Ōtsuki Haruto Haruto walked through the quiet residential neighborhood, feeling the scorching heat on the back of his neck. Then, he stopped in front of a lavish residence. His quiet murmur of “I was pretty nervous the first time I came here…” was lost in the great chorus of the shrilly buzzing cicadas. The short-term housekeeping job he had started during summer break. When he first saw this mansion, he’d had a sinking feeling, thinking his first client was some kind of celebrity. Vaguely recalling that feeling, Haruto pressed the intercom button. “Yes?” A smile naturally appeared on Haruto’s face at the voice he heard. “Hello, this is the housekeeping service.” Haruto deliberately replied in a formal tone. A small chuckle, “Heh,” came through the intercom. “What’s gotten into you? You’re being so formal.” “Well, today’s my last day of housekeeping. I thought I’d go back to the beginning.” “Hehe, then should I have Ryōta yell ‘Burglar!’ again?” “No… please spare me that.” The first time Haruto came to the Tōjō residence for housekeeping, Ryōta, who had been playing outside, came home and shouted “Burglar!” upon seeing him. The memory flashed through his mind. It was a funny story now, but at the time, Haruto’s blood ran cold, thinking he might have to deal with the police on his very first day of the job. About a month had passed since then. It felt like an event from the distant past, and Haruto was filled with a sense of nostalgia. Just then, the front door clicked open. Bathed in the summer sunlight, Ayaka greeted him with a brilliant smile saying “Welcome, Haruto-kun.”
She was rumored to be the cutest girl at Haruto’s school, lauded as “the school’s idol.” When summer break had started, they were just “staff” and “client” of a housekeeping service. Now, just catching sight of her made his expression soften and his heart race, while at the same time bringing a sense of peace to his soul. She had become just that irreplaceable to him. Ayaka, who had gone from “client” to beloved “girlfriend,” happily touched Haruto’s arm. “Come on in.” “Yeah, excuse me for intruding.” Led by her arm, Haruto stepped into the entryway and headed straight for the living room. “Onii-chan!!” The moment Haruto entered the living room, Ryōta came flying at him like a charging boar. “Hey, Ryōta-kun. Full of energy today, I see.” Haruto caught Ryōta with both hands as he charged into his waist. “Yeah!! Are you gonna make yummy food again today?” asked Ryōta while still hugging Haruto, looking up at him with brightly shining eyes. Ever since Haruto made him hamburgers on the first day, Ryōta had been completely captivated by his cooking. “Of course. I’ll do my best to make a delicious meal for you today, Ryōtakun.” “Yaay!!” Haruto smiled at Ryōta’s joyful cry. Just then, Ikue came into the living room. “Welcome, Ōtsuki-kun.” “Excuse me for intruding.” “Today’s your last day of housekeeping. Thank you so much for everything.” Ikue smiled brightly and offered him words of appreciation. In response, Haruto’s expression softened. “The work here was very rewarding and enjoyable. I feel truly fortunate that you were all my clients.” “Oh, what a nice thing to say. We were also really lucky that you were the one who came for the housekeeping service! Right, Ayaka?” “Yes. I’m so glad it was you, Haruto-kun.”
