CH 159

I put on my shirt as usual and then wore a navy blue tie.

After putting on a blazer, I checked in the mirror to see if there was anything wrong with the outfit.

There weren’t any problems; there was the normal Shinra Minato figure.

The eyes without any energy showed the day’s unnecessary worries.

“…Are you sure you want to wear your school uniform?”

“There isn’t any problem with it, in fact uniforms are the most formal attire for a high school student.”

“I don’t think so…”

Dad replied as he was getting himself ready for the day.

The real reason for this is the fact that there are many people who are interested in the idea of me wearing a suit.

To be honest, my knowledge of arranged marriage meetings is limited to what I have seen on TV dramas.

Putting aside the question of whether the information was correct or not, I certainly felt a little uncomfortable going in my school uniform.

Once again, I checked my appearance in the mirror and walked out through the front door.

The strong summer sunlight momentarily blinded my vision, but it soon recovered.

A car was parked in front of the entrance.

It was not the Shinra family’s car, but a long, black car prepared by Kirasaka for our transportation.

Why do rich people buy long cars?

This also had the potential to be a subject for independent research…

Anyways, right after Kirasaka offered to attend the meeting, she suggested that the car for pick-up and drop-off would be provided by the Kirasaka family.

We accepted it leniently and got into the car parked right in front of the entrance.

“Good morning, Shinra-kun …your eyes appear to be 20% less bright than usual.”

“Good morning …you’re not wrong, so I can’t really say anything about it.”

Kirasaka, who was waiting in the car, was wearing a black dress.

The appearance was gleaming as if it fully expressed the fact that she was from a wealthy family.

It is not surprising that she is the daughter of a wealthy family, but after seeing Kirasaka’s normal appearance, it was unusual for her to look like a young lady.

After moving my attention next to Kirasaka, I saw Shizuku with an embarrassed look on her face.

She was wearing a white dress similar to Kirasaka.

The white color suits Shizuku, so it is only natural that it looks good on her.

If Yuuto saw this, he would go crazy.

When they saw that I had confirmed their appearance, they looked at me expectantly.

I wondered if they wanted me to tell them what I thought of them.

“You two should be in plain clothes.”

I told them so, and they let out a sigh of disappointment.

I am amazed at the fact that they are more dressed up than I am. After that my father and mother got into the car.

They are both dressed in formal wear and ready to go.

The car starts to drive in the opposite direction from the road we usually walk on.

It takes only 10 minutes by car to get to the place where the inn is located near the girls’ high school that Kaede attends.

This car ride is certainly not a friendly one.

Dad and Mom were looking at the scene outside with serious faces, and Shizuku was checking on her reflection in a hand mirror occasionally.

Only, Kirasaka remained the usual.

“Kaede-chan didn’t come, did she?”

Kirasaka muttered that in the quiet atmosphere.

“Oh …it’s not something the whole family would go to, and Kaede wasn’t keen on it either.”

Shizuku, sitting next to Kirasaka, opened her mouth next.

“Minato-kun, there should be a Q&A session as is customary in arranged marriages and the like, so let’s do a little prep work!”

“I don’t need that kind of preparation…”

I don’t know if my words were getting through to her, but Shizuku took out her phone, typed in something, and started asking me questions one after another.

“What are your hobbies?”

“Reading.”

“What are your special skills?”

“Napping.”

“What would you like to do in the future and why?”

“Working from home… so that I don’t have to leave my house and there won’t be overtime or time wasted on commute.”

“It’s all nice because it’ll surely give a negative image to the other person!”

Eh, are you sure this is okay?

I answered it myself, but I’m too unmotivated to argue with her… there’s even a point where the other party would get mad at me.

Kirasaka, who was sitting next to her, just nodded deeply and did not say anything.

My father let out a sigh and my mother watched our exchange with a happy smile on her face.

What is this chaotic situation?

This chaos…

I wonder if it’s because I still have the childish mind, the one that made me feel a little cool when I first changed the kanji into katakana.

While I was thinking such meaningless thoughts, the car gradually slowed down and entered the basement of a building.

My heart started to beat faster from nervousness.

I am not the type of person who usually gets nervous, but I can’t help it.

I’m also a human.

I am not so strong that I won’t get nervous when I encounter a situation for the first time.

When the car came to a halt, a guy got out of the driver’s seat and opened the door of the back seat.

Kirasaka got out first, then my parents, then Shizuku, and finally me.

Three people who appeared to be employees of the inn were waiting for us, and when they saw that we had gotten out, they walked up to us.

“We were waiting for your arrival, Shinra-sama, and I will show you around.”

A woman led the way and we went up from the basement to the hall on the first floor.

There were a few guests in the hall, and the calmness of the room slightly eased our tension.

“Shinra!”

As we were walking behind the employee, a man called out to us from the front.

The man, who looked a little older than my father, smiled and approached my father.

“Senpai, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Never mind, it’s just that me and my daughter got here early …You must be Minato-kun?”

His gaze shifts from dad to me.

This man should be the father of the other party.

I bowed and answered him, and then moved my eyes to observe him carefully.

Then, with a smile on his face, he turned to dad and said.

“He’s just like you once were, Shinra.”

“That’s because he’s my son.”

It was refreshing to see my father speaking in honorifics.

It was unusual to see him talking about his work and his relationships with other people, as he did not often talk about them at home.

After a brief conversation, the he cuts to the chase.

“Normally, we would probably talk with the parents as well, but in our case, I don’t think that’s necessary …I’ve prepared a separate room for Minato and my daughter, so I’d like you to talk to her there to your heart’s content.”

“Just the two of us?”

“I’ve heard from Kotone-san about your friends, but I’d like you and my daughter to talk alone first. I’ll set up a time for all of us to talk later.”

After he responded to my question, the five of them walked down the opposite side, leaving only the female employees behind.

When leaving, Shizuku and Kirasaka waved at me and I gave them a small wave in return.

When we stopped in front of one of the rooms, the employees walked away.

I could hear my heart beat all the way up to my ears.

My arms were also shaking.

I let go and exhale deeply, then calm down and open the door without hesitation this time.

There is an empty cushion across the desk.

On the other side sat a woman.

I sat down before I could see her face and slowly raised my gaze upward.

And when I saw her face, I was rendered speechless.