Episode 355: Allowance

I savored the heavenly dinner that Sara-san and Mayumi-san had prepared…

The meal proceeded smoothly in a harmonious and peaceful atmosphere from start to finish, even as I felt a slight bit of panic that I might have overeaten more than usual.

Finally, just as Mayumi-san’s「refill offensive」was beginning to ramp up, I reached my limit and finished the meal.

After that came the post-meal tea time, and of course, the special shortcake Mayumi-san made was for my「second stomach」… yeah.

「Hehe… Kazunari-san, here, say aahn…」

「Aahn…」

Chomp… Chew, chew… yeah, this is delicious!!!

「Aahn, Sara-chan, that’s not fair!! Even though I’m the one who baked the cake!!」

「I don’t care. If you want to do that, do it for Father.」

「Geez, I guess I have no choice. Here, Masaomi-san, say aahn.」

Even though she said she had no choice, Mayumi-san looked happy as she brought a piece of cake to Masaomi-san’s mouth. Masaomi-san glanced over at us with a bit of hesitation, but then he opened his mouth with an embarrassed look…

「Ahm.」

And just like that, he accepted it quite readily.

As always, it’s good to see that they’re such a close couple.

「T-The thing is, Mayumi. Kazunari-kun and Sara are right here…」

「Kazunari-san, say aahn♪」

Chomp… chew, chew…

「Hehe, you’re the only one worried about that, Masaomi-san.」

「I-I see… so it’s just me… is that how it is…」

Sorry, Masaomi-san.

It’s not that I don’t care, but Sara-san is my top priority, so things naturally end up like this.

So for now, please just go with the flow… or something like that.

The「aahn battle」between the two camps settled down, and while we were getting refills of tea, the conversation naturally turned to the main topic… what happened on the day of the beauty pageant.

It seemed Mayumi-san had already been interrogated about the situation, so not just Mayumi-san herself but Masaomi-san as well apologized and offered an explanation of sorts.

That said, it wasn’t much different from what was declared on stage, which was that she simply wanted to see Sara-san grow. Specifically, she decided the beauty pageant was the perfect opportunity because she wanted to see Sara-san’s demeanor in public rather than just how she acted at home.

I had already guessed as much, so it wasn’t particularly surprising… but apparently Sara-san’s actions were so far beyond expectations that Mayumi-san was quite shocked too.

However, it was because of those actions that she felt she could give her approval without any hesitation.

In other words… everything turned out for the best.

And once Mayumi-san finished her story, it was naturally time for our story.

「Between the chaos at the venue and the way those boys swarmed the stage… I understood quite well that Sara’s popularity was far beyond my imagination…」

「That sort of thing is nothing but a nuisance. I’m not even slightly happy to be told I’m popular, and as long as I have Kazunari-san by my side, that’s all I need.」

「I-I see. Well, I expected you to say that, so it’s not exactly a surprising answer…」

「Hehe, Sara-chan is as direct as ever.」

While wearing wry smiles at Sara-san’s incredibly blunt answer, the two of them also sent soft, warm gazes our way.

Of course, I was beyond happy to hear it, but I was also just a little bit embarrassed.

「Even so… I didn’t realize it had come to the point where Sara would take such desperate measures. I do wish you would have at least consulted with me once.」

「If I had felt I couldn’t handle it myself, I would have considered consulting you. However, things went largely according to plan, so I simply judged that there was no need to go that far. Besides, I didn’t want any excessive meddling in things related to school…」

Meddling in things related to school… huh.

To be honest, I can understand that feeling too.

If she had judged that she couldn’t handle it, she would have considered consulting someone, but Sara-san was able to create the situation she wanted on her own.

In my case as well, it was certainly a lot of trouble, but in the end, it settled into a form of「non-interference」for everyone involved. Thanks to that, I actually felt like I could move on, and I could even say I was able to throw myself into my studies using that as motivation.

