Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – April 4th

April 4th, Saturday. Two days before the entrance ceremony, in the afternoon. 

Alisa dropped by Marika’s apartment for the second day in a row.

If the day she moved is counted, it’s the third day. Others may wonder whether they don’t get bored of doing this every day. But for the two of them, this is nowhere near enough to compensate for the days they spent apart. — Though they were apart, they saw each other and talked every night on the Vidiphone.

Well, it’s not as if Alisa is neglecting her studies of the Juumonji Family’s magic, and Marika isn’t spending all the time she’s not with Alisa slacking off. They are both doing what they should do, so it would be thoughtless to object to a meeting of two close friends who were raised like sisters.

“Asha, have you had lunch?”

“Yeah, I already ate... Were you waiting for me?”

Alisa inferred from Marika’s nervous expression.

Marika replied “It’s fine, don’t worry” with a bright smile.

“At least you’re having dinner here. Is it bad for your mother-in-law if you don’t eat lunch at home?”

To the question, Alisa just mumbled “Yeah...”.

“Well, nothing we can do about that. I’ll finish up quickly so wait just a little bit.”

Alisa is to stay at Marika’s home tonight. That’s what ‘you’re having dinner here’ meant. If it was a normal family there would be nothing to worry about, but the situation Alisa has at home, though not unusual, could not be called normal either. She had many things to be concerned about and thinking about it again won’t lead anywhere.

“Mina, I’ll make it for you.”

“Eh, you don’t have to.”

Marika shook her head looking surprised.

“I want to make it. Please let me.”

But Alisa didn’t withdraw. If I’m not sitting with her at the lunch table, I can at least do this, that was the thought that was visible on her face.

“...Really? Then I’ll leave that to you.”

Marika couldn’t refuse Alisa’s feelings. Another reason is that when they lived together, Alisa had been the better cook. Marika was looking forward to eating Alisa’s cooking for the first time in a long while.

Alisa put an apron that was hanging on the kitchen wall, which they had bought as a matching set when they went to a nearby store yesterday.

As they went shopping together the day before, Alisa knew what was in the fridge without needing to check. Maybe she chose the ingredients under the assumption that she would be cooking herself. She didn’t lose any time and started cooking right away.

“Woow! It looks so good!”

The cooking time was a little less than 20 minutes. On the table in front of Marika was placed a beautiful cheese tomato risotto made with red tomatoes.

“The rice was already cooked, so I skipped that step. Here you go, hope you like it.”

“Thanks for the food!”

The time is still 12 o’clock, but Marika must have been hungry. She vigorously took a spoonful from the dish into her mouth.

“It’s so good! Asha, you got even better at this!”

“Thank you.”

Maybe happy to be complimented so honestly, Alisa smiled on the other side of the table with her chin resting on both her hands which were on the table.

“Maha, ab de Juumunni houf...”

Marika tried to say something but due to the food left in her mouth it was completely unintelligible.

“Geez, Mina. It’s bad manners to speak with something in your mouth.”

“Ogey.”

Marika didn’t seem ashamed in the least. Still, she stopped talking and swallowed the risotto as she was told.

“— At the Juumonji house, do you also cook often? I don’t know why but I have a feeling that the Ten Master Clans would hire an exclusive chef.”

Once Marika properly gave out her question, Alisa gave her an embarrassed smile.

“We don’t have a chef, but we have live-in maids. But still, they don’t handle all the housework. My step-mother also stands in the kitchen about twice a week.”

“Hmm... So twice a week.”

Marika’s mumbling, as if to say ‘I knew it’, made Alisa laugh loudly.

“At the start they just made unpleasant faces at me.”

“For standing in the kitchen?”

“Yeah.”

Alisa confirmed Marika’s suspicions.

“Like, for taking their job as servant?”

This time, Alisa shook her head.

“I think to them, it looked like I was overdoing it and they were worried about me.”

It isn’t to the point of making it a hobby, but Alisa likes cooking. Not just cooking, but housework in general wasn’t a problem for her.

But it may be a common assumption that an illegitimate daughter taken into the household will try to please her stepmother and half-siblings by trying to help with chores they aren’t accustomed to.

