"Open wide, say 'ahh'..."
"Ahh..."
Chomp.
Chew, chew...
"Haah... This is a total disaster."
"Natsumi-senpai, are you okay? You look exhausted."
After somehow surviving a tumultuous morning, we were enjoying our usual peaceful lunchtime by the flowerbed. The friends who hadn't been around this morning had joined us, and we were all gathered together... or at least that was the idea. In reality, Natsumi-senpai looked like she was at the end of her rope.
"Natsumi is likely just worn out from morning club practice. Now, Kazunari-san, please hold still."
"O-kay..." I managed to mumble.
Sara-san pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and gently dabbed at the corners of my mouth. Every so often, she would peer into my eyes and offer a sweet, radiant smile. It made me incredibly happy, yet also more than a little embarrassed.
"At least half of this is your fault!" Natsumi-senpai barked.
"Is it? I would argue the other half is entirely your own doing," Sara-san countered smoothly.
"Ugh... Hey, I'm talking to you! Look at me when I'm speaking!"
"There we are. All clean ♪"
"Thank you, Sara-san."
"Don't ignore me!"
"Calm yourself, Natsumi. A lady should not raise her voice without cause. It is unrefined."
"Ggggh... Whose fault... whose fault do you think it is?!"
Grimacing with pure frustration, Natsumi-senpai glared at Sara-san before shifting her gaze to burn a hole through me as well. I wasn't entirely sure what had happened in their classroom, but for her to be this worked up, it had to be something major. Then again, if it involved Sara-san, there was a ninety percent chance I was entangled in it somehow.
"Natsumi-senpai, it's a waste of energy trying to lecture my wife," I said. "Anyway, judging by the conversation, I take it things were hectic in your class too?"
"Given your tone, I assume something happened with Hanako-san as well?" Natsumi-senpai asked.
"It would be weirder if nothing happened after that massive scene at the Miss Contest," Hanako-san chimed in.
"Haah... I guess that's true."
"Ah, haha... Yeah, you're right," Marina-san added with a weak laugh. "The entrance was absolute chaos when we arrived this morning."
"Yeah. It was pretty intense on my end too," I admitted.
At Hanako-san's words, Natsumi-senpai, Hayato, and Marina-san all exchanged weary, meaningful smiles.
Actually, "intense" didn't quite cover it.
While I had been bombarded with questions about my proposal, the interrogation hadn't stopped there. Naturally, I’d been grilled about Natsumi-senpai and Yuji, as well as Hayato and Marina-san. If I was that busy, I could only imagine the sheer volume of complaints Natsumi-senpai was holding back.
"The classroom has been a madhouse since the first bell," Natsumi-senpai groaned. "Sara was under a constant barrage of questions, and the people in my class teased me relentlessly about Yuji... Plus, during every single break, students from other classes would swarm in."
"Ah..."
"T-That sounds rough..."
"And just because of the Tennis Club connection, they’re hounding me for info on Yokokawa-kun and the others! On top of that, they kept asking about Takanashi-kun personally... I don't know how many times the teacher had to step in to disperse the crowd!"
Ouch. I thought so.
It sounded several degrees more chaotic than what I dealt with. I felt truly sorry for the trouble Natsumi-senpai had to endure.
"I'm sorry, Natsumi-senpai... for my part in all that," Hayato said, bowing his head in a sincere apology.
I figured I should apologize too.
"Natsumi-senpai, I'm sorry from my side as well..."
"There is no need for Kazunari-san to apologize," Sara-san interrupted. "This is my—"
"You stay out of this!" Natsumi-senpai snapped.
"What a strange thing to say," Sara-san replied calmly. "In reality, Natsumi, weren't you mostly just troubled by people prying into Tachibana-san's business? While there may have been some talk about Yokokawa-san, the vast majority of inquiries regarding Kazunari-san were directed at me."
"...Guh."
Natsumi-senpai looked like she had just swallowed a bitter pill. Sara-san might have been right, but judging by Natsumi-senpai's reaction, she definitely took a significant amount of fire on my behalf.
"Were you really asked that many questions, Sara-san?" I asked.
"Fufu... There were certainly many, but the content was mostly the same. It was nothing I couldn't handle."
