Athletic Festival Arc
25 Yuuri's Grandfather and Bride Candidate
All of the morning events had ended.
Yuuri and Meru bowed to the guests and finished their work.
"Umm, where do we get lunch?"
"On the roof. It was there last year, too."
"Is that open for use?"
"No, it isn't."
Yuuri denied with a calm expression. When Meru asked him further, he said, "It's Katsuragi-kun's power." Even plundering a key from the teachers was easy with Shoutarou's ability.
The number of students who were fans of the student council was increasing at this athletic festival in which they could let go a bit. In order to have a quiet lunch, a place that wasn't scheduled to be open, in other words the roof, was the most suitable.
Meru understood and Yuuri smiled lightly.
"At any rate, I'm looking forward to your bento."
"I'll be bothered if you raise the bar too high."
Since Meru's bento was in the executive tent, Meru and Yuuri headed over there.
On the way, Meru turned around.
"…Is something wrong?"
"Hm? Ahh, just my imagination."
She felt something behind them, but when she turned to look, no one was there. While Meru was puzzled, Yuuri moved up next to her.
When he did, a dog or something came running over at a great speed from their front. Meru immediately assumed a posture to flee, but her right ankle had less strength than she thought and her escape ended in failure.
"Meru-chan! I did my best only because I was looking forward to the bento made by my loving wife!"
"Ahh, which loving wife's bento were you looking forward to? There are so many that I can't count them all."
When Meru said that while looking over the sports ground, Fuuga replied in a voice that was sulky, tearful, or something else along those lines, "You!"
"Yuu-chan, Ruu-chan. Good work."
Laila appeared from behind Fuuga. It wasn't the first time Yuuri had seen Laila with this appearance, either, so he wasn't surprised.
"Hiiragi-san. Thanks for all your work. Your boss is running wild, though…"
Yuuri said looking at Fuuga who was sending heart marks flying even more than usual.
"Yeah. Well, on a day like today, I figure it can't be helped."
"Ah, Lailchan. It's dangerous, so come a little further over here."
Meru who had been continuously complaining about Fuuga suddenly stopped and beckoned Laila. Laila didn't understand what Meru meant by 'dangerous.' Laila took one step forward while tilting his head and Yuuri's eyes suddenly flared up.
"Eh, Yuu-cha…kya!"
Laila hurriedly jumped toward Meru.
Yuuri suddenly drew his wooden sword. The expression in his eyes showed that he had certainly entered Black Yuuri mode.
However, Meru's attention was more drawn to the person in front of Yuuri.
"Fo fo fo! Yuuri, if I can take your back, you still aren't good enough!"
The Japanese clothes-wearing old man who looked to be in his 70s was standing there holding a similar wooden sword to Yuuri's.
"You're too noisy, old man… Someone who attacks from behind ain't fit ta be called a martial artist!!"
Yuuri kicked off from the ground and swung his sword down at the old man.
Meru thought This is bad and closed her eyes, but surprisingly, the long sword of that Aidou household genius was blocked by that old man.
"…That elderly man, who is he?"
Meru tugged on Laila's jacket.
"Ahh. He's Yuu-chan's grandpa."
"Eh"
Meru looked at those two again. It was true, they did seem somehow similar.
"Yuuri! I won't let you keep that broken dual personality! I like that other you, too!"
"If you chatter thoughtlessly, I'll kill you!"
Those words might be true based on the force of Yuuri's sword. Meru was anxious at their situation, but Fuuga and Laila were watching in enjoyment.
"Is it ok not to stop it? That fight between grandfather and grandson."
"That's not a fight. That's part of the Aidou Style etiquette, the rule of having a bout for a greeting."
From Fuuga's explanation, it seemed that instead of a normal greeting, having a bout was the Aidou Style etiquette.1 It was the fierce martial arts spirit.
"Even if you say it's not a fight, we should stop it, right?"
Shoutarou appeared from behind them. He was frowning looking at the situation.
"Who will stop it?"
When Meru asked that, Shoutarou was at a loss for words. He ended up watching the Aidou Style etiquette after all.
Then, a few minutes later, they seemed to reach a conclusion as the two bowed to each other.
"Yuu-chan's grandpa. It's been a long time."
Confirming that their greeting had finished, Laila smiled at Yuuri's grandfather.
"Ohh! The beautiful girl…is what I'd like to say, but today it's the pretty boy. This old man is just a little bit sad."
Yuuri's grandfather was truly making a regretful face. Laila smiled a little uncomfortable and Yuuri hurriedly apologized.
"I'm sorry, Hiiragi-san. Grandfather, that's rude."
At Yuuri's appearance that was the exact opposite of just a moment ago, not just Meru, but everyone's shoulders relaxed.
"That 'you' was the rudest until just a bit ago, though…"
When Shoutarou muttered that while pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, Yuuri's grandfather's gaze moved from Laila to him.
