"Kazunari-san, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?"
"Nothing in particular. Did you need me for something?"
Sara-senpai, who had finished clearing up after lunch, asked me out of the blue while setting out dessert.
It looked like she had prepared pineapple today, neatly sliced into bite-sized pieces to make it easy to eat.
"I just received a message from my mother on RAIN. She asked if you would like to stop by my family home for tea, provided it suits your schedule. Now, say 'ahn.'"
Chomp.
Munch, munch.
"It’s been a while since I’ve had pineapple. It’s great... I don’t have anything else going on, so if you’re okay with it, Senpai, I’d be happy to go."
Come to think of it, this would be my first time actually visiting her house.
Besides, things had been so chaotic during our previous encounter that I hadn't been able to give Mayumi-san a proper greeting.
"Oh, by the way, what about your father?"
"Father has been away on a business trip since yesterday. Since I am over here, I imagine he is quite bored being home alone... say 'ahn.'"
Chomp.
Munch, munch.
I see... To be honest, I didn't have the courage to face Sara-senpai’s father yet, so I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
"Anyway, I'm fine with it. If you're okay with it, Senpai, then I'll gladly accept."
"Thank you very much. Shall we head out after a short rest, then? Say 'ahn.'"
Chomp.
Munch, munch.
Sara-senpai’s family home, huh... I’m starting to get a little nervous.
Wait, would it be bad to show up empty-handed?
I wondered if it was rude not to bring a souvenir of some kind for an occasion like this. Since this was my first formal visit, I wasn't really sure about the etiquette.
"Senpai, maybe we should stop somewhere to buy a souvenir..."
"Fufu... please, don't worry about that. If I let you spend money on something unnecessary, I'll be the one getting scolded by my mother. It’s perfectly fine as it is. Here, this is the last one. Say 'ahn.'"
Chomp.
Munch, munch.
Since she put it that way, I couldn't really insist on buying anything.
We passed the Station Front and entered a residential area.
After walking for a bit, Senpai stopped in front of a house.
It was on the larger side, though not exactly what you’d call a sprawling mansion. Still, compared to my own family home, it was certainly impressive enough.
"I'll open it now, please wait a moment."
Senpai took out her key and opened the entrance door.
I followed her inside, took off my shoes, and lined them up neatly. She was always so meticulous about things like this.
She put on her slippers and then set out a pair for me as well. I found myself standing there, feeling a bit awkward and unsure of what to do.
"Please, Kazunari-san, come in."
"Excuse me..."
Encouraged by her smile, I carefully lined up my shoes and stepped into the slippers.
The nerves were definitely hitting me now...
The entrance was decorated with a beautiful layout of fairy figurines, and there was even cat wallpaper in subtle places, like around the power outlets.
It seemed she had a general fondness for cute things.
We entered a spacious living room where a low table sat separate from the dining area, surrounded by a large sofa. There was a massive television and a surround sound system with multiple speakers positioned around the room.
"Please, make yourself comfortable on the sofa. I'll go call my mother."
"Ufufu, welcome, Takanashi-san. I’m so happy you could come."
!?
I looked toward the source of the voice. Before I’d even realized she was there, Mayumi-san was standing right in front of us.
Thinking it wouldn't be right to stay seated while greeting her, I hurriedly stood up.
"I-It’s been a while, Mayumi-san. Thank you for the invitation."
"The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for always being such good friends with Sara-chan. I felt a bit left out, so I thought I’d join the fun for once..."
"Mother, is that really the only reason you called Kazunari-san over?"
Sara-senpai stood by my side, questioning Mayumi-san with a sharp, suspicious look in her eyes.
I mean, even if that were the case, I didn't really mind, so she didn't need to glare like that...
"Oh, goodness, Sara-chan... you get so defensive the moment it involves Takanashi-san. I have a real reason, I promise. But still... 'Kazunari-san,' is it...?"
Mayumi-san smirked at us. Apparently, she hadn't known that Sara-senpai had started calling me by my first name.
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"Nothing at all~. I just think it's wonderful that you two are so close. Takanashi-san, you’re welcome to call me 'Mother-in-law' whenever you like, you know?"
"Y-Yes...?"
No matter how I looked at it, calling Sara-senpai's mother "Mother" felt like a huge leap.
Sara-senpai gave Mayumi-san a bewildered look before realizing we were all still just standing there.
"Ah, forgive me for keeping you on your feet. Please, sit on the sofa. I'll head to the kitchen to prepare some tea."
Sara-senpai urged me to sit and began heading toward the kitchen.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it. In the meantime, I’ll take Sara-chan's place and get to know Takanashi-san better."
As she spoke, Mayumi-san moved to sit right next to me, but Sara-senpai quickly caught her and started dragging her away.
"Mother, you are coming to help me with the tea."
"Oh, Sara-chan, you're so mean!"
Man... Mayumi-san was definitely a free spirit, but in a completely different way than my own mother.