Arc-1 Ep-07

 As we prepare for our debut, the days filled with lessons continue. That said, of course, there are days off as well. During the Golden Week holiday, there was a break with no lessons scheduled. I was sitting on a train, riding a line I’d never taken before. On this day, Nozomi-chan had invited me to her house. And not just that—she proposed we have a pajama party and spend the night.

Naturally, I immediately said yes to the sweet invitation from a beautiful girl. My heart was practically bursting with excitement, and I couldn’t wait for the day to arrive. Even on the train, I was fidgety, unable to calm down, until I finally reached the station where we were to meet.

Nozomi-chan had offered to pick me up by car and take me to her place, but I thought that might be a bit too much to ask.

'Alright, it was the east exit, right…?'

Navigating the unfamiliar station, I tapped my phone at the gate and stepped out into the concourse. After checking the station signs, I exited through the east exit and saw a black luxury car parked at the station’s rotary—a type of car I’d been seeing a lot this year. As I walked toward the car, the rear window rolled down. There, Nozomi-chan greeted me with a smile.

“Good morning, Mikuri-chan♪”

“Good morning, Nozomi-chan♪ Did I keep you waiting?”

“No, it’s fine. We just got here.”

We exchanged words like we were meeting for a date, and then the driver, Mr. Tanaka, got out, opened the door, and took my luggage. It almost felt like I’d become a refined young lady myself.

“Lady Mikuri, allow me to take your luggage.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“No trouble at all. I’ll place it in the trunk. Please, step inside.”

“Y-Yes…”

“...I’ll close the door now, so please be careful.”

I slid into the seat next to Nozomi-chan, and Mr. Tanaka closed the door. As he put my luggage in the trunk and moved to the driver’s seat, Nozomi-chan spoke to me.

“It’s about a fifteen-minute drive from here.”

“Oh, okay… By the way, are you sure it’s okay I didn’t bring any gifts or anything?”

“Yup. My parents won’t be home today, and my brother and sister are staying out overnight too, so it’s all good.”

“I see.”

“It’s just the live-in staff at the house, so you can relax.”

“Got it.”

As we chatted, the car began to move smoothly.

The ride, driven by a professional like Mr. Tanaka, was completely different from my dad’s driving—smooth and comfortable.

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“Ladies, we’ll be arriving shortly.”

While Nozomi-chan and I were giggling and enjoying some girly conversation, Tanaka-san announced we were nearing our destination. Following his voice, I glanced out the window and saw a long, high wall stretching into the distance.

Then, a grand, imposing gate came into view, and the car signaled to turn toward it. The car paused briefly in front of the closed gate, and after Mr. Tanaka fiddled with something, the gate slowly opened.

“Wow…”

As I’d imagined from the outside, the garden was unbelievably vast. The car drove through what could only be described as a rich person’s garden and stopped in front of the entrance to a large, single-story mansion. Tanaka-san got out and opened the rear door on the left side.

“Ladies, please.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tanaka.”

“No trouble at all. I’ll bring your luggage.”

“Come on, Mikuri-chan, this way.”

I stepped out of the car, and Nozomi-chan followed. Leaving Tanaka-san to retrieve the luggage from the trunk, I followed her lead toward the entrance.

“I’m home~!”

“Welcome back, Lady Nozomi.”

“Is that you, Sato-sa ? Let me introduce you. This is Mikuri Kayanuma.”

“I’m Mikuri Kayanuma. Thank you for having me today.”

“My name is Sato. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask, Lady Kayanuma.”

“Y-Yes, thank you.”

“Alright, let’s head to my room.”

As Tanaka-san caught up and handed my luggage to Ms. Sato, I took off my shoes at the entrance. Nozomi-chan, looking excited, took my hand and led me down a long hallway. The mansion, with its air of history, had wide corridors. Careful not to bump into the expensive-looking vases and urns placed here and there, we turned a corner and ran into two women walking toward us.

“Hmph… You’re late, Nozomi.”

“…Big Sister.”

The cheerful mood around Nozomi-chan shifted dramatically. The woman she called “Big Sister” looked a bit older, maybe high school age. I vaguely remembered Nozomi-chan mentioning she had an older sister she wasn’t particularly close with. But honestly, my attention was elsewhere—completely captivated by the face of the other woman standing next to her sister.

“It’s been a while, Nozomi-chan.”

“Yes, it’s been a while, Noriko-san.”

The woman called Noriko was an absolutely stunning beauty, on par with me or Rina Takechi. She was speaking kindly to Nozomi-chan.

“Thank you for the signed poster from Rina-chan. I love it.”

“No, I’m glad you liked it.”

“…Noriko, let’s go already. Nozomi, you’re not going out anymore today, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Good. Then we’ll be borrowing Tanaka-san. …Enjoy your stay.”

“Wait, Kozue—ugh, never mind. …Nozomi-chan, see you next time. Excuse us.”

“Yes.”

Nozomi-chan’s sister, Kozue, gave me a quick glance before leaving with curt words.

The stunning Noriko exchanged greetings with Nozomi-chan, gave me a slight nod, and followed after her.