“I see... That’s a pain.”

That was Marika’s interpretation, and she downheartedly grumbled.

“They figured it out in about a month though.”

Alisa laughed, not denying Marika’s interpretation. She also has her owns thoughts about everyone in the Juumonji Family.

“In just about a month?”

Hearing it was month was out of Marika’s expectations. She thought the relationship between Alisa and the Juumonji Family would have continued to be awkward for a lot longer.

“Yeah. Now I work with the maid in the kitchen.”

“And with your stepmother?”

Marika shot her question nonchalantly.

“...”

“...Sorry for asking.”

But when Marika saw the bitter expression on Alisa’s face, she got embarrassed and apologized.

“We’re not on bad terms.”

It was Alisa’s turn to get coarse.

“I’m doing well with my stepmother. Really.”

Alisa tried her best to deny it, but Marika picked up on a small catch in Alisa’s tone.

“— And with the others?”

Alisa’s expression turned dark. But this time, she didn’t go silent.

“There’s just one person I’m not doing well with... I think.”

“You don’t mean Yuuto-san from two days ago, right? Is it your little sister then?”

Alisa is a pretty girl. Marika has never seen boys acting cold towards her. So if things aren’t going well, it must be her half-sister.

However, Alisa shook her head.

“I can’t say I have a good relationship with Kazumi-san — my sister, but it’s fine. It’s Tatsuki-san who doesn’t get along with me at all.”

“Tatsuki-san, was that the younger brother in the same grade? Half a year younger?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

Marika’s memory appeared to be correct. Alisa now looked up at the ceiling.

“Has he been harassing you?”

“No! Not at all!”

Alisa quickly shook her head from one side to the other.

“Then... He’s ignoring you?”

“Not quite ignoring, but...”

“So like not answering when you talk to him?”

“It’s close to that, I guess. He doesn’t even want to look at my face. He’s not even going to First High, he went through the trouble of going to Kanazawa’s Third High.”

“Hmm...”

And with that, the conversation ceased. Marika used her mouth for chewing instead of verbalizing words, tirelessly moving spoons full of risotto to finish her food.

“Thank you. It was delicious!”

“Sorry for making it on a rush.”

Finished with eating, Marika took her used tableware to the dishwasher. Modern dishwashers come with home automation features, so they don’t require the dishes to be properly placed. They don’t need to be operated with a switch either. The machine will organize the tableware as it sees fit and wash it.

“But isn’t that okay?”

Marika returned to the table and suddenly spoke to Alisa.

Apparently, Marika didn’t consider the discussion to be over. She may have interrupted it because it would be wasteful to let the risotto get cold.

“...What is okay?”

“I mean, it’s only going poorly with this Tatsuki-kun, right? I can only tell you this now, but I’ve been worried you were having a harder time.”

“I guess... that’s true.”

Looking at it from the Juumonji Family’s standpoint, Alisa is a child who her father made outside the family. It really made sense for their attitude to be even less friendly. It would be easily possible for her to have been tormented in the house, Alisa rethought.

“You have four siblings, after all. Don’t beat yourself up for not getting along with one of them.”

“...I wonder if that’s just the way it is.”

“That is the way it is. And him leaving home, isn’t that because he understands he’s acting poorly? He left to sort out his feelings.”

“Is that really how it is...?”

“Asha, you should just be patient with him.”

Marika ended her encouraging words. Not that she’s confident in her conjectures, she just said something to reassure Alisa.

“You’re right.”

Alisa didn’t continue questioning the assertions, undoubtedly because she understood Marika’s feelings.

◇ ◇ ◇

This is the second day in a row where the two have gone into the city to ‘buy necessary things’. The day before they purchased groceries and daily necessities at a nearby shop. Today, on the other hand, the goal is to buy clothes and accessories. Just like typical girls, Marika and Alisa have been excited ever since they left the apartment.

The closest shopping district to their house is in Asakusa, but Ueno and Kanda are not far away either. Nihonbashi is also easily within walking distance. Alisa has been living here for 2 years already, but for Marika, who only just came from a town in Hokkaido that could never be described as a city, this was a situation where it was impossible for her not to be excited.

