Episode 81: Sports Festival Part 6

「Okaa-san? You’re her mother, not her older sister?」

To be honest, I’d never heard anything about Sara-senpai having an older sister, so I figured the only other possibility was her mother.

But looking at her, she really didn’t look like a mother at all, so there was still a chance she was a cousin or some other relative with a complicated story…

「I’m Sara-chan’s mother. Sorry about that, Takanashi-san.」

「Let go of Takanashi-san’s hand right now!」

Sara-senpai approached with such intensity that she looked ready to use force, so mother quickly let go of my hand.

Once Sara-senpai saw that, she stood in front of me as if she were shielding me behind her back.

「I’m so sorry, Takanashi-san. Okaa-san was being so rude…」

「Geez, Sara-chan. But… hm-hm, I see. So that’s how you act when Takanashi-san is around…」

「? What do you mean?」

「Oh, nothing!」

A mother… how is she this young?

Well, I don’t know her actual age.

More importantly, when she pulled my hand earlier, I accidentally… well, I saw it. She was wearing clothes that clearly showed off her figure, so… those two hills of hers were making a very strong statement…

「Oh? Is something wrong, Takanashi-san? Something on your mind?」

Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, she spoke to me with an even more mischievous look than before, striking a pose for some reason. I instantly looked down.

「…Ta ka na shi-san?」

I raised my head when I was called, and for some reason, Sara-senpai’s smile had… intensified.

「Sorry for the fuss. I’m Satsukawa Mayumi. Thank you for always looking after Sara-chan. Feel free to call me Mayumi Onee-chan. Oh, or sister-in-law is fine too?」

?

Why did she correct herself with the same thing twice?

I’m definitely not calling her Onee-chan.

…Because Sara-senpai is terrifying right now…

Natsumi-senpai joined us just as we were setting up for lunch, so we all ate together.

「So, um… Okaa-san is…」

「Oh my, calling me mother-in-law already? You did it, Sara-chan!」

「? I’m not really sure what you’re talking about?」

Sara-senpai let out a confused voice with a totally straight face.

But I felt the same way…

What about that was supposed to trigger a reaction?

Was calling her Okaa-san a bad thing?

「Um… well then, should I call you Mayumi-san instead?」

「Oh, how disappointing. But after all, this later…」

「I have no idea what you’re trying to say, and we aren’t getting anywhere, so Okaa-san, please be quiet.」

Sara-senpai seemed irritated by Mayumi-san’s incomprehensible energy and spoke quite sharply.

「Pfft… hee hee.」

Natsumi-senpai, on the other hand, seemed to understand Mayumi-san’s vibe perfectly, covering her mouth with her hand as she laughed to herself.

Ah… I forgot what I was even going to ask.

「Well then, shall we eat the bento Sara-chan worked so hard on? I was planning to take it easy, but that person called me crying just now, so I have to head back once we finish eating…」

「That person」… when I heard about him from Senpai before, she said her mother helps her father with his work.

So, it must be a call from Senpai’s father.

I don’t know if the「crying」part was true, though.

「I see. I figured Otou-san must be busy right now, so I was surprised you were able to take the whole day off.」

「That’s why I can’t stay until the end. And after I went through the trouble of planning to record a memorial video of Takanashi-san and Sara-chan during the final folk dance…」

Whoa, she was actually thinking about that?

She pulled a camera out of her bag to show it off, but she’s probably already recorded a fair amount.

……I want it.

Anyway, while the folk dance is definitely a thing, student council members don’t participate since they have to patrol and clean up…

「Hah… it’s a shame, but we have student council work to do, so we won’t be participating in the folk dance.」

「Oh… what a pity. Well then, let’s at least take a commemorative photo before I head home.」

Mayumi-san winked at me for some reason.

I really wish she’d stop, Sara-senpai is scary…

Then, we started eating the incredibly delicious bento Senpai had prepared in tiered boxes.

「Here, Takanashi-san, this is tasty, you know? Say ahh…」

「Stop that right now! Please don’t bother Takanashi-san! Besides, I’m the one who made it!」

What an entertaining Okaa-san.

「Well, as much as I hate to leave, I’d better head back soon or I might actually start hearing the sound of someone sobbing.」

This might be the first time I’ve ever felt exhausted just from eating a meal.

Well, if I think of it as her having a good time, I guess it’s not bad… maybe?

As I thought that, Mayumi-san pulled her smartphone out of her bag.

「Come on, since we’re here, let’s take a commemorative photo.」

「Mayumi-san, I’ll take it!」

Natsumi-senpai volunteered.

Is it not going to be a group photo?

「Thanks, Natsumi-chan. Now, Takanashi-san, let’s take one of just us first.」

Before the words were even out of her mouth, she acted like she was going to grab my arm, but then she just went ahead and linked hers with mine.

「M-Mayumi-san!?」

「Come on, Takanashi-san, look at the camera~」

Too scared to look at Sara-senpai’s face, I focused on the smartphone Natsumi-senpai was holding. That’s when Mayumi-san pressed her body against me even more.

Something very large and soft was on my arm… I have to endure!!

「…Takanashi-san, thank you so much for everything regarding Sara. Please continue to look after her from here on as well.」

！？

Mayumi-san whispered in a voice so quiet only I could hear.

I see, she did all this just to say that to me…

Mayumi-san pointed toward Sara-senpai, and when I instinctively turned my head, I saw Sara-senpai glaring at me while cutely puffing out her cheeks, just like that one time.

…Wait, maybe I was wrong.

No, getting to see that again after so long is definitely a reward.

Though I’m terrified of what comes next…