As the final exams approached, Akira, in his daily wait, finally faced the event he had been so anxious about.
That was Sajuna's parents finally returning from their vacation.
Regarding the matter of him eloping with their beloved daughter during Sajuna's parents' vacation...
Akira had six points to make.
...
He was still very nervous inside.
Thanks to the unique social structure and ideology of Japan, Akira didn't think his orphan status would cause trouble with Sajuna's parents.
Nor did he feel inferior because he temporarily lacked a stable income.
After all, the first royalties for his light novel were already being processed...
He believed they would be deposited into his bank account soon.
What Akira was worried about was simply the nervousness of meeting his beloved's parents for the first time, afraid of leaving a bad impression on Sajuna's parents.
Although Sajuna liked him enough, her parents probably wouldn't dislike him either.
But he still couldn't help but want to rack up maximum goodwill points with Sajuna's parents!
After school, Akira took out his phone and saw a message from Sajuna.
『Sajuna: Mom wants to meet you.』
Besides that, there wasn't even a playful emoji.
It was clear that Sajuna was also incredibly nervous about this.
After all, girls always want their beloved boy to receive their parents' approval and blessings.
Sajuna was no exception.
Akira put on his school bag, got on the train home, and upon arriving, he hurried to his bedroom to change out of his school uniform.
He got up, went downstairs, changed his shoes at the entrance, and then Akira went out again, got on the train, and headed to Sajuna's house.
Sajuna's house was still a standard apartment, and although he had been there countless times, Akira suddenly felt that the surrounding scenery had changed quite a bit.
Especially the white 'Qian' sign hanging on the door, which was noticeably brighter.
Akira walked over, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell.
Ding-dong, then Akira heard the familiar sound of sock-clad feet running across the floor.
"Aki-Kun, please wait a moment."
Not long after she finished speaking, Akira saw Sajuna, wearing a pink apron, open the door with flushed cheeks.
"Good evening, Sajuna."
"Good evening, Aki-Kun."
Sajuna's cheeks were flushed, and she seemed a little afraid to look into Akira's eyes.
Aki-Kun really came.
Although she knew Aki-Kun would definitely not shy away from such things, experiencing it firsthand still made her very happy.
Sajuna lowered her head and thought for two seconds before quickly looking up at Akira, then at the pink apron she was wearing, and continued, "Aki-Kun, please come in first."
"Today, today I'm wearing an apron, so no hugs."
"Mm, it's fine."
Akira nodded, said nothing more, and followed Sajuna into the living room.
Upon entering the living room, Akira saw Sayouye's mom busy in the kitchen, looking to be in her 30s, her movements appearing both intellectual and gentle.
[Sayouye's mom]
Hearing Sajuna come in, Sayouye's mom, who was busy in the kitchen, turned her head and saw Akira following behind Sajuna.
"Akira-kun is here, good evening."
Akira replied a little awkwardly.
"Auntie, good evening."
He had prepared himself mentally, but seeing her still made him a little nervous...
Sayouye's mom seems to have a good impression of me, Akira thought wildly.
Sayouye's mom's smile carried both Sajuna's cuteness and Shinju's gentleness, making people feel very at ease. She had pink hair, just like her daughters, but unlike Sajuna, Sayouye's mom had short hair, which, in addition to her gentleness, gave her a more capable aura.
"Sajuna, don't go into the kitchen! Go and spend time with Akira-kun."
Looking at her distracted daughter, Sayouye's mom also began to advise Sajuna.
"Also, remember to call Shinju out for dinner later."
"Auntie seems very skilled."
Akira turned to ask Sajuna.
"Mm, Mom is a cooking class teacher, so she often deals with cooking on a daily basis."
"I also used to help out part-time in Mom's classes, so I know a little bit about cooking."
As Sajuna said this, she suddenly became shy.
She had helped out part-time in her mother's cooking classes before, and she hadn't been unmotivated to learn at the time, but her cooking skills still couldn't compare to Aki-Kun's.
It even made Shinju think that her older sister's cooking skills were actually inferior to a boy her age.
"No wonder."
Akira nodded. He hadn't seriously asked about Sajuna's parents before, but now, thinking about it, he understood a little.
"Sajuna's cooking skills are very good."
It's just that she met him, who had a cheat. But then again, his cooking skills were also honed day after day in the restaurant.
So there was nothing to feel guilty about.
"Aki-Kun, please sit in the living room for a bit. I need to go back to my room to change my clothes."
Sajuna said with flushed cheeks. It was a perfectly normal statement, but with her mother present, it couldn't help but make her a little shy.
"Mm."
Akira watched Sajuna return to her bedroom, then he sat on the sofa opposite the television.
The television opposite was not on. Akira felt as if something was missing from the environment, so he reached out and picked up the remote control.
"Auntie, can I turn on the TV?"
"Akira-kun, just make yourself at home, no need to ask."
Sayouye's mom's voice came from the kitchen.
Akira felt he was being a bit too reserved.
After some thought, Akira turned on the TV, tuned to a channel playing variety shows and talk shows. The unique laughter and gentle voices emanating from it instantly changed the atmosphere of the entire living room, slowly calming Akira's heart.
Sajuna came out of her bedroom, dressed in her usual loungewear, and sat beside Akira.
"Sajuna's father hasn't returned yet?"
"Mom said that Dad just returned from vacation, so he needs to go back to the editorial department to arrange work, which means he'll be back later."
Sajuna answered while holding Akira's hand, looking into Akira's eyes as if to encourage him, saying,
"Aki-Kun, don't be nervous."
"Mom told me she supports us being together."
"Then what about Sajuna's father?"
Sajuna stammered a bit, then turned her face away, blushing, and replied,
"Dad, Dad will definitely bless us too. Mom already promised Sajuna."
Looking at Sajuna's adorable appearance, Akira couldn't resist for a moment and pulled her into his embrace.