Chapter 28: Just Smiling
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28: Just Smiling
The President, who had gone into the restroom inside the tourist information center, came out about five minutes later.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I was just looking at a map of the Asakusa area."
As I said this and pointed to the large map on the bulletin board in front of the information center, the President peered at it with a curious expression.
The map showed a condensed version of the path we had walked, centered around Sensoji Temple, Asakusa's main landmark.
"Come to think of it, I heard there's a famous promenade around here."
"Shall we go for a walk there after we're done picking out gifts?"
"That sounds lovely. It's just the right time for the wisteria to be in bloom."
When people think of flower viewing in Japan, cherry blossoms are usually the first to come to mind, but the wisteria that blooms from April to May is just as beautiful.
The sight of purple flowers hanging in heavy clusters along a path is quite a spectacle.
We chatted amiably as we headed to our final destination, a kimono shop in Asakusa.
*
The kimono shop was located inside an arcade shopping street, a short distance from Sensoji Temple in the heart of Asakusa.
With bolts of colorful fabric hanging outside like noren curtains, it had the distinct feel of a traditional fabric shop.
Creeak—
"Excuse me."
I slid open the door and stepped into the old-fashioned shop, where a middle-aged shop owner, who was tending the counter, greeted us.
"Oh my, what are you students here to buy?"
The President tapped her fan against her palm and said, "I'd like to see some kimonos and yukatas. Price is no object, so please bring out the best you have in the shop."
The shop owner flinched at her words, then let out a little "ohoho" laugh and stood up.
"If that's the case, please wait just a moment~"
As the owner began rummaging through a chest of drawers behind the counter, the President turned to me and asked, "What color do you think would suit a foreigner?"
I stroked my chin and replied, "The color that suits someone best really depends on the person. I think a simple, classic color would be the safest bet. Something like black, white, or maybe blue?"
"Hmm. Then let's take a look at them in person and pick out a few of the best-looking ones."
Soon, the kimono shop owner returned from the drawers with five boxes woven from bamboo.
Placing them on the table, the owner explained their contents.
"These three are kimonos, and these two are yukatas. Of course, the price of clothing can vary wildly, but unless it's a custom order, the best ready-made kimono in our shop costs about 500,000 yen. The yukatas are a bit cheaper than that."
With that explanation, she opened the first box. Inside was a black kimono embroidered with a brilliant floral pattern.
It was clear that its quality was on a completely different level from mid-range kimonos.
However, the President, who has a discerning eye for these things, seemed slightly dissatisfied and pointed to the next box with her fan.
"May I see the next one?"
"Of course."
From the second box emerged a beautiful kimono of white fabric with plum blossoms embroidered in gold thread.
Unlike the black kimono we had just seen, this one had a sense of restrained beauty.
This one seemed to be to the President's liking, as the stern expression on her face softened slightly.
But it seemed she wanted to see everything before making a decision, so she promptly asked the owner to open the next one.
And so it went, one after another.
After examining all five types of kimonos and yukatas, the President finally selected two.
The white kimono she had liked from the start, and a slightly more modest yukata with a blue background and a pattern of morning glories.
To be honest, they both looked beautiful to me, but the President wore an expression of intense deliberation.
As her indecision seemed likely to drag on, the shop owner, who had been watching from the side, offered a clever suggestion.
"Miss, if you're having so much trouble deciding, why don't you try them on yourself?"
"What? Me?"
"Even if it's a gift, when you can't decide what to buy, it's not a bad idea to try it on."
It was a rather tempting suggestion. The President hesitated for a moment before asking me, "What do you think, Kim Yoo-Sung?"
I hadn't expected the question to be turned on me, but it didn't sound like a bad idea.
"Wouldn't trying them on help you decide?"
At that, the President nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Fufu, very well then. I'll try them on."
"Then please come this way. There's an empty room inside."
The President followed the shop owner's lead and entered an empty room in the back of the shop.
Putting on a kimono would probably take a while, so I figured I'd play a game on my phone for a bit.
*
"Welcome, my lady."
"Eek!"
Saionji Kumiko, who had followed the shop owner into the empty room, jumped in surprise at the sight of Minami, who had been waiting there for some time.
"M-Minami, how did you get here?"
"While you were buying us some time, my lady, I came and rented the shop for an hour. It was possible because the owner graciously agreed."
