After Being Dumped With the Insult, “You’re So Clingy!” and Finding Her in Despair, I Kept Encouraging My Beautiful Classmate and as a Result, That Beautiful Girl Started Directing Her Heavy Emotions Toward Me Instead, but Since I Like Emotionally Heavy Girls, It’s No Problem - 16

Chapter 16: A Visit to Jujoji’s Family Home

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After finishing the shopping, we returned to my apartment once, and I shoved the groceries we had bought into the refrigerator in my room before preparing to head out again. The reason I was getting ready to go out again was to apologize to Jujoji’s parents. A few days ago, when I caught a cold, Jujoji stayed over and nursed me back to health. Me—a mere classmate, not even her boyfriend.

Jujoji herself had said, “Don’t worry about it,” but her parents were a different story. I didn’t know how she had convinced them, but as parents, they couldn’t possibly feel good about their precious daughter staying overnight in the room of a man they barely knew.

So today, I intended to visit her parents and apologize for that. I had already purchased a box of sweets from the supermarket’s gift section for the occasion. Ideally, I should have gone to apologize much sooner, but apparently Jujoji’s parents came home late because of work. When I walked her home the past two days, unfortunately, they weren’t there.

When I asked Jujoji, “When are your parents usually home?” she told me they were home on weekends, which was why we decided to go today.

“It’s really not necessary…”

“No, no. It’s better to properly take care of things like this, right?”

“Oh, but if my parents learn that Kokonoe-kun is a responsible young man, that’ll be advantageous for us in various ways in the future, won’t it? Understood. I’ll cooperate.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll call home first and lay the groundwork with my mother. …Ah, Mom? So, about today…”

At first, she seemed reluctant about my going to apologize. But for some reason, she suddenly changed her mind and even offered to call home in advance to smooth things over. I was prepared to be scolded or given an earful, so having Jujoji on my side was reassuring. Still, I couldn’t understand why she had changed her stance so abruptly, and I was confused.

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With the paper bag containing the sweets in hand, we left the apartment. After walking for about twenty minutes, we arrived at Jujoji’s family home. Her house was quite impressive, built in a Western architectural style. It was surrounded by brick walls, and though small, there was a garden outside where hydrangeas bloomed—fitting for June.

We opened the ornate metal gate and stepped onto the property. Walking along the gravel path, we stopped in front of the entrance.

“…I-I’m pressing it.”

When it came time to ring the doorbell, my hand trembled with nervousness. Visiting someone to apologize was always nerve-wracking. Jujoji gently wrapped her warm, soft hand around my trembling one.

“It’s okay. I don’t think my parents are angry. And even if something happens, I’ll support you with everything I’ve got, Kokonoe-kun.”

“Jujoji…”

She smiled as she said that. Encouraged by her words, I steeled myself and pressed the intercom.

『Yeees?』

A few seconds after the “Ding-dong♪” sound, a woman’s voice came through the intercom. It was probably her mother.

“Ah, I’m Kokonoe, a classmate of your daughter…”

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We were led into the guest room by Jujoji’s mother. Her mother was beautiful, much like her daughter. She was essentially Jujoji, but about twenty years older.

“Please, have a seat. I’ll go get my husband.”

“Thank you very much.”

At her mother—Mikoto-san’s—words, I sat down on the sofa in the guest room. It was an expensive-looking black leather sofa. True to its appearance, it sank deeply under my weight when I sat. Jujoji sat beside me. The ticking of the clock echoed loudly in my ears. While waiting for her parents, time felt as though it stretched on forever.

After several minutes, Mikoto-san returned with Jujoji’s father. The moment I saw her father’s face, my back stiffened. He looked so intimidating that I would’ve believed it if someone said he belonged to an organized crime group.

If he yells at me with that face, I might actually wet myself.

Still, I couldn’t just cower. I forced down my fear, stood up, and greeted them.

“Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me today despite your busy schedule. I am Ichika Kokonoe, your daughter’s classmate.”

“I’m Shiro, Futaba’s father. And this is my wife, Mikoto.”

Jujoji’s father—Shiro-san—spoke in a surprisingly gentle voice, contrary to his appearance. After exchanging introductions, he sat down across from us.

