Just as Saori Funamoto was about to press further and ask Kotomi Izumi how far things had progressed between her and Shizuka Hiratsuka, she had not even managed to open her mouth before—
Smack!
A slap filled with maternal love landed squarely on Saori Funamoto's head. It was so forceful that it seemed to echo crisply through the hall.
Did it sound good? If it sounded good, then it must be a good head.
One could not help but wonder whether Saaki Funamoto looked so sturdy and healthy precisely because she exercised daily by beating her daughter.
After delivering that fierce slap to Saori's head, Saaki Funamoto smoothly adjusted her expression and said apologetically,
"Miss Izumi, I am terribly sorry. As you can see, my younger daughter is nearly twenty-eight years old, yet her personality is still that of a child who refuses to grow up. If she has offended you in any way, I will discipline her again in front of you shortly. Or, if you would prefer to do it yourself, please feel free. There is no need to hold back. For her to be personally corrected by Miss Izumi would be a blessing earned over several lifetimes."
"It's fine, it's fine. I actually think this older sister… speaks in a rather interesting way."
Kotomi tugged at the corner of her lips into a smile.
If she had been alone at this moment, she would not have lost in the slightest. She would have fired back without hesitation and let Saori know—so you want to compete in shamelessness? Let's see which one of us is the real boss here.
If Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama had not been standing beside her, and Saori had asked, "Kotomi, when are you marrying Shizuka Hiratsuka?"
Kotomi would have casually replied, "Soon. I'm already pregnant with Shizuka's child. The baby is three months along. We're getting married because of the pregnancy."
She truly wanted to answer like that. On one hand, she wanted to see what kind of expressions the Funamoto mother and daughter would show upon hearing it. On the other, she was extremely curious what Shizuka Hiratsuka would think if she ever found out she had said such a thing.
Ever since learning that Shizuka was the older sister who had accepted her token of affection at the summer fireworks festival years ago, Kotomi's advances toward Shizuka had gradually grown bolder.
Moreover, she was deliberately not telling Shizuka that she herself was the white-haired little angel who had given her the wooden pendant with tree-grain patterns—the one Shizuka had searched for all these years.
Aside from Kotomi's mischievous side, there was an even more important reason: she wanted Shizuka to fall hopelessly, irrevocably in love with her without knowing she was that little angel from back then.
If Yukino and Yui had not been here, she definitely would have said it.
But the problem was—they were both here.
And they had both heard every word Saori had just said.
Saori's voice was not exactly quiet. Not only Yukino and Yui, but practically everyone in the hall had heard her. Quite a few curious glances were now directed their way.
Then again, when Saaki Funamoto had knelt to Kotomi earlier, that had already drawn plenty of attention.
Even those who were not regular patrons of Harugamo Inn, as long as they knew a little about it, were aware that this gentle old lady was one of the current owners.
Coupled with the fact that Saaki treated people warmly and carried no airs of a proprietor, many first-time guests would mistake her for an ordinary staff member—until they looked closely and realized she was actually one of the owners.
Now that one of the inn's owners had knelt before a young girl, anyone would find it hard not to stare.
Kotomi could not help but sigh. Although this was her first time meeting Saori, she truly did not know what to say about her.
She had not even succeeded in pursuing Shizuka yet—no, she had not even started properly.
And here came Saori, bluntly asking right off the bat, "You're Shizuka Hiratsuka's girlfriend, right?"
As if that were not enough, she had fanned the flames further with, "So when are you two getting married?"
How could Kotomi possibly remain calm? Her official girlfriend, Yui, and Yukino—who was soon to become her girlfriend—were both standing beside her.
And Saori had the audacity to throw out, "Kotomi, you're Shizuka's girlfriend, right? When are you getting married?"
Kotomi had nearly bitten her tongue just now. She did not even dare turn around to look at Yui and Yukino's expressions.
Damn you, Saori Funamoto. Just you wait. When I marry Shizuka-chan, I'll deliberately leave you out of the wedding sweets. When I throw the bouquet, I'll toss it to someone else—then I'll grab a vase I prepared in advance and smash it at you. I'll make sure your face has some very intimate contact with it!
As that thought crossed her mind, Kotomi silently resolved that once she returned to Chiba, she would go pick out a suitable vase.
At the same time, she felt a bit annoyed with Shizuka. That big mouth—was she really spreading this everywhere? She had only agreed to pretend to be Shizuka's girlfriend to help her deal with her parents' pressure to marry, and that was supposed to start in November.
It was not even the end of October yet!
