Chapter 40: The fried horse mackerel is revisiting

Translator: Soafp

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Question: When meeting the parents of a girl after trying to forcefully kiss her and accidentally seeing her underwear, how should one react?

Answer: I don’t know… I mean, isn’t it difficult to know what to do in such a situation? I tried to forcibly kiss her, and on top of that, I saw her underwear, right?

That’s bad, isn’t it? Normally, it would be enough for them to tell me to never get involved with their daughter again. Even if the kissing incident hasn’t been revealed yet, it still makes things a bit awkward. Going to a girl’s house and facing her parents is uncomfortable.

I don’t want to go… I’m sure they already think I’m a weirdo… Approval? It’s definitely a lie.

I said some passionate words, but in reality, I’m a pervert who tried to kiss their daughter as a joke.

[Your daughter believes in you. Despite the deep-seated issues within your family, she still believes that you can make a fresh start. She has overcome the inferiority she felt while witnessing the deteriorating relationship between her parents for years and is trying to move forward.]

I said such passionate lines, but it was actually about a kiss, you know? I might collapse from embarrassment and awkwardness. They might even hit me.

…Should I bring a gift? Yeah, let’s do that.

“Uhm, senpai?”

“I already told you it’s too late to back out, you know?”

“It’s not that, but maybe I should bring a gift or something…”

“Aah, is that what you meant? Don’t worry about it. I invited you, after all.”

“No no no no no no no, since I’m intruding, I insist on buying something.”

“R-Really? If you say so…”

Alright! With this, even if it’s just a tiny bit, I won’t be looked at with weird eyes by her parents. At least not too much.

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Yeah, okay.”

During the journey. First, let’s go to the sweet bun shop. It seems to be a specialty store with thin-skinned buns and various fillings like smooth red bean paste or coarse red bean paste. They all look delicious though…

“Oh, this one looks tasty. Both Mom and Dad like sweet buns, so this should be good, right?”

“Hmm…”

Certainly, they all look delicious. However, is it okay to go for something cheap like this? I prefer something of better quality. Ah, I’ve found a good one. Let’s go with this. It’s slightly more expensive than the others, but it’s not a significant amount.

“Okay, I’ll take this one.”

“Eeh? Are you sure about this? It seems a bit pricey, and there aren’t many pieces.”

“This should be fine. I’ll buy two of them.”

“I see…”

I hope this will improve their mood at least a little…

“Then it’s time to go to my house ……”

“Oh, before we go to your house…”

“?”

“Let’s buy some ham”

“You’re still buying more!?”

Ham, sausages, mantou, and melons are purchased before heading to the Hihara residence. It’s not about trying to buy their favor, but considering the grave mistake I made with their daughter, it’s better to buy a few things like this.

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We arrived at her house.

“Just wait a moment…”

“Ah, okay.”

She entered the house ahead of me. After a short while, I could hear her loud voice from inside.

[Wait a minute!!! This is no good!! What is this?! It’ll make us look like a weird family!! No, no!! Absolutely not!!]

What’s going on? This seems quite serious. Should I just go back?

While contemplating that, the door of the house opened, and she emerged with a gloomy expression.

“Please, come in…”

“I-Is everything okay?”

“Yes, for now… uhm, well, my parents have been a bit unique or something like that lately. But they’re incredibly kind and good people, so please don’t misunderstand.”

“Eh, yes.”

She emphasized it to me, and I entered the house. The interior was beautiful and had a sense of cleanliness. It exuded an elegant and calm atmosphere. She stopped in front of a door that seemed to lead to the living room.

“My parents are grateful to you, Izayoi. Of course, I am too. But I think their level of gratitude is over the top… So please, don’t think too strangely of us.”

“Yes, you don’t have to remind me twice.”

“But it still feels inadequate…”

“Eh?”

“Well then, welcome to the Hihara family.”

She opened the door with a somewhat disappointed expression. And there, I saw…

“Welcome, Kuroda Izayoi-sama!! The Grand Gratitude Festival!!”

