Volume 6 - CH 7

One day after Yuzuru and Arisa “made up”, it was lunchtime.

Arisa was having lunch with Ayaka and the others.

“So, have you made up in the end?”

Arisa nodded in response to Ayaka’s question.

“Yes. …sorry for troubling you.”

When Arisa bowed her head, Tenka and Chiharu nodded their heads in agreement, as if to indicate that they totally agreed.

“That’s right… When people who are usually close to each other are on edge, it bothers me, too.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the premise that the two of you are getting married. I’m so relieved. I’m glad that you didn’t annul the engagement.”

‘Engagement annulment.‘

Arisa gave a small shudder at Chiharu’s words.

“I’m really glad. Yuzuru-san is a kind person…”

Arisa turned pale and muttered to herself.

At the time, she was being stubborn… but thinking about it calmly, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he ended up disliking her.

If Yuzuru had told her, “That’s enough. Let’s end this,” etc., then…

Arisa might have died of shock.

“Well… If you were to break up over something as silly as this, I would have laughed at you for the rest of your life.”

As Ayaka laughed, Arisa’s cheeks puffed out.

“…It’s not silly. It’s important.”

“No, the silliness is the reason… such as the injections.”

“It’s not silly.”

With a serious face, Arisa said so.

Ayaka couldn’t tell if it was a joke in Arisa’s own way or if she really thought it wasn’t silly.

“…by the way, in the end, are you going to take the shot? or not?”

Tenka asked Arisa, who insisted that it was not silly.

Then Arisa looked away.

“N,no, w-well… it’s too early to tell, and I’ll decide later…”

Although she was able to make up with Yuzuru, she was still afraid of the injection.

As for Arisa, she still did not want to be injected.

The three of them chuckled at this.

However, since it did not matter to the three of them, they did not mention it any further.

“…By the way, what do you mean when you say you have a lot on your mind about me and Yuzuru-san’s marriage?”

Not wanting to discuss the subject of injections any further, Arisa decided to ask about the part of Chiharu’s earlier statement that bothered her while changing the subject.

Maybe she was planning for a surprise at Arisa and Yuzuru’s wedding… 

No way, no matter what, it was too soon for that.

“Huh?　Ah…The Takasegawa family is a big family. As an ” Uenishi,” I am interested in what kind of person the partner of the successor of Takasegawa will be like.”

Then she smiled widely.

“For my part, I would like to get along well with the Takasegawa family, you know. Naturally… it would be easier for me to associate with a girl who gets along well with me.”

If a friend’s marriage partner is someone with a very bad character, Arisa would be uncomfortable.　

On the other hand, if it was someone she knew, she would feel at ease…

Arisa nodded in agreement, interpreting it that way.

“I see what you mean. Well then, I look forward to our continued cooperation.”

When Arisa replied, Chiharu put a small smile on her mouth.

“Oh my , really?　So you’d be open to a more intimate ‘family‘ relationship…?”

“Eh… I don’t mind, though…”

“Arisa-chan… You should not nod your head too readily for that kind of thing.”

While Arisa was about to nod…

Ayaka chuckled and somewhat forcefully interrupted Arisa’s words.

“…you’re not going to treat this as a verbal commitment because of what she said now, are you?”

“That’s a terrible thing to say, isn’t it? I would never do such a fraudulent thing to my friend, would I? It’s a joke, a joke.”

“No, I think it’s a scam…”

“No, it’s not a scam.　I have made a clear statement up front.”

At the exchange between Ayaka and Chiharu,

Arisa and Tenka tilted their heads curiously.

“Um, what are you guys talking about?”

When Arisa asked her that, Chiharu gave a big smile.

“No, it’s just as the saying goes. I’m hoping that we can get along well not only between individuals but also between families…”

“Isn’t that an invitation for a political marriage?”

Ayaka interrupted Chiharu with a dismayed expression.

Chiharu, on the other hand, gave a small cowering look.

“I didn’t say that much.”

“You didn’t say it, but you implied it, didn’t you?”

“Well… everyone has their own interpretations…”

Chiharu neither denied nor affirmed Ayaka’s point.

And that was also the answer.

“…perhaps you were suggesting that Arisa-san’s child should marry your own child or something like that?”

Tenka, who had guessed, said so with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

This is what one would mean by ‘counting the skin of the beasts that are yet to be caught‘.

“That’s right. I am open to any form, but I hope to form a deeper bond between the Uenishi and Takasegawa families…”

Chiharu glanced at Arisa’s complexion as she said this.

Now, as for Arisa, the person in question…

“Y-Yu, Yuzuru and I-I having a baby! That’s, that’s not..!”

Her face turned bright red and she froze.

Then she shook her head from side to side repeatedly.

“N,no …that’s not good! We’re in high school and …it’s improper!!!”

While Arisa was embarrassed…

Ayaka and Chiharu looked at each other and grinned.

“Nah, but I wonder about Yuzurun’s case…”

“Maybe he’s secretly preparing for it, you know?”

“N-no…, for that kind of thing, you need to take a few more steps…”

“Steps? …What kind of steps are you expecting Arisa-chan?”

“What do you want to do?”

They start making fun of Arisa.

Arisa got flustered.

Tenka sighed at the three of them.

“… I would like you to hold it off on campus, though.”