Episode 330: Question Corner Begins

「Sara-chaaaaaaan!!!!」

「Goddessssss!!!!」

「Mayumi-chaaaaaaan!!!!!」

「Mayu-mama, go for it!!!!!!」

The announcement for the cooking results finished without a hitch, and now there’s only a little bit left of this long Miss Contest.

After this, the overall rankings from the judges’ scoring will be announced, revealing the current situation.

However, when it comes to the scores, they’re keeping them hidden to hype up the audience vote, they want to create that「heart pounding」feeling where the crowd thinks the rankings could shift depending on their votes.

「The audience popularity is definitely with Sara, I’m sure. But the judges have more points to give, so if there’s a big gap with Mayumi-san at this point…」

「The chance of it being a close race is way higher. That makes a win for the Wife totally possible.」

「But that’s not really the issue here, is it.」

「You’re right… I wonder what’s happening with the match between Satsukawa-senpai and Mayumi-san…」

「That’s true, but we’ve got Kazunari to worry about too.」

「What are you actually going to do? If the duel with Mayumi-san isn’t settled, the mood might not feel quite right…」

「It’s true that Mayumi-san joining was irregular, but I don’t plan on changing the schedule, you know?」

「Are you sure about this, Takanashi-kun?」

「Sara-san will be absolutely fine. So I’m just going to go through with the plan as intended.」

Right. Since our whole lifestyle is riding on this match, Sara-san will definitely win, even if her opponent is Mayumi-san. That’s already a settled fact.

Why? Because it’s the same as me being able to become stronger than anyone for Sara-san’s sake. If anything, Sara-san is a woman who can become even stronger than me for my sake, for our sake.

I’m not just saying that out of some kind of self-conceit.

「Goodness… I really do envy Sara. To have her fiancé give her such absolute credit and trust… she must be the luckiest girl alive.」

「N-no, any couple would usually…」

「No, that’s just idealistic talk. In reality, it’s hard to be that absolute. But looking at your eyes, Takanashi-san, I can tell you mean it from the bottom of your heart… surely you have some kind of physical proof of it yourself? That’s why you’re so certain?」

「Wait, what!?」

N-Nishikawa-san is sharp. Still, there’s no way I can say something so embarrassing out loud, so I’ll be keeping the truth to myself, obviously.

「Fufu… you’re as easy to read as ever. Well, I’ll stop prying for now.」

「Ugh… p-please do.」

Nishikawa-san stared intently into my eyes with a mischievous expression she didn’t show often.

Sara-san is exactly the same way, but I’m aware that I have a weakness for this kind of「mature composure」vibe… I never know how to react, so it always puts me in a spot.

「Ahaha… Takanashi-kun, you really do like older women, don’t you?」

「Huh!? Wh-why would you say that!?」

「I mean, it’s just so obvious… wait. In that case, why am I…」

「Oh, Natsumi-senpai is fine.」

Even though she’s older too, Natsumi-senpai has a casual air about her… I see her more as a friend. That means she doesn’t have that「older big sister」feeling that Sara-san and the others do.

Ah, I mean that in a good way, of course!

「WHAAAT!!!! Are you saying I don’t have any mature charm!?」

「EEEK!? N-no, I didn’t mean it like that at all!! I just mean you’re easy to talk to!!」

「Takanashi-san… does that mean I am difficult to talk to?」

「Hwah!? N-no, that’s not it either…」

W-wait a second, how did the conversation turn into this!?

What were we even talking about… oh, right, the reason I’m certain Sara-san will win!

How did it get to… ah, for the record, I don’t just like older women, I like「Sara-san」!!

It’s just a coincidence that the person I fell for is older, there’s no other meaning to it, okay?

「…Fufufu… Takanashi-san seems to be the type that older women just naturally like.」

「…Do you sense something too, Kazumi-san?」

「…Just a hunch. Takanashi-san is the type that stirs up maternal instincts, so I think he appeals to older women… a specific type of older woman, specifically.」

「…I-I see?」

「…Yeah. By the way, Marina-chan, who is it that you like…」

「…Hwaaaaa!?」

「…Fufu, you’re easy to read too.」

「SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITIIIIIIING!!! It looks like the judges have finished their scoring, so let’s get right to the announcement!!!!!!!!」

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Minamin’s hype-talk resumed at a truly perfect timing, and a massive cheer erupted from the stands.

Minamin watched the scene with satisfaction from the stage and threw her right hand into the air. Over-the-top BGM started playing from the speakers, and the words「Judges’ Result Announcement」appeared in big letters on the screen.

Jyan!!!!

The short BGM ended with a flashy echo, the screen display shifted, and the result shown there was…

The result was!!??

