The Satsukawa residence.
I had never really looked at the perimeter before, so I hadn't noticed.
Inside, the house felt relatively cozy and welcoming, so I’d never given it much thought. Approaching on foot from the outside for the first time, however, the reality of the place finally dawned on me.
It was wide. It was massive.
Even including the garage, the exterior walls seemed to stretch on forever. Considering the garden contained a standalone office, I really should have realized this sooner.
Well, I decided to put the matter of the house aside for now.
Ding-dong.
I pressed the button on the intercom at the entrance. It was a sight I was used to, though as I stood there, I realized something.
Wait, this was the first time I had ever come here alone. Thinking back, I didn't actually have any memory of using this intercom before.
"Yes?"
After a short wait, a gentle, soothing voice drifted through the speaker. It was the kind of voice that naturally put the listener at ease.
"Hello, it’s Takanashi."
I was surely visible on the camera, but I gave my name just in case.
"Ufufu, welcome! Please wait just a moment."
Mayumi-san’s voice sounded incredibly cheerful. I waited for a few seconds until the door opened with a click.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Come in, come in, don't be shy. After all, this house will be your family home before long, Kazunari-kun!"
I could only offer a wry smile at Mayumi-san’s sudden, bold proclamation, but strangely enough, my nerves vanished. I wondered if she had said that specifically to relax me.
"Thank you. Excuse me."
"It’s fine for today, but starting next time, I want you to call me Mother and say 'I’m home,' okay?"
"Huh!?"
Apparently, she wasn't finished. Judging by her expression, she wasn't joking—she was entirely serious.
I changed into the slippers Mayumi-san provided and followed her into the living room. Masaomi-san was sitting on the sofa; he stood up with a smile that looked a bit forced, though he seemed genuinely glad to see me.
"Ah, Takanashi-kun, welcome. I’m happy you could make it."
He held out his right hand as he spoke, and I returned the greeting while shaking it.
"It’s been a while, Masaomi-san. Thank you for everything the other day."
"The pleasure was mine. You really saved us. I’m sure there’s a lot to catch up on, but please, have a seat first."
He gestured toward the sofa I usually sat on—my fixed position.
As I sat down, Mayumi-san hurried away, her slippers pitter-pattering as she went to prepare some tea.
Looking at Masaomi-san again, I could see that he seemed somewhat demoralized. The cause was undoubtedly Sara-san. Noticing that I was studying his face, Masaomi-san let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Forgive me. We’ve had a bit of trouble regarding my daughter. But don't worry, I’m ready to listen to whatever you have to say. Let’s have some tea first, shall we?"
"Yes, thank you."
A few moments later, Mayumi-san returned with a tray. She set out teacups, saucers, and sweets on the low table in front of us.
Once we had all taken a breath and had a sip of the black tea, Masaomi-san broached the main topic.
"I heard from Mayumi that you have something important to discuss. Is it the matter you mentioned when we last saw each other?"
The moment had finally arrived.
From here on, it was the real deal. This was the decisive battle.
Recalling Sara-san’s face and the faces of everyone who was rooting for me, I braced myself.
I can do this.
"Yes. It’s the talk I wasn't able to give you back then. Although, the reason I put it on hold has effectively disappeared by now..."
I had intended to consult Sara-san before speaking to him, which is why I’d only given him a vague notice, but in the end, I never got the chance to talk to her. It was too late to worry about that now.
"Oh? Is that so? Well, we’ve managed to find another opportunity to meet like this, so it makes no difference to me."
"Thank you. In that case, please allow me to tell you what I couldn't say then."
With that, I stood up from the sofa and straightened my posture. My sudden movement seemed to confuse them, but neither Masaomi-san nor Mayumi-san looked away from me.
"To introduce myself once more, my name is Kazunari Takanashi."
Masaomi-san looked increasingly baffled by my formal re-introduction, while Mayumi-san watched over me with a gentle smile.
Fixing my gaze on Masaomi-san, I spoke the words that would signal the start of our negotiation with everything I had.
"I am in a relationship with Sara-san... with Sara Satsukawa!"
Side Sara
Several days had passed since the day I first heard mention of an arranged marriage.
At that time, rather than getting angry at Father or asking Mother for the details, my only thought was that I wanted to be with Kazunari-san. That was all that mattered.
I barely remember what happened after that.
I had torn my room apart to gather my essentials, cramming everything I could into a trunk and stuffing the rest into the backpack on my back. I left the house without a second thought.
