CH 65

“Sakuramiya-sensei… I’m not going to be killed, right?”

“I think it’s fine… probably.”

Currently, I was at the Sakuramiya residence, which boasted a wide area of land decorated in Japanese style. The management was thorough, and it felt like every nook and cranny was on display like an exhibit.

I was in the same room as last time, when I came to visit her parents as Sakuramiya-sensei’s fiance for the marriage introduction. The reason why I was here was simple: to explain about what happened last Sunday. In the end, the misunderstanding wasn’t resolved, and we parted ways with Souji-san in the form of an explanation at a later date.

And today — November 14th, Saturday — was the day of that explanation. With almost a week having passed, I was even more restless.

As my heartbeat raced, Sakuramiya-sensei gently touched my left hand.

“It’s okay. I’ve mostly explained everything from my end.”

“I hope so… By the way, did you tell Souji-san that I was pretending to be your fiance?”

“Um… not yet.”

“I see… but you should tell him, right?”

“If only you’d say you’ll marry me, then everything would go smoothly… just kidding,” Sakuramiya-sensei said with a playful tone, sending glances my way.

I flipped my hand and intertwined our fingers, our hands now locked in a lovers hold.

“Is it really okay to say things like that?”

“Huh?”

“I have no income source, and there’s no way someone like me could get married now.”

“It’s okay. I’ll support you. I have a lot of savings, and as a government worker, I have a decent income.”

“I’m serious. Until now, I’ve been hiding my feelings, but I really like you, Sensei. I don’t want to hide it anymore. When you make sweet offers like that, I can’t help but accept.”

“…Hm. I’m not joking either. So, will you really marry me if I say I’ll support you?”

“…I’m sorry. Can you let me think about it?”

“Why? You got my hopes up and then you do this!”

Sakuramiya-sensei puffs up her cheeks like a squirrel, filling it with air as tears begin to well up in her eyes and she laments.

For a moment, I really thought that getting married might be a good idea, but it wasn’t something that could be decided so easily.

“I don’t think it’s good to be so suggestive.”

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“And, Minato-kun, you need to keep me happy.”

“Keep you happy? How do I do that?”

“Well… you know, that thing you did earlier…”

“Can you be more specific about it, Sensei?”

With that, there was only one thing that came to mind.

“Wait, you want to do it now?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Well, this is your family’s home, Sensei.”

“Yeah. It would be a big problem if someone saw us at school, but this is my home, so I don’t think it’s a problem.”

No, there is a problem. There is still a risk that someone will witness us at an unfortunate time. However, it is true that it is less dangerous than at school.

I’m the one who had hurt Sakuramiya-sensei’s mood, so I’ll have to make up my mind. There’s no time to hesitate.

“Then close your eyes.”

“O-Okay.”

I gently placed my right hand on her cheeks and caressed her cherry-red lips with my thumb. After tracing her lips with my thumb for a while, I leaned closer and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was longer and passionate this time than the one we had shared before. Sakuramiya-sensei gripped my left hand tightly, and it felt like she was silently telling me not to stop the kiss.

It was during this extended period of kissing that the sliding door of the room we were in opened…..

“Oops, I’m sorry to intrude.”

And then it closed immediately.

The owner of the voice was undoubtedly Sakuramiya-sensei’s mother, Kiyoka-san.

Well… I had a feeling this was going to happen.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

“I’m sorry. I’ve always been bad with the timing.”

Time has passed since then.

I sat in seiza, my face bright red as I looked down at the floor. Sakuramiya-sensei, who was seated to my left, was in the same exact position as me. Her face was even redder than mine due to embarrassment.

Despite my fears, the fortunate thing was that Souji-san wasn’t here to witness what had just happened. If he had seen us kissing, it would have only caused more resentment.

“It’s about time your father arrives, I think.”

“……..”

While Kiyoka-san was the only one talking, neither Sakuramiya-sensei nor I could bring ourselves to speak.

Especially Sakuramiya-sensei, who was seen by her own mother. The level of embarrassment was beyond what I could imagine. Well, she brought this upon herself by encouraging me in the first place.

As we were surrounded by an uncomfortable atmosphere, the sliding door opened.

The one who appeared this time was Sensei’s father, Souji-san, who had grown a scruffy beard.

I encouraged myself and stood up while bowing my head.

“H-hello, Souji-san.”

“Oh, don’t be so formal. Please sit.”

“Y-yes.”

Souji-san sat down in front of me and took a sip of green tea. He looked at me and spoke with a serious expression.

“I heard most of the story from Yumi. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“N-no… I’m sorry for doing something that could cause a misunderstanding.”

“Oh, yes. It was certainly your actions that caused the misunderstanding.”

“Ugh… yes…”

“To be honest, I’m against it. The relationship between Minato and Yumi… and ultimately their engagement.”

“You’re against it?”

With a heavy tone, Souji-san sighed.

“It’s the first time I’ve directly said it, but it’s true. I was just pretending to approve all this time.”

“Of course. Dating a high school student is beyond common sense… Can I ask you one thing, Minato-kun?”

“Yes.”

“After graduating from high school, which university do you plan to attend, or do you plan to work?”

“Um… I’m sorry. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”

“I figured as much. It’s rare to find someone who can think ahead. There’s nothing strange about that.”

Souji-san took another sip of his green tea before continuing.

“That being said, I have to ask, do you really intend to marry Yumi? Or are you just saying that without any real intention to follow through?”

Souji-san recognizes me as Sakura’s fiance. The best solution in this situation would be to tell him that I am seriously considering marriage.

But that wouldn’t be honest. I can’t think that far ahead, and I’m not prepared for it. I don’t have the power.

So I thought that at the very least, I shouldn’t pretend or tell a lie.

“To be honest, I…”