Amane had fallen asleep cuddling Mahiru last night, but when he woke up the next morning, she was no longer in his arms.
He looked around slowly, lifting his heavy eyelids, and the only trace of Mahiru's presence was the empty space next to him... Or so Amane thought for a moment, until he noticed something strange. For some reason, there was a stuffed cat placed at the edge of the bed, looking his way.
The stuffed animal, which Amane had covered with his blanket the night before, was now positioned next to him, perhaps because of a certain someone's handiwork. Its round, wide eyes were as imposing as usual.
Amane saw a reflection of himself in those eyes and noticed that he looked fairly refreshed. But suddenly, he remembered what had happened the night before, and a wave of awkwardness and embarrassment bombarded him. He then turned the toy's face toward the wall.
...She was so adorable.
In line with his promise and Mahiru's wish, Amane had only allowed himself to touch her gently. However, despite that, it still must've been rather stimulating for Mahiru, for she showed him a side of herself that he didn't even know she had.
Her frail, high-pitched voice that echoed through the house, the sweat that trickled across her flushed skin, the soft sensation of touching that skin, so different from his own, her eyes that melted with sweet trust and anticipation— everything had been vividly etched deep into Amane's mind, sweetly testing his sanity. Even now.
In hindsight, he couldn't help but feel like he wasn't in his right mind last night, but at the very least, Amane could guarantee that he hadn't broken his promise with anything he did afterward. However, it was also true that he had brought her right to the edge.
Amane's head began to ache just from recalling what had happened, the embarrassment of the memory hitting him. He tried to push it all into the back of his mind, but as he stood up, he heard the sound of the door creaking.
"...Have you woken up?"
Mahiru poked her head out from the gap in the door, and if the apron she was wearing was any indication, she had been preparing their breakfast. Mahiru had gotten changed first and was wearing casual clothes beneath the apron.
It was only natural that she would change, given that her negligee had become all wrinkled, but Amane couldn't deny that he would've liked to see her dressed in it for a little while longer. Though since he'd stared at it so much already the night before, he couldn't really complain. Mustering up a somewhat hoarse voice, he replied, "Good morning."
Mahiru blushed for a moment as she locked eyes with him, but she didn't run away. "Breakfast is ready, so please get yourself changed and wash your face."
"...I will." That line of hers made his heart flutter, making it sound as if they were already living together in the truest sense of the phrase. However, since she actually came to his house every day, until right before she went to sleep, they were obviously already halfway there.
"What's for breakfast today?"
"We're having rice with dashimaki tamago and miso soup, pre-made kinpira gobou, and cold tofu with frozen salmon." [1]
"What a luxurious breakfast first thing in the morning. ...It's like I'm dreaming."
"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? If you're just feeling sleepy, I can help wake you up." Mahiru entered his room from the hallway and pinched his cheeks, once she made her way over to him. Though, it was probably more accurate to say that she had come for the contact rather than to wake him up, since it didn't hurt at all.
Mahiru seemed satisfied by squishing his cheeks, and Amane felt a sense of warmth and happiness well up from within him, as if a patch of sunlight was shining onto his chest. He reached out and gently ran his hand along the nape of her neck, lightly pinching her collar and lifting it up.
Around the base of her neck where Amane touched her, there was a small red mark, reminiscent of a camellia that had fallen onto the glistening snow, which was neatly hidden by her clothes just a moment ago.
It was a faint, inconspicuous sight that would be hidden by her school uniform, but to the person who was responsible for it, it was a fairly exciting thing to see.
Only the two of them knew the secret that lay hidden beneath just one layer of clothing.
"...We'll have to keep that hidden for a while."
"Th-This is your fault in the first place though, Amane-kun."
"I really am sorry about that." He promptly apologized. "…I couldn't control myself…"
Rationally, Amane knew that Mahiru would be troubled if he'd made a mark somewhere people would be able to see, but the devil perched on Amane's shoulder at the time wanted nothing more than to trample all over the fresh snow that was the Angel's skin, and as a result, he'd unconsciously brought his lips to bear on the landscape of her flawless neck.
Mahiru quickly adjusted her clothes, falling silent as her face turned redder than even the mark itself. If Amane were to remind her too much about last night, she would definitely give him the silent treatment for a while. She was undeniably the one who revealed more of her private self, but Amane wasn't about to press the issue, lest he'd be forced to skip breakfast. Besides, Amane being Amane, even a freezing cold shower wouldn't be enough to cool himself down after recalling last night's events.
"A-Anyway, please hurry up and get changed. You can cool your head down by washing your face," Mahiru advised despite her embarrassment.
"...I think you're the one who'd be better off cooling down, though." "Did you say something?"
"No, I said nothing at all…."
Amane pouted mildly as Mahiru glared at him slightly, her cheeks clearly hotter than his own, and then he grabbed the end of the shirt he was wearing, signaling that he was about to get changed.
Mahiru immediately let out a pitiful "Hyah!" and scurried out of his room at top speed. Amane couldn't help but chuckle at this, thinking about the contrast in her behavior.
She was so curious last night, though.
Red from head to toe, Mahiru clumsily made her hasty retreat. She was so embarrassed that it was hard to believe she was the very same lover he'd shared so many experiences with behind closed doors. Amane then changed into his casual clothes, his shoulders trembling with chuckling laughter all the while.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
Amane had finished the breakfast Mahiru had made for him and took a breather on the sofa, but there was something strange about the way she was sitting next to him.
