CH 16

“Well, shall we have some food or…?”

“Yes… but um, Hisui-san.”

“What is it? Ah, you don’t have to thank me. I wish we had more time, I would have liked to help you choose a little more.”

“…That’s not fair of you. But let me say it anyway, thank you very much.”

After that, Hisui and I first went to look for clothes, but before I knew it, Hisui had picked out clothes for me. 

There were many things that seemed to be expensive, and of course, it was tough on my wallet, but before I realized it, Hisui had already finished paying for everything.

(What can I say… Her momentum is too intense.)

I had expected Hisui to pay for everything, but I didn’t want her to go that far for me. However, she quickly finished paying while I wasn’t looking… so, as grateful as I was, there was nothing left for me to do but accept her generosity. 

When people talk about the power of the wealthy, I suppose this is what they mean. It really reminded me that we come from different worlds.

“Arashi-kun.”

“!?”

Gently, Hisui placed her hand on my head.

“You feel guilty about receiving things from others, don’t you?”

“That’s…”

“Fufu, well then, I’ll have to work on changing that about you. No, it has to be us. Will you let Shirayuki and I teach you? We will give you the pleasure of being accepted and the joy of being given.”

Her words were like a sweet whisper, shaking my eardrums. 

However, if there was one thing to correct, it was that I didn’t really feel guilty about receiving things… I was just confused by Hisui’s kindness. 

Her overwhelming maternal instincts as an older woman were certainly a part of it, but… I couldn’t help but think, “Is this what it would be like if my mother were here?”

“Put your bags in the back seat, okay? Well then, let’s go eat…”

By the way, Hisui’s car was a luxury car. 

It was the kind of car that I felt like I had seen on TV before, and it made me nervous to think that it might be worth tens of millions of yen. 

Even just opening the door made me nervous, and I placed the shopping bags on the seat.

“Um, Hisui-san.”

“What is it?”

I turned to Hisui again.

Although I felt both grateful and lucky to have someone like her do so much for me, I couldn’t help but feel like it was too much for me to just receive without giving anything back.

“Thank you so much for the gym and for what you did this time. Even though Hisui-san says I don’t need to thank you, it’s a bit much for me to always be on the receiving end… you know?”

“Really?”

“Yes. So if anything happens, please rely on me. It would be nice if I could give you something in return though…”

“… Ufufu♪”

Of course, the same goes for Shirayuki, not just Hisui.

What can I do for them? My lack of experience in dating women was surprisingly not useful in times like these.

“Well, I’ve already got something in return, you know?”

“… huh?”

“I had something really wonderful at that time. Although, it was a bit bland since I had it after Shirayuki.”

“… What are you talking about?”

“Nothing important. Anyway, there’s really no need to worry about it.”

Saying that, she took my arm.

My heart was pounding as if we were a couple. 

Hisui, whether she knew it or not, said let’s go and started walking with me as if leading the way.

“Is this your first time experiencing something like this?”

“…”

“I can tell from your red face and reaction… you’re really cute, you know that? It’s something we knew about you from the beginning, and from now on let Shirayuki and I be the ones to color you.”

Honestly, my head was too hot to understand what she meant.

Then, led by Hisui, I arrived at a prestigious old shop. 

Hisui chuckled when she saw the entrance.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking she’s my daughter after all.”

“!?”

What does she mean by that?

I felt both happiness and nervousness from the overwhelming pressure on my arm, but for some reason, I suddenly felt a chill around me.

Then, as if being pierced by a sharp gaze, I saw her at the entrance of the shop… eh? What is she doing there?

“…Shirayuki?”

Yes, Shirayuki in casual clothes was standing there.

Walking slowly towards Hisui and me, her appearance almost looked like a demon’s triumph, but she smiled and came to stand in front of me.

“What are you doing, Mom?”

“Ara, Shirayuki, what do you mean? I was going to have dinner with Arashi.”

“…”

Gazing at Hisui, Shirayuki embraced my arm.

