Episode 206: Runaway, and a New…

Splash……

Sigh… so much happened today, I’m pretty wiped.

Soaking in an early bath, I found myself looking back on the day’s events.

I never dreamed Hanako-san would actually transfer here. She did say school was boring, but it happened so suddenly my brain could barely keep up. Plus, being in the same class and the very next seat… what kind of coincidence is that?

And then there’s the「Big Sister」and「Little Brother」thing.

I used to think she was just joking, so I didn’t dig into it and just let it slide.

But after hearing it this many times, even I can tell it’s not just a quip or a joke. We’re in the same grade, and while Hanako-san is technically older by birthdate, I doubt she’s saying it for such a simple reason.

Part of me is just curious, but more than that, if Hanako-san has some deep circumstances behind it, I really want to be there for her.

To me, Hanako-san isn’t just a friend.

I think of her as an irreplaceable, precious best friend…

And finally, Sara-san accepted the position of Student Council President. There were parts that couldn’t be helped, but as long as it was her true wish, I intended to support and follow her whichever way it went.

The talk about me taking over the Vice President role was unexpected, but if it means I can be of help to Sara-san, then I’m all for it. I swore to myself once again that we’d work hard together.

…I wonder what Sara-san is doing right now.

I’d planned to take some time to talk things over with her today, but she got called home, so unfortunately we had to put it off.

The most important thing to discuss is the explanation for the part-time job at the Satsukawa house. And then, consulting her about reporting our relationship to Masaomi-san. I want to prioritize that above all else.

Also, this isn’t exactly a consultation, but there’s the matter of Sara-san at school.

I know it’s just my possessiveness, but I can’t overlook the fact that so many guys are trying to get close to her.

What should I do? It’s not like I can gather the whole student body and make an announcement, and just thinking like that makes me wonder who I think I am.

Something I vaguely thought about in the Student Council room today was whether just being open about it would actually cause the rumors to spread and decrease the number of guys approaching her…

I should get out of the tub soon, or I’m going to get dizzy.

It happened while I was relaxing after my bath.

The TV was on a random channel, currently showing some comedy program. I wasn’t really watching it, it was just there for background noise.

With a bath towel still draped over my head, I was messaging Yuji on RAIN.

「Being in the same class and adjacent seats is almost too perfect to be a coincidence.」

「Yeah, I thought so too. But honestly, I’m pretty happy about it.」

Just having a close friend in class completely changes how much you enjoy your daily life.

Having Hanako-san in the same class made even the usual lessons look different.

「Hey… did something happen with Hanako-san? Including this latest move, it really feels like she sees you as someone special.」

「That’s the thing… I’m thinking of making some time to really talk to her, but that ‘Sister’ thing…」

Knock, knock…

Ah…

The sudden sound of a knock on the door made me accidentally hit send mid-sentence.

A visitor at this hour?

「Sorry, someone’s here.」

「Got it.」

I sent Yuji that quick reply and then…

Clack!

Eh!?

Following the knock, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed.

Of course, the only person who could do that was Sara-san, which meant the one who arrived was…

When the front door opened, Sara-san was indeed standing there.

But the shock wasn’t just that she’d come, it was how she looked.

She was carrying a trunk case in each hand, with a large bag slung over her back.

「Sa-Sara-san! What happened!?」

As I stood frozen in surprise, Sara-san left the trunks in the entryway, hurriedly dropped the bag from her back, and lunged at me like a lost child who had finally found their parent.

「Kazunari-san!!!!!」

Though startled by the suddenness, I firmly caught Sara-san and hugged her. She clung to me with a strength that said she never wanted to let go.

「Kazunari-san! I… I!!」

I could tell immediately that something was wrong with her.

She seemed terrified of something, like she was about to be crushed by anxiety… I felt a sense of fragility from her.

This was a first, and the word「worried」felt far too mild for what I was feeling.

「Sara-san, please calm down!! I’m right here. It’s okay, I’ll be with you no matter what happens!」

I called out to her to try and help her settle, hugging her tightly while making sure not to squeeze too hard.

I wonder how long we stayed like that…

The atmosphere felt like she’d calmed down just a little, but Sara-san still seemed afraid to pull away from me.

