Episode 408: Back to the Party Venue

「…arling, it is about time to wake…」

「…nn…?」

Guided by the voice of a goddess overflowing with mercy that seemed to come from nowhere…

My consciousness, which had been floating somewhere fluffy, began to awaken bit by bit.

And what was transmitted to the back of my head was an exquisite comfort and warmth worthy of being called heaven, along with the gentle rocking of my body like a cradle, my dear, dear…

「…Sa…ra…sa…」

「…nnh.」

Chu… suddenly, a soft and warm「something」touched my lips.

As if that was the trigger, my eyes snapped open, and what flew into my field of vision was the smile of my beloved「goddess」that felt almost divine, along with two self-assertive…

Two…

…It is nothing, yes.

「Good morning.」

「G-good morning.」

「…Is something the matter?」

「Eh, n-no, it’s nothing at all, you know?」

「Fufu… with that phrasing, it’s almost like you are saying something did happen. Now, please speak honestly.」

「E-er, well…」

This is bad, I’m suddenly in a big pinch.

There is no way I can tell Sara-san that I became intensely aware of「those」the moment I woke up. I absolutely cannot!!

If I may just say one thing, today Sara-san is wearing a dress that shows off her body lines, which she would never normally wear… and since she has taken off her jacket now, that means, well.

「?」

But Sara-san herself doesn’t seem to mind at all… or rather, that sharpness of hers that normally sees through my thoughts so easily does not seem to function at all when it comes to this area (only with me), so that is both troubling and a lifesaver.

I’m a healthy high school boy too, after all.

「S-Sara-san?」

「Ah…」

When I called her name in desperation, Sara-san suddenly seemed to notice something… her expression clouded over slightly, different from her curious look from before.

Did I mess up somehow?

「Sara-san?」

「Fufu… it’s nothing at all, you know?」

「No, no, that expression doesn’t look like nothing…」

「In that case, I shall return those words exactly as they are to you, Kazunari-san?」

「Ugh…」

When she shots back like that, I can’t really pursue it any further… but I am curious.

「It really is not a big deal. It’s just a matter of having you become like that in the future, even if you don’t rush now.」

「I-is that so?」

「Yes. Besides, I have confirmed that there is a certain effect, so there should be no problem if we continue to practice regularly from now on.」

「I-I see?」

Mmm… I have no idea what Sara-san is talking about.

For now, if she is not taking it as a negative, it seems like it will be okay… but still.

「Fufu… let us work hard together, Darling?」

「Underst… I-I understand, Sara.」

「Yes, well done♪」

Since I can’t feel any shadow at all in the smile Sara is showing me now… and it seems I managed to gloss over that other matter.

So for now…

Well, whatever.

「Welcome back, Bocchan.」

「Good work.」

「Ahaha, I’m back.」

Led by the female employees who were waiting outside the door, Sara-san and I safely reunited with Takenaka-san and the others in the party venue.

Since I had been caught up in some kind of commotion every time I moved until now, I was a bit relieved that we reached our destination without anything happening this time.

「Oh, where are Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san…」

「The Executive Director and the Madam have not returned yet. People have headed out to meet them, so I expect they will return in a little while.」

Ueyama-san, who was next to Takenaka-san, answered my casual question immediately. It seemed Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san had not finished their discussion with Great-uncle yet… I’m actually quite curious about what they are talking about over there.

「So, Bocchan, how was the meeting with the Chairman?」

「It’s not like we talked about anything specific… if I had to say, it felt like a confirmation of my intent.」

「Confirmation of intent… was it?」

「Yes. About how seriously I am thinking about my future with Sara-san and my career path.」

「Ah, I see…」

Takenaka-san nodded deeply, as if my explanation made sense to him.

「Your future with me?」

「Yes. He was worried that I might be overextending myself just to stay with you, Sara-san.」

Strictly speaking, the nuance might be a bit different, but I believe there was definitely that aspect to Great-uncle’s talk… so it should not be a lie, probably.

「Ah, let me say this first, I’m not overextending myself at all, okay? In fact, I think it’s the best path for me, combining my dreams, hopes, and ideals.」

「Fufu… I’m well aware. If I felt that you were forcing yourself, Kazunari-san, I wouldn’t have supported you either.」

「Right? Anyway, in the talk with Great-uncle, it felt like we reconfirmed those kinds of things.」

「「Great-uncle!?」」

At the name「Great-uncle」that I had casually let slip, not only Takenaka-san but also the rest of the team listening in showed great surprise… come to think of it, I had not mentioned that part yet.

「C-calling the Chairman of Saba「Great-uncle」!?」

「That is amazing… no, maybe it’s normal considering Bocchan’s position, but it’s still amazing.」

「Mmm… hearing something like that really makes it feel more real.」

「Haha, and what did the Chairman say?」

「Well, he said he understood my will clearly, and that he looks forward to having me as a relative… or something like that.」

「Does that mean you have been successfully recognized?」

「Yes. Or rather, it seems Great-uncle had recognized me from the start, and he just wanted to reconfirm my intent on top of that.」

To be more accurate, it was because I was the man recognized by none other than Sara-san, and also because of「that incident」… but well, I don’t need to explain that much.

「That’s great, Bocchan! Now you have the Chairman’s official seal of approval!」

「Congratulations, Bocchan.」

「Congratulations!!」

「Th-thank you very much.」

I felt like it was a bit of an exaggeration, but I was honestly happy to be congratulated by so many people.

To be honest, I thought the meeting with Great-uncle was the biggest hurdle of today’s party, so I was also quietly grateful that it ended safely.

「Now all that is left is today’s main event… oh?」

「Nn?」

「Eh?」

「Heh?」

Takenaka-san and the others, who had been showing their joy with full smiles, suddenly cried out as if they had noticed something.

At the same time, I felt a sensation behind me, like my jacket was being lightly pulled,「tug-tug」.

…Oh?

This movement feels strangely familiar…

「…Hanako-san?」

「Eh!?」

While feeling great surprise at the name Sara-san uttered, I also turned around in a hurry. Standing there was a single girl, silently staring up at me while cutely gripping the hem of my jacket just like always… Hanako-san.

Or rather…

Why are you here?