After Distancing Myself From the Childhood Friend Couple Who Looked Down on Me, I Started Interacting With a Small Animal-Like Beautiful Girl - Chapter 46

When I got home, I was greeted by my mom beaming from ear to ear, and my dad holding Maru, the cat, who was clearly in a foul mood.

It seemed like the fact that I’d been hanging out with classmates two days in a row was some huge event for them, especially for Mom.

She immediately started firing off questions like “Who were you with today?” “What kind of kids did you hang out with yesterday?” “When did you start getting along with them?”

The rapid-fire interrogation nearly overwhelmed me, so I made an excuse to answer later and escaped into my room, letting out a long sigh.

“…If I told them I got a girlfriend today, they’d just question me even harder…”

The thought of explaining things with Ino-san to my parents made my face burn. If they started prying into that, my embarrassment would shoot through the roof instantly.

But if I put it off, Mom would only dig deeper and was obviously thrilled to finally hear about her son’s social life after years of near silence. In middle school and high school, she almost never got to hear about new friends from me, so this was payback in full force.

And Dad wasn’t any better. Back in middle school, he’d bluntly asked me a few times… “So, got a girl you like yet?”

For now, I’d just explain Ino-san the same way I would about Kouki or Shirou as a friend.

That was my plan. After getting changed, I headed to the living room where my parents and Maru were waiting.

“Wait, a girl friend? Seriously?!”

“So what’s she like? This Saitou-san girl?”

A few minutes later, I realized just how naive my plan had been.

Of course, my parents would jump all over the fact that their teenage son had made not only guy friends, but a girl friend too.

“Hey, hey, are you two maybe a thing? Tell us!”

“Mom, you’re way too close. Back up.”

“I can’t believe I’m finally hearing this kind of story from you… Ah, this calls for a drink.”

“Don’t just turn my life into drinking material! And I haven’t even told you anything yet.”

“But you’re going to, right? I’ve always wanted to have talks like this with you.”

“Yeah, we couldn’t even have them in middle school. We’ll take any story, whether it was sweet or not.”

On the sofa, Mom bounced with excitement like a teenage girl, while Dad sipped his beer and grew sentimental. On my lap, Maru licked his fur as if none of this concerned him.

There was no one to bail me out. On top of that, I felt a stab of guilt, realizing maybe I’d made my parents worry about my school life all this time.

When Maru looked up at me and meowed, “Nnya, nya,” it sounded a lot like, “Just give up, Yukito.” That was the final blow, and I had no choice but to surrender.

After giving them my updates, I retreated back to my room, utterly drained and burning with embarrassment. Needless to say, I collapsed on my bed in defeat.

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[Ino’s Side]

“Ino, did something good happen today?”

Dad’s sudden question made me stop mid-scoop, my spoon still stuck in the cup of chocolate-mint ice cream I was eating on the sofa.

I turned my head toward the table, and my eyes met his. He was smiling softly, the expression on his face even gentler than usual.

“Was I right?”

“…Yeah.”

“I thought so. Ever since you came home, you’ve looked more relaxed than usual.”

I’d only ever seen Dad’s calm side, but when he was younger, he apparently was a lot like me. Someone who didn’t show emotions easily. Maybe that’s why he’s always quick to notice changes in me, even more so than Mom.

It felt a little embarrassing, as if he could see straight through the excitement I’d been carrying inside me.

“Can I ask about it?”

I hesitated. I’d never had a conversation like this before.

I’d seen other girls chatting excitedly about love, but I’d never had anyone to talk to about myself. When Mom sometimes asked, “Do you have someone you like?” I would always answer “No,” because up until recently, I really didn’t.

And now here I was, about to talk about this not to Mom, who would pry endlessly, but to Dad.

Honestly, it was easier this way. Mom was in the bath right now, so maybe this was the perfect timing.

Dad’s warm gaze made me squirm, and I laced my fingers together on my knees before speaking.

“There’s a classmate I’ve gotten really close with. And–––today, we decided to start dating.”

“I see…. Huh?”

Dad froze mid-sip, his tumbler of whiskey soda paused halfway to his lips. The silence that followed felt long, maybe too long. What was that about?

“Um… this person you’ve grown close to, he’s a boy, right?”

“Yeah. He sits next to me, and he loves cats just like I do.”

“…What kind of person is he?”

“He’s a real softie. He is kind and gentle, the type who charms people without even realizing it. I personally think that part of him is kind of a problem, though.”

“I see. So… starting today, the two of you are going out…”

Dad’s gentle expression and steady voice didn’t change one bit, except for his hand. He was trembling as he slowly set his tumbler down on the table.

There’d been that strange pause when I first told him, and now the follow-up questions. What was going through his mind?

I scooped up another bite of my now-melting ice cream and popped it into my mouth while waiting for his response. The texture was more liquid than solid by now, but it still tasted good.

“So that boy is someone special to you?”

Just as I reached for another spoonful of ice cream, Dad’s voice came gently to my ears.

He was watching me with softened eyes. Knowing that he understood me, that he could see my feelings for Yuki, filled me with such joy that I couldn’t help but smile as I gave a small nod.

Our conversation carried on a little longer, and when Mom came out of her bath, I slipped out of the living room in turn, my steps light as I made my way to my room.

Throwing myself onto the bed, I let the memories of the day wash over me.

“…Hehehe.”

I thought about Yuki’s confession, the warmth of his arms when we hugged, and our very first after-school date as a couple. Just remembering it made me smile. The happiness far outweighed the embarrassment.

Maybe I’d been smiling too much today, because even the muscles in my cheeks were starting to ache. But I didn’t care. Not one bit.

So lost in my bliss, I didn’t even notice the footsteps coming up the stairs. I clutched my cat-shaped cushion tight, nearly squashing it flat, until the sudden bang of my door flying open made me jump.

“You really got a boyfriend?! Why did you tell your dad first and not me~?!”

Mom came rushing in while her cheeks flushed and her arms flailed as she marched straight up to me.

In an instant, the peak of happiness I’d been floating on plummeted straight to the bottom.

That’s when I realized my greatest mistake.

…I should’ve asked Dad to keep it a secret from Mom.