Kenkyo Kenjitsu

Reika-sama – 179

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I was attending a special winter holiday course at my cram school.

My marks had fallen in the most recent exam so I had to get it together!

A student’s main concern was studying, so naturally Christmas wasn’t a priority.

Christmas had nothing to do with students.

Naturally.

With that in mind I strode into cram school only to be invited by Umewaka-kun and the others to a 1000 yen random present exchange.

Present exchange?!

Count me in!

This kind of thing really brought back memories.

In my old life my friends and I had gathered together to do a 500 yen random present exchange.

It was extra hard getting presents without knowing who would get it.

If I knew that then I could at least try to get something they’d like.

It was even worse this time because we had both sexes in the pool.

If it was all girls then I could get some cute lip gloss or a nail set, but I didn’t think the boys would appreciate that.

Oh, well maybe Iwamuro-kun might, but…

After agonising over it for a while, in the end I decided on a famous onsen bath salt set.

It wasn’t something you’d have to keep around after using, and if you didn’t like it then your family could.

I wondered if this was the right choice.

It was better than some cute bath bombs at least, since the scent of those might be too sweet for a boy.

During our lunch break on Christmas Eve, we had lunch together in the classroom before singing some songs and exchanging presents.

It was a little embarrassing because there were other people in the classroom, but it was best to be festive for these things, wasn’t it!

I wondered who would get my present.

We sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as we passed the presents along in a circle.

When the song was done I ended up with a green-ribboned present, just about large enough to fit in both hands.

I wonder whose this was.

My present ended up in Sasaki-san’s hands. Ahh, had I known it’d end up with a girl I would have just gone for the bath bombs!

How was she going to react!

“Wah, bath salts. There’s actually quite a bit here. Whose was this?”

“It was mine,” I raised my hand to looks of surprise.

“This is yours!? Wouldn’t have really expected this from you.”

“Yeah. I thought Kisshouin-san would have picked something more, rich person? High roller?”

“Uu… Sorry for failing to meet expectations…”

I see. So they weren’t expecting a young lady of Zui’ran to have chosen something so plebeian. Sorry. I messed up.

“No, no! Sorry! That’s not what I meant! I was just surprised, that’s all! I love bath salts, so I’m really glad to get this. Onsen bath salts though. You’ve got some pretty mature taste, huh.”

I knew I should have just gone with some la bath salts français! Who cares if they had salts from Beppu and Arima…

After that I opened up the present I got myself. Inside was a single heart-shaped plant of some sort in a little pot…?

“Oh, I got that one. Isn’t it cute? It’s a hoya kerii. Sometimes people call it the love-heart plant.”

“The hoya kerii,” I read, and began looking at the attached instructions for raising it.

Bad with the cold, less water needed in winter… Huh, and you didn’t need to water it every day. Maybe it would be easy to keep it.

“Thank you, Kitazawa-kun. I will try my best to take care of it!”

“Yeah!”

A plant shaped like a heart though. Guy or not, I had to admit it was a pretty stylish choice.

Everyone else excitedly opened their own presents too.

Hand creams, sweets, Christmas mugs and citrus-scented soaps…

My onsen bath salts were the least cute thing here…

Still, the Christmas mood was great! I handed out the sweets I had left over from the Petit salon, and we had that instead of Christmas cake. Yummy.

*

*

When I got home my parents were about to head out for a party.

Naturally they invited me, but I declined. Have fun.

When I got back to my room I put in ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. I ended up watching it while I had dried squid from the convenience store, with soy sauce and mayonnaise.

Somehow or other I ended up watching this every year, didn’t I~

Munch munch.

I gulped down some green tea.

Oniichan was going to be out late with work and then the party, but that was fine.

I was fine just watching DVDs all by my lonesome and then falling asleep.

I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to watch after this one yet.

Wakaba-chan was probably quite busy at her family store right now.

Sakura-chan was going to be ringing bells at the church before heading to a party at Akizawa-kun’s place as I recalled.

And Aoi-chan was… on a date? Maybe I’d email her.

Ah wait, no, then she’d realise that I had nothing better to do right now.

I had to control myself…

Umewaka-kun sent me a photo of Beatrice in a red nose and antlers.

I was expecting a photo like this, but I had expected a Santa costume instead.

But with those antlers on, considering the Cerberus incident Kaburagi would probably call her a baphomet or something.

‘I had Christmas cake with A-tan!

He got me a flower collar as a present.

Isn’t it cute?

Merry Christmas, Reika-tan!’

Merry Christmas, Bea-tan.

*

*

Late at night I sensed a presence and shot to my feet.

There was a suspicious figure in the dark!

“Ghooooost!!”

I leapt onto my bed so that I wouldn’t be possessed.

