Episode 251: Is Satsukawa-senpai a Man-hater?

The announcement to my classmates, which I thought would be the hardest part (and actually was), was finally over, and I’d managed to clear up the misunderstanding about Hanako-san too.

A lot of it happened so suddenly that I panicked, but looking back, I guess I can say it turned out okay.

If there’s one thing I learned from this whole ordeal, it’s that I’m still severely underestimating Sara-san’s popularity. I expected some level of commotion when we went public with our relationship. I just didn’t expect it to be this much of a riot.

On top of that, dealing with guys who saw the reality with their own eyes yet still screamed that they didn’t want to believe it was completely outside my expectations.

If Sara-san hadn’t been there, they definitely wouldn’t have believed me.

Because of that, I realized that to reduce the number of guys hitting on Sara-san, there’s no path forward except for showing them the reality clearly.

That’s why I feel that doing “that” at the beauty contest has even more meaning now.

It’s not like I don’t have lingering doubts about whether it’s really okay to go through with it, but this incident was a good catalyst to strengthen my resolve.

So, I’m definitely doing it.

Everything is for Sara-san’s sake, no, for our sake.

Since the guys who were making a fuss earlier had all left, the classroom was even quieter than usual.

The ones remaining were just blankly… wait, I should say the「people」remaining.

That’s right… I completely forgot that we’re still in the middle of the parent-teacher observation.

The mothers left in the classroom were staring blankly at us, looking like they didn’t understand what had just happened. Kayo-san, in particular, was completely frozen with her eyes wide open.

Since her own daughter was at the center of such a massive uproar, I guess it’s only natural she’d react like that.

「Now then… now that the people who don’t know their place are gone…」

As for the daughter herself, Hanako-san didn’t seem to care about the previous commotion at all. She was completely her usual self, acting as if the surroundings were none of her business.

「Kazunari, let me introduce you to my mother. I’m sure my mother wants to say hello too.」

「Yeah, sure.」

「I shall… accompany you as well, just in case.」

Sara-san’s suggestion was a huge help.

In the first place, when it comes to dealing with my mother, having the absolutely trusted Sara-san there makes a world of difference. Plus, as a countermeasure against misunderstandings, having Sara-san come along makes the credibility completely different.

Considering how much my classmates misunderstood things, I can’t say for sure that there’s no chance my mother would misunderstand too.

「Heh… I saw something interesting today. I knew Sara-chan was popular, but this is beyond my imagination. Aren’t you going to be hated for hogging her all to yourself?」

My mother started saying something ridiculous again.

And about being hated… since it’s not entirely out of the question, it’s not much of a joke, which makes it even worse.

「Don’t say such ominous things.」

「If anything happens to Kazunari-san, I will show no mercy.」

I can tell.

This wasn’t a quip or a joke from Sara-san, but a serious warning.

Since Sara-san isn’t the type of person to joke about these things, I understand it all the better.

「Oh, Sara-chan… Kazunari sure is loved, isn’t he?」

「Of course. Because I love Kazunari-san.」

「…(Wow, Sara-chan is the type who’s perfectly fine with this even in public…)」

「…Wait… to say it so clearly in a place like this…」

「…Satsukawa-senpai’s character has changed way too much…」

「…It’s a bit late for this, but is this really okay?」

「…Satsukawa-senpai’s devotees are going to die at this rate…」

「…H-Hey, seriously, this isn’t a dream, is it?」

「Sorry for the wait.」

As the two were having that conversation, Hanako-san arrived with Kayo-san in tow.

Hanako-san, looking somewhat nervous, faced my mother directly and bowed politely.

「Kazunari… kun’s mother, nice to meet you… I’m Hanasaki Riko. Um, Kazunari-kun is always looking after me…」

We’re comrades-in-arms(?) who have survived various hellish situations together, but this was the first time I’d seen Hanako-san this nervous. Since she’s usually the calm, cool type, it was a very rare sight in that sense too.

Well, considering the delicate relationship between me and Hanako-san, I suppose it can’t be helped that she’d be like that.

「Ummm…」

Being addressed by Hanako-san, my mother seemed unsure of how to respond with Sara-san standing right there.

Just as I was about to step in and follow up, Sara-san moved faster.

