Episode 284: The Welcome Home

Parting with Hayato in front of the apartment, that finishes all of today’s plans.

Not only did I achieve my goal, but I’ve got a new one for the future, and I even have the gifts for Mayumi-san and the others ready.

Now it’s just a matter of when to give that thing… the next dinner party should be fine.

But for Sara-san, I plan on giving it to her tonight.

I hope she likes it… I’m already looking forward to when I hand it over.

Thinking about the possibility that Sara-san was already home, I turned the doorknob. Just as I thought, it was unlocked.

…Now then, what should I do?

I could just head in normally, but since this is a rare chance, I could try being a bit playful.

Maybe I’ll sneak in quietly…

No, wait. Sara-san gave me a「goodbye kiss」when I left. So if I just head home normally, maybe this time she’ll give me a「welcome home kiss.」

Just imagining Sara-san doing that almost makes me smirk.

But that can’t be helped, because it really is a happy thought.

So, heading home normally is the plan!

Click…

「I’m home~」

「Ufufu, welcome home~」

…Click.

I quietly closed the door I just opened and tried taking a deep breath.

Whew… that’s weird… was my mind playing tricks on me?

The person who just welcomed me…

Alright, let’s pull it together and try again.

Click.

「I’m home~」

「Ufufu, welcome home~」

Click.

…I closed the door again and took another deep breath.

Yeah, it wasn’t a mistake.

Or rather, how could I even mistake it?

I’d actually known from the first glance, honestly.

Well, it’s not strange for Mayumi-san to be here. In fact, it’s almost more unnatural if she wasn’t.

It’s not like that’s a bad thing, and having someone welcome me home is a happy thing.

But… you know.

Now the「welcome home kiss」is… ugh.

Whew… pulling myself together, let’s head inside for real this time.

Click.

I gripped the doorknob tightly and slowly turned it, opening the door bit by bit.

I’m just entering my own home, why am I doing something that feels like a comedy skit…

「I’m ho…」

Yank.

Squish…

……Squish?

Oh… what on earth is happening?

I just tried to enter the house, but the second I opened the door, my body was forcefully pulled inside.

I realized what happened instantly, of course, but then my whole body was enveloped by something incredibly soft. On top of that, even though my eyes weren’t closed, my field of vision was covered in darkness…

So I couldn’t see anything, couldn’t hear anythi…

「Nfufu~ Kazunari-kun, you silly boy~」

I heard her after all!!

Whispered right in my ear, it was Mayumi-san’s gentle voice, tinged with sweetness.

Without even thinking, it’s obvious I was pulled in by Mayumi-san and hugged for some reason.

In other words, this feeling of being wrapped up… wait, no, more than that, it’s my face, my face.

The「something」enveloping my face.

That「something」that surpassed even Sara-san was so amazing that I can’t help but panic.

Naturally, if this were Sara-san, I would just obediently act spoiled without a second thought. No one would have any right to complain, and that’s the heaven allowed only to me.

But Mayumi-san is different.

Mayumi-san is Sara-san’s mother, and for me, she’s my「Mother-in-law.」

She’s not someone I should be doing this with, and besides, I have Sara-sa… wait?

…By the way, where is Sara-san??

Click…

At the same time I thought that, I heard a door opening from the direction of the washroom. Pattering footsteps followed, so that must be Sara-san…

「There, the bath cleaning is finished. Next… Mother, what are you doing in a place like… that……!?」

I see, Sara-san was cleaning the bath for me.

That explains why she didn’t notice me coming home.

…Wait, no, this isn’t the time to be thinking so leisurely!?

It felt like she definitely just realized the situation over here!!

「U-Um!! Mayumi-san!?」

「Now, now, it’s not Mayumi-san. Well, try again?」

Ignoring my panic, Mayumi-san slightly tightened her hold on the back of my head. Her usual pace as always… no, wait!

This is bad, this isn’t the time to be hesitating!?

「M-M-Mother-in-law, please, let go of m…」

「Just let go of him already!!!」

At the same time Sara-san’s powerful words echoed through the room, Mayumi-san’s body shook violently… or so I thought, but in that next instant, my body was pulled in another direction and drawn close.

As I let myself go with that force, with a「poof」sound, I reached「that place」filled with ultimate peace and heavenly comfort.

And finally, a hand placed on my head guided me to my「fixed position.」

「Sara-san…」

Sara-san gently cradled my head with both hands, hiding my face. Then she slowly began to stroke my head.

Ah, happiness…

Stroke, stroke…

「Welcome home, Kazunari-san. I am sorry, I was cleaning the bath and was late in noticing you.」

I couldn’t feel even a trace of the harsh, sharp voice she had just directed at Mayumi-san.

It was the usual, infinitely gentle, soft voice of Sara-san, just letting me act spoiled for her. It’s the voice of the Sara-san I love so much.

