Tsundere Fairy Tales (14): Tsundere Hyakunin Isshu (Mibu no Tadami Edition)

It was the Heian period, and the air in the capital echoed faintly with elegant melodies, as nobles spent their days composing love poems to one another and competing in refinement.

At that time, there was a person known as 'Shinobured' of the Back-Alley Squadron Shinobunger. While he was reciting Taira no Kanemori's 'Though I try to hide it, my love has already shown in my face; people ask me if I am pining for someone' out loud, he reportedly got excited all by himself, saying, 'Shinobured... Shinobured... Could this be a pun?' and then burst out laughing, praising himself.

Meanwhile, at the imperial court, there was a young poet named Mibu no Tadami who, though unassuming, harbored a hidden passion in his heart. Because he was shy, he could not speak of his love, but his feelings burned within his chest, and he finally entrusted them to a poem.

'The rumor that I am in love has already spread, even though I had only just begun to think of it in secret'

'W-what!?'

Tadami realized it. This was tantamount to exposing his own love to the public.

'No, no, no, that's wrong! This is just a poetic technique...!' Before he could even come up with a tsundere excuse, the poem became a major topic among the nobles, and before long, rumors began to fly that 'Lord Tadami has fallen in love.' Even though a flustered Tadami desperately denied it, those around him paid no attention at all.

'W-why do you jump to conclusions on your own! I told you it's just a poem!'

'Well, Lord Tadami, your cheeks are flushed red, aren't they?'

'There is no room for doubt here!'

'S-stop it!!'

However, the commotion spread even further. It turned out that the very person who heard the rumor was Princess Kamina, whom Tadami had feelings for. She approached gracefully with a refined smile on her face.

#WhatAreYouTalkingAbout

'Lord Tadami. That poem is very beautiful, isn't it?'

'H-Princess Kamina!? N-no, this is... just a figure of speech...!'

Ignoring the bewildered Tadami, Princess Kamina smiled slightly.

'Could it be that you are talking about me...?'

"Ugh...!"

Mibu no Tadami, the romance klutz, has fallen.

That evening, what echoed through the capital's sky was not a refined love poem, but "I, I shouldn't have recited it after all!!!" the sound of Tadami's wailing.

Rintaro Takechi