Chapter 1395. School Festival Day 2 / Kreutzer Sonata

「 Why not? If you want to come then just go 」

Edie smiles.

「 I messed up the final round of the tournament the other day so I think that it would be good for Rodulfo-san, Poron-san, and Jun-san to settle the score today 」

Margo-san said.

Oh right, in the last tournament, Margo-san beat all the finalists in that division by all by herself.

「 I’m not participating today 」

Margo-san said. The three open-weight competitors;

「 That’s unfortunate that Margo can’t participate 」

「 Right, I think we should make it clear who’s the best among us three 」

「 I don’t mind going at the same time 」

Grace Marinka, or Onoe Jun-san, Rodulfo Seiko-san, and Daiporon Karisman-san stare at each other.

「 However, we’re having a high school tournament on the high school festival today, so you may have a better career as fighters, you girls will have to be in the exhibition match first 」

Margo-san told them.

「 That’s good 」

「 I don’t mind, we just forced our way in 」

「 I don’t mind it either 」

The three agreed.

「 W-Wait, what about me? Who will I fight? 」

Monkey Mimi-san’s the only one from a different division, so she asks Edie and Margo-san.

「 Mimi-san has to fight against the high schoolers 」

Margo-san looked at Edie.

In the weight division, she’s in the same class as Kudou Haruka-san, but..

If I recall, Mimi-san’s 26, so her physique is more of an adult.

「 Wouldn’t it be easier to make it a battle between four players, including Mimi instead of three? 」

Edie said.

「 Either way, we’re just having fun in a school swimsuit judo tournament, so we can just fight ignoring divisions or anything 」

「 Right, Jun-san, Rodulfo-san, and Poron-san are all heavier than Mimi when it’s unlimited, but Mimi-san, is there anyone you want to face in particular? 」

Margo-san asks Mimi-san, and her eyes sparkled.

「 I want to slap Rodulfo Seiko’s face at least once 」

Right..

「 I don’t have a problem with it. I always train with Poron in our dojo

「 Right, I want to see Mimi-san try to beat up Seiko 」

Poron-san’s provoking with her fake Kyoto dialect as usual.

「 I don’t mind it either. I’m also accustomed to educating the little ones at the gym since I teach Haruko and the kids in the lower ranks every day. I’ll crush you as hard as I can! 」

Rodulfo Seiko-san smiles.

「 Then, our exhibition match would be Mimi-san vs Rodulfo-san, then Jun-san vs Porn-san, and whoever wins will play in the finals, good? 」

「 Good 」

「 Then, let’s go with that 」

「 I’ll beat you hard! 」

「 I won’t hold back either!! 」

Now the match of the adult players has been decided.

「 Then, we’ll call this the beauty witch league 」

historical

「 Edie, tell Mori-san to change. That guy’s a professional in martial arts shows so he’s used to changing the fights at these sites 」

「 Okay 」

Margo-san said, Edie replies.

「 U-Uhm, can you tell me more about the match? 」

The idol, Saito Yuki-san, serving as the assistant of the host, asks Edie.

「 Wait a bit, I’ll explain it all when Nei gets here 」

Edie said and dashed towards the Burnham woods sports video’s car.

「 Geez, does that mean that our matches will also change? 」

Kudou Haruka complains as she watches Edie’s back get smaller.

「 The original plan was Edie vs Line Haruko-san and Onoe Jun-san vs Maria and me 」

「 Huh, it was one versus two? 」

Haruka said, Saito-san’s surprised.

「 I don’t even know if our tag team could beat Onoe-san, as she’s hard-hitting and powerful 」

Kudou Haruka looked at Grace Marinka-san and said.

That confident Kudou Haruka’s speaking so humbly, I guess that’s because she’s competed against Grace-san in the joint training since she came to our place.

「 I’m okay doing two matches 」

Grace-san speaks.

「 It’s common in pro wrestling. 」

She’s young and beautiful, and on top of that, unusually strong and popular, in weak women’s wrestling organization, she’s set up for several matches as if she were a bully.

Even so, what’s great about Grace Marinka-san is that she can beat any opponent with her strong body.

「 It’s not fair for you to be on TV for two games! 」

「 That’s right, I agree with her 」

The two from Tommy Ashida Dojo, Mimi-san and Poron-san complain.