「Mother-in-law, I’m aware of everything, so please don’t worry.」

「Is it okay?」

「Yes. There are a few circumstances, but nothing like what you might be worried about, Mother-in-law.」

「I see. Then that’s fine.」

I was right to have Sara-san come along. The fact that my mother accepted it so easily is entirely thanks to Sara-san’s level of trust.

「I’m sorry. My son is the one being looked after. You can call Kazunari whatever you usually call him. Honestly though, to have not just Sara-chan but a cute girl like this by your side… for a loser son, aren’t you getting a bit ahead of yourself?」

「Why does it always turn into that!?」

The moment she regained her composure, my mother started dissing me again.

Can she not have a conversation without using me as a punchline?

「Um… Kazunari saved me. He saved me, over and over again. That’s why I want to do what I can for Kazunari. I want to continue being close to him. Wife… I won’t cause any trouble for Satsukawa-san. Please…」

Although her tone was calm, Hanako-san’s desperation leaked through every word.

The strong feeling that she absolutely wanted to be acknowledged reached even me.

Personally, I have no intention of changing how I associate with her whether my mother acknowledges it or not. As Hanako-san’s close friend, I’ve decided to continue helping and associating with her within my capacity.

But that’s just my way of thinking, and Hanako-san might have a strong desire to be properly acknowledged.

「…I see. I don’t know what happened, but… was Kazunari helpful to you?」

「Kazunari accepted me. He acknowledged me. That’s why… I…」

I don’t know what my mother thought as she looked at Hanako-san.

I don’t know, but her gaze was filled with such compassion, and her voice was as gentle as when she speaks with Sara-san.

「I see, I understand. If Kazunari was of help to you, then I’m happy too.」

Since my mother doesn’t know the circumstances, she shouldn’t really understand the truth at all. But she must have judged that Hanako-san had deep circumstances and decided to just accept it as it is.

Well… since it’s normal for my mother not to think too deeply about things, maybe she was just reading the room.

「If Sara-chan acknowledges it, I have nothing more to say. Please continue to be close with my idiot son.」

「…Thank you very much. I look forward to it. Also, Kazunari isn’t an idiot…」

And with official permission granted from my mother, Hanako-san softly lifted her head.

She was wearing a broad smile, as if expressing her happiness at being acknowledged by my Mother. Her expression was so happy that I almost wanted to tell her「Good for you.」

「I’m sorry, my greeting is late. I’m Riko’s mother, Kayo. My daughter is very much in Takanashi-san’s debt.」

Now that Hanako-san’s greeting was settled, the parents’ introduction began.

For Hanako-san’s sake, Kayo-san, who couldn’t mention the big sister and little brother situation, seemed to be keeping the conversation somewhat distant. It was a relief that my mother had already judged that there were complicated circumstances. She was letting the ambiguous parts slide and having a normal conversation.

「…I finally got to speak to Kazunari’s mother.」

「I’m glad, Hanako-san.」

「Yeah. Now I can be a big sister with a clear conscience. Kazunari, I look forward to it again.」

「I, I see.」

Hanako-san looked happy, but I hesitated for a moment whether it was okay for me to nod so readily in front of Sara-san. Since Sara-san was the first one to say it was a good thing, I judged it would be fine, but still…

「…Um, Satsukawa-senpai.」

They must have noticed our talk had settled down. My classmates approached timidly. I wondered why they were so scared, but the answer was probably in how they were looking at Sara-san hesitantly. The fact that they were still coming closer meant their curiosity was winning out.

「…Yes. What is it?」

「Um… please listen without getting mad, but…」

「A-Are you really, really… Takanashi… kun’s fiancée?」

The guys, who were barely picking out polite words they weren’t used to using, were pretty funny, probably because the guy who crowded Sara-san earlier had been absolutely shredded by her.

「Yes. Or rather, why is it so unbelievable?」

Sara-san tilted her head in confusion.

Of course, it’s a sign of how much she’s idolized, but the person herself doesn’t really care about that… or rather, she’s starting to look a bit displeased.

「Well, it’s just, you’ve rejected every famous guy in this school, Satsukawa-senpai, so we thought you were a man-hater…」

「My senior also said that when he tried to talk to you, you wouldn’t even listen. He wasn’t technically rejected, so he said he’d try again.」

「Ah, my senior said the same thing.」

Sara-san doesn’t tell me those kinds of stories, so I don’t know what the actual situation is. But from what I just heard, there’s a high chance the guys didn’t accept her way of rejecting them, or they just can’t give up.

