Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 184, Section 25: "A Glimpse of My Miyako Island Trip: I Am Like an Ancient Thousand Year Old"

"Excuse me, could you please let me pass?"

The sound of shoes scraping against the aquarium floor—what's going on? Asami and Chia walked over with puzzled expressions, the latter grabbing Kaigetsu's wrist.

"Hey, Masumi-kun, where are you going?"

Mami, unaware of the reason, called out to him.

Hearing the girls' questioning voices, and probably feeling that this was inappropriate, Masumi suddenly stopped and turned around to explain.

"I saw something that's bothering me. Wait here for me, I'll be right back."

His calm tone masked a hint of panic and confusion, and he quickly turned and jogged away.

"Oh."

Mami nodded blankly.

Rinne and Kurokawa Mio exchanged a silent glance and, without prior arrangement, chose to follow.

"Hey, Rinne, Mio-neechan? Wait for me."

Qian Ai paused for a moment, then immediately followed the three of them. Her thick-soled sandals, worn during her vacation, made a slightly hurried sound on the floor.

Mami was somewhat stunned by the reactions of the others.

After a pause, she said, "Uh, I'll go too."

"Alright, Xiao Haiyue, come along too."

She reached out and grabbed the jellyfish-like girl who was trembling as she tried to touch the giant crab.

Although she could hardly believe it, she was certain of the voice. Masumi thought to herself.

The suppressed laughter and chatter in the aquarium rose and fell, but he paid no attention. With each step he took, that figure drew closer and closer to him.

An inexplicable anxiety overwhelmed her, and when she pushed through the crowd and saw that familiar figure, Masumi couldn't help but speak.

"Well, please wait."

His call made the girl in the aquarium uniform slowly turn around, her single ponytail tied behind her head drawing a neat arc in mid-air.

The five girls caught up with Masumi and stopped beside him.

"Phew, Masumi-nii walks so fast, what did you see—"

Qian Ai paused halfway through her sentence, her eyes widening in surprise, looking somewhat bewildered.

The girl who came into view was someone I knew all too well.

"Sister Qian Sui..."

Upon hearing the voice, the girl slowly raised her head, narrowing her eyes to the size of a crescent moon, and spoke softly.

"Oh my, isn't this Qian Ai? I never expected to run into her here."

"besides……"

Fixing her gaze on the scene before her, she placed her slender fingers on the rubber band, slowly removed her mask, revealing a charming smile.

A few strands of black hair clung to her face, and the stretched rubber bands swayed the hair around her ears. Every strand of glossy black hair shimmered under the aquarium's dim lights.

"It's been a long time, Masumi."

A faint smile appeared on her lips, like a small ripple quietly rolling up on a calm sea.

Masumi nodded.

"...Long time no see, I am Senior Rugu."

His voice was deep and dry, unlike his usual tone of voice.

◇

I am like a thousand years old, a senior in the light music club at Masumi High School. She can almost be said to be his guide on the road to band. After graduating from high school, she went to Tokyo University of Music.

After Masumi went to Tokyo, the two would meet up from time to time at first, but the number of times became less and less frequent until two years ago when they lost contact for the last time.

Several pairs of eyes met across the air.

Masumi gazed quietly at her face.

She was without makeup, but her skin was still fair and radiant. Her eyelashes, which weren't lengthened with mascara, looked a little weak. Only her delicately shaped lips were adorned with a light-colored lipstick.

The deep blue work uniform, with its subdued color, resembled a fragment of a piece of sea after a typhoon, rustling softly.

The girl who appeared in front of me was indeed my senior, Ru Gu.

But Masumi found it hard to accept it as fact.

People are brought together by certain commonalities. If these commonalities disappear, and there is no reason to continue the connection, the relationship will naturally become distant.

Mio felt uneasy because of this. Before this, Mami was also afraid of such a future and chose to run away.

Even Masumi himself felt the same way. He met with his friends who had chosen different paths during his student days much less frequently, and he naturally accepted this reality.

Realizing this, Masumi had already mentally prepared herself for never seeing her senior, Ruko, again.

But all the defenses crumbled the moment they saw her in person.

The atmosphere fell into a subtle silence.

Suddenly, I smiled gently, covered my lips with my hand, and let out an elegant laugh.

A silvery voice rolled in her snow-white throat, breaking the silence.

"What's wrong? Masumi is still as blank as before, like a black-footed penguin."

A playful smile appeared on her face as she joked:

"Ah~ Could it be that you didn't expect to meet me here again after so long, so you're pretending to be deep in thought? How cute."

"No, that's not true. Do you think I'm that bored?"

Masumi gently shook her head. For some reason, hearing that familiar tone brought back memories, and her apprehensive tension gradually eased.

