Chapter 84: Origami~ Falling Red Spider Lily
Chapter 84: Origami～ Falling Red Spider Lily
As usual, Eleonora-neesan came into my room without knocking.
「Al, what are you doing?」
Eleonora-neesan said while looking at me sitting on the floor with papers around me, her hand is still on the doorknob.
For this young lady here, all the places in this mansion is like her own room. There’s probably no need for her to do something like knocking.
And at this point in time, if we complain to her to knock first before entering, she will just answer with a half-hearted reply.
「I’m folding paper. Origami.」
When I showed her the folded paper, Eleonora-neesan knitted her delicate eyebrows as she looked at me dubiously.
「Origami? I don’t know what are you doing, but paper is not free you know?」
Somehow I feel like I was being made a fool of. Did she think that I was foolishly wasting paper? If that’s the case, then it’s really upsetting.
「No no, I’m not wasting paper for nothing okay? This will become something interesting you know?」
「……haa?」
Hmm, for the sword-obsessed Eleonora-neesan it would be faster to show her directly.
For now, let’s make something simple.
I put aside the paper that I’ve folded beside me, and choose a paper that has been cut to the right size.
That said, the paper has no color, so I will just use the white paper that is used widely.
When it comes to the color of white, there’s rabbit, swan, fish, or you can use a little ink then it will be a cow.
And paint a little eye on it then it would look cute as long as you can make out the silhouette.
I actually wanted to make something flashy like a flower, dog, or a fox, but it would be difficult to understand it with just a bright white color…
For now, how about I just make a cute rabbit. If it’s that, then it would be easier to distinguish.
Áfter deciding to make that, I began to move my hand. I made it by comparing and adjusting it with my memory of the time when I saw the real thing back in elementary school.
And maybe Eleonora-neesan realized that I was going to do something, so she took her hand off of the door knob and sat in front of me.
The moment Eleonora-neesan sat down, a soft fragrance drifted my way. The smell is just like Elna-kaasan.
「……you’re as dexterous as ever」
「Mmー wellー」
It did come into my mind unexpectedly, but my hand still continues folding without pause, and when I finally draw a little face on it,
「Made it!! A!」
The rabbit face is completed. Though it’s just the face. As for the body, I don’t know about the origami instruction on how to make it.
When I handed over the finished rabbit, Eleonora-neesan let out an amazed voice while touching the rabbit’s ear and turning it over.
「Heeー, it really looks like a rabbit’s face. The ear is also made properly and it’s cute.」
That, is because I folded it so that it would look like a rabbit’s face.
While Eleonora-neesan is staring at it, I started to make a cow, swan, boat, the jumping frog Gekota, and so on.
It’s quite a bit of work, but I want you to forgive me since there’s only white paper.
「Hey, can I have this?」
Among them, Eleonora-neesan likes the jumping Gekota. If you press on Gekota’s bottom part with your finger, it will jump with a *pyon*.
Eleonora-neesan is staring at Gekota on top of her palm with her shining, beautiful red eyes.
It’s truly a pity that it’s not green colored, but the round eyes that I drew turns it out to be a very cute piece.
That reminds me, she really liked the Gekota slippers that time.
Sure, Gekota is cute, but I think Tonkichi is also cute.
Incidentally, I also made Gekota for Eleonora-neesan after that, and Eleonora-neesan still wears them on her feet even now. My room is nicely carpeted so that it can be used to lie around, and now we’re currently at the edge, and seeing her wearing the same slippers and looking just like Elna-kaasan, it’s really charming.
「You can have it if you like the jumping Gekota.」
「Wait a minute! Just where did those jumping part comes from?」
「Here, lend me for a bit――」
When I tried to take it from her palm to explain, Eleonora-neesan twisted her body away. What is that cute gesture…
「Er, I’m just borrowing it. I can make it anytime anyway」
「Really!? Then, later make five at least!」
You really like it that much, huh?
「Yes, yes」
When I nodded, Eleonora-neesan smiled and presented her hand that held the Gekota.
I carefully took Gekota with one hand, and placed it on the floor.
And then I place my index finger on Gekota’s bottom part and release it.
Shortly after that, Gekota jumped with a *pyon*.
「It, it jumped.」
After that, I made Gekota jump consecutively *pyon pyon*, and Eleonora-neesan let out cute sounds like 「Waa! Kyaa!」.
I can see Eleonora-neesan’s appearance that was different from the usual Eleonora-neesan, and I grin involuntarily.