Spirit begone! Spirit begone!

Why!? I thought ghosts were meant to appear on Halloween, not Christmas!

“Reika, Reika! It’s your Otousama! I’m not a ghost!”

“…Otousama?”

I turned on my bed lamp.

In its dim lighting stood a tanuki.

“What are you doing, Otousama!”

My heart almost goddamn stopped you know! You stupid tanuki!

I’m all dizzy from standing up too fast now!

“Ah, I mean, you were at home all by yourself, so your Otousama thought he’d leave you a present by your side.”

“Present?”

I looked around and found something left by my bedside.

A present whose wrapping paper was a little ruffled. I must have stepped on it in the confusion.

Still trying to play Santa at this age, huh. You’re wasting your life on dreams, Tanuki.

“Well thank you. At any rate I am going back to sleep, so please return to your room.”

“Okay…”

Otousama left my room dejectedly.

I heard Okaasama talking to him from just outside.

“Didn’t I tell you this would happen?”

Okaasama, if you’re going to dissuade him then do it properly please.

*

When I woke up the next morning I opened Santa Tanuki’s present.

It turned out to be a ladies watch with diamonds that tumbled above the dial.

Cute.

I had no doubt that it was Okaasama who chose this…

When I arrived at breakfast two Christmas cakes from Otousama and Oniisama sat there, staring at me.

Just who was supposed to eat these.

Maybe if I brought them with me to cram school everyone would finish them for me…

*

I received a message from Sakura-chan.

For Christmas, Akizawa-kun had given her a ring.

What the heeeeeell!?

I gave a prayer to my love-heart plant as I watered it.

I think I should upload some of my photos from my holiday in Japan sometime.

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84 thoughts on “Reika-sama – 179”

  1. — Thanks for the chapter~ ^^.

    And ha… the events or happenings related to love just reminds me that I am really not suited to relationships ~_~.

    Well, and just what happened to Akizawa-kun?! lol.

    Liked by 17 people

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        1. LOL, I don’t mean to insult you, but I can just picture Reika walking out into the cold and the breeze whispering . . . “looooooser.”
          Reika: “What? Hello?”

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  2. Why didn’t she just go with her parents? How’s she going to explain herself to her friends?

    Reika is sulking it seems.

    Reika treating Bea-tan as a separate person to Umewaka is always funny.

    A ring? Seriously? Akizawa has really maned up

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      1. But onii-chan, it’s still a ring you know. For fashion or not, a boy giving a girl some ring would cause extreme jealousy to other girls especially those who are a village chief of some forever alone village.

        BTW, how’s your trip in Japan.

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  6. Waaaah I’m so glad there’s an update!! I just took. A break from studying wohooo lucky me. Thanks for the chapter!!! ✩⃛∗·⁽⁽◞(˃◟̵◞̵˂⁎=͟͟͞͞ ⁎˃◟̵◞̵˂)◟⁾⁾·∗✩⃛

    Lolol why are you watching The Nightmare Before Christmas like some sort of tradition😂 and with dried squid. I’m seeing some inner ossan in Reika-sama 😂😂😂😂😂 I’m just wondering though if Taketeru-Oniisama has or had a gf now…but then I immediately rejected the idea. There’s no way Reika-sama wouldn’t know about it. 🌚

    And yeeees please share some pics of your holiday in Japan.

    Liked by 12 people

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  8. [What the heeeeeell!?
    I gave a prayer to my love-heart plant as I watered it.]
    if you’re going to pray, at least change it to ‘what the heaven’ reika-sama!

    Liked by 6 people

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  9. Thanks for the chapter.

    I know how Reika feels for her father, but I can’t help but hope that she’ll treat tanuki-san better. Being a father is hard.

    Liked by 16 people

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  12. Welcome back, translator! I’ve been eagerly anticipating your return. It far surpasses my impatience for all those birthdays, summer vacations and other holiday seasons.
    Found this LN recently and it’s an absolute delight.

    Liked by 4 people

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  14. Awww, Reika did get to have a small Christmas event in the end at least. ^^

    Hahaha Reika has great reflexes for combating spirits. But has she never heard of the Christmas Carol? XDD The poor Tanuki~

    And Sakura-chan got a RING!!! Way to step your game up, Akizawa! Looks like Sakura’s plan is bearing fruit.

    Thanks so much for this release! Fits the season perfectly XD Maybe too well for some of us who’ll have a Christmas in solitude T-T But happy holidays!

    On a side note, the dried squid I usually buy is more shredded and has a lot of seasoning o.o Does this one have less flavor?

