Aren’t You Too Sweet Salt-God Sato-San? - Chapter 3.7

“He-he, aren’t you lucky, Souta-kun? you got to drink with two beautiful women, rejoice”

“……..What? Why are we suddenly talking about drinking party……..or rather, I’m underage.”

“It’s not cool to reject an invitation from girls! I will just toss you cola, soda or whatever you want, Now let’s go, to the opposite of the Moon~~!”

“Are you even sober Shizuku-san?……Ma… Mayo-san help me….!”

“I will come after finishing closing the store, so you can drink first”

“Wai…..”

“Come on handsome guy, walk briskly~~ Let’s talk about love, love~~~ Even if it’s about vintage clothing.”

I glared at Mayo-san bitterly who just waved her hand without showing any sign of helping and like that, I was forcibly taken to The Moon.

A beautiful full moon floated in the sky as if ridiculing me.

♦️

“Now then……….”

In the empty hidamari, Mayo exhaled a breath of air.

And said suddenly一一

“Will Rinka-chan also come to drink?”

My shoulder suddenly flinched who was secretly hiding between the rows of clothes.

That person, just when had she noticed me? No, since it’s her, I think that person probably knows about it from the beginning…..

I came out from my hiding place looking as calm as possible and lightly cleared my throat without glancing at Mayo-san.

“I-I am not going, I just thought of coming back to properly say my thanks once again…….but now I don’t feel like doing it anymore, so I’m going home.”

“What a shame, even though Oshio-kun is joining”

“It….It doesn’t matter”

“Ohhh”

Mayo-san said meaningfully.

I turned on my heel as my shoulders were trembling to quickly exit the store.

“Even though you could have asked for his Mine too”

“I-I’m not interested”

“Really? isn’t it fun to send casual messages to your friend when you feel alone at night before going to sleep?”

“………….I’m not interested”

“Rinka-chan, this hairstyle suit you”

That was my limit. I stomped on the floor, turned to Mayo-san and said briefly,

“一一一Like I said, I definitely will not fall in love with Oshio-kun!!”

In response to that, Mayo-san laughed and said,

“Does Rinka-chan like Oshio-kun?”

“~~~~~I’m sorry for intruding”

I closed the door a little exaggeratedly and rushed out of Hidamari.

Really, Really, Really! Oshio-kun kun too! Mayo-san too!!

It’s not like that! My face is hot because the weather is Humid recently! My body is trembling only because I’m afraid to be hit by a car! My heart is beating as if it’s about to burst out only because I’m running!!

Never, I will definitely never!

It wasn’t like I was happy that he called me cute, even though I knew that he was hopelessly in love with Koharu!一一一Don’t just decide yourself!

“Don’t be ridiculous, Everyone!”

I ran on the moonlit road as I was absorbed in my thoughts.

♥️

“I’m home”

It was a little after 8:00 p.m, I opened the front door without hiding the cheerfulness in my voice.

Someone seems to be in the living room. Judging from the slight sound of TV, it must be my mother, probably lying on the couch in the living room watching TV like she always does.

I started to take off the heels I had bought at “Hidamari” while humming, something I would never normally do.

Considering it was also something praised by Oshio-kun, I was a little reluctant to take them off……..well, I’ll keep them safe for the show.

As I was thinking about it一一a familiar figure popped out from the darkness of the back hallway.

Well to put it simply, it was my mother.

“Wha!!”

However, because it was too sudden, I let out a strange voice again due to my habit, which doesn’t seem like a highschool girl will do.

“…….Koharu, Koharu!”

My Mother called out my name in a slightly hushed voice but I was here frantically trying to stop my thumping heart.

“W-W-What’s the matter Mother!? You really surprised me”

“Why didn’t you picked up my call earlier?”

“Phone…..? Ah, Sorry, I was busy and forgot to call you back… Did you have something important to do?…….or rather, why are you whispering like that?”