1st Place Satsukawa Sara

2nd Place Mayu

3rd Place Kusahara Rena

.

.

.

Sara-san is in first place!

「ALRIIIIIGHT!!! I can see Satsukawa-san winning the whole thing now!!!」

「Of course she is!!! As if the Goddess would lose!!!!」

「Sara-chaaaaaaan!!!」

「Goddessssss!!!!」

「Please, please go out with meeeee!!!!」

「Shut up!!! Like she’d ever pick someone like you!!!」

「Mayu-saaaaaan, there’s still a chance left!!!!」

「Mayumi-chaaaaaaan!!!」

Seeing the results, the crowd in the stands went wild. Voices calling for Sara-san, Mayumi-san, and their other favorites started flying everywhere.

On the flip side, the cheers for the stuck-up woman had gone noticeably quiet… she probably realized it better than anyone, but she brought it on herself, so there was no helping it.

「Whoa, Sara’s at the top. It’s expected, but I actually thought Mayumi-san might be in first.」

「I considered that possibility too, but I bet the results of the second round really hit hard.」

「Eririn?」

「The biggest gap in skill between Sara and Mayumi-san was in the second round. But because of the backup from the children and Takanashi-san, the atmosphere shifted completely…」

「If it had stayed a simple battle of vocal talent, the Wife wouldn’t have stood a chance. If the other rounds were close, then the karaoke definitely became the deciding factor. Basically, this score wasn’t just earned by the Wife alone, it was won by Kazunari and… Mio-chan, the three of them together.」

「…Well, I guess that’s how it is.」

During that second round, I kind of just got swept up in the mood… but I think I never would’ve been able to sing like that if Mio-chan hadn’t come.

So just like Hanako-san said, it might not be an exaggeration to say this result is thanks to Mio-chan.

「In that case, the MVP of this event is Mio-chan!」

「Yes. We should definitely give Mio-chan something as a proper thank you…」

「No, leave that to Sara-san and me.」

This is a matter for Sara-san and me, so naturally, it’s our job to thank Mio-chan.

So, the two of us will figure something out…

「Kazumi-san, is there anything that would make Mio-chan really happy?」

「No, please don’t worry about that. Mio was so happy, and that’s more than enough.」

「Kazunari, the promise with Mio-chan.」

「The promise… ah!」

Right, earlier Mio-chan said she wanted to eat Sara-san’s food… then we just need to find some time and set up a little dinner party!

I’ll have to talk to Sara-san about it first, obviously, but I’m sure she’d be happy to do it.

「Kazumi-san, I have to talk to Sara-san first so it’s not official yet, but if the timing works, we’d love to have dinner with Mio-chan.」

「Takanashi-san, I’m really happy you feel that way, but that would be too much…」

「Kazumi-san, it’s not just Takanashi-san and the others. I would love to be there too, so please, don’t hesitate.」

「Whoa, Eririn. That’s a bit cold, isn’t it?」

「If that’s how it is, I won’t allow you to be with Mio-chan while leaving me out.」

「Exactly! Are you really planning to exclude me from something so fun?」

「Kazumi-san, I want to join too, and I’m sure Mio-chan would be happy!」

「The women in this group won’t give up easily once they get like this.」

「Yuji, try to be a bit more tactful with your support… oh, I want to join too, obviously.」

Kazumi-san let out a wry smile at everyone’s declaration of participation, which acted as a push for me.

I figured she’d cave eventually if we persuaded her this much…

And for my part, I had the ulterior motive that setting up a chance to eat with Mio-chan would make Sara-san happy too.

「…Are you really sure?」

「Yes. Sara-san will definitely be happy too, so please, join us.」

My final push must have done it, because Kazumi-san gave a smile and a small nod. Seeing that, everyone else broke into smiles too. Good, now we can thank Mio-chan.

It’s a perfect idea that hits three birds with one stone, I get to keep the promise, and Sara-san gets to be happy. I’m looking forward to it myself, and it’ll be best if we can all have fun together.

「That’s great, Takanashi-kun! Oh, leave the details of the contact to me?」

「Thanks, Todo-san.」

I’ll take her up on that and leave the coordinating to Todo-san, since they’re relatives.

After that, I just need to consult Sara-san… though I don’t think I even need to ask if we can hold it, so it’ll mostly be about the schedule.

Nice, nice… that’s one more thing to look forward to.

「Maaaan, should I call this expected or what… ah, I’m the host, so no comment on that part… but anyway, how is everyone feeling!!??」

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

The audience gave a massive cheer in place of an answer to Minamin’s question. The hype was still there, and even after seeing those results, there was no sign of any backlash or booing.

