Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093073037597822/episodes/16818093082564902024
[How’s your cohabitation going?]
“…Thanks to you, it’s more fulfilling than I expected.”
When I answered that, my father smiled cheerfully.
[Ha ha ha ! I see, I see ! It seems like things are going well. I’m happy to see you enjoying yourself.]
There are still some things that confuse me since it’s my first time, but so far, my cohabitation is going well.
Honestly, at first I really wondered how it would turn out…
[I was worried that you, with your dry personality, wouldn’t be able to get along with her, but it seems my worries were unfounded.]
“Well, yeah, so there’s no need for you to worry, Dad. Well, then.”
[Hey, wait, wait. We haven’t talked about the main topic yet.]
I tried to end the call before he asked me to do something troublesome, but as expected, he stopped me.
Sigh…I knew it…
My father wouldn’t just call to ask about his son’s recent activities. These kinds of calls usually mean something troublesome.
I was thinking of just hanging up, but as if he could read my mind, he immediately got to the point.
[Your mother is coming home tomorrow, so come to the family home, and of course, bring Nanase Rei with you.]
“No way.”
[She said you have to come.]
“……”
As expected of my mother, she sees right through my thoughts. That’s why I don’t like her…
Still…I’m really reluctant to introduce Nanase to my mother…
[Then I’m counting on you, Minato.]
“…Alright.”
I reluctantly agreed.
◇
“What’s wrong? Why are you holding your head like that?”
When I returned to the living room after ending the call, Nanase asked me curiously.
Hmm, how should I explain this…
“You were talking to your father, right?”
“…Actually…my mother is coming back tomorrow, and she told me to come back to my parents’ house with Nanase.”
“Your mother?”
“Yeah, Mom’s a diplomat, so she’s always busy and rarely comes home.”
My mother, Ichijo Kazumi, is a Japanese diplomat who’s always traveling around the world.
Her family has been in politics for generations, and she’s one of the most talented members, known for her amazing negotiation skills and ability to speak seven languages. She’s really valued as a diplomat.
The only reason I can think of for her coming home at this time is…
It’s probably about Nanase.
“Now that I think about it…your family is really amazing.”
“Well, my mother is quite an exception. So, are you okay tomorrow? It’s sudden, so if it’s too much trouble, I’ll ask them to reschedule.”
“No, I don’t have anything special planned for tomorrow, so of course I’ll go.”
“Sorry, that’s a relief.”
If I ignore that person, they’ll get upset right away…haa…this is such a hassle…
“Ugh…I feel so nervous…”
“That’s unusual. Nanase getting nervous?”
“Well, I’m meeting my fiancée’s mother…of course I’m nervous…”
Nanase looks down, clearly nervous and lacking confidence.
She’s probably afraid that her mother won’t approve of her. I know her mother well, but I don’t understand Nanase’s anxiety at all.
I sit next to the nervous Nanase and gently hold her hand.
“It’ll be okay. I’m here with you, and even though my mother is a little strange, she’s a good person.”
All I can do is try to reassure her with my words.
“Fufu, thank you. You’re really reliable.”
“Well, yeah.”
It seems like she’s relaxed a little.
“Then we should go buy some sweets on the way home tomorrow.”
“No, I don’t think it’s necessary—”
“No, you have to be thorough about these things. There’s a saying, ‘Even among close friends, there should be proper etiquette,’ right?”
“……Yes.”
I’m still so immature.
◇
The next day after school, we bought Japanese sweets to take to my parents’ house and walked there along a different route than usual.
My parents’ house isn’t far from my house, so I can walk there from school.
“Are you still nervous?”
I asked Nanase, who was walking with a more tense expression than usual, and she looked a little uneasy.
“Y-you can tell?”
“Yeah, you’ve been distracted since earlier. Were you rehearsing in your head or something?”
“Y-you can tell that much…”
I said the last part casually, but I didn’t expect it to be so accurate…how nervous is she…well, that’s typical of the perfectionist Nanase.
Nanase twirled her hair and muttered hesitantly.
“Are you sure? I could have called for a ride.”
“It’s okay, sometimes this is nice.”
My father had offered to send someone to pick us up, but at Nanase’s request, we decided to walk to her parents’ house.
I didn’t want the school students to see us together, and I didn’t want to burden Nanase, who usually travels by car, so I suggested we take the car, but she insisted on walking, so I reluctantly gave in.
“Are you okay? Does your foot hurt?”
“I’m fine. I may look like this, but I’m pretty strong.”
“Oh, well, that’s good then…”
“~♪”
Nanase, walking beside me, seemed unusually cheerful.
Maybe she was enjoying the rare experience of walking, since she was used to being driven around by car.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Yes, because it’s not often that I get to walk with you like this.”
“Huh? We always walk together after work, don’t we?”
Nanase smiled as if to say, “You don’t understand.”
“This is different.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
Nanase smiled and closed the distance between us.
At that moment, a very pleasant scent wafted over.
“Oh, hey…”
“What?”
She gazed up at me with a seductive smile.
“…No…nothing…”
I recently realized that I have far less resistance to Nanase than I thought.
In fact, just being looked at like that makes me avert my gaze.
There’s no way to train myself not to do that…I guess I’ll just have to keep trying.
“Fufu♪”
Seeing my reaction, Nanase becomes even more cheerful.
Then, as if she wanted to see more of my reaction, she wraps her arm around mine, and our bodies touch.
“…Nanase.”
“What?”
“Isn’t it a bad idea to hold hands? There are still students from school around here.”
If the students saw us and rumors spread at school, it’s obvious that the students who are attracted to Nanase would resent me.
Besides, I’m afraid of being misunderstood, so I’d rather keep our engagement a secret while I’m still in high school.
But my thoughts didn’t reach her, and Nanase pressed her body even closer to mine.
“Oh? What’s the problem if it gets out? I’d rather make it public sooner rather than later.”
“…Please give me a break.”
“Fufu, just kidding. I don’t want to get involved in any trouble either.”
Really…I can’t win against Nanase.
I felt that deeply as I gently held Nanase’s hand.
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