Song of Mermaids Chapter 4

[skyress8619]

Hiyori: ♪～♪～

 

How comfortable it is to walk barefoot in the soft sand! Add the refreshing ocean breeze to that and you have yourself some truly fine weather... ♪

 

Jun: Haha, you're just like a kid prancing about, Ohii-san. Watch out, a crab or something could pinch ya, y'know~?

 

…… Woah!? Why’dja suddenly splash me?!

 

Hiyori: Hmph. You called me a child, Jun-kun, so isn’t playing like this perfectly normal?

 

Jun: GODDAMN…… Take this, Ohii-san!

 

Hiyori: Aaand dodged~ Yuzuru-kun, watch out☆

 

Yuzuru: ……？

 

Jun: Huh?! Oh no, the water's already in the air!

 

S-sorry 'bout that. I didn’t mean to mess with you, Fushimi-san[1].

 

Yuzuru: Ah, that’s alright. The corner of my jacket got a bit well, is all; please don’t pay me any mind.

 

If anyone is to blame, it is myself for being so absent-minded. I should have been able to completely avoid that.

 

Hiyori: So what do you think, Yuzuru-kun? Doesn’t the sight of such a beautiful seascape make you feel more relaxed?

 

Yuzuru: Indeed, I saw a stall over there selling fresh local produce. As expected of a tourist hotspot, it has everything you would ever need.

 

Hiyori: Hm? You certainly pay attention to the strangest things.

 

Yuzuru: The body loses water much faster in climates as hot as this. The Young Master will surely feel thirsty after work.

 

If you two gentlemen do not mind, please allow me to select some ingredients from the vendor’s stall, so that I may prepare some drinks and salad for everyone.

 

Hiyori: …Could it be that you want to make even our drinks yourself, Yuzuru-kun? Why not go to the drinks stall and buy something ready to go?

 

I just so happen to be in the mood for something to drink as well, so we could just get Jun-kun to buy something for all of us, yes?

 

Jun: Seriously~? Can’t you see that mile-long queue in front of the drinks stall? By the time it’s my turn, you'd all be sunburnt to a crisp already, y'know?

 

Yuzuru: Please do not worry. If you need someone to run errands, I would be more than happy to.

 

You can tell from a glance that those beverages simply have too many artificial colourings and flavorings added to them. Though they may be to the Young Master’s taste, they have little nutritional value.

 

In addition, I would like to personally make a gift of appreciation, humble though it may be, in order to show my support for the Young Master.

 

At this moment, this is the thing I wish to do the most.

 

Hiyori: Hm… Since you'd be happy to do it, Yuzuru-kun, then I have no objections. However, wouldn’t this not count as a proper rest?

 

Yuzuru: That is not the case. On the contrary, remaining idle causes me more stress.

 

Hiyori: Ahaha, it sounds like you have some strange quirks, Yuzuru-kun ♪

 

Well then, go on and do your best. If there's anything you need help with, just hit Jun-kun up! We’ll see you later~

 

Jun: Dude, don’t just go running around everywhere… If you get lost, then that's on you, got it~?

 

<Several minutes later>

 

Jun: Fushimi-san, I’ve borrowed a blender from the fruit vendor.

 

Yuzuru: Oh my, this really is a great help. Allow me to extend my deepest thanks.

 

Jun: Oh no, it was no sweat. You don’t have to be so polite to me.

 

Besides, you went out of your way to help Ohii-san with some of his luggage when he brought way too much, so just treat this as me returning the favour.

 

If you ever need my help with anything, just ask me anytime.

 

Yuzuru: Fufu. As someone who’s so used to serving others, it feels somewhat strange to rely on someone else.

 

In any case, I would appreciate it if you could carefully wash the fruits and vegetables over here. I can handle the rest of the work.

 

Jun: Alright, gotcha~

 

(...... Ooh, so this is the real power of a Himemiya family butler, huh?)

 

(His knifework is seriously practiced. He's so skilled with a knife that he's dicing the fruit so fast you can barely even see it! I've gotta wash all this as quickly as I can...!)

 

<Some time later>

 

Tori: Phew… We’re finally done for the day! Everything went off without a hitch. Thank you for the hard work, everyone~ (He bows cutely)

 

(Boohoo, I’m hot, tired and thirsty right now. I wish I could just relax in a hammock and eat some shaved ice.)

 

(Anywho, I should meet up with Yuzuru and the others…)

 

(Oh, they’re already walking towards me. It looks like Yuzuru’s holding something…?)

Yuzuru: Excellent work today, Young Master♪

 

Tori: ——Eeek?!

 

Wh-what is that?! The colour’s so weird ~ !

 

Yuzuru: Please be at ease, there’s no cause for alarm. This is a special nutritional beverage I made as a reward for you, so do give it a taste ♪

 

Tori: …You can go ahead and sparkle your eyes at me for the rest of eternity—I’m not drinking that, no ands, ifs, or buts! It doesn’t even look like it was made for human consumption!

 

Hiyori: Hmm… Don't blame Tori-kun, this drink doesn't look 'pretty' at all to me, either.

 

Jun: Oh, you're back, Ohii-san. What good timing.

 

You didn’t even chip in at all just now, and here you are, still picking at the hard work of others, huh?

 

Hiyori: Dear me, you've gotten it all wrong. I was hardly slacking off; rather, I have a gift for Tori-kun!

 

Take a look at these pink seashells and conches! I spent so much time on the beach finding them—don't they suit you wonderfully?

 

Tori: Waahh~! They’re all so cute! Thanks, Hiyori-sama, I’ll be sure to take care of them♪

 

Hiyori: Yes, yes, there's a good boy ♪

 

Yuzuru: …I clearly gave him my gift first, so why…

 

Hiyori: Ahaha, are presents supposed to be appreciated on a first-come-first-served basis?

 

All the same, Tori-kun, I think you ought to react a little less coldly to your Servant-kun's kind gesture. He must have put a lot of thought into that drink.

 

Tori: I-I know that, of course! After all, Yuzuru would never think about harming me. Alright, alright, I'll drink it!

 

Yuzuru: Ahh, Young Master! I’m extremely grateful for the trust you have in me…!

 

Tori: Huh, why are you thanking me?! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

 

(Whatever. It’s no big deal, it’s just some kinda drink. I’m gonna hold my breath and drink it in one gulp! )

 

Gulp, gulp…...

——? That’s weird, it tastes different to how I thought it would. It’s actually pretty good?

 

Yuzuru, gimme another cup~!

 

Yuzuru: Certainly. I’m very glad that it’s to your liking♪

 

Hiyori: Hey, is it really that good? Let me have a try, too!

 

Jun: Yeah, it’s pretty sweet and refreshing. Honestly, after watching Fushimi-san make it with so much skill, I knew that there’s no way it’ll taste that bad.

 

Yuzuru: Fufu, you flatter me. In fact, I once asked Shiina-sama for guidance about drink-making methods in Niki’s Kitchen. It seems that the taste is passable, but I still have a ways to go in terms of making it look appealing.

 

If it means that the Young Master will be more willing to eat my hand-made nutritional dishes, I will certainly continue endeavoring to improve my cooking skills…♪

---

[1] In the original CN text, Jun does not use an honorific to address Yuzuru. However, Jun refers to all of his same year peers as [last name]-san, with the only exception being Ibara, and we felt that it was appropriate to take the liberty to add an honorific as Jun is not someone to be informal towards someone else right off the bat (Jun and Yuzuru have not interacted prior to this story).

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