"I see. Well, it was the same for me, I guess."
"Yes. Most of the questions were regarding our daily life together."
"...Wait, what?"
Our daily life? Not the engagement, but our daily routine?
Did that mean...
"Please, do not worry. Since it concerns our private life, I only provided harmless answers."
"Yeah, right," Natsumi-senpai muttered dryly. "Sara just went and broadcast exactly how much of a Professional Housewife she is. She acted so much like a devoted spouse that by the end, everyone was calling her 'Wife'."
"E-Eh...?"
"Oh, and Takanashi-kun was being called 'Husband' as well," Natsumi-senpai added. "So you might want to get used to people calling you that from now on."
"Whaaa?!"
If Natsumi-senpai was telling the truth, Sara-san must have gleefully described our life at home—vividly.
I assumed she kept the top-secret stuff private, but I was terrified to think how much she’d actually disclosed... especially since my Nemesis, Yuri-senpai, was in that class!
"Anyway, Takanashi-kun, you're quite the popular guy," Natsumi-senpai teased. "Several girls asked me to introduce them to you..."
"...Pardon?"
"–!"
"Hieeeee?!"
Suddenly, Sara-san's smile shifted. It remained a smile, but something cold and inscrutable took root behind her eyes. In that instant, an invisible weight settled over the flowerbed.
Natsumi-senpai hurriedly clamped her mouth shut, and Marina-san let out a tiny, frightened shriek.
Yeah... even I felt a shiver of fear. Just a little bit, though.
"Seriously, Sara... stop silencing people with your 'pressure,'" Natsumi-senpai groaned once she found her voice. "How many people have you shut down with that today?"
"Fufu... I was merely joking."
"When my wife does it, it's never a joke," I muttered. "By the way, Natsumi-senpai, what were the names of those 'foolish' people you mentioned...?"
"You too?!"
"Just kidding."
"...Heeeh, 'just kidding,' right."
Natsumi-senpai directed a flat, judgmental stare my way. Honestly, I wasn't even sure why people were asking her about me in the first place.
"Anyway... setting Yokokawa-san aside, how were things for you, Todo-san?" Sara-san asked.
"Oh, right! I was wondering about that too," Natsumi-senpai said. "I mean, I did blackm—I mean, I applied some 'pressure' of my own, so I think it's fine, but still."
She definitely almost said blackmail.
I suppose that wasn't entirely inaccurate, but setting that aside, I was genuinely worried about Marina-san.
Yuji goes to a different school, and I'm somewhat used to being the target of public scrutiny, but Marina-san is a completely Ordinary Girl. If people were giving her a hard time behind her back because of Hayato, we needed to come up with a countermeasure immediately.
"Ah, I'm okay! A lot of people told me they were jealous, but nobody has said anything mean so far."
"I see. That’s a relief," I said. "If anything happens, tell us right away, okay?"
"You must not hesitate," Sara-san added. "Fools who interfere with the happiness of others should be eliminated as efficiently as possible."
"A-Ahahaha... Thank you very much."
"A Handsome Guy like you should be the one taking the lead on security, Hayato," Hanako-san remarked.
"Yeah, I know," Hayato replied firmly. "For Marina-san's sake, I'll be as proactive as I need to be."
"Hayato-kun... ehehe."
The two of them gazed at each other, seemingly holding a conversation with their eyes that went far beyond mere words. Since things seemed stable for the moment, I could finally relax a little. Besides, I doubted there were many idiots in this school brave enough to make enemies of Sara-san and Natsumi-senpai.
"Haah... the number of stupid couples in this group just keeps growing."
"True," Hanako-san agreed. "We're up to three pairs now."
"Wait, we're not like them!" Natsumi-senpai protested.
"The fact that you lack self-awareness is proof that you're in the terminal stage."
"Wha—?!"
Natsumi-senpai slumped her shoulders, seemingly devastated by the realization. I wasn't going to jump in and make things worse, but in my head, I agreed—those two were definitely part of the stupid couple club.
"I don't care about the term 'stupid couple,'" Sara-san said. "It is merely proof of how well we get along. I truly don't understand why that would be shocking. Now, Kazunari-san, say 'ahh' ♪"
"Ahh..."
