriate things to do.”
Heisuke: “......don’t tell me you mean ‘SSS’!?”
Saitou: “Do you know what he means, Heisuke?”
Heisuke: “It’s this park’s special feature! It was just released this summer, and it’s a super popular attraction!”
“The name of it is Summer・Survival ・Shooting: ‘SSS’ for short!”
Nagakura: “Oh, I’ve also heard of that!”
“It’s a survival game where you fight using water guns, working together as pairs!”
Sannan: “Indeed. It is our precious summer vacation. Moreover, since we came to the pool, it would be an enjoyable thing to win.”
“Rather than continue this futile argument in this manner, don’t you think it would be more fun and fruitful to settle this with a game?”
Heisuke: “I agree! I agree completely!”
Chizuru: “It sounds like an interesting game.”
I smiled and nodded back to Heisuke-kun, who had an enthusiastic smile on his face.
Harada: “Well, if you consider the future, I think it’s better to decide with an easy to understand, black-and-white competition.”
Okita: “It sounds interesting in many different ways, and it would be good to try and play.”
Chizuru: The four people who expressed their support were smiling, but……
There were those who had looks of bewilderment on their faces, as if to say ‘Why would you play such a game?’......
And there were also those with looks of blatant disgust on their faces……
However, Sannan-sensei was composed, and smiled broadly and fully.
Sannan: “By the way, I will present the pair who comes in first with a prize.”
Kazama: “How foolish. If you think you can entice me with such a thing--”
Sannan: “The prize is a pair coupon for the poolside bar.”
“With such a thing, don’t you think one could spend some rich time alone with the companion they like best……?”
At that moment, the faces of Kazama-senpai and the others clearly changed in color.
Kazama: “......Very well. I will accept this challenge.”
Kaoru: “......of all the underhanded……”
Sannan: “Well then, won’t you participate?”
Kaoru: “.......fine. Even though I know it’s a trap, I will come along.”
Chizuru: Kaoru looked incredibly annoyed, but declared this clearly nonetheless.
Saitou: “Um, I think a break at the poolside bar after moving your body is logical.”
“Sannan-sensei’s plan is superb. …...however, the pair ticket is not in any way my goal.”
Sannan: “Thank you very much, Saitou-kun.”
Chizuru: Saitou-senpai blushed for some reason, and Sannan-sensei smiled as he responded to him.
In contrast, Ibuki-kun was making a face as though he were troubled and thinking.
Ibuki: “Even if you mention a “companion”, i don’t really have--”
Sannan: “Ibuki-kun. A coupon means you can fill your stomach with things you like: it means you can eat.”
Ibuki: “-----”
Yamazaki: “Ibuki…… Suddenly, the look in your eyes has changed……?”
Sannan: “Yamazaki-kun.”
Yamazaki: “......N-no. I’m sick, so I’ll just watch……”
Sannan: “Ah, that won’t do at all. Then, I happened to bring some medicine with me, so--”
Yamazaki: “I suddenly feel better, so I will participate normally!”
Sannan: “Is that so? What a shame.”
And then, the still-smiling Sannan-sensei turned his line of sight toward Hijikata-sensei.
HIjikata-sensei had a sour, discontent look on his face, and didn’t look as though he had any desire to participate.
HIjikata: “I’m not joining. If I fight in the same ring as these guys, I’ll just look like an idiot……”
Sannan: “Hm, even though we went through the trouble of finding a peaceful solution……”
“It seems that HIjikata-sensei still insists on childishly spreading discord? I see……”
HIjikata: “.......ugh…...”
“......in this case, I really have to hand it to you, Sannan-san……!”
Sannan: “Thank you very much.”
In this way, it was decided how everyone’s match would take place--
Heisuke: “By the way, who are you going to team up with, Chizuru?”
At that question, in an instant the area was enveloped in a feeling of tension.
For some reason, everyone exchanged glances with one another, and it was as if sparks flew at the intensity of it.
Sannan: “Hey, everyone. Please do not resume fighting before the game even begins.”
“Because it is her pair, wouldn’t allowing her to decide be the most fair?”
At Sannan-sensei’s words, everyone’s gazes converged on me in the span of a single breath.
Chizuru: “U-um……”
(route divergence begins: heisuke’s route)
After all, at a time like this--.
Heisuke: “Chizuru, let’s go together!”
Chizuru: “Yeah!”
Heisuke-kun called out to me with a smile, and I answered immediately.
This sort of natural relationship where we act together felt comfortable.
Heisuke: “We definitely have to win! I want to have a victory feast with you at the pool bar!”
Chizuru: "Yeah. Let's do our best!"
We were smiling as we headed to the game corner and grabbed some water guns--.
(minigame time! While not as bad as the quiz from chapter 1, I still had problems with this one... My advice is to stick close to the barrier on your side and use your partner as a decoy: when the other team runs out of water, pop out and shoot! Target with right bumper and shoot with O. Text below is based on a minigame victory.)
Heisuke: "--Duck! Chizuru!"
Chizuru: "Yes!"
Heisuke: “Nice, it's over!"
Chizuru: Heisuke's water gun shot fire.....no, I mean, shot water, and at the same time the signal for the end of the match echoed around us.
We foiled our opponents in the finals, and we exchanged both high-fives and giant smiles.
Heisuke: "We did it! This is our victory!”
Chizuru: "Yeah, thanks to Heisuke taking the lead, it was very easy to fight!"
Since we've had this kind of relationship since we were little, I think we are an excellent combination.