"Fufu, it's my first time acting, but it's quite fun."
"You are doing very well, so please continue just as you are."
The two conversed casually, as if they had already coordinated everything.
Watching them, Kumiko covered her mouth with her fan and said, "Then the suggestion to try on the kimono was also...!"
"I guided the conversation that way. It seems you didn't notice, my lady."
"Kuh! You're right, I didn't notice at all."
As Kumiko clenched her fists with a look of frustration, the shop owner beside her placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Now, now, we don't have much time. Your boyfriend waiting outside must be getting impatient, don't you think?"
"W-w-w-what! He and I are not in that kind of relationship yet!"
"Ah, yet. Ohoho. How adorable."
The shop owner, who had been acting so naturally outside, covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled. Kumiko's face turned as red as a tomato.
Led by the shop owner's hand to stand before a mirror, Minami gave a slight bow and placed her hands on Kumiko's body.
"Now then, my lady. Excuse me."
"Auntie will make you look as pretty as possible."
"Kyaa! Not there!"
Rustle! Rustle!
*
Creeak!
At the long-awaited sound of the door opening, I lifted my gaze from my phone screen.
And I found myself holding my breath.
"H-how do I look?"
The President asked, her gaze slightly averted as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
But I couldn't answer her question right away.
Because the sight of the President in a kimono was beyond anything I could have imagined.
Golden plum blossoms were embroidered along the white cuffs of the sleeves.
The obi, tied around her waist to keep the kimono from coming loose, added a splash of red to the otherwise white garment, making it look even more beautiful.
And the finishing touch was the President's delicate features.
Her long, black hair, cut straight like that of a princess from a bygone era, scattered beautifully against the white kimono.
Her lips, perhaps touched with rouge, were redder than usual, creating a captivating contrast with her naturally pale skin.
"...You look beautiful."
The words came out after a long moment of deliberation.
Honestly, no better word came to mind.
Just as the thought, 'I wish she would dress like this all the time,' unconsciously crossed my mind—
"I-is that so?"
The President nodded, her face blushing. Then, as if to hide her embarrassment, she snapped open her black fan and let out her usual laugh.
"Ohohohoho! I usually hide my power, you see, but when I get serious, this is the result!"
Only then did I feel like she was back to the President I knew. I clapped my hands in response.
"You're amazing, President."
"Excellent! I'll go change into the yukata now, so just wait a moment!"
The President pointed her fan at me, then scurried back into the room.
I watched her familiar back with a wry smile, then immersed myself in my phone game again as I waited for her to change.
*
Saionji Kumiko had thought one thing.
If she showed him how she looked in a kimono, Kim Yoo-Sung would surely fall for her.
She was that confident in her own beauty. Without a moment's hesitation, she had opened the sliding paper door and stepped out before him.
But the moment their eyes met, her mind went completely blank.
Just before she came out, she had thought of all sorts of flirtatious lines, but when she tried to say them, nothing came to mind.
It felt as if her brain had become a blank sheet of paper.
Averting Kim Yoo-Sung's gaze, she barely managed to utter a single phrase.
"H-how do I look?"
But whether her voice was too quiet or he needed time to think, Kim Yoo-Sung didn't reply.
Does it look bad? Was I the only one who thought I looked pretty? What if he says it doesn't suit me?
In that fleeting moment, all sorts of negative thoughts raced through Kumiko's mind.
"...You look beautiful."
With that one phrase Kim Yoo-Sung finally managed to say, all her worries melted away like snow.
"I-is that so?"
Her face grew hot.
She hadn't done anything, yet it felt as if the heat in the entire shop had been turned up, her whole body flushing with warmth.
Just like that day...
The day she had reunited with Kim Yoo-Sung under the pretext of scouting him for the student council, an undeniable feeling of affection threatened to surface on her expression.
"Ohohohoho! I usually hide my power, you see, but when I get serious, this is the result!"
That's why she hid her face with her fan.
She no longer had the confidence to face him.
"You're amazing, President."
"Excellent! I'll go change into the yukata now, so just wait a moment!"
Creeak!
Thump!
Escaping his gaze, Kumiko quickly hid herself behind the sliding door. She pressed both hands to her flushed cheeks and murmured.
"What am I going to do..."
Saionji Kumiko, a direct descendant of the great Saionji family and the student council president of Ichijo Academy, was now—
Caught in the fever called love.