"…And that is the situation."
Masaomi-san concluded with those words, finishing his overview—the social standing of the Satsukawa family and the various intricacies attached to it.
This naturally included the relationship between the Satsukawa family and Sawa Electronics, a world-class corporation representing this nation, as well as Masaomi-san’s specific position within it. It also covered the fact that Sara-chan and I were the only members of the Satsukawa family’s direct lineage. He explained what it would truly mean for Kazunari-kun, as the man marrying Sara-chan, to become the Satsukawa family’s adopted son-in-law.
To anyone with even a modicum of social experience, the answer was likely obvious.
"……Ah."
"……Eh."
The reactions of Kosei-san and Fuyumi-san—staring blankly at Masaomi-san as if they had just witnessed the impossible—were perfectly natural. Being presented with a story of such magnitude so suddenly made it far too difficult to swallow all at once.
"…Do you understand now? Why we wish to welcome Kazunari-kun as our adopted son-in-law."
"W-Wait, could you give us a moment?! This is… the scale of this conversation is just far too large…"
"M-Mayumi-san, is what you just said really… is it really true?!"
"Yes," I replied.
"It is all the truth," Masaomi-san stated firmly.
When we both nodded, the two of them gasped in unison. Perhaps that helped them finally accept the reality of the situation, as a strained, slight smile began to touch Kosei-san’s lips.
"Ha… hahaha. I see. When I heard you wanted Kazunari to be adopted, I expected there were significant circumstances involved… but I never imagined it was something of this scale."
"…I apologize. Under normal circumstances, this is information that should have been conveyed at the very first stage."
"No, no. Because of this setting, I was able to accept it as the truth… or rather, I had no choice but to accept it."
"That’s right. The story is so unbelievable that if I’d heard it over the phone, I never would have believed it. But since I’d already met Mayumi-san directly, you could have told me at least a little bit back then."
"I’m sorry, Fuyumi-san. At that time, I couldn’t speak clearly yet…"
"Ahaha, sorry for being petty. It’s okay. I feel like I understand the situation somewhat now."
Seeing the gentle, small smile that finally appeared on Fuyumi-san’s face—much like her husband's—I felt a surge of guilt. However, considering the gravity of the matter, I couldn't have spoken of it carelessly until the path was certain.
"Honestly, the content is so unexpected that I don’t know what to say."
"It’s only natural for you to be confused. However, this is—"
"Ah, please don't worry, I'm not doubting you. There’s no reason to lie in a situation like this. Hearing what you just said even explains why you were able to secure this room that’s apparently for VIPs only."
"Thank you."
"Still, even so… I’d heard you were an officer at some large company, but I never imagined it was Sawa… and that you were the next President."
"Yes. Without any falsehood, I am."
"Ha, haha, I see. My, this really has me beat. To think a man like me, a perpetual ordinary salaryman, would be sitting one-on-one with the next President of Sawa Electronics…"
"W-Wait, you! Why are you being so carefree?! Do you realize who you’re talking to—"
"No, it's not that I'm carefree… it's just that it feels so unrealistic that I’m struggling to find the right reaction."
Despite his words, he didn’t seem nearly as intimidated as one might expect. I was sure that wasn’t just my imagination. I could count on one hand the number of people who could face Masaomi-san as the "next President of Sawa" and speak so fearlessly.
"Oh, honestly!! Anyway, he’s the next President of Sawa, so you should show some restraint!!"
"Listen…"
"No… if anything, I would appreciate it if you didn’t hold back," Masaomi-san interrupted gently. "Today, before I am Sawa's successor, I am here as Sara's father."
"Is that so? In that case, I will proceed with the conversation with that in mind."
"Yes. I look forward to it."
I was truly surprised. I had known Kosei-san was a man who didn't get intimidated easily, but I never imagined he had this much grit. It was a pleasant miscalculation. As expected of Kazunari-kun’s father, I suppose.
