[ENG] Otonari Asobi Volume 5 Chapter 6

Chapter 6 | “The Time of Parting and the Sister of Memories”

“—I’m back.”

After that, prioritizing my safety, Kaguya-san drove me back to the apartment in a limousine.

Or rather, it was forced upon me.

Even after all this time, Kanon-san seems as overprotective as ever.

“Welcome back, are you alright?”

Perhaps waiting for my return, Charlotte-san stood at the entrance with a worried look.

Seeing her face, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief.

“Yeah, I managed to get my request heard safely, and it looks like things will go even better than planned. More importantly, how’s Emma-chan?”

Normally, Emma-chan would come running to greet me, so I asked since she didn’t show up.

“Emma’s sulking and fell asleep. Yesterday and today were, well, like that…”

“Ah, I really messed up, huh…”

Emma-chan looks forward to playing on weekends.

But since I had errands yesterday and today, she must’ve sulked because we couldn’t hang out.

“Errands can’t be helped. If anything, it’s a good lesson for Emma.”

“Thanks. I’ll try to wrap this up as soon as possible.”

“…”

“Charlotte-san?”

I gave her a smile to reassure her, but instead, Charlotte-san’s expression clouded over.

Did I say something to upset her…?

“Akihito-kun, you look so refreshed…”

“Huh?”

“In the end, I haven’t been any help to you, Akihito-kun…”

So that’s what it was…

Right now, I’m moving forward on my own, getting help from all sorts of people without Charlotte-san’s involvement.

She probably doesn’t like that I’m solving things with others instead of with her.

I wouldn’t want to see Charlotte-san relying on someone other than me either.

I’d been lacking that consideration.

“It’s okay. Just having you by my side is enough, Charlotte-san.”

I told her how I felt so she wouldn’t feel burdened.

But—that seemed to be the wrong move.

“Akihito-kun, you’re not even letting me stay by your side…?”

And she was right.

I said it’s enough for her to be with me, yet I’d been keeping her at a distance.

Naturally, that would make her feel dissatisfied or anxious.

Kanon-san was probably referring to this sort of thing.

“Sorry, you’re right… But I was doing it because I didn’t want you to feel anxious…”

“Not being told anything or being pushed away makes me far more anxious…”

If I said something like, I’ve been consulting you on things I thought needed discussion—that’d just dig my grave deeper, wouldn’t it?

In the end, it was just my own ego.

If Charlotte-san didn’t like it, I should’ve talked to her properly.

“You’re right. Sorry.”

I apologized and pulled Charlotte-san’s body closer.

Then, I gently stroked her head.

“Shall we sit and talk?”

“Yes…”

Standing around must be tiring, so I led Charlotte-san to the living room.

Normally, I’d sit first and wait for her to sit on my lap, but this time, I scooped her up in a princess carry, sat down, and lowered her onto my lap all at once.

“Ah, Akihito-kun…”

“Well, just this once, right?”

Seeing Charlotte-san blush happily made it worth it.

Hopefully, this eased her frustrations a little.

“I’m sorry for always making you sad even though I’m your boyfriend.”

I hugged her gently, carefully stroking her head.

Charlotte-san shook her head side to side while resting her cheek against my chest.

…She’s pretty skillful.

“It’s just me being selfish…”

“It’s fine to be selfish. Since you’re my girlfriend, I’d feel more at ease if you told me everything honestly.”

I’d do anything she wanted me to.

But if she doesn’t put it into words, there are things I won’t understand.

So, I’d rather she be selfish with me.

“I might end up being selfish all the time…?”

“That’s fine. I’d even say I want you to be as selfish as possible.”

“Even if I said, ‘Don’t talk to other girls’…?”

As we chatted with smiles, Charlotte-san suddenly said something outrageous.

I’d heard of possessive lovers forcing their partners to delete all opposite-sex contacts, but asking me not to talk to them at all might be a first.

She stared intently at my face.

“If that’s what you seriously want, Charlotte-san, I’ll try not to talk to them as much as possible, okay?”

Completely avoiding it would be impossible.

But I could probably keep it to the bare minimum.

It’d be a shame for Karin, but if Charlotte-san’s hurting, I’d do it.

“I was kidding. I didn’t think you’d actually consider it.”

Charlotte-san didn’t mean it seriously and gave an awkward smile.

