—See you, Hayato!
—Today was fun!
—I had a good time too. See you later!
On the last day of winter break, I said goodbye to Souta and Kaito, who had come to spend the day with me since the morning.
Although we had originally planned to spend the winter break together, I was busy with various things and couldn’t make time, so it was nice to have some time at the end.
—But actually this winter break was really fun.
I spent the end of the year and the beginning of the year with Arisa, Aina and Sakina… Yesterday I went to their house for dinner. Spending this cold winter in a warm environment was definitely something wonderful.
—Ummm!
After stretching like I was reaching for the sky, I went back inside.
It was late afternoon, so I had to get ready for my bath and dinner… I’m alone today, so what am I going to eat?
—…Hmm?
Just as she was about to go to the bathroom to fill the bathtub, something happened.
My phone, which I had left in the living room, received a call and informed me of a popular song.
—I see…
Will it be Arisa or Aina? Or Souta and Kaito… Or maybe Sakina?
While I was speculating, I picked up the cell phone to confirm, and it turned out to be my grandfather.
—Hello?
—Oh, hello. Are you okay, Hayato-kun?
—Yes, I’m fine. You seem to be in good shape, Grandpa.
Although I know he is fine because we keep in touch regularly, he is not young, so I still worry.
—I am fine. But listen…
—What’s wrong?
—I know we couldn’t be with you at the beginning and end of last year, so I know how lonely you must have felt.
—…Ah~
That’s true, I thought as I smiled ironically.
Until last year, I used to visit them or my grandparents would come here for a while, that was the usual. But this year, as I’ve said many times, I spent a lot of time with Arisa and the others, so that didn’t happen either.
I admit that it makes me a little happy that they think of me, but at the same time, I feel guilty that I caused them so much worry… Although my grandparents said that I should prioritize my time with Arisa and Aina because they spend time with me.
—I wanted to say hello to the girls who take care of you… But I think I’ll leave that for another time. Besides, I heard a lot about Sakina.
—Huh? Sakina-san?
—Yes, she says very good things about you, and many things were funny, even your grandmother laughed at the anecdotes.
—Hmm… Now I am curious to know what things you talk about with her.
A while ago, she had given Sakina my grandparents’ contact information so they could talk.
Maybe that’s why Sakina keeps them updated on how I’m doing, and both she and my grandparents seem to enjoy their conversations, which is great. They seem to have a good relationship.
—When I heard that Hayato confronted a thief, I froze…
—About that… Well, the cops told me that too. But… Thinking about what would have happened if I hadn’t helped at that moment…
—I understand. I know it was crazy, but don’t feel bad… You’re admirable, Hayato.
—Yeah…
Well, even though my grandparents are lenient with me, that doesn’t mean they don’t get angry.
But as for this situation, you already understand that I did something reckless, and I think it’s important that there was someone I could help.
—Grandpa, I know there are many different opinions about this. But I don’t think I did anything wrong. I just want to make that clear.
—I know. There is no absolute answer, but I will respect your thoughts, Hayato.
—Haha, thank you.
—Yes, yes. It’s nice that my grandson thanks me!
On the other end of the phone, my grandfather laughs happily with a ‘hohoho’.
After talking to my grandfather for a while, he finally left me these words:
—When I talk to Sakina, she reminds me of your mother. Besides being from the same generation, there are similarities between them. Sakina mentioned it too, but it’s okay to be a little dependent once in a while, don’t you think?
—Yes, I understand.
Even without him telling me, I think I’ve been quite dependent on Sakina.
Also, considering that even she tells me so, sometimes I’m tempted to instinctively call her mom… But when I consciously try to be dependent, I feel ashamed.
After that, we promised to keep in touch and ended the call.
—I really am someone whom many people value. I’m going to try to enjoy my life more!
I know it sounds a little far-fetched… But I’m proud that my relationship with Arisa and Aina has deepened even more during this winter break, and I think there will be even more difficult days ahead.
Of course, it’s not something I hate, it’s just a luxurious problem to deal with her charming personality.
—I think I’ve rambled on too much already…
When I realized that, I quickly went to the bathroom and finished dinner in a hurry.
Sometimes I help prepare meals at the Shinjo house, so thanks to that, my cooking skills have improved a bit, and I feel like I have learned how to handle the knife with grace.
With all this in mind, I went to my room to do some weight training.
—One, two, three… Uff~
Lately, I’ve been exercising more often when I’m alone.