When asked by Ikue for her agreement, Ayaka turned her eyes to Haruto, smiling with a hint of shyness. “My daughter got such a wonderful boyfriend out of this, I’ll have to thank the god of housekeeping services.” “M-Mom! Stop making up weird gods!” As Ikue teased her daughter as usual, Ayaka’s cheeks flushed a faint red as she protested. Haruto felt a sense of warmth watching this Tōjō parent-child communication, which had become a familiar sight this summer break. “Ōtsuki-kun, from now on, please feel free to come over anytime as my daughter’s boyfriend.” “Yes. Thank you very much.” Haruto bowed his head, a ticklish feeling in his chest—a mixture of gratitude and happiness—for Ikue, who was giving her full approval to his relationship with Ayaka. Just at that moment, Shūichi also entered the living room. “Oh! Ōtsuki-kun! Welcome!” The moment he saw Haruto, he spread his arms wide in a beaming welcome. “Shūichi-san, excuse me for intruding.” Haruto bowed to Shūichi as well, then straightened up to face him. “Um, Shūichi-san. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about regarding Tōjō-san.” He had already reported to Ikue that he and Ayaka had become a couple. However, Shūichi had been away on a business trip, so he hadn’t spoken to him about it yet. As a matter of courtesy for dating Ayaka, he felt he had to report it properly, so Haruto opened his mouth, looking Shūichi in the eye. “The truth is, Tōjō-san and I have started dating—” “Yes, yes!! I’ve heard all about it from my wife!” The moment Haruto started speaking, Shūichi grabbed his shoulders in a state of great excitement. “Ōtsuki-kun! Thank you for choosing my daughter!!” “Ah, yes. Um…” “I may be biased as her parent, but I believe Ayaka has grown up to be a kind and considerate girl. I’m sure the two of you will be able to build a good life together!” “R-Right…”
Shūichi pressed closer to Haruto, his eyes shining brightly. Faced with Shūichi’s enthusiasm, which was like that of a father giving his daughter away at her wedding, Haruto managed a slightly strained smile. Shūichi patted Haruto’s shoulders repeatedly, continuing to speak happily. “I know! If it’s alright with you, Ōtsuki-kun, why don’t we go fishing together sometime to get to know each other better?” “Y-Yes… I’d love to.” Overwhelmed by Shūichi’s energy and pressure, Haruto nodded his head small, repeated nods. “Good, good! Then, may I ask what days you have free?” “Ah, yes. Um…” “Dad! You’re making Haruto-kun uncomfortable! Calm down a little.” Seeing her father’s pushy demeanor towards Haruto, Ayaka stepped in to stop him. “Hmm? Oh, my apologies. I guess I got a little carried away when I heard Ayaka and Ōtsuki-kun were dating.” Saying so, Shūichi let out a cheerful laugh of “Ahahaha” and scratched his head with one hand. Ryōta ran up to his father. In his hand was the homemade piggy bank he had shown Haruto and the others before. “Look, Dad! I made this! I’m gonna work hard for Onii-chan and Oneechan, too!” Looking at Ryōta’s “Wedding Savings Box” made from a milk carton, Shūichi patted his son’s head, impressed. “Isn’t that great, Ryōta. Alright, then Daddy will put some money in right away—” “Don’t you dare, dear. Ryōta needs to properly learn how hard it is to save money and how important it is.” “Y-Yes. You’re right…” Shūichi, who had been about to pull a bill out of his wallet, looked dejected as he was chided by Ikue and quietly put the ten-thousand-yen bill he was about to take out back into his wallet. “I’ll do my best so Onee-chan can get married to Onii-chan soon.” Ryōta made a determined fist pump towards his sister. Receiving her brother’s passionate enthusiasm, Ayaka said, “Thanks,” with a complex smile that was happy, embarrassed, and slightly troubled all at once.
The bright, lively, and slightly out-of-control members of the Tōjō family. The warmth of their family atmosphere. Feeling as if he, too, was a small part of it, Haruto’s expression softened into a smile. “Well then, I will now begin my service. Do you have any requests?” “Let’s see. You know, the windows have gotten dirty again, so could I ask you to clean them?” “Understood.” As Haruto replied to Ikue’s request, Ryōta ran up to him. “Onii-chan! You wipe the windows with newspaper, right?” “Oh, you remembered that well. Good boy.” Haruto patted Ryōta on the head. “Heehee. I’ll help too!” “That would be a great help, Ryōta-kun. Then could you wipe down there?” “Okay!” Haruto asked Ryōta to clean a spot within his reach, while he himself wiped the upper parts. Standing side by side, Haruto and Ryōta happily cleaned the windows together. Ikue watched the two of them with gentle eyes from her seat on the sofa. “They really are like brothers, aren’t they?” Ayaka nodded in agreement with Ikue’s murmur. “I’m sure Haruto-kun would be a great onii-chan, don’t you think?” “Oh? Doesn’t that mean you’ll have to make Ōtsuki-kun your husband, Ayaka?” Ikue said teasingly. Before, Ayaka would have turned red at every one of her mother’s teases and immediately protested. Now, however, while she still blushed, she didn’t argue back. “Well… we are dating, so a future like that might be possible, right?” “Oh my… I see.” At her daughter’s changed reaction, Ikue’s face broke into a happy smile. “You’ve met a good person.” “…Yeah.” Ayaka gave a big nod at Ikue’s gentle words. As Haruto cleaned the windows with Ryōta, the mother-daughter conversation faintly reached his ears. But, sensing the atmosphere, he couldn’t bring himself to join in, so he focused diligently on cleaning the windows.
