Kenkyo Kenjitsu

Reika-sama – 140

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Mushi mezuru himegimi, or The Lady who Loved Insects (虫めづる姫君), is the twelfth-century Japanese tale of one who defies social convention and breaches the decorum expected of a Heian court lady.

The protagonist befriends insects, names her attendants after them, and engages in poetic exchanges involving furry caterpillars, leading to laughter on the part of others. Portrayed as even more eccentric is her disregard for her physical appearance: she leaves her hair untrimmed; has unplucked eyebrows; neglects to blacken her teeth; and allows herself to be seen by men.

Donald Keene has suggested that, while the reader may be attracted by her independence of mind, the author was probably trying to satirize those with eccentric behaviour and unconventional tastes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_who_Loved_Insects

“Gokigen’yoh, Enjou-sama, Reika-sama.”

The President and her followers greeted us as they came our way.

“The fireflies are splendid, aren’t they? It truly transports you to another world,” murmured the President as she gazed out over the garden.

I couldn’t help but give a self-depreciating comment.

“It would be nice if they flew a little closer though…”

I heard Enjou stifle a laugh in the background. Stop laughing! We still haven’t established whose fault this was!

“Perhaps. But who is to say that the loveliest view isn’t from here?”

As expected of the President. What a great way of putting things!

“Kisshouin-san,” said Enjou, “If you really wanted to see them up close, shall I go catch one for you?”

“…Just the thought is enough, Enjou-sama.”

Your eyes are totally laughing at me, Enjou. Who knew he was so easily amused.

I heard people laughing melodiously from Maihama-san’s direction. Surrounding Kaburagi, and Maihama-san next to him, were countless fireflies floating about.

“Look, Masaya-sama! The fireflies are…!” she exclaimed proudly, trying to stress that it was like the two of them were being blessed as a couple.

Why were all the fireflies gathering around such a noisy person? Had she prepared some kind of bug attractant?

In contrast to her high spirits, Kaburagi seemed expressionless and gloomy. Being popular had its own troubles, didn’t it.

“The young miss besides Kaburagi-sama… Maihama-san, was it? From Yurinomiya…”

The President’s gaze turned sharp.

“Yes, Youko-sama. She has intruded on our school a few times.”

“Some of the students at Yurinomiya called her the Queen.”

The words of the Pivoine member shocked me. The Queen of Yurinomiya!? I had thought she was some small fry but she was ruling as the Queen of Yurinomiya!?

“Goodness…” the President smiled sweetly.

Her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

They wouldn’t say anything rash with Enjou here, but I was already looking for a path to retreat.

But, tired of dealing with Maihama-san, Kaburagi suddenly spotted his best friend and came over.

“So here you were, Shuusuke.”

“Oh? Were you looking for me?”

“Kaburagi-sama, thank you very much for inviting us today,” thanked the President as our representative.

The rest of us began to follow suit. Kaburagi exchanged a few words with us before telling Enjou that he had something he wanted to talk about. He obviously just wanted to escape from Maihama-san.

“Let’s talk inside then,” agreed Enjou.

The two of them tried to leave but Maihama-san stubbornly followed after.

Or at least she tried, but Enjou gently rejected her.

“We just want to speak alone for a little bit, so do you think it would be possible to just give us a bit of time?”

“You won’t see these fireflies every night. Try and enjoy yourself,” added Kaburagi.

With that, this time they really did leave her to head inside. A splendid escape, Kaburagi.

Now that we had nobody we needed to watch our words around, the atmosphere exploded in tension. Maihama-san wasted no time in beginning her attack on me.

“Goodness, Reika-san. I saw you earlier. It must be so pitiful that even the fireflies won’t pay you attention. What a shame that you couldn’t become Tamakazura tonight.”

So she was listening that time with Mrs. Kaburagi… Maihama-san’s face as she glared at me was a sight to behold.

“My! Reika-sama is unlike a certain somebody who the fireflies pay any attention to. I must say, you reminded me less of Tamakazura, and more of the Lady who Loved Insects. For one thing those are quite the eyebrows you have,” retaliated the President before I got a word in.

“Hohoho,” laughed the other girls.

