Book 7: Chapter 4: Part 2

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Part 2

It’s been a few days since I bought the suit. The suit that Hikari-san chose for me was of a perfect size, and the material was very high quality.

Moreover, I am now wearing the [Royal Silk Shirt] and [Dragon God’s Leather Shoes] that I received from Sage-san. These are probably of a much higher quality than anything that could be bought on Earth.

“I’m nervous…”

I arrived early at the meeting place arranged with Miu-san. The place was also lined with high-class stores, and I did not usually come here.

“Or rather… what kind of person is Miu-san’s father?”

From what I’ve heard, he seemed to be very rich, but…

Although I was curious about what kind of person Miu-san’s father was, I was more concerned about myself at the moment.

“Heh, isn’t it weird… I hope it’s okay…”

In addition, this time, I had my hair appropriately styled so that I would not embarrass Miu-san as I would act as her boyfriend. I’ve only had my hair cut lightly at a barbershop in the past, so it was refreshing to have my hair styled professionally.

Despite my appearance, I was uncomfortable because I felt like I was being watched by people on the street more than usual. There were even people who took the trouble to stop and stare at me. Well… I guess it’s not as dangerous as walking while staring, but…

It made me so nervous that I thought I might look a bit unattractive, so I used my skills [Mind-Body Unification] and [Mental Enhancement] as I continued to wait naturally.

And then──.

“Yuuya-san! I’m sorry… I’m late…”

“Miu-san?”

Miu-san, who was wearing a beautiful dress, found me and waved, but her words were getting smaller and smaller.

When I looked closely, I could see someone behind her who looked like her father. I hurried over to Miu-san and her father.

“Excuse me. Are you okay?”

“Wha? I-I’m fine! It’s just that…”

Miu-san glanced at me and blushed. H-huh? Do I look strange? Please be honest with me. Is it possible that I’m wearing something extremely embarrassing?

I wanted to rush off to reevaluate my outfit, but I couldn’t act strangely in front of Miu-san’s father.

I suppressed my panic and asked Miu-san.

“Um, Miu-san. The one over there…?”

“Ah! I’m sorry. This is my father──.”

“──Hideyuki Mido. It looks like my daughter is in your care, correct?”

Miu-san’s father… Hideyuki-san, gave me a sharp look.

“It’s not a big deal at all. …My name is Yuuya Tenjou. I’m very much indebted to Miu-san for her help.”

“Hou?”

Hideyuki-san opened his eyes slightly as I replied naturally and without any tension.

Normally, I would be extremely nervous at this point, but… I was able to greet him in a much more relaxed way than I expected.

This was probably due to the fact that I had recently met some of the most important people in the other world, such as the King of Arcelia and the King of Regal. Thanks to this, even though I had been very nervous until just a moment ago, now I was calm.

Hideyuki-san turned his back on me as if to show me the way.

“I’ve reserved a table for us today. Follow me.”

As I followed Hideyuki-san, I secretly let out a sigh. It looks like I’ve passed the first barrier. I was wondering what I would do if I were turned away at the start.

I was taken to a restaurant that looked like a high-class place. Oh, no. I don’t know anything about table manners!

Suppressing my desperately impatient feelings, I was led to a table for four. Seeing this, Miu-san curiously asked Hideyuki-san.

“Father. It’s just the three of us today, isn’t it…?”

“──No. There will be one more person here with us, the man that is coming is the candidate for Miu’s marriage proposal.”

“Eh!?”

“…..”

Miu-san was surprised by Hideyuki-san’s words. Of course, I was surprised too, but it seems that Miu-san hadn’t been told about it either…

Despite Miu-san’s surprise, Hideyuki-san continued without hesitation.

“Since we’re here. I’m thinking of letting the boyfriend that Miu brought with her and the marriage partner that I introduced to you meet.”

“Y-you didn’t say anything about it…!”

“What? Do you have a problem with my decision?”

“Ugh!”

In front of Hideyuki-san’s sharp gaze, Miu-san became silent.

Wow… Hideyuki-san, you are completely unwilling to listen to Miu-san’s words…

As for me, I never thought that Miu-san’s arranged marriage partner would come. But now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to behave honorably as Miu-san’s boyfriend.