After that, Haruto finished cleaning the windows, and then proceeded to clean the living room and the bathroom. Eventually, it was time to make dinner. “As for tonight’s dinner, is there anything you’d like to eat?” “Hmm, let’s see. Is there anything you want to eat, dear?” Asked by Haruto, Ikue looked over at Shūichi, who was reading the newspaper at the dining table. “Let’s see. I’m fine with anything Ōtsuki-kun makes, but…” Shūichi folded the newspaper he was reading and stroked his chin, thinking. “Everything Haruto-kun cooks is delicious.” “I wanna eat meat!” Ayaka praised Haruto’s cooking, and Ryōta made a vague request. Seeing the Tōjō family’s reactions, Haruto proposed a dinner idea himself, “Um, if it’s alright with you all, there’s actually something I’d like to make.” “Oh, is that so? We don’t mind at all. We have complete faith in the taste of your cooking, Ōtsuki-kun.” Ikue replied, showing interest in Haruto’s suggestion, and asked the others, “That’s fine, right?” to which everyone nodded in return. “Thank you. Then for tonight’s dinner…” The dish Haruto wanted to make it was not only his personal favorite, but also his specialty, a dish he could make with confidence. On top of that, it was now a memorable dish that had become the catalyst for this family to take a liking to him. “For the dinner menu, how about hamburg steak?” At Haruto’s suggested dish, everyone smiled. With that, Ryōta’s joyous roar was added. Seeing the Tōjō family’s reaction, Haruto smiled and headed to the kitchen. Then, with renewed determination, he set about making the final dinner of his housekeeping job. Standing in the Tōjō family’s kitchen, Haruto proceeded to make the hamburgers with deft skill. The Tōjō kitchen was now like his own backyard; he was so familiar with it that he was confident he could take out cooking utensils and seasonings even with his eyes closed. As Haruto worked on the hamburgers, he also prepared the soup and took out vegetables for the salad, performing multiple tasks in parallel. At
this sight, Ikue spoke with admiration. “You’re as skillful as ever, Ōtsuki-kun. It’s so satisfying to watch.” “Thank you very much.” replied Haruto with a smile to Ikue’s words of praise as she sat at the dining table watching him cook, his hands never stopping their work. Watching this, Shūichi, who sat opposite Ikue also observing the cooking, nodded deeply. Then he turned to Ayaka, who was keeping Ryōta company in the living room. “Ayaka. You won’t find many guys like Ōtsuki-kun, so make sure you hold on to him tight, you hear?” “Dad, don’t say weird things like that in front of Haruto-kun!” exclaimed Ayaka as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at her father’s words. Next to her, Ryōta was so excited about eating Haruto’s hamburgers that he was performing a mysterious dance. “Hamburgers!! Hamburgers!! Onii-chan’s hamburgers!!” “Ryōta, now. Calm down a little. You don’t need to perform that strange dance.” Ayaka looked on with an exasperated expression at her brother, who was dancing wildly in a style resembling a fast-motion folk dance. As the bright and lively Tōjō family members bustled about, Haruto smiled and continued to cook. He took a large bowl from the shelf and filled it with ice water. Placing a slightly smaller bowl inside it, he then chilled his own hands in the cold water. “Hoh, as expected of Ōtsuki-kun. Very professional.” Shūichi said cheerfully at Haruto’s actions. “Dad, that’s so the fat in the meat doesn’t melt from Onii-chan’s body heat!” “Oh, you’re quite knowledgeable, Ryōta.” “Hehehe.” Ryōta, who had been dancing up a storm in the living room, ran over to his father and explained with a proud look. “You can’t make delicious hamburgers if the fat melts!” “Is that so? Then I wonder if the hamburgers Ōtsuki-kun is making today will be delicious?” “They will be! All of Onii-chan’s food is delicious!” Ryōta declared to his father. It seemed he had absolute faith in Haruto’s cooking.