「I see. Honestly, even if you call me a man-hater, I won’t deny it. No matter how many times they come, it’s a waste of time.」

「So it really is like that… then, then, does that mean Takanashi-kun really is special?」

「Special? Or rather, I have no interest in any man other than Kazunari-san. Since they’re just an obstacle for the future, I’ll be rejecting them even more firmly than before.」

「She said… obstacle…」

「Whoa… so it really is true.」

「…A-Amazing… even that Satsukawa-senpai would go this far…」

「…Seriously, I have no choice but to believe it, but I still can’t…」

「…Sara-san, if they say they don’t believe you, please use my name.」

I was told the same thing just now, but including the behavior of the guys earlier, there are probably many who won’t believe it so easily.

Even more so, anyone who would confess their love to someone they barely know like Sara-san is extremely likely to be an overconfident, self-absorbed idiot with useless self-esteem.

If they hear my name and still come this way, then at that time, I’ll…

「Fufu… understood. When I reject them from now on, I’ll tell them clearly that it’s a nuisance because I’m engaged to Kazunari-san. So… please don’t make that kind of face.」

Sara-san suddenly reached out her hands and smiled gently as she cupped my cheeks. I didn’t notice it myself, but what kind of expression was I making?

It’s not like I was thinking about anything that difficult, I was just thinking about wanting to do something about the guys who might make Sara-san feel uncomfortable.

But if Sara-san is worried like this, maybe that much emotion was showing on my face.

Especially since Sara-san is the leading expert on reading my expressions.

「…Was I making such a strange face?」

「It’s alright. If I do this… there!♪」

Lifting her hands that were cupped on my cheeks, she forced the corners of my mouth up into a smile. I was surprised by the suddenness, but Sara-san’s call was so cute that I couldn’t help but feel a laugh coming on.

「Pfft… hahaha.」

「Fufufu, see, now you’re back to normal. That’s the face of the Kazunari-san I love so much♪」

「Haha, I couldn’t tell myself.」

「You might not have known yourself. But I’m a Kazunari-san master, so this kind of thing is a piece of cake for me.」

「…W-W-W-Why are they flirting all of a sudden…」

「…T-That surprised me, I thought they were going to kiss…」

「…N-No, no matter how you look at it, that’s just…」

「…This… I can totally understand how the guys felt when they screamed about it being a daydream…」

I was completely disarmed by Sara-san’s cute, smug face.

Even so, to think I can’t even win against Sara-san when it comes to myself… well, I guess I have no regrets, or rather, it’s what I want…

「…I look forward to our continued acquaintance.」

「…Yes, likewise.」

While all that was happening, it seemed the conversation between the parents had finished too. Before I knew it, Kayo-san and my mother were right in the middle of bowing to each other. It seemed Kayo-san had managed to avoid the topic well until the end, so I was relieved that it didn’t develop into anything unnecessary.

「Sara-chan, where is Mayumi-san?」

「My mother should be talking with the principal. Since she hasn’t come here, I imagine they are still talking.」

「Sara-san, does Mayumi-san have a personal acquaintance with the principal?」

Come to think of it…

When she barged into my class observation, Mayumi-san said she’d asked the principal.

Asking a homeroom teacher or a teacher you know is one thing, but going straight to the principal at the top is quite a skip.

「I don’t know the details of their acquaintance… but since Saba is an investing company for this school, I imagine it’s a relationship along those lines.」

「Ah… so there’s that kind of connection.」

「Yes. Well, it is a reasonably large company, after all.」

Reasonably… even though it’s a company big enough to represent the country…

「…Saba, that’s that Saba, right?」

「…It has to be. Talking with the principal… is Satsukawa-senpai’s mother related to them or something?」

Ding-dong…

「Announcement. The social gathering will now begin…」

The announcement starting the social gathering began to flow from the speakers for the school broadcast.

Hearing that, the people remaining in the classroom started to leave after speaking to their parents. We should probably head toward the student council room before we get in the way.

「Mother, I’ll be waiting in the student council room, so let me know when you’re done.」

「Mother-in-law, we shall be waiting.」

「Gotcha. Well, just wait around for a bit~」

And just as we were about to leave the classroom through the back door, we saw the teacher entering through the front door.

