After being guided to the sofa in the living room, I sat facing Hanako-san's father. He wasn't exactly glaring at me, but the complicated expression on his face as he studied me made the atmosphere incredibly uncomfortable.
I averted my eyes slightly, looking around the room so as not to appear rude, and noticed something that looked like a Buddhist altar. It was smaller than the standard ones I’d seen, but it was unmistakably an altar. My attention was drawn to it because several toys—likely for a toddler—had been placed there.
Hanako-san returned from her room and sat down primly to my left without a second thought.
Watching her, I suddenly realized that whenever we were together, Sara-san always took the spot on my right, while Hanako-san always took the left. Their positions seemed to be set in stone. Her father’s eyes widened in surprise at how naturally she had taken her place beside me.
I really wanted to get the conversation moving as quickly as possible...
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Hanako-san's mother returned, carrying a tray with tea and the sweets I had brought as a gift.
I had handed them over before sitting down, making sure to use the polite phrase, "It's nothing special, but please have this." Since I wasn't used to the formal wording, I’d nearly stumbled over the words.
Once everyone had their tea and the mother sat down next to the father, it seemed the formal introductions would finally begin. I had been waiting for this moment, desperate to escape the pressure the father was exerting.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Riko's father, Tadao Hanasaki. Thank you for taking care of my daughter."
Despite his stiff tone, Tadao-san gave me a polite bow, which I quickly returned. Since calling him "Father" felt like a one-way ticket to getting scolded, I decided to refer to him as Tadao-san in my head. Following him, the mother spoke up.
"I am her mother, Kayo. Thank you for being such a good friend to Riko."
I returned Kayo-san’s bow as well. Thinking it was finally my turn, I was about to offer my greeting when Hanako-san cut in.
"I'll introduce him. This is Kazunari Takanashi-kun... To me, he's the person I'm closest with."
"C—C—Closest person...?"
".........Kazunari?"
While her words were incredibly flattering to me personally, the way she phrased it was clearly going to deepen their misunderstanding.
However, Hanako-san didn't seem to notice. She introduced me with a look of genuine pride and happiness. While Tadao-san was visibly shaken by her claim, Kayo-san remained surprisingly calm.
Tadao-san was still intimidating, so I hurried to finish the introduction myself.
"It’s nice to meet you, I'm Kazunari Takanashi. As for my relationship with Hanako-san..."
"" Hanako? ""
Crap.
I had accidentally used her nickname out of habit. I should have called her Riko-san in front of her parents... but I was so used to the other name that I feared I’d keep making the mistake.
"S—Sorry, I usually call Riko-san 'Hanako-san'."
"I told Kazunari-kun he could call me whatever he liked, Hanako or Riko."
...That might have been true, but her timing for saying so was terrible. As expected, Tadao-san finally started glaring at me.
"Riko... Does that mean he is truly that important to you?"
"Important? ...Yes. Kazunari-kun is my precious person."
She had said the same thing when our classmates asked about me before. I knew she likely meant it as a best friend, but I also suspected the "Big Sister" role played into it.
This wasn't the time for calm analysis, though. The misunderstanding was reaching critical levels, and I had to fix it.
"U—Um, if I could just explain—"
"Takanashi-kun, was it? I understand Riko considers you precious, but don't you think these things should be said by the man first?"
"Riko, why did you say he was just a friend earlier? If you wanted to introduce your lover, you should have just said so from the start."
I knew it; the misunderstanding was complete. I got the feeling that explaining this on my own wouldn't be enough to convince them.
"Lover? Kazunari-kun isn't my lover."
Right then, Hanako-san finally spoke up to clear the air. I couldn't let this chance slip by.
"...Eh?"
"Riko, what are you talking about? You just said he was your precious person."
"He is, but I never said we were lovers. It's not that simple."
It’s not that simple. I was certain she was referring to her "Big Sister" obsession. I wanted to ask her about it right then and there, but considering her parents were present, I prioritized fixing the situation first.
"Um, Hanako—no, Riko-san and I aren't lovers. I consider her a best friend, though."
"B—Best friends? Are you two really not dating?"
Tadao-san directed the question at Hanako-san, not me. If she denied it here, he would finally calm down.