Normally, they'd settle with a distance where they would be close enough to touch each other without snuggling, but today there was a bit more distance between them, and Mahiru was acting awkward. Whenever he tried to hold her hand, her body would shake with a twitch like a small, frightened animal, to the point that Amane was even starting to feel a little guilty.
"...Uh, I feel like there's a tremendous amount of distance between us."
"N-No, erm, it cannot be helped. It's all your fault, Amane-kun. After all, you touched me so much last night... well, of course I wouldn't be able to keep my mind off of it today."
While they were eating, they had treated each other normally, albeit a little awkwardly. But now that they were simply sitting next to each other again, she grew self-conscious, seemingly remembering everything they'd done the night before. Fortunately for Amane, there were no signs of Mahiru being displeased with him at all, though her cheeks were flushed and eyes downcast.
"Well, erm, I'll admit that it's my fault," Amane replied, hesitant. "Did you… not like it?"
"I-I didn't say no, and I accepted it, so... I-I am happy. But th-that's not what I meant. It's just embarrassing, and when we sit together like this I get reminded of it all and I get embarrassed."
"I… see. ...It's not like it doesn't embarrass me too, but... more than that, I just want to be with you more."
Of course, Amane would be lying if he said he wasn't embarrassed at all.
The more he thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt about the secrets he shared with her, and the more he wanted to agonize over the fact that he did things he would normally consider unimaginable. But, even so, when he thought about it, the warmth, the sensation, everything came back to him, and it made him want Mahiru all over again.
In light of that, the reason Amane remained relatively calm was probably because the promise he'd made last night was wholly buried deep in his heart, and that fact alone served as the dam that restrained his overflowing feelings.
"I-It sounds like I'm the only one feeling embarrassed about it if you say that. Geez."
"...So, we can't snuggle?"
"I never said you couldn't," Mahiru answered. Then while quietly murmuring, "That's so unfair, though," she closed the distance she'd created up until now and sat close enough for them to touch once more.
Mahiru's fragrance wafted through the air as she sidled over, and mixed in with her usual scent was the softener that Amane tended to use, which made him feel a different kind of embarrassed.
...It's nice to smell your own scent from your lover.
Perhaps he just hadn't really noticed, but she'd been wearing Amane's scent for a while now. Staying the night like this, he was reminded once again that it was becoming natural for Mahiru to slowly but surely warm up to him and want to stay by his side, and the thought warmed his heart.
The fact that Amane's only wish was for him to connect with her even more made him keenly aware that he was utterly charmed by Mahiru.
"...Erm, come to think of it, Shihoko-san and Shuuto-san are at a hotel right now, aren't they?"
A timid Mahiru asked softly as Amane gripped her hand. He smiled at the gentle warmth and comfort it gave him.
"Hm? Yeah, that's right. They said they'll be coming again this afternoon.
The timing of it feels odd, though. It scares me."
Shihoko and Shuuto had gone out of their way to reserve a hotel for the duration of their stay despite Amane's apartment being a viable and convenient option for the two of them.
If the two of them had stayed at his apartment, last night's events with Mahiru wouldn't have happened, so it wasn't a bad thing for Amane in the end, but he had all sorts of mixed feelings about how things had played out.
"By the way… Ah—" Amane suddenly remembered something. "…It'd be embarrassing if you told them what we did, so please play dumb."
"Y-Yes."
"I'm afraid that they'll see right through us, and that'd only make the misunderstandings worse… I'd prefer it if Mom didn't go overboard, so please don't say anything carelessly."
"I-I won't, okay?"
"I don't know about that, Mahiru. Lately, you've been holding back a lot less of your inner thoughts out there in public. Even if you try to hide it, she might see right through you and get excited all on her own, you know?"
After they had started dating, Mahiru, who gradually showed more of her true self at school, had begun to smile and express her emotions more naturally than ever. It wasn't as if she was wearing her emotions on her sleeve, but she had become extremely easy to read for the people close to her.
All the more so if the person in question was Shihoko. Mahiru had completely opened up to her and they were rather close in general, but their close-knit relationship could backfire on her this time.
Shihoko was so excited about Mahiru coming into Amane's life that she was watching them like a hawk. It was within the realm of possibility that she'd notice that something transpired and brazenly point it out, causing Mahiru to reveal everything. Amane would prefer for her to keep her guard up.
"Geez, Amane-kun. I don't think you should be talking about your mother like that…"
"It's a fact that she tends to go overboard a lot, though."
"...While I can't deny that, she's still a kind and considerate person." "That's a different story. I don't like how Mom smirks at me."
Even Shihoko's future daughter couldn't deny her tendency to go overboard, but Amane did understand Mahiru's point of view. He loved Shihoko both as a person and as his mother, but he couldn't deny the high chance of her getting carried away, prying or meddling, and he wasn't good at dealing with any of those outcomes.
"I know.... E-Eerm, right now, I don't want to… tell anyone just yet, either."
".. Yeah."
It was clear as day that Mahiru had no intention of telling even Chitose, and her eyes were welling up with embarrassment. Her cheeks were faintly red, her words yet again reminding her of last night. Her eyes darted around as if she couldn't bear to even look at him.
Even so, the fact that she refused to let go let him feel the strength of Mahiru's love.
"Shihoko-san and Shuuto-san are coming this afternoon, right?"
"Yeah, that's what I heard What's wrong?"
Amane tilted his head slightly, subtly asking her if there was a problem with the arrangement, but his chest throbbed slightly as Mahiru turned towards him with feverish eyes.