「 Well, I’m sure that Edie will come up with an idea for that 」

Margo-san’s letting Edie take care of the whole tournament today.

Then.

「 Now you know that we have a connection to the entertainment industry, right? 」

Margo-san asks Igarashi Izumi-san who had been walking with us.

Igarashi-san doubted that Marika was acquainted with Rei-chan.

「 Jasmine-chan didn’t lie to Matsumoto Maki-san. Oh, there’s Reika-san 」

Huh?

Looking at where Margo-san’s gazing..

Rei-chan in her civilian clothes comes from the school gate.

「 Hey, it’s Fujimiya Reika! 」

「 Ooh, she’s here again! Fujimiya Reika 」

「 She came to the school just the other day, right? 」

「 You’re looking at the real Fujimiya Reika 」

The students immediately noticed Rei-chan.

Rei-chan’s no longer disguising herself with a hat and sunglasses like when she was driving the car earlier.

She’s not dressed up in her English suit and tie like before, but she’s still brilliant and gorgeous.

The tall and well-styled Rei-chan looks good in this kind of figure.

And of course, Rei-chan’s holding her cane.

「 Hello! You’re not wearing your usual uniform 」

「 But, it looks cool 」

「 Yeah, so Fujimiya Reika wears civilian clothes like that. 」

I see. They only know Rei-chan since she started appearing on TV.

Their only impression of Rei-chan is when she wears that captain uniform from Kouzuki SS.

「 We asked a doctor from the Kouzuki Memorial hospital to be the ring doctor so I came by to say hello 」

Rei-chan tells me with a refreshing smile.

To the students, it looks like she’s reporting to Margo-san, not me.

「 I’m off-duty today, but I still need to dress up properly when I meet someone in the Kouzuki group 」

Rei-chan’s smile is dignified and cool.

Yeah, Rei-chan’s got her status as a top elite bodyguard.

The Kouzuki memorial hospital is the hospital where Jii-chan and other people from the noble families get examined, so the doctors there must be acquainted with Rei-chan during her work.

「 Thank you, Reika-oneesama 」

Margo-san thanked Rei-chan as the representative of the tournament.

「 Hello, Marika-san, Erica-san. Marika-san seems to have brought her friends today 」

The people in Marika’s school think that Rei-chan’s a relative of Marika.

Rei-chan talks to Marika with a friendly tone, like they’re relatives.

Matsumoto-san, the elder, is wearing the same uniform as Marika, so you can tell that she’s in the same school.

「 Yes, this is my precious friend, Matsumoto Maki-san, and her sister, Miki-san.

「 H-Hello, I’m Matsumoto Maki 」

「 Her sister, Miki 」

Marika introduced the Matsumoto siblings and they bowed to Rei-chan nervously.

「 And that one? 」

Rei-chan looked at Igarashi Izumi

Igarashi Izumi’s wearing the same school uniform, but she’s wearing a leather jacket on top.

「 I-I’m I-Igarashi Izumi 」

「 Is that so? Marika-san’s been in your care 」

Rei-chan smiled and thanked her.

That figure looks gorgeous too.

Then, Rei-chan speaks to me.

「 The next delivery has arrived. They’re preparing for the next one over there. Katsuko-san and Ruriko-sama are in touch so there should be no problems 」

While I was away from the bakery, Rei-chan carried the pastries Ruriko and Agnes made from the mansion.

Then, the girls in the mansion continue making the next batch.

「 Okay, thanks 」

I thanked her too.

「 So, how’s the job? 」

Rei-chan asks Kurose Anju.

She just became my bodyguard.

「 No, uhm, I feel like I’m already busy trying not to be an obstacle 」

Kurose Anju replies.

I like that honest personality of hers.

「 That’s a good start, good luck 」

「 Yes, thank you 」

Rei-chan encourages her, and Kurose Anju’s face loosened up.

「 Well, since Reika-san’s already here, why don’t we baton pass to her now? 」

Margo-san?

「 I think I should stay here as the coordinator 」

Yeah, Edie’s school swimsuit judo tournament has a lot of changes needed.

Even the broadcast staff issue wasn’t resolved without Margo-san’s input.

Besides, Sugimura from earlier is gone now, but there could be some more weird guys from TV trying to interrupt the show.

「 I think that it’ll be easier for Edie just from seeing that I’m around 」

Edie’s going to be in charge of running the whole convention but Margo-san’s in charge on top of that to make sure everything goes smoothly.

