"...arling, it's almost time to wake up..."
"...Nn...?"
Guided by the voice of a Goddess overflowing with affection that seemed to come from somewhere ethereal, my consciousness, which had been floating in a hazy void, gradually began to awaken.
What I felt against the back of my head was a supreme comfort and warmth fit to be called heaven. Someone oh-so-dear was gently rocking my body like a cradle...
"...Sa...ra...sa..."
"...Mnh."
Chu... Suddenly, something soft and warm brushed against my lips.
As if that were a trigger, my eyes snapped open. What leapt into my field of vision was the smile of my beloved Goddess, which now radiated an almost divine aura—and two very prominent...
Two very...
...Actually, never mind. Yes.
"Good morning."
"G-Good morning."
"...Is something the matter?"
"Eh? N-no, it’s nothing at all, okay?"
"Fufu... with that phrasing, it’s as if you’re admitting that something did happen. Now, please speak honestly."
"Well, the thing is..."
This was bad; I was in a major pinch the moment I woke up.
There was no way I could tell Sara-san that the first thing I saw upon waking was her chest, and that I had become acutely aware of it. Absolutely not!
If I may say just one thing in my defense, today Sara-san was wearing a dress that revealed her body lines—something she would usually never wear. On top of that, she had taken off her top while we were alone, which meant, well... you can imagine.
"?"
But Sara-san herself didn't seem to mind at all. Or rather, that sharpness of hers that usually saw right through my thoughts somehow failed to function whenever it came to things like this—at least where I was concerned. That was both a problem and a relief.
I am, after all, a wholesome high school boy, you know?
"S-Sara-san?"
"Ah..."
When I called her name in desperation, Sara-san suddenly seemed to realize something. Her expression clouded slightly, shifting away from her previous puzzled look.
Did I screw something up?
"Sara-san?"
"Fufu... it is nothing at all, you know?"
"No, no, that expression doesn't look like 'nothing'..."
"In that case, I shall return those exact words to you, Kazunari-san."
"Ugh..."
Since she countered like that, I couldn't really press the issue any further. Still, it bothered me.
"It truly is no big deal. There is no need to rush right now; it is simply a matter of having you become that way in the future."
"I-Is that so?"
"Yes. Besides, I have confirmed that it produces a certain level of effect. I believe it will be fine as long as we continue to practice periodically from now on."
"I-I see?"
Hmm... I didn't understand the meaning of what Sara-san was saying at all.
For now, as long as she wasn't taking it negatively, it seemed okay. Nonetheless...
"Fufu... let us do our best together, Darling?"
"Underst... I-I understand, Sara."
"Yes, very well done!"
The smile Sara-san showed me held no hint of gloom. It seemed I had somehow managed to gloss over the other matter, so for now...
Oh well, it was fine.
"Welcome home, Young Master."
"Good work today."
"Ahaha, I'm home."
Led by the female employees from the information staff who had been waiting outside the door, Sara-san and I returned to the party venue and successfully reunited with Takenaka-san and the others.
Since I had been caught up in some kind of commotion every time I moved so far tonight, I was relieved that we managed to reach our destination without incident this time.
"Oh, where are Masaomi-san and the others?"
"The Senior Managing Director and his wife have not returned yet. Someone has gone to collect them, so they should return before long."
Answering my casual question immediately was Ueyama-san, who stood beside Takenaka-san. It seemed Masaomi-san and the others were still discussing things with my Great-uncle. I was quite curious about what exactly they were talking about over there.
"So, Young Master, how was your meeting with the President?"
"It wasn't like we talked about anything in particular. If I had to say, it felt like a confirmation of my resolve."
"A confirmation of your resolve... was it?"
"Yes. About how seriously I'm thinking about my future with Sara-san and my future path from here on."
"Ah, I see..."
Takenaka-san nodded deeply as if it all clicked for him.
"Your future with me?"
"Yes. Like, whether I was pushing myself too hard to keep dating you, Sara-san."
Strictly speaking, the nuance might have been a little different, but since I was certain that Great-uncle's talk had that aspect to it, it shouldn't be a lie. Probably.
"Ah, I'll say this now: I'm not pushing myself at all, okay? Rather, I think it's the best future path possible, combining my dreams, hopes, and ideals."
"Fufu... I am well aware. If I felt that Kazunari-san was pushing himself, I would not have given you my support."
"Right? Anyway, I just reconfirmed those sorts of things in my talk with Great-uncle."
"Great-uncle!?" Takenaka-san and Ueyama-san exclaimed in unison.
At the name "Great-uncle" I had casually let slip, not only Takenaka-san but everyone on the team listening nearby showed visible shock. Come to think of it, I hadn't mentioned that part.
"Y-You call the President of Sawa 'Great-uncle'!?"
"That's incredible... I mean, considering the Young Master's position, it might be normal, but still, that's incredible."
"Hmm... hearing stuff like this really makes it feel more real."
"Haha, so what did the President say?"
"Well, he said he clearly understood my resolve, and that he looks forward to us being relatives from now on."
"Does that mean he has officially recognized you?"
"Yes. Or rather, it seems Great-uncle had recognized me from the start, and just wanted to reconfirm my resolve."
To be more precise, it was because I was the man Sara-san herself had recognized, and specifically because of "that incident"... but I didn't need to explain all that.
"That's wonderful, Young Master! With this, you have the President's official seal of approval!"
"Congratulations, Young Master."
"Congratulations!"
"A-Ah, thank you very much."
I felt like they were being a bit too dramatic, but being celebrated by so many people made me feel genuinely happy.
To be honest, I had thought the meeting with Great-uncle would be the most difficult hurdle at today's party, so I was also quietly grateful that it ended safely.
"Now all that's left is today's main event... oh?"
"Hm?"
"Eh?"
"Heh?"
Takenaka-san and the others, who had been grinning with joy, suddenly cried out as if they had noticed something.
At the same time, I felt a light "tug-tug" on my top from behind.
...Oh?
This movement felt strangely familiar.
"...Hanako-san?"
"Eh!?"
While feeling a surge of surprise at the name Sara-san uttered, I also hurriedly turned around. There, as usual, was a young girl staring silently up at me while cutely gripping the hem of my top... Hanako-san.
Wait, I mean...
Why are you here?!