Episode 340: Question Corner Returns

「Yes, well then, once again… congratulations on winning the Miss Contest and the Best Couple Grand Prize!!!」

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!!!

This time, there really wasn’t a teasing atmosphere, as expected.

We were given warm applause and cheers purely to celebrate us, from Minamin, the audience, and the other contestants.

In that moment, a feeling of pure happiness welled up, mixed with a good amount of embarrassment.

「Well… rather than a couple, they’re already a complete married couple, though.」

「So they say, Kazunari-san?」

「No, and what exactly do you want me to say to that?」

「Fufu… I leave that to you.」

The title of「Miss Contest Runner-up,」which was a confusing mix of honor and dishonor for a man, had vanished, and Sara-san’s mood had safely recovered, so I was relieved for the time being.

The only hurdle left was the girls who were taking the chance to tease us, but I guess that’s just the price for giving such prime bait to girls their age.

「Satsukawa-san, show me your engagement ring next time!!!」

「Me too!!!」

「I want to hear the story too!!!!」

「Yes. If it is when I have the time, I don’t mind.」

「Yes!!!」

「Satsukawa-san really has changed, hasn’t she!!」

And seeing Sara-san interacting so naturally like that, I was genuinely glad that my fears about her earlier reveal were unfounded. I’d worried that her confession about「utilizing being aloof」might cause some kind of rejection from other girls, but it seemed there was no problem.

Looking at them now, that worry was for nothing.

「Now then, the atmosphere feels just right, so how about we go for it, a Question Corner that also serves as a winner’s interview!!!!!!!!」

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!!

The audience erupted at Minamin’s sudden declaration.

A Question Corner… are we really doing that same thing again, the thing we did before I barged in?

「Alright, then… anyone with a question!!!」

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

「Huh!?」

Just like last time, it was like a stage show for kids… hands shot up everywhere with energy, and although there were many empty seats, the view from the stage was still spectacular.

But putting that aside.

Why are Hanako-san and Tachikawa-san raising their hands too!?

「Whom. Shall. I. Pick… okay, yes!!!! Then, from among the precious few gentlemen who worked hard to stay until the end, I choose you!!!」

With a mysterious pose, Minamin pointed to one of the guys in a small group on the very edge of the audience area. He was one of the two raising their hands.

A staff member immediately ran over with a mic and handed it to him.

「Alright, give us your name!!!」

「I’m Takeshita!! I look forward to this!!」

「Takeshita-kun, right? Then go ahead and give us your best question!!!!」

「Yes!! First, I have a question for Satsukawa-san again… is the Vice President really, truly, for real, your fiancé!?」

「I truly do not understand why you feel the need to confirm that after seeing all that has happened, but… if you still cannot believe it, I shall say the same thing as many times as it takes, okay? We have sworn to marry each other, and we are formal fiancés recognized by both our parents. I have promised that we shall marry in the future, and I shall become Kazunari-san’s wife.」

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

「Whoa, whoa, she said wife!!! She said wife!!??」

「Sa, Satsukawa-san as a wife!! If you were a guy, you could die without any regrets, right!?」

「Wait, no, no!! Takanashi-kun, it is too early to die!!!」

「Exactly!! Our fun has only just begun!!!!!!!!」

This is bad.

It doesn’t matter what anyone says, it’s all just becoming bait now.

Please, stop with the questions that just dump fuel on these curious teenage girls!!

Sara-san is the type to answer honestly about anything regarding me, so at this rate, they’re going to turn into a perpetual motion machine!!

「Is that all for your question?」

「Ah, please tell us how you call each other normally too!!!」

「How we call each other? I call him Kazunari-san, just as I am now.」

「I call her Sara-san.」

「Eh? But didn’t Satsukawa-san just call him ‘Dear’ earlier?」

「That was… well, Kazunari-san accepted my wish to call him Dear once we become an official married couple… and as part of that, I call him that occasionally.」

「Ah, so that’s how it is! Then, what about Takanashi-kun…」

「No, I…」

「I have asked Kazunari-san to call me ‘Sara’ without any honorifics. However, regarding this, I do not want to wait until after the marriage… I wish for him to call me that regularly as well.」

「Mufufuu… Takanashi-kun!! Why don’t you grant your wife’s wish!?」

Minamin’s smile felt like it had something dark behind her cute facade. There was no doubt about it… she was definitely getting her revenge for earlier, wasn’t she!?

