Volume 2 - CH 30

It’s been a little over a week since Halloween.

On that day, the third national mock exam was held.

After the exam, Yuzuru and Arisa were grading themselves in their apartment.

“I’m really tired after all these mock exams. ……”

After finishing her self-assessment, Arisa stretched greatly.

Less than two weeks ago, she had just taken another mock exam called the High-Level Difficulty Mock Exam, which meant that she had taken two consecutive mock exams within the span of a month.

There was a break in the middle of the month called Halloween, but ……

As expected, Arisa seemed to be tired.

“But, well, …… that’s it for now. The mock exams are done.”

“That’s right…….. Why don’t we go outside next Saturday …… to take a break and relax?”

In other words, an invitation for a date.

Recently, they have only been having study sessions called “home dates,” so they are very much in favor of going out to play.

It’s just that……

“There’s something I need to discuss with you regarding that.”

“Discuss?”

“Yeah. …… Is it okay if my sister Ayumi also joins us ?”

Arisa widened her eyes at Yuzuru’s suggestion.

The whole thing goes back to last night.

“Yes, hello?”

[“Niisan, it’s me, it’s me!”]

“Are you the person from the “it’s me” scam?”

[“A yu mi Ta ka se ga wa, It is Ayumi Takasegawa!!”]

“Oh, It was Ayumi “

[“What oh? I’m calling from my cell phone, so you should know already!”]

Ayumi gets angry on the other end of the phone.

Of course, Yuzuru was joking, and Ayumi was also joking, pretending to be angry.

Since they are brother and sister, this kind of joking around is a normal part of life.

“So, what is it?　…… I have a mock exam tomorrow, Saturday.”

It’s a Saturday, but he had to go to school and take a mock exam.

It’s a little strange to take an off-campus mock exam on campus.

[“Are you studying?”]

“Yeah, I’m studying. Please be brief.”

[“I want to go shopping for clothes in the city next Saturday and Sunday.”]

“You want me to come along as your escort and baggage handler, is that it?”

[“Yes, that’s half of it.”]

The two siblings get along reasonably well, and he has accompanied Ayumi on many shopping trips as her bodyguard and baggage handler.

The same is true even after Yuzuru started living alone.

But ……  What does half mean?

Yuzuru tilted his head.

“What about the other half?”

[“You don’t know anything about girls’ clothes, do you?”]

“I can at least tell if something is cute or not.”

[“But you don’t know the trends or brands.”]

Indeed, Yuzuru does not understand women’s clothing brands.

Because he is not interested in them.

But he was interested in watch and suit brands, so he knows a little about them.

[“So I was hoping that Arisa-san would come too.”]

“Arisa also?”

[“It’s time to get some winter clothes, isn’t it?　Arisa-san is also a girl, and I think she feels the same way as I do. I want to go shopping together while deepening friendship.”]

“I see.”

However, Arisa has just recently paid him back for her coat.

He was worried about her financial situation.

“Well, I’ll check with her”

[“I’ll leave it to you. love you, Niisan.”]

“Yes, yes, love you too.”

“And, well, that’s what happened.”

“I see.”

After listening to Yuzuru’s explanation, Arisa nodded her head in understanding.

Then she gave a small nod.

“It’s fine then.”

“…… Is the money okay?”

Yuzuru does not know how much allowance Arisa receives, but it is probably not that much.

The Takasegawa family believes that clothes, cosmetics, pens, and textbooks are outside of allowance, so Ayumi must be getting a lot of money from her parents for clothes.

If Ayumi went shopping with her, Arisa’s wallet would dry up.

“In my family, allowance is not monthly, but by purpose and use.”

“By purpose?”

“For example……, if it’s clothing that needs to be replaced regularly, I get a sum of money per quarter to pay for the clothing…….  When going on a date, it’s like for each date…….  So, if I tell my adoptive father that I’m going clothes shopping with Yuzuru-san and your sister,….. he will probably give me the money additionally for it.  I am not sure if he will, but at any rate, I just recently received the money for winter clothes, so my pockets are fine.”