"N-No, erm, I-I was just hoping that it could just be the two of us for a little while longer."
Amane's face relaxed as she continued to say such cute things. He teased her a little, replying, "It's just the two of us every day, isn't it?"
"Th-That's true, but... Eerm, t-today is… special."
Today was the day Mahiru had accepted Amane from the bottom of her heart. They had shared their warmth together, and committed even more to one another. This special day that Mahiru mentioned, was also special for Amane in the same way.
"...You're right. Let's take it easy until they arrive." "Yes."
That said, it was still embarrassing to think about that special moment once more. Amane smiled slightly, gently took Mahiru's hand, and submerged himself in her warmth once again.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
"Mahiru-chaaan! I haven't seen you since the cultural festival!"
Amane and Mahiru had finished lunch and were taking a breather, when Shihoko and Shuuto showed up, in the same lively fashion as always.
Even though they had seen each other just yesterday, Shihoko was clinging to Mahiru as if it had been years since the last time they had gotten together. Seeing this, Amane couldn't help but narrow his eyes, wondering what on Earth she was doing.
"It's only been a day. Why're you acting like it's been so long?"
"Ara, I was away from my cute daughter for a whole day. Of course I'd be lonely."
"It's only been a little over a month since we last got together, hasn't it?" More than a month had passed since the last time they had gotten together, or more accurately, the time before that. Amane was referring to the final day of their stay over at his parents' house. He could understand Shihoko being as happy as she was when they reunited at the cultural festival, but was stumped as to why she had the very same enthusiasm a single day after.
Shuuto calmly watched over Shihoko, even while she acted so excited, seemingly having no intention of stopping her from clinging to Mahiru.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. I miss what I miss."
"Mahiru, don't be afraid to push her away if she gets annoying." "Geez, Amane-kun. I-I am happy about it…"
As a matter of fact, Mahiru seemed to like being fussed over by Shihoko, so she wasn't lying in the slightest. However, she was often overwhelmed by his mother's momentum, and he could see her flinching each time Shihoko burst out with some new explosive exclamation of love for her.
Naturally, Amane understood that Mahiru was accepting Shihoko because she liked her, and that she was pleased about it, but... As her boyfriend, the fact that his mother had more affectionate contact with Mahiru than Amane, her lover, was something that left him feeling worried.
His mother seemed dissatisfied with Amane's exasperated comments, and even though he was her son, her youthful face combined with her puffing out her cheeks made her look far younger than she was, in his eyes.
Amane was aware that she was acting like that on purpose, but as her own son, he wanted her to calm down a little more. He'd probably end up writhing in agony if she acted like that in public, not to mention embarrassed. Shihoko pressed on, however. "Seriously, Amane, you should learn from Mahiru-chan's cuteness."
"You'd be put off if I did that, right?"
"Well, perhaps, but in the past, you were as adorable as an angel... Now you're aloof and not cute at all."
"I humbly apologize for not being cute."
"Oh my, are you sulking? You're so cute when you're like that." "Stop with the weird interpretations!"
"Oh my... I gave you a compliment and that's what I get!"
"Now, now," Shuuto finally stepped in. "Amane's at the age where he'd get mixed feelings if he was complimented too much by his mother for being cute. He has his pride as a man, after all."
"Ara~ You're so cute when you do that too, Amane. Look at you getting all embarrassed like that."
"Can I get angry now?" Since Shuuto's support wasn't exactly supportive, Amane glared at the overly friendly couple while trying to keep his eye from twitching, but it was then that Mahiru decided to mediate.
It seemed that she didn't want them to fight, but Amane obviously wasn't seriously annoyed, nor did he want to get into an actual argument. That aside, he was clearly irritated at least slightly by Shihoko's teasing tone. "A-Amane-kun, calm down," Mahiru said, trying to break them apart.
"I am calm. It's just that a certain someone won't get off my case."
"Ara, I don't know about that, Amane. To begin with, you mustn't blame others."
"Look who's talking."
"Hey, that's enough. Shihoko, if you don't pipe down soon, Amane will give you the silent treatment. And Amane, you know that Shihoko-san wants to fuss over you, right? Don't give her openings by responding emotionally."
"...Okayyy."
His father would almost always enter as a neutral mediator at times like this, and he was the only one who could quiet Shihoko down.
Shuuto understood that both Amane and his mother weren't serious, but after discerning that they'd be in for the long game if their quarrel continued any longer, Shuuto had come to stop them. If left to their own devices, they could end up wasting a lot of the day with further arguing.
So, Amane and Shihoko obediently settled down once Shuuto interjected, and he began to expand on what he had said.
"We specially took some time off to come all the way here, so we want to take it easy and spend as much time with each other as we can, don't we?"
The gentleness of Shuuto's smile as he patted Shihoko on the back and grinned at Amane was enough to make anyone lose their anger, so Amane dropped his arms and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry I got worked up over something so small," and Shihoko responded with "Sorry for teasing you too much," in a meek voice.
They both knew there was no point in continuing to argue, and they were thorough in apologizing to each other and burying the hatchet, much like they had done back at his parents' house.
Be that as it may, despite knowing it wouldn't be mature of him, Amane took Mahiru back from his mother's hand. He pulled her towards him in a small act of retaliation, and while Shihoko looked dissatisfied, Mahiru didn't seem too upset, as she quickly smiled.
If anything, it seemed she was happy about it. And if it made Mahiru happy, then what he'd done was probably okay.
