Episode 378: Hand-knitted…

「Good morning.」

「Good morn… G-good morning.」

Being「more formal」fiancés and welcoming our first morning as a couple… even if I put it in such an exaggerated way, it wasn’t like anything was particularly different.

Aside from Sara-san being about twenty percent more cheerful than usual, it was a perfectly normal, quiet morning like any other.

But even so, if you ask why I suddenly stuttered during my greeting…

「Hehe… is something the matter?」

「N-no, well…」

Last night, Sara-san was incredibly sweet to me… no, actually I was the one being sweet to her, but Sara-san was acting sweet because she wanted me to be sweet to her… this is getting complicated.

Anyway, on top of the usual dynamic of being sweet while having sweetness returned, Sara-san had been calling me「Dear」all night just as she declared, so I’ve been left feeling strangely embarrassed since this morning, which is a very troubling situation…

To be blunt, I’m fully aware that my face is turning red, yeah.

「…Since we’re here, how would you feel about calling me by my name without honorifics from now on?」

「Wha!? N-no, that’s still a bit early, or rather…」

Sara-san suddenly said that and stared at me with a somewhat mischievous expression.

I’m absolutely certain she has a perfect grasp on my situation… definitely.

「Hehe… that’s a shame. After all, my ideal would be for you to treat me like you did last night…」

「Um…」

My basic stance is that I want to fulfill any wish Sara-san has.

But this is also a matter of getting used to things, so changing it right away is a bit… plus, for me to call Sara-san by her name without honorifics and speak casually, that means.

「B-but, Sara-san, you said until we’re married…」

「Yes. It is true that I have decided in my heart to only call you “Dear” after we are formally married… but as for you calling me by my name without honorifics, that doesn’t apply.」

「Eeeh, th-that’s a bit unfair…」

「Is it… a no? I really want you to call me “Sara” without honorifics soon, Kazunari-san…」

「Ugh.」

Sara-san lowered her eyes with a somewhat sad expression and said such an adorable thing.

On top of that, she even unleashed an upward-looking gaze full of sweetness that had a super-critical effect on me, more than just a regular critical hit…

I mean…

Sara-san is unfair!!

And she’s way too cute, which makes her even more unfair!!

「I-I’ll do my best…」

「Your best… is it?」

「A-alright, I get it!! I’ll really, truly work hard on it with a positive attitude, so please forgive me for now!!」

Even if I knew it was a fake cry… I mean, a fake display of sadness reminiscent of Mayumi-san, I had no way to resist it.

Besides…

「Hehe… then please do your best, Dear♪」

If I can see such a happy smile, I have no regrets in losing. No, I actually welcome it!!

Because I truly believe I can forgive anything for the sake of that.

So I’ll do anything Sara-san wants…

But…

Sara-san’s fake crying is seriously bad for my heart, so it would be a big help if you could keep it in moderation, yeah.

After finishing our extra-sweet interaction in the morning, we headed straight for the convenience store, our usual meeting spot.

The calendar has already turned to December, and the morning chill feels like the real deal. But right now, I have a happy gift from Sara-san to help me get through the cold winter.

This year’s winter makes me a little… quite happy.

「Hehe… I’m glad it was ready in time.」

「Thank you so much. I’m super happy about it!」

「I’m just as happy to see you so pleased, Kazunari-san♪」

Where Sara-san directed her happy gaze… on my neck was a winter must-have item that commanded quite a presence. Moreover, it was a piece of winter gear called a「scarf」that was handmade by Sara-san, warming not just my body but my heart as well.

「But when did you make this? I never saw you working on it at home.」

「I worked on it steadily when you weren’t at home, and also during my breaks at school.」

「Eeeh… but in such a short time, you must have been preparing for a while.」

「Hehe, I did start production around early autumn, but because I did something extra, I went slightly over schedule.」

「Something extra?」

「Yes… well…」

As if it were a bit hard to say… or out of embarrassment? Sara-san lost her words and sent a series of meaningful glances my way.

But as far as I can see, there’s nothing「extra」about this scarf… the construction is so solid it puts commercial products to shame, and the patterns scattered throughout are elaborate and truly stylish. Well, if I had to say anything, I might feel like it’s a bit too long… maybe.

Actually, even when I wrap it thickly like this, there’s still quite a bit left over.

「G’morning!」

「Morning.」

Calling out to us were the two people waiting at the convenience store for some reason. It was the odd-couple duo of Natsumi-senpai, who was full of energy from the morning, and Hanako-san, who was as much her own pace as ever, if not exactly a downer.

Based on their route, there’s no reason for them to be here, so did they come to pick us up?

「Good morning, both of you.」

「Good morning. What are you two doing here today?」

「Well, Mio-chan was here until just a bit ago. Hanako-san was seeing her off until the very last second, and before we knew it, we ended up here.」

「It’s Mio-chan’s fault for being too cute. Cuteness is justice. Cuteness is a crime.」

「W-well, I can understand the feeling…」

Setting aside the theory of the person who is the literal embodiment of that「cuteness is justice」.

