Episode 373: Something I want You to Hear

「Welcome back, both of you♪」

「W-We’re back.」

「We have returned.」

We were greeted by Mayumi-san, who seemed strangely cheerful, as Sara-san and I returned to our seats. We didn’t know how the discussion between the parents was going, but we’d decided that if they were still in the middle of it, we’d just join in, and so here we were.

But judging from the atmosphere… it looks like it ended safely.

「Haha… how was the view in the courtyard? This garden is really something, so I’m sure there was plenty to see.」

「Yes. The layout of the whole garden was amazing, but since the moon and stars were so beautiful today, it was even more…」

「Ah, I see. Is it a full moon tonight?」

「Hehe… so the atmosphere was quite nice, then? Right, Sara-chan?」

「…Yes. Thanks to you, we had a very fulfilling time.」

Sara-san glanced my way as she answered Mayumi-san. She seemed perfectly calm, but she couldn’t quite hide the softness in her expression… there’s no way Mayumi-san didn’t notice that, yeah.

「By the way, about the discussion…」

Mayumi-san sent a teasing look my way as well, so I spoke up to change the subject.

That said, it was still my biggest concern, so my honest feeling was that I wanted to hear about it as soon as possible.

「It ended safely. But before that, it seems your Father has something he wants to say to you, Kazunari-kun.」

「My Father?」

Prompted by Masaomi-san, I looked toward my Father, who hadn’t said a single word since we returned. He was looking back at me with a sharp gaze that felt clearly different from before… almost like he was putting pressure on me. What is this, all of a sudden?

「Kazunari, there’s one thing I want to ask you.」

「What is it?」

「…Is it really okay for you to accept this?」

「…uh」

The atmosphere around my Father as he asked that was so different from usual… the confusion made me lose my words for a moment.

But it was only for a second. I immediately regained my composure…

「…Yeah. I’m asking again myself. I want you to give your permission for this, no matter what.」

「Are you sure about this path? Just so you know, if you just want to be with that young lady, there are other ways, you know?」

「…I know that. But I…」

Certainly, as my Father said, if I just wanted to be with Sara-san… there were ways like graduating high school, getting a job somewhere, and living away from home together.

That would certainly make things harder for Masaomi-san and the others… but it went without saying that it would be the easiest and least stressful path for us.

But…

「I don’t know how much you’ve heard, Father… but I didn’t choose this path just because I want to be with Sara-san.」

「Hoh…」

「It’s true that at first, I decided on this just because I wanted to be with Sara-san from now on. That was the most important and significant reason for me.」

The one thing I could never back down on.

If it was for the sake of being with Sara-san, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. That was my unshakeable conviction.

「But now, that’s not all. Of course, the core reason hasn’t changed, but I’ve found a goal beyond that.」

「A goal…?」

「Yeah. I feel bad saying this to you, Father, but…」

The goal I had inside me… and my ideal.

I want to one day…

「I want to be… a man like Masaomi-san. Being able to do the work, being cool as a man, all of it…」

「…I see.」

「Ah, but just so you know, I don’t mean that as a slight against you, Father. It’s just that I’ve come to admire Masaomi-san.」

It was true that I had various thoughts about my Father, but it wasn’t that I didn’t respect him or that I thought he wasn’t cool.

In fact, as long as he wasn’t being annoying like today, I thought my Father was just as dependable as Masaomi-san. I didn’t reach this decision by comparing their worth.

「Haha, you don’t need to try and make me feel better.」

「No, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not just saying that to be nice. And… I’m truly grateful to you, Father.」

「Kazunari…?」

「You’re always messing with me with that weird energy, but there were parts of me that were helped by that. And… you didn’t try to force me to talk about what I was keeping quiet. You told me to just do what made me feel better. You said you’d back me up if anything happened. Because of that, I was at least able to smile when I was at home…」

Right… no matter what happened, it was a fact that I was saved by my Father’s strange brightness, especially back then.

Because my Father was like that, and because he didn’t try to force me to talk… that’s why I…

「But I’m sorry. This thing is different…」

「No… if that’s how you felt, then maybe I wasn’t entirely wrong to act this way. That in itself kind of saves me…」

「What?」

「It’s nothing, just talking to myself. So, you want to be like her Father over there?」

「Yeah. I can’t put it well, but I want to be like that someday…」

「…I think I can understand why you feel that way.」

「…Really?」

「Well, yeah. …I feel that way too… I can entrust him… after all.」

「Father?」

I couldn’t quite catch what my Father muttered under his breath… but I never expected that my Father would hold Masaomi-san in such high regard in such a short time.