"...Actually, I'm surprised both of you managed to get a few days off together," Amane said.
As for Amane, it was surprising to him that the two of them, Shuuto and Shihoko, who were both working adults and were quite busy, were able to match their schedules to come for a visit.
Even with their workplaces being relatively lenient with taking time off, even being supportive of parenting and employees participating in their child's school events, Amane wasn't a child anymore. Taking time off for a cultural festival seemed unusual to him.
"Well in my case, I finished my work much earlier than the deadline they gave me. Luckily, Shuuto-san was also able to take some time off."
"You didn't have to go out of your way to come all the way out here, Mom.
You could've just taken it easy together at home."
"Ara, you mean you didn't want me to see your cultural festival?"
"That's not what I meant. I'm just saying that it's quite the distance to travel. Wouldn't it be better for a married couple to spend their time together instead?"
Truth be told, when Mahiru came with Amane to his parents' home, they were both quite busy. They worked hard for their income, though his parents didn't let it show during their stay.
Amane felt bad about letting them spend their precious time off to attend their son's cultural festival as going out of their way to get here by car took time and energy. But even with that, his parents would only be able to see the cultural festival for less than half a day, if that.
Since that was the case, he wanted them to use that time to rest and alleviate their inevitable fatigue, but Shihoko laughed off Amane's half-concerned, half- considerate words with a mischievous smile.
"You're such a dummy, Amane," she said. "Shuuto-san and I are always together at home. You're participating in a cultural festival, which only happens once, so of course we'd prioritize that over anything else. It's fine if we take the opportunity to come meet our son and daughter, right?"
"...If you say so."
Instead of pointing out how Mahiru was being treated completely like her daughter, Amane had to concentrate on hiding his embarrassment at being cherished. As a result, he unintentionally spoke in a sharp and sulky tone. However, Shihoko chuckled at his reaction before continuing.
"However, I thought it'd be bad to intrude on our newly-wed couple here, so we chose to stay at a hotel in the end."
"Shut up. That's none of your business."
Though it was thanks to their consideration to stay at a hotel that last night's events occurred, there was no way Amane could say that.
"...Oh my. Goodness me." "What?"
"Oh, nothing. Still, it sure is nice to stay at a hotel once in a while! I was right to splurge a little."
"That's right," Shuuto added in agreement. "This area is more prosperous than where we live, and the nightscape was beautiful to boot."
Shihoko seemed to have something else to say, but Amane gave her a sharp look. Now it looked like his mother didn't want to press the matter any longer, and she allowed the subject to be changed, all the while smiling at Shuuto.
Shuuto himself must have picked up on that, too, since he hadn't needed to chide her. He simply nodded as he talked about the hotel's reception, the scenery viewed from the window, and the state of developments nearby.
Since the two of them were having fun, there was nothing else for him to add, so even Amane dropped the topic. But as if she had suddenly remembered something, Shihoko turned to look at him.
"Looks like you two spent the night together yesterday. You two really are close~"
Barely holding back a cough, Amane glanced at Mahiru, who in turn shook her head vigorously.
Of course, Amane hadn't thought that Mahiru leaked their circumstances by accident. The four of them had started talking right after his parents had come over, so he knew there wasn't any time to mention that she stayed over in the first place.
But for that very reason, Amane couldn't for the life of him understand how Shihoko had figured it all out. He couldn't help but grimace. He'd told Mahiru that she was easy to read, but it was all hopeless if he himself had a look of confirmation written all over his face when called out. Shihoko, however, didn't seem to pay attention to their reactions at all.
"I caught a glimpse of the contents of Mahiru-chan's bag over there, so I figured I ought to ask about it, but it seems I was right after all~"
Hearing that, Amane followed Shihoko's gaze and saw the various skincare sets she had brought to the bathroom yesterday along the side of the sofa.
Should he be angry at her for tricking him? Or should he be afraid that she found out Mahiru came to stay the night just from seeing her bag?
Although his frown deepened, if Amane wasn't careful about his attitude, things could get much worse, and he couldn't help but acknowledge that there was no way for him to talk his way out of it. Keeping his tone from being too petulant as he spoke, Amane responded. "Shut up, something wrong with that?"
Shihoko smiled elegantly and pleasantly in response. "No? You're old enough and you'd be annoyed if I went on too much about it. You're probably as devoted and sincere as Shuuto-san anyway, so there's no real need for me to worry."
"Considering that, you seem to be joking around a lot, Shihoko-san," Shuuto interjected.
"Hehe, please forgive me for that. He's our adorable son, after all."
Shihoko flashed a confident smile. Although Amane wanted to resist, he gave up and sighed, aware that there was surely no way he could win now. His mother smiled as she usually did, but after grinning at Amane for a while, she then turned to look at Mahiru.
"Oh, by the way, Amane. May I go on an outing with Mahiru-chan?"
Although Shihoko was looking at Mahiru, she was asking him. Frowning at this discrepancy, Amane narrowed his eyes, wondering what was going on all of the sudden.
"Don't ask me. Just ask Mahiru."
"Of course I'll ask her, but I feel like you'd say no because of your strong sense of possessiveness."
"Listen. I admit that I can be possessive, but I have no intention of restricting Mahiru's actions. She's my girlfriend, yes, but in the end she's her own person. I don't intend to force my personal opinions or actions on her."
Just because they were dating didn't mean that Amane had the right to restrict anything Mahiru wanted to do. He may offer his opinion on the matter, but he would never force it onto her, nor would he truly want to.