“Thanks, Ryōta-kun. I’ll do my best to make them delicious today, too.” “Yeah!! Do your best, Onii-chan!!” As Ryōta sent him his best cheer, Haruto felt a warm, fuzzy feeling and quickly kneaded the ground meat with his chilled, bright red hands. Once the meat was no longer lumpy, Haruto added salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and mixed it further. The distinctive spicy aroma of nutmeg spread from the kitchen, and Ikue smiled brightly at the smell. “That smells wonderful. It makes me want to eat it right away.” “You’ve fallen for Haruto-kun’s cooking too, haven’t you, Mom?” “Of course. Delicious food makes people smile and enriches their lives. It’s something very important, you know?” “That’s true. I feel happy whenever I eat Haruto-kun’s cooking.” Since Ryōta had moved to the chair next to his mother to send fervent gazes at Haruto kneading the ground meat, Ayaka also moved to the dining table and sat down next to Shūichi. With the entire Tōjō family as his audience, Haruto added the cooled onions, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, and a beaten egg to the meat mixture he was kneading, and worked it in further. Then, once the mixture became smooth, he divided it, put something inside each portion, shaped them into ovals, and placed them in a preheated frying pan to cook. While the hamburgers were cooking, Haruto put the finishing touches on the soup he had been making in parallel, adjusting the flavor. Then, checking on the hamburgers, he began to make the salad, shredding cabbage and slicing tomatoes. After finishing cutting the vegetables for the salad, Haruto arranged them on a plate, topped them with cheese and corn, and finally, to help Ryōta overcome his dislike of carrots, poured the carrot dressing he had made before over it. Just as the salad was complete, the hamburgers were perfectly cooked, and he turned off the heat on the frying pan. Seeing this, Ayaka moved to Haruto’s side. “Haruto-kun. I’ll help set the table.” “Thanks. Then could you dish out the rice?” “Okay, got it.” Ayaka nodded happily and took five rice bowls from the cupboard. “How much rice does Ryōta want?” “A lot!!”
“Then… about this much?” Ayaka scooped rice from the rice cooker into a bowl and tilted it so Ryōta could see. “Yep!! That much!!” “How about you, Dad?” “A little extra for me.” “Like this?” “Yep.” “A small portion for you, Mom?” “That’s right. Just a little rice is fine for me.” Ayaka confirmed the amount with her family as she served rice into each of their bowls. Then, she turned to Haruto. “What about you, Haruto-kun? Do you eat a lot?” Holding Haruto’s dedicated rice bowl in her hand, Ayaka tilted her head slightly as she asked. At some point, a dedicated rice bowl for Haruto had been prepared in the Tōjō household. It wasn’t just a bowl; there were also chopsticks, a cup, a soup bowl—a whole set of tableware had been prepared for him. The fact that it had become completely normal for him to eat dinner with the Tōjō family made Haruto laugh involuntarily. “Yeah. A little extra, please.” “Okay. Got it.” Ayaka served rice in response to Haruto’s request. At the sight of the two of them standing in the kitchen, Shūichi spoke with deep emotion. “It’s just like a scene with newlyweds. Yes, yes.” “It reminds me of when we were newlyweds, doesn’t it?” At Shūichi’s murmur, Ikue’s expression also became reminiscent of the old days. “You’re right. Back then, Ayaka and Ryōta weren’t around, and we lived together in a one-room studio apartment.” “How nostalgic. I wonder if that apartment building is still there?” “Why don’t we go see it on a walk together sometime?” Shūichi and Ikue were having a loving conversation as a married couple. Haruto quietly whispered in the ear of Ayaka, who had come close with the rice bowl.
“Shūichi-san and Ikue-san are really close, aren’t they? They really seem like the ideal married couple.” In response to Haruto’s whisper, Ayaka stared intently into his eyes as she asked, “You think? …Is a couple like that your ideal, Haruto-kun?” “…Yeah, it is.” Feeling an indescribably strong emotion in her gaze, Haruto’s heart couldn’t help but pound. “I see… hehe.” Seeing Haruto nod, Ayaka let out a happy smile and carried the tray with the rice bowls to the dining table. His heart still pounding, Haruto moved the hamburgers to plates, served the soup, and followed Ayaka to the dining table. “Whoa! This looks delicious!” “HAMBUUUURGERS!!” At the sight of dinner laid out on the dining table, Shūichi’s lips curved up, and Ryōta let out a joyous roar for what must have been the tenth time that day. “Ryōta, you need to sit properly in your chair to eat, okay?” “Okay!! Hey, let’s eat already!” At Ryōta’s over-the-top excitement, Ikue chided him with a smile. “Alright. Everyone’s seated. Let’s eat.” Shūichi looked at Haruto and Ayaka, who had finished serving and sat down, and put his hands together. “Itadakimasu.” “Itadakimasu!” After everyone put their hands together, Ryōta bit into his hamburger with incredible speed. Instantly, his eyes widened in surprise. Seeing his reaction, Haruto grinned. “Is it good, Ryōta-kun?” “It’s cheese! Onii-chan! There’s cheese in this hamburger!!” From the spot Ryōta had bitten into, melted cheese was oozing out. In truth, thinking it would be unoriginal to make the exact same thing as last time, he had made cheese-in-hamburgers this time. “Do you like hamburgers with cheese inside?” Haruto asked with a smile. Ryōta, as if he had forgotten how to speak, just nodded vigorously as he continued to devour the cheese-in-hamburger at a tremendous pace.
