Volume 2 Chapter 81 It Seems That We Will Be Having Regular Home Parties At Kokonoe-San's House From Now On
Well, our break at the "Afternoon Tea Teahouse" after shopping is over.
To be specific, the food on the cake stand and the tea in the pot were enough for 2 cups each, and now they're all gone.
"Yeah, I was just planning to shop today, but this tea party practice while taking a break was pretty nice, don't you think?"
As I said that, Shibata-san nodded enthusiastically.
"Really, I felt like a princess or a young lady from a novel. You don't get to feel like this every day, right?"
Then Kashiyama-san also nodded in agreement.
"Right? I never thought a day would come when we could do something like this in real life, but it's so much fun!"
Then Saikachi-san chimed in.
"I'm not very familiar with Western-style tea parties, but this place has great service, I'm full, and the atmosphere is nice too."
In response, Shibata-san eagerly said.
"Oh, then, how about I lend you my recommended book next time? You should definitely give it a read!"
And Saikachi-san replied.
"Oh, yes. Please do!"
With a smile, Kokonoe-san said.
"It was definitely fun! Plus, the dessertto was a delicious cake with a sweet kindness that makes me want to come back for more! I'm not very familiaru witho the shopu around here, so thank you for introducing me to a good one!"
"Yeah, not knowing good places can be tough, but if you want, I can keep sharing recommendations with you."
As I said that, Kokonoe-san smiled again.
"That would be really helpful desu!"
Then Saikachi-san added.
"Really, this is a great place to relax and heal your tired body and mind after shopping."
By the way, even though the portions were quite filling, everyone was enjoying their food.
The female customer ratio in this shop is nearly 90%, and while the space is wide and comfortable, it might feel a bit awkward for a guy to be here alone.
Well, it's a relief that there are quite a few older women around.
"But it's a shame. I wanted to enjoy the tea party atmosphere a bit more."
Shibata-san says this with a truly disappointed look.
"Then, how about we enjoy high ocha at my place after this?"
I tilt my head while asking Kokonoe-san, who says this with a smile.
"Hmm, are you saying we should redo the British-style afternoon tea at your house now? Isn't that a bit too much?"
When I say that, Kokonoe-san laughs and replies.
"Ah, haitea has that meaning, but what I'm talking about is Amerikansutairu haitea.
Haitea, also known as meat tea, is about enjoying a dinner centered around meat dishes and tea after work."
"Oh, that kind. The lighter dinner kind of high tea, like supper."
"Sore desu yo. Originally, haitea came from the working class during the time of the strict temperance movement. They say it was called haitea because the table used during this time was a dining table, which is taller compared to the low table used for afternoon tea.
By the way, afternoon tea is said to have started around 1845 by Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria.
At that time, the lifestyle of the nobility meant that social dinners often happened late, around 9 PM, after theater or concerts, so to stave off hunger, they began having tea and buttered bread in their rooms around 3 PM.
This evolved into enjoying tea and sweets with friends and guests in the yūjō-shitsu drawing room, establishing afternoon tea as a 'social gathering for women.'"
When Kokonoe-san says this, Shibata-san looks surprised.
"So afternoon tea started in the mid-19th century. I thought it had an older history."
"Japanese fantaji seems to mix various things together arimasu. It's like mixing the Heian and Edo periods in Japan and thinking that the tea ceremony has been around since the Heian period."
Kashiyama-san responds to Kokonoe-san's words.
"Yeah, yeah, I totally get what you mean as a history buff."
"Well, I guess it can't be helped. Unless you're really into Japanese or world history, it's easy to mix up ancient, medieval, and modern times."
When I said that, Saikachi-san replied.
"Oh, haha. To be honest, I don't really understand it well either."
"Actually, the way we divide hisutori into purahisutoriku, ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods is pretty vague and varies by country or region. But still, I think it's somewhat useful to categorize history by the characteristics of each era to understand it systematically."
In fact, many elements found in what we call medieval fantasy in Japan actually originated in modern times.
"Anyway, enough of the heavy stuff. How about niku-cha?"
Oh, Kokonoe-san slipped away.
"I definitely want to join! Meat tea is something high schoolers rarely get to participate in."
When Kashiyama-san said that, Shibata-san chimed in.
"I'd love to join too!"
Then Saikachi-san raised her hand.
"Can I join as well?"
"Of course!"
"Ah, can I join too?"
When I said that last, Kokonoe-san smiled brightly.
"Sore wa given!"
So, we left Lalaport and headed to Kenbune Funabashi Station on the Keisei Line, transferred at Keisei Tsunaduma to the Keisei Chiba Line, and got off at Kemigawa Station, making our way to Kokonoe-san's house.
