I parted ways with Hayato in front of the apartment; with that, my schedule for the day was complete.
I had achieved my primary goal, found a new objective for the future, and even managed to pick up souvenirs for Mayumi-san and the others. All that was left was to decide when to hand them over... I figured the next meal gathering would be as good a time as any.
But for Sara, I intended to give her the present tonight. I really hoped she’d be happy; I was already looking forward to the moment I'd hand it to her.
...
Wondering if Sara had already made it back, I turned the doorknob. As expected, it was unlocked.
Now then, what should I do?
I could have just walked in normally, but opportunities like this were rare. I felt like being a little playful with my return. Maybe I could sneak in quietly and—
No, wait. Sara had given me a "see you later kiss" when I left this morning. If I went home normally, she might give me a "welcome home kiss" in return.
Just imagining her doing that was enough to make me start grinning like an idiot. I couldn't help it; the thought genuinely made me happy.
So, I decided to go with a standard entry.
Clack.
"I’m home!"
"Ufufu, welcome home~"
Click.
I quietly closed the door I’d just opened and took a deep breath.
Whew... That was strange. Was my mind playing tricks on me? The person who just greeted me was...
Alright, let's pull myself together and try that again.
Clack.
"I’m home!"
"Ufufu, welcome home~"
Click.
I shut the door once more and took another long, deep breath.
Yeah, I hadn't misseen it. Not that there was any way I could have mistaken her. Honestly, I should have realized the moment I laid eyes on her.
It wasn't exactly a shock that Mayumi-san was here. In fact, it was probably more unnatural when she wasn't around. It wasn't that I minded—having someone greet me when I got back was a nice feeling.
However... well. This meant my "welcome home kiss" was... ugh.
Phew. I shook off the disappointment and prepared to actually enter the house.
Clack.
I gripped the knob firmly, turning it slowly and inching the door open. I felt like I was performing some kind of comedy skit just to get into my own home.
"I’m ho—"
Yank.
Squish.
...Squish?
Wait, what was going on?
The moment I stepped inside, my body was pulled forward with surprising force. I realized what was happening immediately, but I was already being enveloped by something staggeringly soft. Even though I hadn't closed my eyes, my vision was suddenly shrouded in darkness.
I couldn't see a thing, and I couldn't hear—
"Nfufu~ Kazunari-kun, you're so cute~"
I definitely heard that!
Mayumi-san’s gentle, honey-sweet voice whispered directly into my ear. There was no need to think; she had pulled me in and was currently crushing me in a hug.
Which meant this sensation of being enveloped was... no, no, more importantly, my face. My face was buried in... something.
That "something" was even more substantial than Sara’s, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of panic. If this had been Sara, I would have leaned into it without a second thought. Nobody could complain about that; it was a heaven reserved for me alone.
But Mayumi-san was different. She was Sara’s mother—my mother-in-law. She wasn't someone I should be doing this with, and besides, I had Sara... wait.
Where was Sara?
Clack.
The moment the question crossed my mind, I heard the door to the washroom open. Pitter-pattering footsteps followed, which meant—
"That’s the bath cleaning finished. Next is... Mother? What are you... doing... there!?"
I see. Sara had been busy cleaning the bath. That was why she hadn't noticed me coming home.
Wait, this was no time to be analyzing the situation so calmly! It was blindingly obvious that she’d seen exactly what was happening!
"A-Ah! Mayumi-san!?"
"Now, now, it’s not Mayumi-san. Come on, let's try that again?"
Ignoring my panic, Mayumi-san increased the pressure on the back of my head. She was as oblivious as ever—no, that wasn't it! This was dangerous; I couldn't afford to hesitate.
"M-M-Mother-in-law, please, let go of me..."
"Let go of him this instant!"
The moment Sara’s commanding voice rang through the room, I felt Mayumi-san stagger. Before I knew it, my body was being pulled in the opposite direction and drawn into a different embrace.
Surrendering to the force, I let out a soft "poof" as I arrived at that place of supreme peace and heavenly comfort. Finally, the hands on my head guided me into my designated spot.
"Sara..."
Sara held my head gently with both hands as if to shield me from view. Then, she slowly began to stroke my hair.
Ah, pure bliss.
"Welcome home, Kazunari-san. I am so sorry. I was cleaning the bath and didn't realize you had returned."
The sharp, stern tone she’d directed at Mayumi-san was gone without a trace. It was replaced by the soft, sweet voice she always used when she was pampering me. I loved that voice.