Honestly, with how jealous she can get, I thought it was plausible, but she’s too kind to demand something like that.

“As long as you pamper me, I don’t mind if you get along with other girls.”

Saying that, she rubbed her cheek against my chest.

That must be enough to satisfy her.

So, she still doesn’t like me getting along with others.

But since she says it’s okay, I won’t distance myself from those relationships either.

If I did, she’d probably overthink it.

She might be a bit of a handful in this way, but—I found that oddly endearing.

“I love pampering you too, Charlotte-san. You’re adorable when you cling to me.”

“…!”

When I whispered in her ear, Charlotte-san let out a wordless squeak and squirmed.

Watching her cover her flushed face with both hands and shake her head side to side was pure joy.

My shy girlfriend is just too cute.

“Akihito-kun, you’ve got a mean streak, teasing me on purpose…”

Thinking I was teasing her, Charlotte-san puffed out her cheeks while still blushing.

She’s a bundle of cuteness, I thought, as I gently stroked her head to soothe her.

“It’s what I really think, though.”

“That just makes it more embarrassing…”

Charlotte-san hid her face by pressing it against my chest.

She couldn’t handle it anymore, it seemed.

“You’re the most important to me, Charlotte-san, and I think you’re the cutest. That’ll never change.”

“S-See, you’re definitely trying to embarrass me…!”

“I’m not, I swear.”

I smiled as Charlotte-san playfully tapped me in protest.

Messing around like this was so much fun.

“So, who’s cuter, Emma or me?”

Probably as payback, she asked a question meant to stump me.

“Cute means different things here. Emma-chan’s cute like a little kid or a younger sister, while you’re cute as a romantic partner or girlfriend, Charlotte-san.”

“…That’s cheating.”

When I gave her the answer I’d prepared, Charlotte-san pouted.

I’d come up with it in case Emma-chan ever asked, but I didn’t expect it to come in handy like this.

Well, Charlotte-san probably cared about it too, in her own way.

“Both of you are incredibly important to me.”

“Thank you… I care about you so much too, Akihito-kun…”

Still blushing, Charlotte-san gazed at me with warm eyes.

Then she closed her eyes and offered her lips.

—But I didn’t kiss her.

Once I did, her switch would flip, and we wouldn’t be able to talk anymore.

“Before that, there’s something I’d like to discuss.”

“…”

“D-Don’t look so sad! It’s a quick talk, I promise.”

Seeing her slump in disappointment, I hurriedly tried to cheer her up.

Well, uh… it’s my fault for not kissing her when the mood was right.

“If there was a way to overwrite all the bad rumors about me right now, but I chose to do nothing, what would you think, Charlotte-san?”

I already had my own answer, but since she was upset about not being involved, I wanted to hear her feelings.

Perhaps because it was a serious topic, Charlotte-san shifted gears and smiled.

“I’d respect your decision. I’m sure you have your reasons. No matter what path you choose, Akihito-kun, I’ll follow you. It’s a phrase I’ve said too many times already, but if there are hardships ahead, let’s overcome them together.”

As always, she was determined to stand by me no matter what.

Being trusted so unconditionally made me genuinely happy.

Her adding let’s overcome them together might’ve been a subtle hint to finally rely on her, though.

“Thanks. I’ll go with what I believe in. And from now on, I’ll consult you properly.”

Saying that, I surprised her with a sudden kiss.

She stiffened in shock for a moment but soon relaxed, leaving herself in my hands.

◆◆◆

—From then on, with help from Akira, Riku, Kousaka-san, Shimizu-san, Miyu-sensei, and even Kanon-san and Kaguya-san, I started working on a video.

Karin seems bad at filming, so I didn’t ask her.

Since Charlotte-san is one of the people involved, I didn’t have her appear in the video but asked her to support me instead.

I considered asking Nikaidou-san for her influence but decided against it since she doesn’t know me well yet.

Filming with schoolmates was easy since we used a classroom, but going to Kanon-san and Riku was a bit of a hassle.

The hardest part, though, was editing the video—I’m not used to it.

Once the video was done—thanks to Kanon-san’s help—Charlotte-san and I headed to President Himeragi’s place.

We left Emma-chan with her mom so she wouldn’t make a fuss.

Everything was set.

“—Bringing your girlfriend along to meet me on a Saturday, what’s this about? I’ve got work to do, you know?”

