The Guy Who Messed Up Is Gradually Doing His Best - Chapter 61

“Kaori-san!”

“!? Taketo-kun?”

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I found Kaori-san, who was just about to come up to the second floor.

Kaori-san, who hadn’t noticed me, had a surprised expression. It seems I startled her a bit by suddenly calling out, but that’s not the main issue right now.

“Kaori-san, here.”

“Hmm? Childbearing selection… Um, why does Taketo-kun have that?”

Kaori-san’s eyes widened in surprise. She looks awkward, having been found out by me. Just as Nene-san said, it’s true.

When I thought about it that way, I became overwhelmingly frustrated.

Kaori’s first impression was that she was a capable contractor. During the renovation period, we saw each other almost every day, and it didn’t take long for my perception to change to see her as a kind person who cared about the client.

Since we exchanged MAIN, we’ve started calling each other by name and have become a bit more familiar with each other. However, on the way back from filming a video for Nohara Construction, I happened to overhear a family conversation in the car.

After that, I remember feeling a bit lonely thinking that Kaori-san was coming closer to me because the chairman, the president, and the executive director told her to.

But that was only at first, and I was happy when she went out of her way to come over. I don’t remember when it started, but she began cooking dinner for us to eat together. Once that happened, we started talking about things that happened at school.

So she came over to my place, and we have dinner together. I took it for granted that she would always be there, I misunderstood.

Kaori-san was worrying about the successor issue without me knowing.

Even though I knew the reason Kaori-san approached me, I avoided the topic and took too long, so Kaori-san was confronted with the “Childbearing Selection.”

I finally realized how much my heart, which had been feeling so alone, was saved by Kaori-san’s kindness and the smiles she directed at me.

“Kaori-san, I’m sorry!”

I didn’t come here to make her make that face. Without waiting for a refusal, I hugged Kaori-san tightly.

“Wait, wait, Taketo-kun!?”

Kaori-san gasped in surprise, but I felt relieved that she didn’t try to leave and continued the conversation.

“I was listening to the conversation in the car, so I knew you were looking at me as a potential spouse, but I avoided it… and then the chairman and the others confronted me with this (Childbearing Selection).”

“Uh, uh, Taketo-kun, what are you…”

“I asked Nene about the successor. And then I realized something. I don’t want Kaori-san to have children with anyone else. I like Kaori-san. So please, Kaori-san, be with me. I like you, Kaori-san.”

“Like me…”

“Yes. I love you. So please don’t think about having children with anyone else. I’m begging you.”

“I-I’m so happy. I’m really happy, but I think Taketo-kun is misunderstanding something.”

Kaori, still holding me in her arms, opens her mouth with her neck and face flushed bright red.

“It’s not a misunderstanding. I’ve realized it. I feel pathetic for not realizing it until now, but I really love Kaori-san! I can’t be with anyone else.”

“Oh, no, um, I, I really like Taketo-kun too, so I’m very happy about that. But, um, that’s not it. That child, that’s Nene’s.”

“I’m glad Kaori-san is also… huh? Nene-san’s.”

“Yeah. I think that’s what Nene was looking at when she said she wanted a second child.”

Because I was only thinking about Taketo-kun, so it’s not necessary, Kaori-san’s words murmured in a small voice unfortunately went unheard.

——…What is this?

When I realized I had been set up, my face turned bright red from embarrassment. I think my ears were probably bright red too.

When I tried to pull away from Kaori-san, who was hugging me tightly out of embarrassment, she opened her mouth and hugged me back even tighter.

“Oh, and there’s one more misunderstanding. The conversation in the car. I was the one who first told my grandmas that I had a crush on someone. I just wanted them to see Taketo-kun’s character.”

I never thought our conversation was being overheard, but Kaori-san continued talking. Oh no, I’m so embarrassed I can’t even look her in the face properly. I just want to get away quickly.

“Oh my, you’re really showing off, aren’t you? It’s making me jealous.”

I just heard the voice I least want to hear right now.

“Nene! You…”

“Well, well, now that we know you both like each other, it’s all good, right? Right, Taketo-chi?”

Ugh, it’s true that if it weren’t for something like this, I might not have realized that I liked Kaori-san. I might have spent my days aimlessly and ended up regretting it when it was too late. Thinking about it that way,

“Y-yes.”

“Got it, got it. It’s not like it’s a good thing or anything.”

At the end of Nene-san’s gaze, everyone (Tsukune-san, Sachiko-san, Saori-san, Nanako-san) was looking at us with tears in their eyes. It didn’t seem like they were moved to tears.

“E-everyone…”

“Taketo-kun, c-congratulations.”

“…Congratulations.”

“Sniff…”

“Mm…”

They rub their eyes and look down. For some reason, my chest aches.

“Ah, geez. You’re such a handful.”

As Nene-san, who said that, suddenly ran down to my side, she took the “Childbearing Selection” I was holding in my right hand and turned the cover of the booklet towards me.

“Taketo-chi. What would you do if those kids suddenly said they wanted to have children with one of the men here?”

“Huh!? Everyone is with other men… Well, isn’t it a bit too early for that?”

“Is that all? Then it’s okay after graduation, right?”

“Um…”

At school, I’m the only guy, so I never thought about it, but that kind of future is also quite normal. But…

“I… I think I don’t like it.”

I wonder what I’m even saying. It’s even more so because of the memories of my past life. I just told Kaori-san something that sounded like a proposal, and yet I’m thinking about another girl and saying the worst things.

“Ha, I thought you’d say that. So, what if it were me?”

“If it’s Nene-san…”

That booklet originally belonged to Nene. If it’s Nene, then it’s fine…

“Taketo-chi, you know it hurts me too, right? What, are you thinking it might be okay if it’s me? Haa… well, nevermind. Since Taketo-chi has probably understood his feelings a bit.”

“Y-yeah, that’s right…”

This is the worst. I can feel Kaori-san’s gaze, but I’m too scared to look at her face.

“You heard Taketo-chi’s words just now, right? Men are obligated to marry multiple people. You don’t need to be so down about it either. Besides, I think Kaorin understands that kind of thing too.”

Hearing those words, Kaori-san nodded, and I felt a bit relieved. But, Kaori-san, we’ve been hugging for a while now; should we let go soon?

Unlike Kaorin and me, you’re young, so enjoy your high school life more, Nene-san said, and everyone nodded vigorously. Their faces, unlike just a moment ago, looked somehow bright.

However, Kaorin’s slight reaction to Nene’s words, “Unlike Kaorin and me, you’re young,” was a bit scary.