Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 288: A Present for Father-in-Law Too.

A Present for Father-in-Law Too.

“Welcome home, you two~”

The moment Sara-san opened the front door, Mayumi-san greeted us in her apron. She seemed to be right in the middle of preparing dinner; a wonderfully comforting aroma drifted out from inside the house.

Being welcomed home like this, in such a warm, domestic way, really made it feel as though I had returned to my own family’s house. A quiet, unexpected happiness welled up inside me.

“I’m home.”

“I’m home… Mother-in-law… ah.”

The words slipped out naturally—and then I surprised myself.

It wasn’t wrong to say it, exactly… but it still felt a little embarrassing.

“Nfufu~ Mother-in-law is so happy!!!”

Mayumi-san beamed at me with the brightest smile imaginable.

If Sara-san hadn’t been standing in front of me like a shield, I might have been instantly captured and thoroughly smothered (probably in more ways than one)…

No, wait—her hands were already moving in a suspiciously eager way… Well, it just showed how genuinely delighted she was.

“Ah, welcome home again. I’ve prepared tea, so both of you go sit on the sofa and wait, okay?”

“Ah, thank you.”

“I’ll help too.”

“No, no, Sara-chan, you sit down too. Otherwise Kazunari-kun will be left all alone, won’t he? Or… would you rather I keep Kazunari-kun company by myself?”

“We’ll wait together, so please hurry and prepare it.”

“Yes, yes. Just a little longer, Kazunari-kun~”

“Y-Yes.”

Mayumi-san laughed cheerfully as she pattered away in her slippers, disappearing into the back of the house.

Sara-san and I followed after her into the living room and sat side by side on the sofa, just like always.

“Good work today, Kazunari-san.”

“No, if anything, you’ve had the harder day, Sara-san. With everything that happened this morning… I ended up causing you trouble again…”

“Mehh.”

Sara-san made an expression that clearly said “I’m angry, you know,” and lightly poked my forehead.

Of course I knew it was just for show—but that didn’t change the fact that I had said something careless again.

I really need to break this bad habit…

“This morning’s incident was in no way your fault, Kazunari-san. And for me… no matter what it is, anything involving you could never be a bother. So please don’t ever say you’re causing me trouble…”

“You’re right. I misspoke. Thank you, Sara-san.”

“Yes, good boy♪”

As soon as I corrected myself, Sara-san smiled happily and gently stroked the spot she had just poked.

Still… this habit of mine really has to go.

“By the way, if it’s trouble you’re causing me, Kazunari-san… I would gladly accept it all. So please—don’t hold back.”

Sara-san said it so lightly, so casually… but knowing her as I do, I couldn’t dismiss it as a joke.

In fact, she probably meant every word.

And precisely because of that, I couldn’t afford to burden her with anything unnecessary.

If our positions were reversed… I know I would feel exactly the same way.

So…

“Thank you… Sara-san.”

What I should say right now—what I want to say—is simple, heartfelt gratitude.

No overthinking. Just pure thanks for her feelings.

“Yes♪ …Mm.”

…chu…

Sara-san leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

It seemed my feelings had reached her properly. She looked incredibly happy.

She gazed straight into my eyes, and I gazed back…

“Oh my~ Sara-chan… if you two keep being so lovey-dovey all the time, Kazunari-kun is going to melt away, you know?”

“I don’t quite understand what ‘melt’ means in this context… but as for how dearly I cherish Kazunari-san, there is no limit to it.”

Sara-san stated it so matter-of-factly—as though wondering why anyone would even question it.

But honestly… I felt exactly the same way. So there was nothing strange about it.

“Ara ara… Kazunari-kun is thinking the exact same thing. Well, that just means you two are perfectly matched, doesn’t it? Nfufu, how wonderful for you, Sara-chan~”

“It feels a little strange to be told ‘wonderful’ by my own mother… Our meeting was fate, and becoming like this was inevitable.”

“Hwaa… You really go that far, huh… Wait—Sara-chan, that’s so mean! Why is it ‘strange’ when I say it!?”

“Who knows… Why don’t you ask your own heart?”

“Sniff… Kazunari-kun… could you ask Mother-in-law’s heart for me?”

W-Wait—why are you looking at me!?

And while pretending to cry, she’s… emphasizing those very large “assets” in a very obvious way… This is dangerous!!

I instinctively tried to look away—but before I could, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed my head!?

…Fnyuu…

In an instant I was pulled forward—straight into Sara-san’s impossibly soft “place.”

My vision was completely engulfed in warmth and softness.

“There is no need for that. Kazunari-san’s proper place is right here.”

“Hey, Sara-chan, isn’t that a little too forceful? You’ll overwhelm poor Kazunari-kun!”

“I’m adjusting my strength properly. Besides… Kazunari-san is always very happy when I do this. Isn’t that right, Kazunari-san?”

…nod

I didn’t speak—just gave a small, honest nod.