Next to him, Shūichi was also putting away his hamburger at a considerable speed. “No, really, this hamburger is exquisite. It’s so good I feel like paying you for it separately from the housekeeping contract fee.” “Thank you very much.” At Shūichi’s words, Haruto bowed his head, his face openly showing his pleasure. Then, he himself took a bite of the hamburger. The juices that burst forth when he bit down mixed with the gooey, melted cheese, and a rich, savory flavor rushed down his throat. After that, the taste of the ground meat and the spicy aroma of nutmeg spread through his mouth with every chew. As Haruto wore a satisfied expression, pleased that this time’s hamburgers had also turned out delicious, Ikue, who had a happy smile on her face from the delicious meal, turned to him. “Ōtsuki-kun, you learned to cook from your grandmother, right?” “Yes, that’s right. My grandmother’s cooking is even more delicious than mine.” “That’s amazing! Did your grandmother work as a cook?” “She did. She still works at a diner right near our house.” Haruto’s grandmother worked in the kitchen of a diner run by an old friend. Her cooking had quite a good reputation, and the diner was reasonably famous in the neighborhood. “A diner where Ōtsuki-kun’s grandmother is in the kitchen, huh? I’m intrigued.” Shūichi stopped eating his hamburger and listened to Haruto’s story. “The place my grandmother works is a diner for lunch and an izakaya at night, so if you have the chance, please stop by. I can guarantee the taste of the food.” TL/N: An “izakaya” is a casual Japanese pub that serves drinks and small dishes. “It’s the cooking of the person who raised Ōtsuki-kun. There’s no way it could be bad.” Haruto smiled happily at Shūichi’s interest in his grandmother’s cooking. After that, Haruto enjoyed dinner while chatting happily with the Tōjō family. Eventually, the meal was over, and a satisfied, relaxed atmosphere filled the dining room. “Man, that was really delicious.” “It was. That was a perfect dinner.” “Haruto-kun, that was incredibly delicious.”
“Onii-chan’s hamburgers are the best!!” Receiving words from each of them, Haruto showed a bashful smile. “I’m glad you were all satisfied.” “Yep, completely satisfied! Ōtsuki-kun, thank you for all your hard work as our housekeeper.” Saying so, Shūichi bowed his head to Haruto. Following his lead, Ikue also bowed with a bright smile. “You made my life so much easier while you were here, Ōtsuki-kun. Thank you.” “I’m also very happy that I was able to be of help to you all.” Haruto bowed back to the grateful Shūichi and Ikue. Seeing Haruto’s polite demeanor to the very end, Shūichi looked at him happily and said. “Ōtsuki-kun, I’m counting on you to take care of Ayaka from now on.” “Dad, don’t say things like I’m about to get married.” “You can’t be getting embarrassed over something like this, Ayaka. Ōtsuki-kun is your boyfriend now, so being too reserved is actually rude, isn’t it? Don’t you think so, Ōtsuki-kun?” “Eh? Ah, well… I suppose so.” To Shūichi, who was asking for his agreement with a huge smile, Haruto nodded repeatedly, his expression slightly strained. Ikue then joined the conversation cheerfully. “You know, I still have the tiara I used for my wedding ceremony. I think it would look good on you too, Ayaka.” “I told you, it’s still too soon! …But I am a little curious, so show it to me later.” “Ufufufu. Of course.” At the sight of her daughter fidgeting and replying in a small voice with a red face, Ikue’s expression softened into a delighted smile. “Onii-chan. Can I come to the wedding too?” “Eh? Ah, right. Of course you can come, Ryōta-kun.” “I’m so excited!” “R-Right…” Haruto keenly felt that the conversation was charging full-steam ahead towards a single point. He couldn’t possibly tell the wide-eyed, excited Ryōta something like “We don’t know what the future holds yet,” so all he could do was smile.