A large sign-like object was hanging, adorned with paper rings and paper flowers. There were even paper lanterns. The room was extravagantly decorated to the point where you wouldn’t see such decorations even at Christmas.

“Welcome, Izayoi-kun.”

“Welcome, come on in and have a seat.”

The Hihara couple greeted me with beaming smiles. I had no idea what was going on.

“Uhm?”

“For now, just sit down… without saying anything…”

She also sat down, holding her head in her hands. The table was already set with dishes. There was red bean rice, sea bream, and various other dishes like fried chicken and salad.

“Oh, uhm, it’s just something simple…”

“Well, you’re like a bundle of consideration!!”

“You possess the lost Yamato spirit!!”

Uhm… Are they really praising me? And are they not bothered by the incident with the kiss? They don’t seem to be paying much attention to it…

“Well then, please have a seat…”

“Are you okay?”

“How do I look?”

“You don’t seem okay.”

“Right? Now, take your seat.”

“Ah, yes.”

I obediently took my seat as she urged me. Facing Hihara couple, with Hihara Karen sitting next to me.

“Uhm, excuse me. Before we start, may I go wash my hands and rinse my mouth?”

“Being able to perform ordinary things ordinarily is a sign of genius.”

“That’s right.”

“…”

She also went to the washbasin without saying a word.

“It feels different from what I expected.”

“You might think they’re strange, but they’re not!! Really!! Both of them are the kindest people in the world… They’re just grateful to Izayoi, so please don’t harbor any negative feelings.”

“Don’t worry. I can’t help feeling that their likability is off the charts… But since they’re your parents, I can easily imagine they’re not strange.”

“I-I see… Thank you.”

“Well, let’s wash our hands and get going. I’m getting hungry.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

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[Karen PoV]

I-I’m glad. I was worried that Mom and Dad would be seen as weird. I thought he might be put off by what they did, but it’s good that it didn’t happen.

At first, I thought the decorations were too much, but since Mom and Dad made them with so much effort, I couldn’t bring myself to clean them up forcibly. But I also worried that if we let it be like that, Izayoi might think of them as weird and dislike them. I want Izayoi to like all three of us.

So, I ended up being overly concerned…

Well, Izayoi shouldn’t be bothered by such things, right? Ah, it was just needless worry!!!

Mom and Dad are really praising him too much! Normally, if one did something like that, people would be put off!

But well, Izayoi has a heart deeper than the ocean and an observational eye like the Mystic Eyes, so it’s okay.

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[Izayoi PoV]

In the end, it was just a meal without any punches thrown. The food was exquisite and wonderful. As I put on my shoes at the entrance, I think about these things. They offered to send me home, but I declined. I can go home on my own, and I don’t want to cause any trouble.

Those parents, though, I still feel like they praised me too much. When I took a sip of the soup, they praised me for drinking it in a polite manner. They asked me a lot of questions, including about my parents and my plans for the summer vacation and Obon.

Overall, it was a fulfilling meal. And I feel like the distance between them as a family has become closer. That alone reassures me.

“Well then, thank you for the meal. Excuse me.”

“I’d be happy to have my son-in-law come …I mean visit us…….”

‘Yes, I’d like to see my grandchild’s face …… I mean, you’re welcome to come visit us anytime.

“Eh? Uhm, yes. Thank you and excuse me.”

I left the house for now. I feel like they said something outrageous, but it must be my imagination. Surely, that’s the case. Hihara Karen walked me outside.

“Do you want me to walk you home?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you.”

“Thank you for today. I had a great time.”

“Likewise, I had a great time too. The food was delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

She took a deep breath. The wind blew, causing the papers to flutter slightly. Moonlight illuminated her figure.

“Hey.”

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s your relationship with her like?”

“Her?”