「Um… Kazunari-san.」

「Ugh…」

And Sara-san, please don’t look at me with those expectant eyes!?

The audience… the pack of romance hyenas known as teenage girls, were leaning forward and staring at us intensely.

「Kazunari-san…」

「…Sara.」

「Yes, Dear♪」

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Ugh… laugh if you want!!

When Sara-san calls out to me with that sweet voice, there is no way I can go against her!!

After coming this far, I’m not going to hesitate over something like this now!!

「Pant, pant… Even if my strength fails me here, I’m satisfied!!!」

「Dear… Dear… Gugh!?」

「Wait!? Medic!? MEDIC!!!!!!!!!!??」

「Satsukawa-san calling him ‘Dear’ has way too much destructive power!!!!」

「Yesss, alright, Takeshita-kun, thank you so… truly thank you very much!!! Man… Takanashi-kun is quite the man, isn’t he!!!」

「…No comment.」

「Fufu… Kazunari-san is the most wonderful man in the world and very dependable, after all.」

「Um… if you take it that honestly, I start feeling a little guilty… Ahem!! O-okay, next is the person right next to him since you’re already there, go ahead!!」

Calling them an afterthought, that was quite the rude way to put it.

But since the person who took the mic looked normally happy… I guess there was no problem?

「I’m Haru. Please tell us your first impression when you first met the Vice President.」

「Let’s see… our meeting was a bit special, so strictly speaking, I might not be able to call it a first impression… but the first thing I felt was that he was similar to me.」

「Eh? Similar?」

「Yes. When we first met, I think the situation of the place played a part, but… in Kazunari-san’s eyes, there was a clear sense of disappointment and loss, a kind of resignation. He didn’t even try to hide his blatantly suspicious expression toward me, even though we had just met… the Kazunari-san I had seen once before, who was overflowing with kindness, was completely hidden away… and the intense sadness and rejection he showed right after I spoke to him. With just that, I knew immediately that Kazunari-san was in despair over something and had become unable to trust others. And that figure felt like it overlapped with me, someone who had despaired of others, was disgusted by them, and had rejected those around me… so, I felt he was similar to me.」

「I see… thank you very much.」

It’s true that back then, looking at the result, I didn’t even trust Sara-san.

No matter how close we became, at the root of it was the thought that I might be betrayed or that someone might turn their back on me. That was why even small things made my distrust grow.

In reality, I must have been looking for someone to save me, but I was trying to close off even that hope myself. That could also be said for Sara-san, who had been rejecting those around her just like me… and that was why we were two of a kind.

「That was… a very deep story. It felt meaningful, and there were several parts that made me curious… but you probably won’t tell me even if I ask, so I’ll move to the next question!!! Um… then, that person over there!!!!」

「I’m ta-ta. Please tell us how Satsukawa-san relaxes!!」

「My method of relaxation?」

「Yes!! If there’s something you do that calms your heart… or rests your body… please tell us!!」

Honestly, that was a lifesaver.

The air was starting to get a bit heavy, so this question was great in several ways.

And this question was something I was interested in too… if it was something I could do for her, I definitely wanted to hear it.

「If that is the case, I find that things like doing housework are fun and a good change of pace.」

「Housework? For example, what kind of…」

「For example, when I am preparing a meal, I become happy just thinking about the image of Kazunari-san eating my food and looking like it is delicious… and it is also fun to plan my cleaning so that Kazunari-san can spend his time at home as comfortably as possible. Doing the laundry too, Kazunari-san’s…」

「Wait, wait, Satsukawa-san? Isn’t that less about housework and more just things you do for Takanashi-kun?」

「Fufu… perhaps it could be said that way?」

At Minamin’s point, Sara-san showed a slightly mischievous smile.

