Tsukimigatari - Chapter 4

[holistar]

Location: Starmony Dorm Courtyard

Makoto: Hello Otogari-kun~ I’m here for the tea ceremony.

Adonis: Thanks for coming, Yuuki.

Koga: Hey Wimpy Glasses! You’re late!

Makoto: E-Eh!? But I arrived before the time we planned to meet!?

...Oh, Nito-senpai is here too! Oh no, I’m sorry! You guys were waiting for me, weren’t you?

Nazuna: I-It’s fine…But hurry up and sit down, I don’t know if I can wait any longer...

Makoto: Huh? You and Oogami-kun look pale…? What happened?

Nazuna: M-My legs are ashleep...

Adonis: Hm? I had thought you two weren’t talking much, is that why?

Koga: Yes, damn it!

Adonis: You don’t have to be so formal. Relax your legs. I’m trying to entertain you, not make you suffer.

Nazuna: Thanks Ado-chin… Koga-chin, let’s take him up on that and get more comfortable.

Agh! ...My legs are still asleep~!

Koga: Guaaa~a...

Adonis: Are you two alright? At first I was also not good at sitting in seiza¹, so I understand how you’re feeling.

Are your legs really that numb?

Koga: Gyah! Don’t poke my legs while sayin’ you understand how it feels! It hurts!

Adonis: I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was that painful for you two.

Makoto: Ahaha...this is turning into a disaster, but maybe it’s a little refreshing to see you like this, Oogami-kun.

Koga: Damn it~ Can’t you sympathize with other people’s problems!? I’d love to give you a rolling sobat², but my legs are asleep~!

Makoto: What’s with that crazy look in your eyes!? I’m so glad your legs are numb...

Adonis: Oogami, it’s not good to blow off steam with violence.

Ah, Yuuki please sit down comfortably too.

Makoto: Oh, okay! I’ll just switch to seiza when it’s time for tea.

Adonis: Now that we’re all here, let’s begin³.

…...

Makoto: (Whispering) Wow… There’s hardly a sound. It’s so quiet.

Koga: (Whispering) He’s goin’ real slow and wipin’ down his tools one by one~ It’d be a lot faster to just put some elbow grease into it.

Nazuna: (Whispering) Koga-chin, you totally don’t understand the spirit of the tea ceremony~ Ado-chin is doing fine.

Makoto: (Whispering) Oh? Nito-senpai, do you know a lot about tea?

Nazuna: (Whispering) Eh? No, not at all… I read up on the etiquette on the internet since Ado-chin invited me.

Koga: (Whispering) What. I thought you knew all about this stuff.

(Whispering) For someone who said he had no confidence, Adonis is actually lookin’ pretty damn good.

Nazuna: (Whispering) Yup. He practiced a lot~

(Whispering) We were told to relax our legs, but it still feels so authentic that it’s making me nervous… What do I do?

Uwa!? He’s offering me the tea bowl but…M-Me!? I’m the first one!?

T-T-Thank you, I’ll take the bowl…!

(Umm, u-um? I’m so nervous I can’t think straight…! What else did I read on the internet?)

(Ah! Right. I’ll move the tea bowl so my lips don’t touch the front when I drink—)

(But with this simple bowl it’s hard to tell where the front is...!)

(Gotta calm down~ Just think it through, the front was probably facing me when I took the bowl, so if I turn it...)

T-Thank you for the tea… (gulp)

(Agh!? I-It’s bitter…!)

(Is tea really this bitter!? Matcha flavored things are way more sweet!)

(Gulp)

(Uu~... I expected it to be sweet so it feels even more bitter~)

U-Um. Ado-chin, that was... delicious.

Adonis: Fufu. Don’t worry about it, bitter is written all over your face.

Nazuna: Eh!? N-No, not at all?

Adonis: The first time I drank it I honestly thought it was bitter too.

But after having it a few times, I began to realize the delicious flavor in the bitterness.

Then I started to find the bitter flavor delicious. It’s strange, isn’t it?

Nazuna: Eh~ Really? The world of tea is really deep~

Adonis: Yes. I find it interesting that there’s always something new to discover, no matter how many times I drink it. It’s the same as your studies at college.

Speaking of college, have you made progress on your report?

Nazuna: Nn~ Well, I’m making progress little by little. I think I can finish by the due date.

Adonis: Is that so?

Makoto: Is this report one of Nito-senpai’s college assignments?

Nazuna: Yep. It’s a report on Japanese customs. I’m doing some research on moon-viewing.

Koga: Oh yeah, I guess it’s that time of year.

Makoto: If that’s how it is, then why don’t we go moon-viewing together? We can all bring dango and sweets.

Adonis: I think that’s a great idea, it sounds like fun… Perhaps we can see it? Fortunately, I have good eyesight.

Makoto: ? What is it?

Adonis: Have you and Oogami heard? Truth is, it seems there’s a rabbit on the moon.

Nazuna: ...Uwah!?

Makoto: Eh!? A rabbit!?

Koga: Ahaha. Adonis, don’t be crazy~ That’s just a stor—

Nazuna: H-Hey Koga-chin!

Koga: Whoa!? T-The hell you doin’? That startled me!

Nazuna: (Whispering) Shh, Koga-chin! I told him that as a joke, but he took it seriously, and now Ado-chin really thinks there’s a rabbit on the moon!

Koga: (Whispering) So it’s you that’s been teachin’ Adonis this weird stuff!

Makoto: (Whispering) U-Umm, but leaving out some of the info like that is… Wouldn’t it have been better to just tell him it’s an old folktale?

Nazuna: (Whispering) I thought about that, but even if it’s a lie it totally cheered Ado-chin up… I just didn’t want him to feel so lonely about the moon-viewing anymore.

Makoto: (Whispering) Lonely?

Nazuna: (Whispering) Anyway, just play along! Please!

(Whispering) When Ado-chin starts to realize it’s not real, I’ll tell him the truth.

Adonis: Hm? Is something wrong with the three of you? What happened?

Koga: I-It’s nothin’~! Don’t worry about it!

A-Anyway. That’s right, the rabbit! There’s a ton of rabbits on the moon~ Ain’t that right? Wimpy Glasses!

Makoto: ...E-Eh!? You’re bringing me into this?

Ah~ Y-Yep, that’s right! There’s a lot of them~ I see them every year!

Adonis: Oh? If that’s the case then I definitely want to see them. I’m looking forward to the moon-viewing♪

Makoto: (W-What have we done! W-What do we do now!?)

¹ The formal way of sitting. You place your knees on the floor and rest your butt on the heels of your feet. The top of your feet should be flat on the floor.
It doesn't sound bad, but doing it for a while isn't pleasant unless you're used to it.

² A jumping, spinning, back kick often seen in wrestling/video games. 

³ The host starts by cleaning their tools (tea bowl, bamboo whisk, etc.) one by one in front of their guests. Then the host prepares a bowl of green tea for the guests by whisking matcha powder and boiling water.
The host does not drink the tea, but everyone else drinks from the same tea bowl, rotating it slightly to avoid putting their mouth on the same place as the last person.