"Really? But I feel like Masumi has always been pretending to be serious."

She chuckled and nodded, then, as if remembering something, opened her arms wide. "Shall we have a long-awaited hug?"

"That's alright."

"Huh, are you bothered by my scent?"

I sniffed my arm through my work clothes, then pretended to make a face.

"Well, after all, I was in charge of the sea lion show today, so I inevitably have some fishy smell on me."

"And the atmosphere isn't quite right either, in front of so many people," Masumi pointed out with some reservations.

"So, that means it's just me and Masumi?"

Her tone, clearly designed to make fun of herself, annoyed Masumi to the point of looking miserable, yet at the same time gave her an inexplicable sense of relief.

Those bright, moist eyes, including the captivating lines on their eyelids that resemble horizontal lines, are exactly the same as they were in high school.

The fear of things changing and people being gone was completely extinguished by that bright gaze.

Looking at Masumi, I smiled gently, as if from ancient times:

"People from the mainland are so old-fashioned. Hugs and kisses in the aquarium are a common sight on our Miyako Island."

"Even though we haven't seen each other for a long time, I really miss Masumi."

But you were the one who cut off contact first, a twisted branch sprouted from Masumi's heart, and she said sullenly:

"Aren't you ashamed to say things like that? You don't often say that to others, do you, senior?"

"Yes, I often tell others that I miss you."

She touched her chin with her finger and spoke in a tender tone.

"..."

Masumi turned her face away, avoiding the main point, and sighed quietly.

"Senior, you're still the same as always, you haven't changed at all."

"What do you mean?" I asked, a half-smile playing on my lips.

"She has none of the composure and grace of an older woman—ouch, it hurts!"

After he expressed his frank feelings, his nose was pinched without hesitation.

"Honestly, how can you say such unlovable things to a girl?"

"What do you mean by being mature? I'm only two years older than Masumi. Do you expect me to be like my mother?"

I, like a thousand-year-old ancient sage, released his nose. The conversation between the two was so natural that there was no room for anyone else to interrupt.

But Kurokawa Mio, standing to the side, paid no attention. Her shoulders trembled so violently that it was impossible to ignore, and she parted her red lips slightly.

"I am Miss Rugu..."

The next moment, her voice was drowned out by someone else.

"—Nice to meet you, Miss Rugu. I am Rinne Kamishiro, the acting manager of Starry Night Cafe. Please take care of me."

With her hands clasped in front of her lower abdomen, Rinne bowed slightly as if performing a ritualistic greeting, her face bearing her usual indifferent expression.

For a fleeting moment, I, like an ancient thousand-year-old, showed a look of being out of sorts, but I quickly returned to normal.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Kamishiro." As she said this, she looked around at the girls standing in front of her, a quiet smile blooming on her lips.

"Nice to meet you, ladies. Welcome to the Kongkongliu Aquarium."

"I am the curator here. I am as old as the ancient times. Please give me your guidance."

“Kongkong Liu…”

Haiyue murmured the name over and over.

"Does that sound a little strange?" I chuckled lightly. "It's a Ryukyuan word, and it translates to 'heart' in Japanese."

(Note: The word "heart" is pronounced "kukuru" in Ryukyu and "kokoro" in Japanese.)
With her weight on her toes, she leaned forward slightly, opened her arms, and revealed a bright smile.

"I hope everyone can fully enjoy the fun of the aquarium."

"Sister Qian Sui! Girlfriend or something..." Qian Ai blushed and said timidly.

"Don't worry, I'm including Chiai in my list too."

She blinked one of her eyes, then deliberately drawled, "Huh... after all this time, is Qian Ai's progress still—?"

"Uh, that..."

Glancing at the animated explanation from her childhood friend, Masumi sighed and said, "Senpai, I have something I want to tell you."

I nodded like an ancient sage, "I think so too."

"Then let's find somewhere else to chat."

"Are your girlfriends coming along too?"

“Sorry to bother you,” Rinne replied immediately.

She walked ahead, leading the six people through the restaurant on the first floor of the aquarium.

Masumi looked around and saw local islanders and tourists leisurely passing the time. She was surprised that such a small rural aquarium had a restaurant, proving that it was small but complete.

The group eventually stopped in a room that resembled a conference room.

The folding table and eight folding benches, along with bottled roasted tea on the table, give the impression that it could easily be used as a lounge.

The room was quiet; there was no one else around. The ticking of the clock made him a little uneasy.

After taking my seat, I said softly, as if saying, "I'll go change out of my work clothes. Please excuse me for a moment. Everyone, please make yourselves at home."

Halfway there, she stopped and, as if suddenly remembering something, added:
"By the way, there's a restaurant right next door, so it's fine to eat here."

