Episode 212: Kazunari and Masaomi, and sometimes Mayumi-san

Skipping all the steps and procedures, I just hammered home my main point.

Of course, he wasn’t going to believe me right away.

Masaomi-san’s eyes went wide, and he wore a face that said,「I don’t understand what you just told me.」

Actually, maybe it was more like,「What is this kid talking about?」

Since Masaomi-san knows all too well about Sara-san’s severe dislike of men, he probably wouldn’t have believed me even if I’d just said,「We’re friends.」Jumping straight past that to「We’re lovers」was on a completely different level.

So, I had to start explaining.

「I… I don’t even know what to say. Honestly, my brain hasn’t caught up yet…」

Masaomi-san’s reaction was exactly as expected. He looked bewildered as he finally managed to force those words out.

Judging by how he closed his eyes and fell silent, it seemed like he was trying to calm himself down, so I stopped talking and decided to wait for a while.

「Takanashi-kun, there are a few things I’d like to ask, and some things I need to say.」

It seemed he’d finally prepared himself to talk. He spoke to me in his usual tone.

「First and foremost, I’m finding it very hard to believe. No, to be blunt, I just can’t believe it…」

I figured. I knew he’d say that.

「I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. When I say I can’t believe it, I don’t mean that I don’t trust you. And I don’t think you have any reason to lie about something like this. It’s just… and this is coming from her father, but hearing that Sara, who couldn’t even handle having male friends, suddenly has a lover… it’s just beyond belief…」

It might not be the right word, but I could tell Masaomi-san was in a state of total panic.

But the fact that the reason for his panic was that he did trust me made me happier than anything.

Masaomi-san was only confused because he couldn’t simply dismiss my words as a lie.

「When you consider Sara-san’s personality, or rather her basic stance toward men, I understand perfectly why it’s hard to wrap your head around.」

I hesitated to say「man-hater」directly, so I went with the slightly vague phrase「basic stance,」but it seemed to get through to Masaomi-san just fine.

「…I see. It sounds like you really do understand Sara. Alright, let’s forget about the ‘unbelievable’ part for a second, and I want you to tell me the whole story. How long has this been going on?」

From there, I decided to tell him everything that had happened so far.

I touched on when I first met Sara-san, how we became friends, how she started making me lunch… our confession during summer break, and the fact that we’d become a couple, picking out the key moments to share.

Masaomi-san kept his eyes on my face the whole time, listening in silence.

「…I see. So, by the time you came to this house for that part-time job, you were already together?」

「Yes. However, until I got here, I didn’t know you were Sara-san’s father, Masaomi-san. I noticed the last name was the same, but I didn’t think such a coincidence was possible.」

「Haha, it really is quite a coincidence. But if someone said it was destiny, I suppose it might’ve actually been inevitable…」

He showed a bit of a smile, and for now, it felt like he was being friendly.

But as long as the marriage meeting talk was still on the table, I couldn’t let my guard down.

「Listening to you now, things are starting to click. So that’s why Mayumi took such a strange liking to you. I thought it was odd that you two seemed so close from the very first day you met. Plus, she was consistently favorable toward you during your job… If she already knew about you through Sara, it makes sense.」

Masaomi-san glanced to the side, and Mayumi-san, who’d been smiling and staying quiet until now, finally spoke up.

「Ufufu… sorry about that, dear. While I was hearing about the person coming for the job, I noticed quite a few things that sounded familiar.」

「…I see. So, was pretending it was your first meeting just one of your pranks?」

「I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call it a prank. Personally, I just wanted you to see him for who he is, without any prejudice.」

Honestly, I also thought it was just a prank Mayumi-san started on a whim.

But I realized now that she’d had her own reasons.

「If I had told you about Sara-chan, you would’ve inevitably been on your guard, wouldn’t you? I thought that would be a waste of a good opportunity. So, I was really happy that you two hit it off!」

「…True. If I had heard about him and Sara back then, I can’t deny the possibility that our interactions during his work would’ve been different. Although, I can’t even guess what that would’ve looked like.」

「Right? But because I kept it vague back then, I didn’t expect things to take this kind of turn. I do reflect on that part.」

Saying that, Mayumi-san bowed her head while looking at me instead of Masaomi-san.