“Kohaku… In the classroom and all…”

“We occasionally talk or don’t talk. There are quite a few classmates, so Gindou-san talks to other female students as well. I often see her talking to a girl named Noguchi Natsuko.”

“You’re watching her closely.”

“I’m not watching that closely, really…”

For a moment, her expression disappeared. Her voice turned cold, sending shivers down my spine. I could feel an aura of latent power emanating from her.

“You’re watching her. So closely… even though you’ve been neglecting me lately…”

“Eeh? W-What do you mean?”

“You used to invite me to do things… Why? Why? Why don’t you pay attention to me anymore? Why don’t you come to me?”

“Ah, uhm…”

I took a step back. What’s happening? Just a moment ago, it was a gentle atmosphere, but now it feels like I’ve been transported to an extremely cold place.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

“Wait… Senpai.”

“Why are you running away? Do you hate me? Is that it? Do you hate me?”

“Hold on… Senpai.”

“Why are you avoiding me? Do you hate me? Is that it?”

I was taken aback by her sudden change. Her voice was filled with desperation and confusion.

I unintentionally fell on my butt. T-Too scary… A real Yandere. It’s the first time I’ve seen one. Isn’t this too sudden!?

“I-I am, am s-sorry”

My body trembles uncontrollably. My voice won’t come out properly. I shiver as if I’m in extreme cold. The trembling won’t stop. No matter how hard I try to make it stop.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you that much…”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, she returned to her usual mood.

“Uhm… I am really sorry. I just wanted to try acting like a Yandere, but maybe my joke went too far… I’m sorry.”

“I-Is that so? I’m glad… It was just a joke… I was really scared.”

“You were that scared? I’m sorry… or rather, I apologize.”

“It’s alright. If I think of it as a precious experience to have a taste of real Yandere, it’s not a big deal.”

“I’m sorry…”

She reached out her hand, I grabbed it, and put strength into my legs to stand up. Phew, I’m glad it was just a joke. Well, it was pretty scary, though.

“It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry…”

“No, really, it’s okay.”

“I went too far. I scared you like that… I’m the worst…”

“You don’t have to feel so down about it! It seemed like there was some demand for it, and it was good to see a side of you that I didn’t know!”

“I see…”

She seemed really concerned. Well, I was startled for a moment too, but I also tried to make a joke by going for a kiss. Well, I guess it evens out?

“If you’re still concerned about it, then please go back to being that Tsundere, lively Senpai. That Senpai is the most wonderful and enjoyable to be with. I also tried to make a joke by going for a kiss, so it’s even.”

“Don’t you dare misunderstand! It’s not like I’m getting better for Izayoi’s sake! It’s just because Papa and Mama would worry if I stayed down, so I have no choice but to be energetic!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. That’s the feeling. Yandere is not the image I have of you.”

“Thank you. From now on, I’ll go back to being a Tsundere.”

“Alright.”

After all, she’s honest and fun to be with. Her expressions change quickly, and we can have engaging conversations, so I never get bored. When I’m reading novels, I often think about talking with a girl like her. This everyday life is happiness.

“Well then, I’ll head back now.”

“Okay.”

“See you tomorrow, then.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Alright, time to go home. The Hihara family has really changed in terms of “story.” The couple seems to get along well. And Hihara Karen acting like a Yandere… It was a bit scary, but she’s still adorable. However, I personally prefer her Tsundere side.

Thinking about various things, I head towards the station alone. This world… It feels like things are starting to change in various ways. Whether it’s good or bad, I don’t know.

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[Karen PoV]

――As expected, he’s kind-hearted.

When it comes to Izayoi, lately I’ve lost control. I go into rampage mode. I might be causing trouble. But I can’t suppress these feelings.

――I love him.

It might be selfish of me, but I want him to fall in love with me too. I need to change the way I express myself from now on. He said the Tsundere me is the best. And he didn’t like the Yandere side. I’ll go with the Tsundere approach from now on. Today, I got to know him even more.

I’ll make my appeal as the version of myself that he loves the most.