No matter how close they were, or how much he considered her a beloved partner, she was a separate person with a separate personality. It would be strange if Amane tried to control her like Shihoko was trying to suggest.
Therefore, if Mahiru chose to go out with Shihoko, then that choice was one to be respected. The only thing Amane could do was to ask Mahiru to not say anything strange or leak any of their secrets.
He glared lightly at Shihoko, as if to say that his line of thinking was only natural, but Shihoko happily accepted his exasperated gaze. "Hehe, isn't that great, Mahiru-chan? It's times like this where you can really see his honesty and sincerity."
"Y-Yes."
"I don't feel like I'm being complimented when you're saying it, Mom." Amane interrupted.
"Geez, I wish you'd just honestly accept it. Right, Shuuto-san?" "You're right."
"Even you, Dad…" Amane avoided accepting Shihoko's praise directly, as it sounded like she was teasing him, but when Shuuto did so, he instead felt a strange sense of unease.
Fundamentally, Shuuto wasn't the type to flatter people, and instead tended to point out people's shortcomings as they were. This made Amane all the more uncomfortable, as he knew Shuuto's praise came from the heart.
As such, when praised so earnestly and directly, it would be too embarrassing for Amane to bear. It would be wrong to say that Shuuto didn't understand Amane's feelings. Rather, he knew them all too well, and dared to praise him intentionally.
"In reality, you're kind and sincere to people you've let into your heart. You may not be the most honest with your words or attitude, but at heart you're a considerate kid, and those who know your true self also know that it's how you conceal your embarrassment."
"Wh-What's with all the sudden compliments…? Stop it."
"I'm having precious time with my child, who I rarely see. It's fine to praise you a little, right?"
"That's enough!"
His mother said everything with a bright smile on her face, devoid of any hint of malice or ill intentions, so Amane couldn't bring himself to get angry. All he wanted was to hide the growing blush on his cheeks, which irked him.
He turned away, not wanting his suddenly heated face to be seen, but a classy laugh akin to the tinkling of bells tickled his ears, coming from Shihoko. "Our Amane's weak against Shuuto-san, isn't he? Nobody else is as skillful at softening Amane's blunt nature."
"I think so too," Mahiru chimed in.
"He usually acts so composed, but when it comes to things like this I realize he's still a child," Shihoko clarified.
"Isn't that part of what makes him cute, though?" "Fufu, you're right."
"Hey, you guys." Amane suddenly piped up, and glared at his parents and girlfriend, who—since none of them were the one being discussed—had the leeway to watch passively without consequence. Now choosing to feign ignorance, Shihoko nonchalantly smiled at Mahiru.
"Ah. It's a little late to be asking this, but could I invite you out, Mahiru- chan? I'm sorry to intrude on your day off, but without an opportunity like this, I won't be able to wander around the local area with you."
"Yes, I would love to accompany you, Shihoko-san." "Then it's decided!"
Dissatisfied, Amane had been glaring at them reproachfully. He wasn't fond of the fact that they'd gotten excited about him all on their own, but after ignoring his discontent, Mahiru and Shihoko had promptly decided to go outside together. With this, Amane felt that he ought to have the chance to complain, even just a little.
It was their decision whether they wanted to go out or not, but that aside, he had a lot of bones to pick about their appraisal of him. "Could you not ignore me and let me join in the conversation?"
"Ara. You want to join us on our girls' day out?" "That's not really necessary, but... whatever."
No matter what he would say now, it would have no effect whatsoever, so Amane heaved a large sigh, a declaration of his discontent, before looking at his father.
"If those two are going out, what're you gonna do, Dad?"
"About that…" his mother interrupted. "Shuuto-san wants to have a talk with you, Amane."
"...A talk?"
Amane inferred from her comment that it would be related to Mahiru in one way or another, but he failed to imagine what his father would actually say to him. Amane nervously looked over to him, only to be greeted with a gentle smile.
Shuuto usually sported a gentle expression on his face, and Amane generally had trouble figuring out what he was thinking, making him wary. Given his personality, there was no risk of his father forcing any unreasonable demands onto him, so while Amane wasn't worried about that in the slightest, it made it all the more of a mystery what his father wanted to discuss with him.
"I figured a talk between the two of us would be good once in a while. You know, you always snap back when Shihoko-san's around, after all. It's not civil at all," Shuuto explained.
"I wonder whose fault that is."
"It's Amane's fault for worrying too much about the details. Right?"
Shihoko tilted her head slightly, seeking agreement from Mahiru, but Mahiru only showed a faint, troubled smile on her face in response.
I guess Mahiru understands that Mom's saying weird things just to get a reaction out of me.
Mahiru was wearing an ambiguous smile that appeared to be more benign than strained, to which Amane told her in his mind, You can be honest with what you want to say.
"At the very least, Mahiru doesn't seem to agree."
"Oh, hush. Well, that's fine, I have a lot of things I want to talk about with Mahiru-chan myself."
"Just don't teach her anything unnecessary."
"You don't trust me, do you? No need to worry, I can tell right from wrong. I won't do anything you would truly dislike. We'll just have a normal girls' talk." Amane was powerless against the pressure hidden beneath his mother's smile, and he looked over at Mahiru for some measure of assurance, but all she gave him was a confident smile, signaling, It'll be okay, but Amane didn't know whether he could trust her or not when it came to his mother's shenanigans. "Okay, Mahiru-chan. Let's go."