「……Kazunari-san… I’m well aware that I’ll be causing you trouble. But… I…」

I’ve figured out a few things so far.

The way she’s truly terrified of being apart from me, and that luggage… most likely, something happened at her family home, and Sara-san ran away.

The reason she’s struggling to speak is probably because she thinks she’s a burden to me, so there’s only one thing I should say.

「I’ve never once thought of you as a burden, Sara-san. I always want to be with you.」

I spoke slowly and gently while stroking her head to help her relax as much as possible.

「Kazunari-san…」

Sara-san called my name with a voice that sounded a bit like she was pampering herself. I hugged her firmly one more time and continued.

「I don’t know what happened. But if it makes you smile… if it makes you feel safe…」

By the time I said that, Sara-san had looked up without me noticing. She was staring at me, waiting for the rest of my words with an expectant look.

「Please stay in this house. I’ll be by your side the whole time. Besides, this place has been your home too for a long time now, right? You don’t need to hold back.」

I tried to speak as brightly as possible so Sara-san wouldn’t feel too pressured.

I watched Sara-san as she hesitated to look up again, and then…

「Uugh… Kazunari-saaaan…」

For Sara-san to be crying, something truly awful must have happened.

I can’t imagine Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san ever doing something to make Sara-san this sad… but if they did, I won’t be able to forgive them. I found myself wishing it was all just a misunderstanding while I held her.

Currently, Sara-san is in the bath.

I wanted her to have a chance to calm her feelings, and since I’d just finished my own bath, the timing was perfect to let her relax in there.

And there’s one more reason.

I pressed the vibrating smartphone to my ear, and the call connected almost instantly. I was surprised by how fast it was, but relieved that I didn’t have to sit through the anxiety of it not connecting.

「Hello, Takanashi-san! I was just about to call you! Is Sara there right now…」

Mayumi-san sounded unusually panicked, calling her「Sara」instead of her usual「Sara-chan.」That confirmed for me that something had definitely gone down at the house.

「…Sara-san is in the bath right now. She was quite distraught, so I thought I’d let her calm down first.」

I told her the truth for now to put Mayumi-san at ease. The talk can come after that.

「Phew… thank goodness. She hadn’t come home for a while, so I checked her room and was shocked to see it was such a mess. I was just about to call you, thinking she must be at your place, and then you called me.」

So that’s why she answered so fast.

Setting that aside, I have to find out what happened. Depending on the situation, I’m prepared to get angry too.

「So, could you tell me what happened?」

「Yes. But please stay calm. I’m truly happy that you treasure Sara-chan so much, but please listen to the story with a cool head.」

…I thought I was speaking calmly, but it seems my words had become sharp without me realizing it.

「Before that, did Sara-chan say anything?」

「No, nothing yet. But… based on how she’s acting, I don’t know if this is the right way to put it, but she looked afraid to be away from me. She wouldn’t let go for a while after she got here.」

「I see… I wonder if she heard after all…」

When Mayumi-san let those words slip, I guessed that this wasn’t a case where there was a direct exchange between parent and child.

If that’s the case, the chance that Sara-san had something done to her is low, which means I can probably stay calm and talk this through.

「Sara-san mentioned that Masaomi-san had something important to talk about today. Is that the reason?」

「Yes. I ended up yelling when I first heard about it, too, but that man didn’t mean any harm. It seems Sara-chan overheard the conversation. I think she got angry and left.」

「…Is this something I’m allowed to hear?」

Since it looked like this might be a very private matter, I thought I’d check first. Also, if it was something a guy shouldn’t be hearing, I’d have to consider consulting Natsumi-senpai instead.

「Of course. In fact, I want your advice. I’ll get straight to the point, so please listen calmly.」

「Yes…」

The usual cheerful vibe was gone from Mayumi-san’s voice. I found myself bracing for whatever was coming. Is it really that serious?

「Masaomi-san brought up an arranged marriage proposal for Sara-chan. The other party is the son of a Saba executive. The talk came through the President, but since the President is also a relative, he’s aware of Sara-chan’s situation.」

Arranged marriage…… Sara-san, an arranged marriage…

The shock of those words was so strong that nothing else would register in my head. An arranged marriage means she’d meet that guy, talk to him… and depending on how it goes…

「Takanashi-san! Calm down! It’s still okay!」

「Hah!?」

Mayumi-san’s loud voice brought me back, but the shock didn’t fade.

