Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 211: Panic and Assumptions.

Panic and Assumptions.

The Satsukawa Residence.

I had never really looked at the house from the outside before, so I hadn’t noticed… The inside felt quite homey and comfortable, so I never gave it much thought. But now, approaching it on foot like this for the first time, I finally realised—

It’s huge. Truly massive.

Even including the garage, there’s still plenty of space left within the walls. Thinking about it, they even have a separate office building in their garden. How did I not notice something so obvious…?

Well, anyway, let’s set that aside for now.

Ding dong.

I pressed the intercom by the front door, something I’d seen many times before. But… come to think of it, this is my first time coming here alone. I don’t think I’ve ever actually used this intercom before.

“Yes~?”

After a short wait, a warm, gentle voice floated out from the speaker, instantly putting anyone who heard it at ease.

“Hello, it’s Takanashi.”

She could probably see me on the camera, but I introduced myself just in case.

“Hehe, welcome. Please wait just a moment~.”

After a moment, I heard the sound of the door unlocking, and it opened with a click.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Come in, come in, don’t be shy. After all, this house is going to be your family home soon too, isn’t it, Kazunari-kun!”

I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile at Mayumi-san’s sudden, shocking words, but somehow it eased my nerves a little. Perhaps that was her intention.

“Thank you. I’ll come in, then.”

“Today is fine, but next time, you’ll say ‘I’m home, Mother,’ okay?”

“Eh!?”

Apparently, the conversation wasn’t over. It seemed she wasn’t joking at all… she was completely serious.

I slipped on the slippers she’d prepared and followed her into the living room. There, Masaomi-san stood up from the sofa with a somewhat awkward smile.

“Ah, Takanashi-kun. Welcome. I’m glad you came.”

He reached out his right hand, and I shook it firmly, returning his greeting.

“It’s been a while, Masaomi-san. Thank you again for everything the other day!”

“No, no, I should be the one thanking you. We have a lot to catch up on, but for now, please, sit.”

He gestured towards the sofa I had once considered my “usual spot.” Gratefully, I sat down. Mayumi-san left with a patter of slippers, likely to prepare some tea.

Looking at Masaomi-san again, I could see he seemed a little downcast. There was no doubt it was because of Sara-san.

Noticing my gaze, he let out a small, wry laugh.

“Ah, sorry about this. There’s been a bit of trouble with my daughter. But don’t worry, I’m ready to hear you out. For now, let’s have some tea.”

“Thank you very much.”

Soon after, Mayumi-san returned with a tray, setting out teacups, saucers, and some sweets on the low table in front of us. Once everyone had taken a sip of the freshly poured tea and relaxed, Masaomi-san broached the topic.

“Mayumi told me you had something important to discuss. Is this about what you mentioned when we last parted?”

Finally, the moment had come.

This is it – the real battle starts here.

I pictured the face of my beloved Sara-san and the faces of all those who supported me, and I steeled myself internally.

All right. I can do this.

“Yes. It’s about what I couldn’t tell you that day. Although, in the end… there was no point in holding off.”

I’d thought I’d discuss it with Sara-san first, so I only gave a brief mention back then, but I never got the chance to talk it over with her. It’s too late for regrets now.

“Oh? Is that so? Well, I don’t mind. I’m just glad we got another chance to meet like this.”

“Thank you. In that case, please let me tell you what I couldn’t say before.”

With that, I rose from the sofa and straightened my posture. Seeing me stand up so suddenly, both Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san looked puzzled, but neither took their eyes off me.

“Once again, my name is Takanashi Kazunari.”

They seemed even more confused as I suddenly began introducing myself, but Mayumi-san simply watched with a gentle smile.

Without breaking eye contact with Masaomi-san, I declared, the opening words that marked the beginning of it all:

“I am in a relationship with Sara-san… with your daughter, Satsukawa Sara!!!”

***

POV: Sara

Several days had passed since the day I heard about the arranged marriage…

At that moment, rather than being angry with Father or asking Mother for details, all I could think was—I just want to be by Kazunari-san’s side.

Everything that happened after that feels like a blur. I turned my room upside down, packing whatever I could into a suitcase, stuffing the rest into a backpack slung over my shoulders, and left the house without looking back.

I wanted to see Kazunari-san. I wanted to be by his side. And… I didn’t want to be apart from him.