Our strategy was for Heisuke to act as a decoy while I shot, or the other way around.
Smiling the same smile he always had, Heisuke puffed out his chest and held the ticket up high.
Heisuke: "Hehe, let me show you a good time that was worth all that effort!"
Chizuru: "Hehe......"
Heisuke: “Then, let's hurry up and eat anything we like at that bar over there!"
Chizuru: "Ah, but everyone else is--"
Everyone who had lost the game were looking over at us with gloomy expressions.
Everyone was absolutely drenched: it was like a scene out of a horror movie.
Heisuke: "It's fine. This is the result of the match we won fair-and-square."
"Before they take their anger out on us, why don't we hurry and go?"
Chizuru: "Y-yeah......"
I was led by the hand by Heisuke, and we escaped in the direction of the poolside bar.
And then, once we took our seats, we quickly began looking at the menu.
Heisuke: "What should we do, Chizuru? Is there something you want to eat?"
Chizuru: "Hmm...... After all, in a place like this, a summer-y thing would be best."
Heisuke: "You're right. Especially because it's free, we should get the #1 most expensive thing--."
Chizuru: In the middle of saying this, Heisuke's words suddenly stopped.
His eyes seemed to catch on one line of the menu, and his face lit up.
Heisuke: "This!"
Chizuru: "Eh?"
Heisuke: "I think this is good!"
Chizuru: "But, is it really ok......?"
Heisuke: "It's absolutely ok! Excuse me, can we get this please?”
Chizuru: Before I could interject any further, Heisuke quickly placed an order.
And then, a few minutes later.
The thing that arrived at our table was......
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
Heisuke: "Tahdah! Demon-sized Frappe Bomber!!"
Chizuru: The thing Heisuke had ordered looked as though it was meant for several people to eat: an enormous shaved ice.
"Can we really finish such a thing......?"
Heisuke: "I said it was fine! Frappes are basically all ice, so it will all melt in your stomach anyway."
Chizuru: "I-it certainly will melt--"
Still, that doesn't change the fact that my stomach will get bloated......
Heisuke: "And besides, when I eat shaved ice I never feel like my stomach is full."
Chizuru: "That's......"
"Isn't that because you've always eaten normally-sized shaved ice before......?"
Heisuke: "........."
"I-it's fine, let's hurry up and eat!"
Chizuru: "Yeah......"
With my heart pounding, we both reached out with our spoons at the same time-
Heisuke and Chizuru: "--So good!"
Chizuru: Once again, today Mr. Sun was shining down powerfully and the midsummer day heat was surrounding us--
In addition, both our bodies and minds had been overheated by the game earlier, so such a cool treat was really comforting.
Because of these reasons, we became absorbed in eating the frappe.
Heisuke: "This is so, so good......!"
Chizuru: However, the pace that Heisuke was eating at was still too fast.
As though he were very surprised, something strange happened to his body suddenly.
Heisuke: "Ugh!?"
Chizuru: Heisuke abruptly groaned, and he froze in place.
"W-what happened? Are you alright......?"
Heisuke: "I-I'm completely fine......"
Chizuru: Heisuke put up a tough front, and began to eat the frappe more slowly than before.
He was obviously forcing himself, and I......
[Did you get a brain freeze?] Or [Does your stomach hurt……?]
Chizuru: "If you eat that quickly, you're going to get a brain freeze......"
Heisuke: "B-but......"
Chizuru: At my warning, Heisuke became flustered.
Heisuke: "If we're too slow, it'll melt, right? That would be such a waste."
Chizuru: "It's fine if we don't rush. If we let it melt a little, it might be easier to eat......"
"Before anything else, this is a victory feast with me and Heisuke. It would be more of a waste to end it quickly.”
Heisuke: "........that's right, huh? Yeah."
Chizuru: Heisuke looked at me and smiled, and stopped moving his hand.
Heisuke looked shy, and nodded to me with a small laugh.
Heisuke: "Since we finally get to eat together, it really would be a waste not to have fun together for as long as possible."
Chizuru: "Yeah!"
We couldn't help but smile when we looked at each other.
We started slowly and thoroughly enjoying the frappe.
"There was something similar before. It was on another hot summer day."
Heisuke: "Yeah, we tried to make a giant ice cube in the freezer, but we forgot to add in the other ingredients."
Chizuru: "Yeah, that! And then in repentance, the next year I made a bunch of little ice cubes, but they melted before they could become shaved ice......"
While laughing and chatting idly, the shaved ice seemed especially delicious.
On top of all those we had stacked up so far, a new page was added to our summer memories.
The time I spent together with Heisuke, it was really, truly fun--.
Heisuke: "Haah...... in the end, we really couldn't eat all of it. The last part melted......"
Chizuru: "But, it was super fun."
Heisuke: "I think so too!"
Chizuru: I was smiling, and, sure enough, when I looked at Heisuke he looked happy, too.
Heisuke: "Then, it's about time we joined up with everyone else again."
Chizuru: "Yes!"
And then, we left behind the harmonious atmosphere at the poolside bar--.
(scene change: sky)
And then, after joining up with everyone else--.
In order to fully enjoy the time we had left, everyone had begun to move apart.
Saitou and Mr. Harada were competing for the best time in the competitive pool.
Heisuke and Mr. Nagakura tried to challenge the water slide 10 times in a row, and by the end they were unsteady on their feet......
In retaliation for losing at SSS, Kaoru pretended that his hand had slipped at the poolside, pushing in Yamazaki.