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      1. The past ghost look like Enjou (kinda dubiously cherry)
        The present ghost look like Yukino (show the present good times)
        The future ghost look like Bakaburagi (death)

        Liked by 4 people

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          1. Bah humbug.
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_of_Christmas_Yet_to_Come

            I was thinking more along the lines of how Reika’s future is how she’d die Forever Alone and unloved.

            “Spectre. Something informs me that, our moment of parting was is at hand. I know it, but I know not how. Tell me. What woman was that? Who you saw, lying dead? No. No, before I draw near to that stone. Answer me this. Are the things you have shown me the shadows of the things that will be? Or are they the shadows of the things that may be only?”

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  15. Somehow I got a feeling that Reika-tan looking like this
    (￣_￣)・・・
    when she said those line [Merry Christmas, Bea-tan.]

    Liked by 6 people

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  16. “It turned out to be a ladies watch with diamonds that tumbled above the dial.”
    In my head, I pictured a bunch of diamonds just rolling around inside of the watch face.

    Liked by 2 people

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        1. That was my thought too. Maybe if you wore this nasty thing ironically I could see it, but with those loose diamonds that would shake around like a miniature Terminator-esq rattlesnake on your arm? Ugh.

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  17. Oh no she prayed to the love heart plant, it’s going to wither and die so quickly XD XD XD

    Thank you very much for all your hard work! ! !

    Liked by 4 people

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  18. At least Reika didn’t end up lying? Because she ended up celebrating Christmas with her friends in Cram school

    Tanuki-papa, I’ll continue to cheer for your attempts in making Reika a father-con (though that will never happen, Onii-sama For The Win!) Fight on!

    As for the two Christmas cakes, I bet Reika would probably keep the cake from the Great Oni-sama for herself, and share the one Tanuki-papa bought with her friends.

    This Christmas chapter is so fitting for this month! Thank you for translating :D

    Liked by 4 people

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  19. Thank you for the chapter!
    “Why!? I thought ghosts were meant to appear on Halloween, not Christmas!”
    Reika-sama remember the Christmas Carol.
    Now I want to see ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ too.

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  20. Thanks 4 the chapter!

    At least the dad didn’t try to climb down a chimney to surprise the family. There are enough cases of people getting stuck in chimneys during Christmas.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Kisshouin probably lives somewhere that could genuinely count as an estate. So at least she’d *have* a chimney. I have a fakeass gas-burner too narrow for anything but a magic shape-shifting Santa.

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  25. Poor Reika-sama, but at least she had a present exchange. Those cram student friends of hers are really growing on me, so I hope we can learn more about Sasaki-san and Kitazawa-kun. We already know too much about baka dog lover.

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  27. Okasamas Pov

    Dears eyes practically glowed when I gave him Reikas Present, really this man has no clue whatsoever about our children, especially our daughter. Sighing inwardly I watched him sneak noisily into her room to place his gift, her indignant yell could be heard, sometimes when Reika looks at her father its with utter contempt, he may not look very handsome but he is a wonderful man! feeling saddened she patted Dears arm in comfort as he left her room looking dejected. Show some damn appreciation towards your father Reika!

    I have a truly strange daughter, I have no concerns for my son who is perfect in every way, but my daughter? she gives me a constant headache! it all began when she was a young child, the Reika I had raised was no where to be seen, instead a wild creature appeared, happily playing with her onii san in the water so carefree, baking her skin to an unacceptable shade, where had my delicate princess gone? I told her off repeatedly about staying out of the sun, but did she listen? not one word, instead she decides to play about in an undignified manner, who taught her to act so common! my mind scoured our employees, wondering if it was one of them that had done this to our princess, seriously why is she acting that way!

    It grew worse over time, she actually wanted to go to cram school? what? why? she is a dignified daughter of an influential family! she’s rich! why would she want to go mix with common people to study of all things! all you need Reika is beauty and power, which you have in abundance, why make it so hard on yourself with such aspirations! Its time to marry her off, she has to much time to play around, she needs to learn the ways of high society, but her brother intervened, why my son? what are you doing supporting such silly ideas! I had hoped with study her decline into strangeness would stop, but instead it grew worse!

    Strange sounds would emanate from her room, attempts at cooking that she would palm off on Dear, who looked rather ill from having sampled it, she even tried to give me some of her burnt offerings I just looked at her and she gave up, what do you think I am Reika? a Guinea pig? Poor Dear? are you alright? is she trying to poison you? It was obvious from how she gave the less burnt pieces to her beloved Onii sama who she favored the most, are we just discarded accessories to you Reika!

    She looked so beautiful on the outside, she was even good at hiding those strange flaws, by presenting herself to others like an elegant Ojou sama, but I knew the truth! I was fed up with her constant refusals to go out to parties designed to find a good match for her future husband, she was so good at avoiding them, and had managed to twist Dear around her little finger to keep me at bay! I decided to go into her room and snoop. What I discovered was a stash of money and sweets with the price tag still attached! so cheap! what the hell Reika! you have world class Chefs at your fingertips and you indulge in such rubbish like this! who has corrupted you! was it someone at that cram school! Thats it! no more! I will put my foot down!