"First, regarding the adoption. As I’ve said many times, I have no intention of opposing it as long as he agrees. And considering his current situation with your daughter, as a man, he has to take responsibility—"
"Wait, what are you saying?!"
"You idiot, I’m being perfectly serious! That precious daughter of theirs, he—"
"No, please don't worry on that point," Masaomi-san interjected. "At least as things currently stand, no problems have occurred."
"…Huh? W-What do you mean by that?"
"Mhm-hmm… Kazunari-kun is such a good boy, isn't he?♪"
"Eh… huh?"
"M-Mayumi-san?"
That might have been a bit too suggestive, but I couldn't exactly say it bluntly in front of Masaomi-san. Since a man and woman who love each other were living together, it was only natural to assume "something had happened," but Kazunari-kun was strictly keeping his promise to us. How did I know? Because he was my precious son, of course.
"Anyway, please set that aside for now and just tell us your honest thoughts. Having heard everything, can you allow us to welcome Kazunari-kun into our family?"
"I see… well, fundamentally, my stance hasn't changed. While this story was far beyond anything I expected, if this is a decision he made after thinking it through, I will respect his autonomy."
"Kosei-san…"
"And realistically speaking, for him to be with such a wonderful young lady is a miracle that will never happen again… haha."
I couldn't tell if Kosei-san was being genuine or just hiding his embarrassment. But it was clear he cherished Kazunari-kun and wanted to support his choices.
"No, it’s the same for us. Meeting Kazunari-kun was a miracle for our daughter and for us. I never thought a person of interest would appear for Sara so soon."
"No, no, that’s an exaggeration. With such a lovely daughter, I’m sure… oh, that’s right. You mentioned she was a man-hater? If that’s the case, I’m curious why my stupid son caught her eye. He takes after me, so he’s not much to look at."
"Haha, we’d have to ask them for the details. However, our daughter loathes members of the opposite sex who are only attracted to her appearance."
"That’s quite a hurdle. Even compared to the idols and models people talk about, she’s clearly a head or two above them. If falling for those looks makes her hate you, that seems like an impossible task for a man."
"I agree," Masaomi-san said. "This might sound like a doting parent, but she’s undoubtedly a great beauty. As a fellow man, I think it’s difficult not to be drawn to her looks."
"Mhm-hmm… But it seems Sara-chan wants to look beautiful only for Kazunari-kun, you know? Especially lately, she’s started to care about her appearance much more."
Originally, Sara-chan had found her own beauty a nuisance, doing only the bare minimum for fashion and makeup. But lately, she had begun to care about those things—though she still avoided heavy makeup because she wanted Kazunari-kun to see her as she truly was. She was a girl in love, after all.
"Eh… wait a minute. Does that mean Sara-chan was indifferent to her own appearance for a long time? Even though she’s so beautiful… it goes beyond envy to the point of despair."
"Hey… are you seriously planning to compete with her? Know your place—owowowowow?!"
"Shut up!! That’s not what I meant!!"
Fuyumi-san pinched Kosei-san’s cheek with incredible force. That merciless, picture-perfect pinch looked painful just to watch. I wondered if his skin would actually tear.
"Ouch… my apologies. But if that’s the case, it means Kazunari showed absolutely no interest in her looks?"
"That seems to be the case. Honestly, I find it quite mysterious myself," Masaomi-san admitted. "But Sara didn’t just tolerate him; she sought his affection herself."
"Exactly. That’s why Kazunari-kun is irreplaceable to her. He is the only man who loves the real Sara-chan, without being blinded by her outward appearance."
Sara-chan would normally treat anyone with even a hint of an ulterior motive with utter coldness. Precisely because Kazunari-kun won her trust, I believed he was the only man in the world who could make her happy.
"Hmm… hearing all this makes him seem like a strangely special guy."
"Oh, we’ve always thought so. Right, Masaomi-san?"
"Yes. Kazunari-kun is a very rare and special existence to us."
"I see. Well, I still can’t quite believe he’s such a high-quality person… but if you two say so, it must be true. As a parent, I’m a little proud."