"We aren't. In the first place, Kazunari-kun already has a lover... or rather, a fiancé."
"" F—Fiancé!? ""
Hanako-san dropped the decisive blow to end the misunderstanding. I finally felt like I could breathe again. Surely they would listen to reason now.
Looking at Tadao-san, the realization that we weren't dating seemed to settle in, and the intense pressure he was radiating finally vanished. Phew... thank goodness.
"Y—You're a high school student, yet you already have a fiancé? I suppose it's not my place to pry, but that's quite the head start..."
"Kazunari-kun is one thing, but his partner is a special case. Actually, you know her, Father."
"I know her? What are you talking about?"
"Kazunari-kun's fiancé is Sara Satsukawa-san. You should know the name."
Tadao-san knew Sara-san?
What kind of connection... Oh, right. I remembered hearing that Hanako-san's father was an employee at Sawa Electronics. It wouldn't be strange for him to know Masaomi-san's name.
"Sara Satsukawa... No, I don't... Wait. Satsukawa?"
"The Satsukawa-san at your company is the father of Kazunari-kun's fiancé."
"Satsukawa... No, wait, as far as I know, there’s only one..."
"It’s probably him. It’s a rare surname, so there aren't many others."
"...T—That's a lie, isn't it?"
"There's no reason to lie."
"Dear, what’s wrong?"
"I—I—Is it really... Senior Managing Director Satsukawa?"
Tadao-san was visibly rattled, his composure crumbling. He had clearly recognized Masaomi-san's name. I knew from experience how rare the Satsukawa name was.
I knew Masaomi-san was the No. 2 at Sawa, and an employee certainly wouldn't be ignorant of that. Even so, the father's shock was extreme.
"Y—Yes. Masaomi-sa—I mean, Senior Managing Director Satsukawa is Sara-san's father."
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????"
I found myself wondering if I possessed a time-stopping ability like Sara-san's, because Tadao-san was perfectly frozen. His expression was a sight to behold, though.
With Tadao-san seemingly having lost the ability to speak, Kayo-san took over.
"S—Sorry, Takanashi-san. Is it true? About the Senior Managing Director's daughter...?"
"Yes. Sara Satsukawa-san and I are... well, we're engaged."
Once he heard that, the freeze on Tadao-san finally broke. He turned a slow, shaky gaze toward me. His face was entirely different now, filled with a mix of awe and sheer panic. His lips trembled as he struggled to find words.
"I—I have indeed heard that Senior Managing Director Satsukawa has an only daughter, but..."
"That's Sara Satsukawa-san. She's a year above us and the next Student Council President. Also, she's Kazunari-kun's fiancé. Father, I'll say it again: Kazunari-kun is the fiancé of the Senior Managing Director's only daughter. He's going to join Sawa in the future, so you understand, right?"
As Hanako-san emphasized my future employment at Sawa, Tadao-san nodded slowly. Strictly speaking, I was only at the stage of listing Sawa as my preferred career path; nothing was guaranteed. Per my promise with Masaomi-san, I had to get into university first.
"T—Takanashi-san? Um, please accept my apologies for my rude behavior earlier. I was under a complete misunderstanding."
For some reason, Tadao-san had started adding "san" to my name. I felt like he could have just kept things casual, but...
"No, as long as everything is cleared up, it's fine. Once again, I'm Kazunari Takanashi. It's a pleasure to meet you. Riko-san has been taking care of me to a degree that I'm truly grateful for."
"N—No, not at all! If anything, our daughter has been... been greatly taken care of by you! She’s a girl with very little charm, but please, continue to be kind to her!!"
It had taken quite a while, but the conversation had finally circled back to the initial introductions. I was more exhausted than I expected. Being treated with such extreme deference made me feel small and a bit hesitant. Since the earlier tension was just a mistake and I didn't mind, I really just wanted him to act normally.
"It's not true that she lacks charm. I think Riko-san is a very kind person with a wonderful smile."
I wasn't just being polite; I told them exactly what I felt. I figured Tadao-san was just being humble about his own family.
"...It's unfair to say things like that so casually."