It’s not because I’m fat or because I have a weak body, but I just wanted to train my body a little bit… It’s what you call a little bit of pride, I guess.
But it is human nature to want to be stronger and to look attractive. So that must be it.
On the last day of winter break, while I was doing strength exercises in the evening, I wondered if I’m the only one who spends his time like this… But hey, I tried my best without sweating too much.
—Ah… ugh… not bad.
I don’t exercise unless it’s during gym class, so maybe it’s a good idea to do it regularly.
I might even consider joining a gym… Although Kaito probably wouldn’t want to, so he could invite Souta to join me.
After I finished my strength training and just as I was thinking about going to sleep, I saw something that caught my attention.
It was the pumpkin head looking at me with a mocking expression… I jumped up and gently slapped the figure that Arisa and Aina worshiped as the god of love and wisdom.
—Thanks to you, every day in my life is happy and fun… Although I sometimes hate your expression, I’m actually grateful to you.
It no longer makes sense to hide what I think and feel.
—Tomorrow is the last quarter of the first year of high school… So please take care of me.
I stroked the pumpkin gently and then turned off the light.
I lay down on the bed and sent a good night message to Arisa and Aina.
And right after I sent it, it was marked as read and I received a reply at the same time.
“Good night, I love you, Hayato-kun!”
“Good night! I love you, Hayato-kun!”
…Jeez, I’m smiling too much, it looks like my corners are nailed to the ceiling.
Not only that, but even though they are just written words, I can hear their voices clearly in my head. So I go to sleep with a feeling of happiness.
***
Winter break is over and school has started.
Even on campus, the days are getting chaotic. For us first-year students, there hasn’t been much change, but for third-year students, it’s an especially busy time as they prepare for graduation.
—Where are you going?
—Ah, just over there~
After finishing lunch, I waved to Souta and Kaito and then left the classroom.
When I looked out the window, I saw a completely white landscape… Although it snowed in December, the wind has been blowing harder since January and the cold has increased.
—…It’s a bit cold.
It’s natural that the hallway is cold because there’s no heat… Still, there’s only one place I’m going.
I walked past the students without looking in any direction and opened the door to an empty classroom… Huh? Is it hot?
—You finally arrived.
—You arrived, Hayato-kun.
—I’m sorry to keep you waiting… I have a question, though, did you turn on the heat?
—It’s just cold, you know?
—Well, that’s true…
Students usually don’t enter empty classrooms unless they have something to do, so heating is out of the question, it’s quite a surprise to me that this place is warm… I hope we don’t get scolded for this.
—Don’t worry. I already got permission from the professor, I told him that we have something to do here.
—Oh, I see.
—Yes, we really want to spend some time with you, Hayato-kun.
Arisa and Aina are known among the teachers for their good behavior.
They have good grades and a good attitude towards life… So it stands to reason that they might consider them charming students and allow them some flexibility.
—And with that…
—Come, Hayato-kun ♪
With their arms outstretched, the two of them are waiting for me… Of course, I approached them… Their hands intertwined with mine, binding us tightly.
While doing so, I thought that this is the first time we’ve met like this at school.
We smile at each other and the conversation turns to winter break.
—It really was an important winter. What do you think, Hayato-kun?
—Yes, it was amazing because I got to spend a lot of intimate time with you, Hayato-kun!
—…I agree with you. It was the best Christmas for me as well.
While I was thinking about it, my lips suddenly formed a smile… But despite such an idyllic moment, problems were not far behind.
—Huh? Isn’t there any light in the classroom?
—Yes… Will there be anyone inside?
Suddenly, we heard those voices from the other side of the door.
I was startled, but Arisa gently took my hand and led me to a certain place.
—Huh? Arisa?
—Let me handle this, Aina.
—Bohoo! I didn’t want to take that role~!
—Role…?
Overwhelmed with confusion, Arisa dragged me to the cleaning supplies closet. She opened the door and stepped inside.
Compared to a regular cleaning supplies closet, this one was quite spacious, just enough for two of us to fit in without being cramped… But we weren’t cramped at all… We weren’t!
—Ah… A–Arisa…
—Hehe, this is something we’re doing for the first time… It’s exciting, isn’t it?
—Why are you so excited?!
It’s a little dark inside the cleaning supplies closet, but thanks to the light filtering through the cracks and my eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness, I can clearly see Arisa’s expression in front of me.
—So she turned out to be Aina, huh?