"Ah, w-wait! Please let me go home and get ready first."
Well, Amane trusted that even Shihoko would avoid prying for details that Mahiru didn't want to talk about. Probably. So, he watched the two of them leave the house, hand in hand taking cheerful steps.
And so, Amane and Shuuto were left behind. Amane instantly felt relieved that the room had quieted down considerably. As a parent, Shihoko was dear to him and he loved her, but the point stood that he struggled to keep up with the difference in their energy levels, which in the case of his mother, could also be irritating at times. That was why he usually felt a sense of relief right after being liberated from her.
"...She's like a storm or something. For better or worse, it always gets rowdy when Mom comes over. It's not usually so lively here."
Shihoko, who was always cheerful and spreading smiles to everyone around her, was both the moodmaker of the Fujimiya family and a popular person in their neighborhood in general. Always seen smiling and was talkative with others, she was regarded as incredibly social. She was good-natured, but at the same time, she knew when to cleanly cut ties with someone.
Even as her son, Amane realized that she was a person who easily earned the acceptance of others. Outside or inside, her disposition was always the same, so even at home she always acted as her usual lively self.
"Do you two not usually talk much? You and Shiina-san."
"It's not that we don't talk. We're just not as energetic as Mom."
Amane and Mahiru were people who preferred to have peaceful conversations, neither of them being the talkative type to begin with. There were countless times where they'd simply stayed by each other's sides without saying a word, so there wasn't any chance for any lively, Shihoko-like conversations to occur.
"Haha, you and Shiina-san are usually so relaxed, after all," Shuuto chuckled.
"More like Mom's not capable of calming down."
"Hey, don't say that. Shihoko-san is surprisingly quiet at home, you know?
It's just that you haven't seen her like that often."
"Whaaat? I can't imagine Mom ever managing to keep quiet."
Shihoko had been a lively person for as long as Amane could remember. She was always wearing a carefree smile while joking around; she brightly warmed up the mood wherever she went, shining like the sun. Her words and actions were never lacking in kindness. At the very least, Amane had actually been saved many times by her cheerfulness.
Up until now, he had come to view his mother as a formidable person who wouldn't be herself if she wasn't talking, and Amane could not imagine her ever keeping quiet.
"Fufu. I'm sure Shihoko-san looks like a lively person to you, Amane." "How does she look to you, Dad?"
"Let's see. To me, she looks like a lonely person who wants to be pampered. Ever since you went back, she's been saying 'I'm lonely, I'm so lonely!' the whole time."
"Really? Even though she doesn't show it?"
There had been times when his mother had laughed and joked that she had been lonely, but Amane had never once thought that she genuinely felt that way.
When Amane had decided to attend his current high school, Shihoko firmly respected his wishes, seeing him off with a smile. She showed no signs of stopping him, or wanting to. So, Shuuto describing his mother as a lonely person was a far cry from Amane's view of her.
Slightly troubled, Shuuto lowered his eyebrows and smiled, seemingly having noticed the look of surprise on Amane's face.
"Shihoko-san is a sensible adult, so she knows that she has to let go of her child. If she shows you how she doesn't want to be separated from you, wouldn't you start to get worried? You've since decided on your own path, and she knows that stopping you only because of her own feelings and circumstances is no good. She's trying to keep it to herself."
"...That's something you shouldn't have told me, right?" "Exactly. Keep it a secret, okay?"
Shuuto smiled at him with a hint of playfulness, and Amane frowned ever so slightly after being struck with an indescribable feeling caused by the situation. Seeing this, Shuuto looked at him gently.
"It's nothing you need to worry about, Amane. For Shihoko-san and I, the best thing that could happen is for you to live a healthy and happy life. As your parents, knowing that you're living the way you want to really is our greatest happiness."
"...Yeah. I'm a fortunate person, I really am."
"That's good to hear. I'm glad to have a son like you."
Shuuto smiled at his son with his immaculately pure eyes, and Amane accepted this obediently.
Though Amane's embarrassment was rising, he was also still at ease, able to think of it as pleasant. He realized that he was able to experience this complex feeling thanks to the mellowing of his personality with the passing of time, no doubt influenced by the people he surrounded himself with. Amane wasn't confident that his past, twisted self would have been able to sincerely take in his father's words.
"So," Shuuto then moved the topic along. "There's something else I've been meaning to talk to you about."
"...Something else?"
Amane tilted his head, his memory jogged by Shuuto's words. He recalled that his father had stayed behind with the intention of discussing something with him, as Shuuto's expression shifted to a gentle, yet hard to read smile.
"Yeah. I can easily tell just by looking at you two, but you really do get along well with Shiina-san."
"That's… well, yeah. It's true that we're dating, but I think we're pretty close."
Rather than teasing, it was a voice that sounded impressed and relieved, so Amane responded by softening his tone. He was aware that his father wasn't the type to delve too deep into the state of their relationship, but he still couldn't help but brace himself when asked about it.
However, contrary to what Amane expected, Shuuto didn't pry. Instead, he smiled happily, saying, "It's great that you two are getting along so well." And hearing this, Amane's worries dissipated.
"...Dad, you're really not going to ask anything, huh."
"You're the one who'd get embarrassed if you were asked about it, Amane.
You'd probably start sulking or something." "Shut up."
Embarrassed that he had been completely seen through, Amane looked away, his father's laughter reverberating in his ears. "Besides, by the looks of things, it doesn't seem like you've done anything," Shuuto continued.