Her eyes carried a dark emotion, and it was definitely not a gaze meant for her own mother, but she sighed in an instant.

“Gosh, really… you can never be too careful. Well, it’s a tie now, right?”

“The same as with gym.”

“Yes.”

“…Shirayuki? Hisui-san?”

Although I tried to ask, I felt like I shouldn’t ask any further. 

Both Hisui and Shirayuki accompanied me into the store, and it seemed like the conversation had already been done beforehand, so we quickly headed towards the back.

“…I don’t really come to places like this often.”

No, it was not often, I never went to a place like this before in the first place. 

We were in a long-established restaurant that prides itself on healthy and reasonably priced food, but there were also some high-end items that seemed out of reach for me.

“Welcome Hououin-sama, and it’s been a while, Miss.”

“Good evening.”

“It’s been a while.”

The store employee greeted Shirayuki and Hisui, then looked at me. 

At that moment, I could hear voices in my head saying, “What is he doing here? He looks out of place.” 

I laughed bitterly, feeling like it was someone else’s problem.

“… we don’t need that.”

I felt like Hisui muttered something under her breath. 

After that, we were shown to our room, where we each ordered what we wanted to eat. 

As for me, I was still concerned about my health, so I ordered a menu with lots of vegetables. 

And about an hour later…

“Thank you for the meal.”

I had finished eating everything on my plate. 

The food was reasonably priced and healthy, but it was also delicious, and Hisui’s recommendation had been spot on. 

Especially Mizutaki served in a small pot, was the best.

“You had a good appetite. It was pleasant to watch you enjoy the food♪”

“Well… It was really that delicious.”

Hisui sitting opposite me and Shirayuki next to me had beautiful table manners. 

It looked like a kind of artwork to me, and I felt like I could watch them forever without getting bored.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, no… I mean, both you and Hisui-san have such beautiful manners.”

“I see. I’ve been taught by my mother many times since I was young, so I guess it’s the result of many years of practice.”

“I see.”

It’s not something that can be learned quickly, it must be the result of many years of practice. 

Then, as Hisui and Shirayuki finished their meal, I was sipping hot tea slowly and relaxing. 

It was then that Hisui asked me this question.

“Hey, Arashi-kun, you don’t have to answer if it’s difficult, but can I ask you something?”

“What is it? Ask me anything.”

“Thank you. Then, what do you think of your family?“

“…”

I never expected to hear such a question at a time like this, but I answered honestly.

“I don’t have any specific thoughts. This isn’t the first time we’ve had disagreements and living apart is easier for me. Being with that family would have likely caused me significant distress, you know?”

“… Is that so?”

“Besides, I’m really okay now. I met my sister the other day, and even though she said a lot of things, it didn’t bother me.”

“I see. And what did she say?”

Shirayuki asked as she was bothered by it. 

I told her that it wasn’t a pleasant word, but that I really didn’t care.

“And now you… I see. that’s all I need to know“

“… eh?”

“Never mind.”

Although it bothered me a little…

After that, Hisui said she was going to talk to the manager for a while and left, leaving me alone with Shirayuki.

“But I have to say, you figured it out pretty well.”

“About today? Of course. Even if my mother tried to hide it from me, I know her way of talking and her atmosphere too well.”

“… Wow”

“And from the way her voice sounded, I could tell that she was with Arashi-kun.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, what do you think?”

By the way, she apparently heard the call from outside through the phone about the store.

“But still… fufu♪”

“What’s up?”

“Well, I just thought it was fun to have dinner with my friend Arashi-kun like this.”

Her smile was so beautiful.

I longed to have her, but gave up when I realized it was impossible. 

… But now my heart pulsated at the sight of her beautiful smile, which made me want to reach out for her.

“Oh, by the way, Arashi-kun.”

“What is it?”

“You’re going to the gym this Saturday too, right? What are you going to do afterwards?”

“Um… I haven’t decided yet.”

“Well then, I want to visit your house.”

“… Huh?”

What did she just say?