—What are you doing here alone?
—I was having a secret chat with my sister. But she just went to the bathroom and I’m waiting for her.
—Oh…
—There’s no need to do that here, you know?
Apparently, the people are Arisa and Aina’s classmates.
What should we do if we are discovered? My heart is beating so hard that I can hear it making noise, and the current situation is making me nervous.
(Damn… Arisa’s rich scent and the softness of her breasts are melting my mind).
This is not good… I won’t be able to keep my composure without screaming in my head.
—Hayato-kun.
While I was alone with my thoughts, Arisa moved her body even closer to me.
Wrapping her arms around my back and twisting her legs around me, she pressed her soft breasts against my chest in such a way that they distorted and deformed their shape and transmitted the touch directly to me.
—Ah, Arisa-san… Um, it would help if you moved away a bit.
—I’m sorry, but I can’t move away, ufufu~
Then why are you so upset?!
Being trapped by that weird Arisa, my movement is restricted. I realize that this is not good, and I try to move a little. A little… But that would be a bad idea in this situation.
—What is it?
—Didn’t you hear a sound?
When I moved, I made a loud noise.
While I was sweating from the proximity of someone approaching from outside, Aina brilliantly intervened.
—Hey, they’re trying to scare us like there’s a ghost or something! Besides, what are you two doing here?
Aina’s words made her classmates react with surprise.
However, they did not leave the room immediately and had a short conversation with Aina… And then, as if to say that the danger had passed, Arisa licked my earlobe.
—W–Wait…
—Mmm… Delicious.
I can’t speak, so I have no choice but to accept it.
Arisa licked my earlobe as if she had flipped a switch, and then her tongue slid down my neck.
(…Although it is true that Arisa has a lascivious side, she is generally a serious girl… Why is she acting like that…?)
Arisa and Aina wouldn’t do anything to reveal our relationship… So there must be an intention behind this action… An intention to provoke something.
While I desperately thought about what it could be, Arisa whispered quietly.
—Hey, Hayato-kun, don’t you think I’m being a really bad girl right now?
—You are a bad girl, yes.
—I am a woman who has given everything to you… You are the only person in the world who can do whatever she wants with me… Only you.
—R–Really?
What… Do you mean by that?
Although my face turned red as I struggled to contain my embarrassment, Arisa said the following… almost like a maid begging her master for punishment… As if she wanted to claim that I was her absolute owner.
—I apologize for being so disrespectful to you… Well, Hayato-kun… No, my master… Would you please punish this useless girl?
—…Arisa.
At that moment, it took me a few seconds to understand her words.
To me, she will always be a precious child… And for that reason, I would never look down on her… But the atmosphere that Arisa exudes in front of me sweeps everything away, creating a kind of charm that makes me feel like she should be under my domain… Damn, this environment is ruining me.
—Hayato-kun…
At that moment, as her moist eyes looked at me, the dark environment suddenly brightened.
—Enough! The girls are gone!
—Ah…
—…Aina.
It was Aina who opened the door, and as she said, there was no trace of the two classmates in the classroom.
Although there was no need to hide anymore, Arisa did not leave me and looked at me as if she was unaware of Aina’s presence… And then she gave me a soft kiss before we parted.
—This is not fair!
After kissing Arisa in front of me, Aina kissed my cheek as well.
She really wanted to lose her mind… But it seems that I managed to overcome it.
Then, after returning to the usual environment, it was time to return to the classroom, and that was when we were about to part.
—Next month is my and Aina’s birthday.
—Yes… Ehehe, you’re getting another year older.
—…Birthday?
Oh… Birthday? Do you mean those birthdays?
Now that she mention it… I don’t know anything about Arisa and Aina’s birthdays. Maybe I never had the chance to ask, but does that make me a bad friend?
—Hayato-kun?
—What happened?
—Well… About birthdays…
That was when Arisa told me.
—That’s right, we didn’t mention it to you… Our birthday is on the fifth of next month.
—Oh… So February 5th is both of our birthdays…
On February 5th… Gemini? Just looking at the words, something comes to mind that could fit both of us, but I guess it’s just a coincidence.
—And when is yours, Hayato-kun?
—Mine is in September. If we’re just talking about ages, does that mean I’ll be older than you?
By the way, my birthday is September 15th.
I’ve never had the chance to celebrate a girl’s birthday… Well, at least I’ve had the opportunity to wish happy birthday to some girls I’ve talked to a little bit, but to give something… Only my mom was the only one I gave more to than the girls themselves.