Before I knew it, I had dropped all my luggage and was clinging to him like a lost child clinging to their parent.

He held me tight and told me he would stay by my side… I was so happy…

Even now, he has taken me in without question, treating me no differently than before. I know he is worried about me. I know he wants to hear what happened. But seeing my state, he has let me be.

Of course, I’ve thought about telling him many times. But… I can’t bring myself to utter words like “arranged marriage.”

Having a formal meeting with another man? Discussing a future with someone other than Kazunari-san?

Don’t make me laugh.

Why should I have to play along with such nonsense?

There is nothing left for me to say to my father, who brought up such a ridiculous matter.

I don’t care if our ties as parent and child are severed. I don’t care about Sanami Electronics. Father can take over as he pleases and find some other successor. I will never sacrifice my happiness for something so meaningless. Giving up my future with Kazunari-san is absolutely unthinkable.

…but even so, what will really happen?

Father will never forgive me. He will never let go. Sanami Electronics, passed down through generations, is too large for him to entrust to just any adopted heir. That is why he is forcing this arranged marriage, to secure a successor. And to avoid trouble, he would choose someone connected to the company—likely the child of a longtime executive.

And that would… definitely tear us apart.

They have countless ways to do it. If they learn about Kazunari-san, they might even target his family. It might not be Father himself, but someone else who wants to see us separated.

If so… then the options left to protect my future with Kazunari-san are limited.

Elopement.

Such a cliché word… yet, it feels like the only path left for us.

But if I wished for that… what would happen to Kazunari-san?

It was my family’s fault, yet how much trouble would I be forcing onto him? Onto his family, too?

Even so, I know that Kazunari-san would… Even so, I…

***

POV: Natsumi

The three of us were enjoying tea time in the VIP room of a famous restaurant that Eririn had booked out for us.

It had been ages since the three of us met like this. The last time must have been before Eririn transferred schools.

“I never thought we’d be having tea time together like this again.”

It seemed Eririn was thinking the same thing.

“Even after you moved away, we could have met up if we really wanted to.”

We had always stayed in touch, so if we’d made plans or arranged to meet, we could have spent time together anytime.

“I kept in touch with Eri, but maybe thinking we could meet anytime was exactly what stopped us from doing so.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Thinking you can meet anytime is a bad thing?

What does she mean…?

“It’s like this… when you think you can go somewhere anytime, you end up never going. Without a reason or a push, people don’t act.”

I felt I understood what Eririn was saying. If you think you can do something anytime, its priority drops, and you end up never doing it.

“That’s why, in a way, we owe Takanashi-san thanks. He brought us back together again.”

“Yeah, that’s true. If it weren’t for him, we might not have reunited like this.”

Well, it wasn’t under the best of circumstances, but I never imagined that issue would connect us back to Eririn.

“Now then… shall we get to the main topic?”

It seemed that Eririn had resolved herself to broach the subject. Lately, it had become rare to see her wear such a stern expression. It felt like it had been a long time since I last saw her look like this.

Sara tilted her head slightly in confusion, wondering why Eririn suddenly looked so serious.

“Sara. Just as we discussed earlier, there are many things in life that require a trigger to move forward. But don’t you think waiting for that trigger without acting is exactly what’s happening to you right now?”

Sara was caught off guard by the sudden question, unable to formulate a reply. Her expression clearly showed she was thinking, Why is she asking me this out of nowhere?

“I’ll be blunt, since we don’t have much time. How long do you plan to keep relying on Takanashi-san?”

“……….”

Unexpectedly, Sara didn’t offer any clear rebuttal. In other words… she knew. Or rather, she was fully aware of it herself. That reaction was rare for someone like Sara.

“Have you realised that there are forces in this world you can’t fight against… and has that scared you?”

“…How did you…”

The look on Sara’s face showed she had been struck right in the heart.

“So you’re scared. But tell me, will clinging to Takanashi-san solve anything? Just being by his side – will that make someone step in and fix everything for you?”

“What do you…?”

“I understand, you know. Because I might end up in exactly the same position as you one day.”

“……….”

This was the first time I had ever seen Sara so completely on the back foot…

The Sara I knew had always been almost too perfect, never showing any weakness to those around her. That was necessary for maintaining her own style and presence at school, and she herself was always conscious of never letting her guard down.

Which only meant one thing: Takanashi-kun’s presence had changed her so much.