Sitting across from us, President Himeragi—a man with a slicked-back hairstyle and a mustache—glared at us with clear irritation.

It’s natural he’d brush us off, but his attitude was so blatant it stirred something dark inside me.

“Father, isn’t that attitude a bit much, even toward your own son?”

Kanon-san, sitting to my right, gave her father a pointed look.

The seating was me in the middle, Kanon-san on my right, Charlotte-san on my left, and President Himeragi directly in front of me.

Naturally, the president took the seat of honor farthest from the door.

He snorted and looked down at me.

“Hah, my son? I haven’t acknowledged you as part of the Himeragi family yet, have I?”

“…”

Charlotte-san’s expression shifted as if she wanted to say something to his taunting words.

Not missing that, I took her hand.

I shook my head silently, calming her anger.

We couldn’t get emotional here.

The more emotional we got, the more it’d play into President Himeragi’s hands.

He was provoking us now, likely trying to make us slip up or find fault with Charlotte-san’s reaction to drive a wedge between us.

There was no need to take the bait.

Understanding this, Kanon-san took a deep breath and faced President Himeragi.

“Let’s get to the point. You’re aware of the bad rumors about Akihito spreading on SNS, right, Father?”

“Hmph, I don’t care.”

“Is that really what you want to say? Aren’t you the root cause of it all?”

The bad rumors about me mostly stem from an incident at a national tournament back in middle school.

And the one who caused that incident is the man sitting smugly in front of us—President Himeragi.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he messed up my life, Akira’s, and Kanon-san’s too.

“I just took payment for taking him in. What’s the problem?”

“Payment for taking him in? That’s not true, is it? Didn’t you take him in from the start just to use him? Even going so far as to crush the orphanage where Akihito lived?”

“Huh…?”

Hearing something I didn’t know, I looked at Kanon-san in confusion.

“The timing was too perfect, so I had my suspicions and looked into it. Sure enough, I found out Father had ties to the orphanage’s owner and applied pressure.”

Why didn’t I consider that possibility?

Now that she mentioned it, everything had fallen into place too conveniently for President Himeragi.

I thought he took me in because I had value, but he’d targeted me from the start to use in his deals, stripping away my home to make me his pawn.

What a despicable man…

“And if that’s true, what are you going to do? Sue me?”

Even with his misdeeds exposed, President Himeragi didn’t flinch.

Suing someone from a major conglomerate like him would obviously end in our loss.

We weren’t foolish enough to try something so reckless, nor did we need to.

“We’re not that stupid.”

“Heh, figured as much. You lot should just quietly—”

“—But we’re not planning to let this slide either.”

“What…?”

For the first time, President Himeragi furrowed his brow at Kanon-san’s words.

“Kanon-san, leave the rest to me.”

“Yes, please do.”

With the preamble done, it was my turn.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and showed the screen to President Himeragi.

“What’s this?”

“If you watch, you’ll see—it’s a video I made with help from my friends.”

It featured Riku, who knows my past; Akira and Kousaka-san, who know both my past and present;

and Shimizu-san and Miyu-sensei, who know me now, all talking about who I am as a person.

At the end, Kaguya-san, dressed as a maid, reveals the truth from three years ago and closes with footage of me under soft confinement.

Kaguya-san took that role instead of Kanon-san because if Kanon-san did it, some might overthink it, so we framed it as a maid’s exposé.

“This contains testimonials from friends about my character, along with an accusation and evidence of what you did three years ago.”

I stated only the facts, nothing more.

Then—

“Hahaha, are you an idiot!?”

President Himeragi burst into loud laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“A video made by some student—what’s it going to do!? You think people will pity you!? They’ll just laugh at you for picking a fight with a big corporation!”

“Is that really the case?”

I fiddled with my phone and opened a video site.

“Here’s one of the people who appeared in it.”

I showed him Riku’s channel.

The subscriber count there exceeded three million.

“He’s a soccer player, not mainly a streamer. Even just on this platform, he has this many fans, and with TV appearances, he’s got plenty more who don’t watch online.”

“So what?”

“Don’t you get it? Fans, unless something extreme happens, will defend their favorite no matter what. And in that world, many will believe what their favorite says, regardless of what others think. That’s not all—his fans are mostly young, and they’ll spread it on SNS in no time. Just like how my bad rumors spread so fast.”

I explained calmly, locking eyes with President Himeragi.

