I needed to calm down... just calm down and get a grip on the situation.
According to yesterday’s conversation, Mom and Mayumi-san were both supposed to arrive starting from the fourth period.
I had heard it directly from Mom, and Sara had heard the same from Mayumi-san.
Mayumi-san had specified she would be visiting Sara's classroom during the fourth period. Which meant, technically, she never said she wouldn't come to my classroom during the third. It wasn't a lie, but that only meant one thing...
Was this another one of her pranks?!
No, this had already gone way beyond the scope of a mere prank. Was she actually being serious?!
What was I even supposed to do...
"Kazunari, is something wrong?"
Hanako-san, noticing that I had frozen in place, looked at me with a puzzled expression. Fortunately, Mayumi-san hadn't called out to me yet. My classmates were buzzing as they looked at her, but naturally, none of them realized who she was here for.
In other words, if I could just ignore her and move on, there was a good chance I could get through this. As much as Mayumi-san loved a good prank, I wanted to believe she was only here to observe.
For now, greeting Kayo-san took priority. Hanako-san was waiting, so I needed to at least speak with Kayo-san first.
As I stepped back beside Hanako-san and approached her mother, Kayo-san gave me a deep, formal bow. It was so polite that it felt a bit excessive, making me feel a little awkward.
"Hello, Takanashi-san. Thank you for taking care of Riko."
"Hello, Kayo-san. No, I'm the one who should be saying that... Riko-san is always taking care of me."
I wasn't exactly capable of a particularly sophisticated greeting, so I stuck to a safe, standard response. Still, Kayo-san gave me a warm, happy smile. Looking at her, I could see a faint trace of the smiles Hanako-san had recently begun to show me... I couldn't quite put it into words, but for some reason, seeing that made me feel genuinely happy.
"...Hey, I heard that's Hanasaki-san's mother."
"...She's got a cute vibe. Makes sense, since she's Hanasaki-san's mom."
"...I like that she's a bit baby-faced."
"...She seems pretty close with Takanashi-kun, too."
"...I guess it really is 'parent-approved' then..."
"...Hey, this is unrelated, but doesn't the older sister standing next to her look like someone we know?"
"...Right? I've been wondering that this whole time."
"? Kazunari, did something funny happen?"
"No, it's nothing like that. I just thought Hanako-san's smile and Kayo-san's smile looked exactly the same just now."
I couldn't quite explain why that made me so happy, so my explanation came out a bit half-baked. Even so, Hanako-san seemed to get the gist of what I meant, and she gave a bashful little smile.
"Hey, Kazunari-kun! I think it's about time you introduced your Mother-in-law, too!"
...God... You really aren't going to let this end peacefully, are you?
I knew it... I knew Mayumi-san, standing right there, was watching me with expectant eyes, just waiting for me to address her.
Since I had no idea what she was actually planning, I had intended to avoid her as much as humanly possible. I’d held onto the slim hope that she might be satisfied just watching us—a "let sleeping dogs lie" kind of strategy.
But that one sentence from Mayumi-san sent a massive shockwave through the classroom.
"...M-M-Mother?! I thought she was an older sister!"
"...What?! T-Takanashi's mother?!"
"...No way... Having such a beauty for a mother... I'm so jealous."
"...Dammit, if she was his sister, I would've asked for an introduction!"
"...Wait, is that really Takanashi-kun's mother?!"
"...She's way too young... I mean, she's gorgeous!"
And there it was... the commotion was spreading like wildfire.
Now that it had come to this, there was no going back. From here on out, my only choice was to adapt on the fly.
"Eh?! K-Kazunari's mother?!"
Even Hanako-san couldn't hide her shock; her eyes went wide as she stared at Mayumi-san. Kayo-san was in the same boat, standing there with her mouth agape.
"Kazunari, how mean. If your mother was coming, you should have told me. Um, nice to meet you, I'm Riko Hanasaki..."
"Wa-Wait a second, Hanako-san!"
I hurriedly cut Hanako-san off just as she began her nervous greeting. Letting her proceed with such a massive misunderstanding would be disastrous; I needed to explain the situation to Hanako-san and Kayo-san at the very least.
But before that, I decided I had to confirm the situation with Mayumi-san herself.
"M-Mayumi-san, why are you here..."
"Mm-fufu~, I asked the Principal for a favor."
I spoke in a low voice, mindful of our audience, and Mayumi-san surprisingly played along, responding in a whisper.
"The Principal?! H-How did you even have a connection like that... No, never mind that, does Sara know about this?"
"!?"