“The Lady who Loved Insects!? That’s quite a rude thing to say,” Maihama-san glared at the President.

The President smiled, unbothered.

“I suppose it might be. Perhaps we shall say that the insects were simply attracted to Kaburagi-sama’s brilliance instead. Watching the two of you made me think of a bug zapper. My, that’s a beautiful dress you have on. Let me guess, inspired by the Japanese Moon Moth?”

“Wha-…! Hmph! If I’m a moth, I suppose that makes you the carniverous plants trying to eat me. How scary! I’d better get Masaya-sama to protect me!”

“Hohoho, it’s a shame then that Masaya-sama won’t pay you attention at all.”

“Is that something you lot should be saying? Even though you’re in the same school, and some in the same year, no matter how much time passes you still seem to be just part of the crowd to him.”

Maihama-san had quite some guts to pick a fight with her…

From a distance it might have looked like two young girls chatting amicably, but in truth they were trying to kill each other verbally.

“Unfortunately for you, Reika-sama over here is close enough that Kaburagi-sama played a song on the piano for her. That Chopin piece was wonderful, Reika-sama.”

“Eh!? Ah, yes-!”

Uwah, you’re throwing me onto the frontlines too!? My hair was tied up to match my kimono though, so my offensive power is reduced by 20%, you know? And my sword is made of foam.

“Kaburagi-sama played the Fantasie Impromptu and the Minute Waltz for her. His rendition of the Turkish March was wonderful too.”

Ah! She casually added in the songs played for Mao-chan too!

“Oh…? I see. Then perhaps I should ask him to play me some piano as well.”

“Perhaps you should. Whether he’ll agree is a different matter, though.”

S-, Scary… The exit strategy! What’s the exit strategy!?

And even though it was all the President and Maihama-san talking, why was it that Maihama-san was staring venomously at me!?

Their battle continued for a while longer, until Maihama-san left.

The President gazed at her leaving.

“That girl is quite unrestrained in Yurinomiya, you know. Putting on the airs of a Queen and telling her followers to isolate those that she doesn’t like,” she commented, “Using a group of people to isolate a single girl. You can tell what kind of person she is just from that.”

“I feel sorry for the girls of Yurinomiya, to have people like those in charge.”

Eh… Is that something you girls can be saying?

‘One man’s fault is another man’s lesson.’

People in the past said really wise things, didn’t they.

I gazed at the fireflies in the garden and brought my thoughts elsewhere. It would have been nice to see them from closer.

Suddenly my arm felt itchy, and I realised a mosquito had bitten me. The fireflies avoided me, but the mosquitoes were okay? What was the meaning of this.

I wasn’t allowed to scratch it despite how itchy it was, so I used my nails to carve a cross on it. So itchy! I had better go to a dermatologist tomorrow.

“Protecting the members of the Pivoine is my duty as the President. Reika-sama, if anything happens with Maihama-san, come and tell me immediately. I’ll always be on your side.”

“Thank you very much…”

No matter what, I’d never tell her a thing. Just thinking about a battle between Zui’ran and Yurinomiya was scaring me.

“Uhuhu.”

“Hohoho.”

We laughed into the night.

*

*

The next day Enjou had sent me a bug cage with a single firefly inside. During the day, the firefly was just some black bug.

Japanese Moon Moth:

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104 thoughts on “Reika-sama – 140”

  3. Maihama got her equal in Fuyuko. Too bad Reika-sama didn’t get to escape like Enjou and Kaburagi did.

    I’m pretty sure Enjou is just teasing Reika-sama but his actions sure as so easily misunderstood under the rose-colored lenses of the Suiran public eye.

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      1. Reika the 1st was a failed product too when it concerns courting Kaburagi. Was fierce in bullying Wakaba and preserving pivoine’s “honor”, but that’s why we need both Pivoine Prez and Maihama to fill Reika the 1st’s gap

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    1. now that the chapter was read…
      i see that Enjou ship is trying to sail, even if a bit late… (it’s flag is a firefly apparently~~)
      all in all a good chapter, too bad Reika-sama got used as a shield for all the agro that the president pulled xD

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  13. Thank you for the chapter. Poor Reika…
    Cursed deed, Hair Tied Up, Offence -20%.
    See even Reika thinks sometimes thinks in Game stats XD
    (>>Based on the people who always comment on the chapters with game-like stats. I love those)

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  16. I feel like that firefly will suddenly die as a sign for Reika-sama misfortune, maybe combos with several curse doll unexplainable appearance too for greater effect.