But I, more than anyone, knew that this wasn’t a lie or a joke, and that she really felt that way.

Still, while it was a very Sara-like answer, it was just part of our daily life and didn’t really give me「something」I could do for her…

「I see… thank you very much!!! Also, if it is okay, please tell us about the relaxation method too!!」

「My method of relaxation? Let’s see… the thing that comes to mind immediately is, naturally, ‘hug,’ I suppose?」

「…Hah?」

「H-Hug?」

「Yes. The time I am holding Kazunari-san is when I feel the most peace. My heart overflows with love for Kazunari-san, and I feel full of happiness… and Kazunari-san is truly adorable when he acts spoiled in my chest… looking embarrassed, yet still happy… as he clings tightly to my chest… fufu. When I am shown such a sight, I simply…」

「WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! SARA-SAN STOP!!!!!!!!!! STOPPPPPPPPPPP!!!」

I-I let my guard down!!!!

I mean, I should have easily guessed that Sara-san’s relaxation method would involve me!?

I was so distracted by the smile Sara-san wore as she started explaining happily that my timing for the stop order was completely late!!

「Wait!? Just when it was getting to the good part!!!」

「Hey now!! This is a question for the wife, so the husband should keep quiet!!!」

「Did she just say hug!? She said Takanashi-kun clings to Satsukawa-san’s large chest!!??」

「Kyaaaaaaaa!!! Takanashi-kun, you are way too bold!!!!!!!!!!」

「No, no, those two are living together, so that’s probably just the beginning… mufufufufuuuu!!!」

「It’s coming!!! My maiden sensor is picking up pink signals loud and clear!!」

「Kyaaaa, loud and clear!?」

「…Geez, it turned into a scene again.」

「…Well, it is Sara.」

「…Since she’s the wife.」

「…Indeed, it is Satsukawa-senpai after all. By the way, someone do something about Nishikawa-san.」

The commotion in the audience naturally reached us, and I could tell exactly how the girls’ delusions were ballooning and running wild.

Honestly… to let my guard down at a word like relaxation method… I’m such an idiot!!

「Wowwww… thank you for the massive bragging about your love!!! ta-ta-san, good job!!!!」

With a snap, for some reason the two of them wore smug faces and traded cool thumbs-ups with each other… what is this?

「I’m s-sorry, Kazunari-san. I accidentally…」

「N-No. It’s okay. But, um, let’s keep the private things to a minimum…」

「Y-You are right. I shall try not to say unnecessary things about our home.」

「Yes, please do.」

For now, this should avoid the worst-case scenario.

I have to make sure that highly dangerous top secrets, like us taking baths together or sleeping together every night, never leak out.

「Tsk… what a shame.」

「Hey, you…」

「Nyahaha, just kidding, just kidding!! Now, for the next person… I want a woman this time… so, you over there!!!!」

「Yes!! I’m Masami!! Please tell us what triggered your meeting!! Also, which one of you asked to start dating!? Tell us the place too!!」

I knew this kind of question was bound to come, so it was as expected… but the problem was that I didn’t want to talk to others about the incident on the rooftop that triggered our meeting.

And I absolutely wanted to avoid talking about the flowerbed and having our precious place of rest become a noisy spot.

So… what should we do…

「This isn’t quite the trigger for our meeting, but… the first trigger for me to know Kazunari-san was when I saw him trying to help a lost girl.」

「A lost girl?」

「Yes. It was that girl Kazunari-san was holding during the singing round, you know?」

「Ah, that girl!! I see, I see, so that was the connection… and that’s why they looked so close.」

「Yes. That day, the gaze Kazunari-san was giving that girl was so soft and kind… even though he was troubled by Mio-chan, who wouldn’t stop crying, he didn’t give up and worked his hardest to soothe her. He was a bit clumsy, but seeing Kazunari-san like that made my heart feel warm… ah, I knew at a single glance that this person was truly sincere and very kind. Afterward, seeing him walk together with Mio-chan, who had stopped crying, as they searched for her mother, I felt attracted to him in some way… I couldn’t stop thinking about Kazunari-san… but when we first met at school, I didn’t know how to act or what to say given the situation…」

「Sara-san…」

「I see… what a wonderful meeting!! Does that mean… Satsukawa-san felt it was fate with Takanashi-kun!?」

「Yes. Our meeting was fate and inevitable.」

「Whoa, thanks for the treat!!!」

Fate and inevitable.