To start, Alisa took Marika to a fashion shop in Asakusa.

“...Eeh~, Alisa, do you always buy your undies here?”

“Mina, you’re being too loud...”

“Ah, sorry. So you don’t shop online, huh?”

Marika didn’t seem very remorseful, but she still whispered her follow-up question.

“I sometimes buy online, but sometimes you need specialists to measure the bras... Since we’re on how growth period.”

“I see. So it’s difficult for you to ask your stepmother, huh?”

“It’s not related to that. Having a specialist do the fitting is completely different. Even if the size is the same number, there’s other differences depending on the item, like the cup shape.”

“Really? Then maybe I should do it too.”

“It’s too expensive to do it every time, but I think it’s better to do it sometimes.”

“Then, let’s go in right now!”

“Eh, we’re buying!?”

Today, Alisa’s plan was to show Marika around — window shopping, or just checking the prices — so when Alisa saw her push the button next to the 3D sample to call the shopkeeper, she involuntarily raised her voice.

“It’s to celebrate. Celebrate my first date with Alisa in Tokyo!”

“Date... Geez, Mina, what are you saying.”

The stumped Alisa was left behind while Marika asked the shopkeeper to try on some clothes. Afterwards, Marika took Alisa’s hand and pulled her into the dressing room.

At the lingerie store, they bought matching underwear — of different sizes — and afterwards they continued to put on whatever clothes caught their eyes on each other — other than underwear. Just to be clear. — and enjoyed their window shopping until evening. They also went to Ueno, not just Asakusa, but unfortunately there was not enough time to go to Nihonbashi.

They returned to Marika’s apartment after 6pm.

Alisa’s stepmother had agreed that Alisa could stay the night at Marika’s when she left her house. Even so, Alisa called the Juumonji Family and once again asked for permission to stay just to make sure.

“Asha. Which do you want first, bath or food?”

Marika gives out a comedy skit line. For Marika it was a simple question, but Alisa unexpectedly chuckled. With that reaction, Marika also noticed her line could be misunderstood as an invitation and let out a strained laugh.

“So ‘me’ isn’t an option?”

“If it’s embarrassing you don’t have to go and say it... How about preparing dinner first? I’m starving.”

“Ahaha... Then let’s make it together.”

After Alisa pointed it out, Marika’s slightly blushed and she let out a dry laugh, obviously to hide her own embarrassment.

Marika took a bath first and was now wearing a bra and the matching panties she just bought.

Alisa didn’t criticize Marika for staying in her underwear. There’s only the two of them in the room right now. She’s not thickheaded to the point of telling her that it’s ‘improper’ when nobody else is watching.

“And with this, these are inaugurated!”

But it was somewhat surprising. Good shops will keep their products perfectly sterile so there’s nothing wrong with putting on clothes you just bought. It’s not like it’s something high-class you can’t use every day. But she just had to wonder if there was a need to use underwear for the first time when she’s not going anywhere afterwards.

“And since we've gone through all that.”

“All that? What are you talking about?”

“You too, Asha, here.”

Marika took out Alisa’s goods from the shopping bag.

“Me too?”

“Yeah.”

Marika nodded at Alisa with a pleasant smile.

“Okay then...”

It’s not something even Alisa would refuse. She obediently took the bra and panties and went into the bathroom.

When Alisa re-emerged from the bathroom, Marika had still not worn loungewear nor pajamas.

She’s still in her underwear.

“Mina, aren’t you cold?”

It was the first few days of the month of April. The apartment doesn’t have heating. Even if they are indoors, you’d generally be cold in just your underwear.

“Not really.”

But Marika, with a calm smile, shook her head.

“It’s not as cold as home.”

By “home”, Marika referred to the Tookami Family house in Hokkaido. The Tookami Family lives in S Town, in the southwestern part of Hokkaido, where the winters are not very intense and the snow not so dense.

But there’s more than that about Hokkaido. Even when March ends the snow remains, so coats or jackets are required to go outside.

On the flipside, the insultation in her home is excellent. At least for indoors, it’s about equal to the rental apartments in Tokyo, or at least Alisa thinks so.

“Mina... You’re going to catch a cold if you’re not careful.”