“And one more thing. People online love to bash successful folks. If they hear about scandals or misdeeds from someone as famous as you, President Himeragi, they’ll jump at the chance to tear you down. Especially since you dragged a bunch of students into your selfish schemes—society won’t forgive that. Then, as the one who tarnished the company’s image, you’d have to take responsibility.”

I know firsthand how troublesome the internet can be.

With all the attention right now, we could get it in front of tons of people, gaining sympathy and allies beyond just Riku’s fans.

That’s thanks to Kanon-san securing decisive evidence and Kaguya-san siding with us despite betraying her employer.

But that’s not all.

Riku’s huge fanbase also makes it easier for neutral people to lean our way.

Those on the fence tend to follow what the majority says after watching the crowd.

Honestly, without Riku, even with evidence, we’d just be pitied like the president said.

But with all these advantages, once this video goes public, President Himeragi’s position will be at risk.

“So, you’re trying to threaten me?”

President Himeragi narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

“No, it’s a negotiation.”

“Negotiation, huh? Hah, even if I agree to your demands, you’ll just release the video once you get what you want, right? You’ve got no other way to clear your bad rep. So there’s no point in listening.”

President Himeragi tried to shut it down with his own conclusion.

He seemed to think I’d release it for self-preservation once I didn’t need to keep my promise.

“…By the way, don’t you realize? What you’re about to do will hurt Kanon too.”

I thought he’d already decided I’d release it, but he gave me a testing look and smirked.

As if he’d found my weakness.

“You’d betray someone who’s looked after you with her own allowance since you were kids. Can you really do that?”

He must’ve dug into my middle school days a lot.

He understood who I was and figured if he brought up Kanon-san, I wouldn’t release it even without meeting his demands.

…Well, the old me might’ve been like that.

If so, his earlier you’ll release it anyway, so no negotiation bit might’ve just been a bluff.

“Unfortunately, both Kanon-san and I came here resolved. If this negotiation works, I’m willing to ignore the bad rumors about me. But if it doesn’t, I’ll release the video without hesitation—even if it troubles Kanon-san. My top priority is my future with Charlotte-san, so I won’t hold back or care about rumors for that.”

I’d agonized plenty over whether it was okay to turn against someone who’d helped me.

After all that, I decided to draw the bow to protect my future with Charlotte-san.

With Kanon-san’s support, there’s no room for hesitation now.

As for the rumors, if it secures my future with Charlotte-san, I’ll accept them gladly.

Luckily, my schoolmates seem to be on my side, and I’ve already discussed safety measures with Kanon-san.

Above all, no matter what the world says, I’ll face it head-on and overcome it with Charlotte-san together.

There’s nothing to fear.

“Hmm… Alright, let’s hear this negotiation of yours.”

Realizing I wouldn’t back down, President Himeragi closed his eyes and leaned back.

Finally, he was willing to listen.

“I have two requests. First, don’t interfere with me, the Bennett family, or Kanon-san ever again. Of course, that includes canceling any fiancée arrangements you’ve made without permission.”

This was non-negotiable.

With President Himeragi, it wouldn’t be surprising if he meddled with the Bennetts too.

And Kanon-san, being his daughter, might’ve had no choice but to obey.

So, we had to make him promise not to interfere with us.

That’s why I consulted Kanon-san about using the video as leverage instead of releasing it right away.

As for fiancées, I’m still just a candidate, but Kanon-san’s was already set.

She apparently has a fiancée but doesn’t like them and has no intention of marrying.

We had to make sure it got canceled here.

“And the second is, don’t lay a hand on Kaguya-san.”

It’s obvious to President Himeragi that Kaguya-san helped us this time.

Plus, since Kaguya-san has always prioritized Kanon-san, he doesn’t seem to like her much.

He hasn’t touched her because of her skills and her family’s long, excellent service, but he might hold a grudge over this and target her.

We needed to seal that off too.

“If you promise these two things, we won’t release the video.”

“I see, huh…”

President Himeragi fell silent after saying that.

We weren’t asking for anything huge.

We were just asserting our basic rights.

It wouldn’t be a major blow to him, so he might agree—

“I’ve really been underestimated, haven’t I?”

Of course, it wouldn’t go that smoothly.

“Seems you’ve forgotten I’m someone who’ll do anything to achieve my goals. You should’ve negotiated outside. Did you think you’d leave this mansion unscathed?”