Good timing…

Rattle rattle rattle.

「Good work today.」

「「「Good work today~!」」」

Even though we weren’t scheduled to meet today, almost all the officers were gathered in the student council room.

To be precise, Todo-san wasn’t there, but the third-year group, including former president Uesaka-san, were all present.

And since tea and snacks were already prepared on the table, I guess they weren’t here for work but just to hang out and chat.

Technically there’s work to do for the school festival, but… well, it’s an everyday thing, so today should be fine.

「I thought no one would be here, I didn’t expect you all to be together.」

「Everyone’s just waiting for their parents. You two are as well, right?」

「Yes. We are supposed to go somewhere to talk after the social gathering is over.」

「Ah… by any chance, is it the first meeting between Takanashi-kun’s mother and Satsukawa-san’s mother?」

「That’s right. A formal meeting between the families is being scheduled for later, though.」

「Ah, come to think of it, you mentioned it on the phone the other day. Something about a kimono.」

「Yes. I have already spoken to my mother, but for some reason, my father is all fired up and says he’s going to buy a new kimono. Also, while he was at it, we decided to get new yukata as well.」

From the perspective of Masaomi-san, who can’t help but find Sara-san cute, it’s only natural he’d splurge if it’s a request from his cute daughter. I can imagine his fired-up appearance, and it makes Masaomi-san seem endearing.

Personally, I definitely want to see Sara-san all dressed up, so I’ll have to thank Masaomi-san myself next time.

「Sara-san, are you getting a new yukata too?」

It’s not that there was a problem with it, but I asked because I was a little curious.

「Yes. That is… well, the size had become a bit small…」

「The size?」

Sara-san murmured that quietly while looking a bit embarrassed.

Size… even when I tried to recall her appearance that day, I didn’t get that feeling at all from what I saw. With a special outfit like a yukata, maybe you can force a small size difference to work, and it’s strictly my subjective opinion anyway.

「Aaaaah, I seeee.」

「I get it… Satsukawa-san has a certain style, after all.」

「I’m so jealous… mine might have stopped.」

「Good for you, Takanashi-kun. You’re happy, right?」

「………」

It seemed the female members immediately caught on to Sara-san’s point. They suddenly started looking back and forth between me and Sara-san with smirks.

Judging from the comment about「stopping,」I thought she meant height… but that doesn’t link up with me being happy.

If that’s the case, the only other thing I can think of… yeah, there’s only one.

And since even I noticed, there was a high possibility the other guys noticed too. Fearing the worst, I looked around, but no one was staring at Sara-san.

「…What do you think you’re doing?」

「「…N-N-Nothing at all…」」

Along with a gaze that practically held bloodlust, the male members were subjected to a bone-chillingly angry voice. Forget staring, they had turned their whole bodies the other way and were trembling.

I couldn’t help but feel relieved seeing that, but was it a lapse in guard due to being relieved?

My gaze accidentally drifted toward the part of Sara-san that was presumably「growing.」

For the record, don’t get the wrong idea, this wasn’t intentional at all. It’s just, I am a guy after all, so please forgive me… by the time I thought that, Sara-san had already noticed me.

I-Is she going to be mad!?

「K-Kazunari-san, um, if you stare that much… I’ll be embarrassed…」

「I-I’m sorry!!」

「No, um, please don’t apologize. It is embarrassing but… if it is you, Kazunari-san… I…」

Although she looked embarrassed, Sara-san didn’t show any signs of dislike like twisting her body or trying to hide with her hands.

I took that to mean she would forgive me if it was me…

Of course, I can’t just stare, and I know in my head that it’s not good. But it took a little while before I could look away.

「…Ka, Kazunari-san… no-h…」

!?

With a face turned bright red, Sara-san looked embarrassed as she poked my forehead.

I think my face is probably as red as Sara-san’s right now.

But it can’t be helped, saying「no-h」while looking that embarrassed is just way too unfair.

I desperately hold myself back as I feel like I’m about to collapse from the cuteness.

Judging that it was dangerous in many ways to look directly at Sara-san right now, I steeled myself and somehow managed to look away.

But what was waiting for me there… were all the female officers looking at me with dead eyes, and Hanako-san, who was sadly resting her hand on her own chest.