Is that why Sara-san was so afraid to leave my side…

「You see, Uncl—the President dotes on Sara-chan like his own granddaughter. He seems to think that to cure her dislike of men, he should introduce her to boys of her own age to let her get used to them. That coincided with a proposal from the other executive with an eye toward the future, and that’s how the talk came down…」

From my perspective, it’s a massive case of minding someone else’s business, but I guess from the perspective of a President or Masaomi-san who don’t know any better, they think they’re acting in Sara-san’s best interest…

「What is Masaomi-san doing now?」

「He’s at the President’s house. He went to explain that we’re putting the talk on hold for now. He was noisy about Sara being gone, so I lied and said she was at Natsumi-chan’s house before sending him off. Honestly…」

Mayumi-san couldn’t hide her own indignation, and her usual composure was missing from her tone.

I wasn’t exactly feeling easy about the flow of the conversation myself, but…

「Masaomi-san was thinking about Sara-chan in his own way. It seems he set a condition that while he’d bring it up with her, if she showed even the slightest dislike, he’d turn it down.」

「I see. So it wasn’t a case of it being forced on her?」

「No. However, we’ve only dodged it for now. It seems other proposals are already coming up. Once one person moves, others start acting in a panic. Also, while we’ve settled it with a talk this time, depending on the person, we might at least have to set up a meeting place.」

I understand what Mayumi-san is trying to say.

This kind of thing is likely to keep happening in the future.

There are bound to be others thinking about what would happen if their son married the daughter of the company’s number two. And if the President thinks it’s for Sara-san’s sake, more talks are likely to come in. There’s also the possibility of an opponent appearing whom we can’t turn down at the discussion stage, like this time.

In other words, to do something about this…

「That’s why, Takanashi-san…」

「I know. I know what I have to do. So, let me talk to Masaomi-san. Since Sara-san is scared right now and won’t want to touch the subject, I’ll settle this with Masaomi-san alone.」

I’ll make him understand that Sara-san already has a man, me. And I’ll have him convey that to the President. Tell them it’s fine now, and not to do anything unnecessary in the future.

If I can get him to spread the word that I’m here so that all those other guys will stop approaching her…

「………」

「? Mayumi-san, is something wrong?」

The sudden silence made me anxious that something else had happened, but…

「Ufufu… Sara-chan really is my daughter after all. She has an eye for men. I’m so glad she caught you, Takanashi-san.」

Her previous tone vanished, replaced by the usual Mayumi-san.

But because this was a serious matter, she switched back immediately.

「Listen, Takanashi-san. You probably haven’t really felt it yet, but Masaomi-san is the Senior Managing Director of a very, very large company called Saba Electronics. I don’t want to put it this way, but this household is a bit different from a normal, average family. And the people he deals with are all company executives, not to mention the President. To convince those people, a normal story of being ‘just lovers’ will just be seen as a childish game.」

Is that how it is… I can’t really grasp that part, but if Mayumi-san says so, it must be true. In other words, even if I make a scene about how Sara-san and I are lovers so the outsiders should shut up, that alone is far too light…

「That’s why, to convince them, we have to say that you and Sara-chan are in a much deeper relationship. Specifically, that you’re a couple who have pledged your futures to each other… a relationship where you’ve firmly considered spending the rest of your lives together, and that the Satsukawa family recognizes that. Only then can we say that no further talk is necessary.」

I feel like the scale of the conversation has suddenly become enormous.

I understood the logic of why being just lovers isn’t enough, but pledging our futures?

Does that mean…

「Of course, we’ll have to convince Masaomi-san first. And to make it a formal matter, we’d need permission from your parents too… Honestly, I think it’s too early to be having such a heavy talk with you two. So, for now, just tell me your intention…」

My intention?

What is it…?

「Do you intend to keep walking together with Sara-chan forever and ever? Do you have the courage to call yourself Sara-chan’s fiancé?」

The question Mayumi-san posed was truly heavy…