Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 212: Kazunari And Masaomi, With Mayumi-San Appearing From Time To Time.

Kazunari And Masaomi, With Mayumi-San Appearing From Time To Time.

I skipped all the usual steps and procedures, and went straight in with the one line that truly mattered.

Of course, I knew he wouldn’t be able to believe it right away.

As expected, Masaomi-san widened his eyes, wearing an expression that said he didn’t understand what he had just heard.

No, it was more like, “What on earth is this guy saying?”

Given that Masaomi-san knew full well that Sara was severely averse to men, he probably wouldn’t have believed me even if I had said, “We’re just friends.” But to skip right past that and declare, “We’re dating,” was an entirely different dimension.

That’s why I knew I had to explain everything from here.

“…Well… how should I put this. Honestly, my mind isn’t quite catching up…”

His reaction was exactly as I expected. With a bewildered look, he somehow managed to squeeze out those words. Seeing him close his eyes and fall silent, I figured he was trying to calm himself, so I decided to pause and wait for a while.

“Takanashi-kun, there are a few things I’d like to ask you, and some things I’d like to discuss.”

It seemed he had at least gathered himself enough to have a conversation. He spoke to me in his usual calm tone.

“Before anything else, I have to say… it’s hard to believe. No, to be clear, I can’t believe it.”

I knew it. I had expected him to say that.

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t trust you. And frankly, you have no reason to lie about something like this. It’s just… even if you had told me you were merely friends, I wouldn’t have believed that either, considering Sara’s… attitude towards men. So to hear that you’re dating her… it’s just beyond comprehension.”

It wasn’t incoherent, but it was clear he was panicking.

And yet, the fact that he was so flustered precisely because he trusted me… that made me happier than anything.

It was because he couldn’t outright deny my words that he was so confused.

“I understand. Considering Sara-san’s… personality, or rather, her general stance towards men, I know it’s hard to believe.”

I hesitated to say outright that she disliked men, so I phrased it vaguely, but it seemed he understood.

“…I see. You really do know Sara well, don’t you? Alright. For now, let me set aside my disbelief and hear you out. When did this start?”

And so, I began telling him everything.

How I met Sara-san, how we became friends, how she started making lunch for me… how I confessed to her during summer break, and how we began dating. I summarised the key points as I spoke.

Masaomi-san listened silently the whole time, looking straight at me.

“…I see. So, by the time you started working part-time here, you were already together?”

“Yes. Though, until I came here, I didn’t know you were Sara-san’s father. I noticed your surnames were the same, but I thought, surely, it was just a coincidence.”

“Haha, I suppose that would be too much of a coincidence. But if you call it fate instead, then perhaps it was inevitable.”

He let out a small smile. At least, he seemed to be responding favourably for now. But with the arranged marriage talk still on the table, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

“Listening to your story, something occurred to me. Mayumi seemed unusually fond of you. Even though it was your first meeting, she acted quite familiar right away. And while you were working, she always treated you kindly… if you and Sara had already known each other, that explains it.”

At that, he glanced sideways, and Mayumi-san, who had been silently smiling until then, finally spoke.

“Ufufu… I’m sorry. When I heard about the boy coming to work part-time, I had a strong feeling who it might be.”

“…I see. So you pretended it was your first meeting as a little prank?”

“I’d rather you not call it a prank. I simply wanted to see you for who you truly are, without any assumptions.”

Honestly, I had thought she was just teasing me on a whim back then. But now I understood it was her way of being considerate.

“If I’d told you about Sara-chan, you would’ve braced yourself unnecessarily. That would’ve been a waste of the opportunity. So I’m truly glad you two were able to get along.”

“…You’re right. If I’d known about Sara back then, my behaviour during work might have been different. Though, I can’t say for sure how it would have changed.”

“Exactly. But I must admit, I didn’t expect things to develop into this. For that, I do feel somewhat responsible.”

Saying so, Mayumi-san bowed her head slightly towards me, not Masaomi-san.

But I didn’t think she was to blame at all. If anything, I felt only gratitude.

“Please don’t apologise. I only learned your true intentions now, but it was my decision to go along with it. Besides, I could’ve chosen to speak up earlier, but I kept postponing it, thinking I should consult Sara-san first…”

That’s right. I could have said something sooner. But I didn’t. That was entirely my decision and responsibility. None of this was Mayumi-san’s fault.

“…Fufu. You’re truly an interesting young man. You may be in high school, but your way of thinking is far beyond your age. I’ve been wondering about that for some time… have you perhaps gone through experiences most people your age haven’t?”

!?

The sudden sharp insight left me speechless. I had only ever told Masaomi-san what was strictly necessary.

“I thought so. Experience is what truly shapes a person. There’s a vast difference between someone who only grows through studying at a desk and someone who grows through life’s trials. The maturity and decisiveness you’ve shown… it could only come from experiences far beyond the ordinary. …………That’s precisely why I’ve come to like you.”

I couldn’t catch his final murmur clearly, but it stunned me that he had been observing me so closely.

Of course, it made me happy. But at the same time, I wondered why he cared about me so much…

“Ah, that reminds me. You once told me about your girlfriend, didn’t you? So… all that was about Sara, wasn’t it?”

He deliberately shifted the topic to Sara-san. Now that I thought about it, back when I didn’t know he was her father, I had spoken about her quite a bit.