"Ohh, the hypnotizing glasses guy. You're giving off a dirty aura as usual."
It seemed that Yuuri's grandfather had given Shoutarou a peculiar nickname. If it were as usual, Shoutarou would immediately complain, but he simply let out a sigh.
"Old man Aidou, this is a school, not a place to show your style off."
"You're picky about every trivial thing. It's because you're like that that girls don't go near you right?"
"You're mistaken, it's not that they don't come near, it's that I don't let them come near!"
"There's no such thing as a woman-hater, your bluff is also unsightly."
"…Whatever."
It seemed that, in the face of Yuuri's grandfather who laughed with a 'fo fo fo,' Shoutarou lost the energy to argue. It was rare for him to lose in a war of words to people other than Hayate.
"In any case, Yuuri-kun's grandpa, you're as strong as always!"
When Fuuga greeted him, Yuuri's grandfather replied bluntly with "Ahh, the guy who's always thinking about sex," and Fuuga appealed to Meru tearfully. Yuuri scolded him again. Even that was apparently fun for Yuuri's grandfather.
"Leaving that aside, my dear."
Next, Yuuri's grandfather turned his gaze to Meru who was between Laila and Fuuga. Meru bowed in a rush.
"I apologize for my late introduction. I'm Kusuhara Meru. Yuuri-kun is always taking care of me."
Yuuri's grandfather nodded in satisfaction at her courteous appearance. Then, he put his hand on Meru's shoulder with a pat and gave a comment.
"My dear, what do you think about being Yuuri's bride?"
It wasn't just Meru. Fuuga, Laila, Shouarou, and also Yuuri all stiffened. Yuuri's grandfather continued to grin and asked, "How about it?" once more.
"Er, 'how about it' you say…"
"Yuuri-kun's grandpa! You can't do that! Meru-chan is my bride!"
"Rengetsu! Keep your sleep-talking for when you're asleep!"
"G-Grandfather, what are you saying! Kusuharsan, please don't worry about it!"
Fuuga shook Yuuri's grandfather's shoulders and even Shoutarou raised his voice. Even the usually docile Yuuri lost his composure. At that situation, Yuuri's grandfather seemed to be having a lot of fun and revealed a smile of which only he understood the meaning.
"Although I say that, I have to say I like the beautiful girl's looks after all…"
"Thank you."
Laila smiled sweetly and Yuuri's grandfather got a lewd look on his face. It seemed that he liked Laila's appearance considerably. But that wasn't all Yuuri's grandfather wanted to say, so he continued speaking.
"Your looks are average, but you have a pretty good sense of smell."
Yuuri's grandfather looked at Meru and grinned broadly. Meru understood what he meant by that, but the other four didn't and they had a visible amount of question marks floating around them.
"To attack Yuuri from behind, I'm sure I erased all of my traces and even Yuuri didn't notice, yet this girl did. I could say the first time was a coincidence, but the second time makes it certain."
It seemed that the other four were astonished by that, but because Meru didn't think it was that amazing a feat, she didn't know how she should react and was troubled.
"She's someone in whom martial arts flows. That is, she's a suitable woman for Yuuri."
"Even if it's Yuuri's grandfather saying that, it's a little too overbearing."
Yuuri's grandfather's eyes shone at that clear voice. He immediately turned around.
"Perfect boy, it's been a while."
"It's been a long time. You seem as well as always."
Hayate grinned. However, he didn't stop his steps even while bowing to Yuuri's grandfather. He stood between Yuuri's grandfather and Meru and promptly took her hand, pulling her into his embrace.
"I can't hand her over that easily."
At Hayate's words, the four executives there displayed various reactions.
"Are you my guardian, Kamishiro-kun?"
"I'm not aiming for that position."
Meru asked in that manner, not understanding the necessity of him holding her. Hayate smiled wryly at Meru's remark made without any atmosphere or anything else.2
Looking at the chain of events, Yuuri's grandfather smiled in enjoyment.
"I want to make her Yuuri's bride even more now."
Another argument started up at Yuuri's grandfather's words.
It looked like it would still be some time before Meru got lunch.
1 Really? Hadn't gotten that from his explanation literally the line before.
2 Wasn't sure how to translate the atmosphere part cuz I didn't have a full grasp on what exactly it meant in the original text, but I'm thinking it was along the lines of her saying it without any special meaning maybe????
Old man speech is even more of a pain than other things. Idk how to even try to make it pass over into English;; Also the amount of times I had to type yuuri's grandfather or the equivalent. Throw him a name, pleaseeeeeee.
Also, this got more delayed than I hoped/anticipated, but the first time I ended up having time was when I got home today, so I immediately set to it. Just a few more weeks before summer break. Cries. I'll try to get it out on time next week.