While saying that, Alisa opened Marika’s wardrobe. They arranged it together so she knew where and what was in it. She took out Marika’s light lemon yellow pajamas and gave them to her. If her old tastes haven’t changed, these colored pajamas are her favorite.

“Thank you. You remembered my favorite color.”

Marika happily accepted the pajamas.

But when Alisa took her own pajamas out of her small Boston bag and turned around, Marika had still not put her pajamas yet.

“Why aren’t you putting them on?”

Alisa realized then that Marika had something on her mind.

“Asha, come here.”

— Apparently, it wasn’t very important.

Marika pulled Alisa until they stood in front of a full-length mirror.

“Yup, we’re matching”

Marika smiled, looked happy when she saw herself and Alisa in front of the mirror

“My body doesn’t look good as yours though.”

The very next moment, Marika complained with a tone of voice that revealed her frustration.

“I should be the one saying that. Our waists are not that different, but your chest is way bigger, isn’t it?”

Alisa used the same tone as Marika in her retort.

“It’s good to have a moderately sized chest! If they’re too big your movement gets slower, your shoulders are always stiff, cute clothes lose their shape and can’t be worn anymore, and there’s lots more bad things!”

A burning hot light dwells in Marika’s yes as she gets closer to Alisa.

Pressured by the intense heat, Alisa could only vaguely say “I-I see...”

“In that regard, you have just the right chest size and thin legs... I’m so jealous. I want you to take some meat off my thighs...”

Alisa knew Marika has a complex about her thighs. It became apparent that it hadn’t been resolved in the past two years. From an objective standpoint, Marika’s legs are not thick at all, but complexes on body shape cannot be resolved with objectivity. In addition, society deals in relatives, not absolutes.

“Why did we get matching underwear instead of matching skirts or cardigans?”

Sensing the upcoming crisis if the discussion about they figure continues, Alisa abruptly changed the topic. — Marika’s expression gradually became more suspicious.

“Eh?...Because, the uniforms, they’re equal from the start, right? So isn’t there just bras and panties left?”

That’s the reason? Alisa so thought, but didn’t voice it.

If she had let that out, Marika would have suffered a shock, and Alisa was actually a little happy.

If neglected, Marika would have probably stayed in her underwear all night, but since Alisa was seriously concerned about a potential cold, she insisted that she put on her pajamas. Alisa herself was also finally able to put on hers.

This is a room for one person, so naturally the bed is for one person as well. There’s also no extra futon to lay out on the floor. Having run out of options, one of them would sleep directly on the carpet, or so Alisa thought.

“Sorry to bother you...”

“No, no, please come in.”

Marika was first to get in bed, and Alisa is about to slip in to join her.

Marika raised the cover and urged Alisa to enter quickly.

“...This really is too tight.”

They’re two girls, but even so it is a bed for one. And neither of them is small for women standards. Alisa is 165 centimeters tall. Marika, though not quite as tall, is still 160 centimeters. Also, while Alisa is slender, Marika has a glamorous figure that would not be out of place in gravure. Just as Alisa said, this bed is slightly too small for the two.

“We’ll fit if we do this.”

“Eh!?”

Marika suddenly embraced Alisa. She put her arms around Alisa, like she was a pillow, and intertwined their legs.

“Hang on, Mina!”

Alisa spoke with a sharp tone, but didn’t try to escape from Marika’s arms, and even if she had said something stronger, it wouldn’t have gone through to Marika.

“Ehehe, Asha...”

Smiling like a young child, Marika spoke with a mellow voice. 

“— If you do anything weird, I’m pushing you off.”

With a voice of resignation, Alisa quickly surrendered.

“What about a goodnight kiss?”

“No.”

“What about rubbing cheeks?”

“No to that too.”

“So stingy. Then we’ll stay like this.”

Marika shifted her position and buried her face in Alisa’s shoulder.

A smile that said ‘can’t be helped’ appeared on Alisa’s face, before adjusting her own position sideways and gently hugging Marika.

— Incidentally, Marika’s side of the bed is against a wall, so no matter what Alisa does she won’t fall off.

— When they woke early in the morning, they had changed their positions, with Marika clinging to Alisa from behind.