"" !? ""
Both parents looked stunned by Hanako-san's reaction. I wasn't sure what had surprised them, but I thought she looked cute when she was embarrassed.
"Anyway, I called Kazunari-kun here today because we have things to discuss. Now that introductions are over, we're going to my room. Kazunari-kun, come on."
Hanako-san stood up from the sofa and reached out her hand to me as I started to get up. Taking it as a sign to grab hold, I took her small hand. She smiled and squeezed back.
"" !? ""
Giving a quick bow to her parents—who were once again staring in shock—I was practically pulled out of the living room.
Following Hanako-san into her room, the first thing that struck me was the bookshelf. It was a massive, ceiling-high sliding unit, and every inch of it was packed tight with books.
One thing I found curious was that while she had a staggering number of manga and light novels, there wasn't much other anime merchandise. It seemed she wasn't just a generic fan.
But the thing that caught my eye most of all... was the photo on her desk.
It was a photo of a baby. It clearly wasn't Hanako-san. I instinctively felt that the Buddhist altar and the toys in the living room were connected to this. Since it seemed like a sensitive topic, I decided not to be the one to bring it up.
Hanako-san sat on the bed and watched me without saying a word. Feeling a bit restless, I walked over to the bookshelf to browse.
...There were a lot of "Big Sister" themed stories. I wondered if her obsession had started with these books.
"Curious?"
"!?"
I hadn't noticed her move, but Hanako-san was suddenly standing right next to me, peering into my face.
"Curious?" she asked again. I guessed she was offering to tell me if I asked.
I didn't know if this was the main reason she'd brought me here, but if she was willing to share, I wanted to listen.
"I am."
"I see... Then I'll tell you. It's connected to why I invited you here today."
Hearing that, I knew I had to listen. I nodded, and she pulled me by the hand toward the bed. She sat down and began patting her thighs while looking up at me.
...She was offering a lap pillow. I hesitated; refusing might embarrass her, but I wasn't sure if this counted as "cheating" in Sara-san's eyes.
Hanako-san didn't look away, watching me with a steady gaze.
...Well, I'd already decided to accept Hanako-san’s feelings today. I’d just have to be honest with Sara-san when I got home.
Coming to a decision, I took off my jacket, hung it on the chair, and moved to the center of the bed. I adjusted my position and slowly lowered my head onto her thighs... though they were so small I was afraid to put my full weight on them.
However, Hanako-san gently pressed my head down with her hand, and I ended up resting firmly against her.
The sensation was entirely different from Sara-san’s, but she was still soft and warm.
She stroked my head in silence for a long time.
"It's my first time giving a lap pillow... I think I understand how your wife feels a little better now."
"Sara-san?"
"This is addictive. I'm jealous of her."
Since I was facing sideways, I couldn't see her expression, but from her voice, I guessed she was smiling.
"Did you see... the photo?"
"!?"
I thought we were going to talk about the books, but it seemed the story she wanted to tell was about the photograph.
It was unexpected, but it was the thing I was most curious about. Since she was the one bringing it up, I was more than ready to listen.
I didn't say a word, simply nodding and waiting for her to continue.
~ Conversation between Hanako-san's parents ~
"Phew... what a surprise. Riko bringing a friend home was shock enough, but a boy? And a boy like that...?"
"D—Dear, about that Senior Managing Director..."
"Yeah. He's the Senior Managing Director at Sawa Headquarters... the No. 2 man. People say he's next in line for the presidency."
"What!?"
"That's why I was so panicked! If he's the fiancé of the only daughter, he'll likely be the successor once they marry. That's what Riko meant."
"......I can hardly wrap my head around it."
"To rank-and-file employees like us, those people are like gods in the clouds. Still, she’s made quite a friend. He seemed like an honest, polite boy from what I could tell."
"Yes, I felt the same way."
"To be honest, I have no idea how to act around him now. The social distance is all wrong. Just... please make absolutely sure we don't do anything to offend him."
"I—I understand."
"...Even so, Riko called him 'precious.' I wonder if it really is just a friendship? What is she actually thinking...?"
"......Kazunari."
"Something wrong?"
"No, I just got a bit curious... but... for it to be a coincidence like that..."