「I’m home. Sorry, I’m much later than planned.」

「No, it is not that late yet. Is it alright if I prepare dinner normally from here?」

「Yes. I only had a light lunch, so that’s fine.」

「Kazunari-san, not eating a proper meal is…」

「Well, I just thought about how Sara-san’s delicious food was waiting for me at home, and I accidentally…」

Squeeeze.

Sara-san slightly increased the strength of her hug. As if drawing me even closer to her body, the force cradling my head grew a little stronger. But the hand slowly stroking the back of my head stayed the same, gently moving back and forth over and over again.

「Gosh… when you say it like that, I cannot say ‘no-no’ to you anymore.」

「Eh, no, I didn’t mean to say it like that.」

「Fufu… I know. I also firmly understand that you truly feel that way from the bottom of your heart, Kazunari-san. Therefore, I am truly happy.」

「Yes. I like your food the most, Sara-san. If you’re the one making it, I don’t need anything else. I want your food for the rest of my life.」

This wasn’t flattery or some empty compliment, it was my actual, true feelings. If I can eat Sara-san’s food, I don’t ever have to eat out again. I want to eat Sara-san’s food.

「…Are you sure you only want my cooking for the rest of your life?」

「Yes. I want your cooking, Sara-san.」

「Fufu… understood. However, I believe eating out is fine for anniversaries, don’t you?」

「Eh? Ah, y-yeah, you’re right. On anniversaries, that kind of thing is nice. Like birthdays and such…」

Crap, even if it’s my true feelings, I might have gone a bit too far.

It’s true that celebrating birthdays or proposing during a hotel dinner is a scenario you often see in dramas and anime. That kind of mood is important, and if it makes Sara-san happy, then eating out might be necessary in its own way.

「Sorry, I went a bit overboard.」

「Please do not apologize. Your feelings made me very happy, after all.」

「O-Okay.」

As if expressing her happiness through her actions, Sara-san slightly strengthened the hands stroking my head and back.

「Fufu…… oh, I am sorry, I was being quite careless.」

Saying that, Sara-san pulled my face away slightly as if she suddenly realized something.

I wonder what happened?

「Sara-san?」

「Mnh…」

Chu…

「!?」

Wearing a slightly mischievous smile, Sara-san gave me a light kiss on the cheek.

Could this be…

「Welcome home, Darling.」

「Y-Yes, I’m home.」

Yes, this is the「welcome home kiss」I was secretly hoping for!

Since I’d actually been waiting for it, my face almost started to smirk… but I didn’t want to show a pathetic face, so I desperately endured and tried to act calm.

Sara-san’s smile as she watched my face grew even more colorful… I’ve been found out, haven’t I? I knew it, of course.

「Fufu… I am glad you liked it. If you wish, shall I do this for you whenever you return home from now on?」

「No, well…」

「…Understood♪」

Wait, I haven’t said anything yet… though it’s too late for that. I’m aware that this time it was written all over my face.

But if Sara-san feels happy about it the same way I do, then it’s actually exactly what I want. I’m willing to ask for it every day.

「Um… Mayumi-san?」

「…………」

「Honestly, Mother, you are not a child, so how long do you intend to keep sulking?」

And so, to explain the current situation…

Mayumi-san has her nose out of joint and is currently in full-blown pouting mode!

Everything up to the point where Sara-san forcefully pulled Mayumi-san away from me was fine(?), but then we ended up flirting while leaving her completely ignored. Or rather, to be blunt, both Sara-san and I had completely forgotten Mayumi-san was even there.

And when Mayumi-san, losing her patience at being left out, tried to cut in, I accidentally thought「Oh right, I forgot Mayumi-san was here」for a split second, and she saw right through it.

Honestly… Sara-san, Hanako-san, Mayumi-san, why can they all read my thoughts like that… wait, this isn’t the time for that.

「Mayumi… U-Um, Mother-in-law, well, you see…」

「Sob, sob, sob… you two are so mean.」

Given that she’s literally saying「sob, sob」out loud, I know this is completely fake crying…

But even knowing that, it’s likely a fact that Mayumi-san was at least a little shocked, and thinking about that makes it hard to be firm with her.

I’m really weak when Mayumi-san acts like this…

「Mother… if you intend to trouble Kazunari-san any further, I shall show no mercy?」

T-This is bad.

Sara-san is speaking to Mayumi-san in a strong tone that could be taken as a warning, with a dangerous aura hanging around her. Whether she’s truly starting to get angry, I can feel something like indignation in the tone of her voice.

I’ve seen similar scenes a few times before, but in the first place, Sara-san shows no mercy to anyone who causes trouble for me.

Even if that person is Mayumi-san, it’s the same, and maybe because she’s her own mother, her initial response doesn’t involve any holding back. So because of that, I can’t imagine what will happen.

If I’m not careful, this could turn into a real mother-daughter fight, couldn’t it?

What should I do? I want the two of them to get along, and I have to do something in this situation.