—Hayato-kun, just the fact that you are willing to celebrate with us makes me happy.
—It’s true, your presence is more than enough… Although, you must be thinking about doing something important for us, right? But don’t worry, seriously.
—………
(No… I want to do something special for both of us)
This feeling won’t change no matter what I say or who says it… Well, what should I do now?
****
It has been several days since Hayato heard about Arisa and Aina’s birthdays.
Today is Saturday, and as usual, he went to the Shinjo family’s house. However, Arisa and Aina are out, so they are not at home, which means…
—Hehe, she really has an adorable sleeping face.
Perhaps due to the tiredness he had accumulated in his daily life, Hayato had leaned completely against the back of the sofa and fallen asleep. Meanwhile, Sakina sat right next to him and watched him carefully.
Earlier, Sakina had received a message from Hayato asking for her help in finding a suitable gift for her daughters.
She thought it would be something adorable, and that her daughters would surely be happy to receive a gift from a boy… And especially from her boyfriend.
For Sakina, receiving such messages from him is something that invaded her heart with great warmth, nothing made her happier to see how this special boy cared for her precious daughters.
Today, the girls had plans to go out with their classmates, so they agreed to Hayato’s request.
(…A gift, huh? My heart is touched… Hehe, even though I feel a little jealous.)
In Sakina’s eyes, Hayato is not only her daughters’ boyfriend, but he has also become an important presence in her life. From the moment they helped each other, their destinies were intertwined, and through her daughters, she was able to meet Hayato… And she began to wonder. If I could do something for him.
—….
At that moment, Sana put her hand to her stomach.
Something she hadn’t felt for a long time, something she had forgotten, flashed through her mind, but she thought it might just be her imagination and looked back at Hayato’s sleeping face.
—My daughters won’t be back until this afternoon… Why don’t we choose a present now?
While she thought about what to do until that moment, Sakina was restless and did not know what to do.
Normally, she could spend time alone and relax even when her daughters were not at home, but in Hayato’s presence, she felt uncomfortable and nervous.
—Maybe… This boy make me nervous? — she said, laughing, remembering how she used to be with her late husband.
Sakina felt nostalgic for a moment, but suddenly she felt the desire to do something more for Hayato.
—Hmm… Is there anything he can do? There might not be many mothers who are willing to do this for their daughter’s boyfriend, but Hayato is still someone special to her.
—Oh, right…
Suddenly, Sakina had an idea.
She got up carefully and went to Arisa’s room.
What caught Sakina’s attention when she entered the room was the maid’s uniform… Yes, it was the same one that Arisa had once worn for Hayato.
—Will Hayato like… Something like that?
If she asked him directly, her face would undoubtedly turn red.
It wouldn’t be pleasant for him to answer whether he liked that kind of thing when asked as girlfriend’s mother, especially considering the situation where Arisa spontaneously used it… Although she had not yet come up with a definite answer, Sakina felt a little excited.
—…And here I am, staring at the maid’s uniform my daughter bought…
She had heard the story of how Arisa had bought it and shown it to Hayato.
She had also heard that Hayato was very excited to see it, so in Sakina’s mind, she had the idea that Hayato liked the maid’s uniform.
With this in mind, she decided to make Hayato happy… And as a result, she found herself in a situation where she almost seemed to wonder how it had come to this.
…It might be a bit embarrassing, right?
—Ta-dah!
Sana was dressed in her maid’s uniform.
Arisa looked very good in it, but Sakina looked pretty good too… Perhaps, because of her motherly aura and her considerate nature, she might even radiate a servant aura even more than Arisa.
Anyway… There was just one problem.
Even though it was the same outfit that Arisa had prepared, it was a little unsafe to wrap around Sakina’s breasts, which were even bigger than hers… So it was just uncomfortable.
—I should change. There’s no need to show this to Hayato…
—Sakina-san? Are you in Arisa’s room?
Just as she was about to leave, it seemed as if fate was playing a trick on her.
While she was rubbing her eyes, Hayato poked his head out of the half-open door, maybe he had just woken up, and when he saw her in the maid’s uniform, he stopped short. He blinked several times and then widened his eyes.
—Sakina…san?
—Huh… This is… Well… Uh…
While she was being stared at, Sakina felt nervous and looked away.
She had thought that Hayato would like this kind of thing and so she had decided to try it… But when she was actually seen, she was overcome with immense shame.
If they were her daughters, she might be all right, but an older woman likes her dressing like that… It would surely be a disgusting sight for Hayato and she could almost cry with worry.
It would have been better if she hadn’t worn it at all, but when she thought of Hayato, her body acted on its own.
—I’m so sorry for dressing like this…
Hearing that, Sakina immediately tried to change it… Even though Hayato was right in front of her.
However, Hayato, blushing and embarrassed, said…
—…It suits you well. It’s like the one Arisa wore, but when you wear it, it gives a different impression… It looks amazing on you!
Hayato probably didn’t know what to say in this sudden situation either.
Still, Sakina could tell that those words came from the bottom of her heart. Moreover, to see him trying hard to convey her feelings clearly, even if he was a little nervous, made Sana’s heart beat with excitement.
—Thank you, Hayato-kun.
Sakina gave him the best smile she could.
How would her late husband react if she saw him in this situation? She would probably have a similar reaction as Hayato. She felt so happy and excited that she couldn’t contain herself.
(Ah… Spending time with Hayato-kun is really fun. Could it be that all of this is a bond brought about by this encounter?)
As she murmured that, a faint dark feeling settled in Sakina’s heart.
(Envy…? Why do I feel envy…?)
She was taken aback as she wondered what she was envying… It was as if she was envious of Arisa and Aina, who seemed to have Hayato’s love all to themselves.
—Sakina-san? Did something happen?
—Ah…
Hayato approached her worried, thinking that maybe something was wrong. The kindness he showed her warmed her heart… Seeing him up close like this, the kind eyes she had seen through the crack of a pumpkin had not changed at all. This Hayato from back then and the one in front of her now were the same person.
—My master.
—…Huh?
—My master, is there anything you would like to do?
Although a part of her did it to play… What really excited Sakina was something else.
At that moment, dressed in the maid’s uniform, she had the look of a person who was willing to serve others… She wanted to be useful to Hayato and she also wanted him to spoil her like a real mother.
—W–Well, Sakina-san…
—Whatever you want, I’ll do it for you!
Then Sakina stood in front of Hayato.
Her heart was beating… Even though she knows that this is wrong and that she is surpassing her daughters, Sakina cannot stop.
The way Hayato scratches his head and fidgets is charming, creating a delicate contrast between the gentlemanly appearance of the man who helped her and treated her daughters, and her adorable fidgeting. All this makes Sakina’s heart beat with excitement… But at that moment a small mishap happened.
A loud, blinding sound resounded, as if something had exploded.
—Guhhhh!
—…Huh?
In the next instant, Hayato grabbed his forehead and collapsed.
What the hell just happened? Did they shoot him in the forehead?
Sakina was so shocked that she even thought of something so drastic. But she quickly understood what had really happened and was filled with shame.
—Oh!
The cause of all this was in her cleavage.
The part of her chest that was already quite tight seemed to have reached its limit. The clothes were suddenly opened and a very generous neckline was clearly visible.
In other words, this is what happened: the button on the chest part could not support the ample size of Sakina’s chest and flew away, landing directly on Hayato’s forehead.
Although Hayato was almost like her own son to her, it was undoubtedly embarrassing to be in a situation where her cleavage was exposed.
—Ah!
Sakina tried to cover her cleavage with her arms, but it was almost impossible to hide her large cleavage that way. She only managed to deform it in an obscene way, which made the situation even worse.
But she was lucky that Hayato was writhing in pain and didn’t look at her… Sakina put her concern for Hayato before her own embarrassment.
—Are you okay?
—Yes… I’m… Fine…
Sakina was worried about how much pain Hayato was in, and Hayato tried to avoid her gaze… Well, she also understood Hayato’s feelings.
It was normal for him to feel nervous when a woman as beautiful as a goddess shook those two big hills full of dreams and made them tremble… It wouldn’t be strange to look away, because this wasn’t his girlfriend, but his mother.
(…Will he be excited? Fufu…It’s really cute.)
And although her mischievous thoughts towards Hayato reappeared, Sakina remembered the real reason why he came here today and stopped.
Saying goodbye to Hayato as she left the room, Sakina started to repair the buttons.
It was something she had put on without permission… Although Arisa probably won’t get mad about it, I guess she would get mad if the buttons were damaged, so she set about repairing them with smooth movements.