But I didn’t feel like Mayumi-san was at fault at all; I only felt gratitude.

「Please don’t apologize! I only just learned your true intentions, Mayumi-san, but I’m the one who went along with it! Besides, I could’ve properly told him the truth at the end based on my own judgment. But I thought about consulting Sara-san first and ended up procrastinating…」

Yes, I could’ve said something if I’d really wanted to. The fact that I didn’t was my own decision and my own responsibility. Mayumi-san wasn’t to blame for anything.

「…Fufu. You really are interesting. Your age might be that of a high schooler, but your way of thinking doesn’t seem appropriate for your years. I’ve been curious about that for a while now. By any chance, have you had experiences that most people don’t get?」

!?

I was speechless at his sudden, sharp observation. I’d only told Masaomi-san the bare minimum and what I thought was necessary.

「I knew it. Experience and first-hand knowledge trump everything. A person who has only grown through studying at a desk is completely different from someone who has grown through experience. Looking at your way of thinking and your proactiveness, things that don’t fit your age, I figured they were the result of you growing through some unusual and valuable experiences. ………….That’s exactly why I took a liking to you.」

I didn’t catch that last mumble, but I was surprised that Masaomi-san had been watching me that closely.

Of course, it made me happy, but I wondered why he’d cared about me that much…

「Ah, come to think of it, I heard all sorts of stories from you about your lover, Takanashi-kun. Does that mean all of those were about Sara?」

It felt intentional, but Masaomi-san shifted the topic back to Sara-san.

Right, I remember talking about a lot of things back when I didn’t think he was Sara-san’s father.

Um… I didn’t say anything weird, did I? I don’t remember how much I told him, so I’m starting to get a bit worried.

「Yes. Sorry about that time…」

「No, you didn’t know, so it couldn’t be helped. However… if those stories were about Sara, then I’m sorry to say this to you, but it’s even harder to believe… She sounds nothing like the Sara I’ve seen as a parent.」

Masaomi-san furrowed his brows, looking like he was troubled or deep in thought.

Actually, when I think about it, wouldn’t it be better to just show him the photos on my phone?

Emotionally, I wanted him to understand through our conversation if possible, but if he won’t believe me here, the talk can’t move forward.

「Sigh… dear, why don’t you just accept reality already? After hearing all this, do you really intend to claim that Kazunari-kun’s story is just a made-up tale?」

It seemed she’d lost her patience, because Mayumi-san finally joined the conversation. Just as we’d talked about over the phone the other day, she was completely on my side. I was honestly grateful for that.

「N-No, I’m not thinking that far. The story is far too solid to be a fabrication. Besides, Takanashi-kun is a trustworthy young man. I’ve also learned that he’s had a connection with Mayumi for a while, and when I think about where that connection came from, I know in my head it can only be through Sara. I mean, did you just say ‘Kazunari-kun’!?」

Pressed by Mayumi-san, Masaomi-san started rattling off his response in a fast-paced blur, as if a dam had burst.

…I guess he really can’t stand up to Mayumi-san.

「Oh, am I not allowed to call him by his name? He is Sara-chan’s lover, after all. Since they’re going to be together from now on, calling him ‘Takanashi-san’ would be too formal, wouldn’t it? Right, Kazunari-kun?」

「Ehh!? Uh, I… Mayumi-san?」

Since she’d been talking to Masaomi-san in my place, I’d been watching while feeling a bit relieved, but suddenly the spear was pointed at me. I wasn’t prepared at all, and it was a question that was hard to answer.

「Honestly, haven’t I told you to call me Mother-in-law already? Come on, one more time!」

「M-Mother-in-law?」

「There we go. I feel like the nuance is still a bit off, but we’ll work on that eventually, okay?」

She said「eventually,」but I called her that properly…

「Moth—!? M-Mayumi, what are you thinking? Between calling Takanashi-kun by his name and this latest exchange, it’s as if…」

I feel like Masaomi-san’s character is breaking a little, but it just shows how shocked he is and how much he’s lost his composure.