Feeling cornered by the Tōjō family, Haruto finished washing the dishes and cleaning up after dinner. Having completed all his duties as a housekeeper, he straightened his posture once more. “With this, the housekeeping service is now concluded. It was for a short time, but thank you for using our services.” As Haruto said this and bowed, Shūichi and the others replied with things like “Good work,” and “Thank you, too.” “Haruto-kun, I’ll walk you to the door.” Finally, Ayaka smoothly approached Haruto. “Okay, thanks.” Haruto left the living room with Ayaka. From behind him, Ryōta waved energetically, calling out, “See you again, Onii-chan!!” Haruto waved back as he headed to the entryway. “The next time we see each other will be at school.” “Yeah.” Ayaka said this abruptly to Haruto, who had changed into his shoes. School starts the day after tomorrow. Ayaka apparently had plans to hang out with a friend tomorrow, and Haruto predicted he would probably have plans as well. Therefore, the next time they could meet would be at school after summer break, on the day of the opening ceremony. “Well… see you then, Haruto-kun.” “Yeah, see you. At school.” Haruto turned to Ayaka, who was standing in the hallway, and gave her a soft smile. In response, Ayaka took a step closer and gently reached out her arms. Haruto, answering her wish, wrapped his arms gently around her waist. “…Nn.” Ayaka closed her eyes, stood on her tiptoes, and lifted her chin slightly. Haruto pressed his lips against those of his beloved girlfriend. “Hehe…” As Haruto pulled away, Ayaka gave a smile that was both happy and embarrassed. “See you.” “Yeah, bye-bye.” Feeling a sense of reluctance to part, Haruto gave Ayaka a small wave and left the Tōjō residence for the last time that summer break.
※※※ The sky above was ablaze with the fiery red sunset, yet the face of the night sky was also beginning to show itself. Compared to the beginning of the summer break, he felt the days had grown just a little bit shorter, and in that, Haruto felt the summer days that had passed him by. The girl said to be the school’s idol, whom he’d met through his housekeeping part-time job. The girl who, over the course of this summer, had become his irreplaceable girlfriend. As Haruto walked home alone, his thoughts drifted to her. Then, unexpectedly, the smartphone in his pocket began to vibrate. He pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the screen, which displayed the name Akagi Tomoya. Just as he’d expected, a call had come, and Haruto answered with a wry smile. —“Well, well, Haru! This day has come upon us again this year!” “Yeah, yeah, I know. So? How much haven’t you done this time?” —“As expected of my best friend! You get it! By the way, I finished my Japanese homework!” “And the rest?” —“Haven’t touched ’em!!” To his best friend, who declared this with a strange sense of pride, Haruto let out a truly exasperated sigh. The last day of Haruto’s summer break had become an annual event where he let his best friend, Tomoya, copy his homework. “What do you mean, ‘haven’t touched ’em’?! Honestly…” —“But you’re a nice guy, Haru, so you’ll come and help me out tomorrow, right? Huh?” “Haaah… well, my grandma was discharged from the hospital and all.” —“That’s my Haru!! I’m counting on you for tomorrow, then!” “Yeah. Oh, by the way, there’s something I need to tell you, Tomoya.” —“Oh? What is it?” At Tomoya’s reply, Haruto felt a mix of nervousness and embarrassment as he opened his mouth. “I’ve started going out with Ayaka.” —“…Well, I figured as much.”
Haruto had expected a surprised reaction. But contrary to his expectations, Tomoya’s reply was as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You’re not surprised.” —“Of course not. Not after seeing the two of you at the department store in front of the station.” “I see…” —“And besides, it started with that housekeeping job, right?” “Yeah.” —“Then that means you’ve met Tōjō-san’s parents, right?” “That’s right.” —“What do her parents think of you? Are they like, ‘How dare you lay a hand on our precious daughter!’ or something?” At Tomoya’s words, Haruto recalled the reactions of Shūichi and Ikue from just a little while ago. “No, it’s actually the opposite… like, they’re on the fast track to our wedding?” —“What’s that about? We’re still in high school, you know?” Haruto could hear Tomoya’s laughter through the phone at his words. “Well… you’re not wrong.” —“I’m so jealous. You’re telling me you have the school idol and her parents’ official approval?” To his best friend’s words of envy, Haruto let out a small smile and looked up at the sky. The wind that flowed past, caressing his cheek, still carried the heat of summer. However, he could also feel a slight softness in it, and it felt as if he could see the back of autumn in the distance. Feeling shy about the emotions welling up in his own heart, Haruto spoke in a slightly playful, joking manner. “I Started Working a Housekeeping Job and Ended up Being Liked by the Family of the Most Beautiful Girl in School”