Eleonora-neesan seems to have completely fallen for the jumping Gekota, making it jump and then chasing after it, she also jumps and chases after it like a frog.
「This is really interesting! Make around ten next!」
Maybe it would be better not to say it.
Giving a sidelong glance at Eleonora-neesan who was playing happily with the jumping Gekota, I folded a.
Speaking of the representative for origami, along with the paper airplane, it should be this after all.
Speaking of origami, Japanese people should have made at least one at around elementary school.
For example, at an elementary school event or something.
At first, people would be surprised and say things like 「What is this? You can make something like this just by folding a paper!? 」.
And after hearing the complicated and mysterious-like explanation, they cautiously folded a paper, and managed to finish an ill-formed crane.
I’m already used to making a paper airplane and a crane origami, so I folded it effortlessly.
Finally, spread the wings and it's done.
「What is that? A bird?」
Before I know it, Eleonora-neesan is already next to me.
「That’s right. It’s a type of bird called crane.」
「So you can make this kind of shape if you deftly fold a paper, huh 」
「It’s easy to make if you remember how. Why don’t you try and make one.」
And if she can make one, then she will get into it and later she would be able to make Gekota by herself.
Though it was 100 percent for my own selfishness, Eleonora-neesan picked up a paper obediently.
「Well then, we’ll try to make one, so take a good look on how to make it.」
When I folded the paper into a triangular shape, Eleonora-neesan also copied what I did and folded the paper.
Uwaー, such a rough fold. She will find it difficult later on.
「Whaat? It’s folded like this, right?」
Did she guess it after seeing my expression, Eleonora-neesan expresses her dissatisfaction.
「No, you should make the edges overlap with each other. The edges are pointlessly sticking out, see」
「……it’s not importantー」
When I show her the triangular shape that was folded neatly, Eleonora-neesan grumbles after staring at it, and then she folded it again before long.
If she’s already like this at the beginning, I’m worried about what would happen later on.
She folded it in half, and Eleonora-neesan continued folding. This time she folded each corner properly.
Yosh yosh, at this rate it will be difficult, but somehow――
「Hey wait a minute! How did you do that just now!?」
It’s not working. Currently, I’m spreading the inside of the paper and flattening it for the third time, at the part where I’m about to make it into a square.
And it’s the moment where Eleonora-neesan can’t keep up.
「I told you to do it like this!」
「Like this?」
「Not like that!」
「But you unfolded this part!」
「Unfold? I don’t know what you mean……is it like this!」
「No! You’re just restoring it to its previous state! It’s still the third fold and you're already can’t keep up!」
「Cause I don’t get it. When I look at your fingers, doesn’t it give you this disgusting feeling when I move my fingers like that? 」
What kind of comment is that. To say something like, feeling disgusted when seeing other people’s fingers when they’re folding paper.
Even when we’re doing sword training, she said something like「You also can’t do something like this?」nonchalantly.
Such words were already stuck in my throat, but I was able to endure it.
The other party is Eleonora-neesan. Doesn’t she always say something unreasonable?
Combined with my previous life’s experience, I should keep my composure here as the senior.
To begin with, it is difficult to suddenly ask someone to make a crane.
It’s my fault for saying those kinds of things to Eleonora-neesan. And it means that I made the same kind of mistakes as Eleonora-neesan here.
Let’s make it easier for her.
「Somehow I feel sick seeing that look on your face」
And just when Eleonora-neesan squints in displeasure, a voice can be heard coming from the door.
「The both of you seems to be playing happily together since a while ago, what are the two of you doing?」
Sylvio-niisan came at the right time. Truly a nice timing.
It’s thanks to Eleonora-neesan not closing the door.
「It’s origami. Origami. Paper folding.」
「Origami?」
I showed the parroting Sylvio-niisan the swan that I made some time ago.
After that, Sylvio-niisan came in and picked up the swan, looking very interested.
Incidentally, he also wears Pyonkichi’s slippers today.
「Heeー, is this a bird?」
「That’s right.」
「You make it just by folding a paper? So cleverー. Can I also make it?」
Maybe he was interested in something like this, or maybe it’s just a simple curiosity, he’s surprisingly eager to try.
「Yeah, if it’s Sylvio-niisan then you’ll be able to make one.」
Unlike a certain someone, he’s courteous and skilled.
