Cream cheese is delicious with honey.

It’s great just to eat it like that but I like to eat it on scones. It’s even more delicious that way.

My family buys high cla.s.s honey from specialist honey stores without an issue. What a wonderful life.

I wonder which honey I should have today. Maybe the lavender.

I spread it generously on top of my cream cheese and then gobbled it all down with a scone. Wow. This is true bliss.

I’m feeling full with just one. But I’ll have another just to be safe.

Eating it two days in a row has brought about some terrifying consequences though. Weight-wise.

Truly the food of the devil!

Anyway, while I was wallowing in my lack of self-control I received a phone call from Aoi-chan.

“Oniichan is getting weirder and weirder,” she said.

“Ah, the muscley guitarist? Is he still playing every day?”

“He’s singing too now&h.e.l.lip;”

“My my&h.e.l.lip;”

Her voice was grim.

“You know, apparently he started this whole guitar thing after he met somebody he liked. And so he’s going to confess to her with a self-written love song&h.e.l.lip; Every day he submits his own flesh and blood to his horrible love songs. It’s terrible, right? All of my family has been telling him to stop but he doesn’t listen. And oh G.o.d, the lyrics.

♫ Ever since meeting you ♫

♫ There’s been a thump thump in my chest ♫

♫ And my heart is light and tender ♫

Who writes c.r.a.p like that. Some days I feel like I could die from the embarra.s.sment. Whenever Oniichan starts to sing my mum will cover her ears. It’s miserable being his sister.”

A self-made love song? At least it isn’t a poem, I guess.

Sometimes you see people singing and confessing to girls on t.v. but the girls always seem happy enough though. I’d probably run away in embarra.s.sment, personally.

But then it’s usually guys who write love songs and poems, isn’t it. I don’t think a guy would really want to listen to a love song. Maybe that’s why girls make things instead?

Maybe there’s some male-only disease going around that makes them want to spontaneously write stuff like that. Scary&h.e.l.lip; Thank goodness Oniisama never caught it.

Oh, but sometimes Oniisama does play Schubert’s Ständchen (Serenade).

It’s wonderful!

Mn. I guess it’s better to leave song-writing up to the professionals.

“Were somebody to suddenly sing and confess to me I might run from the shock. And what if the girl in question dislikes that sort of thing&h.e.l.lip;”

“Yeah. But apparently the girl he likes is really into music. She likes musicians and that.”

“Oh~”

“They takes cla.s.ses at uni together and he tried his best to get her but it’s been hard. Apparently that was when he turned to song writing&h.e.l.lip;”

“My~”

Cla.s.ses at uni together, huh. I forgot he was in university.

“Mari~ Mari~ My beloved Mari~ You have taken me pri-soh-nah~ Good G.o.d, I can’t take the idiocy anymore.”

I guess he really doesn’t have any talent. Wow, this might actually be worse than Cla.s.s Rep’s poem. If Cla.s.s Rep’s disease gets any worse, do you think he might start breaking into song? Anything but that, Cla.s.s Rep.

Hm, but Mari&h.e.l.lip;

“Incidentally, might I ask which university he attends?”

Aoi-chan answered with Marin-sensei’s university. Huh, they’re the same grade too.

Wait, no way&h.e.l.lip;

“My tutor is apparently one of your brother’s cohorts. Her type is visual kei musicians too.”

“EHH!?”

“Her name sounds a little close too. I cannot give out her personal information, though.”

“I see. Then it might be the same person, huh. Visual kei, though? Oniichan’s stuff is more like folk songs though. That’s totally different.”

“Well, it may just be a coincidence after all.”

“Yeah. Maybe I should talk to Oniichan though.”

With that, Aoi-chan hung up. No matter what she says, she’s actually pretty worried about her brother’s love-life isn’t she.

Still, Aoi-chan’s oniisan and Marin-sensei? What a small world.

The next day I arrived at the salon to find Kaburagi playing Liszt’s Liebesträume (Love Dream).

EHHHH!? WHAT THE HEEECK!? SO COOL!!

The light from between tree leaves was filtering into through the window, and combined with Kaburagi’s amazing and emotional piano, I am ashamed to admit that my heart fluttered for a moment. No, Reika! Open your eyes!

