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Father

“So, the other day, right?”

“Hahaha, seriously? That’s hilarious,” Marin-chan said, chatting happily as usual.

While watching her like that, Kiyohito and I were having lunch and chatting.

“Yeah, so you’re feeling better, so it’s all settled…! Sort of!”

“That’s right. It’s settled… but, did you study for the tests properly while I was out? Please spare me from getting failing grades on the last summer break, will you?”

“Speaking of which, that see-through swimsuit!”

“Gross. Don’t say that kind of thing in the classroom.”

As we were talking, Shichiya-san approached.

“What are you two talking about?”

“Oh, nothing much. Aoi here said he wants to see girls in see-through swimsuits…”

“I didn’t say that. Don’t make stuff up.”

“See-through… swimsuit… //… I see… //,” her face turned bright red. She’s still so easy to read…

“Ew, guys with plain faces are usually into some weird stuff, aren’t they?” Honjo interrupted with a wry smile.

“…That’s not me…”

“But you’re interested, aren’t you? A swimsuit at the beach would be quite… impactful, right?” Honjo said with a pervy smile.

“I-I’m not… like that…” Shichiya-san modestly replied.

“Hey, Chisato, you seem confident, but are you okay with the tests?”

“Despite my looks, I’m a gal who can study. Don’t underestimate me.”

Honjo doesn’t talk to boys much, but she seems to get along reasonably well with Kiyohito.

“Seriously?! Traitor! With that appearance, you should be an idiot!” Kiyohito said, running away as Honjo chased after him.

“Haha… they’re full of energy, aren’t they…”

“Yeah, they always seem to have fun.”

“Um, you’ve been absent recently, but are you okay with studying for the tests? I mean, if you want, I could help…”

Marin-chan’s face suddenly crossed my mind.

Marin-chan is smart, but she’s not the type to teach others.

In that sense, Shichiya-san seemed like a suitable person.

But I felt a bit hesitant about meeting them alone, so I asked, “Is it okay to invite Kiyohito too?” She looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but then said, “Yeah. It’s more fun when everyone’s there,” with a hint of resignation.

Seeing her expression made me feel a little complicated.

◇5:30 PM – Shichiya Residence, Living Room

“How is Umi like in school?”

“Uh? Oh, well… She’s got quite a few friends and… I think she’s having a good time.”

Ugh… what is this awkward situation?

Why is Shichiya-san taking a bath at this time…?

Having a one-on-one conversation with a classmate’s dad in the living room is like a personal hell.

“That’s good to hear. It’s good to see she’s doing well.”

“…?”

“It’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The Winter Pavilion,” he said, pulling out a DVD from the shelf.

“…That…”

“I’m a fan of B-movies. Oh, but it’s a bit rude to call it B-grade in front of the star of the movie.”

“No, no! It really is a B-movie… Did you recognize me?”

“I recognized you immediately. This movie is one of my favorites. I still watch it often and showed it to Umi a lot when she was little. She always said how amazing it was. But after that accident, I never saw you in anything again… I wondered if you had come to dislike acting?”

“No…! It’s not like that… But I can’t act like that anymore. Back then, I just wanted to be praised by my mom… that was all.”

“I’m sorry for bringing up unpleasant memories. So, how far have you and Umi gone? Are you in an intimate relationship?”

“N-no! I mean… we’re just… friends.”

“You’re not dating, then? Or are you friends with benefits?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Not yet, huh?”

“No, it’s not like that at all!” I protested, just as Umi-chan, with her hair still wet, rushed out from the bathroom.

“A-Aoi-kun…!? // I thought we were starting at 6…!? //”

“No, I was told 5:30…”

“S-sorry…! I’ll get ready right away!” Umi-chan hurriedly started to get ready.

“So, what do you think? My daughter has a pretty face, a good figure, and she’d be very devoted to you.”

Is that something a father should be saying?