I wanted to see Kazunari-san. I wanted to be by his side. And... I never wanted to leave him again.
By the time I came to my senses, I had dropped all my luggage and was clinging to Kazunari-san like a lost child clutching at a parent.
He held me tight. He told me he would stay with me. I was so happy...
Kazunari-san had accepted me when I ran away from home without asking a single question. Even now, he treats me just as he always has.
I know he is worried. I know he wants to hear the truth. But because he sees the state I am in, he chooses to leave it alone.
Of course, I thought about telling him many times. But the words "arranged marriage" are something I refuse to let cross my lips.
An interview with a man who isn't Kazunari-san?
Discussing my future with someone else?
Don't be ridiculous.
Why should I have to participate in such a farce?
I have nothing left to say to the father who would even suggest such a thing.
I don't care if our parent-child bond is severed. Sawa Electronics is nothing to me. Father can take over as he pleases and find some other successor. I will not throw away my happiness for something so trivial. Giving up on a future with Kazunari-san is absolutely out of the question.
...But even if I feel that way, what is the reality of the situation?
Father likely won't forgive me. He won't let me go. Because the current President of the family company has no children, it is almost certain that Father will be the one to inherit it. And unless he takes in a man as an adopted son-in-law, there will be no one left to carry on the line.
The company is simply too large. The people around us would never accept a successor just because they were an "adopted son." That is exactly why Father needs this marriage. To keep the peace, he would choose someone already connected to the company—most likely the child of one of the executives who has supported Sawa Electronics for years.
And that will inevitably tear us apart.
They have so many ways to do it. If they learn about Kazunari-san, they might even target his family, who are just ordinary people. And it might not even be Father who does it, but someone else entirely who wants to force us apart.
If that's the case, the paths left to protect my future with Kazunari-san are limited.
Elopement.
That word, which sounds so cheap and melodramatic, feels like the only road left for us.
But if I wish for that... what happens to him?
I have no idea how much trouble I would bring upon Kazunari-san because of my family. I would be a burden to his parents as well.
Even so, he surely...
Even so, I...
Side Natsumi
The three of us were having tea time in the VIP room of a famous restaurant that Eririn had booked out.
It had actually been a very long time since just the three of us had met up. The last time was definitely before Eririn transferred schools.
"Having tea like this with the three of us... I couldn't have imagined it a little while ago," Eririn said, apparently thinking the same thing as me.
"Well, even after Eririn moved, we could have met up if we really wanted to."
We’d stayed in touch, so it would have been easy enough to set a date or have someone pick us up to go out.
"I was keeping in touch with Eri too," Sara added. "But maybe the problem was that I assumed we could meet whenever we wanted."
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" I asked.
Thinking you can meet anytime is a bad thing? What was that supposed to mean?
"It’s like anything else," Eririn explained. "If you think you can go to a place whenever you want, you actually end up never going. You need a specific reason to move."
I felt like I understood. If you think you have forever, the priority drops until it never happens.
"So, in that sense, I'm grateful to Takanashi-san. He’s the one who reconnected us."
"That’s true. If it weren't for Takanashi-kun, we might still be waiting for that reunion."
The circumstances weren't exactly great, but I never dreamed that the whole mess would lead us back to Eririn.
"Now, let's get down to business."
Eririn seemed to have resolved herself. She had a sharp, almost stern expression on her face—one I hadn't seen in a long time. Sara looked puzzled by the sudden shift in atmosphere.
"Sara. Like we just said, most things need a trigger. But if you just wait for one, nothing will ever change. Don't you think that applies to you right now?"
Being put on the spot so suddenly, Sara didn't know how to respond. She looked like she wanted to ask why the conversation had taken this turn.
"Time is short, so I’ll be blunt. How long do you plan on being a burden to Takanashi-san?"
"........."
To my surprise, Sara didn't offer a rebuttal. She had a look of recognition... or rather, self-awareness. It was a incredibly rare reaction for her.
"Are you scared because you realized you might be torn apart by a power you can't resist on your own?"
"...How did you know that?"
Sara's face was etched with shock. Eririn had hit the nail right on the head.
"Does clinging to Takanashi-san because you're afraid solve anything? If you stay by his side, do you think someone else will just handle the problem for you?"
"What do you know about—"
"I understand perfectly. I’m also someone who might face the exact same situation in the future, after all."
"........."
I had never seen Sara so thoroughly defeated in an argument.