Chomp.
Chew, chew...
"Fufu... how is it?"
"I say the same thing every time, but I really can't find a better word than 'delicious'!"
"Thank you very much ♪ Oh, Kazunari-san, you have a bit of your 'lunch' right there."
"Eh?"
Chu.
Sara-san leaned in close and pressed a light kiss right next to my lips.
I had a feeling that’s where this was going the moment she mentioned 'lunch' on my face, but as long as it made Sara-san smile like that, I didn't mind one bit.
"...Are you saying... we're the same... as that?!" Natsumi-senpai whispered in horror.
"Essentially," Hanako-san replied.
"...I can't believe... this..."
"...That looks so nice," Marina-san murmured wistfully.
"Marina-san?" Hayato asked.
"Fueh?! I-It's nothing!"
"If you want to do it too, Marina, you should," Hanako-san teased. "The kiss, I mean..."
"N-Not that part!"
"Then it's even simpler."
"Uuu... but..."
Marina-san stole a glance at Hayato’s face and then looked down shyly, her face flushing red. With an adorable reaction like that, a guy—especially Hayato—wouldn't stand a chance. Marina-san was a natural-born man-killer.
"...Marina-san, I..."
"H-Hayato-kun, wait! Um... Satsukawa-senpai, I have something I'd like to ask you..."
"I don't mind listening, but based on the bento you made for the school festival, I really don't think you have anything to worry about," Sara-san said bluntly.
Hayato nodded vigorously in agreement, and the rest of us followed suit. Marina-san probably lacked confidence in her cooking and wanted to improve for Hayato’s sake.
While I wanted to reassure her that she was worrying too much, I knew that her own satisfaction was what mattered most, so I kept quiet.
"Th-Thank you. But... I really want to get at least a little bit better. I know I’m not in your league, but still, at the very least..."
"Fufu... well, I admire your desire to improve. But are you sure you want me to teach you? Personally, I would recommend learning from your own mother."
"It's just... Satsukawa-senpai is overwhelmingly better..."
"Well, comparing anyone to Sara is just cruel," I added. "This girl is a Professional Housewife, after all."
"My wife's Wife Power is at a foul play level," Hanako-san noted. "Comparing yourself to her is meaningless."
"It's hurtful to hear it called 'foul play,'" Sara-san pouted slightly. "Everything I do is the result of my own hard work, you know?"
I knew that better than anyone. Her domestic skills were the product of the Gifted Education she'd received from Mayumi-san since she was little, combined with the fact that she worked her hardest for me every single day. It was all her own effort.
Well, and maybe a little bit of genius.
"If it's during my free time, I don't mind looking over your cooking," Sara-san said. "However, that is only if it doesn't interfere with Kazunari-san's schedule."
"Oh, come on, you don't need Takanashi-kun's permission for something like that..." Natsumi-senpai groaned.
"Please do not misunderstand. I am Kazunari-san's fiancé, and we share our entire lives together. This is not a decision I should make in isolation."
"Ah... I-I see. I guess that makes sense."
"Sara-san, it's totally fine with me! Don't worry about it," I said.
It might have sounded a bit extreme to others, but I did the same thing—I always checked Sara-san’s schedule before making my own personal plans. In that sense, she wasn't wrong.
"A-Um, I don't want to be a burden..." Marina-san said tentatively.
"Marina-san, it's okay. Don't hesitate," I encouraged.
"Yes. Personally, I want to support you, so please feel free to ask," Sara-san added.
"Th-Thank you so much! I'll do my best!"
As Marina-san bowed, Hayato followed suit beside her. I’m sure Hayato felt she was already perfect, but saying that now would only discourage her. I understood that feeling well; the best thing to do was let her work until she was satisfied, and then praise her with everything I had.
"I'm sorry, Hayato-kun. But I really want to..."
"No, I'm honestly happy that you're thinking of me that much. Good luck, Marina-san."
"Yeah!"
Watching them was truly heartwarming. Even if he wasn't my best friend, I would have wanted to cheer them on. I felt like even the people who hadn't approved of their relationship would have no choice but to accept them after seeing how sincere they were.
At least, that’s how it looked to me.