Chapter 239: Your little sister I'll raise myself
Shinomiya Kaguya looked out the window.
How nice, Hayasaka had her mother by her side. Even though she had long known that such a thing was nothing more than a luxury, people would always have a little bit of expectation like that.
Her relationship with her family was not good at all, the number of times she spoke with her father in a year could be counted on one hand.
From the moment she was born until now, had the number of sentences she said to her father even reached one hundred?
… No.
Shinomiya Kaguya asked herself, then answered herself.
At this moment, Nao-san was teasing Sakurai-san, the boyfriend of her maid.
'Should I try falling in love?' Shinomiya Kaguya let herself drift along with that thought.
But she realized, "Shinomiya Kaguya" could not do it. As long as she bore the Shinomiya name, free love would never belong to her.
The person who could marry into the Shinomiya family at the very least had to be an equal match.
In the world of conglomerates, there was no such thing as free love. Unless she ran away from Japan, she would forever have to live in the shadow of the Shinomiya family.
'The Shijo family might be a bit more open.' Shinomiya Kaguya told herself in her heart.
The Shijo family was originally a branch separated from the Shinomiya family, their influence spread across many countries, if calculated carefully, they were in no way inferior to the Shinomiya.
The reason Kaguya felt the Shijo family was more open, was because she heard from Sakurai Saki's mouth that Shijo Maki was currently in love but could not be with the one she loved…
Moreover, Kaguya and Kashiwagi Nagisa were also good friends.
A family that allowed free love was certainly much more open compared to the rigid Shinomiya family.
"Little cute, what's wrong? Your face looks so hurt like this."
Suddenly, Kaguya heard a familiar voice.
She slightly lifted her head, seeing the face of the one who had spoken. The tear mole at the corner of her eye drew Kaguya's attention, while the amber eyes of the other carried a mysterious charm.
"Jinguuji-san, good afternoon."
"It's so lively over there, it feels hard to butt in." Jinguuji Tamaki propped her right hand against her fair chin, gaze directed toward not far away, where Sakurai Saki was chatting with Hayasaka Nao.
"My baby, since when have he gotten acquainted with foreigners like this?"
"Jinguuji-san, that is the mother of Sakurai-san's girlfriend." Shinomiya Kaguya whispered.
"So that's it, once you have a wife you forget your own mother, turns out my baby is the same too." Jinguuji pouted, her face just like a child sulking: "Little cute, let me be your mother."
Kaguya: ∘ ∘ ∘ (｡· v ·｡) ?=====> ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!
"EH?" Shinomiya Kaguya immediately stood straight up.
She wants to be my mother? Then what about Sakurai-san?
"Little cute, your parents aren't planning to come, right?" Jinguuji Tamaki asked.
"Attending the three-party meeting alone is quite embarrassing, you know."
"Jinguuji-san, that way of calling… can it be changed?" Shinomiya Kaguya blushed.
She was already sixteen! That "Little cute" way of calling, it was really too embarrassing!
"Alright then, how about Kaguya-chan?"
"… That's fine too."
"In exchange, Kaguya-chan will call me Tamaki mama, okay?"
"… How about we go back to the way of calling just now instead." Shinomiya Kaguya really did not want to suddenly gain another mother.
Sakurai-san, hurry and come drag your mother away!
As she was thinking that, Shinomiya Kaguya noticed Hayasaka Nao and Sakurai Saki walking into the office together.
Kaguya: ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?
What are you doing, Nao-san!
And Hayasaka too, why didn't you stop them! Don't put on that look of despair! Aren't you supposed to be the perfect, composed maid?
Hayasaka: (つ╥﹏╥)つ
"Shinomiya-san, please come in."
From inside the room, the teacher's voice sounded, inviting her.
'What should I do?' Shinomiya Kaguya panicked.
"Not going in?" Jinguuji Tamaki withdrew her gaze from Sakurai Saki, gently speaking to Kaguya.
