Chapter 140: The Proprietress and Sannosuke
The sunlight that shines in from the window woke me up.
Feeling the dazzling light of the sun, I slowly raise my body while squinting at it.
For some reason, I feel that it’s earlier compared with the usual time I woke up, but I guess it’s not bad to wake up early once in a while.
「Fuwaaa……」
I leave myself to the urge and yawned, and breathe in the fresh morning air.
After that, I stretched my body while still sitting to loosen up my muscles.
I was playing a considerable number of table tennis games last night after all.
When I was explaining table tennis to Tori, the men from the Firm came out one after another and they showed interest in the table tennis.
Of course, one table is truly not enough for more than twenty men to play table tennis, so I create more table tennis set to answer the gaze of expectation from everyone.
Five additional tables are made in the garden that was brimming with Kagura’s element.
If you add more tables, then it is also necessary to get the cork to make the ball for that table, so that means five precious wine bottles of the Firms were opened.
You could say that our figures rallying the cork ball, having fun while drinking red wine really look exactly like we’re playing a noble’s game.
As one would expect, Tori was smiling wryly looking at that, but it looks like he’s going to tolerate it as he thought of this as a new business’s investment.
Even though Tori was really generous, he was still terribly depressed since the first wine that Irvine and Mort swiped「Olga’s Red Wine」 appeared to be something he put aside and look forward to.
It was interesting to see Tori being clearly depressed since he always looked easygoing usually.
Separated by the court, the table tennis didn’t make such a loud noise nor an indecent commotion like last night, everyone enjoyed it, and the night peacefully ended.
And if the table were added, we would end up taking a bath again since there will be few people - including me - who would get excited over it.
Let’s do some morning stretches to thoroughly ease my body so that there will be no remaining fatigue from yesterday’s activity.
But since my body is a healthy seven years old body, I don’t think that kind of exercise will have an effect on me, so this is just in case.
After all, the moment when people went around twenty years of age and more, their body will start to age. I feel that my body is weak compared to my age in my previous life, maybe because of things like lifestyle diseases or lack of physical exercise.
So in order to have an easy slowlife in this lifetime, I have to make sure that I don’t have an unhealthy body like my previous one. Since it’s best for people to be able to live healthily.
Thinking so, I stood up and start doing some radio calisthenics.
After finishing the radio calisthenics and confirming that there is no problem with my physical state, I opened the room’s window widely.
The view from the ryokan’s second floor is far and wide, Kagura people who are going to work early in the morning are coming and going on the main street even today.
When you hear the unique hustle and bustle of the street and feel the wind blowing gently into the room, you can hear the rhythmically tapping and bouncing sound coming from downstairs.
「Ah, this is surprisingly interesting!」
「The simplicity of where you only have to return the ball to the opponent’s court is nice. There is no need to make an excessively intense movement, and you can even enjoy it while wearing Kagura clothes!」
「That’s rightー. It’s difficult to move comfortably when wearing Kagura clothes meant for women. This, table tennis? It’s nice since this table tennis takes that into considerationー」
When I look down, the ryokan’s female employees are talking while happily playing table tennis.
That’s because table tennis is a game where even people who wear clothes that make them unable to move intensely - like yukata - able enjoy play with ease.
From what I can gather hearing the conversion of the employees, it seems that table tennis is well-received by the people of Kagura.
When it comes to a Japanese-like ryokan, then it’s going to be playing table tennis. It would be interesting if it has that kind of image.
「Ahー, when you played like this then it can also be thought of as a break for us, rightー. But do you think the proprietress will allow these to be always placed hereー?」
「Uuーm, but the gardener-san wouldn’t allow it, don’t you think? I mean our ryokan, y’see, is offering the scenery of the garden and such……」
When they were having such a casual conversation like that, the proprietress and Sannosuke came out from the entrance.
「You girls, how long are you going to take a break? It’s about time for our guests to wake up. Please return to your work.」
「「Ye, yes! Right away!」」
Admonished by the proprietress, the female employees returned to their work cheerfully. Even while in a hurry being told that by the proprietress, I guess their graceful and presentable appearance is probably the result of their training, huh? I wish a certain older sister somewhere can follow their example.
While I’m being impressed by them, the proprietress saw the female employees off and started approaching the table.
After that, she begins to touch the table as if checking on it *pechipechi*.
Is a table made with Earth magic so weird? It’s an ordinary table though.
The proprietress grabbed the racket placed on the table, then practice swinging the racket as if to imitate us last night.
Maybe it’s because she thoroughly watched us last night. That practice swinging of hers started looking like a proper swing strangely.
Perhaps she wanted to hit the ball with the racket in her hand, that she hit the cork ball left on the table toward the wall that was built there as a substitute for a net.
As expected, looking at her figure doing that Sannosuke silently approached as he started to stand ready and face her, perhaps he guessed that she wanted to rally.
Seeing that, the proprietress smiled embarrassedly and serve with the racket.
It appears that she has learned the basic rules, probably from seeing us. The ball makes a proper bounce in her own court.
The bouncing ball *konkon* is politely returned by Sannosuke.
「Eii!」
The proprietress returned the high bouncing cork ball along with an adorable yell.
In contrast to her voice, the slow ball flew toward Sannosuke’s court.
And then Sannosuke hit the ball back gently.
I feel that he has a somewhat soft expression, even though it’s the same awkward expression as usual outwardly.
「Hee, so you guys are like that when it’s just the two of you………」
「――!?」
The proprietress looked up as if she was startled when I muttered that in an impressed manner, maybe the proprietress heard that even though she is in the garden.
If you look at her surprised expression, it would feel like they’re saying 「Did you see that just now!? 」, isn’t it?
The cork ball that doesn’t get hit rolls down on the ground in vain, I guess it’s because the proprietress looked up at me.
Even though the two of them are not doing anything especially exaggerated like kissing or flirting with each other.
「Good morning」
「……good morning, Alfried-sama」
While I greet them anyway, the proprietress and Sannosuke put the racket back on the table and bend their waist in a polite manner. And when I see their dignified expression and appearance, it’s as if the previous table tennis play was just a lie.
「……uhh, please don’t mind me and just play the table tennis.」
「……no, I still have to prepare the breakfast」
So you’re innocently playing table tennis in the garden even though you have to prepare for breakfast, huh? Even though you admonished the employees some time ago………
「……………」
Maybe she gets that kind of impression from my gaze, that the proprietress looked a little awkward.
「……excuse me, I enjoyed playing the table tennis. You can enjoy playing it even if you wear Kagura’s clothes, so it might become popular in Kagura」
After the proprietress said that, she gave me a neat bow and returned to the entrance. Sannosuke also bows as if to follow her example and followed the proprietress’s back.
It was just rallying in table tennis, but Sannosuke and the proprietress really appear like a married couple at that moment. I’m glad I got up earlier than usual.
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