But wow, who knew this stupid horse riding maniac could actually play the piano. I guess this is what they call ‘gap moe’? G.o.dd.a.m.n, what power.

Man, but I’ll bet you anything he’s thinking about Yurie-sama as he’s playing. It’s a bit sad&h.e.l.lip;

Oniisama’s Serenade is great too, but Kaburagi’s Liszt was also nice. Exactly what a young maiden would love.

Pretty much all the other girls in the room were completely entranced. A true privilege of being a Pivoine member.

I wonder if he’d take requests?

After hearing Kaburagi’s piano, I was certain. Writing your own song is a bad idea.

I messaged Aoi-chan:

“The wise stick to existing songs. Writing your own is high-risk high-return.”

The reply I got though&h.e.l.lip;

“Oniichan can’t stop his fiery pa.s.sion. After I told him what you mentioned, he became convinced that it was the same person. Apparently the girl he likes is the tutor to some incredibly rich ojousama. He’s changed over from folk songs to visual kei stuff and now he’s even added weird shouts to his song. Oh G.o.d.”

&h.e.l.lip;Muscles Oniisaaaaan!

For Aoi-chan’s sake, I decided to help as well. I was going to sell her Oniichan to Marin-sensei. Once the two of them got together her brother would stop playing guitar all the time and then peace would return to her family.

I tried it the next day I had tutoring.

“Marin-sensei, as I recall you mentioned somebody rather incessant in their wooing? The rather overwhelming one&h.e.l.lip;”

“Ah, I did. What about it?”

“Is he still interested in you?”

“Gosh, Reika-sama, what are you asking all of a sudden. &h.e.l.lip;Well, yes?”

I knew it!

“You said that he was not truly your type but what if you gave him a chance? I am sure he is a good person. What if you discovered that you liked him?”

“Eh-, well, yeah.”

“Indeed! If he suddenly begins singing to you, I hope that you will not run away!”

“Singing to me? I wonder what you mean. He doesn’t have any interest in music at all.”

“What if he does now! He’s going to sing and play to confess to you!”

Oops.

“Confess&h.e.l.lip;?”

“Ah, that was supposed to be a surprise so&h.e.l.lip;”

“I’m not sure what you mean by confess. I mean, we’re already dating.”

&h.e.l.lip;Eh?

“Dating?”

“Yes. He was just so earnest about it all that I couldn’t help but say yes.”

Marin-sensei showed me a picture of the two of them together. The man was a diligent-looking man who wouldn’t look out of place as a researcher.

Slim, and definitely not muscley.

“Eh-, I thought you said that he was overwhelming&h.e.l.lip; And the complete opposite to the visual kei type&h.e.l.lip;”

“Aah, well, he just kept saying he liked me over and over again so it was a little overwhelming. And don’t you think these serious types have the complete opposite personality to visual kei rockers?”

“Aah&h.e.l.lip; I see&h.e.l.lip; Ah! Umm! Were there any over men that were interested in you? Like perhaps a muscley man.”

“Nope.”

“No?”

“Nope.”

I GOT THE WRONG GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUY!!

Of course. How could there be such a convenient development!

What do I do. I have to quickly let Aoi-chan know or else.

While Marin-sensei was boasting fondly about her boyfriend I got permission to send a text to my friend. Just as I was about to write something a text from Aoi-chan came.

“What do I do!? Oniichan’s gotten into death metal! He’s even started using Mum’s make-up and she’s super angry at him now! It’s scary! How am I going to sleep tonight!?”

WHAT DO I DOO!?

Oh man. Oh man, oh man. I don’t think I’ll be able to face her family now.

With trembling hands I told her that it was the wrong person, as I prayed that it wasn’t too late.

&h.e.l.lip;Muscles-oniisan, wanna join my Forever Alone Village?

AAAH! I’M SO SORRYY!

TLN: Gap moe is a term used to describe the appeal present in seeing another, surprising side of somebody you think you already have a good grasp of.

So kind of like when you’re reading Madan no Ou no Vanadis and the woman you’d only known as strict and confrontational happened to have this side to her: