Soujiro is very strange, though. How can he talk so calmly about her and Yuhi getting married? She tried to inquire about his feelings, the last time, but he quickly shifted the topic. Even if she does not ask, it has already become obvious to her. This person likes her, but he intends to keep his feelings sealed away, unlike the other guys who have confessed.
There are still many things she does not understand about romance. Soujiro is older than her by five years; perhaps that is the reason why she does not understand what he is thinking.
Her thoughts break off when Soujiro puts extra sugar cubes into her coffee. He did it so casually that nobody noticed it. Her gaze softened, even though she did not understand what he was thinking. They have always naturally gotten along with each other.
Yuhi suddenly stood up. He bent down and whispered something in her ear before exiting the room.
“Did a problem arise?”
“There is a skirmish between power users near the akagumi bar. Atushi went back to star town for a short while, so nobody is in charge.”
“I see those barbaria-” Soujiro coughed. “Apologizes.”
“Well, it’s true they are violent.” But despite their eagerness to fight/start a brawl, they are very kind people. They each have traits that any normal person would have.
“Since you began to live with them, you have gained a lot of weight.”
“Oh my, it’s unlike you not to be a gentleman.”
Soujiro sighed. “You still have that bad habit of teasing; you know that is not what I meant.”
“I understand. Atushi is always thinking of different menus for me. He always disliked how I had a limited diet before and whenever he could, he would make food for me. But back when I lived in Star town, I was an active member of the underworld organization holy knights, so I had a lot of work. It was difficult for me to balance that and my student life. When Ru became sick, I barely had time for myself.
So now that he has this opportunity, he is working very hard to develop various dishes that I would like. Jae is very good at baking; he always makes different treats with me. Oh, and Chitose has his vegetable garden; it’s amazing. Kawa and Yoru always treat me to good food whenever we go out. They know a lot of good places. “Sumire repeated what she told Yuhi not too long ago.
Sumire saw a gentle look on Soujiro’s normally stoic face the entire time she spoke. Her heart beat increased. Oh, she wonders since when this person started to show expressions like this. Since when could he show a sincere expression easily?
“You finally found a place you could belong. I am glad.”
“I see, Soujiro, you noticed it.”
“I am not very sharp when it comes to family matters. But I could tell there was a distance between your family and you. On the outside, you seemed like a perfect family. But whenever I paid a visit, I noticed how your family, your father treated you. It was no different than treating somebody like air.”
Sumire laughed weakly. “I never did find out why he disliked me so much.” She trailed off. “He made up all sorts of excuses, your grades are bad, you don’t wash the dishes, you don’t have a job. Whenever my siblings asked him why the answer was ‘I am just disappointed in her.’ No matter how much stigma I experienced, I tried my hardest not to dislike him. But eventually, he crossed the line; my emotions became numb. I could no longer cry. His words just stopped hurting me.”
Ah, there is no point anymore. There is no point in trying to please somebody who has decided what type of person she was a long time ago.
“He always treated me like I was some type of evil being.” Sumire sighed. “If I truly wanted to act like a villainess, I could have easily done so.”
“If you did that, my dear, you would have taken charge of the family long ago.”
Sumire laughed. “I didn’t know you thought that highly of me.”
“You know I already thought of you as my wife long ago.”
Eh? What is he trying to say- wait, this isn’t a confession, right?
“Because of your capabilities.” Soujiro hurriedly said.
Oh- for a moment, that shocked her. Even though Soujiro is getting much better at expressing himself, he still won’t be that direct. He seems to keep a tight lid on expressing his feelings toward her. But, at this point, anybody could tell. Even Yuhi-san confessed to me why Soujiro worried him more than anybody else.
“I apologize. Was that statement too forward?”
“Oh no.” Sumire trailed off. “Right now, I am still your fiance, so you have the right to say those words.”
Soujiro slides a black colored envelope with a white seal on the desk in front of her. Sumire immediately recognized the seal and sighed.
“Is this an invitation to a banquet?”
“Yes. It seems they intend for their new artists to mingle with important officials.”
“So they invited you, that does make sense.” Sumire’s lips curve to a smile. “Are you asking me to be your partner?”
“I simply cannot attend an event on my own. Moreover, I have no interest in the entertainment industry. Normally I would not attend such an event, but these people deliberately provoke me.”
“So you’re going to take the bait?”
“Since it is beneficial for you.”
Soujro truly understands her mindset. Is it because they have been engaged since they were younger? They indeed spent a lot of time together.
Due to their age differences, their families were worried that they wouldn’t get along. So they frequently set up meetings where they could be together. However, during those meetings, Soujiro always wore a fake smile on his face. Only when they were alone in private did she see his true face.
“I understand. I will attend with you. I can’t miss this opportunity.”
Although she sent Eli as a spy, it would be better to see what kind of people are in that company. According to the list, Shin showed her and the confirmation from Sano. They have mainly recruited artists with a grudge against her.
“Enemies will surround you, are you sure?”
“You’re by my side; why should I worry?”
Moreover, “Yuhi will most likely attend too, but in secret.”
If her dearest is around, she doesn’t have to worry. She can act as recklessly as she wants, knowing that he will have her back.
“You seem to trust him more than you do yourself,” Soujiro commented. “I question whether that is a good thing or not.”
“I wonder myself, right now, I want to continue trusting him.”