「I’m kinda bothered when you said ‘if it’s Sylvio’」
「It’s just your imagination. Look, I’ll make one with Eleonora-neesan. We’re going to make simple one that can be used to play.」
「Wait a minute, don’t treat me like a kid even though you’re just Al」
Maybe she got sidetracked when I said 「can be used to play」, Eleonora-neesan approached me obediently.
Even so, I’ve been hearing about this 「even though it’s Al」and when I think about it calmly, it feels terrible.
Certainly, my position in this mansion is low, but I disagree. Even though it’s the truth.
「Then, what are we going to make? I don’t want to make that crane again okay?」
Eleonora-neesan sent an annoyed look at the crane, maybe because she learned it the hard way.
「That one before is also great, but this one is also amazing」
「Well then, next let’s make something simple that can also be used to play, ー」
「「Shuriken?」」
Eleonora-neesan and Sylvio-niisan raised a puzzled voice at the same time.
It should also be fine to make a paper airplane, but that will be the last shape to look forward to.
「You’re not the clueless kind of person that will just unfold it again aren’t you? 」
「That’s not it. It’s just a little difficult to fold, but it’s easy. 」
I immediately handed two sheets of paper over to Sylvio-niisan and Eleonora-neesan.
Since it’s the first time for Sylvio-niisan, he has a clean-cut smile on his face, while Eleonora-neesan looked disgusted when I handed her the two sheet papers.
It won’t become difficult just because the number of papers increases.
「Well then, first we fold this in half――」
◆
「Hey, it won’t fit!」
「That’s why I told you not to fold them both in the same way!」
Does this sister of mine listen to what I’m saying I wonder?
In front of us, there are a bunch of papers that don't fit, scattered about because they’re folded in the same direction.
「I did it. Somehow it has a strange shape that looks like a star isn’t it?」
I concentrated on what the person on the other side said, the obedient Sylvio-niisan has completed the shape correctly, naturally there’s no part that was out of shape whatsoever, he thoroughly fit everything even to the edges.
「Sylvio-niisan properly made it, see?」
「Shut it! It’s fine if I just do it in reverse isn’t it!」
「Al, how do you play with this thing?」
Sylvio-niisan asked me while Eleonora-neesan tried to unfold the paper and refold it again.
「By throwing it.」
「Eh? Throwing…?」
Sylvio-niisan looks baffled, as he didn’t expect it to be thrown.
「Yeah! You hold it like this then you throw it! 」
I went out to the hallway, threw it as an example as it flew past the neighbouring Sylvio-niisan’s room, then it landed in front of Elonora-neesan’s room.
Around six meter in distance I guess?
「It flies pretty fast isn’t it. Eii!」
The shuriken thrown by Sylvio-niisan hit the wall, then it fell down with a plop*petari*.
It would be like this at the beginning right.
「It’s difficult to control, huh.」
But Sylvio-niisan doesn’t look concerned in particular, he went to pick up the shuriken with a refreshing smile.
「Ah, pick mine tooー」
「I did it!」
Eleonora-neesan stood up at the same time as I called out to Sylvio-niisan.
Then Eleonora-neesan came out to the hallway, and she aimed at Sylvio-niisan who was going to pick up my shuriken.
No, no way right?
「Eiii!」
「Sylvio-niisan! Watch out――」
My well-intentioned warning made Sylvio-niisan turned his face toward me ――
「Fuee?」
The shuriken was thrown beautifully - it was thrown in a manner that would even be able to surprise a ninja - and stabbed Sylvio-niisan’s forehead.
――plunk *sukon*. I feel like I heard that kind of sound.
「Sylviiioooooo!」
I lifted the collapsed Sylvio with my arms.
「……a, Al. It’s quite…painful…the shuri…ken」
「Sylviiooooo!」
This is, if it’s a real shuriken made out of iron then it would definitely have made a hole in his forehead.
It was that kind of magnificent throw. Eleonora-neesan is really, needlessly good only at this kind of physical activity.
「……I can use this. Wouldn’t it be a good weapon if it’s made of iron?」
This sister of mine beside me is muttering something really dangerous.
Of course she didn’t care about Sylvio-niisan’s condition.
Perhaps, her fallen brother here looked like nothing more than a stone lying around on the roadside.
Nevertheless, I don’t want this nonviolent toy to be used as a weapon.
So Red Spider Lily (Higanbana) is that red flower you might've been familiar with. It seems that it also has another name 'flower of the dead, final farewell, etc'. Here's a - Thanks DKLA for bringing it up.