Episode 112: The Main Topic

「Sorry to keep you waiting.」

Sara-senpai and Mayumi-san returned with a tray carrying a teapot and other items, and began to arrange them on the table.

「I baked a chiffon cake!」

The item Mayumi-san placed on the table appeared to be a chiffon cake.

「Excuse me, thank you very much.」

「It’s fine! It’s boring when I don’t have anyone to eat it, since I don’t get the chance to bake much. Now then, let me feed you…」

「Okaa-san, please go over there.」

Sara-senpai quickly sat to my left, sticking to me closely without a single gap.

Uu… summer clothes are thin, and I can feel a very soft sensation…

「Oh my, Sara-chan’s being quite bold! But in that case…」

Mayumi-san moved from behind the sofa to the opposite side, sandwiching me in.

「Kazunari-san! Scoot over that way…」

Before Sara-senpai could finish, Mayumi-san forced her way into the small space on my right side.

I hadn’t expected her to push through such a narrow gap, so I was caught off guard.

It’s… it’s cramped…

「Ufufu… now then, Takanashi-san, I’ll feed you!」

「Okaa-san, you’re troubling Kazunari-san!! That’s my role, so Okaa-san, please move away!!」

The two of them began pushing against each other with me in the middle. I was facing a serious crisis.

Not just from Sara-senpai, but from Mayumi-san on the other side, I felt a level of pressure that was practically a foul…

「Nfufu… hey, hey, Takanashi-kun, are you happy?」

This person’s definitely doing this on purpose while knowing exactly what she’s doing.

To be honest, Mayumi-san’s appearance, looking like she could only be Sara-senpai’s older sister, combined with her incredible figure, had truly high destructive power.

However, no matter what factors were involved, Sara-senpai was number one to me.

「Okaa-san… that’s enough…」

I felt like Sara-senpai’s voice had become serious, so I reflexively looked at her, and her expression was indeed no longer a joke. This is dangerous…

「A, um, Mayu…」

Mayumi-san pulled away from me in an instant and moved to the sofa on the opposite side of the table.

「Geez, even though it was a joke. To think Sara-chan would get so serious over a boy.」

「Because you’re troubling Kazunari-san!」

Sara-senpai, who hugged me from the side as if to protect me, was probably the perfect target for teasing in Mayumi-san’s eyes.

「Um, Mayumi-san, please leave it at that. It’s also troubling for me.」

I couldn’t say that it was troubling for me in many different ways.

Munch… Munch, munch…

「A fireworks festival?」

「Yeah, a friend of mine’s setting up a stall, and I was asked to help out. I thought maybe we could go together since it’s just an hour by car and can be a day trip. Of course, you don’t need to help out, so you and Sara-chan can just enjoy yourselves.」

To be honest, I might be happy about that.

I’d been thinking that I wanted to go to the fireworks too.

When I looked at Sara-senpai, she seemed to be looking at me too, and the moment our eyes met, she showed a smile.

「Um, Sara-senpai, I think I want to go.」

「Yes, I leave it to you, Kazunari-san. I shall follow along… aahn.」

Munch… Munch, munch

She’s saying she’ll leave it to me to decide freely.

Sara-senpai is old-fashioned in this way, often leaving the decision-making power to me.

Well, there are times when she speaks up for herself, so I suppose it’s just a matter of degree.

「Yeah, yeah, then we have to prepare a yukata for Sara-chan.」

「A yukata? I don’t particularly… no, I’ll prepare one after all.」

She seemed to be about to refuse at first, but after seeing my face, Sara-senpai did an about-face.

She’s probably going to show me her yukata appearance.

I’m quite happy.

「Oh, Takanashi-san looks happy!」

It seemed my happiness showed on my face, as Mayumi-san was quick to point it out.

It’s impossible not to have expectations for Sara-senpai in a yukata.

「Well, that is… because I want to see Sara-senpai in a yukata.」

「Kazunari-san…」

When I said that and looked at Sara-senpai, she looked at me happily as well.

Lately, I’ve stopped feeling that strange shyness when meeting Sara-senpai’s eyes like this.

I’d be happy if it wasn’t just my imagination that Senpai looks happy rather than embarrassed.

「Hah… to think Sara-chan would be a child who sticks so close. She’s been doing ‘aahn’ quite naturally for a while now. Takanashi-kun, really, you can call me Okaa-san… no, Onee-san, anytime, you know?」

Oh no, I accepted the「aahn」naturally even in front of Mayumi-san… Sara-senpai’s mother. Since Sara-senpai does it so naturally, I just…

And whether it’s Okaa-san or Onee-san, I don’t really understand what she means.

「Kazunari-san, what should we do?」

On the way home, Sara-senpai asked about the last thing Mayumi-san had said.

「The car can still hold two or three more people, so if there’s anyone else you want to bring, it’s fine.」

That was what she’d said.

I wonder if it’s for Sara-senpai rather than me.

While I have the feeling of wanting to be alone together, after what happened at the pool, I wonder if Sara-senpai would also want to invite Natsumi-senpai.

Besides, if it’s just a matter of wanting to be alone, we could always take separate actions once we’re there; but in that case, Natsumi-senpai would need a partner.

「Sara-senpai, do you want to invite Natsumi-senpai?」

「Well… honestly, I have the feeling that I want to invite her; but…」

Sara-senpai says that while looking toward me.

「But, I want it to be just the two of us.」

This might just be my own convenient delusion.

However, if she also has the feeling that she wants to invite Natsumi-senpai, I think that’s fine too.

If we really want to, it’s not difficult to be alone with Sara-senpai, and there’s no need to endure and choose one over the other. If that’s the case…

「Sara-senpai, it’s okay with me if Natsumi-senpai is with us. If you want to invite her, let’s invite her.」

「But…」

「In exchange, I want to be alone with you at some point.」

I take Sara-senpai’s hand and tell her my true feelings.

As expected, she seemed surprised by the suddenness, but her expression quickly changed to a bashful smile.

「Y, yes…」

She uttered that short phrase and gave a small nod.