—Now I understand why Arisa and Aina have been so happy lately. Ever since Hayato-kun came into their lives, they can’t stop smiling. I wonder… If they feel like this every day. — she muttered to herself.
After repairing her maid’s uniform, Sakina got ready and left the house with Hayato.
She is a very nice woman. Hayato and the girls also understand her very well… But she herself has certain hidden habits that she is not aware of.
This is truly a combination that captures both the spirit of serving and wanting to care for another as well as the love that feminine instincts crave… It’s as if she got the best of both Arisa’s and Aina’s personalities.
In other words, Sakina is the mother of these two, no matter what.
And the most important is the intense motherly love, pure and heavy, which she also wants to accompany in the role of her mother… Although the weight of this motherly love is overwhelming, no one knows if this will change in the future.
****
—……….
—Hayato-kun?
—Ah!
I shake my head, telling myself that this isn’t right.
But no matter how hard I try to forget, the previous scene keeps reappearing in my mind, and every time it happens, I slap my cheek and tell myself to calm down.
—Phew.
By forcing some pain into my body and breathing deeply at the same time, I calm down.
—I’m sorry, Sakina-san.
—Are you okay?
—I’m fine! Let’s go right now!
I can’t afford to worry about Sakina anymore, so I must be determined to achieve my main goal!
To regain my usual self, I walked beside her.
This time, we are going out together to choose the birthday gift for Arisa and Aina. Even though we discussed some options at home, we haven’t decided on anything yet.
—As students, I think it would be good to choose something that doesn’t cost a lot of money. I could pay for it, but that would be inappropriate. — Sakina said.
—Yes, you’re right. I want to give her something that will make her happy and is typical for students.
Even though we agreed, there was one thing I didn’t understand: what is something typical for students?
It’s a bit excessive to think about it so much, but since it’s the first gift I’m going to give to a girl my own age, I can’t help it…
—I’m sorry, Sakina-san. I still don’t know what to give Aina and Arisa.
—Hehe, okay, I’m glad you care about my daughters… But if we choose clothes, the cost will go through the roof, and even though there are more affordable accessories, they are not that interested in those things…
It seems that Sakina is also thinking about it a lot.
At this point, I think it would be better to leave it up to her, who knows girls much better than I do… But still, I would like to choose something on my own.
—Hmm…
—Hmm…
Together with Sakina, I immerse myself in worry… To change my mood a bit, I tell her that I’m going to the bathroom and leave her alone for a few minutes.
—Phew…
Although I am completely relaxed, I can only think about the gift in my head.
But maybe it was good to relax in this way, because I came up with a few things that might be good options.
—It’s something simple, but it could be good.
What comes to mind is something that is really easy to prepare.
As soon as I returned to Sakina-san with the intention of consulting her immediately, I saw a boy in his twenties talking to her.
(Well, I guess that makes sense.)
She was left alone doing nothing when I left. When a beautiful woman like her is in such a state, it is nothing strange for a man to approach her.
I smiled wryly as I remembered the incident with Aina recently… Anyway, I have to leave soon.
—Sakina-san, I’m sorry to keep you waiting.
—Ah, Hayato-kun!
Without showing any signs of fear, Sakina-san approached me with a smile, as if showing his maturity.
I thought it might get complicated, but as soon as the man realized there was someone else with her, he looked at us disapprovingly and quickly left.
—I see the boy didn’t miss his chance as soon as he saw you alone…
—Yes, don’t worry about it, but… — Sakina said, gently grabbing my clothes — I didn’t feel particularly afraid. Although sometimes I have flashes of that tragic day…
—Everything will be fine, you can always count on me, okay? Now I am the knight who protects Sakina-san!
—Haha… Yes, of course.
I was relieved to see Sakina smiling sweetly. It seems like she really doesn’t have to worry.
(Seriously, she is a charming person when she smiles. Her usual appearance is similar to Arisa, and her expression when she smiles resembles Aina.)
In short, what I mean to say is that this person is truly amazing… Incredible, in fact.
Smiling ironically at my own lack of vocabulary, I told Sakina what I was thinking about in the bathroom.
—Sakina-san, about the gift… You both have stuffed animals in your rooms, right? Not so many for Arisa, but Aina has a lot.
—Yeah, that’s right… Oh, does that mean…?
I nodded as soon as she figured out my plan.
Well, it’s just a simple idea that they both like cute things, but first… As a birthday present for them as high school students, wouldn’t it be pretty cool?