Okita took a photo of the scene. Mr. Sannan chided him......
Mr. Hijikata and Kazama were competing for the highest dive on the diving boards, taking it too seriously.
In these various ways, I thought that everyone had a fun time.
But, as the sun set, the end of that fun time was drawing nearer......
Somewhat reluctantly, we all left the water park behind.
Hijikata: "Geez. Because of Souji, I had a completely miserable experience today......"
Okita: "Even though you enjoyed yourself plenty, you still say things like that. That's not very honest of you."
Saitou: "Although it's true that it was rather enjoyable, I think it was anxiety-inducing as well."
Heisuke: "Right? Today, people kept showing up and causing problems one after another."
Nagakura: "It looks like Mr. Hijikata really had a rough time...... I can't help but feel sympathetic......"
Harada: "Shinpachi. You're also part of the cause."
Kaoru: "I swear...... What do both the teachers and students of Hakuo Academy think they're doing?"
Kazama: “With this, the fact that there are no decent people at Hakuo Academy beyond myself and my wife has been thrown into stark relief."
Sannan: "Now now, please have more humility. There are no other problem children quite like you."
Ibuki: "The person who suddenly sent an unclear email and lured this many people here is enough of a problem child by himself."
Yamazaki: "......If you shift your perspective, I think it can be said that he is a talented man who knows how to use his network of contacts."
Sen: "Either way is fine, but what I don't think is fine is interrupting and intruding upon a girls' promise without permission......"
Kosuzu: "It's just as Osenen says. Thanks to you, I'm extremely worn out......"
Chizuru: "But......"
"It was kind of fun."
It was a really rough day, but thanks to that I think I was able to make a wonderful memory of summer vacation.
In this way, everyone talked and laughed together as we headed home......
This may be a precious page in my book of memories--.
--------
Well, that’s it for Ch2! I have all the common route choices done already, so hopefully the subsequent routes will go a bit faster..... I’ll post the emails that go with this chapter soon, and begin work on Ch3!
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Unveiled - Chapter 1
Unveiled, Chapter 1
by MadLori
Word Count: 3300
Fandom: Men’s Hockey RPF
Pairing: Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin
Rating: NC-17 (like, heed this, please)
Tags: Arranged Marriage, Modern Royalty AU, Mpreg, Not Omegaverse, No Consent Issues, Veiled Sex, Weird Traditions, Don’t Think Too Hard, Handwavey Biology
Read this on AO3
[there will not usually be this many notes, it’s chapter 1]
Biology note: This is mpreg but NOT omegaverse. All genders have both reproductive systems, meaning anybody of any gender can get anyone else pregnant. Men and women exist, but gender presentation is a result of how things are arranged/presented. I'm not super into getting into a ton of details about this. Handwave, handwave.
Note about language: I made the conscious choice not to render anyone's dialogue in a particular accent or dialect, as I felt that in this setting it would be a distraction. We're gonna go with "everyone in the story is fluent in whatever language you'd like them to be speaking."
Note to my existing readers: This is my first story in this fandom. If you have followed me here from Sherlock or another fandom, please take note of the tags - this is unlike anything I've ever written before. My first foray into mpreg or RPF. If those things don't work for you, that's fine, then this fic isn't for you. No need to inform me.
Thank you to burning-up-a-sun and luckie_dee for excellent beta services, and to ljummen and right-of-the-curve for reading and reacting as I banged this out in record time.
-------
Zhenya had hoped to sleep in on his last morning as a bachelor, but his eyes flew open just past dawn and would not close again.
His wedding day. The culmination of several years’ work -- the selection of his consort-to-be, the negotiations, the contracts, the preparations...all of which he’d had minimal part in, because one simply didn’t arrange their own marriage, let alone their own embargoed marriage.
He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, going over and over it in his mind. Ceremony, blessing, consummation, and then...life as usual? Regular people had celebrations after their weddings. They gathered together with their friends and families, ate and drank, danced and celebrated along with the person they’d just married. Lots of photos, smiling faces, Instagram posts and hashtags.
For embargoed spouses, such celebrations were pointless. It was hard to rejoice with your new life partner when you weren’t allowed to see or speak to them, or even to know their name.
All that he knew about the consort was that he was from New Scotland, was Zhenya’s age, and of noble blood. It had been tempting to at least Google him, but poking around an embargo like that was inappropriate, not to mention insulting to the significant sacrifice being made by his new consort. This man had agreed to a restrictive situation to become Zhenya’s husband and bear his child -- the least Zhenya could do was respect his decision. Besides, the consort’s entire online presence would have been digitally embargoed by the palace tech team, which was really meant to shield him from the rest of the world’s snooping, but also served to thwart tempted spouses.
Zhenya’s parents had asked for quite a bit of input about what sort of person he hoped for as a life partner. They had already known that he preferred a male spouse, and had accepted his one additional condition for a match, but beyond that, he trusted them. He’d known since childhood that his marriage would be arranged and had accepted it, was even grateful for it. It was difficult to meet people when you were a Prince. Zhenya had dated his fair share of men, but he was never sure about their motives -- was his money a factor? his status? his fame? -- and his dates were often put off by the press attention, not to mention the trappings of royalty. He thought his chances of finding happiness with a spouse selected by his parents were possibly better, and certainly no worse. Besides, he didn’t really have it in him to rebel. Refusing to have an embargoed arrangement would be a serious break with tradition, and the very idea was just -- exhausting.