    But hasnt she been putting on weight? she doesnt seem very happy about it either, well thats what you get for being a little glutton! and a cheap one at that! Doesnt Kaburagi group have a fasting program? couldnt I enroll us there? couldnt I drag her to these and finally introduce her more intimately to Madam Kaburagi? my scheming mind worked overtime, and finally I have my daughter where I want her! I decided to overlook those cheap treats that my daughter indulged in, in fact I ignored her weight gain on purpose, dont look at me like I am a terrible Mother! this is done with love!

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    1. I picture Okaasama taking on more of a dignified tone and would use the kind of understated and vague language that hints at scandal without actually explicitly stating that it is scandalous — in the way that only the Japanese have perfected. Maybe with a lot of it bordering on denial and motherly post-hoc rationalizations.

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      1. Maybe something along the lines of. . . “Reika is my fragile and sheltered little angel. So she makes excuses to not go to parties. She’s so shy and wilts under too much attention!”

        Like she’d spend a lot of time trying to explain away Reika’s incongruities while praising her good qualities, because after all, what loving mother doesn’t have a bit of a bias towards their children? So she can kind of dismiss Reika’s oddities about wanting to study as her being really smart and hardworking, which is true enough — even though she might be completely unaware of Reika’s ulterior motives.

        The tan could be dismissed as a childish indiscretion. That was a long time ago after all.

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  29. Whole fleets of ships of all ages setting sail, while Reika’s left at port. I hope that she gets to spend New Year on the true route with Wakaba.

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  36. Ah. Rei-chan cute as always. I wonder if there will come a time when a boy will realize that the elegant Reika-sama is actually the extremely cute Rei-chan.

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  37. At least Reika got SOME type of a Christmas friend party.
    That heart plant is both an odd gift for a random exchange and kind of cool at the same time.

    That’s a heck of a watch 😮

    Dang, a ring. Strides are being made, Sakura!

    Definitely photos, and thanks fir the chapter.

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  43. Arima steamed as he stomped to the Student Council office. Once again, someone had pulled a nasty prank on his—on his Vice President. On Takamichi Wakaba.

    They just never learned. No matter how much he tried, no matter what efforts he made to bridge the gap that separated the students, they just never learned. And for what—jealousy? Pride?

    He tried to be kind. He tried to be understanding. But sometimes, his classmates really tested his patience.

    They didn’t even have the balls to stick around and accept the credit for their misdeeds. No, thought Arima grimly, it took hard work and a sleepless weekend to get those cravens’ names.

    He couldn’t reprimand them. Not officially. But he could certainly keep an eye on the—

    —The door was ajar.

    The door to the Student Council office, was ajar.

    He had closed it at the end of the week, he knew he had. So why, why was the door ajar.

    His heart sinking into his stomach, the man stepped forward, and slowly opened the door to the office he shared with his fellow members of the Student Council.

    He froze.

    In that room was Yamamoto Mei, as expected—one of the three culprits behind the events of that past Saturday.

    Contrary to his expectations, though, she wasn’t going through Wakaba-san’s possessions, and she wasn’t trespassing—at least, not in the conventional sense.

    Instead, she was slumped in a chair, unconscious. In contrast to her usual attempts at elegance, she was dressed in an unflattering combination of grey sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt.

    But, that wasn’t all.

    Arima dashed out of the room, cursing.

    For on that sweatshirt, in an elegant hand, lay an ominous message.

    NOW I HAVE A FAN.
    OHOHO

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  44. Yiiiikes, that sounded like a lonely Christmas at home alone…Well, at least she had lil party with her cram school friends…But still… Compared to everyone else though… And I was actually half expecting for the present that she stepped on to be ruined… Lol, maybe that was a bit too pessimistic of me, haha…

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  45. Reika-sama’s copious amounts of coping directed to nobody in particular is always hilarious! Though I really do hope that one day, she’ll be able to achieve her dream of a wonderful romance, experience what her friends are going through in her own way and have a happy ending. It must have been lonely Christmas for her… Ganbatte, Reika-sama!

    Additionally, it’s nice to see that her Otou-sama and Okaa-sama and Onii-sama, even when they weren’t there with her due to the party, tries to make up for such with the watch and cake.

    It’s also sooo very comfy and nice to see that her and her cram school buds were celebrating too. She really must have seem out of place but the way she described all the singing and chanting and presents, she really enjoyed it.

    That heart-shaped plant is pretty cute. I want one.

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