"I’m home. Sorry, I stayed out much later than I intended."
"No, it is not that late yet. Shall I go ahead and prepare dinner as usual?"
"Yes, please. I only had a light lunch, so I'm pretty hungry."
"Kazunari-san, you really shouldn't skip meals..."
"I know, I know. But I just kept thinking about the delicious meal you’d have waiting for me, and I couldn't help it."
Squeeze.
Sara’s hug tightened. She pulled me even closer to her, the grip on my head firming up as her hand repeatedly stroked the back of my head in a soothing rhythm.
"Honestly... when you say things like that, I find it impossible to scold you."
"Oh, uh, I didn't mean to manipulate you or anything."
"Fufu... I know. I understand that you are speaking from the heart, Kazunari-san. That is why it makes me so happy."
"I mean it. Your cooking is my favorite in the world. As long as you're the one making it, I don't need anything else. I want to eat your food for the rest of my life."
This wasn't flattery or an attempt to get on her good side; it was my absolute, unvarnished truth. As long as I could eat Sara’s cooking, I would be perfectly happy never eating out again.
"...Are you certain you would be satisfied with only my cooking for the rest of your life?"
"Yes. I only want your food, Sara."
"Fufu... very well. Though I think it would be fine to go out for anniversaries, don't you?"
"Eh? Ah, y-yeah, you're right. It would be nice to do something like that for special occasions. Like birthdays..."
Shoot. Even if I meant what I said, I might have gone a bit overboard. Dinners at fancy hotels for birthdays or a proposal—those were classic scenes for a reason. Atmosphere mattered, and if it made Sara happy, then eating out definitely had its place.
"Sorry, I overdid it a little."
"Please, do not apologize. Your feelings made me very happy."
"I-I'm glad."
As if to prove her words, Sara’s hands grew a little more insistent as she stroked my head and back.
"Fufu... oh, goodness. How could I have been so forgetful?"
As if suddenly remembering something, Sara pulled her face away from mine just a fraction.
"Sara?"
"Nn..."
Chu.
"!?"
With a slightly mischievous smile, Sara pressed a light kiss against my cheek. This was definitely—
"Welcome home, Darling."
"Y-Yes. I’m home."
It was the "welcome home kiss" I’d been secretly hoping for! I was so thrilled I felt a grin threatening to take over my face, but I fought to keep my expression neutral. I didn't want to look completely pathetic.
But as I looked at Sara, her smile only widened. She definitely knew. Of course she did.
"Fufu... it seems you enjoyed that. If you like, I can greet you this way every time you return."
"Well, uh..."
"It’s a promise ♪"
I hadn't even said anything yet... though I guess there was no point now. I was fully aware that my feelings were written all over my face. Still, if Sara was as happy about it as I was, it was a dream come true. I’d be happy to have that greeting every single day.
...
"Um... Mayumi-san?"
"..."
"Really, Mother. You aren't a child. How long do you plan to keep sulking?"
To explain the current situation: Mayumi-san had gotten her feelings hurt and was currently in the middle of a major pout.
It was all well and good that Sara had rescued me from her, but we had ended up flirting and completely ignoring her presence. To be perfectly honest, both Sara and I had forgotten she was even in the room.
When Mayumi-san finally lost her patience and tried to cut in, I’d accidentally thought, Oh right, I forgot she was here, and she’d caught the sentiment immediately.
Honestly... between Sara, Hanako, and Mayumi-san, I didn't know how they were all so good at reading my mind. But that wasn't the issue right now.
"Mayu—I mean, Mother-in-law, about that..."
"Sniff, sniff... You’re both so cruel to me."
She was actually saying the word "sniff," so I knew the crying was totally fake. But even so, it was true that we’d neglected her, and that made it hard for me to be firm with her. I always was a soft touch when Mayumi-san acted like this.
"Mother... if you continue to trouble Kazunari-san, I will not be lenient."
This was getting bad.
Sara’s voice had taken on a dangerous edge. She was issuing what was clearly a final warning. I could feel the irritation rolling off her in waves.
I’d seen scenes like this before, but Sara never showed mercy to anyone who caused me trouble, no matter who they were. That included her own mother—in fact, she was often even more blunt with Mayumi-san because they were family. I couldn't even guess what would happen next.
At this rate, it was going to turn into a full-blown family feud.
I wanted them to get along. I had to find a way to fix this...