Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 252: Yukata

Yukata.

I was on the verge of death from Sara-san’s devastatingly cute “moe attack,” but somehow managed to recover—thanks to a mix of steely self-discipline and the cold stares of everyone around me.

Still, if I kept thinking about it any further, I’d probably cross several dangerous lines. I figured it was best to focus on something else… but despite that, I couldn’t stop thinking about her in a yukata.

Not the “size” talk, but that particular image.

Because… Sara-san in a yukata is, to me, an irreplaceable, precious memory.

That day—

I was completely captivated by her beauty, struck speechless, frozen by a shock so pure it etched itself into my heart. Even now, that moment remains vivid in my memory, and I know it was her radiance that gave me the courage to finally confess.

That’s why I can’t help but feel so strongly about it.

“…Hey.”

When I confessed to her that day, Sara-san smiled so radiantly—her expression overflowing with happiness. Her clear eyes shimmered with jewel-like tears, her hair elegantly pinned up in a style different from usual—it suited her so perfectly that even now, just remembering it makes my chest tighten.

“Kazunari-san!”

“!?”

Her sharp voice snapped me back to reality. Before I realized it, Sara-san was right in front of me, close enough that her breath brushed my cheek. She peered into my eyes with a faint blush that made my heart skip. I must’ve been lost in my own world again—so much that I hadn’t even noticed her moving closer.

“Kazunari-san, are you all right? Your face is…”

“Come on, Satsukawa-san, you’ve got to ask him what kind of naughty thoughts he was having to make that face.”

“I-I wasn’t thinking that far! But… perhaps something made you happy?”

Given the earlier conversation, she might’ve assumed I was still thinking about that. If I stayed quiet now, they’d all just think I was some hopeless pervert—so I had to clear that up immediately.

“I was just remembering you in a yukata, Sara-san. You were… honestly breathtaking. I still believe no one in the world wears a yukata as beautifully as you do. You’re number one—absolutely no contest. Of course, you’re stunning in your usual clothes too, but—mgh!?”

Gyuu…

Before I could finish, she pulled me into her arms with surprising force, wrapping her arms around my head and pressing me firmly against her chest. It was her signature move—her silent, no-arguments “that’s enough” counterattack.

I had only wanted to say how beautiful she’d looked, but as I kept talking, I must’ve gotten carried away again. I’d drifted back into that same dreamlike headspace… though honestly, it couldn’t be helped. The memory of that night was burned into me too deeply—it was unforgettable.

“Geez… I already told you ‘no more,’ didn’t I? For being such a naughty Kazunari-san… this is your punishment.”

“Mmph…”

“I mean, of course I’m happy you’d praise me like that, but when you go that far, it’s embarrassing… You were staring at me earlier too, and now you’re teasing me again… You’re being so mean today…”

I hadn’t intended to make her feel embarrassed, but it seemed that’s exactly what I’d done. Sure, the earlier incident was definitely my fault—but if I could offer one small excuse… well, I am a guy, after all…

“Have you learned your lesson?”

nods silently

“That’s a good boy♪”

pat pat…

When I nodded obediently, her expression softened completely—though honestly, she hadn’t been angry to begin with. She loosened her hold on me, then gently stroked my head with tender affection. Seeing her calm down like that was a relief.

“…What are those two even doing?”

“…That’s her idea of a punishment?”

“…No, seriously, their sense of normal is on another level.”

““………………””

***

“If you liked me that much in a yukata, perhaps I should wear one at home too?”

“Eh!? N-no, that’s—”

“Oh wow, even Satsukawa-san cracks jokes sometimes.”

“Right? It’s rare, but kind of refreshing.”

“Hmm? I wasn’t joking, though?”

““……………””

For the record, I knew from the start that she was being completely serious. Sara-san does joke from time to time, but when she thinks something would genuinely make me happy, she tends to mean it—even if it sounds like a joke.

Which meant… if I asked her to, she’d really wear a yukata at home. Without hesitation.

“…It’s just that, for me, your yukata look is something special, Sara-san. So I’d like you to wear it only for special occasions.”

“Understood. If that’s how you feel, then I’ll make sure to wear a yukata whenever there’s a fitting occasion—and I’ll look forward to hearing your praise again.”

She seemed satisfied with that answer, and slowly released me. She still looked a little reluctant to let go, and honestly, I couldn’t blame her. Even I felt a pang of disappointment when the warmth between us faded.

“Haa… You two never change, huh?”

“Yeah, I’ve long since stopped being surprised. Oh, that reminds me—speaking of yukata, isn’t the festival coming up soon?”

“Oh, right. The shrine festival nearby should be next month.”

Since I wasn’t originally from this area, information like that was actually really helpful. A local autumn shrine festival—honestly, it sounded like the perfect kind of event.

By the way, the shrine near Yuki-san’s place doesn’t hold festivals, so it must be one of the others in the area.

