Edo, somewhere——

"La~la la~la la la~ la la~~"

Kinoshita Mai hummed the ditty she had just composed, and strode forward with crisp footsteps.

Her black hair, which was pulled into a Shimada bun, shone beautifully under the warm sunshine.

The breeze blows, and the delicious fragrance floats from her hair... Her hair must have been freshly washed.

The bright red kimono with beautiful patterns embroidered on it, the goose-yellow obi that enhances the presence of the southern hemisphere, the little feet covered with white stockings, the red knotted black-soled clogs that complement the snow on the ground...everything is attractive.

Her light steps, cheerful aura, and unconcealable smile... Anyone can tell that she is in a good mood now.

Why would a socially fearful girl who would never go out unless necessary be striding along the streets of Edo looking cheerful?

This is all because of Qingdeng.

Yesterday, he suddenly visited Qianshiwu——

…

"A Wu, can you come to the Trial Guard Hall tomorrow? I have something very important that I need to hand over to you."

"Tomorrow?"

"Well, yes."

"Qingdeng, you, you, what do you want to give me? You actually need me to go to the training hall."

Qingden showed a meaningful smile:

"Well... please allow me to keep it a secret for now. You will know the answer by tomorrow."

…

"Why are you so mysterious..."

Kinoshita Mai's red lips moved slightly, as if chewing every word, and she murmured like this at a volume that only she could hear clearly.

Although she was complaining, the corners of her mouth turned up uncontrollably.

For Mai Kinoshita, who has a girlish heart, she does not hate "secret gifts".

——It's very important... and it must be handed over to me personally... What exactly is it? Oh, it couldn't be the Wu server, right?

Thinking of this, her expression was stained with shame, and she subconsciously raised her hands to hold her cheeks, hiding her red and hot face.

Wufu means kimono.

In today's Japanese society, the Western proposal culture of "giving a ring" has not yet become popular. However, there is a custom very similar to it among young men and women - that is, giving a kimono.

In the Edo period, there were generally two situations when men gave women kimonos.

First, the father gave it to his daughter on her coming-of-age ceremony.

Second, the fiancé gives it to his fiancée.

The more Kinoshita Mai thinks about it, the harder it becomes to suppress her expectations and excitement.

——Does Qingden know my body size?

——Ah, he should know, after all, he has already touched my whole body...

——If he really gives me the Wu server, what kind of expression should I put on?

——Hmm...! No! I almost forgot about Miss Okita and Chiba Sanako!

——With them here, how could Qingdeng give me a Wu server...

——Even if he had to give them away, given Qingdeng’s style, he would definitely give one set to each of the three of us.

——If Miss Okita and I are asked to marry Aoto... that's not impossible.

——Miss Okita is very gentle and it’s fun to be with her.

——But Chiba Sanako definitely can’t!

——There is absolutely no way I can live in peace with Chiba Sanako!

——Hey, wait a minute... Although Qingdeng always dreams of "marrying three real wives", the possibility of his changing his mind cannot be ruled out.

——"A Wu, I discovered that compared to Xiao Si and Sanako, I really like you more. I don't want to marry three wives! I just want to marry you!"

——Hey hehehe~ If it can be like this, that would be great~~

——But will grandma agree to my marriage to Qingdeng?

——Grandma doesn’t seem to like people who are officials... And Aoshinobu happens to be one of the people with the highest official position in the Edo shogunate...

——Is the marriage not allowed... This feeling seems pretty good!

——A blocked love...just like the "Romeo and Juliet" that Elodie told me a while ago.

——But...if I think about it carefully, it's really better to think about this kind of thing. I can't ignore grandma.

——Instead of fantasizing about Lao Shizi's "prevented love affair", it would be better to seriously try to get grandma to accept Qingdeng.

——Ah... If Aoto really gives me a Wu server, and I am the only one who receives it, and neither Miss Okita nor Chiba Sanako has a share, then what should I do?

——As expected, I still have to show it to Sanako Chiba first! I want her to "accidentally" see the Wu uniform that Qingteng gave me!

Even though the horoscope has not yet been revealed, "the 'mysterious gift' Aoto is going to give is a kimono" is a completely baseless delusion. As a result, Kinoshita Mai has already imagined an ups and downs of emotional drama.

Just when she was immersed in fantasy and unable to extricate herself, a cold female voice suddenly sounded from beside her:

"...Kinoshita Mai, why are you giggling?"

"Ah? Of course it's because I'm happy... Ouch! Chi-Chiba Sanako?"

The Kinoshita Dance Monster screamed, leaped backwards like a green onion on dry land, and almost hit the earthen wall on the street.

Her back was slightly arched, resembling a stressed-out cat with explosive hair.

His eyes were widened to the limit, revealing the beautiful whites of his eyes that were almost bloodless, and he stared at the peerless beauty in front of him with a look of surprise.

"Chiba Sanako? Why are you here?"

Sanako, who was alone, said calmly:

"For some reason, I'm here. Let's not talk about it for now. You'd better wipe your mouth quickly, the saliva is almost flowing out."

"Huh?"

Kinoshita Mai was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly wiped her mouth - there was no trace of water on her hands at all.

"Where's the saliva?"

She raised her little head - a petite person always struggles with this when talking to a tall person - and cast a suspicious look at Sanako.

"..."

Sanako looked at each other expressionlessly.

Then……

"...Puch."

She silently turned her gaze away, staring into the corners of her eyes while letting out a clear laugh.

"The Director-General is indeed right. You are indeed very cute in some places."

When she said "certain places", she emphasized her tone.

The girl in red was stunned again.

Then, her face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye - a red color of embarrassment and embarrassment.

Her red lips opened and closed several times, as if she wanted to say something to refute the other party.

However, when it comes to bickering and having difficulty communicating with others, how can she possibly be Sanako's opponent?

After a moment, she stamped her foot and put on what she thought was the most ferocious expression on her face.

"Hmph! I'm not drooling! Goodbye!"

After leaving these words "very fiercely", she turned around and left.

——I can’t quarrel with you, can’t I avoid you?

She left Sanako behind without any hesitation... However, before she could get far, the calm and elegant way of walking caught up with her.

Kinoshita Mai turned her head - her suspicious eyes fell on Sanako again.

"Why are you walking in the same direction as me?"

"Because the place I want to go is also in this direction."

"..."

"..."

silence……

The two women walking side by side were respectful and silent.

Although she was very reluctant and didn't want to admit it... Kinoshita Mai was most afraid of encountering this kind of situation where "no one speaks".

Whenever she was in such an environment, she would feel a ray of light on her back and sweat on her forehead.

In order to pass the embarrassment, she quietly turned her gaze and observed Sanako's clothes.

The aqua blue kimono, light green obi, white stockings and blue button clogs... there is nothing special worth mentioning.

Because Sanako is also a virgin, her hair style is the same as Kinoshita Mai's, a Shimada bun exclusive to unmarried girls.

However, the difference between her and Kinoshita Mai is that she does not have delicate hairpins in her hair.
To be continued...