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  20. giving a caged firefly in the morning is such a harassment.
    enjo should know when to joke and not.
    reika-sama should stop getting scared of them and start standing up for herself T_T

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            1. Well, it’s like this. You hand off a parcel to one of your servants to pass it along to Kisshouin’s servants, who then deliver a token of your esteem to the young lady of the house.

              You even send along a spiffy card that has your name on it.

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              1. That will make Reika doubly annoyed because now her parents will react as if Reika is in a love triangle between Enjou and Kaburagi.

                Takateru probably won’t sweat it though because he knows Reika’s preference for older guys.

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    2. She gets them back in her own way, she even managed to punch Enjou, and with Bakaburagi she almost got him to join the monkhood.

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  21. Enjou used firefly-gift!
    It’s super ineffective.

    Btw Reika, your power comes from your drill hair? Exactly what manner of being are you…

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  23. As usual the punchline of this series is silly yet so true, firefly is basically black bug with shiny butt. They’re only pretty in the dark LOL
    Still… Enjou’s mixed signal goes as strong as ever.
    Do you want her or not?

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      1. Hey Ved!

        How much SHOE-NEN do you have for Kenkyo Kenjitsu?

        Are you burning with the desire to help promote the series?

        The truth is that aceclover has kindly provided a list of character descriptions for the characters that have appeared so far, and I want to use it as a basis to create a Kenkyo Wikia.

        Ideally, each character would get a page on the wiki, and each food that has ever been mentioned as well, but we need a starting point.

        Think you could do this for me?

        If not I’ll keep asking until I find somebody that can.

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            2. Can’t you just employ several people for the job? Of course, a shared form of communication between the helpers should be used…

              Liked by 2 people

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              1. For one thing, I did offer money.
                For another, I wouldn’t know how to host the site and have no interest in visual design. So you can expect basically a bare-bones white bit of nonsense from me.
                You also already have the person who wrote the character descriptions.
                As much as I like shit-posting on here, I’m don’t like being personally responsible for a run-on mess of fancruft and silly speculations.
                I can, at most, offer to write stuff in and do edits but I don’t really want to be a webmaster or to manage a fan community.

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    1. he coulnt do it bc if he did then maihama would have forced herself on to them, so masaya did a great sacrifice of leaving reika behind to deal with her…..he is indeed a great general

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  29. Lolol Enjou xD. Maihama needs to chill tho, and that Prez is just bad news. Ahaha…Thanks for the chapter~

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  30. — Thanks for the chapter~ ^^.

    I’m really wondering just what’s the basis of maihama’s confidence?
    I can understand it if Reika-sama is the one being confident because of her background and all, or the president of the pivoine but have Maihama’s background been introduced? I can’t just remember anything about her background.

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    1. When she’s the best girl at her school and no one tries to goes against her, she probably thinks she’s also a big shot outside of it. The girl haven’t experience a defeat yet and Reika doesn’t bother to ultimately crush her.

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      1. Yup, so it really is like that! And here I thought I’m missing something XD! Well, Reika-sama won’t do it unless she really have to..

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  31. Wow. I’m certainly getting my money’s worth on these shipping glasses. They’re working overdrive (2 consecutive chapters!). But (shipping glasses-OFF) leaving Reika to deal with both President and fake-rococo in favor of helping Bakaburagi was a no-no.

    Never thought I’d say this though: poor Bakaburagi. Must be tough when people can’t seem to take a boulder-sized hint.

    Although the President’s and fake-rococo’s showdown was super amusing, dragging Reika into it was not. Boo to them both :p

    Thanks for all these quick releases! XDXDXD

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    1. My shipping glasses going strong.

      I know hordes of keyboard-alphas are ready to ululate at the top of their lungs and chuck shit at my beta ass for expressing this, but I think friendship is at least a minimum requirement for a relationship.