Amane coughed violently in response to his father's convinced tone.
In a way, he can be worse than mom, Amane thought while almost choking, and as he looked at Shuuto while catching his breath, he was met with his father's usual smile.
"Well, it's not really my place to say anything, is it? Knowing you, I'm sure you've decided how to proceed after careful thought. It's one of the good things about you, but it's also a downside."
"...Considering the future, this is the right thing to do."
"My son, you've become quite the rationalist despite only being a high school student. That said, I do understand that you're head over heels for her."
"...I can't help it."
"Yeah, you're right about that." Shuuto laughed for a while, "I was the same, after all," before suddenly dropping his smile and looking at Amane firmly. "...Anyway, as for the main issue."
"Hm?"
"Don't worry about the cost, okay?"
In the face of such bold words, Amane froze.
Both Amane and Mahiru knew that they would marry in the future. That was why Amane made the choice of taking such intentional care of Mahiru's body for the future, refraining from crossing any irreversible divides with their bodies in the present. Last night was the strongest example yet, proof of their commitment to that agreement.
From that point on, the practical problems: the cost aspect, and the approval from Mahiru's parents, were all issues Amane was thinking about, but not discussing with her.
When marrying, it was obvious that the question of money would arise. Considering what to do about the ceremony, residence, income, and so on. Once Amane thought about what would happen after marriage, he figured he wouldn't be able to put food on the table if all he did was dream.
Amane froze in place, not expecting Shuuto to say such a thing, his father smiling wryly as if to say, I knew it.
"For a long time now, I've gathered that you two have probably already made up your minds. Knowing you, once you've truly decided on something, you won't bend that will of yours, nor would your determination change. Straightforwardly, with all your heart, you'll continue to love and adore her. You really are just like us."
"...Was Mom your first love too?"
"If you count you saying 'Mommy, I love you, let's get married!' as a kid, then that goes for you, too. Right, Amane?"
"No way that counts."
Inevitably, Amane averted his eyes from Shuuto, who was smiling comically along with a faint laugh. Honestly speaking, Amane's declaration of marriage to his Mom when he was young was just shy of being part of his dark history.
Such was the nonsense of a young child with no common sense or ethics cultivated. On top of that, the number of people he loved was limited, so even if it was brought up now, they would all know it was a joke, but what was embarrassing remained embarrassing.
Shihoko would bring it up from time to time, saying, "You used to say you'd marry me, didn't you?" which made his eye twitch, but when mentioned casually by Shuuto, all Amane felt was a sense of raw embarrassment.
"Well, jokes aside," Shuuto continued, "This is you we're talking about, so I knew you'd be thinking about your future. You're smart, so you're not thinking you can solve all of the problems awaiting you with nothing more than your own feelings, right?"
He hit the nail on the head. Shuuto's composed, gentle smile, as if he could see through everything, gave Amane goosebumps. Precisely since Amane understood that himself, he worried about what he should do. He'd considered consulting someone, but never did he think that Shuuto would be the one to bring it up.
"I'm suddenly scared of my Dad."
"I am your father, after all. Seeing through my son is a piece of cake."
Amane would normally suspect someone of being conceited to say such a phrase, but when said by his father, Amane had this feeling that he could really see through anything and everything, so he couldn't laugh it off. In fact, on top of finding out about Amane's inner conflict, Shuuto asking him about it despite understanding everything from the very start, made it all the more frightening.
"Truly… It's just like you to try and shoulder everything by yourself." "...This was something I decided on my own, and I was going to tell Mahiru right after I'd done some level of planning."
"While going so far to plan things out while you're still so young is commendable, there's a limit to how much one... no, two people, can do. Whenever you find yourself in trouble, do make use of whatever resources you have on hand, alright?"
"But that doesn't mean I should depend on my parents all the time."
Shuuto had probably offered that as a parent's gesture of kindness. However, Amane felt that he was far too dependent on them in general. He was permitted to leave his hometown all by himself, and did not have any financial concerns that would restrict his lifestyle while doing so. In light of that, Amane tried to decide his future without consulting them, as much as possible.
He'd been doing something completely selfish, but Shuuto laughed it off, not seeming to care about Amane's hesitation, saying, "You show restraint with the weirdest of things."
"You really should rely on us for practical matters like this. Personally, as your parent, as well as Shiina-san's parent, I want to give my blessings to both of you. In fact, I want a girl like Shiina-san to be happy without a worry in the world, and the same goes for my son, too. I'd like to do this much, at the very least."
"...Isn't that something we should do with our own efforts and hard work?" "And when do you think that will that be truly possible to achieve?" "Ugh."
When put that way, it was a tough pill to swallow.
If they wanted to do everything themselves, they might be able to save up enough after working for a few years and devoting their all to saving up money. However, Amane didn't want to miss out on giving Mahiru a proper wedding ceremony, which many women dream of, and he also wanted to see Mahiru in a wedding dress or white kimono.
However, Amane knew that trying to do it all on their own would leave Mahiru waiting in suspense, so he was agonizing over the decision.
"Do you really want to make Shiina-san wait that long? Time is especially precious to girls, you know?"
"Ugh... Even so…"
"To me, a wedding ceremony is the start of a new life, and it's also the last time that your parents can offer up a substantial present. My cute son and daughter are going to leave their parents' care and live as husband and wife, so I wish you would let us help at least that much." Shuuto smiled and took a sip of coffee to ease his parched throat, and then continued. "Of course, if you decide to do everything yourself, we'll support your decision. If not, then we'd like to contribute Shiina-san's parents' share as well."