Wait… did I say anything weird back then…?

“Y-Yes. I’m sorry about that…”

“No, no, you didn’t know. But… if all that was about Sara, then… I’m sorry to say this, but it only makes it harder to believe. The Sara I know as her father is nothing like what you described.”

He furrowed his brows deeply, falling into thought.

But then it occurred to me – wouldn’t it be easier if I just showed him the photos on my phone? I had hoped he would understand through conversation alone, but if he didn’t believe me, we couldn’t move forward.

“…Really, don’t you think it’s about time you accepted reality? After everything you’ve heard, are you still going to insist that Kazunari-kun made all this up?”

It seemed Mayumi-san had finally run out of patience. Just as she promised on the phone the other day, she was fully siding with me. That was a relief.

“N-No, it’s not that I think he’s lying. His story is too consistent for that. And I know he’s trustworthy. Now that I know you two were already acquainted, it makes sense… I just… Kazunari-kun, huh?!”

Cornered by Mayumi-san’s words, Masaomi-san began rambling rapidly. …Was he always this powerless against her?

“Oh my, is there something wrong with calling him by name? He’s Sara-chan’s boyfriend, after all. From now on, he’ll be family. ‘Takanashi-san’ sounds so distant, don’t you think? Right, Kazunari-kun?”

“E-Eh?! Um, Mayumi-san…?”

I had been relieved she was speaking on my behalf, but suddenly the conversation turned to me, and I wasn’t prepared to respond.

“Honestly, I’ve told you to call me ‘Mother,’ haven’t I? Now, once more!”

“M-Mother…?”

“Yes~. The nuance still feels a bit off, but we can work on that later, okay?”

Later…? But I called her properly…

“O-Oh come on, Mayumi, what’s the meaning of this? Calling him by name, telling him to call you ‘Mother’… this is…”

Masaomi-san seemed flustered beyond words, his usual dignified composure slipping away.

But it appeared he had finally realised Mayumi-san’s intentions.

Was she really planning to officially make me Sara-san’s fiancé here and now?

I had resolved myself for that, so I didn’t mind, but… could Masaomi-san, who couldn’t even fully believe we were dating, accept that?

“Honestly, do I need to spell it out for you? I’ve already decided. Kazunari-kun is the only one for Sara-chan. He’s the only one who can make her truly happy.”

Hearing her say it so clearly made me feel embarrassed, but I wanted to stand tall since she believed in me that much.

“…So you’ve decided, Mayumi.”

It seemed even Masaomi-san hadn’t expected her to go that far, and he looked genuinely shaken.

“Then what is it that’s still holding you back? There’s nothing left to doubt, is there?”

“No, Mayumi, you understand how I feel. Sara’s aversion to men is severe. Even at the company party last spring, she ignored every man who approached her and left immediately. The president was worried after seeing that…”

So that meddlesome matchmaking was his doing, then…? Well, whether it was good or bad, at least both Masaomi-san and the president were worried about Sara-san.

“She despises men who approach her with such obvious ulterior motives. Seeing that only makes her hate men even more.”

“But still… she can’t go on hating men forever. As a member of the Satsukawa family, she’ll eventually have to be involved with the company. Besides, the man she was arranged to meet is a university student who’s already learning at our company. He’s polite and—”

The conversation, which started with whether he could believe my relationship with Sara-san, had somehow veered off into unrelated territory.

As I pondered what to do, I glanced absentmindedly towards the entrance door…

Huh? Was that… a shadow behind the frosted glass…?

BANG!!!

!!??

In the next instant, the door burst open with tremendous force, enough to topple the decorations and ornaments nearby.

Standing there was Sara-san, her expression openly showing intense displeasure as she glared at Masaomi-san.

W-Why is she here?! Where are Natsumi-senpai and Nishikawa-san?!

“I see. I understand now that you brought up such a pointless and meddlesome topic. So, you’ve already refused that proposal, haven’t you?”

Her voice carried a chilling anger as she interrogated him. On the other hand, Masaomi-san seemed happy just to see her return, showing a fleeting smile.

“Sara! Welcome home. I was so worried…”

“Have you gone deaf already? I asked if you turned down that proposal.”

That was harsh. There truly was no room for him to defend himself. His smile froze on his face, and I could clearly hear Mayumi-san stifling a chuckle beside me.

“Sara-san… why are you here…?”

“…I’m sorry, Kazunari-san. This is all because of my own incompetence… to think it has come to this…”

Her fierce glare towards her father melted away in an instant, and she looked down with a pained expression. Did coming here mean she had made up her mind about something? Did Natsumi-senpai and Nishikawa-san tell her something…?

“No, it’s me who should apologise. I came here without telling you and started discussing things with Masaomi-san on my own…”

As she listened to me, Sara-san walked up and gently placed her hand on my arm, giving me a soft smile.

“Please don’t say that. It’s my fault for not talking to you sooner. But… the fact that you would go this far, all on your own, just for me…”

Her face drew closer. It was a smile free of shadows – a pure, heartfelt smile I hadn’t seen from her in so long.

“I’m so happy… I love you, Kazunari-san…”

Chu…

I felt her warm, gentle lips on my cheek.

My beloved Sara-san… had finally found her way back to herself.

“…wha… what… n…”

And standing across from us, mouth agape and utterly speechless, was Masaomi-san.