“I am soooooo sorry!”

My mother’s hand forced my head down, and I ended up bowing deeply. Why do I have to bow? Well, I am aware that I did something wrong.

“Both of you, please raise your heads. There are people watching.”

A sensible remark from Momiji-san descended from above my head. Why does this person say such odd things while having such a normal sense of things? I wonder if I can get along with this person in the future. As of now, I have no confidence.

“I am truly sorry…”

Once the hand on the back of my head released, I raised my head, and my mother bowed her head again. It’s never a good sight to see my parent bowing. Especially if it’s because of something I’ve done.

Unable to bear looking down at my mother in such a way, I too found myself bowing my head.

“So, Natsuki, why did you do such a thing? Are you acquainted with this person?”

Once my mother raised her head, she glared at me sharply. I hesitated about how to respond when Momiji-san spoke up.

“Sorry for the late introduction. I am Momiji, Tachibana Iori’s mother.”

“Eh!? You’re Iori-chan’s mother!?”

My mother jumped up. Seeing her like that, Momiji-san’s mouth slightly curved into a smile.

“Therefore, there’s no need to worry. Natsuki and I are good friends… right?”

With her sharp gaze piercing through me like a Japanese sword, I nodded vigorously. Just like a frog stared down by a snake, all I could do was comply with her demands.

“Is that really true, Natsuki?”

“Y-yeah, it’s true. Momiji-san and I are close, and what happened earlier was just a little bit of skinship.”

I was amazed at how smoothly the words came out of my mouth. My experience in Cyberia was serving me here as well.

“Hmm… Even so, it’s not okay to cover someone’s mouth. Don’t do that again.”

That was just what I wanted to hear. I definitely didn’t want to do that again. I’d be dealing with Momiji-san for a long time, after all.

◆

“Is Momiji-san also from Suzakura? No wonder you’re so dignified.”

“Haruko-san is also quite lively. I need to learn from her as well.”

When I returned with three drinks from Kobayashi Café and handed them to the two of them, they were sitting on a bench chatting. I sat down on the bench next to them. I could have left, but honestly, I was curious about what they were talking about.

“By the way, Iori-chan is so beautiful that she’s almost too good for my son. I was shocked the first time I met her.”

I silently agreed in my heart. Even now, sometimes, before bed, I think about how Iori is my girlfriend, and it makes me restless. I want to become a man worthy of her every day. It’s hard to do that right now, but one day, I want to proudly walk beside Iori.

“I get along with Natsuki-san, but I think he’s one of the few proper men around these days. In fact, I’m worried if Iori might be the one causing trouble for him.”

The two of them were modestly praising each other about their children. It was a more normal conversation than I had imagined. There was no weird atmosphere, so it seemed like they’d be fine even without me. I stood up from the bench.

“By the way—if you know, could you tell me?”

I turned my back and started walking. I heard the sound of birds chirping in the distant sky.

“—Have the two of you kissed yet?”