It seemed certain that something had happened during the discussion so far.

「And so… is that part of why you chose to be an adopted son-in-law to be with that young lady?」

「To be exact, that’s also slightly different. Though it’s a big part of it.」

「Hoh?」

The feeling of admiration, wanting to be like Masaomi-san, and the reason for choosing to be an adopted son-in-law to be with Sara-san weren’t unrelated, but they weren’t directly connected either. That alone wouldn’t be enough of a reason to become an adopted son.

「It’s because… Masaomi-san said he had expectations of me… because Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san said I was like a real son to them. I don’t know how much I can do, but if they are expecting great things from my future, then I want to live up to that. Being with Sara-san forever is my absolute non-negotiable, but… if I can make it happen, I…」

This wasn’t just me being full of myself. I could tell, even if only vaguely, that the two of them really did have expectations for me and my future. And to respond to the feelings of those two who called me their real son… to Masaomi-san, who believed in me and entrusted me with Mayumi-san’s past and his feelings for Sara-san… I wanted to respond with everything I had.

It was because of that that I steeled my resolve once more to take the path of an adopted son-in-law while being with Sara-san.

「…Kazunari-kun.」

「…Hehe, we really are so lucky.」

Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san’s faces softened as they looked at me… nodding over and over with happy expressions.

「I see. It sounds like there are other reasons too, but if you’ve thought it through that much before deciding, I’m satisfied. To be honest, I thought you were just going with the flow because you wanted to be with the young lady.」

「Well… at the very first moment I decided, it’s true there was a part of it that looked that way. But now…」

「I know. Just what you said now is reason enough for me.」

「…Huh?」

My Father turned his gaze away from me and looked straight ahead… toward Masaomi-san, Mayumi-san, and Sara-san, making a gesture as if appealing with his eyes. But it was only for a second. My Father immediately placed his hands on the table…

「Everyone… you heard him. He has thought this through in his own way and chosen the path of being an adopted son-in-law to be with the young lady. If that is his choice, we want to support him with all our might. Therefore…」

And then my Father… pressed his head against the table, bowing deeply!?

「Please… take good care of my son.」

「F-Father!?」

At my Father’s unexpected action of bowing without moving, I felt a shock of surprise.

To think that my Father would go this far…

I never dreamed he would ask so sincerely for my sake…

「Thank you. From our side… we look forward to your kind regards as well.」

「Thank you very much… for making the decision to entrust your precious son to us.」

At my Father’s action, Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san also bowed deeply… and my Mother followed suit…

「Young lady… no, Sara-san. He’s a flawed son, but please…」

「Please look after my son. Sara-chan, take care of this idiot, okay?」

「Yes. I am also… still inexperienced, but as Kazunari-san’s fiancée and wife, I vow to support him with all my heart throughout the future. Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, I look forward to your kind regards from now on.」

And finally, Sara-san bowed deeply…

So, I did too…

「Father… Mother, thank you. Masaomi-san, Mayumi-san, Sara-san… once again, I’m in your care.」

The words came out more honestly than I expected…

And so… the discussion regarding the main topic of today, the adoption, had finally reached a conclusion.

「So… what kind of procedure are you planning specifically?」

After the greetings were finished, we started drinking again to celebrate, enjoying the gathering in a friendly atmosphere while mixing in some small talk.

The biggest concern for both sides, the adoption, had been settled safely, and Masaomi-san and my Father especially already seemed to be discussing various things for the future.

「In terms of order, Kazunari-kun will first become our adopted son, and then he will enter into a marriage with our daughter. So, first we will perform the adoption, and Kazunari-kun will take the name Satsukawa…」

「I see. Well, our family lineage isn’t much anyway, so even if Kazunari leaves, it’s not really…」

「No, even if Kazunari-kun becomes our adopted son, his inheritance rights with your family will remain. As we mentioned earlier, his relationship as an actual child will also continue…」

「So the parent-child relationship on this side stays the same?」

「Yes. In terms of inheritance, Kazunari-kun will have rights to both.」

This was the first I’d heard about this. Or rather, I didn’t quite get it when people talked about inheritance…

But the one thing I could say was that, not just in terms of feelings but formally as well, I’d have two fathers and two mothers… right?

