Househusband-wannabe Boy and Idol Girl - 127

A Very Popular Idol Classmate Has Taken a Liking to Me, A Person Who Doesn't Want to Work for My Whole Life.

Daininki Idol na Classmate ni Natsukareta, Isshou Hatarakitakunai Ore

Src: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2496gr/127/

Act 4 - The Past of The Shidou Family

34-2

Inside the car is only the driver. The interior is spacious, but there's no one else.

Once Tenguuji closes the door, the car slowly begins to move.

There's no real escape in the car, and if I were to be kidnapped and held somewhere, I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, but still, my heart remains calm.

“......Inaba Yukio-san, he's a really good friend, isn't he?” (Yuzuka)

“Hm? Oh yeah, he’s my best friend.” (Rintaro)

“I’m jealous. I don’t have anyone close to my age that I can call that.” (Yuzuka)

“Well, being the daughter of the Tenguuji Group, I bet people around you would be a bit intimidated.” (Rintaro)

“Fufufu, true. Even though I don’t have that kind of power myself…”

Tenguuji says that in a lonely tone while gazing out the window.

If even one thing had been different, I probably would’ve ended up in her position.

If my mother hadn’t left back then, or if my father had been a stricter man, I might not have been able to live my life as just a normal high schooler.

“Are you enjoying it? Living on your own, I mean.” (Yuzuka)

“......Well, yeah. I’m free to do whatever I want. It’s a lot of work having to do everything myself, though.” (Rintaro)

“I heard a rumor that you’re really good at housework.” (Yuzuka)

“Where the hell did that rumor come from…? I mean, I don’t hate it. I’m training myself to be a full-time househusband in the future.” (Rintaro)

“Is that so…? Then how about this—marry me and become my full-time househusband? I’ll run the company.” (Yuzuka)

“That’s a tempting offer, but I’m not interested in being used like a pawn in some corporate game.” (Rintaro)

“That’s too bad. I thought it was a good idea.” (Yuzuka)

Tenguuji turns away from the window and smiles at me.

It's clear she has already given up on me.

Her words may have sounded playful or confident at a glance, but in truth, they were not.

She has completely let go of any hopes toward me—that’s why she can joke about it now.

“......So, where are we heading?” (Rintaro)

“You’ll see soon.” (Yuzuka)

Just as she says, the car comes to a stop shortly after.

We’ve been driving for maybe a little over ten minutes.

It feels like we’ve gone a fair distance, but――――

“…Wait, this place…” (Rintaro)

“Do you remember it?” (Yuzuka)

I step out of the car and look around.

The moment my feet touch the ground, memories of everything that happened here come flooding back.

“This really brings back memories… This is that park on the hill near our old kindergarten, right?” (Rintaro)

“Yes, that’s right.” (Yuzuka)

Past where the car has stopped is a gently sloping set of stairs.

Together with her, I walk up them, and before long, we arrive at an open area like a viewing platform.

From beneath the wooden railing at the back, you can have a nice view of the nearby town.

“Heh, hasn’t changed much at all.” (Rintaro)

Looking down over the townscape, I mutter to myself.

“We used to come here a lot with our kindergarten teachers, didn’t we?” (Yuzuka)

“Yeah, sometimes they even packed us lunches to eat up here.” (Rintaro)

Everything that happened here comes back to me like it's just yesterday.

I'm a bit worried I might’ve forgotten most of what happened in kindergarten, but apparently that isn’t the case.

Maybe it’s because I’ve finally made up my mind to face my past?

If so, it’s a pretty welcome side effect.

“Hey, Tenguuji.” (Rintaro)

“Yes?” (Yuzuka)

“What kind of kid was I back in kindergarten, from your point of view?” (Rintaro)

“The Rin-kun back then? Let's see… You were a really cool boy. Just like a hero.” (Yuzuka)

“…You’re making me blush, saying stuff like that.” (Rintaro)

“Fufu, but it’s true—you were always protecting me.” (Yuzuka)

“You used to be pretty shy, after all.” (Rintaro)

“I’m still just a delicate, helpless little girl, you know?” (Yuzuka)

"And what part of you is saying that?" (Rintaro)

For a girl who shoulders the fate of her company and marches into the headquarters of another group, where exactly is the 'delicateness' and 'helplessness' in that?

