The Day of the Parental Observation Day.
"Good morning..."
"Fufu... Good morning."
Sara-san was in high spirits again this morning.
To be precise, as far as I knew, she was in high spirits every single morning... I wondered if she had been the same way back at her family home.
When I had grown curious about it before, I tried asking her why in a roundabout way.
"It's because I'm recharging every morning♪"
That was her answer.
Of course, she didn't mean with electricity, so she must have been charging something only she could understand.
"Breakfast will be ready in just a moment. Please wash your face and get changed first."
"O-kay..."
Hearing my yawn-laced reply, Sara-san smiled happily and returned to the kitchen. While I washed my face and brushed my teeth in the washroom, I recalled the phone call I had with my Mom last night...
…………… ……… …
"I might not make it in time for the third period, so I'll try to be there by the fourth period's class observation."
"Got it. Honestly, you don't have to push yourself."
"I'm not pushing myself at all. My main goal isn't your class observation anyway; I just want to see Sara-chan."
"I figured you'd say that."
As the conversation made clear, my Mom had taken a real shine to Sara-san.
From the day they first met, the two of them had become as close as a real mother and daughter.
However, since they were closer than I—her actual son—was with her, the "as if" part was probably the key point.
Of course, that wasn't a problem. As far as I was concerned, if the two of them got along well, nothing could be better.
"Is Sara-chan there?"
"She's right next to me."
"Then let me talk to her."
"Sure thing."
I operated the smartphone screen and switched it to speaker mode. This way, she could talk to Sara-san directly, so my Mom shouldn't have any complaints.
"You can talk now."
After bringing the smartphone closer to Sara-san, I told my Mom she was ready.
"Sara-chan, good evening."
The voice coming from the smartphone's speaker was so gentle it made me want to demand why her attitude toward me earlier had been so different. Upon hearing it, Sara-san began to speak with a happy smile on her face.
"Good evening, Mother-in-law. It has been quite a while."
"It's been a bit, hasn't it? Though I'm the one saying it, feel free to contact me whenever you like, even if you don't have a specific reason, okay?"
"No, just being able to talk like this occasionally makes me happy."
"Aah, honestly, you're such a good girl as always. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."
"Yes, I also wish to see you soon, Mother-in-law."
To me, she was just my usual Mom, but she must have been special to Sara-san after all. If I thought about it the other way around, I considered Mayumi-san to be ten... no, a hundred times better than my own Mom. Which meant Sara-san probably felt the same way... or maybe not.
"Once the social gathering is over, I'm planning to have a chat with Mayumi-san at a nearby shop. You'll join us too, Sara-chan?"
"Yes! I would be delighted to join you."
"Hey, what about me?"
"I suppose you can tag along as Sara-chan's extra?"
As usual, the difference in treatment between me and Sara-san was far too great. If I asked my Mom, she would surely say she actually wanted a daughter like Sara-san.
"Mother-in-law, please don't tease Kazunari-san too much."
Ever gentle, Sara-san softly chided my Mom on my behalf. Even when the opponent was my Mom, her kindness in looking out for me was truly nothing short of a Goddess.
"Oh, my... Sara-chan really is such a good girl. Kazunari is the luckiest person in the world."
"Fufu... even if it is just flattery, I am truly happy to hear you say that. Regardless of myself, it is a fact that I wish to make Kazunari-san the happiest person in the world."
The amazing thing about Sara-san was that she could say things like that without the slightest hesitation.
At the risk of sounding self-important, I believed Sara-san had absolute confidence in her feelings for me.
That was likely why she could state it so clearly.
"Goodness, Sara-chan... I'm really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."
"Yes! I am also looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."
…………… ……… …
That was how the conversation went.
In other words, the only saving grace was that my Mom's surveillance—rather, observation—of me would only last for one hour.
What worried me more was what kind of conversation would take place when the four of us met after school... honestly, that might be the biggest source of anxiety.
Speaking of mothers, Sara-san had also received a message from Mayumi-san.
…………… ……… …
"I will definitely be there by the fourth period."
"You don't have to push yourself, you know."
What was this? I felt like I had heard this exact exchange just a moment ago...
"Oh, Sara-chan, don't be so cold. As I mentioned the other day, I'm supposed to talk with Fuyumi-san after the social gathering. Kazunari-kun, you should come along with your Mother-in-law, okay?"