「 I’m free for a while 」

Rei-chan has time before she delivers the next pastry from the mansion.

「 Why don’t you take the girls to the music room and hear the sisters play? Frankly, classical music is too much for me, and Reika-oneesan’s much better at it, right? 」

Margo-san knows more about jazz or rock music if you ask me.

Rei-chan likes the old British culture and often goes to classical music concerts as part of her job as a bodyguard.

「 I’m not that knowledgeable when it comes to making music critique however 」

「 But still, if you could, Onee-san 」

Margo-san smiled.

「 Okay, if you ask. Let’s go. Where’s the music room 」

「 This way? 」

I’m the only one here who knows the location of the music room since I’m a student.

I guided everyone to the school building.

「 Saito-san and Manager-san, come with me, I’ll introduce you to Mori-san 」

「 Yes, please take care of me! 」

Margo-san walks towards Mori-san of Burnham Woods Sports Video with Saito Yuki and her manager, Fujimori-san.

◇　◇　◇

Apart from Margo-san and Rei-chan swapping.

The members of the group remained the same, Mariko, Tsukiko, Kurose Anju, Marika, Erica, the Matsumoto Siblings, Igarashi Izumi, and me.

We’re walking in the school building

「 Fujimiya Reika! 」

「 No way! 」

「 She looks thinner than on TV! 」

「 Wow, so cool! 」

Rei-chan’s appearance surprised the students and visitors outside who came to visit the school festival.

I mean, since Rei-chan came to the schoolyard, more than ten spectators followed us, entering the school building, and more followed on the way.

「 Reika-oneesama’s so popular 」

Mariko said.

I..

「 You’ve been quiet outside, Mariko 」

Usually, Mariko doesn’t read the mood and just speaks up, but..

It was strange that she’s been quiet since Margo-san dealt with the TV crew and such.

「 That’s because Margo-oneesama’s scary 」

Margo-san’s scary?

「 She’s smiling all the time, but I feel like if she gets angry, she’ll be the scariest person I’ve ever met. That’s why I just kept quiet 」

Oh, Margo-san’s master is Kyouko-san after all.

If you think naively and be careless in front of her, she’ll take it out on you that it won’t be a joke anymore.

「 We’ve been together for long already so I know 」

Mariko, together for long?

It’s only been a month since we’ve met.

While we were talking, we arrived at the music room at the back of the third floor of the west school building.

「 Excuse me 」

I knocked on the music room door as a student of this school.

The music clubs are playing in the auditorium right now so..

This music room should be just a waiting room for now.

「 Yes? What? Woah, it’s Fujimiya Reika! 」

A student comes out of the music room door and is surprised.

「 Hello. Can we come in? 」

Rei-chan smiles.

「 I believe Margo Starkweather-san was a graduate of this school, and she asked Otani-san, the music teacher to use the room for a bit. 」

Rei-chan knows about that.

That just means that she was listening to the conversation in the school cafeteria from the mansion.

You can monitor everything in the school from there.

「 Uhm, Ootani-sensei went somewhere else after hearing that Margo-san senpai is coming 」

The schoolgirl who opened the door replied.

Oh, Margo-san had an incident with him in the past.

That’s why he escaped from the music room so he doesn’t meet her.

「 That’s unfortunate. Margo-san’s in the schoolyard, preparing for the martial arts tournament at three, that’s why I came here in her stead 」

「 Uhm, why don’t we go inside first? 」

Mariko tells the girl after seeing the spectators continue to increase.

「 Ah, yes. Osaki-senpai, is that okay? It’s Fujimiya Reika-san 」

The schoolgirl asks permission from the senior student inside the room.

「 I don’t get what’s going on but please, come in 」

A girl with glasses and braids come out from the back and told us.

「 Then, excuse us 」

「 Excuse 」

Rei-chan goes first and our group went inside

There are about fifteen girls in the room.

「 Wow, it’s Fujimiya Reika 」

「 The real one?! 」

They started cheering, even inside the room.

「 Oh, only until the girl over there. Everyone else is irrelevant 」

As soon as Kurose Anju, the last one in our group enters the room, Mariko tells Osaki-san

「 Hey, Osaki, let us in too! 」

One of the onlooker guys told her but..