—That sounds good. Arisa and Aina used to hug their stuffed animals so much that they couldn’t sleep without them.
—Oh, that sounds adorable.
—Yes, they were really cute.
Well… if I get the chance, maybe I should ask them to show me pictures from when they were little.
With the gift decided, we quickly headed to the stuffed animal section.
—…Hehe.
—Did something happen?
—No, I was just thinking about when my husband had given me a stuffed animal in the past. Any gift is something that makes you happy. I’m sure my daughters will love it.
These words fill me with much more confidence.
When Sakina looked at me with a smile, her fists clenched, her eyes reminded me of my mother. Shopping with her like this also gives me a feeling of nostalgia.
(Oh, right… I also have to give Sakina a stuffed animal.)
—Hmm…
After that, when I got to the stuffed animal section, I started looking around.
—There are a lot of them.
From different types of stuffed animals to some that even I, as a man, find adorable, and also some that make me wonder why they are priced so high.
After searching for a while, I picked up a stuffed cat and a stuffed rabbit.
—Arisa has a bit of a haughty side, so maybe a whimsical cat would be appropriate for her, and Aina… There’s no particular reason, but I think she’d like a cute rabbit, right?
…No, I’m not choosing a rabbit, so Aina has a connection between them and the mating of rabbits… Right?
I tried to put such thoughts out of my mind and took the three stuffed animals to the counter.
When I came back with the shopping bag in my hand, Sakina greeted me with a smile and we started walking together again.
—Did you find anything good?
—Yes, I found some really nice things.
—That is great. I’m looking forward to his birthday, too.
That’s… Yeah, I definitely want you to look forward to it.
—Ah, sorry, but I want to buy something else.
—Really?
I nodded and we went to the store I had in mind before coming here.
What they sold there were ties. Arisa and Aina used ribbons to put their hair up, so I thought it would be a good idea to buy them new ones.
—Thank you for coming with me, Sakina-san.
—Don’t worry about it. So, is that all for today?
—Yes, let’s go home… Oh, could you leave the bags at my house first?
—Of course, it’s a surprise, so you have to hide it very well.
Well, I wouldn’t mind if they found them, but still, I’m trying really hard to make them something special, so it would be better if they didn’t find out.
—So Hayato-kun decided on the gift himself.
—…Ah, now that you mention it, maybe so. But it’s also thanks to you, I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own.
—No problem. I’m glad you want to make my daughters happy. It’s something that makes me happy, like it’s something personal, and also… It was fun hanging out with you, Hayato-kun.
—Really? Then let’s go out again.
—That makes me very happy!
That woman… She really smiles beautifully.
I looked away from Sakina, who had her hands on her chest with a happy expression, and scratched the back of my head to hide my embarrassment.
Then we went back to my house to drop off the groceries, and as our last destination, we went back to the Shinjo family’s house.
—Huh?
When we opened the door to the Shinjo family’s house, we found Arisa and Aina’s shoes.
We thought they would come back in the afternoon, but it seemed like they came back earlier than Sakina and I thought.
—Mom… Huh? Hayato-kun?
—Huh? Is Hayato-kun here too?
They both ran out of the living room and approached us.
—Were you with Mother?
—Yes, we went shopping together. You both came back early, right?
—Yes, it turned out that one of our friends forgot a meeting, so we left earlier than planned.
Ah, that explains everything.
Since we had no plans to meet today, Arisa and Aina took my hand and led me into the living room.
The three of us sat together on the couch and at that moment, they both grabbed my arms.
—What did you buy?
—Household items.
I think my expression at that moment was a perfect poker face.
While I felt the eyes of both of them, I just looked ahead and responded like this… At that moment, Sakina-san let out a small laugh.
—It was a shopping date between Hayato-kun and me. A man approached me, but Hayato-kun came to my rescue. It was a wonderful moment.
—Huh?!
—Huh?!
The two girls exclaimed in unison.
Oh-oh…
The atmosphere seemed to get a little cold… Although I was a little surprised by the word “date”, I understood Sakina’s helpful gesture.
Now we just have to wait for her birthday.
I can imagine the happy faces they will have, or I can wait patiently without imagining anything at all… It’s a strange feeling.
Even though it’s not my birthday, I’m very excited… Super excited!
—A shopping date, huh?
—Hayato-kun~
—Hehe
But first, it seems I have to calm down the envy that Arisa and Aina are feeling a bit.
