I'll Take Nanase-san, Who Is Small And Adorable, Away From Her Cheating And Clueless Ex And Make Her Happy. - Chapter 298: Hiyori-san, Me, and the Autumn of Results Announcement.

Hiyori-san, Me, and the Autumn of Results Announcement.

“Duh-duh-duh-duhn! Duh-duh-duh-duhn!”

“Chara-lalalalan! Chara-lalalalan!”

It had been just over two weeks since Hiyori-san and I started our diet together. When I returned home that day, I was greeted by my little brothers mimicking some familiar commercial jingle with their voices, while Hiyori-san struck a triumphant pose in front of them. I stood there, wearing an expression of utter confusion.

(This is probably a parody of that gym commercial where they guarantee results…) I thought, as Hiyori-san puffed out her chest with pride and declared,

“I lost weight~! I can’t let my guard down yet, but I’ve finally escaped the danger zone~!”

“Ah… well… that’s great news!”

“It really is~! Thanks to this, I’ve avoided becoming ‘Hiyori-san, big and round all over’! That was a close call!!”

Though I wasn’t quite sure what exactly she was relieved about, it still made me happy to see her efforts paying off.

Of course, she couldn’t let her guard down completely with the risk of regaining it all, but watching her so happy like this made me feel genuinely glad that I had supported her through it.

“Good job, Sis-in-law! You finally did it!”

“Thank you, Masato-kun, Taiga-kun! And thanks for helping me with this little presentation for Yusuke-kun! Honestly, if I could’ve done it in a bikini, the impact would have been even better, but…”

“No worries! If we ever saw you in a bikini, Yusuke would probably kill us afterwards!”

“Hahaha!” Hiyori-san and my brothers burst out laughing, sounding like a scene straight out of a wholesome family drama.

Not knowing what kind of face I should be making at this bizarre scene, I ended up frowning slightly. Then Hiyori-san turned to me with a radiant smile.

“Thanks to you, Yusuke-kun, I managed to lose all the weight I gained from eating too much and being too happy! Really, thank you so much!!”

“Don’t mention it. I was happy just being with you, too.”

“Hehehe~…! But just so you know, even though I’m grateful, my diet isn’t over yet! I still have to slim down a bit more and make sure I don’t gain it back. But from here on, I won’t need to trouble you as much!”

She said this with a bright smile, and I smiled back at her.

As I nodded, thinking how these fun days would probably continue for a while longer, she continued, brimming with joy.

“Ahh~! But really, I’m so lucky! My boyfriend and his whole family are so supportive… I’m surrounded by such wonderful people!”

“That’s because you’re a wonderful person yourself. Good people attract good people.”

“Ehehe~…! Thank you! But I still think the best person here is you, Yusuke-kun.”

Just as she said that with a blissful smile, my mother began setting dinner on the table.

After everyone helped her set up, we all sat down to enjoy dinner together.

“Heheh! Today’s dinner tastes especially good! But I still need to be careful not to overeat.”

“That’s right~! Dieting is most important when you’ve just started losing weight. We’ll keep supporting you until the end, okay?”

“Thank you so much! Hehe… Really, I’m so lucky to have a wonderful mother-in-law and little brothers like you! Even if I officially become part of this family tomorrow, I won’t have a single worry!”

“…Huh!? Guh—! cough cough!!”

Her bold statement made me choke so hard I nearly lost my breath.

My mother and brothers watched me with amused grins, which irritated me just a little.

“Just wait. If you guys ever get girlfriends, I’m going to tease you so hard…”

“Sorry to disappoint, Yusuke. These two aren’t getting girlfriends anytime soon. Which means the day you get to tease them back will never come.”

“She’s right, you know!”

“…Wait, did Mom just roast us? Like, straight to the heart…?”

“Huh~? Really? I thought Taiga-kun still had a chance though…”

“I’m not quite sure what you’re implying, Sis-in-law…”

After hearing Mom’s words, Hiyori-san turned to Taiga with that familiar teasing smile she always wore with me.

Seeing my youngest brother look away in embarrassment and start shoveling food into his mouth while my middle brother sat there, clearly wounded by Mom’s words, made me feel a small sense of satisfaction. I smiled and nodded quietly to myself.

“Oh, that’s right. I was thinking of going for a walk after dinner. Yusuke-kun, will you come with me?”

“Of course. I can’t let you walk alone at night.”

“Hehehe~! Thank you! You really are the best!”

It seemed she still planned to continue her evening walks as part of her diet.

I was happy to spend any extra time with her, so of course, I had no reason to refuse.

As I watched her smiling shyly, I found myself quietly rejoicing at the thought that, for a little while longer, I had an excuse to keep spending these moments by her side.