「 No, no unrelated people inside! 」

Then, Osaki-san closed the door.

「 I’m the head of the choir club, Osaki Zenko 」

Osaki-san greeted Rei-chan.

「 Good Day, I’m Fujimiya Reika from Kouzuki SS 」

「 I know about Fujimiya-san 」

Well, nearly everyone in Japan already knows her.

「 So, what’s your business in the music room? 」

Osaki-san asks us.

「 Well, can you do the explaining? 」

Rei-chan passes the baton to me

「 Uhm, well it’s a little complicated but the short version is that we want to borrow the piano 」

「 The piano? 」

Osaki-san’s surprised.

「 Well, that’s because we just have to hear Matsumoto-san’s performance 」

「 She’s not a student of our school, why would we make her play the piano in our music room? 」

Osaki-san speaks harshly, but..

「 Osaki-san, lets them, look at their uniform 」

「 I-I know about them, it’s the uniform of that famous music high school 」

「 Uhm, my cousin tried applying for it but she failed 」

「 Their performance must be on a high level 」

Marika’s school seems to be well known among the students who do music in our school.

「 This is Matsumoto Maki-san, she’s the top one in our school’s piano department 」

Marika speaks proudly.

「 We just need her to play one song, please 」

I bow my head to Osaki-san

「 Just one, okay? I understand, please go ahead 」

Osaki-san reluctantly agreed.

「 Then, I will borrow 」

Matsumoto-san, the elder, bows her head to the choir club girls.

Then.

「 Miki-san, let’s play together 」

She tells her sister

「 Yes.. 」

Matsumoto Miki-san goes with her sister to the piano, carrying her violin case with great care.

Matsumoto Maki-san opens the piano and started preparing for her performance.

Miki-san also opened her case and took her violin.

「 Wow, that looks expensive 」

One of the choir girls saw Miki-san’s violin and said.

Maki-san presses a piano key and it makes a sound.

Miki-san also makes a light flick to check the tune.

「 Piano’s tuned 」

Marika tells me after hearing Maki-san testing it.

Marika’s also playing piano so she can tell just from hearing that.

「 Are we ready, Miki? 」

「 Yes, Nee-san 」

The siblings are ready to play.

「 So, what are you playing? 」

Mariko asks the Matsumoto siblings.

「 We will play the first movement of Kreutzer Sonata. Is that okay, Miki? 」

「 Yes!! 」

The siblings said.

「 Kreutzer Sonata? You two?! 」

Osaki-san speaks up in surprise.

「 Quiet, they’re about to start 」

Rei-chan stopped Osaki-san.

Then,

The Matsumoto siblings started playing.

Kyuuuun!

Miki-san’s violin suddenly vibrates.

We’re drawn into the performance just from that.

That’s not a middle-school performance.

This girl’s amazing.

Tan, tantan, tototouun, touun!

Maki-san’s piano follows the violin.

The quality of their music tells that they’re no amateur, even I can tell.

Then, their music gradually grows intense.

This is too amazing.

The Matsumoto siblings are in perfect harmony.

Their piano and violin compete at a high level.

The intense flood of music coming from the sisters envelops the music room.

◇　◇　◇

Toutoutou, tan, tan

Before long, the performance finished.

We couldn’t move for a while due to the trailing note, but..

「 Wow, that was amazing! 」

The choir member who opened the door stood up and clapped.

Everyone also stood up and clapped for the Matsumoto siblings.

「 I never thought that it would be this amazing 」

「 It’s a performance that’s over ten minutes long after all 」

「 Yeah, it surprised me 」

Ten minutes?

Hearing that from the choir members, I looked up at the clock inside the room in surprise.

True, ten minutes have passed.

I didn’t think that it would be that long when I was listening.

「 Matsumoto-san, that was amazing 」

Mariko applauses for the siblings.

「 Yes, that was amazing. It’s impressive 」

I said. Then, Marika smiled happily

「 That was even more than expected 」

The head of the choir club, Osaki-san, recognizes the Matsumoto siblings’ skills.

Then.

「 Kreutzer Sonata was composed by Beethoven, but it’s also the title of the novel by Tolstoy 」

Behind us, from the entrance to the music room.

It’s a familiar voice.

「 It’s about a Russian duke, who heard his wife and his friend play the Kreutzer Sonata, and he became convinced that they were having an affair 」

Minaho-neesan?