More than that… table manners, seriously, what should I do…

As soon as I took a seat, a person who seemed to be Miu-san arranged marriage partner came over to our table.

“I’m sorry, Hideyuki-san. I was a little overwhelmed with work…”

The man who showed up was in his mid-twenties, dressed stylishly in a good quality suit. He had short brown hair and a neat face that gave him the look of a successful young boss.

Oh no, am I already losing? As for me. Look at me — my appearance. I look like someone who just put on a suit. On the other hand, the man in front of me is perfectly dressed in a suit.

He looked like he’s older than me… B-but what should I do now?

Then, when Hideyuki-san saw the man who appeared, he smiled for the first time today and stood up.

“No, it’s no problem. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

“Oh no! It was Hideyuki-san’s invitation, and more than anything, I wanted to talk to Miu-san too!”

“Hahaha. I’m glad if you say that.”

His communication skills are amazing. I was a bullied child, so no matter how I tried, I couldn’t compete with him, right?

…From my perspective, he seems like a great guy, and I think he’d be a good match for Miu-san, but Miu-san herself doesn’t like this marriage arrangement…

A-although I’ve already been defeated; I’m going to keep fighting until the end…!

The man suddenly turned his gaze on me just as I made up my mind to fight on.

“And, this is…?”

“?”

When the man looked at me, his eyes widened in surprise. W-what’s going on? I’m the one who’s in the lowest position right now, you know…

I stood up and bowed to the man.

“I’m the one who’s been dating Miu-san. My name is Yuuya Tenjou.”

“Dating Miu-san…?”

The man showed a disturbing vibe to my introduction. T-that’s right! He might not expect that the person he was looking for in a marriage proposal had a boyfriend.

B-but don’t be discouraged, me! It’s for Miu-san’s sake!

“I’m Yuma Yamano. Well, it’s nice to meet you.”

Oh, no matter how I look at it, I’ve been labeled as an enemy. What should I do? I’m starting to get a stomachache.

The dinner finally started, with a sudden unsettling feeling in the air. I have absolutely no idea about table manners, but now that I’m here, I’ll get through it following the mood…!

I can make it through, can’t I? While being conscious of how unsettled I was, I ate my meal paying attention to make sure I ate elegantly.

I don’t know if it was good or not, but it didn’t seem like anyone was particularly pointing it out to me. Am I doing okay? I’m going to do my best! I’m just sorry that I’m so overzealous that I can’t taste the food!

However, my efforts were meaningless once the conversation started. It’s basically because Hideyuki-san and Yuma-san were chatting smilingly; even Miu-san and I were left out of the conversation.

When it came to this point, it was pretty refreshing. As I continued to eat in silence, Miu-san spoke to me covertly.

“…I’m sorry, Yuuya-san. I’m sorry that I involved you in this kind of situation and that you were treated like this…”

“No, it’s okay. I’m just trying not to embarrass Miu-san by being her boyfriend. Well, not being able to participate in the conversation between the two of them may be a demerit as Miu-san’s boyfriend…”

“Yuuya-san…”

Miu-san’s cheeks reddened at my sincere words.

Then, it seemed that Yuma-san saw what was going on with us and asked us a question.

“You two seem to be getting along pretty well, don’t you?”

“Yes, well. We have been dating for a while now.”

“…I hadn’t heard, but where did you and Miu-san meet?”

“We met when we worked together as models for a photoshoot for a fashion magazine.”

As soon as I said that, I saw a hint of contempt in Hideyuki-san and Yuma-san’s eyes.

“I see, so you’re a model too?”

“That’s right.”

Actually, I’m not.

But it would still be a better advertisement for me as a boyfriend than if I told them I was just a student right now. And it’s not a lie that I’ve been photographed with her.

However, Hideyuki-san cut it off mercilessly.

“I can’t leave Miu in your hands if you’re doing a job that has no future.”

“Eh?”

“The entertainment industry is an industry where the future can become uncertain at the slightest hint. I’m saying that I can’t entrust my daughter to you in such a place.”

“Father!”

“Miu, shut up.”

I see. Well, as a parent, I understand that he wants his daughter to be with someone who is secure in the future.

However, I wonder how much he was thinking about Miu-san’s feelings. In the first place, Miu-san said she didn’t want to go on an arranged marriage, so she must not be thinking about marriage.

