NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 37 - After All, This Will Be Over.
Having lost the game to Karen and Erika, I slumped down in my chair.
“Ah… I feel deflated.”
“No time for that, Seiichi. Come on, cheer up!”
“We need to formalize your employment, after all.”
Right, the deal was that they would employ me if I lost.
“So, when you say ’employ,’ does that mean real employment this time? It’s a bit tough doing this as an individual student.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”
What!?
“Miss Azuma? When did you—”
“I’ve been here the whole time. I was hiding, recording your conversation for evidence.”
“What?!”
“I thought I’d corner you in case you tried to run away after losing, but you accepted your defeat gracefully.”
What does she take me for?
“I’m not that sore of a loser, you know.”
“Really? Isn’t it more that you just wanted to be with Karen and Erika?”
“No comment.”
No matter what I say, it’s going to be troublesome.
“My, my. So, what about you two?”
“Yes?”
“What is it?”
Miss Azuma turns her attention to Karen and Erika. It’s actually my first time seeing these three converse.
“As an adult, I should say, Kakkami has a point. Once you grow up, you won’t be able to live like you’re thinking now. A more boring, trivial, and inescapable reality awaits you.”
Miss Azuma’s tone and expression are serious. She’s genuinely advising us as an adult. I wish she’d said that first.
“If you two turn out to be the sort to easily abandon this guy, then I want you to disappear right now. After all, he’s my adorable junior.”
Why does she have to say embarrassing stuff like this in front of them?
“I think I’ve had my fair share of hardships,” Erika says, still smiling at Miss Azuma. “So, I trust my judgment in people. I get that we’re still kids, but I know Seiichi is exactly the person I’ve been looking for.”
Karen nods and continues, “As you said, we’re immature, and we’re trying to step out of the conventional social norms. But if that’s where Seiichi wants to be, then…”
Karen briefly glances at me, smiling gently.
“That’s where we want to be too. If he goes abroad, we’ll go. If he stays at home, we’ll work and help around the house. Being together is more than enough for us to consider life a win.”
She declares this to Miss Azuma firmly.
“—You really think you can continue being together like this without being lovers, getting married, or becoming a proper family?”
“I believe so. Family and spouses are originally strangers too, right? Then I’d prefer the best kind of stranger—someone who doesn’t need to be by my side all the time but can be when I want them to be.”
“It’s not like we want Seiichi to carry us. We’ll each live on our own. We just want our lives to overlap, that’s all.”
This is madness.
The more I hear, the more ridiculous it sounds. Such a relationship could never work. Yet, at the same time, it’s compellingly simple.
“…Well, it certainly won’t be boring with the three of us.”
“See? You get it!”
“We’ll deal with the difficulties as they come, shaping them into something that works for us.”
Miss Azuma sighs deeply and then tells us, “Fine. For now, do as you please. I’ll help you as much as I can. Being an adult means having an unconventional junior, after all.”
She really has helped me a lot, always.
“Thank you, Miss Azuma. Truly.”
After receiving our thanks, Miss Azuma sighs again.
“It’s okay. If it makes Seiichi more positive about life, that’s what matters most. By the way, I have to ask.”
Her expression changes, becoming more mischievous.
“I couldn’t see since I was hiding, but who kissed whom?”
Why bring that up now!?
Karen and Erika look at each other, then grin and step closer.
“Wanna find out? The one who kisses you now is the one who didn’t before!”
“…Actually, doing it in public is kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?”
“Hey, are you two serious!?”
“My, it’s almost sinful to watch this kind of scene with my junior.”
Stop it, you’re an adult!
“I’m banning stuff like this from now on! I don’t want to feel weird about the people I’m living with!”
“Aww, why not? You’re too rigid, Seiichi!”
“I may agree with Seiichi. If I lose control over such things, it could be problematic…”
“Maybe I’ll join this weird and wonderful family someday if I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Ah, just stop! What’s wrong with being normal? Why can’t we all just be normal!?