If Mio-chan was here, I should have left the house a bit earlier. That’s a bit of a shame.

「She wanted to see Kazunari-kun and Sara. She said she’d wait until her onii-chan and onee-chan came, but it looks like she ran out of time.」

「That’s a pity. I wanted to see Mio-chan too.」

「Yeah. Well, we’ll make up for it at Christmas.」

「Hehe… you’re right. I hope she’ll be happy.」

Not that it’s exactly then, but this weekend we’re scheduled to go shopping for the Christmas party and start preparations like decorations for the day. So, including the portion to make up for today, I have to fire myself up even more for Mio-chan.

「Well, shall we talk more about that during lunch break?」

「Yes, I don’t mind, but… what about Natsumi and Hanako-san?」

「Listen… there’s no way we wouldn’t participate in this situation!」

「Far from it. There’s no way I wouldn’t participate in a party to make Mio-chan happy.」

「Natsumi-senpai… Hanako-san…」

Their feelings make me very happy, and we’d definitely welcome them. But putting aside Hanako-san who loves Mio-chan, is Natsumi-senpai really okay?

We’re ones to talk, but it’s Christmas after all.

「Ah, don’t worry about me. I’m having Yuji participate too. Or rather, I’ve already secured him.」

「Eeeeeh…」

For a moment, I felt like I could see the silhouette of Yuji, who wasn’t here, drooping his head in defeat.

I bet he was convinced without being given a choice… I might need to offer him an apology on my part too.

「Hehe… I understand. In that case, I’ll be in your care, both of you. Besides, the more people participating, the happier Mio-chan will be…」

「Now that it’s come to this, I’m going to make this a party that not only Mio-chan but we can enjoy too! Besides, I have to at least make up for the date, or I’ll feel bad for Yuji.」

「Ah, so you are thinking of him at least?」

「Of course! Just because it’s our first Christmas date, Yuji was carefully planning the route… wait, what are you making me say!」

Natsumi-senpai leaked information we didn’t even ask for and her face instantly turned bright red.

And for some reason, she turned that embarrassment into anger toward me… I don’t get it.

「Natsumi-senpai just said it on her own. Kazunari is not at fault.」

「That’s right. If you’re going to cover your embarrassment, do it more quietly. I won’t permit you taking it out on Kazunari-san.」

「Gugh, this wife-sister-in-law duo…」

Of course, Sara-san and Hanako-san wouldn’t permit such unreasonableness toward me.

Sara-san especially stepped in between me and Natsumi-senpai instantly, pressing her body against mine as an ironclad guard.

No… I’m very happy about that, but doing that on a busy school route like this is, well?

「Guaaa, d-dammit… flirting from the morning…」

「Sob sob… let’s change our school route. Even if we get to see Satsukawa-san, this is too painful!!」

「I’m not jealous!! I’m definitely not jealous!!!!」

「Whoa, those two are as hot as ever from the morning.」

「Anyway, I still can’t believe Satsukawa-san is the aggressive one.」

「I heard from a friend in Satsukawa-san’s class that she’s already in full wife mode.」

And so, the usual(?) uproar began!!

And while it’s becoming a familiar sight, I have complicated feelings about it myself.

「It is a wife’s duty to protect her husband.」

「It is a big sister’s duty to protect her little brother.」

「Yes, yes, it’s my loss.」

While admitting a mysterious defeat, Natsumi-senpai directed a fed-up look… at me, of course.

But I think the root cause was Natsumi-senpai’s own embarrassment… well, if I said that, she’d probably get even angrier, so I won’t.

So, at this point.

「Anyway, shall we head to school?」

「You’re right. If we’re late because of Natsumi, it defeats the purpose.」

「Why is it my fault!!」

「It was a joke, hehe…」

「You…」

「Haha…」

While riding along with my blatant subject change, I couldn’t help but laugh at the charming sight of Sara-san still teasing Natsumi-senpai.

And Natsumi-senpai glared at me again with her dead-eyed look, while Sara-san and Hanako-san blocked her once more.

This is never going to end, so let’s just hurry to school, yeah.

「Morning!」

「Morning Takanashi-kun, Hanasaki-san!」

「Morning to both of you~」

「Morning! You two are as close as ever, hehe…」

「Morning.」

「Morning. It is a law of nature for big sister and little brother to get along.」

We entered the classroom and replied to our classmates’ greetings with smiles (we’ve gotten used to being teased), and headed for our desks.

But a shift had already been established there to welcome Hanako-san, and the top-tier Hanako-san enthusiasts(?) in our class were waiting eagerly for her arrival.

They really do this every single day, honestly.