“I can’t have a young man with no future like you approaching us Mido family members…”

Hmm, he disliked me surprisingly. Even though we’ve never met before. But I’m used to people hating me. I’m sad, but I’m not going to let that put a dent in me now.

As I stared straight into Hideyuki-san’s eyes, Yuma-san intervened.

“Well, well, Hideyuki-san, please calm down. He’s young, too. It’s no wonder he’s reckless because of his youth.”

“No, no, you’re young, too.”

“Hahaha, that’s true… That’s right! Well, how about this?”

Yuma-san, who seemed to have suddenly come up with a good idea, suggested.

“I’ve been telling Hideyuki-san and others about this for a while now, but how about inviting Yuuya-kun to one of my affiliated stores? That way, you can understand the difference in our rank.”

“Yuuma-san’s store?”

When I was tilting my head in confusion, Hideyuki-san told me with a somewhat ridiculous look.

“Yuma-san runs several entertainment facilities overseas, including a large casino. You are invited to one of his affiliated establishments.”

“Yes. And I’d like you to visit my store, too.”

“Hah…”

So he owns a lot of stores. Does that mean he’s rich? Not sure.

“I would like to invite you all to the biggest amusement center in my company to play some coin-operated games, how about it?”

Not seeming to care about my confusion at the sudden turn of events, Yuma-san and Hideyuki-san continued their conversation.

“I see. If we go to your store, we’ll see how much we know about our social position. Isn’t that good?”

“Well, well. But if Miu-san is to marry me, it will prove that she has a secure future?”

Ugh… He’s crazy hostile to me… From Yuma-san’s point of view, I’m a hindrance, so it can’t be helped…

When I couldn’t say anything, Miu-san stood up as if she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Father! Why are you talking so badly about Yuuya-san…!”

“I told you to keep quiet, didn’t I?”

“Uh!”

“…Hah. This is why it is so difficult to have a poorly behaved daughter.”

“No way! Isn’t Miu-san a wonderful person?”

“Oh, is that what you say?”

“Of course I do. …So, Yuuya-kun? What will you do?”

“Yuuya-san… You can refuse if you want.”

Miu-san gave me a worried yet apologetic look.

“I understand. I’m going to visit Yuma-san’s store.”

“Eh?”

“…..”

It seemed that they didn’t expect me to say I would be visiting, and not only Miu-san, but also Yuma-san and the others widened their eyes.

Yuma-san looked unhappy for a moment but quickly made up for it.

“Well, that’s fine. If that’s the case, please do come to the designated place at a later date. I’m sure you understand, but you’ll be heading overseas, okay?”

“Yes.”

I nodded straightforwardly at Yuma-san’s words.

Oh, I need to get my passport made. I wish I could talk to Kaori about it again…

As I was thinking about this, we ended up having the dinner of the day, and it ended without any problems.

＊＊＊

On the way home from dinner with Yuuya and the others, Miu was riding in the car with her father, Hideyuki.

“How about Yuma? Wasn’t he a wonderful young man? He’s nothing compared to the young man you brought with you.”

“That’s not true! Yuuya-san is a much more wonderful man!”

“Hah. No matter what you say, once he sees the scale of the facility Yuma runs, he’ll see the difference in status as a man and give up on you.”

“…..”

Miu turns her face down in frustration. After this, Miu did not exchange a glance or a word with Hideyuki until the end.

＊＊＊

“Come on, this way.”

Under Yuma-san’s guidance, we were being led to the plane that would take us overseas. After that dinner, with the help of Kaori, Tsukasa-san, and the others, I got my passport without any problems and came to the airport that Yuma-san had designated for us.

I’m still dressed casually today, but since Yuma-san’s affiliated store is said to be a magnificent facility, I don’t know what the correct attire is, so I brought the three-piece suit I wore for dinner the other day.

As I hadn’t had much experience going abroad, let alone going on a long trip, I tried not to look around too much. I-I just have to be graceful and have a relaxed attitude…!

As if mocking me, Yuma-san led us to a certain plane.

“Well, this is my private jet.”

“Oh.”

“…..”

Hideyuki-san seemed impressed by Yuma-san’s words, but Miu-san didn’t seem to be interested at all. Miu-san said that she actually had a modeling job today, but Hideyuki-san forced her to cancel it to accompany him.

