A few minutes after Amami-san's interview began, Sora-san arrived at our school. With that, our group of four started chatting. Of course, we huddled a little close together so that we wouldn't disturb everyone around us.
"My, that's the first time I've heard that! My son never talked to me about it and when I asked him, he'd only give me vague answers!"
"That's exactly what my daughter has been doing lately. It's great that they're getting along so well, but still… Umi, can you tell us what you two have been up to in Maki-kun's house?"
"W-We're just hanging out like usual! R-Right, Maki?"
"Y-Yes…"
""…Oh my.""
Seeing us giving our answers while averting our eyes, our parents let out a series of chuckles.
The topic of the conversation was my relationship with Umi, of course. We still hung out at my place every weekend, this hadn't changed from back when we were still 'friends.' What had changed was the range of things that we had done during those times. As we grew closer, it inevitably increased.
…And among those things, there were some activities that both of us couldn't just say out loud.
Anyway, I had expected that my mom and Sora-san would hold this kind of conversation if they had the chance to meet… It was just, I didn't expect them to do it here out of all places…
I could feel my body temperature rise higher, as if it was midsummer.
"By the way, Sora-san, have you heard about their career choices? It seems like they're aiming for the same university."
"Yes, of course! It's the best university in town, so as a parent, I don't have any complaints about their choices, but it's a little too far from our houses for them to commute there every day, isn't it? Well, Umi, Maki-kun, I believe that you two have some kind of plan, right? Now is the perfect chance to spill everything out, you know?"
""…""
We hadn't told them anything yet, but it seemed like they had a rough idea about what we were planning to do.
As you might have guessed, if we managed to enter the same university, we planned to use the opportunity to start living together.
Of course, we didn't know what the future holds for both of us, but if we could realize this plan, it would be nice.
Going to higher education, getting a job, getting married, having a new family… Doing everything together with her… That was how important the girl named 'Asanagi Umi' was to me.
Of course, I still had to overcome the hurdle that was getting into the university and stuff. But, if it was for her, I'd do my best to overcome anything and everything.
…Well, I wouldn't say those words during the interview, of course. Not because I wasn't determined or anything, but rather, saying that kind of thing out loud would only make the atmosphere turn awkward.
"Can we talk about it later? It's about time, Mom. Amami-san should be coming out soon."
"Ah, you're right! The scheduled time has already passed, huh…?"
Because of all the talking, I didn't realize that it was already past two. My turn for the interview could come up at any moment now.
Of course, the interview might go on either longer or shorter than scheduled, depending on how the interview went on… Which made me wonder what was up with Amami-san since hers was taking this long…
They closed all the curtains on the windows, so we couldn't even take a peek of what was going on inside.
After that, five minutes passed. Then, ten. All the waiting made me think of knocking on the door to check up on Amami-san, but as I was thinking about that, she and Eri-san came out of the classroom.
"Sorry for the wait. Next, Maehara-san, please."
Me and my mom followed Yagisawa-sensei, who went inside the classroom after bowing her head in apology.
As we exchanged our places, my eyes and Amami-san met.
"Sorry, Maki-kun. It took longer than expected."
"Don't worry about it. Mine won't take that long anyway."
"Okay… I'm going on ahead then… Hehe…"
Her behavior made me suspect that something might have happened to her during the interview. Was it about her exam results? In any case, her shoulders were more slumped than usual and when we parted, she let out a deep sigh.
Then again, I guess this kind of thing wasn't anything strange. During the parent-teacher interview, not only did you have to face the harsh cold reality about your current situation, you also had to do it right in front of your parents. It really couldn't be helped, after all, both Eri-san and Yagisawa-sensei were properly thinking about Amami-san's future.
It made me realize another duty for 'adults'; To bear the resentment of their children.
And it also made me realize another duty that a 'friend' had to bear; To comfort a friend in need.
I immediately grabbed my phone and sent a text to Umi.
[Maehara: Umi]
[Asanagi: Yes. Leave her to me.]
[Maehara: Thank you. I know I can count on you.]
[Asanagi: I mean, she's my best friend, you know?]
With that, I could rest easy and leave Amami-san in Umi's hands, at least for now.
Anyway, I should put the matter aside and focus on what was in front of me.
"Maehara-kun, are you done? We're a little pressed for time, so, can we start now?"
"Yes… Firstly, Mom, thank you for coming."
"Hm? What is it all of the sudden? …Well, you don't need to worry. I'm fine with anything as long as you're doing well in school."
I sat down next to my mom. Finally, the long-awaited parent-teacher interview started.