That meant that even if people had their own personal favorites, the result of Sara-san being in first was generally accepted.

For the record, the only problem was that the fan-calls for Sara-san were so intense it was making my irritation grow.

「By the way… according to Minamin info, there’s still a huge chance the rankings could flip!!! The result might change based on your votes, so you’ve got a big responsibility!!!!!!!!」

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

「Now then, before the audience vote… FIRST!!!! Let’s do a Question Corner for everyone!!!!!!!! If you’ve got something you want to ask…」

「「「 MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! 」」」

Hands shot up across the stands before Minamin even finished her explanation. Right hands, left hands, both hands, some guy with his hands way up from under his armpits for some reason, people jumping to stand out… it was intense.

It looked just like the scenes you see at stage shows for kids… wait. Does that mean…

「Children, basically.」

「Hanako-san, you shouldn’t say that…」

「I get how she feels, though.」

「Um… okay, I’ve picked our first lucky person, that guy over there!!! Staff, get him a mic… yes, him!!! Since it might be embarrassing, just give us a nickname and declare who your question is for, then go for it!!!!!!!!」

「I’m Aruku. I have a question for Satsukawa-san!!!」

I couldn’t see him from here, but from the voice, the questioner was a guy. And starting right off by picking Sara-san was exactly as expected.

I just hoped the question would be a decent one… but I had a nagging bad feeling.

「Straight to the point, is a yakiniku date okay with you!?」

「Okay, over to you, Satsukawa-san.」

「I do not understand why you are limiting it to yakiniku. It is a meal, so we should just go normally, shouldn’t we? If anything, I do not understand why it would not be okay.」

Honestly, I didn’t get why the guy limited it to a yakiniku date either… but at least Sara-san isn’t the type to be picky about that.

Whether it’s yakiniku or okonomiyaki, she’d go normally if I invited her… I think.

Well, actually I’m satisfied with Sara-san’s meals so we’ve never gone for yakiniku… but if I invite her (important), it’s fine!!!

「Whoa, she’s surprisingly frank!!!」

「No way, if you’re going with the Goddess, it has to be a restaurant…」

「I’d push my budget to go somewhere high-class!!!」

「Alright, Aruku-san, thank you very much. Satsukawa-san answered much more properly than I expected, so Minamin is a bit surprised… no, it’s nothing!!!」

Minamin retracted her statement instantly after a glare from Sara-san. But it’s true that the old Sara-san definitely would’ve just shut him down flat, so I could understand Minamin’s feelings.

「Okay, next—」

「「 ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!!!! 」」

「Whoa, the intensity is insane!!!!?」

A flood of「ME」calls started like a dam had burst. It was past being noisy and well into a complete racket, but surely most of them were aimed at Sara-san… I understood it, but it was just too complicated…

「Kazunari, endure.」

「I know…」

「Alright, next is… that person!!! Staff, over there… okay, name first!!!!」

「I’m an old guy who likes weirdos.」

「A w-weirdo? That’s your name… ah, never mind. Who is the question for…」

「For Satsukawa-san.」

「Satsukawa-san, the weirdo-loving old guy is calling for you~」

Minamin handed the mic to Sara-san with a half-monotone voice, like she was calling out a party member in a famous tavern. Sara-san took it with a displeased look, maybe because of the name, but she still seemed to intend to listen as she waited in silence for him to continue.

「Where would you like to go for your honeymoon?」

「…A honeymoon?」

「Yes, specifically, please!!!」

「Let’s see… I have not thought about any special place in particular… besides, even if I were to go on a honeymoon, that is still a long way off.」

As she said that, Sara-san’s gaze was clearly directed at me. Wait, I haven’t even thought that far ahead yet either!?

Of course, when the time comes, I’d want to go somewhere Sara-san would enjoy, but…

Right now, my priority is making the upcoming proposal a success.

「However… I would like to go on a trip to revisit memories someday. I am sure that many precious memories will be born between now and when I eventually marry, after all.」

「A trip to revisit memories?」

「Yes. A journey to revisit the memories made until then… with the person I treasure. I think that would be wonderful.」

A trip to revisit memories… huh.

If that’s what Sara-san wants, then my job is as good as decided.

Toward that day that will eventually come, I’ll take Sara-san to all sorts of places, to the point where choosing the locations becomes a struggle.

It could be just the two of us, or with our best friends… and sometimes with Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san, or even my Dad and Mom if Sara-san wants. Yeah, just imagining it makes me excited.

I really have to work hard at my part-time job now!!

