Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 156: If only I had been born a year earlier…

If only I had been born a year earlier…

“Now then, about what’s coming up next…”

It had taken some time for everyone to calm down a sulking Nishikawa-san, but thankfully, she eventually managed to bounce back.

With the mood reset, the conversation was able to continue.

“First of all, the staff has already reported to your father, so there’s no need to rush anything in particular. That said… I was thinking of holding a small gathering. Not exactly a celebration, more of a—yes, a thank-you party. How does everyone’s schedule look?”

As Nishikawa-san made her suggestion, everyone glanced around to confirm their availability. No one voiced any objections or declined the invitation.

“Seems like everyone’s on board. I’ll go ahead and make the reservation then—does anyone have a preference?”

“Where are you thinking of holding it, Eririn?”

“If there are no specific requests, I was considering either a restaurant or a hotel again.”

Wait—shouldn’t we be discussing the budget first?

Last time, Nishikawa-san covered everything. But we can’t possibly let her do that again, right…?

“By the way, about the payment?”

“Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

“Um, Nishikawa-san… You paid last time too, and if you do it again, I’d honestly feel a bit guilty.”

I realize the way I said that might make it sound like I’m nudging everyone to chip in—but continuing from last time and asking her to cover everything again just feels wrong.

“Takanashi-san, you’re very considerate. But please don’t worry—think of it as a token of gratitude for your help in removing a rather toxic element from the Nishikawa Group.”

“Awesome. In that case, I won’t hold back!”

“Good grief… Natsumi, you could learn a thing or two from Kazunari.”

As Natsumi-senpai cheered gleefully, Sara-san gave her a pointed reminder, while Nishikawa-san watched the two of them with an amused smile.

Somehow… this feels like a glimpse into what their everyday life was like back when Nishikawa-san was still around.

It’s kind of heartwarming. I can’t help but wonder—if I’d been born just a year earlier, could I have been a part of that everyday scene too?

“Takanashi-san? Is something on your mind? You had a rather complicated look on your face.”

Apparently, Nishikawa-san had noticed my expression while looking my way.

A complicated expression… I wonder what kind of face I was making.

When Sara-san heard that, she spun around and hurried over with a slightly concerned look.

She stood in front of me, studying my face quietly, and then gently placed her hand on my cheek, softly brushing it.

“Kazunari-san… were you thinking about something?”

“…No, it’s nothing serious. I just thought… if I’d been born a year earlier, maybe I could’ve seen more of the fun moments you all shared, or even been part of them.”

It really was just a passing thought—not something I meant to dwell on.

Sara-san, however, gave me a faintly melancholic smile as she closed the distance between us, placing her hand gently on my chest.

“Hmm… but if you were the same age as us, our first meeting would’ve been different. And in that case, I probably would’ve treated you like any other boy.”

She might be right.

If that had happened, I might’ve never recovered from the heartbreak…

“True, a different beginning might’ve meant a different relationship. But regardless of the form, I’m convinced that we still would’ve ended up here, Kazunari-san. Maybe even in the classroom, I would’ve found myself doing something like this.”

Sara tilted her head slightly and gave me a dazzling smile.

“Though, I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to approach you.”

I honestly can’t picture myself ever making the first move. Even if I’d fallen for her, I probably would’ve just admired her from afar and never confessed.

“Hehe… It’s fine. I would’ve fallen for you first anyway, so there’s no problem.”

“No, I think I’d fall for you at first sight even faster.”

“But as it turns out, even in our current relationship… I may not have realized it was love at first, but from the beginning, I already—”

“I probably—”

“DAAAAAH! Will you two give it a rest already?!”

!?

Natsumi-senpai’s scream echoed through the room, and that’s when I realized… we’d done it again.

The stares from everyone around us were almost physically painful.

Still, Sara-san didn’t seem too fazed by it…

“Either way, the result is the same, right? Now stop before we can’t move this conversation forward.”

As I looked around, it was clear that Hanako-san’s words reflected everyone’s thoughts—they all nodded in agreement.

Why were we even competing in the first place…?

“Sara-san, I think Hanako-san is right. We should—”

chu…

!?

Just as I turned, Sara’s face suddenly drew near. I felt the light touch of her lips—not quite on my mouth, but close, right on my cheek—and my entire body froze along with my words.

How long did I stay frozen like that…?

When she finally pulled back, she wore a slightly embarrassed, but mischievous smile.

“…Looks like I was first after all, right?”

“…………Yeah.”

That wasn’t fair…

I had no choice but to admit defeat.

***

“……………”

Huh!?

Everyone had been stunned into silence.

Honestly, those two are just…

Even Hanako-san—who I thought had the highest tolerance—was speechless, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“If Takanashi-san had been our classmate, we would’ve had to watch that kind of thing every single day, right? Please don’t joke… I’d die from emotional exhaustion.”

Eririn muttered in a tone that was half-serious, half-terrified.

“Yeah… we’d probably have a casualty every day. The girls would get fed up, the boys would get jealous and mess with Takanashi, and then Sara would yell at them… I can picture it perfectly.”

It might have been slightly amusing, but no one wants to be force-fed that much sweetness every day.

“But… I really admire Satsukawa-senpai. She was amazing today. It’s inspiring to see a woman grow so strong for the person she loves.”

Tachikawa-san praised Sara with sparkling eyes. From a girl’s perspective, I guess that’s a fair assessment.

Sara’s always been strong, but when it comes to Takanashi-kun…

“Let’s just leave those two alone and get back to planning.”

“Right. As long as Kazunari and Satsukawa-senpai are together, they’ll be fine anywhere.”

That’s definitely true.

At this point, maybe we should just go with Eririn’s recommended place.

“Alright then, I’ll go ahead and decide. …………Honestly, keeping up with those two is exhausting.”

You’re not the only one, Eririn…