「Hehe… because of that, the fact that you are Kazunari-kun’s Mother, Fuyumi-san, remains exactly as it is, you know?」

「I-I see. Well, for me, it’s not…」

「Oh my, Fuyumi-san…」

「Wait, Mayumi-san! If you say another word, I won’t forgive you!」

「Hehe… I guess I have no choice.」

My Mom and Mayumi-san were having a silent exchange, looking like they were having a lot of fun… I couldn’t help but feel they were getting even closer than before, but since it wasn’t a bad thing, I welcomed it.

「Well, even if we talk about inheritance, our house doesn’t have anything that grand.」

「Haha. Even if you say that, there are usually various things. Well, it’s a long way off, so I don’t think we need to think about that now.」

「True. But if the parent-child relationship remains, then even if he’s adopted, it seems we can’t just throw him out without a word.」

「Haha, such a heartless thing to say.」

「No, no. Well, at least for the betrothal money… oh, come to think of it, in this case…?」

「Yes. We will handle all of those matters as well.」

We were only at the stage of adoption and not even formal marriage yet, so it seemed like they were talking way too far ahead…

But come to think of it, I felt like my Mom had mentioned something about betrothal money over the phone before?

That was definitely…

「…Speaking of which, from Yuzuha-chan’s house… oops.」

My Mom suddenly said that, perhaps remembering the same thing… she wore a「crap」expression and hurriedly closed her mouth.

But having said the name that clearly…

「Yuzuha…?」

「…Sara-chan? Fuyumi-san?」

「…Is something wrong?」

As expected, Sara-san showed a big reaction to that name, and Mayumi-san and Masaomi-san looked curious about it.

I never expected that girl’s name to come up at this timing… it was completely unforeseen, but it was also a fact that I’d been struggling to find the right time to bring it up, so this might be a good opportunity.

「…Mom, you don’t have to worry about that.」

「…Kazunari?」

「Kazunari-kun?」

「Kazunari-san…」

Everyone turned to look at me with different reactions as I said that…

「By the way… how much have you heard?」

「…I haven’t heard anything.」

「…Only that they caused you trouble and they were sorry.」

I’d only asked to confirm… but it really looked like they hadn’t heard anything.

「Listen… there’s a story I want both of you to hear.」

「K-Kazunari?」

「Wait, you…」

There was no way my Father and Mom wouldn’t know what I was about to talk about in this flow.

For the first time, I was bringing up「that thing」that I’d stubbornly refused to talk about until now…

「…In that case, we should probably leave the room…」

「Um, I’d like Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san to listen too, if possible. Honestly, I don’t think it’s a pleasant story to hear, but…」

「Kazunari-kun, you don’t have to force yourself, you know?」

I’d brought it up suddenly, and it was a situation they hadn’t expected at all… but for some reason, I felt like they’d already guessed what I was about to say.

But even if that was the case…

「It’s okay. This story is definitely a trauma for me, and to be honest, I don’t even want to remember it, but…」

「If that’s the case, then all the more reason…」

「Even so, this is something I have to talk about eventually. To my Father and Mom who supported me in silence, and to Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san who say I’m like a real son to them…」

Talking about this was my way of bringing closure, which is why I wanted my Father and Mom, and Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san as well, to hear it.

And once it was over, this time I could stand tall before both sets of parents without hiding a single thing…

「Father, Mother, please listen to Kazunari-san’s story. If Kazunari-san doesn’t talk about this, he won’t be able to boldly move forward.」

「Sara-chan… so that was it.」

I didn’t know what Mayumi-san meant by「so that was it」…but right now, that didn’t matter.

「Well then, Kazunari, let’s hear it.」

「What happened to you… back then?」

「Yeah. I’ll keep it as brief as I can since it’s long… but before that, I want to explain to Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san that I have a childhood friend who is a girl. Her name is Sasagawa Yuzuha.」

「That was the name just now…」

「Yes. It’s the name Mom mentioned. Since she was little, she was incredibly shy and timid, always hiding in my shadow. So we were always together…」

「A girl like that…?」

Mayumi-san muttered that and cast a glance toward Sara-san next to me as if she wanted to say something. But Sara-san didn’t look back, just staring intently at me…

「Even in elementary school, that didn’t change. Because she was always behind me, she couldn’t make any friends… especially friends of the same sex, and she was stuck only being able to talk to me and Yuji… my best friend. But the turning point for her came when we started middle school… the people around us changed, and more girls started talking to Yuzuha. As a result, she was able to make real friends.」

Up until this point, it was just a story about the relationship between Yuzuha and me. My parents already knew about this part, so it wasn’t particularly hard to talk about. I was just explaining it to Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san as background information.

But from here on…

No one knew the story but Sara-san…