Sasha, his boisterous, gap-toothed valet, banged into the room at 7:00 a.m. sharp; Zhenya groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. “None of that, now. We have to make you look royal, so God knows we need every last second.” Sasha grabbed the blankets and yanked them off. Zhenya yelped and curled into a tight comma on the bed. “Up, you lazy, posh twat.”
“Why did I make you my valet. Why,” Zhenya said, muffled into his pillow. Sasha had not come up through the ranks of the palace staff, as most valets did. He had been a teammate of Zhenya’s on their university hockey team, and some fit of insanity had led Zhenya to conclude that his total lack of finesse in matters of protocol and politics was appropriate for the job.
“Because you knew I wouldn’t put up with your bullshit and you were right. You’re getting married today, so let’s try and fool all these rubes into thinking you’ve got class, eh?”
Zhenya slumped out of bed, only to be manhandled out of his pajamas by Sasha. “Hey!”
He snorted. “Like I’ve never seen your dick before. And a lot more people are going to be seeing it today, so get over it. Shower, now.”
Zhenya spent the morning being scrubbed, polished, trimmed, neatened, and perfumed to within an inch of his life. Breakfast was brought in, an unusually light meal. “Are they afraid I’m going to throw up?” he grumbled, eating his toast.
“Probably. Are you?”
“No.”
“You’re not nervous?”
“I’m a little anxious. Excited. What’s to be nervous about?”
“I mean…” Sasha made vague gestures all around him at everything.
Zhenya swallowed and sipped at his tea. “Have you heard...anything?”
“I’m gonna need you to be more specific.”
He rolled his eyes. “About my betrothed.”
“Even if I had, I wouldn’t be allowed to share it. If you want to know, you’ll have to hire a hacker to un-embargo his Instagram.” Zhenya just looked at him. Sasha sighed. “All I know is that he and his entourage arrived two nights ago.”
“‘Entourage?”
“His parents are with him, and he’s got his own guards. He’ll have the guards until he’s unveiled. You knew that, right?”
“I know.”
“Other than that they’re all keeping to their quarters. He’s not supposed to be seen until the wedding.”
“He’s not going to be seen after the wedding! Not that anybody knows what he looks like. He could be walking around the palace in a bathing suit eating peaches and nobody would know it was him.”
“The embargo is for your own good, and his. And the kingdom’s.”
“I get it.” And he did, really. If his consort hadn’t conceived within a year, he would be replaced, and that process would be a lot easier for everyone involved if he, and the citizens, hadn’t gotten attached to him. Hence, the embargo. At least, that’s what the clerics said. Endlessly. “I understand the principle. It’s just going to take some getting used to, being married to someone and having sex with him without seeing his face or talking to him.”
Sasha snorted. “C’mon, Zhenya. You’ve had more than your share of hookups.”
“So?”
“How many of their names can you remember, or even their faces? You’re telling me you had deep conversations with them?”
“That’s different. This man will be my husband.”
“I heard that the prince of Patagonia and his consort broke their embargo and fell in love. She didn’t get pregnant so she had to leave, they were both heartbroken, he almost abdicated his throne, it was a horrible mess, he wouldn’t sleep with the new consort and so she had to be replaced, the first consort was disgraced and went into hiding, nobody knows what happened to her and he’s a giant ball of depression.”
Zhenya blinked. “That’s terrible.”
“Honor your embargo, Zhenya.”
He sighed. “I intend to.”
Embargoed marriage ceremonies were small, private affairs. The unveiling was really the big public spectacle, when the kingdom could at last meet their prince’s husband. The wedding was more for the clerical blessing and the witnessed consummation, and a huge gathering for that was considered unseemly. Zhenya had been trained since childhood not to feel immodest for this occasion, but he was still glad that there would only be a few witnesses present.
He walked to the chapel in his custom-made marriage robes, simple but lush as was the current style. Standing outside the chamber were six of his consort’s guards. Their uniforms were pleasingly clean-lined, black and tailored with deep gold trim, and they snapped to attention as he approached, disciplined and in perfect formation. Zhenya nodded to them -- he imagined he’d be getting to know them soon enough -- and passed through.
A heavy drape hung in the center of the dais with a small hole cut in it for their hands to pass through. Zhenya took his place on the left, nodding to the head cleric. He heard rustling from the other side of the drape and a shadow fell upon it; his new consort had taken his place on the other side.
They did not speak during the ceremony, as their embargo forbade them from hearing one another’s voices. The cleric spoke to them; they acknowledged his words with nods of assent to his questions and directives. When he bade them do so, they joined hands through the hole in the drape. Zhenya noted that his betrothed’s hand was square and strong, and gripped his without hesitation, exhibiting no sign of a nervous tremor. A promising start. He shut his eyes and sent up a prayer to whatever deity might be handy...please, let me like him. Please, let him get pregnant quickly. Let him be smart. And if it’s not too much to ask, please, let him be...not hideous.
“You are joined,” the cleric concluded, simply. Two deacons appeared and removed the drape.
His consort was dressed in elegant marriage robes of his own, including a cape and a veil that hid him from view entirely save for his hands. The only new information Zhenya received with the removal of the drape was his consort’s height, about half a head shorter than Zhenya. He smiled at his new husband and they bowed to each other. Zhenya watched as his consort made a silent greeting to his parents, the Duke and Duchess of New Scotland, who Zhenya did not know at all. With over seventeen thousand peerage titles in the world, one couldn’t meet them all, or even a tiny fraction. The consort’s guards had materialized in the chapel and now surrounded their master and escorted him off the dais and off into the chamber where the next and final step would happen.