"If you have some free time, you can try the grilled eel at the aquarium, which is the aquarium's star dish."

After saying that, the unexpected character left the lounge. The sudden and unexpected event shocked everyone, leaving them speechless for a moment.

A silence, as fine as dust, floated in the scorching evening air.

After a long while, as if unable to bear the silence, Mami gently poked his side with her finger.

"Masumi-kun..."

"Ok?"

"May I ask how you're feeling right now?"

“…It’s complicated, a complete mess,” Masumi replied.

"I think so too."

Asami shrugged, unsurprised, rested her chin on the table, and slowly lifted her eyelids.

Would you like to order a plate of grilled conger eel?

"I'm not hungry," Rinne said calmly.

"I'm not in the mood for it either."

Kurokawa Mio rested her chin on her hand, and Chiai seconded her.

"I want to eat... grilled shark..."

Haiyue murmured slowly and deliberately.

"I'm sorry, we don't have this dish at our restaurant."

A soft, gentle female voice drifted over.

After taking off that bulky dark blue work uniform, I changed into a white short-sleeved top and denim shorts, with light blue flat sandals on my feet.

The outfit, which might seem rather sloppy, looked surprisingly stylish on her. Masumi thought that this about her senior hadn't changed either.

Her skin was fair and slender, well-proportioned and graceful, and radiant.

She pulled out a chair, sat down, and smiled sweetly.

"Well then, please formally introduce your girlfriends, Masumi?"

"She's not my girlfriend."

Masumi answered without thinking, but the gazes that pierced her face hurt. One, two, three... Why are there six gazes?

"My name is Kurokawa Mio, and I'm Masumi's... ex-girlfriend." Kurokawa Mio spoke first, then added, "We're currently in the process of getting back together."

Her tone betrayed a deep sense of anxiety.

"I see." I nodded slightly, my smile unchanged.

"Hello, Ms. Kurokawa, I've heard of you before."

"Ok?"

Kurokawa Mio raised an eyebrow as if surprised.

"A rare beauty in Tongpeng, a piano prodigy. I enjoyed Ms. Kurokawa's performance at a school concert; her piano playing was beautiful."

"Thank you, but I don't really like that title."

Kurokawa Mio spoke almost in a flat tone, then asked.

"Am I, Miss Rugu, also a student of Tongpeng?"

"Yes, but I dropped out before finishing my studies."

I answered as if nothing had happened, as if calmly recounting a trivial matter.

"Dropped out of school?" Qian Ai asked in surprise. "When did that happen? I've never heard Sister Qian Sui mention it."

"Does Masumi-nii know?"

"I only know half of it." Masumi's reaction was equally surprised. "Wasn't you on a leave of absence?"

That happened in my second year in Tokyo.

I told my senior, Ru Gu, about my plan to take a year off from school. After that, we contacted each other less and less.

"After a long break from school, I felt there was no point in continuing my studies, so I simply dropped out."

From the seemingly casual tone and layered manner of her words, Masumi sensed that something was implied.

"I'm afraid it's not as easy as it sounds, is it?"

I nodded calmly like a thousand-year-old ancient maiden, "My business is not urgent. What about the other two beautiful girls?"

"Senior, Mami can no longer be considered a beautiful girl based on her age—hiss!"

Miss Mami kicked his shin hard under the table.

"That won't do, Masumi."

I narrowed my eyes like Kou Chitose and said in a tone of earnest advice, "That's very rude to a girl. Masumi should apologize to this... Miss Mami."

"Apologizing is taking this too seriously." Mami waved her hand, glancing at him with a look that said, "I'm very magnanimous and won't hold it against you."

“Hello, Ms. Rugu. I am Asami Seno. You are my senior, so you don’t need to use honorifics with me.”

"Then, I'll just call you by your name, just like Masumi does."

She naturally switched to an affectionate tone.

"Asami."

“I am... Hanekawa... Kaigetsu…”

"Sea Moon? What a beautiful name. Its skin is as white and transparent as a jellyfish."

She smiled slightly, implying, "You must be well taken care of by your guardian."

After getting to know all the girls in the coffee shop, I gave a meaningful smile, just like Kono Chisui.

"Ah~ It seems that when I was away, Masumi was surrounded by many pretty girls, and they were so close that they called each other by name."

She raised her pinky finger, speaking in a charming manner, then slightly narrowed her eyes to look at Masumi.

"They clearly refuse to call me Senior Qian Sui."

Masumi sighed, "After two years apart, is this all you wanted to say, senpai?"

"I have a lot to say to Masumi, and I think Masumi must also have a lot to ask me."

I, like an ancient thousand-year-old, beamed with a smile, "So—"

"Excuse me, ladies, I need to borrow Masumi for a while."

(End of this chapter)