"Eh? Ah, thank you?"
Mother?
Mother-in-law?
I wondered which meaning she had intended just now...
…………… ……… …
Now that I thought back on it, both mothers were saying similar things.
That aside, what I felt after talking to both mothers yesterday was that Mayumi-san was completely different from my Mom.
Her kindness, her housework skills, and even her physical appearance—it felt bad to say this about my Mom, but in my evaluation, Mayumi-san was on an entirely different level in every aspect.
The only downside was her troublesome habit of playing pranks on me, but since it was Mayumi-san, I found myself forgiving her immediately. I suppose that, too, was simply because she was Mayumi-san...
After I finished washing my face and went to change into the school uniform Sara-san had prepared, I noticed it was even more crisp and neat than usual.
It seemed she had even gone so far as to carefully iron it for me. I decided to make sure to thank her properly later and focused on finishing getting changed for now.
I tightened my tie and did a general check of my appearance. Once I confirmed everything looked fine, I returned to the kitchen to find that breakfast was already ready.
But before eating, I had to express my gratitude.
"Sara-san, you ironed my uniform, didn't you? Thank you."
"Your Mother-in-law is coming today, after all. As your future wife, I cannot allow my husband to be embarrassed♪"
Sara-san gave a proud smile, as if to say it was only natural.
I really couldn't compete with her...
"Now then, let's have our meal. If we are too late, we will keep Natsumi and Hanako-san waiting."
I glanced at the clock; we still had enough time. Still, it was better to have a bit of a margin.
…………… ……… …
Once we finished the meal and did a quick cleanup, Sara-san looked at me as if she had remembered something.
"Please let me do one final check before we leave the house."
As she said that, Sara-san began to move slowly while looking over my entire body. It seemed she intended to do a thorough check of my appearance. She checked everything from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. When she finally finished her check...
"Please wait right there for just a moment."
She went back to the kitchen, warmed a damp towel in the microwave, and returned.
This was a method used to fix bedhead, so did that mean I still had a stubborn tuft of hair somewhere?
I hadn't noticed any when I looked at myself.
"It is only a tiny bit, but there is a spot on the back of the head that is bothering me... please leave it to me."
As I thought, the bedhead was on the back of my head. I hadn't noticed it when checking the mirror.
However, for some reason, Sara-san didn't move behind me but instead reached out her arms from right in front of me. She was trying to apply the towel to the back of my head that way, but doing so naturally meant her face came incredibly close to mine...
No, Sara-san was just trying to fix my hair; it was wrong of me to think inappropriate thoughts.
Despite that thought, she stared straight into my eyes without looking away at all, making me feel so embarrassed that I reflexively closed my eyes.
As I stood still, a gentle, warm sensation eventually spread across the back of my head. It seemed that was where the bedhead had been.
After waiting for a while, the sensation of the towel disappeared.
"There, it's all better now."
It seemed the hair-fixing was done.
So, I opened my eyes, and as if she had been waiting for that exact moment, Sara-san's face drew near in an instant.
Chu...
It happened so suddenly that I couldn't move at all.
I froze involuntarily, letting it happen.
Then, Sara-san slowly pulled away and gave me a mischievous smile.
"Fufu... I just responded to your expectations."
"Eh!?"
"Was I mistaken?"
When she put it that way, it was true that I had been thinking about various unnecessary things. Though I couldn't help but think it was Sara-san's fault to begin with... it seemed she had seen right through that as well.
"Kazunari-san, you're so cute... Let's do it one more time..."
Sara-san placed her hands on my shoulders, stood on her tiptoes, and slowly leaned in. Since I had a moment to prepare this time, I ended up staring straight at her face as she closed her eyes... and being captivated by her beauty, I could tell immediately that my own face had turned bright red.
Chu...
This time, it wasn't a light peck like before. It was a much firmer, True Kiss.
Eventually, we both pulled away, and Sara-san looked at me while pressing a finger to her own lips. Seeing her look so seductive made my heart pound uncontrollably.
"Fufu... I ended up kissing you twice♪ I've been very happy since this morning."
Whether she knew about my racing heart or not, Sara-san was in an excellent mood.
"So... why has Kazunari had such a smitten look on his face since this morning?"