Zhenya turned to receive his own parents’ congratulations, and a back-slapping hug from Sasha, wildly overstepping his role as a valet as usual. Zhenya’s father rolled his eyes but didn’t chastise him; his parents loved Sasha as they loved Zhenya himself. More, he sometimes suspected.
The cleric hovered at Zhenya’s elbow. “Your Royal Highness, you are awaited in the antechamber.”
Sasha winked at him. “Good luck. Do it right the first time and this embargo can end quickly.”
“I don’t think it’s entirely up to me,” Zhenya said, but he hoped for the same. He couldn’t imagine waiting for months on end, walking on eggshells every day, everyone looking askance at him if it dragged on and wondering at his virility if he failed to impregnate his spouse. As if it would be for lack of trying.
He followed the cleric into the antechamber. His consort would have gone on ahead to be prepared and arranged by his personal attendants, although Zhenya wasn’t quite sure what that meant, beyond the obvious. This situation was generally not intended to produce arousal in both parties, so he damn well hoped that his consort’s “preparation” involved vaginal lubrication of some kind, for both of their comfort. He’d find out soon enough, but first there was still all manner of ceremonial mumbo-jumbo to attend to.
Zhenya wasn’t particularly devout, a fact he kept mostly to himself. At minimum, a visible attention to custom was expected and valued by the citizens, and Zhenya had no wish to disappoint them, or more accurately, to give them cause to distrust him. He respected the beliefs of his parents (mostly his mother) and of the clerics, but he’d have dispensed with the whole rigmarole if he’d had his choice. But this was his duty, so he stood quietly and allowed the clerics to say their blessings over him and waft their burning herbs as his outer robes were removed.
Underneath his robes were his tunic and trousers, which had been made with a flap at the front (“easy access,” Sasha had joked). He wouldn’t undress further than this, at least not for this ceremonial consummation. He’d be expected to achieve a minimum objective today, the most that could be hoped for in these high-pressure and decidedly not private circumstances.
One of the sub-clerics stood at his side. “Your Royal Highness, will you require assistance readying yourself?” he asked, quietly. Sasha, lurking behind him, snorted.
“Assistance?” Zhenya said, puzzled...but then it hit him. He was being asked if he’d need help getting it up. It stood to reason that he might, with people watching and the Fate of the Kingdom Depending and blah blah blah. Anxiety was not typically the friend of erections. The sub-cleric was offering a helping hand, so to speak. Zhenya had heard stories. Supposedly there’d once been a groom nervous enough that the sub-cleric had to use his mouth on him before he could manage it.
Zhenya didn’t think he’d need quite that much assistance; indeed, he hoped he wouldn’t need any. “Let’s...proceed, and we’ll see,” he said. The sub-cleric nodded and went to the door into the main chamber.
It was dim inside, fragrant with burning herbs. Several clerics were lined up at the far side of the room, chanting quietly. Behind a screen stood half a dozen shadowy figures; witnesses, drawn from the nobility and the royal family. Zhenya didn’t know who was back there and he didn’t care to know. He would likely never know; it was considered rude to disclose one’s presence at such an occasion. Zhenya had himself been a witness at his cousin’s consummation five years ago. You really couldn’t see much at all, through the screen and the awkward angle.
At the moment, however, his attention was captivated by the bed in the center of the room, and his consort upon it. He was laid out on his stomach, covered in drapes even including his head -- Zhenya worried for a moment if he could breathe adequately under there. Two of his guards stood at the head of the bed, eyes fixed firmly forward. The drapes extended from over his consort’s head past his feet, and in the center was an oval-shaped cutout exposing what was, without question, the most fantastic backside Zhenya had ever seen in his life, and he’d seen his fair share.
No. He would not be needing assistance. In fact, he felt himself swelling at the sight of just this one part of his new consort’s body. It was odd, and unexpectedly titillating, to be presented with a more-or-less disembodied ass, even if he could see the shape of the rest of the man under the drape -- but, he supposed, that titillation shouldn’t really be unexpected; why else did glory holes exist? Not that he’d ever partaken of such things, in clubs, in his slightly-wilder youth, absolutely not. But this was his husband, not a late night quickie. It wouldn’t be like this all the time, he assured himself. This was just for the ceremonial bit. Future couplings would be much less...ritualized.
They were all looking at him, waiting for him to get to it, but there was a step to be taken first. He glanced at the cleric and nodded. The cleric hesitated, then moved to the head of the bed. This was Zhenya’s personal addition to the ceremonies, and the cleric had been reluctant to deviate from the traditional sequence of events, but Zhenya had insisted.
He had no interest in a spouse who’d been forced into marrying him, as he’d made sure his parents understood before they set out to find him one. “I do have one condition, and it is non-negotiable,” he’d said.
His father had looked surprised. “What is it, son?”
“I require absolute assurance that any consort of mine enters into marriage to me of their own free will, and not under duress.”
His parents had exchanged a glance. “That should not be difficult; marriage into our family is considered very desirable.”
“Be that as it may, I need you to promise me, Father..”
His father had nodded, and seemed even pleased by this directive. “You have my word, son.”
And now, the cleric spoke to the consort on Zhenya’s behalf. “Your Highness,” he said, using the man’s new title -- after the embargo was lifted, he would become His Royal Highness, the same honorific that Zhenya received. “Prince Evgeni wishes me to ask you for your consent before he joins with you.” Zhenya saw the consort’s head turn to the side. “He values your agreement to this consummation.”