Fortunately, Shizuka had already resigned from Sobu High School… Kotomi mused inwardly.
After enduring that heavy slap of maternal love, Saori crouched on the floor, clutching her head, taking several minutes to recover.
Having been beaten by her mother since childhood, she actually had some resistance to this so-called "heavy maternal love."
Under normal strength, even five slaps would not have fazed her.
But she had not expected her mother to hit so hard today. For a brief moment, after that tremendous smack, Saori thought she saw a river before her eyes, and her grandmother—who had passed away six years ago—standing kindly on the opposite bank, beckoning to her.
"Mom, you really live up to being one of the owners of Harugamo Inn. That slap nearly knocked my hairline loose," Saori said, rubbing her head and swaying slightly.
"Hmph. It seems my usual training intensity isn't enough. If I could knock you into a vegetative state with one slap, it would save me from listening to you chatter in my ears every day."
"No, no, Mom. For someone of your age, your workout routine is already Spartan enough. If you increase the intensity any further, forget about whether you can slap me into a vegetative state—I'm more worried you'll end up crossing that river to see Grandma first."
"And with how much you love fishing, you'd probably stop halfway across the bridge to cast a few lines before moving on."
Saori hurriedly advised her with exaggerated sincerity, her tone brimming with mock filial concern.
"Scram, scram, scram. I'm going to escort Miss Izumi and her friends to their reserved guest room. If you've got nothing better to do, then get as far away from me as possible. You're almost twenty-eight and still single. I tell you to go on blind dates and you refuse. Your older sister is already about to have her second child!"
Saaki Funamoto frowned. If she had been holding a whip in her hand right now, she would not have needed to do anything else for the rest of the day. She could have simply dragged this unfilial daughter into a room and lashed her half to death.
"Huh? My sister's pregnant again? Then in a few days I'll buy some supplements and go visit her and my brother-in-law. I'll earnestly tell them that while they can still have children, they should have a few more. It's not like the Funamoto family can't afford to raise them."
"As for carrying on the family line, let my sister and brother-in-law handle that."
"I don't plan to date or get married in this lifetime."
"My dream is to find the real Millennium Puzzle and then compete in Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments all over the world."
Saori spoke as if she had a clear and lofty ambition.
The moment Kotomi heard that Saori also liked playing Yu-Gi-Oh, she immediately examined Saori's hairstyle… Unfortunately, it was far too normal. At a glance, she did not look like someone who played cards at all.
Saaki took a deep breath, repeatedly reminding herself: Miss Izumi is still watching. Calm down, calm down, calm down. Besides, if she beat Saori half to death in the lobby, not only would it dirty the floor and be troublesome to clean, it would also damage the reputation of both the Funamoto family and Harugamo Inn.
After adjusting her mood, Saaki turned back to Kotomi and the others with a gentle smile.
"Miss Izumi, I apologize for the embarrassment. I will now escort you to your reserved guest room. If Harugamo Inn has the honor of preparing your three meals a day, please let us know the times you prefer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We will deliver them promptly. If there is anything you dislike or any dietary restrictions, please do inform us."
Yet after speaking, Saaki could not help but feel something strange in her heart. Had Saori angered her so much that she was seeing things?
Why did it feel as though the two girls beside Miss Izumi had expressions in their eyes that seemed ready to devour her whole?
Was it because Saori had said Miss Izumi was Shizuka's girlfriend? Never mind. It was better not to dwell on Miss Izumi's private romantic affairs…
Having weathered decades in the business world, Saaki could roughly guess certain things even if they were never spoken aloud. Of course, guessing was not true wisdom. True wisdom lay in knowing whether one should pretend not to know.
From the moment they met, she had already sensed that the two girls beside Kotomi shared something unusual with her. As for what kind of relationship it was, even if she felt curious, Saaki firmly reminded herself not to think too deeply and certainly not to pry.
"Mom, I want to go too."
Seeing her mother about to lead Kotomi and the others away, Saori hurried after them, though she deliberately kept a bit of distance.
No particular reason—she was just afraid that if she opened her mouth again, her mother's anger would flare up and another slap would come flying.
She was not like Kotomi, the type who thought, I haven't been beaten by Mom in three days—better think of a way to make her hit me.
"Get back to your room. Stop embarrassing yourself out here. If you have nothing to do, go review the blind date profiles I gave you earlier. I asked friends to gather information and photos of all sorts of outstanding young talents for you."
At this point, Saaki shot her troublesome younger daughter a sharp look.
"You kept them properly, didn't you?"
Saori pretended not to hear and began whistling, her gaze drifting elsewhere.