Seriously, all the girls around me are way too tough to handle.

Her, and them too—they’re all way stronger than I am.

"Why did you bring me here?" (Rintaro)

"I’ve always loved this place since we were little, and I thought it might be a good spot for us to talk calmly... And also, this is a special place where I made a 'promise' with you, Rin-kun." (Yuzuka)

"...Yeah, you're right." (Rintaro)

This is the place where Tenguuji and I promised to marry each other.

It was the sweet, innocent kind of promise: “Let’s get married when we grow up.”

"You… remembered?" (Yuzuka)

"Well, I didn’t completely forget or anything… but honestly, I’ve had a lot going on. I haven’t had the time or space to think about it." (Rintaro)

I remember there was someone with whom I made a promise to marry.

That memory, surprisingly, has stuck with me all this time.

"...I mean, I’m sorry. For yelling, for ignoring how you felt, for breaking our promise." (Rintaro)

"Huh?" (Yuzuka)

I bow my head to her.

Until now, I’d felt an unreasonable amount of anger toward her.

Now I understand where that anger came from.

It was a kind of "self-loathing"――――

She reminded me of myself—of what I could have become.

"The current you is like one of the 'what ifs' that could’ve been me. I think... by rejecting you, I was trying to reject the part of me trapped by the circumstances of my birth." (Rintaro)

"......" (Yuzuka)

"It’s stupid, right? Just me taking my frustrations out on you. I was… really pathetic." (Rintaro)

It was absolutely pathetic and shameful, how I’d hurt someone else just because of my own selfish feelings. The guilt and regret well up inside me, and I almost feel like crying.

Have I ever been made so deeply aware of my own immaturity before?

Regret and guilt swirl in my chest like a storm.

"If… if we’re talking about that, then I’m the one who should apologize. I pressured you about marriage without thinking about your feelings at all, Rin-kun… I’m truly sorry." (Yuzuka)

Now it's Tenguuji's turn to bow her head.

"Even if I was desperate, there’s no excuse for ignoring how you felt. There’s no situation where that’s okay in order to fulfill my wish..."

"…"

Then, she tells me everything that has been going on around her.

That the Tenguuji Group’s business was on the verge of collapsing.

That she was being pushed into a political marriage with someone from another company.

That if she had to marry someone anyway, she wanted it to be with me—the one she made that promise with so long ago.

I listen quietly as she shares her story.

"My father has always told me: 'You were born a daughter of the Tenguuji family—live for Tenguuji'. So I never knew any other way to live. But when you told me I was just going along with what people said... that’s when I finally realized." (Yuzuka)

"Tenguuji......" (Rintaro)

"Before I met you again, Rin-kun, I assumed you were probably living in the same kind of world I was. But when I saw you again......" (Yuzuka)

"I was living freely, without being tied down by family." (Rintaro)

"Fufu… exactly. And I couldn’t help but envy that." (Yuzuka)

Tenguuji leans slightly on the wooden railing, looking out.

The town stretching before us is bathed in a warm, orange light from the setting sun.

"But… I see now that you were suffering in your own way, just as much as I was. It’s clear now that we didn’t understand each other at all." (Yuzuka)

"......Yeah, you’re right." (Rintaro)

"――――Rin-kun." (Yuzuka)

When she says my name, I turn toward her.

She looks straight into my eyes, her expression serious.

I can feel the mood shift, like the air around us has changed into something completely different.

"Please let me say just one last thing. I... I love you. I've loved you since kindergarten... I’ve always loved you, Rin-kun. So this is my final request." (Yuzuka)

"......" (Rintaro)

"Please――――marry me." (Yuzuka)

~"(This is a Translation Content of pemudatunawisata[dot]my[dot]id. so, read only on there, kay~)"~

[End of Chapter]

Cya~!

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