Hey, Best Friend. How About A Kiss Today Too? - Chapter 57: "T-That's not it, okay...?"

“T-That’s not it, okay…?”

We were caught by Sagiri’s mother while embracing each other on the bed, half-naked.

The situation, both visually and verbally awkward, was like a baseball game ending with a game-set, or a soccer match resulting in a red card. Yet, a similar situation had been witnessed by my own mother as well, essentially earning us double red cards…?

“Renji-kun, Renji-kun! I bought lots of meat, so don’t hold back, eat as much as you want! Beef stew, steak, yakiniku, chicken, and hamburgers! Oh my, I forgot to buy red rice! But lean meat is fine, right? Because it’s red! Hehehehehehe!”

“Mama!?”

Amidst my confusion, chaos was unfolding.

A parade of meat, meat, and more meat lined up on the table. It was a grotesque amount that one would only see at a farewell party held by the class after the middle school graduation.

This scene, which could be considered a scandalous moment between me and Sagiri, had led to this immense quantity being prepared by Sagiri’s mother, who bore a striking resemblance to her.

Her unwillingness to listen to others made her seem like a mother with added elements of both activity and aggressiveness, creating an unbeatable combination. 

While Sagiri protested beside me with a bright red face, her protests fell on deaf ears.

“Hey, listen, Renji-kun! Sagiri hasn’t stopped talking about you lately! Since she came home last Friday I thought there was something going on, but I never expected it to have progressed this far! I’m so happy for you both!”

“Wh-What!?”

Sagiri, unable to defend herself, faced her invincible mother. It seemed that every household had a strong mother figure.

Meanwhile, I, confronted with such a situation by Sagiri’s mother, didn’t know how to react and could only force a polite smile.

“Ubuh… Fugu… Sagiriubo…!”

“Oh, dear, Papa is so happy he’s crying! We’ve always supported you two since the beginning!”

Facing me was Sagiri’s father, who had tears streaming down his face. The sight of the kind-looking, thin father struggling to breathe while tremblingly biting into grilled meat would have seemed surreal to anyone who wasn’t directly involved.

I hadn’t even eaten anything yet, but my stomach was already in knots.

“T-That’s not it, okay…?”

“O-Oh…”

I couldn’t help but nod to protect Sagiri’s embarrassment, which had turned her bright red to the point of almost exploding.

I should have been happy to be welcomed by familiar parents who had always supported us, but perhaps because of the nature of my relationship with Sagiri, I couldn’t feel genuinely happy.

Although I thought it was fine for now if it was what Sagiri wanted, the situation would change once it spread to our families.

“So, what happened? Who confessed first?”

“…Renji did.”

“Sagiri!?”

“But we haven’t done anything!?”

“And you’re okay with that sudden betrayal? Seriously!”

Well, maybe confessing ‘I love you’ as I did yesterday was the right move, but even so, our relationship as friends hadn’t changed.

As I pondered over this, I felt a tug on my clothes under the table.

“Let’s get our stories straight…”

“Ah, yeah…”

Sagiri, on the verge of tears from embarrassment, whispered to me sneakily. Just that rare gesture made my heart race.

“Oh my, how adorable~”

“Cough… cough…”

Even just that exchange of faces drew the attention of Sagiri’s parents.

Sagiri’s father looked like he was about to pass out, and I, too, though the meal that followed should have been delicious, couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.

***

The lively dinner table, hosted by Sagiri’s mother, came to an end.

The sight of Sagiri’s slender father choking back tears as he devoured most of the meat dishes lined up was impressive. It was a meal that taxed the brain as Sagiri’s mother, with machine-gun-like speed, fired off anecdotes and questions one after another, leaving no room for respite.

It was just a visit to check on Sagiri, who was sick and had skipped school.

Before I knew it, Sagiri and I were kissing on the bed as usual. Seeing a different vulnerability than usual, some of the things we had tried to keep hidden were exposed.

“Sorry…”

“No, I should be… sorry.”

Sagiri, still blushing, wouldn’t meet my eyes as she saw me off at the front door.

It was awkward, like when your parents catch you in an intimate moment. Maybe it wasn’t a mistake, or maybe it was, and maybe our relationship was wrong, or maybe it wasn’t.

I wished someone could tell me the right answer.

“Um, anyway… I’m glad you’re feeling better, Sagiri.”

At times like this, I can’t help but think that the guys who can say clever things are the ones who get all the attention. But right now, all I could do was change the subject. I wish someone would tell me the right answer.

“…Yeah.”

See, that was a failure, it’s awkward now.

Dragging this awkwardness into tomorrow wouldn’t be good… Alright.

“Sagiri!”

“Huh?”

I called out Sagiri’s name as she hung her head.

“Mmm!?”

The moment she looked up, I stole a kiss from her lips.

“Renji…?”

It was just a brief kiss.

When I pulled away, her faintly colored eyes looked up at me.

“…You’re my best friend, that’s why.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off hers.

“…Because, if my best friend isn’t doing well, then… it’d be troubling, you know?”

Those words just came out spontaneously, from the heart.

“…So, I’ll be waiting tomorrow too, okay?”

I’ll just say it was incredibly embarrassing.

“Yeah.”

In return for that embarrassment, I received a smile.

That smile was so radiant that it made me forget all the chaos and confusion from just moments ago.

“…I’ll wait for you.”

Maybe that’s why.

At that moment, with this simple phrase, little did I know that Sagiri’s restraint would completely come undone, encompassing everything that happened today.