After the tea ceremony ended, Sakura had to go prepare for the main event of the party, so she temporarily left Natsui and Erika's side.
The two strolled around the courtyard for a while, stopping here and there to admire the various garden scenes. When the time was about right, they made their way to a stage set up in the courtyard.
As the most important event of the tea party, the five sisters would now perform a dance together, which was also the most anticipated part for the visiting guests.
The stage presence of the five Kimono sisters was beyond question, and being able to admire their dance from up close was undoubtedly a joyful occasion.
Soon, nearly two hundred people had gathered in front of the stage, which included all the guests who had come today.
Natsui and Erika blended into the crowd. They couldn't get a front-row spot and had to sit in the middle, but that was fine. After all, this position offered a complete view of the entire stage. Although there was some background noise, the visual effect was optimal.
Before long, as the music began, the five sisters gracefully walked onto the stage.
They were now in full costume, with stage makeup, and each held a dance fan.
As they took their positions, Natsui could see Sakura on stage quickly scanning the crowd with her eyes, as if looking for someone. Soon, her gaze met Natsui's and Erika's, and she gave them a gentle smile.
As the music changed, the five sisters began their performance.
The fans opened and closed, moving gracefully with their slow steps.
Unlike last night, this was purely a fan dance. Since he didn't have to focus on a story, Natsui could simply appreciate their performance.
His gaze slowly swept over them.
How to put it... each of them was very beautiful. Although their styles were different, each had her own charm; they were all stunning beauties.
In order of age, the five sisters were Satsuki, Tamao, Tamao, Sakura, and Lily, with a two-year age gap between each of them.
The youngest, Lily, was only 15, while the eldest, Satsuki, was already 23.
They are all in the prime of their youth...
Just as he had this thought, he suddenly caught himself. Wait a minute... I'm only 20 myself. Why do I feel like I have the mindset of an old man!?
When the music ended and the dance was over, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and the five sisters stood on stage, bowing in thanks.
As they left the stage, the guests began to disperse, their voices filled with praise.
"I feel like today's performance was even better than the last one!"
"Miss Satsuki has such an amazing presence!"
"Tamao was great too!"
"I remember Lily dropped her fan during the last performance. Good thing there were no mistakes today!"
Listening to the chatter, since they were seated in the middle of the crowd, Natsui and Erika couldn't leave right away. They waited until most of the others had gone before leaving the stage area.
"Let's go too."
They hadn't walked far when Erika remarked, "Miss Sakura and her sisters are all so beautiful. When they're on stage, they're so full of life. They really seem to shine."
Natsui was taken aback, not sure what Erika meant.
Thinking she was envious of Sakura and the others, he decided to comfort her. On a whim, he said, "Really? But I think you're more beautiful than them. And while they may shine, that's only on stage. Your stage is the gym battlefield. In my opinion, you're much more dazzling when you're commanding your Pokémon in battle!"
Erika looked at Natsui with surprise, and a faint blush appeared on her ears.
I didn't expect him to be so good at giving compliments!
She naturally understood what Natsui meant, but she had just been speaking her mind, with no sense of envy or jealousy. She simply felt that the girls were very popular at that moment, and the words had slipped out unconsciously.
Just as she was about to say something else, a light cough came from behind them.
They both quickly turned around and saw a woman in a kimono slowly descending the stage stairs.
It was Tamao, one of the five sisters!
Tamao walked past them with a blank expression, but as she passed Natsui, she gave him a deliberate, sidelong glance.
A fragrant scent wafted over, but Natsui's heart sank.
She must have heard what I said!
His expression became unavoidably awkward.
It was one thing to discuss others in private with a friend—after all, he wasn't saying anything bad about them—but it was embarrassing to be overheard by the person herself!
Especially since Tamao had just served them tea!
He quickly replayed his words in his mind. Fortunately, he hadn't said much, just that he thought Erika was more beautiful than them. It shouldn't be a big deal... right?
Ugh...
Alright, a woman's appearance is what she cares about most. No one can remain indifferent. He had probably just gotten himself blacklisted in Tamao's mind.
Hopefully, she isn't the petty type...
Watching Tamao walk away, Natsui and Erika exchanged a look. Just as they were about to say something, they heard more footsteps approaching from behind.
Turning around, this time it was Sakura and the other three sisters walking over together.
Being further away, they obviously hadn't heard the two's discussion, nor did they notice the slight stiffness on Natsui's face.
Sakura asked with a smile, "How was our performance just now?"
"It was truly wonderful!" Erika said earnestly. "The entire audience was full of praise for you all!"
Sakura was pleased, but then she noticed something was off with Natsui's expression.
"Hmm? Mr. Natsui, why do you look unwell?"
"Oh, him..." Glancing at him, Erika shook her head with a hint of amusement. "Don't mind him. He's not feeling very well right now."
Seeing Natsui just standing there without speaking, Sakura was a bit surprised. Although she didn't know what had happened, she didn't press the matter further.
They joined the sisters and walked into the courtyard. Perhaps because they were having such a good time talking, Sakura enthusiastically insisted that Erika and Natsui stay for dinner.
It was an offer too kind to refuse, so the two had no choice but to agree.
At Sakura's invitation, the two went to the main house. The tea party had already ended, and all the other guests had left.
Sakura stayed to entertain them, while the other four sisters went to the gate to see off the departing guests.
Time passed without notice, and soon it was dusk. The daytime hustle and bustle had completely subsided, and the courtyard became quiet and serene. Maids began to clean up the traces left by the guests, and everything seemed orderly and well-managed.
In the evening, the five sisters changed into simpler kimonos, removed their makeup, and hosted dinner in the main house.
A small table was placed in front of each person, adorned with several exquisite small dishes and sake.
The group knelt facing each other. Besides Natsui, the room was filled with the lovely presence of six beautiful women. It was a pleasant sight, but seeing Tamao's half-smiling gaze, he felt a sense of unease, as if something was about to happen.