"Miss Izumi, please wait a moment."
After bowing to Kotomi, Saaki rolled up her sleeves, clearly preparing to let Saori experience another round of "heavy maternal love."
"Mom, Mom, Mom! Don't hit me! Didn't the temperature drop yesterday?
"When the weather turns cold, I start craving sweet, fragrant roasted sweet potatoes. So this morning I went to the market and bought a few. After I brought them home and reached the open space in our courtyard, I realized we didn't have any firewood.
"So I tore up all the blind date profiles you gave me and used them as fuel to roast the sweet potatoes.
"I have to say, they were incredibly sweet. Delicious. Next time I'll buy a whole box and carry them back."
"You… couldn't you have just bought a roasted one from a street vendor?"
"The ones from street stalls aren't as good as the ones I roast myself! Mine are amazing. Remember when our family was short on money? Didn't I tell you and Dad back then,
"'Mom, Dad, even if we go bankrupt, it's fine. At worst, I'll leave early and come home late selling roasted sweet potatoes on the street to support you both.'
"Before I could even finish, you and Dad beat me up."
Saaki covered her face, looking as though she had a headache.
"Miss Izumi is still watching. Have some dignity."
"Got it~"
Saori nodded and followed her mother in escorting Kotomi and the other three toward the Japanese-style luxury guest room.
However, not even a full minute later, Saori drifted over to Kotomi's side like a little slime, smiling as she asked,
"Miss Izumi, how did you and Shizuka-nee end up together? When I talked to Shizuka-nee on the phone before, she said you two have been dating for less than two years and are already planning to meet the parents this year?! Wow—you two are fierce.
"Back when I found out Shizuka-nee became a high school teacher, I was confused. Her dream was to become an interior designer. Why did she go teach Japanese at a high school?
"But thinking about it now, if she hadn't become a teacher, she might have missed meeting you. Is this what they call Cupid secretly guiding two people destined to fall in love? Just imagining it feels so romantic~"
"Ahaha…"
With Yukino on her left and Yui on her right, Kotomi had no idea what to say. All she could manage was an awkward laugh.
Saori, however, was the type who never let a conversation go cold. She could talk endlessly on her own.
"I remember Shizuka-nee's mother is the chief editor of a light novel imprint. When the time comes, she should ask a writer to turn your love story into a novel."
Then Saori's tone shifted slightly, her beautiful eyes carrying a hint of warning.
"Speaking of Shizuka-nee's parents, I recall that Uncle and Aunt Hiratsuka really dislike relationships with large age gaps. Miss Izumi, to be honest, the age difference between you and Shizuka-nee… is indeed a bit noticeable. I remember she's already thirty this year."
If Yukino and Yui had not been beside her, Kotomi would have answered bluntly:
'It's fine. Once I get back to Chiba, I'll have Shizuka knock me up. I'll show up in front of Uncle and Aunt Hiratsuka with a big belly and see if they dare say a word against it.'
But now, with Yukino on her left and Yui on her right, Kotomi not only could not say such a thing—she did not even want to utter a single word. She could only respond with an awkward yet polite smile.
Even so, she could clearly feel the gazes from Yukino and Yui. At this moment, their eyes seemed as though they wanted to swallow her alive.
Good thing Megumi wasn't here. If she had been, Kotomi might already have started praying for the Clock of the Twilight Demon to activate.
Seeing that Kotomi merely smiled without answering, Saori assumed she was worried about how to face Uncle and Aunt Hiratsuka's opposition. So, with encouraging enthusiasm, she patted Kotomi's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Miss Izumi. I'm Shizuka-nee's good friend. If Uncle and Aunt Hiratsuka really oppose you and try to split you apart, as long as you nod, I'll buy you two plane tickets to elope!
"No need to thank me. When your child is born, just let me hold them and—cough, I mean, take care of them for a few days. And later have the kid call me godmother…"
Before she could finish, Saori was sent flying with a kick from Saaki.
"Shut that mouth of yours! No one thinks you're mute!" Saaki scolded.
Watching Saori trace a graceful arc through the air, Saaki then returned to her gentle demeanor and smiled.
"Miss Izumi, my apologies."
"It's fine, it's fine." Kotomi smiled and shook her head.
Saori, who had just been kicked away, sprang back to her feet as if nothing had happened. After dusting off the wrinkles in her clothes, she jogged back over.
She managed to stay serious for a few seconds before asking again,
"Miss Izumi, how many children do you and Shizuka-nee plan to have?"
Kotomi: "Ahaha…"
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