「Well, I knew Sara-chan would say that. But it seems even she didn’t expect that plan would result in such a massive situation…」

「That’s true. I never thought for a second that I would be treated like an idol.」

「It seems that because Sara-san kept everyone at a distance, the ‘unreachable flower’ image just kept growing bigger and bigger. On top of that, people started idealizing her however they wanted, so any rumors that didn’t have solid proof were treated as false reports.」

That was exactly why the rumors about her and me that had surfaced briefly vanished in an instant, and why words like「student council connection」or「unbelievable」were so prevalent.

It was really selfish of them, honestly.

「I see. And so, that led to Kazunari-kun’s bold action… is that how it went?」

「…To be honest, I was pissed off at the guys who kept hitting on Sara-san even though she was clearly bothered by it. Plus, there were so many people who wouldn’t believe it even if they heard it… so I figured I’d make it so they had no choice but to believe it.」

「Well, certainly, if a proposal comes out of nowhere in front of such a huge crowd, rather than just a simple confession…」

「The impact is so huge that the story would spread throughout the whole school in no time. Plus, if Sara-chan is wearing an engagement ring, they have no choice but to accept it as reality whether they like it or not.」

「Yes. That’s why that ring also serves as a protective charm.」

Since it’s proof of our engagement and also serves as a「pest repellent」to keep other guys away, plus a third meaning to make the idiots who wouldn’t look at reality understand… it’s a special ring filled with many meanings beyond just being an engagement ring.

…Wait, I’m also casually calling it an engagement ring, but I really meant for it to be one step before that, like a proposal ring.

「I see… if your actions were based on that much thought, then I have nothing left to say…」

「Oh, Masaomi-san? Regardless of the reason, Kazunari-kun gave Sara-chan a formal proposal, so were you actually planning on complaining?」

「Eh!? N-No, I wasn’t thinking that far!? But as a Father, after being shown a scene like that, I naturally have a thing or two I want to ask…」

「Hehe… as parents, we’re so lucky to have been able to see such a wonderful proposal♪」

「Guh… T-That might be true, but there was no need to go that far…」

Mayumi-san was getting more and more excited, while Masaomi-san wore a slight, twitching smile.

That’s right, I’d kind of forgotten…

I actually proposed right in front of Masaomi-san and the others!?

「What do you mean by going that far?」

「I-I mean… the need to k-k-kiss in front of people… and so much of it, too.」

THAT’S TRUE, ISN’T IT!?

I knew it, but they really did see it all perfectly clearly, didn’t they!?

What a disaster…

「U-Um, Masaomi-san, I-I’m sorry. That was… because I went too far.」

「N-No, I didn’t mean to go that far myself… but you two are still students, and Kazunari-kun, you should also be mindful of… whoa!?」

Masaomi-san suddenly glanced to the side and looked surprised, as if he’d seen something terrifying… or was it fear? His expression froze in an instant.

I had a faint idea of what happened, but I checked next to me just in case… and there was Sara-san, her face half-expressionless, piercing Masaomi-san with an icy gaze.

And right next to Masaomi-san, there was a presence that looked like a pleasant smile but was giving off something so intense I couldn’t help but feel a shiver… a terrifying presence!?

「S-Sorry!! I was just a bit surprised, so don’t worry about it, Kazunari-kun!!」

「That’s right. Kazunari-kun only gave Sara-chan the world’s most wonderful surprise for her sake… surely you aren’t going to complain about that, right, Masaomi-san?」

「Y-Yes… of course…」

Between Mayumi-san’s overwhelming pressure through her smile and the silent, intense pressure coming from Sara-san, Masaomi-san was completely overwhelmed…

But…

To be honest, that might have saved me.

「A-Anyway, r-right. More importantly, would you mind showing me the ring?」

「……」

Sara-san looked a bit annoyed at Masaomi-san’s sudden request… but she still sent a glance my way to check if it was okay.

When I nodded immediately, Sara-san also gave a small nod and gently offered her left hand on the table.

Mayumi-san gently picked it up with both hands and started staring at it curiously… wait, wasn’t it supposed to be Masaomi-san!?

「Hehe, sorry about that. I hadn’t had a chance to look at it closely yet either. Here, Masaomi-san.」

「A-Ah. Let’s see…」

Mayumi-san seemed satisfied for now, so she held Sara-san’s hand in a position where Masaomi-san could see it, and this time he peered at the ring with interest.

