Kei: ......Ah, the "u" from "uuroncha"! (TN: The kanji for Oolong tea.)
As I talk, I try writing it in the air with my chopsticks.
...Although I suppose it's not really good manners.
Uzuki: Yes, that's it.
Senba Uzuki - a mysterious sounding name, no less than her slightly eccentric pattern of speech, I thought.
I see. It would stand as a word of praise for shiny, raven-black hair, and her hair is exactly that.
However, I don't quite understand the taste of a parent who would put the "raven" character into a girl's name.
If you're going to praise black hair, then Midori-san, from "green-black hair" might be better, or was there something else? (TN: "midori" = "green)
Kei: That's a unique name.
Uzuki: Indeed it is. I'm often told by nosy people that my birth certificate must've had a miswrite.
......Huh?
Uzuki: They would say the intention was to take "bird" and "moon" from "beauties of nature", but took out a line and it became "raven". (TN: "beauties of nature" = "kachoufuugetsu" or "flowers", "birds", "wind", and "moon" in that order.)
Uzuki: ......Kei-san, is something wrong?
Kei: No, it's nothing.
I have no idea why, but my heart skipped for a moment.
I guess I've been having a lot of such heart-racing moments around her, but...
Probably, just my imagination.
Gotta be my imagination... wait, huh?
Kei: Just now, did you call me "Kei-san"!?
Uzuki: ......But before, you said it was alright to call you that. Was there a problem?
Kei: No, no, that's perfectly fine!
Absolutely no problem. Youko-chan and the others never call me that, even if I ask.
Kei: You can even drop the honorific, if you want. Yep. So, what were we talking about?
I even push the conversation ahead, in an effort to keep her from changing her mind.
Uzuki: Right, where were we...
Uzuki: I came here with regard to an errand for my family, but, I was wondering what brought you here, Kei-san.
Kei: Yeah, it seems like there isn't anything here, huh...
Uzuki: In a word, this hotel also has a hot spring, but you can't really draw visitors with just that.
Kei: That's true. If it were cooler, though, people would probably come to escape the heat.
Kei: Even I would probably lounge about at home if my father didn't have a house here.
Uzuki: Your parents have a house, yet you're in a hotel?
Kei: There may be a house, but no one lives there. That, and I missed the last bus.
More importantly, I just heard something good.
There's a hot spring here.
Continue...