「Haaa… as expected of the Goddess, her words are too ideal.」

「Her favorability rating is through the roof!!!!」

「Just you watch, someday I’ll make Satsukawa-san…」

「You idiot, it won’t be you!!」

「I have to find a way to get close…」

「Ahaha… Satsukawa-senpai is staring right at Takanashi-kun.」

「Well, she is Sara. She probably only answered that question because she was thinking about Takanashi-kun… and with that smile, she’s just gone and increased the number of idiots with misunderstandings.」

「A trip to trace their memories together… that’s nice. It’s romantic.」

「You hear that, Pretty Boy?」

「Ugh…」

「Fufu… that’s a very Sara-like answer. I understand her feelings well, though.」

「ALRIIIIIGHT, thank you very much!!! And Satsukawa-san, please leave it at th… ahem, nothing!!!! Now, next…」

Before Minamin could finish, another festival of raised hands started in the stands. With things being this intense, it looked like it’d be hard for the staff to even pinpoint a location. I found myself thinking about trivial things.

「Um… okay, that person over there… no, not him, the person next to him… behind that one. Yes, him!!!! Name first, please!!」

「Please call me Akio-kun!!」

「Alright, Akio-kun-san then!!」

「No, you don’t need the ‘san’…」

「Ahaha, just kidding, just kidding!! So, who is the question for…」

「For Satsukawa-san, please.」

「Yes, yes, Satsukawa-san, good luck~」

It was only natural, but it was another guy… and the third one in a row to pick Sara-san.

At this rate, the Question Corner might run out of time with only Sara-san being picked.

And there was one certain person still glaring at Sara-san with a sulky face…

「What makes you fall for a boy? And on the flip side, what kind of person do you hate or find unforgivable?」

「What makes me fall for them? So you wish to know what kind of man I find favorable or unfavorable?」

「Yes!」

The question that was bound to come had arrived. It was a standard one, but in a way, it was a dangerous question.

Depending on the answer, there was a chance Sara-san would say my name, so I figured I’d better brace myself.

「The part about being unfavorable is simple. I hate overly familiar people. It is unpleasant to be spoken to so casually. Moreover, I wish for those shallow types who confess easily despite not knowing a single thing about me as a human being to vanish from my sight.」

Sara-san’s words held a cold air that didn’t hide her disgust at all, and the idiots who had just been making a noise about「going out with her」went silent instantly.

Man… that actually felt pretty good.

「People who put on a false front with me, or those who cannot show their will or actions when it counts, are out of the question. Moreover, deciding on a partner based on their appearance is the worst of all…」

Sara-san’s voice was quiet and flat, yet it held a clear will and pressure. It was like she was lecturing the entire audience, and the voices of the people making a scene grew smaller and fewer.

Then, Sara-san stared at me with that same gentle smile as before.

「There are other things, but explaining them would be a waste of time, so I shall omit them. For me, the ideal man is the opposite of those. Someone who does not fall for me based on my looks, who does not put on a front, who is devoted to his goals, who has certain initiative, and a reliable person who can lead me.」

Sara-san started talking happily while staring right at me again… wait, hold on, are you talking about me!? Isn’t that way too much of an idealization!?

Just listening to her, I sounded like some kind of perfect superhuman!?

「Hmm… that’s not Sara’s ideal, she’s just talking about Takanashi-kun.」

「Sa-Sara-san… s-stop already… I’m not that great of a guy…」

「You don’t have to be humble. What the Wife is saying isn’t that far off.」

「You’re right. I have that kind of image of you too, Takanashi-san?」

「Yeah. My image of Kazunari is pretty much like that too?」

「Wait!?」

Why are you all saying that!?

And with that tone, it doesn’t sound like you’re joking, which makes it even harder for me to deal with!?

「He-hey… what Satsukawa-san is saying is strangely specific, isn’t it?」

「Nah, she’s just fired up since it’s her ideal, right?」

「But there’s no way a guy exists who wouldn’t fall for Satsukawa-san’s looks.」

「Right! And it’s impossible not to put on a front with her.」

「Hearing this, it means you can’t make an appeal to get her to like you!?」

「The difficulty level is way too high!!」

「He is gentle with children, and his heart is broad enough to accept even my selfishness with a smile… his blushing face is so cute, and the way he acts spoiled with me is truly precious…」

「AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Satsukawa-san, stop, STOOOOP!!!! Akio-kun, are you satisfied with the answer!!!!?」

「Y-yes!? Thank you?」

「ALRIGHT!!!! Then this question is finished, FINISHEDDDDD!!!!」

Phew… apparently we managed to make it through by the skin of our teeth(?)

I’d even braced myself to jump onto the stage if Sara-san said my name…

But the Question Corner isn’t over yet, so I can’t let my guard down…