「Morning, Hanako-chan!!」

「Whoa, you’re way too cute again this morning!!」

「The pink ribbon is so cute-cute!!」

Ignoring the usual scene that had started immediately, Hanako-san sat in her seat without a word.

But the enemy was just as persistent… the enthusiasts weren’t deterred by that much and began to heat up on their own.

「Noisy. At least be quiet.」

「Okay. Then I’ll just admire you quietly!」

「Haaa… so cute… nuzzle nuzzle.」

While she brushed them off as if it were a pain, the fact that she didn’t flatly reject them like before shows that Hanako-san has changed… or maybe she just got used to it?

She did go along with that girls’ meeting(?) the other day, so there’s no doubt she’s blending into the class.

「By the way Takanashi-kun, that’s a really long scarf you’ve got there, isn’t it?」

「Ah, it was also something I was curious about!」

「You weren’t wearing that last week, were you? Did you buy it?」

Gazing curiously at my scarf, the girls directed their questions my way this time.

Almost all of them are the ones always around us, so it’s only natural for them to notice a change like that.

「Ah, this is from Sara-san…」

「Eh!? No way, is it handmade by Satsukawa-senpai!?」

「Y-yeah, but?」

「Whoaaaa, the loving wife scarf is here!!!!」

「As expected of Satsukawa-senpai… the appearance is as good as a high-end commercial product!!」

「Hey, hey, can I touch it!?」

「I-I don’t mind, but…」

「Yay!!」

Without waiting for me to finish, and even though I hadn’t taken the scarf off yet, the girls gathered around and began reaching for it.

It wasn’t like they were touching me personally, so that itself wasn’t a problem, but being surrounded by girls like this was quite awkward.

Honestly, it makes me feel restless.

「Whoa, it feels amazing!!」

「Incredible… I do handicrafts too, but this finish is at a professional level!?」

「As expected of Satsukawa-senpai… but this length.」

「Hehe… Takanashi-kun, I wonder if you’re “using” this already?」

「…Huh? No, I’m wearing it right now?」

Far from using it, they were touching the very thing I was wearing, so I seriously didn’t understand what they were talking about.

「Eh? Hey… are you serious?」

「Hanako-chan, Takanashi-kun is…」

「That’s the cute part of Kazunari. So you don’t need to say anything more. Also, get away from Kazunari already.」

Hanako-san, blunt as ever and looking a little grumpy, stood up and suddenly grabbed my head with both hands, pulling me straight into her chest as if to snatch me away.

At such a sudden action, I couldn’t even react and was just left as I was… held easily by Hanako-san while still sitting in my chair, and by the time I realized it, I was surrounded by a sweet scent… wait, what’s going on!?

「Kyaaaaaa!!!! Hanako-chan is so bold!!」

「Whoa, whoa, is this a case!? This is a case, right!?」

「Eeeeek, I’m so jealous!! Me too, let me be held by Hanako-chan too!!」

「Why is it always Takanashi!!!!?」

「I-I-I’m way too jealous, Takanashi!!!!」

「Whoaaa, why God!? It’s too unfair!!!!」

「H-Hanako-san!?」

Screams, shouts, and various other things erupted from all over the classroom, and the unusual yellow and black collaboration chorus that had become a recent staple started up all at once, but I honestly didn’t have the luxury for that!!

No matter if it was to rescue me, this was too much all of a sudden.

「It’s fine. The wife told me that she’d overlook a little bit in an emergency.」

「That’s the first I’ve heard of that!?」

「Kazunari’s safety is the top priority. So rest easy and lean on your big sister.」

「N-no, I’m not really…」

I seriously doubt how much is included in that「little bit」…wait, that’s not it!!

To begin with, I wasn’t even in a pinch or anything!?

「Aahn… Hanako-chan, me too…」

「No. This is only for Kazunari.」

「No fair…」

「H-Hanako-san, I’m fi… mgh!?」

「Kazunari… there, there… good boy.」

「「Guaaaaaaaa!?」」

Hanako-san pressed my face firmly into the spot and held me tight as if words were no longer necessary. Moreover, she kept gently stroking my head over and over with her small hands, and the sensation was strangely ticklish… no, like I said.

「The gap between her usual cold attitude and this super sweet lovey-dovey state is irresistible!!」

「Huff huff… the realm of babying…」

We had become a complete public spectacle, and for the enthusiasts around us, it was nothing but prime bait. If things stayed like this, there was a chance I’d be forced to carry a dishonorable cross from my classmates again.

「H-Hanako-san!?」

「Ten more seconds.」

「What do you mean ten seconds!?」

「Five minutes then.」

「Eeeeeh!?」

But Hanako-san didn’t care about the situation around her at all.

In the end, rather than ten seconds, I ended up being held and pampered by Hanako-san until the warning bell rang, performing a continuous public humiliation… or so the story goes.

…By the way, what was the story with the scarf in the end?