The man hesitated. Zhenya saw the surprise in his shoulders. His head turned further, seeming to look back over his shoulder at Zhenya, and he nodded.
The cleric straightened up. “Does this satisfy Your Royal Highness?” There was just a touch of “are you happy now?” impatience in the cleric’s voice which Zhenya chose to ignore.
Zhenya nodded. He removed his gloves and handed them to Sasha, who was being appropriately quiet and invisible for once in his life. He unbuttoned the flap on the front of his trousers; he was half-erect already and filling fast.
He knelt on the bed. He wasn’t supposed to make any unnecessary contact this first time, but he couldn’t help but run his hands briefly over his husband’s smooth, muscular rear. Just like that, he was fully hard and more than ready. He placed his knees within the drapery cutout on either side of the consort’s hips; the man shifted slightly, spreading his thighs a little bit to give him room. Zhenya reached back and tucked his cock down and against the man’s entrance, relieved to find that he was, indeed, slick. He pressed forward and entered him; Zhenya stifled a groan and felt a shudder pass over the man beneath him. He was tight and warm; Zhenya held still for a moment with his eyes closed and hips pressed against his consort’s impossibly plump ass.
He braced on his hands and shut his eyes, making smooth, even thrusts. There’d be time later to investigate what kind of sex his husband enjoyed, but now was the time to be quick about it and get the job done. He tried to visualize success, as the clerics liked to say during their instruction, and picture his seed finding its target and blossoming in his consort’s womb. The minimum embargo time was three months; even if he conceived right now, early pregnancy was so delicate that it wasn’t considered official until the three--month mark. After carrying to three months, the consort was accepted into the family and unveiled, even if the child was subsequently lost.
Zhenya had often wondered about consorts who failed to conceive and were replaced. Who was to say that it was their fault? Both parties underwent pre-marriage medical testing to minimize this risk, but bodies were unpredictable. Of course it might not be the consort’s fault; the would-be sire could just as easily be the one whose biology failed them, but such a thing could not be admitted for a royal scion. He’d heard one tale, possibly apocryphal, of a prince whose consort hadn’t conceived -- unwilling to accept defeat, the prince had asked his consort to get him pregnant, which she had done, and their embargo was released.
The contemplation of such machinations was premature, he knew. He and his new consort had only just begun.
As keyed up as he was, it didn’t take long for him to finish. He thrust in deep and spilled, clenching his teeth against the desire to cry out. He felt his consort sigh and press back against him a little, a welcome signal of acknowledgment. Zhenya let his head droop for a moment, then straightened up and pulled out. Sasha was right there with a cloth for him to clean himself before he refastened his pants.
The cleric stepped forward and blessed the union, prayers for the success of the joining, yadda yadda. Zhenya barely paid attention. Sasha was replacing his robe on him, but all Zhenya could do was look at the draped form of his new husband, especially the one part of it that he could see, and hope that it wouldn’t be too long before he could see the rest of it.
He let Sasha lead him out of the chamber, glad that was over -- but in another, very real sense, it was just beginning. He was now a married man, with a responsibility to his consort, who was at something of a disadvantage in this situation. He hoped he could be a good, supportive husband to him, until at last the day came that he’d be allowed to see his face.
Next Chapter
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Hi, I love your fics and wanted to know if you have some tips for someone who wants to start writing? English is not my main language and I don't know if it's worth writting on my first language and then translate/adapt to english...
Hey anon, sorry this took me so long to answer, but I just wanted to do a somewhat decent job with it. Also, thank you. I'm really honored that you consider me to be someone who can actually give valid advice. I put this under a read more because it got super long (I’m sorry if that’s not at all what you were looking for).
Important side note: While I use phrases like "this is better," everything below is my personal opinion and not some sort of universal truth. I'm not criticizing any writers. I'm sure they know what they're doing, and we're all just looking for ways to put out the best works we can.
A lot of writers use things in their stories that I try my hardest to avoid, and they still have lots of happy readers. It comes down to personal preference, and all I'm offering here are a few ideas for you to consider.
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Let's start with the language issue. When I started writing fanfic I thought about the same thing. I think you have to consider 3 things:
1. Do I have the time / am I willing to translate everything?I'm usually so excited about finishing a story that I want to post it right away. You won't be able to do that if you need to translate it first. Also, writing itself can already be exhausting, and you're going to have to do the same work twice with each story.
2. Is my native language interesting for others?I'm German, and since the majority of the German people I'm in fandoms with speak English, there's no need to post anything in German. If the source material is English, they will consume English fics.
If you know your language to be interesting for other people, it would make more sense to post both languages to reach a bigger audience.
3. How close is my native language to English?Again, I can give you the example of German. The two languages are very different when it comes to sentence structure and how to phrase things. So, if I were to write in German first, a translation would be quite tricky. I'd probably end up "rewriting" the story rather than translating it word for word because the English wouldn't sound so good.
In conclusion: I know it's tempting to write in your own language because it seems more natural but unless you have good reason to do it that way (as mentioned above), I'd probably try to write in English right away. That's what I ended up doing. If you want to find the best way for you, try it both ways and see what works best.
Judging from your ask, I'd say you have enough knowledge of the language to write in English, and while it might suck a little in the beginning, it gets a lot easier over time.
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GENERAL ADVICE
1. Write! Practice is key. Talent might be a thing, but what makes you better at something is actually doing it. You don't have to publish everything, but the fact that you wrote it will help you to get better. I cringe whenever I look at things that I wrote 6 years ago, but it's also great to see how much better I am now compared to then. If you keep at it, you'll definitely see that change at some point.
