Tale of the Moon Waiting for the Night - Chapter 1 (pt. 4)

“Hey, hey, who are you aiming for?”

“Hmm… I’m not really picky, but any guy who’s ranked.”

“I get it. They’re all so handsome—it’s a feast for the eyes. But if I had to pick, I’d definitely go for Mizuri-sama, the number one.”

“That’s too high of a goal!”

“Come on, it’s Mizuri-sama of the Kinshi, the Golden Kite! Not only is his face striking, but men possessed by the Kinshi are said to love only the one person they’ve chosen as their lifelong partner. Isn’t it ideal to be loved by such an exceptional man?”

“Oh, greedy much! I think I’d like Deba-sama, the third in rank. He seems kind, experienced, and would probably guide me well. Plus, he’s ranked high, so I’d have a secure future.”

“I think I’ll play it safe and aim for someone like Terakata-sama, the eighth, or Yanagase-sama, the tenth.”

“You’re fine with someone outside the main family line? You’re not very ambitious, huh?”

Yohana let out a heavy sigh.

(Blunt… but I’d rather they just focus on their work.)

Desperate to leave this spot as soon as possible, she diligently kept her hands busy.

After a lunch break in the middle, Yohana worked on the banquet preparations, and the sun began to set.

By this time, the women who had been chatting idly and slacking off during the day gradually showed enthusiasm, now moving as if they’d been working hard from the beginning.

The task of guiding the banquet guests to the grand hall was particularly popular, and before Yohana could say a word, the assignments were quickly decided.

Not that she had wanted to play a guide, but it didn’t sit quite right with her.

(What the heck…)

Watching the women bustling about with visibly rehearsed smiles, Yohana helped the servants set up the banquet food, drinks, and tableware.

Once night fully fell, cars began arriving nonstop at the front entrance, signaling the arrival of the ranked individuals. Voices announcing each person from the entrance echoed into the kitchen.

“Rank Ten, Kaishiro Yanagase-sama, has arrived!”

“Rank Nine, Saera Suzakake-sama, has arrived!”

“Rank Eight—”

Having missed out on the guide role, Yohana listened from afar as she lined up chopsticks, chopstick rests, small plates, and glasses on each tray.

Only up to Rank Ten could attend the banquet. Besides the ranked individuals, there were the head of the family and eight executives, totaling sixteen trays since three of the ranked weren’t attending.

When the appetizers were ready, Yohana placed them in the center of each tray.

(What beautiful dishes.)

The narrow plates were adorned with colorful bits of food arranged with elegance. Decoratively cut vegetables, vibrant flower-shaped gluten cakes—they filled her with excitement just looking at them.

She had no idea what they tasted like, but once arranged in the venue, they would surely look even more stunning.

“Everyone is here! Start serving!”

Just as Yohana finished preparing each tray, an older servant called out from the kitchen.

“Yes!”

Yohana hurriedly picked up a tray. The servants and helpers took trays in turn and started making their way to the venue.

It was then while walking down the hallway—

“Hey, give that to me! I’ll carry it!”

A voice called out, and suddenly, someone yanked the tray roughly from Yohana’s hands.

“Ah!”

The person who forcefully took the tray was one of the helpers who hadn’t been assigned a carrying role.

Yohana tried to protest, saying, “Hey, wait,” but the woman, with a raised eyebrow, pushed her hard on the shoulder.

“Whoa!”

The unexpected force threw Yohana off balance.

By the time she thought, Oh no, it was already too late. Unable to steady herself in her kimono, she tumbled off the open veranda and rolled towards the garden.

Unluckily, a pond lay right there. It all happened in an instant.

(Ah… déjà vu.)

Unable to resist, Yohana fell backward into the pond, landing on her bottom.

With a loud splash echoing through the garden, the hallway went silent.

The last time she’d fallen into water was during an extracurricular class by the lake, just a little over a month ago. No one would’ve expected her to fall into water again so soon.

Unlike the lake, though, this pond was only knee-deep. Drenched from the back down, Yohana sat in the pond, dazed.

The woman who had pushed her, perhaps realizing she’d gone too far, scowled awkwardly, muttering, “It’s not my fault, is it?”

The others also stood around in stunned silence, some looking bewildered.

Feeling the cold water seeping through her kimono, chilling her lower body, Yohana was too shocked by the unexpected turn of events to know what to do.

At that moment, as everyone froze—

The unimaginable happened.

“Aaaahhhh!”

A high-pitched scream echoed from above. Next, another splash. Water sprayed onto Yohana’s already wet back and head.

“Huh…? Wh-what?”

She couldn’t process it. Her body and mind froze in confusion.

It took her a moment to understand that someone had fallen right behind her into the same pond.

(But… from where? There’s no high place nearby that someone could fall into this pond. No one should be falling behind me.)

The chill she felt down her spine wasn’t just from the water; there was a strange sense of dread. She turned around cautiously.

The night garden, faintly illuminated by the light spilling from the building, reflected shimmering water droplets like tiny, twinkling golden particles.

She recognized the familiar sailor uniform—and the face of the drenched girl sitting there as well.

“…Kosumi-san?”

At that moment, Yohana must have looked as though she’d seen a ghost.

An impossible person in an impossible place. Shock, fear, and confusion churned inside her, leaving her unable to react.

The girl—Haru, recognizing Yohana upon hearing her name, widened her eyes as if they might pop out, muttering in a small voice.

“Sakaki-san?”

“Why are you here?”

Yohana began to ask just as the hallway erupted in noise.