Unable to talk us down, President Himeragi seemed ready to use force.

He clapped his hands twice, probably signaling someone.

I thought a bunch of butlers would rush in—

But…

“—Haven’t you forgotten something? Whose daughter that girl is?”

The one who entered was a beautiful woman with long, shimmering silver hair and a friendly, charming smile.

She approached us with elegant, graceful movements.

Above all, that clear, soothing voice—I’d heard it before.

“Onee-san…?”

She was—without a doubt—the Onee-san who took care of me when I was little.

She looked a bit older than in my memories of her face and voice.

But she still seemed incredibly young.

Then Charlotte-san’s next words hit me like a shockwave.

“Mom…? Why are you here…?”

“—!?”

Mom…?

So, Onee-san is Charlotte-san’s mother…?

With that, all the puzzling pieces in my head started connecting.

Why I thought Charlotte-san resembled the woman I admired.

Why Charlotte-san, who seemed so refined, lived in the same apartment as me.

Why—an ojou-sama like Kanon-san—reached out to me as a kid.

It seems Kanon-san and Onee-san had us dancing in the palm of their hands.

“You’ve grown so much, Akihito-kun.”

Onee-san—no, Charlotte-san’s mom—smiled at me warmly.

Flustered and shy, I couldn’t help but look away.

Meanwhile, Charlotte-san started glancing between me and her mom in surprise.

“Uh, it’s been a while…”

“It really has. We’ve got a lot to catch up on, and I owe you plenty of explanations… But first, there’s one thing I need to say.”

Charlotte-san’s mom stood in front of me as she spoke.

Then she gently placed a hand on my cheek.

“I came to keep my promise. It took nearly ten years, though.”

She smiled brightly as she said it.

But I was too shy to meet her gaze.

“I thought you’d forgotten…”

“No way I’d forget. It’s a precious promise I made with you.”

Feeling my chest and eyes heat up, I barely held it together.

I couldn’t let my guard down yet.

“Now, there’s a mountain of things I want to talk about, but we’ve got something to settle first.”

Charlotte-san’s mom stood up and looked at President Himeragi.

His earlier smug expression was gone, replaced by clear panic and agitation.

Just who is Onee-san…?

“President Himeragi, you wouldn’t dare try to harm my precious daughter, would you?”

“N-No way, of course not! I was just about to scold my daughter and son for saying outrageous things!”

He must really fear Charlotte-san’s mom, because that arrogant man was groveling.

He even called me his son to curry favor with her.

“It didn’t look that way to me. Oh, and I happen to have something I’d like you to see, President Himeragi.”

Charlotte-san’s mom operated her phone, just like I did, and held it up for him to see.

—Oh, yeah, I remember. You’re into that kind of gossip, huh, President Bennett? Doesn’t suit your looks.

Fufu, even I enjoy a bit of small talk like that. What kind of deal did you make with President Himeragi?

She was probably showing him a video.

I could hear a gruff man’s voice and Charlotte-san’s mom’s voice.

And President Himeragi’s face grew paler by the second.

Judging by the timing, it’s likely the guy he dealt with when he used me in a transaction.

As the video played on, the man spilled every detail of the deal.

She must be a great listener for him to talk so freely.

“It took some effort to get him to open up, but once he let his guard down and I asked about three years ago, he happily told me everything—without even noticing I was recording. Combined with Akihito-kun’s video, this evidence will make it far more credible, and your reputation will crash to the ground along with this man’s.”

Charlotte-san’s mom pressed President Himeragi mercilessly.

She was like a sharp, capable career woman.

“Even Father can’t defy Charlotte-san’s mom. She’s a major client, and we’re the ones in a weaker position.”

As I watched them, Kanon-san whispered an explanation to me.

No wonder President Himeragi was freaking out.

Wait—if the Himeragi conglomerate is beneath her, does that mean Charlotte-san’s mom is the president of some massive company…?

That’d make Charlotte-san an incredible ojou-sama…

I glanced at Charlotte-san.

She was looking at her mom in confusion, but when she noticed me, she squeezed my hand tighter.

She must be unsure of what’s going on and feeling anxious.

If this reassured her, I’d let her hold on as much as she wanted.

“What’ll it be? Fight us to the end, or accept Akihito-kun’s terms? Pick whichever you like.”