2. Don't get discouraged if there's no significant response. Even for amazing writers, it takes time to get some traction. Especially on tumblr it's tough to be seen. There are also a ton of reasons why people might not interact, like forgetfulness, blog aesthetic, laziness, shyness, etc. That doesn't mean they don't enjoy your work. I hate to say "write for yourself," but that's the mindset you need. It should be still fun for yourself, even if you don't get a lot of feedback.
3. Have a healthy attitude towards your work.It's absolutely okay to love your own stuff, and if you enjoy it, feel free to show it. Still accept if not everybody else likes it, though.
BUT… don't hate on your work. A lot of writers are a little unsure about themselves, and that's okay, but if you say things like "this is garbage" about your own fics, you shouldn't be surprised if people don't read it. Why would they, if even you don't like it? So, don't put yourself down. Putting words on paper out of nothing is hard work, and every fic is worth at least the time and effort you put into it.
4. Read! My English improved a great deal just by reading. You'll pick up vocabulary and ways of phrasing things without even trying too hard. Read with variety. Fanfic is great, and it's a good idea to see what's out there, but fic writers are still a certain kind of writer. Mix it up with published books (even if it's hard to find LGBTQ+ content), preferably with different genres you're interested in.
5. Mingle. It's hard to put yourself out there, but don't be shy to promote yourself a little. If you feel like doing that, offer to take requests. Check out other writers. One great way to find readers is actually to interact with other writers. We can all need the support, and you might end up picking up some good advice.
Be respectful, though. I've seen people leave comments just to go like, "Hey, you wanna read my stuff, too?" Not nice. If you interact in a friendly manner, there's a good chance they'll check you out anyway. No need to pressure them.
6. Make an effort. I learned that one early on, when someone commented on one of my first fics that they "almost didn't read it because of the way it was formatted." It kinda sucks when you finally have something to post and then need to "waste time" with that stuff, but it's just as important as the story itself.
You don't have editors who will fix every little thing but try to do the basics yourself.- correct your punctuation- try avoiding walls of text- make enough paragraphs (when different people speak etc.)- check for major spelling errors
7. Consider advice / ignore haters. When someone gives you advice (if you asked for it or not), consider it. It's not smart to reject it right away, but you also don't have to do what others tell you. Pick out what works best for you. If someone's rude, kick them out of your life and don't waste a second on them. It's not on you to teach them to be polite.
8. Be mindful of your readers. It's their job to construct a safe atmosphere for themselves online, but you can do a great deal to help them. If you post on AO3, tag your stuff!! I hate to give away spoilers, but a lot of readers will feel better reading your stuff if they know that you look out for them.
On tumblr, use the right tags. Don't tag every character and ship in the universe. People will hate you (for a good reason). Go with what's actually in your story. Mentioning the basics in your post might be an option, too. (I give a quick overview on top of each story, but many writers don't. That's personal preference.)
And due to recent events, a plea from myself. Please consider all genders, sexualities etc. when you post. Tag your male/gn/female/trans reader inserts, tag your ships, tag major triggers, etc. You can't know every dislike of every person, but you have a bit of responsibility here, so please make an effort.
9. Write first - edit later. I'm shitty at this myself, but it's still great advice. A good way to avoid writer's block is just to put down the words, no matter what. It sounds like garbage? It doesn't matter. Did you use the same verb three times in one paragraph? Fix it later. No idea how that sentence should go? Add [character is doing some great action move to defeat the villain] and move on. Fill it in later.
Neil Gaiman said: "There is no first draft worse than a blank page."
You can always change and fix what's already there, but you can't work with nothing.
10. Take writing breaks. You don't have to crap out 2k of words a day to be a writer. In fact, letting your mind rest can be a great way to gain motivation and inspiration. Do something you love and don't hate yourself if the words don't come right away. They'll be back.
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SPECIFIC WRITING ADVICE
There's one golden rule: You want your readers to be so enthralled by the story that they forget that they're reading it.
These are some things that I picked up and still look out for to get exactly that effect. If you do that or not is totally up to you, though.
1. Use paragraphs when another person speaks. Although pretty much every advice blog tells you this, I still see stories that don't do that, and it's super confusing for readers.
NO:Arthur stands up and comes your way. "Are you sure?" You put your arms around him and nod. "Of course."
YES:Arthur stands up and comes your way.
"Are you sure?" he asks.
You put your arms around him and nod. "Of course."
There are a few ways to do this, but the important part is that your readers know who's talking at all times. The second they have to ask and maybe reread to find who says what, they're thrown out of the story.
2. Don't be afraid of "said" and "asked." I know there are these great lists of other words, but there are a time and place. Imagine yourself in conversation. Do you switch between sighing, whispering, growling and shouting with each sentence? Most of the time, people just say things. Use said and pepper in other words when it matters. Also, people tend to read over said. When you switch each sentence, they'll notice which breaks the golden rule.
3. Read out loud. If a sentence is weird, that might help you distinguish what doesn't work. If you notice a point that makes you reread or pause for a moment, chances are your reader will too.
This is also a great way to find weird dialogue. Actually speak the words, and you might notice that nobody talks that way. It's also great to find "the voice" of a character. Read it in their voice and dialect (nobody has to know if you suck at it), and you'll see if that's something they would actually say.