To be honest, I had no idea how great Hideyuki-san was, so when I talked to Tsukasa-san about the passport, I asked him if he knew who Hideyuki Mido was, and he told me that he was the president of the Mido Group, one of the largest corporations in Japan.

Although I have seen the name Mido in many places, including in electrical appliances, I had no idea that he was the president of such a large company.

I was also surprised to find out that Miu-san is the daughter of the president of such a company. Well, from my perspective, everyone is an amazing person, so it’s not like I’m going to change how I treat Miu-san and her father…

Anyway, if he is the head of such a large company, it must be easy for him to cancel Miu-san’s job. However, since Miu-san takes pride in her work as a model, I can understand why she doesn’t like Hideyuki-san’s methods.

More importantly… private jets really existed, didn’t they? I thought it was something that only existed in fiction.

When I boarded the plane thinking about this, Yuma-san approached me with a smile on his face.

“I hadn’t told Yuuya-kun about this, but… I work overseas, so all the attendants are foreigners. I don’t usually use Japanese either, so please use English if you need to ask for something. Well, if you don’t speak English, I suggest you keep a low profile.”

“Yes, I understand.”

It’s so elitist to communicate in English. No, I’m pretty sure they’re actually elite. And then, what went wrong? Yuma-san clicked his tongue when he heard my words.

“Tsk… how long can you afford to keep that up?”

“Eh?”

I could hear the clicking tongue, but I couldn’t hear the words that followed it. What did he say? Probably not a very good one…

Then, eventually, the plane started moving.

Miu-san was sitting next to me, and Hideyuki-san and Yuma-san were sitting across the way from us.

“Miu-san, are you okay?”

When I called out to Miu-san, who looked somewhat depressed, she gave me an apologetic look.

“Oh… I’m sorry. I’m fine. How about you, Yuuya-san, are you okay? I’m sorry that I suddenly dragged you into something like this…”

“I’m fine. I’ve never been abroad before, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Although this is the first time I’ve ever been on a plane, I’m not too nervous or scared. Rather, I was excited to be flying.

If I could, I would have brought Night and the others with me, but I played the role of Miu-san’s boyfriend this time, so they were all staying at home. Ciel was a newborn, and I wanted to stay close to him, but I had to be patient. Once I’m settled in the hotel over there, I’ll use teleportation magic to get home.

A short time after the plane took off, Yuma-san called the attendant and spoke to her in English.

“Coffee, please.”

“Very well, sir.”

“Yes, would Yuuya-kun and the others like to order something too?”

“Huh? Oh, yes…”

I was momentarily surprised to be suddenly spoken to in Japanese by Yuma-san, and so I asked the attendant.

“Do you have any kind of menu?”

“Yes, we do. Would you like me to bring it to you?”

“Yes, please.”

“””?”””

When I was using my [Language Comprehension] skills to converse with the attendant in English, Miu-san and Yuma-san and the others looked at me with surprise. Hey, what’s going on?

Then the attendant brought me a menu, and I thanked her.

“Excuse me, thank you.”

“No problem.”

“Oh, how about you, Miu-san?”

“Eh? Oh, c-can I have some of this… please?”

“It’s okay.”

While confirming Miu-san’s choice, I also decided what I wanted and told the attendant immediately.

“I’m sorry. I would like this one and this one, please.”

“Very well. …Your English is very good, isn’t it?”

“Eh?”

“No, you speak very fluently without any Japanese accent… Have you been abroad before?”

“No, this is my first time… Hahaha, it’s nice to be praised for my English by an English speaker.”

“Fufufu… Oh, I’m sorry. Ah, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I’ll have it ready in a moment.”

“Please.”

The attendant smiled at my words and went back.

As I watched her go, Miu-san spoke to me with a somewhat excited look on her face.

“Yu-Yuuya-san, you speak English too?”

“Y-yes. Sometimes…”

It’s all thanks to my [Language Comprehension] skill, so it’s a bit of a cheat, but please forgive me this time. I can’t show my embarrassing side as Miu-san’s boyfriend.

After that, the drinks we ordered arrived, and after chatting with Miu-san and taking a nap, we arrived at our destination.

“Tch… what the hell is that guy… he’s getting carried away…!”