For some time now, Yuzuru had been wondering about Arisa’s financial situation.

For example, she had said that she had never bought any expensive soaps, yet she wore fashionable clothes.

And when they go out on dates, he has never seen her hesitate at the movie theater or diner.

Is there an allowance or not …… which is it?

He was wondering that, but now Arisa’s words have answered his question.

Arisa’s adoptive father probably thinks that he is raising Arisa in a way that she will not be inconvenienced.

He pays for her dates with Yuzuru and provides her with clothes.

However, the idea of ” fussing over soap” does not exist for her adoptive father……, who is a man.

There are probably a lot of things like that besides soap.

As for Arisa, the fact that she is the only one who doesn’t have such a thing while everyone around her has it gives her a strong sense of inferiority, and although it’s a source of complex, she can’t ask her foster father for money to buy it since it’s not a necessity.

“I see. …… then, it is rather beneficial for you, right?”

If the allowance is given for a purpose, it won’t hurt Arisa’s pocket.

In fact, having a purpose is a “win-win” for Arisa because it means she has a reason to receive the money.

“Yes, I suppose so ……. I’m going to have to bother my adoptive father.”

Arisa said with a slightly apologetic expression.

Since it was her adoptive father who forced her to get engaged and married in the first place, and since it was a necessary expense, Arisa didn’t need to hold back. ……

But still, she was concerned about it.

“Don’t worry about it…….  Your adoptive father has benefited in no small way from your engagement to me.”

“…… But we are not married yet, are we?　Is there any profit in this situation?”

The word “yet” caught Yuzuru off guard a little, but he didn’t dare to point it out.

Then, he answered Arisa’s question.

“It seems that my parents have already invested a considerable amount of money in the company run by your foster father. Well……, it seems that the talks about the investment started before you and I got engaged, but the amount of investment increased after our engagement, so it must have had some influence.”

In reality, her adoptive father was probably more interested in the fact that he had joined the Takasegawa family, and how he was perceived by others than in the money.

There is no official announcement of the engagement of Yuzuru and Arisa, but the information will surely be leaked somewhere. And Yuzuru’s father is acting on the premise that the information of the engagement will be leaked in the first place,……No, he must be actively leaking or indicating it. 

By doing so, they are making it known that Amagi is now under the umbrella of Takasegawa.

And by letting the public know that Amagi is now under the umbrella of Takasegawa, Amagi must be soliciting for a loan.

If it were Amagi alone, people would be reluctant to give the loan.  But if they knew that Takasegawa was behind Amagi, more than a few people would be willing to give out their money.

Yuzuru was also curious, so he did a little research on the movement of money……. In addition to the Takasegawa, Tachibana, Uenishi, and Satake had been moving money, from the very beginning – specifically, before they met the three of them at the pool – albeit in small amounts, 

…… Well, the people involved in this field are somehow connected if you trace their family tree.

Such a network has already been established.

If Yuzuru’s parents hinted about the engagement to Takasegawa’s branch family or blood relatives, it was only natural that the information would spread in a flash.

“In other words, even if you and I don’t get married in the future, even if it’s temporary rather than a formal engagement, …… the fact alone is enough for your adoptive father to benefit from it……. Well, that’s why it’s fine. You can at least be a little selfish ……, Though I don’t know the detailed financial situation of Amagi, so I can’t say anything blindly.”

The fact that the company’s business is in a slump is not equal to the fact that the family’s finances are in a slump.

Just because the company’s cash flow was not good, it would never mean that the Amagi family’s cash flow would be immediately affected.

“….. Yes, you’re right. When I think about it, it’s a necessary expense. Though wasting money is a very bad idea.”

Arisa smiled slightly as she said this.

It was a necessary expense for her to get along with her fiancée’s sister, and it was her right to claim it.

The guilt seemed to have diminished slightly by thinking that way.

“……That’s right. I think it’s exactly as you said.”

But isn’t that argument valid only by assuming that you and I will get married?

Yuzuru thought inwardly but gave an appropriate response.