4. Only use epithets if they are absolutely necessary or convey an important fact!!! (This one is a real pet peeve for me because it's so dominant in fic)
NO:The Blonde leaned over, holding out his hand. You shook it, and were taken aback by the older man's shining blue eyes. The cowboy had a voice that made your skin prickle when he finally talked to you.
This is bad for a few reasons:a) You have to come up with all those epithets and oftentimes, they're not very good. b) It can be confusing because it might seem as if you're talking about more than one person. c) Your readers will focus on each new epithet, which breaks the golden rule.
It can be great to introduce a character as the tall, handsome stranger, but as soon as you know how they're called (and you should try to get there fast), for the love of God, use the name. It might sound repetitive to you since you're the one writing it, but readers usually read over names.
If you have to use a workaround, stick to one. The same person is always "the stranger," the next one is "the loudmouth," etc. That way, you can have multiple unknown characters without confusing your readers.
The only!! other reason to use an epithet is to emphasize a particular fact.
YES:"It hurt Arthur to leave John behind, but he wants his brother to be safe."
You could just write "he wants him to be safe," but in this case, "his brother" isn't only a replacement but is supposed to show that Arthur thinks of John as a brother and not just a friend. It actually means something and might even convey information your reader didn't have up until this point. It works well in dialogue, too.
"I need to go with them," you tell Karen, "and try my best to keep tall, dark, and handsome out of trouble."
Karen looks over to John and rolls her eyes. "Good luck."
Of course, the reader character knows John's name, but using the epithet here gives a little insight into how they think about John and that they're comfortable sharing that information with Karen.
5. Check your punctuation. Nobody's gonna kill you if you forget a comma, but try to get it right as well as you can, especially with dialogue. Those are a few rules that aren't hard to understand, and it's especially important if your native language does them differently.
English:"Would you just shut up," says Arthur, giving Micah a mean stare. "One more word, and I'll have to shoot you."
German:"Würdest du mal die Klappe halten", sagt Arthur mit einem bösen Blick zu Micah. "Noch ein Wort und ich werde dich erschießen müssen."
In German, you put the comma after " while you put it inside " " in English. It's a subtle difference, but it threw me a lot when I started writing in English. And if I notice, then readers might notice which again breaks the golden rule.
Besides, we're trying to make some effort, right? Let your story look pretty and professional. You can google a lot of useful guides about comma rules, dashes, and correct punctuation in dialogue.
6. Passive voice can be avoided. Or better said, avoid passive voice. I'm not saying, don't use it at all, since some very common phrases use passive voice, but try not to overdo it.
In most cases, there's always a better way to phrase a sentence, and active voice usually has more dynamic and drives your story in a way that passive voice can't.
7. Adverbs. Most writing advice blogs will tell you to avoid them like the plague. When I first started writing, I was a little on the fence with that advice, but by now, I agree with all my heart. Again, not saying that you can't have a single adverb in your story, but on many occasions, there's a better alternative.
NO:With his heart beating rapidly, Arthur moves quickly around the wagon, pulling out his gun. He fires back, shouting angrily at his attackers, "You gonna pay for this!"
YES:With his heart almost beating out of his chest, Arthur darts around the wagon, pulling out his gun. He fires back at his attackers, his anger sounding like a lion's roar in his voice. "You gonna pay for this!"
I'm not saying that version B is THE best way to write this, but I dare say it's way better than version A. Maybe that's because I'm not a native speaker, but it hurts my head if I have to read 3 words ending in -ly in one tiny paragraph.
A lot of writers very much abuse adverbs in their dialogue tags, which can make things repetitive and takes away the opportunity to put better information there. BUT, there's definitely a time and place for adverbs.
"He speaks quietly to her" is NOT the same as "he whispers to her," and that's the hill I'm going to die on.
8. Strong verbs. I suck at this myself, but this is where you should actually look for long lists of "other words for." This might be especially helpful when you have the above mentioned adverb problem (e.g., dashes, darts > goes quickly).
Still, don't overdo it. You might find words that sound fancy, but chances are that even native speakers might have no idea what you're saying.
9. Past or present tenseWhen writing in German, I often used past tense, but somehow I'm more comfortable with present tense in English.
From what I gathered over the years, most fic readers don't care either way; the only important thing is: pick one, stick to it! It's a widespread mistake a lot of writers make that they somehow switch tenses while writing. It happened to me a lot in the beginning and still does to this day. So be warned ;D
10. What POV should I use?
Again, google is your friend. There are a few different POVs you can use, some of them are very common in fic while others seem to be less popular (like 1st person as in "I do this, I do that"). There are 3 rules that I find important.
a) Don't switch inside of the story. Decide which one you want and stick to it. It's very confusing to switch at some point.
b) After you picked one, look out for the traps. If you write from one character's POV, they can't know things unless somebody tells them about it or they were present for the event. It's easy to suddenly have a character know something because YOU know it. Make sure it makes sense within the story.
c) Don't switch mid-sentence or mid-paragraph. I've seen this a lot lately in reader fics. You have 2k of story from the reader's POV, and then when they interact with the character, the author suddenly ventures into the feelings and inner thoughts of the character. That's confusing, especially if it happens without any marker or break in the text.
Don't switch just because it's convenient. If you want to give them both a voice, do it from the start. And if you do, switch where it makes sense, e.g. every other chapter, in the middle of the chapter with a visible break, etc.
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That's all I can think of for now. I hope it helps you in any way, and feel free to talk about it with me whenever you want. I can ALWAYS talk about writing.
Good fortune with your writing!!!
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