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  33. Omg I died😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 the Pivione is Savage af. Lololol. She’s an elitist but if you’re a part of her squad then there ain’t nothing to fear😂 It’s like having one of the G5 as an ally. Lol.

    And Enjou!! You should have sent a firefly at night lol. But still it was a nice gesture from that haraguro and a dermatologist for a mosquito bite? Uuuh. Reika-sama IS an ojousama huh.

    Thank you sooo much for the chapter Este!!😊

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      1. Thinking about it now, it’s like the three of them are the three great states from before. Now, who’s gonna be the president?? Well, I bet Bakaburagi and Enjou will think it’s too troublesome and offer Reika-sama as a sacrificial lamb😂😂😂😂

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  34. Isn’t it just because of Reika-sama’s Ojou-sama aura that those silly bugs have realize their places an just attached their selves to Maihama thinking that she was the same species as them.

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  40. Quick Pivoine prez! Land some of those crit hits on False-lashes mini b0ss while she’s aggroed on the village cheif!

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  41. “My hair was tied up to match my kimono though, so my offensive power is reduced by 20%, you know? And my sword is made of foam.”

    Fireflies viewing costumes:
    -Blue (purple?) kimono [Charming +100%] (against mosquitoes)
    -Tie up hair [Offense -20%] (against small fry aka Maihama)
    -Enjou [Defense +200%] (against fireflies)
    -Youko [Offense +500%] [Self mental damage +500%]

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  42. “I wasn’t allowed to scratch it despite how itchy it was, so I used my nails to carve a cross on it. ”

    Lololol so relatable

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    1. That freaking Truck-san. I don’t know if it should be praised or scorned for flying into protagonists and ending their lives and causing a much better next life.

      No wait, it isn’t Truck-san’s fault, is It? It’s Driver-san.

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  49. Thank you for the update ^^
    Reika-sama i don’t think it was a good that the president and her followers saw you with Enjou, it will only spark more rumour *sigh*

    https://touch.pixiv.net/search.php?tag=謙虚、堅実をモットーに生きております!&ref=work_page_tag

    I think that you guys should check this site, there’s a lot of amazing drawings of Reika-sama, and if i remember correctly there should be a picture with Reika-sama wearing a kimono with her hair tie up

    P. S sorry for my bad english ><

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  50. In some moments of the novel the Enjou gives indirect to the empress about the emperor, making it clear that something is happening, so I am in doubt if it will not have the point of view of the emperor or Enjou.

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  51. I’m reading the novel and I noticed in some falance parts that Reika is the only one that can take the emperor out of depression and that she has a certain influence on him.
    I’m getting curious about this.

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    1. Long story short, Reika is the only girl that Enjou/Kaburagi know that neither worships the ground they walk nor wants to get into their pants nor money. That makes her inherently trustworthy. She continues to demonstrate that because she’s more interested in hanging out with Enjou’s little brother for fun and in avoiding their politics than in having the opportunity to hang out with the school’s idols.

      Reika is also basically the Girl Who Loved Insects. Her priorities are effed up and abnormal. I just didn’t realize how much though until Ririna pointed it out. Weird as it seems, the girls’ behavior about Kaburagi does make a kind of sense, because their only job is to nab a husband before they get too old. Japan does not much go in for the “women age like wine” thing. And Kaburagi is basically a jackpot. There are only so many eligible men who have a combination of the right status, benefits to family and maybe even a personality you might happen to like.

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. Kaburagi is eligible, yes, the right status? yes. benefits to personality, and looks? yes, yes… personality that you might like? LMAO

        your description fits onii-sama to a T though

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  53. Considering this is all from Reika’s POV, it may be a bit biased against Enjou. Enjou sent her a firefly he caught himself for her – actually remembering and carrying out his initial offer of catching one for her. Now the reason behind such an act could be multiple things:

    1. Enjou likes Reika and wants to give her the pleasure of viewing a firefly up close.
    2. Enjou is still laughing at Reika.
    3. Enjou is apologizing for laughing at Reika.
    4. Options 2 & 3
    5. All of the above.

    Liked by 2 people

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