“Now that you mention it, it is that time of year. Last year, I went with Natsumi and Eri when they invited me.”

“Wait, wasn’t that crazy with all the guys hitting on you?”

“Right? I can only imagine the chaos—Satsukawa-san plus Nishikawa-san and Natsumi-chan? That’s a guaranteed disaster zone of idiots trying to flirt.”

Naturally. Even setting aside Sara-san, Nishikawa-san—when she’s not in her usual ditzy mode—is a dignified, high-class beauty, and Natsumi-senpai is a stylish, cool beauty popular even among girls. Three of them together, without any guys in sight? Yeah, that’d draw a crowd.

“It was fine, actually. Eri was with us.”

“Huh? Nishikawa-san being there stopped trouble?”

“Wait—did she drive them off or something?”

“No, it’s just that… well, Eri’s always surrounded by certain people…”

Sara trailed off delicately, but I could guess what she meant. With Nishikawa-san’s background, it wasn’t far-fetched to think she might have discreet security—bodyguards, perhaps.

I hadn’t seen any in our usual school life, but I did know she had staff disguised as event workers during the confrontation with Yamazaki. So yeah… wouldn’t surprise me if her people quietly handled situations like that behind the scenes.

Either way, now that I knew there was a festival coming up, there was only one thing left to do.

“Sara-san, about this year’s festival… would you—”

“Yes♪ It looks like I’ll have the perfect chance to wear my new yukata.”

Before I could even finish, she smiled and nodded. Clearly, she’d seen my invitation coming a mile away.

Still, that only made me more excited—another thing to look forward to. Getting to see Sara-san in her new yukata… I honestly couldn’t wait.

***

“Good work, everyone~”

Just then, the other “half of the angel duo,” Toudou-san, entered the student council room. Incidentally, the other half—the one who calls herself my big sister—still hadn’t recovered from the earlier shock.

“Good work, Toudou-san~”

“Hey, good job.”

“Thanks for the hard work~”

“Good work, Toudou-san.”

“Thanks! By the way, Takanashi-kun, didn’t something huge happen in your class earlier?”

“Eh!?”

“Huh? Did something happen with the first-years?”

At the phrase “something huge,” the one who reacted immediately was none other than our former president, Uesaka-senpai. She’d been quietly observing up until now, so maybe old habits as president made her perk up automatically at the mention of trouble.

As for whether something happened in my class—honestly, “something” was putting it mildly.

Toudou-san was almost certainly referring to that. With how loud things got, it’d be more surprising if no one else had heard.

“I heard these loud screams or shrieks from somewhere earlier. When I asked Yokokawa-kun, he said it sounded like it was coming from your class next door…”

Since Hayato’s in the neighboring class, of course he would’ve heard the commotion. And if even Toudou-san’s class heard it, that probably meant every first-year classroom on that floor had, too.

“Ah—that would be…”

“Was it my mother who caused you trouble again, Kazunari-san? Or perhaps…”

“Satsukawa-senpai’s mother?”

“Wait, what!? Her mother caused trouble for Takanashi-kun?”

“Don’t tell me she stormed into the classroom or something?”

“Well, um… she attended the parent–teacher observation pretending to be my mother.”

“““EHHHH!?”””

The shock was so strong that even the usually quiet male members shouted in unison. Sure, her reasoning was “I’ll be his mother-in-law someday,” but even I had to admit—it was too much. I couldn’t blame anyone else for being floored.

“Forget crashing the class—that’s next-level!”

“Wouldn’t the teacher get mad if they found out?”

“Takanashi-kun, are you okay!?”

“Somehow, yeah. Everything ended peacefully, and the class wrapped up without issue.”

“Really? Then what caused the screaming?”

“Oh, that would be… a different problem.”

“A different problem?”

At some point, Hanako-san—finally recovered—had returned to her usual spot beside me. Everyone turned to me expectantly, waiting for an explanation. But Hanako-san ignored that and calmly continued.

“Kazunari and his wife announced they’re officially engaged.”

“““!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”””

For a moment, everyone was frozen in stunned silence. Then suddenly, they all started exchanging glances, nodding at one another as if confirming some unspoken understanding.

“…So it’s finally happened, huh.”

“…I wonder how this will play out.”

“…Things will probably start moving on Monday.”

They spoke to one another with a kind of quiet anticipation, as though the moment they’d all been expecting had finally arrived. Uesaka-senpai, in particular, looked thoughtful as she turned to Hanako-sa

“Hanasaki-san, about the class situation…”

“Leave it to me.”

…Apparently, they’d already reached a full understanding. Judging from the context, they were clearly discussing how to handle the fallout from our relationship becoming public.

Watching them made me feel just a little uneasy.

If anything was going to happen because of today, tomorrow was Sunday—so I’d get a short reprieve. But come Monday… things could get interesting. I should probably be ready for that.