"Let's go in." Shinomiya Kaguya decided, treating it as taking a gamble.
————
Half an hour later.
In the student council room.
Shinomiya Kaguya covered her face, then collapsed onto the sofa.
"Sakurai-san, your mother… she's really too energetic."
Her voice came out faintly from between her fingers.
"Sorry." Sakurai Saki apologized.
He only found out that his mother had teased Shinomiya Kaguya after the three-party meeting had ended.
But what was done was done, aside from apologizing, he could do nothing.
"Did she say anything strange?" Although he knew his mother wouldn't do anything bad, Sakurai Saki was still a little worried.
"No, rather… she treated me too well." Shinomiya Kaguya murmured softly: "Just like a real mother."
She had never met her own mother, the only thing Kaguya had ever seen was her photo.
She also knew her mother's name — Shinomiya Nayotake.
Her mother's name had the character "bamboo," and as for the daughter's name being Kaguya, it surely had to do with the story of "Princess Kaguya in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter."
"As long as she didn't do anything strange, that's good." Sakurai Saki let out a sigh of relief.
But still, why did Ai-chan's mother suddenly come along with him to attend the three-party meeting? Just earlier he clearly heard Hayasaka Nao say she would attend on Kaguya's behalf, wasn't that completely reversed now?
————
At the same time, on a bench in the small garden of Shuchiin.
Jinguuji Tamaki and Hayasaka Nao were sitting next to each other.
"Jinguuji-sama, what you just said… that your son is actually him, it really gave me a fright." Hayasaka Nao put a hand on her chest, looking as if she was still shaken.
In fact, the two of them had met at the entrance and even chatted a little.
"Have I never told you, Hayasaka-san?" Jinguuji Tamaki smiled gently at her.
This made the pressure on Hayasaka Nao double instantly.
'So she's the mother of my daughter's boyfriend…'
How unlucky.
My dear daughter, even if you choose a lover, don't choose someone this difficult to deal with!
Just earlier, Nao originally intended to approach, but when she saw the other talking happily with Shinomiya Kaguya, she didn't dare disturb.
"Jinguuji-sama, you traveled all this way, just to attend your foster child's three-party meeting?"
"'Just?' To me, it's more important than anything." Jinguuji Tamaki said as she yawned.
Lately, she hadn't been sleeping much at all.
In a little while, the plan would begin. As long as she seized the power of the god, she would become complete, not in this flawed state as now.
Hayasaka Nao only took it as a joke.
There was no way her coming to Tokyo was that simple.
"Your daughter…" Jinguuji Tamaki began, then shook her head: "Never mind, nothing."
She had seen a spark of fire on Hayasaka Ai.
Recently, there had been two major fires one after another in the Tokyo port area, once at a construction site, once on a cargo ship — they were probably related to her.
————
In the student council room.
Shinomiya Kaguya and Sakurai Saki were drinking coffee.
"Shirogane, are you done?" Sakurai saw Shirogane Miyuki push the door open and step in.
"Umu."
"Future plans, have you decided?"
"I'm preparing to study abroad, I've asked the principal to write me a recommendation letter, but whether I get accepted or not still remains to be seen." Shirogane Miyuki stretched a little, then sat down in the president's seat.
"Study abroad, huh, then maybe we won't be able to attend the same university. And besides, studying abroad means leaving school quite early." Sakurai Saki's voice carried a trace of melancholy.
Shirogane was one of the few friends he had. In the next few years, perhaps they would only see each other during New Year's or winter and summer vacations.
"Why so sorrowful, I'm only leaving around this time next year." Shirogane Miyuki chuckled.
"Then there's still plenty of time."
Hearing this, Sakurai Saki nodded: "Once you're gone, I'll take care of Kei-chan for you, don't worry."
"Your little sister I'll raise myself."
Shirogane: ∘ ∘ ∘ (っ º - º ς) ∘ ∘ ∘
Suddenly, Shirogane Miyuki didn't feel like studying abroad anymore.