Although we had met up with the two of them at the convenience store, Hanako-san hit me with a sharp observation the moment she opened her mouth. I thought I had regained my composure, but was it really that obvious?
"I don't really get it... but if it's like Hanako-san says, you were probably flirting with Sara since first thing this morning anyway."
Natsumi-senpai's guess was spot on, but there was no need for me to confirm it. It was best to just let this one slide.
"Fufu... Kazunari-san was just so cute that I couldn't help myself..."
But Sara-san didn't let it go. She loved talking about how well we got along, so if I left her alone, she would expose everything.
I decided it was better to intervene.
"B-By the way, are Natsumi-senpai's and Hanako-san's mothers coming from the third period?"
"My Mother said she'd be here from the third period. I think she's worried since I just transferred schools."
It was a desperate topic change, but my "big sister" seemed to play along for her "younger brother's" sake. I felt like I could sense a hint of "good grief" from her.
"Mine isn't decided yet. She'll just come whenever she can make it. What about you guys?"
"For us, it seems both will be here in time for the fourth period."
"I see. But come to think of it, won't your mothers have a lot to talk about?"
"Yeah. That's why it seems they're planning to move to a shop and talk over a meal once the social gathering is over."
"Makes sense. In that case, I want to greet Kazunari's Mother before that. My Mother wants to greet her too."
She had mentioned it the other day as well, so it seemed she really intended to introduce them. What should I do? Maybe I should remind her not to mention the "siblings" setting just in case...
"You don't have to make that face. I won't say anything unnecessary, and my Mother doesn't know about it to begin with."
It seemed Kayo-san hadn't told Hanako-san about our conversation in the park.
If that was the case, I should probably keep my story consistent with hers.
That meant I couldn't warn her, either... but it would probably be fine.
"Got it. Well, it's after the social gathering anyway, so I think there will be time to talk before then."
"Yeah. I'm also looking forward to meeting Kazunari's Mother."
Just like Sara-san, I never dreamed the day would come when someone would say they were looking forward to meeting my Mom.
Do they really want to meet her that much?
The classroom this morning was noisy in a different way than usual.
Conversations about whose mother was coming, or how someone's parents were doing... everyone seemed to have their own thoughts, whether they were looking forward to it, feeling envious, or trying to act indifferent.
Even the Homeroom Teacher who appeared for homeroom seemed to be minding the parental observation day, wearing a sharp suit unlike his usual attire. His hair was also stiffly styled. It was a bit amusing.
…………… ……… …
As the time drew near, I could feel myself getting strangely restless. "I-It's not like I'm worried about my Mother coming or anything!?" I thought, giving myself a stereotypical retort, but I still focused on the lesson. I had a clear future path involving university recommendations, so I couldn't afford to neglect my classes for any reason... I really am a diligent student.
Around the time the second period was ending, I began to hear voices from the hallway.
I could see shadows passing by the small glass window of the door, so the parents of classmates participating from the third period were likely starting to gather.
Since Kayo-san was supposed to be among them, I wondered if I should greet her briefly before class.
Ding-dong...
The bell signaling the end of class echoed through the school, and the second period finally came to a close.
As the Teacher left the classroom, the classmates' parents began filing in as if competing to be first. I didn't have anything specific to do, so I watched them idly for a while... until I spotted Kayo-san entering. Realizing this, I reflexively glanced at Hanako-san, who had also noticed Kayo-san's arrival and stood up immediately. So, I stood up as well, intending to give my greetings.
But... when I saw the person who walked in next, I stood there in a daze.
Of course, it wasn't a mistake.
That beauty that clearly stood apart from everyone else, a figure that wouldn't look out of place even if she were called Sara-san's older sister.
No matter how I looked at her, it was...
Mayumi-san!?
"...H-Hey, there's a crazy beauty over there!?"
"...Whoa, whose mother is that!?"
"...No way, that's gotta be an older sister, right!?"
"...Man, this is bad..."
"...H-Hey, whose Mom is that!?"
"...She's too young! She's an older sister, right!?"
"...Hieee, if I had a sister like that, I'd develop a total complex..."
I could tell the classroom was slowly starting to buzz.
But that was only natural; Mayumi-san had a completely different aura.
It would be weirder if she didn't stand out.
I mean, what am I supposed to do!?