"Yes. Kazunari-kun is a truly good boy♪"
"A good boy… is he? Hahaha."
Kosei-san showed a truly carefree smile at my remark. I hoped he finally understood how much we valued his son.
"By the way… your daughter must be in high demand. Putting Kazunari aside, other men wouldn't leave her alone… especially since you’re with Sawa…"
"Yes… I’ll speak honestly. I’ve received many marriage proposals for her from high-ranking families for quite some time. Even at school, she receives constant confessions."
"That’s only natural. However, in that case…"
Kosei-san’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of serious contemplation. His gaze grew sharper.
"I’ll ask you point-blank: if there are frequent discussions between parents in your world, doesn't that mean the other parties are also of significant standing? Officers of the same company, or other suitable matches?"
"…Yes. It is as you say."
"Then if Kazunari enters that world, there’s a risk of trouble and disputes. Power struggles. Especially if you are the next President of Sawa."
"…You are very perceptive."
As Kosei-san noted, considering Masaomi-san’s position, it was impossible to be completely free of corporate entanglements. And if that were the case, they would be throwing their precious son into the darker side of a corporation.
"I’m asking this late, but… wanting to welcome Kazunari as an adopted son-in-law means you want him to…?"
"Yes. It’s for the distant future, but I want Kazunari-kun to be my successor. Eventually, I hope he and my daughter can lead the company together."
"Ha… haha, so that’s it. I suppose that’s why you want to adopt him. But hearing it stated so clearly… it’s hard to imagine him as the future Sawa President."
"Mayumi-san, are you really thinking that far ahead? It’s just such an outrageous story…"
"It’s true, Fuyumi-san. It might be hard to believe, but we want Kazunari-kun to take over. This is no joke."
"Eeeehhh…"
It was only natural they couldn't wrap their heads around it. But we were serious. We wanted Kazunari-kun to take the helm alongside Sara-chan.
"Honestly, I don’t think he’s capable of following in your footsteps at all, but…"
"It is premature to decide that. At the very least, we do not agree."
"Oops… you're right."
"In any case," Masaomi-san continued, "we want Kazunari-kun to be the primary candidate for successor. If he ultimately decides he doesn't want it, we won't force him."
"I see. But in that case…"
"Please rest assured. Even if he declines the position, we will never dissolve his relationship with Sara. Besides, if I tried that, my wife and daughter would disown me."
In reality, if he ever tried to separate them, Sara-chan would undoubtedly leave the family and cut ties with him entirely.
"Jokes aside, I am prepared for the possibility of them leaving the family home if necessary. Their happiness is the priority. However, Kazunari-kun has already begun to choose a path aimed at reaching my position. If that is his intent, we want to proceed on that premise."
Strictly speaking, Kazunari-kun probably didn't realize that aiming for Masaomi-san's position meant becoming the "successor" in a corporate sense. But that was fine. I wanted him to enjoy his school life until graduation without those burdens.
"I see. Haha, this is quite complicated. While I feel unworthy as his father, because it’s you, I feel I can entrust my son to you. My policy of respecting his will remains unchanged."
"Thank you. In that case—"
"However… that is that."
Kosei-san abruptly cut in with a voice that was sharper and more powerful than before.
"I’m just an ordinary salaryman, but even I can imagine the entanglements in a large corporation. The parties proposing marriage to your daughter hold significant power. If Kazunari, a commoner with no status, enters that world… even as your adopted son, people will talk. They'll tear him down."
"Indeed, the biggest bottleneck is that Kazunari-kun has no prior connection to Sawa. Even if I pushed him forward, people would see him as just an adopted son-in-law. There would be a major backlash from the factions who wanted Sara's hand in marriage."
"As I thought. Even someone like me can see that."
Kosei-san’s concern was valid. It was the biggest obstacle to officially announcing Kazunari-kun as the successor. If this had been back when my father was in power, he might have forced it through. But the times had changed. Sawa had grown too large.
"However… that point has already been cleared."
"…Huh?"