I had tried my best to get something good, but it still made me nervous to have it examined like that…

「…Kazunari-kun, may I ask how you managed to get this ring?」

「Geez, if you ask like that, he’ll get the wrong idea, won’t he? You see, Kazunari-kun, this ring is much more authentic than we had imagined…」

「Y-Yes. That’s…」

「The thing is, how did you purchase a ring like this… wait, don’t tell me.」

Masaomi-san seemed to realize something as his eyes went wide and he stared at me.

It seemed he was curious about the source of the funds for the ring, and since they both knew I hadn’t worked a part-time job since then… naturally, there should only be one answer they could think of.

Though there was also the possibility that I had received an allowance from my parents.

「…Did you buy this with your earnings from that part-time job back then?」

「Yes.」

「No, but it’s been quite a while since then, and even though you were working multiple jobs, you must have prepared a proper birthday gift for Sara, right? Even so, for you to have that kind of budget…」

「Don’t tell me, Kazunari-kun…」

「…I saved all of it. Thanks to that, I was barely able to afford it.」

「All of it? Then… then even though you worked so hard at those part-time jobs, what did you buy for yourself?」

「Um, nothing in particular…」

The two of them shared the same look of surprise, as if they’d heard or seen something unbelievable.

And as for Sara-san, she hadn’t mentioned the source of the funds for the ring at all until now… but she must have suspected it, as she looked somewhat apologetic…

「…The thing is, when I think back to when I was your age, there were plenty of things I wanted. But since I never had enough money, I naturally did some simple part-time jobs, but even then I’d spend it all right away.」

「E-Eh. I can understand that too?」

Before all this, I also had various things I wanted like manga or games like any other person, and I’d buy snacks here and there, so running out of allowance was a regular thing.

But after what happened last year, I lost interest in those things, and since I didn’t really have any hobbies besides games and manga to begin with…

「Kazunari-kun, you’re still a high schooler, so it’s not strange at all to have lots of things you want, okay? Of course, even Sara-chan has a weakness for cute things, so she’d often buy various things at general stores… and yet.」

「B-But I did use it for something I wanted, you know? As long as Sara-san is happy, that’s more than enough for me.」

It’s not that I have absolutely nothing I want, but for example, even if I wanted to buy a game… if I thought about the priority, there was a difference like heaven and earth.

To me right now, there’s nothing more valuable than Sara-san being happy.

「Are you saying that seriously?」

「Aaaaah… geez, why are you such a good boy!! I’m giving you an allowance today, so you must buy something for yourself this time! Sara-chan, make sure you have Kazunari-kun buy something on your next date! You absolutely mustn’t let him buy something for you, okay!?」

「I understand.」

「Eeeeek!?」

Being told that with a smile mixed with a wry laugh, and seeing Sara-san take it completely seriously with a look of determination, she gave a nod.

That said, I’d just been given a large sum of money for the furniture the other day, so I couldn’t possibly accept a personal allowance on top of that…

「U-Um, Mayumi-san, that’s really…」

「No. You see, Kazunari-kun, we’re really happy that you treasure Sara-chan this much. And we know that you’re not forcing yourself. But you see… if you always neglect yourself like that, Sara-chan won’t be able to be happy about it from the bottom of her heart.」

「That’s…」

At those words, I remembered the apologetic look Sara-san had shown for a moment earlier… and I was forced to realize that what Mayumi-san was saying wasn’t wrong at all.

I didn’t mean for it to be that way at all…

「Mother, please stop now. If you say any more…」

「Sara-san, it’s okay. Mayumi-san, I’m sorry too, I…」

「Apologizing is a no-no. Kazunari-kun, you haven’t done anything wrong at all, okay?」

「That’s right. If anything, I’m the one who wants to thank you. Thank you so much for treasuring Sara this much.」

I was looked at with gentle gazes from Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san. And now that I understood what Mayumi-san was saying almost painfully well, I should gratefully accept their kindness here.

To be honest, I felt bad about it… but.

「…I’m the one who should be saying thank you. I’m happy.」

I conveyed my heartfelt gratitude to Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san with all the feeling I could muster. It made me truly happy that they were thinking about me so carefully like this.