As always, whether this could really be called a “hug” was questionable… but to Sara-san, this was the most natural hug in the world.

So yes—this is a hug. No matter what anyone says, it’s a hug!

And the fact that it makes me happy is undeniable.

Because… being held by Sara-san like this is pure bliss.

“Fufu… good boy. Come here even more.”

She pulled my upper body closer, wrapping me in an even tighter embrace. Something incredibly soft pressed firmly against me…

“Kazunari-san, I will always hold you like this whenever you want. If you hold back… mehh, okay?”

And then—whispered in the sweetest, most dangerously gentle voice…

My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst.

I’m… I’m happy… so happy… but this is torture!!!

Click…

“I’m home~ Just got back. Are you two already here…… W-What… are you doing… exactly?”

Oh no… Of all the timings…

Masaomi-san had to come home right now…

I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I could perfectly imagine it.

The image was crystal clear in my mind.

So clear… that I was terrified to move away from this spot…

God really has a cruel sense of humor…

***

“Um… W-Welcome home.”

“Y-Yeah… Welcome, Kazunari-kun…”

Ugh… this is awkward.

Extremely awkward, thanks to what just happened.

And Masaomi-san clearly looked flustered too.

But at least he wasn’t angry… maybe that was something.

“I mean… it’s wonderful that you two are so close. Really. But… a little more restraint, perhaps…”

“Honey, please don’t say that to Kazunari-kun. You know perfectly well how much restraint he’s shown so far, don’t you?”

“Guh… W-Well, yes, but…”

I didn’t really want to understand… but I did.

In Mayumi-san’s worldview, since I had maintained “that final line of restraint,” this much affection should be forgiven—overlooked, even.

And Masaomi-san’s reaction… probably came from knowing exactly that.

But as a father… yeah, it must be tough.

“More importantly—this is my decision to hold Kazunari-san. If he himself said he disliked it, I would stop immediately. But Father has no right to interfere.”

“S-Saraaaa!?”

With that final, decisive blow from Sara-san, Masaomi-san slumped forward with an expression straight out of a manga—“Shock!!”

…Sorry, Masaomi-san.

***

Sara-san went to help Mayumi-san in the kitchen, leaving me and Masaomi-san alone in the living room, sipping tea and chatting leisurely.

I’ve always enjoyed talking with Masaomi-san, so this time felt genuinely nice.

“Huh… so there’s a project like that… Oh, come to think of it, when I was sorting through the documents the other day, I saw something similar. I think it was from the Second Planning Division or something…”

“Oh, right! You remembered well.”

“Yes, the prototype photos caught my eye by chance. It looked interesting, so…”

“Yeah, yeah. So you think it’s fun too, Kazunari-kun? Actually, I was planning to push for it at the next meeting.”

“Yes! Of course functionality and pricing are important, but personally… I really liked how much playful spirit was poured into it. It hit all my personal preferences perfectly… Ah—s-sorry, I got carried away and sounded too forward…”

Oops.

I got too excited that Masaomi-san was actually listening to me, and ended up speaking like I knew everything.

And this was about his company, his work—I probably came off way too familiar…

“Hahaha, forward? Not at all. On the contrary, it’s a valuable opinion. I appreciate it. And besides…”

“…Besides?”

“…Being able to talk about work like this at home… it’s actually my first time. So, well… haha, it turns out to be surprisingly nice.”

Masaomi-san smiled, looking a little shy.

Now that I think about it, Sara-san once mentioned that she always kept a certain distance from her father—even now.

So maybe she’s never really talked to him about work like this.

“But I’ve never had conversations like this with my own dad either. Never really shared my opinions like that.”

“Really? I kind of imagined… if I had a son, it might feel something like this.”

“I’m not sure… At least, I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

“I see. Then maybe… it’s because you’re my son-in-law that it feels this way? And if that’s the case… then yeah, I’m really happy about it.”

“Y-Yes. I’m happy too… being able to talk with you like this, Masaomi-san.”

Maybe it’s precisely because we’re not blood-related—because I don’t look at him the same way I would a real father—that we can have this kind of easy, comfortable relationship.

That’s how it feels, somehow.

“Hmm… Now I’m really looking forward to the day you can drink with me.”

“Speaking of which, Masaomi-san, you don’t drink at home?”

“Nope. I go out drinking sometimes, but at home I refrain. If I got drunk… Sara would scold me.”

“Ah…”

I couldn’t picture Masaomi-san getting rowdy while drunk… but I could very clearly imagine Sara-san lecturing him sternly.

So yeah… holding back was probably wise.

“But if you drank with me, maybe Sara wouldn’t get mad… or so I thought. Ah—no, that’s not why I want to drink with you. I just genuinely want to share a drink with you, that’s all.”

“Haha, I know. But I might end up getting scolded along with you…”

Even so… if that happened, Sara-san would probably only lecture Masaomi-san thoroughly.

It felt very possible.

In fact, I could only see it going that way.