Hanako-san, who was standing right beside us, looked at Mayumi-san with a look of pure, unadulterated astonishment, as if she'd just heard the most unbelievable thing in the world. I had never seen her look quite this shocked before. Then again, I’d probably looked exactly the same when I first saw Mayumi-san walk through the door.
"C-Could it be... his wife... Satsukawa-senpai's...?"
"That's right. But I'm Kazunari-kun's Mother-in-law, you see."
"...Ah, so that's what you meant. Honestly, you're cutting it close..."
"He-Hey, Riko. What's going on? What are they talking about?"
For now, Hanako-san seemed to have grasped the situation, and I was grateful that she kept her voice down to match ours.
Poor Kayo-san, the only one left completely in the dark, was looking to Hanako-san for an explanation. I should probably help clarify things for her, too...
"Mom, just listen quietly. This person is... the person who's going to be Kazunari's Mother-in-law."
It was a classic Hanako-style explanation—blunt and to the point. Naturally, it didn't do much to clear up Kayo-san's confusion, so I stepped in to supplement.
"Kayo-san, this is Mayumi Satsukawa-san..."
The moment she heard the name "Satsukawa," it clicked for Kayo-san. She suddenly began to panic, bowing so low and so repeatedly that it started to look painful.
"M-My apologies! M-My husband is deeply indebted to your family's company!"
"Oh? ...Ah, I see. Not at all, we're the ones who should be thanking you for his hard work."
Thinking about it, since Tadao-san was an employee of Sawa, Mayumi-san was essentially the wife of his husband’s superior.
Even as I processed the complexity of that relationship, Mayumi-san handled the situation with her usual ease. She didn't flinch for a second, greeting the woman with a practiced smile. Her composed demeanor was a stark reminder that she was indeed part of a major corporate dynasty.
"S-So, Mayumi-sa—"
"It's 'Mother-in-law'."
That was when I realized she was completely trapping me. If I called her by her first name, everyone around us would get suspicious. I had no choice but to use that title in this setting.
"M-Mother-in-law."
"Mm-fufu~. Yes, what is it, Kazunari-kun?"
Mayumi-san looked absolutely delighted, a radiant smile on her face. I wondered, not for the first time, if being called that by me really made her that happy.
"No, well, look behind you..."
"Takanashi! Your mom is seriously beautiful!"
"Whoa, seeing her up close is something else..."
"N-Nice to meet you, Mother!"
One classmate's comment acted as a signal, and suddenly a group of guys came swarming over. Their interest in Mayumi-san was painfully obvious, and frankly, the whole scene was annoying.
On top of that, because my classmates were crowding around, we were starting to attract looks from the other guardians as well.
"Oh... thank you. Please make sure to keep being good friends with Kazunari-kun, okay?"
"Yes!!"
"O-Of course!!"
"No problem, we're total bros!!"
For a split second, I actually forgot myself... watching Mayumi-san talk to my classmates made her look like my actual mother. Usually, she jokingly insisted on being called my mother-in-law, but seeing her like this made me feel like she didn't consider it much of a joke at all.
In fact... I already knew that even when Mayumi-san was teasing me, she truly cared for me deep down. She really did think of me like a son.
When I looked at it that way...
Maybe this wasn't just a prank. Maybe she had come here because she was genuinely looking out for me.
"Kazunari, is this really okay?"
"Eh!?"
I had been so swept up in Mayumi-san's presence that I’d started to view things optimistically, but I had completely forgotten a major problem. Mayumi-san's arrival here was a total surprise, and that realization brought a different, much worse premonition.
Specifically... the very real possibility that my Mom had gone over there.
The two of them had almost certainly coordinated this. I wanted to confirm it with Mayumi-san, but with the crowd of guys surrounding her, there was no way to have a private conversation.
Ding-dong...
The chime for the start of class rang out, heartless as ever.
The teacher would be arriving any second, so there was nothing more I could do. I could only pray that my bad feeling was just a needless worry.
It only occurred to me then that I should have checked in with Sara via RAIN.
But... it was already too late for that.
Side Sara
Rewinding time slightly, to just before the end of the second period...
The voices drifting in from the hallway told me the guardians had already begun to gather. Since today was Parental Observation Day, my classmates were all acting a bit restless.
To be perfectly honest, I have never been fond of Parental Observation Day.
It isn't that I dislike my mother coming to the classroom or watching my lessons. Rather, I dislike the inevitable consequences of her presence.
It may sound like I am simply a doting daughter, but even being modest, my mother is a beautiful woman. One only has to look at the reactions of those around her to recognize that as an objective fact. Furthermore, she looks incredibly young. She often jokes to people she meets for the first time that she is my older sister, and they invariably believe her.
