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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 9 Chapter 2.3

This must be another joke, I thought. But I froze, because Yukihime-neesan had a serious look in her eyes.

However…

「Isn’t that just lack of initiative?」, I laugh jokingly.

「You have great individuality.」

I didn’t tell Yukihime-neesan that it was impossible. Even though I knew it was impossible, I couldn’t say it.

「Now, let’s move on to the next topic.」

「Ok.」

「What do you think of Ulysses, Young Master?」

「…Umm…」

And so the discussion, or rather interrogation, continued until Shirayuki-san called me for dinner.

3

A few days later, Juugo Yama and the other core members of <<Matsuri>> had gathered at the airport to welcome the Korunald family, a European family of tomb raiders. Everyone, including Father and Boss were wearing black suits.

For a while now, ordinary people passing by have been looking away from them. From an outsider’s perspective they just look like a group of mobsters.

「Juugo-kun, you look kind of tired.」

In the middle of the group, I (who was wearing a shirt and jeans) spoke to Kunon’chan (who was wearing a camisole and shorts).

「We’ve had a great master for our training, so we’re being given the utmost care. This morning we played real tag in the hills behind boss’s house.」

「What is that!? It sounds so fun! I want to try it too!」

This 3rd year junior high school girl really hasn’t lost her childlike innocence.

「Then run more.」

「Ugh. It’s not like I’m fat or anything. I’m still growing.」

My little sister puffs out her cheeks and holds her belly.

「That’s not what I’m trying to say. I just thought you’d still be the same.」

「I train every day too!」

「You’ll get tired pretty quickly, won’t you?」

「I can’t help it, I’m a quick battle type of fighter. That’s my fate.」

「Don’t give up, you idiot. Fight against fate.」

「This style is cooler and suits my personality, so it’s fine. And even if I get tired and can’t move, Juugo-kun will help me, so it’s fine.」

Kunon-chan smiles happily.

「Where does that absolute trust in me come from?」

「From life lessons I’ve had so far.」

「I won’t buy you any ice cream.」

As I turned away, Kunon-chan started grinning and said, 「That’s a shame.」

What the hell? If you have something to say, just say it.

「Here they come.」

Everyone turned towards my father after those words.

A group of blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigners appeared from behind the airport gate. For some reason, they were all wearing white suits. The group approached us with a dignified stride.

Of course the other people, including the airport staff, kept their distance.

「Shall we go?」

Upon hearing my father’s words, the members of <<Matsuri>> also started to walk in their direction. They all marched in a big procession with serious expressions on their faces.

And so the black and white groups faced off in the middle of the airport corridor. Two forces were glaring at each other. Is a war about to start here?

At the head of the other side was a dandy, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man with a stern face. Opposing this dandy of a man is my dad, who has the meanest eyes in the world.

The two of them exchange glances. Soon, though, they both burst out laughing.

「It’s been a while, Sougo.」

「It’s good to see you’re doing well, Jurus.」

Then the two of them shake hands firmly.

With that as a signal, both camps softened their expressions and began to exchange greetings. It was as if everything they’d done up until then had been a joke. Well actually it WAS a joke.

「They’re still as goofy as ever.」

This is the usual mischief that was unique to <<Matsuri>>. I don’t know who started it, but it was someone who thought it would be fun to do something like this at an airport.

「But it’s cool and fun」, Kunon says with a smile.

Well, I guess I agree with that.

「Kunon.」

By the time I turned towards the familiar voice, Kunon-chan had already taken off running. Pushing her way through black and white suits, my younger sister embraces the girl in the summer dress.

「Hey Ulysses. I’ve missed you, my dear friend!」

Her dear friend was Ulysses Korunald. She has white skin like porcelain, clear blue eyes and long eyelashes. She’s beautiful and cute, like a western doll.

「Juugo?」

I turn around when I hear my name being called. There is a gentleman with blonde hair and blue eyes.

「Hey, Ishbal. I missed you, my best friend… but should we…?」

I say mockingly to the man who slowly approaches me.

「If you came to hug me, I was going to punch you.」

「Sorry I didn’t live up to your expectations.」

They grin and bump fists.