“Sara, if you choose to run away, Takanashi-san will surely run away with you. But tell me… does a future where you live in hiding, constantly fearing what might come for you one day, really sound happy? Would you truly want a life where you continue to burden Takanashi-san forever?”

“…That’s…”

“Or will you give up and accept the arranged marriage just to keep him out of trouble?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!!! As if I could ever be with any man other than Kazunari-san!!!”

For the first time, Sara roared. Clearly, this was something she would never, ever compromise on.

“So that’s the one thing you’re certain of. Eloping won’t bring happiness, but giving up on Takanashi-san is unthinkable. Then… what path will you choose?”

Eririn was forcing Sara to voice her own answer. This conversation was probably proceeding just as she had planned.

“…Sara, have you actually asked your father for the details?”

“…I haven’t.”

“Being told about an arranged marriage, it’s only natural to think you’re being forced apart from Takanashi-san. It’s possible your father won’t approve, or might push another man onto you. Maybe one of the executives is involved.”

“I’m aware of that possibility. The company is too big. There’s a high chance it will be prioritised over us. That’s why Father arranged the meeting…”

Sara was intelligent – almost too intelligent. She had probably already considered every possible scenario. She tried to formulate countermeasures in advance, but when none came to mind, she grew terrified at the thought of losing Takanashi-kun.

…Wait. Something feels off here…

“Yes, that possibility certainly exists. If it comes to that, who knows what methods they might use.”

“That’s why I…”

“Sara. Set aside Takanashi-san for a moment and think calmly. Did your father ever actually force this arranged marriage on you?”

“…What?”

Sara suddenly looked as if she had been struck dumb.

And I started to realise what this discomfort I felt was. Sara is incredibly smart – she must have been thinking through possibilities far beyond what I could even imagine. But that’s just it: she was thinking only in terms of possibilities.

“You’re much sharper than I am, Sara. I’m sure you’ve imagined things I couldn’t. But… what was the starting point for all these possibilities you’ve considered?”

“…Father brought up an arranged marriage… that for the company’s sake, he wanted a son-in-law from among the executives’ children…”

“It’s true that the proposal came from the company. And I don’t doubt there are executives looking to push their own sons forward. So yes, similar things might come up again in the future. But what about your father? Did he ever say he prioritises the company over you?”

“…He didn’t say that… I haven’t even asked…”

Hearing about the arranged marriage, Sara had probably let her thoughts spiral instantly. From the moment the topic was brought up, it was only natural for her to assume that her father intended to force this on her. I would have thought the same. And realising that she might be forced away from Takanashi-kun, she…

“…So I just assumed… that Father would force me to marry into the company for its sake? …Did I overthink it?”

“Have you realised it now? But apart from misunderstanding your father’s intentions, you aren’t wrong about the rest. Sooner or later, those moves will come. But… if your father prioritises you instead…”

“Then… I might not have to elope. I might still be able to leave home on my own terms.”

“Wha–”

“Fufu… just joking… mostly.”

It seemed she had regained enough composure to joke again. To say something like that in this tense conversation… that’s just like her – bold to the core.

“A-anyway, it looks like you’re finally thinking clearly again. In that case, you know what you need to do, don’t you?”

“I need to talk to Father. There’s no point thinking further until I do… There may still be something I can do.”

Strength returned to Sara’s eyes, to her expression. Her confidence was back. Fearing the loss of Takanashi-kun, she had lost her usual composure – but now, it seemed, the real Sara had returned.

“Honestly… you really are a handful. If you’d stayed calm, you’d have realised this yourself easily. How can you only think about Takanashi-san to this extent?”

“Kazunari-san is my everything. But… thanks to you, I’ve woken up. Though… there are still many issues left to resolve.”

Even so, she would be fine now. In that case, there was no need to let her remain here any longer. Once you know what you need to do, you should move forward immediately. After all, Takanashi-kun was out there fighting alone even as we spoke.

“Eririn.”

At my quiet call, Eririn nodded and looked firmly at Sara.

“Sara, right now, Takanashi-san is at your house.”

“…! I truly am pathetic… Eririn, I’m sorry, but I’m going back home!”

With Eririn’s words, Sara immediately grasped why Takanashi-kun was at her house. Determination burned in her eyes as she left.

…I hope Masaomi-san will be all right…