By the way, it seemed like Kokonoe-san was sending a message or email to someone on her phone as we were leaving, probably to someone at home.
When we arrived, it was a relatively quiet, upscale residential area with single-family homes.
In Chiba, places like Ichikawa's Ichikawa-Mama, Funabashi's Uekami, and Chiba's Makuhari and Kemigawa have been known as high-end residential areas for a long time.
"Kokonoe-san, you live in a nice place."
When I said that, Kokonoe-san replied.
"Sore demo, New York is one of the most expensive places for real estate in America, so land here might be cheaper."
"Yeah, that could be true."
The area around Makuhari Station and Kaihin-Makuhari has commercial functions like a sub-center, but around Kenmikawa Station, Shin-Kenmikawa Station, and Makuhari-Hongo Station, there are residential areas with houses, and in some places, you can find fields and farms.
In that sense, Yayoi-chan's neighborhood feels kind of similar.
Well, it's more of a peaceful countryside vibe, not a fancy residential area.
Plus, the houses are just as big as Yayoi-chan's, looking like they have 4 stories and spacious gardens.
Climbing up and down 4 stories must be tough, so they probably have a home elevator inside.
"Wow, that's amazing."
"Really."
When Saikachi-san and Shibata-san said that, Kokonoe-san replied.
"Ah, demo sore wa compared to the house I lived in back in America, both the garden and the house are quite a bit smaller."
She said that with a wry smile. At that, I replied.
"Well, if you watch movies, American houses are ridiculously huge. Over there, 80 tsubo (about 265 square meters) is pretty normal, and 100 tsubo (about 330 square meters) is also quite common. I guess it's because land is more spacious in America compared to Japan."
Kokonoe-san laughed and said in response to my words.
"Oh, sore wa I don't usually use it because it's inconvenient for commuting or going to school, but the villa at ONEHUNDREDHILLS has a big garden."
"That place is one of the top residential areas in Chiba, or rather, a villa area..."
One Hundred Hills is also known as Chiba-Ri Hills, often referred to as a negative legacy from the bubble era.
Specifically, it's located in Asumigaoka, Midori Ward, Chiba City, where you can find houses with land sizes of 500 to 1,000 tsubo and building areas of 130 to 150 tsubo, complete with pools.
The nearest station is Tokke Station on the Sotobo Line, and since it's also far from the station, it's probably not very suitable for everyday living.
Kokonoe-san's house seems kind of rich, doesn't it?
Compared to the city center, it might be cheaper, but the house in Kemigawa, including the house itself, should cost around 80 million yen just for the land in Chiba Hills.
"Well, putting that aside, let's enjoy some niku-cha right away!"
So, as we entered the property, there was a spacious garden big enough for kids to play dodgeball, complete with a wooden deck and a tiled deck.
"Wow, this is surprising!"
When I said that, Saikachi-san nodded and replied.
"There's really nothing but surprise, right?"
Then a cheerful blonde woman, resembling Kokonoe-san, greeted us with a smile.
"Oh my, irasshaimase. It's the first time my daughter is bringing friends over, so please take your time and enjoy!"
Is she Kokonoe-san's mom?
She looks quite young for that, but I feel like the average age for first marriages and first births in America isn't that different from Japan.
As I was thinking that, Kokonoe-san said,
"My papa and mama got married when they were gakusei, so they're young!"
"I see, that makes sense."
Then we were guided to a dining table set up on the wooden deck, where meat tea was prepared for us.
There was a cake stand, but on top of that, there was roast beef, fried chicken, fried shrimp, hash browns, waffles, coleslaw, and for dessert, apple pie and cherry pie.
"I see, compared to afternoon tea, this feels much more casual. Honestly, drinks like beer would suit this better."
When I said that, Kokonoe-san laughed.
"If it's my papa and mama, then beer would definitely be the drink of choice desu."
"Then it's not really meat tea anymore; it's just an American diner, right?"
"Don't sweat the small stuff!"
Well, putting that aside, the meat tea was great, and the girls were having a lively conversation.
"Hmm, this is nice in its own way."
"I like that it's not overly formal."
Saikachi-san and Shibata-san were chatting happily.
"Definitely, pairing a hearty dinner with tea is a good idea."
Kashiyama-san seemed to be enjoying it too.
"Hehe, this kind of thing isn't bad, desu yo ne?"
I nodded big at Kokonoe.
"Yeah, I didn't know about the meat tea custom, so it's fresh and fun."
"That's the most important thing, right?
From now on, if we get the chance, let's enjoy home pātī."
"I heard home parties in America aren't a big deal, so that sounds good too."
Home parties in America might be similar to what we call banquets in Japan.
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