「It’s been a long time… or not. It’s been a short while since we last met.」

「I guess it’s okay to say it’s been a short while, Ishbal.」

Ishbal Korunald. In Kunon’s words, he is one of the few friends connected through our underground business. I guess it’s been a while since I last met him as Ishbal. For some reason he used the false name of Neidhart D. Polnareff to enter Nanaejima, and is working behind the scenes to obtain the Nanana Collection. He is also the next head of the Korunald Family, the white-suited gangsters here.

「Hey, Ishi-niisan.」

「Kunon, you’ve become a lot cuter too. Especially those adorable eyes that remind me of a tasmania devil. They’re really cute, guhoho.」

Just as he tries to hug her, Ishbal gets punched in the stomach.

「Who’s a Tasmanian devil?」

She bares her fangs and goes ‘grrrr’ and it’s perfect.

「It’s been a while, Juugo-san.」

The beautiful girl next to my sister smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile as well.

「It’s been a while, Ulysses-chan. You were cute before, but I was surprised to see you’ve gotten even cuter.」

「Thank you.」

「Hey, Juugo. You’re not good at complimenting women.」

「Yeah, Juugo.」

「Shut up, you two.」

It’s a sort of game for us. Ishbal suggested it once when we were staying at the Yama family home. It was a sort of ‘training on how to treat women’. So whenever we meet up like this, Ishbal and I compliment each other’s sisters.

But… I’m not as much of a natural as Ishbal. That’s what I think anyways.

Ulysses-chan smiles at me as I scratch my head.

「But I was really happy to hear you say that, Juugo.」

Oh, what a nice lady.

Anyway…

「W..well, that is…」

「About this, Juugo-san. I’m sure you were really surprised by this sudden offer. But thank you so much for accepting so willingly.」

Ulysses bows deeply.

I see, so she thinks I’ve accepted the marriage. Anyway, leaving that aside for now, I put my hands on Ulysses’ shoulders and she looks up.

「There’s no need for you to do that to me. Girls shouldn’t bow like that to guys. It makes her look cheap.」

Ulysses looked confused, but then smiles cutely like a flower bud opening and says, 「Ok.」

Yup, she’s great.

「Oh, Juugo-kun, you’re so cool.」

「I remember someone saying that before.」

「That’s not cool.」

Sorry, little sis.

「Excuse me for interrupting. Everyone, we will soon be leaving.」

Ishbal’s eyes light up when Yukihime-neesan, who had been watching the situation from a distance, appears.

「Hello, Yukihime.」

Unlike before, this time he opened my arms wide and tried to embrace her, but she quickly looked away.

「Ishbal-sama, please refrain from messing around. Due to my position, I am unable to retaliate against Ishbal-sama at this time. If you take advantage of this and do something, I will truly despise you and never speak to you again, so I ask for your cooperation.」

This time, Ishbal is one of the guests, and Yukihime-neesan is only a subordinate from a different family.

「Isn’t this awful?」, he cries.

I tell him, 「This is what you deserve.」

Ulysses replaces Ishbal in front of Yukihime-neesan.

「It’s been a while, Hime-sama.」

「You look well, Ulysses.  I missed you.」

「Yeah, me too.」

Just like Kunon, Ulysses is very attached to Yukhime.

「Let’s go, you guys.」

After greeting Jurus and the others, my dad called out to us.

The <<Matsuri>> group and the Korunald family began to move in a group. A limousine and shuttle bus were parked in the parking lot where the group had arrived. Then both parties began to board the shuttle bus. The guests of honor walked towards the limousine.

「That’s amazing, Juugo-kun! It’s a limousine! It’s so long!」

「Calm down, Kunon-chan. I’m surprised too.」

By the way, we got here by train.

「That’s not right, we always take limousines.」

Don’t lie to show off, Dad.

「I see. We drive our own limousine.」

For some reason, Jurus 1 ups him.

「Oh, really? We have a few cars, but I get tired of the same old thing, so I just thought I’d try something different for once.」

「Just a few? We have a dozens.」

What kind of show-off is this old man trying to be?