A few nights later.
"Miyahito, listen to me, that woman has really hit menopause!" Lying on her bed, Utaha swung her legs, complaining to her boyfriend with a wronged look. "How hot is it today? And she actually kicked me out of the house, isn't that too much?"
"Hahaue (Mother) is just doing it for your health, don't be mad."
Hearing the words 'Hahaue ' from the phone, Utaha, whose face was originally full of grievance and complaints, instantly flushed bright red.
Hugging a pillow, she buried her face in it, not caring at all about the phone she had casually tossed aside, and shouted in a muffled voice full of shyness.
"Who is your Hahaue! That's my mom!"
"Then future Mother-in-law it is!"
On the other end of the phone, listening to his girlfriend's shy voice, Miyahito's face was filled with an unstoppable, playful smile. He leaned his back lightly against the chair and rested his head on the slightly hard headrest.
"Could it be that Miss Utaha still thinks she won't take the 'Aragaki' surname in the future? Sorry, please give up this unrealistic thought."
"Hmph!" Wrinkling her nose, Utaha pulled her face out of the pillow, reached out to grab the phone, and looked fiercely at the contact name "Kissy Miyahito" on the screen.
"If you want to crown my name with your surname, then please, brave hero, undergo the trials of the gods!"
"Oh?" The corners of his mouth curving into a doting smile, Miyahito sat up slightly and played along perfectly. "Then I invite the Goddess to bestow the hero's trials."
"Hehe~~ The path ahead is hell, brave hero." Turning over and sitting cross-legged, Utaha proudly tilted her chin up. "A hell named 'My Dad' where no one survives!"
"So I see, it's Chichiuue (Father)." Stroking his chin with a solemn expression, Miyahito put on a thoughtful face. "If it's Chichiuue, then this trial really won't be easy to pass."
"Just know your place!"
Utaha shook her head smugly.
"Dad told me, 'Utaha, don't be afraid. Dad will protect you for the rest of his life! Dad will show those ignorant brats the sights of the Sanzu River! So rest assured, my lovely Utaha'~~"
"Isn't he just trying to beat me to death?!"
After exclaiming in shock, Miyahito stuck his tongue out slightly.
"The Sanzu River... Chichiuue is terrifying!"
"Hehe, O Hero! If you dare not proceed, I grant you permission to retreat!"
"Impossible. There's no way I'm retreating, not in this life or the next." Miyahito crossed his legs, swinging one as he smiled. "I've set my sights on you for this lifetime. Aside from you, I won't marry anyone else."
Home run!
A simple, unadorned straightball, yet carrying some sort of mysterious, armor-piercing special effect, shattered the thick armor over Utaha's chest, barging into her heart in the most barbaric and unreasonable way.
"Mm..." Biting her lip slightly, her cheeks flushed, Utaha let out a pathetic little whimper.
Ugh, I'm so mad!
Why could her boyfriend say things that made her so shy so matter-of-factly?!
And to make matters worse, ever since they started dating, she no longer got to see the Miyahito who used to blush at the slightest tease!
'He used to blush just because I suddenly hugged him!'
She didn't know how it happened. Ever since they confirmed their relationship—or more accurately, about a week after they confirmed their relationship and started pseudo-cohabitating.
Utaha had a sudden, startling realization—her boyfriend, the guy who used to blush at the slightest tease, had changed.
He not only no longer got shy from her teasing, but he also occasionally threw one "MAX attack" straightball after another at her... What was even worse was that when he threw these straightballs, he had this completely matter-of-fact expression. And when he saw her reacting with suspicion (or rather, not knowing how to react), he even looked like he was saying, 'Is there something wrong with what I said?'
Yeah, yeah, you're right.
But I'm a girl experiencing my first romance! How is my fragile heart supposed to catch a straightball like that?! Seriously!!
Too much!
However, just as Miss Kasumigaoka was thinking about how to talk back and put her boyfriend, who had just checkmated her, in his place.
"By the way, Utaha, Mom asked me today when I'm bringing you home."
Such an incredible sentence was casually spoken by Miyahito, drifting to the other end of the phone.
The tone, the completely flat pitch, was as light and casual as if he were asking, 'Have you eaten?'
"...Huh, EH!!" Restarting her crashed brain, Utaha waved her arms in a panic, her tone carrying a mix of shock and fluster. "What, what, what?!"
"...I said." Hearing the commotion from the phone, Miyahito, feeling a hint of amusement, suppressed his smile and replied in a slightly strange voice. "Mom asked when you'll be willing to come home with me for a visit."
"Mom and Dad want to meet you."
"...."
Hearing her boyfriend repeat what he just said, Utaha finally fell silent.
She lowered her hands and her head, her fingers anxiously tugging at the hem of her pajama dress, not making a sound.
Facing Utaha's sudden silence, Miyahito was in no rush.
After all, for him, no matter what the Aragaki couple thought, Miyahito had already fallen for Utaha for this lifetime.
Therefore, when Utaha would meet his parents wasn't a pressing matter right now. Well, Utaha was going to change her surname to 'Aragaki' sooner or later anyway.
The advantage is mine. How could I possibly lose!
Besides, if it weren't for the fact that every time they ate or the family was together recently, his mom kept asking him non-stop, 'Hey, hey, Miyahito, when are you bringing Utaha-chan back to meet me and Seiichiro?'
He wouldn't have even planned to bring this up with Utaha.
"Can you give me a little more time?"
Yeah, the expected answer.
"Sure." Holding the phone with his shoulder, Miyahito placed both hands on the keyboard, typing a reply to Akane's email while splitting his attention to speak to Utaha on the phone. "It's fine. As long as you're happy, Utaha."
"Mhm." Nodding slightly, Utaha pondered for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, Miyahito. It's not that I don't want to meet Uncle and Auntie."
"I just want to be a bit more prepared. I'm afraid..."
"Don't worry, Utaha." Miyahito interrupted, having already guessed what his girlfriend was going to say. "You're the best in my heart."
"Mom and Dad will definitely like you. But, yeah, wait until you're ready."
"...Thank you, Miyahito."
Although Miyahito's words didn't completely dispel Utaha's concerns... After getting together and spending time together, Utaha had somewhat understood that her boyfriend seemed to be from quite an extraordinary family.
But hearing Miyahito admit with his own mouth that she was the best, even the mature Miss Kasumigaoka, both outwardly and inwardly, couldn't help but feel a little happy.
More importantly, facing her willful refusal to meet his family right now, Miyahito still accepted her willfulness with a smile as always.
Yeah, as expected of me, Kasumigaoka Utaha.
The boyfriend I found is just too good!