![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
distortedheartStory: Black Tea (紅茶)
Characters: Eichi, Tori, Ritsu, Hajime
Translator: haranami
Proofreader: N/A
Chapter One ✧ Chapter Two ✧ Chapter Three ✧ Chapter Four
Chapter Five ✧ Chapter Six ✧ Chapter Seven ✧ Epilogue
Note: This chapter was translated by haranami, posted here with permission.
Location: Garden Terrace (early evening) ✧ Autumn (present day)
Hajime: That's amazing... I'm really moved.
So that's why Ritsu-senpai tried so hard to protect the Tea Club.
Hajime: He made a promise... so he held out for the entire time the President was hospitalized.
Ritsu: Yup. I'm glad you're quick on the uptake, Haa-kun.
We've gotten closer 'cause you joined the Tea Club, so I thought it was about time I let you in on our secret...
This might be hard to believe 'cause it kinda came out of the blue, but it's the truth.
Hajime: I believe you. I didn't expect this at all, though, so I was a little surprised.
To think that the Tea Club was secretly preserving the peace within Yumenosaki Academy...
All the "sludge" that's been swirling around gets purified because we gather here and enjoy ourselves as we drink tea and chat, right?
Ritsu: Yup, yup. All the happiness and comfort and fuzzy feelings turn into this powerful force that can smash right through the grudges and ill will that've been accumulating.
Hajime: If the Tea Club became inactive... If we stopped being able to offer up all those wonderful feelings, what would happen?
Ritsu: Well...
Hajime: ...Gulp.
Ritsu: Haa-kun, I'm gonna gobble you uuuup ☆
Hajime: Um, that has nothing to do with what I just asked!?
Ritsu: It's fine, isn't it? Don't think about it too hard... The point is, I wanna eat you right now ♪
Hajime: I-I'm not food, you know!? Ahhh, help me, Presideeent!
Eichi: Now, now. Please settle down; you're making it difficult to tidy up.
And Ritsu-kun has just been spouting lies— it's a bad habit of his.
Ritsu: Fufufu~ It's not my fault people believe me ♪
Hajime: Eh? Eeeh? You were lying? I trusted you, you know!
was so worried about whether I'd be able to fulfill the Tea Club's mission!
Ritsu: "The Tea Club's mission," huh. Pffft.
Eichi: Fufu. We certainly don't have anything as important as a mission entrusted to us. As I'm sure you're well aware, the Tea Club is a group where we harmonic companions simply enjoy conversations with each other.
Ritsu just took some creative liberties because he felt that the truth wasn't interesting enough to discuss over tea unembellished.
Hajime: O-Ooooh... Yes, of course. I thought it was pretty strange too. Honestly, I did.
Tori: Fufu. Even though all the blood drained from your face, and you looked like you were gonna cry at one point~?
Hajime: I-I mean... It didn't particularly sound like a lie. It looks like there were a lot of exaggerations, but I had a feeling that the sentiment of the Tea Club being important wasn't false.
Ritsu-senpai received a desperate plea from the President... And, letting those feelings brew in his chest, he protected the Tea Club. I was really moved by that.
Ehehe. Ritsu-senpai always looks like he doesn't really care about anything.
So I think it's amazing that he desperately, bravely kept his promise like that... What a beautiful friendship ♪
Ritsu: Ew. No, you were right, Haa-kun. I pretty much couldn't care less about anything.
But I'll protect our place of belonging— our promise... So you'd better be grateful to me, 'kay, Ecchan?
Eichi: Eeh~? I already gave you my thanks, didn't I?
Ritsu: Gimme more! I looove being thanked~♪
Eichi: Fufu. You truly are siblings— you're just like your darling older brother[1] in that regard ♪
Ritsu: Huuuh!? Stop being gross. Is this how you're gonna repay me~?
Hajime: Now, now... Please get along, everyone. We won't be able to enjoy our tea properly if the atmosphere grows tense.
Eichi: Yup, you'd best listen to Hajime-kun. That was quite the wonderful statement! We could make it into the Tea Club's motto, or perhaps we could frame it and put it on display ♪
Ritsu: Just hurry up and finish cleaning already. You're the host of today's tea party, Ecchan, so fulfill your role 'til the very end.
Eichi: I will... You're the reason I'm able to do so, after all.
Fufu. Words of gratitude and love are pleasant no matter how many times one repeats them, but... Things that are too sweet aren't really to my taste.
So I'll add just a spoonful more at the end.
From the bottom of my heart... Thank you, Ritsu-kun.
Ritsu: You're welcome. You'd better spend the rest of your life repaying me.
And Anzu-chan and everyone else too. The Tea Club helped make the gloominess that shrouded you dissipate, even if just by a little, and that's why things are so peaceful right now.
We definitely could've arrived at a future filled with waaay more destruction.
So I really am a hero who preserved the peace and saved the world...
You've gotta take that into consideration and thank me more! You've gotta pamper me and spoil me rotten~♪
Eichi: Don't get carried away, now. Look, I'm all done cleaning up, so we should begin heading home.
Yes, let's return home together. Happily, peacefully.
Ritsu: Yeah, yeah. You're such a pain...
Besides, we're here at the place where we belong, the place where we can find peace right now— we're already home, aren't we?
return to top
Translation Notes
1. Eichi uses the cutesy onii-chan here instead of a more neutral word for big brother just to annoy Ritsu so I tried to preserve that cheekiness. ↑
2. Referring to a signature stamp. See: https://www.tokyo-icc.jp/guide_eng/proce/04.html ↑
3. Of note, "tea club" is literally koucha-bu, or "black tea club," hence the name of this story. ↑
4. This might not necessarily be an Ensemble Girls! reference, but the Ensemble Girls school does have a tea ceremony club which was also connected to the "war" at their school, so who knows. ↑