“Here you are.”

Mikoto-san served coffee. I gave a small bow in thanks. Once everyone had their coffee and Mikoto-san had taken her seat, I explained why I had come.

“I came today to offer my apology. I sincerely apologize for having your precious daughter stay overnight in order to nurse me back to health.”

I bowed deeply, putting my whole heart into the apology.

“Dad, I already explained before. Kokonoe-kun caught that cold because of me.”

Jujoji quickly spoke up in my defense. Shiro-san nodded.

“Yes. I heard that from my daughter. Apparently, you kept holding the umbrella over her in the rain so she wouldn’t get wet.”

“Y-Yes. However, I shamefully ended up catching a cold myself in the process… It was truly pathetic of me.”

“Please, don’t be so stiff. I’m not angry. Thanks to you, my daughter didn’t catch a cold. If anything, we should be the ones thanking you.”

“But as a result, your precious daughter had to stay overnight. I’m truly sorry. As her parents, weren’t you worried sick hearing that she would be staying at the home of a man you didn’t even know?”

I bowed once more, conveying my sincerity.

“…Raise your head. Honestly, it’s not like I wasn’t worried. But seeing you today put me at ease. These days, hardly anyone would come all this way just to apologize for letting a girl stay overnight. That proves you’re a sincere young man. And the fact that you protected my daughter from getting wet even at the cost of catching a cold yourself shows you’re very kind.”

Shiro-san took a sip of coffee and continued.

“If it’s you, I can rest easy knowing you didn’t do anything inappropriate to my daughter.”

“Y-Yes! I swear I didn’t do anything inappropriate to your daughter!”

“Kokonoe-kun is very kind and sincere.”

Jujoji said that as she clung to my arm.

…I appreciated the support, but she was a little too close. Shiro-san smiled in amusement at his daughter’s words.

“Ahahaha. Well then, keep things pure until marriage, alright?”

“…Eh, marriage?”

“Hm? Aren’t you two dating? I heard from my daughter that you’re even considering marriage…?”

Hearing those unexpected words from Shiro-san, question marks popped up in my head. He looked just as puzzled at my reaction. Just how did Jujoji explain me to her parents?

“N-No, I’m just a classma—”

“Ahem! That’s right. We’re dating! We’re very lovey-dovey♪”

“Jujoji!?”

The moment I tried to deny it, Jujoji cleared her throat loudly and cut into the conversation. For some reason, she declared that we were dating. We were dating…? What did that even mean?

Unable to grasp her intention, I was utterly confused. She leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“(Just go along with it for now.)”

“(O-Okay…)”

Sensing she must have her reasons, I decided to play along for the moment.

“Y-Yes, that’s right. I’m in a relationship with your daughter…”

“If it’s you, I doubt you’ll make my daughter unhappy. Please take good care of her.”

“Ah, haha…”

What am I supposed to do? 

Even if I was just going along with her story, now her parents were entrusting their daughter to me. If this later turned into “Actually, we’re not dating,” I had a feeling they’d really be angry this time. And if Shiro-san got angry with that scary face… It would be terrifying. I trembled internally.

After finishing the rest of his coffee, Shiro-san spoke again.

“I honestly thought my daughter was dating the boy next door, Reiji-kun. I never expected her to bring home another boy…”

“Dad, don’t talk about him.”

Reiji was probably referring to Reiji Senkawa, Jujoji’s childhood friend. The moment Shiro-san mentioned his name, Jujoji’s demeanor changed completely. Her face was still smiling. But the pressure emanating from her was overwhelming. It was as if she couldn’t even bear to hear Senkawa’s name. Even her father seemed momentarily intimidated by her presence.

The pressure she exerted, enough to unsettle even her own father, was incredible.

“Ah, yes. My apologies.”

An awkward atmosphere settled over the guest room for a moment.

“Ah, this is a small gift. I hope it suits your tastes…”

Trying to dispel the strange tension, I handed the box of sweets I had purchased to Shiro-san.

“How thoughtful of you. Mikoto, since we have it, why don’t we all enjoy some together?”

“Yes.”

After chatting with her parents for a while longer, we finally took our leave from the Jujoji household.

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