And with that exchange, Masaomi-san seemed to realize Mayumi-san’s true intentions.

But did she really intend to make me Sara-san’s fiancé right here on the spot?

I’ve already decided that I’m fine with that, so it’s not a problem for me, but would Masaomi-san, who can’t even fully believe we’re「lovers」, really acknowledge that much?

「Oh, do I have to say it clearly for you to understand? Fine, let me say it now: I’ve already accepted Kazunari-kun as Sara-chan’s partner. This boy will absolutely make Sara-chan happy… or rather, Sara-chan can’t be happy unless she’s with Kazunari-kun!」

Being told that so clearly was pretty embarrassing, but Mayumi-san had gone that far for me.

I should stay dignified too.

「…Mayumi, you’d go that far?」

Masaomi-san didn’t seem to expect Mayumi-san to say that much, and he looked quite shaken.

「So, if you understand it in your head, what else is holding you back? There’s no more room for doubt, is there?」

「No, Mayumi, you must understand how I feel too, right? I thought Sara’s dislike of men was severe. Even at the company party in the spring, she ignored all the men who spoke to her and left early. The President saw that and got worried…」

Could the President’s meddling have started from something like that?

Whether it was a good thing or not, thinking that Masaomi-san and the President were both acting out of worry for Sara-san made it hard to just be angry with them out of hand…

「Sara-chan hates boys who have obvious ulterior motives and try to hit on her the moment they meet. Besides, seeing stuff like that just makes her dislike men even more.」

「But in reality, she can’t keep hating men forever when she’s about to enter society, right? I don’t intend to leave Sara to just any random guy either, but as long as she’s a Satsukawa, she’ll inevitably have to be involved with the company. Plus, her marriage meeting partner this time is a college student, but he’s already studying at our company and is a very polite young man…」

We were supposed to be talking about whether he could believe in my relationship with Sara-san, but the topic had strayed off course before I knew it.

While I was debating what to do, I happened to glance toward the door leading to the entryway for no particular reason…

Wait? Was that a figure behind the frosted glass…?

BANG!!!!

!!??

At that moment, the door flew open with incredible force. The impact was enough to knock over the dolls and other ornaments decorated near the door.

And standing there, making no effort to hide her intense displeasure, was Sara-san, staring down Masaomi-san.

Wh-Why is she here!?

What happened to Natsumi-senpai and Nishikawa-san!!

「I see. I understand perfectly well that you brought me some pathetic, meddlesome nonsense. So, I assume you’ve already firmly turned that talk down?」

Sara-san began interrogating Masaomi-san in a tone that was practically radiating anger. Masaomi-san, on the other hand, looked happy that Sara-san had returned and showed a bit of a smile.

「Sara! Welcome back. Honestly, I was so worried…」

「Are you going deaf already? I’m asking if you’ve turned it down?」

That’s harsh. There’s really no room for argument here.

I could clearly see Masaomi-san’s smile twitching, and the sound of Mayumi-san letting out a little「Pfft…」was strangely memorable.

「Sara-san… why are you here…」

「…My apologies, Kazunari-san. Because of my own weakness… for it to come to this…」

The fury toward Masaomi-san vanished instantly, and Sara-san’s expression clouded over.

Does her being here mean she’s made some kind of decision?

Did Natsumi-senpai and Nishikawa-san do something…?

「No, I’m the one who should apologize. I came here without telling you. I went ahead and started talking to Masaomi-san on my own…」

As she listened, Sara-san slowly approached, placed her hand on my arm, and gave me a gentle smile.

「Please don’t say that. This is all my fault for not consulting you, Kazunari-san. But for you to do this much for me all by yourself……」

Sara-san’s face drew closer.

Her expression was one I hadn’t seen in a while, a genuine, cloudless smile from her heart.

「I’m so happy… I love you, Kazunari-san…」

Chu……

I felt the gentle, warm sensation on my cheek.

My beloved Sara-san had made a full recovery.

「…………Eh… wha……… wha…」

And across from us was Masaomi-san, whose expression was far beyond just「shocked」as he stood there with his mouth open, completely speechless…