GJ Bu - Volume 1 - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Afternoon Nap

”The weather is really nice today.”

Megumi said with her typically cheerful voice, as she flung the windows wide open. The wooden windows in the old school building were unusual in the sense that they were western, opening in the center and swinging outwards.

The sweet breeze of spring streamed into the room through the open window.

“Ah… it really is the perfect weather for taking an afternoon nap, isn’t it?”

Following Megumi’s gaze, Kyouya looked at the sofa in the room’s interior.

He saw Mao sleeping on the spot where Kirara would usually be sitting.

Her small body was completely accommodated on the sofa, almost like a bed. She didn’t seem to be uncomfortable in the least.

Megumi continued watching her sister sleep for a while before turning to face Kyouya. Bringing her finger to her lips, she whispered “Shh”.

He smiled back at her.

Kyouya sat backwards on a chair, relaxing his back and letting his chin rest on his arms as he watched Mao’s sleeping figure. Watching a girl sleep like that had an almost criminal feeling to it.

She was a girl, after all.

Megumi went to prepare some tea. She measured the amount of leaves for three people; everyone except Mao and Shion.

Mao continued the steady breathing of sleep.

Kirara, having had her seat taken by Mao, was now sitting on the president’s usual chair, and, perhaps intending to stand as a replacement for her, was also reading a shounen manga.  For some reason she kept consulting a dictionary.

All of a sudden, Mao slowly sat up.

“Piroro, piro piro~♪ piruru~ruriruri~♪”

With eyes half open, she mumbled something in a strange, rising melody.

Then, she fell back on the sofa almost as suddenly as she sat up.

Once more, her breathing returned to the normal rhythm of sleep.

“Wha…what was that just now?”

Kyouya asked before even thinking.

He found himself staring at Shion, Mao’s close friend.

“Oh, that’s just Mao’s…”

Shion nodded. She turned her eyes upwards as if looking for the right words.

“What was it called again? You know, the things they put in some programs like anime right before and after the commercial break…”

“Hmm… Eyecatches?”

“That’s it.”

“By it, you mean…”

“That’s what it is.”

“Huh?”

Kyouya had no idea what she was saying.

“She’s likely switching from a bad dream.”

“How can she do that?”

“Who knows? But I think it sounds like something Mao would do.”

“Right…”

Shion knew Mao better than anybody else. However, even if he had complete confidence in her words, he just wasn’t satisfied with that explanation.

Megumi brought them the tea. Kyouya took a deep breath of it’s aroma.

He forced himself to bring the topic back.

“Hum, Shion-san… was it the president who called it eyecatch?”

“No.”

Shion said, with a finger raised.

“It’s my own theory, built on observation and conjecture. And just as in any scientific field, I’ve devised experiments to confirm my conjectures.”

“Hmm… experiments?”

“Observe.”

Shion smiled mysteriously and walked up to Mao’s side.

She knelt down and leaned close to Mao’s ear before whispering.

“Mao, at this moment, before your eyes, there is a portion of delicious meat buns. A huge pile of  them. They’re amazing!”

Mao’s expression changed into a goofy smile.

Shion whispered into her ear again.

“Oh no, Kyoro-kun is here! He’s eating all of your meat buns! And he’s holding you away by the forehead, so your angry punches can’t reach him. Oh, the humanity!”

Mao started groaning in agony.

Then, she slowly sat upright.

“Piroro, piro piro~♪ piruru~ruriruri~♪”

She fell back on the sofa.

Her sleeping was peaceful once again.

“See?”

Having demonstrated her theory successfully, Shion grinned.

CHARACTER PROFILE:

Shion – Part 2

Subject she’s best at: None in particular. (She’s good at all of them.)

Subject she’s worst at: P.E. (Things that require you to move the body are an exception.)

Hobbies: Teasing Mao