The people hearing those words probably thought it was just love-talk or a joke… but I have a certain feeling that my meeting with Sara-san and our bond truly were fate and inevitable.

When I think about how much we overcame, how we met as the existences we each sought, and how we are bound like this… it’s not something that can be brushed off with the word coincidence.

「So, the confession was…」

「I was the one who did it. At a place called a Lover’s Sanctuary that we stopped at on the way back from the summer festival.」

「A Lover’s Sanctuary?」

「Yes. It’s in another prefecture so it’s hard to explain the location, but apparently it’s a famous spot locally.」

I ended up cutting in, but I somehow felt like this was something I had to say myself.

Even if I didn’t need to explain everything, I should at least give the minimum necessary information.

「I see… thank you very much!!」

「Yes!! Masami-san, thank you very much!!! Hmm… that was a bit of a nice story, so the air is kind of hard to tease now~」

「Hey.」

「Whoops, my bad, my true feelings slipped!! Now, for the next person… alright, the gentleman over there who’s been making an intense appeal for a while!!!」

「I’m Satoshi!! Please tell us how you two spend your weekends!!!」

How we spend our weekends?

This question seemed very simple, but it might actually be difficult.

Because we had various circumstances, we haven’t actually had many chances for proper dates…

At most, it’s a shopping date that also serves as buying daily necessities, or we often just spend time relaxing at home. Other than that, it’s cheering for Natsumi-senpai or Hayato at tennis, or being called to the Satsukawa house…

Wait…

I suddenly felt a surge of guilt toward Sara-san.

「We are usually busy with Student Council activities and such, so we spend most of our weekends relaxing. When we have shopping to do, we go on dates for that… but when we have no business, we basically just stay at home and take it easy.」

「I see… by the way, what does taking it easy at home look like specifically?」

「Let’s see… we do the cleaning and laundry that we cannot do during the weekdays, and sometimes I help Kazunari-san with his studies. Also, I bake cakes or cookies during breaks from studying… ah, I often give him a lap pillow during breaks, and Kazunari-san falls asleep almost immediately when I stroke his head, you know? He has a truly adorable sleeping face… I lose track of time just staring at him… fufu. I cannot hold back and end up kissing him over and over…」

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

「WA-WAIT!!! SARA-SAN, I TOLD YOU NO MORE OF THAT!!!!!!!!!!」

Since she was talking so happily, I was going to endure a little bit of a reveal… mostly embarrassing stories about me… but this was just too much!!

At this rate, I was in danger of being labeled as a super-spoiled guy who just relies on Sara-san for everything…

Eh? Nothing about that is wrong?

I know that better than anyone!!!

「Pant, pant… I’m dying… I’m going to die from a sugar overdose at this rate… but I have no regrets!!!」

「…Satsukawa-san’s character is completely broken now. To think she was the type to flirt 24/7 like that…」

「…This is a classic case of how looks can be deceiving, isn’t it?」

「…Wait, isn’t it less that Takanashi-kun is spoiled and more that Satsukawa-san is way too aggressive!!??」

「…Gufufufufu, oh boy… I bet the nights are intense…」

「…Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! A maiden shouldn’t say that out loud!!!」

「Man… Takanashi-kun, how should I put this, thanks for the feast!!!」

「…You’re welcome.」

Maybe because the category of a Miss Contest had been removed, or maybe she was just getting her revenge on me…

Even Minamin, who was supposed to be the host, was showing her meddling side as much as possible, and there was no one left to stop her… wait?

Am I all alone right now?