"Good evening, I have a reservation here, a private room..."
"Thank you. Huh? Everyone else is already here? Ugh..."
"Old man's going to chew me out again. What a pain... Ah, sorry. I let something unnecessary slip out."
"Anyway, please lead the way first."
Following behind Kyōraku Shunsui, Arima Shizuya arrived at yet another completely unfamiliar place.
From the outside, it looked like a small courtyard.
But once they entered, he discovered that there was far more to it than met the eye.
The private rooms within were quite secluded, and neatly dressed attendants guided the guests around.
Though he did not know their destination, no matter how he looked at it, this was clearly a high-end establishment.
Somewhere a poor student like him could not afford to visit for the time being.
After winding through several corridors, they arrived before the private room. Arima Shizuya spotted the plaque hanging beside the door.
Written upon it in an elegant hand was the character for "heart."
The attendant slid open the door and made an inviting gesture.
Kyōraku Shunsui returned the gesture, then patted Arima Shizuya lightly on the shoulder as he entered.
Don't just stand there, kid.
Arima Shizuya followed him into the room.
What he saw was a somewhat spacious single-story room.
An antique-looking long wooden table stood in the center.
Several soft yet firm cushions rested atop tatami mats with no visible seams, as though they had been formed from a single piece.
There were no unnecessary furnishings in the room. Only a sliding door had been installed to the right—currently half-open, allowing Arima Shizuya to glimpse part of the scenery outside.
It was a rather exquisite little courtyard.
There were not many people in the room. Counting everyone present, there were only three.
The man seated on