CH 4

The car ride took less than an hour to reach our destination.

We arrived at a luxurious Japanese-style house that could only be seen in a TV drama.

The garden was large enough to play tennis in it, with a deer scarecrow and a pond, and the rooms which cannot be counted by just looking from where we were had a furnished Japanese look.

This is a very rich house…….. The threshold was so high that it made me understand it reflexively.

Why is Sakuramiya-sensei teaching at an ordinary high school? If she is the daughter of such a rich family, by now she would have a job that ordinary people can’t only dream about.

I took off my shoes at the entrance and went inside, where I was guided by a beautiful lady who claimed to be a housekeeper. We then headed for a tatami room where we will be meeting with Sensei’s parents.

The room had six tatami mats with nice colors, and a table in the center of the room.

I sat down on the cushion and took a sip of the tea prepared for me, and my body, which was stiff with tension, relaxed slightly.

I still couldn’t see Sakuramiya-sensei’s parents. I had to relax now, or my body wouldn’t be able to endure the stress .

“…….is Sakuramiya-sensei the daughter of a prominent family?”

When I turned my gaze to Sensei, who was sitting next to me, I asked the question which I have been thinking about since the moment I came here.

“Well I guess that’s how it looks. Ah, but you don’t have to worry about it at all. Mom and Dad are a bit overprotective of me but they are kind people.”

“I hope so…….”

I took another sip of tea.

Then I heard some footsteps coming from the corridor. Tension seeps through my body.

After a while, a woman in a kimono opens the fusuma sliding door and appears. She looks just like Sakuramiya-sensei but was probably close to 50 years old, but she still looked so young that I didn’t feel like it.

(TL Notes : Fusuma = a framed and papered sliding door used to partition off rooms in a Japanese house.)

I quickly stood up from my cushion and bowed deeply.

“Thank you for taking the time to see me today. My name is Minato Segawa. Yumi-san and I have been dating for a while on the premise of marriage!”

On the way from school to the sensei’s house, I immediately used the words I practiced many times in the car.

I was so nervous that I accidentally bit my lip, but I did a good enough job. I felt like praising myself.

I closed my eyes nervously and waited for her to show any type of reaction.

Sakuramiya-sensei’s mother walks up to me and touches my cheeks lightly and forces my head to face her and make eye-contact.

“Oh my God, really⁉︎ Minato-kun is real, isn’t he? I had suspected that he was a fictional existence made up of delusions, but I am relieved now. You are still young, but you are good.”

She smiled gently and raised her voice. Because of it, I was taken aback by her positive reaction.

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am Kiyoka Sakuramiya, Yumi’s mother. I look forward to working with you for a long time, Minato-kun.”

“Yes.”

Sakuramiya-sensei’s mother is different from what I have heard from sensei’s stories about her. She reaches for my right hand and when she grasps it she smiles contentedly.

“Sit down, sit down. Let’s talk.”

“Yes.”

“Mom, you are too excited, see you are making Minato-kun tense.”

“Is that so? You’re not in trouble, are you?”

“No, not at all. It’s fine.”

“See?”

“He is in trouble, no matter how I look at it!”

Sakuramiya-sensei and Kiyoka-san were talking with an air of casualness that was typical of mothers and daughters. I had created a rigid image of them on my own, but I guess that was not the case.

“Mom, do you know why we came here today?”

“It’s a wedding greeting, isn’t it? I know that. Oh, that’s right. Your father is out right now. I’m sorry he couldn’t make it.”

“Where did he go this time?”

“Kitadake, I think.”

“Where?”

“I think he said Yamanashi. He really likes to climb mountains, doesn’t he?”

“Ah, it was the name of the mountain.”

I heard that Sakuramiya-sensei’s father has recently gone mountain climbing. He must be an active person.

“We’ve gotten off-topic, but anyway. I’m here to call off the marriage arrangement that you and dad decided, because I will marry Minato-kun.”

Sakuramiya-sensei clearly declares.

She was quickly fulfilling the purpose of bringing me here today.

And Kiyoka-san’s reaction to that was….

“Yes, that’s fine. If you’ve found someone to marry, as promised. I’m not going to complain about the person you have decided to marry.”

“Is that really okay……?”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t help but let out a squeak.

I did not think it would be that easy to get her mother’s permission.

“And Minato-kun will cherish Yumi, right?”

With straight eyes and a smile, she asks in a gentle voice.

My heart jumped uncomfortably.

I’m only here to pretend to be Sakuranomiya-sensei’s fiancée. I am not her real fiancé.

Therefore, I don’t have the answer to that question that Seika-san is looking for.

“It’s obvious. I came here to meet you for the same purpose.”

When I became silent, Sakuramiya-sensei offered me a helping hand. The corners of Ms. Seika’s mouth turned up slightly from the corners.

“That’s right…… Ah, but Minato-kun is still only 17 years old, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So you can’t get married right now, huh? It’s too bad. I wanted to see you both get married soon.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to feel sorry about it Minato-kun, I am not blaming you….. That’s right even though you both are not married you can still treat me as your mother as well from now.”

“I’ll treat you well….. M-Mother-in-law.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be so shy. It’s okay to call me mom.”

“Wait a minute, stop, see mom Minato-kun is in trouble.”

“My, my, are you perhaps jealous?”

“It’s not like that!”

When I was puzzled by Kiyoka-san’s flirtation, Sakuramiya-sensei immediately came up for my help.

I breathed a sigh of relief. But that was relatively short-lived.

Kiyoka-san’s muzzle is once again pointed at me.

By the way, Minato-kun, what is it about Yumi that made you fall in love with her? She has a nice face, just like me, but she is carefree and ungraceful.”

“Oh, mom…….will you please stop insulting your own daughter in front of her boyfriend!”

Sakuramiya-sensei had a strained smile and her face had already turned pale blue because of the nervousness.

I scratched my cheek and answered Kiyoka-san’s question.

“I guess it’s because she doesn’t leave people who are in trouble and I admire that she can act in that situation without thinking of gaining any profit from it.”

That was an answer from the bottom of my heart.

Sakuramiya-sensei is always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, no matter who they are. That is why she is popular and well-liked within the school.

I respect her for that.

“And what else?”

“Well, other than that…….”

Kiyoka-san smiles softly.

I thought I could get over this one answer, but it didn’t work out that way in the end.

“S-She is beautiful?”

“I see. I’m sure that’s important. Once you get married, you will see her every day.”

“Yes.”

“It’s okay for now, but by the time Minato turns 30, Yumi will be over 40. Will you still be able to love her properly?”

“Well, …… I like mature women, so I’m sure it will be fine.

I really prefer younger women, but it’s unavoidable. Let’s say he likes mature women.

“Oh, maybe you like me too.”

“What nonsense are you talking about, Mom? There’s a limit to it.”

“I know, I know. I’m just joking.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. My mom is so happy to see Minato that she’s going crazy.”

I’m not sure if it’s a joke or not……

I gripped my hand, which was sweating profusely out from the tension. I let out a bitter laugh.

In a form that greatly betrays my expectation, the wedding meeting went smoothly. Only then, such a feeling of impatience was soliciting in my chest that I might be doing something that is irrevocable.