“…..*sigh*! I really wonder who you have gone after really.. Should I say you have bad timing or you are just unlucky…….?”

“?”

“Anyway, I couldn have only support you so far”

I tilted my neck at the words of my mother whom I really didn’t understand what she’s trying to tell, but then I suddenly noticed something.

Huh……..?

Speaking of which, Mother just came out from the hallway then who was the one I sensed in the living room?

When I tried to strain my ear to hear the sound, I found that the TV was playing a news program.

It’s impossible that my mom, who loves variety shows, would bother to watch the news at this prime time.

No way一ー

Almost at the same time as a thought flashed inside my mind, the door of the living room opened.

And when sharp eyes emerged from the other side of the door, I, of course, and even my mother, felt like our spine was frozen.

“一一一Welcome back, Koharu. You are surprisingly late, aren’t you?”

“F-Father…..”

The person here is my father, Satou Kazuharu.

And to make matters worse, he was not off either. (T/N – Nope, even I don’t know what does it mean, I thought maybe it’s about off from office but it doesn’t fit, most likely off means out of city for work something though that’s just a guess)

He had a head of hair that was blacker than black, parted seven to three, a shirt that didn’t have a single wrinkle in it, and a tightly fitted blue tie.

At the same time, however, deep wrinkles etched by daily hard work were protruding from the frames of his sharp, sensitive-looking glasses. He was completely in his work mode.

And when my father, who usually takes a shower as soon as he gets home, is still in work mode……It’s a given.

It’s time for him to give me a sermon.

“I-It’s early today…..there wasn’t overtime?”

I tried to divert the conversation with an amiable smile on my face, but my father still wore the same scowl on his face………

“I’m asking why you’re home so late. And it’s after school, isn’t it? Why are you wearing casual clothes? What happened to your uniform?”

I felt a trickle of sweat run down my neck as he questioned me so matter-of-factly.

Even though I knew he’s my real parents, he scared me more than the teacher. I wonder if my father’s subordinates endure this kind of thing every day……..

I forced my parched throat open and managed to answer.

“I went to buy clothes with cousin Rinka-chan after school today…..since I liked them, I changed there….”

“Only you two children are going out so late? And if i don’t remember wrong, isn’t Rinka-chan still in 3rd year of middle school?”

“Y-Yes……..you seem to remember it well….”

I can’t make eye contact with my father.

Even though my mind understands that the man in front of me is my real father and that he hasn’t done anything special to me in the past, my body just won’t listen to me.

“一一Come here”

So, when I looked down and fumbled with my mouth, my father said so and led me to the living room.

I obeyed with heavy footsteps.

At the same time, the TV news was showing a story about “a string of scandals on social networking sites and the need for morality.” It was showing a story about Minstagram.

It was about a part-timer student at a major family restaurant chain who had uploaded inappropriate and rash photos to Minstagram during the course of his duties, and how this had angered many people.

The father watched the TV and spat out,

“I’d much rather have a stray dog.”

He said it so coldly that it made me shudder.

“Koharu, you seem to be at appropriate age, so let me tell you something. First of all, do you know why people get an education?”

At the sudden question, I timidly said,

“To enter into a good College…..?”

“No, because if you don’t get a good education, you can’t become a person in the first place.”

Saying that, he sat on one of the couches.

“Humans are only animals, always confused by their desires and easily led astray, so we need sensible adults to take the lead and educate them In the beginning. Things like Freedom and liberty, that’s the story only after one is a proper human.The young boy who appeared on the TV is a prime example. He was a stray dog who had been released before he was disciplined properly. I’d have to say it was negligence as a parent.”

“After this, the boy would be fired from his part-time job and will have fingers pointed at him together with his family. The family restaurant that hired him will have a credibility problem, and the video on the Internet will never be erased.一一一Just one undisciplined stray dog can cause trouble for countless people.一一一 You know what I mean right?”