The old Sara was perfect—almost too perfect—and never showed a single opening. That was the persona she needed to maintain her style at school, and she was always conscious of avoiding any vulnerability.
It just went to show how much Takanashi-kun's presence had changed her.
"Sara, if you try to run away, I’m sure Takanashi-san will go with you. But what kind of future is waiting for you there? Do you think it would be fun to live in hiding, constantly terrified that someone is chasing you? Do you really want a future where you never stop causing trouble for Takanashi-san?"
"......That’s..."
"Or will you give him up and accept the arranged marriage so you don't cause him any more trouble?"
"Don't be ridiculous! I would never even look at another man besides Kazunari-san!"
Sara finally barked back. It seemed that was the one point she would never yield on.
"At least you have the confidence to say that much. Elopement won't lead to happiness, but giving up on Takanashi-san is out of the question. So, what is the path you're actually choosing?"
Eririn was cornering her, forcing Sara to find an answer. I figured this was exactly how Eririn had planned the conversation to go.
"Sara, did you actually hear the details from your father?"
"...I haven't."
"When someone says 'arranged marriage,' it's only natural to fear being separated from Takanashi-san. You might think your father won't allow the relationship or that he’ll force another man on you. You might think the company executives will interfere."
"I know that's a possibility. The company is too large. They’ll prioritize the business over our feelings. That’s why Father suggested the interview..."
Because Sara is so smart, she had likely mapped out every single worst-case scenario. She had tried to find a way to fight it, failed to find a perfect solution, and then became paralyzed by the fear of losing Takanashi-kun.
...Wait. Something felt slightly off.
"That possibility exists, certainly," Eririn admitted. "And if it happens, there's no telling what measures they might take."
"Exactly. That’s why I—"
"Sara, stop thinking about Takanashi-san for a second and be logical. Did your father actually force this marriage on you?"
".........Eh?"
Sara looked completely dumbfounded.
And I finally realized what that feeling of wrongness was.
Sara is brilliant—she had thought of possibilities I could never even conceive of. But they were just that: "possibilities."
"You're far sharper than I am, so I’m sure you were assuming things I hadn't even considered. But where did all those assumptions start?"
"......Father... brought a marriage proposal from the company... for the sake of the company... a son-in-law from among the executives' children..."
"It’s a fact that the company brought the proposal. It’s also certain that the other executives are eyeing the position. So yes, I agree that similar offers will likely come up in the future. But what does your father think? Did he ever tell you he would prioritize the company over you?"
"......He didn't... I haven't confirmed it."
She had started over-analyzing the moment she heard the words. It’s only natural to assume that if a parent brings you a proposal, they expect you to take it. I would have thought the same thing. And Sara, realizing that the proposal could mean losing Takanashi-kun, had spiraled.
"......Just because Father mentioned the proposal, I just assumed I was being forced into an adopted son-in-law arrangement for the company? ......Did I read too far ahead?"
"See? I suspect the rest of your fears aren't wrong, though. Those pressures will come sooner or later. But if your father is on your side..."
"Worst case, I could probably leave the house without needing to elope," Sara mused.
"Wait, you..."
"Fufu... it was a joke. Mostly."
It looked like she had finally regained enough composure to make light of the situation. Given the weight of the previous conversation, she still had a lot of nerve.
"A-Anyway, it looks like you’ve finally calmed down. So, you know what you need to do now, right?"
"I’ll talk to Father. It’s not too late to think about the rest after that. There might still be things I can do."
The light returned to Sara’s eyes. Her confidence was back.
Because she loved Takanashi-kun so much, her fear of losing him had been overwhelming, stripping her of her usual cool-headedness. Now, she was back to her old self.
"Honestly, you’re such a handful. If you’d just stayed calm, you would have realized that yourself. How can you think of nothing but Takanashi-san?"
"Kazunari-san is my everything. But you’ve woken me up. It’s true that many problems still remain, though."
She was right, but she would be fine now.
In that case, there was no reason to keep her here. Once you've decided on a course of action, you should move. Especially since Takanashi-kun was currently fighting his own battle.
"Eririn."
Eririn nodded at my prompt and looked Sara in the eye.
"Sara. Right now, Takanashi-san is at your house."
"!? I really am pathetic... how could I be so... Eri, forgive me, but I have to get home!"
With that one sentence, Sara understood exactly why Takanashi-kun was there.
Watching her rush off with such determination... I found myself wondering if Masaomi-san was going to be okay.