“I wonder. Sara seems like she’d forgive anything you do.”

“But even I get ‘mehh’d’ when I say something wrong, you know?”

Just earlier, I’d been on the receiving end of one.

Sara-san didn’t unconditionally approve of everything I did—and honestly, that was a relief.

“I see. But in my case, Mayumi would probably get mad too. Speaking of which—ah, right. I wanted to thank you for the brooch.”

“Ah—no, really, it’s nothing special. You’ve both taken such good care of me, so it was just a small way to say thanks…”

“No, no—Mayumi was over the moon. She kept showing it off to me again and again… It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her that happy.”

“Really? If it made her that happy, then I’m glad too.”

So… Mayumi-san had been that overjoyed even at home.

She’d been thrilled when I gave it to her, but hearing this made me even happier.

And if Masaomi-san liked it too, then…

Ah—right.

This might be the perfect timing.

“Um, Masaomi-san.”

I reached into my bag, took it out, and quietly offered it to him.

Masaomi-san stared at it with the same blank, bewildered expression Mayumi-san had worn at first—like he couldn’t quite grasp what was happening.

Well… it was sudden.

“Sorry. I actually meant to give it to you at the same time as Mayumi-san’s, but it took longer than expected.”

“Eh? …This… is for me too?”

“Yes. Honestly, it’s really nothing impressive…”

Masaomi-san’s face was a mix of surprise and confusion. He kept reaching out, then pulling back.

It was kind of cute… but I figured I should make it clear.

“Masaomi-san, thank you for everything. It’s not much, but… please accept it.”

“…!”

When I said it firmly, Masaomi-san finally seemed to make up his mind.

He hesitantly reached out, took it, and then… just froze, holding it in his hand like he didn’t know what to do next.

“Um… if you’d like, please open it.”

“I-Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

Masaomi-san stared at the package for a long moment before finally beginning to unwrap it—struggling a bit with the tape, fumbling adorably until he managed to remove the paper cleanly.

When the brooch was revealed, he stared at it wide-eyed, motionless.

“I, uh… chose a men’s kit for this one, so…”

It was a unique design: a small crown ornament connected by chain to a bird-shaped pin.

Since the pin was clip-on, it had actually been easier to make than the women’s version—and as a result, the shape was a little more straightforward.

I hoped it looked alright.

“…………”

“Um… Masaomi-san?”

Something was wrong.

Ever since he took the brooch, he’d been completely frozen—no reaction at all.

“Kazunari-kun…”

“Y-Yes?”

“Sorry… It’s just… aside from the times Sara gave me presents, I can’t really remember the last time I felt this happy…”

“………”

So that was it.

He’d been so stunned—so deeply moved—that he hadn’t even known how to react.

Honestly… I hadn’t expected him to be this happy. It caught me off guard too.

“Sorry for showing you such an embarrassing side. But… haha… thank you. I never imagined you’d prepare something for me too. And receiving a gift like this… yeah, now I completely understand why Mayumi was so excited. It really is this joyful.”

As he spoke, the reality seemed to sink in, and Masaomi-san finally smiled—a genuine, warm smile.

He kept holding the brooch up to his jacket, adjusting its position again and again as though imagining how it would look when worn.

“Haha… How is it? Does it suit me?”

“Y-Yes. But… it’s probably not very work-appropriate.”

“That’s fine. I want to treasure this. If I wore it to work and it got caught or damaged, that would be terrible. I’ll save it for the next party.”

“Eh? But for something like that, wouldn’t something more formal be better…?”

For someone in Masaomi-san’s position, attending formal events… surely a more proper accessory would be expected.

Something cheap-looking would be obvious at a glance. If others thought it was tacky…

“No, no—this has exactly the kind of value that belongs at such an occasion. So I’ll gladly wear it.”

“Y-Yes… But just knowing you’re this happy is more than enough for me. Please don’t force yourself.”

Ultimately, it was Masaomi-san’s decision.

But I hadn’t chosen something delicate on purpose—I wanted him to be able to use it casually, in everyday moments.

That alone would make me happy.

“Yeah… Thank you, truly. You’ve gone through so much because of Sara… and because of Mayumi too, really… so much…”

He trailed off mid-sentence.

This time it wasn’t about the brooch.

His gaze seemed to drift—looking at me, yet not quite…

“I see… Maybe it’s better if I explain things properly…”

“Masaomi-san?”

His expression had changed again.

The joy from earlier had vanished, replaced by something heavy—serious, almost pained.

He stared at me with an indescribable look.

“Kazunari-kun… there’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Regarding Mayumi.”

“Regarding Mayumi-san…?”

“Yes. Considering how she’s been acting toward you lately… I think it’s time I explained things properly. Would you mind keeping me company for a little while?”

“Y-Yes. Of course.”

An explanation about Mayumi-san?

That was fine, of course.

But judging from Masaomi-san’s stiff expression and tone…

This was not going to be a cheerful conversation.