Shuuto and Shihoko both knew about Mahiru's family situation and intended to act as her real parents. Just one look at his father's face, and Amane was reminded that they cared about Mahiru like she was their own daughter, and like she was their daughter-in-law.
Like Shuuto said, they must have been showering Mahiru with love as parents who genuinely care about her, to make up for all the love she wasn't given by her real parents, who couldn't care less about her. For that very reason, although it may seem like Shuuto was offering a compromise, there was zero intention of concession.
Shuuto smiled as if he'd seen right through Amane, who was wondering if it was really okay for him to be spoiled like this, and casually ruffled Amane's hair.
"You've always been bad at indulging and relying on others, haven't you?
It'll be fine, let me do something befitting of a parent." "...You've spoiled me enough already."
"I wouldn't say that. You've ended up with a strong sense of independence in exchange for not having a proper rebellious phase. That even made me lonely, you know?"
Shuuto had no intention of stopping his ruffling, and Amane didn't brush his hand away, either. He found it ticklish and embarrassing, but not unpleasant. The trust he had in his father, and the sense of security it inspired in him, allowed Amane to obediently accept his father's gesture of love.
"It'll all be worth it when you become a parent, Amane, and show us our grandchild's face. You can worry about showing support back to us, your parents, once your lives are stabilized. Fortunately, Shihoko-san and I are both healthy. We're taking care of our health, and our family tends to live long. Make sure you repay us well when the time comes."
Shuuto grinned as he spoiled him, treating him like a child, and Amane relaxed, a warm feeling gradually seeping into his heart. Amane was truly glad to be their child, and resigned himself to being spoiled like one.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
By the time Mahiru and Shihoko returned home from shopping, Shuuto had returned to his usual self, no longer treating Amane with indulgent looks and gestures. Being spoiled like that in front of Mahiru would have been unbearable for him, so Amane was glad it was over, but at the same time, he also felt just a little reluctant to give it up.
However, Amane wanted to act like a proper man in front of Mahiru, so he greeted them with a calm expression, showing no hint of what had happened before. "Welcome back. Done with your shopping and chatting?"
"Of course. Right, Mahiru-chan?" "...Y-Yes."
In contrast to Shihoko, who was cheerful and confident, Mahiru was fidgeting and shrinking, so in all likelihood, his mother had been putting all sorts of unnecessary thoughts in her head. But now wasn't the right time to ask about it, so he purposefully ignored that assumption and took their bags instead.
Since Mahiru blushed upon facing his loving gaze, Amane's suspicion of her indoctrination changed to conviction, and he ended up giving his mother an exasperated look. Shihoko, on the other hand, was undeterred, smiling calmly.
Her smile was filled with a mysterious sense of accomplishment, so Amane wanted to question her himself about what she'd indoctrinated Mahiru with.
"...I'm begging you, don't teach her anything weird."
"Ara, you're mistaken. I hadn't taught her anything weird. I was just giving her advice on something important when you two spend time together."
"Is that not something we'll be learning slowly, on our own, from now on?" "It's not something you can discuss with a boy, so it's fine. You should learn from the wisdom of your ancestors, you know?"
"...Is it okay for me to ask Mahiru about that something?"
"You'll understand sooner or later, so there's no problem. I think it's unbecoming of a man to rush."
Hearing that, Amane had no choice but to keep quiet.
It didn't seem like Mahiru was willing to talk to him about it either, and he understood that there were complicated conversations that could only be held between women, so he knew better than to force an answer out of them.
However, based on his mother's actions up until now, it was bound to be something he shouldn't completely trust. So although he wouldn't ask for it forcefully, he deemed it necessary to keep it in the back of his mind for later. Sending Shihoko a cold look, who returned nothing but smiles and grins, Amane carried the grocery bag to the kitchen and stuffed the fresh food into the fridge.
His parents planned to eat dinner tonight at Amane's place before heading back to the hotel, so they'd need to prepare enough food for four—twice as many servings as the usual. Somehow, it felt a little embarrassing.
"...Are you curious about it, Amane-kun?"
Amane shrugged slightly as Mahiru, who had finished washing her hands, suddenly caught sight of his expression and asked.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious, but I talked to my dad about a lot of things, and I don't feel like telling you about that yet, either. So let's call it even, Mahiru."
"Huh? Wh-What did you talk about?" "Secret."
As Amane tossed the vegetables into the vegetable drawer with a mischievous smile, similar to the one Mahiru would show him every so often, she became rather agitated, softly hitting Amane on his back. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"——That said, Amane. I won't interfere with what you want to give Mahiru-chan, okay?"
Those were the words Shuuto had told him after he had thoroughly ruffled his hair.
Of course, Amane wasn't intending to rely on his parents to that extent, so he was planning on working part-time to increase his savings. He had no intention of cutting corners on his entrance exams either, so he'd have to work even harder to balance both work and studies.
...Looks like I'll have to turn to Kido.
Ayaka may have been half-joking, but she did offer Amane an invitation for a part-time job, so it seemed like a good idea to go along with it. He wouldn't call himself great at customer service, but the opportunity was just right for gaining the social experience he needed.
Looks like there's gonna be more things I'll have to work hard on from now on. Amane nodded solemnly, and Mahiru looked up at him with a worried look on her face.
Amane smiled at Mahiru's expression, telling her "It's a secret" one last time as he closed the vegetable drawer in high spirits.