{My 20-Year-Old Girlfriend and 19-Year-Old Me (4-1)}

As soon as I made the decision, it felt like all the gears aligned and everything started moving.

Satou-san also said it was fine, and since my parents were home, I called my mom.

“Is it okay if I bring my girlfriend over today?”

“Give me two hours! I need to put on makeup!”

Because my mom desperately pleaded, we had to kill time for that duration.

“Does my outfit look weird? I hope they don’t think I look childish…”

Satou-san seemed worried, so I used the waiting time to redo her usual ponytail into a cute bun. After buying some hairpins and clips from the dollar store and following online tutorials, it was actually pretty easy.

“Wow… Yamaguchi-kun, you’re amazing! It’s like you’re a stylist!”

While checking the finished look in the mirror, Satou-san praised me.

Even though she looked so cute now. The loose, relaxed bun made her look far more mature than her usual ponytail. Her neck looked clean and her white, beautiful nape was exposed, which was really nice. The stray hairs left on the sides of her face gently swayed whenever she moved, which was also adorable. I thought it was a perfect look.

So, I told Satou-san the words I didn’t manage to say earlier.

“No, Satou-san, you’re the one who’s beautiful.”

After saying it, I started to feel like it was a bit cheesy, but it was too late.

“Huh?”

Satou-san was momentarily confused.

Then, her ears turned bright red, and she acted all flustered as if I had teased her.

“W-What are you saying, Yamaguchi-kun! That’s not true! Not at all!”

Then she looked down, almost hiding her face, so I told her with a laugh.

“I’m not lying. You really are beautiful.”

I truly meant it.

At 20 years old, Satou-san was the most beautiful she had ever been.

The reason I was so insistent on bringing her over was that today was her birthday.

And it also felt like a good day to act on my resolve.

At home, my mom, who had finished her makeup perfectly, and my dad, who had also dressed nicely, were waiting.

“Welcome, Satou-san. I’ve heard so much about you from my son. I hear you were classmates in high school.”

In her formal attire, my mom greeted her with a smile, and Satou-san nervously bowed.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Miyuki Satou.”

Then, she shyly and awkwardly said, “I’m a little nervous… I hope I don’t make any mistakes.”

“Oh, how adorable! I’ve always wanted a daughter!”

Next to my excited mom, my dad also looked delighted.

“We only have a son, so having a young lady here brightens up the place.”

What could they possibly be dissatisfied with in their son, who always looks after the house and handles all the cleaning and laundry?

Well, I can’t deny that she’s cute, and her presence certainly livens things up. Just by sitting in our living room, Satou-san transformed the familiar space into something special. Still looking nervous, she sat next to me, smiling shyly. I never imagined I’d be bringing her here so soon.

The special atmosphere of today was even enhanced by the sushi platters laid out on the table.

“It’s not much, but since you’re here, please have some.”

My mom nonchalantly offered the premium sushi set, something that never appears when it’s just us. When I visited Satou-san’s house before, they also served sushi, so I guess sushi is the go-to meal for occasions like this.

Ignoring my bewilderment, my mom continued enthusiastically.

“Satou-san, you’re already 20, right? Would you like a beer?”

“Uh…”

“Mom, no! She’s hungover!”

Satou-san seemed troubled, so I stopped my mom. My mom gave me a look that said “don’t say that,” but it’s the truth.

Both of them had looked like zombies this morning.

Why such a fuss just because I brought her home? Seriously.

Of course, I didn’t bring Satou-san home just to show her off.

Once we had started dinner, I brought up the real reason.

“It’s still in the future, but I’d like to live together with her.”

“What? Y-You’re telling them already?”

Satou-san looked flustered, her cheeks reddening again at the word “living together.”

But my mom seemed to have anticipated this and immediately nodded.

“I thought so. When you said you were bringing her over all of a sudden, I figured that’s what it was.”

“We’ve been looking at places, but the options for single people aren’t great.”

I gave the surface-level reason, and my mom gave me a knowing look like mothers everywhere do.

“Is that really the reason? Didn’t you say you were worried about her?”

“Wait, really?”

Satou-san gave me a puzzled look.

Ugh, Mom, you didn’t have to mention that. I frowned as I answered.

“Well, yeah, there’s that too. A girl living alone can be dangerous. It’s definitely safer if we’re together.”

To be honest, I had also been worried, wondering if she could handle housework while working, if she was eating properly, and if her irregular lifestyle might cause her to collapse. But saying all that out loud might hurt her feelings, so I kept quiet.

“But that’s not the only reason. I made this decision after thinking it through carefully.”

I thought about how happy I’d be living with Satou-san.

I wanted to protect and support her as much as I could.

Those feelings had been simmering in my heart for a long time, and that’s why I made the decision today.

“I’ve thought about our future, too. I’m serious about this. I’m not taking it lightly or thinking of it as just a trial.”

It’s rare for me to have such a serious conversation with my parents.

That’s why I was able to speak from the heart.

“I want to become someone who can protect her from now on.”

“It’s not ‘want to,’ but ‘will,’ huh? You’re so straightforward.”

My mom sighed in exasperation.

But then…

“…Thank you, Yamaguchi-kun.”

Satou-san nodded at me and then turned to face my parents.

With a serious expression, she began to speak.

“Um, Atsushi-kun is incredibly reliable. Ever since high school, whenever I was in trouble, he would quietly lend me a hand. When I was having a hard time, he was always by my side—”

What is she doing, suddenly telling such an embarrassing story?

I was stunned, not only by her sudden confession but also by how she picked up on the mood.

Even Satou-san calls me by name in front of my parents, huh?

While I was taken aback, Satou-san continued.

“I’ve always been supported by Atsushi-kun. Even now, I’m able to work hard because he’s there for me, and my days off are so much fun because of him.”

Of course, hearing that didn’t feel bad.

And having Satou-san call me by my name didn’t feel bad at all.

“So, if Yamaguchi-kun lives with me, I’ll feel really reassured.”

With that, Satou-san bowed deeply.

“Please, let us live together!”

“Please,” I said, bowing along with her.

It felt a bit like a scene from when someone asks for a daughter’s hand in marriage, which made me think how out of place this situation was.