"This is a stroke of luck for us, and it’s why we want this adoption so badly," Masaomi-san explained. "In fact, Kazunari-kun has already secured a powerful backer that others cannot challenge. Once we finalize the formal adoption, no one will be able to interfere."
"What on earth do you mean…?"
Kazunari-kun had the approval of my uncle, the current President, and my mother, the former President’s widow. That alone was massive. But with Masaomi-san and me backing him, and his marriage to the only daughter, Sara-chan, he would be untouchable. Moreover, he had the direct endorsement of the President of the Nishikawa Group and a close friendship with his daughter, Eri-san. No one would dare oppose him.
There was even talk of a future joint venture between Sawa and Nishikawa with Kazunari-kun and Eri-san as the Two Tops. If that came to light, people would be tripping over themselves to curry favor with him.
"To return to the point, there is one other person Kazunari-kun has helped…"
"And that person is…?"
"The President of the world-class Nishikawa Group himself."
"……Huh?"
"I’ll omit the details, but both Sawa Electronics and the Nishikawa Group as a whole owe Kazunari-kun a great debt. Because of that, we have President Nishikawa's personal endorsement for Kazunari-kun as my successor."
"Wait… the Nishikawa Group? What?"
Kosei-san was completely lost now. Fuyumi-san had frozen entirely. I understood the feeling, but it was the truth.
"Are you really talking about my son? Endorsements from the heads of Sawa and Nishikawa? How could that possibly happen?"
"It sounds like a fairy tale, but it’s the truth. Kazunari-kun was a great help to both companies."
"But he’s just a high school kid! How could Sawa and Nishikawa owe him a debt? My company is a sub-subcontractor of Nishikawa!"
"Ah, was that so? What a small world."
That explained why the name "Nishikawa Group" had shocked him so much.
"Why did he do something like that…?"
"I’m sorry, but we don't have time for the full story today. Just know that these are the facts, and they are why we recognize him."
"I see. I suppose that explains why he’s being recognized for more than just his relationship with your daughter… but…"
To be honest, even I didn't fully understand why Kazunari-kun had acted as he did. He’d mentioned it involved a past trouble, but he hadn't elaborated.
"I believe you understand our circumstances now. As I said, if there’s anything else, we can discuss it later."
"I understand. Honestly, I’m still reeling… but I see why you want him as your adopted son-in-law. I can see you’re thinking seriously about his future. If he agrees, we have no objections."
"I don't really understand the difficult parts," Fuyumi-san added softly, "but even so, to us, he is…"
"Fuyumi-san… even if Kazunari-kun becomes our adopted son, the fact that you two are his real parents will never change. Think of it as a formality."
"Mayumi-san…"
No matter what, he was her precious son. I knew the weight of that.
"You can keep thinking of Kazunari-kun as your son. We will also love him as our own. And Sara will become a daughter to you as well. In public, we just need to be able to state he is our son and adopted successor."
"So Fuyumi-san, please continue to be his mother as you always have. And you too, Kosei-san."
"I understand… thank you, Mayumi-san."
"He is a foolish son… but please take good care of him."
"Leave it to us. We will take full responsibility for him."
Kosei-san firmly gripped the hand Masaomi-san offered.
I felt a wave of relief. The conversation was settled. Now we could focus on the next step—their official debut.
"Haa… still, that stupid son as the future Sawa President. What a joke. To think he’ll be attending parties with a smug face…"
"Smug or not, he’ll have to attend many social events for his future."
"Parties and social circles… that’s a world we aren't familiar with. It would be impossible for me."
"Mhm-hmm… But I’d like you both to attend Sawa’s parties, at least. We are going to be relatives, after all."
"Wait… relatives?"
"Yes. When they marry, you two will naturally be our family."
"Relatives with the President of Sawa Electronics and his wife? E-Eeeeehhhhh?!"
"He-Hey, when you put it like that, this is a crazy story…"
I had many other things I wanted to ask of them, but I decided to save those for later. For today, everything was settled perfectly.