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distortedheartStory: Black Tea (紅茶)
Characters: Eichi, Tori, Ritsu, Hajime
Translator: distortedheart (twitter: adriessene)
Proofreader: Linnæus
Chapter One ✧ Chapter Two ✧ Chapter Three ✧ Chapter Four
Chapter Five ✧ Chapter Six ✧ Chapter Seven ✧ Epilogue
Location: Garden Space (ten-odd minutes later)
Tori: Thanks for the food~ ♪
Ritsu: Mm, go ahead. Pig out all you want~
Tori: Just who's a pig? You've been super impertinent toward me for awhile now! It's annoying!
Ritsu: Isn't that my line? I'm older than you, you know~ Try showing some respect.
... Well, whatever. You're cuter than our youngest child, so I guess it's fine.[1]
Tori: Your youngest what? Well, you kinda treated me to a meal, and you did help me settle the whole tennis ball situation, so I guess I won't ask questions.
Now that I've got that trick up my sleeve, I'm gonna use it whenever Sena-senpai makes me collect tennis balls ♪
Ritsu: Mmmm... Well, I mean, it's not like Secchan's an idiot, so I dunno how many times you could get away with it.
It kinda felt like he figured he was being too mean to you too and just pretended to fall for it.
Hajime: Fufu. Dishonesty is bad, but... I'll admit I was pretty impressed.
You gave up on finding the missing tennis balls and just went and got new tennis balls from the clubroom.
Quick thinking really is your specialty, Ritsu-senpai.
Ritsu: You could call it quick thinking, or you could call it deceit...~ I do everything I can to avoid moving or working hard, so I'd rather use my brain than move my body.
If I had to be totally honest, putting in a slow and steady effort is something only morons do ♪
Tori: I can't really agree with that perspective, but... You helped me out, so I guess I'll let it slide.
Ritsu: That's right, you better be grateful. (Munch, munch)
Nnnn... We should’ve invited Secchaaaan... No matter how much we eat, it feels like we’re barely even making a dent in the snack pile...
Well... Not that he'd let these lumps of artificial additives and calories get within a mile of his mouth even if you put a gun to his head...
Fufu. They won't spoil, so we can just save them for later. We don't really need to force ourselves to finish everything now, do we?
Ritsu: True. If there's stuff left over, you can take it home if you want~... Go ahead and take some back as gifts for your family.
Hajime: Wah, is that really okay? Thank you, Ritsu-senpai...! I'm sure my younger brother and sister will be especially excited~♪
Ritsu: Mm~hmm~ Making your little siblings happy is part of an "onii-chan"'s job~ Everyone in your family must get along pretty well; I'm jealous.
Hajime: Ehehe. We may be poor, but we have so many things money can't buy— I take pride in that~ ♪
Tori: ......
Hajime: ? What's wrong, Tori-kun? I'm very sorry. We sort of left you out of the conversation for a moment there, didn’t we? I’m sorry for not being a better host...
Tori: Oh, no, you don't have to worry about me... I was just thinking how nice and friendly the tea club is. It's like you're family.
You guys have pretty much nothing in common, but... I guess I could call you guys peaceful...? Or maybe I should say it's like you're all on the same wavelength?
Hajime: Mm. I think it's pretty mysterious, too. Everyone really takes such good care of me, and...
Even when times get tough, I can weather anything knowing I’ve got our club meeting to look forward to~ ♪
Ritsu: Me, too. At first I used to think club activities or whatever were just a pain, but, before I knew it, I...
... Well, it's not such a bad thing to have plenty of places you can hang out where you can just relax.
Hajime: Fufu. Still, I really was scared of you and President when I first joined.
When I'd just enrolled in the academy... I'd already liked tea for a long time, so I wanted to try the club out—
But when I got there, for some reason, Ritsu-senpai was lying in wait alone, his expression a terrifying scowl...
"Ahh, there's no way I'll fit in here. Maybe I should just join another club"... is what I thought to myself.
Especially since it was just a tea club in name back then. There weren’t any particular club activities like the tea parties we have now.
And when I heard that, I thought, "This is different than what I expected..."
But looking back on it, it’s a good thing I didn’t judge this book by its cover. I'm truly glad I gave it a try and joined, because the tea club makes every day so wonderful... ♪
Tori: No, no, hold on, why even join such a shady club in the first place? Sakuma... senpai didn't force you to join, did he?
Ritsu: Think what you want, but listen, Pinky. Don't call me "Sakuma-senpai"— Just call me "Ritsu."
Tori: Fine, then don't call me "Pinky," either...
I'm Tori Himemiya, Hajime's friend. So... let's get along, "Ritsu-senpai" ♪
Hajime: (Ah...! He called us friends... Ehehe ♪)
Fufu. If it helps, he didn't force me to join, kind of.
After I'd tried out the club for a day, I was thinking to myself, "It’s too bad it turned out to be a club like this. It’s kind of scary here; I should just go home..." And that's when Ritsu-senpai held me back.
Thinking back on it now, it doesn't feel real. Ritsu-senpai was so desperate, in a way completely unlike him...
"Please," he begged, his voice so quiet, so close to sinking into nothing. "If you're even a little bit interested in this club, please join."
When I saw that, I... I couldn’t bring myself to leave him like that... So I replied, "Of course I'll join."
I was a little worried about how things would go once I became a member, but I went and submitted a formal club application form a few days later—
Then, on the first day of formal club activities, Ritsu-senpai politely and carefully served me tea.
Ritsu-senpai makes sweets a lot, but he almost never makes tea himself… Actually, I think that may have been the first and last time he's ever made me tea.
I'll never forget how delicious it tasted. It was truly... heartfelt, and full of love.
... How nostalgic. It's already been half a year since then, hasn't it?
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Translation Notes
1. Suekko ("youngest child"), a play on Tsukasa's surname, "Suou." ↑
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