Still... if I am to look like her in the future, I wonder if Kazunari-san will be pleased...
I am a woman, after all. If it would make Kazunari-san even slightly happier, I cannot help but care about my appearance. In that sense, I find myself praying that I have inherited her traits.
...I have drifted off-topic.
In any case, when a mother like that visits, it always causes a stir. This isn't a guess; it's a phenomenon that has occurred during every observation day since I was a child. When it happens, I become the center of a certain kind of attention that I find utterly exhausting.
However, I have something to look forward to today. Kazunari-san's mother... my future Mother-in-law, is scheduled to attend the class observation.
I have not yet had the opportunity to give her a proper greeting since Kazunari-san and I began our relationship. Now that we are fiancé and fiancée, the stakes feel even higher.
The formal introduction will take place later with my father present, of course, but I must ensure my behavior today is beyond reproach...
"...I hope Satsukawa-san's mother gets here soon..."
"...Dude, you've been saying that since yesterday. I get it, though."
"...Last year was a total shock. I really thought she was an older sister."
"...A lot of guys think this is their chance to make an impression on both of them."
"Sigh... Sara really has it rough, doesn't she?"
"Did you say something?"
"Oh, nothing... wait, huh?"
Natsumi, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly noticed something near the classroom door. I followed her gaze.
Ah, I see.
Natsumi looked like she was going over to talk, so I decided to join her. It had been quite some time since we last spoke.
"Mom, you're quite early, aren't you?"
"I worked extra hard to finish my shift."
"Hello, Koharu-san. It has been a long time."
Natsumi's mother, Koharu Yuzuki-san. Last year, when I visited Natsumi's house frequently, we saw each other often, but those visits have become rare lately. In fact, I don't believe we have spoken at all since I met Kazunari-san.
"Sara-chan, long time no see! You've become even more beautiful since the last time I saw you. I suppose it's because of... that, right?"
?
I wasn't sure what she was implying.
She was giving me a knowing, mischievous smile.
"Natsumi told me all about it... so... congratulations!"
The conversation felt a little disjointed, but she was clearly referring to my relationship with Kazunari-san. It seems the news reached her through Natsumi.
"Fufu... thank you. Although, if we're talking about that, Natsu—"
"Waaaaah!!"
"Uwah!? W-What was that for, Natsumi?"
"What's wrong all of a sudden?"
Natsumi suddenly shouted, cutting me off. She has been doing that a lot lately—making a scene to stop a conversation. I don't want to be overly critical, but a lady should really refrain from shouting so loudly.
"No... look! Over there!"
"Hmm? Why are you acting so shifty?"
"N-No, we can talk more later!!"
"A-Ah, alright. Sara-chan, if it's okay with you, would you introduce them later?"
"Yes. If I can find a moment, I would be happy to."
I might have a little time before we head to the restaurant.
Come to think of it, Hanako-san and Todo-san also expressed a desire to meet my mother. I will have to figure out the timing for that...
"Hey, by the way... where's Mayumi-san?"
"Mother is supposed to arrive during the fourth period."
"Eh? But I saw her just a moment ago."
"Just now?"
"Mom, are you sure you didn't mistake someone else for her?"
"No way. There's no mistaking someone as striking as Mayumi-san. She seemed like she was in a really great mood, too."
Striking...
I have heard many descriptions of my mother, but that was a first. I wondered what kind of image Koharu-san had of her.
Putting that aside, I was certain Koharu-san must have been mistaken, but...
"Where exactly did you see her?"
"Let's see... I think she was headed toward the first-years' classrooms... Wait, did Mayumi-san get the room wrong? Sara-chan, you should probably contact her."
The first-years' building... No...
"No... surely she wouldn't go to the same place as last year..."
Natsumi's eyes went wide as she slowly turned to look at me.
Our eyes met, and I realized she was imagining the exact same scenario I was.
This was a class observation. If she was at the school, she should be here. There was no way she would go to her last year's classroom by mistake. Unless she headed toward the first-year building with a very specific intention...
"Sa-Sara... you don't think Mayumi-san is..."
"I'll be right ba—"
Ding-dong...
Just as I moved to leave, the chime for the third period rang out.
Ah... I was too late. If only I had five more minutes...
Rattle rattle...
"Alright, everyone, take your seats!"
It was over. There was nothing I could do now. I could only pray that Kazunari-san wasn't being inconvenienced too much. The moment this class ended, I was going to collect my mother immediately.
If she has done anything to trouble Kazunari-san... I will never forgive her.