「Hehe, that’s more like it♪ Kazunari-kun, you should lean on us without reservation while you still can. Right, Masaomi-san?」

「I suppose so. But it feels a bit strange to be scolding him when he’s treasuring Sara this much…」

「It really does. I never thought I’d be scolding him for a reason like this either. But if it’s come to this… I really think you should try leaning on your Mother-in-law with all your heart just once…」

「Please save the sleep-talking for when you’re asleep. The person Kazunari-san leans on is me, and it has absolutely nothing to do with you, Mother.」

「…S-Sara!? What on earth does that mean… no, that’s not it!! Even if that’s the case, at least show a little bit more moderation.」

「I’m not sure what you’re trying to say?」

「I mean, that k-k-kiss on the stage the other day…」

Ah, I thought we’d finally moved past that topic…

So you really were still worried about it, Masaomi-san…

I never dreamed that I would end up kissing her like that right in front of Sara-san’s parents either…

「I accepted the reason for the proposal in that setting, but even so, there was no need to go that far…」

「Hehe, Sara-chan is as bold as ever, isn’t she♪」

「T-That’s not the point!! They’re both still students…」

「We kiss every day, and since it’s my important expression of affection, there’s no reason for me to be scolded for it, right?」

「E-E-Every day!?」

「Wait!? S-Sara-san!!」

As always, it was the Sara-san style of exposing things bluntly and clearly.

But saying that to Masaomi-san was bad, really bad… for me, obviously!!

「K-Kazunari-kun, about that story just now…」

「Ugh!? N-No, the thing is…」

「Yes, yes, let’s put aside such tiresome talk and have you tell us more since we’re here. About the ring, and I want to hear more about the proposal too♪」

「W-Wait a minute! This isn’t the kind of level of talk that can be brushed off with a ‘tiresome’…」

「You’re annoying, Father.」

「You’re annoying, Masaomi-san.」

「Annoying!?」

In the end…

The discussion never really settled down like that…

I was grilled by Mayumi-san about the proposal, and I ended up explaining the ring once again.

I also made sure to mention that the ring was strictly speaking a proposal ring, and that I wanted to give her a proper engagement ring in the future… but regarding that:

「No, this is undoubtedly an engagement ring. Even if it was a proposal ring at first, from the moment I accepted it, this ring became the symbol of our engagement… so doesn’t that mean it can rightly be called an engagement ring? Besides, this ring is filled with so many of Kazunari-san’s various feelings beyond that… so when I think about that, I have no need for any other engagement ring in my life.」

Was what she said.

By the way… Mayumi-san secretly told me later,「In that case, you can just work hard for the wedding ring next time.」

And so, the fun time passed by in an instant… and as I was leaving.

「Sara-chan, I’m counting on you.」

「Yes. I will use all of this for Kazunari-san’s shopping.」

I received my allowance from Mayumi-san as promised… and since it was entrusted to Sara-san, I could no longer refuse. Moreover, I didn’t even know the exact amount, so I could only pray it was at least a common-sense amount.

「Kazunari-kun.」

While the exchange between Sara-san and Mayumi-san was happening, Masaomi-san slipped over to me and pushed something… something like a thin, small envelope, into my hand… wait, could this be!?

「Wait, Masaomi-san, this…」

「It’s fine. This is something personal from me, and it has nothing to do with that thing from Mayumi. So just accept it quietly.」

「B-But…」

「Haha… not to repeat Mayumi’s line, but let me do something Father-like for once.」

「Ugh…」

That was a sneaky way of putting it, and if it was given to me for that reason, I couldn’t exactly turn it down flatly anymore.

「I’m not limiting how you use this, so use it however you like. Of course, you can use it as funds for your dates with Sara too, right? How about going somewhere far away?」

「Masaomi-san…」

「Go and enjoy yourselves together. However… make it a day trip, okay?」

「I… I swear…」

T-That’s strange… what is this incredible pressure?

Anyway, for now, I’ll just accept it gratefully.

I had been worried that we hadn’t had many proper dates together, so this might be a good opportunity.

The next question is… where should we go?